BAKA, JOHN P., Mayfield, Saturday, 8:30 a.m., John F. Glinsky Funeral Home, 445 Sanderson St., Throop. Mass, 9 a.m., St. Anthony's Church, Throop. Interment, St. Anthony's Cemetery, Dickson City. Calling hours, today, 4 to 7 p.m.

BOLINSKI, LINDA, formerly of East Mountain, Mass, today, 9:30 a.m., Holy Name of Jesus Church, East Elm Street and Froude Avenue, Scranton. Interment, Sacred Heart Cemetery, Scranton. Calling hours, today, 9 to 9:30, church. Arrangements: Miller Bean Funeral Home Inc., 436 Cedar Ave., Scranton. Condolences: millerbeanfh.com.

BURKE, DONALD PAUL, Lady Lake, Fla., go directly to the church. Mass, Tuesday, 9:30 a.m., Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, 1605 Oram St., Scranton. Calling hours, Monday, 4-8 p.m., Vanston and James Funeral Home, 1401 Ash St., Scranton. Interment, Cathedral Cemetery. Contributions: Ronald McDonald House of Scranton, 332 Wheeler Ave., Scranton, PA 18510 or rmhscranton.org. Condolences: vanstonandjames.com.

CHROMEY, MARY ANN, Duryea, today, 10 a.m., Bernard J. Piontek Funeral Home Inc., 204 Main St., Duryea. Mass, 10:30, Holy Rosary Church, Duryea, by Monsignor Vincent Grimalia and the Rev. Andrew Sinnott. Interment, parish cemetery, Duryea. Shiva, Sunday, 7 to 9 p.m., home of her daughter, Rosemary Chromey, 92 Riverside Drive, Wilkes-Barre. Contributions: Erwin Home Health and Hospice Inc., 270 Pierce St., Kingston; or donor's favorite charity. Condolences: piontekfuneralhome.com.

CLARKE, ANN MARIE, Pittston, today, 9 a.m., Peter J. Adonizio Funeral Home, 251 William St., Pittston. Mass, 9:30, St. John the Evangelist Church, Pittston. Interment, parish cemetery. Condolences: peterjadonizio funeralhome.com.

DANIELS, STANLEY J. JR., Plains Twp., Saturday, 9 a.m., John V. Morris Family Funeral Homes Inc., 625 N. Main St., Wilkes-Barre, 9:30 a.m., St. Stanislaus Kostka, St. Andre Bessette Parish, 663 N. Main St., Wilkes-Barre, by the Rev. Kenneth M. Seegar, pastor. Interment with full military honors, St. Mary's Roman Catholic Cemetery, 1594 S. Main St., Hanover Twp. Calling hours, today, 5 to 7 p.m. Contributions: Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, KS 66675; or to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America Gift Processing Center, P.O. Box 6062 Albert Lea, MN 56007. Condolences: johnv morrisfuneralhomes.com.

DILLON, TIMOTHY GERARD, Port Griffith, Mass, Saturday, 9:30 a.m., St. John the Evangelist Church, Pittston. Visitation, today, 5 to 8 p.m., Baloga Funeral Home Inc., Pittston, and Saturday, 30 minutes before Mass, church. Condolences: balogafuneral home.com.

DYER, DIANE, Lake Ariel, calling hours, today, 4 to 6 p.m., James Wilson Funeral Home, 143 Gravity Road, Lake Ariel. Cremation, Lake Region Crematory. Contributions: children's college fund. Condolences: jameswilsonfuneralhome.com.

EVANS, RICHARD J., Hawley, Saturday, 10 a.m., Shifler-Parise Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 18 Airport Road, Clifford, by the Rev. Donald Schaible, pastor of Trinity Episcopal Church, Carbondale. Interment, Fern Knoll Burial Park, Dallas. Calling hours, Saturday, 9 to 10 a.m. Condolences: parise funeralhome.com. Donations: American Cancer Society.

FENNESSY, COLETTE F. WOLF, formerly of South Abington Twp., Wednesday, Church of St. Gregory, Clarks Green, by the Rev. John M. Lapera. Present on altar: Deacon Robert P. Sheils Jr., attorney. Pallbearers: Daniel Fennessy, Tim, Patrick and Casey Chandler, grandsons: attorney David F. Chuff and Fred Noll, sons-in-law. Interment, Cathedral Cemetery.

