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SCRANTON — Marketplace at Steamtown owner John Basalyga and the outside operator of the mall’s parking garage disagree on how much free parking patrons will get under a new validation system starting Monday.

The operator, National Development Council, announced details Wednesday of the new system, including that mall patrons can park for free for up to three hours with a validation. After three hours, normal parking garage rates will apply — the same rates as at the city’s other garages overseen by NDC, which hired a different firm, ABM Parking Services, to manage the system.

Basalyga says mall patrons will be able to get unlimited free parking. All they’ll have to do is visit a validation station in the middle of the mall’s first floor to receive a validation for free parking, or get validated from certain larger tenants that will provide “self-validations.”

Boscov’s, Bee’s Backyard, Crunch Fitness and Luzerne County Community College all can self validate. Other future large tenants, including Electric City Aquarium & Reptile Den, Delta Medix and Iron Horse Movie Bistro, likely would get the self-validation method.

“You’ll never have to pay for parking if you’re a mall patron,” Basalyga said in a phone interview today. “My goal from day one (since he bought the mall) is to get people to come to the mall.”

In a separate phone interview today, NDC Director David Trevisani disagreed somewhat.

“You’ll park for three hours free as long as you get your ticket validated,” Trevisani said. “Our goal is to make sure folks know that this parking garage is free for mall patrons. It’s free for those three hours.”

Basalyga insists that a mall patron staying longer than three hours will be able to get “revalidated for longer so they aren’t charged” to park.

The dispute followed NDC’s announcement Wednesday of the new parking-control validation system at the mall to start Monday. After an article appeared on the website of The Times-Tribune Wednesday and in the newspaper today, Basalyga heard complaints from some patrons who thought they’ll have to pay for parking at the mall.

A three-hour window for free parking for typical mall shoppers is necessary to prevent non-mall patrons from using the mall garage to avoid paying for a parking garage spot or using street meters, Trevisani said.

Those non-mall-patrons may include people who park at the mall while working off site, visit the nearby state Office Building on Lackawanna Avenue or leave the mall and go elsewhere downtown.

As these people are not frequenting the mall or one of its tenants, they should have to pay typical parking garage rates to park at the mall — the same as they would do at the city’s other parking garages downtown also managed by NDC/ABM, Trevisani said. The mall’s new validation control system aims to achieve that result, he said.

“The mall has a number of varying users. Patrons and users will park for free up to the three hours,” Trevisani said. “If you go longer, then you give people the opportunity to park all day for free. You’re encouraging people to cheat. We had to have some limits.”

The validation system should readily serve all mall patrons by allowing for ample free parking time, Trevisani said.

According to NDC/ABM, the new parking arrangement at the mall will include:

■ Free parking of up to 30 minutes without any validation required, for the convenience of those who want to just pop in the mall.

■ Free parking of up to three hours with a same-day validated ticket.

■ No purchase required for a validation. Any user of the mall can get a parking validation. Patrons who do make purchases can take their receipts to an ABM Guest Services Kiosk on the first floor near the elevator to receive parking validations. But even patrons who don’t make any purchases — such as those browsing or walking in the mall — can go to this kiosk to receive parking validations.

■ Patrons of self-validating tenants — currently Boscov’s, Bee’s Backyard, Crunch Fitness and Luzerne County Community College — will get “chaser” validation tickets that will allow them to exit the garage without having to pay.

■ Normal parking garage rates — the same rates as at the city’s other ABM-operated garages downtown — will apply to non-Marketplace patrons, or to those staying longer than three hours. Weekday rates begin at $3.50 for 30-60 minutes and up to $12 for 15-24 hours. On weekends, parkers are not charged for the first three hours and pay a $5 flat fee thereafter.

■ Parking pay stations will be located on the ground-level escalator/elevator exits into the garage for patrons to pre-pay for parking.

■ Express exit lanes and those accepting cash and/or credit cards will be designated accordingly.

■ Monthly mall parkers will get magnetized wallet cards to activate the controls to enter and exit.

Contact the writer: jlockwood@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x5185; @jlockwoodTT on Twitter

SCRANTON — The Scranton School Board will borrow $4.1 million to finalize its 2018 budget and could borrow additional funds for capital projects, including school safety improvements.

While the financially struggling district’s board heard the budget details from its assistant business manager Thursday, director Paige Gebhardt Cognetti pointed out the district paid more than $1.2 million in fees to financial consultant CaseCon Capital and its president, Michael Judge, from 2014 to 2017.

Because of the district’s state financial watch status, Scranton was granted an additional three months to balance the budget, which is typically required to be passed by Dec. 31. The board passed an unbalanced budget on Dec. 28 with a $8.8 million budget gap. Since then, the district found $5.3 million to start to close the gap and will vote Wednesday on the balanced version that includes filling the remaining hole with borrowed money.

Borrowing was the district’s only option at this point, said Pat Laffey, assistant business manager, who does not expect any repercussions from the state. Not passing a balanced budget would have been worse for the district’s financial watch status, he added.

Before adding the borrowed money, revenues for 2018 are $152 million while expenditures are $161.8 million. The district could borrow additional money for capital improvements, including safety and fixing the roof at Northeast Intermediate School.

Judge, president of CaseCon Capital, who attended Thursday’s board committee meetings, worked with the district to refinance $30.5 million in debt from 2014. He is charging the district $30,000 for his services. There are $202,216 in fees associated with the refinancing that must be approved by the board.

Solicitor John Minora, who Cognetti named in a meeting last month for receiving exorbitant fees for refinancing, agreed to lower his fee for the same debt refinancing from 2014.

