Work is moving along to restore Scranton's Covenant Presbyterian Church, 550 Madison Avenue, to its original design.

Steve Carter, a parishioner and volunteer who has been working since July on the project, said he and his crew of volunteers have restored and uncovered most of the church's original mosaic floor, restored the wood flooring underneath the pews, repainted the walls and upgraded the lighting.

So far, what's given Mr. Carter the most trouble is sourcing the marble that is right in front. Most of the original quarries where the marble was taken from have long since disappeared.

"But if they (church authorities) want to give me a ticket to Italy to source the marble, I would be willing," Mr. Carter said with a laugh. "So far, however, I haven't seen a plane ticket."

Mr. Carter has not been able to do everything that he has wanted to do, however. He was hoping to have the church's reredos, or ornate oak wall behind the altar, installed before the advent season, but that seems unlikely, he said.

"You can't do everything all at once," Mr. Carter said.

By March, he said, he hopes to have that done as well as have a new audio system installed.

The Rev. Scott Loomer said that members of the church have been amazed. For several members, they have been with the church long enough to remember what it looked like before wall-to-wall green carpeting and velvet drapes were installed in the 1960s.

"It's been a great time for remembrance," the Rev. Loomer said.

Once the reredos is installed in March, there will be a rededication ceremony of the sanctuary. In the summer, the church will refinish its organ and host another rededication ceremony around Labor Day in 2013.

Contact the writer: jkohut@timesshamrock.com, @jkohutTT on Twitter

With a bear hat to keep him warm, Dylan Berry, 5, bounced with excitement on the Penn Avenue sidewalk.

Outfitted in his "extra cozy" hat and new Batman gloves, Dylan had only one thing on his mind: Rudolph.

"I like his red nose because I've never seen a reindeer that had a nose that glowed," he explained, matter-of-factly.

Dylan was accompanied by his grandparents, Glenn and Dianne Havenstrite, in Scranton on Wednesday evening for a free showing of the holiday classic film at The Scranton Times Building, one of the offerings in conjunction with the lighting of the Times Tower.

The festivities marked the 52nd anniversary of the lighting of the radio tower, which to many in the area, symbolizes the advent of the holiday season. In addition to illuminating multi- colored strands of lights, the event included music, food, fireworks and a larger-than-life version of Santa's "nice" list.

The radio tower on Penn Avenue began to glow at about 6:30 p.m. after Cecelia Lynett Haggerty pulled a candy cane-striped switch on a street-level stage below. As the crowd of faces craned to see the glimmer of the lights and the fireworks that followed, Bobby Lynett, a publisher of The Times-Tribune and CEO of Times-Shamrock Communications, looked down.

"I think the best part is seeing the faces of the kids who see the tower," he said, adding that he also enjoyed the reaction when children found their names on Santa's list.

It was the third year for the community event, which now requires the streets to be blocked. Mr. Lynett hopes to see it eventually incorporate downtown businesses and benefit the whole city.

"We thought we shouldn't keep this to ourselves," he said of the original idea for the gathering. "We never expected to get the crowd we have."

It was the first time Mike and Teri Templar and their granddaughter, Zoey Templar, 2, had been a part of the holiday crowd, but Mrs. Templar said it won't be the last.

"It's amazing the things you do for your grandchildren," she laughed, referencing the trip from Tunkhannock. "We decided to make it our new tradition."

Contact the writer: rbrown@timesshamrock.com, @rbrownTT on Twitter

Unable to reach a settlement with a woman who made three years of mortgage payments on a property she didn't own, Peoples Neighborhood Bank is filing formal eviction notices against Shelia M. Layo.

Due to the failure of an attorney to file a deed, Ms. Layo for more than three years made regular mortgage payments to the bank on a home that remained deeded to the seller. When she found out by accident while trying to refinance with another bank, she stopped making payment on the home on McCarthy Street in the Minooka section of Scranton until the bank remedied the situation and sued.

Now Peoples Neighborhood Bank, having acquired the deed and unable to reach a settlement with Ms. Layo, filed a complaint to evict her from the property, saying she has no legal right to be there.

Ms. Layo's attorney, Brian Monahan of Easton, said the attempt to evict his client is a continuation of the bank's "deceptive practices."

"I'm not surprised they are continuing to trample Ms. Layo's rights," Mr. Monahan said.

The move follows a breakdown in attempts to settle the matter. The bank offered to deed the home to Ms. Layo, credit her mortgage with all the payments made, waive late fees, and offer her a lower interest rate, said Peoples Neighborhood Bank President Alan Dakey. Ms. Layo's demands - full possession of the house, refund of her three years of mortgage payments plus attorney's fees and expenses - was too much for the bank, Mr. Dakey said.

In this case, the attorney was now-disbarred Richard Hallock, working for Ohio Bar Title Insurance Co., who failed to file the deed and absconded with some of the closing money. The bank blames Ms. Layo for "choosing Mr. Hallock to represent her," although Mr. Dakey concedes that Mr. Hallock was also working for the bank.

