SCHUYLKILL HAVEN — Emily Ehlinger’s goal is to bring Shakespeare to Schuylkill County schools in the future.

She’s on her way to doing that after starting Schuylkill Free Shakespeare three years ago this summer. Last year, she added to that introduction with a Fall Festival of Shakespeare, where county schools performed Shakespeare plays for one another.

She’s hoping to expand it further this year, and to do that, she recruited the help of an old friend, Kevin G. Coleman.

“This is the beginning of something brilliant in our county,” Ehlinger, who is also Nativity BVM High School’s drama club director, said. “We’ve seen the effect Shakespeare has had.”

Coleman is the director of education for Shakespeare and Company, an organization based in Massachusetts dedicated to Shakespeare and his work. He is also an award-winning, White House-honored master teacher.

Shakespeare and Company has its own Fall Festival of Shakespeare, and Ehlinger, who was a student at Shakespeare and Company, invited Coleman to the Walk In Art Center in Schuylkill Haven to impart his wisdom and foresight to county school drama club directors about establishing a fall festival this autumn.

Last year, Pottsville Area and Nativity BVM were the only schools to participate. They will return this year, along with Schuylkill Haven Area and Shenandoah Valley high schools.

The plan is to have the four mentioned schools perform a Shakespeare play this fall, then gather together in order for the schools to view each others’ performances. The festival is scheduled for Nov. 10.

Coleman has been with the Shakespeare and Company organization since 1979 and has a way of inspiring potential actors and actresses to put forth their best effort on the stage.

“I want everyone who is a part of Schuylkill Free Shakespeare to experience that type of inspiration,” Ehlinger said.

Ehlinger was inspired by the lessons she learned at Shakespeare and Company.

“I wanted to start a company that produces Shakespeare plays,” Ehlinger said. “My goal was to bring that type of work here.”

Now that it has been here for a couple years, she wants that to expand to local high schools with the fall festival.

Coleman offered several tips to induce excitement for students. One was to describe the plot before introducing the title. Another was to let students make contributions in unorthodox ways such as researching the meaning of the lines and music for the production.

A final tip was instead of having a script in hand, have another actor feed a few words of a line to everyone on stage, which will force the actors to focus on building a chemistry and see, hear and feel the reactions by everyone rather than build chemistry with a piece of paper.

“Your energy starts it, but their energy sustains it,” Coleman said.

Those in attendance agreed that in order to enjoy Shakespeare, one must not read his work; rather, it is to be acted. The themes and ideas Shakespeare wrote about — love, family dramas and tyrannical leaders — are timeless.

Coleman said Shakespeare’s writings and plays are “telling stories that need to be told.”

“Shakespeare is the Olympics for actors,” Coleman said. “Shakespeare is what the English language can be. What it should be.”

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

POTTSVILLE — A Philadelphia man will not have to spend more time in prison after admitting April 6 to a Schuylkill County judge that he ran away from police in August 2017.

Rakim R. Miller-Haith, 22, pleaded guilty to fleeing or eluding police, resisting arrest and theft by deception.

Judge Cyrus Palmer Dolbin accepted Miller-Haith’s plea and, in accordance with an agreement between prosecutors and the defendant, sentenced him to serve 122 days to 12 months in prison with immediate parole, pay costs and $50 to the Criminal Justice Enhancement Account, and submit a DNA sample to law enforcement authorities.

Pottsville police charged Miller-Haith with committing the theft, and then fleeing from them, on Aug. 13, 2017, in the city.

Dolbin on April 6 also accepted guilty pleas from, and, pursuant to agreements between prosecutors and defendants, imposed the indicated sentences on, the following people.

Tyler J. Ober, 20, of Wilburton — driving under the influence and possession of a controlled substance; time served to six months in prison with immediate parole, 12 months consecutive probation, $1,000 fine, $200 in payments to the Substance Abuse Education Fund, $50 CJEA payment, $520 restitution to Lehigh Valley Health Network and 10 hours community service. Prosecutors withdrew a charge of possession of drug paraphernalia.

Robert M. Stout, 43, of Cressona — three counts each of theft and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, two of receiving stolen property and one each of DUI, disregarding traffic lane and driving without a license; sentencing deferred pending evaluation for the intermediate punishment program. Prosecutors withdrew charges of careless driving and failure to stop and give information.

In other recent Schuylkill County Court action, Judge Charles M. Miller accepted guilty pleas from, and, pursuant to agreements between prosecutors and defendants, imposed the indicated sentences on, the following people:

Christopher J. Boothby Jr., 20, of Hazleton — loitering and prowling at nighttime; 12 months probation and $50 bench warrant fee. Prosecutors withdrew a charge of attempted theft from a motor vehicle.

Patricia A. Ciccanti, 57, of Pottsville — two counts of retail theft; 24 months probation, $100 in payments to the CJEA and $281.95 restitution. Prosecutors withdrew charges of receiving stolen property and driving under suspension.

Jerry M. Dannenhower, 50, of Schuylkill Haven — two counts of harassment; 12 months probation, $100 fine and no contact with the victim.

Melanie A. Grady, 35, of Shenandoah — possession of drug paraphernalia; 12 months probation. Prosecutors withdrew a charge of driving unregistered vehicle.

Angel M. Hahn, 22, of Pottsville — possession of a controlled substance, accident involving damage to attended vehicle or property and driving under suspension; 24 months probation, $200 fine, $100 payment to the Substance Abuse Education Fund and $50 CJEA payment. Prosecutors withdrew charges of possession of drug paraphernalia, failure to stop and give information and driving without a license.

Bobbie Jo Hepler, 32, of Drums — retail theft; two years probation, $100 fine, $50 CJEA payment and submission of a DNA sample to law enforcement authorities. Prosecutors withdrew a charge of false identification to law enforcement.

Krysten B. Kelly, 24, of Middleport — retail theft and reckless driving; 12 months probation, $200 fine, $50 CJEA payment and $169.72 restitution. Prosecutors withdrew one count of fleeing or eluding police and two of stop sign violation.

All defendants who were sentenced must pay costs a part of their sentences.

A Mahanoy City woman is headed to state prison after admitting April 10 to a Schuylkill County judge that she committed a theft and drug crimes in separate incidents in 2017 in Pottsville.

Mercedes M. Alexander, 21, must serve six to 36 months in a state correctional institution, plus an additional two years on probation, Judge John E. Domalakes ruled. Domalakes also sentenced her to pay costs and $100 each to the SAEF and the CJEA.

Alexander pleaded guilty in one case to theft, with prosecutors withdrawing a charge of receiving stolen property. In the other case, she pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of a controlled substance and one of possession of drug paraphernalia.

Pottsville police charged Alexander with committing the theft on Sept. 13, 2017, and with possessing the drugs and paraphernalia on Aug. 5, 2017.

Also on April 10, Amanda M. Horner, 34, of Reading, pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and false identification to law enforcement. Prosecutors withdrew charges of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, possession of a small amount of marijuana and conspiracy, an additional count of possession of a controlled substance and two counts of permitting violation of title.

Domalakes sentenced her to serve six to 12 months in prison and an additional year on probation, pay costs, a $100 SAEF payment, a $50 CJEA payment and $315 restitution to the state police crime laboratory in Bethlehem.

West Mahanoy Township police charged Horner with committing her crimes on Feb. 15, 2017, in the township.

In a Wednesday case, Domalakes revoked the probation of Michelle Lager, 41, of Coaldale, and sentenced her to time served to 12 months in prison.

Lager originally pleaded guilty on May 20, 2015, to retail theft. At that time, Domalakes placed her on probation for 12 months, and also sentenced her to pay costs, a $50 CJEA payment and a $192 bench warrant fee, amounts she still must pay under the terms of Wednesday’s sentence.

Tamaqua police charged Lager with committing the theft on Sept. 17, 2014, in the borough.

Also on Wednesday, Domalakes revoked the parole and probation of Stephanie M. McEntee, 40, of Shenandoah, but did not immediately sentence her, instead allowing her to apply for admission to the Schuylkill County Drug Treatment Court.

McEntee originally pleaded guilty on April 19, 2017, to retail theft and driving under suspension in one case and two counts of accident involving damage to attended vehicle or property and one each of license violation and driving under suspension in another. Prosecutors withdrew charges of receiving stolen property and careless driving.

Domalakes sentenced her to serve three to 12 months in prison and 12 months probation, and pay costs, $400 in fines, $100 in CJEA payments, a $50 bench warrant fee and $436 restitution.

Rush Township police alleged McEntee committed the theft and drove with a suspended license on June 14, 2016, in the township, while Schuylkill Haven borough police alleged she committed the other vehicle-related crimes on Aug. 11, 2016, in the borough.

