An 18-year-old Hawley-area woman is behind bars after stealing two vehicles and leading police on a chase through two counties on Friday.

According to police, Destiny Amber Presto, along with a 15-year-old and a 14-year-old, stole a car in Wyoming County June 20. They later abandoned the car and stole a truck.

The trio fled north in the vehicle to Susquehanna County. Troopers attempted to stop the vehicle, but Ms. Presto would not stop and a pursuit ensued.

The three teenagers abandoned the vehicle in Dimock Twp. and fled from police on foot. All three were apprehended in the Dimock area.

Trooper John Oliver charged Ms. Presto with endangering the welfare of children, conspiracy — receiving stolen property and related counts.

The other two teens face similar charges, according to police.

Ms. Presto remains at Susquehanna County Correctional Facility in lieu of $150,000 bail.

Contact the writer:

swilson@tsweeklygroup.com

The defunct Lackawanna County Government Study Commission had no legal authority to conduct a non-criminal probe of county government, therefore it cannot deny the public access to the unredacted copy of a report that alleged wrongdoing in several county offices, an attorney for The Times-Tribune says in an appeal.

Attorney Michael Cosgrove argues the investigation conducted for the commission by retired FBI agent James Seidel was outside the scope of its authority under the state’s Home Rule Law. As such, it is not protected by the Right to Know Law.

Frank Ruggiero, attorney for the commission, contends the probe was within the commission’s authority because it advanced its primary goal, which was to study the existing form of government and determine whether or not to recommend a change.

The dueling legal arguments are before the state’s Office of Open Records, which is considering the newspaper’s appeal of the commission’s refusal to release the unredacted version of the report.

Lackawanna County commissioners also demand the commission release the unredacted report. County solicitor Donald Frederickson, on Tuesday said the county plans to join The Times-Tribune in its appeal to the open records office.

The commission, which disbanded following the May 20 primary election, released a copy of the report that redacted the names of people who alleged improper and possible criminal activity at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport, the county prison, recycling center and a day care center. It denied the newspaper’s request for the unredacted copy, arguing disclosure of an investigation, including records that would identify confidential sources, is exempt under the Right to Know Law.

In his appeal, Mr. Cosgrove said the Right to Know Law only protects records of an official inquiry conducted by an agency acting within its “legislatively granted fact finding powers.” In this case, the newspaper contends the commission “wrongfully and unilaterally” ordered a one-time inquiry of select functions of county government.

“This action is clearly outside of the official duties of the agency and not protected” by the Right to Know Law, Mr. Cosgrove said. “If said actions are permitted, it would allow agencies to conduct unilateral, unwarranted and unchecked investigations without fear of disclosure.”

Mr. Ruggiero argues the probe, which the commission called a “performance audit,” was proper because the Home Rule Law gave the commission broad powers to conduct its inquiry into the operations of county government.

“As such, the GSC contracted with Seidel Investigations & Consulting Inc. to conduct a noncriminal investigation,” Mr. Ruggiero said. “Said inquiry and examination have been clearly conducted as part of the GSC’s official duties.”

Mr. Ruggiero also originally argued the commission was not required to turn over the unredacted Seidel report because it never received a copy of it. He said he is no longer raising that issue, but maintains the report is still off limits based on the investigative exemption of the law.

Contact the writer: tbesecker@timesshamrock.com

Blakely

Community event: Blakely Borough and Blakely/Peckville Recreation Committee’s JuneFest, Friday-Saturday, 4 p.m., Wilson Fire Company, 700 Erie St., Peckville; food, desserts, beverages, beer, games and music, 7:30-11:30 p.m., fireman’s parade, Friday, 7 p.m; Mayor Jeanette Mariani, 570-383-9946.

Dickson City

Extended hours: Dickson City Tax Office hours extended, Thursday, 4-7 p.m.

Lake Winola

Fireman’s carnival: Lake Winola Fire Company carnival Thursday-Saturday, fire company grounds on Route 307; food including chicken barbecue, games and refreshments every night; parade, Thursday, 7 p.m.; D.J. Eric Peterson, Thursday; Infinity, Friday; Mace In Dickson, Satur­day; Lake Winola Wiggle 5K Run/Walk Saturday, 9 a.m., fire company grounds; drawing Saturday, 10 p.m.

Milford

Music fest: Milford Music Fest, Friday-Sunday, borough streets; www.milfordmusicfest.org.

