It’s June and we’re finally able to get out and about a bit more! While some things are still off limits and still others are up in the air, we’ve got enough to get us feeling good about the summer. And what’s the best thing about summer anyway? Being outdoors in the sunshine, which we’ve got plenty of opportunities to do in Schuylkill County!

Our three state parks, Locust Lake, Tuscarora and Swatara are open. You can hike, bike, walk. You can camp. You can fish, boat and kayak. You can use the grills and have a picnic. And beginning Saturday, you can enjoy the beach and swim as well.

Our beautiful Sweet Arrow Lake County Park, Pine Grove, is open. While monthly public programs are temporarily suspended, you can still boat, fish, kayak, hike, picnic and otherwise enjoy yourself, seven days a week. Our many private campgrounds, including Twin Grove, Rosemount, Red Ridge, Laurel Lake, Echo Valley, Christmas Pines, Camp-A-While and Lakewood Park are open, too! Now is the perfect time to book a relaxing getaway in our beautiful corner of Penn’s Woods.

June is National Trails Month and Saturday is National Trails Day. National Trails Day was established to promote awareness of the wide variety of benefits trails provide, as well as celebrate, improve and enjoy America’s magnificent trail system consisting of more than 60,000 miles across all 50 states.

It is our nation’s largest celebration of trails and you can join in because you don’t have to utilize only national trails. Oh no! You can celebrate by heading out on our local and regional trails, too. An incomplete list includes The Lehigh Valley New England Rail Trail, Schuylkill Valley Heritage Trail, Stoney Valley Rail Trail, Schuylkill River Trail, Senator James J. Rhoades Nature Trail and The Appalachian Trail. Some can be biked and hiked. Some allow horseback riding. They’re all good for bird watching, nature exploration and geocaching. To learn more about our community’s trails, go to www.schuylkill.org and click “things to do.”

A variety of activities have recently reopened, too. Golfing is one of them. Mountain Valley, Hidden Valley, White Birch and Schuylkill Country Club are all open. Perhaps most importantly (for me anyway), Heisler’s mini golf and driving range are open. Famous Reading Outdoors and Rausch Creek are open for off-roading. The Schuylkill County Historical Society Museum and Gift Shop is open. Jerry’s Classic Cars & Collectibles Museum is open. Yuengling Museum and Gift Shop is open (no tours yet!). Hope Hill Lavender Farm is open. Kowalonek’s Kielbasy Shop is open. Vintage 61 is open by appointment. The Marketplace is open. Forget-Me- Not Florist is open. Lessie’s Greenhouse and Gift Shop is open. Peace Frog & Healthy Habits are open. C&C’s Candies & Country Store is open. Fighter’s Heaven: Muhammad Ail’s Training Camp is scheduled to open the weekend of July 4. The list and variety of local organizations and businesses opening up goes on and on folks. I think the best way to find out the necessary specifics for days, times and social distancing requirements before heading out is to check out their socials.

I don’t know about you, but my family has been enjoying some super take-out food and beverages the past few months from Wheel, Pressed Coffee & Books, The Brickhouse Grill, Yocko’s, Momma Millie’s, The Washington Hotel, Roma, Mountain Valley, Roman Delight, Vito’s, The Red Lion.

Even though I enjoy cooking, we still hit up a local restaurant once a week and now we going to be able to dine outdoors, too. I have to say I’m pretty excited about that! Vito’s Coal Fired Pizza and Restaurant opens up the patio today as does Bum’s Rush Restaurant & Pub and The Brickhouse Grill.

Wheel will be providing outdoor dining soon and so will our beloved Heisler’s. Stoker’s Brewing Company in Tamaqua is having a food truck event tonight. Mainstreet Moonshine is having Food Truck Fridays and Saturdays. Good Intent Hose Company in Llewellyn is having a drive-thru style pig roast Saturday. Outdoor food and beverage opportunities are beginning to abound!

In the coming weeks, the City of Pottsville is looking at models similar to Harrisburg and Cincinnati which use downtown spaces and businesses in creative ways to provide safe outdoor atmospheres for people to support their community and enjoy themselves. I think we will see many of our towns and organizations finding ways to accomplish this in the coming weeks.

In the meantime, remember to check out Explore Schuylkill’s Facebook page as well as the pages of the many fine organizations throughout our community, keep your PPE with you and get out and enjoy all that Schuylkill County has to offer safely.

(Gargano is executive director of Explore Schuylkill)

Commencement for Tamaqua Area High School Class of 2020 has been bumped back to June 26, in the hopes that Schuylkill County will be in the less restrictive “green phase” by then.

Seniors were originally scheduled to graduate on May 29, the last day of school. During its May meeting, the school board asked to move the graduation.

Pushing it to a tentative date of June 26, would provide for a better shot for a traditional ceremony.

In a letter to graduates and families, Superintendent Ray Kinder Jr. wrote, “The school district has been working tirelessly to try to provide the most traditional graduation ceremony for you, while also meeting the guidelines established by the state Departments of Education, Health and the Governor’s Office. This has been extremely difficult with regulations changing almost weekly and little clarity on essential components of the guidelines.”

Assuming that Schuylkill County is in the green phase, each graduate and two guests will be assigned to either the stadium or auditorium. Both locations will have access to the other through a video simulcast.

“Although all graduates won’t be in the same location, they will be with a significant number of their classmates,” Kinder said, noting that the arrangement would exceed social distancing guidelines.

Traditional speeches and songs will be pre-recorded or performed live, and graduates will have the opportunity to accept their diplomas.

“The identified date of June 26th would almost assuredly secure a green phase to allow for this format,” Kinder noted. “Despite being later than anyone would prefer, we believe that with cooperation, a significant portion of the Class of 2020 will be able to attend.”

If the county remains in the yellow phase on June 26, Kinder said the district should know by June 19. Officials would then plan to videotape individual walks beginning June 22.

Kinder said the graduation plans won’t appeal to everyone but asked people to help make it a special day for “our graduating seniors who deserve our support and appreciation.”

Contact the writer: jwhalen@standardspeaker.com; 570-501-3592

Ashland

Zion’s Reformed United Church of Christ, 2400 Centre St., will have a soup-and-sandwich lunch free for the community from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, June 17, at the church. The lunches are held on the third Wednesday of the month. For more information call 570-875-2700.

Mahanoy City

Helping Harvest will have its monthly mobile market food distributyion from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. today (Friday, June 5), in the parking lot of Family Dollar, 139 W. Centre St., for local people in need. Helping Harvest hopes to serve up to 200 families. Nearly 9,500 pounds of fresh and non-perishable food will be distributed, according to a release. More information is available online at helpingharvest.org.

