A Summit Hill woman has sued Panther Valley School District in federal court, alleging officials paid her less than men doing the same maintenance job and then improperly furloughed her when she complained.

In a six-page complaint filed Nov. 12 in U.S. District Court, Lauren Chickilly alleged the district paid her $7.10 an hour less than full-time male district grounds maintenance workers.

She also alleged that eight days after she learned of, and complained about, the disparity, Panther Valley furloughed her.

“Panther Valley ... arbitrarily, capriciously, maliciously, discriminatorily and retaliatorily included (Chickilly) with the custodial staff to be furloughed,” according to the lawsuit.

Chickilly asked the court to award her compensatory damages, including back pay, unpaid wages, attorney fees, interest and costs, alleging the district violated federal law. She also demanded a jury trial in the case.

In the lawsuit, Chickilly alleged Panther Valley hired her on May 11, 2006, effective four days later, as a full-time district grounds maintenance worker at $9.50 per hour. At the time, she was the only female district grounds maintenance worker, the lawsuit reads in part.

Chickilly alleged she did not learn Panther Valley was paying her less than the two equivalent full-time male employees until July 10, more than eight years after the district hired her. She said she was incorrectly and unlawfully being paid as a custodian instead of a grounds maintenance worker, the lawsuit reads in part.

She filed a grievance one week later, according to the lawsuit.

Panther Valley then sent her a letter, which she received on July 25, saying she was being furloughed as of July 31, according to the lawsuit.

Chickilly alleged the district discriminated against her because she is a woman.

“Despite being similarly situated to male maintenance persons and performing the same job with equal skill, effort and responsibility, under similar working conditions, as male maintenance workers, (Chickilly) was compensated less than her male co-workers,” according to the lawsuit.

She also alleged Panther Valley acted willfully and intentionally when it knew or should have known its conduct violated the law. Chickilly said it compounded its wrongful conduct by furloughing her after she complained.

“(The district) retaliated and/or discriminated against (Chickilly) for filing a grievance and complaining regarding her unequal compensation,” the lawsuit reads in part.

For Danielle Pearce and her family, Black Friday fun started before they sat down to Thanksgiving dinner.

“But that’s how you get the good deals,” Pearce, Fountain Springs, said while walking through Schuylkill Mall, Frackville, at 6:45 a.m. Friday.

“We started at 6 a.m. Thanksgiving morning at Kmart. They had good deals on toys. Then after dinner, we went to Wal-Mart in Saint Clair. The sales started at 6 p.m. We went at 5. There were lots of good deals on iPads and TVs. It was crowded. I had to park near the Home Depot. I couldn’t even get into the Wal-Mart parking lot. Then we went home and took a nap. Then we came out again at 4 a.m. this morning and went shopping up here at Bon-Ton. Bedding was more than half off,” Pearce said.

Every year, retailers work to make the most of Black Friday, planning sales with the hopes of drawing crowds on one of the major shopping days of the year. In the 1920s, the Friday after Thanksgiving became the unofficial start of the Christmas shopping season. The term “Black Friday” was coined in the 1960s, according to www.blackfriday.com.

Over time, the troubled economy has put pressure on businesses to cook up new promotions. These days, it’s more than a one-day event.

“Boscov’s starts planning for Black Friday sales months in advance. We were open 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. Thursday night. It was a very good night. We ran a lot of one-hour specials, what we call crazy price door busters. I believe we started opening on Thanksgiving in 2008,” Liz Eich, store manager at Boscov’s, Fairlane Village mall, Pottsville, said Friday.

“We don’t like that it starts on Thanksgiving. It interrupts your family time. But you have to come out for the deals. You only spite yourself if you stay home,” Pearce said.

At 6 p.m. Thursday, Kathleen Mattu, Ashland, went to Bon-Ton at Schuylkill Mall with her sister, Connie Jankowski, Lehighton, and Jankowski’s daughter, Lauren.

They returned to Schuylkill Mall on Friday.

“We got up at 5 a.m. Our first stop was here,” Mattu said at 6:30 a.m., referring to Bath & Body Works.

Connie Jankowski and her daughter expected to see more people out at that mall Friday morning, a sentiment felt by other shoppers.

“I don’t see many this year. It’s not like other years,” Janet Lipshaw, Port Carbon, said at 6:15 a.m. at Schuylkill Mall, commenting on the number of people she saw there around that time.

“Now we’ll say goodbye to Sears,” Pearce said as she and her family walked through Schuylkill Mall to the anchor store on the south end.

“The Sears store and Sears Auto Center in Frackville will close to the public in mid-January,” Howard Riefs, director of corporate communications for Sears Holding Corp., said in an email Oct. 17.

The 112,800-square-foot department store is one of the mall’s original anchors, opening in 1980, according to Schuylkill Mall Manager Elaine Maneval.

Shoppers who visited Sears on Friday included Carina Coleman, Shenandoah, and her family, including her daughters, Ruby Gross, 2, and Lailani Gross, who is two-weeks old.

“We’re going to miss them. They normally have good sales,” Coleman said.

“We bought Christmas presents,” said Coleman’s mother, Tammy Harrington, Shenandoah, who was also there with her other daughter, Avalynn, five months old.

“On Black Friday, we go everywhere. I go online, read the paper then knock out our game plan. Today, we left the house at 5:30 a.m. and went to Kmart. We’ll make our stops up here, then we’ll go to Wal-Mart and the Fairlane mall, then we go down to Lehigh County and do their stores. Toys ‘R’ Us and stuff is down there,” Coleman said.

At 6 a.m. Friday, there were about 50 people waiting to get into Boscov’s at Fairlane Village mall at the entrance facing the parking lot, according to Eich.

“On Thursday night, we did very well. It’s steady today,” Eich said Friday morning.

Just after 8 a.m. Friday, Angel Ashline, 14, an eighth-grade student at North Schuylkill, was resting in a cushioned recliner for sale at Boscov’s, her eyelids feeling heavy. Next to her were two shopping carts filled with bagged goods she and her mother bought.

She was up at 3 a.m. and by 4 a.m., they were at GameStop at Coal Creek Commerce Center, Saint Clair.

“They had video games on sale,” Ashline, Wilburton, said.

Black Friday is something she and her mother, Nancy Gaughan, look forward to every year, and they make sure to do their research before they go out.

“My mom finds them in the newspaper. I go online,” Ashline said.

James R. Ferrier

ORWIGSBURG — A Berks County man is headed to Schuylkill County Court after waiving his right to a preliminary hearing Tuesday on charges stemming from his alleged use of a stolen car in October in Schuylkill Haven.

