Paul Adametz, a new Seneca Valley School Board member, deserves the criticism being directed at him in response to name-calling and misstatements of fact contained in a flurry of middle-of-the-night e-mails several weeks ago to other board members.

By virtue of his board position, Adametz is free to be critical of the school district's budget, decision making or anything else connected with the district. He is free to disagree with taxpayers' opinions on the issues facing the board.

However, he can do all of that without calling people "Communist thugs" or making grossly inaccurate statements in an attempt to support his viewpoints. His conduct should be respectful and open to weighing all sides of all issues without belittling others in the process.

The e-mails depict a level of immaturity calling into question Adametz' readiness for his board role. Adametz' explanation that at the time of the late-night e-mails he "didn't have enough energy left to go root through a thesaurus" for the right words isn't a good-enough explanation.

Meanwhile, Adametz' statement that Seneca Valley spends $37,000 each to send students to the Butler County Vocational-Technical School, when the actual cost is about $4,000, will understandably have district residents doubting his purported statements of fact for a long time into the future.

When trust is lost, it is difficult to rebuild.

Former board member John Mitro, one of those whom Adametz called a "Communist thug," was on target with his observation that "school directors should lead by example" and that "Adametz is an embarrassment to the Seneca Valley community he claims to represent."

How Adametz intends to undo what he has "accomplished" remains to be seen. However, it is safe to say that he has a big task ahead of him.

Butler Township merits positive notice for its decision to issue identification badges to certain officers of the five township fire departments. The departments are Lyndora, South Butler, Greenwood Village, Meridian and Mercer Road.The badges will help alleviate residents' fears that someone not affiliated with a township fire department might use an unfortunate time to gain illegal access to a residence or business. As was pointed out by George Smith, township fire marshal, some calls are for situations not involving a fire - such as fear of a natural gas leak or carbon monoxide.Even for a fire call, it is not unheard of for someone not affiliated with a fire department to try to capitalize on someone else's misfortune. For Butler Township residents, the badges are at least a partial safeguard against such a happening.Smith said fire officers sometimes respond to incidents directly from their homes, and until the arrival of fire equipment, residents could not be sure that the person identifying himself or herself as a firefighter really was a firefighter. With the badges in use, concerns of that kind will become less frequent.The five township fire departments should make a special effort to get word about the badges out to township households and businesses. That information could help firefighters gain important minutes in their response to whatever the emergency, if firefighters don't have to deal with uncertainties about their affiliation with an emergency service.The badges will provide the officer's name, photograph, signature and department.Butler Township's idea is one that also could work in other communities that currently do not issue such badges.

If there's a need, try to fill it.That's the theory behind the county's decision to authorize a second newspaper recycling shed and plan for one or two additional sheds later.The current shed along McCune Drive near Sunnyview Nursing Home has achieved significant popularity - among people who wish to dispose of newspapers they no longer want and among farmers who pick up the papers, shred them and use them for animal bedding.Making the new shed even more desirable is the fact that 90 percent of its cost will be reimbursed to the county via a state grant. The total cost of the shed, related materials and installation will be about $1,200.The first she was installed in 2001. Because of its popularity, it's now right for the county to expand the program.Sheryl Kelly, of the county Department of Recycling and Waste Management, is seeking a permanent site for the second shed. Anyone with suggestions or specific proposals should get in touch with Kelly - not only about the second shed but also about the others that are planned for later.Having a shed in more than one location will attract more county residents to the recycling effort and help more farmers.