Two years after making history as the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean, Amelia Earhart touched down briefly in Scranton.

On Oct. 15, 1930, the history-making pilot spoke at the State Federation of Pennsylvania Women convention held here. Her appearance was a surprise; the convention attendees expected another aviation pioneer: Louise McPhetridge Thaden.

At the time, Ms. Earhart was just starting to make a name for herself. During her speech in Scranton, she recounted the circumstances that led to her headline-grabbing, 21-hour flight from Canada to Wales.

“I was doing social work in Boston and a lot of flying on the side,” she told her audience, according to an Oct. 15, 1930 Scranton Times article. “One afternoon when I was busy at the settlement house the telephone rang and I said I was too busy to answer it.”

The caller, only identified in the Times article as “Captain Ralley, now Admiral Byrd’s representative” hoped to convince her to attempt a flight across the ocean. Convinced at first it was a prank, she eventually picked up the phone.

Just months later, Ms. Earhart joined Wilmer Stultz and Louis E. Gordon in a Fokker F7 named Friendship, according to ameliaearhart.com, and became the first woman to fly across the deep blue of the Atlantic. Three other female pilots had died trying to be the first women to fly across the Atlantic, according to the Earhart website.

In addition to recounting that flight, Ms. Earhart told convention attendees that she had flown over Scranton once before, with her mother as a passenger. She added that her mother found flying so “monotonous,” she brought a mystery novel to keep from falling asleep.

Ms. Earhart also said she hoped to visit a coal mine while in Northeast Pennsylvania, pointing out that her experience with travel over land was somewhat lacking.

“I have been over this part of the country time and again but never on the ground, and it struck me that travel by different means of transportation is like playing a piece of music on different instruments,” the Times article quoted her as saying.

She also encouraged women to take their children on airplanes and learn a little bit about the aviation business themselves, so they could better advise their children, should they develop an interest in flying as a possible career.

The Times account of her visit painted the 33-year-old as witty, charming and “thrilled at the opportunity to face so large an audience.” She ended her speech by telling the crowd, “There’s nothing to this flying, really. I hope you’ll just take it as the commonplace thing it is and try it.”

Ms. Earhart herself, however, was anything but commonplace. She went on to cement her place in history, becoming the first person to fly solo across the Pacific Ocean in early 1935 and just a few months later, being the first to fly solo from Mexico to New Jersey.

She and navigator Fred Noonan disappeared in July 1937, about 7,000 miles shy of completing their attempt to fly around the world, according to the Earhart website. The mystery of what happened to her, Mr. Noonan and the plane was never solved.

ERIN L. NISSLEY is an assistant metro editor at The Times-Tribune and has lived in the area for eight years.

Contact the writer:

localhistory@timesshamrock.com

A Porsche stolen in the Poconos and found in New York is not related to the ongoing manhunt for the suspect in the Pennsylvania State Police trooper ambush killing, state police said.

Reported stolen outside the manhunt search area on Oct. 18, the 2012 Porsche Cayman later turned up about 100 miles north in Bovina, N.Y., The Associated Press had reported.

Authorities investigated to determine if the stolen vehicle was connected to manhunt subject Eric Matthew Frein, who is accused of killing Cpl. Bryon K. Dickson II, 38, Dunmore, and wounding Trooper Alex T. Douglass, 31, Olyphant.

The manhunt marked its 43rd day Saturday, and officials continued to search for Mr. Frein, 31, of 308 Seneca Lane, Canadensis, around his home and in Swiftwater, where he was last seen.

In an email Saturday, Trooper Connie Devens, state police spokeswoman, said the Porsche is not related to the search but did not elaborate.

Mr. Frein is listed as one of the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives, and a reward for information leading to his capture totals $175,000 — a combination of reward money offered by the bureau and Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers. Anyone with information regarding Mr. Frein’s whereabouts should call the state police tip line at 866-326-7256.

— STAFF REPORT

Dunmore

A group of Dunmore firefighters earlier this month visited Dunmore Elementary Center to teach students about fire safety.

“The students were very excited,” Vice Principal Margaret Hart said. “The guys come with their gear and make it fun for them, although it is a serious subject.”

The event included an indoor lesson about fire safety and having home evacuation plans, and an outdoor opportunity to check out firetrucks — which is always a hit with young children.

“The K-3 students go bonkers,” the vice principal said.

The district’s point of contact for the fire safety event was Capt. Greg Wolff. Chief Chris DeNaples, Capt. Mike Rinaldi, firefighter Larry Waters and Private Eric Shigo were among other members who took part.

