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

Georgia is a 5-year old female, American Pit Bull mix. She is very friendly and personable.
Contact the Griffin Pond Animal Shelter at 586-3700 if your pet is lost or goes astray. Staff Photo by Ted Baird

Hollins is a 2-year-old male, Long haired cat. HE is very soft and loves to be held.
Contact the Griffin Pond Animal Shelter at 586-3700 if your pet is lost or goes astray. Staff Photo by Ted Baird



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Their addictions started with a single hit.

Each Thursday, students meet around lunch time at Forest City Regional High School. The teenagers may have vaped for the first time in a school bathroom or shared an e-cigarette with a flavor such as cotton candy or watermelon with a group of friends.

Now, those students — and countless others in Northeast Pennsylvania — don’t know how to stop.

This fall, the small school started a support group and cessation program for students desperate for help.

“They come to us in tears,” said physics teacher Dan Nebzydoski, who helps run the support group. “They say they can’t quit.”

Just two years after educators began catching students vaping in restrooms, parking lots and even classrooms, officials call vaping a crisis in the region’s schools.

Nationwide, e-cigarette use among high school students increased 78% from 2017 to 2018, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The American Lung Association claims 5,700 teens start vaping every day.

“It’s a major, major issue in our schools,” said Valley View Superintendent Michael Boccella, Ed.D. “Vaping does not discriminate. We have athletes doing it, kids on the honor roll. We’ve had students, when we catch them, thank us. They say, ‘I’m trying to quit, but I can’t. I need help.’”

Recent vaping-related illnesses and deaths have increased the need for awareness and education. As of last week, 2,172 cases of e-cigarette- or vaping-related lung injuries have been reported to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The agency has confirmed 42 deaths in 24 states and the District of Columbia.

At least 40% of kids have vaped at least once, according to the CDC.

“You’re hearing about children or students who are dying as a result of vaping,” Lakeland Superintendent William King said. “Ten, 15, 20 years from now, none of us have a true understanding of what the problems will be. It’s really scary. At the end of the day, education is key.”

Vaping dangers

Electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, have been sold in the U.S. for about a decade. Commonly marketed as a safer alternative to smoking cigarettes, the devices allow users to inhale an aerosol containing nicotine or other substances.

Sometimes referred to by the brand JUUL, vapes or vape pens, the battery-operated devices use a heating element to heat e-liquid from a refillable cartridge, releasing a chemical-filled aerosol — often with minty or fruity flavors. In September, President Donald Trump’s administration called for a ban on flavored e-cigarettes, though the government has taken no final action.

A recent study from the University of North Carolina found that even in small doses, inhaling the two primary ingredients found in e-cigarettes — propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin — is likely to expose users to a high level of toxins. The more ingredients a user is inhaling, the greater the toxicity, according to the American Lung Association. The mid- to long-term consequences of e-cigarettes are not yet known.

“We’re not seeing kids who smoke cigarettes,” said Robert DeLuca, West Scranton High School principal. “They think vaping is better than cigarettes. We have to educate these kids. They just don’t know.”

Tony Delonti, a program specialist with the American Lung Association, regularly speaks to local students and parents about the dangers of vaping.

“It’s a crisis for young people and for the schools, too,” he said. “We did a pretty good job getting smoking rates down, but then sure enough, this product comes along and pulls people back into that nicotine addiction.”

When Delonti presents to teachers and parents, he shows how discreet e-cigarettes have become.

Most high schools have drawers or boxes filled with confiscated devices, some that look like USB drives, lipstick tubes or asthma inhalers. Some principals have even found students wearing hooded sweatshirts that hide the vape in the drawstrings.

“We have kids using this product who would never consider smoking,” Delonti said. “The high-impact nicotine hits the brain quickly, and addiction takes over quickly. They find themselves getting addicted really young. … Some of these people are near death because their lungs are filled up with fluids.”

Raising awareness

At Forest City, educators began to realize they had a major problem when they walked by restrooms and detected the smell of cotton candy last year. Students estimated at least half of their peers used e-cigarettes. Teachers and administrators knew they needed immediate action.

The 796-student district, which draws students from parts of Lackawanna, Susquehanna and Wayne counties, received assistance from the Wayne County Drug and Alcohol Commission to begin offering the Project Connect nicotine cessation program. Teachers received training on how to run the voluntary support group, and seven students began in the district’s first group this fall.

Nebzydoski and math teacher Cynthia Weiss, who run the group and facilitate lessons on topics including triggers, health consequences and goal-setting, applaud students for seeking help.

For students caught vaping in school, the district also changed its approach to discipline. Instead of giving students out-of-school suspensions, where the students would “sit around and vape all day,” the students now serve in-school suspensions with mandatory education on the dangers of vaping, Nebzydoski said.

Officials in other districts are also rethinking student discipline.

“The knee-jerk reaction is to address vaping with suspension,” Riverside Superintendent Paul Brennan said. “However, we have to take a closer look at our policies to make sure that prevention, redirection and intervention are incorporated.”

Riverside may soon install vaping detectors in restrooms. Districts have also updated the curriculum in middle school and high school health classes to address vaping.

At Abington Heights, students have also taken an active role in education. The TRU — Tobacco Resistance Unit — traveled to Harrisburg in the spring to push for increasing the minimum age to purchase and use tobacco products from 18 to 21.

“I think our students, through the efforts of other students, are becoming more aware of the harms,” Superintendent Michael Mahon, Ph.D., said. “They’re learning about the dangers. The nicotine is intense.”

During the morning announcements at Forest City, the school broadcasts news stories about vaping-related illnesses. Having the lowest enrollment in the region, teachers say they work in a close-knit community that makes students comfortable with seeking help.

In the support group, three students hope by Thanksgiving to make significant progress in kicking their vaping addiction.

“We’ve cared about them for so long,” Weiss said. “They know they can come to us. … We’re attached to them for a lifetime.”

Contact the writer: shofius@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9133; @hofiushallTT on Twitter

How to get help

To quit vaping, visit smokefree.gov or call 800-QUIT-NOW. For tips on how to talk to your child about vaping, visit thevapetalk.org.

Six signs your teen is vaping

One major issue with vaping is that parents, teachers and school administrators have a hard time knowing when kids are actually doing it. Many of the vaping devices look like everyday objects that would be used for another purpose. And since there’s no smoke, it’s hard to catch kids in the act. The aerosol also dissipates quickly and leaves no residue.

It’s hard to tell if your child is vaping, but these signs may help you figure it out:

n Unusual items. Some vaping devices resemble common items like USB drives and pens so they may not be that easy to spot, but they usually have holes on each end. They can also look like more traditional smoking devices. Keep an eye out for refill pods, atomizers and cartridges, which some vaping devices use, and batteries that require recharging. Organic cotton balls and thin metallic coils are other components used when vaping. Vaping devices can also be hidden inside of common items like highlighters.

n Sweet smell. Although odorless liquids can be used in electronic smoking devices, many teens choose scented vapor. The most popular flavors are sweet so you may notice an unusually sweet smell, although it goes away quickly.

n Changes in thirst and taste. The process of vaping makes users’ mouths dry. So if you see kids drinking more than usual, it may be a sign they’re vaping. A dry mouth also makes food taste less flavorful, so if your child is using more spices or salt, that may also be a clue.

n Nosebleeds. Not only does the mouth get dry when vaping but so does the inside of the nose as the vapor is exhaled through the nostrils. This can result in nosebleeds.

n Less need for caffeine. Vaping causes some people to be more sensitive to caffeine. If your teen is skipping the daily caffeine fix, it may be time to look for other signs of vaping.

n Unexplained cough, throat-clearing or mouth sores. Researchers have linked vaping to mouth wounds that won’t heal and a smoker’s-like cough.

— UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA HEALTH SYSTEM

What is in e-cigarette aerosol?

E-cigarette aerosol is not harmless water vapor.

The e-cigarette aerosol that users breathe from the device and exhale can contain harmful and potentially harmful substances, including:

n Nicotine.

n Ultrafine particles that can be inhaled deep into the lungs.

n Flavorings such as diacetyl, a chemical linked to a serious lung disease.

n Volatile organic compounds.

n Cancer-causing chemicals.

n Heavy metals such as nickel, tin and lead.

The aerosol that users inhale and exhale from e-cigarettes can expose both the user and bystanders to harmful substances.

It is difficult for consumers to know what e-cigarette products contain. For example, some e-cigarettes marketed as containing zero percent nicotine have been found to contain nicotine.

— U.S. CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION

In a textbook market-driven correction, Lackawanna County voters rebranded local government, canceling outdated underperformers with new products imported from larger markets and updated takes on classic labels.

Scranton will soon seat its first female mayor; an openly gay, married woman will join city council; the school board’s formula will be fundamentally freshened, and the proposed expansion of Keystone Sanitary Landfill will face two more populist boycotters on Dunmore Borough Council.

Finally, two new commissioners will move into the presidential suite of the Lackawanna County Government Center at Motel 6 and instantly start bombarding the front desk with complaints about the leaky plumbing and dead elevators.

We left a light on for ya. What more da ya want?

The consumer revolution began in the May primary when mobs of disgruntled customers stamped a Jan. 6 expiration date on Commissioners Pat O’Malley and Laureen Cummings. While we wait for the pair to be formally shelved, some housekeeping is in order.

Back in August, The Times-Tribune published a business profile of id8, a Clarks Summit-based design and marketing firm formerly known as idGroup Inc. Owner Steve Tolerico reinvented and rebranded the expanding enterprise he founded 30 years ago.

Several alert readers saw the story and wondered aloud about some apparently unfinished business idGroup had with the county. In 2015, then-Commissioners Jim Wansacz, Ed Staback and O’Malley contracted Steve’s firm to rebrand attractions like the Lackawanna Coal Mine Tour, the Electric City Trolley Museum and county parks.

The $100,000 contract was to be paid out of the county’s hotel tax fund. I’ve known Steve more than 20 years and his firm has produced cutting-edge work for local clients and international brands such as American Express and Pepsi.

I was glad he got the gig, and promised readers I’d keep tabs on the project. Then I forgot about it, which is why an easily distracted columnist needs alert readers.

I reached out to Steve, who explained that the campaign showed promise until the county backed out of the contract. His firm produced brochures, ads and billboards, but the current commissioners balked at going forward with a website and other tools to boost tourism.

Steve’s company hosted several focus groups throughout the county to gather input and ideas from residents, including a well-attended May 2016 event at Posh in Scranton that was covered by the newspaper. The focus groups were done at no cost to the county, and mined consumer data that made the events more than worth idGroup’s investment, Steve said.

“We were happy to do it, because the information was essential to getting this right,” he said. Steve estimates that idGroup spent “a minimum of $25,000” of its own money on the focus groups and other research.

The sitting commissioners weren’t impressed. Only one — re-elected incumbent Jerry Notarianni — showed up to a focus group event in Old Forge. In November 2016, the commissioners pulled the plug on pitching the parks to tourists.

Steve was disappointed, but agreed to forgo the rest of the contract. County records show idGroup was paid $51,738 between July 7, 2015, and Nov. 4, 2016, all from the hotel tax fund. The brochures are in circulation across the region and can be viewed on the Parks and Recreation Department page at lackawannacounty.org.

The brochures are topped with the god-awful slogan, “Investing in Our Future,” a county slogan that predated idGroup’s involvement. Steve was hired to rebrand the parks system, not the county.

Bill Davis, former deputy director for parks and recreation, said the county’s plan to market the parks to tourists was solid, but like anything else, you get what you pay for.

“We were hoping to get a Mercedes but we only had enough money for a Toyota,” he said. Now chief of staff for state Rep. Kyle Mullins, Davis said he hoped the effort would evolve into a “five-year plan.” The parks are among the county’s most valuable assets, he said, and should be marketed as attractions.

Steve said that belief is echoed in the focus group data, which he is happy to share with the new commissioners. In fact, he offered to volunteer his services to improve the county’s consumer appeal.

Call it an investment in our future, but brand it anything else.

CHRIS KELLY, the Times-Tribune columnist, votes with his wallet.

Contact the writer:

kellysworld@timesshamrock.com,

@cjkink on Twitter.

Read his award-winning blog at timestribuneblogs.com/kelly.

Health system holds Mammothon

Commonwealth Health conducted its eighth annual Mammothon on Oct. 24 at three locations. Ninety-five volunteers from Commonwealth Health’s hospitals and clinics made telephone calls to women who are past due for their annual mammograms, offering to schedule the critical screenings or to give a gentle reminder about the importance of yearly mammograms. The volunteers convened from Berwick Hospital Center, Moses Taylor Hospital, Regional Hospital of Scranton, Wilkes-Barre General Hospital and Commonwealth Health Physician Network.

This year, more than 3,000 telephone calls were made from TPS Pavilion, Kingston; Berwick Hospital Center, Berwick, and Moses Taylor Hospital, Scranton. During the three-hour Mammothon, the volunteers scheduled over 4,000 mammograms and provided vital information regarding annual screenings.

Mead Crafters competition held

As one of the fastest-growing categories in the alcohol industry, mead has distinguished itself as an alternative beverage enjoyed by millennials and baby boomers alike. To celebrate the rising popularity of the beverage, the National Honey Board hosted its first Mead Crafters Competition recognizing the top professional mead makers in the United States. Response to the competition was overwhelming, with more than 340 meads submitted to be judged in 25 categories ranging from dry metheglins to sweet traditional meads. After judging was finished, Pennsylvania-based Space Time Mead & Cider Works took home the gold in the Specialty Semi-Sweet category for its Peach Melomel, made in collaboration with Honey Hole Winery.

Teacher’s skills aid businesses

Ryan McCloskey, a former Philadelphia-area Spanish teacher with a special aptitude in technology, used his bilingual and tech skills to launch Power Move Payment Solutions to enable businesses and organizations throughout Northeast Pennsylvania to accept electronic payments anywhere at any time.

Mountain Top-based company Power Move Payment Solutions offers Point of Sale hardware and software integration for businesses and institutions with a focus on in-person customer service for English- and Spanish-speaking customers. The independently operated POS provider services customers in Lackawanna, Luzerne and Carbon counties.

Power Move Payment Solutions provides POS, terminal and mobile payment processing devices in addition to software integration with merchants’ websites or existing software, including QuickBooks for easy accounting. The company is also able to offer avenues to business and personal insurance, 401(k) and benefit plans, buy/sell agreements, staffing services and digital marketing.

Tunkhannock clinic restores hours

Just in time for flu and cold season, Geisinger Careworks in Tunkhannock is restoring hours and is open seven days a week.

The Tunkhannock Careworks is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Located at 10 Trieble Drive (off Route 6), Careworks is staffed with advanced practitioners who treat patients older than 1 year old.