Scranton

Special meeting: St. Lucy Church Altar & Rosary Society meeting, today, 7 p.m., church auditorium; news about reorganization; refreshments served.

Thompson

Beef supper: Thompson United Methodist Church roast beef supper, Saturday 5 p.m.; takeouts available; adults/$11, ages 6-12/$5.50, 5 and under/free.

Wayne County

Speaker series: Wayne County Historical Society Plain Speak­ing Summer Series: Friday, “The School Houses of Northern Wayne” by Mimi Steffen; Friday, “The Shohola Train Wreck by George Fluhr,” 4:30-5:30 p.m., Multi-Purpose Room at Museum, 810 Main St., Hones­dale, free; details including how to be a speaker for July or August, call 570-253-3240, email wchs@ptd.net or check Facebook.

West Scranton

Special meeting: St. Lucy’s Altar & Rosary Society special meeting, today, 7 p.m., church auditorium, reorganization news.

CLIPBOARD ITEMS may be e-mailed to yesdesk@timesshamrock.com or mailed to clipboard, c/o the YES!Desk at 149 Penn Ave., Scranton, 18503. For details, call the YES!Desk at 570-348-9121.

John Legend once gave his musical talents to Bethel AME Church. Now, he has provided his signature and, with it, a chance to help the church raise some money.

The Grammy-winning singer-songwriter has autographed the piano he used while serving as the church’s music director, a post he held for several years starting in 1995, and the congregation will discuss its options for selling or keeping the instrument at a meeting next month. Call-

ing a sale to a collector a “realistic goal,” the Rev. Tawan Bailey, church pastor, noted the North Washington Avenue church could put the resulting income toward paying off the $50,000 it owes on its mortgage.

“We reached out to him and he responded, and we’re hoping that something comes out of this,” the Rev. Bailey said. “But if not, then it’s a great thing that the church will always have.”

The idea to have Mr. Legend sign the upright, electric piano popped into the pastor’s head after a discussion of church finances. He sought out Mr. Legend in April to gauge his interest but did not learn until June 4 — the day before the singer’s concert at Wilkes-Barre’s F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts — that he would sign it.

And first, the church had to haul the piano to the Kirby Center the day of the show.

“We made sure it was secured properly on a U-Haul, and we got it there and some of the stage hands came out and kind of real low-key took it ... inside so that it was already there when he (Mr. Legend) arrived,” the Rev. Bailey said. “It was pretty smooth.”

While the Rev. Bailey and Mr. Legend’s tenures at Bethel did not overlap, they met a few times previously, and his wife, Tamiko, grew up near Mr. Legend’s family in Ohio. The pastor’s 11-year-old daughter, Kayla, and one of her friends; church treasurer Heather Bailey and her son, Justin; and a notary who approved the signature’s certificate of authenticity joined him in Wilkes-Barre that day.

“They were a mess,” the Rev. Bailey said with a laugh. “When his actual bus pulled up, they just flipped out.”

Mr. Legend chatted with them backstage, posed for photos and signed the piano.

“I guess I really never really expected him to agree to do it,” the Rev. Bailey said. “We transported the piano there, he autographed the piano and said, ‘I hope you all make some money.’ ”

Bethel continued to use the piano after Mr. Legend left his job there, which the Rev. Bailey pointed out may depreciate the value should the congregation vote to sell it. But raising $50,000 or more “would be awesome,” he added.

Seeking the autograph was a stretch, the Rev. Bailey said, but “it just goes to show you the dumbest question is the one that you never ask.”

“It was kind of a hustle to get things coordinated just the day before, but it was fine,” he said. “I was so grateful, and every time I have had the opportunity to speak with Johnny or to meet him, he’s been extremely down to earth, so I’m just grateful that he agreed to do it.”

Contact the writer:

cheaney@timesshamrock.com,

@cheaneyTT on Twitter

The Scranton School District intends to cast a broad net in its hunt for embattled Superintendent Bill King’s successor.

Six school directors polled informally by The Times-Tribune expressed support Tuesday for at least a statewide if not a full national search for a replacement for Mr. King, whose resignation the board accepted Monday.

Mr. King will continue as superintendent until Oct. 1, giving the school board just over three months to advertise the position, review resumes, conduct interviews and make a selection.

Four directors — President Kathleen McGuigan, Robert Casey, Kyle Donahue and Mark McAndrew — advocated enlisting the assistance of the Pennsylvania School Boards Association in the superintendent search.

