Oct. 31, 1929

Halloween happenings

Young and old were out and about celebrating Halloween throughout Scranton.

Groups of costumed residents were seen promenading the streets on their way to parties at private homes or at one of several venues throughout the city.

The employees of the state Highway Department held a dance at the Scranton Bicycle Club, with entertainment provided by Billy Jones and his Californians.

A group of women, led by Mrs. Frank Naughton, organized a Halloween party for the children of St. Joseph’s Children’s and Maternity Hospital. The children played games and enjoyed refreshments.

The Watres Armory held a Halloween dance that featured music by Bernie Barnard and his Belle Island Blue Band and the New York State Million Dollar Orchestra. Admission to the dance was 50 cents.

A wild day on

Wall Street

It was a wild day on Wall Street thanks to bargain hunters and a feeling among the traders the crisis had passed.

The day started down but those losses soon turned into gains, with some stock prices jumping in between $5 and $25.

Some of the biggest gains were seen with utility and oil stocks. Gulf Oil started out the day at $22, but by the end of trading the stock finished at $164. Standard Power and Light saw an increase of 83 points to end the day at $160, and Electric Bond and Share was at $20 and ended the day at $99.87.

Market watchers believed the statement by the Rockefellers, followed by a large amount of overnight stock orders, may have “checked the wave of hysterical selling.”

Firestone to build facility in city

Firestone Tire of Arkon, Ohio, announced plans to construct a new distribution center at Wyoming Avenue and Phelps Street. The $250,000 center would service 11 counties in Pennsylvania and three in New York state.

The tire company already had a presence in Scranton with a warehouse on Poplar Street. Once the new center was open, the Poplar Street facility would close.

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.

HAWLEY — Wayne County law enforcement authorities charged two 16-year-old Hawley boys as adults Tuesday with plotting to kill a borough man by strangling him with a computer cable.

Joseph Nicholas Falcone and James Richard Tosto face counts of conspiracy to commit aggravated assault and aggravated assault, both first-degree felonies, according to a criminal complaint.

On Oct. 24, school bus surveillance audio recorded the boys, both juniors at Wallenpaupack High Area School, discussing in detail their assault plans, while bus video captured images of James wearing a black ski mask and Joseph with his hood up over his head. Both got off the bus with their faces concealed, according to a criminal complaint filed by Wayne County Chief Detective Peter Hower.

They walked a few blocks to a home across the street from the intended victim, but were scared away by a neighbor, Wayne County District Attorney Patrick Robinson said.

“These juveniles took a substantial step to commit a very serious crime. The District Attorney’s Office will respond accordingly,” Robinson said in a statement.

The district attorney’s office got involved Friday when two school officials — district Director of School Security John Clader and high school Assistant Principal Delia Peppiatt —reported an incident with the two students that occurred the day before.

On that day, a resident contacted the school after seeing a student wearing a ski mask get off a school bus around 3:09 p.m. at a bus stop near the Hawley Diner, Main and Keystone streets, according to the complaint.

Peppiatt reviewed the school bus video from Oct. 24 and identified the boys as James and Joseph, and heard them on bus audio the same day discussing their plan to assault, strangle and kill an older adult male because they believed he had assaulted James’ mother, according to the criminal complaint.

The teens’ belief that the intended victim assaulted James’ mother was unfounded, authorities said.

James took a ski mask and computer cable out of a gray bag; he put on the ski mask while Joseph put his hood over his head and cinched it tight around his face, the complaint says. When the bus stopped, the boys got off, with James holding the bag and Joseph holding the cable.

At 3:35 p.m. on Oct. 24, a neighbor of the intended victim saw the teens standing by a tree in the neighbor’s front yard, “staring aggressively at the intended target’s house across the street as if they were waiting for someone to come out of the house or as if they were going to break in,” according to the complaint. James held the wrapped up cable. The neighbor yelled at them to get off his property and they left, the affidavit said.

Both were arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Ronald Edwards, authorities said. Joseph was released on his own recognizance, according to court records. James remains in the Wayne County Correctional Facility on $20,000 bail.

Preliminary hearings are scheduled for Wednesday at the Wayne County Courthouse Central Court, Robinson said.

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

SCRANTON

Nurses at Regional ratify contract

Nurses and other unionized workers at Regional Hospital of Scranton ratified a three-year contract Tuesday by an overwhelming majority, according to a news release from SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania. There are 650 union members.

The deal was reached last week, a day after the union picketed ahead of a bargaining session.

The new contract, which will expire in September 2022, includes 2% wage increases each year of the contract, an additional 2% increase added to the current wage scale, and secured health insurance with caps on employee copays and prescriptions.

— STAFF REPORT

PLAINS TWP. — The Nanticoke woman convicted of shoving a 12-year-old girl to the ground in an attack caught on video that went viral was arraigned Thursday on new charges accusing her of spitting on medical personnel at Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center.

Marlenea Ann Uravage, 32, was being treated in the emergency department for an undisclosed ailment the afternoon of Aug. 22 when she began yelling and cursing at staff members, according to the complaint.

Police say Uravage spat in a registered nurse’s face and also spat on the head and arm of an emergency room technician. A security officer called to the scene because of Uravage’s conduct reported that Uravage appeared as though she was going to cooperate and then proceeded to spit on his arm as well, according to the complaint.

Police charged Uravage with three counts each of simple assault and harassment, as well as with one count of disorderly conduct.

Magisterial District Judge Donald L. Whittaker arraigned her on the charges Thursday morning and ordered her jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility with bail set at $10,000.

A preliminary hearing was set for Nov. 13.

Uravage previously made headlines when she shoved the 12-year-old girl to the ground outside the Quick Stop on Spring Street in May 2017.

Prosecutors said the assault took place after a man who was with Uravage approached the girl and asked if he could “get some of that,” an apparent reference to some food the girl was eating.

When the girl went to hand him a Slim Jim, Uravage rushed over, hit the man and said, “Are you (expletive) stupid?” to the girl, according to prosecutors.

She then violently shoved the girl in the chest, causing her to fall down backwards.

Uravage pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of assault in that case and was sentenced to serve four to 20 months in the county jail, with Luzerne County Judge David W. Lupas noting she displayed “absolutely zero remorse” for her actions.

