Laurels & lances: Caretakers, campuses and cake

Laurel: To a respectful service. Western Pennsylvania has been home to settlements since long before America was a country. That translates to a large number of cemeteries, big and small, that are the final resting places of those long passed.

Soldiers from the French and Indian War, the American Revolution and the Civil War lie there. So do their wives and children. The history of the area is easily traced in the tombstones, as researchers and genealogists can attest, even if the family members who would have once visited are also long gone.

That leaves the work of upkeep of many small cemeteries to volunteers — locals who dedicate their time and sometimes bequeath the job to each other when they, too, die.

Jack Hepler was one of those — a founder of the Hoffman Cemetery Association and president for 25 years. Today, his widow Sharon carries on his work.

Larry Boehm is the primary caretaker at Leechburg Cemetery and has been for 12 years, a job he does out of personal and town pride.

This is important work because it preserves the area’s history in a tangible, explorable way. However, it is also important in another way as it maintains a human reverence and connection to our predecessors.

Lance: To too many directions at once. Penn State put a hiring freeze into effect Monday. It is part of an attempt to balance the budget in three years.

Great idea. The state’s largest university has pushed operating budget approval to the fall after putting an interim $7.7 billion budget on the table in May — the same as the 2021-2022 budget.

But last month the board of trustees approved an increase in tuition of 5% for in-state and 6% for out-of-state students at University Park and 2% in-state and 3% out-of-state for Commonwealth Campuses like Greater Allegheny, New Kensington and Fayette. Tuition will hold steady for students from households making less than $75,000.

At the same time, the trustees approved a 2.5% salary increase for employees. Then there is the 3% in budget cuts being instituted.

It all works out to a confusing mishmash of attempts to do a lot of things at the same time that may seem counterproductive.

Lance: To something a little nutty. Prantl’s Bakery is temporarily closing two locations because of a lack of employees.

This is a familiar story. It’s been an ongoing issue, affecting employers from PennDOT to the corner convenience for about two years now. There are more jobs than there are people to do the work. Job fairs and hiring events are becoming a high stakes game for many industries. Police, nursing, teachers — even the most key jobs are hit.

But Prantl’s? The situation has gone too far when people in North Huntingdon and Squirrel Hill could be kept from the signature burnt almond torte. Come on, economy! Haven’t we all suffered enough?