ALBANY, N.Y. - A formal complaint filed with New York's lobbying board asks it to investigate whether Artists Against Fracking, a group that includes Yoko Ono and other A-List celebrities, is violating the state's lobbying law, according to the document obtained by The Associated Press.

The Independent Oil & Gas Association, an industry group that supports gas drilling, filed the complaint Tuesday with the state's Joint Commission on Public Ethics.

The complaint is based on an AP story that found that Artists Against Fracking and its members, including Ms. Ono, her son Sean Lennon, actors Mark Ruffalo and Robert De Niro and others, aren't registered as lobbyists and therefore didn't disclose their spending in opposition to hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, to remove gas from underground deposits.

"The public has been unable to learn how much money is being spent on this effort, what it is being spent on, and who is funding the effort," said Brad Gill, executive director of the Independent Oil & Gas Association of New York. "I understand the power of celebrity that this organization has brought to the public discussion over natural gas development, but I do not understand why this organization is not being required to follow the state's lobbying law."

The group confirmed it filed the complaint but didn't comment further.

Artists Against Fracking, formed by Ms. Ono and Mr. Lennon, says its activities are protected as free speech. The group was created last year amid the Cuomo administration's review to determine whether to allow hydraulic fracturing to remove gas from vast underground shale formations in southern and central New York.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo continues his review as public opinion has shifted from initial support based on the promise of jobs and tax revenue from drilling in economically depressed upstate New York to mixed feelings because of concerns over potential environmental and health effects.

Seven months after Artists Against Fracking was formed, the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute on March 20 found that New York voters were for the first time opposed to fracking, 46 percent to 39 percent.

"There's no doubt the celebrities had an effect," Quinnipiac pollster Maurice Carroll said. "As far as I can tell, they made all the difference."

A spokesman for Artists Against Fracking said the group and its individual members don't have to register as lobbyists.

"As private citizens, Yoko and Sean are not required to register as lobbyists when they use their own money to express an opinion and there's also no lobbying requirement when you are engaged in a public comment period by a state agency," spokesman David Fenton said.

"If the situation changes then, of course, Artists Against Fracking will consider registering," Mr. Fenton said. "Up to now, there has been no violation because they are entitled to do this as private citizens with their own money."

On its website, the group implores readers: "Tell Governor Cuomo: Don't Frack New York." Celebrities supporting the group have led rallies and performed in the song "Don't Frack My Mother," also carried on the Internet.

Ethics commission spokesman John Milgrim didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday. By law, the commission doesn't confirm or deny pending investigations.

Post 327 Auxiliary to meet Monday

Auxiliary to Raymond Henry American Legion Post 327, Olyphant, meeting, Monday, 7 p.m.

Post 6082 auxiliary to elect officers

Shopa-Davey VFW Post 6082, Blakely, Ladies Auxiliary nomination and election of officers, April 9, 7 p.m.

VFW Post 4909 to meet Monday

Dupont VFW Post 4909 meeting, Monday, 7:30 p.m., post home; home association meeting follows.

Veterans council to meet Monday

Lackawanna County Council of Veterans meeting, Monday, 10 a.m., conference room, Gino J. Merli Veterans Center, plans for the LCCV participation in the Armed Forces Day programs and future fundraising.

Legion Post 920 to meet Monday

American Legion Post 920 meeting, Monday, 7 p.m., post home, 815 Smith St., Scranton; Joe Sylvester, 961-2696.

DAV Chapter 11 to install officers

Midvalley Disabled American Veterans Chapter 11 meeting, Monday, board meeting, 6 p.m., installation of incoming officers, 7.

Mobile Vet Center schedules visits

Department of Veterans Affairs Mobile Vet Center available to local veterans seeking counseling, Monday, Cross Country Complex, Hunter Highway, Tunkhannock, and Tuesday, Lake Wallenpaupack Visitors Center, Route 6, Hawley, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. each day, walk-ins or call 344-2676 for an appointment, bring a copy of military discharge Form DD214.

Marine Corps League to meet

Northeastern Detachment Marine Corps League and Museum meeting, Tuesday, 7 p.m.

109th Infantry to meet Wednesday

109th Infantry Regiment Association meeting, Wednesday, 6 p.m., Shopa-Davey VFW Post, Blakely.

VFW Post 7069 to meet Thursday

Abington Memorial VFW Post 7069 meeting, Thursday, 7:30 p.m., 402 Winola Road, Clarks Summit; election and installation of officers.

Legion Post 207 to meet Thursday

Kosciuszko American Legion Post 207 meeting, Thursday, 7 p.m., SS. Peter & Paul Church Hall, 1309 W. Locust St., Scranton.

Purple Heart group to meet Thursday

Military Order of the Purple Heart Coleman-Kause Chapter 654 meeting, Thursday, 7:30 p.m., Polish Club, Oak Street, Dupont.

Vietnam Vets post to meet Saturday

Veterans of the Vietnam War Post 1 meeting Saturday, 1 p.m., Marine Corps League, 1340 Alder St., Scranton.

Legion Post 665 to meet April 7

American Legion Post 665 meeting, Sunday, 901 Main St., Dickson City, board meeting, 1 p.m., and post meeting, 2:30.

Canevari steering committee to meet

VFW District 10 Canevari steering committee meeting, April 9, 6:30 p.m., McHugh-Bushweller VFW Post 3474, 110 Chestnut St., Dunmore.

Lackawanna County seeking entries

Lackawanna County sponsoring patriotic drawing and essay contests for students in public and parochial school systems that focus on the flag and freedom, done in conjunction with the May 18 Armed Forces Day Parade; categories: kindergarten to second grade, patriotic drawing on 8½- x 11-inch paper; third- to eighth-graders, essay on "What Does the U.S. Flag Mean To Me?" (100-300 words); ninth- through 12th-grade students, topic, "What Does Freedom Mean To Me?" (300-500 words); format for the writing contests, traditional essay or a poem; entries must include the student's name, grade, school district, address, telephone number or email along with a parent's name and contact information, participants must be county residents; winner from each grade and prizes will be awarded; submit to Communications Office, Lackawanna County, 200 Adams Ave., Scranton, PA 18503 by Friday, April 19, visit www.lackawannacounty.org to print a flyer.

Post 6082 to hold pasta dinner

Shopa-Davey VFW Post 6082 pasta dinner, April 28, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., post home, 123 Electric St., Blakely, sit-down or takeouts available, $8, benefits post and Blakely-Peckville Junefest 2013.

Veterans job fair set for May 23

State Rep. Frank Farina and the organization Hire Heroes USA, veterans job fair, Thursday, May 23, 6-9 p.m., Fiorelli's Catering, 1501 Main St., Blakely; pre-register at www.regonline.com/employourveteransjob fair or Chuck at Mr. Farina's office, 876-1111.

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

The Diocese of Scranton's oldest and longest-ordained priest, Monsignor James T. Clarke, died on Good Friday at age 99.

Monsignor Clarke was ministering to others even on his deathbed, said the Rev. Thomas Muldowney, the vicar general/director of clergy personnel of the diocese.