Candidates for elected offices throughout the Abingtons plan to keep their boroughs and townships safe while maintaining roads and revitalizing downtown areas.

The Lackawanna Trail School Board candidates say they will keep a financial watch over the district that spans Wyoming and Lackawanna counties.

Twenty-two candidates are running for 13 seats on Clarks Green, Clarks Summit and Dalton councils, Glenburn Twp. and Scott Twp. boards of supervisors; and for Region 2 Lackawanna Trail School Board seats.

Clarks Green

In Clarks Green, six candidates including incumbents M.J. Igoe and David J. Rinaldi, both Democrats, and Keith Williams, cross filed as a Democrat and Republican, are on the ballot for four open seats along with Maureen O’Dea Palmer, a Democrat and previous council member, and newcomers Terry Cochran and Anthony Madera, both Republicans.

Igoe, who serves as refuse and recycling coordinator on council, said she’d like to continue working on issues with stormwater drainage. She’d also like to see traffic lights added on the state roads in the borough to reduce speeding.

Palmer is 17-year veteran on Clarks Green Council.

“I have always voted for what I believed to be the best for the citizens,” she said.

If reelected, Williams, advocacy and outreach coordinator for the Center for Independent Living, would continue to work to keep taxes down and maintain a good working relationship with the police department, fire departments and ambulance services.

“In general, I would assure that people who live in the Clarks Green Borough can maintain a good quality of life,” Williams said.

Cochran, a semi-retired physician, who works part time in wound care and hyperbariatric care at Regional Hospital of Scranton and at a private addiction clinic, said he wants to serve his neighbors.

“I think the whole idea is to progress naturally, and not necessary rapidly,” he said. “One needs to be somewhat conservative in making decisions.”

Madera, a retirement consultant who has lived in the borough for 20 years, is running for council to make the community better. If elected, he said he would work to keep roads safe and make sure properties are properly maintained.

Williams and Igoe also said they will continue monitoring the blighted gas station on Grove Street and South Abington Road.

Rinaldi did not return multiple messages.

Clarks Summit

In Clarks Summit, seven candidates including incumbents Frank Besten, a Democrat, and Bob Bennett, David Jenkins and Robert P. Sheils III, all Republicans, are on the ballot for four open seats along with newcomers Jim Evans, Harry Kelly and Kathleen Simrell, all Democrats.

Council vice president Besten said his accomplishments in the past three years include switching the borough’s lights to LED, which made them brighter and more cost efficient. He said he has more to achieve.

“I would like to try to revitalize the business section of State Street,” he said.

Current Clarks Summit councilman Bob Bennett said he was proud of the two-mill tax decrease passed by council late last year, which they achieved by after paying off debt incurred from a court dispute involving access to a 101-acre housing development in South Abington Twp.

But there’s more work to be done in the borough, including negotiating labor contracts for police and the Department of Public Works, as well as trash collection, Bennett said.

Evans said he’s running to serve the community and its needs. That includes maintaining a good quality of life.

Jenkins has served on council for eight years and hopes to finish up a few items.

The borough has been discussing either moving the borough building or renovating the existing structure on South State Street. “I’m a proponent to keep the present building. To go out and invest the money in another building is certainly not in the benefit of the tax payer,” Jenkins said.

He also touted Clarks Summit’s tax reduction, noting it was the only community in Lackawanna County to reduce property taxes without impacting services.

Shiels, a local attorney who grew up in Clarks Summit, was recently appointed to council.

If elected, he would help the downtown area businesses continue succeeding and maintain the high quality services while keeping down costs.

Kelly, the borough mayor from 2005 to 2013, was urged to run for council.

If elected, he would continue to support the downtown business owners and renovations at the borough building, if a new location is not found.

Simrell did not return multiple messages.

Dalton

Martin Fotta, Democrat, and Albert Propst, Republican, are candidates for a two-year seat on the Dalton Council.

Fotta, a Dalton Fire Company and zoning board member, is running for council to serve his community.

“I’m community-minded,” he said. “I want to keep Dalton a nice place to raise a family.”

Propst, an ultra marathon runner and insurance adjuster, said Dalton often gets passed by on Routes 6 and 11.

“I’d like to change that and bring more art to the community and produce more opportunities,” he said. “Dalton needs a refresh.” He would work to revitalize the borough including updating signage in the borough and Streamside Park, where he hopes to add walking trails.

“We’d love to see somebody bring a coffee shop,” he said.

Glenburn Twp.

Democrat Jim Davis is running against Republican incumbent David Druck for Glenburn Twp. supervisor.

Druck, a retired business owner, was appointed supervisor in February. He restarted a stalled project to install a ramp at the township building to make it accessible for people with disabilities. He is also working towards grants for a new plow truck and to update equipment.

“Being retired, I now have the time and energy to address the concerns of the Glenburn community,” he said.

Davis, a government relationship consultant, said he interacts regularly with local, county and state officials and wants to make sure the township is taking advantage of as many grant and funding programs that are available.

Davis wants to keep taxes low and maintain the roads.

He’s also against changing police services, a recent issue in the rural township. Waverly Twp. police currently patrol Glenburn Twp., he said.

Scott Twp.

Newcomers Democrat Naomi Mimi Johnson and Republican Brian Brenzel are running for a seat as Scott Twp. supervisor.

Johnson, a registered nurse, wants to bring a strong sense of community back to Scott Twp.

“It starts with the elected officials,” she said.

In her nursing career, she’s handled budgets and looked for grants. She’s lobbied and advocated for patients in Harrisburg and supervised staff.

“I want to give back to my community,” she said.

Brenzel did not return multiple messages.

Lackawanna Trail School Board

Newcomer Dane Bower, a Democrat, and incumbents Michael Mould, on the ballot as both Democrat and Republican, and Republican Robert Minick, are running for two Region 2 seats on the Lackawanna Trail School Board.

The candidates all agree that the district’s challenges revolve around finances and growing state-mandated costs, including pension contributions and cyber and charter school payments.

Bower said the district’s scores are not getting better, even as taxes increase. He wants to get on the other side of the district to get a better look at the issues.

