BLOOMING GROVE TWP. — The sound of a helicopter passing over his house early Saturday woke John Henneforth Sr.

It was still dark as he fumbled for the alarm clock. It read 3 a.m.

Nothing normally stirs this early in his quiet corner of Route 6 in Pike County, about six miles from Interstate 84 and about 10 miles from the state police barracks where an unknown gunman opened fire on two state troopers four hours earlier.

“It sounded like we were being invaded,” the 62-year-old man said.

A manhunt of unprecedented scope for the rural community was underway, putting an entire community on edge.

The gunman who killed Cpl. Bryon Dickson of Dunmore and injured Trooper Alex T. Douglass of Olyphant late Friday night remained at large, and law enforcement agencies intensified the search of the vast woodlands that surround the isolated barracks.

State Department of Transportation trucks blocked Route 402 beginning at the Interstate 84 junction. Three state police cruisers formed a barricade at Route 6 at the other end.

PennDOT workers shepherded confused drivers back to the interstate beginning at 6:30 a.m. State troopers set flares and stopped each car that passed on Route 6, informing drivers what had happened, pleading for information.

“We just want anyone that has seen or heard anything to call 911,” a female state trooper said.

Word spread quickly in nearby downtown Hawley that someone had opened fire on two state troopers. Sue Goble went to breakfast at Fluff’s Deli & Sandwich Shop on Main Avenue early Saturday.

She said she sensed something wrong when she watched a fleet of emergency cars scream down Route 6 on Friday night past the Tuck-em Inn, which she owns.

Patrons and workers throughout the town wondered what could have happened.

“Everybody’s fed up,” one waitress at the deli loudly proclaimed. “You’re not safe anywhere. Not even at the police station.”

Matt and Carolyn Lorent moved from Hawley to Honesdale but visit the area from time to time. Mrs. Lorent grew up in rural Pike County and remembers when everyone knew each other. As she sat in the deli Saturday, she confessed she didn’t recognize anyone.

Mr. Lorent said his father, Henry Lorent, was a state trooper for 35 years before becoming a warden at the Wayne County Correctional Facility. The killing of a state trooper strikes a note close to home.

“It’s real disturbing, something like this,” Mr. Lorent said after finishing his lunch.

Contact the writer:

jkohut@timesshamrock.com,

@jkohutTT on Twitter

SMOKE AND CARBON MONOXIDE ALARMS

DETAILS: Kidde hard-wired smoke and combination smoke/carbon monoxide alarms. They are hard-wired into a home’s electric power. They were sold from January 2014 through July 2014.

WHY: The alarms could fail to alert consumers of a fire or a carbon monoxide incident following a power outage.

INCIDENTS: None reported.

HOW MANY: About 1.2 million in the U.S and about 112,000 in Canada.

FOR MORE: Call Kidde at 844-553-9011 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit www.kidde.com.

INFLATABLE RUBBER TUBES

DETAILS: Sevylor brand River Racer inflatable rubber tubes. They were sold at Walmart stores nationwide and online at Walmart.com from January 2014 through July 2014.

WHY: Contact with the tube can cause skin irritation.

INCIDENTS: 24 reports of consumers with skin irritation after contact with the tube.

HOW MANY: About 20,500.

FOR MORE: Call The Coleman Co. at 800-835-3278 from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, send email to consumerservice@coleman.com, or visit www.coleman.com.

JACKETS

DETAILS: United Colors of Benetton boy’s jackets made of 100 percent cotton. They were sold in boy’s sizes S through XL. They were sold at Benetton stores nationwide and online at www.benetton.com and www.zappos.com from January 2014 through March 2014.

WHY: The jackets have a drawstring at the waist that could become snagged or caught in small spaces or vehicle doors, posing significant entanglement hazard to children.

INCIDENTS: None reported.

HOW MANY: About 93.

FOR MORE: Call Benetton at 800-535-4491 or visit www.benetton.com.

GAS-POWERED GENERATORS

DETAILS: 2014 Honda gasoline-powered EU7000isN AT generators. They were sold at Honda Power Equipment dealers nationwide from June 2014 through July 2014.

WHY: The rear frame support can fail during lifting, posing an impact hazard. The owner’s manual can have missing or duplicated pages, which could cause consumers not to receive important operating or safety information.

INCIDENTS: Two reports of incidents in Canada involving rear frame support failures. No injuries have been reported. The firm also received two reports of owner’s manuals with errors.

HOW MANY: About 8,100.

FOR MORE: Call American Honda at 888-888-3139 or visit www.powerequipment.honda.com.

UTILITY VEHICLES

DETAILS: Arctic Cat Wildcat Trail and Wildcat Trail XT Side by Side utility vehicles. They were sold at Arctic Car dealers nationwide from December 2013 through July 2014.

WHY: Oil can leak from the oil cooler lines, posing a fire hazard.

INCIDENTS: 60 reports of oil leaking and one report of fire. No injuries have been reported.

HOW MANY: About 5,600.

FOR MORE: Call Arctic Cat at 800-279-6851 or visit www.arcticcat.com.

KITEBOARDING CONTROL SYSTEMS

DETAILS: Cabrinha Kiteboarding 1X and Overdrive 1X Control Systems. They were sold in August 2014.

WHY: The RecoilTM spring on the control mechanism can jam, leading to a loss of control, which poses a risk of injury.

INCIDENTS: Two reports of the spring jamming, but no injuries reported.

HOW MANY: About 1,700.

FOR MORE: Call Pryde Group Americas (PGA); collect call at (305) 591-3922 from 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit www.cabrinhakites.com. Consumers can also send email to support@cabrinhakites.com.

— ASSOCIATED PRESS

Legion Post 327

elects officers

At the Sept. 8 board of directors meeting, American Legion Post 327 nominated and elected to serve for the next three years due to no opposition: Stephen Klen Jr., Bob “Bart” Bartosh and Jeff Hinders.

Squadron 665

to meet today

Sons of the American Legion Squadron 665 meeting, today, 1 p.m., post home; dues, $10, being collected.

Post 7251 Auxiliary to meet today

VFW Post 7251 Ladies Auxiliary meeting, today.

DAV District 1 meeting today

DAV District 1 meeting, today, 12:30 p.m., VA Medical Center, second floor; Joe Sylvester, 570-961-2696.

VA schedules

town hall meeting

Plains Twp. Veterans Affairs Medical Center town hall meeting for veterans, family members and the public to provide feedback on VA operations and recommendations for VA programs, Monday, 1 p.m., second floor recreation room, Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center, 1111 East End Blvd.

DAV Chapter 1

to meet Monday

DAV Malia Chapter 1 meeting, Monday, 7 p.m., American Legion 908, 625 Deacon St., Scranton; 570-961-2696.

VFW Post 5544

to meet Tuesday

Jessup VFW Post 5544 meeting, Tuesday, 8 p.m., post home, 205 Dolph St., smoker follows.

IAWV to meet Wednesday

Italian-American War Veterans meeting, Wednesday, 7 p.m., Marine Corps League, Alder Street, Scranton; 570-961-2696.

Coast Guard Vets

to meet Wednesday

NEPA Coast Guard Veterans Association meeting, Wednesday, 6 p.m., Perkins Restaurant, Route 315, Pittston Twp.; Neil Morrison, 570-288-6817.

Post 966 to meet Wednesday

East Scranton Memorial American Legion Post 966 meeting, Wednesday, 7 p.m., St. Peter’s Lutheran Church auditorium, 1000 Taylor Ave.

Marine Corps League sets dinner

Northeastern Detachment Marine Corps League flag pole replacement pasta dinner, Saturday, 3-5 p.m., detachment, Alder Street, Scranton, $9.

DC Honor Guard

to meet Saturday

Dickson City Veterans Honor Guard meeting, Saturday, 2 p.m., American Legion Post 665, 901 Main St.

District 10 VFW meets Sept. 21

District 10, VFW meeting Sept. 21, 2 p.m., Jessup Post 5544; for commanders/delegations of all posts; yearly programs/activities on agenda.

VFW Post 5209

to meet Sept. 21

VFW Post 5209 meeting, Sept. 21, post home, 1849 Bloom Ave., Scranton.

VFW Post 5937

to meet Sept. 21

Dickson City VFW Post 5937 meeting, Sept. 21, 3 p.m., American Legion Post 665 hall, 901 Main St., Dickson City.

