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    timesleader.comWILKES-BARRE, PA WEdnESdAy, MAy 29, 2013 50

    THE TIMES LEADER

    6 0 9 8 1 5 1 0 0 1 1

    A NEWS: Local 3ANation & World: 5A

    Obituaries: 6AEditorials: 11A

    INSIDEAll tie upPacers douse

    the Heat.SPORTS, 7B

    Weather: 12AB SPORTS: 1B

    B BUSINESS: 8BStocks: 8B

    C TASTE: 1C

    Birthdays: 4C

    Television: 6CMovies: 6C

    Puzzles: 7CD CLASSIFIED: 1D

    Comics: 10D

    Its ool to eatlike its 1986Yo! An old treat is back. TASTE, 1C

    D avefait in te

    en?BUSINESS, 8B

    TUNKHANNOCK In a rul-ing that could have a big impacton the 2013-14 budget still in the

    works, an arbitrator has orderedTunkhannock School Districtto reinstate all 32 teachers fur-loughed in a massive budget-cut-

    ting effort last July and to givethose teachers full back pay andbenefits compensation.

    The district announced 32furloughs on July 3, followed bya teacher rallythat evoked im-passioned,eventearful testi-monials fromstudents andalumni praisingthe suspendedstaffers. Theunion fol-lowed through

    with a griev-ance heard inNovember. Adecision washanded downFriday, whenschool was re-cessed for Memorial Day Week-end.

    The union had argued for fullreinstatement on the basis of twopoints: Both sides had signed amemorandum of understanding,or MOU, barring such furloughs,and the layoffs were so extensivethey violated a state law barringdistricts from furloughing teach-ers solely for financial purposes.

    Arbitrator Thomas G. McCon-nell Jr. found the first argumentso convincing he ruled in favor ofthe union without giving consid-eration to the second argument.

    The case hinged on an MOUdrawn up after the last contractexpired Aug. 31, 2011. Thedistrict faced a tight financialcrunch thanks to state fundingcuts, and negotiations for a newcontract were still unsettled. Thetwo sides signed an agreementfreezing wages for one year,implementing other items bothsides had agreed to at that pointand barring any furloughs for theduration of the agreement, run-

    Rulingreinstateslaid-offteachersArbitrator tells istrict to

    rehire 32 emploees with

    back pa a beefits.

    ByMARKGUYDISH

    [email protected]

    Oe ear of

    back pa for

    32 furloughe

    teachers

    woul a up

    to about $1.9

    millio, ot

    coutig be-

    efits or a

    other com-

    pesatio.

    TUNKHANNOCK AREA

    WILKES-BARRE A new part-

    nershipbetweennine regionalfoodbanks across Pennsylvania hopes

    to promote the fight against hun-ger and help members to securefood, fill shortages and share ideas.

    The groups leaders and offi-cials from most of the memberfood banks gathered at the Wein-

    berg Food Bank in Wilkes-Barre

    on Tuesday to discuss the initia-tive and tout its goals. They werejoined by U.S. Sen. Bob Casey,

    D-Scranton, who serves as the co-chairman of the U.S. Senate Hun-

    ger Caucus.Pennsylvania member food

    banks last year served more than 2

    million people, with demand con-tinuing toremainas high againthis

    Food banks band together to fight hungernie facilities

    across state

    hope to bet-

    ter fill peo-

    ples ees

    b sharig

    strategies

    a ieas.

    ByANDREWM. SEDER

    [email protected]

    Residents press county council on election errors

    Several Luzerne County residentsurged county council Tuesday to dosomething about problems encoun-teredin last weeksprimary election.

    Hazleton resident Carmella Yen-kevich said more than 500 votes

    were cast for Steve Hahn in Carbonand Schuylkill counties becauseLuzerne Countys election officedid not notify the two counties ofHahns withdrawal in the HazletonArea School Board race as required.

    Yenkevich, a candidate in thatrace, said the 500 votes would havedrastically changed the outcome,

    and she does not believe she orother candidatesshouldbe forcedtoobtain signatures, hire legal counseland file court action seeking a newelection in the two counties.

    Thats not acceptable to me,Yenkevich said during the on-the-road meeting at the Hazle Townshipmunicipal building. The Board of

    ThIS IS oNE couNTry AmErIcA. Its nt abt ble states ed states,

    Deats repblians. We all sae te sae vales and piniples.

    Hazleto Area race marre b

    failure to otif two other

    counties of candidates withdrawal.

    By JENNIFER LEARN-ANDES

    [email protected]

    See FOOD, Page 8A

    See TEACHERS, Page 8A

    Welome bak, carter

    WYOMING Jimmy Carter,the Plains, Ga., peanut farmer

    who became the 39th U.S. presi-dent, told more than 500 peopleat the site of Wyoming Monu-ment that the United States willstay strong, improve and growas long as citizens retain high

    moral and ethical values andprinciples.

    Carter, 88, andhis wife, Rosal-ynn, 85, were in town to speakat the monument Tuesday after-noon. Later they hosted a din-ner at the Stegmaier Mansionin Wilkes-Barre to raise moneyfor the Plains Helping Plains ef-fort begun in 2010 by Larry andDiane Cook.

    After leaving the WhiteHouse, Rosalynn and I talkedabout what we would do withthe rest of our lives, Cartersaid. We decided to help ourhometown and to help where

    we can in the world.Carter, who forged lasting

    relationships with Soviet Pre-mier Leonid Brezhnev and thePeoples Republic of China and

    Fepesidentspeaks atnent

    PETE G. WILCOX PHOTOS/THE TIMES LEADER

    Former President Jimmy Carter told a crowd at Tuesdays Memorial Day event at the Wyoming Monument that the nationsfuture depends on its citizens.

    ByBILL OBOYLE

    [email protected]

    WYOMING VictoriaSmulowitz has thought ofrunning for president for five

    years. A 9-year-old student atthe Wycallis Elementary Schoolin the Dallas School District,she got to meet one person whoheld the job she wants morethan anything.

    How do you become presi-dent? Victoria asked formerPresident Jimmy Carter afterhis speech at the WyomingMonument on Tuesday after-noon.

    Carter hugged the girl, of-fered her advice and then toldher he would vote for her if Imstill around, unless my grand-

    A few gs anda isti visit

    More than500 peopleturned out inthe rain Tues-

    day to hearformer Presi-dent JimmyCartersspeech at aMemorial Daycelebration atthe WyomingMonumentin Wyoming including10-month-oldMae Baloga ofWyoming, whoclutches anAmerican flag.

    See CARTER, Page 12A

    ByBILL OBOYLE

    [email protected]

    See MEET, Page 12A

    See COUNTY, Page 8A

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    WILKES-BARRE A

    Hazleton man charged withdirecting threats at LuzerneCounty District Attorney Ste-fanie Salavantis was releasedfrom jail Tuesday after request-ing nominal bail.

    Sean Donahue, 43, ofCleveland Street, is charged

    with terroristic threats andharassment in the case stem-ming from an Aug. 17 incident.Donahue asked to be releasedfrom the county prison onnominal bail. State law says adefendant who cannot makebail must be brought to trial

    within 180 days of arrest orbe released on nominal bail,

    which can be as low as $1.

    County Judge Fred Pieran-toni granted the request, set-ting Donahues bail at $20,000.Pierantoni said Donahue is notto possess weapons, cannot

    change his address withoutapproval and must participatein the countys Day ReportingCenter.

    According to the criminalcomplaint fled by Hazleton De-tective Lt. Kenneth Zipovsky,on Aug. 17 Donahue sent anemail to Salavantis threateningto shoot it out with officersif the district attorney didnot do as he wanted. He alsomade not-so-veiled threatsthat people would be killed ifhe did not get the actions hedemanded, the complaint said.

    Also on Tuesday, Donahuerequested the charges againsthim be dropped, citing theemail does not specificallycontain a threat to commit

    violence and was a singleisolated communication.

    Pierantoni scheduled a hear-ing for that request on June 14as well as a pretrial hearing forJune 26. The state AttorneyGenerals office is prosecutingthe case.

    PITTSTON City Coun-

    cil addressed discriminationon Tuesday night, passing anordinance aimed at protect-ing the rights of homosexual,transgender and disabled resi-dents.

    Council did not refer to anyspecific problems of discrimi-nation, but said that as the cityupdates its downtown, it also

    wants to update its policies,makingit possible forall its resi-dents to prosper.

    The ordinance, drafted by city

    solicitor Sam Falcone, includesprotection for all persons, re-gardless of actual or perceivedrace, color, sex, religion, an-cestry, genetic information, na-tional origin, sexual orientation

    or expression, gender, familialstatus, and mental and physicaldisabilities.

    Our administration is for-ward-thinking and progressive,Falcone said.

    Ted Martin, representingEquality Pennsylvania, said the

    ordinance was invaluable in theareas of housing and employ-ment.

    Most people understand thateveryone needs an income anda place to live, said Martin,

    but, quite frequently, land-

    lords refuse to rent to peoplethey perceive as different from

    them.

    Daniel Parry asked councilto reject the ordinance, sayingit would lead to discriminationagainst those who held Chris-

    tian religious beliefs.The ordinance is unneces-

    sary and problematic, Parrysaid. We are not presentlydenying any groups their civilrights.

    RebekkaParrysaidas a parentof young children in Pittston,she was concerned about thecitys moral environment.

    Similar ordinances have beenpassed in 30 other municipali-ties in Pennsylvania and, Martinsaid, they would protect 30 per-

    cent of the states residents.Martin said he hoped the

    state also would pass legisla-tion reinforcing the concept ofequality and opportunity for itsresidents.

    LUZERNE Boroughmeetings for June will beas follows: Sewer Authoritymonthly meeting, 7 p.m. June4; Borough Council work ses-sion, 7 p.m., June 5; monthlycouncil meeting, 7 p.m., June12. All meetings are in the

    Luzerne Borough Building,144 Academy St., Luzerne.

