SCRANTON — City police are investigating a Friday afternoon attempted robbery.

Police were called to the Turkey Hill at Mulberry Street and Prescott Avenue at about 12:20 and met with Robert Pietsch, 18. Mr. Pietsch told officers he was walking west along Mulberry Street when two men in a white Jeep Liberty pulled next to him and the passenger asked for his name.

Mr. Pietsch refused and kept walking. Near the intersection of Mulberry and Prescott, the passenger got out and demanded Mr. Pietsch empty his pockets. He again refused. The man tried to take his backpack and punched him twice, Mr. Pietsch told police.

Mr. Pietsch told officers he ran into the convenience store. The Jeep followed and the man ran inside, hit him again and ran back to the Jeep and drove away.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Scranton police.

— STAFF REPORT

TAYLOR — Authorities charged a 53-year-old man Thursday on accusations he struck a 10-year-old boy and a service dog that came to protect the child.

Taylor police Patrolman Eugene Mentz responded to Rockledge Terrace Drive at 5:17 p.m. Thursday and met James Michael Kelminski, along with a visibly upset and crying woman and young boy sitting on a curb.

The woman, Susie Krayeski, told police that Mr. Kelminski struck the boy in the arm because he was angry with the child, according to a criminal complaint filed by Patrolman Mentz and Sgt. William Roche. The small dog jumped on top of the boy, and Mr. Kelminski punched the dog. Police noticed the boy — who has a condition that requires a service dog — had a red welt on his right arm.

The boy told police he could feel each blow Mr. Kelminski delivered to the dog and counted about five.

Mr. Kelminski admitted he struck the boy because he wasn’t listening and “swatted the dog” when the animal started growling.

Police arrested Mr. Kelminski, 104 Rockledge Terrace Drive, at the scene. He was jailed at Lackawanna County Prison in lieu of $10,000 bail after his arraignment before Magisterial District Judge Sean P. McGraw.

He faces misdemeanor charges of simple assault and cruelty to animals, as well as a citation for harassment.

Efforts to reach Ms. Krayeski were unsuccessful Friday. It’s unclear if Mr. Kelminski has an attorney.

Mr. Kelminski remained in the county prison Friday. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.

Contact the writer:

jkohut@timesshamrock.com,

@jkohutTT on Twitter

CLIFTON TWP. — State police at Dunmore are seeking a Scranton man charged with stealing $2,535 worth of tools from a home in Clifton Twp. over the summer.

State police charged Barry McFarland III, 21, 620 Fig St., with burglary and related counts.

State police said Mr. McFarland stole an assortment of tools from Michael Stocoski in the 700 block of Clifton Beach Road between July 19 and 20.

Police found fingerprints on a basement window near where the burglar broke in. The prints matched known prints of Mr. McFarland.

Anyone with information can contact state police at 570-963-3156.

— JOSEPH KOHUT

SCRANTON — PPL Electric Utilities reported that 1,006 customers in West Scranton were without power Friday morning because of a blown fuse or tripped breaker.

Willard Elementary School dismissed at 9:45 a.m., and West Intermediate dismissed at 10 a.m. West Scranton High School was not affected.

The outage, resolved by the early afternoon, was concentrated on several blocks around South Main Avenue and West Locust Street, according to a map of the city the electric utility uses to report outages.

— STAFF REPORT

Laureen Cummings won on Election Day, and she won Friday.

A partial recount completed Friday found no substantive changes in the voting for Lackawanna County commissioner in five randomly selected precincts and ended a challenge by Republican candidate Bill Jones of his narrow loss to his running mate, Ms. Cummings, for the minority commissioner seat.

Attorney William T. Jones, representing his son, thanked the county board of elections for ordering the partial recount and said he considers his son’s request for a larger recount concluded. The board adjourned without taking any further action. Afterward, Mr. Jones, the attorney, said he plans no further appeals. The deadline for challenges of the outcome in county court is Wednesday. If no appeals are made, the board will meet Thursday to certify the election results.

“I’m just happy the outcome was what it was,” Ms. Cummings said after the board met. “It was checked, and everything’s kosher and there’s no problem.”

The official count showed Democrat Jerry Notarianni finishing first with 27,253 votes, followed by his running mate, Commissioner Patrick O’Malley, 24,266; Ms. Cummings, 11,449; Mr. Jones, 11,376; and write-in candidate Charlie Spano, 2,653.

The elections board ordered a recount of the vote in five precincts after Mr. Jones asked for a full recount, alleging unspecified errors.

He argued the race was close and had a lot more overvotes, 744, than the 132 in county voting for the state Supreme Court race. The county voter registration office had not reviewed write-in votes where a candidate’s name was written but the circle next to it was not filled in.

Attorney John J. Cerra, Ms. Cummings’ lawyer, said Mr. Jones was on a “fishing expedition” and produced no evidence of error. Rather than order a full recount, the board ordered the partial review to see if that picked up major errors that would warrant a larger recount.

It didn’t.

Mr. Jones hoped to pick up enough write-in votes in the recount to win, but the check of the five precincts changed none of the vote totals for him, Ms. Cummings, Mr. Notarianni and Mr. O’Malley. It only added to Mr. Spano’s total, giving him another 10 votes.

The five precincts were Waverly Twp.; Scranton’s 13th Ward, 2nd District; Dunmore’s 6th Ward, 1st District; Scranton’s 21st Ward, 2nd District; and Blakely’s 3rd Ward, 2nd District.

Contact the writer: bkrawczeniuk@timesshamrock.com

Jermyn results

With the official count of votes complete, incumbent Jermyn Borough Council President Catherine Hosie learned for certain she lost her council seat.

The results show she finished last among six candidates in the race for five council seats. She lost to two write-in candidates, Kevin Napoli and Frank Kulick. A write-in candidate defeating an incumbent whose name was listed on the ballot is rare in local politics. Mr. Kulick actually finished with the second-most votes.

The results were unknown on Election Day because voters cast 686 write-in ballots, which weren’t compiled until the official count.

Only Ms. Hosie’s, Councilwoman Jo Anne T. Wilson’s, Councilman Joseph R. Smith’s and Daniel Markey’s names were on the ballot.

The vote totals: Mr. Markey, 318; Mr. Kulick, 267; Mrs. Wilson, 222; Mr. Napoli, 205; Mr. Smith, 202; and Ms. Hosie, 192.

— BORYS KRAWCZENIUK

PLAINS TWP. — State police gaming enforcement on Friday charged a regular patron of Mohegan Sun Pocono with theft for the third time in more than a year.

Duc Ngoc Pham, 49, of 14 Regent St., Wilkes-Barre, was also charged with receiving stolen property for allegedly picking up a $200 ticket voucher that a woman dropped near a slot machine.

Police said the woman went to security when she realized her ticket was missing. Surveillance video showed Mr. Pham picked up the ticket, according to an affidavit. He then cashed

in the voucher and left, police said. He was later identified by police and casino employees.

In July, state police said Mr. Pham stole nearly $7,000 in vouchers from a woman’s purse.

He has not been arraigned on charges for either of these incidents.

