July 7, 1919

Three arrested

on sedition charges

State police arrested three men at an alleged Bolshevist meeting that was taking place in a field adjacent to Rocky Glen Park in Moosic.

The trio — Nickolas Hourwich, editor of a New York City Russian newspaper, Carl Arminas of Pittston and Peter Jawadsky of West Nanticoke — were all picked up by the police for the alleged distribution of seditious reading materials at their outdoor meeting.

A state police spokesman said close to 400 people were at the meeting. The police observed the meeting from afar and didn’t move to arrest the three men until the meeting broke up because of a rainstorm.

Man shot, killed

at Sans Souci Park

Harry Jacobs of Warrior Run admitted to Luzerne County detectives that he shot and killed Peter Varontas of Wilkes-Barre at Sans Souci Park on June 30.

According to county detectives, Jacobs said he didn’t mean to shoot Varontas at the amusement park. Jacobs said the revolver went off while he and Varontas fought following an insulting comment that he made toward Varontas’ companion, Winifred Conohan.

Varontas and Conohan attended a dance at the park that evening and were sitting on a bench near the park’s baseball field when Jacobs made his insulting comment.

Summer clearance

Summer clearance sale at the Heinz Store: Summer vacation dresses priced between $10.75 and $14.75; fancy blouses were $3.99; plain white blouses were $1.45; nightgowns were 89 cents; petticoats were $1.59; Boston bags were $2.95; and umbrellas were $1.99.

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.

Catherine “Tinka” Zenke became a survivor at an early age. She had just turned 4 and was living in Scranton with her parents, Garfield and Emma Fellows Davies, when she and her mother fell ill with a virulent strain of influenza as it swept through the city as part of a global outbreak.

It was the fall of 1918. By the time the outbreak abated a few months later, over 900 city residents would be dead. Thousands more, including Zenke and her mom, were sickened but recovered.

More than a century after, it is among her earliest memories.

Born Sept. 30, 1914, in Scranton — where her maternal grandfather, John H. Fellows, served as mayor from 1890 to 1893 — Zenke, 104, lived in the city’s Hyde Park and Green Ridge sections until she and her husband, Albert Zenke, moved to the Abingtons in 1973.

Her neighborhoods are among those with the

highest life expectancy in Lackawanna County, data shows. The data comes from a report by the United States Small-Area Life Expectancy Project that looks at different factors, such as residency, income, education level and unemployment, to determine how long you will live. The Life Expectancy Project was a joint effort of the National Association for Public Health Statistics and Information Systems, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

The project data zeroes in on much smaller populations divided among U.S. Census tracts — about 4,000 people, on average — rather than other projects that focused on counties or large cities.

Even people who live across the street from each other or a block away can have different life expectancies, the report found. A resident in the 600 block of Green Ridge Street in Scranton can expect to live to be 77.3 years old, while a resident on the other side of the tracks, in the 400 block, has a life expectancy of just 70.9 years, according to the data used in the report.

The average life expectancy for a Pennsylvania resident is 78.6 years old, which is 0.1 year less than the national average life expectancy, according to the data.

Zenke threw up her arms in an exaggerated shrug when asked if she ever pondered the reasons for her longevity.

“I just live every day — that’s all,” she said. “Some days are interesting; some are not.”

Her daughters, Sue Zenke and Jean Siebecker, said there is probably a little more to the story than that, pointing out their mother did not slow down after she retired in 1979, not long after their father’s death.

Zenke, an avid bird-watcher who was recognized by the Lackawanna Audubon Society with its lifetime achievement award in 2017, traveled around the globe on bird-watching trips in the 1980s and 1990s.

Her last international trip came in 2000, when at age 86 she climbed a mountain, trekked through rain forests and snorkeled in the coral reefs off the Caribbean island of Tobago. She also volunteered her time to a number of organizations, including delivering Meals on Wheels in Dalton and elsewhere in the Abingtons.

Zenke’s mother lived to age 94 and one of her maternal uncles made it to 100, so there may be some longevity magic in the Fellows genes, her daughters said.

Income key

A Sunday Times review of the Life Expectancy Project data, however, reveals income level is the socioeconomic factor most closely related to life expectancy.

In Lackawanna County, seven census tracts had life expectancies at least five years lower than the state average. Four of the seven also were among the 10 tracts with the lowest median annual income levels, which ranged between $20,000 and $35,395.

Eight of the 10 census tracts with the highest median incomes in Lackawanna also had life expectancy rates at or above the state average. Only 14 of the 57 tracts in the county for which data was available met or exceeded the state average.

Factors such as education level, unemployment, race and lack of health insurance didn’t appear to correlate to longevity to the degree that income did.

Results were similar in Luzerne, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming counties.

Still, there are anomalies. A section of Kingston had the third-lowest life expectancy of the 99 census tracts in Luzerne County at 71.3 years, while that same section had the 33rd-highest median income at $50,441.

Contributing factors

Teri Ooms, executive director of the Institute for Public Policy & Economic Development at Wilkes University, said dying early and poor health are directly related to poverty, and census tracts with the lowest life expectancies primarily have lower incomes.

“In part, lower incomes are due to education attainment and the number of seniors living on fixed incomes,” Ooms said. “People cannot afford to buy the healthiest foods, do not have health insurance, or the means to understand how to purchase, store and prepare healthy foods.”

Lifestyle choices also factor into a person’s longevity, Ooms said.

“This region has a reputation of hard working and hard living,” she said. “Hard living doesn’t promote the best behaviors, and that manifests itself in lower life expectancies.”

Data showing rates of obesity, smoking and drinking alcohol here are higher than average while income and educational attainment are lower than average support this, Ooms said.

Government, business and community leaders have a vested interested in providing education, job training and interim support services to help people lift themselves out of poverty and sustain themselves, she said.

“Individuals armed with information on healthy habits and the means to eat healthy, exercise, quit smoking and drinking, etc., will lower health care costs and social services costs and increase productivity in the workforce through less absenteeism” Ooms said. “There are many issues linked together under this umbrella.”

Holistic approach

Dr. Richard Martin, associate chief medical officer of population health for Geisinger, said there needs to be a more holistic approach to improve life expectancy.

“It’s not just about the medical diagnosis and the right prescriptions,” he said. “We also have to consider income status, educational status and to some extent racial status in larger population.”

Geisinger sends community health associates to visit certain patients in their homes to better assess their health and lifestyles and offer diet and other healthy living education, he said.

Geisinger also offers a Fresh Food Farmacy program in Scranton that offers certain diabetes patients health coaches and healthy foods.

“We want to spread that program to try to reach the less-fortunate population to help them gain education and food security, and hopefully that translates to better life expectancy,” Martin said.

For her part, Zenke isn’t sure what advice she might give someone hoping to live to a ripe old age.

“I’ve never done anything special to do it,” she said. “I take the medicine the doctor tells me to, and it’s not very much, or it doesn’t seem to be. I can’t say my memory is very good. It remembers some things, and it doesn’t remember some things I’d like it to.”

Zenke, who voluntarily gave up driving when she turned 95, is burdened by failing eyesight. But she still gets around, listens to “talking books” and tries to keep her mind sharp even if she occasionally has difficulty with recollection, she said.

“Do you think that is a key to your living longer? Keeping your mind active?” Siebecker asked.

“Who knows? There is only one person who knows and that’s God,” Zenke said. She paused and then joked, “Maybe he doesn’t want me up there.”

DAVID SINGLETON, staff writer, contributed to this report.

Contact the writer:

smocarsky@citizensvoice.com;

570-821-2110;

@MocarskyCV on Twitter

Quick facts

Only about 32% of residents in Luzerne and Lackawanna counties and 21% of Wayne County residents live in Census tracts where life expectancy is at or above the state average of 78.6 years of age.

Life expectancy is generally better in Susquehanna and Wyoming counties. About 62% of residents in those counties live in Census tracts where life expectancy is at or above the state average.

Only one Census tract in Wilkes-Barre boasts a life expectancy that meets or exceeds the state average — the Riverside area north of Kistler Elementary School. No Census tracts in Scranton do.

Pennsylvania residents live the longest in the Penn Wynn section of Lower Merion Twp. in Montgomery County, where life expectancy is 91.9 years and median income is $103,102.

Part of the Larimer section of Pittsburgh, just north of Bakery Square, has the lowest life expectancy in the state at 62 years of age. Median income there is $25,689.

Where do people live longest in the United States? An area that includes Fearrington Village in northeast Chatham County, North Carolina, has an average life expectancy of 97.5 years.