“I really think we need to look at that, No. 1 , for public perception,” Mr. Donahue said. “It doesn’t matter if we were to go out by ourselves as a board and pick the best candidate, the perception is still going to be that it’s a political pick.”

Although board members would ultimately make the appointment, tapping the resources of the association will distance the directors from the initial stages of the selection process, Mr. Donahue and other directors said.

“In the end, it will bring in a candidate who is not a political hire. ... I think to be fair to us, the students, the taxpayers, but also the next person who comes in, he shouldn’t have the label put on him that he is a political crony,” Mr. Casey said.

Director Cy Douaihy said he favors the appointment of a committee that would include representatives of the board and the community to oversee a national search for Mr. King’s replacement.

Mr. Douaihy said he would like to see the position filled by someone who has served at least five years as a superintendent or assistant superintendent and who has experience in and understands the pressures of an urban school district.

That doesn’t mean potential candidates locally need not apply, he said.

“If it’s somebody from North Washington Avenue, so be it, but if it’s somebody from Osage County, Oklahoma, that’s fine, too. We want the best person,” Mr. Douaihy said.

Director Armand Martinelli said he could back either the appointment of a committee or use of the PSBA as long as the resulting search is national in scope.

His ideal candidate would be a strong leader with good administrative skills who is not from the area, he said.

“I’d like to see that because it would put everybody at ease. When you work with someone for years and years and something happens that you have to discipline them or something, it’s very difficult,” Mr. Martinelli said. “If you get someone from outside the area and it’s a very competent person, this district will run the way it’s supposed to run.”

Mrs. McGuigan said she would not be adverse to considering an individual with a master’s degree in business administration to fill the position.

Under a 2012 change in state law, someone with a degree in business, finance, management or law, along with four years of related experience, can be a superintendent; an education degree is no longer required.

“Maybe that is the direction we should be going with the fiscal issues we are having,” she said. “We have professional educators in place who can handle the education aspect of the district. Not a slight against our business manager, but it’s always nice to have two sets of eyes on the money.”

Rosemary Boland, president of the Scranton Federation of Teachers, said a superintendent with no background in academics would not have the confidence or trust of the district’s teachers.

She agreed with Mr. Martinelli, however, that the district needs to consider candidates from the outside, saying it is time “to take a breath and look for some fresh air.”

Melinda Krokus, president of the Scranton Area Council PTA, said anything less than a nationwide search for a new superintendent would be unacceptable.

“You want and you need to get the best person there is for the job,” Ms. Krokus said.

As a parent, she was disheartened by the resignation not only of Mr. King but of two other top administrators — Christopher Mazzino, director of curriculum and instruction, and Jessica Leitzel Aquilina, elementary education supervisor.

She said all three had a passion for education and questioned the direction the board is taking the district.

“I see no clear goal in the district here,” Ms. Krokus said.

Efforts to reach the other three members of the school board — Carolyn Oleski, Lyn Ruane and Robert Sheridan — were unsuccessful.

Under the terms of his departure, Mr. King, who still has four years left on his contract, will receive a severance of one year’s salary, or about $146,000. After Oct. 1, he will stay on to assist with the transition at a rate of $2,000 a month.

It is unclear where the money will come from to pay the severance, which was not budgeted. However, Mr. Douaihy and Mr. Casey said there will be savings by not filling one or more other vacant positions.

Citing the resignations of Mr. King and the other administrators, Mr. McAndrew said the board is “creating more hurdles than we had before.”

“It’s very disheartening. In the end, who is going to be affected the most are the students,” Mr. Andrew said.

Mr. Martinelli said it is time for board members to start doing what they were elected to do.

“I don’t know what the problem is, but the solution is we better start acting like adults and working together for the best interests of the school district — period,” he said.

Contact the writer: dsingleton@timesshamrock.com

COVINGTON TWP. — Whether the township rebuilds Bochicchio Boulevard for more than $600,000 or temporarily patches it for $14,000, the board of supervisors plans to soon repair the deteriorating 5-year-old road leading to North Pocono High School.

Construction of North Pocono High School wrapped up in 2009, and Covington Twp. supervisors agreed to take over upkeep of Bochicchio Boulevard in 2010 — a commitment that has become a bit of a headache.

Bochicchio Boulevard was not designed properly and has developed a severe drainage problem that caused the road to prematurely deteriorate from heavy school traffic, Thomas Yerke, vice chairman of the board of supervisors, said at Tuesday’s meeting.

