SCRANTON — A city man was taken to Geisinger Community Medical Center on Friday after his mother drove a 2002 Nissan over his foot, Lt. Marty Crofton said.

Anthony Stefonetti, 29, approached his mother, Deborah Stefonetti, 52, at the driver’s side window during an argument. She backed up and drove away from their 936 N. Webster Ave. home at about 5:15 p.m., driving over his foot, Mr. Stefonetti and his father, Charles, told police.

It was unclear if she was aware she had run over her son’s foot, Lt. Crofton said. Police were planning to charge her with failure to give information or render aid, Lt. Crofton said.

— KYLE WIND

From a squatting position, Steve Marino rose to his feet and fully extended both arms to lift the 230-pound barbell straight over his head.

It wasn’t the Scranton police sergeant’s personal best — that would be 235 pounds — but the Herculean feat was good for a first-place finish in the Olympic-style weight-lifting event at the 2015 Reebok CrossFit Games.

To prepare for the competition, the 57-year-old Scranton resident trained at CrossFit Vertex in Dickson City. Crossfit is a strength and conditioning program that uses a combination of high- intensity aerobics, weight lifting and calisthenics.

Sgt. Marino finished in second place overall for his 55-59 age group at this week’s international competition in Carson, California, while law enforcement colleagues and fellow CrossFit Vertex members cheered on the silver-medal winner from afar.

For many officers, watching Sgt. Marino compete on ESPN3 helped provide a needed diversion from their sadness about Patrolman John Wilding, who died in the line of duty on July 12 from injuries he suffered while helping apprehend three armed robbery suspects.

“It was a little bit of a bright spot in an otherwise hard couple of weeks,” Police Chief Carl Graziano said.

Winning the silver medal wasn’t easy, and to get there, the special operations group commander had to bounce back from a 12th-place finish in his first event — a grueling repetition of gymnastics moves, weight lifting and 50-meter sprints.

“The competitions are so varied that it’s hard to be the best at everything,” said Sgt. Marino. “You’re talking about older athletes. Things don’t work as well as they used to. But you try to be the best everything. That’s what CrossFit is all about.”

Starting in December, his combined workday and CrossFit training routine often lasted from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m.

His trainer Kaleena Rosado recalled his rigorous training schedule and commitment to overcoming some range-of-motion struggles that would have cost him in the competition.

“In my heart, I knew he was going to be on that podium,” Ms. Rosado said. “That’s the amount of heart that he had and the amount of work he put in.”

Contact the writer:

kwind@timesshamrock.com,

@kwindTT on Twitter

The mother of murder victim Frank Bonacci has signaled her intent to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the two men convicted of killing her son and one killer’s father.

Robin Bonacci filed a notice of intent to sue convicted murderers Jason Dominick and Neil Pal and Mr. Pal’s father, Kushal Pal, in Lackawanna County Court.

The notice, known as a praecipe for writ of summons, does not provide any more detail of why Ms. Bonacci thinks she is entitled to damages from the men, but her lawyer, attorney Todd J. O’Malley, said Friday he would file a detailed suit in a week to 10 days.

Mr. Bonacci, 24, of Dunmore, was found shot in the back of his head July 27, 2013, in a sport utility vehicle on a ledge overlooking Roaring Brook in Scranton, near the University of Scranton.

The circumstances surrounding why Neil Pal and Jason Dominick are named in the suit are well-established, Mr. O’Malley said.

Neil Pal, 25, was convicted of first-degree murder as an accomplice and conspiracy in June 2014, and sentenced to life in prison on the murder count and 20 to 40 years for conspiracy. Mr. Pal is serving his sentence at the state prison in Greene County.

Mr. Dominick, 25, who pulled the trigger of the gun that killed Mr. Bonacci, was convicted of third-degree murder and conspiracy in May 2014. He was sentenced to 40 to 80 years in prison. Mr. Dominick is serving his sentence at the state prison in Fayette County in western Pennsylvania.

Kushal Pal was never charged in the death, and the circumstances of why he will be named a defendant in the suit are unknown.

Mr. O’Malley said the suit will allege Kushal Pal knew or should have known his son ran a criminal enterprise, La Familia, from their Linden Street home in Scranton. He declined to provide further details.

Efforts to reach Kushal Pal were unsuccessful.

La Familia was a gang-like group that prosecutors said Mr. Pal led, Mr. Dominick helped found and that engaged in physical attacks against people who crossed them, according to Lackawanna County prosecutors. Prosecutors tried unsuccessfully to introduce its existence at the trials of Mr. Dominick and Mr. Pal, but a judge ruled it inadmissible.

Contact the writer: bkrawczeniuk@timesshamrock.com

SCRANTON — A city man reported Thursday that a $400 television was stolen from his home that afternoon, police said.

Gavin McCall had been away from his home in the 1000 block of Cedar Avenue between 1 and 6 p.m., Lt. Glenn Thomas said.

He discovered the television missing when he returned. Police responded to the home about 8:35 p.m.

The thief may have broken in through a window, Lt. Thomas said.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 570-348-4139.

— JOSEPH KOHUT

A Moosic financial adviser who pleaded guilty to stealing nearly $2 million from 26 clients contends they are not victims because they were reimbursed for their losses by the firm he represented.

Therefore, Jason Muskey argues in court documents, the firm, Ameritas Investment Corp., is the only victim — a key issue that could impact his sentence.

The argument is among several Mr. Muskey’s attorney raises in a sentencing memorandum that seeks to reduce the number of years in prison he faces.

In a reply brief, Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Olshefski opposed any reductions to his sentence on several grounds, including that his conduct was particularly egregious because he preyed upon vulnerable victims.

Mr. Muskey, former owner of Muskey Financial Services, admitted he stole from clients, including his mother, other relatives and friends, by forging their signatures on checks. He also had clients sign withdrawal slips on the premise he was re-investing their money, but instead he kept it for himself. He pleaded guilty on Feb. 17 to mail fraud, money laundering and aggravated identity theft.

Prosecutors say Mr. Muskey used the money to fund a lavish lifestyle, which included the purchase of vehicles, vacations and a share of the Northeast Pennsylvania Miners, a now-defunct semi-professional football team. The thefts, which began in 2007, were not discovered until 2014.

