Don’t give up on feral cats in Easton | Turkeys and Trophies

Lower Paxton considers wildlife feeding ban

The city of Easton has suspended funding for its feral cat management program over legal concerns.THE PATRIOT-NEWS

TROPHIES

Warren County Community College is getting some national attention. A recent report by the Chronicle of Higher Education found that the college, which has one of New Jersey’s highest rates of graduation, scores well in other indicators of student success. The report, “How low graduation rates camouflage student success at community colleges,” took a closer look at schools specializing in two-year associate degree programs. The report found that nationally, 57 percent of first-time, full-time students met at least one of three measures — completing their degrees within 150% of the “normal" time, transferring to another higher-education institution, or continuing to study at the original college. WCCC ranks 11th among community colleges in the nation for its overall student outcomes. Of 217 students enrolled in 2015, 91% had completed their degrees, transferred or were still enrolled in 2018.

A housing development plan for Easton’s South Side is on track to convert a burned-out brownfield to 55 affordable apartments. This week the city planning commission granted final approval to the developers of The Mill at Easton to build at the site of the former Black Diamond Enterprises/Stewart Silk Mill property, across from Cheston Elementary School. The work includes a $1 million state grant for environmental remediation — trucking away asbestos, metals, semi-volatile organic compounds and contaminated soil. The developers received additional grants and tax credits to create “attainable” housing — one, two and three-bedroom apartments available to people earning between 30% and 80% of the area’s median household income. That works out to monthly rents ranging from $300 to $1,100.

TURKEYS

Here’s hoping the demise of Easton’s feral cat management program isn’t a sign of things to come. The city has made some progress in humanely addressing growing feral cat populations in several neighborhoods, but it recently suspended funding for a service contract over legal concerns. Last year city council approved $3,500 to cover the cost to trap, examine, neuter and release 100 cats. Larry Vandever of the Coalition for Feral Cats of the Lehigh Valley sought funding for his coalition to address the problem, and No Nonsense Neutering in Allentown offered to do the neutering for $35 each. Mayor Sal Panto Jr. said this week he’s concerned that differences with Vandever over how to handle feral cat colonies could lead to a lawsuit. The city’s contract doesn’t give any party exclusive rights, allowing volunteers to trap cats as part of the program, Panto said. For the sake of the animals and the neighborhoods they inhabit, the city needs to get a working program back in place.

Major League Baseball has an “orange-sox scandal” on its hands — not gambling or performance-enhancing drugs, but the use of electronics to perfect the art of sign-stealing. There’s little doubt that the Houston Astros’ use of a centerfield video camera to spy on opposing teams’ catchers gave Astro hitters a significant advantage, and helped the team in its 2017 season and World Series win over the Dodgers. The disclosure resulted in the firing of the Astros’ general manager and manager, as well as Red Sox Manager Alex Cora and Mets Manager Carlos Betran, both of whom played a part in the sign-stealing. The Astros banged on a trash can in the dugout to tell batters whether to expect a fastball or breaking ball. While it’s impossible to quantify a statistical advantage, the best signal MLB could send is revoking the Astros’ accomplishment. The 2017 World Series title should be vacated.

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