If reelected, Mould said he will continue to put these issues first and in front of state legislators.

“At the same time, budget thoughtfully and carefully given the landscape as it exists and provide our kids with the best quality education that we possible can,” he said.

Minick has three children in the district.

He agrees that cyber school costs and rising taxes are huge issues for the district and its residents.

Minick is running to become better informed and be a voice for the community.

The general election is November 5.

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

Clarks Green Council (6 candidates, 4 seats)

M.J. IGOE

Party: Democratic

Age: 69

Residence: Clarks Green

Education: Dunmore High School; Lackawanna College and attended Marywood University.

Experience: Current council member, responsible for refuse and recycling; Clarks Green representative on the Abington Area Recreation Board; and Progressive Women of NEPA board member.

MAUREEN O’DEA PALMER

Party: Democratic

Age: 67

Family: Three daughters; seven grandchildren.

Education: Abington Heights High School, 1970; attended Keystone College and the University of Scranton.

Experience: Previous council member; owned florist shops in Clarks Green, Scranton, Tunkhannock and South Abington Twp.; executive director of the Downtown Scranton Business Association; executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Lackawanna County; roving Democrat legislative assistant and secretary for the Aging and Older Adults Committee for PA House Speaker Bill DeWeese; former president of the PA Council of Governments; and long time secretary of the Abington Council of Governments.

DAVID J. RINALDI

Party: Democratic

Rinaldi did not respond to multiple messages.

KEITH WILLIAMS

Party: Democrat/Republican

Age: 59

Residence: Clarks Green

Education: Abington Heights High School, 1978; bachelor’s degree, Kings College, 1982; masters degree, University of Scranton, 2005.

Experience: Second term as councilman; advocacy and outreach coordinator for the Center for Independent Living; chairman of the Lackawanna County Disability Action Committee; and member of the Scranton Mayor’s Commission on Disabilities.

TERRY COCHRAN

Party: Republican

Age: 75

Residence: Clarks Green

Family: Wife, Gina; children, Jason Berry, Nathan Berry and Joshua Berry; three grandchildren

.

Education: Ohio State University for undergraduate and medical school; served as an Army surgeon during Vietnam.

Experience: Former president of the medical staff, Moses Taylor Hospital; board chairman and medical director for a cardiovascular lab company; former medical director, Moses Taylor Vascular Labs; part-time physician for wound care and hyperbaric care, Regional Hospital, and for addiction medicine at a private clinic.

ANTHONY MADERA

Party: Republican

Age: 51

Residence: Clarks Green

Family: Fiancee; two children.

Education: Archbishop Wood High School, 1986; bachelor’s degree, business administration, Wilkes University, 1990; and masters degree, business administration, Wilkes University, 1992.

Experience: Retirement consultant, Arthur J. Gallagher, Chicago; retirement consultant, St. Joseph’s Center.

Clarks Summit Council (7 candidates, 4 seats)

FRANK BESTEN

Party: Democratic

Age: 74

Residence: Clarks Summit

Family: Wife, Linda; two children, Jim and Glenn; three grandchildren

Education: Ben Franklin High School, Carbondale.

Experience: Current council vice president and chairman of the personnel committee; retired from Thompson/RCA in Dunmore; committeeman, 114th Democratic Committee; and member, Abington Council of Governments.

JIM EVANS

Party: Democratic

Age: 72

Residence: Clarks Summit

Family: Wife; two sons; one grandson

Education: Clarks Summit High School; bachelor’s degree, Kutztown University; and master’s degree in school administration, University of Scranton.

Experience: retired, Lackawanna Trail School District, administration; Summit Wrestling Club and Abington Astros Junior Football.

HARRY KELLY

Party: Democratic

Age: 67

Residence: Clarks Summit

Family: Wife; one child

Education: Keystone Junior College and bachelors in education from Mansfield University

Experience: Employed for 40 years with the State Workers Insurance Fund for Pennsylvania; Clarks Summit mayor from 2005-2013.

Kelly did not submit a photo.

KATHLEEN SIMRELL

Party: Democratic

Simrell did not respond to multiple messages.

BOB BENNETT

Party: Republican

Age: 79

Residence: Clarks Summit

Family: Wife, Regina; two sons, Robert and William.

Education: Certificates in arbitration and conflict resolution from Marywood University.

Experience: Councilman for 10 years, Member of VFW Post 7069 and Knights of Columbus.

DAVID JENKINS

Party: Republican

Age: 70

Residence: Clarks Summit

Family: Wife; two children; four grandchildren.

Education: Abington Heights High School, 1967; associate’s degree in business/science from Lackawanna College.

Experience: Retired United States Postal Service letter carrier; current council member; member, Gathering Place Board of Directors; Zoning Hearing Board; assistant director of emergency management; 10-year member of the Clarks Summit-South Abington Joint Sewer Authority, now the Abington Regional Wastewater Authority; lifetime member of the Clarks Summit Fire Co. 1; Abington Memorial Post 7069, the Vietnam Veterans of America; American Legion; Disabled American Veterans, Dickson City; member of Union Lodge 291, F&AM; Clarks Summit United Methodist Church; St. David’s Society; Emerald Society of NEPA; Knights of Pythias and the Knights Templar.

ROBERT P. SHEILS III

Party: Republican

Age: 41

Residence: Clarks Summit

Family: Wife, Mary Denesevich Sheils; sons, Robert IV, Joseph and James; and daughter, Clare.

Education: Bachelor of arts, Fairfield University, Connecticut; and juris doctor, University of Pittsburgh School of Law.

Experience: Practicing lawyer for more than 15 years; current board member, Abington Community Library Board of the Directors and chairman of the policy committee; volunteer attorney for the Lackawanna County Pro Bono’s Elder Law Clinic; Knights of Columbus Council 6611; volunteer with the Abington Gators and Abington Little League.

Dalton Council, 2-year (2 candidates, 1 seat)

MARTIN FOTTA

Party: Democratic

Age: 42

Residence: Dalton

Family: Wife; three daughters.

Education: North Pocono High School; and masters degree, public administration, Marywood University.

Experience: Dalton Fire Company and Dalton Zoning Hearing Board member.