— KYLE WIND

kwind@timesshamrock.com, @kwindTT on Twitter

Greenfield Twp.

Four years ago, Staff Sgt. Aaron Heliker returned home from deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan with traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, third-degree burns and nerve damage from a roadside bomb.

He was on 42 medications and suicidal. His road to recovery began at a center that offers equine therapy for veterans, where he was introduced to a horse named Fred.

A documentary called “Riding My Way Back” chronicles Sgt. Heliker’s journey.

Serendipity Therapeutic Riding Program, a program held at Painted Acres Horse Farm in Greenfield Twp., is one of two Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International centers across the state to host a screening.

“It’s to help raise awareness nationwide of the benefits of equine therapy for veterans,” said Sarah Russoniello, who runs the riding program.

The screening will be held at the horse farm Sunday, Nov. 9, at 5:30 p.m. Advance tickets are available at the State Street Grill in Clarks Summit and Doc’s Deli Licious in Scott Twp.

— MICHAEL IORFINO

miorfino@timesshamrock.com, @miorfinoTT on Twitter

Moscow

Lackawanna County’s latest beautification project to add a mural to the underpass connecting Market and Main streets is underway.

The county put out a call for artists for the mural and got five submissions, said Maureen McGuigan, deputy director of the Lackawanna County Department of Arts and Culture.

Moscow officials picked out Dallas Twp. resident Catherine Badger’s design, which depicts various facets of life and history in the borough, including prominent buildings on Main Street, the old lumber mill, the Shade Tree Commission and the railroad station.

“She really got every aspect of life in Moscow,” Ms. McGuigan said.

Mrs. Badger owns CB Scenic Studios, which is a mural, scenic painting and exhibit shop, and came up with the mural concept after researching Moscow’s history.

“Now we’re trying to get it done while there is still warm weather left,” she said.

— KYLE WIND

kwind@timesshamrock.com, @kwindTT on Twitter

Newfoundland

In just a week, students at Wallenpaupack South Elementary created and donated 170 care packages for state troopers searching for suspected cop-killer Eric Matthew Frein.

Lisa Ostrowski, substitute teacher, and Susy Toppi, a dedicated school volunteer, both have children at the school. The mothers were talking to another parent who works at the Blooming Grove barracks who mentioned the troopers needed some extra little goodies and care packages.

Ms. Ostrowski said they sent the students home with a letter asking for items like tissues, hand sanitizer, candy, granola bars, toothbrushes and toothpaste.

“We had never expected to get so much in such a short amount of time. It was amazing,” she said.

The students were also given an index card to write a thank-you note and draw a picture to pack with the goodies.

Ms. Ostrowski and Ms. Toppi stopped by the barracks before taking the packages to the Red Cross station, where they ran into a state trooper who personally delivered three packages to Trooper Alex T. Douglass, who was wounded when Mr. Frein allegedly ambushed the barracks. Cpl. Bryon K. Dickson II was killed in the same attack.

A large trash bag full of candy and larger-size anti-bacterial lotion and wipes were also donated to the Red Cross to give to the troopers.

“It’s heartwarming our school was so willing to give so much,” Ms. Ostrowski said.

— KATHLEEN BOLUS

kbolus@timesshamrock.com, @kbolusTT on Twitter

Chamber reveals winners

The Greater Hazleton Chamber of Commerce unveiled the winners of its annual 2014 Business and Community Awards. As part of Chamber of Commerce Month, the chamber will have an awards luncheon to recognize the winners. The luncheon is scheduled for Oct. 30 at 11:45 a.m. at the Valley Country Club in Sugarloaf. Awards winners include Arc Electric Construction Company Inc., the Wire Guys by Arc Electric, Small Business of the Year; Penn State Hazleton, Large Business of the Year; Lew Dryfoos III, Rocco Colangleo Sr., Volunteer of the Year; Sand Springs Country Club, Pride of Place Award; DBi Services, Healthy Workplace Continuing Excellence Award; Cargill, Green Business of the Year; and Adam Skuba, Young Entrepreneur of the Year. The women’s networking committee will also award the recipients of its annual Women’s Empowerment Grants. Grant recipients include Dana Sword, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Geosciences at Bloomsburg University; Jaymie A. Leib, pursuing a Bachelor of Science in nursing at Robert Morris University; Nadine Veet, pursuing her professional certification in human resources at Penn State Worthington Scranton; Arleny Lantigua, pursuing her associate’s degree in registered nursing at Luzerne County Community College; Claire Butkovsky, pursuing an associate’s degree in business administration at McCann School of Business & Technology; and Celeste Samec, pursuing a Bachelor of Science in business administration at Penn State University.