FENYAK, JOHN J., Centreville, Va., Saturday, noon, chapel at SS. Peter and Paul Cemetery, Rundle Street, Scranton.

GAMBACORTA, ANNA GAMBO, Dunmore, today, Mass, 9:30 a.m., St. Anthony of Padua Church, Smith Street, Dunmore. Interment, Mount Carmel Cemetery, Dunmore. Go directly to the church. Arrangements: Carlucci-Golden-DeSantis Funeral Home Inc., 318 E. Drinker St., Dunmore. Condolences: dunmorefuneralhome.com.

GAVALIS, RICHARD CLIFFORD, Union Dale, Mass, Saturday, 11 a.m., Ascension Parish, St. Joseph's Church, 741 Delaware St., Forest City, by Rev. Patrick L. Albert, pastor. Calling hours, Saturday, 10:30 to 11, church. Arrangements: Shifler-Parise Funeral Home & Cremation Services, Clifford. Condolences: parisefuneralhome.com.

GERCHMAN, HELEN, Browndale, today, Jones & Brennan Funeral Home, 430 Main St., Forest City. Blessing service, 11 a.m. Interment, St. Joseph's Cemetery, Forest City. Calling hours, 10 a.m. until service. Condolences: brennan funeralhomes.com.

GOVAN, ESTHER A., Scranton, today, 10 a.m., St. Paul's Church. Interment, Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va. Viewing, today, 9 to 10 a.m., church. Arrangements: John F. Glinsky Funeral Home, Throop. Condolences: jfglinskyfuneralhome@gmail.com.

GREGORI, ANITA DEMEYAN, Tripp Park section of Scranton, Thursday, Solfanelli-Fiorillo Funeral Home Inc., Scranton. Mass, Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel, by the Rev. Martin Boylan. Pallbearers: Chris, Matt and Jonathon Gregori, John Moran, Jason and Aaron Getz, and Bill Stetzar. Interment, Cathedral Cemetery.

HOKIEN, FRANCES JEAN, Covington Twp., no public viewing. Services, private. Donations: St. Catherine of Siena Church, 220 Church St., P.O. Box 250, Moscow, PA 18444; or to Griffin Pond Animal Shelter, 967 Griffin Pond Road, Clarks Summit, PA 18411. Condolences: strauch funeralhomes.com.

HUTCHINS, HUBERT W. "BUCK," Newfoundland, with military honors, today, 10:30 a.m., Indiantown Gap National Cemetery. Arrangements: Arthur J. Frey Funeral Home, 201 LaAnna Road, South Sterling.

JENKINS, CATHERINE, North Scranton, today, 10 a.m., Providence United Presbyterian Church, 1145 Providence Road, by the Rev. Kenneth L. Goodrich II. Go directly to church. Arrangements: Bomberger-Lesko Funeral Home Inc., 1660 N. Main Ave. Contributions: Capital Campaign fund of the Providence United Presbyterian Church.

JORDAN, RICHARD, South Scranton, Mass, today, 10 a.m., Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary Church, 1221 Prospect Ave., Scranton, by the Rev. Scott Sterowski, pastor. Interment, private, Cathedral Cemetery. Arrangements: Neil W. Regan Funeral Home Inc., 1900 Pittston Ave., Scranton.

JONES, JEANNE C., Scranton, Saturday, 11:30 a.m., Carl J. Savino Funeral Home, 157 S. Main Ave., West Scranton, by the Rev. Arthur Davis. Interment, Dunmore Cemetery. Calling hours, today, 6 to 9 p.m.

LOCKS, LORRAINE E., Chapman Lake, Saturday, 10:30 a.m., Brennan & Brennan Funeral Home Inc., 55 Lincoln Ave., Carbondale. Mass, 11, St. Michael's Church, Simpson. Spring interment, St. Michael's Cemetery, Simpson. Calling hours, Friday, 5 to 7 p.m. and Saturday, 10 to 10:30 a.m. Condolences: brennanfuneral homes.com.

MARTIN, JOHN E., Throop, Saturday, 10 a.m., Howard J Snowdon Funeral Home, 1810 Sanderson Ave., Scranton. Interment, Fairview Memorial Park, Elmhurst. Calling hours, today, 7 to 9 p.m. Contributions: donor's choice. Condolences: duffyandsnowdon.com.

MARTIN, RICKY W., Simpson, calling hours, today, 4 to 7 p.m., Oliver Shifler & Scotchlas Funeral Home Inc., 62 N. Main St., Carbondale. Condolences: shiflerfuneralhome.com.