    PITTSTON Residentsare reminded that when

    paying taxes, sewer mainte-nance fees, etc., the original

    bill should be provided with

    payment.

    They should not detachany part of the bills.

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    Issue No. 2013-149

    www.timesleader.com TIMES LEADERWEDnESDAy, MAy 29, 2013 timesleader.com

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    OBITUARIES

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    Lacina, MaryMakarczyk, SusanMorrash, JamesPisaneschi, GeorgeSites, LesterSvintozelskiy,Matrena

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    PAGE 2A

    PLYMOUTH A man wasarraigned Tuesday on chargeshe assaulted his father during arobbery.

    Frederick Lamont Johnson,31, of West Main Street, Plym-outh, was charged with twocounts each of simple assault,

    harassment and disorderlyconduct, and a single count ofrobbery.

    He was jailed at the LuzerneCounty Correctional Facility forlack of $25,000 bail.

    John Moore Jr. told policehis son asked him for moneyMonday night.

    Moore said that when he re-fused to give his son money, theson punched him several times,knocking out a tooth, and triedto take his wallet, according tothe criminal complaint.

    A preliminary hearing isscheduled on June 5.

    WILKES-BARRE City

    police reported the following: Someone stole a speed en-

    forcement device from Wilkes-Barre police early Mondaymorning.

    Officers had been conduct-ing speed enforcement along

    Wilkes-Barre Boulevard a littlebefore 1 a.m. when an officerrequested assistance.

    The officer stationed at thespeed enforcement device leftthe area to provide backup and,upon returning, found thatsomeone had taken the device.

    Police said theft chargeswill be filed against Keon Tylerafter a woman reported that hehad been in her Sherman Hills

    apartment in Building 308 onNorth Empire Court and tookher iPhone 5, refused to give itback and left with it on Mon-day.

    Quientin Rone, 30, wasto be charged with criminalcontempt after he allegedly vio-lated a protection from abuseorder when Linda Powell, whoapplied for the protection, saidshe found him in her livingroom at 139 Sambourne St.

    when she arrived home from apart at about 6 p.m. Monday,police said.

    Powell told police that Ronebecame enraged when sheordered him to leave and triedto strike her with a closed fist,police said.

    Police checked the area butcouldnt find Rone.

    HANOVER TWP. Town-ship police reported the follow-ing:

    Terri Lynn Rovinski, ofAshley, was cited with leavingthe scene of an accident, driv-ing on a suspended license anddriving without insurance aftera May 20 crash on Hazle Streetin the Newtown section, town-ship police said.

    Rovinski was driving a 2007Land Rover owned by JamarrReid & Flawless Family Inc.,

    Wilkes-Barre, when the vehicle

    struck a utility pole, the stairsto a business and a 2002 Fordpickup owned by Traci andJason Davis, of Ashley, policesaid.

    Kathleen Zellock, of Ox-ford Street, reported the licenseplate of her 2007 Kia sedan wasstolen sometime between May22 and May 27.

    Jeffrey Politz, of BolandAvenue, Hanover Township,reported someone entered

    his unlocked Toyota Tundralate Monday night and stole a12-gauge Remington model 870shotgun.

    An investigation determinedthat other unlocked vehiclesmay have been entered aroundthe same time, but no other

    victims had come forward,police said.

    Lauren Hertzlerm, of West

    Division Street, reported fourlawn chairs were stolen fromhis front porch sometime dur-ing the early-morning hours onSaturday.

    Teressa Baratta reportedfour cast-iron tubs were stolenfrom the rear of her propertyduring the daytime hours onMay 20.

    WILKES-BARRE TheWilkes-Barre Office of the statepolice Bureau of Liquor ControlEnforcement reported the fol-lowing:

    Prospect Street Caf, 23S. Prospect St., Nanticoke, wascited with violating sections

    of the state liquor and crimecodes and the Controlled Sub-stance Act on March 18 dealing

    with: simple assault, terroristicthreats, harassment, tempering

    with or fabricating evidence,disorderly conduct, publicdrunkenness and possession ofdrug paraphernalia.

    City police that night hadarrested the owner, Paul Hal-liday, 37, of West Ridge Street,Nanticoke, after investigatingan assault inside the troubledtavern. Halliday had nailed anoffice door shut and threatenedto shoot police if they forcedopen the door, according tocharges filed.

    Halliday also had allegedlykicked his girlfriend when hesaw her talking to another maninside a restroom, police hadsaid.

    Capones Bar & Grill Inc.,520 Main St., White Haven, wascited with selling or providingalcohol to a minor on April 13.

    HAZLETON City policereported the following:

    Andrea Kolinofsky, 38, ofHazleton, was to be cited withcareless driving after she rear-ended a 2007 Jeep being drivenby a juvenile girl at 7:45 a.m.

    Tuesday, police said.Police said the Jeep was

    stopped at the intersection of

    Diamond Avenue and CarsonStreet to turn left onto CarsonStreet when Kolinofskys 2004Hyundai struck the rear of theJeep.

    No injuries were reported.The Hyundai was towed.

    Police are investigatingthe theft of copper pipe froma vacant property at 201 E.Hemlock St.

    Anyone with informationshould contact police by calling459-4940 or calling 911 and ask-ing for a Hazleton officer.

    Police were called toinvestigate damage to a front

    window of a residence in the500 block of Peace Street

    just before 6 p.m. Monday.Anyone who might have

    witnessed the damage occur oranyone with information shouldcall 911 and ask to speak withHazleton police.

    A 27-year-old man reportedMonday that someone enteredhis residence in the 100 blockof South Church Street some-time around 2 a.m. and stole his

    Dell XPS 17 laptop computer.Anyone with information

    should call 911 and ask tospeak with Hazleton police.

    PITTSTON TWP. A for-mer Pittston Township coupleface assault charges after policeresponded to their residencefor a reported domestic dispute

    just after midnight on Monday.Police were met outside by

    Romayne Kmetz and informedthat her ex-husband, HenryKmetz, was inside arguing

    with their daughter and thatRomayne wanted Henrys gunsconfiscated.

    Police found Henry and his

    daughter, Jessica Kmetz, andRomaynes mother, BernadineElick, inside, yelling and statingthat the fight was over Jessicasgraduation and Henrys drink-ing, according to court papers.

    Romayne and Jessica told po-lice that Henry said he couldnttake it anymore and started

    walking towards the guns.Romayne called 911, Henrypushed her, Jessica tried to stophim, Henry grabbed Jessicaaround the neck in a choke holdand Jessica bit him on the armto get away, police said.

    Henry told police his daugh-ter and ex-wife beat him, thatJessica bit him on the arm

    when he tried going to his bed-room and that his wife punchedhim in the head and kicked himin the groin, police said.

    Henry Kmetz, 52, and Ro-mayne Kmetz, 48, both werecharged with two counts eachof simple assault and harass-ment.

    Henry was transported tothe township police stationand checked out by emergencymedical services for the biteand complaints of high bloodpressure. Jessica and Romayne

    were also taken into policecustody, police said.

    SALEM TWP. JoshuaDaum, 24, of East Front St.,

    was charged with simple as-sault, harassment and disorder-ly conduct after his girlfriend,Lacy Anecki, reported that hestruck her in the eye during anargument they had during a dis-cussion over past relationships,police said in court papers.

    NANTICOKE DavidMarinus, 47, of Apollo Circle,Nanticoke, was charged withsimple assault and harassmentafter his girlfriend, HeatherSzymaszek, with whom heresides, reported on Tuesdaythat he grabbed her and pushedher in the chest area onto a bed,according to court papers.

    Psn as pvn dsmnanCit Coucil passes ordiace

    affirmig rights of disabled,

    trasgeder ad ga people.

    ByGERI GIBBONS

    Times Leader Correspondent

    Hazn Aa g xp f md ws

    HAZLETON In a specialmeeting of the Hazleton AreaSchool Board on Tuesday, thepanel voted unanimously tosecurethe services of an indus-trial hygienist to determinethe correct way to remediate

    the recently reported mold is-sues at the districts Academyof Sciences magnet school inthe former Can-Do building.

    The boardis awaiting a com-prehensive report from thecontractor before determininga course of actionto effectivelyaddress the mold issue.

    BySTEVENFONDO

    Times Leader Correspondent

    TIFFANI PRESCOTT WASomitted from the list of gradu-ates of Kings College published

    Monday, May 20 on Page 4A.

    Police blotter

    MUNiciPAl brieFS

    coUrt brieFS

    EXETER Taxpayers in theWyoming Area School Districtmight get an unexpected breakas the School Board approveda final proposed $30.1 millionbudget, which includes a taxincrease of 2.3 percent.

    The budget is not binding,but is more favorable to taxpay-ers than the preliminary budgetapproved in April that includedexceptionsallowed by thestate.

    The districts business man-ager, Tom Melone, said severalfactors allowedfor the final pro-posed budget.

    The district did not use anyof its contingency funds this

    year, he said. He also said thatadjustments for unpaid leaveand sabbaticals added to thedistricts fund balance.

    The proposed budget callsfor a 13.8522 millage rate fortaxpayers who live in LuzerneCounty and a 76.9683 millagerate for those who live in Wyo-ming County. A mill is $1 intax for every $1,000 in assessedproperty value.

    The proposed tax increasewould add about $36 to theaverage home in Luzerne Coun-ty. Those living in WyomingCounty would actually receivea small decrease in their taxes.

    In other matters: A request by the Wyoming

    Area Football Parents Associa-tion to hold the Warrior Tribe

    Trot at a venue that will beannounced later raised a greatdeal of discussion. SolicitorJarrett Ferentino said he wascaught off guard by the request.He questioned whether thegambling-type activity wouldfall within the new legal guide-

    lines for charitable fundraising.I think we have to review it,he said. The board voted to ap-prove the event subject to Fe-rentinos approval.

