Marriage licenses
Arturo Ortiz-Zamudio, Shenandoah, and Leticia Salmeron Olayo, Shenandoah.
Jonathan R. Groff, New Ringgold, and Melissa N. McLaughlin, New Ringgold.
Christopher E. Blevins, Tamaqua, and Joan Belford, Tamaqua.
Kenneth A. Carl, Tower City, and Kimberly Jo Smith, Tower City.
Divorces granted
Ricky Stoyer, Auburn, from Kelly Stoyer, Womelsdorf.
FOUNTAIN SPRINGS — The Butler Township supervisors met Tuesday morning in a special meeting for the tentative adoption of the 2017 budget with no real estate tax increase.
The special meeting and budget workshop was held at the municipal building with supervisors Chairman David Kessler, Vice Chairman Paul Fetterolf and Bob Burns, and Secretary Kate Staudenmeier in attendance. The supervisors voted unanimously in favor of the budget plan.
The tentative budget totals $1,966,286, an increase over the 2016 budget of $1,817,170.
Real estate taxes will remain at 10.65 mills. Each mill brings in about $54,000.
“In the last four years, our taxes have gone down, not up,” Kessler said.
Staudenmeier gave a brief overview before the vote.
“We can leave just about everything the same (from the 2016 budget). We have had a sizeable increase in the liability insurance,” Staudenmeier said. “I didn’t get the workers comp quote yet. We’re still waiting for information. Our garage is paid off.”
Staudenmeier said the budget shows that no increase in taxes is needed.
“We won’t require a tax increase, which is good,” she said. “We don’t quite know what our surplus will be at the end of the year since we still have November and December to pay bills. And we also have to pay the liability insurance in full and part of the workers comp by the end of the year. Other than that, we’re good.”
Staudenmeier said the 2016 budget included a $30,000 payment on a loan that the township expected to receive, but since the loan was not received, she said the funds are in the new budget and could be used for a small road program and/or the purchase of a new truck to replace a 2001 Ford F550.
The Fountain Springs Day Care Center, which is used by Child Development Inc., is part of the budget and shows a small surplus.
“We don’t make a lot of money on the day care, but it is an asset,” Staudenmeier said. “And they do a lot of work in there and we do, as well. It’s a shared program and a good one.”
Staudenmeier said adjustment were made to the millages in the fire fund and the light fund.
“I’m going to change the millage that goes into light fund and put a little bit more into the fire fund,” she said. “Then we can give the donation to the fire companies all out of the fire fund instead of taking some out of the general fund. This way we’ll have enough money in the fire fund.”
The police department has requested a new SUV patrol vehicle since the current vehicle has more than 100,000 miles, with Kessler noting that the vehicle is used outside of the summer months.
The 2017 budget includes the following funds and breakdown of the total real estate millage for the top three funds:
• General fund — $1,438,768 (8.87 mills).
• Fire fund — $84,450 (0.93 mills from 0.73 mills in 2016).
• Light fund — $94,403 (0.85 mills from 1.05 mills in 2016).
• Liquid fuels fund — $307,650.
• Day care fund — $41,015.
In a short discussion, Kessler said Police Chief Edward Tarantelli visited the new police station in Mount Carmel Township and was impressed with how two modular trailers were used to provide a modern facility with each officer having a desk and computer, holding cells, showers and other assets.
“It was really impressive and it was under $50,000,” Kessler said.
He added that the supervisors should pay a visit to see it. He said the modular idea might work for a new municipal building to replace the current structure that is old. Its location along the high-traffic state Route 61 can be a danger for pedestrians crossing traffic and for vehicles leaving the small parking lot in front of the building.
A Luzerne County man is headed to state prison after recently being sentenced in Schuylkill County Court for a second time.
John J. Cregg, 38, of Wilkes-Barre, must serve one to three years in a state correctional institution, Judge Charles M. Miller decided.
Miller imposed the sentence after revoking Cregg’s probation.
Cregg originally pleaded guilty on Oct. 16, 2014, to terroristic threats and harassment, which Mahanoy Township police had charged him with committing on Feb. 11, 2014, in the township. At that time, Miller placed Cregg on probation for 24 months, and also sentenced him to pay costs, $50 to the Criminal Justice Enhancement Account and a $245.85 bench warrant fee.
In another county case, a Tamaqua man will spend time on house arrest after admitting he drove with a license that had been suspended for alcohol-related reasons.
Enrique Ortiz Jr., 46, must serve 60 days on house arrest with electronic monitoring under the terms of Judge Jacqueline L. Russell’s sentence.
Russell also sentenced Ortiz to pay costs and a $500 fine.
State police at Frackville had charged Ortiz with driving unlawfully on July 2 in Ryan Township. Magisterial District Judge Christina E. Hale, Frackville, had found him guilty on Sept. 14, but the defendant appealed that ruling Sept. 15.
The Majestic Players are ready to take audiences into the world of Dr. Seuss.
“Seussical Jr.” will be presented this weekend at The Majestic Theater, 209 N. Centre St., Pottsville. Show times are: junior cast, 7 p.m. tonight and 2 p.m. Saturday; senior cast, 7 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $15 and are available by calling 570-628-4647. Sandy Kost-Sterner, producer, said tonight’s show is sold out but tickets may be available at the door.
“Seussical Jr.” is based on the books of Dr. Seuss, mainly “Horton Hears a Who!” and “Miss Gertrude McFuzz.” The musical debuted on Broadway in 2000.
The Majestic Players’ version features the two casts, a junior cast for children in grades one through six and a senior cast for students in grades seven through 12. There are approximately 40 performers in the junior cast and 25 in the senior cast.
“The Majestic Players are proud to present quality shows for the community. Their success is obvious by the support of the community as well as the number of performers. This ‘Seussical Jr.’ show has approximately 65 performers. This is a great opportunity for the community to come see this fun-filled show with some of the most talented performers in the area,” Kost-Sterner said.
The show’s characters will be familiar to fans of Dr. Seuss’s books. They include The Cat in the Hat, portrayed by Emily Hart and Abbey Kostyal; Horton the Elephant, portrayed by Michael Spotts and Patrick Moran; Gertrude McFuzz, portrayed by Ella Frantz and Lauren Hunter; Mayzie LaBird, portrayed by Sarah Malek and Macey Mayes; Sour Kangaroo, portrayed by Ava Ciarvella and Hannah Kulbitsky. Another key lead role is JoJo, who is portrayed by Madison Eroh and Celena Granito.
The staff includes Bridget Rooney, assistant director, Bruce Marianelli, music director, Katrina Calvin, choreographer, and Sarah Yorke as director. This is Yorke’s second production with the group, having directed the “Lion King Kids” camp production in the summer.
“ ‘Seussical Jr.’ has been going remarkably well. This particular production presented me with a new and exciting challenge of directing two separate casts in the exact same show. It’s been such a pleasure working with over 60-plus students from the county ranging from ages 6 to 18. I, myself, am the director of the Shenandoah Valley Drama Club and always wanted the opportunity to work with the talented young artists from other schools. This project presented me with that opportunity and a fresh new way of thinking, thanks to Sandy Kost-Sterner and the Majestic Theater,” Yorke said.
She said her recent directing jobs have been dark dramas or tragedies, so it is uplifting to do a show that is colorful and inspirational.
“Since this particular show is so upbeat and constantly ‘on’ 100 percent of the time, getting a room full of anywhere between 25 to 42 students at a time can certainly be challenging. It’s been an interesting journey working with their talents, strengths and strong suits, while aiming to educate them as well as enhance the aspects of their performance they’re less confident in,” Yorke said.
Yorke said it is fascinating to witness the actors take on their roles and make them their own.
“I always tell my actors that the script and their character are like a blank black-and-white coloring book, and that it is up to them to color them in as they wish. There’s never a wrong way, but there is always a way to make it their own and to make it memorable. I believe that through their portrayal and the direction we’re taking, audiences won’t only leave with songs in their head but also with love in their hearts,” she said.
Yorke said audiences can expect a fun show that also deals with relevant and serious themes.
“We may not realize it but Seuss was preaching some real stuff to us as children. Some of these themes include bullying, loneliness, insecurities, racism, ostracizing, stereotypes and low self-esteem. Heavy stuff, huh? Well, through the power of Seuss and this genius musical, these themes are brought to the forefront in the most impactful and memorable way. Audiences can expect to leave the Majestic Theater feeling alive, energized, appreciative, uplifted and confident,” Yorke said.
She added, “I guarantee audiences will leave entertained but I hope, and deep down inside I know, they’ll leave with much more than that. I thank the Majestic, Sandy and these children for this gift. Now it is our time to share it with you all.”