“All that subsurface water that’s underneath there, the hydraulic pressure, that’s what’s wrecking the road,” Mr. Yerke said. “You need perforated drain tile, two lengths of it the whole length of the road, all the way down to the bottom of the hill.”

The township has applied for a multimodal grant through the state’s $2.3 billion transportation funding law, but even if the state funds the project, Mr. Yerke said supervisors would have to come up with a $130,000 local match to go with about $475,000 in commonwealth money to rip up the road, fix the drainage problems and repave it.

The planned project to pave portions of Sanko and Winship roads leading to Covington Park will consume all of the township’s money for 2014 road projects, which leaves township supervisors to look for help.

Township Supervisors John Brostoski suggested North Pocono School District fund at least half of the local share. That may be unlikely, given district Business Manager Dennis Cawley has projected on its current course, the district will likely be broke within five years. Mr. Yerke hoped Lackawanna County will help out with Community Development Block Grant funding.

Otherwise, the township might end up going with an approximately $14,000 patch job.

Contact the writer:

kwind@timesshamrock.com,

@kwindTT on Twitter

A Honesdale police sergeant who filed a complaint against borough council members for violating the state’s Sunshine Law — leading to $100 fines levied against each council member — has resigned.

At a meeting Tuesday, council unanimously accepted the resignation of Sgt. Ronald Kominski. His resignation letter, dated June 24, said he is leaving to pursue a different career path.

Sgt. Kominski filed a complaint against council on Sept. 11, two days after he was passed over to be the new police chief.

On Aug. 12, the borough council privately heard complaints from Magisterial District Judge Ted Mikulak about Sgt. Kominski and his department. The judge claimed Sgt. Kominski called him “a liar” while speaking to a landlord outside court during a tenant eviction case that came before the judge. Sgt. Kominski denies the claim.

The closed executive session did not include Sgt. Kominski, who was also deprived of the right to request in writing that the matter be discussed in an open meeting.

In October, Magisterial District Judge Bonnie L. Carney ruled that council violated the Sunshine Law and fined all seven council members $100 plus court costs each.

Pike County Judge Gregory Chelak heard council’s appeal and is expected to rule by the end of the month. Mr. Jennings said they paid the fines. If the judgment is overturned the money will be returned, he said.

In his resignation letter, Sgt. Kominski said he will “elect to receive current accrued sick, vacation and holiday pay, payable over a period of time equivalent to the number of accrued days.” Information on how much money Sgt. Kominski will receive was not immediately available Tuesday.

Also at Tuesday’s meeting, council officially hired Richard Southerton, a retired FBI agent who investigated Luzerne County’s Kids For Cash case, as the borough’s police chief.

He will earn $58,543.20 and receive 10 vacation days, 15 sick days, 11 holidays and four personal days annually.

Also Tuesday, council unanimously voted to remove David Clark from the list of part time officers, Mr. Jennings said.

Mr. Clark was charged with DUI and reckless driving after he crashed his car June 13 in Carbondale.

Contact the writer:

kbolus@timesshamrock.com, @kbolusTT on Twitter

Master Gardeners hold open house

MOOSIC — The Penn State Master Gardeners of Lackawanna County will host an open house this month.

The gardeners will discuss tree care, backyard fruit, container gardening, pollinator friendly gardening and landscaping with native plants on Saturday at the Shoppes at Montage from noon to 3 p.m.

Barbara Giovagnoli of the Lackawanna County Office of Environmental Stability will speak about composting. The Lackawanna County 4-H club will sponsor children’s activities.

For more information call the Extension Office at 570-963-6842 or e-mail LackawannaMG@psu.edu.

— SARAH SCINTO

Teen attacked, slashed in city

SCRANTON — A Scranton 17-year-old was attacked Monday night and slashed in his abdomen by two unknown assailants, city police said.

The teen received stitches to close the 2-inch-long slash, acting Capt. Glenn Thomas said. The cut was not deep.

The boy told police he was attacked while walking along North Main Avenue at 11:30 p.m. Two men had been following him in a silver Toyota and jumped out when he reached Lafayette Street.

He was slashed with an unknown object and the two fled. He had no further description of his attackers or of the vehicle.

Anyone with information should call 570-348-4139.

— JOSEPH KOHUT

SCRANTON — City firefighters spent hours battling a raging blaze at an apartment building in North Scranton on Tuesday night.

The fire broke out at 1624 Church Ave. about 9:05 p.m., with a second alarm coming in around 9:10 p.m., according to acting Fire Chief Patrick DeSarno.

