Times Leader 02-27-12

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Where in the world is Dennis Rodman?

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Lawton puts forward idea as part of his first “state of the county” report Tuesday.

Nanticoke guard killed at prison Eric Williams, 34, was beaten and stabbed by an inmate at Waymart and died Monday.

By TERRIE MORGAN-BESECKER tmorgan@timesleader.com

WAYMART — Officials with the union that represents federal prison guards say a Nanticoke man who was killed by an inmate at the federal prison at

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him, said Phillip Glover, regional vice president for the American Federation of Government Employees Council of Prison Locals, the union that represents prison guards.

Williams was preparing for a head count when he was attacked by an inmate who beat him and stabbed him multiple times with a homemade weapon, Glover said. Prison officials said other guards immediately

restrained the inmate.

An autopsy performed Tuesday revealed that Williams, 34, suffered blunt head and neck trauma and multiple stab wounds and cuts. Lackawanna County Coroner Timothy Rowland ruled Williams’ death a homicide.

Williams is the 24th federal prison employee to be killed in the line of duty since 1901. The last fatality occurred at the fed-

TUX PUTS ON THE RITZ AT VALLEY WEST

By JENNIFER LEARN-ANDES jandes@timesleader.com

WILKES-BARRE — Luzerne County Manager Robert Lawton wants to explore the feasibility of constructing a new prison, saying the expense might be covered by the resulting savings on staff and maintenance costs.

Lawton suggested the idea as part of his first “state of the county” reW H A T ’ S N E X T port during Tu e s d a y ’s Luzerne County council Council will meet meeting. at 6 p.m. March A prior 12 in the council county admeeting room on ministrathe first floor of tion spent the county courthouse in Wilkesaround $1.3 Barre. million a few years ago designing a new prison that never materialized.

An inmate population decrease and challenges borrowing up to $100 million to fund a new prison prompted officials to scrap the idea. Lawton said an analysis must be done, but he said the county is limited in its ability to reduce the $29 million spent on the prison system with the inefficient design of the fivestory structure on Water Street in Wilkes-Barre, which includes a building section more than a century old.

A new prison should be located near the criminal court system because of prison transport to court proceedings, he said. It might make sense to relocate the prison and criminal court together somewhere else and keep the courthouse for civil court and other county offices, he said.

That change could free up space to remove all county offices and courtrooms from the county-owned Penn Place building on Pennsylvania Avenue in downtown Wilkes-Barre, he said. The county could then try

Canaan was working alone when he was fatally beaten and stabbed.

Eric Williams, 34, was p ro n o u n c e d Williams dead at a hospital around 11:30 p.m. after he was found in a housing unit by another guard who had gone to assist

By NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press

VATICAN CITY — Two pontiffs, each wearing white and each called “pope” living a few yards (meters) apart, with the same archbishop serving both.

The Vatican’s announcement Tuesday that Pope Benedict XVI will be known as “emeritus

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ilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins mascot Tux leads the Wyoming Valley West High School cheerleaders in a cheer for the Penguins hockey team at Wyoming Valley Middle School in Kingston on Tuesday. The assembly covered healthy eating and nutrition, exercising and playing sports, studying hard and getting good grades, being well-rounded and avoiding drugs, alcohol and smoking. For the story, see Page 3A.

Luzerene County Council briefed on Transco upgrades Company is in early stages of seeking federal regulator’s approval for changes.

By MATT HUGHES mhughes@timesleader.com

WILKES-BARRE — Transco pipeline operator Williams briefed members of Luzerne County Council on Tuesday afternoon about upgrades to its interstate pipeline and to its compressor station in

Buck Township.

At a meeting requested by the company, Williams representatives said it wants to increase capacity to meet gas transport demand from the Marcellus Shale.

Chris Staffel, public outreach coordinator for Williams, said the company is in the “very preliminary stages” of seeking approval for the upgrades from the Federal Energy Regulatory Committee, which oversees interstate gas pipelines.

The company hopes to file final application with the FERC by the end of 2013, to

receive approval by the end of 2014 and to put the project into service by the end of 2015, Staffel said.

Because the pipeline is regulated by federal authorities it is exempt from local zoning oversight, but company representatives said they would meet with affected municipalities to obtain support as part of the FERC filing. Brent Simmons, environmental scientist for Williams, added that the FERC would not issue the company a See COUNCIL, Page 2A

Benedict to be called ‘emeritus pope’ Retired pope will still wear white cassock. Vatican insists there will be no conflicts.

eral prison in Atwater, Calif., in 2008, when guard Jose Rivera was stabbed to death, according to the Bureau of Prisons.

The federal prison at Canaan, Wayne County, which opened in 2005, is a maximum-security facility that also has a satellite campus for minimum-security inmates. The homicide occurred in the maximum-securi-

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Lawton: County to explore new prison

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

pope” in his retirement, called “Your Holiness” as an honorific and continue to wear the white cassock associated with the papacy fueled renewed questions about potential conflicts arising from the peculiar reality soon to face the Catholic Church: having one reigning and one retired pope.

Benedict’s title and what he would wear have been a major source of speculation ever since the 85-year-old pontiff stunned the world by announcing he would resign, the first pope to

A NEWS: Local 3A Nation & World: 5A Obituaries: 8A, 9A Editorials: 11A

Artists dressed as angels pose for tourists Tuesday in front of a huge Pope Benedict XVI poster in Cologne, Germany. The words on top read ‘Thanks.’

do so in 600 years.

There has been good reason why popes haven’t stepped down over past centuries, given the possibility for divided allegiances and even schism. But the Vatican insists that while the situation created by Benedict’s retirement is certainly unique, no major conflicts should result.

“Knowing Benedict XVI, it won’t be a problem,” Giovanni Maria Vian, the ediSee POPE, Page 12A

H.S. boys GAR takes down Crestwood.

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Mericle adds space to biz park At 150,000 square feet, CenterPoint project is being built on speculation.

By ANDREW M. SEDER aseder@timesleader.com

PITTSTON TWP. — An uptick in requests to develop new office buildings has led Mericle Commercial Real Estate Services to announce plans to construct an office park that could house up to 750 employees.

A company spokesman said that the developer will start construction of the first of a planned six-office building complex at the entrance to CenterPoint Commerce & Trade Park West in Pittston Township this spring.

The buildings will range from 14,400 square feet to 44,800 square feet and will total just over 150,000 square feet. There are no tenants that have signed leases, meaning the entire project is being built on speculation based on recent inquiries.

The one-story, 22,601-squarefoot brick facility that crews will begin building this spring is on a 4-acre-site along Enterprise Way, immediately adjacent to the Junior Achievement facility off of Oak Street. Mericle’s Vice President of Marketing Jim Cummings said the developer will break ground for the second building as soon as the first has See PARK, Page 12A

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Wednesday, February 27, 2013

www.timesleader.com TIMES LEADER

LCCC cooks up plan for cable TV programming Culinary and broadcast students will televise ‘Cooking Classic’ in April.

By JON O’CONNELL Times Leader Correspondent

NANTICOKE – Taking advantage of a new high-definition television studio, Luzerne County Community College students will televise their own cooking show, “Cooking Classic,” on Fox 56 starting in April.

Produced by broadcast and

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to sell Penn Place to return it to the tax rolls, he said.

“I think these are questions that are worth looking at,” Lawton said.

County Councilman Stephen A. Urban, a prior commissioner, told Lawton the county is hampered in its ability to cut prison staff — even with a new facility — because of a minimum staffing requirement in the prison union contract. This provision requires the county to base the number of corrections officers on the prison population, Urban said. The prison union contract expires the end of this year.

Urban said past commissioners wasted money designing a new facility that would have been too large. He also said the county has no power to borrow funds to build a prison. He predicted the question of whether to pursue a new prison will be a key issue in this year’s race for five council seats.

“If it won’t reduce corrections costs, it’s dead,” Lawton said.

Selling unused county-owned property was another goal cited during Lawton’s presentation.

He singled out the former Valley Crest Nursing Home in Plains Township and former county juvenile detention center on River Street in Wilkes-Barre as examples.

Lawton said this year’s $122.25 million general fund operating budget reduced spending while absorbing increased costs and accurately funding expenses.

The state of the county is “improving,” he said, emphasizing many changes are still in the works under the new home rule government.

County District Attorney Stefanie Salavantis spent nearly two hours presenting and answering questions about her home rulemandated report on 2012. Salavantis said many of her staffers work additional hours without compensation because of rising caseloads.

She described her office as a “triage unit.” The county is considered a “little Philadelphia” with its crime rates, she said.

The office regularly shares information with law enforcement officials in New York City and

COUNCIL Continued from Page 1A

a permit unless it satisfied the state Department of Environmental Protection and all conservation districts affected.

The upgrades would come in addition to another upgrade project further along in the federal regulatory approval process. That project would add a seventh compressor engine to the six currently at Williams’ compressor station off Route 115 in Buck Township, boosting the station’s horsepower from 32,000 to 48,000. It would also add pipeline segments near the existing line in Clinton, Lycoming and Monroe counties.

The new proposal would add an eighth engine to the Buck Township facility, adding an additional 30,000 horsepower, as well as an additional 28 miles of 42-inch pipeline to

culinary arts students, the TV program will raise visibility for the college and give students real-world experience, Thomas McHugh, chairman of the Broadcast Communication Technology Department, said.

“There’s a lot of excitement,” McHugh said at Tuesday’s Board of Trustees meeting, “because it gives our students a real sense of being able to work on a program that is being aired locally.”

Further, McHugh said he

Philadelphia because they are investigating the same people, she said, citing the pure heroin available locally as one of the driving factors of crime and drug addiction.

The number of new adult cases handled by her office increased from 3,903 in 2011 to 4,368 last year, she said. The office had 390 juvenile cases in 2011 and 450 in 2012, which includes those handled by volunteer youth aid panels who try to provide a second chance to first-time, nonviolent offenders, she said.

District Attorney’s Office cases of Internet crimes against children also increased from 52 in 2011 to 87 in 2012, she said.

The office’s child advocacy center, which brings multiple investigatory bodies together so young abuse victims are only interviewed once, handled 455 cases last year, compared to 320 in 2011, she said.

The office prosecuted 228 of these cases last year, she said.

Salavantis said her office has 22 assistant district attorneys, compared to 24 assistant attorneys employed by the public defender’s office.

She also said her juvenile unit consists of two attorneys and two state-mandated victim coordinators, though one of the coordinators is out on worker’s compensation.

In comparison, the public defender’s juvenile unit, which handles fewer cases, has three attorneys, two social workers, one investigator and one secretary, she said.

Councilman Rick Morelli described the presentation as “eyeopening.”

Councilwoman Elaine Maddon Curry, who attended the meeting via speaker phone, questioned Salavantis’ continued employment of a detective whose salary was funded by an expired grant.

Lawton said the district attorney’s budget funded nine detective positions, not 10, which means she will face a budget shortfall.

Councilman Edward Brominski also challenged the district attorney’s decision last year to shift funds allocated for one purpose to cover another expense.

Brominski said she violated a home rule charter requirement to notify council and the controller of such transfers. the Transco. Of that, a segment of approximately four miles would pass through Dorrance Township and Slocum Township and an additional 11-mile segment would pass through parts of Buck Township as well as through Tunkhannock Township and Tobyhanna Township in Monroe County.

The half-inch-thick pipeline segments would run alongside the Transco in existing pipeline easements and would be buried between 3 and 5 feet deep, company representatives said.

Williams District Manager Roy Ramsey said the company has not yet filed an emissions permit with the DEP and could not confirm the volume of additional emissions the new gas-fired compressor engine would produce.

Staffel said the company wants to expand its capacity in part to meet growing supply demands from Marcellus Shale gas production.

“We still don’t have enough

and Business and Technologies Dean Gary Mrozinski are discussing details with Comcast cable provider administrators about an unused cable channel that they would like to use for the college. “Hopefully, by September, we will have a full-time channel … all over Northeastern Pennsylvania,” McHugh said.

Much of the 24-hour service will be automated using pre-recorded programming, McHugh said. He said the department has most of the technology

needed to fill the air time. Details about cost to the school were not discussed.

College foundation Director Sandra Nicholas said the foundation is seeking donors for “Cooking Classic.” Five sponsors have committed already, she said.

In other news, board members approved a full-service lease for two new tractor-trailers needed for the professional truck driving program. The two Freightliner trucks, fitted to car-

ry a student, instructor and two passengers in modified sleeper cabs, will cost about $379,000 over seven years as opposed the near $527,000 sticker price.

Susan Spry, the school’s Workforce and Community Development vice president, said the state reimburses community colleges for certain types of leased equipment and, in this case, the state money will go toward the lease option.

The board of trustees will meet again at 6:30 p.m. April 23.

DETAILS LOTTERY MIDDAY DRAWING Daily Number - 5-5-3 Big Four - 4-7-8-0 Quinto - 3-2-8-8-7 Treasure Hunt 04-13-15-19-30 EVENING DRAWING Daily Number - 7-3-1 Big Four - 5-7-4-1 Quinto - 2-7-8-0-0 Second Drawing - 1-8-3-0-8 Cash 5 02-14-20-23-40 Mega Millions 06-07-13-15-43 Mega Ball 07 No player matched all five numbers in Tuesday’s “Cash 5” drawing, so Wednesday’s jackpot will be worth $325,000.

Lottery officials reported 46 players matched four numbers, winning $393 each; 2,492 players matched three numbers, winning $12 each; and 31,192 players matched two numbers, winning $1 each.

OBITUARIES

Pete G. Wilcox/The Times Leader

Bill Bachman, Penn State Wilkes-Barre assistant communications professor, dramatizes the Lattimer massacre of 1897 in which 19 striking coal miners were gunned down by Luzerne County sheriffs.

Professor brings Lattimer drama to life Teacher of conflict resolution says 1897 killing of 19 miners could have been avoided.

By MARK GUYDISH mguydish@timesleader.com

WILKES-BARRE - A radio play in the age of YouTube?

When Penn State WilkesBarre communications professor William Bachman completed research into the 1897 “Lattimer massacre” of 19 miners by Luzerne County sheriff’s deputies, he felt compelled to make some dramatization, and video would be too costly.

“We would need a column of 400 people,” to represent the marching miners who were fired upon, Bachman said during a presentation of his research and an audio of his radio play this week at Wilkes University’s Marts Center.

So he worked up a script and drafted fellow faculty and their family members to re-enact the shooting at a road leading into the Lattimer section of Hazle Township around 4 p.m.

Sept. 10.

He set the stage for his audience by noting he teaches con-

If you go Williams is planning two public information sessions about its plans to upgrade parts of the Transco interstate pipeline in Luzerne and neighboring counties on the following dates and locations: Session 1: April 16, 6-9 p.m., The Inn at Pocono Manor, 1 Manor Drive, Pocono Manor Session 2: April 17, 6-9 p.m., The Woodlands Inn, 1073 Route 315, Plains Township

capacity to meet the growing demands of the producers who are currently producing natural gas here in the Marcellus Shale and to meet the market needs that are here along the eastern seaboard,” Staffel said.

The upgrades would boost the pipeline’s capacity by 469,000 decatherms, enough to provide natural gas service to about 2 million homes, said Mario DiCocco, director of field operations for

phone conversations among mine bosses and the county sheriff, who was vacationing on the New Jersey shore: “We got him elected and it’s time for him to deliver.”

It recounts a first meeting between deputies and miners as they gathered near West Hazleton, and the fateful clash as they marched into Lattimer hoping to enlist support from miners there. They carried two American flags. The deputies had 100 new Winchester rifles.

The play concludes with the murder trial of the sheriff and his men, with testimony of a teacher in a nearby school who ripped her petticoat to bandage the wounded, and one man testifying he heard a deputy say, “We’re going to shoot some Hunks.”

The play notes the miners were mostly first-generation immigrants from southern Europe, while the prosecutor, jury and judge were second generation from northern Europe. The verdict: Not guilty.

Bachman said he is booked through the summer for presentations of his findings and the play.

flict resolution. “Conflict can be avoided if you recognize the triggers,” he said, “and Lattimer could have been totally avoided.”

The first trigger was the Campbell Act passed that June, assessing foreign-born workers a 3-cents-per-day tax.

For mine workers putting in six days a week, it added up to 18 cents a week. “Back then, that could by 1-1/2 pounds of round steak, or a couple pounds of butter,” Bachman said.

The second trigger: A mine foreman ordered Lattimer mule boys to stable their animals in Audenried, several miles away, forcing them to spend two hours a day walking the animals from the stables to the mines and back, without pay.

Miners also were forced to live in company towns, shop in company stores and be treated by company doctors.

“Oh, an they had to buy their own blasting powder for the mines,” Bachman added.

The radio play begins the day before the massacre with a scuffle between an employee and a foreman. It dramatizes

the Transco pipeline. It would also add additional flexibility for the pipeline to send gas from the Marcellus Shale as far south as South Carolina. Transco was originally constructed to transport gas from the Gulf of Mexico to New York City and other East Coast markets.

Asked by County Councilman Harry Haas how the county would benefit from the upgrades, Staffel said the company pays ad valorem taxes on its pipelines to the state that trickle down to counties, municipalities and school districts.

She also said construction of the pipeline would also provide a short-term economic stimulus.

Luzerne County Chief Engineer Joe Gibbons asked the company about helping the county to plan a “natural gas corridor,” where natural gas gathering lines could enter the county from the north and tie into the Transco interstate pipeline. Two companies, Williams

Field Services and PVR Partners — formerly Chief Gathering — have recently built gathering lines tapping into the Transco in Luzerne County, and UGI Energy Services is planning a third.

All take different routes.

Company representatives said the company would be limited in that ability because gathering pipelines are not regulated by the FERC, and because, as an “openaccess pipeline,” Transco must accept gas from any company that wishes to tap into the line.

But Gibbons asked that the company at least provide some guidance, and said he would make comments on the company’s FERC application to that end.

“I think Luzerne County would expect that (because) you’re a permanent entity here in the county (you would) help with that planning effort,” Gibbons said. “I think it may be a little out of your jurisdiction, but I think it’s something that should be coordinated.”

Corridoni, Lawrence Sr. Costanzo, Jessie Croughn, Charlotte Foley, Paul Frederickson, Donald James, Phillip Jr. Krull, Michael Lawall, Thomas Murphy, Margaret Neiman, Nancy Parham, Roland Roman, Louis Schneider, Sarah Sebolka, Lorraine Semmer, Louise Sperazza, Linda Washinski, Helen Yurksza, Barbara Pages 8A, 9A

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THE CAPTION published with the photograph for ManorCare, Hampton House’s Super Bowl party on Page 6C in Tuesday’s edition was incorrect. The photo and corrected caption will run at a later date.

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IN BRIEF WILKES-BARRE

Woman pleads guilty A woman has pleaded guilty in Luzerne County Court to charges she left five children unsupervised while she went drinking.

Amy Williams, 38, whose last known address was Costello Circle, Avoca, pleaded guilty Monday to two counts of endangering the welfare of children and a single count of driving under the influence of alcohol.

Prosecutors withdrew three child endangerment counts and a single count of disorderly conduct against Williams.

Avoca police alleged in arrest records that Williams left five children unattended in her residence while she went to a tavern on July 10, 2011. Williams returned to the residence while driving a vehicle while intoxicated, according to arrest records.

Judge Lesa Gelb said Williams will be sentenced April 18.

HARRISBURG

Act 13 applications sought

timesleader.com

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

LOCAL DA’s mother, sister to be cited Plains Twp. police called for a disturbance at Mohegan Sun casino on Friday night.

By TERRIE MORGAN-BESECKER tmorgan@timesleader.com

PLAINS TWP. — A Plains Township police officer said he expects citations to be filed today against District Attorney Stefanie Salavantis’ mother and sister in connection with a disturbance at the Mohegan Sun Casino on Friday.

Cletta Salavantis, mother of Stefanie Salavantis, will be cited with harassment and disorderly conduct for allegedly striking the manager at the Bar Louie restaurant and threatening to “rip out his trachea” after she

and another daughter, Jennifer Dompkosky, got into an argument with him over a party reservation, according to a police incident report.

Dompkosky, who will be cited with disorderly conduct, and Salavantis had gone to the casino with another family member, Cappie Evers, to discuss a birthday party planned for Saturday, police said. Evers is not facing any charges.

The incident report, prepared by Sgt. David Abraham and Officer Jason Ziolkowski, describes a chaotic scene as the officers attempted to calm down Salavantis, who was “crying hysterically,” to determine what had transpired. At one point Salavantis told the officers her daughter was the district See CASINO, Page 12A

TIMES LEADER FILE PHOTO

Cletta Salavantis and her daughter, newly elected Luzerne County District Attorney Stephanie Salavantis, celebrate her election success in 2011. The district attorney’s mother and sister are expected to be cited in an incident at the Mohegan Sun casino on Friday night.

The Commonwealth Financing Authority is accepting applications this year for five programs established by the Act 13 Marcellus Legacy Fund to support conservation projects and environmental protection measures.

The new CFA programs provide $14 million in funding collected from impact fees on the Marcellus Shale natural gas industry for abandoned mine drainage, abatement and treatment; watershed restoration and protection; water quality data; greenways trails and recreation; and orphan and abandoned well-plugging programs in the state.

Applicants can begin applying immediately under the new guidelines for the Act 13 Programs through DCED’s electronic single application system.

Applications will be accepted through July 31 for consideration at the Nov. 13 CFA meeting. For more information about the Act 13 Programs, visit www. newPA.com or call 1-866-466-3972.

Sixth-graders Matthew Kaminski, left, and David Kafchinski anxiously await being called upon to ask a member of the WilkesBarre/Scranton Penguins hockey team a question during an assembly program about healthy eating and nutrition, exercising and playing sports, studying hard and getting good grades, being well-rounded and avoiding drugs, alcohol and smoking at the Wyoming Valley West Middle School in Kingston on Tuesday.

HARRISBURG

Wildfire grant applications Federal grants are now available to help Pennsylvania’s rural communities better guard against the threat of fires in forested, undeveloped and unprotected areas.

In 2012, more than $540,000 was awarded to 141 volunteer fire companies. The grant program, offered through DCNR and paid through federal grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, has awarded almost $10 million since it began in 1982.

Grant applications must be electronically submitted through DCNR’s eGrant webpage by 4 p.m. May 23. To expedite application and decision-making processes, DCNR is accepting only online applications. Applicants should visit www.dcnr.state.pa.us and click on “Apply for Grants” for details.

WASHINGTON

Casey chairs subcommittee U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Scranton, has been appointed chairman of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Growth.

Casey, a former Pennsylvania auditor general, said he is honored to have the chance to serve as the subcommittee chairman.

“We face no greater challenge than how we grow our economy and get our fiscal house in order,” Casey said.

“I understand what is at stake for our Commonwealth and the nation.”

Casey said he looks forward to the opportunity to work on a range of issues including responsible tax reform to spur innovation, create jobs and promote economic growth.”

SUGARLOAF TWP.

Candlelight memorial set Penn State Hazleton students will hold a candlelight memorial to remember Audrianna Bartol, a 6-year-old Hazleton girl who lost her battle with neuroblastoma on Feb. 15.

Coordinated by the Student Government Association and THON, the memorial will be at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Nittany Lion statue at the campus.