With his health failing, Monsignor Clarke was admitted Wednesday to Wilkes-Barre General Hospital, where Father Muldowney visited him in the intensive care unit and said the Commendation of the Dying prayer.

"When I got done, he said, 'Now, can I pray for you?' It was one of the most touching moments of my life," Father Muldowney said. "I think that summarizes his life. He was a very good, holy priest, a man of prayer and a man of service."

Pastor emeritus of St. Ignatius Church in Kingston, Monsignor Clarke was a resident at St. Therese Residence.

Born in Scranton on Oct. 17, 1913, Monsignor Clarke attended Scranton public schools and St. Thomas College, which is now the University of Scranton.

Ordained on Dec. 8, 1938, Monsignor Clarke served in several churches and positions in Lackawanna, Luzerne and Wayne counties.

His first assignment was as an assistant pastor of St. Patrick's in Scranton, and later he served as an assistant pastor and administrator at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Hazleton.

While serving as an assistant pastor at Holy Rosary Church in Wilkes-Barre, he also taught religion and philosophy at College Misericordia in Dallas, where he also served as a trustee of the board.

Monsignor Clarke was pastor of St. Ignatius Church in Kingston from 1975-89. After his retirement, he assisted the pastors at St. Rita's Parish in Gouldsboro by celebrating weekend Mass until his 85th birthday.

Contact the writer: jlockwood@timesshamrock.com, @jlockwoodTT on Twitter

An Oct. 26, 2011, headline in USA Today tells the story.

The headline boasted, "Number of female 'Fortune' 500 CEOs at record high."

"Great!" you may say.

But read further and here's the record-breaker: "If no women step down before the end of 2011, there will be 18 women running Fortune 500 companies in 2012. Previously, there haven't been more than 16 female CEOs at Fortune 500 firms at the same time."

Pardon my skepticism at the record-breaking year of 2012, but note that I'm not the only woman with a rueful laugh.

Facebook COO and chum of Oprah, Sheryl Sandberg, is not amused. She has a new book, published on March 11, titled, "Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead." That and several Sandberg speeches have touched off a sometimes-nasty debate about the reasons women currently hold just 4.2 percent of CEO positions.

Combatants called to arms by the "Lean In" phenomenon are banned from calling the vicious arguments now playing out in op-ed pieces across the country "mommy wars" and the phrase "having it all" is in similar disrepute. However, to summarize: Ms. Sandberg is a Harvard-degree-wielding multimillionaire telling women to look within and change certain behaviors that tend to make them "lean out" and choose the slow lane. (The term "mommy track" is verboten on most feminist blogs.)

She has been attacked by other Ivy-League-degree-wielding overachievers for shifting the blame for the dearth of women leaders from the unforgiving workplace to the shoulders of struggling career women. Princeton professor Ann Marie Slaughter writes in The Atlantic, "... look back to the 1980s, when women now in their late 40s and 50s were coming out of graduate school, and remember that our classes were nearly 50-50 men and women. We were sure then that by now, we would be living in a 50-50 world. Something derailed that dream. Sandberg thinks that 'something' is an 'ambition gap'- that women do not dream big enough. But I fear that the obstacles that keep women from reaching the top are rather more prosaic than the scope of their ambition.

"These 'mundane' issues - the need to travel constantly to succeed, the conflicts between school schedules and work schedules, the insistence that work be done in the office - cannot be solved by exhortations to close the ambition gap."

In between the pro-Sandberg or pro-Slaughter op-eds, some writers have adopted a third line of attack: To wit, both Ms. Sandberg and Dr. Slaughter are hopelessly out-of-touch 1-percenters who know nothing about the burdens of a single mother toiling in a dead-end job.

I find there's one common element bubbling up through the vitriol: Mothers matter. At the heart of each argument, be it in praise of "lean in" or in support of Dr. Slaughter's "you can't have it all" thesis or even from the folks decrying both as whiny elitists, is an agreement that it is the demands of child-rearing that have us at this impasse. Moreover, any way you approach the argument, all parties tacitly acknowledge that the demands of child-rearing impact the career choices of women far more decisively than they do men's.

In fact, the business world may be interested to learn that academia has noticed a similar problem. Last year, two Cornell University researchers published a paper that explored why in "math-intensive departments, women full professors number only between 4 percent and 13 percent." The study found that, once again, the common denominator was motherhood.

"Female post-docs are twice as likely as men to choose to leave the academic pipeline once they have children. For those women in math-based fields, who had the ability and commitment to persist through doctoral and post-doctoral training, this loss to the academy is especially salient," said Wendy Williams, co-author of the study. "Moreover, we found that childless women fare as well professionally as men with or without children, while women who remain in the academy after having children fare worse. Motherhood - and the policies that make it incompatible with a tenure-track research career - take a toll on women that is detrimental to their professional lives. Even just the plan to have children in the future is associated with women exiting the research fast-track at a rate twice that of men."

This echoes Ms. Sandberg's contention that women "leave before they leave," meaning they slow down well in advance of an actual maternity leave.

The message I take from all of this renewed examination of the trials of working women is that in the 50 years since "The Feminine Mystique," women have decided through their documented career choices that children must come first.

Highly educated and well recompensed women like Dr. Slaughter and Ms. Sandberg choose to put their children first and all the populist writers attacking them want their blue-collar sisters to be able to do the same.

In my own personal experience as a working woman with two now-grown kids, I believe that Sheryl Sandberg has it exactly right when she says, "Motherhood needs to be recognized as the most important job."

My own solution to the conundrum was to work part-time. On my days at home, I wasn't languishing on the couch channel surfing. I had my fingers in the paint, "Hop on Pop" in my hands while two little noses peered over them, or my feet in the kiddie pool on a summer's day while two potential scientists splashed, sprayed and poured out their experiments with water.

Yet despite the fact that I was busy doing perhaps the world's most important job, the attitude of everyone around me was that I could be pressed into doing any errand or chore on those days because I was free and "wasn't doing anything."

This is the attitude that Sheryl Sandberg and Ann Marie Slaughter and all of their detractors agree must change.

Nothing of significance - certainly not the structure and culture of the American workplace - will change until it does.

ELIZABETH ZYGMUNT is editor of the Northeast Pennsylvania Business Journal. Visit the journal's website at biz570.com and contact her at ezygmunt@ timesshamrock.com.

The following were sentenced in Wayne County Court by Presi­dent Judge Raymond L. Hamill:

- Joshua R. Dalrymple, 34, Philadelphia, 15 days in the Wayne County Correctional Facility followed by six months less 15 days on the Intermediate Punishment Program, $750 fine, house arrest with electronic monitoring for 60 days, a drug and alcohol evaluation and an alcohol highway safety program for DUI on Feb. 18, 2012, in Hawley.

- Michael Dalrymple, 37, Hawley, three days to six months in the Wayne County Correctional Facility, $1,000 fine, a drug and alcohol evaluation and 50 hours of community service for DUI on Feb. 18, 2012, in Hawley.

- Corey T. Gibbs, 23, Dreher Twp., 32 days to 18 months in the Wayne County Correctional Facility, $1,500 fine, a drug and alcohol evaluation, an alcohol highway safety program and 50 hours of community service for three counts of DUI on Aug. 11, Sept. 23 and Oct. 2 in Salem Twp.

