OLD FORGE —Ray’s Supermarket is closed until further notice, according to a sign taped to the supermarket’s door Wednesday.

The supermarket chain moved to Old Forge in 2012, according to its website. Ray’s also has locations in Waymart and Montrose, and it closed a store in Factoryville last year.

Although the lights remained on Wednesday evening, the store was empty, and a bundle of Wednesday’s newspapers still sat outside.

A dwindling stock of dry goods and nonperishable items occupied the shelves, but the market’s produce section was barren.

The owner could not be reached for comment late Wednesday.

— FRANK WILKES LESNEFSKY

Neil Armstrong Elementary School and one classroom at the Mid Valley Elementary Center closed temporarily after August’s wet weather caused mold issues in both schools.

Maintenance employees discovered mold at Armstrong and the district is working with a professional company to address the issue, said Scranton School District Superintendent Alexis Kirijan, Ed.D.

The first day for students in the Scranton School District is today. However, Tuesday will be the first day for students at the preschool through fifth-grade school at 1500 N. Lincoln Ave., Scranton.

Armstrong teachers will return to the classroom Monday afternoon, a news release said.

“For the health, safety and welfare of our students and staff, we will not open Armstrong Elementary until the issue is resolved,” the release sent Wednesday said.

Mid Valley representatives closed three classrooms after employees discovered the mold on carpet tile in the elementary center, district Superintendent Patrick Sheehan said.

Mid Valley worked with Datom Products to clean up and remove the mold and Guzek Associates Inc. performed air testing. Students and teachers were moved to different classrooms while the issue was resolved. The district is still testing one classroom and Sheehan is not sure when it will be reopened.

Sheehan was told that the humidity and high temperatures were to blame for the problem.

“The kind of mold that was tested is one of the most common, largely related to humidity,” he said.

Contact the writer:

kbolus@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x5114;

@kbolusTT on Twitter

SCRANTON — All three of the required local taxing bodies support extending the tax-exempt status of about 24 acres of land in the Scott Technology Park to accommodate a proposed business expansion promising to create hundreds of jobs.

Following the lead of both Scott Twp. supervisors and the Lakeland School District board, Lackawanna County commissioners Wednesday voted unanimously to extend Keystone Opportunity Zone benefits through 2028 on two neighboring lots that Process Technologies & Packaging is targeting for a 407,000-square-foot, multimillion dollar expansion. The company, which produces cosmetics, operates an existing manufacturing facility at the technology park and plans to add 300 new jobs by growing there.

KOZ status exempts a property owner from a range of taxes — including property tax, the business privilege tax and taxes on net profits from business activity conducted within the zone — making it a powerful tool for attracting developers.

“In today’s market, in today’s economy, you would never attract these major developers without this instrument,” Scott Twp. solicitor Richard Fanucci said of the KOZ designation. “These companies go nationwide looking for incentives ... and they are only going to locate where they get such incentives.”

The state Department of Community and Economic Development must grant final approval now that the township, school district and county have approved KOZ extensions at the lots, which otherwise would lose the benefits at the end of 2024.

Process Technologies hopes to close with the Scranton Lackawanna Industrial Building Co., the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce’s development arm, on the purchase of land at the tech park in the coming months, company controller Shawnna Giumento said.

Plans for the two-phase expansion include erecting two new buildings to house Process Technologies operations, a 201,000-square-foot structure during phase I and a 206,000-square-foot facility during phase II. The company would then close three other facilities it operates locally —warehouses in Olyphant and Waymart and a research and development facility in South Abington Twp. — and consolidate operations in Scott Twp.

In addition to the 300 new jobs created, about 60 people would be transferred from those sites to the expanded location, Giumento told Scott Twp. officials last month. She said Wednesday that the majority of the company’s workforce are Lackawanna County residents.

“This is going to be very, very good for Scott Twp.,” Commissioner Patrick O’Malley said. “(Process technologies’) investment is an investment in our employees in Lackawanna County.”

Contact the writer: jhorvath@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9141; @jhorvathTT on Twitter

In other business

In other business Wednesday, Lackawanna County commissioners:

Approved a 10-year Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance term for the former Maytag warehouse at 100 First Ave., Covington Twp. LERTA terms exempt property owners from paying a percentage of taxes on improvements done to a property. Both Covington Twp. supervisors and the North Pocono School District board have approved the LERTA term. Exeter Property Group bought the building, which had been vacant for three years, in March for about $20.5 million. The property group plans to add a roughly 160,000-square-foot expansion to the existing 390,000-square-foot building at the site. The 10-year LERTA tax-break applies to the 160,000-square-foot expansion, not the existing warehouse, officials said.

Observed a moment of silence for late U.S. Sen. John McCain, who died Aug. 25, and late Senior U.S. District Judge William J. Nealon, who passed away last Thursday after becoming the longest serving federal district court judge in the nation’s history on Aug. 28. Nealon served on the county Court of Common Please from 1960 to 1962. People wishing to pay their final respects to Nealon may do so today from 3 to 7 p.m. at the William J. Nealon Federal Building and United States Courthouse, at North Washington Avenue and Linden Street in Scranton.

