This is the last weekend of spring 2017. Just as Steve Miller sang in the rock classic “Fly like an Eagle” in 1976 ... “Time keeps on slipping, slipping, slipping into the future.”

Arguably, weather-wise, it has already begun but astronomically summer officially kicks off at 11:24 p.m. Tuesday. We can’t exactly observe that directly this year because it’ll happen after sundown. The sun reaches its most northern position in our celestial dome. Because of that the sun takes the longest, highest arc across our sky providing us with a maximum 15 hours and 5 minutes of official daylight, that is from sunrise to sunset.

On Wednesday at midday, the sun will achieve a maximum altitude of a little more than 72 degrees above the southern horizon. At that time, as you stand in the sun, (if clouds don’t photo bomb it ) you’ll cast the shortest shadow of the year. That’ll actually happen around 1 p.m. because of daylight-saving time and our particular longitude in Pottsville. I know you don’t want to hear this but from now until the winter solstice in late December our daylight hours begin their gradual decline ... Sorry!

The longest days of the year obviously translate to the shortest nights making it really tough on ardent stargazers. It’s a late-night affair that’s compounded with longer evening and morning twilights in our neighborhood of the northern latitude. So summer gazing requires an afternoon nap, at least for old star-geezers like me.

Once it finally gets dark, what’s left of the spring constellations are hanging in the western sky which aren’t exactly all that flashy, at least compared to the winter constellations. There are a few decent ones, though.

There’s Leo the Lion that kind of resembles the profile of a lion on his haunches but looks more like a backward question mark tipping over to the right. Bootes the Farmer actually looks much more like a giant kite with the very bright star Arcturus adorning the tail. This year, there’s at least one super bright “star” among the spring constellations, the planet Jupiter. The big guy of our solar system and spring star are gradually pushing to the west from night to night. By mid to late July, most of them will already be below the western horizon before darkness sets in. Earth is turning away from that part of space as we orbit our sun.

Meanwhile, in the early evening eastern skies, the more compelling constellations of summer are on the rise and from week-to-week, they’ll start out each evening a little higher in the sky.

Among them are the three bright stars that make up what’s known as the Summer Triangle. It’s easy to spot. Just look in the northeastern quarter of the sky for the three brightest stars you can see and that’s it! This giant triangle is really a great tool for getting acquainted with the summer night sky because each of the stars is the brightest member in its respective constellation.

The highest and brightest is Vega in the constellation Lyra the Harp. The second brightest star is Altair on the lower right side of the triangle that is the brightest star in Aquila the Eagle. The third brightest on the lower left of the triangle is Deneb, brightest star in Cygnus the Swan, also known as the Northern Cross.

Even though Deneb appears to be the dimmest summer triangle star, that’s deceiving. In reality, it’s one of the biggest and most power stars in this part of our Milky Way galaxy. Our sun is a little less than a million miles in diameter but Deneb may be as large as 200 million miles in girth. Deneb appears as the faintest star in the summer triangle because it’s incredibly far way, at least 1,500 light years away. Just one light year equates to almost six trillion miles, the distance that light travels in a year’s time. That would make Deneb about 8,700 trillion miles away! Also because it’s 1,500 light years away, the light we see from it these warm summer evenings left Deneb around 500 A.D.

If you’re an early morning riser, in this first part of astronomical summer, the super bright planet plays as the advance act for the sun as it rises in the eastern sky before and during morning twilight.

The reason for its brilliancy is twofold. Our solar system’s next door neighbor planet is only about 78 million miles away and its extremely thick and poisonous atmosphere is reflecting sunlight like crazy. Another cool thing about Venus is that even through a pair of binoculars, it’ll resemble a tiny half moon. Since Venus orbits the sun within Earth’s orbit it goes through phase shape changes just like our moon.

(Lynch, an amateur astronomer and professional broadcast meteorologist, can be reached at mikewlynch@comcast.net)

GIRARDVILLE — On the north end of the borough is an old cemetery.

It’s on a tree-covered hillside that isn’t as easily accessible as it used to be.

Robert A. Krick, borough councilman, estimated there were “more than 3,000 people” buried there, a cemetery once managed by the former St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church along Route 54, west of St. Vincent de Paul Center.

It has a rich history, and, on Wednesday, Krick shared his knowledge at the June meeting of the Girardville Historical Society at its headquarters at 1 W. Main St. More than 15 people came out to listen. Krick is the society’s president. Attendees included James R. Kilker, an attorney with an office in Girardville, and his brother, Thomas A.C. Kilker, Bethlehem; Edna Labie and Jacob Zak, Girardville; and Francis O’Connel, Ashland, who thought his grandmother’s relatives are buried there.

“Were you up there lately?” Zak asked Krick.

“In the fall,” Krick said, and he had photos from his last trek there.

“Can you see anything up there? Do you have to take a scattershot rifle with you?” Zak asked.

Zak said he is concerned about snakes and other wildlife in the weeds.

Krick didn’t arm himself, saying, “I winged it.”

Krick talked about the cemetery’s history, using reference materials assembled by the late Evelyn Ellen Marquardt, a local historian who died in 2010.

“Do you think it was a potter’s field or something like that at first?” Zak asked.

Krick wasn’t sure.

“I believe it was started in 1870. But the deed to the cemetery was written in 1881. It doesn’t correspond to the records. Some of the records go back to 1870 on lot purchases. So what the arrangement was from 1870 to 1881 is a good question. Was it a lease? It could be mined underneath, according to the deed. That’s what I know about the origin,” Krick said.

A copy of the deed is on file at the historical society. At the time the deed was signed, the bishop was The Most Rev. James F. Wood of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

“The church bought the property for a hundred bucks,” Krick said.

According to the online Schuylkill Parcel Locator, the 3.1-acre tract is owned by “St. Joseph’s R.C. Church” and the owner address is “St. Charles Borromeo, 1115 Walnut St., Ashland, Pa.”

“It was deeded to the bishop. It’s not deeded to St. Joe’s Church,” Krick said.

“The first lot purchased is for Michael Lenahan, 12.5.1870. It’s scribbled. So somehow there was an arrangement to have a cemetery,” Krick said.

Among those buried there are Civil War veteran Thomas Kelly, born 1838, died 1909, and World War I veteran Edward G. Neary, Girardville, born 1896, died 1936.

“I found an article from 1949 that listed the veterans buried at St. Joe’s. According to that, there are 44 Civil War veterans, 22 Spanish-American veterans, 27 World War I vets and one World War II vet. There might have only been one or two more after that, since they quit in ’54. In the later years, there were years when nobody was buried there,” Krick said.

“The last burial there was in 1954. It was Edward McLaughlin of Girardville,” Krick said.

In 1954, St. Joseph Church decided to bury its dead in Fountain Springs.

In 1960, a tragedy occurred at the St. Joseph’s Cemetery, Girardville. A 6-year-old boy, Paul Mekosh, Girardville, was reported missing on March 31, 1960. His body was found the next day, according to the April 2, 1960, edition of The Pottsville Republican.

“Authorities theorized the boy went out for an early evening walk with his dog and lost his balance as he romped down the steep incline of the cemetery. He grasped the top of a 4-foot-high stone to steady himself. The stone came loose from the soft earth and toppled on him,” according to the article, which added: “The cemetery, located at W. Mahanoy Ave., had not been used for several years, since all its burial lots filled.”

At one time there was a driveway leading to the cemetery on its north side. That was blocked more than 40 years ago by a strip mining operation, Krick said. Today, the only entrance is a set of steps along Route 54, which is West Mahanoy Avenue.

