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CANDIDATES COMMISSIONERS 4-year term; vote for no more than 2 QUESTION ASKED: What specific steps would you take to attract business to your county? Democrat Bea Schulte Age: 54; Midland EDUCATION: Lincoln High School; B.S., University of Pittsburgh, 1984; post graduate course work at Youngstown State University OCCUPATION: County commissioner QUALIFICATIONS: Eleven years experience in engineering, including five years in municipal/environmental work; 31/2 years experience as county commissioner; service as school board director; board member of several local and regional economic groups ANSWER TO QUESTION: Continue participating as a board member with a group of agencies that are forming a one-stop shop for economic development, continue using tax abatements to provide incentives to business; continue efforts to secure funding for road and bridge projects Dan Donatella Age: 62; Industry EDUCATION: Midland High School; licensed pilot; licensed real estate agent. OCCUPATION: County commissioner Qualifications: Chief clerk for Beaver county from 1967 to 1989; chief deputy register of wills from 1959 to 1967; tax assessor and mapper from 1956 to 1967; served on the boards of Corporation for Economic Development, Southwestern Pennsylvania Regional Planning Commission, Airport Advisory Board and as chairman of the Beaver County Democratic Party. ANSWER TO QUESTION: I would use the money left over from the 1995 bond issue for the new jail and the $2 million trimmed from the county budget to create a $10 million super fund for economic development. The money could be used to build water lines, sewer lines, storm sewers and roads. That infrastructure would attract businesses. Tom Albanese Age: 45; New Brighton EDUCATION: New Brighton High School; three years at Penn State University at the Beaver, Behrend and State College campuses. Attended Robert Morris College. OCCUPATION: Sales manager at A. K. Nahas. Retired as a millwright at J & L Aliquippa Works in 1982. Qualifications: President of council in New Brighton Borough and has served on council for 10 years, serving as its first representative to the Beaver County Upper Valley Council of Government. Vice president of the Beaver County Boroughs Association; has served on its board of directors for eight years. Member of the Redevelopment Authority of Beaver County. Vice-chair of the New Brighton Democratic Party and committeeman for 10 years. ANSWER TO QUESTION: I believe the resources of our county are not marketed correctly, if at all. The resources that I’m talking about are our communities, our rivers. If we develop the riverfront as far as recreation -- bike trails, dredging the river, additional boat docks, restaurants would be a drawing point. Beaver County is a pretty great place to live and a great place to raise a family. Stevan Drobac Jr. Age: 47; Center Township EDUCATION: Associate degree, Community College of Beaver County, 1976; attended the University of Pittsburgh and Indiana University of Pennsylvania. OCCUPATION: Part-time instructor in computers at Community College of Beaver County. Retired police officer with 22 years of experience in law enforcement with Center Township, Monaca and Rochester Township. QUALIFICATIONS: I have four years experience serving as a board member of the Center Township Water Authority and was chairman of that board for the past two years. I was instrumental in installing a new computer system for the water authority. ANSWER TO QUESTION: Hire grant writers for the county planning commission. We lack, big-time, in applying for grants from state and federal governments. With these grants, I want to improve the telecommunication systems as well as the development of roads, water and sewer systems so we can attract industry to Beaver County. James Albert Age: 73; Hopewell Township EDUCATION: Aliquippa High School. OCCUPATION: Retired in 1987 from the job of lottery manager for the Pennsylvania Lottery, a job held for 15 years. Also worked 30 years as a pipe fitter for Jones & Laughlin Steel Corp., Aliquippa Works. QUALIFICATIONS: Served for eight years as a Beaver Ccounty Commissioner from 1987 to 1995. ANSWER TO QUESTION: I would appoint a think tank made up of retired businessmen, bankers, people in building industries, people from labor, people from education. I would have them sit down and not take a study. I would give them an ultimatum. Money would have to be appropriated from the county budget to have these people talk to prospective businesses, high-tech developers and industry owners to encourage them to come to Beaver County. Robert J. Capo Age: 63; Beaver EDUCATION: Woodrow Wilson High School, Youngstown, Ohio; attended Youngstown State University OCCUPATION: Licensed real estate agent, in business 42 years; licensed auctioneer. QUALIFICATIONS: A businessman for 40 years and served on the board of Reeves Bank for 10 years. Worked in the assessment office in 1981 and 1982 during county reassessment. In 1976, was one of the charter members and organizers of the Beaver Valley Chamber of Commerce; served as its vice president. Former tax appeals hearing officer for Beaver County. ANSWER TO QUESTION: I would create an economic development staff member who would report directly to the Beaver County Commissioners. Also, I would develop a training and orientation program for county employees so that they would offer friendlier and more efficient service to the public. I would evaluate all county departments, strengthening those that require it, eliminating those that aren’t needed. I would support a comprehensive plan for economic development that best