A wooded hillside. At its summit sits a compact stone church, its bell tower a beacon since the 11th century. Below the church, a road spirals around the hill; a row of low stone houses hugs the edge.

At the foot of the hill, only a few hundred feet from the church and this postcard image of rural France, semi-trailer trucks and cars block a traffic circle bordered by a commercial zone of parking lots and discount stores.

This is where the “Yellow Vests” (they’ve named themselves after the yellow safety vests all French drivers must carry in their glove compartments) have set up camp, on a grassy slope between the church and the highway.

This is where some of them are celebrating Christmas and ringing in the New Year: three tents, a meeting space, a canteen and a “backroom” reserved for cots and food supplies. The place is Margon, a village in le Perche, near my country home in lower Normandy.

Margon used to be an isolated village perched on a hillside. Today, it is the far end of a sort of strip-mall, with, at its heart, Centre Leclerc, France’s answer to Walmart. At the other end is Nogent-le-Rotrou, a town of 10,000 inhabitants dating back to Gallo-Roman times, with high unemployment, an aging population and lower than average incomes.

The day I visit the Yellow Vest camp, rain thrashes against the tents and the sky is dark, but the Yellow Vests are in high spirits, determined to stick it out on this muddy patch of earth till their demands for social justice are met.

Who are they? Why are they celebrating the holidays here? What do they want?

They want to be heard. They are ready to talk, to tell their stories, if necessary, to the world.

Jacques Roussel, 67, tried to reach out to President Macron, responding to his call to turn France into a start-up nation. Jacques began working in a factory when he was 14 and lives today on a pension of less than $1,000 a month. Looking younger than his age, obviously in good shape, he is a fervent cyclist and his idea for a start-up is to create a professional cycling school for girls and women in this region of hills and valleys, the perfect terrain for the sport. As of today, no such school exists in France.

He wrote to President Macron and his wife, Brigitte. He got no answer. Now he is ready to go international. At a time when U.S.-French relations are at a low point, he is looking for an American partner who would like to invest in his start-up and contribute to a positive form of cooperation between the two nations.

Of course, that’s not why Jacques is with the Yellow Vests and he wasn’t expecting to meet an American in Margon, but he believes start-ups should be for everyone and can’t understand why his government ignores people like him.

The rain is getting worse. We duck inside the canteen. Valérie, aka Mamy, graciously offers me a hot chocolate. She is here to take care of the canteen, receive the many donations dropped off at the site and make sure the Yellow Vests have hot drinks and food.

She comes daily because she and her husband, a self-employed painter, can no longer make ends meet. Usually she stays at home, takes care of the children, and does her husband’s paperwork. Watching over their finances, she fears they’ll soon not have enough to survive. She first put on a yellow vest out of frustration. Now Valérie keeps coming back because she has discovered a community of friendship and solidarity.

Sylvie agrees. She and her husband lost their business in a court-ordered liquidation. She is proud to have a daughter who attends university but, as in Valérie’s case, money is tight. The more we’re taxed, the poorer everyone becomes, she tells me. And then, she’s fed up with seeing people more than 60 rooting in dumpsters because they don’t have enough to eat. That’s why she keeps coming back, for the people who have worked all their lives and can’t even pay the grocery bills.

Although he’s only 30, Nicolas too feels for the retired. He can’t understand why President Macron, while giving tax breaks to the rich, has increased the tax burden on retirees. That’s why, in late November, he left his village and joined the Yellow Vests. He has stayed and became the camp’s night watchman. In the early morning, he greets motorists with what may be their first smile of the day.

Jean-Marc Cipoire stops by daily to document events for Le Perche Web-TV, a site he created to give greater visibility to the region. He is on disability and lives on about $700 a month. He never goes to a restaurant, but nothing could keep him away from the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where he follows racing events for Web-TV. Spending as little as possible, he and his companion, Sylvie, pitch a tent and cook their food over a fire.

Sylvie has never been to Paris, less than 100 miles away. Nor has Magaly, 63, who, like Jacques Roussel, began working at 14. She worked in a local auto parts plant, but somewhere along the line there was an accident, disability. Today, she lives on about $600 a month. She owns a house, but the roof is about to collapse. She lives with her brother. He once worked as a locksmith but ended up in the streets of Paris. Magaly has taken him in.

Magaly’s dog, Doudou, a black cocker spaniel mix, is the site’s mascot. And like Nicolas, Magaly plans to stay as long as it takes, ready to start 2019 at the edge of the highway. Among all Yellow Vests to whom I spoke, she is the only one to express hostility to immigrants. Otherwise, the message is “everyone welcome.” Immigrants, the unemployed, workers, the retired, people of all races and religions, we’re in this together.

Leaving the camp, I feel buoyed up by the “Yellow Vest spirit,” warm acceptance of outsiders and generosity towards all, the “Christmas spirit,” in other words.

Recent events in Paris have made it all too clear that some Yellow Vests are ready to resort to destructive violence to get their message across. But the movement is about much more than anger or hatred. In places like Margon, people are creating spaces where they can speak up and be heard.

To quote one of the Yellow Vests, Jean-Michaël Verrier, a young landscape gardener, “Macron has accomplished at least one thing: he’s got us all talking to each other,” an excellent way to begin 2019.

(Honicker can be reached at honicker.republicanherald@gmail.com)

Editor’s note : On the last day of 2018, we look back on ten stories chosen by our staff as most noteworthy. They are presented in chronological order.

Landmark mall

demolished

FRACKVILLE — The Schuylkill Mall, a county landmark since it was built in 1980, met its demise this year.

Demolition began in January after stores were relocated in the county or elsewhere.

William Flynn, owner of Flynn Wrecking Inc., Pottsville, the demolition contractor, said the demolition was completed in late July and the entire lot was milled by Dec. 19 with about a third of the concrete being pulled up.

However, the temperatures are causing some delays.

“We can’t crush right now. It’s too cold,” he said.

Completion could take two to three months, Flynn said.

A National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit was approved Nov. 19 by the state Department of Environmental Protection. The permit was needed to comply with federal regulations on the discharge of runoff. The application by NP New Castle LLC for the permit was submitted earlier this summer.

NorthPoint New Castle LLC, Riverside, Missouri, owns the property, which it bought for $2.1 million in a January 2017 bankruptcy auction. The demise of the mall was announced May 9, 2017. Mike Panek, project manager for Miller Bros. Construction Inc., Schuylkill Haven, the general contractor, said Dec. 19 that weather conditions will dictate how long it will take to finish the work.

“We are up there every day,” he said.

A timeline for construction for two buildings was not disclosed.

Principal fights

dismissal

The fate of Tracey Weller, the terminated Williams Valley High School principal, rests with a hearing officer with the state Department of Education Office of Chief Counsel.

Robert Tomaine presided over a one-hour teacher tenure appeal hearing Nov. 20 at DOE’s ninth-floor office in Harrisburg. A decision from him was still pending as of mid-December.

Weller’s case played out over several months this year with the board directors hearing 14 hours of testimony over the course of four days during public hearings at the high school in Tower City. Weller requested the hearings be open to the public. Nicholas A. Quinn, the district’s solicitor, had presided.

Her suspension came after Weller questioned two students in her office about a threatening social media post in February. A state police trooper at the school for a security visit was in Weller’s office while the questioning was underway. The suspect walked in while the two female students were being questioned. The two students were later threatened outside school property by the suspect’s brother, according to prior testimony.

Weller was charged with incompetency, willful neglect and failure to comply with school laws of the commonwealth, including official direct and established policy of the board of directors and violation of the Pennsylvania professional standards for a professional employee.

She was initially suspended with pay Feb. 23, and later without pay effective March 2. The school board voted 6-2 in September for her immediate termination, upon advisement of the administration.

Michael Monsour, Weller’s attorney, with the firm Kozloff Stoudt, of Wyomissing, argued that the rush to suspend Weller and her subsequent termination was egregious. Weller solved who was the perpetrator of the social media post threatening gun violence against the district, he said.

Weller has received positive evaluations, no write-ups and no complaints of any kind, Monsour said of his client’s working record at Williams Valley.

Monsour said there were no facts to support that Weller created a direct danger to the students and that there was no chain of command that she violated. However, Harrisburg attorney Benjamin L. Pratt, representing the district, conveyed that Weller failed to follow protocol, that she acted unilaterally in her decision, put student witnesses at risk by questioning them in the same room as the perpetrator and compromised her trust with students, staff and the school board.

Court rules on

sewer plan

Hegins and Hubley townships began to navigate developing a new sewer system — together.

The township communities have been lacking an updated system for more than 50 years.

The combined effort followed the state’s Commonwealth Court May 22 reversal of a decision by the Environmental Hearing Board that previously nullified the Joint Act 537 plan between both townships.

The Commonwealth Court’s ruling meant the joint sewage plan, which received approval from the state Department of Environmental Protection, could move forward. It’s designed to establish a sanitary sewer system and supporting infrastructure.

The Hegins-Hubley Authority, which has the legal responsibility to implement the Act 537 plan, will oversee the construction of the sewage system collection and treatment system. The authority held a public meeting in August and announced it could take four years before a public sewage system becomes operational.

Floods

Historic flooding plagued Schuylkill County communities in 2018, leaving many homeowners and businesses still in recovery-mode long after the floodwaters receded and caused an estimated $6 million in damages.

Heavy rainfall during storms from June through August resulted in evacuations, road closures and several communities being flooded repeatedly, including Tremont and Pine Grove borough.

President Donald Trump issued a major disaster declaration Nov. 27 for flooding that inundated parts of the county from Aug. 10 to 15.

Entities eligible to receive the Federal Emergency Management Agency aid include local governments, authorities, school districts and nonprofits. Applicants can receive up to 75 percent of costs for expenses due to the flooding.

Gov. Tom Wolf, area legislators, county representatives and Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency officials toured parts of the county in the summer to assess the damage.

“Everybody is concerned about what happened here,” Wolf said.