According to Megan McGee, SGA president and recent THON dancer, “Audrianna and her family are such an inspiration to so many of us. We wanted to show them and the community how much they mean to us and, that Audrianna will long be remembered by everyone.”

The event is open to the public.

All those attending are asked to wear bright colors to honor Audrianna.

Candles will be supplied.

PETE G. WILCOX/THE times leader

A winning goal for all W-B/Scranton Penguins give game-of-life advice

By BILL O’BOYLE boboyle@timesleader.com

KINGSTON — Samantha Barber, an 11-year-old sixth grader at the Wyoming Valley West Middle School, listened intently as four Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins members talked about hard work, de-

termination, education and the evils of alcohol and drugs.

Like most of the 300 or so sixth graders in the assembly on Tuesday, Barber was impressed.

“I won’t do anything wrong,” she said after the hour-long program.

“It was good to listen to them so we

don’t do wrong things.”

If Barber’s vow is typical of the sixth-grade class, then Principal Debbie Troy and Assistant Principal Barry Rogers accomplished their goal.

See PENGUINS, Page 12A

Man found guilty of burning own home Jody Wayne Owens remains free on bail. His house burned in 2011.

By EDWARD LEWIS elewis@timesleader.com

WILKES-BARRE — Jody Wayne Owens hung his head Tuesday when a Luzerne County jury returned a guilty verdict, finding him responsible for torching his Wilkes-Barre home, which he had remodeled.

Owens, 35, was convicted of four counts of arson and a single count of failure to prevent a catastrophe.

The jury deliberated for 90 minutes after listening to testimony and viewing pictures of the fire-damaged house at 198 Gardner Ave. during the two-day trial before Judge Lesa Gelb.

Gelb permitted Owens to remain free on bail until he is sentenced April 26. Ow-

ens was ordered to wear an ankle bracelet and refrain from drugs and alcohol.

Owens testified in his own defense Tuesday, admitting he trashed the inside of his house on Aug. 18, 2011, after receiving a letter from his ex-wife, Cynthia, demanding child support and a letter from the property mortgage holder that foreclosure proceedings had begun.

City Fire Inspector Capt.

Alan Klapat testified fires were set in the attic and two bedrooms.

Owens’ lawyer, Charles Ross, said his client could not have ignited the blaze in the attic and bedroom because there was no blood in the vicinity of the fires.

If Owens did indeed set the fire, there would have been blood on the attic pull down ladder and bedroom, Ross said. Owens suffered a severe hand injury from punching walls and swing-

Page 3

Jody Wayne Owens was found guilty of setting his own home on fire in August 2011.

aimee dilger/the times leader

ing a baseball bat, damaging ceiling fans and doors, Ross said.

Ross blamed Owens’ lifelong friend, Shane Chiverella, whom he said lit a toilet paper roll on fire in the attic.

But Chiverella and Owens’ friend Bernard Miller testified Owens was by himself on the second floor for one to two minutes before they drove to a pizza restaurant to buy beer.

Owens testified Chiverella was on the second floor while he was on the first

floor before they left. Owens said he was aware a fire was raging in the attic and bedroom but decided not to call 911.

“We’re not looking to get a free pass here,” Ross told the jury during closing statements. “He is guilty of not calling 911.”

The prosecution said it was worse than that. “The defendant did start the fire on his property,” Assistant District Attorney Shannon Crake said. “He’s the only one who had motive.”

W-B mayor pressed on towing issue Leighton says all the evidence must be reviewed before a decision is made on LAG.

By BILL O’BOYLE boboyle@timesleader.com

WILKES-BARRE — Council Vice Chairman Tony George continued to push to terminate the contract of LAG Towing at Tuesday night’s work session, and he let Mayor Tom Leighton know about it.

“I want to know where we are in the due process of terminating the LAG contract,” George said.

Leighton quickly responded by telling George he should review all W H A T ’ S of the “evidence” n e x t ? and talk to the people who have City Council brought com- will meet at 6 plaints against- p.m. Thursday in Council LAG and its em- Chambers, battled owner, fourth floor, Leo A. Glodzik.

City Hall. Pub“That’s what lic comment is we’ve been do- welcome. ing,” Leighton told George. “My advice is that you summarize all the complaints, review the evidence and it’s very important that you speak with all of these individuals.”

George persisted, telling Leighton that Glodzik has not complied with several terms of the contract he has with the city — specifically in the areas of record-keeping and logging of all vehicles towed.

“These are all violations of the contract,” George said after the work session.

Council recommended last month the mayor begin the process of terminating LAG’s contract.

George had pushed for the termination in July based on complaints of price gouging and Glodzik’s apparent failure to provide records to the city. At that time, council agreed to set up a committee to look into the contract.

Asked if he will bring the issue up at Thursday’s council meeting, George said, “Probably.”

The city has been reviewing LAG Towing’s contract, and Glodzik recently notified the city of pending lawsuits against the city and council over what his attorney said were “malicious and false statements” made against him and his company.

Glodzik maintains he has honored his $50,050-a-year contract and the allegations that he has violated the terms of the agreement are false.

His attorney, Joseph F. Sklarosky Sr., also has warned George “further legal action will follow” because he persists in making statements that the attorney contends are damaging to Glodzik’s business and reputation.

Council President Bill Barrett, on the advice of counsel, has declined comment.

C MY K PAGE 4A

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

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Balloon accident kills 19

IN BRIEF

Senate confirms Hagel for defense

A British tourist and the Egyptian pilot were the sole survivors.

By MAGGIE MICHAEL Associated Press

AP PHOTO

Going nowhere fast in Texas

Traffics was at a complete standstill waiting for the highway to reopen Tuesday morning in Amarillo, Texas, after a record sbnowfall. Interstate-40 westbound was reopened and traffic began moving at noon.

JOHANNESBURG

Gun rules could trip Pistorius

E

ven if Oscar Pistorius is acquitted of murder, firearms and legal experts in South Africa believe that, by his own account, the star athlete violated basic gun-handling regulations and exposed himself to a homicide charge by shooting into a closed door without knowing who was behind it.

South Africa has stringent laws regulating the use of lethal force for self-protection. In order to get a permit to own a firearm, applicants must not only know those rules but must demonstrate proficiency with the weapon and knowledge of its safe handling, making it far tougher to legally own a gun in South Africa than many other countries where a mere background check suffices.

CHICAGO

Voters to replace Jackson

After a fierce primary campaign dominated by gun control, ethics and economic woes, voters were choosing the likely replacement for Jesse Jackson Jr. Tuesday, three months after his legal troubles and battle with depression forced the son of the civil rights leader to resign from Congress.

The Democratic front-runners former state Rep. Robin Kelly, former U.S. Rep. Debbie Halvorson andChicago Alderman Anthony Beale made Election Day stops through the blistery winter weather at train stations and restaurants in the district that spans Chicago’s South Side, south suburbs and some rural areas.

They were among 14 Democrats and four Republicans in the special primary, but the Democratic winner was expected to sail through the April 9 general election because the area is heavily Democratic.

JOHNSTOWN

Accused of accepting fees

Amid investigations, the head of a western Pennsylvania city’s redevelopment authority has been fired for allegedly accepting $130,000 in consulting fees from an agency that was working with the authority on an office park.

Ronald Repak, 60, was fired as executive director of the Johnstown Redevelopment Authority because the alleged “double-dipping” violated an ethics agreement Repak had with the authority, said authority solicitor William Barbin.

Repak had been the agency’s executive director for 30 years. The Associated Press could not immediately locate a personal phone number for him on Tuesday.

Repak was fired Monday at a special meeting of the authority board, which also accepted the resignation of his administrative assistant.

WASHINGTON

Iran offered proposal

Six world powers floated a modestly improved proposal to Iranian negotiators Tuesday as talks on Tehran’s disputed nuclear program resumed after an eight-month hiatus and with little expectation of a breakthrough.

Opening a two-day session in Almaty, Kazakhstan, the so-called Five Plus One group offered to slightly ease economic sanctions on Iran if the regime will halt production of nearweapons grade uranium fuel.

The six powers — China, Russia, France, Britain, Germany and the United States — fear Iran may be seeking a bomb-making capability, though Tehran denies the accusation.

LUXOR, Egypt — The terror lasted less than two minutes: Smoke poured from a hot air balloon carrying sightseers on a sunrise flight over the ancient city of Luxor, it burst in a flash of flame and then plummeted about 1,000 feet to earth. A farmer watched helplessly as tourists trying to escape the blazing gondola leaped to their deaths.

Nineteen people were killed Tuesday in what appeared to be the deadliest hot air ballooning accident on record. A British tourist and the Egyptian pilot, who was badly burned, were the sole survivors.

The tragedy raised worries of another blow to the nation’s vital tourism industry, decimated by two years of unrest since the 2011 revolution that toppled autocrat Hosni Mubarak. The southern city of Luxor has been hit hard, with vacant hotel rooms and empty cruise ships.

It also prompted accusations that authorities have let safety standards decline amid the political turmoil and infighting, although civil aviation officials said the balloon had been inspected recently and that the pilot may have been to blame, jumping out rather than stopping the fire.

Authorities suspended hot air balloon flights, a popular tourist attraction here, while investigators determined the cause.

The balloon was carrying 20 tourists — from France, Britain, Belgium, Japan and Hong Kong — and an Egyptian pilot on a flight over Luxor, 320 miles south of Cairo, officials said. The flights provide spectacular views of the ancient Karnak and Luxor temples and the Valley of the Kings, the buri-

Page 5

Senate ends GOP filibuster and OKs nomination. Former senator faces challenges.

By DONNA CASSATA Associated Press

WASHINGTON —A deeply divided Senate voted on Tuesday to confirm Republican Chuck Hagel to be the nation’s next defense secretary, handing President Barack Obama’s pick the top Pentagon job just days before billions of dollars in automatic, across-the-board budget cuts hit the military.

The vote was 58-41, with four Republicans joining the Democrats in backing the contentious choice. Hagel’s only GOP support came from former colleagues Thad Cochran of Mississippi, Dick Shelby of Alabama and Mike Johanns of Nebraska — Hagel all three had announced their support earlier — and Rand Paul of Kentucky.

The vote came only hours after Republicans dropped their unprecedented delay of a Pentagon choice and allowed the nomination to move forward on a 71-27 vote.

Hagel, 66, a former two-term Nebraska senator and twicewounded Vietnam combat veteran, succeeds Defense Secretary Leon Panetta. Hagel is expected to be sworn in at the Pentagon today.

Obama welcomed the bipartisan Senate vote, although 41 Republicans opposed his nominee, and said in a statement that “we will have the defense secretary our nation needs and the leader our troops deserve.”

The president looked past the divisions and said he was grateful to Hagel “for reminding us that when it comes to our national defense, we are not Democrats or Republicans, we are Americans, and our greatest responsibility is the security of the American people.”

Republicans had opposed their onetime colleague, casting him as unqualified for the job, hostile toward Israel and soft on Iran. The objections remained strong well after the vote.

“I continue to have serious questions about whether Chuck Hagel is up to the job of being our secretary of defense,” Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said in a statement. “I hope, for the sake of our own national security, he exceeds expectations.”

Hagel joins Obama’s retooled second-term, national security team of Secretary of State John Kerry and CIA Director-designate John Brennan at a time of uncertainty for a military emerging from two wars and fighting worldwide terrorism with smaller, deficit-driven budgets.

AP PHOTO

A paramedic moves the body of a foreign tourist at the morgue of the Luxor International Hospital, in Luxor, Egypt, on Tuesday. A hot air balloon flying over Luxor caught fire and crashed, killing at least 19.

al ground of Tutankhamun and other pharaohs.

According to initial indications, the balloon was in the process of landing after 7 a.m. when a cable got caught around a helium tube and a fire erupted, according to an investigator with the state prosecutor’s office.

The balloon then ascended rapidly, the investigator

said. The fire detonated a gas canister and the balloon plunged about 1,000 feet to the ground, crashing in a sugar cane field outside al-Dhabaa village just west of Luxor, a security official said.

Both the investigator and the security official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not autho-

rized to talk to the media.

“I saw tourists catching fire and they were jumping from the balloon,” said Hassan Abdel-Rasoul, a farmer in al-Dhabaa.

“They were trying to flee the fire but it was on their bodies.”

One of those on fire was a visibly pregnant woman, he said.

Afghan insurgent data was wrong Reports that Taliban activity was on the decline were based on errors, officials say.

By ROBERT BURNS AP National Security Writer

WASHINGTON — The American-led military coalition in Afghanistan backed off Tuesday from its claim that Taliban attacks dropped off in 2012, tacitly acknowledging a hole in its widely repeated argument that violence is easing and that the insurgency is in steep decline.

In response to Associated Press inquiries about its latest series of statistics on security in Afghanistan, the coalition command in Kabul said it had erred in reporting a 7 percent decline in attacks.

In fact there was no decline at all, offi-

cials said.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, who is among the senior officials who had publicly repeated the assertion of an encouraging drop-off in Taliban attacks last year, was disturbed to learn of the error, said his spokesman, George Little.

“This particular set of metrics doesn’t tell the full story of progress against the Taliban, of course, but it’s unhelpful to have inaccurate information in our systems,” Little said.

A coalition spokesman, Jamie Graybeal, attributed the miscounting to clerical errors and said the problem does not change officials’ basic assessment of the war, which they say is on a positive track as American and allied forces withdraw.

The 7 percent figure had been included in a report posted on the website of

the coalition, the International Security Assistance Force, on Jan. 22 as part of its monthly update on trends in security and violence. It was removed from the website recently without explanation.

After the AP asked last week about the missing report, coalition officials said they were correcting the data and would re-publish the report. As of Tuesday afternoon it had not reappeared.

U.S. and allied officials have often cited declining violence as a sign that the Taliban have been degraded and that Afghan forces are in position to take the lead security role when the last U.S. combat troops leave Dec. 31, 2014.

In mid-December, Panetta said “violence is down” for 2012 and Afghan forces “have gotten much better at providing security” in areas where they have taken the lead.

The ‘Worm’ turns up in N. Korea as basketball star visits Leader Kim Jong Un is said to have been a fan of the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s.

By JEAN H. LEE Associated Press

PYONGYANG, North Korea — Former NBA star Dennis Rodman brought his basketball skills and flamboyant style — tattoos, nose studs and all — on Tuesday to a country with possibly the world’s strictest dress code: North Korea.

Arriving in Pyongyang, the American athlete and showman known as “The Worm” became an unlikely ambassador for sports diplomacy at a time of heightened tensions

between the U.S. and North Korea. Or maybe not so unlikely: Young leader Kim Jong Un is said to have been a fan of the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s, when Rodman won three championships with the club.

Rodman is joining three members of the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team and a VICE correspondent for a news show on North Korea that will air on HBO later this year, VICE producers told The Associated Press in an exclusive interview Tuesday before they landed.

“It’s my first time, I think it’s most of these guys’ first time here, so hopefully everything’s going to be OK, and hoping the kids have a good

AP PHOTO

Former NBA star Dennis Rodman is surrounded by journalists Tuesday upon arrival at Pyongyang Airport.

time for the game,” Rodman told reporters after arriving in Pyongyang.

Rodman and VICE’s produc-

ers said the Americans hope to engage in a little “basketball diplomacy” by running a basketball camp for children and

playing with North Korea’s top basketball stars.

“Is sending the Harlem Globetrotters and Dennis Rodman to the DPRK strange? In a word, yes,” said Shane Smith, the VICE founder who is host of the upcoming series, referring to North Korea by the initials of its formal name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. “But finding common ground on the basketball court is a beautiful thing.”

The notoriously unpredictable and irrepressible Rodman might seem an odd fit for regimented North Korea, where men’s fashion rarely ventures beyond military khaki and where growing facial hair is forbidden.

C MY K Page 6

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Wednesday, February 27, 2013

www.timesleader.com TIMES LEADER

Nuangola project to hit milestone WSCTC could add welding program Sewer project soon will establish link with Mountain Top Area Joint System.

By TOM HUNTINGTON Times Leader Correspondent

NUANGOLA — The phase of the sewer project that eventually will connect the borough with the Mountain Top Area Joint System is about to begin, Dan Loughran, project engineer for the Quad3 Group, announced at Monday night’s meeting of the sewer authority.

Loughran said the Doli Co. is prepared to begin excavation work along Church Road for a main that will span Church Road into Blytheburn Road. Doli’s work is phase two of the project; the Wexcon Co. is already engaged in phase one, the installation of pipe-

line and grinder pumps within the borough.

In accordance with Doli’s phase, Loughran said a finalized agreement with the Crestwood School District has been recorded. The agreement stipulates the installation of a pumping station on the grounds of Rice Elementary School in exchange for a tapin connection for the school.

Besides the school district, Loughran noted that a highway occupancy permit from Luzerne County, which had been in dispute for several months, also is in place.

In other business, the authority: * Heard a report from solicitor Bob Gonos that an existing Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling confirms that a quorum existed when Sally DiRicci, secretary, participated in a January meeting via confer-

ence call from Florida. * An incremental payment plan was approved for 95 residents to remit their $2,025 tap-in fee over 16 payments starting in March. It was stated payments will have to be by check, remitted to the authority at the borough building. * Loughran also stated that Wexcon had to repair a septic tank on a property along Gay Ridge Road after it was damaged during excavation work. * Ray Shirk, chairman, said Michael Angerson of the U.S. Department of Agriculture noted that a recently hired administrative assistant, Diana Rollar, is not eligible to be compensated through grant money. Shirk said he is seeking further information from Angerson. In the meantime, he said, Rollar would be paid via a monthly office-space lease payment ($650) from Wexcon.

Win Irem Shrine Circus Tickets The Times Leader ader ad er w wil will illl aw awar award ardd 25 lluc lucky ucky ky w win winners inne ners rs a family 4-pack ck of tickets each to the 64th annual Shrine Circus at the 109th Armory in Kingston, gston gston, April 1-6. Return turn the completed entry form by March 21st to The Times Leader. ader. Winners will be announced in the Mach 24th edition of The Times Leader. ader.r

W h at ’ s N E X T The next regular meeting of the committee will take place on March 25 at 6:30 pm.

By GERI GIBBONS Times Leader Correspondent

PRINGLE — John Gill, president of the West Side Career and Technology Center’s Joint Operating Committee, announced on Monday night the intent of the committee to consider adding a welding program to the center’s curriculum. “It would be a welcome addition to our present programs,� said Gill, “but in the current economy, we will need to, of course, consider cost.�

A special meeting will be held 1 p.m. March 6 to fur-

ther discuss the feasibility of adding the program.

In another matter, Nicole Kmetz, adviser to the Future Business Leaders of America, lauded 13 students who have qualified to attend the FBLA State Conference in Hershey this April.

Kmetz said the club will be hosting various fundraisers to make the trip possible.

The committee also presented a video prepared by audio-visual students, highlighting the center’s involvement in assisting the Lands

at Hillside Farms in renovating structures on its property.

A $10,000 grant from Lowe’s made it possible for students to assist in saving historic structures and making greenhouses more functional.

Bill Harrison, carpentry instructor, said the project allowed students to “get reallife training� in their area of study.

Frank Vandermark, Skills USA adviser, said the project provided opportunity for students to get experience in the areas of electricity, masonry and carpentry. “The center provides its students with a great opportunity for hands-on learning and for success in the long term,� said committee member Karen Kyle.

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C MY K Page 8

timesleader.com

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

CHARLOTTE A. CROUGHN, 81, White Haven, died Sunday. Born in WilkesBarre to Frank and Anna Kaplansky, she was a graduate of Mary Mount High School. She owned a beauty salon for 17 years before retiring as a clerk for Luzerne County. She was preceded by her husband, Edward, and daughter, Mary Patricia Schneider. Surviving are her son, Edward, and wife Louise, Texas; four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Friday at 9:30 a.m. in St. Patrick’s Church, White Haven. Friends may call Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m. at Bednarski & Thomas Funeral Home, 27 Park Ave., Wilkes-Barre.

PHILLIP T. JAMES JR., 36, Noxen, passed away Tuesday due to a motor vehicle accident on Stull Road, Noxen.

Funeral arrangements are pending from the Curtis L. Swanson Funeral Home Inc., corner of routes 29 and 118, Pikes Creek.

Final arrangements will be published at a later date.

DONALD FREDERICKSON, 72, Moosic, died Monday, Feb. 25,2013. A veteran, he was a son of the late Herbert and Dora Radle Frederickson. Preceding him were a sister, Lois Lisk; brothers, Alfred and Henry. Surviving are his wife, Regina Felter Frederickson; daughter, Regina Ann; son, Donald Jr.; sisters, Agnes Burge and husband James, Florida, and Dorothy Woodward and husband, Charles, New York; brothers, William, Moosic, and Richard and wife Paulette, Scranton.

Per Don’s request, private interment will be in Holy Cross Cemetery, Old Forge. Memorial donations may be made to the Moosic Lions Club, 435 Main St., Moosic, PA 18507. Arrangements

by Bernard J. Piontek Funeral Home Inc., 204 Main St., Duryea.

To leave an online condolence or for information, visit www.piontekfuneralhome.com.

MICHAEL A. KRULL, of East Side Borough, White Haven, died Monday evening in Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center, Plains Township, with his loving wife, Kay, by his side.

Funeral arrangements are pending from the Lehman Family Funeral Service Inc., 403 Berwick St., White Haven. For more information, or to send the family condolences, visit the funeral home website at www.lehmanfuneralhome.com.

NANCY POST NEIMAN passed away Feb. 22, 2013. Born in Pittston on Aug. 19, 1923, a daughter of Samuel and Della Post, she graduated from Penn State University in 1946 and was a resident of Kingston until moving to West Palm Beach, Fla. in 1987. She was married to Samuel Neiman, who passed away in 2003. Nancy is survived by two sons, Michael Neiman, Atlanta, and Clifford Neiman, Los Angeles; two grandchildren, Rachel Neiman and Lindsey Neiman, both of Los Angeles; and a sister, Dr. Mildred Libby, West Palm Beach.

Funeral services will be Sunday at the Star of David Cemetery, 9321 Memorial Parkway, West Palm Beach, Fla. LINDA MENICHELLO SPERAZZA, 86, Old Forge, died Monday. She was born in Old Forge to the late Paul and Ersilia Melucci Menichello. Preceding her are her husband, Samuel Sperazza, 1997; brothers, Albert and Emil Menichello; sisters, Mary Menichello, Gilda Cardiello; and a grandson. Surviving are daughters, Cynthia Nee, Old Forge; Sandra Gromelski, Old Forge; Linda Marcyoniak, West Scranton; eight grandsons; 13 greatgrandchildren; nieces; nephews.

Funeral Mass 11 a.m. Friday in St. Lawrence O’Toole Church, 620 S. Main St., Old Forge.

Friends may call 9:30 a.m. until service. Interment in Cathedral Cemetery, Scranton. Arrangements by Victor M. Ferri Funeral Home, 522 Fallon St., Old Forge.

To send online condolences, visit www.ferrifuneralhome.com.

LAWRENCE A. CORRIDONI SR., 78, Pittston Township, passed away Tuesday at home.

Arrangements are pending and will be announced from the Peter J. Adonizio Funeral Home, 251 William St., Pittston.

