President George W. Bush's approval rating is far below what the nation's chief executive would like it to be. But the president gets a high approval rating for signing legislation adding Butler County to the Rivers of Steel program, created by Congress in 1996 to preserve and manage historical, cultural and national resources related to steel.

Prior to Butler County's gaining approval, the area comprised 5,000 square miles in Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Westmoreland, Greene, Fayette and Washington counties.

According to August Carlino, Rivers of Steel president and chief executive officer, Butler County's inclusion in the program will enable the group to work with county and municipal officials on heritage preservation projects, tourism or development.

To be considered for Rivers of Steel inclusion, information on the county's industries, occupational and cultural traditions, community life, environmental and natural resources, and historic districts had to be presented to Congress and the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

Butler County has a great story to tell in regard to its steel heritage. Acceptance into Rivers of Steel — and hopefully receiving the sought-after state heritage area designation — should result in an inflow of federal and state money to help the county do that.

Jack Cohen, executive director of the Butler County Tourism and Convention Bureau, sees possibilities tied to the county's bragging rights as birthplace of the jeep. But names like Armco, AK Steel and Pullman Standard anchor the county's steel history, and they will have a prominent place in whatever Rivers of Steel makes possible for the county.

More than a month after Pennsylvania's primary elections, there still are some political campaign signs littering the county's landscape.The use of the word "littering" is appropriate. Leading up to the April 22 election, the signs served a purpose; between now and the fall election campaign, there is no reason for them to be on display.Among the signs are some that won't serve a useful purpose even in the fall campaign; the signs in question tout the candidacies of people whose primary election efforts were unsuccessful.Leaders of the county's political parties should work to ensure that remaining campaign signs are removed quickly. As summerlike weather takes hold, few people are going to pay attention to them — beyond wondering why they still are there.

Memorial Day is observed every year in this country to honor deceased members of the armed forces of all wars. But it's also the time when people honor their deceased family members and friends who might or might not have served in the military, by cleaning up and trimming grass around — and placing flowers or wreaths on — those people's graves.According to the Butler County Office of Veterans Services, the county bought and distributed approximately 17,400 American Flags this year for placement on veterans' graves. The hundreds of people who actually placed the flags — including members of veterans groups, Scouts, ROTC personnel, cemetery workers and other individuals — deserve praise for their dedication to this worthy task.The days leading up to this weekend were not the greatest from a weather standpoint. Still, that didn't deter veterans groups and others from the process of readying cemeteries and other military memorials for this important annual observance.And, the growing spirit surrounding the holiday that has been so evident in recent days should carry on through Memorial Day itself, by county residents setting aside time to attend parades and participate in memorial services.An article detailing Memorial Day ceremonies appeared on Page 16 of Thursday's Butler Eagle.It's unfortunate that for some people, Memorial Day still is regarded merely as a day off from work or school and the opportunity to begin their summer recreational activities. This weekend is so much more significant, and hopefully the true spirit of what this holiday truly is about will this year embrace many of those people who have "missed" the importance of the day in the past.With the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan onging and continuing to claim lives of this country's military personnel, there is a greater incentive for this holiday to remain close to all Americans' hearts and lives.