In 2015, St. Joseph Church, Girardville, closed with the merger of five parishes in Ashland, Girardville and Gordon. They formed a new parish, St. Charles Borromeo Roman Catholic Church, in the former St. Joseph Church, Ashland.

Contact the writer: spytak@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6011

NEW RINGGOLD — Schuylkill County Crime Stoppers and state police at Frackville are asking for the public’s help in identifying those responsible for a recent burglary and theft.

The crime occurred sometime between May 22 and June 2 at the former Smith’s Country Inn Restaurant, 555 Church St., East Brunswick Township.

Someone entered the building and stole several copper tea kettles and a large antique National Cash Register made of brass before fleeing the area undetected. The stolen items are valued at about $3,000, police said.

Schuylkill County Crime Stoppers will pay up to $1,000 for information on those responsible for this crime or any other unsolved crime in Schuylkill County.

Callers are asked to refer to case 06-18-17 when calling with information about the burglary and theft.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 877-TIPS4SC (877-847-7472).

In addition, anyone with information can call state police Trooper Michael Allar, the investigating officer, at Frackville station directly at 570-874-5300.

All information will remain confidential.

Contact the writer: fandruscavage@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6013

ELIZABETHVILLE — “El Diablo,” a devil-inspired optional radiator ornament, shone atop Jim and Ellen Nice’s 1931 Studebaker President, which won Best of Show on Saturday at the Celebrate Elizabethville Car Show.

The restoration of the Nice vehicle drew “ohs” and “wows” by those admiring it, while others stopped to snap photos of the national prize-winning automobile and chat with its owners.

“It always gets a lot of attention,” Gaye Liddick, Halifax, the Nices’ son-in-law, said.

There was also a 1940s utility truck from a long-departed phone company, a German-built racing car and another vehicle sporting an all-too-familiar name that caught the attention of car enthusiasts browsing the 74 entries at the Upper Dauphin Area High School parking lot. The show was part of the borough’s bicentennial celebration of summertime events.

The Nices reside in Harrisburg but grew up in Lykens and Elizabethville and still have a farm in Fisherville, Liddick said. They’ve owned the Studebaker President — a Four Seasons Roadster with an eight-cylinder flathead engine and roll-up windows — since 1973. Restoration began in 1985 and was completed in 2012 on the roadster, which also claimed the George M. Holley Award in 2014, a national juried show title for excellent restoration of a pre-war car, according to Liddick. It also won awards from the Antique Automobile Clubs of America.

Meanwhile, Terry Koons, Lykens, stopped to talk with Mike Margerum, Elizabethville, about the 1946 Studebaker pickup that Margerum co-owns with his son, Ben. The utility truck was used by the local phone company at the time, Wiconisco Telephone & Telegraph Co., Elizabethville, Margerum said. Restoration body work on the vehicle was completed at Swab Wagon Co.

“I came down to see the show and was truly surprised to see the ‘Wiconisco Telephone & Telegraph Company.’ That’s fascinating,” Koons said.

Margerum was also involved with the borough’s sesquicentennial celebration in 1967, which had a car show at the borough’s memorial park. The community hasn’t changed that much, he said.

“People don’t know how good they have it. Life seems to swirl around us. Those two mountains help keep this area a little slow,” Margerum said, noting he’s a fan of the slower-paced lifestyle.

The allure of speed, on the other hand, prompted Jim Facinelli to purchase his 1990 RUF, which placed among the top 24 vehicles at the show. Facinelli, president of the Elizabethville Borough Council, said his car was built in Germany, and is a Carrera RUF, B group, turbo, four-wheel drive. It has an EKS, electric clutch system and a six-speed shifter.

A 1956 Ford pickup owned by David Branchick, Elizabethville, also drew attention Saturday. It sported a logo for a business, Henry A. Kissinger, Millersburg.

Warren Thoma, Elizabethville, checked out the 2017 Grand Sport Corvette, owned by Bob Derk, Herndon. Derk coordinated Saturday’s show. Thoma said he had previously owned a 2003 silver Corvette that he bought from Bruce’s Auto Mall, Schuylkill Haven.

“I loved it,” he said. “But then I didn’t get it out between November and March, and then we had to wash it and wax it. I had it for two years and had a lot of fun with it.”

Derk, a UDA teacher’s aide, said he was happy to coordinate the event after he was approached with the idea.

“There’s a lot of interesting cars and it brings the community out,” he said. “The (car) owners are happy. I gave them a space between the cars, so people could walk around them and get photos.”

Derk and his wife, Dawn, had owned a 1937 Chevy Street Rod, which they traded for a 1960 Corvette a few years ago at the Bloomsburg Nationals event. That started his interested in the Corvette line. He sold his 1960s car for a 2013 model, and eventually sold it to obtain the 2017 grey metallic Corvette with a Z0-6 body style he owns today.

Bob Fox, Hegins, is also a car enthusiast. He brought two coupes to the show, including a 1930 Model A Ford. He also displayed a 1936 Dodge. He’s owned the vehicles for about five years and said collecting cars and attending shows is his hobby.

Dale Heim displayed his 1967 red jewel-painted Camaro as his leashed 10-year-old Australian shepherd, Teddy, cooled off nearby. Heim, Dalmatia, said he’s owned his Camaro for eight years and it’s won several car show awards.

The Elizabethville Area Community Alliance will be taking the car show over from the bicentennial committee and will host the car show next year, Debra Boyer, committee volunteer, said.

There were no competition categories for the show. The owners of the top 24 cars selected and their models are listed as follows, in no particular order: Mike and Ben Margerum, 1946 Studebaker pickup; Don Leitzel, 1988 Mustang GT; Larry Hoke, 1946 Chevrolet truck; James Wilbert, 1957 Pontiac convertible; Wayne Raup, 1950 Ford F-1 truck; James Schlegel, 1954 Olds; Bill Stoneroad, 1964 Chevelle; Henry Klinger, 1950 Edsel; Dora Harner, 1957 Chevy 210; Richard Harner, 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air; Robert Shutt, 1969 Chevrolet Camaro; Lee Feidt, 1938 Willys; Karl Schader, 2016 Chevrolet Corvette 206; Bob Bechtel, 2010 Dodge Challenger; Nick Decker, 1960 Chevrolet Covair; Kevin Kulp, 1975 Ford Maverick; Brian Ebersole, 2011 GMC Truck; Facinelli, 1990 RUF; Marlin Sowers, 2015 Chevrolet Corvette; Bob Kauffman, 2005 Mustang GT; Jim Bellis, 2003 Chevrolet Corvette; Stu Margerum, 2006 BMW M-3; Stan Richard, 1976 Avanti; and John George, 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z-51.

“Everything we’ve done so far has been a huge success, with our Founder’s Day, Hometown Heroes and with the car show, we’ve had a great turnout,” Mike Miller, bicentennial committee chairman, said.

Upcoming events can be found on the website, www.elizabethville2017.org.

Contact the writer: ; 570-628-6007

When Debra Haluska, Saint Clair, was 15 in June 1967, her dad used to buy her the latest hits on 45 rpm.

“I was in ninth grade at Saint Clair Area High School. I wanted to be an artist. I played piano, but I had stage fright. And for me, the summer of 1967 was emotional because the music was awesome,” she said June 9.

“Back then, they sold records at Acme down in Haven. He worked there and would bring a 45 rpm record or two or three for me at least once every week. I was thrilled every time he’d bring them for me. I had crates of them,” Haluska, now 65, said.