- Shawn M. Harlos, 30, Honesdale, 18 months to 36 months in a state correctional facility, $500 fine, $250 for a DNA sample for delivery of controlled substance between April 24 and June 12 in Texas Twp.

- Jason S. Kenyon, 27, Honesdale, 10 months to 60 months in a state correctional facility and $500 fine for delivery of controlled substance between March 23, 2012 and July 2 in Dyberry Twp.

- Steven A. Perez, 21, Greentown, six months' probation, $300 fine and $400 in restitution for harassment on April 19 in Honesdale.

- Laurie A. Phillips, 46, Honesdale, three years to six years in a state correctional facility, $8,185.17 in restitution and $250 for a DNA sample for unlawfully acquiring or obtaining possession of controlled substance on April 18 in Salem Twp. and theft by unlawful taking on June 5 in Salem Twp.

- Shawn A. Ravert, 24, Honesdale, 12 months to 36 months in a state correctional facility, $6,405 in restitution and $250 for a DNA sample for receiving stolen property on Jan. 3, 2012 in Oregon Twp.

- Mikaela S. Tighe, 34, Honesdale, $150 fine for retail theft on Oct. 7 in Texas Twp.

Easter lilies and favors delivered

Wallenpaupack Area Middle School Volunteer Club enjoyed a busy day making a lot of people smile last week.

The students, accompanied by advisers Allison Francesco and Linda Johanson, started their day at the Hawley and Honesdale senior centers, delivering spring favors to participants at the centers, Carleen Faatz of Wayne County Human Services reports.

Then students, including Teresa Consentino, Ramdial Dalphus, Kelli Dixon, Faith Ann Edelmann, Lauren Griffin, Chris Higgins, Molloy Jacobs, Claire Little, Rhiannon Pender, Kaitlyn Regulbuto, Susan Rode, Karen Snider, Sydni Sylvester and Shane Viola, brought Easter lilies to home-delivered meal recipients and nursing homes clients.

The lilies were donated by Honesdale Area Jaycees.

Stars in stripes

Army National Guard Pfc. Ashley M. Mann has graduated from basic combat training at Fort Jackson, S.C. Pfc. Mann is the daughter of April Miller of Olyphant and Jeremy Mann of Dayton. She is a 2012 graduate of Mid Valley High School. ... Air Force Airman Jordan W. McLaurin has graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. Airman McLaurin is the son of Kenneth McLaurin of Dunmore and a 2012 graduate of Dunmore High School.... Marine Corps Pvt. Stephan T. Gallagher of Throop has graduated from recruit training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, S.C. Following 10 days at home on leave, Pvt. Gallagher, a 2012 graduate of Mid Valley High School, reported to Camp LeJeune, N.C., for a month of military combat training, then he heads to Military Occupation Specialty School.

Super student

Meghan Smith of Moscow is among 41 students serving as mentors this semester in the Luzerne County Juvenile Justice College Mentoring Program. A junior at King's College, Meghan is a criminal justice major with a minor in sociology who also is an admissions ambassador for the college and interns in the admissions office. She is the daughter of Suzanne Murray-Smith.

High notes

Allied Services Heinz Rehab Hospital honored its social workers at a luncheon to recognize National Social Work month, which was themed, "Weaving Threads of Resilience and Advocacy: The Power of Social Work." Honorees included Kevin Corcoran, Donna Kopicki, Theresa McNulty, Brigid Shappelle and Lisa Stegura, as well as Cathy Dierolf, administrative assistant; and Al Jumper, director of psychology and social work.

Call it the mom factor.

When sports marketing professor John Lord, Ph.D., invites a Trenton Thunder executive to speak to his St. Joseph's University students about selling minor league baseball, the discussion is less about the product on the field than the other things that keep fans coming back to the ballpark.

Like the importance of clean restrooms.

"That is one of the things that moms look at," Dr. Lord said, "and moms certainly have a major impact on what the family is going to do for entertainment."

With the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders primed to reboot professional baseball in Northeast Pennsylvania on Thursday at PNC Field, President and General Manager Rob Crain said he and his staff are ready to demonstrate to the community that the past is the past.

The sport is back - with a new team name, under new ownership and management, in an all-but-new ballpark and committed to what Mr. Crain calls a new attitude that will make PNC Field a family entertainment destination first and a sports venue second.

And, yes, that means meeting the expectations of moms, he said. When mothers are deciding what their families are going to do the next night or the upcoming weekend, the RailRiders want to be discussed early, and positively, in the conversation.

"This area has what I call a 'prove it' mentality. We have been talking a lot about what we are doing, all the changes we are making, and the whole area had been very excited about it," Mr. Crain said. "The 'prove it' mentality is, 'OK, I understand what you're saying. Now show me.'

"We are anxious to show them."

The RailRiders, the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees, are returning to PNC Field after playing the entire 2012 season on the road while the Moosic ballpark underwent a $43.3 million makeover that practically rebuilt the venue from the ground up.

That will be the most obvious change people arriving for Thursday night's season opener will notice.

Gone is the hulking concrete upper deck that dominated the old stadium. In its place, fans will find a ballpark with a lower, sleeker, more intimate profile and an open concourse that wraps 360 degrees around the playing field. The field itself is one of the few things that did not change.

There are other features that didn't exist before, from a second-level club area to the outfield Tiki bar to the expansive children's play area.

International League president Randy Mobley, who will be at PNC Field for the opener, predicts there will be a "significant 'wow' factor" associated with the new ballpark, in part because people remember what was there and wasn't there before.

"They have something to compare this new facility to, and some may even have been fond of the old ballpark," he said. "I think many of them will be blown away by what's happened here. It's going to be very special from the facility standpoint."

But Mr. Mobley said perspective can be a double-edged sword.

Over the past few years, there has been a lot of negativity associated with the stadium and the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre franchise, Mr. Mobley said. It is no secret, he said, that many fans were turned off by the operation and responded by staying home.

In 2007, the first year of the club's affiliation with the New York Yankees, average attendance was a franchise record 8,691 per game. By 2011, that had slipped to 4,596, second to last in the International League.

Against that backdrop, one of the challenges for Mr. Crain and his staff is convincing the public the franchise truly values its fans, said Mr. Mobley. He believes that process is already well under way.

"Over the last several months, there have been clear indications of a change in the way this operation intends to go forward. ... The people who bring that old perspective have, I think, the chance to be wowed by the way they are treated when they come out to the ballpark."

County Commissioner Corey O'Brien, who publicly called on SWB Yankees LLC's management a year ago to take concrete steps to restore public trust and confidence in the franchise, said there has been a "180-degree shift in thinking" since Mr. Crain came on board in July.

He cited as an example the aggressive promotions schedule announced by the RailRiders, which will include 18 giveaway days. From the 2007 through last season, the franchise had 11 giveaways total.

"The organization has done an excellent job of identifying the areas where there were weaknesses and improving on those areas from a management standpoint," the commissioner said.

Mr. Crain acknowledged the franchise will receive a bump this season simply because of the excitement over baseball's return and curiosity about the rebuilt ballpark.

