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Friday, March 14, 2003 Page: 2A
JACK SMITH HAS ANNOUNCED HIS CANDIDACY FOR WILKES-BARRE MAYOR AS A DEMOCRAT.
SMITH RAN FOR MAYOR IN 1991. SMITH SAID HE ADVOCATES LOWER TAXES, STRONG
POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS AND ELIMINATING THE EXPENSIVE BLUE CITY GARBAGE
BAG IN FAVOR OF FREE GARBAGE COLLECTION. SMITH IS A GRADUATE OF MEYERS HIGH
SCHOOL AND EAST STROUDSBURG UNIVERSITY, AND TAUGHT AND COACHED IN THE
WILKES-BARRE AREA SCHOOLS, ACCORDING TO HIS RELEASE. HE ALSO WAS A GOLDEN
GLOVES BOXING CHAMPION WHO FOUGHT AS “IRISH JACKIE SMITH.” “I’M STILL IRISH
AND I AM STILL A FIGHTER,” HE SAID. “NOW I WANT TO FIGHT FOR THE FORGOTTEN
GUY, THAT UNSUNG HERO, THE TAXPAYER, AND OUR OPPRESSED BUSINESS COMMUNITY.”
SMITH AUTHORED “NOW IS THE TIME”, A BOOK BASED ON HIS PERSONAL EXPERIENCES,
AND SPEAKS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY AND ON THE INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT, ACCORDING
TO HIS RELEASE. HE IS MARRIED AND HAS SIX CHILDREN AND SEVERAL GRANDCHILDREN.
HE IS A FORMER MARINE, BUSINESSMAN, AND HAS BEEN A SUBSTITUTE CCD TEACHER AT
ST. ALOYSIUS CHURCH FOR THE PAST 10 YEARS, AND IS A FOURTH DEGREE OF THE
ANCIENT ORDER OF HIBERNIANS.
SZAFRAN JONES JOINS PLAINS RACE MELISSA SZAFRAN JONES, A DEMOCRAT AND LIFELONG
RESIDENT OF PLAINS TOWNSHIP, HAS ANNOUNCED THAT SHE WILL RUN FOR THE OFFICE OF
TOWNSHIP COMMISSIONER. SHE HOLDS A BACHELOR OF SCIENCE DEGREE FROM KING’S
COLLEGE AND HAS BEEN ACCEPTED INTO A GRADUATE PROGRAM AT THE UNIVERSITY OF
PITTSBURGH, WHICH OFFERS ONLINE COURSES OVER THE INTERNET. SHE IS THE
SUPERVISOR OF THE OSTERHOUT FREE LIBRARY, SOUTH BRANCH, WHERE SHE HELPED RAISE
MORE THAN $25,000 IN MONETARY AND IN-KIND DONATIONS OVER THREE YEARS FOR
LIBRARY PROGRAMS. SHE IS ALSO THE FIRST GRADE RELIGIOUS EDUCATION TEACHER AT
SS. PETER AND PAUL CHURCH, PLAINS TOWNSHIP. SHE HAS ATTAINED A MASTER
CATECHIST CERTIFICATION FROM THE DIOCESE OF SCRANTON. SZAFRAN JONES IS
SECRETARY TO THE FRIENDS OF THE HOYT LIBRARY, AND A MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF THE
LAFLIN LIBRARY. SHE LIVES ON HENRY STREET WITH HER HUSBAND.