News from thetimes-tribune.com

Earl weakens but still powerful

Fri, 3 Sep 2010 00:25:55 -0400

BUXTON, N.C. (AP) — The last ferry left for the mainland and coastal residents hunkered down at home as Hurricane Earl closed in with 105 mph winds Thursday on North Carolina's dangerously exposed Outer Banks, the first and perhaps most destructive stop on the storm's projected journey up the Eastern Seaboard.

The hurricane's squalls began to lash the long ribbon of barrier islands Thursday night. Gusts above 40 mph made signs shake and the heavy rain fall sideways in Buxton, the southeasternmost tip of the Outer Banks.

Hurricane Earl's winds were slowing, from 140 mph early Thursday to 105 mph, Category 2 strength, by late Thursday. But forecasters warned that it remained powerful, with hurricane-force winds of 74 mph or more extending 70 miles from its center and tropical storm-force winds of at least 35 mph reaching more than 200 miles out.

"It's interesting to me to just see what Mother Nature can do," said Jay Lopez, 36, of Frisco, as the wind howled through Buxton.

Federal, state and local authorities were waiting for daybreak to begin patrolling the coast to check for damage.

The Coast Guard planned an airplane flyover of the Outer Banks and were prepared for search-and-rescue helicopter flights. State transportation officials were waiting to check Highway 12, which connects the Outer Banks with the mainland, for washouts and downed trees.

National Weather Service meteorologist Hal Austin said the eye of the hurricane was expected to get as close as 55 miles east of the Outer Banks about 2 a.m. Friday. The coast is expected to be lashed by hurricane-force winds for a couple of hours with a storm surge of up to 5 feet and waves 18 feet high.

"It's spitting rain. It's probably going to get a little hairy. We're prepared for it. My biggest concern is the ocean, not the wind," said Karen Denson Miller, who decided to stay on Hatteras Island with friends. The storm late Thursday was about 100 miles south of Cape Hatteras.

Earl's arrival could mark the start of at least 24 hours of stormy, windy weather along the East Coast. During its march up the Atlantic, it could snarl travelers' Labor Day weekend plans and strike a second forceful blow to the vacation homes and cottages on Long Island, Nantucket Island and Cape Cod. Forecast models showed the most likely place Earl will make landfall is western Nova Scotia, Canada, where it could still be a hurricane, said hurricane center deputy director Ed Rappaport.

It was unclear exactly how close Earl's center and its strongest winds would get to land. But Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Craig Fugate said people shouldn't wait for the next forecast to act.

"This is a day of action. Conditions are going to deteriorate rapidly," he said.

Shelters were open in inland North Carolina, and officials on Nantucket Island, Mass., planned to set up a shelter at a high school on Friday. North Carolina shut down ferry service between the Outer Banks and the mainland. Boats were being pulled from the water in the Northeast, and lobstermen in Maine set their traps out in deeper water to protect them.

Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick and Rhode Island Gov. Donald Carcieri declared a state of emergency. Similar declarations have also made in North Carolina, Virginia and Maryland.

As of Thursday night, though, the only evacuations ordered were on the Outer Banks, which sticks out into the Atlantic Ocean like the side-view mirror on a car, vulnerable to a sideswiping. About 35,000 tourists and residents were urged to leave.

A slow winding down was expected to continue as the storm moved into cooler waters, but forecasters warned the size of the storm's wind field was increasing, similar to what happened when Hurricane Katrina approached the Gulf Coast five years ago.

"It will be bigger. The storm won't be as strong, but they spread out as they go north and the rain will be spreading from New England," National Hurricane Center Director Bill Read said.

In North Carolina, the end of an already dilapidated wooden pier in Frisco, one of the villages on Hatteras Island, collapsed after being battered by high surf Thursday. It had been closed to the public because of past storm damage.

Hundreds of the Outer Banks' more hardy residents gassed up their generators and planned to hunker down at home behind their boarded-up windows, even though officials warned them that it could be three days before they could expect any help and that storm surge could again slice through the islands. It took crews two months to fill the breach and rebuild the only road to the mainland when Hurricane Isabel carved a 2,000-foot-wide channel in 2003.

"It's kind of nerve-racking, but I've been through this before," said 65-year-old Herma De Gier, who has lived in the village of Avon since 1984. De Gier said she will ride out the storm at a neighbor's house but wants to be close enough to her own property so she can quickly deal with any damage.

Officials warned once the winds began to pick up, police, firefighters and paramedics probably weren't going to answer emergency calls.

"Once this storm comes in and becomes serious, once it's at its worst point, we are not going to put any emergency worker in harm's way," North Carolina Gov. Beverly Perdue said.

Forecasters said that after Earl passes the Outer Banks, a kink in the jetstream over the eastern U.S. should push the storm away from the coast, guiding it like a marble in a groove.

Earl is expected to move north-northeast for much of Friday, staying away from New Jersey and the other mid-Atlantic states, but also passing very close to Long Island, Cape Cod and Nantucket, which could get gusts up to 100 mph. The storm is expected to finally move ashore in Canada sometime Saturday afternoon.

Much of New England should expect strong, gusty winds much like a nor'easter, along with fallen trees and downed power lines, forecasters said.

"This is the strongest hurricane to threaten the Northeast and New England since Hurricane Bob in 1991," said Dennis Feltgen, a meteorologist with the National Hurricane Center.

Clayton Smith and his colleagues at a yacht servicing company in New England scrambled to Nantucket to pull boats to safety, hoping to get about 40 vessels out of the water in two days.

"Complacency is a bad thing," Smith said. "It's better to be safe than sorry."

But many people in Nantucket weren't too worried about Earl. Arno's Main Street Grill plans to stay open Friday as long as possible said owner Chris Morris. The hurricane might even be good for business.

"There's not much else to do during a hurricane besides eat and drink," he said. "I mean, there's only so many times you can visit the whaling museum."

The storm is likely to disrupt travel as people try to squeeze in a few more days of summer vacation over Labor Day. Continental Airlines canceled 50 departures from Newark on its Continental Connection and Continental Express routes along the East Coast, beginning Thursday night. Other airlines were watching the forecast and waiving fees for changing flights. Amtrak canceled trains to Newport News, near Virginia's coast, from Richmond, Va., and Washington. Ferry operators across the Northeast warned their service would likely be interrupted.