Entered into an “Adult Probation Grant-in-Aid Agreement” with the state that will see the county receive funding for adult probation and parole officers’ salaries. Last year’s award was approximately $187,572 and the county anticipates a similar award this year, said Billy McCarthy, chief probation officer of the county Adult Probation and Parole Department.

Approved a $247,306 state grant from the Juvenile Court Judges’ Commission for the county Juvenile Probation Department.

— JEFF HORVATH

Vandals rolled a 1,000-pound cast-iron sculpture 100 yards from its grassy home alongside a spur trail off the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail, down a ravine and into a murky waterway, trail officials said.

“This wasn’t somebody back-stepping into it,” said Nikki Moser co-founder of Keystone Iron Works. It would have taken several people to move the spherical sculpture, about 5 feet in diameter, she said.

Artist Vaughn Randall, a SUNY Cortland, New York, professor, loaned the sculpture for temporary display on the trail after the International Conference on Contemporary Cast Iron Art held in Scranton in May. Both Moser and Randall helped organize the conference that celebrated cast iron art work. Randall arrived in town Tuesday to pick up the piece and ship it to a buyer when he discovered it was missing, Moser said. The buyer, set to purchase the work for $10,000, has since canceled the deal.

Cameras in place

Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority, which maintains the trail, has cameras that the Scranton Police Department monitors, said Owen Worozbyt, trail and environmental program manager. a police report has been filed about the incident, he said.

Lush green vegetation is matted down to its roots where the sculpture rolled into a tributary of the Lackawanna River. Damage is visible on the artwork, which Matt Spott from M.J. Spott Crane Rentals in Taylor pulled from the water Wednesday afternoon.

Spott donated his services after hearing about the vandalism.

More than 184 pieces of metal molded and bolted together in floral shapes form the sphere. Portions of the sculpture are cracked and dented or no longer connect.

Moser’s truck heaved as Spott lowered the sculpture into its bed. She plans to drive the sculpture back to Randall in the upcoming days.

“Despondent would be a good word,” Moser said about the situation. “You know when you work so hard to shift the community and do something really great and this happens, it’s devastating.”

Contact the writer:

kbolus@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x5114;

@kbolusTT on Twitter

OLD FORGE — The repeated wrong-way traffic on Lonesome Road mystified Elaine Vass.

Old Forge police pulled over at least seven drivers Wednesday morning for violating the road signs banning Moosic-to-Old Forge traffic on the road, which reopened Tuesday with a single lane allowing only Old Forge-to-Moosic travel.

“People are stupid,” said Vass, the owner of E-Lane’s Diner, which sits near the Moosic end. She favored the single lane to get more traffic driving past her business, but many drivers ignored the “Road Closed” and “Do Not Enter” signs that bracket the single open lane near her restaurant.

“I don’t want anybody to get killed,” she said after watching the wrong-way drivers, who baffled Mike Schuback, too. His auto parts shop sits about halfway down Lonesome Road, which connects Old Forge’s and Moosic’s Main streets.

“It’s extremely clear, the signs are very visible,” Schuback said. “There’s no doubt in my mind you (can) read them or notice them.”

All the trouble started Aug. 13 when more than 4.3 inches of rain in 24 hours spurred Lackawanna River flooding that buckled the road in several places. The buckling forced the state Department of Transportation to close the road to all traffic. After that, PennDOT shortened the closed section to the damaged area so traffic could reach businesses on the Moosic end. Allowing traffic on a single lane allowed access from Old Forge.

After a business owner asked for the single lane, PennDOT agreed.

It quickly became apparent Tuesday that wrong-way drivers headed from Moosic to Old Forge thought they could get through the single-lane, one-way section without getting caught.

“It hasn’t worked as anticipated,” said Schuback, who watched at least two near-collisions take place as wrong-way and right-way drivers rolled toward each other. “I’m not really sure how they’re going to resolve it, but the sooner the better.”

A reporter witnessed two wrong-way drivers who police pulled over.

James May, a PennDOT spokesman, hopes publicity about the signs gets more drivers to pay attention. PennDOT plans to re-evaluate today and decide if the one-way, single lane will stay. Otherwise, PennDOT may have to resort to closing the damaged section again, May said. Traffic signals to alternately limit traffic in either direction would take longer to install than repairs, he said. PennDOT aims to have the road permanently repair by the end of October, he said.

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

Olympic bronze medalist Adam Rippon, a Clarks Summit native, made an appearance Wednesdat at Mohegan Sun Pocono’s Grand Ballroom in Plains Twp.

The event also featured Jenna Johnson, a professional dancer and Rippon’s ‘Dancing with the Stars: Athletes’ partner.

