Q: I was told I have a seized engine in my 2012 Hyundai, with a 3.5 V6.

How does one check to confirm this conclusion?

— BLAIR

A: When you pick up your checkbook, Blair, do you hear a whooshing sound? The sound of money rapidly leaving your account is a pretty good confirmation.

I assume your car suddenly died on you, and the engine would not restart. The first thing we’d do is check your engine oil level.

Running out of oil is a frequent cause of engine seizing. So, if you’re out of oil, that’s a big clue that you ran out of lubrication, and your engine parts rubbed themselves together into a permanent sculpture, rather than a functioning engine. If checking the oil is inconclusive, or if there is still sufficient oil in the crankcase, we’ll try to turn the crankshaft with a wrench.

Every crankshaft has a pulley, which is held on by a bolt on the front of the engine. You can put a wrench on that bolt and use it to try to turn the crankshaft. So, we’ll put a socket on the bolt, attach a breaker bar and see if the crankshaft will turn. If it won’t turn, that tells you that you no longer have engine parts. You have an engine part.

If you don’t have confidence in the mechanic who diagnosed it for you, you can have it towed to a mechanic you trust more and ask him to do these tests.

However, if you know you did something drastic, like never changing the oil, running the car out of oil, or overheating the bejeebers out of the engine, then you may very well have seized it, Blair. In which case, the engine is toast.

That means it’s time to film “The Blair Engine Project.” Or “The Buy Blair a New Car Project.” Good luck.

Valuable valve

knowledge

Q: I’m hearing a clicking or tapping noise from my 2010 Honda Pilot. It has 110,000 miles on it. The valves have never been adjusted, nor has the timing belt been replaced (I know it’s time).

I’m reading and hearing all sorts of comments that when the valves get noisy, they are in need of adjustment. But I have also heard that when valves get tight, that is when they need adjustment.

Two-part question: Which of the above explanations is right and why, and how much should I pay for a valve adjustment? Thank you for your help.

— GORDON

A: They’re both right, and since this is a V-6 engine, it could easily cost you $400-$500 to have the valves adjusted. That’ll include new valve cover gaskets.

You could be cheap and try to put the valve covers back on using the old gaskets, but that’s kind of like taking a shower and then not bothering to change your underwear.

We’ve found that Hondas do require regular valve adjustments. Honda recommends it every 105,000 miles, when you change the timing belt. But we recommend our customers check their valves every 75,000 miles.

Here’s why: Honda valves have a unique propensity to get too tight over time, and if valves get too tight, you don’t hear anything.

But valves that are too tight won’t close all the way, and if they remain open during the combustion process, hot gases will blow past the valves and eventually melt them. Pretty soon, you’ll have a five-cylinder Pilot. Then a four-cylinder Pilot, etc.

If you think a valve adjustment is expensive, just wait until you need 24 valve replacements. That’s thousands of dollars.

Having valves that are too loose is a problem, too. But at least with loose valves, you get a warning — a clattering noise — if you pay attention to such things.

Now, it’s possible for some of your valves to be too loose (that’s when they make noise) and some of your valves to be too tight (when they don’t make noise, but they’re even more apt to be damaged).

So, you should go to a mechanic who knows Honda engines. At the very least, let your regular mechanic know that you understand that Honda valves sometimes get too tight, and you want to be sure he checks for tight valves as well as loose valves.

Those tight valves are what the kids call silent but deadly, Gordon. Get it done soon.

WILKES-BARRE — A North Carolina-based media company has acquired the Times Leader, the company announced Friday.

Avant Publications has purchased the daily newspaper along with its branded publications, including the Weekender, the Sunday Dispatch, the Abington Journal and its digital properties, according to the announcement. The properties were owned by Civitas Media, a portfolio company of Philadelphia-based private equity firm Versa Capital Management.

The announcement identifies Avant’s leadership as chief executives Scott Champion and Andrew Mok, Chief Financial Officer Corey Champion and Chief Technology Officer Nick DeLorenzo.

The Champions own Champion Media, which owns five daily newspapers and 21 weeklies in North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Minnesota and Virginia. In 2017, Champion Media acquired Civitas’ properties in North Carolina and South Carolina, including five daily newspapers and 16 weeklies, according to an announcement in The Sampson (North Carolina) Independent.

That announcement described Scott Champion as having more than 40 years of experience in the newspaper industry.

Times Leader staff members appeared optimistic by the acquisition.

“I think we are all relieved,” said one staffer who spoke on condition of anonymity. “This guy is a newspaper owner. He strikes me as a rich guy who likes the business.”

A message left at a number listed for Avant Publications was not immediately returned Friday afternoon. DeLorenzo also did not immediately return a cellphone message seeking comment.

The sale, for an undisclosed price, follows a series of major cuts implemented by Civitas Media, including a decision to halve the paper’s sports department in March and a round of cuts last August that terminated the employment of the paper’s life editor, the director of marketing and administration and a staff photographer.

Also last year, Civitas sold the Times Leader headquarters building at 15 N. Main St. in Wilkes-Barre to King’s College for $725,000, moving its newsroom, advertising and circulation departments to the Times Leader production facility on East Market Street near Pennsylvania Avenue.

Circulation numbers have showed The Citizens’ Voice has been increasing its daily and Sunday lead over The Times Leader in recent years.

According to the Alliance for Audited Media, which verifies newspaper sales figures, the Times Leader’s Monday-Saturday circulation in the second quarter of the year was 13,257 and its Sunday circulation was 15,696. The Citizens’ Voice had a Monday-Saturday circulation of 18,498 and a Sunday circulation of 20,168, the alliance reported.

Contact the writer:

jhalpin@citizensvoice.com

570-821-2058

The 28 students enrolled in the University of Scranton’s High School Business Scholars Programs completed a total of 192 college credits over the past year.

All while enrolled and keeping up on their high school courses.

On Thursday, they had their last summer class at the university before high school starts up again — marking first year of the successful program.

High School Business Scholars was created in 2018 by university professors and Lackawanna County natives Douglas Boyle, DBA, MBA, CPA, CMA, an associate professor and accounting department chairman at the university; and Daniel P. Mahoney, Ph.D., CPA, CFE, who, along with professor Jim Boyle, donate their compensation from teaching the additional classes back to the program.

During the program, high school students completing their sophomore or junior year take college-level courses in the university’s business school as well as humanities courses throughout the year.

Alyssa Moore and Marisol Olivares, both 17, have been enrolled in the program since the beginning last school year.

Alyssa always had an interest in business and wanted to get a head start on her career.

“It helps me decide what field I actually want to go into,” she said.

Alyssa is preparing for her senior year at Mid Valley High School but through the program she’s already completed 25 college credits.

The business field was not something Marisol was interested in, despite being from a family of business owners.

Her brother encouraged her to enroll in the program that has not only given her a better grasp on organization and time management but helped her figure out her future goals.

“I have an idea and a plan,” she said.

Marisol, a junior at North Pocono High School, plans to major in accounting and minor in finance, Spanish and pre-law. She hopes to eventually go to law school and open her own accounting or law firm.

The students will have more than a year advantage on their peers when they get enroll in college, said Doug Boyle.

While the program exceeded Doug Boyle’s original goal to help the students with the financial burden of college, another lesser goal came front and center.

“The other goal, I didn’t anticipate so much, is how much it’s helping them find out what they want to do in life,” he said.

The University of Scranton’s Accounting Department is hosting a Business High School Scholars Dinner as a fundraiser for the program on Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Rose Room, fifth floor of Brennan Hall, 320 Madison Ave., Scranton. Cost is $50 per person. There is no cost for students and each student may bring one guest free of charge. For more details, contact 570-941-4047.