    Administrators feldedseveral questions about thedistricts financial relationship

    with the Luzerne Intermedi-ate Unit. Board members andresidents alike questioned the$762,000 contract the board ap-proved for 2013-2014 servicesprovided by the unit.

    Wyoming Area budget planhas 2.3 percent tax hikeProposal more favorable to

    taxpaers tha prelimiar

    budget approved i April.

    BySUSAN DENNEY

    Times Leader Correspondent

    W H AT S n E X T

    The board meet in work sessionJune 18 at 7 p.m.

    N.Y. hgh u has Sauks asThe Associated Press

    ALBANY, N.Y. Baristas,managers and Starbucks itselfput in their two cents Tues-day before New Yorks highestcourt in a tip-jar dispute thatcould have broad consequenc-es for the states hospitality

    workers and, ultimately, em-

    ployees at the coffee chainsthousands of U.S. retail stores.

    The arguments pitted low-level workers against assistantmanagers and the companyover who is entitled to thecash tips coffee customersleave when picking up theirdaily pick-me-up.

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    WILKES-BARRE Scranton will bethe first city in Northeastern Pennsyl-

    vania to use a smartphone app that en-ables downtown drivers to pay for park-ing in public lots and metered spaces

    with their cellphones.The app, called Pango, has custom-

    ers in 48 cities in Israel and Europeand three cities in the United States Latrobe, Pa., Auburn N.Y., and nowScranton.

    Wilkes-Barre participated in a pilot

    program for new parking meter tech-nology back in February 2011, but thatprogram was designed to increase rev-enue through a system that would haveused sensors and other technology toalert officials when parked vehicles ex-ceededtimelimitsor a meter neededtobe emptied.

    Wilkes-Barre Municipal Affairs Man-ager Drew McLaughlin said a reportissued last year showed the city couldincrease parking revenue with the sys-tem, and those revenues were includedin a proposal to lease the citys parking

    meters and garages, but the parking au-thority voted down the proposal.McLaughlin said pursuing the tech-

    nology was put on hold as the lease wasbeing considered and was not pursued

    after the deal was rejected because theadministration had more pressing mat-ters.

    Dani Shavit, CEO of Pango ShyynyUSAof Baltimore,said he wasattractedto Scranton because it has made infra-structure improvements that, in turn,have attracted new and innovative busi-nesses such as food trucks that have be-come downtown staples.

    We are looking for cities with poten-tial, Shavit said.

    Mayor Christopher Doherty believessmartphone parking is a natural pro-

    gression.Years from now, people are going towonder why we didnt always pay with

    Five people have beencharged in the August inva-sion of the Lehman Townshiphome of an elderly woman

    who hid from the intrudersand gunfire in a closet.

    State police at Wyoming al-

    lege CharlesC o n d e nIII, 20, last-known ad-dress as

    W r i g h tStreet, Ed-

    wa rd sv il le ,fired several

    rounds into a residence at 360Huntsville-Idetown Road onthe Lehman Township estatecompound of prominent areabusinessman Ken Pollock on

    Aug. 3.The home invasion was

    part of a crime spree alleg-edly involving Conden andhis cohorts, Aliyah Hill, 18, ofEdwardsville; Payne Prasni-kar, 21, of Stillwater; AntonioSuarez, 18, and Sara Gryskev-icz, 19, both from Wilkes-Barre.

    Hours before Conden al-legedly shot his way into thehome of Marion Pollock, 89,he and Prasnikar allegedly

    robbed a convenience storeon East Main Street in Nanti-coke, stealing a cash registerthat was later dumped alonga road; burglarized a garage inEdwardsville; robbed a conve-niencestoreon theDallasMe-morial Highway in Kingston

    Township, and a residence inJackson Township on Aug.2-3.

    Authorities said the fivepeople were driving aroundrandomly targeting places to

    plunder in a car they allegedlystole in West Nanticoke.

    Their spree did not stopas they left the area. Theytraveled to Ocean City, Md.,

    where Conden robbed theRaceway Citgo ConvenienceStore on Ocean Gateway anddischarged a round from thesame handgun at a customerat about 5 p.m. Aug. 3.

    A pursuit ensued after the

    TIMES LEADER www.timesleader.com WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 2013timesleader.com PAGE 3A

    LOCALWILKES-BARRE

    One race tally changedOne change in last weeks unofficial

    primary election results has been iden-tified so far by Luzerne County Bureauof Elections Director Marissa Crispell-Barber during Tuesdays tallying: MarkLehnowsky has won a Republican anda Democrat nomination for a seat on

    the Northwest AreaSchool Board through

    write-in votes, shesaid the unofficialtally shows.

    A tally sheetshowed thatLehnowsky won 120

    write-in votes on the Democrat ballotand 137 on the Republican. There

    were four open seats in the race. Threeother candidates names appeared onthe ballot: Michael J. Kreidler, Alton

    Farver and Peter J. Lanza Sr.The results remain unofficial untilcertification by the Board of Electionsat a 5:30 p.m. meeting Monday in a

    yet-to-be-determined location.There could be changes in other

    races tallied by bureau inspectors.Crispell-Barber will be reviewing allof the municipal race tallies betweentoday and Friday.

    One inspector noted that write-invotes brought Ann Nancy Hughes andJohn Gibbons to a tie for a Democratnomination to one of three open coun-cil seats in Ashley.

    HARRISBURG

    Pa. Bar group leaders namedMore than 70 lawyers will serve as

    2013-14 chairs of Pennsylvania BarAssociation committees and sections.Many of the associations policies andpositions prompting development ofstate laws and actions viewed as ben-eficial to the legal system, the courtsand the public result from actionsinitiated by the leaders and membersof these groups.

    Among the attorneys, Richard M.Goldberg, of Hourigan, Kluger &Quinn PC, Kingston, was renamedchair of the PBA Judicial CampaignAdvertising Committee, whichpromotes accurate, fair and dignified

    judicial campaign advertising amongcandidates seeking election to thecommonwealths appellate courts bymonitoring and reviewing complaints.

    WILKES-BARRE

    Library sets pasta dinnerThe Osterhout Free Librarys North

    Branch will hold a pasta dinnerfundraiser 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday in thelibrarys Community Room, 28 OliverSt., Parsons.

    The event is an all-you-can eathomemade pasta dinner along with abook sale, bake sale and basket raffle.

    Take-outs are available after 3 p.m. andwalk-ins are welcome. Cost is $8 foradults and $4 for kids 8 and under.

    HARRISBURG

    Driving fatalities recordedThirteen people were killed and 245

    others were injured in the 760 crashesinvestigated by the Pennsylvania StatePolice during the four-day MemorialDay holiday weekend driving period.

    There were no fatalities in LuzerneCounty.

    The official holiday driving periodwas May 24-27. During that time,troopers cited 1,280 individuals for not

    wearing seat belts and issued cita-tions to 146 motorists for not securingchildren in safety seats.

    Troopers also issued 9,720 speedingcitations and arrested 438 operatorsfor driving under the influence. Ofthe 760 crashes investigated by statepolice, 85 of those, including five fatalcrashes, were alcohol-related.

    During last years four-day MemorialDay holiday driving period, 13 people

    died and 311 others were injured in817 crashes to which state troopersresponded.

    NICHOLSON

    Railroad bridge closedThe railroad-owned bridge carrying

    state Route 1025 in Nicholson over theCanadian Pacific Railroad will now beclosed to vehicular and pedestrian traf-fic until further notice due to its poorcondition, according to PennsylvaniaDepartment of Transportation. Thereis a posted detour.

    WILKES-BARRE

    Crime Watch slates meetingA Heights Crime Watch meeting will

    be held Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Puri-tan Church, 67 S. Sherman St. There isplenty of parking in the rear of church.

    I N B R I E F

    5 charged in burglary, theft spreeByEDWARDLEWIS

    [email protected]

    Crimes, including a home

    invasion, covered two days,

    car chase to Maryland.

    CollegesavingsaccounttoutedByMARK GUYDISH

    [email protected]

    Building condemnedafter domestic dispute

    WILKES-BARRE Anapartment building on HazleAvenue was condemned bythe city codeenforcement of-fice and a fugitive from NewYork was captured after po-lice investigated a domesticdispute Tuesday morning.

    Andre Allen, 22, of 617Hazle Ave., apartment 3, wasarraigned on charges he usedanother name to identifyhimself to an officer.

    Police investigated a dis-pute involving a womanand Allen, who allegedlyclaimed he was going to killher unborn child. Allen andthe woman were stopped

    by police on McLean Streetand transported back to hisapartment.

    Allen claimed he had apassport inside the apart-ment that identified him asChristopher A. Thomas, ac-cording to the criminal com-plaint.

    Once back at the apart-ment, the woman told po-lice she had thrown all of

    Thomas belongings outsideand the landlord picked itup. The landlord informedpolice that Thomas is DavidBurke. Police believe Allen isusing numerous aliases.

    Allen ran into the apart-ment building after the

    woman had gone inside.Police forced their way

    inside the building for fearof the womans unborn

    child and Allens previousthreats, the complaint says.

    Clark Van Orden/THe TIMeS leader

    Wilkes-Barre Police and building inspectors leave 617Hazle Ave. after a man was apprehended on a fugitivefrom justice warrant from New York.

    ByEDWARDLEWIS

    [email protected]

    A fugitive from New York

    who used several aliases

    was captured by police.

    JaSOn rIedMIller/FOr THe TIMeS leader

    Pango CEO Dani Shavit displays the Pango Smart Parking App on his phone.