“I had ‘Happy Together’ by the Turtles and ‘The Letter’ by The Box Tops. But my favorite band at the time was The Jimi Hendrix Experience. I first saw him on television. My mom didn’t care too much for Jimi. I played his music and played it and played it. Maybe she thought it was a little too wild,” she said.

This year, meteorological summer began June 1 and astronomical summer begins at 12:24 a.m. Wednesday, according to the website for The Old Farmer’s Almanac. It’s also the 50th anniversary of The Summer of Love.

That was the era of big battles in Vietnam, when more than 400,000 American troops were deployed there. Local soldiers who died on the battlefield that summer included David C. Ney, Schuylkill Haven, Frederick W. Schaeffer, Pottsville, and John J. McMonegal Jr., Girardville.

It was also the summer The Beatles introduced the world to Sgt. Pepper and Hendrix set fire to his guitar at the Monterey International Pop Music Festival.

Eddie J. Collins, 60, of Pottsville, a disc jockey and entertainer, offered some insights into how the summer of 1967 got its moniker.

“Listening to AM radio, you were exposed to everything that was happening. Every time you turned that dial, you’d hear Jefferson Airplane. And everything on television was referring to it as ‘The Summer of Love.’ Haight-Ashbury. The hippies. It was this new movement. That’s why they termed it ‘The Summer of Love.’ It tried to get everybody to unite to love each other. Songs like ‘All You Need Is Love’ by The Beatles and ‘Get Together’ by The Youngbloods were saying love your fellow man. That was the message,” Collins said June 12.

The music moved Eddie M. Frank, 68, Minersville, a guitarist who started playing with the local band The Other Side in the summer of 1967.

“At the time, I was naive. I’d listen to these songs and learn the guitar parts. And whoever sang the words, they were into that. There were so many songs that we did that I did not realize were against the war or against anything. I just played my guitar part and I was happy,” Frank said June 12.

“It was like a giant light switch was turned on. Things went from black and white to color in the flick of the switch. One day I was listening to The Monkees and Paul Revere & The Raiders and the next day, the first Jimi Hendrix album. Clothes went from plain colors to day-glo, and people’s minds were expanded,” Keith Semerod, 62, of Pottsville, said June 13.

“It was an era when everybody just truly wanted peace and to get along and be happy. And I grew up wanting to be an artist and a musician. I wore and still have my love beads, and I wore bell bottoms. I was into it all the way as far as music and fashion. I consider myself a hippie,” Haluska said.

At the time, FM radio was becoming more popular since stations on that wave were alternative and played album cuts.

“We were a culturally-deprived area,” Frank said.

“Even the music would take a while to get here. Our area was not geared to be mainstream hip. We had to go elsewhere to find it,” Collins said.

“I listened to WMMR. They were up on everything,” Frank said.

On June 2, 1967, the eighth studio album by The Beatles, “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” was released in the United States.

Frank graduated from Minersville Area High School that year. He attended Penn State Schuylkill that September. That’s when he sat down to seriously listen to the album.

“I’d heard of it, but I didn’t hear it. They had a library where you could go in and listen to everything. My friend Bob Stickloon, who’s a great artist, was a student there. And he said, ‘Hey, let’s go to the library.’ So I listened to this entire album on headphones, and my jaw was dropped for about three days. I can’t say anything bad about it. The Beatles, to me, are a four-piece symphony. And this was unbelievable,” Frank said.

“At the time, I think I was like 20 or 21 years old. I lived in Saint Clair. I used to play with The Other Side once in a while,” Robert G. “Bob” Stickloon, 71, of Pottsville, said June 12.

Stickloon said he used to buy records at Malarkey’s, a store on South Centre Street in Pottsville.

“I was playing then with a local band called Joey and the Prophets. We did a lot of stuff from The Young Rascals,” Stickloon said.

Based in Schuylkill County, The Jordan Brothers were a rock ’n’ roll band active from 1954 to 1986. In 1967, the band was working to stay in step up with the times, the tunes and the fashions.

It was made up of four brothers. According to one of the brothers, Frank A. Jordan, 75, of Bethel, Berks County, in 1964, their recording of “Gimme Some Lovin’ ” became a hit. In late 1967, they released a 7-inch single, “Good Time,” on the SSS International label.

“We were still looking for a commercial sound and a commercial hit. It’s very easy listening. It’s not a hard song to accept. It’s a happy-type feel, not exactly bubble-gum pop, not psychedelic. Audiences are tough. But you have to keep on keeping on. The record did get to radio stations and television stations in Pennsylvania,” Jordan said June 12. He is a vocalist who played tenor sax and bass guitar.

Around that time, Jordan said the band appeared on WGAL-TV, Lancaster.

Meanwhile, the Jordans learned to play the new hits.

“We were primarily a dance band at that time. At Lakewood, we played ‘Sunshine of Your Love’ by Cream. But it’s an off-type beat. Dancers couldn’t get it,” Jordan said.

“We did do ‘Light My Fire.’ We didn’t do the long version. We did the 45 version. But there wasn’t any dancing. I thought we were dying. Then a few people would hold up a lighter. That meant they approved. Eventually it caught on and we picked up a newer-type crowd. And some of the kids were telling us what to play,” Jordan said.

To keep up with fashion, the Jordans shopped at a variety of clothiers.

“One was Ripley’s on Penn Street in Reading,” Jordan said.

“You guys were always on top. You should have been the second Beatles,” Eddie Frank said to Jordan.

Sterling Koch, 61, of Friedensburg — a lifelong musician who had his work published on numerous vinyl records, cassettes and CDs — said he learned about Jimi Hendrix by watching “American Bandstand.”

“I was 11 years old. I was in Conyngham, up in the valley. I was already playing guitar for a year. The ‘Are You Experienced’ album came out in the U.K. that May. But back then there was no social media or anything. You just kind of heard bits and pieces about this guy over in England who’s this amazing guitar player,” Koch said June 12.

“And how I heard about Jimi Hendrix was on ‘American Bandstand.’ They had a segment on the show where they would line up a bunch of kids and then they would walk up in front of a camera and say who their favorite band was. So one kid would walk up and say The Beatles. And he’d get some nice applause. Then, and I’ll never forget it, some kid walked up to the camera and said Jimi Hendrix Experience. And the whole place just went ‘whoa.’ And I was like, ‘Wow! Who’s that dude?’ The album was released in the states at the end of the summer,” Koch said.

While listening to it back in 1967, young Koch tried to figure out the magic behind the music.

“At the time, I had no idea what he was doing. Seriously,” Koch said of Hendrix.

“I understand,” Frank said.

“Then I went to see a music teacher — Tim Imbert of Hazleton — who showed me the pentatonic scale, and he asked if I took any lessons. I’d only taken one lesson. And he showed me the pentatonic scale and how you bend notes,” Koch said.

“And how you can use it in a major or a minor,” Frank said.

“And I was like, ‘Oh my God! That’s it!’ ” Koch said.

“I was self-taught. I’d listen to the record. And what I first did was I got all the notes right. Hendrix was not only notes. It was his quality of sound,” Frank said.

“And 50 years later, that music still holds up,” Koch said.

Contact the writer: spytak@republicanherald.com, 570-628-6011

Frackville

The local Elks lodge, 307 S. Third St., will sponsor its 10th annual motorcycle ride for veterans from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. July 15. The cost is $20. There will be a breakfast buffet for riders and passengers prior to the run. Registration will be from 8 to 10:30 a.m. and kickstands up will be at 11 a.m. There will be Yuengling door prizes and a food buffet following the run. Bikes must be street legal and riders must obey rules of the road. Proceeds will benefit the Frackville Elks Veterans Service Program. For more information about the program, visit www.elks.org/vets. For more about the ride, call 570-956-0006.

