ASHLAND — When St. Charles Borromeo Roman Catholic Church reopens its doors later this month, parishioners and visitors will see a brighter interior, new lights, fresh paint and new statues with its traditional look preserved.

The church in Ashland was closed on March 29 to Masses and other services two days after Easter Sunday to allow employees of Bennington and Son, Scranton, to prepare the church for the interior makeover by covering the altar, pews and other items and erecting huge scaffolding to the 40-foot ceiling along the length of the church.

As the work continues, daily and Sunday Masses will be celebrated in St. Anne Chapel under the church, with the St. Vincent de Paul Worship Center in Girardville being used for funeral Masses.

Parish business manager Patrick Reilly spoke of the work being done while inside the church. There are sections of the ceiling and walls that cannot be seen due to the scaffolding, but enough showed to give an indication of what the interior will look like when finished. Reilly said the work is on schedule.

“I’m going to say about 75 percent is finished,” Reilly said as the sound of ventilation fans could be heard. “The front end (sanctuary) will be done last in order to keep the dirt down. We’re excited. It’s beautiful.”

Reilly pointed out what has been done, beginning with the new hanging lights to make the church brighter than what was possible with the floodlights inside the ceiling.

“The lights are LED. There are three switches per light, so we can light the center, which we call ‘candle’ for ambiance, and the ceiling will be washed by three spots, and there is a large light at the bottom that will come down to the pews,” Reilly said.

The apostles are depicted on the walls on both sides, and the new lighting will illuminate the artwork.

“That was something that we weren’t able to do before,” he said.

Reilly said the Stations of the Cross have been painted a greyish-white that makes them stand out from the walls.

“All of the coats of arms and murals that we’ve had along the walls will stay and we’ll illuminate those,” Reilly said. “We want the church to be a church. Beautiful.”

Reilly said the last time the church had work done inside was in the 1960s. He said the ceiling fans have been removed and will be replaced with an exhaust fan in the choir loft for circulation.

“The new fan won’t interfere with our new lights,” Reilly said.

Reilly said the new paint scheme was something that the late pastor, the Rev. John W. Bambrick, wanted.

“It was a real dream of Father Bambrick,” he said. “In fact, he signed the contract just days before he died. In my heart, this is a tribute to him.”

He said Bennington and Son had a professional designer who works in churches around the country.

“She spent about six hours matching colors and making sure everything is tied together, that there is a purpose for this and a purpose for that,” Reilly said.

The project has also included items from former church buildings of the parish that were closed in November when the new parish was formed — St. Mauritius in Ashland, Our Lady of Good Counsel in Gordon and St. Joseph in Girardville.

“There are a lot of things brought over,” Reilly said, pointing to a beautiful stained glass window of St. Mauritius from the church that was installed over the handicapped entrance at the courtyard.

“The statues of the Blessed Mother and St. Joseph were also brought over from St. Mauritius,” Reilly said. “The tabernacle came from St. Mauritius. There are candlesticks that came from St. Joseph in Girardville. There is an altar and many other things that are downstairs came out of Gordon (Our Lady of Good Counsel Church). There are more items. The altars as you see them now will be painted white. The altar now looks like marble, but it’s just painted and not that durable.”

The front doors will be replaced due to their age, and the carpeting on the stairs will be removed.

Reilly continued, “We’re quite excited. It’s going to be great. We have a new PA (public address) system. The vestibule is done, and the upper sacristy to our left is finished. The handicapped room on the right is also finished. So it is just a matter of this center being finished.

The parish has been without a pastor since the death of Bambrick on March 11. Monsignor William F. Glosser, dean of the Schuylkill Deanery and pastor of St. Clare of Assisi Church in Saint Clair, has been the administrator. According to Reilly, a new pastor will arrive on June 14 with the appointment of the Rev. Paul Rothermel, who is now pastor of Most Blessed Trinity Roman Catholic Church in Tremont.

“We only found out yesterday. He’s coming June 14, but we’ll see him around before that,” Reilly said.

The current building is the second church of the parish, which was founded as St. Joseph Church in 1856. The parish was established by Diocese of Philadelphia Bishop John Nepomucene Neumann, CSsR (1852–60), who was ordained a saint on June 19, 1977, by Pope Paul VI. The first pastor was the Rev. Michael Sheridan.

As the church membership outgrew the original church, the current church at Walnut and 11th streets was constructed, with the cornerstone being laid 130 years ago on Aug. 29, 1886. The church holds about 500 people.

As for when the church will reopen, Reilly said no specific date has been set.

“We’re looking at the end of June, if not before,” he said.

Misericordia

Misericordia University, Dallas, Luzerne County, recently sponsored the annual Student Research Poster Presentation Day in Sandy and Marlene Insalaco Hall on campus.

Nora Chan, Auburn, a senior medical imaging student, presented her research, “Closure of Atrial and Ventricular Septal Defects,” a study that assessed the benefits of using transcatheter closure for septal defects, more commonly known as a hole in the heart. Echocardiography, including ultrasound and X-ray, is used during the process.

Chan concluded transcatheter closures provide patients with a safe alternative that is less invasive than surgical closure, with less discomfort, and shorter hospital stays required.

The presentations were the culmination of research and work on a variety of topics by more than 180 students in the Colleges of Health Sciences, Arts and Sciences, and Professional Studies and Social Sciences.

Allison McIntyre, Ashland, was recently presented with the Mercy Charism Award at the 33rd Annual Leadership Awards Dinner in Sandy and Marlene Insalaco Hall at Misericordia University.

The award is presented in recognition of student leadership that represents the core values — mercy, service, justice and hospitality – of the Religious Sisters of Mercy, the founders of Misericordia.

Zachary Sabaday, Saint Clair, was presented with the Kitty Rooney ’50 Memorial Award for Outstanding Service.

The annual award is presented to a Misericordia University student who has been an asset to both the campus and regional communities by offering their service while enrolled at Misericordia.

Penn State

Gerardo “Jerry” Talamantes Jr., Saint Clair, a mechanical engineering major and Zachary Adams, Frackville, a political science and international affairs major at the Capital College Honors Program at Penn State University Harrisburg Campus, did a spring break service trip to Peru.

The trip included a rain forest expedition to the Ecotourism Lodge Posada Amazonas, where they studied the various species of Amazonian trees, specifically the Ceiba, one of the world’s largest trees. They explored the oxbow lake, Chimbados, to collect data on the river otters in support of the Frankfort Zoological Society Project.

In Puerto Maldonado, as part of a joint educational and environmental project, they worked alongside local students at the mouth of the Amazon Rainforest at the site where the new Transoceanic Highway passes through the region. Using their academic disciplines they provided data to the National Geographic database in an effort to enhance the project with new technologies.

As part of a cross-cultural skills training they visited a local community in Centro Nape and Ese’Eja to study the daily life of a small Amazon town and toured the local Macaw Project. Their service learning projects included the development of a new source of power generation for the local ecotourism lodge and the implementation of new policies regarding microfinance loans to stimulate the ecotourism industry to further the preservation of the rainforest.

To refine and test their service learning project they spent a day with key professors and students from Pontifical Catholic University of Peru in Lima. The project was a unique opportunity to engage with experts within the culturally and ecologically diverse Peru.

Gerardo is a son of Diane Bender and Gerardo Talamantes Sr., Saint Clair.

Zackary is a son of Dr. Richard and Michelle Adams, Frackville.

Wilkes

Wilkes University, Wilkes-Barre, and the Keystone Northeast Chapter of the Pennsylvania Society for Professional Engineers conducted the Order of the Engineer ceremony, inducting 55 Wilkes senior engineering majors into the order April 3.

Area students who were among those inducted include Cyril Shickora, McAdoo, Jacob Rakowsky, Frackville, and Zachary Sullivan, Pottsville.

Univ. of Sciences

Leah Evert, Orwigsburg, a doctor of pharmacy student at University of the Sciences, Philadelphia, was inducted into the Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society, a national honor society for first-year students.

Elizabethtown

Holly Sofka, Barnesville, was inducted into the Gamma Sigma Epsilon Chemistry Honor Society at Elizabethtown College.

Tyler Butkus, Barnesville, earned an Analytical Chemistry Award, Inorganic Chemistry Award and is a Gamma Sigma Epsilon Chemistry Honor Society Inductee in 2015.

Saint Joseph’s

Brianna Amos, Pottsville, a biology major, and Rachel Troxell, Pine Grove, a chemistry major at Saint Joseph’s University, Philadelphia, were inducted into the national liberal arts and sciences honor society, Phi Beta Kappa, during the spring semester.

Brianna will also participate in the summer scholars program at Saint Joseph’s.

She will work on a project titled, “Investigating the Expression of TERRA molecules in RNA:DNA hybrid structure in tlc 1 npl3 double mutants and tlc1 single mutants..”

The program, which runs from May until August, requires students to work exclusively with a faculty member to produce a written description of their research that will be published by the university, and to present their findings next spring during the Celebration of Student Achievement event.