Contact the writer: pbortner@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6014.

POTTSVILLE — The Schuylkill United Way only had to look a few feet to find a new home.

The nonprofit organization is staying on the third floor at BB&T Bank.

“BB&T didn’t have to make us this offer,” Kelly K. Malone, Schuylkill United Way executive director, said Friday.

The organization had a lease until April 2021, but the bank sent a certified letter from a real estate lease administrator that they had to move by May 31 because they needed the space so they can move employees who specialize in insurance services into the building. Doing so will provide more services to the bank’s clients.

Malone was notified March 22 that the bank was willing to let them use another space on the third floor that they will renovate to fit the needs of the agency.

“I was really ecstatic,” Malone said.

The space now has tables and chairs in it, but it will be converted into offices. Malone is happy the office staff does not have to move or pay more rent.

“They are going to start construction on this in the middle of June,” Malone said.

The move to the 990-square-foot space could come by July. Malone said the five- year lease, which will be renewable and has yet to be signed, will be the same rent as the older approximate 1,800-square-feet space.

“We had more space than we needed,” she said.

Malone said previously that the fact they were going to be displaced was “disheartening.”

David R. White, vice president of BB&T corporate communications, offered these comments Friday: “For decades, BB&T (and formerly National Penn) has supported the Schuylkill United Way through employee payroll deductions, employee involvement on the United Way board and various committees. We are delighted to have worked out an agreement suitable to the United Way and BB&T that provides the United Way with updated space to continue their mission. This underscores our longtime and continued partnership with this important organization which serves the Schuylkill community.”

Contact the writer: ; 570-628-6028

McADOO — A wall in the borough garage must be fixed before a new roof goes on the structure or there will be too much weight on the bad wall.

Borough council members discussed the situation April 10 with Joe Madochick, borough streets foreman.

When the council drafted its 2018 budget, tax millage was added to fund the construction of a new, A-frame roof on the garage.

In preparation for the new roof, Madochick and his workers were cleaning up and repairing the garage’s walls when they discovered the south wall was weak.

“We came across deteriorating mortar throughout the whole block wall,” Madochick said. “The block is in great shape. It’s the mortar joints. There definitely is an issue with the wall, especially with the new A-frame roof and the extra weight that’s going to be put on the building.”

Three contractors looked at the wall and gave Madochick some ideas about how to fix it. The council will have to decide what course of action to take while looking at price quotes that are being developed.

Councilwoman Mary Labert questioned where in the budget the money would come from to fix the wall.

Councilwoman Marion DeBalko said the council doesn’t have any choice but to fix the wall.

“It’s something we have to look into,” DeBalko said. “If we repair that wall, we have that heavy roof. We can’t let the wall go.”

Councilman Pete Minneci added, “This is an emergency, because something is going to happen.”

Councilman John Shigo said a flat roof would be cheaper and has other advantages.

“Materials are different than they were years ago,” Shigo said. “Flat roofs are lighter, which might be a benefit to that wall. If we get an A-frame roof, we have to take that old roof off and dispose of it. If we put a flat roof on, contractors would have to put in their bid to remove it and haul it away. It doesn’t hurt to get a price.”

But DeBalko, Minneci and Councilman Ed Bielen rejected that idea.

“That wouldn’t be my vote,” DeBalko said. “We see what happened with two flat roofs. We agreed (the A-frame) is a better roof.”

Bielen added, “With a flat roof, heavy snows will lay up there.”

Labert pointed out that council voted for the A-frame roof.

Minneci said he agrees with Bielen. “With the A-frame, everything (snow) is going to come right off. I’m not going with the change. We’re set on the A-frame.”

Council President John DeBalko said the council will wait to make a decision until May, when prices on the various alternatives will be known.

Code enforcement

The borough’s two code enforcement officers will be briefed on how best to use the laws on the books.

The briefing will come just in time for proposed changes to the code enforcement ordinances to give more power to code officers Denise Kapish and Stacia Riccio.

They will hear a presentation from borough solicitor Joe Baranko and attorney John Solt, who works with Baranko in the Slusser Law Firm, about how best to implement the laws.

The council voted 7-0 to expend funds for the presentation, which will take about two hours and lead to the development of a booklet for the code officers.

Kapish said the borough’s permit fee doesn’t call for a penalty.

“If you don’t get a permit, there’s no provision for what happens next,” Kapish told the council. “Stacia will attest to this, we’ve had some people who have repeatedly refused to get permits after being told. There’s not an awful lot we can do to hold them accountable for not doing that.”

Baranko said he will check the ordinance to see if it can be changed by resolution.

Shigo questioned if the $10 landlord registration fee is “every year.”

Kapish explained there is an initial annual charge. “You need a registration every year, and if the landlord changes tenants, there is another fee,” Kapish said. “There is an initial charge, an annual charge, and if the landlord changes tenants.”

Mayor Dane Watro asked if the council had revisited his idea for a code enforcement team and to pay for it from unused police training funds that are rolled over every year if not used.

“We need to talk to Joe (Baranko) about it, to see whether or not we could use those funds for other things,” John DeBalko said.

School driveway

Hazleton Area School District wants the borough to return a piece of land to the district so it can expand the driveway to the McAdoo-Kelayres Elementary/Middle School.

Andre Marchese, a HASD representative, told the council the driveway presents a safety hazard.

“A lot of accidents have been occurring,” Marchese said. “The main thing that is happening is when the school buses come around and make the wide turn, the parents are coming out from picking up their children, so the buses have to stop, and it is stopping traffic” on Kelayres Road.

In 2001, the district gave the 40-foot-by-440-foot parcel right next to the driveway to the borough for a girls’ softball field.

“At that time, the school district did not need that extra land and tendered it to the borough,” Baranko said. “If there is a free-standing deed, all you need to do is deed it over to the school district versus a full-blown subdivision.”

He also said the deed could have a reverter clause that would automatically send the land back to the district if it is not used for recreation.

“The stipulation was that we use it for recreation, but we couldn’t get it together,” Labert said. “I can’t see having softball batting (the ball) out into the road.”

The council authorized Baranko to check Schuylkill County records.

Aside from widening the driveway, a sidewalk is planned for the land to support events at the school.

Marion DeBalko said the borough should stipulate the land is used that way.

Contact the writer: jdino@standardspeaker.com; 570-501-3585

POTTSVILLE — There will be no Majestic Awards following this year’s high school musical season.

According to Lisa Gillespie, executive director for the Majestic Theater, only four schools agreed to participate in the show this year. The Majestic Awards began in 2006 to highlight the performances of area high school musicals and were modeled after Broadway’s Tony Awards. However, after a series of committee meetings and input from school directors, the theater’s board chose to suspend the awards citing a decrease in participation. Instead, there will be a showcase.

The showcase, scheduled for May 21 at Pottsville Area High School, will feature performances from high schools and middle schools. Currently, seven schools have agreed to take part.

“We have had a positive response to the idea of a showcase. We are waiting to hear from the other four,” Gillespie said in an email.

There will be an award for performance of the evening; each school will select a candidate for the Spirit of Theater award and a new award has been created this year.

“This year we are adding a senior recognition for the graduating cast and crew from each school,” Gillespie said. “We are hoping to be able to address the issues that prevented a majority of schools from participating. If we are able to produce a better product, we will be more than happy to reinstate the awards. There was not enough time to revamp the process in the short amount of time we had this year. We will be inviting the directors to a meeting after the musical season to hear their concerns and suggestions, then determine how best to proceed.”

Maria Malek, director of dramatics at Pottsville Area High School, was aware of the decision to suspend the Majestic Awards and while she was disappointed, she supported the reasoning behind the decision.

“The future of musicals in the county is not contingent upon whether or not there is an awards show,” Malek said in an email. “While in the past few years area schools have worked hard to evolve and innovate their programs, musical theater has been alive and thriving in our county long before the Majestic Awards existed, and even if the awards would not be reinstated, our programs will remain. We, the directors and our actors, will continue to support each other and continue to improve our individual programs, because that is where our passions lie. We produce musical theater because we and our students have passion for it.”

Shenandoah Valley High School earned seven Majestic Awards last spring for the cast and crew’s performance of “The Phantom of the Opera,” directed by Sarah Elizabeth Yorke.

