It shouldn't take nearly a quarter-century for a municipality to determine that certain residents haven't been paying for a municipal service.

But apparently that's what has happened in Evans City.

Norm Nelson, public works director, told the borough council about recently learning of three possible thefts of service from Evans City. He said the people in question had tied into the borough sewer lines as far back as 1984 and at least some have not paid sewer and/or water bills for that entire time.

The question must be asked whether there are others, unbeknownst to the borough, receiving free service also.

Over the years, Evans City should have had a plan in place for ensuring that everyone receiving service was in fact paying for that service. Evans City is not such a big municipality that such enforcement is impossible.

Past officials merely didn't pay enough attention to what was going on around them.

Nelson correctly brought the issue before current borough leaders. And, he was correct in observing that the residents in question should be required to produce paperwork showing proper payment of services "or we have to nail them."

Nobody should get a "free ride." At the same time, borough residents have a right to expect borough officials to remain vigilant.

Money from three homes might not seem like a significant amount — until one year's loss is multiplied by 24.

After Danica Patrick last Sunday became the first woman ever to win a major IndyCar race, speeding to victory in the Japan 300, there were some rumblings in the racing world about Patrick's weight advantage.The thought voiced was that if Patrick's weight of about 100 pounds had been more in line with that of her male racing counterparts, the playing field would have been fairer; her car's speed would not have been enhanced because of a lighter load.Actually, Patrick's victory resulted more from good fuel-saving strategy rather than from weight advantage. Several other drivers who had a chance to win the race had to pit near the end to get enough fuel to finish.To his credit, Helio Castroneves, the race pole-sitter from whom Patrick took the lead on the 198th lap of the 200-lap race, exhibited more class than those who sought to discount Patrick's victory."She did a great job, she passed me fair and square, and that shows you how competitive our series is," Castroneves said.To Patrick's credit, by way of her victory she also made a dent in a major prejudice in the racing world — one that even NASCAR legend Richard Petty had publicly harbored."I just don't think it's a sport for women, and so far, it's proved out," Petty once said.IndyCar racing has experienced a new sense of excitement since Patrick's first Indianapolis 500 appearance in 2005, when she led for part of the race; finished fourth, the best finish by a woman at Indy; and captured rookie-of-the-year honors.Those men who have chosen to find fault with Patrick's victory should, instead of looking for reasons to complain, while at the same time ignoring her racing skills, accept this new challenge and simply try to run a better race.

It's difficult to offer praise to someone responsible for another person's death due to drunken driving. Indeed, 40-year-old Kristina Quercetti of Chester County does not deserve a light sentence for causing the death of an off-duty state trooper in a crash on March 27.At the time of the crash, in addition to having a blood-alcohol level more than four times the legal limit and Oxycodone in her system, she was speeding and driving with her headlights off.But unlike those DUI defendants who try to avoid punishment for their crime, despite the death or deaths their actions might have wrought, Quercetti, who is charged with vehicular homicide, is taking full responsibility for the tragedy that she caused. Not only does she plan to plead guilty and free up the court system for other cases, she also is accepting the fact that she deserves to be punished — by not seeking bail.Quercetti broke down in tears during her first court appearance and then, while leaving court, told reporters, "I just can't express how sorry I am."If Quercetti had demonstrated the maturity on March 27 that she projected the day of her court appearance — and avoided driving after drinking — she would not be in the dilemma in which she currently finds herself.