The Journal-Herald, Thursday, January 5, 2023

theJournal-herald

THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 2022 • Volume 42 – No. 19

CONTINUING: THE WHITE HAVEN JOURNAL ESTABLISHED 1879–144th YEAR, NO. 6

CONTINUING: THE WEATHERLY HERALD ESTABLISHED 1880–143rd YEAR, NO. 32

Taxes hold in Weatherly, new homesites discussed

by Seth Isenberg

Weatherly Borough taxpayers will pay the same base tax rate as the last eight years. Weatherly Council, at their meeting on December 28, approved a $6,384,567 budget that balances without a tax increase. Council also approved the 2023 tax resolution, which has borough taxpayers paying 6.3 mills in basic tax, 1% each of earned income tax and real estate transfer tax (shared with the Weatherly Area School District), a local services tax that supports emergency responders of $52, and a $5 per capita tax.

The monthly garbage fee is the only borough fee that goes up by $5 per month with the start of the

new contract with Tamaqua Transfer.

A couple of new homes are due to rise at the edges of the borough. One is to the southeast of Seventh Street where the property owner has asked the borough to vacate paper streets that cross the new homesite’s property. There was discussion, and the result was that the request will be approved once a petition is formally made, with the property owner providing a release from any damages from the action and paying for all costs.

The second homesite is on Fitz Lane, which is the borough line, proposed to be built in Lehigh Township. The owners asked PPL to install electricity, and the company declined. There is a Weatherly borough power line up the road to provide for homes farther along that road on the Weatherly side. The owner came to the borough to see if power could be supplied by Weatherly.

To provide electricity to this property, borough manager Harold Pudliner explained, the borough will need a waiver from

the Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission. The Harrisburg-based law firm of Salzmann Hughes can navigate the PUC processes for the homeowner, who has agreed to pay all costs and made a $5,000 deposit towards them.

Council voted to contract with Salzmann Hughes, with the expectation that there will be no costs to the borough. The new homeowner will also pay to have the electricity lines extended to the home, a run that will include “a few” new power poles, and will pay Weatherly for the power supplied.

Mauch Chunk Trust offered the best rate, 4.5%, to borrow $90,000 for a tax anticipation note for early 2023 to be used to fund operations until taxes start coming in. Two other banks submitted rates.

In other business, bills of $220,529 were approved. Council voted unanimously to approve the contributions for the Police and NonUniform Pension funds for 2023 (both are fully funded).

NEW PA REPRESENTATIVE for White Haven and the whole 117th District Mike Cabell is shown with his wife, Chelsea, and sons Julian and Theo, on swearing-in day, January 3, at the state house in Harrisburg. At right, he signs the register.

THE JOURNAL-HERALD

(USPS 277-440) Published weekly at 211 Main Street, White Haven, PA 18661

Telephone (570) 215-0204

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THE JOURNAL-HERALD

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(JAY E. HOLDER, Co-Publisher 1954-1997; CLARA HOLDER, Co-Publisher 1954-2014) Seth Isenberg, Advertising Sales Ruth Isenberg, Editor Steve Stallone, Sports Editor

Member, White Haven Chamber of Commerce Carbon County Chamber of Commerce Pocono Mountains Chamber of Commerce White Haven Economic Development Association

THE JOURNAL-HERALD is printed with U.S. made soy inks on part-recycled newsprint.

© Copyright 2023, The Journal-Herald

Archives

From The Journal-Herald Issue of January 7, 1993 Editors & Publishers Jay and Clara Holder Dennison Township supervisors appointed Marvin Gueiss as supervisor to fill the term of Charles Keenapple who passed away in December.

The Lawrence Smith residence in Lehigh Township was named as best over-all in this season’s Weatherly Lions Club Christmas Decorations Contest.

soda included).

Harry Klotz was elected chairman of the Kidder Township board, replacing Charles Getz.

Dr. T’s Aces dealt Ed’s Clippers an unexpected loss 36-33.

The Marian Colts’ boys basketball team defeated Schuylkill Haven 57-41, then Bishop Hafey 80-59 to win the Marian Roundball

Classic tournament. Crestwood’s boys beat Bishop O’Reilly’s to salvage third place in the Munley Tournament, while the girls also came in third, beating Dallas 50-37.

From The Journal Issue of January 7, 1943

Publisher W. C. Taylor Will Rogers, Jr. made his appearance in Washington on Monday as a new member of congress.

Letter to the Editor

Giving generously… and giving wisely

by Ruth Isenberg

The holiday season has traditionally been a time for gift giving and not just to individuals. Many people use the time at the end of one year and the beginning of the next to provide support to charities and causes they believe in.

Sometimes, this giving is very targetted, and very personal. For example, see the Letter to the Editor elsewhere on this page. People who participated in the Giving Tree Project knew they were donating to help local people have a happier holiday. They offered wrapped gifts as well as monetary donations, and time and talent as well.

This kind of giving, like gifts to local libraries, fire companies, ambulance corps and churches, is easy. Donors know the people who will be administering their gifts. They have confidence that the money they give will be used to help people, rather than to pay high salaries to administrators, or lavish fund-raisers.

The farther away the recipient of charity is, the more difficult it is to make sure organizers are honest. No one wants to be scammed, especially when being generous.

Take a bit of time to investigate fundraising appeals. Check organizations out at charitynavigator.org and maintain a healthy skepticism about appeals from out of the blue. Make sure your gift really goes to those who need it.

EditorialWilliam Henning of Boy Scout Troop 25 of White Haven will be honored at an Eagle Scout Court of Honor this Saturday. He is a Crestwood High School graduate, and now a student at Philadelphia School of Pharmacy and Science. He is the son of Richard and Sandra Henning.

The Mountain Laurel Resort put in a printed calendar of events as an insert, promoting their festival of ice this month, brunch at Treetops, and lunch & dinner music shows starting next month by King Henry & the Showmen.

Hazleton Sweater Mills on Alter Street advertised their Big Winter Clearance half off their already discount prices (a $40 sweater regularly $20 was just $10).

The White Haven Fire Co. No. 1 will hold its installation banquet on Jan. 16 featuring a hot buffet and music by D. J. Tom Emanski for $15 (beer and

To the Editor: I write this letter to say THANK YOU to all the ANGELS in our White Haven area! The Giving Tree Project was extremely successful due to the support and efforts of MANY “worker bees”… from our Tag Makers, to the persons who set up the physical Giving Tree in any of our four, participating churches, to the persons in each church who took charge of making sure the tags were taken and the gifts were returned to St. Patrick’s on time, to each individual who took a tag or many tags, purchased the gifts, wrapped them, and returned them, to Aqua Pennsylvania for the care of a whole family, to two large, extended families who served large needs of other families, to several anonymous Angels who provided tremendous monetary gifts which purchased grocery gift cards, to the anonymous Angels who took ALL of

the remaining tags at St. Patrick’s, purchased ALL the gifts and wrapped them ALL, to the Lions Club who granted wishes to many children and teens, to our local Marine Corps Toys for Tots for making Christmas morning so joyful for our children and teens, to the Toy Team for organizing the toys, to the Lions Club Members and St. Patrick’s volunteers who organized ALL THE GIFTS, bagged them and brought them to our Food Pantry, and to the team who physically helped give out the gifts on the 19th of December. It took our White Haven “Village” for ALL of this to happen.

As I drove behind cars and trucks loaded with gifts, being moved from St. Patrick’s to the Food Pantry, my eyes were full of joyful tears of gratitude. I live in a generous community. Those who benefited from this generosity were genuinely grateful. THANK YOU!

Joan M. Gower

Public Notices

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on November 17, 2022, the Board of Supervisors of Penn Forest Township, Carbon County, Pennsylvania adopted Ordinance No. 1 of 2022 entitled “An Amendment to the Penn Forest Township Zoning Ordinance Text and Map to Establish a New C-1A Zoning District and to Locate the District South of Pa. Route 903 in the Vicinity of the Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, and to Establish New Regulations for Warehousing, Storage, Distribution Center and Trucking Company Terminal Uses.” A brief statement of the general content of this Ordinance is as follows:

The Amendment would revise definitions and regulations for warehouses, storage uses, distribution centers and trucking company terminals. The Amendment would also create a new C-1A zoning district that would include lands southwest of the Route 903/Turnpike interchange and the Turnpike commercial rest stop.