“As the former director of the Shenandoah Valley Drama Club, I’m pretty bummed that there won’t be an awards ceremony this year, but I was very happy to hear that there will still be a showcase of all of the local talent,” Yorke said in a Facebook message. “Coming from a school that clawed its way up in the local theater scene, I’ve seen it all and never would’ve expected to see the growth I’ve witnessed. I truly think instilling a healthy sense of competition and celebrating these kids and their accomplishments at the end of each year encouraged that growth. Whether it be a showcase or an awards ceremony, what’s important is that we unite as one, instead of separate entities, and continue to lift one another up. Our kids just wanted to show each school how much they support them and have their backs, and over the past few years, that’s been evident through the camaraderie the awards have created between all of the drama clubs. Win or lose, these kids still support each other and I think that’s the big takeaway here. As long as we have a room full of kids supporting each other, we’re doing the right thing. I absolutely think this can be achieved with a showcase, and I’m glad they’re taking the time away to reevaluate the awards criteria while still celebrating our local talent. However, I wouldn’t rule out the awards promoting this type of positivity in the future. With the right mind set and approach, and a complete revamping of the old ways, I think the future of healthy competition and an awards ceremony can continue to encourage young artists to join drama clubs all over the county and continue to do the unthinkable. Whether they leave with a trophy or not, all of these kids are winners because of the bravery, guts, heart and passion that they display year after year, and to me, that’s the most important win of all.”

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

POTTSVILLE — Technology is changing the future of family mementos and keepsakes.

For those who find flat pictures are no longer enough, who instead seek new ways to preserve important moments, they will find something interesting at the Martian Materials Meteorite Store at 18 N. Second St.

In the back of the store is Studio3D Photo Booth, a small structure that will take a picture of whatever is inside the booth and, with a computer’s help, produce a three-dimensional figurine of the subject. The business is co-owned by John Albertini and Roger Wehbe, who also owns the Martian Materials Meteorite store.

Albertini said he was inspired by seeing a similar device in Philadelphia and brought the idea back to Pottsville.

“It’s a great location in downtown Pottsville,” Albertini said. “It seemed like a natural add-on.”

The customer enters the tent and in a quarter of a second, 89 cameras take photos capturing him or her from all 360 degrees. From there, the pictures are approved and the computer servers “stitch” the 178 photos into a 3D object in 10 to 15 minutes to produce a preview. If the customer likes the final image, the item is ordered. The turnaround time from approving the picture and receiving the final product is two weeks.

“I’ve never seen anything like this before,” Wehbe said.

Customers can either book an appointment, or walk in and be scanned. Customers can even bring their pets. The booth can accommodate up to four people at once. The figurines can be full-body, half-body or busts. Pricing ranges from $34 for a 3/4-inch bust to $604 for a 9-inch full-body figure of four people. Circular bases and protective coatings are also available for an additional cost. Pricing ultimately depends on which model is chosen and its size.

The statues are made of finely powdered sandstone. It is advised to be handled like a porcelain object and not played with. Other tips include keeping out of direct sunlight and ultraviolet light. Customers can either have the final product shipped to them or they can pick it up at the store.

“It’s different than a photo. It’s a keepsake,” Albertini said.

Some tips were given for potential customers. They include: anything smaller than 3 feet should be held, i.e. babies and small pets; shiny items like glasses, leather, mesh items and anything with less than a 1-inch diameter should be avoided; baseball caps should be avoided or be held close to subject’s chest; long, thin objects like golf clubs, swords and canes should be avoided as they tend to break in the printing or shipping process, however, if they are held close to the customer’s body, they can be included.

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

Pottsville

With National Drug Take-Back Day scheduled for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 28, the Schuylkill County sheriff will accept leftover or unused prescription pills at the following locations: Coaldale Police Department, 221-223 Third St.; St. Luke’s Hospital-Miners Campus, 360 W. Ruddle St., Coaldale; Rush Township Police Department, 104 Mahanoy Ave.; Tamaqua Police Department, 320 Broad St.; Hometown Auction, 125 Mahanoy Ave. (Route 54; Mahanoy City Police Department, 239 E. Pine St.; Orwigsburg Police Department, 209 N. Warren St.; Schuylkill County Courthouse security entrance, Pottsville; McAdoo Police Department, 29 N. Hancock St. In Summit Hill, the police department, 40 W. Amidon St., Suite 1, also will accept pills.

Pottsville

NAMI, the county’s “voice on serious mental illness,” meets at 7 p.m. the first Thursday of each month at the Senior Community Center, 201 N. Centre St. There is a program and support available at each meeting. “Anyone interested in mental illness, especially families and friends of persons with a serious mental illness, are encouraged to attend,” Colleen Kelly said in a release.

Pottsville

The Pottsville Area High School Class of 1968 is looking for information on classmates for the 50-year reunion to be held Sept. 8. Anyone who knows a member of the class is asked to give him/her the planning committee’s email address — pahsclassof1968@gmail.com — to share contact information. If they have a Facebook account, they can request to join Pottsville Area High School Class of 1968 to view the latest information on the 50th anniversary reunion.

Pottsville

The Schuylkill County Council of the Arts will present A Night of Jazz, Blues & Classic Rock ’n’ Roll at 7 p.m. April 27 in The Lodge at Sharp Mountain. Tickets are $15 each. Entertainment will include Same Time Next Year, the J.R.K. Trio, special guest Ron Stabinsky as well as The Kurious. For tickets or more information, call 570-622-0360.

Schuylkill Haven

Liberty Fire Company No. 4, Columbia and St. James streets, will have all-you-can-eat chicken pot pie dinner from 4 to 7 p.m. May 5. The cost is $8 for adult platters, $7 for quarts and $4 for children under 12. Platters include homemade chicken pot pie, salad with hot bacon dressing, bread/butter and dessert, coffee and drinks. Takeouts are available as is free delivery in the Schuylkill Haven area. To order, for delivery or more information, call 570-385-3341.

Tamaqua

A community breakfast and prayer time is planned to mark the National Day of Prayer on May 3, beginning at 9 a.m. with breakfast served in Founders Hall at Trinity United Church of Christ, 22 Washington St. After the meal, participants, according to a release, will move outside to the parking lot overlooking Tamaqua to offer prayers for various areas of American society and culture. The prayer portion will be led by members of the Tamaqua Ministerial Association. All are welcome. An offering of $5 will help defray the cost of the breakfast. Excess offerings will be donated to the Tamaqua Hunger Walk that weekend. Churches are asked to determine how many people they will have at the event and report it to George Taylor at 570-668-4451 or gtay200@verizon.net by Sunday.

Valley View

The Tri-Valley Senior Citizens group is sponsoring a four-day, three-night trip to Noah’s Ark, Kentucky, June 18-21. For more information, call Robert Ludwig at 570-682-3572 or Shirley Shadle at 570-682-3785.

RBM&N Railroad

earns high award

PORT CLINTON — The American Shortline and Regional Railroad Association has given the industry’s highest award for marketing achievement to the locally based Reading, Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad.

This is the fourth time, according to an RBM&N release, that the railroad has won “this prestigious award” in the last eight years.

Bill Clark, senior vice president-coal, recently accepted the award at a ceremony in Nashville, Tennessee.

The association recognized RBM&N for its efforts to connect a large anthracite coal producer, Atlantic Coal, Hazleton, to the interstate railroad system, according to the release, which added the project was made more complicated because the facility was along the lines of Norfolk Southern Railroad. RBM&N had rights to travel over the Norfolk Southern line and with the support of the Norfolk Southern Coal Business Group, RBM&N was able to get permission to connect to the Atlantic Coal facility.

“This cooperative effort was an acknowledgment of the unique role Reading & Northern holds in transporting Pennsylvania anthracite,” railroad officials said in the release.

RBM&N has acquired more than 1,200 coal cars and a weigh-in-motion scale in North Reading to facilitate the movement of Pennsylvania anthracite. At Reading, the rail cars filled with anthracite are interchanged to Norfolk Southern. In 2017 more than 7,300 cars were interchanged to Norfolk Southern.

“This close working relationship caused Norfolk Southern to greenlight the Reading & Northern plan to connect with Atlantic Coal,” according to the release, which added, “Even after that approval it took almost seven years of hard work and persistence for Reading & Northern and Atlantic Coal to complete the project. Atlantic Coal had to acquire government approvals to build the track and ultimately Reading & Northern completed the construction in 2017.”

It is anticipated that Atlantic Coal will soon be shipping more than 2,000 carloads a year, thus removing more than 8,000 trucks from local roads and highways.

Over the last 5 years, Reading & Northern’s carloadings increased 50 percent; in 2017, it broke all its freight records and handled more than 31,000 carloads.

In addition, Reading & Northern’s passenger operation, the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway, also broke all previous ridership records as more than 120,000 visitors boarded its trains.

RBM&N, with corporate headquarters in Port Clinton, is a privately held railroad company serving more than 70 customers in nine eastern Pennsylvania counties — Berks, Bradford, Carbon, Columbia, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Northumberland, Schuylkill and Wyoming. It operates freight services and steam and diesel-powered excursion passenger services. It owns, according to the release, nearly 1,300 freight cars and employs more than 200 employees.