And the Army Corps of Engineers warned it would have to close the two bridges connecting Cape Cod to the rest of Massachusetts if winds got above 70 mph.

U of S students shocked, saddened at Pilarz's planned departure

Fri, 3 Sep 2010 00:21:05 -0400

University of Scranton students might not know the Rev. Scott R. Pilarz, S.J., personally, but for many, news of the president's planned departure feels like the loss of a friend.

"It's like he was one of us in a way," said psychology major Christlore Mondelus, 20. "He's a huge presence on the campus."

When Ms. Mondelus learned Tuesday that the Rev. Pilarz is leaving the University of Scranton to become president of Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wis., next summer, she was stunned and momentarily put her immediate plans on hold.

"I dropped what I was doing and let it sink in for 15 minutes," she said. "I was like, 'He's not leaving.'â"

Her friend Mary Scheller, 20, a fellow junior psychology major, took the news hard as well.

"There is nothing bad to say about him on this campus," she said.

Ms. Scheller is most disappointed that the Rev. Pilarz will not be present at her graduation next year.

"I figured he'd be here a little longer than he was," she said. "I'm really just shocked."

Bringing with him the experience of interim chaplain of Georgetown University, the Rev. Pilarz became University of Scranton president in 2003.

The president has been a man whom students can both look up to and relate to, a fixture on the campus scene with his English bulldog, Jack.

To Matthew Mendola, 20, a senior psychology major, the Rev. Pilarz understood what an important transition college life is for young adults.

"I know he fought for the students a lot," Mr. Mendola said. "The whole idea of college is an experience, and he truly wanted us to have an experience."

His assistance was more than verbal. Ms. Mondelus recalls how the Rev. Pilarz literally lent her a hand. "I was moving out freshman year, and he helped my mom bring stuff down," she said.

Theater major Shane Hall, 20, a junior, was supposed to take a class taught by the Rev. Pilarz this semester, but had to change his schedule.

"I know someone who's in the class now," Mr. Hall said. "I'm envious."

The university's loss will be Marquette's gain, according to junior Veronica Dress, 20, a theology and counseling major.

"I think that it's a big honor to go to Marquette, but at the same time, personally, I will miss him a lot and all that he was for the school," she said. "He embodied the spirit of our campus, and I think Marquette's really lucky to experience him at their university."

Contact the writer: mreiter@timesshamrock.com

La Festa Italiana kicks off Saturday

Fri, 3 Sep 2010 00:20:40 -0400

The tents have been erected, the supplies have been stockpiled and soon the mouth-watering aroma of Italian cuisine will be wafting through downtown Scranton.

The 35th annual La Festa Italiana opens Saturday at Lackawanna County Courthouse Square, and organizers anticipate as many as 50,000 people will visit each day through Monday to immerse themselves in Italian culture, enjoy the continuous live entertainment and sample the tasty offerings.

Although visitors will find a few new wrinkles - including a greater variety of food from the 70-plus vendors - the La Festa committee has not tinkered too much with a formula that has kept people thronging to the event year after year, board President Chris DiMattio said.

"Why mess with success?" he asked rhetorically.

The organization tries to make improvements every year, including making it easier for visitors to find parking and increasing the number of chairs and tables available, Mr. DiMattio said.

"But truly there is only so much you can do in preparation," he said.

La Festa will run from noon to 11 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday and from noon to 9 p.m. on Monday. Around Courthouse Square, Linden and Spruce streets and Adams and North Washington avenues will be closed to vehicular traffic during festival hours.

The Labor Day weekend weather is expected to be almost ideal, without even a hint of rain in the forecast.

Partly sunny skies Saturday will give way to mostly sunny skies Sunday, with a high each day in the high 60s, according to the National Weather Service. Monday will be sunny and warmer, with a high around 73. The evenings will be relatively cool, with lows in the upper 40s.

Mr. DiMattio said one new feature at this year's La Festa will be bocce instruction, with experts teaching the basics of the traditional Italian game on the courthouse lawn. Festivalgoers will also have a chance to learn "morra," a traditional finger game, he said.

La Festa is again partnering with Lackawanna Railfest, being held this weekend at Steamtown National Historic Site. Mr. DiMattio said there will be a shuttle to take visitors back and forth between the two events.

On Sunday, the annual Mass in Italian will be celebrated at 10 a.m. at St. Peter's Cathedral on Wyoming Avenue.

The Rev. David P. Cappelloni, pastor of SS. Anthony and Rocco Parish in Dunmore and La Festa chaplain, will be the principal celebrant. The Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, bishop of Scranton, will deliver the homily.

The Mass will be broadcast live by CTV: Catholic Television, with rebroadcasts scheduled Tuesday at 8 p.m. and Wednesday at 10 a.m.

Fireworks will light up the sky over the square Sunday at 10 p.m.

City police have assigned a detail of officers to La Festa, although patrol Capt. Carl Graziano said the festival has been a "generally well-behaved event" over the years.

"For the amount of people we have there - knock on wood - it has been uneventful from a law enforcement perspective," Capt. Graziano said.

More information about La Festa Italiana, including the full entertainment schedule, is available at the festival website, www.lafestaitaliana.org.

Contact the writer: dsingleton@timesshamrock.com

Contract for Crisp Avenue bridge awarded, but work may not begin for several weeks

Fri, 3 Sep 2010 00:20:17 -0400

Judy Saita recalls floodwaters rushing through her neighborhood on Crisp Avenue four years ago. The water blew out a bridge over Lindy Creek and smashed into her home.

The bridge remains blown out, and Mrs. Saita might have to wait several more months before a new crossing is developed.

"We're anxious to get it in," Mrs. Saita said. "The water went and took it all out."

This week, Scranton officials executed a $220,830.15 contract with Pikes Creek Site Contractors to install the bridge. In addition to the construction costs, the city also has a $58,000 engineering bill, bringing the project total to about $278,000. Department of Public Works Director Jeff Brazil said he thinks the installation of a new bridge will probably begin in about six weeks.