    Paying for parking? Use Pango

    Conden

    You wont find it marked onmany if any calendars, buttoday is PA529 Day, set asideby the state to draw attention toa tax-deferred savingplan forcol-lege.

    It may be obscure to most, butthere are 3,096 529 accounts inLuzerne County that helped fam-ilies save $31 million for college,according to the state Depart-ment of Treasury, which runs thefederally backed program.

    Federal and state taxes aredeferred as long as money re-mains in a 529 account, andboth the principal and invest-ment income are tax free upon

    withdrawal if used for qualifiedpurposes, mainly tuition, roomand board, though other collegecosts are on the list.

    At worst, a person can with-draw the money to use for anypurpose and pay the taxes they

    would have owed anyway.There is no bad outcome,

    said state Treasury Secretary RobMcCord, a staunch proponentof the program who gladly toutsrapid growth in participation andamount saved under his tenure.

    We have record enrollmentand record savings, McCordsaid. As of March 31, there were176,256 accounts statewideholding $2.785 billion.

    Regionally, Luzerne Countyhas the most accounts and themost money saved, which is notsurprising considering its thelargest, population-wise. Lacka-

    wanna County is a close second,with 2,856 accounts holding$30.2 million. Among adjacentcounties, lightly-populated andlargely rural Wyoming Countyhas the fewest accounts, 262holding $2.54 million.

    There are two types of 529accounts in Pennsylvania. Oneguarantees investment returns

    will match tuition increases atcertain institutions. The othergives greater flexibility in howmoney is invested, but does not

    guarantee returns.PA529Day ismore that a salespitch by program proponents.

    To lure people to enroll via thestate website at PA529.com, thestate is waiving the $50 enroll-ment fee for those who sign upby Friday (use the code Time-Flies when prompted). Sign upby thedeadline andyou also willhave a chance to win one of five$529 accounts opened on behalfof the winners by the state.

    Its never too early and itsnever too late to enroll, Mc-Cord said Tuesday. Whether

    youre a grandparent who justheardabout a secondgrandchildon theway, or somebody already

    in college, it usually makes eco-nomic sense to make use ofthese programs, and its supereasy to do.

    Drivers visiting Scranton will be able

    to use smartphone app on cellphones

    at public lots and metered spaces.

    ByTESS KORNFELD

    Times Leader Correspondent

    20 1 3ELECTION

    See CONDEN, Page 10A

    See CONDEMNED, Page 10A

    See PANGO, Page 10A

  • 7/28/2019 Times Leader 05-29-2013

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    POINT PLEASANT, N.J. President Barack Obamaand Gov. Chris Christie re-united for a buddy trip tothe beach Tuesday, showingoff the improvements to theJersey Shore in the sevenmonths since it was hit bySuperstorm Sandy and en-couraging tourists to returnto the storied vacation desti-nation.

    The Jersey Shore is back,and its open for business,the president said on acloudy and drizzly day.

    The trip served as a sortof tourism commercial, fea-

    turing the two politiciansplaying at an arcade on theboardwalk, high-fiving ex-cited kids and marveling at agiant sand castle under con-struction.

    The president, in a playfulspeech, said, If they ever letme have some fun, Id have ithere.

    Obama said the JerseyShore had a special placein the nations heart and itsmythology. He quoted BruceSpringsteens Jersey Girl,saying, Down the shore ev-erythings all right.

    But the days agendaalso played up the role the

    Democratic president andthe Republican governorhave played in helping thearea recover after the stormcrushed seaside property,took out portions of theboardwalk and devastatedkey tourist destinations.

    Although Obama notedthat restaurants and arcades

    were open, he also stressedthat the reconstruction workcontinued. Were not done

    yet, and I want to make surethat everybody understandsthat, he said. Were goingto keepon going untilwe fin-ish.

    Standing just a hundred

    yards from the shore at As-bury Park, Christie creditedcooperation among local,state and federal govern-ment for the progress.

    This has been a com-munity effort, everybody

    working together, Christietold the crowd. The cause of

    rebuilding was more impor-tant, he said, than any kindof politics at all.

    Obama and Christie paidan unannounced visit to thePoint Pleasant boardwalk.

    They checked out prog-ress on what Obama said

    would be the worlds tallest

    sand castle, which currentlyhas a wood frame and scaf-folding. Ed Jarrett, the de-signer, said he is building itfrom top to bottom.

    The town is going for theGuinness record for sandcastles, several folks on theboardwalk said.

    TIMES LEADER www.timesleader.com WEDnESDAy, MAy 29, 2013N A T I O N & W O R L D PAGE 5A

    WHITE MARSH, MD.

    Derailment collapses buildings

    An explosion after a cargo trainderailed Tuesday in a Baltimoresuburb rattled homes at least a half-mile away and collapsed nearby build-ings, setting them on fire, officials and

    witnesses said.The train went off the tracks at

    about 2 p.m. in White Marsh, about 10miles northeast of Baltimore and a firedepartment spokeswoman said she didnot know if there were any injuries.

    Hazmat teams were on the scene,Baltimore County Police and Fire saidin a series of tweets.

    A thick plume of black smoke wasemerging from the scene and was

    visible for miles, the smoke driftingacross the Baltimore city line and cov-ering the eastern part of the city.

    INDIANAPOLIS

    Planned Parenthood rejectedIndiana will likely stop defending a

    law that stripped Medicaid funds fromPlanned Parenthood after the SupremeCourt declined to hear the case Tues-day, an attorney who represents thenations largest abortion provider said.

    Indiana is among more than a dozenstates that have enacted or consideredlaws to prevent taxpayers money fromfunding organizations that provideabortion. The 7th U.S. Circuit Court ofAppeals ruled Oct. 23 that the law tar-geting Planned Parenthood went toofar because it denied women the rightto choose their own medical providers.

    The case now returns to U.S. Dis-trict Judge Tanya Walton Pratt, whogranted the initial preliminary injunc-tion to temporarily block the law,precipitating the states appeals.

    BEIRUT

    Syria diplomacy a priorityEuropes decision to allow the

    arming of Syrian rebels and Russiasrenewed pledge to supply SyrianPresident Bashar Assads regime withadvanced missiles could transform analready brutal civil war into an East-

    West proxy fight although Britainsaid Tuesday it wont transfer any

    weapons to the rebels before diplo-macy is given a chance.

    The possibility of an arms race inSyria overshadowed attempts by theU.S. and Russia to bring representa-tives of the Assad regime and Syriaspolitical opposition to peace talks atan international conference in Geneva,possibly next month.

    The talks, though seen as a longshot, constitute the internationalcommunitys only plan for ending theconflict that began more than two

    years ago and has killed more than70,000 people.

    SANFORD, FLA.

    Martin evidence is limitedAttorneys wont be able to mention

    Trayvon Martins drug use, suspensionfrom school and past fighting duringopening statements at the trial of aformer neighborhood watch volunteer

    who fatally shot the teen, a judgeruled Tuesday.

    However, Circuit Judge Debra Nel-son left open the possibility that thedefense could try again later duringthe trial if it could show relevance.

    George Zimmerman is charged withsecond-degree murder in the 17-year-olds killing and has pleaded not guilty,saying he acted in self-defense. He didnot attend Tuesdays hearing.

    I N B R I E F

    AP PHOTO

    What can Brown do for Ben?Actor and director Ben Affleckreceives an honorary degree Sundayat Brown Universitys commence-ment in Providence, R.I. Affleck wasamong six artists, writers, scien-tists and educators to receive the

    degrees from the Ivy League schoolat commencement exercises. He re-ceived a doctor of fine arts degree.

    Obama: Jersey boosterRresidet ad GOP Gov.

    Christie oce agai joi up

    i Sad disaster area.

    By CHRISTI PARSONS

    Tribune Washington Bureau

    High noonnears forD.C circuit

    decisions

    WASHINGTON A partisanshowdown is looming over whatis known as the nations second-highest court, with PresidentBarack Obama poised to nomi-nate as many as three choicesfor the understaffed U.S. Courtof Appeals in Washington in the

    face of a Republican proposal todistribute its vacancies to otherparts of the country.

    The District of Columbia Cir-cuit has been at the center of

    years of wrangling between theWhite House and the Senate be-cause its judges have so muchinfluence over national and eveninternational matters. Many cas-es, heard on the fifth floor of thefederal courthouse across fromthe Capitol, relate to the balanceof power in Washington and re-

    view of actions by federal agen-cies that affect health, safety andthe environment for all Ameri-cans.

    The White House is planning

    to pair Obamas nominationswith an aggressive push to getthem confirmed despite a GOPbill to trim the number of judgeson the D.C. circuit. Republicansare taking their attempts to ma-nipulate the federal judiciary toan entirely new level, Obamasenior adviser Dan Pfeiffer saidin a written statement that the

    White House planned to poston its blog Wednesday as part ofits campaign on judicial nomina-tions.

    The White House has beenfrustrated by the successfulblockingof one of Obamas nomi-nees to the circuit and by keydecisions there recently against

    Obamas agenda. The circuitoverturned the administrationsregulation clamping down onpower plant pollution that cross-es state lines,rejected its attemptto require large graphic health

    warnings on cigarette packagesand found that Obama exceededhis power in bypassing the Sen-ate to make recess appointments.

    We have a majority in thatcourt that is wreaking havoc

    with the country, Senate Major-ity Leader HarryReid argued last

    week on the Senate floor.Senate Republican leader

    Mitch McConnell responded toReid, The real issue, I guess, ishe disagrees with the rulings onthe D.C. circuit.

    Although Obama also has got-ten some victories from the D.C.circuit, which upheld his healthcare law and his administrationsrule on greenhouse gases, he wasstymied in his attempts to addhis own nominees to its benchuntil last week.

    Obamas first offering, CaitlinHalligan, waited two and a half

    years before withdrawing hernomination in March with Re-publicans blocking a vote on herconfirmation.

