Dickson cops seek credit card thief

DICKSON CITY - Borough police are asking for help identifying a man believed to have stolen several credit cards from a Dickson City man's truck late last month, Police Chief William Bilinski said.

Sometime after 9 p.m. on Feb. 28 in the 500 block of Mary Street, four credit cards were stolen from the truck and used at several Midvalley and Wilkes-Barre locations, police said.

Police are looking for a tall, thin man with dark eyes and dark hair. He was last seen wearing a black coat with a small white insignia on the left front.

Anyone with information should call 489-3231.

CLIPBOARD

Archbald

Recycling change: Borough Good Friday recycling will be collected Monday.

Chinchilla

Pizza sale: Chinchilla Hose Company red and white broccoli pizza sale Friday, noon-7 p.m., firehouse, Shady Lane Road; orders, day of sale: 586-5726, walk-ins welcome.

Jessup

Sandwich sale: Nadine Cenci Marchegiani Foundation porketta sandwich sale, Saturday, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Jessup Hose Company 2, 333 Hill St., $3; advance tickets, 876-4496, walk-ins accepted.

Lackawanna County

Reading campaign: Lackawanna County Library System Read to Feed Campaign accepting nonperishable, nonglass, non-out-of-date canned food donations at libraries during April: details on Bread Basket's fight Summer Hunger projects, 343-2324.

North Scranton

Wine/cigars: North Scranton Rotary wine tasting/cigar sampling at Maiolatesi Wine Cellars, April 27, 4-7 p.m.; $25/advance, $30/door, includes choice of two glasses from a selection of 17 wines, three cigars (mild, medium and full body) courtesy of Altadis USA; appetizers supplied by Kelly's Pub and Eatery, Schiff's and Sidel's Restaurant; silent auction, door prize; advance tickets from members or send check to Terry Beilman, c/o Penn Secur­ity Bank, 1901 Sanderson Ave., Scranton; or stop in at Sidel's Restaurant, (Rich Sedelnick) 1202 N. Main Ave., Scranton, PA 18508.

Regional

Health program: "LiveWell," free healthy aging program, Tuesday, Scranton High School; Mediter­ranean diet, exercise, in-home health risk assessments, gardening, mental health wellness and eye health Issues; reservations, 347-5616 or www.vacne pa.org, by Thursday.

Bus trips: Marywood University Senior Learners spring bus tours: Peter Nero and Phila­del­phia Pops Concert, April 28, with grand Sunday brunch at Waterworks Restaurant, $148; Culinary Institute of America, May 14, with lunch and tour of Locust Grove, $95; Allentown Museum of the Arts and Lehigh Valley Mall, June 6, $46; leave from Marywood; Rosemary, 383-0544.

CLIPBOARD ITEMS may be emailed to yesdesk@times shamrock.com or mailed to Clip­board, c/o YES!Desk, 149 Penn Ave., Scranton, PA 18503. For details, call the YES!Desk, 348-9121.

ARCHBALD - Adding two part-time police officers in Valley View School District for the rest of this school year will cost $13,000, and the money will come from the district's general fund, Superintendent Donald Kanavy said Tuesday.

The Valley View School Board on Monday voted to hire the officers. An Archbald police officer will be assigned to Valley View Intermediate School while a Blakely police officer will patrol Valley View Elementary Center.

The extra security comes after two unfounded bomb threats in the high school, one March 4 and another Thursday, caused evacuations and searches.

Ryan Kristopher Burdick

Ryan Kristopher Burdick of Taylor has attained the rank of Eagle Scout.

Family: Son of Ken and Kelly Burdick.

School/community: Senior honor student at Scranton Preparatory School; plans to study chemistry in college and law post graduate.

Scouting history: Wolf and Bear Cub Scout with Old Forge Cub Scout Pack 98; transferred to Duryea Cub Scout Pack 375 as Webelos Scout; received Arrow of Light; member of the Eagle Patrol of Duryea Troop 285; earned 35 merit badges, member of the Order of the Mow; held the positions of Historian and Eagle Patrol Leader; serves as Junior Assistant Scoutmaster.

Eagle project: Restored wooden stairway leading into Taylor Memorial Cemetery with the help of his troop and under the guidance of Shawn Murphy of the Taylor Historical Society, removed weeds and debris, power-washed and weather-proofed the stairway then refilled it with trail dust; also snipped, power-washed and weather-proofed several benches throughout the cemetery.

Ceremony: Duryea Troop 285 Eagle Scout Reception; received his Eagle rank from NEPA Council with the commutative Eagle Scout Rank Badge honoring the 100th anniversary of the Eagle Scout.

John Ferrara

John Ferrara has been awarded the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest honor of the Boy Scouts of America.

Family: Son of D.J. and Kelly Ferrara, who have supported him during his entire Scouting career.

Scouting history: His Scouting career started in Cub Scouts. He is a member Boy Scout Troop 11, sponsored by the Embury United Methodist Church in Scranton. He has earned 21 merit badges and has held various leadership positions within the troop, including Senior Patrol Leader.

Eagle project: He organized and executed the repair of the fence in the St. John the Baptist section of Cathedral Cemetery.

