After back-to-back aid trips in hurricane-wracked Florida and Puerto Rico, Mercedes Wood needs a little more time to decompress, she said.

The Scranton woman returned home Tuesday from a 17-day aid trip to Puerto Rico, where she and colleagues with the National Disaster Medical System helped thousands of people still reeling from Hurricane Maria.

Before that, she had worked for two weeks in the Florida Keys providing aid after Hurricane Irma as part of the Disaster Medical Assistance Team.

Of all the disasters that triggered her deployment, Puerto Rico was the most serious, she said.

“This was the worst. I’ve been with DMAT for over 20 years. It was a humbling experience. These people thought that nobody cared,” said Wood, 64, an emergency medical technician. Her voice quivered and eyes welled with tears as she recalled working in a temporary hospital in Manatí, about an hour west of the capital, San Juan.

“We came in and the gratitude that they showed was very, very humbling,” she said.

About 60 percent of the U.S. island territory remains without power, according to a Puerto Rican government website tracking restoration progress. The government says 30 percent of telecommunication systems are down and 17 percent of the water system remains offline.

The official death toll from Maria is 55, but San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz told CNN the number of dead, considering other circumstances wrought by the storm, might be closer to 500.

Wood acknowledged criticism aimed at the federal government for its slow response in mobilizing relief efforts, but described a robust, complex operation with military security support and supplies a phone call away.

Rural areas of the island, home to 3.4 million U.S. citizens, remain largely cut off with no fresh water supply, no power and no communication, said Pedro Anes, northeast commissioner for Gov. Tom Wolf’s Advisory Commission for Latino Affairs, and chairman of the Scranton Human Relations Commission. He helped lead recent efforts to deliver supplies to Puerto Rico. He also has family there who relay living conditions back to him.

He understands an initial slow response given the logistical chaos that ensued, he said. But now he’s concerned that relief funds won’t fuel meaningful restoration.

“There are people in Puerto Rico who became unemployed, and instead of working, they’re waiting on a handout. That’s never a way to rebuild,” he said. “More effort has to be put into building and rebuilding Puerto Rico with its own sustainable enterprises, so that way the money stays in Puerto Rico.”

In addition, local police forces are grappling with blackouts and flooded police stations. Criminals have taken advantage of the weakened law enforcement, and there appears to be no national plan for keeping crime under control, Anes said.

Puerto Rico needs more aid workers to pick up the pace, he said.

Members of the DMAT are working to fill that void and help Puerto Ricans regain their footing, said Doug Wilkinson, a respiratory therapist from New York who has been in Wood’s unit, NY-2 DMAT, for four years and deployed to Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico after hurricanes this year.

The National Disaster Medical System, under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is activated at the request of the affected government to provide medical care and mortuary services.

About 5,000 medical, public health and emergency management personnel make up 70 teams nationwide that work hand-in-hand with other agencies to assist affected communities.

“You just see relief on their face. They have somebody there to help with just this one aspect of their life that’s overwhelming them,” Wilkinson said. “It gives them a chance to refocus and let a little bit of the burden off themselves.”

The DMAT and its affiliates offered mental health and other services beyond basic medical care.

During their stay, some in the group heard stories of a 3-year-old girl living in the hills with her grandmother, unit commander David T. Diamond said. The family had run out of food, water and diapers, so the aid workers organized a detail to deliver supplies.

“Everybody kind of chipped in and we gave her some money to live with,” he said. “That’s the humanitarian side of it.”

As Wood thought back on her work in the medical station, one memory stood out more than others.

Every morning after the lights went up, they began the day with the sound of a man named Santos playing guitar and singing love ballads in Spanish to his wife, who was comatose because of an illness, Wood said.

“We don’t know if she could ever hear him, but he sang to her every day,” she said. “That’s something that I’ll remember for the rest of my life: that one man that would not leave his wife’s side.”

Contact the writer:

joconnell@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9131;

@jon_oc on Twitter

Despite the Scranton School District’s worsening economic troubles, officials will not conduct a comprehensive search for a new chief financial officer — outraging some school directors.

With the Dec. 29 retirement of the district’s longtime business manager, Gregg Sunday, the superintendent plans to restructure the business and human relations departments with one administrator overseeing both.

However, the district is advertising for the chief financial officer opening alone and only on its website, www.scrsd.org.

The moves have some school directors questioning whether district leaders are serious about making the changes necessary to move the district toward financial solvency and avoid a state takeover.

“We should be looking for the best qualified candidate, the best person for the job,” said Bob Sheridan, the outgoing school board president. “This is the most important position right now because we’re going through a big crisis with our budget.

“We need someone at the helm who knows the next move we need to make. ... We need someone at that position to take the reins of the horses and go down the narrow road.”

With less than two months before the board must pass a balanced budget for 2018, directors have begun making decisions that will lead to both job losses and program cuts. Even if the district can close a projected $25 million hole in the 2018 budget, the district still faces a general fund deficit expected to reach $40 million by the end of the year.

The job search comes amid continued outrage over an audit released last month by Pennsylvania Auditor General Eugene DePasquale. In calling the audit the worst he has seen, DePasquale said the district budgeted recklessly, gave health insurance to nonemployees, paid unapproved rate increases to its no-bid bus contractor and provided questionable payouts to former employees.

The scathing report called for better controls and more transparency in the business office. PFM, the district’s state-appointed financial monitor, also called for changes to the business office, including better communication and planning. The state placed the district on financial watch status earlier this year — the first in a series of steps that could lead to state receivership.

Along with placing classified ads or posting on job sites, districts statewide often advertise jobs through organizations like the Pennsylvania School Boards Association and the Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials.

