The following excerpts are from an article titled “Sunshine Act gets air time in county” that appeared in the Feb. 2 New Era. It appears to vindicate former commissioners Dick Shellenberger and Molly Henderson from Sunshine Act infractions to which, under duress, they pleaded guilty to conclude the year long investigation:
“Teri Henning, general counsel for the Pennsylvania Newspapers Association, discussed the Sunshine Act. The act requires public officials to hold all deliberations leading to decisions in public”
“Hill and Henning agreed that the act allows officials to discuss certain real estate, personnel and litigation matters behind closed doors.
“They did not fully agree as to whether deliberations involving a nursing home sale must be held in public. Henning said the Sunshine Act allows officials to deliberate privately about the purchase or lease of real estate. The sale of property, she said, must be discussed in public.
“But Hill said the sale of a nursing home also includes the sale of the business, which some lawyers believe might permit private deliberations.
“It gets tricky when two of three commissioners discuss issues, they said. Such discussions could skate close to deliberation.”
So much for former District Attorney Donald Totaro’s witch trial and for what the monopoly Lancaster Newspapers played up as the crime of the century!
It is time that the people in Lancaster wake up to who are the good guys and who are the bums.