School/community: He is a junior at West Scranton High School, where he is a member of the school's marching and concert bands. Upon graduation from high school in 2014, he plans to attend college to earn degrees in history and education in the hopes of becoming a history teacher.

LACKAWANNA COUNTY COURT NOTES

Marriage licenses

n Youan Park and Guohong Xu, both of Carbondale.

n Michael Paul Bender and Leanne Marie Frey, both of Dickson City.

n Keith Hallock and Kimberly Loyek, both of Olyphant.

n David Michael Applegate, Scranton, and Tamara Ann Mislinski, Madison Twp.

n Jose Alberto Velez and Susan Michelle Pollick, both of Gouldsboro.

n James Paul Anglin III and Keeley Hamilton, both of Scranton.

PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS

n Jacquelyn J. Donovan, Lacka­wanna County, to Timothy E. and Elizabeth A. Gronski, Lackawan­na County; a property at 205 Frederick St., Moosic, for $175,000.

n Christine Lintott, executrix of the estate of Mary Ann Jorda, to Ella Auerbakh, Brooklyn, N.Y.; a property at Big Bass Lake, Clifton Twp., for $157,500.

n Dean and Jennifer Argenta, Olyphant, to Tracy Baumgardner, Lackawanna County; a property at 1130 W. Locust St., Scran­ton, for $108,240.

n Veterans Memorial Camp Home Association Inc., Old Forge, to East Grace Street Prop­erties LLC, Scranton; two parcels in Old Forge for $125,000.

n John and Mary Kay Tolerico, Carbondale, to Stephen and Alicia Zazzera, Carbondale; a property at 23 Fallbrook St., Car­bondale, for $89,000.

n Gary L. and Carol E. Holts­master, to Cory J. Zadzura and Stacy M. Fron, as joint tenants with rights of survivorship; a property at 36 Rushbrook Road, Scott Twp., for $139,200.

n Frances A. Shope, Scott Twp., to Joseph Kerekes, Chin­chilla; a property in Scott Twp. for $165,000.

n Michael J. and Mary Anne Murtha, Enola, to James and Beverly Zeller, Peckville; a property at 103 Beverly Drive, Arch­bald, for $191,500.

n Jill E. Kidwell, Olyphant, to Kerry A. Nelson, Olyphant; a property at 109 E. Breaker St., Olyphant, for $152,500.

DivorceS sought

n David E. Ragan, Scranton, v. Christine M. Ragan, Clifford Twp.; married Feb. 28, 2012, in Wayne County; John D. Lalley, attorney.

n Rebecca M. Edwards, Peck­ville, v. Vincent Edwards, Peck­ville; married Oct. 5, 1996, in Peckville; Hughes, Nicholls & O'Hara, attorneys.

n James Mangan, Scranton, v. Tami Mangan, Scranton; married Nov. 11, 1997, in Scranton; Nicholls & O'Hara, attorneys.

FEDERAL TAX LIENS

n Carolyn Clark, sole member, St. Mary's Courtyard at Sharps­burg LLC, 313 N. Everett Ave., Scranton; $70,800.20.

n Robert Cordaro, 116 N. Wash­ington Ave., Suite 200, Scranton; $37,983.63.

n Belotti Learning Window Inc., 106 Rinaldi Drive, Taylor; $34,354.

n Carl J. Greco, 1610 N. Washington Ave., Scranton; $980,376.84.

n Carl J. and Patricia C. Greco, 1610 N. Washington Ave., Scranton; $1,067.70.

n James Scoblick, 713 Lincoln St., Dickson City; $4,694.98.

Estates filed

n Mary Louise Gowka, 1219 S. Main St., Taylor, letters testamentary to Eugene Curran, 6230 Bloomington Road, Madison Twp.

n Duane A. Naugle Sr., also known as Duane Naugle Sr., 1041 Spring Brook Ave., Moosic, letters testamentary to Lori Norris, 1057 Spring Brook Ave., Moosic.

n Dorothy Gloria Casella, 534 Fallon St., Old Forge, letters testamentary to Gail D. Giannone, 509 S. Main St., Taylor.

n Theresa M. Kania, 76 Wayne St., Carbondale, letters testamentary to Rosemary Travis, 1226 Waddell St., Archbald.

bench warrants

The following bench warrants were by issued by Judge Vito Geroulo for failure to appear fines and costs.

n Mark Oprisko, 346 E. Locust St., Scranton; $830.50.

n Patrick A. Tomlinson Jr., 631 George St., Old Forge; $5,606.72.

n Gary Allen Griffin, 187 Hughes St., Swoyersville; $1,418.50.

n John Joseph Jenisky, 837 Quincy Ave., Scranton; $774.50.

n Terrance Emery Baggett, 77 E. Coulter St., Philadelphia; $546.72.

n Coby Ellman, 2609 N. Main Ave., Scranton; $2,546.

n Andrew Quinn, 222½ N. Brom­ley Ave., Scranton; $2,139.50.

n Morris Lamerril Houser, 112 Paces Brook Ave., Apt. 11228, Columbia, S.C.; $1,189.50.

n Angel Lloyd, 43 Darte Ave., Carbondale; $1,720.

n Rebecca A. Fiore, 70 E. Rush Apts Road, Montrose; $699.50.

