Walking, running

at Waverly Waddle

Michelle Falzone, with her time of 22:06.39, was declared the winning Overall Female Runner, and Nathan Ridgley at 20:19.11 was the winning Overall Male Runner in the Waverly Waddle 3-Mile Run/Walk to honor mothers and caregivers at the Waverly Community House.

Carol Bixby, at 38:58.16, won Overall Female Walker. Raphael Thomas, at 38:38.59, was the Overall Male Walker winner in the annual event that saw 106 participants.

The event was co-chaired by Cheryl Farrell and Emily Karam with timing provided by Scranton Running Co. Sponsors included Dr. Anders Nelson (in memory of Marianne Nelson), Karam Orthodontics, Gertrude Hawk Chocolates, Allied Glass Industries Inc., National Running Center, Elk Mountain, Drs. Quinn Mariotti & Abod, Peoples Security Bank and Trust, PNC Bank, LUX Personal Training, Dr. Nat E. Levinson , Walker & Walker PC, McGrath’s Pub, Rite-Temp Associates Inc., Waverly Deli, Impact Physio and T & H Floor Store.

Other female results include: Under 12: Carly Schofield (24:16.15) first; Skye Williamson (24:19.90) second; Baylor Lounsbery (27:48.22); third; ages 13 to 18: Lauren Schofield (25:45.65) first; Kate Chickillo (26:56.31) second; Grace Boyle (28:10.58), third. Ages 19 to 29: Beth Somers (29:12.41) first; Nicole Mascia (38:51.93) second. Ages 30 to 39: Joy Riviello (27:05.41), first; Jessica Swingle (27:22.48) second; Tracy Mercuri (28:03.77), third. Ages 40 to 49: Leah Lind (25:19.36) first; Courtney Lisk (25:47.65) second; Jennifer Williamson, third. Age 50 and over: Donna Valentini (27:04.39) first; Fiona Ross (27:19.40) second; Val Ross, third.

Other overall male results included: Under 12: Alex Duggy (20:36.57), first; Aidan Colleran (21:56.32) second; Owen Lisk (23:48.89) third. Ages 19 to 29: Sam Kontz (22:37.55), first; Ryan Harbough (26:22.81) second; James Farrell (28:29.00) third. Ages 30 to 39: Geoff Musti (23:15.48) first; Ken Hollis (25:32.26) second; Jose Briceno (29:36.62) third. Ages 40 to 49: Eric Duffy (21:23.39) first; Hassan Khalil (24:17.89) second; Liam Murtagh (35:15.40) third. Age 50 and over: Ed Lipski (22:39.64) first; Raymond Cebular (24:22.85) second; Roger Savage (24:32.37) third.

Super students

Evan Eckersley of Clarks Summit has been awarded the Class of 1904 Scholarship Award at Lehigh University’s 37th Honors Convocation Ceremony. The award is given to an outstanding member of the junior class on the basis of character, scholarship, qualifications indicating promise of future leadership, and extracurricular activities. ... University of Scranton students inducted into Upsilon Pi Epsilon, the only existing international honor society in the computing and information disciplines, include Patrick Collins of Spring Brook Twp., a graduate majoring in software engineering; Patrick Langan of Scranton, a senior majoring in computer science; and Hanskamal Patel of Scranton, a graduate majoring in software

engineering.

High notes

Keystone College Campus Safety Cpl. Jorge Gorritz received the Keystone Support Staff Award for Excellence; Director of Miller Library Mari Flynn, the Administrator Award for Excellence; Head Baseball Coach Jamie Shevchik, the Professional Staff Award for Excellence; and Associate Professor Stacey Wyland , the Margaretta Belin Chamberlin Chair Award for Distinguished Faculty Service, when the college honored employees for outstanding service during the 2015-2016 academic year.

As the temperature begins to rise and flowers begin to bloom, many will start to think about home improvements and repairs that have been set on the back burner during the winter.

This brings to mind one of the most frequent questions I hear as an adviser — do I think real estate is a good investment? There are people who are already invested in this alternative asset class whether it is their own home or a rental property across town. While there is no blanket recommendation to this question, before you invest in a major renovation, updates to your home or buy a new property with the goal of bottom line returns, consider the following:

■ Real estate returns over time

In reality, owning real estate generally keeps pace with inflation but rarely offers a premium return, according to Robert Shiller, a Nobel Prize-winning economist at Yale University often recognized for his research on housing data.

When compared with equities, a home does not have powerful growth factors of innovative product development or expanding market shares to drive capital appreciation. When compared to fixed-income investments, the cash-flow opportunities of a primary residence rarely exceed that of the monthly mortgage payment.

The only time period of broad gains in this sector were the few years leading up to the 2008 financial crisis, which as history showed, were not sustainable.

Added to this modest growth potential, you must also consider the high costs of ongoing maintenance, as well as the costs to liquidate the investment, including 6 percent Realtor fees added to 2-5 percent average closing costs.

■ Exceptions to the rule

While a primary residence may not offer a premium return, there are two main ways that owning physical real estate may be considered a good investment. The first is a rental property that provides consistent rental income greater than the monthly mortgage.

Risks and considerations for this include finding dependable tenants as well as whether you have the time, patience and desire to provide the ongoing maintenance.

Hiring a property manager to do so may be an option, but adds an additional expense reducing the total return of the investment.

The second way you can consider owning real estate as an investment is if you carry the expertise for restoration or “flipping” a property for capital gains.

One afternoon of watching HGTV can show the significant risks and rewards that may be available with this approach, but again, without the firsthand ability and desire to put in sweat equity, returns can be compromised with expensive surprises and subcontractor expenses during the process.

■ Other alternative investment classes

Particularly in times of uncertain stock market conditions, investors may feel inclined to explore alternative investment classes.

Gold is another example of an asset that does not have the normal factors driving capital value the way that owning a stock would.

While some investors feel a sense of security in owning gold as an asset class or physical possession, it’s value has proven more volatile than the S&P 500 over the past 35 years, earning approximate 100 percent return versus the S&P 500’s 1,800 percent return in the same time period, according to an Aviance Capital Analysis of Bloomberg data.

In summary, owning alternative asset classes, like gold or real estate, can provide some return opportunity within a portfolio when positioned appropriately; however, they are most often purchased for their intangible, sentimental value.

For real estate, this is often to provide a home, roots, a place to nest and raise a family.

Consider your home an asset, not a part of your investment portfolio. Maintain realistic expectations to do little more than keep up with inflation over time and view improvements and modifications as an opportunity to personalize your space for your family’s enjoyment.

CHRISTOPHER SCALESE, financial adviser, author of the book “Retirement is a Marathon, Not a Sprint,” is the president of Fortune Financial Group. He received his Bachelor of Science in finance and Master of Business Administration from Wilkes University.

To receive a complimentary copy of Mr. Scalese’s full

report on mutual funds, call 570-489-4142, or visit www.

fortune-financial.org.

WILKES-BARRE — Pepperjam can simulcast meetings at its offices throughout the world without leaving its corporate headquarters in downtown Wilkes-Barre.

The company formerly known as eBay Enterprise Marketing Solutions has been taking advantage of a new technology workshop and multimedia center that recently opened in the Innovation Center on South Main Street.

The focal point of the center is a 50-seat theater and lecture hall with equipment to host virtual meetings, podcasts, lectures, competitions, training programs, mentoring sessions and teleconferences.

Pepperjam recently hosted a global sales meeting and a business conference at the new 6,000-square-foot Wilkes-Barre THINK Center. The facility is a great place to bring in speakers or large groups of people together and simulcast and record events, said Michael Jones, CEO of Pepperjam.

With Pepperjam having 10 offices around the world, it’s not easy to have everyone in the same room, so being able to hold informational sessions in real time regardless of geography is fantastic, Mr. Jones said.

Mr. Jones said he and Pepperjam officials worked closely with Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber officials to design a center they thought would have an impact for the local business community.

“We spend a lot of time as a business traveling around to Silicon Valley and other places and we see what kind of assets the technology world is using now to position their businesses and make a difference and we came up with the idea for the technology center,” Mr. Jones said.

In addition to the 50-seat theater and lecture hall, the center on the lower level of the Innovation Center also provides people with the tools and support they need to turn a concept into a business.

It features co-working space with tables where students and entrepreneurs can meet, work, network, share ideas and collaborate as well as three tech-driven conference rooms, including one with a Penn State theme.

Penn State provided a $50,000 grant to support the project and the remaining $250,000 came from local slots revenue from Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, said Joe Boylan, chamber vice president of economic development.

“We felt it was appropriate to make a Penn State room,” Mr. Boylan said. “They were the first group on board to support what we were doing.”

Mr. Jones said the center is unique in Northeast Pennsylvania and is an ideal place where entrepreneurial-minded people could go to flush out ideas.

“It is a world-class facility where they could not only present their business ideas, but basically be able to position their business to potential investors, potential clients and potential partners,” Mr. Jones said. “It’s a big achievement in the area.”

The chamber also launched an initiative called “Wilkes-Barre Connect,” that brings together partner service providers to ensure that all startup and existing businesses have access to the resources, services and facilities they need to grow their business in Northeast Pennsylvania.

Wilkes-Barre Connect offers mentoring, training, networking and technical assistance as well as connections to financial opportunities such as bank financing, loans and lines of credit.

“When you come here, we want to take what your concept is, build a business plan for you, do the market research, find some funding opportunities and then get you up to the incubator space or out where you need to be,” Mr. Boylan said. “We want to ensure when a business comes in, we got all the support they need along the way.”

