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closeBest interest at heart
I urge voters to support Ron Filippelli for State College Borough Council. In his four years on council, he has listened carefully and has made reasoned, independent decisions in the best interests of the borough.
He has been in the forefront of efforts to deal with the increase of student rentals in residential areas and the destructive, abusive alcohol culture found especially in the Highlands and Holmes-Foster. These problems threaten the very fabric of our community.
He is also an advocate for a vibrant downtown and has frequently stressed the need to create incentives to attract new investments that will strengthen our tax base and moderate tax pressures on homeowners.
State College is at a crossroads. We need councilors capable of ensuring the long-term stability and prosperity of the borough. Filippelli has my vote and I hope the votes of your readers.
Christy Rambeau State College
Parks Miller better choice
For the second time in four years, our district attorney is being sued for something that went wrong during his term. However, he says he is still the best candidate to continue as district attorney. I, however, think Stacy Parks Miller is the better choice.
She has the experience and vision to make our county safer and more just.
As first deputy district attorney she prosecuted cases that mattered, not those that would get her name in the newspaper. Having been a defense attorney, she is able see both sides of the criminal justice system.
I want someone for district attorney who is able to see the problems with the office and fix them. I am confident that Parks Miller is able to do this.
Some may claim that we are safe, but look deeper and we have real problems. True change is needed and that is why I am voting for Parks Miller for district attorney.
Julie Miller State College
Madeira has integrity
I encourage voters to vote for Michael Madeira again. He and his family have been personal friends of ours for the past 10 years. So, you may say, “They’re biased. Of course they would want to see him in office again.” Not true.
Our regards for Madeira and his family come from seeing him in action not just in the courtroom or the paper, as many voters do, but in his home and church.
I can count on one hand how many men we respect and trust as much as we do Madeira. He possesses an enormous amount of integrity.
You will find that Madeira is the same whether you see him in the courtroom, in church or around his dinner table — a strong, trustworthy, dependable man who will continue to work hard to keep Centre County the safe place it is.
Gina and K.R. Mele Centre Hall
A strong manager The past four years have seen a noticeable decline in the effectiveness of the office of the Centre County district attorney. The incumbent seems a likeable chap but he’s just not up to the job.
Stacey Parks Miller has proved her considerable managerial and legal skills throughout her career, serving at various times as a successful defense attorney, a skilled litigator, a winning assistant district attorney and a competent, in-charge acting district attorney. I enthusiastically endorse her for Centre County district attorney.
Bob Shepherd Pennsylvania Furnace
The writer is secretary and immediate past chairman of the Centre County Democratic Committee.
Many contributions
I came to State College a year ago as a student at Penn State. I love the borough. Where my hometown was crime-ridden, unfriendly and decayed, the borough is clean, friendly and full of hope. I truly want the best for State College and its people. That’s why Joe Wakeley has my support in his campaign for mayor.
Wakeley embodies what I love about this town. He’s friendly and outgoing and always thinks of others before himself. During his more than 40 years here, he’s made many contributions, including co-founding the YMCA, putting five kids through Penn State and serving as council president.
This is the kind of man I want representing me. There is not much that could improve my opinion of the borough, but being able to call Wakeley mayor would do it.
Samuel Settle State College
The writer is executive director and recruiting officer for Penn State College Republicans.
Goreham a strong leader
While saddened by the untimely passing of our beloved mayor, Bill Welch, we are grateful that Elizabeth Goreham has stepped forward to run for mayor of State College. For more than a decade she has served as a member of Borough Council, and for the past three years has been its president.
With her unbounded energy, her passionate optimism, her years of leadership experience and her dedication to making State College an even better place to live, the community will be well represented by this remarkable woman.
We plan to vote for Goreham on Nov. 3.
Bob and Joann Leonard State College
Ready to tackle issues
In December 2008, Harris Township supervisors passed an amendment to the agricultural rural clustering ordinance that doubled the housing density allowed for agricultural properties within the sewer service area.
It also contained a provision whereby the developer could reduce the amount of open space required from 50 percent to as little as 30 percent if a certain percentage of the dwelling units were built as “work-force housing.”
However, the amendment contained no clear definition of workforce housing, was not supported by a manual or market study and was done with little community input or backing. No work-force housing manual has yet been finalized.
Two candidates for Harris Township supervisor, Fred DiMuccio and Paul Rittenhouse, have indicated their desire to revisit this issue if elected. We feel that this matter is important to the future of the township and we intend to support these candidates in the election.
Barbara and Allen Fiscus Boalsburg
Vote for an 'unknown'
Stacy Parks Miller’s opponent called her an “unknown” and indicated that was positive for her. For possibly the first time in four years, I agree with him.
Looking back, I don’t recall seeing news about any bumbles or misdeeds of Parks Miller. Not true for the sitting district attorney. Remember Austin Scott? He filed a lawsuit against the DA for the bogus rape charges brought against him. Scott Paxson? He was cleared by Penn State and charges were refused by the acting DA at the time, but our current DA pressed ahead with more bogus rape charges.
What about prosecutorial misconduct in the Andrew Rogers murder case? We taxpayers are paying for a second trial because the DA withheld evidence. A double rape suspect fled to Egypt after the DA dropped all charges against him. Vote Parks Miller for district attorney on Nov. 3.
Kelley S. Gillette-Walker Bellefonte
Something not adding up
In the only candidate debate that Stacy Parks Miller agreed to attend, she incorrectly criticized Michael Madeira, the current district attorney, for holding $95,000 in drug forfeitures. She either doesn’t understand the law about how that money is obtained, how much money actually goes to the county and how much it costs to claim that money, or she is intentionally misrepresenting the facts for political purposes.