n Marcus Jarvis, 6812 Old York Road, Apt. 2f, Philadelphia; $1,013.

n Brian David Hoersberger, 151 N. Mountain Blvd., Moun­taintop; $992.25.

n Colin Arnold Holden, 1123 Lackawanna Trail Highway, Clarks Summit; $2,229.50.

n Jesse Dwayne Hocutt, 140 Brookline St., Middletown, N.Y.; $2,175.10.

n Jonathan J. Hill, 1012 Snyder Ave., Scranton; $1,524.

n Thomas Donald Hazelton, 410 S. Irving Ave., Scranton; $669.50.

n Nathan Goodwin, 1343 Grandview Drive, Tunkhannock; $798.50.

n James Gonzalez, 616 Pitts­ton Ave., Scranton; $2,319.84.

n Nicolas Thomas Jones, 2008 Price St., Scranton; $744.

n Michelle Kime, 3247 Pitts­ton Ave., Scranton; $1,843.50.

n David Lavall Simmons, 116½ E. Green St., Hazelton; $135.14.

n Ronald P. Raoska II, 108 Eliza St., Dickson City; $3,104.05.

ONLINE: thetimes-tribune.com/courts

Winter weather may be breaking soon, but those eligible for home heating assistance in Pennsylvania will have until April 26 to apply for the federally funded Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program.

LIHEAP provides cash grants to help utility customers with heating bills and crisis grants to help them cope with emergency situations.

The program, administered in the commonwealth by the Department of Public Welfare, has funds remaining and is able to extend eligibility. The original program deadline was Friday.

Of the $157 million budgeted for Pennsylvania, there remains $46 million in cash support and $13 million for emergency crisis assistance.

There are 37,000 fewer applicants this season compared to last season, said Anne Bale of the state Department of Public Welfare. Local numbers are close to last season. Lackawanna County program participants are 6,531 compared to 6,574 last season. In Luzerne, this season's count was 12,265 compared to 13,012 last season.

The intensity of winter often dictates how widely used the program is, she said. An early or frigid winter sometimes required that the program be closed early. But typically, the state can extend the deadline a few weeks.

"Interest in the program is weather-dependent and while this winter was cold, it was not too terribly bad," Ms. Bale said. "I would also surmise that an improving economy may have reduced demand."

Whether people heat with electricity, oil or natural gas, they may still be eligible. Also, an applicant doesn't have to have unpaid utility or heating oil bills. The criteria is solely income-based. For example, a household of four with an annual income of up to $34,575 would be eligible. For a household of two, $22,695 annually is the maximum allowable income to qualify. The amount of the grant depends upon the type of heat used and the income level.

Applicants should bring proof of income and household size, and a recent bill or a statement from their fuel dealer or utility verifying their customer status.

State officials said prudent planning and running an efficient program allowed them to extend the deadline by nearly a month.

Eligible customers can apply online for LIHEAP funding at www.compass.state.pa.us. They also can apply in person at county assistance offices or call the statewide toll-free hot line at 1-866-857-7095 with questions.

Contact the writer: dfalchek@timesshamrock.com

THROOP - Officials from the three boroughs that send students to Mid Valley School District will soon find out how much it will cost them to add an officer to a district school.

At a school board meeting Tuesday, representatives from Dickson City, Olyphant and Throop voiced support for hiring a resource officer who would stay at the Mid Valley Elementary Center during school hours.

After borough officials left, school board members went into an executive session to draw up a document outlining what percentage of the officer's salary the three boroughs and district would be responsible for paying.

The proposal will be given to each borough's solicitor before the next meeting, board President Gerald Luchansky said. If approved, the proposal will be sent back to the school board for a vote.

Based on a $15.50 hourly rate, it would cost about $20,000 a year for an officer at the school, officials said.

"I think our council will go for anything that is reasonable," Olyphant Mayor Jayme Morano said. "We are here tonight because we want to make sure we get this accomplished."

The district has one school resource officer who rotates between schools.

"It's too large of a facility not to have a resource officer in the (elementary) school," board member Donna Dixon said.

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

Fidelity restates Q4 earnings

DUNMORE - Fidelity D&D Bancorp Inc. restated its fourth-quarter and full-year earnings after underfunding its loan loss reserve.

The Dunmore-based bank's updated fourth-quarter earnings were reduced to $900,000, down from the previously reported $1.3 million. For the year, the company updated year-end results to $4.9 million, down from the previously reported $5.3 million.

The company said it restated the earnings when it learned the collateral value of an impaired commercial real estate loan was less. That impairment required the bank to increase its allowance for loan losses for the fourth quarter, which forced the drop in earnings.

Fidelity ended the year with $602 million in assets. The bank has 11 offices in Lackawanna and Luzerne counties.

TUNKHANNOCK TWP. - Five Tunkhannock Area school students were taken to area hospitals with minor injuries after their school bus and a car collided on Route 307 on Tuesday morning, Tunkhannock police said.

The other 30 students on the bus were taken to the district's middle school and high school, said Tunkhannock Area Superintendent Michael J. Healey. He said the bus carried students from grades five through 12.

"Our emergency procedures to handle this worked as well as they could," Mr. Healey said.

First responders from about a half-dozen ambulance companies responded to the scene, which was about one-half mile south from the Route 307 intersection with Route 92.

