Mike Crum, a student at Slippery Rock University, is no stranger to helping the Red Cross. While attending Wisconsin University at Green Bay, he was the driving force for start-up of a Red Cross Club.

Now he is using his Wisconsin experience to establish a similar club at SRU. The club's first major undertaking will be a blood drive from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday at the university union to benefit Kelsey Raven, a SRU student who was injured in a car crash.

Money raised during the blood drive will help pay Raven's medical bills.

Meriting praise in addition to the Red Cross Club are SRU's Park Rangers Society and Social Work Club, which are partnering with the new club in holding the blood-collection effort.

Meanwhile, the Red Cross Club hopes to team up with the county's Red Cross chapter in other future endeavors. The club also is intending to launch a project in which disaster supply kits will be assembled for senior citizens.

Crum said the new club hopes to start a grant to help military veterans fund their educations. Money in the grant fund would be used to help pay costs not covered by federal assistance programs.

Those in the university community and beyond should take notice of what the new club is attempting to accomplish and try to support the club's efforts whenever possible.

Raising eyebrows in Harrisburg — and perhaps across the state — is last month's disclosure that during the two months before the state House Democratic caucus enacted a salary freeze that took effect Jan. 1, a flurry of raises were granted.One of the raises uncovered by the Harrisburg Patriot-News went to Paul Parsells, the chief of staff to House Speaker Keith McCall, D-Carbon. The raise totaled $18,642 — a 14 percent pay boost. Meanwhile, House Parliamentarian Reizdan Moore was granted a yearly increase of $6,095, despite the fact that his employment anniversary date is in the spring.Usually, House employees are considered for raises only on their hiring anniversaries. So, if past policy had been followed regarding Moore, Moore would not have gotten an increase until the freeze was lifted.But amid this latest example of bad judgment in the state's legislative chambers, there's also something else to be noticed — the use of certain words and phrases that do not clearly indicate what they're about.One example is the Democratic caucus' use of "salary control" to designate the pay freeze. Using that phrase keeps a window open that the use of "freeze" does not.However, the bottom line is that the Democratic caucus didn't act in the spirit of its salary freeze when it pushed through raises just before that freeze was to take effect.That action can be seen as yet another reason for state residents to lack faith and trust in commonwealth leaders. Voters continue to see that Harrisburg needs new leadership, a better attitude, and beefed up financial responsibility to the taxpayers.

An article in Wednesday's Butler Eagle reported on how member municipalities of the Butler County Council of Governments will benefit from the council's purchase of a road crack sealing machine.But as notable as the machine's benefits, financial savings as well as for the road repairs it will enable, is the council's current membership count. As of Wednesday's article, 28 municipalities, eight authorities and three school districts had joined the council in an effort to reap the benefits of intergovernmental cooperation.Having been established in the fall of 2007, based on the population it serves, the local COG is the 10th-largest in the Pennsylvania Association of Councils of Government. However, more significant than that number is that the local council's members represent about 70 percent of all county residents.Jeff Smith, local COG executive director, was correct in noting that "the growth of the Butler COG has been nothing short of phenomenal."Cooperation among municipalities is encouraged by the state and federal governments. Some regions gain an edge in attracting federal and state money because a proposed project would benefit more than one municipality.The local COG is fostering that realization on a number of fronts.While the availability of the road crack sealing machine, to some people, might not seem like a big deal, it does in fact represent a significant savings. By sealing road cracks, the life of roads is extended; big, expensive repair or resurfacing projects need not be as frequent.The local COG is building a solid reputation of working on behalf of its members. Non-members should take a look at the benefits of joining.<B><I> — J.R.K.</B></I>