For more information, visit the Majestic Theater’s website at www.majestictheater.net or its Facebook page.
Rebecca Margerum
ELIZABETHVILLE — A Lykens man is headed to Dauphin County Court after waiving his right to a preliminary hearing Wednesday on three sex-related charges.
Jeffrey S. Bunger Jr., 20, of 434 Main St., faces charges of unlawful contact with a minor, indecent assault and corruption of minors, all of which Magisterial District Judge Rebecca J. Margerum bound over for court after he waived his right to the hearing.
State police at Lykens allege Bunger had the improper contact with the minor on July 1, 2014, in Lykens.
Bunger is free on $25,000 straight cash bail pending further court action. His formal arraignment is scheduled for Jan. 6, 2017, in Harrisburg.
He already faces two counts of arson and one each of burglary, recklessly endangering another person, dangerous burning and criminal mischief in connection with what state police at Lykens allege was his burning of a trailer at 3:38 a.m. July 25 about 200 feet off Market Street in Wiconisco Township. His formal arraignment in that case is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Nov. 24 in Harrisburg.
Other defendants whose cases Margerum considered on Wednesday, the charges against each one and the judge’s dispositions of the matters included:
David L. Boyer, 30, of 456 Center St., Millersburg; possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving under the influence, careless driving, reckless driving and three counts of stop sign violation; right to preliminary hearing waived, charge of reckless driving withdrawn, other charges bound over for court.
Falisha M. Chubb, 21, of 107 E. Broad St., Elizabethville; three counts of conspiracy, two each of theft by deception and retail theft and one of receiving stolen property; right to preliminary hearing waived, charges bound over for court.
Brian S. Cole, 41, of 202 Spring St., Lykens; DUI, endangering the welfare of children, driving without a license, failure to yield to emergency vehicle, careless driving, reckless driving and no headlights; right to preliminary hearing waived, charges of endangering the welfare of children, careless driving and reckless driving withdrawn, other charges bound over for court.
Amanda L. Ferree, 32, of 114 W. Broad St., Elizabethville; six counts of acquiring or obtaining possession of a controlled substance by misrepresentation; right to preliminary hearing waived, charges bound over for court.
Kyle S. Graver, 21, of 566 Boyd St., Millersburg; simple assault and harassment; right to preliminary hearing waived, charges bound over for court.
Evette J. Jones, 52, of 318 Center St. Apt. A, Millersburg; simple assault and endangering the welfare of children; charges dismissed.
James E.C. Lacklin, 71, of 4439 North Road, Elizabethville; corruption of minors, indecent assault, indecent exposure and harassment; charges withdrawn.
Lindsey J. Radel, 39, of 51 Vine St. Apt. 11, Elizabethville; terroristic threats, simple assault, harassment and disorderly conduct; right to preliminary hearing waived, charges of terroristic threats and simple assault withdrawn. Radel pleaded guilty to harassment and disorderly conduct. Margerum sentenced her to pay costs and $50 in fines.
Evan R. Samuels, 23, of 1735 W. Main St., Valley View; penalties for sales of firearms; right to preliminary hearing waived, charge bound over for court.
Patrick K. Sharpe, 39, of 51 Vine St. Apt. 9, Elizabethville; disorderly conduct; defendant pleaded guilty, Margerum sentenced him to pay costs and a $25 fine.
Gary S. Shomper, 24, of 107 E. Broad St., Elizabethville; three counts of conspiracy, two each of theft by deception and retail theft and one each of possession of a small amount of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and receiving stolen property; right to preliminary hearing waived, charges bound over for court.
Jody M. Wilson, 47, of 563 Rife Road, Millersburg; two counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and one each of rape, rape of a child, unlawful contact with a minor, aggravated indecent assault, indecent assault and corruption of minors; charges held for court after preliminary hearing.
Terry L. Wolff, 57, of 417 Walnut St., Reading; indecent assault, corruption of minors, unlawful contact with a minor and indecent exposure; right to preliminary hearing waived, charges bound over for court.
After more than two and a half years of work, the state Department of Transportation is wrapping up the reconstruction of two bridges in Schuylkill County that are next to each other. One is in Pottsville. The other is in Palo Alto.
“The contractor is currently on schedule to be complete on Nov. 14,” Ronald J. Young Jr., press officer for PennDOT District 5, Allentown, said Thursday.
Last year, Young estimated the replacement of the Mady’s bridges would be complete by Nov. 14, 2016. In September, Gary A. Farabaugh, a transportation construction manager for PennDOT, said that was still the target date.
“Originally the project was going to go well into next year. After meeting with elected officials and the business community, our district executives instructed the contractor to accelerate the work and get it done. There was an impact on daily commuters as well as the businesses there,” Young said.
“I thought PennDOT did an excellent job in planning the project in making sure the inconveniences were kept to a minimum,” City Administrator Thomas A. Palamar said Thursday.
“Prior to the project starting, I remember we had a meeting at the former Pottsville Hospital in the physicians board room. And people were really loaded for bear on the project. They were expecting there to be problems with ambulances traveling north on 61 getting to the hospital. They were anticipating horrible traffic backups. And we were expecting traffic to spill into the city. But that never happened,” Palamar said.
“We appreciated the cooperation and the understanding of the municipalities and all the local businesses and how we communicated with each other to make this successful,” Farabaugh said.
The construction project came in “slightly over the original budget,” Young said.
“That was mostly due to the project time frame being accelerated after the contract was awarded,” Young said.
The original budget for the project was $10,568,416. The total cost came to $11,050,759.
The new bridges are expected to last 100 years, Young said.
This week, the contractor, Glenn O. Hawbaker Inc., State College, was putting the finishing touches on the project.
“That includes minor things such as sealing deck joints, installing signs, pavement markings, landscaping — grading, seeding, mulching — and general cleanup,” Young said.
“They just finished the inspection of the upgraded traffic signals at Mauch Chunk Street,” Farabaugh said.
“This section of PA 61 has an average daily traffic volume of 17,936 vehicles,” Young said.
On Jan. 27, 1950, J. Robert Bazley, Pottsville, was hired to build an extension of Pottsville Boulevard from Mauch Chunk Street to Mount Carbon, according to the newspaper’s archives.
That included the bridges.
On July 19, 1951, the state governor at the time, John S. Fine, attended the dedication of the second leg of the boulevard. It was a $2,444,300 project, according to the newspaper’s archives.
Over time these bridges were nicknamed after the former Mady’s Car Wash, which opened in 1958 and was destroyed by fire in January 2010.
The larger of the two, which crosses into Palo Alto, is Mady’s Big Bridge. The other is Mady’s Small Bridge, which is located in Pottsville.
The bridges were deemed structurally deficit in 2001 due to abutment issues.
On Dec. 17, 2013, PennDOT gave Hawbaker the notice to proceed. The actual work started on Jan. 16, 2014, Young said.
There were at least 17 active workers on site on any given day, Farabaugh said. But he estimated “about 50 different people” worked on the project.
Mady’s Big Bridge
“Mady’s Big Bridge” was built in 1950.
“It’s right on the line between Pottsville and Palo Alto,” Young said.
It was a 314-foot-long and 64-foot-wide four-span concrete encased steel I-beam bridge over the Reading, Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad.
“The new bridge is a 210-feet-long, 63-feet-10-inch wide, two-span concrete bulb-tee beam bridge,” Young said.
It includes 450,000 pounds of steel reinforcement bars, 4,200 cubic yards of concrete and 2,322 linear feet of concrete bridge beams, Young said.
Mady’s Big Bridge was the more challenging project of the two, Farabaugh said.
“It’s a two-stand bridge and it took twice as much work. It had two sets of beams. The smaller bridge was a single span and it only had one beam,” Farabaugh said.
Previously, the big bridge did not have a designated sidewalk. The new one doesn’t either.
If municipal officials had requested a sidewalk on the big bridge, PennDOT would have looked into the possibility of installing them, Young said.
“And once they’re in, the municipality agrees to maintain the sidewalks,” Young said.
“Our designer told me sidewalks were not included on the new large bridge due to a lack of connectivity. There are no sidewalks tying into the bridge on either side of it. However, the bridge does have a wide shoulder on the northbound side that should provide space for pedestrians to walk, if necessary. The wide shoulder could be converted to a sidewalk in the future if the city determines it is needed,” Young said.
Mady’s Small Bridge
Located in Pottsville, “Mady’s Small Bridge” built in 1950 over the Schuylkill River was 79 feet long and 62 feet wide. It was a single-span steel I-beam bridge.
