SCRANTON — A Dickson City man charged this week with supplying the drugs that killed a woman in 2018 is held on $500,000 bail while awaiting his preliminary hearing on the charges.

Nicholas Martin Bufano, 31, 608 Hallstead St., was arraigned Wednesday by Magisterial District Judge Laura Turlip on drug delivery resulting in death and other charges. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Thursday at 9 a.m.

Investigators accuse Bufano of selling heroin and fentanyl to Sinead Ruth McManus, 27, Dickson City, on Sept. 18 and again on Sept. 21. The latter sale happened the night before McManus fatally overdosed on fentanyl at a friend’s Lake Ariel home Sept. 22, state police said.

Bufano, who has been jailed on drug charges unrelated to McManus’ death since September, arranged the sales in a series of text messages that investigators recovered after accessing the woman’s cell phone, police said.

— DAVID SINGLETON

ARCHBALD — The Valley View School Board is accepting applications for an open seat after the recent death of longtime board member and educator, Ellen Nielsen.

The appointment runs until Dec. 4. A special election will then be held on Nov. 5 to fill the remainder of Nielsen’s term.

A statement of financial interest must accompany the application, which can be emailed to kcastellani@valleyviewsd.org or mailed to the district office at 1 Columbus Drive, Archbald.

The board will interview candidates during its board meeting on June 24 at 7 p.m.

For more details, visit the district’s website at www.valleyviewsd.org.

— KATHLEEN BOLUS

SCRANTON — Lackawanna County detectives and the drug task force arrested a Scranton man earlier this week for drug crimes after a heroin sale led them back to dozens of bags of dope in his apartment, police said.

Michael T. Jones, 53, 944 Monroe Ave., first floor, Scranton, is charged with misdemeanor possession counts and felony possession with intent to deliver charges.

Detectives said Jones sold 10 bags of heroin Wednesday in the city. Once arrested, Jones said he had more at home.

There, police found nearly three more “bricks” of heroin, about 140 bags.

Jones is in the Lackawanna County Prison in lieu of $75,000 bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled Thursday.

— JOSEPH KOHUT

Initial test results suggest the water system at the Jewish Home of Eastern Pennsylvania is probably not the source of the Legionnaires’ disease that sickened a resident this month, the facility’s director said.

Preliminary laboratory tests on the building’s water by an independent company came back negative this week for the Legionella bacteria, Executive Director Mark D. Weiner said Friday. Final results are expected in about two weeks after more sophisticated testing.

“That is a constructive sign to get a negative back at this point,” he said.

A resident of the Jewish Home, a 173-bed long-term care facility in Scranton’s Hill Section, was diagnosed with Legionnaires’ on June 4. The disease is a serious form of pneumonia, or lung infection, caused by breathing in water droplets contaminated with Legionella germs.

Although the preliminary lab results are encouraging, Weiner said, it also means officials still have not identified the source of the bacteria that made the resident ill or even whether the resident was exposed at the Jewish Home or at another location. The Legionella bacteria is generally not spread by person-to-person contact.

“We are working with the (Pennsylvania) Department of Health to sort that all out,” he said.

The Jewish Home tested other residents of the facility, but there have been no additional cases of Legionnaires’ identified, Weiner said.

In the meantime, the Department of Health-required protocols that the facility instituted after confirming the initial diagnosis, including the use of bottled water, are still in effect, he said.

“We have all the protections in place and we’re following the guidelines of the state,” he said.

Without addressing directly the status of the Jewish Home, health department spokesman Nate Wardle said in an email that state health officials monitor situations where potential cases of infectious disease are present “until final testing shows no further sign of the disease.”

Weiner, who arrived at the Jewish Home 10 months ago, acknowledged Friday he erred when he told The Times-Tribune on June 6 that all of the families of residents had been notified about the Legionnaires’ case.

While the home prepared a letter that it mailed to families and staff members after confirming the illness, many of the recipients did not get the letter until after the newspaper’s story appeared June 7. Weiner said he had about 10 calls from unhappy family members.

In the future, if the home needs to get in touch with family members immediately, a notification will be emailed, he said.

“That is a good lesson we learned,” Weiner said.

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

An insurance company contends it is not responsible to defend or pay any damages in a lawsuit filed against several Lackawanna County men in connection with the 2017 hazing death of a Pennsylvania State University student.

Attorneys for Nationwide Insurance filed suit in federal court against Gary DiBileo II,Jerald Coyne and Jonathan Martines, former members of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity.

DiBileo, 23, 302 S. Main St., Scranton, is among 18 former fraternity members charged in connection with the Feb. 4, 2017 death of Timothy Piazza. Piazza, 19, died from injuries suffered in a fall during an alcohol-fueled hazing ritual.

DiBileo, the son of Lackawanna County controller Gary DiBileo, plead guilty in December in Centre County Court to six counts of hazing and one count of conspiracy and is awaiting sentencing.

Piazza’s parents, James and Evelyn Piazza, filed a federal lawsuit in February against DiBileo, Coyne, Martines and multiple other fraternity members, alleging their negligence caused their son’s death. The suit alleges Coyne, 1105 St. Ann St., Scranton, and Martines, 106 Healey Road, Greenfield Twp., took part in the hazing. Neither man was charged criminally.

Nationwide initially defended the men, but it now asks a judge to rule it has no further obligation to defend them or pay any damages because they engaged in intentional and criminal conduct, which is excluded under their insurance policies.

The suit alleges the men violated several laws, including providing alcohol to a minor, recklessly endangering another person and engaging in hazing activities. It notes the policy excludes coverage for criminal acts, even if no charges are filed.

The defendants will have an opportunity to respond to the suit. A judge will take the matter under advisement and issue a ruling at a later date.

Contact the writer: tbesecker@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9137; @tmbeseckerTT on Twitter.

The Wyoming County man accused of killing his live-in girlfriend last December and throwing her body into the Susquehanna River now faces child pornography charges.

Phillip Donald Walters, 32, Mill City, Falls Twp., was arraigned Thursday before District Judge David Plummer. He’s been in the county jail since January on a criminal homicide charge after an investigation into the disappearance of his girlfriend Haley Maree Lorenzen.

As part of that investigation, officials seized his cell phone. The state police’s Computer Crime Laboratory in Hanover Twp. analyzed the phone and discovered at least five thumbnail images “which included pre-pubescent minor females and minor females engaged in prohibited sexual acts,” according to the criminal complaint.

Further analysis by FBI Scranton field office revealed images of child pornography downloaded on Walters’ cell phone on eight separate occasions between Nov. 25 and Dec. 26, 2018. Michael Rogan, medical director of the Children’s Advocacy Center of Northeastern Pennsylvania, reviewed the images and stated that child pornography was present but he could not make a determination as to the victims’ ages in three of the images.

Based on the finding, Detective Ide filed five felony counts of child pornography against Walters.

Walters reported Lorenzen missing on New Year’s Eve. An unnamed woman told police she saw Lorenzen’s body in Walter’s home and helped him throw her in the river.

Area search parties have scoured the Susquehanna River on several occasions, but have not located Lorenzen’s body.

Walters remains in the county jail without bail.

Contact the writer: bbaker@wcexaminer.com, 570-836-2123 x33

Our plane landed in Denver just past midnight. It was April and blizzard season wasn’t done yet. Snow fell thick and heavy.

My wife, my daughter and I packed our gear into a new 2019 Volvo V60 station wagon and set off for Copper Mountain, where 13-year-old Skye was entered in the half-pipe at snowboarding’s annual national competition, where Olympic hopefuls compete.

But first we had to get through the blizzard intact. The snowstorm formed weird, disorienting patterns that turned the windshield into some kind of video game, at times completely obscuring my view of the road. Hands gripped tight on the wheel, I prepared for the worst, the ladies blissfully asleep. Yes, I should have checked into an airport hotel to safely spend the night.

While I questioned my own judgment, the car never gave me cause for concern. Volvos are designed in Sweden, and the Swedes know winter. The all-wheel-drive V60 handled the snowy road and icy curves with aplomb. Best known for safety, Volvos are loaded with the latest driver-assist technologies as standard, part of the base price.

That includes Run-Off Road Mitigation, which detects when a car is about to leave the road and uses the steering and brakes to put it back on path. I never had to use it, but I was glad it was there. We reached Copper Mountain safe and sound.

I was predisposed to like the V60, newly designed for 2019. My family had tried out the bigger, cushier, more expensive V90 wagon last year, on a winter trip to Mammoth Mountain and Lake Tahoe. It was a hit — though at $70,000, far beyond our price range.

This V60 version — the “Momentum” — came in at $47,000. Still spendy, but any sports-oriented individual or small family who wants the versatility of a crossover SUV but prefers the superior road handling of a lower-to-the-ground wagon should give it a look. The base model starts at $38,000. The high-end “Inscription” model can reach the low $60,000s.

The next day, roads plowed, the weather clear, we got ready to take it for a spin. My daughter ran her hand over the seats and the fabric on the doors, the two-tone leather-wrapped steering wheel, in soft black and cream. “It’s so … aesthetic!” she said. The materials are high quality, the look is clean but not stark. Quite a departure from the awful interiors Volvo put out when it was owned by Ford, before Chinese automaker Geely bought it in 2010.

