GAR Memorial Junior/Senior High School second quarter honor roll

Lake Lehman Junior/Senior anounces its second period honor roll for the 2015/2016 school year

<p>Newly appointed Luzerne County Manager C. David Pedri instantly received the same bipolar treatment from council members as his predecessor: a handshake from most, while a few essentially kicked him in the knees.</p><p>Pedri handled the situation last week with diplomacy and aplomb.</p><p>Much to his credit, that&#8217;s also how he publicly navigated the last four months as the county&#8217;s interim manager, filling the void left by Robert Lawton&#8217;s resignation.</p><p>Will Pedri&#8217;s tenure at the helm of Luzerne County government ignite a highly productive phase in its ongoing recovery? Let&#8217;s hope.</p><p>Is he the best person for the $120,000-per-year job? Who knows? But, at least to outside observers like us, he has shown an encouraging mix of competence, drive, empathy and level-headed thinking. Plus, it so far appears his temperament is suited to handle what arguably has become the most difficult part of the manager&#8217;s assignment: coping with a divided and occasionally hostile council.</p><p>Seven of the council&#8217;s 11 members voted Tuesday evening to hire Pedri for the county&#8217;s top executive post, ending a months-long search and vetting process. No sooner had the votes been recorded, however, than three of the dissenting council members walked out of the room in apparent protest.</p><p>Exactly what the trio hoped to accomplish with this behavior remains unclear.</p><p>Remember, only about a dozen applicants expressed interest in the well-advertised job opening. Would restarting the search process have yielded drastically different results? Not likely.</p><p>Pedri, 36, extended an olive branch on Wednesday, telling <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/news/local/541302/new-luzerne-county-manager-pedri-addresses-critics" target="_blank">the Times Leader</a>, &#8220;I&#8217;m looking forward to working with all council members.&#8221; If history is any guide, he can expect one or more members of the council&#8217;s minority faction to grab that branch and try to whip him into submission. They basically had henpecked Lawton, the county&#8217;s first permanent manager under the recently adopted home rule form of government, until he flew the coop for &#8230; well, anyplace but here.</p><p>Prior to Pedri&#8217;s selection from among the manager finalists, Jim Spagnola, director of Luzerne County Veteran Affairs, wrote a letter to the editor in support of his colleague: &#8220;I haven&#8217;t always agreed with Mr. Pedri. But even in disagreements, he has shown himself to be professional, respectful and fair.&#8221;</p><p>Councilman Eugene Kelleher voted Tuesday in favor of Pedri&#8217;s appointment, saying the former chief county solicitor is &#8220;highly trained to assume the position.&#8221;</p><p>Councilwoman Jane Walsh Waitkus noted that, as acting manager, Pedri had supplied &#8220;great ideas.&#8221; &#8220;He has my full confidence,&#8221; she said.</p><p>Also worthy of note, Pedri seemingly has many admirers among the county&#8217;s nearly 1,300 employees. He addressed some of those workers during a pep rally-like gathering under the courthouse rotunda in January, soon after he became the interim boss. &#8220;While the term &#8216;acting&#8217; is in my title, I do not see this opportunity I have as a dress rehearsal,&#8221; he told them. &#8220;I only have one speed. I&#8217;m going to work incredibly hard.&#8221;</p><p>By all indications, Pedri is a fine choice &#8211; and one deserving of a fair chance before casting judgment.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">David Pedri, right, gets congratulated by Luzerne County Council Chairwoman Linda McClosky Houck, left, after Pedri was appointed county manager at Tuesday&#8217;s county council meeting. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/web1_PedriManager.jpg</photo0><caption0>David Pedri, right, gets congratulated by Luzerne County Council Chairwoman Linda McClosky Houck, left, after Pedri was appointed county manager at Tuesday&#8217;s county council meeting. </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>

Our Opinion: Newly appointed Luzerne County Manager David Pedri deserving of fair shake