Lycoming

Coral Chiaretti, Ashland, a junior mathematics major at Lycoming College, Williamsport, was one of the founding members inducted into the Omicron Delta Kappa honor society that was installed at Lycoming earlier this spring.

Tara Singer, Ph.D., the executive director for the national society, inducted the students and presented President Kent C. Trachte with the college’s charter.

A ccording to a popular proverb, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.”

For author Jodie Andrefski, it would read, “If at first you don’t succeed, learn the right way to do it.”

The Orwigsburg resident celebrated the release of her fourth book, “The Society,” a revenge plot young adult novel, in May.

But the journey to becoming a printed author wasn’t as easy as she expected.

Andrefski’s writing career began in 2010 when she started her first book, “Summer of Hope.”

“I can remember I wrote it and I thought, ‘Oh, you just write and I’ll send my manuscript out to one of the big publishers and they will say, ‘I love your work,’ and I’ll be the next J.K Rowling and be huge and successful.’ Obviously, it didn’t work out that way,” she said, referring to the author of the “Harry Potter” series.

Disheartened, she shelved the book but she couldn’t shake the writing bug.

“About a year later, I kept thinking, I really want to do this. I knew I wanted to write. I really still loved this story,” Andrefski said. “I pulled it out again. I actually then decided to do what I should have done the first time and research a little bit.”

This led to discovering a literary world on social media, specifically Twitter. Through this she made writer contacts, followed agents, joined writer groups and found critique partners and beta writers.

The next step was sending query letters to agents, which received good feedback. However, she opted to self-publish “Summer of Hope” and her second book, a follow-up called “Summer of Secrets.”

“Looking back at it, I kind of regret that decision because once you self published a work, you are not going to be able to traditionally publish it. They won’t take that story,” Andrefski said.

The reviews were favorable, with someone comparing it to “A Walk to Remember” by Nicholas Sparks.

Over time, Andrefski said she has learned to not look at reviews unless an editor says it is a great one. She admits, however, that it can be hard to fight the temptation.

“You can never please all the readers. People have told me don’t read reviews, just don’t,” she said.

Reviews are a necessity though, and not for just a boost to the ego.

“You want your readers to leave it whether it’s good, bad or indifferent. You want them to leave it because they have a right to their opinion,” she said.

This year, Andrefski celebrated the release of her two latest books, “The Girlfriend Request” and “The Society.” They were released by Entangled Teen, which is under MacMillan Publishing.

The route she took in receiving a contract is like a plot out of a book.

Andrefski entered a writing contest on Twitter called Pitch Madness, in which an author must describe the premise of his or her novel in one tweet, or 140 characters. Agents and publishing houses favor the tweets they like, but only on the day of the contest. If liked, the author sends a query letter and the first few pages of the manuscript to the agent or publisher.

Andrefski’s idea for “The Society” was liked by a few agents and publishing houses, including Entangled Teen.

“That’s how I ended up getting my contract,” she said.

It turned into a two-for-one deal. The editor asked to see more writing, which would end up being the young adult romantic comedy “The Girlfriend Request.”

“I ended up signing a contract for both of them in, like, a month,” she said.

“The Girlfriend Request” was released in January in digital form. The release of two books by the same author only months apart seemed strange, but there was an idea behind it.

Andrefski said the goal of “The Girlfriend Request” was to build her brand before the publisher dropped “The Society” in print form.

Now that both are available, the author is turning her sights on her next projects — another rom-com through the Entangled’s Crush line and an in-development science-fiction story.

“I’d like to branch out. I want to try something different, a little more challenging for me as a writer,” Andrefski said.

Right now, her challenge is balancing her time as an author, her full-time job in tech support and her life as a mother.

She said she finds time to write at night and on the weekends. Her job in tech support allows her to work from home, but it’s almost like working out of an office. There is no downtime for her personal writing.

“Even though I work from home, I have set hours. I have to get up in the mornings,” she said.

Even when not writing, she gets assignments from her editor such as blog writing and edits to her completed books.

For “The Girlfriend Request,” the editor said books in the Crush line are dual point of view. Andrefski wrote the book in the view of the girl only.

“That was a huge rewrite and it had to be done,” she said.

She didn’t realize how many eyes and hands would be on her books during the editing process. She said there is a lot of back and forth between editors that result in changes, additions and subtractions.

She said the final product is mostly still her voice but by the time the process is done it’s a voice she doesn’t want to hear anymore.

“By the time, honestly, that the book comes out I hate my own books because I’m so sick of reading them,” Andrefski said.

Despite juggling multiple hats, Andrefski said she was able to write “The Girlfriend Request” in four months and “The Society” in six months.

It also helps that she can turn to her daughter, Hope, 17, for help. She said she gives scenes and drafts to her for feedback.

“It’s great because I have a built-in beta reader in her,” Andrefski said.

Being a teenager, her daughter fits into the audience Andrefski targets with her writing. Although sometimes her daughter would like to join the other readers and experience the book when it’s released.

“She was like, ‘Mom, can you just write a book that I don’t know what’s going to happen before I read the whole book,’ ” Andrefski said.

Including her daughter, Andrefski said she gets support from her son, Corey, 25, and her parents. She said it took a while for some people in her family to realize she is a published author.

“I don’t know if my family gets that they are ‘real’ books, because they are like, ‘So, they are in a bookstore?’ ” she said.

Despite convincing her family that her books are, in fact, real, Andrefski said she has yet to see one of her books in a store. She will get the opportunity this week when she attends a young adult book festival Saturday at Barnes & Noble at Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia.

One part of being a published author that she likes is being able to give back to the writing community.

Andrefski is serving as a mentor for the Pitch Wars writing contest on Twitter and, locally, she will run a four-week creative writing workshop for teens and adults at the Orwigsburg Public Library in July.

Six years after starting her journey, Andrefski is expanding her brand in hopes of becoming a full-time writer. As she reflects back on her growing library, “Summer of Hope” remains the one that’s closest to her heart.

“It’s the first one I wrote. It’s my baby. I still love the story line and I learned so much writing that one,” she said.

GIRARDVILLE — Schuylkill County Crime Stoppers and Girardville police are asking for the public’s help in finding those responsible for a theft that was reported to police on April 9.

Police said the theft occurred at a home at 204 E. Main St.

James Martin reported someone stole 163 prescription pills along with $193 in cash, police said.

Martin said he had a female guest and her male companion for dinner but could not identify either person.

When the two left, he realized the medication and money was missing, police said.

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

Callers are asked to refer to case 06-05-16 when calling with information about the theft of medication and cash in Girardville. Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 877-TIPS4SC (877-847-7472). Callers can also relay their information directly to Girardville police by calling 570-276-6955 or the Schuylkill County Communications Center at 570-462-1991.

All information will remain confidential.

Pine Grove Area

Alyssa Carpenter and Breanna Mabry have been selected as seniors of the month for May for the Pine Grove Area School District.

Alyssa is a daughter of Roger and Fawn Sirbaugh, Pine Grove. She studies in the honors and advanced placement curricula.

Her high school activities include varsity cheerleading, competition cheerleading, SADD secretary, Class of 2016 secretary, FBLA, student council, varsity club and Big 33 cheerleader. She plans to attend Millersville University to double major in early childhood education and special education and minor in STEM.

Breanna is a daughter of James and Melissa Mabry, Pine Grove. She studies in the college preparatory curriculum.

Breanna’s high school activities include basketball, track and field, varsity club, prom committee, school newspaper editor, FFA and statistics club.

She plans to attend Alvernia University, Reading, and major in nursing.

Pottsville Rotary

Pottsville Area High School 2016 graduates Shelby Hahner and Mykaihla Sternick and Nativity BVM High School seniors Kaitlynn Esemaya and Adrian Datte were honored as Pottsville Rotary students of the month for March.

Shelby is a daughter of Edward and Melissa Hahner, Pottsville. She is a member of the National Honor Society, French National Honor Society, French club, Leo club, SADD and serves as president of Alpha Iota Delta and secretary of student council. She is a winner of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Leadership Award.

Shelby has been a member of track and field for four years, including being a league medalist and a district qualifier. She has been a four- year member of the majorettes, including serving as captain. She is a dancer at L.A. Dance Theatre, Saint Clair.

Shelby plans to attend college and major in elementary education with a minor in dance.

Mykaihla is a daughter of Christopher and Melissa Sternick, Pottsville. She is a member of the National Honor Society, French National Honor Society, Leo club, and serves as vice president of student council and secretary of Alpha Iota Delta.

Mykaihla is also a majorette and a dancer with L.A. Dance Theatre and is a performance/competitive team captain. She lettered in swimming.

She is proud to have been named a People to People Student Ambassador, and plans to major in anthropology on a pre-med track.

Kaitlynn is a daughter of Assumpta Allanah, Pottsville, where she attends St. Patrick Roman Catholic Church. She is a member of the National Honor Society and serves as treasurer of the Science National Honor Society and is a student ambassador.

She is also a member of the math, science, Interact, art and yearbook clubs, campus ministry and student government. She is a 2016 soccer scholar-athlete and also a blood drive organizer.

