CMYK Art appreciation a little rusty? Nothing a visit to the Steamtown National Historic Site can’t fix. See Page 10.
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A WAVE to Flag Day Vintage postcard brings June 14 to the forefront. See Page 12.
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A.H. set to install signs
“This (parenting) is the most important job I have…we just want to spend as much time with them, whether that’s through coaching or school- related activities.”
BY KELLY MCDONOUGH Abington Journal Correspondent
Sometimes things just seem to “happen.” And that’s exactly what “happened” to Paula Mackarey, president and owner of Happenings Communications Group, Inc. After studying advertising and public relations at Marywood College, now University, Mackarey began working for regional magazine Happenings in August 1994. The Scranton resident said it was an evolution. She worked for Mackarey an interim owner for two years, putting in a lot of hours and basically making it her life. When the magazine went up for sale, Mackarey said her brother helped her purchase it. “It was a smaller company, just me. I don’t even know if I had an employee when I first began. But, Happenings Magazine paved the way for a larger company and evolved into an organization with ten people reaching 10 counties in Northeastern Pennsylvania,” Mackarey said. Managing editor Barbara Toolan has been working with Mackarey 17 years. Mackarey explained that they met at Marywood, never lost touch and formed a dynamic team. Mackarey’s mission is to promote the assets of the region
JUNE 13 TO JUNE 19, 2012
BY ROBERT TOMKAVAGE rtomkavage@theabingtonjournal.com
ABINGTON JOURNAL/JOAN MEAD-MATSUI
Teal Gilbert, Waverly, plans to spend Father’s Day with family. "I don’t need a lot of fuss, just to be able to spend the day with my wife, kids and family. ”One of the many activities Gilbert enjoys with his children is drawing with chalk. Shown from left, clockwise, are Sadie, 6, Jake, 10, Teal Gilbert, Hannah, 11 and Aiden, 8.
Family FIRST Waverly Twp. dad values time spent with children By Joan Mead-Matsui Abington Journal Correspondent
T
eal Gilbert, Esq., 44, Waverly Township, may well be the epitome of the “involved” dad. And, as Father’s Day approaches, Gilbert’s plans will be in keeping with that family tradition. “I don’t need a lot of fuss, just to be able to spend the day with my wife, kids and family,” he said. “We always spend Father’s Day outside. We’ll probably go for a hike at the state park, play some Wiffle ball and soccer with the kids and have a family barbecue with my parents, (Stan and Gwynne Gilbert, South Abington Township), Rachel’s father (Robert Haftel, Waverly) and my family in the area.” Throughout the year, soccer, baseball, kickball, hiking, walks, star gazing with a telescope, drawing with chalk, and camping in the backyard are among the many activities Teal Gilbert enjoys with his children, Hannah, 11, Jake, 10, Aiden, 8 and Sadie, 6.
“We (Gilbert and wife, Rachel) are at that point in our lives where everything is kid-centered and it might be to a fault. This is the most important job we have and we’re lucky to have kids,” said Gilbert, who has coached baseball and soccer. He and Rachel are also active in a number of activities at their children’s schools and at the Waverly Community House, including the recent Playground Rebuild project. “My philosophy has always been a little different than the norm. I’d rather put the time in with the kids now and then there’s always time to work. Work is important…but maybe I have a little different mindset,” said Gilbert, sole proprietor of the Law Offices of Teal Gilbert, a legal practice that includes civil and personal injury cases. “This (parenting) is the most important job I have,” said Gilbert. “Especially now See Dad, Page 6
Becca Rose Williams, 8, says her grandpa is like a father, and he is a great grandpa because he buys Chef Boyardee and Nutella.
Troy Kester, 7, says that he loves his dad because they go places and take the four wheeler to the hunting cabin.
Appreciating Dad
As Father’s Day approaches, youngsters at Newton Ransom Elementary school discussed what they love most about their father figures. Students from the first grade class of Sherri Sickler, Amanda Schwenk and Karen Pocius shared answers. For more, see Page 15.
Christian Jones, 6, says that he loves to wrestle with his dad and brother and that he and his brother usually win.
PHOTOS/ STEPHANIE ELKO
Scottie Davis, 8, says that his dad is cool because he makes giant metal at General Dynamics.
Kailey Rillstone, 6, says that her dad is the best because he is teaching her how to box.