VFW District 10

to meet Sept. 28

VFW District 10 meeting, Sept. 28, 2 p.m., Jessup Post 5544, to discuss yearly programs and activities.

USS Missouri

schedules reunion

USS Missouri (BB-63) Association Inc. 41st annual reunion, Wednesday-Sept. 23, Ramada Gateway Hotel, Kissimmee, Fla.; Bill Morton, 803-469-3579 or MO63@

ftc-i.net; or Jack Stempick, 203-281-4693 or mobb63ct@aol.com.

Legion Post 86 sets breakfast

American Legion Post 86 breakfast, Oct. 5, 8-11 a.m., post home, 1234 W. Main St., Susquehanna, eat-in or takeout, $7/adults and $4/under 10, benefits the Gino J. Merli Veterans Center; 570-853-3542.

VFW Post 4909

to meet Oct. 6

VFW Post 4909, Dupont, meeting, Oct. 6, 7:30 p.m., post home, Home Association meeting follows.

Post 327 Auxiliary sets bus trip

Raymond Henry American Legion Post 327 Auxiliary bus trip to Resorts Casino in Atlantic City, Oct. 11, bus leaves post home, 101 Willow Ave., Olyphant, 7 a.m., $30; reservations, 570-489-4321, noon-6 p.m.

Events this week

at Merli Center

Today: Coffee, 9 a.m.; eucharistic ministry, all floors, 9:15; football game on large screen with refreshments, 2 p.m.

Monday: Coffee, 9 a.m.; bible study, 9:30; big wheel, 10; Alexander’s lunch trip, 12:15 p.m.; bible study with Hannah Chapel, 1; American Legion Unit 927 visit female residents to pass out lap robes, 2; freestyle activities, 2.

Tuesday: Movie, “Finding Neverland,” 10 a.m.; bingo social, 10; volunteer ministry visits, 2 South, 1:15 p.m.; choir practice, 1:45; Catholic service, 3; big wheel, 7.

Wednesday: Coffee, 9 a.m.; exercise, 10; volunteer ministry visits, 2 South, 1:15 p.m.; bingo in memory of Edward Holko by his family, 2.

Thursday: Coffee, 9; chapel service, 10; horse races, 10; pinochle tournament, 2 p.m.; karaoke night, 7.

Friday: National POW/MIA Recognition Day. Coffee, 9 a.m.; rosary, 10; McDonald’s dine-in, 12:15 p.m.; Military Order of the Purple Heart Chapter 654 bingo, 2; happy hour, 3:30.

Saturday: Room visits, 8:45 a.m.; coffee and doughnuts by the Friends of the Forgotten, 10; Order of the Eastern Star bingo, 2 p.m.

VETERANS NEWS should be submitted no later than Monday before publication to veterans@timesshamrock.com; or to YES!desk, The Times-Tribune, 149 Penn Ave., Scranton, PA 18503.

Back when the Times Building had manual elevators, one of the operators wore a “Star Trek” communicator badge.

I’d step in and say, “Beam me up to three.” He wasn’t amused until I shared my knowledge of the “Final Frontier” and the Klingons, Romulans and Vulcans who call it home. Learning I was a fellow fan loosened the guy up. He spoke impeccable Klingon.

“Hab SoSlI’ Quch!” (Your mother has a smooth forehead!)

“Yes, she does. Please open the door.”

Even if you haven’t followed “Star Trek” through its many iterations, you’ve likely heard the catchphrase, “Resistance is futile.” It belongs to the Borg, a single-minded horde that consumes everyone and everything in a process called “assimilation.” The assimilated do the bidding of the Borg Collective, a hive-like network that answers to an insatiable queen.

It’s just like the Scranton School Board.

On Friday, Scranton teachers received raises established in a contract on which the taxpayers’ elected representatives never voted. At the urging of board Solicitor John “Whatever” Minora, two directors — Cy Douaihy and Carol Oleski — signed the contract without bothering to read it. Mr. Minora also signed, meaning raises were granted on the signatures of less than 1/4 of the nine-member board and a solicitor no one elected.

This is not science fiction. It actually happened. How? The teacher’s union has consumed the school board. Who needs negotiation when assimilation is so easily achieved?

Kathleen McGuigan is the board president, but it’s an honorary title, like “Miss Anthracite” or “NFL Commissioner.” The Queen of the Scranton School Borg is teachers’ union President Rosemary Boland. Her drones include Mr. Douaihy and directors Armand Martinelli and Robert Casey.

Mr. Douaihy and Mr. Martinelli are retired Scranton teachers. Mr. Douaihy’s wife, Mr. Martinelli’s daughter and Mr. Casey’s mother are among the teachers benefiting from the unratified, unread contract. There are enough conflicts of interest here to start a support group.

The assimilation began in earnest when contract negotiations broke down. The next step was “fact-finding.” Honorary President McGuigan wasn’t notified, let alone invited, when Mr. Douaihy, Mr. Martinelli and Mr. Casey met with a state-appointed arbitrator.

“They picked a good three to be there,” said Director Kyle Donahue, who also was not invited and so far has resisted assimilation. “It’s the three members with the most conflict.”

Mr. Casey said his mother’s teaching job had no bearing on his role. Sure, and blood is thinner than water, up is down and climate change is a hoax. Ma Kelly is five-foot-two and 75 years old. I’m six-foot-one and 46, but her stink-eye still shuts me down.

The fact-finding session was called by Solicitor Minora, who said he was “fairly certain” he discussed the process with the board a month prior. He admitted failing to contact all board members about the meeting. I’m fairly certain I had chicken salad for lunch last Monday and that Mr. Minora’s selective notification wasn’t an oversight.

Mr. Minora and Ms. Boland held that because the Borg approved the state fact-finder’s report — which was initially rejected — the document was as good as a contract. Mr. Minora said there was no need to vote on the pact, then reversed himself and recommended a vote at the October meeting. He called the vote a “hypertechnical” detail.

It’s chilling to hear a school district solicitor describe a process created to foster transparency, fiscal responsibility and basic accountability as a “hypertechnical detail,” but this is Scranton, where blood is better than skill, gravity is treated as optional and the political climate never changes.

The Scranton School Borg rarely faces resistance from taxpayers and parents. It has no reason to believe it will be challenged at the next public meeting.

Resistance is not always futile. Apathy is never a solution.

CHRIS KELLY, the Times-Tribune columnist, knows the trouble with Tribbles. Contact the writer: kellysworld@timesshamrock.com, @cjkink on Twitter

Monday: Scranton Mini Maker Faire, which is scheduled for Oct. 4 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Johnson College, is in search of makers, crafters, tech enthusiasts, tinkerers and food vendors through Monday. Any groups or individuals interested in presenting their project, activity or performance during the event should complete the application at scrantonmakerfaire.com/call-for-makers. Participants may show their creations for free, but it costs $25 to sell the creations. All proceeds from the event will go to Johnson College’s Innovation and Opportunity Fund.

Wednesday: “Current Concepts in Shoulder Replacement Surgery” presented by orthopedic surgeon Kevin Colleran, noon to 1 p.m., McGowan Conference Room, second floor, Regional Hospital of Scranton, 746 Jefferson Ave. The free health talk includes lunch. Dr. Colleran serves on the medical staff of Regional Hospital of Scranton, and practices orthopedic surgery with Professional Orthopaedics, Scranton. For reservations, call Maggie Lipperini at 670-348-7028.

“How Can Planners Work to Enhance Community Food Systems?” webinar by Penn State Extension, noon. The webinar serves as part of a monthly land-use series offered during the summer and fall. All webinars get recorded for future viewing. The webinar series costs $30 for all webinars and $60 for all webinars for those who want to receive certification maintenance credits from the American Planning Association. For more information, contact Peter Wulfhorst at 570-296-3400 or ptw3@psu.edu. To register, visit the series website at agsci.psu.edu/land-use-webinar.

Thursday: “Sales is Not for Everyone — What Sets a Winner Apart Today” seminar from 8:30 am to 10 a.m. at the Greater Hazleton Chamber of Commerce office, 20 W. Broad St., in downtown Hazleton. Registration is $5 for chamber members and $10 for non Chamber members. Coffee and donuts will be provided. Registration is required by registering on the chamber’s online calendar at www.hazletonchamber.org or by contacting the chamber at 455-1509 or jferry@hazletonchamber.org.