Pottsville

The Pottsville Free Public Library is offering virtual programs and activities for children based on this summer’s quest theme, “Imagine Your Story.” Questions about the program should be directed to the children’s department via email to potchild@pottsvillelibrary.org. Programs include Story Time at 10:30 a.m. Mondays June 15-Aug. 10; Tween Time at 10:30 a.m. Thursdays June 18-Aug. 13; Teen Gaming at 10:30 a.m. Tuesdays June 16-Aug. 11; Lunch at the Library from noon to 1 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays June 8-Aug. 13. For more information about library programs, go online to www.pottsvillelibrary.org or call 570-622-8880.

Schuylkill Haven

The Schuylkill Haven Senior Travelers will have no trips until 2021. Planned trips to Ohio, Sight and Sound, Biltmore, Hunterdon Hills and Dutch Apple have all been canceled, Ruth Tucci said in a press release. Anyone who wants to get a refund on their deposits or have it held for next year should call those in charge of the trips for which they signed up, Tucci said. All refunds will be made in cash and signed for at a time to be determined, when there is access to the senior center. Tucci also called on people to adhere to safety regulations regarding the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

When it comes to Gov. Tom Wolf’s order allowing outdoor dining for counties in the yellow phase of reopening, some Schuylkill County restaurants are working to allow diners to eat outside, while others are not.

Meanwhile, city officials in Pottsville plan to discuss ways to make it easier for restaurants there to serve customers outdoors.

On Thursday, Dutch Kitchen co-owner Jennifer Levkulic and employees were setting up tables and stringing up lights underneath a large enclosed white tent attached to the rear of the restaurant on Route 61 in Frackville. Underneath were 10 tables, with four chairs at each one, but she said Thursday she was considering placing two or three tables outside the tent. Several of the tent’s flaps are open for ventilation.

“It’s exciting, gives us hope that things are getting better,” she said standing under the tent, which is being rented from Ark Rentals, Orwigsburg.

Restaurants and retail food service businesses in counties designated in the yellow phase of reopening can allow in-person dining in outdoor seating areas beginning today. Indoor areas, including bar areas, must be closed to customers except for through traffic, and customers must be seated at a table to be served. The guidance adds that non-bar seating in outdoor areas can be used to seat customers.

Under the revised guidance, self-service food or drink areas — such as buffets or salad bars, reusable menus and refilling food and beverage containers — are not allowed. Condiments have to be dispensed by employees upon customer request. No condiments are allowed on tables.

The state Liquor Control Board announced Wednesday it’s expediting its approval process for licensees wishing to temporarily extend their premises to include additional outdoor seating areas. The amended approval process waives application fees and the minimum 30-day waiting period, and can be requested by clubs, catering clubs, restaurants, retail dispensers, hotels, distilleries, limited distilleries, wineries, limited wineries and breweries.

License holders wishing to apply for the temporary extension, which expires at the end of the current public health emergency, can do so without paying the $220 filing fee, according to PLCB officials.

Stephanie Otterson, director of communications for the Pennsylvania Restaurant & Lodging Association in Harrisburg, said whether a restaurant can just open for outdoor dining depends on the restaurant. If they carry a PLCB license and plan to serve alcohol, they have to apply for the temporary extension of its permit to serve alcohol. If they just serve customers, she said restaurants just have to follow the requirements set by the state. If an extension is put on municipal property, the municipality will have to approve the extension.

If they chose to extend their premises, Otterson said restaurant owners will have to check with their insurance carriers to see if the new dining space is covered. They also have to consider occupancy limits, which she said are the same both outside and inside the restaurant, and that customers are safe.

“They should make sure tables are distanced six feet apart,” she said, adding it is also not advisable for customers to seat themselves. Further, bar service is not allowed under the yellow phase of reopening, she said.

There is also the concern about ensuring the establishment is clean and sanitized, something at which restaurants are already good, Otterson said.

City proposal

City Administrator Thomas A. Palamar said he, Mayor James T. Muldowney and Pottsville Area Development Corp. Executive Director Savas Logothetides came up with a draft plan last week to allow restaurants in the city to establish outdoor dining.

The ideas include facilitating an easier and more timely process to allow restaurants to expand or establish outdoor seating; creative placement for outdoor dining such as in parking lots and on streets; and establishing an open container law, which would ease restrictions on having alcoholic beverages in public when drinking as part of a meal.

He said he is hoping to discuss the proposal at the next city council meeting, slated to be held virtually Monday.

“We hope it will be a positive thing for everyone,” Palamar said.

The city zoning is fine, he said, adding that restaurants are in commercial zones. There are no plans to ease it for outdoor dining.

Excited for in-person dining

Levkulic, who co-owns the restaurant with her husband, Tom Levkulic, said customers will be asked if they want a condiment and it will come in a souffle cup on their plate, refills will be done in a separate cup and while reservations aren’t required, customers can call ahead for seating. The restaurant offers takeout to customers and modified its hours from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Eric Zendrosky, Dutch Kitchen’s head waiter, said he is “excited and ready” to offer in-person dining outside the restaurant.

“Food is not the same in a box as it is on a plate,” he said.

In addition to Dutch Kitchen, Vito Valenti, owner of Vito’s Coal Fired Pizza and Restaurant at Coal Creek Commons in Saint Clair, said he plans to open the restaurant’s outdoor patio today, which seats up to 45 people. Diners have to be sitting outside and will be socially distanced, with tables spaced out six feet apart, he said. Families that come in will be seated together, but Valenti said other groups will be spaced out. Curbside pickup is offered at Vito’s.

Roma Pizzeria and Restaurant co-owner Peter J. Russo said he is considering offering outdoor dining, but it will depend on whether the county moves from the yellow phase of reopening to the green phase. The restaurant on West Market Street in Pottsville offers takeout and delivery, in addition to online ordering for pickup.

No dining

Other restaurants are not planning to offer outdoor dining. Hector Rodriquez, executive chef and general manager of Crimson House on North Centre Street in Pottsville, said the restaurant is closed for renovations, with plans to reopen in either September or October. The work includes a complete renovation of the restaurant and an expansion into two neighboring buildings.

A manager at Red Lion Cafe on Deturksville Road in Washington Township said the restaurant has no plans to offer in-person dining until the county is in the green phase of reopening, adding there is no outdoor seating. Takeout is offered from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays.