CLARKS SUMMIT- Due to the rising costs to run high school sports programs, Abington Heights Director of Athletics and Development Jeremy Ruby plans to have four permanent back-lit signs installed in the high school gym to generate revenue. “In my mind this is the perfect place to start,” Ruby said. “We have 25-30 actual high school events, plus up to 30 additional events. There are many individuals who pass through there during the course of the year.” The four signs will cost $7,400 to install ($1,850 each) and according to Ruby, in return they will generate $11,000. “We have a great opportunity at a very reasonable price,” Ruby said. “This is a safe starting point and I’m very confident we can build on it. I believe you are going to see this more and more around Pennsylvania and in our district after we do it.” Ruby also discussed potentially expanding the signage to Comets Stadium, the track, pool and other areas in the future. “I have a dream to make big dollars for this district,” he said. “It would be great to be able to offset the expenses with matching revenues.” Board member Louise Brzuchalski suggested reaching out to local business owners who may be interested in getting involved for the “good will” of giving back to the community. Superintendent of Schools Dr. Michael Mahon believes the formation of an Alumni Association would be another way to bring funds into the district. “I’ve been suggesting this for some time,” Mahon said. “We have no centralized coordination of our alumni or mechanism for them to donate money.” During Ruby’s first year in the position, the school won six district championships, numerous league
C.S. councilman resigns BY ELIZABETH BAUMEISTER lbaumeister@theabingtonjournal.com
CLARKS SUMMIT - At the Borough of Clarks Summit Council meeting June 6, council voted 5 to 1 to accept the resignation of former Councilman Donald Moyer. “I feel that he should stay on, and I will not accept his resignation,” said Councilman Herman Johnson. “It was over 900 people that
voted for him. If there’s 900 people in our municipality that’s voting for someone, I think that they should carry out their term, because the people have faith in him.” Council President Gerrie Carey said she is confident Moyer would do so if he was able. Councilman Roy Davis told Johnson he appreciates his stand, because he feels the
Big catch
same way. He said, however, he is accepting the resignation out of respect for Moyer and his personal health needs, which led him to resign. “We deeply regret Don Moyer’s resignation,” Carey said. Attorney Greg Pascale was present at the meeting representing Tech 78, a company See Resigns, Page 6
See signs, Page 5
Ethan Lee, center, was the overall winner of the Dalton Fishing Derby. He is shown with Joe, left, and Jim McGrath, organizers. See Page 13 for details.
ABINGTON JOURNAL/ALICE STUFFLE
CMYK Always dreamed of SPACE CAMP? Find out how a Lackawanna Trail student will have the chance to attend. See Page 7.
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Who will be CHAMPION? Read about which local baseball team will face Old Forge for the District 2 Class A title. See Page 13.
An edition of The Times Leader
Wilkes-Barre, Clarks Summit, Pa. Pa.
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BY ELIZABETH BAUMEISTER lbaumeister@theabingtonjournal.com
Waverly Township working toward solution with USPS.
BY ROBERT TOMKAVAGE rtomkavage@theabingtonjournal.com
ABINGTON JOURNAL/GERARD NOLAN
Twins Dan and Matt Callen said twin telepathy is real.
Multiple choice Abington Heights senior twins, triplets prepare for life apart
By Gerard E. Nolan Abington Journal Correspondent
T
he Abington Heights High School class of 2012 includes six sets of twins and one set of triplets, all from Clarks Summit. That’s15 students, for those counting. While the siblings share families, homes and birthdays, they have diverse interests and life goals . Cassandra Coles aims to major in marine biology in South Carolina, while her twin, Tiffany, plans to study early childhood education closer to home at Bloomsburg University. Tiffany enjoys fishing, working on farms and watching wrestling, while her
sister, Cassandra, passes the time with quiet reading, shopping and cheerleading. They both laugh about how different they have turned out. But at the same time, the two express how difficult it will be to part next fall. “It can be difficult,” Cassandra said of their parting. But she said they’ll be, in a way, closer once they’re apart, since they’ll be free to be who they are instead of always being grouped together as “the twins.” Matt Callen and his brother, Dan, will See Twins, Page 7
See Talks, Page 16
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Twins Aaron and Connor Fleming will attend the same college, but did not plan it.
Bill, left, and Joey Hamersly will major in French/Secondary English Education and communications respectively.