The greater challenge will be sustaining interest over time, which is why it is critical the RailRiders demonstrate to the public this year that baseball at PNC Field is not just about batting, throwing and fielding.

"The people who are interested in the Yankees' next great shortstop or second baseman or relief pitcher, who are very enthralled with the game - they are going to come out because of all the great Yankee talent that is going to be here," Mr. Crain said.

Who the RailRiders need to reach are families looking for good entertainment at an affordable price, he said.

"No matter what, families and people in general are always looking for affordable entertainment options and we can provide that," Mr. Crain said. "We can provide it, and we are going to be great at it."

Dr. Lord, the St. Joseph's professor, said family-oriented entertainment at a reasonable cost is what drives the popularity of minor league baseball - not the sport itself.

"As long as the franchise owners make sure the experience is really great for the fans - the bathrooms are clean; there is fun stuff going on; the concessions are varied and affordable; there are lots and lots of special evenings - then they are going to do all right," Dr. Lord said.

"If families have a good experience there, they are going to go more than every once in a while."

Mr. O'Brien said while there is a built-in base of support in Northeast Pennsylvania for minor league baseball, there are not enough diehard fans to sustain a facility like PNC Field over time.

"We need the families to come to the ballpark," he said. "We hope people, even those who may not necessarily like baseball, come out and go to a game. I think they are going to be pleasantly surprised that this is much less about baseball and much more about family entertainment.

"If people give it a chance, they are going to enjoy it."

Contact the writer: dsingleton@timesshamrock.com

"Do not abandon yourselves to despair. We are the Easter People, and 'Hallelujah!' is our song."

- Pope John Paul II, 1920-2005

The Gospel of Sebastian Barry is told in yeast, flour, water and salt.

Centuries before Moses was a baby floating down the Nile in a basket, these were the basics of bread, the "staff of life" that sustained humanity through its leanest ages. The Atkins Diet is possible only in an era in which you are never more than a 15-minute drive away from a supersized Big Mac Meal, a 16-ounce Porterhouse or a bucket of chicken wings.

In an ancient world where nearly all travel was done on sandals, carbs were king. Anyone who weighed more than 100 pounds could be considered obese. Some toddlers weigh that much today, but in a society that is famously eating itself to death, millions of Americans still go hungry.

That bothers Sebastian Barry, which is why he began baking Our Daily Bread.

It started as his senior project. The 17-year-old Abington Heights junior was heartened by the generosity of Americans willing to help the needy overseas, but he wanted to make a local impact. The economic recovery that has provided Wall Street with historic good fortune hasn't done much for Main Street. Whatever is trickling down isn't prosperity.

"A lot of people in our area are desperately in need," Sebastian said Tuesday as he weighed and cut dough in the kitchen of Beta Bread Bakery and Deli at 404 S. State St. in Clarks Summit. It was just before 8 a.m. and he had about 10 minutes to spare before shedding his apron and heading to class.

Beta Bread owner Mike Bonczar took the dough and rolled it into loaves. The Dalton man has donated his space, materials and labor to Sebastian's cause. Without Mike's help, Sebastian says Our Daily Bread would never have evolved from one young man's idea into fresh bread to feed the hungry at St. Francis of Assisi Kitchen in Scranton.

On four occasions, the pair has produced 50 loaves of fresh bread and delivered them to the kitchen. Both hope to make the gift a regular thing.

"It's just a good thing to do," Mike said with a simplicity that mimics his ingredients. His breads are made of yeast, water, flour and salt. No preservatives, oils or anything else. He is happy to be a local merchant helping his neighbors eat healthy. Fifty loaves cost him an $18 bag of flour and a few hours of sweat.

"If you're a small business owner, you're always being asked for donations," he said, but he would rather give bread than money.

That's fine with Monsignor Joseph Kelly, director of St. Francis of Assisi Kitchen. The struggling economy and needlessly cruel state budget cuts have made any outside help desperately welcome.

"Every bit of charity is deeply appreciated," he said Tuesday, shortly after the kitchen had served 250 free meals. Monsignor Kelly praised the volunteers who were preparing for greater demand this week as Easter arrives and the month ends. There are many working families who have three weeks worth of pay and four weeks worth of hunger, he said.

Sebastian and Mike want to ensure those people always have bread. Sebastian hopes to develop Our Daily Bread into a nonprofit that will carry on when he moves on. It was his idea, but he understands that the need it serves is bigger than he.

Although a beloved pope most eloquently called them to action, Easter People need not be Catholics, or even Christians. They come from every religion, and some observe no religion at all. The world has always been subject to a struggle between those who care about others and are willing to share the sacrifices required of a decent society, and those who don't give a damn about anyone other than themselves and will ruthlessly move to stifle any voice, idea or fact that threatens their earthly supremacy.

Too often, it seems the latter side is winning, but do not despair. There has never been anything wrong with the world that Easter People can't fix.

Let's get to work.

CHRIS KELLY, the Times-Tribune columnist, wishes you and yours a happy Easter and Passover, or just a nice spring Sunday. Contact the writer: kellysworld@timesshamrock.com

It's the tax-collecting karate instructor ex-councilman versus the gun-toting former government official turned business developer.

It's the man who did his best to derail Mayor Chris Doherty's political career versus the woman who many suspect the mayor would like to see succeed him.

It's the insider from the city versus the outsider who grew up in Texas and Cleveland.

For the Democratic nomination for Scranton mayor in the May 21 primary election, Bill Courtright and Elizabeth Randol are also up against a truck driver, Lee Morgan, and a former city official, Joe Cardamone, but most city politics observers believe Ms. Randol and Mr. Courtright will finish one-two with only who wins undetermined.

"The matchup is very interesting," said former Mayor David Wenzel, a Republican, who wrote a book on Scranton's mayors.

The Democratic mayoral contest will probably lack the money of past recent mayoral elections. In this economy, no combination of candidates will spend the almost $1.4 million that Mr. Doherty and former Councilman Gary DiBileo did in 2005.

What the race lacks in money, it might make up for in other ways.

For one thing, while Ms. Randol and Mr. Courtright are considered the leading contenders, the presence in the race of Mr. Morgan, long a City Council meeting gadfly, and Mr. Cardamone, a former city community development director, raises questions about whether one or both siphons votes from the leading contenders.

For another, Ms. Randol is the first woman on the ballot for Scranton mayor in more than 30 years, maybe the first Democratic woman to run in the city's history, and almost unquestionably the first with a legitimate shot at winning the nomination.

The last woman who ran for mayor was Barbara Marinucci in 1981. Before her, Sandra C. Raymond ran in 1977.

Both were Republicans, and neither came close to winning even their own party's nomination.

A South Scranton resident who was the Lackawanna County chief of staff and later policy director for state Treasurer Rob McCord and now develops business for the construction firm L.R. Constanzo Inc., Ms. Randol could actually win the nomination and the job.

She had more votes in Scranton than any other Democrat in the May 2011 Democratic primary for Lackawanna County commissioner, including Scranton School Director Brian Jeffers, a proven city votegetter.

Of course, Mr. Courtright is no slouch in votegetting. He won election to the council in 2003, re-election in 2007 and then city tax collector in 2009. He is giving up almost certain re-election to run for mayor. That itself is unusual.