David B. Crouse, owner of 3C’s Family Restaurant on Route 61 in Port Clinton, said the restaurant has been closed since March, with no plans to offer outdoor dining. Takeout and delivery are not offered. The 14 employees at the restaurant have been furloughed, he said.

Crouse said he is “carefully calculating” how to reopen based on his business needs and employees’ needs and comfort levels. In the meantime, employees were SafeServ certified and he has been doing maintenance at the restaurant.

He said the governor’s order for restaurants to only offer takeout provided no flexibility, and that consumer confidence needs to be up for restaurants to fully resume operations.

“Once people get it, the numbers will come back for revenue,” Crouse said. “We’re carefully watching what happens.”

Contact the writer: clee@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6028; @Cleespot on Twitter

State Rep. Jerry Knowles has denied insulting another state representative, and two of his fellow legislators are backing him.

“He is claiming I called him a little girl,” Knowles, R-124, said of state Rep. Brian Sims, D-182. “Why would I say that? Why would I call him a little girl?”

He said Sims, a Philadelphia Democrat, is deliberately distorting what he said.

Knowles, a Rush Township Republican and former county commissioner, said that during an argument between Republicans and Democrats concerning a GOP legislator not notifying Democrats that he might have the coronavirus, he told Sims, “at least we aren’t doxing little girls.”

Doxing, Knowles said, is trying to learn personal information about people and then putting it online for the purpose of harassing those persons.

Knowles said Sims did that with respect to young girls who were protesting at an abortion clinic in Philadelphia.

“They’re going to be a victim,” Knowles said of the girls. “Doing it is bad enough, but doing it to little kids? Come on.”

Knowles also said Sims once harassed girls at a church.

Knowles has attempted to have Sims censured by the House for his actions concerning the girls.

In the recent incident on the House floor, Knowles said Sims “was being very disrespectful.”

Sims did not respond to the Republican Herald’s request for comment on the matter and for any supporting evidence he has for his claim.

His accusation has appeared in other media, including The Advocate, a magazine concentrating on the gay community. Sims is the first openly gay person elected to the state Legislature.

He made the accusation against Knowles during political wrangling in Harrisburg over the coronavirus and what Democrats allege was a GOP failure to inform them that state Rep. Andrew Lewis, R-105, had been diagnosed with it.

Knowles said state Reps. Mike Jones, R-93, and Rob Kauffman, R-89, support his version of what occurred.

“I sit directly beside Rep. Knowles on the House floor, and was seated there when the incident you’re referencing occurred,” Jones, a York County Republican, said. “At no point did Jerry call Sims a little girl.”

Furthermore, Jones said, Sims made a fist in Knowles’ direction.

Jones said he then told Sims, “How about you go and pick on little girls, tough guy?” He said that reply might have been mistakenly interpreted and then attributed to Knowles.

Jones said his rhetorical question also was a reference to Sims’ attempt to harass the girls protesting abortion, an attempt Jones said included an online offer of $100 by Sims to identify and harass the girls.

State Rep. Frank Dermody, D-33, who Jones said might have heard and misinterpreted the remark, also did not respond to the Republican Herald’s request for comment on the matter.

Kauffman also said Knowles never called Sims a little girl.

“At least we aren’t doxing little girls,” is what Knowles said to Sims, according to Kauffman.

Kauffman also noted that Sims had harassed the two girls, along with their mother and a family friend, outside an abortion clinic.

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

Thirteen students from six area school districts received a congratulatory parade Wednesday celebrating their accomplishments as 2020 graduates from Schuylkill Intermediate Unit 29, Mar Lin.

“The families and students were very excited about the day,” Paula R. Hromyak, principal of the IU 29 Maple Avenue Campus, said.

About 18 cars filled with 40 staff members drove throughout the county. Faculty decorated their vehicles and the staff honked horns as they arrived and departed from each residence. IU staff had previously decorated graduates’ front doors and gave students their caps and gowns so they could pose for photos in front of their homes, while social distancing.

“There were some tears — well, lots of tears — from both staff and families. The students seemed very excited about being celebrated in a special way,” Hromyak said.

Graduates recognized included Chase Alvarez, Jacob Best, Mark Fetrow, Lakota Fetterhoff, Gabby Handling, Conner Hicks, Nick Novak and Christopher Turner; and five other students whose names were not released due to privacy regulations.

The students are from Mahanoy, Minersville, Pottsville, Saint Clair, Schuylkill Haven and Tamaqua area school districts.

Debra Arnold, director of special education, called it an “amazing day” for staff and students.

“The parade of cars, horn honking and sharing with the students and their families ... It was a great event for closure of the school year and meant a lot to staff as well. Students and staff worked so hard to complete the school year in this unique way thrust upon them during this COVID 19 pandemic,” Arnold said.

Contact the writer: vterwilliger@republicanherald.com

POTTSVILLE —Schuylkill County on Wednesday allocated almost $60,000 to spend on cleaning its polling places.

The commissioners approved a supplemental budget appropriation of $59,624 for the Election Bureau, money County Administrator Gary R. Bender said will improve safety.

“It’s in the process of being spent,” he said. “We’re doing the post-election sanitizing.”

Bender said the money is from the CARES Act, part of the effort to combat the coronavirus pandemic. As part of it, the commissioners approved a contract with Servpro, Douglassville, to clean all of the polling sites at the rate of $200 per precinct.

“They offered to do all the sites,” Bender said of Servpro. He added that it benefits the county to have just one contract, although not every precinct will need the service.

“Some precincts did their own (cleaning),” he said.

Commissioners Chairman George F. Halcovage Jr. said the election as a whole went well, and praised everyone involved.

“I want to give everyone credit,” he said. “There were a lot of changes. It was amazing.”

Bender singled out Commissioner Gary J. Hess, who chaired the county Board of Elections, for special praise.

“He very much demonstrated leadership ability,” he said.

Hess, in turn, praised those with whom he worked.

“I was honored and proud to work with so many people,” he said. “Some other counties quit that evening.”

The commissioners also approved three other contracts:

• Dudash Pipeline Equipment, $7,799, for a demolition project in Pine Grove Township.

• J.R. Hurst, $5,400, for work on County Bridge 114 on Covered Bridge Road in Rock, Washington Township.

• Pitney-Bowes, $17,163, for a new postage meter for the courthouse mailroom.

Also, the commissioners approved two 2020 budget adjustments: $,150 for the Affordable Housing program and $230 for the public defender’s office.