This year, patients can walk into the Tunkhannock Careworks and receive a flu shot without an appointment. The Tunkhannock Careworks will also offer rapid flu testing, which provides a result in about 20 minutes.

Patients can visit Careworks locations for minor health issues that can be resolved in a single visit. These include cold and flu symptoms, allergies, earaches, tick removal, sprains and minor cuts.

Company honors veterans at stores

Round Room LLC, the nation’s largest Verizon authorized wireless retailer, recognized veterans at nearly 550 of its TCC stores in honor of Veterans Day.

On Nov. 9-11, each participating TCC location hosted a Veterans Appreciation Event to honor veterans for their service. Employees were on-site to answer questions about service contracts and identify qualifying promotions. Each veteran who attended the event received a TCC water bottle, along with other giveaway items. Veterans also had the opportunity to apply for an Honor Flight trip in-store through the Honor Flight Network, which transports veterans to Washington, D.C., to visit memorials dedicated to the service and sacrifices of the military.

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

As more people move toward a vegan lifestyle, some businesses will offer Thanksgiving meal options that give turkeys something to be thankful for.

Eden-A Vegan Cafe, which has a location on Adams Avenue in Scranton and recently opened a second restaurant on South Main Street in Wilkes-Barre, is getting ready to offer vegan Thanksgiving take-away feasts featuring “Tofurky” roasts.

Christian Pilosi, owner of Eden-A Vegan Cafe, has been selling the vegan Thanksgiving Tofurky take-away feast for eight years in Scranton and this is the first year he will offer it in his new location in Wilkes-Barre.

Tofurky, the brand name of an American vegetarian and vegan turkey replacement, is made from a blend of wheat protein and tofu.

“It’s kind of shaped like a football and they put stuffing inside,” Pilosi said. “We put our own spin on it and we do a special kind of baste. The way we make it, it slices so nice and thin. We make our own gravy.”

While Tofurky has no bone and is not going to fool anyone into thinking it’s a turkey, Pilosi said, “It’s got a turkey taste and feel to it.”

The six-serving Tofurky roast people can order for Thanksgiving will be surrounded with roasted potatoes, carrots and onions prepared in a tin that is ready for easy reheating in an oven along with a quart of homemade stuffing, gravy and a small dessert portion of chocolate mocha cheesecake, for $48.

“With all the trimmings, it’s really reminiscent,” Pilosi said. “We have a lot of people who will get it who are going to a family Thanksgiving and there are one or two people who are vegan. Other people aren’t vegan but want to try it.”

Customers also can add on more stuffing, smashed potatoes, creamy butternut squash soup, sweet potato casserole and marshmallows, extra gravy, a loaf of chocolate peanut butter banana bread, a pumpkin cheesecake or peanut butter chocolate chip cheesecake.

Eden-A Vegan also has a few vegan treats this year, including pumpkin pie or apple crumb pie and six pumpkin cannoli.

“People really like it,” Pilosi said. “Last year, we had orders from 56 families. It was our most ever.”

This year, Pilosi said he could prepare more orders because he has a bigger kitchen and more space at his new location at 136 S. Main St. by Wilkes University’s campus in Wilkes-Barre.

All orders for vegan Thanksgiving feasts must be placed by Nov. 23 and paid for in advance, Pilosi said. Pickups will be between 11:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 27, the day before Thanksgiving. People can place orders by calling 570-969-1606 in Scranton or 570-235-6770 in Wilkes-Barre.

Eden-A Vegan also has a Thanksgiving wrap on special all month. It consists of Tofurky deli slices, homemade stuffing and cranberry sauce and field greens. It is drizzled with homemade gravy.

Donnie Kirchner, a vegan who works at the cafe, said all the components that would be in a vegan Thanksgiving meal are featured in the wrap.

Pilosi, a Wilkes University alumnus, said Tofurky has come a long way since he became a vegan in 1997. He said some of the main draws to vegan options are that there is no cholesterol, less saturated fat and fewer calories than traditional meats.

“There are so many other products for people to buy out there in the stores that just didn’t exist in the past,” he said. “I used to have to go to Everything Natural in Clarks Summit to get soy milk. It was the only place that had it. Now, it’s in Walmart. It’s everywhere. It has really turned the corner in the last few years.”

House of Nutrition in Luzerne also is selling a number of vegan options as more people embrace plant-based diets for ethical, environmental and health reasons.

Tiffany Roese, general manager of House of Nutrition, said vegan options for sale include Tofurky veggie roasts and ham roasts, made with wheat gluten and organic tofu, as well as a Field Roast vegan meatloaf and hazelnut cranberry roast.

Baker Cathy Bennett will make vegan desserts, including pumpkin, apple and mixed berry pies.

Chef Carly Evansky also will make vegan meals at House of Nutrition, including a stuffed seitan roast, roasted garlic mashed potatoes with vegetable gravy, seasonal fall vegetables and cranberry sauce.

Evansky, a former chef at Fire and Ice restaurant in Dallas, formerly cooked meat at the fine dining establishment. With veganism becoming a growing trend, she said she recently learned to cook vegan.

“It’s definitely a learning experience,” Evansky said. “I’ve been trying to cook healthier options with more vegetables and I came here and it’s completely different. It’s fun. It’s a different type of challenge.”

Contact the writer: dallabaugh@citizensvoice.com, 570-821-2115, @CVAllabaugh on Twitter

Joseph Giordano

Wanted by: State Board of Probation and Parole.

Wanted for: Parole absconder; released Jan. 23.

Description: White man, 34 years old, 6 feet 5 inches tall, 280 pounds, brown hair, blue eyes.

Contact: Probation and Parole hotline, 800-932-4857.

Brannon Bale

Wanted by: State Board of Probation and Parole.

Wanted for: Parole absconder; released Jan. 22.

Description: White man, 23 years old, 5 feet 6 inches tall, 165 pounds, brown hair, blue eyes.

Contact: Probation and Parole hotline, 800-932-4857.

Kyle Bedics

Wanted by: State Board of Probation and Parole.

Wanted for: Parole absconder; released Sept. 4, 2018.

Description: White man, 27 years old, 5 feet 10 inches tall, 145 pounds, brown hair, brown eyes. Last known to be in Lackawanna County.

Contact: Probation and Parole hotline, 800-932-4857.

James Maher

Wanted by: State Board of Probation and Parole.

Wanted for: Parole absconder; released Aug. 22, 2016.

Description: White man, 38 years old, 5 feet 11 inches tall, 230 pounds, brown hair, blue eyes. Last known to be in Lackawanna County.

Contact: Probation and Parole hotline, 800-932-4857.

Jessica Saffarano

Wanted by: State Board of Probation and Parole.

Wanted for: Parole absconder; released Jan. 4, 2016.

Description: White woman, 31 years old, 5 feet 1 inch tall, 165 pounds, brown hair, hazel eyes. Last known to be in Lackawanna County.

Contact: Probation and Parole hotline, 800-932-4857.

Dunmore

Art reception: First Saturday Artist Reception, Dec. 7, 5-7 p.m., Wonderstone Gallery, 100 N. Blakely St.; featuring December’s Artist of the Month Lori Ryan; free admission, light refreshments; 570-344-2360.

Board meetings: Dunmore Board of Education regular monthly meeting, Wednesday, 6 p.m., high school cafeteria; work session, Monday, 6 p.m., boardroom.

Keyser Valley

Neighbors meet: Keyser Valley Neighborhood Association meeting, Wednesday, 6 p.m., Keyser Valley Community Center, 101 N. Keyser Ave.; 570-969-1855.