The Wilkes-Barre Connect program is integral to economic development in that it coordinates a “unique system of resources to support both startup and existing businesses to ensure they get the resources they need from trusted sources as well as an advocate that will work to help them succeed,” said Teri Ooms, executive director of the Institute for Public Policy and Economic Development.

Wilkes-Barre Connect services are free.

Over the next three months, a “101 series” of short videos will be filmed about basic principles in areas such as accounting, social media, marketing, web design, information technology and human resources, Mr. Boylan said. When people join Wilkes-Barre Connect, they will have access to the videos for free. For more information about the Wilkes-Barre THINK Center and Wilkes-Barre Connect, go to connect.wilkes-barre.org or call 570-408-1732.

Contact the writer:

dallabaugh@citizensvoice.com

INFANT BICYCLE HELMETS

DETAILS: Infant bicycle helmets with magnetic no-pinch buckle chin straps and “SCHWINN” printed on the front. They were sold at Target stores and online at www.target.com from January through April. The helmets are made for infants ranging from 1 to 3 years old.

WHY: The magnetic buckle on the helmet’s chin strap contains small plastic covers and magnets that can come loose, posing a risk of choking and magnet-ingestion to young children.

INCIDENTS: Three reports of the plastic cover coming loose. No injuries have been reported.

HOW MANY: About 129,000.

FOR MORE: Call Pacific Cycle at 877-564-2261, send email to customerservice@pacific-cycle.com or visit www.schwinnbikes.com.

ELECTRICAL METERS

DETAILS: Klein Tools digital clamp meters used to detect electrical current in wiring. “Klein Tools” and the model number are printed on the front of the clamp meters. The meters are black with a backlit LCD display and an orange trigger and clamp mechanism. Only the meter in the CL110KIT is included in the recall. They were sold at Home Depot and other hardware stores, industrial distributors and electrical wholesalers nationwide from November through April.

WHY: The meters can fail to give an accurate voltage reading, resulting in the operator falsely believing the electrical power is off, posing shock, electrocution and burn hazards.

INCIDENTS: None reported.

HOW MANY: About 114,000 in the U.S., 3,300 in Canada and 3,750 in Mexico.

FOR MORE: Call Klein Tools at 800-527-3099, visit www.kleintools.com or send email to ClampMeterRecall@kleintools.com.

CAMMING CLIMBING DEVICES

DETAILS: Black Diamond Camalot and Camalot Ultralight camming devices. The climbing devices are used to secure ropes while rock climbing. The Camalots were sold in sizes 0.3 to 6 and have manufacturing codes from 5133 to 6067. The Camalot Ultralights were sold in sizes 0.4 to 4 and have manufacturing codes from 5309 to 6061. Manufacturing codes are printed on the underside of the cams. They were sold at Eastern Mountain Sports, Gear Express, Mountain Gear, REI and other specialty outdoor recreation stores nationwide and online at BackCountry.com and BlackDiamond.com.

WHY: The camming devices can come apart during use and fail, posing a fall hazard to the consumer.

INCIDENTS: None reported.

HOW MANY: About 45,500 in the U.S. and about 5,700 units were sold in Canada.

FOR MORE: Call Black Diamond at 877-775-5552 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. MT Monday through Friday or visit blackdiamondequipment.com. Consumers can also email the firm at recall@bdell.com.

Allied Services Integrated Health System

Robert Cole, Ph.D., has been appointed chief analytics officer. Mr. Cole is a 20-year employee of the health system, and will work in partnership with senior management on future business and strategic decisions for the nonprofit organization. He earned a master’s degree and a doctorate in experimental psychology from the State University of New York at Binghamton, and will bring strong data analytics backed by actionable insights into the organization’s business lines. Also, he will continue to oversee the health system’s 13 outpatient rehabilitation centers, the outcomes analysis department and the admissions and case management departments at Allied Rehab Hospital, Allied Transitional Rehab Unit and Skilled Nursing and Rehab Center in Scranton. Mr. Cole grew up in Duryea, graduated from Pittston Area High School and earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Bloomsburg University in 1992.

Janice Mecca, a mental health worker at the health system, received her certification in psychiatric rehabilitation. Ms. Mecca is the fifth person in Lackawanna County to earn this certification and the title of Certified Psychiatric Rehabilitation Practitioner. Ms. Mecca is a Dunmore native and graduated from Marywood University with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in clinical psychology. She has been accepted into Marywood University’s Ph.D. program for human development. Ms. Mecca joined the health system’s behavioral health division in 2013.

Classic Properties

Kim Korgeski is a full-time Realtor working with buyers, sellers and investors, who will be working out of the Clarks Summit office. She has been licensed since 2011 and, during her career, has received a multimillion-dollar sales award.

Drew Groblewski has joined the Kingston office. Mr. Groblewski grew up in Sweet Valley and earned bachelors’ degrees in marketing and international business. Recently, he completed his real estate education from the Pennsylvania Real Estate Academy in Kingston.

Colbert & Grebas PC

Attorney Brenda D. Colbert recently presented a free community educational seminar at the Hilton in Scranton. She spoke to attendees about valuable, proven strategies to protect their homes and life savings from current or future nursing home costs.

Louise C. Ligi, community outreach and education director with the firm, provided brochures to attendees covering the various areas of practice and planning offered by attorneys Brenda D. Colbert and Kevin R. Grebas, certified elder law attorneys.

FNB Wealth Management

Nicholas Bellino has been named Bank Investment Consultant’s Top Program Manager for 2016. Mr. Bellino, managing director and program manager for First National Investment Services LLC, the brokerage group, was recognized for the performance of his team. This is Mr. Bellino’s second appearance on the list, and first time leading the annual ranking of top program managers in the industry. He joined the company in 2010 and has more than 30 years of sales and management experience within bank distribution channels. He graduated from Clarion University with a Bachelor of Science in business administration and management and is a Series 24 registered principal.

Geisinger

Sireesha Vemuri-Reddy, M.D., joined Geisinger Mountain Top, 35 S. Mountain Blvd., in a dual role as a family medicine physician and associate program director for the Kistler Family Medicine Residency Program. As a family medicine doctor, Dr. Vemuri-Reddy cares for patients of all ages with a focus on preventive care and wellness, routine physicals, chronic disease management and acute illnesses. Additionally, Dr. Vemuri-Reddy holds special interests in geriatrics, women’s health, pediatric immunization, quality initiatives and the medical home model of practice. In her work with the residency program, Dr. Vemuri-Reddy will guide new family medicine physicians during the residency portion of their medical training. Dr. Vemuri-Reddy is board certified in family medicine and earned her medical degree from the College of Medical Sciences, Chitwan, Nepal, in 2004. Dr. Vemuri-Reddy is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians, American Medical Association and Society of Teachers of Family Medicine. She is fluent in English, Hindi, Nepali and Telugu, and is also familiar with Spanish.

Hourigan, Kluger

& Quinn

Two attorneys at the law firm have been included in the Pennsylvania Super Lawyers listing for 2016, placing them among the top 5 percent of all attorneys in the state. Four of the firm’s younger lawyers were recognized as “Rising Stars” in their respective practice areas.

Attorney Joseph A. Quinn Jr. heads the firm’s personal injury practice and was named to the list in the areas of personal injury and medical malpractice. He has been named a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer every year since the annual recognition program began.

Attorney Donald C. Ligorio was named a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer for workers’ compensation, a designation he has held every year since 2007.

Michael A. Lombardo, Brian P. Stahl, Lars H. Anderson and Jane T. Smedley were named to the “Rising Stars” list for general litigation, business and corporate law, employment and labor law, and general litigation.

King’s College

Karen Mercincavage, Ph.D., associate technical professor of mass communications, earned a doctorate in media communications and instructional technology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Her dissertation is titled “The Effects of Delivery Modes of HIV/AIDS Advertisements on Behavioral Change in Young Women,” and is a quantitative study focusing on the interplay between visual and health communication. She has been a member of the college’s faculty since 2007. Dr. Mercincavage heads the visual and brand communications track in the mass communications department, where she teaches courses on image manipulation, illustration, corporate branding and digital animation. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Pennsylvania State University, and master’s degree in communication arts from Marywood University.

McDonald &
MacGregor LLC

The American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys recognized the performance of Pennsylvania personal injury attorney Michael J. McDonald as Two Years 10 Best Personal Injury Attorneys for Client Satisfaction. AIOPIA is a third-party attorney rating organization that publishes an annual list of the top 10 personal injury attorneys in each state. Attorneys who are selected to the list must pass AIOPIA’s selection process, which is based on client and/or peer nominations, thorough research and AIOPIA’s independent evaluation.

Nexstar

Broadcasting Inc.

WBRE-TV has named A.J. Donatoni sports director for Eyewitness News. Mr. Donatoni joined the Eyewitness News team as a sports anchor and reporter in January 2014. He was born and raised in the Philadelphia suburbs, and is a graduate of Syracuse University, with a degree in broadcast journalism and economics. Viewers can watch Mr. Donatoni on Eyewitness News weekday evenings at 5 and 5:30 p.m. on WBRE-TV, at 7 p.m. on WYOU-TV, and at 6 and 11 p.m. on both WBRE-TV and WYOU-TV beginning June 5.

O’Donnell Law Offices

Attorney Catherine R. O’Donnell has been selected a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer for 2016. This marks the sixth time Ms. O’Donnell has been selected for this recognition. In addition to being named a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer, Ms. O’Donnell has been consistently recognized by attaining Martindale-Hubbell’s AV Preeminent Rating of Preeminent Lawyers from 2000 to 2016.