Kaitlynn plans to spend her summer as a junior volunteer at Geisinger Medical Center, and her future plans include majoring in biology to later become a pediatric neurologist.

Adrian​ is a son of Paul and Christine Datte, Pottsville, where he attends St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church and is active as an altar server. He has been active in many activities of the church over the years and participated in the parish’s annual dramatic stations of the cross.

Adrian is a member of the Interact, science, yearbook and ski clubs and campus ministry. He was a four-year member of the track and field and soccer teams, where he is a three-year letterman and serves as co-captain this year. He was also selected as a soccer scholar-athlete.

Adrian is a member of the National Honor Society and has received awards in art and sports entertainment and marketing. He completed the summer teen digital filmmaking program at the New York Film Academy, New York City.

He has received an A.J. Drexel scholarship and Westphal scholarship and he will be attending Drexel University, Philadelphia, to major in animation and visual effects to pursue a career in filmmaking.

It was a good story while it lasted: A 15-year-old boy discovered a lost city by theorizing that a modern star map would correlate with ancient Maya settlements. It seemed to fit the common understanding of the Maya as peaceful stargazers, centuries ahead of their time in astronomical observation and deeply mystical. It only makes sense they’d plan their cities to align with constellations.

The teenage scientist, William Gadoury, of Saint-Jean-de-Matha, Quebec, overlaid constellations and known Maya cities. When he found a gap where it seemed a settlement ought to have been, he consulted satellite imagery and found shapes that looked man-made. Suddenly, the lost city story went viral.

William’s story skyrocketed to the top of the global media’s trending topics.

The only problem is, he was most likely wrong.

David Stuart, a professor at the University of Texas at Austin and one of the world’s leading experts on the Maya, was among the first to raise an alarm. He argued that the square shape William saw on a satellite image of the Maya heartland was probably a fallow agricultural field. Since then, numerous other experts have cast doubts on William’s city, some even presenting evidence that what was aligned with the constellations was actually an old marijuana plot.

The rise and fall of this particular news flash is a perfect illustration of the way a hyperspeed media landscape can elevate speculative, unproven “facts” to prize-worthy status.

William deserves genuine praise for his initiative and drive. His hypothesis about how constellations relate to Maya cities may even deserve closer study. Certainly archaeologists, Maya experts and geospatial scientists have something to say to each other: Remote-sensing technology has enhanced archaeological ground surveys in spectacular fashion.

But so much else about this lost city story is cause for concern. We’ve come to value the thrill of the seeming breakthrough over the slower processes of analytical thinking and the importance of scholarly expertise.

Still, there are several positive take-aways from the lost city story. William’s enterprise should serve as a model for other aspiring scientists; he may well have a bright future as an archaeologist. And the excitement the public demonstrated about even a false lost city discovery at least proves that interest in ancient civilizations is very much alive.

There are, no doubt, lost cities left to be discovered. The best way to do it is to support and fund careful collaborations between down-in-the-dirt archaeology and all the other sciences that can enhance their work. When that effort lands on the real thing, we’ll have something lasting to share.

STEPHENNIE MULDER is a professor of art history and Middle Eastern studies at the University of Texas at Austin. She is a specialist in Islamic architecture and archaeology and a consultant on cultural heritage issues. She wrote this for the Los Angeles Times.

TAMAQUA — The valedictorian of Marian High School’s Class of 2016 has the utmost faith in her fellow graduates.

“We, the Class of 2016, are a powerhouse of innovation and brilliance,” Kaitlin Kowker said during Saturday’s commencement exercises at the Rush Township school. “I have no doubt that we are all bound to do great things.”

She asked her 82 fellow graduates to think about Marian “while we are out in the world doing these great things.”

“Remember where you came from and who you are. Marian Catholic High School has and will forever be a part of our lives. Marian is our foundation and our home,” Kowker said. “Take what Marian has taught us — to be dedicated students, faithful Catholics and wonderful people — into your futures. We are ready.”

The ceremony was held from the school’s gymnasium, which quickly filled with graduates’ family members and friends.

“Pomp and Circumstance” played as the class took their seats. In his invocation, the Rev. Joseph T. Whalen asked God to guard, guide and protect the graduates.

“They will soon embark on the next stage of their life’s journey,” he said in his prayer.

Salutatorian Connor Dodson reflected on four years at Marian.

“Whether it was having Jesus Jams, cramming the capitals of Eastern Europe before the map test, panicking over the next chemistry test, constantly getting Smoothwall in the computer lab, forgetting the lines for the play or studying for the AP exams, we stuck together, worked hard to attain the knowledge and the tools that we’ll need for the rest of our lives and became just like a family,” he said.

Dodson encouraged graduates to be proud of their accomplishments.

“The diploma that we’re going to receive today is much more than a piece of paper. It’s the culmination of years of blood, sweat and tears and one of our greatest achievements,” he said.

Diplomas and awards were conferred by Sister M. Bernard Agnes, I.H.M., the school’s principal; Justen D. Hackenberg, director of student services; and Teresa P. Sheer, director of studies/enrollment.

Agnes recognized students named to the Principal’s Academic Honor Roll, including Dodson, Kowker, Mark Buchinsky, Henry Hinchey, John Hurst, Maureen Kloap, Deaynna Koskulitz, Nicholas Kubishin, Courtney McCall and Amy McConnell. Dodson, Noah Goldberg, Dominic Mussoline, Teague Schmidt and Gabriella Rose Smith were recognized for perfect attendance during the 2015-16 school year, and Dodson, Mussoline and Smith were honored for perfect attendance for four years at the school.

To close her speech, Kowker said, “I wish you all the luck in the world. We finally made it.”

The remaining Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary — Agnes and theology instructor Sister Judith Trumbore — will not return to the school. The Chester County order announced late last year that it no longer had the personnel to staff the school. Despite the departure of the order, Marian will continue to offer a Catholic education.

Q: Why does Donald Trump think we should renegotiate the Paris climate agreement? And will he be able to pull it off if he’s elected President?

— BETSY EDGEWATER,

DAYTON, OHIO

A: In a May interview with Reuters, presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump dropped a bombshell on environmentalists: If elected, he would try to renegotiate the landmark Paris COP21 climate accord agreed to by 177 nations (including the U.S.) in December.

Calling the agreement “one-sided” and “bad for the United States,” Trump said he’s “not a big fan because other countries don’t adhere to it, and China doesn’t adhere to it, and China’s spewing into the atmosphere.” He added that if he takes the Oval Office, he would work to renegotiate the emissions cuts agreed to by the U.S. at a minimum. “And at maximum, I may do something else.”

Environmentalists immediately jumped on Trump, long a climate naysayer. “This is another example of Trump’s dangerous lack of judgment and the very real impacts it could have for all of us,” said Gene Karpinski, president of the nonprofit League of Conservation Voters.

Billionaire environmental financier and NextGen Climate founder Tom Steyer concurred, calling Trump’s denunciation of the Paris accord “short-sighted.” He worries that a Trump presidency would be “terribly costly” for the U.S. and would jeopardize the nation’s ability to lead the world out of its climate crisis.

But try as he might, a President Trump would have a tough time backing out of U.S. commitments under the Paris accord. For starters, a clause in COP21 forces any signatory nations to wait at least four years before withdrawing, meaning Mr. Trump couldn’t even disentangle the U.S. until his second term, if he makes it that far. And according to U.S. chief climate envoy Jonathan Pershing, regardless of the outcome of our presidential election come November, the other signatory countries would remain bound to the terms of the agreement whether Trump likes it or not — so “renegotiating” isn’t really an option.

But Trump could undermine American emissions reduction goals set forth in the agreement by overturning the Obama administration’s domestic Clean Power Plan, which aims to reduce greenhouse gases from U.S. electrical power generation by a third relative to 2005 levels within 15 years — and is an essential component in the U.S. plan to dramatically scale back emissions.

Adds Joe Romm of ThinkProgress: Trump’s “threat to blow up the only process we have to avoid multiple irreversible catastrophic climate impacts must be taken as seriously as his candidacy.”

EARTHTALK is a trademark of the nonprofit Earth Action Network. To donate, visit www.earthtalk.org. Send questions to question@

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Last month in Starwatch, I featured the Big Dipper which according to modern protocol is not considered an actual constellation but rather just the rear end and the tail of Ursa Major, the Big Bear. Currently the Big Dipper is hanging diagonally in the northwestern evening sky.

The four stars that outline the pot also outline the hind end of the Ursa Major and the Big Dipper’s handle is the stretched out tail of the bear. How the tail got stretched is a big part of the classic tale of the heavenly bears.

Ursa Major’s head is made up of three dimmer stars that form a skinny triangle just below the pot of the Big Dipper. These stars aren’t as bright as the seven stars of the Big Dipper but you should be able to spot them unless you’re really plagued by heavy pollution. Extending to the left of the head and derriere of the bear are his front and rear legs respectively. Both the front and back paws are marked by two closely knit pairs of stars.

