MAR LIN - The director of the Bureau of Mediation at the state Department of Labor and Industry Wednesday encouraged the teachers and school board at Schuylkill Intermediate Unit 29 to come to terms and end what's become 29 months of contract talks.

"It's apparent if we do this the hard way, it could take many months. He made suggestions on how the parties should approach this. He gave us about a 20-minute sermon," the attorney for the IU board, Charles N. Sweet, New Britain, Bucks County, said Wednesday, referring to the bureau's director, William D. Gross, Harrisburg, who is the mediator for the talks.

"He asked both sides to identify which issues were important to them. And that's why I think this session was productive," said Mark Featherman, an attorney with the law firm of Willig, Williams and Davidson, Philadelphia, who represented the teachers at negotiations Wednesday.

"He believes both parties are sophisticated enough that the talks could wrap up sooner if the parties want it that way," Sweet said.

In an effort to come to terms, the parties agreed to schedule two back-to-back negotiation sessions over two days at the Maple Avenue Campus, 10 a.m. July 8 and 10 a.m. July 9.

"And, hopefully, when we come back in July we'll be able to get an agreement," Featherman said.

"Bill Gross wants us to give him an indication of what we can live with between now and then. If we're able to accept some compromises, we might actually have something. But the union would have to vote on an agreement before the IU board," Sweet said.

"We're hopeful," Featherman said.

The next meeting of the Schuylkill IU 29 board of directors is 7 p.m. July 14 at the Maple Avenue Campus.

"I'm planning to be at that meeting," Sweet said.

The IU's 67 teachers have been working without a contract since their last pact expired. Negotiations began Jan. 9, 2012. The teachers are being represented by Teamsters Local 429, Wyomissing, Berks County.

On May 1, the teachers presented the board with a proposal which included retroactive salaries back to the 2012-13 school year. Their last contract expired, June 30, 2012.

On May 19, the board presented the teachers with a proposal which began with the 2014-15 school year and did not take retroactive salaries into account, according to Sweet.

The teachers did not discuss or mention retroactive salaries Wednesday, Featherman said.

"We're trying to forge a cooperative working relationship going forward," Featherman said.

Sticking points in the talks include salaries and benefits, Sweet said.

The pyrotechnics firm from Ashland that the city council hired to light up the sky for its Fourth of July program will conduct a test Monday on Lawton's Hill near Nativity BVM High School.

The test was to be done Wednesday, but it was postponed due to rain, according to Mike Bixler, owner of Bixler Pyrotechnics, Ashland.

The Pottsville Fireworks Celebration is slated for July 5. Previously, the city's Fourth of July program was staged at Veterans Memorial Stadium at Pottsville Area High School and the fireworks were launched from the 16th Street field across from John S. Clarke Elementary Center. This year, the pyrotechnics will be launched from Lawton's Hill, according to City Administrator Thomas A. Palamar.

The test will take place between 9 and 10 p.m. Monday, Bixler said.

Thanks to donations, a Pottsville boy with autism is getting a service dog.

"Thank you. A big thank you," Annelle Peleschak, mother of Matthew Ethan Peleschak, 9, said Tuesday to those who helped them purchase Sammy, a 13-month-old golden retriever.

The family received the dog last month through 4 Paws for Ability Inc, a nonprofit organization based in Xenia, Ohio, that provides and trains service dogs for veterans in need or people with disabilities.

Annelle and her husband, Matthew Joseph Peleschak, completed training in Ohio with their son and Sammy.

Matthew E. is in an autism support class at John S. Clark Elementary Center, Pottsville. He was diagnosed with autism and attention deficit disorder at age 5 by a pediatrician.

He asked his mother for a dog recently and, after some research, Annelle found 4 Paws for Ability. Training for service dogs with the organization costs $25,000.

The family needed to raise $13,000 of the $25,0000, with the remaining amount covered by other monetary funds. They started their fundraising efforts for training Sammy last May.

With the help of family, friends, businesses and others, they received more than their goal and raised $31,000 in about a month. Of that, $13,000 paid for Sammy's adoption, some was donated back to the organization to help others and some paid for expenses for the Peleschaks to travel and stay in Ohio while they trained with Sammy. Also, several thousand dollars went to a family in Valley View whom the Peleschaks met in Ohio during training; the money will aid that family in getting a service dog for their three children.

After training, the Peleschaks will need to find a handler for Sammy. A handler is required when the dog accompanies Matthew E. in the classroom.

Having the four-legged member of their family is a change for the Peleschaks, as they never owned a dog before.

Sammy is just like any other dog in the respect that he likes attention, Matthew J. said.

"He just wants to please as much as possible," he said of Sammy.

Both parents said their son changed since getting Sammy on May 24.

Annelle said her son seems calmer. The couple said previously a service dog could help Matthew E. with positive social interaction and prevent wandering off and undesirable behavior.

Annelle said Matthew E. recently tripped over the dog and looked like he wanted to cry.

"You could just tell he was going to start," she said of her son.

Sammy came over and nudged him, and the boy started laughing. That redirection can help, she said.

The dog is also very patient.

"The whole point of a service dog is to be 100 percent submissive," Matthew J. said.

At 62 pounds, Sammy is a force to be dealt with and, when tethered to Matthew E. through a specialized harness and bungee cord, can prevent the boy from wandering away when the family goes on outings.

"This is really nice when we are going grocery shopping or to Wal-Mart because he can't run off," Matthew J. said..

Sammy can also locate Matthew E. if he wanders off.

"He has zero perception of safety," the father said about Matthew E.

Matthew J. demonstrated how Sammy is trained to find the boy. The parents often have Matthew E. hide or stay at various locations to see if Sammy can locate him as part of the dog's training.

"He doesn't know if he went left or right coming out of this door," Matthew J. said of his son's location before he left the house with Sammy and a dog treat reward.

"Where's your boy?" the father prompted Sammy.

In less than two minutes, Sammy found Matthew E. with his mother near a bush outside.

JIM THORPE - Child pornography on the work computer of the former mayor of Coaldale did not appear by accident, a state police trooper testified Wednesday in Carbon County Court.

"This was not an accident and it was not from pop-ups," Trooper Paul R. Iannace, lab manager of the computer crime unit, said on the first day of the trial of Richard P. Corkery, 75, of Coaldale. "There are thousands of pictures and thousands of websites."

Corkery, who is charged with 27 counts of sexual abuse of children-child pornography, frequently conferred with his lawyer, Nicholas A. Quinn, Pottsville, while watching prosecutors present their entire case against him to the jury and Judge Steven R. Serfass.

The trial is scheduled to resume at 9:15 a.m. today with Quinn beginning his case, which he told jurors would include the defendant testifying on his own behalf.

"He's got nothing to hide," Quinn said in his opening statement.

Nesquehoning police have charged Corkery with downloading the pornography on numerous occasions between Feb. 15, 2011, and March 28, 2011, at the WLSH-AM radio station in the borough. Corkery worked at the station as host of The Dutch Trader Show from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Monday through Friday.

" 'Alright, I did look at child porn sites. I did search for boy porn sites,' " Corkery admitted, according to FBI special agent John Bates. "He stated it wasn't his co-workers, it was him who was on those sites."