suits Beaver County. J. Paisley Age: 54; Beaver Falls EDUCATION: B.S., Geneva College, 1966; master’s, Westminster College. OCCUPATION: Retired in 1996 after 30 years as a high school biology teacher in the Blackhawk School District. Former athletic director at Northwestern High School in the late 1960s. QUALIFICATIONS: My education in supervision, my record of being a consensus builder. I served on HELP, a private organization that renovates dilapidated housing. As treasurer of HELP, I work with this board to renovate homes in beaver county. In the last several years, we have obtained more than $500,000 in grants from the state and federal governments. ANSWER TO QUESTION: I would take the real estate property tax for new construction from 15 mills to 10 mills for a five-year period to encourage rapid development in the private sector. That would jump-start our building economy. Greg Maslek Age: 52; Ambridge EDUCATION: Associate’s degree, Robert Morris College, 1966. Licensed real estate agent and certified buyer broker. OCCUPATION: Property assessor QUALIFICATIONS: My 30 years experience in business, law, real estate, management and government. ANSWER TO QUESTION: I would like to create a one-stop shopping development office just like the old Department of Community Affairs. That makes it easy for economic development to occur. I want to reduce property taxes by 10 percent. I think if you attract people to your county, you also attract businesses to your county. I want to create a homebuyer’s downpayment grant program, not soley for low-income housing. I would like to give people that downpayment if they buy or build in Beaver County. Republican Nancy Loxley Age: 63; Beaver EDUCATION: Attended Geneva College; Graduate of Beaver Valley General Hospital School of Nursing OCCUPATION: County commissioner Qualifications: Currently hold the office; previously worked as Industrial Nurse at ARCO Chemical; served on Beaver Borough Council for five years; served as Beaver County Jury Commissioner for 14 years; served on the Board of Health. ANSWER TO QUESTION: I feel infrastructure development and improvements, tax abatements, and full cooperation are all key to encouraging new business and for business expansion. Two new attractions to Beaver County are National Gypsum Company wall-board manufacturing plant in Shippingport, which is expected to employ 150 people, and USG Corporation wall-board manufacturing facility in Aliquippa which is expected to create 190 jobs. In addition, we have joined forces with Allegheny County and the US Airways Maintenance Complex Task Force in an effort to save the maintenance facility at Pittsburgh International Airport. Charles A. Camp Age : 42; Rochester Township EDUCATION: B.S., Truman State University, Kirksville, Mo., 1983. OCCUPATION: Owner, for past seven years of Gordon Camp Cleaners in Rochester. Also a part-time county Jury Commissioner. Qualifications: My business experience. I have a lot of diverse support from Democrats, Republicans, business and labor. I work well with people and have leadership abilities. I have a good knowledge of the county and county government. ANSWER TO QUESTION: I want to attract new companies and emphasize keeping the current employers here. I would coordinate and lead the building of Crows Run connection to Cranberry and its infrastructure. I would get the Beaver County Corporation for Economic Development to expand the Hopewell Industrial Park. I also would build an industrial park in Big Beaver to connect to the Pennsylvania Turnpike. I would push for a technology and biotechnology park to be built in a rural college campus setting. I would start plans for infrastructure, sewer and water on Route 60 between Hopewell and Chippewa so that offices and hotels could be buillt there. Michael Stuban Age: 41; Baden EDUCATION: Associate degree, Community College of Beaver County, 1978. OCCUPATION: Assistant manager of the Pennsylvania Turnpike for District 1 from the Ohio border to Irwin. Baden council member and vice president of the council. Qualifications: I have experience running Baden Borough. We have gone after grants to fix our infrastructure. I have experience working with small businesses to develop a community such as Baden. ANSWER TO QUESTION: I would work with Commissioner Nancy Loxley to work with the governor’s people to help promote Beaver County. We would go after state grants. Charles Summers Age: 64; Beaver EDUCATION: Midland High School; took real estate and business courses at Penn State University . OCCUPATION: Retired on Feb. 12, 1999 from the Beaver post office after 32 years with the U.S. Postal Service QUALIFICATIONS: Common sense. I plan to have meetings with the people. ANSWER TO QUESTION: Mr. Klink and Mr. Ridge ought to get that maintenance facility built at [Pittsburgh International Airport] because it will mean 5,000 jobs for this area. A lot of USAirways people live in Beaver County. North Carolina and Florida are bending over backwards to attract that facility. Daniel Bucan Age: 65; Raccoon Township EDUCATION: Associate degree, Geneva College; 1957. OCCUPATION: Security officer with the Zinc Corporation of America. Retired after 32 years in 1983 from the metallurgy department of Jones & Laughlin Aliquippa Works. Qualifications: Served as a Raccoon Township supervisor from 1976 to 1982. ANSWER TO QUESTION: I ran for office in 1983. At that time, I suggested an abatement on taxes for corporations or any company. I still think we ought to do this to entice companies to locate in Beaver County. Then I would go after some sort of tax provision to get reform because this property tax system is wrong. It’s outmoded.