Residents of Stilwell, Oklahoma have the lowest life expectancy in the U.S. — 56.3 years.

SOURCE: THE UNITED STATES SMALL-AREA LIFE EXPECTANCY PROJECT

Grants from the Moses Taylor Foundation will improve medical care for the elderly, train future nurses and increase wages of employees who care for people with intellectual, physical and developmental disabilities.

The foundation awarded more than $1.7 million in third- and fourth-quarter grants to 21 organizations to help promote health and health care throughout Northeast Pennsylvania.

“We continue to have many strong opportunities to work with our partners in determining solutions to some of the communities’ most pressing health challenges,” LaTida Smith, Moses Taylor Foundation president and CEO, said in a news release.

A $500,000 grant will support a wage increase for direct-service professionals — those who provide daily care and companionship — to the residents of St. Joseph’s Center. Increasing the starting rate to $15 per hour provides a living wage to employees, which the center hopes improves quality and continuity of care for residents by reducing employee turnover.

“It’s a sizable investment in the work at St. Joseph’s Center,” said Sister Maryalice Jacquinot, I.H.M., the center’s president and CEO. “It really has the potential to have great impact for us.”

Other grants include:

$500,000 to Lackawanna College to outfit a simulation skills lab to be used by students in the new associate degree in nursing program. Equipment includes adult and child simulators and a birthing simulator.

$176,524 to the Wright Center to launch a geriatric service line. A small coordinated primary care team made up of a physician, a certified nurse practitioner and a medical assistant will visit patients who live in Lackawanna County. A physician performs the initial visit and is on call 24 hours a day, while a nurse practitioner handles ongoing routine health care visits in the home. A social worker is available to conduct assessments of the patient’s living environment and provide case management and social referral services.

$88,000 to the University of Scranton for the purchase of updated nursing simulation laboratory equipment, which will also be used for interprofessional education by Geisinger Community Medical Center nurse residents and Marywood University and Misericordia University social work students.

$78,173 to Luzerne County Head Start to support continuing professional development through the Teacher-Child Interaction Training-University (TCIT-U) program, a model that focuses on strengthening teacher-child relationship skills and increasing teachers’ confidence in their ability to manage challenging behaviors in the classroom.

$65,000 to the Children’s Advocacy Center of Northeastern Pennsylvania to expand programs, specifically for individuals who have experienced significant traumatic events, focusing on decreasing post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, depression, anxiety and shame, while improving trauma processing, relationships and social skills.

$50,000 to Pocono Services for Families and Children to support the hiring of a master-level infant/toddler mental health specialist for Early Head Start classrooms.

$50,000 to the Institute for Public Policy & Economic Development to support year two of a three-year pilot in an effort to inform and educate grant makers, grantees, nonprofits, elected officials and other stakeholders; and $18,650 to create materials to inform and educate nonprofit organizations in an effort to increase regional census participation.

$42,639 to the Greater Pittston YMCA to support a strategic plan.

$42,120 to the United Neighborhood Centers of Northeastern Pennsylvania to partner with a consulting agency for guidance as Pennsylvania continues the transition to managed care for health, behavioral and waiver services.

$21,250 to the Voluntary Action Center of Northeast Pennsylvania for a consultant to evaluate the organization’s operations while helping to support a change in leadership.

$20,000 to United Cerebral Palsy of Northeastern PA to support a unique learning and resource center for children with special needs and their families, along with increased access to technology.

$20,000 to the Victims Resource Center to support office and program relocation.

$20,000 to Mom-n-PA to support a large-scale pop-up dental clinic where dental treatment was provided at no cost to individuals.

$20,000 to Goodwill Industries of Northeastern Pennsylvania to provide weekly classes to students in the Scranton School District who are identified as having mental health challenges or who self-identify as a person with mental health challenges.

$19,300 to the Greater Carbondale YMCA for the purchase of updated kitchen equipment.

$10,000 to Wilkes University to support a one-day conference about pain and substance use issues in Pennsylvania, especially within Luzerne and Lackawanna counties.

$9,000 to Northeast Sight Services to support the development of a program service plan.

$5,250 to the Jewish Community Center of Scranton to begin a memory café program, where individuals with Alzheimer’s, dementia or mild cognitive impairment, and their caregivers, can socialize, engage in activities, exchange information and provide support to those in similar situations.

$4,500 to the Northeast Regional Cancer Institute to evaluate the efficiency and awareness of the Community Based Cancer Screening Navigation Program.

$2,500 to the Wilkes-Barre Area School District to support “The Wolfpack Spring Fling into Wellness.”

Contact the writer:

shofius@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9133;

@hofiushallTT on Twitter

SCRANTON — Joshua Coleman was in a hurry.

The 27-year-old single father from Scranton walked fast on Spruce Street, heading to the bank to pay his rent.

He’s unemployed right now, and stretching the money he makes in his home recording studio business to pay bills and care for his 5-year-old daughter, he said.

“It took me a little while to pay my rent,” he said, shrugging. “But I paid it.”

Real per-capita personal income, a measure of how much people bring home, while accounting for inflation and the cost of living, increased in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre/Hazleton metro area between 2015 and 2017, according to figures from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

The regional growth rate has almost always lagged behind state and national rates, and now it appears to be slowing.

Real per-capita personal income grew 3.39% in 2015; 1.72% in 2016; and 1.5% in 2017, a Sunday Times analysis of the BEA data shows.

“It does worry me that the year-over-year change is decreasing at a time when it should be increasing as with other geographies,” said Teri Ooms, director at the Institute, a think tank funded by area colleges and universities.

An income growth speedup should appear in 2018 data, Ooms said. About a year ago, employers acknowledged the region’s tightening labor market and started more aggressive pay increases.

In the five years from 2012 to 2015, real per-capita personal income rose 9.35% nationwide to $48,769.

Per-capita income is calculated by adding everyone’s income in a geographic area then dividing by population.

Pennsylvania’s per-capita income rose faster and higher during the five-year period — 10.16% to $51,561.

Income growth in the local area, however, was slower and lower than both the state and nation.

It grew by 6.64% to $45,091.

“Employment is essentially meant to give us more disposable income that we can use to do stuff that we want to do,” said University of Scranton economist Satyajit Ghosh, Ph.D. “And if the personal income does not increase at a reasonable rate, then that is really worrisome.”

For now, aspiring local artists pay Coleman to mix beats and produce demo tracks they can use to market themselves. He’d like to build his own career in the recording industry. He wants to be his own boss.

But when it comes to making ends meet now, the good jobs are just out of reach.

He’s bounced back and forth between fast food restaurants, but the pay doesn’t come close to enough to care for his daughter, who has a disability.

Access to what economists call “opportunity occupations” has a direct correlation with earning potential, said Andrew Chew, a senior research and policy analyst with the Institute.

Those jobs pay more than others that don’t require a college degree, and they’re abundant. In Northeast Pennsylvania, many of them are in business parks in Hanover Twp., Pittston Twp. along Interstate 81 and in Lackawanna County along the Casey Highway.

“For somebody who lives in downtown Scranton or downtown Wilkes-Barre, getting to an industrial park in the outskirts of an urban area is really challenging with the transportation system we have,” Chew said.

Transit companies have improved some routes to reach business parks, he said, but shortcomings remain.

Warehouse companies need workers to fill second, third and weekend shifts. Regional transit systems haven’t cracked that problem yet.

When he lived in Trenton, New Jersey, Coleman worked for Amazon. The company provided a van service from Trenton to its site in Florence.

“I was there for a couple of years,” he said. “That was a good job for me. … They have an Amazon out here somewhere, but there’s no way to get to them.”

Contact the writer:

joconnell@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9131;

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1879: The drawing, including in a special edition of the New York Daily Graphic, depicts Scranton’s first hospital, the Lackawanna Hospital. Dr. B.H. Throop, a surgeon working for various coal companies, saw a need for a hospital in Scranton. Throop received private donations and purchased a vacant episcopal church on Penn Avenue in 1871. The next year, a large donation enabled the purchase of land on the corner of Franklin and Mulberry, and the construction of a new hospital building, seen in the above drawing. The hospital initially was divided into a dispensary department, a pharmacy and consulting clinic for minor complaints, and the hospital department, for more serious procedures.

2019: In 1901, the Lackawanna Hospital was transferred to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and incorporated as the State Hospital of the Northern Anthracite Coal Region of Pennsylvania. In 1924, the name of the hospital was changed to Scranton State Hospital. Over the years, new hospital buildings were erected, creating a much larger and more advanced complex. The State Hospital closed in 1991, and the hospital buildings were razed. It is today the site of the Gino J. Merli Veterans Center.