William Lakatas, station manager for WLSH, testified he learned on March 28, 2011, that there was a problem with the computer.

"There were several images which were obviously pornographic images of some sort" on the computer, Lakatas said.

Lakatas said he fired Corkery the next day but did not immediately notify the police because he did not know the pornography involved children.

However, after receiving an anonymous letter, Nesquehoning police Chief Sean T. Smith obtained and reviewed the computer.

"I saw graphic pictures of young boys," Smith testified.

Dr. Quentin T. Novinger of the Children's Advocacy Center, Scranton, testified 27 of the images were of children. Assistant District Attorney William E. McDonald said in his opening statement that each picture was a separate count.

"It's an essential part of the pediatric process to evaluate children for growth and development," Novinger said of how he could tell the males were under 18.

When questioned by McDonald, Smith said he, Bates and state police Trooper Scott Sotek went on May 16, 2011, to Corkery's house to interview him.

Bates, who testified he did most of the questioning, said Corkery originally said the only pornography he saw on the computer was from pop-ups that he had not sought. Corkery then said he saw child porn but minimized the sites, according to Bates.

"He stated that he didn't want to look at any images ... under 18" and thought all the images he saw were of men over 18, Bates said.

Bates said federal officials have not started a prosecution of Corkery but have not ruled it out. The dual sovereignty doctrine would permit a federal prosecution of Corkery after the Carbon County trial without violating the constitutional bar on double jeopardy.

Iannace testified he inspected the computer, found no damage and then performed a forensic examination of the hard drive.

"Almost all of the evidence I extracted or found dealt with boys," he said. "Most of the websites I discovered dealt with boys."

He also said whoever downloaded the pornography did so intentionally between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. Lakatas and Deborah Papanek, the office manager, each had testified Corkery was at the office during that hour preparing for the show.

However, when cross-examined by Quinn, Iannace said he cannot say who downloaded the pornography.

"I can't tell you if Mr. Corkery did it or someone else did it," he testified. "I was told everyone (at the radio station) used the computer."

Iannace did say that he had never seen a child pornography site appear on a computer as a pop-up. He also said that someone does not necessarily have to be a computer wizard to obtain child pornography.

A Schuylkill County manufacturer of heavy tools for the steel industry and its president, Helmut Oertmann, have pleaded guilty in federal court to charges they were part of a conspiracy to smuggle goods to Iran.

Hetran Inc., based in Orwigsburg, and Oertmann were charged in April with taking steps to conceal the final destination of an $800,000 machine used to shape steel bars for use in the automobile and aircraft industries.

The company pleaded guilty Tuesday to conspiring to violate the laws of the United States by shipping goods in violation of a ban on export to Iran. The offense carries a maximum fine of $1 million for the company.

Oertmann, 76, of South Manheim Township, pleaded guilty to attempting to smuggle goods from the United State to Iran, an offense that carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Martin C. Carlson in Harrisburg approved the guilty pleas, according to court documents.

Teresa N. Turner, a Washington, D.C., attorney, said Oertmann and Hetran have accepted full responsibility for the violations and are cooperating in an ongoing investigation by federal authorities. In exchange for their admissions and assistance, Oertmann and the company hope to receive reduced sentences, Turner said.

Iran, which has come under international scrutiny over the last decade for efforts to develop nuclear weapons, is subject to a trade embargo by the United States under a federal law that allows the president to impose sanctions on countries that pose a threat to national security.

American companies are banned from shipping items that can be used for both civil and military purposes without a license from the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Federal prosecutors allege that in 2009 representatives of a company in Iran and the United Arab Emirates that served the oil and gas industry contacted Hetran for a price quote on a horizontal lathe, used to peel steel bars into rods.

According to court papers, the director of the Iranian company warned his sales representative that Hetran was an American company and should not know the final destination of the lathe. Instead, the director suggested, Hetran should be told the machine was destined for the United Arab Emirates.

In June 2009, employees of Hetran traveled to the United Arab Emirates and met with representatives of the Iranian company, who told the Hetran employees they intended to buy the lathe, and discussed how to handle the deal in light of the ongoing embargo against Iran, court papers say.

The Hetran employees discussed handling the transaction through Hetran's German or Indian offices and using non-U.S. employees to train the Iranians on how to use the machine, court papers say.

Over the next three years, while the lathe was being built, Hetran employees and the Iranians discussed ways to disguise the ultimate destination of the machine including using an intermediary in a different country and altering the purchase order to conceal the identity of the buyer, court papers say.

In June 2012, Hetran shipped the machine to the United Arab Emirates, knowingly misstating the final destination as Dubai, court papers say.

Sentencing for Oertmann and Hetran Inc. is scheduled Sept. 17 in Harrisburg.

n Frackville: The third annual Frackville area fireworks display is scheduled for June 29 at the Little League/Softball Complex, West High Street, starting at dusk. The rain date is June 30. According to a release, local community groups will be on-hand to provide games and refreshments starting at 5 p.m. The organizing committee voiced appreciation to local residents, businesses and community groups supporting the event. Anyone still interested in donating toward the display can mail donations to: Frackville Area Fireworks Committee, P.O. Box 403, Frackville, PA 17931.

n Frackville: The South End Field and Stream Association will hold its annual catfish derby June 28 and 29 at the Whippoorwill Dam, Morea Road. For tickets or more information, call Joe C. at 570-874-1108.

n Mahanoy City: Washington Hook and Ladder Fire Company in Mahanoy City will hold a car wash from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at the firehouse, 35 E. Mahanoy St. The cost is $5 for exterior only and $15 for exterior and interior.

n McKeansburg: The Congregational Free Church of Christ will host a meatloaf dinner from 4 to 7 June 21 at the church's lower level, 81 McKeans Ridge Road. Dinners are 8 for adults, $4 for children 3 to 12 and free for children under 3. Meals include meatloaf, potato filling, vegetable, roll, beverage and dessert. Patrons may eat in or take meals out. For more information, call 570-366-2049. All are welcome.

n Orwigsburg: St. John's United Church of Christ, 232 E. Market St., will host a concert at 7 p.m. Sunday featuring local entertainer Christopher Brossman performing Broadway and popular music plus guest area musicians. Freewill offerings will be gratefully accepted. For more information, call 570-943-2103.

n Pottsville: A Public Safety Night is set for 6 to 8 p.m. Monday at the lower parking lot of the D.H.H. Lengel Middle School. The public is invited to learn about fire safety and other issues. Food and refreshments will be provided during the event, which is being hosted by the Pottsville Fire Department and supported by the Pottsville police, Pottsville Area EMS, Schuylkill County Sheriff's Department, Lehigh Valley MedEvac, the Burn Prevention Foundation and the Schuylkill County Emergency Management Agency.

n Ringtown: An American Red Cross Blood Services Northeast Pennsylvania Region blood drive is set for 2 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Ringtown Valley Fire and Rescue Company, Main Street. People who are 17 or older, weighing at least 110 pounds and in general good health are eligible to give blood. To make an appointment to donate blood, call 800-RED-CROSS or go online to www.redcrossblood.org.