In federal cases, defendants’ sentences are impacted by various “enhancements” prosecutors can seek that carry additional prison time. In Mr. Muskey’s case, prosecutors contend his conduct qualifies for five different enhancements that, if taken together, could add as much as 51 to 63 months to his prison sentence, according to sentencing guidelines.

One of the enhancements adds additional time if there are more than 10 victims. Ms. Olshefski maintains that enhancement applies. Mr. Muskey contends there was only one victim, Ameritas.

Ms. Olshefski acknowledges Ameritas reimbursed some victims, but not all. She argues Mr. Muskey’s clients still must be considered victims, however, because many suffered other financial losses prior to his arrest as they fought to get their money back.

Another key area of dispute focuses on whether Mr. Muskey should get a sentence reduction for voluntarily reporting his crimes to authorities prior to his arrest.

Ms. Olshefski contends that reduction applies only to defendants whose crimes otherwise would have gone undetected had they not come forward. In Mr. Muskey’s case, he was on the verge of being exposed as many of his clients had become suspicious of his activity.

“The defendant ... is now asking the court for a departure based upon what he has characterized as disclosure of an ‘otherwise undetectable crime.’ In fact, the defendant merely bailed from a sinking ship,” Ms. Olshefski said. “When he could no longer continue the facade because he had robbed Peter one too many times to pay Paul, he waved the white flag.”

U.S. District Judge Malachy Mannion will take the arguments under advisement at Mr. Muskey’s sentencing, which has not been set.

Contact the writer: tbesecker@timesshamrock.com

Construction of a new Rockwell Avenue bridge in North Scranton now likely will not be finished until late 2016, a full year later than originally planned, because contaminated soil found at the site has caused delays and complications, a city councilman said.

That would put the length of time of Rockwell Avenue’s closure to traffic over Leggetts Creek around 4½ years.

The crumbling 1905 stone arch bridge over Leggetts Creek near West Market Street was closed on April 25, 2012, because blocks falling out of a headwall and cracks in support columns indicated a total failure. The city had long considered the span dilapidated and in need of major repairs or replacement, but funding had always been an issue.

A replacement project that finally began Sept. 2 was supposed to take some 13 months to complete, with a new bridge done by Oct. 14. But the state Department of Transportation suspended work in March when contaminated soil was found during excavation for bridge footings.

The project has since remained on hold, as PennDOT is redesigning footings to avoid excavation of contaminated soil, spokesman James May said.

PennDOT officials updating city officials on Thursday about the project status said work may resume by mid-September but would have to stop again during the latter three months of the year for trout spawning in Leggetts Creek, Councilman Bill Gaughan said Thursday during council’s weekly meeting. Work in the creek also had to stop last year during the fourth quarter so trout spawning was not disturbed.

As a result of delays, the bridge project now likely won’t be completed until late 2016, said Mr. Gaughan, who was one of the city officials updated by PennDOT.

After construction of the initial $1.3 million bridge project kicked off Sept. 2, workers a few months later installed a temporary pedestrian bridge across Leggetts Creek at the Rockwell Avenue site.

However, in March, contractors pumping groundwater into Leggetts Creek to dry out the soil for footings stopped when they noticed an oily sheen and black sooty material coming from the 4-foot-deep hole, officials had said. At that time, PennDOT suspended work there.

PennDOT plans to redesign only the footers for a new span, but not the entire new bridge, Mr. May said. That is because a prefabricated bridge already has been constructed off-site and is in a warehouse, he said.

“By redesigning the footers, we are hoping to reuse the same (prefabricated) bridge but not allow the water to come in contact with the contaminated soil,” Mr. May said.

How much the project cost would rise from delay and additional work is not yet known, he said.

Contact the writer:

jlockwood@timesshamrock.com, @jlockwoodTT on Twitter

Dunmore

Run/fun walk: Ss. Anthony and Rocco Parish Bunker Haul, 5K run/fun walk with festival, Aug. 8, 9 a.m., Luke and Kurtz streets, Dunmore, $20/adults, $10/12 and under, $25/race day; 570-344-1209 or runsign

up.com/bunkerhillhaul; shirt/bib pick-up, Aug. 7, 5-7 p.m., St. Rocco’s Church grounds, Kurtz Street or beginning 8 a.m. on race day.

East Scranton

Bus trip: 800 Club of ICC bus trip to Sands Casino, Wednesday, leaves Monroe Avenue parking lot (across from Dunmore Senior Center), 9:30 a.m., casino, 5 p.m.; $25/rebate: $20 free play/$5 food, must be 21; Carmella: 570-347-2404.

Factoryville

Sportsmen meet: Factoryville Sportsmen’s Club meeting, Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.; attendance at nine meetings during fiscal year required to seek office.

Hamlin

Car cruise: Ronald McDonald House car cruise, Aug. 14, 6 p.m., McDonald’s, Route 590; music, trophies, giveaways.

Hill Section

Neighbors meet: Hill Neighborhood Association meeting, Wednesday, 6:30 p.m., Immaculate Conception Church, guest speaker: Tony Santoli, city forester.

Hollisterville

Church events: Gospel Music/Messages with Hinkle Family, Aug. 9, worship, 10 a.m., covered dish, 11:30, First Baptist Church of Hollisterville, 23 Pond Road, outdoor concert at NAPA/Locklins in Hamlin, 4-7 p.m., free hot dog supper/children’s activities; nightly services, Aug. 10-12, 7 p.m., church.

Keyser Valley

Seniors meet: Keyser Valley Seniors meet Monday, 1 p.m., Keyser Valley Community Center; planning for summer picnic; games, refreshments follow.

Lackawanna County

Community event: Lackawanna County’s third Fit-N-Fun program of the summer, today, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Aylesworth Park, Archbald; age-appropriate activities, health information, refreshments, free blood pressure screenings, exercise activities.

Ribbon cutting: Lackawanna Heritage Valley ribbon cutting opening of Nay Aug Avenue Natural Park, Monday, 10 a.m., parking in adjacent lot; April Rogato, 570-963-6730, ext. 8200 or arogato@LHVA.org.