To donate to the program, visit www.app.mobilecause.com/vf/HSBusiness.

Contact the writer:

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

@kbolusTT on Twitter

Business Scholars qualifications

To qualify, for the University of Scranton’s High School Business Scholars Programs, local high school students must have a minimum of a 3.3 (B+) grade point average. They can take a maximum of three credits per session — individual exceptions may be made if GPA/SAT scores substantiate the request — and successfully completed courses (C or better) are given University of Scranton credit and are accepted toward a degree at the university.

A month after the Pennsylvania Game Commission began searching for a loose pig near Lake Scranton, animal rescues, sanctuaries and residents are trying to save the missing pig’s life.

The game commission learned of the pig in early July and has been working to trap and euthanize it with the United States Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services. Pigs can carry a variety of diseases and are detrimental to indigenous wildlife, game commission officials have said.

As of Friday, the pig had not been captured, according to game commission information and education supervisor Bill Williams. The pig would have its brain matter tested after being euthanized, he said.

When Dunmore resident Marissa Minichello learned that the game commission would euthanize the pig, she offered to adopt it herself.

“It’s like if your dog got loose,” she said. “Are you going to let the game commission shoot it?”

Minichello has her own pet pig named Norman.

“What if, God forbid, he got out and someone called. Would they euthanize (him)?” she said.

Additionally, two animal groups have offered to save the pig, including Indraloka Animal Sanctuary in Mehoopany and Ross Mill Farm in Rushland.

Indra Lahiri, founder and president of Indraloka, has been rescuing pigs for more than 20 years, but she has never seen law enforcement decide to euthanize an animal instead of placing it in protective custody to be assessed by behavioral experts, she said.

The only disease that would require euthanasia and brain testing is rabies, and even then, there are other options, Lahiri said.

“Even with rabies, a quarantine is a perfectly legitimate way to make sure the animal is not sick,” she said.

Indraloka reached out to the game commission this week and offered to help capture the pig, assess its temperament and provide it with an appropriate home for the rest of its life, she said. The commission told her it would contact her if it wanted her help, she said.

Ross Mill Farm, a pig rescue based in Southeast Pennsylvania, has rescued more than 1,000 pigs since it began keeping records in 1999, said owner Susan Magidson. Like Indraloka, it offered to save the wayward pig, which Magidson identified as a pet pig — likely a potbelly — based on photos she saw.

The game commission does not give approval to outside agencies to capture animals, Williams said. He could not comment on any specific penalties for doing so.

“Any interference would have to be dealt with because we’re taking care of it,” Williams said.

Contact the writer:

flesnefsky@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9100 x5181;

@flesnefskyTT on Twitter

A mosquito near Robinson Park in Scranton marked the first confirmed case of West Nile virus for the year in Lackawanna County on Friday.

Random testing by the county’s West Nile virus coordinator and the state Department of Environmental Protection found a single case in East Mountain, according to a statement from Mayor Wayne Evans.

Lackawanna County has had at least one confirmed case of West Nile virus every year since 2010, according to the DEP. Last year, the county had 46 confirmed cases in mosquitoes and three instances of the disease in birds. The last time a human tested positive for West Nile in the county was in 2017, according to the DEP.

There has been no reported human transmission of the virus this year, and the species of mosquito carrying West Nile primarily feeds on birds and other mammals and is less likely to infect humans, according to Evans.

As a precaution, the city immediately closed the park and will have Scranton police patrol the area to ensure no one is trespassing until officials determine it is safe, Evans said.

The area has already been sprayed to eliminate the virus, and Lackawanna County will be spraying most, if not all, of East Mountain beginning at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, according to Evans.

The spraying aims to reduce high populations of mosquitoes capable of transmitting the disease, county West Nile virus coordinator Rocco Genovese said in a statement.

The virus can cause West Nile encephalitis, which is an infection that can cause brain inflammation, Genovese said.

Crews will use truck-mounted equipment to spray 1 ounce of AquaDUET per acre, Genovese said. The product is designed to quickly control adult mosquito populations and has a “very low toxicity profile to mammals,” he said in the statement.

It will have a negligible effect on other insects and the environment, he said.

Contact the writer:

flesnefsky

@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9100 x5181;

@flesnefskyTT on Twitter

SCRANTON — Prosecutors will dismiss charges against a former Lackawanna County Prison guard accused of sexually assaulting a female inmate at the jail.

The state attorney general’s office filed a motion Friday in county court to withdraw the case against Paul J. Voglino, who was awaiting trial on one count of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse.

Voglino, 46, Rear 4 Orchard St., Carbondale, is among seven former county corrections officers who were charged in February 2018 with sexually abusing inmates after an investigation by a statewide grand jury.

Investigators accused him of having sexual contact with a female prisoner in the early 2000s.

The Times-Tribune does not identify victims of sexual assault.

Voglino’s attorney, Joseph D’Andrea, said he could not express how happy his client is that the commonwealth decided to withdraw the charges.

“We firmly believed from the beginning that they had no factual or legal basis for the charges, and we were prepared to fight this to the end,” he said.

Bradford County Senior Judge Jeffrey Smith, who was appointed to preside over Voglino’s case, is expected to consider the motion Aug. 29 at a previously scheduled pretrial hearing for Voglino and another guard, James J. Walsh.

However, D’Andrea said he intends to ask the court to sign an order immediately.

Efforts to reach the attorney general’s office were unsuccessful Friday.

In asking the court to approve dismissal of the charges, Deputy Attorney General Rebecca A. Elo said in her motion that Voglino provided material information to investigators and agreed to cooperate and testify if called upon to do so.

D’Andrea said as a condition for dismissing the charges, investigators asked Voglino to cooperate “as have dozens of people at the jail” and share any information he might have about potential wrongdoing at the prison.

“He was asked questions, and they were answered honestly,” D’Andrea said.

Calling his client “completely innocent,” the attorney said Voglino would have rejected any arrangement proposed by prosecutors that would have required him to accept criminal responsibility, even for a summary offense.

Voglino, a guard at the jail from 1994 until he was fired shortly after his arrest in 2018, will seek to return to work at the prison, D’Andrea said.

Three other former guards still await trial.

Mark A. Johnson, 55, Scranton, is scheduled to go on trial Sept. 23 before Judge Julia Munley on two counts each of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and institutional sexual assault and one count each of indecent assault and harassment.

Smith has set no trial dates for Walsh, 52, Roaring Brook Twp., who faces four counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, or John Shnipes Jr., 44, Archbald, who is charged with six counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, four counts of aggravated indecent assault and two counts each of institutional sexual assault and harassment.

In February, a jury acquitted former guard George T. McHale, 52, Scranton, on all charges.

Not long after, two other guards, Jeffrey T. Staff, 43, Clarks Summit, and George R. Efthimiou, 51, Taylor, each pleaded no contest to official oppression. They received probationary sentences.

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

At least four Democrats want the Scranton Democratic Party’s nomination to run in a special election for mayor.

So far, no Republicans have applied for their party’s nomination.

At least two men are also planning independent candidacies.

Scranton will have a special election for mayor on Nov. 5 to serve the remaining two years of former Mayor Bill Courtright’s term starting Jan. 6.

Courtright resigned July 1 and pleaded guilty the next day to taking bribes, attempted extortion and criminal conspiracy. He is scheduled for sentencing Nov. 14.