The city executed the contract after it secured funding for the project through the Office of Economic and Community Development to cover a deficit of about $23,000. OECD Executive Director Linda Aebli said the contract could not be executed until officials showed project funding was in place.

The city is also negotiating with Mrs. Saita to purchase a 10-foot piece of land near the bridge.

"It's a tiny piece of property we're going to make part of the street right of way," said Brian Swanson, city engineer.

Mr. Swanson said negotiations with Mrs. Saita should wrap up soon, adding the city is also trying to acquire more Federal Emergency Management Agency money.

After floodwater washed out the bridge in 2006, FEMA officials visited the site and determined $106,000 would be available for the bridge's design and construction work. The city worked with OECD to acquire an additional $150,000 and thought the extra funding would be enough, Mr. Swanson said.

Mr. Swanson said costs escalated in part because of additional stream-bank work required by the state Department of Environmental Protection early last year. Project costs, however, did not become finalized until the bids were opened in July, Mr. Swanson added.

Contact the writer: jmrozinski@timesshamrock.com

So far, Scranton fails to receive commitments for new contributions from nonprofits

Fri, 3 Sep 2010 00:19:55 -0400

Nonprofit groups in Scranton have agreed to consider making payments in lieu of taxes, but none has made any commitment, Mayor Chris Doherty said.

"We'll try to reach as many people as we can," Mr. Doherty said. He said the organizations appear to understand the cost of city services they receive.

The long-standing issue of whether tax-exempt organizations should make payments in lieu of taxes to the city heated up in July after city council President Janet Evans unsuccessfully tried to link such a payment to an easement sought by the University of Scranton for a proposed residence hall in the 900 block of Mulberry Street.

The university changed its plans so the easement was no longer needed and increased its contribution to the city from $110,000 to $175,000. The university is the only major institution that makes such a payment.

Speaking at a city council meeting in July, Mrs. Evans and Councilman John Loscombe said they planned to ask all the nonprofits in the city for contributions.

"Members of Scranton City Council are in contact with local nonprofits regarding payments in lieu of taxes and in-kind contributions," wrote Mrs. Evans in an e-mail Tuesday. She said the council will provide a report on its effort Tuesday when the lawmakers return from summer recess.

Mrs. Evans declined to name the nonprofits council members have contacted.

Mayor's contacts

Mr. Doherty said he has met with the American Red Cross of Lackawanna County, Johnson College, Lackawanna College and Marywood University.

Mr. Doherty, whose administration is responsible for "aggressively" pursuing voluntary contributions or direct tax payments from tax- exempt organizations under the 2002 recovery plan, has also met with Community Medical Center, Mercy Hospital and Moses Taylor Hospital.

"I've met with the three hospitals, and they said they would talk with their three boards," Mr. Doherty said. His plea for contributions will also be brought before the American Red Cross board, said Bob Cherundolo, chief executive officer.

Moses Taylor Hospital spokeswoman Meaghan Comerford said the meeting with Mr. Doherty was constructive and positive.

"We're currently evaluating the situation," Ms. Comerford said. She said Moses Taylor pays about $287,966.21 in taxes on 18 properties, including a parking garage used by employees and visitors. Ms. Comerford said Mr. Doherty has been the only local government official to approach the hospital about contributions in the past few years.

In-kind services

Acknowledging Lackawanna College met with Mr. Doherty, spokesman Chris Kucharski said the college will "continue to contribute the way we have done in the past," by keeping tuition low, rehabilitating blighted properties and other economic investments.

Mr. Kucharski said no government representative other than Mr. Doherty has contacted the college.

Apart from the university, Covenant Presbyterian Church makes a $1,000 contribution; Lutherwood Apartments, $6,000; and Girl Scouts, $250.

"We just feel we need to contribute," said Norma Gabriel, Covenant Presbyterian Church parish administrator, adding the church understands services provided by the city cost money.

Bill Swanger, spokesman of Diakon Lutheran Social Ministries, said his organization - operator of Lutherwood Apartments - has continued to provide contributions to the city because it is important to honor long-standing agreements.

Attempts to get comments from Johnson College, Marywood University, Community Medical Center and Mercy Hospital were unsuccessful.

Contact the writer: jmrozinski@timesshamrock.com

Wayne County man faces charges after boy's overdose

Fri, 3 Sep 2010 00:19:32 -0400

Boy's overdose leads to charges

JESSUP - A 19-year-old Wayne County man is accused of selling a 16-year-old boy a narcotic painkiller patch that led the juvenile to overdose.

John M. Crowley of Waymart was arrested Wednesday night and charged with reckless endangerment and delivery of a controlled substance. He was remanded to Lackawanna County Prison in lieu of $50,000 bail.

On June 30, Mr. Crowley allegedly sold for $30 a 50 milligram fentanyl patch, which the Jessup teen chewed and swallowed.

The boy was hospitalized for a month and suffers from long-term health complications, according to an affidavit by Jessup Officers Michael Arthur and Gerald Ziminskas.

Girl's life in danger after falling out of car in Throop

Fri, 3 Sep 2010 00:19:09 -0400

Child hurt by car in Throop incident

THROOP - A 6-year-old girl was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries after she fell out of a moving car Thursday night.

The victim's name was not released, but police said the driver of the sport utility vehicle was 33-year-old Crystal Sobolewski of Dickson City. Chief Keith Jones said the driver was the girl's mother.

The incident happened at Pancoast and Dimmick streets about 7:50 p.m. It is unknown how the girl fell from the SUV, police said. She was taken to Community Medical Center. State police and the district attorney's office were helping investigate.

Driving on prescription drugs, man hits four cars in North Scranton, police say

Fri, 3 Sep 2010 00:18:49 -0400

Charges pending in triple crash

SCRANTON - An Old Forge man faces hit-and-run charges after he struck four cars in three crashes Wednesday afternoon.

Edward Bonifanti, 24, of 121 Oak St., told police he took two Vicodin and two Xanax pills, according to crash reports. Pending blood tests, city police also plan to charge him with driving under the influence.

Mr. Bonifanti, driving a Chevrolet Cavalier, first hit a Mercedes-Benz at the gas station at 1801 N. Main Ave. at 2:45 p.m., police said. He then drove to the 1700 block of North Keyser Avenue, where he allegedly crossed the center line, hitting two oncoming cars.