The job description on the district website for Sunday’s position includes a salary range of $112,000 to $117,000.

Superintendent Alexis Kirijan, Ed.D. suggested the district restructure its human resources and business departments, a move she says will save close to $35,000 a year. The plan would meet the recommendations of PFM to improve the office’s current structure, she said in an email.

Bill Gaynord, the former assistant business manager and current human resources director, could potentially oversee both departments, with current Assistant Business Manager Patrick Laffey overseeing many daily responsibilities. The district would seek an assistant director for the HR department, directors said.

Outgoing Director Cy Douaihy said he supports the superintendent’s proposal.

“To bring a new person in from outside of the district right now, to me, would be a really difficult fit, unless that person is coming from a similar situation,” Douaihy said. “We also have the chance to save some money.”

Director Mark McAndrew said he also supports promoting from within the district.

“I believe in growing our own,” he said. “To bring someone in from the outside and get that person up to speed would be a struggle.”

Directors who support an extensive search say their wishes have nothing to do with the capabilities and work ethics of Laffey and Gaynord.

“They’re two very good individuals, and I have a lot of respect for both of them,” Director Bob Lesh said. “I just wish we did this a little bit earlier. We need to get a pool of applicants. We need to advertise.”

Someone from the outside could have a different perspective and “could truly be objective,” Lesh said.

Director Paul Duffy agreed.

“We need to try to find the best person we can,” Duffy said. “I have no problem searching outside before we look internally.”

Director Robert Casey wants to know why the administration would not want to look at all options.

“I understand you want someone familiar with the district, but numbers are numbers. It’s as simple as that,” Casey said. “It’s more of the same. It’s sad. We can’t get on the same page with each other. It should be done the correct way.”

Efforts to reach directors Tom Schuster, Carol Oleski and Jim Timlin were unsuccessful.

Contact the writer:

shofius@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9133;

@hofiushallTT on Twitter

Dear J.T. & Dale: I have an employee who is a single mom. As a result, she needs to come to work 20 minutes late every day. I don’t have a problem with it, but a co-worker told me that the team is upset that she is getting special treatment. I never thought that other employees would take offense. At the same time, I don’t want to take this flexibility away from a single mom.

— HANNA

J.T.: The answer is simple: If you can offer a single mom some start-time flexibility, why can’t you do it for the rest of the staff? Flex time is one of the most sought-after perks among employees today. Not only will it make the rest of your team happy, it can promote retention and greater overall productivity and job satisfaction. In a time when unemployment is low, why risk losing key staff members over something you can fix with a simple benefit?

DALE: Great idea. And, as sometimes happens when you offer employees flexibility, you might end up doing a better job of serving your customers. For instance, I once profiled a guy who won a “hotel manager of the year” award mainly because he got rid of check-in times at his hotel. It was a location where customers often showed up in the morning, wanting to check in after getting off red-eye flights; however, there was a policy stating that they had to wait till afternoon. The manager realized that the only reason they couldn’t check in was because rooms needed to be cleaned. So he asked if anyone on the housekeeping team would be willing to come in earlier. One woman was delighted — that way, she could take off early and pick up her kids from school.

Dear J.T. & Dale: I started a job three months ago. Since I started, two people have left. The boss doesn’t seem in a hurry to replace them. As a result, I’m picking up the extra work. That’s fine, but I’d like to be compensated for it. What’s the best way to approach the subject?

— MATT

J.T.: I would start by pulling together a list of all the extra projects you are now responsible for that weren’t part of your job description. I’d also identify any extra hours you’ve put in. Then, set a meeting with your boss to go over the work and ask if he or she plans to hire someone for the role, or if you should plan to keep it. If the boss objects to paying you more, then I would follow up with the question, “Is there a way we can map out a plan so I can eventually earn more?” That way, he knows you are going to pursue this.

DALE: Assuming you’re working normal hours, then one of two things may have occurred: Management realized the department had been overstaffed and now it isn’t. Or, maybe you truly are a three-fer super-employee. This is a time to be politically savvy and figure out which it is before you approach your boss.

JEANINE “J.T.” TANNER O’DONNELL is a professional development specialist and the founder of the consulting firm jtodonnell. DALE DAUTEN is a mediator with AgreementHouse.com. Visit them at jtanddale.com, where you can send questions via email, or write to them in care of King Features Syndicate, 628 Virginia Dr., Orlando, FL 32803.

The brother of state Rep. Kevin Haggerty’s chief of staff is the latest candidate to enter an increasingly crowded 2018 Democratic primary field to represent Haggerty’s district.

Robert Castellani — brother of Randy Castellani, who is Haggerty’s chief of staff and a former Lackawanna County commissioner — announced he intends to run for the 112th House District seat, joining fellow challengers Kyle Mullins and Tommy Carlucci.

Robert Castellani said the most important part of his platform is transparency and he intends to hold town-hall-style meetings as often as once or twice per month to constantly gather feedback from the people he would represent if elected.

“I feel that within every district, not just one I’m running for, there is not enough input from constituents,” the 52-year-old Blakely resident said. “What is important to me may not be important to 50 or 100 other people. ... You’re not going to get everything you want. You’re not going to get every bill passed. If you hear what they want, you can pursue it. You’re their public servant. They’re your boss.”

Castellani is sales manager at Just Cabinets Furniture & More in Dickson City after previously being a Raymour & Flanigan manager for nearly a decade. He previously served three four-year terms as Blakely tax collector and ran DonBaldo’s by Iris for two years with his fiancée, Iris Piccotti, before the restaurant closed. He attributed the closure to Piccotti’s struggles with health issues.

