Police find drugs

in man’s vehicle

POTTSVILLE — A Minersville man was jailed after being arrested by Pottsville police after officers were called about 11:50 p.m. Sept. 15 to the 600 block of John O’Hara Street for a report of a suspicious incident.

Police said witnesses reported seeing a man, later identified as Gerald Lawell III, 33, distributing controlled substances on Pottsville Housing Authority property.

Through a subsequent investigation, police said, they were able to obtain a search warrant for the man’s vehicle that led to the discovery of heroin, methamphetamine, marijuana, packaging materials, digital scales and drug transaction ledgers.

As a result of the incident, Cpl. Charles Webber charged Lawell with felony possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, three counts of possession of a controlled substance and one count each of possession of drug paraphernalia and driving with a suspended license.

He was arraigned by Magisterial District Judge David J. Rossi, Tremont, and committed to Schuylkill County Prison unable to post $10,000 bail, police said.

Deeds

Kline Township — Patricia M. Buckery to Robert S. Buckery Sr.; 133 Bayview Ave., South McAdoo; $1.

Mahanoy City — Joseph G. Groody, sheriff of Schuylkill County, to MTCLQ Investors LP; 5221 W. Mahanoy Ave.; $1,352.62.

David J. Eck to Rosauro Tau Del Rosario and Charmaine B. Dimalanta; 813 E. Mahanoy Ave.; $22,000.

There was no other place Robert “Bob” and Virginia Wuttke could have chosen to tie the knot, they said, other than the Schuylkill Mall.

They were the only couple ever to be married at the Frackville area mall, which will be demolished starting later this year while Pearl Theatre Stadium 8 will remain open through the year’s end.

“We met there and fell in love there,” Bob said.

When it was announced the mall would close, The Republican-Herald sought readers’ mall memories. They ranged from the Wuttkes’ wedding to celebrity visits to a shoplifting case involving an angry parrot.

The Frackville couple connected when Bob was a security guard for AlliedBarton and Virginia worked at Black Diamond Antiques and Collectibles. Virginia was also a mall walker and Bob used to joke with her, telling her to “stop running” in the mall.

“He proposed to me on the Schuylkill Mall marquee. It said, ‘Virginia, will you marry me?’ I just started to cry,” Virginia said.

Mall manager Elaine Maneval was in on Bob’s surprise and asked Virginia to drive to the marquee to check if it was functioning properly and read everything displayed. Virginia said, “I called Elaine and said, ‘I said yes!’ ”

They were married April 27, 2013, at center court by Pastor Edward Kopach and had their reception in the mall’s community room. Kopach serves the Living Waters Church of God in Frackville, and his wife, Cathy, made the wedding cake. Maneval took a video of the event; Dana Baker, mall marketing director, decorated and made an arch out of balloons for the service; and Jim Bova, in charge of property maintenance, made sure the venue was ready. About 75 family, friends and mall co-workers attended.

Virginia had a long history at the mall, having also worked at The Heritage Shop, Phar-Mor and The Bon-Ton.

“I miss it so much because I just loved it,” she said.

Bob, who worked at the mall for nearly 12 years, is now a bus driver in the North Schuylkill School District for Rohrer Bus Co. He also teaches Sea Cadets at the Naval Reserve Center, Allentown.

‘Mall cop’

In April 1981, six months after the mall opened, Gerard Jankaitis was hired as one of two police officers for New Castle Township police.

“From 1981 until 1987, I was known as the ‘mall cop,’ as most of my shifts were spent at the mall,” he said.

In 1984, he was promoted to chief. He worked in New Castle Township until 1987, then for Frackville Borough until his retirement in 2002. He now resides in Hershey.

“Since the mall was in the township, we spent a lot of time there, investigating crimes, helping people and with traffic control. At the time, Crown America Corporation owned the mall, bringing in events,” he said.

He remembers celebrities, too, like Bob Eubanks of “The Newlywed Game.” They set up the stage at center court.

“I remember him coming in a limo and we put him in a storage area. He was very nice, very cordial,” Jankaitis said.

Jankaitis remembers soap opera stars from “As The World Turns” and “General Hospital” making an appearance.

The biggest crowd, though, was for Miss Judy from “Hatchy Milatchy,” according to Jankaitis. “They filmed her show there in 1984 or 1985. It was the biggest crowd I saw there.”

Lois Burns portrayed Miss Judy, the host of the WNEP-TV children’s show.

Other celebrities included Joe Bonsall from the Oak Ridge Boys.

“He was just shopping at Kmart. He was cordial and signed autographs. I just hung out with him. He had red cowboy boots on. I remember that,” Jankaitis said.

Shoplifting cases were a crime the police investigated.

“There was a burglary at Dr. Pet. They went through the plaster wall and stole an $800 parrot. The parrot bit whoever stole it. They left behind a blood trail. Never did catch them but, hopefully, the parrot ended up in good hands,” Jankaitis said.

An incident in Sears about 1985 changed the way some police departments and stores approached loss prevention, according to Jankaitis. Sears had surveillance cameras at the time, which captured the activities of two women from Pittston.

“One woman was the lookout and the other woman wore a long dress and had bike shorts on underneath. VCRs were just coming out at the time. This was all caught on tape. She wrapped up the VCR cord, and she took the VCR, lifted her dress, and stuck the VCR in her bike shorts. It’s called the ‘crotching technique.’ You have to have a lot of dexterity. She waddled out of the store. Sears security apprehended her then called us,” he said.

The security tape was used in training for other stores, he said, and demonstrated what officers should look for.

“Many adults would walk into the mall office to report their car was stolen. I’d take people around the parking lot and say, ‘Let’s look for your car.’ Sure enough, a lot of the entrances looked the same, and we’d find the car,” Jankaitis said.

Also common were lost children. Fortunately, they were all found safe, he said.

Grand opening

It was a highly anticipated event when the mall opened at the crossroads of Interstate 81 and Route 61 on Oct. 9, 1980.

There were 70 stores.

“The most memorable event of the grand opening was at center court after the mall owners spoke and the ribbon was cut, all of the fountains were turned on which was spectacular,” Elizabeth “Betty” Lenosky said.

She worked from 1980 to 1985 as the mall secretary and 1985 to 1992 as marketing director.

“I think the public was excited by the mall being opened. It was a boost to the area and people didn’t have to travel far to shop. There was something for everyone,” she said.

As marketing director, she handled promotions and shows, press releases and advertising. She was responsible for Merchant’s Association budgets, financial statements and accounting.

She said there were many events. The mall did something special for arrivals of Santa and Easter Bunny and for its Halloween parades.

“One of my most memorable Santa Claus arrivals was when we welcomed Santa via helicopter. When Santa and I arrived at the mall via helicopter, it was dark and maintenance turned off the outside lights to the area of the landing. The children were given flashlights which they turned on. It was very exciting,” Lenosky said. “The promotion for the pool giveaway was where we blew up beach balls and customers had to guess how many were in the pool. Whoever came closest won the pool. We were very community-oriented and involved with a lot of agencies in the county, such as Feed a Friend, Earth Day, Cancer Society Telethon and more.”

Messenger

Anna Mae Yutko, 90, of West West Terrace, worked at the mall for about a year in the office before all businesses had phones installed. Her son, Rick, an engineer, helped oversee mall construction.

“I took phone calls and delivered messages. It was very interesting. I enjoyed it,” Yutko said. “When I would get a phone call at my desk, I would go down and deliver it. I had to walk through the whole mall.”

After she worked there, she continued to be a patron.

“It’s a shame the mall is being taken down. It was a beautiful building. I attended different functions and take my grandchildren,” she said.

Skills learned

John Mancini recalled taking a mall computer class.

“There was a class in the corner. Next door, there was a travel agency and another entrance. There was a school run for senior citizens and people who are disabled. I learned to operate a computer there,” Mancini, 81, who now resides in Little River, South Carolina, said.

Cosmetics counter

Kathleen “Drake” Drahuschak, Mahanoy City, was among the first to get a part-time job at Hess’s store. She worked for Estee Lauder and became the full-time cosmetics manager at Hess’s. After the store closed, she went back to teaching.

She still has pins she was awarded from Estee Lauder and Hess’s. There were gold pins for 5 and 10 years of service. She also kept button pins celebrating Mother’s Day and the grand opening.

“I helped put the Hess’s store together. The hoopla was humongous. It was better than bread,” Drahuschak said of the fanfare for the opening.

She said one of her cosmetic buyers used to say he was heading up to “Skooo-kill” and “where they cut the mountain to build the mall.”

A vivid memory was the Challenger shuttle disaster in 1986: “Everyone was over in our furniture department watching the news. I remember that was such a sad day.”

The store sometimes had special promotions, when the staff would dress up, especially at Halloween. She remembered Peter Cieslukowski designed displays and said Hess’s was known for its beautiful look. John Boran served as store manager. She said ladies she worked with became close.

Drahuschak said she spent so much time at the store, her niece and nephew used to call it “Aunt Kathy’s Mall.” Others who knew Drahuschak worked at the mall would call, asking if there was a new shipment of the Cabbage Patch Kids dolls coming into Hess’s. She said there was quite a craze for the dolls and, although she’s not a collector, she still has the “Buffy Gertie” doll she purchased from Hess’s in 1984.

Word of the mall’s closure saddened Drahuschak: “My heart was broken. I spent a decade of my life there.”

Movies and records

Keith Semerod, 62, of Pottsville, said he worked at the mall at a kiosk that specialized in vinyl records.

“It was called Musical Memories in front of the Walden books. That was around 1989 and 1991. What I remember most about the mall was the variety of places to eat. At Christmastime, I remember how busy it got and so many places that were set up just for Christmas sales,” Semerod said. “On weekends, it was the place for high school kids to go.”

Lonny R. Tutko, 46, formerly of Shenandoah, said the mall was where he was introduced to “Mad Max.” In 1982, his family took him to UA, The Movies at Schuylkill Mall, to see George Miller’s “The Road Warrior.”

“I almost went to see ‘Beastmaster’ instead. My life may have turned out differently if I had,” Tutko, a Boise, Idaho, resident, said. He became a lifelong fan of the series, collecting posters and soundtracks.