Jonathan C. Roman, 18, of 300 Lackawanna St., Apt. 15G, Reading, faces charges of receiving stolen property, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and driving without a license.

Magisterial District Judge James R. Ferrier bound over those charges for court after Roman waived his right to a hearing. Prosecutors withdrew charges of theft and theft of lost property.

Schuylkill Haven borough police alleged Roman used and possessed a tan 1990 Honda Accord without the permission of the owner, Jason Rivera, at 8:57 p.m. Oct. 24 on Center Avenue (Route 61) in the borough. Roman admitted having the car, which had been stolen, police said.

Roman is free on $20,000 unsecured bail pending further court action.

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

Marissa R. Cook, 22, of 544 Forest Lane, Pottsville; four counts each of theft from a motor vehicle and receiving stolen property and one of conspiracy; right to preliminary hearing waived, charges bound over for court.

Natasha M. Knorr, 37, of 511 W. Market St., Orwigsburg; driving under the influence, disregarding traffic lanes and careless driving; right to preliminary hearing waived, charges bound over for court.

Heather L. Mitchell, 39, of 8 Maryann Ave., Schuylkill Haven; DUI; right to preliminary hearing waived, charge bound over for court.

William M. Weber, 41, of 108 Parkway, Schuylkill Haven; unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and driving under suspension; right to preliminary hearing waived, charges bound over for court.

Defendants whose cases Ferrier considered on Nov. 18, the charges against them and the judge’s dispositions of those matters included:

Diane Bechtal, 53, of 15 Koffee Lane, Kutztown; theft of services and theft by deception; right to preliminary hearing waived, charges bound over for court.

Randall J. Boud Jr., 28, of 138 Center Ave., Schuylkill Haven; theft by deception and bad checks; right to preliminary hearing waived, charges bound over for court.

Quote incorrect

In an article published in Thursday’s edition of The Republican-Herald, Jean Dellock, Frackville, a member of the Schuylkill County Historical Society’s board of directors, was incorrectly quoted regarding the name of an honorary position the board gave to Peter Yasenchak. Dellock said Yasenchak was named “research director emeritus.”

SAINT CLAIR — A voluntary pre-bid meeting for the Saint Clair Sewer Authority for Wastewater Treatment Facility Improvements Project was rescheduled to 1 p.m. Thursday.

“This is just a meeting for bidders to ask any questions they may have,” Chris McCoach of Alfred Benesch & Co. said Wednesday.

The borough is seeking sealed bids for the project until 3 p.m. Jan. 14. Bids will be publicly opened at 7 p.m. Jan. 14 at Saint Clair Borough Hall, 16 S. Third St.

The project is intended to construct various improvements to the wastewater treatment plant.

“The work generally includes construction of the new headwork, new sludge handling facilities, an ultraviolet-light disinfection system, replacement of secondary clarified equipment and other miscellaneous items,” according to a legal notice published in the Nov. 12 edition of The Republican-Herald.

The project will be awarded in two contracts: general/mechanical and electrical.

For more details, contract documents can be examined at the office of the borough engineer at Alfred Benesch & Co., 400 One Norwegian Plaza, Pottsville, or by calling 570-622-4055.

“Contract documents can be obtained either electronically at no cost or a hard copy can be obtained at the engineer’s office for a nonrefundable cost of $100, payable by check or money order to Alfred Benesch & Co. for each set of documents,” according to the legal notice.

McCoach said no bids have been received yet as of Wednesday.

Those interested may send their bids to the Saint Clair Sewer Authority, 16 S. Third St., Saint Clair, PA 17970 for a $15 postage and handling cost or dropped off for no cost.

Bids should be clearly labeled with “Saint Clair Sewer Authority-Wastewater Treatment Facility Improvements Project.” Bids received after 3 p.m. Jan. 14 will not be accepted.

“A certified check or bank draft, payable to the order of the Saint Clair Sewer Authority or a satisfactory bid bond executed by the bidder and acceptable surety in the amount of 10 percent of the total bid shall be submitted with each bid,” according to the legal notice.

Only registered bidders will receive notification of addenda to the bid documents, according to the legal notice. Failure to register as a prospective bidder will result in addenda not being received and may result in a rejected bid, according to the legal notice.

“The successful bidder will be required to furnish and pay for satisfactory performance and payment bonds, each in the amount of 100 percent of the contract price with a corporate surety approved by the owner. Pennsylvania prevailing wage rates apply,” according to the legal notice.

The White House’s Christmas tree arrived Friday, hauled to the first family’s residence by a horse-drawn red and green wagon.

The tree, a 20-foot concolor fir, came all the way from the Crystal Spring Tree Farm in Lehighton.

Friday marked the third time in less than a decade that the White House accepted a Christmas tree from the farm operated by Chris Botek and his family.

First lady Michelle Obama, daughters, Malia and Sasha, and the family dogs were on hand to accept the tree from the Boteks. Plans are to display it in the White House Blue Room.

The locally grown tree was named Grand Champion of the National Christmas Tree Association’s 2014 National Christmas Tree Contest, which earns winners the right to present their tree to the White House.

The Boteks are no strangers to being named grand champions of the contest, having won in 2006 and 2010.

Christmas trees have been in the Botek family for nearly 75 years when they began selling them at a small family-run grocery store. In 1964, Chris’ parents, Francis and Margaret, bought about 25 acres of land in the Mahoning Valley and began growing trees.

Today, Chris runs daily operations at the farm, which now propagates about 15 varieties of evergreen trees on nearly 200 acres of land.

“An honor like this rarely happens once in a lifetime, but to have it three times is truly a blessing,” Botek said.

Crystal Spring Tree Farm is the only farm in Pennsylvania to ever present a White House Christmas tree three times.

Tomorrow starts the last month of 2014. December has several festive holiday-related days, including National Pastry, Gingerbread House, Poinsettia, Bake Cookies, Look for an Evergreen, Go Caroling, National Eggnog, National Fruitcake and Make Cutout Snowflakes. Another day of interest is Chocolate Covered Anything. I'm for all of these.

Now that the holiday shopping season is in full swing, I hope you're keeping it local as much as possible to support the Schuylkill County economy. There are so many great stores right here that you can find practically everything on your gift list.

Next month starts the 2015 tax season. Do you enjoy working with numbers? Are you someone who is not intimidated by tax preparation? If so, Schuylkill Community Action is looking for volunteers for their VITA (volunteer income tax assistance) program.

The VITA program offers free income tax preparation to the low- to moderate-income taxpayers of Schuylkill County. The assistance is provided at community and neighborhood locations and all sites offer electronic filing. The preparation of these taxes is completed by volunteers who are IRS trained and certified. The training is a free, self-paced course and volunteers do not need prior tax/accounting knowledge. There are also volunteer positions available for those who want to help but not get involved in doing taxes.