Last week, City Council named Councilman Wayne Evans to replace Courtright until the special election decides the next mayor. The winner of the special election will serve the remainder of his term; the post pays $75,000 a year.

The four announced Democrats are:

City Councilman Kyle T. Donahue, 33. Donahue, a former Scranton school director, is in the middle of his first term as a councilman. He said two weeks ago he would seek the mayoral nomination, though he has not submitted a resume to the city committee.

Attorney John J. McGovern Jr., 48. McGovern, also a certified public accountant, is the lawyer for a group of citizens challenging the city’s tax structure in Lackawanna County Court. The challenge claims the city violated limits on revenues collected from income and other taxes for years and seeks a refund to taxpayers. “My resume and track record would say maybe I’m the right person,” McGovern said.

Attorney Francis P. McHale, 68. McHale, a retired administrative officer for the state Workers’ Insurance Fund, also owns four rental properties in Scranton. He ran unsuccessfully last year for the 112th state House District representative seat.

McHale said his background qualifies him for the job.

“I want to do something. I care about the city,” he said.

Charles Wasko, 49.

Efforts to reach Wasko and Donahue were unsuccessful.

City Democratic chairman Bob Sheridan said Friday only McHale and Wasko applied in writing.

At least two other Democrats haven’t ruled out a run.

Scranton School Director Katie Gilmartin, 41, said Friday she’s “very, very seriously considering” asking the city Democratic committee for the nomination. She plans to decide “pretty soon.”

Thom Welby, 70, the chief of staff to state Rep. Marty Flynn, said he’s still undecided about running. Welby applied for the interim post that went to Evans.

“Five months, I could do,” he said, sounding quite uncertain about running.

One well-known Democrat ruled himself out Friday: Lackawanna County Controller Gary DiBileo. Seeking reelection to his present job in the Nov. 5 municipal election, he said he won’t seek the mayor position. DiBileo ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 2005 and 2009.

On the Republican side, former city councilman and former Lackawanna County Republican Party chairman Paul Catalano, 77, owner of a popular West Scranton delicatessen and market, said he’s thinking about seeking the nomination.

Two men who previously wanted to run for mayor as third-party candidates are considering taking another shot.

Downtown pizzeria owner Giovanni Piccolino, 43, and Gary St. Fleur, 35, a writer, are circulating nominating papers to get enough signatures to go on the ballot. They need at least 212 signatures.

Both failed to get enough valid signatures to run for mayor as third-party candidates in 2017. LaFleur is one of the citizens challenging the city’s tax structure.

Sheridan set a deadline of Aug. 9 for Democrats to submit resumes and letters of intent.

The party committee expects to interview prospective nominees on Aug. 19. Applications may be sent to the Scranton Democratic Committee, c/o Bob Sheridan, 830 Meadow Ave., Scranton, PA 18505.

Lackawanna County Republican Party Chairman Lance Stange said the party will accept resumes and letters of intent until Aug. 18 with interviews either Aug. 19 or 20. The applications may be sent to the party’s email address, lackawannagop@gmail.com.

“I think there’s a lot of people who are sort of thinking about it,” Stange said.

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

@BorysBlogTT on Twitter

At least one of every 14 absentee ballots cast in the election last November in seven Northeast Pennsylvania counties arrived too late to count, local and federal figures show.

The late absentee rate could be higher than Pennsylvania as a whole, but it’s hard to tell. That’s because federal figures used to calculate the state rate show zero late absentees in more than a third of the state’s 67 counties, and at least three zero-reporting counties definitely had late absentees.

In the midterm election, at least 7.1% of the absentee votes in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike, Susquehanna, Wyoming and Wayne counties arrived beyond the deadline for counting them, based on figures from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission and election officials in Lackawanna and Wayne counties.

Luzerne County election officials claim a lower number of absentees and late absentees than the commission. County officials say they had 292 absentees submitted too late to count out of 4,450 submitted. The commission says the late absentees totaled 447 out of 4,650 absentees. The commission gets its numbers from the state Department of State.

Department of State and county officials could not determine why the numbers differ.

The Times-Tribune used the federal commission’s figures for its calculation.

Statewide, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported last week, the percentage of late absentees was 4.2%, or 11 times the national rate.

The state rate is likely higher. The Inquirer reported Bucks County had hundreds of late absentees and reported none, and Philadelphia had far more than reported to the commission.

Bucks is among the 23 of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties that reported zero late absentees, according to the federal commission’s figures.

The 23 reporting zero late absentees include Lackawanna and Wayne counties, but election directors in both provided numbers to The Times-Tribune that were used in the calculations for this story.

Lackawanna County elections Director Marion Medalis said the county had 269 late absentees. Wayne County elections Director Cindy Furman said her county had 43.

The state does not require reporting late absentees, and Medalis said she doesn’t scan late absentees into the county’s vote-counting system because they don’t count.

“If a county shows a zero ... it would appear the county did not record any of their absentees that were returned after the deadline through the tool that we provide,” Department of State spokeswoman Wanda Murren said.

Medalis and others blame the late absentees on the short time — three days — between the deadline to apply for an absentee ballot and the deadline for elections offices to receive a completed ballot for it to count. The receipt deadline is four days before an election. Too often, Furman said, voters don’t pay attention to the deadlines.

If a ballot isn’t physically in an elections office by the Friday before a Tuesday election, votes on the ballot can’t count.

Pennsylvania voters submitted more than 195,953 absentee ballots in 2018, with 8,474 rejected because of a missed deadline, according to Election Assistance Commission statistics supplemented by the Lackawanna and Wayne figures The Times-Tribune obtained.

The seven local counties received more than 14,000 absentees, regardless of the differences in Luzerne County figures. Here are the figures with the difference in Luzerne County noted:

Lackawanna: 3,831 absentee ballots, 269 late, 7%.

Luzerne: 4,620 absentee ballots, 447 late, 9.7%, according to the commission. 4,450 absentee ballots, 292 late, 6.6%, according to the county.

Monroe: 2,422 absentee ballots, 193 late, 8%.

Pike: 1,711 absentee ballots, 79 late, 4.6%.

Susquehanna: 755 absentee ballots, 15 late, 2%.

Wayne: 1,100 absentee ballots, 43 reported late, 3.9%.

Wyoming: 450 absentee ballots, 17 late, 3.8%.

Gov. Tom Wolf plans to pursue changes to absentee voting. The present system limits absentee voting to someone who is out of town or unable to get to a polling place on Election Day. Wolf’s plan would allow anyone to vote absentee for any reason.

“The governor believes the current absentee ballot system is archaic and out of touch with the lives of modern voters. He will pursue legislation that provides ‘no-excuse’ absentee ballots, where registered voters can use an absentee ballot if it is most convenient for them,” Wolf spokesman J.J. Abbott said. “The governor also supports extending the deadline to return an absentee ballot in-person to 8 p.m. on the day before the primary or general election. For mailed ballots, the governor supports a return deadline of the Friday after the primary or general election.”

Furman cautioned that could turn problematic. Someone could wait until the day after the election to vote and still turn in a ballot on time. Requiring a postmark no later than Election Day could solve that problem, she said.

Furman said the tight deadline wouldn’t be a problem if absentee voters paid attention to deadlines and applied earlier.

Susquehanna County voter registration Director Macy Rudock and Medalis said extending the filing deadlines for mailed ballots by a week wouldn’t cause much trouble.

Absentee ballots that arrive by the Friday after an election would arrive just as she begins the official count, Medalis said.

However, Wyoming County elections Director Flo Kellett said extending the deadlines would likely require delaying the date an official count begins.