Cognetti researched fees and said CaseCon’s current and past fees are higher than standard.

“I take offense. They were very well earned,” Judge said of his work with the district.

Cognetti said Judge’s fees for the most recent financing should be between $15,000 and $20,000.

“This isn’t based on random numbers,” she said. “This is based on research.”

Judge stood by his current fee and said, in the past, he was under the impression that retired business manager Gregg Sunday and the board were OK with what was he charged.

“Every email, I spelled out what my fees were,” he said. “If you don’t like what I’ve done over the past four years and you don’t like the fees I charge, get rid of me. We’re here to work for you, it’s not the other way around.”

Cognetti suggested there was not a clear process in place for past boards to approve fees associated with refinancing.

“The board has always been pre-informed and approved all fees upon every transaction,” Judge responded.

A past report states directors expected to pay a $263,392 fee from CaseCon Capital in 2015 for financial adviser fees and expenses included in closing costs for a bond Scranton needed to avoid defaults.

“This is a professional services fee. This is a significant amount of taxpayers’ money not going to our school system but to a professional services firm,” Cognetti said. “You are alone in the fact that you are able to net $1 million since 2014. You could not have earned that without the help of administration in this building.”

He should also not have been paid a percentage of the principal amount financed but rather a flat fee, said Cognetti.

“That is not OK moving forward,” she said.

Judge’s agreement with the district, which expired in December 2017, was approved by the board in 2014 and stated the district would pay him a fee equal to 0.75 percent of the principal amount of the amount financed from all sources, or $75,000, whichever is greater.

An extension was drafted to extend Judge’s agreement into 2018 but was never approved by the board, said Cognetti, who added Judge helped the district refinance this year in good faith.

“I cannot sit here for the next two years and allow this type of thing to happen. This money is supposed to be for our children,” Cognetti said. “We need to make sure the taxpayers understand what’s going on in this district. I know from my own personal experience in finance, some people in finance think you can just pull the wool over the eyes of people.”

The board’s transportation committee will meet Monday at 6 p.m. in the administration building and again on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. for a work session followed by a special meeting to vote on the 2018 budget and refinancing the debt at Scranton High School.Contact the writer:

kbolus@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x5114; @kbolusTT on Twitter

SCRANTON — The Lackawanna County Salary Board on Wednesday voted to fund a new position to perform state Supreme Court-mandated work, an issue that sparked contentious debate at a prior salary board meeting late last year.

Register of Wills Fran Kovaleski — who also serves as clerk of the Orphans’ Court, a division of the county court system — appeared before the board on Dec. 20 seeking a budget amendment to create a full-time guardianship administrator position at an annual salary of $42,000 plus benefits. Tensions rose at that meeting when county officials told Kovaleski the salary board can only vote to fund positions, not create them.

Nonetheless, Kovaleski and the county continued to discuss the issue. On Feb. 1, she raised some fees in both the Register of Wills and Orphans’ Court offices to cover the cost of the position, hoping the salary board would ultimately fund it.

That’s what the board did Wednesday by voting to fund the position at an annual salary of $42,000, with only Commissioner Laureen Cummings voting no. Cummings, who sits on the salary board with fellow commissioners Patrick O’Malley and Jerry Notarianni and county Controller Gary DiBileo, said she doesn’t feel the position is necessary.

The administrator will work for the Orphans’ Court and serve as a coordinator between the courts and court-appointed guardians of senior citizens, informing current guardians of new reporting practices, updating the county’s data on active guardianships and migrating that data into a new computer-based Guardian Tracking System. They would also alert the courts of any potential improprieties in guardianship reports to help protect seniors from fraud, among other responsibilities.

Much of that work is being mandated by the state Supreme Court through the Administrative Office of the Pennsylvania Courts and is too much for current staff to manage given their existing workload, Kovaleski said earlier this year.

Contact the writer:

jhorvath@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9141;

@jhorvathTT on Twitter

MAYFIELD — Standing among a group of parents at Mayfield Elementary School, Carrie Chase read a letter from her 7-year-old great-niece about the effects of addiction on families.

“Mommy, when you go away, I feel sad and a little bit mad. I wish you will stop doing bad things like going to jail, or do drugs, or when you don’t play with me when you come home from jail,” Chase read.

The Forever Sammi Foundation hosted a family night at the elementary school Thursday to discuss the opioid epidemic and how the parents of elementary-age children can take a proactive approach to prevent addiction. About 16 people attended.

After witnessing the effects of addiction on her niece’s 4- and 7-year-old daughters, Chase, who is also a member of the Jermyn Crime Watch, reached out to the Forever Sammi Foundation to organize the family night. Chase’s niece, an addict, is currently incarcerated for selling suboxone, she said.

“It really hits home for me,” Chase said. “I see how addiction affects kids ... and when it affects the kids, it affects the family, it affects the community. We have to start somewhere — we have to start with our kids.”

Earlier in the day, Martin Henehan, the co-founder of the Forever Sammi Foundation, addressed a group of about 200 elementary students, sharing his own story and teaching children to help those suffering from addiction with empathy — not stigmatization.

“Should they come across somebody in their journey through life, maybe they can take that stance and help them get the treatment they need instead of judging them and attaching a stigma to them,” he said.

His daughter, Sammi Henehan, died of a drug overdose in 2016 at 23.

During the evening, the small group of parents listened intently as Henehan shared his and Sammi’s stories of addiction. He listed red flags, such as a drastic change in a child’s mood or routine, and he answered questions.