“One memory I’d like to share is me selling the first ticket to ‘Movies on the Mountain,’ ” Caitlin Day, Girardville, said. “On one of our first nights open, (the newspaper) came and took our picture. I’m on the left holding tickets. The movies was my first job in 2011. Also, I worked at the Deb Shop until we closed in 2015.”

“One interesting memory I have is of a show called Hi-Jinks (2005) where they actually did a segment at the Schuylkill Mall, next to where Nail Art used to be. It was a prank show, and the mall segment was a giant cellphone prank. I spent countless nights at this mall. It is truly heartbreaking that it is ending like this,” Day said.

Chris Snyder also enjoyed time working at the cinema and from 1983 to 1985.

“During this time, I was a college student with limited hours available for part-time work. The theater was able to accommodate weekend hours. I attended classes during the day and worked the Friday midnight show — often Rocky Horror Picture Show — playing,” Snyder, Gordon, said. “I was grateful for the income and the flexibility the theater offered. The Schuylkill Mall will be missed.”

(Staff writer Stephen J. Pytak contributed to this article.)

Contact the writer: ; 570-628-6007

SCHUYLKILL HAVEN — There were representations of melting clocks and oversized lips. Giant eyeballs were everywhere and many folks were sporting a mustache.

They included Gretta Deitch, Frackville, one of the more than 200 people who came out Saturday night to the Walk In Art Center fundraiser Kick Up Your Heels VIII, held in the Main Gallery on the third floor of the complex at 220 Parkway.

The Main Gallery on the third floor of the complex was decorated to celebrate the art of Spanish artist Salvador Dali.

“We make an effort to educate the public. Dali is a name that everybody hears, but not everybody knows who Dali is,” Lisa Robinson, executive director of the WIAC, said.

Deitch was dressed up like the surrealist icon in a black suit and tie. She completed her costume with a paste-on 10-past-10 mustache.

“I’ve come to the Walk In for the past four years for this event. There’s nothing better than the arts. Dali was such an interesting man and he played with gender and ideas of realities. I recently had my hair cut short and I figured this would be a perfect opportunity to dress up like him. I don’t know how a man wears a mustache, though,” Deitch said.

She did her best to eat and drink while wearing it, and it managed to stay on her upper lip.

“It came with some adhesive. Hopefully it stays on,” she said.

Tori Correll, Schuylkill Haven, painted her face to resemble Dali’s painting “Mae West.” And she wore canvases on her shoulders that resembled melting clocks.

Dali, who died in 1989 at age 84, is perhaps best known for his 1931 painting The Persistence of Memory, which features clocks melting over an abstract landscape.

“I’m a big fan of Dali and surrealist paintings. When I first started being interested in art in high school, Dali was the first artist that really caught my eye,” Correll said.

More than 20 local artists worked to decorate the third floor of the WIAC for the event, Kathi Mengle, Palo Alto, the artist who led the effort, said.

“The board of directors came up with the idea to do a salute to Dali. And, as artists, we were thrilled. There’s so many different avenues you can take with Dali. We started having monthly meetings, then they started being, like, every week. We spent thousands of man hours on this project,” Mengle said.

It was a night of cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and music. There was live music by bands including Between Friends, featuring Tim Hill on guitar.

“By purchasing a ticket, you are helping the Walk In Art Center sustain our programs throughout the year and to continue to be a community asset,” according to the WIAC website at www.walkinartcenter.org.

“In 2016, the funds that the Walk In Art Center raised during Kick Up Your Heels, we were able to send 120 kids to Summer Art Camp. This is due to the generosity of sponsors and donors. You gave the gift of art to a child and helped build their self-esteem. We thank everyone who has helped us in previous years and we hope that you can do the same this year,” according to the website.

WIAC is located in the former Walk-In Shoe factory at 100-110 Columbia St. A nonprofit artist incubator, it opened in 2010.

In 2012, the remains of the former century-old Walkin-Shoe Co. were turned into studios for artists.

Contact the writer: spytak@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6011

Lebanon Valley

Lebanon Valley College, Annville, celebrated its 148th commencement with the following local students receiving degrees:

Aaron J. Abercrombie, Pine Grove, bachelor’s in music recording technology, a graduate of Pine Grove Area High School; Renate A. Berger, Tremont, bachelor’s in history, a graduate of Pine Grove Area High School; Meghan M. Boran, Pottsville, doctor of physical therapy in health science and physical therapy, a graduate of Pottsville Area High School; Kyler J. Burke, Pine Grove, bachelor’s in history, a graduate of Pine Grove Area High School; Kiely L. Chaklos, Frackville, master of business administration, a graduate of Nativity BVM High School; Lauran A. Deibert, Klingerstown, bachelor’s in early childhood education with Phi Alpha Epsilon and summa cum laude honors, a graduate of Tri-Valley High School; Brittany Dierwechter, Hamburg, doctor of physical therapy in physical therapy, a graduate of Hamburg Area High School; Miranda J. Evitts, Mahanoy Plane, bachelor’s in political science and English, a graduate of Mahanoy Area High School; Brooke M. Felty, Schuylkill Haven, bachelor’s in early childhood education and special education, summa cum laude, a graduate of Schuylkill Haven Area High School; Michael A. Gaval, Mahanoy City, bachelor’s in business administration, a graduate of Mahanoy Area High School; Taylor M. Gerchak, Pottsville, doctor of physical therapy in physical therapy, a graduate of Pottsville Area High School; Michael P. Halcovage, Pottsville, bachelor’s in music education with Phi Alpha Epsilon and summa cum laude honors, a graduate of Pottsville Area High School; Amanda M. Howard, Frackville, bachelor’s in biology, cum laude, a graduate of North Schuylkill High School; Alyssa L. Keich, Tamaqua, doctor of physical therapy in physical therapy, a graduate of Tamaqua Area High School; Dakota M. Koller, Hamburg, bachelor’s in actuarial science and economics, a graduate of Hamburg Area High School; Corey Kuchinsky, Orwigsburg, bachelor’s in accounting, cum laude, a graduate of Blue Mountain High School; Kaitlin A. Lee, Cressona, bachelor’s in business administration, a graduate of Blue Mountain High School; Brianna M. Leiter, Tower City, bachelor’s in history, a graduate of Williams Valley High School; Jessica A. McGuire, Lykens, master of science in STEM education; Justin T. Mengel, Hamburg, bachelor’s in music education and music with Phi Alpha Epsilon and summa cum laude honors, a graduate of Hamburg Area High School; Nicholas D. Muench, Pottsville, bachelor’s in chemistry in ACS chemistry, a graduate of Pottsville Area High School; Christie I. Sborz, Pottsville, doctor of physical therapy in physical therapy, a graduate of Minersville Area High School; Alison M. Semanchik, Shenandoah, bachelor’s in early childhood education and special education, magna cum laude, a graduate of Shenandoah Valley High School; Dana N. Snyder, Gilberton, bachelor’s in economics, a graduate of Mahanoy Area High School; Adam P. Soltys, Schuylkill Haven, doctor of physical therapy in physical therapy, a graduate of Pine Grove Area High School; Tori E. Stramara, Pottsville, doctor of physical therapy in physical therapy, a graduate of Blue Mountain High School; Anne Swokel, Barnesville, doctor of physical therapy in health science and physical therapy, Phi Alpha Epsilon and summa cum laude honors, a graduate of Mahanoy Area High School; Zackery W. Tidmore, Orwigsburg, doctor of physical therapy in health science and physical therapy, a graduate of Blue Mountain High School; Jeanette M. Tropp, Pottsville, bachelor’s in digital communications, a graduate of Nativity BVM High School; Taylor M. Troutman, Hegins, bachelor’s in psychology, a graduate of Tri-Valley High School; Robert C. Van Horn, Ringtown, bachelor’s in early childhood education, a graduate of Mahanoy Area High School; Christine D. Ware, Ringtown, bachelor’s in psychology, magna cum laude, a graduate of Mahanoy Area High School; Michael W. Wirtz, Mahanoy City, doctor of physical therapy in health science and physical therapy, cum laude, a graduate of Mahanoy Area High School.

Misericordia

Alexandra Wagner, Tamaqua, received the American Chemical Society Outstanding Graduating Chemistry or Biochemistry Major Award, given by the Susquehanna Valley Section of the American Chemical Society, at Misericordia University, Dallas, Luzerne County. The award recognizes a graduating student, selected by the chemistry/biochemistry faculty, who has shown excellence in scholarship and academics.

Alexandra earned her bachelor’s degree in May during the 91st annual commencement ceremony.Breann Hunsinger, Kelayres, together with two other students, presented re-search at the annual Student Research Day at Misericordia.

Breann’s team presented a project titled “Hold My Beer: Do Gender and Alcohol Consumption Affect Perceptions of Drinkers?”

Alvernia

Makayla Boyle, Tamaqua, was named a student undergraduate research Fellow for the summer at Alvernia University, Reading. She is studying biochemistry.

The Student Undergraduate Research Fellows program is an opportunity for students to experience scholarship, research and the creative process in collaboration with faculty scholars. Fellows earn a stipend and are granted free housing for the eight-week summer program.

Makayla’s project was titled “The Impact of Varying Concentrations of Ethanol on Muscle Cell Fusion and Analysis of Fusion-Related Proteins.”

Penn Tech

The following local students received student achievement awards at Pennsylvania College of Technology, Williamsport:

Robert G. Thomas Award, presented to graduates who attained the highest cumulative average in welding — William I. Horn III, Schuyl-kill Haven, welding technology; Allan Myers Award (formerly American Infrastructure), presented to the top-performing graduate of heavy construction equipment technology: technician emphasis — Dexter Reece Maurer, Hegins, diesel technology and heavy construction equipment technology: technician emphasis and the Restoration Faculty Award, presented to an outstanding student who has attained the highest cumulative average in automotive restoration technology — Jason C. Wade, Port Carbon, automotive restoration technology.

Lebanon Valley

At Lebanon Valley College, Annville, pride runs deep with legacy families who celebrated their newest graduate at spring commencement.

Kayla Bolinsky, Ashland, a graduate of North Schuyl-kill High School, received a bachelor’s degree in accounting at LVC. Her father, Leonard, had earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting.