Lackawanna County

Volunteers needed: Volunteers needed for “Operation Friendship” special holiday project coordinated through the Visitation Program of Serving Seniors Inc.; main purpose of the program is to bring holiday cheer and greetings to residents of nursing and assisted living/personal care homes in Lackawanna County who may not receive a Christmas card this holiday season; Serving Seniors Inc. is looking for individuals and groups of all ages to write and send/hand deliver personalized Christmas cards to area nursing and assisted living/personal care home residents; students of all ages, Scout troops, church and civic groups as well as individuals who would like to help are welcome; information, Bernadette R. Jones, 570-344-3931, ext. 4, or servsen@epix.net.

Old Forge

Historical society: Old Forge Historical Society monthly meeting, Thursday, 7 p.m., lower-level community room in the Borough Building, South Main Street; plans for Snow Forge will be finalized; all members should attend.

Cookie sale: Christmas cookie sale, Dec. 14, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., St. Nicholas of Myra Byzantine Catholic Church, 320 Vine St.; homemade cookie varieties will including anise, wedding, thumbprint, chocolate chip, peanut butter kisses, nut rugalach, Linzer, Welsh and more; cost/$9 per pound. Preorders accepted until Dec. 8; Betty, 570-457-9292, or Maria, 570-457-8275.

Pike County

Permitting seminar: Pike County Conservation District seminar on the permitting process for spotted lanternfly, Dec. 4, 9:30-10:30 a.m., Wallenpaupack Environmental Learning Center; Kristen Cease from the state Department of Agriculture will speak about the spotted lanternfly, the permit process and administering the permit test that day; free coffee and doughnuts, free admission; pikecd@pikepa.org or call 570-226-8220.

Regional

Santa breakfast: Allied Volunteers’ annual all-you-can-eat Breakfast with Santa, Dec. 14, 9 a.m., Graff Community Room, Allied Services Luger Outpatient Building; Christmas music, Santa appearance; bring camera; admission is $8/adults, $4/2 and over, and free/under 2; reservations: Donna, 570-348-1397 or ddiltz@allied-services.org by Dec. 10.

Scranton

Community meal: South Side Friendly Seniors Thanksgiving Lunch, Tuesday, 12:30 p.m., St. Paul of the Cross Parish Center, 1215 Prospect Ave.

Prayer service: Day of Love Holy Hour, Sunday, 4 p.m., Immaculate Conception Church, 801 Taylor Ave.

Wayne County

Grief support: Free support group designed to help people cope with the grieving process, particularly during the holiday season, Mondays, Nov. 25-Dec. 30, 6-7 p.m., David Katz Conference Room, second floor of Wayne Memorial Hospital, 601 Park St., Honesdale; nondenominational group; facilitators say each participant’s experience would be enhanced by attending all sessions; however, it is understandable if someone cannot attend every one, and participants may enter or exit at any time; registration form: www.wmh.org; information: edwardkerb@aol.com.

Alzheimer’s presentation: Wayne Memorial Hospital, the Wayne County Agency on Aging, Pa. Link and the Alzheimer’s Association free presentation, Dec. 10, 5:30-7 p.m., Park Street Complex, 648 W. Park St., Honesdale; light dinner included; Jean Tuttle, 570-253-8990, or tuttle@wmh.org.

West Scranton

Club meeting: Sloan Seniors meeting, Tuesday, 1:30 p.m., SS. Peter & Paul Church; refreshments and games will follow.

CLIPBOARD ITEMS may be sent to yesdesk@timessham

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

Those who watched an explosion on Wyoming Avenue earlier this year may have a chance at seeing it on the big screen sooner rather than later.

“The Virtuoso” — starring Anthony Hopkins, Anson Mount and Abbie Cornish — is in post-production and may be finished by the end of the first-quarter of 2020, the film’s director, Nicholas Stagliano, said.

Once it’s done, it will be submitted to Sundance Film Festival, the Berlin International Film Festival, the Tribeca Film Festival and South by Southwest, he said.

The film centers on a hit man, played by Mount, who will kill a man from his upper-story perch in the former Dime Bank building at 400 Spruce St.

The hit man aims at a victim in the Hotel Jermyn.

In April, film crews blew up an RV on the 200 block of Wyoming Avenue — the climax of a scene in which a Mercedes-Benz speeds down the street.

A plot synopsis teases a story about how a “lonesome stranger” must track down and kill a hit man to satisfy a debt.

The film’s crew shot other scenes at Doc’s at the Rocks, a Lake Ariel restaurant.

Scranton Mayor Wayne Evans hopes that more movie crews choose Northeast Pennsylvania to shoot their films.

“I always felt that we have such an amazing backdrop for movies,” Evans said. “We have historic buildings, great neighborhoods, great character.”

Contact the writer:

jkohut@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9144;

@jkohutTT on Twitter

MONDAY UPDATE brings

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

“Monday Update” in the

subject line.

More high school students than ever are taking advantage of discounted credits at local universities and college programs to get a jump-start on their postgrad schooling, especially at Valley View.

Valley View High School has the most students — 114 — in its history participating in dual enrollment coursework during school hours at five local colleges and universities in Lackawanna County, said Superintendent Michael Boccella, Ed.D.

Two students are enrolled in courses at Johnson College; 19 at Lackawanna College; 33 at Marywood University; five at Penn State Scranton; and 55 at the University of Scranton, noted Boccella.

“I thought it was a great opportunity to expand my horizons and to get to know the college and get a jump- start,” said Valley View senior Mackenzie McHale. “It was definitely intimidating at first but I think it’s great to get the exposure at such a young age.”

Mackenzie, who has participated in dual enrollment since sophomore year, has taken more than five courses, which is between 15 and 20 college credits.

Around 20 years ago, high schools across the country began collaborating with colleges and universities to offer credits for high school classes, sometimes called concurrent enrollment. Colleges then began opening up their classrooms and creating programs for high school students to learn alongside their college peers.

Professors at the University of Scranton created the High School Business Scholars program in 2018; Lackawanna College started the associate degree track program Level Up Lackawanna in 2018; and Johnson College offers an Industry Fast Track program for high school juniors and seniors.

Credits through any number of dual enrollment programs come at deeply discounted rates.

For example, the cost for a three-credit course for a high school student from Valley View is $525 at the University of Scranton; $450 at Johnson College; $300 at Lackawanna College; $525 at Marywood University; and $912.50 at Penn State University.

A full-time nontraditional undergraduate student at the University of Scranton pays $1,164 per credit, according to the school’s website; and part-time students at Lackawanna pay $535 per credit, according to the school’s website.

“Students and parents are realizing how economically efficient this is,” said Boccella. “They are paying less for the credits they’re getting and minimizing the number left you have to take.”

Valley View High School has a block schedule that operates like college semesters so students are able to have an open first or last period of the day to spend in a college classroom, he said. High school guidance counselors work with the students to identify which classes and programs work for them and their future and help them enroll.

“We find that having our students on the college campuses is important. We want them to be immersed in a college experience,” said Lori Kelley, Valley View High School guidance counselor.

Students are able to lessen their class load in college because of dual enrollment, she added.

Dual enrollment benefits high school students on a personal, professional and practical level, said Rebekah Bernard, University of Scranton Information and Technology Specialist for Admissions and Enrollment.

Students have new and advanced academic experiences which increases their confidence, it lets them try out majors and courses they might pursue after high school graduation and it gives students a discounted head start on their degree, she said.

