Time to get the firehouse in order | Turkeys and Trophies

TROPHIES

Darian Cruz wowed high school sports fans as a young wrestler at Bethlehem Catholic High School. He did it again last week when he was crowned a national champion at the NCAA Division I Championships in St. Louis. Cruz, a 125-pounder at Lehigh University, is universally praised as an exemplary role model for youth and a tireless ambassador for his sport. He knows it, too, which inspires him to carry on in the mission. The Lehigh Valley is lucky to lay claim to Cruz, who may have captivated an ESPN audience for a few short minutes but whose full body of work -- on and off the mat -- is what's most impressive.

This has been a good week for Bethlehem Catholic. Five days after someone draped a gold medal around Cruz's neck, the Golden Hawks' girls basketball team captured its first state championship at the Giant Center in Hershey, Pa. They did so in the fashion that characterized their whole season -- resoundingly, classily, and, dare we say, easily? Bethlehem Catholic thumped No. 1-ranked Villa Maria Academy, 46-27, in the PIAA Class 4A championship. Led by coach Jose Medina, this was the school's first state title in girls hoops in three tries. Their final record of 30-2 for the 2016-17 year is the best in school history and a testament to their mental and physical approach. Bravo!

Turns out Phillipsburg Town Council knows a good story when it sees one. Town leaders took time to honor a 10-year-old who rushed to the aid of his choking grandfather and was credited with saving his life. Actually, they took a whole day. Town council declared Tuesday as Julio Herrera Day in Phillipsburg for his heroic actions on Jan. 31, when he performed the Heimlich maneuver at home on his grandpop, Kenneth Allen. As his grandmother Brenda called 911, Julio sprang into action. Asked about what prompted him to react, Julio gave a classic response: "I watch too many cop shows."

Joshua B. Smith survived the war in Afghanistan. But he couldn't match the demons surfaced by his post-traumatic stress disorder. The U.S. Marine Corps corporal took his own life on Nov. 5, 2012. Thanks to state Rep. Justin Simmons, R-Lehigh/Northampton/Montgomery, motorists along a stretch of Route 145 near where Smith grew up in Salisbury Township will be reminded daily of the serviceman's sacrifice. Simmons shepherded dedication of the road between the Summit Lawn interchange of Interstate 78 north to around Normandy Street as "Cpl. Joshua B. Smith Memorial Highway." Smith's parents, Nancy and Brian Smith, were humbled by the March 17 ceremony. They have worked with veterans coping with PTSD and helped to raise public awareness about the condition. Said Brian Smith, himself a Marine: "This highway is a reminder to think about the men and women still here, still in harm's way, fighting to keep us free."

TURKEYS

Folks in Hunterdon and Warren counties have a beef with the railroad, but it has nothing to do with noise or speed. Their issue is with Norfolk Southern, which has parked about 60 or more graffiti-filled boxcars on a stretch of track in Bloomsbury and Greenwich Township. Some are awaiting the scrap heap. The freight cars are stationed close to homes and residents have had enough. They say the eyesores have been there for months, and they've sounded alarms with lawmakers who've written a letter noting a harmful effect on property values. Folks have reason to complain and the solution here sounds like a simple fix, if Norfolk Southern truly wants to be a good neighbor: Find another spot to put your junk.

Vigilance Hose Co. is like so many volunteer fire departments that serve as social hubs and vital defenders of public safety. They're also hotbeds of politics and infighting -- and that has spilled over in an ugly public way in Nazareth. The borough's volunteer firefighters are at odds over changes in leadership, and still scarred by the deep divisions that ultimately led to theft charges last year against former longtime president and mayor Carl Strye Jr. Nazareth Borough Council was right this week to reject members' calls for intervention. Some volunteers are miffed over Strye's re-emergence and the trustees' handling of naming a new chief, John Deutsch. Council's message was a good one, though: Get your firehouse in order. Said council President Dan Chiavaroli, "You guys need to get together and resolve this."

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