He hit a parked car on Ferdinand Street before being stopped at North Main and Theodore Street, police said. Mr. Bonifanti was taken to Community Medical Center.

Browndale mans gets five years for child porn

Fri, 3 Sep 2010 00:18:27 -0400

Man gets 5 years in child porn case

SCRANTON - A Wayne County man has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for downloading child pornography on his computer.

John Linnell, 63, of Browndale, was sentenced Wednesday by Senior U.S. District Judge Richard P. Conaboy. Mr. Linnell was indicted in March 2008 after an investigation by the FBI and the Lackawanna County district attorney's office and later pleaded guilty to receiving child pornography.

Judge Conaboy also ordered Mr. Linnell to serve a life term of supervised release after he completes his prison sentence.

Public Safety Night Out set for Tuesday

Fri, 3 Sep 2010 00:18:05 -0400

Police Department plans 'Night Out'

SCRANTON - The Scranton Police Department is inviting the public to celebrate the annual Public Safety Night Out on Tuesday evening at the Tripp Park Community Center.

The festivities start at 5 p.m. with a parade from John Marshall School to the center on Dorothy Street and conclude after dusk with a fireworks display.

Regional briefs, 9/3/2010

Fri, 3 Sep 2010 00:11:45 -0400

'Fallen Heroes' fair runs this weekend

PITTSTON TWP. - A fair that is raising money for fallen state troopers continues throughout the Labor Day weekend at the Northeast Fair grounds off Route 315.

The Fallen Heroes Memorial Fair, presented in memory of Pittston native Trooper Joshua Miller, resumes today with $2 admission. Food, games and rides are featured on the fairgrounds.

Tonight is "family and date night." The band, Coal Town Rounders, will perform on stage 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Cost is $1 per ride, between 6 and 11 p.m.

The Trooper Joshua Miller 5K Memorial Run/Walk will be held at 10 a.m. Sunday.

On Monday, rides open from 3 to 10 p.m. Live entertainment will be on stage until 9:30 p.m.

Lakeland seniors see mentor role

SCOTT TWP. - Seniors at Lakeland High School will serve as teachers and mentors to children as part of the Lakeland Little Tykes Mentoring Program.

Teacher Gretchen Allan will again supervise the program, which was started in 1994 and resembles a prescool.

The program is open to children ages 3 to 5 who live in the district. Children must be toilet-trained.

Sessions run from 9:30 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. and will be offered in two sessions: the weeks of Oct. 12 to Dec. 13 and March 14 to May 23.

To register, visit the high school or call it at 254-9485. Enrollment is only official when the family and consumer sciences department has received the completed paperwork.

'Interdependence' speaker slated

SCRANTON - Sociologist Elzbieta Matynia, Ph.D., director of the Transregional Center for Democratic Studies at the New School for Social Research in New York, will the keynote speaker for the local observance of Interdependence Day 2010.

The program, sponsored by the Greater Scranton Interdependence Day Committee and the United Way of Lackawanna and Wayne Counties, is scheduled Monday, Sept. 13, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the William J. Nealon Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse, 235 N. Washington Ave.

Dr. Robert D'Alessandri, president and dean of Commonwealth Medical College, will be presented with the 2010 Interdependence Award.

Mayfield clears sediment from river

Fri, 3 Sep 2010 00:11:23 -0400

Mayfield clears river sediment

Borough maintaining flood project

Heavy machinery rumbled at the Lackawanna River this week in Mayfield as the borough cleared out four years' worth of sediment.

The project started last week and could take about two weeks to complete, estimated council President Glen Nicolio, who volunteered to work on the project with Councilman Jim Depoti. The two men are experienced heavy-machine operators, Mr. Nicolio said, and were behind the controls of the machines moving the sediment.

The borough is required to maintain the flood-protection system the Army Corps of Engineers installed at the river in the 1970s, Mr. Nicolio said. A spillway catches sediment, which builds up in Mayfield and is the borough's responsibility to clear so the riverbed does not become too high.

The sediment can come from as far as Forest City and was last cleared about four years ago, Mr. Nicolio said.

Workers must stay at least 6 inches above the water, he said, following government requirements regarding erosion, soil and water contamination.

Although the borough does not receive financial help from neighboring municipalities, it secured a $60,000 state grant through the state Department of Environmental Protection for the project.

The two councilmen volunteered for the work to save the borough money. Their efforts combined with renting equipment will help the borough spread the $60,000 further than it could have had it hired workers, Mr. Nicolio said.

"It's at a fraction of what a contractor would charge us to do the job and pay an experienced operator," he said. "We're doing it as a service free of charge."

The state grant goes toward the dredging as well as required maintenance around the river, such as vegetation control on the embankments. Mr. Nicolio estimated the dredging part would cost about $15,000, between equipment rental and hiring trucks to haul the removed sediment from the site.

Contact the writer: cheaney@timesshamrock.com

Namedropper, 9/03/10

Fri, 3 Sep 2010 00:10:10 -0400

67th antique show,

90th anniversary

Waverly Community House's 90th anniversary will be celebrated in its Tea Garden while the 67th annual Waverly Antiques Show and Sale is conducted Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 18 and 19, on its grounds, porches and gym.

"The lobby, aka, 'Waverly Veranda,' black, white and fall apple red, will represent a stunning combination of antique wicker with a twist of bold and new," chairwoman Kathy Bell reports.

Dave Crowther of Appletree Antiques will provide "fair market appraisal" of collectibles. The Dropped Shop booth will restore and refinish porcelain, gold-leaf and pottery. Almost Antiques, chaired by Georgia Bass, will be in the lower level.

This year's gourmet luncheon will be prepared by Iron Pierce Catering, and the Tea Garden will feature a variety of gourmet desserts.

Among the vendors scheduled this year are: Hare's Ltd and Douglas Hare Antiques, Americana Roads Antiques, Anne's Treasures, Auntie Pip's, Bittersweet Antiques, Cider Mill Antiques, David's Fine Porcelain & Glass, Eileen Custer Antiques, From the Attic, Julia A. Brennan Jewelry, Michelle Corbert Antiques, Nancy's Antique & Estate Jewelry, Nick's Furniture Service, Old is New Again Furs, The Pineapple House and Vintage Matters.