ALBERT PROPST

Party: Republican

Age: 33

Residence: Dalton

Family: Wife; children.

Education: Home schooled and attended Clarks Summit University.

Experience: Current council member, Dalton Planning Commission and former Dickson City constable.

Glenburn Supervisor (2 candidates, 1 seat)

JIM DAVIS

Party: Democratic

Age: 43

Residence: Glenburn Twp.

Family: Wife; three children.

Education: Abington Heights High School, 1994; and bachelor’s degree, business administration, Duquesne University, 1998.

Experience: Government relations consultant for more than 17 years, Abington Area Joint Recreation Board member, Greater Scranton YMCA board member, Oakford Woods Homeowners Association board member, Abington Area Flag Football board member, Clarks Green United Methodist Church Council Member and Lake Sheridan Cottagers’ Association board member.

DAVID DRUCK

Party: Republican

Age: 76

Residence: Glenburn Twp.

Family: Wife; four children;12 grandchildren.

Education: Scranton Central High School; Penn State University, 1965; masters credits in business from the University of Scranton.

Experience: Current supervisor, retired business owner, Action Incorporated, the medical review team for Pennsylvania for 30 years.

Scott Supervisor (2 candidates, 1 seat);

NAOMI MIMI JOHNSON

Party: Democratic

Age: 56

Residence: Scott Twp.

Family: husband, William; two sons; four grandchildren,

Education: Nursing school, registered nurse.

Experience: Registered nurse and previous community nurse and VFW Post 7963 auxiliary member,

BRIAN BRENZEL

Party: Republican

Brenzel did not respond to multiple messages.

Lackawanna Trail Region 2 (3 candidates, 2 seats)

DANE BOWER

Party: Democratic

Age: 64

Residence: Factoryville

Family: Wife, four children and six grandchildren.

Education: Abington Heights High School, 1973; and Career Technology Center, licensed practical nurse.

Experience: Nurse at Allied Hospice, member of the Civic League in Factoryville; former Boy Scouts Cub Master; youth group leader, Our Lady of the Abingtons.

Bower did not provide a photo.

MICHAEL W. MOULD

Party: Democratic/Republican

Age: 79

Residence: Factoryville

Family: Wife, Patricia; son, Daniel; daughter, Megan.

Education: Bachelor’s degree, Springfield College; masters degree in education, Penn State University; doctorate in physical education, Springfield College.

Experience: Current school board treasurer; been on school board for 12 years; part-time assistant professor at Keystone College; retired Keystone College Athletic Director and former baseball couch; retired Misericordia University director of athletics.

ROBERT MINICK III

Party: Republican

Age: 35

Residence: Factoryville

Family: Wife; three children.

Education: Elk Lake High School, 2003.

Experience: Branch manager at United Rentals; current school board director; town president for Christy Mathewson Little League; Free Mason and Fleetville Fire Company member.

Uncontested: Benton Supervisor (1 candidate, 1 seat); Benton Tax Collector, 2-Year (1 candidate, 1 seat); Clarks Green Mayor, 2-year (1 candidate, 1 seat); Clarks Summit Tax Collector, 2-year (1 candidate, 1 seat); Dalton Council (3 candidates, 3 seats); Dalton Council, 2-year unexpired (1 candidate, 1 seat); Greenfield Supervisor (1 candidate, 1 seat); LaPlume Supervisor (no candidates, 1 seat); LaPlume Supervisor, 4-year (1 candidate, 1 seat); LaPlume Tax Collector, 2-year (no candidates, 1 seat); Newton Supervisor (1 candidate, 1 seat); North Abington Supervisor (1 candidate, 1 seat); Ransom Supervisor (1 candidate, 1 seat); South Abington Supervisor (1 candidate, 1 seat); Waverly Supervisor (1 candidate, 1 seat); West Abington Supervisor (no candidates, 1 seat); Abington Heights Region 1 (1 candidate, 1 seat); Abington Heights Region 2 (1 candidate, 1 seat); Abington Heights Region 3 (1 candidate, 1 seat); Abington Heights At-Large (2 candidate, 2 seats); Lackawanna Trail Region 1 (all Wyoming County towns) (2 candidates, 2 seats); Lackawanna Trail Region 3 (1 candidate, 1 seat)

CARBONDALE — The Pioneer City will become the fifth municipality to partner with the Lackawanna County Land Bank, joining Scranton, Mayfield, Dunmore and Fell Twp.

Land bank officials joined members of Carbondale City Council and Mayor Justin Taylor on the steps of city hall Thursday to announce the partnership, which should help Carbondale address blight in the city and return certain abandoned and tax-delinquent properties to productive use.

By clearing those types of properties of back taxes and municipal liens that often make rehabilitating them prohibitively expensive, the land bank is an effective tool for returning properties from the county’s repository list to the tax rolls. There are 40 land bank-eligible properties on the repository list in Carbondale and the Carbondale Area School District.

Carbondale, which has a lot of older houses, undertook other efforts in recent years to fight blight and raze dangerous or undesirable structures. Taylor said Joining the land bank only adds to that effort.

“Blight really is one of the biggest issues that we face each and every day in our community, because in a small town, when you have that one home on that block or in a neighborhood that’s constantly deteriorating ... it disheartens the citizens,” he said. “To have another tool in the bag to try to make something happen is vitally important.”

Lackawanna County Commissioner Patrick O’Malley, chairman of the land bank board, lauded the work it has done to this point.

The land bank sold about 119 properties since 2017, all in Scranton, and maintains an inventory of about 73 properties. It also worked with Scranton to demolish four blighted structures there and is assisting Fell Twp. with the demolition of an abandoned, ramshackle former schoolhouse that is marring a residential neighborhood.

“A lot of these properties are properties that are in the middle of a block, that had weeds four feet high and trees growing all over the place,” O’Malley said. “This is about getting rid of those (blighted) properties that nobody else can get to.”

Officials said they hope other municipalities sign on with the land bank.

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

High notes

Paul Blackledge and Joshua Mast of POSH at the Scranton Club and Theresa Stuckart of New Laundry, both in downtown Scranton, will host a Breakfast at Tiffany’s Fundraiser to benefit Susan G. Komen Greater Pennsylvania.