“We’re just reallocating budget authority” and not increasing overall spending, Director of Finance Paul E. Buber said.

Contact the writer: pbortner@republicanherald.com; 570-68-6014.

HARRISBURG — In June 2018, a police officer shot and killed Antwon Rose II, an unarmed black teenager, in a small borough outside Pittsburgh.

Rose’s death led to emotional protests, the arrest of the officer and a package of police reform bills introduced by Democrats — legislation that went nowhere in the Republican-controlled state Legislature.

Now, two years later, protests have once again erupted across Pennsylvania and the nation demanding justice for George Floyd, a black man from Minnesota who died after an officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.

Floyd’s death has also reignited calls by Pennsylvania legislators to change the state’s deadly force law and ramp up police oversight. But without GOP support, many of these measures have no chance of reaching Gov. Tom Wolf.

“The knee on George Floyd is emblematic of the knee on the neck of many black and brown people across the system,” Rep. Jordan Harris, D-Philadelphia, a member of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus, said Tuesday. “Far too often we want them to come to the table and sit and hear false promises, and not get the justice and the equity that they deserve.”

On Tuesday, a group of state House Democrats and local Philadelphia lawmakers proposed dozens of reforms regarding police training, discipline and oversight. The plan calls on the legislature specifically to ban police chokeholds, provide access to body-camera footage through the state’s open-records law and create an oversight board to certify officers.

These lawmakers are also lobbying Wolf to require the state police to create and maintain a database of disciplinary actions and complaints lodged against officers, an idea first proposed after Rose’s death.

“You can’t address the issue if you don’t even know where the issue is happening and what’s going on,” Harris said. “We know what’s been happening for years. The only difference is everybody has a camera phone and they get to record it. But if we don’t have the data we will not address it.”

The officers at the center of Floyd’s and Rose’s deaths both had disciplinary records. The Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, had 18 complaints lodged against him, though local authorities did not release further details. Michael Rosfeld, the officer who shot Rose three times as he fled a scene, was accused of unjustly detaining two men when he was an officer with the University of Pittsburgh, which fired him. (Rosfeld is suing the school.)

Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa, D-Allegheny, said the small municipal department that hired Rosfeld had no knowledge of the prior incidents.

“They did not know of his background as to how it relates to the reason he was terminated, or any reprimands or suspensions,” he said.

In the aftermath of Rose’s death, Costa proposed a bill that would create a disciplinary database and require additional training and mental-health screenings for officers. A version of the measure introduced at the beginning of this legislative session has been sitting in committee without a hearing since March 2019.

“Unfortunately, we can’t get the leadership there to move the bill,” he said. “It is my hope that in light of the protests, these folks will recognize that these are important, reasonable, and responsible measures. It is just training and maintaining information.”

Harris on Tuesday premiered a new tactic — circumventing the Legislature and asking Wolf to direct state police to create the database. A spokesperson for the governor said he “is supportive of the concepts outlined by the elected leaders.”

“During meetings in Philadelphia yesterday with community leaders and elected officials, the governor talked about many of these policies as well as policies like education and school funding, health care access, and business assistance that will help assist in larger systematic disparities,” spokesperson Lyndsay Kensinger said in an email.

The reform package unveiled Tuesday also calls on the Legislature to “eliminate effectuating an arrest as a justification for the use of deadly force.”

State law gives police officers wide discretion to use deadly force, including when they believe a suspect attempted or successfully committed a forcible felony and the force was necessary to complete an arrest. Rosfeld was acquitted in Rose’s death after a defense expert testified that the officer’s actions were justified, even though the teen was unarmed.

As if spring cleaning wasn’t already a cliche, a few months of social distancing have given households plenty of time to sort through unused belongings.

So, now that social limitations imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic are gradually being lifted in Luzerne County, what can be done with unwanted items?

As always, a number of thrift stores and donation centers around the area are welcoming support from the community. In at least one case, there are just a few extra steps put in place between the donation and purchase of items.

The Goodwill Industries of Northeastern PA opened its Hanover Twp. store location on Monday, its Edwardsville store on Tuesday and its Hazleton location on Thursday. Dickson City and Scranton’s facilities will open its doors again today.

If the reopenings resemble anything like what Goodwill has seen at its other NEPA locations, like in Bloomsburg, there will be plenty of support.

That’s a good thing for Goodwill. But it does come with minor complications because, in the interest of everyone’s health, all donations to Goodwill are being put on a 48-hour hold in its back rooms before items are placed on shelves.

“With that 48-hour hold, though, it’s kind of backing up our back room,” Rachel Santoro, the director of marketing and PR for Goodwill Industries of Northeastern PA, said.

That’s not to discourage more donations, however. Santoro said Goodwill is simply asking that donors with larger items call ahead and let donation centers know what they’re planning on bringing.

“We’ll make room. We’ll try to make it work,” Santoro said. “We just need a heads-up so we’re prepared for that.”

Other than that, Goodwill is mostly operating as it typically has. There are some reduced hours to take note of, and such updates can be found on the company’s social media platforms.

Acceptable items for donations still include blankets, clothing, glassware and sporting goods, among many others. As always, items like weapons, TVs and major household appliances are not accepted for donation.

More information on donation policies can be found online at GoodwillNEPA.org/donate. Santoro asked donors to keep up to date with store hours so items aren’t left outside in the elements.

Santoro also encouraged the community to consider donating because every effort helps Goodwill deliver services, including employment services, behavioral support, group homes and more programs for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

“Everyone seems to be really happy that we’re back. Donations are up, and we’re very happy for that,” she said. “We’re grateful for them at this time. These funds are helping us get these special programs back in action.”

Other donation centers like the Salvation Army can also be found around the area. However, the Volunteers of America thrift store in Wilkes-Barre permanently closed last week.

Contact the writer:

eshultz@citizensvoice.com;

570-821-2054;

@CVEricShultz on Twitter

POTTSVILLE — A Coaldale man is headed to state prison after a Schuylkill County judge sentenced him Thursday in seven separate cases, including break-ins in buildings in his hometown and West Penn Township.

Christopher Keer, 30, must spend 30 to 60 months in a state correctional institution, Judge James P. Goodman decided in accepting his plea and sentencing him.

“You are sentenced today. You will stay in prison and serve your sentence,” Goodman told Keer in rejecting his request to be set free for the weekend and allowed to report Monday. “Hopefully, you can serve your sentence, and when you get out, be a productive member of society.”