Show goes on

Along with Kathy and co-chairwoman Linda Bush, the Antique Show Committee includes: Polly Metzger, advertising; Marge Black, publicity; Jeanne Gialorenzi, Tea Garden and desserts; Carla Williams, flower decorations; Sandy Durbin, luncheon; Georgia Bass, Almost Antiques; and Carol Bauman, Regina Boehm, Sarah Bragan, Linda Bush, Doreen Dickinson, Paul Kairis and Barb Sanders.

Super students

Students at the University of Scranton who have been included in the 2010 edition of Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges include: Lee Ashlin, Dunmore; Kathryn Brokus, Clarks Summit; Joan Marie Cataudella, Lake Ariel; James Gavern, Archbald; Simone Gilpin, Lake Ariel; Kiley Gunderman, Scranton; Jennifer Jezorwski, Moosic; Amanda Jones, Scranton; Jennifer Leuthe, Spring Brook Twp.; Carmello Libassi, Dalton; Matthew Mercuri, Moscow; Jillian Mishko, Dickson City; Pauline Palko, Waymart; Eric Pencek, Scranton; Bethany Purdy, Factoryville; Ashley Regan, Old Forge; Mary Grace Rizzo, Olyphant; Cassandra Rozell, Scranton; Keri Taylor, Scranton; Jeanne Thallmayer, Spring Brook Twp.; Jeremy Travis, Susquehanna; James (Trey) VanWert, Scranton; Melissa Wasilewski, Clarks Summit; Kimberly Witt, Waymart; Thomas Yablonski, Gouldsboro, and Sarah Youshock, Archbald.

High notes

It was a Keystone gathering in The Commonwealth Medical College laboratory when Tara O'Hora of Scranton, a 2008 Keystone College graduate who is a TCMC laboratory manager, and Jenna Fancher of Kingsley, a Keystone student who spent the summer as a TCMC student laboratory volunteer, discussed their work with Moses Prabu, Ph.D., professor of molecular biology at TCMC, and Joseph Falcone, Ph.D., chairman of the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at Keystone recently.

- TERRY BONIFANTI

On Sept. 3 in NEPA

Fri, 3 Sep 2010 00:09:28 -0400

On this date in NEPA

75 years ago, Charles Von Storch, secretary of the Lackawanna Motor Club, expressed concern over a proposed WPA project that would employ civilians to report traffic-law violations on our local highways.

50 years ago, The area felt the beginnings of fall with a low of 44 degrees. The day's record low was set in 1916 at 42 degrees. It was only days earlier that the area felt its first 90-degree day.

25 years ago, Dunmore School District will be implementing a new curriculum to meet the Chapter 5 state regulations. The new regulations call for revisions to reading, mathematics, science and spelling.

10 years ago, Bishop James C. Timlin announced the goal for the annual diocesan fundraising campaign called the Bishop's Appeal. The goal for 2000 was set at $3.5M. Last year over $3.7M was donated by parishioners in the 11-county diocese. Almanac

Today is Friday, Sept. 3, the 246th day of 2010. There are 119 days left in the year.

In 1189, England's King Richard I, the Lion-Hearted, was crowned in Westminster Abbey.

In 1609, English explorer Henry Hudson and his crew aboard the Half Moon entered present-day New York Harbor and began sailing up the river that now bears his name.

In 1783, representatives of the United States and Britain signed the Treaty of Paris, which officially ended the Revolutionary War.

In 1939, Britain, France, Australia and New Zealand declared war on Germany, two days after the Nazi invasion of Poland. A German U-boat torpedoed and sank the British liner SS Athenia some 250 miles off the Irish coast.

In 1940, Artie Shaw and his Gramercy Five recorded "Summit Ridge Drive" and "Special Delivery Stomp" for RCA Victor.

In 1943, the British Eighth Army invaded Italy during World War II, the same day Italy signed a secret armistice with the Allies.

In 1967, Nguyen Van Thieu was elected president of South Vietnam under a new constitution. Motorists in Sweden began driving on the right-hand side of the road instead of the left.

In 1970, legendary football coach Vince Lombardi, 57, died in Washington, D.C.

In 1976, America's Viking 2 lander touched down on Mars to take the first close-up, color photographs of the planet's surface.

Gas jobs not yet making a dent in Lackawanna and Luzerne unemployment numbers

Fri, 3 Sep 2010 00:08:25 -0400

The growing Marcellus Shale natural gas drilling industry is taking hold in Northeast Pennsylvania, but the state's newest economic player is not yet big enough in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre/Hazleton metro area to save the region from recording disappointing unemployment numbers in July.

Joblessness for the metro area has increased to a seasonally adjusted 10.4 percent - far higher than the seasonally adjusted 7.6 percent unemployment rate in Bradford County, a hotbed of Marcellus Shale drilling where unemployment dropped nearly 1 percentage point since last July.

Teri Ooms, executive director of the Institute for Public Policy and Economic Development, said the industry did not improve the region's unemployment numbers because much of the drilling activity is not happening in Lackawanna and Luzerne counties.

She expects that active drilling in Wyoming County - the third county in the metropolitan statistical area - will spur some improvement in future unemployment numbers.

"I consider Lackawanna to be adjacent to the core drilling counties at this point," she said. "There will be some residual employment improvement" because of that proximity, she said, but "we're not going to see an immediate impact."

She added that as the closest urban centers to drilling in more rural counties, Scranton and Wilkes-Barre will benefit from the influx of drilling nearby.

"People don't do all of their living and working and procuring of goods and services within a single jurisdiction," she said.

One factor that will improve the employment picture for local workers looking for jobs connected to the industry is the expansion of area training centers and programs for Marcellus Shale jobs.

Lackawanna, Johnson and Keystone colleges have all begun offering courses, programs and other training for industry-related jobs, while Pathstone, a human services agency, is coordinating training for more than 200 people in welding and diesel mechanics for jobs in the industry.

At Johnson College, which recently reopened its Welding Training Center after an eight-year hiatus, three students are currently in a four-month certificate program to learn the welding skills necessary for natural gas pipelines, Continuing Education Director Marie Allison said.