Although initially dismayed at the small turnout, saying, “If this empty room doesn’t signify denial, I don’t know what does,” Henehan concluded by praising the parents.

“I don’t wish there was more,” he said. “You guys are here because you’re ready to hear the truth, and they just may not be ready, but hopefully the children will have gone home and given them a message that will resonate with them.”

Kathy Possanza wiped away tears as she listened to Henehan speak. As the mother of a 12-year-old daughter in the school, seeing Sammi’s photo on the wall and seeing her mother, Stacy Henehan, showed the devastation of losing a child.

“I saw the emotion in her eyes, and it just got to me,” she said.

Contact the writer:

flesnefsky@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9100 x5181

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

■ Erica Dougher, 32, 1207 N. Webster Ave., Dunmore, to three years’ court supervision, including three months’ house arrest, followed by three years’ probation for endangering welfare of children and criminal use of a communication facility.

■ Rebecca Herschman, 39, 1923 Pelham Road, Bethlehem, to one year of probation for possession of drug paraphernalia.

■ Joseph Khazzaka, 66, 205 Whitetail Lane, South Abington Twp., to two years’ court supervision, including two months’ house arrest, for resisting arrest.

■ Olivia Kimble, 30, 35 Mount Bethel Drive, Scott Twp., to a $100 fine for harassment.

■ Joseph Kime Jr., 46, 1502 Monroe Ave., Dunmore, to two years’ probation for evidence tampering.

■ Harry Vega, 28, 560 N. Main St., Hazleton, to 27 to 60 months in state prison, followed by four years’ probation, for possession with intent to deliver.

■ Derrick Ward, 43, 509 S. Main Ave., Scranton, to six to 12 months in county prison for possession of drug paraphernalia.

■ Jean Quinones-Rolden, 23, to one year of court supervision, including two months’ house arrest and one year of probation, for possession of a controlled substance and evidence tampering.

■ Steven Winters, 37, 2827 Route 307, Dalton, to one year of court supervision, including three months’ house arrest, for furnishing drug-free urine.

■ Edward Paranich, 53, 312 New St., to two years’ probation for possession of a controlled substance.

■ Ammie Feduchak, 33, 2523 Jackson St., Scranton, to one year of probation and $500 restitution for accidents involving damage.

■ Jason Fashauer, 36, 120 Westgate Drive, D-11, Carbondale, to 18 months to five years in state prison for DUI — controlled substance, second offense.

Judge Vito Geruolo sentenced:

■ Michelle Shotwell, 23, 239 Skylar Ave., 120 Rear, Kingston, to three to 12 months in county prison for flight to avoid apprehension.

■ Brittney Gordon, 19, 137 E. Elm St., Dunmore, to one year of probation for disorderly conduct.

■ Jeremy Reeder, 39, 1128 Albright Ave., Scranton, to one year of probation for default in required appearance.

■ Irving Ruiz, 49, 74 Broad St., Stroudsburg, to six to 23 months in county prison, followed by two years’ probation, for possession with intent to deliver.

■ Johnny Feliz Pena, 18, 130 Meridian Ave., Jackson Terrace, Scranton, to five to 23 months in county prison for simple assault.

Judge Margaret Bisignani Moyle sentenced:

■ Brett Tolley, 26, 916 Snyder Ave., second floor, Scranton, to three days to six months in county prison, followed by 1½ years of probation, and a $1,000 fine for fleeing and eluding police, possession of a controlled substance and DUI — tier three, first offense.

■ Korey Minshall Jr., 37, 263 Arnold Ave., Burlington, New York, to five days to six months in county prison, followed by one year of probation, a $300 fine and $500 restitution for accidents involving damage, failure to stop and DUI — tier one, second offense.

■ Derek Criscuola, 28, 4 Beechwood Drive, Lake Ariel, to 11½ to 23½ months in county prison, followed by four years’ probation, for unlawful contact with a minor and criminal attempt, statutory sexual assault.

■ Robert McKnight, 49, 1019 Ash St., Scranton, to five years’ court supervision, including one year in county prison, followed by six months’ probation and a $300 fine for firearms not to be carried without a license and DUI — tier one, first offense.

■ Daniel Smith, 23, 1325 Lafayette St., Apt. 2, Scranton, to 28 days to one year in county prison and $85 restitution for theft by unlawful taking.

SCRANTON — A city man faces charges after he screamed at a woman to tell police he punched her, police said.

Jody Lee Hallock Jr., 302 William St., is charged with simple assault, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and harassment stemming from a confrontation Wednesday, according to a criminal complaint.

Police responded to his apartment at 5:18 p.m. after a caller saw Hallock, 48, and a woman throwing things at each other.

Hallock yelled at Desiree Phillips to “tell them I hit you and send me to jail,” according to the complaint. Phillips later told police Hallock punched her in the head, according to the complaint. Hallock tried to bite and kick officers while they handcuffed him, police said.

He is in Lackawanna County Prison on $12,500 bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.

— FRANK WILKES LESNEFSKY

REAL ESTATE

■ Dolores Gozikowski and David Gozikowski to Brandon Coolbaugh, property in Falls Twp. for $270,000.

■ Shirley Howson, trustee, and Novitch Wayne Trust to Bradley Castrogiovanni and Celese Castrogiovanni, property in Nicholson Twp. for $250,000.

■ Marcia Raker, Maggie Raker and Andrew Raker to J&L Development Corp. and J&M Development Corp., property in Clinton Twp. for $24,800.

■ James B. Reichle and Donna M. Reichle to Caleb Joseph Canella, property in Overfield Twp. for $120,000.

