Monessen Council eyes new year — with or without the mayor

By EMILY BENNETT DILULLO

ebennett@yourmvi.com

No matter what 2020 may bring, Monessen council members say they are prepared to face the challenges head on. 

Whether they’ll face them with Mayor Matt Shorraw and Councilman Gil Coles is another matter.

Holdover council member Lois Thomas, newcomer Donald Gregor and acting Mayor Anthony Orzechowski said improving the city will continue to be their focus in the new year.

“My goal is that whoever is here in January, that we can come together as a council to do what’s best for Monessen,” Thomas said. “…Whatever your job, focus on your work and not the person. That’s what it has to be. We have to focus on what our job is and we can’t focus on the people, because if that’s the case then we’ve already lost.”

“You have to be civil at this,” Gregor said. “There’s no point in any fighting or carrying on. For that, we should be ashamed of ourselves. When I moved into Monessen 30 years ago, I never thought we would have devolved into this. This is such a nice town; we have some of the greatest people in the Valley. We just can’t get along and that’s a shame.”

To read the rest of this story, please see a copy of Saturday’s Mon Valley Independent, call 724-314-0035 to subscribe or subscribe to our online edition at https://e.monvalleyindependent.com.