SCRANTON — In the aftermath of former Mayor Bill Courtright’s resignation and subsequent guilty plea to federal corruption charges, city residents have a lot to say on what should come next.

There are three possible ways to select a new mayor to fill the remainder of Courtright’s term, which runs through 2021. City council can appoint a mayor. Council can do nothing and allow the Lackawanna County Court to decide. Or residents can vote for a new mayor during the Nov. 5 general election. The city’s Home Rule Charter and Administrative Code conflict on whether city council’s pick should be temporary until a special election is held, or an appointment to serve the rest of Courtright’s term.

Council scheduled a public caucus to be held Tuesday at 4:30 p.m., in the Governor’s Room at City Hall, 340 N. Washington Ave., to discuss the process of appointing the next mayor.

Scranton officials are also reviewing the city’s contract with Northeast Revenue Service, which collects delinquent taxes and garbage fees, after federal charging documents revealed that Courtright demanded a $4,000 bribe from the firm, identified as “Company No. 1,” in exchange for the city continuing its contract that was signed in 2011.

Q: Should there be a special election to pick a new Scranton mayor?

Brian Grassi, of Scranton:

“Legally, according to the Home Rule Charter, no, but from my own personal (view), I think they should because just appointing somebody that the Democrats want to have in there — I am a Democrat — I don’t believe in that, so I do feel that, yes, there should be a special election.”

Donald Fisch, of Scranton:

“From what I read, the Home Rule Charter says that city council has the right to do it. If that’s the way the law says, I go by the law. If there’s something in there that says there should be a special (election), I say yes, but right now from what I read, no, I’ll go with city council.”

Meghan Shoemaker, of Scranton:

“Yeah. I think if we’re already at the polls, there’s definitely a better chance of a turnout to vote for that. I feel like people are so disgusted at this point that ... they won’t make the extra trip.”

Jamie Myers, of Scranton:

“I think it would be better if they had an election. … The people feel they were betrayed. Somebody that they trusted went, and it backfired, basically. They want somebody that they know that they can trust, and they would probably feel more comfortable if they had the opportunity to decide who it was.”

Q: Should Scranton end its contract with Northeast Revenue Service?

Joe Schlesser, of Scranton:

“They should be kicked out. They shouldn’t stay.”

Gary Shipierski, of Scranton:

“It should be open to anybody to bid on so we can get the cheapest (contract) we can.”

Rich Cordick, of Scranton:

“They shouldn’t have any dealing with them at all.”

Yvonne Brown, of Scranton:

“I think so. If Northeast wants to put in another bid and get lower than the rest ... then that’s fine.”

Contact the writer: flesnefsky@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x5181; @flesnefskyTT on Twitter

SCRANTON — On the day he marked nine years of sobriety, Sean Bingham revealed a deadly lie that addicts conjure up to justify getting high.

It’s one he told himself countless times and finally overcame on July 7, 2010.

“At the end of the day, everybody thinks that they can get it in one last time,” he said.

He’s part of the team planning the fourth annual Addiction Awareness Rally, to be held from 3 to 7 p.m. Sunday on Lackawanna County Courthouse Square in Scranton. He’s also lifelong friends with Stacy and Marty Henehan, who organized the first rally just a few months after their daughter Sammi’s death from overdose.

Together they lead the Forever Sammi Foundation, a nonprofit that remains at the front lines in local recovery efforts. They’ve helped hundreds find beds in rehabilitation centers or stay sober when they leave rehab.

For years, Bingham has preferred to work behind the scenes, quietly supporting people in their own quests for sobriety while he grappled with his own.

But in a downtown coffee shop on Sunday, with Marty Henehan at his side, the West Scranton man flipped out his cellphone and flicked through nearly 200 Facebook messages cheering him on.

There’s solidarity in what’s widely called “the recovery community.” Its members can recite lists of those who died from drugs and alcohol. Most have come close enough to death themselves or at least spent time in jail for chasing a high.

For the Henehans and Bingham, this year’s rally is about squashing the lie addicts tell themselves that they’ve got one more chance, one more high, before getting sober.

“The message isn’t doom and gloom. The message is hope,” Marty Henehan said.

The rally is scheduled every year around Sammi’s July 16 birthday. She would have been 27 this year.

Stacy Henehan organizes the rally’s kids’ zone, and while it might look like any other community event, with a bounce house and other activities for kids, there’s more to it than that, Bingham said.