Last year, the program served more than 350 clients, and with those returns, refunded more than $650,000 to residents of Schuylkill County.

If you're interested in volunteering with VITA or want more information, contact Marie Maurer at 570-622-1995 or mmaurer@schuylkillcommunityaction.com.

There will be Santa Claus train rides at 11 a.m., 1 and 3 p.m. in Pottsville today. The Steam Locomotive No. 425 will depart Union Station and run toward Auburn for an approximate one-hour ride. Leftover advance tickets are available at the station and will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis. Seats are not assigned. Trip runs rain or shine. Can't attend today? There will be another trip Dec. 21. Call 570-628-4647 to order tickets for the December ride.

A Marimba Christmas will be held at Sweet Arrow Lake at 2 p.m. Saturday. The marimba originated in Africa and is a type of xylophone consisting of a series of wooden bars with resonators that are struck with mallets. It is often featured in the music of African, the Caribbean and Central America, in popular and classical music, as well as jazz. Light refreshments will be served. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, call 570-345-8952.

Schuylkill on the Move invites you to the last walk for 2014. The Island Park Ramble will take place at 2 p.m. Saturday. Participants are asked to meet at the trail sign at the end of the Broadway Street bridge for the easy 1 1/2 mile walk. Call 570-622-4124 for details.

The Tamaqua Spirit Christmas Festival will take place Dec. 5, 6 and 7 for a weekend of celebrations. Call 570-668-1880 or visit www.tamaqua.net for details.

The sixth annual Christkindlmarket will be held at the Yuengling Mansion from 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Shop inside and out for fresh greens and wreaths, gourmet foods, pottery, jewelry, cards, fine art and fine art crafts, books and book signings, and more items by 30 juried professional artists and craftsmen. The event is presented by the Schuylkill County Council of the Arts. Call 570-622-2788 for more information.

The Orwigsburg Festival of Lights is slated for Saturday. Festivities begin at 5 p.m.

Use the above contact info for those specific volunteer opportunities and find other opportunities at www.schuylkill.us/cvia. Community Volunteers in Action can be reached at 570 628-1426 or jjohnston@co,.schuylkill.pa.us. Check us out on Facebook at www.facebook.com/communityvolunteersinaction.

Autumn came late to Paris this year. After a summer of rain and cold, September and October were two months of warm, sunny days. On Nov. 1, All Saints Day, a holiday in France, families picnicked outside and sunbathers peeled off jackets to bask in the light of a generous mid-autumn sun. Leaves on the trees remained mostly green, with here and there a splash of pale yellow. Autumn, the season of crisp air, crisp Macintosh apples and hillsides aflame with color (my memories of the season in Schuylkill County), was nowhere in sight.

By mid-November things had changed. Temperatures dropped, gray skies returned and rain washed away the dusty remains of summer so that autumn could finally settle in. Keeping up a family tradition - in the fall, with my mother and aunt, I often took a Sunday afternoon walk along the western slope of Sharp Mountain or in the woods behind our home - I set out to search for autumn in what I consider my "backyard," the neighborhood where I live.

In Schuylkill County, autumn is easy to find. Most towns are nestled in valleys or gaps between the ridges of the Blue Mountain chain of the Appalachians. Lifting their eyes to the hills, residents can take in a riot of fall color. In the surrounding countryside, dry corn stalks rattle in the wind, and backyards are carpeted with fallen leaves that need to be raked.

In Paris, I lift my eyes to a gray sky and lower them (remember, I'm on the sixth floor) to macadam and gray facades, cars and buses. Craning my neck, further up the street, I can see a few chestnut trees whose leaves turn from green to brown and then fall. The next step is for municipal workers to blast them off sidewalks with leaf blowers while blasting the ears of anyone within a 100-foot radius.

The view from my living room window is not promising, but my "backyard" is full of surprises, proof that autumn in the city has splendors all its own. For example, in Belleville Park at La Maison de l'air, "the House of Air," a modern structure with a glass facade, where visitors can learn about atmospheric conditions in Paris, I meet Agnes Joly, an agricultural engineer. To explain her work to us, she takes time off from tending her aquaponic garden, a long row of above-ground edible plants fertilized by dozens of gold fish swimming in a pool at the garden's base.

Founder of Joly Mer (mer means sea), Agnes has been chosen by the city of Paris to develop aquaponic gardening as part of a plan to promote urban farming and innovative green spaces. In her above-ground garden, Agnes is tending three separate plant beds, each devoted to a different form of urban gardening, all thriving without soil. In a modular unit holding several small pots, kale, chives and basil take root among clay pebbles receiving a balanced flow of oxygen, nutrients and water. In one unit, plants receive mineral fertilizers (hydroponics), in another, organic (bioponics), and in the third (aquaponics), the fish provide the nourishment the plants need.

Using less water than traditional agriculture, with no need of soil, above-ground gardens of this type can be installed almost anywhere, even in a city apartment, and the ultimate goal, as in traditional truck gardens, is to give city dwellers access to fresh, locally grown produce. And that is Agnes Joly's plan: to sell her fresh greens and herbs to Parisian restaurants, proving that aquaponics is a viable economic and ecological model of urban farming.

On a crisp autumn day, against a changing Parisian sky, Agnes tends her garden, one moment awash in sunlight, the next, darkened by threatening black clouds. A few steps away, in the same hillside park, the leaves turn red and orange on the vines of one of the city's oldest vineyards, still producing Chardonnay grapes. Centuries ago, these vineyards belonged to one of the abbeys that farmed the hills above Paris, irrigating their crops with the water of nearby springs.

Wandering through my neighborhood, I come across vestiges of that long-ago time in street names: rue des Cascades (waterfalls), rue de la Mare (pond) or rue Savies, named after an underground spring first mentioned in a document dating back to the 11th century. It was one of many still surging from sources beneath the hill where I live. With fields and vineyards located far from the Seine, the monks understood the value of these springs and watched over them as carefully as they did their crops, building springhouses and stone trenches with descending steps to control the water's flow.

They called each springhouse a "regard" because it was the place where monks could not only observe the workings of the source but also care for it. In rue des Cascades, a fine specimen still remains, a small building made from cut stone, with a sloped stone roof. Built in the early 17th century, known as "le regard Saint Martin," it protects Savies spring, which flowed naturally from its source until 1986, when the construction of an apartment building got in the way.