Goodman also sentenced Keer to pay costs, $600 in payments to the Substance Abuse Education Fund and $150 to the Criminal Justice Enhancement Account, and submit a DNA sample to law enforcement authorities.

Keer pleaded guilty to one count each of burglary and criminal trespass, two of possession of a controlled substance and five of possession of drug paraphernalia.

In the burglary case, Coaldale police charged Keer with breaking into the abandoned building at 25 E. Lehigh St. between May 5 and May 9. They also alleged he possessed Suboxone at that time.

In the criminal trespass case, West Penn Township police alleged Keer broke into the building at 2853 Summer Valley Road on Feb. 12.

The other cases against Keer, according to police, involved him possessing various items of drug paraphernalia and, on one occasion, methamphetamine.

Keer already is an inmate at the county prison, and Goodman conducted the hearing by videoconference.

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

Christopher Keer

· Age: 30

· Residence: Coaldale

· Crimes committed: One count each of burglary and criminal trespass, two of possession of a controlled substance and five of possession of drug paraphernalia

· Prison sentence: 30 to 60 months in a state correctional institution

ORWIGSBURG — The Blue Mountain High School Class of 2020 gathered with family in vehicles to watch a virtual ceremony Friday evening.

To help mitigate the spread of the coronavirus, the ceremony was conducted in a drive-in format in the high school’s side parking lots, with videos of the program being played on screens. Passengers were required to stay in their vehicles for the event, although many seniors and their families got out and mingled prior to the ceremony and air horns were blasted. Some watched it sitting outside their vehicles.

It started with a slideshow of the 201 graduating seniors’ class pictures set to “Pomp and Circumstance.”

Addresses and graduates receiving their diplomas in their caps and gowns were prerecorded and played on the screen. While they had to turn in their gowns before the event, graduates were allowed to keep their caps, with some wearing them during the ceremony.

In prerecorded welcoming remarks, Salutatorian Easton Weizer said while the ceremony was “certainly not the send-off we expected, we will remember this extraordinary event for the rest of our lives,” referring to the coronavirus pandemic.

He called his class the “Class of COVID 2020,” and described them as one of “resilience and adaptability,” encouraging them to capitalize on opportunities.

Before introducing the evening’s speaker, Superintendent David Helsel told the class in a prerecorded video that while they were not afforded “memory-making experiences” their senior year, he hopes they remember their time at the school.

The commencement address was delivered on video by Kent Eisenhuth, a 2002 graduate of the high school who works as a designer for Google. In his speech, entitled “Becoming What You Wanted to Be,” he shared lessons on failure and learning strengths in his life, as well as how he got where he is today. Eisenhuth asked the graduating seniors to consider “what really matters to you,” adding that getting there might take a few failures.

Other prerecorded speeches were delivered by Valedictorian Dongwon Kim and class President Aidan Carr.

The ceremony included a video of the class flag and gift presented by Carr.

It concluded with the audience invited to sing the high school’s alma mater as the sun set. A partial rainbow could be seen overhead.

The ceremony was livestreamed on the Blue Mountain School District website and T102.

Contact the writer: clee@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6028; @Cleespot

Superintendent Brian Uplinger said he couldn’t comment on why Friday’s parade for graduates of Hazleton Area School District was postponed.

The parade is reset for 1 p.m. June 21.

School, city and state police said they didn’t know why the parade wasn’t held Friday as scheduled.

“It came as a complete shock to myself, the police chief and the fire chief, Hazleton Mayor Jeff Cusat said.

Cusat said he had received no “credible information about any kind of protest” planned for Friday night.

A peaceful protest and march is scheduled from Memorial Park to City Hall on Saturday in reaction to the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25.

Cusat said city and school officials had been preparing to hold the parade for graduates for weeks.

He and others received an email from Uplinger, who asked for help organizing the parade on the new date.

Local leaders planned the parade to honor seniors after COVID-19 made a traditional ceremony with thousands of people on the high school lawn unsafe.

Most seniors picked up diplomas Thursday.

Last week, they got graduation gowns, which they are invited to wear in cars during the parade.

On July 2, the district expects to release a graduation video. The video will show student and school leaders giving speeches that they would have made at a commencement ceremony, as well as pictures that seniors submitted.

“All families will receive the link for the virtual graduation,” Uplinger said by email. “Additionally, I will provide it to all of our local news outlets and allow them to air it, if they so choose. It is important for everyone to see our seniors graduate.”

Amanda Christman, staff writer, contributed to this story.

Contact the writer: kjackson@standardspeaker.com; 570-501-3587

While social distancing guidelines and safety measures remain in place at local grocery stores, grocers anticipate some changes moving forward.

They also expect some things to remain the same for the time being.

Although Joe Fasula, co-owner of Gerrity’s Supermarkets, is happy some restaurants are reopening, he thinks grocery stores will take a hit.

“I anticipate as we go from one phase to another, and more businesses open, we’ll probably have a little decrease in business,” he said. “We’ve always said restaurants were our competition, and that was very evident when they all shut down and grocery sales exploded by 20% or more.”

Dana Diskin, a manager at Quinn’s Market in the Peckville section of Blakely, is unsure how the store will be affected by the county’s move to the yellow phase.

“As a lot of other places open up, including restaurants with outdoor seating, it will be interesting to see what happens,” she said. “Everything else has been at a standstill besides grocery stores, so it’s kind of a guessing game.”

Diskin recently noticed some familiar faces that had been staying away throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’ve seen people in the last couple days that we haven’t seen in weeks,” she said. “I think people are getting more comfortable with going out.”

Diskin and Fasula both said the supply of certain items, including cleaning products, is still lacking and likely will be for some time.

“We’re waiting it out and taking it day-by-day,” Diskin said. “A lot of suppliers are saying it could be another six to eight weeks.”

Even though about 800 items are currently unavailable, Fasula feels confident about the future of the stores. “Our warehouse and supply chain have ramped up,” he said. “I hope to see a real good recovery over the next couple weeks.”

Even though the county moved out of the red phase, stores plan to maintain the status quo to protect customers and staff.

“A few customers asked if the mask policy will change, but there is nothing in the green or yellow phases that would indicate changing anything we’re doing right now, as least not in the near future,” Fasula said.

Contact the writer:

rtomkavage@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9100 x5365;

@rtomkavage on Twitter

Staying safe while grocery shopping

Many stores have installed plexiglass and plastic sheets between customers and cashiers, and designated traffic patterns to keep customers 6 feet apart, but there are other ways to protect yourself, including wearing a mask and gloves.

