EDITORIAL: Get on with water deal

The drama concerning the purchase of the Antrim Township Municipal Authority water system by Greencastle Area, Franklin County, Water Authority is getting a little ridiculous. Antrim personnel are throwing wrenches into a deal that would benefit economic growth in the area, and serve customers of all sizes as the cost of service is spread among many rather than a few.

We are hopeful ethics stand strong as supervisors and authority members seek to serve everyone, and are not acting out of personal interest. The public has to be able to trust the leaders it put into place. Anyone involved in an issue that affects him financially as a citizen should recuse himself from related votes, and perhaps not even bring up extraneous points to consider. If those points are truly important, the citizens or other elected officials would know it too, and could broach the topics.

Let's wrap up the sale. Drop links to any mandatory connection issue, especially those that have already been settled. Calm down about representation on the regional authority, which falls under the power of borough council. They will follow the law on whom to appoint (yes, there is a law). While Antrim wants 'X' number of members in perpetuity, what if no qualified person is interested in serving? Should council appoint a dunce just to fill the quota?

This blending of water services is not 'us vs. them', although Antrim is behaving as such. It is 'we'. Whether someone lives on Franklin Street or Grindstone Hill Road, we are all neighbors and friends, interested in creating the best community possible for residents, businesses and industries.

The school board has never been about where each member lives. They all serve the Greencastle-Antrim district. The post office delivers mail to borough and township residents, even though the physical location of the facility is 'Greencastle 17225'. The need to delineate between municipalities has passed, if it ever was even appropriate. It is time to act as one. We are G-A.