Penn State Extension’s Food for Profit one-day workshop, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Wilkes University’s Henry Student Center, 84 W. South St., Wilkes-Barre. The workshop aims to share information necessary to start and run a small food product business. The workshop costs $55, which includes all materials and lunch. To register, visit extension.psu.edu/food-safety/entrepreneurs or call the registration coordinator at 717-921-8803. For more information, contact extension educator Winifred McGee at wwm1@psu.edu or 717-921-8803. Pre-payment and registration are required.

Sept. 22: “Bringing the World to Northeastern Pennsylvania,” Northeastern Pennsylvania Alliance 16th annual Convention Center, Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, Wilkes-Barre. The international trade event enables area business to meet with the Pennsylvania Trade Advisors from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Netherlands, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Taiwan, United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. The free event requires registration. For more information, contact Michael Horvath, international business manager, at 570-655-5581 or mhorvath@nepa-alliance.org.

Sept. 25: “Become a Better Communicator” free seminar, from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Dime Bank’s Operations Center Training Room, 1210 Sunrise Ave., Honesdale. The seminar will give participants the opportunity to get an overview of the communication process and learn better ways to communicate better on the job. The registration deadline is Sept. 22. Contact Jackie Murphy at 570-253-6864 or astitchintime2@gmail.com or Gail Tucker at 570-253-5492 or ghp@visithonesdalepa.com with seminar in the subject line of all emails.

SUBMIT BUSINESS BRIEFCASE items to business@timesshamrock.com; Business Editor, The Times-Tribune, 149 Penn Ave., Scranton, PA 18503; or via fax to 348-9135.

Accounting firm expands to Pittston

Michael A. Barbetti LLC Certified Public Accountants opened new offices at 1099 S. Township Boulevard, Pittston. The firm serves as a full-service tax, accounting and auditing firm, and brings more than 37 years of experience to the Luzerne County location.

Market wins acclaim: Boyer’s Food Markets, an independent grocer with 17 locations throughout Northeast Pennsylvania, earned top national marketing honors in its category, based on size and sales volume, during Supervalu Inc.’s national sales show in Minnesota. With the help of its marketing partner, Weber Advertising & Marketing of Lancaster, Boyer’s received Master Marketer honors. Boyer’s also earned accolades for notching the top spot in its category for promotion of its private brands.

Gift shop opens: A Few Fine Things, a gift shop owned by Helen Macareo and located at 2048 N. Memorial Highway, Shavertown, had a grand opening Thursday.

Credit union benefits cause: The 2014 Tobyhanna Federal Credit Union “Tasteful Wishes” Cookbook is on sale. Cookbooks cost $8 apiece and all of the proceeds will benefit Make-A-Wish Greater Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The cookbook features recipes from credit union staff and members and contributions from local wish children. To buy a cookbook, contact Make-A-Wish regional manager Maggie O’Brien at 570-341-9474 or visit a Tobyhanna Federal Credit Union branch.

Firm passes review: Bernard A. Fagnani LLC CPA of Throop passed its engagement peer review of the firm’s quality control system in accounting and auditing from the PICPA/DSCPA/VISCPA Peer Review Committee. The review aims to assure the public that certified public accountants practice in firms that provide high quality services.

Chamber has opening: The Chamber of the Northern Poconos held a grand opening and ribbon cutting at Lakota Healthcare Family Practice on Aug. 21. Lakota Healthcare is located at Gresham’s Landing, Unit 7, 2489 Route 6, Hawley. The practice includes two nurse practitioners, board certified in family practice, a physician, an internist who specializes in infectious disease and travel medicine, a registered nurse and a medical technician.

Alliance receives grant: PPL Corp. gave a $10,000 grant to the Northeastern Pennsylvania Alliance’s Energy Resource Center. The funding will help the center to provide technical assistance, training and education to communities, nonprofits and businesses so they can make informed energy consumption decisions.

Extension searches for appointments: Penn State Extension in Wyoming County continues to seek nominations for community members to join the board of directors for the Wyoming County Cooperative Extension Association. Board members provide oversight of extension office operations and finances, promote and advocate for extension programs with legislators and serve as advisors to the district director. The deadline for nominations is Monday. For more information, contact Terry Schettini, district director, at 570-836-3196 or tms15@psu.edu.

Dance studio opens: Live Love Dance Studio for children ages three and up opened Monday at the Wilkes-Barre Family YMCA. The studio offers classes in ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical and hip hop. The director of the studio is Janet Cecchini.

Montage makes donations: Montage Mountain Resorts donated more than $80,000 to local nonprofits, schools and fundraisers in the last year. Montage held Pay it Forward weekends, military and EMS free admission days and celebrity bartending fundraisers over the past year to give back to the community. The resorts’ staff also spent more the 250 hours volunteering at a Habitat for Humanity site build and working with the Friends of the Poor during its annual Thanksgiving food drive.

Medical center receives accreditation: Pocono Medical Center earned a three-year term of accreditation in mammography as a result of a review from the American College of Radiology. A mammography exam aids the early detection and diagnosis of breast diseases in women.

District continues program: The Wayne Conservation District will continue an incentive program to promote the planting of cover crops on fields normally bare after harvesting. Cover crops serve as soil protectors and nutrient scavengers. Funding is available to active farmers only. Producers will get reimbursed for up to five acres, a maximum of 10 bushels at a maximum of $20 per bushel. The deadline for planting the cover crop is Oct. 15. Seed purchased before Sept. 1 will not get reimbursed. Call 570-253-0930 to schedule an on-site registration or apply in person at the district, located at 648 Park Street Complex, Honesdale.

University partners with Reading: The Department of English at Misericordia University will partner with the University of Reading, England, to offer early acceptance into Reading’s Master of Arts in English program.

Delta Medix gets designation: Delta Medix earned American College of Radiology Lung Cancer Screening Center accreditation. The designation serves as a voluntary program that recognizes facilities who commit to practicing safe, effective diagnostic care for individuals at the highest risk for lung cancer.

Hospital gets honor: Tyler Memorial Hospital, a part of Commonwealth Health, earned a Safety Across the Board Excellence Award from the Hospital Association of Pennsylvania. The award recognizes participating hospitals for their achievement of exceptional performance and participation in the association’s Pennsylvania Hospital Engagement Network and with the Partnership for Patients program goals of reducing preventable harm and readmissions. Tyler had exceptional performance in catheter-associated urinary tract infections, central line-associated bloodstream infections, surgical site infections, pressure ulcer prevention, venous thromboembolism and ventilator-associated events.

SUBMIT BUSINESS BUZZ items to business@timesshamrock.com or The Times-Tribune, 149 Penn Ave., Scranton, PA 18503.

The number bank branches in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metro area will fall as Community Bank NA merges offices in downtown Scranton and Kingston it picked up in its acquisition of local Bank of America branches.

The Community Bank branch at 507 Linden St., Scranton, will close Sept. 19, with accounts transferred to the office two blocks away at 108 N. Washington Avenue.

The 685 Wyoming Ave., Kingston, branch will close Oct. 3, merging with Community Bank’s existing branch at 535 Wyoming Ave., Kingston.

The moves continue a trend of shedding bank branches in an area long considered over-banked, but one still pruning branches at a slower rate than the state or nation.

In 2013 U.S banks closed 1,487 branches. The nation has about 96,000 bank branches, roughly the same it had in 2006, according to data from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

From 2003 to 2013, the number of bank offices in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metro area fell by 11 to 227.

Stagnant market

Branch networks are shrinking because the region isn’t growing, said John Martines, former chief executive officer of LA Bank, acquired in 1999 by NBT Bancorp. Deposits growth, a key measure of an area’s attractiveness to a bank, is rarely a few percentage points a year.

“If you factor in inflation, it’s probably decreasing,” Mr. Martines said. “The demographics aren’t conducive to growth.”

Add to that the competition from non-banks such as brokerage houses and the ever-more prominent credit unions and a new branch becomes a real gamble.

With online banking, debit cards and remote deposit capture, people rarely have to enter a bank. Banks track footsteps in branches notice the number of customers using branches has declined. Younger customers, in particular, rarely enter a branch.

