Trending
I am writing to recommend Mary Lou M. Sigler for the Mifflin County School Board. I have known Mary Lou for 20-plus years. I have always admired her integrity and rational thinking. Mary Lou supports what is best for students, in terms of both their education and their safety, while keeping in mind the costs associated with every decision that is made.
In her early years as an administrator, Mary Lou enhanced the then-existing safe and drug-free school program by using grant funds for the district to hire two safe and drug-free school counselors to work closely with elementary and middle school students while maintaining and improving the secondary Student Assistance Program. As a board member, she continues to support resources to help all students feel safe and respected and to obtain the resources they need to help them overcome whatever barriers to learning may exist.
Also, with a competitive grant that she wrote as a district administrator more than 20 years ago, the district was able, in conjunction with Mifflin County Regional Police, to initiate the School Resource Officer program to ensure safer schools and to encourage positive student attitudes toward police officers. As a board member, she has supported and voted to increase the number of SRO's in the district and continually pushes for additional safety measures because she believes students learn better in a safe environment and because she cares.
With a wide range of experience in education, Mary Lou supports integrated curriculum; STEM; a focus on reading skills; the music, art, and drama programs; the Alpha and MCO programs; The Academy, world language studies; a wide range of social studies, including civics and geography; PBIS; MTSS; and the multitude of improvements that teachers and administrators have made to the course offerings and intervention programs during the last several years, as well as the many facility improvements made during her time as a member of the board.
Mary Lou is dedicated and committed to doing the work necessary to be an active and engaged board member. She serves on the policy committee, the curriculum committee, the Local Advisory Committee, and is the district's liaison to the Pennsylvania School Boards Association, as well as the district's representative to the Tuscarora Intermediate Unit. Additionally, she has served on the hiring committee for administrators and more than ten years ago was instrumental in creating definitive hiring procedures for the district to follow for all positions in order to ensure that the best candidates are the ones hired. She continually pushes for the recruitment of the best candidates to fill vacancies.
Additionally, Mary Lou attends board meetings regularly, having missed no more than a few meetings during her years of service to the Mifflin County School District. She even attended a meeting by phone in 2019 during a two-week hospitalization at Hershey Medical Center, and she has never scheduled a vacation which would have caused her to miss a meeting.
Mary Lou understands the many aspects of public education, from finance and budgeting to curricular needs, school safety, and necessary resources for our children. She has a history of doing what is best for students and finding ways to lessen the impact of costs on taxpayers.
For these reasons, I will cast my vote to reelect Mary Lou M. Sigler to the Mifflin County School Board and humbly ask you to do the same.
Christina Calkins-Mazur
I have known Andrea Alcalde, Acting Coroner, for 20 years. She is a hard-working and well-respected Coroner for Mifflin County.
Andrea has crime scene and homicide-specific training. Andrea has assisted other counties on homicides. She has co-created training for death notifications to assist in helping the bereaved families. She has written and received grants for Mifflin County for education and prevention resources to curtail violent deaths, suicides, overdoses and homicides.
She is a National Registered Medicolegal Death Investigator and is certified in Grief and Bereavement Care. She has specialized training in Veterans Bereavement Care.
Andrea Alcalde has the most extensive training and experience for county coroner. She is the most qualified candidate for Mifflin County Coroner. She has my vote!
Sincerely,
Lisa Nancollas
To the Editor:
Jerry Wagner is asking for your vote for Judge of the Mifflin County Court of Common Pleas. I have known Jerry for years and I have seen him in a variety of different circumstances. I am an Attorney who appears in the Court of Common Pleas on a regular basis and have personally observed Jerry as an Attorney. In the courtroom, he is comfortable and knowledgeable of all facets of courtroom procedures. He is professional and courteous to all. He displays an equal amount of accountability and compassion for the cases he handles. He does the right thing even in tough situations. Jerry has a brilliant legal mind. He can evaluate the law and apply it to the facts of the case and argue a successful result. These are all traits that form a solid foundation for a great Judge. The majority of the cases which come before the Court are criminal cases and divorces and custody cases. Jerry's experience as an Assistant District Attorney and as solicitor for the Domestic Relations office allow him to handle these cases immediately. Jerry's business experience and knowledge of those aspects of civil rules will enable him to handle the complex civil cases that are litigated in Mifflin County. I have seen Jerry deal with issues in his business and he is willing to resolve problems that people can't resolve on their own. Most of you may never appear before a Judge. You will want a Judge who is experienced, smart, compassionate and who realizes that each case before the Court is important to the litigants and not just a number. You want a Judge who can also make the hard decisions and hold people accountable for their actions. Jerry has all these qualities. A vote for Jerry is a vote for justice and fairness for all who appear before him. I encourage you to vote for Jerry Wagner for your next Court of Common Pleas Judge.
Karen G. Muir, Esquire.
To the Editor:
My name is William Hesketh Jr. and I have known Andrea Alcalde for almost two decades now. She spent a lot of time at my house with my granddaughter throughout middle school and high school. She has always been respectful and caring towards my family.