■ Michael A. Bardzel and Rose Ann Bardzel to James Crouch and Tammy Wilson, property in Lemon Twp. for $171,650.

■ Kenneth M. Kachmar and Nicole O. Kachmar to Shayn R.T. Bieber and Tammy L. Bieber, property in Forkston Twp. for $15,000.

■ Charles Dale Wright and Diane E. Wright to John Teetsel, property in Monroe Twp. for $30,000.

■ Keith J. Pennay and Kelly J. Pennay to Zachary B. Trowbridge and Thor W. Trowbridge, property in Laceyville for $55,000.

■ Robert J. Quinn, executor, Nathan Quinn, deceased, and Nathan R. Quinn, deceased, to Patrick S. Ginocchietti Sr. and Patrick S. Ginocchietti Jr., property in Exeter Twp. for $5,170.

■ Jacob T. Eastman, Hannah Eastman and Cartus Financial Corp. POA to Cartus Financial Corp., property in Washington Twp. for $129,900.

■ Cartus Financial Corp. to Thomas Gerald Kotch and Nichole Marie Kotch, property in Washington Twp. for $129,900.

■ Gay Benio Kochmer, Gay Benio Kochmer and Gay R. Kochmer to Justin Yadlosky and Lauren Brown Yadlosky, property in Overfield Twp. for $81,000.

■ Gay Benio Kochmer, Gay Benio Kochmer and Gay R. Kochmer to Justin Yadlosky and Lauren Brown Yadlosky, property in Overfield Twp. for $329,000.

MARRIAGE LICENSE

Ryan M. Fluck, Monroe Twp., and Amber E. Galvin, Monroe Twp.

ESTATES FILED

■ James Owen Allen, aka James O. Allen, late of Meshoppen Twp., letters of administration to Nancy Allen, c/o attorney Catherine J. Garbus, Tunkhannock.

■ Pauline A. Hackling, late of Windham Twp., letters testamentary to Nils F. Ketchum, executor, c/o Hourigan, Kluger & Quinn PC, Kingston.

WYOMING COUNTY COURT NOTES appear weekly in the Times-Tribune.

Local women’s

art on display

In celebration of National Women’s History Month, the Waverly Community House has on display an exhibit of local women artists’ works.

Art work by Marylou Chibirka, Trudy Gerlach, Nuzhat Sultana Ibrahim and Pamela M. Parsons is now featured in the Comm’s Small Works Gallery.

Chibirka is a full-time professional portrait artist who lives on her family farm in Dalton. Chibirka’s work has been featured at solo exhibitions at the Everhart Museum, Lizza Gallery, Misericordia University, the Wyoming County Courthouse and Federal Building in Scranton and also in many group shows. Chibirka has commissioned over 400 portraits.

Born in Sayre and raised on a farm near New Era, Gerlach, was influenced by her parents’ deep love of nature, her mother’s vocation as an artist and her father’s interest in science. Recently, Gerlach’s interest has been focused on the anthracite and social history of the Lackawanna and Wyoming valleys.

Ibrahim, from Bangladesh, has been living in Northeast Pennsylvania for seven months with her husband, a Fulbright scholar at Keystone College. Ibrahim has a lifelong attachment to art and completed a semester in drawing and sketching at Keystone College.

Parsons, the art department chair at Marywood University, teaches courses in drawing, painting, collage and art history survey. Her works in oil painting and collage derive much from her travels in northern Italy. Parsons is a recipient of the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grant and the F. Lammot Belin Arts Scholarship.

The exhibit runs through Saturday, March 31, at the Waverly Community, 1115 North Abington Road, Waverly.

Super teachers

Lakeland teacher Linda Stephens received a Hess STEM Grant.

With the grant, Stephens’ seventh-grade class will use 12 model Hess trucks in the Research and Presentation class. The students will use the trucks to experiment with the basics of physics and report on their findings, according to the school.

High notes

Members of the St. Joseph’s Center Auxiliary board for 2018 include: Marla Farrell, M.D.; Denise Christman, Danelle Hogan and Marlene Graham, co-presidents; Sister Maryalice Jacquinot, IHM, president/CEO; Erin Kreis, Annette Rose, Suzanne Fletcher, Karen Clifford, Maggie Pettinato, Bob Connors, Kathleen Timlin, Theresa Gilhooley, Cindy Hoban, Marianne Stoko, Sharon Pompey, Gayle DeAntona and Michelle Druther.

The members were installed during an installation brunch on Jan. 14. The auxiliary is planning upcoming events for this year, including a Night at the Races on April 13 at Immaculate Conception Parish; an Auxiliary Golf Outing on Friday, June 15, at Lakeland Golf Course; the Annual Summer Festival at Marywood University from July 27 to 29; the Chicken Dinner on Sept. 23; and the annual Dennis Crafferty Memorial Auction in November.

For more details

about joining the auxiliary or the event calendar, contact 570-963-1290 or visit www.stjosephscenter.org.

PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS

• Jean Niemiec, Moosic, to Stanley Tetlack, Moosic; a property at 709 Spring St., Moosic, for $62,000.

• Lindsey R. and James P. Loss, South Abington Twp., to Robert Register, Milton; a property at 503 Willow Lane, South Abington, Twp., for $234,000.

• Electric City Investments LLC, Scranton, to Alexis R. Polanco and Vivian R. Isaac, Lodi, N.J.; a property at 628 E. Locust St., Scranton, for $80,000.