Mr. Morgan ran and lost for council in 2007, 2009 and 2011. Mr. Cardamone has never run before and has announced an unusual way of campaigning: he generally won't, at least not in the standard way of going door to door asking for votes.

Which are major reasons why Mr. Courtright and Ms. Randol are the leading contenders.

The winner will face the winner of the Republican contest between financial consultant Gary Lewis and entrepreneur Marcel Lisi, but the Democrat will become the favorite to be the next mayor. The winner will inherit leadership of a city mired in financial distress for more than two decades and one seemingly destined to raise its real-estate taxes repeatedly the next three or four years.

"I don't envy them the job," Mr. Wenzel said.

As a councilman, Mr. Courtright wanted his friend, Mr. DiBileo, to get the job and was part of a council majority often openly critical of Mr. Doherty.

In one memorable election-eve 2005 council meeting, Mr. Courtright openly railed against Mr. Doherty's re-election by outlining how the mayor's sister, Virginia McGregor, benefited from the construction of the Hilton Scranton & Conference Center, a project the mayor finished after a decade of delays.

The mayor won anyway and if he ran this time, Ms. Randol said she would not have. That adds to the belief that's she's his choice to replace him.

Mr. Doherty says he won't back anyone, Ms. Randol says she's her own woman, but skepticism abounds.

Before nomination petitions were even filed, Ms. Randol, licensed to carry a concealed weapon, had already lost something - her handgun.

Actually, she lent the gun to a friend so he could clean it and he lost it, although it isn't clear how because she says she hasn't figured it out.

Someone found it on Thanksgiving 2011 in front of a commercial laundry in the city's Hill Section and only a block from Prescott Elementary School. Police traced the gun back to Ms. Randol.

Whether that episode influences the outcome remains to be seen, but it certainly shows this race for mayor will likely be different.

Contact the writer: bkrawczeniuk@timesshamrock.com

Stepson charged with burglary

GREENFIELD TWP. - A township man was arrested Saturday in connection with a burglary of his relatives' home on Route 247, police said.

Dylan Harhut, 21, 388 Route 247, was charged with burglary, receiving stolen property, theft and criminal trespass.

Robert and Tanya Mesko told police Mr. Harhut, identified in police reports as "their stepson," told police they suspected he had taken jewelry from their bedroom. On Saturday, the Meskos called police and said they believed Mr. Harhut may have returned and stole a jug of money.

Police said Mr. Harhut confessed to the break-in and thefts of the jewelry and coins valued at $976.

Bail and preliminary hearing information was not available Saturday.

A crumbling sidewalk wall of a West Lackawanna Avenue bridge in Scranton is being examined for repairs, city DPW Director Mark Dougher said.

"We've been working on trying to get a schedule to fix the (bridge's) sidewalks," Mr. Dougher said Friday. "We're going to look to start it as soon as possible."

The issue was raised during Thursday's council meeting by Councilman Jack Loscombe. While the bridge deck is fine, a crumbling concrete wall section of the northern sidewalk has significantly worsened recently and is "hanging by a wire," and the walkway should be closed, Mr. Loscombe said. It's not known how much repairing the sidewalk wall may cost, when work would start, how long it would take or from where the money would come.

"We don't have the money to repair it at this point, (but) we do have to close those sidewalks off. It's a very dangerous situation," Mr. Loscombe said.

Mr. Dougher said city engineer John Pocius has looked at the bridge and, "As soon as I get his evaluation in a week or two, then we'll see where we stand and have more information on how to proceed."

Efforts to reach Mr. Pocius Friday were unsuccessful.

Mr. Loscombe noted that he raised concerns two years ago about the bridge's sidewalks, which are in need of repair, and the section of sidewalk wall that is pulling away from the span. Though the bridge is owned and maintained by the city, Mr. Loscombe in July 2011 asked the state Department of Transportation to examine the span. One of the department's engineers recommended that the northern sidewalk be closed because of the wall section pulling away, he said.

PennDOT spokesman Michael Taluto said Friday that the bridge's sidewalks are the city's responsibility.

The wall section has pulled away further in recent days and appears to be held on only by electrical lighting wires in a conduit that has broken open, Mr. Loscombe said.

"Right now, that section is literally hanging by a wire," Mr. Loscombe said. "I don't know how it's still hanging on there but it's going to go down any day, and hopefully someone is not walking on those sidewalks when it goes down."

On the outer wall, exposed rebar can be seen in the section that is pulling away.

"I know we have a lot of bridge problems in this city, but I would hate to see another bridge from West Side go down and be closed, or at least cause bodily harm to someone before something could be done about it," Mr. Loscombe said.

"We've had significant time and warnings about it, and nothing has been done, and that seems to be the problem here. We wait until things are crumbling before they're taken care of, and then they end up costing two, three times as much to repair."

Contact the writer: jlockwood@timesshamrock.com, @jlockwoodTT on Twitter

Wednesday: Greater Hazleton Chamber of Commerce Women's Networking Committee 7th annual "Ladies Night Out" event from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at Carmen's Country Inn & Gardens, 324 Freedom Road, Drums. All businesswomen of Greater Hazleton are invited to attend. Registration fee is $12 for chamber members and a $15 for nonmembers. Event proceeds benefit the women's networking "Empowerment Grant Fund." Reservations are required by registering online at hazletonchamber.org or contacting 455-1509 or jferry@hazletonchamber.org. - Northeast Pennsylvania Manufacturers and Employers Association annual congressional luncheon at the Top of the 80's, Hazleton. U.S. Reps. Lou Barletta and Matt Cartwright will discuss issues before the 113th Congress. Cost to register is $37 for members and $74 for nonmembers. To register or for details, email Darlene J. Robbins at drobbins@maea.biz or call 622-0992.

April 8: Misericordia University presents "The Dark Side of Relationships: Why Do People Cheat?," a lecture by social psychologist Gary W. Lewandowski, Jr., Ph.D., from 5 to 5:50 p.m. in Lemmond Theater, Walsh Hall. Free to the public. For details, contact Alicia Nordstrom, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology, at anordstr@misericordia.edu or at 674-8008.

April 11: Wyoming County Business Expo, 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wyoming County Fairgrounds.

April 14: Wyoming Valley Motorcycle Club and Valley With a Heart Benefits, 2013 NEPA Motorcycle and PowerSports Show from noon to 5 p.m. at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza. Proceeds will provide financial support to Wyoming Valley Children's Association. Bike contest entry fee is $7.50 per bike. Those wishing to register bikes may do so at the rear entrance of the arena from 9 to 11 a.m. Admission is $7.50. Children under 12 are free.

April 16: "Importance of Keeping Records for Libraries and National Archives," by William J. Bosanko, chief operating officer for the National Archives and Records Administration in Washington, D.C., 4:30 p.m., Catherine Evans McGowan Room, Mary Kintz Bevevino Library at Misericordia University. Free to the public.

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

When Jen and Matt Warner began looking for new home, they spent as much time online as they did on the road.

They scoured website search engines such as Zillow.com and Realtor.com, bounced to real estate offices' websites, dropped virtual pins on map software and surveyed new listings sent to them by a real estate agent.