Mahanoy City

St. Teresa of Calcutta Roman Catholic Parish will have a takeout food and bake sale beginning at 11 a.m. July 1 at the parish garage, 300 W. Market St. The event will feature homemade food and baked goods, including funnel cakes. All are welcome. For more information, call 570-773-3628.

Minersville

The Minersville Fish & Game Club will have wing night beginning at 6 p.m. June 29 at the club quarters, Live Oaks Road. In addition to wings, there will also be chicken fingers, fries and onion rings. All are welcome. For more information, call 570-294-9808.

Pottsville

The Pottsville Free Public Library, 215 W. Market St., will have a free block party from 6 to 7 p.m. June 26. Children ages 3-6 will learn engineering, math, language and literacy skills by making their own creations and building with others. The event is possible through a block parties grant via the Office of Commonwealth Libraries. For more information, call 570-622-8880.

Pottsville

A Public Safety Night Out will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday on the lower rear parking lot at Martz Hall. Food and refreshments will be provided. People will get to see Pottsville Fire Department apparatus, water rescue and dive team equipment, the Lehigh Valley MedEvac helicopter and a fire safety trailer. Schuylkill EMS and the Pottsville Bureau of Police will be represented, the Schuylkill County Sheriff’s Department will have kids’ ID kits and there will also be construction equipment. All are welcome. The rain date is Tuesday.

Pottsville

Luther Ridge Assisted Living is continuing its free Lunch & Learn seminars with a session at noon Wednesday regarding incontinence therapy with speaker Mandy Bixler of DPT-Good Therapy. To register, RSVP to Melissa.E.Clarke@consulatehc.com or call 570-621-7200. Other Lunch & Learn topics include fall prevention on July 12 and the 10 signs of Alzheimer’s on Aug. 16.

Pottsville

Valerie Verdi, program support specialist for the Lebanon VA Medical Center, recently addressed the Pottsville Lions Club about the many health-related services available to all qualified veterans. She gave a slideshow presentation that identified the various health services provided to veterans who were honorably discharged from regular military duty and based upon their active duty, enrollment and eligibility and if there would be any medical co-pays. According to the Lions bulletin, Verdi said Schuylkill is one of nine counties served by the Lebanon VA and although there as many as 15,000 veterans residing in the county, the VA serves only about 30 percent of them. She encouraged every veteran to take advantage of the many services provided by the VA. About 20 percent of the Pottsville Lions Club’s members are veterans, having served from World War II to the present, according to the club bulletin. One member remains on active duty, serving as a local recruiter for the Army. Verdi presented every veteran at the session with a special double flag lapel pin in appreciation for their service to America, according to the bulletin.

Man injured in

2-vehicle accident

MILLERSBURG — A Millersburg man was injured after his vehicle was struck from behind by another car Friday in Upper Paxton Township, state police at Lykens said.

Larry L. Lenker, 68, of Millersburg, was driving a 2007 Ford F250 truck northbound on Route 147 when he put his right turn signal on to turn into a driveway of a residence located at 3332 Route 147. David H. Sandri, 63, of Paxinos, was also northbound in a 2007 Toyota Prius, and rear-ended Lenker’s vehicle at 4:20 p.m., police said.

Lenker complained of minor back pain and was transported by Halifax EMS to Harrisburg Hospital. Police filed a citation against Sandri of following too closely.

Sandri’s car suffered extensive front end damage and the driver’s side front air bag deployed, disabling the vehicle. Lenker’s truck suffered minor functional damage to the rear frame of the vehicle, but was still able to be driven.

Man faces charge

of criminal mischief

ELIZABETHVILLE — State police at Lykens charged a Klingerstown man with criminal mischief following an incident Thursday.

Michael Hauck, 55, arrived at the 200 block of West Main Street in Elizabethville at 5 p.m. and an argument ensued between Hauck and a female, police said. Hauck damaged a screen window belonging to the victim. He was cited through the office of Magisterial District Judge Rebecca J. Margerum, Elizabethville.

ORWIGSBURG — Visitors entering the borough will now be greeted by new welcome signs.

Four signs made by Bartush Signs were installed last week: One each near the sewer plant, about a mile east of Orwigsburg Veterans Community Memorial Hall, near Seton Manor on Route 443 and near Nadya’s Restaurant, the former Madeline’s property, at 1100 E. Market St.

“They did a great job. It’s been a really well-received addition to our community,” Orwigsburg Borough Manager Robert Williams said at Wednesday’s council meeting.

The Orwigsburg Lions donated the signs, and borough workers installed them.

In other matters, the borough awarded the construction contract for site improvements for the Orwigsburg Veterans Community Memorial Hall in the amount of $223,605 to Miller Bros. Construction. Grant funds from the state Department of Community and Economic Development of $225,000 will pay for the project, which includes a steel barrier with rail, concrete patio and concrete ramp.

The council also authorized solicitor Paul Datte to advertise proposed changes to the zoning ordinance and subdivision and land development ordinance.

One of the borough zoning permits that was issued last month was for Nadya’s Restaurant. Tom Yashinsky, borough code officer, issued a permit last month for a new sign. Gamal “Jimmy” Elkadousi, Bethlehem, said Wednesday that Nadya’s Restaurant will open at 9 a.m. Tuesday. Breakfast, lunch and dinner will be served. Reservations are not needed for breakfast or lunch, but are advised for dinner. Exact hours are yet to be determined.

Three people were appointed as alternate sewage enforcement officers: William Brior, Samantha Brior and Bruce Dobash.

The farmers market is open from 5:30 to 9 p.m. July 13 on Market Square. Family Fun Fest will be held at the same time.

The first Coffee with a Cop will be from 9 a.m. to noon Tuesday at Market Square Coffee House, 118 W. Market St. Police Chief John Koury said all are welcome to attend.

The next council meeting is 7:30 p.m. July 12.

Contact the writer: ; 570-628-6028

Event date incorrect

Coffee with a Cop will be held from 9 a.m. to noon July 15 at the Market Square Coffee House, Orwigsburg.

The event date was incorrect in Sunday’s edition.

Concession stand broken into, robbed

ASHLAND — State police at Frackville are investigating a theft at the Ashland Area Girls’ Softball concession stand.

Police said the incident occurred between noon Friday and 8 a.m. Saturday at the stand at Willow Park, Pine and South 14th streets.

Police said someone gained entry through a secured door of the concession stand and, once inside, disheveled the interior and removed a large amount of candy and frozen food.

Anyone with information can call state police at 570-874-5300.

Police charge man with harassment

WILLIAMSTOWN — State police at Lykens said a 25-year-old man faces a harassment charge after he fought with another man in the borough.

Evan Angus Craig, no address given, had a verbal argument with a 24-year-old man, who police did not identify. The incident occurred at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at 307 Ray St. when the argument became physical and Craig grabbed the victim and pushed him up against a dresser, police said.

A harassment charged was filed against Craig with Magisterial District Judge Rebecca J. Margerum, Elizabethville.

Police investigate Wiconisco burglary

WICONISCO — Two unknown white men claiming they were representing Clearview Energy entered a 77-year-old Wiconisco man’s home and committed theft, according to state police at Lykens.