• Carey and Sara Wallace, Fell Twp., to Jamique Kasheem Lundy, Bushkill; a property at 99 Morse Ave., Simpson, for $158,000.

• Andrew W. Abeloff, Throop, to Robert Schank, Throop; a property at 39 Line St., Throop, for $56,650.

• Michael and Sandra Anglin, Clarks Green, to Larry Kenneth and Donna J. Mackey, Scranton; a property at 3 Spring St., Clarks Green, for $280,000.

• Blythe Petriello, Scranton, to Gary G. and Elise L. Edwards, Hendersonville, N.C.; a property at 604 Meadow Ave., Scranton, for $35,000.

• Mark J. and Julia A. Gilvey, Archbald, to Tara S. and Matthew Murphy, Lackawanna County; a property at 115 Ledgewood Drive, Archbald, for $320,000.

• Jack Cozart, executor of the estate of Terrie L. Cozart, Clarks Summit, to S2W Property Management LLC, Tunkhannock; a property at 617 Oak Lane, Clarks Summit, for $123,000.

• Daniel T. Crecca to Angela Crecca; a property at 1823 Farr St., Scranton, for $50,000.

• Michael T., Amber Lynn, Leonard T., Robert D. and Deborah R. Brady, Carbondale, to Carl and Tammy A. Galavitz, Carbondale; two parcels in Carbondale, for $45,000.

• Sharon Smith, administratrix of the estate of Catherine Baiduk, deceased, and administratrix of the estate of Joseph Baiduk, deceased, Taylor, to Jan Pavlowski and Jan Pavlowski Jr., Blakely, as joint tenants with rights of survivorship; a property at 102 Donny Drive, Taylor, for $55,000.

• Dietrich and Susan Smith, South Abington Twp., to David and Shelby Arendt, Dalton; a property at 419 Adams Place, South Abington Twp., for $188,000.

• Angelo and Mary Ambrosecchia, Dickson City, to Sarah R. Gedrich, Throop; a property at 146 Northpoint Drive, Olyphant, for $209,625.

• Kenneth and Elizabeth Sandrowicz, Olyphant, to Matthew Mark Laubach, Susquehanna County; a property at 20 Short St., Benton Twp., for $95,000.

• Lee Chan Soong and Stacey Cheng, Seattle, to Dilip and Disha Patel, Lackawanna County; a property at 206 Abbey Drive, South Abington Twp., for $371,500.

• Habitat for Humanity of Lackawanna County Inc., Scranton, to Krishna and Bindu Kuikel, Scranton; a property on Prospect Avenue, Scranton, for $25,000.

MARRIAGE LICENSES

• Matthew Stephen VanFleet, Old Forge, and Maria Shmakov, Bear Creek.

• Tony Lamar Wentz Jr. and Emily Jane Fitzwater, both of Scranton.

• Aranda Miguel Hernandez and Maria Guadalupe Apanco Cerezo, both of Scranton.

• Dyshon Jamal Roache and Amanda Lynn Davis, both of Scranton.

• Casey Marie Murray and Robert Melvin Sims II, both of Dickson City.

ESTATES FILED

• Jo Anne M. Picchio, 120 River St., Jessup, letters of administration to Mary Ann R. Picchio, same address, and Angela Picchio Wiltz, Rear 405 River St., Olyphant.

• Ralph Giordano, 246. S. Main St., Old Forge, letters testamentary to Arthur J. Rinaldi, 2 W. Olive St., Scranton.

• Joan E. Bennie, 207 Main St., Moosic, letters testamentary to Mildred A. Cesare, 400 Main St., Moosic.

• Karen Wilmot, 1303 Summit Pointe, Scranton, letters testamentary to Chad Wilmot, 100 E. Eighth St., Wyoming.

DIVORCES SOUGHT

• Arlene Jaquish, Carbondale, v. Kevin Jaquish, Avenel, N.J.; married Jun. 26, 2012, in Carbondale; pro se.

• Gary Hoover, Scranton, v. Lisa Marie Hoover, Old Forge; married Aug. 18, 1993, in Lackawanna County; Anne Marie Howells, attorney.

• Syrita LaVant, Old Forge, v. Jerell LaVant, Pittston; married Sept. 1, 2007, in Newark, N.J.; pro se.

• Bermidia Rodriguez, Wilkes-Barre, v. Joel A. Diaz, Frackville; married Jun. 6, 2008, in Passaic, N.J.; Jeffrey C. Nallin, attorney.

DIVORCE DECREES

• Beth Kosik v. Stephen Kosik Sr.

• Ross Cordaro v. Erika Cordaro.

• Jeff Smith v. Tamara Ann Smith.

• Jillian Fesolovich v. Brad Fesolovich.

• John Buranich v. Evonne Buranich.

• Dawn Andrews v. Robert Andrews.

• Frances Tayoun v. Jason Tayoun.

• Elisabet Guevara v. Victoriano Mixcaotl Aca.

• James Rogari v. Christine Rogari.

• Stephanie Fitzgerald v. Joseph Fitzgerald.

• Peter Smith v. Elizabeth Smith.

• Shawna Kosciuk v. James Kosciuk.

• Robert Budzinski v. Carole Budzinski.

LAWSUITS

• Joshua and Tammy Reilly, 134 Little Bay Drive, Cedar Point, N.C., v. the Sewer Authority of the City of Scranton, 312 Adams Ave., Scranton; City of Scranton, City Hall, 340 N. Washington Ave., Scranton; Pennsylvania American Water Co., 800 W. Hershey Park Drive, Hershey; KMP Real Estate Inc., 125 Prospect Ave., Scranton; Victoria Mattes, 612 Clay Ave., Scranton, seeking in excess of $50,000 plus interest and costs on 10 counts, for injuries suffered Jun. 28, 2016, after twisting his knee on an unsecured manhole cover at 630 Clay Ave., Scranton; Katie Nealon, attorney.