Warehousing, Storage, Distribution Center or Trucking Company Terminal (“Warehouse or Storage”) as a principal use having 100,000 or more square feet of total floor area per lot shall only be allowed as a conditional use in the I-Industrial district; and, Warehouse or Storage having 25,000 – 99,999 square feet of total floor area per lot shall only be allowed as a conditional use in the C-1A and I-Industrial district; and, Warehouse or Storage having 24,999 square feet or less of total floor area per lot shall be allowed in the C-1A and I-Industrial districts as a use permitted by right.

The Amendment also includes specific requirements addressing, amongst other things, traffic studies, noise, lighting, landscaped berming, and wider buffer yard requirements.

The full text of this Ordinance

may be reviewed by members of the public at the Penn Forest Township Municipal Building, Monday through Friday, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. The address of the Penn Forest Township Municipal Building is 2010 State Route 903, Jim Thorpe, PA 18229.

This publication is intended to provide notification of an ordinance and that any person claiming a right to challenge the validity of the ordinance must bring a legal action within thirty (30) days of the publication of the second notice.

DANA VITALE

TOWNSHIP SECRETARY PENN FOREST TOWNSHIP 2010 STATE ROUTE 903 JIM THORPE, PA 18229

THOMAS S. NANOVIC, ESQUIRE

TOWNSHIP SOLICITOR 57 BROADWAY JIM THORPE, PA 18229 1/12

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTATE NOTICE

ESTATE of LEWIS M. GULLONE, deceased, late of San Diego, California.

LETTERS OF ADMINISTRATION have been granted to the undersigned who request all persons having claims or demands against the estate of said decedent to make know the same and all persons indebted to the decedent to make payments, without delay, to the Administrator: Lewis M. Gullone, Jr. 618 Centre Avenue Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, 18229

or to his Attorney: Robert T. Yurchak, Esquire 1 East Catawissa Street Nesquehoning, PA 18240 1/19

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE IS GIVEN that the Council of the Borough of Nesquehoning, Carbon County, Pennsylvania, proposes to enact the following Ordinance at a meeting of such Council to be duly called and duly held not less than seven(7) days nor more than sixty(60) days after the publication of this Notice.

AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF NESQUEHONING BOROUGH TO ESTABLISH THE TAX LEVY FOR 2023

The Borough Council of Nesquehoning proposes to adopt an Ordinance establishing the tax levy for Nesquehoning Borough for 2023. A full text of the ordinance may be reviewed in the Borough offices, 114 West Catawissa Street, Nesquehoning, Pennsylvania.

BY THE ORDER OF COUNCIL OF THE BOROUGH OF NESQUEHONING

CARBON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

Robert T. Yurchak, Esquire Nesquehoning Borough Solicitor

1 East Catawissa Street Nesquehoning, PA. 18240

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE IS GIVEN, that the Council of the Borough of Beaver Meadows, Carbon County, Pennsylvania, proposes to enact the following Ordinance at a meeting of such Council to be duly called and duly held not less than seven (7) days nor more than sixty (60) days after the date of publication of this Notice.

AN ORDINANCE OF THE BOROUGH OF BEAVER MEADOWS REQUIRING DOGS BE ACCOMPANIED AT ALL TIMES BY AN ADULT AND PROHIBITING DOGS RUNNING AT LARGE WITHIN THE BOROUGH AND PRESCRIBING PENALTIES THEREFORE

The Borough Council of Beaver Meadows proposes to adopt an ordinance requiring dogs to be accompanied within the Borough of Beaver Meadows and not be permitted to run at large. A full text of the ordinance may be reviewed in the Borough Offices, Borough Building, Broad Street, Beaver Meadows, PA.

BY THE ORDER OF THE COUNCIL OF THE BOROUGH OF BEAVER MEADOWS CARBON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

Robert T. Yurchak, Esquire, Solicitor

1 East Catawissa Street Nesquehoning, PA 18240

The Middleburg School is submitting its War Bond Scrapbook to the Treasury Department this week. Among its outstanding contributions are $60 worth of Defense and War Stamps sold since September 1, 2,500 pounds of scrap iron collected, 100% response for Poppy sales for disabled veterans, and 160 Christmas favors made and contributed to patients at the White Haven Sanitorium by the Junior Red Cross.

The Red Cross knitters of White Haven are to be congratulated on their splendid work… Since July, they furnished 47 longsleeve turtle neck sweaters, 36 mufflers, 32 pr. wristlets, 34 helmets, 6 pr. twine mittens and 2 afghans.

Visit our website at pocononewspapers.com or find us on Facebook for more photos, news, and features.

Obituaries

ROBERT W. JOHNSON

Robert W. Johnson, 72, of Penn Lake, passed away on the morning of Monday, January 2, 2023 in Geisinger Danville after a brief illness. He was born March 25, 1950 in Kingston.

He is survived by his wife Rita (Moody) Johnson; son Wyatt Johnson, wife Lindsay, and children Harper and Hazel, of San Diego, California; son John Lynch, wife Jennifer, and children Emma and Andy; and son Daniel Lynch, Colorado.

A member of Penn Lake Park Borough Council for 10 years, he was instrumental in bringing sewers to the community. He was active in many community projects.

He retired from American Asphalt in Shavertown, after 30 years.

Arrangements are by the Lehman Family Funeral Service, Inc., White Haven. Calling hours are 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, January 7, at the funeral home. Visit lehmanfuneralhome.com to confirm details.

RAYMOND J. SLEZAK

Raymond J. Slezak, age 81,of Weatherly, passed away on Friday, December 30, 2022, at home.

Born in Hazleton, he was son of the late Raymond and Elizabeth (Malchitsky) Slezak. Ray was also predeceased by his sister, Mary Lazur.

Surviving are daughter,

THOMAS D. WARGULA SR.

Thomas D. Wargula, Sr. of Geneva, Ohio, and formerly of White Haven, passed away December 30, 2022 at Cleveland University Hospital.

Born in Hazleton, he was the son of the late John and Carolyn Ann Maughan Wargula.

Prior to retiring, Thomas worked in the steel construction industry and for Norfolk Western Railroad. He was a member of Iron Workers Local Union 17.

He loved his cats, car

In Memory of Michael E. Dias

January 7, 2022

Philip J. Jeffries

Funeral Home & Cremation Services

A Branch of Holmes – Griffiths F H , Inc 211 First Street, Weatherly, PA 18255 570-427-4231

E Franklin Griffiths III F D Philip J. Jeffries F.D./Supervisor www griffithsfuneralhomes com

A new approach to funeral and cremation care Looking forward to serving White Haven, Dennison, Lehigh, and Foster Townships All arrangements and consultations from the comfort of your home Guiding families through difficult times.

Your gentle face and patient smile With sadness we recall, You had a kindly word for each And died beloved by all.

The voice is mute and stilled the heart, That loved us well and true, Ah, bitter was the trial to part From one so good as you.

You are not forgotten loved one Nor will you ever be As long as life and memory last We will remember thee.

We miss you now, our hearts are sore, As time goes by we miss you more, Your loving smile, your gentle face No one can fill your vacant place.

Love, Your Family

racing, and fishing especially with his grandchildren, Noah and Addison.

Preceding him in death, in addition to his parents, were his brother John T. Wargula, Sr. on May 3, 2022, an uncle Jack Maughan, and a cousin David Maughan.

He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Joan Remak Wargula; his son, Thomas D. Wargula, Jr. and his wife Angela; grandson, Noah Wargula; granddaughter, Addison Wargula; and step grandchildren, Riley and Jaxon; nephew, John T. Wargula, Jr.; aunt Lorraine Carter and her husband Richard; cousins, Beverly Davis, Bill Carter, Brenda Schmaeling, Bonnie Sheaman, Brent Maughan and Diane Bonfitto.

A celebration of Thomas’ life will be held later this year.

Patricia (Frank Felker) of Glassboro, NJ; son, Raymond of Port St Lucie, Florida; sister, Margaret Dingman of Levittown PA; 3 grandchildren; and 1 great-grandchild.

A graduate of Weatherly High School, Ray served in the U.S. Army Reserves..

Ray was an active member of Our Lady of Lourdes R.C.C. of Weatherly, he was a 4th degree Knight, Knights of Columbus St. Nicholas Council 12105, Eucharistic Minister, active in Catholic Charities, and a member of the Men of the Sacred Heart. Ray retired from Garland Industries in Freeland. He was an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed hunting and mechanical projects.

Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the Philip J. Jeffries Funeral Home & Cremation Services, Inc. of Weatherly.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday January 6, at 11 a.m. from Our Lady of Lourdes R.C.C., 318 Plane Street, Weatherly. Interment will be in St. Nicholas R.C.C. Cemetery, Weatherly.

Online condolences can be expressed by visiting www. griffithsfuneralhomes.com

Lehman Family Funeral Ser vice,

Inc.