State police charged Mr. Pham with cheating in a gambling game, theft and receiving stolen property in April 2014 for moving dominoes from a losing spot to a winning spot during Pai Gow. The charges were withdrawn this year when Mr. Pham pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of disorderly conduct, court records show. He was sentenced to time served and ordered to pay a $200 fine and $25 restitution to the casino, according to court records.

— JACOB SEIBEL

BENTON TWP. — Two women were hospitalized this week after a head-on crash early Tuesday morning in Benton Twp., state police at Dunmore said.

Chelsee Robbins, 23, of Waymart, and Brenda Tarbrake, 55, of Nicholson, were taken to Geisinger Community Medical Center for moderate injuries after the 5:53 a.m. crash 131 feet west of Hack Road on state Route 107, state police said.

Ms. Robbins’ 2008 Pontiac G6 collided head-on with Ms. Tarbrake’s 2012 Nissan Rogue on a curve in the road. Ms. Robbins received a traffic citation.

Both were treated and released by Friday, hospital spokeswoman Noelle Snyder said.

7th TCMC Gala

raises $431,000

The Commonwealth Medical College’s “Black Ties for White Coats” seventh annual gala added $431,000 to support scholarships for medical students.

Nearly 600 people were on hand at Mohegan Sun Pocono as Peter and Sally Bohlin, Dr. Stanley and Theresa Dudrick, and David and Ann Hawk were recognized for their commitment to community, their dedication to the wellbeing of their neighbors and for their lifetime of creativity and innovation.

“Offering scholarships provides opportunity for students of all backgrounds to have access to medical education, adding value to the profession,” said President and Dean Steven Scheinman, M.D. “It is extremely inspiring to see how the community has stepped up to help the best and brightest students become physicians in our local communities.”

Noting that a typical TCMC student accumulates close to $240,000 in debt by graduation, Dr. Scheinman added, “This can discourage prospective students from seeking to become doctors and can drive these young physicians away from practicing in a rural area or in primary care.”

The honorees

David and Ann Hawk were honored for their commitment to the community, and their support of local colleges and universities as well as a host of other worthy nonprofits. Special mention was made of their recent assistance in the establishment of the NativityMiguel School in Scranton, a tuition-free school for promising fifth- to eighth-grade students from low-income families.

The Dudricks were honored for their lifelong devotion to well-being — Theresa as a teacher and Stan for his groundbreaking research and as a medical college leader, faculty member and surgeon. He developed the method used to provide nutrition through a central vein, a process that has saved tens of millions of lives worldwide.

Innovative design and creativity were noted as the foundation for the Bohlins’ communityimpact, including Peter’s award-winning architectural designs, from the Liberty Bell Center to Bill Gates’ home, and Sally’s community service, with a focus on the arts.

Therese Casey and Lori Nocito co-chaired the latest edition of the event that since 2009 has grossed more than $1,650,000 to provide assistance for students.

Also on hand at the event were past and present TCMC students, some of whom were recipients of scholarship funds.

The annual St. Francis of Assisi Kitchen Run Against Hunger in Scranton drew its largest crowd ever Saturday with 725 participants, kitchen director Monsignor Joseph Kelly said.

The race at Lackawanna River Heritage Trail on West Olive Street featured 5K and 10K races, as well as a 2-mile walk. Proceeds benefit the mission of St. Francis of Assisi Kitchen on Penn Avenue — feeding the poor and hungry. The kitchen provides 200 meals daily, Monsignor Kelly said.

“This is a great fundraiser,” said Julia Munley, president of the board of St. Francis of Assisi Kitchen. “It’s to get the word out about the kitchen and what we do and how we support the people in need in our community.”

Runners also donated bags of food items. Kitchen volunteers offered the runners warm soup after the race was over on a cold morning.

“It’s a great benefit to get people out to raise money for St. Francis Kitchen and also for incredible donations of food that we’re getting today. People are coming out in droves today,” Ms. Munley said.

Monsignor Kelly said the race has grown greatly since it began a few years ago. He thanked Matt Byrne, co-owner of Scranton Running Co., who volunteers as race director.

A large contingent of Scranton Running Co. “Barrier Breakers” participated. in the race, and Mr. Byrne expected that the event would top last year’s proceeds of $15,000.

Jeannie Kreis McDonald of Dunmore, Trish McDonough of Archbald and Diane Carey of Blakely were among the Barrier Breakers who ran. “We did a six-week, eight-week training, and this is our finale at the end of our trainings for all the Barrier Breakers. Fantastic group,” Ms. Kreis McDonald said. “We’re getting fit, we’re getting healthy and making great friends.”

They also were happy to support a good cause.

And the need is great, Monsignor Kelly.

“Every day, over 200 people are being fed by the kitchen,” Monsignor Kelly said. “But thank God we are able to do it. And it’s because of this fantastic community that we are able to do it.”

Contact the writer:

jlockwood@timesshamrock.com, @jlockwoodTT on Twitter

Eleven years.

That’s how long it took police to make a second attempt at charging a Scranton man with the slaying of a minor racketeer.

The body of Frederick Schild, also known as James “Bigfoot Jim” O’Hara, was found in a 1947 Cadillac, a bullet wound in his head, on July 26, 1949. The Cadillac was parked just a block away from the state police barracks in Wyoming borough.

Three days after Mr. Schild’s body was discovered, police questioned Bernard Schiowitz, “also known throughout Scranton gambling circles as ‘Sixty Swartz’.” But charges were never filed.

In the ensuing years, Mr. Schiowitz served time in federal prison for fraud. And in 1960, he was tangled up again in the investigation into Mr. Schild’s murder.

On Aug. 17, 1960, The Scranton Times reported that Mr. Schiowitz “was being held on a murder charge at Wyoming Barracks this morning, the result of ‘new evidence’ in the 1949 slaying of a Scranton gambler.” The Scranton resident was arrested at the Seville, a tavern in the 500 block of Lackawanna Avenue. At first, investigators and prosecutors wouldn’t give details about why Mr. Schiowitz was arrested or what new evidence was uncovered.

Hours after his arrest, Mr. Schiowitz’s attorney, William Farrell, vowed to get his client released. But at a hearing held to ascertain whether a judge should release him, confusion reigned. Lacka-wanna County President Judge T. Linus Hoban called a hearing for 11:30 a.m. Aug. 18, 1960.

“But when the hearing time arrived, none of the principals was on hand and the jurist was visibly agitated,” The Scranton Times reported. Eventually, investigators and prosecutors were tracked down and Judge Hoban ruled that Lackawanna County had no jurisdiction in the case, since Mr. Schild’s body was found in Luzerne County.

Mr. Schiowitz was arraigned on the murder charge by Wyoming Peace Justice W. Howell Evans on the night of Aug. 18, 1960, according to The Scranton Times. The newspaper also reported why he was being charged 11 years after the murder: an ex-convict who had served with Mr. Schiowitz at Atlanta Federal Penitentiary 10 years prior said the Scranton man had talked to him about the fatal shooting.