He said all 11 occupants between 1622 and 1624 Church Ave. escaped unharmed. A firefighter was carried from the building and treated by Lackawanna Ambulance crews, though Chief DeSarno declined to comment on that Tuesday night.

Dispatchers said an ambulance transported one person from the scene to Geisinger Community Medical Center around 10:30 p.m.

By 9:30 p.m., firefighters were spraying water at flames shooting at least 10 feet above the roof as dark smoke billowed out an attic window. Firetrucks lined Church Avenue and Theodore Street, and emergency crews put caution tape around the home as firefighters worked to quell the flames.

By about 10:30 p.m., firefighters had switched from attacking the flames from the inside of the building to a defensive, exterior approach as smoke poured from the home and over the block.

“The attic was all chopped up,” Chief DeSarno said. “(Crews) were this close and they ran into a chopped-up attic.”

He called the fire at 1624 “fully involved,” and said the building would be a total loss.

Chief DeSarno said the fire was mostly under control by about 11:20 p.m.

“Initially, it looks like the fire started on a staircase between the two buildings,” Chief DeSarno said.

Len Floyd wiped away tears as he watched smoke rising from the building Tuesday night. His younger brother, Will Johnson, lives in the building with their mother, Tiffany Ross.

“As long as everybody’s okay,” the 15-year-old Scranton resident murmured, shaking his head. “All their clothes and stuff are gone. We’ll find a new home, that’s all we can do.”

Staff writer MICHAEL IORFINO, contributed to this report.

Contact the writer: sscinto@timesshamrock.com, @sscintoTT on Twitter

Physician leaves; practice closing

DUNMORE — Geisinger Dermatology-Dunmore will close on July 1 because the practice physician left the organization, officials said.

The six employees at the practice, 1000 Meade St., have the option to transfer to other jobs within the health system or accept a severance package, said Westyn Hinchey, public relations and marketing coordinator at Geisinger Community Medical Center.

Geisinger will continue to offer dermatology services in Plains Twp.

— MICHAEL IORFINO

C’dale woman cited for neglect of dogs

CARBONDALE — A city woman, previously cited in Forest City for animal cruelty, received another citation for letting the dog wander on a busy road, police said.

Brittany Staples, 28, 33 Pike St., allowed her dog to roam free on Main Street on May 30. The dog was taken to Griffin Pond Animal Shelter and Ms. Staples was cited for abandonment of animals.

It was the second offense in 15 days. Forest City Police found the extremely thin and malnourished pit bulls at her old home on Delaware Street on May 15.

One was tied up outside and had nothing to drink but rainwater, police said. The other was tied up in a dirty basement.

— JOSEPH KOHUT

Scranton planners

lack a quorum

SCRANTON -— The city Planning Commission’s meeting Wednesday was canceled due to a lack of a quorum, as only three of seven members were present, officials said.

The commission’s agenda included review of a final land development plan by Verizon Wireless for a 120-foot-tall cell tower at 992 North South Road. The board also was to consider making a recommendation on whether the city should adopt the Scranton-Abingtons Planning Association Comprehensive Plan, known as SAPA.

The commission will resume its agenda at its next regular monthly meeting.

— JIM LOCKWOOD

LCTA approves $12.9M budget

KINGSTON — The Luzerne County Transportation Authority on Wednesday conditionally approved a $12.9 million operating budget for next fiscal year based on carry-over funding and money the county government may never deliver.

The budget, which passed by a unanimous vote, will dip into a funding reserve for about $218,400 to balance the books for its fixed-route services. The reserve had more than $6 million in March, Controller Mohammed Najib said.

But officials on Wednesday said the vast majority of that amount, which is in limbo because of a state demand for repayment of $3.16 million in funding as a result of the “ghost rider” scandal, cannot be used as local match money for the state Department of Transportation.

The authority’s substantial reserve was a key reason Luzerne County Council voted earlier this year to slash the authority’s local match money by $316,000 in the wake of the “ghost rider” scandal, which resulted in the arrests earlier this month of Executive Director Stanley J. Strelish, 60, and Operations Manager Robb Alan Henderson, 58, on charges alleging they conspired to inflate senior citizen ridership numbers and bolster state funding.

— JAMES HALPIN

A Laflin woman has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against a New Jersey couple for a July 2012 crash on the Pennsylvania Turnpike that she says led to the death of her husband.

Evelyn Jones said she was driving on the turnpike in Duryea when she slammed into the rear of a car that was stopped in the travel lane for no reason. Her husband, David Jones, a passenger in the car, suffered severe injuries and died 10 days later. He was 77.