People in recovery who have children want another shot at being good parents. A kids’ zone gives them a safe space to be together.

New this year, the Lacka-wanna Recovery Coalition will offer free naloxone nasal spray kits for those who attend a 10-minute information session on how to use them.

The drug, also known as Narcan, reverses the effects of an opioid overdose, and the coalition has 300 kits to give away.

Addiction rehabilitation agencies have always had a strong presence at the rally, and the foundation typically helps one or two addicts enroll in a program on the spot, the organizers said.

This year they’re making a more impassioned push to help more people into those facilities. They’ll have vans standing by to get them there.

“If you’re struggling with addiction and you have nowhere else to turn … you will have a bed in a rehab that day,” Bingham said. “Bring your suitcase.”

Contact the writer:

joconnell@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9131;

@jon_oc on Twitter

Keyser Valley

Seniors meet: Keyser Valley Seniors meeting, today, 1 p.m., community center.

West Scranton

Meeting off: Monthly West Scranton Neighbors Association set for Tuesday this week is canceled. The next regular meeting will be held Tuesday, Aug. 13, at 6:30 p.m. at the FOP Lodge, Luzerne Street and Railroad Avenue.

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.

GEISINGER WYOMING VALLEY

SHEVCHIK: A son, June 13, to Corey and Traci Shevchik, Archbald.

MOSES TAYLOR

CALVEY: A daughter, July 2, to Trevor Calvey and Alexandria Small, Scranton.

CLARK: A son, July 2, to William and Heather Fitch Clark, Factoryville.

GILLETTE: A son, July 2, to Nicholas and Nicole Notarianni Gillette, Taylor.

GODINO: A daughter, June 28, to Riccardo Angelo Godino and Bobby Joe Bendersky, South Abington Twp.

HAWKINS: A daughter, June 29, to Maxwell Hawkins and Nicole Vega, Archbald.

JOHNSON: A daughter, July 2, to Abraham Johnson and LePhemia Sims, Scranton.

JONES: A daughter, July 2, to Edward and Paisley Semour Jones, Olyphant.

KUKUCHKA: A daughter, June 28, to Abe and Alison Kukuchka, Tunkhannock.

MERCADO: A daughter, June 30, to Stephen Mercado and Mariah Wassell, Scranton.

PAGE: A daughter, June 30, to Stephen and Jennifer Suchecki Page, Scranton.

PHILLIPS: A son, June 28, to Benjamin Jr. and Angela Gallo Phillips, Carbondale.

RIVERA: A son, June 28, to Daniel Rivera Jr. and Crystal Davies, Scranton.

ROMANSKI: A son, July 3, to Jon and Cara Gavin Romanski, Moscow.

SHAVERS: A son, June 30, to James Shavers and Rose Rodriguez, Scranton.

STRAYER: A son, June 27, to Thaddeus Strayer and Breanna Brozoski, Mountain Top.

WAHLMARK: A son, June 27, to Matthew and Maria Sacchetti Wahlmark, Scranton.

SCRANTON — Traffic near North Main Avenue and Euclid Avenue in the city is snarled after a tractor trailer became stuck under a bridge, according to a Lackawanna County 911 supervisor.

The truck is lodged underneath the railroad bridge there. Traffic is shut down until the truck can be removed.

Check back for updates.

— JOSEPH KOHUT

ARCHBALD — A 52-year-old Archbald woman backed her car into a borough police officer Friday while the officer was responding to a report the woman was disorderly, police said.

Lynn Gavanis, 198 Columbus Drive, was charged with aggravated assault and fleeing or attempting to elude an officer, among other counts, Officer Marlene Evans charged.

After Gavanis backed into Evans in a parking lot on Business Route 6, Gavanis took off. Evans gave chase for a time but had to stop because there was too much traffic on the road. Evans suffered an arm injury.

Gavanis was later arrested and arraigned Sunday afternoon. She was held in lieu of $10,000 bail.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Monday.

— JOSEPH KOHUT

The benefits of Keystone Sanitary Landfill’s proposed expansion outweigh known and potential harms of the project, the state Department of Environmental Protection concluded after an environmental assessment.

The department today issued an environmental assessment review letter noting an array of benefits from the proposed expansion, which would allow the landfill in Dunmore and Throop to operate for another 40-plus years. Those benefits include tax revenue, continued employment of local workers, lucrative host agreements with the municipalities and recycling and clean-up programs, among other benefits recognized by DEP.