The bus was hit by a Chevrolet Impala driven by Dalton resident Brian Jonas, who told police he was tired after working a 12-hour night shift and possibly fell asleep at the wheel while driving south on Route 307, police said.

The children were evacuated from the bus through the rear emergency door by the bus driver, Nancy Stevens of Tunkhannock.

Mr. Jonas was taken from the scene with a head injury. Information on his condition was not immediately available.

The five children taken to Tyler Memorial Hospital were treated and released Tuesday, spokesman Jim McGuire said.

Officers learned that Mr. Jonas' driving privileges were suspended at the time of the crash. He will be charged with driving while under suspension and failure to wear a seat belt, police said.

Contact the writer: bbaker@wcexaminer.com, jkohut@timesshamrock.com

Area bars cited for violations

SCRANTON - The state Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement has cited two Lackawanna County bars for violations.

The former Martini Grill and Lounge, 414 Spruce St. was cited on Jan. 23 for fortified, adulterated and/or contaminated liquor. That bar is no longer at that location, having been replaced by Tony's Spot.

Colarusso's Cafe, 100 E. Grove St., Clarks Summit, was cited on Feb. 21 for selling, furnishing and/or giving or permitting sale of alcoholic beverages to a minor.

Penalties range from $50 to $1,000 for minor offenses and up to $5,000 for more serious offenses. License suspension or revocation are also possible.

Malikah Smith has plans for the eggs she received Tuesday afternoon at the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Human Services Building.

First, she plans on painting them and having her family find them. Then she's making egg salad.

"I'm going to cook a nice Easter dinner for the whole family," Ms. Smith, 32, of Scranton, said.

On Tuesday, hundreds of people lined up on Wyoming Avenue to receive food and Easter gift baskets, courtesy of Friends of the Poor. Executive Director Sister Ann Walsh said the amount of food has been upped by 200 meals from last year's 1,400 meals.

"I think the need has grown," Sister Ann said.

The only thing a resident needed to provide Tuesday was proof of the number of members in the household. Proof of income was not required.

"It is a humbling experience," Sister Ann said.

Stephanie Anuszewski, a social studies teacher in the Valley View School District, and 25 of her students have been volunteering at the annual event for the past five years. It is important to her to show her students what community service means, rather than tell them in the classroom.

"It's important for these kids to understand what the world is really like, and to give back," Mrs. Anuszewski said. "It's more important than book knowledge."

Alexa Feduchak, 17, a Valley View High School junior and student of Mrs. Anuszewski, said she agrees with her teacher that it is important to see things firsthand. Alexa has been volunteering for the event or the past three years.

"I enjoy helping people," she said.

The food and basket distribution will continue today from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the same location.

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

COVINGTON TWP. - A Spring Brook Twp. man was injured Tuesday morning when his car hit a patch of ice on a sharp turn, township police Chief Bernie Klocko said.

Robert Haas, 80, was driving along the 200 block of Union Mill Road around 8:15 a.m. Tuesday, when his Honda Accord ran into a drainage ditch.

He suffered some head and face lacerations and needed help exiting the vehicle, though he was conscious and alert the entire time, Chief Klocko said. Mr. Haas was treated and released from Geisinger Community Medical Center, hospital spokeswoman Wendy Wilson said.

Charter school founder

indicted for tax evasion

A federal grand jury in Scranton on Tuesday indicted the founder of Pocono Mountain Charter School and pastor of Shawnee Tabernacle Church in Tobyhanna on one count of tax evasion and one count of filing a false tax return.

Dennis Bloom, 58, of Mount Pocono, failed to report a substantial amount of income above the $93,227 he reported on his federal income taxes in 2006, according to the indictment.

It did not specify how much money the former chief executive officer of the charter school failed to report. The charges carry a maximum eight-year term in federal prison.

"Be assured that we are serious about investigating these crimes and we will vigorously pursue criminals who steal from the American taxpayer," said Akeia Conner, special agent in charge of the IRS-Criminal Investigation Philadelphia Field Office, in a statement.

A woman who answered the phone at the school on Tuesday said Mr. Bloom no longer works there. She declined to answer further questions and said no one was available to take questions.

Efforts to reach Mr. Bloom were unsuccessful.

According to a state Auditor General's report in 2012, Mr. Bloom also funneled $3 million in taxpayer education dollars to the church where he was a pastor.

The charter school was created by the Shawnee Tabernacle Church.

The auditor general's office sent the audit to the state Ethics Commission and Monroe County District Attorney E. David Christine Jr. for review after "questionable financial transactions" were apparently uncovered.

Mr. Christine's office declined to comment on the status of the review when questioned Tuesday.

Rob Caruso, ethics commission acting executive director, said he could not confirm or deny it was investigating Mr. Bloom.

The attorney for the charter school has said the major findings of the audit were unfounded and "nothing new."

Contact the writer: smcconnell@ timesshamrock.com @smcconnellTT on Twitter

Bills would use gas locally

Utilities to file plan with PUC

HARRISBURG - Legislation introduced by two key senators Tuesday would give state government a role in directing utilities to extend natural gas service to business and residential areas that lack it.

