A Lifetime Of Service

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Board has 30 days to name replacement for Michael McAndrew, who resigned.


YATESVILLE &ndash; Twelve candidates applied to fill the Pittston Area School Board seat vacated with the resignation of Michael McAndrew, including several former board members and a few who previously ran for the job but lost the election.
Those who applied for the seat are: attorney Biagio Musto, Robert Lampman, Anthony Tuttle, Kim Alfano, Kent Bratlee, Richard Gorzkowski, Anthony Balavage, George Yatison, Ronald Skrzysowski, Rita Marie Gubbiotti, Vito Quaglia and William Balchune.
Lampman was one of only five candidates who won the 2009 primary and ran against each other for four available seats in the November election last year. He lost by slightly more than 1,000 votes.
Bratlee is a former board member who lost his reelection bid in the primary last year.
Balchune also served on the board previously, including a stint as president in 2005. 
Alfano ran unsuccessfully for the board in 2007 and was an unsuccessful candidate for Pittston City Council in 2009. 
When Joseph Oliveri resigned from the Pittston Area board last August, Alfano was one of five people who applied to fill his post, along with Balavage and Lampman. The board ruled Balavage had submitted his paperwork too late, and opted to appoint Ross Latona to finish the term of Oliveri, who pleaded guilty to charges he accepted money from a contractor doing business with the district.
Gorzkowski also lost a bid for the school board in the 2009 primary. Quaglia is Wyoming Area High School principal.
McAndrew resigned Oct. 29, citing personal reasons. Board member Terry Best and Solicitor Joseph Saporito both said McAndrew had talked about leaving the board for months. Best said McAndrew had felt frustration with some events, particularly a lawsuit that named him even though he felt he had no part in the issue at hand. 
By law, the board has 30 days from the resignation to appoint a replacement to fill McAndrew&rsquo;s term, which expires December 2011. If the board does not name a replacement, the matter would be settled by a Luzerne County court judge.
What&rsquo;s next

Pittston Area School Board meets tonight at 7 in the High School library, 5 Stout St., Yatesville.

12 Apply For Position On Pittston Area Board