Shenandoah pushes

weekly cleanups

SHENANDOAH — The borough and the revitalization group Downtown Shenandoah Inc. are asking all business owners and property owners on Main and Centre streets to participate in weekly efforts now through the fall to keep the community clean.

In a DSI release, officials called on owners to “please sweep” their sidewalks on Thursdays, pushing dirt into the gutters.

The borough street sweeper, according to the release, will pick up the dirt on Friday mornings during the early hours.

“We are asking the businesses and the property owners to take pride in our community and make it welcoming to our visitors and tourists,” DSI officials said in the release.

With DSI’s pending multi-million-dollar renovation center to be built in the 100 block of North Main Street and announcements of multiple new and pending business, EMI/ALS and health facility openings and renovations, revitalization officials are focusing on maintaining and enhancing the positive initiatives via a clean community. They also want to trounce negativity by fostering community pride.

For more information, call DSI at 570-462-2060.

Dine Out event

to benefit SWS

POTTSVILLE — Four of Schuylkill County’s premier restaurants will host a special dining event today to raise funds for Schuylkill Wellness Services, an agency that provides prevention education and case management for HIV and HIV/STD screenings.

Participating eateries include Francesco’s Ristorante, Shenandoah, 570-462-3451; The Greystone, Pottsville, 570-628-4220; Vito’s Coal Fired Pizza, Saint Clair, 570-429-1888, and Oak Hill Inn, Orwigsburg, 570-366-3881.

Each restaurant will donate 20 percent of the evening’s food receipts to SWS.

“Simply enjoy dining at one of Schuylkill County’s best restaurants and be a participant in bringing awareness and help for a good cause,” organizers said in an event flier.

There will also be a special Dine Out Raffle with a top prize of $1,000 cash, second prize of a Lowe’s gift card worth $250 and a third prize of a round of golf and lunch for two at Mountain Valley Golf Course, Barnesville. Raffle tickets are $5 each or five for $20.

For raffle tickets or more information, call 570-622-3980. SWS is a participating agency of Schuylkill United Way.

Plow Day 2018

on tap at Heisler’s

TAMAQUA — The Schuylkill County Agricultural Museum and Schuylkill County Fair will have Plow Day 2018 on Saturday at Heisler’s Cloverleaf Dairy, 743 Catawissa Road. The rain date is May 5.

Plow Day, according to a release, will focus on a demonstration about how soil is tilled.

Registration will begin at 9 a.m. and plowing will start at 10 a.m. The event is free and the public is welcome.

For more information, call Craig at 570-739-2446 or Darin at 570-366-1989. More information about the Schuylkill County Fair is available at www.schuylkillfair.com.

Festival of Arts

planned at Fairlane

POTTSVILLE — The first Festival of the Arts will be held at Fairlane Village mall, Route 61, on May 5.

In a release, Sandra Coyle, administrative director of the Schuylkill County Council for the Arts, 1440 Mahantongo St., said the festival will be an “expo-type” event with “various performances during the day, a free youth theater workshop and a youth vocal competition.”

Organizers hope it will become an annual event.

The festival will be a “great time” for the “many organizations in the area” to “showcase their talents,” Coyle said, adding, “There is also a growing interest in the performing arts in the area and we want to help give information on the opportunities in our area.”

The Schuylkill Theater Association is the event host and organizers are “trying to get the word out on this first-of-a-kind performing arts event,” Coyle said.

For more information, call Coyle at 570-622-2788.

Shenandoah ready

for 11th kielbo fest

SHENANDOAH --- The 11th annual Shenandoah Kielbasi Festival, sponsored by the revitalization group Downtown Shenandoah Inc., will be held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 19 on North Main Street.

It will again include Shenandoah’s so-called three Kielbasi Kings --- the Capitol Food Market, East Washington Street; Kowalonek’s Kielbasy Shop, South Main Street, and Lucky’s Kielbasi Shop and Deli, West Centre Street.

The festival’s main attraction will be the homemade kielbasa contest featuring private kielbasi makers using recipes that often have been handed down over generations. The contest will have fresh and smoked categories with contestants competing for the “coveted” Pig Trophy, according to DSI.

Judges for the contest will again include commercial kielbasi makers Mark Kowalonek of Kowalonek’s Kielbasy Shop, Mike Stanakis of the Capitol Food Store and Dave Lukashunas of Lucky’s Deli,

The wildly popular festival will also include Ateeco Inc., Shenandoah, maker of Mrs. T’s Pierogies, plus Polish pottery, Matrushka dolls, straw ornaments and various eastern European crafts.

There will also be live polka music by the All-American Polka Band, a wide variety of ethnic and American food plus games for children and numerous vendors.

The Greater Shenandoah Area Historical Society’s headquarters and museum at 201 S. Main St. and the Schuylkill Historical Fire Society’s acclaimed museum at 105 S. Jardin St. traditionally are open during the festival and attract numerous visitors.

DSI’s Bob Kane said volunteers are needed to help with the festival, especially with setting up and taking down before and after the event.

For more information, call DSI, 116 N. Main St., at 570-462-2060.

PHILADELPHIA — The resignation of Metropolitan-Archbishop Stefan Soroka was an unexpected announcement to thousands of Ukrainian Byzantine Catholics in the United States who have had him as their spiritual shepherd since 2001.

On Monday, the Vatican Information Service announced that Pope Francis had accepted the resignation for medical reasons of Soroka as the archbishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia and Metropolitan for the Ukrainian Catholic Church in the United States. The resignation was effective Monday.

In light of the resignation, Pope Francis has declared the Archeparchy of Philadelphia as “sede vacante” — Latin for “the seat being vacant.” The Most Rev. Andriy Rabiy, an auxiliary bishop of the archeparchy, has been appointed by the pope as the apostolic administrator of the archeparchy until the appointment of a new archbishop.

Soroka was appointed as metropolitan-archbishop by Pope St. John Paul II on Nov. 29, 2000, and installed on Feb. 27, 2001. Rabiy was appointed by Pope Francis as auxiliary bishop on Aug. 8, 2017. A priest of the archeparchy when the appointment was made, Rabiy was ordained to the episcopacy by His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk in St. George Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral in Lviv, Ukraine, on Sept. 3, 2017.

The Philadelphia Archeparchy includes the District of Columbia, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey and parts of eastern Pennsylvania. It has a total Catholic population of 12,846.

Soroka made frequent visits to the archeparchy’s South Anthracite Protopresbytery, which includes all of Schuylkill County and portions of Northumberland, Columbia and Luzerne counties. His most recent visit with Rabiy was on March 29 at Ss. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church in Mount Carmel to celebrate the Vesper Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great on Holy and Great Thursday. He also regularly attended the annual Ukrainian Seminary Day event at St. Nicholas Grove, Primrose.

The Very Rev. Archpriest John M. Fields, archeparchy director of communication, said when appointed, the new archbishop will also become the new metropolitan.

“The person who is Ukrainian Catholic archbishop of Philadelphia is also metropolitan of the province, which includes, besides the Philadelphia Archeparchy, the Eparchy of Stamford, Conn., Eparchy of St. Nicholas in Chicago, and Eparchy of St. Josaphat in Parma, Ohio,” Fields said.

Soroka released a statement on Monday about his resignation.

“Our heartfelt appreciation is extended to His Holiness, Pope Francis, and to His Eminence Leonardo Cardinal Sandri, Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, and to His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk for their understanding and compassion,” Soroka said. “We are also grateful to the Holy Father for the confidence he has shown in the abilities of Most Rev. Andriy Rabiy in appointing him as Apostolic Administrator for the interim.

“I take this opportunity to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the clergy, religious, seminarians and laity of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia. These past 17 years have been filled with many challenges and blessings, some unique in the experience of the Philadelphia Archeparchy. Success in responding to the varying needs of the archeparchy and its parishes was achieved with the positive and hopeful participation of clergy, religious and laity enabled by the Grace of God. Most gratifying to me was the personal journey of prayer and fraternity experienced with the clergy, religious and faithful of the Archeparchy. The highlight of my ministry in leadership was experienced when amidst parishioners and their ministers in parish liturgical celebrations, visits, pilgrimages, festivals and in personal sharing. I was inspired by the dedication of the clergy, religious and faithful and their love for their Church.”

Soroka continued, “I am also especially grateful for the fraternity and cooperation shared with my brother bishops of USA, with whom common needs of clergy, religious and faithful were addressed in our regular meetings, and in gatherings of our Church. The Grace of God provided richly in our many shared endeavors.