The rear passengers said there was plenty of room. Volvo used a few tricks to add a few more cubic inches for knees and cargo, including thinner, but still comfortable, backrests on the front seats. When the rear seats are folded down, the headrests automatically retract, adding a few inches more.

Volvo had engineered its wagons for a sporty ride, and the V60 didn’t disappoint. Steering is precise, cornering is excellent. Some reviewers have said the ride can be a bit stiff, but I’ll take a little stiffness for more precision any day.

The base V60, with front-wheel drive, comes with a 2-liter, four-cylinder engine that turns out 250 horsepower. Our version was fitted with a supercharger and a turbocharger that pushed the horsepower up to 316. The supercharger kicks in at lower speeds, the turbocharger at higher. An Edmunds review complained that the two sometimes went out of sync at maximum speeds. I didn’t drive fast enough to see for myself; I had a kid in the car.

My wife took the wheel. She liked the sporty drive and visibility, especially in a relatively small car. “A lot of new cars, you just can’t see well, especially out the back,” she said.

I was perplexed, though, when she added, “This car is made for women!” She elaborated: “The way it’s sized, it’s very comfortable. It’s not made for a big fat guy.”

She’s right about that. I’m 5-foot-11 and 180 pounds and I had plenty of room — in the driver seat, in the passenger seat, in the back. But if I grew a couple more inches and another 20 pounds, the car would probably seem a bit tight. After a week with it, that’s about the only bad thing I can say about the V60.

Oh, and the infotainment system. I’ll say something bad about that. It’s about as frustratingly over-complicated as all the other infotainment systems out there. Worse, actually. Volvo knows it. They’re working on basing future infotainment systems on the new Android Automotive Operating System.

My daughter did fine in the half-pipe. She did not place, but her coach said she did well enough to keep practicing and try again next year. By then the 2020 V60s will be out. They’ll include a new Cross Country version with more height to push through piled-up snow. There will also be a limited edition plug-in hybrid version developed by Polestar that lifts horsepower up to 412. And maybe they’ll have the tunes and other infotainment fixed by then too.

Volvo V60 T6 Momentum

Times’ take: Handsome all-weather station wagon

Highs: Sporty drive, comfortable seats, safety features

Lows: Hard-to-fathom infotainment system

Vehicle type: Five-passenger small wagon, four doors and a hatch

Base price: $38,900

Price as tested: $46,195

Powertrain: 2-liter 4-cylinder gasoline engine, super- and turbocharged

Transmission: 8-speed automatic, all-wheel drive

Horsepower: 316

Torque: 295 pound-feet

Estimated fuel economy rating: 21 mpg city / 31 highway / 25 combined

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©2019 Los Angeles Times

Visit the Los Angeles Times at www.latimes.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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PHOTOS (for help with images, contact 312-222-4194):

Q: I own a 2016 Toyota Camry. Yesterday, on my way to the gas station, I pulled out my credit card and set it on the center console. When I pulled up to the pump, I reached for my card, and it dropped down between the seat and the console.

I squeezed my hand into the space and was able to push the card forward enough to grab it. Ever the klutz, when I went to grab it, I pushed it back instead.

When I tried to grab it again, I couldn’t locate it. I got out and looked everywhere around the seat. I was on my hands and knees looking from the front and the back of the seat. I searched from every angle. The card was gone.

It was like the car opened up and swallowed it. How is that possible? My car is uncluttered; it is easy to see something out of place. Where is it?

— DONNA

A: I don’t know. But when you find it, I bet you’ll also find a bunch of single socks.

I think we’ve all done what you did, Donna. A credit card, a key, a phone drops between the seat and center console. And as you reach your two fingers in there to feel for it, you push it further into the abyss.

My guess is that your credit card slipped under the carpet. There are cuts in the carpet at the four points where the seat is bolted to the floor. Try moving the seat all the way back. Then, from the floor of the front seat, feel around for where the seat is bolted in. You should be able to find an opening in the carpet there. If there’s no sign of the card, move the seat all the way forward and try from the back seat.

If that fails, and you’re really attached to this particular card (maybe you spent months memorizing the three-digit security code), your mechanic can definitely find it.

The first thing we’d do at our shop is we’d blow compressed air under the seat. We have a nozzle on our air hose that can blow about 150 psi of wind under there. That’s a Category 4 hurricane. If something is there, it’ll usually come out. If it doesn’t, your mechanic can always unbolt the seat. That’s not a big deal. It’s a half-hour job. On the other hand, calling your credit card company and asking them to send you a replacement card is a five-minute job.

Beach Lake

Evening prayer: Worship on the lakeshore, Saturday evening prayer service, Saturday, June 29, 7 p.m., Beach Lake United Methodist Church, 7 Milanville Road, across from the fire hall; bring a camp chair. Contact: 570-729-7011 or www.blumc.com.

Blakely

Rummage sale: Blakely P.M. Church rummage sale, Saturday, June 22, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., lunch available, housewares, furniture and many items for all ages, 313 First St.

Clarks Summit

Bahamas trip: The Abington Senior Center will have a trip to the Bahamas Dec. 1-8; interested parties should call the center for information and prices at 570-586-8996.

Pittston

Class reunion: Pittston Area High School class of 1974 45th class reunion Saturday, Sept. 21, 6 p.m., Arcaro & Genell’s, Old Forge, $50/person, antipasto, buffet, coffee, tea, soda, dessert and cash bar; dress up or wear jeans; entertainment by DJ Bob Lussi, 8-11. Checks can be made out to Pittston Area class of 1974 and mailed to Reunion c/o Jannette Morgan, 9 Stout St., Pittston, PA 18640. Contact: Carol Keating DeLeo, 570-299-9101. Plans are in the works for an “ice-breaker” Friday, Sept. 20, at Tony’s Wine Cellar, Pittston.

Scranton

Friendly seniors: South Side Friendly Seniors meeting for Tuesday has been canceled.

Group meeting: St. Paul of the Cross prayer shawl group meeting Monday, 6 p.m., at the parish center.

Thompson

Roast beef supper: Roast beef supper, Saturday, June 29, Thompson United Methodist Church, 586 Main St.; takeouts at 4:30 p.m., eat-in at 5.

Tunkhannock

Radio club: Endless Mountains Amateur Radio Club annual field days, Saturday, June 22, 2-5 p.m., Sunday, June 23, 10 a.m.-noon, Emergency Operations Center, 3880 Route 6 East, Tunkhannock. Contact: 570-836-5030.

West Scranton

Bus trip: West Side Active Older Adult Community Center bus trip to the Hollywood Casino on Thursday, July 18; bus leaving the center, 1004 Jackson St., at 9 a.m., leaving casino at 4:30 p.m., $25/members, $28/non-members, offers a $25 rebate, $20 in free play and a $5 food voucher; anyone 21 or over is welcome. Information/reservations: 570-961-1592, x101.

Class meeting: West Scranton High School class of 1969 meeting Tuesday, June 25, at St. George’s Restaurant, 304 Church St., Jessup, 5:30 p.m., food and beverages available for purchase, all are welcome, final discussion about the 50th class reunion. Information: Janet Walsh Butka, Ann Casciano Cammerota, Donna Cardoni Lavelle or Mary Ellen McNichols Davison; or check the class Facebook page.

CLIPBOARD ITEMS may be sent to yesdesk@timessham

rock.com or Clipboard, c/o YES!Desk, 149 Penn Ave., Scranton, PA 18503. YES!Desk, 570-348-9121.

HOLY CROSS HIGH SCHOOL

GRADE 12

Distinguished honors: Elizabeth Arbie, Mary Arcuri, Denys Arkhypenko, Heather Bailey, Olivia Bloskey, Gianna Calciano, Annabelle Callis, Taylor Callis, Hannah Carr, Alexandria Carter, Ryan Cole, Theresa Dutter, Darlene Duverge, Russell Dyson III, Hannah Ferenchick, Jeremy Fick, Marla Gambucci, Alexander Hammer, Taylor Hembury, Matthew Herne, Meghan Keenan, Nicholas Klein, Kalley Kovaleski, Caroline Kranick, , Alyssa Liford, Kaylee Magda, Giulia Maiolatesi, Julia Mancuso, Kaitlin McConnell, Jillian McDonough, Thomas Montefour, Nhien Nguyen, Grace Okrepkie, Olivia Osborne, Emma Otis, Lauren Palmiter, Chloe Pearce, Ericka Pica, Jacob Rasimovich, Eric Rine, Jennifer Robinson, Kyle Rusinko, Gianna Sacchetti, Kiearra Saldi, Mia Sandy, Anthony Scartelli, Carl Schuster, Abigail Sempa, Victoria Tanana, Declan Tokash, Kirsten Van Louvender, Joshua Walker, Abigail Walsh, Brenden Willsch and Olivia Zehel.

Honors: Haley Bestrycki, Joshua Charles, Julia Cicco, William Craig, Megan Gashi, Olivia Krupski, Zachary Menichello, Tyler Mozeleski, Lucia Nardelli, Sang Nguyen, Kristen Swierczek, Jimmy Thornton, Shannon Tone and Justin Walker.