n Saint Clair: The Schuylkill Transportation System will offer all fare-paying passengers the opportunity to ride any fixed-route bus, all day, for $1 on Friday. Passengers need to buy their ticket from the driver while boarding the bus. Registered senior citizens always ride free with their bus pass. For more information, call STS at 800-832-3322 or 570-429-2701. The fixed-route bus schedules are available on the STS Facebook page or the STS website at www.go-sts.com.

n Shenandoah: Trinity Academy in the Father Walter J. Ciszek Education Center, Cherry and Chestnut streets, will hold an informal question-and-answer session in the school hall/cafeteria followed by a tour of the school 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. All parents and students interested in visiting the school and learning more about what is offered are welcome to attend. The school's faculty, staff, current parents and student ambassadors will be available to answer questions regarding academics, registration and financial aid. Elementary students transferring into first through eighth grades receive $1,500 in grants, $1,000 in year one and $500 in year two. To register for the session, call Christine Fannick, advancement director, at 570-462-3927.

n Tamaqua: The 24th annual Tamaqua Summerfest will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday in downtown Tamaqua. Features will include scenic train rides, a huge craft and street fair downtown, a car show, a variety of entertainment and food. Summerfest will cover a five-block area of downtown Tamaqua and side streets.

n Tamaqua: The Tamaqua Summer Concert Series will feature Steve Brosky and Jimmy Meyer performing acoustic blues at 6 p.m. June 19 on the platform at the Tamaqua Railroad Station, weather permitting. People can reserve a table at the station's Vonz Restaurant and enjoy refreshments or dinner, or simply bring a lawn chair or blanket to enjoy and evening of free musical entertainment. The series is sponsored by the Tamaqua Chamber of Commerce. For more information, call the chamber at 570-668-1880.

Families will fill Tamaqua's streets Sunday for shopping, food and to learn some history at the 24th Summerfest.

The annual Father's Day event will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the downtown district. Dale Freudenberger, president of the Tamaqua Historical Society, which runs Summerfest, said the free event is a day for families to spend time together.

"Summerfest is a great way to kick off the summer season and celebrate Father's Day with dad and the entire family," he said.

The main feature of Summerfest is a large street fair lining West Broad and Nescopeck streets and a section of South Railroad Street. Vendors will offer a variety of goods, including crafts, jewelry and clothing. Local organizations will hold fundraisers and sell food, as well.

Freudenberger estimated about 10,000 people attended the event in the past few years, especially if the weather was nice.

"We have been monitoring the weather very closely. Sunday looks like a perfect day to be outside," he said. "We are usually lucky."

He said many people use Summerfest as a way to return to the area to spend time with family.

"A lot of people plan their Father's Day around it," Freudenberger said. "It's kind of a homecoming to many locals."

A popular attraction for fathers on Sunday will be an antique and classic car showcase by the Tamaqua Street Machine Association. The free show will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on South Railroad Street. The top three vote-getters will receive the People's Choice trophies and a special car will be awarded the Mayor's Choice trophy. Registration for the show is also free.

Freudenberger said train excursions will be offered at this year's Summerfest. According to a press release from the Tamaqua Historical Society, passenger coaches circa 1920s pulled by a diesel locomotive are set to make three trips on Father's Day. The first trip will leave the 1874 Tamaqua Railroad Station, 18 N. Railroad St., at 11 a.m. and head south to New Ringgold and back. Two afternoon trips are scheduled at 1 and 3 p.m. Also departing from the train station, the excursions will head north through the Tamaqua Tunnel to the "famous High Bridge" north of the borough, then return home.

"This will be the first time summer train excursions are being offered in Tamaqua in several years," Freudenberger said. "The trips are sponsored by the Tamaqua Historical Society, in partnership with the Reading, Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad and Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway."

Tickets can be bought in advance at the Tamaqua Chamber of Commerce office, 114 W. Broad St. Prices are $12 for adults 13 and older and $9 for children ages 4 to 12. Children under 3 can ride for free with a paying adult. Tickets will be available Sunday on a first-come basis.

Special presentations will be held throughout the day, including blacksmith Don Campbell working at the forge and anvil at the 1848 Hegarty Blacksmith Shop, Hegarty Avenue. The Tamaqua Anthracite Model Railroad Club will host an open house at its model train display in the lower level of the Masonic Building, Nescopeck Street, and the Tamaqua Community Arts Center, 125 Pine St., will also be open.

For those looking to relax and get off their feet, horse-drawn trolley rides will be offered by Leiby's famous Belgian Draft horses.

Entertainment scheduled for Sunday includes Polka Joe Manjack of WLSH radio station from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Tamaqua Historical Society Museum, West Broad Street, followed by DJ Brandon Fritz. 3 AM will perform in front of M&S Hardware, West Broad and Railroad streets, and folk musician Jay Smar will play at Hegarty Blacksmith Shop.

For more information about Summerfest or the train excursions, call 570-225-1089.

ORWIGSBURG - A tax increase is still possible in the Blue Mountain School District but program cuts are not likely.

The budget was discussed Thursday at a committee of the whole meeting in the district administration building.

John Granito, a member of the finance committee, presented the proposed 2014-15 budget as discussed by the finance committee to the members of the school board.

"This is a budget I think we can pass. That does not necessarily mean that I am going to vote for it," he said. Granito said previously he is not in favor of a tax hike.

The budget will be on the agenda for the next school board meeting at 7:15 p.m. June 19.

The current proposed budget has revenues of $38,002,187 and expenses of $38,083,775. The $81,588 deficit would be taken from the general fund.

A tax increase of 0.9794 mills is proposed in the budget. That would equate to an extra $51.49 for the average house assessed at $52,600.

Real estate taxes are levied against half a property's assessed value. Each mill equals $1 for every $1,000 of half the assessed value.

The board approved the preliminary budget with a tax increase in January.

Currently, the millage is 36.275. The increase would bring it to 37.2544 mills. Two special exceptions - retirement contributions and special education expenditures - the board could decide to use are not in the budget presented by Granito. Taxes could increase an additional 1.1613 mills if opted for by the district, costing the taxpayers and extra $61.02

"I think we have a good budget here," Superintendent Robert Urzillo said.

Board member David Lafko brought up the suggestion of cutting programs if needed.

"You don't have time to do program cuts," district Business Administrator Michelle Diekow said.

Besides paperwork being submitted to the state Department of Education, the district would have to do additional research to implement that, she said.

"The question becomes whether or not for next week if we can pass this budget," Granito said.

The district must have a budget passed by June 30.

Also included in the budget is a 1 percent increase in salaries for teaching staff, Granito said, amounting to $115,000.

The district is currently in negotiations with the teachers. The current contract expires June 30.

FRACKVILLE - On average, there are about "95 to 100" General Education Development graduates at Schuylkill Technology Center, Frackville, according to Kim Sutter, coordinator of Lifelong Learning Center, Schuylkill Mall.

But in the past two years, there have been a few more GED graduates at STC-North, and program changes the state implemented on Jan. 1 was the reason why, Sutter said Thursday during commencement ceremonies at 101 Technology Drive, Frackville.

