For the first time since they took office more than two years ago the Schuylkill County Commissioners failed to have a quorum to conduct a meeting.

The by-weekly work sesson was scheduled to be held Wednesday at the courthouse in Pottsville but only Chairperson Mantura Gallagher appeared as Commissioner Frank Staudenmeier was away at a conference and Commissioner Frank McAndrews was unavailable. Gallagher proceeded with the meeting calling it an "informational session" with no business transacted because of a lack of a quorum.Motions requesting actions for approval of a state food purchase program for the Human Services Office, a budget adjustment for the drug and alcohol program, register of wills office, court administration office and adult probation department were tabled to be raised at next week's public meeting.Gallagher went over contracts with offices of Children and Youth Service Agency, Emergency Management Agency, Rest Haven Home and Hospital, Assessment Office, Engineer's Office and with Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) projects.Gallagher did release a proclalmation scheduled to be adopted designating the week of Oct. 23 to 31 as "Red Ribbon Week In Schuylkill County," which urges citizens to particpate in drug prevention education by displaying a red ribbon to show support for drug free communities.Personnel mattersTwo long standing county employees announced they plan to retire. David Snyder, Pine Grove, who has been a deputy sheriff for 35 years, and Paul Troutman, Gordon, a court stenographer.Going automaticLois Wallauer, chief court administrator, discussed at the informational session of purchasing an automatic recording system to be first used by officers presiding in custody hearings and if the systems work out to install them in courtrooms because of the shortage of court stenographers.The county currently employes eight stenographers and one is retiring next week which will leave a shortage for the work needed. The cost of the system is $8,000.