Off-site tour: University of Scranton/Greenspace Properties, Hildebrandt Learning Centers, Bright Horizons Family Solution, “off-site tour” of facility opening in August at former Madison school, Monday, 4-7 p.m., fourth floor, DeNaples Center, university; meeting with director, teachers, curriculum team, tour exhibits, information on curriculum, policies, available openings, registration; free, reservations requested; eerrico@hildebrandtlc.com or 800-874-3461.

North Pocono

Class reunion: North Pocono High School class of 1975 40th reunion, Aug. 15, 11 a.m.-6:30 p.m., Van Fleet’s Grove, $40, includes lunch, dinner, dessert, soda, beer, BYOB; Diana Kilmer, 570-842-9998.

Regional

Connectors meet: Patriot Connectors meeting, Aug. 13, social hour, 6:30 p.m., meeting, 7, Wallenpaupack High School Library; Bob Beierle, editor of “Our Town” magazine, speaking; free.

South Scranton

Mega reunion: South Catholic/St. Mary’s mega reunion for classes 1959-1969 (others welcome), Sept. 26, 6-11 p.m., Genetti Manor, 1505 Main Ave., Dickson City; $50, hors d’oeuvres, buffet dinner, band and DJ, cash bar available, credit cards accepted, checks payable to 60s Mega Reunion/account number 9145467833, to attention of Jessica or Elena, Wells Fargo Bank, 330 Meadow Ave., Scranton, PA 18505; send email addresses to stmarys

southcatholic60smegareunion.com, see site for details.

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

MARRIAGE LICENSES

Emmanuel Lucero and Amber Geniese Rosario, both of Scranton.

Tiffany Mazur and Joshua Mihalich, both of Olyphant.

John Drutherosky Jr. and Eleanor Britten, both of Eynon.

Thomas Peter Gallinot and Misty Dawn Phillips, both of Waymart.

David F. Kaminski, Pittston, and Ashley N. Occhipinti, Covington Twp.

Edward Charles Noldy, Archbald, and Christine Marie Paciotti, Jessup.

Jesse Kasper and Brionna Marie Chesik, both of Scranton.

Kaitlyn Marie O’Connor, Scranton, and George Alexander Karzenoski, Duryea.

PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS

Kandy M. and Peter C. Mills Sr. to Timothy R. and Charity R. Corey; a property at 1355 Layton Road, Scott Twp., for $175,000.

Judy K. Osnick, executrix of the estate of George E. Osnick, Scott Twp., and Judy K. Osnick, trustee of the George E. Osnick Trust, to Thomas and Margareta Lila Dobishinsky, Roaring Brook Twp.; a property in Scott Twp., for $125,000.

Loris F. and Judith A. Lepri to Andrew and Lindsey L. Billen; a property at 51 White Birch Lane, Glenburn Twp., for $225,000.

Kevin and Maureen Powell to Edward and Jennifer Cugini; a property at 95 W. Creek View Drive, Clifton Twp., for $102,000.

Thomas J. and Timothy R. Ward, Dunmore, to Landmark Alliance Inc., Waverly Twp.; a property at 623 Throop St., Dunmore, for $60,000.

John K. Beahan, Carbondale, to Harry and Kathleen Zinskie, Olyphant; a property at 1183 Heart Lake Road, Scott Twp., for $43,000.

Madelyn Voytek, executrix of the estate of Thomas F. Voytek Jr., to William J. III and Laura A. O’Malley, Clarks Summit; a property at 623 E. Warren St., Dunmore, for $223,000.

Boston Land Company Inc., South Abington Twp., to Eugene T. and Donna J. McNamara, South Abington Twp.; a property at Country Club Road, South Abington Twp., for $248,000.

ESTATES FILED

Carl J. Tomaine, 341 Washington Ave., Jermyn, letters of administration to Robert Tomaine, same address.

Jean P. Forsman, 950 Morgan Highway, Clarks Summit, letters testamentary to Rebekah W. Flanagan, 901 Clearview Road, Moscow.

DIVORCES SOUGHT

Patricia Ellen Johnson, Madison Twp., v. James Merle Johnson Sr., Dickson City; married Aug. 10, 1980, in Multnohma County, Ore.; Frank J. Ruggiero, attorney.

Maria Ocana, Scranton, v. Celso A. Ocana, Scranton; married Jan. 25, 2002; Marjorie DeSanto Barlow, attorney.

David A. Bird, Moosic, v. Heather M. Bird, Moosic; married March 16, 2001; Marjorie DeSanto Barlow, attorney.

Cheryl A. Nichols, Archbald, v. James E. Nichols, Archbald; married June 7, 1986, in Lackawanna County; Paul Sotak, attorney.

BENCH WARRANTS

The following warrants have been issued by Judge Saxton for failure to appear for child support contempt hearings:

Roberto Curet, 1375 Walnut St., Carbondale; $587.67.

Joseph J. Cutro, 1143 Luzerne St. rear, Scranton; $1,391.82.

Brian M. Gingerlowski, 244 Upper Swiftwater Road, Apt. 1, Cresco; $2,191.82.

Michael Harvey Sr., 309 S. Valley Ave., Olyphant; $7,380.22.

Anyone with any information on the above is asked to call the child support hotline at 570-963-6721, ext. 8160.

ONLINE: thetimes-tribune.com/courts

DALLAS — The Stroudsburg nursing student suing Misericordia University for discrimination after twice failing a required course on Friday dropped the allegations against individual school officials as well as a bid for punitive damages.

But Jennifer Burbella is continuing her lawsuit against the university, which she alleges violated the Federal Rehabilitation Act by failing to accommodate her anxiety and depression.

The move to drop Misericordia President Thomas J. Botzman, nursing department chairwoman Cynthia Mailloux and nursing professor Christina Tomkins from the lawsuit and to withdraw counts two and three, which sought damages and punitive damages, comes after the university sought to have much of the lawsuit dismissed.

Ms. Burbella twice failed to pass a required course, and alleges she was treated differently from another disabled student who received special accommodations during the exam. The university, she alleges, didn’t do enough to help her succeed.

Misericordia officials say they “vehemently dispute” those allegations.

Important information about your community at your fingertips . . . in any format you prefer!