O B I TUARY P OL ICY The Times Leader publishes free obituaries, which have a 27-line limit, and paid obituaries, which can run with a photograph. A funeral home representative can call the obituary desk at (570) 829-7224, send a fax to (570) 829-5537 or e-mail to tlobits@timesleader.com. If you fax or e-mail, please call to confirm. Obituaries must be submitted by 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 7:30 p.m.

Friday and Saturday. Obituaries must be sent by a funeral home or crematory, or must name who is handling arrangements, with address and phone number. We discourage handwritten notices; they incur a $15 typing fee.

Sarah H. Welker Schneider Feb. 24, 2013

S

arah H. Welker Schneider, 94, of Trucksville, passed away peacefully on Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013, at her home.

Born March 23, 1918 in Philadelphia, Sarah was a daughter of the late Edwin S. and Sarah L. Donnelly Hart.

Sarah lived a remarkable life that began during World War I. Having been raised in Philadelphia, she was a graduate of the Philadelphia High School for Girls, Class of 1936, and Temple University, Class of 1940, earning a degree in early-childhood education.

In 1942, she moved to San Francisco and married her first husband, Jarvis Belvin, of Brownwood, Texas. He was lost at sea after the Battle of Samar in the Philippines, leaving his wife with their one daughter, Betsey.

In 1948, having been introduced by mutual friends to John Welker, Kingston, she moved back to Pennsylvania, where she and John were married in Philadelphia in September of that year.

They had two children, John and Jane. Sarah was widowed a second time in September of 1960, when John died suddenly at the age of 46 from war-related issues.

In September of 1961, Sarah returned to the classroom, teaching fifth and sixth grades in Dallas.

She earned her master of education in curriculum from Wilkes College in 1972. She was a skilled master teacher for many student teachers from Wilkes, as well as a dedicated and well-respected teacher in the Dallas School District for many years, touching the lives of many.

Sarah retired in 1983 to travel and engage in many volunteer activities. She married Joseph Schneider, Dallas, in December of 1987 and was widowed for the third time when Joe died on July 31, 2001.

A longtime resident of Trucksville and a lifelong Episcopalian, Sarah was always active in Prince of Peace Episcopal Church, Dallas, of which she was a founding member.

Preceding her in death, in addition to her parents and husbands, were her brother, Edwin Hart, and her daughter Betsey’s husband, Harris Snoparski.

She is survived by her children, Betsey Belvin, Vermont; John Welker and wife Debbie, Illinois, and Jane Rogers and husband Alan, Virginia. She was the proud grandmother of five, Amy Lucas, Jonathan Welker, April Snoparsky, Alan Rogers and Sarah Rogers. She is also survived by several nieces and nephews.

Sarah’s family wishes to express their deep gratitude to their mother’s long-term caregiver, Helen Scintilla, as well as the nurses of Bayada and Caregivers.

A memorial service will be held in the Prince of Peace Episcopal Church, 420 Main St., Dallas, at a date and time to be announced.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Prince of Peace Episcopal Church, 420 Main St., Dallas, PA 18612.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the Harold C. Snowdon Funeral Home Inc., 140 N. Main St., Shavertown.

Louise L. Semmer Feb. 25, 2013

L

ouise L. Semmer, 100, of Sugarloaf, passed away late Monday evening at Smith Health Care Center, Mountain Top, after a short illness.

Born in Wilkes-Barre on July 8, 1912, she was a daughter of the late Thomas and Laura (Walton) Lawson. She spent the past four years in Sugarloaf after moving from Kingston.

She was a retired registered nurse at both the Nanticoke Hospital and the Retreat Hospital of Nanticoke.

She was a member of Dorranceton United Methodist Church, Kingston, and the Order of the Eastern Star.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Stanley, who passed away in October 1988.

Surviving are two daughters, Laura Sobol Neilson and her husband, Richard, Foxborough, Mass., and Shirley McKenzie and her husband, Daryl, Sugarloaf; six grandchildren, Suzanne Case, Maria Parrish, Linda Sherman, Laura Martin, Jill Bentz and Jeffrey McKenzie; and six greatgrandchildren.

Private cremation services will be held at Harman Funeral Homes & Crematory Inc. (East), 669 W. Butler Drive, Drums. Interment will follow in Fern Knoll Cemetery, Dallas.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Dorranceton United Methodist Church, 549 Wyoming Ave., Kingston, PA 18704.

For more information, or to send online condolences, visit www.harmanfuneral.com.

www.timesleader.com TIMES LEADER

Louis J. Roman

Paul Foley

Feb. 23, 2013

Feb. 19, 2013

L

ouis J. Roman, 89, of Pittston, passed away Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013, at the home of his daughter, Linda Hoban. Born in Pittston, he was a son of the late Frank Roman Sr. and Carmella Dominic Roman.

He was a 1941 graduate of Pittston High School and a member of St. John the Evangelist Church, Pittston. Louis was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II, serving in the 452nd Bombardment Squardron, 322 Bombardment Group. He was a member of the VFW, Pittston, and the B-26 Marauder Historical Society.

For many years, Louis and his brothers operated the Roman Taxi Service, serving the Greater Pittston area. Prior to his retirement, he was employed by PP&L. He was an avid golfer and member of the Emanon Retirees’ League.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Jule Micklas Roman, on Nov. 11, 1993; and brothers Peter, Frank and Rocco Roman.

Surviving are his son, Robert Roman, Bethlehem; daughters, Linda Roman Hoban, Hughestown; Cheryl Roman Grimaldi, Longmont, Colo., and Julie Roman Yarnal, Florence, S.C.; brothers Carl, Binghamton, and Joseph, Pittston; sister, Victoria McClean, and hus-

P

band Gerald, Pittston; 11 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

The funeral will be held Friday at 9:30 a.m. from the Howell-Lussi Funeral Home, 509 Wyoming Ave., West Pittston, with Mass of Christian Burial at 10 a.m. in St. John the Evangelist Church, Pittston.

Friends may call at the funeral home on Thursday from 5 to 8 p.m. Interment will be in St. John’s Cemetery, Pittston. Full Military Honors will be held Friday at the cemetery.

Memorial donations, if desired, may be sent to Care and Concern Free Health Clinic, 35 William St., Pittston, PA 18640.

aul Foley, resident of Spring Valley, Calif. for the last 39 years, passed away on Feb. 19, 2013, after a battle with cancer.

Born in Wilkes-Barre on July 12, 1939 to Thomas Joseph Foley and Regina (Jean) Savage, he was a 1957 graduate of Coughlin High School.

Paul received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Scranton and his master’s degree from Butler University, Indianapolis. While an undergraduate student, he was a member of ROTC and served in the U.S. Army on active duty at Fort Carson, Colorado Springs. He then served in the Army reserves.

Paul had a professional career of 28 years as a civilian employee for the federal government.

His lifelong passion was antique and classic cars. He had an awardwinning entry in the soap box derby and restored his first car at the age of 16. He restored more than 10 vintage cars, including a Cadillac, LaSalle, Buick and Model T. He was a member of the HCCA, AACA, the Cadillac and LaSalle Club and the

Model T Club of America.

He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Barbara (Weiksner) Foley; daughters, Patricia Foley, La Mesa, Calif., and Kathleen Diehl (Don), Franklin, Tenn.; granddaughter, Audrey; brothers, Thomas, Chatsworth, Calif.; William, Florham Park, N.J., and Jerry, Moosic; sisters, Jean Wahlstrom, Chatsworth, and Gertrude Casey, Ocean Pines, Md.; and many nieces and nephews.

Jessie R. Costanzo Feb. 25, 2013

Margaret ‘Maggie’ Murphy Feb. 25, 2013

M

argaret ‘Maggie’ Murphy, 68, of Plains Township, passed away Monday morning at Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center, Plains Township, with her family by her side after a courageous battle with leukemia.

Born in Pittston, she was a daughter of the late Anthony S. Moncavage and Frances (Dougherty) Moncavage Gilroy.

Maggie was educated in Pittston area schools and was a graduate of McCann School of Business. She was employed as a seamstress for Leslie Fay, Plains Township, and for Kranson Clothes, WilkesBarre, until her retirement. She was a member of Ss. Peter & Paul Church, Plains Township.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 39 years, William “Murph” Murphy, on Jan. 4, 2011; son Timothy Murphy; and her brothers, Tony and John Moncavage.

Surviving are her children, Susan Price and her husband, Kenneth, Plains Township; Mary Frances Rinehimer and her husband, Eric, Kingston; Karen Roxby and her husband, Daryl, Plains Township, and Patrick Murphy and his wife, Missy, Spanish Fort, Ala.; grandchildren, Jolene Price, Timothy Young, Kenny Price and Cody and Kiersten Rinehimer; sisters, Mary Ann Kelly, Plains Township; Patricia Stavinski, Lansdale;

Lorraine A. Sebolka Feb. 23, 2013

L

orraine A. Sebolka, 63, of Swoyersville, passed away on Saturday at her home.

She was born in Kingston on April 8, 1949, a daughter of Eleanor Ulichney Sebolka and the late Thomas J. Sebolka Sr. She was a graduate of West Side Central Catholic High School, Kingston, and was formerly employed by Acme Markets, Forty Fort.

She was a member of Holy Family Parish, Luzerne.

She loved spending time with her nieces and nephews. In her younger years, she enjoyed playing tennis and frequent trips to the beach.

She is survived by her mother, Eleanor Sebolka, Kingston; sisters, Rita Molino, Kingston, and Diane Waskie and her husband, Bruce, Mountain Top; brothers, Thomas Sebolka Jr., Noxen, and David Sebolka and his wife, Karen, Dallas; and nieces and nephews, James Sebolka; Angela Lang; Shirley Edwards; Ken Delicati Jr., Brian and Nicole Molino; David, Allyson and Michael Sebolka, and David and Steven Waskie.

Family and friends are invited to attend a Mass of Christian Burial today at noon in Holy Family Parish, Bennett Street, Luzerne. Interment will follow in St. Anthony’s Cemetery, Courtdale.

There are no calling hours.

Funeral arrangements are by the Andrew Strish Funeral Home, 11 Wilson St., Larksville.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Lorraine’s memory to the Luzerne-Wyoming Counties Mental Health and Developmental Services, 111 N. Pennsylvania Ave., Suite 200, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18701.

Frances Lewis and her husband, Stephen, Upper Darby, and Rose Dreabit and her husband, Robert, Plains Township; and several nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be held Friday at 9 a.m. from the Corcoran Funeral Home Inc., 20 S. Main St., Plains Township, with a Mass of Christian Burial at 9:30 a.m. in Ss. Peter & Paul Church, Plains Township. Interment will be held in Sacred Heart Cemetery, Plains Township. Friends may call Thursday from 5 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.

Memorial donations may be made to Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Luzerne County, 33 E. Northampton St., Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702.

Online condolences may be made at www.corcoranfuneralhome.com.

Thomas M. Lawall Feb. 25, 2013 Thomas M. Lawall, 70, of Wilkes-Barre, died Monday at Hospice Community Care.

Born Dec. 20, 1942 in Wilkes-Barre, he was a son of the late Martin and Catherine Scanlon Lawall. Tom was a graduate of St. Mary’s High School. Before retiring, Tom was employed by PennDOT for 26 years.

He was a great fan of Philadelphia Phillies baseball as well as Notre Dame and Philadelphia Eagles football.

Tom was kind, loving and good-hearted person who always put the needs of others before his own. He was a second father to his niece and nephew.

A brother, Edward R. Lawall, died Feb. 6, 2002. An aunt, Mary Scanlon, also preceded him in death.

He will be greatly missed by his nieces and nephews, Kevin and his wife, Kimberly, and their son, Hunter Thomas Lawall, West Wyoming, and Mary Alyce and her husband, Steven, and their sons, Steven and Edward Joseph (EJ) Langdon, Wilkes-Barre.

Celebration of Thomas’ life will be held Friday at 8:30 a.m. from McLaughlin’s – The Family Funeral Service, 142 S. Washington St., Wilkes-Barre, with Funeral Mass at 9:30 a.m. in the Church of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception. Interment will be in St. Mary’s Cemetery in Hanover Township.

Permanent messages and memories can be shared with Tom’s family at www.celebratehislife.com.

J

essie R. Costanzo, West Pittston, died Monday, Feb. 25, 2013, in Wilkes-Barre.

Born May 5, 1938 in Pittston, Jessie was the daughter of the late Nicholas and Pasqulina (Sciandra) Costanzo.

She graduated from Pittston High School, Class of 1956, and College Misericordia, Class of 1963. She also received her graduate degree from the University of Scranton.

After graduation, she went on to teach for three years in the Abraham Lincoln Elementary School, Levittown, Pa. She later became a reading specialist for Pittston City Elementary, retiring from this position in 1993.

She was a member of the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA) and AARP. Jessie was preceded in death by her sister Josephine Costanzo.

Surviving are her brothers, Angelo Costanzo, Chambersburg, and James Costanzo, Pittston; sister Eleanor Galante, Burbank, Calif.; and nephew, Ralph Costanzo, West Pittston, with whom she resided for many years.

Funeral services have been entrusted to the Graziano Funeral Home Inc., Pittston Township.

Viewing hours will be held at the funeral home on Thursday from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. A blessing service, officiated by Monsignor John Sempa of Corpus Christi Parish, will take place at the funeral home at 11:30 a.m. Interment services will be in the Denison Cemetery, Swoyersville.

For directions to the funeral home or to submit online condolences to Jessie’s family, please visit www.grazianofuneralhome.com.

More Obituaries, Page 9A

FUNERALS BELL - Michael, blessing service 8 p.m. today in the Peter J. Adonizio Funeral Home, 251 William St., Pittston. Friends may call 6 p.m. until time of service.

BLACK - Everett, friends may call 6 to 8 p.m. today at the H. Merritt Hughes Funeral Home Inc., 451 N. Main St., WilkesBarre.

BURR – C. Ronald, funeral 10:30 a.m. Thursday at the Sheldon Funeral Home, Main Street, Meshoppen, with a committal service to follow. Friends may call 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. today at the funeral home with Masonic services at 7:45 p.m. Members of the Triton and Meshoppen fire companies will pass in review at 7 p.m. today.

CHAIKIN – Marilyn, funeral 9 a.m. today at Graziano Funeral Home Inc., Pittston Township.

Mass of Christian Burial 9:30 a.m. today at St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church, William Street, Pittston.

DOBROSKY - Alex, celebration of life 10 a.m. today at McLaughlin’s, 142 S. Washington St., Wilkes-Barre. Funeral Mass 11 a.m. in the Church of St. Nicholas, Wilkes-Barre.

GORDON-ONDERKO - Peggy, funeral 10 a.m. Thursday at the Jendrzejewski Funeral Home, 21 N. Meade St., WilkesBarre. Friends may call 5 to 8 p.m. today.

HEALEY - the Rev. William, viewing 3 to 6 p.m. Thursday and 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Friday at Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Peace Church, 314 Chestnut Ave., Hawley. Vigil Mass 7 p.m.

Thursday. Pontifical Mass of Christian Burial 11 a.m. Friday.

HOLUB - Theresa, funeral 9 a.m. Thursday at Corcoran Funeral Home Inc., 20 S. Main St., Plains Township. Mass of Christian Burial 9:30 a.m. in Ss. Peter & Paul Church, Plains Township. Friends may call 5 to 8 p.m. today at the funeral home.

MARASKI - Joseph, military

funeral 9 a.m. today from the Lehman Family Funeral Service Inc., 689 Hazle Ave., WilkesBarre. Mass of Christian Burial 9:30 a.m. in St. Leo’s Church, 33 Manhattan St., Ashley.

MATUKAITIS - Irene, funeral 9 a.m. Thursday at George A. Strish Inc. Funeral Home, 105 N. Main St., Ashley. Mass of Christian Burial 9:30 a.m. in St. Leo’s/Holy Rosary Church, Ashley. Friends may call 6 to 9 p.m. today and 8 to 9 a.m. Thursday.

MONTZ - W. Curtis, friends may call 3 to 6 p.m. today at the Hugh B. Hughes & Son Inc. Funeral Home, 1044 Wyoming Ave., Forty Fort.

NOBEL - Elizabeth, funeral 10 a.m. Thursday at Nat & Gawlas Funeral Home, 89 Park Ave., Wilkes-Barre. Friends may call 6 to 8 p.m. today.

OWENS- Dennis Jr., funeral 10:30 a.m. Thursday at the Thomas P. Kearney Funeral Home Inc., 517 N. Main St., Old Forge. Services noon at Countryside Community Church, 14011 Orchard Drive, Clarks Summit. Friends may call 4 to 8 p.m. today at the funeral home.

PALLIS - Leonard Sr., friends may call 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday at the Sheldon-Kukuchka Funeral Home Inc., 73 W. Tioga St., Tunkhannock.

TEEL - Kenneth, funeral 11 a.m. Saturday at the Harding-Litwin Funeral Home, 123 W. Tioga St., Tunkhannock. Friends may call 2 to 4 and 6 to 9 p.m.

Friday.

TRAVER – Treva, funeral 11 a.m. Thursday at the Curtis L. Swanson Funeral Home, Inc., corner of routes 29 and 118, Pikes Creek. Friends may call 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. today at the funeral home.

M .J. JUD G E

M MON UM EN T CO. ON UM EN TS - M ARK ERS - L ETTERIN G

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TIMES LEADER www.timesleader.com

WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 27, 2013

WA teachers bemoan lack of pact

Roland S. Parham Feb. 25, 2013

R

oland S. Parham, 69, of Wilkes-Barre, died Monday at Commonwealth Hospice.

Born April 21, 1943 in Emporia, Va., Roland relocated to Wilkes-Barre in his youth. He was a graduate of GAR Memorial High School. Roland worked as an operating engineer for UGI Corp. for 30 years before retiring.

He was a devoted Philadelphia Eagles football fan and formerly served as president of the Heights Packers Booster Club.

He was preceded in death by a granddaughter Ashley, and sister, Rosiland.

He will be greatly missed by his wife, the former Tammy Lynn Stefanski; children, Rosiland and her husband, Robert Davis, Delaware; Roland Parham Jr., WilkesBarre; Chris and Jeffrey Parham, Connecticut; Lisa and her husband, Craig Smith, New York; Shelly and her husband, Carl Denson, Connecticut; Dwayne Parham, Georgia; Melody Parham, Wilkes-Barre; Tori Parham, at home, and Brian Parham, Oregon; grandchildren Ashley, Robert Jr. and Mariah Davis; Chris Jr. and Kristina Parham, Ashley Parham, Madison Smith, Carl Jr., Myla and Sydnee Denson, Monique, Lydia and Donovan Parham, and Devonta Parham; great-grandchildren, Aniya and Avery; his faithful friend, Brandy; and other family and friends.

A celebration of Roland’s life will be held on Thursday at noon at McLaughlin’s - The Family Funeral Service, 142 S. Washington St., Wilkes-Barre, led

by Pastor Shawn Walker of First Baptist Church. Interment will be in Oak Lawn Cemetery, Hanover Township. Visitation will be held at the funeral home on Thursday from 11 a.m. until noon.

Permanent messages and memories can be shared with Roland’s family at www.celebratehislife.com.

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the website “was in response to the ad.�

Board member Frank Casarella, a member of the contract negotiating team, told Dolman “The team has tried to work with your group. Get your group together and agree on what’s fair. I want to see what your union wants as a whole.�

In another matter, there was a lengthy discussion about a proposed $100,000 security upgrade to the entrance to the Secondary Center.

After the meeting, Ferentino was asked about the recent complaint of the misuse of a union credit card. “A report of the matter was made to the district attorney.

Helen M. Washinski

Barbara J. Yurksza Feb. 25, 2013

Feb. 25, 2013

H

I cannot comment further,� he said.

Dolman, asked if she thought the alleged credit card incident would have an effect on union negotiations, said it would not. “We’ve dealt with it as a union,� she said. “We’re waiting for what the investigators say.�

When asked about Wyoming Area’s recent hiring of attorney John Audi, who has said he will seek parity among local school districts, Dolman said, “I question the need for that.�

Because the meeting was not advertised, Ferentino said that no votes could be taken. An additional school board meeting has been scheduled for 7 p.m.

March 5.

elen M. Washinski, 95, of Alden, passed away Monday, Feb. 25, 2013, at Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center, Plains Township.

Helen was born on Jan. 15, 1918, a daughter of the late August and Ann Seroka Switlavich.

Prior to her retirement, Helen was employed for many years

by Penn Footwear Co. She was a member of Holy Spirit Parish/St. Adalbert’s Church, Glen Lyon.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Wassil, and 13 brothers and sisters.

Surviving are sons, David P. and his wife, Barbara, Alden, and Ronald J. and his wife, Sharon, Pittston; four grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be held Friday at 10 a.m. from the Earl W. Lohman Funeral Home Inc., 14 W. Green St., Nanticoke, with Father Donald Williams officiating.

Interment will be in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Wanamie, Newport Township. Friends may call Thursday from 5 to 8 p.m.

B

arbara J. Yurksza, Remington Road, Tunkhannock, passed away at the Regional Hospital in Scranton, shortly after admission on Monday.

She was born in Meshoppen on Jan. 12, 1952, a daughter of Clarence and Gertrude Garnet DeWolfe.

She was a 1970 graduate of Tunkhannock High School and was employed as a clerk at Weis Markets in Tunkhannock.

She was preceded in death by a granddaughter, Britney Giberson.

Surviving are her husband of 27 years, James Yurksza; daughters and sons-in-law, Tammera McCormick and husband Thomas Corker Jr., Tunkhannock; Julie Bassindale and husband Brent, Ontario, Canada, and Donna Miller and husband Shawn, Factoryville; brothers, Arden DeWolfe, Tunkhannock; Eric DeWolfe, Kutztown, and Leonard DeWolfe, Forkston; 18 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held

on Saturday at 10 a.m. from the Sheldon-Kukuchka Funeral Home, 73 W. Tioga St., Tunkhannock, with the Rev. David Hinkle of the Russell Hill United Methodist Church officiating. Interment will be in Union Cemetery, Mehoopany. Friends may call at the funeral home on Friday from 5 to 8 p.m.

Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.sheldonkukuchkafuneralhome.com.

More Obituaries, Page 8A

NOXEN TWP. — Phillip T. James Jr., 36, of Noxen, died as a result of a crash on Stull Road, Wyoming County, early Tuesday morning, state police at Tunkhannock said.

James was traveling west on Stull Road when he lost control of his 1998 Cadillac that struck a tree at about 12:30 a.m., state police said. James was pronounced dead at the scene.

WILKES-BARRE — City police reported the following: • Police said they found 47 packets of heroin on a man after seeing him allegedly conceal candy in a store.

Police were dispatched to the Walgreens at 400 WilkesBarre Township Blvd. Monday afternoon for a report of a man using narcotics in a restroom.

The complainant gave police a full description of the suspect’s clothing.

Police found the suspect in the candy aisle and saw him put candy bars in his coat pocket and then zip it, police said.

The man, Matthew James Perkins, no age or address provided, was taken into custody and was to be cited with retail theft, police said. • Joshua Lambert, no age or address provided, was taken into custody and cited with retail theft after police were dispatched to Schiel’s Market, 7 George Ave., on Monday for a report of a male in custody for suspected retail theft.