MARZOLINO, ELIZABETH, Clarks Summit, no public calling hours. Cremation, Maple Hill Crematory, Archbald. Arrangements: Frank T. Mazur Funeral Home, Dickson City. Condolences: mazurfuneral home.com.

MULDERIG, MARY A., Lackawanna Health Care Center, formerly of Scranton, Thursday, Mass, Holy Rosary Church, Scranton, by the Rev. Cyril Edwards, pastor. Pallbearers: Rob Santorsa and John Sweeney, grandsons; Jim Tassey and Mike Coleman, grandsons-in-law; Bob and Jim Munley, nephews. Interment, Fairview Memorial Park, Elmhurst.

NOAKES, CARL, Ransom Twp., today, 3 p.m., Lawrence E. Young Funeral Home & Cremation Service, 418 S. State St., Clarks Summit, by the Rev. Arthur Davis. Contributions: American Cancer Society, www.cancer.org; or Abington Little League, PO Box 126, Clarks Summit, PA 18411.

PETROSKY, VICTOR J., Archbald, today, 5 p.m., Harrison Funeral Home, 374 N. Main St., Archbald. Interment, private. Viewing, today, 5 to 8 p.m. Contributions: Ambrose Revels American Legion Post 328, Main Street, Archbald, PA 18403.

PLUNKETT, CAROLYN "CHINKY," Scranton, today, 11 a.m., Bethel AME Church, 716 N. Washington Ave., Scranton, by the Rev. Tawan Edward Bailey, pastor. Interment, private. Calling hours, today, 9 to 11 a.m., church. Condolences: miller beanfh.com.

POZNIAK, ROSE, North Scranton, private. Interment, St. Stanislaus RC Cemetery. Arrangements: Bomberger- Lesko Funeral Home Inc., 1660 N. Main Ave., Scranton.

REMETZ, THEODORE R., Northmoreland Twp., Saturday, 3 p.m., Sheldon-Kukuchka Funeral Home Inc., 73 W. Tioga St., Tunkhannock. Calling hours, 1 until service.

ROBINSON, VIRGINIA "PEACH," cremation, Maple Hill at Salem Crematory. Memorial, Saturday, 10 a.m., Hessling Funeral Home Inc., 428 Main St., Honesdale. Interment, St. John's Cemetery, Honesdale. Calling hours, Friday, 4 to 7 p.m. Donations: Dessin Animal Shelter or the donor's favorite charity. Condolences: www.hesslingfuneralhome.com.

RUSSO, JOHN J., Old Forge, today, 10 a.m., St. Mary's Church, West Grace and Lawrence streets, Old Forge. Interment, Old Forge Cemetery. No calling hours. Arrangements: Louis V. Ciuccio Funeral Home, 145 Moosic Road, Old Forge.

RYDZANICH, PETER J., The Villages, Fla., formerly of Olyphant and Peckville, Wednesday, St. Timothy's Catholic Church, The Villages. Interment, Florida National Cemetery, Bushnell, Fla. Local memorial service, Saturday, 8:30 a.m., SS. Cyril's and Methodius Church, Olyphant.

SCHRAEDER, THERESA, Scranton, Thursday, Miller Bean Funeral Home Inc., Scranton. Mass, Our Lady of the Snows Church, Clarks Summit, by the Rev. Jeffrey Tudgay. Con-celebrant, Monsignor James J. McGarry. Pallbearers: Todd and Robert III Jones; and Dr. Richard Schraeder, grandsons; Frederick Willecke, Scott Allen, Robert Clewell and Robert Gorczyk, grandsons-in-law. Interment Cathedral Cemetery.

SHEVLIN, SONGIA "SAM," Hop Bottom, formerly of South Scranton, Thursday, Kearney Funeral Home Inc., Scranton, by the Rev. James Wert. Pallbearers: Timothy Kramer, Jack Keenan, Bill Mazaleski, Ronnie Evans, Kenneth Jones and Joseph Sznyter, all friends. Interment, Cathedral Cemetery, Scranton.

SHINERT, LESLIE ANN, Pittston Twp., Saturday, 9 a.m., Kiesinger Funeral Services Inc., 255 McAlpine St., Duryea. Mass, 9:30, Queen of the Apostles Church, Hawthorne Street, Avoca, by the Rev. Phillip Sladika. Interment, Spring Brook Cemetery. Calling hours, today, 4 to 7 p.m. Donations: SPCA, Fox Hill Road, Plains Twp., PA 18702. Condolences: kiesing erfuneralservices.com.