Police said the men entered a home on Spring Street in Wiconisco Township at 7:30 p.m. Thursday and stayed for approximately 10 minutes. During that time, they took a black leather wallet containing a driver’s license and money that had been placed on a counter. The suspects got into an unknown vehicle and left the area within 30 minutes. Police did not identify the victim.

Anyone with information can call state police at 717-362-8700.

Images of minors sent in Berrysburg

BERRYSBURG — A case involving transmission of sexually explicit images by a minor is under investigation by state police at Lykens.

About 4 a.m. May 7, police said, a 17-year-old boy obtained a nude video of a 17-year-old girl and a 15-year-old boy. The case is still under investigation, according to police.

Steam roller falls off trailer, hits pole

ELIZABETHVILLE — A man driving an International Harvester Paystar struck a Commonwealth Telephone Co. pole Saturday, state police at Lykens said.

The driver, Jeffrey Allen Patton, no address given, was driving south on Oakdale Station Road at the intersection with Johns Street in Washington Township, Dauphin County, at 3:11 p.m., police said. His Paystar was pulling a Talbert Tagalong trailer with a steam roller on it. The roller fell off the trailer and struck a utility pole.

Patton said he was pulling the roller on the trailer when it suddenly began to tip over, police said. He was not sure why that occurred, police said. Patton was not injured in the incident.

A notice of the crash was printed and mailed to Patton and to Frontier Communications, which owns the damaged telephone pole.

The trailer and the roller were pulled back into an upright position with assistance from Reliance Hose Company, Elizabethville, police said.

TAMAQUA — The 27th annual Tamaqua Summerfest on Sunday fit right into Roy Houser’s agenda.

Irish on both sides of his family, he said he has ties to the mining and railroading industries. His great-great-grandfather, Franklin Houser, used to be the Tamaqua train fire marshal, he said.

“I grew up on Railroad Street, and it’s amazing to see the train station today, to see the inside and what it’s come back to. I love it. I try to come every year,” Houser, now of Hometown, said.

The community event, including a celebration of the coal region’s heritage, is presented annually by the Tamaqua Historical Society. It drew a large crowd and offered train rides, Leiby’s horse-drawn trolley rides, crafters and a rubber duck race on the Little Schuylkill River. There was a Tamaqua Street Machine Association car show, historical museum tours and reenactments, American folk music by Jay Smar and a public art display.

Stockton blacksmith Don Campbell demonstrated his trade in the 1848 Hegarty Blacksmith Shop on Hegarty Avenue. “I tell kids if they play with clay, it’s the same thing I do, only with an anvil,” he said.

Campbell placed a series of objects in front of visitors, asking them what the items had in common other than all being made of steel. Surprisingly, the objects were all created using the same amount of material, although they varied greatly in their appearance and size. There was a long, slender piece, a flattened blob utensils and other pieces forged in a design.

Campbell, who’s been in the blacksmith and farrier business for 40 years, said when he’s working with steel, he can usually tell when it’s ready to be forged based on its color. If it’s got a glow, it’s probably at 1,800 degrees; if it’s cherry red, then it’s at 2,100 degrees, and more than 2,400 degrees means it’s at hot, white heat.

The best forging temperature is done at the cherry red stage, he said. If steel gets too hot, the metal will crystallize.

Historically, blacksmith shops were at the hub of a community’s activities, Campbell noted. They made nails, shoes for horses, fixed pots and pans and made tools for other tradesmen. In the anthracite region, they made drills and sharpened picks for miners, he said.

Joseph and Rochelle Evanousky, Barnesville, also had a mining theme with their Coal Region Art/Tex T’s display along Broad Street. They offered Joseph’s charcoal artwork, prints, notecards and coloring books, as well as silkscreened and embroidered T-shirts and sweatshirts.

Joseph Evanousky had created one of the “Tamaqua Has Heart” public art projects. His three-dimensional sculpture heart features colorful scenes of trains and coal miners and was placed on Broad Street. The hearts will be on display throughout the borough until Labor Day and will be auctioned off during the Tamaqua Has Heart Auction and Gala on Sept. 28 at the former Scheid’s Store building in Tamaqua.

Evanousky said he used photos from the historical society as the basis for the images he created on the heart.

“I wanted to capture the roots of our coal region,” he said.

The Tamaqua Historical Reenactors Committee presented a reenactment of an authentic Irish breaker boy’s funeral wake inside the Tamaqua Museum Annex. The program was part of the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of anthracite coal in the region.

Jim Thorpe couple Chris and Ashley Fedder, said they try to visit the festival most years. While browsing the Tamaqua Area Historical Museum, Ashley noted there were some newer additions she’d missed seeing before — bar tokens, Heisler’s Cloverleaf Dairy milk bottles and the starting blocks for the Tamaqua swim team. Ashley said she also wanted to attend Sunday’s event to support her mother, who was a vendor.

“There’s good, homemade food from the fire companies, churches and sports clubs and it gets people involved in the town,” Chris Fedder, said.

Contact the writer: ; 570-628-6007

MAHANOY CITY — The borough council is searching for a new police chief.

At its June meeting Tuesday at borough hall, representatives of the Pennsylvania Economy League, Wilkes-Barre, and the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association, Harrisburg, offered to help with the search at no cost to the borough. However, the council took no action on the matter Tuesday.

“They were not specifically brought in to deal with the police chief issue. They were brought in because in 2015 Mahanoy City applied for distressed municipality status. As part of that process, bringing a new chief in was discussed,” borough solicitor Michael A. O’Pake, an attorney with an office in Pottsville, said.

“We’re going to advertise to get people to apply and we’re going to evaluate all those applications and we’re going to make recommendations to you, to council, on who we think should be interviewed,” Joseph Blackburn, a consulting and member services manager for the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association, said.

“The state pays for it, through us,” Gerald E. Cross, executive director of the Pennsylvania Economy League, said.

“We won’t advertise until they advertise. The posting might be ready this week, but we’re not sure when exactly they’ll post it,” Daniel L. Lynch, borough manager, said.

A job description for the Mahanoy City chief of police position appeared in the classified section of Saturday’s Republican-Herald edition.

“But at some point in this process, the responsibility shifts from us to you. We’re not going to pick the police chief. We’re going to give you a number of options for your decision-making,” Blackburn said. “We will put that out on our website, and we’ll send an email out to over 4,000 people. We have a database of people who are interested in hearing when a police chief’s position is open. We’re hoping we can get a number of good applicants.”

“Have you performed this service for anybody else in Schuylkill County?” O’Pake asked.

“I’m not sure that we did. We do a lot of written testing and interviews for promotion tests for sergeant, corporal and lieutenant,” Blackburn said.

“When do you think the process would be done, Joe?” Lynch asked.

“If we get the OK to put the posting out, we give them 30 days to get their resumes in. And it will take a couple weeks for us to do our review,” Blackburn said.

Borough Police Chief John C. Kaczmarczyk retired in April 2016. In May 2016, the council appointed full-time officer Charles Kovalewski as officer-in-charge.

The borough has two full-time officers and seven part-time officers, according to council President Thom Maziekas.

The council members present at Tuesday’s meeting were Maziekas, Vice President Francis P. Burke and members Diane Rachuck and Patricia C. Mullins. Council members Thomas R. Flamini and Scott Kline were absent.

In other matters at Tuesday’s meeting, the council announced the 2016 LST collection is now available for use for the Mahanoy City Fire Department. Each company is allocated $2,441.38, with $500 committed to the fire police, according to the council’s agenda.