RONALD M. FISHER JR.

Ronald M. Fisher, Jr. 46, of Starrucca, formerly of Freeland, died on Thursday, December 22, 2022 at home.

Born in Hazleton, he was the son of Jill Nauman Fisher and Ronald Marvin Fisher Sr. Ronald was a graduate of Hazleton High School and worked as a clerk.

He is survived by his parents; brothers Kevin Fisher of White Haven, Joseph Fisher of Freeland, and Adam Fisher of White Haven; and companion Amy Brown of Starrucca.

His wishes were to have no services.

Arrangements are by Lehman Family Funeral Service, Inc., White Haven.

White Haven, PA PATRICK M. LEHMAN, PRESIDENT RUSSELL C TETER, JR , SUPERVISOR

Ser ving White Haven, Weatherly and surrounding communities www.LehmanFuneralHome.com

Branch of Lehman Family Funeral Ser vice, Inc (570) 443-9816

ALA begins new year schedule

The American Legion Auxiliary Unit 360 in Weatherly will hold their first meeting of 2023 on Monday, January 9, starting at 6 p.m. at the post home. All members are urged to attend this first meeting of the new year. Dates and events for the upcoming months will be discussed.

People saving coupons for the “Save Our Troops” program are asked to put their coupons in the container on the bench by the front door of the Post and not in the mailbox.

Obituaries Carbon County property transfers through December 11

RONALD C. DUSER

Ronald C. Duser, “The King,” 94 years of age, of Second Street, Weatherly, passed away on Tuesday, December 27, 2022, at Lehigh Valley Hazleton Campus.

Born Tuesday, April 24, 1928 in Hazleton, he was the son of the late William, and Iola (Rothrock) Duser. Ronald was also predeceased by his beloved wife Elizabeth “Betty The Queen” (Prokopic) Duser on February 4, 2018; first wife, Christina (Melnick) Duser; stepson, William Hartley III; sisters, Iola O’Donnell, and Evelyn Boyle Duser.

Surviving are son, Ronald M. Duser and his wife Sharon of White Haven; brother, Carl Duser; stepdaughter, Betty Ann Hart, wife of John of Weatherly; grandchildren, Aaron Duser, Michele (Hart) Budzick and her husband Tony, Kelly (Hart) Myer and her husband Lonnie, and Joy (Hart) and her husband

Troy; great-grandchildren, Christian, Madalyn, Noah, Sadie, Sophie, Lily, and Hartley.

Ronald worked at Berilium Corporation of Hazleton, and for Tung-Sol for many years, and then for the Weatherly Area School District. Ron, and Betty were huge athletes of all Weatherly Wrecker athletics, for which they were honored by being enshrined in the Weatherly Hall of Fame.

Ron served honorably in the United States Army during the Korean Conflict, and was a member of the Weatherly V.F.W.

Private funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the Philip J. Jeffries Funeral Home & Cremation Services of Weatherly.

Interment is in Union Cemetery, Weatherly.

Online condolences may be made to the family at www.griffithsfuneralhomes. com

Banks Township

Erin Kathleen Dever Porambo to Vincente Vladimir Hernandez Luciano, 17 N. Chestnut St., Tresckow, property at 17 N. Chestnut St., $110,000.

Pagnotti Enterprises, Inc., to Thomas Boretski Sr., 139 Broad St., P.O. Box 295, Beaver Meadows, parcel No. 125A-5-D40A, $58,250.

Kerla Mejia to Luis A. Torres Fernandez, 16 W. Market St., Tresckow, property at 16 W. Market St., $195,000.

Karen Kovick to Karen Michalyshin, 8 Park View Drive, P.O. Box 295, Tresckow, property at 8 Park View Drive, $1.

Stephen R. Melnick to JM Personal Property Protection Distribution Trust Revocable, 29 W. Cherry St., Tresckow, property on Cherry Street, $30,000.

Michael J. Hornick to Thunder Road Investments, LLC, Drums, property at 1910 Berwick Dt., Beaver Meadows, 125,000.

Robert Bodnar, 208 Coal St., Nesquehoning, property at 146 Berwick St., $1.

Eric Maguschak to Aurora E. Felix, 15 W. Second St., Beaver Meadows, property at 15 W. Second St., $170,000.

East Side Borough

Valeria Love to Joseph A. Alfieri, Astoria, New York, property at 593 River St., $310,000.

Kidder Township

Thomas S. O’Brien to Valor Clinic Foundation, P.O. Box 315, Brodheadsville, property at A-3 Meckes Lane, $125,000.

Svetlana Ostapenko to Zulfiqar Srif, Horsham, two transactions, property on Wolf Hollow Road and Lot 21, Section H, Split Rock, $110,000 each.

Jason Lavala to Thomas G. Chapman, Collegeville, property at 809 Timberline Drive, Lake Harmony, $590,000.

Lake Harmony, $570,000. Nicholas Spinelli to Patrick Boyle, Havertown, property at 41 Chestnut Road, Lake Harmony, $640,000.

Florence Z. Costello to Sean Banfil, Sparrows Point, Maryland, property at 26 Laurelwoods Drive, Lake Harmony, $340,000.

5 Rockspring Bl, LLC, to Margaret Ann Santi, Lone Tree, Colorado, parcel No. 19E-21-A510, $575,000.

Daniel A. Brown to Keith Edmund Gibson, Downingtown, property at 47 Midlake Drive, Unit 301, Lake Harmony, $435,000.

Stabilis Split Rock JV, LLC, to Split Rock Investments, LLC, 428 Moseywood Road, Lake Harmony, Willowbrook, Lake Harmony, $17,180,170.12.

Daniel Simpson to 30 Elevator, LLC, Westtown, Snow Ridge Section A, House 57, $140,000.

Beaver Meadows

Eugene A. Bodnar to

Robert Sabol to Anil Rana, Chester, New Jersey, property at 20 Wood St.,

Tax Claim Bureau of Carbon County to Edward D. Richards, West Palm Beach, Florida, two transactions, properties at Lake and Oak Drives and on Lake Drive, Pocono Mountain Lake, $900 each.

TMC Management Corporation to Monroe F. Berger, 5058 Live Oak Drive, White Haven, property at 5058 Live Oak Drive, $254,900.

William A. McDevitt Sr. to Valerie A. McDevitt, Mount Laurel, New Jersey, property at 29 Game Drive (Weatherly), $1.

Ronald J. Carr Jr. to See TRANSFERS, page

Glenn Stanton, Maple Glen, property at 94 Telemark, Lake Harmony, $260,000.

Barry Katz Equity Trust Company to Kevin Dietrich, 16 Birch St., Lake Harmony, property at 16 Birch St., $500,000.

Jason R. Reed to Peter J. Frederick, 763 Stoney Mountain Road, P.O. Box 1522, Albrightsville, property at 37 Blue Spruce Road, Albrightsville, $248,000.

Leonard Longo to Holiday Pocono Civic Association, 2428 State Rt. 534 West, P.O. Box 57, Albrightsville, property at 607 Lakeside and Wychwood, Albrightsville, $9,064.

Tax Claim Bureau of Carbon County top Edward D. Richards, West Palm Beach, Florida, two transactions, properties at Holiday and Stony Brook drives, and on Holiday Drive, Holiday Poconos, $870 each.

Frederick M. Anton to YK Real 4, LLC, Churchville, property at 76 Greenwood Road, Lake Harmony, $350,000.

Anupreet Chhina to Jeffrey R. Pietrak, Chester Springs, property at 77 Longview Drive, Lake Harmony, $605,000.

Haibin Zhang to Kendal Nylund, Philadelphia, property at 376 Wolf Hollow Road, Lake Harmony, $680,000.

Nicholas Lynch to Abraham Bane, Clifton, New Jersey, property t 38 Summit Wind Drive, Lake Harmony, $412,500.

Michael Molitoris to Karon Waters, Philadelphia, Lot 9, Section A, Jonathan Point, $20,000.

Conor Riodgers to Julio Alejandro Martinez Salgar, Lindenhurst, New York, Lot 4, Block E, Trail Ridge, Holiday Poconos, $1,000.

Richard Henry & Sons, LLC, to Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Allentown, right of way, State Rt. 940, $1.

Anne P. Probe to Gregg Strongin, Feasterville, property at 114 Big Pine Drive, Albrightsville, $194,000.

Robert Singer to Robert Singer, Huntington Station, New York, property at 415 Skye Drive, Albrightsville, $1.

Betsy A. Dotter to Henry C. Buchanan Jr., West Grove, property at 4320 State Rt. 534, White Haven, $65,000..