Madeira has led local law enforcement to make Centre County the second safest place in the U.S. two years in a row. What is her record of defending criminals? She has not released anything of the sort but instead promotes only empty promises of change.
If I happened to be an unfortunate victim of crime, I would want someone helping me with a victim satisfaction rating of 95 percent instead of a criminal defense attorney who has spent her time defending the very criminals we want to see off the streets.
Nancy Snyder Philipsburg
Less rhetoric, please
On Nov. 3, a decision will be made regarding our district attorney. I am voting for Stacy Parks Miller and urge each of you to vote for her.
Her opponent accuses her of being “disingenuous” and not knowing the law. What he doesn’t deny is that she is right about the mistakes and errors during his tenure. He doesn’t deny that witnesses aren’t subpoenaed so trials are lost; that $95,000 in uncollected forfeitures exists; that charges are dismissed because cases aren’t brought to trial as the rules require.
He chooses to attack her character rather than debate the issues. He says the county is safer because of him. Do you believe that criminals consider who the DA is before committing crimes? I want justice from my DA, not rhetoric.
Parks Miller will work for justice for the victims and will restore confidence in our prosecutor’s office.
Karen G. Muir Bellefonte
Problem solver
The next mayor must demonstrate the ability to attract and, more importantly, retain small businesses and to plan an efficient and comprehensive alternative transportation system.
Elizabeth Goreham will accomplish both.
She knows that as each small business succeeds, the community does as well. She has the experience to bring people together to fix problems. She is an approachable leader who reaches out to the community for opinions and encourages public involvement in the process. Goreham does not approach government as a go-it-alone bureaucracy but as a forum where residents’ concerns are given the respect and accommodation they deserve.
She knows that we can no longer think of borough transportation on a street-by-street basis but instead as thoughtfully connected neighborhoods with safe access to the downtown core. She supports small businesses, understands the need for safe and efficient alternative transportation and is my choice for mayor.
Jordyn Drayton State College
He has what it takes
I have known Brian Kaleita for years and am glad he is running for State College Area school board. He has the business experience, leadership skills, common sense and good judgment that our board needs.
He served on the district’s facilities steering committee and knows the issues we face with building renovation and upgrades as well as the tax and finance portion that seem so often to get away from boards. His experience as a liaison to the district for the Department of Labor and Industry makes him a fair and just advocate for staff and facility concerns.
As a past professional in the vocational education field, he’s got experience to know what teaches kids and how they learn. He is aware of how property tax increases affect the average homeowner’s budget, and I think he is ready to make that issue a priority for the board.
Joe Davidson State College
A tenacious attorney
As a former county employee, I have seen firsthand the mishandling of multiple cases by the current District Attorney’s Office, too many to describe here, on top of the cases reported in the news. I have also seen the outcome of a case be dependent on who is representing the defendant.
As a lifelong Centre County resident, a mother and a local attorney, I want the person elected as our district attorney to apply the law evenhandedly, without bias and with a clear understanding of the law. I also want a district attorney who accepts that they are human and therefore makes mistakes.
I have worked with Stacy Parks Miller for the past several years, and can say without reservation she is a tenacious attorney in the courtroom and will work hard to keep our county safe.
I encourage everyone to vote for Parks Miller as district attorney.
Bobbie Rabuck Philipsburg
Worthy of support
I support of Ron Filippelli, who is running for re-election to State College Borough Council.
With a record of proven leadership, he has been a centrist and realistic voice on the council. His objectives include protecting and improving the quality of borough neighborhoods.
Among means to that end, he is a strong proponent of working with the university to increase efforts to stem the tide of binge drinking with its destructive effects on neighborhoods proximate to downtown and with its catastrophic effects on the borough budget.
Ensuring that the borough is on a sound fiscal basis is also an objective we all can support. He is a realist in pointing out that we must find revenue sources beyond the property tax base to do that.
Filippelli has a record of constructive leadership during his four years on council. This is a record most worthy of our support.
Susan Welch State College
Integrity and experience
I’m voting for Stacy Parks Miller for district attorney. I know her both personally and professionally. She has worked both as an acting DA and as defense counsel.
She respects our hard-working police officers and will partner with them to keep us safe. Through her experience she can also recognize a person who has made a mistake and given the chance could turn his or her life around.
Parks Miller has the integrity, knowledge and experience required to be district attorney. Please support her.
Shirley Gaines Howard
Qualified for school board
The upcoming election for board members in the State College Area School District is important. The challenges the board will face in the upcoming years, especially dealing with financial matters, will impact everyone in the community.
Therefore, it is of paramount importance that the candidates be qualified, dedicated and willing to listen to constituents with an open mind.
Penni Fishbaine fits this description. She has been involved with district and community issues for many years and has been passionate about improving educational opportunities. She also has experience with financial and business matters and will bring a new perspective to the board.
We encourage you to consider voting for Fishbaine for the school board.
Martin and Lee McGann State College
Respect for community
Dennis Hameister is a good steward of Harris Township. As a supervisor, he juggles requests for the resources of the township with the needs of local residents.
He respects the historical and agricultural heritage of our communities while recognizing the need for controlled growth and affordable housing.
He has tirelessly supported preservation of open space while championing smart development within the growth boundaries laid out in the Centre County master plan.
Hameister is experienced, knowledgeable and, most importantly, approachable. He listens as well as acts in the best interest of all of us.
We are pleased to endorse his candidacy for Harris Township supervisor.
Kim Tait and Bob Anderson Harris Township
She's right for the job
We support the candidacy of Stacy Parks Miller for Centre County district attorney.
She has our vote because we believe she is the right person for the job.
Bruce and Nita Woodbridge State College
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