Local News
UPDATE: City set to hire first pro manager
SHARON — The city of Sharon appears to be just one official step away from hiring its first professional city manager.
Members of the home rule transition committee on Monday voted to recommend Thomas D. Lavorini for the job. He’ll likely be hired Thursday by council members as an interim manager for a term not to exceed 12 months.
“Once we interviewed Tom we knew we had the person to lay the foundation for the city manager form of government,” Committee President Ed Palanski said. “When we met him, I think we all felt we had the guy.”
Palanski said Lavorini has 30 years of experience in municipal management and spent 18 years as administrator in Ross Township, Allegheny County. He also worked in Aliquippa, an Act 47 community, so he is familiar with the state program that helps financially distressed communities.
Lavorini has a bachelor’s degree from St. Vincent College in Latrobe, Pa., in economics and political science, Palanski said. He’s also taken some graduate level courses during his career, Palanski said.
“He has a lot of experience we feel applies to our situation,” Palanski said.
Council member Vic Heutsche said Lavorini’s knowledge of Pennsylvania law was an advantage and added that the big plus is that “he knows all the state players” and the process for applying for grants.
Council President Mike Donato noted that it’s good Lavorini is familiar with western Pennsylvania, particularly.
And his personality seemed a good fit for the city, too.
“He struck us as a very firm and fair individual,” Palanski said. “He gets down to brass tacks.”
Palanski said Lavorini went through the same evaluation process as the other applicants, aside from a public presentation which two other finalists from Michigan made on Oct. 1. The committee has “extensively” checked his references and conducted criminal, credit and civil court record checks on Lavorini, Palanski said.
The committee did not intend to give the impression that the two other candidates were the final choices for the job, Palanski said, and noted that committee members were “not fully satisfied” with either of them.
Lavorini is being hired as an interim manager but his position could be reevaluated during his year tenure, Palanski said. He said Lavorini, who lives in Butler Township, Butler County, indicated he would be interested in the permanent job but for “very solid reasons” is not in a position to relocate at this time.
The home rule charter requires the city manager move to Sharon within one year of starting the job. It’s unclear if city officials could change that requirement without a vote by the public.
Donato said Lavorini is supposed to be at the council meeting Thursday where all five council members are expected to approve his hiring. The three council members who attended the committee meeting Monday voted to recommend him for the job.
Palanski said that if all 13 members of the committee and council that participated in the manager search could vote for the manager, they would probably choose Lavorini unanimously.
While on vacation in August 2008, Lavorini was fired from his job in Ross by a majority vote of the board of commissioners, who the same night hired the township’s former finance director, who had resigned the week before, to replace him, Pittsburgh newspapers reported.
The only reason officials gave the press for Lavorini’s dismissal was that commissioners wanted to move the township in a new direction.
“Our feeling is that his termination in Ross Township was politically motivated,” Heutsche said.
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League sets debate date; Dahlkemper ad questioned
Local political junkies, mark your calendars.
Third District Congressional rivals Kathy Dahlkemper and Mike Kelly will face off at a League of Woman Voters of Mercer County forum from 7 to 9 p.m. on Oct. 26 at the Sharon City Building.
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Are you going to Stoneboro Fair?
“I want some fries, straight off the bat,” a teen said as she strolled amid a seemingly endless stream of people running from the parking lot to the midway Saturday at the Stoneboro Fairgrounds.
The aroma of scrumptious fair food wafted through the fairgrounds on a cool afternoon that felt more like autumn than the waning days of summer.
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Court backs warrantless search that turned up gun
Superior Court issued a ruling recently that the Mercer County District Attorney believes will enhance the safety of policemen and women.
The court ruled Aug. 26 in a Mercer County Juvenile Court case that stemmed from an arrest made by Southwest Mercer County Regional police. -
Hood surfer back home, recovering
Natalie Huff, the 17-year-old girl critically hurt in a hood-surfing accident, made it home Friday for the first time since she was run over by a friend’s car last month.
David Huff, Natalie’s father, said she was in excellent spirits.
“She just wants to come home,” he said. “She wants out of the hospital. She’s doing really well.”
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Kelly: Jobs are the key to restoring economy
When businesses are healthy, they hire people, and everyone wins, according to Congressional candidate Mike Kelly
The Republican challenger announced his “Pathways to Prosperity” job plan Friday in time for Labor Day weekend at JFS Wealth Advisors in Hermitage. He also made stops in Butler, Crawford, and Erie counties.
Kelly, who faces U.S. Rep. Kathy Dahlkemper, Erie, D-3rd District in November, said he’s been up and down the county and hears about two concerns: jobs and the economy.
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Couple restoring a local landmark
The gardens were renowned and the house was a resting stop for future presidents.
Now, Dan Briceland and his wife Kristin are restoring the structure at 379 state Route 7 in Brookfield to its original glory.
Built in 1816 by Navy Capt. James Christy, the dilapidated house went up for sale this spring. The Bricelands, who have always wanted to restore an historic house, put in a bid and won.
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Cleanup planned for 2nd city neighborhood
The Irvine Avenue cleanup in Sharon was so successful that similar efforts are being planned for another part of the city.
The Sharon Beautification Commission is organizing a cleanup for 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 2 for Meek Street and several surroundings streets, Sharon City Manager Tom Lavorini told council Thursday.
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Lock up vehicles, police urge
Residents should be alert for suspicious activity and keep their cars and homes locked in the wake of a recent rash of thefts from cars — some of which were left unlocked, Southwest Mercer County Regional Police Chief Riley Smoot said.
The most recent thefts were reported Wednesday in the Dogwood Lane, Oak Hill Drive and Kiwanis Road area of West Middlesex.
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Blue Streak thrills again
“It was great. What else can I say?” Dave Hahner said Thursday, just moments after taking his second ride on the Blue Streak.
That’s right. For the first time since 2006, Conneaut Lake Park’s historic roller coaster is back up and running. Once again ready, as Jack Moyers, chairman of the board of trustees of Conneaut Lake Park, put it, “to bring thrills and chills to children of all ages.”
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3 Ohio men in county jail accused of Walmart theft ring
Three Ohio men are in Mercer County Jail for allegedly running a theft ring that stole video games and systems from Walmart stores and then sold them for cash.
Thomas “Tommy” Hamilton, 42, of Ashtabula; Alex Plitt, 34, of Jefferson; and Christopher Patton, 25, address unknown, were caught Aug. 25 after hitting up Walmart stores in Ohio and Pennsylvania for at least several months, Hempfield Township patrolman Daniel McCloskey said Wednesday.
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League sets debate date; Dahlkemper ad questioned