The team took to the stage with a dance performance, Q&A and a free signing.

AVOCA — Authorities are investigating a fatal train collision that took place early Thursday.

One person was killed after being struck around 7 a.m. by a train in the area of the crossing at York Avenue.

Officials had not released the name of the pedestrian who was killed.

The manner of death remained under investigation.

OLD FORGE — State transportation officials plan to close flood-damaged Lonesome Road again later today because a public appeal to stop wrong-way driving there failed, a spokesman said.

State Department of Transportation officials opened a single lane Tuesday for drivers coming from Old Forge to Moosic, but wrong-way drivers ignored “Road Closed” and “Do Not Enter” signs set up to ban driving from Moosic to Old Forge. Witnesses saw several instances of cars headed toward each other and feared collisions.

Officials hoped publicity Wednesday and today would discourage the wrong-way driving, but borough officials said nothing changed, PennDOT spokesman James May said.

To prevent collisions, the road will close along the damaged stretch, leaving access to the four local businesses there. PennDOT expects to have the road repair by the end of October.

— BORYS KRAWCZENIUK

A Lackawanna County jury this week found a Scranton man guilty on all counts for assaulting a city police officer last year, causing injuries that the policeman still hasn’t recovered from.

Brian Joseph Wyda, 34, of 713 Cherry St., is guilty of two counts of aggravated assault and one count each of simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, resisting arrest, harassment, public drunkenness and disorderly conduct. Assistant District Attorneys Anthony Martinelli and Cathy Tully led the prosecution during the three-day trial before Judge Vito Geroulo.

Police charged Wyda for punching Patrolman Michael Albert in the face during a struggle to bring him into custody April 21, 2017, on the 600 block of Brook Street, according to a criminal complaint. The punch hyper extended the officer’s neck. At a preliminary hearing a few weeks later, Patrolman Steven Lavin, who charged Wyda, testified that he believed his colleague had herniated discs in his neck and suffered from numbness down his left arm.

Albert is still disabled and is “not close” to coming back to work, Scranton Police Chief Carl Graziano said Thursday. Albert has undergone numerous surgeries. The guilty verdict, however, brought some measure of comfort.

The jury returned their verdict Wednesday after deliberating for less than one hour, District Attorney Mark Powell said. Wyda is potentially facing several years in a state prison.

“If our police officers are injured because the defendant doesn’t listen and chooses to resist they will be held accountable,” Powell said.

Police were called to Brook Street at about 7 p.m. for a report of a man having a seizure. Albert received the call and, after arriving, began to call over his radio that he needed immediate help.

“Myself, along with every available officer in the area responded to assist,” Lavin wrote in an affidavit.

EMS and Albert were struggling with Wyda on the front yard of a home. It took six officers to get Wyda, a man 5 feet 11 inches tall and 195 pounds, under control. Once handcuffed, Wyda started to foam at the mouth, Lavin testified at the preliminary hearing.

EMS personnel Jeff Kovalchik and Jason Evankavitch told Lavin that they arrived with Albert and found Wyda on the curb. They put him on a stretcher and he woke up, got aggressive and refused to sit down. Albert used a stun gun and Wyda charged the officer. They fell to the ground and fought. During the fight, Wyda hit Albert on the side of his face.

Four witnesses police talked to said the same thing.

Though the call came in as a man in seizure, prosecutors do not believe that Wyda actually suffered from one, Powell said. Authorities believe that Wyda was under the influence of something other than alcohol, but they are not sure what.

A sentencing date is not yet scheduled, Powell said. The judge will first order a pre-sentence investigation and then a date will be set in the coming months.

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

Video of a little Nanticoke girl’s excitement upon arriving at Knoebels Amusement Resort is getting a lot of attention online.

The mother of McKinley Gleco, 2, posted the video to Facebook on Sunday, with a caption of “... And the rollercoaster! I freaked out!” the girl’s final words in the funny 28-second clip as the family’s car passed a coaster.

Officials with Knoebels quickly reached out, asking for the video so they could post to their page.

“ADORABLE: This two-year-old is talking about Knoebels, then realizes she's AT Knoebels!,” the amusement park posted.

The video has amassed 54,000 views by Wednesday.

McKinley’s mother Melissa Roberts said she knew the video was cute. But she thinks all her daughter’s videos are cute. She didn’t expect all the attention the video is getting.

“I’m her mom. So I’m biased,” she said.

But people started to tell her this one had viral potential.

McKinley knew the family was going to Knoebels and excitedly was talking about her plans as the car neared the park. Then Roberts’ stepmother started filming on her smartphone.

“We're gonna go on the rollercoaster and the slide and the boats and the horsies. Neigh,” McKinley said.

The girl’s father, Brynton Gleco, then asked, “What’s that?”’

“Knoebels!,” McKinley said.

The father and daughter talk for a bit more about where they are, then McKinley sees a ride.

