West Pittston Mayor Barry Hosier Jr. is congratulated by his father, West Pittston Councilman Barry Hosier Sr., on his appointment.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
West Pittston Mayor Barry Hosier Jr., left, stands with his parents Gracie and Barry Hosier Sr.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
District Magistrate Joseph Carmody swears in newly appointed West Pittston Mayor Barry Hosier Jr. with his wife, Marci, looking on.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
West Pittston Council President Ellen Quinn chats with newly sworn in mayor of West Pittston, Barry Hosier Jr.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
WEST PITTSTON – Just weeks after Tom Blaskiewicz resigned as mayor of The Garden Village, acting Mayor Ellen Quinn announced Barry Hosier Jr. has been appointed by borough council to fulfill the rest of Blaskiewicz’s term which ends on Dec. 30, 2021.
According to Quinn, three residents applied for the position, but Hosier, 49, emerged as the top vote-getter, five votes to zero from a seven-person council. Council President Ellen Quinn was not eligible to vote as acting mayor and Councilman Barry Hosier Sr., father of the newly appointed mayor, abstained from voting.
On Nov. 12, West Pittston District Judge Joseph Carmody swore Hosier in a brief Thursday evening ceremony.
“I think with Barry’s background as a former law enforcement officer, he’s going to fit in beautifully with our police department,” Quinn said. “We had good candidates to choose from, and we chose Barry because of his background in law enforcement.”
Hosier is a native resident that believed in public service from an early age when he volunteered with the ambulance and fire departments.
“I’ve been involved here forever, since I was 16 years old volunteering with the West Pittston Ambulance,” Hosier said. “Growing up here in the town with the fire department and ambulance, I was always involved until I moved away. When I moved away, I gained a lot of experience which was good for me.”
In addition, Hosier was a lifeguard with the now defunct West Pittston pool. He also served as a borough dispatcher and police officer with the police department.
Hosier and his wife, Marci, eventually left West Pittston in 1997 to pursue a career in law enforcement in Arizona and eventually with Portland, Ore., police department. Upon returning to West Pittston in 2009, Hosier got involved with the borough’s Emergency Management Assistance. He and his wife also opened a smoked barbeque business at the corner of Wyoming and Exeter avenues that sustained for many years until selling in 2019.
“After I sold the business, I wanted to stay in town and get involved with the (Wyoming Area) Kiwanis Club and other organizations,” Hosier said. “The opportunity came about when there was an opening for mayor, it just made sense to follow in the footsteps of my father and seek public office, bring my experiences and skill set and move the town forward and improve with what we have.”
Hosier’s primary function is to head the police department as well as represent the borough in any official capacity.
“I’m uniquely qualified for that with all the law enforcement experience I’ve had in big cities were I was a supervisor with the Portland police department where there are 1,200 sworn in officers,” Hosier added. “I’m able to take my business background, my management background and my law enforcement background to help the police department to be the best that it can and support the department chief.”