On a recent walk I found the door open and got to step inside. A local historian, holding a gas lantern, showed us the steps along which the spring flows, thick with lime deposits. This is very hard water, neither good for boiling or working up a sudsy lather. For centuries, however, it served agriculture and industry in the section of Paris known as Belleville.

Leaving the "regard" behind, we climb stone steps, crossing a small wood. Somewhere among the trees another springhouse is hidden. In the woods, leaves are falling, some orange, some bright yellow. Not yet five o'clock on a Sunday afternoon and already dusk is closing in.

In Paris, too, autumn has finally arrived. This is the urban version, where we can come across a micro-farm or a springhouse hundreds of years old. With luck, we may see some bursts of fall color and, above our heads, the expanse of a magnificent autumn sky.

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

MAHANOY CITY — Families and individuals visited the parish hall of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta Roman Catholic Church on Saturday to participate in making Advent wreaths for the season that begins today.

For the second year, the parish hosted a workshop to make wreaths used as a devotional in homes throughout the Advent season during the spiritual preparatory time before Christmas Day. Today is the First Sunday of Advent, which marks the first day of the new liturgical year in the Western Christian Church.

The two-hour workshop was organized by parishioners Debbie Walker and Bonnie Keff, who were available to answer questions for those who had never made wreaths before. The cost per wreath was $12, which included a gold plate and foam for the base, candles, ribbons, ornaments, live evergreen branches and an Advent Wreath Prayer booklet to be used daily throughout the season.

As the people entered, they were given the plate and foam to begin. Each wreath took about an hour to make. Each participant was asked to bring clipping shears to trim the branches to the sizes needed.

The Advent wreath’s origins go back to the pre-Germanic people who used wreaths with lit candles during the cold days of December as a sign of hope, according to an article by the Rev. William Saunders in the Arlington Catholic Herald. He also wrote that the Scandinavians lighted candles that were placed around a wheel to pray to the god of light to restore warmth and lengthen the days.

The Germanic people incorporated the wreath into the Christian season of Advent. The circular shape of the wreath is a representation of eternal life. The four candles — three purple and one pink/rose — are signs of light, with the purple candles, which are lighted on the first, second and fourth Sundays in Advent, indicating that the season is a time of prayer. The rose/pink candle is for rejoicing on the third Sunday, which is also called Gaudete Sunday.

The use of the Advent wreath didn’t become popular in Europe until the 19th century, and it became a tradition in the early 20th century in America when many German immigrants arrived in this country.

Participants took their places at tables with the materials needed to make the homemade wreaths, which used the evergreen branches and materials provided by Wendi’s Flower Shop, Mahanoy City.

Parishioners Christine, Abahgail and John Wiekrykas, along with Christine’s granddaughter, Mackenzie Billbe, all of Mahanoy City, participated for the first time this year.

“This is our first year doing this,” Christine Wiekrykas, who agreed that it was a great way to begin Advent, said. “We’re excited about doing this and getting the house ready, especially for tonight with the tree lighting in town. We’ll be going home to get the outside of the house a little more ‘Christmasy.’ ”

One of the two wreaths being made was for another person who asked Christine to make one.

“It’s nice to know we’ll be part of another family’s tradition,” Christine Wiekrykas said.

Ringtown resident Lynn Minalda and her son, Trevor, 9, were making three Advent wreaths — one for her home and for her mother and aunt. Minalda attended the first workshop and wanted to come back this year since it was fun.

“We were here last year and Trevor really enjoyed himself,” Minalda said. “We enjoyed having the Advent wreath in our home. If you look for commercial wreaths, you’re not going to find anything as nice as this.”

William and Tara Davis, Port Carbon, attended for the first time, bringing along their children, Kelly, Riley and Billy, for the family activity.

“My cousin is Monsignor Ed O’Connor, so he told us about this,” Tara Davis said. “He said to come up and try it.”

Walker was pleased on how everything came together for the second year. The idea is for the wreath making to become a parish tradition.

“It’s getting better and easier, and as you can see it’s a lot of fun,” Walker said.

“Sometimes you miss out on part of the season because you’re rushed at times,” Keff said. “You’re out buying gifts, but you have to prepare yourself spiritually. You start by doing this together. We’re all like family in our church.”

“What’s really nice is that it’s family,” Walker said.

The Advent wreath makers were encouraged to have the Rev. Kevin Gallagher, pastor, or another priest bless the wreaths.

n Ashland: Barry United Methodist Church, 858 Deep Creek Road, will sponsor Christmas Keyboards, holiday music on the organ, piano, electronic keyboard and combinations of the instruments, from 6 to 7 p.m. Dec. 7. The program is free and will also feature selections by the church’s choir plus congregational carols. Refreshments will be available following the program. For more information, call 570-640-9888.

n Ashland: The Ashland Area Rotary Club welcomed Brianna Boyer, a senior at North Schuylkill High School, as the student of the month during a recent meeting. She spoke to the Rotarians about her school and community activities and her plans for the future. This year, the club sold Costas candies as a fundraising project. The candy has been ordered and will be delivered Tuesday to the kitchen area of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. The club decorated the community Christmas tree and surrounding area on Nov. 23. The Santa parade and tree lighting were held Saturday.

n Frackville: The Frackville Museum, located in the Frackville Municipal & Community Center, Center and Oak streets, will have a Christmas open house from 1 to 4 p.m. Dec. 7. For more information, call 570-874-3531.

n Gordon: The Friends of Gordon will sponsor a Christmas tree lighting program from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Dec. 7 at Simpson United Methodist Church, 119 E. Biddle St. The free annual ceremony will include speakers, singing, a visit by Santa, hot chocolate and candy canes. For more information, call 570-875-1049.

n Hazleton: The Greater Hazleton Penn State Alumni chapter will offer photos with Santa Claus and the Nittany Lion from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in Pasco Schiavo Hall on the Penn State Hazleton campus. Some refreshments will be provided and people are encouraged to bring cameras to take extra family shots. Admission to the event is one new, unused and unwrapped toy to be donated to children at the Ronald McDonald House at Geisinger Medical Center, Danville.

n McAdoo: The McAdoo Fire Company will offer Operation Santa Claus throughout the McAdoo area and surrounding communities it serves. It will begin Thursday and conclude Dec. 7. To schedule a visit with Santa at your home, call Tony at 570-929-2642 to make a reservation.

n McAdoo: The McAdoo Community Civic Association will begin its “Season’s Greetings” program by sending Christmas cards to men and women serving in the armed forces. Anyone who would like a loved one to receive a card is asked to call Mary at 570-929-3658 with the service person’s address. Time is short if they are to receive the cards by Christmas, according to an association release. It does not matter if the service personnel are overseas or in America.

n Minersville: A Christmas presentation featuring Sounds of the Spirit contemporary choir will be held at 6 p.m. Dec. 21 at St. Matthew the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church, 139 Spruce St. The presentation will include Bernie Brilla on keyboard, Gary MacCready on sax, Kevin Miller on trumpet, Joe Neupauer on drums, Glenn Roberts on bass, Greg Senich on guitar and Dennis Sninsky on percussion. All are welcome.

n Shenandoah: As part of its traditional holiday project, members of the Shenandoah Rotary Club delivered ham dinners on Thursday to the residents of the Shenandoah High Rise and Shenandoah Village Apartments in place of the traditional turkey dinners. The residents of both sites were delighted to receive the meals, according to a Rotary press release.

n Tamaqua: A children’s Christmas party will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Tamaqua Public Library. Youngsters up to age 5 will be treated to cookies, snacks and drinks. There will also be crafts, reading time and a special visit. For more information or to register, call 570-668-4660.