Castellani appeared to criticize Haggerty for missing every House voting session in Harrisburg in the last two months.

“You’ve got to do your job, bottom line,” Castellani said. “People put you in there. They trust and believe in you. They believe in what you stand for or they wouldn’t have voted for you. They put you in there and expect you to do your job. Only Kevin Haggerty can answer” whether he met that standard.

Haggerty, who previously cited the need stay near his two young children during his ongoing divorce as the reason for his absence, didn’t return messages.

Randy Castellani did not appear to embrace his brother’s campaign.

“I believe this will be the fifth or sixth time he is running for an office,” Randy Castellani said in an email. “He ran against me as a Republican in 2003 when I won a second term for county commissioner. He changes his party from Democrat to Republican frequently depending on what he is running for. I am not really sure what is happening with my brother. ... Whatever he is trying to accomplish this time, he is my brother and I love him.”

Robert Castellani responded that in the commissioners race, he thought it would be inappropriate for two brothers to run as Democrats on the same ticket, and that he previously wanted to run for state representative when his brother did but stepped aside. Randy Castellani lost in the Democratic primary to Frank Farina in 2012.

Robert Castellani said that even as a child, he knew that he someday wanted to run for the office when former state Rep. Joe Wargo represented it, and he’s not worried about awkwardness with his brother.

“If I want something, I go after it,” he said. “I won’t look at anything else. He does his thing. I do my thing. You’ve got to keep politics where it belongs and keep family and friends where they belong.”

Contact the writer:

kwind@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100, x5181;

@kwindTT on Twitter

BLAKELY — A 51-year-old Peckville man is in critical condition after crashing a Ferrari on Sunday night with such force the sports car split in half, Blakely police said.

Ken Santarelli left Gino Merli Drive by Virginia Avenue and struck a parked vehicle and a tree, Chief Guy Salerno said. The cause of the crash is still under investigation and the borough police department contacted the state police to assist with the accident reconstruction.

The force of the impact with the tree split the vehicle in half and ejected Santarelli. He was taken to Geisinger Community Medical Center, where the chief had last heard he was in critical condition.

Ken Santarelli is owner of Santarelli and Sons Oil of Peckville.

— JOSEPH KOHUT

The city received five proposals Monday for landscape architect services for a proposed project to convert a vacant lot in the heart of downtown Scranton into green space.

Although the city does not yet have title to the property at Wyoming Avenue and Linden Street, Mayor Bill Courtright’s administration plans to acquire the approximately 180-foot by 80-foot parcel at 248-256 Wyoming to settle a lawsuit with the owner and then transform it into a pocket park.

The landscape design proposals — two from city firms and three from out-of-town companies — were opened at City Hall by City Controller Roseann Novembrino and members of her staff. Submitting proposals were, with the maximum amount for all services:

■ Reuther & Bowen PC, 326 Ward St., Scranton, $23,450.

■ Renew Design Group, 121 N. Main St., Souderton, $27,600.

■ Simone Collins Landscape Architect, 119 E. Lafayette St., Norristown, $34,884.

■ NV5, 1315 Walnut St., Philadelphia, $35,000.

■ DxDempsey Architecture Inc., 321 Spruce St., Scranton, $49,000.

Novembrino said the proposals will be forwarded to the city law department for review.

The proposed park site, now a fenced gravel lot, was formerly home to a commercial dry-cleaning operation.

The lot’s owner, RSM Properties LLC, sued the city last year, alleging officials during Mayor Chris Doherty’s administration reneged on an agreement to pay for building demolition and environmental remediation if RSM purchased the site.

To resolve the lawsuit, the city would buy the property from RSM for $375,000. It would then remediate the lot for green space use, which administration officials say would be easier and less expensive than cleaning it up for possible construction of a commercial or a mixed-use commercial/residential structure.

City council asked for estimates on the two levels of environmental cleanup before taking final action on legislation to authorize the purchase.

Contact the writer: dsingleton@timesshamrock.com, 570-348-9132

A BMW stolen from a Scranton man this weekend was quickly found after police responded to a wreck elsewhere in the city, police said. However, the driver fled the scene.

Dominick Pometti left his home on the 1200 block of Diamond Avenue on Saturday at 8 p.m. and returned Sunday at about noon once informed by a neighbor that a window had been broken, Capt. Dennis Lukasewicz said.

The interior was trashed, police said. A laptop and two cell phones were stolen.

More pressing for Pometti, though, was his blue BMW stolen from the home, police said.

Police found the blue BMW sometime Sunday morning after it was involved in a crash on Larch Street, Lukasewicz said.

The driver fled the scene before police arrived.

A neighbor of Pometti’s told police that the BMW was there as of 11 p.m. on Saturday. By 1 a.m., another witness said she saw a male in a dark sweatshirt in front of Pometti’s house talking about a rock, police said.

City detectives are investigating. Anyone with information can contact the bureau at 570-348-4139.

Contact the writer: jkohut@timesshamrock.com, 570-348-9144; @jkohutTT on Twitter

Citizens and officials interested in Lackawanna County’s reassessment ballot question are still waiting anxiously today for a state appeals court ruling that will decide if the question counts in the election Tuesday.

As of now, the state Commonwealth Court has not ruled on the county’s appeal of a county court ruling last week that voided the ballot question and its election results. If the appeals court backs the county’s appeal, the question would again count.

The question asks voters whether the county should borrow up to $13 million to reassess the values used to calculate property taxes on land and buildings across the county.

