EQUAL TIME: In response to a reader who provided us a Top 10
list of why she lives in Florida rather than Bradford, we hear from
a couple of McKean County boosters:

Bob Hasard of Eldred writes, “I was in Florida once, happened to
be in July. Rained every 15 minutes. You had to be in an
air-conditioned building or car by 11 a.m. Went to the ocean,
sunburned in a short while. All flat land, no hills. No thanks – I
will enjoy my time up here in these hills.”

Linda Delaney adds, “I feel compelled to respond to today’s
Round the Square with the reasons why this transplanted western New
Yorker chooses to live and work in McKean County. I list them in no
particular order since I cherish each one:”

“1. The people – best in the world!

“2. The forests – we are surrounded by mountains, near the
Allegheny National Forest, in an environment that is a treasure and
one people travel miles to enjoy.

“3. A university that, in addition to offering a solid
education, brings people and cultural events to enrich our
community.

“4. The smell of apples and grapes on a chilly fall morning;
fresh apple cider and doughnuts!

“5. Walking on a moonlit snow-covered trail where the quiet and
peace is healing.

“6. The excitement of finding the first daffodil poking its head
out of the ground in April; the smell of lilacs!

“7. Safe place to live. Neighbors who holler, ‘How ya doin?’ and
children who wave and holler, ‘Hi, Linda!’ across the road when I’m
outside.

“8. No six-lanes, no traffic jams unless I count the couple of
cars I wait for as I pull onto Route 770 on a busy morning.

“9. Cool evening breezes, porch swings, flags waving, soft rain,
crunching through leaves in fall.

“10. The chance to be part of my community.

“My list could be endless, but thank you for letting me
celebrate why I choose to stay here.”

TWO CENTS: We have been endlessly shocked while watching ABC’s
series, “To Catch a Predator,” an undercover sting of Internet
users who prey on children. In the show, would-be pedophiles always
end up being arrested. How in the world, then, is it OK for U.S.
Rep. Mark Foley, R-Fla. – who exhibited similar behavior – to go
into rehab rather than jail?