The stars that make up the Little Dipper are the same stars that make up the Ursa Minor the Little Bear, also with a stretched out tail. At the end of the tail of the Little Bear or the end of the handle of the Little Dipper is Polaris, the North Star. It’s certainly not the brightest star in the night sky but it’s a pivotal star, (awful pun!)

Polaris marks the position of the north celestial pole. Polaris shines directly above the Earth’s North Pole so as the Earth rotates on its axis, once every 24 hours we see a reflection of that rotation in the heavens as all the stars revolve around Polaris. It’s as if the celestial bears are constantly circling their den!

Through the nearly 20 year history of this column, I told you the Greek/Roman mythology story about how the Big and Little Bear wound up in the night sky with stretched out tails.

Zeus, the king of the gods fell in love with Callisto, a widow who lost her husband in a war some years back. It would have been just fine but Zeus was already married to Hera, the queen of gods. Worse yet, Hera caught Zeus and Callisto together and promptly changed Callisto into a bear and she ran away on all fours off in the forest to live the life of bear.

Not only did Zeus lose his girlfriend but what made this even more of a tragedy was that Arcus, Callisto’s only child lost his mother. The poor kid had no idea what happened to his mom. All he knew was she was gone. Arcus grew up, living with relatives, into a find young man who fancied hunting ... and wouldn’t you know he loved hunting bears!

Sure enough, one day from his perch on Mount Olympus Zeus spotted Arcus aiming an arrow at a big mama bear. Thinking there was chance that this bear was actually Callisto, Zeus tore down to the scene with lightning speed. The bear was indeed Callisto. Zeus tried in vain to convince Arcus not to shoot his mother but the young man thought Zeus was nuts.

Just before the arrow flew from Arcus’ bow Zeus did the only thing he could and turned Arcus into a little bear. Once Arcus became a bear he recognized his mom and there were huge bear hugs.

Paranoid that Hera would catch him with the bears and pulverize his godliness, he grabbed both bears and flung them into the heavens by their tails greatly stretching them out in the process. I tried to make a long story but it’s difficult with this tale of the tails!

There are other stories about the stars we call the Big Bear but in just about all of them all there is to the Big Bear is the Big Dipper. One of my favorites comes from the Zunis, a native American tribe in western New Mexico, a land I’ve really come to love.

They see our Big Dipper as a great heavenly bear that patrols the night skies preventing the frozen gods from the north hauling in their cold icy winds. During the winter months, though, the bear heads below the horizon at that more southern latitude and the cold gods are free to have their way, blowing in bone chilling cold, snowstorms, ice, and more. By spring though the bear reappears in the evening sky and the cold gods quickly retreat northward and the land become warm and sunny again.

Another piece of Ursa Major lore really comes from the Basque region of Spain, but in this case the Big Dipper isn’t a bear at all or even part of a bear.

The story goes like this ... Two thieves broke into a farmer’s barn and stole a pair of oxen. The extremely upset farmer dispatched his housekeeper and a servant out after the thieves. He also sent along his errant bulldog who was suppose to be in charge of security.

After a few hours, the highly irritated and impatient farmer also joined the chase. This whole scene is graphically portrayed every night when you see the Big Dipper. The two stars on the right side of the pot section of the dipper are the two oxen. The two stars on the left side of the pot are the thieves. The next star to the left in the dipper’s handle is the servant followed by the housekeeper represented by the middle star of the handle. The last star in the handle is the furious farmer.

What about the dog? The pooch is a faint star you can barely see right next to the housekeeper star in the middle of the handle. Incidentally, we know the brighter housekeeper star as Mizar and the faint watchdog star as Alcor. See if you can spot the little doggie!

Celestial hugging this week

Mars and Saturn are still holding court together in the low southeast sky in the early evening. They’re both pretty close to their minimum distance from the Earth for this year.

(Lynch, an amateur astronomer and professional broadcast meteorologist, can be reached at mikewlynch@comcast.net)

A Minersville man will spend time on house arrest after admitting in Schuylkill County Court that he assaulted a borough police officer after being stopped for driving under the influence in May 2015.

Robert A. Hamm Jr., 34, must serve three to 23 months on house arrest with electronic monitoring and then parole under the terms of the sentence Judge Charles M. Miller recently imposed on him.

While he accepted Hamm’s plea and did not send him to prison, Miller had harsh words for the defendant.

“Don’t ever again cause any problems for police officers in this county,” Miller told Hamm.

Additionally, Hamm, who pleaded guilty to simple assault, disorderly conduct, DUI and failure to drive on roadways laned for traffic, also must pay costs, $1,025 in fines, $100 to the Substance Abuse Education Fund and $50 to the Criminal Justice Enhancement Account under the terms of Miller’s sentence. Prosecutors withdrew charges of aggravated assault, stop sign violation and careless driving as part of their agreement with Hamm.

Minersville police charged that Hamm was DUI to the extent that he was incapable of safe driving, and then assaulted Patrolman Earl Johnson on May 3, 2015, in the borough.

Miller told Hamm he would not have accepted the plea agreement if the police had not approved it. He also reminded Hamm that police officers are people and not merely targets for his anger.

“These guys are out there working,” Miller said. “They’ve got a family to get home to.”

Elizabethtown

Jared B. Lescavage, Pottsville, graduated May 14 from Elizabethtown College with a bachelor’s degree in environmental science and minor in engineering design. He made the spring semester dean’s list with a 3.79 GPA.

A 2012 Pottsville Area High School graduate, he is a son of William and Michelle Lescavage, Pottsville, and a grandson of Frank and Maryann Fetterolf, Pottsville.

Nazareth

Haley Phillips, Valley View, graduated May 8 from Nazareth College, Rochester, New York, with a doctoral de-gree in physical therapy during the 89th commencement at Blue Cross Arena.

IUP

Jillian L. Wagner, Schuylkill Haven, formerly of Barnesville, graduated cum laude from Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a degree in nutrition/dietetics from the school of Health and Human Services. She also was named to the dean’s list for the spring semester.

She will return to IUP in the fall to complete her dietetic internship and to pursue a master’s degree in nutrition and dietetics. She plans to become a registered dietician.

A 2012 graduate of Mahanoy Area High School, she is a daughter of Sharon Davis Wagner, Schuylkill Haven, and Jeff Wagner, Hometown.

Clarion

Danielle Savitsky, Frackville, graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in speech language pathology at Clarion University, where she will pursue a master’s degree in speech language pathology. She made the spring semester dean’s list with a 4.0 GPA.

A 2012 graduate of Nativity BVM High School, she is a daughter of Robert and Asseneth Savitsky, Frackville.

King’s

The following local students graduated May 22 from King’s College, Wilkes-Barre, with bachelor’s degrees:

Bret K. Ruch, Lykens, criminal justice; Samuel A. Reiley, Auburn, environmental studies; Nina A. Norwich, Shenandoah, psychology; Connor P. Deffley, Zion Grove, biology; Thomas M. Hagenbuch, Delano, biology; Kelly L. DeCosmo, Shepp-ton, psychology; Andrew J. Hubiak, New Philadelphia, accounting; Zachary G. Motil, Zion Grove, accounting; Emily Gene Oakill, Pottsville, management.

Lock Haven

Danielle N. Polansky, Minersville, graduated May 7 magna cum laude from Lock Haven University with a bachelor’s degree in health science. She will attend graduate school to continue her education to become a physician assistant.

A 2012 Minersville Area High School graduate, Danielle is a daughter of Lisa Polansky, Minersville, and the late Daniel Polansky, and a granddaughter of Thomas and Carol McGovern, Branchdale, and Russ and Maryann Polansky, Minersville.

Millersville

The following area residents graduated May 7 from Millersville University during the May 7 undergraduate commencement ceremony:

Olivia Brill, Pine Grove, bachelor’s degree in mathematics; Matthew Dietrich, Pine Grove, technology education; Brittany Filiziani, Ringtown, biology; Krista Fogarty, McAdoo, geography; Kody Griffith, Pottsville, biology; Joshua Hay, Hamburg, economics; Emily Kaledas, Saint Clair, biology; Tiana Kelly, Tower City, psychology; Kevin Piaskowski, Frackville, computer science; Rebecca Potts, Schuylkill Haven, social work; Jolene Stankiewitch, Schuylkill Haven, music education; Angelica Todero, Pine Grove, earth sciences; Mary West, Auburn, social work.

In recent county court action, Judge Charles M. Miller accepted guilty pleas from, and, pursuant to agreements between prosecutors and defendants, imposed the indicated sentences on, these people:

Steven J. Brilla, 22, of Pottsville; two counts of driving under suspension-DUI related and one each of fraudulent or altered documents, fleeing or eluding police, failure to keep right, possession of drug paraphernalia and false identification to law enforcement; 60 days to 12 months in prison, 11 months consecutive probation, $2,025 in fines, $100 Substance Abuse Education Fund payment, $150 in Criminal Justice Enhancement Account payments and $150 in bench warrant fees. Prosecutors withdrew charges of operating vehicle without required financial responsibility and operating vehicle without valid inspection.