• Leila Pasierb, 103 Laurel Ridge Drive, Jefferson Twp., individually and as testarix of the estate of Patricia Lee Pasierb, deceased, v. Jacob A. Bennett, 203 Albermarle St., Rahway, N.J., and Cynthia L. Brophy, 9 Stoney Creek Road, Scarborough, Maine, seeking in excess of $50,000 on eight counts, for wrongful death Jan. 22 in an automobile accident on Interstate 81, Benton Twp.; Bruce S. Zero, attorney.

ONLINE: thetimes-tribune.com/courts

March 23, 1918

New test ready

to find TB in cows

State and federal officials held a meeting with dairy farmers, veterinarians and breeders at the Hotel Sterling in Wilkes-Barre.

At the meeting, state officials revealed that a new test would be used to diagnosis tuberculosis in cows in Pennsylvania. Cows found to be infected would be killed. The officials believed the measure would help to safeguard the milk supply in Pennsylvania.

Dr. T.E. Munce, acting state veterinarian, said 1.6 million cows would be tested across the state. His office estimated that 5 percent of the cows would be found to have tuberculosis.

K of C campaign

surpasses $65,000

Officials with the local Knights of Columbus War Campaign reported that the drive surpassed $65,000.

The campaign started March 18 and was to run until March 28.

Requests made by the federal government forced the local campaign goal to be stretched to $125,000.

Coming attractions

Wladek Zbyszko, famous Polish wrestler, was to appear at the Majestic Theater on Monday, March 25, with a challenge: Anyone who could avoid being thrown for 15 minutes would receive $200. Also appearing with Zbyszko were the Lady Buccaneers.

The Strand showed the movies “The World for Sale” and “Dodging a Million.” The Poli presented the film “Blue Jeans,” starring Viola Dana; the movie was based on the play of the same name that ran for several years at New York City’s Fourteenth Street Theater.

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.

Downvalley

Sanitary office: Lower Lackawanna Valley Sanitary Authority business office will be closed March 30; first-quarter billing due date will be extended to April 2; extension also applies to customers who are paying for the entire year to receive annual discount; 570-655-1665.

Glenburn Twp.

Children’s event: Church of the Epiphany replacing its traditional children’s Easter egg hunt after the 11 a.m. service on Easter Sunday, by giving seedles to the children; seedles are small balls of noninvasive wildflower seeds native to this region.

Great Bend

Offering service: Divine Mercy service, April 8, confessions, 2:15-2:45 p.m., service, 3, St. Lawrence Church, 380 Franklin St.; includes Divine Mercy Chaplet, Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, St. Faustina’s Litany, rosary and benediction; light refreshments will follow at the Trinity Center.

Keyser Valley

Seniors meet: Keyser Valley Senior Citizens meeting, Monday, 1 p.m., community center, games and refreshment follow.

Lackawanna County

Roundtable meeting: Lackawanna Historical Society monthly Civil War Roundtable meeting, April 10, 7 p.m., Catlin House, 232 Monroe Ave., Scranton; this month’s program, “A Narrative Tour of Appomattox,” presented by Bill Burnell; yearly membership dues are $20/individual and $25/families; 570-344-3841 or lackawannahistory@gmail.com.

Mayfield

Firefighters meet: Whitmore/Mayfield hose companies meetings, April 10, 7:30 and 8 p.m., respectively, company buildings.

Moscow

Ecumenical stations: Ecumenical Stations of the Cross featuring the sculpture of Charles Welles, Palm Sunday, 7 p.m., 1180 Church St. (Route 690), short devotional service followed by remarks by the sculptor.

Old Forge

Pasta dinner: Old Forge Sons of Italy Gloria Lodge 815 annual scholarship fundraiser penne pasta dinner, April 15, 11 a.m-3 p.m., Felittese Chapel grounds, Third Street; takeout drive-through service only; $10, preorders available for $6/quart of sauce, $6/pint of meatballs and $3 cannoli/each; tickets and preorders, 570-498-0178.

Olyphant

Egg hunt: Easter egg hunt sponsored by the borough and council for Midvalley, March 31, 1 p.m., Wargo-Monsignor Hrynuck-Beckage Sports Complex, 700 Block of East Grant Street, Fern Hill section, for infants-12; hot dogs available at Eureka Volunteer Hose Company 4 (across from baseball field); volunteers needed, David Krukovitz, 570-780-4446, or Paula Foley, 570-351-8452.

Regional

Purse bingo: Tracey’s Hope Hospice and Pet Rescue designer purse bingo, April 15, 11 a.m., Eagle McClure Hose Company, 375 Milwaukee Ave., Old Forge; $20/20 games (and 20 purses), special games, a basket raffle and hot food; send check made payable to Tracey’s Hope and mail to Tracey’s Hope Purse Bingo, 113 Foote Ave., Duryea, PA 18642; include address so tickets can be mailed; seats limited;

www.traceyshope.com.

Scranton

Health workshops: Chronic disease self-management workshops for those managing a disease or illness or a caregiver for someone who is experiencing illness, April 16, 4-6 p.m., 509 Cedar Ave.; meets once a week for six weeks; registration or guidelines, 570-880-7130, ext. 111 or mfuchs@uncnepa.org.

