Blawnox officials celebrated the success of Simon Passerrello-Carnevali as he gets ready to graduate from Shady Side Academy.
The junior councilman was presented with a congratulatory glass award at a council meeting May 13.
He was first appointed to junior council in September 2024.
The junior council seat is an unpaid, appointed position. The seat holder cannot vote on borough business or participate in executive sessions, which are closed-door discussions allowed by law for things such as personnel and pending litigation.
It’s a one-year term with the option of reapplying if the student is still in school. Shady Side Academy’s graduation is set for June 6.
“We want to encourage the youth and teenagers to get involved in their local government,” borough Manager Cory Dennison said.
Passerrello-Carnevali, 18, was instrumental in launching the borough’s recycling program last year.
It delivers monthly donations of paper, plastics, cardboard, batteries and glass with the help of local partners.
People can still sign up for the free service by emailing bnoxrecycles@gmail.com.
Educational family experience
Passerrello-Carnevali said he sought out the position to learn how his hometown operated and prepare for a potential career in law.
He paid close attention to Solicitor Sam Dalfonso, particularly when addressing residents’ concerns.
“I think he does a great job and he’s really important,” Passerrello-Carnevali said. “He always talks a lot at every meeting, providing insight. He really knows his stuff.”
The junior councilman also took an interest in borough finances and how Matthew Stanczak, councilman and finance chair, routinely gave thorough reports.
That attention to detail often resulted in council unanimously voting on bills with minimal questions.
“It was neat to be able to see politics on such a local level,” Passerrello-Carnevali said. “You see politics on the federal level and the national level on the news and social media all the time.”
The past two years also provided a unique bonding experience for Passerrello-Carnevali and his mother, Councilwoman Christine Carnevali.
“I’m extremely proud of him,” Carnevali said.
“He showed a lot of dedication, took it seriously and he put himself into it coming up with the recycling program and helping the community out in that way.”
Carnevali said she noticed a change in their home conversations as a result of the experiences.
“You get to see him grow up a little bit,” she said. “When he first started, he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do. He was always interested in politics. I think he learned a lot from listening to the different professionals on council.”
The focus on legal issues also was not lost on Passerrello-Carnevali’s mother.
“He really kind of gained an understanding of how much you have to know if you’re going to represent someone, and how much work Sam does behind the scenes to make sure we’re making the right moves on council,” Carnevali said. “Doing the right things for community members and everything jibes legally. We had a lot of conversations about that.”
Passerrello-Carnevali said having a relative on council provided a sense of comfort in the beginning but didn’t impact his desire to help the community.
“It’s more than an experience getting to learn, but a nice memory (alongside her) that I’ll have,” he said.
“I know it might seem like it could be insignificant, like you’re not going to do anything, but they really want to get you involved. That ultimately led to me taking the lead on the recycling program.
“Being a junior councilperson, you can make an impact. You can make a difference, and they value my voice and opinion. It’s a lot more significant than you might think.”
The borough is accepting applications for a new junior councilperson. Applicants must be in high school and live in Blawnox.
For details, call 412-828-4141.