The governor said the area got “hammered with a lot of rain, so we want to show solidarity with these Pennsylvanians, our fellow citizens, who got hurt and also want to find out what we can do to help.”

Schuylkill County residents affected by flooding in July could apply for low-interest loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration.

The SBA declared a disaster because of the July 21-27 flooding in Schuylkill, Berks, Carbon, Columbia, Dauphin, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne and Northumberland counties.

John Matz, Schuylkill County Emergency Management Agency coordinator, said the EMA office received the notification in October of the disaster declaration.

The deadline to apply for physical damages was Dec. 24, and for economic injury, July 23, 2019, according to the SBA.

Matz said 53 homes and four businesses reported damage to the municipalities for the July flooding. The flooding resulted in $3.5 million in public infrastructure damage in the county, Matz said.

Of those who reported damage, the areas most affected were Tremont, Pine Grove, Pine Grove Township, Porter Township, Upper Mahantongo Township and Tower City, John Blickley, deputy emergency management coordinator, said.

Matz said at least 25 municipalities countywide had flooding in August. In all, 400 homes and 19 businesses reported damage to SCEMA on its website. The public damage reported was $6 million.

In June, it was announced Pine Grove would receive nearly $6 million from the Department of Community and Economic Development and the Department of Environmental Protection for flood remediation and the development of a floodplain restoration area near Guilford’s.

The Klingerstown community also rallied to help fellow families affected when Pine Creek jumped its bank. The Klingerstown Flood Recovery Committee, first launched in 2011, re-activated and announced monetary donations were being collected for the Klingerstown Flood Relief Fund at the Gratz Bank in Gratz..

Federal help was available for county agriculture operations affected by this year’s excessive rainfall and flooding. Operators had to submit their requests for assistance prior to beginning reconstructive work, according to Kelly E. Sundy, U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency county executive director. The county had been approved to accept applications for the Emergency Conservation Program. Sign-ups began in October and ended Dec. 1.

A thunderstorm that came through Schuylkill County shortly after midnight and into the early morning hours June 28 dumped 6.6 inches of rain in Pine Grove, according to Meteorologist Craig Evanego with the National Weather Service, State College.

“That was the highest amount we’ve seen for the past 24 hours,” Evanego said. Landingville reported 4.36 inches.

Another summer storm brought similar results for the county.

According to the NWS, as of 11 a.m. Aug. 13, meteorologists estimated 4 to 5 inches of rain had fallen across the middle part of the county over the previous 24 hours.

By Sept. 7, rainfall in Schuylkill County had already reached 43 inches, exceeding its total annual average for that time of year of 42 inches, according to the NWS.

Hospital under construction

Schuylkill County residents will have a new hospital next year.

Geisinger St. Luke’s Hospital in West Brunswick Township is under construction and is slated to open in fall 2019.

Located along Route 61, the three-story, 120,000-square-foot facility with 80 beds will have an emergency department and other services. St. Luke’s University Health Network, Bethlehem, is building and will manage the hospital while both St. Luke’s and Geisinger provide the physicians and support staff.

Groundbreaking for the hospital was July 12. Quandel Construction Group is the contractor for the project. This is the first hospital built in the county in 90 years. The final steel beam was raised into place Nov. 29.

“We are making considerable progress with construction, and I look forward to another historic day next year when the hospital is staffed and opens its doors to care for patients,” Tom Sokola, chief administrative officer of Geisinger central region, said in a statement.

Local boy a world champion

A Port Carbon boy had the distinction of being named a world champion in the First Energy All-American Soap Box Derby this year.

Bradeyn Ditzler, 13, of Port Carbon, was the first racer from the Pottsville Area Soap Box Derby to win a world title at the July event. He had been to the First Energy All-American Soap Box Derby winner three times before, although never achieving this milestone.

Ditzler won the Masters Division at the race in Akron, Ohio, after winning the Masters Division at the 45th annual Pottsville Area Soap Box Derby in May, where he raced against others down Laurel Boulevard.

Upon returning home from Ohio in July, the county celebrated his accomplishment with a parade, starting at St. Nicholas Hall, Primrose, and making stops in Port Carbon and Pottsville before ending at the Humane Fire Company in the city.

Grand jury report includes county clergy

It was a rough year for the Catholic Church in Pennsylvania due to a report on clerical sex abuse released in August.

Schuylkill County and five other Roman Catholic dioceses in the state were put under the microscope as part the 40th Statewide Investigative Grand Jury investigation. There are eight Roman Catholic diocese in Pennsylvania, but the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown were not included in the grand jury investigation as each were previously investigated by grand juries.

The 884-page report included 37 priests in the Diocese of Allentown, 34 who had served in Schuylkill County. The report was released on Aug. 14 by Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro during a news conference in Harrisburg

Of the 37 priests named in the report, all but a few had served in one capacity or another in Schuylkill County as pastors, assistant pastors, at Catholic high schools, as chaplains of organizations or in other assignments.·

When the report was released, the Diocese of Allentown responded through Communications Director Matt Kerr that procedures were already in place to assure that victims and survivors are heard and cared for, and that perpetrators are held accountable and children are protected.

On Dec. 12, the diocese announced that the Independent Reconciliation and Compensation Program will provide compensation for victims and survivors of clergy sexual abuse as one aspect of their healing. The program was developed by the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference.

The compensation program will be voluntary. It will be funded by the diocese, but will otherwise be completely independent of diocesan oversight or control.

The diocese will use its available cash, will sell assets, and will borrow money to the extent possible to provide funding for the program.

The following will not be used for funding of the program: parish assets, school assets, money previously donated for a restricted purpose and donations to the annual appeal. From the time the program begins, no funds from weekly collections at Mass will be used for its funding.

It is anticipated that funding this program will place the operations of the diocese under severe financial stress, according to the media release.

“Nevertheless, the diocese will work diligently to continue its mission for 251,000 Catholics in its five counties — Berks, Carbon, Lehigh, Northampton and Schuylkill,” the release states. “The diocese has retained Washington, D.C.-based attorney Kenneth Feinberg and his colleague, Camille Biros, to administer the program. They are nationally respected, independent compensation experts who will have full authority to provide compensation to victims and survivors. As co-administrators, Feinberg and Biros will review claims, determine eligibility and decide compensation amounts. The Diocese of Allentown will have no oversight of their work, will have no say in their determinations of compensation and cannot overturn their decisions.”

The compensation program will begin in 2019.

Pipeline on line

Williams put its Atlantic Sunrise natural gas pipeline into full service in Schuylkill County in October.

Construction on the $3 billion expansion of the existing Transco pipeline in Pennsylvania began in September 2017. A 186-mile portion of the pipeline runs through the county and connects Marcellus gas supplies with mid-Atlantic and southeastern U.S. markets.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved the company’s request to put the gas pipeline into full service, according to Christopher L. Stockton, Williams spokesman.

During the construction, more than 370 people were employed at the Rausch Creek Yard Spread 5 in Tremont, under the guidance of Williams’s construction manager, Lee Bone, of Mobile, Alabama.

The Atlantic Sunrise project boosts the design capacity of the Transco pipeline by 1.7 billion cubic feet per day (approximately 12 percent) to 15.8 billion cubic feet per day.

“This project makes the largest-volume pipeline system in the country even larger, further executing on our strategy to connect premier natural gas supply areas with the best markets in the country,” Alan Armstrong, Williams president and chief executive officer, said in a prepared statement.

This summer’s excessive rainfall and flooding resulted in unsafe and heavily saturated right-of-way conditions, so crews had a brief work stoppage, according to Stockton.

The company also responded to various calls from Schuylkill County landowners and those along the construction zone, addressing localized flooding problems. Stockton said in August the company performed inspections, documented areas where repairs were needed, and then followed up with contractors to make corrections and perform the necessary cleanup.

The company will return to the county in the spring to make sure revegetation occurs properly, will remove some of the erosion control devices and address any soil settling that may have occurred during the winter months.

A few concerned citizens groups evolved during the pipeline’s development.

Leah Zerbe, of Washington Township, co-founded Schuylkill Pipeline Awareness and met with other property owners worried about the risks associated with a high-pressure natural gas pipeline beside their homes and properties.

Another group of concerned citizens from Eldred Township met Dec. 17 to discuss another Williams proposal — the Leidy South Project. A compressor station, possibly to be built in Eldred Township, is one of the components of the Leidy South Project, part of a $500 million infrastructure investment that would expand the existing Transco pipeline.

Eldred Township citizens sent letters of concern about the project to legislators and the county commissioners.

Williams announced an open house will likely be held in February for Schuylkill County residents wanting to learn more about the Leidy South Project.

As part of its community outreach, Williams has aided several Schuylkill County organizations. Williams has awarded grants to 333 organizations across the Atlantic Sunrise project area totaling more than $2.3 million since 2015. Some of the funds were distributed to emergency response, education, recreation and community enhancement projects.

Man convicted of killing father

Michael D. Marchalk had a drug problem, and on Dec. 13, a Schuylkill County jury concluded that the problem led him to do the unthinkable — murder his father.

In perhaps the cruelest irony of all, Michael Marchalk killed Gary D. Marchalk, a former assistant district attorney, on Father’s Day 2017 in Ryan Township.

At the end of a four-day trial, the jury of six men and six women deliberated almost 11 hours before finding Michael Marchalk, 38, of Barnesville, guilty of third-degree murder and three other crimes — theft, access device fraud and possessing instrument of crime — in the beating death of Gary Marchalk, 59, in the latter’s home at 21 Pear St., Barnesville.

However, jurors acquitted Michael Marchalk of first- and second-degree murder, either of which would have meant a life sentence, which in Pennsylvania carries no chance of parole, for the convict. They also found Michael Marchalk not guilty of robbery.

President Judge William E. Baldwin, who presided over the trial, has scheduled Michael Marchalk’s sentencing for 11 a.m. Jan. 22, 2019. Until then, the defendant remains in prison without bail, as he has since his arrest less than a week after his father’s death.