"I really want to be overly knowledgeable about the process and about the homes out there," she said.

The wired, and wireless, buyers are part of a trend, people increasingly connected to the Internet and better-informed. The availability of Internet search engines, data mining, and instant availability of information from hand-held devices has changed the way homes are bought and marketed.

"Most buyers start their search on the Internet before even going to a lender," said Jackie Ruddy of Jack Ruddy Real Estate in Dunmore. "For the Realtor, it means we can expect better-informed buyers. But it also means higher expectations of us in showcasing a home."

The Warners knew they could not go forward without selling their existing home. When Diane Calibro of Classic Properties told them she thought they'd be able to get back what they paid for it, they set to work. They had an idea of what they wanted - at least 2,000 square feet, three bedrooms, two baths, in the Abington Heights School District. They scrutinized about 100 homes online, poring through spec sheets that offer a breakdown of amenities and room sizes.

The Warners, who are both educators, learned to be leery of homes with many "days on market" and listings with few photos or just exterior photos. Conversely, they appreciated the honesty and transparency of homes with 360-degree virtual tours or video tours. They receive email alerts when new homes came on the market that met their criteria. Once they found homes online they were interested in, they would often do drive-bys to see the home in person. Only after sifting through dozens of properties would they contact Diane Calibro with a list of homes to see. They toured 20 homes.

This is a contrast to way homebuying used to be, with the buyer completely dependent upon the real estate agent for information. Other than For Sale signs and advertisements, the only way to find homes was to visit an agent's office and leaf through the Multiple Listing Service book of small grainy photo and condensed information. That moved to dot-matrix printers, and then faxes with black-and-white curb shots that still offered only a vague notion of what a home was like. A buyer's agent had to spend more time and more gas driving buyers from home to home.

The new era, the real estate agent spends less time with better-informed buyers, even as it has placed new expectations on listing agents. In addition to the MLS and advertising, sellers expect homes to be marketed with lavish photos or virtual tours that allow those on the web to zoom through a home. "Now, if you don't like the cabinets you see online, you don't see the home in person," explained Ms. Ruddy.

There are a host of tech add-ons. Several local firms now have QR codes on For Sale signs. When an image of those black and white cubes are snapped by a cellphone or tablet, it calls up more detailed information about that home. Gone the are plastic boxes and rain-soaked data sheets.

Opening an app and pressing a scan button seemed effortless, but Classic Properties found most buyers do drive-bys and few even leave their car, said Classic Properties broker Steven Farrell. Buyers viewed climbing through snow or lurking into a yard to scan a clear image of code as inconvenient or intrusive, Mr. Farrell said.

"Kwkly," pronounced "quickly," offered an alternative. An interested buyer can text FYI to 59559, a number posted outside the home. The GPS-enabled kwkly identifies the buyer's location and connects them to the house for sale, sending the home spec sheet to the interested buyer and the lead to the listing agent.

Usually, shoppers don't have to leave the car. Getting the info is as easy as a sending a text message.

For all the web surfing, the Warners eventually ended up buying a home that came from one of Ms. Calibro's email blasts. Nevertheless, their search, the process, and the services of a real estate agent were indispensable.

Shopping for a home is different from buying a home. They noted that Mrs. Calibro often had information about a property that wouldn't turn up on a data sheet - such as a recently failed radon test. While none of their work resulted in the home they purchased, it equipped them to put the home in context and confidently put in an offer.

"The tools and technology helped us decide what we really wanted and Diane helped take was on the computer and make it reality," Ms. Warner said.

Contact the writer: dfalchek@timesshamrock.com

Nondairy bars removed by store

SCRANTON - Giant Food Stores have removed several varieties of Lifestyle Evolution Inc.'s NuGO Non Dairy Bars from sale after the company recalled the products because milk, an allergen, was not declared on the ingredient labels.

The recalled products include NuGO Nutrition Bar Dark Chocolate Trail Mix, UPC 69153545301; NuGO Natural Energy Bars Chocolate Chip, UPC 69153552101; NuGO Natural Energy Bars Dark Mocha, UPC 69153552301; and NuGO Nutrition Bar Dark Pretzel, UPC 69153552901.

The bars are safe to consume for people who do not have a milk allergy. Customers who have purchased the products should bring their receipt to a store for a full refund.

Tom Stephenson experiences the negative employment impact from two hard-hit job categories.

"The biggest problem is, the building industry is shot," Mr. Stephenson, 56, of Newton Twp., said during a break from a résumé-preparation workshop on Wednesday at CareerLink in Scranton.

Mr. Stephenson worked for more than 20 years in the region's modular home manufacturing industry. He was laid off in October from a quality-control manager's position and hopes to continue to work in the field.

He has tried unsuccessfully to find contract or temporary positions and contacted companies about work from home by email on design and drafting projects.

"I could do anything that needs to be done," Mr. Stephenson said. "I used to be able to find work all the time. It's unfortunate."

Manufacturing employment in the metro area was 18 percent lower in January than the same 2008 period, state data show. Construction employment was down 12 percent over the same span.

The region's jobless rate hit 9.8 percent in January - up three-tenths of a percentage point from December - and the area has had the state's highest unemployment since April 2010. The high figure partly reflects an increase in the labor force of more than 10,000 people over the last year and masks the addition of 7,100 jobs during the same period.

"The growth of the labor force is most welcome," said Satyajit Ghosh, Ph.D., a University of Scranton professor of economics and finance. "But the great recession was an equal-opportunity job destroyer. It lowered employment opportunities for both blue-collar and white-collar workers."

Jessica Lindsey hopes to work in a field experiencing regional growth, but needs training to qualify.

Ms. Lindsey, 21, of Scranton, wants to become a certified nurse's aide and attended a session at CareerLink last week so she may qualify financially for state assistance to pay for the eight-week nursing-training sessions.

She has been unemployed since late January after completing an active-duty stint in the Air Force Reserve. She last worked at a civilian job in June at chain restaurant in Dickson City.

"Funds are getting low," Ms. Lindsey said.

She sees opportunities in health care, a job sector combined with education that expanded by 1,600 positions regionally over the last five years.

But getting the certification is key to her job prospects, Ms. Lindsey admits.

"That would give me more options and then I can move on from there," she said.

Education and health care helped sustain employment in the region as other field shed workers through the recession, Dr. Ghosh said.

"Those are essentially the two pillars that have held us up," he said.

One blue-collar sector experiencing hiring growth is transportation and warehousing. The field added almost 3,000 jobs over the last five years, a 19 percent jump.

"Trucking and warehousing, you cannot outsource those jobs," Dr. Ghosh said. "They are immune from global competition."

For people like Mr. Stephenson, though, the prospects seem limited.

He has no interest in retraining and sees no value taking low-wage work to tide him over. His options include some unpleasant possibilities and he may pursue work in California, where there are more opportunities in his field .

"If things don't turn around, we may have to sell the house," Mr. Stephenson said. "I don't want to move. But I would move and the family will stay. I'll send them the money. You have to provide for the family."

He is getting by on his jobless benefits, but barely.

"My unemployment just covers my health insurance," Mr. Stephenson said.

