Judge to appoint new board member by noon tomorrow

Judge Greg Chelak announced the court will appoint a new school board member by noon Thursday (tomorrow), after listening to candidates at today's 1 p.m. court hearing, according to multiple candidates and sources who attended the hearing. The hearing was ordered after the board failed to fill the Sept. 18 vacancy of John Wladar within 30 days and a petition was submitted by former board member and vacancy candidate Jack Fisher.

Board solicitor Mike Weinstein had earlier advised the board not to worry about appointing within 30 days.

Candidates present at the meeting were Denise Fey, Jack Fisher, Mary Gordon, Bill Greenlaw and Sue Schor. Not present were Taxpayers United favorite Bernard Marasa, who is in Florida, and I, who could not make travel accommodations on such short notice.

In Marasa's absence, current board members Deb DuCharme, Bob Goldsack and John Kupillas spoke on his behalf and presented his resume. Current board members Sue Casey and John Wroblewski endorsed Schor, and Pam Lutfy endorsed Gordon. In my absence, a letter and my resume, which I faxed to the court administrator's office early this morning, were examined at the hearing.

Current board members absent from the hearing were Diane French, who wrote a scathing letter to the editor in this week's Pike County Dispatch to be posted on the blog later this evening, and Ed Silverstone, who arrived at the end of the hearing.

Stay tuned to RB for DV - your only source for late-breaking news.