Clerk of Courts 4-year term; vote for no more than 1 QUESTION ASKED: How will your row office cooperate with other county officials to make county government more efficient and less expensive.?
Democrat Judy R. Enslen Age: 47; South Beaver Township EDUCATION: Northwestern High School; attended Community College of Beaver County. OCCUPATION: county Clerk of Courts. QUALIFICATIONS: I worked my way up the ladder and started as a deputy clerk of courts from 1973 through July of 1976; promoted in July of 1976 to chief deputy clerk of courts and held that until December of 1983. In December of 1983, I became assistant court administrator for Beaver County and quit in 1987 to run for Clerk of Courts. ANSWER TO QUESTION: We’re switching into new computer software. It has Y2K capabilities. Donna Fath Age: 39; Pulaski Township EDUCATION: New Brighton High School. Pursuing associate’s degree at Community College of Beaver County. OCCUPATION: Teller at First Western Bank QUALIFICATIONS: I was a secretary-treasurer for Pulaski Township for 41/2 years. I have an extensive background in business, including inventory control and accounting. ANSWER TO QUESTION: I can’t give you a straightforward answer until I’m in that office and dealing with those people. I think there should be cooperation among all the row offices to best use public dollars. Coroner 4-year term; vote for no more than 1 QUESTION ASKED: How will your row office cooperate with other county officials to make county government more efficient and less expensive.?
Republican John Carey Age: 53; Beaver EDUCATION: Washington and Jefferson College, 1967; University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine; 1971. Post-graduate training at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center between 1971 and 1976. OCCUPATION: Served as a neurologist with the U.S. Army from 1976 to 1978 in Fort Ord, Calif. Neurologist with Valley Neurological Associates in Center Township QUALIFICATIONS: My medical degree for a job that, in most municipalities in the country, requires a medical degree. I’ve been a practicing physician for 23 years. I am the senior partner so I have administered a medical practice for 20 years. Answer to question: My work as coroner would primarily have me interface with the D.A.’s office, the sheriff’s office and police departments. I would work closely with them to provide accurate diagnoses for cause of death, which is the coroner’s job. Being a physician, I believe that I could determine the cause of death on many occasions without doing costly testing. John A. Zurik Age: 36; Beaver EDUCATION: Associate’s degree, Penn Technical Institute, 1981; B.A., Penn State University,1983; Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science degree, 1984. OCCUPATION: Licensed funeral director since 1985 and owner of Zurik Funeral Home in Beaver. Also employed as a paramedic with Central Ambulance Service. Qualifications: Served a field internship with the Allegheny County Coroner’s office in 1984. Disaster coordinator for the Beaver-Lawrence Counties Funeral Directors Associations. Certified as a Pennsylvania state constable. Has worked as deputy coroner in Fayette, Beaver and Lawrence counties. Has more than 20 years of experience fighting fires and working as a paramedic. Answer to question: I would cut the number of deputies from four to three. If you’re paying me a salary to do a job, why are you paying four other people to do it? I could do it myself with one other deputy.
County Controller 4-year term; vote for no more than 1 QUESTION ASKED: How will your row office cooperate with other county officials to make county government more efficient and less expensive?
Democrat Richard W. Towcimak Age: 48; Economy Borough EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree, University of Pittsburgh, 1972. OCCUPATION: Beaver County Controller since 1984. Qualifications: Former tax accounting examiner and field investigator for the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue; former Ambridge Borough councilman; former director of Ambridge Water Authority; member, Beaver County Salary Board, Beaver County Retirement Board and Beaver County Prison Board. Answer to question: We have been doing just this. I established the first internal auditing program for the county, which received the award from the National Association of Counties. This audit program has discovered hundreds of thousands of tax dollars that were misspent or mismanaged. We also created a new central financial reporting system. Tim Michael Force Age: 51; Hopewell Township EDUCATION: Hopewell High School; Robert Morris College, OCCUPATION: Auditor for State Auditor General Robert Casey Jr. QUALIFICATIONS: Accounting background and that’s what the job of controller is, auditing the county offices. Answer to question: I will remove political intimidation from the controller’s office and establish a system of fair, timely audits and tight cash-flow controls. Considerable savings can be realized by consolidating the efforts of the three managers of the county’s pension fund.