"It's because they changed the test, definitely. The government put out a lot of publicity in a two-year campaign and we saw an increase in numbers. This past fall these procrastinators were coming out of the woodwork," Sutter said Wednesday.

She was one of the speakers at the GED Commencement Ceremony for the STC-North Graduating Class of 2014. More than 250 people came out to see 47 of this year's 108 graduates don maroon caps and gowns and turn their golden-yellow tassels.

"As of January 1, all GED tests are offered via a computer-based format, which is a change from the paper-based format in prior years. Accommodations will be made for those who cannot test via a computer. In addition, the new GED 2014 replaced the GED 2002 test, which reduced the number of modules from five to four," Tim Eller, press secretary for the state Department of Education, Harrisburg, said Thursday.

The change made some people nervous, Sutter said.

"We were told the new test was more challenging. It was all computer-based. So they wanted to make sure they completed the old test before it disappeared," Sutter said.

Sutter provided the following statistics on GED graduates for the past five years. In the 2009-10 school year, there were 86 graduates. In the 2010-11 school year, there were 78. In the 2011-12 school year, there were 93 graduates. In the 2012-13 school year, there were 117. This year, there are 108, Sutter said.

Among the GED graduates who turned their tassels Thursday was Jermaine Barlow, 22, of Schuylkill Haven.

He said he was unable to complete his junior year at Florence Memorial High School in Burlington Township, New Jersey.

"I had family issues, and no place to live," Barlow said.

He moved to Schuylkill Haven in summer 2011.

"I decided to get my GED because I really wanted to go to college. This is the first step to get there. I'm going there in August," Barlow said.

He's planning to continue his education at Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology, Lancaster. His family includes his wife, Caitlin Crawford, and their son, Jordan, 15 months.

According to Sutter, three students earned "merit awards," certificates recognizing quality work: Nancy Neifert, Bryan Noll and Stephanie Foose.

The commencement speaker, Sharon Angelo, director at PA Career link, Pottsville, asked the class to be generous to the people who have supported them: "I'm going to ask you to do something, pay it forward. There have been people in your life, I'm sure, that helped support you while you were going through this process to get your GED. Maybe they baby-sat your children. Maybe they drove you to class. Maybe it was a teacher who spent a little extra time with you, or a tutor. Pay it forward. Find something that you're passionate about, whether it's with your family, your friends, your church, your community, an organization, and give back."

She complemented her request with a quote from Maya Angelou, the noted author and poet who died May 28: "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

"Take that feeling you have tonight, that joy, that happiness that you have and spread it around. Make people feel as good as you do," Angelo said.

State representatives signed a letter supporting a Schuylkill County official's effort to fight a federal court's ruling to overturn Pennsylvania's same-sex marriage ban.

On Tuesday, 20 House Republicans thanked Theresa Santai-Gaffney, register of wills and clerk of the orphans court, "for (her) courage and commitment of the rule of law," in the letter.

None of Schuylkill County's state representatives were among them.

On June 6, Santai-Gaffney's attorney in the case, Jim Smith of Smith Law Group, Kutztown, filed a motion with the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania to intervene in the case of Whitewood v. Wolf. In that case, 21 Pennsylvania same-sex couples sued in federal court for the right to be married in Pennsylvania or to have the Commonwealth recognize their out-of-state marriages. In 1996, the state General Assembly passed the Defense of Marriage Act banning same-sex marriage, which was signed by Gov. Tom Ridge.

On May 20, U.S. District Judge John Jones, a Pottsville native, ruled the same-sex marriage ban unconstitutional. This can change if there is an appeal, but Gov. Tom Corbett said he will not appeal the case.

On Thursday, Santai-Gaffney said, "There's ways to change the laws, that process needs to be respected. It shouldn't be derailed by the decision of a single judge without an appeal. Centuries of tradition should not be overturned without the people having a say."

In the letter, the representatives oppose the issue's resolution by the courts, preferring it be resolved democratically, regardless of how they may feel about same-sex marriage itself.

"Like you, we strongly object to the federal court's action, which stripped the people of Pennsylvania of their right to express their collective judgment on the issue of marriage," the letter reads. "In a democratic system such as ours, the Legislature is the place for contentious social issues to be debated and decided. The proponents of 'same-sex marriage' think they can achieve a quick, easy victory by resorting to the federal courts. But they can gain no lasting victory unless rooted in the will of the people in Pennsylvania. The fact that they seek redress in the courts suggests that public support for 'same-sex marriage' is not as overwhelming as its proponents would have the public believe."

The letter was started by state Rep. Tim Krieger, R-Westmoreland, who said he was "disappointed the governor did not appeal the case." He said he started the letter because the representatives know that "when you stand by yourself, it gets kind of lonely."

State Reps. Mike Tobash, R-125, Jerry Knowles, R-124, and Neal Goodman, D-123, did not sign the letter.

"Theresa and I are from the same party and county. I chose to pick up the phone and give her a call and commend her for stepping forward and telling her I'm with her all the way," Knowles said. "I just felt more comfortable calling her on the phone and making it more personal."

Goodman said he did not sign because of his concern of the cost of the appeal.

"The Corbett administration has spent millions of dollars on Pennsylvania law before," Goodman said. "The Corbett administration admitted their legal opinion is that it's unwinnable. He also said he is not ready to condemn Schuylkill County tax payers to the repayment of an appeal if the case is chosen to go to the U.S. Supreme Court."

Tobash could not be reached for comment.

Meanwhile, an online petition has been created to have Santai-Gaffney drop the suit on www.ipetitions.com.

"This despicable act of injustice to go over the honorable U.S. District Court Judge John Jones III's ruling to overturn the gay marriage ban in Pennsylvania shall not be tolerated," according to the petition. It had 449 signatures with a goal of 1,000 at 5 p.m. Thursday.

Smith described what the next step would be for the court.

"After her motion to intervene is granted, Judge Jones will consider her Motion for a Stay (to maintain the status quo by enforcing Pennsylvania's marriage statutes while the case is waiting for a final decision by the appellate courts), and the case will be heard by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals," Smith said.

The letter was signed by Reps. Ryan Aument, R-Lancaster, Matt Baker, R-Bradford and Tioga, Bryan Cutler, R-Lancaster, Gordon Denlinger, R-Lancaster, Mindy Fee, R-Lancaster, Keith J. Greiner, R-Lancaster, Rob Kauffman, R-Cumberland and Franklin, Krieger, R-Westmoreland, John D. McGinnis, R-Blair, Daryl Metcalfe, R-Butler, Mark Mustio, R-Allegheny, Kathy Rapp, R-Forest, McKean and Warren, Brad Roae, R-Crawford, Todd Rock, R-Franklin, Rick Saccone, R-Allegheny and Washington, RoseMarie Swanger, R-Lebanon, Will Tallman, R-Adams and York, Jesse Topper, R-Bedford, Fulton and Huntingdon, Thomas R. Sankey III, R-Chester, and Jerry Stern, R-Blair.

VALLEY VIEW - Many of the members of St. Andrew's United Methodist Church Men's Bible Class have never had breakfast in bed on Father's Day. Instead, they have been keeping a 64-year-old tradition alive by cooking it themselves at the eating house in Valley View Park.