"She chose her attorney and we have documentation to establish that," Mr. Dakey said. "He did not represent her properly and she has been residing at the property without making payments."

Ms. Layo said the bank knew - or should have known - that the real estate closing was incomplete.

It's a sad situation, said William "Chip" MacKrides, a real estate specialist with the state Bar Association, arising from the complexity of a real estate closing. "The bank has got to be careful, because the plaintiff's attorney could prove a fiduciary duty or show the impression of a fiduciary duty," he said. "Sometimes the parties involved and the attorneys, through absolutely no malice, find themselves unable to see some of these issues."

Contact the writer: dfalchek@timesshamrock.com

Scott Binsack will spend Thanksgiving behind bars, and most likely away from a keyboard.

The fugitive who taunted pursuers and critics through Facebook and YouTube was caught by surprise in Bath Twp., N.Y., by U.S. marshals and other authorities between 9 and 10 p.m. Tuesday at the Budget Inn.

To the end, Mr. Binsack continued mocking critics, seemingly unaware.

"Legal actions being filed and those corrupt ones (are) going down," according to a post, purporting to be Mr. Binsack on the "Clear Scott Binsack" Facebook page. "Understand this ... no one knows my whereabouts ... Stay tuned for the next post!!"

There was no next post. Mr. Binsack was taken into custody moments later.

"We caught him by surprise and he surrendered," said U.S. Marshal Martin J. Pane.

U.S. marshals assisted in the search and apprehension. The state Department of Probation and Parole is a charter member of the U.S. Fugitive Task Force. Mr. Binsack failed to appear for a meeting with parole officials Oct. 25 and was declared an absconder.

While Mr. Binsack is not classified a violent offender, Mr. Pane said any fugitive can be dangerous insofar as they are desperate.

After 26 days on the lam, Mr. Binsack was in the Steuben County Prison, and he is expected to be extradited to Pennsylvania. Within 10 days he will face a first-level hearing to determine if there is probable cause for a violation of the terms of his parole. In this case, his violations may include failing to show up for a meeting with a parole officer, engaging in financial transactions prohibited by the terms of his release and harassment.

Within 120 days of that hearing, he will have a second-level hearing to determine whether he violated parole and what the penalty will be, said Leo Dunn, a spokesman for the state Board of Probation and Parole. Mr. Binsack could go back to prison until May 18, 2014, plus any time he was on absconder status.

Mr. Binsack has always been an adopter of emerging technology. From prison, he ran a blog and a Twitter account titled "Illegally Searched and Seized" and even sold T-shirts and hats with logos. With new avenues of social networking and the ease of digital video, he launched a number of Facebook pages after his release from prison in April of 2011. He used those pages to explain his past and attack those who questioned him in his adopted town of Shamokin.

One Facebook post contained a truth. He did file a lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, stamped the day he was taken into custody. The lawsuit, filed by Berwick attorney Frank Kepner Jr., claims that officials from the city of Shamokin and state Department of Probation and Parole denied Mr. Binsack his constitutional rights.

Contact the writer: dfalchek@timesshamrock.com

Whether Scranton gets a commuter tax next year will hinge on whether a panel of judges believes the city has tapped out its own residents and now has no recourse but to tax nonresidents working in the city.

Scranton's proposed 2013 budget calls for a 12 percent real estate tax increase on city taxpayers, among other revenue generators. One of the others would be a 1 percent commuter tax that is estimated to raise $2.5 million for the city next year. If there were no commuter tax to bring in that $2.5 million from nonresidents, the city instead would have to raise real estate taxes on city residents by an additional 18 percent in 2013 to make up the difference, Councilman Frank Joyce has said.

But opponents believe that simply keeping a tax hike on city residents lower than it otherwise could be does not justify a commuter tax.

"Here's my problem. I don't have a full understanding of what the city's trying to accomplish, except trying to get money" from commuters, said Newton Twp. Supervisor Ron Koldjeski, a member of an opposition group called Scranton Taxing Our People. "Have they done everything in their own arsenal to help themselves before going outside the city? Did they exhaust all the avenues to right their ship before they go outside their boundaries?" he asked.

Those are the main questions to be addressed by a panel of three Lackawanna County Court judges on Dec. 10, when they will hear the city's petition for a commuter tax next year.

A 1 percent earned income tax on people who work in the city but live elsewhere is one of the key alternatives to property tax hikes under the city's revised Act 47 recovery plan adopted Aug. 23. The city needs approval from the court to impose a commuter tax each year that it may exist. Along with $2.5 million next year, a commuter tax is estimated to generate $4 million in each of 2014 and 2015 and then be discontinued, city officials have said.

The city has traveled the commuter-tax road before, but this time it could be more of an uphill climb.

The city imposed a commuter tax in 1993-94, when a 0.6 percent tax was imposed. That tax was challenged in county court and rejected by a panel of judges who cited witnesses blaming the need for the tax partly on "irresponsibility and mismanagement on the part of the (city's) political establishment."

The judges at that time said they had the right to apply a judicial brake to the city's taxing power if they found a tax unnecessary.