Phillip S. Cartwright, 23, of Pottsville; identity theft, access device fraud, theft by deception, possession of drug paraphernalia and public drunkenness; 18 months probation, $100 fine, $100 SAEF payment, $100 in CJEA payments and $187.54 restitution. Prosecutors withdrew a charge of receiving stolen property.

Alexander T. Cole, 24, of Pottsville; retail theft; 18 months probation and $50 CJEA payment. Prosecutors withdrew a charge of receiving stolen property.

Michelle M. Darosh, 31, of Port Carbon; delivery of a controlled substance and possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance; two days to 12 months in prison with immediate parole, 12 months consecutive probation, $200 in SAEF payments, $100 in CJEA payments, $226 restitution to the state police crime laboratory in Bethlehem and submission of a DNA sample to law enforcement authorities. Prosecutors withdrew two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia, one of possession of a controlled substance and an additional count of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance.

Miranda L. Gibble, 26, of Pottsville; retail theft and possession of drug paraphernalia; 23 months probation, $100 SAEF payment, $150 in CJEA payments, $50 bench warrant fee and $60 restitution.

Timothy E. Ginther, 44, of Orwigsburg; DUI; six months in the intermediate punishment program, $1,000 fine, $100 SAEF payment, $60 restitution to Schuylkill Medical Center-South Jackson Street and 20 hours community service. Prosecutors withdrew charges of careless driving and seat belt violation.

Brendan M. Gray, 26, of Minersville, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia; 12 months probation and $100 SAEF payment.

Eric R. Schappell, 31, of Seltzer; retail theft; 23 months probation and $50 CJEA payment.

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

DEER LAKE — David B. Crouse recalled how he used to drive up Sculps Hill Road in West Brunswick Township in the early 1970s to visit the world-renowned boxer known as “The Greatest.”

“We used to jog together with other friends of ours. And he used to invite us up to see reel-to-reel tapes of different fights. I remember watching a lot of Jack Johnson tapes. He tailored his style and his fighting ability after Jack Johnson,” Crouse, 60, of Deer Lake, said Saturday.

As news about the death of Muhammad Ali swept across the world Saturday, people who remember how the heavyweight boxing champion trained in the Deer Lake area shared their memories. More than 50 people drove up to the former Ali camp — which is privately-owned and closed to the public — to pay their respects.

“We live in Orwigsburg. This area has always had this connection to Muhammad Ali. And seeing the news reports today reminded me of it, this training camp up here. I’ve heard stories about this place. Anyone who’s lived here long enough has a story about Muhammad Ali being in Pottsville or Deer Lake. They’re almost legends,” said Jason Swick, 40, who was at the camp Saturday with his daughter, Maddie, 12.

They were given a tour of the one-story, 3,000-square-foot gym where the champ trained.

There are boulders decorating the camp and painted on them are names of fighting champions. On Saturday, sitting atop the one dedicated to Sonny Liston was a bouquet of flowers and a note: “RIP Champ.”

Last week, Ali experienced respiratory problems and was hospitalized in the area of Phoenix, Arizona. He died Friday at age 74. A funeral will be held in his hometown, Louisville, Kentucky, according to The Associated Press.

Memories

Ali started training in the Deer Lake area in the late 1960s, according to Crouse.

“He fought Ernie Terrell in the mid-1960s. Ernie Terrell trained in Deer Lake for that fight. Ernie Terrell was tall. I remember as a kid I was sitting on the school bus and saw Ernie Terrell jog by. He was, like, 6-3 or 6-4. Of course, Ali beat Ernie Terrell. After that fight, Bernie Pollack brought Ali into Schuylkill County. And Ali — who was known as Cassius Clay at that time — started training at the Pollack mink farm,” Crouse said.

“Ali liked the area and the fresh air, the mountain air,” Crouse said.

But Ali had other ties to the area. For example, his former business manager, Gene Kilroy, was a Mahanoy City native, according to newspaper archives.

“When he started training at the mink farm, I was about 9 years old. Ali was training at the mink farm and I used to ride my bike over there and got to know him. I’d be in there all day. One time my dad came driving over to look for me,” Crouse said.

In 1972, Ali bought land on Sculps Hill Road from Pollack, owner of Pollack Furs, a boxing enthusiast who had hosted Ali at his Deer Lake farm.

Don Snowell, 53, of Mar Lin, was at the former camp Saturday. He said he and his family traveled to the camp “in 1970 or ’71” to meet Ali.

“He’s been a good friend to my family since I was 8 years old. When we first came here, there were only trailers here,” Snowell said.

Rosemarie Modesto, Deer Lake, said Ali and his entourage used to stop at the former Deer Lake Inn for dinner.

“I waited on Muhammad Ali and Bundini, his spiritual advisor,” Modesto, 67, said referring to the late Drew Bundini Brown.

“This was around 1973 or 1972. He was always nice and kind. I remember he’d eat fish. He liked to order fish, probably broiled. He ate very healthy,” she said of Ali.

“When you met him, it didn’t feel like he was this big celebrity coming in. He just didn’t make you feel that way. He was always very nice, very nice to wait on. And his whole entourage that he came in with, they were always very pleasant to wait on,” she said.

Modesto remembered seeing Ali jogging in the neighborhood.

“He’d jog on Drehersville Road. I saw him a couple times there,” she said.

Modesto is the wife of Deer Lake Mayor Lawrence L. Kozlowski.

Ali trained at the camp on Sculps Hill for some of his most famous fights, including the “Rumble in the Jungle” against George Foreman and the “Thrilla in Manila” against Joe Frazier.

“As they developed the area and built the training camp up at Sculps Hill, I used to go up there all the time and spent time up at the camp,” Crouse said.

In particular, Crouse remembered watching Ali train for a non-title boxing match against Joe Frazier, “Super Fight II,” which took place at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Jan. 28, 1974. Ali won by unanimous decision.

Visiting Pottsville

On Saturday, Keith Semerod, 61, of Pottsville, remembered the time Ali took him to see Martin Scorsese’s “Taxi Driver” at the former Capitol Theatre in Pottsville.

“He was a friendly, outgoing, really verbal, talkative guy. He had no sense of entitlement. There was no standoffishness. And he wasn’t a reclusive guy. He wanted to be out and about,” Semerod said, describing Ali.

“The first time I met him was at the Coney Island downtown. A friend and I were going to the movies to see ‘Taxi Driver,’ and we stopped in there to get hot dogs, and the only people in the place were Ali and Angelo Dundee,” Semerod said, referring to Ali’s boxing trainer.

“So I got a napkin and asked Ali to sign it and he did. They had just finished eating and they asked us what we were doing. And we said we were going to the movies to see ‘Taxi Driver.’ Ali asked us what it was about. What limited stuff we knew about it we told him. And he said to Dundee, ‘Let’s go to the movies with these guys,’ ” Semerod said.

“And we went across the street. It was, like, a 7 o’clock showing on a weeknight and there were, like, maybe, eight other people in the theater. He paid for the tickets and we went in and watched the movie with him,” Semerod said.

In 1978, Semerod got the opportunity to travel to the Sculps Hill camp to watch Ali train.

“I remember talking to him about how he met The Beatles, and I saw Kris Kristofferson there,” Semerod said.

During a visit to the camp on March 24, 1978, the boxer demonstrated his skills as a magician and called on Semerod to assist.

“I was sitting on the ring with him. He would pull ribbons out of my ears, that type of stuff,” he said.

Photographers snapped pictures. A week later, Semerod saw one in an issue of Sports Illustrated.

“It was amazing to me that the photo taken that Friday would be in the magazine and on the newsstand less than a week later,” Semerod said.

A local celebrity who had the honor of meeting Ali at the training camp in the 1970s is Pat Garrett, Strausstown, Berks County, singer, songwriter and entrepreneur who owns the Pat Garrett Amphitheater and Sickafus Sheepskin, both in Bethel, Berks County.

“It was in the ’70s sometime. I was up there to watch him train. He came down to the sheepskin shop a couple of times. He was very nice, you know. When I first reached out to shake hands with him, I thought ‘this is going to be a bear handshake.’ But it was very gentle. And I thought, I guess he doesn’t have to prove anything. He was very cool,” Garrett said Saturday.

The camp’s future

In 1990, Crouse had the opportunity to visit the camp to introduce his children, Brian and Jason, to the legendary boxer.

“He was a kind, generous and humourous man. He was a neat guy to be around and listen to. He used to give different tours of his cabins at the camp and he’d say, ‘When I turn the lights off in my cabin, I’m so fast I’d be in bed before the room gets dark,’ ” Crouse said.

Crouse is the president of Deer Lake Borough Council.

In 1991, Ali again visited the camp and announced plans to convert the property into a Muslim retreat and summer camp for underprivileged children. But the plan did not come to fruition, according to The Republican-Herald archives.

Ali and his family owned the property from June 7, 1972, until July 21, 1997, according to the online Schuylkill Parcel Locator.