Bank sponsors competition: First National Community Bank serves as a sponsor of the 2014 Ryan’s Run School Rules Competition. The campaign culminates on Nov. 2, when a team of 35 local runners, led by WNEP-TV’s Ryan Leckey, run the 2014 TCS New York City Marathon to raise funds and awareness for children and adults with disabilities and life-changing injuries at Allied Services. For more information on the campaign, visit alliedservices.org/ryansrun/#school or call Allied Services at 570-348-1407.

Advertising agency continues growth: Adams Outdoor Advertising of Northeast Pennsylvania expanded its services, completing a new digital bulletin on Route 940 in Mount Pocono. The east- and west-facing displays aim to add to a network of similar digital billboards throughout Monroe, Pike and Wayne counties.

Firms become finalists: Dellavalle Designs Inc. and Thomas J. McLane and Associates Inc. are among 10 finalists in the running to receive an EOS design award at the South X Southwest conference in Austin, Texas. The two firms jointly design eco-friendly bike parks and trails, and were selected for their work on the Williamsburg (Pop-Up) Bike Park, Brooklyn, N.Y. The park includes a bike shop, gathering space, multi-use trail, beginner and advanced pump tracks and skill stations.

Medical Center creates website: Pocono Medical Center, along with Innovative Educational Resources LLC, launched poconohealth.org, an online directory, in efforts to increase access to health-related news, preventative-care information and social interaction all relevant to Monroe County. The website requires a username and password for membership, which is free.

Bank makes donation: NBT Bank donated $10,000 to support the Canaan Christian Academy Scholarship Fund through the Educational Improvement Tax Credit initiative of Pennsylvania, which offers tax credits to businesses for contributions made to qualifying scholarship organizations.

Company gets acclaim: Storeroom Solutions Inc., an independent provider of MRO/indirect materials management services, earned recognition as one of the Best Places to Work in Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development and Team Pennsylvania Foundation, founding partners and lead sponsors of the program, released the annual list of the state’s top 100 companies. The numerical rankings of the selected companies will be revealed during an awards dinner Dec. 4 in Lancaster.

Bank makes donation: First National Bank donated $5,000 to Misericordia University through the Pennsylvania Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program to support programs in the Department of Speech-Language Pathology that help treat children with speech and language disorders.

Club has ribbon cutting: C & S Fitness Club commemorated progress in its efforts of transforming Moosic’s 729 Main St. and revitalizing the community with a ribbon cutting Thursday. C & S owners, Carl and Stacey Lutkowski, spearheaded the revitalization about a year ago.

Firm finishes building: Murphy & Dittenhafer Architects completed work on a new three-story building on Penn Avenue in Scranton. Commissioned by Catholic Social Services of the Diocese of Scranton and constructed on a site adjacent to the St. Francis Kitchen, St. Francis Commons serves as a housing facility used primarily by veterans discharged from the nearby VA hospital suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and in need of transitional housing. Construction on the $4.6 million, 24,000-square-foot building began in April 2013.

Hospital joins health system: Holy Spirit Hospital in Camp Hill became an affiliate of Geisinger Health System. The affiliation became official in October following final approval from the Pennsylvania Attorney General and Pennsylvania Department of Health. The organizations signed a letter of intent in September 2013 and a definitive agreement in June 2014.

Bank has fundraiser: First National Community Bank raised $1,090 for the Arc of Northeastern Pennsylvania with proceeds from a bank-wide “Jeans for a Cause” dress-down day. The fundraising effort encourages employees to make a small donation in exchange for the opportunity to wear jeans to work one Friday every month. The bank provides a corporate match of all donations collected.

Health club makes donation: The A. Hank Evanish Health Club, 321 Meridian Ave., Scranton, presented a check for $4,930 to Lackawanna College. The club raised the funds through a spaghetti dinner held at the Victor Alfieri Club, 206 N. Main Ave., Scranton, in September.

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

NEW YORK — Oh, right. Stability. That’s what bond mutual funds are for.

When stock markets tumbled around the world last week, bond funds remained solid once again. They continued to inch ahead, while stock indexes swung up and down by more than 1 percent for five straight days. So many investors poured money into bonds in search of safety that the yield on the 10-year Treasury note temporarily dropped below 2 percent for the first time in more than a year. Yields for bonds drop when demand increases and their prices rise.