— RESEARCH COURTESY OF LACKAWANNA HISTORICAL SOCIETY

SCRANTON — Crates of cucumbers, bunches of kale and the season’s first tomatoes covered tables at the South Side Farmers Market on Saturday.

Despite a soaking spring with little sunshine, area farmers say they remain optimistic about this year’s harvest. But for many farmers, some crops may take a little longer to hit markets in the region.

“Even if it wasn’t raining, it was cloudy ... it was a rough start,” said Mike Krug, manager of Fullers Overlook Farm in Waverly Twp.

With produce grown in high tunnels — unheated greenhouses that help provide protection to the crops growing inside — Krug sold kale, beets, turnips, cabbage and tomatoes Saturday at the market, held weekly from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Alder Street and Cedar Avenue.

Purple Pepper Farms, which starts its plants in greenhouses or grows produce hydroponically, also sold tomatoes, broccoli and cucumbers.

Across the region, including in Dunmore, the Abingtons and beyond, farmers have started to sell their produce weekly. A market in Old Forge will open Thursday from noon to 6 p.m. at the St. Lawrence Rectory, 620 S. Main St.

The region’s largest and oldest market, the Co-Op Farmers Market on Barring Avenue in Scranton, will celebrate its 80th season when farmers return to their stalls July 17. The market will be open every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from noon to 6 p.m. through Thanksgiving.

“It will be a nice season, but our spring was very rough,” said Marylee Schirg of Jim’s Farm Produce in West Abington Twp. This will be her husband’s 47th year at the market, making him the longest-standing member there, she said.

The wet weather will lead to some crops not being ready to harvest until later in the season. Unlike the tomatoes sold at the South Side Farmers Market on Saturday, tomatoes grown the traditional way in fields may not be ready until early August. But when the market opens next week, Schirg said shoppers can count on beets, cabbage, cucumbers, broccoli, cauliflower, onions and more. The market also features meat, baked goods, wine, milk and other locally produced or locally grown items.

At the market in South Scranton on Saturday, shoppers stocked up on produce, cookies, bread, salsa and fresh corn tortillas.

A growing number of people want to know where their food comes from, said Tony Camacho, owner of El Buen Amigo, which recently moved from Cedar Avenue to a full-service restaurant at 1016 Tripp St.

Camacho sells his tortillas, chips, sauces and other items at the market on Saturdays.

“They love the fresh produce. They love the salsas,” Camacho said. “They want to buy fresh.”

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Former Scranton Mayor Bill Courtright was in office just one month when he brazenly demanded a contractor doing business in the city pay him thousands of dollars.

Over the next five years, he secretly shook down other businesses for cash and campaign contributions, utilizing bag men and city employees to work the scheme.

No one said a word until about a year ago, prompting the federal investigation that on Tuesday led to Courtright’s guilty plea to bribery, extortion and conspiracy charges.

By all accounts, Courtright, who took office in January 2014, was widely respected. His arrest shocked city and county officials who know him.

Frederick Martens and Jim Kanavy, two former law enforcement

officials who spent decades investigating public corruption, said they’re not surprised to see another public official get wrapped up in a pay-to-play scheme.

“It’s like a culture up there,” said Martens, who headed the former Pennsylvania Crime Commission, which investigated public corruption. “You know what the game is by the time you’re 15 years old. You want something? See that person over there. It’s the nature of the beast.”

That mindset permeates Northeast Pennsylvania and is partly to blame for emboldening officials to commit crimes, said Kanavy, who worked with Martens at the crime commission.

“The whole area tolerates it,” Kanavy said. “When you arrest someone, they say everybody does it. So it’s supposed to be alright? ... That’s the culture that ferments it.”

Courtright, 62, admitted Tuesday to extorting tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions and cash from businesses. Federal agents found $29,450 in cash in a safe in his home, including marked bills that were part of the undercover investigation.

Martens and Kanavy investigated corruption for decades with the crime commission. While Lackawanna County has had its share of corruption scandals, including the 2011 convictions of former Commissioners Robert Cordaro and A.J. Munchak, they said they don’t view Scranton as more corrupt than other cities.

That opinion generally is not shared by the public, said former mayor Jim Connors. He believes the reputation is unearned, and fears Courtright’s arrest will further perpetuate it.

“I was talking to a friend in the Tunkhannock area. He said, ‘What’s going on in Scranton? What kind of culture is this?’” Connors said. “All my life, I’ve been fighting against the image of Scranton as a corrupt town. ... It’s hard to stem that tide when things like this happen.”

Connors has known Courtright since he was a child and regarded him as an “honest, upright and moral man.” He can’t explain why Courtright went astray, but noted political figures sometimes get a sense of entitlement once elected.

“They have the ability to direct a lot of money to people. They see people getting wealthy and I think some resent it,” he said. “They say, I’m entitled. Why should that guy make all this money and I don’t participate in it?”

Evidence shows Courtright bought into that mindset. At a press conference Tuesday, David Freed, U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, noted authorities had a wiretap conversation in which Courtright complained a contractor did not contribute enough to his campaign.

“He makes a tremendous amount of money off the city. I said he has to pay,” Freed quoted Courtright as saying.

Other officials said they’re stunned Courtright felt comfortable committing the crimes, given the outcome of other corruption scandals in the past decade that nabbed dozens of public officials in Lackawanna and Luzerne counties.

In 2011, Cordaro and Munchak were convicted of extorting money from companies that did business with the county. In the 2009 Luzerne County corruption scandal, 30 people, including three judges and a county commissioner, were convicted of taking bribes and other criminal conduct.

“You are stupid to think in this day and age you can take so much as a pen from our office. You are going to get caught,” said Evie Rafalko McNulty, Lackawanna County recorder of deeds and widow of former Scranton Mayor James McNulty.

Pittston attorney Michael Butera echoed that thought. He represented some people charged in the 2009 Luzerne County corruption probe.

“Ten years ago you used to say it was always an accepted way do it. Now people are getting caught,” Butera said. “That anyone would do something like this, knowing what happened in Luzerne and Lackawanna counties, I find it absolutely amazing.”

Courtright operated his scheme for five years before getting caught. Butera said that likely emboldened him to continue.

“The more you get away with it, the more you think you are going to get away with it and get more and more,” Butera said.

Bob Buehner, a former Montour County district attorney, said public officials sometimes think they’re “bulletproof.”

“The public official has all the power. They can squash anybody that would be in their way,” Buehner said. “Because they have all the power, they get used to it and think they can get away with it.”

Eventually the truth will come out, he said.

“These kinds of cases rely on everyone hushing up. Inevitably, someone comes forward. They get mad about something and they rat out the public official,” Buehner said.

Freed said Courtright used several intermediaries to help solicit cash. The investigation faced many challenges as authorities worked to develop sources, he said.

“I think it’s fair to say people have not been beating our door down to provide information, so we had to go to them,” he said.

Martens said he’s not surprised the scheme went on for so long. Typically, those who are involved have a vested interest in keeping the crimes secret, even when they’re the victim.

“It’s inculcated in the public from a very young age that this is the way business is done,” Martens said. “If you open your mouth, you start trouble, and usually you are the victim of that trouble.”

Freed said authorities are committed to wiping out public corruption. His office recently formed a task force with the state police, the FBI and the criminal division of the IRS that’s dedicated to investigating cases.

Bill Vigorito, supervisory resident agent of the FBI’s Scranton office, said the task force consists of about 10 people. Having investigators from the three agencies in a centralized location will assist cooperative efforts.

“Any time you can formalize a task force, communication is enhanced,” he said.

Freed said the investigation is ongoing. The task force is willing to spend whatever time is necessary to uncover other cases. He issued a stern warning to public officials.

“Presumably individuals who run for office and get elected know what the compensation is,” he said. “I’m speaking now to every public official within the sound of my voice. If it is not enough for you, get out now.”

Contact the writer:

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570-348-9137;

@tmbeseckerTT on Twitter

High notes

Northeast Pennsylvania natives Len and Anne Kaine, who founded the Golden Rule Society in Coronado, California, were given a proclamation from the city’s mayor.

Coronado Mayor Richard Bailey proclaimed the first week of July as “Golden Rule Society Week” in the Southern California town.

The Kaines founded the Golden Rule Society in 1972. The organization is made up of nonpaid volunteers and is a charitable nonprofit that helps veterans, patriots, children, churches and charities.