In 1997, Ali sold the camp to George A. Dillman, Reading, a renowned karate expert, for $100,000. For a time, Dillman turned it into a bed and breakfast.

Dillman, originally from Schuylkill Haven, worked out at the camp with Ali from 1972 to 1975. Dillman could not be reached for comment Saturday.

But his son, Allen Dillman, 51, traveled out to the former training camp Saturday and opened the main cabins for visitors who came out to pay respects.

“He never kept it open as a bed and breakfast because he got so busy teaching martial arts around the world,” Allen Dillman said of his father.

But George Dillman hosts martial arts camps there from time to time, his son said.

The “roughly 5.8-acre property” has been on the market for “five or 10 years,” Allen Dillman said.

“I’m looking for investors. I’m looking for someone to help me buy it. It’s going for $495,000. The price used to be higher, and they started lowering it with the economy going bad. I want to buy it and reopen it and restore it and turn it into a bed and breakfast,” Allen Dillman said.

The gym at the camp features a collection of Ali memorabilia, including framed photos of celebrities with Ali.

“Here’s Howard Cosell. Over there you’ll see The Jackson 5 down there on the wall. And if anybody doesn’t know it, if you look in the office you’ll see Ali’s desk and his original typewriter in there,” Allen Dillman said as he gave tours.

Also inside the gym is a 1998 mural by the late David W. Naydock, Pottsville, of Ali in the ring.

In July 1997, according to an article published in The Republican-Herald at the time, the camp included 18 log buildings: six homes, eight one-room cabins, a chapel, the gym, a five-horse barn and a hay storage barn.

Allen Dillman and Snowell said they are looking into the possibility of holding a memorial service for Ali at the camp in the near future.

Anthony J. Kilker

SHENANDOAH — A 20-year-old Shenandoah man charged by Shenandoah police with starting a brush fire in the borough on April 17 had charges against him held for court during a preliminary hearing before Magisterial District Judge Anthony J. Kilker.

Cody A. Filer, 330 E. Centre St., was arrested by Shenandoah police Patrolman David Stamets and charged with felony arson, conspiracy, causing a catastrophe, risking a catastrophe and criminal mischief; misdemeanor charges of recklessly endangering another person and false reports; and summary offenses of criminal trespass and dangerous burning.

Kilker determined the commonwealth proved a prima facie case and ordered all nine charges against Filer held for Schuylkill County Court.

Stamets said Filer and another man set a fire in a wooded area east of East Washington Street after deciding to light brush on fire instead of a building.

As the investigation continued, Stamets said, Filer was taken into custody on May 13 and said he and the other man went into the woods but that he gave him his lighter and the other man lit the fire.

When interviewed prior, the other man reported being with Filer but that Filer lit a pile of debris ablaze causing the fire to spread.

In an unrelated case, Kilker held charges of possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia against Filer to county court as well.

Other court cases included:

Michael T. Dower, 20, of 72 Park Place Road, Mahanoy City — waived for court: possession of drug paraphernalia.

Danny Malave, 27, of 133 Pioneer Road, Shenandoah — withdrawn: disorderly conduct.

Zachary S. Yeakel, 20, of 361 S. West St., Shenandoah — withdrawn: possession with intent to manufacture or deliver a controlled substance. Waived for court: possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Charles L. Lindenmuth, 44, of 403 W. Cherry St., Shenandoah — waived for court: DUI, DUI-highest rate and disregard for single traffic lane.

SCHUYLKILL HAVEN — As more than 120 people geared up to embark on the 18th annual Schuylkill River Sojourn on Saturday, Bradley Maule readied his cameras.

“It’s a Nikon Coolpix AW130. It’s a little waterproof, shockproof thing. I also have an iPhone 6s,” said Maule, Philadelphia, who was easy to spot since he wore a bright red Phillies cap.

The 39-year-old photographer is going on the 112-mile journey, which will conclude Friday at the Philadelphia Canoe Club. On the way, he plans to assemble a photo essay, mapping out “trash hot-spots” along the Schuylkill River.

Before the boats sailed out from Island Park in Schuylkill Haven just after 9 a.m. Saturday, Maule snapped a few pictures.

“There’s a discarded soda bottle over there,” he said.

“I’ll be posting photos a couple times a day on Instagram — my own account @mauleofamerica and on SAN’s (Schuylkill Action Network) @schuylkillwaters. I’ll also be filing daily reports for each of the seven days on my website, phillyskyline.com. The pre-Sojourn intro post is live now,” Maule said.

“The message is less ‘we need to have more cleanups’ and more ‘we need to stop littering in the first place — on streets, in the woods, on the river.’ And the message is for everyone, but especially the folks outdoors,” Maule said.

Previously, Maule drew attention to littering through his “One Man’s Trash” project and exhibition at Fairmount Water Works in 2015, Virginia Vassalotti, the Schuylkill Action Network specialist for the Partnership For The Delaware Estuary, Wilmington, Delaware, said in a press release.

“Every week for a year Maule went on three-hour hikes in Wissahickon Valley Park, picking up all the litter he could physically carry out. He found nearly 4,000 objects including the expected beer cans and potato chip bags, but also the unexpected pregnancy tests — three of them — and air fresheners — also three. Most notably, though, was the prevalence of single-use plastic water bottles,” Vassalotti said.

Maule said this is the first time he’s participated in the sojourn.

He will be the first “sojourn steward,” a position sponsored by the Schuylkill Action Network, Vassalotti said.

The sojourn is organized by the Schuylkill River National & State Heritage Area.

“Our partners, the Schuylkill Action Network, have arranged for us to have our first sojourn steward on board. Bradley Maule will spend the week paddling and documenting trash problem areas on the river, drawing attention to litter issues,” said Laura Catalano, communications director for the Schuylkill River National & State Heritage Area, based in Pottstown.

“A record number, 79, will paddle the entire 112-mile, week-long journey. For safety reasons, only 100 to 120 boats are allowed on the water per day. For the second consecutive year, each day is filled to capacity,” Catalano said.

“We have people coming from nine states this year. And later this week, someone will be joining us from New Zealand. So in our 18 years, we’ve had paddlers on the sojourn from 25 states and four countries,” Silas Chamberlain, Schuylkill River National & State Heritage Area executive director, said.

Local dignitaries who gathered to see the paddlers off at Island Park included Schuylkill County Commissioners George F. Halcovage Jr. and Gary J. Hess and Schuylkill Haven Mayor Mike Devlin.

The paddlers stopped at Auburn for lunch, then continued on to Port Clinton. “About 115” participants will continue on from Port Clinton at 9 this morning, Catalano said.

They included newcomers to the sojourn, like Lucy Murray, 18, of Pottsville, who graduated from Pottsville Area High School on Thursday.

“I’ve kayaked before, about six times before this. But this is my first time ever with the sojourn or on the Schuylkill. I figured since I’m going off to college in the fall I wanted to do something exciting in Schuylkill County before I leave. And today is my 18th birthday. So I figured this would be a good way to celebrate. It’s the 18th sojourn and it’s my 18th birthday,” Murray said.

She said she plans to study international relations at Tulane University, New Orleans.

She was accompanied on the sojourn by Alex Albertini, Pottsville.

“I’m hoping to learn more about the Schuylkill River, more about kayaking and more about camping,” Murray said.

“This is our third consecutive year on the sojourn,” said Patty Pezely, Valley Forge, who was there with her husband, Joe. They will be on the water for four of the seven days.

They paddled in a 17 1/2-foot Trinidad kayak by Dagger, Joe Pezely said.

What’s interesting about the trip, Patty said, is how the scenery changes from day to day.

“Up here, you see nature and some prettier views. And as you go toward Conshohocken, the area becomes more industrial. And if you paddle all the way to the end of the sojourn, you’ll see the city and the beautiful skyline,” Patty said.

Let’s play a game.

Imagine there’s been steady rain for the past few days that has caused some localized flooding. You’re driving along and come to a water-covered roadway. It appears to be about 3 or 4 inches deep and covers both sides of the road for about 50 feet. It’s muddy and not moving but just sitting there. You think you could drive through it safely and besides, taking another route would be an inconvenience. What do you do?

The correct answer may not be your first instinct. Before you head into the water, do you know what’s in or under it? The danger could be above or below the road surface. It could be an intact road surface but the water could also be hiding a downed power line, a dangerous sinkhole, a weakened road ready to collapse or other unseen hazards.

Sinkholes are common in Schuylkill County and they can be surprisingly deep. You may remember the 60-foot deep sinkhole in 2006 that swallowed two traveling vehicles outside Frackville. Imagine falling into a hole and having another vehicle land on top of you. That wasn’t the only instance in recent history.

A 35-foot sinkhole opened up a road near Tamaqua in 2008. Both holes were caused by rain and mine subsidence. However, the hole doesn’t have to exist before you get to it. The weight of your vehicle could be enough to open a damaged road surface and swallow you both. Is driving through a covered roadway worth the risk? The answer is no.