Employees told police that Lambert took a six-pack of Mentos, a padlock and two pairs of sunglasses and concealed them in an attempt to leave without paying for them, police said.

HANOVER TWP. — State police Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement reported the following: Doukas, Inc., doing business as Stephanie’s, 78-80 S. Main St., was recently cited with pos-

sessing or operating gambling devices or permitted gambling or lotteries.

Bonk’s Bar & Grill Inc., 200 W. Church St., Nanticoke, was recently cited with possessing or operating gambling devices or permitted gambling or lotteries.

Fahey’s Riverfront Cafe, 137 N. Main St., Pittston, was recently cited with possessing or operating gambling devices or permitted gambling or lotteries.

HANOVER TWP. - A woman was arraigned Tuesday on charges she peddled crack cocaine in the Marion Terrace apartment complex.

Gloria Rios Deleon, 30, known as “Glow,� of Poplar Street, Wilkes-Barre, was charged with two counts each of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, delivery of a controlled substance and possession of a controlled substance.

Deleon was charged last week by township police and the Luzerne County Drug Task Force with selling heroin and possessing marijuana during a drug buy at King’s Road and Sans Souci Parkway, according to court records.

She was remanded to the county correctional facility for lack of $70,000 bail on the two sets of charges.

JACKSON TWP. - A Dallas woman was injured in a two-vehicle crash on Huntsville Road on Feb. 19.

Joshua Blokzyl, 18, of Towanda, operating a 2001 Chevrolet Blazer, was traveling south on Huntsville Road when he struck a tree, police said. The impact caused Blokzyl’s vehicle to re-enter the road, colliding with a 2004 Chevrolet Impala operated by Anita Petroski, who was taken to a hospital.

Police believe speeding played a role in the crash.

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EXETER — A large group of Wyoming Area School District teachers huddled under umbrellas in cold rain as they protested their lack of a contract prior to Tuesday night’s school board meeting.

During the meeting, sides were sharply drawn between the union members and the school board.

The union had taken out a large newspaper advertisement

in one area paper outlining the teachers’ need for a contract.

In response, the district had posted on its website a rebuttal of the union’s claims.

The union’s newly elected president, Melissa Dolman, complained about the posting.

She said teachers have to use that website in computer labs.

She said it would interrupt the educational process to have to explain to the students the information on the site.

Dolman said the negotiations were supposed to be confidential. “That line has been crossed,� she said.

District solicitor Jarrett Ferentino said the information on

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timesleader.com

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Bear Creek Community Charter board fleshes out details of new school project Officials, architects, other members of construction team address details.

By JANINE UNGVARSKY Times Leader Correspondent

BEAR CREEK TWP. — It was another lengthy meeting for the Bear Creek Community Charter School board of trustees on Monday as it continued to drill down on the details of a $10 million new-school project.

The board met for more than two hours in public session with architects and other members of its construction team, addressing some of the broad details of the school, which will be built on a 100acre plot off of Route 115.

Items discussed included the placement of the school facility on the lot, the need for security in the form a gate on the main drive to the school and video cameras, as well as

a potential second road for emergency use, parking needs and access for food service deliveries, and considerations for offices and special-use classrooms for convenience of use and best use of space.

Board members also spent time considering potential future needs and uses for the building and directed the construction team to plan the site to allow for the possibility of additional parking, sports fields and a day care center.

After discussion, the board decided to include two showers for men and women in the gym area and one unisex shower in the nurse’s office, but asked the construction team to configure the waste water system to allow for more if the school ever decides to include a fitness center or otherwise expand the use of the gym facilities.

The plans also will be drawn up to include an elevated running track in the gym, with

COURT BRIEFS

pricing developed both with and without this addition. The insurance impact of the new building was also discussed.

The board heard a presentation from Brown and Brown insurance brokers that covered the school’s existing insurance, the options for a builder’s risk policy during the construction and the estimated 30 percent increase in property insurance premiums once the new building is constructed.

In other business, the board: • Approved food service designer Renald M. Corsi & Associates to help coordinate the space, design and equipment for the new school’s food service area at a rate not to exceed $9,000.

• Approved BF Environmental Consultants Inc. to provide hydrogeology services related to the new school construction at a cost not to exceed $11,000.

• Approved Meredith Galasso as a substitute school nurse at a per diem rate of $100.

WILKES-BARRE — A city man pleaded guilty in Luzerne County Court on Monday to charges he robbed the North End Slovak Club in Wilkes-Barre and Currys Donuts in Wilkes-Barre Township.

Anthony Gutierrez, 24, last known address as North Sherman Street, pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery and one count each of retail theft and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Judge David Lupas sentenced Gutierrez to two to four years in state prison and two years probation.

Police alleged Gutierrez robbed the North End Slovak Club on North Main Street and Currys Donuts on Wilkes-Barre Township Boulevard on May 8, 2012, according to arrest records.

Township police said Gutierrez stole a flat-screen television from Walmart and ran with the item down Highland Park Boulevard until he was captured on Coal Street on May 1, 2012. He was also found with a pipe commonly used to smoke narcotics in the restroom of Turkey Hill on Wilkes-Barre Township Boulevard on May 9, 2012, police said.

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www.timesleader.com TIMES LEADER WILKES-BARRE — A man arrested in Operation Square Deal that targeted drug pushers on Public Square pleaded guilty in Luzerne County Court on Tuesday.

Darrell Carter, 48, of Hanover Street, Wilkes-Barre, pleaded guilty to delivery of heroin.

Judge Michael Vough said Carter will be sentenced April 26.

City police alleged Carter, known as “Puff,” sold heroin at Public Square and East Market Street on July 23, according to arrest records.

Carter was one of 32 people city police charged in September

after a five-month investigation.

Patrol officers put together the undercover probe targeting drug peddlers who loitered in the area of East Market Street and Public Square.

WILKES-BARRE — A man pleaded guilty Tuesday in county court to charges he sold heroin in the Hazleton area.

Jeffrey Castillo, 22, of West Maple Street, Hazleton, pleaded guilty to five counts of delivery of heroin. Hazleton police alleged in arrest records Castillo sold heroin at various locations in the city in May and June.

Judge David Lupas said Castillo will be sentenced April 26.

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Editorial

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Page 11

OTHER opinion: FitNESS

More phys ed needed in schools

T

he obesity rate among the nation’s children is dangerously high at 18 percent, and researchers say obesity adds $2,826 a year to the cost of providing health care to an adult in this country.

That means if the trend of ever-higher rates of obesity among young people continues to escalate as it has since 1980 — and even if the rates level off — the cost of caring for today’s young people in their adulthood could be astronomical.

For that reason, it seems particularly short-sighted that the nation’s schools spend an average of just $764 per school year on physical education — $460 for elementary, $900 for middle and $1,370 for high schools, according to the 2012 Shape of the Nation report of the National Association for Sport and Physical Education.

It’s no surprise that a group

dedicated to increasing support for physical activity programs would think that’s not enough, but the point is nonetheless well taken. The organization recommends that schools provide 150 minutes of physical education each week for elementary school children and at least 225 minutes for those in middle and high school. Unfortunately, only 30 percent of high schoolers and 20 percent of younger students get that much.

Young people are spending more time watching TV, playing video games and using other electronic devices than they are running around at playgrounds, ball fields, parks or backyards.

They’ll be far better off in the long run if schools make sure they learn the important life lesson of getting and staying fit by developing the habit of enjoying physical activities.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

quote of the day

“He really changed the national conversation, and he showed real courage in pursuing the duties of his job.”

Chris Collins A vice president of amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research, on Dr. C. Everett Koop, former surgeon general, who died Monday at age 96.

other opinion: FISCAL CRISIS

It’s time to stop the blame game

A

s Republicans and cans beginning last month, Democrats in Wash- their argument likely is music ington play the blame to more voters’ ears than the game over the nation’s president’s plan. Though he has latest impending fiscal crisis, the bigger bully pulpit.) millions of Pennsylvanians are Like almost all divisive issues being used as chess pieces. in Washington, neither party’s The lack of compromise in Washington is breathtaking ideology will win out. At the when you consider that, in end of the day, the president and Congress need to comproPennsylvania alone: •620 teacher and aide jobs mise. That likely means a mix of spending cuts and tax increases. are at risk •2,300 children will see fundWhat’s so disheartening is ing for Head Start and that few in Congress Early Head Start dry up What’s so learned their lessons •26,000 U.S. Depart- disheartfrom the last time we ment of Defense employalmost jumped over ees will see their pay cut ening is the fiscal cliff, a whopby up to 40 percent that few in ping 60 days ago. Nei•$509,000 for law enther party saw th Congress forcement and related eir approval ratings services will be lost learned their soar, neither party got •$849,000 for meals lessons from what they wanted, but for seniors will be cut Undeterred, both par- the last time a compromise was ties cling to their ideals reached. The same we almost at the sake of action. must happen here.

This weekend, Presi- jumped over Our politicians in dent Barack Obama Washington need the fiscal implored governors on to put the good of both sides to urge their cliff. their constituents congressional represenover their ideological tatives to increase taxes. stances.

Members of Congress Too many teachers, children, on the right side of the aisle were blaming the president for men and women in uniform, ignoring options for spending law enforcement officers, and cuts. (Considering how many seniors are being toyed with unconsumers were blindsided by necessarily. the increase in Social Security The blame game must end, payroll taxes, leading to smaller and real governing must begin. paychecks for almost all Ameri-

The Sentinel (Carlisle, Pa.)

Editorial Board PRASHANT SHITUT President and CEO / Impressions Media JOSEPH BUTKIEWICZ

MALLARD FILLMORE

MAIL BAG | LETTERS FROM READERS

Verizon customer has disonnect with company I

would like you to know how I got ignored by a local newspaper. I wrote a letter how Verizon overcharged me for a service that it did not do. I told them that I had static in my line; the employee asked me if I had insurance and I said no. He said if the company only checks the outside line it costs nothing. The service person never came in my home. He came and checked the outside line and left. I wasn’t even home. I found the trouble was with an extra phone. When I disconnected it, the static was gone.

I called Verizon and the man told me he was there and left and found nothing wrong. I told him I found the trouble. Verizon charged me $150. It got me for $100, but I put a stop on auto-pay because I was being cheated and overcharged.

I wrote Verizon but the company never answered. I called a couple of times but got no response.

Joseph Rominski Wilkes-Barre

Geisinger survey seen as insensitive, inappropriate T

his is an open letter to Geisinger Health System: It is with great dismay that I feel the need to inform you of my resentment and shock when I received your 16-page questionnaire about the “Quality of Dying and Death.”

Your lack of sensitivity is already evident with your first word, “the quality of dying and death.” There is no such thing as the quality of death — only of life. The English language has more appropriate terms available to express what you wish to say.

While the accompanying letter insists that the survey’s goal is “to improve the care patients and their families receive…” very few of the questions relate — at least not directly — to “care,” but rather to the most intimate details of the dying processand ultimately of death itself.

As the bereaved, it was emotionally wrenching for me to read the questions and their follow-up of “how would you rate this aspect of your love one’s dying experience? Circle one number: terrible = 0, almost perfect = 10.” It took my breath away how you could confront a grieving family member with the customary format used for a commercial survey.

Your insensitivity is accentuated with the inclusion of a $1 bill. Do you really believe that the incentive of a $1 payment would induce anyone to answer these heart-wrenching questions, some of which are of such content that the bereaved would not even want to think about them

let alone evaluate them on a scale of 1-10?

Your survey forces the bereaved to relive every devastating moment during what must surely be the most difficultexperienceineveryone’s life: the death of a loved one. Therefore, I urge you toreview ethics, sensitivity and respect as they relate to the deceased and the bereaved and re-evaluate if the questions in their present phrasing serve any purpose except to exert emotional pain on those who are expected to answer them.

I am returning your survey unanswered along with your $1 bill.

Five thousand men and women work in or support today’s Wine and Spirits Shoppes. They have family-sustaining jobs with decent benefits. Our economy is recovering. Why would we put 5,000 people out of work? Privatization would destroy current jobs and turn the work over to low-wage, no benefit jobs that do nothing to grow our states economy.

Wayne Namey Wilkes Barre

Writer makes case for electoral process change Meat-eating reader fed up I with vegetarian advice T Anneliese Moghul Fairview Township

his is in response to a letter by Wilber Tillman. I am really getting tired of radical thinking vegans and vegetarians blaming me and others who include meat in their diet for all the ills on this earth.

We are so rotten because we eat the poor animals that are raised for food. We are also to blame for global warming. Even if this were true, we are not criminals and I am tired of their attacks.

Don’t eat meat, but please stop preaching to me and others who choose to eat meat. Mr. Tillman has sunk to a new low by more or less calling me and others poor Christians if we eat meat. I don’t need to be told how to follow Christ. I guess only vegans are going to heaven.

As to the idea that eating meat causes health problems, I am 74 and in good health. It must be from all the cheesesteaks I have eaten. It seems I am not the one who is full of baloney.

Louis DeSpirito Wilkes Barre

Privatization will drain profits for Pennsylvania T

he Pennsylvania Wine and Spirits stores generate more than $500 million a year in taxes and profits that benefit all Pennsylvania’s residents. Corbett’s plan would bring in revenue one time only. Then the asset would be gone — forever. His friends who stand to profit would make out great, while taxpayers are left holding the bag.

In April 2012, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control(CDC) recommended against any furthur privatization of alcohol sales.

Pennsylvania has the nation’s lowest rate of alcohol-related deaths in the country, according to CDC. United Food and Commercial Workers in Pennsylvania’s Wine and Spirit stores conduct more than one million ID checks every year. Employees are trained to spot phony IDs. Their record of doing so is unmatched anywhere in the country.

DOONESBURY

n rebuttal to several who disagree with our state Legislature’s possible plan to award electors in a presidential election on the basis of federal legislative district votes, I submit the following: Their “beef” is with the U.S. Constitution, Article II, Section I, which says in part “Each state shall appoint in such manner as the legislature there of may direct, a number of electors, equal to the whole number of senators and representatives to which the state may be entitled in the Congress.”

Every 10 years when a new census is taken, Pennsylvania is required to redraw, both for the state and federal districts, to make sure a fairly equal number of voters are in each district. Gerrymandering, when it occurs, can be challenged in court, so it balances out on the scales of justice in district redrawing.

Democrats, when in power, have been guilty of gerrymandering in their favor.

The complaints have given no direction on how to redraw districts more equitably, at each new census.

Proportionality is not a new thing and is often used to protect the rights of the minority, which is what would be done if electoral votes would be cast by federal voting districts in Pennsylvania, so many for each district. By the way, this is currently done in Maine and Nebraska.

Were we to eliminate proportionality everywhere, we would eliminate minority rights! One reader said the minority would override the majority. This is factually untrue. In fact, the reverse is true. We are swamped by big city votes; we in rural areas have no voice. By this method of proportionality, equity would be reinstated.

In the last presidential election, President Obama would have garnered 12 electoral votes and Governor Romney eight in Pennsylvania.

Proportionality is wanted by minority groups and gender groups in the workplace ad this is as it should be when qualified; I would hope that the complainants wouldn’t be against this. However, they do have recourse under Article V of the U.S. Constitution, which allows amendments.

James Sinclair Mountain Top

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GUARD

Continued from Page 1A

ty unit.

“This is clearly the darkest day in our institution’s short history, and we are in shock over this senseless loss of a colleague and friend,” Warden David Ebbert said in a prepared statement.

Prison officials released few details about the attack. They did not identify the inmate responsible, or indicate what might have led to the assault.

The FBI has been assigned to investigate the incident, which remains under investigation.

An FBI spokesman in Philadelphia declined comment, saying details would be released when the inmate is charged. It wasn’t immediately clear when that would happen.

Williams began his career with the bureau on Sept. 11, 2011. His sister said he graduated from King’s College with a criminal justice degree and worked in supermarket loss prevention and as a police officer before going to work in the federal prison system. “It was more of a stable job,” she said.

She said they spoke nearly every day and he never reported any problems at work.

In fact, “he said he was kind of bored sometimes,” Lauren Wil-

PARK Continued from Page 1A

been substantially occupied.

Cummings said a recent change in the type of inquiries Mericle is receiving led to the idea for the project.

“We’ve finally seen an uptick in requests for office space,” he said. “Our area has been in a dry spell as far as office leads go. Hopefully, the momentum we are seeing will sustain itself.”

Cummings said inquiries from health-care companies needing office space account for the majority of calls.

“Eight out of our last 12 office inquiries had some tie to health care or life sciences,” he said. “We have received calls from companies needing space for medical claims processing, surgery centers, dental clinics, health-care administration and even physician recruiting.”

Other inquiries have come from financial services offices and law firms, he added.

Bioscience possibilities

The office buildings could be the next step in enticing bioscience-related companies to locate in the region.

The NEPA Regional Biosci-

POPE

Continued from Page 1A

tor of the Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano said in an interview. “According to the evolution of Catholic doctrine and mentality, there is only one pope. Clearly it’s a new situation, but I don’t think there will be problems.”

Critics aren’t so sure. Some Vatican-based cardinals have

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Glover and two other union officials, Dale Deshotel and Gary Mills, said the federal prison system has been plagued by overcrowding for years. Nationwide, maximum-security facilities are 51 percent over capacity on average, they said.

The union has repeatedly cautioned the Bureau of Prisons that the situation was endangering prison staff.

“It’s a powder keg getting ready to explode,” said Mills, the union’s national legislative coordinator. “This was our biggest fear. Nobody wants to lose anybody. We are terribly saddened, angry and frustrated.”

Deshotel, the union president, said he had just sent an email to a prison official on Monday warning that the system was facing a “crisis situation.”

“I cautioned them not to wait until someone is hospitalized or gets killed before they do something,” Deshotel said.

“Not less than 24 hours later

we lost an officer.”

Chris Burke, a spokesman for the Bureau of Prisons, declined to address specific allegations raised by union officials. Speaking generally, he said the safety of staff “is one of our most important concerns.”

“We do everything we can to reduce risk associated with line of work we are in,” Burke said.

Williams had worked the Canaan facility since September 2011. He had previously worked as a police officer, according to his mother, Jean Williams.

“He loved working at the prison,” Jean Williams said in a phone interview Tuesday.

Williams described her son, who was single, as an “outdoorsman” who loved to play soccer, hunt and fish.

“It’s a real shock,” she said.

“We are trying to be strong.”

Williams said she was notified of her son’s death Tuesday morning. She said prison officials had not provided much information about the circumstances that led to the fatal attack.

“I haven’t been told anything, only that he was attacked by an inmate,” she said.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Williams’ sister, Lauren Williams, spoke of the senselessness of his death.

“There was just no reason , no reason at all,” Williams said.

“There wasn’t a mean bone in his body. He was not confrontational at all. He’s never been in a fight.”

Deshotel said he does not have all the details of the attack, but he is questioning whether Williams might have been able to better defend himself if he had been equipped with safety gear.

The union has been fighting for years to allow guards to carry gear to protect themselves, including pepper spray, but the Bureau of Prisons has resisted, he said. The bureau, as part of a pilot program, allowed guards in seven facilities to begin carrying pepper spray last year.

Canaan was not among the prisons in that program.

Deshotel said the bigger concern is a lack of staffing. The union has repeatedly argued a guard should not be placed in a housing unit alone, as Williams was, but the Bureau of Prisons has continued the practice, citing cost concerns.

“In a U.S. penitentiary, these are not people who are here because they missed school.

These are people who are violent. They are dangerous, and anything can trigger them,” he said. “It’s time the American people see … if you don’t staff a U.S. penitentiary properly, you put officer in harm’s way more than you have to.”ty unit.

ences Initiative, which was established in 2010 by regional leaders in education, business, economic development and government, aims to increase life science career and business opportunities within Northeastern Pennsylvania.

“We’ve been very fortunate in that we’ve already been able to locate seven companies with life-sciences or health-care ties to CenterPoint,” said Cummings.

“However, they’ve all located in our flex or industrial buildings. Our new office buildings will broaden our ability to recruit different types of companies, including health-care companies, to CenterPoint.”

Though Mericle owns land throughout the county that could have served as a home to these offices, Cummings said CenterPoint West was selected for the mini office park because of its proximity to both Scranton and Wilkes-Barre and its access to I-81.

“Many of our inquiries for office space have come from firms wishing to be equidistant to the populations of the region’s two largest cities,” he said. “Their preference is to open one location convenient to both cities rather than opening offices in both communi-

ties.”

Since 2006, Mericle has developed 21 buildings in CenterPoint Commerce & Trade Park.

Those buildings are occupied by 32 companies that together employ approximately 3,400 people, according to Cummings.

Larry Newman, the executive director at Diamond City Partnership, an organization that markets downtown Wilkes-Barre, said he doesn’t see the proposed office space as competition for the dozens of available offices in the region’s cities.

Neither do Bill Moore, the president of the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Business and Industry, or Austin Burke, who heads the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce.

Burke said attracting businesses to Northeastern Pennsylvania is the ultimate goal, and if that happens, “downtown Wilkes-Barre and downtown Scranton and downtown Pittston” will benefit.

While readily acknowledging there is plenty of available office space in the region, including in chamber-owned properties in Scranton and Jessup, Burke said having more is not a bad thing.

“You have to offer a variety

of options, sizes and locations,” Burke noted.

Newman said that while there is “an oversupply of office space in downtown WilkesBarre,” he does not believe the new office complex will negatively impact the ability to fill the available spaces.

liams said.

Eric Williams, who was single, loved to hunt, fish, play soccer and go bowling, and renovated a house near Lily Lake, a state-owned lake about 15 minutes from the family homestead in Nanticoke. In addition to his sister, he’s survived by his parents and two other brothers.

Union officials critical

privately grumbled about the decision, saying it will make it more difficult for the next pope with Benedict still around.

Swiss theologian Hans Kueng, Benedict’s onetime colleagueturned-critic, went even further: “With Benedict XVI, there is a risk of a shadow pope who has abdicated but can still indirectly exert influence,” he told Germany’s Der Spiegel magazine last week.

The Vatican spokesman, the

Rev. Federico Lombardi, said Tuesday that Benedict himself decided on his name and wardrobe choice in consultation with others, settling on “Your Holiness Benedict XVI” and either “emeritus pope” or “emeritus Roman pontiff.”

Lombardi said he didn’t know why Benedict had decided to drop his other main title: bishop of Rome.

In the two weeks since Benedict’s resignation announce-

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

PENGUINS Continued from Page 3A

“It’s good for the students to see positive role models and hear their message,” Troy said.

“We hope hearing these people will help our students make good choices in life.”h “These students are at a very impressionable age,” Rogers said.

“This was a positive message.”

With the WVW varsity cheerleaders on stage with Tux, the Penguins’ mascot, the “Voice of the Penguins,” Tom Grace, introduced the players who were wearing their black game jerseys: Tom Kostopoulos, No. 34, Cody Wild, No. 25, Joe Morrow, No. 20, and Jayson Megna, No. 22.

Each player chose a different topic for the students.

Grace said the Penguins appreciate the fans’ supportand they like to give back to the community.

“We want to help the students learn the right way to success,” Grace said. “These are our next generation of fans, and we want to do our part to help them become good citizens.”

Kostopoulos talked about the importance of proper nutrition.