“The Risen Christ greeted his apostles with the words, ‘Peace be with you!’ May the peace offered by the Risen Christ characterize our continued love and service of our Ukrainian Catholic Church. Let us remember one another in prayer as we seek the intercession of the Mother of God in this time of transition being experienced within the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia and in our Ukrainian Catholic Church in the USA. Christ is Risen!”

According to a release from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Rabiy was born Oct. 1, 1975, in Lviv, Ukraine. He pursued seminary studies at St. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Seminary in Washington, D.C., and was ordained a priest in December 2001 by Soroka at the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Philadelphia.

Soroka was born on Nov. 13, 1951, in Winnipeg, Province of Manitoba, Canada. He received a bachelor’s degree in social work and a master’s in social work from the University of Manitoba. His seminary formation was undertaken at St. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Seminary. At the Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C., he earned a bachelor of sacred theology and a doctorate in social work in 1985. He was ordained a priest on June 13, 1982, for the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Winnipeg at Saints Vladimir and Olga Cathedral, Winnipeg.

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

MAHANOY CITY — Bids were opened for five demolition projects at the April 10 meeting of the borough council and were tabled for review until the May meeting.

Borough solicitor Eric Lieberman opened the bid packages after giving a rundown of the properties to be razed. The projects are:

• Project 1: 217-219 E. Centre St.

• Project 2: 608 W. Centre St.

• Project 3: 46-48 S. B St.

• Project 4: 216-218 W. Spruce St.

• Project 5: 512 W. South St.

The council plans to award the lowest bidder contingent on legal review as well as a land bank review by Chris Gulotta, Schuylkill County Land Bank consultant. Borough Manager Daniel L. Lynch said Gulotta is administrator of the grant part of the land bank.

Bids were received from: Northeast Industrial Services Corp., Shamokin; Bill Davis Cement Contractors, Mahanoy City; Brdaric Excavating Inc., Luzerne; AMC Enterprise, Frackville; and Mr. Z Contracting, Shenandoah.

• NISC offered a total bid of $189,400 for all five projects, and an individual project breakdown: $36,550 (1); $34,400 (2); $20,700 (3); $60,750 (4); and $37,000 (5).

• Bill Davis offered the following bids: $24,950 (2); $24,950 (3); and $24,999 (5). They placed no bids on projects 1 and 4.

• Brdaric bid $20,900 on Project 1.

• AMC offered these bids: $18,500 (1); $23,494 (2); $21,449 (3); $22,475 (4); and $24,945 (5).

• Mr. Z offered a total bid of $70,600 on three projects, and a breakdown: $18,800 (1); $23,000 (2); and $28,800 (5).

The council agreed to table the bids.

The borough council approved Resolution 2018-4 for budget reallocation to amend the 2018 budget. The reallocation includes $18,000 from “Foreman Salary” and $18,000 from healthcare costs. The resolution also states the following budget amounts will be allocated to these line items: $3,000 to general IT networking costs; $13,000 to police phone and mobile internet to buy a new police reporting system; $8,000 to nonsolicitor legal expenses for ongoing legal issues; and $4,000 to engineering general retainer in anticipation of further expenses during personnel transition.

One bid was received for auditing services of borough accounts for 2017, 2018 and 2019 from Barsz, Gowie, Amon & Fultz LLC, Media. The bid proposals were $13,150 for 2017, $13,500 for 2018 and $13,890 for 2019. The borough council accepted the bid conditional on review.

Borough Fire Chief Daniel J. Markiewicz said Schuylkill County is renumbering fire districts and the borough fire department will be “48” for the number of the fire apparatus. It goes into effect in June.

“There is no effect or change in coverage,” Markiewicz said. “Shenandoah is now Fire District 64 and Tamaqua will be Fire District 65. The change will take place at the communication center.”

During the public part of the meeting, resident Paul Zilker asked the council about his inquiry about abandoned garages on Maple Street that have collapsed next to his garage. The garages are on leased property owned by Reading Anthracite Co., Zilker said; the collapse is causing water to enter his garage. Lynch checked and found the lease at that property has been paid and asked Lieberman what could be the responsibilities of the landowner.

“It depends what the language is in the contract,” Lieberman said.

“I don’t know if we can go anywhere, but a legal question is is it a property anymore or just a pile of garbage,” Lynch said, referring to the building.

“I’ll be glad to look into it,” Lieberman said.

In the public works report, Councilman Scott Kline said there is no ash pickup on Tuesdays, which is now a trash collection day.

In the recreation committee report, Burke said Mahanoy City Community Day will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. July 14, rain or shine. Stands for vendors and organizations are $10. Burke said volunteers are needed.

Lynch provided an update on the veterans banners project: “We’re still taking applications, and every time we have a group of 15, we’ll send them out (to be made). There were 89 in the first submission, which is tremendous for the first round. We’re hoping to have them up early to mid-May, but hopefully have them up for Memorial Day. ”

The council acted on these items:

• Appointed borough secretary Cindy Soley interim pension plan coordinator and interim right-to-know officer

• Approved advertising invitation to bid for sanitation services, effective June 1

• Approved Alfred Benesch & Co. as engineer for the borough’s East End Park Improvements Phase I grant through the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ Community Conservation Partnerships Program.

• Approved two agreements for the borough’s demolition project through the land bank and Keystone Communities to buy 46 and 48 S. B Street through repository sales at $10 each

• Approved Resolution 2018-5 to appoint Dr. H. Anthony Semone to provide psychology services for the police department.

The council also approved a motion from Burke for a 90-day study to have no parking on McKinley Street between Spruce and South streets.

Kline motioned to hire a part-time street worker, which was approved.

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

City police probe

drug overdoses

POTTSVILLE — Pottsville police are investigating the death of a man who was discovered early Monday morning.

Pottsville Police Chief Richard F. Wojciechowsky said the 26-year-old Florida man was discovered around 1:30 a.m. inside a city residence.

He said the preliminary evidence suggests the death was the result of a fatal drug overdose and an autopsy is pending.

In addition to the Florida man, Wojciechowsky said, there have also been three separate incidents in the city over the last three days where five separate people had to have naloxone administered by either police officers, EMS providers or both, to reverse the effects of a drug overdose.

The chief said the investigations are all continuing and anyone with information is asked to call the Pottsville Bureau of Police at 570-628-3792.

The caller’s identity will be kept confidential if requested, Wojciechowsky said.

Traffic stop nets

DUI, other charges

McADOO — A White Haven man was charged with DUI and other offenses following a traffic stop Feb. 22 on South Kennedy Drive, police said.

Borough police said a vehicle driven by Richard Scott, 59, was stopped at 7:32 p.m. after police observed it moving with no lights. Police said Scott had glossy eyes and an odor of an alcoholic beverage was detected.

Police administered field sobriety tests and Scott’s performance on the tests showed signs of impairment. He was taken into custody and given a blood alcohol test, which revealed results of 0.095 percent, police said. The legal limit is 0.08.

Police charged Scott with two counts of DUI and two summary offenses.

Unreasonable noise

results in charge

McADOO — A borough man was charged with disorderly conduct after loud music was heard coming from his apartment March 12, police said in a release issued Sunday.

Borough police said they were called to an apartment building on South Kennedy Drive for a noise complaint at 10:45 p.m. Upon arrival, police said, they heard music coming from the third floor.

The door to the apartment where the music was heard was open, but no one was around, police said. Officers turned the music down and identified the apartment’s occupant as Oslib Troncoso, 19.

Woman charged

after city crash

POTTSVILLE — Pottsville police investigated a crash that occurred in the 1400 block of West Market Street around 3 a.m. Friday.

Police said Gina Watcher, 33, of Minersville, was driving a 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt east in the left lane when she struck a 2014 Jeep Cherokee that was legally parked on the south side of the road.

The impact caused Watcher’s vehicle to overturn and come to rest on its roof blocking both lanes of travel.

As a result of the crash, police said, Watcher suffered minor injuries and was transported to a local medical facility for treatment by Schuylkill EMS.

Police said that Patrolman Michael Messner will be charging Watcher with DUI, careless driving and not driving on roadways laned for traffic.

Pottsville firefighters assisted with spilled fluids and traffic control at the scene, police said.

Rebecca J. Margerum

ELIZABETHVILLE — A Millersburg man is headed to Dauphin County Court after waiving his right to a preliminary hearing Wednesday on charges relating to his alleged breaking into a building in October 2017 in his hometown.

Tyler J. Erdman, 30, of 941 Meadow Lane, faces charges of burglary, unsworn falsification to authorities and two counts of theft. Magisterial District Judge Rebecca J. Margerum bound over all charges for court after Erdman waived his right to the hearing.

Millersburg police charged Erdman with committing the burglary and thefts on Oct. 17, 2017.