“And the rollercoaster! I freaked out!” McKinley shouts.

Roberts said they once took the girl near one of the smaller roller coasters to see if she was big enough to ride.Then the coaster raced by.

“She kinda of tensed up when it came by,” Roberts recalled.

After Saturday’s visit to Knoebels, McKinley asked her parents if they were going again on Sunday.

“She asks to go everyday,” Roberts said.

A spokeswoman for the company said the family-owned business enjoyed watching and sharing the video.

“It’s so heartwarming to see how much she loves Knoebels,” said Stacy Ososkie, public relations director. “We hope Knoebels always brings her that much happiness and excitement. What a beautiful memory captured on video that her family will look back on fondly for years to come.”

bkalinowski@citizensvoice.com, 570-821-2055

@cvbobkal

SCRANTON — With each stroke of paint, old blue walls turned tan at Meals on Wheels of NEPA as United Way volunteers brightened up a hallway in the organization’s new center.

The renovations at 541 Wyoming Ave. wouldn’t have been possible without the United Way’s Day of Caring, said Kristen L. Kosin, executive director.

The 24th Annual Nancy Jackson Memorial Day of Caring event Thursday, which sent volunteers from 35 companies to help with 43 projects across Lackawanna and Wayne counties, kicked off the 2018-19 United Way of Lackawanna and Wayne Counties fundraising campaign. Officials hope to raise $3.25 million this year, just above last year’s $3.2 million goal.

Among the projects worked on Thursday, volunteers:

n constructed a handicap-accessible ramp at the Arc of Northeastern Pennsylvania in Newton Twp.

n painted a mural in the outdoor play area at the Day Nursery Association

n reorganized the Angel’s Attic food and clothing pantry at United Neighborhood Centers Community Services Building and Progressive Center.

Meals on Wheels has owned the building at Wyoming Avenue building since 1984. Last year, they started renovating to create the Space at Olive, which will be open to local organizations to host events at a low cost. Proceeds from the future events will also support Meals on Wheels.

Last year, Day of Caring volunteers tore down walls. On Thursday, they painted them.

“The demolition spurred everything in motion last year,” said Kosin. “Without the Day of Caring, we wouldn’t be able to do it.”

Engineers from Quadrant EPP assembled shelves while Lisa Franko and Sarah Petrunick from TMG Health, a Cognizant Company, spruced up outside.

They pulled weeds from cracks in the sidewalks and removed bothersome plant life growing alongside the building.

“You know you’re making a difference,” said Petrunick, who has volunteered for the past four years.

“It’s important to give back,” added Franko.

Franko said they receive a tremendous amount of gratitude from the groups they assist.

Over the past 24 years, Day of Caring volunteers have donated $3 million in services to local agencies and organizations in the region, said Gary Drapek, United Way President and CEO.

Drapek said events like Day of Caring often run their course but the United Way initiative is growing every year and up to the day of the event people are asking to volunteer.

Getting inside the area agencies also opens the eyes of many of the local volunteers, said Nikki Keller, vice president of community impact marketing for the United Way.

“It has a huge impact,” she said.

Contact the writer: kbolus@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x5114; @kbolusTT on Twitter

The 2018-19 United Way of Lackawanna and Wayne Counties’ campaign formally kicked off Thursday night at Cooper’s Seafood House in Scranton. Alex Fried of Procter and Gamble, who also volunteered during the Day of Caring, is chairman of this year’s campaign. This year’s goal is to raise $3.25 million.

For more details, visit www.uwlc.net.

SCRANTON — Dozens of photographs lined the way for hundreds of people who waited inside the William J. Nealon Federal Building and United States Courthouse today to pay their respects to the building’s namesake.

In an unprecedented display, the courthouse hosted an public viewing for Judge William J. Nealon. The majority of the pictures depicted the longtime jurist with his family, others with colleagues and staff. He had a reputation for treating those who worked with or for him as family, those who knew him recalled.

“He was an amazing man. He had impeccable integrity,” said Elizabeth Schneider, who clerked for Nealon from 1983 to 1985. “He was a great teacher and he had a great legal mind.”

The judge often had parties, gatherings and reunions for clerks, who developed a fraternal bond, Schneider said. She pointed out a photo of the judge with Harold Miller, who long served as Nealon’s tipstaff until Miller’s death in 1987. The judge viewed Miller like a brother, Schneider said.

She learned a lot from Nealon over the course of her clerkship, much of it from example, Schneider said.

“Just to treat everyone with respect and to be fair and ethical in all that you do and to give back to the community,” Schneider said.

Nealon died on Aug. 30 at the age of 95, two days after he broke the record for longest service as a district judge and longest service on a single court. He served 20,349 days.

Born in Scranton on July 31, 1923, Nealon served in the Marine Corps for 2½ years during World War II before embarking on a more than 67-year legal career. President John F. Kennedy appointed Nealon, then a county judge, to the Middle District of Pennsylvania bench in 1962.