We’ve all struggled to find out how to contact our municipal mangers; when to attend that important meeting; or where to go to obtain a permit or a license. You can thumb through the Yellow Pages with their small print and bewildering categories, or you can search the Internet — a fruitless effort unless you know just how to word your search. Or you can reach for the Times-Tribune’s Community Guide.

The Community Guide is organized in a way that will make searching easy. You’ll find all of your municipal information in a single listing. Moreover, art, entertainment and dining are grouped together, just as you would hope when planning a night out and searching for a theater and a restaurant to meet your expectations.

All of this comes in an easy-to-read guide with color-coded categories. Just follow the Table of Contents below to find everything you are looking for. If you prefer your information digitally, just go to thetimes-tribune.com/communityguide and get your digital copy of the Community Guide.

We hope you’ll find the Guide useful and keep it handy whenever you need quick information.

Note: Changes, additions and corrections should be addressed to Nicole Mirailh, nmirailh@timesshamrock.com. Government information is subject to change following elections.

Assembly lines are rolling as crews begin to replace 21 Northeast Pennsylvania bridges this summer under a unique new state Department of Transportation program to fast-track upgrades to its deteriorating bridge network.

The Rapid Bridge Replacement Project, a public-private partnership between PennDOT and Pittsburgh-based Plenary Walsh Keystone Partners, calls for replacing 558 aging bridges throughout the state, including 46 in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming counties.

Map: Rapid Bridge Repair Project

The $899 million project uses a single design that can be adapted to similar bridges and relies heavily on mass-producing many major bridge components to maximize speed and create an economy of scale from bundling, said Dan Galvin, a spokesman for Plenary Walsh.

During the Rapid Bridge Replacement Project, the consortium of private businesses will finance, design, replace and maintain the bridges for 25 years while PennDOT gradually compensates Plenary Walsh.

PennDOT’s goal is to speed up the Commonwealth’s efforts to fix its nearly 4,000 aging bridges. Statewide, crews will replace the 558 fast-tracked bridges between now and November 2017.

Some of the projects have already started in Northeast Pennsylvania, like in Buckingham Twp., Wayne County — where crews tore down the 81-year-old bridge carrying Starlight Lake Road over Shehawken Creek.

The rural bridge was small — just 32 feet long. It was traveled sparsely, by just 225 vehicles a day on average. And, it was old and structurally deficient — PennDOT terminology to describe bridges with significant deterioration to one or more of its major components. While the bridge was still standing, inspectors rated it 48 on a scale to 100, and restricted the weight of vehicles driving over it. Lower ratings mean poorer conditions.

All of those factors make it a prime pick for the rapid replacement project.

“The bigger a bridge is, the longer it takes to rebuild it,” said Dan Galvin, a spokesman for Plenary Walsh. “When most bridges are similar-sized, it’s a lot easier to mass-produce the materials to replace them.”

Planners also targeted bridges with minimal right-of-way issues and little potential for environmental concerns that could bog down a project, said Erin Waters-Trasatt, PennDOT’s deputy press secretary.

Among the 558 bridges to be replaced under the project:

• 411 are single-span bridges, 27 are multi-span and 120 are culverts.

• 496 are less than 100 feet long; 62 are longer than 100 feet.

• After reconstruction, the average length of the bridges will be 60 feet.

Most of the bridges being replaced were built in the 1920s to 1940s, although the oldest bridge — in Montgomery County — was built in 1880, Mr. Galvin said.

Northeast Pennsylvania’s share of bridge replacements fit the broader trend, with most projects concentrated in less-heavily-traveled rural areas.

The more urban Lackawanna and Luzerne counties, with a combined population of more than 535,000, account for just three of 46 bridge replacements.

The Lackawanna County bridge carries Edella Road over Interstate 81 in South Abington Twp. Its replacement is scheduled to run from March-August 2016.

In Luzerne County, one bridge carries state Route 115 over Shades Creek in Bear Creek Twp. The other runs over Interstate 80 in Butler Twp.

Meanwhile, Susquehanna, Wayne, Wyoming, Pike and Monroe counties, with a combined 351,000 residents, have 43 bridges on the fast-track list.

PennDOT’s normal process for prioritizing road and bridge projects typically takes average daily traffic into account, and many of the bridges would have waited more than a decade without the rapid replacement project.

“Most of them, we wouldn’t have gotten to for 10 for 15 years through our normal process,” Ms. Waters-Trasatt said.

Even though fewer motorists travel over them, the bridges are just as important to those who live there and the local economy, Mr. Galvin said. Bridges with weight restrictions can complicate emergency response efforts if, for example, a fire truck is heavier than the weight limit, he said.

Unique program

Other states, like Virginia and Missouri, have tried large-scale public-private partnerships for transportation infrastructure repairs or replacements, but Pennsylvania’s fledgling program is unique.

“The best we can tell, no one has done this quite to this level in the United States,” Mr. Galvin said.

Virginia, which started its program in 1995, uses it for large-scale projects like the $1.4 billion construction of express lanes on the Capital Beltway between July 2008 and November 2012. Private companies often collect money from tolls after the project is over, while PennDOT is paying contractors directly over time.

While the beltway project is among the success stories Virginia officials highlight, Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe announced earlier this month his administration reached a settlement with contractors to close the book on a U.S. Route 460 project that was canceled amid environmental complications.

The deal returned $46 million in already-spent funds to the state and canceled an additional $103 million claim the company filed under the contract for the project designed to improve safety and efficiency of the highway in Southeast Virginia.

The Virginia governor announced the deal at a ceremonial bill signing for a law designed to improve the state’s public-private partnership program by better screening potential projects before approval and transferring risk from the taxpayers to private companies.

Farther west, Missouri officials initially proposed an initiative to overhaul bridges all over the state, much like Pennsylvania’s project, but had to change the details significantly when credit markets melted down in 2008.

Despite the setback, contractors still replaced 554 bridges and rehabilitated another 248 under the $685 million “Safe and Sound” program that ran from 2009 to 2012, said Robert Brendel, a Missouri Department of Transportation spokesman.

Missouri also targeted smaller bridges and focused on standardized designs with prefabricated parts, he said. Throughout the project, the average bridge closure lasted about 42 days, half of the usual closure period.