State police at Frackville charged Michael Marchalk with fatally beating Gary Marchalk, whose widow is county Treasurer Linda L. Marchalk, on June 18, 2017, with an aluminum baseball bat in his bedroom. They said he asked for money from his father, who declined to give it to him. The father-son relationship had been a difficult one, police said.

Police said that after killing his father, Michael Marchalk grabbed the dead man’s wallet and keys, jumped in his gold Ford Fusion and drove away. Marchalk used a bank card in his father’s wallet to steal money and drove the car to Philadelphia, where he abandoned it.

Michael Marchalk then boarded a bus for Atlantic City, New Jersey, where he hid for several days. Atlantic City police arrested him on June 23, 2017, on the Boardwalk in the city.

Police said Michael Marchalk was a taker who took advantage of his father, who was a loving and generous giver, in order to get money for drugs. Drugs were all Michael Marchalk cared about, according to prosecutors.

Furthermore, his flight from the scene was stopped only by the Atlantic Ocean and provides additional evidence of his guilt, prosecutors alleged.

On the other hand, Michael Marchalk alleged that after he asked him for money, his father came after him with the bat. He maintained that, combined with a lifetime of belittling and criticism, was the straw hat broke the camel’s back and provoked him to kill his father.

Furthermore, the defendant did not decide to take Gary Marchalk’s wallet and keys until after he killed him, meaning that under the law, it was not a robbery. He conceded his guilt on the theft and access device fraud charges.

During their deliberations, the jurors asked several questions about the elements of the three types of murder, as well as voluntary manslaughter, which they considered at the defendant’s request.

Garage gone

A large empty lot now exists where the Mahantongo Parking Garage once stood.

Built in 1969, it was closed in October 2016 when contractors discovered deteriorated structural reinforcing. Demolition by SDL Construction, Orwigsburg, started this October. The city council hired the company in August and the final wall fell Nov. 5. Workers completed the job Dec. 19.

“They finished ahead of schedule,” John Levkulic, engineer for the city parking authority, said of the Dec. 22 date.

As part of the project, South Second Street was closed to traffic, but reopened Dec. 20.

“I didn’t get any complaints during the project,” Levkulic said, adding he was impressed with the cleanliness of the site and the streets nearby.

Geotechnical engineers from GeoStructures, King of Prussia, drilled seven holes Dec. 20 at the site of the former garage to determine information on the load-bearing capacity of the soil. Levkulic said previously he didn’t expect any surprises.

“A typical report takes about four weeks,” he said.

Construction of the new garage will take 10 months to a year, Levkulic said. The entrance will be on Second Street. The three-tier garage is planned to have internal ramps and an elevator. Levkulic said previously the new garage could be up “by the end of next year.”

The city was awarded a 35-year loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture in early August. The money will be used along with a $750,000 promissory note issued by the city and bought by the Greater Pottsville Area Sewer Authority along with the $2.8 million pledged by Richard L. “Dick” Yuengling Jr.

(Peter Bortner, Amy Marchiano, John Usalis, and Vicki Terwilliger contributed to this report)

Event was Sunday

The Pine Grove Holiday Music Festival was held Sunday afternoon at Salem Hetzel’s Church in Wayne Township.

The event date was incorrect in the calendar in Sunday’s edition.

Friedensburg

A meeting regarding the Schuylkill County Fair and Foundation for Agriculture and Resource Management is set for 7 p.m. Jan. 17 in the Friedensburg Firehall. For more information, call Kim Morgan at 570-739-2627 or email kamorgan11@gmail.com.

Kelayres

The Kline Township Municipal Authority’s reorganization meeting at 4:30 p.m. Jan. 8 will be followed by its regular meeting in the township hall, 30 Fifth St.

Pottsville

The Pottsville Christian Women’s Club is sponsoring a “Winter Wonderland” luncheon at 11:30 a.m. Jan. 15 at Grace Evangelical Free Church, 101 Graeff St., Cressona. Speaker Grace Fabian of Douglassville will focus on “Outrageous Grace.” There will also be music by Michelle Canfield and a feature by Canfield, of Better Brands Boutique, on ways to wear scarves. The registration deadline is Jan. 9. For reservations or more information, call Gale at 570-527-2224 or Michelle at 570-617-3896.

Schuylkill Haven

For information on scheduled events at the Rainbow Hose Company, call Kaitlyn at 570-516-7194 or Jen at 570-573-4133 or email jen@lorisangels.com.

Shenandoah

Knights of Columbus Francis Cardinal Brennan Council 618 sponsors bingo games at Divine Mercy Roman Catholic Parish’s St. Stephen Hall, Main and Oak streets, which is accessible to the handicapped. Doors open at noon, games begin at 2 p.m. and food/refreshments are available. Bingo dates for 2019 include Jan. 6 and 20, Feb. 10 and 24, March 10 and 24, April 7 and 28, May 19, June 2 and 23, Aug. 4 and 18, Sept. 8 and 22, Oct 6 and 20, Nov. 3 and 17 and Dec. 8. The public is welcome to participate. For more information, call 570-590-3270 or 570-590-1188.

Tamaqua

The Tamaqua Street Department will collect Christmas trees throughout January. Residents should place trees at the curb and the department crew will collect them as time and weather permits, according to a release. Christmas trees should not be put in bags and all lights and decorations must be removed from the trees. Residents may also drop off trees behind the borough garage at 417 E. Broad St. (rear).

Tamaqua

The borough has issued a reminder for residents that snow removal may be done on various streets during the winter season. Streets will be posted the day before snow removal is scheduled. Starting times will vary depending on work schedules and weather conditions. Residents also are reminded they must move their vehicles for snow removal. Vehicles that remain on the posted streets will be ticketed and towed at the owner’s expense. Snow removal reminders will be posted at www.tamaquaborough.com and on the Tamaqua Borough Facebook page. Property owners must maintain a three-foot-wide path on their sidewalks that is clear of all snow and ice. Snow and ice must be removed from sidewalks within 24 hours of the end of storms. Property owners who fail to do so may be subject to a $25 fine for the first offense and higher fines for subsequent offenses. Residents may not throw snow, ice or other material onto the streets; snow should not be piled at intersections, fire hydrants or on storm drains. Residents are encouraged to clear snow from fire hydrants and storm drains. For more information, stop by the Tamaqua Borough Hall, 320 E. Broad St., during normal business hours, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, or call 570-668-3444 or 570-668-0300.

FRACKVILLE — At its special meeting Thursday, the borough council formally adopted its 2019 operating budget that holds the line on real estate taxes.

Real estate taxes will remain at 17.08 mills in the new year. The council vote was 7-0 on a motion by Stephen Tertel and seconded by Charles Berger.

The 2019 revenue and spending plan shows total revenues and expenditures balanced at $2,181,296, which was tentatively adopted Dec. 12. The 2018 budget numbers showed income and expenses balanced at $2,090,204.

The next order of business was the adoption of the tax ordinance to officially set the tax rate at 17.08 mills. Vice President Peter Zuber made the motion, seconded by Helen Miernicki, with a vote of 7-0.

The budget shows estimated real estate tax revenues at $675,000 ($660,000 in the 2018 budget), plus the collection of delinquent taxes of $100,000, bringing the total real estate property tax income to $775,000. Occupation taxes remain the same in the new year at $12,000, and all Act 511 taxes — such as per capita, real estate transfer, earned income and occupational privilege — at $420,900 ($398,100 in the 2018 budget). Basic rental income shows an increase from $91,000 in 2018 to $95,824 in 2019, plus additional school rental income of $19,300, bringing the total in 2019 to 115,124.

The Drug Task Force reimbursement is budgeted at $4,000, and the borough is budgeted to receive $36,500 from the Borough of Gilberton for police coverage.

Expenditures show the salaries for mayor and council members remain the same in the new year, as do many other expenses for operating the borough government. Workers’ compensation costs show a decrease from $51,813 to $43,305.

Total costs for police protection, which includes salaries, vehicle costs, computer and others expenses, increase from $789,029 in 2018 to $797,763 in the new year.

The borough council accepted the bid from County Waste for trash and recycling collection for 2019, 2020 and 2021. While there is no increase in taxes, there will be an increase in trash/recycling collection fee.

After the trash contract approval, the borough council held a separate vote to accept the new collection fee by raising it by $7 per quarter, $28 per year, which is a 10 percent increase. The new rate increases the quarterly fee from $70 to $77, and the annual fee from $280 to $308. Berger said the higher rate is due to the significant increase in recycling costs. Berger made the motion, seconded by Tertel, with a unanimous vote to follow.

Information provided by Zuber states that there is an increase in trash collection costs of $19,800 and $29,640 for collection of recyclables that is found in the budget (total of $49,440) to cause the rate increase.

In other business, the personnel and streets committees met after the meeting to discuss the hiring of a full-time streets employee. Interviews will be scheduled in the near future.

The borough council also voted on giving a cost of living increase for three retired police officers. The increase is 2.28 percent for Edward Michaels, George Pernell and John Morgan. Borough solicitor Mark Semanchik explained that the increase is part of a contracted benefits agreement previously approved. The vote was 6-1, with Paul Martin Sr. voting against the motion made by Miernicki, seconded by Zuber.

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

PINE GROVE — Hundreds of dollars were raised for flood relief efforts in the Pine Grove and Tremont areas Sunday at the Pine Grove Holiday Music Festival at Salem Hetzel’s Church.

In all, $585 was donated to help those still trying to get back on their feet from the flooding this summer, Keith Thomas, a member of the Wayne Township church, said.

“I know you’re all aware that it has been flooding lately and most of you are aware it’s not over yet,” Thomas said.

The money will be given to a flood relief account that was established at Fulton Bank in Pine Grove borough. Thomas said he was not surprised with the amount and thankful for those who demonstrated a willingness to help others.