Len is a retired Navy fighter pilot and director for INTIVA Health.

As a society member, he has been nominated five times for a Nobel Peace Prize to recognize his work in establishing worldwide projects helping children and adults to better themselves with inspirational, educational, motivational and character-building programs for peace, according to the proclamation.

Len was also nominated as the San Diego Business Journal’s “Charitable CEO of the Year.”

Both Len and Anne were born and raised in Dickson City and graduated from Dickson City High School.

Len worked as a Scranton Times delivery boy for three years as a young man in Dickson City to help pay rent on his family’s home after his coal miner father lost the use of his hand in an underground accident.

Len was also the East Coast Navy Top Gun and then the All Navy Top Gun in 1959.

Stars in stripes

Scranton native and 2014 West Scranton High School graduate Seaman Matthew Kramer is a gunner’s mate aboard the USS Arleigh Burke, a guided-missile destroyer, operating out of Norfolk, Virginia.

Kramer is proud of earning a Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal at the end of a deployment to the Mediteranean and Arabian Gulf in 2018.

He credits success in the Navy to lessons learned in Scranton.

“I was taught about being helpful to others,” said Kramer. “My parents taught me the importance of hard work and not letting anything stop you from doing what you want to do.”

Kramer’s grandparents served in the military. His grandfather was a heavy machine operator in the Army during Vietnam and his father’s father served in the Army.

Gala honorees set

The Academy of Natural Sciences, Wayne Bank, attorney John F. Spall and the Wayne Economic Development Corp. will be honored during the Lacawac Sanctuary Field Station and Environmental Education Center’s fourth annual Farm to Plate fundraising gala for helping shape Lacawac’s future.

Spall, a real estate attorney with more than 45 years of experience and current Lacawac Sanctuary trustee, will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award in Preservation.

Spall, a 1964 Wallenpaupack Area High School graduate, is president of the district’s school board, a director and secretary of the Dime Bank, past chairman of the Pike Wayne Board of the American Red Cross and a past director of the Greentown Historical Society. He has served numerous other community organizations, including as the Pike Wayne Board of Realtors legal counsel since 1974.

The Academy of Natural Sciences — the oldest natural science institution in the Americas — will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award in Research.

Wayne Bank will be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award in Education and the Arthur Watres Community Service Award will be given to the Wayne Economic Development Corp., a private nonprofit organization dedicated to creating jobs and improving the prosperity of the citizens of Wayne County.

The honorees were chosen by Lacawac’s dinner committee and board of trustees.

The annual gala, presented by Rustic Charm Vintage Rentals, will be held Aug. 10 at the Historic Watres Lodge at Lacawac. For details, visit lacawac.org/farm-to-plate or contact Craig Lukatch, president, at 570-689-9494 or craig.lukatch@lacawac.org.

Bednarz Law

Offices

Attorney John A. Bednarz Jr., a resident of Shavertown who maintains a Wilkes-Barre office, has again been selected a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer for 2019.

The firm also announced Philadelphia Magazine has for 11 consecutive years named Bednarz as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer in the field of workers’ compensation law. Since 1991, Bednarz has been a board-certified civil trial attorney as recognized by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, and is the only claimant’s attorney practicing in Wilkes-Barre named a Super Lawyer in the practice area of workers’ compensation. He represents only injured workers.

Brian J. Cali

& Associates

The American Institute of Family Law Attorneys has recognized the exceptional performance of Pennsylvania’s family law attorney Brian J. Cali as Four Years 10 Best Family Law Attorney for Client Satisfaction.

The institute is a third-party attorney rating organization that publishes an annual list of the Top 10 Family Law Attorneys in each state. Attorneys who are selected to the “10 Best” list must pass the institute’s rigorous selection process, which is based on client and/or peer nominations, thorough research and the institute’s independent evaluation. The institute’s annual list was created to be used as a resource for clients during the attorney selection process.

Hourigan, Kluger

& Quinn PC

Six of the firm’s lawyers have been named to the 2019 Super Lawyers List. No more than 5% of the lawyers in Pennsylvania are selected by Super Lawyers.

Super Lawyers, part of Thomson Reuters, is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.

Named were: Joseph A. Quinn Jr., medical malpractice law; Donald C. Ligorio, workers’ compensation law; and Michael A. Lombardo III, general litigation.

Additionally, Quinn has been named to the 2019 Top 100 Lawyers in Pennsylvania list. He has appeared on the Super Lawyers list every year since the program began.

The following lawyers of the firm have been named to the 2019 Super Lawyers Rising Stars list: Brian Q. McDonnell, personal injury, plaintiff; Nicole M. Santo, personal injury, plaintiff; and Brian P. Stahl, business/corporate law.

Kane Is Able

The third-party logistics provider has named Richard McDuffie chief operating officer, effective immediately. McDuffie brings close to 30 years of supply chain expertise spanning the retail, manufacturing and 3PL industries. He is an accomplished operations and supply chain executive with extensive knowledge in strategic planning, transportation and fleet management, warehouse operations management, supply chain systems integration and collaborative program development. He was formerly chief operating officer and board member of Dunavant Enterprises Inc.

Stan Schrader was named chief commercial officer, effective immediately. Schrader brings more than 35 years of supply chain experience with a strong background in building and scaling highly successful logistics sales organizations. His expertise includes strategic planning, business integration, solutions design, continuous improvement, customer relationship building and the management of national sales teams. Most recently, Schrader served as the chief sales officer at MXD Group, which Ryder purchased in 2018.

Marshall Dennehey Warner Coleman

& Goggin

Matthew P. Keris, shareholder in the health care department in the Scranton office, has been appointed to the editorial board of the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority’s new Patient Safety journal. The quarterly, peer-reviewed journal will highlight advancements in clinical practice that have reduced patient harm, and will blend the latest scientific research with real-life, practice-based solutions.

The editorial board includes some of the country’s leading doctors, medical and safety professionals, as well as distinguished members of academia who teach and research patient safety outcomes.

Marywood

University

David Palmiter, Ph.D., professor of psychology, was recently approved for fellow status with the American Psychological Association for two divisions: Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology (division 53) and Society of Media Psychology and Technology (division 46). Palmiter is also a fellow for APA’s largest division, Psychologists in Independent Practice (division 42).

Palmiter has more than 25 years of experience as a psychologist. In addition to being a fellow of the association, he is an author, past president of the Pa. Psychological Association and a Fellow of the American Academy of Clinical Psychology and PPA.

Pennsylvania Institute of

Certified Public Accountants

Nicole T. Buckman, a certified public accountant, was elected president of the Northeastern Chapter of PICPA for the 2019-2020 fiscal year.

Buckman is a senior tax accountant at Kohanski & Co. PC in Moosic, specializing in bookkeeping, taxation and forensic accounting. She is secretary of the Northeast Chapter of the Institute of Management Accountants.

Other 2019-2020 officers elected at PICPA’s Northeastern Chapter annual meeting include:

David J. Marsiglio, CPA, president-elect, is the business administrator of Bloomsburg Area School District. He serves on the PICPA Northeastern Chapter Schools and Colleges Committee. Marguerite M. Donato, CPA, secretary, is the controller at Penn East Federal Credit Union in Scranton. She is a member of the PICPA Northeastern Chapter Emerging CPAs Committee. Diana L. Davis, CPA, treasurer, is a partner with Eckersley and Ostrowski LLP in Scranton. She is a member of the PICPA Northeastern Chapter Emerging CPAs Committee.

RKL Wealth

Management LLC

Stephanie J. Etter has been promoted to chief compliance officer. In this role, Etter is responsible for developing and monitoring the firm’s compliance program, ensuring that all activities of the firm meet regulatory requirements and acting as a liaison with legal and regulatory bodies on compliance-related issues.

Etter most recently served as the firm’s operations manager, where she oversaw the daily operations activities, served as a liaison between the operations team and top management while establishing and implementing processes and procedures.

Etter is a member of the Pennsylvania Association of Notaries.

SUBMIT PEOPLE ON THE MOVE items to business@timesshamrock.com or The Times-Tribune, 149 Penn Ave., Scranton, PA 18503.

SCRANTON — City council will hold a public caucus Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. in the Governor’s Room at City Hall to discuss the process council will follow in appointing the next mayor.

Former Mayor Bill Courtright resigned Monday and pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court to corruption charges.

On Wednesday, council directed solicitor Amil Minora to prepare a legal opinion on council’s options in making a mayoral appointment.

City rules conflict on vacancies. Council’s options include: making a temporary appointment pending a special election in November; making a permanent appointment to fill the unexpired term through 2021; or have county court pick a mayor to fill the unexpired term.

