`lunatic' Takes Police On Wild Trip 
Ten-hour Battle Ensues Following Routine Arrest

3 Care Centers Get New Owner 
Three Area Personal Care Centers Are Part Of A Major Purchase By 
Mechanicsburg-based Balanced Care Corp.

Sunday, February 02, 1997 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 





Stevens nearing court candidacy; Colville checks out support &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 This will be a busy week for Luzerne County Judge Corry Stevens as he
continues to explore a possible candidacy for one of four seats open on the
state Superior Court in this year's electionsOn Tuesday, Stevens will be in
Pittsburgh to appear before the Judicial Evaluation Committee of the
Pennsylvania Bar Association. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The committee, comprised of lawyers and non-lawyers, has been set up to
interview and then rank the candidates for the state courts on their
qualifications and fitness for office. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The committee will then send the results of its evaluation and the ranking
it has given to Stevens and the others seeking Republican nominations to the
State Republican Committee. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 On Saturday, February 8, the State Republican Committee will meet in
Hershey to interview Stevens and about ten other Republican candidates for the
four Superior Court spots, and a number of other Republican candidates who are
running for one seat on the state Supreme Court and one seat on the state
Commonwealth Court. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 After those interviews, the State Republican Committee will announce its
official Republican Party endorsements. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Stevens has said in the past that he probably won't run for the Superior
Court unless he gets that endorsement. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 However, Republican Party leaders here and in Harrisburg have indicated
that Stevens and three other county judges are front runners for official
Superior Court endorsements. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 They are Erie County Judge Michael Joyce, Chester Courty Judge James
MacElree, and Allegheny Court Judge Joan Melvin. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Stevens and those three are being talked about in Republican leadership
circles as the "Four Corners Candidates" because of the geographic areas of
the state they're from. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Some days after the State Republican Committee makes its endorsements,
Stevens probably will have an official announcement that he's either running
or he's not. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 If he gets the endorsement, he'll no doubt launch a campaign aimed at
winning a Republican nomination on May 20. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 State Superior Court judges are paid around $115,000 a year. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Colville eyes court seat &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Bob Colville, the district attorney of Allegheny County for the last 21
years, made the rounds in Luzerne County with John Moses during the week to
check out what support he might be able to count on if he decides to run for a
Democratic nomination for the state Superior Court on May 20. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 If he does run, Colville will be in a field of some 20 to 25 Democrats who
have indicated they'll try for nominations for the four Superior Court seats
up for grabs in this year's elections. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Colville says he'll need organizational backing in the big Democratic
counties -- Allegheny, Philadelphia, Luzerne, and Lackawanna -- if he's to win
a nomination. And he'll also need the Democratic State Committee's
endorsement; otherwise he might not give it a go. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Because he's been in police work for so many years in his home county of
Allegheny, he feels sure he'll have county committee support there. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 And in Philadelphia County, his long-time friendship with Mayor Ed Rendell
gives him a decent chance for that county's organizational backing. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Colville says he sees service on the state Superior Court as a natural
progression of another area in his career in law enforcement. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 With the petition filing period of February 18 to March 26 fast
approaching, Colville knows he'll have to make up his mind about running
pretty soon. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I'd say I'm about 90 percent sure of running, but I want to feel
comfortable that I can depend on the big Democratic counties and the state
committee for backing before I make an official announcement," he said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Toole ticked &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Pittston City Clerk Wil Toole called during the week to beef about last
week's item concerning him and his ongoing rub with Joe Infantino. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Toole says he has no intention of trying to get a county job, nor is he
worried about losing his Pittston City job. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I just signed a four-year contract so I'm here to stay unless Mayor Tom
Walsh fires me," he said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Pizzella goes big time &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Frank Pizzella really made a lot of people sit up and take notice with
those two Super Bowl Sunday ads he had on Fox 38. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 You can be sure that Pizzella succeeded in generating a ton of name
recognition for himself in his campaign to capture the Democratic nomination
for county controller in the May 20 primary. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Pizzella has been telling folks all around that he's got advertising booked
on television, radio, buses, billboards and just about everywhere. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Jarolin breakfast &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Folks in the Fourth District have put together a committee which is
handling arrangements and selling tickets for a fund-raiser breakfast for
Democratic state Rep. Stanley Jarolin. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Tickets are $15 each for the breakfast which will be in the Centre Inn in
Newport Township on February 23 starting at 10 a.m. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Clambake set &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The Annual Indoor Clambake, sponsored by the Friends of Bob Reilly, will be
Sunday, February 16 from 5:50 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Carriage Stop Inn on
Route 115. Tickets can be obtained by calling 825-0260. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Cocktail party scheduled &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The Wilkes-Barre Democratic Committee will hold its annual Spring Cocktail
Party on Thursday, April 10 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Ramada Inn in
Wilkes-Barre. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Columnist Bill Griffith's notes on county and city politics appear on
Sunday. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Stevens Nearing Court Candidacy; Colville Checks Out Support 
This Will Be A Busy Week For Luzerne County Judge Corry Stevens As He 
Continues To Explore A Possible Candidacy For One Of Four Seats Open On The 
State Superior Court In This Year's Elections.

Stevens Nearing Court Candidacy; Colville Checks Out Support This Will Be A Busy Week For Luzerne County Judge Corry Stevens As He Continues To Explore A Possible Candidacy For One Of Four Seats Open On The State Superior Court In This Year's Elections.