SOTTILE, PHILIP EUGENE, Dunmore, today, Carlucci-Golden-DeSantis Funeral Home Inc., 318 E. Drinker St., Dunmore. Mass, 10 a.m., Immaculate Conception Church, Taylor Ave., Scranton. Go directly to the church. Interment, private. Donations: American Cancer Society, PO Box 22718 Oklahoma City, OK 73123-1718. Condolences: dunmorefuneralhome.com.

TRUSCHEL, JACK H., Old Forge, today, 10 a.m., Victor M. Ferri Funeral Home, 522 Fallon St., Old Forge, by the Rev. David O'Brien, pastor, Moosic Assembly of God. Interment services with military honors, Marcy Cemetery, Duryea. Condolences: ferrifuneralhome.com.

UTTER, JAMES JR., Mayfield, Thursday, Ryczak-Harrison Funeral Home Inc., Mayfield, by the Very Rev. Mitred Archpriest John Soochka. Pallbearers: Nick Serniak, Mike Ciccio, Jim Hill, Rick Matous, John Sokolsky and Joseph Piwowarski. Interment, Jermyn Cemetery, Jermyn.

VINESKI, GREGORY E., former resident of Eynon, calling hours, today, 4 to 7 p.m., Louis J. Rapoch Funeral Home, 420 Church St., Archbald. Funeral and interment, private. Donations: Griffin Pond Animal Shelter, 967 Griffin Pond Road, Clarks Summit, PA 18411. Condolences: rapochfuneralhome.com.

WEILAND, AILEEN E., Greentown, Sunday, 3 p.m., Hemlock Grove United Methodist Church, Greentown, by the Rev. Earl Roberts. Remembrances: Wayne County Memorial Hospital Hospice, 601 Park St., Honesdale, PA 18431; or the Hemlock Grove United Methodist Church, 491 Roemerville Road, Greentown, PA 18426. Arrangements: Arthur J. Frey Funeral Home, South Sterling.

WHITE, SCOTT, Newton Twp., Saturday, 2 to 5 p.m., Lawrence E. Young Funeral Home and Cremation Service, 418 S. State St., Clarks Summit. Memorial service, later date, Countryside Community Church. Memorials: Huntington Disease Society of America, 505 Eighth Ave., New York, NY 10018. Condolences: lawrenceeyoungfuneralhome.com.

WRIGHT, LEON L., Scranton, Saturday, 1 p.m., Howard J. Snowdon Funeral Home, 1810 Sanderson Ave., Scranton. Interment, private. Calling hours, Saturday, noon until service. Contributions: donor's choice. Condolences: duffyandsnowdon.com.

ZERO, MARSHALL JOHN, Scranton, Thursday, Albert P. O'Donnell Funeral Home, Dunmore. Mass, St. Paul's Church, Scranton, by Monisgnor William J. Feldcamp. Pallbearers: Robert Greznda, Norman and David Maconeghy; Jack Miles, James McNulty, Frank Yanni and Bruce Zero, nephews; and Tony Golden. Internment, private.

After hundreds of hours of work by hundreds of people, the 52nd edition of St. Patrick's Day Parade will step off Saturday shortly before noon.

Thousands are expected to swarm the downtown for a Scranton tradition often heralded as one of the biggest St. Patrick's Day parades in the country.

The day will begin with a Mass at 10 a.m. at St. Peter's Cathedral, 315 Wyoming Ave., followed by the two-mile Brian Kelly Memorial Race at 11.

The parade starts at 11:45 a.m. on Wyoming Avenue in front of the cathedral and follows the familiar path to Lackawanna Avenue, over to Jefferson Avenue, down Spruce Street and along North Washington Avenue, where it passes the William J. Nealon Federal Building and reaches the reviewing stand.

"It's been a lot of work in a lot of different directions," Dave Clark, executive director of the St. Patrick's Parade Association of Lackawanna County, said with a laugh.

Acting Scranton Police Chief Carl Graziano said the center of downtown will be closed beginning at 10:30 a.m. Roads will reopen between 3:30 p.m. and 4 p.m.

"It's our biggest event of the year that we have to provide coverage for," Chief Graziano said. "It really taxes our resources for the day."

