Vandergrift council candidates to hold meet-and-greet

Mary Ann Thomas | Monday, March 11, 2019 6:25 p.m.

Submitted photo

Karen McClarnon

Three Vandergrift council candidates will hold meet-and-greet at 6:30 p.m., March 15, at the Center on Franklin Avenue, 262 Franklin Avenue.

Three council seats are up for election this year. They are four-year terms currently held by Kathy Chvala, Vernon E. Sciullo and James Rametta, according to the Westmoreland County Bureau of Elections.

The three candidates participating in the meet-and-greet are:

Tim Turner, 43, a Republican, is the owner of Working Mans Garage in Vandergrift. He is married and a father of five children. “I want to see new beginnings and everyone involved in the process,” he said.

Karen McClarnon, 53, a Republican, is a retired teacher and former principal at Cardinal Maida Academy. She works as a volunteer advocate for children with special needs. “I want to see more people being heard when making decisions that impact our town,” she said.

John Uskuraitis, 38, a Democrat, is a steelworker, a Pennsylvania State Fire Academy instructor and a life member of Vandergrift No. 1 Volunteer Fire Department. He is a married father of three children. “I want to be an approachable representative, not a politician,” he said.

According to McClarnon, the candidates will announce their campaign goals and listen to citizen’s concerns.