A perfect clutch of four American kestrel chicks received a good bill of health Friday morning, along with special leg bands from J.F. Therrien.

Therrien, senior scientist and graduate study director at Hawk Mountain’s Acopian Center for Conservation Learning in Orwigsburg, assessed the chicks — two females and two males — and banded them after their retrieval from a nesting box at Leah Zerbe’s family-run farm, Potter’s Farm, in Pine Grove.

Therrien reports the American kestrel population is declining in the northeastern United States, partly due to loss of habitat and a lack of nesting cavities. Friday’s assessment was welcomed news.

“By the time they leave the box, they’re going to be bigger than the adults, heavier, like they have ‘baby fat.’ It’s important because the first few weeks out of the box, they are vulnerable. They don’t fly as fast, they don’t hunt by themselves, they need to beg for food. So any extra fat they can get will be crucial for them to survive,” Therrien said, estimating the Pine Grove chicks were about 17 days old.

Adults weigh about a quarter of a pound, with the females being slightly heavier, and about an inch longer from head to the tip of their tail at 9 to 11 inches. Their plumage distinguishes them. Females have rufous (reddish brown) tails with many black bars; males have rufous tails with one thick black band near the tip. Males also have bluish wings.

The identification bands are part of the bird-banding program through the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, in which the U.S., Canada and Mexico are participants. Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in Kempton monitors more than 100 kestrel nest boxes.

On Friday, each chick was weighed, measured and received two bands — a tiny metal band with small numbers and a plastic band with larger numbers that can be seen from a distance with binoculars.

“We ask the public if they ever see a bird like that, to record the number. This will help us a lot to see if the bird is still alive, where it is and where it has been,” Therrien said. He immediately returned the chicks to their nesting box Friday after they received their health inspection and numbered leg bands.

Therrien’s wife, Cassandra Cameron, and their children, Jasmine, 10, and Xavier, 8, assisted him during the collection and tagging process. Cameron holds a master’s degree in wildlife management.

Under watchful direction, Therrien allowed a few guests gathered at Zerbe’s farm to hold the chicks. Zerbe’s niece, Della Drouncheck, was the first to volunteer, cuddling one of the females.

“I thought they were really cute and it felt soft. She kept looking at me the whole time,” Drouncheck, 10, of Pottsville, said.

Violet Zerbe, 6, of Pine Grove, and Lexi Mull, 9, of Cumbola, also held the baby birds.

“It was light and its claws clipped onto my finger, so it wasn’t really hard to hold,” Mull said.

As small raptors, about the size of a blue jay, American kestrels are beneficial to farmers, feeding upon many pests, like insects, mice and voles. They do not build nests, but instead use a cavity in a dead tree.

“The practice of removing dead trees limits nest sites for the bird. Placing nest boxes in open habitat or farmland is known to boost kestrel numbers,” an informational brochure from Hawk Mountain explains. “Pennsylvania landowners in rural and agricultural communities can play an important role in the future of this small falcon.”

Zerbe said her father and sister had erected a nesting box on the farm long ago and the falcons have been breeding there over the years. She obtained a new box through Hawk Mountain about two years ago and placed it in an organic hay field, nearby a native wildflower meadow. She checked with Therrien to determine the best time to observe if there were any chicks in the box, and alerted him to the hatch.

Zerbe encourages other farmers to install nesting boxes. Other property owners can consider growing native plants, especially oak trees, which can attract 500 species of caterpillars that can serve as food for the nesting birds and fledglings, she said.

“Focus on supporting your local farmer, so that we can keep our farmland as farmland,” she said.

For more information, visit www.hawkmountain.org or call 610-756-6961.

Contact the writer, vterwilliger@republicanherald.com, 570-628-6007

POTTSVILLE — Parking tickets are coming back from COVID-19.

Starting Monday, the Pottsville Parking Authority will resume enforcement of parking rules on streets and in municipal lots from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Those found in violation will be fined $15 for failing to pay for on-street parking, through meters or the cellphone app, and $35 for vehicles parked in municipal lots that don’t display a valid permit.

Last week, courtesy warnings in the form of yellow slips of paper were issued reminding vehicle owners to display a permit if parked in a municipal lot and to pay for on-street parking through the ParkMobile app or at a meter.

“The public is expected next week to put coins in a meter or use the ParkMobile app,” Executive Director Ian Lipton said.

Enforcement of all parking lots and on-street parking ended March 20 amidst the coronavirus pandemic. Enforcement was slated to begin May 18, but Lipton said it was delayed when the county didn’t immediately move to the yellow phase of reopening, at which time the workforce would mostly return.

Two officers will work alternate four-hour shifts during the week, 8 a.m. to noon and noon to 4 p.m.

Parking is not enforced on weekends and motorists can park in a spot for 15 minutes with their hazard lights flashing and not be ticketed.

Contact the writer: clee@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6028; @Cleespot

On the first day outdoor dining was allowed for counties in the yellow phase of the state’s coronavirus reopening plan, customers at a few Schuylkill County eating establishments said they were thrilled to enjoy an in-person meal.

“It’s a relief, wonderful and nice to be out in the community,” said Lora Kerwin, of Lykens, as she dined at Vito’s Coal Fired Pizza and Restaurant on Friday with her husband, Joe Kerwin.

The nine tables set up on the patio at the restaurant at the Coal Creek Commerce Center in Saint Clair each had customers enjoying meals Friday afternoon, with wait staff wearing face masks and gloves.

Dawn Jenkins, of Frackville, said it “feels good” to be eating outdoors, especially with pleasant weather.

“It’s nice,” she said.

Owner Vito Valenti said customers have been excited about the restaurant offering dining on its patio.

“Our phone’s been ringing off the hook,” he said.

At Pressed Coffee and Books in Pottsville, Brigette King, of Pottsville, and Ray Dorian, of Cressona, were enjoying lattes on one of two benches in front of the business on Mahantongo Street. King called the option “fantastic.”

“It’s about time,” she said.

Dorian said it was “very good” to enjoy his drink outside.

More in ‘green’

Friday was the first day in which restaurants and retail food service businesses in counties designated in the yellow phase, which includes Schuylkill, could allow in-person dining in outdoor seating areas. In the green phase, dining in indoor and outdoor seating areas at retail food service businesses, including restaurants and bars, is permitted, but with restrictions on capacity and with other social distancing guidelines in place.

Gov. Tom Wolf on Friday announced that 12 more counties — including Schuylkill neighbors Carbon, Columbia and Northumberland — can move to the green phase on Friday, June 12. That will put 46 counties in green, with the other 21, Schuylkill among them, remaining in yellow.