The class will host its 64th annual Father's Day Breakfast from 5 to 7 a.m. Sunday in Valley View.

"That's a lot of breakfasts," David Williams, club president, said Tuesday.

The idea to start the tradition came after a few of the men from the Valley View church attended a Father's Day breakfast hosted by a Pottsville Bible club in 1949, Williams said. The building they decided to use each year was first a barn that was struck by lightning in 1910. While the original wood was destroyed, the stone foundation remained untouched.

"They had this foundation so they decided to reinforce the stone, put a roof on it and said this is going to be our eating house," Williams said. "It is hard to believe that all of this happens in a barn that was struck by lighting in 1910 and burned to the ground."

Williams said the eggs for the first breakfast were donated by local farmers, while butter came from the Spring Glen Creamery. Since then, various dairies, farms and stores in the area were used to make the breakfast. Organizers now use Redner's Markets for supplies and Bixler Country Meats, Valley View, for ham, while Twin Valley Farmer's Exchange, Hegins, donates three and a half cases of eggs.

Organizations and individuals have also donated equipment, such as the two replacement stoves and a grill for this year's breakfast.

Crafted by Speck Miller in 1951, the original cast iron frying pans are still used today, Williams said. After each breakfast, the pans are cleaned, treated in special grease and wrapped in plastic until next year.

"It's a tradition for many families and you see a lot of the same people," Barry Miller, club secretary and treasurer, said Tuesday.

He said he has been attending the breakfasts since 1976.

"It's really family-orientated," Williams said. "You see different generations. There are two different families that come each year with five generations of men."

Williams said he has been there since 1990.

As far as either of them know, they said their Bible club is the only one that still has an annual Father's Day breakfast.

The club does not have a shortage of volunteers either. About 35 people cook breakfast each year for about 500 people, Williams said.

"When a father signs up to have his child baptized at the church, we ask him to help at least once," Williams said. "If they enjoy it, certainly they are welcome back."

Of the five new volunteers last year, he said three are coming back.

"They made a promise to bring up their children in the church and support the labor in the church," he said. "This is a great way to fulfill that."

While the breakfast is free, the club receives between $1,500 and $1,800 in donations each year. Williams said that money goes back into the church and next year's breakfast.

"We never even thought about changing that because it has been doing quite well itself," Williams said.

The only requirement for guests is that they have to sign their name in a book. That book contains the names of every single person who has attended the annual breakfast.

There may not be a name in that book more often than that of Paul S. Wenrich, 87, of Williams Township, Dauphin County.

"If I make it this time, I made 62 years," Wenrich said Thursday.

Wenrich was at the original Valley View breakfast and was with his father, George D. Wenrich, when they attended the breakfast in Pottsville.

"My dad was the starter of the thing," he said. "He was president of the men's class when they had a breakfast down in Pottsville. All the way home they started talking about this breakfast and that's how it started years ago."

Wenrich said he wakes up at 4 a.m. every Father's Day to make the trip to Valley View.

"It's really nice and I go over a lot of times because I met a lot of people I don't see a lot throughout the year," he said. "It's a really nice affair."

There may not be as many people there each year as there used to be, but Wenrich said it is encouraging to see new volunteers step up each year and new fathers enjoying the breakfast.

"The most I ever remember was 790, that's the biggest pile I remember out there," he said. "It took a lot of ham and eggs."

n Frackville: The Frackville Ministerium Food Bank will be open from 9 to 10 a.m. Thursday to serve eligible families in the borough. New applicants will need proof of eligibility - a Frackville borough address. The food bank is at Zion Lutheran Church, Oak and Nice streets. Participants should use the downstairs entrance by the parking lot.

n Lehighton: Iryna Lonchyna, billed as an internationally renowned singer/songwriter, will be featured June 21 at the Ukrainian Homestead ODWU, the Organization for the Rebirth of Ukraine, 1230 Beaver Run Drive, presented by St. John the Baptist Catholic Church of Lansford. The Rev. Vasyl Chepelskyy, St. John pastor, said he invited Lonchyna because "she is such a popular entertainer, gifted singer and noteworthy songwriter." She will perform Ukrainian folk songs and her own pop music. Her concert will begin at 7 p.m. and doors will open at 6 p.m. Tickets are $10 each. Children under 15 may attend free. For more information, call Lesia Stecyna, homestead administrator, at 215-657-1758 on weekdays or the homestead at 610-377-4621 on weekends. More about the homestead is available at its website at www.ukrhomestead.com.

n Millersburg: The Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art has announced the 2009 animated film "Fantastic Mr. Fox" will be the next installment in its new Starlight Outdoor Family Film Series set for 8:30 p.m. June 28 at the center parking lot. Admission is free. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own chair or blanket and picnic to enjoy the show. Free popcorn and bottled water will be available. For more information, visit the center's website at www.nedsmithcenter.org.

n Saint Clair: A free concert featuring the Cressona Band is set for 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday at Admiral Boone Park, Third Street. The Flag Day concert is dedicated to veterans and first responders. For more information, call 570-622-8784.

n Saint Clair: North Parish Strawberry Festival is set for 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Holy Apostles Episcopal Church, Nicholas and Hancock streets. Participants will enjoy strawberries and ice cream, baked goods and beverages. Tickets are $5 each and people can eat at the church or take food out. For more information, call 570-874-4532 or 570-429-7107.

n Shenandoah: The annual Downtown Shenandoah Open Air Farm Market will launch its 2014 season June 20 along the first block of South Main Street, east side, near the more than century-old Bolich & Burke building. Regional growers will offer produce, plants and other items from about 7:30 a.m. to noon Tuesdays and Fridays throughout the growing season and into the fall. The brainchild of the late Greater Shenandoah Area Chamber of Commerce Director Sam Schutawie, the market was launched in the 1970s and is the longest running downtown event of its kind in the region.

n Shenandoah: The Shenandoah Valley School District is participating in the summer food service program. Meals will be provided to all children 18 and younger without charge, according to a district press release. "Acceptance and participation requirements for the program and all activities are the same for all regardless of race, color, national origin, gender, age or disability and there will be no discrimination in the course of the meal service," according to the release. Meals will be provided from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Shenandoah Valley Elementary School cafeteria Monday through Aug. 8 with the exception of July 4 and 7.

n Valley View: An American Red Cross Blood Services Northeast Pennsylvania Region blood drive is set for 2 to 7 p.m. Thursday at St. Andrew's United Methodist Church, 1382 W. Main St. People who are 17 or older, weighing at least 110 pounds and in general good health are eligible to give blood. To make an appointment to donate blood, call 800-RED-CROSS or go online to www.redcrossblood.org.

Police investigate

hit-and-run crash

CRESSONA - State police at Schuylkill Haven are investigating a hit-and-run that occurred about 10 p.m. Tuesday on Prescott Street, just south of Pottsville Street.

Police said an unidentified vehicle was being driven in the area when it struck a parked 2010 Chevrolet Malibu.

The driver then fled the scene, not stopping as required by law or reporting the crash.

Anyone with information is asked to call state police at 570-739-1330.