“The new PA 61 Bridge over the Schuylkill River is a 100-feet-long, 62-feet-6-inch wide, single-span concrete bulb-tee beam bridge,” Young said.
The new bridge includes 195,000 pounds of steel reinforcement bars, 2,000 cubic yards of concrete and 1,122 linear feet of concrete bridge beams, Young said.
Previously, the small bridge had a sidewalk, and the new bridge includes one, Young said.
One new feature is a barrier between the sidewalk and the roadway.
“It’s part of the bridge. It’s called a parapet,” Farabaugh said.
“That parapet, or barrier, is to protect people walking on the sidewalk,” Young said.
Other materials
The bridge projects also included other materials.
They included 4,000 square yards of aggregate, a smaller stone mix, and 670 yards of large rocks. There was 400 linear feet of drainage pipe, and 11 inlets and manholes. It also included 2,125 linear feet of mountable curb, Young said.
There was 2,400 square yards of bituminous roadway base course, 2,500 square yards of bituminous roadway binder course, 8,600 square yards of bituminous roadway wearing course or paving, 59,800 linear feet of permanent roadway pavement markings and 540 linear feet of guide rail, Young said.
TAMAQUA — The borough has instituted a new billing system that includes online payment options and printed statements for its water, sewer and refuse services.
“Postcard bills are a thing of the past. Our customers found them difficult to read, too many were being lost in the mail, and they took hours to print. Paper statements offer privacy and laser printing makes them much easier to read. The entire process is now streamlined,” Borough Manager Kevin Steigerwalt said in a news release.
Customers will see the amount due and due date highlighted in yellow in both the top right and bottom left corners of the new statements.
Bills can be paid by cash, check, money order or credit card at the municipal building, 320 E. Broad St., from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., paid by mail or left in an envelope and slipped into the drop box at the front of the building.
Online billing is also available. It allows customers to view their current balance on all accounts, to monitor water usage and to make online payments using VISA, MasterCard, American Express or Discover.
The system is operated by Muni-Link, a user-friendly and intuitive utility billing software that specializes in municipal systems. Muni-Link does add a $3 service charge for online payments — none of which goes to the borough.
Other online options include “ACH” payment, which is an electronic payment made from a checking account, a service most banks offer at no charge.
To use online billing, customers must first obtain and enter a code found on forthcoming bills, or call the municipal building at 570-668-0300 to receive the code by phone. Then, they can visit http://tamaquaboro.authoritypay.com to set up a new online account.
“New billing systems and conversions always come with a few hiccups, so we appreciate how patient our customers have been,” said Tim Zeigler, who works in the water authority billing department. “Just know to look for a bill to arrive in an envelope and call us if you have any problems.”
To learn more, visit www.tamaquaborough.com or call 570-668-0300.
Deeds
North Manheim Township — David M. and Virginia C. Ryon to David M. Ryon; 159 Ryon Lane; $1.
Curtis M. Tobash, executor of the Estate of Shirley M. Tobash, to Peter P. Tobash III, Curtis M. Tobash and Dennis G. Tobash; 58.398-acre property on Route 61; $1.
Curtis M. Tobash, executor of the Estate of Shirley M. Tobash, to Daniel C. Tobash, Andrew G. Tobash and Angela R. Tobash; 21 Tobash Drive; $1.
North Union Township — Robert B. Jr. and Tamara A. Stochel to Eagle Rock Resort Co.; Lots 28HF2 and 29HF2, Eagle Rock; $30,500.61.
Pine Grove — Ronald R. Rehrer, individually and as executor of the Estate of Monroe M. Schneck, to Jack M. Sr. and Margaret O. Modesto; 50 percent interest in 101 Hillside Vista Drive; $180,000.
The Schuylkill County Republican Committee has a new chairman.
Brock Stein, 24, of West Brunswick Township, was unanimously selected as the party’s new chairman at a meeting held Nov. 5. Stein is the vice president of strategic development at Koch’s Turkey Farms, Tamaqua, and has served for several years as a local committee member and district leader for the party.
“I think a major priority is going to be getting younger people more involved and at the same time not leaving behind our existing generation,” Stein said Friday.
Stein also said the party is going to encourage its members to get more involved in other community organizations for the betterment of the county.
Last month, Gary Bender stepped down as party chairman after becoming county administrator. Bender served as chairman for the county party for the last five years. He was named the interim county administrator June 8 after Mark Scarbinsky retired from the position. The interim tag was taken off and he was named permanent county administrator Sept. 14.
“Gary Bender and (interim chairman) Howard Merrick did an amazing job in voter engagement,” Stein said. “I think our job now is keeping that momentum up, especially for next year’s local races. It’s tough to get the presidential turnout in an off year, but we want to get people to stay involved in politics and get them to understand that local government usually has the biggest impact on your life.”
A graduate of Tamaqua Area High School, Stein earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Pittsburgh. He is a member of the board of directors for the Blue Mountain Eagle Foundation, Orwigsburg Free Public Library, the Schuylkill County Municipal Authority, the Schuylkill Economic Development Corp., Tamaqua Area Community Partnership and Schuylkill County’s VISION. He is also a member of the Orwigsburg Lions Club, the YMCA Dinner Committee, an instructor for the Young Entrepreneurs Academy and a volunteer for Make-A-Wish.
Merrick, who served as interim chairman, will continue to serve as vice chairman of the party with Bob Bylone, Champ Holman, Mary Labert and Tom Sachleben all serving as assistant chairs.
Meanwhile, Bob Ames continues to serve as the executive director of the county party, Norm Lettich continues to serve as treasurer and Dan Daub continues to serve as secretary.
Stein said that the primary goal of the Schuylkill County Republican Committee are increased community outreach and communications and strengthening the foundation of the Republican Party across generations with continuing voter registration efforts in all areas of the county.
A federal judge denied a request to reconsider his decision to dismiss three lawsuits filed against Ross Township in connection with a 2013 shooting rampage at its municipal building in Monroe County.
Frances LaGuardia, Linda Goss-Kozic and Patricia Bauer filed separate lawsuits last year, alleging the township knew the shooter, Rockne Newell, was mentally unstable and dangerous, but failed to take action to protect the public.
Newell opened fire at the Aug. 5, 2013, township supervisors meeting, killing LaGuardia’s husband, James LaGuardia, Goss-Kozic’s husband, Gerard Kozic, and David Fleetwood. Goss-Kozic and Bauer were injured, but survived.
Newell pleaded guilty in May 2015 to three counts of first-degree murder and other offenses and was sentenced to life in prison.
The lawsuits alleged the township was responsible for the shooting because it cited Newell for building code violations, which caused him to snap.
U.S. District Judge Malachy Mannion in August dismissed the suits, finding that the township had no constitutional duty to protect residents from actions of another person. Even if it did, the judge said the plaintiffs could not prevail because Newell’s actions were not foreseeable.
The judge acknowledged there was evidence Newell was angry about actions the township took against his dilapidated property and had made threatening statements, but the connection between the township’s actions and the shooting was “too attenuated.”
Attorneys for the victims asked Mannion to allow them to file an amended lawsuit to include additional evidence they say supports their position that the township knew Newell had a history of threatening township officials and others.
Mannion on Thursday denied the request, saying the additional evidence does not alter his opinion that there is insufficient evidence to show the shooting was directly tied to Newell’s dispute with supervisors.
“This conclusion remains true despite the defendants’ knowledge that Newell was exhibiting threatening behavior towards various individuals,” the judge said.
The ruling ends the case for now. Attorneys for the victims hope to have it reinstated through an appeal they filed of Mannion’s August ruling with the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals. That appeal is pending.
SAINT CLAIR — The borough is again considering options on how to finance the replacement of the Lawton Street Bridge — a project estimated to cost more than $1 million — since the state Department of Transportation recently rejected a grant application.
In December, the council applied for the grant from the PennDOT Multimodal Transportation Fund for the project, which has a $1,130,000 cost estimate. If the borough received the grant, it would have had to put up 30 percent of the project cost, $339,000.
Brian W. Baldwin, a project engineer for Alfred Benesch & Co., learned PennDOT had rejected the application on Oct. 17.
“If council wishes to reapply for funding from PennDOT’s FY 2017-2018 Multimodal Transportation Fund program, the application deadline to do so is Dec. 16,” Baldwin said at the council’s November meeting Thursday.
The council did not take action on the matter Thursday.
In June, the council applied for another grant, the 2016 state Department of Community and Economic Development Commonwealth Financing Authority Multimodal Transportation Fund.