Wilkes

Angus Fortune, Schuyl-kill Haven, a nursing major at Wilkes University, Wilkes-Barre, was one of five students who traveled to Bangkok, Thailand, from Aug. 1-7 for the 2017 University Scholars Leadership Symposium.

The weeklong training session brings 1,000 of the world’s most promising leaders from 90 universities and colleges worldwide. To be selected to attend, students undergo a systematic screening process to assess strong leadership potential, genuine appreciation for different perspectives and reflect diverse interests, backgrounds and ambitions.

In continental France (as opposed to the French Antilles, battered by tropical storms), autumn arrives as autumn should: bright, blustery days, cool nights, alternating with periods of damp and rain. Perfect weather for mushroom hunting in a region like le Perche, where there are more than 1,000 varieties hidden among the undergrowth of the forests that have given this region its name.

Perche, I learned on the site of the regional park (http://www.parc-naturel-perche.fr/en), comes from an Indo-European root word, perk, which has nothing to do with the English word spelled the same. “Perk” applies to oak trees and is both the root of the Latin word for oak, quercus, and for the region where I have my home.

This time of year, in oak forests all over le Perche, men and women not afraid to get their feet wet are out searching for mushrooms.

At my village café, where I’ve earned the right to stand at the counter with the regulars and pay a round of drinks from time to time, I’ve been told it’s a record year. Why, all you have to do is plop down on the ground (if you’re ready to get the seat of your pants wet), plunge your hands toward the earth and begin harvesting.

I’ve benefited from this abundance. Just yesterday a village friend gave me a bag of “trompettes de la mort,” trumpets of death — not a very promising name for something you’re supposed to eat. These dull, velvety black mushrooms look like the trumpets angels play to announce the Apocalypse. Their form is also very close to that of a highly toxic South American flower that bears that very name: Angel’s trumpet.

When receiving a gift of wild mushrooms in France, considered a great delicacy, one is supposed to first ooh and aah while caressing and gently sniffing a specimen. That done, the next step is to wax nostalgic about memorable mushroom meals. Ah! Ce bon petit rôti de veau aux girolles — Ah! That delicious little roast of veal in girolle mushroom sauce. Finally, after more profuse thanks, one declares what one will do with one’s own little treasure: a creamy soup, a sauce for pasta, un bon petit rôti de porc (pork roast), or, better yet, an omelet.

I held my bag, I said my thanks, all the while silently remembering my own experiences with woodland mushrooms. Memories took me all the way back to my first summer in France. I met a man in a café in a little village in the mountains above the Côte d’Azur. He invited me to accompany him to a dinner at the home of friends.

Always ready for new adventures, I accepted. That evening, we drank a Beaujolais wine called “Pisse-dru” (the first word I think readers can figure out, the second means heavy or abundant) and ate wild mushrooms sautéed in garlic and butter. There was some oohing and aahing, but there was also some concern. One of the guests was not sure these mushrooms were real the thing.

“Fausses chanterelles” (a variety of wild mushroom), he declared. Not poisonous, no, but very hard to digest.

The other French guests, always on the lookout for good argument and debate, begged to disagree and defended the honor of the host serving us this gastronomic meal. Better than the original, more flavorful, they declared as they swallowed generous mouthfuls.

I had no opinion, at least none I wanted to share. I was doing my best to wash the mushrooms down with gulps of Pisse-dru. They were gooey, downright slimy. It was like eating pan-fried slugs (which, also known as escargots, are another French delicacy).

That was not a good evening. I had, and still have, the American’s fear of wild mushrooms coming from anywhere but supermarkets or specialty shops. Leaving the dinner party, I felt nauseous. I wondered what would come next. Luckily, the answer was nothing. I went home, refusing the gentleman’s offer to check out his little villa overlooking the sea, and went to bed.

I also have a Schuylkill County experience to relate. Once, at my mother’s home in Pottsville, my sisters and I looked on as my former French brother-in-law made himself an omelet with morel mushrooms he had found in the woods behind our house. The morel, or morille, as it is known in French, is the Cadillac of mushrooms, and it sells for a Cadillac price.

Oh là là! My brother-in-law was so excited. Terrified, my mother, my sisters and I feared he would die before our very eyes.

But he didn’t, probably because the French know about mushrooms. They track them in secret forest groves whose location they reveal to none but their most trusted friends. Picking up the scent, they are like human beagles sensing, not beast or blood, but a musty, earthy smell that, for the French, has the power of an aphrodisiac.

More prudent hunters carry a guide, beginners accompany the more experienced and when truly in doubt, it is possible to take one’s find to the local pharmacy. In France, pharmacists are supposed to have the know-how to decide if after eating your mushrooms you will live or die.

As I’ve been writing this article, I’ve been busy digesting a cult-like activity in France that requires time, attention and care. I’ve also been listening to my body for any gurgles or untoward movements of the digestive tract. So far, so good. That means the omelet with sautéed trumpet of death mushrooms I ate for lunch is going down just fine.

I accepted the gift. I didn’t ask any questions about whether the mushrooms were safe or not. I have complete confidence in the friend who offered me them. I also listened carefully to his wife, who explained what I was supposed to do with them once I got home:

I filled a bowl with water, added some vinegar and washed them several times. That done, I carefully drained them and just as carefully laid them out, one by one, on a tea towel. By morning they were dry. By lunchtime, I was ready to give them a try.

I sautéed them in butter and garlic. Then I folded them into an omelet I ate with fresh baguette, salad from my garden and a glass of Burgundy wine.

Who knows? A few more experiences like this and I’ll be out hunting mushrooms myself.

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

A Mahanoy City man charged with assaulting a borough police officer on July 30 is among those scheduled to enter not guilty pleas during arraignments Thursday in Schuylkill County Court.

Patrick L. Finneran, 24, of 8 E. Pine St., was arrested by Mahanoy City police Officer-In-Charge Charles Kovalewski and charged with one count each of aggravated assault, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct.

Kovalewski charged Finneran with an incident where he came to the borough police station and began banging on the door.

The officer said security cameras inside the station showed Finneran pounding and kicking on the door and then going from one door to another.

Kovalewski said that as he opened the door and asked Finneran what his problem was, the man replied by saying “what’s up Charlie” and then took a swing at his head.

Finneran then forced his way into the police station as Kovalewski said he tried to avoid continuous punches and ordered Finneran to back up but he refused.

Kovalewski said he deployed his Taser weapon, hitting Finneran in the chest and arm.

Kovalewski said Finneran refused commands to get onto the ground and said “(expletive) you man.”

After being told to get on the ground again, Kovalewski said, Finneran cursed and came at him again trying to hit him.

Finneran had to be struck several times with the Taser before Kovalewski said he was able to get him onto the ground and in handcuffs.

In an unrelated case, Finneran will also appear on charges of resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and harassment filed by Mahanoy City police Patrolman Thomas Rentschler.

Others scheduled to appear for arraignment Thursday are:

Christian D. Good, 28, of 63 Third St., Box 211, Oneida; DUI, driving while operating privileges are suspended or revoked and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Dominique A. Lorady, 30, of 281 Park Place Road, Mahanoy City; DUI and DUI-highest rate.

James H. Philyaw, 43, of 249 E. Market St., Orwigsburg; DUI, DUI-highest rate, not driving on roadways laned for traffic and turning movements and required signals.

David D. Dross, 26, of 800 W. High St., Frackville; driving under the influence of drugs, stop and yield sign violations, careless driving, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Erin M. Long, 28, of 202 Royer St., Box 141 New Ringgold; DUI, DUI-high rate, exceeding the speed limit and not driving on roadways laned for traffic.

Derek A. Behler, 28, of 206 Overlook Terrace, Orwigsburg; DUI.

Robert W. Michael, 27, of 37 N. Second St., Saint Clair; possession of a small amount of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving under the influence of drugs, driving while operating privileges are suspended or revoked, exceeding the speed limit, careless driving and restraint system violations.

Mark Soellner, 58, of 701 Schuylkill Mountain Road, Schuylkill Haven; DUI, DUI-highest rate, driving at an unsafe speed and careless driving.

Delton G. Bolton, 32, of 246 W. Main St., Girardville; driving under the influence of drugs, not driving on roadways laned for traffic, abandonment on a highway, careless driving, accidents involving damage to unattended vehicles or property and immediate notice of accident to police.

Shawn A. Reichert, 47, of 283 Frieden Manor, Schuylkill Haven; DUI, DUI-highest rate, accidents involving damage to attended vehicles or property, careless driving, driving at an unsafe speed and duty to give information and render aid.

Jeffrey W. Hossler, 49, of 802 Seneca St., Pottsville; driving under the influence of drugs, possession of a controlled substance and driving while operating privileges are suspended or revoked.

Leigh A. Scheffler, 25, of 162 E. Rauschs Road, New Ringgold; DUI, DUI-highest rate, driving under combined influence, obedience to traffic control signals, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Ronald J. Renninger, 53, of 2271 Mahantongo St., Pottsville; DUI, driving under the influence of drugs, driving under combined influence and possession of a controlled substance

Matthew J. Bahrey, 25, of 15 Haddock Road, McAdoo; intimidation of witnesses or victims, defiant trespass and harassment.

Justin M. Smith, 28, of 107 Walnut St., Box 315, Tuscarora; DUI.

Michael A. Mattox, 25, of 423 Hazle St., Tamaqua; selling or furnishing alcohol to minors, corruption of minors, disorderly conduct and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Billyann Perez, 35, of 415 Pine St., Tamaqua; possession of drug paraphernalia.

Hope McManus, 30, of 123 Quality Hill Road, Gilberton; violations concerning licenses, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving while operating privileges are suspended or revoked, drivers required to be licensed and improper display of registration plate.

Joseph A. Vezo, 29, of 563 E. Arch St., Pottsville; possession of a small amount of marijuana, tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Kyle A. Konas, 20, of 404 Catherine St., Ashland; criminal mischief and disorderly conduct.

Christian D. Good, 28, of 63 Third St., Oneida; DUI and carrying or exhibiting a driver’s license on demand.

Michael A. Kane, 50, of 633 W. Centre St., Mahanoy City; receiving stolen property and persons not to possess or use firearms.