Keystone also has proposed steps to limit potential harms, according to the review letter. Those include an enhanced monitoring program to address landfill odors, a property value protection plan for local residents and several projects to minimize the potential impact of leachate on ground water, among others, according to DEP.

Now that the environmental assessment is complete, DEP will conduct a technical review of Keystone’s expansion application. There is no timetable for that step, DEP spokeswoman Colleen Connolly said.

Check back for updates.

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

SCRANTON — An 18-year-old Old Forge man who police said broke into the borough high school last month, spray painted swastikas on the walls and defected on the floor waived his right to a preliminary hearing today.

Joshua Rohland, 414 Sussex St., will next go before a county judge on charges of institutional vandalism, criminal mischief, criminal trespass, burglary and possession of a controlled substance.

Police said that Rohland defaced the school June 30. He readily admitted it to police when caught because he is a “sovereign citizen and no laws can hold him,” according to a criminal complaint.

Rohland is free on non-monetary bail.

— JOSEPH KOHUT

An off-duty Scranton firefighter on house arrest for a 2018 DUI was high on fentanyl when he collided with a family of four in Moosic three months ago, police said Monday.

Kyle F. Armbruster, 32, of 23 Marion Circle, Throop, turned himself in at the Lackawanna County Courthouse shortly before noon Monday to face two counts of driving under the influence, four counts of recklessly endangering another person and various traffic citations. This is the third time Armbruster has been charged with DUI in as many years. Police found fentanyl in his system during his last DUI in May 2018, after a crash on Interstate 81 in Luzerne County.

Armbruster’s family told police that he struggles with an addiction to heroin, according to a criminal complaint filed Monday by Moosic Officers James Decker and Jason O’Hora.

One of the DUI counts filed Monday is a felony with a mandatory minimum sentence of one year in jail, District Attorney Mark Powell said. He declined to comment further because it is a pending case.

On April 10, police said Armbruster collided head-on with Connor Knott, 21, Kaila Kays, 23, and their two children — a 3-year-old and a 9-month-old — on the 4400 block of Birney Avenue at about 9:30 p.m.

A crash investigation found that Armbruster’s Ford Explorer was traveling 61 mph just before the airbags deployed.

Since the crash, the two adults have needed physical therapy and the infant has had numerous bouts of vomiting, according to the complaint.

At the scene, Armbruster had difficulty walking and smelled like alcohol. A bottle of Evan Williams Honey bourbon had broken inside his Ford Explorer.

Armbruster gave the police conflicting accounts of what happened. At first, he said he came upon the crash while returning home from a certification class in Wilkes-Barre. Later, while at Geisinger Community Medical Center, he said he swerved to miss a deer, hit a wall and then saw another accident nearby.

However, a witness told officers that he noticed Armbruster’s Ford swerving back and forth while they drove north on Interstate 81. Armbruster got off at Exit 180 for Moosic. The witness followed and saw that the Ford had collided with another vehicle. A woman was screaming for help.

Armbruster was on house arrest for his prior DUI at the time of the crash.

Armbruster has been a city firefighter since Sept. 20, 2016 and earned $47,988.51 in 2018.

Whether he is still a firefighter was unclear Monday. Attempts to reach city Fire Chief Pat DeSarno, city solicitor Jessica Eskra, labor attorney Edwin “Ned” Abrahamsen and Armbruster’s attorney, Christopher J. Szewczyk, were unsuccessful Monday.

Armbruster was held in lieu of $10,000 bail set by Magisterial District Judge Paul J. Ware.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 11 a.m. July 18.

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

DUNMORE — Mayor Timothy Burke today asked borough council to consider an ordinance aimed at curbing illegal all-terrain vehicle traffic in Dunmore.

The ordinance Burke endorsed would be modeled after a Moosic ordinance barring people from using borough gas stations to pump gas directly into any engine-powered vehicle that’s not properly licensed and legally allowed on public highways, roads and streets. That includes ATVs and snowmobiles.

The Moosic ordinance also prohibits gas station owners from allowing customers to pump gas directly into ATVs and related vehicles. Both the gas station owner and person fueling up could face a $600 fine for violating the local law, Moosic Police Chief Rick Janesko said.

Moosic gas stations observe the ordinance and police rarely, if ever, have had to cite ATV riders for violating it, Janesko said. Still, he said Moosic and many other municipalities, including Dunmore, struggle with ATV riders who know police won’t pursue them to avoid creating an even bigger safety hazard.