Schneider waited in line with her husband, Howard Rothenberg, an attorney who practiced law before Nealon over the course of the years. Nealon was the wisest man Rothenberg ever met, he said. He treated everyone in his courtroom with great respect and had a reputation for fairness, Rothenberg said.

“There’s a reason this building is named after him and it’s not because how long he served,” he said.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Friday at 10 a.m. in the Nativity of Our Lord Church, 633 Orchard St., Scranton, by Nealon’s former law clerk, Monsignor Joseph G. Quinn.

Contact the writer: cover@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x5363; @ClaytonOver on Twitter

SCRANTON — The city removed a small statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary from the front lawn of the police headquarters, the police chief said.

A similar statue that had been placed outside City Hall near a firefighter memorial also was gone on Wednesday.

An article in The Times-Tribune on Monday explored whether the religious statues on government properties break the wall of separation of church and state.

While the statues appear to violate the First Amendment’s establishment clause requiring separation of church and state, an expert said that may not necessarily be the case. Other factors come into consideration, including whether the city has a policy on opening a public forum for such displays on the city properties, said Ian Smith, an attorney with Americans United for Separation of Church and State, a Washington, D.C.-based nonpartisan advocacy organization.

Last week, Mayor Bill Courtright said he would have the city solicitor review the matter to determine if the city must remove the religious statues.

On Wednesday, an editorial in The Times-Tribune called for removal of the religious statues from city properties. At some point in recent days, the statues were removed. Efforts to reach Courtright and the city solicitor on Wednesday were unsuccessful.

Police Chief Carl Graziano said the mayor directed the statue from the police station lawn be removed, but the chief did not know when it was taken away.

Government can choose to “open a public forum” on governmental property to provide a place where citizens can engage in temporary displays of free speech, Smith had said. This typically would be done by creating a policy and rules for use of a particular public forum space or spaces, giving access to the forum equally to all viewpoints, including religious ones, Smith said.

The city had not created policies for opening public forums in these two particular spots. By not removing the statues, the city could have been creating a de-facto public forum in these areas, where anyone could plunk anything down, Smith said.

Meanwhile, in response to the newspaper article on Monday, city resident Jane Pattison contacted The Times-Tribune saying she was the person who placed both of the Blessed Virgin Mary statues outside the fire and police headquarters. She did so because firefighters and police officers put their lives on the line daily, said Pattison, whose husband and brother are city firefighters.

“They should be blessed every time they leave the station, because you never know when they’re not coming back,” Pattison said in a phone interview Tuesday.

She said she placed a Blessed Virgin Mary statue at the base of the lawn sign of the Police Department headquarters on South Washington Avenue in July 2015, in response to the line of duty death of Patrolman John Wilding. She got that statue from her own yard and placed it, and a few other small statues, at the police station lawn sign three years ago.

The other small statues, and other similar mementos left by other people at the police station three years ago, all had been removed over time. But the Blessed Virgin Mary figurine remained there.

This past July 4, Pattison placed a similar statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary near the Benjamin Franklin Firefighter Memorial outside City Hall along Mulberry Street. She bought that statue, which cost nearly $100, from the Chinchilla Hardware and Variety store in South Abington Twp.

As of last week, this Blessed Virgin Mary statue was still outside City Hall, but by Wednesday it, too, was gone. Pattison was disappointed to hear from a reporter from The Times-Tribune on Wednesday that the statues were removed. She would like to have them returned.

Meanwhile, several other small religious figurines, including angels, the Crucifixion and the Nativity scene also have been placed in an exterior window-frame recess on City Hall near the Firefighter Memorial. These items were still there in that spot on Wednesday.

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

Super student

Penn State Scranton business major Nick Fiels was awarded the Fall 2018 Chancellor Service Award.

Fiels is also a student worker in the campus’ Academic Affairs department since fall of 2017.

Chancellor Marwan Wafa, Ph.D., presented Fiels with the award, which recognized him for his outstanding service to the school during the annual

Welcome Back Assembly event on Aug. 15.

“He is a team player and is always willing to do what is asked of him,” said Suzanne Morgan, Academic Affairs administrative support assistant and Fiels’ direct supervisor.

She said Fiels has a great work ethic, is a great ambassador for the campus and his hard work shows in his studies and his jobs.

Fiels lives in Eynon and will attend Smeal College at University Park in fall 2019 to study finance.

Tournament scheduled

Golf tournament committee members, including Pat Purdy, luncheon chairwoman; Pastor T.J. McCabe; Chairman Jim Gray and Vic Purdy, co-chairman, from the Dalton United Methodist Church are busy organizing the church’s 21st annual golf tournament on Sept. 22.

The event raises funds for the church, which distributes food and clothing

to Abington-area families

in need, the Bright Beginnings preschool and Cub Scouts.