I believe Andrea would be the right person for Mifflin County Coroner because she has the proper training and credentials in not only Death Investigation but also bereavement. She continues to pursue higher education in Death Investigation, whether through coroner's conferences, seminars, or conventions, she was also working alongside of Mifflin County's previous Coroner Dan Lynch for the better half of the last three years, and is now our Acting Coroner – she is already doing the job, and is doing a great job, I might add.
I often see Andrea's name in the Lewistown Sentinel in regards to doing a phenomenal job on previous cases within the past few years. Andrea is a bright, intelligent young woman with a lot of potential, drive and compassion. She is goal oriented and focused towards helping others and serving her community. I believe she will be a great fit as Coroner for our county and for your loved ones and families as she shows empathy and is very thorough in her investigations. Andrea Alcalde has mine and my wife's vote for Coroner May 16th, 2023.
William Hesketh Jr.
To the Editor:
Like most adults who have been around for a few years, over 70 in my case, I have met many people in my occupations. From plumbers and electricians, to doctors and pastors. In thinking back on my life, I realize the majority of those I met, and become friends with, have been in the law enforcement field.
As a former resident of Mount Union and graduate of Captain Jack High School, Class of 1964, I had the distinct pleasure of becoming friends with officers in my hometown police department and at least a dozen troopers in the Pennsylvania State Police, plus one in Delaware. Two of my oldest friends became lawyers and I have had the privilege of being friends with three former Huntingdon County Judges.
So, you are wondering, what does that have to do with anything? Well, I just wanted you to know my reason for writing this letter.
I have been a Lewistown resident for several years and have come to know many of you. One of the first things I did in my new community was join the Kiwanis Club. It was there that I met Jonathan Reed. With many activities planned for our youth and his wish to be involved in many of them, Jonathan's desire to serve our community was easy to see.
Aside from serving in the Kiwanis Club, Jonathan was an instructor of Law and Criminal Justice at South Hills School of Business and Technology. He was a judicial law clerk and mental health review officer in the Mifflin County Court of Common Pleas, as well as a juvenile probation officer, and currently serves as a Magisterial District Judge.
As the only candidate with proven judicial experience, and a commitment to serving our community, I ask that you vote for Jonathan Reed for Common Pleas Judge. He is the most qualified.
Paul Prough
To the Editor:
I have been employed with the Mifflin County Coroner's Office for over 24 years. Having that many years, I believe that I can understand what the qualifications are for the position of Coroner of Mifflin County.
I have had the pleasure of working with and for our Acting Coroner, Andrea L. Alcalde. The position of Coroner is something that Andrea has groomed herself for since her childhood days. It is a lifelong dream of Andrea's to be the coroner. As acting Coroner, I feel she has all the qualifications needed. She has compassion and empathy and always conducts herself professionally, which are just a few of the qualifications needed. Andrea has handled all kinds of deaths since her tenure in the coroner's office began. Acting Coroner Andrea Alcalde brings new life into the office and has been making updates and changes to the office.
I have watched and listened to Andrea interact with the loved ones left behind. Those loved ones have called Andrea day and night just to hear a calming voice or to be pointed in the right direction for the support they need during one of the lowest points in their lives.
Acting Coroner Andrea Alcalde completed her training for the coroner's office through the Dauphin County Coroner's Office and she also did an internship with Dr. Wayne K. Ross, MD. Andrea holds Diplomat status with the Medicolegal Death Investigators which is a nationally recognized organization and held to very high standards throughout the country.
Andrea is thought of very highly throughout our network of Forensic Pathologist's that our office works with and many of the other coroners throughout the state. Andrea continues to attend classes and meetings with the PA State Coroner's Association.
Our Acting Coroner Andrea Alcalde is the only qualified candidate on the ballot for Coroner.
Please join me in making Acting Coroner Andrea Alcalde's dream come true by voting for her for our coroner on May 16th.
Patricia A. Wilson
To the Editor:
I am writing to give my recommendation for Jerry Wagner as Judge of the Court of Common Pleas of Mifflin County. As a dairy farmer living and working in Decatur Township, I've had many occasions over the past 20 years to deal with Jerry in his tire business. He has always been fair, trustworthy and a man of his word on the sales and service he provides.
There was a time when I was ill and my family had to run the day-to-day operations of the farm for a while. Jerry made it a point to ask them how I was doing and to wish me well in my recovery. This showed me that he not only cares about me as a customer, but he also cares for people on a personal level.
Jerry has been a licensed Attorney for the past 25 years, and locally he has served as an Assistant Prosecutor for the Mifflin County District Attorney's Office and as the solicitor for Mifflin County Domestic Relations. Through his broad experience as an Attorney working in both criminal and civil matters, Jerry has shown himself to be a man of the highest value when it comes to serving others.
I know Jerry to be a man of good character who cares deeply for our community. If elected as Judge, I believe he will bring the same level of fairness and honesty to the justice system that he has in his business, and he will continue to be a benefit to us all.
Randall Wright