Saturday's parade will feature representatives from hundreds of groups divided into 10 divisions. All told, it will boast 12,000 participants, including bagpipe, high school and bands.

"There's estimates of 100,000 people in downtown that day," Mr. Clark said.

In addition to downtown festivities, the Gentleman's League of Extraordinary Mustaches will host its sixth annual "Stache Bash" during Parade Day, raising money for a local cancer nonprofit. The family friendly event at the Clarion Hotel on Meadow Avenue from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. benefits the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

In addition to prizes given out in several categories for mustaches, such as Lifetime Achievement and Rookie of the Year, there will be games and activities for kids. Women are invited to get in on the fun and compete for awards with their interpretations of mustaches. The benefit is open to the public and has outgrown several other venues because of the sizable crowds it attracts annually.

"It started in a friend's backyard, 10 of us just goofing around, then moved to Jilly's bar on Court Street and ended in the ballroom at the Clarion," said co-organizer C.J. Mullarkey. "We were kinda shocked last year when we raised over $2,500."

Admission is $30 per person for all-you-can-eat breakfast and open bar, or $15 for breakfast only. Children ages 12 and under are admitted for free. "It's not just one big party," Mr. Mullarkey said. "It started as something funny, and after that we just (wanted to) raise money."

PATRICE WILDING, staff writer, contributed to this report.

Contact the writer: jkohut@timesshamrock.com, @jkohutTT on Twitter

Nearly 30 years later, Dr. Shubhra Shetty can still see the scene at a New York medical center during the peak of the HIV epidemic.

Some people were bedridden, too weak to move. Others, plagued by a loss of appetite or constant illness, suffered weight loss, reduced to skeleton-like versions of their former selves.

The memories motivated Dr. Shetty to pursue this career path.

They are the reasons she stood in front of a group of about 50 students and community members Thursday at the United Neighborhood Centers' Progressive Center and rattled off HIV-related statistics, erasing any doubts the disease is still as powerful as it was 30 years ago.

"I think it used to be something that was talked about, but now that treatment is available, people think it's not as scary," said Dr. Shetty, the medical director of the HIV clinic at the Wright Center. "I try to educate people on the effects of the disease and what strategies they can take to prevent them from acquiring it."

Spearheaded by three area organizations, the event titled "Stop, Think, Act: An All-Ages AIDS Empowerment Workshop" featured a presentation by Dr. Shetty as well as several educational activities.

Held three days before National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, the event highlighted the growing number of young women who test positive for HIV and the percentage of young woman informed about the disease.

Worldwide, women ages 15 to 24 account for 22 percent of all new infections and represent the age group most vulnerable to HIV, statistics show. To make matters worse, less than 30 percent of young women have "comprehensive and correct knowledge on HIV," research shows.

"It's pretty scary, but we have been pretty well educated about HIV through our careers," said Kelia Shelton, a senior at Scranton High School. "I hope there is a cure out there."

Standing at the doorway handing out goodie bags filled with informational packets and contraceptives, Cindy Kennedy, director of Circle of Care, Maternal and Family Health Services Inc., said the event is a "step in the right direction."

"It's all about education and awareness," she said. "If we can increase awareness and provide people with ways to significantly decrease their chance of getting HIV, we are headed the right way."

Contact the writer: miorfino@timesshamrock.com, @miorfinoTT on Twitter

Woman dead after crash

FALLS TWP. - A Factoryville woman is dead after a late Wednesday night crash in Wyoming County.

Jennifer Kaminski, 29, was driving on Route 307 when she lost control of her vehicle, which rolled several times, ejecting her, Lackawanna County Coroner Tim Rowland said.

Ms. Kaminski was taken to Geisinger Community Medical Center where she died at 1:15 a.m., he said. Mr. Rowland said she died as the result of severe head trauma. Tunkhannock Twp. Police Chief Stanley Ely said an investigation is ongoing.

DALTON - Three Lackawanna County bars have been cited by the Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement based on incidents in the fall.

Frank Fratamico and the Casanova, 901-903 S. Webster Ave., Scranton; Edward P. Dunn and Dunn's Tavern, 905 S. Main Ave., Scranton; and McGrath's Pub and Eatery, 112 E. Main St., Dalton, were all cited with gambling charges.

The penalties range from $50 to $1,000 for minor offenses and up to $5,000 for serious offenses, according to state police.

