MAY 14 - 20, 2015 • 7
THE RIVER REPORTER
LETTERS Continued from page 6
trict attorney from “making an extrajudicial statement that a lawyer knows… will be disseminated by public communication and will have a substantial likelihood of materially prejudicing an adjudicative proceeding in the matter.”(Rule 3.6) In other words, don’t say anything that might lead potential jurors to prejudge a defendant. District attorney Raymond Tonkin violated this code with a recent campaign mailer featuring a photo of Eric Frein, shown with battered face and garbed in jailhouse orange. Within inches of the photo is Tonkin’s boast that he “is the only candidate who has ever prosecuted a murderer.”The juxtaposition of Frein’s photo with Tonkin’s reference to “murderer” could prejudice the jury pool, half of whom received the flyer. Frein’s lawyers quickly jumped on Tonkin’s irresponsible act to request [a] change of venue. This is not the only time that Tonkin has employed such vile tactics, but it is by far the most shameless use of Frein as piranha bait. He topped this recklessness with his latest mailer in which he labels his opponent a liar—without providing a scintilla of evidence as to what he purports she lies. Instead, he distorts information about Kelly Gaughan’s history and further claims endorsement by “law enforcement.” Hogwash. He’s been endorsed, not by police or state troopers, but by our sheriff who is charged by the PA Constitution, not to enforce the law, but to “serve process and execute orders… ” In his frenzy to be re-elected, Tonkin has violated the Professional Code of Conduct, sullied the office of district attorney, insulted state troopers with claims of “back-room” dealing, smeared his opponent as a dangerous liar, misled the public and endangered a major murder case. It’s frightening to think what his encore might be if re-elected. Carrie Thomas Shohola, PA
Gaughan the best for DA Kelly Gaughan is well qualified, my friend, and an excellent Pike County District Attorney candidate. I have no doubt, after knowing her for many years, that she will win this election. My old Jeep proudly displays her campaign signs, as well as my entire corner and street. I have had numerous occasions to speak up for her, relevant to her qualifications—as well as my concerns about Raymond Tonkin—and not one person could refute my arguments. It’s only a question of time before the informed voters of Pike County will proudly welcome her as our new district attorney. Dr. Bob DeYoung Matamoras, PA
son. The Pennsylvania State Troopers Association does not see it that way, as it has endorsed Kelly Gaughan. Tonkin says he works hand in hand with law enforcement, but has not received backing by anyone in Pike County law enforcement that has full arrest powers. Gaughan has 15 years of experience as an attorney and has handled hundreds of cases, involving all areas of civil court, including child custody and divorce. Gaughan files motions before the courts and appears on behalf of her clients almost daily. I have observed Gaughan in court and I am impressed by her strength. She is involved in civic organizations for child advocacy, domestic violence, victims’ support groups and veterans. At a recent memorial service for fallen Pennsylvania State Troopers, Gaughan was there. It was not a campaign stop; the cameras were not there for that reason. It was about caring. Gaughan showed she cares about our law enforcement, the victims of crime and our community. Knowing both candidates as I do, I will vote for and will support Kelly Gaughan for Pike County District Attorney. Lieutenant (retired) John P. Clader Blooming Grove, PA
Time for a new DA I am a Democrat and a Pike County resident. Regardless of party affiliation, I think we all want a district attorney who will prosecute all crimes, including child abuse. We want a district attorney who will not sit back and allow our crime rate to continue to increase. We want a district attorney who will try new ways to stop the growing drug epidemic. We want a district attorney who has respect for our law enforcement and veterans. Aside from a conviction rate, which I believe he has manipulated, the current district attorney has nothing to show for his seven years in office. It is time for a change. I am a Democrat who will be writing in Kelly Gaughan for district attorney on May 19. Roy Borgfeld Bushkill, PA
Remembering Richard Castellano Richard Castaldo Castellano passed away at home over Easter weekend. As a close friend of 15 years, I’d like to memorialize Richard, the superhero/supervillain of Narrowburg, NY. Richard will always hold a place in local history. A guy you loved to hate and hated to love. Before he fell from grace, he held an endearing place in the hearts of many people. I would just like to ask those of you who had an experience with him, good or bad, to take a moment to remember what we loved about Richard. Sharlene Kall Damascus, PA
A state trooper for Gaughan
Help available for disadvantaged students