CRESSONA — Schuylkill County Crime Stoppers and state police at Schuylkill Haven are looking for a man wanted for an aggravated assault and attempted vehicle theft that occurred earlier this month in North Manheim Township.

Police said the incident occurred about 11:30 p.m. Nov. 19 when someone tried stealing a truck belonging to John Andrachick, 64, of Pottsville, that was parked in the driveway of Cathy’s Dog Boarding and Grooming, 21 Beckville Road.

Police said Andrachick approached the person, who was sitting in the driver’s seat, and got into an argument. Andrachick dove into the truck and grabbed the wheel, but he fell to the ground as the person applied the gas pedal and drove in reverse over Andrachick’s left leg. The truck then traveled over a bank in the yard and got stuck. The person fled the scene on foot toward Panther Valley Road.

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

Callers are asked to refer to incident 11-30-14 when calling with information about the assault in North Manheim Township.

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

Individuals with information can also call state police at Schuylkill Haven directly at 570-739-1330.

All information received will remain confidential.

MINERSVILLE — The Minersville Railroad Station looked like it was pulled right from the pages of the classic Christmas story “The Polar Express” on Saturday, with snow on the tracks and crowds of people waiting to board the train.

The steam train rides with Santa Claus were sponsored by the Railway Restoration Project 113, a Minersville-based nonprofit organization, with the Reading, Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad in partnership with the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway.

“This year, the kids were able to look out the window and see the snow,” Robert E. Kimmel Jr., president of the Railway Restoration Project 113, said.

The train rides were held for the first time last year from the station at 113 E. Sunbury St., Minersville. Kimmel said the event serves as a way for Project 113 to give back to the community that has supported them.

Kimmel said the train rides were held for the second year because of the success last year and to give back to the community. It also served as an opportunity to show off all the work they put into restoring the engine over the years, he said.

“This is what makes it worthwhile for all the volunteers,” Phil Kania, a project volunteer, said. “We see people enjoying it,”

Two steam engines were used to transport seven passenger cars, a generator car that provided heat and a caboose. The train took three different trips to Schuylkill Haven and back, lasting about 70 minutes. Train rides were at 11 a.m., 1 and 3 p.m.

The CNJ 113, built in 1923, is owned and was restored by the Railroad Restoration Project and the No. 425, built in 1928, is owned by the Reading, Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad.

“That’s a rare sight,” Kimmel said. “You’ve got two vintage 1920s engines.”

Kimmel said each train can seat about 490 passengers. Each trip was near capacity.

“It’s a nice family outing,” Kania said.

“It’s something that you can’t do every day and the railroad was wanted to do it,” Kimmel said.

Adult tickets were $12 and came with a complimentary children’s ticket. Tickets for children ages 3 to 12 were $9 while children under 3 were admitted for free. Part of the proceeds went to the restoration project and some went to the railroad.

Dora Santarelli, president of the Minersville Area Historical Society, said the railroad station played an important role in the area’s history and was happy to see it still being used.

“This railroad station is 100 years old and has a lot of history to it,” she said.

The original ticket counter was being used to sell tickets once again Saturday, she said.

Sarah Purcell, Ashland, took her daughter, Penelope, 2, on her first train ride and to see Santa Claus.

“We want to do whatever we can as a family,” she said.

Jessica Bonner, Ashland, brought her son, Liam, 2, who loves train.

“I’ve never been on a train before,” Bonner said. “It was something new to experience.”

The Reading Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad will also have steam engine trips with the No. 425 locomotive at:

• Pottsville, today and Dec. 21, call 570-628-4647

• Schuylkill Haven, Dec. 13, call 570-385-1650

• Minersville, Dec. 14, call 570-544-8300

• Tamaqua, Dec. 20, call 570-668-5722

Trains will depart at 11 a.m., 1 and 3 p.m. For more information, visit www.lgsry.com or call 610-562-2102.

Deeds

Shenandoah — Kathleen E. Merchlinsky to Danny Brunette; 128 N. Chestnut St.; $5,000.

Joseph A. Delluso Jr., executor of the Estate of Joseph A. Delluso Sr., to Mary Helen M. Drumheller; 1039 and 1039 1/2 W. Centre St.; $1.

Joseph G. Groody, sheriff of Schuylkill County, to JP Morgan Chase Bank NA; 307 W. Poplar St.; $1,082.50.

Anna Mundy to Anna Mundy, Thomas J. Mundy Jr., Patricia McGovern and Stephen Mundy; 303 Furnace St., Turkey Run; $1.

Anthony J. Kilker

SHENANDOAH — A Mahanoy City woman charged in September with stealing from PPL while in West Mahanoy Township waived her right to a preliminary hearing before Magisterial District Judge Anthony J. Kilker.

Jessica A. Gavin, 37, of 113 W. Spruce St., was arrested by West Mahanoy Township police Chief Shawn Tray and charged with one count each of theft of services and criminal mischief.

By waiving her right to a hearing, Gavin will now have to answer to both charges against her in Schuylkill County Court.

Tray charged Gavin with tampering with an electrical meter at 170 Schuylkill Ave. that allowed her to steal electricity valued at $1,913.76 during two months in 2013 and three months in 2014.

Other court cases included:

Ethan C. Kennedy, 20, no address available — withdrawn by victims: terroristic threats, harassment and disorderly conduct.

Bryon Becker, 35, of 310 W. Columbus St., Shenandoah — withdrawn: theft and receiving stolen property.

Lainie Banghart, 39, of 639 W. Spruce St., Mahanoy City — withdrawn: simple assault and harassment.

Roxanne M. Babarsky, 21, of 332 E. Mount Vernon St., Shenandoah — withdrawn: harassment, terroristic threats and simple assault. Moved from misdemeanor offenses to citations.