Contact the writer:

bkrawczeniuk@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9147;

@BorysBlogTT on Twitter

The trial for a Wyoming County man accused of killing a 24-year-old woman and dumping her body in the Susquehanna River in Falls Twp. is delayed two months.

Police said Phillip Donald Walters, 32, of Mill City, killed his live-in girlfriend, Haley Lorenzen, in December.

After the discovery of her body 22 miles downstream near Plymouth in Luzerne County on July 20, District Attorney Jeff Mitchell announced Walters was scheduled for a September trial date. He also said the investigation is continuing.

However, during pretrial motions in President Judge Russell Shurtleff’s chambers Thursday, Walters’ attorney Timothy Michaels requested a continuance until mid-November for a jury trial so he could build his case. Shurtleff granted his request.

Walters was arrested Jan. 9 and charged with criminal homicide. He remains jailed at the Wyoming County Correctional Facility.

Walters also faces a set of criminal charges dealing with child pornography, which were alleged June 13 after five images were discovered on a forensic scan of his cellphone. Those separate charges were bound over Friday to Wyoming County Court.

Contact the writer:

bbaker@wcexaminer.com;

570-836-2123 x36

SCRANTON — A man who says he was wrongly arrested after police mistook legal hemp for marijuana was granted unsecured bail Friday.

Joseph Molitor, 46, formerly of Old Forge, had been jailed since June 6 on charges of delivery of a controlled substance. Prosecutors alleged he attempted to mail packages of marijuana to several people. Police were alerted to the packages by a postal employee, who suspected they contained marijuana because of the smell.

Molitor, owner of the CBD Shop of Northeastern Pennsylvania, contends the packages contained hemp flower, which looks and smells like marijuana. Hemp is legal as long as the level of tetrahydrocannabinol­, or THC, which produces the “high” of marijuana, is 0.3 % or less. Marijuana has a THC level of 0.5 % or more. The problem, he says, is police tested only for the presence of THC, not the level.

Molitor remained jailed because he was not able to post a percentage of the $25,000 bail that was set. On Friday, the Lackawanna County district attorney’s office agreed to modify his bail to $25,000 unsecured.

Contact the writer:

tbesecker@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9137;

@tmbeseckerTT on Twitter

Aug. 4, 1969

Rain in forecast

for five more days

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Weather Bureau put out its forecast for the next five days, urging people to keep those umbrellas handy. The bureau was predicting rain for all five days — and it already had been raining for four days.

Heavy rain at the end of July contributed to a monthly total of 6.81 inches, nearly 2 inches above the average for July.

Weather watchers reported that rivers were in their normal range for depth despite all the rain, but local streams seemed to be rising.

An official with the Weather Bureau said the longest stretch of rainy days in Scranton took place in 1906, when it rained for 27 days straight starting July 15.

McCormick hears Methodist jazz

At the invitation of Bishop J. Gordon Howard of the United Methodist Church, the Most Rev. J. Carroll McCormick, Catholic bishop of Scranton, attended Methodist services at the Newfoundland Arts Center that featured liturgical jazz music on Aug. 3.

The music was provided by the Howard Hanger Trio of Emory University in Atlanta. The trio performed such pieces as “Scarborough Fair” by Simon & Garfunkel and Dave Brubeck’s “Unsquare Dance.”

Shopping list

Cube steak was 99 cents per pound; boneless chuck roasts were 69 cents per pound; a 1-pound package of bologna or pickle loaf was 79 cents; a 10-pound bag of potatoes was 89 cents; tomatoes were 25 cents per pound; a 12-pack of Yukon Club soda was 99 cents; and a box of Saltine crackers was 23 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.

High notes

Body Blueprint owner Christie Estadt organized a fundraiser which raised $1,000 for the Northeast Regional Cancer Institute.

At the personal training company in Clarks Summit, members and nonmembers including: Tess McGovern, Susan Burke, Leslie Hesser, Reagan Hesser, Riley Hesser, Marilee Barone, Fred Forte, Michelle McGovern, Garth Estadt, Mike Intoccia, Shirley Intoccia, Barb Lemoncelli, Mike Normandia, Ronda Schiavone, Roberta Desantos and Lisa Avvisato participated in a 28 Day Ab Challenge.

They paid a nominal fee to participate in the challenge. Estadt came up with the idea for the fundraiser. Staff trainer, Burke, is a colon cancer survivor and was a team captain for the Cancer Institute’s annual colon cancer awareness campaign, CASUAL Day.

Festival set

Alicia, Paul and Katie Patchoski are serving as co-chairs of St. Joseph Melkite Greek-Catholic Church’s 18th annual Lebanese-American Food Festival.

Kathie Abda Barrett and Karen Abda Kane are in charge of baked goods and pastries; Tony Barrett Jr., scheduling; Betsy Zaydon, advertising, social media and baskets; Terri Patchoski, books and raffles; and the Rev. Christopher Manuele, pastor, festival coordinator.

Volunteers including: Leo and Eve Fitzpatrick, Elizabeth and Margaret Clark, Gabriel and Sophie Fitzpatrick, Anastasia Clark, Annie Fitzpatrick, Patrick Clark, Joe Mierzejewski, Jacob Patchoski, Symeon Clark, Marylou Vandorick, Brian Patchoski, Tom Bolus and Judith Manuele recently finished rolling stuffed grape leaves to sell during the festival which will be held Friday from 5 to 9 p.m.; Saturday from 4 to 10 p.m.; and Sunday from noon to 7 p.m. at the church, 130 N. St.

Frances Cabrini Ave., West

Scranton.

Other ethnic food includes: kibbee, shish-kebobs, meat and spinach pies, tabbouli, hummus, baklava and pastries along with local picnic favorites including: potato pancakes, sausage and peppers, burgers and pizza fritta. The event also features kids games, 50/50, baskets, clams and beer, a used book sale, musical entertainment, church tours and Feast Day liturgies and services.

For details, visit melkitescranton.org; Melkite Scranton on Facebook or email: melkite.scranton@gmail.com.

Employees recognized

Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine employees, Professor of Biochemistry, Patrick M. Boyd, Ph.D., Kate Powell and Fran Wolk were recently recognized.

Boyd is the 2019 faculty STAR award winner. STAR stands for “Service, Teamwork, Accountability and Resourcefulness.”

Powell and Wolk were honored with staff STAR awards.

Powell was recognized for her work developing and managing GCSOM’s standardized patient program. Wolk was honored for her work as associate workstation support analyst.

The awards were presented during GCSOM’s Faculty and Staff Recognition Day. Also, at the celebration, employees received 10-year and five-year service awards.

LAKELAND JR.-SR. HIGH SCHOOL

GRADE 12

High honors: Alyssa Albino, Justin Burkhart, Samantha Chell, Kassidy Chuff, Gabriella Comes, Alyssa Daniels, Cheyenne Dippre, Matthew Fischer, Shelby Fives, Hadley Gilbert, Abigayle Hunt, Joyce Gavin, Carissa Kishbaugh, Kayla Kozlowski, James Lewis, Nicholas Liuzzo, Paige McClain, Shayne Mizok, Tyler Prudente, Adam Retzbach, Morgan Romanowski, Haylee Sacknievich, Jessica Saxon, Taylor Schlasta, Emily Seamans, Gianna Telesco, Katelyn Thomas and Evan Tremback.