James Devens, 40, told investigators that Mr. Schiowitz, who was serving his sentence for a federal fraud charge, “told him of shooting Schild during conversations in the prison hospital.” At a hearing, Mr. Devens was questioned by Luzerne County District Attorney Stephen A. Teller. The ex-con from Dover, New Jersey, said Mr. Schiowitz “told me he killed (Schild) from the back seat of Big Jim’s car … with a gun. He said he shot him in the head, I don’t know,” according to an Aug. 19, 1960, Scranton Times story.

A few days later, Mr. Devens told a Times reporter he came forward to “clear his conscience,” according to an Aug. 22, 1960, Scranton Times article. He explained, “I’ve been in prison for a long time. I’m studying for the ministry and I wanted to clear my conscience. I’ve been a bad actor — bad checks, cars and all. But I decided to tell what I knew about this case and come clean with God.”

Mr. Schiowitz and his attorney continued to insist he was innocent. Even so, a grand jury indicted him for murder after “hearing several hours of testimony, most of it from James Devens,” The Scranton Times reported on Aug. 27, 1960.

Less than a month later, The Scranton Times reported that “Luzerne County officials are contemplating the outright release” of Mr. Schiowitz. “Though official confirmation was lacking, it is reported that District Attorney Stephen A. Teller plans to petition court to ‘nol prosse’ (dismiss) the murder charge against Schiowitz,” a Sept. 16, 1960, article reported.

Three days later, Mr. Schiowitz was a free man once again. Prosecutors said Mr. Devens, their main witness, was “unworthy of belief,” according to a Sept. 19, 1960 article.

“Judge J. Harold Flannery, after a 10-minute hearing, allowed the murder count to be nol prossed after (Mr. Teller) admitted ‘we have no other recourse at this time,’ ” the same article reported.

Mr. Teller told the judge that they had moved quickly to arrest Mr. Schiowitz because Mr. Devens was only going to be in the area a short time. A subsequent investigation into his statements showed that “many of the facts related by Devens are untrue,” and that “many of the important facts remain uncorroborated and, in fact, appear to be refuted by certain persons named therein,” the article reported. “It is the considered opinion of the district attorney’s office and the state police investigators … that Devens’ story, while not a complete fabrication, is fabricated in many respects and as such, no credence can be placed on the whole story.”

Mr. Schiowitz didn’t have long to enjoy his freedom. He died of a heart attack on Oct. 17, 1962, according to The Scranton Times. His wife found him unconscious in the bedroom of their home at 711 Monroe Ave. She summoned an ambulance, but crews could not revive him. He was 54.

No one else was ever charged for Mr. Schild’s murder.

ERIN L. NISSLEY is an assistant metro editor with The Times-Tribune. She has lived in the area for almost a decade.

Contact the writer:

localhistory@timesshamrock.com

HARRISBURG — The Sunday Times appealed a decision by the state Senate to withhold some information related to financial records of several senators in response to a Right to Know Law request.

The Sunday Times obtained records of expenses for lodging and food by senators from July 1 through Oct. 8, the first 100 days of the state budget stalemate.

The Senate chief clerk’s office, in meeting that request, redacted information about the names of individuals those senators met with and the topics discussed.

This information about whom a senator met with specifically is protected by legislative privilege, said Donetta D’Innocenzo, the Senate chief clerk and RTK officer. The Sunday Times appealed on the grounds the Senate incorrectly redacted information in a financial document outlining descriptions of expenses for senators.

The appeal is before Megan Martin, the appeals officer for the Senate.

Contact the writer:

rswift@timesshamrock.com

Sluggish retail hurts Macy’s Inc. shares

Negative retail reports sent shares of Macy’s Inc. down 20 percent last week to a Friday close of $39.10 per share.

U.S. retail sales in October rose less than 0.1 percent, less than analysts’ forecasts. Department store sales rose slightly more, 0.3 percent. Nonstore e-commerce increased 1.4 percent.

The only retailers spared were Amazon and some other online retailers. Many retail stocks fell.

Macy’s reported weaker earnings and cut its full-year forecast. The company said it had excess inventory and would cut prices.

Macy’s profit dropped 46 percent to $118 million for the third quarter. Sales slipped 5 percent to $5.9 billion, missing Wall Street expectations of $6.1 billion.

The company reported excess inventory and would cut prices. The company is also considering real estate options.

Macy’s operates approximately 790 retail stores in the U.S., including in Dickson City and Wilkes-Barre Twp.

— DAVID FALCHEK

Association of Fundraising

Professionals

The NEPA Chapter announced that this year’s chairman for National Philanthropy Day will be John Cosgrove of Condron and Cosgrove. Katie Leonard, Johnson College, will serve as chairwoman of nominations. Honorary Breakfast co-chairmen are Jesse Ergott, NeighborWorks NEPA, and Jon Konzelman, the Scranton School for Deaf & Hard of Hearing Children. The National Philanthropy Day Luncheon will be Friday, Nov. 20 at the Radisson Lackawanna Station Hotel. Those wishing to attend the event can register at afp2015.eventbrite.com. Barry Isett & Associates

Joy Beers, of Lehighton, is a senior project manager in the structural department.

Previously, Ms. Beers worked in the Minneapolis branch of HGA Architects and Engineers. She played a design role in national and international projects, from California colleges to a U.S. military recreational facility in Okinawa, Japan. She earned her master’s degree and bachelor’s degree in architectural engineering at The Pennsylvania State University and studied abroad at Leeds University, United Kingdom. She has also made presentations at Autodesk University on three-dimension modeling software, Revit. She also served as president of Minnesota Structural Engineers Association.

Honesdale Family Health Center

James G. Cruse, M.D., board-certified family physician at the Center and the Honesdale VA Outpatient Clinic, was recognized by the Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers as a recipient of the Outstanding Primary Care Clinician Award. The award was presented during PACHC’s Annual Conference and Clinical Summit held in Lancaster, and honors health care providers who have made significant contributions to vulnerable populations through improvement in quality, accessibility and/or patient outcomes.

King’s College

Dan Clasby, Ph.D., assistant professor of history, completed a six-week fellowship at the Schusterman Center for Israel Studies sponsored by Brandeis University Massachusetts. The fellowship included more than two weeks of activities in Israel. Dr. Clasby was one of 23 international scholars chosen to participate in the program. He plans to use his experiences in Israel to develop both a survey-course on Israeli history that he will offer in the spring and a possible future study abroad program to Israel and Palestine. While in Israel, Dr. Clasby also conducted research for a book project on postwar Italian-Jewish life and identity.

LongHorn

Steakhouse

Kyle Drake began his career with the restaurant nine years ago as a line cook in the kitchen. From there, Mr. Drake moved to certified trainer and after a few more promotions in between, he is now managing partner for the Wilkes-Barre location. In his new role, Mr. Drake will help lead and develop a team of more than 65 individuals. He has managed more than 15 different LongHorn locations on the East Coast.