Arguing that any step making it more difficult for illegal ATV riders to gas up is a good thing, Burke said Dunmore should adopt the ordinance and only allow ATVs to be fueled at gas stations if they’re brought there on a trailer, in the bed of a truck or by some other legal means. He originally asked council to consider Moosic’s ordinance in June 2018, though council never brought the matter to a vote.

Burke expressed frustration at the year-plus delay.

Several members of Dunmore’s council agreed that some action must taken to address illegal ATV traffic, but questioned whether passing an ordinance like Moosic’s was the right step.

Councilman Michael McHale noted that driving an ATV on public roads is already illegal and said he wants to see hard numbers from Moosic before voting on a similar ordinance.

McHale said he’s seen the ATV problem first hand and gotten calls for residents, but doesn’t want to turn gas stations into police stations.

“I believe it’s our job, or maybe it’s my job, to make it tougher for them to get the gas,” Burke said.

Council ultimately agreed to have Solicitor Thomas Cummings review the Moosic ordinance, adapt it to Dunmore and present it to council for further review. Cummings told Burke after the meeting he’d prepare an opinion on whether the ordinance is legal or enforceable prior to any future council vote.

The discussion comes about three months after two teens were injured when their ATV collided with a pickup truck on the top of Drinker Street in the borough.

In other business today, council unanimously approved the transfer of a liquor license from Gangi Inc., 407 George St., Throop, to Sheetz Inc., 1101 O’Neill Highway, Dunmore. Council president Michael Dempsey was not present.

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

Charlie LeStrange won’t speculate on why it took two weeks to get a city inspector to OK his Providence Road diner after a grease fire shut down the place two years ago.

The owner of the Glider Diner knows two things: He never paid a bribe to speed it up, and no one ever asked for one.

Shaking down businesses for an easier path through the permits and inspections office was a trademark of former Scranton Mayor Bill Courtright’s conspiracy and extortion racket. The scandal led to his resignation and guilty plea in federal court last week.

But the man whom voters entrusted to lead the city didn’t lean on everyone equally.

In fact, a few of the city’s most recognized businessmen say he never put pressure on them to sneak stacks of cash or write checks to his campaign as he did with others.

“In one sense, it stopped me from opening up,” LeStrange said of his inspection delay. “But we got a lot of things done in the interim that maybe wouldn’t have been done … we needed some necessary improvements that we had to be down for.”

Charles Jefferson, whose downtown holdings include high-end apartments at Samters Lofts, 426 Mulberry and Connell Lofts, said no one ever solicited him for money either.

He’ll buy tickets for campaign golf outings, he said. That’s common practice, and usually he sends an employee in his place.

That’s nothing like the tactics federal prosecutors laid out in charging documents last week.

Jefferson said he never delivered piles of cash, money orders or offered free work in exchange for favorable permitting decisions.

Slow permitting is something entirely expected in his industry, he said, and he has his own way of dealing with it.

“If we don’t get them in a timely fashion, we beg. We make phone calls. We bother people. It’s the standard fare,” he said.

Even one of the city’s most highly anticipated attractions suffered through permitting delays.

Uncertainty over an occupancy permit delayed the opening of Electric City Aquarium and Reptile Den for several days in August.

When aquarium owner Cliff Grosvenor tried asking the mayor for help, he got the cold shoulder.

“The man would never return a phone call and never stepped foot in here as far as I know,” he said.

Contact the writer:

joconnell@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9131;

@jon_oc on Twitter

July 9, 1924

Tragedy strikes

family again

Tragedy hit the Chesnavage family again.

Frank Chesnavage of Wood Street was killed July 8 in a powder blast in the Diamond Mine of the Glen Alden Coal Co.

Chesnavage had just returned to work at the mine after the murder of his wife. Agnes Chesnavage was shot and killed while she was visiting her friend Magdalen Bogdonis, also of Wood Street, on June 23. Both women were shot and killed by Anthony Paulauskas. According to police, Paulauskas made advances toward Bogdonis, which she rejected.

The couple’s three sons, William, Edward and Frank, were left without parents.

In addition to his sons, Chesnavage was survived by two sisters and a brother.

Furniture maker dead at 79

Patrick F. McNamara of Eynon Street died the morning of July 9 at the age of 79. McNamara reportedly took ill following the death of his wife, Sarah, on June 20.

McNamara, who had lived in West Scranton since 1863, used his skills as a cabinetmaker to open what was believed to be the first furniture store in Scranton, at 815 Eynon St. All the furniture in his store was handmade and prized throughout the city.

