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Imes is best pick MDJ
To the Editor:
This year's Municipal Primary Election will be held on May 16th and I would encourage every registered voter to get out and vote. The race for Magisterial District Judge 41-3-02 in Juniata County is extremely important and I strongly urge you to cast your vote for Dr. Josh Imes. I have known Josh since he was a teenager and I do believe that he is the best candidate for this job. Josh has been a classroom teacher for almost 20 years and his dedication to expanding his education is evident in the fact that he has pursued a Doctorate of Education. This education will allow him to successfully further his education and continue to be informed of the duties of a Magisterial District Judge.
Josh is dedicated to his job and exhibits fairness and impartiality in the classroom which will carry over to the courtroom. Josh's interest in people and humanity as well as his commitment to community service and awareness of regional and social issues will allow him to make sound, practical and timely judgments. In my opinion, Josh is the kind of person who will remain impartial and demonstrate good judgment even during a time of conflict. Please cast your vote for Josh Imes on May 16th for Magisterial District Judge.
John Anstine
Consider Alcalde
for County Coroner
To the Editor:
Andrea Alcalde has been a tremendous asset to the office of the Mifflin County Coroner since being hired by former Coroner, Dan Lynch. At the midst of the Covid Pandemic, Andrea came on board through one of the most horrific pandemics like never before and stepped right up to the plate, fulfilling her role as a Deputy Coroner, witnessing first-hand on many occasions, her passion to the family during their time of loss has been second to none. Nothing but respect to them and the deceased.
Working directly with First Responders in our community is extremely important and Andrea has accomplished that so well. The First Responder community has seen Andrea in action amongst calls that no one person should ever witness in their life; however, somebody must. Her education and experience for the job that she is so compassionate about will be hard to beat – and I don't know that it is physically possible.
Consider voting for Andrea this election season. Mifflin County needs change on so many levels and I believe the future of the Mifflin County Coroner's Office will be in good hands and lead down the appropriate path for decades to come, if you choose Andrea!
Ryan Barlett
FF/EMT
Davis has experience that matters
The candidates for Common Pleas Judge all have emphasized their experience. I would summarize as follows: Wagner has appellate experience, Reed has "judicial" experience and Davis has experience in every area in which a Common Pleas Judge presides. Some discussion may be beneficial.
Appellate experience does not mean to practice in Common Pleas court. It is challenging an appeal from a judge's ruling. It could be an oral argument or a written brief. It is not a jury or non-jury trial and these would be most likely from a decision in a DUI or related case.
Judicial experience should be separated from magisterial judicial experience. A MDJ does not have to be a lawyer. Jurisdiction is civil cases under $12,000, landlord-tenant cases, summary offenses and preliminary criminal matters. It is a far cry from actual Common Pleas judicial experience.
Experience in every area over which a Common Pleas Judge presides basically means legal experience representing clients in matters before a judge in Common Pleas court. This is not limited like appellate or magisterial district judicial experience, but covers all areas: custody, divorce, civil litigation, wills and estates, criminal law, real estate, orphans court matters and municipal law.
The explanation of these different points to me is that Jeff Davis has the right experience that matters and should be elected Judge of the Court of Common Pleas on May 16th.
Mike Chilcote
Alcalde has 'wealth
of knowledge'
I'm writing this letter in support of acting coroner Andrea Alcalde as candidate for Mifflin County Coroner.
I have known Andrea all her life. She has always shown an interest in forensics, and death and dying. As a child she questioned why and how, when a family pet would die, and she showed an interest in pursuing a mortuary career, and became a licensed nurse.
When our office had an opening for a deputy coroner, I knew she would be a perfect fit. After convincing Dan, he hired her. That was all it took. Not only is she a nurse, but she has now acquired all of Dan's credentials and she continues to pursue any training available.
The wealth of knowledge that she has acquired, the compassionate and caring nature that she possesses, makes her the best candidate for the job of speaking for our lost loved ones and support of those left behind.
Please join me on May 16th at the polls to vote for Andrea Alcalde.
Misty Horan
RN/Deputy Coroner
Alcalde the reassuring presence we want
Dear Editor,
Losing my father was one of the worst days of my life. Nothing that anyone could do or say could help me see light at the end of the tunnel. When Deputy Coroner Andrea Alcalde showed up, I immediately felt at ease. She explained things professionally and sympathetically and let me know that she was there for me. She was calm and courteous, and I could not have asked for someone better educated. She answered all of my questions without hesitation and assured me that if I needed anything in the days to come, that I could call her anytime. She is by far one of the kindest, most empathetic, people I have encountered.
Now, Andrea is our Acting Coroner and I hope to see her become elected Mifflin County Coroner. Join me on Tuesday, May 16th, 2023 in voting for Andrea Alcalde for Coroner.
