Hits & Misses
Miss: As in, missed opportunity. State Rep. Rick Saccone was given a huge opportunity earlier this year when he was chosen by Republicans to run in a special election to serve the remainder of disgraced former Congressman Tim Murphy’s term. But Saccone ended up losing to Democrat Conor Lamb in a district President Trump had carried easily in 2016. On Tuesday, Saccone was pitted against state Sen. Guy Reschenthaler for the GOP nomination for a full term in the newly drawn 14th Congressional District, and he was beaten handily. Saccone came into Tuesday’s vote with a sterling resume and considerable name recognition from his special election run, but it’s pretty clear that Republican primary voters had pinned him with the “loser” tag and weren’t willing to take a chance that he’d fall short in the 14th, which should be a “safe” GOP seat.
Hit: We are heartened by the determination demonstrated by a group of Nottingham Township residents who are working to revive Ginger Hill Grange. In April, we reported the closing of the grange after membership dipped to fewer than 10 people. Our story prompted inquiries from local residents who met this week to sign up new members to keep the farm organization chartered in 1876 alive. The grange needs 13 members for reinstatement. Let’s hope they exceed that goal and return the institution to the community.
Hit: Applause, applause, to Scott Becker, who is celebrating his silver anniversary as the executive director of the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum. Without his tenacity and passion, the trolley museum may not be one of the premier attractions in Washington County, which drew about 31,000 visitors last year. “The trolley museum is the little engine that could, and Scott has been the conductor, navigating and networking the public, private and political parts of the pie,” said Tom Rooney, a board member of the museum. We couldn’t agree more.
Hit: Or should we shout, ”Fore!” More jobs are coming to the region with this summer’s opening of Topgolf Pittsburgh in South Fayette’s Newbury Market. The first Topgolf to locate in Pennsylvania announced this week that it will be hiring 500 people to work at the three-level facility that will feature a driving range, point-scoring golf games, private event spaces, tournaments and programming events, and food and beverages.
Hit: It wasn’t as satisfying as watching him crash a walk-off homer, and the atmosphere was, in fact, bittersweet. But Andrew McCutchen’s return to PNC Park last weekend was heartwarming if not tear-inducing. Traded in the offseason by the Pirates, his employer for nine years, Cutch came back to the scene of his prime for the first time since the transaction. This generational player, a five-time all-star who spearheaded the Pirates’ emergence from 20 consecutive losing seasons, received a long, rousing ovation when he stepped to the plate in the first inning from the largest PNC Park crowd of the young season. He got more of the same on his second plate appearance. In between, a video tribute to him played on the stadium scoreboard. And he deserved all of it.