People underestimate the force and power of water. Did you know that a mere 6 inches of fast-moving water can knock over an adult and possibly move a small vehicle, and 12 inches can move most vehicles?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over half of all flood-related drownings occur when a vehicle is driven into hazardous flood water. The next highest percentage is due to walking into near flood waters which can also hide dangers like fast-moving glass and metal shards, sewage and contaminants and snakes.

“Turn Around Don’t Drown” is the slogan for the National Weather Service’s flood warning campaign.

Our towns do a great job of keeping our roadways safe and installing barriers in dangerous flooded areas as soon as possible. Never ignore warning barriers.

But you may come across a roadway that hasn’t been closed yet. Just because there are no barriers doesn’t mean the road is safe. Use common sense. It is never safe to drive or walk into flood water, whether it’s fast moving or calmly laying there. Turn Around Don’t Drown. Or fall into a sink hole, or come in contact with a downed power line. And please be kind and report any suspicious roads to the authorities.

Community self-preparedness is a vital step to a resilient community. This writer is a former chair for Schuylkill County Citizen Corps Council, with years of preparedness training and presentation experience.

We’ll be partnering with the Schuylkill County Emergency Management Agency to present a free seminar on this and other emergency-preparedness topics at 6 p.m. Aug. 29 at the Terrence P. Reiley Community Center in Pottsville. Learn your local hazards, planning tips for major weather-related disasters, what to do before, during and after an event, sheltering in place vs. evacuation, recovery and coping. Home fires will also be discussed.

The relaxed presentation is free and recommended to individuals, organizations, church groups and anyone who wants to better understand how to keep themselves, their family and property safer. One hour of your time can help you to prepare for the unexpected. Isn’t that worth the investment?

Seating is limited, so call this office at 570-628-1426 or email jjohnston@co.schuylkill.pa.us to reserve your seat today.

Mark your calendars. Tamaqua Summerfest will take place on June 18. Enjoy historical displays and tours, great food and a variety of musical entertainment and crafts. Fun for the whole family.

Canoe, kayak and rowboat rental is now open at Sweet Arrow Lake, Pine Grove. Canoes and rowboats seat up to three, kayaks hold one. Days vary so reserve your watercraft by calling 570-345-8952.

Kayak Demo Day is being held at Sweet Arrow Lake at 3 p.m. June 12. If you’re thinking of getting a kayak, this is just the thing to help you take the plunge with confidence. Try out a variety of boats. Registration required by calling 570-624-3018.

A Hot Potato 5K Run/Walk is slated for 9 a.m. Saturday at Trinity Lutheran Church in Valley View. The third annual Tater Tot Trot, a mile-long race for kids, will start at 8:15 a.m.

In his recent book, “The Finest Traditions of My Calling,” Dr. Abraham Nussbaum, 41, makes the case that doctors and patients alike are being shortchanged by current medical practices that emphasize population-based standards of care rather than individual patient needs and experiences.

Nussbaum, a psychiatrist, is the chief education officer at Denver Health Medical Center and practices on the adult inpatient psychiatric unit there. I recently spoke with him, and this is an edited transcript of our conversation.

Q: Your book is in some ways a lament for times gone by, when physicians were “artisans” who had more time for their patients and professional independence. But you’re a young doctor and you must have known at the outset that wasn’t the way medicine worked anymore. Why do you stick with it?

A: The first thing I’d say was that I didn’t know right away that medicine is no longer universally understood as a calling instead of a job. We are describing health as if it is just another consumer good, and physicians and other health practitioners as the providers of those goods. That is the language of a job.

When you remember that being with the ill is a calling, then you remember that it is a tremendous privilege to be a physician. People trust you with their secrets, their fears and their hopes. They allow you to ask about their lives and to assess their bodies. So my lament is not for the loss of physician privilege — goodbye to that — but to the understanding of medicine as a calling.

Q: You don’t like checklists and quality improvement measures that dictate how physicians care for patients because you say it turns doctors into technicians and is an obstacle to “moral reasoning.” But those tools, which generally take a systems approach to providing care and rely on evidence-based guidelines, aren’t going away anytime soon. How do you do the kind of doctoring you want to do in this environment?

A: Quality improvement seems to be here to stay. Regulators at all levels require it. But I believe that evidence of its success is not as clear as they suggest. Just last week, the British Medical Journal published a study that found no evidence that introducing quality metrics has resulted in a significant reduction in patient mortality. The leaders of the quality movement’s version of quality improvement developed out of industrial engineering, so they are always comparing the care of patients to things like the production of cars or the flying of airplanes. People are far more varied than cars on assembly lines or planes on the runway. So quality metrics always feel forced to me, especially for the more interactive medical encounters.

In my own specialty, the current quality metrics all encourage me to perform standardized screens on patients or to document carefully. None of them require me to develop a relationship with a patient so that I can, say, foster hope after a suicide attempt, or knit a psychotic person back into the life of their family. Yet that it was my patients want, those human relationships. It is also what physicians want, and the most recent studies suggest that most physicians are dispirited by quality metrics.

Q: But not all physicians are equally skilled or conscientious. As a patient, I feel more comfortable knowing there are rules and standards that doctors have to meet.

A: I don’t think physicians should be free to do whatever they want. Their thinking and decision-making should be held up to scrutiny. A physician’s standard of quality should be evidence-based, but even more, it should be patient-centered. The standard should be what the patient defines as what matters. So if you are suffering chronic pain, it is not just a reduction of your score on a standardized pain scale, but your ability to resume the activities you identify as constitutive of your life.

Q: You talk about wanting to be able to sit with patients and talk with them, to really “see” them. All that takes time that physicians don’t generally have. I understand your book isn’t a how-to manual. But, really, how can physicians do this, even if they want to?

A: It’s a real challenge. It’s important to use the time you have in service of the patient’s needs. I don’t review records while I’m in the room with a patient. I try to make every question be about the patient.

I have to ask standard questions, but I try to do that as way to get to know the patient. For example, if I have to ask questions about what they can remember, I’d ask about a book they have with them. Part of my concern about checklists is that they train you to follow a script instead of following your patients.

Q: Only 55 percent of psychiatrists take insurance compared with nearly 90 percent of physicians in other specialties. That puts their services out of financial reach for many people who could use their help. How does that square with your vision of doctors as healers and teachers?

A: It’s deeply concerning to me. I’ve made a conscious choice to work at a safety net hospital, so I can see people regardless of their ability to pay. I hope that through things like the Medicaid expansion and mental health parity, more psychiatrists will work with people who have mental illness.

Q: You talk about the virtues of “slow” medicine, similar to the slow food movement, where physicians reject providing care in a standardized, mass-produced fashion. One path that some physicians have chosen is to establish boutique practices that accept a limited number of patients who pay extra fees for more personal attention and better access. What’s your perspective on that?

A: It sounds appealing to me. In most descriptions of boutique medicine, they talk about it like a lovely restaurant, one that I couldn’t afford to go to every night. I think it’s an interesting model but not a solution to the large problems facing medicine, in particular the ability to provide care to the most needy among us and the indigent.

BARNESVILLE — Locust Lake and Tuscarora State Parks are popular places to be in the summer.

“I’ve been coming here for years,” JoAnn McCarthy, 81, of Mahanoy City, said as she worked on her tan while sitting by the water at Locust Lake State Park on May 27.

She said she likes the quiet atmosphere the area provides. She was there for the day and planned to come back the next day.

Rick Dalton, park manager of both Locust Lake and Tuscarora, said walking, hiking or doing any number of leisure activities are a good way to see the beauty of the parks.

“Come out and have a great time,” he said.

The parks were busy Memorial Day weekend with visitors. He said a lot of people were camping that weekend.

“We have 282 campsites,” at Locust Lake, he said, adding a large majority of the campground was filled to capacity for the holiday weekend.

Holidays are a popular time for reservations, he said. He didn’t know if there were any spots left for the upcoming holidays like July 4 and Labor Day, Sept. 5.

Tents and camping trailers are permitted on specified areas at Locust Lake. Reservations for both state parks can be made 11 months prior to the requested camping date.

As of Saturday, about 100 of the campsites at Locust Lake were occupied.

“A lot of it is weather dependent,” Dalton said Saturday.

At Tuscarora, visitors can rent camping cottages or yurts. Each of the six cottages has room for five people. The yurts, a canvas and wood-walled tent, can accommodate five visitors. Each has accommodations, such as electricity. Dalton said both the cottages and the yurts were full Memorial Day weekend.

Bryan Strahan, 36, and his wife, Tiffany, 36, and their daughters, Taylor, 9, and Brynn, 5, all of Harrisburg, camped at Locust Lake during Memorial Day weekend and into Memorial Day. Bryan said they have been coming to the park for five years to spend time with other family members, about 15 in all. They had four campsites to park their campers. Tiffany said she grew up going camping.

Lance Miller, Treverton, said the park is very friendly toward the campers.

“We always go for a walk. The trail around the lake is nice. This is really a nice facility,” he said of Locust Lake.