Super Lawyers has chosen attorney Neil T. O’Donnell, owner and founder of the firm, for inclusion in the Pennsylvania Super Lawyer list for 2016. He has also been recognized as a Pennsylvania Top 100 Super Lawyer and a Philadelphia Top 100 Super Lawyer. This is the 13th consecutive year Mr. O’Donnell has been recognized with these designations. Mr. O’Donnell has also been selected by his peers for inclusion in the Best Lawyer in America 2016, and from 2002 to 2016 has received the Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent Rating. Recently, he was inducted into the Melvin Belli Society, named after Melvin M. Belli, America’s most famous trial lawyer.

Powell Law

Attorney Bruce S. Zero, a partner at the Scranton firm, was a featured speaker at a recent continuing legal education seminar sponsored by the Committee for Justice for All at the Mohegan Sun Convention Center. Mr. Zero presented on “Lay Witness Testimony” at the seminar entitled “Effective Trial Strategies for Auto Accident Cases.” He is a graduate of the Pennsylvania State University and Duquesne School of Law. Mr. Zero is an accomplished civil trial attorney who handles primarily personal injury, product liability and worker’s compensation cases. He is a member of the Lackawanna and Pennsylvania Bar Associations and the Pennsylvania Association for Justice. He is board certified as a civil trial specialist by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, and has been named a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer every year since 2007.

TMG Health

The call center announced the appointment of five new directors and an executive at the company’s National Operations Center, Jessup.

Caressa Dempsey was promoted to director of claims. She is responsible for developing strategies to enhance the company’s claims administration processes and for developing, implementing and coordinating programs to improve claims processing compliance, communication and training. She joined the company in 2006, and most recently served as a configuration analyst. Ms. Dempsey earned a bachelor’s degree in speech communication with a focus in public relations from Millersville University.

Holly Kubicki was promoted to director of talent management and engagement. She is responsible for the strategy and day-to-day functions of talent management, organizational development/training programs and enterprise engagement. She joined the company in 2008, and most recently served the company as a human resources consultant in charge of strategic, enterprise-wide projects. She earned a master’s degree in business administration from Wilkes University, and a bachelor’s degree in business management from Liberty University, Lynchburg, Virginia.

Matt Malcolm was appointed director of account management. He is responsible for leading a staff of account executives who are points of contact for the company’s clients, in order to maintain client satisfaction and to implement sustainable solutions to ensure the clients’ success. He joined the company in 2012 as director of regulatory affairs, quality assurance and plan management. He earned a master’s degree in organizational management and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Misericordia University, Dallas.

Jim Sloane joined the company as director of CIO services. He is responsible for directing and controlling overall planning, administration and reporting for all information technology services. He earned a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in management from the University of Houston, Texas, and a bachelor’s degree in computing and information sciences with a minor in business administration form Oklahoma State University. He is also a certified six sigma black belt.

Kimberly Spath joined the company as an account executive. She is responsible for communicating with the company’s clients, managing the clients’ expectations by working closely with operations, sales and technical management to develop and implement sustainable solutions as part of ongoing account performance.

Gregory Wilkins joined the company as director of information technology collaboration. He is responsible for contributing to the development of operational strategies and for leading several IT functional areas, including the company’s Knowledge Base, Service Desk and Desktop Support.

Wayne Bank

Sponsored by the Wayne County School to Work Committee, Wayne Highlands, Western Wayne and Forest City students took part in classes for improving their interview skills. The classes were held May 5 at Lackawanna College’s Lake Region Center at the Hawley Silk Mill. Volunteer teachers were Ryan French and Jamie Padula, who led classes that covered aspects of job interviews, with the goal of helping the students become familiar with the job interview process and better understand employer expectations. Mr. French is senior vice president and director of human resources. He taught the male students the importance of appearance and demeanor, as well as being prepared for common interview questions. Ms. Padula is human resource manager, and presented information to the female students about handling interview questions and keeping a positive message.

Wegmans Food Markets

The Wegmans Employee Scholarship Program awarded college tuition assistance to new recipients for the upcoming academic year. Employees from the Dickson City store include Renzo Barrenechea, Stephen Bonevitch, Derek Bradley, Sara Brouillard, Corey Dempsey, Melissa Gebert, Caeley Gensiak, Maia Giombetti, Hope Grover, Sydney Holeva, Kelly McIntyre, Bryan Owens, Kelly Richter, Anita Risteski, Jeffrey Salak, Zach Shnipes, Sara Skoritowski, Brendan Smith, Kelsey Van Horn, Amanda Walter, Emily Walter, Morgan White, Mikaela Zbegner and Rose Zini. Employees from the Wilkes-Barre store include Amanda Benzkofer, Christopher Bloom, Kaleigh Bubblo, Dominick Gurnari, Erika Karassik, Kaylene Kennedy, William Kozub, Jesse Macko, Meghan McGuire, John Novack, John Owens, Pooja Patel, Maria Pirolli, Steven Radzwilla, Lauren Reinert, Kennedy Rinish, Matthew Sipsky, Alexandria Smith, Kaitlyn Stoodley, Dana Tomko and Cary Vailes.

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

A panel discussion Saturday coordinated by the Lackawanna County office of arts and culture started off asking how art makes us “healthy, happy and smart,” but spiraled into hearty conversation about ways to engage more young people in the arts.

About 20 people gathered in the Scranton Cultural Center’s Shopland Hall to hear panelists speak on how art is part of their lives.

The panelists were Jessup painter Earl W. Lehman, Old Forge School District Superintendent John Rushefski, Katharine Schkloven, owner of Spirited Art Scranton in Dickson City, and Olapeju Simoyan, M.D., an associate professor with the Commonwealth Medical College who also writes poetry, shoots photography and plays a number of musical instruments.

Art therapist Erin Joyce moderated the discussion.

The panel started by explaining their personal connections to the arts, but the discussion took off when it turned toward funding and enhancing art programs in public schools, which, as Mr. Rushefski pointed out, produce the kind of “brain sweat” among students and teachers that inspires him when he walks the halls.

“I want to see more brain sweat, and you’ll always see that in the art classroom,” he said.

Art programs, and the way they shape students’ overall well-being, are overlooked because standardized tests don’t rate them, and it’s difficult to track their benefit. When money is tight, art and music programs are the first to go, Mr. Lehman said.

Mr. Rushefski gave an account of one teacher who drew introverted students out of their shells using poetry. The panel agreed creating art opens the artist up to ridicule, and teachers have to break down fear of failure in students.

“I read somewhere that the three requirements to being an artist are desire, dedication and risk,” Mr. Lehman said.

From the audience, Scranton visual artist Phil Marchese suggested educators might re-evaluate how they teach the arts.

‘ ‘‘How do you teach?’ isn’t the right words,” he said. “How do you condition risk-taking?”

County arts and culture office Director Maureen McGuigan said the panel discussion was meant to gauge interest and help design future talks that get more specific.

Contact the writer:

joconnell@timesshamrock.com, @jon_oc on Twitter

A new federal rule that would give bank customers greater ability to participate in class-action lawsuits drew criticism from the industry, but local community banks aren’t much worried.

Small bank officials say their scale and more folksy approach keeps them out of court more effectively than crimping the rights of their customers in small print.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau wants to restore banking customers’ rights to participate in class-action lawsuits by ending a common banking practice of using binding arbitration, a clause tucked into fine print on loans, credit cards and other financial products, in a way to prevent class-action lawsuits.

Most consumers don’t bother to read through such agreements and often don’t know they’ve signed away their right to sue their bank.

The new rule prohibiting arbitration clauses from barring class-action suits could go into effect by next year.

Major financial industry lobbying groups have criticized the move, saying it could cost financial service providers billions of dollars. But small bank groups, such as the Independent Community Bankers of America, don’t have a position yet and had to survey members to get an idea how many use the arbitration clause or see it as valuable.

When asked, local community bank officials weren’t even sure if binding arbitration was included on basic financial products, such as checking and savings. With the exception of boilerplate credit and debit card contracts and commercial financial products, which are not affected by the new regulations, retail banking customers getting basic financial services are not signing away their right to sue the bank.

But to be sure, bank customers should scrutinize their applications and contracts or ask a banking officer if they have an arbitration requirement.

“This rule will affect the very large banks and financial companies which have a big exposure in the event of a class action lawsuit,” said Chuck Hangen, chief operating officer at ESSA Bank. “Arbitration is more efficient from the bank’s point of view, but I’ve been with the bank four years and I’m not aware of someone suing us over a business practice or having to go to arbitration with a commercial customer.”

Jonathan Grande, vice president of Credit Administration for Peoples Security Bank, said the impact of the rule won’t be very great on the bank, since it doesn’t apply to commercial financial products. That’s where he feels small banks face the greatest exposure.

“If we use arbitration clauses, it is limited,” he said. “Maybe on credit cards, but even that portfolio isn’t that great.”

Robert Edgerton, chief executive officer of Luzerne Bank, wasn’t sure whether his bank used arbitration clauses. Small banks use software packages that offer canned contract language, he said. Either way, he said the bank can stay out of court by communication and customer service.

“From time to time, I’ll call a customer and calm him down,” Mr. Edgerton said. “Customers perceive a call from the president as a big deal and it shows them that their issue and their business is important.”

In some cases, however, an arbitration clause is an important component for the bank protecting its assets and shareholders.

Jim Bone, the chief financial officer of First National Community Bank said the arbitration rule isn’t as much about keeping the bank customer from suing the bank as it is giving the bank a quick way to make itself whole. The bank uses the binding arbitration clause on commercial financial products.