The college also is taking applications for its next session, which will begin in September.

But it takes time for welders to be trained in a new skill, and more time for them to master it, which means new gas industry welders will not be able to match the pay grade and ability of workers being brought in from other drilling states immediately, she said.

Once trained, local welders will be able to transfer their skills to other industries in the region even as drilling activity moves to other parts of the state or country.

"They won't have to take (those skills) to other states," she said. "They could stay local."

Contact the writer: llegere@timesshamrock.com

Peckville Assembly of God food giveaway helps those in need

Fri, 3 Sep 2010 00:04:21 -0400

BLAKELY - Vehicles packed a Peckville church's parking lot Thursday morning, overflowing onto the road as drivers waited their turn to pick up free food and supplies.

Peckville Assembly of God has kept a pantry managed by area churches at its Keystone Avenue campus for more than a year, handing out items every other Thursday. But all people had to do at this week's special outdoor distribution was drive into the parking lot and line up so volunteers could load items into their cars.

Among those waiting was Anna Hutko of Peckville, whom Cinram Manufacturing Inc. laid off last month after 10 years of employment. The Olyphant plant cut 150 workers in August and has announced plans to lay off 310 more in December.

Ms. Hutko has not obtained government assistance, she said, but she is thankful the pantry was handing out items in light of her current situation.

"I'm kind of in a tough position right now," she said.

While people picking up items tend to be older or unemployed, volunteer Diane Clark said, there were many people with connections to Cinram there Thursday.

"I've seen a lot of people I worked with," Ms. Hutko said.

Anyone was welcome to come and pick up the free items, which ranged from food to personal-care supplies. The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Regional Food Bank in Wilkes-Barre donated the items, but church members also have given supplies.

"There's so many needy families out there," Ms. Clark said.

Joe Bruce traveled from Waymart to pick up supplies to "help the family out a little bit."

It was his second time at the pantry, and he was surprised at how heavy the turnout was this time. The distributions help a lot, Mr. Bruce said.

"It's a good thing to have," he said.

The pantry served more than 176 families this year, Ms. Clark said, but is moving out of the Peckville church. A new location has not yet been found, said the Rev. Terry Drost, Peckville Assembly of God pastor.

"It's just kind of outgrown the facility," he said.

Contact the writer: cheaney@ timesshamrock.com

Kanjorski backs repeal of tax cuts for wealthy

Fri, 3 Sep 2010 00:03:59 -0400

U.S. Rep. Paul E. Kanjorski said Thursday he supports repealing former President George W. Bush's tax cuts on the wealthiest Americans.

Mr. Kanjorski, D-11, Nanticoke, told about 20 senior citizens at their downtown Scranton center that the increase in taxes on the wealthy is necessary to help reduce a federal budget deficit that Mr. Bush worsened dramatically. The debt was $5.7 trillion four months before Mr. Bush took office and about $10 trillion four months before he left office, according to U.S. Treasury Department figures.

"Now, what that meant is we ... borrowed the money to reduce the taxes," he said. "Now I'm in favor of keeping the tax reduction that we made then on the middle class" because middle class spending helps the economy.

Mr. Kanjorski said many wealthy Americans pay a lower tax rate because their income mostly comes from investments. The top tax rate on those investments - the capital gains tax - is 15 percent; the top income tax bracket for people earning up to $171,000 is 28 percent.

"There are people in New York City that had hedge funds, that all they earn a year is $2.5 billion," he said.

"Is that all?" a man asked.

"Yeah, that's all. Twenty-five hundred million dollars. It's tough (for them)," Mr. Kanjorski said with a note of sarcasm. He also criticized Republicans for backing Social Security privatization.

Mr. Kanjorki's Wednesday visit to a Plains Twp. senior center prompted his Republican opponent, Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta, to accuse him of lying about Medicare. Mr. Kanjorski told his Plains audience the new health care reform law does not cut Medicare benefits "in any way."

Mr. Barletta's campaign said Rep. Tim Holden, D-17, St. Clair, said he voted against the bill because it "makes significant cuts to Medicare and Medicaid." "There are two options here - either Kanjorski is lying or Kanjorski is calling Rep. Holden a liar," Barletta spokesman Shawn Kelly said.

Mr. Kanjorski's campaign pointed to an AARP fact sheet that says the "new law extends the financial soundness of the program by 12 years, to 2029" and "No one will lose Medicare coverage."

Contact the writer: bkrawczeniuk@timesshamrock.com

Blotter, 9/03/2010

Fri, 3 Sep 2010 00:03:36 -0400

Following are reports of calls to which local police agencies were dispatched. Information will be published as it becomes available to The Times-Tribune, as space permits.

Archbald

Wednesday, Sept. 1

n Alarm: 200 block of South Main Street, 11:28 a.m.

n Traffic stop: South Main and Winton streets, 2:14 p.m.

n Investigation: 800 Henry Street, 4:38 p.m.

n Traffic stop: Scranton-Carbondale Highway and Rushbrook Street, 5:39 p.m.

n Traffic stop: Columbus and Peggy drives, 6:40 p.m.

n Traffic stop: Columbus and Kennedy drives, 6:53 p.m.

n Welfare check: 200 block of Summit Lane, 6:53 p.m.

n Crash: Wildcat Road, 10:19 p.m.

Mayfield

Monday, Aug. 30

n Nuisance complaint: First block of Henry Drive, assisted Jermyn Police, 1:06 a.m.

n Disorderly conduct: First block of Henry Drive, assisted Jermyn police, 3:50 a.m.

n Animal complaint: 800 block of Hudson Street, 11:23 a.m.

n Criminal mischief: 700 block of Madison Avenue, assisted Jermyn police, 2:02 p.m.

n Crash: 800 block of Scranton-Carbondale Highway, assisted Archbald police, 2:38 p.m.