O’Donnell Law

Attorney Michael A. O’Donnell, was a featured presenter at the 2nd Annual Advanced Workers’ Compensation Seminar on Nov. 4 at the Radisson Lackawanna Station Hotel in Scranton. Mr. O’Donnell’s presentation focused on recent legislative and case law updates and hearing preparation and procedure. Mr. O’Donnell is a specialist in the field of workers’ compensation law. Mr. O’Donnell also presented at Wilkes-Barre Law and Library Association’s Bench Bar Conference and Seminar on Nov. 5 at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs. The topic was “Workers’ Compensation Potpourri.” Mr. O’Donnell received his Bachelor of Science, cum laude, from Bloomsburg University and his J.D. from the Pennsylvania State University Dickinson School of Law.

Attorney Catherine R. O’Donnell served as moderator of a panel discussion at the annual Luzerne County Bench Bar Conference and Seminar. The event was held at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs on Nov. 5. The topic of the panel discussion was “Women Walking Through the World of Litigation.” Ms. O’Donnell received the Wilkes-Barre Law and Library Association’s 2015 President’s Award, the top award of the legal profession awarded annually at the conference. Ms. O’Donnell concentrates her efforts in elder law, estate planning, estate administration and social security disability. She earned her bachelor’s degree, Master in Business Administration and her Juris Doctor from the University of Pittsburgh.

Penn State Worthington

Scranton

Asif ud-Doula, Ph.D., spent the past two years as part of a research team observing the unusually large magnetosphere around an O-type star called NGC 1624-2 using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory. The O-type star is the hottest and brightest type of star in the universe and has the largest magnetosphere known in its class. Their findings, which were published in the print edition of the journal, “Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society,” from Oxford University Press may help scientists better understand the life cycle of certain massive stars. Dr. ud-Doula served as a theoretician on this project. He is also currently working on a manuscript that will provide further details and insights into this project and hopes to have that published in the near future. Dr. ud-Doula, is an assistant professor of physics at the University.

Retired Chancellor Mary-Beth Krogh-Jespersen, Ph.D., was granted professor emerita status by the university. Dr. Krogh-Jespersen retired on June 30 after serving as the university’s chancellor for 15 years.

Professional

Hearing Aid

Service LLC

Paul John Caprari Sr., director of the company, which is located in the Duchess Outlet Building, 75 William St., Pittston, was honored by the International Hearing Society. The International Hearing Society honors those who have exemplified high standards of technical competence and ethical practices in serving the hearing impaired. Mr. Caprari was honored for his 40 years of commitment to the Society and for his dedication to those suffering a hearing loss. He attended Marywood University’s Communications Disorders Program and graduated from the State University of New York.

Rieders, Travis, Humphrey, Waters & Dohrmann

Clifford A. Rieders, a partner in the law firm was a course planner and presenter at the Pennsylvania Bar Institute program Section 1983 Litigation, Civil Rights and Attorney’s Fees Under Section 1988. First presented in Philadelphia on Nov. 2, the program will be reprised in Pittsburgh on Nov. 24. Mr. Rieders is a published author, past President of the Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association, now called the Pennsylvania Association for Justice and is a board-certified trial attorney in Williamsport.

Temple University

Periodontist Bryan J. Frantz, D.M.D., a 1985 alumnus and Scranton resident, was inducted into the university’s 2015-2016 Gallery of Success. The award recognizes the professional accomplishments of one graduate from each of Temple’s schools and colleges. Dr. Frantz holds faculty positions at the University’s Kornberg School of Dentistry, from which he’s also an alumnus, and Eastman Dental Center. He is past president of the American Academy of Periodontology Foundation and is the current director for the Pennsylvania Association of Periodontists. He also lectures nationally on current topics in Periodontology and dental implantology and serves as the District 2 Trustee of the American Academy of Periodontology.

Tobyhanna Army Depot

Two technicians, Dana Bilotta and Andrew Hrosovsky, earned accolades for their contributions to the ongoing modernization of the depot’s infrastructure and the information technology network and were named the depot’s Employees of the Quarter for the third quarter of 2015.

Ms. Bilotta, industrial engineering technician, was able to manipulate existing work space to accommodate the mission, which resulted in relocation of employees and their equipment during the early phase of an extensive modernization project. Working with shop leaders, personnel and contractors, she developed the contract requirements, drafted the shop layout and plans, and coordinated the move of 100 employees. Ms. Bilotta works in the Production Engineering Directorate’s Mission Modernization Branch. She identifies solutions related to floor space issues and has technical skills in AutoCAD, a software application for 2D and 3D computer-aided design (CAD) and drafting. Ms. Bilotta also performs property book and hand receipt inventories for the branch.

Mr. Hrosovsky, electrician leader, leads a team of electricians who support network modernization efforts that increase capability, enhance security and standardize operations. Mr. Hrosovsky frequently travels to temporary duty assignments to oversee the wireless local area network and Installation Information Infrastructure Modernization Program, Network Modernization – CONUS installations. He maintains quality and ensures the safety of the installation teams. Also, he works with the IT staff and engineers to modify the wireless architecture if needed and troubleshoots potential problems and makes necessary repairs.

Wayne Memorial

A registered nurse and a nurses’ aide were honored with citations for excellence by state Rep. Thomas Marino, R-10, Lycoming Twp. The citations were issued to Linda Jones, R.N., and Victoria Borthwick, nurses’ aide, at the request of a Vietnam War veteran who felt both women had helped him.

SUBMIT PEOPLE ON THE MOVE items to business@timesshamrock.com or The Times-Tribune, 149 Penn Ave., Scranton, PA 18503.

Keeping your cool can be hard to do when the market goes on one of its periodic roller-coaster rides. It’s useful to have strategies in place that prepare you both financially and psychologically to handle market volatility. Here are 11 ways to help keep yourself from making hasty decisions that could have a long-term impact on your ability to achieve your financial goals.

1. Have a game plan.

Having predetermined guidelines that recognize the potential for turbulent times can help prevent emotion from dictating your decisions. For example, you might take a core-and-satellite approach, combining the use of buy-and-hold principles for the bulk of your portfolio with tactical investing based on a shorter-term market outlook. You also can use diversification to try to offset the risks of certain holdings with those of others. Diversification may not ensure a profit or guarantee against a loss, but it can help you understand and balance your risk in advance. And if you’re an active investor, a trading discipline can help you stick to a long-term strategy.

2. Know what you own and why you own it.

When the market goes off the tracks, knowing why you originally made a specific investment can help you evaluate whether your reasons still hold, regardless of what the overall market is doing. Understanding how a specific holding fits in your portfolio also can help you consider whether a lower price might actually represent a buying opportunity.

And if you don’t understand why a security is in your portfolio, find out.

3. Remember that everything is relative.

Most of the variance in the returns of different portfolios can generally be attributed to their asset allocations. If you’ve got a well-diversified portfolio that includes multiple asset classes, it could be useful to compare its overall performance to relevant benchmarks. If you find that your investments are performing in line with those benchmarks, that realization might help you feel better about your overall strategy.

Even a diversified portfolio is no guarantee that you won’t suffer losses, of course.

4. Tell yourself that this too shall pass.

The financial markets are historically cyclical. Even if you wish you had sold at what turned out to be a market peak, or regret having sat out a buying opportunity, you may well get another chance at some point. Even if you’re considering changes, a volatile market can be an inopportune time to turn your portfolio inside out. A well-thought-out asset allocation is still the basis of good investment planning.