Joseph Earyes, first senior vice president of Dunmore-based First National Community Bank, said he grew up visiting his bank on a regular basis. His son, by contrast, got an account at a community bank in suburban Philadelphia when he was in college. Since then he moved four times in three different states. Able to do nearly all transactions online, the 26-year-old didn’t have to change banks.

FNCB spent a lot of time and money to offer customers competitive online and mobile banking features.

“Be careful what you wish for,” Mr. Earyes said. The features were so embraced by customers, that it seriously impacted branch traffic. “We offered a full slate of services and people love the convenience. Electronic banking is here to stay.”

Former banking center

Over the decade, Luzerne County lost 11 branches. Branch closures are nowhere more evident than at the corner of West Market and North Franklin streets, an historic banking hub where downtown workers cashed their checks and professional and shopkeepers would make their deposits.

Today the financial crossroads are mostly barren.

PNC Bank inherited an ornate brass vault and glamorous spiral staircase from the First Eastern Bank at the northeastern corner and still operates there — the last remaining bank. On the other side of Market Street, the white skyscraper long known as the United Penn Bank Building came to hold a Citizens Bank at the ground floor, but that bank withdrew several years ago. On the other corner, Wells Fargo had occupied the marble slab-like building, but consolidated that branch into another. FNCB had been on the other corner, but moved that branch to Public Square.

Meanwhile, new market entrant ESSA Bank wants to add branches in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area. Chief executive officer of the Stroudsburg-based bank, Gary Olson, said the two branches his office picked up in the 2013 acquisition of Franklin Security Bank are doing well, but he recognized that a region needs a critical mass of branches to serve customers and make the most of its place in the market.

Back in its Poconos base, ESSA continually analyzes branch traffic, transaction volume, loan generation, deposits and other metrics.

“We know when a branch is does well, breaks even, or costs money,” Mr. Olson said. “We haven’t made an changes, but if current trends continue we are going to be forced to recognize the economics.”

Contact the writer: dfalchek@timesshamrock.com

Bank count

by county

2013

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre: 227

Lackawanna: 92

Luzerne: 121

Monroe: 60

Pike: 15

Susquehanna: 18

Wayne: 27

Wyoming: 14

2003

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre: 238

Lackawanna: 92

Luzerne: 132

Monroe: 51

Pike: 14

Susquehanna: 17

Wayne: 26

Wyoming: 15

Chancellor

Financial Group

Stuart Cahill, AIF, LUTCF, joined the financial group. Mr. Cahill’s responsibilities include overseeing, growing and managing the Chancellor Gannon business line, the property and casualty sector of the financial group. Mr. Cahill has more than 20 years of experience in financial planning and investment portfolio management. For the past 10 years, Mr. Cahill served as president and CEO of his company, Alterra Wealth Management. Mr. Cahill graduated from the Dublin Institute of Technology, Ireland. He lives in Dallas with his wife and stepdaughter, and also has two grown daughters.

The Commonwealth Medical College

Olapeju Simoyan, M.D., M.P.H., B.D.S., F.A.A.F.P., an assistant professor of family medicine and epidemiology at the college, attended the International Association of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions’ World Congress in Durban, South Africa, from Aug. 11-15. While there, Dr. Simoyan presented the results of a project she developed as a scholar at the Harvard Macy Institute in Boston, Mass. The project addressed adolescent mental health issues, including eating disorders and substance abuse. Dr. Simoyan also spoke about her work as a Fulbright specialist in Nigeria in a presentation titled, “A multi-professional approach to addressing child mental health training needs in Nigeria.” At Commonwealth Medical College, Dr. Simoyan directs the second-year medical student course in psychiatry and co-directs the M.D./M.P.H. program, a dual degree program between the college and East Stroudsburg University. She also serves as faculty editor for Black Diamonds, the college’s literary journal, and practices medicine in Dunmore.

Foley Law Firm

Thomas J. Foley Jr., founder of the firm with offices in Scranton and Stroudsburg, earned the Best Lawyers’ 2015 Allentown Medical Malpractice Law (Plaintiffs) “Lawyer of the Year” honors. Mr. Foley earned recognition in Best Lawyers in America and U.S. News & World Report for his expertise in both medical malpractice and personal injury litigation.

Jones Kohanski Consultants & Certified Public Accountants

Nicole Buckman, an accountant in the firm’s Moosic office, successfully completed the Certified Public Accountant Examination and earned a license to practice in Pennsylvania. Ms. Buckman serves as a staff accountant, specializing in nonprofit, government and small business accounting. She earned a Bachelor of Science in accounting and economics from King’s College. Ms. Buckman also serves as a director of Pennsylvania’s Institute of Management Accountants and a member of the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants. She resides in Forty Fort.

King’s College

M. Sheileen Godwin, associate technical professor and chairwoman of the theatre department at the college, served as a panelist for the Pennsylvania Partners in the Arts Project Stream, which grants funds to support a variety of local and community arts activities. Ms. Godwin served as part of a panel that reviewed grant applications for the Pocono Arts Council.

McDonald &

MacGregor LLC

Malcolm L. MacGregor, a trial attorney and founding partner of the Scranton law firm, earned an election as the 46th president of the Pennsylvania Association for Justice. The association aims to promote a fair and effective justice system and support attorneys who work to ensure that people injured through the misconduct or negligence of others may receive justice in Pennsylvania’s courtrooms. Mr. MacGregor has 24 years of experience as a leading trial lawyer. A graduate of the University of Scranton and the Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law, Washington, D.C., he also served as a partner and trial counsel at Foley, McLane, Foley, McDonald & MacGregor P.C. He resides in North Abington Twp. with his wife, Ann, and they have four children, Joshua, Lily, Sam and Isabel.

Northeast

Environmental Partners

Shannon Reiter will serve as keynote speaker, while and David Coppola, Ph.D., serves as master of ceremonies for the 24th annual Environmental Partnership Awards and Dinner, which is scheduled for Oct. 30 at the Woodlands Inn and Resort, Wilkes-Barre.

Ms. Reiter serves as president of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful. Before that, she served as president of Pennsylvania CleanWays. She earned her Master of Public Administration in public/nonprofit management in 2003 from the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, University of Pittsburgh.

Dr. Coppola became the 10th president of Keystone College on June 1, 2013. He has more than 25 years of experience at the secondary and post-secondary levels. Dr. Coppola earned a Bachelor of Science in secondary education from Seton Hall University, with a concentration and teaching certification in English and music. He also earned a Bachelor and Master of Sacred Theology from St. Mary’s Seminary and University, Baltimore, Md., and a Doctorate of Philosophy in educational administration from Fordham University.

SUBMIT PEOPLE ON THE MOVE items to business@timesshamrock.com or The Times-Tribune, 149 Penn Ave., Scranton, PA 18503.

BLOOMING GROVE TWP. -- State police have set up a checkpoint on Route 402 North, just past the Blooming Grove police barracks where one trooper was killed and another was wounded during an ambush Friday night.


Officers are stopping motorists and asking if they witnessed anything. Investigators are also following up on dozens of leads today as they continue to investigate an ambush Friday night at the Blooming Grove police barracks that killed one trooper and injured another.

As troopers searched for the shooter or shooters, they were joined by agents from the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, but spokesmen for the state police declined to say if they had made progress toward solving the case.

Cpl. Bryon Dickson, 38, of Dunmore, died at the scene. He leaves behind his wife, Tiffany, and two young boys. Trooper Alex T. Douglass, 31, of Olyphant, is in critical but stable condition after being transported to Geisinger Community Medical Center in Scranton.

The gunman is still at large, although State Police Commissioner Frank Noonan said Saturday there was no imminent danger to residents.

State police reopened Route 402 near the barracks late Saturday night. The parking lot adjacent to the barracks was partially blocked off with yellow police tape. Flags are at half-staff.

A man wearing sunglasses who said he was a police officer in New Jersey pulled up across from the barracks about 1 p.m. in a red Chevrolet pickup truck, parked, crossed the road and laid a bouquet with daisies, a rose and a carnation wrapped in plastic next to the sign that marks the barracks.

He declined to be interviewed.

Investigators remained silent today about their investigation, and did not anticipate much new information about the shooting would emerge.