He said he and his wife, Diane, live primarily now on her income as a real estate agent, he said.

"I'm going to have to go wherever there's a job." Mr. Stephenson said.

Contact the writer: jhaggerty@timesshamrock.com

Technology company to debut with online magazine

SALEM TWP. - A new technology company will surface soon with an online magazine and an instructional service for bloggers.

BMP Media Inc. represents a partnership between author and literary agent Pam Brodowsky and the owners of Spring Hill Laser Services, a Sterling-area company that creates and maintains databases and does commercial printing and direct mail.

Situated about three miles south of Hamlin Corners, in a Wayne County township with fewer than 4,300 residents, BMP's arrival proves Internet companies really may locate almost anywhere.

"It can happen here," Ms. Brodowsky said, sitting in a meeting room at Spring Hill's plant, which is about a mile north of the Hamlin exit off Interstate 84. Her partners, Spring Hill co-owners Jeff Kulick and Charles Shinert, were unavailable for comment.

BMPDaily.com will debut in mid-April as an online publication modeled after the Huffington Post, a popular, left-leaning political journal on the Web. The locally generated product will include politics, but will tack toward more general-interest topics, such as entertainment, lifestyle, food, travel and the outdoors, Ms. Brodowsky said.

BMPDaily plans to include content from about 150 contributors and is seeking input from technically oriented people in the region who are interested in blogging. Contributors must make two submissions weekly and dozens are on board already, Mr. Brodowsky said.

"I am trying to pick up some locals who have the capabilities to do it," said Ms. Brodowsky, a Hamlin-area resident who has written 14 books, including travel tales and branded licensed products.

She will oversee content and Spring Hill will handle the technical side of the business.

An affiliated company, BloggersMarketPlaceOnline.com, will offer professional-level training and job opportunities for bloggers to do their craft commercially. Businesses are seeking bloggers with a variety of abilities, including knowledge about hobbies, skills and special interests, Ms. Brodowsky said.

"People can learn how to do it," she said. "There's a ton of opportunities there."

The quiet emergence of BMP occurs just yards from the vacant Sterling Business Park, a $9 million development started in 2008 by the Wayne Economic Development Corp. in Honesdale. Executive Director Mary Beth Wood said the park is just 20 minutes from Scranton by car and BMP could help the agency in its marketing drive for tenants.

"Our target is to focus on companies that are using technology," Ms. Wood said. "I think the synergy would be fantastic. That is what we are trying to grow here."

Patty Blaum, executive director of the Southern Wayne Regional Chamber of Commerce, also welcomed the development of BMP, even if most of its employees will contribute electronically from remote locations.

"This is really great news for all involved," Ms. Blaum said. "That kind of technology upgrade just brings more interest to the area."

BMPDaily already has generated a rush of inquiries from the blogging world, Ms. Brodowsky said.

"You wouldn't believe the number of people interested in this," she said. "It is work-from-home stuff. You can do it in your pajamas."

Contact the writer: jhaggerty@timesshamrock.comPam Brodowsky, president of BMP Media, stands outside the Wayne County business.

Abington Heights

For several weeks, a junior at Abington Heights spent hours on a basketball court.

But it wasn't to improve his game.

Joe Dietz worked with students from the Scranton School for Deaf & Hard-of-Hearing Children, teaching them how to rebound and dribble.

"It felt great to be able to help out, and help them understand the game of basketball," Joe said. "It felt good to see them smile."

miorfino@timesshamrock.com

Carbondale Area

Continuing the high school's mock trial team success, senior Emily Scotchlas was voted best attorney at a recent competition.

The team competed in the Lackawanna County Bar Association's annual mock trial competition.

"Holy Cross was great competition, but our defense worked as a team to bring the win home to Carbondale," Emily said.

rbrown@timesshamrock.com

Delaware Valley

Senior Kyle Brown is serving as president of the drama club and has been chosen to play the lead in upcoming spring musical "Beauty and the Beast."

He has been a member of the band for nine years and the chorus for eight. Kyle is involved with the political awareness club and glee club and serves on the prom committee.

"Being involved has helped me appreciate the time and dedication myself and others put into growing the Warrior Pride we have at DV," he said.

He still finds the time to stay active in his community, volunteering for the local food pantry, Pike County Library and Country Arc farms.

"Volunteer work has shown me a fun way of giving my time to benefit others and work together," Kyle said.

lzaccagnino@ timesshamrock.com

Dunmore

Bell Pendon credits her love of reading as one of the reasons she won the school's spelling bee earlier this year.

The fifth-grader's winning word in the school competition was obituary. She went on to represent the school district at the next level of the Scripps Spelling Bee. Although she didn't win that level, she was proud to represent her school. To prepare for both competitions, she would study the spellings of words and then have her mother quiz her.

"I was happy to win because I put a lot of work into studying," she said. "I do a lot of reading, which helps."

Elk Lake

Emily Herring, grade 11, is the high school's art student of the month for March.

"(The art teacher) said I was chosen because I accept revisions on my paintings and always try to fix the flaws that I have in my paintings," Emily said.

This is the first time Emily has been chosen for this honor. She is involved in the National Honor Society and plays volleyball at school.

Emily would like to either pursue a career as a veterinarian or environmentalist.

lzaccagnino@ timesshamrock.com

Forest City Regional

MiKaylah Rutledge meets with her e-cyber mission teammates every day to solve a common problem in the area: potholes.

The eighth-grader and her teammates have worked together subjecting pieces of asphalt to different environments, like heating pads or the freezer, to see how the material would react. The competition is sponsored by the Army.

"We were thinking small in the community and we realized potholes are an issue," she said. "When you have to swerve to miss a pothole, it's dangerous."

rbrown@timesshamrock.com

Mid Valley

A recent competition reinforced Emily Pieskefski's career aspirations.

She took first place in an advertising design competition, which included a written general knowledge test, creation of a full page magazine advertisement and creating a logo for a fictitious company.

She plans to attend Marywood University to study interior architecture and design after graduation.

"I was so excited and proud of myself when I heard my name called for first place in my competition," she said.

She will compete in the Skills state-level competition this week.

rbrown@timesshamrock.com

Montrose

After about 40 hours of labor and about $100, Ryan Franklin completed his senior project. He constructed two chess tables.

Ryan is a student in the carpentry program at Susquehanna Community Career Tech Center and used his free time at home and his mentor's workshop to work on his project. The tables were constructed from lumber that had been donated to the high school.

Ryan said he is happy to have something he can leave in his school for many years to come.

"I thought I'd do something good for the school; it makes me feel great," he said.

kbolus@timesshamrock.com

Mountain View

Students in preschool and kindergarten were treated to an Easter egg hunt by members of the Future Business Leaders of America.

After a week of planning, freshman Rachel Russell and her peers from the club organized the fun event. The students purchased plastic multi-colored Easter eggs and packed them with little toys.

The students hunted through five classrooms for the eggs. Rachel has been helping to organize this event since seventh grade.

Rachel is also interested in science and recently participated in Science Olympiad. Rachel rushed to solve a murder for the forensics competition and identified elements from the earth for the rocks and mineral competition.

