SHENANDOAH — Rosanne C. and Robert D. Mychak of Shenandoah have been married for 47 years and have much in common, including most recently their election to the Shenandoah Borough Council.
The couple sat next to each other at their first monthly borough council meeting on Monday to begin their four-year terms.
Shenandoah native Rosanne Welna Mychak, 69, won re-election for a four-year term to her council seat in November, a position she was appointed to fill the vacancy left by the resignation of councilman Brian Conroy in 2015. In 2013, she had been appointed to fill the vacancy left by councilman John Szczyglak, but was unsuccessful in her election bid for the remaining two years on Szczyglak’s term.
Robert Mychak, 72, a native of Atlas, decided to run in 2015 in his first election and won the council seat. Last year, he was appointed by the borough council to the Municipal Authority of the Borough of Shenandoah board of directors. Both were sworn in with Marlana Buhl on Jan. 4.
She is a 1963 graduate of Immaculate Heart High School, while he is a 1962 graduate of Mount Carmel High School. Both are Democrats and are retired. Robert worked on construction as a welder with Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 520, Harrisburg, and Rosanne worked at Burger King, Shenandoah, for 25 years, having left in 2011 due to medical reasons. The couple was married in 1967, lived in the borough until 1971, when they built a home in Shenandoah Heights, and returned to Shenandoah in 2005. The couple has two sons, Robert R. Mychak and Shawn J. Mychak.
Other than being party members and voting, neither Mychak had been involved in politics. Rosanne said that when she learned that the council was looking for residents who were interested in filling a vacancy in 2013, she decided to give it a try.
“When the position was advertised, I thought that I’d like to do that and learn more about the town,” Rosanne said. “Instead of listening to people complaining about what could be done, I wanted to learn the procedures of how things are done. I’m still learning.”
After the election loss, Rosanne was hesitant to run again, but council President Donald E. Segal asked her to consider another try on the ballot, and she changed her mind. For both Mychaks, the purpose for being on the borough council is to do something positive for the community.
“The whole thing in a nutshell is that we walked around town and saw so many blighted places,” Robert said. “The town is really going downhill. It’s not that we (he and Rosanne) can do it, but if we get a team together on the council that could do something to help the town revitalize itself to the point we’re on our way back to what it used to be, it would be great.”
Rosanne said the past has shown positive efforts for the community can have positive results, pointing out the initiative started by the late Joseph Valento, whose “I Love Shenandoah” fund campaign raised money for the borough when it was close to bankruptcy.
“Joe Valento started the ‘I Love Shenandoah,’ and I gave him so much credit,” she said. “He was a little bit of an inspiration to me because I lived in Shenandoah all my life and knew what the town was. If I could do anything in any way, I’ll be there.”
Robert decided to run when he learned that candidates were being sought for the council.
“I’m going to do my best I can with the rest of the team,” Robert said.