Mrs. Jones filed the lawsuit this week against the driver of the stopped car, Samuel Desimine of Glassboro, New Jersey, and his wife, Grace Desimine, the vehicle’s owner.

The lawsuit claims Mr. Desimine was suffering from dementia and a sugar imbalance and should not have been allowed to drive the car.

Mr. Desimine “illegally stopped and parked his vehicle in the travel portion of I-476 without any warning or four-way flashers,” the lawsuit said.

In the suit, Mrs. Jones says she was traveling behind another vehicle that swerved “at the last second” to miss Mr. Desimine’s stopped car.

She then “attempted to take immediate evasive action to no avail” and struck Mr. Desimine’s vehicle.

The Desimines didn’t return a telephone message Wednesday.

Contact the writer:

bkalinowski@citizensvoice.com, @cvbobkal

The Hill Section might be getting a public recreational center.

The Shalom Community Development Corp. of Greater Scranton is in the process of acquiring the former Myrtle Street United Methodist Church and converting it to a center that would provide before- and after-school programs for children on topics like tutoring and nutrition.

“We hope to turn it into a great resource for the community,” charity spokesman Nick Semon told a group of about 40 residents at the Hill Neighborhood Association meeting at Immaculate Conception Church on Wednesday.

In a best-case scenario, the center would open and launch some initial programs in the fall, Mr. Semon said.

Also at the meeting, the association discussed robust resistance to a proposal that would place a Verizon cell- phone tower in Nay Aug Park, with President Ozzie Quinn saying the group would “cut them off at the pass.” The group has started a petition drive to deliver to the Scranton City Council as well as the city’s zoning board and the FCC.

Renata Anna Meyer, M.D., a physician trained in Austria who lives in the Hill Section, told the group that public health studies on the effects of cellphone towers are inconclusive, but some have suggested they are harmful.

The city is entertaining a proposal from the cellphone company to rent space in parks to install towers.

Police Chief Carl Graziano appeared at the meeting to answer questions and applauded the group for their help in policing the city.

“Criminals take the path of least resistance,” he said. “And this is resistance.”

The association has collected $5,100 of a $25,000 goal to purchase $50 season swim passes for kids at the Nay Aug Park pools. To further raise funds to help children swim free there, a $10 pasta dinner will be held Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. at Villa Maria II restaurant, 1610 Washburn St., in Scranton.

Contact the writer: pcameron@timesshamrock.com,

@pcameronTT on Twitter

Scranton Mayor Bill Courtright is finding free help for the financially struggling city.

He asked a bricklayers’ union to build new sidewalks at the police station, and concrete is expected to be poured today on the first section to be replaced.

Regional Hospital of Scranton has agreed to perform screenings of firefighters for hepatitis B, the mayor noted.

And six police officers on Friday each gave up two hours of their own time to walk through parts of West Scranton with the mayor and police chief, Mr. Courtright said.

“I think people understand that we’re in a very difficult financial situation and so many people love this city and want to help,” Mr. Courtright said.

The wraparound sidewalk at the 8-and-½-year-old police station is badly crumbling in spots and several sections need repair or replacement, the mayor said. He asked Jack Figured of Scranton, a field representative for the International Union of Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers Local 5, if that union would provide free labor to fix the police station sidewalk.

“It’s flaking something terrible. It’s just been getting worse every year. I knew we had no money to do it,” Mr. Courtright said.

Police Chief Carl Graziano said the prior administration last year got an estimate to replace the entire wraparound sidewalk for around $78,000, for excavation and disposal of old sidewalks, new concrete and labor.

“I remember being shocked at the number,” Chief Graziano said. “No one expected that number.”

With the bricklayers’ union on board, the city would save tens of thousands of dollars in labor. The city DPW will remove and dispose sidewalk sections and the city will pay for concrete and materials.

The union has long pitched in on community service projects, including at Nay Aug Park, McDade Park and various youth recreation fields, to name a few, Mr. Figured said.

Still, the Scranton police station sidewalk is the largest community-service project the union has tackled, he said. Repairs may take a good six months to complete because they will be done when union workers find time to fit it into their schedules, he said.

Starting at the corner, work will proceed to the building’s front door area and then along the walkway on South Washington Avenue. The corner section alone needs 10 cubic yards of concrete that could cost around $1,200, Mr. Figured said. He estimated that 75 percent of the sidewalk will have to be replaced.