Taylor

Halupki dinner: St. George’s Altar Society takeout halupki dinner, April 21, 4-6 p.m., 743 S. Keyser Ave., $10/dinner or $1.25/each for 10 halupki or more; Eleanor, 570-562-1389.

Tunkhannock

Craft show: Tunkhannock Area Middle School Band craft show, April 14, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., middle school, bake sale and refreshments also offered.

West Pittston

Car wash: West Pittston Scout Troop 302 car wash fundraiser, April 28, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., West Side Auto, Montgomery and Wyoming avenues; $5/tickets, sold at Corpus Christi Parish, Luzerne Avenue; more info, Patrick Messina, scoutmaster, 570-871-2204.

Committee meeting: West Pittston Cherry Blossom Committee meeting, April 9, 7 p.m., Corpus Christi Parish School Building, to discuss events and make final preparation for the upcoming festival; also, the committee will be selling banners as a fundraiser, cost for first year is $150 and renewal is $50, payments are due by April 1; send information to Toni Valenti at 316 Damon St., West Pittston, PA 18643, and make payable to West Pittston Cherry Blossom.

West Scranton

Religious event: Celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday, April 8, St. Lucy’s Church, rosary and reconciliation, 12:30 p.m., Mass, 2, and chaplet of Divine Mercy, 3, benediction and the blessing and anointing with the relic of St. Faustina, refreshments follow; church is disabled accessible; 570-347-9321, Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-noon.

A desire to be with his ailing dad compelled Holy Cross junior Nick Klein to leave mock trial practice early Dec. 27 and make the 45-minute trip home.

That’s where Robert Klein, nearing the end of a hard-fought battle with cancer, received home hospice care.

The elder Klein, an accomplished lawyer and prosecutor serving his first term as Susquehanna County district attorney, often helped his 17-year-old son practice for mock trial. Leaving that particular practice early allowed Nick to arrive home about 15 minutes before his dad passed away at the age of 53.

“I just had a feeling I should be home,” Nick said Thursday, a day before the beginning of the biggest mock trial tournament of his high school career. “Everything I win this year is just for him. … Every win I get is just to make him proud.”

After a successful season that saw Holy Cross’ Mock Trial team win the district and regional titles, the team heads to Harrisburg today to compete for the state championship at the Dauphin County Courthouse. Nick, who serves as lead attorney for the plaintiff part of the team, said he’s always felt comfortable in the courtroom — a benefit of being raised by a prosecutor.

While Robert Klein won’t be in the courtroom gallery tonight, Nick said he’ll be there in spirit, just as he has been all season.

“I can feel him being there. … It’s just different now,” Nick said, recalling a scene from a mock trial last year that he often replays in his mind. “After I finished my closing, I was looking at the jury (and) I turned around. You kind of see the gallery for a second when you’re walking back, and I just (saw) him there with a huge smile on his face next to my mom. … That’s what I miss.”

Lawyer Jim Wetter, the Holy Cross team’s attorney adviser, described Nick as the leader of a strong group of students who bested talented teams from Scranton Prep, Carbondale Area, North Pocono Area and other schools on their way to the state tournament.

“I’m practicing law for over 30 years and I find myself wishing that I had the courtroom presence and demeanor of this high school student,” Wetter said of Nick. “He gets the other team members excited about the case. … I always keep saying he reminds me of Atticus in ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ with his leadership and his style.”

Despite the high praise, Nick is modest. He credits Wetter and his wife, Janine, the mock trial team’s teacher advisor, for helping he and his teammates grow into strong competitors. He doesn’t see any reason why Holy Cross can’t claim the state title this weekend.

“We’re just as well coached. We have great teammates. We definitely practiced just as much as any other team,” Nick remembers thinking before a victory against a strong Scranton Prep team earlier this year. “So I was like ‘why not us?’ We put in all this time, might as well just throw caution to the wind and just try to win, and I see no reason why we can’t.”

Jim Wetter said Nick would make a fine attorney, but Nick hopes to become an engineer, a decision his father supported.

Together, Nick and his dad exercised their engineering skills during a six-month project in 2016 and 2017 to remodel a section of their New Milford home in the style of a bar and grill. Noting he feels “blessed” by that experience, Nick said he hoped to one day build a house with his father.

“That’s the hard part too, because everyone’s dad is hopefully their role model, which he definitely was for me, but he was really more of my best friend,” Nick said, adding that Robert Klein would be thrilled the mock trial team made it this far.

Holy Cross is one of 14 teams competing for the state mock trial title and will compete in two rounds today. Four teams will advance to the semi-finals Saturday morning, followed by the final round later in the day.

“I’m just going to try to win and make him proud, but I know whatever the outcome is, he’s really going to be happy either way,” Nick said.

Contact the writer:

jhorvath@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9141;

@jhorvathTT on Twitter

HAZLE TWP. — A woman found dead in the woods and buried in an unmarked grave 48 years ago has a name again.

Lucille Marie Frye was identified through DNA tests, authorities said Thursday when solving a missing person’s case that gnawed at her family since she disappeared from Wilkes-Barre. Nicknamed “Peanie,” Frye was 33 and left behind a son and daughter.

While Wilkes-Barre police had an open case on Frye, and state police were investigating the suspicious death of a woman found in the woods in Rice Twp. on Sept. 28, 1970, they never previously connected the two cases.

But Frye’s family did.

Her sister, Barbara Johnson, continued checking with Wilkes-Barre police for leads in the case until she died in 1999.

After that, her son, Mitchell Johnson, kept pondering the mystery about his aunt.