However, the city appealed and won in state Commonwealth Court, and opponents failed to convince the state Supreme Court to hear a further appeal. Though the commuter tax survived, it was unpopular and divisive and discontinued after 1994.

In 1996, former Rep. Frank Serafini legislated a more rigorous, three-pronged test for the city to ever be able to secure court approval for a commuter tax.

These hurdles require the city to show it has "substantially implemented" other parts of a recovery plan, including:

- Raising taxes and fees on city residents

- Taking steps to gain required approval from other groups such as courts, voters or unions

- Showing that additional city tax revenue isn't enough to balance the city's budget

City officials believe they have satisfied such requirements. Mayor Chris Doherty cited various revenue generators in the recovery plan and budget, including increases in the realty transfer, business privilege and mercantile taxes, a new amusement tax, possible imposition of a sales tax in 2014 and 2015, and hoped for significantly increased payments in lieu of taxes, known as PILOTs, from nonprofit entities, to name a few.

"We've raised taxes everywhere," Mr. Doherty said. "This (commuter tax) is not a permanent tax. It's a temporary tax and has to be approved annually" by the court.

A public notice of the city's commuter tax states, "The reasons for the increase to the nonresident earned-income tax rate is to raise sufficient revenue for the city of Scranton to meet its general operating obligations pursuant to its revised recovery plan. It is within the city officials' judgment that the increase in non-resident earned-income tax is necessary."

Earlier this month, STOP launched a website, Stopscranton.com, that seeks donations to fight the tax. The website lists as its participating communities the following: Archbald, Blakely, Carbondale, Carbondale Twp., Clarks Green, Clarks Summit, Clifton Twp., Covington Twp., Dalton, Elmhurst Twp., Fell Twp., Glenburn Twp., Greenfield Twp., Jefferson Twp., Jermyn, La Plume Twp., Mayfield, Moosic, Moscow, Newton Twp., Old Forge, Olyphant, Ransom Twp., Roaring Brook Twp., Scott Twp., South Abington Twp., Spring Brook Twp., Taylor, Throop, Vandling, and West Abington Twp.

The group appears to be gearing up for the long haul, meaning having to fight the tax not only next month when the court takes it up, but also in each of the next two years if the city seeks it for 2014 and 2015, as is expected.

Mr. Koldjeski said, "It could very well be that the court might find the city hasn't done enough due diligence to merit a commuter tax (for 2013), and next year the city will bring it out again" for 2014.

Contact the writer: jlockwood@timesshamrock.com

Musto count dropped

A federal judge dismissed one of eight counts facing former state Sen. Raphael J. Musto on Wednesday, ruling the statute of limitations had expired before the charge was filed.

The 83-year-old Pittston Twp. Democrat still faces two counts of fraud, three counts of bribery and two counts of making false statements to investigators. Two grand jury indictments allege he received $40,000 in cash and free construction services for supporting state funding for four projects.

Mr. Musto's trial has been repeatedly delayed over the past two years because of health concerns. His attorneys maintain that liver disease and other health issues render him unable to survive the stress of a trial or help prepare his defense.

In October, U.S. District Judge A. Richard Caputo rejected a defense motion to indefinitely postpone the trial, but agreed to put the proceedings on hold to allow the defense to appeal his ruling to the U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals.

Mr. Musto was originally indicted on six counts in November 2010. A second indictment in October added two bribery counts, including the one dismissed Wednesday. The dismissed count stemmed from a $1,000 payment Mr. Musto allegedly received in 2006 from an unnamed individual in return for his support of a multimillion-dollar loan to a Luzerne County municipality.

In an order issued Wednesday, Judge Caputo agreed with the defense that the indictment came after the five-year statute of limitations had expired on the bribery count.

Judge Caputo denied defense motions seeking to dismiss the other bribery counts, which argued that federal bribery laws do not apply to members of the state Senate.

Mr. Musto has been free on his own recognizance since his first indictment, which came shortly before his previously announced retirement from the Senate.

Contact the writer: djanoski@citizensvoice.com

Pearl Yanick just wants her 1-year-old daughter to remember Thanksgiving the right way.

But with the price of everything from rent to her monthly bills rising, the 27-year-old Jermyn woman simply could not afford to buy the turkey and fixings that her 1- and 3-year-old daughters should see on the table this afternoon.

"My youngest daughter, this is her first memorable year," Ms. Yanick said. "I'm trying to teach her the holidays are about giving."

But, out of work since she lost her job at a Burger King while seven months pregnant with her 3-year-old daughter, there is a real struggle just to get that turkey on the table.

"Having a turkey is not the biggest deal," she said. "But ... when (my daughters) hang out with their friends I want them to know what turkey is."

That is what got her on the bus at 8 a.m.

That's what gave her the patience to spend the better part of an hour en route to the Scranton Cultural Center.

And that is why Ms. Yanick and the hundreds before and behind her stood in a line wrapping from Vine Street onto North Washington Avenue on Wednesday to get inside the Family-to-Family Thanksgiving food basket giveaway.

"It's a godsend," said Mike Creegan, a 57-year-old Scranton man with plans to cook the holiday meal for two of his children he'll be sharing the table with this afternoon.