Preparing for next week

While Friday was the first day outdoor dining was allowed, not all restaurants took advantage of the option. Employees at some Schuylkill County establishments spent the day preparing to offer it next week.

Jeremias Alicea, co-owner of King’s Palace at the Ramada Inn in the city, was preparing benches in front of the restaurant on South Centre Street on Friday. Takeout has been served at the restaurant and bar, which opened in the winter.

“It feels good,” Alicea said of the new seating arrangement. Bar Manager Austin Lewis agreed.

“It’s really good,” Lewis said.

Pine View Acres Restaurant manager Lisa Davis was busy getting the restaurant on Chamberlaine Avenue in East Norwegian Township ready to serve customers outdoors.

“I’m really looking forward to it,” she said. “It’s great to be outside.”

Davis said while takeout was offered, it hasn’t worked well as the facility is known for its banquets. She added that football, hall of fame and scholar athlete banquets, three weddings and a couple of parties were canceled due to the pandemic. She has spent the time with the restaurant closed remodeling the interior, putting up new wallpaper, installing flooring and cleaning.

Pine View Acres will be open starting next week for outdoor dining Tuesdays through Saturdays, with tables spaced out. Among the menu options will be barbecue chicken, prime rib and burgers.

Contact the writer: clee@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6028; @Cleespot on Twitter

Police investigate hand tool theft

PINE GROVE — A burglary that happened on Sweet Arrow Lake Road between May 21 and 28 is being investigated by state police at Schuylkill Haven.

Police said a 42-year-old Pine Grove man reported someone stole various hand tools valued at $20 from a shed and fled the area.

Anyone with information is asked to call state police at 570-754-4600.

2 suffer injuries in car accident

HAMBURG — Two people suffered minor injuries when their vehicles collided at the Pottsville Street, Route 61, and Bellevue Avenue in Perry Township, Berks County, around 11 a.m. May 21.

State police at Hamburg said the crash happened as Robert Steinmetz, 86, of Leesport, was driving a 2014 Dodge Caravan north on Route 61 when he attempted to turn left onto Bellevue Avenue and drove into the path of a 2007 Ford Fusion driven by Nolan Scrimager, 36, of Schuylkill Haven, who was traveling north.

Police said Steinmetz declined medical treatment while Scrimager was taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest for treatment.

Police investigate counterfeit bill

HOMETOWN — State police at Frackville are investigating a theft that happened at the Auto Zone store in Rush Township around 5:30 p.m. May 29.

Police said a woman tried to purchase a seat cover using a fake $100 bill.

Anyone with information is asked to call state police at 570-874-5300.

Burglary incident investigated

SHENANDOAH HEIGHTS — A burglary that happened at a home on Schuylkill Avenue in West Mahanoy Township between 9:30 p.m. May 29 and 8:20 a.m. May 30 is being investigated by state police at Frackville.

Police said a woman reported finding her laundry room window screen open about two inches and that the window was closed and locked.

No entry was made, and police said the woman reported the screen was closed when she went to bed around 9:30 p.m.

Anyone with information is asked to call state police at 570-874-5300.

Police investigate criminal mischief

GIRARDVILLE — A criminal mischief incident that happened on West Ogden Street around 8:45 a.m. Thursday is being investigated by state police at Frackville.

Police said a woman reported the windows of her vehicle, owned by EZ Rent-A-Car of Pottsville, were smashed.

The woman reported hearing glass smashing and seeing a white man between 5 feet 10 inches and 6 feet tall wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt and grey pants running away from her vehicle.

The man was also holding a wooden croquet club, police said.

Anyone with information is asked to call state police at 570-874-5300.

Man cited for Pottsville crash

POTTSVILLE — Pottsville police investigated a crash that happened around 1 p.m. Monday at 12th and West Market streets.

Cpl. Renee Truscott’s investigation determined that Joanne Strenkoski, 65, of Pottsville, was driving a 2010 Nissan Murano south on 12th Street when she tried to turn left onto West Market Street and crossed into the path of a 2005 Toyota Scion being driven by an 18-year-old Pottsville man.

Police said no injuries were reported and both vehicles sustained disabling damage and were towed from the scene. Traffic was detoured for less than 30 minutes.

As a result of the crash, Truscott will be citing Strenkoski with violating the state Vehicle Code for vehicles turning left.

Police said that it is important to note that a vehicle operator turning left across traffic traveling in the opposite direction must always yield the right-of-way and only complete the turn when it is absolutely safe to do so.

Child injured in Pottsville accident

POTTSVILLE — A crash that happened around 1 p.m. Monday at 16th Street and Mount Hope Avenue is being investigated by Pottsville police.

The investigation by Patrolman Timothy Youse determined that Justice Barrett, 19, of Pottsville, was driving a 2004 Ford Explorer and tried to make a U-turn at the intersection.

In doing so, police said, the woman accelerated at a high rate of speed and struck a telephone pole on the northeast corner of the intersection.

At the time of the accident, Barrett was talking on a cellphone, police said.

A juvenile rear seat passenger who was not wearing a seat belt at the time suffered a severe head laceration and was taken to a hospital by Schuylkill EMS for treatment.

Barrett was not injured and police said due to the extent of damage, her vehicle was towed from the scene.

Police said Barrett will be cited for careless driving and that Pottsville firefighters assisted.

Man allegedly damaged television

FRACKVILLE — A Brooklyn, New York, man was arrested by state police at Frackville and charged with criminal mischief after an incident on South Spencer Street in West Mahanoy Township around 3:25 p.m. Sunday.

Police said Glenalban Lugo damaged a 65-inch television owned by a Frackville woman using a hammer.

The charge against Lugo was filed with Magisterial District Judge Christina E. Hale, Frackville, police said.

Man arrested for causing disturbance

NEW RINGGOLD — A West Lawn man was arrested by state police at Frackville and charged with disorderly conduct after an incident at 103 Hughes St. around 11:25 a.m. May 30.

Police said Robert J. Kelly, 26, caused a disturbance in a business by yelling and screaming.

Kelly then exited the business and continued to cause a disturbance outside, police said.

Altamont

The Altamont Fire Company, 215 S. Green St., will have a homemade bean soup sale from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, June 13. For more information, call 570-874-4384.

Pottsville

Pick-up lunch at the Pottsville Free Public Library, 215 W. Market St., is from noon to 1 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays from June 8 to Aug. 13, provided by the Pottsville Area School District for people up to age 18. Call 570-622-8880 Ext. 12 or email to potchild@pottsvillelibrary.org with the names and ages of the child or children and days you want to register.