The tournament at Lakeland Golf Club in Fleetville will be a nine-hole captain- and-crew format. Tee off time is 9 a.m.; a luncheon will be served and prizes will be awarded. Cost is $40 per golfer. For details, contact Gray at 570-587-7067.

High notes

Winners of the Remembering Our Fallen bocce tournament are the Mule Barn Bocce Club, including Tony Russo, Jack Stets, Joe Martinelli, Don Stets and Stephen Burgerhoff.

Son of a Bocce team members, including Tim Tursdale, John Bieczorek, Jess Winters and Shane Lynn, came in second place.

Stephen Evers, John Rettura, Silvio Mele and Tom Godino from the team Al’s Pals came in third place.

The tournament was held at Arcaro & Genell’s courts in Old Forge. Remembering Our Fallen is a national mobile memorial honoring military service members who lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The national memorial will visit Pennsylvania once this year in Scranton at McDade Park the week of Sept. 11. For details, visit rememberin

gourfallen.org.

The former humane officer at Griffin Pond Animal Shelter is suing the shelter and two former board members claiming they improperly portrayed her as an animal abuser.

In the lawsuit filed late last month, an attorney for Sandy Scala specifically accuses former board President Douglas Boyle and board member Daniel Mahoney of perpetuating falsehoods and ignoring requests made by other board members to bring in a neutral investigator to look into claims she mistreated animals.

Besides Boyle and Mahoney, who are no longer on the board, the suit names the shelter and the current board of directors as defendants.

Current board President Elaine Geroulo and Vice President Arthur Moretti said it would be inappropriate to speak about the lawsuit and declined to comment.

Scala was one of several officials at the center of a public effort to oust top-level employees and directors over euthanasia practices and other issues at the shelter that came to a head last year.

Scala’s attorney, Christopher P. Caputo, said the public outrage stemmed from widespread misunderstanding that Griffin Pond never killed animals for space. Many believed that the shelter in South Abington Twp. was a no-kill shelter, which was not the case, he said.

“The truth is, they needed to do that because of their limited resources,” he said in a phone interview. “They made difficult and hard decisions, but they did it humanely and never in a cruel fashion.”

Boyle and Mahoney, who were on the finance and governance committee, claimed to have evidence that Scala cruelly euthanized animals without authority. They said they had video evidence, eyewitness testimony and a confession from Scala, according to the lawsuit.

They accused her of putting cats in bags and slamming them on concrete to kill them; of performing euthanasia without using a sedative; and, in one case, after several hours of attempting to put an animal down, using a gun, the suit says.

The lawsuit says that there is no evidence to back those allegations up, that eyewitnesses remained anonymous and that Scala never confessed.

Boyle resigned from his position as board president earlier this year. Mahoney left the board in late 2017.

“I’m confident that the matter will be properly handled and resolved by the shelter,” Boyle said. “I continue to support the mission of the shelter and all those who dedicate their time and effort to the animals.”

Because of the board members’ portrayal of Scala, she can’t find work in “a field she devoted her life to,” the lawsuit reads.

“Plaintiff Sandy Scala, a person who has dedicated her life to prosecuting those who abuse animals, is now seen in her community as a hypocrite that tortured dogs, enjoyed killing animals, placed cats in bags and slammed them on concrete, indiscriminately put down animals for no reason, and enjoyed it,” the lawsuit says.

The suit demands a trial by jury and seeks damages in excess of $50,000 for two counts.

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

MARRIAGE LICENSES

■ Nicole Lynn Maldonato and John Thomas Gaul, both of Old Forge.

■ Pedro Ruben Garcia and Elvira Sofia Lafore-Valdez, both of Scranton.

■ Nicole Lee Serine, La Plume Twp., and Julian Christopher Beam, Dunmore.

■ William Joseph Christine and Elizabeth Marie Martin, both of Scranton.

■ Matthew Jeffrey Burns and Mary Catherine Gartrell, both of Lakeland, Fla.

■ Gary Custred Jr., Scranton, and Elaine G. Herron, Moosic.

■ James Joseph Johnson, Valley Stream, N.Y., and Adicta Brenda Cabrera, Greentown.

PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS

■ Benjamin C. Dragon and/or Diane M. Dragon, as trustees of the Benjamin C. Dragon and Diane M. Dragon Revocable Living Trust, to James A. and Lori J. Kerins; a property at Eagle Lake, Covington Twp., for $100,000.

■ Elizabeth Keating, executrix of the estate of Benedette M. Zazzera, also known as Benedetta M. Zazzera, Chandler, Ariz., to John E. and Kathleen M. Foley, Scranton; a property at 69 Washington St., Carbondale, for $98,880.

■ Timothy F. Magnavita and Margaret Paperman, South Abington Twp., to Robert A. Rogan and Marie L. Rogan, North Arlington, N.J.; a property at 324 Baker Lane, South Abington Twp., for $410,000.