    Presidet to offer omiatios

    while GOP pushes for fewer

    judges o high-powered court.

    ByNEDRA PICKLER

    Associated Press

    BEIJING A newborns cries froma public restroom in a residential build-ing in eastern China led a tenant to astartling discovery: a baby boy trappedin a sewage pipe beneath a squat toilet.

    Firefighters, unable to pull the babyout, endedup sawingawayan L-shapedsection of the pipe and carrying it to ahospital, where it was delicately priedapart to save the infant.

    Video of the two-hour rescue of BabyNo. 59 so named because of his in-cubator number in the hospital in thePujiang areaof thecity ofJinhua wasshown on Chinese news programs and

    websites late Monday and Tuesday.The baby, who weighed 6 pounds,

    2.8 ounces, had a low heart rate andsome minor abrasions on his head and

    limbs, but was mostly unhurt, accord-ing to Zhejiang Online, the provincesofficial newssite. The placentawas stillattached.

    Itwas unclear howthebabyendedupin the toilet, but police said they weretreating the case as an attempted homi-cide. The Pujiang county police bureausaid on its official microblog accountthat the boys mother has been locatedand that an investigation was under

    way, but it gave no further details.In the video, officials were shown

    removing the pipe from a ceiling thatapparently was just below the restroomand then, at the hospital, using pliersand saws to gently pull apart the pipe,

    which was about about 3 inches in di-ameter.

    News of the babys ordeal was metwith horror and pity by bloggers onChinese sites. Most speculated that thechild had been dumped by his parentsdown the toilet.

    The landlord of the building toldZhejiang News that there were no

    signs that the birth took place in therestroom and she was not aware of anyrecent pregnancies among her tenants.

    Baby saved from sewer in ChinaAuthorities i easter Chia are

    treatig the icidet as a case of

    attempted homicide.

    The Associated Press

    Passengers arrive back in Baltimore after cruise ship fire

    BALTIMORE Passengerswhose cruise aboard Royal Ca-ribbeans Grandeur of the Seas

    was cut short by an onboardfire began arriving back in Bal-timore on charter flights fromthe Bahamas on Tuesday after-noon, with many praising theresponse of the company and

    crew.Ill never go on any other

    cruise line, said Craig Dzubak,

    26, of Pittsburgh, who was onhis first cruise. They couldnthave handled it any better. Hesaid he and his wife, Chelsea,

    were planning their next cruisewhile on the flight home.

    Robert Alexander of Hamil-ton, N.J., said he was impressedby how well-prepared everyoneon board was for emergencies.An actor from the ships theatermade announcements to pas-sengers after they were evacu-ated from their rooms, he said.

    Meanwhile, the vice presi-dent of the Grand Bahama

    Shipyardsaid theship wouldberepaired at his facility, thougha full assessment of damagehadnt been done yet.

    We arestill workingwith thecruise line to assess the repairs,and I senta crewover there thismorning, Reuben Byrd said

    Tuesday. Im assuming it willbe a big job for us, he added.

    Royal Caribbean spokeswom-an Cynthia Martinez did notimmediately return phone callsor emails Tuesday afternoonabout the repairs. Earlier, shesaid she had no updates on theincident or cause.

    Byrd said the shipyard didntknow about the cause, either.

    The U.S. Coast Guard and the

    National Transportation SafetyBoard planned to investigate.The fire began at 2:50 a.m.

    Monday and was extinguished

    about two hours later, with noinjuries reported. Photos showa substantial area of the stern

    burned on several decks of theship the length of about threefootball fields.

    Roal Caribbea lier awaits

    repairs i Bahamas after

    blaze earl Moda.

    ByBENNUCKOLS

    Associated Press

    AP PHOTO

    The fire-damaged exterior of Royal Caribbeans Grandeur ofthe Seas cruise ship is shown docked Monday in Freeport,Grand Bahama island.

    AP PHOTO

    President Barack Obama and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie walk along the boardwalkTuesday during their visit to Point Pleasant, N.J.

    AP PHOTO

    Rescue workers cut away parts of asewage pipe where a newborn babywas trapped in Pujiang, China.

  • 7/28/2019 Times Leader 05-29-2013

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    Alex Trubula5/29/22 - 1/19/13

    Sadly Missed By ourWife Joan Daughters &

    Granddaughters

    The Times Leader publishesfree obituaries, which have a

    27-line limit, and paid obituar-ies, which can run with a photo-graph. A funeral home repre-sentative can call the obituarydesk at (570) 829-7224, send afax to (570) 829-5537 or e-mailto [email protected]. Ifyou fax or e-mail, please callto confirm. Obituaries must besubmitted by 9 p.m. Sundaythrough Thursday and 7:30 p.m.Friday and Saturday. Obituariesmust be sent by a funeral homeor crematory, or must namewho is handling arrangements,with address and phone num-ber. We discourage handwrittennotices; they incur a $15 typingfee.

    OB ITUARY

    POL I CY

    TIMES LEADER www.timesleader.comWEDNESDAY, M AY 29, 2013 O B I T U A R I E SPAGE 6A

    ATKINSON - Thomas, funeral 10 a.m. to-day at H. Merritt Hughes Funeral Home,451 N. Main St., Wilkes-Barre.CARICHNER - Sarah, memorial service7 p.m. Wednesday at Sheldon-KukuchkaFuneral Home Inc., 73 W. Tioga St.,Tunkhannock.COOMBS - Ruth, funeral 11 a.m. today atMayo Funeral Home Inc., 77 N. Main St.,Shickshinny.DIESO-STEGURA - Janet, funeral 10a.m. today at Yanaitis Funeral Home Inc.,55 Stark St., Plains Township. Friendsmay call 9 a.m. until service.DOMBROSKI - Alfred, funeral 9 a.m.Thursday at Yanaitis Funeral Home Inc.,55 Stark St., Plains Township. Mass ofChristian Burial 9:30 a.m. in Ss. Peter &Paul Church, Plains Township. Friendsmay call 5 to 8 p.m. today at the funeralhome.ERMAK - Mark, friends may call 4 to 8

    p.m. today at Kopicki Funeral Home, 263Zerbey Ave., Kingston.FETTERMAN - Mary Ellen, funeral 9:30a.m. Thursday from George A. Strish Inc.Funeral Home, 105 N. Main St., Ashley.Mass of Christian Burial 10 a.m. in St. An-drew Parish, Parrish Street, Wilkes-Barre.Friends may call 5 to 8 p.m. today.GAUGHAN - Rosemary, funeral 10:30a.m. today at Nat & Gawlas FuneralHome, 89 Park Ave., Wilkes-Barre. Massof Christian Burial 11 a.m. in St. NicholasChurch, 226 S. Washington St., Wilkes-Barre.GRUEN - Thomas, funeral 11 a.m. today inTunkhannock Assembly of God Church.KOPEC - Theodore Jr., friends may call5 to 8 p.m. today at Bednarski & ThomasFuneral Home, 27 Park Ave. Wilkes-Barre.Memorial service 8 p.m.MACKIN - Mary, funeral 9 a.m. Thursdayat Metcalfe-Shaver-Kopcza FuneralHome Inc,. 504 Wyoming Ave., Wyoming.Mass of Christian Burial 9:30 a.m. in St.Cecilias Church of St. Barbaras Parish,Exeter. Friends may call 5 to 8 p.m. todayat the funeral home.MAKARCZYK - Susan, funeral 9:30 a.m.today at George A. Strish Inc. FuneralHome, 211 W. Main St., Glen Lyon. Massof Christian Burial 10 a.m. in Holy SpiritParish/St. Adalberts Church, Market

    Street, Glen Lyon. Friends may call 8:30a.m. until services.MASCHAK - Betty, funeral with Pana-chida 10 a.m. today at Damiano FuneralHome Inc., Blaine and Cleveland streets,McAdoo.MUZZY - Arlene, public memorial dinner6 p.m. Friday at Jenningsville CommunityCenter.RAPPAPORT- Marvin, Shiva 2 to 4 and7 to 9 p.m. today at the family home inKingston.ROMANUSKI - Charles, celebration oflife 10 a.m. today at Yeosock FuneralHome, 40 S. Main St., Plains Township.Friends may call 9:30 a.m. until service.

    SENGHAAS - Carl, friends may call 5 to7 p.m. Thursday at Kopicki Funeral Home,263 Zerbey Ave., Kingston.STUPPINO - Antoinette, funeral 9a.m. today at Peter J. Adonizio FuneralHome, 251 William St., Pittston. Mass ofChristian Burial 9:30 a.m. in St. JosephMarello Parish, Pittston.TARTONIS - Romaine, funeral with ser-vice 11 a.m. today at Kizis-Lokuta FuneralHome, 134 Church St., Pittston. Friendsmay call 9:30 a.m. until service.

    FUNERALS

    LESTER SITES, 64, of Dal-las, passed away Monday, May27, 2013. He was the owner andoperator of L. Sites Trucking Co.He was preceded in death by par-ents, Lester and Dorothy GraySites; brother, Robert. Survivingare children, Lester Sites andBrittany, and their son, Edward;

    David Sites and wife, Amber, andtheir sons, David and Luke; Dot-tie Krashnak and husband Tony,and their children, Tony, Nickolasand Karley; sister, Ann Nardone.

    Viewing will be 6 to 8 p.m.Thursday at the S.J. GrontkowskiFuneral Home, Plymouth. In lieuof flowers, contributions maybe made to the Luzerne CountySPCA. To submit condolences,

    visit www.sjgrontkowskifuneral-home.com.

    DUANE J. HERBERT, 5 3,of Bear Creek Township, passedaway Tuesday morning at hishome.

    Funeral arrangements arepending from the Corcoran Fu-neral Home Inc., 20 S. Main St.,Plains Township.