“In a business when things go south — and they can go south very quickly — and, when we’ve been harmed we want to accelerate the process in recouping our money,” Mr. Bone said. “We are interested in getting our money back — not getting jury awards or court damages — so we don’t have to go to court.”

Even on commercial products, small banks don’t always feel the need for arbitration clauses. Dunmore-based Fidelity Bank has a jury trial waiver as part of commercial accounts in the event of a legal dispute. The bank doesn’t want to be a defendant to face possible jury damages.

Under the terms of the proposed rule, banks that use binding arbitration clauses will have to report how many and the outcome. Up until know, the outcomes were secret.

Contact the writer:

dfalchek@timesshamrock.com

Darden shares rise despite payroll probe

An attorney general investigation into payroll practices announced last week didn’t seem to do much to hurt shares of Darden Restaurant Inc., which operates several restaurant chains, and saw shares of its stock jump 4.5 percent to a Friday close of $66.15 per share.

The office of the New York attorney general on Tuesday asked Darden about fee information connected with the use of the payroll cards by employees, concerned that fees may not be fully disclosed and may reduce take-home pay. The letter also asks for proof that employees are told they can opt out of payment by debit cards. Darden officials said the company is in compliance with the New York state law.

Darden’s hourly workers have the option of using the employer-issued prepaid debit cards at more than 50,000 ATMs nationwide at no charge, the company said. The company will expand the ATM networks that will accept the cards without fees. The company will add 29,000 by June 1. It also eliminated some fees, such as a 50-cent fee charged when a card is rejected.

Darden-owned restaurant chains include Olive Garden, Capital Grille and LongHorn Steakhouse.

— DAVID FALCHEK

Marcus Smith

Wanted by: Board of Probation and Parole.

Fugitive since: April 15.

Wanted for: Robbery, receiving stolen property and theft from a motor vehicle. Sentenced to one year, six months to four years, six months of incarceration.

Description: Black man, 22 years old, 5 feet 7 inches tall, 160 pounds, brown hair, brown eyes.

Contact: Agent Joseph Harte, 570-614-7247.

Lawrence Toomey

Wanted by: Board of Probation and Parole.

Fugitive since: Sept. 25, 2014.

Wanted for: Escape from detention. Sentenced to one year, three months to three years of incarceration. Paroled Aug. 19, 2014.

Description: White man, 44 years old, 6 feet tall, 145 pounds, brown hair, blue eyes.

Contact: Agent Joseph Harte, 570-614-7247.

James Pascoe

Wanted by: Board of Probation and Parole.

Fugitive since: Dec. 10.

Wanted for: Possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and escape from detention. Sentenced to two years, seven months and 15 days to eight years of incarceration. Paroled Dec. 3, 2012.

Description: White man, 30 years old, 5 feet 8 inches tall, 215 pounds, brown hair, hazel eyes.

Contact: Agent Derek Berry, 570-614-7285.

Devin Pickrell

Wanted by: Scranton office, state Board of Probation and Parole.

Fugitive since: Nov. 25.

Wanted for: Criminal trespass. Sentenced to two years and seven months to seven years of incarceration. Paroled May 18.

Description: White man, 29 years old, 5 feet 11 inches tall, 170 pounds, brown hair, blue eyes.

Contact: Agent Tim Keller, 570-614-7252.

Jason West

Wanted by: Scranton office, state Board of Probation and Parole.

Fugitive since: April 26.

Wanted for: Accidents involving death or Injury.

Description: White male, 42 years old, 6 feet 1 inch tall, 180 pounds, brown hair, blue eyes.

Contact: Agent Gary Demuth, 570-614-7244.

A green door on Main Street in Moscow holds a world of creative and artistic opportunities at Wonderful Painting Studio and Creation Station.

The studio, owned by Kelly Davies, opened in January and officially to the public in March. Located in her hometown, Wonderful features a mingling room for tea, coffee and conversation; a studio that fits 20 people; and a back deck for outdoor painting, live music and yoga under the stars when the weather is warm. Wonderful also features a boutique where Mrs. Davies, now a Scranton resident, sells “upcycled” furniture and handmade wreaths.

“It’s called Wonderful because we want you to be full of wonder, what’s happening next, what’s going to be there, what can I learn, what can I experience?” Mrs. Davies said. “Art, since I’ve been a child, has been a passion, always.”

Through the studio doors is where Mrs. Davies gets to share her passion with the Northeast Pennsylvania community.

“I didn’t want to work the traditional nine-to-five, I wanted to be able to be flexible and bring something to the area that’s different,” she said.

Every Friday and Saturday night Wonderful hosts an instructional paint night. Mrs. Davies provides the canvas and paint. She selects a picture and will walk artists through the steps to draw and paint anything from a butterfly or sunflower to a mason jar tipped on its side with fireflies escaping into the night.

Kids sessions are every Saturday morning. Mrs. Davies also hosts vendor fairs in the studio and offers private parties — at the studio and off-site — as well as parents and child paint days.

When artists both new and experienced sit down at a table in her studio, Mrs. Davies asks them to get cozy, settle in and just create.

“You can come in your PJs or a prom dress,” she said. “We’re the face of happiness and acceptance.”

Lyndsay Grady decorated her home and office with the art she created at Wonderful.

The Moscow resident has water color paintings and 3-D mandalas with jewels and glitter among other art works to show off.

“I think that people are looking for opportunities to do something different,” said Ms. Grady. Painters are hesitant when they walk into their first paint night, said Ms. Grady. But before the paint is dry on the canvas, those same worried artists are elated and able to say they looked at a picture, followed Mrs. Davies’s steps, and created their own art work, she said.

With virtually no marketing, aside from Facebook and word of mouth, Mrs. Davies classes are full on the weekends.

“Growing up in Moscow I’ve taken on the idea that if Moscow wants us to be here we’re going to be here,” she said. “We’ve done very well, beautiful response. ... We are a creation station and we want to be known as a wonderful place to be.”

This summer, Wonderful will offer three sessions of two-week long day camps for kids ages 5 to 10. The Moscow business will also feature a one-week long summer art program for students ages 12-15 to teach basic drawing and painting skills.

Walk in space and reservations are available for weekly classes. The paint nights cost $35 for adults and paint days, $15 for children. Mommy-and-me painting sessions cost $45. For more information visit Wonderful’s website at www.wonderfulinmoscow.com, the Wonderful Facebook page or contact Mrs. Davies at 570-499-2479.

Contact the writer: kbolus@timesshamrock.com, @kbolusTT on Twitter.

Carbondale

The Lackawanna Historical Society this afternoon will host a presentation by photographer and Vietnam veteran John Hudanish, who has assembled a collection of photographs he took during the war into a book.

Beginning at 2 p.m. at the Catlin House — 232 Monroe Ave. in Scranton — Mr. Hudanish, of Carbondale, will speak of his personal experience during the Vietnam War and about some of the similarities between Vietnam and more contemporary conflicts.

“Some of the lessons I learned haven’t been incorporated into the national consciousness,” Mr. Hudanish said — such as “the necessity of fully investigating situations on the ground before putting boots there.”

He suggests that, in some cases, leaders have failed to learn from these lessons and repeated military blunders that have proved costly.

Mr. Hudanish expects to have about 20 framed prints of photographs he took during the war on display. These photos will not depict grisly scenes of combat, but instead “ordinary Vietnamese people trying to get on with their lives” during a time of war.

Copies of his book of photographs will be available for purchase. Mr. Hudanish served in Vietnam for a year and a half during the mid-1960s.

For more information on the free program, contact the historical society at 570-344-3841, or lackawanna

history@gmail.com.

— JEFF HORVATH

jhorvath@timesshamrock.com, @jhorvathTT on Twitter

Clarks Summit

Clarks Summit is celebrating a milestone year with a Tree City USA designation from the Arbor Day Foundation. The borough earned the title 10 years ago.

To earn the distinction, municipalities must name a tree board or department, pass a tree-care ordinance, have a community forestry program with an annual budget of at least $2 per capita, hold an annual Arbor Day observance and pass an annual Arbor Day proclamation.

Planting and maintaining trees also benefits taxpayers, Borough Manager Virginia Kehoe said. Trees lead to increased water quality, property values and improved stormwater controls, she said.

More than 100 communities in Pennsylvania are recognized as tree cities. The Arbor Day Foundation awarded Scranton the Tree City USA designation earlier this year. Other communities in Lackawanna County that have earned the designation include Moscow, Carbondale and Clarks Green.

— CLAYTON OVER

cover@timesshamrock.com, @ClaytonOver on Twitter

Dickson City

Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church hosts internationally known organist Hector Olivera today at 4 p.m. for a free concert dedicating the church’s Allen Custom Quantum Digital Pipe Organ.

Mr. Olivera, a native of Argentina, began playing organ at age 3 and began studying music at the University of Buenos Aires at 12. He later studied at Juilliard School of Music in New York. He will perform well-known liturgical pieces such as “Ave Maria,” as well as compositions by J.S. Bach, Handel and fellow Argentine Astor Piazzolla.

The church is at 1090 Carmalt St.

Church officials, including Robert Manento, director of liturgical services, joined by the staff of Robert M. Sides Family Music Center, toured the Allen Organ Co. factory in Macungie, Lehigh County, before purchasing the new organ. It replaces another Allen organ in use since 1962.