Margerum allowed Erdman to remain free on $10,000 unsecured bail pending further court proceedings. His formal arraignment is scheduled for 9 a.m. July 6 in Harrisburg before President Judge Richard A. Lewis.

Other defendants whose cases Margerum considered on Wednesday, the charges against each one and the judge’s dispositions of the matters included:

Rahman J. Griggs, 39, last known address of 300 Frelinghuysen Ave., Newark; terroristic threats, simple assault, criminal mischief and harassment; right to preliminary hearing waived, charges bound over for court.

Jason C. Houtz, 35, of 105 S. Fourth St., Tower City; flight to avoid apprehension or trial, possession of drug paraphernalia, fleeing or eluding police, driving unregistered vehicle, suspended vehicle registration, operating vehicle without required financial responsibility, stop sign violation, improper turning movements, abandoning vehicle on highway and two counts each of driving under suspension-DUI related and operating vehicle without valid inspection; right to preliminary hearing waived, charges bound over for court.

Kelsey R. Messner, 26, of 124 N. Pine St., Berrysburg; fleeing or eluding police, possession of drug paraphernalia, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, driving under suspension, stop sign violation, careless driving and reckless driving; charges held for court after preliminary hearing.

Jason A. Mundie, 29, of 731 Union St., Millersburg; terroristic threats and simple assault; right to preliminary hearing waived, charges bound over for court.

Stevie L. Nichols, 28, of 224 S. Fourth St., Sunbury; theft; charge held for court after preliminary hearing.

Julie Ann Rupp, 47, of 3930 Route 209, Elizabethville; theft; right to preliminary hearing waived, charge bound over for court.

MAHANOY CITY — The Mahanoy City Police Department has a new member to assist officers when they face stressful situations in protecting the public.

Dr. H. Anthony Semone, Ph.D., was appointed as psychologist to the police department last week by the Mahanoy City Borough Council at the recommendation of Chief of Police Kenneth E. Zipovsky.

Semone is part of the department and has his own police badge, but does not have the ability to arrest. Out in the field, his jacket has “psychologist” on the back.

A Marine Corps veteran, Semone, 79, of Wyndmoor, comes to Mahanoy City after serving more than a dozen years in the same position at the Hazleton Police Department.

Zipovsky, who served as first lieutenant with the Hazleton police force before taking over as borough police chief in January, believes Semone will be an asset to the police officers in the borough, and will also be available to assist as psychologist to other local departments.

Semone is providing his services at no cost.

“I’m glad to be here and especially glad to be with Chief Zipovsky. I’ve known and worked with him for many years,” Semone said.

In addition to Hazleton, Semone has worked with police departments in Sugarloaf and Butler townships in Luzerne County, the Reading Sheriff’s Department and the SWAT division in Philadelphia.

Along with working with police and helping them deal with stress, Semone has also personally dealt with crime.

“My primary exposure to the real side of life was when my wife (Dr. Ellen Sterling, Ph.D.) and I were living in West Philadelphia with three attempted muggings, where I outran the attempted mugger because I was quite a runner in those days, two home invasions and there was a series of stop-and-robs that were going on when a car would stop and someone would jump out to rob you,” Semone said.

He said the decision to move came after the murderer of a local college student was found by Philadelphia police on their back porch.

“We decided it was time to get out of Dodge here back in 1995, so we moved to bucolic Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania, which has no crime. It really doesn’t,” Semone said.

In 2004, Semone went to his bank and while he was there in an office, someone entered to rob the bank.

“I am licensed to carry and I do, so everywhere I can do so legally,” Semone said. “I immediately rolled out of the chair and, from what I heard, I had probable cause to believe it was an armed robbery and not someone who was there to sell Tupperware. I was at the intersection of a wall and the floor facing the doorway with my weapon drawn. I was surprised how calm I was.”

Semone was ready to face the armed robber if he heard someone was in danger.

“The guy left and I holstered my weapon and went back out,” Semone said. “This young woman came over and threw her arms around me and I said, ‘Listen, I got you covered. You’re OK. Springfield Township police will be here shortly.’ ”

Semone said his training allowed him to stay calm during a critical incident scenario. He said the stress felt by emergency responders on the scene of a critical incident, such as an active shooter, is also experienced in a different way by those who are at a communication center or someone operating a drone where they can see or hear what is going on and can do nothing. Semone said it is important for those involved to be able to talk with a professional.

“My hope is to be able to bring a lot of what I know about psychology and all of my years of experience,” Semone said. “I’ve been in practice since 1968. One of the blessings that I had when I was at HPD was the authorization that the prior Chief Frank DeAndrea had created for me was that I could be actively involved in patrol. When I work with officers, I don’t work in an office. The real place that you work with officers to help them manage the micro-stresses that stack up across the course of the day is sitting in the patrol car with them,” Semone said. “Each time I do that, and they know this in advance, they know I will maintain their confidence. That is a critical contact for which they have the right for me to keep secret what they tell me. So it gives them an opportunity to learn what it’s like to talk with somebody where it’s not psychotherapy. It’s called critical incident stress debriefing.”

He said that the debriefing is a vital part of a police officer dealing with the aftermath of a critical incident.

“Basically, what it is is a very sophisticated after-action review where you get the opportunity to talk about what happened,” Semone said. “Who, what, when, where, why and what did you learn from it is a variation on the theme.”

He spoke about the value of body cams and how Mahanoy City has them, but there needs to be a space in time before a debriefing is done.

“The body camera footage needs to be reviewed before the officers make a formal statement,” Semone said. “The critical incident stress debriefing (rules) says that there should be a 72-hour lapse in time before any statement is given to arriving investigators about what took place except for a brief officer community safety report about the attacker and what he was wearing, etc., etc. So that gives the officers another way to manage the inevitable stress.”

“The chief has authorized me to make contact with each of our guys,” Semone said.

“Dr. Semone is a sworn officer without arrest powers,” Zipovsky said. “He has the ability and the security clearances to be able to look at our files so he can possibly glean from them to help our officers about what the incident was and what the officers are dealing with. He has the clearance to speak with the officers in a confidential nature. This is all in the furtherance of being able to provide the service to the officers and make them the best they can possibly be in the job they are doing. Right now we have the greatest opportunity in the world to benefit from an expert, and not only for us but for officers in the area. We’re doing everything we can to try and make our officers as emotionally well as we can.”

Zipovsky added, “God forbid that our officers are involved in a critical incident where we need to have a critical incident stress debriefing. I have the mechanism in place now so our borough and the officers and the officers in the community have a resource to use to deal with that situation. Fire and EMS groups have been way ahead of us in the concept of critical stress debriefing.”

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

POTTSVILLE — After a decade of selling clothes and accessories, New Life Boutique will close April 30.

“It’s very sad. I think the community needs this,” Robyn Nesfeder, Schuylkill Haven, said as she shopped in the store at 110 S. Centre St. on Wednesday.

Sue Weaver, president of the board of Care Net Pregnancy Center of Schuylkill County/Real Options, which owns the boutique for fundraising purposes, said the board wanted to focus more time, talents and resources on its mission.

“Counseling women who are considering an abortion remains our primary focus and our main reason for existing as a ministry,” Weaver said in a statement.

Weaver said the lease is up May 31 on the property, something that also factored into the decision.

“It was a very difficult decision,” that was made by the board earlier in February, she said.

There are no signs declaring the closure on the windows at 110 S. Centre St., but manager Kimberly Pace commented on the store’s Facebook page March 25 announcing the news.

Weaver said “a lot of possibilities were discussed,” but the decision was made to close the store.

At one time, all the services for Care Net/Real Options were offered in another part of the building.

However, those services have since moved to 171 Red Horse Road. Parenting classes were among the services offered until last fall at the South Centre Street site.

The 501(c)3 nonprofit also helps young women and men with education and support for those who decided to keep their baby. The organization also focuses on informing teens about “sexual risk avoidance” through local school presentations to sixth- through 12th-grade students.

The store has one full-time and two part-time employees and several volunteers. Weaver said two of the people will likely find employment elsewhere. The other employee has a position with Care Net/Real Options in another capacity.

Weaver had nothing but good comments about Pace.

“She has done a wonderful job,” she said.

Weaver said she appreciated how the store had a loyal following but hopes that other people will step up to offer something similar.

“We appreciate the loving support you have given our store over the years. You have been a blessing to us,” she said.

Pace has been manager for 5 1/2 years. She said shoppers have said how much they will miss the store.

“We still have a lot of stuff,” Pace said.

Pants, skirts and blazers can be bought for as little as a $1. Shorts, tops and shoes for $2. Items not sold will be donated to local churches or nonprofits.

Contact the writer: ; 570-628-6028

MAHANOY CITY — A Barnesville native stopped at the Mahanoy City Public Library on Tuesday afternoon to sign her first book and visit with family and friends.