“The borough’s application is still under review. The next CFA board meeting is scheduled for Dec. 6,” Baldwin said.
If the borough receives it, the borough would also have to put up 30 percent of the project cost, Baldwin said.
While the council was not certain when the Lawton Street Bridge was constructed, Baldwin believed it was either in the 1920s or 1930s. It’s a two-lane bridge made of adjacent concrete beams. And he said fewer than 1,000 vehicles cross the bridge per day.
In other matters at Thursday’s meeting, Fire Chief Frank Uhrin said a console tied into the fire alarm boxes in the borough needs to be replaced.
“It’s more than 40 years old,” Roland Price Jr., the borough manager, said.
The console is at borough hall, 16 S. Third St.
“It’s the old style. It has the relays in it. What we found that happened twice was an alarm was pulled and it doesn’t get transmitted. The system is old, the console itself. What we’d like to do is replace that immediately if possible. We can get one and put it in there so we don’t have that issue where a box is pulled and it doesn’t get transmitted through. We’ve been tying loops together and jumping circuits and stuff to keep going but we don’t want to take chances with something like that,” Uhrin said at the meeting.
He said he can replace it for “a little over $1,000. I’d like to ask for $1,500, and this will not exceed $1,500,” Uhrin said.
“Otherwise, the system’s working well. It’s just the console itself,” Uhrin said.
“When there’s a fire, do we have people still pulling the boxes with the technology we have now with phones? Or is this more nostalgia? Do other communities still have these systems?” John R. Burke, a council member, asked.
“They still have them,” Uhrin said.
“I just want to make sure we’re not throwing money at something that’s not being used,” Burke said.
“Absolutely not. Did you ever pull a street box before?” Uhrin asked.
“I have not,” Burke said.
“A lot of people don’t realize how quick it is and how it works,” Uhrin said.
Other motions the council approved Thursday included the following:
• Appointed Schuylkill Community Action, Pottsville, to be the program manager and lead-based paint risk assessor for the current HOME program.
• Accepted a proposal from Panchari & Associates, Saint Clair, to install a wireless security system on borough properties, including Boone Park and the switch yard, at a cost of $3,500.
“This is infrastructure, including antennas and recorders, and three cameras,” Price said.
President-elect Donald Trump named U.S. Reps. Lou Barletta and Tom Marino to his transition team executive committee Friday.
Dubbed Thunder and Lightning by Trump at his campaign appearances, Barletta and Marino, who both won fourth terms in the election Tuesday, endorsed the president-elect early on when many other Republicans wouldn’t.
In a statement, Barletta, R-11, Hazleton, thanked Trump for showing confidence in him and said he accepted the job “with humility and the resolve to perform to the best of my abilities.”
“It is a great honor to be asked by the next president of the United States to be part of the team that will help put together the new administration to take office in just two months,” Barletta said. “As I said many times during the campaign, I have seen the ‘board room Donald Trump’ when I sat in meetings with him. In those sessions, he always sought the input of those around him and listened to their opinions and ideas. I anticipate that he will expect similar counsel from his transition team.”
Efforts to obtain comment from Marino, R-10, Lycoming Township, were unsuccessful.
Vice President-elect Mike Pence will serve as chairman of the transition team, which includes Dr. Ben Carson, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn. Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Alabama, will serve as vice chairmen.
The other executive committee members are Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee; Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi; Rep. Chris Collins, R-New York; Jared Kushner; Rebekah Mercer; Steven Mnuchin; Rep. Devin Nunes, R-California; Anthony Scaramucci; Peter Thiel; Donald Trump Jr.; Eric Trump; Ivanka Trump, national Republican chairman Reince Priebus; and Trump campaign chief executive officer Stephen K. Bannon.
n Allentown: More than 200 pieces of stained glass from 10 former churches of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Allentown will be available for sale from 9 a.m. to noon Nov. 19 at St. Paul Church, Second and Susquehanna streets in South Allentown. The diocese, according to a press release, is sponsoring the sale through Beyer Studio, Philadelphia. Proceeds will be returned to the parishes into which the closed parishes were consolidated or merged --- not to the diocese. The pieces for sale range in size from as small as 8-by-11 inches to as large as 36-by-48 inches and many sizes in between. Many of the panels are sized to fit in a standard residential window with an attached hanger so they can easily be hung, according to the release. Several of the pieces are windows, without religious art, still in their wooden frames, making an architectural salvage piece for a home or office. All of the pieces are plain stained glass without religious depictions. Prices will range from $25 to $700 and are determined by uniqueness, condition and size. The stained glass windows were part of the following churches: St. Mauritius, Ashland; Ss. Peter and Paul, Lansford; Ss. Cyril and Methodius, Coaldale; St. Mary, McAdoo; St. Anthony, Cumbola; Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Minersville; St. Joseph, Girardville; Sacred Heart, Nesquehoning; Our Lady of Good Counsel, Gordon; St. George, Shenandoah. Five previous sales were held and the available glass sold within hours, officials said in the release, adding that this year, each buyer will be limited to two stained glass pieces.
n Cressona: A Schaeffer’s Harley Davidson MDA basket bingo is set for 1 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday at the Goodwill Hose Company, 34 S. Sillyman St. Tickets are $20 each. Doors will open at 11:30 a.m. and bingo will begin at 1 p.m. The sponsors are Schaeffer’s and Deer Lake H.O.G. For more information, call 570-968-4336.
n Frackville: A pork chop supper will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday and Elks Lodge 1533, South Third Street. The cost is $9 per meal; all are welcome. For more information, call 570-874-2500.
n Mahanoy City: The Mahanoy Area High School Class of 1971 will holds its 45th-year reunion from 6 to 10 p.m. The deadline to register is Tuesday. To register or for more information, call Kathy at 570-773-6243.
n Pottsville: In a program that was postponed from October, the Pottsville Rotary Club hosted eight students of the month, including Maura Bentz, Aaron Snyder, Reiley Lonergan and Casey Woodford of Minersville Area; Chloe Prezelski and Tyler Zimerofsky from Nativity BVM and Jessica Angelichio and Colin Williams of Pottsville Area. The students told Rotarians about their school and community activities and plans for the future. The club’s annual holiday party is set for Jan. 12 in The Lodge at Sharp Mountain, Pottsville.
n Schuylkill Haven: Robert Squires is seeking donated laptop computers that he refurbishes free of charge to help children with autism. The computers are distributed prior to Christmas to children in need. If anyone has any computers they are willing to donate, drop them off at Squires’ residence at 513 Parkway. The laptops don’t need to be in working order. Chargers are also needed. For more information, call 570-516-0010.
n Shenandoah: The revitalization group Downtown Shenandoah Inc. is selling lottery calendars for January 2017. The cost is $5 each and match the evening daily number pick three straight. Calendars are available at the DSI office, 116 N. Main St. For more information, call 570-462-2030.
n Tamaqua: A performance titled “Voice Lifted” with Dr. Susan Featro and a guest is set for 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Dec. 11 at the Tamaqua Community Art Center, 125 Pine St. The cost is $8 in advance and $10 at the door. It will be a Christmas benefit concert for the Tamaqua Blue Raider Foundation and the art center. For more information, call 570-668-1192. For tickets online go to https://tamaquaarts.thundertix.com.
Police seek thief
of compound bow
LYKENS — State police at Lykens are looking for a thief who removed a woodland camouflage Matthews Q2 compound bow from a vehicle parked in Lykens, police said Thursday.
The incident occurred between 1 p.m. Oct. 31 and 4 p.m. Nov. 1 in the area of Spruce Street and South Second Street. The victim was Mike Wertz, Lykens, police said.
Anyone with information is asked to call state police at 717-362-8700.
Police seek those
who threw egg
WILLIAMSTOWN — State police at Lykens are looking for the vandal who dropped an egg on the hood of a vehicle that was parked in the borough, police said Thursday.
The incident occurred between 5 and 9:30 p.m. Tuesday in the 300 block of East Market Street. The vehicle was a 2001 blue Jeep Cherokee and the victim was Kyle Collins, 25, of 303 E. Market St., Williamstown, police said.
Anyone with information is asked to call state police at 717-362-8700.
Police investigate
Tuscarora burglary
TUSCARORA — State police at Frackville are investigating a burglary that occurred between noon Tuesday and 11 a.m. Friday at 302 Mulberry St. in this Schuylkill Township village.
Police said John M. Push reported someone entered his garage and stole a red gas-powered weed wacker before fleeing the area undetected.
Anyone with information is asked to call police at 570-874-5300.