Mr. Brendel described Missouri’s initiative as a successful model for other states. However, Missouri’s list of structurally-deficient bridges continues to grow annually.

“We had a huge inventory of deficient bridges and were struggling to get ahead of the curve,” Mr. Brendel said. “Now with a few years past, we’re about back where we were.”

Pennsylvania planners can relate to the problem.

No matter how many bridges PennDOT fixes, about 250 more become structurally deficient each year, Ms. Waters-Trasatt said.

Just to reach the national average number of structurally-deficient bridges — about 2,700 — Pennsylvania would have to repair or replace around 400 bridges a year for around a decade, she said.

Regardless of how many bridges Pennsylvania’s $2.3 billion transportation funding package will fix over the next decade, the Rapid Bridge Replacement Program will help clear the backlog by 558 and take care of bridges like the one in Buckingham Twp. that would have languished.

“I can’t predict the timeline, but it certainly would have been a longer time period,” said Craig Rickard, director of the Wayne County Department of Planning. “There is only so much money to go around.”

Contact the writer: kwind@timesshamrock.com, @kwindTT on Twitter

The Children’s Mass at the Basilica of the Shrine of St. Ann drew more than 1,000, mostly young families, filling two tents and the lawns at the West Scranton monastery Saturday morning.

The unconventional outdoor Mass is geared toward children, the altar adorned with mylar balloons, and young people doing the readings.

The celebrant, the Rev. Paul R. Fagan, C.P., of New York City, who blogs at www.preacherman.org, called a group of children to chairs in front of the altar, assigned them names of Jesus’ apostles and disciples, then delivered the Gospel colloquially, in everyday language, rather than as a reading.

Recounting Jesus’ conference with his close followers before delivering his Sermon on the Mount, the Rev. Fagan cast it as a pep talk designed to empower the apostles to carry on after his death. The Rev. Fagan described the importance of the enduring phrases “salt of the earth” and “light under a basket.”

“You may think you are ordinary,” he told the children. “Jesus selected them and selects you, to be special and important to the world, to add something special to life each day.”

Among the attendees was Phyllis Jones, who brought her granddaughters, Alivia Jones, 4, and Madilyn Richardson, 7 — who wouldn’t be there, she said, were it not for St. Ann. She first attended the novena several years ago at the insistence of her mother-in-law, at a time when she was having trouble conceiving. She gave birth to her son soon after.

“She answered my prayers,” Mrs. Jones said.

Madilyn said she enjoys the Mass because it is different from a typical Mass in that it’s outside and children receive a small gift.

Clear and sunny with low humidity, the weather Saturday was typical of this novena week, helping in the event’s goal of creating an environment that is tranquil, sacred and comfortable, said Mary Louise Nape of Taylor, a Passionist Associate.

The novena continues today with daily Mass at 7 a.m., 8 a.m. and 11:45 a.m., ending with a solemn closing at 7:30 p.m.

Contact the writer:

dfalchek@timesshamrock.com

Merger news sinks Cigna Corp. shares

News of a proposed merger drove shares of Cigna Corp. down 5 percent last week to a Friday close of $145.72 per share.

The Indianapolis-based Anthem Inc. will pay $188 per share for Cigna stock, in both cash and Anthem stock, based on Anthem’s May 31 closing price.

The $48.4 billion deal will unite the second- and fifth-largest health insurance companies, with a massive footprint that would reshape the insurance landscape.

The deal follows last month’s announcement of a merger of Aetna Inc. and Humana Inc.

Some observers say the companies should brace for a close regulatory review, and the market expressed doubts that the big deals would be completed.

Anthem and Cigna had been discussing a merger for about a year in an often contentious back-and-forth.

Cigna operates a claims processing center employing about 800 people in Scranton and Moosic.

— DAVID FALCHEK

It didn’t take long for a dozen blank canvases to transform into a series of sunsets.

Side by side, Scranton resident Mandy Pasko and her 16-year-old daughter, Corin, intently painted a descending sun reflecting off the ocean, reproducing their own version of a sample dusk scene in a little more than an hour with guidance from Spirited Art teachers.

The mother-daughter team was part of a free 12-person art lesson the Dickson City studio provided during Saturday’s Arts on the Square festivities at Lackawanna County Courthouse Square in Scranton. Area residents showcased their creativity in a variety of ways, from visual arts to yarn-bombing to music.

The Paskos had little to no painting experience and were surprised by what they accomplished with a little direction.

“It was very easy,” Ms. Pasko said. “I thought it would turn out a lot worse, or be a lot harder.”

The pair painted two canvases into a single painting that connected in the middle, with each side sharing half of the sun with patches of dark clouds overhead. Theirs was one of many interpretations of the same image.

Emily Gasper, a 10-year-old Scranton resident, normally draws cats on her computer when she is feeling artistic, but, alongside her grandmother Regina, instead painted a scene inspired in part by the sample image Spirited Art provided and in part by her family’s trip to Cancun last summer.

“There was a beautiful sunset, and there were birds next to the sunset,” Emily explained of her variations.

Instructor Katharine Schkloven enjoyed seeing people’s ideas in action.

“Everybody’s personality kind of comes out in what they do. I love it,” Ms. Schkloven said. “The colors, the placement, the shape. It can all be different from person to person. ... Sometimes I like people’s changes better than the original one.”

Also on the Adams Avenue side of the square, Scranton artist Evan Hughes painted an abstract design inspired by the work of Henri Matisse as passers-by watched him create an image that juxtaposed bright colors and organic shapes.

As he worked, the professional artist was raffling off the painting, with proceeds benefiting the Patrolman John Wilding memorial fund. The Scranton police officer died in the line of duty on July 12.

“It’s fun to paint outside and be part of the scene going on here,” Mr. Hughes said. “Typically, I’m alone while I work in the studio. It’s just nice to be amongst the people and making a display of it — taking what I normally do in private and making it a public thing.”

All over Courthouse Square, others expressed themselves in their own ways, whether it was local vendors selling paintings or crocheted clothing, or people drawing images of dragons, eagles and cartoon characters on the sidewalk with chalk provided by the Pop Up Studio.

Pop Up Studio also encouraged a multi-person drawing game called “exquisite corpse” during which participants drew different parts of a figure without seeing what other people contributed. One finished product was a man wearing an old-style diving helmet. He ended up with a mermaid tail.