WAVERLY TWP.- Street addressing issues have been a problem in Waverly Township for many years. Township Manager Bill White has taken steps to find a solution. According to White, Waverly Township first approached the United States Postal Service about changing addresses for residents in February 2009. The township sought to change the addressing system so that the last line of each mailing address reflected the name of the municipality. “Many municipalities have done this, dating back to the Public Safety Emergency Telephone Act of 1990, but it really became very important after the 9/11/2001 attacks,” White “We had many said. The Departproblems, espement of Homecially in the case land Security of a fire or ambuissued a direclance call, where tive requesting the implementa- the dispatch was tion of 911 Addelayed because dressing nationwide in 1990. It they didn’t know was standardized which fire company throughout the or ambulance to country. The send.” system meaWaverly Township Manager sured roads and Bill White every 52.8 feet was a different number. “The reason for 52.8 feet is that every 100 numbers was exactly one mile,” White said. “After 9/11, the Department of Homeland Security also wanted residents to use their municipality name in their address so emergency responders knew their exact location. “In this area, a lot of residents had a RR (rural route) 1 or RR2 and a box number,” White said. “The box numbers really didn’t follow a specific order on a street.” According to White, the township sent a letter to Carol Shenberger with the United States Postal Service Address Management Systems requesting an evaluation by the department of the mailing or location addresses in the township to determine if See Address, Page 16
S. Abington woman dies after crash
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U of S talks hit snag As The University of Scranton faculty contract approaches its August 31 expiration, negotiations which began in February to extend the contract, are expected to drag on throughout the summer, according to Faculty Affairs Council (FAC) Chairman Michael Friedman. The topic of discussion on the negotiating table is the “New Department Chair Concept,” which, according to Friedman, was introduced as a “non-negotiable stipulation.” He said the concept takes the current positions of academic department chairpersons as elected full-time faculty members and replaces them with administrative appointees. A statement released by the council includes, “This action constitutes an unfair labor practice because it takes work being done by union members and transfers it to non-union employees.” Stan Zygmunt, University of Scranton spokesperson, said, “The new approach to academic chairs to which we aspire responds to the challenging and dynamic landscape of higher education nationally; supports our pursuit of strategic opportunities and will lead to more
MAY 30 TO JUNE 5, 2012
Zeal for scholarship An 18-year-old senior at Abington Heights High School, Sarno has served as Becoming president since the end of the president of 2011 school year. It’s her hope the National Honor Society that the new officers build to improve the events that were had always started this year as well as been a goal for Erika Sar- develop their own ideas. Sarno Erika Sarno said she sees the members no. The reacontinuing to work with dilison: she saw the position as an opportunity gence and enthusiasm to serve to have a direct impact on the the community and maintain community. “I was inspired by their high academic standing. Students are selected to apply past officers and wanted to make similar contributions to if they have a minimum GPA of 93 percent. Then, they must my school and community. complete a rigorous applicaAfter making a campaign tion speech, I was elected by the members of NHS,” Sarno said. See President, Page 12 BY KELLY MCDONOUGH Abington Journal Correspondent
BY ROBERT TOMKAVAGE rtomkavage@theabingtonjournal.com
ABINGTON JOURNAL/ELIZABETH BAUMEISTER
Clarks Summit pride
The Clarks Summit Memorial Day Parade began May 28 at Clarks Summit Elementary School, Grove Street and ended at Abington Memorial Post #7069, Winola Road. For additional photos, see Page 8 and www.theabingtonjournal.com. Shown above: Eight-year-old twins Lauren Martin, left and Alex Martin attend the parade with their great aunt Bonnie Plantholt, center.
Karen Hoyt, 49, of South Abington Township, died May 24 at 6:20 p.m., of multiple traumatic injuries, in the trauma unit at the Geisinger Community Medical Cen- Karen Hoyt ter (GCMC), Scranton, according to Lackawanna County Coroner Tim Rowland. See Crash, Page 8
Holiday TREATS Which local library held a Holiday Marketplace featuring many seasonal items? See Page 3.
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Which band is the best? See Page 7 for details about a local high school band that excelled at a regional competition.
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NOVEMBER 14 TO NOVEMBER 20, 2012
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More than medicine
Couple restoring oldest home in Waverly
BY ADRIANE HEINE Abington Journal Correspondent
Glassblower Kyle Lavery enjoys the sense of satisfaction he gets from finishing a project. “It’s a pretty rewarding feeling every time you make something that comes out the way you had envisioned it,” he said.
