EMPORIUM – Emporium Borough Council members moved swiftly to
fill the borough manager vacancy on an interim basis, while they
begin the process of recruiting a successor for Rob Aversa.

Don “Stretch” Reed has been named as the interim manager, and
brings nine years of borough council experience to the post.

Reed resigned as a council member, officials said.

“We’re going to make sure business runs as normal,” Reed told
The Era. “Our main objective is to make it a smooth
transition.”

This comes on the heels of a 6 to 1 vote to relieve Aversa of
those duties on April 30. Aversa found himself in the center of a
controversy with a plan to bring advanced life support to Emporium
from Ridgway.

Dozens of ambulance service members, Emporium Fire Department
members and county residents aired opposition to the plan.

Officials said Aversa’s proposal created a ripple effect in the
county, forcing the local ambulance service to embrace the concept
of offering its own ALS service.

As it stands, Cameron County Ambulance Service officials are
hopeful that they’ll be operational with a mobile intensive care
unit by July.

Reed has been involved with the Cameron County Chamber of
Commerce, serving as the secretary/treasurer. He also helped form
the Cameron County Industrial Development Authority, and is the
secretary/treasurer of Quality Compacted Metals Inc. in
Emporium.

“I think council members made a good choice to put Reed to the
position,” Emporium Mayor Bruno Carnovale said.

Carnovale added council has 30 days to find a replacement for
the vacant borough council member seat.

There was no immediate word on how many people might be
interested in filling that role on council.