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New food festival aims to get vendors to ‘stick’ with Plymouth

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Weather conditions don’t stop West Pittston Cherry Blossom Festival from being a success

Of Luzerne County&#8217;s 11 school districts, only six have more candidates running for school board than seats available.CrestwoodOne two-year seat and one candidate; Four four-year seats, six candidates. All are cross-filedCrestwood has three newcomers and three incumbents vying for four seats. Those seeking re-election are Albert Miller, Randy Swank and Maureen McGovern. Those hoping to land on the board after the November election are James Costello, Lauren Elizabeth McCurdy and Barry Boone.Boone is also running unopposed for a single two-year seat, making it almost certain he will at least get on the board for that stint. If he wins both, a two-year and four-year seat, he would have to resign one, and the board would get first crack at filling it.McCurdy has campaigned on promises to bring innovation to district efforts.A U.S. Navy veteran and former teacher, Boone teamed with Costello, a Wilkes-Barre Area School District teacher who runs a small family business, Premier Amateur Sports, and chairs the nonprofit Keystone State Games, Inc.Swank has worked as a financial professional and McGovern is a retired district secretary. Miller got on the board in April 2016, appointed to replace Ken Malkemes, who passed away.DallasFive seats, eight candidates, all cross-filedIncumbents Sherri Newell and Gary Youngblood are seeking re-election along with newcomers Scott Francis, Edward Dudick Jr., Jamiel W. Rollins, Susan K. Allen, Christine J. Swailes and John Pike.The Dallas race has the potential to be among the most influential in the county because protracted and often acrimonious teacher contract talks remain unresolved.A supervisor at Newell Fuel Service Inc., Newell is on the negotiation committee and wants a second term to finish the contract talks without raising taxes. Youngblood was appointed to the board in November when Colleen Slocum resigned. He brings years of experience in trucking logistics to the board.Francis is a former Dallas district coach and Hanover Area teacher, his wife teaches at Wycallis Elementary School. Dudick is an Army National Guard veteran and registered engineer working with Talen Energy.Rollins works for Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association and is related to two Dallas teachers through marriage: First-grade Dallas Elementary School teacher Jennifer Derr is a cousin to his wife and Wycallis Elementary School second-grade teacher Ann Marie Francis is a sister-in-law.A retired U.S. Navy officer, Allen teaches math in Tunkhannock School District. Swailes is employed as a water quality specialist for Suez and previously worked as business manager for the Trucksville United Methodist Church.Pike, Allen, Francis and Rollins have campaigned together as &#8220;Dallas United.&#8221;Hazleton AreaFour seats, seven candidates, all cross-filedLuzerne County&#8217;s largest district has faced financial pressure that, at one point, had the district considering four-day school weeks for part of the year.Two incumbents are seeking re-election: former teacher and administrator James Chapman, and Bob Mehalick, the director of special education services in Wilkes-Barre Area School District.Of the five challengers, former board member Dr. Robert Childs may be the most formidable. He was frequently among the highest vote getters during his 16 years on the board.A lawn treatment service technician, candidate Mark Scarcella would join his wife Jaculin on the board if he wins a seat. Linda DeCosmo is wife of former Board Member Michael DeCosmo. Ed Shemansky is retired assistant facility director for the district who now runs his own construction business.Alexandar Van Hoekelen, a sales representative for his family&#8217;s greenhouse business, rounds out the slate.Pittston AreaFour seats, six candidates, all but one cross-filed.Incumbents Marty Quinn, John Adonizio, Bruce Knick and R. Kent Bratlee have run together as &#8220;Friends of Pittston Area.&#8221; They face challenges from Lori Cooper, who cross-filed, and Bob Fahey Jr., who is listed only on the Democratic ticket according to the Luzerne County Election Bureau website.A graduate teacher professor at Wilkes University, Cooper has campaigned on a platform for change in the district by changing the faces on the boad.Wilkes-Barre AreaFour seats, five candidates, three cross-filed. A district with plans for one of county&#8217;s biggest school construction projects in decades, Wilkes-Barre Area&#8217;s slate proved relatively uncompetetive considering opposition to a high school consolidation project estimated to exceed $100 million.Incumbents Joe Caffrey, Ned Evans and Denise Thomas all cross-filed and have all been consistent in their support for consolidating grades 9 through 12 at Meyers and Coughlin high schools into a new building. Most recently, the three voted in favor of spending money for further study of an 80-acre site near the Solomon/Plains Memorial Education Complex, to see if the school can be built there.Consolidation critic Melissa Etzle Patla registered only on the Democratic ticket. She has been a regular voice against the project since the board first voted two years ago to consolidate.Retired district teacher Albert Horoszy has generally spoken in support of consolidation. he is also listed on the Democrtatic ticket only.Sam Troy, harshly critical of district spending and the construction proposal, said he is running as a write-in candidate.Wyoming AreaFour seats, six candidates, all cross-filed.Four incumbents are running for re-election: Jerry Stofko, John Marianacci, Carmen John Bolin and Kimberly Prebola-Yochem.A long-time employee in retail sales and management, Nick DeAngelo is trying again for a return to the school board. He previously served two terms, and ran unsuccessfully as an independent in the 2015 general election.Bonin has also run for school board in the past, including a narrow loss in the 2013 primary.<ins>For more local election stories, click <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/tag/polcov" target="_blank">here</a>.</ins><style>
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<div class="neCaption">The race for spots on the Dallas School Board has potential to be among the most influential in the county due to the ongoing labor dispute in the district. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/web1_TTL-11152016-Dalllas-strike-3-cmyk-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>The race for spots on the Dallas School Board has potential to be among the most influential in the county due to the ongoing labor dispute in the district. </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta>By Mark Guydishmguydish@www.timesleader.com</bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta>Reach Mark Guydish at 570-991-6112 or on Twitter @TLMarkGuydish</shirttailMeta></div>

Six Luzerne County school boards feature contested races in primary