Kyle Jared Peters to Beaver Lake, LLC, P.O. Box 3, White Haven, parcel No. 60-20-A46, $12,000.

Russell Rice to Gary P. Stock, Forest Hills, New York, property at 207 Birch Road, Albrightsville, $188,000.

David Kedzierski to Patrick Greco, P.O. Box 1428, Albrightsville, property at 106 Mills Drive, Albrightsville, $214,900.

Lausanne Township

Amy L. Guth to Amy L. Guth, 4774 Buck Mountain Road, Weatherly, property at 4774 Buck Mountain Road, $1.

Joanne Wheeler to Kimberly Sheeler, 245 Company Field Road, Weatherly, parcel No. 10126-A11.07, $1.

Lehigh Township

Joseph P. Lencovich Jr. to Jeffrey C. Carder, 18 N. Lehigh Gorge Drive, Weatherly, property at 18 N. Lehigh Gorge Drive, $100,722.73.

Shane L. Hoffman to Lynn R. Hoffman, 292 Buck Mountain Road, Weatherly, property at 270 Buck Mountain Road, $50,000.

Packer Township

William E. Swinesburg to William E. Swinesburg, 3903 Quakake Road, Weatherly, parcel No. 12646-A21.05, $1.

Catherine L. Gerlach to David Bloom, 471 Sand Spring Road, Weatherly, property on Sand Spring Road, $17,304.

Eric Brill to Christopher Scott Wagner, 253 Packer Drive, Weatherly, property at 253 Packer Drive, $220,000.

Tax Claim Bureau of Carbon County to David Keller, Macungie, property at 1437 Grist Mill Drive, $90,434.

Barbara C. Hoffman to Joseph Delacruz, Shirley, New York, parcel No. 13146-B8, $50,000

Bruce Zboray to Jamie Lee Koslop, 803 North St., Weatherly, property at 3011 Wetzel Run Road, $385,000.

Mary Lou Swinesburg to Michael Melvin, 3965 Quakake Road, Weatherly, property at 3965 Quakake Road, $286,000.

Cherie M. Gudz to Thomas W. Speakman, 1665 Quakake Road, Weatherly, property at 1663 Quakake Road, $480,000.

Weatherly

Connie M. Provizzi to Joseph J. Milt, 51 Franklin St., Weatherly, property at 51 Franklin St., $188,500.

Maria Giunta to Rowenna Mathis, 11 Gera Lane, Weatherly, property at 203 Third St., $159,900.

Joan S. Pfeiffer to Black Creek Junction Enterprises, LLC, Mountain Top,

property at 736 Packer St., $35,000.

Brandy Laputka to Nicholas D. Getten, 204 Fourth St., Weatherly, property at 312 Third St., $70,000.

Sheriff of Carbon County to Community Loan Servicing, LLC, Coral Gables, Florida, property at 105 Carbon St., $1.

Tax Claim Bureau of Carbon County to Compass Geographic, LLC, West Grove, property at 220 Entwistle St., $1,665.

Joyce M. Knepper to William Joseph Moyer Jr., 607 North St., Weatherly, property at 6067 North St., $200,000.

Ralph Guerra to April M. Benko, 201 Hudsondale St., Weatherly, property at 201 Hudsondale St., $61,491.

Amy Lynn Guth to Black Creek unction Enterprises, LLC, Mountain Top, property at 133 Lauderburn Ave., $53,000.

Joan S. Pfeiffer to Connie Derr, 736 packer St., Weatherly, property at 727 Packer St., $1.

Irvin J. Richie to Black Creek Junction Consulting Investing and Acquisitions, LLC, Mountain Top, property at 229 Third St., $55,000.

Kimberly A. Wheeler to Janet L. Schaeffer, 154 Briar Lane, Weatherly, property at 154 Briar Lane, $140,500.

Luvina Welding to Harli Frantz, 21 Carbon St., Weatherly, property at 21 Carbon St., $155,000.

Joanne C. Wheeler to Edward Clarence Gettig, 761 North St., Weatherly, property at 761 North St., $1.

Sally Ann Chippi to Roberto Giunta, 219 Dean Gray Alley, Weatherly, property at 219 Dean Gray Alley, $182,000.

Sheriff of Carbon County to Bank of America, N.A., Houston, Texas, property at 58 Spring St., $1.

Gerard M. Gallagher to Black Creek Junction Enterprises, LLC, Mountain Top, property at 128 Lauderburn Ave., $40,000.

Richard C. Giordano to Richard C. Giordano, 237 Sixth St., Weatherly, property at 237 Sixth St., $1.

Seth’s Sightings

So as Christmas has passed for all but our Eastern Orthodox celebrants, so too go holiday lights. We’ve sighted a few locals taking down and packing their lights. I like to see them well into January, because they brighten these dark days.

On that note, we sighted a large inflatable Olaf from Frozen on a front yard. It was silly enough to make us smile.

This past Thursday we worked double time to get two of our other Journals finished and to press. We completed the job then went out to dinner to celebrate.

The Wilkes-Barre/ Scranton Penguins took on one of the best teams in

the AHL on Friday the Providence Bruins. We attended and saw our guys play then even-up, matching them goal for goal in a feisty game where the Bruins scored the go-ahead goal late, and then held on against a fierce Penguins effort to gain a tie. This week, the locals are hosting the Charlotte Checkers twice Wednesday and Friday. The Checkers are two points ahead of us in the division standings, so if we can see two wins we take over third place behind the Bruins. Hartford is in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday to make this an extra-fun week for fans.

This Saturday is also opening day for the PA Farm

by Seth Isenberg

Show. Ruth and I hope to attend, if we are healthy enough. Ruth has sniffles.

As for me, I’ll have to bring the rolling walker as I’m not quite strong enough for all the walking. We are still hoping to be there for the PA Youth Rodeo, and to see some of the contests and critters.

Monday, I’m due in Philly for a meeting with the surgeon for my coming operation to remove some more of my cancer cells. It’s supposed to be a long, involved operation, followed by a hospital stay. I am looking forward to the operation, but not the hospital stay I’m hoping it’s going to be short. We plan to attend some

events next weekend, then complete some work projects the following week to be clear for several days until I’m back.

Friday was a sad day, as we said our goodbyes to good friend of ours, a fellow newspaper publisher who passed away before Christmas. We attended an Episcopalian funeral service in Wynnewood. After a reception there, we tucked into line for the funeral procession, which took us through Philadelphia to a cemetery not far from the University of Pennsylvania campus. Our friend was interred in the historic Woodland Cemetery in the shade of an old cherry tree. In accordance with his wishes, a New Orleansstyle band played before the burial. Afterwards at a luncheon, friends shared words of tribute, and the band played some more.

The event ended just ahead of when traffic out of town would be the heaviest. We completed our ride up the Schuylkill in an acceptable amount of time and with no scary incidents. About halfway to the Turnpike, we had to navigate around an out-ofstate tractor trailer whose driver was NOT enjoying what appeared to be his first time on the Schuylkill Expressway. Folks were polite for Philadelphia in allowing cars to go around the truck, which was going about 35 mph a whiteknuckle ride for him.

NFL football was fun for us fans of the Tampa Bay Bradies, Pittburgh’s Steelers and the New England Patriots, and not so much for the Eagles. Tom Brady

did another of those comefrom-behind spectaculars. The Patriots found a way to beat the Dolphins. The Steelers looks like they’ve found their quarterback with Pickett. Not much to say about a crummy game by the Eagles except that they must play better this coming weekend.

The UConn Lady Huskies are back up the standings, and are still not at full strength.

We’re fans of comic Jeff Foxworthy. He has a routine identifying behavior that might ‘make you a redneck.’ We were outside of Bloomsburg on New Years’ Day, and saw a young man using his child’s plastic Playskool wagon to bring garbage bags up to the curb for the next day’s pickup. That is a redneck.

Winter should be back by Friday. I’m glad for the warm days because it took most of the warm week to melt the ice off of our sidewalk.

Have a great week, and keep healthy.

Memorial books at WACL

The following books have been donated to the Weatherly Area Community Library by Barbara and Dale Walck in memory of their niece, Jennifer Thrash. H is for Home by Robin Maderich, If I had a Little Dream by Nina Laden, Marsha is Magnetic by Beth Ferry, Snow? by Jo Surman, and Sugar and Spice and Everything Mice by Annie Silvestro.

Veterans Corner

Commentary by John Kearns, USCG Ret., chiefkearns@gmail.com

BOYS WILL BE BOYS!