“Eat lots of vegetable and fruits, and drink a lot of water,” he said. “And not so much sugar.

Watch how many calories you take in and stay out of the doctor’s office.”

Wild stressed education and the importance of reading.

“School is the key to your future,” he said. “Plan on a life of not being a professional athlete

Casino

Awareness factor

Continued from Page 3A

Newman said that as more companies are attracted to the region, it will raise the awareness level of other firms looking for available offices. And they might find Wilkes-Barre in their searching and opt to locate here in readily-available space.

Although he declined to go into the need of more offices in the region, Newman said Mericle obviously has done market studies and research to show there is a need and the interest is there.

“I think it’s a vote of confidence in the market,” Newman said. He added that having available flex, warehousing and office space in a region is not a bad thing because when companies decide they need space, they want it immediately, not in a year or two.

“They want them in the ground and up, not just on the books,” Moore noted.

attorney, and that she was on her way and “heads would roll” once she arrived.

Stefanie Salavantis did not return a phone message Tuesday seeking comment.

According to the report, police were called to the casino around 6:30 p.m. Friday for a report of patrons assaulting each other at Bar Louie, one of several restaurants inside the casino. When they arrived they were met by Shaun Coe, the restaurant’s manger, who said he was called from the back to speak to several patrons.

Coe said the patrons, later identified as Dompkosky and Salavantis, immediately became unruly and began yelling and cursing at him for no reason. Coe said he tried to calm the women, but they continued to yell, disrupting other patrons.

Coe told police he asked the women to leave. One of the women — he doesn’t know

ment, Vatican officials had suggested that Benedict would likely resume wearing the traditional black garb of a cleric and would use the title “emeritus bishop of Rome” to avoid creating confusion with the future pope.

Adding to the concern is that Benedict’s trusted secretary, Monsignor Georg Gaenswein, will be serving both pontiffs — living with Benedict at the monastery being converted for him inside the Vatican while keeping

his day job as prefect of the new pope’s household.

Asked about the potential for conflicts given the existing divisions within the Vatican bureaucracy, Lombardi was defensive, saying the decisions had been clearly reasoned and were likely chosen for the sake of simplicity.

Benedict himself has made clear he is retiring to a lifetime of prayer and meditation “hidden from the world.” However,

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Page 12

— very few get there.”

Morrow told the students to exercise and keep fit. He said he wasn’t a very good hockey player at first, but through hard training he got better and better.

Grace told students to stay away from alcohol, drugs and tobacco and talked about peer pressure.

“Be smart enough to make the right decisions,” he said.

Megna advised the students to be “well-rounded” and to get involved with activities, clubs and sports.

“I sang in the choir when I was your age,” he said. “You can say no to alcohol and drugs.”

Grace admitted fighting was part of hockey, but “not a part of the school yard or in real life.

You don’t play hockey to fight.”

After the program, a few sixthgraders said they were impressed by the speeches and they got the message — stay on a good path to a bright future.

“We should make good choices,” said Danny Gibbons, 12. “And stay positive, work hard and get good grades.”

Amanda Minsavage, 11, said the Pens were a good influence on her.

“I think it’s a good idea to be healthy, smart and active,” she said.

Jakia Hughes, 12, found the program informative and helpful.

“If we listen to what they say, we will have a good future,” she said.

Julia Janoski, 11, said she will try to avoid bad things.

“I hope everybody listened,” she said. “In case some people didn’t know, this was good for us to hear.” which — spit on him. Cletta Salavantis then struck him in the face, bending his eyeglasses. The two women continued to fight with one another as casino officials waited for police to arrive.

Salavantis and Dompkosky told a different story, however.

Ziolkowski said he spoke to Salavantis, who continued to cry and moan throughout the conversation. She and Dompkosky each alleged Coe had slapped Salavantis in the face — an allegation that was disputed by several witnesses to the incident, each of whom said it was Coe who was struck.

While on scene, Ziolkowski encountered a man who identified himself as Salavantis’ son.

Ziolkowski said the man apologized for any inconvenience, telling him that Salavantis and Dompkosky “are on antidepressants, and this is what happens when they mix alcohol with them.”

Abraham said citations have been issued and are expected to be filed today with District Judge Diana Malast. he still will be very present in the tiny Vatican city-state, where his new home is right next door to the Vatican Radio transmitter and has a lovely view of the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica.

Kueng said it was a mistake for Gaenswein to serve both men and for Benedict to remain so close to the center of action.

“No priest likes it if his predecessor sits next to the rectory and watches everything he does,” Kueng said.

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timesleader.com

THE TIMES LEADER

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2013

wbs pen g uins

Mormina named 18th captain in Penguins history

Team waited for lockout to end before choosing a locker-room leader.

By TOM VENESKY tvenesky@timesleader.com

Don’t expect Joey Mormina to bust into the Wilkes-Barre/ Scranton Penguins locker room today and give his teammates a long-winded victory speech.

Just because he was named the 18th captain in franchise history on Tuesday, that’s sim-

ply not Mormina’s style.

But what his teammates can expect from Mormina as he wears the “C” is more of the same. He’ll still lead by example on the ice, be vocal in the locker room when the situation calls for it and be the first one volunteering to visit a hospital, help a charity or do anything else he can to represent the team in the community.

“I’m not going to have a miracle speech,” he said. “I don’t think my message is going to change. It’s the same as its been

all year — we need to keep improving, be consistent and play to our identity. Do things the right way both on and off the ice.”

Thanks to a vote by the players, Mormina, 30, was named the team’s captain on Tuesday while D Dylan Reese, C Warren Peters and C Trevor Smith were tabbed as the assistants. The move comes late in the season, but coach John Hynes said he felt the time was right to name an official leader.

“We had so many lineup

changes this season along with the lockout, and now this is more of our formalized group.

We have 22 games left and this is the time you need that strong direction in the room,” Hynes said, adding it was important to let the players vote on the matter. “You want it to come from them. They see things away from the rink and the locker room that we as coaches may not always see.”

See MORMINA, Page 5B

PETE G. WILCOX/THE TIMES LEADER

Penguins defenseman Joey Mormina (3) was named team captain on Tuesday after a vote by his teammates. He becomes the 18th captain in team history.

district 2 B O Y s bas k etball

Comets a cure for Francis’ ills Grenadiers advance to district’s 3A final

By JOHN ERZAR jerzar@timesleader.com

WILKES-BARRE — Neither the flu nor Crestwood’s defense could slow down Isaiah Francis enough Tuesday night.

The GAR junior had just enough energy to overcome both and provide the Grenadiers a boost to defeat Crestwood 40-29 in the GAR District 2 Class 3A boys basketball semifiCRESTWOOD nals.

Second-seeded GAR (17-8) will play topseeded Abington Heights (24-2) on Friday at a site and time to be announced for the the championship. Both teams are guaranteed spots in the PIAA state playoffs. Third-seeded Crestwood (17-8) will play fourthseeded Scranton Prep (17-8) also on Friday at a site and time to be announced, with the winner getting District 2’s third and final state berth.

Abington defeated GAR 52-45 on Dec. 19 as part of a sevengame losing streak for the Grenadiers to start the season.

“We had a good lead on them last time,” GAR senior guard Willie Winstead said. “We just couldn’t finish off in the second

40 29

By GENARO C. ARMAS AP Sports Writer

Isaiah Francis GAR junior

half. We struggled like that in the beginning of the year, but we’ve been finishing games pretty good now.”

GAR finished off Crestwood with a 15-3 run after the Comets took a 26-25 lead on the first basket of the fourth quarter. Francis boosted the lead to double digits for the first time, 38-27, with an inside spin move for a basket and an ensuing free throw with a minute left.

“I sort of did (forget about being sick),” Francis said. “I just wanted to be a game changer.”

Francis finished with 11 points and nine rebounds. His main contribution wasn’t statistics-based. Once he entered the game midway through the second quarter, big man Christian Skrepenak found more opportunities inside. Skrepenak scored three consecutive baskets in the paint, turning a 12-8 deficit into a 16-14 halftime lead.

DON CAREY/THE TIMES LEADER

GAR and Lamont Twyman, left, will take on Abington Heights for the district title. Brady Gallagher, right, and Crestwood will face Scranton Prep for a berth in the state tournament.

district 2 g irls bas k etball

Near-upset has GAR far from upset

By PAUL SOKOLOSKI psokoloski@timesleader.com

WILKES-BARRE — When Brea Seabrook turned two staight turnovers into baskets during a frenzied stretch of a District 2 HOLY CROSS girls basketball semifinal game, it did GAR more than give GAR its first lead.

It made the Grenadiers believe they could pull themselves into the district title game by

49 42

pulling off an upset.

“I definitely thought we could do this,” GAR senior Marena Spence said. “We started to talk to each other more, started to work together.

“We’re a hard team when we work together.”

In the end, it didn’t work out for GAR. Alyssa Alfano answered the Grenadiers’ surge with seven straight points in the fourth quarter and Holy Cross survived an unexpected test 4942 to reach the Class 2A finals in a gritty playoff game at Holy Redeemer High School.

Knowing their coach better now Nittany Lions understand what to expect as Bill O’Brien begins his second season.

“I sort of did (forget about being sick). I just wanted to be a game changer.”

See GRENADIERS, Page 4B

P S U football

But faltering at the end of their spirited upset bid hardly dampened GAR’s spirit.

“I’m very proud of the girls,” said GAR coach Hattie Caruso, whose 13-11 team will now play for third place in the District 2 field and for the chance to move on to its first PIAA Class 2A tournament appearance since 2008. “We can only look forward to the future of the GAR program.”

Nothing about the game’s first 14 minutes looked bright See GAR, Page 7B

PETE G. WILCOX/THE TIMES LEADER

Brea Seabrook, center, scored 15 points for GAR on Tuesday night in the Grenadiers’ loss to Holy Cross in the District 2 Class 2A semifinals.

STATE COLLEGE — Receiver Allen Robinson and his Penn State teammates are settling into a familiar offseason routine.

After the rollercoaster ride that was the 2012 season ended on a high note, status quo is the welcome norm as Bill O’Brien enters his second year as Nittany Lions coach.

“Last year, we didn’t know Coach O’Brien too well,” Robinson said. “I think definitely, as a team, he’s a little more comfortable with us and the same thing with him.”

O’Brien arrived in January 2012 to succeed Joe Paterno.

But he shuttled between his NFL job in New England and State College for another five weeks as he finished up as Patriots offensive coordinator.

No such commute is needed this offseason. Now O’Brien can join strength coach Craig Fitzgerald, who oversees the offseason program, in keeping an eye on the players’ winter weight and conditioning routine.

“We have a higher standard than we had last year. Coach O’Brien wanted to push us, but he didn’t have a gauge of the team this early last year,” Robinson said. “Coach O’Brien definitely knows a lot of the players a lot better. They’re definitely going to push us a lot more than last year.”

The most common answer from a handful of Penn State players was that they now know what O’Brien expects, from the offseason program to the complicated offense — and how that translates into success. Penn State finished 8-4 last season, exceeding expectations given the player departures and other distractions connected to the NCAA sanctions for the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal.

Players had nothing to do with the scandal. But they See COACH, Page 7B

nascar

Fans consider suit against NASCAR over Daytona debris Injuries from Nationwide crash were sustained by 30 people, including some from our area.

By KYLE HIGHTOWER The Associated Press

AP PHOTO

A wheel, tire and suspension parts sit in the stands after crash on the final lap of the Nationwide Series race Saturday at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. Several fans were injured when large chunks of debris sailed into the grandstands after a car flew into the fence.

ORLANDO, Fla. — The attorney for three NASCAR fans injured last weekend during a race the day before the Daytona 500 says they are exploring a possible lawsuit, but some experts say they could face tough obstacles in winning damages.

Matt Morgan, the Orlandobased lawyer for the fans, said at a news conference Tuesday than any suit would focus on the safety fence used along the track at Daytona International Speedway. He said he hopes to reach a settlement with NASCAR to avoid a lawsuit.

More than 30 people were injured last Saturday after a horrific wreck in a second-tier NASCAR series race sent chunks of debris, including a heavy tire, into the stands. Morgan declined to pro-

vide the identities of his clients but said two of them were seated directly in front of the crash and sustained injuries ranging from a fractured fibula to abdominal swelling. All have been released from the hospital.

Some experts say there could be grounds for a lawsuit, and that courts have looked past liability waivers written on the backs of sporting event tickets. Others maintain the ticket is a legal contract that could be hard to overcome in court.

“Ultimately, I believe it would be gross negligence,” Morgan said. “We all know that when you go to a race you assume a certain amount of risk. But what people don’t assume is that a race car will come flying into the stands…

That’s why they make the fences.”

Asked to comment on the fans’ retention of a law firm, NASCAR spokesman David Higdon wrote in a statement, “We are unaware of any lawsuits filed.”

See DAYTONA, Page 5B

C MY K B A S E B A L L

TIMES LEADER www.timesleader.com

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2013 Page 3B

Nationals-Braves is baseball’s latest big rivalry The Associated Press

KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Dan Uggla and Freddie Freeman were walking back to the Atlanta clubhouse, having finishing up a stint in the batting cages on a rainy morning, when they spotted Bryce Harper sitting at the end of the Washington dugout.

They went over to shake hands and chat for a few minutes, their first chance to catch up with the Nationals young star this season.

It won’t be the last time they meet.

This has all the makings of a great baseball rivalry: two youthful teams in the same division, both poised for longterm success but likely to be in each other’s way.

“You definitely know what’s across the table,” said Uggla, the Braves’ second baseman, before the teams met in a spring training game Tuesday.

Last year, they battled all season for the NL East title, the Nationals leading most of the way with the Braves in hot pursuit. Washington finished with a league-leading 98 wins — four games ahead of Atlanta, though both made the playoffs.

After each lost to St. Louis in the postseason (the Braves in a disputed one-game playoff, the Nationals in a bitter division series), they began making

AP PHOTO

Atlanta dominated the NL East for years with a rotating cast of contenders for the division crowd. Headed into 2013, Washington is hoping to edge out the Braves for the East title once again.

moves with an eye on a longer October run, ever mindful of what their division rival was up to.

The Braves signed B.J. Upton and traded for his younger brother, Justin, to give their offense a much needed boost from the right side of the plate. The Nationals traded for a true leadoff hitter, Denard Span, and signed closer Rafael

Soriano, adding to a team that already includes two of baseball’s brightest young players, Harper and pitcher Stephen Strasburg.

“You’ve got to prepare,” Uggla said. “If they make a move, you’ve constantly got to do what it takes to be competitive. I feel like we did that this year.”

Davey Johnson is also impressed with Atlanta’s offseason moves, believing the Braves addressed their major weakness from the last few seasons — a lineup that was heavy on lefties.

That said, the Washington manager made it clear what his team’s mindset will be.

World Series or bust.

“We’ve already won a (division) pennant. We’ve been in the postseason,” Johnson said. “With that experience and the talent level that’s here, our goals should be higher. There’s no sense romancing anybody and telling you, ‘Geez, we’d be lucky to win our division, we’d be lucky to go far in the playoffs.’ … But I don’t think I’m telling these players anything they don’t believe themselves.”

Not surprisingly, one of the moves Washington made in the offseason was signing Soriano, who had 42 saves for the New York Yankees filling in for the injured Mariano Duncan. The Nationals plan to use their new addition in the

ninth inning, with former closers Drew Storen and Tyler Clippard handling duties in the seventh and eighth.

The acquisition of Span provides a true leadoff hitter, which was lacking in 2012. Finally, the Nationals filled a hole in their rotation by picking up Dan Haren, who battled injuries but still won 12 games with the Angels, adding a veteran presence to a young rotation that includes 20-game winner Gio Gonzalez.

“We have confidence and have shown what we can do,” second baseman Danny Espinosa said. “Now, we’ve just got to keep rolling with it.”

The Braves had a major hole to fill after Chipper Jones retired, but general manager Frank Wren moved boldly to make up what was lost — and then some. He signed B.J. Upton to a fiveyear, $75.25 million contract (essentially the same money Jones was getting), then pulled off a seven-player deal with Arizona to land B.J.’s younger brother.

“They were a very talented team to start with, but they definitely made some good offseason acquisitions,” Espinosa said. “It’s always fun playing them.

They’ve got a good group of guys over there. They play hard. They play the right way.”

AP PHOTO

The Philadelphia Phillies’ Ben Revere takes a swing during a spring training game against the New York Yankees on Tuesday in Clearwater.

Brown hits 2nd home run as Phillies beat Yankees The Associated Press

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Domonic Brown and Tommy Joseph hit long home runs in the seventh inning and the Philadelphia Phillies rallied past the New York Yankees 4-3 Tuesday for their first win of the exhibition season.

Brown connected off Zach Nuding, sending his second home run this spring over the batter’s eye in center field. Brown is competing for the left field vacancy.

Joseph, a catcher considered by some as the Phillies’ current top hitting prospect, sent a two-run drive deep over the left-field fence. He was acquired from San Francisco last summer in the trade for Hunter Pence.

Ichiro Suzuki went 3 for 3 to lead the Yankees. He legged out an infield single, stole second and scored on Mark Teixeira’s double in the first inning off Kyle Kendrick.

Astros (ss) 9, Tigers 4

KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Jason Castro and Brett Wallace each homered for a Houston Astros split squad in a victory over the Detroit Tigers.

Wallace had three hits for the Astros.

Castro and Rick Ankiel had two hits apiece for Houston.

Rays 7, Astros (ss) 2

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — AL Cy Young winner David Price pitched one scoreless inning and Evan Longoria tested his surgically-repaired hamstring on the basepaths and had an RBI single during Tampa Bay’s rain-shortened victory over a Houston Astros split-squad.

Price allowed a hit and walked one in a 19-pitch outing. Longoria singled and was thrown out trying to score from

second in the first inning, then had another hit before scoring on Leslie Anderson’s two-run, second-inning triple off Astros starter Jordan Lyles.

Twins 8, Blue Jays 4

DUNEDIN, Fla. — Justin Morneau had two hits, including a run-scoring double, and the Minnesota Twins beat the Toronto Blue Jays.

Morneau and teammate Joe Mauer, both taking part in next month’s World Baseball Classic, made the 2 1-2 hour trip from Fort Myers.

Braves 9, Nationals 5

KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Washington’s Ross Detwiler got in some muchneeded work before the World Baseball Classic, while the Atlanta Braves scored five runs in the fifth on the way to a win over their division rival.

Detwiler pitched two scoreless innings before failing to get out of the third, allowing two runs. The left-hander gave up five hits and struck out two in a game delayed an hour by rain.

Marlins 7, Mets 5

JUPITER, Fla. — Giancarlo Stanton hit his first homer of spring training to help the Miami Marlins beat the New York Mets.

Stanton, who led the NL in slugging last year and had 37 home runs, homered off Hansel Robles. Matt Downs also homered off Robles.

Casey Kotchman hit a grand slam in his first at-bat of spring training against Mets starter Jenrry Mejia, who needed 30 pitches to get through his one inning and allowed five runs.

Padres 7, Reds 5

PEORIA, Ariz. — Yasmani Grandal, Travis Buck, Alexi Amarista and Everth Cabrera had RBI singles in San Diego’s

six-run fourth inning and the Padres went on to a victory over the Cincinnati Reds.

San Diego had five consecutive hits in the big inning and Kyle Blanks and Chase Headly had sacrifice flies for the Padres.

Anthony Bass, who made 15 starts last season and is a contender for San Diego’s rotation this year, pitched two scoreless innings in his spring debut

Diamondbacks (ss) 7, Angels 7

White Sox 14, Rangers 8

Giants 8, Dodgers 8

SURPRISE, Ariz. — Yu Darvish struck out two while retiring all six White Sox batters he faced in his first spring start before Chicago scored 11 runs over the next two innings in a win over the Texas Rangers.

Darvish, the Japanese ace who won 16 games as a major league rookie last season, threw his fastball in the mid90s.

Cardinals 15, Red Sox 4

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Cardinals left-hander Jaime Garcia returned to the mound for the first time since injuring his shoulder in the playoffs, getting through two scoreless innings as St. Louis beat the Boston Red Sox. Cubs 4, Rockies 2

MESA, Ariz. — Edwin Jackson pitched two scoreless innings in his first outing with the Cubs, and Chicago beat the Colorado Rockies.

Jackson signed a four-year, $52 million contract this winter. wHe gave up consecutive singles to start the game but finished by retiring four in a row.

Chicago outfielder Dave Sappelt, in the running for a backup job, homered leading off the sixth among his two hits.

TEMPE, Ariz. — Josh Hamilton went 0 for 3 in his Cactus League debut with the Los Angeles Angels, playing five innings in their tie with an Arizona Diamondbacks split squad.

Hamilton grounded out on the first pitch he faced and later flied out twice for the Angels, who signed him a fiveyear, $125 million free-agent deal to leave Texas for its AL West rivals.

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Tim Lincecum struggled in his first start of spring training, giving up three runs and failing to get through two innings for the San Francisco Giants in a tie with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Royals 4, Indians 1

GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Billy Butler homered and drove in three runs Tuesday as the Kansas City Royals beat the Cleveland Indians.

Both teams began the day unbeaten in exhibition play. The Royals improved to 4-0-1, Cleveland lost for the first time in six tries.

Diamondbacks (ss) 9, Athletics 4

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Jason Kubel, Adam Eaton and Cliff Pennington each hit two-run homers and a split squad of Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Oakland Athletics 9-4 on Tuesday.

Mariners 6, Brewers 5

PHOENIX — Justin Smoak hit a tworun homer in the eighth inning, and the Seattle Mariners beat the Milwaukee Brewers.

Franklin Gutierrez and Michael Saunders connected for consecutive one-out home runs in the third for the Mariners, who have hit 10 home runs in their first five games.

AP PHOTO

New York Mets relief pitcher Jenrry Mejia warms up before pitching to the Miami Marlins during an exhibition game, Tuesday in Jupiter, Fla.

Mejia looms as the Mets’ ‘if’ pitcher

By MIKE KERWICK The Record (Hackensack, N.J.)

JUPITER, Fla. — Even with his name and age confirmed, Jenrry Mejia’s hardball identity remains defined by a string of question marks. Starter or reliever? Legit prospect or dated heirloom? Someone the Mets can trust or someone they cannot?

A few years ago, Mejia — not Matt Harvey, not Zack Wheeler — was the most prized piece on the farm. Now he’s an arm of last resort, a fifth starter if Johan Santana is not healthy, if Jeremy Hefner stumbles, if, if, if …

On Tuesday afternoon, he added another pin to this clothesline of doubt. Mejia pitched just one inning. He allowed five runs, four earned.

The mistakes he made Tuesday mirrored the mistakes he made when he was called up last September. Of the eight batters he faced Tuesday, six were given the benefit of a 1-0 count. It was reminiscent of his first start last autumn, when he threw firstpitch balls to 14 of the 19 hitters he saw in a 9-6 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers.

“I (felt) ready,” Mejia said after leaving Tuesday’s 7-5 loss to the Miami Marlins at Roger Dean Stadium.

He did not look ready. It took just three pitches before the afternoon slid from his grasp.

Marlins outfielder Juan Pierre bunted a 1-1 pitch back toward the mound. Mejia fielded the ball cleanly, then he rifled it down the right-field line.