About two miles from the barracks in the Pike County Conservation District building and Blooming Grove Baptist Church, police officers from New York, New Jersey and throughout Pennsylvania gathered to assist in the investigation, and offer their support.

State police spokeswoman Maria Finn said the agency planned no news conference today because there is nothing substantially new to report.

“We have no new information, we have nothing to say,” Ms. Finn said.

She said Gov. Tom Corbett would not visit the scene today.


The barracks sits precisely 1.5 miles north Interstate 84, carved out of woods next to the Delaware State Forest. Forest ranger vehicles were parked in the barracks lot, too.

It is from the woods, perhaps across Route 402 from the barracks, that police believe the shots were fired.

At the church, police set up their white truck mobile command post with a radio tower that Ms. Finn said allowed them to watch what cameras in helicopters flying overhead saw.

If they saw anything, they weren’t saying, but Trooper Connie Devens, their local spokeswoman, said they were following up on numerous tips that came into a state police hotline, 1-866-326-7256.

“Any tips that did come in have been assigned to investigators to go out to follow up on at this point in time,” Trooper Devens said.

She declined to say if any of the tips had drawn police closer to nailing a suspect or suspects.

“At this point in time, we don’t have anything new to release on any suspects or any other information regarding the investigation,” she said.

She declined to say if police had a suspect or suspects, but said police do not have any better idea than Saturday what the motive for the shooting might have been.

“No, we don’t,” she said. “At this point in time, we just don’t know.”

Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers this morning increased the reward for any information that leads to an arrest from $20,000 to $50,000. Those with information may call 800-4-PA-TIPS.

“This attack was an ambush. Our troopers were leaving the barracks and were shot without warning,” said Commissioner  Noonan during a Saturday afternoon press conference. “This is a traumatic event. It has touched us to the core that such an event can happen.”

Cpl. Dickson, a seven-year veteran who was promoted last year and is the father of two young sons, was pronounced dead at the scene. He is the 95th state trooper to be killed in the line of duty since the Pennsylvania State Police was founded in 1905.

A fund to support the Dickson and Douglass families has been created by family members of area troopers. It has raised more than $7,000 as of 2 p.m. today.

State police instructed law enforcement throughout eastern Pennsylvania to be on “high alert” following the shooting, which happened as one trooper was leaving and another was arriving. Police heightened security around other barracks. The gunman would likely not harm the general public, Mr. Noonan said, and instead could be targeting police officers.

“Every attack on an officer of the law is an attack on our state, our country and civilized society,” Mr. Corbett said in a statement. “The incident in Blooming Grove shows, once again, that our first responders face constant danger in order that the rest of us may live in peace and safety.”

“It’s a cowardly attack,” Mr. Noonan said. “It’s an attack upon all of us in society.”

Police confirmed Saturday morning that investigators had interviewed a “person of interest.” Later in the day, Mr. Noonan stressed that no suspect had been arrested and the investigation remains open. Hundreds of people will be interviewed, he said. State police released few other details about the incident, fearing it could jeopardize the investigation.

Police did not release a description of the gunman and declined to answer whether any surveillance video captured the shooting. Mr. Noonan also said he would not discuss if the specific officers were targeted or if they were shot randomly.

Pike County District Attorney Raymond Tonkin called the crime “reprehensible” and “unbelievable.”

In a statement, U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey extended his condolences.

“Every day, Pennsylvania’s nearly 30,000 law enforcement officers place themselves at risk in order to protect each of us,” he said. “We can never truly repay that debt. And when one of our officers falls, we will never forget.”

Rep. Tom Marino reacted with both sadness and anger.

“Officers and troopers put themselves in harm’s way day in and day out but it is their families that bear a burden as well. The best thing our communities can do right now is seek to be supportive. We lost a trooper, another one is injured,” he said in a statement. “I cannot even fathom the mind of a monster that would ambush our troopers. I hope our officers, on the hunt right now, catch the suspect and bring him to justice as soon as possible.”

About 10 miles away from the barracks, local and national media gathered at the Pike County Training Center for updates on Saturday. During Saturday afternoon’s update, Mr. Noonan encouraged residents to stay aware of their surroundings. He also pledged that law enforcement would bring anyone responsible to justice.

“This is unbelievably heartbreaking to all of us,” he said.

Contact the writer: metrodesk@timesshamrock.com

Inconsistencies, omissions and outright errors.

Lackawanna County Courthouse Square is rife with all three.

A comprehensive review by the Lackawanna Historical Society of the 16 monuments, memorials and markers that populate the square found at least four have inaccuracies — in most cases, more than one.

Read the reviews Here and Here

Throw in inadequate or nonexistent lighting, poor presentation and lack of maintenance, and it seems nearly all are in need of some sort of attention.

Majority Commissioners Jim Wansacz and Corey O’Brien, whose administration requested the review, said the historical society’s eight-page summary and report will serve as a guide for development of an action plan for the square and its monuments.

“They laid out and articulated very well a number of the shortcomings,” Mr. O’Brien said. “The next step here is to take each recommendation and try to define what it will mean in terms of time and cost.”

There are no radical recommendations in the report. While saying the county may want to consider some options for relocation, the historical society and its seven-member review committee stopped short of flatly calling for the removal of any specific monument from the square.

“There isn’t really anything there that shouldn’t be there,” said Sarah Piccini, the organization’s assistant director, who helped research and compile the report.

Even the Veterans Memorial, despite receiving the most discussion in the report, including a nine-page addendum that examines in detail the 45 quotations inscribed on its much-maligned granite walls, had no one calling for its relocation or demolition, she said.

“Everybody sort of said they hate it, but nobody said let’s get rid of it,” Ms. Piccini said. “It’s a pretty major feature of what’s there, and we just looked at how maybe we can get around it and make sure it’s correct.”

The society found eight verifiable errors on the memorial in the form of incorrect dates, misspellings or misattributions for the quotations.

Ms. Piccini said the most egregious is the misspelling of Sgt. Eric W. Slebodnik’s last name. Sgt. Slebodnik, a soldier from Greenfield Twp. who was killed in Iraq in 2005, is the only county resident quoted on the wall.

“One of our recommendations was we would like to see more local representation on the memorial wall, and then the name of the one local person who is there is misspelled,” she said. “We were especially surprised by that.”

Beyond the errors, the society said there needs to be more consistency in how quotations are attributed. Some list the rank of military personnel who are quoted; others don’t. Some have very specific dates attached — month, day, year — while others are undated or list only the year.

At the suggestion of local Vietnam veterans who have offered to raise funds for the work, the society recommended repurposing one of the wall’s blank slabs to list the names of the 53 county residents who died “in country” during the Vietnam War.

However, the report cautioned that could lead to calls to add the names of individuals killed in other wars, which would be much more difficult to document and could result in even more errors and omissions.

The report noted the Veterans Memorial, which was erected as part of the Cordaro-Munchak administration’s courthouse renovation project, was not originally intended to be a memorial at all but a plaza honoring county residents who have served, are serving or will serve in the military in the future.

The memorial was never dedicated, an oversight the county should rectify by holding a dedication ceremony and officially renaming the monument Veterans Plaza, the report stated.

“There was never a formal dedication to explain why they did what they did,” Ms. Piccini said. “We think if somebody actually told that story, it might lessen the general dislike of it.”

The review found three other monuments with errors:

■ The text on the Thaddeus Kosciuszko monument incorrectly identifies the Battle of Saratoga as the first American victory of the Revolutionary War and Battle of Charleston as the war’s final battle. The report does not say what the correct battles were.

■ Jason Miller’s entry in Piazza dell’ Arte identifies him as the “winner of a Pulitzer, Tony, Emmy and Academy Award nomination.” Mr. Miller won a Pulitzer and a Tony; he was nominated for an Emmy and an Academy Award.

■ The Distinguished Citizens Memorial has the wrong dates for both William W. Scranton’s congressional service and Robert P. Casey’s state Senate term.

Mr. Miller’s bust in Piazza dell’ Arte is one of three monuments the report identified for possible relocation.

Because the playwright and actor is already memorialized on the Piazza wall, the society said, the county should consider moving the bust to another site, possibly McDade Park. The report cited a “lingering and persistent” rumor that Mr. Miller’s ashes are encased in the bust and recommended adding a label to the monument if that can be verified.

