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Volunteers prepare bazaar at St. Mary’s Byzantine Catholic Church

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Wilkes-Barre Township police investigate alleged JCPenney theft

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Two promotions to assistant chief led to the demotions of two others in a shakeup at the city fire department and the promise of a fight from the union representing firefighters.</p><p>Damian Lendacky and Robert Suchoski, both captains and 19 year-veterans, were appointed assistants by Mayor Tony George, effective Sunday, to the $73,213-a-year positions. They replaced Tom Makar and Ed Snarski who were demoted to captain and received a pay cut of nearly $14,000.</p><p>George swore in Lendacky and Suchoski at City Hall Friday. They join William Murtha and John Ostrum who were retained as assistant chiefs.</p><p>The celebration was muted with word of a pending labor complaint by the union challenging the mayor&#8217;s authority to make the appointments.</p><p>The assistant chiefs are represented by International Association of Firefighters Local 104, said Greg Freitas, union vice president.</p><p>&#8220;We&#8217;re going to file an unfair labor complaint with the (Pennsylvania Labor Relations) Board on this. It will play out in their system,&#8221; Freitas said. &#8220;We&#8217;re going to find out if he can do it or not through the labor board.&#8221;</p><p>The four assistants were the finalists selected by members of the mayor&#8217;s administration from a pool of 12 firefighters who applied for the job, George said.</p><p>&#8220;The administration knew the profile I wanted and these guys fit the profile,&#8221; the mayor said after a brief ceremony announcing his appointees.</p><p>George based his criteria for the ideal candidate from his time in the city&#8217;s police department when he was promoted in rank to a supervisory post. He said he was told, &#8220;You can&#8217;t be one of the guys anymore,&#8221; adding, &#8220;You have to tell them what to do and discipline them and you got to be fair right across the board.&#8221;</p><p>The mayor described Makar and Snarski as &#8220;good firemen, &#8221; but said their replacements &#8220;fit my administration&#8217;s needs better.&#8221;</p><p>Freitas disputed the assistants would be disciplinarians as described by the mayor.</p><p>&#8220;They aren&#8217;t able to do any type of disciplinary action,&#8221; Freitas said. Higher ups in the department have that responsibility, he said.</p><p>Makar and Snarski combined have &#8220;tons of experience,&#8221; Freitas said and handled their duties well of running fires while the department is under staffed.</p><p>With their demotions, he said, they&#8217;ll &#8220;assume the role of a front-line firefighter&#8221; who puts on 60 pounds of gear and runs into burning buildings and responds to motor vehicle accidents, medical emergencies and the host of other daily calls in the city.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">The second of Wilkes-Barre Fire Department&#8217;s newest assistant chiefs, Damian Lendacky, was administered an oath Friday by Mayor Tony George, right, as Lendacky&#8217;s fiancee Jonine Owens and father Damian looked on. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_TTL080616WBFire2.jpg</photo0><caption0>The second of Wilkes-Barre Fire Department&#8217;s newest assistant chiefs, Damian Lendacky, was administered an oath Friday by Mayor Tony George, right, as Lendacky&#8217;s fiancee Jonine Owens and father Damian looked on. </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_TTL080616WBFire1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Wilkes-Barre Fire Department Capt. Robert Suchoski was promoted to assistant chief and joined by his wife Carol, right, and daughter Sarah at the swearing-in ceremony Friday at City Hall. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_TTL080616WBFire1.jpg</photo1><caption1>Wilkes-Barre Fire Department Capt. Robert Suchoski was promoted to assistant chief and joined by his wife Carol, right, and daughter Sarah at the swearing-in ceremony Friday at City Hall. </caption1><photoCredit1></photoCredit1></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Jerry Lynott</p><p>jlynott@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Jerry Lynott at 570-991-6120 or on Twitter @TLJerryLynott</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Promotions and demotions occur at Wilkes-Barre Fire Department