— JIM LOCKWOOD

Find a pet who needs a new home at the Griffin Pond Animal Shelter.

Pooh and Popeye are 2 brother cats. They both have one deformed hind leg, but are a very sweet pair.
Contact the Griffin Pond Animal Shelter at 586-3700 if your pet is lost or goes astray. Staff Photo by Ted Baird

Skye is an adult female Shepherd mix. She is very friendly and outgoing.
Contact the Griffin Pond Animal Shelter at 586-3700 if your pet is lost or goes astray. Staff Photo by Ted Baird




Watch the latest Pets of the Week video here:

The condemned carcass of 1620-1622 Pine St. stands as a sullen monument to the damage done when the moral high ground is undermined by lowlifes.

Vacated by fire in March 2017, the unregistered Scranton apartment building was condemned by city inspectors. Its owner, Ken Bond, stalled the demolition process with appeals until May 16, when Lackawanna County Judge Margaret Bisignani Moyle upheld the city’s order.

The deadline for Bond to file another appeal passed on June 28. City officials said action was imminent. Long-suffering neighbors dared dream that the carcass would finally be pulled down.

Then Bill Courtright imploded.

“The Law Department told us to hold off on any demolitions until there’s a new mayor,” city Department of Licensing, Inspections and Permits Director Pat Hinton told me Wednesday.

I tried and failed to reach city solicitor/Deputy Mayor Jessica Eskra. It’s hard to reach any public official during a holiday week, let alone one that began with the boss resigning and pleading guilty to three felony counts of criminal conspiracy, bribery and extortion.

Courtright’s exposure as a corrupt thug using LIPs and other city departments as weapons to extort cash, free services and campaign contributions compromises City Hall’s authority to act in the interest of the neighborhoods that actually constitute Scranton.

“This business with Courtright and the LIPs department helps Bond and every other bad landlord in this city,” said Barb O’Malley, whose well-kept Wheeler Avenue home shines in the long shadow of 1620-1622 Pine.

While Courtright lined his pockets, carpetbaggers like Bond ran wild. Through his real estate alter ego, PSN Realty, Bond owns 22 properties in the city, some occupied and others vacant and blighting otherwise beautiful blocks.

None of them are registered, a basic legal requirement. Over more than a decade, Bond amassed more than $250,000 in delinquent garbage fees and city, school district and county taxes while ignoring officials’ few feeble attempts to hold him accountable.

I stumbled into the Bond story in April while reviewing the top offenders in the city treasurer’s list of garbage fee deadbeats. Owing about $130,000, PSN Realty topped a roster of 5,352 property owners who owed a combined $16.8 million in delinquent fees and penalties.

That staggering number put the spotlight on Northeast Revenue Service, which has an obvious financial interest in a sluggish collection process. Federal prosecutors say Northeast Revenue president John Rodgers paid Courtright thousands of dollars to keep the contract. No Northeast officers or employees were charged, but the firm paid to play and should be fired, preferably from a cannon.

City council called for action on the Bond scandal, but in a “strong mayor” government, the power to act rested with Courtright. I talked to him about Bond at least twice. He referred me to Eskra.

An actual “strong mayor” would have called a press conference at one of Bond’s properties and stood up for good neighbors like Barb O’Malley. A mayor waiting to be exposed as a crook and bound for prison is the definition of “weak.”

While city council ponders how to select a new mayor, Ken Bond is on the offensive. He has a new lawyer and new appeals against the LIPs Department.

The appeals were filed June 25, three business days before Courtright’s resignation and guilty plea.

In mid-June, city code enforcement officials condemned 442-444 N. Irving Ave. and gave its 22 tenants 10 days to find new homes. Tenants reached out to Community Justice Project, a Harrisburg-based nonprofit that offers free legal services.

CJP won a court injunction to keep the tenants from being evicted. Most of the tenants are minorities. Bond’s appeals accuse LIPs of “continued harassment of tenants” and “racial and other unlawful discrimination in attempting to withdraw housing for working families.”

Days after the 442-444 North Irving condemnation, I reported that Bond was seeking tenants for another unregistered property around the corner at 1416 Vine St. I alerted Hinton, and LIPs employees closed the building, posted it with signs and notified Bond in writing that the property would be closed for six months, at which time he could register it — after an inspection.

The signs were torn down. The city put them back up. The signs were torn down again.

“It happened three times,” Hinton told me Wednesday. Advertisements for 1416 Vine are still up on several apartment rental websites.

Bond’s appeal also accuses LIPs officials of “fabricating complaints” and “colluding with the media to destroy (PSN Realty) without cause.” I hoped to discuss these absurdities with Bond, but he won’t return my calls. A message I left with his attorney also went unanswered, just like the complaints of neighbors living in the long shadow of 1620-1622 Pine.

Bill Courtright has been demolished. Bond’s monument still sullies the high ground.

CHRIS KELLY, the Times-Tribune columnist, suggests that the next mayor of Scranton be sworn in on the porch of a Ken Bond property.

Contact the writer:

kellysworld@timesshamrock.com,

@cjkink on Twitter. Read his award-winning blog at timestribuneblogs.com/kelly.

Monzie’s Floral Design in Tunkhannock hopes to draw more attention to its wide gift selection.

Shoppers walking down East Tioga Street may have noticed a decal in the storefront where Just One More Page Books recently closed up shop, reading “The Shoppe at Monzie’s.”

While Monzie’s owner Monica Labar-Hughes has already been selling gift items in her full-service flower shop for years, she saw the vacant space an opportunity to expand and rebrand.

“We decided not to have another tenant, but obviously not a closed storefront either, so we re-occupied this space,” she said. “Even though Monzie’s has been here since 2012, people still don’t know that we have a gift shop.”

“We decided to go with a different name to carry the gift shop side of it,” Labar-Hughes added.

In the Shoppe at Monzie’s, Labar-Hughes offers “everything from home decor and things for pets to a full toy line and stuffed animals and the higher-end handbags.”

“We try to have something for everyone,” she said. “We have really five or six core genres in our store, and then we expand them to make them fit any lifestyle, or any need.”

A popular brand carried in the shop is Will Leather Goods out of Oregon.

Right now, Monzie’s is one of the only boutiques on the East Coast to offer its leather accessories, as they’re usually only carried in flagship shops.

“That was something I found when I was traveling and just decided in the last few months that it needed to be on the East Coast because it’s not,” she said. “I reached out to the company and they were super excited to have it over here.”

Labar-Hughes also sells Anne Vaughan Designs handmade jewelry from Virginia.

“She uses a lot of precious gemstones, but in a more organic way,” she said. “So not really a setting you would find at a jeweler, but more like a string of beads or a really cool pendant.”

At the Shoppe, customers can also find organic soaps, as well as gourmet foods. Most of the edible items are from local companies, but Labar-Hughes also orders hot sauces from New Jersey.

Many items, while imported from elsewhere, still focus on themes of this region.

“River life is huge, so we started to carry home decor that would be more for people who have river houses and cabins and things. That stuff has been very popular,” she said. “We’re also working with The Finan Detail and they are providing us with Tunkhannock-themed merchandise.”

An enjoyable aspect of running the gift shop has been discovering new brands and deciding which items to order.

Nancy Parlo, president of the Tunkhannock Business and Professional Association, called the idea to rebrand Monzie’s gift selection “marvelous.”

“She has a great sense of bringing in new items into Tunkhannock without duplicating what is in other shops,” Parlo said. “It’s a nice, eclectic assortment of merchandise.”

Offering gift items suitable for different occasions alongside flowers also expands opportunities for foot traffic in the shop, she added, since flowers aren’t something people necessarily purchase on a frequent basis.

“It certainly increases the opportunity for people to visit her shop,” Parlo said.

Labar-Hughes previously operated Friends Art and Unique Gifts out of both sides of her space on East Tioga Street, where she featured local consignors and artists until closing it in January 2017 due to increasing business in her flower shop.

“With Friends, everything was consignment, so I didn’t really have to go out and shop, per se,” she said. “It’s been fun to see what people are making, even just regionally, what we can find from pretty local makers. There’s some really great stuff, so it’s been fun finding them.”

Customers have been reacquainting themselves with Monzie’s operating both sides of the building again, and much of the new merchandise has been received positively.

“Everything that we’ve started carrying has been really popular,” she said. “A lot of what we feature, whether it be the cards or some of our signage, we always try to make people laugh.”

At Monzie’s, customers can still purchase flower arrangements for every occasion.

