The LuLac Edition #2859, March 21st, 2015

RED MILL, 340 S.

MAIN ST. PITTSTON 6pm to ? 

ALL CANDIDATES WELCOME

EARLY D.J. POLITICAL TV BLITZ

No it’s not Tom Wolf taking ads out this early. His race is won and done. But a Magisterial District candidate is firing heavy artillery already in his race to succeed a Lackawanna County sitting Judge. James Gibbon was elected to the Court of Common Pleas two years ago. Now there is a race to succeed him as the District Magistrate. The District includes the municipalities of La Plume, Newton, Ransom, Waverly, Glenburn,
North, West and South Abington townships, Dalton, Clarks Summit, and Clarks Green.
Malcolm L. MacGregor has been advertising heavily this week touting his experience as well as his community association. But in my opinion, in the ad there is a strange phrase involving bringing 25 years of good parenting experience to the job. I understand that a Magistrate has to deal with civil issues as well as juveniles. If one has navigated the challenges of parenting in this day and age and has survived without an arrest or a few trips to the principal’s office, they are fortunate and skilled. But it still struck me as odd.
Are we implying that people without children can’t bring the same skills of understanding to the job? Or teachers who never marred or are single? I just think the phrase which for all we know just could have been a throwaway line to add one more thing to the ad is out of sync. Is the candidate saying that other candidates aren’t better parents? One thing the ad did though was made me notice the it and write about it. So I guess that worked from that standpoint. But if you see Mama Duggars running for Magistrate somewhere in the U.S. you’ll know why.
MacGregor is being opposed by Grace Doherty Hillebrand who speaking of family and parenting has a lineage of her own. Her uncle is former Mayor Chris Doherty, her grandfather was the venerable James Doherty Senior who served on City Council in the 60s and 70s in Scranton (when the Scranton City Council meetings were the original TV reality show on WDAU) and her father is Attorney Jim Doherty Junior.
The other candidates are Assistant DA Attorney Michael R. Goffer , Attorney Paul Keeler and Police Officer Eric Judge. If I were Judge, I’d run on being the only candidate not connected to the Democratic party power structure. The others have connections to both the Nealon and Casey families in Scranton. Plus there is the Doherty name. Will Judge benefit from split allegiances? We shall see.

WILL NOVEMBRINO PREVAIL?

Scranton City Controller Roseann Novembrino. (Photo: Times Tribune).

The race for Scranton City Controller might be interesting. Roseann Novembrino has been in that job since the death of her late husband Richard. Novembrino is going for her eighth term. If elected she will have served more than 3 decades in that job. It has been a while since there were challengers to this job. Will Scranton voters decide that maybe someone new should step in? School board member Kyle Donahue and Sean McAndrew are taking on the long time incumbent and will this be a cakewalk for the multi term Controller or a bit of a challenge?

HAGGERTY'S BACK

Candidate for Judicial Records Kevin Haggerty. (Photo: LuLac archives).

Former State Representative Kevin Haggerty was going to run for County Commissioner but decided to go for the Clerk Of Judicial Records job.
He is being joined by 5 other candidates. Currently Haggerty has billboards across the city and the Lac. He does have name recognition. The others running are Scranton School Board members Bob Sheridan and Robert Casey, Tax Collector of Springbrook Township Mauri Kelly, Kim Yencho of Jefferson Township and Teresa Colarusso of Blakely. Haggerty has the best name recognition and Colarusso will have the best food at her evens. Other than that, I can’t really say much more.
The office is being vacated by Mary F. Rinaldi who has held the offices for several terms. Prior to that, her late husband Bill Rinaldi held the post.

LAWTON’S JOB SEARCH

Luzerne County Manager Bob Lawton. (Photo; Standard Speaker.com).

Much has been made this week in Luzerne County about the news that County Manager Bob Lawton is looking elsewhere. Lawton has been in the job since the first Council took office in 2012. He has had a contentious tenure with some members of the Council and the Public.
One of the byproducts of holding this position in such a political savvy area as Luzerne County is that you can’t make a move without anyone knowing it. This is America and Lawton should not be chastised for exploring other options. The Council should not go on a witch hunt either to get rid of the guy just because he is looking. Jesus, after these two winters who could blame him? But I do agree with Council Vice Chair Edd Brominski’s thoughts that there should be a contingency plan in place. Not necessarily a deputy but a list of competent managers who are LOCAL and who have done this on a city, and borough level before. One of these could run things before a new manager is hired.
The experience of the Wilkes Barre City Charter should tell us that city and county managers are a lot like baseball field generals, some are hired to be fired. This should come as no surprise that Lawton is looking and anyone who says he is betraying the county is just being silly.
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