At an afternoon news conference outside the county bureau of elections off Stafford Avenue, county commissioners Patrick O’Malley and Laureen Cummings urged voters to go to the polls and cast ballots on reassessment whether or not the results count. They said the county would tabulate the results and make them public either way.

“We urge the people of Lackawanna County to go out tomorrow and vote on behalf of what works best for their families on the question of reassessment,” O’Malley said. “Whether it’s yes or no on reassessment, our concern is for families. And that’s why we wanted it to be brought to them, for them to make their decision on Election Day.”

The question says: “Shall the Lackawanna County Commissioners incur debt not to exceed $13 (Thirteen Million) Dollars solely for the purpose of conducting a countywide revision of assessment so that all real estate within the county will be assessed at a predetermined ratio of 100% of a new base-year value?”

O’Malley and Cummings declined to say if they would honor the results regardless of the appeals court ruling.

“We would like to know where the community stands on reassessment,” Cummings said. “We’ll be looking at those results regardless.”

Cummings has publicly opposed reassessment while Commissioner Jerry Notarianni, who did not attend the news conference, favors it. O’Malley has avoided publicly taking a position and stuck to that Monday.

“I stand right where I was in the beginning, right in the middle,” he said. “I want the people to make a decision on behalf of their families.”

He declined to say how he plans to vote on the question today.

Last Tuesday, a three-county judge panel voted 2 to 1 to declare the question null and void after hearing an Oct. 19 court challenge brought by produce farmer Keith Eckel of Newton Twp. and insurance executive Chuck Volpe. Eckel and Volpe’s challenge called the referendum question language “vague, misleading, ambiguous, distracting and confusing.”

Senior Judge Robert Mazzoni and Judge James Gibbons sided with them, calling the question “unintelligible” and arguing waiting until next year for a properly worded question can’t hurt.

In a dissent, Senior Judge Carmen Minora ruled the question was constructing according to state law and a “plain English” statement adequately explaining it could be given to voters at polling places.

The county’s appeal argues the judges erred in ruling in favor of a preliminary injunction voiding the question, but Volpe and Eckel’s lawyers contends the judges ruling should stand because they did not abuse their discretion.

Contact the writer: bkrawczeniuk@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9147; @BorysBlogTT on Twitter.

Geisinger Health System will acquire a physician-owned orthopedic specialty group in Scranton, officials said today.

Effective Jan. 1, Geisinger will acquire the assets of Professional Orthopaedic Associates for $1.5 million, an investment that also includes equipment upgrades and renovations to Professional Orthopaedic’s Olive Street offices and at Geisinger Community Medical Center on Mulberry Street.

Professional Orthopaedic physicians Dr. John Doherty Jr., Dr. Theodore Tomaszewski, Dr. Kevin Colleran and Dr. Jeffrey Gillette will become Geisinger doctors, and the group’s 52 employees will become Geisinger employees working under the Geisinger Musculoskeletal Institute.

The Olive Street practice, in the Ice Box complex, will be called Geisinger Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine in Scranton.

“Our patients can not only expect the same high level of care in the same location as they’ve experienced in the past — but also enhanced care that leverages all of Geisinger’s considerable resources,” Doherty said in a statement.

The acquisition comes at a time when independent physician groups are increasingly abandoning the small business model to work as employees for larger health systems that let doctors focus more on medicine and less on managing the practice.

“We don’t just look at it from the standpoint of surgeries and bones and joints, we see this as another critical part of a larger picture that says we’re the Scranton community partner of choice,” said musculoskeletal institute chairman and health system Chief Physician Officer Dr. Michael Suk. “We make commitments and investments in the area for the long haul, not just the quick turn of the dime.”

The acquisition also means the specialty group will sever ties with Commonwealth Health, a Geisinger competitor that owns Moses Taylor Hospital and Regional Hospital of Scranton, both in the city. Currently, Professional Orthopaedic doctors care for patients at Commonwealth hospitals.

Commonwealth is undergoing an $80 million expansion project at its hospitals that includes a new specialty center, the Commonwealth Health Orthopaedic Institute in Moses Taylor Hospital.

Commonwealth spokeswoman Renita Fennick in a statement said plans for the new orthopedic institute are moving forward as part of the health system’s 2020 Scranton Campus design, but didn’t directly address how Professional Orthopaedic’s departure would affect those plans.

Contact the writer: joconnell@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9131; @jon_oc on Twitter

THROOP — The man who hit the borough police station with a truck early Sunday is suspected of driving under the influence, borough police said.

A pickup driven by Brian Raniella struck two parked cars before hitting the Throop police station on Charles Street at about 2:30 a.m. Sunday morning, borough police Chief Keith Jones said. The collision caused no structural harm to the building but did damage a garage door, Jones said. Raniella was not injured and the police station was empty at the time, Jones said.

Police are waiting on the return of toxicology tests before filing charges, Jones said.

— CLAYTON OVER

Exeter Twp.

Senior events: Falls Active Adult Center on Route 92 upcoming events; lunch and learn about maintaining healthy kidneys, Thursday, 12:15 p.m.; center closed Friday; bag lunch only, center closes at 11 a.m., Nov. 14; Veterans Day special musical presentations by Col. James May, Nov. 15, 12:45 p.m.; mobile food pantry, open to all ages, Nov. 17; lunch & learn about low back pain, causes and treatments, Nov. 20, 12:15 p.m.; center open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.; to RSVP for a meal, Twila, 570-388-2623 by 12:30 p.m. the day before.