Wedding business has tripled for Monzie’s in the past three years, which Labar-Hughes believes could be from the store’s distinct design style slowly getting recognized.

While gifts are secondary to the flower business, “they do compliment each other nicely.”

“It makes sense to fill this space with something that also benefits the downtown too,” she said.

While the Shoppe is fully stocked with gifts, Labar-Hughes keeps a portion of the space open to use for workshops and other events.

So far, she has participated in two Fourth Fridays events from the Wyoming County Chamber of Commerce, where businesses stay open later and offer specials.

“The Fourth Fridays have really brought more people into town too and it seems other new retailers are super excited about being here,” she said. “It has been exciting reopening the gift store, just because we have a fresh new group to do business with in town right now.”

Contact the writer: bwilliams@wcexaminer.com, 570-836-2123 x36

Scranton hospital recognized

The American College of Cardiology has recognized Commonwealth Health Regional Hospital of Scranton for its demonstrated expertise and commitment in treating patients with chest pain. The hospital was awarded Chest Pain Center Accreditation with Primary PCI and Resuscitation in June based on rigorous onsite evaluation of the staff’s ability to evaluate, diagnose and treat patients who may be experiencing a heart attack. Hospitals that have earned ACC Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI and Resuscitation Accreditation have proven exceptional competency in treating patients with heart attack symptoms and have primary PCI available 24/7 every day of the year.

Diabetes prevention program honored

Geisinger Health Plan’s diabetes prevention program recently earned full recognition from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for demonstrating the program’s ability to reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes in members and patients.

An evidence-based program developed by the CDC, GHP’s diabetes prevention program helps participants make healthy lifestyle changes to prevent or delay Type 2 diabetes and other serious health problems. It is offered at no cost to everyone in the community and a prediabetes diagnosis is not required to participate.

GHP is one of only 20 program suppliers in Pennsylvania with full recognition from the CDC.

Geisinger awarded $8.5M study grant

The health system, along with two university partners, the University of Washington in Seattle and Washington University in St. Louis, has been awarded an $8.5 million, five-year grant from the National Institutes of Health to study the role of genetics in neuropsychiatric disorders, including autism spectrum disorder, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

The project is one of five funded through the National Institute of Mental Health’s newly established Mental Health Rare Genetic Disease Network, which includes researchers at 15 sites across the United States.

Advocates receive foundation grant

Lackawanna County Court Appointed Special Advocates was awarded a $12,000 grant from the Hawk Family Foundation. Funds will be used to provide trained CASA volunteers from our community to serve children in foster care who have experienced abuse or neglect. CASA is a nationwide child advocacy program, in which trained volunteers are appointed by judges to watch over and advocate for the best interests of abused and neglected children, to make sure they don’t get lost in the overburdened legal and social service system.

Law firm marks 60th anniversary

Munley Law is celebrating its 60th year in business. To mark the milestone, the firm is conducting three “Days of Service,” where Munley Law lawyers and staff will take part in acts of service to the Northeast Pennsylvania community. These events will occur at St. Francis Kitchen, Scranton, on July 8 and July 15, and previously at St. Vincent de Paul Kitchen, Wilkes-Barre, on June 24.

Since 1959, service to the NEPA community has been a core value of the Munley Law firm.

SUBMIT BUSINESS BUZZ items to business@timesshamrock.com or The Times-Tribune, 149 Penn Ave., Scranton, PA 18503.

WYOMING SEMINARY UPPER SCHOOL

Dean’s list, high honors: Emily Aikens, Jenkins Twp.; Chloe Brennan, Inkerman; Shawna Casey, Jenkins Twp.; Marshall Curtis, Forest City; Dominica Delayo, Moosic; Katharine Getz, Pittston; Jacob Gilbert, Waverly Twp.; Philip Gristina, Pittston; Ava Hazzouri, Scranton; Campbell Kelly, Clarks Green; Christina Kilyanek, Hughestown; Jessica Kilyanek, Hughestown; Tyler Kotowski, Scott Twp.; Jacob Koretz, West Pittston; Matthew Kuloszewski, Scranton; Charles Kutz, Clarks Summit; Lily Kutz, Clarks Summit; Gabriel Lott, Olyphant; Harrison Peairs, Clarks Summit; Samantha Quinn, West Pittston; Giovanni Ramos, Peckville; Delaney Romanchick, Tunkhannock; Jacob Ruderman, West Pittston; Alyssa Shonk, Clarks Summit; Ava Smith, West Pittston; Nikolai Stefanov, Honesdale; and Bridget Tost, Scranton.

Dean’s list: Samantha Barcia, Clarks Green; Nicolas Bufalino, Wyoming; Samantha Casey, Jenkins Twp.; Jose de los Rios, Dalton; Mason Dembowski, Monroe Twp.; Hannah Frels, Dalton; Michael Giallorenzi, Clarks Summit; Hannah Gilbert, Waverly Twp.; Dimitri Gnall, Moosic; Alexis Greene, Moosic; Rounak Lele, Pittston; Andrew Maddock, Clarks Summit; Abigail McDonald, Scranton; Logan McGowan, Pittston; Dylan Ostroski, West Wyoming; Ryan Perry, Tunkhannock; Michael Stanczyk, Wyoming; Stephen Vanesko, Harding; and Leanna Yatcilla, Old Forge.

SUMMIT CHRISTIAN ACADEMY

GRADE 10

Burke Colombo.

GRADE 9

Leah Himka and Grace Palmiter.

GRADE 8

Ally Plantz and Ethel Schmidt.

GRADE 7

Kaylee Parker and Logan Treat.

GRADE 6

Kylie Butash, Kendra Izon, Alethia Masters, Paige Rivers, Nathan Schmidt and Camilla Treat.

GRADE 5

Noah Dietrich, Johnathan Feldman, Audrey Izon, Ruby Redfield and Logan Schmidt.

GRADE 4

Marquise Bloom, Jaylee Gonzalez, Faith Mielo, Hailey Miller and Avery Rivers.

WEST SCRANTON

HIGH SCHOOL

GRADE 12

Jessica Almanzar, Ben Ryan Anderson, Heather Anderson, Nagely Anderson, Makayla Arcuri, Hailey Jean Argenta, Christian Barnes, Abigale Barr, Sean Arthur Bell Jr., Kelly Bouton, John Thomas Bugiada, Jake Butka, Cloe Bella Capalongo, Maeve Virginia Cast, Sonya Marie Castillo, Milagros Cervantes, Enzo Cicco, Jake G. Ciullo, Tyler John Connor, Peyton Cook, Kathryn Cooper, Devon Matthew Curyk, Autumn Cutro, Melany Fernandes DePina, Emilia Meriza Doda, McCae A. Dougher, Emma Rose Egan, Madolyn Lily Emick, Timothy Jacob Engle, Mauro Gallardo, Nicholas Thomas Garvey, Gina Giuliani, Samuel Goncalves, Christopher Gowarty, Jalen Shammon Gregory, Dillon Grimes, Tania Vanessa Grissom, Caleb J. Hamm, Nolan Harrington, Sydney Nicole Hazelton, Alura Mary Henderson, Alexander Robert Hiller, Madison Olivia Holodnak, Isabella Catherine Jean Philippe, Ava Rose Jones, Joseph Baily Kologe, Rachel Kranick, Evan Krysko, Tiffany Katelene Laboy, Caitlynn Marie Larnerd, Haley Leonard, Austin Lipinski, Rebecca Loscombe, Bailey E. Loureiro, Justin Anthony Lumadue, Karissa Mackie, Michael Mancuso, Luis Manuel Martinez, Nathalia Krystal Martinez, Ariel Matticks, Avery James McAuliffe, Shane Alexander McHugh, Adam Mehall, Rachael Mehl, Joshua Metzger, Samantha Miller, Katherine Morales, Keneth Daniel Morales, Jeanlee Morales Antonetti, Benjamin Mushak, Jacob Gregory Mushak, Brianna O’Brien, Meghan Olfano, Calista Marie O’Malley, Aleandra Nicole Otera Villanueva, Jessica Nicole Palauskas, Joshua James Palauskas, Frank Perry, Elizabeth M. Pfohl, Peyton Reese, Shelby Ann Reese, Jarnelys Reyes, Mercado Reyes, Jacob Rogers, Emily Rose, Nevaeh Ross, Joseph Rutkowski, Pedro Salazar, Luis Jose Sanchez Flores, Jeremy Seymour, Joseph Smith, Brenda Sodani, Adam Sprague, Katelynn Stormes, Brianna Mackenzie Strein, Madyson Trama, Susan Tuffy, Maura Elizabeth Turi, Talila Turner Boyd, Joseph Valencia, Stephanie Vasquez, Matthew Vaughn, Lydia Eileen Walsh, Hope Marie Williams, Zaynah Williams, William Winters, Caitlynn Woyshnar and Drew Hartley Yanni.