The bills sponsored by Sen. Gene Yaw, R-23, Williamsport, and Majority Leader Sen. Dominic Pileggi, R-9, Chester, seek to expand the distribution lines and systems for the lower-cost natural gas produced in the Marcellus Shale formation. Mr. Yaw heads the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee.

"There is widespread interest in seeking locally produced natural gas used locally to benefit our area businesses and homeowners," Mr. Yaw said.

One bill would require natural gas utilities to file a three-year plan with the state Public Utility Commission outlining extension projects. These plans would be updated every two years and the PUC would have the authority to alter plans under the bill. It would allow for expedited projects where an economic development agency or large businesses or residential subdivis­ions want to obtain service.

Under the bill, a utility would first conduct a survey of which customers have access to natural gas in its service area. The utility would provide a cost-benefit analysis and financing plan for an expansion project to underserved areas.

Most utilities have a policy where they will install 50 feet of natural gas pipeline for free to hook up a customer to a main line, according to Senate analysts. But a hookup can be costly if a longer extension is necessary.

Another bill would earmark $15 million from an existing state alternate energy investment fund for grants to help schools, hospitals and small businesses to obtain access to natural gas service. The grants would be approved by the Commonwealth Financing Authority.

Contact the writer: rswift@timesshamrock.com

An investment group appears poised to purchase Snö Mountain and extend new life to the bankrupt Scranton recreation complex.

"We have a deal in principle," said Charles Jefferson, a Montgomery County real estate developer who is an investor with Montage Mountain Resorts LP. "We are coming in to carry it over the finish line."

The investment group will rename the complex Montage, Mr. Jefferson said, and the partnership will spend more than $8 million to acquire the complex and make improvements.

The attraction was called Montage from its 1983 opening until 2006, when a Philadelphia-based investment group acquired it for $5.1 million from Lackawanna County and rechristened it Snö Mountain.

Montage Mountain Resorts, which unsuccessfully bid $4.5 million for the 440-acre skiing and water-park attraction at a Philadelphia bankruptcy auction in February, also includes at least one member of the Snö Mountain ownership group.

DFM Realty, an affiliate of National Penn Bank, a Reading-area institution which is owed more than $8.9 million on two mortgages issued to Snö Mountain's owners, bid $4.6 million at the auction and appeared in position to take over the facility.

Mr. Jefferson, though, recently surfaced as the front man for Montage Mountain Resorts. His Montgomery County development company, Jefferson-Werner, spearheaded the $23 million 2010 conversion of the Connell Building into a residential and commercial complex. The company last year invested $8.6 million to reconfigure the former Scranton Chamber of Commerce Building for similar purposes and renamed it 426, its Mulberry Street address.

After months of dispiriting developments affecting Snö Mountain since it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in October in Philadelphia, the emergence of a takeover group including a successful Scranton redeveloper generates new hope for the recreation site.

"This is great news for the city and Northeastern Pennsylvania," Mayor Chris Doherty said. "Charlie Jefferson has demonstrated a true vision for the region and I am confident he will have the same success with Montage."

Mr. Jefferson's successful downtown redevelopment ventures herald a brighter outlook for the leisure attraction, said Austin Burke, president of the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce.

"I can't think of anyone I would more happily entrust the future of Montage to than Charlie Jefferson and his group," Mr. Burke said. "Look at the work he has done in Scranton. It is all first-class."

Several details of the takeover agreement, including the actual purchase price, need to be resolved, Mr. Jefferson said. The group hopes to close the deal the first week of May and open Snö Cove water park May 25.

Mr. Jefferson plans to meet with the Snö Mountain staff later this week.

"We are doing everything possible we can to make this a seamless transition and have a great water park opening in May," he said. "Montage is back. That is what is important."

Workers at Snö Mountain feel a sense of relief, general manager Mark Verrastro said.

"Everybody is extremely excited and we are looking forward to working with them," he said. "They know the area."

Ski operations at the complex ceased March 19. Its destiny seemed murky after National Penn emerged from the auction as top bidder and a closing date to transfer ownership of the property to the bank was anticipated by April 19, court files show.

The Snö Mountain investment group technically still owns the property, though all business decisions go through bankruptcy court and are executed by trustee Gary Seitz.

Montage Mountain Resorts, National Penn and the bankruptcy estate probably will file a joint motion in court spelling out the ownership transfer agreement, Mr. Seitz said.

The bank also would have to agree to extend a financing arrangement, which is scheduled to lapse at the end of March, Mr. Seitz said. The arrangement would keep the business open, provide for payment of employees and continue insurance coverage.

Snö Mountain was able to open for the ski season in December after Bankruptcy Judge Jean FitzSimon allowed the business to borrow up to $497,585 to continue operations through the bankruptcy case and use income to finance ongoing operations.

The financing was provided by Wynnewood Capital Partners, a Montgomery County investment group that had a $1.4 million ownership stake in Snö Mountain.

Edward Reitmeyer, managing partner at WCP Snö Mountain, a firm associated with Wynnewood, is among the investors in Montage Mountain Resorts, Mr. Jefferson said.

Finally, a court order could be issued amending or modifying the existing ruling rearranging the parties and the acquisition terms, Mr. Seitz said.

Catharine Bower, spokeswoman for National Penn, declined to comment.