Deanne Rupert, who now lives in South Carolina, has had many ideas for stories over the years and decided in 2016 to write “To Live Without Knowing,” a novel that she describes as a “mystery thriller.”

“I’ve pretty much been writing for as long as I can remember,” Rupert said. “They were short stories, especially in high school when I took a creative writing class. It was always like a hobby.”

After considering writing a novel for some time, Rupert felt it was the right time.

“I’ve always wanted to write a book and decided that I was going to sit down and get serious with my writing now and write a book,” she said.

Her writing hobby included keeping notes and ideas over the years that she referred to in developing the novel.

“I have a whole notebook of stories. I have a list on my phone of stories. It was just something that came to me one day and I just wrote it down like I do everything else,” Rupert said. “And when I was going through the ideas seeing what story I wanted to work on first, that was the one that stuck out.”

The book’s back cover explains the story:

“When Jaime Strait was 14 years old, she saw something in the woods of her hometown Hawk Ridge, Pennsylvania, that she could never explain. In the aftermath, the town and her first love turn their backs on her, and Jaime spends the next 15 years running away from the town and everyone in it. Just when Jaime thinks she’s run far enough, an old friend turns up begging her to come home. People are disappearing again, and the last person to go missing was Jaime’s childhood love. Reluctantly, Jaime agrees to go home and face down whatever it was that followed her through the woods that night. But in order to solve this mystery, Jaime will have to go back some two hundred years to the founding of the town, and come to terms with the idea that someone she knows might be responsible for the monster she sees every time she closes her eyes.”

Rupert was asked if “Hawk Ridge” is based on a local town, to which she answered that it is no specific town, but more generalized for the region.

“It’s kind of based on the area as a whole,” she said. “It’s not based on any one particular area. It is a fictional town, but it does have its basis in the area.”

She began writing the book in December 2016. It was published in October 2017.

The daughter of Dennis and Toni Rupert, Barnesville, she graduated from Mahanoy Area High School in 2009, and then attended Albright College, where she graduated with a degree in international relations and criminology in 2013. In 2014, she joined AmeriCorps National Civilian Community FEMA Corps and spent the year working with different disaster relief efforts along the west coast and in the southwest.

After AmeriCorps, Rupert moved to Portland, Maine, to begin a new career with Transportation Security Administration. She now lives in Charleston, South Carolina, with her girlfriend, Kacie, and their Staffordshire bull terrier named Jones.

“Now I work with TSA doing security in the airports,” she said. “I work at the security checkpoint so I’m right with the passengers screening the passengers and their property.”

Rupert also worked for a short time with INTERPOL, which is with the International Criminal Police Organization. It is an international organization that facilitates international police cooperation and was established in 1923.

“When I was in college I did an internship with INTERPOL in Washington, D.C., in my first semester, which was pretty sweet,” Rupert said. “It was a lot of fun. It was really interesting. I was with the Office of the General Counsel. I worked on a lot of ‘red notices.’ A lot of agencies put them out to help seek the location of a known fugitive. I was actively going through case files and making sure all the editing and formatting was done right.”

After getting the first novel off the ground, Rupert is working on a second novel.

“I just finished the first draft a couple of weeks ago and I’m in the editing process. Hopefully that will be out this year. This story is about an abandoned amusement park that a group of friends find that it’s not as abandoned as they thought,” she said.

Rupert can be followed on Twitter with the handle of: @Dee_Wexler or Instagram with @drupert313.

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

PORT CARBON — A Minersville man charged with attempted homicide and other offenses for allegedly shooting another man in Minersville earlier this year waived his right to a preliminary hearing Tuesday afternoon.

However, what was a routine procedure in district court, was kicked off with a little drama.

Louis Fernando Rivera, 27, of 340 New Castle St., was scheduled to appear before Magisterial District Judge David A. Plachko on charges of criminal attempt to commit homicide, aggravated assault, firearms not to be carried without a license, possessing instruments of crime and persons not to possess, use, manufacture, sell or transfer firearms filed by Minersville police Patrolman Eric Sterner.

Shortly after Rivera was brought to Plachko’s office, his brother, Carlos Cruz, was led out in handcuffs and taken to the Schuylkill County Prison. Cruz, who had showed up to attend his brother’s hearing, was taken into custody on an outstanding warrant from Schuylkill County Court for failure to appear. No details were available as to where or when Cruz failed to appear for his required court appearance or what crimes he is charged with.

Rivera, after meeting with assistant public defender Paul Domalakes, chose to waive his right to a hearing when the most serious offense — attempt to commit criminal homicide — was withdrawn by Assistant District Attorney Julie A. Werdt and Sterner.

Rivera was then returned to Schuylkill County Prison, where is being held on $250,000 straight cash bail.

Sterner charged Rivera with allegedly shooting Patrick Green around 1:30 a.m. Feb. 25 in the area of the Curran Hotel at 155 Sunbury St.

Sterner said that he and Patrolman Craig Barket were called to the area for a gunshot victim and found Green inside the Curran Hotel suffering from a gunshot wound to his right leg.

Sterner said the investigation determined that Green and Rivera became involved in an argument in the hotel bar that led to the two going outside where the altercation turned physical.

The altercation took both Rivera and Green out onto Sunbury Street where Rivera’s vehicle was parked. Sterner said Rivera went to his vehicle and retrieved a .380-caliber pistol used to fire one shot at Green, hitting him in the right leg.

After shooting Green, Sterner said, Rivera fled the area on foot and could not be located despite a search of the area by officers from numerous departments.

After being shot, Sterner said, Green was flown to Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, for treatment and has since recovered.

On Feb. 27, Sterner obtained a felony arrest warrant for Rivera who had been on the lam until he was taken into custody in Girardville and arraigned on March 19.

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

Moss-covered couch cushions, couches, bedframes, a suitcase, floppy disks, tires, used motor oil jugs, glass and plastic bottles were some of the discarded items students from five Schuylkill County schools found while cleaning the outdoors Tuesday.

“It’s a shame that this happens,” said Brady Day, 16, a 10th-grade student at Schuylkill Technology Center-South, Mar Lin, at the fifth annual Schuylkill County Cleanup Competition.

Day said there are methods to discard trash other than dumping it.

STC students started the event as part of a Schuylkill County Youth Summit project and it is now open to all county schools. The effort is held in conjunction with the annual Schuylkill Keep It Pretty spring cleanup, which began Tuesday and ends Sunday.

Ninth to 12th-grade students from Pottsville Area, Minersville Area and Mahanoy Area school districts and STC-North and STC-South started at 8:30 a.m. and spent three hours gathering litter throughout the county.

Afterward, students went to STC-South for lunch and judging. The winner was awarded a 4-foot tall trophy created from recycled items from different classes at the STC. For example, the woodworking class provided the wood for the trophy, while another class provided the metal piping and shaped it like a tree.

This year, STC-South won the competition for the first time.

Mike Anthony, adviser for the STC-South students, said a lot of recyclables were found during the cleanup.

He said the students collected 27 trash bags of items as well as 47 tires, three couches, five TV shells, a dirt bike helmet, car bumper, a Christmas tree and used motor oil jugs.

STC-South students cleaning up along Peach Mountain Road in Norwegian Township expressed disappointment in the items they found.

“People really do dump a lot up here,” student Brandon Dubois said.

Alexandra Renken, 17, a senior, found floppy disks, an old record player and a deer bone. She said people should think twice before they improperly discard trash.

Logan Wiederhold, 17, a senior, found a tube TV, a suitcase and a car bumper.

Dubois found moss-covered couch cushions, a bedframe and other junk.

Other students collected similar amounts of trash along the Schuylkill County landscape.

“This seems like a common dumping ground for a lot of things. I don’t think anything would surprise me,” Luke Joyce, 18, a student at PAHS, said as he carried a tire to a drop-off location along the Burma Road in East Norwegian Township.

Anya Wojciechowsky, 16, a PAHS student, said all the litter can harm animals along with the environment.

“It will affect you even if you don’t think it will,” Sadie Michel, 17, vice president of the ecology club at PAHS, said.

While it may seem easy to dump unwanted items out of sight, it is just as easy — and better for the environment — to discard it properly, she said.

“The environment is the future,” Caleigh O’Pake, a PAHS student, said.

Adrian Portland, ecology club adviser at PAHS, said the club has cleaned up the same spot along the Burma for all five years.

“Every year, we are getting 20-plus garbage bags,” he said.

On Tuesday, they collected 23 garbage bags, 44 tires, three or four mattresses and box springs.

Bill Mack, adviser for the STC-North students who cleaned up on Route 924 between Shenandoah Heights and Brandonville, said the students collected about 60 bags of trash, 100 tires and recyclables.