Honor roll: Gerard Borosky, Ethan Brainard, Alec Bryla, Samantha Caputo, Camryn Frazier, Tyler Hewett, Jacob Hodorovich, Kaitlyn Houman, Emily Lambert, Logan Lukasik, Mikayla Marino, Lucas Osburn, Thomas Pidgeon, Lindsay Rupp, Dakota Smith, Gary Snipes, Danielle Snyder, Christian Swatt, Henry Trapp, Richard Turner, Matthew Urda, Colin Walsh and Sara Wanat.

GRADE 11

High honors: Amanda Bales, Tanner Begin, Nicholas Bertholf, Isabella Brown, Aubree Budzinski, Alyssa Catanzaro, Camryn Cerminaro, Thomas Chandler, Izabella Chmil, Rhianna Cicio, Mckenzie Connor, Ashley Dooley, Kayla Drutherosky, Ashleigh Earyes, Kairlyn Ezerskis, Riley Fawcett, Alison Fortuner, Holly Gibbs, Giana Good, Kayla Grzech, Haley Hunsinger, Bryan Lantzy, Nathan Leo, Alyvia Mroczka, Jonathan Nowak, Michael Nowak, Alexis Pliska, Isabella Proscia, Gabrielle Raymer, Tori Sanko, Alexander Shields, Madelyn Taylor, Sarah Uher, Nathan Vigil and Dagan Woodruff.

Honor roll: Ariel Black, Reese Brennan, Matthew Carroll, Noah Chup, Matthew Diehl, Aniessa Dragwa, Olivia Hudak, Ian Imbalzano, Tristen Kalt, Logan Karosus, Reilly Lick, Nathan Lowry, Carly Marino, Christopher Noldy, Kayle O’Donnell, Aidan Pullman, Veronica Reid, Anna Retzbach, Kaelyn Scalzo, Danielle Setta, Mackenzie Snyder, Abigail Stalter, Juliana Tancredi, Kathryn Totsky, Caleb Tratthen, Greyson Yurkanin and Christopher Zabrowski.

GRADE 10

High honors: Rachel Batista, Justin Battle, Zoe Best, Taylor Black, Quenten Bovee, Sydney Bryla, Collin Clauss-Walton, Kylah Erdmann, Emily Goerlitz, Selena Hoover, Jonathan Janosky, Peter Kawash, Ian Knecht, Joseph Krisovich, Kaylee Lorenzetti, Nathaniel McAllister, Timothy McGrane, David McKenney, Madison O’Donnell, Gino Ofcharsky, Grace Paull, Michael Pidgeon, Adelina Piraino, Jason Pollits, Robert Romanowski, Amanda Rzucidlo, Lily Sokoloski, Liberty Stefalo, Tristan Uram and Caleb Vigil.

Honor roll: Rachael Battle, Maegan Bednash, Dante Brunori, Kylah Cavalier, Justin Cheresko, Thomas Corker, Sarah Demchak, Breanna Frazier, Emerson Grier, Michael Griguts, Cloey Grover, Grace Kelley, Connor Nevins, David Nichols, Brady Noone, Casey Penzone, Lisa Schwartztrauber, Noah Shaw, Charlotte Vilgos, Mackenzie Wagner, Jack Waller, Colby White, Christian Winkler and Mariah Wormuth.

GRADE 9

High honors: Thomas Arthur, Scott Bevilacqua, Kayla Duffy, Isabella Fallon, Grace Fawcett, Camryn Flynn, Levi Fron, Logan Fuga, Olivia James, Madison Kilmer, Alexa Kopa, Andrew Kozlowski, Elizabeth McGrane, Nathan Micknick, Emaleigh Miller, Cameron Moczulski, Isabella Natale, Angelica Nowak, Karlie-Grace O’Hara, Hannah Pezanowski, Gabrielle Ponce, Mitchell Popovich, Kaitlin Pritchyk, Brianna Sears, Grace Stangline, Donato Telesco, Rhianna Turner, Thomas Vinansky, Megan Williams and Katie Zabrowski.

Honor roll: Rosalie Budzinski, Noah Griffin, Mallori Grzywacz, Evan Magnotta, Riley McGowan, Nicholas Novak, Domenik Piccione, Madalyn Piwowarski, Michael Potter, Sierra Rohan, Dominic Surace and Aaron Yurkanin.

GRADE 8

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

Honor roll: Kirsten Allen, Christian Black, Nadia Demchak, Carly Edwards, Brooke Hebden, Samuel Hildebrand, Justin Hopkins, Maya Knecht, Hunter Kwader, Gabrielle Novak, Paige Pezanowski, Kayla Reynolds, Ethan Shea, Benjamin Snipes, Dominico Spataro and Christian VonEsse.

GRADE 7

High honors: Ava Albino, Sabrina Ball, Samantha Black, Jasmina Buranich, Joshua Campbell, Haley Clinebell, Cullen Davey, Abigail Davis, Ethan Depoti, Zoey Fawcett, Andrew Gelderman, Rebecca Kelly, Myha Kilmer, Kayla Krisiak, Natalie Micknick, Madeline Miller, Kirsten Navich, Jake Parchinski, Dylan Patuk, Antonia Piraino, Julia Possanza, Ravyn Reed, Grace Romanowski, Yassin Roshan, Emmalee Shaffer, Madalyn Sheppard, Kathtyn Shipshinski, Adriana Smargiassi, Alana Solimini, Tyler Uram and Shelby Urda.

Honor roll: Lyndon Bello, Lauren Black, Alysha Boshman, Hayden Bucksbee, Cole Chervanka, Drew Chervanka, Madalyn Demianovich, Madison Dietz, Gerard Dolinsky, Matthew Froncek, Jessie Gogas, Colin Joyce, Dylon Kunch, Morgan Lutz, Patricia McAndrew, Maggie McGurrin, Sarah McLain, Hayley Nolan, Elizabeth Pittsman, Stephanie Richter, Julie Sacknievich, Andrew Vigil, Luigi Vitucci, Reilly Wagner, Cayden West, Madison Wright-Otto, Emily Yadlosky and Morgan Yoniski.

WAVERLY TWP. — While growing up in Clarks Summit, E.J. Murphy had not been keenly aware of the local history of the Underground Railroad that assisted slaves in escaping to freedom during the 19th century.

In recent years, Murphy, a local Civil War historian and social studies teacher at the Howard Gardner Multiple Intelligence Charter School in Scranton, took a deeper interest in the Underground Railroad. He was spurred both by national events of racial tension and a walking tour of the Underground Railroad’s local connections and significance created by Waverly Community House’s Comm Classroom and Archive Program.

On Saturday, Murphy, 29, now a resident of Scranton, was the local expert who conducted the “Destination Freedom: Guided Underground Railroad Walking Tour of Waverly.”

“It’s a hidden gem that people are becoming more aware of,” Murphy said of the local history of the Underground Railroad.

Amy Corrigan of Thompson, also a Civil War buff, had been aware of the Underground Railroad history and took the walking tour for the first time Saturday.

“I do a lot of reading on the Civil War,” said Corrigan, 45, a probation officer for the Lackawanna County adult probation/parole office.

The Underground Railroad represents both “the Civil War and slavery, pretty much hand-in-hand. To me, it’s interesting, the local history.”

In the mid-1800s, anti-slavery sympathizers in Pennsylvania provided assistance and shelter to slaves escaping the South via the Underground Railroad and finding their way to freedom.

Along with Waverly, other stops may have included Harrisburg, Philadelphia, Stroudsburg, Wilkes-Barre, Scranton, Clarks Green, Fleetville, Factoryville and Montrose, en route to the New York towns of Owego, Elmira or Binghamton, or into Canada.