“We have members of our own church that were affected,” Thomas said.

The church had previously given money to the fund, Pastor Jill Bierwirth said. She said the church did have some flooding in the basement but it was nothing major.

“We were lucky,” she said.

The music festival to spread holiday cheer was the first one for the church. Bierwirth said she didn’t recognize a lot of the faces in the audience, which is a good thing because that means they have more involvement with the community.

“We appreciate you being here. It is a joy for us to share with you,” Bierwirth said.

The concert featured songs either sung or played on piano including “Away in a Manger,” “Mary Did you Know,” “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day,” “All I want for Christmas is You” and “The First Noel.”

Thomas said that although Christmas was past, the message of the birth of Jesus is still important to share. He read a passage from the book of Luke about the birth.

Darlene Morgan, Rock, a former member, attended the festival and enjoyed it.

“Everything was awesome. Wonderful service. Lots of talent,” she said.

Morgan said she was not affected by flooding.

“I know there was a lot of devastation. I feel so sorry for all of those people,” she said.

Bierwirth said the church might have another concert in the future, considering the positive response it received from the community.

Contact the writer: ; 570-628-6028

As 2018 grinds to a halt, Schuylkill County marked the year with several historical milestones and celebratory anniversaries.

The county held year-long festivities recognizing the 250th anniversary of its anthracite heritage. It was also the 100th anniversary of Schuylkill County 4-H; the 100th anniversary of the great influenza pandemic in the county; and the Porter-Tower Sesquicentennial that celebrated with a time capsule reveal.

Anthracite history

Scott Herring, a Tamaqua native, served as chairman of the anthracite anniversary effort and more than a dozen community members served on the steering committee. From Tamaqua, Ashland, Shenandoah, Pottsville, Minersville and Hegins, communities hosted public events celebrating the anthracite coal industry and recognizing hard coal’s significance in fueling the Industrial Revolution and sparking emerging markets.

Front license plates featuring ethnic heritage of coal “patch” towns and coal formation charts and posters marking the 250th were available throughout the year, offering fundraising opportunities for local organizations and anniversary keepsakes.

Although there are approximately 1,000 anthracite coal miners working in the region today, compared to the 200,000 employed during hard coal’s peak in the early 1900s, several local coal companies are boosting their labor force, offering high-paying jobs and former mine lands are being re-mined and reclaimed.

The steel-making industry and calcining — a process where anthracite is cooked in an oxygen-free environment creating a graphite material — are areas where there’s been growth and demand for anthracite.

4-H

As Schuylkill County 4-H logged its 100th anniversary this year, a special picnic was held in June at the county fairgrounds to celebrate 4-H traditions and remember families involved. Hundreds also gathered at St. Ambrose School in Schuylkill Haven for the county’s 4-H Achievement Night Banquet in November.

The local 4-H program now serves nearly 2,000 youth and leaders in the county annually, according to Briana L. Luckenbill, 4-H youth development and extension educator.

Luckenbill distributed individual awards and highlighted the accomplishments of the county’s program over the past century during the banquet.

There are more than 275 projects available to 4-H members, ranging from animal science and embryology to wildlife, gardening and photography. Club members learn leadership, communication skills, record keeping and responsibility.

The members participate in youth leadership conferences and the Schuylkill County Fair, and some will compete at the Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg in January.

Flu pandemic

The Spanish flu in 1918 claimed an estimated 2,000 people in the county and killed millions worldwide.

One hundred years later, the Schuylkill County Historical Society opened a special exhibit reliving the county’s resilience in the face of calamity, according to Thomas Drogalis, society executive director.

The exhibit opened Sept. 15 and will conclude at the end of this year at the society headquarters, 305 N. Centre St., Pottsville.

James Haluska Jr. conducted research on the epidemic and volunteered to share his work for the exhibit. The Pottsville native is a former history professor who worked in Chicago area museums.

Stella Reber succumbed to the Spanish flu on Oct. 3, 1918. The 18-year-old Cressona woman became the first documented person in the county to die during the pandemic.

Earlier this month, Penn State Schuylkill offered a presentation, “Historical Implications of the Influenza Pandemic in Schuylkill County.” It was part of the “Outbreak: Epidemics in a Connected World,” a Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History pop-up exhibit hosted by the local campus in Schuylkill Haven.

Harold Aurand, associate teaching professor of history at Penn State Schuylkill, Michelle Jacobs, a Penn State Schuylkill history professor, and Drogalis joined for the panel discussion at the Morgan Auditorium Student Community Center.

Audiences also heard the Penn State Schuylkill Nittany Players, under the direction of Cathy Fiorillo, perform a staged reading from local author John O’Hara’s piece, “The Doctor’s Son.” O’Hara’s father, a doctor, had become ill and treated flu patients in the county during the pandemic.

Porter-Tower celebration

A time capsule buried 50 years ago surfaced to a waiting crowd of Porter-Tower Sesquicentennial revelers in June, as Porter Township and Tower City marked 150 years this year.

About 200 people gathered around the vault to view the time capsule that hadn’t seen the light of day since 1968. That was the year of the Porter Township-Tower City centennial.

Crews unearthed the burial vault that contained cardboard boxes filled with letters to descendants, photos, church bulletins, newspapers, military articles, coins, flags and celebratory banners.

Visitors gathered under a tent where a table was used to display items brought out of the vault, which was buried across the street from the Tower City American Legion Post 468. A Sesquicentennial parade was held the following weekend on June 30.

The Sesquicentennial Committee organized community festivities and fundraisers throughout the year to make the parade and 150th celebration possible.

Contact the writer: ; 570-628-6007

In late March 2008, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey surprised everybody by endorsing fellow Democratic Sen. Barack Obama for president.

Almost no one suspected Casey would endorse Obama because he said he wouldn’t endorse either Obama or his nomination rival, Sen. Hillary Clinton.

Now that Casey has said he’s thinking about running for president, he gets lots of questions about it, but his ultimate intentions remain just as much a secret as that endorsement decision.

“I talked to him about it but he didn’t talk to me about it,” said Larry Ceisler, a Democratic public relations consultant who chatted up Casey about the presidency at the annual Pennsylvania Society dinner on Dec. 1 in New York City.

Casey has talked to only a tight circle of family, friends and advisers, which typifies his caution and wariness. He surely understands that letting people talk you up as a prospective presidential candidate can’t hurt your reputation regardless of what you eventually do. Just don’t expect him to do most of the talking.

Since announcing his potential interest shortly after his re-election last month, Casey has mostly talked about why running for president might make sense, but more about ensuring the Democratic nominee doesn’t lose Pennsylvania the way Clinton did against President Donald Trump in 2016.

Getting to what he terms “active consideration” would mean traveling the country, researching his prospects and refining his ideas.

“I am not at that stage and may never get to that stage,” he said Wednesday.

Which may explain why presidential polls don’t include Casey’s name.

He’s not a dark horse. He’s not a horse at all.

With events featuring potential Democratic contenders set for early next year, the time for deciding approaches quickly.

In a Democratic Party tilting leftward, some think a moderate like Casey makes more sense as a vice presidential candidate for a left-leaning presidential nominee.

“He’d be an ideal vice presidential candidate,” said G. Terry Madonna, the longtime state politics analyst from Franklin & Marshall College.

Casey, who has won six statewide general elections in all, just defeated Republican U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta of Hazleton by a whopping 13.1 percentage points and he bettered Clinton’s 2016 performance against Trump in all 67 counties, including a superior showing in the all-important Philadelphia suburbs. Those factors could help in similar states like Wisconsin, Michigan and Ohio, all of which Clinton also lost.

“I think the recipe of success that Bob has demonstrated in Pennsylvania could be easily transferrable to places like Wisconsin and Michigan,” said state Attorney General Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, who has urged Casey to run for president.

Casey’s serious policy knowledge could also benefit a less experienced Democratic nominee, but he said he’s not positioning himself for the vice presidency.

Others like Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown have begun wooing political operatives in early primary states like Iowa and New Hampshire. Casey hasn’t even talked about running with some of his closest past advisers, the advisers said.

Casey mostly deflects the question about who he has consulted about running, acknowledging he’s talked to family members and “a little bit here and there” with people outside his normal circle, including Senate colleagues.

“Can I think of a list of people who can be nominated by our party and win Pennsylvania? Yes. It’s a small list,” he said. “I don’t think it’s 10 or 12 people. I think I would be (on the list) if I were a candidate.”

He remains “in the earliest of early stages,” he said.

“In terms of a much more serious, deeper analysis, I haven’t gone down that path yet as some have,” he said. “It’s a very difficult endeavor under any circumstances. It’s especially difficult after you’ve been through a long, difficult campaign in a big state. It’s exceedingly difficult to start over on something bigger, a lot more difficult, even if it’s the right time, because the country is at a crossroads and people are concerned about basic middle class issues and increasingly concerned about foreign policy.”

Still, he’s haunted by Trump’s 2016 Pennsylvania victory, and thinks he missed warning signs.

He remembers hearing a poll of Luzerne County voters that showed Trump winning the county handily; he remembers stories of homemade yard signs backing Trump. Most people thought the race might be close but that Clinton would squeak by.

“There were just indicators that at the time, I think a lot of people, including me, thought were troubling but wouldn’t prove decisive,” Casey said. “I think we should go into 2020 assuming you have to win Pennsylvania or it’s game over.”

No Democrat has won the presidency without winning Pennsylvania since Harry Truman in 1948.

Close advisers, speaking only if they could remain unidentified, say they don’t know what Casey will do. He hasn’t talked to them yet and never has talked with them about running for president before. They expect to hear more after Casey takes the oath of office for a third term Thursday.

“Why not Bob Casey?” one former close adviser said. “He’s the antithesis to Trump ... He understands people just as well as anyone else.”

State Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa, D-43, Allegheny, who hasn’t talked to Casey about his potential bid, said the senator “should position himself to be a serious candidate.” A Casey bid would bring the state attention and recognition, he said.