GRADE 11

Distinguished honors: Maille Allardyce, Svetlana Baron, Clara Bergman, Jenna Bradley, Kieran Burrier, James Calciano, Ashley Capone, Kelly Clark, Elizabeth Cooper, Anya Covaleski, Eric Dixon, Andrew Healey, Adam Johnson, Michael Kobierecki, Tori Kovalchick, James Marsh, Sarah Mies, Angelo Norella, Claire O’Connor, Leahy O’Connor, Leslie O’Connor, Joseph Osborne, Molly Repecki, Kate Rogers, Sydney Skrutski, Andrew Straka, Elizabeth Talbot, Alexandra Tomaine, Kathryn Walsh, Ella Williams and Amanda Yanul.

Honors: Shelby Baranow, Caroline Cadden, Caleb Callejas, Meghan Doherty, Madelyn Klassner, Michael Lee, Joseph Lennon, Jordan McAndrew, Angela Moya, Kathryn Nealon and Gabriella Parise.

GRADE 10

Distinguished honors: Kathryn Grace Augustine, Emma Beilman, Patrick Bennie, Jillian Brennan, Sarah Callejas, Paige Caskey, Laurel Cortazer, Arabella Cox, James Fay, Lauren Hegedus, Ryan Huester, Amaya Jackson, Kevin Jumper, Norah Kelly, Thomas Lee, Abigail Lentowski, Marina Mann, Julia Mazur, Erin McGee, Peyton Phillips, Cristia Polizzi, Caroline Shaffern, Alexis Tanana, Rebecca Tone, Kristina Tranovich and Elizabeth Wallace.

Honors: Bria Beggin, James Davis, Kylie Engleman, Ryan Evans, Emily Ferguson, Emily Haikes, William Hanna, Alice Jones, Will Kalinich, Robert Kane, Autumn Krieg, Molly Landsiedel, Lucy Lennon, Alexander Nole, David Romanski, Mikele-Danilo Tenev and Douglas Walsh.

GRADE 9

Distinguished honors: Logan Aldrich, Emily Bentler, Caitlin Bestrycki, Nora Betts, Bryce Betz, Krista Carachilo, Christian Ceccoli, James Ceccoli, Giovanna Cerminaro, Gianna Chickeletti, Emily Clark, Alicia Dec, Maiah Fadl, Kaitlyn Farrell, Madelyn Franceski, Julia Goetz, Priscilla Grill, Faith Hosie, Rachel Hosie, Kaitlyn Idhaw, Laura Johnson, Sean Kennedy, Kaci Kranson, Madison Kranson, Ryan Legg, Sarah MacDonald, Dana Mackin, Nathan McAndrew, Meghan McDonnell, Julia Menichello, Isabella Moffitt, Christina Monroe, Leila Moran, Samuel Mulvey, Grace Murtagh, Megan Nidoh, Autumn Niemiec, Grace Polansky, Thomas Rohan, Jonelle Symonies, Molly White and Carly Wywoda.

Honors: Emma Clause, Dawson Errigo, Matthew Hassaj, Gurpreet Lahl, Abby Lazecki, Mariah Mancuso, Tyler Moncinelli, Sofiya Myronyuk, Michael Normandia and Ian O’Toole.

HONESDALE HIGH SCHOOL

GRADE 12

Distinguished honor roll: Jacob Adams, Liam Carmody, Margaret Fields, Brooke Gardas, Julia Higgins, William Howell, Brandon Lawson, Kelsey Martin, Mackenzie Meagher, Michael Montambault, Tanner Mundy, Megan O’Neill, Megan Rembish, Elizabeth Rhyne, Colin Rickard, Kayla Taninies, Alicia Utegg, Evan Wilcox and Natalie Zeglen.

Honor roll: Camden Bannan, Taylor Barone, Taylor Bass, Lydia Box, Jacqueline Burke, Dylan Card, Yasnibel Carela Santos, Corey Chorba, David Curreri, Jack Dennis, Lauren Dyser, Lily Fries, Cassandra Gallo, Bethany Good, Michaela Gregory, Lily Heffron, Abigail Hodorawis, Tyler Jackson, Jacob Kabonick, Chase Koelln, Max Land, Andrew LaTourette, Evan Lipski, Nicholas Litz, Nicole Longman, Joseph Lukan, Emma Messersmith, Alison Miszler, Joseph O’Brien, Serenity Polacco, Zachary Potter, Dylan Rieman, Nicole Roberts, Joseph Rongetti, Brooke Rutledge, Destiny Schemitz and Marissa Theis.

GRADE 11

Distinguished honor roll: Dominic Amato, Jared Bochnovich, Lilah Carmody, Ezekiel Conley-Vaverchak, Christian Dury, Miranda Fritz, Mathieu Frost, Arjun Fulp, Hannah Holbert, Leonidas Kehagias, Dominic Maglione Jr., Alexis Mathews, Katherine Matlaga, Taylor Maxson, Tara McLaughlin, Margaret Murphy, Jacob VanDeLinde, Kelly Varcoe and Isabella Watson.

Honor roll: Arthur Ames, Dalen Banicky, Adam Blake, Anna Branning, Keagan Bucksbee, Kyle Castellano, Eva Cooley, Trinity Costa, Jason Demers, Raymond Door, Luke Durdach, Dustin Edsall, John Firmstone, Ryan Forelli, Chloe Fox, Sierra Friscia, Maddison Grasse, Tedra Harrison, Gavin Hedgelon, Jack Hopkins, Julia Hopkins, Matthew Kinzinger, Tyler Kromko, Alicia Lloyd, Lindsey Lloyd, William Long, Navarah Meyer, Benjamin Miner, Jenna Mohn, Esther Munoz Sanchez, Lea Neu, Rachel Olver, Ryan O’Neill, Sean O’Neill, Cindy Perricone, Kayleigh Pugh, Alexandria Reed, Macey Rutledge, Joseph Scarfalloto, Jesse Schwab, Luke Schwab, Seth Senss, Nicholas Sherman, Taylor Slish, Libby Stephens, Alyssa Urban, Katrina Van Houten, Maya Wehrmann, Leigha Welsh, Natalee West, Katherine Williams, Katherine Wilson, Victoria Wormuth and Julia Ziegler.

GRADE 10

Distinguished honor roll: Jakob Burlein, Katilee Dunn, Drew Hazen, Samantha Howey, Gavin Kopesky, Robert Kretschmer, Kallie Lazaro, Grace Maxson, Shannon O’Day, Alyssa Stumpo, Kemper Van Houten and Taylor Warring.

Honor roll: Megan Bidwell, Rece Borsdam, John Christiansen, Rachel Daub, Gina Dell’Aquila, Emma Diliberti, Maria Dury, Jacob Egan, Zachary Eisele-Bockelkamp, Jordan Fay, Azlyn Fritz, Abigail Fuller, Johnathan Gilson, Braydon Hanson, Bryce Haviland, Jared Hodorawis, Emily Johannes, Geoffrey Johnson, Bryce Klinger, Elizabeth Kowalczyk, Ryan Kretschmer, Leah Krol, Suzanna Kuta, Mia Land, Brooke Landers, Kylie Laude, Skyler Leclere. Lucas McElroy, Brynn McGinnis, Abigail Meagher, Isabella Messersmith, Sarah Meyer, Amelia Michko, Cody Perry, James Potucek, Trevor Reed, Emily Roberts, Abigail Robson, Kane Rogers, Nikolas Romano, Riley Skelton, Alexandra Skidmore, Nadia Slish, Sarah Snow, Kyle Soden, Kayla Walsh, Alexander Warshaw and Mia Yatwa.

GRADE 9

Distinguished honor roll: Darcy Banicky, Erin Bass, Emily Chorba, Joshua Clark, Caroline Cooley, Jocelyn Denoie, Jenna Eldred, Emma Hocker, Andrew Howell, Maria Kannebecker, Kayla Kuta, George Legg, Chloe Lyle, Hannah Merritt, Emma Modrovsky, Natalie Mozga, John Rodriguez, Griffin Rogers, Soren Schachter, Brianna Taninies and Noah Theobald.

Honor roll: James Ahern III, Julia Armetta, Harrison Balthaser, Jocelyn Barnes, Alexis Barone, Allison Billard, Olivia Canfield, Dominick Consiglio, Kathryn Corcoran, Rachel Davis, Anna Dunsinger, Anthony Farina, Evan Fritz, Marissa Gregory, Olivia Gries, Martin Hedgelon, Abbie Hessling, Sam Hopkins, Rachel Keesler, Delilah Lohmann, Jeb McCormick, Nicole Miszler, Tara Myers, Jacob Orrick, Deanna Privett, Autumn Rake, Shay Smith, Christina Stein, Taylor Wendell, Zachary Wilken and Aubree Young.

LACKAWANNA TRAIL JR. SR. HIGH SCHOOL

GRADE 12

High honors: Rachael Beemer, Noah Coleman, Robert Davis, Jordan Edwards, Cali Fauquier, Alyssa Fowler, Jakob Fusik, Kiana Grella, Emma Hawthorne, Emily Herron, Sarah Kinback, Morgan Krzywicki, Lili Martin, Nathan Rolka, Joshua Rosengrant, Samantha Schur, Zachary Stec and Alexus Wilbur.