Mayfield

Bazaar/food: St. John’s Russian Orthodox Cathedral Christmas bazaar, Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., church center, Hill Street; food sales, two floors of vendors and crafters, basket raffle and purse raffle; more info, 570-876- 0730, 570-254- 6882 or 570-876- 0391.

Moscow

Wine trip: Social Activities Committee of St. Eulalia’s Church sponsored bus trip to Seneca Lake, N.Y., Dec. 9, bus leaves church parking lot at 7 a.m., returns at 10 p.m.; wine tasting at four wineries and shopping in Watkin’s Glen; $75/person, includes bus and admission to wineries; must be 21; reservations or info, Rose, 570-842-8537, or Walter, 570-702-3446.

Scranton

Money workshop: Marywood University Accounting and Finance Club “Money Matters” workshop, Thursday, 3:45 p.m., Boys and Girls Club, 609 Ash St.; Accounting and Finance Club members will teach Boys and Girls Club members ages 6 to 9 about the importance of financial savings and will lead an arts and craft project to create their own piggy bank; info, Ms. Washo, awasho@marywood.edu, or 570-348-6211, x2473.

Volunteers needed: Operation Friendship, a holiday project coordinated through the Visitation Program of Serving Seniors Inc., is looking for individuals and groups of all ages to write and send/hand deliver personalized Christmas cards to area nursing, assisted living and personal care home residents; more info, Bernadette R. Jones, 570-344- 3931, or servsen@epix.net.

South Scranton

Seniors meet: South Scranton After 50 Club meeting, Thursday, 1:30 p.m., St. Paul of the Cross Center, Prospect Avenue, reservation fees will be collected for the Nov. 30 holiday party.

Waymart

Spaghetti dinner: Dessin Animal Shelter spaghetti dinner, Nov. 19, noon-4 p.m., Gravity Inn Restaurant, 40 Gravity Planes Road; $15/ticket, all you can eat; tickets available at the door or the shelter; proceeds benefit shelter; more info, 570-253-4037.

CLIPBOARD ITEMS may be emailed to yesdesk@timesshamrock.com or mailed to Clipboard, c/o YES!Desk, 149 Penn Ave., Scranton, PA 18503. YES!Desk, 570-348-9121.

WESTERN GOVERNORS UNIVERSITY

Barbara Gember, South Abington Twp., Bachelor of Science, nursing.

COLLEGE OF THE HOLY CROSS

Patrick James Powell, Moosic, Bachelor of Arts

ALBRIGHT COLLEGE

Anthony Bartok, Montrose, Bachelor of Arts, sociology and criminology, magna cum laude; Rhys Bevan, Scranton, Bachelor of Arts, art/digital media; Alexandra DeQueiroz, Clarks Summit, Bachelor of Science, environmental science; Aaliyah Hopkins, Dingmans Ferry, Bachelor of Science, biology; Dalton Mecke, Nicholson, Bachelor of Arts, psychology, cum laude; Emma Musto, Clarks Summit, Bachelor of Arts, religious studies/sociology, family studies, women’s and gender studies, cum laude; Erin North-Mozda, Olyphant, Bachelor of Science, biochemistry/Spanish; and Shannon O’Malley, Factoryville, Bachelor of Arts, music business/Spanish, cum laude.

INDIANA UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

LACKAWANNA COUNTY

Nikkole Alexandra Austin, Roaring Brook Twp., Bachelor of Arts, theater; Nino Louis Biancarelli, Jessup, Bachelor of Arts, chemistry/pre-medical; Sean Patrick Corcoran, Clarks Summit, Bachelor of Science, management/entrepreneurship and small business; Patrick James Kearney, Clarks Summit, Bachelor of Science, hospitality management; Kain Eugene Loureiro, Scranton, Bachelor of Arts, political science/pre-law; and Benjamin Edward Pierce, Dalton, Bachelor of Science, interior design.

SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY

Shannon M. Bollard, Kingsley, Bachelor of Science, nursing; Victoria Lee Sterling, Hop Bottom, Bachelor of Science, nursing; and Elizabeth Adeline Trowbridge, Meshoppen, Bachelor of Arts, criminology.

WAYNE COUNTY

Michael J. Durando, Beach Lake, Bachelor of Arts, criminology; Michael J. Heesh, Lake Como, Bachelor of Arts, geography/geographic information systems and cartographer; Shannon Maureen LaPoint, Honesdale, Bachelor of Arts, history; Jodi Maria Miller, Hawley, Bachelor of Arts, criminology; Sarina Elizabeth Pajalich, Newfoundland, Bachelor of Arts, English/literary, textual and cultural studies; and Anthony John Sanko, Jefferson Twp., Bachelor of Arts, criminology.

LOYOLA UNIVERSITY MARYLAND

Melissa Becker, Moosic, Bachelor of Science, biology; Brian Blomain, Dunmore, Bachelor of Business Administration; Daniel Bormes, Clarks Summit, Bachelor of Arts, English literature; Jade Cesarini, Spring Brook Twp., Bachelor of Science, biology/sociology; Regina Coyle, Scranton, Bachelor of Arts, global studies; Tara Foley, Clarks Summit, Bachelor of Arts, political science; Rachel Kennedy, Scranton, Bachelor of Business Administration, accounting; Clayton Myers, Scott Twp., Bachelor of Science, biology; Madeline Rose, Scranton, Bachelor of Arts, speech-language-hearing science; William Temples, Scranton, Bachelor of Arts, psychology; Bridget Tolan, Dunmore, Bachelor of Business Administration, accounting; and Michael Voitek, Exeter, Bachelor of Science, biology/psychology.