The council decided to buy a 2017 Utility Police Interceptor Base AWD from New Holland Auto Group to be financed through a lease from M&T Bank. The total cost is $38,066.

The council also decided to buy a SealMaster line painter which costs $3,848.

From 6 to 8 p.m. Aug. 1, local emergency responders will participate in National Night Out at the Teen Canteen at the bank building at 28 E. Centre St., which is owned by the borough.

Activities will include bicycle registration and child fingerprinting.

“It was a very big success last year,” Mayor Patti A. Schnitzius said.

Contact the writer: spytak@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6011

VALLEY VIEW — Had it been any other Father’s Day on Sunday, Terry Schwalm and his brothers would have chauffeured their dad to breakfast at Valley View Park.

This was the first Father’s Day the family has been without their patriarch, Paul Schwalm, 81, of Valley View, who passed away in December.

“We were just talking about how we’d pick him up on the way in and he’d be waiting for us,” Terry Schwalm said Sunday during the 67th annual Father’s Day Breakfast at the park. A picture of Paul Schwalm was used on this year’s poster promoting the event. St. Andrew’s United Methodist Church’s Men’s Bible Class hosts the annual breakfast, where guests offer a donation and volunteers from the class usually work the griddles and serve.

“In the beginning, he’d work all of the breakfasts,” Terry said.

Terry and his brothers, Dennis and Jason Schwalm, all of Hegins, were among the 411 people who attended this year. Their oldest brother, Scott, Dauphin, was unable to make it, Terry said.

They had fond memories of their father.

“He went to everything we were involved in. He had some good sayings that he was known for. Anyone who would talk to my dad would say that he was a very friendly person,” Terry said.

David Williams said Paul Schwalm’s kind nature will be remembered.

“Paul could always see the good qualities in his fellow man and made everyone feel welcomed that met him,” Williams, current president of the Bible class, said.

Several families attending the breakfast had multiple generations together to celebrate dad’s special day.

Troy Maurer, Hegins, was able to spend the morning with five generations of the Maurers, including his dad, Terry, grandfather, Ted, son, Seth, and granddaughters, Brielle and Willow. Troy took part of the early morning hours to walk the park with Willow, the newest addition at just 6 weeks old.

Terry Troutman had four generations at the breakfast, including his father, Robert; brother, Tab; nephew, Justin; sons, Jason, Travis and Tyler; and two of his grandchildren, Lucas and James Troutman.

“I’ve been coming to these breakfasts ever since I can remember, but this is the first year for the younger ones,” Terry Troutman said. He described his own father, saying, “He raised us and always stressed family values. He’s proud to have everyone here today and, hopefully, the younger ones will carry on the tradition.”

Jason Troutman said his father, Terry, taught his sons how to be self-sufficient.

“He’s always been there for us and showed us the outdoors through fishing, hunting and scouting. He’s helped us to be well-rounded growing up. That’s greatly appreciated,” Jason said.

The Troutmans grew up in the Hegins and Valley View areas, but have moved throughout the state. The breakfast affords old friends time to reconnect as well, according to Jason Troutman.

“You see people you grew up with and played sports with and it’s nice to catch up with those people who may have moved away,” he said.

Paul S. Wenrich, Williams Township, Dauphin County, has been a mainstay of the breakfast, attending for 65 of the 67 years of the event.

“I missed two breakfasts when I was in World War II, serving with the Navy in the Pacific,” he said.

It was Wenrich’s father, George D. Wenrich, who was the former president of the Men’s Bible Class and who started the original breakfast. Paul Wenrich was a young man when he drove his father and other friends to Pottsville to attend a breakfast held for men’s Bible classes in Schuylkill County.

“When my dad came back from that, he said, ‘We’ll start our own,’ ” Paul said.

Contact the writer: ; 570-628-6007

Schuylkill County Treasurer Linda Marchalk issued a press release last week to remind area organizations about the types of games that are legal under the Pennsylvania Local Option Small Games of Chance Act and eligibility requirements.

The small games of chance law allows certain nonprofit organizations to conduct limited types of gambling such as pull-tabs, punchboards, raffles — including special raffles, basket raffles and Chinese auctions, daily drawings, weekly drawings, 50/50 drawings, race night games and pools, according to Marchalk. That does not include sports pools.

Examples of illegal gambling includes betting on sports, including pools involving professional or amateur athletics, quarter auctions, Monte Carlo/casino/poker nights, video gambling devices including video poker or slots, Texas Hold ’em tournaments and poker runs.

“We are receiving notices of events being held that are not within the spirit of the law. We are also seeing events advertised by organizations that do not possess small games of chance licenses,” Marchalk said. “As Treasurer, I want to educate organizations on how to be compliant with the law.”

It is illegal to operate small games of chance without a valid license. A license issued by the Schuylkill County Treasurer’s Office is for exclusive use of the entity only.

It is unlawful for an organization to allow other organizations or individuals to use their small games of chance license. Every eligible organization in which a license has been issued may conduct games of chance for the purpose of raising funds for public interest purposes only.

Information is available at the treasurer’s office website at www.co.schuylkill.pa.us or by calling 570-628-1434.

Contact the writer: mgilgerjr@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6023

While existing roadwork on Interstate 81 in Schuylkill County may have caught motorists’ attention, travelers should be prepared for even more state Department of Transportation workers on the busy highway this week.

I-81 and routes 209, 901, 895 and 125 are slated to receive repairs and improvements within the next few days, according to a release from Sean A. Brown, safety press officer with PennDOT Engineering District 5, Allentown.

On I-81 in Frailey Township, between Exit 107 (Route 209) and Exit 112 (Route 25), bridge repair work from a PennDOT contractor will restrict lanes in both directions. This is part of an ongoing project for repairs to the I-81 bridge over the Reading & Northern Railroad. The restrictions will be in effect between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. beginning today, with work expected to be completed by Thursday.

Between Exit 119 (Highridge Park Road) and Exit 104 (Route 125) on I-81, PennDOT will patch potholes, causing daytime lane restrictions in both directions from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Work begins today and should be finished by Thursday.

There will be sporadic lane restrictions on I-81 in Kline and Delano townships and Mahonoy City between Exit 119 (Highridge Park Road) and the Luzerne County line for pothole patching. Restrictions will run from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. today through Thursday. Rain will cause delays.

Pothole patching from Exit 124 (Route 61) and the Luzerne County line in the southbound lane of I-81 had been scheduled to begin Saturday.

Meanwhile, on Route 209 between West Meadow Street and Donaldson Street in Reilly Township, utility work will cause some daytime delays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. beginning today and continuing until July 3. There will be weekday lane restrictions for Schuylkill County Municipal Authority water line work. Drivers should expect delays and use caution when driving through the work zone. Rain could cause delays.

Also on Route 209 in Blythe Township between New Philadelphia and Tamaqua boroughs, PennDOT crews conducting crack sealing will result in lane restriction with flagging. Restrictions will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. today through Friday.

Several other roadways are slated for repairs. On Route 895 in West Penn Township between New Ringgold and Route 309, workers will conduct crack sealing, forcing a lane restriction with flagging from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. today through Friday.

PennDOT work on Route 901 along the Gordon Nagle Trail between Woodland Drive and Main Street in Cressona will result in a daytime lane restriction from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. today through Saturday.

Drivers should be alert to brush cutting on Adamsdale Road in North Manheim Township between Greenview Drive and Route 61 today through from Friday. The PennDOT work will result in a lane restriction with flagging from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

PennDOT maintenance crews will be working on Route 125 in Eldred Township between Main Road and Route 25 starting today. Daytime lane restrictions will run from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., with work scheduled to be finished by Friday.

