Shohola board fires the Walls

Meeting erupts in raucous mayhem

By TOM KANE

SHOHOLA, PA — They’re calling it the Thursday Night Lenten Massacre.

Without any warning, the two newest members of the Shohola Township Board of Supervisors, after a routine executive session, emerged and summarily removed Don Wall from his position as zoning officer and removed his wife, Nelia, who is a township supervisor, from her position as township secretary.

“There was absolutely no warning,” said Nelia Wall. “They didn’t remove me as township treasurer because, in the confusion, they probably didn’t notice it,” Nelia said later.

While they were at it, they also removed Mary Ann Yeaw, who was Nelia’s assistant secretary. Yeaw jumped up from her desk and stormed out of the meeting in tears amid screams that reverberated in the hall.

The new chairman of the council, George C. Fluhr, who took office in January 1, and the newly appointed interim supervisor, Gregory Hoeper, who has replaced Steve Delhert, the former chairman of the council who resigned two months ago, carried off the firings in short order.

The executive session had to be called because the township had not yet made routine yearly appointments to a number of positions that are generally made at the beginning of the year. The delay occurred because the township had been embroiled in a protracted conflict-of-interest case against the Walls brought on by attorney and resident Eric Hamill.

Hamill had no comment after the meeting.

The township hall erupted in a cascade of catcalls and screams to such an extent that Fluhr asked the township constable to eject anyone who continued to disturb the raucous meeting.

The board, with only two votes, appointed Robert DiLorenzo as the new zoning officer, taking Don Wall’s place. He was also appointed sewer enforcement officer, a position he held last year.

Wall will remain the fire chief of the Shohola Fire Department, a position that can’t be touched by the township board.

“This is done after I have faithfully served in the position of zoning officer for 10 years,” Don Wall said.

At the announcements, the township solicitor, Michael Parker, resigned his position in protest, stating that he would stay on until the township found a replacement.

When asked by a resident why the two supervisors made the appointments, Fluhr said, “It’s time for a change.”

Several residents loudly condemned the two supervisors’ actions. One woman said, “I have come here from New Jersey, which is known for its corrupt politics, but I have not seen anything like this before.”

“It came after six years of faithful service as secretary in which there were no complaints against me,” Nelia Wall said. “They are putting the township in great jeopardy by removing the secretary and the assistant secretary on the same night. Who is going to do the very detailed work of township business? It takes training and experience to handle these matters. The township is going to suffer.”