Mr. Creegan, a truck driver out of work since April, was the next body due in the door at the cultural center as the giveaway got under way shortly after 9 a.m.

And it was the people in line with him, people like Ms. Yanick, who the organizer of the 26th annual giveaway, Mary Lou Burne, referred to when she addressed the hundreds of volunteers gathered inside and spoke about "people who you might not see everyday."

"They have their families. They have a place to live. They just need the food," she said.

And on Wednesday morning, the Scranton Cultural Center was the place to fill that need.

Throughout the center's ballroom, dozens of tables heaped with fruit, bread, all the "bounty that we all will share with all our relatives," as Mrs. Burne described it, awaited them.

And standing around those tables were those volunteers, like sentinels of charity waiting at the ready, from middle school students to everyday citizens who came out to be "dream makers."

"You are the dream makers who make it possible," said Sister Adrian Barrett, I.H.M., in an address to the volunteers before the giveaway began. "We could have all the turkey in the world but look at me - I can't hand out them all."

Looking on the scene spread out before him as the room grew in anticipation of giving, Diocese of Scranton Bishop Joseph Bambera recalled a line of scripture, something Jesus said: "Whatever you do to the least of my brothers and sisters, you do to me."

"We're not just seeing somebody that we see maybe once a year or have never seen before," the bishop said of the masses in line just outside. "God is in them."

In keeping with the spirit of the annual giveaway, Mrs. Burne pointed out that most of the donations sent in to finance the program were for $25, an amount that to her seemed indicative of "one family helping another."

And there were just enough of those families to help all the others, as Family-to-Family reached its $85,000 fundraising goal for the program on Wednesday morning, Mrs. Burne said to the volunteers.

"What we're doing today is bigger than anyone of us," Rabbi Joe Mendelsohn pointed out as he addressed the volunteers. "But without every one of us it couldn't get done."

Contact the writer: domalley@timesshamrock.com, @domalleytt on Twitter

HAMLIN - One lane of Interstate 84 eastbound is closed in Wayne County where a tractor trailer rolled over, trapping someone inside, according to the state Department of Transportation.

The crash occurred at mile marker 15.5 and spread debris on the road, according to PennDOT.

The right lane of I-84 is closed between exit 8, Mt. Cobb/Hamlin, and exit 17, Newfoundland/Hamlin, according to PennDOT.

PennDOT anticipates the closed lane to reopen at 2 p.m.

Clutching a fresh cup of coffee, Ruth Randall stretched her back and yawned.

More than 150 miles into her 300-mile Thanksgiving Eve trek to Geneva, N.Y., the 71-year-old from Wilmington, Del., and her dog, Maggie, both needed a break.

"My back hurts and my butt is numb," she said, while grabbing a piece of crumb cake at a rest area in Fleetville off Interstate 81. "Normally, I can't drive for more than 45 minutes straight. But I am excited to see my grandkids."

According to AAA, 45 percent of Thanksgiving day travelers left for their destination Wednesday, clogging interstates nationwide and causing officials to emphasize the importance of alert and cautious driving.

"A lot can happen if people aren't abiding by the highway and traffic rules," said state Department of Transportation spokesman Mike Taluto, who announced PennDOT has organized safety breaks at rest areas on Interstates 80, 81 and 84, and at the Matamoras and Great Bend Welcome Centers. "The main goal is for everyone to reach their destination safely."

Despite record-high gas prices for this time of year, an estimated 48,120 Scranton/Wilkes-Barre/Hazleton metro area residents will travel 50 miles or more from home this Thanksgiving weekend - a 0.3 percent increase from last year, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic spokeswoman Jenny Robinson. Of those travelers, 43,075, or 84 percent will drive to their destination, while 3,881 residents will travel by plane - a 2 percent decrease from last year.

The increase in road traffic comes despite record-high gasoline prices.

As of Wednesday, metro area regular gas prices averaged about $3.59 per gallon, 19 cents higher than the area's average from one year ago of $3.39, which previously stood as the area's highest gas price for this five-day travel period, Ms. Robinson said.

"Even though gas prices are higher, it's still more effective to travel by car than plane," said Terri Ooms, executive director of the Wilkes-Barre-based Institute for Public Policy and Economic Development.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport Director Barry Centini said he hasn't noticed a decrease in air travel this Thanksgiving - a sentiment echoed by U.S. Airways spokesman Todd Lehmacher.

"The flight loads are pretty healthy," Mr. Lehmacher said.

As for the weather, AccuWeather senior meteorologist John Gresiak said today and Friday will be sunny, with temperatures ranging in the mid-50s. Temperatures will drop this weekend, he said, and there is a chance of snow showers.

Contact the writer: miorfino@timesshamrock.com, @miorfinoTT on Twitter

Leadershippers to mix, mingle, jingle

Leadership Lackawanna members plan to "mix, mingle and jingle" for the holidays during a party at the Electric City Trolley Museum.

Committee members have planned a Wednesday, Dec. 12, event featuring cocktails and gourmet appetizers set to music by the Doug Smith trio.