The Snö Mountain group invested $15 million and installed new snow-making equipment, a terrain park and Snö Cove. It piled up more than $24 million in debt before seeking bankruptcy relief.

The facility has visible detriments, though, including decades-old ski lifts, trailers for rentals and ticket sales, an antiquated lodge and a deteriorating physical plant.

"There is a need to modernize the facilities or at least clean them up," Mr. Jefferson said, as he toured the facility on Monday. "We're bringing back something that had better days. People need to feel as though they are getting value here. It's a real simple thing."

Charles Jefferson Biography

Charles Jefferson's Scranton ties go back to childhood.

Mr. Jefferson, 47, of Montgomery County, spent time in the city in his youth at the home of his maternal grandmother, the late Catherine Rabel.

A native of Philadelphia, he earned a bachelor's degree in marketing and a master's degree in finance from Temple University. He began his career as a manager at ServiceMaster, the Memphis-based cleaning and restoration conglomerate whose companies include TruGreen, a lawn-maintenance company, and Terminix, a pest-control service.

He later was director of the real estate subsidiary at Drexel University in Philadelphia and held management positions at a Philadelphia residential redevelopment company and a Philadelphia-based student housing development business.

He established Jefferson-Werner in 2007. The company also has been involved in urban redevelopment residential work at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster and the construction of a student housing complex in Durham, N.C.

Contact the writer: jhaggerty@timesshamrock.com

Christine Cohen has been engaged to her fianceé for four years.

But as the law stands now, she and her future wife cannot marry in Pennsylvania because they are a same-sex couple.

"To get married we have to leave the state. And we probably will, to Vermont," she said.

Even if the couple doesn't have the support of the state, they do have the support of Ms. Cohen's two children, Madeleine, 15, and Ross, 13, who made signs and attended the Light the Way to Justice candlelight vigil for marriage equality Tuesday night on Courthouse Square in Scranton.

Nearly 200 people gathered for the event, which was organized by three Marywood University graduate students. The local vigil is part of a larger movement under Equality Pennsylvania this week to bring attention to the United States Supreme Court hearing oral arguments regarding marriage equality for same-sex couples. The hearings could result in a ruling on whether California's Proposition 8, which bans gay marriage in the state, and the Defense Of Marriage Act, a federal law which defines marriage as between one man and one woman, are unconstitutional.

One organizer, Nicole Hartung, who is straight, married and expecting her first baby soon, said she wanted to make a more inclusive and accepting world for her child if he or she were gay.

"When my child's born, I want to make sure I fought for rights ... that I did something for them," Mrs. Hartung said.

Participants - gay, straight or questioning - toted lit white candles, rainbow flags and homemade signs voicing their support for the lesbian, gay, transgender and bisexual community and their right to marry.

Keystone College professor of political science Jeff Brauer, who is gay, spoke at the event, calling into question the legality of both Prop 8 in California and DOMA specifically because of the 14th Amendment, which guarantees citizens equal protection under the law, and the Full Faith and Credit clause, which proclaims states must honor judicial proceedings from all other states.

"There's really constitutional principles at stake," Mr. Brauer said.

Michael Dejesus, 19, of Scranton, stood in front of the crowd and spoke in hopes that one day he can marry a man and proclaim his love like anyone else.

"I want to be able to walk into a church, say my vows and get married," he said.

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

WASHINGTON — Medical claims costs — the biggest driver of health insurance premiums — will jump an average 32 percent for Americans’ individual policies under President Barack Obama’s overhaul, according to a study by the nation’s leading group of financial risk analysts.

The report could turn into a big headache for the Obama administration at a time when many parts of the country remain skeptical about the Affordable Care Act. The estimates were recently released by the Society of Actuaries to its members.

While some states will see medical claims costs per person decline, the report concluded the overwhelming majority will see double-digit increases in their individual health insurance markets, where people purchase coverage directly from insurers.

The disparities are striking. By 2017, the estimated increase would be 62 percent for California, about 80 percent for Ohio, more than 20 percent for Florida and 67 percent for Maryland. Much of the reason for the higher claims costs is that sicker people are expected to join the pool, the report said.

The report did not make similar estimates for employer plans, the mainstay for workers and their families. That’s because the primary impact of Mr. Obama’s law is on people who don’t have coverage through their jobs.

The administration questions the design of the study, saying it focused only on one piece of the puzzle and ignored cost relief strategies in the law such as tax credits to help people afford premiums and special payments to insurers who attract an outsize share of the sick. The study also doesn’t take into account the potential pricecutting effect of competition in new state insurance markets that will go live on Oct. 1, administration officials said.

At a White House briefing on Tuesday, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said some of what passes for health insurance today is so skimpy it can’t be compared to the comprehensive coverage available under the law. “Some of these folks have very high catastrophic plans that don’t pay for anything unless you get hit by a bus,” she said. “They’re really mortgage protection, not health insurance.”

COOPER, HILDA M., Scranton, Tuesday, Green Ridge Assembly of God Church, Scranton, by the Rev. David Twiss, son-in-law. Pallbearers: Thomas Twiss, grandson; Cory, Ron and Kyle Kroptavich, James Timony and Michael Tomcho. Interment, Fairview Memorial Park, Elmhurst Twp.