They are also able to double or triple major once in college, said Bernard.

The University of Scranton works with 25 local high schools to offer courses even if their schools do not. Students who have finished their sophomore year and have a good GPA are eligible to take classes at the university, said Bernard.

The high schoolers are in class with their college peers who often times, along with the professors, do not know they aren’t technically college students, she said.

Valley View senior Lauren Walsh wants to attend Marywood University for early childhood education next year. She is enrolled in an English and Retoric Course, her second class at the university in Scranton.

“It’s a really good opportunity to get the feel for what being on campus every day is like,” she said.

Her peer, senior Michael Sklareski, plans to study automotive technology at Johnson College next year and is already taking his required algebra general education course.

Dual enrollment gives him a head start on the feeling and experience of college, he said.

The students and their families are responsible for paying for the courses and, at Valley View, are expected to pass the college class.

Boccella said the students by and large do really well and have a great experience.

“I‘m very proud of our dual enrollment numbers,” he said. “Among other things, it shows that we have a great number of students who are academically and socially/emotionally capable of handling collegiate-level coursework while in high school.”

Across the county

Local school districts approved agreements with local colleges to receive often transferable credits for passing certain high school classes.

Students can earn up to 31 dual enrollment credits through teachers at Riverside, said Superintendent Paul Brennan. While the courses are already discounted, Riverside works with donors and nonprofit organizations like the Scranton Area Foundation to provide free credits, he said.

“If we can remove some financial barriers, get our kids to dream a little bigger and walk together toward the light at the end of the tunnel, everyone wins,” he said.

Abington Heights Superintendent Michael Mahon, Ph.D., estimates that the district is approaching 100 students enrolled in dual enrollment courses.

The district worked with Lackawanna to align classes offered at Abington with the college’s courses.

Mid Valley is also growing its dual enrollment offerings, said Superintendent Patrick Sheehan.

The district is partnering with Johnson College to offer a technical mathematics course, is part of LevelUP Lackawanna and recently met with Penn State Scranton.

“Some of our students are leaving with a semester worth or more of credits,” Sheehan said.

Twenty one students out of a graduating class of 50 leave Old Forge High School to take courses, said Principal Christopher Gatto.

“College is a completely different animal than high school and for them to get that taste will still being in high school gives them a leg up,” he said.

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

The Waverly Community House is halfway to its goal of raising $5 million to support the nonprofit over the next 100 years, Executive Director Maria Wilson said.

The capital campaign began in July as part of a 100th anniversary celebration of the building’s groundbreaking.

“We’ve had strong support from families who have been involved with the Comm for generations,” Wilson said.

Their plan is to reach out to the community through mailings and seek more large donations from businesses and charitable foundations over the next year to fill the gap.

The Comm, 1115 N. Abington Road, has been a staple in the community for many people, Wilson said.

Some of the activities offered include adult fitness classes, art classes, lectures and music, and after-school programs for kids.

“It’s a local, affordable, beautiful resource for families, many who use it on a daily basis,” she added.

The money will be put in an endowment fund to support the future needs of the 100-year-old building and fund new programs to meet the modern needs of the community, Wilson added.

Margaretta E. Belin created the Comm as a memorial to her husband, Henry Belin Jr. , in 1917. The cornerstone was laid in 1919 and the building was deeded to the municipality, then called Abington Twp., in 1920 for the benefit and use of residents.

Emily Karam, 38, of Waverly, has fond memories of the place as a young child and teen, and passed on the traditions to her four boys, who have participated in the preschool and after-school programs.

“The Comm is a landmark in the community,” she said. “ I served as a Comm Camp counselor when I was 17 and I’m still friends with the other counselors.”

Karam views the venue as an important space for gathering and making memories.

“Events like the Santa Breakfast allow people to create connections that are vital to the lifeblood of the community,” she said.

Her family and their business, Karam Orthodontics, make annual donations to support the organization.

“For all the Comm gives to us, it’s an easy gift every year,” Karam said. “I can’t put a value on it.”

Donations may be mailed to Waverly Community House, P. O. Box 142, Waverly, PA 18471, or made on waverlycomm.org.

Contact the writer:

rtomkavage@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x5365;

@rtomkavage on Twitter

GEISINGER COMMUNITY MEDICAL CENTER

EPHAULT: A son, Nov. 8, to Michael and Nichole Ephault, Archbald.

MOSES TAYLOR

BANDRU: A son, Nov. 12, to Timothy Bandru and Taylor Nasta, Throop.

DAVIS-CARMISIONE: A son, Nov. 9, to Nickolas Carmisione and Victoriana Davis, Scranton.

ENGLERT-SAPET: A daughter, Nov. 13, to Matthew Sapet and Lauren Englert, Lake Ariel.

GRIZZANTI: A daughter, Nov. 9, to Jeffrey Grizzanti and Jessie Arthur, Carbondale.

IGOE: A son, Nov. 12, to Michael and Nicole Igoe, Dunmore.

LEMONCELLI: A daughter, Nov. 10, to Robert and Kristen Baumes Lemoncelli, Yatesville.

LOPATOFSKY: A daughter, Nov. 12, to Michael and Jessica Proctor Lopatofsky, Clifford Twp.

MARMO: A daughter, Nov. 13, to Jeffrey and Kristen McGowan Marmo, Old Forge.

ORTALANO: A son, Nov. 13, to Mario Ortalano and Lydia Volovitch, Jessup.

A high school sports official claims he was stripped of choice assignments because he ran against a state athletic association representative who assigns officiating crews to games, according to a lawsuit.

James R. Elliott alleges William Schoen blocked him from officiating at state and district playoff games because he was angry that Elliott and his brother, David Elliott, each challenged Schoen’s election as an official’s representative with District 2 of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association.

The lawsuit also claims another PIAA sports official, Luke Modrovsky, unfairly accessed data in the 2018 election for the official’s representative post to ensure Schoen won the position.

Elliott, a Scranton attorney and longtime sports official, filed the suit last month in Lackawanna County Court against the PIAA, Schoen, Modrovsky and Frank Majikes, the PIAA District 2 committee chairman. Alan Boynton, one of the attorneys representing the defendants, filed documents last week transferring the case to federal court.

In a phone interview Tuesday, Elliott, 51, said the lawsuit lays bare the politics that have polluted the selection process for sports officials within the district. He said he tried to resolve the dispute informally, but the PIAA “basically ignored me.”

“If you ask other officials in our district, they would admit this happens,” Elliott said. “None of them want to get involved because they know it’s expensive to fight the PIAA and they know once they question Mr. Schoen about anything, they will be retaliated against, so they don’t bother and nothing changes.”

Reached Tuesday, Schoen referred all questions to the PIAA. Attempts to reach Boynton, Modrovsky and Majikes for comment were unsuccessful.

Elliott said he officiates baseball, basketball and football games because he loves sports. The assignments typically pay around $70 for a regular season game and around $85 for a playoff game, he said. He said he filed the lawsuit to expose problems with the system and to force the PIAA to address them.

“It has nothing to do with money,” Elliott said. “I want to make it abundantly clear what is going on in District 2. ... These guys are on a power trip that’s been going on too long.”

According to the lawsuit, Elliott has officiated games since 1998. He says he is exceptionally well-qualified and was routinely assigned playoff games until 2017, when David Elliott first challenged Schoen for the official’s representative position.