GRADE 11

Meadow Rein Abbasi, Naithyn Nicolas Allert, Alexandra Baena, Brianne K. Baker, Rachel Beidler, Jillian Bennett, Olivia Bolsar, Randall Bonitz Jr., Ryan Bresser, Alyssa Campbell, Jose Cazares, Jack Daniels Chantry, Kristan Chesek, Kayla Chofey, Mackenna Cole, Brianna Coleman, Trystan Cook, Zachary Darbenzio, Kyle Thomas Decker, Kailey DeFina, Skyler Esquilin, Joseph Evanosky, Betances Fernendez Lewin, Geremia Gil, Maura Lynn Gockley, Gabrielle Goodrich, Ciara Grasso, Nicholas James Greaves, Nicholas Guerra, Mira Leigh Haines, Stephannie Hall, Stephen Edward Hamlin, Ashley Harmer, Gemma Terez Hashem, Talia Herrera Centeno, Cole Hunter, Nya Jewel Johnson, LaShanda Yvette Jones, Serena Kay Kuehl, Samantha Kulp, Arianna Lazuka, Blendina Lluga, Carter Loureiro, Christopher Madera, Bryauna Lynn Manuel, Madasen Leigh Mariano, Jasmyne Suzane Faye Martorana, Digne MBinge, Cali McDonald, Francessca Mehl, Ashlyn Meyers, Mark Anthony Miller Jr., Kamden Miller, Angelina Moraca, Cassandra Moraca, Jared Morris, Samantha Mushak, Jonathan Theodore Nickol, Abbie O’Brien, Savanna Lucy Pabon, Kourtnie Padula, Caitlin Pagnotti, Trinaya Janelle Parker, Jessica Parr, Gabriela Petorak, Abby Profka, Antonio Pugliese, Yasmin Ramirez, Ashley Ramos, Samantha Morgan Reese, Savon Sansook, Mark Sedelnick, Gina Shafer, Kyle Slater, Ryan Sophabmixay, Blake Satchaphone Sphabmixay, Jamie Joseph Spindler, Eric Alexander Spivak, Jamie Stine, Makayla Taft, Raphael Tiatelpa, Paola Torres Reyes, Morgan Brittany Truskoloski, Jennika Lynn Tufano, Abigail Tulaney, Emily Tunis, Janet Uwiringlymana, Garrett Walsh and Cassidy Lynn Weber.

GRADE 10

Gabriella Amaya, Zachary T. Anderson, Madlyn Anglin, Brian Asakiewicz, Ethan Michael Auer, Bibi Shameeza Bacchus, Ashley Morgan Belles, Kasandra Berrios, Xavier Benjamin Bronson, Ryan Jeffery Burke, Brennan Patrick Burnside, Cameron Butka, Cabre Anella Capalongo, Laura Cervantes, Nicholas Cesario, Meadow Rae Curyk, Ava Layne Decker, Vyvain Do, Molly Dougherty, Jhordan Saul Duy, Brianna Eckardt, Antonio Evanosky, Austin Fashouer, Nicholas Forsette, Crystal Lenore Fox, Sierra M. Gallucci, Dominique Heidy Gomez Juarez, Arron Bradley Gonie, Leishka Thairy Grajakes Perez, Joshua Greenfield, Brandon Gregory, Zaniya Aquarius Grissom, Matthew John Hamm, Lariely Hernandez Burgos, Peter J. Hilburn, Nicolas Hipolito, Ahime Inoa Angeles, Jaela Dymond Johnson, Celeste Juarez, Kelly Lynn Kennedy, Emily Catherine Laabs, Keyla Lantiqua, Michaela Lynn Leidinger, Austin Lewis, Camdyn Olivia Lewis, Anthony Loureiro, Tiahna Lugo, Anajah Sheree Magee, Aubrey Mangan, Julianna Martinez, Marissa Matto, Danilo McDonough, Nathan Mehl, Ethan Zander Menichini, Cayden Merrifield, Jacob Metzger, Matthew Metzger, Alivia Minich, Allison Beth Morris, Mulisa Mukamuganga, Joel Kaliya Ngongo, Jacob O’Boyle, Darius Pantophlet, Matthew Pfohl, Marytere Quintara, Victoria Reilly, Lexyann Rezzino, Nicholas Roche, Joshua Safuto, Cristian Sanchez, Hailey Carmen Santiago, Alana Scanlon, John Robert Sinclair III, Lenah Stefani, Zoe Lynn Steffie, Jasmine Stevens, Madison Theobald, Olivia Rose Trapper, Anthony Viscomi, Brianna Vongmany, Jazlynn Wallace, Abigail Walsh, Robert Wharton and Quinn Williams Mayers.

GRADE 9

Michael Anthony Acciai, Arnold Aquiliar, Heiron Albert, Rusbelly Almonte Martinez, Enzo Alessandro Antonetty, Julia Marie Aris, Aaron Christopher Bauman, Allison Ann Beidler, Jessica Bennett, Davonte Berrios, Robert Donald Bray, Kaleigh Madelyn Brown, Odalys Camarillo, Bryan Cano Monzon, Adriana Marie Cardona Rosa, Khaliq David Charles, Dyllon Chavis, Vito Thomas Ciullo, Ashlyn Marie Cook, Makyla Lynn Cordaro, Melaney Brittany Cordaro, Patrick Cosgrove, Gloria Estelle Cruz, Angely Marie Davila, Angy Arely Diaz, Emily Dominguez Tolentino, Jesus Antonio Donaciano, Molly Ann Donovan, Olivia Dougher, Emily Fagerlin, Jack Francis Fahey, Natalie Ferrer Feliciano, Alanys Figueroa, Paolo Joseph Fiorini, Kemar Kebie Frazer, Omar Andres Frias, Serenity Lynn Fuller, Anthony Francis Gioia, Justin Scott Gockley, Nicholas J. Gowarty, Kyle Granville, Abigail Griffiths, Brandon Joseph Griffiths, Jaquelin Guevara, John David Guichay Cardenas, Navaeh Marie Hammond, Victoria Herne, Taryn Marie Hughes, Kaylei Janesko, Miguel A. Jimenez Roman, Destiny Helena Jones, Ethan John King, Aaliyah Gianna Kochis, Ian Bryan Koehler, Aiden Richard Kologe, Leanne Brooke Krupski, Emily Elizabeth Labar, Marissa Rose Labonich, Sage Renee Lesh, Ryan Daniel Lewis, Eljesa Lluga, Erin Taylor Lona, Maria Luna, Colin Lyons, Madison Alexis Maloney, Serena Martin, Taairy Matias Roa, Jayden Elizabeth Matute, Kohibin McDonough, Finley Patrick McHale, Madison Margaret McGivern, Martin Antonio Mejia, Tyler Michel, Alyssa Miller, Edward Joel Miranda, Maurice Lemaul Moore, Kevin Alexander Morales, Austin Hunter Muir, Thomas William Noll, Natalie Catherine Nowakowski, Janine Nyiramasengesho Jr., Jennifer M. Ojeda, Noah Jerome Palauskas, Jose Luis Paramo Jr., Nathan James Parker, Briana Perea, Alisha Pettway, Alexandra Nicole Ratchford, Michael John Reed Jr., Danielle Reese, Mollie Regan, Ritu Regmi, Jaclyn Rose Rencavage, Jasmine Rohlic, Cyan Marie Roman, Michael John Romiti, Gavin Royce, Brianna Jeanne Rudalavage, Gianna Marie Russo, Drianna Santiago, Lacey Alecia Santiago, Emily Elizabeth Seig, Rustam Shakhsadinov, Nicholas Joseph Shimo, Anthony Silva, Mary Catherine Sinclair, Chloe Nadya Slater, Kelisiana Maryah Ari Smith, Nevada Stevens, Gianna Loren Tallo, Vicky Tang, Joshua Torres, Joshua Francis Truskoloski, Ariann Varela, Makalya Rose Walker, Cecelia Walsh, Victoria Elizabeth Watkins, Jade Katherine Weber, Alonda Renee Weikel, Courtney Montaine White II, Haley White, Jacob William Churilla Wombacker and Adam Daniel Zenker.