Pottsville

The Pottsville Free Public Library recently acknowledged the following memorials: For Olive Miller from Barbara Miller; for James E. Campion Jr. from Paul and Joanie Dimmerling, Suzanne McCabe; for Kathy Walters from Kelly Sterner and Colleen Zelinsky; for Erika Stangl Seasock from Frances C. Lorenz; for Donald W. Helbig from Gwen P. Gentile. The library also acknowledged the following honors donation: For Becki White from T. Stanley White.

Shenandoah

Parents/caregivers of students who will be entering 4K and kindergarten in the Shenandoah Valley School District for the 2020-21 school year and need to pick up or drop off packets must do so from 9 a.m. to noon June 8-11 at the elementary school office, according to a district release. For more information, go online to www.svbluedevils.org or call 570-462-2796.

When the Columbia Hose & Steam Fire Engine Company No. 1 formed in 1870 in Shenandoah, one wonders whether the founders considered that their efforts would lead to fire service lasting 150 years.

The fire company celebrates its sesquicentennial this year, and after a century and a half, the first fire company in Shenandoah is still going strong. “The Columbia,” as it is usually referred to, came into being only four years after the borough was incorporated in 1866.

The organization will hold a grand celebration of its anniversary from 1 to 6 p.m. Aug. 29, with a truck parade beginning at 2 p.m. and live music by Fat Cats from 3 to 6 p.m.

Capt. John DeJardine said the fire company was definitely going to hold a celebration this year, since they had been planning it for a couple years. It was originally scheduled for June 6, but rescheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I don’t want to miss out on this 150th. It’s bad enough that it’s hurting the fire companies in general throughout the area as far as the fundraising. We still do our wing nights on Thursday, but we don’t have the food sales on Friday and Saturday nights because we’re only opening up one night a week,” he said.

The current fire station is located at 742 W. Centre St., across from the Shenandoah Valley School District campus, but its original fire house is still in existence at 105 S. Jardin St. The Columbia used the building for more than 125 years before relocating, and now it houses the Schuylkill Historical Fire Society headquarters and museum. The building was a multipurpose structure that also housed the borough headquarters, the police station, the Gamewell fire alarm system and the jailhouse, with five jail cells still inside.

The current three-bay firehouse, which includes a bar/social room, was constructed in 1997. The engine room can be rented for parties, showers, receptions and more.

Longevity is a key word when describing the Columbia, from its fire service with horse-drawn steam engines to the modern firefighting equipment of today.

An historical artifact of the Columbia can be seen when visiting Shenandoah Borough Hall. “The Bell,” as it is called, pealed for the first time on Jan. 1, 1876, to announce the nation’s centennial and rang in 1966 for the borough’s centennial. Due to its weight at 1,540 pounds, which made it the largest fire bell in Schuylkill County, the word around the region was that the “Columbia Hose Company had more brass than any other fire company in the county.”

“When we were going to remove it, we were going to sell it for junk and have a party,” Vice President Albert Bubnis, who was a member during the centennial year in 1970, said. “The borough thought it was their bell, but it was ours. We decided not to sell it. A helicopter was used to take it out and move it to where it is today.”

According to the history in the centennial commemorative book, the fire company was organized on July 11, 1870, at a meeting of Shenandoah citizens held at the old “Brown School House” at Lloyd and West streets. The officers selected were President Thomas H. Foster, Secretary Dr. T.J. Kerns, Treasurer Joseph Boehme and Chief Director Foreman John Barnhardt. The bylaws committee members were H.C. Boyer, Charles C. Wagner and Kerns.

The name “Columbia” was selected after other names were proposed: Empire, Washington, Active, Anthracite, Neversink, Shenandoah and Excelsior. On Nov. 14, 1870, a committee reported that a new hose house on Market Alley between Centre and Lloyd streets was ready for occupancy, with the first meeting held there on Nov. 28, 1870.

“Out of all of them, they chose the Columbia,” DeJardine said. “I think a lot had to do with Columbia Beer.” The Columbia Brewery was located near the firehouse.

The charter for the Columbia was received from the Schuylkill County Courthouse on Dec. 2, 1872 and the fire company moved into its new firehouse on South Jardin Street on Dec. 22, 1874. The fire alarm bell was purchased at a cost of $555.50. It includes the names of the founding committee members and the words “With Vigilance, and I Am Always Ready.”

When the new building was designed and constructed, some items from the former firehouse were incorporated, including stained glass with the Columbia name.

DeJardine said the fire company had its first block party in 1870 right after it was organized.

“We had a grove in Turkey Run at the time that is long gone. We also had a grove over in Brandonville that we sold about five years ago. That first fair (block party) in 1870 was held to raise money for the hose carriage that was bought that year. That was our first piece of firefighting apparatus,” he said.

Bubnis said that the two earliest pieces of fire equipment — one purchased in 1870 and the second in 1878 — eventually ended up being dismantled for scrap metal in 1943 for the World War II war effort.

Bubnis said horses were used to bring the equipment to a fire scene.

“When the alarm came in, the horses automatically came out of their stalls,” Bubnis said.

“The Phoenix (Fire Company) was the last one to get rid of horses in town,” DeJardine said. “The Phoenix’s horses were sold to the telephone company. They actually had to retire the horses because when the company was in town moving the telephone poles, and if the box alarm came in, the horses scrambled when the alarm would go off. They did a lot of damage because they would take off and pull the poles through town when they ran to the Phoenix Fire Company. They were trained to do that. The horses were eventually taken to a farm to live out their lives.”

Columbia Hose officers are President Brian Dillman, Vice President Albert Bubnis, Financial Secretary Theresa Mulhall, Recording Secretary Alyssa Petri and trustees Albert Bubnis, Ed Walukiewicz and Shari Boris.

Line officers are Marshal Joe Boris, Capt. John DeJardine, Lt. Mike Wilson and Chief Engineer Lenny Boris. The bar manager is DeJardine.

Current firefighting equipment includes a 2007 Pierce engine, a 1999 E-ONE rescue and a 1972 Hahn engine.

The fire company is always looking for new volunteer firefighter and junior firefighters. To learn more, call the firehouse at 570-462-9574.

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

Location omitted

The Tri-Valley graduation parade traveled through Hegins, Valley View, Klingerstown and Pitman on Friday. Pitman was not listed in Saturday’s edition.