The suit says Schoen publicly displayed his anger, rebuking supporters for not standing up for him. He and Majikes, who supported Schoen, then began a pattern of retaliation against James and David Elliott either by refusing to assign them playoff games or convincing others not to do so, the suit says.

Unable to halt the retaliation, James Elliott decided last year to run against Schoen for official’s representative. The election was handled through an online program known as “Survey Monkey.”

The suit alleges Modrovsky had access to election results through a position he held with Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre. He used that access to advise Schoen’s supporters they needed to rally support for him because the election was close. Schoen ultimately won the election.

The suit says Elliott learned of Modrovsky’s actions from a retired state trooper, who told him Modrovsky admitted to him at a basketball event that he was monitoring the election to benefit Schoen. Elliott said he reported the alleged infraction to the PIAA, but the organization did virtually no investigation before determining the claim was unfounded.

The lawsuit seeks damages for violations of Elliott’s state and federal constitutional rights. It asks a judge to take several actions, including invalidating the 2018 election and to order Schoen to stop retaliating against Elliott and his brother. It also asks a judge to declare the PIAA’s assigning practices are unconstitutional and to award Elliott compensatory and punitive damages and attorneys fees.

Contact the writer:

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

tmbeseckerTT on Twitter

CARBONDALE

Police arrested a Carbondale Twp. man who they said struck another resident with a pistol before fleeing from officers.

Police responded to a report Saturday that Donald Lamberton, 43, was threatening Bernard Edwards with a gun at Edwards’ home. Lamberton hit Edwards with the handle of his pistol and fled by car from the home at 850 Geary St., police said.

Officers tracked Lamberton to his home at 923 Canaan St., where — after officers asked for him to come outside — he jumped out a window and fled into a wooded area behind the home. Police eventually found him there. Lamberton was also in possession of 9.1 grams of marijuana, according to police.

He is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, possession of a controlled substance and other related charges. Bail information was not available Sunday.

— KATHLEEN BOLUS

Elections always have consequences, as President Barack Obama once said, but not always the ones people expect.

For now, statewide trends seem to favor the still-unknown Democratic presidential nominee beating Republican President Donald Trump in Pennsylvania next year and reversing his shocking Keystone State win three years ago.

But G. Terry Madonna, the longtime Franklin & Marshall College political analyst and pollster, doesn’t see the trends as surefire forecasts.

“Midterms are not predictive of general elections that follow,” he said. “Ask Barack Obama.”

Republicans, aided by the tea party movement, won control of the U.S. House in 2010, only two years after Obama’s election, but Obama won re-election in 2012 anyway.

Trump’s win here hinged heavily on an almost 20-percentage-point win in Luzerne County and cutting Obama’s 27-point 2012 win in Lackawanna County to less than 4 points for Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016. Clinton still won Lackawanna, but county Republican Chairman Lance Stange Jr. thinks the county is within Trump’s reach next year.

Nonetheless, Democrats have plenty of reasons for optimism.

For starters, Trump’s polling numbers in Pennsylvania remain mixed at best. A recent Franklin & Marshall poll showed more than half of voters with a strongly unfavorable view of him and believing he’s doing a poor job.

Voting trends seem to reflect that.

Last year, Democrats picked up 11 seats in the state House, netted five seats in the Senate and added three U.S. House members.

Two weeks ago, Democrats shockingly won control of governments in the important four counties outside Philadelphia. A third of the state’s voters live in Philadelphia and Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties, which represent only five of the state’s 67 counties.

“The Republicans do have to be concerned about what’s going on in the Philly suburbs,” Madonna said. “What went on in 2018 and again in 2019 in the municipal and county elections was a stunning victory by the Democrats.”

Democrats swept Republicans off the Delaware County Council and gained control of county government for the first time since at least the Civil War, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported. They won a majority in the Chester commissioners office for the first time and control of the Bucks commissioners office. That means Democratic control of Philadelphia and all four Philadelphia suburban counties. Democrats flipped Montgomery years ago.

Almost two-thirds of southeastern voters support the impeachment inquiry into the president, according to the Franklin & Marshall poll.

“It bodes well for Democrats,” Democratic strategist Mike Mikus said.

As concerned as they are, Republicans downplay the Democrats’ southeastern Pennsylvania gains. They point out Trump lost the southeast in 2016 and still won the state by 44,000 votes.

“The Republican Party has been bleeding votes in the southeast for many years,” Republican strategist Vince Galko said. “I think the national atmosphere expedited it this time around.”

Republicans point to gains of their own in Pittsburgh’s suburban counties. They flipped control of commissioners offices in Washington, Greene and Westmoreland counties, three row offices in Cambria County and two row offices in Beaver County. They also kept control of commissioners offices in Beaver, Lawrence and Fayette counties.

“However, it’s going to come down more to who’s the president running against, what is the atmosphere at that time?” Galko said. “Is it Joe Biden or Elizabeth Warren or someone else? Certainly, that’s going to be a larger factor than just the outcome in southeast PA in this past election.”

In 2016, Galko said, voters went for Trump “because they were just sick of the system, sick of the status quo.”

“They may have been unsure about President Trump, but they wanted somebody to go down to D.C. and knock some tables over. They gave him the benefit of the doubt,” he said. “Will he earn that this time around again? I’m not sure, but I do think the economy is really helping him with those voters. ... We are living through the greatest economy of our lifetime right now.”

Mikus said Republican gains in suburban Pittsburgh matter less.

The southeastern counties where Democrats gained ground have three times as many voters as the southwestern counties where Republicans did.

“The southwestern counties got redder, but they weren’t by big margins,” Mikus said. “They were fairly close races. ... I take heart with that. I don’t think Republicans have much room to grow.”

A Trump victory would give Republicans back-to back wins here for the first time since 1988 when Vice President George H.W. Bush followed up President Ronald Reagan’s 1984 victory. A recent New York Times/Siena University poll had Trump trailing Biden in Pennsylvania by only 3 points, tied with Warren, a U.S. senator from Massachusetts, and a point behind Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.

“The real question is will the enthusiasm level of Trump’s core support, at least where you are (in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre) and out in the southwest be sufficient to get him over the finish line in 2020, and we just don’t know that yet,” Madonna said.

Too much remains unknown, he said.

“Remember, we don’t know what’s going to happen with the economy, whether it’s strong or what happens if we slide into a recession. We don’t know if there will be a foreign policy crisis of some kind. And thirdly, we have to see how all this impeachment plays out,” Madonna said. “I won’t rule out that Trump can carry our state again. I won’t rule it out.”

Contact the writer:

bkrawczeniuk

@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9147;

@BorysBlogTT on Twitter

Nov. 18, 1929

$35K in alcohol found in home

Federal prohibition agents raided a home at 1130 Meadow Ave. in South Scranton and discovered an illegal distillery being operated there.

The agents found three stills on the first floor of the home and four more stills in the building’s attic. In addition to the stills, they also discovered 15 barrels of rye whiskey, 15 barrels of wine, 15 barrels of home- brewed beer, 21 barrels of mash and numerous bottles and jugs of whiskey, wine and beer.

The agents estimated the street value of this cache of alcohol to be $35,000. Adjusting for inflation the value today would be over $500,000.

In addition to confiscating the alcohol, the agents arrested three men who were in the home at the time of the raid. The three were taken before U.S. Commissioner Jerome Myers on charges they violated the Increased Penalties Act, better known as the Jones Act. Their bail was set at $3,000 each.

Times hosts party for orphans

The Scranton Times and Comerford Amusements treated orphans to a day at the movies at the Comerford Theater on Wyoming Avenue.