Thank you,
Jessica Romig Janitsch
Wagner one of county's hardest workers
To the Editor:
We are writing in support of Jerry L. Wagner for Judge of the Court of Common Pleas. We wish to speak about Mr. Wagner's character and his work ethic. We will start with the fact that 60% of second-generation businesses fail and that 90% of third-generation businesses fail. Jerry's tenacity and extremely strong work ethic have made the family tire business a third-generation success. We have known Mr. Wagner for 40 plus years and this drive and ambition for accomplishment has always been there. He's extremely focused and thorough about everything he does. He approaches all duties and activities the same; be it volunteering for all five of his children's activities (concession stands, fundraising, ushering, etc.), volunteering at the Milroy Lions Club spaghetti dinners, raising his family, keeping the family business going, and being married for 29 years to the same person and to his position in the District Attorney's Office. His time management skills are unmatched being able to run a business and to be successful in court as an Assistant District Attorney. He works tirelessly into the night and early morning hours preparing for court in his role as Assistant District Attorney. He has done this for the past 8 years and proven himself over and over again with his knowledge of the law, being skillful in the courtroom and winning cases at all levels in Pennsylvania.
We argue that Jerry Wagner will be one of the hardest working public servants of Mifflin County! He will bring with him the work ethic from the family business, the stamina, determination and the lessons learned that it took to raise 5 children, along with his wife, to be successful, contributing adults and the extreme effort he puts into serving as ADA.
We also believe that he has the right credentials to be a superb Judge. He has a brilliant legal mind and has proven this with results. He may not have been in a public service role as long as others running, but in a short time, he has proven results in all of the right areas to be extremely successful and will also be tough and fair on the bench.
We unequivocally support Jerry L. Wagner for Judge! Please join us in casting your vote for Mr. Wagner.
John and Sherrill Freed
Wagner's accolades show fitness for office
To the Editor:
To the voters of Mifflin County, I want to share what I know about the man behind the green and black campaign signs for Mifflin County Court of Common Pleas Judge. I have known Jerry Wagner for all of his life. I watched him grow from a full of energy little boy into the ambitious intelligent man he is today. He graduated from Penn State with a degree in hospital administration and immediately took a job in Washington DC with Kaiser Permanente (the company that recently acquired Geisinger Health Systems).
He made the very difficult decision of leaving behind a career he loved to move back to Mifflin County to take over the family business, Fay L. Wagner Inc., giving his father the opportunity to retire. He welcomed the challenge and convinced his future wife, Judy Fitzgerald, that living in a small town could be fulfilling and soon found themselves settled in, purchased a home, married and ready to start their lives together. He enrolled in law school and continued to manage the tire retreading business. As if that wasn't enough, Jerry and Judy began having a family and had two kids before Jerry graduated from Widener School of Law. As the family grew, Jerry and Judy adjusted to their new schedules of both parenting and working and added three more kids to their very active lives. All five children were just like their parents, always involved in activities, school sports, yet received undivided attention from their parents, despite going in five different directions.
As life settled down, Jerry took on the responsibilities of an Assistant District Attorney for the County and added to his legal experience prosecuting crimes. The pandemic brought on a whole new set of challenges. While many small businesses closed permanently during the COVID outbreak, Jerry was determined to not let the business die and worked diligently and creatively to make sure it survived. As Jerry's aunt, I am very proud of his accomplishments, and although he will say his biggest accomplishment are his kids, his accomplishments in all areas of his life demonstrates that he is the best person to be the next Mifflin County Court of Common Pleas Judge.
Deanna Fulton
Wagner brings lifetime of experience
To the Editor:
I am writing today to offer my enthusiastic endorsement of Jerry Wagner for Court of Common Pleas Judge of Mifflin County. I have had the pleasure of knowing and working with Jerry Wagner for nine years, and in that time, I can attest that he understands the facts of the case, knowledge of the law and his commitment to advocate for justice. I have known him to be trustworthy, dependable, and intelligent with fellow attorneys, judges, and the public.
Jerry has been the Owner/Operator of Fay L. Wagner, Inc., in Yeagertown for 32 years along with being a licensed attorney for 25 years, with eight years as the Prosecutor, Mifflin County Assistant District Attorney as well as Solicitor, Mifflin County Domestic Relations. Jerry is a licensed attorney to practice in both the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of Maryland. During his law career, he has held an appellate clerkship with the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, prosecuted over 1,000 criminal cases, securing misdemeanor and felony convictions, had three precedential decisions, effectively creating state law, and has successfully argued criminal appeal cases before the Superior Court and Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, with a 23-0 record. Jerry will work hard to strictly uphold the Constitution, regardless of his personal beliefs.
I ask that you join me in supporting Jerry Wagner as a candidate for the Court of Common Pleas Judge of Mifflin County. He will bring a lifetime of experience to the judicial bench and will work hard for the residents of Mifflin County.
Melissa D. Pallotto
Davis rises above the rest
The race for Common Pleas Judge is an important choice on May 16th. There is no incumbent record to review. Judge Barron agreed that firm term limits are appropriate for him and decided to not run.
There are three candidates: a practicing lawyer, a part time district attorney, and a magisterial district judge. The practicing lawyer has represented clients for over 10 years and has practiced in every area of the law over which a Common Pleas Judge presides. The part time DA has had a license to practice law for 25 years and has worked part time as an assistant DA in limited areas, but as such did not represent private clients. The magisterial district judge was a law clerk for a Common Pleas Judge and an MDJ, formerly called Justice of the Peace or District Justice, one of three in Mifflin County.
Since there is no incumbent, there is no record to challenge. This is a chance to elect our second Common Pleas Judge for the next 10 years. I have read the campaign materials of all three candidates. The main emphasis of each is obviously experience. Jeff Davis rises to the top and should be our next Common Pleas Judge.
Stan Westbrook