The Champagne Brunch, scheduled for Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., includes mimosas, bloody Marys and belinnis, passed appetizers and a brunch station.

Little black dresses and pearls are encouraged or come as you are.

Tickets are $50 and group tables available.

To reserve a ticket, visit Eventbrite.com or contact 570-342-6114...

...In other Komen news, North Pocono High School Junior Class officers including: Matt Kowalski, president; Greg Latawiec, treasurer; Marisol Olivares, historian; Elizabeth Nemitz, secretary; Natalie Deal, Alyssa Hrobuchak, Cassie Kutra, Morgan Steiner, Tori Lewis, Allie Taffera and Patrick Flyte and district representatives met with Dolly Woody, director of Greater Komen PA.

The class hosted a Pink Out Fundraiser, which included the sale of pink T-shirts which were worn during the varsity football game on Oct. 4. The class donated $201.25 to Woody to support the fight against breast cancer.

Public servant honored

The late Kuni Holbert was honored with a posthumous Certificate of Recognition from the Wayne County commissioners and the planning commission for her 42 years of service to the county.

Holbert, who died on Sept. 27, joined the Wayne County Planning Commission in August of 1977. From Shehawken, Holbert represented Preston, Scott and Buckingham townships and Starrucca Borough on the planning commission.

She also served on the Wayne County Chamber of the Commerce, the Rail-Trail Council of NEPA and the Wayne County Community Foundation, where she received the 2013 Ben Franklin Award.

Director of Planning/GIS Craig Rickard said he misses Kuni’s humor and unique perspective as a Realtor, large landowner and very community minded person.

Wayne County Commissioner Brian Smith said Holbert would not only share her opinion and the reason behind it but also would listen and would buy in if she saw value there.

Holbert was “truly one of a kind and she would have been proud to say that about herself,” said Wayne County Commissioner Wendell Kay, adding she was valued not only for her service to the community but also for her honesty and her insights into human nature.

Her daughter, Laura Holbert said she understood the consultative role her mother played and offered to continue that service for the county moving forward.

MARRIAGE LICENSES

• Salvador Carvantes-Torres and Luz Maria Marrero-Porto, both of Scranton.

• Rachael Lynn Capooci and John Robert Lawless, both of Dunmore.

• Adam William Yngelmo and Kaitlin Mara Dommermuth, both of Taylor.

PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS

• James and Carolyn A. Medalie to Daniel MacGuill and Laura Sue Cheever, Silver Springs, Md.; a property at 927 Wheeler Ave., Scranton, for $152,000.

• Gary and Linda Zipay, Archblad, to Arthur C. Miller, Plains Twp., and Mark L. Lehman, Hanover Twp.; a property at 192 Main St., Sturges, for $310,000.

• Stanley T. and Linda M. Pacewicz, Olyphant, to Jason E. Bartolomei; a property at 126 Beech St., Olyphant, for $92,000.

• J&C Investment Properties LLC, Pennsylvania, to Blunat LLC, New York; a property at 712 S. Ninth Ave., Scranton, for $29,000.

• William S. Killiany to Elizabeth Thompson; a property at 733 Crystal St., Blakely, for $124,580.

• Michael J. Saikowski and Ashley M. Jones, now by marriage Ashley M. Saikowski, Lake Ariel, to Kevan Bailey, Dickson City; a property at 899 Justus Blvd., Scott Twp., for $219,000.

• Maureen Gallagher, administrator of the estate of Kathleen Gallagher, Lackawanna County, to Matthew Hartmann and Mark Schloendorn, Susquehanna County; a property at 334 Knapp Road, Clarks Summit, for $220,000.

• Raymond C. and Hayley Booth to Old Republic Diversified Services Inc., Minnesota; a parcel in Thornhurst Twp., for $75,000.

• Old Republic Diversified Services Inc., Minnesota, to Justin A. Thomas; a parcel in Thornhurst Twp., for $75,000.

• Zipora Mintz, New Jersey, to Ruth E. Leiter, Scranton; a property at 300-302 Madison Ave., Scranton, for $25,000.

• Gregory A. and Lindsey C. Hunt, Dunmore, to CAS Realty LLC, Pennsylvania; a property at 506 Butler St., Dunmore, for $125,000.

• R.D. Noto & Son Construction Inc., South Abington Twp., to Colby Kalinowski and Angela DiBileo, Dresher; a property at Seminary Hill Road and Trinity Place, South Abington Twp., for $94,500.

• MSA Inc., Pennsylvania, to Jeffrey D. and Abreia Bess, Scranton; a property at 152 E. Pine St., Dunmore, for $136,845.

• Kenneth and Linda Powell, Archbald, to Shirley Granger, Archbald; a property in the Highlands of Archbald, for $288,600.

• Ellen Marotta and Robert E. Hughes III, co-trustees of the Robert E. Hughes Jr. trust, to Carl Barsigian; a property at 306 Fuller Road, Dalton, for $345,000.

• Maria E. and Mark Fiedorczyk, and E. Kevin Elvidge, all of Newton, N.J., to David M. and Chelsea R. DeLeo, Peckville; a property at 506 Hickory St., Blakely, for $144,300.

• Carisbrook Asset Holding and through U.S Bank Trust N.A., by Roundpoint Mortgage Servicing Corp., as attorney-in-fact, to Edward J. May Jr.; a property at 1420 Rundle St., Scranton, for $77,000.

• Christopher John and Lauren Michele Baranoski to Dominick J. and Kayla Augustine; a property at 908 W. Grove St., Clarks Summit, for $150,000.

ESTATES FILED

• Thomas J. Poplarchick, 524 Short Ave., Peckville, letters of administration to James A. Mizerak, 407 Colonial Drive, Endwell, N.Y.

• Carmela A. Bevilacqua, also known as Carmela Ann Bevilacqua, 921 Katherine Drive, Jessup, letters testamentary to Joann M. Bevilacqua, same address.

ONLINE: thetimes-tribune.com/court

SCRANTON

A Danville, California, man accused of engaging in sexually explicit internet chats with an investigator posing as two different teenage girls from Lackawanna County waived his preliminary hearing Wednesday in Central Court.

