The suggestion of a festival in Evans City to commemorate the 40th anniversary of George Romero's classic horror movie "Night of the Living Dead," which was filmed there, is a great idea.

It has the potential to be an economic blockbuster not only for Evans City but also for other areas of this county.

Jack Cohen, executive director of the Butler County Tourism and Convention Bureau, spoke about the possibility of such an event at Monday's borough council meeting. Cohen said the borough wouldn't be responsible financially for the event and asked only for the council's support in the preliminary stages of planning.

Members of the borough's planning commission are to meet with the tourism bureau during the coming week to discuss the feasibility of having such a potentially large-scale event centered there.

It also has been mentioned that commemorating the film might not be a one-time festival, but rather become an annual event.

"Night of the Living Dead" often has been referred to as a cult classic. Even after 40 years, it continues to attract many new fans.

The film, on videocassette or DVD, still is being sold in some stores.

Cohen said the festival could bring tens of thousands of visitors to Evans City. Obviously, Evans City isn't large enough to accommodate such a large throng. That means there would be a significant spillover into adjacent areas of the county, and the economic boost would not be meager.

Other parts of the county could help Evans City promote the festival.

Like the "living dead" in the movie, this is an idea that should not die. It has so much positive potential in terms of putting Evans City on the motion picture "map" in the way it should be recognized.

Too bad it has taken so long for such an idea to evolve.

Periodically, communities should review ordinances on their books to determine which might need updated and which ought to be repealed.Mars Borough Council has taken the right step in working to consolidate several parking ordinances — ordinances that have been passed over a 70-year span.The product of that consolidation is a proposed ordinance that would tighten some restrictions and add new parking rules for streets around Marburger Field.The Marburger Field area has been of particular concern, not only to the council but to residents and the police. There is general agreement that crowded parking conditions during sporting events have created situations that could have been difficult for emergency vehicles.Mars council members examined the proposed ordinance at a meeting Monday, and plan to vote on it on Aug. 25.Times change and needs change. That is what Mars' proposed parking ordinance is about.

The Pennsylvania General Assembly deserves a thumbs-down for the skepticism it is generating regarding its willingness and ability to deliver on promises to stamp out corruption in the Legislature.A survey by Connecticut-based Quinnipiac University found that three out of four Keystone State voters are skeptical about the chances for real reform in the state House and Senate.Meanwhile, half of the poll's 1,580 respondents said they disapproved of the way the General Assembly handles its job, the biggest margin in a year.That's no surprise. In addition to the ongoing Bonusgate investigation and other troubling actions of recent years, the Legislature in recent decades has evolved into a swamp of partisanship that has limited its ability to operate in an efficient, effective way.But the Quinnipiac poll also produced some other food for thought related to the voters' unhappiness with lawmakers. Asked how much they knew about the Bonusgate scandal, only 20 percent of poll respondents said they knew "a lot" about it, while 47 percent said they knew not much or nothing at all about it.That indicates that many state residents deserve a jeer for not paying attention to what is happening in this body of government that has such a deep impact on their lives.If that were to change significantly, it's possible much more pressure would be on lawmakers to change the mess that is Pennsylvania government.