■ Christine E. Matteson, individually and as executrix of the estate of Joy L. Matteson, Jacksonville, Fla., to Aaron John Shapiro and Nicole Marie O’Malley, South Abington Twp., as joint tenants with rights of survivorship; a property at 501 Clover St., South Abington Twp., for $130,851.

■ Ray D. Petty and Barbara B. Petty, trustees of the Petty Family Trust, Roaring Brook Twp., to Christopher Vincent Colarusso, Pittston; a property in Ransom Twp. for $30,000.

■ Joseph and Deborah Lindner to Gasper LaRosa; a property at Eagle Lake, Covington Twp., for $75,000.

■ Ronald J. and Jane F. Freach, Dunmore, to Corey Thomas and Bridget Robinson, Dunmore; a property at 106 Naphin Hill Drive, Dunmore, for $185,400.

■ Robert J. Tupe, Fort Thomas, Ky., to Joshua S. Kinney, Clarks Summit; a property at 542 Chestnut St., Dunmore, for $97,500.

■ ServiceLink LLC, attorney-in-fact for Fannie Mae, also known as Federal National Mortgage Association, Dallas, Texas, to Zurizaday and Jose Calixto, Scranton; a property at 2508 S. Webster Ave., Scranton, for $43,500.

■ Purosky & Tuckerman Inc., Dickson City, to SRG 272 Main Street LLC, Chicago; a property at 272 Main St., Dickson City, for $204,500.

■ Christina Victoria Brzezinski, personal representative of the estate of Glenn Simons, also known as Glenn R. Simons, to Jeff and Mona Graci, Scranton; a property at 1506 Summit Pointe, Scranton, for $94,500.

■ Moosic Lakes Inc., Scranton, to MSA Inc., Dunmore; a property in Jefferson Twp. for $39,500.

■ Anthony and Margaret Browne, Scranton, to Matthew Leathers, Scranton; a property at 929 Delaware St., Scranton, for $139,000.

■ D&L Realty Co., Dunmore, to Michael J. and Ann T. Romanosky; a property in Olyphant for $60,445.

■ KTD Holdings LLC to Brandon Auchenbach, a property in Thornhurst Twp. for $84,200.

■ Kathryn L. Mancuso, Archbald, to Corey T. Foote, Mayfield; a property at 108 Joann Ave., Archbald, for $155,000.

DIVORCES SOUGHT

■ Amanda Masker, Carbondale, v. Kira Masker, Carbondale; married March 11, 2017, in Carbondale; pro se.

■ Michele Gill, Scott Twp., v. Glynn David Gill Jr., Scott Twp.; married June 1, 2002, in Lackawanna County; Frank J. Ruggiero, attorney.

■ Jerome Emery Smith, Dalton, v. Lisa Smith, Scranton; married March 30, 1984, in Scranton; John R. Williams Jr., attorney.

■ Donna M. Schlegel, Old Forge, v. Jeffrey L. Schlegel, Old Forge; married May 13, 2006, in Wilkes-Barre; Brian J. Cali, attorney.

LAWSUITS

■ Katona Miller, 419 Wintermantle Ave., Scranton, v. William Gary Charette, 410 Gregory Place, Scranton, seeking in excess of $50,000, exclusive of interest and costs, and in excess of any jurisdictional amount requiring arbitration, for injuries suffered Aug. 22, 2017, when the plaintiff was struck by the defendant’s automobile in the parking lot of Walmart, Taylor; Kelly Rambo-Williams, attorney.

■ Christopher Barbarevech, M.D., and Teresa Barbarevech, 202 Glenmaura Drive, Moosic, v. Nicole A. Tomlinson, 436 Hickory St., Scranton, and Hertz Vehicles LLC, 900 Dremus Ave., Port Newark, N.Y., seeking in excess of that requiring compulsory arbitration under the applicable statutes of the commonwealth and local rules of court on five counts, for injuries suffered Jan. 2 in an automobile accident at Wyoming Avenue and Phelps Street, Scranton; Joseph A. Quinn Jr., attorney.

ESTATES FILED

■ James Paul Naticchi, 840 E. State St., Archbald, letters testamentary to Ann Margaret Naticchi, same address.

■ George Porter, 201 Wilbur St., Scranton, letters testamentary to Diana Purnell, 562-3 Louisiana Ave., Brooklyn, N.Y.

■ Patricia D. Carson, 140 Clarkson Road, Factoryville, letters of administration to Colleen M. Harasym, same address, and William Dean Carson, 2118 N. Main Ave., Scranton.

■ Jean M. Lynott, 600 Sherwood Ave., Apt. 2, Dunmore, letters testamentary to Anne Miesko, 715 Crown Ave., Scranton.

■ Josephine Guzzi, 107 Stone Crest Circle, South Abington Twp., letters testamentary to Robert Guzzi, 58 S. Waterford Road, Dalton.

■ Shirley A. Thomas, 10 Hart Place, Carbondale, letters testamentary to Michael R. Kresock, 129 Morse Ave., Simpson.