Rush Twp. police

report 6 incidents

HOMETOWN - Rush Township police reported details of six separate incidents that occurred last week in their coverage area.

Police said Frederick Evans Jr., 37, of Summit Hill, is facing charges of DUI, possession of a small amount of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia after a traffic stop about 11:30 a.m. June 6. Police said Evans was taken to Schuylkill Medical Center-South Jackson Street for a blood alcohol test.

Another vehicle stop about 12:45 p.m. June 6 led to charges of DUI, driving under DUI suspension and traffic violations against Nichol Horack, 24, of Tamaqua. After the stop, the woman was also taken to Schuylkill Medical Center for a blood alcohol test, police said.

A McAdoo man was flown to a trauma center after he crashed his Honda Goldwing motorcycle about 3:45 p.m. Saturday on Claremont Avenue, Route 309. Police said Allan Fenkner, 28, was flown to St. Luke's University Hospital-Bethlehem Campus, Fountain Hill, but offered no other details about the crash.

Tyler J. Haas, 20, of Tremont, is facing charges of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia after he was found sleeping in his vehicle near Holly Road about 6 p.m. Saturday with 40 grams of marijuana and a smoking pipe inside.

In another incident, police said Natalie Manganelli, 32, of Tamaqua, is facing charges of criminal mischief after she smashed a guitar owned by Kevin Davis about 9:40 p.m. Saturday in an area on Ye Old Dam Road.

Finally, police said they are investigating the theft of a Lincoln electric water heater from a shed at Two Kings Pizzeria that occurred sometime last week. Anyone with information about the theft is asked to call police at 570-668-4242.

2 charged with

drug possession

HOMETOWN - Two people were taken into custody by Rush Township police about 10:45 a.m. Tuesday in the parking lot of St. Luke's, one of which was wanted on robbery charges in Carbon County.

Police said Joseph Becker, 32, of Coaldale, was turned over to Lansford police on the robbery charges and is facing charges of possession of drug paraphernalia in Rush Township after officers found him with heroin needles and empty baggies.

In addition, Amber Allen, 22, of Coaldale, was taken into custody for having a small amount of marijuana, and was then arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Stephen J. Bayer, Tamaqua, and released on unsecured bail, police said.

Tamaqua police assisted township officers with taking Becker and Allen into custody.

DUI Taskforce

conducts patrols

The North Central Regional Sobriety Checkpoint DUI Taskforce announced that Sobriety Checkpoints and Roving DUI Patrols will be conducted now through June 23 on routes 61, 183, 901, 209, 1006, 309, 1008, 443, 895, 125, 25 924 and 54.

Travelers are reminded to call 911 if they suspect a drunk driver or to call, toll-free, 888-UNDER21, to report underage drinking.

Another audit has resulted in a police investigation of a governmental office in Schuylkill County.

State police are investigating the Schuylkill County Conservation District after a 2012 audit of the county agency revealed three "irregularities" in accounting and internal controls.

"They show some significant things going on over there," County Controller Christy Joy said Thursday.

According to the audit from the Z&A accounting firm, none of the expenditures tested had the district manager's signature for approval, as required. As a result, funds may have been misappropriated. The amount in question is "undeterminable."

The report also said the agency did not properly segregate financial duties or record all its transactions.

"The Conservation District's books and records did not materially roll forward for 2012," Joy said in a prepared statement Thursday. "I suggested to administration the need for a full external audit or at the very least an internal audit by the county controller. Z&A was then hired to perform the external audit. Z&A's audit report was not furnished to the controller's office until June 5, 2014, despite multiple formal requests in 2013. The Conservation District's audit report contained substantive findings. If these findings were addressed by management, this alleged embezzlement would have been prevented."

The Conservation District said in the audit that it will implement procedures to improve its record keeping and enforce approval on expenditures but can not afford to hire more employees to further segregate duties. The District is currently being audited for the 2013 fiscal year.

In March, similar findings in an audit led to a police investigation into Clerk of Courts Stephen M. Lukach Jr., who has held the position for 27 years. Lukach resigned a month later amid allegations he had used thousands of dollars in public money for personal purchases. Charges have yet to be filed against Lukach.

First Assistant District Attorney Maria T. Casey said the office cannot comment on the latest allegations against the Schuylkill County Conservation District or confirm police involvement. Joy said the investigation has been turned over to state police, but it has not yet reached the district attorney's office.

Zachary T. Cyr did not attend his trial June 5 in Schuylkill County Court, so he did not see the jury convict him of two drug-related charges but acquit him of two others.

Cyr, 21, of Shenandoah, is guilty of possession of a small amount of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia but not guilty of two counts of possession of a controlled substance, the jury of nine women and three men ruled after deliberating about 20 minutes.

Before the trial started, prosecutors withdrew two counts of adulteration or misbranding of a controlled substance.

Judge Charles M. Miller, who presided over the one-day trial, ordered preparation of a presentence investigation, allowed Cyr to remain free on $15,000 unsecured bail and scheduled his sentencing for 10:30 a.m. July 11.

Shenandoah police had charged Cyr with unlawfully possessing marijuana, a prescription drug, amphetamines and paraphernalia on Oct. 12, 2012, on Ferguson Street in the borough.

"I asked if I could search him. He said 'yes,' " an undercover county detective testified about his encounter with Cyr during a saturation patrol to detect crime and serve warrants in Shenandoah. He testified he found the pills, marijuana and paraphernalia on Cyr.

Shenandoah police Chief George F. Carado Jr. testified he stored the evidence and prepared it for the state police crime laboratory in Bethlehem.

Gina Musante, a forensic scientist with the laboratory, testified the substances she tested were marijuana, a prescription drug and amphetamines.

Cyr originally pleaded guilty on Jan. 30 to possession of drug paraphernalia, with all other charges being withdrawn, but he withdrew that plea in April.

Also in the county court, prosecutors withdrew charges this week against five defendants.

Teresa J. Chappell, 30, of Schuylkill Haven, had been charged with endangering the welfare of children. Schuylkill Haven police had charged her with committing that crime on Aug. 21, 2013, in the borough.

Jonathan P. Denton, 29, of Pottsville, had been charged with simple assault. Pottsville police had charged him with committing the assault on March 8 in the city.

Joeleen Ann Eckert, 33, of Orwigsburg, had been charged with possession of a small amount of marijuana. State police at Schuylkill Haven had charged her with possessing the marijuana on July 28, 2013.

Marc A. Galan, 25, of Shenandoah, had been charged with criminal trespass, theft, receiving stolen property and criminal mischief. Shenandoah police had charged him with committing those crimes on Sept. 22, 2013, in the borough.

Thomas F. Steranko, 36, of Ashland, had been charged with two counts of simple assault and one of harassment. Minersville police had charged him with committing those crimes on May 17, 2013, in the borough.

In each case, President Judge William E. Baldwin signed an order allowing prosecutors to withdraw the charges and directing the defendant to pay the costs.

