News

October 27, 2009

West Side CTC students, staff praised after drill

No contraband found in search by K-9 unit and other law enforcement.

JANINE UNGVARSKY Times Leader Correspondent

PRINGLE -- The outcome of a K-9 unit search and a “Code Red” emergency drill earlier this month brought praise for students and staff at West Side Career and Technology Center on Monday.

Principal Anthony Guariglia told the school’s joint operating committee the Oct. 2 search “ran very well.” The search was done by two dogs and a handler from the Luzerne County Sheriff’s Department and officers from Laflin, Pringle and Kingston boroughs.

Guariglia said teachers did “an exceptional job” leading the students through the lock-down drill and students “responded perfectly and knew exactly where to go.”

“We’re very proud of them all,” Guariglia said, noting that the dogs found no contraband during the search.

The committee also heard from Jeremy Bytheway, a sophomore law-enforcement student, requesting permission to revive The Titan Times, a monthly school newspaper, as well as a literary and art magazine. Bytheway said no one was sure when the school last produced a paper, but the last literary magazine was published in 2003.

The committee praised Bytheway’s proposal, which included arranging for advisors and creating a mock-up of the newspaper. Committee members voted unanimously to approve the request along with $2,500 to fund the two publications.

In other business, the board accepted a letter of retirement from Janet Mitchell, a 30-year veteran of the tech school. Mitchell serves as the director’s secretary and the committee’s secretary and treasurer. She had originally requested to retire January 21, 2010, but the motion was tabled last month. Expressing regret and concerns about how difficult it will be to replace her, the committee accepted Mitchell’s revised retirement date of June 30, 2010.

The board also accepted the resignation of plumbing instructor Joseph Orban and approved posting and advertising for a replacement, and added Joshua Manley to the approved substitute list.

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