Damage could have come from freeze-thaw cycles and use of salt as an ice-melt, Mr. Figured said. A seal coating will be used to help protect new concrete, he said.

As for the police walk-through, Mr. Courtright said he, the chief and police officers split up into two groups of four and walked around parts of West Scranton Friday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Residents came out to talk about their concerns, he said.

“People love to see police officers in their neighborhood,” Mr. Courtright said. “And I want bad guys to know we’re out there.”

He will continue to seek help “as things come up that need to get done.”

“If I have to humble myself, that’s no problem,” the mayor said. “These are tough times.”

Contact the writer: jlockwood@timesshamrock.com, @jlockwoodTT on Twitter

Olyphant

Reunion meeting: St. Patrick’s High School class of 1964 50th anniversary reunion planning meeting, Wednesday, 6 p.m., Angie’s, 834 Main St., Dickson City; 570-489-1820.

Pittston

Special meeting: Pittston Knights of Columbus Home Association special meeting, Wednesday, 8 p.m., hall, 55 S. Main St., agenda: review/vote on new bylaw changes, light refreshments.

Regional

Responder day: Emergency Responder Day, today, Montage Mountain, 1000 Montage Mountain Road; first-responders and military receive complimentary water park admission all day and half-price admission for three family members; bring badge, pay stub or other proof of employment.

Scranton

Association meeting: Hill Neigh­borhood Association meeting, Wednesday, 7 p.m., Immaculate Conception Church Hall, Taylor Avenue; Patrick Hinton will discuss the city ordinance barring indoor furniture on front porches and enforcing the ordinance; other topics include the proposed Nay Aug Park cell tower and raising funds for kids to swim free at the Nay Aug pool.

Wayne County

Kids fair: Wayne County Safe Kids Committee Safe Kids Fair, Saturday, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Park Street Complex; bike safety, toy safety, fingerprinting, gun safety (free gun locks); Wayne County YMCA, Victims’ Intervention Pro­gram, Wayne Memorial Hospital, Wayne County Drug & Alcohol, Wayne County Sheriff, Wayne County Public Library, Wayne County Emergency Operations Center & 911; free refreshments, activities, handouts.

CLIPBOARD ITEMS may be emailed to yesdesk@times

shamrock.com or mailed to clipboard, c/o the YES!Desk at 149 Penn Ave., Scranton, 18503. For details, call the YES!Desk at 570-348-9121.

Police say man molested friend

SCRANTON — A Scranton man molested his sleeping friend after inviting her over to drink during Memorial Day weekend, city police said.

John Bove, 25, 416 Cherry St., was charged Tuesday with indecent assault. The Times-Tribune does not identify victims of sexual assault.

The victim woke up early May 26 alongside Mr. Bove and felt him touching her. She screamed at him and he replied “my bad,” police said.

He admitted to police that he committed the crime, but felt it didn’t rise to criminal levels and the victim was “blowing the whole thing up.”

He is free on bail, pending a preliminary hearing on Tuesday.

— JOSEPH KOHUT

Michael Reiser is lucky.

He’s making an executive decision today at his job at the Greiner Packaging Corp. production plant in Pittston Township. Come noon, the Scranton man by way of Karlsruhe, Germany, will put away work for two hours to watch soccer.

The United States faces Germany in the final round of group games in the 2014 World Cup.

Reiser does have to make another decision: where to watch.

“Especially when people for the other team are around me, I have to be by myself,” he said. “It’s difficult to watch with people who are happy when the other team scores a goal. I can’t be happy if 10 people around me are happy when there’s a goal scored on the German team.”

He may make an exception for today’s game and pull up a chair next to colleagues, some of whom have given him some good-natured joking over the matchup.

Greiner is an Austrian company, and Reiser was in that country last week for work. He was able to watch several matches there, where they broadcast live at night.

In the United States, a record 18.2 million people watched the U.S.-Portugal game on ESPN, and another 6.5 million watched on Spanish-language Univision, according to the Associated Press.

The Portuguese tied that game in the last minute, courtesy of a cross from Cristiano Ronaldo that really should have been better covered by the American defense. The United States is certain to advance with a win or draw. A loss could also see them move on to a playoff round, depending on how another match between Portugal and Ghana finishes.

