Category: Mon Valley Miscellany, Pointless Digressions || By

Sometimes it seems like people around the Mon-Yough area eat dumb flakes for breakfast, and go back for second helpings.

Well, maybe we're not dumb. But we have become as docile as sheep.

. . .

Case in point: Robert Winston, former director of Newman-Winston Memorial Chapel on Jenny Lind Street, whose case is in the news again this week. He's accused of keeping the remains of 300 fetuses in his garage on Evans Avenue.

Winston was supposed to cremate the bodies after collecting them from Magee-Womens Hospital in Oakland. Instead, prosecutors claim he pocketed the money and didn't perform the work.

His defense attorneys say that Winston has health problems and got into financial trouble, and that the situation spiraled out of control.

. . .

Health problems and financial trouble I can understand. Been there, done that. I made $285 a week gross (and I do mean "gross") at my first job. I've sat there at the end of the month with the light bill in one hand and the gas bill in the other, wondering which one to pay.

But I'd like to think that if I had a stack of infant corpses in my garage that I couldn't afford to cremate, I'd say, "Hey, maybe I better not accept any more dead babies."

I might even call Magee-Womens Hospital and tell them, "You know, I don't think I can handle this contract. Can I get out of this deal?"

Or if I didn't want to create trouble for myself, I might even quietly call one of the other funeral directors around McKeesport and say, "Um, can you help me out?"

I don't know that I'd wait until I had 300 corpses stacked in a garage on Evans Avenue, grieving families filing lawsuits, and the coroner's office out in the alley with a biohazard team. Sorry, but that's what I call dumb.

. . .

Or, let's take the Tanya Kach case, which is grinding its way through federal court. I'm not inclined to blame the girl for being kidnapped; I'm never inclined to blame the victim. And the fact that the man accused of holding her hostage and abusing her, former school security guard Thomas Hose, has pleaded guilty leads me to believe that he's guilty.

No, I can understand a 14-year-old girl being intimidated into silence. But for 10 years?

At least part of the time, Kach was confined or locked up. At some point, however, prosecutors say Hose allowed her more freedom.

I think I would have been eying the windows in that house. You could kick out the glass or the screen, jump into the yard and make a run for it. Or maybe I would have picked up the telephone, dialed "0," and said, "Hey, could you send a squad car up here?"

We're talking about McKeesport, not the Gobi Desert or even West By-God Virginia. The houses are about five feet apart. It couldn't have been that hard to dash for freedom.

. . .

We seem willing to sit around and let events unfold around us, with our mouths shut, suffering in silence until some crisis happens.

At what point did people in the Mon Valley become so passive? Was it the collapse of the steel industry? Are we permanently psychologically damaged?

There was a time when we walked tall, talked loud, and fought for ourselves. McKeesport's mascot is a tiger. South Allegheny's is a gladiator. West Mifflin's is a "titan."

You have to go all the way down to New Eagle and Finleyville before you find anyone using a wool-bearing ungulate as their mascot --- and even then it's a "ram."

National Works closed in 1987. Duquesne Works closed in 1985. It's way past time we got past the pain.

Let's start acting like tigers or gladiators, not sheep. Maybe then we'll stop getting herded around by companies, crooks and politicians --- and we'll be less likely to get sheared.

. . .

In Other News: The marketing manager of Century III Mall writes a letter to the editor of the Post-Gazette to protest reports that the shopping center in West Mifflin is in trouble:

"Century III Mall is lively and well. While we do not directly comment on such speculation, what we can tell you is that it is very much business as usual there. The mall has more than 130 specialty stores and services."

True, that. But it used to have 180 stores. (Simon Property Group, which owns the mall, claims on its website that Century III has "160 stores.")

And a disturbingly large number of the 130 locations still occupied are rented by second-tier tenants --- discounters, off-price retailers and dollar-stores --- or by non-profit services.

I was at Century III twice over the holidays, and I could have taken a nap in some of the aisles without bothering anyone.

Who you gonna believe? Century III's owners, or your lying eyes? Baaaaa. Pass the grass clippings.

. . .

To Do This Weekend: Knit a sweater. Or, head over to Jeannette, where Keynote Cafe, 416 Clay Ave., will host an art show tomorrow for elementary, high school and college students from across Westmoreland County. More than 80 pieces will be on display, and there will be live music. Tickets cost $5 and doors open at 7 p.m. Call (412) 638-5263.

Also out Route 30 (remember, there's "more" in Westmoreland): The Westmoreland County Courthouse marks its centennial celebration from 2 to 4 p.m. tomorrow. Weather permitting, you'll be allowed to tour the courthouse dome. There will also be an art exhibition, strolling musicians and free refreshments. Call (724) 834-6730. It's easy to get to. Drive to Greensburg and look for the big golden dome. You can't miss it.

And hey, we have a lack of listings from McKeesport this week, so remember to send your events to Tube City Almanac. The address is j togyer at g mail dot com. OK? See yinz crazy kids on Monday.