Carolyn Augustyn, Nicole A. Barber, Chris Boettcher, Kristie Ceruti, Kay Daniels, Nick DeAntonio, Chris Eboli, Lisa Konzleman, Susan Luchko, Kristen Noll, Lorenza Perry, Lynn Volk and Michelle Williams have also added a "Things That Sparkle"-themed silent auction. This "major component" of the event includes a Dooney and Bourke handbag, diamond earrings, an Austin J. Burke painting, a diamond bracelet and a basket of bubbly.

Leadership Lackawanna is a Northeast Pennsylvania leadership development organization. Its three programs - Core, Executive, and Tomorrow's Leaders Today - are designed to enhance the skills and knowledge of emerging citizens and advanced professionals, enabling them to better serve in their organization and communities.

Stars in stripes

Marine Corps Pfc. Patrick J. Lloyd, son of Josephine Lloyd of Ogdensburg, N.J., and James Lloyd of Greentown, earned the title of Marine after graduating from recruit training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, S.C. ... Air Force Airman Gino A. Runco graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. Airman Runco is the son of Carmen Runco of Dickson City. He is a 2009 graduate of Mid Valley High School. ... Navy Seaman Recruit Thomas B. Dolphin, son of Jean M. Uffalussy of Naples, Fla., and Tom G. Dolphin of Moscow, was recently promoted to his current rank upon graduating from Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Ill. Seaman Recruit Dolphin received the early promotion for outstanding performance during all phases of the training cycle. He is a 2004 graduate of North Pocono High School. ... Army Pfc. Nicola W. Giordano has graduated from basic infantry training at Fort Benning, Ga. Pfc. Giordano is the son of Mariano and Deborah Giordano of Throop.

High notes

Alfredo's Pizza Cafe, Scranton, will support the Christmas Holiday Bureau by donating 50 percent of proceeds from each tray of pizza bought Monday and Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sue Prisk, Alfredo's general manager, and Don Galacci, owner, met with Ellen Stevens and Deb Peterson of the Voluntary Action Center to discuss the project, which will benefit the program that distributes Wal-Mart gift cards to Lackawanna County families with children that meet eligibility requirements.

Some earlier store openings ahead of Black Friday only extend the most-anticipated shopping event of the year.

"We've just elongated Black Friday from something that starts at midnight to something that starts at 8 p.m.," said C. Britt Beemer, who operates a retail consulting and research firm based in Charleston, S.C.

"The new moniker I've heard for the first time is Black Thursday," said Anthony Liuzzo, Ph.D., a Wilkes University professor of business and economics who calculates an annual holiday shopping forecast.

Whether shoppers head out after Thanksgiving dinner or hold off until the predawn hours on Friday, a multitude of deals entice consumers to share in the shopping free-for-all.

"It will be mass hysteria," said Mr. Beemer, whose agency conducts regular surveys to forecast consumer behavior.

A survey released Wednesday by his firm predicts more than 43 percent of Americans will venture out to shop on Black Friday and about one-third of consumers have already gone online to look for Black Friday bargains.

Inserts and advertisements in this edition attest to the deals.

Best Buy advertises a Toshiba 40-inch LCD television for $180, down from $420; Hhgregg has a steel French-door refrigerator for $1,200, reduced from $2,000, and Kohl's promotes an 8-inch computer tablet for $90, after rebate, a savings of $110.

Sears has a washer and dryer set for $650 each, reduced from $1,410 apiece, and Target advertises an e-reader for $49, down from $100. Boscov's holds out its usual handbag and wallet promotion, with reductions of up to 75 percent, along with 60 percent off on some watches, Bon-Ton hawks a two-piece luggage set for $90, slashed from $280, and Macy's dangles a diamond bracelet for $399, down from $1,200.

"If you give consumers a deal, they will find it," Mr. Beemer said. "It's not all about electronics anymore. This is going to be a big furniture weekend. It will be a housewares and clothing weekend."

Only about 10 percent of holiday-season spending actually takes place on Black Friday weekend, Dr. Liuzzo said, and about 30 percent of seasonal spending occurs over the weekend prior to Christmas.

"The real action hasn't started yet and doesn't start until the second week of December," he said.

Consumers, though, like the shopping rivalry aspect Black Friday promotes and the feeling that the holiday season is under way.

"Each one wants to get a little bit of a leg up on the other guy," Dr. Liuzzo said. "It's not so much about doing Christmas shopping, it's competition against other consumers."

The International Council of Shopping Centers projects sales at malls and shopping centers will increase 2.5 percent for the season, compared to a 4 percent gain last year.

Dr. Liuzzo takes the middle ground, but sees a solid electronic-shopping season shaping up. "I think online sales will go up about 15 percent, whereas overall sales will only go up about 3 percent," he said.

Contact the writer: jhaggerty@timesshamrock.com

TAYLOR - Borough police on Tuesday arrested four West Scranton High School students for a pair of thefts from Wal-Marts in Taylor and Dickson City earlier this year.