In other recent county court action, Judge James P. Goodman accepted guilty pleas from, and, pursuant to agreements between prosecutors and defendants, imposed the indicated sentences on, these people:

Adam J. Kasten, 21, of New Philadelphia; two counts of conspiracy and one each of delivery of a controlled substance, possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, criminal use of a communication facility and possession of a controlled substance; 24 months in the intermediate punishment program, $1,500 in fines, $100 in payments to the Criminal Justice Enhancement Account, $75 restitution and submission of a DNA sample to law enforcement authorities.

Robert E. Keister, 27, of McAdoo; driving under the influence; 48 hours to six months in prison, $500 fine, $100 payment to the Substance Abuse Education Fund, $50 bench warrant fee and $60 restitution to Schuylkill Medical Center-South Jackson Street. Prosecutors withdrew charges of possession of drug paraphernalia and improper sunscreening.

Mark A. Lischak, 55, of Port Clinton; possession of a controlled substance; six to 12 months in prison, $100 SAEF payment and $50 CJEA payment. Prosecutors withdrew a charge of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance.

Heather Loar, 27, of Summit Hill; hindering apprehension; 12 months probation and $50 CJEA payment.

Nadir K. Muhammed, 20, of Pottsville; criminal trespass; 29 days to 23 months in prison, $50 CJEA payment and submission of a DNA sample to law enforcement authorities. Prosecutors withdrew a charge of indecent assault.

Charles Natale, 62, of McAdoo; fraudulent or altered documents; 12 months probation and $50 CJEA payment. Prosecutors withdrew a charge of violation of use of certificate of inspection.

Justin N. Nieves, 20, of McAdoo; DUI; 48 hours to six months in prison, $500 fine, $100 SAEF payment and $60 restitution to Schuylkill Medical Center-South Jackson Street.

Billy P. Rogowski, 47, of Laurel Run; illegal operation without ignition interlock; three months probation. Prosecutors withdrew charges of speeding and driving under suspension.

Lynn M. Salabsky, 28, of Pottsville; fraudulent or altered documents and abandoning vehicle on highway; 12 months probation, $50 fine and $50 CJEA payment.

John D. Scully III, 60, of Barnesville; DUI and no rear lights; 48 hours to six months in prison, $525 in fines and $100 SAEF payment.

Kelly Ann Torres, 25, of Ashland; possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia; 29 days to 23 months in prison, $100 SAEF payment and submission of a DNA sample to law enforcement authorities. Prosecutors withdrew a charge of possession of a controlled substance.

Michael L. Walb, 24, of Minersville; DUI; six months probation, $300 fine, $100 SAEF payment and $60 restitution to Schuylkill Medical Center-South Jackson Street. Prosecutors withdrew a charge of careless driving.

Ashley Weirich, 20, of Tamaqua; two counts of simple assault and one each of making repairs to or selling offensive weapon and using incapacitation device; 23 months probation and $100 in CJEA payments. Prosecutors withdrew two counts of disorderly conduct, one count each of recklessly endangering another person and harassment and an additional count of simple assault.

Corajade White, 27, of Pottsville; DUI; 72 hours to six months in prison, $1,000 fine, $300 SAEF payment, $50 bench warrant fee and $60 restitution to Schuylkill Medical Center-South Jackson Street.

Cassie J. Zapotocky, 21, of Drums; DUI and improper turning movements; six months probation, $325 in fines, $100 SAEF payment and $60 restitution to Schuylkill Medical Center-South Jackson Street. Prosecutors withdrew charges of minor prohibited from operating with alcohol and purchase, consumption, possession and transportation of an alcoholic beverage.

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

Nicolle M. Hutchinson, chief executive officer and director of education at Gillingham Charter School, Pottsville, was in North Carolina on Thursday celebrating the historical educator who inspired the school's teaching method.

Hutchinson was one of the speakers at the 10th annual Charlotte Mason Education Conference held this week at Gardner Webb University, Boiling Springs, North Carolina. The event celebrates "the centenary (1914-2014) of the PNEU (Parents' National Education Union) Liberal Education for All Movement in our homes and schools of the 21st Century," according to the institute's website at www.charlottemasoninstitute.org.

From 8:45 to 10 a.m. Thursday, Hutchinson gave a speech, "Gillingham Charter School, Renewing the Liberal Education for All Movement," according to the website.

"Since Mason's philosophy was founded on natural law, focusing on the ways all human beings learn and live, the methods are universal and applicable in both sectarian and nonsectarian areas. In her plenary session, Nicolle will share why Mason's ideas need to be in the public school and share some ways to make it happen. The good, the bad and the ugly will be revealed, and participants will leave with plenty of practical advice," according to the conference session abstract, which is available on the website.

From 1:30 to 2 p.m. Thursday, she talked about "Mason in the Public Arena."­

From noon to 1:30 p.m. today, Hutchinson and Evelyn Hoey, principal of the private Charlotte Mason Community School in Detroit were scheduled to give a talk on "Children, Poverty, Teaching & Charlotte Mason."

Hutchinson could not be reached for comment Thursday.

The event is organized by the Charlotte Mason Institute, Roanoke, Virginia.

Gillingham Charter School, the first charter school in Schuylkill County, opened in fall 2011. Hutchinson said previously it was one of the only public schools in the U.S. which bases its teaching method on principles developed by Charlotte M. Mason.

Charlotte Maria Shaw Mason was a British educator who lived during the late 19th and early 20th centuries and whose ideas led to a method used in home-school settings as well as some private schools, according to Hutchinson.

The Charlotte Mason method of teaching is centered around the idea that education is an atmosphere, a discipline and a life. This is the 100th year of the centenary of Mason's Liberal Education for All Movement, according to www.charlottemasoninstitute.org.

JIM THORPE - Former Coaldale Mayor Richard P. Corkery faces many years behind bars after a Carbon County jury convicted him Thursday of viewing child pornography on his work computer in 2011 in Nesquehoning.

Corkery, 75, of Coaldale, who testified earlier that he never knowingly viewed any child pornography, frowned as the jury of eight men and four women ruled him guilty of 27 counts of sexual abuse of children-child pornography after deliberating more than two hours.

"I'm very pleased with the jury's verdict," Assistant District Attorney William E. McDonald said. "I thought we put on all the evidence we had."

Judge Steven R. Serfass, who presided over the two-day trial, ordered preparation of a presentence investigation but did not immediately schedule Corkery's sentencing. He allowed Corkery, who left the courthouse without saying anything, to remain free on $50,000 unsecured bail pending sentencing.

Nesquehoning police have charged Corkery with downloading the pornography on numerous occasions between Feb. 15, 2011, and March 28, 2011, at the WLSH-AM radio station in the borough. Corkery worked at the station as host of The Dutch Trader Show from 9 to 10 a.m. Monday through Friday.

A retired accountant and youth worker, Corkery testified the pornographic images accidentally appeared on his computer in the form of pop-ups as he looked at the website for Father Judge High School, Philadelphia, his alma mater.

"All of a sudden, boom, comes a very disturbing site," he said. "Eventually, it was followed by even more."

Corkery said he mentioned the matter to station management and wrote a letter to the high school.

"Did you ever intentionally or knowingly view any child pornography?" Nicholas A. Quinn, Pottsville, Corkery's lawyer, asked him.

"Absolutely not," Corkery answered.