Paving is slated to begin today on Tamanend and Delano Road between Main and Fairview streets in Delano. The PennDOT work will cause sporadic lane restrictions with flagging from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. through Friday.

Motorists can check conditions on major roadways by visiting www.511PA.com, which is free and available 24 hours a day. The site provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 825 traffic cameras. The smartphone application 511PA is also available for iPhone and Android devices by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional Twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.

Ashland

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 35 N. Ninth St., will have Vacation Bible School, “Maker Fun Factory: Created by God, Built for a Purpose,” from 6 to 8 p.m. July 17 through 21. People may call 570-875-2581 to register or they may register on the first night.

Mahanoy City

The Mahanoy City Public Library recently acknowledged the following memorials: For A.J. Irvin from Bob and Carol Blue, Bobby and Leslie Richardson, Bette Chelak and Joe Chelak family; for Kathryn Salmon from Bill and Judy Brayford; for Geri O’Connor from Judy and Bill Brayford; for Susan Brown from Tim and Megan Demko; for Anna Demko from Tim and Megan Demko and Bette Chelak; for Brian Dixon from Dot and Tom Ward Sr.; for George Kline from Dot and Tom Ward Sr.; for Nancy Stoffan from Dot and Tom Ward Sr.; for Jack and Toni Ryan from Dot and Tom Ward Sr.; for Mary Golden from Margaret Smith; for Judy Long from Margaret Smith; a book memorial for Reese Annette Bowman from Richard and Christine Dennison; in honor of the Bernadyn family from Ann Marie and Mike Bernadyn.

Pottsville

Diakon Living and Learning, 118 S. Centre St., has a host of activities, classes, workshops and creative/healthful initiatives on its agenda. For more information regarding costs, types of sessions, dates/times and locations, call Susan Long at 570-624-3018 or email her at longs@diakon.org. More information also is available online at www.diakon.org/community-services/Living-Learning-After-50.

Schuylkill Haven

Schuylkill United Way is sponsoring the Schuylkill United Way High School Football Challenge, set for 3 to 8 p.m. July 20 at Penn State Schuylkill campus, 200 University Drive. The new event, part of the 2018 United Way campaign in conjunction with campaign Chairman Dr. Andrew Smarkanic, will be hosted by Penn State Schuylkill, according to a release. The event is a strength and conditioning competition between high school football teams in and around Schuylkill County involving multiple competitions, according to a press release. All players on a football team can be included. The goal is to raise money for the United Way campaign and also to raise student awareness about Schuylkill United Way and the good its partner agencies are doing for the county. Participating teams will need to complete a registration and provide a $50 registration fee and return them with completed liability release forms from each player. For a form, call Schuylkill United Way at 570-622-6421 or email to aandrews@schuylkillunitedway.org. A trophy will be awarded to the winning team along with a $500 gift card to Schuylkill Valley Sports or the winner’s choice of athletic supplier. Each participant will receive a T-shirt, water bottle and SUW goodies. Sponsorship opportunities are available by calling the aforementioned number.

Shenandoah

The borough has an ordinance requiring people who walk pets on public streets or sidewalks to clean up after them. Those who do not are in violation of the law and can face a fine. Pet owners may not allow their animals to roam in the borough unleashed or out of control. Driving all-terrain vehicles, or ATVs, on public streets or areas where they are not allowed, such as parks or private property, also is unlawful. Anyone who witnesses such violations is asked to contact borough authorities. To reach borough police, call 570-462-1991.

Tamaqua

Christopher Czapla, principal, has announced an open house for the Tamaqua Area Middle School is slated for 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Aug. 21. It will provide families an opportunity to follow their child’s schedule and meet their teachers, he said in a release. It is not an evening for parent/teacher conferences, which may be scheduled for another date and time. In addition to meeting the faculty, “we encourage you to visit our informative areas regarding the MMS Student Portal, student planners, accelerated reader and extracurricular activities,” he said. Homeroom assignments will be posted on the main doors as of Aug. 14.

WEST PITTSTON — The valedictorian and class president of Wyoming Area’s class of 2017 had his microphone silenced mid-speech during Friday’s graduation ceremony when he started to criticize school administrators.

Villanova University-bound Peter Butera had just started to criticize what he considers an overly authoritarian administration when the plug got pulled on his speech and he was approached by Principal Jon Pollard to leave the stage at Sobieski Stadium.

“I don’t think it could have gone any better,” Butera, 18, said Sunday. “I got my point across and them cutting the microphone proved my point to be true.”

Wyoming Area Superintendent Janet Serino said graduation speeches are vetted ahead of time and Butera veered off the script of the one he submitted.

“The speech was changed as it was being given,” she said in an email.

Serino said student input is important and she immediately scheduled a meeting with Butera to listen to his concerns on how things could be improved at Wyoming Area.

The West Pittston teenager who plans to study business administration in college wonders if he would have been cut off if he ad-libbed while offering gushing remarks about school officials.

“I assume if I went off script and praised the administration it would not have gotten pulled,” said Butera, the son of local attorney Michael Butera.

Right before the sound was cut during Butera’s speech, he noted that those involved in student government — from class president to student council — really have no influence in how the school operates and that will hold graduates back in the real world.

“Despite some of the outstanding people in this school, a lack of real student government — and the authoritative nature that a few administrators and school members have — prevents students from developing as true leaders. Hopefully, this will change ... (audio turned off).”

Butera kept talking but few people could hear him. The crowd booed and many people shouted “Let him speak!”

“He said, ‘Alright Peter, you’re done,’ ” Butera recalled the principal saying.

After the principal approached and motioned for Butera to leave the stage, the crowd and his classmates gave him a standing ovation as he walked to his seat.

#DispatchGrads 🎓 pic.twitter.com/RrM0AXD7bg

— Peter Butera (@PeterButera3) June 17, 2017

Contact the writer:

bkalinowski@citizensvoice.com

570-821-2055, @cvbobkal

PINE GROVE — The Pine Grove Area school board approved two settlements Thursday, and gave the nod to several personnel matters.

Among them was the settlement of the Keystone Potato Products LLC tax assessment appeal with a new fair market value of $2.2 million. The district/county had an appraisal by Flynn Group at $2.7 million, while Keystone had an appraisal by Lesavoy Group at $1.4 million.

The board also agreed on the district payment of $500 to fully resolve a small party settlement to the Phillips Services Corp. Superfund Site. The district had appropriately disposed of 14 pounds of hazardous materials at the site in South Carolina, according to Superintendent Heath W. Renninger. David Frew, finance chairman, was not sure exactly what the hazardous material was but suspected it may have been asbestos tile or light bulbs. The matter had initially been addressed in the 1995-96 school year, Renninger said.

All directors were present, with Evelyn Wassel, president, and Alethea Wessner participating via phone conference.

Renninger said a “worm” had infiltrated the district’s server. IntermixIT has been assisting the district with its 1,610 machines, he said. Details of the corrective actions taken will be reviewed at the next technology committee meeting, Renninger said.

In other matters, Richard Nickel, board vice president, congratulated the Minersville girls’ softball team on its state championship.