Honors: Jacob Bradley, Jaida Ganser, Jared Klepadlo, Haileigh Novitch, Samuel Pieretti, Nesbitt Ross and Novella Wilhelm.

GRADE 11

High honors: Luke Baldwin, Nico Berrios, Willoughby Burnell, Richard Cocchini, Emily Dalton, Mark Dunckle, Luke Falcone, Alyssa Frens, Amanda Haft, Madeline Huggler, Paige Hyde, Michael Jacoby, Isabella Jagoe, Alec Jones, Mikenna Lee, Seamus Nichols, Ethan Palaskas, Rachel Saxton, Owen Scioscia, Joshua Semken, Monica Stuenzi, Allison Swanchak, Madison Swanchak, Connor Tobin, Liam Trunk, Virginia VanFleet, Katelin Walton and Mackenzie Wilbur.

Honors: Timothy Caulden, Victoria Fiorini, Nicholas Pisanti, Danna Ramirez, Julie Richards, Austin Sanko, Alyssa Slocum, Haley Valvano and Madison Williams.

GRADE 10

High honors: Paige Carpenter, Bella Charnecki, Isabella Coleman, Mckenzie Edwards, William Edwards, Morgan Faist, Celia Fortney, John-Patrick Gilroy, Brycen Hoffman, Taylor Kilmer, Kassidy Kostick, Addilyn Kwiatkowski, Danielle Lamberti, Elizabeth Litwin, Ashtyn Mecca, Ray Melnikoff, Mackenzie Newhart, Madison Norman, Matthew Petrilak, Margaret Reppa, Olivia Rosengrant, Kayla Ross, John Sharpe, Lilly Trunk, Tyton Vokes and Abigail Wilson.

Honors: Joe Burke, Janelle Dannecker, Dalton Deacon, Nathan Dill, Korey Drake, Johann Ella, Matthew Ganly, Mason Grella, Victoria Kohinsky, Leah Levan, Grace Pawlukovich, Kyle Petrilak, Daisy Petty, Hannah Purdy, Hailli Sherwood, Madalyn Toth and Jacob Whiteduck.

GRADE 9

High honors: Jacob Basile, Kayleigh Beichler, Michael Bluhm, Mauriana Castellano, Emily Chermak, Brycen Decker, Alan Deutsch, Keith Dixon, George Duffy, Miles Edwards, Abigail Fahey, Tela Fotta, Megan Gatto, Joselyn Gonzalez-Medina, Annabelle Gumble, Cole Henry, Adam Jones, Dariane Jones, Owen Lisk, John Long, Maggie Martin, Michael Measley, Kamryn Mercer, Emma Oswald, Josephine Paolucci, Jackson Pieretti, Makenna Ratchford, Lillian Rejrat, Cora Rivera, Matthew Schirg, Jordan Spencer, Caleb Stuenzi, Samantha Thomas, Landen Trunk, Nathan Wescott, Maria Wetzel, Natalie Whitney, Coleman Wohlken, Mason Zajac and Eric Zeon.

Honors: Gavin Davis, Faith Dewey, John Halter, Scott Jennings, Cole Kauffman, Marissa Keyes, Lexie Meckwood, Owen Sabin, Robert Schirg, Landon Sprowls, Cheyanne Stacknick, Amaralis Thiel and Kevin VanLuvanee.

GRADE 8

High honors: Ethan Ankoff, Emily Beemer, Maxwell Bluhm, Jacob Breckinridge, Francis Cocchini, Annabelle Demora, Austin Fortney, Emma Fowler, Jeffrey Gallagher, Jacob Holmes, Ellsbeth Hunting, Emma Jacoby, Daren Le, Ethan Lee, Evan Litwin, Emma Long, Kiara Nichols, Jacob Noakes, Jackson Nordmark, Braeleigh Oakley, Riley Prutzman, Matthew Rakauskas, Mackenzie Remick, Deegan Ross, Seth Ross, Braden Savage, Jacqueline Schneider, Joseph Shaw, Nadia Toth, Jayde Waibel, Nathan Walker, Beau Ware, Madisyn Wilson, Kayla Wood and Cadence Younica.

Honors: Jacob Bartush, Bethany Brooks, Jason Carney, Justin Dejesus, Jacqueline Gurdock, Phoebe Mattes, Joshua Naniewicz, Alexis Rasimovich and Kadence Spencer.

GRADE 7

High honors: Danielle Ainey, Blake Borick, Brayden Clarke, Benjamin Cole, Ciera Darmock, Arik Deutsch, Samantha Duffy, Sofia Dugan, Lauren Fahey, Eliza Fotta, Kalee Graham, Lukas Gumble, Emily Hazlett, Tayan Hazlett, Lilly Jagoe, Stephen Jervis, Steven Johns, Emelia Jones, Leigha Joseph, Sutton Lisk, Anthony Litwin, Ella Naylor, Hunter Patterson, Owen Polkowski, Lily Reid, Gretchen Rejrat, Carolena Ryon, Alyson Schirg, Cole Schirg, Mackenzie Schirg, Gary Shaw, Cloe VanFleet, Alana VanGorder, Eric VanLuvanee, Teagan Vokes, Deana Wilhelm and Nathan Wright.

Honors: Helen Bellucci, Alex Castellano, James Cummings, Aubrey Davies, Alyssa Jennings, Graycin LaValley, Gavin LoVallo, Jaidyn Meyer, Mary Phillips, Brayden Rezykowski, Zoe Riley, Cole Rosengrant, Adriana Salansky, Kolbee Soltis, Hailey Stork, Ty Stroble and Zoey Wright.

LAKELAND JR. SR. HIGH SCHOOL

GRADE 12

High honor roll: Alyssa Albino, Alec Bryla, Kassidy Chuff, Alyssa Daniels, Matthew Fischer, Hadley Gilbert, Gavin Joyce, Kayla Kozlowski, James Lewis, Nicholas Liuzzo, Paige McClain, Shayne Mizok, Thomas Pidgeon, Adam Retzbach, Morgan Romanowski, Lindsay Rupp, Haylee Sacknievich, Jessica Saxon, Taylor Schlasta, Emily Seamans, Gary Snipes, Danielle Snyder, Ashley Stangline, Gianna Telesco, Kaitlyn Thomas, Evan Tremback, Richard Turner, Matthew Urda and Sara Wanat.

Honor roll: Ariana Acevedo, Gerard Borosky, Justin Burkhart, Samantha Caputo, Abigail Carey, Joseph Carroll, Samantha Chell, Jessica Cunningham, Elia Dell’Agnello, Zachary Diehl, Cheyenne Dippre, James Gogas, Tyler Hewett, Jacob Hodorovich, Kaitlyn Houman, Abigayle Hunt, Natalie Kimble, Matthew Kishbaugh, Mikayla Marino, Cierra McGarry, Lucas Osburn, Tyler Prudente, Kaylee Sanko, Antonio Spataro and Christian Swatt.

GRADE 11

High honor roll: Tanner Begin, Nicholas Bertholf, Reese Brennan, Isabella Brown, Aubree Budzinski, Alyssa Catanzaro, Camryn Cerminaro, Izabella Chmil, Rhianna Cicio, Matthew Diehl, Ashley Dooley, Kayla Drutherosky, Ashleigh Earyes, Kaitlyn Ezerskis, Riley Fawcett, Alison Fortuner, Holly Gibbs, Giana Good, Kayla Grzech, Haley Hunsinger, Logan Karosus, Bryan Lantzy, Nathan Leo, Alyvia Mroczka, Jonathan Nowak, Michael Nowak, Kayle O’Donnell, Isabella Proscia, Gabrielle Raymer, Tori Sanko, Mackenzie Snyder, Abigail Stalter, Madelyn Taylor, Sarah Uher, Nathan Vigil and Greyson Yurkanin.

Honor roll: John Anzelmi, Amanda Bales, Annaliese Black, Ariel Black, Matthew Carroll, Thomas Chandler, Noah Chup, Mckenzie Connor, Aniesa Dragwa, Olivia Hudak, Ian Imbalzano, Emily Keen, Patrick Lepre, Reilly Lick, Nathan Lowry, Brandon McPhillips, Markieann Muncie, Antonio Natale, Christopher Noldy, Alexis Pliska, Mary Ponce, Aidan Pullman, Veronica Reid, Anna Retzbach, Madison Rucker, Kaelyn Scalzo, Danielle Setta, Alexander Shields, Juliana Tancredi, Robert Thomas, Kathryn Totsky, Caleb Tratthen and Dagan Woodruff.

GRADE 10

High honor roll: Justin Battle, Maegan Bednash, Zoe Best, Taylor Black, Quenten Bovee, Dante Brunori, Sydney Bryla, David Campbell, Collin Clauss-Walton, Sarah Demchak, Kylah Erdmann, Breanna Frazier, Emily Goerlitz, Emerson Grier, Brady Hebden, Jonathan Janosky, Peter Kawash, Grace Kelley, Ian Knecht, Joseph Krisovich, Nathaniel McAllister, Timothy McGrane, David McKenney, Brady Noone, Madison O’Donnell, Gino Ofcharsky, Grace Paull, Michael Pidgeon, Adelina Piraino, Jason Pollits, Robert Romanowski, Amanda Rzucidlo, Liberty Stefalo, Tristan Uram, Caleb Vigil and Colby White.