It’s a reminder of the value of bonds in a diversified portfolio. But it’s also important for anyone moving into bonds to keep expectations in check following their decades-long run of strong returns. Yields are lower, risks are higher and it may be difficult for bonds to replicate the returns they’ve produced this year. Here’s a look at what to expect:

■ Bond funds may make money in the next year, but not much.

Many bond funds have returned about 5 percent this year. Managers call that a good year, even though it would rate as a ho-hum return for stocks.

The reason is that bonds don’t pay much interest. Many bond funds benchmark themselves against the Barclays U.S. Aggregate index, and it has a yield of 2.15 percent. That’s down from 2.50 percent at the start of the year, and it’s roughly half of what it was a decade ago.

Bond funds have benefited from a drop in interest rates this year. When that happens, it makes the yields of existing bonds more attractive and pushes up their value. So bond fund investors get returns both from payments made by the bonds and from rising prices for the funds.

Over the next 12 months, interest rates are unlikely to drop much further, says Roger Bayston, senior vice president of Franklin Templeton’s fixed-income group. That means returns for bond funds will come mostly from their interest payments. The 10-year Treasury note’s yield is below 2.3 percent, but riskier bonds from companies with poor credit ratings can offer yields of about 6 percent.

■ Bond funds are more stable than stocks, and will likely continue to be ...

An example of that stability is the last month. The average intermediate-term bond fund, which forms the core of most bond portfolios, has returned 1 percent. The largest category of stock mutual funds has lost 3.7 percent over the same time.

Bonds are promises by companies to repay loans with interest. As long as companies don’t default, bondholders will get their promised money. And default rates are low due to how much cash companies are holding, how quickly their earnings are growing and how low their interest payments are.

“If you have a five-year bond, five years from now, you will have cash whether you want it or not,” says Jeff Moore, co-manager of Fidelity’s $16.1 billion Total Bond fund. “If you own a stock, five years from now, you have the stock.”

In the last 30 years, the Barclays U.S. Aggregate index has had a loss just three times. The worst was a drop of 2.9 percent in 1994. Compare that with the Standard & Poor’s 500 index, which lost 37 percent in 2008.

Because losses for the bond market are milder than for stocks, it gives investors an opportunity to rebalance their portfolios during down markets, Mr. Moore says. “If the stock market is down 50 percent, and bonds are down 10 percent, that’s a home run for you” because investors can sell their more resilient bonds to raise cash in hopes of buying low on stocks.

■ ... but probably not as stable as they have been.

“Everything has been a winner the last two to three years,” says Gareth Isaac, a manager atop the Schroder Global Strategic Bond fund. Whether high quality or low, bonds have been rising as the Federal Reserve has kept the accelerator floored on stimulus for the economy.

But the central bank is expected to end its bond-buying program, which was purchasing as much as $85 billion monthly, this week. The economy has been improving, and economists expect the Fed to begin raising short-term interest rates late next year.

A rise in rates would mean newly issued bonds offer higher interest payments, but it would also knock down prices for existing bonds. That will mean more volatility in the bond market, with clear winners and losers emerging, Mr. Isaac says. It will mean the end for the everything’s-rising market.

The question is how high rates will go, and how quickly. If it’s a slow, steady rise, managers say the bond market can stay relatively stable. A quick surge in rates would do more damage.

ALL-TERRAIN VEHICLES

DETAILS: Model year 2008 and 2009 Arctic Cat single-rider and 2 UP style ATVs. They were sold at Arctic Cat dealers nationwide from May 2007 to October 2014. Specifically, all model year 2008 Arctic Cat ATVs with 400 cubic centimeter and larger engines are being recalled.

WHY: Components in the front gear case can fail, posing a risk of loss of control and crash hazard.

INCIDENTS: 44 reports of components in the front gear case failing, including 10 reports of the vehicle stopping abruptly or the operator losing of control of the ATV. Arctic Cat has received four reports of injury, including one incident involving a consumer sustaining broken ribs and injuries to a knee and a back.

HOW MANY: About 40,000.

FOR MORE: Call Arctic Cat at 800-279-6851 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday or visit www.arcticcat.com and click on Customer Care, then Product Recall and then List of Safety Bulletins for more information.

CARBONDALE — A Carbondale man was charged Friday with assault for choking his wife, police said.

Brad Sacknievich, 37, 45 Pearl St., second floor, was charged with simple assault, disorderly conduct and harassment. Mr. Sacknievich was visibly intoxicated, and four witnesses told police he choked his wife, Kerri Sacknievich.

She told police nothing happened, but her neck was red like she had been attacked. She cried when Officer Dominick Andidora told her she didn’t have to put up with the abuse. Bail and preliminary hearing information was not available Saturday.