In addition to his business, McNamara was active in the city’s Catholic community. He and his wife were among those who organized St. Ann’s Church in the Lincoln Heights section.

He was survived by two sons, John and Thomas.

Summer shopping at Scranton Dry

Summer dresses were $7; girls’ summer dresses were $1.69; summer trimmed hats were $5; uniforms for maids and nurses were $1.95; galvanized ice cream freezers were 98 cents; a 14-piece iced tea set was $1.79; a 25-foot garden hose was $2.59; and a dozen cloth stenciled napkins were 79 cents.

BRIAN FULTON, library manager, oversees The Times-

Tribune’s expansive digital and paper archives and is an authority on local history.

Contact Brian at bfulton@timesshamrock.com or

570-348-9140.

Dunmore’s attempt to recoup more than $230,000 improperly paid to a retired firefighter over 17 years must be heard by an arbitrator, a Lackawanna County judge ruled.

Senior Judge Robert Mazzoni recently ruled the dispute with Joseph A. Riccardo arises from the interpretation of a 1996 contract. The contract includes an arbitration clause, which mandates the dispute first be heard there.

The borough filed a lawsuit against Riccardo in October, alleging he continued to receive $1,153.57 a month to compensate him for unused sick, vacation and holiday time he was owed when he retired on a disability pension in 1996. The payment was supposed to stop after he was paid $55,47.35, which he reached June 12, 2001. An apparent oversight, it continued until January 2018, when the borough halted it after discovering the mistake. Riccardo never advised officials he was still receiving the money.

The suit also asks the court to rule on whether Riccardo could name his adult daughter, who is now in her 40s, and/or his granddaughter as beneficiaries of his $1,622.27 monthly pension when he dies. The pension payment, which he continues to receive, is separate from the payment for the unused time that is in dispute. The borough contends it is not obligated to pay the survivor’s benefit because its pension ordinance only allows children under age 18 to collect a survivor’s pension.

Riccardo’s attorney, Geff Blake, filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit. He raised several arguments, including that the borough was barred from seeking recovery because it waited too long to take action.

Mazzoni did not rule on the merits of any of the claims, however, because he determined the case first must go through the arbitration process. His ruling stays the lawsuit pending resolution of the arbitration.

The decision is a setback for the borough, which wanted Mazzoni to rule on all matters. The borough and Riccardo must now seek appointment of an arbitrator and present their cases, which likely will take several months.

The ruling also may affect a separate lawsuit the borough filed against retired firefighter John Sardo, who was improperly paid $64,156 under circumstances similar to Riccardo’s case.

Sardo’s attorney, Anthony Piazza Jr., recently filed a motion to dismiss, arguing it, too, must first be heard by an arbitrator. No ruling has been made on the matter.

Contact the writer:

tbesecker@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9137;

@tmbeseckerTT on Twitter

THROOP — Lackawanna County commissioners will meet Wednesday at the Throop Municipal Building, 436 Sanderson St., beginning at 6 p.m.

To view a meeting agenda, visit lackawannacounty.org and click “Agendas & Minutes” under the “our LEGISLATION” tab at the top of the website.

— STAFF REPORT

PITTSTON TWP. — Emergency responders Monday rescued a driver from a heavily flooded roadway after hours of heavy rain.

The driver, who was not immediately identified, escaped from the driver’s seat after getting stuck in the rising water and stood on the rig’s hood to await help, said Tony Angelella, rescue captain for the Pittston Twp. Volunteer Fire Department

“One firefighter got dressed in a water rescue suit. They were able to throw him a water rope bag and attached to it was a PFD (personal flotation device). He was able to get the vest on and we pulled him to shore,” Angelella said.

Angelella said he can’t believe he sometimes has to use the word “shore” for the section of Oak Street in Pittston Twp., which is closer to Interstate 81 than the Susquehanna River or any lake.

But during periods of heavy rain, the road floods due to poor drainage. On Monday, the deepest point was about 10 feet after several inches of rain fell overnight, he said.

The road flooded near the Coca-Cola Bottling Co. and R.C. Moore trucking.

“It’s been an ongoing issue. The drainage system just can’t handle it in the area,” Angelella said.

Fire crews were first alerted to the flooding around 6:30 a.m. when a motorist reported getting stuck in the water. The person was able to escape the car and get to dry land before rescue crews arrived, Angelella said.

But the water was still rising.