In March of 1945, Germany has all but lost the war. The Americans and Canadians quickly advanced toward the Rhine River, staging to invade any day. In desperation, loyalists to the Nazis went from town to town, gathering young boys and old WWI veterans to hold them off at the river. A group of 25 boys was herded to the Rhine, given outdated weapons, and placed under the command of elderly veterans. Soon as the Nazies departed, so did the WWI veterans, leaving the boys at the river’s edge.

The eldest boy was seventeen, and the youngest was eight years old. Alone now, the 17 year-old took over. German tanks were parked along the river but out of fuel. The 17 year-old got the idea to take a tank for a ride, so all the boys walked back along the vehicles destroyed by allied Aircraft and punched holes in the gas tanks gathering as much fuel as possible and

bringing it back to the tank he had chosen. Raised on a farm, he knew how to run a tractor but not a tank. He managed to get it started and drove it into a tree, then almost into the river, though gaining confidence. He opened the hatch and called all the boys to get on. He put the tank in gear and started up the road for their town toward the advancing Allied army.

It was their lucky day; as they crossed a field, two American P-40 Thunderbolt tank killers flew overhead. By luck, the kids and their tank were not seen or would all be dead. In another half mile, they ran into a column of Nazies who kept going.

The boys ran out of fuel in half a mile, so started draining disabled vehicles again. More interested in playing with their new 8-ton toy, they stripped off their uniforms and decided to go home, But this time, they were not alone; a quarter mile away, an American

scout unit watched through binoculars. Seeing the tank approaching, the team already called the P-40s back to destroy the lone tank.

The scout unit called back the aircraft and told them it was just “a bunch of kids.”

They called their colonel, relaying the story, and asked what to do. Again, it was the boys’ lucky day; the colonel told the pilots to “scare the crap out of them” and for the scout unit to send them packing home. The aircraft flew in low and loud, causing all the boys to scramble into the tank as the P-40 fired smoke rockets. The sound of this was noisy, with the metal hitting metal. All the

boys quickly exited, some crying, others scared of ghost white. After a mock firing squad, the boys were given provisions and sent home, never to face battle again, and thankful to the Americans for their actions.

It is widely told that one of the eldest boys was to become Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who served in the Hitler Youth during World War II when membership was compulsory, according to his autobiography. A strict anti-Nazi, he went on to become Pope Benedict XVI. Although I cannot verify the facts of this story, the ages and physical locations make it possible.

ALA selling pizza, Persian doughnuts

American LegionAuxiliary Unit 360 in Weatherly will hold an unbaked pizza sale Fri., Jan. 20. Order deadline is Fri., Jan. 13. A regular pizza is $11, plus $2 per extra topping: extra cheese, 3-cheese, mushroom, sausage and pepperoni. Contact Georgia Farrow at 570-427-4527 to order. Pickup is 4–6 p.m.

Persian Doughnuts

ALA Unit 360 will hold a Persian Doughnut Sale Friday and Saturday, February 10 and 11. Pickup is Friday 12–6 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m.–noon.

Order deadline Friday, January 13. Doughnuts are $2 each. Contact any auxiliary member or Georgia Farrow at 570-427-4527 to place your order.

What the College Bowl System has become

by Frank Fear

Except for the major bowls, including the College Football Playoff (the Bowl Championship System before that), the college football bowl system is no longer a reward for outstanding play. Today, it’s a billion-dollar-plus industry, rivaling March Madness in revenue generated for sponsors, media platforms, the travel/ hospitality industry, and the universities and their associated conferences. But unlike March Madness-where teams gain access only by winning their respective conferences or being selected in a competitive at-large review process -- mediocre teams get to play in a large number of football bowl games. Just how much has the bowl system changed over the years? Only six major bowl games existed by the end of World War II – Rose, Cotton, Orange,

Sugar, Sun, and Gator –and that number didn’t grow significantly over the ensuing decades. By the end of the 1960s, only nine major bowl games existed (the original six plus Bluebonnet, Liberty, and Peach), with eighteen major teams playing. It meant that several Top 20 teams did not play in bowl games. In 196970, for example, five Top 20 teams with a combined record of 40-7-2 did not participate in postseason play. That outcome is unimaginable today. How so? The 2022-23 college football postseason included forty-three bowl games with over eighty teams playing, and more than a few teams received bowl bids after completing six-win/six-loss seasons. A number of those teams lost bowl games this year, which means they ended the year with sub.500 records. Twelve teams fit that category, finishing the 2022 season with 6-7

records – Connecticut, Miami (OH), Florida, Baylor, Louisiana, Missouri, Bowling Green, Georgia Southern, Utah State, Kansas, and Oklahoma. A thirteenth bowl participant, Rice, finished the year with an astonishing 5-8 record. Bottom line? The bowl system has changed dramatically in quantity and quality over the years—not by a little, but by a lot. What happened? There are two reasons. One is sociological, the other a matter of economics, and the two are connected. Sociologists have written extensively about a dynamic called goal displacement. That happens when an original objective or mission is displaced in favor of something different. In this case, college football displaced the goal of rewarding a few teams for excellence with (and this is where the economics comes in) … drumroll, please … turning the system into a big-money industry.

Today’s bowl system is brought to us by ESPN (the king of the bowls) and a slew of corporate sponsors, including Duke’s Mayonnaise, Barstool Sports, Duluth Trading, Tony the Tiger/Kellogg’s, Union Home Mortgage, SERVEPRO, and Quick Lane. Jimmy Kimmel even has a bowl sponsored by Stifel (whatever that is). The system exists today because of the intersection of the networks needing sports content, corporate sponsors willing to put cash on the line, getting all-in buy-in from local businesses that benefit from bowl week business, viewers (us) willing to eyeball games, and universities and conferences needing bowl payouts. Sports betting companies are another ingredient in the mix, and we’ll get to that later.

What’s interesting is that sustaining the industry does not require large numbers of fans to attend games. That’s because the industry is a media creation. It requires America’s insatiable national appetite for college football (check) … with consumers (fans) willing to watch teams they do not generally follow (check) … and who aren’t turned off by “uneven” quality of play (check). So gobs of fans watch Eastern Michigan vs. San Jose State, Western Kentucky vs. South Alabama, and Ohio U. v.

Wyoming. We get our fix because it’s still football, after all.

Is America so footballmad that fans will continue watching mediocre teams play in bowl games that don’t have a lot of meaning? I don’t think there’s any question that the answer is yes. One reason has nothing to do with the quality of play. Instead, it’s about the emergence and expansion of the college sports betting industry. The ease of placing bets--and the constant search for games to bet on-compels interest in games that otherwise wouldn’t garner much interest. Indeed, an increasing number of universities are forming partnerships with betting platforms and encouraging their fans (including students) to download and place bets using a promoted sports betting service.

College football bowl access was overly restrictive decades ago, and today it has morphed in the opposite direction. Neither option serves college football well, but given how markets rule the world, don’t expect significant change anytime soon. Where there is a market, there is a way.

Frank Fear is the managing editor of The Sports Column at thesportcol. com

Need an Extra Copy of this issue?

The Journal-Herald is for sale at: White Haven Market, Fuel-On, and White Haven Exxon in White Haven, Wawa at the Turnpike in Kidder, Weasel’s in Dennison, and TJ’s One Stop in Weatherly.

Crestwood Girls’ Basketball

Lady Comets endure rough early-season stretch

The Crestwood girls dropped two games to Wyoming Valley West last week, and another to host North Pocono in the Akens Holiday Basketball Tournament.

Valley West 63, Crestwood 50 - For the second time in as many weeks, Wyoming Valley West held off Crestwood again, this time on Thursday night in the consolation game of the Akens Holiday Tournament at North Pocono. The Lady Spartans (6-1) pulled out to a comfortable 45-24 lead through three quarters

before the Lady Comets (1-3) caught fire, scoring 26 fourth-quarter points to make things interesting. Valley West beat Crestwood 49-42 last week in the teams’ WVC opener. Mackenzie Perluke led four doublefigure scorers with 15 points for Valley West.

Cadence Hiller topped the Lady Comets with 15 points and Dougherty followed with 10.

CRESTWOOD (50) - Bozinko 1 0-0 2, Glowacki 2 0-4 4, Kijek 0 0-0 0, Andrews 3 2-4 8, Petrosky 0 0-0 0, Hiller 3 8-10 15, Gallagher 1 5-9 7, Dougherty 4 0-0 10, Seifert 2 0-0 4, Krupa 0 0-0 0, Lenahan 0 0-0 0. Totals: 16 15-27 50.