    Sally HeilbrunnMay 24, 2013

    Saranne Sally Heilbrunn, 63,of Scranton, passed away atGeisinger Community MedicalCenter on Friday, May 24, 2013,following a brief illness.

    Daughter of Sarah and Jim Mc-Nulty, Sally was born on July 21,1949, and grew up in Inkerman.She was a graduate of St. John theEvangelist High School. Sally helda bachelors degree in psychologyfrom Mansfield State University.

    Additionally, in the 1990s, Sallygraduated from Luzerne CountyCommunity College as a regis-tered nurse. Sally then used hereducation to help others by work-ing as a registered nurse in behav-ioral health first at CommunityMedical Center, and followed byClarks Summit State Hospital un-til she retired in early 2011.

    Sally was a generous, intelli-gent, loving and caring woman

    who enjoyed spending time withher son, shopping, traveling and atfamily events.

    Sally was preceded in death byher father, Jim McNulty.

    Sally is survived by her son, Jef-frey Heilbrunn; mother, Sarah Mc-Nulty; sister, Elizabeth OMalley;

    several cousins, nieces and aunts.She is deeply missed by all.A blessingservicewill be held

    at 10 a.m. Friday in the Peter J.Adonizio Funeral Home, 251 Wil-liam St., Pittston. Entombment

    will be in Mount Olivet Cemetery,Carverton. Friends may call from5 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the funeralhome.Following the funeral, there

    will be a brief luncheon served inSallys memory. Luncheon details

    will be provided at the funeral.Online condolences may be

    made at www.peterjadoniziofu-neralhome.com.

    CECELIA (LEGINS) BER-ZANSKI, 92, formerly of theHanover section of Nanticoke,passed away Tuesday at theBirch-

    wood Nursing and RehabilitationCenter, Nanticoke.

    Funeral arrangements arepending from the Stanley S. Ste-gura Funeral Home Inc., Nanti-coke.

    Susan M. Marianna MakarczykMay 24, 2013

    Susan M. Marianna Makarczyk,64, of West Main Street, GlenLyon, passed away on Friday atHospice Community Care, InpatientUnit, Geisinger South Wilkes-Barre,

    with her daughter, Michelle, and herson, Jeffrey, by her side.

    Shewas bornin Nanticokeon Dec.14, 1948. She was a daughter of thelate Andrew A. and Alvina E. DemskiSweeney.

    Shewas a memberof theSunshine

    Club.She enjoyed gardening and she

    loved to make beautiful bow cre-ations for her family and friends toenjoy.

    She loved to cook and entertainher family and friends with her ex-ceptional deviled eggs, aka sliders,and her famous banana bread cake.She loved to spend time with herfamily and her lifelong friends, but,most of all, she loved to spend time

    with her loving granddaughter, Har-ley.

    She was preceded in death by herhusband of 40 years, Stanley PaulSlug Makarczyk Jr.; and her step-son Kenneth Makarczyk.

    Surviving are her son, JeffreyLynn; daughter, Michelle Lynn,

    and her fiance, Sam Atkinson; step-daughter, Janine Floryshak, and herhusband, John; stepson Stanley P.Makarczyk III and his wife, Diane;granddaughter, Harley; brother, An-drew Sweeney, and his wife, Rita;niece, Marianne Sweeney.

    Funeralserviceswill be 9:30 a.m.todayat GeorgeA. StrishInc. FuneralHome, 211 W. Main St., Glen Lyon.A Mass of Christian Burial will beat 10 a.m. in Holy Spirit Parish/St.Adalberts Church, Market Street,Glen Lyon. Interment will follow inSt. John the Baptist Cemetery, GlenLyon. Family and friends may call8:30 a.m. until time of services.

    George J. PisaneschiMay 27, 2013

    George J. Pisaneschi, 84, ofWest Wyoming, passed awayon Monday, May 27, 2013, at theCommonwealth Home Health andHospice Unit at St. Lukes Villa,

    Wilkes-Barre.Born in Parsons, he was a son of

    the late Louis and Frances ParisePisaneschi.

    George was a member of St.Monicas Parish at Our Lady of Sor-rows Church, WestWyoming, andagraduate of Coughlin High School.

    He wasa U.S. Armyveteran,hav-ing served during the Korean War.

    Prior to retirement, he workedat Procter & Gamble, Mehoopany,and then continued to work atHighland Manor Nursing Home,

    Exeter, for the next 15 years.Preceding him in death was histwin brother, Louis, who recentlypassed away on Oct. 31, 2012.

    Surviving are his wife of 57years, the former Rita Pisaneschi;sons, Argante Gante and his wife,Michelle, Larkmount Manor, andGeorge D. Dino Pisaneschi, West

    Wyoming; granddaughters, Maria,Wyoming; Mary Jonelle, Clifton,N.J., and Beth, Bronx, N.Y.; sister,Christine Pisaneschi, LarkmountManor; numerous nieces, nephewsand cousins.

    Military funeral ser-vices will be held at 9:30a.m. Thursday by the

    AMVETS Honor Guard at the

    Gubbiotti Funeral Home, 1030Wyoming Ave., Exeter. A Mass ofChristian Burial will be at 10 a.m.at St. Monicas Parish at Our Ladyof Sorrows Church, Eighth Street,

    West Wyoming, with the Rev. LeoMcKernan, pastor, as celebrant. En-tombment will be in Mount OlivetMausoleum, Carverton. Relativesand friends may call 5 to 8 p.m. to-day at the funeral home.

    Memorial donations, if desired,may be made to the SPCA, 524 E.Main St., Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702.

    MATRENA KROM SVIN-TOZELSKIY, 84, EastNorthampton Street, Wilkes-B arre, died Monday, May27,2013, at home, surroundedby her family. Born in Ponorniza,Ukraine,daughter of the lateIvanand Elizabeth Krom, she was amember of Full Gospel SlavicChurch, Edwardsville. Survivingare daughter, Galina, and hus-

    band Ivan; sons, Victor and wifeSvetlana, Alexander and wife Na-dia; daughter-in-law, Zoya; grand-children, Sergey, Pavel, Bogdon,Alex, S ergey, Igor, Vitaliy, Svet-lana and Inna. The family thanksDr. EdwardCarey andhis staff fortheir excellent care.

    Funeral 10 a.m. Thursdayat Yeosock Funeral Home, 40S. Main St., Plains Township.Friendsmay call 6 to8 p.m. todayand 9 a.m. until services.

    MARY BONCAL, 85, of Nanti-coke, died Friday, May 24, 2013,at Geisinger Wyoming ValleyMedical Center, Plains Township.Born in Nanticoke on March 13,1928, she was a daughter of thelate Edwin and Eliza Roddu Dill-ing. She was preceded by herhusband, Alexander. Survivingare her husbands nieces, AlbinaBoncal, New York; Mrs. Walter(Barbara) Demcke, Long Island;cousin, Robert Tamarantz, Ari-

    zona; friends, neighbors and herbeloved Skipper.Funeral 11 a.m. Thursday at

    Stanley S. Stegura Funeral HomeInc., 614 S. Hanover St., Nanti-coke. Mass of Christian Burial11:30 a.m. in the main site of St.Faustinas Parish, 520 S. HanoverSt., Nanticoke. Friends may call10 a.m. until services.

    Mary Theresa LacinaMay 27, 2013

    Mary Theresa Lacina, 84, ofSwoyersville, passed awayMonday, May 27, 2013, at the Wil-kes-Barre General Hospital.

    Born July 30, 1928, in Swoyers-ville, she was a daughter of the latePeter and Catherine Antos. She wasa member of St. Elizabeth Ann Se-ton Parish, Swoyersville.

    Mary was a loving wife, motherand grandmother. She loved flow-ers, gardening and crafts, but mostof all she loved her family and tak-ing care of them.

    She is deeply loved and will besadly missed by all who knew andloved her.

    She was preceded in death byher sisters, Alice, Sophie and Anna;

    brothers,Runner, Walter,Henry andEdward.

    Surviving are her husband of 66years, Charles G. Lacina; children,Charles J. Lacina and his wife,Karen, Florida; Kathy Shedletsky,Kingston; Mark Lacina, Las Vegas;Audrey Lacina,Las Vegas,and MaryLacina, Florida; grandchildren,Karen, Kimmy and Kelly, Zandy,

    David and Christopher, Jenniferand Jessica, and Michael; 16 great-grandchildren; one great-great-

    granddaughter.Funeral services will be held

    9:30 a.m. Friday from BednarskiFuneral Home, 168 Wyoming Ave.,

    Wyoming, with a Mass of ChristianBurial at 10 a.m. in St. ElizabethAnn Seton Parish, Swoyersville. In-terment will be held in Mount Oliv-et Cemetery, Carverton. Friendsmay call 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at thefuneral home.

    RAYMOND T. BIDDING JR.,51,of Kingston,passedawaypeace-fully on Friday, May 24, 2013, sur-rounded by his family. Born June15, 1961, in Cherry Point, N.C., he

    was a graduate of Wyoming ValleyWest High School. He was preced-ed in death by father Raymond Sr.and sister-in-law Donna Bidding.Ray is survived by his mother, the

    former Geraldine D. Bobeck, Dal-las; daughter, Theresa Kasson,Wilkes-Barre; brothers, VincentBidding and his wife, Christine,Larksville; Robert Bidding, Har-

    veys Lake; Brian Bidding, Kings-ton; Tony Bidding, Houtzdale, Pa.;many nieces, nephews and cous-ins; friend and father figure, JoeLuksic, Wilkes-Barre.

    Friends may call 7 to 9 p.m.Friday at Kopicki Funeral Home,263 Zerbey Ave., Kingston.