Crews called the state Department of Transportation, which put signs up advising the road was closed.

The tractor-trailer driver who had to be rescued around 8:30 a.m. was already at the R.C. Moore facility, and the only exit was onto the flooded Oak Street, Angelella said.

Tow trucks waited for hours at the scene for the water to recede.

While the road hasn’t flooded in a while, it happens often enough that the issue should be addressed, Angelella said.

“I’ve been here for 16 years and I’ve been dealing with it ever since,” he said. “Someone should take a look to see if they could figure out the drainage issue. That’s my only suggestion.”

Contact the writer:

bkalinowski@citizensvoice.com;

570-821-2055;

@cvbobkal on Twitter

Longtime event scheduled

This weekend, an array of local artists and antique dealers will set up shop during the Women’s Club of Honesdale’s 57th annual Art & Antiques Show & Sale.

Antique dealers attending the show include Carol Alfred, Antiquated Curiosities from Saylorsburg; Cookie Astringer of Ann Street Antiques in Milford; Martha Bergeson of Bergeson Antiques in Honesdale; C.J. Brown Vintage Linens; Maryann Corey Portable Playhouse; Marilyn Costa of Glenverly Antiques, Waverly; Paul Daugevelo of Ros-Al Antiques; Al Deold, A Touch of Glass of Verona, New Jersey; John Eagle, Joanna Feinberg of Jolene’s Attic Treasures, Easton; Rosemarie Fritz of Fritz-Dakey of Scott Twp.; Paula Gantar, PG Vintage; Marny Gerhart Antiques of Wysox; David Hoffman, David’s Fine Antique Glass and Porcelain of Factoryville; Michael Hostovich, Time Machine Antiques in Hawley and Duck Harbor Shops; William Kelishek of Kelishek’s Yester Toys Greentown; Pat Kern of Pat Kern Antiques, Factoryville; Sandy Kobovitch, The Glass Hat of Hamlin; Robert LaVallee of Treasures from the Past, Lutherville, Maryland; Susan Marcero, The Jeweler’s Corner, Hazleton; Sheila Peakale of Sheila Reider Antiques, Merrick, New York; Kurt Reed Antiques, Waymart; Nancy Reifinger of Peddler’s Antiques, Stroudsburg; Helene Santeramo, Brighten Corners Antiques, Pleasant Mount; Kimberly Shafer Antiques, Clark Summit; Cindy Trumbull, C. Trumbull Antiques, Honesdale; Patty VanDeLinde, Antique Junction, Narrowsburg, New York; Anne Visoky, Anne’s Treasures of Plains; John Walther, the Red Barn of South Egremont, Massachusetts; Teresa Wilkinson of Terry’s Treasures, Freeland; and Katherine Wynne, Wake Robin Antiques, Starrucca.

Artists include: Stephanie Marquette of West Wind Jewelry with semi-precious gemstone handcrafted jewelry; Barbara Carpinito’s nature photography will be on display; Ron Orlando’s and his wildlife paintings; Gregory Pelly with his plein air paintings of Pennsylvania; Joy Warner with her rock painting; Christine Bachtel of the Spirit of Gentleness Farm demonstrating her wool products; Valarie Lewis with wired and fired jewelry designs; and Tracy Meckes of One Womans Junk.

Joeann Knehr’s stained glass will also be featured at the show along with Lynne Doynow’s art kits based on her work for children and adults.

On Saturday, Lyle Turner will entertain with his player piano. On Sunday, Bob Wilson and the Farmers Daughters and Friends will perform at the entrance from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

On both Saturday and Sunday Harry DeVries will work at his caning and rushing; Hillary Anthony of Main Avenue Books in Hawley will provide information on rebinding old books; and Maggie Winchester from Winchester Auction in South Sterling will provide appraisal services — limit five items at $5 per item. There will also be a silent auction on both days.

The show will be held Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Wayne Highlands Middle School, 482 Grove Street, Honesdale. Admission is $6 or $5 with copy of the ad or flyer per person.

It will also feature homemade pie, sandwich platters, quiche, hot dogs and assorted beverages. Proceeds from the event support the club’s scholarship program for local high school seniors and are donated back to local community organizations.

For more details and a complete listing of vendors, visit www.womensclubofhonesdale.com or the Women’s Club of Honesdale Facebook Page or call 570-224-6240.

MARRIAGE LICENSES

■ Shelby Williams, South Abington Twp., and Nathan Paul Donavan, Falls.