Honor roll: Rachel Batista, Rachael Battle, Nicolina Broskoskie, Christopher Burns, Kylah Cavalier, Justin Cheresko, Thomas Corker, Christopher Dippre, Daniel Dragwa, Cloey Grover, Selena Hoover, Kaylee Lorenzetti, Hailey Matechak, Samantha McKarm, Derek Nallin, Connor Nevins, Anthony Novak, Casey Penzone, Conner Piasecki, Lisa Schwartztrauber, Noah Shaw, Alyssa Smith, Giovanni Spataro, Charlotte Vilgos, Mackenzie Wagner, Christian Winkler and Mariah Wormuth.

GRADE 9

High honor roll: Thomas Arthur, Scott Bevilacqua, Kayla Duffy, IsabellaFallon, Levi Fron, Logan Fuga, Olivia James, Madison Kilmer, Andrew Kozlowski, Elizabeth McGrane, Nathan Micknick, Isabella Natale, Angelica Nowak, Karlie-Grace O’Hara, Hanna Pezanowski, Gabrielle Ponce, Mitchell Popovich, Kaitlin Pritchyk, Brianna Sears, Grace Stangline, Donato Telesco, Rhianna Turner, Thomas Vinansky, Megan Williams and Katie Zabrowski.

Honor roll: Rosalie Budzinski, Jaron Bullick, Keeley Carroll, Grace Fawcett, Camryn Flynn, Mallori Grzywacz, Alexa Kopa, Emaleigh Miller, Nicholas Novak, Mason Ormsby, Madalyn Piwowarski, Sierra Rohan and Dominic Surace.

GRADE 8

High honor roll: Micayla Arzie, Emma Bautista, Jenna Bosak, Lily Carey, Joan Clauss-Walton, William Cooper, Kendal Depoti, Christian Diakatos, Joshua Doyle, Nina Ghirelli, Nadia Gill, Taylor Grier, Matthew Hunsinger, Madelyn James, Zachary Janosky, Molly Kawash, Reese Kearney, Rachel Kelly, Natalie Kohut, Zackary Kovaleski, Nicholas Leo, Max Lick, Kyle Lidy, Ryan Lidy, Anna Liuzzo, Ashlyn Maas, Brooklyn Mancuso, Madison Miller, Elizabeth Newton, Averi Osborn, Kaitlyn Passiment, Jordan Pietralczyk, Ava Piraino, Rosina Piraino, Evan Pochas, Tommaso Procia, Joseph Roback, Ethan Roberts, Thomas Rohan, Nicole Scochin, Jon Seamans, Kevin Snyder, Dominico Spataro, Marie Takach, Madison Talerico, Kayla Walsh and Olivia Warholic.

Honor roll: Brooke Borgna, Jon Clauss-Walton, Fatoumata Conde, Cole DeCandis, Nadia Demchak, Chase Flynn, Maya Knecht, Adam Lemanski, Gabrielle Novak, Paige Pezanowski, Christopher Russian, Tyler Sakosky, Ethan Shea, Benjamin Snipes, Samantha Stracham and Christian VonEsse.

GRADE 7

High honor roll: Ava Albino, Samantha Black, Jasmina Buranich, Joshua Campbell, Haley Clinebell, Cullen Davey, Abigail Davis, Ethan Depoti, Zoey Fawcett, Matthew Froncek, Andrew Gelderman, Rebecca Kelly, Myah Kilmer, Natalie Micknick, Jake Parchinski, Antonia Piraino, Julia Posanza, Grace Romanowski, Yassin Roshan, Madalyn Sheppard, Kathryn Shipshinski, Alana Solimini, Tyler Uram and Shelby Urda.

Honor roll: Sabrina Ball, Lyndon Bello, Alysha Boshman, Drew Chervanka, Cameron Connor, Madalyn Demianovich, Madison Dietz, Gerard Dolinsky, Colin Joyce, Kayla Krisiak, Morgan Lutz, Patricia McAndrew, Sarah McLain, Madeline Miller, Kirsten Navich, Hayley Nolan, Elizabeth Novak, Elizabeth Pittsman, Josh Ponce, Ravyn Reed, Emmalee Shaffer, SaMiyah Shaw, Andrew Vigil, Luigi Vitucci, Reilly Wagner and Madison Wright-Otto.

WESTERN WAYNE HIGH SCHOOL

GRADE 12

Principal’s list: Vaeda Pontosky and Robert Clemens.

Distinguished honors: Amber Antidormi, Samantha Atcavage, John Barcarola, Paige Barillo, Emily Barone, Hayly Beckwith, Emilie Bifano, Austin Boguski, Logan Bolduc, Dalton Buckman, Abigail Burke, Rachel Butler, Robert Carey, Jasmine Carey, Emily Christina, Samantha Collins, Evan Coons, Gianna DeBastiani, Jillian Dudley, Kevin Fitzgerald III, Kevin Franc, Hannah Fryzel, Brandon Garnett, Melody Gershey, Sarah Gerstenmaier, Madison Godfrey, Abigail Gogolski, Gracie Guarino, Rachael Harsch, Andrew Harsche, Lydia Hawley, Marisol Henkel, Rachel Hineline, Grace Hollister, Teree Hopson, Victoria Hutchinson, Brooke Jacobs, Joseph Jezorwski, Jr., Kaila Johnson, Dayla Jones, Kristen Jones, Madison Kapschull, Lindsey Karwacki, Elizabeth Kirchoff, Kyla Krull, Alexander Kuha, Jake Kunz, Connor Kwiatkowski, Jessica Madden, Allison Mattern, Bryan McGlone, Nicholas McGlone, Anthony Merone, Brianna Metschulat, Vianna Mirailh, Erin Murphy, Stephen Orchard, Daniel Peral, Zechariah Peter, Wilbur Peterson IV, Melissa Petrilak, Victoria Petrosky, Sarah Phillips, Gabriel Pieros, Elizabeth Pulice, Melanie Roberts, Tara Robeson, Misty Rodriguez, Elise Rush, Kobe Sauter, Lucas Scott, Julia Sennefelder, Calla Shaffer, Ann Skirpan, Edward Sledzinski, Scott Smith Jr., Taylor Smith, Journey Sosa, Cosette Talarico, Sebastian Tomasetti, Michael Tomasetti Jr., Krystal Tregaskis, Brianna Trutt, Caroline Trygar, Bryce Urian, Isabel Valentin, Ivy Vazquez and Dylan Walck.

Honors: James Ashby, Maya Black, Adam Bond, Alexander Boots, Jacob Brodowsky, Anastasia Burgerhoff, Ashly Chapman, Victor Duda IV, Alexis Fawcett, Kevin Fitzgerald III, Laura Flood, Laurel Frable, Keith Franc, Mia Giordano, Mitchell Herzog, Kayli Hineline, Alexandra Johannes, Cameron Johnson, Austin Kidder, Hailey Lightbody, Jesus Lopez, Shauna McAndrew, Marissa Montijo, Katherine Moore, Jakob Ortola, Devon Palmer, Joshua Shelly, David Tucker Jr. and Cameron Tunilo.

GRADE 11

Principal’s list: Kathryn Mattern and Darlene Black.

Distinguished honors: Alex Amorine, Trina Barcarola, Kristoff Bien-Aime, Abigail Black, Jessie Booths, Caleb Brungard, Sinaea Buford, Brianna Burdick, Stanley Conklin III, Jorge Correa Jr., Kali Cottell, Victoria Davis, Austin Devine, Jordan Diaz, Jake DuBeau, Emma Dwyer, Alexander Featherman, Amber Fenwick, Amanda Ferrer, Alexander Filkovsky, Landon Firmstone, Brendan Fitzsimmons, Alexander Gager, Gary Geinitz, Nicholas Gombita, Davonna Gregory, Samantha Hineline, Parker Howell, Alyssa Iovacchini, Abryel Johnson, Allison King, Rebecca Klemovitch, Victoria Kroll, Kristi Kromko, Sydney Krompasky, Connor Laity, Derek Mason, Madison Matern-Wright, Leticia Matias, Jack McAllister, Jacob McCormick, Allison McDermott, Kaitlyn McDonald, Desiree Mecca, Lawrence Metschulat Jr., Patricia Mills, Cooper Mistishin, Melony Mitchell, Crystal Moorthy, Collin Murray, Sadie Nahman, Rana Novobilski, Marilyn Ogof, Sinclaire Ogof, Noelle Orehek, Andrew Oudshoorn, Sydney Peet, Maxwell Phillips, Shailyn Pugh, Angelia Reggie, Matthew Romanowski, Makenzie Rose, Matthew Rosengrant, Khadijah Rouse, Zachary Rovinsky, Samantha Scaduto, Honour Shaffer, Jacob Shepherd, Enrico Sirri, Coral Swoyer, Sabrina Swoyer, Nathan Taggart, Ezra Tetreault, Iranzu Ugarte, Trey Wayman, Eve Williams and Isabella Zeiler.