Dennis Brennan, 53, of 1038 E. Market St., Mahanoy City; driving while operating privileges are suspended or revoked, disorderly conduct, harassment, driving an unregistered vehicle, driving without insurance and altered, forged or counterfeit documents and plates.

Lantz L. Lane, 25, of 402 E. Centre St., Mahanoy City; possession of a small amount of marijuana, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Christopher M. Brown, 30, of 1301 W. Penn St., Shenandoah; possession of drug paraphernalia and harassment.

Donald C. Howley, 50, of 308 E. Pine St., Mahanoy City; disorderly conduct, criminal mischief, harassment and public drunkenness.

Cynamon M. Merook, 22, of 1037 E. Pine St., Mahanoy City; possession of drug paraphernalia, disorderly conduct and harassment.

Kelly R. Brennan, 33, of 601 E. Pine St., Mahanoy City; disorderly conduct and harassment.

Jacqueline M. Sippie, 23, of 514 Morea Road, Mahanoy City; disorderly conduct and harassment.

George S. Beaver, 59, of 17 Jerry’s Road, Ringtown; defiant trespass, disorderly conduct, criminal trespass, loitering and prowling at night, harassment and public drunkenness.

Patrick Gulden, 34, of 225 S. Jardin St., Shenandoah; recklessly endangering another person, disorderly conduct, harassment and criminal mischief.

Bryce Beaver, 42, no fixed address; intimidation of witnesses or victims.

Tina M. Ryan, 47, of 451 E. Market St., Pottsville; retail theft and conspiracy.

Kara A. Ryan, 27, of 451 E. Market St., Pottsville; retail theft and conspiracy.

Robert M. Dilorenzo, 29, of Schuylkill County Prison, Pottsville; delivery of a controlled substance, possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance, theft, receiving stolen property, criminal mischief, simple trespass, scattering rubbish and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Jason G. McNitsky, 44, of 132 Natures Road, Pine Grove; resisting arrest, possession of a small amount of marijuana, disorderly conduct, harassment, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Jamie J. Houvig, 36, of 1418 Stag Drive, Auburn; simple assault and harassment.

Cody L. Adams, 28, of 142 W. Penn St., Schuylkill Haven; criminal trespass.

Michele L. Edling, 53, of 34 St. John St., Front Apt., Schuylkill Haven; theft, theft by deception and receiving stolen property.

Megan A. Leymeister, 32, of 304 St. Charles St., Schuylkill Haven; retail theft.

Gina M. Lombardo, 38, LKA 231 E. Lloyd St., Shenandoah; possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Linda M. Garraway, 65, of 63 N. Railroad St., Frackville; resisting arrest, communications with 911, disorderly conduct, harassment and defiant trespass.

Leo C. Cress, 57, of 635 E. Mahanoy Ave., Girardville; possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Patrick W. Boyer, 39, of 644 Chestnut St., Hegins; disorderly conduct and public drunkenness.

Scott A. Green, 21, of 140 W. Ogden St., Girardville; terroristic threats and harassment.

John McCracken, 30, of 136 B St., Girardville; terroristic threats.

Regan Price, 29, of 526 W. Oak St., Apt. 2, Frackville; possession of drug paraphernalia, disorderly conduct and public drunkenness.

Tiffany L. Kovalusky, 32, of 423 W. Oak St., Shenandoah; possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, endangering the welfare of a child, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Stephen M. Gaughan, 31, of 304 W. Pine St., Mahanoy City; possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Andrea L. Wilson, 36, of 425 E. Mahanoy Ave., Mahanoy City; possession of drug paraphernalia and disorderly conduct.

Anthony Romano, 24, of 310 Swatara Road, Shenandoah; possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Leah C. Clark, 41, of 403 W. Cherry St., Shenandoah; resisting arrest, tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, disorderly conduct, obstructing highways or other passages, access device fraud, misbranding of a controlled substance, public drunkenness, disorderly conduct, intoxicated pedestrians causing a hazard, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Tiffany Jadus, 28, of 4 Chunky Lane, Shenandoah; delivery of a controlled substance and possession of a controlled substance.

Contact the writer: fandruscavage@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6013

Ashland

The Ashland Public Library, 1229 Centre St., is having a mum sale Monday through Saturday September through October. Costs are from $10 to $18 with tickets available at the library. Mums may be picked up at Lynch’s Landscaping along the Ashland-Gordon road. For more information, call 570-875-3175.

Lykens

Zion Lutheran Church, Klinger Church Road, will have a card party from 3 to 7 p.m. Oct. 14. Tickets are $2 each. Homemade sandwiches, apple dumplings and desserts will be on sale. For more information, call 570-425-2256.

Mount Carmel

Ss. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church, 131 N. Beech St., will have a gift/basket action from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 1 in the church hall. Admission is free; tickets will be on sale. The auction will begin at 2 p.m. and people do not need to be present to win. Food will be on sale to eat at the hall or takeout. All are welcome. For more information, call 570-339-0650.

Pottsville

A free American Girl Doll tea party will be held from 4 to 5 p.m. Oct. 12 at the Pottsville Free Public Library, 215 W. Market St. “Come dressed up for tea, refreshments and games,” organizers said in a release. Participants may bring their American Girl dolls and will have the opportunity to borrow the library’s American Girl dolls. The event is for ages 5-12. For more information, call 570-622-8880.

Schuylkill Haven

The Schuylkill Haven Senior Citizens will meet at 7 p.m. Monday in the community Senior/Neighborhood Center, 340 Haven St. Following the business meeting there will be an informational program for seniors presented by Patrick M. “Porcupine Pat” McKinney, environmental education coordinator for the Schuylkill Conservation District. Members and guests are welcome at all regular meetings, which are held at 7 p.m. the second and fourth Mondays of the month. Soup, cider and donuts will be served at the Oct. 9 meeting, which will begin at 6 p.m. for more information, call 570-385-5323. The group’s collection of items for the local food pantry is ongoing.

Schuylkill Haven

Al-Anon meetings are held at 7 p.m. Wednesdays at First United Church of Christ, 110 Route 61 South. Newcomers are always welcome. For more information, call Sarah at 570-449-1830. Al-Anon meetings are also held at 8 p.m. Fridays at Grace Evangelical Congregational Church, 15 Earl Stoyer Drive near Stoyer’s Dam, with newcomers always welcome. For more information on the Friday sessions, call Karla 570-294-2685.

Shenandoah Heights

The West Mahanoy Township Police Department will host a free “Coffee with a Cop” from 7 a.m. to noon Oct. 4 at the Shenandoah Heights Fire Company, 148 Swatara Road. The event, according to a department press release, will bring “police officers and the community members they serve together — over coffee — to discuss issues and learn more about each other. For more information, call 570-462-2360.

William Penn

The William Penn Fire Company, Mount Olive Boulevard (Route 54) just west of Shenandoah, is having an “Almost Armondo’s” unbaked pizza sale, advance orders only. The deadline to order is Oct. 9 by calling 570-462-0338. The cost is $10 for plain, $12 for pepperoni and 75 cents extra for hot sauce. Pickups will be after 3 p.m. Oct. 13. There will be no walk-ins or deliveries.

SCHUYLKILL HAVEN — Just before noon Saturday, Mandi Clauser of Schuylkill Haven was sipping cherry wine and thinking about chocolate.

“It’s some good stuff. If you paired it with a bar of chocolate, it would be amazing,” she said at the second annual St. Ambrose Wine Festival, sponsored by the St. Ambrose Men’s Club and Women’s Auxiliary.

The wine was made by Kulpmont Winery. One of the winery’s owners, John Motyka, poured the samples.

Clauser was there with Adrienne Saul, Lake Wynonah.

“We’ve done other wine fests in the past, so we thought we’d come by here,” Saul said.

“And it’s supporting a good cause,” Clauser said.

It rained for the inaugural event last year.

“It was cold and very windy. And we had showers on and off. Still, there was a large crowd. And many people who came out insisted we have a second event,” Ann E. McGee, president of the St. Ambrose Women’s Auxiliary, said.

On Saturday, the sun was out. Temperatures were in the low 80s and there was hardly a cloud in the sky.

“Today is a glorious day! I’ve been praying for weather like this for 11 months,” McGee said. She and Jack T. McGowan, president of the men’s club, set up the event and were its coordinators.

More than 400 people came out Saturday for the wine festival at the St. Ambrose School’s campus at 302 Randel St.

“We sold more than 200 tickets in advance,” McGee said.

Tickets were $15 in advance. Tickets were $20 at the door and admission for designated drivers was $5.

There were seven wineries represented: Armstrong Valley Winery, Benigna’s Creek Vineyard, Blue Lizard Vineyard & Winery, Bouchette Vineyards, Kulpmont Winery, Red Shale Ridge Winery and Stonekeep Meadery.

“Last year we had five. This year, the new ones are Kulpmont and Blue Lizard,” McGowan said.

“I believe we have six craft vendors and six food vendors,” McGee said.

The vendors set up under tents outside included Something Sweet Candies, Pottsville; The Cake Pros, Schuylkill Haven; Patty’s Plates; A&J Wood Designs; and Caroline Gavalis, a jewelry designer and metalsmith from Pottsville.

Performers at the event included the band Another Side featuring Joe Jordan of The Jordan Brothers and Spin Jammers Mobile DJ. Both were at last year’s event.

More than 30 volunteers representing St. Ambrose were working at the event. They included Donna Desrosiers, Lake Wynonah, and Marybeth Matz, Wayne Township, who were selling chances.

Meanwhile, inside the St. Ambrose Parish Center, a group of volunteers assembled by the Mad Batters Softball Team worked the concession stand to raise funds for The Make-A-Wish Foundation. Sponsors supporting that effort included Moms of Make-A-Wish, The Cake Pros, Carmelo’s Roman Delight and Pottsville Provision.

A few years ago, the St. Ambrose Church community used to have an annual picnic.

“It kind of dissolved. It’s hard to get help. It took a force. People were cooking there,” McGee said.

Then she and other volunteers and the church came up with the concept for the wine festival. The first St. Ambrose Wine Festival was held Oct. 22, 2016.

“We had between 300 and 400 people,” McGee said.

“We raised around $15,000. When we raise money, it’s for the mutual benefit of the parish, for repairs, church maintenance. We put a new roof on the school three years ago,” McGowan said.

