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The Herald Standard Reports:

By Angie Oravec

Herald-Standard

The Fayette County Area Vocational-Technical School Joint Operating Committee approved the purchase of textbooks, tools and equipment for the auto mechanics program as part of the goal to offer certification to students enrolled in the program.

At its regular meeting Monday, the committee approved the purchase of miscellaneous automotive tools and equipment for the program from Paxton/Patterson, LLC of Chicago, Ill., at a cost not to exceed $46,544.

The committee also agreed to purchase miscellaneous automotive tools and equipment from Broadhead Garrett of Mansfield, Ohio, at a cost not to exceed $19,987, and automotive textbooks and DVD training videos from Cengage Learning of Mason, Ohio, at a cost not to exceed $7,154.

School officials received only one bid for the purchases, according to the meeting agenda.

A tire-spin balancer, mounting kit and trolley also will be purchased for the program after the committee approved the move from Stallion Automotive Equipment at a cost not to exceed $6,239. The company submitted the lowest bid, according to the agenda.

The purchases are required for the auto mechanics program to receive National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation (NATEF) certification, the agenda read.

Dr. Edward Jeffreys, vo-tech executive director, previously said that by the end of the 2009-10 school year, all 17 vo-tech programs will offer certification to its students.

See Wednesday’s Herald-Standard for the entire story.

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The Herald Standard Reports:

Editor’s note: This is the final story of two examining the positions of candidates for the Frazier School Board as expressed to the Herald-Standard Editorial Board during sessions taped at the HSTV studios. The candidates are running in May’s primary election. 

By Joyce Koballa

Herald Standard

Five candidates running for a seat on the Frazier School Board agree a commitment to renovate Central Elementary and Perry Elementary schools needs to be made this year with the project funded by minimal tax increases.

Incumbents John Sterdis, Dave Simmons and John H. Lowery III along with newcomers Deborah Vargo-Alekson and Craig Johnston recently provided their views about the topic before the Herald Standard Editorial Board.

Candidates Maria Weiser, Charles “Bud” Petrosky and John Strickler, a retired teacher in the district, did not attend the session.

The eight candidates, all of whom cross-filed, are each looking to secure their party’s nomination for one of four, four-year seats on the board following the expired terms of Sterdis, Simmons and Lowery along with John Keffer, who opted not to seek re-election.

Board member Timothy McCahill, who was appointed to fill the remaining two-year term of former member Valerie Bubnash has decided not to run leaving his seat open.

Strickler and Petrosky also cross- filed for the two-year seat while Sterdis will appear only on the Democratic ticket.

The board has heard from various architects since 1998 about the renovations while members have remained divided on the proposal of operating one centralized elementary despite statistics from the Pennsylvania Department of Education that projects a decrease in enrollment.

See Wednesday’s Herald-Standard for the entire story. Part 1 of the series ran in Tuesday’s Herald-Standard.

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