Crestwood Boys’ Basketball Roundup

WYOMING VALLEY WEST (63) - Novitski 3 1-1 8, Marsola 3 2-2 11, Perluke 6 2-5 15, Oliphant 3 4-6 11, Saunders 1 1-2 3, Irizarry 5 1-3 12, Richet 0 3-4 3. Totals: 21 14-23 63. Crestwood.........7 9 8 26 - 50 Valley West.....18 13 14 18 - 63 3-pointers: Andrews 2, Hiller. Marsola 3, Novitski, Perluke, Oliphant, Irizarry.

North Pocono 41, Crestwood 35 - Kylie Mastilla and Abby Lenchitsky both scored 11 points and Sam Polishan added nine as the host Trojans advanced to the finals of the Akens Tournament.

Kate Gallagher topped the Lady Comets with 13 points. Keira Dougherty was right behind with 12.

CRESTWOOD (35) - Bozinko 1 0-0 2, Glowacki 3 0-0 7, Hiller 0 1-2 1, Gallagher 6 0-4 13, Dougherty 5 0-0 12, Lenahan 0 0-0 0. Totals: 15 1-6 35.

NORTH POCONO (41) - Polishan 3 0-0 9, DeCesare 3 0-0 6, Monacelli 0 1-5 1, Mastillo 5 1-2 11, Lenchitsky 3 5-6 11, Koch 1 0-0 3. Totals: 15 7-13 41.

Crestwood............8 9 7 11 – 35 North Pocono.....10 10 12 9 – 41 3-pointers: Dougherty 2, Glowacki, Gallagher, Polishan 3, Koch.

WVW 49, Crestwood 42Mackenzie Perluke (16) and Kalia Saunders (13) combined for 29 points to lead WVW to a win over the Lady Comets in the teams’ Wyoming Valley Conference opener at Crestwood.

Julia Glowacki powered the Crestwood offense with

15 points, including four triples. Jordan Andrews and Grace Pasternick added eight points apiece.

Crestwood fell behind 15-7 after one quarter, but closed the gap by outscoring the Spartans 25-20 over the middle two periods.

However, Valley West used a 14-10 advantage in the final quarter to hold on.

WYOMING VALLEY WEST (49) - Novitski 0 0-0 0, Marsola 2 1-2 7, Perluke 7 1-2 16, Oliphant 1 2-2 5, Saunders 5 2-2 13, Irizarry 1 3-4 6. Richet 0 0-0 0. Totals: 17 9-12 49.

CRESTWOOD (42) - Collins 1 0-0 2, Bozinko 0, Glowacki 5 1-2 15, Andrews 3 2-3 8, Hiller 0 1-4 1, Gallagher 0 1-2 1, Pasternick 4 0-0 8, Dougherty 2 2-2 7. Totals: 15 7-13 42.

Valley West.......15 9 11 14 – 49

Crestwood..........7 13 12 10 – 42 3-pointers: Marsola 2, Perluke, Oliphant, Saunders, Irizarry, Glowacki 4, Dougherty.

Crestwood boys split at McGrane Tournament

The Crestwood boys’ basketball team reached the final of the annual McGrane Holiday Tournament, and also won its Wyoming Valley Conference opener over the past week.

Crestwood 61, Valley West 48Crestwood outscored Wyoming Valley West 16-0 over the first eight minutes and went on to the WVC Division I victory last week.

Drew Sechleer poured in 21 points, including three triples, to lead the Comets, who improved to 6-3 overall.

Lewis Walker had 16 points for the Spartans (0-7, 0-1).

CRESTWOOD (61) - Czapla 0 0-0 0, Johnson 4 0-0 9, Sklarosky 3 1-3 7, Wright 3 4-7 10, Hilpp 0 0-0 0, D. Sechleer 7 4-4 21, Agapito 2 2-4 6, Burbank 1 5-8 8. Totals: 20 16-26 61.

WYOMING VALLEY WEST (48) - Walker 4 5-8 16, Eddy 0 0-0 0, Dittus 1 0-0 3, Kanopke 2 4-6 10, Kelly 1 0-0 2, Terry 0 0-0 0, Wells 4 0-1 8, Daniels 1 0-0 2, Lewis 2 1-1 5, McKenith 1 0-0 2. Totals: 16 10-16 48.

Crestwood......16 14 18 13 - 61 Valley West......0 9 15 24 - 48 3-pointers: D. Sechleer 3, Johnson, Burbank. Walker 3, Kanopke 2, Dittus.

Holy Redeemer 43, Crestwood 33 - Holy Redeemer jumped on Crestwood with an 18-10 first quarter and held on from there to beat the Comets and claim the McGrane Holiday Basketball Tournament last week at the Wyoming Valley CYC in Wilkes-Barre.

Sechleer scored a gamehigh 12 points to lead the Comets.

CRESTWOOD (33) - R. Sechleer 0 0-0 0, Czapla 0 0-0 0, Johnson 1 0-1 2, Sklarosky 1 1-1 3, Wright 2 3-5 7, Hilpp 0 0-0 0, Tejeda 0 0-0 0, D. Sechleer 5 1-3 12, Feisel 1 0-0 2, Agapito 0 0-0 0, Burbank 1 4-6 7. Totals: 11 9-16 33.

HOLY REDEEMER (43) - Perth 5 0-0 10, Wright 4 0-0 11, Lussi 4 1-1 10, Sabatini 2 0-0 4, Ha 0 0-0 0, Hunter 1 0-0 3, Pruitt 0 0-0 0, Atherton 0 0-0 0, Kozeski 2 1-1 5, Rosen 0 0-0 0. Totals: 18 2-2 43.

Crestwood.............10 9 9 5 – 33

Holy Redeemer.....18 10 7 8 – 43

3-pointers: D. Sechleer, Burbank. Wright 3, Lussi, Hunter.

Crestwood 73, Lake-Lehman 34 - Nine Crestwood players hit the scoring column and four reached double figures, as the Comets dispatched Lake-Lehman in the opening round of the McGrane Tournament. Drew Sechleer and Chaz Wright each scored 14 points, Mason Czapla had 13 and Matt Sklarosky 12 for

the Comets, who broke out to a 24-7 first-quarter lead and cruised from there.

Spencer Smith had 11 points to lead Lake-Lehman.

LAKE-LEHMAN (34) - Pavaschak 2 1-2 5, Shishkowski 1 0-0 2, Kaiser 1 2-3 4, Bean 3 0-0 8, Jones 0 0-0 0, Berry 0 0-0 0, Darling 1 0-0 2, Smith 3 2-2 11, Hammitt 1 0-0 2, Lee 0 0-0 0, Tabshah 0 0-0 0. Totals: 12 5-7 34.

CRESTWOOD (73) - R. Sechleer 0 0-0 0, Parro 0 0-00, Czapla 5 1-1 13, Johnson 1 0-1 2, Sklarosky 5 1-2 12, Wright 5 4-6 14, Hilpp 2 0-0 5, Tejeda 0 0-0 0, Jennings 1 0-0 3, D. Sechleer 6 0-0 14, Feisel 0 0-0 0, Agapito 0 0-0 0, Burbank 4 0-0 8, Nulton 0 2-2 2. Totals: 29 8-12 73.

Lake-Lehman.....7 13 4 10 – 34 Crestwood....... 24 19 25 5 – 73 3-pointers: Smith 3, Bean 2. Czapla 2, D. Sechleer 2, Sklarosky, Hilpp, Jennings.

Lady Wreckers hold off LLA behind Kane

Emma Kane and Abby Paisley keyed an 11-4 third quarter run with four points apiece as the Weatherly Area girls outlasted Lincoln Leadership Academy 39-36 in a nonleague basketball game last week in

Weatherly.

The Lady Wreckers trailed 22-16 at halftime, then outscored the Lions by 10 points in the second half.

Kane finished with a team-high 13 points, and Bethany Houser just

missed double figures with nine points.

Arielle Taylor paced Lincoln Leadership with 11. Teammates Alaina Ortiz and Jocelyn Fuentes each had eight.

LINCOLN LEADERSHIP (35) - Taylor 5 0-0 11, Ferrer 1 2-2 4, Ortiz 4 0-2 8, Fuentes 4 0-2 8, Smith 0 0-0 0, Pagan 2 0-0 4, Jimenez 0 0-0 0, Floreanno 0 0-0 0, Rosario 0 0-0 0 , Monero 0 0-0 0, Ackles 0 0-0 0. Totals: 16 2-6 35.

WEATHERLY AREA (39) - Kane 5 1-2 13, Gaydoscik 1 1-4 3, Houser 1 6-10 9, Davidovich 0 0-0 0, Reiner 1 4-8 6, Pugh 1 1-4 4, Paisley 2 0-0 4. Totals: 11 13-28 39.