While her 21-year-old sister, Aurora, watched, 12-year-old Scranton resident Lorelei Kelly contributed legs and feet to an unknown body and head. Below the waist, at least, the figure wore a floral dress and purple boots.

“It was a great turnout,” said Mike Muller of Pop Up Studio. “I think people are excited to not only see the art but to be part of it. I think there are a lot more adults participating this year than in the past.”

Contact the writer:

kwind@timesshamrock.com,

@kwindTT on Twitter

Thursday: Dale Carnegie course, Skills for Success, eight-week program starting July 30, Courtyard Marriott, 16 Glenmaura National Blvd., Moosic. To enroll or for more information, call Rich Scott at 570-510-6980 or email rich_scott@dalecarnegie.com.

 Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations Standards for Excellence 2.0 Rollout Program, Geisinger Precision Health Center, 190 Welles St., No. 122, Forty Fort. There is no cost to attend. The learning event with have presentations on the new code and an extended presentation covering one of the new components of the code: “Strategic Partnerships.” There will be time for group interaction and networking. To register, visit PANO’s website at www.pano.org/Standards-For-Excellence.

Friday: The registration deadline is Friday for the Grey Towers National Historic Site tour, presentation and hike, which is scheduled for Aug. 12 at 8:30 a.m. The event is free to educators of all grade levels and subjects. Visit www.eventbrite.com and search for “Grey Towers 101” to register. Email questions to

educator@lacawac.org.

Aug. 4: Penn State Wilkes-Barre Continuing Education sixth Women in the Sciences and Engineering program, Aug. 4 to 6, Penn State Wilkes-Barre campus, no cost, first come, first-served basis. Students should request a teacher’s recommendation for entry into the program. Timothy Sichler, a Penn State instructor of engineering, will teach the three-day camp on Building Your Own mBot. For more information or to register, call continuing education at 570-675-9253, email wbce@outreach.psu.edu or visit www.wb.psu.edu/ce/youth.htm.

Aug. 6: Penn State Wilkes-Barre Continuing Education Computational Methods in Stormwater Management course, Aug. 6-7, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Full registration costs $1,049. The course targets stormwater facility designers with previous exposure to urban runoff calculations involving Natural Resources Conservation Service (Soil Conservation Service) methods, reservoir routing principles and rational methodologies. For more information, visit www.wb.psu.edu/ce/stormwater or contact Penn State Wilkes-Barre Continuing Education at 570-675-9253 or wbce@outreach.psu.edu.

Aug. 11: Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber Professional Development Luncheon, “Using Your Network to Build a Successful Career,” presented by Chamber Board Chair Elizabeth Graham, chief operating officer of Riggs Asset Management, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Westmoreland Club, Wilkes-Barre. For more information, email events@wilkes-barre.org or call 570-823-2101.

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

At 8 a.m. the day after New Jersey’s first deadly bear attack since the 1850s, forensic scientist Nicole Chinnici’s phone rang.

New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection wildlife officials already had arranged a necropsy of the bear that killed a 22-year-old Rutgers University student Sept. 21, near West Milford. Authorities killed what they believed was the black bear that attacked the man, but they needed help from the lab to be sure.

Samples from the bear went to Ms. Chinnici, who works at East Stroudsburg University’s Northeast Wildlife DNA Laboratory. The lab uses genetics to assist state wildlife agencies with investigations and research.

Last September’s incident led Ms. Chinnici to develop a plan for collecting evidence in the field after wildlife attacks.

“It explains to wildlife officials and conservation officers what to do in case of an attack — how to take samples, what to look for, what kind of samples to take,” she said.

After presenting her methods at a wildlife conference in April, other states are adopting her techniques, she said. They were recently put to the test after a bear attack in Tennessee this summer.

Deadly but rare

Even in states like Pennsylvania with a growing number of bears, attacks are extremely rare.

Pennsylvania’s black bear population has risen from roughly 4,000 in the 1970s to around 14,000, the state Game Commission estimates.

Humans interact with bears frequently, as indicated by reports of bears causing nuisance or damage. The Game Commission received 1,550 of these reports statewide from January to July, 434 of those in its northeast region.

Yet, injuries to humans are so rare that they might not be included in statewide statistics, Game Commission spokesman Travis Lau said. The agency might learn of two to three non-life-threatening injuries per year.

“There are no records of any direct fatality from a free-ranging bear attack in Pennsylvania,” Mr. Lau said in an email.

If a human fatality did happen, wildlife officers would use DNA to confirm the right bear has been captured or killed.

“(East Stroudsburg University’s) lab would be the logical place to contact for assistance,” he said.

Lab rare as well

The Northeast Wildlife DNA Laboratory is in a modern, well-lit building off the university’s main campus. Wildlife skulls and two stuffed black bears greet visitors at the entrance.

Only a few other labs in the country do this type of work, most in the West, Ms. Chinnici said, mentioning the Wyoming Game & Fish Department’s lab in Laramie, Wyoming and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s lab in Ashland, Oregon.

Donning a white lab coat, Ms. Chinnici described how she can isolate certain sections of an animal’s DNA, then multiply and compare them using many of the same techniques used in criminal forensics laboratories. The skills come in handy when studying bear populations in the wild to see, for example, how a new road might affect their movements.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission works with the lab frequently for research and law enforcement, Mr. Lau said. One example is collecting DNA from dead fawns to determine predator species.

The agency sends samples to the lab in roughly 30 to 40 cases per year, with criminal charges filed in about 20 of them, he said.

DNA was not an option for ensuring New Jersey authorities killed the right animal after the September attack, Ms. Chinnici said.

West Milford Police were among the first there that night and, finding an aggressive bear circling the area where the body was found, shot and killed it, according to wildlife officers’ reports.

“Everything kind of happened so quickly,” Ms. Chinnici said. “That was their last thought to take samples because this was the first time this happened. It was ... Jersey’s first exposure.”

Efforts to reach New Jersey wildlife officials were not successful.

Still, Ms. Chinnici was able to identify pieces of the victim’s clothing and tissue after examining the bear’s mouth, throat and stomach cavities. This proved police killed the right bear, she said.