■ Donald McHale and Michele Polasky, both of Dunmore.

■ Shawn David Brueilly and Heidi Jo Wilcox, both of Scranton.

■ Joseph Vincent Ruggiero, Scranton, and Marivel Lopez, Vega Baja, Puerto Rico.

■ Dominique Amelia Lisko and Samuel Scott Popejoy, both of Manlius, Illinois.

■ Jeffrey Evan Palmer and Hilary Beth Steinberg, both of Clarks Summit.

■ Eric Scott Aeppli and Mackenzie Kathleen Martin, both of Hudson, New Jersey.

■ John J. Garrity and Jenny M. Vesperino, both of Jessup.

PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS

■ Anne Gallagher, South Abington Twp., to Renee F. Kuwahara, South Abington Twp.; a property at 98 Wyndham Road, South Abington Twp., for $340,000.

■ Tax Claim Bureau of Lackawanna County for Gary J. Applegate, to Calandi Family Irrevocable Trust Agreement; a property at 139 Dundaff St., Carbondale, for $32,500.

■ Villa Inc., Old Forge, to Andrew E. Bennie and Kristin L. Simmons, Old Forge; a property at 15 Stonehill Drive, Old Forge, for $110,000.

■ Tax Claim Bureau of Lackawanna County for Debra A. Grasso to Daniel Wasilewski; a property at 1704 Olive St., Scranton, for $25,500.

■ Tax Claim Bureau of Lackawanna County for 1425 Cherry Street LLC to 2 Spuds LLC; a property at 1425 Cherry St., Scranton, for $44,100.

■ Tax Claim Bureau of Lackawanna County for Maria Encarnacion to Tim Manzer; a property at 509 Wintermantle Ave., Scranton, for $32,000.

■ John Francis Kleinbauer and Valerie Contorno, Archbald, to Ryan C. and Chyann Phillips, Jermyn; a property at 1007 Hill St., Mayfield, for $217,750.

■ Anthony Polito, executor of the estate of Carmela Polito to PA Property Advisors LLC; a property at 124 Cherry St., Archbald, for $59,000.

■ Jesse J. and Tami Martin, Spring Brook Twp., to Matthew T. and Nicole M. Beckish, Spring Brook Twp.; a property at 618 Route 690, Spring Brook Twp., for $70,000.

DIVORCE SOUGHT

■ Jennifer Monssen, Lake­wood, v. Georg Monssen, Han­cock, New York; married Nov. 8, 2003 in New Orleans, Louisi­ana; Brian J. Cali, attorney.

■ Toni Anne Meleski, Scran­ton, v. Timothy A. Meleski, Madison Twp.; married July 10, 2009 in Scranton; Brain J. Cali, attorney.

■ Brianne Dzwieleski, Thorn­hurst Twp., v. Curtis Dzwieleski, Lackawanna County; married May 17 in Moscow.

FEDERAL TAX LIEN

■ Anthony P. Amendolaro, 308 South St., Moscow; $7,719.26.

■ Lois Glodzik, 1605 Hilltop Drive, Clarks Summit; $195,266.32.

■ Centers for Healing Scran­ton Inc., 810 Green Ridge St., Scranton; $15,132.74.

■ Donald J. Major, 509 N. Main St., Old Forge; $16,167.67.

ONLINE: thetimes-tribune.com/courts

Bill Courtright’s misdeeds sent shockwaves through Scranton’s business community.

The small army of commercial real estate companies, promoters and nonprofits who sell the city to outsiders scrambled after news last week that the former mayor demanded bribes in exchange for government contracts and favor in the licensing and permits office.

In the immediate aftermath of Courtright’s resignation and subsequent guilty plea, John Cognetti, of Hinerfeld Commercial Real Estate, said his contacts in places like New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia hadn’t called yet to ask “what’s going on?” but he expected they would soon.

“It really does affect the image of Northeastern Pennsylvania because, when people who are looking to come from outside the market, if they Google ‘Scranton,’ this is what’s going to hit them,” he said.

He’s right.

Local stories about the Scranton scandal occupied four of the top 10 Google News search results Monday afternoon. One week after Courtright resigned, it was still a top story.

Courtright pleaded guilty last Tuesday to federal charges of bribery, conspiracy and extortion. Prosecutors accused him of squeezing tens of thousands of dollars from vendors and business owners.

This latest episode follows others in which powerful elected officials behaved badly. Collectively, they’re giving Scranton and the surrounding area a big black eye.