Contact the writer: ; 570-628-6028

Barnesville

Tuscarora and Locust Lake State parks have announced upcoming activities. Conservation volunteer and avid birder David Kruel will lead a diurnal bird walk at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Tuscarora State Park. The walk will begin at the Crow Trail parking lot. Following the walk, at 7:30 p.m., the group will go in search of owls and woodcocks. Participants must register by calling Robin Tracey at 570-467-2506. The walk is a mile long and sponsored by the Schuylkill Conservancy. Those attending are encouraged to bring binoculars. The walk will be shine only and is not pet friendly. On Earth Day, Saturday, at the Tuscarora visitor center, participants will meet at 9:30 a.m. for activities that will range from litter pickup to trail maintenance and landscaping. Volunteers are asked to assist in what is termed an “important activity.” All tools and supplies will be provided. Participants should pack a bag lunch. Sign up by calling Tracey between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday to Friday. An early morning bird walk is planned at 7:30 a.m. April 28. Conservation volunteer and birder John Domalakes will lead the walk, which will begin in the Locust Lake visitor parking lot. Those attending are encouraged to bring binoculars and a favorite field guide. Some binoculars will be available to borrow. The event is shine only with no pets allowed.

Frackville

The South End Field & Stream Club is accepting trout memorials to be released between 6 and 7 p.m. May 11 for the Kids Rodeo slated for May 12. For more information, email awycheck@verizon.net.

Hazleton

The Side Street Strutters with Meloney Collins will be featured at 6:15 p.m. April 25 in the Hazleton Area High School Auditorium, 1601 W. 23rd St., in the Greater Hazleton Concert Series, which has numerous Schuylkill County subscribers. The event is billed as “a family friendly show” featuring the seven-member jazz band and a female singer. For more information, call Cynthia Currier at 570-436-6615 or go online to www.hazletonconcertseries.org.

Sacramento

St. Paul’s United Church of Christ will host an all-you-can-eat Italian night fundraiser in the church social hall from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Saturday. The menu will include homemade stuffed shells, lasagna, spaghetti, salad, Italian bread and homemade desserts. Takeouts will be available. The cost is $10 for adults, $5 for children ages 5-12 and free for children 4 and younger. All are welcome. For more information, call 570-682-9828.

Saint Clair

The East Norwegian Township Fire Company, Dieners Hill, will have an all-you-can-eat breakfast from 7:30 a.m. to noon May 20 at the firehouse. The cost is $8 for adults and $4 for children up to age 12. The menu will include eggs, home fries, cream chipped beef, sausage gravy, ham, sausage, bacon, French toast, pancakes, waffles, toast and hot/cold beverages. All are welcome.

Schuylkill Haven

The Centre Park Flutes, an ensemble from the Reading area, will be featured at the last performance of the 2017-18 concert series at Jerusalem Evangelical Lutheran Church, 252 Dock St., at 3 p.m. May 6. The concert is free and open to the public; freewill offerings will be accepted and a reception will follow the concert. The site is accessible to the handicapped. For more information, email supermom_6@hotmail.com.

Schuylkill Haven

The Schuylkill Haven Senior Citizens Association will meet in the Senior Citizens/Neighborhood Center, 340 Haven St., at 6:30 p.m. Monday. It will be the final meeting during which the group will sell tickets for the May 14 dinner; 2018 dues must be current to purchase a ticket. Prior to the business meeting, the Little Hurricanes will perform. Refreshments, snacks and fellowship will follow the meeting. Donations for the local food pantry are always accepted; guests and new members are always welcome. For more information, call 570-385-5323.

FRACKVILLE — The borough council accepted the low bid for the 2018 road program that will include 10 sections of whole or partial blocks at the April 11 meeting.

Eight companies submitted bid packages that were opened before the regular meeting. The low bid of $100,997.77 was received from H&K Group Inc., Skippack.

“We opened the bids today and H&K Group was the lowest bidder,” Councilman Stephen Tertel said, motioning to accept the bid contingent upon review by borough solicitor Mark Semanchik and engineer, Entech Engineering Inc. Tertel is the chairman of the Streets/Sewer Committee. The second came from Councilman Paul Martin Sr., who co-chairs the committee.

The following streets are in the road program:

• Spring Street from Lehigh Avenue to Second Street — 1,450 feet by 30 feet.

• Spruce Street from Lehigh Avenue to Balliet Street — two sections: 147 feet by 30 feet and 186 feet by 35 feet.

• Arch Street from 20 feet west of Penn Street to Center Street — three sections: 140 feet by 30 feet, 132 feet by 30 feet, and 154 feet by 30 feet.

• High Street from Hickory Street to Elm Street — 800 feet by 30 feet.

• Center Street from Washington Street to Spring Street — 270 feet by 30 feet.

• Arch Street from Mahanoy Street to Middle Street — 165 feet by 30 feet.

• Birch Street from 158 feet north of Arch Street north to Chestnut Street — 367 feet by 16 feet.

The project includes milling streets prior to paving.

Council President Ronald Jordan said some of the street sections in the road program are completing paving done last year.

“As an example, from the M&T Bank alley (South Mahanoy Street) to Middle Street near the ambulance building,” Jordan said. “We’re doing some streets that are extending the work from last year. There are whole blocks that are getting done. It will be quite extensive. The borough council has a little more freedom and money to really work the streets in a better manner and able to fulfill our obligations to the citizens when it comes to road repair.”

Tertel added that the bids were solicited early in the year to get the program started.

In a related road matter, Tertel said work began April 11 on the replacement of storm drainage pipes at Third and Arch streets. The underground pipe collapsed, causing a dip in the street that prompted closing the intersection. Recent snows caused the delay in the start of the project, even though the materials have been on site.

“We couldn’t do anything basically until the snow and rain were over,” Tertel said. “They (contractor) were down there today and hopefully they’ll get everything done tomorrow except for the blacktop, which is not available now. The project is moving ahead.”

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

POTTSVILLE — The 1980s introduced the Walkman, MTV and the boombox. It also introduced several new artists and songs and some of those songs were selected for performance for the third week of Junior Idol of Schuylkill County on Tuesday.

Last week, competitors sang two songs, one from any era or artist and the second from the Motown era. This week, two songs were again on tap for the remaining six singers, one of their choosing, and the second from the ’80s. For the semifinal round, the ’80s acts from which the six contestants selected their songs ranged from Whitney Houston to Katrina and the Waves. The field was reduced to half a dozen singers from 10 last week. Over 15 started the competition two weeks ago on April 3.

After performing the ’80s song of their choice and receiving reviews and critiques from the judges, the performers remained on stage to select one of the three songs they will perform if they are selected for the final round from a list provided by the judges. The judges selected the list of songs suitable for each singer’s voice and personality, according to judge Claraann Schultz. The audience members offered vocal support for which song they would like to hear each singer perform.

The finals week will have the top three remaining contestants perform one final time on April 24. As before, the finalists will be announced on the Schuylkill Theater Facebook page by 3 p.m. today. In addition to the song selected Tuesday night, the three finalists will sing two more songs of their choosing. All three must be from different music genres and it will “give them a chance to showcase what they can do,” Schultz said.

Kayla Gherghel selected “Since You’ve Been Gone” by Pitch Perfect and Kelly Clarkson for her first song and her ’80s song was Whitney Houston’s “One Moment in Time.”

“My mom introduced it to me. I have an old soul,” Gherghel said of her Houston selection. If she is one of the three finalists, one of her three songs will be “Don’t Rain On My Parade.”

Karlee Stablein sang “How Far I’ll Go” from the Disney movie “Moana” and “Could’ve Been” by Tiffany for her ’80s song. Since “Moana” is her favorite Disney movie, it’s a song she’s familiar with.

“I’ve done it before and felt it was right for my voice,” Stablein said.

She wasn’t as familiar with her ’80s song, as she got some help from her mom when it came to selecting a song from that decade and soon made it her own.

“It just clicked for me,” Stablein said.

If she’s selected for next week, one of her songs will be “Natural Woman.” She’ll have to learn that one plus two other songs quickly for the final round.

“I think it’ll be a big challenge,” Stablein said.

Aidan Grace sang “Hey Soul Sister” by Train for his opening number and picked “Centerfield” by John Fogarty for his ’80s song. To complement the second song, he was dressed in a baseball uniform and had a glove and bat with him on stage.

“I’m a big baseball guy and I grew up with baseball,” Grace said, who plays center field for his baseball team. “I really felt I should sing that one.”

“My Way” will be one of the three songs he’ll be performing, should he advance to the final round next week. Having to prepare three songs is a challenge.

“But I think it’s a challenge I can conquer,” Grace said. “I just have to put my mind to it.”

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