“That happens sometimes,” Mejia said.

He gave up two singles and a walk before Casey Kotchman, a nine-year veteran who has never hit more than 14 home runs in a season, smacked a grand slam.

Mejia fell behind 1-0. Then he threw a fastball.

“This is my first time,” Mejia said. “The only thing that I have to work (on) is (throwing) strikes. Practice on throwing the first pitch for strikes.”

Mejia pitched two games in the Dominican Republic while waiting for his visa, Collins said.

Digging too deep into spring training numbers can be dangerous, but Collins sounded concerned that a pitcher who has been throwing could look this shaky.

“When you’re trying to make a club, you’ve got to get ready to pitch,” Collins said. “It’s a little different when you’re a 10year veteran and you know how to get ready. It’s another thing when you’re trying to impress the manager. He threw fine. Just threw way too many balls in the middle of the plate.”

Mejia is still young, just 23, but his early taste of the big leagues has not been pleasant.

Mejia went 0-4 in 2010. He underwent surgery Tommy John surgery in 2011.

Last September, during his late-season cup of coffee, Mejia made five appearances. He went 1-2 with a 5.63 ERA. Collins has committed to using Mejia as a starter this spring.

He has mentioned Mejia as a rotation cushion if Santana or another starter is not ready for opening day. But it would be tough to slide him into that spot if he continues to struggle.

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2013

www.timesleader.com TIMES LEADER

D istri c t 2 b o ys bas k etball t o urnament CLASS 4A (One team advances to states) Wednesday, Feb. 20 No. 6 Scranton 46, No. 3 Delaware Valley 42, 2OT No. 4 Wyoming Valley West 59, No. 5 Wallenpaupack 43 Saturday, Feb. 23 Semifinals No. 1 Williamsport 67, No. 4 Wyoming Valley West 56 No. 6 Scranton 54, No. 2 Hazleton Area 46 Wednesday, Feb. 27 Subregional championship No. 1 Williamsport (20-2) vs. No. 6 Scranton (19-5), 7 p.m. at Berwick Saturday, March 9 D2/4 champion vs. District 3 third seed, site & time TBA

DON CAREY/THE TIMES LEADER

Lamont Twyman (10) and GAR overcame a brief deficit to open the fourth quarter to bury Crestwood in the final minutes and advance to the District 2 Class 3A championship.

grenadiers Continued from Page 1B

paint, turning a 12-8 deficit into a 16-14 halftime lead.

“The difference was once No. 1 came into the game for us,” GAR coach Paul Brown said of Francis. “His rebounding and court awareness were pretty exciting. That’s when the ball started getting in Christian’s hands more. … When Isaiah got in the game because he was able to stretch the defense out a little bit and they weren’t able to spend so many people on Christian.”

Crestwood overtook the Grenadiers on a three-pointer by Steve Roberts to end the third quarter and an inside basket by Chris Fazzini to start the fourth.

Skrepenak, though, muscled inside for a couple more buckets as part of his 16-point night as GAR took the lead for good.

Crestwood succeeded in keeping GAR under 40 points for the fourth time in the last six meetings. Oddly, the Grenadiers, who prefer an up-tempo pace, have won three of those four games.

The Comets failed when it came to extending their leads.

They shot just 10-of-34 through three quarters. Brian Markowski led the offense with 10 points followed by Roberts with eight.

“The biggest thing was we couldn’t build a one-point lead to five in a low-scoring game,” Crestwood coach Mark Atherton said. “If we could’ve done that, which GAR did a couple times… It made us play from behind and that’s tough.”

CRESTWOOD (29): Brady Gallagher 1 0-0 2, Cole Wasco 1 0-0 3, Brian Markowski 5 0-0 10, Steve Roberts 3 0-0 8, Chris Fazzini 2 2-4 6, Brandon Cole 0 0-0 0. Totals 12 2-4 29.

GAR (40): Isaiah Francis 4 3-3 11, James Holmes 1 2-2 5, Lamont Twyman 2 0-0 4, Willie Winstead 1 0-0 2, Christian Skrepenak 8 0-1 16, Darius Washington 1 0-0 2. Totals 17 5-6 40.

Crestwood 6 8 10 5 — 29 GAR 6 10 9 15 — 40 Three-point field goals— CRE 3 (Wasco, Roberts 2); GAR 1 (Holmes)

CLASS 3A (Three teams advance to states) Tuesday, Feb. 19 No. 1 Abington Heights 90, No. 16 Berwick 46 No. 5 Pittston Area 48, No. 12 Coughlin 46 No. 4 Scranton Prep 64, No. 13 Valley View 42 No. 3 Crestwood 65, No. 14 Wyoming Area 48 No. 6 Lake-Lehman 44, No. 11 West Scranton 40 No. 7 Holy Redeemer 63, No. 10 North Pocono 53 No. 2 GAR 69, No. 15 Dallas 31 Wednesday, Feb. 20 No. 9 Honesdale 48, No. 8 Tunkhannock 40

Friday, Feb. 22 Quarterfinals No. 1 Abington Heights 63, No. 9 Honesdale 53 No. 4 Scranton Prep 57, No. 5 Pittston Area 24 No. 3 Crestwood 56, No. 6 Lake-Lehman 44 No. 2 GAR 74, No. 7 Holy Redeemer 45 Tuesday Feb. 26 Semifinals No. 1 Abington Heights 71, No. 4 Scranton Prep 70, 2OT No. 2 GAR 40, No. 3 Crestwood 29 Friday, March 1 Championship No. 1 Abington Heights (24-2) vs. No. 2 GAR (17-8), site & time TBA Third-place game No. 3 Crestwood (17-8) vs. No. 4 Scranton Prep (17-8), site & time TBA Friday, March 8 D2 champion vs. District 4 runner-up, site & time TBA D2 runner-up vs. District 3 third seed, site & time TBA D2 third seed vs. District 4 champion, site & time TBA CLASS 2A (Three teams advance to states) WednesdayFeb. 20 No. 1 Meyers 64, No. 16 Carbondale 36 No. 9 Wyoming Seminary 57, No. 8 Nanticoke 37 No. 5 Montrose 59, No. 12 Blue Ridge 43 No. 4 Mid Valley 66, No. 13 Mountain View 28 No. 3 Elk Lake 81, No. 14 Lakeland 60 No. 11 Hanover Area 76, No. 6 Dunmore 72, 2OT

No. 10 Lackawanna Trail 68, No. 7 Riverside 64 No. 2 Holy Cross 50, No. 15 Northwest 20 Saturday, Feb. 23 Quarterfinals No. 1 Meyers 64, No. 9 Wyoming Seminary 43 No. 4 Mid Valley 54, No. 5 Montrose 37 No. 3 Elk Lake 68, No. 11 Hanover Area 43 No. 2 Holy Cross 74, No. 10 Lackawanna Trail 45 Wednesday, Feb. 27 Semifinals No. 1 Meyers (22-2) vs. No. 4 Mid Valley (22-4), 7:30 p.m. at Pittston Area No. 3 Elk Lake (21-4) vs. No. 2 Holy Cross (21-5), 7:30 p.m. at Valley View Saturday, March 2 Championship, site & time TBA Third-place game, site & time TBA Saturday, March 9 D2 champion vs. District 4 third seed D2 runner-up vs. District 2 runner-up D2 third seed vs. District 4 champion CLASS A (One team advances to states) Wednesday, Feb. 27 Semifinals No. 4 MMI Prep (3-19) vs. No. 1 Susquehanna (12-10), 7 p.m. at Scranton H.S. No. 3 Forest City (1-21) vs. No. 2 Old Forge (10-12), 6 p.m. at Lackawanna College Friday, March 1 Championship, site & time TBA Friday, March 8 D2 champion vs. District 11 runner-up, site & time TBA

D istri c t 2 girls bas k etball t o urnament CLASS 4A (One team advances to states) Wednesday, Feb. 20 No. 5 Scranton 37, No. 4 Delaware Valley 33 Wednesday, Feb. 27 Semifinals No. 1 Wallenpaupack (18-4) vs. No. 5 Scranton (3-20), 7:30 p.m. at North Pocono No. 2 Wyoming Valley West (13-9) vs.

No. 3 Hazleton Area (13-9), 7 p.m. at Wyoming Area Friday, March 1 Championship, site & time TBA Friday, March 8 D2 champion vs. District 11 third seed, site & time TBA CLASS 3A (Three teams advance to states) Tuesday, Feb. 19 No. 1 Scranton Prep 45, No. 16 Valley View 24 No. 8 Lake-Lehman 54, No. 9 West Scranton 50 Wednesday, Feb. 20 No. 5 Pittston Area 65, No. 12 Wyoming Area 40 No. 4 Nanticoke 39, No. 13 Western Wayne 25 No. 3 Dallas 65, No. 14 Meyers 48 No. 6 Honesdale 65, No. 11 North Pocono 23 No. 10 Abington Heights 52, No. 7 Crestwood 42 No. 2 Holy Redeemer 59, No. 15 Berwick 44 Saturday, Feb. 23 Quarterfinals No. 1 Scranton Prep 54, No. 8 Lake-

Lehman 39 No. 5 Pittston Area 39, No. 4 Nanticoke 26 No. 6 Honesdale 73, No. 3 Dallas 64 No. 2 Holy Redeemer 39, No. 10 Abington Heights 30 Wednesday Feb. 27 Semifinals No. 1 Scranton Prep (23-1) vs. No. 5 Pittston Area (22-3), 6 p.m. at Valley View No. 6 Honesdale (21-3) vs. No. 2 Holy Redeemer (19-6), 6 p.m. at Pittston Area Saturday, March 2 Championship, site & time TBA Third-place game, site & time TBA Saturday, March 9 D2 champion vs. District 4 runner-up, site & time TBA D2 runner-up vs. District 11 runner-up, site & time TBA D2 third seed vs. District 4 champion, site & time TBA CLASS 2A (Three teams advance to states) Tuesday, Feb. 19 No. 9 Mountain View (5-16) at No. 8 Lakeland (13-9), ppd.

No. 5 Elk Lake 45, No. 12 Wyoming Seminary 26 No. 4 Dunmore 65, No. 13 Carbondale 29 No. 3 Holy Cross 54, No. 14 Mid Valley 38 No. 6 Riverside 57, No. 11 Northwest 26 No. 7 Hanover Area 67, No. 10 Lackawanna Trail 24 No. 2 GAR 82, No. 15 Blue Ridge 34 Wednesday, Feb. 20 No. 8 Lakeland 56, No. 9 Mountain View 24

Friday, Feb. 22 Quarterfinals No. 8 Lakeland 43, No. 1 Montrose 41 No. 4 Dunmore 61, No. 5 Elk Lake 20 No. 3 Holy Cross 49, No. 6 Riverside 35 No. 2 GAR 42, No. 7 Hanover Area 32 Tuesday, Feb. 26 Semifinals No. 3 Holy Cross 49, No. 2 GAR 42 Wednesday, Feb. 27 Semifinals No. 8 Lakeland (15-9) vs. No. 4 Dunmore (18-6), 6 p.m. at North Pocono Friday, March 1 Championship No. 3 Holy Cross (19-6) vs. TBD, site & time TBA Third-place game No. 2 GAR (13-11) vs. TBD, site & time TBA Friday, March 8 D2 champion vs. District 4 third seed, site & time TBA D2 runner-up vs. District 3 runner-up, site & time TBA D2 third seed vs. District 4 champion, site & time TBA CLASS A (One team advances to states) Wednesday, Feb. 27 Final No. 2 Forest City (12-9) vs. No. 1 Old Forge (22-0), 7:30 p.m. at Lackawanna College Friday, March 8 D2 champion vs. District 3 third seed, site & time TBA

h ig h s c h o o l wrestling n o teb o o k

Coughlin grad starts petition to save Olympic wrestling

By DAVE ROSENGRANT drosengrant@timesleader.com PETE G. WILCOX/THE TIMES LEADER

Olivia Kosin, left, and Gab Giordano wrestle the ball away from GAR’s Juliana Leco during Tuesday’s district semifinal.

GAR Continued from Page 1B

for GAR. Emily Rinco buried a pair of three-pointers the first quarter and Katie Purcell scored six points in the second as Holy Cross bolted to a commanding 22-8 lead.

“In the first half, we missed too many layups,” Caruso said.

But suddenly, the Grenadiers started hitting on all cylinders.

Spence took off on a six-point spree and Seabrook added a bucket just 22 seconds before halftime as GAR ended the second quarter on an eight-point run that cut the Holy Cross lead to eight.

When the second half began, GAR was still chopping away at its deficit.

The Grenadiers rattled 19-6 Holy Cross with a tenacious press defense that forced quick turnovers off the inbounds passes, and momentum turned quickly.

Spence and Seabrook both scored eight points in the third quarter, and Seabrook’s final two baskets in succession gave GAR its first lead, 28-27 midway through the third period.

“Second half, we told them to pick it up — more intensity, aggressiveness and just go after every ball,” Caruso said.

Holy Cross snatched the game back, though.

Bre Mosier’s three-point play gave GAR its last lead, 35-34, with 5:34 to play. Then Alfano flurried with seven straight points and Gab Giordano scored the last seven of her game-high 18 points from the foul line as Holy Cross hung on to a spot in the district finals by keeping GAR at bay down the stretch.

HOLY CROSS (49): Emily Rinco 3 0-0 8, Rachel Merrit 1 0-0 3, Gab Giordano 4 9-13 18, Olivia Kosin 1 3-4 5, Katie Purcell 4 0-0 8, Lindsey Dipres 0 0-0 0, Nina Mucciolo 0 0-0 0, Carrie Kobrynich 0 0-0 0, Kristen Woznak 0 0-0 0, Kate McDonnell 0 0-0 0, Rachel Calvey 0 0-0 0, Alyssa Alfano 3 0-0 7. Totals 16 12-17 49.

GAR (42): Bre Mosier 2 1-1 5, Julianna Leco 0 2-2 2, Marena Spence 5 6-6 16, Brea Seabrook 7 1-2 15, Marie Skrepenak 0 0-0 0, Majeedah Nealy 2 0-2 4. Totals 16 10-13 42.

Holy Cross 11 11 8 19 — 49 GAR 4 10 18 10 — 42 3-point field goals— HC 5 (Rinco 2, Merrit, Giordano, Alfano); GAR 0

There is no doubt that the proposed elimination of wrestling in the Olympics has made huge news worldwide. And it has impacted the local scene as well.

Numerous groups around the world have started petitions to send to the International Olympic Committee to save the sport’s spot in the 2020 games, including Penn State coach Cael Sanderson, a four-time unbeaten national champion and an Olympic gold medalist.

A former wrestler with local ties is among those who have decided to join in the act.

Olin Morris, a Coughlin grad and district champ in 1996, started an online petition to save Olympic wrestling demanding on the website www. causes.com/saveolympicwrestling that the sport remains a core part of the games.

“This sport builds character and discipline. It was the love for the sport and the universal respect and brotherhood amongst wrestlers that opened my eyes,” Morris said on the website. “This is the only sport in the world where a person from Iran can befriend a person

from the U.S. under that same brotherhood. This is a sport that goes back in history for men and now for women.

“I was fortunate in being skilled enough in wrestling to go on to serve in the U.S. Army and come out as a college recruit. I wouldn’t have had a chance to get an education without the discipline I gained through wrestling.

“We as wrestlers don’t do it for the chance to make millions.

Every young wrestler today does it for that one chance, if you work hard enough to be on the top podium at the Olympic Games.”

APPLICATIONS ARE BEING ACCEPTED

Applications are being accepted for the James M. Desiderio Scholarship, which is awarded to a graduating wrestling senior from a Wyoming Valley Conference school.

This scholarship supports the attendance to any two- or four-year college and may be used for undergraduate tuition, room, board and related expenses in any year full- or part-time attendance, up to the maximum amount rewarded.

Two $1,000 awards are being distributed this year and the

deadline to sub,it an application is April Last year’s winners — the first time it was awarded — were Lake-Lehman’s Bryan Carter, Meyers’ Vito Pasone and Pittston Area’s Jamie Scarantino.

Desiderio wrestled and coached at Meyers prior to becoming an official. He passed away in 2010 losing his battle with cancer.

For more information, visit http://desimemorial.org FAMILIAR FACE

During the Class 2A Northeast Regional Tournament this weekend, you may notice some wrestlers who have ties to Luzerne County but don’t wrestle for a WVC team. One of the grapplers wrestles for Benton.

Matt Welliver, a senior for the Tigers, attends Northwest and wrestles for Benton as part of a co-op because Northwest doesn’t have a wrestling program.

A total of four grapplers from the Shickshinny school were on Benton’s roster this season.

Welliver is the No. 1 seed at the 120-pound bracket with a 32-8 record and recently picked up his 100th career win.

Sophomore Dominic Vitale,

who transferred from Hanover Area after placing fourth at the District 2 Class 2A Tournament last year for the Hawkeyes, took second at the East-Central sectionals for Benton this season but missed out on advancing to regionals.

MAYORAL DISORDER

John Callahan, the mayor of Bethlehem, the location for this weekend’s Class 3A Northeast Regional Tournament, was ejected from last week’s District 11 Class 3A Tournament. Callahan’s son, also named John, took fourth place at the event wrestling for Freedom High School.

Later in the day, however, the elder Callahan was reportedly voicing his displeasure with the referee during the 220-pound championship match involving another wrestler from Freedom when the referee made the ejection.

The mayor and the referee, Dennis Buchman, have released separate statements apologizing for the incident.

Another local tie in this situation is that Buchman, who was selected as an Outstanding PIAA Referee in 2009, is from Drums.

C MY K timesleader.com

TIMES LEADER www.timesleader.com

w b s pe n g u i n s

Penguins rookie forward Minella has good reason to avoid barber

By TOM VENESKY tvenesky@timesleader.com

With his long mane of blond hair, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins winger Chris Minella is used to being compared to NFL linebacker Clay Matthews or pro wrestler Triple H. The comparisons are fun and all, but there’s a purpose behind Minella’s long hair.

Minella’s uncle, Bill Morrissey, is undergoing chemotherapy treatments as he battles cancer. Minella decided to grow his hair long to support his uncle. When it reaches eight to 10 inches in length, Minella will have his hair cut and donated to Locks of Love to help children who are battling cancer.

“I’m almost there,” he said, with a hint of relief. “Skating backwards it sometimes gets in my eyes. It will be nice to have it short for a while.”

The upcoming haircut is only one change that Minella, 27, has faced this season. Last week he inked a tryout deal with the Penguins after appearing for 42 games with Wheeling this season. The step up to the AHL was a major move for the Notre Dame graduate, and the fact it was with the Penguins is a dream come true.

It’s a dream that came together in a hurry. With winger Chris Collins out of the lineup for last weekend’s action, Minella was summoned from Wheeling and learned at midnight that he would be suiting up with the Penguins for their game against Adirondack at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. Beginning his Penguins career playing in Philadelphia’s NHL venue before a soldout crowd was a big step for Minella.

“That first game is something I’ll always remember,” he said.

“I was nervous, but once I hit the ice for that first shift the nerves went away. (Zach) Sill and (Bobby) Farnham really helped and made me feel comfortable.”

Minella, a third year pro, is from McMurray — a town south of Pittsburgh and only 35 minutes from Wheeling.

“It’s been exciting. I was close to home (with Wheeling) and it’s a great honor to be here,” Minella said. “I grew up in Pittsburgh and have always been a Pens fan. Being involved with

MORMINA

“I know I have to play physical and gritty to stay here. That’s the way I’ve played since squirts and pee-wee.

I’ve never changed anything but I know I have to be disciplined with it and just stick to what I do best.”

Chris Minella Penguins forward

the Penguins in some way is exciting.”

But there is more to Minella than his long hair and Pittsburgh roots. Over the last three years he played in 158 ECHL games, posting 56 points and 117 penalty minutes. At 6-foot2, 220 pounds, Minella enjoys the physical game and fits right in on the fourth line.

“I know I have to play physical and gritty to stay here,” he said. “That’s the way I’ve played since squirts and pee-wee. I’ve never changed anything but I know I have to be disciplined with it and just stick to what I do best.”

After graduating from Notre Dame in 2010, Minella’s start to his career has been a bit rocky.

Two years ago, he suffered a knee injury that required surgery and cut his season short.

Last season, while Minella posted a career high with 22 points in 52 games with the Nailers, an injury derailed his season once again.

“I blew my shoulder out and

had surgery over the summer,” he said. “It’s been a long road, but just being called up last week made it all worth it.”

Minella gave the shoulder a test on Sunday when he fought Blair Riley of Bridgeport for his first AHL fight.

“I was a little nervous because I blew my shoulder out last year,” Minella said. “But it was good to get it out of the way and there was nothing to worry about.”

Minella did catch the eye of head coach John Hynes with his play over the weekend. While it’s unknown how long Minella will remain with the team once some of the regulars get healthy, he did get noticed.

“He made a very good first impression,” Hynes said. “He’s a big, strong player, a good skater and he’s strong on pucks in the offensive zone, which is important for success.”

DAYTONA Continued from Page 1B

Daytona International Speedway is owned by International Speedway Corp., a NASCAR sister company. Spokesman Andrew Booth said, “As per company policy, we do not comment on pending litigation.”

Donnalynn Darling, a New York-based attorney who has been practicing personal injury law for 30 years, said there is a theory that a spectator who buys tickets to a sporting event assumes the risk of objects coming out of the field of play, such as a foul ball at a baseball game.

But she said there is also a foreseeable risk question that promoters of events also accept.

“Did the sporting event promoter take action to prevent that specific risk?” Darling asked. “In terms of this fence … it was put up to prevent people

from being hurt. You have people who were not only injured by falling debris, but by the failure of the fence.”

Others say such restrictive clauses on the back of tickets are generally disfavored by Florida courts.

“If it’s just something written on the back of the ticket and not called to the attention of the person purchasing, there’s reason to believe many courts in Florida won’t hold that they consented efficiently,” said University of Florida emeritus law professor Joseph Little.

Still, Paul Huck, an adjunct professor at the University of Miami School of Law, said contract law could take precedence.

“A ticket to one of these events is like a contract — and its provisions limiting liability are generally enforceable,” he said. “We enter into these types of contracts on a regular basis, and we often don’t give it a second thought that we may be limiting or even giving up

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AP PHOTO

A spectator, center, is transported from the grandstand after Kyle Larson’s crash sent parts of his car flying into the stands during Saturday’s race.

• Injured F Chris Collins and D Alex Grant practiced in full on Tuesday. Hynes said they are close to returning and are possible to play in tonight’s home game against Norfolk. Forwards Paul Thompson and Steve MacIntyre didn’t practice Tuesday.

• The Admirals might be in last place in the East Division, but they’ve given the Penguins problems this year. In five meetings this season Norfolk has won three, including a 1-0 shutout on Feb. 15.

“Since I’ve been here they’ve played really well against us,” winger Tom Kostopoulos said.

“They’re very tough and you can’t overlook them. It’s going to be a big game for us.”

EXECUTIVE FITNESS

just

Page 5

Notes

Continued from Page 1B

The fact that his teammates named him captain made it extra special for Mormina, who is now in his second stint and fourth season with the Penguins.

“It’s always nice when your peers respect you in that way.