The walking tour highlighted Waverly’s connection to, and significance within, the national narrative of the Underground Railroad.

Murphy pointed out nearby homes recognized as stops on the Underground Railroad. He spoke of some of the people involved, including fugitive George Keys, who was assisted by local abolitionist and farmer Rodman Sisson in eluding slave catchers.

Murphy also spoke of the larger politics of the nation of that time, and the freed slave community of African Americans who ended up staying in the area.

“This history is still really important,” Murphy said.

Contact the writer:

jlockwood@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9100 x5185;

@jlockwoodTT on Twitter

Archbald

The borough will host its 12th annual Health Awareness 5K Run/Walk on Saturday to raise money for a borough woman with cancer.

The race will begin at 9 a.m. at the Borough Building, 400 Church St., with registration from 7:30 to 8:45 a.m. Preregistration is $15, and race-day registration will be $20. Proceeds will benefit Theresa Marion Zadzura, who is undergoing treatment for stage 4 cancer.

The borough also solicits sponsorships; a donation of $100 or more will get a business’s name printed on the back of the race T-shirt. Anything under $100 will be on a poster.

Mayor Shirley Barrett hopes to raise at least $5,000. Although it varies from year to year, the annual race has netted more than $10,000 before, she said.

Every year, proceeds go to a different borough resident who needs help with medical bills, she said.

“That’s what our borough is about,” she said. “Helping each other through tough times.”

During the race, Church Street and Laurel Street will be closed.

— FRANK WILKES LESNEFSKY

flesnefsky

@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9100 x5181;

@flesnefskyTT on Twitter

Factoryville

Keystone College and the Factoryville community will come together to celebrate Christy Mathewson Day on Saturday for the 24th consecutive year.

The event celebrates the life and accomplishments of the Factoryville native, Keystone graduate and baseball pitching legend. A member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Mathewson had 373 career wins and recorded 2,502 strikeouts across 17 major league seasons.

Several activities are planned for Saturday, including:

9-11 a.m.: Keystone College Youth Football Clinic at the school’s athletic field and track complex. Advance registration is recommended by emailing keystonegiants@gmail.com.

Noon: Community parade, with lineup beginning at Regina Way on Keystone’s campus. The parade will continue along College Avenue through Factoryville and end at Creekside Park.

1 p.m.: Vendor show at Creekside Park.

1 p.m.: Boy Scouts chicken barbecue at Creekside Park.

1-4 p.m.: Car show at Creekside Park, sponsored by PS Bank.

2 p.m.: Keystone Kids Zone featuring the college’s athletics staff at Creekside Park, including field games and a bounce house.

5 p.m.: One-mile fun run at Creekside Park. Register in advance at neparunner.com.

6 p.m.: Ninja course operated by United Sports Academy at Creekside Park.

Dusk: Fireworks sponsored by the Factoryville Men’s Civic Club. For information, call 570-945-7484.

— JEFF HORVATH

jhorvath@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9141;

@jhorvathTT on Twitter

Honesdale

The U.S. Postal Service will offer a pictorial postmark at a temporary post office station during a railroad anniversary commemoration Thursday.

The ceremony, which will be at noon at the Wayne County Visitors Center, 32 Commercial St., will commemorate the 190th anniversary of the first Stourbridge Lion run and the 150th anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad, according to the USPS.

The Stourbridge Line had a trial run over the Lackawaxen River in 1829, and in 1869, the transcontinental railroad was completed.

Attendees will be able to purchase rides on the 190th Lion Anniversary Express, and the Honesdale Post Office will have a temporary station from 1 to 4 p.m. where people can buy a Transcontinental Forever Stamp, which was issued May 10. They also can get a pictorial postmark designed by local artist Jerry DeCrotie.

Pictorial postmarks are collectors’ items, according to the USPS. Only items with uncanceled postage stamps at the applicable first-class mail rate are eligible for postmarking, according to the USPS.

Collectors and out-of-town requests can be mailed with a self-addressed stamped return envelope for 30 days to Honesdale Railroad Station, Honesdale Post Office, 830 Main St., Honesdale, PA 18431.

— FRANK WILKES LESNEFSKY

flesnefsky

@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9100 x5181;

@flesnefskyTT on Twitter

Jermyn

St. Michael’s Orthodox Church will hold an indoor yard sale Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the church hall, 403 Delaware St.

Proceeds will benefit the church’s scholarship fund, which helps pay for continued education for parishioners.

— FRANK WILKES LESNEFSKY

flesnefsky

@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9100 x5181;

@flesnefskyTT on Twitter

Scranton

Lackawanna County will sponsor a fall blood drive next month, but donors can schedule an appointment now.

The drive at the county’s government center, 123 Wyoming Ave., will take place Friday, Sept. 13, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The county hopes to surpass its spring blood drive, at which 23 units of blood were collected.

To schedule an appointment for the drive, call 800-RED-CROSS (800-733-2767). Potential donors also may schedule an appointment online by visiting RedCrossBlood.org and entering the sponsor code “Lackawanna.”

— JEFF HORVATH

jhorvath@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9141;

@jhorvathTT on Twitter

AROUND THE TOWNS appears each Sunday, spotlighting the people and events in your neighborhoods. If you have an idea for an Around the Towns note, contact the writer for your town, or the Yes!Desk at 348-9121 or yesdesk@timesshamrock.com.

KEUKA COLLEGE

Gretchen Mattern, Scranton

UNIVERSITY OF THE ARTS, PHILADELPHIA

Sara Lesneski, Clarks Summit

WEST CHESTER

UNIVERSITY

Courtney Karabin, Moscow, and Christine Rossi, Tunkhannock.

BOSTON UNIVERSITY

Amanda Katchmar, Old Forge

ADELPHI UNIVERSITY

Nicoletta Cuccio, Dingmans Ferry

LOYOLA UNIVERSITY MARYLAND

Ashley Andrejko, Hudson; Patrick Auth, Dunmore; Cameron Bullet, Jermyn; Abigail Comparetta, Scott Twp.; Cecilia Donahoe, North Abington Twp.; Angie Kanavy, Clifford Twp.; Emily Marquardt, Waverly Twp.; Allison McGee, Peckville; Abigail Mills, Dickson City; Jaclyn Morgan, Clarks Summit; Jessica Regan, Archbald; Michael Richards, Scranton; and Zachary Voitek, West Pittston.

UNIVERSITY

OF ROCHESTER

Briana Yesu, Scranton

SUNY DELHI

Karli Hanson, Honesdale; Michael Kelly, Honesdale; Kaeli Norton, Lakewood; and Malorie Rutledge, Lakewood.

WIDENER UNIVERSITY

Michael Bonita, West Pittston; Robert Brady, Richmondale; Fernando Forte, Madison Twp.; Christian Griffaton, Gouldsboro; Elizabeth Kravitz, Wyoming; Michael Oravic, Moosic; Iyanna Rosado, Scranton; and Abigail Sheerer, Avoca.

If you ask any Northeast Pennsylvania resident about horse racing these days and they’ll likely first think of Mohegan Sun Pocono in Luzerne County.

But the region’s racing history stretches back to the early part of the 20th century.

Scranton’s first track was located where Weston Field is today, according to Scranton Times columnist Edward J. Gerrity. At the time, Ira Tripp owned the land; the track operated as early as the mid-1860s, Gerrity reported. Two large buildings on the property contained up to 100 stalls for cattle and 75 stalls for horses, according to a July 2, 1966, Scranton Times article about the region’s racing history. When it closed, however, was not clear.