“He appeals to, I think, middle- and working-class folks and that’s what’s important right now,” Costa said.

Shapiro said he first broached the notion of Casey running for president with him about a year ago and they have talked multiple times about it since, including since the election. They talked about what it would take for a Democratic presidential candidate to win in 2020.

“I think has a unique ability to compete from Fishtown (part of Phildelphia) to Johnstown,” Shapiro said. “I think this election proved that. My fundamental belief is whoever is going to win the presidency has to be able to communicate with people in a vast state like ours, not just in limited pockets.”

Contact the writer: bkrawczeniuk@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9147; @BorysBlogTT on Twitter

Police investigate Pottsville burglary

POTTSVILLE — Pottsville police are investigating a forced entry burglary that happened at a vacant building undergoing renovations at 275 Peacock St.

Police said the owner, a Hazleton resident, reported on Dec. 22 that he had discovered a large amount of copper pipe was cut and removed from the walls, ceilings and floors of the building.

Moreover, a large amount of building materials, including new copper pipe and fittings, electrical outlets and switches, floor tile, drop ceiling parts, rubber roofing supplies, drywall tools and compound, various fasteners, a new fireplace and various hand tools had also been removed from the building sometime between late October and Dec. 22.

Police are asking that anyone who may have seen activity around this property between late October and Dec. 22 or who may have any other information contact Patrolman Michael Messner at 570-622-1234, Ext 192.

Man charged with assaulting child

HEGINS — Hegins Township police arrested a Hummelstown man after an incident Dec. 11 on West Main Street.

Police said Morkeith Lavar Brown, 33, of 1874 Gramercy Place, was charged with simple assault and harassment and will now have to answer before Magisterial District Judge David Rossi, Tremont.

Brown, police said, assaulted an 11-year-old with his hands and a belt.

The juvenile was transported to a medical facility for treatment, police said, adding that they were assisted in their investigation by Schuylkill County Children & Youth Services.

17-year-old charged after 1-vehicle crash

HEGINS — Hegins Township police cited a 17-year-old York juvenile for driving at an unsafe speed that resulted in a one-vehicle crash on Schwenks Road on Dec. 17.

Police said the juvenile failed to negotiate a turn, went off the road and struck a tree.

The teenager was taken to a medical facility for treatment of injuries suffered in the crash, police said.

Woman charged with causing crash

GOODSPRING — Hegins Township police charged a Hegins woman following a two-vehicle crash on East Mountain and Goodspring roads on Dec. 20.

Police said Linda Zimmerman, 63, was charged with failing to stop at a stop sign and will have to answer before Magisterial District Judge David J. Rossi, Tremont.

Zimmerman, police said, failed to yield the right-of-way at a stop sign and pulled into the path of another vehicle, causing a crash.

Police investigating tri-axle rollover

HEGINS — Hegins Township police are investigating a tri-axle rollover crash that occurred on Gap Street, near Bear Valley Road, on Wednesday.

Police said the driver of the truck was traveling on Gap Street and failed to negotiate a curve in the road.

The vehicle went through a set of guiderails and came to a stop on its side in a creek.

Police said the crash is still under investigation and that charges are pending.

Police investigate $773 theft

ELIZABETHVILLE — State police at Lykens are investigating a theft at a residence on Rakers Mill Road in Washington Township, Dauphin County, between Dec. 1 and 5.

Police said someone kicked open a back door to the home and stole several items valuing $773 total.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 717-362-8700.

Man charged with assaulting woman

LYKENS — A Lykens man was arrested by state police at Lykens and charged with assaulting a woman at an address on South Second Street around 3:10 p.m. Dec. 24.

Police said a witness reported seeing Kevin Stephenson, 42, push a 38-year-old Lykens woman to the ground during a domestic dispute and twist her arm behind her back, causing a loud cracking similar to a bone breaking.

The victim was contacted at the hospital by telephone and reported the altercation and that it resulted in her suffering a broken bone in her upper right arm, police said.

Police from Lykens and Harrisburg assisted in taking Stephenson into custody in the waiting room of the hospital, while he waited for the woman to receive treatment.

The man was then taken to the Dauphin County Judicial Center where he was charged with simple assault and harassment, police said.

Police investigate $10K Rolex theft

LYKENS — State police at Lykens are investigating the theft of a Rolex watch at a home on Parkview Road on Dec. 9.

Police said they were called to the area for a report of a theft and learned that a gold and silver Rolex watch valued at $10,000 had been stolen.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 717-362-8700.

Man charged with scattering rubbish

WILLIAMSTOWN — A borough man was charged with scattering rubbish by state police at Lykens for throwing an empty pack of cigarettes onto the sidewalk around 2:25 p.m. Dec. 23.

Police said they were called to the area for a report of a person scattering rubbish and saw video surveillance showing Ryan Malick, 28, walking on a sidewalk and discarding the pack of cigarettes.

Malick admitted throwing the pack of cigarettes, police said, adding that the charge against him was filed with Magisterial District Judge Rebecca Margerum, Elizabethville.

A 50th anniversary remembrance of the original Woodstock festival — the cultural touchstone moment that brought an estimated half-million people to a hillside in Bethel, New York, for a legendary three-day music festival — will be held at the original site, organizers announced Thursday.

Bethel Woods Music and Culture Festival will be Aug. 16-18 at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, a nonprofit cultural center at the site of the original Woodstock festival at Bethel, which was held Aug. 15-18, 1969.

The festival will be produced by concert giant Live Nation. INVNT, a global live brand storytelling agency, also is a partner.

The festival will include live performances “from prominent and emerging artists spanning multiple genres and decades,” organizers said. No acts were announced.

The event also will have TED-style talks from leading futurists and retro-tech experts. Organizers called the festival a “pan-generational music, culture and community event.”

The site is now the location of the Museum at Bethel Woods, which tells the story of the 1960s through immersive media, interactive engagements, and artifacts from the 1969 festival.

A special 2019 exhibit, “We Are Golden: Reflections on the 50th Anniversary of the Woodstock Festival and Aspirations for an Aquarian Future,” will be offered during the festival.

“We are thrilled to partner with Live Nation and INVNT to produce Bethel Woods Music and Culture Festival,” Bethel Woods President Darlene Fedun said.

“Fifty years ago, people gathered peacefully on our site inspired to change the world through music. As the stewards of this historic site, we remain committed to preserving this rich history and spirit, and to educating and inspiring new generations to contribute positively to the world through music, culture, and community.”

Organizers said “entertainment villages” and a number of performance areas will be created for the occasion.

In recent years, there has been interest in whether there would be a celebration of the festival’s 50th anniversary. Michael Lang, who as a 25-year-old produced the original festival, has floated the possibility of an anniversary festival, but announced no plans.

The Bethel Woods Center held a one-day concert to celebrate Woodstock’s 40th anniversary in 2009, with original performers Canned Heat, Richie Havens, Tens Years After, Jefferson Starship, Mountain and Levon Helm from The Band.

The original festival also included performances by The Who, Santana, Joan Baez, Grateful Dead, John Sebastian and Crosby, Stills & Nash.

Contact the writer: jmoser@mcall.com; 610-820-6722

A few years ago, scientists conducted a real-world experiment at a ThyssenKrupp steel factory in Germany. They assigned the day shift to early risers and the late shift to night owls.

Soon the steel workers, many of whom had been skeptical at the outset, were getting an extra hour of sleep on work nights. By simply aligning work schedules with people’s internal clocks, the researchers had helped people get more and better rest.

“They got 16 percent more sleep, almost a full night’s length over the course of the week,” said Till Roenneberg, a chronobiologist at Ludwig-Maximilian University in Munich, who headed the study. “That is enormous.”

In recent years, U.S. educators have been paying increased attention to their students’ sleep needs, with growing debate about delaying school start times. Now a number of businesses are following suit, encouraging their employees to work when their bodies are most awake.

“It’s a huge financial burden not to sleep properly,” Roenneberg said. “The estimates go toward 1 percent of gross national product,” both in the United States and Germany.

Emerging science reveals that each of us has an optimal time to fall asleep and wake up, a personalized biological rhythm known as a “chronotype.” When you don’t sleep at the time your body wants to sleep — your biological night — you don’t sleep as well or as long, setting the stage not only for fatigue, poor work performance and errors but also health problems ranging from heart disease and obesity to anxiety and depression.

You’re hardly alone

A full 80 percent of people have work schedules that clash with their internal clocks, said Celine Vetter, an assistant professor at the University of Colorado at Boulder and director of the university’s circadian and sleep epidemiology lab. “The problem is huge,” Vetter said. “If we consider your individual chronotype and your work hours, the chances are very high that there’s quite a bit of misalignment.”

Put it this way: If you rely on an alarm clock to wake up, you’re out of sync with your own biology.

Studies on workers in the call center of a mobile phone company, a packaging manufacturer and an oil transportation company show that these employees are more stressed and may experience more work-related discomfort and pain. It’s the mismatch — not the hours themselves — that matters. A 2015 Harvard Medical School study found that for night owls, working during the day increases diabetes risk.

Among the companies seeking to remedy the problem is Southwest Airlines, which allows pilots to choose between morning and evening flight schedules. The Navy recently traded an 18-hour submarine shift schedule for a 24-hour one that more closely matches sailors’ biological rhythms. And at some pharmaceutical, software and financial companies, managers expect employees to come to the office for only a few hours in the middle of the day — or to work off-site entirely.

“I think circadian rhythms will be a huge issue for human resources in the future,” said Camilla Kring, a Danish consultant who has helped employees at AbbVie, Roche, Medtronic and other companies learn to respect their natural sleep cycles. “It really makes sense to think about when people have the most energy and when they’re peaking mentally.”

Worker fatigue has played a role in many workplace accidents, most famously the Challenger space shuttle explosion and the Exxon Valdez oil spill, but no doubt countless more on the commute to and from work. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that drowsy drivers cause 16.5 percent of fatal crashes.