Joel V. Carduff, 39, of 35 St. Paul St., Shenandoah — waived for court: possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Daniel L. Lopez, 18, of 221 E. Centre St., Apt. 2, Shenandoah — dismissed: receiving stolen property and driving while operating privileges are suspended or revoked.

Jason Oshman, 27, of 7 N. 10th St., Mahanoy City — withdrawn: disorderly conduct, terroristic threats, resisting arrest and public drunkenness. Moved from misdemeanor and summary offenses to citations.

Christopher M. Reed, 28, of 2 Grier Ave., Barnesville — withdrawn: possession with intent to manufacture or deliver a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance, purchase of a controlled substance by an unauthorized person and disorderly conduct. All moved from felony, misdemeanor and summary offenses to citations.

Jennifer Chinchay, 32, of 215 E. Coal St., Shenandoah — withdrawn: disorderly conduct and defiant trespass. Moved from misdemeanor and summary charges to citations.

Diane M. Kutsko, 45, of 320 W. Poplar St., Shenandoah — waived for court: possession of drug paraphernalia.

Jeffrey Miller, 40, of 826 E. Pine St., Mahanoy City — withdrawn: possession with intent to manufacture or deliver a controlled substance, false reports and purchase of a controlled substance by an unauthorized person. Waived for court: possession of a controlled substance and disorderly conduct.

Shannon E. Carduff, 35, of 35 St. Paul St., Shenandoah — waived for court: possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

David M. Dower, 28, of 8 N. Emerick St., Shenandoah — held for court: possession of drug paraphernalia.

Christina E. Hale

FRACKVILLE — A former Frackville woman charged with setting fire to the house she once lived in on Sept. 18 waived her right to preliminary hearing on five of six charges against her before Magisterial District Judge Christina E. Hale.

Melissa Raffensberger, 30, of 171 N. Third St., Mount Wolf, was arrested by Frackville police Patrolman Anthony Kankowski and charged with one felony count each of arson and risking a catastrophe and one misdemeanor offense of recklessly endangering another person, disorderly conduct and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Prosecutors withdrew the arson charges and Raffensberger waived the four remaining offenses to Schuylkill County Court

Kankowski said firefighters were called to the woman’s 138 N. Cherry St. home and found heavy smoke and fire. Officials searched for the woman inside the burning building, but she was located a short time later in a garage at East Frack and South Railroad streets.

The woman was taken into custody and returned to the police station where, after being read her Miranda Rights, admitted to setting the fire because of the house being a mess. Raffensberger said she set the fire so she didn’t have to clean the mess anymore.

The woman went on to say how she got a cigarette lighter, set the curtains on fire and then left the home after making sure the two dogs were outside, Kankowski said.

Other court cases included:

Michael J. Aimone, 55, of 18 Pump House Lane, Ringtown — dismissed: stalking. Held for court: eco terrorism, criminal mischief and harassment.

Brian J. Corbett, 34, of 225 Mahanoy St., Box 171, Nuremberg — waived for court: simple assault, harassment and criminal mischief.

Patrick J. Fogarty, 42, of 244 S. Wylam St., Frackville — withdrawn: burglary, criminal trespass, possession of firearms prohibited, terroristic threats and harassment. Waived for court: criminal mischief. Dismissed: terroristic threats, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and harassment.

Jeffrey A. Acy II, 23, of 523 W. Washington St., Frackville — waived for court: theft and receiving stolen property.

David R. Chuplis, 32, of 14 N. Line St., Girardville — withdrawn: terroristic threats. Waived for court: theft from a motor vehicle.

Michael J. McManus, 27, of 114 E. Main St., Girardville — waived for court: forgery, receiving stolen property and identity theft.

Matthew S. Dereskavich, 43, of 71 Chee St., Barnesville — held for court: aggravated assault, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and harassment.

Bradley C. Victor, 20, of 300 W. Main St., Apt. 2, Girardville — waived for court: possession of a small amount of marijuana and improper sun screening.

Jason T. Teel, 38, of 418 E. Norwegian St., Pottsville — withdrawn: false identification to law enforcement, driving without a license and driving with a suspended or revoked license.

Gavin M. Allen, 18, of 105 Reed St., Girardville — withdrawn: possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. Waived for court: possession of drug paraphernalia.

Janelle Chikotas, 38, of 210 W. Spring St., Frackville — waived for court: DUI, DUI-highest rate, illegal turns and failure to use safety belts.

MAHANOY CITY — The Christmas season officially kicked off in Mahanoy City on Saturday evening with a Christmas tree lighting, horse-drawn trolley rides and music in the downtown area.

Following the activities in and near the Service Electric Cablevision parking lot, the holiday activities continued at St. Cecilia Chapel where people could learn about “Christmas Around the World.”

The traditional lighting of the borough Christmas tree changed this year due to the loss of the permanent tree in the former Wachovia Bank, which had been removed during the construction of the Family Dollar. This year, a large tree in the Veterans Memorial Park was decorated with lights and lighted last evening. Since 1937, the borough Christmas tree has been provided by the Mahanoy City Social Club.

However, a second tree, dubbed the “Caroling Christmas Tree,” was ready to be lighted in the Service Electric parking lot. The tree was provided by the Citizens Fire Company of Mahanoy City for the festivities, with the West End Fire and Rescue Company using one of its trucks to provide its large lights to brighten the lot, which was filled with people who braved the below-freezing cold to kick off the season.

Just after 6 p.m., emcee Patti Schnitzius, a borough councilwoman, announced the arrival of Santa Claus, led by the Mahanoy Area High School Marching Band under the direction of Allison Kline and Eric Moucheron.

“Here comes Santa and the mayor, and we will light the 2014 Caroling Christmas Tree,” Schnitzius said.

Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus, along with Mayor Nancy Petritsch, moved through the crowd to the grandstand where Santa used his magic to light the tree. Santa didn’t stay around very long since he had an appointment to meet with many good girls and boys at the Teen Canteen building, the visit was sponsored by the Lambda Nu Sorority.

After the tree lighting, the crowd was treated to a variety of Christmas music by many groups and individuals, including the high school band, the Mahanoy Area Chordaires, the Mahanoy Area Elementary School’s Christmas play stars, two groups of the Mahanoy City CCD student, both accompanied by Kathy Wufsus on guitar. There was also performances by Valaria Pupko, Marie McElhenny, Kristen Nunes and Olivia Economy.

The program was slightly delayed from time to time due to the cold temperatures affecting some electronic equipment.