Lincoln Leadership......12 10 4 9 – 35

Weatherly Area............9 7 11 12 – 39

3-pointers: Taylor, Kane 2, Houser, Pugh. 3-FGs: None.

Schuylkill Haven 39, Weatherly Area 27 - Karlee Feger scored 14 points, and Schuylkill Haven pulled away to the non-league victory over visiting Weatherly Area.

Emma Kane scored nine points for the Lady Wreckers.

WEATHERLY AREA (27) - Kane 3 3-4 9, Gaydoscik 0 1-2 1, Houser 1 2-6 4, Davidovich 3 0-0 6, Reiner 2 1-2 5, Weston 0 0-0 0, Paisley 1 0-0 2. Totals: 10 7-14 27.

SCHUYLKILL HAVEN (39) - Hutchinson 0 2-4 2, Schaffer 3 3-4 9, Brown 1 2-2 4, Zukosky 0 0-0 0, Goehring 0 0-0 0, Kline 0 0-0 0, Feger 6 2-4 14, Dress 2 1-2 5, Porter 1 3-4 5, Artz 0 0-0 0. Totals: 13 13-20 39.

Weatherly Area......... 7 6 5 9 – 27 Schuylkill Haven......12 12 10 5 – 39 3-pointers: None.

Weatherly Boys’ Basketball Roundup Wreckers take second in CMVT Tournament

The Weatherly Area Wreckers won their first game of the season and placed second at the ColumbiaMontour Vo-Tech Holiday Basketball Tournament last week.

Weatherly Area 75, CMVT 62Five different players reached double figures, leading the Wreckers past host CVMVT for their first victory and a spot in the finals. Freshman Niko Saldukas led the way with a career-high 18 points, including four triples. Ian McLaurin finished with 15 points, Jordan Mitchell had 12 and Jacob Parker and Ian McKeegan tossed in 10 apiece.

Toby Zajec paced the Rams with 33 points. Ben Mattern helped with 20.

WEATHERLY AREA (75) - Parker 3 2-3 10, Hoffman 0 0-0 0, McLaurin 6 3-6 15, McKeegan 3 4-4 10, Saldukas 6 2-2 18, Wagner 0 4-4 4, Puzzetti 1 2-4 4, Buck 1 0-0 2, Mitchell 5 0-0 12. Totals: 25 17-23 75. CMVT (62) - Vanblohin 0 0-0 0, Yurcho 0 0-0 0, Mortian 0 0-1 0, Bizoan 0 0-0 0, Mattern 6 4-7 20, Bogert 0 0-0 0, Trametter 0 0-2 0, Kocher 3 0-0 9, Zajec 11 7-10 33, Gannon 0 0-0 0. Totals: 20 11-20 62.

Weatherly Area.....16 15 20 24 – 75

CMVT.....................9 9 19 25 – 62

3-pointers: Saldukas 4, Parker 2, Mitchell 2, Mattern 4, Zajec 4, Kocher 3.

Canton 55, Weatherly Area 34 - In the championship game one night later, Canton went on a 17-5 run to end the first half and cruised from there to defeat the Wreckers and capture the tourney title. Kyle Kopichole (16), Winston Bellows (15) and Ben Fitch (11) all reached double figures for Canton.

McLaurin paced Weatherly Area (1-6) with 14 points.

WEATHERLY AREA (34) - Higgins 0 0-0 0, Parker 2 0-0 5, Hoffman 0 0-0 0, McLaurin 5 2-4 14, Berger 0 0-2 0, McKeegan 3 0-0 8, Saldukas 1 0-0 2, Wagner 0 0-0 0, Eroh 1 0-0 2, Ortiz 0 0-0 0, Mitchell 1 0-0 3, Puzzetti 0 0-0 0, Buck 0 0-2 0, Montz 0 0-0 0, Davis 0 0-0 0. Totals: 13 2-8 34. CANTON AREA (55) - Brackman 0 0-0 0, Bellows 6 1-5 15, Allen 2 1-2 7, Porte 0 2-3 2, Carter 0 0-0 0, Flemming 0 0-0 0, Fitch 5 0-2 11, Vromain 0 0-0 0, Williams 1 0-0 2, Wesneski 1 0-0 2, Kopichole 7 2-4 16. Totals: 22 6-14 55. Weatherly Area.....11 5 12 6 – 34 Canton Area..........17 17 15 6 – 55

3-pointers: McLaurin 2, McKeegan 2, Parker, Mitchell. Bellows 2, Allen 2, Fitch.

Visit our website at pocononewspapers.com for in-between-issue stories and events

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Year in Review

Local teams, athletes provided many memories in 2022

by Steve Stallone Sports Editor

It’s always fun to look back on sporting events or remember a certain period of time when teams or athletes were at the very top of their game. Local fans will be looking back at 2022 for a long time.

From Crestwood High School to Weatherly Area and Marian Catholic, area athletes took their games to new heights, and their teams to a level that few get to. They provided memorable plays and victories and gave fans plenty of reasons to cheer.

As we turn our calendars to 2023, let’s take a look back at the local sports stories that made headlines over the past 12 months, and gave us so many reasons to smile and celebrate what was an amazing year in sports...

Big turnaround

It was a turnaround few expected - at least outside the Crestwood football circle, that is. Yes, the returning talent was there heading into this season, including a senior class that had been a big part of the 2020 District 2 4A championship run as sophomores. Following that 8-1 campaign, however, the

Comets never gained their footing, slumping to a 3-8 finish in 2021 that had many doubting if they could get things turned back around.

The Comets had no doubts, but they had to come together as one if they were going to reverse course. “If you don’t play as a team, you cannot win, and you cannot have success,” head coach Ryan Arcangeli said back in August. “We were not together last year. We are now a true team from top to bottom. It makes it fun to coach.”

Boy, did the Comets have fun in 2022.

Together as one, they navigated a rugged 10-game schedule with nine wins, and streaked into the postseason on an eight-game winning streak. From there, they took out Nanticoke, Berwick and defending district champ Valley View to reclaim the District 2 4A title, then outplayed Bonner-Prendergast in the state quarterfinals for the program’s first-ever PIAA tournament victory.

Their dream season ended the following week against eventual state champion Bishop McDevitt, but not before the Comets had won 12 straight games and put together a 13-2 season that was the best in school

history.

“You don’t know how they would bounce back from 3-8,” Arcangeli said following the season. “It was great senior leadership and the younger kids bought in. They were refusing to go 3-8 again, and you saw the result. We were right on the doorstep.”

Four players Noah Schultz, Magnus Bibla, John Jones and Nick Miscavage received the ultimate individual award, when they were named to the Pa. Football Writers’ All-State Team following the season.

Schultz enjoyed a record-setting senior season, rushing for a program-record 2,414 yards and 35 touchdowns, and averaging 9.3 yards per carry. Add in 18 receptions for another 203 yards and 2 touchdowns, and he was the complete offensive package in the Comets’ lethal singlewing attack.

Bibla terrorized opposing offenses from his defensive end position, amassing 12 quarterback sacks and forcing four fumbles. Of his 70 total tackles, 23 came from behind the line of scrimmage.

Meanwhile, Miscavage picked off an area-best nine passes from his safety spot, and Jones anchored

the offensive and defensive interior lines for the Comets.

Fabulous Fillies

The Marian Catholic girls’ basketball team soared to a District 11 Class A championship and a run to the PIAA quarterfinals under first-year head coach Damian Fritz, led by the veteran presence of junior point guard Ashley Pleban from Weatherly. With Pleban running the show and teammates Frankie Martinelli, Carly Minchhoff, Fatikha Tikhtova and Kerrigan Digris doing their thing, the Fillies won 21 games, a Schuylkill League Division III title, the District 11 Class A crown, and their first state playoff win in eight seasons.

All five of those starters and the many of the team’s top reserves returned for the 2022-23 season, and were off to a 7-1 start heading into the new year, as the Fillies look to make another deep run this winter.

“I think there’s going to be some exciting times up on the hill in Hometown,” Fritz predicted.

Laxers win title again

Paced by star player Isabella Caporuscio’s 13 goals and three assists, the Crestwood girls’ lacrosse team dismantled Wyoming

Area 18-8 to capture their second consecutive District 2 Class 2A championship.

“I have so much passion for the sport, and I knew I needed to come to play the best game all season to come out with a win,” Caporuscio said. “I was really trying to find the net so we could put some goals on the board.”

