Wyoming Valley West 66, Pittston Area 40

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By JOLYN RESNICK jolynr@leader.net Luzerne County
commissioners created two new part-time public defender positions
Wednesday and hired the daughter of the director of the
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport to fill one of them.
 Thursday, February 08, 2001 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 1A 





Majority commissioners approved the hiring of Shelley Centini, Barry
Centini's daughter, to the post, which pays $24,850 per year plus benefits
including health insurance. John Hakim, who has worked as a per diem public
defender since 1996, received the other spot with the same pay and benefits
package. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Centini graduated from law school in May and recently passed the state bar
exam. She also recently opened a law office with full-time assistant public
defender Charles G. Ross Jr. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; County Chief Public Defender Basil G. Russin said last month that the jobs
were not advertised. Instead, he reviewed dozens of resumes on file in his
office and selected Centini because of her experience doing summer internships
at his office. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Russin defended his need for the new public defenders when questioned by
minority Commissioner Stephen A. Urban, who voted against creating the
positions and hiring Centini and Hakim. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Russin said his ``staff is stretched'' with a case load approaching 4,000,
adding that he hasn't hired new personnel for five years. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Centini did not return telephone calls for comment. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Prothonotary Carolee Medico didn't fare as well when she asked
commissioners to create two jobs for her office. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Medico will probably get the appointments by the end of the month, but was
turned down Wednesday because she failed to submit a detailed explanation
before the meeting, said Board of Commissioners Chairman Tom Makowski. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Makowski told Medico the county would pay for three per diem employees at
$40 per day until then. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 In other business, commissioners unanimously approved a resolution that
will provide tax relief to more than 200 Hazleton homeowners affected by the
Tranguch gasoline spill. Affected homeowners will pay no property tax to the
county for at least the next two years. The homeowners have been unable to
sell their properties. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The relief will be extended as necessary until the spill is cleaned up or
the homes are purchased by the federal government, Makowski said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Commissioners heard complaints about the Keystone Opportunity Expansion
Zone program, as residents urged them not to approve a list of properties
submitted to the program last month. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Ambrose Meletsky, president of the Wilkes-Barre Taxpayers Association, said
$68.5 million worth of properties in the county are tax-exempt under the KOZ
program. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Meletsky said no new jobs were created by the program established to entice
businesses to develop otherwise undevelopable properties with tax incentives.
``How much longer can I and everybody else continue subsidizing corporate
America?'' he asked. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Urban said he doesn't know when a vote will be taken, adding that some
properties have been deleted from the list since it was made public in
January. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The commissioners approved a number of retirements including: Helen
Mericle, human services program specialist; Children and Youth caseworkers
Ellis Carle and Tikva Jeral; and Valley Crest employees Supervisor Lois
Arlunas, services aides Joseph Reilley and Ruth Constantino and dietary aide
Dolores Huk. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Jolyn Resnick, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 829-7210. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
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Airport Boss's Daughter Named To County Post