Brian Rivera, 18, 1009 W. Lackawanna Ave., and three juveniles whose names were not released broke into the stores on Oct. 30 and again on Nov. 7, according to borough police.

Mr. Rivera and the three juveniles went into the stores, threw merchandise into the lawn and garden sections then returned to recover the items, police said. They also broke into storage containers using stolen bolt cutters and stole additional merchandise valued at more than $1,000.

All were charged with criminal trespass, retail theft, criminal conspiracy and related charges.

Mr. Rivera, who also was charged with three counts of corruption of minors, was released on $10,000 unsecured bail following his arraignment.

A preliminary hearing was scheduled for Monday.

Contact the writer: domalley@timesshamrock.com, @domalleytt on Twitter

DICKSON CITY - So much for family time on Thanksgiving gathered around the dinner table.

Jeff Branas and his two children have a family tradition of putting a tent up in front of Best Buy and camping out so they can be among the first to buy televisions and laptops for discounted prices.

The Pittston family has waited for the electronics store to open each year at 12:01 a.m. on Black Friday for five years now. This year, they were more excited about the experience than the actual deals, setting up more than 12 hours before the opening.

"It's more tradition than anything else," Mr. Branas said. "We picked up everything we need from past years."

People in the parking lot rode skateboards and watched a football game on television as they waited for the store to open.

While some Americans roll their eyes at the eager shoppers ready to kick off the Christmas shopping season, it has become an annual outing that some people look forward to for weeks. For years, shoppers would begin wide-eyed shopping the day after Thanksgiving, but some businesses have started opening on Thanksgiving Day.

At Toys R Us about 4 p.m. on Thursday, a line of a few dozen folks sat outside the building, patiently waiting for the store to open at 8 p.m. First in line, Mandy Chapman skipped the traditional holiday meal and left her 2-year-old daughter with her parents to go wait in the cold for 8½ hours for the store to open.

She spent the morning sorting through advertised deals in The Times-Tribune to help her decide which stores to visit.

"I wanted to get the good deals," she said.

Also in line, Jessica Weitz and her sister waited to get inside the store after spending time with their family.

Due to have a baby boy next week, Ms. Weitz still decided to risk the crowds to shop with her sister, a tradition for four years now.

Her family and her doctor "told me not to go Black Friday shopping," Ms. Weitz said. "But I'm still here."

First in line at Sears, Bruce Marchegiani of Jessup arrived at the store at 10 a.m. to wait for it to open at 8 p.m. He and many others in line wanted to buy a 50-inch LED television for $300.

"I figured I could wait in line for 9½ hours to save $600," Mr. Marchegiani said.

He and others in line said their secret to waiting so long was to stay occupied. People at the front of the line shared snacks, games and brought books to read.

After the stores opened, lines moved quickly with ready shoppers entering with different strategies, many planning to visit multiple stores.

While Mr. Marchegiani bought the television he wanted, others farther back in line hustled to beat out other shoppers for merchandise in the store. Bobby Smith of Taylor waited outside in line at Sears for just over an hour and managed to grab the last of a particular drill set available in the store. Leaving the store, he hadn't decided if he'd finished shopping.

"I'm probably going to go back in," he said. "I might find something else I want."

Lynn Pfohl of Scranton waited in line for a hour at Toys R Us to spend just a few minutes shopping. Not concerned with costs, Ms. Pfohl said she needed to arrive at the store early to make sure she snagged a particular gift on her daughter's Christmas list. She didn't want to say what exactly she bought so her daughter would be surprised on Christmas morning.

"I'm just happy that I got it," she said, walking to her car.

After going home for short rest, Ms. Pfohl and other family planned to wake at 4 a.m. today to continue shopping.

"I just love it," she said. "It's a thrill."

Contact the writer: rward@timesshamrock.com, @rwardTT on Twitter

The Scranton Parking Authority has agreed to liquidate a surplus in a 2007 bond-reserve fund to pay most of an $813,400 bond payment that is due Dec. 1.

Of that total, the city and a court-appointed receiver each have agreed to pay $150,000 toward the bond payment, and the $513,400 remainder would come from SPA excess debt-reserve funds, SPA solicitor Joseph O'Brien said during the board's meeting Wednesday.

The board also agreed to transfer $190,000 from the 2007 excess bond reserve fund to a 2006 debt-reserve fund to pay a 2006 bond payment that will come due early next year.

A surplus of more than $800,000 had accrued in the 2007 bond reserves that were invested in a U.S. Treasury bill, Mr. O'Brien said.

In other matters:

n Mr. O'Brien said former SPA Executive Director Robert Scopelliti has a hearing Tuesday in Harrisburg before the state Civil Service Commission regarding his furlough in September from the authority.

The city defaulted on a June 1 SPA bond payment, and the council refused to pay that SPA debt unless a receiver was appointed to run the SPA, Mr. O'Brien said. A receiver, Mike Washo, was appointed by a court and then declined to hire Mr. Scopelliti, said Mr. O'Brien. However, even if Mr. Scopelliti wins his case on the merits, the now-stripped-down SPA has no job for him to fill, Mr. O'Brien said.