— DAVID FALCHEK

dfalchek@timesshamrock.com

Lackawanna County

The county commissioners awarded a series of arts and culture mini-grants and made appointments to the new county fair committee, the women’s commission and the assessment board of appeals at Wednesday’s meeting.

n The municipal mini-grants, awarded in a 2-1 vote, with Republican Commissioner Laureen Cummings voting no, totaled $500 each for four different communities and will provide music at the Waverly Twp. Community Square Fair on July 22; offset the cost of hiring musicians for the June 2-4 Queen City Days fire company picnic and carnival in Olyphant; help fund items including fireworks and the parade for the June 24-25 Greenfield Twp. bicentennial celebration; and support arts and crafts offerings at the June 20-Aug. 19 Blakely summer recreational program. Ms. Cummings did not explain her no vote.

n Thirteen people were appointed to one-year terms on the committee to organize a county fair: Corey Susz, former president of the Kiwanis Wyoming County Fair; attorney Armand Olivetti; Edward Staback, a former state representative and county commissioner; Ronald Williams, a former state northeast regional director of agriculture; Michael Taluto, a safety press officer for the state Department of Transportation; Jim Rodway, the county director of community relations; Donna Grey, Luzerne County Fair 4-H chairwoman; Christopher DiMattio, chairman of La Festa Italiana; Jess Meoni, graphic designer; Marc Gaughan, former director of the Moscow Country Fair; Sherry Pritchyk, fundraiser and event planner; Terry Schettini, Penn State Cooperative Extension administrator; and Robert Noldy, Harford Fair volunteer.

n Lorraine Stevens of Jessup was appointed to the Lackawanna County Women’s Commission. Her term expires Dec. 31, 2018.

n Jeanette Acciare-Mariani and Paul Sotak of Blakely, Brian Davis of Scranton, and Fran Francis of Scott Twp. were appointed to the board of assessment appeals with terms running from June 1 to May 31, 2017. Ms. Francis has withdrawn her name from consideration.

— KYLE WIND

kwind@timesshamrock.com, @kwindTT on Twitter

Mayfield

Civic groups, borough employees, school organizations and residents are gearing up for Mayfield’s Memorial Day celebrations.

American Legion Post 610 will conduct a parade on Memorial Day, commencing at 9 a.m. Before the parade, military services will be conducted at the Heart of Jesus Parish Cemetery in East Jermyn. A ceremony will follow the parade at Memorial Park on Lackawanna Avenue.

The speaker, retired Air Force Col. Paul D. Pidgeon, is a resident of Jermyn and 1988 graduate of Lakeland High School. He served in three different career fields at 14 different assignments around the world during his 23-year military career, earning the rank of full colonel.

Participants in the parade are asked to be present at the legion headquarters by 8:45 a.m. to form a line of march. Refreshments will be served at the legion following closing ceremonies.

— JEFF HORVATH

jhorvath@timesshamrock.com, @jhorvathTT on Twitter

Pittston Twp.

The Moosic Alliance Community Church celebrated its 100th anniversary on May 15.

The bell outside the church rang for the first time in years, signaling parishioners to gather for the 3 p.m. service.

Formed 100 years ago, the church has been incorporated with the Christian & Missionary Alliance denomination for the past 50 years,.

Church members dressed in traditional clothing and guided parishioners through a PowerPoint and narrative on its history.

“It was a wonderful celebration,” Linda King said. “We had a lot of people come back and join us, to share the history together.”

Four former pastors joined the celebration, as well as current pastor, the Rev. Donald Weidman. Pastors were asked to share their most memorable and amusing experiences while at the church and were given certificates of appreciation by the Rev. Terry Smith, district superintendent.

— AUTUMN GRANZA

agranza@timesshamrock.com

Scranton

NativityMiguel School of Scranton, in partnership with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, will host a Food Truck Festival at PNC Field on Saturday, June 4, from noon to 5 p.m. Eleven trucks have committed to the event, including Sweet Lush Cupcake Camper, Panana Man, Manning’s Mobile Creamery, Southwest Savory Grill, Peculiar Culinary Company, Notis the Gyro King, Taste Time to Love Us, Uncle Paul’s Stuffed Pretzels, Vince’s Cheesesteaks and Boyer Brothers Barbeque and Deli.

Live entertainment includes local bands Jung Bergo, Facing the Giants and Junk Drawer.

Proceeds from the event will go to NativityMiguel School of Scranton, a tuition-free Catholic school committed to impoverished children. The school operates independently of the Diocese of Scranton and the state. All funds must be raised privately to fund the children’s education.

“This is a wonderful way for the community to come together to learn about our students and our school,” Luciana Musto, director of advancement, said in a release. “I love that we will help deserving children while also supporting local businesspeople who work very hard to be successful.”

For details on the festival and sponsorships, contact Ms. Musto at 570-955-5176.

— STAFF REPORT

yesdesk@timesshamrock.com

■

Mayor Bill Courtright had a plaque installed inside City Hall, in a second-floor hallway outside Council Chambers, that honors Mark Walsh, who served as solicitor of the Single Tax Office when the mayor was tax collector, as well as former City Clerk Jay Saunders and former council President Bob McGoff.

Mr. Walsh died at age 53 in 2013 from leukemia. Mr. Saunders died at age 47 in 2012 from pancreatic cancer. Mr. McGoff died at age 67 in November after a long battle with a recurring form of cancer.

The plaque is for their “commitment, integrity and leadership.”

“Time will never erase the work you have accomplished for the city of Scranton and its residents,” the plaque says.

— JIM LOCKWOOD

jlockwood@timesshamrock.com, @jlockwoodTT on Twitter

■

The Albright Memorial Library’s next used-book sale will be Tuesday, May 31, to Sunday, June 5, at the Library Express at the Mall at Steamtown.

Library board member Joan Hodowanitz described the event as an important fundraiser to support library programs and activities, and said the public can find bargains in the process on books, CDs and DVDs.

“You’re getting these books, which are all in either good or excellent condition — they’re paperbacks, they’re hardcover, they’re fiction, they’re nonfiction — for either $1 or $2,” Ms. Hodowanitz said. “We also have children’s books.”

On the last day of the sale, people can buy tote bags for $5 and take as many of the remaining books for free as fit in the tote bag.

Another popular fundraiser is also coming up: the annual Swingin’ On Vine block party on the 500 block on Vine Street.

This year’s event for people age 21 and older is scheduled from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday. It will include live music, beer, wine, margaritas and raffles, and food from local businesses and restaurants.

Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 the night of the event, said librarian Justine Yeager.

— KYLE WIND

kwind@timesshamrock.com, @kwindTT on Twitter

■

West Scranton Hyde Park Neighborhood Watch and NeighborWorks Northeastern Pennsylvania have invited artists to submit an application to design and implement a public arts mural for the West Scranton Community Center.

“We thought it would be a great way to repurpose the building, which used to be a warehouse,” Nina Giordano said. “We wanted to get the community involved so they know it will be space for them.”

The theme should reflect the history, culture, landscape and structures of the West Scranton neighborhood. Art may contain positive imagery, words or poetry. Winners will oversee the mural’s production and installation.

“We are hoping to receive submissions that reflect the value of home and the pride of West Scranton,” Ms. Giordano said. “We are very flexible as to how much space the artist uses.”

The design will be displayed on the westerly wall of the 1621 Washburn St. building.

Applicants may submit multiple designs. Applications can be downloaded from nwnepa.org or hydeparkwatch.org. Completed proposals must be emailed, delivered or postmarked by Friday at 4 p.m., and sent to NeighborWorks Northeastern Pennsylvania, attn: Nina Giordano, 1510 N. Main Ave., Scranton, PA 18508 or Ngiordano@

nwnepa.org.

The winning proposal will be announced Friday, June 17.

South Abington Twp.

A host of donated and loaned memorabilia will be on display during festivities to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the dedication of Abington Heights High School on Friday and Saturday.

Yearbooks, athletic relics and records of concert performances, plus items from a time capsule from the year the building opened, will be featured, Principal Pamela Murray said.

Anyone who would like to loan or donate items for the display can contact Assistant Principal Lee Ann Theony at theonyla@ahsd.org or 570-585-5332.

The school, at 222 Noble Road, will host a slate of activities to commemorate the dedication.

On Friday, students, teachers and administrators will celebrate the 50th anniversary with an oral history presentation by local resident Dennis Martin from 1:45 to 2:45 p.m., followed by a rededication ceremony from 2:45 to 3:15. The ceremony will mirror the one held 50 years ago.

The school will open its doors to the public from 7 to 8 p.m. Friday for a free choir concert and art show. It will open again from 9 to 11 a.m. on Saturday for an open house. Mr. Martin will give another oral history presentation at 10 a.m. Guests can check out the memorabilia display at either time. Old yearbooks will also be available for sale.

— CLAYTON OVER

cover@timesshamrock.com, @ClaytonOver on Twitter

AROUND THE TOWNS appears each Sunday, spotlighting the people and events in your neighborhoods. If you have an idea for an Around the Towns note, contact the writer for your town, or the Yes!Desk at 570-348-9121 or yesdesk@timesshamrock.com.

Wrong-way drivers were blamed for two deadly crashes on interstate highways in Northeast Pennsylvania from 2005 through 2014. In each case, the driver was the lone fatality.

Contrast that with the past 14 months: Six crashes, four of them involving fatalities, with 12 people dead.

The growing number of wrong-way collisions and the mounting list of fatalities have confounded the state Department of Transportation and local law enforcement officials, who are at a loss to explain the sudden surge after a decade during which such crashes were relatively rare.

The crashes have come as PennDOT pushes ahead with long-planned sign upgrades at area interchanges — including the off-ramps along Interstate 81, where all of the recent collisions happened — and considers other changes in an attempt to curtail them.