Police investigate
theft of vehicle
PALO ALTO — The theft of a vehicle that occurred between 4:45 p.m. Thursday and 6:30 a.m. Friday at 420 W. Bacon St. is being investigated by state police at Schuylkill Haven.
Police said someone removed a green 1999 Dodge Neon while it was parked along the street and fled the area.
Anyone with information is asked to call police at 570-739-1330.
Several communities around Schuylkill County held special ceremonies Friday for Veterans Day.
Originally called Armistice Day to mark the end of World War I at 11 a.m. Nov. 11, 1918 — the reason why virtually all ceremonies on the day start at 11 a.m., the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month — the holiday now honors all American veterans.
Mahanoy City
The Mahanoy Area United Veterans Organization presented a moving program Friday, starting at Mahanoy Area High School and concluding with ceremonies at the downtown veteran’s monument.
At Mahanoy Area, the entire student body listened to a welcome by student council President Michael Joseph, the singing of the national anthem, remarks by MAUVO President David Bickowski and words from the Rev. Fred Crawford.
Bickowski then introduced the honored guest and guest speaker, Lou Huber, Mahanoy City.
Huber was born in Newark, New Jersey, in 1945. He moved to Bloomsburg, where he graduated and joined the service.
After serving in the Coast Guard for two years, Huber volunteered for the special services unit, trained with the 82nd Airborne and specialized in weapons and demolition.
He was stationed in Vietnam, Grenada and Panama, and subsequently finished his career as an instructor for the 28th Division at Fort Indiantown Gap.
Huber said an American veteran is a person that signed their life over to their country with no reservations.
“They have endured hardships that civilians will never fathom,” he said. “They leave their homes, loved ones and all the things familiar to them.”
Huber said veterans have a love for their country, a love that stays with them their entire life.
If called on for service, Huber said a veteran would be the first in line to say, “I’m an American veteran and I’ll fight for my country ’til death knocks on my door and takes me home or I’m lucky enough to survive to fight another day.”
Remarks were also offered by Mahanoy City Mayor Patti Schnitzius and Edward Kleha, representing state Rep. Neal P. Goodman, D-123.
Selections were presented by the Mahanoy Area band and chorus, and a poem read by members of the fourth-grade class.
The ceremony then moved to the veteran’s memorial at the intersection of Catawissa and Centre streets, where Huber and Bickowski placed a wreath in honor of all fallen veterans.
The brief ceremony included a prayer and benediction by Crawford, and the playing of taps and a rifle salute by Bickowski, MAUVO Vice President John Wiekrykas and veteran Brad Miller.
After the ceremony, Huber said that two years ago nothing was held in Mahanoy City to honor veterans on Veterans Day.
That has since changed.
Friday’s ceremonies were the best that he can remember in the borough, Huber said.
“This was without a doubt the best we had,” he said. “This is amazing, it doesn’t get any better than this.”
Huber said veterans or those currently serving in the armed forces should not be taken for granted because they have made the American way of life possible.
“We take liberty for granted until it’s taken away from us,” he said.
Orwigsburg
All Americans should remember every man and woman who served or is serving in the country’s armed forces, Robert Baessler told more than 50 people assembled Friday for the borough’s Veterans Day program.
“Today, we honor the contributions and sacrifices of nearly 22 million living men and women,” as well as those who have died, Baessler said while speaking in the borough’s Bicentennial Park. “Today is their day.”
Baessler, who served in the Air Force from 1964-67, reminded veterans, youngsters and everyone else at the ceremony that they would not have the ability to celebrate anything without those who served their country.
“It is the selfless dedication of America’s veterans that help secure our freedoms,” he said.
America’s veterans have protected the nation’s values, liberated entire nations and established a standard of courage for the entire world, according to Baessler.
“Around the world, veterans have broken the shackles of tyranny,” he said.
Baessler urged those present to educate their fellow citizens on what veterans have done and advocate on their behalf.
The Rev. Steward Warner, pastor of Salem United Methodist Church in the borough, offered prayers during the service that recognized and honored veterans. He said it serves as a reminder that Americans still are one people.
“I think with all the stuff we have going on right here ... we have the freedom we take for granted,” he said.
Army veteran David Hoptak said he was glad so many people came to honor those who have served the country.
“I was shocked, pleasantly shocked,” at the turnout, Hoptak said.
Ruth Zellner, who serves as the American Legion Auxiliary eastern vice president, said her husband, who served in the Air Force, and her father, who survived Pearl Harbor, would have enjoyed the ceremony as much as she did.
“We have to honor those who fought in all the wars,” she said. “They gave everything they had for us to celebrate our freedom.”
Wilbur Miller, Orwigsburg, a Marine Corps veteran, enjoyed playing his bugle for the ceremony, saying he was thankful for all who have served this country.
“We’re all in on it,” he said.
Schuylkill Haven
Schuylkill Haven Area High School welcomed back an alumni now serving at the Pentagon and offered a poignant tribute to all area veterans in a special program Friday.
Lt. Col. Howard “Chip” Hall said, “Here’s what Veteran’s Day means to us. It’s connecting generations of veterans, past and present. It gives me the opportunity to say that while our current generation of veterans are no doubt very successful, we’re only successful because of the legacy of excellence that was handed to us by those generations that went immediately before us. As I mentioned in this presentation, it goes all the way back to the founding of our nation.”
“It also gives us the ability to connect ourselves, connect our veterans to the nation who we serve. We serve you. We fought hard to build these freedoms. We fought hard to preserve these freedoms. We really appreciate the assembly. We really appreciate the thanks. We appreciate that. I believe I speak for all of us in uniform, do something else for us. Do something positive with that freedom that all the generations of veterans have fought to build and fought to preserve. It doesn’t have to be grand, but make a difference, one way or another. That is the best way you can say thank you to a veteran. Dedicating yourselves to doing something positive in this world, big or small.”
Hall called the student president of the school’s veteran’s committee, John Slusser, back onto the stage.
“There’s a tradition in the military that when one commander works with another commander through a training exercise or deployment, we show a sign of respect with a Unit Commander’s Coin. I’m not a commander right now, but representing the Director of Operation of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, from one commander to another, I’m going to show you the sign of respect by handing you this coin.”
Hall, a 1988 Schuylkill Haven Area High School graduate, is currently assigned to the Joint Staff in the Pentagon and serves in the J-35 as the readiness division chief. In this position, he supports the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s Strategic Decisions and Title 10 responsibilities by compiling, assessing and analyzing readiness data and presenting issues affecting the preparedness of the joint force to execute national military strategy.
The Veterans Day event, organized by Jane Ulsh and the school’s Student Veterans’ Committee, featured music, guest speakers and patriotic videos. The program began at 8 a.m. at Rotary Field, with the national anthem, presenting of the colors from the Boy Scouts and a gun salute from representatives of Schuylkill Haven American Legion Post 38 and Vietnam Veterans Post 29, as well as a poem reading, “It is the Veteran,” from senior Trevor Smith. The program then moved indoors to the high school auditorium.
Senior John Slusser, committee president, and Ulsh welcomed guests.
In his speech, senior Harry McGoey spoke of veterans as heroes.
“A hero is someone who can sacrifice all to give nothing but everything,” he said. “A hero has no representation of egotism or arrogance in any of their actions or characteristics. Now, these actions are not for oneself, but for all ... When a soldier is standing at that battle, they’re standing there in place of us. Our soldiers are the physical embodiments of everything we as a country represent. That is the most selfless action that could ever occur. That is true heroism,” he said.
Meanwhile, Gabby Rhodes introduced the crowd to her parents, Arpi and David Rhodes. She said her mother, Arpi, was born in Lebanon and was 16 when her mother and her family moved to California. They immediately became legal immigrants. In high school, Arpi decided to enlist in the U.S. forces to become a field medic in 1978.
Her father, David, was born in North Carolina and, after graduating from high school in 1978, he decided to enlist in the National Guard. The pair married and traveled together to Turkey, Greece, Spain, Germany, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iceland and Greenland, she said. They retired from the service and her father became a police officer.
“I am proud to have them as parents and I would not trade them for the world. There are a few lessons that can go along with this. Even though someone from another country becomes a citizen here, they can show that they truly love this country,” she said.
“Remember your friends and family that served for us. To give us freedom of speech, freedom of the press and just freedom in general. Everyone attending this ceremony knows at least one person that served. Say thank you to that person. Buy them a lunch or even hug them. Please remember, thank and respect our veterans because they did so much for us,” Rhodes said.