■ Matthew Pisanchyn, 301 Skyline Drive N., South Abington Twp., letters of administration to Gary Pisanchyn, same address.

ONLINE: thetimes-tribune.com/courts

SCRANTON — The first day of school included cheers, tears and heat.

As most of the Scranton School District’s 10,000 students returned to class Thursday, temperatures in some classrooms reached 95 degrees. Despite the heat, teaching and learning began.

“Overall it was a good day,” Superintendent Alexis Kirijan, Ed.D., said in an email. “Teachers and students were happy to be back.”

Neil Armstrong Elementary in North Scranton remains closed to students until Tuesday, after maintenance found mold in the school. On Thursday, several glitches occurred with new students registering, but central registration worked to address the issues, Kirijan said.

The school year marks several changes for the financially struggling school district, which laid off 16 teachers last week. The district eliminated all librarians and reduced students’ exposure to classes such as art, music and physical education. The teachers union plans to fight the layoffs.

Outside John F. Kennedy Elementary School in South Scranton, nervous students wiped tears from their eyes and proud parents snapped photos. A disc jockey played upbeat music to welcome the kids into the school.

At West Scranton High School, cheerleaders lined the steps and the marching band played on the sidewalk as students arrived. Cheerleaders chanted as the students entered the building.

“West Scranton is known for our pride,” new Principal Robert DeLuca said. “We just want to welcome all of the kids back.”

Drivers on busy Luzerne Street honked their horns and gave the cheerleaders and musicians thumbs up.

This school year, West’s attendance area expanded to include students who live within the boundaries of Kennedy and McNichols Plaza elementary schools. Cheerleaders said they wanted to make everyone feel welcome.

“We’re just bringing school spirit to everyone,” said senior McCae Dougher, a cheerleading captain. “West is best because we’re a tightknit community. We support West Scranton, starting from the womb. Once a West Sider, always a West Sider.”

Just before homeroom started, the cheerleaders put their arms around each other and sang the alma mater as the band played.

“Blue and white are always loyal, West Scranton Senior High.”

Contact the writer:

shofius@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9133;

@hofiushallTT on Twitter

WILKES-BARRE — The family of a 2-year-old severely injured when a dog bit him at Hollenback Park this year sued the dog’s owner Thursday, accusing him of negligence.

The complaint alleges the dog that severely injured Hayden Davis on May 8 was a “mixed-breed huskie” that may have been a wolf hybrid.

The lawsuit filed Thursday identifies the owner as David Brian Cannon Jr., 54, of Plains Twp. Cannon was cited in June with allowing an animal to attack a person. He subsequently pleaded guilty and was fined $197.

The civil complaint alleges Cannon was harboring a “dangerous dog” that aggressively attacked Hayden, breaking his arm and causing cuts and puncture wounds that required reconstructive surgery.

Davis is seeking unspecified damages for medical expenses and pain and suffering, plus punitive damages.

— JAMES HALPIN

Sept. 7, 1918

Three people die

as train hits car

Three people were killed and one left in critical condition after the car they were in was struck by a double-headed train in Olyphant.

According to authorities, the car’s driver, Fred Stenzhorn, drove onto Lackawanna Street in Olyphant and drove through the lowered railroad gates at the crossing. The car was struck by the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western train and pushed some 75 feet. It was found wedged underneath the first engine’s cowcatcher.

The passengers who died were Gerhart Stenzhorn, younger brother of Fred, and two unidentified women. Fred was taken to Mid Valley Hospital with a skull fracture and was listed in critical condition.

At the theaters

The film “To Hell with the Kaiser” was shown at the Regent Theater on Lackawanna Avenue; the Poli Theater presented the musical comedy “The Bridal Shop,” starring Eddie Vogt, John Sully and Lew Madden; the Strand Theater presented the films “Triple Trouble” starring Charlie Chaplin, “Her Man” starring Elaine Hammerstein and “The Firefly of France” starring Wallace Reid; the Academy presented the farce “Parlor, Bedroom and Bath” and the drama “Eyes of Youth”’ the Majestic Theater presented “Razzle Dazzle of 1918,” with the theater’s manager guaranteeing the show and promising to return admission cost to anyone who was not satisfied.

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.

DURYEA — Two people are facing prostitution charges after police said they were caught in the act in a vehicle parked in a secluded spot.

Police said they were patroling Coxton Road in an unmarked car the night of Aug. 10 when they saw a vehicle parked without its lights on. As they approached, police saw a man wearing no pants and a shirtless woman who appeared to have been engaged in sexual activity in the back seat, police said.

The man, identified as Suk R. Pradhan, 20, of Scranton, told police he paid Hannah Isabell Sweeney, 19, of Duryea, $50 for sex, police said.

Police charged Sweeney with promoting prostitution and Pradhan with patronizing a prostitute. They were charged by summons Thursday.

— JAMES HALPIN