People who came out to the wine fest Saturday included Marcella Moyer, Schuylkill Haven, who started off the day with chardonnay from Armstrong Valley.

“The weather last year was on the edge. It was a little rainy. But it was wonderful! The wine was good. The vendors were good. The people were very nice,” Moyer said.

While shopping at the event last year, Moyer bought a bottle of wine. But when she got home she realized it wasn’t with her.

“I called that winery and they were so gracious and sent it to me, free. They were very nice,” Moyer said.

On Saturday, Moyer was there with Megan Hutchinson and Kim Bassininsky, Lake Wynonah.

“I just had some spiced apple wine. It was good!” Bassininsky said. It was her first year at the event.

Norma Renninger, Auburn, was there with her daughters, Shannon Faust, Auburn, and Kristy Trautman, Schuylkill Haven.

All three of them were at the inaugural event last year.

“I had a good time here last year,” Renninger said.

“It was cold,” Trautman said.

“It was cold and ugly. But we had a good time,” Renninger said.

“We liked tasting the wine, and we a good time hanging out together,” Faust said.

“I don’t get them to come out with me much. But I can always get them to the wine fest,” Trautman said.

Contact the writer: spytak@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6011

No matter what level, from backyard stargazer to the greatest of astronomers, the more light we can gather from the heavens the better.

Until a way is found to travel past the speed of light, which the great Albert Einstein pretty much declared impossible, people from Earth aren’t going to be able to travel to the stars anytime soon, if ever. Einstein basically said that as you get closer to traveling at the speed of light, your mass increases infinitely, forcing you to require infinite amounts of energy.

Now at a huge expense, we might be able to send people to Mars and maybe some of the other planets in our solar system, but beyond that it may be impossible. You have to leave the door open a crack, though, because as little as 100 years ago the same thing was said about going to the moon.

So how do astronomers know what they do about the stars and how do we expect to learn more? The answer is light.

From the backyard stargazer to the hard-core amateur astronomer, the more light you’re able to gather in your telescope, the better you’ll see the universe. When it comes to telescopes, most people new at stargazing figure that the more you can magnify something through a scope, the more “powerful” a telescope is. That’s just not true.

Telescopes are really more light intensifiers than they are magnifiers. Even though the human eye is a wonderfully efficient light-gathering tool, it can’t match the light gathering ability of telescopes. No matter what kind of telescope you have, either a refractor, reflector or a Schmidt-Cassegrain, the wider the scope is the more light it can gather and the clearer the image of whatever you’re observing will be. Telescopes are like giant eyes and the wider they are, the better.

Professional astronomers, and even some amateurs, don’t just settle for looking visually through the telescope. They take pictures through telescopes so they can gather light for a longer time and record the accumulated light to get an even clearer image.

The best thing that’s happened to astrophotography in the last 30 years was the development of CCDs (charged coupled devices) that can electronically detect and collect 80 percent of the light coming in from a celestial object.

Our human eyes, believe it or not, only detect and collect about 2 percent of incoming light. CCD chips are also used in everyday video cameras to gather light from family events and growing 2-year-olds. In the last few years, I’ve certainly come to love imaging with a CCD camera telescope setup. The way the technology is progressing it won’t be long until just about anybody can take great astro-photos without mortgaging your house.

Another thing astronomers can do to gather light is to take big optical telescopes to high places like mountaintops, where skies are darker and the air is thinner, allowing even more light to enter the scopes.

One of the best, if not the best, observatories in the world is the Keck Observatory on Mauna Kea mountain in Hawaii, where some wonderful things are being done by astronomers. One of the latest techniques being developed to gather more light is to electronically combine the light gathering abilities of multiple telescopes to get an even clearer image. This is called interferometry and shows a lot of promise for the future.

And then there’s the Hubble telescope. It’s not as big as many ground-based telescopes, but it can gather a lot of light with the help of CCDs and with none of Earth’s atmosphere in the way. In fact, some of the most amazing photos from the Hubble telescope were its Ultra Deep Field photos, some of the deepest looks ever made into our universe.

In the combined images, made up of 800 individual exposures taken in 2003-04, it’s estimated that more than 10,000 galaxies are in view, some possibly more than 12 billion light years away. The truly amazing thing about this picture is that the amount of sky seen in this image is no bigger than a tenth of the size of the moon!

Light not only provides clarity to all astronomical images, but light can also be broken down into separate components, or wavelengths. This can act as a fingerprint of elements in and around a star, nebula, galaxy or whatever. This is called the spectrum of a star. You can do the same thing, only on a smaller scale, with a prism or a fine water spray to get a rainbow spectrum of the sun. This is how we get rainbows in our skies after a storm in the early morning or early evening.

Not only can astronomers deduce what elements are out there in the universe, but stellar spectrums can also directly or indirectly reveal the absolute light output of a star, its temperature, its distance and many other characteristics. You get your money’s worth with starlight!

Celestial hugging this week

The waxing crescent will have a close encounter with the bright planet Saturn as it passes from the constellations Scorpius to Sagittarius. Catch it low in southwestern evening sky after twilight!

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

Anthony J. Kilker

SHENANDOAH — A borough man and woman charged in connection with a robbery and assault in East Union Township last month waived their right to preliminary hearings before Magisterial District Judge Anthony J. Kilker.

Anthony M. Romano, 24, of 210 Swatara Road, and Amanda M. Barnes, 29, of 36 E. Oak St., were arrested by state police Trooper Joseph Hall of the Frackville station and charged with aggravated assault, robbery, theft, receiving stolen property, terroristic threats, unlawful restraint, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person. By waiving their right to hearings, both will have the charges against them heard in Schuylkill County Court.

Hall said the charges are a result of an incident on Girard Manor Road, just south of Phi-neyville Road, between 9 p.m. Aug. 29 and 1:55 a.m. Aug. 30.

Hall said troopers found an injured woman, learned that she was driven to the location by Romano and Barnes and that Romano assaulted her by punching her in the face several times.

The assault continued with Romano hitting the victim in the head several times with a metal object and stealing her Apple iPhone and tablet and Lenovo tablet along with money, Hall said, adding that Barnes took part in the robbery by holding the victim down while Romano stole the items.

Romano also had an unrelated hearing in which prosecutors withdrew a charge of possession with intent to manufacture or deliver a controlled substance and Roman waived charges of possession of drug paraphernalia, driving without a license and turning movements and required signals to county court.

Other court cases included:

Brett J. Docken, 38, of 5 S. Jackson St., Pottsville — held for court: theft from a motor vehicle and public drunkenness. Docken failed to appear for the hearing and a warrant requested for his arrest.

Michael C. Linkchorst, 26, of 4 Chunky Lane, Shenandoah — withdrawn: aggravated assault. Waived for court: resisting arrest and harassment.

Robert J. Arbushites, 34, of 200 Florida Ave., Box 353, Shenandoah — withdrawn: strangulation, simple assault and harassment.

Salvador Flores, 28, of 218 W. Coal St., Shenandoah — waived for court: theft and conspiracy.

Kevin E. Holmes, 41, of 108 W. Penn St., Shenandoah — waived for court: aggravated assault, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, terroristic threats and harassment.

Noah Garcia, 20, of 150 Rear Willow St., Delano — waived for court: forgery and theft.

Greg R. Holman, 60, of 115 Second St., Box 76, Oneida _ dismissed: criminal attempt to commit aggravated assault. Held for court: criminal attempt to commit simple assault and recklessly endangering another person.

Christopher Metz, 19, of 2042 E. Main St., Mahanoy Plane — waived for court: fleeing or attempting to elude police, careless driving, driving while operating privileges are suspended or revoked, driving without a license and driving at an unsafe speed.

Rebecca Margerum

ELIZABETHVILLE — A Lykens Township man is headed to Dauphin County Court after a preliminary hearing Wednesday on 13 charges resulting from a police chase in August.

Michael P. Middaugh, 40, of 1016 S. Crossroads Road, Lykens, faces charges of fleeing or eluding police, recklessly endangering another person, driving without a license, driving under suspension-DUI related, disregarding traffic lane, improper turning movements, abandoning vehicle, careless driving, damaging real property by operation of motor vehicle, traveling on cultivated land, reckless driving and two counts of speeding.

After the hearing, Magisterial District Judge Rebecca J. Margerum ruled prosecutors had presented enough evidence to support all the charges and ordered them held for court. She allowed Middaugh to remain free on his own recognizance.

State police at Lykens charged Middaugh with leading them on the chase Aug. 24 in Upper Paxton Township. His formal arraignment is set for 11:30 a.m. Nov. 3 before Judge Deborah E. Curcillo in Harrisburg.

Truck hits guide rail

in Cressona crash

CRESSONA — A trucker from Oklahoma rolled through the borough Sunday morning and hit a guide rail, police said.

State police at Schuylkill Haven said the incident occurred at 11:50 a.m. Sunday on Wilder Street, about 295 feet north of an unnamed street. Tomas Vasquez Jr., 23, of Oklahoma City, was driving a 2010 Peterbilt truck tractor west on Wilder Street when, for unknown reasons, he veered to the right.

The right front undercarriage of the vehicle and the right front tire struck the guide rail, police said. In the process, the tire rod broke and the vehicle became disabled, police said.

Traffic in the area was reduced to one lane until the truck tractor was towed. The driver was charged for failing to stay in his lane, police said.

Windows shattered

on pickup truck

FRISBIE — State police at Schuylkill Haven are looking for the vandal who shattered the windows of a blue Chevrolet S10 pickup truck in West Brunswick Township between 4 and 6 a.m. Saturday, police said.

The incident occurred at Second Mountain and New Philadelphia roads, police said.

Anyone with information can call police at 570-754-4600.

2 face charges in

‘shots fired’ incident

NEW PHILADELPHIA — State police at Frackville arrested two men from the borough after investigating reports of shots being fired, police said Friday.

The incident occurred at 1:15 a.m. Sept. 3 at Valley and Wetherill streets, police said, and Joshua Minrod, 24, and Joseph Gibas, 48, were charged with reckless endangerment.

The charges were filed in the office of Magisterial District Judge David A. Plachko, Port Carbon, police said.