Brian Reid Thorner, 49, was charged by the state attorney general’s office last week with multiple counts of unlawful contact with a minor, disseminating explicit sexual materials to a minor and other offenses.

He is accused of sexually propositioning and sending explicit videos to an agent posing as a 14-year-old girl during an online conversation Christmas Day. He engaged in similar activity five days later with the same agent posing as a different girl, investigators said.

As part of his hearing waiver, Thorner’s bail, originally set at $750,000, was reduced to $100,000.

— DAVID SINGLETON

SEE THE FULL LIST HERE.

A former nurse at the Gino J. Merli Veterans’ Center gave a patient more pain medication than was prescribed even though that patient had a history of drug and alcohol abuse, the state attorney general’s office charged .

John A. Ortiz, 41, 224 W. Drinker St., acknowledged to investigators that he gave the man more medication than was prescribed, according to a criminal complaint filed by Agent Victoria Trembone. He felt sympathy for him, he explained to investigators. The patient, who is only identified by investigators by his initials, had been in pain.

The center started to suspect Ortiz once a registered nurse noticed that the consistency of the patient’s liquid Oxycodone had gone from syrupy to watered down. They reached out to the attorney general’s office in August 2018.

Ortiz did not have authorization from Dr. Daniel Kazmierski or Ashley Franklin, a certified registered nurse assistant, to up the man’s dose.

Kazmierski told Trembone that if a nurse approached him with concerns about the patient’s pain, he would have examined him to verify that an increase in dosage was appropriate.

Officials at the center take extra precaution with that patient because they know that he has a background of substance abuse.

Trembone went over surveillance clips from July 2018 and watched as Ortiz poured out liquid Oxycodone until a 30 mL measuring cup was full and then not log the administration of the patient’s medication, according to the complaint.

Ortiz has since resigned from the veteran’s center, according to the complaint. His nursing license was still active as of Thursday afternoon, according to state records.

Ortiz is charged with dispensing medication outside accepted practices — a felony — and misdemeanor counts of refusal or failure to keep required records and theft by unlawful taking.

Ortiz is free on $50,000 unsecured bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled 9 a.m. Thursday.

Ortiz declined to comment. The state Department of Military and Veterans Affairs did not respond to a request for comment.

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

SCRANTON — Most local government offices will close Tuesday in observance of Election Day.

Scranton City Hall will be closed, the city DPW will be off and garbage and blue recycling container collections in the city will fall a day behind.

Parking at street meters and in kiosk zones in downtown Scranton will be free Tuesday, as enforcement personnel will be off.

The Lackawanna County Court system and all county offices, except the Department of Elections, will be closed. Anyone wishing to access the Department of Elections on Tuesday may do so at its offices at 123 Wyoming Ave. in Scranton.

Normal business of the offices closed Tuesday will resume Wednesday.

— JIM LOCKWOOD

The three House members who represent Northeast Pennsylvania in Congress split along partisan lines on the vote to open an impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump’s conduct.

U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser, R-9, Dallas, and Rep. Fred Keller, R-12, Snyder County, voted against opening the inquiry. Rep. Matt Cartwright, D-8, Moosic, voted for it.

Here are comments each made on their votes.

MEUSER: “The do-nothing Democrats are bringing their only hope to defeat Donald Trump next year to the House floor. The process has been appalling from every angle: no due process, the public has been made unaware, selective information leaked to the general public, ignoring (Ukraine) President (Volodymyr) Zelensky’s words, immense corruption in the Ukraine, and the Bidens are in the middle of it. (Adam) Schiff has been given the role of prosecutor and jury, and he has a factual record of lying. Today’s resolution changed nothing. Every Democrat with the exception of two voted for this sham. They didn’t vote for an inquiry to determine guilt or innocence. Instead, they voted to impeach the President because they don’t like him. That’s dangerous. That’s scary. That’s pitiful. And, the people should be outraged. There is also no evidence — no quid pro quo took place.”

KELLER: “When you look at the resolution, it doesn’t bring the transparency that we were looking to shed on the process. It still leaves it in the hands of Chairman (Adam) Schiff to be the sole decider of whether or not witnesses can be called or whether or not questions can be asked ... You have 75% of the members of Congress that have been shut out of the process, that have been denied access to the information that’s going on. You have leaks, the leaks that come out of there are just selective material, out of context, to provide a narrative. That’s not any way to handle such an important happening in our nation when you’re talking about the President who was elected by over 63 million Americans.”

CARTWRIGHT: “I support moving these ongoing hearings out into the open so everybody can listen to all the details of what went on, process it and decide for themselves what they think, rather than just being told what to think by all the people talking on cable television.”

— BORYS KRAWCZENIUK

An 88-year-old Monroe County man shot and killed his 72-year-old girlfriend Thursday morning during a fight over a gun, police said.

Pocono Mountain Regional Police responded to 142 Sawmill Road, Tunkhannock Twp., at 6 a.m. after Bernard Pedreira knocked on his neighbor’s door and said he shot his girlfriend, Lydia Alamillo Bulaon, Detectives Kyle VanNote and Ryan Venneman wrote in a criminal complaint.

Officers found Alamillo Bulaon dead on a couch with a gunshot wound to her right shoulder.

Pedreira told police that he “may have been fighting” with his girlfriend when she tried to take the gun from him and was shot, according to the complaint.

Alamillo Bulaon was lying on the couch with a rifle under her right hand, but her gunshot wound wasn’t consistent with the gun’s positioning, police said.

Pedreira told officers he was cleaning his guns when his girlfriend yelled at him to put the guns away.

“She grabbed the gun from me, and it was loaded, and it went off,” he told police.

During questioning, Pedreira said Alamillo Bulaon wanted to take the gun away, and he had his finger on the trigger.

Then, there was a bang, he told police.

“There was no fighting it or nothing,” he told officers.

Pedreira said he had been fighting with his girlfriend for 25 years. Pedreira and Alamill Bulaon had a history of domestic violence complaints, police said.

Pedreira faces a single criminal homicide charge. Magisterial District Judge Richard Claypool denied bail for Pedreira, and he remains at Monroe County Correctional Facility.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Nov. 7.