Then, in the late 1800s, a half-mile horse track nestled in a bend of the Lackawanna River in the city’s Plot section opened up. Called Scranton Driving Park, the area was also used for county and state fairs, visiting circuses, bicycle racing and fireworks displays.

But the big draw was horse racing. The track was on the same circuit as

Wilkes-Barre and Lancaster venues, and purses reached $300 in some cases, according to the 1966 article.

A fireworks display, advertised as recreating the “last days of Pompeii,” the ancient Roman city destroyed by an eruption of Mount Vesuvius, on Aug. 7, 1891, destroyed 65 of the track’s stables and effectively shuttered the whole operation, according to newspaper clippings.

A few years after the devastating fire, the land was plotted for development. Race Street in the Plot is a nod to the spot’s history, according to several Scranton Times clippings over the years.

“Today, many fine looking and substantial homes occupy the site that was once the Driving Park,” Gerrity wrote in his March 16, 1969, column.

Another Scranton track, built by the Scranton Driving and Field Association, opened to the public on Aug. 21, 1906.

The Minooka facility boasted a grandstand that cost $10,000 to build, a licensed bar and stables to house more than 100 horses. Noted horse-racing aficionado and former Scranton Mayor Edmund Jermyn was president of the association that built the track, according to the 1966 Scranton Times story.

Owners expected a crowd of about 10,000 on opening day, but bad weather kept all but 3,000 away, according to a 1956 Scranton Times column detailing the history of the Minooka track.

The rain and mud halted races on opening day and for part of the day after. But the sun came out for races scheduled for Aug. 23, 24 and 25, 1906. In all, the five-day opening event was said to have featured 200 racehorses, according to the column.

The Driving and Field Association’s track also contained facilities for “skating, boating, trotting and other innocent and athletic sports,” according to a May 24, 1905, Scranton Republican story about a court hearing regarding the company’s articles of incorporation.

But despite the state-of-the-art facilities, the park never really became popular with locals, according to the 1996 Scranton Times article. It, too, was eventually abandoned and, over the years, developed into an industrial area.

There have been other tracks in the region over the years, including one near Lake Scranton and another in Glenburn Twp. Pocono Downs Race Track in Luzerne County brought harness racing to the region in 1965 and the rest, as they say, is history.

Erin L. Nissley is an assistant metro editor at The Times-Tribune. She’s lived in the area for more than a decade.

Contact the writer:

localhistory@timesshamrock.com.

1. State investigators suspected tampering with public records related to what when they raided the Scranton School District Administration Building in November, according to a search warrant.

A. Food service contract

B. Teachers’ contracts

C. Principals’ salaries

D. Bus contract

2. Scranton plans to buy two new what under a $450,000 lease/purchase agreement?

A. Fire pumpers

B. Police cruisers

C. Ambulances

D. Trash trucks

3. What country superstar played Montage Mountain last night?

A. Kenny Chesney

B. Dierks Bentley

C. Barbara Mandrell

D. Toby Keith

4. How does the

Diocese of Scranton plan to help pay victims of child sexual abuse who have registered for a program compensating survivors of such abuse?

A. Sale of churches

B. Sale of nursing homes

C. Sale of schools

D. Sale of cemeteries

5. Authorities and

animal rescue groups are trying to find what missing animal near Lake Scranton?

A. Python

B. Cow

C. Pig

D. Zebra

6. Which former state attorney general was released from prison Wednesday after serving eight months for leaking grand jury material and lying about it?

A. Ernie Preate

B. Mike Fisher

C. Tom Corbett

D. Kathleen G. Kane

7. Scranton School

District property owners could see their property taxes increase by how much next year, according to a preliminary plan?

A. 4%

B. 6.7%

C. 7%

D. 7.9%

8. Clarks Summit Borough Council will hold a public meeting this week to discuss a

funeral home’s plan

to add what?

A. Chapel

B. Mausoleum

C. Cemetery

D. Crematory

9. What member of the Munster family paid a visit to Strange and Unusual in Kingston?

A. Fred Gwynne (Herman)

B. Butch Patrick (Eddie)

C. Al Lewis (Grandpa)

D. Pat Priest (Marilyn)

10. What virus did a mosquito test positive for recently in Scranton?

A. West Nile virus

B. Bird flu

C. Swine flu

D. Malaria

Answers: 1. D; 2. D; 3. B; 4. B; 5. C; 6. D; 7. B; 8. D; 9. B; 10. A

A 28-year old Wyoming County man could face as much as 15½ years in state prison and $115,000 in fines after pleading guilty to drug possession as well as a pair of DUIs across a four-month period.

According to court records, police said Daniel Alfred Bump of Troy had the makings for a “mobile methamphetamine lab” on March 1, when he was pulled over in Tunkhannock for suspicion of DUI.

Tunkhannock Patrolman Richard Stevens checked Bump’s driver’s license and found that it was suspended, and that Bump also had an outstanding warrant for his arrest in Bradford County.

A hypodermic needle cap was seen in plain view in Bump’s vehicle, and he was asked if any drugs were inside, police said.

According to court papers, Bump told police, “There shouldn’t be,” but a search revealed a white powdery substance that they said looked like methamphetamine, as well as 2-liter bottles with tubes, and a packet of Sudafed tablets, sometimes used in the production of meth.

Bump pleaded guilty to DUI of a controlled substance, second offense, on March 1, as well as DUI of a controlled substance Nov. 3 in Mehoopany Twp.

He is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 11.

Others entering guilty pleas before President Judge Russell Shurtleff in the Wyoming County Court of Common Pleas on Friday morning:

Frederick Douglas Bombacie, 63, of Towanda, to false identification to law enforcement on May 8.

Kenneth Gerald Burgess, 36, of Glen Richey, to flight to avoid apprehension on June 13; and to DUI of a controlled substance on June 13.

Shay Castor, 36, of Dickson City, to possession of drug paraphernalia on Nov. 18, 2018.

Robert Allen Davis, 56, of Factoryville, to retail theft on March 2.

Teddy Michael Ely, 24, of Noxen, to possession of drug paraphernalia on March 29.

Paisley Rose Seymour, 22, of Dunmore, to criminal mischief on Feb. 19, 2018.

Ronald Benjamin Smith, 33, of Wyalusing, to possession of drug paraphernalia on July 19, 2016.

Anthony M. Vancosky, 52, of Covington Twp., to recklessly endangering another person on March 3.

Contact the writer:

bbaker@wcexaminer.com;

570-836-2123 x33

MOOSIC — The fence lining Jane Sterling’s property at the former Rocky Glen Park doesn’t prevent all-terrain vehicles ripping past her yard.

It’s not uncommon for her to see as many as 60 ATVs a day riding near her property and even hear them at 2 a.m.

They drive up Rocky Glen Road and other public streets to get to the private trails at the park and have knocked down her fence several times.

With 4,761 ATVs registered in Lackawanna County and few public places to ride them legally, keeping them off public roads and from trespassing continues to be problematic — as does curtailing the number of crashes and property damage they do.

Some municipalities, including Moosic, have barred or are considering barring riders from filling up at gas stations. Moosic’s ordinance carries a $600 fine for gas stations and riders who violate the law. However, it doesn’t appear to be working.

Others say there simply are not enough public places locally for ATVs and municipalities should designate more trails for riders.

“If you can take just one person off the road, that’s less of a job for the policemen,” said Dunmore Mayor Timothy Burke.