Republican Deborah Allison Age: 44; Greene Township EDUCATION: Associate’s degree, Community College of Beaver County; 1996; B.S., Point Park College, 1998, graduating magna cum laude. Member of Phi Beta Kappa. OCCUPATION: Homemaker. From 1986 to 1993, worked for United Parcel Service as a delivery driver. Runs a farm with 50 head of cattle. QUALIFICATIONS: The office has been used lately for political purposes. It would truly belong to everybody in the county. We’ve been a farming family for 25 years. I have had to struggle and I know the daily struggle of watching our dollars. Answer to question: We need a link between townships and boroughs within the county. We need to stop duplication of services and effort. Lou Alvo Fazio Age: 61; Aliquippa EDUCATION: Garfield High School, Los Angeles; two years of college in California. OCCUPATION: Retired in 1982 from the job of president of Fazio TV and Appliance in Alhambra, Calif. Also ran Fazio Service Company. QUALIFICATIONS: I have managed many, many people and I feel that we need a controller that will control the outrageous expenditures in this county and a controller who will audit every row office, not just one or two. Answer to question: If certain offices had too many people, I would review each one. I feel that the courthouse has too many people there who are doing nothing. Prothonotary 4-year term; vote for no more than 1 QUESTION ASKED: How will your row office cooperate with other county officials to make county government more efficient and less expensive.?
Democrat Dennis Baker Age: 48; Baden EDUCATION: Ambridge Area High School. OCCUPATION: Owner of Town and Country Dry Cleaners in Bellevue. QUALIFICATIONS: A three-term councilman in Baden and running for my term now. A member of Painters Local 530 in New Brighton and a trustee of that union in the 1970s. Board member of the Baden Municipal Authority. Active volunteer fireman in the borough of Baden for 22 years. Answer to question: I will establish draw down accounts and MasterCard/Visa for ease of payment of filing fees, install a photo machine in the office to assist with passports and petition the court to put the office records on the Internet. James Giammaria Age: 50; Center Township EDUCATION: Ambridge High School; bachelor’s degree from Slippery Rock University, 1972; attended University of Pittsburgh. OCCUPATION: Auditor for the Pennsylvania Auditor General, with 26 years of service QUALIFICATIONS: I am very well experienced with record-keeping procedures. I would keep the office open one night a week. They currently close at 3 p.m. People have to take off a day from work to get a passport. Founded Center High School Hockey team and raised $26,000 for it so people could compete. Started a 5K run for our recreation program in Center. Board of the Beaver County Figure Skating Club. Answer to question: I happen to have good communicative skills. I feel communication is of the utmost importance in government. I would work closely with the other row officers to ensure that we have no duplication of services. Theresa Johns Antoniazzi Age: 48; South Beaver Township EDUCATION: Center High School; attended Garfield Business Institute in Monaca. OCCUPATION: Chief deputy clerk of courts in Beaver County since 1991. Qualifications: Since 1988, I have worked in the Beaver County Clerk of Courts, where I began as a deputy clerk and was promoted in 1991 to chief deputy clerk. I am a member of the Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts Association, a statewide group that offers continuing education classes for court employees. For the past four years, I have attended prothonotary sessions. Answer to question: I will make our computer system accessible to all other county offices so they will be able to retrieve information from our screens, which saves them the time of making a trip to our office. That will save the county money, too.
Nancy Cozzucoli Werme Age: 51; Beaver EDUCATION: Hopewell High School; degree from Duffs Business School in Pittsburgh, 1972; OCCUPATION: Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, toll collector in Enon Valley, Beaver County. QUALIFICATIONS: Besides my degree, I worked in the prothonotary’s office for three years and I worked as a legal secretary for 18 years. I also ran a beer distributor business for eight years. Answer to question: I would be active with the salary board and other officials in preparation of the budget. I would be a liaison between the county and labor groups to reduce costs on arbitrations and grievances. I would keep a close watch on spending and upgrade the computer system to meet the needs of lawyers and the public.
Recorder of Deeds 4-year term; vote for no more than 1 QUESTION ASKED: How will your row office cooperate with other county officials to make county government more efficient and less expensive?