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

An Abingtons staple is closing and plans call for its razing to make way for a proposed shopping center where people can purchase mattresses, pick up a coffee or get a haircut.

The Nichols Village Hotel & Spa plaza at 1101 Northern Boulevard in South Abington Twp. officially closed today, said Michael Gary, manager.

The hotel closure makes way for “The Shoppes at South Abington” — a shopping center project still in the planning stages, said David O’Neill South Abington Township manager.

Falcon Properties, based in New Jersey, is behind the shopping center development. The private equity and real estate investment holding company purchased roughly 6.8 acres of property, which included Nichols Village, in October 2017, for $4.1 million.

Longtime owner George Nichols sold the property, then called the Inn at Nichols Village, in 2008, to a partnership headed by New Jersey attorney Ankim Shah, who is part of Falcon Properties. The inn was founded in 1949, by Nichols’ parents, Mary and William Nichols, as a four-room motel. Throughout the years, it grew and improved in quality to become a 135-room hotel complex.

An online brochure from Bennett Williams Commercial, a South Central Pennsylvania company marketing the project, lists the property as a “37,399 square-foot new construction retail project.”

They are negotiating leases with Wendy’s, Holiday Hair and Autozone and have letters of intent with Mattress Warehouse, Starbuck’s and Dollar Tree, the brochure states.

O’Neill said Falcon is planning to raze three buildings on the property and build the shopping center from the ground up.

The new shopping center will have an entrance at the stoplight at Northern Boulevard and Parkwood Avenue and an entrance at the stoplight into the Weis Markets off the boulevard, O’Neill said. An entrance into the middle of the property is also included in the planning.

“It’s a nice project, an aggressive project,” O’Neill said.

The Lackawanna County Planning Commission received plans for the project in June, said Steve Pitoniak, transportation planning manager.

On Aug. 19, the commission withheld making a recommendation on the project, he said. The commission did not receive a lighting plan and there were questions on loading docks, parking lots and the interior traffic patterns, Pitoniak said.

“They were nothing major, just minor, little things,” he said.

Falcon Properties is set to appear before the South Abington Twp. Supervisors on Nov. 11 to further discuss its plans for the property, said O’Neill. The company will also attend the township’s zoning hearing board meeting on Nov. 12 to ask for a zoning variance for parking at the proposed shopping center.

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

Welcome to this week’s edition of Friday Playlist where members of the Times-Tribune staff submit their music picks based on a theme.

This week's theme is Songs That Mention Other Muscians.

Enjoy!

Tom Petty - Runnin' Down A Dream
Ed Pikulski

A cruising classic with a Del Shannon mention.  
"It was a beautiful day, the sun beat down
I had the radio on, I was drivin'
Trees went by, me and Del were singin' little Runaway
I was flyin'



Pavement - Unseen Power of The Picket Fence
Ted Baird

Great tune about REM.... and I would have to agree: "Time after Time was my least favorite song!"..... then the song takes a turn to the Civil War.



Jonathan Richman - Velvet Underground
Ted Baird

"Twangy sounds of the cheapest types, Sounds as stark as black and white stripes"



Nils Lofgren - Keith Don't Go
John Cole

Lofgren's made a career playing second fiddle (or guitar, as it were) to big names like Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen. Earlier on, when he was pursuing a solo career, he laid out his affinity for Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards in a tune that's a clever reworking of the Stones' most-famous hit.



John Hiatt - Riding with the King
Jim Haggerty

Best song ever written about Elvis. Slide guitar whiz Sonny Landreth adds a ton of punch to it. BB King and Eric Clapton had a hit cover of this song, but Hiatt's versions were always far superior because he meant it.



LCD Soundsystem - Losing My Edge
Joe Healey

"I was there when Captain Beefheart started up his first band. I told him, 'Don't do it that way. You'll never make a dime.'"
Other bands namechecked include: Can, Suicide, Daft Punk, Larry Levan, Beach Boys, Modern Lover, Yaz, Heat, Pere Ubu, Outsiders, Nation of Ulysses, Mars, The Trojans, The Black Dice, Todd Terry, the Germs, Section 25, Althea and Donna, Sexual Harrassment, a-ha, Pere Ubu, Dorothy Ashby, PIL, the Fania All-Stars, the Bar-Kays, the Human League, the Normal, Lou Reed, Scott Walker, Monks, Niagra, Joy Division, Lower 48, the Association, Sun Ra, Scientists, Royal Trux, 10cc, Eric B. and Rakim, Index, Basic Channel, Soulsonic Force, Juan Atkins, David Axelrod, Electric Prunes, Gil Scott Heron, the Slits, Faust, Mantronix, Pharaoh Sanders and the Fire Engines, the Swans, the Soft Cell, the Sonics, the Sonics, the Sonics, the Sonics.



Van Morrison - Real Gone
Pat McKenna

Sam Cooke is on the radio, and Wilson Pickett offers sage advice....

Delaney and Bonnie and Friends - Poor Elijah
Jim Haggerty

Blues legend Robert Johnson had tremendous influence on the rock scene from the mid-1960s through the early 1970s. Delaney Bramlett was among the most influential  performers of that era. Eric Clapton fills in on guitar here and the future members of his legendary band, Derek and the Dominoes, are among the friends in D&B's band here. This tribute to Johnson is indicative of Delaney's underappreciated work.



Barenaked Ladies - Brian Wilson
Caitlin Heaney West

This isn't one of my favorite BNL songs, but it's one of the group's biggest hits, and for good reason.

The Clash - Jail Guitar Doors
John Cole

The Clash name-checks the legal and health travails of the MC5's Wayne Kraemer, Fleetwood Mac's Peter Green, and Stonesman Keith Richards.

Lackawanna County Judge Terrence Nealon will lead the state judicial system’s efforts to ensure judges across the state stay up to date on changes in the law.

Nealon, 60, was recently elected president of the Pennsylvania Conference of State Trial Judges, which presents educational programs to the state’s 594 county court and appellate court judges.

“It’s incredibly important,” Nealon said. “New issues confront the courts every day of the week. … We develop and present programs to help judges remain current, not only on all changes in the law, but in developing best practices to handle certain types of matters.”