Honors: Cody Aleckna, Adam Antidormi, April Bresee, Miesha Cunningham, Dillon Dante, Emily DiGiovanni, Jeremy Enslin, Nicole Foster, Hunter Frable, Clayton Franko, Christopher Heenan, Alexander Hollister, Johnathan Jordan, Nicholas Kassen, Brandon Kellogg, Rebeccah King, Zachary Malcolm, Damon Martzen, Abygaile Milewski, Thomas Motichka, Kendra Oliver, Garrett Olsommer, Todd Pope, Christopher Ramos, Evan Thomas, Matthew Valanda, Timothy Wolfe and Brad Wood.

GRADE 10

Principal’s list: Leonard Maiocco III and Jamie Bryan.

Distinguished honors: Cassidy Asinski, Caitlyn Burdick, Caleb Burns, Joshua Burns, Thomas Croney, Noelle Cruz, Nickolas Curtis, Bret Dolph, Alyssa Donnini, Hannah Elbert, Haley Estus, Lacey Falloon, Natalee Fawcett, Isabella Ferrer, Hunter Gebert, Thomas Gogolski, Makayla Gregory, Matthew Henneforth, Alexander Hineline, Caleb Hoch, Sydney Hutchinson, Madison Irish, Zane Janiszewski, Precious Jones, Miranda Kublilus, Julia Lamberton, Abigail Lopez, Wade Maines, Madison McGlone, Nathaniel Miller, Celeste Orchard, Natasha Orehek, Jeremiah Pauler, Tyler Peet, Courtney Petrilak, Lena Piccolino, Jacob Poehailos, Emma Pontosky, Carson Rush, Anya Rusnak, Brett Schane, Logan Shaffer, Irene Sheehan, Jada Siino, Adam Silfies, Caden Slifko, Timothy Smith, Jonatan Stanley, Matthew Stone, Joseph Sweeney Jr., Cori Talarico, Alex Taylor, Justin Thorpe and Rebecca Weist.

Honors: Taylor Altenhofen, Carter Davis, Brooke Durso, Parker Estock, Kendra Franklin, Alexandra Gravine, Katlyn Hirsch, Joseph Jara III, Jihad Jones, Stephanie Knecht, Jordan Koch, Hayley Kovaleski, Matthew Leslie, Estevan Mendoza, Wade Metschulat, Maggie Millon, Ella Putman, Keyly-Shaye Robinson, Sierra Smith, Tyler Tallman, Gabrielle Velez, Lily Visceglia and Christopher Wallace.

GRADE 9

Principal’s list: Rachel Tuman and Kaeli Romanowski.

Distinguished honors: Luciano Azzato, Nicholas Barillo, Dametria Barnes, Paige Bell, Alexandra Bien-Aime, Amelia Bosshard, Caden Brungard, Donovan Burdick, Alexandra Butler, Thomas Chernasky, Shania Clark, Samuel Clemens, Gregory Cleveland Jr., Morgan Coccodrilli, Sarah Collins, Ava Compton, Regan Cowan, Bailey Fitzgerald, Ashton Fitzsimmons, Bridgette Flannery, Jacqueline Francis, Jenny Guadagno, Morgan Heenan, Katie Herlihy, Natalie Hine, Rachel Hoch, Ethan Hopkins, Alex Iovacchini, Madison Kammer, Leah Kellogg, Riley Kennedy, Jake Kopcza, Magdalena Kruchinski, Liam Lidy, Maya Maisonave, Hudson Malinowski, Gabriella Martinez, Emilie McAllister, Allison McCarthy, Kaitlyn McDermott, Kennedy Mistishin, Gavin Murphy, Amy Newman, Jamie Newman, Bridget Oppelt, Jordan Ortiz, Gabrielle Ostolaza, Kayla Peirce, Michael Phillips, Jackson Press, Richard Reed, Brooke Richardson, Mia Rovinsky, Luke Rusin, Ayla Savage, Victoria Scarpati, Hunter Schmitt, Katherine Shepherd, Joseph Skirpan, Logan Smith, Trinity Solivan, Kayla Stokesberry, Haley Strocchia, Gabrielle Tetreault, Nicholas Tomasetti, Adelaide Treibley, Luke Urian, Nicholas Valentin, Ryan Vinton, Madison Weinczyk and Stevie Wilkinson.

Honors: Caleb Barletta, Tucker Bell, Anthony Benjamin, Devin Bernstein, Rebecca Boots, Christopher Bryant, Mark Christina Jr., Vince Cistulli, Hailie Crown, Brennan Cruz, Jaiden DeRosa, Colin Fitzgerald, Thomas Flood, Shane Gagliardi, Jagger Gale, Zoey Goldman, Angela Grosspietsch, Aaron Kizer, Owen Kotchessa,, Jacob Kyzer, Audrey Lawlor, Joshua Mahnke, James May, William McGuire, Giavanna Rastello, Joanna Regalbuto, Alyssa Rodriguez, Neal Roe, Mackenzie Sheatler, Rylee Sheehan, Emily Shemanski, Delaney Valinski, Trinity Williams and Katarina Wood.

MARRIAGE LICENSES

■ Elizabeth Allen and Christopher Edward Swinesburg, both of Mountain Top.

■ Luis Alberto Pina-Castillo and Maricela Sanchez-Vargas, both of Scranton.

■ Michael Edward Wombacker, Jefferson Twp., and Melissa Ann Williams, Greentown.

■ Karl Alain Fils-Aime and Brianna Lee Clark, both of Scranton.

■ Robert Jason Moyer and Kourtney Marie Saba, both of Blakely.

■ Robin Gail Silver Kozlowski and Lawrence Joseph Lukasik Jr., both of Roaring Brook Twp.

■ Bryan Arnold Schumacher and Jessica Lynn Mills, both of Jefferson Twp.

■ Stephanie Lizalee Figueroa and Alonza Howard Willoughby, both of Scranton.

■ Christine Marie McCann and Casey Michael Dixon, both of Factoryville.

■ Lisa Ann Rouland and Matthew Vasinda, both of Mayfield.

■ Bryan Hughes and Alexis M. Kichar, both of Scranton.

■ Brittanie Leann Wilkins, Scranton, and Daniel Edward Rannacher, Lake Ariel.

■ Corey John Pavuk and Heather Ann Dunn, both of Peckville.

■ Noelle Ann Rake, Pittston, and James Joseph Searles, Dallas.

■ Nathan Wnuk, Scott Twp., and Anna Krajewski, Mayfield.

■ Molly Morrell, Moscow, and Daniel William Keating, Madison Twp.

■ Nicole Angela Callender, Scranton, and John Sedon IV, Plains.

■ Joseph A. Tuzze Jr. and Brittany Surace, both of Mayfield.

■ Amanda Jean Sotuyo and Kristopher James Smith, both of Olyphant.

■ James Patrick Foley and Dawn Ranae Foley, both of Scott Twp.

■ Krystle Marie Novak and Shaun Christopher Farnham, both of Olyphant.

■ Shannon Koerner and Rafael Fabian Marin-Salvador, both of Scranton.

■ Cassi Leigh Dougherty and Jonathan Cole Simpson, both of Scranton.

PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS

■ Greg J. Snyder, Lackawanna County, to Kelly Barrett, Lackawanna County; two parcels in Roaring Brook Twp. for $231,750.

■ Richard H. Spalletta to Louis S. and Emily Szakmary; two parcels in Spring Brook Twp. for $318,000.

■ Michael Thomas and Danielle Collis to Stone Financing LLC; a property at 349 Washington Ave., Jermyn, for $122,500.

■ John H. Scott Jr., Clarks Summit, to Thomas H. and Barbara M. Matthews, Moosic; a property at 1032 Morgan Highway, Clarks Summit, for $144,000.

■ R.D. Noto & Son Construction Inc., South Abington Twp., to Patrick and Kathleen Doherty, Scranton; a property in South Abington Twp. for $102,500.

■ Corey Daniel and Michelle Renee O’Brien, Lackawanna County, to William J. Rosado, Lackawanna County; a property at 106 Joyce Drive, Moosic, for $415,000.

■ Jon M. and Carrie Ann Bowman to Michelle O’Brien; a property at 3342 Greenwood Ave., Moosic, for $195,185.

■ Carbondale Area School District, Carbondale, to Farview West LLC, Dunmore; two parcels in Carbondale for $209,000.

■ Ocwen Loan Servicing LLC, West Palm Beach, Fla., to Mia Baldassari; a property at 1925 Electric St., Dunmore, for $71,760.

■ Francis J. McAndrew, Lackawanna County, to Chong Y. Huber, trustee of the SCH Family Trust; a property at 14 Railroad Ave., Jessup, for $154,900.

■ Brian T. and Jennifer E. Moran, Scranton, to Thomas Matthew and Michelle Borthwick, Scranton; two parcels in Scranton for $162,500.

DIVORCE SOUGHT

■ Kelly Powell, Madison Twp., v. Lee Gregory Powell Jr., Moscow; married on May 14, 2005, in Lackawanna County; Anne Marie Howells, attorney.