Nature guide

to speak

Sandy Babuka, who spends her summers working at Alaska’s Denali National Park, will speak during the Susquehanna County Forest Land Owners Association annual forestry meeting.

Babuka, who lives in Susquehanna County, is a nature guide and tour bus driver in the national park from late May to early September. Babuka will give a thought-provoking talk about the sustainability of natural resources, present a slide show and also discuss the flora and fauna in the park.

SCFLOA board member Bill Bayne heard Babuka speak at Salt Springs State Park.

“She captivated the audiences, who left wishing she had more time to speak and show scenes from in and around Denali National Park,” Bayne said.

The dinner is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 17, at the Harford Volunteer Fire Company Fire Hall in Harford. The event begins at 6:15 p.m.; hors d’oeuvres begin at 6:30 and dinner, prepared by the volunteers of the Harford Volunteer Fire Company, will be served at 7.

Tickets are $20. Guests and non-SCFLOA members are welcome to attend but with limited seating must reserve a seat before Monday.

To reserve, contact Doug Sheldon, SCFLOA treasurer at 1115 Potter Hill Road, Thompson, PA 18465, by phone at 570-906-0913 or email, dougshel

don@gmail.com using the subject line SCFLOA annual dinner.

Super students

Western Wayne Fashion II class students, Kayla Fitzpatrick and Cailin Brown, redesigned donated wedding gowns based on the style of professional wedding dress designers.

The redesign was part of the Wedding Gown Remake Project. Kayla and Cailin spent three weeks reworking the gowns.

Kayla turned her dress into a “modern Victorian style.” She kept a long train but shortened the front of the dress to knee- length. Kayla had to be careful not to pull on the original beading of the dress. Kayla also redesigned the veil.

“I decided to turn it into a cape-like veil because I just love the cape trend and thought it would make the ensemble look more modern,” she said.

Cailin redesigned her dress to be a formal gown a bride could wear on the beach in the summertime. She shortened the gown, which was difficult to recreate because of the many layers of fabric, to tea length, kept part of the back train and added a pink ribbon to the waist.

Kayla and Cailin’s wedding dresses, along with other pieces they designed, are part of their senior collections.

High notes

The Little Sisters of the Poor and residents of Holy Family Residence celebrated the arrival of Alana Beddoe as their new postulant.

Beddoe, 30, Ottowa, Canada, worked as a registered nurse in Canada, before entering religious life. Nineteen of Beddoe’s relatives and friends from Canada attended a special Mass welcoming her Saturday, Oct. 7, the feast day of Our Lady of the Rosary, in the Holy Family Residence chapel in Scranton.

Beddoe assisted the sisters in their work for a week and then traveled to the sisters’ home is Baltimore to begin her formation studies.

MARRIAGE LICENSES

• Susan Mary Flynn and Thomas Francis Kieselback, both of Suffield, Conn.

• Shelby Kathleen Wease and Vicki Marie Spicer, both of Carbondale.

PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS

• Leonarda Simonson, personal representative of the estate of Robert C. Simonson, and Leonarda Simonson, his wife, Winter Garden, Fla., and Dennis J. and Christine Simonson, Duryea, to Todd Stephen Heinsch, Austin, Texas; a property at 523 Rocky Glen Road, Avoca, for $38,000.

• Mary Ellen Strony Gillick and Alan Gillick, Clifford Twp., Robert P. and Janet Strony, Archbald, and John T. and Kathryn Strony, Lebanon, N.J., to Kevin and Michele Harrington McHale; four parcels in Dunmore for $105,000.

• Robert S. Shebaugh, Madison Twp., to Timothy R. Sr. and Paulette F. Nicholas; a property in Madison Twp. for $170,000.

• Claire A. and Lynn S. Marks II, Honesdale, to Shariah T. Bogar and Carlton W. Green Jr., Scranton, as joint tenants with rights of survivorship; a property at 1830 R. Prospect Ave., Scranton, for $32,900.

• USA HUD, Philadelphia, to Michele Crofton, Lackawanna County; a property at 1017 Derby Ave., Scranton, for $70,000.

• Roger Wagner, Kent, Conn., to Heather A. Bogaski and Leonard C. Marullo, Scranton, as joint tenants with rights of survivorship; a property at 213 Stephen Ave., Scranton, for $86,920.

• First United Church of Christ, Scranton, to Robert W. Cope, Scranton; a property at 128 N. Bromley Ave., Scranton, for $50,000.

• Donna Gardner, agent for Raymond R. Dipple, Thornhurst, to Steven MacDonald, Thornhurst; a property in Thornhurst Twp. for $93,000.

• Donna Thompson, executrix of the estate of Eleanor G. Semanski, Taylor, to Michael Ware, Taylor; a property at 308 Church St., Taylor, for $70,000.

• Thomas and Maureen Moran to Edward M. and Keri Best; a property at 3 Lakeside Drive, South Abington Twp., for $350,000.

• Maryann L. Cooney, executrix of the estate of William J. Lewis, Scranton, to Richard Noldy, Scott Twp.; a property at 219 N. Lincoln Ave., Scranton, for $30,000.

• Paul and Eileen Goscinski, Lackawanna County, to Holly and John S. Smith III, Lackawanna County; a property at 535-537 Archbald St., Scranton, for $25,000.

• Raymond W. Schwenk, Madison Twp., to James and Julia Maconeghy, Madison Twp.; a property at 2701 Motichka Road, Madison Twp., for $150,000.

• James R. Wilce Jr. and Kristen Sebastian, now by marriage Kristen Wilce, to Joseph and Megan Stauder; a property at 103 Broadhead St., Old Forge, for $167,000.