Democrat Janice Jeschke Beall Age: 52; Center Township EDUCATION: Aliquippa High School; business courses at Community College of Beaver County. Two courses at Data Consultants. OCCUPATION: Full time recorder of deeds, elected in 1995. QUALIFICATIONS: I was a self-employed title searcher for 25 years, from 1973 to 1980 and from 1987. I was a self-employed title searcher for lawyers and title companies. I served as deputy recorder under William B. O’Neil in 1995. I took office in 1996. Answer to question: I plan to scan historical records into the computer for on-line access. I have plans to establish remote access, via the Internet, of all indexed and scanned images to businesses and Beaver County residents. Rudy Zetz Jr. Age: 56; Hopewell Township EDUCATION: Lincoln High School; associate’s degree from Community College of Beaver County, 1972. B.S., Robert Morris College; 1976. Licensed in 1979 to sell real estate. Also a licensed broker for the past 15 years. Graduate of Realtors Institute OCCUPATION: Full-time real estate agent, owner of Oxford Realty and Associates Inc., in Center Township. Singer with a band called 4th & Main. Qualifications: The fact that I’ve been transfering deeds for the last 20 years. I’m familiar with mortgages and all the instruments that are required to do a real estate transaction. Answer to question: The computer systems have to be compatible with each other. The recorder of deeds system is not compatible with the county system. I will try to get more money from the state and federal government grant programs.
Treasurer 4-year term; vote for no more than 1 QUESTION ASKED: How will your row office cooperate with other county officials to make county government more efficient and less expensive?
Democrat Connie Tuccinard Javens Age: 61; Monaca EDUCATION: Monaca High School. OCCUPATION: Beaver County treasurer Qualifications: Between 1975 and 1985, I was a business manager for Dr. R.E. Reppert, a dentist in Monaca. I was the first woman elected to Monaca school board for eight years, serving from 1983 to 1992. Answer to question: All the taxes are done in-house. I am one of 10 treasurers in the state who collect county taxes. I do not have outside vendors like tax collectors in municipalities collecting taxes for me. I bar coded all my tax bills. It allows us to be more accurate. If you look at a parcel number, the bar code instantly matches a parcel of property to the owner’s name. I put in computerized cash registers. Tax bills are flagged if someone forgets to pay the borough tax or the school tax. Data processing is used to make the tax bills. An interim tax bill is generated if you remodel your home. Tracey Antoline Donovan Age: 29; Independence EDUCATION: Monaca High School. OCCUPATION: Since 1997, I have managed the law offices of Theresa Ferris-Dukovich and John Lee Brown, two Beaver County attorneys QUALIFICATIONS: From 1989 to 1992, I worked for Bell Federal Savings and Loan as a teller and customer service representative; bookkeeper from 1992 to 1995 for VersiTech Construction; customer service representative for State Farm Insurance. Answer to question: Cooperation with other row officers will be an integral part of the treasurer’s office should I be elected. Providing accurate and timely information regarding disbursements to other row offices will enable them to effectively manage their budgets. Working with the controller to ensure accurate audits of each office will give our taxpayers peace of mind that we are running an efficient government. I strongly believe that there is a lot of unnecessary spending that can be eliminated by simply communicating with the commissioners and row officers to streamline all purchasing and eliminate duplicate processing.
Judge, Common Pleas Court 10-year term; vote for no more than 1 QUESTION ASKED: What specific suggestions do you have for improving the administration of justice in your county?
Democrat George "Tookie" James Age: 62; Chippewa Township EDUCATION: Beaver Falls Senior High School; Westminster College, 1959; Dickinson School of Law, 1962. OCCUPATION: Attorney appointed to the bench on Dec. 22, 1998 by Gov. Tom Ridge QUALIFICATIONS: : Experience as a practicing lawyer for nearly 36 years. For 27 years of those years, I was a hearing examiner for the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, a quasi-judicial position in which I handled cases involving license applications, license citations and nuisance bars. I served as solicitor in various county offices, including the sheriff, the coroner, the controller. I served as assistant county solicitor and assistant district attorney. ANSWER TO QUESTION: To improve the administration of justice in Beaver county, I am striving to promptly get in stride with my brothers on the bench so that I might effectively handle my share of the ever increasing caseload.
UNOPPOSED RACES: DISTRICT ATTORNEY Dale Fouse is running unopposed for the Democratic nomination. Timothy Finn is running unopposed for the Democratic nomination. CORONER Wayne Tatalovich is running unopposed for the Democratic nomination. PROTHONOTARY Mae Phillis is running unopposed for the Republican nomination. SHERIFF Felix A. DeLuca is running unopposed for the Democratic nomination. Thomas Tuka is running unopposed for the Republican nomination. REGISTER OF WILLS Carol Ruckert Fiorucci is running unopposed for the Democratic nomination.
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