He said he did not contest his firing by the radio station because he worked there only 10 hours per week.

"It was an economic decision more than anything?" Quinn asked Corkery.

"Definitely," Corkery replied.

He said he never saw any of the pictures prosecutors say he viewed until Quinn showed them to him while preparing for trial.

When cross-examined by McDonald, Corkery said he did work on the computer at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, although he does not consider himself an expert on using them. He also said that when he showed his employers at WLSH the Father Judge website, there was no pornography.

"No bad pop-up came up?" McDonald asked him.

"That is correct," Corkery answered.

Francis J. Jr. and Cynthia Hutta, Coaldale, two of Corkery's friends, each testified they trust Corkery with their children and had never seen him behave inappropriately toward them.

Six character witnesses also testified that Corkery had a reputation for being a truthful and law-abiding person. Those witnesses included Jarred Blaney, Bensalem; Uliser Corkery, Philadelphia; Thomas J. Hare, Gladwyne; Joseph Keepsey, Philadelphia; David Knies, Malvern; and Richard I. Torpey, Toms River, New Jersey.

Quinn said in his closing argument that those character witnesses traveled a long distance because Corkery is a fine man with a good character.

"You don't do that if you don't believe in somebody," Quinn said.

He emphasized that the computer on which the pornography was found was an unsecured one to which many people at the radio station had access.

"Anybody could use that computer at any time," Quinn said. "There was more going on at that radio station than meets the eye."

Quinn, who declined to comment on the verdict after the jury rendered it, also said prosecutors rushed to judgment against Corkery.

"When you look at all the allegations in this case ... it doesn't fit," he said.

However, jurors accepted McDonald's argument that the times and dates of the uses dovetailed with Corkery's work schedule at the radio station, and that the defendant's own testimony convicted him.

"I submit to you he really flip-flopped around and that really reduces his credibility," McDonald said of the defendant.

McDonald also turned Corkery's character witnesses against him, saying their affirmation of his truthfulness confirms the admissions Corkery made during a May 16, 2011, interview with law enforcement that he looked at child pornography websites.

"He didn't deny any one of those statements to (FBI Special) Agent (John) Bates," McDonald said.

McDonald also reminded jurors that the website searches had one characteristic.

"There's a common theme ... boys, boys, boys," he said. "That was this defendant looking for child pornography."

Corkery served as mayor of Coaldale from 2009 through 2013. He did not run for re-election in 2013; Richard Kellner currently is the mayor. Defendant: Richard P. Corkery

Age: 75

Residence: Coaldale

Verdict: Guilty of 27 counts of sexual abuse of children-child pornography

The Schuylkill County Historical Society on Thursday acquired a vintage bell that had been a fixture on a fire truck in Pottsville.

"It's not something you want to run down the street with," George Moyer Sr., Pottsville, said, as he and other volunteers struggled to carry the more than 200-pound bell through a back door of the society's headquarters at 305 N. Centre St., Pottsville.

It belonged to the former Greenwood Hill Fire Company, Station 80, and a summary of its history is engraved on a plaque: "This bell was purchased by Charles Runciman Sr. in 1947 for $20. It was one of the last items removed from the famous switchback at Mauch Chunk. It was mounted on the old fire truck until 1960. It is a nickel plated bell. The exact age of the bell is not known."

The number "1737" is engraved on it, but the fire company members did not know its significance.

"I believe it's made of brass," Moyer, who is a past president of the former fire company, said.

Bill Webber, the society's curator, Peter Yesenchak, Ph.D, the society's director of research, Thomas B. Drogalis, the society's executive director, and Allen Frantz, a society volunteer, were there when the bell arrived just after noon Thursday.

The members of the former fire company also donated a black and orange "Greenwood Hill Fire Co." sign which hung on the company's headquarters for many years. It measures 3 feet by 4 feet and is made of plexiglass, according to Pat Fatula, one of the former fire company's past vice presidents.

On Jan. 7, 2009, the Pottsville Fire Department voted to remove Greenwood Hill Fire Company from its ranks. The company has been suspended since Nov. 20, 2007. The company's trained firefighters failed to respond to at least 20 percent of its fire calls in 2007 and "internal problems" at the company led to a drop in membership. The company did not improve its situation in 2008, Pottsville fire Chief Todd March said previously.

In January 2009, the company's members struggled to remain optimistic about the company's future as the fire chief cut power to its fire siren, according to the newspaper archives.

In March 2011, the attorney for the fire company, Jeanne M. Sninski, Bensalem, Bucks County, said the fire company was "in the process of dissolution and the funds will be distributed in accordance with Pennsylvania law."

Members of the "dissolution committee" include Moyer, Fatula, Andy DeStefano, Bruce Heckman and Tara and Jim Schartel, according to Moyer.

On Jan. 23, 2012, Brian W. and Carol L. Tassone, owners of Tassone Construction, Pottsville, bought the former Greenwood Hill Fire Company building for $40,000, according the newspaper archives.

Attribution incorrect

Comments made by Trudy Hennick, 209 Jackson St., Port Carbon, at Tuesday's Port Carbon borough council meeting were incorrectly attributed in Wednesday's edition.

FRACKVILLE - A borough resident spoke at length to Frackville Borough Council at Wednesday's meeting about unresolved code violations and pushed for a quality of life ordinance in the borough.

Ronald Liem addressed the council during the public portion.

"One major thing we have to address in this town, and I know people on council are against it, is we have to do something about this quality of life in town," Liem said. "Have you people looked around lately? Have you traveled the streets? This town is going to hell real quick. We have more abandoned vehicles in the streets and back yards. We have properties that are deplorable. Nobody seems to care anymore. We have people parking tractor-trailers on sidewalks on the main street. We have 70-foot tractor-trailers on Spring Street. No one, but two. People are parking motor homes in the street."

Liem suggested adopting a quality of life ordinance.

Councilwoman Karen Domalakes asked how that would change things, saying, "Mr. Liem, we've talked at length about this before. What do you think a quality of life ordinance abolishes or bans that our current ordinances don't already ban? One thing that wasn't in it (ordinance book) we passed tonight about the Dumpsters. Most of the things that were in a quality of life ordinance we already have in our ordinances."

"We need to do something to wake these people up," Liem said.

"That's what we have a code enforcement officer for," Councilman William Creasy said. "He's supposed to do that."

Code enforcement duties are handled by the borough police department.

Liem spoke again about recreational vehicles and large trucks parking in front of homes causing obstacles in case of emergencies, to which Councilman Charles Berger, borough fire chief, agreed.

"That is a problem of large vehicles, especially tractor-trailers being parked in residential," Berger said. "It's not only about fire, but it also blocks your address and hides the house, which makes it easier for criminal activity. We will overcome a tractor-trailer parked at a residence, but it will add to the time to save a life or put a fire out."

When Liem brought up the quality of life ordinance, Domalakes said, "Quality of life abridges due process. We've sat and talked about it before. Even the Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs warns about it and does not recommend quality of life ordinances. But as far as outlawing the things we want outlawed, we have the ordinances."

Mayor Kim Phillips said that she will meet with Domalakes to discuss the ordinances.