The children from St. Patrick’s, the Home for the Friendless and the Jewish Home for the Friendless arrived at the movie theater via trolley cars from the Scranton Railway Co. Children from St. Nicholas’ Orphanage arrived aboard buses from the Glen Bus Co. The children from St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital were unable to attend due to illness.

The children were treated to a premiere showing of the new Harold Lloyd talkie called “Welcome Danger,” an “Our Gang” comedy short and additional features.

Sale at the Globe

Women’s winter coats were $59.50, hemstitched damask tablecloths were priced between $3.98 and $4.98, breakfast tablecloths were $2.25, damask linen tablecloths were priced between $7 and $8, and a 100-piece Bavaria china set was $43.50.

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.

SCRANTON — Fawn Contreras and her family find themselves in a situation familiar to many in Northeast Pennsylvania these days.

They’re making ends meet. There’s just not a lot of overlap.

“We’re starting to do better, but it’s still sometimes a struggle,” the married mother of two said.

On Friday, Contreras was among the guests as the University of Scranton and the Institute for Public Policy and Economic Development released their “Living Wage Report 2019,” a follow-up to their groundbreaking 2016 study on regional economic security issues.

The report concluded the living wage income need — or what someone must earn to meet essential basic needs and support a modest but dignified life — jumped markedly for families of all sizes and compositions in Lackawanna and Luzerne counties over the past three years.

For example, for a family of two adults and two children, with one adult working, the living wage rose from $44,056 in 2016 to $48,069 this year, an increase of 9.1%. For a single adult, the need increased 13.3% to $22,152.

Contreras, 31, who lives in Archbald with her husband, Raul, and their two daughters, 10 and 6, was featured in a short video that accompanied the release of the report as a member of the community who had experienced the wrong side of the living wage equation.

With she and her husband both now working — he’s a mechanic and she landed a position in May as youth services clerk for Valley Community Library — they are probably close to earning what would be considered a living wage, she said.

It wasn’t always that way.

“Our success has been a lot like a roller coaster — a lot of up and you get near the top, and then you come crashing down,” Contreras said.

With no college degree and few prospects, Contreras said she decided not to take a minimum-wage job where her earnings would be eaten up by child-care expense and instead became a Head Start volunteer. That volunteer work opened up opportunities that eventually led her to the library and what she called her “dream job.”

“We make the most of what we have,” she said.

The study found the increases in the region’s living wage income can be attributed to a range of economic factors.

However, Teri Ooms, executive director of the Institute for Public Policy and Economic Development, a Wilkes-Barre-based think tank funded by area colleges and universities, pointed to a 5.7% rise in the Consumer Price Index in 2018 as a major culprit. It included a significant 2.2% jump in inflation.

Several cost-of-living categories recorded major increases in Lackawanna and Luzerne counties between 2016 and 2019, she said.

The most significant was housing costs, which rose more than 20% during the period, but there were also hefty jumps in health care costs and miscellaneous other expenses, encompassing necessities like clothing, personal care items and housekeeping supplies.

As a consequence, even though regional unemployment is down since 2016, more households are earning incomes beneath the living wage and may find it difficult to pay for essential needs, the report concluded.

Julie Schumacher Cohen, director of the university’s Office of Community and Government Relations, said resources are available for low- and moderate-income households that do not earn a living wage. However, some families find themselves in a bind because they earn too much to qualify for assistance but not enough to achieve economic security.

“The benefits-cliff effect is real. ... Benefits swiftly decline but economic stability is still out of reach,” she said.

The report makes four recommendations:

Raise the Pennsylvania and/or federal minimum wage to foster and maintain family-sustaining jobs and further increase economic development and workforce activities.

Support federal tax credits and potential expanded state tax credits to assist with basic costs for low-income families.

Provide affordable housing by identifying and implementing a range of strategies that address the necessity of economic development and the needs of low-income residents.

Expand access to existing social safety net programs.

Contreras said while things are looking up for her family — she and her husband bought a home and they now have health care through his employer — they both still drive “beaters” and she is just starting to pay off her student loans.

Their life doesn’t include a lot of frills, she said.

“We’ll keep striving to do better,” Contreras said.

Contact the writer:

dsingleton@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9132

Nearly two months after the state attorney general’s office withdrew charges against two men in connection with a brutal Hill Section beating, authorities have yet to refile them.

However, state prosecutors and the Scranton police signaled they are far from done investigating the Sept. 12 assault of Michael Ducas.

“Our investigation remains ongoing and we have no further comment at this time,” Karissa Hand, a spokeswoman with the attorney general’s office, said in an email. “We will let you know when there are updates.”

Police had charged Eric D. Piccotti, 48, 714 Taylor Ave., with attempted homicide after he reportedly told two officers he “clobbered” Ducas and wanted to kill him. Police had charged that Piccotti went to Ducas’ home in the 1000 block of Prescott Avenue because he suspected his wife was cheating on him with Ducas.

“Our only hope is that a full and complete investigation is being done,” Piccotti’s attorney, Gerard Karam, said. “And we are confident that if it is, it will reveal that Eric Piccotti acted appropriately under the law.”

Police also charged Piccotti’s brother-in-law, John Dougherty, 51, 836 N. Irving Ave., with burglary and criminal trespass.

“It’s my understanding that they are reexamining the whole thing,” Dougherty’s attorney, Paul Walker, said. “Obviously, I would love it to come to an end ... they were bogus charges and he never should have been charged.”

Police said Ducas needed immediate medical attention. His face, covered in blood and contusions, was swollen horribly, a photo of his injuries that surfaced after the incident showed.

The Lackawanna County district attorney’s office passed the prosecution to the attorney general’s office because Ducas had been married to an assistant DA’s mother.

The state prosecutor’s office withdrew charges Sept. 24 because “a review of those charges revealed a need for further investigation and a redrafting of the criminal complaints,” the office said at the time.

Scranton Police Chief Carl Graziano said the case remains under active investigation and expects that charges will eventually be refiled. An assistant attorney general assigned to the investigation was recently in Scranton to review the case.

Contact the writer:

jkohut@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9144; @jkohutTT on Twitter

Archbald

If conditions quickly go awry, borough firefighters will soon be able to quickly escape from burning buildings, thanks to a grant for lifesaving equipment.

The Eynon Sturges Volunteer Hose Company 3 received $11,996 from the Lt. Joseph P. DiBernardo Memorial Foundation to purchase personal escape systems known as bailout kits, said department training officer John Rebovich.

“These kits allow us to exit a building rapidly when we’re in danger,” he said, comparing them to a rope system.

Firefighters can insert a hook on a window and lower themselves out of the burning building with harnesses, he said.

The New York-based DiBernardo Memorial Foundation was founded after three New York firefighters died and three others “suffered life-changing injuries” when they had to jump from a fifth-story window, according to the organization’s website.

Rebovich said the department couldn’t afford to buy the kits on its own, so officials are grateful to be able to keep their firefighters safe. The department has 20 members who regularly respond to fires, he said.

“It gives me comfort knowing that my guys will be able to go home to their families,” Rebovich said.

The bailout kits should arrive in the next few weeks, and firefighters will take a survival course to learn how to use the gear, he said.

Without the gear, firefighters could get seriously injured if they had to exit a building quickly, he said.

“Things burn a lot faster now, a lot hotter,” Rebovich said.