"The (civil service) issue is whether we had a right to furlough him," Mr. O'Brien said. "He's asking for reinstatement and back pay. If he gets reinstated, we don't have any job for him; we don't have any work for him."

n An arbitrator has been appointed to hear a grievance by six former SPA parking-garage maintenance employees. The members of Teamsters Local 229 lost their jobs when Mr. Washo contracted with an outside firm to run the garages, and the employees were not retained. It could take nine months until a hearing is held on the grievance, Mr. O'Brien said. These union members are in a similar situation as Mr. Scopelliti, said Mr. O'Brien.

"If they prevail in the arbitration and get reinstated with back pay, we don't have any work or money for them. So they're going to face the same issue Bob (Scopelliti) does," Mr. O'Brien said.

Contact the writer: jlockwood@timesshamrock.com

Retailers hope the third time will be a charm as they prepare for Small Business Saturday, the shopping season's celebration of small boutiques and mom-and-pop stores.

In 2010, Small Business Saturday was a nonevent for customers of Lavish Body and Home in downtown Scranton. Lavish was busy, but no one really knew about Small Business Saturday.

Last year, Lavish co-owner Jonathan Chernes said a good number of people came to the store solely because it was Small Business Saturday. This year, more people are talking about it, he said.

"Merchants have gotten together, there is buzz in social media, and ever more advertising on television," Mr. Chernes said.

Lavish's Saturday special will be three free bars of Lavish's organic soap for a customer spending $100 or more. The event has been promoted by American Express, whose customers can get a credit of up to $25 for using their card at participating merchants.

As the event has caught on, it has been embraced by the downtown business holiday planning committee of Scranton Tomorrow as the kick off of the holiday shopping season, said Scranton Tomorrow Executive Director Leslie Collins. The group sponsors a holiday window decoration showcase starting Monday with awards announced during the Scranton city tree lighting on Dec. 6.

Nada Gilmartin of Nada & Co., an upscale women's apparel and accessories store, is ambivalent about Small Business Saturday. To the extent that it gets people to consider and visit local business, she thinks it's largely positive. At the same time, it's a "gimmick" she said, and a promotion for American Express.

"I look to offer good service and price every day," she said. "I'm not a gimmick person. We want customers to visit us not because we are small or local, but because we are good."

Ms. Gilmartin was part of a fundraising effort to purchase large, lighted snowflakes to hang on utility poles, and was spending most of the week working with Scranton Department of Public Works employees to have them affixed and lit.

Contact the writer: dfalchek@timesshamrock.com

Prisoner's death ruled a suicide

BELLEFONTE - The death of a serial arsonist found unresponsive in his cell Monday has been ruled a suicide, according to Centre County Coroner Scott Sayers.

Stephen Giacobbe, 49, was taken to Mount Nittany Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, police said. He died as a result of asphyxiation due to hanging, Mr. Sayers said.

Mr. Giacobbe was serving a 21-to-50-year sentence in the State Correctional Institution at Rockview after he pleaded guilty to setting a series of fires in Wayne and Lackawanna counties.

Six years ago, Dickson City had 205 fewer signs posted in the borough.

Since then, the Crime Watch has raised funds to outfit the borough with as many blue signs advertising an active group of residents keeping an eye out for wrongdoing. The group also hosted monthly meetings featuring guest speakers to educate residents.

In October, President Roger Barren and his wife, Beverly, who have spearheaded the organization since its inception, stepped down from their posts.

Since then, no members or citizens have volunteered to fill the leadership positions, but according to officials, the group is too valuable to lose.

"I can't see us ending it," said Police Chief William Bilinski, adding that the Police Department planned to support the group's return. "There are too many people that come to it. There's too much information."

The Crime Watch has also held fundraisers that supported local organizations.

In September, they handed over a check for $1,500 that purchased a stun gun for the Police Department. Regardless of the future of the neighborhood awareness group, council President Barbara Mecca said lack of donations won't hurt borough organizations.

"It was a wonderful contribution, but it is something the borough will just have to suck up," Ms. Mecca said.

Though no one has stepped forward yet, she hopes that will change.

"I think Crime Watch has given people a lot of very useful information, things to be aware of, things to keep their neighborhoods safer," she said. "I really hope someone does take the reins and continue the program."

Crime Watch Treasurer Jack Horvath agreed, adding that the group garnered a regular crowd each month. Though he agreed that the community would benefit from the continued service, he conceded taking a leadership role was a significant time commitment. He also attributed the lack of interest thus far to the practice of skipping meetings during the winter holidays.

"Normally, we don't have meetings in November and December, so it's a low point," he said.

Also a council member, Mr. Horvath said he hopes this is not the end for the organization.

"I hate to see the Crime Watch dissolve," he said. "I've been a member since it started. Hopefully someone steps up."

If Chief Bilinski has anything to do with it, the group will be reorganized and meetings will resume in the new year.

We welcome "anybody in the community interested in helping us or we can help them," he said. "One way or another, we're still going to keep it going."