Mark Zinskie fondly remembers casting toy soldiers in metal with his late father when he was a kid.

Now, the artist and Olyphant resident is about to see more than 440 hours of work come to fruition as the Lancaster-based ART Research Enterprises foundry casts his 7-foot-tall stainless steel sculpture of a Gulf War soldier.

“I remember those times with my dad, but it’s in epic proportions right now,” Zinskie said. “It just conjured so many good memories.”

Seeing a lack of monuments for soldiers from the Gulf War and onward, Zinskie, 48, started sculpting the monument — now known as the Freedom Fighter — in 2011 to honor the modern-day soldier.

“They need to be honored just like the soldiers of old,” he said.

He plans to have the monument placed on Lackawanna Avenue in Olyphant by the spring, although he hopes they can finish it even sooner.

“If we got it done earlier, that would only be better,” he said.

Wearing military fatigues with a rifle in its hands and a canteen slung across its back, the stainless steel soldier will stand permanent watch atop a brown granite base laser-etched to look like desert camouflage, Zinskie said. He described the base as an “avant garde” design with a geometric shape.

“Basically if you took a cube, heated it up and twisted it just a little bit,” Zinskie said.

The borough originally planned to place the statue at the Queen City Train Station on Lackawanna Avenue, but after concerns of train traffic damaging it, they decided to place it at the flagpole across from the station, he said.

Zinskie was thrilled that the Freedom Fighter will have a more prominent spot in town, calling it his ideal location for the monument.

When Freedom Fighter Committee coordinator Kim Onda Atkinson began fundraising for the construction of the monument in 2017, she expected it would take three to four years.

Funding stalled out over the fall and winter with the project stuck at $20,000, but a $25,000 Local Share Account grant gave the committee enough to cast the statue. However, with $45,000 raised, they still need an additional $30,000 to fund the fabrication of the granite base and construction costs, Atkinson said.

For Zinskie, finally dropping off the sculpture at the foundry in May felt “borderline spiritual.”

“That work of art has been going on in my personal life for so long,” he said, adding that he shed a tear as he dropped it off. “It was with me for so long. It felt bad walking away from it.”

He believes the completed project will allow him to feel closer to his father, Army Sgt. Harry “Skip” Zinskie Jr. Zinskie lost his dad to cancer when he was 13. Casting little soldiers with his dad was one of his favorite things to do, he said.

“It’s connecting me to my dad,” Zinskie said. “When that thing comes out of that mold, I feel like his spirit will definitely be with me.”

Contact the writer:

flesnefsky@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x5181;

@flesnefskyTT on Twitter

MONDAY UPDATE brings

Times-Tribune readers up to date on past or pending stories of interest. To offer a suggestion for a Monday Update, please email metrodesk@timesshamrock.com with

“Monday Update” in the

subject line.

SOUTH ABINGTON TWP.

Two people walked away from an early-morning wreck Sunday that mangled their vehicles.

The head-on collision happened about 1:30 a.m. on Northern Boulevard at Sumner Avenue when one northbound vehicle drifted into the southbound lane, Chinchilla Hose Company Chief Sean Connolly said.

The victims were out of their vehicles by the time the firefighters arrived. They were examined by emergency medical technicians from Chinchilla EMS and Commonwealth Health Emergency Medical Services and declined further medical help. Traffic was restricted to two lanes while crews cleared the scene.

Exactly what led to the wreck was unclear Sunday. South Abington Twp. Police Department is investigating.

— JON O’CONNELL

July 8, 1924

Heavy rains caused flooding in city

A storm arrived in Scranton and delivered more than 2 inches of rain to the city before it moved along.

The heavy downpours caused flooding in the Flats section of South Scranton and washed away all the dirt roads in the city. Ponds were created in many of the intersections and trolley traffic was paralyzed.

In Dunmore, the 100 block of Chestnut Street took on a great deal of water that caused damage to Fanning Motor Car Co. and Charles Raker’s Clothing Store. Also a building on the 600 block of South Blakely Street was destroyed by the rushing waters.

Greenwalt’s debut in Scranton

Miriam Greenwalt, a former Scranton resident, made her stage debut in Scranton at the Poli Theater in a vaudeville show titled “Bits of 1924.”

Greenwalt performed in a sketch with the Lela White troupe and sang “Wyoming Lullaby.” The review in The Scranton Times said that Greenwalt’s voice was “very sweet, full of expression, excellent tone quality and well trained.”

Greenwalt had been performing around the country before hitting the boards in her hometown of Scranton.

She lived in Scranton in her youth while her father was the advertising director for Samter Brothers in downtown Scranton.

“Little Caruso” performed

John Opray, known as “Little Caruso” in the western states, performed live along with Maude Ruddy and the Keystonians for a radio program broadcast from WQAN in Scranton.

Opray, a native of Montana, was in Scranton visiting with Harold Barrett when the radio performance was arranged.

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 570-348-91

CLARION UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Meagan Buckle, Dingmans Ferry; Kendra Colwell, Starrucca; Avery Larson, Dingmans Ferry; Morgan Manglaviti, Falls Twp.; Tatiana Sangadzhieva, Montrose; Sarah Traver, Monroe Twp.; John Walsh, Dalton; Jessica Waugh, Dalton; and Brooke Williams, Milford.

CHATHAM UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF HEALTH SCIENCES

Emily Lewis, Forest City.

COLLEGE OF

WILLIAM AND MARY

Emily Peairs, Waverly Twp., and Jacob Ross, South Abington Twp.

SUNY CANTON

Tyler Moraski, Milford.

MOUNT ST. MARY’S UNIVERSITY

Kayla Agentowicz, Clarks Summit, and Neil Roche, Milford.

The lack of appropriate medical and mental health treatment led a Taylor man to take his own life while jailed at Lackawanna County Prison last summer, his family contends in a lawsuit.

The complaint was filed late last month in U.S. District Court by the estate of Ryan Benjamin Lynady against the county and the jail’s medical services provider, Correctional Care Inc.

Lynady, 27, died after he was found hanging from a bedsheet in his cell July 27, five days after his arrest by Moosic police on drug charges. Coroner Timothy Rowland ruled the death a suicide.

The complaint said Correctional Care conducted a medical intake screening when Lynady entered the jail July 23, and records from the screening indicate that the inmate was prescribed suboxone and that he experiences withdrawal if he stops taking it.

However, at no point did Correctional Care provide Lynady with his prescription suboxone or an adequate alternative treatment, causing him to go into drug withdrawal, the suit alleged.

Instead, the prisoner was placed on a 30-minute detoxification watch until further notice, the suit said.

“(Correctional Care’s) treatment for detox is to essentially throw an inmate into a cell to be alone indefinitely, receiving no medication other than Tylenol ... although the decedent received no medication at all,” the complaint said.

Between his intake and his suicide, Lynady also was never seen by Dr. Edward Zaloga, Correctional Care president and prison medical director; prison psychiatrist Dr. Satish Mallik or any other physician, nurse practitioner, physician’s assistant or similar professional, the suit alleged.

The complaint said the 30-minute watch, which Lynady remained on throughout his incarceration, is conducted and monitored by correctional officers, not medical personnel. On the day of the inmate’s death, the jail was short-staffed, and Lynady was not checked as frequently as he should have been.

In addition, although policy dictated Lynady’s placement in a cell with a camera, he was put in a cell without a camera because all of the jail’s camera cells were full, according to the suit.

The lawsuit, filed by Lisa Loughney, Lynady’s mother and administrator of his estate, seeks unspecified damages. The estate is represented by Scranton attorneys Matthew Comerford and Curt Parkins.

Donald Frederickson, the county’s general counsel, said he is aware of the lawsuit but had not seen it. He declined to address the specific allegations, citing county policy against commenting on pending litigation.

“However, we will vigorously defend the interests of the taxpayers of the county,” he said.

Besides the county and Correctional Care, the defendants in the lawsuit include Zaloga, Mallik, Commissioners Patrick O’Malley, Laureen Cummings and Jerry Notarianni, Warden Tim Betti and “John Doe” employees of Correctional Care and the jail whose identities are not yet known.

In September 2017, the county and Correctional Care agreed to pay $150,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by the family of James Entrot of Scranton, who hanged himself in his cell in October 2014 after being jailed for the second time in just over a month.

Prison and Correctional Care employees were accused of failing to properly assess Entrot’s suicide risk even though he showed signs of depression and had been on a suicide watch during his prior incarceration after prison officials were warned he would attempt to kill himself.

Contact the writer:

dsingleton@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9132