Ulsh presented the Legion with a donation generated by staff for “dress down” Denim Days. She thanked the district staff, administration and students for assisting during the program and the cafeteria employees for preparing breakfast for the veterans to enjoy. Each veteran in attendance also received a candy bag prepared by the committee. Inside were handmade cards designed by a local Girl Scout troop.
Guy Wiederhold, Pottsville, accepted the Legion donation on behalf of the organization. He thanked the student body, as well as the district staff for the support.
“I’m proud to be a veteran and I’m proud to be an American,” Wiederhold said.
Schuylkill Haven Mayor Mike Devlin attended the service along with Marine Lance Cpl. Kenneth Albitz, who served from 1955 to 1959.
“They put on a great program,” Albitz said. Albitz, who had served as a small arms instructor at Quantico, Virginia, said it was his second time attending the ceremony at the high school. He had previously attended similar events at Blue Mountain.
Tri-Valley
The deputy state surgeon for the Pennsylvania Army National Guard encouraged Tri-Valley High School students Friday to “find that one thing you love to do.”
For Captain Jennifer C. Renninger — a 1999 Tri-Valley graduate who was deployed to Iraq — that meant serving her country in the military.
“I’m honored to be here today. I will admit, it’s difficult for me to accept the gratitude of others because I truly love what I do every day and feel it’s a privilege to serve,” Renninger said in her keynote address to the audience gathered in the high school auditorium for the 15th annual Veterans Day assembly. She recognized the sacrifices of veterans and their family members. She allowed the audience a moment to reflect as she showed the portraits of five service members recently killed in action, three in Jordan and two in Afghanistan.
The event, coordinated through the district’s social studies department, included a luncheon attended by 51 area veterans, followed by musical tributes by the high school band and chorus, videos and guest speakers.
Renninger, a daughter of Kim and Connie Reed, Hegins, deployed to Ramadi, Iraq, in 2005-06 as an enlisted medic with Company C 228th FSB. She worked in a small aid station that supported the 2nd Marine Division and 2nd Brigade Combat Team with the 28th Division for the PAARNG. Her team treated 11,000 patients, 2,000 for trauma and 983 soldiers and two dogs who were evacuated by air for further care. Renninger served on the MedEvac helicopter as well.
She provided slides and a YouTube video on “Charlie Med,” showing where she worked and lived in Ramadi, battling 130-degree temperatures, dust and mud. Her station had flushing toilets, running water and a laundry trailer, where she made use of the detergent and fabric softener sent to her by her mother. Crew members spent downtime playing softball and frisbee, she said. Her company was 70 percent female on a base operated by the Marines.
She shared a photo of the Fallen Warriors Memorial, which is now on display at Fort Indiantown Gap. It was built by one of the medical operations officers and biomed repair technicians while Renninger was in Ramadi. They brought it home. Inside the obelisk are chimes that are 83 dog tags strung inside the 21-foot iron monument — one tag for each soldier lost in Iraq with the Pennsylvania Army National Guard’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team.
Over her 15-year career, Renninger progressed from an enlisted medic to deputy state surgeon for PAARNG.
“I went from playing in the field and mud to having a desk, Blackberry and a calendar full of meetings,” she said.
She said her military career afforded her “fantastic opportunities to travel the world,” most recently in Estonia. She’s currently stationed at Fort Indiantown Gap. Her duties include those similar to a civilian hospital administrator on a larger scale. She makes sure the guard soldiers are up to date with their annual physicals, vaccinations and shots. If a soldier is injured in the line of duty, Renninger assists with the medical evaluation board that the soldier must go through. She also works with 100 medical providers. She and her husband, Jason, have three children, Peyton, 8, Brighton, 6, and Everett, 1.
Words she said she tries to live by and wanted to impart were: “Being happy doesn’t mean everything is perfect. It means you’re willing to look beyond the imperfections.”
Veterans gathered for a group photo at the conclusion of the program.
“I think she really wanted to acknowledge the veterans and also show students the positive side of being in the military, despite the hard work,” Connie Reed said.
She said it’s always been part of her daughter’s personality to be sincere.
Jennifer’s father, Kim, said he initially told his daughter to stay away from the Army or the Marines, and encouraged her to go into the Air Force or Navy instead. She didn’t listen, he said, and headed straight for the Army.
“She has thrived,” he said.
Kim Reed has regularly attended the annual veteran event at Tri-Valley. On Friday, he and his wife sat in the auditorium with Jennifer’s husband, Jason.
“It’s nice to see everyone and talk to people that you may only see once a year. I was in the Air Force, but we all share a common bond that can’t be explained,” Kim Reed said. He also served with the National Guard.
Veterans were treated to a hot lunch, courtesy of Kaitlyn Olson, home economics and reading teacher, and her students.
“It’s rural America at its best,” Eugene Seip, a Navy veteran who served in Vietnam, said. “It truly is God’s county. There’s a slow pace of living, and the young people here are so respectful.”
State Rep. Mike Tobash, R-125, offered welcoming remarks at his alma mater.
“I’m so happy this school district takes the time each year to recognize them (veterans),” he said, noting his own late grandfather was a World War I veteran and former district administrator.
n Mahanoy City: The Mahanoy City Public Library recently acknowledged the following memorials: For Linda M. Turnbull from Carol and Bob Blue; for George Price Jr. from Mary Edith Rhoades; for Clayton Van Horn from Frank Souchak and family, Marilyn Evans and family, Bette Chelak and Joe Chelak family; for Ted Gimeno from the Mahanoy City Class of 1954 and Mary Edith Rhoades; for Paul Sheers from Mary Edith Rhoades; for Donald Howley Sr. from Cecilia Scherer, Joan Brady and family, Francine Williamson and Steve Kozie and Mike and Anita Ansbach; for June Seltzer from Bobby and Leslie Richardson, Woman’s Club of Mahanoy City, Bob and Carol Blue, Marie Koval and family, Francine Williamson and Steve Kozie, and Mike and Anita Ansbach; for Florence Wellington from Bob and Carol Blue, Marilyn Evans, Stephanie Kaye, Bill and Karen Chilinskas, Donna Zelonis, Karen Owens, Janet Kurzinsky, Paul and Donna Peca, Gene and Mary Jo Jacavage, Mary Edith Rhoades, Frank and Sandy Brown, Tom and Ann Marie Brocker, Joe and Angie Babatsky, Lisa and Arnie Broomell and sons, Anita and Marty Dwyer and Mrs. Dolores Hay.
n Mahanoy City: The West End Fire & Rescue Company will stage a Kors purse, Coach purse and Uggs bingo from 12:30 to 5 p.m. Saturday at the firehouse, 700 W. Mahanoy Ave. Tickets are $25 each, which includes a meal, dessert buffet and dabber package. Uggs gift certificates for or toward boots can be redeemed at a local vendor. Bingo will begin at 2 p.m. For more information, call 570-778-6118.
n New Ringgold: Friedens Lutheran Church, 525 Church St., will have a community Thanksgiving dinner from 3 to 6 p.m. Nov. 20. Meals include roasted turkey, potato filling, gravy, corn, green beans, candied sweet potatoes, lettuce with hot bacon dressing, cranberry sauce and salad as well as dessert. For more information, call 570-640-5726.
n Sacramento: The Sacramento Community Fire Company will present “T.G.I.F.!” from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday for an evening of wine and beer tasting featuring wineries Red Shale Ridge, Broad Mountain and Benigna’s Creek as well as Conyngham, Yuengling and Old Forge breweries. The event will have food, including hot wings, live entertainment and a variety of vendors. The cost is $10 in advance and $15 at the door. Participants must be 21 or older; photo IDs will be required. For more information, call Ron at 570-682-9144 or Gene at 570-682-3082 or visit www.scfc14.com.
n Schuylkill Haven: Penn State Schuylkill will have a gift card and basket bingo from noon to 5 p.m. Dec. 11 to benefit THON, the Penn State Panhellenic Dance Marathon that has contributed millions of dollars to the Four Diamond Fund to fight pediatric cancer. THON is the largest student-run philanthropic effort in the world. The Penn State Schuylkill effort will be held in the Walk In Art Center, 110 W. Columbia St. The cost is $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Tickets include 20 regular games and four specials. Additional specials will also be available. There will be a concession stand offering food and refreshments as well as a 50/50 raffle. For tickets or more information, call Patty Shoener at 570-385-6262.
n Shenandoah: The William Penn Fire Company, 166 Mount Olive Blvd. (Route 54), will have a basket bingo Dec. 4 at the firehouse. Doors will open at 12:30 p.m. and bingo will begin at 2 p.m. Tickets are $25 each and include a free buffet and desserts. Advance ticket holders will be eligible for a drawing. For tickets or more information, call Lisa at 570-590-9075.
n Shenandoah: The local branch of M&T Bank, Main and Centre streets is sponsoring its 18th annual winter coat drive. New or fairly new coats can be taken to the bank office during regular business hours. Call the bank at 570-462-2734.
n Tower City: There will be a free clothing bank and free lunch from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, 1931 Wiconisco St., Tower City/Reinerton. There will be ladies’, men’s and children’s clothing available and people are invited to “bring a bag and fill it to the brim,” according to a press release. Call Dale at 570-617-1530 or Kathryn at 717-647-2687.