Contact the writer: rbrown@timesshamrock.com, @rbrownTT on Twitter

The nation's largest online retailer, Amazon.com, is getting into the wine business hoping to put millions of Web shoppers keystrokes away from the wines they want.

But Pennsylvania citizens shouldn't get too excited about the prospect; shipping wine to consumers in the state is still against the law for retailers such as Amazon.com.

Pennsylvania is one of a small handful of states with a monopoly on wine and spirit sales. With the exception of in-state wineries, all alcohol is sold through state-run retail stores. Shipping wine to consumers is also largely prohibited, save for in-state wineries that can sell and ship to fellow Pennsylvanians.

"There is no likelihood of Pennsylvanians buying wine on Amazon since the state does not allow direct shipping from wineries or retailers," said Tom Wark of the California-based American Wine Consumer Coalition. The group will release a ranking of states by wine consumer friendliness early next year. Mr. Wark offered a preview: Pennsylvania will rank 48th.

The group's survey of wine consumers showed that the biggest obstacles to their access and enjoyment of wine were state monopolies and a prohibition of direct sales. Pennsylvania has both.

"In every case, monopolies lead to poor choice, lack of access and lack of service," Mr. Wark said, adding that Amazon's entry into wine will help further legitimize online wine buying.

Stacy Kriedeman, spokeswoman for the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, said the state liquor code is clear on the direct shipping: it's generally not allowed. The exceptions are Pennsylvania limited wineries and one of 42 entities that have state direct shipper licenses, but must ship in a less-than-direct manner. They ship to the state-run stores for pickup by consumers, who have to pay a $4.50 handling charge, 18 percent liquor tax and 6 percent sales tax.

Amazon will not be storing, or even shipping the wine. Having established relationships with wineries, Amazon will be the order taker. The order will be fulfilled by a winery. The site will allow consumers to search by high-scoring wines, appellation, or the characteristic of a wine.

The service will be available to California, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming and the District of Columbia, with others added "soon," Amazon.com said.

The last legislative session in Harrisburg brought a flurry of attempts to privatize the state monopoly, a relic from the repeal of Prohibition. A proposal to allow limited direct shipping died after it was linked to the privatization bill. Advocates have promised to reintroduce privatization. A Philadelphia Inquirer survey of likely Pennsylvania voters supported privatization by 2 to 1, with 55 percent favoring privatization, 28 percent opposed to it, and 17 percent indifferent or unaware of the issue.

Contact the writer: dfalchek@timesshamrock.com

Woman reported missing in area

DUNMORE - State police continued to search Thursday for an Alabama woman reported missing on Sunday after she dropped her two young children off at a relative's house in Madison Twp. and left the area.

Lisa May Kearney, 35, of Enterprise, Ala., was last seen driving a blue Ford F-150 pickup with an Alabama license plate, state police reported. She was last seen on Madisonville Road in Madison Twp. She is 5 feet 10 inches tall, about 110 pounds and has black hair and brown eyes.

Anyone with information is asked to call state police in Dunmore at 963-3156.

It was still dark outside when Felisia Goni woke up Thursday morning.

The West Scranton High School sophomore isn't normally a big athlete, but that didn't stop her from walking from Pittston to Scranton.

"I never pictured myself walking a 10.8-mile walk," she said. "It's refreshing."

She was joined by about 30 other Invaders to "Walk Up the Line" on Thanksgiving morning. It was the third year for the event, which this year benefited the American Red Cross and victims of Hurricane-turned-Superstorm Sandy.

The walk began as a graduation project three years ago and has blossomed, explained Amy Rummerfield, a teacher and now adviser for the event. West Scranton students Jon Kobrynich and Brooke Spindler founded the fundraiser, selecting the route and name as a reference to the Laurel Line Railroad.

"That first year, it was just the four of us," Ms. Rummerfield said, looking around at her students with pride.

Cheeks were flush from the walk and the chilly morning, but Ms. Rummerfield and the students were all smiles as they prepared to hand over an oversize check for $1,000. This year, the students organized the event in only one week, she said.

The dedication of the teens was noted by Carmon Flynn, the executive director of the American Red Cross in Lackawanna, Bradford-Sullivan, Susquehanna and Wyoming counties.

"How can you turn down the kids?" he asked with a grin, adding that he was happy to give up a portion of his holiday morning for the group.

After accepting the check, Mr. Flynn told the students that he had shared the story of their efforts with other Thanksgiving volunteers working in the most impacted areas of New Jersey.

"If they're willing to give up their day, so am I," Mr. Flynn said of both groups.

The group, which included a Siberian husky named Aria, ended their trek at the Radisson at Lackawanna Station hotel around 10:30 a.m. Aria's owner, sophomore Maritza Cherry, said the cause had a personal connection.

"My family in New York didn't have power," she said. "This will help with everything."

On a holiday marked by thankfulness and turkey consumption, sophomore class President Andrew Simpson said their efforts would have a bonus benefit.

"I wanted to help out with the hurricane relief because it was a tragedy that was close to us," he said. "Plus, you've get to exercise the turkey off before you even eat it."

Contact the writer: rbrown@timesshamrock.com, @rbrownTT on Twitter