I have been in law enforcement for over 27 years, 25 of which I served as a member of the Pennsylvania State Police. During this time I worked with district attorneys in counties throughout Pennsylvania and many states. From my experience, I know the good ones never kept score of the wins, losses, or conviction rates but, instead, how they made a difference in the lives of the victims in all cases. The present District Attorney of Pike County, Ray Tonkin, talks a good game about his conviction rate, but he never mentions the many cases where he does not allow charges to be filed. He talks of his homicide conviction rate, but fails to mention the confessions and the ample evidence obtained and provided by the state police during these cases. His recent campaign flyer makes it sound as if only he could prosecute the killer of Cpl. Dick-
Tuition at the University of Pennsylvania for the upcoming (2015-16) term will be $43,838, as announced in the Pennsylvania Gazette, May/June 2015, p. 25. For that term, the average grant—not loan—from Penn will be $43,800, with 47% of undergrads expected to receive needs-based grants. Other Ivy League and highly selective schools will be in lockstep with this schedule, as they always have been. In other words, financially disadvantaged students are eligible to receive full tuition at our nation’s top colleges and universities if they or their guidance counselors will only apply for it. There can be no excuses for not jumping at these opportunities in resource-rich education. Anthony Splendora Milford, PA
MIXED GREENS
By Carol Roig
Buyer beware
O
ver the past few weeks, American homeowners have learned that millions of square feet of laminated flooring manufactured in China and sold by Lumber Liquidators contain levels of formaldehyde many times higher than the safety standard set by the California Air Resources Board (CARB), a standard that will become federal law later this year. Formaldehyde (CH2O) is found in hundreds of common products including particle board, plywood, permanent press fabrics, carpets, some foam insulation, and shampoos and cosmetics. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), formaldehyde is a cancer hazard and can be fatal if ingested. It can cause severe allergic reactions of the skin, eyes and respiratory tract. Low-level, long-term exposure can cause asthmalike respiratory problems and skin irritation. It’s easy to understand why consumers are alarmed at the news that their flooring may be off-gassing formaldehyde at levels as high as 20 times the standard developed by CARB. Of course, the discovery that our homes may contain toxic materials is nothing new. In fact, home improvement in the 19th century was positively deadly. For example, the fashion for vivid green wallpapers created a poisoning hazard because arsenic compounds were used to achieve the elusive color. Countless trendy homeowners were sickened by their décor, including Frederick Law Olmstead, who recovered only after abandoning his green-papered bedroom. Wall paints were equally toxic. To produce white pigment, workers soaked huge sheets of lead in vinegar and scraped or pounded the resulting white powder off the surface. White lead was the base for many other colors that contained additional poisonous compounds. The workers who manufactured, mixed and applied these products suffered the most extreme health effects. Lead poisoning was referred to as “painter’s colic” and the life expectancy in certain building trades was notoriously short. Lead was finally removed from house paint in the U.S. in the 1970s. Over the years, we’ve realized that numerous other products once considered safe, including asbestos insulation and pressure treated lumber made with chromated copper arsenate, were in fact harmful and should be removed from the market or reformulated. What struck me as new about the Lumber Liquidators story is the fact that the whistleblowers in this instance are not environmentalists but Wall Street hedge fund managers who grew suspicious of a sudden jump in the company’s stock price and profit margins. Their research led the CBS program “60 Minutes” to investigate whether the Chinese factories working with Lumber Liquidators were knowingly delivering a more cheaply made, noncompliant product falsely labeled as meeting California’s CARB 2 standard, a deception that boosted the company’s profit on sales of the flooring by as much as 10%. Earlier this month, Lumber Liquidators dropped its Chinese flooring suppliers. But the story still raises bigger questions about corporate accountability and the enforceability of product standards within a complex global supply chain, and brings home the possible consequences to our health. Add to that mix of issues the fact that exports of U.S. forest products to China has risen by 487% in the past five years, and the carbon footprint of transporting these materials becomes equally troubling: why are we shipping raw materials to China and then importing a product that we can and do manufacture here at home in a way that complies with our environmental standards and carries a smaller carbon cost? From a sustainability viewpoint, it really doesn’t add up.