— FRANK WILKES LESNEFSKY

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

@flesnefskyTT on Twitter

Jenny’s Kloset wants families in need to have holiday meals with all the fixings.

The nonprofit is holding an adopt-a-family event to provide Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners for 80 families in the Valley View School District, said Jenny’s Kloset board President Jillian Jezuit.

It costs $50 per family for each holiday, so the nonprofit is trying to raise $8,000, Jezuit said.

“We’re going to do our best to make sure that every family gets what they need for each holiday,” she said.

On Nov. 23, Jenny’s Kloset volunteers will deliver everything the families need to make a Thanksgiving meal, from the turkey and stuffing to pumpkin pie to an aluminum roasting pan.

Then, on Dec. 21, families will receive everything they need for a Christmas ham dinner, including potatoes, carrots, rolls, butter, cinnamon rolls, fruit and cake mix.

Each family will also receive a wrapped board game to play on Christmas, Jezuit said.

This is the fourth year Jenny’s Kloset is hosting its adopt-a-family, she said.

“This is the biggest one,” she said. “When we started in the very beginning, we only had 17 families.”

However, she estimated that Jenny’s Kloset has only raised about $2,500 toward its goal. Jezuit said she hopes to have everything by Dec. 15.

“We’re lower than we normally are at this time,” she said.

To adopt a family, mail donations to P.O. Box 52, Archbald, PA 18403. You can send cash, checks or money orders made payable to Jenny’s Kloset, Jezuit said.

To donate online, send payments to paypal.me/jen nyskloset or @jennyskloset on Venmo.

Eligible families must have a child enrolled in the Valley View School District, and they must qualify for a free or reduced lunch, Jezuit said.

— FRANK WILKES LESNEFSKY

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

@flesnefskyTT on Twitter

The borough is trying to spread the spirit of Christmas with its 13th annual Children’s Christmas Party on Saturday, the mayor said.

From 1 to 3 p.m., the free event at the Eynon Sturges Volunteer Hose Company 3 on Thomas Street will include carriage rides with Santa and Mrs. Claus, gifts, music and refreshments, said Mayor Shirley Barrett.

Santa and Mrs. Claus will arrive on a firetruck between 12:30 and 12:45 p.m., and kids will have the chance to sit on Santa’s lap, Barrett said. Everyone will also receive a surprise gift, she said.

Turnout generally ranges from 150 to 200 people, and the event is funded by donations from the Eynon Christmas Lights Committee, she said.

— FRANK WILKES LESNEFSKY

flesnefsky@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9100 x5181;

@flesnefskyTT on Twitter

Clarks Summit

The Gathering Place, 304 S. State St., will host a Shop Local Holiday Market from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 30. The event will feature about 10 local artists, artisans and authors.

There will also be interactive demonstrations, including a silk art workshop, weaving, spinning and needle felting. “We’re trying to make it more than a craft fair,” board President Dori Waters said.

The Appalachia Service Project, a Christian ministry that repairs homes, will sell candy.

The Verve Vertu Art Studio, Dallas, an arts apprenticeship for people with special needs, will be selling items.

The premise of the market also encourages people to shop in all the little businesses in town, Waters said.

— ROBERT TOMKAVAGE

rtomkavage
@timesshamrock.com;
570-348-9100 x5365;
@rtomkavage on Twitter

Scranton

Temple Hesed will host an all-faiths Thanksgiving celebration Friday, co-sponsored by Friends of the Poor and the Scranton Area Ministerium.

People of all faiths and religious backgrounds are invited to attend the festive potluck dinner, which begins at 6 p.m. Those attending are asked not to bring dishes containing pork or shellfish.

A welcoming service with prayers from many faiths and lively music will follow at 7 p.m. The event is free.

To RSVP for the dinner, email templehesed@comcast.net or call 570-344-7201. Temple Hesed is at 1 Knox Road in the city.

— JEFF HORVATH

jhorvath@timesshamrock.com;


570-348-9141;
@jhorvathTT on Twitter

AROUND THE TOWNS appears each Monday, 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.

The cost of the annual Thanksgiving feast is up about 6% this year, according to The Times-Tribune’s annual grocery store survey of 15 popular fixings.

It shouldn’t set any family chef back too badly. At an average $52.06 calculated from prices provided by Gerrity’s, Price Chopper and Wegmans, that’s up less than up $3 compared to 2018. Food prices generally enjoy stability from year to year.

But if you are still looking for ways to save in the grocery store, we compiled a few tips that might help you along the way.

1. Make your menu, then your shopping list This is an age-old grocery shopping trick. You’ll fare much better when you walk in with a plan. Remember: it only works if you stick to it.

2. Beat the rush Get it in early and avoid long lines, crowded aisles and carts bumping the back of your ankles. You’ll think clearer and have an easier time owning No. 1 on this list.

3. Buy generic Most of the ingredients used for Thanksgiving dinner don’t need to be name brand. Nobody’s really going to notice the difference if you use Jet-Puffed or Best Yet marshmallows on your sweet potatoes, and you’ll save $1.50 at Gerrity’s.

For some dishes, you might need to get specific. Some cranky uncles can spot fake Stove Top stuffing a mile away, but most other things have indiscernible differences.

4. Simplify your dinner This idea came from a Washington Post article. Poll your guests ahead of time and ask what dishes they could live without? You might be surprised when everyone’s OK with only one style of kielbasa. Green bean casserole is always non-negotiable.

5. Reconsider the entree The turkey might be the most expected dish on the menu, but get one right-sized for your party. They might be fine with just turkey breast filets or drumsticks.

Also, The Times-Tribune survey includes Butterball turkeys for consistency’s sake, but most grocery stores have special deals on turkeys, and if you pay attention and spend enough on other things, you might score one for free depending when and where you shop.

Contact the writer:

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

@jon_oc on Twitter

State police have charged a Hanover Twp. man with setting a series of car fires throughout Luzerne County on Friday and Saturday.

Ryan P. Wilk, 36, faces nine felony counts of arson and reckless burning, as well as nine misdemeanor counts of criminal mischief in connection with the fires at auto dealerships, other businesses and private residences.

Police took Wilk into custody during a traffic stop on the Carey Avenue Bridge in Hanover Twp. on Saturday night, according to a news release issued by state police.

Following an interview at the state police station in Wyoming, Wilk was charged and taken to Luzerne County Correctional Facility.

He was arraigned Sunday morning and remains in jail without bail, as Magisterial District Judge David Barilla determined Wilk is a danger to society and himself. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Nov. 27.

According to police, Wilk was responsible for setting fire to vehicles at four locations within 75 minutes on Friday night and four more locations within 31 minutes on Saturday night.

The Friday fires — between 6:25 p.m. and 7:40 p.m. — were at J.D. Byrider and Hanover Motor Sales on the Sans Souci Parkway in Hanover Twp., Auto Exchange on U.S. Route 11 in Plymouth Twp., and West Main Street in Plymouth Twp. Two vehicles were set on fire at J.D. Byrider, according to police.

The Saturday fires — between 8:30 p.m. and 9:01 p.m. — were at Barber Ford on Wyoming Avenue in Exeter, Eastern Auto on Narrows Road in Larksville, Pierce Street Drug on Pierce Street in Kingston, and Payne Avenue at Main Street in Edwardsville.

Multiple law enforcement agencies, including state police and Hanover Twp. police, investigated the rash of car fires.

Wilk has no prior criminal history in Pennsylvania apart from traffic offenses, according to court records.

Contact the writer:

emark@citizensvoice.com

570-821-2117