“Our hope is it is simply an anomaly, that it’s simply something where we’ve had a rash of these, and now we can move on and maybe we won’t see this type of crash for a while,” said James May, spokesman for PennDOT’s Dunmore-based District 4.

Although investigators believe alcohol played a role in at least four of the recent crashes, including all three that happened in Lackawanna County, District Attorney Shane Scanlon said the number is still startling.

“From PennDOT on down, I don’t think anyone understands what the hell is going on,” he said.

Safety project

The District 4 office opened bids Thursday for a major safety improvement project specifically aimed at reducing wrong-way crashes on Interstates 81, 84 and 80, along with the Casey Highway.

Mr. May said the initiative will include the installation of additional warning signs, reflective lane delineators and pavement markings at nonsignalized exit ramps, which are the primary point of origin for wrong-way drivers on interstates.

The work is expected to start in July and be finished by September.

At the statewide level, PennDOT is participating in a large-scale study with several other states and Transport Canada to document and review wrong-way driving deterrence systems already in use and evaluate their effectiveness. The results of the project, known as the Enterprise study, are expected to be released in late summer.

Many of the improvements that are part of the District 4 off-ramp project, and presumably some of the findings that will come out of the multistate study, were covered in-depth more than three years ago in a comprehensive report prepared by the National Transportation Safety Board.

The NTSB report, which examined nearly 1,600 fatal wrong-way crashes between 2004 and 2009, concluded even simple and relatively expensive ramp upgrades could stop an inattentive driver from making a potentially deadly error.

Those ranged from better pavement markings to double-posted “Do Not Enter” and “Wrong Way” signs to lowering the height of the signs to make them more visible.

While PennDOT employs double-posted signs and some of the other recommended steps as part of a progressive series of wrong-way driving countermeasures at exit ramps that have been identified as problematic, PennDOT Secretary Leslie S. Richards acknowledged last week it is not standard practice across the state.

PennDOT is counting on the Enterprise study to provide some guidance in that area by identifying the type of driver behavior the state needs to address, she said.

“For instance, with someone who is driving under the influence, it’s been shown that they will keep their eyes lower on the road,” Ms. Richards said. “So if that’s the case, if that’s what we’re doing, we want to make sure the signs are at the right height to get the attention of that impaired driver.”

Few and far between

Nationwide, crashes caused by drivers traveling the wrong way on interstates and other limited-access highways kill about 350 people annually, according to the NTSB.

There were 196 wrong-way crashes in Pennsylvania between 2008 and 2012, the most recent period for which PennDOT has verified data, Rich Kirkpatrick, the agency’s communications director in Harrisburg, said in an email. Most of the crashes happened on freeways and resulted in 51 fatalities, an average of about 10 a year.

Historically, fatal crashes caused by wrong-way drivers have been few and far between in Northeast Pennsylvania.

A review by The Sunday Times of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System database shows there was one on Interstate 380 in Lackawanna County in November 2005 and another in October 2014 on I-81 in Luzerne County. Alcohol was a factor in both, according to the FARS data.

In between, from 2006 through 2013, eight full calendar years passed without a fatal interstate crash attributable to a wrong-way driver.

A string of collisions like those on I-81 is unusual but not unique, said Huaguo Zhou, Ph.D., an associate professor of civil engineering at Auburn University in Alabama and a recognized expert on wrong-way crashes. In 2014, 10 people died in five wrong-way collisions on interstates in the Tampa, Florida, area in a nine-month period, he said.

Common threads

Dr. Zhou, who has conducted wrong-way crash studies for Illinois and Alabama, said there are common threads that run through all of the research.

In more than 50 percent of the crashes he has studied, he said the at-fault driver was intoxicated.

That dovetails with the 2012 NTSB study, which found more than half and possibly as many as two-thirds of all wrong-way drivers are impaired by alcohol. In crashes where blood-alcohol content was reported, the NTSB found 59 percent of drivers had a BAC of at least 0.15, which is almost twice the legal limit in Pennsylvania.

It also aligns with PennDOT’s findings. Of the wrong-wrong crashes in the state from 2008 to 2012, 60 percent involved alcohol- or drug-impaired drivers, Mr. Kirkpatrick said. Another 18 percent were related to older drivers.

Dr. Zhou said the majority of wrong-way crashes happen on weekends and are most likely to occur in the early morning hours. With fewer vehicles on the road at that time of day, a driver who turns onto an exit ramp is less likely to encounter a vehicle coming the opposite direction and realize the mistake.

“There is no queue. There is low visibility,” he said. “A lot of cases we find happen during that period.”

In terms of design, partial cloverleaf interchanges that place entrance and exit ramps side by side with just a median barrier between them always rank at the top when researchers look at the most prevalent entry points for wrong-way drivers — to the point some states no longer build them, Dr. Zhou said.

Even against that backdrop, any specific wrong-way crash usually involves a random combination of factors, making it difficult to come up with a one-size-fits-all set of countermeasures, he said.

Dr. Zhou said the options range from the “very traditional,” such as pavement markings, oversized or low-mounted signs and improved lighting, to advanced electronic detection systems that automatically trigger a flashing beacon when a vehicle enters a ramp the wrong way.

However, there is also research suggesting very few drivers who make a wrong-way turn onto an exit ramp actually end up in a collision, Dr. Zhou said. The vast majority, probably more than 95 percent, recognize their error and turn around without incident.

“The key is there are very few studies that show how effective each of these kinds of measures are,” Dr. Zhou said. “There are not many studies to prove some are more effective than the others. It is all case by case.”

All of the I-81 crashes have involved a wrong-way vehicle traveling north in the southbound lanes.

With the exception of the most recent collision May 7 in Susquehanna County, in which police say the driver originally drove south before making a three-point turn and heading in the opposite direction, investigators believe the wrong-way vehicles entered the southbound lanes via exit ramps.

PennDOT is still awaiting confirmation from state police, but Mr. May said indications are most if not all of entry points were different.

“From our standpoint, we are trying to identify the underlying problem so we can identify the solution,” Mr. May said. “One recurring theme we are seeing is alcohol-related, and we are looking at that, but then the question is why are so many drunk drivers getting on the interstate the wrong way.”

Limited funds

The District 4 ramp improvement project planned this summer is part of a $778,000 contract that also includes unrelated work on Route 309 in Hanover Twp. PennDOT sought the federal funding for the upgrades almost two years ago, long before the recent spate of wrong-way crashes, Mr. May said.

The project will double the number of “Do Not Enter,” “One Way” and “Wrong Way” signs at 47 exit ramps from two to four each, he said.

After the work is completed, a driver traveling the wrong way on a ramp will encounter two sets of “One Way” and “Wrong Way” signs, each paired on either side of the roadway, he said. All the sign posts will have reflective red strips, and the “Wrong Way” signs will be topped with reflective red diamond-shaped signs.

Lane delineators will be installed along the ramps, also with reflective red strips on the side opposite the normal flow of traffic, he said. Pavement markings will include at least two large directional arrows on each ramp, along with a painted “stop bar” at the end of the ramp.

Asked whether PennDOT has been slow in responding to the problem of wrong-way crashes, Mr. May said the agency is constantly evaluating what areas need the most attention to ensure the safety of the public. He pointed to the decade prior when there were only two interstate fatalities attributed to wrong-way drivers.

“With every safety improvement project, I always say a dollar we spend on something like this is a dollar that is not being spent somewhere else. That’s tough for people to grasp,” he said.

Ms. Richards said the findings of the Enterprise study will help PennDOT better understand the causes behind wrong-way crashes as a prelude to prioritizing and developing the proper strategies to combat them. It is a question not only of the effectiveness of the measures recommended but also their feasibility from a cost standpoint.

“That’s why this report is very important to us,” she said. “It will allow us to see where we can spend our resources mostly wisely and reduce those crashes.”

Contact the writer: dsingleton@timesshamrock.com

The greeting of the visiting Hierarchs with Moleben to the “Hawaiian Myrrh-Streaming Iveron Icon of the Most Holy Mother of God” will begin the 112th Memorial Day Pilgrimage to St. Tikhon’s Monastery .

Friday’s events at the Wayne County monastery will kick off a weekend of services, including the 74th annual St. Tikhon’s Seminary commencement, and features a full schedule of services on Memorial Day.

“The Miraculous Iveron Icon of the Mother of God, which continues to weep myrrh, will be the main icon present for veneration throughout the pilgrimage,” monastery spokesman the Rev. John Kowalczyk said. The Friday 3:45 p.m. veneration will be followed by Vespers and Matins in the Monastery Church and dinner in the monastery dining hall.

Pilgrims will have the opportunity to venerate the miraculous Hawaiian Icon of the Mother of God and be anointed with the myrrh on Memorial Day, Monday, May 30, at 2:30 p.m.

Archbishop Demetrios, spiritual leader of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese in North America, will speak, and will receive a Doctor of Divinity Degree during the 1 p.m. commencement Saturday. The Seminary Banquet is scheduled Saturday evening at Genetti Manor in Dickson City.

Additional services are planned throughout the weekend, including a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy on Sunday at 9 a.m. at the Monastery Church. Metropolitan Tikhon, archbishop of Washington, D.C., and metropolitan of America and Canada, will preside. Among those assisting will be Archbishop Michael of New York and New Jersey and Archbishop Mark of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania. They will also concelebrate on Memorial Day at a 10 a.m. service at the Bell Tower.

