Friday, February 22, 2002
MERCER, Pa. -- Four people have asked Mercer County Common Pleas Court to appoint them to fill a Farrell Area School Board vacancy but only one of them has sought the job before.
Sadie Reid-Benham of Emerson Avenue, who lost an election bid for a school board seat by a narrow margin last year, had also asked the school board to appoint her to fill the vacancy created by the Jan. 1 death of Rose Marie Branca.
Branca, a 26-year veteran of the board, did win re-election last year.
Her daughter, Brenda Branca of Indiana Avenue, also asked the board to appoint her to her mother's vacant post, saying she was seeking the nonpaying job as a tribute to her mother.
Two others, John Brown of Roemer Boulevard and Michelle Sparrow of Negley Street, also sought appointment by the board.
Split board: The board, however, split 4-4 between Reid-Benham and Branca and opted to ask common pleas court to pick who will serve until the next school board election in 2003.
Court Administrator Peter Morrin said four people sent letters of interest to the court by Thursday's 4 p.m. application deadline.
Reid-Benham is on the list but Brenda Branca didn't submit her name, Morrin said.
Nor did Brown or Sparrow, but Leslie Hite of Haywood Street, Brian K. Sanders Sr. of Emerson Avenue and Michael Zaborowski of Shady Drive all did.
Morrin said the court will set up interviews with the four candidates for early next week and probably make an immediate appointment.