5. Be willing to learn from your mistakes.

Anyone can look good during bull markets; smart investors are produced by the inevitable rough patches. If an earlier choice now seems rash, sometimes the best strategy is to take a tax loss, learn from the experience, and apply the lesson to future decisions.

6. Consider playing defense.

During volatile periods in the stock market, many investors reexamine their allocation to such defensive sectors as consumer staples or utilities (though like all stocks, those sectors involve their own risks, and are not necessarily immune from overall market movements). Dividends also can help cushion the impact of price swings. According to Standard & Poor’s, dividend income has represented roughly one-third of the monthly total return on the S&P 500 since 1926, ranging from a high of 53 percent during the 1940s to a low of 14 percent in the 1990s, when investors focused on growth.

7. Stay on course by continuing to save.

Even if the value of your holdings fluctuates, regularly adding to an account designed for a long-term goal may cushion the emotional impact of market swings. If losses are offset even in part by new savings, your bottom-line number might not be quite so discouraging.

If you’re using dollar-cost averaging — investing a specific amount regularly regardless of fluctuating price levels — you may be getting a bargain by buying when prices are down. However, dollar cost averaging can’t guarantee a profit or protect against a loss. Also consider your ability to continue purchases through market slumps; systematic investing doesn’t work if you stop when prices are down. Finally, remember that the return and principal value of your investments will fluctuate with changes in market conditions.

8. Use cash to help manage your mindset.

Cash can enhance your ability to make thoughtful decisions instead of impulsive ones. If you’ve established an appropriate asset allocation, you should have resources on hand to prevent having to sell stocks to meet ordinary expenses or, if you’ve used leverage, a margin call. Having a cash cushion coupled with a disciplined investing strategy can change your perspective on market volatility.

9. Remember your road map.

Solid asset allocation is the basis of sound investing. One of the reasons a diversified portfolio is so important is that strong performance of some investments may help offset poor performance by others. Timing the market can be challenging under the best of circumstances; wildly volatile markets can magnify the impact of making a wrong decision just as the market is about to move in an unexpected direction, either up or down.

10. Look in the rear-view mirror.

If you’re investing long term, sometimes it helps to take a look back and see how far you’ve come. Though past performance is no guarantee of future returns, of course, the stock market’s long-term direction has historically been up. With stocks, it’s important to remember that having an investing strategy is only half the battle; the other half is being able to stick to it.

11. Take it easy.

If you feel you need to make changes in your portfolio, there are ways to do so short of a total makeover. You could test the waters by redirecting a small percentage of one asset class to another. You could put any new money into investments you feel are well-positioned for the future, but leave the rest as is. You could set a stop-loss order to prevent an investment from falling below a certain level, or have an informal threshold below which you will not allow an investment to fall before selling. Even if you need or want to adjust your portfolio during a period of turmoil, those changes can--and probably should--happen in gradual steps. Taking gradual steps is one way to spread your risk over time, as well as over a variety of asset classes

WILLIAM P. McANDREW is senior vice president/investment adviser at Fidelity Asset Management Services at Fidelity Deposit & Discount Bank. Go to www.fidelitybankin

vestments.com.

The following were sentenced by Pike County Judge Gregory Chelak:

• Patrick Anthony Ryerson, 44, Hawley, three to 18 months in the Pike County Jail and $400 fine for two counts of simple assault on Aug. 3, 2014, in Blooming Grove Twp.

• Robert Browne, 65, Wayne, New Jersey, two to 18 months in the Pike County Jail and $5,000 fine for simple assault in Palmyra Twp.

• Venus Lavern Williams, 48, Montague, New Jersey, one to 12 months in the Pike County Jail and $300 fine for criminal conspiracy on April 7 in Westfall Twp.

• Ariel Gayle Lentz, 33, Canadensis, 72 hours to six months in the Pike County Jail, $1,000 fine and 12 month driver’s license suspension for DUI on March 18.

• Christopher Lee Scurto, 23, Greeley, 30 to 60 months in a state correctional facility and $1,000 fine for three counts of delivery of a controlled substance and possession with intent to manufacture or deliver a controlled substance on Dec. 3, March 10 and March 12 in Hawley.

• Kendall Judith Cathcart, 43, Pompton Lakes, New Jersey, 10 days to two years in the Pike County Jail, $500 fine and 12-month driver’s license suspension for DUI on Dec. 8, 2013 in Dingman Twp.

• Jeannie Christine Fox, 58, Brown Mills, New Jersey, six months of probation and $300 fine for possession of drug paraphernalia on Sept. 16, 2005 in Blooming Grove Twp.

• Cynthia Satriano, 58, East Stroudsburg, 12 months of probation and $500 fine for theft in Lehman Twp.

• Dena D’Argenio, 31, Port Jervis, New York, three to 18 months in the Pike County Jail, $800 fine and six-month driver’s license suspension for possession of drug paraphernalia, receiving stolen property, driving while operating privileges are suspended and retail theft in Westfall Twp.

• Christopher John Herrera, 27, Shohola, 11½ months and 180 days to 23½ months in the Pike County Jail, followed by two years of probation and $1,200 fine for four counts of criminal attempt and two counts of criminal trespass on June 27, 2014, Sept. 17, 2014, and Sept. 19, 2014.

For Moosic couple Josh and Sarah Braddell, sleep deprivation once took a toll on their lives.

Their 1-year-old son Landon would only sleep about eight a hours a day. That included naps and sleeping at night. Some nights, he went to sleep at 9 p.m. and awoke at 4 a.m. Other nights, he went to sleep at midnight and woke up from 2 to 5 a.m.

“He would only nap on me,” Mrs. Braddell said. “He would never nap in a crib or anything so that was very frustrating.”

Mr. Braddell, a registered nurse and now a nurse practitioner, was pursuing his master’s degree at the time at the University of Scranton and was only getting about two to three hours of sleep at a time. Working 12-hour shifts plus taking classes and not getting sleep was rough, he said.

That’s when Mrs. Braddell joined a moms’ group and learned about Tara D’Amico, a certified infant and child sleep consultant.

The goal of her business, D’Amico Dream Consulting, is to get everyone in the family more rest. She develops a unique plan for each family to teach a child how to sleep through the night and take long naps during the day.

Since she developed a plan for Landon, he is able to go to sleep on his own for 12 hours a night and he naps nearly two hours in his crib.

“She’s literally like a savior,” Mrs. Braddell said.

Ms. D’Amico decided to look into the Sleep Sense program after she and her husband, Michael, also suffered from sleep deprivation for almost 10 months. Their son Drake woke every three to four hours.

After she learned about Sleep Sense and became certified, she said within three nights, her son slept 11 hours through the night.

Some of the things she looks at when helping a child sleep is whether he or she needs to be nursed or bottle fed or a pacifier to fall asleep or if a child needs to be rocked, bounced or taken for a car or stroller ride to nap. The program takes two to three weeks but parents will start to see improvements within a few days, Ms. D’Amico said.