Likewise, there may be a more suitable location for “Redwing,” the Hope Horn sculpture that stands behind Piazza dell’ Arte, the report said. If the sharp-cornered steel sculpture is to remain on the square, the committee recommended placing it on a raised platform or inside a planting bed and adding interpretive information.

The report said some Vietnam veterans expressed dissatisfaction with the Faith, Hope and Love monument. Although originally intended to honor only Vietnam veterans, the committee that erected it in the 1970s dedicated it to the veterans of World Wars I and II and Korea, as well as Vietnam.

While recommending the monument remain where it is for now, the report suggested that the county may want to move it in the future.

The society suggested two possible additions to the Distinguished Citizens Memorial: Michael Eagen, who became the youngest judge in county history at age 34 and later served as chief justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, and Patrick J. Boland, who had a role in the passage of Social Security and other New Deal programs while serving in the U.S. House.

Among those who should be considered for inclusion in Piazza dell’ Arte are novelist and screenwriter William Kotzwinkle, artist John Willard Raught and actresses Gloria Jean and Jeanne Madden Martin, the report said.

One area where the report stated immediate action is required is lighting. It listed 10 monuments that lack lighting or have existing lighting that needs to be improved or repaired.

“That was one of the biggest things we found as we were going around — a lot of them are unlit,” Ms. Piccini said.

Mr. Wansacz said the county is already working on some of the maintenance issues cited in the report, including lighting, but added the key word when talking about the square is accuracy.

“They have pointed out a number of things that need to be addressed to ensure an accurate reflection of history,” Mr. Wansacz said.

The commissioners indicated when they asked the historical society to perform the review that any major changes undertaken on the square would have to be privately funded.

Mr. O’Brien said he anticipates the administration will ask county engineer Gary Cavill to review the report and come up with a cost projection for addressing each of the historical society’s recommendations, including correction of the inaccuracies.

“Now that we know they exist, we need to fix them as quickly as we can fix them and do our best to raise private funds to get them done,” Mr. O’Brien said. “I’m sure Lackawanna County will help fund some of that ... but we are going to need the help of the community to get to the lion’s share of these.”

The historical society is thinking along the same lines, Ms. Piccini said.

The report suggests the county initiate an adopt-a-monument program to foster public participation in the repair and upkeep of the monuments.

“A lot of them, particularly the bigger ones, were done initially by private groups,” Ms. Piccini said. “If there would be someone willing to take them over, some of that work could be done and there would be someone to kind of watch over them.”

Contact the writer:

dsingleton@timesshamrock.com

A local Internet entrepreneur has launched an e-commerce site specializing in “NEPA-centric” foods.

Albert Martino started NortheastSnacks.com, which makes it possible to send Middleswarth chips and Revello’s Old Forge pizza anywhere in the U.S.

The 30-year-old Kingston man grew up in Shavertown. When he moved to Phoenix, Arizona, he was frustrated with the lack of good pizza and tasty potato chips.

Having several years of e-commerce experience, he created NortheastSnacks.com so anyone from Northeast Pennsylvania can send a “little slice of home to someone they care about” anywhere in the country.

He chose to sell Middleswarth chips and Revello’s Pizza because they are two unique products to the area. Middleswarth are made in Middleburg, west of Selinsgrove. Revello’s is based in downtown Old Forge.

“I traveled extensively all over the country and there is really nothing like either product out there,” Mr. Martino said. “Some people develop such a taste and passion for the pizza and chips as comfort foods and when they move away, they can’t get them anymore so this solves that problem.”

Since launching the site two weeks ago, he said thousands have viewed its Facebook page and website.

“So far, we have been averaging 12,000 hits to the website each week. In our first week alone on Facebook, all of our posts combined reached 36,000 people across America,” he said. “The Internet is revolutionizing commerce because there is no more confines to a local geographic region anymore.”

Mr. Martino works with local warehouses that distribute Middleswarth chips and he packs and ships the orders.

He recently sent orders to Alaska and Hawaii. The site has been most popular among residents in Florida and Connecticut, he said.

Revello’s is shipped in orders of three trays with 12 cuts per tray at a cost of $45. The pizza is baked upon ordering frozen overnight and shipped out the next day via overnight shipping to keep it fresh, Mr. Martino said.

Currently, NortheastSnacks.com is a one-man show. Mr. Martino, a Dallas High School graduate who studied business at Luzerne County Community College, started designing websites when he was 15.

He has worked with other local companies, but left and started his own Internet marketing site, hotigloo.net.

While Mr. Martino started NortheastSnacks.com with Middleswarth chips and Revello’s pizza, he said people also have proposed he sell Tastykake products online and he has been emailing and calling the company to try to secure a deal.

“We really hope to get them. A lot of people like them,” he said. “They have enormous reach, too.”

Contact the writer: dallabaugh@citizensvoice.com

SCRANTON — As the leaves begin to change, Steamtown National Historic Site is gearing up to take reservations for its fall foliage train excursions.

Three trips to East Stroudsburg will depart at 9 a.m. on Oct. 4, 11 and 25. Three trips to Moscow are scheduled for Oct. 5, 18 and 26. The Oct. 5 and 26 trips depart at 12:30 p.m. The Oct. 18 trip departs at 1 p.m.

A trip to Tobyhanna Station is scheduled for Oct. 12, and an Oct. 19 trip is planned to Delaware Water Gap Station.

Reservations begin 9 a.m. Oct. 1. Call 570-340-5204 for prices and information.

— BRENDAN GIBBONS

Susquehanna County Court Notes appear weekly in The Times-Tribune.

MARRIAGE LICENSES

Frank Conklin of Windsor, N.Y., and Sarah French of Susquehanna.

Sara Kwiatkowski and Cory Benscoter, both of Montrose.

Victor Welch and Marie Parkinson, both of Jessup.

John Smith and Shiloe Benedict, both of Montrose.

Anthony Landon and Katherine Nichols, both of Susquehanna.

Benjamin Gilbert and Theresa Yajko, both of Binghamton, N.Y.

PROPERTY TRANSFERS

Mary Ellen and James Dearborn; Richard, Christine, Thomas and Sally Grace; Mary and James Malott; James and Erika Grace to Price & Company LLC, a property in Montrose for $140,000.

Christopher and Jacqueline Peck to John, Sharon, Brian and Katherine Donlin, a property in Choconut Twp. for $71,000.

Hal Akoa, aka William Skirpstunas (estate) to Eric and Bobbi Jo Diaz, a property in Hop Bottom for $20,000.

Robert Jr. and Beverly Lee to Christopher Bowyer and Brandi Mullins, a property in New Milford Twp. for $198,900.

Karen Gudykunst to Stanford and Sally Ross, a property in New Milford for $103,500.

Lester and Emma Hall to Philip Lobue, a property in Great Bend Twp. for $79,000.

By 2080, birds like the northern saw-whet owl, the scarlet tanager and the Baltimore oriole could all but disappear from Pennsylvania.

Climate change is expected to shrink and shift northward the ranges of these and hundreds of other species across North America, according to a groundbreaking National Audubon Society study.

Last week, the almost 110-year-old conservation group posted its findings for 588 birds on Climate.audubon.org. The site features maps showing predictions of how species’ ranges will shift over the next 65 years.

By 2050, Audubon predicts 126 species will lose more than half of their ranges across North America. By 2080, 188 additional species will likely lose more than half of their ranges.

Citizen science was crucial to this report. Audubon scientists relied on tens of thousands of observations from the U.S. Geological Survey’s North American Breeding Bird Survey, along with Aubudon’s own Christmas Bird Count.

It combined these observations with historical climate data and climate changes predicted in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Fourth Assessment, Audubon spokeswoman Agatha Szczepaniak said. IPCC is still finishing its Fifth Assessment.

The result is a tool anyone can use to learn how birds are likely to respond. Users can choose their state and search birds based on their names and the percentage of summer and winter ranges lost.

Many of these birds are migratory, and their winter ranges may expand as the U.S. warms, even as a warming Canada causes their summer range to shrink. Other species that spend winters in the tropics and summers in the eastern U.S. will likely see their ranges shrink and shift northward.

Horned grebe, scarlet tanager, ring-necked duck, gadwall and hooded merganser are the Pennsylvania species that could lose most of their summer ranges.