Ethical shadows

Sleep deprivation may even lead to ethical breaches at work. In a 2014 experiment, Christopher Barnes of the University of Washington and colleagues asked 142 people with extreme chronotypes to show up at their laboratory either at 7 a.m. or at midnight for a dice-rolling game that offered a $500 prize. Reporting was on the honor system. Morning people lied 18 percent more when they did the task at midnight than when they did it in the morning, whereas night owls lied 16 percent more when doing the task at 7 a.m.

Roenneberg has collected data from 300,000 people and found that chronotypes plot as a bell-shaped curve, with a few individuals at each extreme and most falling somewhere in the middle. According to Roenneberg’s research, the most frequent chronotype — held by about 13 percent of the population — sleeps from around midnight to 8 a.m. Thirty-one percent of people have an earlier natural bedtime, and 56 percent have a later one. That means for at least 69 percent of the population, getting to the office by 8 or 9 a.m. requires waking up before their body is ready.

Not all experts acknowledge such fine-grained distinctions, instead grouping people into morning, evening and “intermediate” types. Regardless, while true “larks” and “owls” tend to dominate the conversation, they make up a small percentage of the population.

To determine your chronotype, imagine that you have two weeks of vacation to spend as you like, with no evening or morning commitments and no pets or children to wake you. Chronotypes reflect habits as well as biology, so you would also need to eliminate caffeine and avoid artificial light at night, which pushes a person’s chronotype later. At what time would you tend to fall asleep and wake up? Don’t be surprised if you’re unsure. After years spent accommodating work, family and social commitments at the expense of sleep, “a lot of people don’t know what rhythm they have,” Kring said.

Chronotypes shift in a predictable way over the course of a lifetime.

Between the ages of 12 and 21, everyone’s natural sleep schedule gets about 2½ hours later — which is why adolescents have so much trouble waking up for school. After that, chronotype creeps in the other direction, which is why older people typically find themselves waking earlier than they used to.

But chronotype determines more than when you sleep and wake. It orchestrates predictable peaks and troughs of energy over the course of the 24-hour day.

The “window of circadian low,” the hours when the body is least adapted for wakefulness, typically occurs between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. There’s another, smaller dip 12 hours later, in the midafternoon.

There are also two high points, when thinking is sharp and reaction times quick. One occurs within an hour or two after waking, and the other after the daytime dip. This cycle is shifted earlier in a morning person and later in an evening or night person.

Making it work

At the Denmark offices of pharmaceutical company AbbVie, employees design work schedules that take advantage of their biological strengths. A nine-hour training program helps them identify when they are ripe for creative or challenging projects, typically mornings for early risers and afternoons for late risers. Lower-energy periods are meant for more mundane tasks, like handling emails or doing administrative chores. Workers save commuting time by avoiding rush hour traffic, and can better mesh their personal and professional lives — for example, by getting their children from school in the afternoon, then working from home at night after the children are in bed.

According to company surveys, employee satisfaction with work-life balance has risen to nearly 100 percent today, from 39 percent 10 years ago, when the program started.

Last year, the Denmark division of Great Place to Work, a global organization that ranks companies based on employee satisfaction, named AbbVie the top middle-size company in the country. “The flexibility actually empowers people to deliver the best possible results,” said Christina Jeppesen, the company’s general manager.

A 2018 survey by the Society for Human Resource Management, which represents 300,000 HR professionals in more than 165 countries, found that 57 percent of its members offer flexible hours, 5 percent more than in 2014. “Managers who give it a try often find that employees’ morale, engagement and productivity all go up, because they are working at a time that works best for them, and able to get the most work done,” said Lisa Horn, the group’s vice president for congressional affairs.

Stefan Volk, a senior lecturer at the University of Sydney Business School, has suggested that businesses can leverage chronotypes to maximize team success. For example, members of a surgery team should have similar chronotypes because they need to be in top form simultaneously. But at a nuclear power plant, workers should have different energy peaks, so someone is always on the alert.

Flex-time inflexibility

But while lots of corporations promise flexibility, veering from the traditional 9 to 5 work hours requires a cultural shift. A 2014 study led by Barnes found that many managers have an ingrained prejudice in favor of early birds, whom they perceived as more conscientious simply because they arrived at work early, a view that could dissuade some workers from using flextime.

But sticking to traditional hours can be counterproductive, leading to “presenteeism” — employees showing up and being only minimally functional. “Companies are wasting the potential of their people,” Volk said. “You have someone sitting there from 7 till 9 a.m. sipping coffee, being completely unproductive, and then you send them home at 4 when they actually start getting productive.”

For many office workers, the answer may be as simple as delaying work start times an hour or two — say until 9:30 or 10 a.m. Since many people are in the middle of the chronotype continuum and wake naturally around 8 or 9 a.m., such a modest shift could provide widespread relief. “We’re talking about one hour,” Kring said, “not a revolution.”

CRESSONA — Anne Marie Wachter has extra motivation to keep her new year’s resolution this year: the birth of her first grandchild.

The 68-year-old Washington Township woman has been exercising sporadically at Planet Fitness for about two years looking to get more fit as she looks forward to celebrating her granddaughter’s first birthday on Jan. 11

“I would like to be consistent in my exercise program and good eating habits,” she said Monday.

Wachter said she has a weakness for sugar and is trying to be more mindful of the dangers of too much because of health problems that run in her family.

Planet Fitness was a popular place to be Monday. Customers rode treadmills, lifted weights and worked to get their bodies in shape.

“It gets crazy in here,” manager Nick Whitecavage said.

As of 10:30 a.m., 302 had checked in at the location since midnight.

“This is our peak season. Our busy season will go for the next four months,” Whitecavage said.

For his own resolution, Whitecavage, 23, said he wants to rise early enough every morning to make what he wants for breakfast, a meal he sometimes skips.

Carolyn Nutske, 63, of Pine Grove, who comes to Planet Fitness four times a week, didn’t make any resolutions for 2018. However, this year, she resolved to have a “peaceful” year in her family as well as the nation, although she realizes that she has little control over the nation.

Chris Naftzinger, 48, of Hamburg, said he does not have any resolutions for the new year but is thankful for each minute and he sets goals each day.

“Everyday is a good day to live,” said the recovering alcoholic, celebrating 12 years sobriety on Dec. 23.

Dan Evans, 53, of Strausstown, Berks County, another recovering alcoholic, sober for eight years, is “very thankful for every day.”

Carl Palsgrove, 74, of Pottsville, said he has made a lot of resolutions previously, some without success.

“By the time you got to be 74, you made them all. Some stick. Some don’t,” he said.

He found out he can exercise at Planet Fitness as part of his insurance, so he decided in November to start coming. He previously exercised at home on a treadmill.

Orwigsburg Borough Manager Robert Williams, hoping to trim 30 pounds, recently joined a local gym.

“I would like to lose weight and get in better shape,” he said. The only thing standing in the way is his weakness for chocolate ice cream.

Community leaders interviewed by phone this weekend said they want to show their commitment to the community and the environment.

Theresa Santai-Gaffney, Schuylkill County register of wills and clerk of the orphans’ court, on Sunday said she wants to continue to make a difference in the community.

“We can never do enough,” she said.

On a more personal note, she wants to be more grateful and enjoy her family more, something that she tries to do but can always improve upon.

Pottsville Mayor James T. Muldowney said his goal is to “keep moving forward.”

The city is undertaking renewed revitalization efforts.

John Levkulic, engineer for the Pottsville Parking Authority, said he wants to be more ecologically conscious.

“I’d like to do things in my life that are more sustainable and good for the Earth,” he said.

For example, he will make more of an effort to bring his own bags when he goes to the grocery store. He read a news story recently about plastics polluting the oceans.

“If everybody does their own little bit — collectively, it will be a big thing,” Levkulic said.

Minersville Police Chief Michael P. Combs said perhaps people should make resolutions that can improve the community and the world.

“Why don’t we make resolutions that are not so self-centered and look out for our society and our world,” he said.

Combs said his resolution is to “do more to help my fellow man.”

Schuylkill County Deputy Coroner Deb Detweiler said she wants to “leave a positive impact on everyone I meet whether it be a smile, a laugh or a changed heart.”

Tremont Mayor Ricky Ney said he wants to keep the council working together and continue to treat all people with the respect they deserve. Personally, he wants to continue to maintain his health and exercise.

Schuylkill Haven Assistant Fire Chief Jim Reed wants to do what he can to prevent disasters from happening.

“Fire department wise, we all do a pretty dangerous thing,” he said.

Pottsville Fire Chief James E. Misstishin Sr. has started on his goal with the help of others.

“(My goal is) every family’s household in the City of Pottsville will have working smoke alarms in the house.”

It is a fact that they save lives, Misstishin said.

Contact the writer: ; 570-628-6028

FRACKVILLE — An empty lot at the main intersection of Frackville could have a new look and use in the future, but public input is welcome on what should be done.

The Economic Development Task Force of the Frackville Borough Council is looking for input to decide what a small park in the downtown should include when it is developed. The task force, chaired by borough Councilwoman Helen Miernicki, had a questionnaire composed that was distributed to the borough council, mayor and other borough officials. The questionnaire has been made available for the public for the proposed town park, or “Central Park,” which is a working name for the location at this time.

The borough has retained the services of Season’s Art Landscape Design, Orwigsburg, to work with the task force for the park’s design.

“He is going to help us in designing a plan for the borough at the lot on Lehigh Avenue and Oak Street,” Miernicki said. “We just want to know we’re going in the right direction.”

Miernicki spoke of the park at both the Dec. 12 regular meeting and Dec. 27 special meeting.

The property in question is at 51 S. Lehigh Ave., which was the location of the former Heaven Scent Florist. The vacant property was purchased by the borough for $1 on Apr. 7, 2017, according to the Schuylkill County Parcel Locator. Demolition began in mid-August 2017 by ADM Logistics, Port Carbon, which was awarded the contract in June by the Schuylkill County commissioners at a cost of $42,299.