BELLWOOD, Pa. (AP) — Authorities say a driver will face charges after his truck hit a ditch and crashed on a snow-covered road in central Pennsylvania, spilling 17 tons of processed human waste.

Pennsylvania State Police say the accident happened early Wednesday in Antis Township, Blair County. They say the 27-year-old driver hit a ditch, flipped over and spilled its cargo into a nearby marsh.

The Centre Daily Times reports (http://bit.ly/X1VyTp ) the driver was treated for minor injuries and charges against him are pending. The Department of Environmental Protection responded to the scene to supervise the cleanup.

An Archbald man faces charges after a 5-year-old boy told his teacher the man burned his right wrist with a cigarette when the little boy bit his brother.

Brandon Hackenberg, 27, 70 Webster Court in Eynon, was charged with simple assault and endangering the welfare of children, when the boy reported the incident to his teacher, his school principal, and a representatives at the Children's Advocacy Center of Northeastern Pennsylvania.

The boy said Mr. Hackenberg burned him two other times in the past while they were in the car and the boy's brother also had a cigarette burn on his leg, police said.

Mr. Hackenberg was arraigned Thursday and is slated for a preliminary hearing March 13. He was in Lackawanna County Prison in lieu of $10,000 bail.

Contact the writer: ksullivan@timesshamrock.com, @ksullivanTT on Twitter

SCRANTON - City police are searching West Scranton High School after someone reported a written bomb threat in the school sometime before 11 a.m. Friday.

About 1,000 students were evacuated and moved to West Scranton Intermediate School, as per the evacuation protocol, when someone reported a threat written on the tile in a girls' bathroom, Scranton Superintendent Bill King said Friday morning.

Scranton police, including a K9 unit, are searching the building.

Check back for updates.

Bridge replacement causes long-term closure

SCRANTON - Bridge repair will close an on ramp to the Central Scranton Expressway until July, the state Department of Transportation announced.

The Cedar Avenue ramp from Orchard Avenue to the Central Scranton Expressway will be closed to traffic starting Monday at 9 a.m. and will remain closed until July as PennDOT replaces the Moosic/Spruce Street Bridge on State Route 307.

Drivers will be detoured from Cedar Avenue to Lackawanna Avenue to Spruce Street, according to the release.

Three Lackawanna County judges expressed sustained skepticism today about a court challenge to insurance executive Chuck Volpe's push for a ballot question asking voters if they want to study creating a new form of county government.

Attorney Frank J. Tunis Jr., a lawyer for county resident Andrea Benford, who is challenging Mr. Volpe's petitions to put the question on the May 21 primary election ballot, argued her challenge was specific enough because it questions all 6,101 signature on ballot question petitions filed by Mr. Volpe and his supporters.

"They've been put on notice that we're challenging all of them," Mr. Tunis said. "We think the seminal issue here is notice."

Not really, said attorney Frank J. Ruggiero, Mr. Volpe's lawyer. The issue is whether the challenge is specific enough. State law, backed up by a 1990 state Supreme Court ruling, requires a challenger to list the "page, line and reason" a signature is invalid, Mr. Ruggiero said.

"This cannot be a fishing expedition," Mr. Ruggiero said. "Clearly, under every case I've read, you have to be specific."

The validity of signatures - whether the person whose name appears on a petition actually signed it and signed it legally - is important because Mr. Volpe needs a certain minimum number of signatures for the question to be placed on the ballot. Mr. Volpe says that number is 3,490, but one challenge says it's twice that.

Attorney Janine Pavalone, the lawyer for three notaries who work for Mr. Volpe, notarized many of his ballot question petitions and were subpoenaed to testify at another hearing on the matter scheduled for Monday, made a similar argument. She said Mr. Tunis never explained why he subpoenaed the notaries, which left her unable to prepare her clients to testify.

She called the subpoena "oppressive" and "embarrassing" to her clients.

Mr. Tunis denied that is true and argued Ms. Pavalone should have no trouble preparing her clients because they know the proper ways to notarize documents.

President Judge Thomas J. Munley and Judges Terrence R. Nealon and Vito P. Geroulo seemed to have little patience for Mr. Tunis' arguments. Over and over, they questioned the lack of specificity in citing why a signature was invalid.

"This is not just a fishing expedition, but it's a fleet going out to fish," Judge Geroulo said.

Judge Munley said the judges would rule later today.

Contact the writer: bkrawczeniuk@timesshamrock.com