At times during the year I kind of questioned my role with the team, but the guys continued to show support and believe in me,” he said. “It’s a special honor, considering some of the great captains that this team has had.”

Mormina mentioned past captains Ryan Craig, Dave Gove and Alain Nasreddine as those he is honored to follow. Mormina was teammates with Craig during his last two seasons as the Penguins captain and said he learned a lot about being a leader from Craig.

“Our families hung out quite a bit together and I got to know him well,” Mormina said. “He showed up every day and every game, no matter how he felt, and said and did all the right things on and off the ice.”

While Mormina will continue to lead by example on the ice, he’ll also stay involved representing the team in the community — another important element of not only being a captain, but a pro hockey player as well.

“I’ve always enjoyed doing things with the community and it’s important to me to be the first guy in line when those things come up,” Mormina said.

“It’s a way to show appreciation for the support we get.”

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W O M E N ’ S B A S K E T B A L L r o undup

Fighting Irish rally from 15-point deficit The Associated Press

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Kayla McBride scored 25 points and Skylar Diggins added 24 points and eight assists as secondranked Notre Dame overcame a 15-point first-half deficit to beat No. 22 Syracuse 79-68 on Tuesday night, the 21st straight victory for the Fighting Irish.

“I knew it would be a very emotional night in the arena,” Syracuse coach Quentin Hillsman said. “I thought our players came out in the first half and competed. ... They came out strong in the second half and made their run early and we just didn’t recover. Good teams don’t let you recover.”

The Irish (26-1, 14-0 Big East) struggled early, hitting just 2-of-16 shots to start the game as the Orange (22-5, 104) jumped to a 22-7 lead.

But Diggins scored nine points during a 13-2 run late in the first half to get the Irish back into the game and the Irish took control by opening the second half with a 9-0 run.

The Irish cruised from there as they improved to 26-2 all-

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2013

men ’ s c o llege bas k etball r o undup

nba r o undup

Heat rises to 141 in 2OT win

time against the Orange.

After shooting just 31 percent in the first half and being outrebounded 32-20, the Irish shot 44 percent in the second half and had a 26-13 rebounding edge.

The Associated Press

No. 3 Connecticut 76, Pittsburgh 36

HARTFORD, Conn. — Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis had 19 points and 13 rebounds to help Connecticut close out its home schedule with a rout of Pittsburgh.

Breanna Stewart added 15 points, nine rebounds and four blocked shots while Stefanie Dolson had 14 points for the Huskies (26-2, 13-1 Big East).

Brianna Kiesel had 11 points to lead Pittsburgh (9-18, 0-14), which is just two losses away from its second consecutive winless season in the Big East.

Asia Logan added 10 points.

The win was the 28th straight for the Huskies over Pitt, a team they haven’t lost to in 20 years.

UConn travels to South Florida on Saturday, before Monday’s regular season finale at No. 2 Notre Dame.

AP PHOTO

Minnesota’s Rodney Williams Jr., center, is surrounded by fans as he leaves the court after defeating Indiana 77-73 on Tuesday in Minneapolis.

Top-ranked Hoosiers dethroned The Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS — Trevor Mbakwe had 21 points and 12 rebounds to help Minnesota take down No. 1 Indiana 77-73 on Tuesday night, the seventh time the top-ranked team in the Associated Press poll has lost this season.

Andre Hollins added 16 points for the Gophers (19-9, 7-8 Big Ten), who outrebounded Cody Zeller and the Hoosiers 44-30 and solidified their slipping NCAA tournament case.

Zeller was held to nine points with four turnovers for the Hoosiers (24-4, 12-3), who have held the No. 1 ranking for 10 of 17 polls this season including the last four. Victor Oladipo scored 16 points and Jordan Hulls had 14 of his 17 before halftime.

Mbakwe, a sixth-year senior, posted his conference-leading seventh double-double for Minnesota, which had 23 offensive rebounds.

Xavier 64, No. 19 Memphis 62

CINCINNATI — Brad Redford hit a long 3-pointer that

put Xavier back ahead after wasting a 13-point lead and the Musketeers ended Memphis’ 18-game winning streak.

Xavier (16-11) made good on its second straight chance to beat a ranked team at home.

The Musketeers blew a 17-point lead before losing to then-No. 24 VCU on Saturday.

The Tigers (24-4), who were outrebounded 45-36, scored only 20 points in the first half.

Their winning streak was tied with Akron for longest in the nation.

Memphis was the only Division I school that hadn’t lost a road game this season. The Tigers had won 11 straight on the road overall, the nation’s longest active streak.

Travis Taylor had 18 points and 10 rebounds for Xavier, which was missing point guard Dee Davis, who was recovering from a head injury suffered against VCU. Geron Johnson led Memphis with 14 points, including three 3-pointers that helped the Tigers overcome the 13-point deficit in the second half.

No. 17 Wisconsin 77, Nebraska 46

MADISON, Wis. — Reserve Sam Dekker matched his career high with 19 points to lead No. 17 Wisconsin to a 77-46 victory over Nebraska on Tuesday night.

Ryan Evans added 14 points and Ben Brust had 13 for the Badgers (20-8, 11-4 Big Ten).

Dylan Talley had 21 points and eight rebounds for the Cornhuskers, while Brandon Ubel added 10 points.

Wisconsin took control of the game early with a barrage of 3-pointers and then cruised to the blowout as Nebraska’s offense disappeared.

The Badgers opened the game 8 for 11 from behind the arc, and five came in a spurt that turned a 10-8 deficit into a 35-14 lead. Dekker accounted for 11 points in the 27-4 run, including three threes.

Nebraska, meanwhile, made just one of its first 18 shots from the field to open the second half, scoring just three points over a more than 11-minute stretch.

N H L r o undup

AP FILE PHOTO

Bill O’Brien was limited when he first joined Penn State last winter, splitting time between the Nittany Lions and the New England Patriots. At the start of his second year, however, O’Brien has settled into his job in Happy Valley.

coach Continued from Page 1B

pushed ahead with an explosive offense, opportunistic defense and a strong senior class including star linebacker Michael Mauti and record-setting quarterback Matt McGloin.

It’s the quiet down time of the offseason when new leaders develop, O’Brien has said.

Three weeks before the start of spring practice, those leaders can emerge in the weight room or on the practice field for the pre-dawn conditioning drills in the chilly winter air.

“The second year of the program, it’s a big jump from the first,” defensive end Brad Bars said. “You know what to expect. You know what the goals are. You know how he’s going to treat you. So it’s all about proving yourself.”

Last year, Fitzgerald oversaw the changeover in the weight room to barbells and weights.

He focused on getting players used to the new routine including core lifts, power cleans and squats. They started slow, Fitzgerald said, just like O’Brien had to start slow in getting the offense familiar with the new playbook.

“That groundwork and fundamental work has been laid,” Fitzgerald said. “Now we can start pushing a little weight and getting after it a little bit.”

But things can’t entirely stay

the same. Tweaks are added to help keep things fresh. O’Brien and Fitzgerald find new motivational phrases, players said.

The players who have been around the current regime for a year can now offer the incoming players advice themselves.

And of the 14 departing seniors who plan to take part in Penn State’s “Pro Day,” for NFL scouts, a dozen have spent all or part of their time in Happy Valley training for the draft, Fitzgerald said.

“That’s the best way,” he said. “That kind of shows them the light.”

Robinson said his goal was to add about 10 pounds, and weigh in at 208 soon — adding muscle to help withstand the pounding that comes with going over the middle for catches, or blocking on the edge. He was a breakout star last year as a sophomore with 77 catches for 1,013 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Among other players, offensive lineman John Urschel was down about seven pounds from his listed weight last season of 307; and tight end Jesse James, who emerged as a pass-catching threat, has lost six pounds to 258.

Cornerback Adrian Amos, linebacker Mike Hull, safety Malcolm Willis and defensive end Deion Barnes are also among key players who are considered to have made conditioning strides in the offseason.

PAGE 7B

Panthers power play cashes in The Associated Press

SUNRISE, Fla. — Tomas Kopecky recorded his first career hat trick and Tomas Fleischmann netted the go-ahead score for his 100th career goal, lifting the Florida Panthers to a 6-4 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday night.

Brian Campbell and Marcel Goc also scored goals and Fleischmann also had two assists for the Panthers. Scott Clemmensen stopped all 15 shots he faced in the third after replacing Jose Theodore during the second intermission.

Chris Kunitz, Dustin Jeffrey, Paul Martin, and James Neal scored for the Penguins. Mark Andre-Fleury made 12 saves for Pittsburgh and Sidney Crosby had two assists.

Kopecky, who has six goals in his last six games, scored his third of the game on an emptynetter from his own blue line that made the score 6-4 with one minute left.

Jets 4, Rangers 3

NEW YORK — Olli Jokinen scored twice and Evander Kane had a goal and assist in the second period for surging Winnipeg, which completed a dominant road trip with a victory over injury-riddled and slumping New York.

After a scoreless first period, Jokinen broke the deadlock 5:55 into the second off an assist from Kane, who then gave Winnipeg a 2-0 lead 1:07 later with his eighth goal of the season. Anthony Peluso also had two assists in the period.

Kane added his second of the game and ninth of the season in

AP PHOTO

Pittsburgh Penguins’ James Neal, right, moves the puck as Florida Panthers’ Shawn Matthias defends during the third period Tuesday in Sunrise, Fla. The Panthers won 6-4.

the third period — in between a pair of Rangers tallies — as three goals were scored in a span of 1:13 that brought New York within 4-3.

Bruins 4, Islanders 1

UNIONDALE, N.Y. — Brad Marchand scored the goalahead in the second period and Boston continued its dominance of New York. It was Boston’s 16th win in its last 20 games against the Islanders.

Adam McQuaid, David Krejci and Greg Campbell also scored for the Bruins (12-2-2), who won their fourth straight to bolster their best start since the 1976-77 season. All four victories have come on the road, where the Bruins are 8-1-1.

Casey Cizikas scored for the Islanders, who are a leagueworst 2-8 at home.

The Bruins came out flying, punishing the Islanders along the boards at both ends of the ice and not relenting for 60 minutes. Boston is 16-3-1 in its last 20 games against the Islanders, who remain in the basement of the Atlantic Division.

Capitals 3, Hurricanes 0

WASHINGTON — Washington shut down former teammate Alexander Semin, scored a goal with a one-of-a-kind combo and put together a second consecutive impressive performance, beating Carolina in a quest to make a quick last-

to-first move in the Southeast Division.

Sabres 2, Lightning 1

TAMPA, Fla. — Tyler Myers scored a go-ahead goal early in third period, helping Ron Rolston win for the first time as Buffalo’s interim coach, in the Sabres’ 2-1 victory over Tampa Bay.

Gagne traded back to Flyers

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Kings have traded struggling left wing Simon Gagne to the Philadelphia Flyers for a conditional draft pick.

The defending Stanley Cup champions and the Flyers announced the deal Tuesday.

Gagne hasn’t scored a goal in 11 games this season, his second with Los Angeles. The seven-time 20-goal scorer has been a healthy scratch recently.

Gagne spent his first 10 NHL seasons with Philadelphia, scoring a career-high 47 goals during the 2005-06 season. The Flyers traded him to Tampa Bay in 2010, and the Kings signed him a year later.

Canadiens acquire Ryder

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Less than 24 hours after picking up a career-best three assists in a loss at Nashville, the Dallas Stars have dealt right wing Michael Ryder and a third-round draft pick to the Montreal Canadiens for right wing Erik Cole in a swap of veteran forwards.

MIAMI — LeBron James had 40 points and 16 assists, Dwyane Wade scored 39 and the Miami Heat pushed their winning streak to 12 games by outlasting the Sacramento Kings 141-129 in double overtime on Tuesday night.

Ray Allen added 21, Chris Bosh finished with 15 and Chris Andersen had 10 for the Heat, who remained six games clear of second-place Indiana in the Eastern Conference standings.

Miami’s 12-game winning streak is the longest in the NBA and matches the second-longest in franchise history.

Marcus Thornton scored 36 points for Sacramento, the most by any reserve in the NBA this season. DeMarcus Cousins finished with 24 points and 15 rebounds, Tyreke Evans added 26 points, John Salmons 15 and Isaiah Thomas 14 for the Kings.

Magic 98, 76ers 84

PHILADELPHIA — Arron Afflalo and Tobias Harris scored 16 points apiece, and Orlando snapped a 10-game road losing streak.

Andrew Nicholson contributed 13 and Nikola Vucevic had 12 points and 19 rebounds for the Magic (16-41), who hadn’t won on the road since Jan. 12 against the Los Angeles Clippers.

E’Twaun Moore had 12 points and a career-high 10 assists, while Maurice Harkless had 10 points for the Magic.

The Magic won for just the seventh time all season on the road while also snapping a fivegame skid overall.

The Sixers lost their sixth straight game, their longest streak in nearly three years.

Pacers 108, Warriors 97

INDIANAPOLIS — David West had 28 points and seven rebounds, and Indiana overcame the ejection of Roy Hibbert following a fourth-quarter scuffle to beat Golden State.

West also was called for a technical foul, along with the Warriors’ David Lee, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, for the altercation that began with 6:10 remaining in the game.

It began when Lee and Hibbert exchanged shoves under the basket after a missed shot.

Curry tried to push Hibbert away and was shoved to the court as the fight went from the key to the baseline.

George Hill had 23 points and seven assists, and Paul George had 21 points and 11 rebounds for the Pacers.

Curry scored a season-high 38 points and Thompson had 13 for the Warriors.

Nets 101, Hornets 97

NEW ORLEANS — Deron Williams scored 33 points, Brook Lopez added 20 while playing against his twin brother, Robin, and Brooklyn snapped a two-game skid.

Williams did not score for much of the second half, but drained a timely 3-pointer with 1:24 left, then added a fadeaway jumper, followed by six free throws in the final 18.7 seconds to seal it.

Keith Bogans added 12 points for Brooklyn, hitting all four of his shots, including three 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, when New Orleans nearly erased a deficit that had been as large as 22 points in the second quarter.

Greivis Vasquez scored 20 and Robin Lopez 14 for New Orleans.

Cavaliers 101, Bulls 98

CHICAGO — Dion Waiters scored 25 points to help make up for the absence of Kyrie Irving, and Cleveland snapped an 11-game losing streak against Chicago.

While Irving rested a sore right knee in street clothes on the sideline, Waiters converted a fadeaway jumper and a layup before Tyler Zeller drove along the baseline for a layup that helped Cleveland open an 87-78 lead with 7:33 left in the game.

C MY K

BUSINESS Economy brightens even as cuts loom SECTION

timesleader.com

THE TIMES LEADER

IN BRIEF Senate panel backs Lew The Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday approved President Barack Obama’s choice of Jacob Lew to be Treasury secretary and sent the nomination to the full Senate.

Lew would succeed Timothy Geithner, who completed a tumultuous four-year term in which he helped lead the administration’s response to the financial crisis and recession.

The committee approved Lew’s nomination, 19-5. The timing of a Senate vote is unclear. During a three-hour confirmation hearing Feb. 13, the sharpest questions came from Republicans who pressed Lew about his tenure at Citigroup, where he was a top executive from 2006 until early 2009, a period covering the height of the financial crisis. Lew was grilled about a nearly $1 million bonus he received while Citi was being bailed out by taxpayers.

Lew, 57, most recently was Obama’s chief of staff. He earlier served as Obama’s budget director, a post he also held during the Clinton administration.

Lew began his government service in the 1980s as an aide to House Speaker Tip O’Neill.

Consumer confidence, home buying and bank lending are all showing economic strength.

By CHRISTOPHER S. RUGABER AP Economics Writer

WASHINGTON — Even with automatic spending cuts looming, the outlook for the U.S. economy brightened a bit Tuesday after reports showed that Americans are more confident and are buying more new homes.

Home prices are also rising steadily, and banks are lending more. Such im-

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

provements suggest that the economy is resilient enough to withstand the deep government cuts that will kick in Friday.

That’s especially encouraging because uncertainty over the federal budget could persist for months.

“The stars are lining up for stronger private sector growth this year,” said Craig Alexander, chief economist at TD Bank.

Sales of new homes jumped nearly 16 percent in January to their highest level in 4½ years, adding momentum to the housing recovery. Consumer confidence rose in February after three

months of declines. And home prices increased in December from the same month in 2011 by the largest amount in more than six years.

The upbeat economic news contributed to a rally on Wall Street. The Dow Jones industrial average jumped more than 100 points.

Consumers still face numerous burdens. Among them is a sharp increase in gas prices. The national average for a gallon, $3.78, has surged 44 cents in a month.

And Social Security taxes rose 2 percentage points beginning Jan. 1. This

year, the increase will cost a typical household that earns $50,000 about $1,000. Income taxes for the highestearning Americans also rose.

Both factors could reduce overall spending.

On Friday, about $85 billion in automatic spending cuts are to kick in, and there’s little sign that the White House and Congress will reach a budget deal to avoid them. The cuts will cause furloughs and temporary layoffs of government workers and contractors and sharply reduce spending on defense and domestic programs.

Net subscribers receive piracy alert warnings

if you build it, they will come

U.S. bank earnings rise Profits at U.S. banks jumped almost 37 percent for the October-December period, reaching the highest level for a fourth quarter in six years as banks continued to step up lending.

The figures are fresh evidence of the industry’s sustained recovery more than four years after the financial crisis.

Banks earned $34.7 billion in the last three months of 2012, up from $25.4 billion a year ago and the highest for a fourth quarter since 2006, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. reported Tuesday. Sixty percent of banks reported improved earnings from the fourth quarter of 2011, the agency said.

For all of 2012, the agency said bank earnings rose 19 percent to $141.3 billion, the second-highest annual level ever.

The number of banks on the agency’s “problem” list fell to 651 from 694.

Banks had lower losses on loans in the fourth quarter and set aside almost 25 percent less to cover potential losses than in the final quarter of 2011.

“The improving trend that began more than three years ago gained further ground in the fourth quarter,” FDIC Chairman Martin Gruenberg said at a news conference. Still, “troubled loans, problem banks and bank failures remain at elevated levels, while growth in lending and revenue remains sluggish,” he said.

GAS PRICES Average price of a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline: YESTERDAY MONTH AGO YEAR AGO

$3.82

$3.56

$3.76

RECORD

$4.06 07/17/2008

Source: AAA report for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre/Hazleton area

S&P 500 1,496.94

Name

p

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p Name

System issues message to anyone detected of illegally sharing music, movies or TV shows online.

By ANNE FLAHERTY Associated Press

METALS Copper Gold Platinum Silver Palladium

PVS. -.0063 +.0001 -.0066 -.62 +.1062

CLOSE PVS. 3.57 3.54 1615.20 1586.20 1616.50 1620.70 29.26 28.98 739.00 748.65

WASHINGTON — Internet users who illegally share music, movies or TV shows online may soon get warning notices from their service providers that they are violating copyright law. Ignore the notices, and violators could face an Internet slow-down for 48 hours. Those who claim they’re innocent can protest — for a fee.

For the first time since a spate of aggressive and unpopular lawsuits almost a decade ago, the music and movie industries are going after Internet users they accuse of swapping copyrighted files online. But unlike the lawsuits from the mid-2000s, the latest effort is aimed at educating casual Internet pirates and convincing them to stop. There are multiple chances to make amends, and no real, legal consequences under the program if they don’t.

“There’s a bunch of questions that need to be answered because there are ways that this could end up causing problems for Internet users,” such as the bureacratic headache of being falsely accused, said David Sohn, general counsel for the Center for Democracy and Technology, a Washington-based civil liberties group. But he added: “There’s also the potential for this to have an impact in reducing piracy in ways that don’t carry a lot of collateral damage.”

The Copyright Alert System was put into effect this week by the nation’s five biggest Internet service providers — Verizon, AT&T, Time Warner Cable, Comcast and Cablevision — and the two major associations representing industry — the Motion Picture Association of America and the Recording Industry Association of America.

aimee dilger/the times leader

T

he hotel at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs continues to be constructed. With seven stories and 238 rooms, the hotel in Plains Township will double as a convention center.

Household mail deliveries decreasing worldwide

By NICK PERRY Associated Press

enough to save them. The once-proud postal services that helped build modern society are scaling back operations, risking further declines.

The United Kingdom is preparing to wash its hands of mail deliveries entirely by selling the Royal Mail, which traces its roots back nearly 500 years to the reign of King Henry VIII. The U.S. Postal Service sparked uproar this month when it announced plans to stop delivering letters on Saturdays. New Zealand is considering more drastic cuts: three days of deliveries per week instead of six.

It’s only in the past few years that postal services have truly felt the pinch of the Internet. Revenues at

OTAKI, New Zealand — Sandra Vidulich is so excited about the leather boots she ordered through Amazon that she rips open the box in front of the postman and tries them on.

“I looove them,” she declares, as the driveway at her tree-lined home in rural New Zealand briefly becomes a catwalk. “They’re cool.”

For now, a boom in Internet shopping is helping keep alive moribund postal services across the developed world. But the core of their business — letters — is declining precipitously, and data from many countries indicate that parcels alone won’t be

+13.40

DOW 13,900.13

p

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Foreign Exchange & Metals CURRENCY CLOSE USD per British Pound 1.5129 Canadian Dollar 1.0263 USD per Euro 1.3055 Japanese Yen 91.96 Mexican Peso 12.8725

8B

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Name

p

+4.21

6-MO T-BILLS .14%

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52-WEEK HIGH LOW

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+.05 +5.4

92.79 76.11 39.98 32.75 46.46 37.00 29.00 21.52 33.98 24.38 399.10 341.98 12.42 6.72 28.45 19.30 14.99 3.50 52.77 43.08 62.22 39.01 41.25 34.25 42.00 28.09 29.50 25.38 42.98 20.71 51.85 34.78 58.67 43.59 52.42 34.00 8.42 4.74 15.75 11.14 5.15 3.06 17.92 13.06 9.81 5.14 72.70 51.91 81.83 59.43

n

the USPS, which delivers about 40 percent of the world’s mail, peaked in 2007 at $75 billion.

But the decline since then has been rapid. USPS revenue in 2012 fell to $65 billion, and its losses were $15.9 billion. It handled 160 billion pieces of mail that year, down from 212 billion in 2007. And it had slashed its workforce by 156,000, or 23 percent.

Elsewhere, the news is just as grim. La Poste in France estimates that by 2015, it will be delivering 30 percent fewer letters than it did in 2008. Japan last year delivered 13 percent fewer letters than it did four years earlier. In Denmark, the postal service said letter volumes dropped 12 percent in a single year.

...