The blighted property is one of the many projects the borough has been involved in to remove dilapidated and/or dangerous properties.

The questionnaire asks the following questions:

· What adjective or adjectives describe the “feeling” the final design will evoke?

· How many people do you estimate will be using the park on an average day?

· What is the maximum number of people the park will accommodate?

· In symbolic terms, what represents the town of Frackville?

· Should the park portray anything of historical significance? If so, what?

· Should there be any features for children?

· Should there be any activities, such as a large chessboard, bocci ball, etc.?

•Should there be a sheltered area to get out of the rain?

•Any provisions for dogs?

•What plants would like to see used? Or not used?

•What features do you want to see in the park? Sculpture? Water fountain? Pavilion?

•What features do you not want to see in the park?

•What are all the possible uses of the park? Kinds of events?

•Additional comments?

The questionnaire can be pick up at the borough office, or on a separate paper with the above questions, and dropped off or mailed to the office.

The responses to the questionnaire will be discussed during the next task force meeting, which will be held at 7 p.m. Jan. 7, in the main meeting room at the municipal building on South Center Street. The questionnaire can be delivered at the time of the meeting, which is open to the public.

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

James Seigfried, 28, was scheduled to appear before Magisterial District Judge James K. Reiley, Pottsville, on charges of terroristic threats, criminal use of a communications facility and persistent disorderly conduct, filed by Pottsville Police Detective Joseph Welsh.

Accompanied to court by his father and represented by assistant public defender Kent Watkins, Seigfried chose not to have a hearing and instead answer to the charges in Schuylkill County Court.

Welsh charged Seigfried with making a telephone call to the prison around 3:53 p.m. Nov. 26 that was deemed a threat by the corrections officer answering the call.

The statement given by the man on the phone identified the threat of an explosion at the facility prompting prison officials to immediately take action, Welsh said.

A subsequent investigation by Welsh and Pottsville police Capt. Steven Guers included the assistance of several telephone and internet providers who provided records that enabled police to learn where the call originated.

Further investigation then led to the identification of the cellular provider and the point of sale for the cellular device.

Using this information, Welsh said investigators were able to obtain video footage of a man, later identified as Seigfried, buying the phone.

With Seigfried identified as the owner of the cellphone used to place the threat, a search warrant was obtained for his home, Pottsville police Chief Richard F. Wojciechowsky said.

On Nov. 26, Pottsville officers, assisted by Schuylkill County detectives, executed the search warrant at Seigfried’s home and also found him at his place of employment in Pine Grove.

The cellphone was seized and, during a subsequent interview, Seigfried confessed to making the call and threatening an explosion, the chief said.

He was arraigned by Reiley and committed to the county prison unable to post 10 percent of $50,000 bail.

Since that time, Seigfried has posted bond and remains free pending future court proceedings.

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

Nathan Tallman, of Kempton, assumes the position of executive director of the Pennsylvania Co-Operative Potato Growers on Wednesday.

His grandfather, the late George Tallman, held the same position in the 1950s. Nathan had worked at his family’s potato operation, Tallman Family Farms in Tower City, from 2005 to 2010.

Tallman will be at the Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg, beginning Saturday, at the food court where the cooperative sells its traditional french fries, baked potatoes and potato doughnuts.

“I wanted to get back into the potato industry and thought I could still leave a mark on the industry by taking the job,” Tallman said in a phone interview Monday. Prior to his position with the cooperative, Tallman was a regional sales manager with Primo Produce in Allentown. He’ll work out of the cooperative’s 3107 N. Front St., Harrisburg, office.

He fills the vacancy left by the retirement of Roger Springer. As Springer’s successor, Tallman will build on the cooperative’s mission to provide a vital link between potato growers and buyers, and will oversee and manage the marketing of members’ product. The cooperative also conducts potato research through Penn State University.

Tallman said he heard about his late grandfather’s service with the cooperative from his uncles. George Tallman had led the state organization for about four or five years, according to his grandson.

“I hope to make the cooperative an organization people are proud of and want to be a part of,” Tallman said. “There’s still opportunity for young growers to add revenue to their farms outside of corn and beans,” he said.

Another duty for Tallman is to assist with contracts.

“There are a lot of existing chip contracts. My job is to nurture and continue that relationship in our state with those chip producers. There’s some well-established business there,” he said.

According to Tallman, the cooperative would also source potatoes year-round for the chip producers, connecting them with eastern shore and Michigan potato growers when Pennsylvania potatoes aren’t available.

Bob Leiby, of Kutztown, works for the cooperative, and visits state potato producers, offering recommendations on spraying, or getting other industry news out to growers, Tallman said.

Chairman of the cooperative’s board of directors, Nolan Masser and Springer praised Tallman, noting his more than 20 years in the produce industry. Tallman received a bachelor of science degree in agriculture business marketing with a minor in agricultural economics and rural sociology from Penn State University in 1999.

“Nathan has a proven track record in the industry for expanding markets by connecting growers with customers throughout the region and nation. We are very excited about what he brings to the table to help us grow Pennsylvania’s potato industry,” Masser, of Pitman, said.

“Tallman will bring valuable relationships to a broad network of customers as he leads the cooperative in serving its mission of providing and building grower members market potential. He is an outstanding leader who understands our business, potatoes and the customers we serve, and he will take the cooperative to the next level. Tallman is the best person for the job,” Springer said.

Masser thanked Springer for his 29 years of “invaluable leadership” in a prepared release announcing Tallman as his successor.

For more information, visit www.pacooppotatoes.com.

Contact the writer: ; 570-628-6007

Most federal civil cases involving parties represented by the U.S. Attorney’s office in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania have been put on indefinite hold pending resolution of the government shutdown.

Christopher C. Conner, chief judge for the Middle District, issued a order Thursday that halts all activity until funding is restored to the U.S. Department of Justice.

The order affects only civil cases in which the U.S. Attorney’s Office provides legal representation to a party who is a plaintiff or defendant. It does not affect criminal cases, bankruptcy cases or other civil matters that involve private parties represented by private counsel.

In an interview Friday, Conner said he did not have an estimate of the number of cases affected by the stay.

“It would be a minority of cases but it’s still a significant number,” he said.

Some of the more common cases that will be affected include challenges to the denial of Social Security disability claims, mortgage foreclosures involving federally insured properties, employment disputes involving the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and medical malpractice cases against the Veteran’s Administration Hospital.

Conner said he issued the stay in order to save attorneys from having to file individual motions in cases, which would potentially flood the court.

“Given the uncertainty associated with the length of the government shutdown, we felt it was important to address it in a general fashion so that there is a clear cut stay of proceedings,” he said.

In a prepared statement, David Freed, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, said the stay will help his office better manage civil cases during the funding lapse.

“I have every confidence that we will be able to manage this delay and get our cases immediately back on track when funding resumes,” Freed said.

The Middle District covers 33 counties, including Lackawanna, Luzerne, Pike, Wayne and Wyoming.

Contact the writer: tbesecker@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9137

Frackville

Bingo games at the Frackville American Legion are now held at 6 p.m. the second and fourth Fridays of every month. There are individual game and package deal pricings. For more information, call 570-874-4750.

Hazleton

A group called Survivors After Suicide, which includes “mothers, fathers, husbands, wives, brothers, sisters, boyfriends, girlfriends and close friends of someone who has completed suicide,” meets from 6 to 7:30 p.m. the second and fourth Tuesdays of every month at Catholic Social Services, 200 W. Chapel St., Hazleton, according to a release. There are no fees charged in the gatherings. Organizers said in the release that the “open grief group” welcomes survivors in any stage of the grieving process. “Participants enter the group, leave and return as they feel the need,” according to a release. For more information, call 570-455-1521.

Pottsville

Medicare 101: Answers to Your Medicare Questions, is a Lunch and Learn series insurance overview scheduled for noon Jan. 8 at Providence Place Senior Living, 2200 First Ave. Darin Troutman will be the presenter; a question/answer session will follow the presentation. For more information or to RSVP, call 570-628-6950.

Schuylkill Haven

St. John’s United Church of Christ, Orwigsburg, and the First United Church of Christ, Schuylkill Haven, in partnership with the Department of Veterans Affairs National VA Chaplain Center, are offering a one-day training to educate community clergy about issues facing returning veterans and their families following deployment. The program is supported by the VA Office of Rural Health, according to an event release. Training is set for 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 28 at First United Church of Christ, 110 Route 61 South near Penn State Schuylkill campus. The registration deadline is Feb. 20. Community clergy from all faiths and organization chaplains are invited to attend. Topics will include post-deployment readjustment challenges; the psychological, physical, behavioral and spiritual effects of war trauma on survivors and the important role of community clergy in helping to reduce mental health stigma and support veterans and their families. Attendees will learn about VA and community mental health services and who clergy can connect with at their local VA to request information or assistance. For more information visit www.firstuccschuylkillhaven.org or contact the Rev. Ms. Shawn D. Van Dyke at 570-385-2049 or via email to firstuccpastor@verizon.net.

Shenandoah

The Shenandoah Area Free Public Library has revised the dates and times for its upcoming book sale. According to a release, the sale will be from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Jan. 9 and 16 and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Jan. 12 and 19. All hardcover books will be 25 cents each and paperbacks 10 cents each. Story and craft time at the library is set for 11 a.m. to noon Jan. 5.

Shenandoah

Enrollment at Trinity Academy in the Father Walter J. Ciszek Education Center, Cherry and Chestnut streets, is open for children in preschool through eighth grade. Trinity is the sole pre-K to eighth-grade parochial school for all of northern Schuylkill County. It is a center of HOPE involving “Outreach, Perseverance and Excellence, providing an education strong in faith and academics,” according to a church bulletin announcement. The principal is Sister Margaret McCullough, IHM. For more information or to arrange for a tour of the school, contact the advancement director at jgrier@trinitymatters.com, call 570-462-3927 or go online to www.trinitymatters.com.