    PASTOR HAROLD S.HOSKINS, 74, a resident of Fallsand co-pastor of Maranatha Fel-lowship Church, Swoyersville,died Monday in Tyler Memo-rial Hospital,Tunkhannock Town-ship, Wyoming County, after be-ing stricken earlier at his home.

    Funeral arrangements have

    been entrusted to and will be an-nouncedby theH. MerrittHughesFuneral Home Inc., a Golden RuleFuneral Home, 451 N. Main St.,Wilk B t l t ti

    JOAN HUGHES KEMLER,70, of Moosic and formerly ofDuryea, died Monday, May 27,2013. Born Feb. 1, 1943, she wasa daughter of the late ClarenceBubbie Sr. and Bessie DeckerHughes. She was preceded byhusbandArthurW. KemlerJr.; sis-ters Marian Nalaschi, Louise Kil-lino, Cathy Fritz; brother Ronald;a granddaughter. Surviving arechildren, Cynthia Smith (David),ArthurKemlerIII (Elizabeth); sib-lings Dorothy Marianelli, BarbaraShrader, Debra Hughes, DonnaMaul, Jackie Grugnale, Clar-

    ence Hughes Jr., Willard ButchHughes, Louis Hughes, ThomasHughes; other family and friends.

    Blessingservices 8 p.m.todayat Thomas P. Kearney FuneralHome Inc., 517 N. Main St., OldForge. Friends may call 4 p.m. un-til services.

    Francis FrankJosulevicz

    May 27, 2013

    Francis Frank Josulevicz, 79,of Hanover Township, passedaway Monday, May 27, 2013, atGeisinger Wyoming Valley Medi-cal Center, Plains Township.

    He was born on March 2,1934, in Wilkes Barre, a son ofthe late Charles and Helen WitekJosulevicz. He was a graduate ofCoughlin High School and servedin the U.S. Army. He was self em-

    ployed as a drywall finisher.Frank was a member of the Ex-

    altation of the Holy Cross Church,Hanover Township.

    Surviving are his wife of 48years, Wanda; daughters, Donna,Las Vegas; Gail, at home; son, Bri-an and his wife, Melissa, Dallas;grandchildren, Zachery and Ce-leste Josulevicz; brothers, Charles,Parsons; Edward, Bear Creek; sis-ter, Gloria Recek, Lehman; niecesand nephews.

    Funeral will be heldat 9:30 a.m. Friday fromthe Charles V. Sherbin

    Funeral Home, 630 Main Road,Hanover Township, followed by aMass of ChristianBurial at10 a.m.in theExaltation of theHoly CrossChurch, Buttonwood, Hanover

    Township. Interment will be in St.

    Marys Cemetery, Hanover Town-ship. Friends may call 5 to 8 p.m.

    Thursday at the funeral home.

    John FreitasMay 22, 2013

    John Freitas, 71, of NorthEmpireStreet, Wilkes-Barre, passedinto eternal life Wednesday eve-ning in the Geisinger MedicalCenter, Danville, following a pro-longed illness.

    Born June 1, 1941, in Linden,N.J., he was a son of the late An-thony and Stephanie Freitas. Mr.Freitas proudly served our country

    with the U.S. Marine Corps duringthe Vietnam War. Upon the time ofhis honorable discharge, John wasthe recipient of several awards and

    citations, including the VietnamCampaign Medal, the VietnamDevice Medal with three stars,the Bronze Star with Combat VMedal, the Combat Action Ribbonand the Vietnam Presidential UnitCitation.

    Until his retirement, Mr. Freitasworked as a bus driver for Acad-emy Bus Co., of Hoboken, N.J.,and previously with the FrankMartz Co., Wilkes-Barre, conduct-ing many cross-country tours inthe United States and Canada formore than 30 years.

    He and his wife, the former Bar-bara Siecko, celebrated 48 years ofmarried life on March 3, 2013.

    In addition to his belovedwife, Barbara, at home, are theirchildren, Lori Freitas, Yardley;Gregory, Wilkes-Barre; John P. and

    his wife, Natalie, Langhorne, andNicholas and his wife, Tina, Paw-catuck, Conn.; five grandchildren;several nieces and nephews.

    Funeral services forMr. Freitas were privateand at the convenience of

    his family. There were no publicvisitation hours. The John V. Mor-ris Family Funeral Homes Inc. of

    Wilkes-Barre is honored to care forMr. Freitas and his family at thistime.

    Memorial contributions maybe made in Johns memory to theSPCA of Luzerne County, Fox HillRoad, Plains Township.

    To send his wife and childrenonline words of comfort, friend-ship and support, please visit thefuneral homes website at www.

    johnvmorrisfuneralhomes.com.

    James MorrashMay 26, 2013

    James Morrash, of Media, Pa.,died Sunday, May 26, 2013, inAllentown.

    He was born in Wilkes-Barreon March 22, 1926, and graduatedfrom Meyers High School. He wasa U.S. Army veteran of the Second

    World War.He received his bachelorsdegree

    in engineering from Penn StateUniversity and his masters degreein engineering from the UniversityofDelaware. Hehad a successfulca-reer with Westinghouse Corp. andretired after many years with them.

    He was married to Betty Eliz-abeth Levergood Morrash whodied in 1996. He was also precededin death by his parents, Michaeland Helen Morrash, and his manysiblings, George, John, Lamya,Elias, Sadie, Albert, Mary, Jennieand Joseph.

    He is survived by many nieces,nephews, great-nieces and great-

    nephews, who lovingly knew himas Uncle Jim.

    James and Betty were avid golf-

    ers and travelers. They were long-time members of the Rolling GreenGolf and Country Club in Spring-field, Pa. James continued to be anactivememberof theRolling GreenCountry Club after Bettys passing,

    where he will be deeply missed.There will be a grave-

    side service and burial 11a.m. Friday at the St. Mary

    Antiochian Orthodox Cemetery inHanover Township. There will beno calling hours.

    In lieu of flowers, donations maybe made in his name to Good Shep-herd Rehabilitation Hospital, GoodShepherd Plaza, 850 S. Fifth St., Al-lentown, PA 18103.

    Arrangements by Mamary-Dur-kin Funeral Service, 59 Parrish St.,

    Wilkes-Barre.

    Colorado signs into lawmarijuana regulations

    DENVER A set of laws togovern how recreational mari-

    juana should be grown, sold andtaxed was signed into law Tues-day in Colorado, where Demo-cratic Gov. John Hickenloopercalled the measures the statesbest attempt to navigate theuncharted territory of legalizedrecreational pot.

    The laws cover how the drugshould be raised and packaged,

    with purchasing limits for out-of-state visitors and a new mari-

    juana driving limit as an analogyto blood alcohol levels. Hicken-

    looper didnt support marijuanalegalization last year, but hepraised the regulatory packageas a good first crack at safelyoverseeing the drug.

    Recreational marijuana is re-ally a completely new entity,Hickenlooper said, calling thepot rules commonsense over-sight, such as required potencylabeling and a requirement that

    marijuana is to be sold in child-proof opaque packing with la-bels clearly stating the drugmay not be safe.

    Colorado voters approved rec-reational marijuana as a consti-tutional amendment last year.

    The state allows adults over21 to possess up to an ounce ofthe drug. Adults can grow up tosix plants, or buy pot in retailstores, which are slated to openin January.

    The governorsaid Tuesday hebelieves the federal government

    will soon respondto the fact thatColorado and Washington stateare in violation of federal druglaw. But Hickenlooper didnt

    have a specific idea of when.We think that it will be rela-

    tively soon. We are optimisticthat they are going to be a littlemore specific in their approachon this issue, Hickenloopersaid. Pressed for details, thegovernor jokingly referred tounrelated scandals surroundingthe U.S. Department of Justice.

    KRISTENWYATTAssociated Press

  • 7/28/2019 Times Leader 05-29-2013

    7/39

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    TIMES LEADER www.timesleader.com WEDnESDAy, MAy 29, 2013N E W S PAGE 7A

    Twister debris would create mile-high pile

    MOORE, Okla. Before

    residents of Moore can rebuild,theyll have to deal with the de-bris from thedeadlytornado thatdevastated the Oklahoma Citysuburb: crushed wood, mangledsiding and battered belongingsthat could make a pile reachingmore than a mile into the sky.

    The splintered remains firststop is a landfill where items

    will be sorted, then recycled orburned. Bricks, for instance,

    will go to charity projects suchas Habitat for Humanity; wood,paper and clothing will be incin-erated.

    I could be sad about it, butits not going to make anythingcome back. Its just a house. Its

    just stuff. We have each other,Jessie Childs said as bulldozerand backhoe operators reducedher house near the Plaza TowersElementary School to a 10-footpile of rubble.

    The school was destroyed inthe top-of-the scale EF5 tornadothat carved a 17-mile path of de-struction on May 20. In all, 24people were killed, includingseven children in the school.

    With each load of debris,Moore moves another step clos-er to recovering from the stormthat damaged or destroyed 4,000homes and businesses. Against acacophony of snapping lumber,crunching metal and the beep-beep of bulldozers in reverse,Clayton Powell sorted throughthe listing remains of his Moorehome.

    Youre sifting through rubblepiles trying to find that one pho-to, memories you cant restore,Powell said. Im sure there are afewthings I havent even thoughtof and wont miss.

    Presidential approval of amajor disaster declaration typi-cally covers 75 percent of thecost for communities to removedebris. In Moores case, Presi-

    dent Barack Obama approvedeven more assistance. Under apilot program, the federal gov-ernment will pay 85 percent ofdebris removal costs for the first30 days and 80 percent for thenext 60. The expectation is thatquicker debris removal speedsup the overall recovery.

    The Oklahoma Department ofTransportation brought in 400of its workers and 250 piecesof equipment, including dumptrucks and front-end loaders,

    to help with the process, saidTransportation Secretary GaryRidley.