— JOSEPH KOHUT

Marty Toth entered Taney’s Costume Shop in Scranton on Saturday not knowing which get-up he wanted.

But with one glance at the one-shoulder white sawtooth dress, mini boulder necklace and orange wig, Mr. Toth’s decision was yabba-dabba-done.

“I saw the Wilma Flintstone costume and it just hit me,” said Mr. Toth, a Scranton native who lives in Harrisburg. He was visiting Scranton and went to Taney’s for a costume to wear to an upcoming Halloween party in Harrisburg.

While Mr. Toth chose a decidedly Stone Age look, the most popular costume for more modern folks this Halloween is Elsa, the snow queen from the animated movie “Frozen,” said both Jim O’Hora, owner of Taney’s, and Stacey Frazetta, owner of Frazetta’s Costumes in East Stroudsburg.

“This year everybody was asking for Elsa. I’m already sold out,” Mr. O’Hora said. “They sold out the minute they came in.”

Ms. Frazetta said of the Elsa costume, “All the kids watch it (the movie) and they want to be it” for Halloween.

But when it comes to frightful fashion, “there are a lot of things that never go out of style — from witches to Frankenstein,” Mr. O’Hora said.

Zombiewear also remains popular, thanks to Hollywood B-movie flesh-eater flicks and television shows like “The Walking Dead,” they said.

“Zombies have always been pretty good for us,” Ms. Frazetta said.

Pat McCauley, Mr. O’Hora’s sister who helps out in Taney’s Costume Shop, agreed.

“Zombies have been going out the door,” she said.

Accessories also have been selling, such as makeup and prosthetics, and even faux scabs, they said. No self-respecting zombie would be caught dead without some scabs.

Frazetta’s is about 15 miles south of the manhunt zone in Monroe County’s Poconos, where police have been searching for Eric Matthew Frein, the suspect accused of shooting two troopers in Pike County. Frazetta’s has had inquiries about Frein masks, said Ms. Frazetta, noting that the store does not have any such items.

“Basically, people have joked about, ‘Do you have an Eric Frein mask,’ but they’re not looking to do it (dress as the suspect),” Ms. Frazetta said.

One Frazetta’s patron rented a Bigfoot costume as a spin on the elusive manhunt suspect, she said.

Ms. McCauley said Taney’s has received inquiries for camouflage costumes that apparently have been spurred by the manhunt, but the shop refers such requests to Army-Navy stores that specialize in camouflage clothing.

Contact the writer:

jlockwood@timesshamrock.com, @jlockwoodTT on Twitter

Ghouls, ghosts, specters and superheroes turned out by the dozens Saturday for the Dutch Hollow Neighborhood Association’s 16th annual Halloween parade in Scranton.

The event, held in the parking lot of the shopping center in the 900 block of South Washington Avenue, attracted some 200 people. It also included a costume contest with prizes such as gift certificates, bicycles, Nintendos and Wiis.

“It gives the kids a chance to come out safely for Halloween and it brings the community together,” said association President Bob Sheridan.

Costumes ran the gamut from creepy and spooky to cute and adorable.

In that latter category, Sebastian Hernandez, 11 months old, came dressed in an infant’s lion onesie costume and made for quite a cuddly cub.

“It’s his first Halloween,” said Sebastian’s mother, Belem Hernandez.

This year, the Dutch Hollow Neighborhood Association invited kids from Barrett Twp. in Monroe County, where Halloween trick-or-treating and a parade were canceled because of the manhunt for Eric Matthew Frein, the suspect in the Blooming Grove state police barracks shootings. It was not apparent whether anyone in the crowd Saturday in Scranton was a Barrett Twp. resident.

Next up for the Dutch Hollow group is planning for a neighborhood contingent to attend the annual Santa Parade in downtown Scranton, Mr. Sheridan said.

Contact the writer:

jlockwood@timesshamrock.com, @jlockwoodTT on Twitter

Eric Matthew Frein

Wanted by: FBI, Pennsylvania State Police.

Fugitive since:

Sept. 16.

Wanted for: First-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, homicide of a law enforcement officer, attempted homicide of a law enforcement officer, unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.

Description: White man, 31 years old, 6 feet 1 inch tall, 165 pounds, brown hair, blue eyes.

Contact: 800-4PA-TIPS.

Theodore Savage

Wanted by: Scranton office, state Board of Probation and Parole.

Fugitive since: Aug. 19.

Wanted for: Robbery, aggravated assault. Paroled Aug. 9, 2012.