The evening include free horse-drawn trolley rides and the Humane Fire Company providing baked goods, hot chocolate and soups. Mahanoy City Senior Resource Center served homemade food, coffee and hot chocolate and crafts were sold by local residents, and the Mahanoy Area Historical Society was open for the evening.

At the end of the program, Schnitzius thanked everyone who helped with the event, including the fire companies, Service Electric and Tom Ward Electric.

About two blocks away, St. Cecilia Chapel was where the action continued with a variety of holiday-related activities. “Christmas Around the World” Traditions of Christmas was held by the ACTION Youth Group and the Mahanoy Area Ministerial Association, and the event drew many people. The ACTION members dressed in the cultural costumes of each country represented. As people entered the lower level, they were presented with a “passport,” which they presented at each station representing the following countries and regions: China, England, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Poland, Lithuania, India, Mexico, Netherlands, Scandinavia and the United States. Each station provided the “travelers” with fun facts about Christmas traditions around the globe.

Organizer Debbie Walker was gratified by the large number of people who attended.

“We’ve been working on this since September putting everything together,” Walker said. “It’s a process.”

About the passport idea, Walker said, “We thought that would be cool like they were going on a trip. Then they can look back on it and it could be a good memory for them.”

A petting zoo was positioned outside the building for children and adults to enjoy, with one pen holding small animals such as ducks and rabbits, and the other holding larger animals, including a donkey, sheep and goats.

At the upper chapel level, a Living Nativity was held, including a live baby as Jesus, with shepherds and angels around the manger. Another room held the gingerbread house contest entries, many of which were very creative.

Looking for that perfect Christmas gift, Jan Passo stopped in Marguerite’s Antiques for the first time Saturday.

“Every year on Small Business Saturday, I like to get out and go visit places I don’t necessarily walk into,” Passo, Pottsville, said.

Passo said it is a different experience to shop at small businesses.

“I think it’s the personal attention you get from the shop owners,” Passo said. “You will find a lot of places that have a lot of things, but small business owners add a personal touch. It’s the attention you get from people.”

The store, located at 8 S. Centre St., was just one of many businesses in Pottsville offering special sales for Small Business Saturday.

Promoted nationally by American Express, the event encourages people to shop small for the holidays at locally-owned, “mom-and-pop” stores. The credit card issuer has sponsored the initiative with advertising campaigns since 2010.

The Pottsville Business Association gave people that shopped at these stores a chance to win a $100 gift certificate. The drawing will be held Dec. 16.

Pottsville stores first registered for the campaign last year. Twenty stores participated with special promotions Saturday.

“It helps people realize there are still small businesses out there,” Darcey Ortiz, owner of Marguerite’s Antiques, said. “We really need the support of the community to keep our businesses going.”

Marguerite’s Antiques has been open in downtown Pottsville for about 15 years.

“We hope to get a person in here and keep them coming back,” she said.

Ortiz said people enjoy shopping at small businesses because they offer more than other stores and better customer service.

“I appreciate that myself,” she said. “I enjoy going where I feel appreciated. It’s easy to go to any store, but small businesses have better customer service and you feel more appreciated.”

The Pottsville Free Public Library, 215 W. Market St., joined the downtown area again in Small Business Saturday with a book sale and local author showcase. Thirteen local authors participated, signing copies of their books and giving presentations throughout the day.

Becki White, head reference librarian, said the library event fit perfectly with Small Business Saturday.

“You can’t get more small business than a local author,” White said. “We are just trying to offer more to the community and we have the space to showcase and introduce local authors.”

It was also a way to introduce the local authors to each other.

“It’s not just about the sales, it is a chance for local authors to talk,” John Sinisi said.

Sinisi, a former teacher at Penn State Schuylkill, was signing copies of his book “Too Many Motives for Murder.” He retired from teaching economics at the school in 2013. The murder mystery is his first work of nonfiction to be published.

“This is the style I’ve been reading my whole life,” he said.

The coupon sheets available at participating stores will remain valid until Dec. 14. For more information, visit www.downtownpottsville.com.

The state’s Public-Private Transportation Partnership Office invites the private sector to submit qualifications to develop clean burning compressed natural gas fueling stations at public transit agencies throughout Pennsylvania.

The private partner will design, build, finance, operate and maintain CNG filling stations at up to 37 transit facilities, including Schuylkill Transportation System.

“We certainly are interested in it,” David Bekisz, STS executive director, said Tuesday. “We understand the benefits of using it not only for clean energy, but for its cost effectiveness.”

The stations will be available to the public, according to the state Department of Transportation press release issued Monday. Each fueling site must provide access to CNG for public transit and other CNG vehicles.

PennDOT will also enter into a CNG supply contract with the selected partner and purchase agreements with each of the transit agencies. PennDOT will receive a portion of the fuel sales revenue, with the money being returned to transit agencies to assist with future capital projects.

Bekisz said STS is still gathering information on the project and looking at different options. STS has yet to start equipping CNG vehicles, he said.

“It is pretty much in its infancy,” Bekisz said. “Getting the fuel is the first step.”

In 2013, Pennsylvania became the second-largest natural gas producing state in the nation. The abundance of low-cost natural gas has driven electric and natural gas prices down nearly 40 percent since 2008, saving the average Pennsylvania resident nearly $1,200 annually in lower energy costs, according to the release.

After importing 75 percent of its natural gas just five years ago, Pennsylvania has become a net exporter of gas for the first time in more than 100 years.

“Natural gas is a valuable resource that provides affordable, cleaner options for vehicles in Pennsylvania,” PennDOT Secretary Barry J. Schoch said. “This project will ensure we can capitalize on this resource and also benefit the authorities that provide vital transportation services.”

The CNG filling station project coincides with the upgrades at the STS facility in the Saint Clair Industrial Park. State funding was announced for the $2.8 million project in June 2013. The possibility of adding the filling station has delayed the designs for the upgrades.

“The upgrade is back on the table and we will be moving forward with that, too,” Bekisz said.

The state P3 board approved the project Sept. 29 and PennDOT has hosted a forum for potential stakeholders. Gov. Tom Corbett signed the Public and Private Partnership for Transportation Act in July 2012. The law allowed PennDOT and other state agencies, transportation authorities and commissions to partner with private companies for developing, maintaining and financing transportation-related projects.

A seven-member Public Private Transportation Partnership Board was appointed to examine and approve potential public-private transportation projects. If the board determines a state operation or project would be more cost-effectively administered or delivered by a private company, the department or appropriate transportation agency can advertise a competitive request for proposal and enter into a contract with a company to completely or partially deliver the transportation-related service or project.

