Elections: New faces take office
Editor’s note: This story has been modified from the print version to correct a statement that South Fayette Township Commissioner Jessica Cardillo did not seek re-election. Cardillo’s term runs through 2017.
Tuesday’s general election featured a number of interesting contests for municipal offices and school boards around the county.
In a close race for North Strabane Township supervisor, Republican Harold Close lost his bid for re-election with 23.4 percent of the vote. Incumbent Republican Marcus M. Staley retained his seat with 26.3 percent and newcomer Democrat Bob Ross picked up the second seat with 25.7 percent. Democrat Neil Kelly also came up short with 24.4 percent of the vote.
For South Strabane Township supervisor, Bob Weber, who won both party nominations, came out on top with 40.2 percent of the vote, followed by Republican Thomas L. Moore with 30.4 percent. Democrat Russell Grego lost with 29 percent.
Weber and Moore will replace current supervisors, Independent Daniel Piatt and Republican Robert Koman, whose terms expire this year.
Incumbent North Franklin Township Supervisor Sylvio Passalacqua won a tight race against former supervisor Bob Sabot, who captured 48.6 percent of the votes for a six-year term in office.
Canonsburg’s former police chief will join council after Democrat R.T. Bell netted nearly 65 percent of the vote over Republican opponent George R. Coleman for the at-large seat on council.
Bell replaces Richard Russo, who did not run. In the 1st Ward, Democrat Harold Bowman had a landslide victory with 97 percent of the vote, as he was unopposed to replace John Bevic, and will share representation with John Severine.
There were no changes in the 2nd Ward as Fran Coleman and Joseph McGarry held onto their seats. Katherine Tina S. Bails received nearly 64 percent of the vote, forcing Tim Bilsky from his seat, and will join Paul Sharkady in representing the 3rd Ward.
Canon-McMillan School Board had incumbents Manuel Pihakis, Michael Caporizzo, Mark Dopudja, Maureen Helinski and Joseph Zupancic all retaining their seats for four-year terms. Newcomer Stephen Moskal, a Democrat, beat Republican Terree L. Reihner for a two-year term to take the seat of John Fink, who did not run again.
In South Fayette Township, three incumbents held onto their seats: Raymond Pitetti, Lisa Ann Malosh and Joseph Horowitz. Newcomer Gwen Rodi eked out a win with 14 percent of the vote in a very close race.
In Peters Township, Frank Kosir Jr., a Pittsburgh attorney, will be joining council as a new member, replacing Meghan Jones-Rolla, who did not seek re-election. Longtime member Robert Lewis was also re-elected.
The Peters Township School Board race had three incumbents retaining their seats, with Thomas McMurray, Ron Dunleavy and William Merrell being re-elected. They will be joined by newcomer Minna Allison and J. Rolf Briegel. Current members Lynn Erenberg and Sandy Gregg decided not to seek re-election.
In the Mon Valley, Charleroi Councilman Terry Newstrom easily won the borough mayor’s office as a Republican, defeating former Mayor Nancy Ellis, a Democrat, in a special election to fill the unexpired two years of the term of a mayor who resigned this year.
Newstrom, 58, said he served on council for 10 years and plans to devote his time as mayor to attracting new businesses to the borough.
“I’d like to get the people to come into Charleroi,” Newstrom said. “Charleroi has been a good town to live in.”
Ringgold School Board President Marian Bulko lost her re-election bid for one of three at-large seats to two incumbents, Gene Kennedy and Jason Gerard, and Gail A. Glaneman, a political newcomer from Nottingham. James Dodd of Carroll Township faced off against Steve Toprani’s write-in campaign and Dodd sailed to victory for an at-large seat on the board. Incumbent Maureen Ott also was unopposed for a seat representing the Nottingham area.
Four seats were up for grabs on the Bethlehem Center School Board. They were won by Jim Gwyer, Laura Frost, Christine Hundertmark and Karen Drill. Incumbent Valarie Caprini lost her re-election bid.
Three supervisor seats were up for grabs in Union Township. A Repubican, Heather Daerr, defeated Larry Speer, a Democrat, while long-time incumbent Steve Parish Jr. lost to Deborah Sargent and Paul Chasko in the other race.