Wistful-eyed tots greeted Santa on Saturday as he made his first appearance at two area malls.
The jolly elf took Christmas gift requests and posed for photos at center court in the Fairlane Village mall, Pottsville, and the Schuylkill Mall, Frackville. Children were treated to a little magic, music and craft activities while they and their families soaked up the celebratory atmosphere.
“Pappy” Jeffrey Pendal and “Nana” Renee Pendal brought their four grandchildren — Spencer, 5, Bryce, 9, Aubrey, 10, and Mackenzie, 13 — for the festivities at the Fairlane Village mall.
“We come out every year,” Jeffrey Pendal, Williamstown, said. “We let them see Santa and do the activities. We also come for the egg hunt each year and the LEGO event at Boscov’s.”
“He enjoys it. We’ve been bringing him here since he was just a baby,” Pendal said, pointing to his youngest grandson, Spencer.
Pendal and Spencer became part of Stephen Christopher’s magic show, when they volunteered and were called up onstage for some “sloppy origami” tricks. The magician took torn-up tissue paper from the pair and magically transformed them into an elf hat for Spencer and a “polka dot bikini” for his grandfather, drawing giggles from the crowd.
“We ripped paper up and then it turned into that,” Spencer said, reminding his pappy that his bikini made him look like a girl.
“I try to have something for the kids and the adults,” Christopher, Stroudsburg, said. He’s performed at the mall several times and brings some fan favorites — his white dove, Ruby, and his Netherlands Dwarf rabbit, Rascal.
“He was good. He was funny and made me laugh,” said Ashley Morges, Pottsville, who was there with her 1-year-old son, Londyn. They were waiting to get his picture taken with Saint Nick while watching Christopher’s magic act.
“This will be his first time meeting Santa,” she said.
Tammy Bowers and her husband, Anthony, Saint Clair, brought their children, Emma and Anthony, to Saturday’s events.
“I started bringing my niece up here, and she’s 12 now. We come up for everything they have here,” Bowers said, adding her children enjoyed the magic show too. “He’s cute and the kids just loved it.”
Heather Stine, Fairlane’s marketing director, said Santa traditionally visits the two Saturdays before Thanksgiving and will stay through Christmas Eve. Although patrons pay for their photos with Santa, all the other activities are free, including a bounce house, face painting and balloon animals. Children visiting with Santa from noon to 3 p.m. received a free cookie from Subway. The first 100 children got a free kids’ meal coupon for Friendly’s, Stine said.
Meanwhile, at the Schuylkill Mall, families could also partake in several free activities celebrating Santa’s arrival.
“We’ve had an excellent turnout. We’re pleased,” Elaine Maneval, Schuylkill Mall manager, said. Children could receive a free cookie, make a penguin measuring stick to measure the snow, craft a Santa wish list scroll or color the walls, which were decorated with large, coloring book-like designs.
Mike Zaffuto, Brookville, presented his show, “Rock N’ Roll Pet Store Kids Show.” He called his entertainment a kid’s variety show. It included music, magic, puppets and live animals of the small variety.
“It’s my first time performing here and the audience was great,” Zaffuto said.
Jason Baker, Gordon, and his son, Brody, 6, were browsing the mall with Brody holding a “zombie” balloon creation he received. They were on their way to see Santa. Brody sported a T-shirt with the message: “Dear Santa, Does ‘nice-ish’ matter” and a Darth Vader character on it. When asked what was on his wish list, Brody shyly admitted he liked Star Wars LEGOs.
“We always come to these events. He has a good time up here,” Baker said.
Krystal Bonawitz and her husband, James, joined their three daughters, Cymeria, 4, Nyomy, 5, and Adorabella, 6, at the craft table.
“We’ve been here before for the Santa pictures, but this is our first time for the activities,” Bonawitz, Pine Grove, said.
“I think it’s a good thing for the mall and helps circulate business. It gets the kids away from technology for a while,” she said.
Adorabella and Nyomy told Santa they both wanted wolves, while Cymeria said she was wishing for a pony.
Another family, Kristen and Joe Jusinski, Shenandoah Heights, brought their two boys, Joey, 3, and Anthony, 5, for portraits with Santa.
“I think this was the first time they were old enough to know him,” Kristen Jusinski said.
“This is a pretty great Santa,” she added, as the couple noted how personable the jolly elf really was. Their sons requested LEGOs and Iron Man toys.
“This brings more people up to the mall,” her husband said.
Next Saturday at the Schuylkill Mall, Santa will be joined by Mrs. Claus, according to photographer Mike Bailey, of Mike Bailey Photography. Bailey has conducted the photo shoots for the past seven years and also has a photo studio at the mall.
Saturday’s Santa at the Schuylkill Mall, also known as Charlie Sippel, Pottsville, said he was a “rookie.” He and Bailey connected when Bailey was shooting photos of a class reunion for Sippel’s wife, he said. Sippel said one of the more unusual requests Saturday was for a motorcycle and trail bike.
“I only had one little girl that cried, then I offered her some candy and it was OK,” Sippel said.
About 5,000 years ago, 10 donkeys were laid to rest in painstakingly constructed brick grave chambers at a site connected with one of the earliest Egyptian kings.
They were buried in a place of importance, “where the highest lords would be,” said Fiona Marshall, an archaeologist at Washington University in St. Louis who studies the domestication of donkeys. Because of their importance in trade across the Sahara, she said, donkeys had “superhigh status.”
Unfortunately, even the most passionate defenders of donkeys recognize that the animal they love gets little respect in the wider world today.
Veterinarians, donkey rescuers and donkey defenders gathered recently for the fourth annual Donkey Welfare Symposium at the Cornell University veterinary school in Ithaca, New York, to talk about the problems faced by an animal often at the bottom of the ladder of human regard.
“Donkeys are the least of the least,” said Eric Davis, the veterinarian from the University of California, Davis, who started the symposium. He travels with other vets to provide free care to donkeys in many places where none is available. Donkeys are sometimes abused and, in the worst cases, slaughtered for gelatin and for meat.
Fortunately, as the symposium made clear, the animals are not friendless. Their benefactors may not be large in number (conference attendance was 77), but they are as fierce in their loyalty as donkeys are in defense of their territories (more about donkey fierceness later). They are also devoted to debunking donkey myths.
You may have heard, for instance, that donkeys are stubborn. But Ben Hart, a trainer who works for the Donkey Sanctuary in Britain, put it this way: “Anybody who says a donkey is stubborn has been outsmarted by a donkey.”
Not so stubborn
They are cautious, he said, not contrary. They like to think before they act. The reason may be that their ancestor, the African wild ass, is not a herd animal. Wild asses have individual territories, and each must decide where to go and when to eat, run or fight. Donkeys have retained some of that thoughtful intelligence, said Marshall, who was not at the symposium. They like to decide for themselves.
Although donkeys can run when threatened, that isn’t their usual reaction to predators. That’s when they become fierce. “A donkey will stand and fight,” said Mark Meyers, who runs Peaceful Valley Donkey Rescue in Miles, Texas, and had brought donkeys to the symposium for adoption. He and others at the meeting said donkeys would attack dogs, coyotes or foxes. There has been at least one report of a donkey attacking a mountain lion.
That is why donkeys are kept to protect sheep, goats and other animals. That’s right: Guard donkeys. Google them.
Their history with humans, of course, is as the ultimate beasts of burden. And among the earliest. The donkey, not the camel, opened up the Sahara, Marshall said, enabling trade between Egypt and Mesopotamia. That is why those 10 were buried with a king. Camel caravans did not appear until about 3,000 years ago. The first donkeys were probably domesticated about 6,000 years ago, and their importance was evident in those 5,000-year-old burials.
Since then, donkeys have carried building stones, food, trade goods, ammunition and people, including Jesus when he rode into Jerusalem on the day Christians celebrate as Palm Sunday. And yet museums are full of celebrations of horses, not donkeys.