Skillful creations F BY JOAN MEAD-MATSUI Abington Journal Correspondent
rom a project’s beginning to end, glassblowing for Kyle Lavery is relaxing. The 26-year-old became interested in blowing glass after he visited the Corning Museum of Glass, in New York, while he was attending Lakeland JuniorSenior High School. “I enjoy working with the material,” he said. “From start to finish you’re working with gravity and heat, along with your tools, to create something that started from a 2100 degree molten mass in the furnace. It’s a pretty rewarding feeling every time you make something that turns out the way you had envisioned it.” Lavery, interested in art as long as he can remember, attended Keystone College in La Plume. There, his course load ran the gamut from drawing and painting to sculpture,
but his focus was glass. “Glass is my medium because it takes a lot of skill to do it. It takes years to learn the basics. When you’re working with glass you have to keep it hot enough so it doesn’t crack, but you can’t get it too hot that it’s uncontrollable. It is very difficult when you’re first starting out,” he explained. Lavery’s glass, including ornaments, paperweights, pumpkins, sea shells, drinking glasses, bowls and vases with prices beginning at $15, will be available for purchase at the Waverly Community House Artisans’ Marketplace to be held Nov. 17 and 18. For those curious to know how a favorite glass vase received its elegant curves or narrow neck, Lavery explained the basics of glass blowing. See Creations, Page 9
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C.S. supports S.T.O.P. BY ELIZABETH BAUMEISTER lbaumeister@theabingtonjournal.com
CLARKS SUMMIT- The Borough of Clarks Summit Council voted unanimously at its Nov. 7 meeting to contribute $200 to assist the newlyformed coalition S.T.O.P. (Scranton Taxing Our People) in opposing the City of Scranton’s commuter tax, a one per-
cent tax rate hike on nonresident workers’ earned incomes. Council members also discussed the possibility of imposing a similar tax on Scranton residents working in Clarks Summit, although they were doubtful such a tax would be possible. Borough Solicitor Pat Rogan said he would look into the matter.
In other business, Borough Manager Virginia Kehoe announced that a new budget is ready for preliminary review, and although she said it is extremely tight, it is complete without increasing taxes. During public comment, resident Theresa Barrett lodged See S.T.O.P., Page 4
T
The doctor’s log book
he streets of Waverly’s historic district are lined with beautiful homes that were built to last. None has stood the test of time better than the landmark home which faces the Waverly Community House. The Greek Revival-style home was built between 1826 and 1828 by the young physician, Dr. Andrew Phelps Bedford. It was the fourth home built in Waverly, but the oldest still standing. Gerry and Val Calpin purchased the home in 2004 after it had stood vacant for six years. The couple, who share an appreciation for historic homes, have spent the past eight years painstakingly restoring it. “It’s an ongoing mission, we take one project at a time,” Val explained. “Our goal is to get back to the original whenever possible.” Some notable facts about the house: * It was home to the (thennamed) Old Abington Post Office. Dr. Bedford served as the second Postmaster from 1832 until 1853. It appears that, what is presently the garage was the location of the Post Office. There is evidenceof a stove for heat and it contains a spiral staircase into a vaulted attic. * There is a trap door under the kitchen floor which leads to a crawl space. Dr. Bedford’s close association with passionate abolitionists led to the belief this may have been used to hide runaway slaves. * The support beams, visible
It was eight or nine years ago when Paul Angeloni of Waverly stopped by the estate sale at the beautiful old home built by Dr. Andrew Phelps Bedford. That’s when he saw it: the doctor’s log books from 1829. The covers were long gone but the pages were intact and perfectly legible. Yellowed with time, page edges slightly frayed, the books were sewn together with thread that still holds. He bought it for $25. “I wanted the book to stay in Waverly,” Angeloni said. “It belongs here. I didn’t want it auctioned off to possibly end up in another state.” The title page features, “Abington, AD 1829- A. Bedford,” in beautiful script, and then the entries begin. Each of the 47 used pages of what appears to be three separate books, lists approximately 20 entries. Each entry states the date, name of individual, service performed and/or medication dispensed and fee applied. In almost every case, even obstetrics, the name logged is the male household member. A sampling of entries includes: * Jan. 9, Philip Stone,
See Medicine, Page 9
See Doctor’s, Page 9
Visit of honor
Police: C.S. man confesses to shooting hunter A Clarks Summit man was charged with two separate accounts of aggravated assault, simple assault and reckless endangering another person, after firing a shotgun at a local hunter, according to a Pa. State Police report. According to the report, Joseph James Taft, 22, of Clarks Summit, confessed to firing the shot at Henry Krieg, 41, of Scranton. Taft said he was mad at Krieg because he was hunting “their Deer.” The report states on Nov. 10 at 7:30 a.m. the Pa. State Police at Dunmore received a phone call from Krieg, who informed them he was hunting at 2651 Ransom Rd, Ransom Twp, when he was See Hunter, Page 5
ABINGTON JOURNAL/ELIZABETH BAUMEISTER
VFW Post #7069 Commander Steuart J. Bailey, along with the Post color guard, presented a program at Clarks Summit Elementary School Nov. 12. Shown: Bailey, right, answers a question from student Casey Ames, 8, left. For additional images of Veterans Day observations, see Page 9.
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ABINGTON JOURNAL/ADRIANE HEINE
Pages from the 1829 log books from Dr. Andrew Phelps Bedford, Waverly.