EDWARDS, RUTH REES, formerly of Clarks Green and Clarks Summit, Friday, noon, Clarks Green United Methodist Church, 119 Glenburn Road, by the Rev. Brent Stouffer, pastor. Interment, Dunmore Cemetery. Calling hours, today, 5 to 7 p.m., Lawrence E. Young Funeral Home & Cremation Service, 418 S. State St., Clarks Summit. Condolences: lawrenceeyoungfuner alhome.com. Donations: Clarks Green United Methodist Church.

GARM, FRED EDWARD, Forest City, Wednesday, Jones & Brennan Funeral Home, Forest City. Mass, St. Joseph's Church, Forest City, by the Rev. Patrick L. Albert. Pallbearers: Charles Randell, Jason Emmett, Michael, Paul and Mike Opecko. Interment, St. Agnes Cemetery, Forest City.

HALL, ALFRED B. "FRITZ," Clifford Twp., Saturday, 9 a.m., ceremony 10, Elkview Country Club, Crystal Lake, by the Rev. William Carter. Cremation: Jones and Brennan Funeral Home, 430 Main St., Forest City. Contributions: Pancreatic Cancer Action Network via the Alfred "Fritz" Hall Legacy Fund, firstgiving.com/fundraiser/fritz-hall/KeeptheMemoryAlive, or 1500 Rosecrans Ave., Suite 200, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266.

HERRON, GEORGE WESLEY "WES" JR., Nicholson, today, 11 a.m., Nicholson United Methodist Church, State Street, by Pastor John Shaffer. Burial, Nicholson Cemetery. Arrangements: Charles H. Litwin Funeral Home, 91 State St., Nicholson. Contributions: Nicholson United Methodist Church Memorial Fund c/o P.O. Box 590, Nicholson, PA 18446 or donor's favorite charity.

HILLER, PATRICIA ANN, Taylor, Wednesday, Thomas J. Hughes Funeral Home Inc., Scranton. Mass, St. Ann's Basilica, Scranton, by the Rev. Francis Landry, C.P., pastor; the Rev Jack Connor, C.P., and Brother Dan Turner, C.P. Pallbearers: Zachary, Jacob and Samuel Hiller, grandsons; Eric Budzinski, Gary Lavelle and Tim Norton. Interment, Cathedral Cemetery, Scranton.

HIRSH, KURT H., Lake Ariel, Tuesday, 11 a.m., St. Paul's Lutheran Church, 405 Church St., Hawley, by the Rev. Colleen E. Cox, pastor. Private cremation, Lake Region Crematory, Lake Ariel. Calling hours, Monday, 4 to 8 p.m., Teeters' East Chapel, 505 Church St., Hawley. Memorials: World Wildlife Fund at www.worldwildlife.org. Condolences: teetersfuneralchapel.com.

HOINSKY, JULIA TOKARCZYK, Carbondale, formerly of Mayfield, arrangements, Lawrence A. Gabriel Funeral Home, 74 N. Main St., Carbondale.

HUBIAK, PETER, Dickson City, Wednesday, Frank T. Mazur Funeral Home Inc., Dickson City. Divine Liturgy, St. Andrew's Church, Blakely, by the Very Rev. Benjamin Worlinsky, pastor. Pallbearers: Akym Kuzmick, Stephen Martarano, David, Doug and Drew VanBenthuysen, and William Herold Jr. Interment, St. Andrew's Cemetery, Blakely.

KELLY, MILDRED M., Scranton, today, 9:30 a.m., St. Peter's Cathedral, Wyoming Avenue, Scranton. Interment, Cathedral Cemetery, Scranton. No calling hours. Arrangements: Knight O'Donnell Funeral Home, 323 William St., Scranton.

LOPEZ, EVA, Scranton, Friday, 9 a.m., Solfanelli-Fiorillo Funeral Home Inc., 1030 N. Main Ave., by the Rev. John Ruth. Interment, Dunmore Cemetery. Calling hours, today, 4 to 7 p.m. Condolences: solfanellifiorillofuneralhome.com.

MATTES, MICHAEL S., today, 10:30 a.m., Fierro Funeral Home, 26 W. Second St., Hazleton. Interment, Calvary Cemetery, Drums. Contributions: Hazleton Animal Shelter.

McHALE, RITA, South Scranton, today, 9 a.m., August J. Haas Funeral Home Inc., 202 Pittston Ave., Sranton. Mass, 9:30, Nativity of Our Lord Church, 633 Orchard St., Scranton, by the Rev. Michael Bryant, pastor. Interment, Cathedral Cemetery, Scranton. Contributions: favorite charity. Condolences: augusthaasfuneralhome.com.

NAPIERKOWSKI, BRENDA M. VALENTINE, Kingsley, today, 9:30 a.m., Shifler-Parise Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 18 Airport Road, Clifford. Services, 10, St. Pius X Church, Route 106, Royal. Cremation follows. Inurnment, later date. Condolences: parisefuneral home.com. Donations: Rider Down Foundation, www.riderdown.org.