Charges pending

in texting incident

NEW RINGGOLD — State police at Frackville said Friday that charges of harassment are pending against a woman from New Ringgold who allegedly disturbed another woman by sending her 25 unwanted texts over a two-day period.

The incident occurred Sept. 18 and. 19 in East Brunswick Township, police said. Charges are pending against Jill Stramara, 40, of New Ringgold. The victim was Deborah Decindio, 58, of New Ringgold, police said.

Auburn man not hurt

in crash in Berks

LENHARTSVILLE — A man from Auburn escaped injury in a two-vehicle accident which occurred Wednesday in Greenwich Township, Berks County, state police at Hamburg said Friday.

Police said at 10:17 p.m. Wednesday, Theresa A. Victory, 48, of Lenhartsville, was driving a 2010 Ford Focus west on Old Route 22 when she crossed the center double line and hit a vehicle stopped in traffic in the eastbound lane. The vehicle was a 2001 Freightliner 999 driven by Caleb Adams Jr., 70, of Auburn, police said.

Victory hit the driver-side axle on the trailer, and her vehicle sustained disabling damage and had to be towed, police said.

Victory was charged for driving under the influence, police said.

2 drivers injured

in Auburn collision

AUBURN — A Pottsville man and a woman from Auburn suffered injuries in a two-vehicle accident Tuesday afternoon, police said.

State police at Schuylkill Haven said the incident occurred at 5:32 p.m. as Casey A. Guers, 25, of Pottsville, was driving a 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt south on Bear Creek Street. He drifted into the northbound lane and hit an oncoming vehicle, a 2014 Lexus ES350 driven by Sandra M. Schwenk, 64, of Auburn, police said.

The left front side of the Cobalt hit the front left side of the Lexus. The Lexus spun counterclockwise into an embankment before its passenger-side rear hit a tree, police said.

Guers suffered a head injury and was transported from the scene by Auburn Ambulance, then flown to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest, Allentown. Schwenk suffered a minor injury to her right arm but refused medical treatment, police said.

Guers was charged with careless driving, police said.

Vehicle violation

filed against man

PINE GROVE — Borough police charged a man with driving a vehicle with false registration or valid inspection certificate.

The incident occurred at 6:05 p.m. Aug. 25 when Patrolman Cody Applegate saw a black 1988 Dodge truck with a 12/12 inspection sticker travel from East Pottsville Street onto Spruce Street, Applegate, said in the affidavit of probable cause submitted Wednesday.

Applegate also noticed the registration plate was not a truck plate.

The patrolman initiated a traffic stop to question the driver, Michael Alan Dembitsky, 31, of Pine Grove. After some research, the patrolman determined the plate was owned by David and Angela Witmer, Hegins, and the truck was supposed to have a registration plate owned by Mikel R. Weaber, Pine Grove, according to the affidavit.

“Dembitsky explained that he bought the vehicle off of Weaber for a few hundred dollars and they just failed to get the transfer notarized. Dembitsky had previously owned the vehicle and claimed responsibility for the vehicle by purchasing it from Weaber,” Applegate said in the affidavit.

Man, woman face

charges in theft

CRESSONA — State police at Schuylkill Haven filed charges against and man and a woman who stole items this year from Adult Shop 61 in North Mainheim Township, police said Friday.

On Jan. 25, Rachel Markus, 36, stole items from the store. On Sept. 8, John Singley, 38, stole items from there, police said in a public information release report.

In both cases, Markus and Singley were charged with second-degree misdemeanor, since this was their second offenses. The charges were filed in the office of Magisterial District Judge James R. Ferrier, Orwigsburg, police said.

Man accused of

causing disturbance

FRIEDENSBURG — State police at Schuylkill Haven charged a man from Lebanon County with causing disturbances at the Friedensburg Country Store.

The accused, Walter Ragsdale, 26, was also in possession of drug paraphernalia as well as a small amount of marijuana when the incident occurred Aug. 21, police said.

Police charged Ragsdale with disorderly conduct and possession of drug paraphernalia, according to the report.

Woman faces

charge of DUI

POTTSVILLE — State police at Schuylkill Haven charged a woman from Schuylkill Haven with driving under the influence after she was involved in a crash.

The incident occurred at 12:36 p.m. Sept. 14 on Route 61 just north of Tumbling Run Road in North Manheim Township, police said. Charged was Tracy Ann Miller, 41, police said.

The charges were filed in the office of Magisterial District Judge James R. Ferrier, Orwigsburg, police said.

Annville man hurt

in crash on I-81

MAHANOY CITY — An Annville man was seriously injured when the 1998 Subaru Legacy he was driving crashed in the southbound lanes of Interstate 81, south of the Mahanoy City exit in Ryan Township, about 9 a.m. Sept. 17.

State police at Frackville said Jack Collins, 43, was driving south when he went off the road, onto the west shoulder and hit an embankment, numerous trees and rocks. When the car descended the embankment, it went into a drainage ditch, causing it to roll over several times and come to a stop in a ditch, police said.

Collins was able to free himself from the car.

The man was treated at the scene and then taken to Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, by ambulance, police said.

As a result of the crash, police said, Collins will be cited for failing to drive on roadways laned for traffic.

FOUNTAIN SPRINGS — The North Schuylkill School District plans to bring some activity back to the former Cardinal Brennan High School in October.

The former Catholic high school, which North Schuylkill bought in 2015, will be turned into a haunted attraction.

On Wednesday, the North Schuylkill school board gave the North Schuylkill Cross Country Boosters and North Schuylkill Soccer Boosters permission to use the former CB gymnasium and school building for a Halloween Haunted Mansion from 7 to 10:30 p.m. Oct. 13, 14, 20, 21, 27 and 28. The admission will be $8 for adults and $5 for children 10 and under, Frank S. Briggs, a cross country coach at North Schuylkill, said Friday.

Some Cardinal Brennan alumni have criticized the concept, but not all thought it was a bad idea.

“They should better behave themselves or else the spirit of Sister Miriam Dolores will haunt them forever,” Paul G. Domalakes, 66, of Frackville, said. He’s a member of the CB Class of 1969, the school’s first graduating class.

“I think it’s a great thing. North Schuylkill is using the building. Students are getting to use the facilities. And there are people on the campus. And from what I’ve gathered, they’re not destroying anything, they’re not painting over woodwork, they’re not knocking things down. They’re just putting up some scary decorations to make a haunted house. And this isn’t Cardinal Brennan anymore. It’s North Schuylkill. And, frankly, they can do whatever they want with that building. But I’d be sad if I saw it torn down,” John F. Gower, 28, of Frackville, said. He’s a member of the CB Class of 2007, the school’s last graduating class.

“I think it’s fine. Most other schools have pretty modern, standard buildings. And Cardinal Brennan had this very old-style, Victorian, gothic feel to it. It has a good setting for a haunted house. I didn’t hear about this until after I graduated, but there are stories of ghost nuns roaming the halls,” Tom P. Coombe, 40, of Easton, Northampton County, said. Formerly of Ashland, Coombe graduated from Cardinal Brennan in 1995.

Putting a haunted attraction in a local building once used by the church isn’t uncommon.

Seton Manor has turned St. Francis Center, Orwigsburg, into a “Haunted Orphanage.” Students at Nativity BVM High School, Pottsville, help out.

“Nativity students have been helping with this endeavor for the past three years. The third floor of the old St. Francis Center is utilized. Each room on the third floor has a different theme. Nativity BVM and Assumption BVM students earn community service hours before the event by decorating and creating scary rooms for the event,” Jennifer Forney Daubert, Nativity director of development, said.

This year, the event at St. Francis Center from 6 to 11 p.m. Oct. 20 and 21, Daubert said.

The school that became Cardinal Brennan opened in 1927 as Immaculate Heart Academy by the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, an all-girl Catholic school. It became co-educational in 1952, and in 1956 it received students from the Catholic high schools in Ashland and Girardville. The school merged with Shenandoah Catholic High School in 1968 and was named after Shenandoah native Francis Cardinal Brennan.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Allentown closed the school at the end of the 2006-07 school year.

“It’s sad that the diocese couldn’t make a go of the school there for whatever reason. But I’m getting a second life. It would be cool if North Schuylkill students can one day go to school there,” Coombe said.

“As much as I would love for Cardinal Brennan to have stayed open or for the diocese to realize they made a poor decision in closing the school, that was never happening. That was never an option. So the best option to have ever happen was what I knew what would happen all along. North Schuylkill bought it,” Gower said.

In January 2015, the North Schuylkill School District bought the 95.3-acre property for $825,000 from the diocese.

“We wanted to preserve our neighborhood from negative environmental impacts and safety concerns while preserving the heritage and memories of those who have attended the school from the time it was the Immaculate Heart Academy to becoming Cardinal Brennan,” Charles “Chaz” Hepler, school board president, said the night of the vote.

Hepler also said the board would consider using the campus to support North Schuylkill’s academic and athletic programs.

“From what I gather, they use the campus. I heard they do some soccer practices at the campus and use the gyms for different things,” Gower said.

Briggs said the haunted house was his idea.

“Seven years ago when I took over the program I thought it would be a good idea to start a haunted house. And gradually, we’ve been working on it. We had a haunted trail for the last two years. That was down by the elementary school,” Briggs said.

He said last year’s haunted trail brought in “about $1,200” for the North Schuylkill cross country teams.

“And this year the school board allowed me to use the building, so we decided to give it a shot,” Briggs said.

Contact the writer: spytak@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6011

GIRARDVILLE — Representatives of Lowe’s Regional Distribution Center 961 and community volunteers got their hands dirty Saturday morning as they made numerous improvements to the borough’s B Street Park.

A new chain-link fence was installed. Playground equipment was repaired. And a lot of new mulch was put down.

The total effort cost more than $8,000, according to figures provided by Robert Krick, a member of the borough council, and Scott Moyer, Pottsville, an operations coach at Lowe’s RDC 961.

More than 20 people, both Lowe’s employees and community members, came out to help make improvements to the park, which is on the northeast side of North Third and B streets.

James Petusky, Girardville, forklift operator with Lowe’s RDC 961, was one of the people who recommended the Lowe’s Heroes program tackle the project.