• Mary Ann Soy, Jessup, to Shad Steigerwalt, Jessup; a property at 119 Saxon St., Jessup, for $172,000.

• Ann C. Reilly, Dunmore, to Stephen and Christina Smolley, Dunmore; a property at 1720 Quincy Ave., Dunmore, for $130,000.

• Eva Marie Bratty, Mount Laurel, N.J., to David Hubler, Elmhurst Twp.; a property at 370 Lake Spangenberg Road, Jefferson Twp., for $72,000.

• Paul and Sherin D. Kozlansky, Lackawanna County, to Peter J. and Elizabeth M. Shivock, Lackawanna County; a property at 355 Sickler Pond Road, Greenfield Twp., for $285,000.

• Kathleen F. Guittard, Lake Ariel, to Adam A. Skoda, Dunmore; a property in Jefferson Twp. for $108,000.

• Outlook Design & Construction Inc., Hamlin, to Nathan A. and Melissa A. Chappell, Clarks Summit; a property at 1000 Circle Green Drive, South Abington Twp., for $420,470.

• Servicelink LLC, attorney-in-fact for Fannie Mae, also known as Federal National Mortgage Association, Dallas, Texas, to Mary J. Hannon, Carbondale; a property on Dundaff Street, Fells Twp., for $31,500.

FEDERAL TAX LIEN

• Emmanuel F. Hipolito, 38 Thompson Park, P.O. Box 399, Kane; $40,854.54.

STATE TAX LIENS

• Colarussos Restaurant Inc., 100 E. Grove St., Suite A, Clarks Summit; $8,411.10.

• Saundra Covington, 125 Mountain View Way, Scranton; $3,337.02.

• Joseph A. Van Wie, 925 Sunset St., Scranton; $2,040.39.

• Timothy M. and Margaret K. Earley, 926 Providence Road, Scranton; $5,923.02.

• James C. O’Brian, 1717 Jackson St., Scranton; $2,731.19.

• James Dougherty, 209 Battin St., Dunmore; $1,317.57.

• Robert C. and Helen T. McMinn, 1273 Country Club Road, Clarks Summit; $249.40.

• Kevin J. and Tina M. O’Hara, 355 Washington St., Greenfield Twp.; $673.18.

• Danielle G. Zultewicz, individually and as responsible party of Tiny Treasures Child Care Center, 1004 Scenic Drive, Clarks Summit; $71,430.50.

• Stephanie A. Lawless, individually and as responsible party of Tiny Treasures Child Care Center, 301 Clinton St., Vandling; $71,430.50.

• John R. Lawless, individually and as responsible party of Tiny Treasures Child Care Center, 301 Clinton St., Vandling; $71,430.50.

ESTATES FILED

• Charles Hebden, also known as Charles T. Hebden, 1082 Mohawk St., Scranton, letters testamentary to Ellen Hebden Ryan, same address.

• Irene F. Russin, also known as Irene F. Pirhalla, 2309 Stafford Ave., Scranton, letters testamentary to Kevin Russin, 402 Hillside Drive, Moscow.

• Ann Marie Tutino, also known as Ann Marie M. Tutino and Ann Marie Kuchwara, 2129 Shawnee Ave., Scranton, letters testamentary to Rose M. Jacklinski, 984 Paul Ave., Scranton, and Geri L. Kuchwara, now by marriage Geri L. Otasevic, 518 Third St., Dunmore.

• Doris L. Dempsey, the Pines at Clarks Summit, Clarks Summit, letters testamentary to Edward F. Dempsey III, 44 Kohlbocker Road, Newton, N.J.

• Raynor J. Bloom, 337 13th St., Scranton, letters of administration to Lawrence W. Bloom III, 1322 N. Webster Ave., Dunmore.

ONLINE: thetimes-tribune.com/courts

HARRISBURG — Disgraced former Judge Mark A. Ciavarella Jr.’s appellate attorney Monday argued some of his convictions should be set aside because of errors his legal team made during trial.

Ciavarella, 67, was convicted of 12 of 39 charges for accepting kickbacks in exchange for funneling juvenile defendants to detention centers built by wealthy developer Robert K. Mericle’s construction firm and operated by companies controlled by former local attorney Robert Powell.

In a filing Monday, attorney Jennifer P. Wilson of Duncannon argues Ciavarella’s trial attorneys should have sought a jury instruction about a five-year statute of limitations related to counts of racketeering, racketeering conspiracy and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

“The error committed by trial counsel in this case was failing to raise and preserve a viable statute of limitations defense,” Wilson wrote. “That error resulted in the jury having no instruction whatsoever about the applicable period of limitations. There is at least a reasonable probability — based on a review of the jury’s verdict — that a properly instructed jury would have acquitted the defendant of counts 1, 2 and 21.”

During oral arguments in September, Wilson noted that on the verdict slip, jurors found that Ciavarella violated federal law by accepting $1.6 million in kickbacks in January 2003, but they indicated he did not violate the law regarding a $1 million payment in July 2005 and another $150,000 payment in February 2006.

As a result, Ciavarella should not have been convicted on those three counts because the only transaction that jurors found was illegal took place more than five years before the indictment came down in September 2009, she argued.

Statute of limitations

Ciavarella is also seeking to have his conviction on three counts of honest services mail fraud set aside, arguing his attorneys were ineffective for failing to raise a statute of limitations claim on those counts as well.

Ciavarella’s trial attorneys, William Ruzzo of Kingston and Al Flora Jr., the former Luzerne County public defender, testified during the September hearing that they had no good explanation for failing to seek a statute of limitations jury instruction. They also acknowledged such an instruction could have strategically fit with their trial plan, which was to explain Ciavarella accepted “finder’s fees” rather than bribes.