The board approved the following fall sports assistant coaches and stipends: football, Vernon Strouphauer, $3,217.50, Tom Renninger, $2,970, Justin Strouphauer, $2,835, Trent Mars, $2,700, Joe Barra, $1,350, and volunteers, Steve Zimmerman, Dave Zimmerman, Jack Drey and Ron Freeman; boys’ soccer, Mike Lengle, $2,835, and Marvin Weber, $1,800; cross country, Lindsey Petrousky, $1,800; golf, Chris Coombe, $1,000; volleyball, Erin Frantz, $2,700, Kirsten Sandler, $1,800, and volunteers, Gene Kreitzer Jr., Holly Martin, Mason Lyons, Joy Fasnacht, Heather Drumheller, Madeline Daubert, Brittanie Wolfe and McKenzie Sterner; cheerleading, Denise Schneck, adviser for football and basketball cheerleading, $1,350 each, Vanessa Emerich, assistant for fall and winter cheerleading at $1,350 each; and girls’ soccer, Lexi Towne, $2,700, and Samantha Hoover, $1,800.

In other action, the board approved:

• By a 7-2 vote, to accept a proposal from The Seltzer Group, Orwigsburg, for all school district insurance, at a $30,203 reduction from what the district was presently paying. Directors J.T. Herber and Wessner were opposed.

• Adoption of the 2017-18 Homestead and Farmstead Exclusion Resolution.

• Agreement with the Meadows Psychiatric Center for educational services for the 2017-18 school year.

• Granting tenure to Ashley Artz, Kimberly West and Amy Harrison.

• Accepting the resignation of Talia Doud, emotional support teacher in the middle school, effective the end of the 2016-17 school year.

• Hiring James Wolfe as a computer technician, beginning July 1 at a salary of $34,500 and benefits, per his agreed upon individual contract. This will mirror the AFSCME agreement benefits.

• Hiring Darcy Brommer as a teacher’s aide for the 2017-18 school year at $12.80 per hour, with all AFSCME contract benefits. She replaces Marlena Sonnon, who resigned.

• Resignation of Gail Umbenhauer from her position as teacher’s aide, effective the last day of school and to advertise for her position.

• Superintendent to interview and hire necessary employees who will be approved by the board at its August meeting.

There will be no school board meeting in July. The next meeting will be 6:30 p.m. Aug. 17 in the middle school library.

Contact the writer: ; 570-628-6007

Anthony J. Kilker

SHENANDOAH — A Mahanoy City man charged with threatening another man on Jan. 25 waived his right to a preliminary hearing before Magisterial District Judge Anthony J. Kilker.

Edward J. Trusky, 63, of 321 W. Spruce St., was arrested by Mahanoy City police Officer-in-Charge Charles Kovalewski and charged with one misdemeanor count of terroristic threats. By waiving his right to a hearing, Trusky will now have to answer to the charge in Schuylkill County Court.

Kovalewski charged Trusky with leaving a threatening note on the door of the residence of Derek Davidson. Davidson said Trusky had been at the West End Cafe causing a disturbance and was asked to leave.

Davidson said when Trusky would not leave he escorted him out the door and that his wife then found the note.

Kovalewski said the note read, “Trust me I will be seeing you again tonight either to blow your heads off or blow your (expletive) house up. So watch yourself. Sincerely Ed.”

The note continued, saying, “Try and find me. I will use my 9mm and will flatten your tires,” Kovalewski reported.

Other court cases included:

Aaron J. Campbell, 36, of 109 E. Centre St., Upper Apt., Shenandoah — waived for court: hindering apprehension or prosecution, possession of a small amount of marijuana, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Lap Kim Truong, 76, of 233 E. Lloyd St., Shenandoah — held for court: theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property.

Juan M. Rivera Lugo, 36, of 18 E. Market St., Box 305, Sheppton — withdrawn: terroristic threats, resisting arrest, obstructing or impeding justice-picketing and possessing instruments of crime. Waived for court: disorderly conduct.

Robert F. Seigel, 53, of 306 E. Centre St., Mahanoy City — waived for court: criminal trespass, flight to avoid apprehension, trial or punishment, resisting arrest, mandatory use of a sidewalk, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Matthew J. Soucheck, 20, of 210 E. Ogden St., Girardville — waived for court: DUI-controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving the wrong way and failure to carry registration.

Frankie N. Rios, 33, of 331 S. West St., Shenandoah — withdrawn: possession of a small amount of marijuana, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Steven T. Middleton, 20, of 145 W. Ogden St., Girardville — dismissed: interference with the custody of children. Held for court: corruption of minors.

Robert Lee Darker, 54, of 113 Schuylkill Ave., Shenandoah — held for court: DUI, DUI-highest rate, DUI-controlled substance, disregard for single traffic lane and restrictions on alcoholic beverages.

Corey James Bossert, 26, of 100 W. Centre St., Apt. 2, Mahanoy City — withdrawn: aggravated assault and simple assault. Waived for court: terroristic threats and disorderly conduct.

HEGINS — Tri-Valley school board continues to contemplate the district’s 2017-18 budget, and plans a special board meeting at 7 p.m. June 28 in the high school to finalize numbers.

The board canceled its scheduled budget session on June 14.

At last month’s meeting, the board released a proposed 2017-18 preliminary budget that calls for a tax increase of just over 1 mill, with revenues anticipated at $13,296,580 and expenditures of $13,762,890. Current programs should remain intact; however, district faculty and administrative vacancies due to retirement or resignation will not be filled, Superintendent Mark D. Snyder said in May.

The current millage rate is 32.252. For 2017-18, there is a proposed millage increase of 1.064, which would result in a new millage rate of 33.316. The median assessed valuation of a home in the district is $31,553. Given the proposed tax increase, this would mean that the average taxpayer would see an increase of $33.57 in the school district portion of their real estate taxes, Snyder said.

Increasing Public School Employees’ Retirement System employer contribution rates, contractual obligations and health care costs are the primary reasons a tax hike may be needed, according to the superintendent.

Directors Guy M. Julian and Curtis H.E. Zemencik were absent.

In other business, the board approved several coaches and salaries for the 2017-18 school year: Michael Masser, head boys’ basketball, $3,630; Carl Ziegmont, assistant senior high boys’ basketball, $2,060; Robert Felty Jr., assistant junior high boys’ basketball, $3,160; Shane Leedy, assistant junior high boys’ basketball, $2,150; Clark Romberger, head girls’ basketball, $3,690; Michael Romberger, assistant senior high girls’ basketball, $1,970; David Boltz, co-head wrestling coach, $3,660; Ty Rothermel, co-head wrestling, $3,660; Brock Troutman, assistant junior high wrestling, $2,240; Hannah Dautrich, assistant band front, $780.

The following volunteer coaches were given the nod for the 2017-18 school year: Zachary Coleman, Michael Deeter and Kris Wetzel, all boys’ basketball; and Amanda White, girls’ soccer.

In other action, the board approved:

• Entering into a three-year agreement with Geisinger Medical Center to provide athletic trainer services for the 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20 school years.

• Proposed agreement with OneSource Staffing Solutions.

• Request from Connie Stehr to attend an out-of-state FBLA National Leadership Conference in Anaheim, California, June 27 to July 3.

• ESL education service agreement between the district and Schuylkill Intermediate Unit 29 for the 2017-18 fiscal year for $4,669.

• Transportation contract for Susan Klock to provide student transportation for the 2017-18 school year at a rate of $50 per day, effective July 1, 2017, to June 30, 2018.

• Memorandums of understanding between the district and the Hegins Township police for the Tri-Valley High School and the Hegins-Hubley Elementary School, and between the Pennsylvania State Police and the Mahantongo Elementary School.

• Phase 2 of the play area at the Mahantongo Elementary environmental site.

• Canceling the July 12 committee of the whole and regular board meeting.

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