She sings with chorus; takes part in Forum and Envirothon; runs track and field and plays volleyball.

Outside of school, Rachel also helps around the community with trash pickups.

kbolus@timesshamrock.com

North Pocono

Last month, North Pocono sophomore Matt Kuniegel placed fifth in the International Bridge Competition Regional Finals at the Viewmont Mall in Dickson City.

Matt competed against 42 other students for the regional title and the opportunity to attend the national competition at the Illinois Institute of Technology in May. At this year's competition, Matt's bridge held 288 times its own weight.

The construction and testing of model bridges promotes the study and application of fundamental principles of physics and also helps high school students develop "hands on" skills. By participating in the bridge building competition, students get a flavor of what it is to be an engineer, designing structures to a set of specifications and then seeing them perform their function.

They are also provided with an academically-oriented extracurricular activity which is recognized schoolwide.

Riverside

Brandon Reed, a fourth- grader at West Elementary, is excited about an upcoming community service project his class will be performing on the banks of the Lackawanna River in Taylor.

The class has been learning the science and history of the river in the classroom and will venture out on an upcoming Saturday to make a difference in their community. Brandon was amazed that the Susquehanna River winds its way into the Chesapeake Bay.

"It's great to learn about the environment," Brandon said. "What happens here matters to what will happen to the Chesapeake Bay."

Scranton

The League of Women Voters of Lackawanna County and the Jane Kopas Women's Center of the University of Scranton have announced the winners of their annual essay contest in celebration of Women's History Month.

Almost 90 entries were received, and all winners were from West Scranton High School.

In the seventh- to ninth- grade category, Brian Martin won first place, Alexa Anzulewicz won second place and Felicia Cicco placed third. All are freshmen.

In the 10th- to 12th-grade category, junior Cara Anzulewicz won first place, senior Jessica Purawic won second place and senior Kimberly Graham won third place.

shofius@timesshamrock.com

Susquehanna Community

Troy Maby placed third at the Pennsylvania Automotive Association Competition in Hershey.

The senior also placed fifth at Bethlehem's Northampton Automotive Competition.

A student at the Susquehanna Community Career Tech Center, Troy studies automotive technology. He is a member of the wrestling team and placed third at varsity wrestling districts.

Troy fights fires with the Susquehanna Fire Department and is involved in ski club, envirothon and track.

After school Troy, who enjoys racing and farming, plans to become a certified ASE Master Technician.

kbolus@timesshamrock.com

Valley View

Morgan Caselli, a junior, was one of the scholars represented at the Brain Bee at the University of Scranton last month.

"The environment was very welcoming and I truly enjoyed the experience," she said. "I look forward to returning to compete next year."

Morgan is also involved in Spanish club, SADD, peace club, National Honor Society, math honor society and the soccer team.

rbrown@timesshamrock.com

Wayne Highlands

Junior Leah Schweighofer's voice has begun to soar.

In addition to taking voice lessons with Metropolitan Opera star Jon Fredric West, she sang the national anthem for the PIAA AAA football state championships at Hershey Stadium. She was also scheduled to sing the national anthem for the PIAA wrestling state championships and was selected to sing the national anthem on Aug. 29 for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.

"I am very honored to represent the Wayne Highlands School District to perform the national anthem at these esteemed events," said Leah.

Leah is active in the music and theater programs at Honesdale High School. She has also been a student representative of the Wayne Highlands School District's Accreditation for Growth for three years. She is a member of Gospel Tabernacle. She has participated in the Young Artist Showcase for two years and is a member of the Wayne Choraleers. She works as a lifeguard in the summer and volunteers at Dyberry Day Camp.

Leah plans to attend a music conservatory for opera performance and eventually get a doctorate in music education.

Western Wayne

Junior Tarina Usher was named to this year's PMEA All-State Band, which takes place April 17-19 in Erie.

Tarina started playing the E-flat clarinet this year at the urging of her band director. She has played the B-flat clarinet.

The difference is this one is "much harder to keep in tune. The pitch is much more sensitive to your embouchure, so I have to adjust the reed and my air support," she said.

Just as she did at Region Band, Tarina will be auditioning for her seat at the all-state performance, playing new music and being judged on her tone quality, technique and musicality. Tarina also plays for the pit band for the high school musical and is secretary of the CATS club and treasurer of ultimate Frisbee.

Wyoming Seminary

Ever since kindergarten, Connor McGowan of Pittston has loved math and puzzles.

The eighth-grader, a member of Wyoming Seminary Lower School's MathCounts team, has won first place in the Keystone Northeast Chapter MathCounts competition every year for three years. He also led the team to a first-place finish for the second time in two years.

At the recent state MathCounts competition, he placed 25th out of 152 contestants in grades 6-8. He also tied for third place in the recent Marywood University high school math contest.

"Winning the Keystone MathCounts championship this year was especially exciting because there were more schools involved and the competition was a lot closer," he said.

Connor is also a member of the school's science research group and recently won first place for his project on the Rijke tube at the Regional Pa. Junior Academy of Science conference. He will compete in the state conference in April.

Fingerprinting event planned

SCRANTON - A free child safety fair, part of the Keeping Kids Safe Project by S.I.P. Kids, is scheduled this month.

The program will include fingerprinting of children, crafts and giveaways at Toyota of Scranton, 3400 N. Main Ave., April 12 from 3 to 7 p.m. and April 13 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m..

S.I.P. Kids is a national child safety organization that fingerprints children around the country.

Since printing the names of hundreds of residents who owe delinquent taxes and fees, Carbondale Mayor Justin Taylor estimates about 100 people have paid what they owe.

There is no specific tally on the number of individuals or amounts paid because there are three locations that accept the taxes and fee collections, but Mr. Taylor said the printed list, which took up multiple pages in the Carbondale News earlier this month, definitely made an impact.

It might have even inspired some to pay their 2013 taxes early.

"The tax collection for 2013 is actually trending a little ahead of schedule this year ... putting to rest any fear they'll end up in the paper next year," he said. "This is a first for the city, for us to do this on our own, but we felt it was necessary."

The city has borrowed about $3 million over the past decade to pay off debt, having to take out loans to keep up, he said.

"Our sole issue is revenue at this point," Mr. Taylor said. "Paying taxes and paying taxes on time is part of being a responsible property owner."

Printing the names was so effective, it is something the city will keep doing in the future.

Mr. Taylor said the 2013 tax bills were sent out with a note that said 60 days after the first of 2014, the names of delinquent tax and fee payers would be printed once more.

At its most recent meeting, the Carbondale Area School District Board of Education voted to print the names of the district's delinquent taxpayers, although no print dates have been determined.

The school district reports more than $505,000 in delinquent taxes from residents of Carbondale city and about $100,000 in delinquent taxes from residents of Fell Twp. for the 2012-13 school year, which have not been paid as of Jan. 1, business manager David Cerra said.

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

ARCHBALD - The state House Democratic Policy Committee will hold a public hearing on transportation funding on Wednesday.

The public hearing, which will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Valley View High School auditorium, will include testimony from transportation experts and local business leaders.

State Rep. Frank Farina, D-115, Jessup; requested the hearing and will act as co-chairman.

The hearing is open to the public.