Laurels & lances: Flying again, hired again
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Laurel: To flying high again. The Westmoreland County Airshow didn’t happen in 2020. Unlike many of the events that were canceled over the last year, it wasn’t due to the coronavirus pandemic. The announcement was made in November 2019. It happened because the marquee draws — military precision groups like the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels or the Air Force Thunderbirds — had packed schedules.
But in 2021, with people eager for some familiar family fun after a year of restrictions, the time was ripe for things to get off the ground again at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Unity.
If only Mother Nature could have cooperated. Uncertain weather for two days got in the way of things like a planned Navy Leap Frogs parachute jump and a multi-aircraft, cross-county flyover. But when it came time for that headline moment on Sunday, the Blue Angels didn’t disappoint.
“It was a challenging weekend, but we’re certainly happy with the way things turned out,” said Gabe Monzo, executive director of the Westmoreland County Airport Authority. “We’re happy we had a chance to welcome everybody back.”
Lance: To hiring confusion. Harmar is replacing an improper hiring decision with a questionable one.
Anthony Rozzano resigned as township manager. Rozzano also serves as a Springdale Township manager, and township rules don’t allow someone to serve as manager and as an elected official. Rozzano had taken the position after his predecessor, Ian Fitzgerald,was fired for an undisclosed personnel matter.
Harmar decided to move on to hiring Karen Peconi-Biricocchi as acting manager. She says she will apply for the permanent position.
That choice comes with backstory. Peconi- Biricocchi’s tenure as mayor of Arnold included being pressed to resign over a social media posting after the death of Antwon Rose II that advocated using water cannons on protestors.
But that was a matter of opinion. More serious was the State Ethics Commission’s $10,000 fine. Peconi-Biricocchi was found to have filed deficient financial statements in 2014, 2015 and 2016, as well as using her position to effectuate the hiring of her son and an increase in benefits for him as an Arnold police officer.
Supervisor Bob Exler is unconcerned, saying “She is a good fit, and she knows the job. You can tell this isn’t her first rodeo. You can tell she’s done this before.”
Under the circumstances, that might be the problem.