Interested proposers must submit, in hard copy, their statements of qualifications to design, build, finance, operate and maintain CNG filling stations by 11 a.m. Dec. 23 to the PennDOT Public-Private Transportation Partnership Office, P.O. Box 3545, Harrisburg, PA 17105. Submission requirements and additional information about P3 in Pennsylvania are available online at www.P3forPA.pa.gov.

I love December stargazing. There's magic in the air this holiday season and there's also magic in the Shamokin heavens, as these long nights are blessed with some of the best constellations of the year. Bundle up, get out that comfy reclining lawn chair, brush away the snow if you have to and enjoy the cold clear night delights.

Let the neighbors watching from a distance think you're a little nuts lounging in lawn chairs gazing skyward, but they're missing out on a great show. Why don't you invite them to join you? There's more to evening entertainment than what you can see on a screen. Keep the hot coffee or chocolate, or my favorite, hot apple cider, handy to keep your insides warm and enjoy these special starlit nights.

Another thing I love about December star watching is that you can get an early start. By 6 p.m., it's plenty dark enough; however, around Dec. 6, we'll have a high riding bright full moon blasting the sky with its reflected sunlight. Right around Dec. 10 or 11, when the moon rises later in the evening and isn't so full, true evening stargazing can resume.

Even before the end of evening this month, you might see the planet Mars in the low southwest sky. It will have a reddish tinge to it, but it's so close to the horizon that it's pretty much below the horizon by around 7 p.m. Forget about looking at it with a telescope; about all you'll see is a fuzzy dot. It's too far away and too close to the blurring effects of the air close to the horizon.

The planet Jupiter is still getting ready to put on a great show early next year, but for now, we won't see it until it rises above the eastern horizon after 11 p.m.

Despite the pre-winter chill, there are still signs of summer in the early evening western sky, where you can see the "Summer Triangle" of stars: Vega, Altair and Deneb, the brightest stars in their respective constellations. Deneb, a star at least 1,500 light-years away, is the brightest star in the constellation Cygnus the Swan, otherwise known by its nickname the Northern Cross. During the holiday season, the cross is standing nearly upright above the northwestern horizon. This is the last call for the Northern Cross and the Summer Triangle, because next month, the night side of the Earth will turn away from that part of space.

The great horse Pegasus is riding high in the south-southwestern sky with Cassiopeia the Queen, the one that looks like a bright "W" in the high northern sky. The Big Dipper is still very low in the northern sky, but you'll notice that from night to night, it will gradually get higher, standing diagonally on its handle. The Little Dipper is hanging by its handle above the Big Dipper, with Polaris the North Star at the end of its handle. Because Polaris is shining directly above Earth's North Pole, it appears that all of the stars in the sky revolve around Polaris once every 24 hours, including our sun.

The later you stay up in the evening the more you'll see of the best part of December skies rising in the east. By 8 to 9 p.m., you'll easily see Orion the Hunter, that wonderful winter constellation, rising in the east. Its calling card is the three bright stars in a row that make up Orion's belt. Preceding Orion are the bright autumn constellations Taurus the Bull, with the wonderful Pleiades starcluster, and Auriga, the constellation that looks like a lopsided pentagon with the bright star Capella. Auriga's supposed to be a retired chariot driver turned goat farmer. Just to the north of Orion is the constellation Gemini the Twins, with the bright stars Castor and Pollux in position on the forehead of the Twins. I call this part of the sky "Orion and his gang."

On the night of Dec. 13, the Geminid meteor shower peaks. On that night, there will be a last quarter (half) moon that will white out at least some of the meteors, but the Geminids are so bright and numerous it should still be a half-way decent shooting star show. I'll have more on the Geminids next week in Starwatch.

(Lynch is an amateur astronomer and author of the book, "Stars, a Month by Month Tour of the Constellations." Contact him at mikewlynch@comcast.net.)

Lawyers sworn in

Philip McCarthy, 36, of Cressona, and John C. Tabler, 31, of Pottsville, were among 22 recent graduates of the Widener University School of Law, Harrisburg, to be sworn in by Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice J. Michael Eakin at the historic Pennsylvania Supreme Court Chamber on Nov. 13.

Gold Award

Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania is pleased to announce Kayla Kasmari of Troop 31072, Saint Clair, has earned the Girl Scout’s highest honor, the Gold Award.

The Pottsville Area High School graduate completed her Gold Award project titled “Acting Workshop.”

The project, developed and executed by Kayla, brought life back to the art community by organizing acting workshops for young students.

“The most successful aspect of my project was seeing the children have fun while learning the basic techniques of acting,” Kayla said in a press release.

Kayla said she hopes that through her workshops she sparked a passion in the children, who will continue to develop art in her community. Kayla also found her passion through her project and decided to study education at Penn State Schuylkill.

The Girl Scout Gold Award challenges Girl Scouts in grades 9 through 12 to change the world, no matter how big or small their impact might be.

Kayla and other Gold Award recipients from across central and northeastern Pennsylvania will be honored at a special Gold Award luncheon in summer 2015.

Man gives check

Grand Master Justin Bailey and The Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, presented a check for $7,972.75 to Make-A-Wish Greater Pennsylvania and West Virginia for funds raised from June 2013 to June 2014. The group’s efforts also provided an additional $2,574.01 to Make-A-Wish® Philadelphia and Susquehanna Valley.

Bailey, a resident of Tamaqua, chose Make-A-Wish as his charity of choice for his yearlong term as grand master of IOOF. During his term, many IOOF lodges throughout Pennsylvania raised funds for Make-A-Wish.

Bailey also designed and sold a pin, as all grand masters have done for the past 20 years, to raise additional funds. The new grand master for the June 2014 to June 2015 term will also raise funds for Make-A-Wish.

Frackville police

investigate crash

FRACKVILLE — Frackville police investigated a crash that occurred about 7 a.m. Tuesday in the area of 101 S. Lehigh St.

Police said Kerry L. Long Jr., 25, of 322A W. Main St., Girardville, exited the Turkey Hill Minit Mart parking lot to turn right onto South Lehigh Avenue.

Long said he crossed the northbound and then his vehicle collided with a vehicle driven by Shannon O’Brien, 21, of 108 S. Balliet St., Frackville.

Long refused EMS treatment at the scene and was taken to Schuylkill Medical Center-South Jackson Street by private vehicle. O’Brien complained of neck and back pain and was taken to Schuylkill Medical Center-South Jackson Street by Frackville EMS, police said.

O’Brien said she was traveling north on South Lehigh Avenue in the left turning lane when the Long vehicle pulled out from between another vehicle directly into her path, according to police.

Police said Long will be cited for vehicles crossing a roadway and not wearing a seat belt.

Frackville firefighters assisted at the scene.