Of these, grebes, ring-necked ducks, gadwalls and mergansers might actually become more abundant in Pennsylvania during the winter, according to the maps. But the species are at risk as a whole as their summer range in Canada disappears. Audubon predicts the horned grebe will lose 100 percent of its summer range.

The story is different with birds like scarlet tanager, veery and chestnut-sided warbler. These are migratory songbirds that overwinter in Central or South America, then return to the U.S., including Pennsylvania, for the summer.

Pennsylvanians of 2080 will be lucky to see one of these three birds, according to the maps.

For 21-year-old Throop native, Keystone College student and budding wildlife researcher Emily Rinaldi, the future of wildlife is disturbing. The study does not even factor in other significant variables such as habitat destruction or invasive species that could also cause bird declines.

Since she was 16, Ms. Rinaldi has volunteered with the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to band and monitor birds. She imagines someday passing on the nature knowledge she’s learned to children and grandchildren.

“It’s just really scary that I might almost have to teach them something completely different than what I’m learning right now,” she said.

On the other end is Barbara Leo, a Honesdale resident, avid birder and conservation chairwoman of the Northeast Pennsylvania Audubon Society. Ms. Leo is in her 70s and has lived in Northeast Pennsylvania for about 35 years, she said.

“I can tell that we’re seeing a reduction in birds,” she said.

Wood thrushes are an example. Decades ago, she remembers hearing choruses of wood thrushes in the woods near her house.

“They used to be singing in my woods all the time,” she said. “There were only two this year, and I barely heard them.”

Contact the writer:

bgibbons@timesshamrock.com, @bgibbonsTT on Twitter

Blakely

Classmates from the former Blakely High School reminisced about a former coach and reflected on the past last weekend in memory of one its most dedicated members.

The annual Blakely Papa Bear Club outing in memory of Dr. Roy Simpson brought out 107 former classmates to the grove at Montdale Country Club on Sunday. Established in honor of Blakely High School coach and high school football hall of fame member John Henzes, the group meets a few times a year.

“He was not only an excellent coach but a very good person and loved by all,” Carole Coccodrilli, treasurer, said of Mr. Henzes.

This year’s outing honored the late Dr. Simpson, who Ms. Coccodrilli said was an avid football player and very devoted to the club.

“He loved the club and never missed the outings,” she said.

Mr. Simpson died in May, and Ms. Coccodrilli said he was a major contributor to the club’s yearly scholarship fund for two Valley View students.

A few weeks ago, she said she received a call from Dr. Simpson’s wife, Gerri, who said in his passing he left a contribution for this year’s scholarships.

“He was an avid sportsman, an excellent doctor and a very, very humble, down-to-earth, kind man,” she said.

“We loved him, and he loved the Papa Bear Club,” she said.

— KATHLEEN BOLUS

kbolus@timesshamrock.com,

@kbolusTT on Twitter

Dickson City

After four years, Eagle Hose Company 1 returned to the 84th annual Northeastern Volunteer Firemens Federation Convention parade with a bang.

Members won four top awards, including best appearing heavy rescue company, largest uniformed company in the line of march, best appearing company in the line of march with music and the newly added best appearing company overall.

Secretary Bill Bilinski said more than 30 members went to the march, which was held in Honesdale.

The company participated with about 60 other companies from around the state, said Mr. Bilinski.

While they were away, Jessup Hose Company 2 and the Eynon Fire Department covered emergency services to Dickson City, he said.

Next September, Mr. Bilinski said, the march will make its way to Olyphant.

— KATHLEEN BOLUS

kbolus@timesshamrock.com,

@kbolusTT on Twitter

Roaring Brook Twp.

The most time-consuming part of dressing up like the Tin Man from “The Wizard of Oz” for Will Enkulenko wasn’t putting on the costume, but methodically applying metallic-colored makeup to any exposed skin on his face, neck and hands.

The Holy Cross senior was part of a group of volunteers who dressed up like characters from the movie to entertain children who came to a recent screening of “The Wizard of Oz” at the Roaring Brook Twp. park.

Although the idea was for the group to pose for pictures and entertain the kids before the movie, Will continued to play his part throughout the entire film, said Megan Galko, the recreation committee secretary.

The 18-year-old township resident recalled some children were fascinated when he froze and stood still like a statue at the same time that the character did in the move.

“I like dressing up and making the kids feel happy,” Will said.

He has been involved in Holy Cross’ last four plays — including “The Wizard of Oz,” although he played Uncle Henry rather than the Tin Man — and recently auditioned for a role in “Seussical.”

Because he has been so involved with recreation in the township, the board of supervisors recently appointed him to the recreation committee.

— KYLE WIND

kwind@timesshamrock.com,

@kwindTT on Twitter

Scott Twp.

A colorful garden recently planted at the Joe Terry Civic Center will help prevent pollution and flooding.

The Lackawanna County Conservation District received an environmental education mini-grant via the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts and teamed up with Scott Twp. to install a rain garden.

The rain garden slows down stormwater and filters pollutants, among other things, said Cheryl Nolan, watershed specialist. Normally, officials put rain gardens in areas where rainwater runs off roofs, driveways, sidewalks or parking lots.

— MICHAEL IORFINO

miorfino@timesshamrock.com,

@miorfinoTT on Twitter

Scranton

Karen Mercado of Scranton spent months collecting used suits and formalwear for Wayne County campers.

Her hard work paid off this summer.

Ms. Mercado gathered enough clothing to provide the boys at Camp Happy Times in Tyler Hill with formalwear for their camp’s promlike dance this year.

“The guys were so excited to receive the clothing,” she said. “No words could describe the looks on their faces when they got to pick out a suit.”

Camp Happy Times caters to children ages 5 to 21 diagnosed with cancer or blood disorders. The children stay free for one week every summer.

Ms. Mercado took up her suit collection in March, and after this year’s success she plans to collect pieces for next summer as well.

— SARAH SCINTO

sscinto@timesshamrock.com,

@sscintoTT on Twitter

Spring Brook Twp.

Mariah Maglio and Mallorie DeSchaine collected donations for the second annual Bill Howertown Strike Out Cancer event earlier this year for their North Pocono High School senior projects.

The pair reached out to local businesses and collected donations and gift cards that organizers raffled off for the event, which raised $2,250 for the American Cancer Society.

For Mariah, the cause hit close to home. The Spring Brook Twp. resident lost her grandmother to cancer, while her grandfather recently beat the disease.

“It is something I am familiar with and can relate to,” she said.

Mariah estimated the effort took about two months and said she learned raising money, even for a good cause, is not easy.

— KYLE WIND

kwind@timesshamrock.com,

@kwindTT on Twitter

Taylor

Ever since moving a few blocks down Main Street, the Taylor Deli and Cafe has seen a boom in business.

Owner Jim Connell said the deli’s move from 146 S. Main St. to its new location at 125 N. Main St. has helped his business thrive.

“We just got bigger,” he said. “We have a bigger clientele.”

Mr. Connell said the Taylor Deli spent more than four years at the old location. The new store can serve liquor and seat more customers.

Mr. Connell said the restaurant grew from 16 seats to 65 seats in the move. “We’re still trying to grow,” Mr. Connell said, noting the restaurant now offers breakfast.

— SARAH SCINTO

sscinto@timesshamrock.com,

@sscintoTT on Twitter

SCRANTON — A mobile classroom will visit the Scranton Co-Op Farmers Market to teach children the science behind the food.

The Pennsylvania Farm Bureau’s mobile ag science lab will be open to the public and all schools 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday at the 300 Barring Ave. market.

Penn State extension educator Kim Carlin and Lackawanna River Corridor Association Director Bernie McGurl will give educational presentations from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, co-op women’s auxiliary President Marylee Shirg said. An educator with Lackawanna State Park will give a talk on wildlife fur and skull identification from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday.

— BRENDAN GIBBONS

People apply for a credit card for many different reasons.

Some are new to the world of credit and just getting started, while others are hoping to expand their access to credit. Regardless of the reason, no one applies for a card hoping their application will be rejected. To improve the likelihood of approval, consumers need to understand the credit decision process.

Each lender has different criteria for extending credit. Therefore, consumers should do their research in advance, and only apply for the cards that are likely to grant the credit they seek.

The following are 10 reasons a credit card application could be declined, along with the steps consumers can take to correct the problem. The list is not inclusive.