TUESDAY, AUG. 31

n Alarm: 300 block of Bacon Street, 3:20 a.m.

n Burglary: 500 block of Lincoln Avenue, 5:11 a.m.

n School traffic: Lackawanna Avenue and Linden Street, 8:10 a.m.

n Police assistance: 800 block of Poplar Street, 9:43 a.m.

n Warrant: 400 block of Jefferson Avenue, 10:32 a.m.

n Traffic control device: 500 block of Cemetery Street, 12:18 p.m.

n Traffic stop: 800 block of Lackawanna Avenue, 2:33 p.m.

n Driving under the influence: Fifth Street and Scranton-Carbondale Highway, 4:36 p.m.

n Traffic stop: Chestnut and Hill streets, 5:31 p.m.

n Traffic stop: Gorden Avenue and Erie Street, 5:40 p.m.

n Traffic stop: Lackawanna Avenue and Chestnut Street, 5:58 p.m.

n Traffic stop: Scranton-Carbondale Highway and Plank Road, 6:25 p.m.

n Traffic stop: Plank Road and Route 6, 6:40 p.m.

Moscow

Saturday, Aug. 28

n Abandoned vehicle: North Main Street, 12:05 a.m.

n Traffic stop: South Main Street, 12:45 p.m.

n Special duty: Lehigh Twp., 7 p.m.

n Assist Covington police: O'Hara Road, 8:38 p.m.

Sunday, Aug. 29

n Assist state police, 3:48 p.m.

Monday, Aug. 30

n Police assistance: I-380 bridges, 8:30 a.m.

n Parking violations: Church Street, 8:40 a.m.

n Assist Covington police: Route 307, 2:53 p.m.

n Traffic stop: Citation, N. Main Street, 8:24 p.m.

Tuesday, Aug. 31

n Traffic stop: Warning, 15-mph school zone, 9:15 a.m.

n Motor vehicle violation: North Main Street and Hideaway Drive, 1:35 p.m.

n Truancy: Centennial Park, 1:55 p.m.

n Traffic stop: Citation, 15-mph school zone, 3:51 p.m.

n Vehicle repossession: Church Street, 9:14 p.m.

Scranton

MONDAY, AUG. 30

n Burglary: 600 block Back Street, 3:22 a.m.

n Burglary: 1100 block Philo Street, 7:53 a.m.

n Theft from auto: 600 block Luzerne Street, 10 a.m.

n Narcotics investigation: 1600 block Nay Aug Avenue, 12:33 p.m.

n Motor vehicle theft: J.A.C. Auto Sales, 500 block Keyser Avenue, 1:26 p.m.

n Criminal mischief to auto: 700 block Marion Street, 2:05 p.m.

n Crash: Luzerne Street, 3:10 p.m.

n Domestic disturbance: 400 block Harrison Avenue, 9:15 p.m.

TUESDAY, AUG. 31

n Burglary: North Scranton Little League, 700 block Theodore Street, 9:07 a.m.

n Narcotics investigation: 1100 block South Washington Avenue, 1:35 p.m.

n Theft: 400 block Morgan Highway, 3:40 p.m.

n Domestic disturbance with arrest: 1000 block Remington Avenue, 3:01 p.m.

n Theft: 1000 block Quincy Avenue, 3:40 p.m.

n Theft from auto: 100 block Anthony Street, 5:30 p.m.

n Domestic disturbance: 1700 block Academy Street, 5:52 p.m

n Harassment: 1000 block Quincy Avenue, 6:50 p.m.

n Simple assault: 100 block Wyoming Avenue, 6:56 p.m.

n Animal complaint: 1100 block Eynon Street, 7:20 p.m.

n Fire: 300 block Meridian Avenue, 7:23 p.m.

n Attempted forcible entry: 500 block Colfax Avenue, 9:27 p.m.

n Drug violations: 800 block Prescott Avenue, 9:41 p.m

n Burglary: 900 block Sanderson Avenue, 10:22 p.m.

n Retail theft: 1400 block Mulberry Street, 10:51 p.m.

n Theft: 800 block Hemlock Street, 11:46 p.m.

South Abington Twp.

MONDAY, AUG. 30

n Unregistered solicitation: 400 block Edella Road, 10:20 a.m.

n Abandoned vehicle: 100 block North Abington Road, owner located, vehicle removed, 11:35 a.m.

n Alarm: 100 block Stone Crest Circle, building secure, 11:55 a.m.

n Burglar alarm: 300 block Clark Street, Clarks Green, property secure, 12:40 p.m.

n Road rage: 100 block Edella Road, incident unfounded, 6:15 p.m.

TUESDAY, AUG. 31

n Suspicious persons: 300 block Edella Road, unfounded, 5 a.m.

n Alarm: 1000 block Fairfield Circle, home secure, 7:45 a.m.

n Criminal mischief: 100 block Racquel's Way, 7:50 a.m.

n Crash: Route 6 at Starbucks, no injury, 10:30 a.m.

n Traffic stop: 300 block Northern Boulevard, speeding citation, 1 p.m.

n Crash:: Edella Road and Fox Run Circle, no injuries, 1:20 p.m.

n Traffic stop: 400 block North Abington Road, Clarks Green, speeding citation, 3 p.m.

n Crash: Morgan Highway and Country Club Road, injury, 3 p.m.

n Crash: Morgan Highway at Lahey Fun Park, no injuries, 6:30 p.m.

n Fireworks complaint: Sunnyside Avenue, 7 p.m.

n Traffic stop: Morgan Highway, speeding citation, 11 p.m.

Mayor Doherty's mother dies at age 87

Fri, 3 Sep 2010 00:03:15 -0400

Grace Doherty, the granddaughter of a Hall of Fame baseball player, widow of a well-known city council president and mother of one of the city's longest-serving mayors, died Thursday at Mercy Hospital after being taken there on her birthday nine days ago for treatment of an infection.

She was 87.

Twelve years ago, Mrs. Doherty woke up, tripped on a carpet, fell to her bedroom floor and found herself instantly quadriplegic because the fall seriously hurt her spine.

Three months later, Mrs. Doherty, with the help of a walker, managed to leave a West Orange, N.J., spinal hospital on her own strength, and resume her position as matriarch as one of Scranton's best-known political families.

Her son, Mayor Chris Doherty, remembered that inner determination after she died Thursday.

"She was always very supportive and told me when things are tough, you've got to keep going," Mr. Doherty said.