Last month, the U.S. attorney’s office filed its own brief opposing the reversal of those convictions, arguing Ciavarella failed to make a case for winning a new trial.

Ciavarella’s claim that his attorneys’ performance was “objectively unreasonable and that he was prejudiced are unfounded,” prosecutors wrote. “Ciavarella has failed to identify a statute of limitations jury instruction that would have been favorable to him. Moreover, with regard to the continuing conspiracy offenses ... the jury’s verdict, as well as the undisputed trial evidence, demonstrate beyond a reasonable doubt that Ciavarella committed acts within five years of the date of indictment that furthered the central aims of the charged conspiracies.”

Waiting in prison

Ciavarella, who is now six years into a 28-year prison sentence, is also challenging his conviction on the honest services mail fraud counts based on a U.S. Supreme Court decision last year that held an official must exercise governmental power in order to be guilty of the crime. Ciavarella argues he did nothing in his official capacity as judge that caused Powell to hire Mericle, and therefore the payment Mericle gave Ciavarella did not amount to a bribe.

Chief U.S. District Judge Christopher C. Conner was expected to rule on his appeal at some point after receiving the post-hearing briefs.

Ciavarella, meanwhile, is serving his sentence at Federal Correctional Institution-Ashland in Kentucky.

Another judge snared in the scandal, Michael T. Conahan, 65, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy charges and is serving 17½ years at Federal Correctional Institution, Miami.

Contact the writer:

jhalpin@citizensvoice.com;

570-821-2058

The U.S. Department of Labor filed a complaint against a Lackawanna County home health care provider, alleging it violated the Fair Labor Standards Act by failing to pay overtime to certain employees over a three-year period.

The complaint against Revolutionary Home Health Inc., 1619 Main St., Olyphant, says the company paid nurses and other health care professionals on a per-patient visit basis from May 27, 2014, through May 26, 2017. The employees sometimes worked more than 40 hours a week, which entitled them to 1½ times their regular rate, but they were not paid the premium for the hours.

The complaint also alleges employees were not paid the overtime rate for work they performed other than visiting patients, such as attending meetings and completing patient charts and paperwork. Those duties often resulted in employees working about 50 hours per week.

The complaint names the company and its owners, Jennifer Feldra and Kathleen Evanina, as defendants.

Contact the writer:

tbesecker@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9137;

@tmbeseckerTT on Twitter

October 7, 1917

Connell again elected

mayor of Scranton

In one of the toughest election contests in Scranton since the re-election of Terrence Powderly in 1880, Alexander Connell was elected mayor of Scranton over his Democratic opponent, John Durkan.

Connell had previously served as mayor of Scranton from 1903 to 1906.

The vote total stood at Connell 9,552 and Durkan 8,623, with all districts reporting except for the 3rd Ward, 2nd District.

Mary Fay elected

to city school board

Mary E. Fay was the top vote-getter in the Scranton School Board race. Fay received 9,000 votes, followed by George B. Carson with 8,992, Virgil Crisman with 8,981 and Mrs. Walter Hill with 8,959. There were three open seats on the board.

Vote totals returned to the election board from one district were found to have been tampered with. Someone changed vote totals for Fay and Hill, giving those votes to fifth-place finisher John D. Davis.

Reached for comment, Davis said, “We’re not a party to that. We got 27 (votes) there and we’re lucky to get that many.”

Carbondale ballot boxes impounded

A Lackawanna County judge ordered the county sheriff to impound ballot boxes from several districts in Carbondale.

The request was made by David L. Parry, candidate for Carbondale School Board, after the open returns showed he won by 50 votes.

Parry told the court the election board failed to return the boxes to Carbondale City Hall on election night. The poll workers left the boxes in the voting booths overnight, which left them open to possible tampering.

BRIAN FULTON, library manager, oversees The Times-Tribune’s expansive digital and paper archives and is an authority on local history. Contact

Brian at bfulton@timesshamrock.com or 570-348-9140.

DUNMORE — With the exception of the state office in Pittsburgh, all state Department of Transportation photo centers will be closed Saturday in observance of Veterans Day, PennDOT said Monday.

The closures include the full-service center in Harrisburg.

ID and registration renewals and change-of-address services are still available online seven days a week through PennDOT’s Driver and Vehicle Services website at www.dmv.pa.gov.

— JOSEPH KOHUT

SCRANTON — Older residents with questions about health insurance coverage or Medicare can visit state Rep. Marty Flynn’s city office next week for assistance.

Counselors will be available at the representative’s office at Jay’s Commons, 409 N. Main Ave., Monday from 10 a.m. to noon to answer queries about Medicare, Medicare Advantage plans and other programs.

Appointments are suggested by calling the office at 570-342-4348.

— CLAYTON OVER

SCRANTON — Lackawanna County Judge Margaret Bisignani Moyle approved an order granting Scranton City Council access to the state police investigation into the city’s double pension recipients.

The order, filed Monday, formalizes an agreement the city reached with state police in June.

The investigation looked into the circumstances behind a 2002 retirement incentive that doubled the pensions of certain nonuniform employees. The pension board halted the excess payments in March after determining they were never properly authorized.

State police investigated but closed the probe in October 2016 without ruling if there was any criminal wrongdoing, after determining the statute of limitations had expired.

Moyle’s order allows council members to review the investigative file so they can determine if any legislation can be enacted to ensure the errors don’t occur again. They are forbidden from publicly disclosing its contents.

—TERRIE MORGAN-BESECKER