Knowing this is important for the public, she said.

“They don’t want to be hiking in an area with an aggressive bear,” she said. “Once a bear loses its fear for humans, that would not be the first attack.”

Techniques shared

To share her methods with other wildlife agencies, Ms. Chinnici traveled to Mississippi in April to present at the 22nd Eastern Black Bear Workshop.

One of the biologists she met there was Bill Stiver, supervisory wildlife biologist with Great Smoky Mountains National Park in eastern Tennessee.

He did not know Ms. Chinnici’s business card would come in handy a few months later, after a bear attacked and injured a camper.

According to local media reports, a black bear pulled an Ohio teenager from a hammock during a backpacking trip in June. Rangers shot one bear at the scene but later captured another, unsure which was the right one.

Mr. Stiver called Ms. Chinnici, and she walked him through her protocol. They collected samples and sent them to her.

This time, she was able to use DNA. She confirmed the bear shot at the scene was a 70 percent match to the one that attacked the camper. The second bear turned out not to be involved.

“You want to make sure you got the offending animal,” Mr. Stiver said. “Prior to DNA, you were pretty sure, but you could never say with confidence you have the right animal.”

Though Mr. Stiver is excited about the possibilities of DNA, he probably will not use it often. There have been four bear attacks, only one a fatality, in the 25 years he has worked at the national park.

That is out of hundreds of human-bear encounters each year there. The park receives 10 million visitors annually and has about 1,600 black bears, he said.

“You mix that many people and that many bears, you’re going to have human-bear interactions,” he said.

Contact the writer:

bgibbons@timesshamrock.com, @bgibbonsTT on Twitter

SCRANTON — City council will hold a work session Monday at 2:30 p.m. at City Hall to create committees for planning discussions.

The meeting stems from Councilman Wayne Evans’ pitch to the public in June for new ideas, big and small. Mr. Evans had proposed that council hold idea sessions with various community stakeholders. Monday’s work session is the first step, for council to hash out their committee assignments, he said.

The meeting is open to the public but there won’t be time allotted for public comment or participation, according to a public notice of the work session published in Friday’s editions of The Times-Tribune.

— JIM LOCKWOOD

Celebrating our

music cities

Mardi Gras beads and cowboy hats dotted the tables at Serafina’s restaurant in Dunmore as a guests enjoyed the country music playing in the background at Joe and Dolly Michal-czyk’s America’s Music Cities’ Photo Party.

“Fingers snapped and toes tapped to the sounds of the blues, jazz, country, and good old rock ‘n’ roll in Mark Michalczyk’s DVD of their trip, highlighted by the group’s CD of ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love With You’, recorded at RCA Studios in Nashville,” Dolly said in an email, adding, “Views of the French Quarter Jazz Festival, their class and dinner at the New Orleans School of Cooking, and Elvis’ Graceland Mansion, Memphis, created many happy memories.”

The travelers also took a relaxing Mississippi riverboat tour, as well as a harrowing swamp tour in search of alligators. They had front-row seats at The Grand Ole Opry during they stay at the Grand Ole Opry Resort in Nashville.

For their mugging throughout the entire DVD, special “Travel Ham” awards were presented to Ted Blakeslee and Kevin Cicci as party attendees shared snapshots and memories. Other photo award winners included Susie Kern, best album; Kevin Cicci, best overall architecture; Carol Stange, best nature; Marilyn Hiller, best animal; and Bill Hiller, human interest.

Guests also were toting group photos and mementos from their trip as they departed to the tune of “Happy Trails to You” and the message “Elvis has Left the Building” as heard at the Grand Ole Opry.

Party guests included Jeri Blakeslee, Beverly Chernesky, Frank Cicci, Tom Dempsey, John and Myrna Diven, Esther Hanstein, Dick Kern, Joanne Ligorio, Marie Loftus, Judy McCauley, Denise and John Meck, Shirley Morcom, Greg and Judy Newak, John Shields, Carol Stange and George and Gloria Wasalinko . Travelers Cookie and Eddie McGill of Delaware, visited with the group and Diane and Mark Michalczyk and their children, Maura, Joel and Kara Grace.

Missed were: Susie Kern, Janet Dobson, Gayle Hamilton, John and Beverly Robertson, Barbara Schiavo, Marlene Shields, Nancy Thomas and Jane Zakreski.

Super students

Marywood University students Janet O’Rourke, Jerry O’Rourke and Don Swingle, all of Lake Ariel, and Marissa Marlott of Wilkes-Barre were presented with certificates of completion, and faculty volunteers, Christopher Lynett, academic writing faculty, Scranton, and Anthony Pusateri, math faculty, Clarks Summit, were presented with certificates of appreciation when the university hosted an R-VETS (Renewal-Veteran Education and Transitional Services) program graduation. ... Angela Casanova of Hawley and Dany Huanira of Scranton have received scholarships for the fall semester at Millersville University. Angela’s award is from the Medal Fund; Dany is a Board of Governors Scholarship. ...

High notes

Valley View High School teacher Deborah Santini has been selected to participate in the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources Summer Teacher Institute this week. Deborah is among a carefully chosen (from a pool of more than 300 applicants) group of K-12 educators to attend one of its five teacher institutes in Washington, D.C., the Library of Congress says in a release. ... The Greater Scranton Area Roaring Ramblers Toastmasters club is now the Electric City Toastmasters. The change was decided by the membershop under the leadership of Damian Leone, Esq., president.

ntique lights shine in the old barn at the former White’s Dairy Farm.

Walls and tables made of quarry and railroad stone take the place of traditional display tables and aisles in the barn-turned-garden-center at 1273 County Club Road. Outside, the patio features a long railing made of rust-colored reinforced steel welded together to resemble tree branches.

Last month, Bob and Helen McMinn began showing off their new venture, Garden Life Outfitters, which is almost six years in the making.

Mr. McMinn, who has been landscaping for around 27 years, always wanted to own a garden center. Their mission is not only to sell and advise on gardens but to also create a community space where customers feel comfortable asking questions and also lending and sharing tips and secrets about what makes their gardens blossom.

“What we’re trying to do is just introduce people to things that they just normally wouldn’t see,” said Mr. McMinn.