She was surrounded by all 11 of her children when she died, including her eldest daughter, Grace, who flew in from her home in Luxembourg to join the rest of her family, another daughter, Virginia McGregor, said.

"She never liked to be alone," Mrs. McGregor said.

She grew up on Grandview Street in Green Ridge, a daughter of Dr. Thomas P. McWilliams, a dentist, and his wife, the former Grace Jennings, a daughter of Hall-of-Fame shortstop and first baseman Hugh Jennings of Pittston.

Armed with a business degree from Marywood College, Mrs. Doherty found a job as a legal secretary for a Wall Street law firm in the 1940s. She met her husband, James A. Doherty Sr., who was stationed at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, on a train leaving Lackawanna Station on its way to New York City.

A few years later, after both were back in Scranton, they married in November 1946.

"And 17 years later, they had 11 kids," Mr. Doherty said.

"She told me I was only playing house," said Mrs. McGregor, who has six children.

While her husband worked, Mrs. Doherty tended to their growing family, was involved with the Mother's Club at Scranton Preparatory School and "worked the stand at the Little League."

"She was a stay-at-home mom, but she was well educated. Her mother went to Barnard (College in New York City)," Mr. Doherty said.

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, who grew up in the same neighborhood with the Doherty children, recalled Mrs. Doherty as someone who led "a life of total dedication to her family."

Somehow, Mr. Doherty said, she found individual attention for all her children. Once, she surprised him and his brother, Tim, by taking them to lunch at the Castle Restaurant, a "Batman" movie at the Roosevelt Theater in Green Ridge and Nay Aug Park, the mayor said.

"And I thought, 'I have never been alone with my mother before.' It was just my brother and I. We couldn't believe it was just the two of us," Mr. Doherty said.

Mrs. Doherty preferred to stay in the background as first her husband, then her son seized the public spotlight, but her influence was felt. She insisted her children leave Scranton to go to college to learn independence and she encouraged their community involvement.

"If you're going to be part of a community, you have to be involved in the community," she said, according to her son.

She supported her husband's entry into politics and later her son's. James A. Doherty Sr. served from 1964 to 1980. Their son was elected a councilman in 1997, as mayor in 2001 and has been re-elected mayor twice.

"She always said that 'If you're going to be successful in anything you do, you have to make it happen yourself,' " Mr. Doherty said.

"And don't be afraid to fail, everybody fails," she told her son. "But the ones that are successful are the ones that are able to pick themselves up from failure and move on."

In his first re-election bid for mayor in 2005, Mr. Doherty narrowly won the Democratic nomination over city council President Gary DiBileo, who won the Republican nomination, setting up a general election rematch. Mr. Doherty said he was "feeling down" about the results.

"She goes, 'Hey, what are you going to do? Sit here? Get out there? You want to win? Go for it. Go to work. You're not going to win sitting here,'" he said.

Mr. Doherty campaigned hard that summer and easily won re-election.

"She taught us that (determination), you know, by overcoming her injury," the mayor said.

After she fell, family members did not find her lying in her bedroom until 12 hours later.

As they waited for the ambulance, Mr. Doherty and his mother chatted.

"I said, 'What did you do these 12 hours?' " Mr. Doherty recalled. "And she said, 'Well, I sat here and I couldn't move and I started to cry and I realized, well, what good is that going to do? Crying doesn't do anything. I've got to stay focused.'"

Mrs. Doherty's obituary is on Page B8.

Contact the writer: bkrawczeniuk @timesshamrock.com

DA's 'bad check' collection program lands Jarbola in federal court lawsuit

Fri, 3 Sep 2010 00:02:51 -0400

A Pittsburgh-based legal aid group has filed a federal civil rights suit against Lackawanna County District Attorney Andy Jarbola and the California-based debt-collection agency his office uses to collect money from bad check writers.

Mr. Jarbola said he expects to be dismissed from the suit, which was brought by the Community Justice Project, a nonprofit, public interest law firm whose mission is to protect the civil rights of poor families and low-wage workers. Mr. Jarbola said the collection agency approach to bad check writers is essentially a "diversionary program" that allows people to pay their debts without facing criminal prosecution.

The program also includes a session at Lackawanna College, where bad check writers are offered tips on how to manage their finances, advice that Mr. Jarbola said keeps the recidivism rate for check bouncers to about 2 percent.

Though Mr. Jarbola is named as a defendant in the suit, he is not the only district attorney who has the same collection program in place. The suit states there are about 20 district attorney's offices across the state that also use the company to go after people who bounce checks.

The suit seeks class-action certification, a decision that rests with U.S. District Judge A. Richard Caputo. Mr. Jarbola believes the suit should be bounced out of court.

James J. Scanlon, the Scranton attorney representing Mr. Jarbola, said he suspects the group is looking for a test case in Lackawanna County and expects the group will appeal to the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals if the case against Mr. Jarbola is dismissed.

The suit, which includes Jennifer Shouse of Lackawanna County as a plaintiff, claims National Corrective Group of San Clemente, Calif., operates a "collection scheme" that involves district attorney offices like Mr. Jarbola's, who authorizes NCG to use the district attorney's name and letterhead, and represent itself as the district attorney's "bad check diversion program" when collecting money owed by people who have written bad checks.

Mr. Jarbola said he had been named in a similar suit and won.

"There have been lawsuits like this filed and all were dismissed," Mr. Jarbola said. He defended his use of the program, which he started about seven or eight years ago. Since its inception, he said, "we've gotten three-quarters of a million to $1 million back to businesses."

Ms. Shouse was one of the bad check writers the company went after. According to the suit, she wrote two checks, one for $23.31, the other for $36,00, and they bounced. There wasn't enough money in the account because her employer had mailed her paycheck, not put it in the bank through direct-deposit.

"After receiving a threatening notice from NCG, purporting to be the district attorney, Shouse contacted NCG and informed its representative of the mistake that had occurred and that she could not afford to pay the full amount demanded, $319.91, $260 of which consisted of fees," the suit states.

The NCG representative, whom she believed was someone from the district attorney's office, offered to allow her to make two installments, the suit states.

The suit claims NCG statements to people like Ms. Shouse are false and misleading and not in accordance with the law.

Contact the writer: jmcdonald@timesshamrock.com