The fee will be regarded as exorbitant by people who have to pay it. However, the $100 charge for fingerprinting at the county's two new regional booking centers is not out of line.

The solution to not having to pay the fee is to not get in trouble. No solution could be simpler.

One of the two centers — at the Butler police station — already is in operation. The other, which will be housed at the Cranberry police station, is expected to be operating within a month.

After the new county prison is completed, the city's center will move to that facility.

The $100 fee will be used to cover maintenance expenses for the two centers. Both booking centers will have hand scanners instead of ink fingerprinting. Another modern addition is a digital photo identification system hooked up to state and national data networks.

To be assessed the fee, a defendant will either have to be found guilty, or plead guilty to charges requiring fingerprinting.

Again, the key to not having to pay the fee is to not get in trouble. For those who choose to get on the wrong side of the law, the $100 fee might eventually seem like a bargain when stacked up against the other financial penalties tied to their offenses.

U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings is wrong in feeling "encouraged" amid the states' missed deadline for putting qualified teachers in all major classes.She should have expressed dismay about the necessity for setting a new deadline for compliance with the goal. That new deadline is the end of the 2006-07 school year.Despite the new target date, it has been indicated that some states might be years away from compliance, and attention must be focused on the reasons why.The federal review under which the missed deadline surfaced found that most states meet only some criteria in required new plans, while four states fail altogether. The previous deadline was the end of the last school year, but none of the states was successful in meeting it."Many states took this very seriously, recognizing that good teachers make all the difference in whether or not our children succeed in their studies," Spellings said in a statement.But at least 37 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico met only some of the criteria and have been ordered to submit new data or plans this fall or risk facing penalties.It is the No Child Left Behind law that put in place the qualified-teachers requirement. As a result of the federal review, every state was given specific recommendations and told to follow them.The situation doesn't merit Spellings' optimism. She should have withheld such an assessment until at least this time next year.

At a time when most people feel they're too busy to seek local public office or to serve in such a capacity as a volunteer firefighter, Ed Bayne of Seven Fields is a refreshing change.Bayne, a national consultant for Xerox Corp. — a job that involves travel across the country — sought and was appointed to the office of mayor of his community, where he has resided for six years.It's important to acknowledge that Bayne wasn't the only applicant seeking to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Bruce Daubner, who served for four years but has accepted a job in Columbus, Ohio. Bayne and four others expressed interest in the position.The number of applicants is indicative of the spirit of public service and the public interest that exists in the Seven Fields community.Despite his job responsibilities with Xerox, Bayne also has found time to serve as a volunteer Boy Scout and Cub Scout leader.All of that is consistent with his obvious dedication to his community."I'm solid in this community" is the way he describes it.Bayne's appointment extends to the end of 2007. He can opt to seek election to what is commonly referred to as a two-year unexpired term in next year's municipal elections.If successful in the 2007 elections, he would serve all but about eight months of the current term to which Daubner was elected.Bayne is a good example for other busy men and women who strive to balance family and work responsibilities. He deserves the best wishes of Seven Fields residents for a successful and productive tenure in office.