NARCOONIS, MICHAEL J., Archbald, cremation, Maple Hill Crematory, Archbald. No public calling hours. Arrangements: Frank T. Mazur Funeral Home Inc., 601 Dundaff St., Dickson City. Condolences: mazurfuneralhome.com. Donations: St. Joseph's Center, 2010 Adams Ave., Scranton, 18509 or www.stjoesphscenter.org/opportunitiestohelp.

NOGI, DR. JAY, Richmond, Va., Monday, Blileys-Central, Richmond, Va. Interment, Richmond Beth El Forest Lawn. Visitors welcome at the home of Jacob and Carol Nogi, 517 Grandview St., Clarks Summit, today, 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Contributions: American Diabetes Society, American Kidney Foundation, American Heart Association or charity of choice.

PICZON, SEVERINO Y., M.D., viewing, today, 4 to 7 p.m., Edward J. Chomko Funeral Home, 254-268 Railroad Ave., West Scranton. Services and interment, private. Condolences: www.chomkofuneralhome.com.

REYNOLDS, ELLA F., Dunmore, Scranton, Monday, Bomberger-Lesko Funeral Home Inc., Scranton, by the Rev. Robert Walls, pastor of Our Father's House. Pallbearers: David and Timothy Depew, Paul McMynne, Kenneth Solsman, Matthew Reynolds and Eric Sohns. Interment: Dunmore Cemetery.

SOLTIS, CAROLANN, Scranton, Saturday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., All Seasons Banquet Center (behind Greenwood Fire Dept.), 3729 Birney Ave., Moosic, PA 18507. Arrangements: Brian Arthur Strauch Funeral Homes & Cremation Services, 602 Birch St., Scranton, PA 18505. Condolences: strauchfuneralhomes.com.

STOKER, IRENE J., Scranton, today, 10 a.m., Brian Arthur Strauch Funeral Homes & Cremation Services, 602 Birch St., Scranton, by the Rev. Art Davis. Interment, Dunmore Cemetery. Contributions: Faith Church, 137 S. Main Ave., Scranton, PA 18504. Condolences: strauchfuneralhomes.com.

YANNI, FRANK T., Scranton, today, Albert P. O'Donnell Funeral Home, 2025 Green Ridge St., Dunmore. Service, 10 a.m., St. Paul's Church, 1510 Penn Ave., Scranton. Interment, Fairview Memorial Park, Elmhurst. Go directly to church. Contributions: Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research.

ZIEGLER, DORIS M., Scranton, Wednesday, Miller Bean Funeral Home Inc., Scranton, by the Rev. Dr. Stuart Thomas Wilson, interim pastor of Hickory Street Presbyterian Church. Pallbearers: Bob Palmitessa, Valerie Miller Bean, Paul C. Buttner, John Hudak and George Wheeler. Interment, Pittston Avenue Cemetery, Scranton.

Parole violators arrested

Two men wanted for parole violations in New York were arrested by U.S. Marshals and Lackawanna County detectives in Scranton on Tuesday after a drug investigation.

Police said Troy Scott, 26, 430 N. Irving Ave., who was wanted for a parole violation related to a robbery charge in New York, sold heroin and crack during a controlled drug purchase near the 800 block of North Main Avenue. He was charged with possession with intent to manufacture or deliver a controlled substance, criminal use of a communication facility, possession of a controlled substance and possession with intent to use drug paraphernalia.

A passenger in Mr. Scott's vehicle at the time of the arrest, Derek Milner, 31, homeless, had to be taken into custody to be identified after being uncooperative, police said. Police discovered Mr. Milner was also wanted by the New York State Division of Parole in connection with a felony drug conviction. He was charged with being a fugitive from justice, police said.

Mr. Scott was arraigned Tuesday and is slated for a preliminary hearing Thursday, April 4. He was taken to Lackawanna County Prison in lieu of $50,000 bail plus his parole detainer.

Mr. Milner is slated for a preliminary hearing Tuesday, and is in custody in lieu of $25,000 bail.

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

Barletta addresses budget at C of C event

Says common sense lacking in Washington

TUNKHANNOCK - Washington needs to get its "fiscal house in order" and congressmen shouldn't get paid if they can't pass a budget, Rep. Lou Barletta said Wednesday morning at a legislative breakfast sponsored by the Wyoming County Chamber of Commerce.

"Common sense is not so common in Washington, I guess you figured out by now," Mr. Barletta, R-11, Hazleton, quipped to moderator Alex Fried of Procter & Gamble.

"Look, I've got four daughters, and if one of them came to me and said she was having a problem making payments on a credit card, I might help her out," Mr. Barletta said. "But, I'd also tell her she'd have to give up that card."

"Suppose she said she not only wasn't giving it up, but was also looking for me to call a friend to get her line of credit increased, what would you think?"

"Well that's the mindset in Washington," he said. "If we don't pass a budget, we shouldn't get paid. We've got to get this fiscal house in order."

Across the board, state Reps. Karen Boback, R-117, Harveys Lake and Sandra Major, R-111, Montrose, and state Sen. Lisa Baker, R-20, Lehman Twp., along with Republican U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey's legislative aide Brian Langan agreed that cuts were necessary to balance budgets.

Sharon Lynett, Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Casey's legislative aide, also agreed cuts were necessary, "but they need to be smart, focused cuts."

Contact the writer: bbaker@wcexaminer.com