ESTATES FILED

■ Margaret C. Rafter, 186 Decker Road, North Abington Twp., letters testamentary to John Edward Rafter, same address.

■ Susan Bond, also known as Susan M. Bond, 59 Lake Winola Road, West Abington Twp., letters testamentary to Mari Hendershot, 101 Weatherby Road, P.O. Box 469, Dalton.

■ Louise Chernefski, 801 Hollenback St., Moosic, letters testamentary to Beverly Yelpo, 19 Militia Road, Whitehouse Station, N.J.

■ Joseph F. Shifton Sr., 401 Penn Ave., Scranton, letters testamentary to Eugene Shifton, 545 S. Robin Road, Unit D, Wichita, Kan.

■ John J. Martinelli, 28 John St., Covington Twp., letters testamentary to Yolanda Martinelli, same address.

ONLINE: thetimes-tribune.com/courts

June 15, 1969

Family of nine finally finds home

Edward Bryant and his wife, Janet, and their seven children — ages 9 months to 18 years — arrived in Scranton after leaving Wolcott, New York, for a new start.

Bryant had a job lined up with a body shop on Lee Court, but the large family needed someplace to live. When they arrived, Bryant searched for a place to rent but was having difficulty finding anything. So the family had to stay in the back of their rented truck.

During the day, the family would stay in Nay Aug Park. In the evening, they would move the truck to different parts of the city.

In his search, Bryant finally met Gerald Kelly, the manager of the Lackawanna County Real Estate Office, who was able to help them. Kelly leased the family an eight-room home on Linden Street.

Janet Bryant said of the situation, “The neighbors and just about everybody in the city have been very good to us. People have sent in food and offered to help in any way they could.”

Edward Bryant said “that’s the main reason we decided to come here; Scranton is a friendly place and fine town for the children to grow up in.”

Boy burglars

Scranton police arrested nine West Scranton boys ranging in age from 14 to 17 for a series of burglaries.

According to police, the 18 burglaries took place over the previous three months. The boys were believed to have stolen large quantities of beer and liquor, jewelry, and small amounts of cash.

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.

A high-profile tourism project underway in the Poconos is driving an effort to change how bars and restaurants trade liquor licenses.

If House Bill 1524, which advanced to the state Senate on Tuesday, becomes law, large-scale tourist development projects will be able to reach across county lines to buy liquor licenses, a transaction not typically allowed under current state law.

The success or failure of the Pocono Springs Entertainment Village in Tobyhanna Twp., a massive, $350 million destination for vacationers now being built by Colorado-based Alberta Development Partners, hinges on whether the project can get enough liquor licenses, said the bill’s primary sponsor, Rep. Jack Rader, R-176, Jackson Twp., Monroe County.

Some lawmakers and licensed beverage industry representatives say the law — and the flat $65,000 surcharge that businesses within a development project pay to get one — will crush liquor license values and harm small business owners.

Like New York City taxi medallions, liquor licenses can gain value, sometimes reaching hundreds of thousands of dollars. Independent bar and restaurant owners treat them as investments and count on them for retirement.

The bill, which passed the House with strong Republican support, sets strict parameters for eligible tourist development projects. Its architects hope that it will bring balance to the distribution of liquor licenses among counties with shifting populations.

“The success of the Pocono Springs project is dependent on the developer obtaining a number of restaurant liquor licenses,” Rader said in a statement. “Why should these licenses sit idle in other counties when they can be put to good use in areas like ours, where they can be great revenue producers for the entire region?”

To qualify, a tourist development project must be on at least 90 acres, built after Jan. 1, 2019

, and dedicated primarily to interstate tourism.

It must have at least 500,000 square feet of development with “mix of entertainment and retail uses

.”

The developer pays a $1 million application fee

.

Each permit, up to 75 per project, comes with an additional $65,000 surcharge

.

Rep. Frank Burns, D-72, Cambria County

, slammed the bill’s sponsors for changing the law at the behest of a multibillion-dollar corporation, and at the expense of mom and pop businesses.

“This bill creates a new class of license, one that’s never existed before. We are changing the liquor code forever, until it’s changed again,” he said during remarks before the House.

But the bill already has mechanisms that protect existing license holders, said Tobyhanna Twp. Manager John Jablowski

. He worked with lawmakers in drafting the legislation, and he noted that the end product offers widespread benefits for all counties that have too many or too few licenses.

“The licenses that will be in the Pocono Springs site can’t be sold anywhere else within the county,” he said. “The offsite businesses are going to seek licenses … those people that have the licenses, their value is going to go up.”

He expects the entertainment village, which will target the millions of tourists who flock to the Poconos every year with high-end shopping, dining and entertainment, will spark more development outside the village.

But he might have a hard time convincing some camps

.

“Moving so many liquor licenses into one county, one way or another, it’s going to impact the other liquor licenses, particularly the mom and pops,” said Chuck Moran, executive director of the Pennsylvania Licensed Beverage and Tavern Association

.

His organization supports the bill as a boon for the Poconos tourism industry, but proposes an amendment to the bill that would require developers to first buy up available licenses within the county.

Rep. Marty Flynn, D-113, Scranton, voted like most other Democrats against the bill because he said it would devalue existing licenses.

He agrees with the tavern association that an amendment, one that requires new bars and restaurants to first seek an in-county license transfer before looking out of county, would help preserve the value of a counties existing licenses.

“I would support that amendment,” Flynn said.

Contact the writer:

joconnell@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9131;

@jon_oc on Twitter

How businesses get liquor

licenses in Pennsylvania

The state sets county liquor license quotas based on population — one retail license

for every 3,000 residents.

All

counties exceed their quotas because the rule-making happened after they were issued.

The state doesn’t issue new licenses,

but

existing licenses can be traded under certain rules.

Individual

county market factors steer

the price, and some are worth far more, reaching well into six figures.

CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA

Joseph Arbie, Scranton; and Mara M. Walsh, Dunmore.

BELMONT UNIVERSITY

Gianna Emiliani, Moosic.

CEDAR CREST

COLLEGE

Danielle Krispin, Tunkhannock.

COLUMBIA COLLEGE

Joshua Marvin, Nicholson.

IMMACULATA

UNIVERSITY

Claire Duncan, Dunmore; and Emma Pryal, Archbald.

UNIVERSITY

OF PITTSBURGH

Paul James Taylor, Dunmore.

WEST CHESTER

UNIVERSITY

Matthew Gaul, Scranton.

MOOSIC — Sen. Bob Casey heard firsthand from Scranton resident Sarah Cooper about the power of the Women, Infants and Children program while in the produce section of Gerrity’s Supermarket on Friday.

Cooper’s daughter, Gabriella, was only 5 pounds and 3 ounces at birth and had a hard time keeping weight on. WIC gave the pair access to not just healthy foods and recipes, but a nutritionist and other support until her daughter turned 5.

“The WIC program is more than just receiving checks,” Cooper said. “It’s an entire program about meeting the nutritional needs and early development milestones of children.”

Casey, a Democrat, was in Lackawanna County on Friday to discuss the proposed “WIC Act,” which would extend eligibility for children from age 5 to 6 and extend the certification periods for infants and postpartum women.

WIC is a national program that, through federal and state grants, provides supplemental foods, health care referrals and nutritional education for eligible low-income mothers, infants and children up to the age of 5, according to Maternal and Family Health Services Inc. Participants receive vouchers to purchase specific foods.

The program for children ends when the child turns 5 because there should be a seamless transition between WIC and the National School Lunch program, which follows similar guidelines, said Sarah Hayward from MFHS.

However, that’s not always the case. Students are entering public schools later and most school districts across the state do not offer preschool programs. In Lackawanna County, only Scranton offers its own program for 3- and 4-year-olds.

By extending WIC to 6-year-olds, Casey said he hopes it will enhance the program and bridge the “WIC gap” between nutrition at home and school.

“That nutritional gap, where there’s 12 months or six months, can be the difference between whether or not that child grows or succeeds in life,” Casey said.

Both Hayward and Joe Fasula, co-owner of Gerrity’s Supermarkets, joined Casey at an official United States Senate podium in the produce section.

MFHS is federally and state funded and provides the WIC nutrition program throughout 16 counties in Northeast Pennsylvania, said Hayward.

“We see firsthand the positive impact this program has on the health nutrition of young children,” she said. “We deal with the disappointment and concern when they learn that their 4-year-old will no longer receive benefits after their fifth birthday.”

Gerrity’s is a WIC-approved grocery store and processed more than 2,500 WIC transactions each month last year, said Fasula.

“Being a woman-owned supermarket puts our family business in a unique position,” said Fasula. “We are aware of the role that proper nutrition plays in raising a strong, healthy family.”

Casey, who addressed Gerrity’s President Joyce Fasula as “mom,” added to those numbers.

In Pennsylvania, 209,099 women and children are covered by the WIC program that includes 4,553 Lackawanna County residents, he said.

From October 2017 to June 30, 2018, 11,863 children in Pennsylvania were removed from the WIC program after turning 5 years old, he said.

Casey said his next step is to work with a Republican senator on the act.