“It’s so galling, when you become an eccentric donkey person,” Marshall said.
True, they are not the most exciting animals. Unlike their equine cousins, “donkeys have two speeds: slow and slower,” the saying goes. But the gap in prestige between the elegant horse and the dumpy donkey is of human doing.
African wild asses — of which there are perhaps 600 left in nature — are “magnificent wild animals,” Marshall said, “really elegant and fast and feisty as anything.” And they are the animals from which the first donkeys were bred.
The first horses, she said, “were short, stubby little things, sort of like a barrel on legs.” People bred them to be long-legged racers and great jumpers, just as the lithe wild ass was bred to become a stubby little donkey.
Needless suffering
But many donkeys are not kept as pets or working animals, but slaughtered for their meat or hides. Philip Mshelia, a veterinarian from Nigeria, spoke at the symposium about the suffering of donkeys in Africa. They have been slaughtered without regulation in several countries for food and for shipment to China, where a gelatinlike substance, or ejido, from their hides is used in medicines. Because tens of thousands of donkeys have been killed, Burkina Faso and Niger banned the export of donkeys this year.
Davis warned those at the conference that the future may hold more such horrors. Even though the number of donkeys is increasing, he said, global economic development might well mean that tractors, cars and trucks will become available to the poor who now depend on donkeys. What happens to donkeys then may be what happened to horses in developed countries as cars and trucks replaced them — widespread slaughter.
Davis spoke by telephone at 7 a.m. one recent morning, fresh from feeding the five donkeys that he and his wife keep. Asked why people who do not have or know donkeys should care about them, he said, “Much of human civilization was created because there were donkeys to move pastoralists and traders around the world.
“I think that we as a species owe something to donkeys.”
Q: Is it true that polyester fleece clothing is a huge contributor to the problem of plastic in our oceans?
— MICKEY WALTON, SEATTLE
A: We’re all familiar with the issue of nonbiodegradable plastic debris (shopping bags, soda bottles, fishing nets, etc.) clogging up our waterways and making its way out to sea — sometimes accumulating in huge “gyres.” But what you might not realize is that even if you are responsible about recycling and not littering, you may still be contributing to the ocean’s plastic burden by virtue of the clothes on your back.
“The single biggest plastic pollution problem facing our ocean is microfiber: trillions of pieces of tiny fibers flowing into the ocean — every time we use our washing machines,” reports the nonprofit Rozalia Project. “Our synthetic clothing is breaking up, sending this plastic microfiber out with the drain water.”
According to the group, just one fleece jacket could shed over 81,000 minute strands of polyester per wash: “New York City, alone, could have 6.8 billion microfibers flowing into its harbor every day.”
According to activist Sarah Mosko, the tiny size of microplastics actually adds to their dangers. “Because plastics are lipophylic (oil-loving), oily contaminants in seawater are drawn to them,” she reports on Algalita’s blog. “Japanese researchers found that plastic pellets no more than a half millimeter in diameter could adsorb hazardous chemicals (like polychlorinated biphenyls, nonylphenols and derivatives of DDT) onto their surfaces at up to 1 million times the concentrations in the surrounding water.” The tiny size of microplastics means that even minute creatures can ingest them, thereby introducing any chemicals they carry into the very bottom of the food chain.
The Rozalia Project adds that “ingested pollutants can unstick from the plastic and end up in the stomachs and tissue” of everything from plankton to whales, causing issues at the cellular level as well as digestive problems. Rozalia researchers found that two-thirds of all fish species tested from markets in California had microfiber or microplastic in them. Even those who don’t eat fish may not be able to avoid ingesting microfibers, given that farm animals are typically fed fish meal as a dietary staple.
So what can be done? Rozalia has developed “the world’s first consumer solution” to stop microfiber pollution. The patent-pending microfiber catcher works in any washing machine, catching microfibers so they can’t flow out with the drain water. “Early test results show the microfiber catcher keeping 2,000-9,000 pieces of synthetic microfibers from flowing into our public waterways per wash per household.”
Outdoor clothing and gear makers are starting to realize that they can be part of the solution as well. Earlier this year, Patagonia commissioned microbiologists from UC Santa Barbara to study the problem and suggest ways the company could reduce microfiber pollution moving forward. The company is sharing the findings with its competitors in order to collaborate on industry-wide solutions.
We probably can’t do much, concludes Sarah Mosko, about the microplastics that are already contaminating our oceans, but we can start making smarter clothing choices. “Natural fiber cloths like cotton, silk, wool, bamboo, hemp and even soy may be better choices for those concerned about the environment,” she said. “All derive from renewable sources, are intrinsically biodegradable, and their fibers would not attract oily chemicals out of seawater.”
EARTHTALK is a trademark of the nonprofit Earth Action Network. To donate, visit www.earthtalk.org. Send questions to question@earthtalk.org.
No doubt you’ve already heard or read that we’re going to have a “Super Moon” on Monday. It’s a relatively new term that I didn’t know until a few years ago, and I’ve been an amateur astronomer for years. I don’t feel so bad because it’s not an astronomical term, but rather an astrological one dreamed up by Richard Nolle, a famous astrologer. Astronomy and astrology are two different things entirely. Astronomy is a real science and astrology isn’t. That’s as much as I’ll badmouth astrology, at least for now.
Anyway, this Richard Nolle arbitrarily declared that any full moon that’s within 224,641 miles of the Earth is a super moon. Our modern day hyped-up electronic media fell in love with that term. I suppose I should be careful and not be such a buzz kill because I’m actually part of that media. The “hip” police may get me! This year we’re having three super moons, but the super moon on Monday is super duper because not only is it the closest and largest full moon in 2016 but the closest and largest full moon since 1948. Harry Truman was our president back then and gas was 16 cents a gallon!
Every 27.3 days, the moon makes one complete orbit around the Earth. The moon has no light of its own, but merely reflects the sun’s light as it orbits Earth. The changing angle between the moon, Earth and sun is what causes the moon to go through its cycle of phase changes.
Full moons occur when the Earth lies roughly in a line between the sun and moon, and the moon is fully bathed in the sun’s light from our view on Earth. What gives rise to the super moon is that the moon’s orbit around the Earth is not a perfect circle, but a little oval-ish. That means the moon’s distance from Earth varies more than 25,000 miles in the course of its circuit. Every month the moon’s farthest distance from the Earth, dubbed apogee, is more than 250,000 miles. The closest distance, perigee, is a little more than 221,524 miles. The full moon this week only is 221,541 miles from Earth, just 17 miles farther than perigee.
Without a doubt the full moon on Monday in the Pottsville heavens will be the biggest full moon in our sky, but not all that much bigger. In fact, it will only be about 7 percent larger than the average full moon, and about 14 percent brighter. But, when the moon is rising Monday evening at 5:23, it’ll look a lot bigger than the average full moon but that’s just an illusion. The moon and sun always seem much larger when they rise and set. This optical illusion is caused by our eyes and brains comparing celestial bodies with land objects. Again, forgive me if I’m being a buzz kill.
The closest full moon since 1948 will have a definite physical effect on Earth, however. Ocean tides will be a little higher than they usually are during an average full moon because of the increased gravitational pull of the closer moon. It’s said that the full moon can make people a little crazy, and maybe because it’s closer and has a slightly stronger pull it may have a greater effect. More likely it’s the power of that suggestion that may make folks a little more crazy, including me!
Any full moon does a great job of scouring the night sky with natural light pollution so serious stargazing is pretty much shot down.
You can certainly look at the full moon through your telescope, but I have to warn you that it can be so bright it could sting your eyes a bit. You may still see the bright disk in your eye for several seconds afterward, similar to what happens if someone uses flash when they take a photo of you.
The easiest way to avoid that is to wear sunglasses when you look at the moon through your telescope. I’m not kidding, it really works. Even with that, full moons aren’t all that great to view through a telescope. You can certainly see the contrast between the dark lunar plains, the larger craters, and the whiter highlands, but without any shadows you can’t see a whole lot of details.
On Tuesday evening as the waning full super-duper moon rises, look for a little cluster of stars to the upper left of our lunar neighbor. It will be a little lost in the moonlight but you should be able to spot what looks like a tiny Big or Little Dipper. It’s the Pleiades star cluster, a group of young stars a little more than 400 light years away. Just one light year equals almost 6 trillion miles!
I think the best thing to do with our super-duper moon this month is to take a walk under it and soak in its light. Maybe look for the man on the moon as well, but most of all ... don’t go crazy!
(Lynch, an amateur astronomer and professional broadcast meteorologist, can be reached at mikewlynch@comcast.net)