Welch, Chesterfield Pace Wvw Over West Scranton

20 Jobs Hang On Mercy's Next Move 
While The Health System 
Chooses A New Ambulance Service, 
Employees Of The Current Provider 
May Find Their Jobs In Jeopardy

By RENITA FENNICK; Times Leader Staff Writer
 Wednesday, January 31, 1996 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 3A 





WILKES-BARRE -- Four people have applied to the Luzerne County Court of
Common Pleas to fill a vacancy on the Lake-Lehman School Board. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Robert Barney, Kathleen Ford, Samuel Rhodes and Moderno cq Rossi are
seeking an appointment to fill the unexpired term of Pat Gold, who resigned
Dec. 12 because she is leaving the area. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Both Rhodes, a 42-year-old full-time father, and Rossi, 40, a salesman,
were nominated by board members. Neither received enough votes for the
appointment. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Because the School Board could not agree on Gold's successor, the court
will appoint the School Board member in accordance with the Pennsylvania
Public School Code. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The deadline to apply was 4 p.m. Tuesday. Objections to any application
will be accepted at the courthouse until 4 p.m. Feb. 1. If a hearing on an
objection is required, it will be at 9:15 a.m. Feb. 2. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 If there are no objections or if all objections have been resolved, the
court will appoint a School Board member. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 In her letter of resignation, Gold urged the board to appoint Rossi, a
member of the bipartisan Lake-Lehman Taxpayers Association. Gold is also a
member of that group. Four board members voted for Rossi last month and three
others voted for Rhodes. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The 4-3 vote in favor of Rossi was void because it did not constitute a
majority of the 8-member School Board, Solicitor Peter Savage said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "There is a lot of waste in the district," Rossi said. "I want to keep
taxes low without hurting the children's education. I think it is important to
keep the taxpayer majority intact." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Ford, 39, of Harveys Lake, said she believes the board needs someone who is
not affiliated with either of the two feuding factions on the board. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "Right now they're fighting like crazy," said Ford, a mother of five. "I
believe I have something to offer. I want to set the School Board in the right
direction. We hear so much about money but what's most important? The quality
of education, that's what I want to focus on." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Rhodes also said it is time for School Board members to work together
toward a common goal. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "We have to give students, parents and taxpayers the best we can with what
we have," Rhodes said. "It's time to get on with business." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Barney, 45, a financial planner from Lehman Township, could not be reached
for comment. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

4 Seek Vacancy In Lake-lehman