Tours of the monastery’s largest icon collection in the East Coast will be given by the Very Rev. John Perich, historian and curator of St. Tikhon’s Monastery Museum, during the weekend. St. Tikhon’s newly expanded bookstore, which has one of the largest selections of Eastern Orthodox books, religious and sacred items, will be open throughout the weekend. Other vendors also will be on hand. Ethnic foods and religious goods will be available for purchase.

St. Tikhon’s Monastery is at 175 St. Tikhon’s Road, Waymart (South Canaan Twp). The Rev. Archimandrite Sergius is the Abbot.

Tickets for the Saturday night seminary commencement banquet at Genetti Manor can be obtained by calling the Seminary, 570-561-1818. For details on the pilgrimage, call Father Kowalczyk at 570-876-1241.

Memorial Day schedule

FRIDAY, MAY 27

3:30 p.m.: 112th Pilgrimage opens.

3:45: greeting of the Hierarchs at the Monastery Archway, Moleben to the Iveron Hawaiian Icon of the Mother of God.

4: Vespers and Matins, Monastery Church.

Dinner: monastery dining hall.

SATURDAY, MAY 28

9 a.m.: Hierarchical Divine Liturgy.

Meal: dining hall.

1 p.m.: 74th annual academic commencement of St. Tikhon’s Theological Seminary.

4: Resurrection Vigil, Monastery Church.

Dinner: dining hall.

SUNDAY, MAY 29

9 a.m.: Hierarchical Divine Liturgy.

Meal: dining hall.

4 p.m.: Vespers and Matins, Monastery Church.

MONDAY, MAY 30

7:30 a.m.: Divine Liturgy, Monastery Church.

10: Hierarchical Divine Liturgy

Noon: Veterans Panihida memorial service, All Saints Bell Tower.

1:30 p.m.: Akathist to St. Alexis Toth, Monastery Church.

2:30: Moleben to the Most Holy Theotokos, anointing of the sick, infirm and all pilgrims, Monastery Bell Tower.

4: Vespers and Matins, Monastery Church.

Every time an American flag was carried past him during Sunday’s Armed Forces Day parade, Ralph Giordano stood erect and gave a salute.

“I wouldn’t miss this for the world, “ the 91-year-old World War II Navy veteran from West Scranton said, standing on the federal courthouse steps along North Washington Avenue.

Rain began sprinkling just as the parade, with more than 60 groups marching or motoring, kicked off at 11 a.m. from the Gino J. Merli Veterans Center along Penn Avenue.

Onlookers speckled the streets down Penn to Lackawanna Avenue, then up North Washington past the courthouse where Mr. Giordano stood watching quietly next to Vietnam-era Army veteran Vince Narcoonis of Olyphant.

“You can count the people on your hands here,” he said, lamenting the low turnout compared to Scranton’s more well-attended parades.

Mr. Giordano, seaman first class, was an armed guard during WWII who accompanied gun crews aboard private merchant ships. He saw ports in North Africa, Sicily, Italy and France, he said, while protecting commercial vessels where crew members didn’t always show their appreciation.

“They joked around, but deep down they needed us,” he said.

Parade organizer Joe Sylvester said it’s unfortunate that so few people attend compared to other parades.

“They come to honor St. Patrick, but they don’t come to honor the men and women who put their lives on the line,” he said.

But it wasn’t all gloom. As he chatted after the parade, several people approached to shake his hand and congratulate him on a beautiful parade. They had been doing that all morning, he said.. The parade featured 11 area school marching bands, as well as a line of fire trucks and emergency vehicles, sirens blaring, from local departments. Government officials got in line among local veterans groups and employees from area military contractors like Tobyhanna Army Depot riding in military vehicles.

“Some of these kids put so much heart into it,” Mr. Giordano said as the Honesdale Hornets marching band strutted past in rigid formation.

Mostly quiet standing next to him, Mr. Narcoonis, who had been an enlisted soldier with the 25th Infantry Division, said that perhaps the throngs don’t turn out for military parades because most people don’t see war and its true effects, and that war, always steeped in politics, doesn’t appeal to the masses.

He had been stationed in Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam, when Vietcong militia struck the 6th Convalescent Center hospital in 1969 killing two and wounding more than 50.

“There’s only two rules to war,” said Mr. Narcoonis somberly. “The first is soldiers must die. The second is you can’t change rule no. 1.”

Contact the writer:

joconnell@timesshamrock.com,

@jon_oc on Twitter

PLEASANT MOUNT TWP. — Fire in a vacant home kept crews from a half-dozen or so departments busy for about six hours early Saturday morning.

The home at 2774 Bethany Turnpike was purchased several months ago and the new owner had been doing renovations, said Pleasant Mount Emergency Services Chief Phil Eltz. No one was home when the fire was first reported just before 1 a.m.

No firefighters were injured in putting out the flames, which had engulfed the building by the time they arrived. The two-story home was “pretty much gutted,” Chief Eltz said.

A state police fire marshal determined an electrical problem sparked the flames, he said.

— JON O’CONNELL

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

Champ is a 5-year -old Shepherd mix. Hg is a friendly and energetic guy with a great personality.
Contact the Griffin Pond Animal Shelter at 586-3700 if your pet is lost or goes astray. Staff Photo by Ted Baird

 

Tank is a 6-year-old, solid grey, neutered male. He is handsome and friendly, but doesn't get along well with other cats.
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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The Diocese of Scranton methodically is moving forward to counter its growing priest shortage, a year after Bishop Joseph C. Bambera warned of a looming pastoral leadership vacuum and opened a diocesewide dialogue to prepare parishioners for the changes to come.

In June, the diocese will install Tony Butel as its third parish life coordinator to shepherd a faith community in the absence of a resident priest, a development the Rev. Jeffrey Walsh, episcopal vicar for clergy, called significant for two reasons.

Mr. Butel will be the first parish life coordinator to provide day-to-day pastoral and organizational leadership in two parishes — St. Rita’s in Gouldsboro and St. Elizabeth’s in Bear Creek — and he will be the first layperson to serve in that capacity, the Rev. Walsh said.

Mr. Butel follows Sister Mary Ann Cody, I.H.M., who became the diocese’s first parish life coordinator in July at Our Lady of the Eucharist Parish in Pittston, and Deacon Peter G. Smith, who assumed the same role at Holy Family Parish in Luzerne in December.

His appointment brings the diocese full circle in terms of the options available to Bishop Bambera in selecting a parish life coordinator, the Rev. Walsh said.

“At Our Lady of the Eucharist, it’s a religious sister. In Luzerne, it’s an ordained permanent deacon. Now, in this model, it’s going to be a layman,” he said. “It’s really unique in that sense.”

The need is evident in the diocese’s latest five-year projections.

Father Walsh said the diocese has 126 priests engaged in active ministry across its 11 counties. That is down from 137 a year ago.

On the plus side, he said, the diocese anticipates ordaining five men as priests by 2020, including two Bishop Bambera will ordain Saturday at St. Peter’s Cathedral. There is the possibility of adding another three priests through incardination, meaning they would join the local church from other dioceses.

At the same, the diocese projects losing 18 priests through retirement and as many as 25 more for other reasons, which could include death or illness.

Father Walsh said the result would be a net loss of 35 priests by 2020, which would leave the diocese with just 87 priests in active ministry.

He characterized the projections, which diocesan officials update annually, as a best guess “with a lot of wiggle room on either end.”

“We always hope it’s on the end of having the availability of more priests, but we don’t know,” Father Walsh said.

Although the diocese is expected to appoint other parish life coordinators in the future and there is a pool of candidates in training to step into the role, the Rev. Walsh said nothing is imminent.

In parishes led by parish life coordinators, the diocese designates a priest to serve as the sacramental minister to celebrate Mass, hear confessions and handle other functions that can be done only by ordained clergy.

The diocese weighs a number of factors in considering whether a parish is a good match for the parish life coordinators model, Catherine Butel, the diocesan secretary for parish life and the wife of Mr. Butel, said in an email.

Those include the vitality of the parish, the availability of a priest to serve as sacramental minister and the proximity of other priests to support the parish as needed, she said.

“A few parishes in the diocese have specifically expressed an openness and readiness for this type of pastoral leadership, finding themselves to be well-prepared for it and willing to serve the good of the diocese by sharing clergy resources in this manner,” Mrs. Butel said.

In addition to his administrative role in the diocese, Father Walsh serves as the sacramental minister at Our Lady of the Eucharist, working with Sister Cody. That has given a unique perspective to observe the new leadership model in action.

So far, he has been pleasantly surprised by how quickly parishioners adjusted and by their willingness to embrace the changes and make them work.

“That is what I think is the good part of the parish life coordinator story thus far,” he said. “I think we have crossed over that hurdle of wondering what it would look like in practice, and we’re seeing it be very well-received and effective.”

Contact the writer: dsingleton@timesshamrock.com

More Pennsylvanians continue to sign up for health insurance, although a blitz to get coverage made more accessible under the Affordable Care Act has slowed to a crawl.

In 2013, more than 16 percent of Pennsylvanians were uninsured. Over the next two years, that figure fell by nearly one-third with only about 10.9 percent of people ages 18 to 64 uninsured last year in the state of nearly 13 million people.

Figures released last week by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show the nation as a whole hit a milestone in 2015 with less than 10 percent of all Americans uninsured — the first time.

However, the rise of insured people stalled in 2015 for Pennsylvanians with only about 100,000 more people signing up. About 1.4 million people in the state remain uncovered.

“Pennsylvania was pretty aggressively average in terms of reduction in uninsurance and current uninsurance rates,” said Mark V. Pauly, Ph.D., a health care economist with the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. “We still have a way to go to get from 11 percent or so down into the single digits.”