Description: White man, 48 years old, 6 feet 3 inches tall, 175 pounds, brown hair, brown eyes.

Contact: Agent Michael Trently, 570-506-7972.

David Ugarte

Wanted by: Scranton office, state Board of Probation and Parole.

Fugitive since: March 18, 2013.

Wanted for: Possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance.

Description: Black man, 31 years old, 5 feet 7 inches tall, 180 pounds, brown hair, black eyes.

Contact: Agent Michael Trently, 570-506-7972.

Todd Featherstone

Wanted by: Scranton office, state Board of Probation and Parole.

Fugitive since: Feb. 12.

Wanted for: Possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance.

Description: Black man, 32 years old, 6 feet 3 inches tall, 230 pounds, black hair, brown eyes.

Contact: Agent Michael Trently, 570-506-7972.

Robert Wyche

Wanted by: Scranton office, state Board of Probation and Parole.

Fugitive since: July 28.

Wanted for: Conspiracy of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance. Paroled Aug. 9, 2012.

Description: Black man, 6 feet 5 inches tall, 215 pounds, black hair, brown eyes.

Contact: Agent Michael Trently, 570-506-7972.

The discovery of a man’s body found off a wooded trail in Hazle Twp. on Saturday morning does not appear suspicious, according to a Luzerne County

official.

Luzerne County Deputy Coroner Jeff Stock said the man was presumed deceased for “an extended period of time,” due to the state of decomposition.

The man has not yet been identified, but Mr. Stock said he was white, may have been middle-aged and appeared to be homeless. An autopsy isn’t scheduled.

State police at Hazleton are investigating.

Troopers were dispatched to the scene around 9 a.m. after the deceased man was spotted near a foot trail entrance at 24th and Vine streets. State police also said nothing suspicious was observed at the scene.

A man living near the trail head, who asked not to be identified, said he was walking in the woods when he made the discovery about 50 feet from the trail and then called Luzerne County 911 just before 9 a.m. to report it.

He said the trail sees a lot of foot traffic and was surprised the man wasn’t discovered sooner.

Contact the writer: achristman@standardspeaker.com

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

Jeter is a 5 month old, male, Lab/Pitbull mix. He likes cats, other dogs and kids and is energetic and friendly.
Contact the Griffin Pond Animal Shelter at 586-3700 if your pet is lost or goes astray. Staff Photo by Ted Baird
 

Spyro is a 6 month old male tiger cat. HE is very friendly and gets along well with other pets and kids.
Contact the Griffin Pond Animal Shelter at 586-3700 if your pet is lost or goes astray. Staff Photo by Ted Baird
 

Watch the latest "Pets of the Week" video HERE:

WILKES-BARRE — In 35 years with the state Department of Environmental Protection’s waste management division, William Tomayko has seen every kind of refuse heap.

Everything from illegal dumping grounds to highly engineered, permitted municipal solid waste landfills has crossed his desk.

“Every single landfill in Northeast Pennsylvania has had my fingers involved,” said Mr. Tomayko, 57.

Oct. 31 is his last day as manager. He’s able to collect his state employee pension and says he wants to leave the working world.

His retirement comes as the DEP considers a major expansion application by Keystone Sanitary Landfill in Dunmore and Throop, a decision he described as “a big deal for the department, but part of our routine work as well.”

“I don’t think I need to push myself with these complex decisions,” he said.

Between six and a dozen department employees in various programs are working on that review, he said.

He said he doesn’t plan to become a consultant for a landfill or take on other private sector work after retiring. “I think I want to get away from work culture and being on the clock,” he said.

Starting in the early 1980s, Mr. Tomayko’s career has paralleled the regulatory movement to halt illegal dumping and bring environmental science and engineering to the field of waste

management.

Fresh out of Penn State with an agronomy degree, Mr. Tomayko joined what was then the Department of Environmental Resources’ Wilkes-Barre office in 1980, the same year the Legislature passed the Solid Waste Management Act.

“They were hiring people so they could implement this permitting system for regulating landfills,” he said. “There were not regulations or standards at the time, so it was like the ground floor.”

A tiny staff of three — a manager, a geologist, and himself — were tasked with regulating the dozens of waste disposal sites throughout Northeast Pennsylvania.

At the time, almost every municipality had their own dump, he said, perhaps an old strip mine or stone quarry they would back a truck up and pile garbage in, often setting it on fire.

These sites came with no liners to protect groundwater, no gas management systems to protect the air or any other controls. They often wouldn’t even cover the garbage with dirt, he said.