1. Not enough existing credit. Lenders prefer being able to review a track record of how a person has managed credit in the past. A thin or nonexistent credit file can give a conservative lender reason to deny.

What to do: Judiciously build credit, perhaps starting with a secured credit card, but confirm in advance that the issuer reports activity to the credit bureaus. Also consider becoming an authorized user on another person’s card, as the activity of the primary cardholder as well as the authorized user is reported to the bureaus.

2. Poor pay history. The highest weighted element in the scoring model is how a person repays his or her debt obligations. A history of skipped or late payments can be a knock-out punch when attempting to obtain new credit.

What to do: Identify any issues by obtaining the credit report for free at www.AnnualCreditReport.com. Next, start making payments on all accounts including those that are past due. This begins building a positive history and helps to establish creditworthiness.

3. Existing credit lines maxed out. Creditors don’t like to see that a person is utilizing all of their available credit, as this can signal that they are living on credit and opening a new line will only increase current indebtedness.

What to do: Pay down credit card debt to equal no more than 30 percent of available credit. Credit utilization is the second highest weighted element of the scoring model, so lowering debt could also benefit the credit score.

4. Overall debt is too high. A person’s debt-to-income ratio is a reflection of how much is owed relative to their income. People have expenses beyond credit cards, thus lenders take all existing obligations into consideration.

What to do: Increase income or decrease debt. The important thing is to not appear that more is owed than can be responsibly managed.

5. Too many inquiries. It’s a red flag if a person is attempting to obtain too much credit at one time. Too many inquiries or recently opened accounts can make a lender reluctant to give the person another chance to spend.

What to do: Only apply for the number of cards that are necessary and are appropriate for your financial situation. If declined, do not continue applying. Instead, take steps to remedy the reason for the rejection. Wait a few months to reapply, as that will give the credit report time to update.

6. Serious negative notations. Unpaid tax liens and Chapter 7 bankruptcy can remain on a credit file for up to 10 years. Foreclosure, late and missed payments, collection accounts and Chapter 13 bankruptcy can remain for seven years.

What to do: The further a person moves away from the date of the negative activity, the less impact it has on credit decisions. A person doesn’t need to wait until the activity rotates off the credit report, but putting distance between the harmful information and applying for new credit is helpful.

7. Insufficient income. Although often not made public, issuers have minimum income limits that must be met in order to grant credit.

What to do: Research which cards are more likely to grant credit to people with low incomes. In the absence of other eliminating factors, getting a part-time job to supplement the primary source of income should enhance the likelihood of credit being extended.

8. Unstable job history. Recent unemployment or consistent job hopping indicates an unstable income, thus putting a person at risk of default in the lender’s eyes.

What to do: Make steady employment a priority. Changing jobs within the same field may not weigh as heavily against a person, particularly if it is a promotion.

9. Too young to apply. Applicants must be a minimum of 18 years old to apply for a credit card.

What to do: As a result of the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure Act, Americans must be 21 years old to independently receive credit unless they can prove ability to pay or have a co-signer. It is not a bad idea for a young person to learn to manage money by living on a cash basis or using a debit card before applying for credit.

10. Errors on the application. Credit card applications can be long, making it easy to inadvertently skip completing all areas.

What to do: Avoid unintentional errors by filling out the application online, as these forms often do not allow a person to submit until all required fields are complete.

When applying for credit, ask yourself if you would loan money to you.

If the answer is “no,” then it’s likely the financial institution won’t either. That’s the signal that it’s time to take action and improve your credit profile. Credit card companies want to extend credit, but only to people who represent a low risk for default as defined by their business model.

If denied credit due to information contained in the credit report, the Fair Credit Reporting Act requires lenders to send the applicant an adverse action notification which includes the reason for the denial. To be in a better position for approval next time, review the reasons for the rejection and take the necessary corrective steps.

TERRI STOCKI is the certified education director of the Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Northeastern Pennsylvania in Pittston. To schedule an appointment at the counseling office, call 800-922-9537, or go online to www.cccsnepa.org. Interested in writing a guest column? Send IN THIS CORNER ideas to busi

ness@timesshamrock.com.

After a decade living in Shanghai, a Scranton man has become a thought leader in China’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

Steven Paul Bielinski encourages gays and lesbians to confront the nation’s traditions while helping Asian businesses relate to the LGBT people as customers and employees.

An expatriate working for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Bielinski, 30, began his advocacy by organizing the Shanghai LGBT Professionals in the 24 million-population city in his spare time. From there, he began helping human resources departments of Shanghai-based companies to cultivate loyalty and efficiency from their LGBT employees.

Mr. Bielinski’s work culminated in March with the inaugural LGBT Corporate Diversity & Inclusion Conference, which drew representatives from 50 Fortune 500 companies eager to see the results of a first-ever survey of Chinese LGBT people. The 8,500-person survey found that LGBT consumers were more loyal, more dependent on mobile communication and more likely to recommend businesses than the general population.

“Being part of the business community, I’ve tried to bridge the gap, to start a conversation that includes LGBT people,” he said.

Becoming an advocate for LGBT people in Asia is a world away from Mr. Bielinski’s beginning in Scranton, as a closeted gay student at West Scranton High School, barely out to his family. He said he knew of one openly gay student in the entire school, although since graduation he’s connected with others. He studied at American University and spent time in China, falling in love with the country he found dynamic and complicated. He became fluent in Mandarin Chinese.

Looking back at Pennsylvania, Mr. Bielinski said he never imagined same-sex marriages would enjoy legal recognition. He’s happy to hear that his younger sister, for example, had a teacher and a few classmates who were gay and that the issue is less taboo than a decade ago.

“I remember it being so difficult for me to imagine what the future would be like or to see a path forward for me,” he said.

He imagines that’s what it’s like for LGBT Chinese, more than 90 percent of whom are not open about their sexuality.

Having helped businesses evolve in their recognition of LGBT employees, he recently challenged LGBT people to come out to friends and family.

People in China aren’t sure what to think of homosexuality — unlike in the U.S., where people form strong opinions. Suspicious of political and religious dogma, their objection to homosexuality stems from the Asian tradition of filial piety, one’s obligation to the family.

Chinese young people are under enormous expectations to marry and procreate. Parents rely on children and grandchildren to care for them in old age. When people come out to their parents, they usually get a quizzical look followed by something like, “Whatever; just make sure you get married and have a child,” Mr. Bielinski said.

This has forced gay Chinese to marry opposite-sex partners while maintaining side relationships. In a growing trend, a lesbian woman and gay man would have a marriage arrangement, where they would have a child and start a family, but with the understanding they would have other relationships outside the marriage. Mr. Bielinski views that as untruthful and immoral.

In an article widely distributed among China’s LGBT community, Mr. Bielinski railed against those practices — calling them “pseudo-marriages to mollify social pressures” and “self-constructed lies,” according to an English translation of his original Mandarin text. The article called on LGBT Chinese to recognize a collective obligation to be out and honest, which would help the culture advance in the same way that lesbians and gays a generation ago hastened acceptance in the U.S. by coming out.

Mr. Bielinski is not surprised that some businesses in the United States are denying service to gay and lesbian couples. While in some ways China appears to be in the 1970s in recognizing LGBT people, it’s unlikely a Chinese business would deny service on those grounds. Chinese businesses are nothing if not pragmatic.

“People in the U.S. are idealistic and have strong beliefs and will put that over economic opportunity,” he said. “In China, even if someone or something seems far out, a business person will do it if it promises to work and produce a mutual benefit.”

He’s hopeful China’s pragmatism and desire for progress allow LGBT Chinese to be honest about who they are with those around them and help make the world’s most populous nation more aware and accepting of LGBT people.

Contact the writer:

dfalchek@timesshamrock.com

Find a pet who needs a new home at the Griffin Pond Animal Shelter.

Milli is a senior female German Shepherd mix. She is a calm, quiet and friendly older girl.
Contact the Griffin Pond Animal Shelter at 586-3700 if your pet is lost or goes astray. Staff Photo by Ted Baird

Aleesa is a young adult, female cat. She came in as a stray from Jermyn and is friendly and easygoing.
Contact the Griffin Pond Animal Shelter at 586-3700 if your pet is lost or goes astray. Staff Photo by Ted Baird

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