Contact the writer:

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

@kbolusTT on Twitter

WILKES-BARRE

Country music star and Food Network host Trisha Yearwood will visit the F.M. Kirby Center Saturday, Nov. 23, at 8 p.m.

The Kirby Center and Mohegan Sun Arena are teaming up to present the concert.

Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday and can be purchased at the Sundance Vacations Box Office at the F.M. Kirby Center, by phone at 570-826-1100 and online at www.kirbycenter.org. A Kirby Member presale begins Thursday at 10 a.m.

Tickets are $42.50, $62.50 and $82.50, plus fees.

— STAFF REPORT

Check presentations

SCRANTON — Kristen Novak pointed to the small yellow flowers on the plant, as her students held their garden trowels steady.

“This will become a tomato,” she told the George Bancroft Elementary School first graders as they planted a garden their families will help harvest this summer.

Khloe Afanador skipped using her trowel and went in with her hands.

“I love getting my hands dirty,” the 7-year-old said as she put the tomato plant in the freshly turned soil.

With classes ending next week, students from the Albright Avenue school used this year’s lessons to plant a garden that will provide an education — and nourishment — all summer. Families volunteered to help weed and water the garden and can take the produce home.

“I hope they’re learning that healthy food can grow right in your backyard, or in your school garden. It can be a community effort,” said Novak, who helped plan the garden with fellow first grade teacher April Butler. “I’m hoping we have a lot of positive interaction here. We need kindness. A garden will bring people together in that way.”

The Everhart Museum donated the raised garden beds for the project, and several businesses and community groups provided other supplies. Students grew many of the plants from seeds in classrooms this spring.

Some first graders dug into a compost bin, separating worms from the soil they created, while other students spread dirt and dug holes for tomatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, peppers and herbs.

Jacob Medina, 7, wore plastic gloves as he sorted dirt from scraps of paper and food waste.

“They help with the soil,” he said as he held worms in his hands. “It will help the plants grow.”

A few fourth graders taught the first graders about water conservation and showed them the rain barrel that will collect water.

“You can save water for gardening,” Amina Tajak, 9, explained.

The fourth graders painted their handprints on the barrel.

“We need to conserve water for the Earth to be well,” Tammy Vasconez, 10, said.

Luis Suarez, 7, said he looked forward to eating zucchini, as he placed the plant in the soil.

“A plant has stages,” he explained. “Flowers will turn into fruits.”

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SCRANTON — In a new approach to crack down on the city’s worst scofflaw landlords, Scranton plans to hit them where it hurts — in the wallet.

Scranton may start seizing tenants’ rent from landlords who have not complied with the rental registration program and are chronically in arrears on city taxes and fees.

The city authorized this step about three years ago under a revamp of the rental registration program but never acted on it. That’s because the city was waiting until a lawsuit that challenged certain facets of the rental registration program concluded. That lawsuit recently settled in Lackawanna County Court.

The settlement coincided with reporting by The Times-Tribune in March and April on tax and fee delinquencies, including those of landlord Ken Bond and his PSN Realty Inc. of Bronxville, New York, that owed about $250,000 in delinquent trash fees and city, school and county taxes.

At the April 29 council meeting, Councilman Wayne Evans referenced Bond and PSN Realty in calling for the city to now seize rent from noncompliant landlords. This step would include having a code enforcement officer direct tenants of

unregistered units to send their monthly rents to the city. The city would set these rents aside in a rental escrow account until the scofflaw landlord complies with rental registration rules and makes good on delinquent city taxes and fees.

Evans said he drove around to get a look at PSN properties and found some vacant and blighted but others occupied by tenants and producing rental income for a landlord in arrears on taxes and fees.

“It is disgraceful that we are allowing this landlord, the worst of the worst in what he owes to the city of Scranton, almost a quarter of a million dollars, to operate and collect rents in some of his buildings, when we have an ordinance” to seize rent, Evans said. “So we can do it. We have the law on our side. We have the rules on our side. It just has to be enforced.”

In a phone interview this week, Evans said the goal is to go after big scofflaws for compliance and hopefully send a message to smaller ones.

“You go after the major offenders first because that’s where the impact will be felt. They have the multi-units,” Evans said. “It will trickle down quickly to every landlord in the city that this could happen. You have to make an example out of the larger ones because that’s where the impact is anyway. They’re generating income. These are fully operational businesses, not ‘Mrs. Jones.’”

Still untested

Whether it would work or withstand a potential legal challenge remains to be seen.

Scranton modeled its rental escrow on Kingston’s in Luzerne County. Officials there created the step as an enforcement tool several years ago, but have not yet seized any rent, said borough Administrator Paul Keating.

“Even though we came up with it, it’s still something that is untested,” he said.

Scranton’s ordinance says it is an “absolute defense” against eviction for a tenant following the city’s directive to send rent to the city.

As for whether the rental escrow move would put tenants in a tough spot, caught between their landlord and the city, Evans said he understands such concerns but the city ordinance protects tenants.

“The money doesn’t disappear. It goes into the escrow account until the landlord does what he’s supposed to have done all along,” Evans said. “Once it (rental escrow) happens a few times, the message will be clear that the city is serious about this issue.”

Reached by phone, Bond declined to comment.

On Monday, council introduced an ordinance to establish the rental escrow account. The ordinance will come up for a vote on advancement on second reading at council’s meeting Monday at 6 p.m. at City Hall. If advanced, the rental escrow account would go to a third vote on adoption June 24.

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State Rep. Bridget Kosierowski’s vote to ban abortions if the sole reason is a fetal Down syndrome diagnosis stunned an abortion-rights group who thought she opposed further abortion limits.

Kosierowski, D-114, Waverly Twp., said she voted for the ban because it’s wrong to abort a fetus simply because of a Down syndrome diagnosis.

“I feel OK with my vote,” she said. “It’s what I felt was right for my district. I felt it was right, and I know many families and

children and resources for children with Down syndrome. So that was why I voted the way I voted.”

The vote upset the Progressive Women of NEPA, a political action committee that supports abortion rights and backed Kosierowski believing she was committed to opposing further abortion restrictions. The group sent an email to members saying it is “extremely dismayed” and “heartsick” about Kosierowski’s vote.

“We were surprised by the vote because that’s not how we anticipated she would have voted on the issue,” said Jean W. Harris, a member of the group’s board. “We communicated with her our disappointment. ... We saw this (bill) as stepping back.”

The Republican-controlled state House voted 117-76 on May 14 in favor of the bill that would amend state law to impose the ban. Among legislators who represent part of Lackawanna County, Kosierowski and Rep. Karen Boback, R-117, Harveys Lake, voted for it.

Reps. Kyle Mullins, D-112, Blakely; Marty Flynn, D-113, Scranton; and Mike Carroll, D-118, Avoca, voted against it.

Reps. Jonathan Fritz, R-111, Honesdale; and Michael Peifer, R-139, Greene Twp., also voted for the ban.

The Senate has not passed the bill. Gov. Tom Wolf has promised to veto it.

Kosierowski spoke with The Times-Tribune about her abortion views before winning a special election March 12 to replace the late Rep. Sid Michaels Kavulich. She is personally pro-life and believes in the sanctity of life, but favors present state law and would not ban abortion entirely.

State law bans abortion after a pregnancy reaches 24 weeks unless it would save the mother’s life or if the pregnancy would irreversibly impair a major bodily function.

The existing law already has other restrictions, including counseling aimed at discouraging an abortion, a 24-hour waiting period after counseling, parental consent for a minor and government funding for abortion only in cases of rape, incest or a risk to a mother’s life.

Republicans in states nationwide pushed a slew of new abortion restrictions over the last year. They hope a U.S. Supreme Court that appears to lean right since the appointment of Justice Brett Kavanaugh will overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that established a woman’s right to choose an abortion.

In May, the Supreme Court left in place lower court rulings that blocked an Indiana law with restrictions that would have made abortions illegal if the decision centers on the fetus’ race or gender or a diagnosis of Down syndrome.

Carroll, who called the abortion vote “very tough,” said he voted no because of the Indiana ruling.

He questioned whether anyone could actually enforce a Down syndrome-related ban, doubting a doctor or patient would ever report anything to a district attorney.

“How’s the district attorney ever going to know what happened?” Carroll asked.

Mullins called the proposed ban “unenforceable and unconstitutional.”

“This whole issue comes down to respecting the choice and privacy of a woman’s conversations with her doctor,” he said.

Kosierowski met with group members after her vote and said they had a good discussion. Harris said her group came away with a better understanding of where the legislator stands. She asked the group to help her craft a survey of constituents to determine their feelings about abortion in greater detail.

“I think we had to be real clear with each other because they supported me,” Kosierowski said.

Kosierowski said she will oppose a pending bill that would ban abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected. That can be as early as six weeks, which, critics say, is often before a woman knows she is pregnant.

“That’s going too far,” she said.

Harris said her group, still relatively new, should have asked Kosierowski more detailed questions to pin down her abortion stance. Whether the group keeps supporting Kosierowski depends on what she does next.

“I think for some people in the group, they probably thought that’s it,” Harris said. “We’ll be watching her as we’ll be watching everybody else that we endorsed. This is a big issue for a lot of the women in our group.”

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