That match aired Sunday evening on the East Coast. The kickoff time for Thursday’s game means it could be a big event for live streaming of the action. The game set records for WatchESPN, which allows cable TV subscribers to stream the game for free. The Associated Press reported that the average audience per minute was 490,000, and a total of nearly 1.4 million viewers watched. The WatchESPN telecasts averaged 720,000 live unique viewers for this tournament, up 139 percent from 2010, when the iPad was a newfangled gadget.

Gregor Grosse, a vice president at the German company Schott Glass in Duryea, plans more boss-approved activity Thursday. He doesn’t plan to watch, though he’s been reading online German news about the tournament and about soccer in America. He’s interested to see German coach Joachim Löw match up against U.S. coach Jürgen Klinsmann — himself a German star. The two men were coaching colleagues on the 2006 German national team, which placed third in that year’s World Cup.

“They know each other quite well. They know about how the other is thinking,” Grosse said. “It will be quite interesting to see.”

bwellock@citizensvoice.com

570-821-2051, @CVBillW

Scranton’s pension board president wants the Pennsylvania Economy League to pay for what he sees as its sins of the past.

The city’s composite pension board will explore a possible lawsuit against PEL, Scranton’s Act 47 distressed city coordinator, for providing poor advice board President John O’Shea claims hurt the pension funds.

Mr. O’Shea said the city was “held hostage” by PEL, which he blamed for the court battle that led to the $21 million back pay award for city police officers and firefighters. That decision and others cost the city money, which directly impacted the pension funds, he said.

“We’ve got nonelected officials telling the city what we should do,” said Mr. O’Shea, a retired police officer. “I think it’s time we put a stop to it and let the politicians we elect make decisions.”

The board, which represents the police, fire and non-uniform unions, voted to direct its solicitor to investigate whether a lawsuit would be feasible.

PEL has been the city’s Act 47 coordinator since it was declared distressed in 1992. It has assisted the city in developing a recovery plan and continues to advise it on budgetary and other matters as it attempts to deal with monumental financial problems.

Board member Gary DeStefano questioned how much of a role PEL played in the city’s problems, noting it acts as a consultant. The ultimate decision regarding governmental operations is left to council and city officials.

Mr. O’Shea said he believes PEL has used hard ball tactics, including the threat of withholding state funding, to force city officials to abide by its recommendations. That includes the ill-fated advice to use Act 47 to deny raises to police and firefighters from 2003 to 2011. That court battle went on for years before the Supreme Court ruled in the unions’ favor in 2011.

“They guaranteed the city they would win. What they should have done was negotiate. It would have been a lot less than it turned out to be,” Mr. O’Shea said.

Gerald Cross, executive director of PEL, declined to comment on the board’s action. Lyndsay Kensinger, a spokesperson for the state Department of Community and Economic Development, which hired PEL as the city’s coordinator, also declined comment.

Mr. O’Shea said he does not know yet what, if any, legal basis the pension board could use to justify a lawsuit. That’s why the board voted to have its solicitor conduct a preliminary investigation, he said.

Contact the writer: tbesecker@timesshamrock.com

Two people were evaluated by emergency personnel and a chihuahua is unaccounted for after a raging fire at a North Scranton apartment building Tuesday night.

City fire inspectors on Wednesday searched for the cause of the blaze that displaced 11 people from 1622 and 1624 Church Ave., acting Scranton Fire Chief Patrick DeSarno said.

Firefighters were called to Church Avenue just after 9 p.m. Tuesday. They found tongues of flame stretching 10 feet high.

The fire apparently started on a wooden staircase between the two buildings, but 1624 received the brunt of the damage.

Much of the roof burned through and fell into the building. Chief DeSarno said he is not sure what will happen to the building, but it is likely a total loss.

Smoke and water damage appears to be the main problems for 1622 Church Ave. The heat from the fire melted and twisted the

siding.

As he investigated Wednesday, Scranton Police Fire Marshal Martin Monahan carried out a blackened and charred window air-conditioning unit.

The cause of the two-alarm blaze is still

undetermined.

“They are looking at a couple different possible causes,” Chief DeSarno said. He declined to elaborate.

All 11 residents escaped the fire. Two were evaluated at the scene, Chief DeSarno said, but further details were not clear. One city firefighter was carried from the building during the fight and treated by Lackawanna Ambulance crews. Chief DeSarno said Wednesday no firefighters were injured. A chihuahua belonging to a resident is missing.

The American Red Cross was on scene and talking to residents who needed placement. The fire was under control after roughly two hours.

“The crews did a great job,” Chief DeSarno said.

Contact the writer:

jkohut@timesshamrock.com,

@jkohutTT on Twitter