Tamaqua

Diaper Depot, a ministry of Zion Lutheran Church providing free diapers, is open to families in the Tamaqua Area School District. Diaper distributions, according to a release, will take place by appointment only from 9 to 11 a.m. the third Saturday of the month. People requesting diapers must provide proof of residence and a birth certificate or some other identification for each child being served. Diaper sizes newborn to size 6 are available for children up to age 4. Requests for diapers must be made online at www.ziontamaqua.com/diaper-depot or by calling 570-668-2180 at least three days prior to the distribution. Complete guidelines for the program are available online at www.ziontamaqua.com/diaper-depot.

Ashland

The Ashland Area Public Library recently acknowledged the following memorials: For Joseph Cress by Paul Franco, Mary Balkiewicz, Edna P. Labie, Universal Forest Products; for Mary Ellen Marchalonis by the Ashland Public Library Bridge Club; for Lewis Harter by Class of 1959-Ashland Area Joint High School; for Jean L. Glessner by the Ashland Public Library Staff: Margaret, Rene, Bev, Dolores and Debbie, Margaret Mary Brown, Mr. and Mrs. William Farley, Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Smarkanic; for Margaret Moss by Margaret Mary Brown; for Giraldine Dillman by Mr. and Mrs. William Farley; for Shirley Klinger by Mr. and Mrs. Louis Swatski; for Patrick W. Kempsey by Ursaline Fitzpatrick; for Shirley Klinger by Shirley Boehmer; for Florence Morrow and Paul Zelez by Mr. and Mrs. Louis Swatski.

Friedensburg

A meeting regarding the Schuylkill County Fair and Foundation for Agriculture and Resource Management is set for 7 p.m. Jan. 17 in the Friedensburg Firehall. For more information, call Kim Morgan at 570-739-2627 or email kamorgan11@gmail.com.

Orwigsburg

A free session called Healthy Living with Essential Oils will be held at 6 p.m. Jan. 9 in the Pinebrook Activity Room, 2 Woodbridge Road, according to a release from Bobbie Cicioni. All are welcome. For more information, call 570-590-6491.

Pottsville

Free blood pressure and blood sugar readings are offered monthly at Diakon Senior Community centers for people 60 and older. Those interested should call for dates and times at the following senior community centers: Mahanoy City, 138 W. Centre St., 570-773-0738; Pottsville, 201 N. Centre St., 570-628-3513; Schuylkill Haven, 340 Haven St., 570-385-5611; Shenandoah, 116 N. Main St., 570-462-1965; Tremont, 139 Clay St., 570-695-3500.

Pottsville

Medicare 101: Answers to Your Medicare Questions, is a Lunch and Learn series insurance overview scheduled for noon Tuesday at Providence Place Senior Living, 2200 First Ave. Darin Troutman will be the presenter; a question/answer session will follow the presentation. For more information or to RSVP, call 570-628-6950.

Schuylkill Haven

The Schuylkill Haven Senior Citizens Association board will have a breakfast meeting at 9:30 a.m. Jan. 16 at The Country Squire restaurant, Route 61. All board members and members of the senior travelers board should attend, according to a release. For more information, call 570-385-5323.

Schuylkill Haven

The Schuylkill Haven High School Class of 1960 will meet for lunch at noon Jan. 17 at 3-Cs Restaurant, Port Clinton. Class members and guests are welcome. For more information, call 570-385-5323.

Shenandoah

Divine Mercy Roman Catholic Parish has a needed and ongoing collection of items for the food bank that distributes food from the parish office, 108 W. Cherry St. Donations of nonperishable food items can be taken to Divine Mercy Church, Cherry and Chestnut streets, or to the parish’s St. Casimir Church sacred worship site, 229 N. Jardin St., on weekends, or dropped off at the parish office during regular office hours. Useful items include tuna, Spam, canned meats, powdered milk, peanut butter and jelly, cereal, spaghetti, sauce, pasta and similar fare. For more information, call the parish office at 570-462-1968.

Shenandoah

Exercise in Motion, a health/fitness event, is set for 9:30 a.m. Thursday at the Shenandoah Senior Living Center, located in the Anthony P. Damato American Legion “Medal of Honor” Post 792, 116 N. Main St. The club meets from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Participants must register at the center. It is for people 50 and older of all fitness levels. For more information, call Diakon Community Services at 570-624-3017.

VALLEY VIEW — The water was still cold Tuesday despite temperatures in the 50s, but that didn’t stop about 40 people from jumping in for the Pine Creek Polar Bear Plunge.

This year marked the 10th anniversary of the event that benefits Pine Creek Trout Nursery, a cooperative of the state Fish and Boat Commission and Valley View Gun Club.

Participants splashed into the water at 1:02 p.m. They all had to wear shoes and were not permitted to dive.

“It’s always good to start the new year jumping into freezing cold water,” Christina E. Hale, a magisterial district judge in Frackville, said.

Tuesday wasn’t the first time she participated, having done so four years ago.

“I’m still numb,” Hale said of her cold feet.

Allison Hein, 31, of Minersville, wore a Batman T-shirt and shorts. She was also numb upon getting out of the water she described as “invigorating.” Hein said the water was that cold she wanted the experience to be over as quickly as possible. She said the “thrill” was fun and exactly what she expected.

Ed Koropchak, 40, of Pottsville, admitted he was disappointed that the outside temperatures were not frigid.

“I wanted it cold. A polar plunge is supposed to be cold,” he said before entering the water wearing an ugly Santa sweater over a Superman T-shirt, shorts and sneakers.

Koropchak marked his third time participating.

“It restarts the year. It washes away the year and starts the new year fresh,” he said.

Randy Koppenhaver, 70, of Hegins, who has faithfully taken the dive all 10 years, said overall conditions were not bad compared to last year when the outside air temperature was 5 degrees and water 33 degrees.

“Last year, I was frozen solid,” he said. “I thought I was going to lose some toes or something.”

The reversal of temperatures didn’t go unnoticed.

“The water felt really cold this year. Last year it was warm,” Koppenhaver said.

He is proud to join other diehards in the annual tradition.

“It’s a challenge. I like a little adventure,” Koppenhaver said.

Brandon Bohn, 22, of Mahanoy City, said he also was not afraid of the jump into the new year “ ’cause you only live once.” This was his first time taking the plunge.

Dressed in a Philadelphia Eagles knit hat, shorts and T-shirt, Bohn was trying to keep warm with a pink towel draped around his shoulders.

“My legs feel like they are burning right now. They are on fire,” he said.

Andy Gudinas, 36, of West Reading, participated for the first time. He wore pajamas for the occasion and described the water as cold.

Joe Gudinas, 41, of Saint Clair, wore a Santa hat that said “Merry Christmas” and Santa pajamas and a holiday sweater. He drank a sip of moonshine and boilo that friends made for him before taking the plunge.

The desire to take part in the tradition of entering the water was something Bob Price, 69, of Pottsville, wanted to say he experienced.

“This is on my bucket list,” he said.

Jason Smith, 46, of Pottsville, wore a shirt that said “Warning I do dumb things.” He said the shirt is what he wears when he does something that might not be a good idea.

Jim Reed, event organizer, said Tuesday could have been the warmest since the plunge started.

“I think we went from the coldest (2018) to the warmest year,” he said.

Reed didn’t know how much the weather played a role in people coming out to the park. He is thankful the annual event has continued for 10 years.

“The first year, it was the roll of the dice,” he said.

Participation from people outside of the county has helped spread the word about the event.

“I think it’s starting to become a nostalgic thing almost,” he said.

Reed said the goal for the event was about $3,000. He said they met that by receiving approximately $3,450.

For $20, participants received a T-shirt that said “10 years of freezing my hiney in the Piney. Pine Creek Polar Bear Plunge 2019” that features two polar bears having fun on the ice.

Contact the writer: ; 570-628-6028

SAINT CLAIR — The traditional pork and sauerkraut meal is thought to bring good luck for the new year.

The Saint Clair Lions Club sold 125 dinners by 2 p.m. Last year, they sold about 105 meals that included the pork and sauerkraut, applesauce, dessert and drinks. The cost of this year’s meals was $9.50 at Saint Clair. Most of the meals were ordered as takeout, Dorothy Pomian, a member said.

The Lions have been serving pork and sauerkraut for New Year’s Day since 2011. Starting at 11 a.m. hungry people came to partake in the tradition.

“This is tradition. We always have sauerkraut,” Frank Meyer, of Pottsville, said.

Usually Meyer and his wife, Peg, eat at a friend’s house, but this year they came to the club to eat the good food.

Meyer said he is looking forward to 2019.

“I feel it’s going to be a good year,” he said.

Lemar Staller, 79, of Pottsville, ordered pork and sauerkraut for his wife.

“The food is good,” he said.

Staller said he has come to the Lions Club for the last two or three years.

Grace Karrer, a member of the club and sister of Pomian, said their parents belonged to the club. The sisters want to continue the service to the community, having been members since 1977. Other family members were there Tuesday preparing the food. Proceeds go back to the club that in turn helps out the community. The potatoes were peeled starting Monday. Members were at the club at 8 a.m. Tuesday getting ready for the rush.

At the Valley View Gun Club, the room was full of people eating pork and sauerkraut.

The meal was $10 and was free to those who participated in the Pine Creek Polar Bear Plunge. Guests at the club enjoyed the traditional meal, dessert and beverage.

Anna Marie Kolva, of Lykens, said the food was “delicious.” She always tries to eat pork and sauerkraut on New Year’s Day because of the good luck it is suppose to bring.

Sally Behney, 43, and her daughter, Caylee Stambaugh, 8, of Valley View, were there to ring in 2019 the correct way.

“It’s tradition. Pork and sauerkraut,” Behney said.

The amount of meals sold at the gun club was not available.

Contact the writer: ; 570-628-6028