    As residents pick throughthe remains of their homes forthe few surviving personal trea-sures, theyve developed a wayfor crews to know when its OKto take stuff away. If its out onthe curb, anybody can come outand get it, said Charlie Baker ofBlanchard, watching a bulldozerraze his daughters house andpush it to the street.

    A relative found her Tiffany

    necklace, but theres not muchelse worth salvaging. Jumpinginto the pile quickly after thestorm, Kathy Duffy struggled toeven find things that actually be-longed to her sister, who was outof town when the storm hit.

    None of the clothes we foundis theirs. None of the pictures

    we found is theirs, Duffy saidlast week. Thats definitely nottheirs, she said, pointing to apair of large black sweatpantsdraped over a chair.

    Paul Borges, who lives onthe east side of Moore, found acrowbarand a 1979baseball cardfeaturing a player he had neverheard of. A neighbor found one-half of a $100 bill. A field nearthe Abundant Life church waslittered with canceled checksfrom1980 and froma town16miles away. Along Eagle Street

    was a pink, fuzzy slipper and agray bra, with no sign they trav-eled together.

    After debris arrives at thelandfill, workers will go through

    it, Moore Mayor Glenn Lewissaid. Wood, paper and clothing

    will be placed in a burner box,a device that uses its own scrapsto generate heat to the point thatit eventually consumes itself,Lewis said. Hazardous material

    will likely go out of state.Albert Ashwood, Oklahomas

    emergency management direc-tor, could not estimate the costor the amount of the debris be-

    yond I can tell you there will beplenty. His agency on Monday

    estimated that just under 4,000homes and businesses were de-stroyed or seriously impacted bystorms May 19 and 20 a fig-ure about half that from a similarEF5 tornado in Joplin, Mo., two

    years ago.The Missouri storm generated

    3 million cubic yards of debris.If Moores debris field winds upabout half that, the pile wouldcover an NBA-sized basketballcourt, like the one where theOklahoma City Thunder play, toa depth of 1.7 miles.

    Reform builds steam

    with recent IRS scandal

    WASHINGTON Thestorm engulfing the InternalRevenue Service could pro-

    vide a boost for lawmakerswho want to simplify U.S. taxlaws a code that is so com-plicated most Americans buycommercial software to helpthem or simply hire someoneelse to do it all.

    Members of Congress fromboth political parties say thecurrent uproar over the tar-geting of conservative politi-cal groups underscores thatoverly complex tax provisionshave given the IRS too muchdiscretion in interpreting andenforcing the law.

    Thisis the perfect exampleof why we need tax reform,said Rep. Tim Griffin, R-Ark.,a member of the tax-writingHouse Ways and Means Com-mittee. If you want to dimin-ish and limit the power of theIRS, you have got to reducethe complexity of the tax codeand take them out of it.

    There are still formidableobstacles to completing amajor tax overhaul this yearor next. Democrats and Re-publicans start off with op-posite views on whether thegovernment should levy moretaxes and on who should pay

    what share. The two sidesalso dont trust one another,making it difficult to envisionagreement on which populartax breaks to keep and whichto scrap.

    Most taxpayers pay some-one to do their taxes or theybuy commercial software tohelp them file. In a reportearlier this year, national tax-payer advocate Nina E. Olsonrankedcomplexityas themostserious problem facing both

    taxpayers and the IRS. Peoplesimply trying to comply withthe rules often make inadver-tent errors and overpay or un-derpay, she said, while others

    often find loopholes that en-able them to reduce or elimi-nate their tax liabilities.

    The IRS scandal has little,if anything, to do with mosteveryday taxpayers, yet somelawmakers hope the attention

    will help galvanize support forthe first major tax overhaulsince 1986.

    A little over two weeks ago,the IRS revealed that agentsassigned to a special team inCincinnati had targeted teaparty and other conservativegroups for additional, oftenburdensome scrutiny whenthey applied for tax-exemptstatus. The targeting lasted

    more than 18 months duringthe 2010 and 2012 electioncampaigns, hindering thegroups ability to raise money,according to a report by theagencys inspector general.

    The ensuing storm has costtwotop IRS officialstheirjobs,and a third has been placed onpaid administrative leave. In-

    vestigations by Congress andthe Justice Department areunderway.

    The IRS was screening thegroups applications becauseagents were trying to deter-mine their level of politicalactivity. IRS regulations saythat tax-exempt social welfareorganizations can engage in

    some political activity but theactivity cannot be their prima-ry mission. It is a vague stan-dard that agents struggled toapply, according to the inspec-tor generals report. Lawmak-ers in both parties have com-plained for years that overtlypolitical groups on the leftandright have taken advantage ofthe rules, allowing them toclaim tax-exempt status andhide the identities of their do-nors.

    Federal govermet will pa

    85 percet of removal costs

    for the first 30 das.

    ByTIMTALLEY

    Associated Press

    AP PHOTO

    Friends and family members carry what remains of piano through the rubble Saturday at a tornado-ravaged home in Moore, Okla. Before construction workers can begin rebuilding Moore, they have toovercome a mile-high pile of crushed wood, shattered glass and obliterated belongings.

    Legislators sa complex rules

    have give agec too much

    discretio i iterpretig law.

    By STEPHENOHLEMACHER

    Associated Press

  • 7/28/2019 Times Leader 05-29-2013

    8/39

    ning through Aug. 31, 2012.The district announced the

    furloughs nearly two monthsbefore that date but noted they

    would not take effect until af-ter it, thus complying with theMOU. The union argued thedate of implementation was ir-

    relevant because a clause in theagreement says this MOU shallexpire upon the ratification of asuccessor agreement.

    It was an MOU contract,union representative SheilaSaidman said Tuesday, stress-ing the word contract. As inany contract, you remain underthe status quo until a successoragreement is signed. No suchagreement was signed.

    Saidman said she didnt knowhow much the decision wouldcost the district. According tostate data, the average teachersalary in the district for 2010-11 the latest available data was $59,813. At that rate,

    one year of back pay for 32 fur-loughed teachers would add upto about $1.9 million, not count-ing benefits or any other com-

    pensation.According to McConnells

    opinion and award, the unionargued the wage freeze was ex-plicitly for one year but the fur-lough ban was not. The districtargued both wereclearly intend-ed to last only one year.

    The district has fought withtremendous zeal in this case,and has parsed this memoran-dum of agreement in an attempttohavea different resultreached

    here, McConnell wrote. I haveread thememorandum at least adozen times, with both partiesarguments in mind, and eachtime I came away clearly con-

    vinced that the (teacher union)Association has posited the cor-rect interpretation.

    District Superintendent Mi-chael Healey did not return acall Tuesday afternoon, but thedistrict has the right to appealto Wyoming County Court. Af-ter that, either side would havethe right to appeal to Common-

    wealth Court.Saidman was confident it

    would be upheld, at least at thehigher level. Ive seen this sort

    of decision overturned at thecounty level sometimes, shesaid, but upheld at the com-monwealth level.

    Saidman noted some of theteachers had been called backthrough the year and would notbe eligible for full back pay.

    The School Board has alreadypassed a preliminary budget

    with expenditures set at $45.9

    million and property taxes in-creased form 68.1 to 69.6 mills.A millis a $1taxon every $1,000of assessed property value. Theboard can revise the budget butmustpass a finalbudgetby June30.

    TIMES LEADER www.timesleader.comWEDnESDAy, MAy 29, 2013 N E W SPAGE 8A

    NANTICOKE The former

    site of a gas manufacturing

    plant in the city where soil andgroundwater are contaminated

    will soon be cleaned up by UGI

    Penn Natural Gas with over-sight fromthe state Department

    of Environmental Protection.The site, located at the in-

    tersection of Walnut and Arch

    streets, will take between twoand three years to clean up and

    is oneof 11similar properties inPennsylvania.

    Its a multiyear project to get

    all these sites remediated andreturned to some sort of func-

    tional site, said Joseph Swope,a communications director for

    UGI.

    Swope said the work at the11 properties is due to an agree-

    ment with the state DEP datingback to March 2004.

    He said soil at each property

    is tested for contaminants andthen a plan isdevelopedto clean

    each site. That may include re-moval of soil to return the prop-

    erty back to a functional state.

    Swope said adjoining proper-ties also are tested for contami-

    nants .

    He said gas used in homeswas once manufactured in

    plants that havent been func-

    tioning since the 1950s. TheNanticoke plant has since been

    demolished.Unfortunately, the manu-

    factured gas process did leavesome contaminated soil,

    Swope said.

    UGI and the DEP recentlycleaned a site in Scranton, and

    another exists on Water Streetin Wilkes-Barre, Swope said.

    Other sites are in Columbia,

    Montour and Lycoming coun-

    ties.

    The process of cleaning up

    the site begins with a legal no-

    tice published in local newspa-

    pers, followed by a 30-day pub-

    lic comment period.

    Nanticoke has until June21 to submit a request to UGI

    for development of a public in-

    volvement plan.

    Swope said sites of former

    gas manufacturing plants have

    previously been turned into

    parking lots or parks in several

    areas.

    He said it is not known yet

    what the site in Nanticoke will

    be used for, if anything.

    UGI, DEP to clean upNanticoke propertyOld site of gas maufacturig

    plat cotais cotamiated

    groudwater, soil.

    BySHEENADELAZIO

    [email protected]

    C I T y A C Q U I R E ST H R E E P A R C E L S

    Nanticoke recently acquired threeflood-damaged properties locatedalong Arch Street after delin-

    quent taxes were forgiven and theFederal Emergency ManagementAgency approved the purchase.In a May 22 filing in LuzerneCounty, solicitors for the city askedfor a real estate tax abatement onthree parcels along Arch Street,belonging to Edward and ElaineRasmus and Jean Kotsko.Solicitor William Finnega