Earlier this year, Petusky and other residents had complained about the condition of the park, which is near the borough hall. Petusky worked to bring Lowe’s Heroes to Girardville to improve it.

“The people who came and complained did something about the complaint. It’s easy to complain, but he came up with a solution,” Krick said.

The Lowe’s Heroes program is a volunteer effort. A description of the program is on the company’s website at www.lowes.com.

“Transforming lives one community at a time, that’s been the mission of Lowe’s Heroes since the volunteer program began in our stores more than 10 years ago. The program encourages employees in a location to team together, adopt a volunteer project with a local nonprofit organization or K-12 public school and make a difference,” according to the site.

“Lowe’s Heroes participated in more than 1,300 projects, and Lowe’s contributed more than $1.3 million in materials,” according to the site.

Locally, Lowe’s Heroes has done numerous projects.

For example, in August 2016, representatives of Lowe’s RDC 961 turned a storage area at the Frackville Free Public Library into a research center with a closet.

“Every year we put up a notice at the warehouse, an open invitation for anyone to recommend a project in their neighborhoods or parks. From there, we take those applications, look at the sites and choose the ones we feel we can do the most with the money that we have,” Moyer said.

Lowe’s contributed $3,500 to the project. Lowe’s RDC 961 collected an additional $500 in private donations for the project, Moyer said.

Meanwhile, the borough council spent “about $5,000” on mulch and lumber for the project, Krick said.

There were numerous issues at the park, from a broken fence to areas marred by graffiti, according to Moyer.

“It needed a facelift for sure,” Carmelo Carrion, Schuylkill Haven, a operations coach at Lowe’s RDC 961, SAID.

Materials Lowe’s provided included the new chain-link fence.

“We’re also replacing slides that were broken and some of the swings will be replaced today,” Carrion said.

“And we’re going to put three new picnic benches under the pavilion,” Moyer said.

Stephan Holly, Port Carbon, an operations coach at Lowe’s RDC 961, was painting the pavilion green.

Meanwhile, James Euker, 17, of Girardville, was painting some playground equipment bright yellow. A senior at North Schuylkill High School, he was there to do some community service.

“One, I needed to get service learning done. And two, I saw that this just needed to get done. And I’m always down here anyway. This is where I train and do Parkour,” Euker said.

He was referring to the sport of negotiating obstacles quickly by running, jumping and climbing.

“I come down here to train a lot. So, I feel, if you’re going to play around in a place at least make an effort to fix it up,” Euker said.

The crew came back Sunday to do more work, and Krick said they will schedule a time to finish the work.

Contact the writer: spytak@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6011

ORWIGSBURG — As Sonia Philips, 8, of Pottsville, took a tap-dancing lesson Sunday afternoon, a couple of primates looked on.

One was a 9-year-old lemur. The other was a 6-month-old Tonkean macaque. The animals were in cages, of course.

The scene was the ninth annual Fall Arts Festival at The Arts Barn at 3 Berry Road, North Manheim Township. And there were more than 400 people there, many vendors, and foods including barbecue chicken sliders, apple slices with caramel dip and pumpkin-flavored ice cream.

“I think we might have at least 500 here. We have 40 vendors, and they include new vendors and a lot of new activities. We’re always trying to make it bigger and better,” Deborah R. Cooper, director of The Arts Barn, said.

Vendors included Jessica Alison Harle, a pottery artist from Bethel, Berks County. She runs a business called The Mud Room.

She demonstrated how to use an electric-powered pottery wheel to sculpt lumps of clay into bowls.

Her audience Sunday afternoon included Marley Ridder, 3, of Schuylkill Haven, and Vanna Petrozino, 5, of Saint Clair.

“This is the third year I’m here. I really, really like it. It’s a great opportunity for the artists to display their work and demonstrate what they’re doing. And I am making different bowls today. They’re made out of stoneware clay. Today, I’m shaping them and putting them together. They’ll take about two weeks to dry. Then I’ll bisque-fire them and then I’ll glaze-fire them,” Harle said.

E.J. Simpson, a musician from Philadelphia, sang and strummed his guitar as a chainsaw carving demonstration was being held at another corner of the property.

A bunch of children also got the chance to participate in a “frozen T-shirt contest.”

Cooper said a collection of shirts featuring The Arts Barn logo were dunked in water, folded and put in a freezer. On Sunday, all of them were rock solid. She handed them out to the 35 children, who were sitting in a circle.

“The rules are when we say ‘go’ you open the bag and open the T-shirt and the first one to put it on will stand up. That’s how we’ll know who’s the winner,” Cooper said.

Aaron Crumrine, 13, and Derek Reichert, 13, both of Orwigsburg, pounded the frozen packages against the ground, causing dirt to fly and stripping bark off the roots of a tree.

“I’m not even sure I can get this open,” Reichert said.

The first place winner, Keagan Scott, 8, of New Ringgold, won $10, Cooper said.

Retired Pottsville city clerk Julie D. Rescorla, Pottsville, was there with her granddaughter, Sonia Philips.

Sonia was getting some tips on how to tap dance from Bob Lippi, Hazleton. A dance instructor, he brought out a platform and numerous sizes of tap shoes for people to use.

Sarah Gergus, 8, of Orwigsburg, also gave it a try. She was there with her mother, Allison.

“I’ve been here one other time. It’s very nice. It’s a nice family event. And I like how you have a yard here where the children can be active,” Allison Gergus said.

“It’s a beautiful place. And I think the shop has really good arts and crafts,” Karen Zimmerman, Walnutport, Northampton County, said.

One of the vendors, she sold soft sculpture Viking hats, gnomes and doll dresses. Her business is called For The Love Of Norway.

“I just wish it wasn’t so hot today,” Zimmerman said.

It was sunny and temperatures hovered near 90.

“I did a show over Labor Day weekend and it was cold and drizzly and my hats just flew off the shelf,” Zimmerman said.

Joann Shupp, Summit Station, was there with her nephew, Bryan Jefferson, and his wife, Amanda, and son, Bayden, 3, all of Summit Station.

It was their first time at the event.

“I wanted to see it, to see what it was like. If these people are willing to spend the time to put the stuff on display, people should come and look at it. And I love it! It’s beautiful,” Shupp said.

Danielle Johns, Orwigsburg, was there with her children, Lucy Katz, 5, and Reyna Katz, 8.

“My mom brought them here last year. They liked it. So, I brought them back,” Johns said as they visited a collection of live animals behind fences and in cages.

From the Appalachian Pet Farm, they included the primates, run by Kathy Reifsnyder, Strausstown, Berks County.

“The animals we have here include an alpaca, pygmy goats, a ring-tailed lemur, a little African crested porcupine that’s 3 weeks old, a Tonkean macaque that’s 6 months old, an African spurred tortoise and a goose from Russia called a Sebastopol goose. Today, I think I have 16 or 17 animals here,” she said.

Contact the writer: spytak@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6011

PINE GROVE — A long-serving school board director was recognized for his years of service Thursday at the Pine Grove Area school board meeting.

Superintendent Heath W. Renninger announced the recognition for director Dave Lukasewicz through the Pennsylvania School Boards Association. Lukasewicz will be added to the PSBA Honor Roll for serving 20 years and received a certificate.

Renninger thanked Lukasewicz for “giving unselfishly.”

Lukasewicz said it was an honor, and recognized the positive actions the current board and prior school boards have done to improve education for students.

In his report, Renninger gave an update on student enrollment: 594 elementary students, 535 middle school students and 522 high school students for a total of 1,651 on campus. The figures do not include students enrolled in the virtual academy or those in outside placement.

Renninger also addressed the district’s truancy reporting error, which made it appear there were more habitually truant students than there actually were. The corrected data has been reported to the state Department of Education, and the district is continuing to take action to address truancy. He said the district had previously purchased a Blackboard Connect program, which the district’s technology department is working to implement. Once operational, the system will enable automated phone calls to be sent to parents whose children are absent.

In other matters, middle school Principal Melissa Mekosh recognized eighth-grade students of the month, Megan Wolfe and Logan Zimmerman.

School board President Evelyn Wassel said high school students of the month would be recognized at the next board meeting.

Board member Richard Nickel was absent.

Director Dave Frew gave an updated report on Schuylkill Intermediate Unit 29, including information that the roofing project at the Schuylkill Technology Center buildings in Frackville and Mar Lin was going out for bid. There was also a masonry component and upgrades to HVAC controls as part of that improvement project, he noted. He said the IU’s business manager, Brian Manning, who’s going to Pottsville Area School District, will be missed.

In other action, the board approved:

• A new professional staff procedures manual.

• The AP Environmental Science and AP Biology students’ trip to Smyrna, Delaware, on May 16-17 to study horseshoe crabs.

• The drama and AP Euro and 12th-grade students’ trip to Medieval Times for lunch on Dec. 14 in Hanover, Maryland.

• Payment of bills.

• Changing the mentor for Jacob Herring from Lori Roshannon to Eric Kurtz, effective the first day of school.

• Adding Monica Breiner as the curriculum facilitator for high school social studies at a stipend of $500.

• Terminating Stephanie Frantz from her position as teacher’s aide and advertising for the position, effective Aug. 29.

• Hiring Lauren Thompson as a teacher’s aide, effective Sept. 5, at $12.80 per hour, with any applicable benefits in the AFSCME contract.

• Allowing Joelle Bretz, teacher’s aide, seven days off without pay.

• Maternity leave for Jordan Zimmerman, beginning approximately Nov. 8, 2017, and ending approximately Jan. 17, 2018.

• Creating personal care aide position for a student who needs one throughout the day.

• Melissa Kimmel as a personal care aide, at $11.35 per hour, with benefits in accordance with the AFSCME staff contract.

• Resignation of Kathy Modica, high school special education teacher, and advertising for the position.

• Hiring Michelle Rose as a district office secretary, Level II, at $13.30 per hour, with benefits in accordance with the AFSCME contract.

• Adding Misty Bohr (aide), Sabrina Bensinger (nurse), Valarie Halady (nurse, pending receipt of clearances), and Gail Umbenhauer (aide) to the substitute list.

• Several school volunteers.

• First reading of the following policies: 255, Educational Stability for Children in Foster Care; 810.2 Transportation-Video/Audio Recording, and 007, Policy Manual Access.

