Laurels & lances: Ballots, memorials and bikes

Laurel: To making every vote count. There is no pretending that this primary election was like anything anyone has experienced before. For the people casting ballots, a delay for the covid-19 pandemic put the date squarely in the midst of sweeping protests — sometimes peaceful and sometimes violent.

But for the Allegheny County officials in charge of the process, it was a huge logistical task of taking the poll-cast numbers and combining them with the meticulously counted mail-in ballot results. Turnout exceeded expectations.

The Westmoreland County process wasn’t quite as streamlined, but county commissioners acknowledged the challenges and the need to speed it up for the very important November general election which will have a number of contested races, not the least of which is the presidency.

Did it take longer than usual? Yes. But the important thing is that all those votes were counted.

Lance: To desecrating memories. No matter how it happens or why, there are some things that should never happen, Things raised in honor of the dead should be accorded solemn respect.

The flags that were placed at dozens of veterans’ graves in Leechburg Cemetery should have been as inviolate as a flag draped on a veteran’s casket. That did not stop someone from stealing them. Leechburg Mayor Wayne Dobos is offering a $100 reward, and others have offered to contribute more to the cause.

Last week, the Law Enforcement Officers Memorial on North Shore Drive was defaced for the second time this spring. In Lawrenceville, the Doughboy Statue built to honor World War I veterans was doused in paint — on Memorial Day.

All of these acts were cowardly and petty, as well as pointless. Stealing a flag or splashing paint says nothing about the service of those who were honored. It says a lot about those who did the desecrating.

Laurel: To getting back on that bike. It’s common to describe a simple activity as “just like riding a bike.” It seems one of those things is, well, riding a bicycle. Bicycle sales have spiked amid coronavirus pandemic lockdowns as a solitary way to get exercise and get outside. Bike shops throughout the area have reported record sales.

There may be questions about whether biking is here to stay once restrictions are raised, but local experts feel like it’s more than just a momentary trend.

“What was that they told us in business school?” said George Gatto of Gatto Bicycles in Tarentum. “If you do something for 30 or 40 days, it becomes a habit.”