Mount Saint Joseph turned up the defensive pressure in the PIAA Class 2A quarterfinals, however, shutting down the Lady Comets 22-9 and ending Crestwood’s stellar season at 18-2-1.

Caporuscio finished with six goals, and senior standout Julia Glowacki wrapped up her career with a pair of goals.

Running at states

Crestwood sophomore Ella Novelli secured her first state medal by finishing 25th in the Class AA race at the PIAA Cross Country Championships in Hershey. She was able to celebrate that medal with her teammates around her, as both the Crestwood girls and boys had full teams competing at the state championships. The Crestwood girls finished ninth in the Class AA team standings.

“We have an amazing

team, and everyone works together and pushes each other,” said Novelli, who was 55th in the Class AAA race as a freshman last fall.

Running in the mid-30s after the first mile, Novelli began picking off runners ahead of her, ultimately finishing 25th to just get her medal. The top-25 runners in each classification get medals.

Novelli competed alongside teammates Kaelyn Barker, Maddie Danko, Scarlett Evans, Maggie Riccio and Kozich sisters Ellie, Katie and Maggie.

In the Class AA boys’ race, Crestwood freshman Mason Staude was the Comets’ top finisher, placing 60th. Connor Buckley, Nate Higgins, Ryan Kozich, Jacob Letteri, James Modrovsky, Weston Medvetz and Kevin Luther also represented the Crestwood boys, who placed 13th in the team standings.

A pair of Weatherly Area runners were also competing at the PIAA Cross Country Championships, earning that right by their high finishes at the District 11 Meet. Running in the Class A race, Michael Berger continued his late surge by placing 118th in a time of 19:27. Wrecker teammate Jacob Parker was 161st in a time of 20:04.

Bibla’s big mat season

Not even an injury could keep Crestwood’s Magnus Bibla from reaching the PIAA Wrestling Championships. Competing in the Northeast Class 3A Regional in Bethlehem, Bibla injured his shoulder in the quarterfinal round, and battled through that to reach the 215-pound championship bout. Although he re-injured the shoulder in the championship match and had to take an injury default, he still finished second and earned the right to move on to states.

Bibla used his athleticism to out-wrestle Emmaus’ Jared Groller in the semifinal round, pinning Groller en route to a berth in the finals. The District 2 champion then drew District 11 champ and top seed Chase Levey (39-4) of Nazareth in the final. When Bibla was unable to wrestle, Levey was awarded the championship. Although still hampered by the shoulder injury, Bibla competed at his first PIAA Championships in Hershey. He lost by fall to Belle Vernon’s Cole Weightman and Wallenpaupack’s Henry Baranowski to end his season, which included a 33-7 record, a district championship and trips to regionals and states.

“He’s just an all-around great student-athlete,” firstyear head coach Jim Costello

said. “He works hard in the wrestling room and outside of the room, as well as in the classroom.”

Stickers win districts

The Crestwood girls’ field hockey team got off to a 2-4 start under first-year head coach Amanda Tredinnick, but never lost its focus. The Lady Comets turned things around, got on a roll heading into the district playoffs, and went on to capture the District 2 Class 2A title.

Crestwood gave Mechanicsburg all it could handle in the PIAA quarterfinal round, only to fall in overtime to end the season at 14-8.

“In a nutshell, we had had a slow start (to our season), and we built a really tough schedule to plan for this moment,” Tredinnick said after the state tournament. “There was a point in our season where we were 2-4, and I said, ‘Guys, I can’t lose you now. We’re building something for down the road.’” Her words were prophetic, as Tredinnick’s team went 12-4 the rest of the way.

“They’ll fight until the end and, as a coach, I can’t ask for anything more than that,” Tredinnick said. “My coaching staff and I push them as far as we can, and because we know that they can get the job done.”

On Track

The Crestwood boys and girls left their mark on the District 2 Class 3A Track and Field Championships in the spring, coming away with four golds and plenty of additional medals at the two-day event held at Scranton Memorial Stadium.

Crestwood senior Ethan Shudak launched the shot put a personal-best 50 feet, 3

inches to win his first district championship and punch his ticket to the state meet in Shippensburg. Comets teammate Isaac Mertz of White Haven cleared 12 feet, 6 inches to easily win the pole vault competition.

Meanwhile, Lady Comets Molly DeMarzo and Julia Lazo also struck gold. DeMarzo led from start to finish to win the girls’ 3200meter run, while Lazo won the pole vault at 11 feet, 6 inches for her first district gold.

The four concluded their spring season at the PIAA Class 3A Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University.

They were joined there by Weatherly Area’s Rhianna Markovchick, who clocked a 16.43 in the District 11 Class 2A 100-meter finals, placing second and punching her ticket to states at long last. “I was pretty excited,” she said. “That was my whole goal this year, making it to states.”

In the PIAA Meet she turned in a preliminary time of 16.8 seconds and did not advance to the finals. Nonetheless, Markovchick placed 19th in the state, a strong statement for someone from a District with improvised track facilities.

Maddie magic

Weatherly Area’s Maddie vonFrisch capped an outstanding softball season by being named to the Class A second team as a pitcher on the Pennsylvania High School Softball Coaches Association (PaHSSBCA) All-State Team.

The team was selected from well over 400 nominations by high school coaches and media members statewide. A first team and

second team were then voted on and chosen for each of the six classifications by the PaHSSBCA committee.

At Weatherly, vonFrisch was the Lady Wreckers’ leading hitter and their lights-out pitcher, reaching double figures in strikeouts in nearly every game this season. The junior standout also surpassed 300 career strikeouts midway through the campaign.

Swinging success

Crestwood’s Tommy Biscotti came through with a solid back nine when his team needed it most, leading the Comets to the District 2 Class 3A team golf championship at Fox Hill Country Club in Exeter in October.

Biscotti posted a 7-over 78 as Crestwood slipped past Abington Heights, 322-325 in the district title match, sending the local Comets into the state tournament. Individual PIAA qualifiers Derek Johnson and Owen Blazick shot a 79 and 80, respectively, for Crestwood, which went undefeated during the regular season en route to the WVC Division 1 crown.

Star Studded Game ends in unexpected way

by Brandon King

Monday Night Football featured two of the AFC’s greatest teams, the Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bills current hold the #2 seed at 12-3 with two games to go, and the Bengals the #3 seed at 11-4. This matchup featured two great quarterbacks in

Josh Allen and Joe Burrow, as well as two great wide receivers in Stefon Diggs and Jamar Chase.

Allen is having a season in which he has thrown for over 4,000 yards with 32 pass touchdowns along with 7 rushing touchdowns. Diggs has a lot to do with that success as he accounts for over 1,300 of those yards and 10 touchdowns.

On the other side Joe Burrow has had a very similar season, also throwing over 4,000 yards with 34 pass touchdowns and 5 rushing touchdowns.

Jamarr Chase missed 5 games this season and is still close to 1,000 yards on the season - sitting at 962. Since Chase came back from his injury four weeks ago,

the Bengals have not lost a game.

It was the first quarter at Paul Brown Stadium, home of the Bengals, 5:33 left. The Bengals were winning 7-3 with possession of the ball. Burrow passed over the middle to a covered Tee Higgins who made the catch and was immediately tackled by Bills’ Safety Damar Hamlin. Hamlin got back up after the play only to fall back over again.

With Hamlin laying there on the field, teammates were visually concerned as the ambulance had to come onto the field. The medics on field proceeded to then perform CPR and use the AED (more commonly known as a defibrillator). Hamlin laid there for 23 minutes - eventually put into an ambulance while Bills and Bengals players were in a circle praying for him.

The game was delayed for another hour as Bills head coach Sean McDermott and Bengals head coach Zach Taylor sent both teams to the locker room, which was unprecedented.

Reportedly the NFL told players they had “five minutes to get ready.”

Both Coaches stepped in and decided they were not going back out onto the field. At 9:56 the game was suspended without any new plan of when to play the game. It was a moment in which everyone realized was bigger than football.

Bengals fans were writing “prayers for #3” on posters. Allen and Diggs were crying because of what they saw.

It was learned that Diggs took an uber to see Hamlin at the hospital. Hamlin’s latest update as of 1:45 a.m. Tuesday is Hamlin suffered

cardiac arrest, with his heartbeat was restored on field. He is currently sedated on a breathing tube in critical condition.

One good piece to leave this story on though is fans have come together for Hamlin sending him prayers and donating to his charity toy drive “The Chasing M’s Foundation Community Toy Drive ‘’ which his goal was $2,500 and it’s now reached over $3 million dollars.

Brandon King, from White Haven, writes sports.