• Ratifying the finalized list of bus runs and bus drivers for the 2017-18 school year.

Contact the writer: ; 570-628-6007

Allentown

In honor of the 100th anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal in 1917, the Most Rev. Alfred A. Schlert, bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Allentown, will consecrate the diocese to Our Lady of Fatima on Oct. 15 as part of the noon Mass at the Cathedral of St. Catharine of Siena, Allentown. All clergy, religious and lay faithful are invited to attend.

Ashland

The Ashland Public Library, 1229 Centre St., is participating in a Boscov’s Friends Helping Friends Day on Oct. 17. People may stop at the library to by a shopping pass for $5 to benefit the library. For more information, call 570-590-1997. The library will have fall story hours for children ages 3 to 5 from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Oct. 5, 12, 19 and 26. The autumn program will also include a Halloween party on Oct. 26 so children can attend in costume. To register children for the fall program, call the library at 570-875-3175.

Pine Grove

St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, 312 S. Tulpehocken St., is inviting people to a polka worship service featuring the Heidelberg Brass Band at 9 a.m. Oct. 8.

Pine Grove

Residents of the Pine Grove area will be able to get health screenings via Life Line Screening on Oct. 27 at Pine Grove Lodge 409, 23 Oak Grove Road. For more information, including available screenings and fees, call 877-237-1287 or go online to www.lifelinescreening.com.

Pottsville

The Schuylkill County Council for the Arts, 1440 Mahantongo St., will sponsor an event on the author Edgar Allen Poe from 7 to 9 p.m. Oct. 27 and 28. The cost is $8 for adults and $5 for students. All are welcome. For more information, call 570-622-2788. SCCA also will have a haunted mansion tour from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Oct. 30 and 31 at its headquarters. The cost is $3 per person and all are welcome. Call the aforementioned number for more information.

Pottsville

Diakon Living and Learning, 118 S. Centre St., has a host of new activities, classes, workshops and creative/healthful initiatives on its agenda throughout Schuylkill County. For more information regarding costs, types of sessions, dates/times and locations, call Susan Long at 570-624-3018 or email longs@diakon.org. More information also is available online at www.diakon.org/community-services/Living-Learning-After-50.

Ringtown

The 2018 Ringtown Valley Community Fund Drive is continuing through Dec. 31. A mailing has been sent to all households in the Ringtown and Zion Grove zip code areas, according to a fund release. Contributions to the annual drive support 10 nonprofit organizations that serve the Ringtown area, including Avenues, American Red Cross, Schuylkill County Society for Crippled Children, Ringtown Area Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, library, recreation complex, food pantry, senior citizens and pastors’ association. Now that the Ringtown ambulance has merged with the Shenandoah and Lost Creek ambulances, the new group will conduct its own drive. The community fund board members said in the release they thank area residents for continued support for the annual fund drive, which has benefited area residents of all ages since 1955. Contributions should be made on or before Dec. 31 with checks payable to “Ringtown Valley Community Fund” and mailed to P.O. Box 204, Ringtown, PA 17967. Additional mailers will be available at the Ringtown Public Library. There will be no second mailing.

Schuylkill Haven

A safe Trick-or-Treat for children 12 and younger and a vendor show sponsored by the Schuylkill County Business Women’s Connection will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 11 in the main gallery of the Walk In Art Center, 220 Parkway, third floor. “Wear your costume and get some treats,” organizers said in a release. The event will include a door prize raffle, cash-and-carry for mom, treats for children, a bake and food sale, caricature drawings and a photo booth. For more information, go online to www.walkinartcenter.org. WIAC will also present mystery titled “Bingo Spells Murder” in connection with J&L Productions at 7 p.m. Oct. 21. The cost is $40 per person, which includes dinner, the show and wine. People may register online at the aforementioned website.

U.S. Rep Matt Cartwright rallied a team of 22 health and industry heavyweights to shore up shortcomings in the nation’s health care law.

Nine of them have made contributions to his election campaigns totaling more than $45,000 since 2011, a Times-Tribune analysis of campaign finance reports found.

He pulled together the group, which includes medical professionals, business owners, patient advocates and insurance company professionals, at a time when Senate Republicans are mounting a last-ditch effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act, commonly called Obamacare.

The panel is charged with recommending “sustainable solutions to strengthen our health care system in the U.S.” that will be shared with other members of Congress as they work to refine the nation’s health care law, Cartwright, D-17, Moosic, said at news conference Monday morning.

He later defended his choice of donors in a written statement, noting 5,336 individual donors have contributed to his campaigns.

“I carefully selected each member of the Roundtable based on their diverse experiences and perspectives as community and industry leaders,” he said. “I purposely chose a balance of those who are like-minded political supporters and those who are not.”

Dr. Matthew Berger, a Moosic psychiatrist and Moses Taylor Hospital’s director of geriatric psychiatry whom Cartwright tapped for the roundtable, donated a total $1,750 to Cartwright’s camp in 2013-14, according to campaign finance records.

He’s a registered Republican and donates often to political campaigns, he said.

“I’m pretty bipartisan, so I donate to people who I trust and believe in,” he said. “I’m politically active, and I think it’s important for us to speak out both with our pocketbooks and our verbiage.”

Cartwright said he doesn’t expect everyone on the panel to agree and will ask the group for reports on majority and minority opinions. Ultimately, it’s not about politics, he said.

“That’s not really the point of a blue-ribbon panel anyway,” he said. “It’s to get out what the best ideas are, get them talking to each other, get them down on paper, and then share them with my colleagues down in Washington.”

The panel is to convene for the first time next month.

Cartwright didn’t set a deadline but said he hoped to see some ideas flowing in about six months.

“This roundtable represents a diverse cross-section of our business, industry and health care community,” said William J. Reppy, president of Lehigh Valley Hospital-Schuylkill, who also agreed to sit at the roundtable. “LVH-Schuylkill is very pleased to have a seat at the table where we will discuss the challenges and opportunities we face.”

Congressional Republicans took aim at Cartwright for working to fix the Affordable Care Act, meanwhile cosponsoring a bill that would establish a single-payer system, also called a public option or “Medicare for all.”

“If Matt Cartwright is so concerned with saving Obamacare, why is he cosponsoring socialist single-payer legislation that would dismantle it and bankrupt the country?” National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Chris Martin said.

In a follow-up statement, Cartwright said he was dissatisfied that Obamacare lacked a public option, and he lamented that it may be a long time before such a measure gets congressional support.

“In the meantime, we still have to be practical and work on making what we have — the ACA — work better for everyone,” he said.

Contact the writer: joconnell@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9131

BARNESVILLE — Steve Ziegler and a class of fifth-graders visiting Locust Lake State Park looked up to the treetops.

“There’s a constant battle going on above us,” Ziegler said while explaining that trees race to the top or lop off each other’s branches during windstorms, all in an effort to gain more sunlight. A red maple that Ziegler, a state forester, stood beside died after being overtopped by oaks.

Ziegler and other experts on the natural world spent Monday showing students from the Tamaqua Area School District some of the park’s wonders during an annual program called Outdoor Days.

Thomas Powers, an Audubon Society member and herpetologist, passed around a salamander and a black rat snake, which the children delighted in holding.

Although he talked about timber rattlesnakes and copperheads, which are poisonous, he began his lesson by describing a tiny creature that causes far more suffering.

Ticks cause Lyme disease.

“Whenever you’re in the forest or the soccer field” have your parents check you for ticks, Powers said before passing around a poster on which he had taped different types of ticks, including larvae that are the size of pencil points, to help the children recognize them.

Robin Tracey, the park’s environmental educator who has been organizing Outdoor Days for about a decade, asked students to check under rocks that they pulled from Locust Creek.

“You’re going to see movement before your realize it,” Tracey said while telling students about macroinvertebrates — tiny organisms that have hard shells, unlike vertebrates that have backbones.

Children plucked salamanders, three-tailed mayflies and crawfish, which she warned scamper backward and pinch.

One of their teachers, Dylan Peters, warned students that someone has gotten wet feet every year since he started taking classes to the creek. He challenged his fifth-graders to stay dry, but his string of having at least one pair of soggy sneakers stayed intact. Several students slipped or sloshed into the creek while hunting for tiny creatures, which they returned to the creek after examining their catch in a white pan that Tracey filled with water.

Barb Ritzheimer walked along a footpath, pausing to point out plants like barberry, crown vetch and multi-flora rose that grow in the park but aren’t native to Pennsylvania. Creatures aren’t accustomed to eating them and might not be able to digest the invading plants, which can crowd out plants native to the region.

Japanese siltgrass, she said, was shipped to the United States in crates where it was stuffed between dishes to keep them from cracking in the era before foams and bubbly plastic wraps were invented as packing materials.

The tiny siltgrass seeds can spread by sticking to shoes.

To get rid of siltgrass at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, where Ritzheimer volunteers, people brought in goats and then sheep, but neither ate the siltgrass, she said.

Ritzheimer asked students to suggest that their parents put a few native plants in their gardens to help feed pollinators, which help feed people by fertilizing many of the plants that we eat.

She added native plants to her yard.

“I’ve never seen so many birds, bees and bugs. It makes a difference,” she said.

Daniel Mummert, a wildlife diversity biologist with the state Game Commission, asked students to guess how many species of birds live in Pennsylvania.

“One hundred,” a student said.

“Just a little bit more,” Mummert replied.

When the guesses reached 350, he said, “You’re getting there.”

One student guessed 389.

“You’re just on the verge. Just a little bit more,” Mummert said.

He revealed that the state has an average of 400 bird species.

Children started calling out some of them, but after 10 minutes or so, they still hadn’t named more than 50 species.

Mummert said every bird has its own call so “if you got for a hike you can tell what they are without seeing them.”

He played recordings of calls of several owls such as the screech owl, which sounds like a neighing horse or the barred owl that lives deep in the trees and sounds, to Mummert, like it is saying, “Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you all.”

Also he asked students to think about why owls, which hunt mice and other prey, have sharp, curved beaks, while woodpeckers that drill into trees have long, straight beaks.

He described other ways to identify birds, such as by their colors, sizes and shapes.

After the students left, Mummert trained binoculars across the lake and saw a bird that none of the students named in their session: a great blue heron perched on a rock.

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