“A lot of children who have sleep struggles have an attachment to something external so they don’t have their own internal sleep skills,” she said. “We provide families with a sleep program that really lets them learn their independent sleep skills on their own.”

Plains Twp. mother Lindsey Charmeski also contacted an area certified infant and child sleep consultant after being tired and cranky all day from waking up with her son Colin throughout the night. She learned he was attached to something external and needed it to sleep.

Christine Mizenko, who owns a consulting business called Little Night Owls-Sleep Solutions, helped Ms. Charmeski’s son sleep by advising her to get rid of his pacifier. Her son, who is now 1, and was 7 months old at the time, kept waking up during the night when his pacifier fell out of his mouth and he couldn’t soothe himself back to sleep.

Since he started using his blanket instead of his pacifier to soothe himself to sleep, Ms. Charmeski said he now sleeps from 8:30 p.m. to 8:30 a.m. and takes one or two naps a day.

Ms. Charmeski provided Ms. Mizenko a daily schedule and she suggested changes. She also gave her advice about how to make the changes and Ms. Charmeski later reported to her about how her son did. Within a week, her son’s sleep patterns improved, she said. Now, she said she could spend more time with her husband and is not tired and cranky during the day.

Ms. Mizenko became a certified infant and child sleep consultant after her third child Anna’s troubled sleep led her to discover the Sleep Sense program. Her daughter was 2 at the time.

“I was actually embarrassed in a way to contact my pediatrician because I should know better. I had three children,” she said. “She only slept when I was present. I didn’t realize at the time what the problem was. I read books. I watched shows. I was looking for anything I could do.”

Ms. Mizenko said her daughter’s lack of sleep was affecting her family’s quality of life because she also has two older children who needed her attention as well.

“She was crying all the time because she was so tired,” she said. “She just needed to learn the skills to be able to go to sleep on her own without me. It’s like she had never learned that.”

Like Ms. D’Amico, Ms. Mizenko also develops detailed and personalized sleep plans for children. She starts by asking families 27 questions to get to know families, their children and their schedules better to develop a customized plan, she said.

The cost for consulting services is $250 for newborn babies, $350 for infants starting at four months old and $375 for toddlers, Ms. Mizenko. Education also is available for expectant mothers for $159, she said.

For more information about certified infant and child sleep consultants in the area, go to www.DAmicoDreamConsulting.com or www.littlenightowls.com.

Contact the writer: dallabaugh@citizensvoice.com

BLENDERS

DETAILS: This recall involves 12 models of Ninja professional blenders with model numbers located in the rating label that is molded into the bottom of the motor base. They were sold at Bed Bath & Beyond, Costco, Kohl’s, Macy’s, Target, Walmart and other stores nationwide and online including www.Amazon.com, www.Costco.com, www.Macys.com, www.Target.com, www.Walmart.com and www.ninjakitchen.com from March 2012 through September.

WHY: The blender poses a laceration risk if consumers pour or invert the pitcher after removing the lid while the loose stacked blade assembly is still inside the pitcher.

INCIDENTS: 53 reports of lacerations.

HOW MANY: About 1.1 million in the U.S. and an additional 99,000 in Canada.

FOR MORE: Call SharkNinja at 877-593-5140 visit www.

ninjarecall.com and click “Download New Manual” for the revised instructions. Consumers need not return the blenders.

KIDS DRINKING TUMBLERS WITH STRAWS

DETAILS: Eight different styles of plastic drinking tumblers. The tumblers were sold with a lid and a straw. Some of the straws have a plastic mold in the shape of fangs, lips, a mustache or a zipper affixed to the top. The tumblers are branded “Bueno by Contigo” on the retail packaging and “Bueno” on the lid of the cup. All cups have the number “036201” engraved on the bottom. They were sold at Meijer and Target retail stores nationwide from May through September.

WHY: If a child chews on the drinking straw, small pieces can break off into the child’s mouth, posing a risk of ingestion or aspiration of the small part.

INCIDENTS: None reported.

HOW MANY: About 130,000.

FOR MORE: Call Ignite USA LLC at 888-434-0415 or visit www.gocontigo.com and click on “Recalls” on the home page or go to buenorecall.gocontigo.com to register for a refund.

TRIMMER TOOLS

DETAILS: STIHL edgers with model number FC 56 C, trimmer/brushcutters with model numbers FS 40 C, FS 50 C, FS 56 C and FS 56 RC, pole pruners with model number HT 56 C, and KombiMotors with model number KM 56 RC. The model number is located on the starter cover at the rear of the engine. They were sold at authorized STIHL dealers nationwide from November 2014 through September 2015.

WHY: The gasoline tank vent can become dislodged due to incorrect factory installation and cause fuel to leak, posing a fire hazard.

INCIDENTS: 319 reports of the fuel tank vents coming loose and fuel leaking. No fires or injuries have been reported.

HOW MANY: About 140,000 in the U.S. and about 16,000 in Canada.

FOR MORE: Call STIHL Inc., send email to stihlrecall@stihl.us or visit www.stihlusa.com and click on Information and then Product Recalls for more information.

WAX WARMERS

DETAILS: Ceramic wax warmer sets that include four vanilla-scented wax cubes for melting and a teacup-shaped ceramic warmer with an opening to insert a tea light candle. The ceramic warmers were colored cream with gold trim, and green with gold trim. They were sold at Family Dollar stores nationwide from April through September.

WHY: The wax warmers can produce high flames, posing fire and burn hazards to consumers.

INCIDENTS: 11 reports of the warmers producing high flames, including two reports of burn injuries and three reports of property damage.

HOW MANY: About 32,000.

FOR MORE: Call Family Dollar stores at 800-547-0359 or visit www.familydollar.com, then click on Product Recalls in the Help section at the bottom of the page.

BATTERY PACKS

DETAILS: PNY Portable lithium polymer battery packs with model number T10400 that are used to charge USB-enabled smartphones, tablets and other USB-powered devices. They were sold at Best Buy, Office Depot, Office Max and other retail stores nationwide and online at amazon.com and frys.com from January 2014 through August.

WHY: Batteries can overheat and vent flames, posing fire and burn hazards.

INCIDENTS: One report of venting with flames. No injuries have been reported.

HOW MANY: About 56,000 in the U.S. and about 800 in Canada.

FOR MORE: Call PNY Technologies at 888-316-1194, visit at www.pny.com and click on “Product Recall” under the “Support” menu at the bottom of the page, or email Tech-Support-T10400@pny.com for more information.

COMPACT TRACTORS

DETAILS: Mahindra eMax compact diesel tractors designed for residential use. They are red with a black seat. They were sold at Mahindra dealers throughout the U.S. and Canada from March 2014 through September.

WHY: Fuel lines can break or leak, posing a fire hazard.

INCIDENTS: 61 reports of cracks in the fuel tank pipe. No injuries have been reported.

HOW MANY: About 2,000 in the U.S. and about 100 in Canada.

FOR MORE: Call Mahindra at 877-449-7771 or visit www.mahindrausa.com. The firm is contacting registered owners of the tractors directly.