Nealon has served on various committees and in several positions with the PCSTJ since he took the bench in Lackawanna County in 1998. He was instrumental in aiding the development of a civil trial “bench book,” one of several manuals that help guide judges in carrying out their duties.

“It’s essentially a how-to manual,” Nealon said. “It takes a case from the moment it is filed … to jury selection and all the way to appeal. … It has lot of very good, practical suggestions on how to handle matters.”

The PCSTJ holds two conferences annually that feature educational programs and provide judges an opportunity to meet and discuss issues they face.

“It’s important we have the opportunity to step away … and network with colleagues in the state to find out how they address different issues,” he said.

Northumberland County Judge Charles Saylor, immediate past president of the PCSTJ, served with Nealon as an officer for several years. He said Nealon’s extensive experience on the organization’s educational committee will be a great asset in his new role.

“Terry (Nealon) for years was on the educational committee and presented and put together programs,” Saylor said. “He is considered a very good scholar and trial judge, especially in the area of civil law. … We want to continue to provide excellent programs. That is going to be key to his leadership.”

The position, which is unpaid, is among several volunteer organizations Nealon aids. He also serves on the board of directors of United Neighborhood Centers of Northeastern Pennsylvania and the board of trustees of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Healthcare Foundation.

Nealon said the educational programs offered by PCSTJ were invaluable to him when he first took the bench. He said he looks forward to leading the organization for his one-year term, which concludes in July.

“It’s always an honor be chosen by your peers to represent them,” he said. “I’m very grateful to have the opportunity to do it this year.”

Contact the writer:

tbesecker@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9137;

@tmbeseckerTT on Twitter

SCRANTON

The case against a Jessup man accused of fracturing his infant daughter’s skull will move on to Lackawanna County Court for possible trial.

Christopher Helstowski Jr., 27, waived his preliminary hearing on simple assault and other charges Wednesday before Magisterial District Judge Paul Ware.

County detectives charged Helstowski in August with injuring his daughter May 17, when she was 4 months old. Investigators said he offered different explanations for the injuries, which included a skull fracture and bruising.

The girl’s mother, Kristina Lee Shotwell, who was charged with endangering the welfare of children, waived her hearing in September.

— DAVID SINGLETON

Oct. 31, 1929

Halloween happenings

Young and old were out and about celebrating Halloween throughout Scranton.

Groups of costumed residents were seen promenading the streets on their way to parties at private homes or at one of several venues throughout the city.

The employees of the state Highway Department held a dance at the Scranton Bicycle Club, with entertainment provided by Billy Jones and his Californians.

A group of women, led by Mrs. Frank Naughton, organized a Halloween party for the children of St. Joseph’s Children’s and Maternity Hospital. The children played games and enjoyed refreshments.

The Watres Armory held a Halloween dance that featured music by Bernie Barnard and his Belle Island Blue Band and the New York State Million Dollar Orchestra. Admission to the dance was 50 cents.

A wild day on

Wall Street

It was a wild day on Wall Street thanks to bargain hunters and a feeling among the traders the crisis had passed.

The day started down but those losses soon turned into gains, with some stock prices jumping in between $5 and $25.

Some of the biggest gains were seen with utility and oil stocks. Gulf Oil started out the day at $22, but by the end of trading the stock finished at $164. Standard Power and Light saw an increase of 83 points to end the day at $160, and Electric Bond and Share was at $20 and ended the day at $99.87.

Market watchers believed the statement by the Rockefellers, followed by a large amount of overnight stock orders, may have “checked the wave of hysterical selling.”

Firestone to build facility in city

Firestone Tire of Arkon, Ohio, announced plans to construct a new distribution center at Wyoming Avenue and Phelps Street. The $250,000 center would service 11 counties in Pennsylvania and three in New York state.

The tire company already had a presence in Scranton with a warehouse on Poplar Street. Once the new center was open, the Poplar Street facility would close.

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

Paul Blackledge and Joshua Mast of POSH at the Scranton Club and Theresa Stuckart of New Laundry, both in downtown Scranton, will host a Breakfast at Tiffany’s Fundraiser to benefit Susan G. Komen Greater Pennsylvania.

The Champagne Brunch, scheduled for Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., includes mimosas, bloody Marys and belinnis, passed appetizers and a brunch station.

Little black dresses and pearls are encouraged or come as you are.

Tickets are $50 and group tables available.

To reserve a ticket, visit Eventbrite.com or contact 570-342-6114...

...In other Komen news, North Pocono High School Junior Class officers including: Matt Kowalski, president; Greg Latawiec, treasurer; Marisol Olivares, historian; Elizabeth Nemitz, secretary; Natalie Deal, Alyssa Hrobuchak, Cassie Kutra, Morgan Steiner, Tori Lewis, Allie Taffera and Patrick Flyte and district representatives met with Dolly Woody, director of Greater Komen PA.

The class hosted a Pink Out Fundraiser, which included the sale of pink T-shirts which were worn during the varsity football game on Oct. 4. The class donated $201.25 to Woody to support the fight against breast cancer.

Public servant honored

The late Kuni Holbert was honored with a posthumous Certificate of Recognition from the Wayne County commissioners and the planning commission for her 42 years of service to the county.

Holbert, who died on Sept. 27, joined the Wayne County Planning Commission in August of 1977. From Shehawken, Holbert represented Preston, Scott and Buckingham townships and Starrucca Borough on the planning commission.

She also served on the Wayne County Chamber of the Commerce, the Rail-Trail Council of NEPA and the Wayne County Community Foundation, where she received the 2013 Ben Franklin Award.

Director of Planning/GIS Craig Rickard said he misses Kuni’s humor and unique perspective as a Realtor, large landowner and very community minded person.

Wayne County Commissioner Brian Smith said Holbert would not only share her opinion and the reason behind it but also would listen and would buy in if she saw value there.

Holbert was “truly one of a kind and she would have been proud to say that about herself,” said Wayne County Commissioner Wendell Kay, adding she was valued not only for her service to the community but also for her honesty and her insights into human nature.

Her daughter, Laura Holbert said she understood the consultative role her mother played and offered to continue that service for the county moving forward.