Down at Locust Lake’s beach, some people played in the water, while others were on the lake in paddle boats.

Vanessa Setlock, 31, of Saint Clair, said the area is ideal to come to.

“It’s peaceful. It’s quiet. It’s relaxing,” she said.

While the parks are full of wild animals that may look cute, Dalton said they should not be touched.

“The best thing to do is to leave it alone,” he said, adding it is against regulations to take them from the parks.

“We certainly could write a citation,” he said, but they try to educate the public.

At Tuscarora State Park, the water was also inviting for visitors.

Roman Kurtz, 49, of Beaver Meadows, Carbon County, took his 12-foot boat out on the water to fish May 27. He planned to go night fishing.

“I just like to get out and enjoy the quiet,” he said.

Dalton said there is not a lot of new things at the park this year but the familiar can be welcome.

“The only thing new at the park is me,” he said May 27.

Dalton started as park manager in the middle of March after the former park manager Lew Williams retired. Dalton said he always has loved the outdoors.

“As I was growing up, I spent a lot of time in the hills in Shenandoah,” he said.

Originally from Shenandoah, he has been with state parks in Pennsylvania for 16 years He is a 1980 graduate of Penn State University, University Park, with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in recreation and parks. He was at the Delaware Canal State Park in Northampton and Bucks counties for 14 years and with the Tyler State Park, Bucks County, for two years before coming back to Schuylkill County. In 1980, he was a summer park ranger at both state parks.

“The staff has been great,” he said.

For more information about either park, call 570-467-2404. Locust Lake State Park is located at 220 Locust Lake Road and Tuscarora is at 687 Tuscarora Park Road. Both are six miles from each other in Barnesville.

Teens charged for

painting on cars

ELIZABETHVILLE — State police at Lykens charged two teenagers with spray painting vulgar words on vehicles in Washington Township, Dauphin County, on Wednesday, police said Saturday.

The incident occurred at 10:54 p.m. Wednesday at 3930 state Route 309. The vandals were male, ages 15 and 16, and both were from Elizabethville, police said.

The victims were several male and female juveniles, police said.

Charges of disorderly conduct will be filed in the office of Magisterial District Judge Rebecca J. Margerum, Elizabethville, police said.

Police: Gun found

at Weiser forest lot

WILLIAMSTOWN — A handgun was found in the parking lot in a section of the Weiser State Forest in Jefferson Township, Dauphin County, on Friday morning, state police at Lykens said Saturday.

It was discovered at 7:20 a.m. in the parking lot near Greenland Road and Radar Road, police said.

Anybody with information regarding this incident is urged to call state police at 714-362-8700.

Woman charged

with harassment

WILLIAMSTOWN — State police at Lykens charged a 34-year-old woman from Williamstown with harassment on May 28 after she physically fought with her husband following a verbal argument, police said Saturday.

The incident occurred on the 500 block of Market Street in Williamstown. Police did not list the exact time of the incident, the address where the incident occurred or the names of the persons involved.

The woman was cited with a summary charge of harassment, police said.

None injured in

2-vehicle accident

ELIZABETHVILLE — While exiting a parking lot in Elizabethville on May 31, a vehicle stopped then backed into another vehicle, causing moderate damage, state police at Lykens said Saturday.

The incident occurred at 7:59 p.m. May 31 at the parking lot at 44 S. Market St. A brown Dodge Dakota backed into a green Honda Civic. The Dodge sustained minor damage and the Honda moderate damage. Both vehicles were driven from the scene and there were no injuries, police said.

Police did not name the drivers in the report, but said the driver of the Dodge Dakota will be charged with failing to move a vehicle safely.

Anthony J. Kilker

Defendants whose cases Magisterial District Judge Anthony J. Kilker considered, the charges against each one and the judge’s disposition on the matters, included:

Robert Lee Darker Sr., 53, of 1031 E. Mahanoy Ave., Mahanoy City; waived for court: DUI, DUI-highest rate, DUI-controlled substance, careless driving and restrictions on alcoholic beverages.

Angela M. Miller, 44, of 1017 E. Pine St., Mahanoy City _ withdrawn by the victim: aggravated assault, simple assault, harassment and disorderly conduct.

Jennifer Eva Chatcavage, 32, of 205 Ohio Ave., Shenandoah; waived for court: possession of a controlled substance.

Joseph Michaels, 25, of 1049 Barnesville Drive, Barnesville; withdrawn for lack of a victim or arresting officer: retail theft and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Carmelo Alvarez-Torres, 54, of 532 W. Coal St., Shenandoah; waived for court: open container violation, public drunkenness, possession of a small amount of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Enrique Vives Jr., 43, of 22 E. Centre St., Apt. 1, Shenandoah; withdrawn: possession of drug paraphernalia. Waived for court: possession of a small amount of marijuana.

Michelle Layla Walters, 28, of 230 Schuylkill Ave., Shenandoah; waived for court: DUI-controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

David J. Rossi

TREMONT — A borough man no longer faces a driving under the influence charge after Magisterial District Judge David J. Rossi on Thursday dismissed it and a related traffic offense.

Brian P. Jefferson, 55, of 38 E. Main St., had been charged with DUI and careless driving; however, after a preliminary hearing, Rossi ruled prosecutors had not presented sufficient evidence to support either charge.

State police at Schuylkill Haven had alleged Jefferson was DUI on Jan. 9 in Pine Grove Township.

Also on Thursday, Rossi considered the cases of the following defendants and made the indicated rulings.

David L. Biesecker II, 40, of 23927 Route 92, Susquehanna; possession of a small amount of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia; right to preliminary hearing waived, charges bound over for court.

Wade A. Yoder, 29, of 71 Rock Road, Pine Grove; simple assault and harassment; charge of simple assault withdrawn. Yoder pleaded guilty to harassment, with Rossi sentencing him to pay costs and a $200 fine.

On May 19, Rossi considered the cases of these defendants and made the indicated rulings.

Lorena Bingaman, 28, of 57 Porter Road, Tower City; DUI, driving without a license, operating vehicle without required financial responsibility, disregarding traffic lane, failure to drive at a safe speed and careless driving; right to preliminary hearing waived, charges bound over for court.

Steven L. Derr, 61, of 20 E. Center St., Donaldson; aggravated assault, simple assault and harassment; right to preliminary hearing waived, charges bound over for court.

David R. Higgs, 26, of 2 JC Mobile Home Court, Middleburg; DUI, recklessly endangering another person, careless driving, DUI while suspended and violation of restriction on alcoholic beverages; right to preliminary hearing waived, charges bound over for court.

James R. Ferrier

ORWIGSBURG — A Pine Grove woman is headed to Schuylkill County Court after waiving her right to a preliminary hearing Tuesday on a charge she forged a prescription for a painkilling medicine.

Krystin R. Wessner, 27, of 402 Deturksville Road, faces a charge of forgery. Magisterial District Judge James R. Ferrier bound over the charge for court after Wessner waived her right to the hearing.

State police at Schuylkill Haven alleged that on May 4 at CVS Pharmacy on Route 183 in North Manheim Township, Wessner altered a prescription for Percocet written by Dr. Raymond J. Kraynak. Police said Wessner changed the prescription to 90 pills from 40 pills.

Police said Wessner admitted changing the prescription, but said she had no intention of selling or giving the pills to anyone else.

Wessner is free on $2,500 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:

Michelle L. Fort, 33, of 1014 W. Race St., Pottsville; possession of drug paraphernalia; charge held for court after preliminary hearing that Fort did not attend. Ferrier asked the court to issue a bench warrant for Fort.

Brian C. Fralich, 38, of 1000 Grant St. Apt. 3, Hazleton; three counts of prohibited passing, two of recklessly endangering another person and one each of fleeing or eluding police, driving under the influence, reckless driving and speeding; right to preliminary hearing waived, one count of recklessly endangering another person withdrawn, other charges bound over for court.

Ronald E. Grubb Jr., 27, of 624 Pierce St., Pottsville; simple assault and harassment; right to preliminary hearing waived, charges bound over for court.

Tina M. Hosier, 30, of 232 Valley St., New Philadelphia; possession of a small amount of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia; right to preliminary hearing waived, charges bound over for court.

Ashley G. Janowski, 34, of 96 McKinley St., Schuylkill Haven; three counts of endangering the welfare of children; right to preliminary hearing waived, charges bound over for court.

Nathan W. Oldt, 29, of 231 Market St., Tamaqua; criminal mischief; right to preliminary hearing waived, charge bound over for court.

Bobby L. Taylor, 22, of 400 E. Norwegian St., Basement Apartment, Pottsville; possession of drug paraphernalia; right to preliminary hearing waived, charge bound over for court.

On May 20, David J. Bainbridge Jr., 35, of 320 Fishbach St., Seltzer, waived his right to a preliminary hearing on 24 counts each of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, dealing in proceeds of unlawful actions, criminal use of a communication facility and possession of a controlled substance, 11 of conspiracy and one of corrupt organizations, Ferrier then ordered all charges against Bainbridge bound over for court.