“There was all kinds of rats and critters and smoke and odors,” he said. “There was a need for regulation.”

As a young man, growing up near Pittsburgh exposed Mr. Tomayko to environmental problems. His grandparents lived in Donora, south of Pittsburgh, famous for horrible air quality, including a wall of smog that killed 20 people and injured 6,000 in 1948, according to the Donora Smog Museum.

He remembers getting in trouble for skipping school on the first Earth Day.

“It was nothing about the environment, it was all about skipping school,” he said.

Conditions like the Pittsburgh area’s air quality eventually led to the passage of the major environmental laws of the 1970s, such as the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act and Endangered Species Act.

A lesser-known law, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976, required states to develop waste management protocols. It led to Pennsylvania’s solid waste act.

“I was thrown into court 24 years of age thinking, ‘Who am I to be in court as an expert witness for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania?” Mr. Tomayko said, recalling testifying about soil conditions in a case about the closure of a landfill in Hazleton built over a wetland. “It was a big deal but pretty scary at the time.”

Starting in 1980, the state took eight years to lay the groundwork for regulations requiring liners, odor control, gas systems, groundwater monitoring and all the other systems meant to protect the environment from harmful garbage. Mr. Tomayko spent much of his time not studying soils in a courtroom.

“The transition was, you had people that were in operation, making money, business. And they were being told they had to change and comply with new regulations or shut down,” he said. “It wasn’t a friendly process. Lots of litigation.”

Keystone Sanitary Landfill consultant Albert Magnotta crossed paths with Mr. Tomayko plenty of times when the landfill was forced to come into compliance with the new rules.

He described the state as inconsistent in how it dealt with landfills in the 1980s. “Back in those days, again, nothing was really in stone,” Mr. Magnotta said.

Mr. Tomayko is “very committed to strict interpretation of the of the rules,” Mr. Magnotta said. “On the other side of the coin, he’s somebody that you could communicate with.”

In 1987, Mr. Tomayko became supervisor in charge of writing permit conditions for landfills who wanted to stay in business. The new rules took effect in 1988.

He wrote the first permit for a new landfill under these new rules, he said, for what is now called Alliance Landfill in Taylor, then called Empire.

Around that time, the state shut down Keystone until it could prove it could comply with the new rules.

“It was not an easy transition for Keystone Landfill to come into compliance with the new regulations,” said Ed Shoener, 59, who served as DEP’s regional manager in Wilkes-Barre from 1987 to 1994 and now runs an environmental consulting firm based in Dickson City.

The steep up-front cost of installing liners, leachate collection and treatment pipes and plants, gas collection systems and groundwater monitoring wells put plenty of dumping grounds out of business, Mr. Shoener said.

“It used to be there were dozens and dozens and dozens,” he said. “But now there’s a small handful of highly regulated and technically advanced landfills.”

Keystone was eventually able to convince DEP it could handle the new regulations. It re-opened under modern rules in 1990, Mr. Magnotta said.

“Ultimately, (Mr. Tomayko) knew that something had to be done, and we got something done mostly on his terms,” Mr. Magnotta said. “But there were certain things that were in a grey area. He was always willing to take the time to listen to our side and give it thoughtful consideration.”

For the past 20 years, Mr. Tomayko has served as manager of the waste management division.

“I thoroughly enjoyed my career,” he said. “And I think that I couldn’t have asked for something better to do with my adult life than be involved with environmental matters, and I think solid waste matters are right at the top.”

He’s particularly proud of his work in recycling. All over Northeast Pennsylvania, he’s been involved with curbside collection and recycling at the municipal level.

“When I started, there was no recycling done at all in Pennsylvania,” he said. “That’s a big culture change,” he said.

Recycling is also essential to ending landfills as a profitable business, he said. If the public can find new, creative methods of conserving, recycling or converting waste to energy, it means less going into the ground forever.

“I think the industry will change when they see it’s not cost-effective to operate the landfill,” he said.

Mr. Tomayko’s annual salary is $101,829, according to PennWATCH. His replacement selection will follow the state’s civil service process, he said, meaning qualified applicants will submit bids to be interviewed.

Contact the writer:

bgibbons@timesshamrock.com, @bgibbonsTT on Twitter

JERMYN — Pioneers of bowling in Northeastern Pennsylvania and high scorers from the area were honored at the inaugural United States Bowling Congress Anthracite Valley Association Hall of Fame induction ceremony and dinner.

At St. Michael’s Center in Jermyn on Sunday the Meritorious Service awards were presented to the families of Joseph and John Minelli, deceased owners of Idle Hour Lanes, Scranton.