“I think Scranton for quite a while has been considered a pay-to-play type community,” said advertising agency executive Phil Condron of Condron Media. That label wraps around the Scranton School District and county government, too, he said.

“We’ve seen challenges in electing people who are interested in only doing the right thing rather than what they can get out of it,” he said.

Scranton has only a handful of prominent outside developers, but those who pump capital and fresh ideas into the city, whether they pay to play or not, get lumped together.

“It casts a shadow over those that have come to Scranton and also could discourage other people from coming to Scranton,” Cognetti said.

That’s the tough news.

There’s good news, too. And nobody was ready to say Courtright’s crimes will sink the city, which is on its way out of its state-designated financial distress status.

“We are very confident that Scranton will continue to move forward,” said Leslie Collins, executive director of the community and economic development agency Scranton Tomorrow. “Now more than ever it is critical for us, as an organization, that we stay focused and continue to move forward with our organizational mission.”

The region has seen a number of high profile milestones despite the seemingly revolving door of corruption, and Bob Durkin, president of the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce, singled out a couple recent ones, including Federal Opportunity Zones and LERTA tax abatement programs.

The chamber was also key in bringing in New York/New Jersey firm HJA Strategies to help the city climb out of its Act 47 financially distressed designation. The chamber helped pay for HJA in 2014, its first year on the job.

West Scranton’s Mount Pleasant Corporate Center, a former colliery and cinder block company, is almost fully occupied with tax-paying tenants that offer good jobs, he said.

“So many good people are trying to do good things, and I’m not including just the chamber. ... To besmirch the name of this community yet again is just unconscionable,” Durkin said. “We’ve continued to just put our shoulders to the wheel and keep moving forward.”

Contact the writer:

joconnell@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9131;

@jon_oc on Twitter

LENOX, N.Y. — The body of a 51-year-old Plains Twp. man was recovered from a lake in central New York three days after he went missing while swimming.

The Oneida County Sheriff’s Office said the body of James Gambini was recovered around 6:15 a.m. Monday from the South Bay area of Oneida Lake.

Gambini was transported to the Onondaga Medical Examiner’s Office for further investigation.

Gambini was reported missing shortly after 6:30 p.m. Friday after he jumped off a boat to swim and never resurfaced.

The body of another missing swimmer was recovered from Oneida Lake on Sunday. The sheriff’s office says 62-year-old Richard Whitney of West Monroe, New York, went swimming from a boat at Lakeshore Yacht Club around 3 p.m. Saturday. His body was found about 24 hours later by state police using sonar equipment.

Police charged a Wilkes-Barre woman with felony child endangerment on Sunday after her 2-year-old daughter suffered serious dog bite wounds.

Officers responded to Wilkes-Barre General Hospital at 6:05 p.m. Sunday for a report that a child had been bitten by a dog and was about to be flown to another hospital for treatment, according to a police affidavit.

Officers observed puncture wounds, scratches and a 4-inch laceration that started near the girl’s left ear and fully exposed her jaw, the affidavit states.

Mary Biedka, 30, the girl’s mother, appeared to be intoxicated and gave numerous accounts of how the girl had been injured, according to the affidavit.

Biedka at first said a black dog that looked like a wolf attacked her daughter as they walked near a Turkey Hill convenience store. She could not specify the store’s location. Officers checked several Turkey Hill stores in the city and found no signs of a dog attack, the affidavit states.

Biedka said she was staying with a friend named Joseph White but did not know his address. Police found an address for a man of that name on North Pennsylvania Avenue. When they went to the home, they found blood on the porch and door and heard dogs inside the house.

Police later contacted White, who said he had been sleeping when Biedka started screaming and told him the girl had been attacked by a dog at the Turkey Hill on George Avenue. He then drove Biedka and the girl to the hospital, he said.

Officers took Biedka into custody and she agreed to be interviewed, according to the affidavit. She then said she had been doing laundry while her daughter played with two dogs in the backyard of the North Pennsylvania Avenue home. She said she heard a loud commotion, ran outside and found her daughter bleeding profusely from the face and neck. She then ran inside and woke up White, she said.

Biedka told police she had snorted meth Sunday morning, the affidavit states.

Biedka was charged with endangering the welfare of a child and false reports. She was arraigned and released on $10,000 unsecured bail, pending a preliminary hearing scheduled for July 25.

Contact the writer:

emark@citizensvoice.com

570-821-2117