Schuylkill County is divesting itself of Rest Haven, a nursing home.

That's not a secret.The commissioners are spending a quarter-million dollars to arrange for change of ownership, money paid to Eckert Seamans Cerin & Mellott of Harrisburg.That's not a secret, either.But the short list of three prospective buyers ... well, you'd stand a better chance of discovering the number combination to the lock at the Fort Knox Gold Reserve.And that kind of secrecy, for a taxpayer-funded facility, just seems unwarranted.What is known is that these firms expressed a level of interest last November: Investment 360, Lakewood, New Jersey; Comprehensive Management Services LLC, Lynbrook, New York; Weston Senior Living Centers LLC, Easton; Guardian Elder Care, Brockway; Tryko Partners, Brick, New Jersey; Centers for Health Care, Bronx, New York; TL Management LLC, Brooklyn, New York; Long Term Care Management LLC, Bronx, New York; Senior Health Care Solutions, Scranton; and Nationwide Health Care Solutions, Brick, New Jersey.Certainly negotiations for the sale of a property deserve a sense of propriety and confidentiality. That much is understood.But there seems to be no reason why the public should be kept in the dark at this specific stage.Rest Haven Schuylkill County Home, a 142-bed skilled nursing facility built in 1912, is an important part of the local landscape.That sentiment was expressed by John Kotch of Schuylkill Haven, who approached the commissioners this week to find out more about the sale.Kotch told the commissioners he's looking out for his 82-year-old father, a Rest Haven resident for the past five years.He said other facility residents and their families have similar concerns, as do employees.But he was politely turned down. He walked away distraught.Kotch was told by one commissioner: "We're not hiding anything. We want what's best for your dad."A county solicitor agreed, saying: "It's not the intent to keep information from you."Yet that's exactly what they did.Certainly nobody is suggesting underhandedness.There are no accusations being leveled in any manner about any perceived wrongdoing.But the commissioners and members of the sale evaluation committee seem to be forgetting their responsibility to the taxpaying public.The public simply wants to know what's happening. Nobody likes being kept in the dark.Kotch's request appears to be reasonable.He wants the sun to shine on progress concerning Rest Haven. And it just makes sense.In government as in medicine, sunshine is the best disinfectant.By DONALD R. SERFASSdserfass@tnonline.com