In September 2016 when authorities exhumed the remains of three unidentified people to rework their cases with modern forensic techniques, Mitchell Johnson went to Maple Hill Cemetery in Hanover Twp. to talk with police.

He sensed that one of the bodies was his aunt.

“When all of a sudden your relative goes missing and all of a sudden they find a body, we kind of knew,” he said Thursday during a news conference at the station for State Police Troop N.

DNA samples submitted by him, his sister, Yvonne Marie Schrieks-Johnson, and their cousin, Roxanne Denise Spencer, who is Frye’s only surviving child, proved inconclusive.

“The results were rated poor quality due to the (exposure to) water and elements for 46 years,” Luzerne County District Attorney Stefanie Salavantis, said.

Then Kenneth J. Lee, 78, of Wilkes-Barre, the only survivor among Frye’s seven siblings, gave DNA for testing at the Center for Human Identification at the University of North Texas.

“This time was a little different,” Salavantis said. “We were able to get a positive identification between Jane Doe of 1970 and Lucille Marie Frye.”

Frye was a housewife whose family held cookouts and enjoyed holidays at her sister’s house and visited other relatives in New York City.

Johnson pointed out Frye in a black-and-white family photo that included his parents, grandfather and another aunt and uncle. The women sported summer dresses; the men wore suits and polo shirts. Johnson thinks it was taken at a club.

“It brings back a lot of memories. I was a young kid,” said Johnson, who was 19 when Frye vanished.

“She was fun. She played baseball,” said Johnson, recalling games in the street and with members of Mount Zion Baptist Church that his aunt attended.

“This is a happy day for me and my family,” Johnson said. “My aunt was a Jane Doe for (48) years. Now she has a headstone.”

Lucille Marie Frye will be reburied with her family on May 30 at Maple Hill Cemetery.

Police continue to investigate how she died. Johnson said he is very hopeful that police will one day answer that question, too.

“I think I’m working with a great team,” said Johnson, who has talked regularly about the case with state police Cpl. Shawn Williams since the two men met at the cemetery 18 months ago. “It would mean a lot,” Johnson said. “If you do bad things, I think you should pay the consequences.”

Contact the writer:

kjackson@standardspeaker.com;

570-501-3587

Boscov’s, Bee’s Backyard, Crunch Fitness and Luzerne County Community College all can self-validate. Other future large tenants, including Electric City Aquarium & Reptile Den, Delta Medix and Iron Horse Movie Bistro, likely would get the self-validation method.

“You’ll never have to pay for parking if you’re a mall patron,” Basalyga said in a phone interview Thursday. “My goal from day one (since he bought the mall) is to get people to come to the mall.”

In a separate phone interview Thursday, NDC Director David Trevisani disagreed somewhat.

Basalyga insists that a mall patron staying longer than three hours will be able to get “revalidated for longer so they aren’t charged” to park.

The dispute followed NDC’s announcement Wednesday of the new parking-control validation system at the mall to start Monday. After an article appeared on the website of The Times-Tribune on Wednesday and in the newspaper on Thursday, Basalyga heard complaints from some patrons who thought they’ll have to pay for parking at the mall.

Those non-mall-patrons may include people who park at the mall while working off site, visit the nearby state Office Building on Lackawanna Avenue or leave the mall and go elsewhere downtown.

The validation system should readily serve all mall patrons by allowing for ample free parking time, Trevisani said.

According to NDC/ABM, the new parking arrangement at the mall will include:

• Free parking of up to 30 minutes without any validation required, for the convenience of those who want to just pop in the mall.

• Free parking of up to three hours with a same-day validated ticket.

• No purchase required for a validation. Any user of the mall can get a parking validation. Patrons who do make purchases can take their receipts to an ABM Guest Services Kiosk on the first floor near the elevator to receive parking validations. But even patrons who don’t make any purchases — such as those browsing or walking in the mall — can go to this kiosk to receive parking validations.

• Patrons of self-validating tenants — currently Boscov’s, Bee’s Backyard, Crunch Fitness and Luzerne County Community College — will get “chaser” validation tickets that will allow them to exit the garage without having to pay.

• Normal parking garage rates — the same rates as at the city’s other ABM-operated garages downtown — will apply to non-Marketplace patrons, or to those staying longer than three hours. Weekday rates begin at $3.50 for 30-60 minutes and up to $12 for 15-24 hours. On weekends, parkers are not charged for the first three hours and pay a $5 flat fee thereafter.

• Parking pay stations will be located on the ground-level escalator/elevator exits into the garage for patrons to pre-pay for parking.

• Express exit lanes and those accepting cash and/or credit cards will be designated accordingly.

• Monthly mall parkers will get magnetized wallet cards to activate the controls to enter and exit.

Contact the writer: jlockwood@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x5185; @jlockwoodTT on Twitter

SCRANTON — The Scranton School Board will borrow $4.1 million to finalize its 2018 budget and could borrow additional funds for capital projects, including school safety improvements.

While the financially struggling district’s board heard the budget details from its assistant business manager Thursday, Director Paige Gebhardt Cognetti pointed out the district paid more than $1.2 million in fees to financial consultant CaseCon Capital and its president, Michael Judge, from 2014 to 2017.

Because of the district’s state financial watch status, Scranton was granted an additional three months to balance the budget, which is typically required to be passed by Dec. 31. The board passed an unbalanced budget on Dec. 28 with an $8.8 million budget gap. Since then, the district found $5.3 million to start to close the gap and will vote Wednesday on the balanced version that includes filling the remaining hole with borrowed money.