Deadly rides

With nearly 300,000 registered ATVs throughout the state, Pennsylvania had the second most ATV-related deaths in the country from 1982 to 2014 at 702, according to the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission. Texas ranked first with 773 deaths.

Of those nearly 300,000 ATVs, 178,276 have general registration, which means they can be used on or off the ATV owner’s property, said Jake Newton, executive assistant for parks and forestry at the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. The remaining 116,726 have limited registration that only allows them to be used on the ATV owner’s land.

In Lackawanna County, 3,236 ATVs have general registration and 1,525 have limited registration, Newton said.

From 2015 through 2017, an additional 59 people died on ATVs in Pennsylvania, according to the CPSC.

This year, at least five people in the state were killed on ATVs, including a New Jersey man riding on a Dunmore trail in May. In June 2018, an Olyphant man died after he crashed his ATV while driving illegally on North Valley Avenue in Olyphant. He wasn’t wearing a helmet.

There have been numerous ATV wrecks in Lackawanna County so far this year. In April, two teens collided with a truck while riding an ATV on Drinker Street. And, three people were hurt on ATVs in Archbald in the past three months, including a 14-year-old girl who was severely injured when a side-by-side she was riding in flipped over in May.

Police departments often maintain restrictive pursuit policies that discourage officers from chasing riders, so officials seek other solutions.

Enforcing laws against ATVs is frustrating, said Jessup Police Chief Joseph Walsh.

“It would be great if they stopped, but again with the pursuit policy that we have, we don’t chase them, and they know that and they run,” Walsh said.

Chasing riders is dangerous, and police don’t stand a chance catching up to them because they can easily dart into the woods, he said. Both he and Archbald Police Chief Tim Trently deal with riders trespassing in the Valley View Business Park, which spans both boroughs.

Heart of problem

“We have had ongoing problems for the last 25 years with illegal riding in Pennsylvania,” said Don McClure, administrator of the Pennsylvania Off-Highway Vehicle Association, which represents riders, ATV and off-highway motorcycle clubs and dealers throughout the state. “What people need to understand is that if they own ATVs or dirt bikes, they belong on the legal trail system. They don’t belong where they are not authorized.”

McClure attributed the high volume of ATVs on roads and private property to a lack of places to ride legally. Pennsylvania only has about 260 miles of free, public ATV trails, he said.

The trails are few and far between in Northeast Pennsylvania, McClure said. The county’s only free trail is the 33-mile O&W Rail-Trail, which begins in Fell Twp. and runs north through Susquehanna and Wayne counties, according to the DCNR.

“If you took every ATV and lined it up end to end, every inch of the trail system offered in Pennsylvania is occupied,” McClure said. “People want to recreate, they want to ride them, and they’ll take them out where they don’t belong.”

In the private sector, Lost Trails ATV Adventures in Dunmore has a little over 80 miles of trails across more than 2,000 acres, said owner Tony Novak. He chided those who trespass and ride on roads.

“They’re the ones that give a bad name to our sport,” Novak said. “Why buy the machine if you’re going to ride on the road?”

If municipalities create more places to ride legally, they can give riders somewhere to go, draw in tourists and turn a profit, McClure said. They can use state and federal funding, including the Department of Transportation’s Recreational Trails Program funding, to pay for feasibility studies, he said.

“The solution isn’t always restriction,” he said.

Tools already there

Barring riders from filling up at gas stations also isn’t the solution, Walsh said.

“The vehicle code is plenty restrictive,” he said. “There’s no need for an ordinance.”

If officers catch someone at a gas station, they can cite them for numerous vehicle code violations, including a lack of road-certified tires, lights and a horn and driving an unregistered vehicle, he said.

“You could really get writer’s cramp,” Walsh said.

Still, Archbald and Dunmore are looking into legislation like Moosic’s that would fine gas stations and ATV riders who ride to the gas station to fill up as officials search for solutions to their ATV problems.

However, in Moosic, which passed its ordinance in 2012, no gas stations have been cited since at least January 2018, and ATV riders are rarely cited for any violations, said Moosic police Chief Rick Janesko.

“These guys know that the police aren’t going to chase them,” he said. “They’re very brazen, driving extremely fast.”

If making it harder to get gasoline deters anyone, it’s worthwhile, said Burke, who regularly hears from Dunmore residents complaining about ATVs.

However, placing the onus of responsibility on gas stations isn’t the answer when just riding an ATV to the gas station is already illegal, McClure said.

Chapter 77 of the Pennsylvania Vehicle Code bars snowmobiles and ATVs from driving on streets and highways unless the roadways specifically allow them.

“The answer really is quite clear: Chapter 77 … pretty much covers every eventuality that a local government needs to enforce the rules, enforce the law and curtail and contain the illegal riding,” he said.

Pete Osmolia, owner of Osmolia’s Service Station on Birney Avenue in Moosic, doesn’t think the borough’s ordinance is working. He turns away about a dozen riders every weekend, he said.

“The point is, it doesn’t deter them,” he said. “It makes it more difficult for us … because we’re turning business away. I lose revenue because of an ordinance that is never really enforced.”

In Archbald, ATV enforcement is ramped up, especially with citing parents for laws their children break on ATVs, Trently said.

“If they’re allowing their children to be able to run these quads, they’re just as responsible,” he said. “They’re going to face the penalty just as much as their child is if they’re caught riding it on the roads.”

Other solutions

Trently said he intends to speak to state legislators regarding changing laws to allow for stricter enforcement and penalties.

Scranton police Chief Carl Graziano agrees that penalties need to be stricter to deter ATV riders when they run from police.

If someone is arrested for fleeing from police, their ATV should be impounded indefinitely, he said. Doing so would send the message that it’s not going to be tolerated in the city, he said.

Because pursuing ATVs is very dangerous, police need to rely on photos and videos, whether captured by officers or submitted by civilians, he said. The city then can post the footage on their Be Part of the Solution page on Facebook to identify the riders.

“You may not be able to get them that day but then you follow up on it,” Graziano said.

Last summer, after dealing with reckless riders throughout the borough, Jermyn rolled out a new solution that Mayor Anthony Fuga called a success: a police officer patrolling the borough on an ATV.

The ATV officer would stake out hot spots. If he saw riders flying by, he’d stop them and either warn or cite them, Fuga said.

“It was more of a shock thing to them,” he said. “We still have the traffic, but really now everybody is doing what they’re supposed to do.”

Moosic is looking to do something similar, Janesko said. Rocky Glen is one of the worst places in town when it comes to illegal ATV use, and he is working with council and property owners to have police patrol the land on a side-by-side.

Standing over ruins of the now-rotting wood fence across from her home, Sterling said she gave up repairing it. She’s lost tenants because of the noise, and the paved drive leading to her home is crumbling and dimpled with potholes — something she attributes to years of knobby ATV tires cutting through.

“It’s gotten out of hand,” Sterling said. “We’ve all (let) it go too long.”

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

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Safe riding tips

Don McClure, administrator of the Pennsylvania Off-Highway Vehicle Association, recommended a few tips to stay safe while riding an ATV:

Make certain that the machine is sized correctly for the rider. Accidents often happen when children ride an ATV too large for them and they can’t physically manage it.

Avoid riding with a passenger. ATVs are designed for one person.

Wear safety gear. Eye protection, a helmet, long pants, high-top boots and long-sleeve shirts are ideal.

Ride only where it’s legal.

Don’t ride impaired. Alcohol is a tremendous problem when it comes to ATV safety, he said.

“If you are doing all of those things, chances are you’re going to have a safe experience,” McClure said.

— FRANK WILKES LESNEFSKY