Laurels & lances: Soliciting and vending

Laurel: To a worthy consideration. Murrysville is taking a look at putting a “do not knock” registry in place that could cut down on the number of solicitors showing up at residents’ homes.

Door-to-door salesmen might seem like an antiquated custom that went out with someone lugging encyclopedias from house to house, but today’s solicitors can be different. Sometimes they are college-age young adults brought in by the van load and dropped off in a neighborhood to spread out and hit lots of homes for something like children’s books. Others might be contractors making cold calls on area homes offering estimates for roofing or windows.

Whatever the product, they are as intrusive as telemarketers but can be harder to avoid when they are actually on your front step. Summery weather is prime time for these solicitors, and so it is perfect timing for Murrysville to consider the opt-out registry.

Like similar lists limiting telemarketing activities, the registry would give residents the freedom to not be harassed in their homes by unwanted visitors. Other municipalities have adopted such registries ,and more should at least give it some thought.

Lance: To high-flying food wars. In 2021, the problem at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport was who would operate the on-property restaurant. That came up when the airport authority planned to renew the lease with DeNunzio’s Italian Chophouse. The lease was ultimately renewed but prompted bad blood between the authority and the Westmoreland County commissioners, and ultimately some authority board members were replaced.

Now there are complaints that the airport’s vending consultant is limiting who can sell what at the annual Westmoreland Airshow. Ron Forkey, owner of Racer’s Sports Bar in Derry Township, says he was snubbed by Rocco Lamanna, longtime vendor consultant, and told only DeNunzio’s could serve hot food at the event.

While airport Executive Director Gabe Monzo does say he asked Lamanna to keep the event from having dozens of booths selling the same hot dogs and hamburgers, there was no exclusivity for DeNunzio’s.

Due to the previous problem, the authority would have been smart to have a tighter rein on the process. Monzo’s request was not restrictive and is common in many festivals. However, there is a big difference between being the only location serving Italian sausages and the only one serving hot food at all.

Maybe this was an innocent mistake. But even if that’s what happened, as with so many Westmoreland County problems, the root seems to be poor communication.