Comcast office grand opening

Comcast celebrated the grand opening of its first Xfinity Store in Northeast Pennsylvania with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Dickson City. The store provides Comcast customers with an opportunity to learn about and interact with the latest Xfinity products and services. Comcast also presented a $1,000 donation to Eagle Hose Company 1. The Xfinity Store is located at 1128 Commerce Blvd., Dickson City, and will be open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.

College raises scholarship money: The Commonwealth Medical College held a Black Ties for White Coats Gala at Mohegan Sun Pocono in Wilkes-Barre. Proceeds from the gala support scholarships for medical students. This year, the 7th annual Gala raised more than $431,000 for scholarships. Since the first Gala, held in 2009, the event has grossed more than $1,650,000, with proceeds providing assistance to

students.

Business expands: Kane Is Able Inc., a Scranton based logistics company, decided to make an investment in expanding its truck fleet. The business has purchased 30 new Kenworth T680 trucks. The T680 employs technologies and design features that create a safer, more efficient and more comfortable driving experience and has received the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency SmartWay Designation. KANE expects longer service intervals, increased uptime, lower operating costs and higher resale value with these new trucks, which feature the fuel-efficient PACCAR MX-13 engine. Also, Selective Catalytic Reduction, in combination with exhaust gas recirculation, enables the Paccar MX13 to boast near zero

emissions.

Law firm recognized: O’Donnell Law Offices, a Northeastern Pennsylvania law firm, has been selected by their clients and peers for national Tier recognition in the 2016 Edition of the U.S. News and World Report and Best Lawyers list of “Best Law Firms.” O’Donnell Law is ranked in Tier 2 in the practice area of Personal Injury Litigation-Plaintiffs. According to the U.S. News and World Report and Best Lawyers, rankings for the 2016 Best Law Firms are based on an evaluation process that includes the collection of client and lawyer evaluations, peer review from leading attorneys in their field and review of additional information provided by law firms as part of the formal submission process.

Energy company makes donation: Talen Energy at Lake Wallenpaupack presented the Ledgedale Volunteer Fire Company with a donation of $3,000 to help fund the purchase of equipment for their dive rescue team. The Ledgedale Volunteer Fire Company and Dive Rescue Team relies on volunteers and contributions in order to provide fire protection and emergency response service to Salem Twp. and the surrounding area.

University ranks nationally: For the second time this year, a report by the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program ranked The University of Scranton among the top 100 colleges in the nation for the increase in annual earnings it contributes to its graduates. The newest ranking, which was published in October, calculated a 25.4 percent earnings increase or “value-added” of a Scranton education, based on earnings data for alumni 10 years after enrollment. Scranton was the ninth highest-ranked college in Pennsylvania, and the

fifth highest-ranked Jesuit college.

University established Autism Center: The College of Health Sciences at Misericordia University established the Autism Center as a resource for clinicians, practitioners, caregivers and students majoring in the health and medical sciences fields. The center is the result of an inter professional collaboration of academic departments that feature programs in medical imaging, nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy, sonography, speech-language pathology and pre-professional programs like pre-medicine and pre-dentistry. It will also be a community resource, and an educational and research

entity.

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

Clarks Summit

All Abingtons-area residents, business owners and organization members are invited to a community planning meeting at the Abington Community Library, 1200 W. Grove St., to discuss which landmarks, events and stories should be recorded for a television program about the area.

WVIA-TV, producers of the “Our Town” series, will answer questions about the project, “Our Town: The Abingtons” at the meeting, which is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 24, at 6 p.m.

“Our Town: The Abingtons” is slated to debut in spring 2016.

— CLAYTON OVER

cover@timesshamrock.com, @ClaytonOver on Twitter

■

Downtown Clarks Summit will shine on Friday at the annual Lighting of the Lights event.

Lighting of the Lights kicks off the Holiday Open House weekend, and festivities are scheduled to begin around 6 p.m. at the Citizens Bank corporate office building, where resident Warren Watkins will be recognized as Citizen of the Year. As honoree, he will light the community tree.

Mr. Watkins is being recognized by the community for years of public and private service, Mayor Patty Lawler said.

“He’s been very active in the community,” she said. “He deserves this more than I can say.”

After the tree is lit, caroling and the flipping of other holiday lights is scheduled at the Our Lady of Snows Church and the clock tower. The event ends with refreshments in the Gathering Place on the first floor of the Clarks Summit Borough Hall. The event is free and the public is invited.

— CLAYTON OVER

cover@timesshamrock.com, @ClaytonOver on Twitter

■

The second concert of the 2015-2016 Arts at First Presbyterian season is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 22, and will feature the church’s adult, handbell and children’s choirs.

“It’s all lovely music for people that love the hymns and the traditional music of the church,” said Jo Conklin, a volunteer who works with the concert series.

Music starts at 4 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church of Clarks Summit, 300 School St. The concert is free and open to the public. A free-will offering will be taken, with proceeds to benefit the concert series.

— CLAYTON OVER

cover@timesshamrock.com, @ClaytonOver on Twitter

Scranton

The city Department of Public Works will pick up leaves Monday and Dec. 14, Councilman Pat Rogan announced during Thursday’s council meeting.

City Hall has been getting a lot of calls and questions from residents asking about leaf pickups.

The DPW asks that residents bag their leaves, preferably in paper bags.

Councilman Joe Wechsler noted that council last week instructed residents to put leaves in bags, and the DPW eventually would pick them up.

— JIM LOCKWOOD

jlockwood@timesshamrock.com, @jlockwoodTT on Twitter

■

Council members recently proved they know the city inside-out by winning a local trivia contest.

On Nov. 6, the Trivia Quest Scranton board game debuted at Library Express at the Mall at Steamtown.

A celebrity game featured local figures from the media, business, government and nonprofit groups.

Council fielded a team of Mr. Rogan, Mr. Wechsler and Councilman Wayne Evans.

“And our team did win,” Mr. Rogan announced during council’s meeting. “I have to give Councilman Evans and Councilman Wechsler the credit for doing the heavy lifting on those questions.”

Mr. Wechsler joked, “That’s because we’re older than you.”

Mr. Evans quipped, “You did a better job rolling the dice than I did.”

Proceeds from the board game benefit the Lackawanna Historical Society. For information about the game and where it’s available for purchase, visit triviaquestscranton.com.

— JIM LOCKWOOD

jlockwood@timesshamrock.com, @jlockwoodTT on Twitter

■

Mr. Evans said that on Tuesday, he, Mayor Bill Courtright and city Clerk Lori Reed toured the Goodwill renovation of the former North Scranton Junior High School.

Gerald Langan, president and CEO of the nonprofit Goodwill Industries of Northeastern Pennsylvania, was the tour guide. Goodwill is converting the building at North Main Avenue and Green Ridge Street into a 58-unit apartment building with an 800-seat auditorium.

“The transformation of the old school is absolutely incredible,” Mr. Evans said. “The apartments are spacious and beautiful, and the attention to detail and the sensitivity to the history of the school is amazing.”

The auditorium “is going to be a positive force in the neighborhood and in the city,” both as a great public space and state-of-the-art venue for future performances, Mr. Evans said.

Completion of the project is expected by the end of the year and will be followed by a grand opening in February, he said.