“Not everybody wants to hire someone, they want to do it themselves and we want to encourage that,” Mrs. McMinn said.

The gardens offer customers a chance to see what the plants look like in the ground and also how certain shrubs play off perennials. When gardeners return a year later, the McMinns plan to share what grew best in the Northeast Pennsylvania climate.

“It’s a different set-up than most places,” said manager Kevin Snow.

The family bought the barn and 24.7 acres of land from Scott White. Before the Whites had a dairy farm and sold pumpkins there, the Clarks Summit State Hospital owned the property and used the barn to keep horses, said Mr. McMinn.

He later found out the property was a hard sell since it had a open space deed restriction. The land could never be developed, he said. It worked out perfectly for the business he wanted to create. They reached out to the state and got permission to create the center, Mr. McMinn said.

A major motivation to make the space as beautiful as possible is it’s their home, the McMinns said. They moved above the barn in 2009.

Once the open air sections are closed and gardens are put to bed for the winter, birding items, seasonal decorations, books, bulbs and herbs among other items will be for sale inside the space. Eventually, Mr. McMinn would like to feature pumpkins in the fall and Christmas trees in the winter.

A soft opening was held in the middle of June and later this summer, the McMinns are planning for a grand opening.

But with each passing season, the display gardens and items offered will continue to expand.

“The hardship is just being patient with it, not rushing it, and just letting it unpack itself,” said Mr. McMinn.

Contact the writer: kbolus@timesshamrock.com, @kbolusTT on Twitter.

For more info

Find the business on Facebook at Garden Life Outfitters

Sunday Times readers were shocked to learn that Roaring Brook Twp. officials looked the other way as an illegal trucking business operated upstream from Lake Scranton, the water supply for 160,000 people.

No one was surprised that the business is owned by Louis DeNaples. It seems like every time you turn over a rock in Northeast Pennsylvania, an “Anonymous Area Businessman Unidentified as Louis DeNaples” owns it and his “Minions” in government don’t care what he does with it as long as their master is happy.

For years, a trucking company owned by Mr. DeNaples was operating illegally in Roaring Brook Twp. on a parcel zoned for conservation. Township officials knew this, but did nothing. After reporters for Times-Tribune newspapers raised the issue, officials quickly shut down the business.

Note to television “news” outlets who brag about their “investigative journalists”: If a potential threat to the drinking water of 160,000 people doesn’t draw your interest, maybe you should stop running gritty ads about how tough you are between spots for Mount Airy Casino and Resort. Staring stone-faced and backlit in red is no substitute for real reporting.

I spoke with DeNaples spokesman Al Magnotta on Wednesday. He told me the tankers at the Roaring Brook site carried water contaminated during natural gas drilling. It was processed to remove waste like drill cuttings. The “clean” water was then trucked back to the drilling fields.

State Department of Environmental Protection spokeswoman Colleen Connolly was surprised to hear this when I called her Thursday, She said DEP had no regulatory authority unless waste was being processed at the Roaring Brook site. I asked if she needed Al’s cellphone number. She had it.

Meanwhile, Pennsylvania American Water spokeswoman Susan Turcmanovich said the water company routinely fields calls about tankers leaving Lake Scranton. The reservoir is a natural organism, she said. Organic contaminants are removed and trucked away as sludge the company donates to conservation groups. The water is tested daily, and no pollution that could be tied to the DeNaples trucking company has been detected, she said.

Ms. Turcmanovich assured me that the tankers aren’t taking water from Lake Scranton. I asked whether withdrawals could happen without detection. She said security would catch any clandestine tapping.

Mr. Magnotta called me back after speaking with Ms. Connolly. He wanted to clarify what he told me Wednesday. The tankers indeed carried “flowback” water produced through gas drilling — not “fracking” fluid. The tankers delivered that water to Keystone Sanitary Landfill in Dunmore and Throop, which Louis DeNaples is seeking DEP permission to build into “Mount Trashmore” over the next 50 years.

Al told me what he told DEP: The tankers at the Roaring Brook site were always empty. It was a staging area, nothing more. DEP inspectors went Thursday to the Roaring Brook site and the Covington Twp. property where the tankers have been moved and found no evidence of contamination, Ms. Connolly told me. Still, she said DEP will look into whether the Roaring Brook waterway warrants state protection as a source stream for the drinking water of 160,000 people.

What we know for sure is that the Roaring Brook property was not zoned for a trucking business. Mr. DeNaples used it for a trucking business. Those who profess to wonder why average, unconnected people in this region don’t trust elected officials and regulatory agencies and believe the game is rigged against them need only look at this fiasco to understand why.

Anyone Not Named DeNaples would have been shut down years ago. Anyone Not Named DeNaples could not place a “No Trespassing” sign on a public road or build a bridge to serve his business over a stream that feeds the water source for 160,000 people.

Average, unconnected people purchase permits to build new steps or decks on their houses. I called the Roaring Brook Twp. office Friday to ask whether the illegal DeNaples business obtained permits to build the bridge. Township solicitor Joe O’Brien called back.

Turns out no permits were issued. Surprise! Mr. O’Brien said permits weren’t necessary under township regulations. He said that in his 25 years as Roaring Brook solicitor, he has never seen the township levy a fine for a zoning violation. When notified, property owners usually comply, he said.

Mr. O’Brien acknowledged I was accurate in describing the DeNaples operation as illegal, in that it violated the zoning ordinance. So far, township officials have declined to fine Mr, DeNaples, which suggests they are spineless as well as willfully blind.

Not so, said Mr. O’Brien. The process for citing a zoning violation is long and complicated. The soonest supervisors can act is at their Aug, 4 meeting. If they choose to send a notice of violation to Mr. DeNaples, he has the right to appeal to the township zoning board, which has the final say about whether to send the matter to a magistrate.

The maximum fine Louis DeNaples — a billionaire — faces for his brazen violation of local zoning law is $500.

Now you know what the water supply for 160,000 people is worth.

CHRIS KELLY, the Times-Tribune columnist, paid more than $500 for his TV. Contact the writer: kellysworld@timesshamrock.com, @cjkink on Twitter. Read his daily blog at blogs.thetimes-tribune.com/kelly