With nearly 90 percent of the population on some kind of insurance plan, that positions the Keystone State about 1.5 percentage points ahead of the national average. Pennsylvania has more large employers and fewer farmers, which explains why it leads the nation, Dr. Pauly said.

Enrollment numbers for at least one Pennsylvania-based insurer reflect the surge. Since 2013, Geisinger Health Plan has increased its membership by about 84 percent.

“We’ve seen growth pretty much over all our lines of business,” said Geisinger Health Plan Communications Manager Amy Bowen. “So those who are covered by their employer, those who are purchasing insurance on their own through the (Affordable Care Act) exchange, as well as those who are covered by Medical Assistance and Medicare.”

In March 2013, Geisinger began offering GHP Family Medical Assistance Coverage, preempting the largest area of growth in those public insurance plans, she said.

In 2015, 17.8 percent of Pennsylvanians were on some kind of public health plan, according to the HHS/CDC survey, up from just 13.8 percent the year before. The percent of people on private plans actually declined in 2015 by more than two percentage points to 73.2 percent.

If nothing changes, progress from this point on will be “close to glacial,” Dr. Pauly said. Rising premiums will keep people away, and weak penalties the uninsured pay are not enough to push them toward getting coverage, he said.

On the other hand, he said, Medicaid expansion in Pennsylvania will help a little in getting more people covered.

Contact the writer: joconnell@timesshamrock.com, @jon_oc on Twitter

Like the statues of the saints themselves, the tradition of La Festa dei Ceri, or St. Ubaldo Day, in Jessup was carried from Italy on the backs of families whose cultural roots are now firmly planted in the Midvalley community.

The families of St. Ubaldo, St. Anthony and St. George will hoist their statues for the running of the saints on Saturday, continuing a tradition that originated in Gubbio, Italy, and that has been emulated in Jessup for the better part of the last hundred years.

“If it’s in your blood and your family, then you want to partake in the celebration,” said Linda Bonacci-Anelli, public relations director for the St. Ubaldo Society and member of the family of St. Anthony by marriage. “The people who are very involved look forward to it all year long.”

The event celebrates the liberation of Gubbio from barbarians in the 1100s.

Some participants here have ancestors who brought the tradition of the race, the Corsa dei Ceri, from Gubbio in the early 1900s, or relatives who emigrated from the ancient city in the decades that followed. Others, like Corinne Sebastianelli, make regular pilgrimages to Gubbio, where they still have family ties.

A member of the family of St. George, Ms. Sebastianelli has attended St. Ubaldo festivities in Gubbio for the past six years and participated in Jessup’s celebration since 1976, when the race returned after a 20-year-plus hiatus.

“My mom was (a) St. George born in Gubbio, so we carry on the tradition,” she said. “Whoever your family is, that’s who you run for. You’ll never see anyone change their colors.”

In Jessup, La Festa dei Ceri is more than just a single day’s event, but a week-long celebration. The St. Ubaldo Society works year-round to prepare for this week, which is filled with revelry, reflection and ritual.

This evening, the veneration of a holy relic of St. Ubaldo will be held at the St. Ubaldo Cultural Center, christening a week of festivities that includes a practice run Wednesday and social party Thursday. Runners will also participate in Friday’s fireman’s parade.

The Alzata, or “Raising of the Saints,” will take place Saturday before the race, while the children’s Festa dei Ceri, which includes a children’s race, kicks off Sunday morning.

Many involved in the festivities, like Laurie Marino, a member of the family of St. Ubaldo, stressed the importance of Sunday’s children’s activities as a means of inspiring a passion for the tradition of St. Ubaldo Day at a young age.

When her grandson Nick, who served as the captain of the St. Ubaldo family during the children’s race two years ago, broke his femur, he had the cast painted in the family colors of red, yellow and white.

“My son has been very involved since he was young, and now his son is very involved,” said Ms. Marino. “We are trying to keep the tradition alive.”

A full list of events and times for this year’s St. Ubaldo Day festivities can be found at www.stubaldoday.com.

Contact the writer:

jhorvath@timesshamrock.com, @jhorvathTT on Twitter

Judge Michael Barrasse sentenced the following defendants recently in Lackawanna County Court:

n Jimmie Carter, 21, Scran­ton, to 30 months to eight years in state prison, nine years of probation and $2,264 in restitution for firearms not to be carried without a license, fleeing or elud­ing police, receiving stolen property and reckless endangerment.

n Charles A. Small, 31, Laurel­ton, New York, to 16 months to three years in state prison and four years of probation for possession with intent to deliver.

n James McHugh, 65, 320 N. Apple St., Dunmore, to three years of probation for delivery of a controlled substance.

n Anthony F. Stefonetti, 30, 101 Squirrel Run, Clarks Green, to two years of court supervision including three months’ house arrest and time served (230 days) to one year in county jail for simple assault and criminal mischief.

n James McGurl, 27, Dun­more, to three years of court supervision including 90 days in county prison and 90 days’ house arrest for possession with intent to deliver.

n Kareem Zimmerman, 37, Olyphant, to 35-70 months in state prison and two years of probation for escape, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, fleeing or eluding police and possession of drug paraphernalia.

n Joseph Baldoni, 40, Canton, Ohio, to 39 months to seven years in state prison, three years of probation and more than $9,000 restitution for receiving stolen property.

n Arthur Stoss, 30, Clarks Summit, to 18 months to three years in state prison, three years of probation and $10,000 restitution for theft by unlawful taking.

n Thomas Lee Harrison, 24, 622 Alder St., Scranton, to 14 months to three years in state prison and three years of probation for possession with intent to deliver.

n Anthony Rodriguez, 25, Scranton, one to four years in state prison for simple assault and reckless endangerment.

n Dashawn Lamont Williams, 41, New York, New York, to 27 months to five years in state prison and two years of probation for failure to register with authorities.

n Richard Darian Chalmers II, 39, Pittston, to 17 months to four years in state prison and two years of probation for make repairs/sells weapon and possession of drug paraphernalia.

n Trudi Carol Sona, 52, 12 Sand St., Carbondale, to one year of probation for resisting arrest.

n Michael Timothy Burke, 28, 625 E. Grant St., Olyphant, to two years of court supervision including three months in county jail and three months’ house arrest for obstructing administration of law.

n Emmanuelle D. Alvarado, 31, 18 Amity Court, Scranton, to 18 months to three years in state prison and two years of probation for retail theft and possession with intent to deliver.

n Travis Firestone, 28, Dick­son City, to seven years of court super­vision and more than $2,000 in restitution for theft by unlawful taking, theft by deception and receiving stolen property.

Judge Vito Geroulo sentenced:

n Verne Ronald Woodruff, 61, Laceyville, to one to five years in state prison and $1,500 fine for DUI.

n William Ferguson, 36, Scran­ton, to seven to 18 months in county jail for possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

n Joseph Frederick Keller, 43, 417 Cherry St., to two to 10 years in state prison and $3,000 in fines for two DUIs, both highest rate.

n John Winston, 59, 623 Alder St., Scranton, to one to two years in state prison for possession with intent to deliver.

n George W. Raab, 35, Hazle­ton, to time served (264 days) in county jail and five years of court supervision for criminal trespass and receiving stolen property.

n Felix David Medina-Vidal, 36, 117 S. Everett Ave., Scran­ton, to two to 4.5 years in state prison, one year of probation and a $750 fine for possession with intent to deliver.

n Amanda Callahan, 31, 522 Valley View Estates, Jermyn, to eight to 23.5 months in state prison, one year of probation and a $100 fine for accidents involving damage to attended vehicle and theft by unlawful taking.

n Maureen Carlton, 42, 715 Hampton St., Scranton, to one year of probation for loitering.

n Sean M. Martin, 41, 607 Smith St., Scranton, to six months of probation for false ID to law enforcement.

n Charles William Burke, 47, 801 N. Webster Ave., Scranton, to a $100 fine for harassment.

n Johnnattan M. Reyes, 21, 1701 Townhouse Blvd., Scran­­ton, to four to 23 months in county prison and one year of probation for fleeing/eluding police and reckless endangerment.

n Tevin Tyler Smith, 23, 8 Little League Blvd., Taylor, to time served (21 days) in county prison for disorderly conduct.

n Fallon M. Paciotti, 24, 124 Basalyga St., Jessup, to nine months’ probation for possession of drug paraphernalia.

n Harold Kapelan, 1321 Dart­mouth St., Scranton, to one year of probation for reckless endangerment.

n James Lawrence Pierce, 44, Moosic, to 15 months to four years in state prison for delivery of a controlled

substance.

n Brenten Lucas Davies, 38, 515 Division St., Clarks Sum­mit, to one to five years in state prison, one year of probation and a $2,500 fine for possession of a controlled substance and DUI — highest rate, fourth offense.

Judge Margaret Moyle

sentenced:

n Jesus Matias-Marrero, 31, Scranton, 18 months to three years in state prison, one year of probation and $2,575 in restitution for simple assault, receiving stolen property and disorderly conduct.

n Robert Stancavage, 54, 322 Third Ave., Scranton, three years of court supervision including two months’ house arrest for corruption of minors.

n James Aguirre Flores, 29, Scranton, to seven to 23 months in county prison and three years of probation for fleeing/eluding police.

n Louis D. Smales, 44, 16 Elmdale Court, Jefferson Twp., to time served (144 days) to 23.5 months in county prison for default in required

appearance.

n Jaimi Scalese, 23, Throop, to one to two years in state prison and three years of probation for simple assault, disorderly conduct and simple assault.