There is nothing wrong with Zelienople officials' attempts to ensure a semblance of order in the community in regard to businesses' signs.

But judging from the opposition to what currently is being proposed, borough officials merit criticism for not working closely enough with business owners to assemble from the get-go an ordinance with which merchants can be confortable — while also being in the best interests of the town.

Now the council is faced with the issue of revising the sign issue rather than being in the position of moving ahead on some other worthwhile venture.

At the center of the opposition are businesses' desire to use sandwich board signs and proposed restrictions on window signs.

Businesses, which are a big part of the community's vibrancy, deserve the right not to be overly restricted in advertising their services and what they sell.

Unfortunately, the proposal currently being debated seems to have that as its objective, and that is wrong.

The football world — indeed, the entire professional sports world — should be happy over the Chicago Bears' release of defensive tackle Tank Johnson because of his ongoing troubles with the law.Professional athletes should strive to be positive role models, not symbols of lawlessness.If there were less tolerance by teams earlier-on in regard to such unacceptable conduct, teams soon would have fewer incidents tarnishing their image and distracting them from their primary goal of winning games.Obviously, Johnson had difficulty living up to the positive image that his success on the football field would seem to have demanded.Whether they win or lose, the Bears will be a better team as a result of his departure.

If those responsible for breaking eggs on vehicles in the city are apprehended, the justice system should find plenty of things for the individuals to clean as part of their punishment.At least nine vehicles were targeted over a two-night period during the past week. While the incidents certainly don't rank as serious crimes, they did pose an inconvenience to the vehicles' owners, who were faced with the time-consuming and unpleasant task of removing the sticky or caked-on egg matter from their vehicles.Those who delight in causing inconvenience for others deserve to experience a measure of inconvenience as their "reward."Hopefully, someone who has learned the identity of the "eggers" will give that information to police so the well-deserved cleanup experience can be expedited.Cheer CDistrict of Columbia Superior Court Judge Judith Bartnoff has earned the praise of all right-thinking consumers and businesses by slapping a bill for approximately $1,000 in clerical court costs on Roy Pearson.Pearson is the administrative law judge who sought $54 million in damages in a dispute over a pair of pants.Not only didn't Pearson get any of the multimillion-dollar award that he sought, but his wallet will be much lighter as a result of his misguided lawsuit.Pearson also could face additional costs; the defendants in the case plan to seek recovery of tens of thousands of dollars in attorney fees that they paid in defending themselves.As stated in an Associated Press article about the case, Pearson became a worldwide symbol of legal abuse by seeking jackpot justice from a simple complaint — that a neighborhood dry cleaners lost the pants from a suit and tried to give him a pair that were not his."A reasonable consumer would not interpret 'Satisfaction Guaranteed' (a sign once displayed at the cleaners) to mean that a merchant is required to satisfy a customer's unreasonable demands," Bartnoff ruled.It's reasonable to conclude that Pearson will shed more tears over the financial burden he will bear stemming from the case than what he shed in testifying about his well-loved pants.Like Pearson, other unreasonable plaintiffs also should be taken to the cleaners for tying up valuable court time with cases that have no merit.