“I want to personally thank Gerry Langan for his 20 years of persistence and dedication to getting this project completed, and for delaying a much-deserved retirement to see this through,” Mr. Evans said.

He also stressed that years ago, the former school had been only days away from demolition, but now stands as a testament to the value of preserving older construction and architecture.

“This building over 20 years ago was within two weeks from the wrecking ball, with plans to replace it with another nondescript strip mall,” Mr. Evans said. “And now to see this iconic Scranton landmark come to life once again is something we all should take pride in.”

— JIM LOCKWOOD

jlockwood@timesshamrock.com, @jlockwoodTT on Twitter

■

Council on Thursday also adopted resolutions, with Mr. Rogan, Mr. Wechsler, Mr. Evans and Councilman Bill Gaughan all in favor, and Council President Bob McGoff absent, to endorse the mayor’s appointments to a revived Shade Tree Commission. The city years ago created the commission, but in recent years it became nonoperational.

City Forester Tony Santoli, who had been a commission member, sought to have it revived so the city can apply for a “Tree City USA” designation from the National Arbor Day Foundation.

Along with Mr. Santoli, the other commission appointees include Tom McLane, former Mayor David Wenzel, Anne McNally and Joe Riccardo.

— JIM LOCKWOOD

jlockwood@timesshamrock.com, @jlockwoodTT on Twitter

■

Albright Memorial Library staff are looking for old high school and college yearbooks to add to the local history collection.

The library has a mix of yearbooks dating back to the early 1900s, but the years represented are sporadic, reference librarian Martina Soden said.

“If people find old yearbooks in their basements and attics, they could just donate them to us instead of throwing them out,” Ms. Soden said. “We’d like to fill in the gaps.”

The library will accept yearbooks from schools in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming counties from any years.

Staff currently places the highest priority on gathering yearbooks from the 1950s and 1960s but is interested in any and all yearbooks, up to and including present-day editions, which will become history down the road.

People sometimes use old yearbooks for research — for example, genealogical pursuits by area residents who want to learn more about their ancestors, Ms. Soden said.

— KYLE WIND

kwind@timesshamrock.com, @jkwindTT on Twitter

AROUND THE TOWNS appears each Sunday, spotlighting the people and events in your neighborhoods. If you have an idea for an Around the Towns note, contact the writer for your town, or the Yes!Desk at 348-9121 or yesdesk@timesshamrock.com.

At Fell Charter School, the “three ‘R’s” aren’t restricted to “readin,’ ‘ritin’ and ‘rithmetic.” These basic disciplines are keys of the curriculum, but Fell’s philosophy is rooted in three “R’s” that seem dangerously rare in Harrisburg:

• Be Respectful.

• Be Responsible.

• Be Reasonable.

These basic rules are posted every few feet along the bright, colorful halls of the beautiful Fell Twp. school that was once a cluster of trailers connected by the commitments of idealistic educators and involved parents. I once saw charter schools as a short step up from home-schooling. One visit to Fell changed my mind.

The school was humming. Teachers were teaching. Students were learning. Staff members were tending to the largely anonymous tasks they perform daily.

You would never know that no one in the building was being paid to be there.

“We don’t want it to affect the kids or their families,” curriculum specialist Sabrina Durst said of the state budget stalemate between the Republican Legislature and Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf, now in its fifth month. This shameful debacle has hamstrung school districts, nonprofits and working families across the commonwealth.

While the emperors of Harrisburg fiddle, serfs burn.

Saddled with economic and logistical challenges, the faculty, staff and families that made Fell Charter School a reality refuse to let the budget impasse shut their dream down. The school week for 180 students K-8 has been cut to four days. The 25 teachers, administrators and staff will eventually be reimbursed for missed pay, but their household bills keep coming due.

And yet I can’t remember when I’ve been around people in such good spirits, despite their circumstances. They radiated the uncommon joy that rises from common purpose. If it was about a paycheck, they would have stayed in bed.

“We’re going to do everything we can to keep what we’ve built here going,” Sabrina said. “We’re very lucky to have great support from the parents and the community.”

Sabrina and her fiancé postponed their wedding over money she won’t get until a state budget is passed. The people who actually serve the state’s most vulnerable are only slightly less jeopardized than the constituencies they serve.

An October United Way of Pennsylvania survey of 282 organizations revealed:

• 45 full-time employees and 50 part-timers have been laid off or furloughed.

• 522 employees have had their hours cut.

• 73 employees are working without pay.

• 510 people lost access to employee benefits.

• Nearly 60 percent of surveyed organizations have opened lines of credit, which will lead to millions in interest payments.

The United Way of Lackawanna and Wayne Counties will miss its anuual fundraising goal, Executive Director Gary Drapek told me last week. The budget impasse punched a $600,000 hole in the United Way budget. Some businesses receive tax credits in exchange for donating, Gary said, but most businesses close their books on Dec. 31. If the impasse drags on through the end of the year, the $600,000 may never materialize.

“The shame is that we’re actually ahead of the game in the community drive,” Gary said.

United Way usually funds pre-K scholarships for about 250 kids in six counties each year. This year, it can afford to fund zero. Gary shared a letter from a pair of North Pocono parents. They had been laid off but found new, lower-paying jobs. They can’t afford to keep their daughter in pre-K, where she “found friends” and flourished.

Without help from the United Way, they wrote, “One of us needs to quit our job and stay home to take care of her, which will cause us to lose our home because we can’t pay our bills.”

Gary’s eyes narrowed.

“These are working people,” he said. “They aren’t asking to be carried. They’re just asking for a little help. How does it benefit anyone if one of them has to quit a job to take care of a child? I told this story to more than one person (he wouldn’t say who) in Harrisburg, and the response was, ‘I understand. We’re working it out. Bear with us.’

“No. How about you go back and tell that family you’re working it out and they should bear with you?”

Of course, that won’t happen. Legislators and the governor operate in an alternate reality where there are no consequences for failing to fulfill basic job responsibilities.They don’t have to be respectful, responsible or reasonable.

As The Sunday Times reports today, lawmakers spent nearly $250,000 in taxpayer money on hotels and meals during the first 100 days of the budget stalemate.

Meanwhile, Fell Charter School parents like Candice Moore were collecting box tops. They raised $370. Campbell’s Soup labels will bring in a little more money, she said, but nothing comparable to the $250,000 lawmakers burned through in a few months.

Candice was volunteering at the reception desk. Her daughter, Erin, is a first-grader. Another daughter, Raegan, will start at Fell Charter School next year. While the budget impasse has made daily life difficult, Candice said the will of teachers, staff and parents has never been stronger.

“This is a family,” she said. “We stick together.”

When you’re being held hostage by a hapless government bloated with overpaid “public servants” immune to the consequences of the messes they create, sticking together is the only way everyday people keep their lives from falling apart.

CHRIS KELLY, the Times-Tribune columnist, would like to put Gov. Wolf and the Legislature in detention until they reach a budget. Contact the writer: kellysworld@timesshamrock.com, @cjkink on Twitter. Read his award-winning blog at blogs.thetimes-tribune.com/kelly