“Their goal and vision was to open the first modern bowling center in the area,” presenter Donna Shaw, president of the association, said.

Opened in 1957, the lanes are still family-owned and operated today.

Joseph’s son, Jack, thanked the association for honoring his father and uncle.

He said they enjoyed working together and the people they met along the way.

The family of the late Richard “Dick” Ghezzi also received the same award.

Mr. Ghezzi was the manager of Crown Bowling Lanes in Shamokin and Ridge Lanes in Mount Carmel before opening Valley Lanes in Carbondale Twp. in 1967. His daughter, Cathy McDonough, and husband, Pat, now run the bowling alley.

Both Dan Longstreet and Jermyn Mayor Bruce Smallacombe were awarded for superior performance.

Mr. Longstreet and Mr. Smallacombe bowl in various leagues in the valley and also hold high scores.

When Mr. Smallacombe was 9 or 10 years old, he started bowling. He quit in high school to focus on other sports and picked it back up in the early 1980s.

He said he was surprised when he found out he was being inducted.

“It’s quite an honor,” he said, adding that there are quite a few exceptional bowlers out there.

After accepting his award, Mr. Smallacombe said he’s won world, national and

state titles for softball, but joked he was being honored for socializing.

The five inductees and their families were also presented with tokens of appreciation and certificates from Susan Kresge, association manager for the state USBC WBA, and Hal Benner, third vice president for the state Bowling Association.

Ms. Shaw said the first- ever ceremony was held in Jermyn because the five men honored were all from the Lakeland area.

Contact the writer:

kbolus@timesshamrock.com, @kbolusTT on Twitter.

Firefighters worked to extinguish a fire in West Scranton on Sunday night. Three fire engines blocked Morris Court while firefighters tried to determine the cause of the smoke.

The department was called to the apartment house at 7:30 p.m. and worked on the back roof of 135 Morris Court while engines also blocked Washburn Street.

The cause of the fire was unclear Sunday night, said Acting Assistant Chief Joe Kaub. No one was injured.

Update:

Previous Report:

An explosion caused by residents cooking methamphetamine shook a Nanticoke apartment complex on Saturday, police said.

At approximately 8 p.m., the Nanticoke police and fire departments responded to a call at an apartment building on Lee Mine Street, where they discovered at least six apartments affected by the explosion.

The blast was so forceful that two doors within the apartment were blown off the hinges, police said.

Officials said there were at least four people in the apartment where the explosion occurred, and they all fled on foot. Police said the individuals remain at large.

A hazmat team was on the scene cleaning up the residual chemicals from the building and surrounding area until the early hours of the morning.

Travis Buchanan, president of the Nanticoke Crime Watch, explained how he believes measures could have been taken to avoid the meth lab explosion and how these measures should be taken seriously to prevent any future drug-related crime in the area.

“Together we are trying to combat it the best we can. But as a whole, something is failing,” Buchanan said. “There needs to be paperwork filed for occupancy permits and inspections when people move in and out of these apartments, because that’s not always happening.”

Buchanan said that around 1:30 p.m. Sunday there was no ongoing cleanup at the apartment building, but it had been shut down. The residents living in the apartments attached to the explosion site are currently not allowed in. No information has been released as to when these residents will be able to re-enter.

Agents from the Attorney General’s Office and Nanticoke City Police Department are continuing to investigate the meth lab explosion. Officials ask that anyone with information call Nanticoke police at 570-735-2200.

cjacobson@citizensvoice.com, 570-821-2061

WILKES-BARRE — Five years after being charged and three years spent in a medium security prison, disgraced former Luzerne County Judge Mark A. Ciavarella Jr. has been transferred to Oklahoma City Federal Transfer Center.

Mr. Ciavarella, 64, was sentenced to 28 years in prison for his involvement in the kids-for-cash scandal. Along with former judge Michael T. Conahan, he was charged with accepting $2.6 million in kickbacks for sending dozens of juveniles, many on minor crime charges, to two detention centers built by millionaire real estate developer Robert K. Mericle. Mr. Ciavarella was convicted in February 2011 on 12 of 39 counts, including racketeering and conspiracy.

Prior to the move, Mr. Ciavarella was jailed in the Pekin Federal Correctional Institution in Illinois. According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ website, Mr. Ciavarella’s scheduled released date is Dec. 30, 2035.

Attorney Al Flora Jr., Mr. Ciavarella’s defense lawyer throughout his court hearings and appeals, “did not have any information” regarding his client’s transfer.