10-YR T-NOTE 1.88%

p

+.02

CRUDE OIL $92.63

q

NATURAL GAS $3.43

-.48

Stocks of Local Interest

NAME

AirProd AmWtrWks Amerigas AquaAm ArchDan AutoZone BkofAm BkNYMel BonTon CVS Care Cigna CocaCola s Comcast CmtyBkSy CmtyHlt CoreMark EmersonEl EngyTEq Entercom FairchldS FrontierCm Genpact HarteHnk Heinz Hershey

TKR

APD AWK APU WTR ADM AZO BAC BK BONT CVS CI KO CMCSA CBU CYH CORE EMR ETE ETM FCS FTR G HHS HNZ HSY

DIV

2.56 1.00 3.20 .70 .76 ... .04 .52 .20 .90 .04 1.12 .78 1.08 .25 .76 1.64 2.54 ... ... .40 .18 .34 2.06 1.68

LAST

84.34 39.43 43.31 29.03 31.83 376.15 11.13 27.07 10.63 50.64 57.88 38.11 39.69 28.62 40.38 47.67 56.12 51.16 7.52 14.20 4.07 17.23 7.46 72.47 81.62

CHG

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YTD %CHG

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p

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C MY K

T aste THE TIMES LEADER

timesleader.com

S EC T I O N

C

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2013

CHEF’S CORNER

john kachinsky Cork Restaurant

Swordfish dish will please the diner’s palate If you’re looking for a tasty meatless meal to serve your family during this season of Lent, we’ve got just the recipe for you. Our Mediterranean-style swordfish is packed with flavor and is sure to satisfy.

You can substitute another type of fish if you’d like, without losing any of the great flavor.

Mahi Mahi, Salmon and Ahi Tuna also work well.

By the way, Cork is now offering $10 Comfort Food Wednesdays.

We offer a different comfort-food feature each Wednesday night for only $10. The feature tonight is roasted turkey with mashed potatoes and gravy.

Meanwhile, here’s the recipe for the swordfish.

P

ARIS — Living in France has meant that my once passing fancy for all things that swim has exploded into a very big love. From picking out the tiniest of bulots (sea snails) with needlelike tools and cracking open the claws of a fresh-caught homard (lobster) to learning that the best way to enjoy raie (skate) is with a simple lemon, butter and caper sauce, I have fallen hard. I find myself visiting the poissonnieres more often than I do the butcher, because I’ve learned that fish — which I once believed was a tricky thing to cook — is one of the easiest and healthiest dinners you can make.

And supersonic fast. Mussels? Just a few minutes, and they’re steamed and ready to serve. Salmon, into the oven at high heat, usually takes less than five, depending on the cut.

White fishes like flounder, cod, sole and snapper, ditto.

Fish is simple, elegant food.

If you replace meat with fish during Lent (which began on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 13) but rely on restaurants to prepare it, try cooking your own this year.

The key is to find great fresh fish, then not overcook it.

Which is easy to do, wherever you are.

For those of you who are timid about fish, fear not. Fish isn’t finicky; it just requires you to pay attention. Close attention. If you’re one of those people who likes to throw something on the stove and then leave the room (and you know who you are), please don’t do this to fish (or to anything, really). You’ll end up with fish that’s overcooked and dry, and when this happens, there’s not much you can do to save it.

Enough of what not to do. Here are few tips on how to make fantastic fish every time: Before buying any sort of fish, check to see what species are in season and plentiful, and not on any watch list as being overfished or harmful in any way. The Marine Stewardship Council (msc.org) and Monterey Bay Aquarium (montereybayaquarium.org) post updated lists of sustainable seafood and what to avoid buying.

Buy only fish that have clear eyes and the faint scent of the sea. Never buy fish that smells “fishy,” as counterintuitive as that may sound.

Tell your fishmonger what you’re planning to make and ask which fish would be best.

Lots of the white fishes may be easily swapped out for one another, so he or she may guide you to a suitable choice that’s readily available.

If you’re not sure about how to cook a particular fish, just ask an expert. Many years ago, I remember buying a piece of fish and wanting to cook it en papillote (“in paper”) to impress

a guy I was dating. This was before the Internet, and I didn’t have a cookbook that gave me any sort of instruction, so I just picked up the phone and called one of Dallas’ top restaurants and asked to speak to the chef. To my surprise, he picked up the phone and was really happy to walk me through the (very easy) steps of steaming fish in parchment paper. I couldn’t believe how easy it was, and my date? Totally impressed.

Keep a pair of tweezers in your kitchen drawer to remove pin bones. Although most fishmongers do this for you, it’s always good to double-check and pull out any that were missed.

When in doubt, undercook your fish. I know I’ve said this already, but there’s nothing worse than overcooked fish. I like my fish pretty rare and take it out at the first opportunity and I suggest you do the same; if it’s not cooked enough for you, pop it back in for just a minSee FISH, Page 3C

••• MEDITERRANEAN-STYLE SWORDFISH Ingredients: 4 pieces of swordfish, 6 to 8 ounces each 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted and sliced 1/4 cup roasted red peppers, chopped 1/4 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoons capers 1/2 cup white wine 1 teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped 1 teaspoon fresh oregano, chopped Salt and pepper, to taste Method: Heat onion and garlic in a saute pan over medium-high heat, stirring until slightly browned. Remove the onion and garlic mixture from the pan and set aside. Salt and pepper the swordfish and add to the pan. Cook over mediumhigh heat about four minutes on each side or until cooked through.

Remove the swordfish from the pan when cooked.

Return the onion/garlic mixture to the pan. Add the rest of the vegetables, seasonings and the wine and bring to a simmer.

Spoon the chunky sauce mixture over the swordfish. You can serve with a potato and vegetable or make extra sauce and serve over orzo. Enjoy.

PETE G. WILCOX/THE TIMES LEADER

Chef John Kachinsky prepared this Mediterranean-style swordfish at Cork restaurant in Wilkes-Barre.

Editor’s note: If you are a chef who would like to contribute a recipe to Chef’s Corner, please contact mbiebel@timesleader. com or call 570-829-7283.

C MY K Page 2C

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

www.timesleader.com TIMES LEADER

C MY K timesleader.com

TIMES LEADER www.timesleader.com

FISH Continued from Page 1C

BAKED FISH STICKS WITH PARMESAN OVEN FRIES Makes 2 servings As fun for a kids birthday party as for a grown-up dinner party. Double or triple the recipe as needed. These will disappear quickly.

1 cup breadcrumbs Sea salt and pepper 10 ounces medium-firm white fish, such as halibut 2 to 4 tablespoons olive oil 2 pounds red-skinned potatoes, cut into sticks a la French fries 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan About 2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped Arugula, for serving (op-

tional) Lemon wedges, for serving 1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper, a smallish one and a larger one for the fries.

2. In a shallow bowl or pie plate, mix the breadcrumbs with a pinch of sea salt and pepper.

3. Cut your fish into about 12 sticklike pieces (I like mine about 1/2 inch thick by 1 inch wide), coat in 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and dredge each piece in the breadcrumbs. Place fish sticks on your smaller cookie sheet.

4. Make the Parmesan fries: Place the potato pieces on the large cookie sheet, drizzle with 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and toss with your hands, making sure to evenly spread out the potatoes.

Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper and bake for about 45

minutes, making sure to check on them frequently and toss them so they brown evenly.

5. When the potatoes are nearly done, put them on the bottom rack of your oven and place the fish on the middle rack. Let the fish cook for 2 minutes; then carefully turn each stick and cook for 2 more minutes. Then remove everything from the oven.

6. Sprinkle Parmesan and parsley all over the fries, and serve on a plate with the fish sticks. I like mine garnished with a handful of arugula and a lemon wedge to squeeze over the top.

Nutritional analysis per serving: 788 calories, 22 grams fat, 102 grams carbohydrates, 46 grams protein, 53 milligrams cholesterol, 584 milligrams sodium, 8 grams dietary fiber, 25 percent of calories from fat.

SALMON WITH CREAMY MUSTARD SAUCE Makes 2 servings This is one of my newest favorite ways to eat salmon.

The creamy mustard-yogurt sauce is super-easy, and its strong flavor stands up well to salmon. I saw something similar in one of my French cooking magazines and adapted the recipe.

2 (4- to 5-ounce) salmon filets 1 tablespoon olive oil Sea salt and pepper 5 ounces Greek or plain yogurt 1 tablespoon of your favorite Dijon mustard 2 big handfuls of mesclun 1 lime, cut into wedges Fresh chives 1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and line a small cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Ladies Night

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Thursdays

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Steamed Maine Clams - $1 a dozen 1/4 lb. split Maine Lobster Tail - $5.99

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2. Divide the olive oil between the two pieces of salmon, and rub it all over them. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and place on the cookie sheet.

3. Bake the salmon for 5 minutes (or less), depending on the thickness of the filets.

4. While the fish is cooking, whisk together the yogurt and the mustard.

5. Put a handful of mesclun and a wedge of lime on

each of two plates. Serve the salmon next to the salad with a spoonful of the mustard sauce on top. Sprinkle with fresh chives.

Nutritional analysis per serving: 222 calories, 11 grams fat, 7 grams carbohydrates, 25 grams protein, 57 milligrams cholesterol, 185 milligrams sodium, 2 grams dietary fiber, 44 percent of calories from fat.

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Salmon with creamy mustard sauce makes for a quick dinner with a Frenchinspired sauce ... what’s not to love?

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Page 3C

MCT PHOTO

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10+ Prime Commercial Acres w/200+ff on RT 315 & 500+ff on Fox Hill Rd. Surrounded on 3 sides by Mohegan Sun Casino & Race Track. Easy access to RT 81 & PA Turnpike, (RT 476) MLS#12-3849 ANN LEWIS 714-9245

SAME ORIGINAL RECIPE, HAND MADE, HAND BAKED 16 Carverton Road Trucksville

696-2100

Mon. - Thurs. 4pm to 10pm Fri 11am to 11pm • Sat. 12:30pm to 11pm Sun. 2pm to 10pm

Waiting for developer - this 3.7 acre parcel is highly visible from Route 81.

Easy access. Ideal for many uses. MLS#122535 JUDY 714-9230 OR CHRISTIAN 585-0614

State of the art 34,000 SF office bldg w/open floor plan.

Features 1000 SF data center, 8000 SF warehouse space & parking for 165 cars. Zoned C-4 Heavy Commercial. MLS#12-3565 JUDY RICE 714-9230 OR RHEA SIMMS 696-6677

Great Investment Opportunity! Price reduced $905,000 from original list price. Currently priced below appraisal. MLS#11-1346 VIRGINIA ROSE 288-9371

Commercial opportunity awaits your business.1st flr 10,000 SF w/offices.

2nd flr storage. Plenty of pkg on 4.62 acres.

MLS#10-1110 JUDY 714-9230

Outstanding brick bldg! Parking for 7-10 cars.

MLS#08-2790 PEG 714-9247

Retail, Office, Medical Whatever your need - This 4000 SF Bldg can accommadate it! Parking for 10. NEW PRICE! MLS#12-276 JUDY RICE 714-9230

Ideal bldg for retail sales or prof offices. High traffic location on Route 309S. Zoned Commercial. MLS#121534 MIKE JOHNSON 970-1100

High traffic location. 2900 SF professional office space w/basement storage. Pkg for at least 12 cars. MLS#12416 RHEA SIMMS 696-6677

5100 SF Masonry building zoned for lumber yard, machine shop, heavy equip, etc. Over an acre w/parking.

MLS#12-3216 DEANNA 696-0894

PRIME LOCATION - Vacant land with Penn Dot access already in place. Close to everything! MLS#12-2517 DAVID 970-1117 or SANDY 970-1110

Great opportunity! an operating US Post Office, plus a 3 bedroom apartment and 1 bedroom apartment on Main Rd. Priced to sell! MLS#12-4400 BOB 970-1107

Bank owned Warehouse with loading dock, offices, 3 bathrooms.

Additional pole building offers more space.

Over 1 acre. MLS#13-355 TRACY 696-6674

Warehouse w/office area.

28,000 SF w/overhead door. Ample parking.

Easy access to Rte 81. Motivated Seller!

MLS#12-2947 JUDY RICE 714-9230

3235 SF Building on .816 acre. Renovated in 2001. Perfect for truck repair, lanscaper, contractor, etc. MLS#121376 ANDY CISNEY 714-9225

5 Unit building w/private parking. Well kept - fully rented w/long term tenants. MLS#10-3866 TERRY DONNELLY 715-9317

Opportunity to own your own restaurant/pizza business. Includes equipment & liquor license. MLS#12-1658 JUDY RICE 714-9230

2-Story masonry bldg on Former restaurant close proximity to turn pike, secluded location 96x180 lot w/pkg for 36 cars. Ideal for apts or small mfg business.

MLS#12-1758 could be used as office. MLS#13-108 MIKE 970-1100 or MARGY 696-0891 MIKE JOHNSON 970-1100

3 BR, Ranch w/gar+ Auto repair & body attached bldg. Zoned HWY COMM. Ideal shop w/state certified paint booth. for office or sm business. MLS#10-4367 2nd flr storage. MLS#11-2842 RAE 714-9234

This 2400 SF bldg features offices & garage w/overhead door.

Across from Hollenback Golf Course.

MLS#11-4561 JUDY RICE 714-9230

6000+ SF furniture store, plus apt. & lots more space.

High traffic area. MLS#11-3865 RAE DZIAK 714-9234

Priced to sell! Former store perfect for a small business or offices! Plus 3 modern apartments for addtional income. Detached garage, OSP. High traffic area & convenient location! Don’t miss this one! MLS#12-3805 RAE DZIAK 714-9234

Large 8000 SF building looking 2 bldgs zoned commercial. for a new lease on life! Zoned Commercial.

1 consists of retail space & apts, the MLS#11-4058 other is a 2-story home. MLS#10-4056 SANDY 970-1110 or DAVID 970-1117 MIKE JOHNSON

2 Parcels sold as 1. Many uses for your new business! Plenty of parking on a busy street make this an ideal location!

MLS#12-4522 MARY 479-0302

Spacious building in high traffic location with ample parking.

Adaptable to many uses. MLS#12-3786 ANN LEWIS 714-9245

Corner Lot (106x350) on highly traveled Hazle St. Ideal for your business. Zoned C-2. Partially paved.

MLS#12-3222 JUDY RICE 714-9230

Triple Income Property. Commercial space on first floor, 2 bedroom apartment on second floor, and 12’x44’ billboard rented out on building. Freshly painted. Great earning potential!

MLS#12-3782 TINA AQUILINA 714-9251

Contemporary office space available in a prime location in Old Forge. Open office space in the front with hardwood floors. Private office and kitchen in the back. Parking lot in rear of building. Tenant pays all utilities. MLS#12-4300 TINA 714-9251

ANDY 714-9225

Office or Store front in high traffic location. 1100SF nicely appointed w/office, open area, kitchen & restroom.

MLS#12-4265 JUDY RICE 714-9230

Flood damaged property1st floor gutted & ready to remodel! Prime location. Successful business location for years. MLS#12-4560 MARK N 696-0724

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TIMES LEADER www.timesleader.com

N E W S

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2013 Page 4C

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Aaron T. Smith

Ethan Taylor Everett, son of Thomas and Jennifer Everett, Mountain Top, is celebrating his third birthday today, Feb. 27. Ethan is a grandson of Thomas and Carolyn Gibbon, Hanover Township, and Thomas and MarySue Everett, Wapwallopen. He has a brother, Noah, 4.

Aaron Tyler Smith, son of Tyler and Jill Kazinski Smith, Elizabethtown, is celebrating his fifth birthday today, Feb. 27. Aaron is a grandson of Bob and Cindy Kazinski, Larksville, and Barry and Sue Smith, Elizabethtown. He has a sister, Brynne, 7.

Boy Scout troop attending West Point Camporee Boy Scout Troop 146 of Jackson Township Volunteer Fire Department recently received an official letter of acceptance and invitation from the U.S. Department of the Army United States Military Academy to attend the 51st annual West Point Camporee on April 26-28. Only half of the scouts from over 10,000 applicants and 380 troops are invited to attend. The troop will have a delegation of 25 scouts and 15 adult leaders. Scouts will be in-processed and undergo many military training experiences during the weekend. Patrol competitions will be conducted in camouflage, drill, fire building, knot tying, leadership reaction course, grenade toss, fitness challenge and land and RB-15 raft navigation courses.

In preparation for the event, the participants are completing a 12-week fitness program. Several members of the community supported the troop’s camporee application. Participants, from left, first row: Andrew McCarroll, senior patrol leader, Troop 146; Tommy Calpin; R.J. Knorr; Matthew Duffy; Tyler Manzoni; Cole Dewees; and Matt Roberts. Second row: Richie Huntington, scoutmaster, Troop 146; Amy Huntington; George Manzoni; Thomas Manzoni; Connor Duffy; Anthony Huntington; Michael Huntington; Christo Huntington; A.J. McGovern, cadet sponsor, U.S. Military Academy Class of 2015; Rocky Knorr; Rick Roberts; and Dan Duffy.

Good eats!

Megan Ohrin

Jerry B. Walker Jr.

Jaxson Shulla

Jerry Brian Walker Jr., son of Melissa and Jerry Walker, Pittston Township, is celebrating his fifth birthday today, Feb. 27. Jerry Jr. is a grandson of Jerry and Eleanore Walker, West Pittston, and David and Marlene Kukosky, Luzerne. He has a brother, Jakob, 1.

Jaxson Shulla, son of Jarrid Shulla and Michelle Derr, Plymouth, celebrated his second birthday Feb. 22. Jaxson is a grandson of John and Rose Derr and David Shulla, all of Wilkes-Barre, and Jolene Esser, Alden. He has a sister, Kaci, 9.

Megan Ohrin, daughter of Joe and Lori Ohrin, is celebrating her third birthday today, Feb. 27. Megan is a granddaughter of Elmer Petlock, Bear Creek; Rose Marie Ohrin, Edwardsville; the late Margaret Petlock; and George Ohrin. She has a brother, Jacob, 6.

GUIDELINES

Children’s birthdays (ages 1-16) will be published free of charge Photographs and information must be received two full weeks before your child’s birthday.

Your information must be typed or computer-generated. Include your name and your relationship to the child (parent, grandparent or legal guardians only, please), your child’s name, age and birthday, parents’, grandparents’ and great-grandparents’ names and their towns of residence, any sib-

lings and their ages. Don’t forget to include a daytime contact phone number. Without one, we may be unable to publish a birthday announcement on time.

We cannot guarantee return of birthday or occasions photos and do not return community-news or publicity photos. Please do not submit precious or original professional photographs that require return because such

photos can become damaged, or occasionally lost, in the production process.

Email your birthday announcement to people@timesleader. com or send it to: Times Leader Birthdays, 15 North Main St., Wilkes-Barre, PA 18711-0250. You also may use the form under the People tab on www.timesleader. com.

IN BRIEF

celebrate Pennsylvania Charter Day from noon to 5 p.m. on March 10. Jim Burke, who worked at Paramount Pictures, will provide stories of the making of “The Molly Maguires” movie. His presentation will begin at 1 p.m. A showing of the movie will take place immediately after the presenta-

tion. There is no charge for the event. For more information call 956-3881 or visit www.eckleyminersvillagemuseum.com.

WILKES-BARRE: The World Day of Prayer scheduled for March 1 at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church has been canceled.

ECKLEY: Eckley Miners’ Village is holding its first volunteer meeting at 10 a.m. on March 9. Volunteers are needed. For more information call 636-2070.

Eckley Miners’ Village will

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THIS WEEK: Feb. 27 to March 5

Spaghetti and Pasta Dinner 4-6:30 p.m. every Thursday at St. Mary’s Antiochian Orthodox Church, 905 S. Main St., WilkesBarre. $7. Includes choice of five pastas and five sauces, salad and dessert. Take outs available. Call 824-1674 Thursdays.

Potato Pancakes, Pierogies and Halushki Sale, 4 p.m. every Friday during lent, Exeter Borough Hose Company 1, 1405 Susquehanna Ave., Exeter. Good Friday’s sale begins at noon. Call 602-0739.

Lenten Meals, 3-7 p.m. every Friday during lent and noon-7 p.m. on Good Friday, Masonic Lodge 468, 821 Wyoming Ave., Wyoming.

Potato pancakes, pierogies, red clam chowder and haluski. Eat in or take out.

Lenten Food Sales, 4-7 p.m.

Fridays to March 22, Malty Fire Company, 253 Owen St., Swoyersville. Eat in or take out. Homemade pierogie, haluski, potato pancakes, clam chowder and varied fish dinners with French fries and coleslaw.

Fried Fish or Shrimp Dinners, 3-7 p.m. Friday, March 8, 15 and 22, The Good Shepherd Polish National Catholic Church, 269 E. Main St., Plymouth. Fish dinner, $8; shrimp dinner, $9; potato pancakes, clam chowder and pierogies also available. Call 690-5411. Eat in or take out.

Lenten Sales, noon-5 p.m. Fridays during Lent, except Good Friday, Holy Name Society of St.

Leo’s/Holy Rosary, 33 Manhattan St., Ashley. New England clam chowder, mushroom soup, pierogies, haluski, tuna hoagies and desserts. Potato pancake batter will be sold on Ash Wednesday. $5 per quart.

Fish, Shrimp Fry and Pierogie Sale, noon-7 p.m. every Friday during lent, Good Will Hose Co. No. 2, 451 W. Main St., Plymouth, every Friday during lent. $8 haddock meal; $9 shrimp meal; or $12 for the chief feast (fish and shrimp).

Includes fries, hush puppies, coleslaw, drink and dessert. Rentko’s pierogies, $7.50 per dozen. Red clam chowder, $3.50 small and $7 large. Walk in or delivery in Plymouth. Call 779-9778.

Fish Fries, 3-7 p.m. every Friday during lent, except Good Friday, Good Shepherd Polish National Catholic Church, 269 E. Main St., Plymouth. Fried haddock, $8, fried shrimp, $9. Clam chowder, pierogies, potato pancakes and haluski with homemade noodles. Eat in or take out.

Fish Dinner, 3:30-7 p.m. Friday, Plymouth Council 984, Knights of Columbus, former Holy Child School cafeteria, Willow St., Plymouth. Take outs available. $8 adults; $4 children. Tickets sold at the door.

Fish Dinner, 4-7 p.m. Friday and March 15, The Maple Grove United Methodist Church, 5876 Main Road, Sweet Valley. $8 adults; $5 children. Take outs available. Baked fish, French fries, coleslaw, cake.

Potato Pierogies, noon-3 p.m.

Friday and Saturday, basement, Transfiguration Ukrainian Catholic Church, 240 Center St., Hanover

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section, Nanticoke. $6 per dozen.

Call 824-3880.

Lenten Food Luncheon, 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Friday, St. Mary’s Byzantine Church, 522 Madison St., Wilkes-Barre. Pierogies three for $2; clam chowder, haluski and broccoli and shells, $3 per pint; pizza, $1.25 slice, $12 tray. Frozen pierogies available. $6 dozen, potato; and $7 dozen, cabbage. Eat in or take out. Call 829-9288 on Friday.

Homemade Pierogies and Cabbage and Noodle (Haluski) Sale, noon-4 p.m. Friday, parishioners at St. John’s Russian Orthodox Cathedral, Hill Street, Mayfield. Pierogies, $6 dozen; cabbage and noodles, $3 pint, $6 quart. First come, first serve. Fax business orders by Feb. 28. 876-2534.

All-You-Can-Eat Soup and Salad Supper, 4:30-6:30 p.m.

Saturday, The Mount Zion United Methodist Church, Mount Zion Road, Harding. Soups, salads, chili, breads, beverages, desserts. $7 adults; $5 children.

All-You-Can-Eat Breakfast, 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Sunday, Marine Corps League, St. Patrick’s Parish Center, 411 Allegheny St., White Haven. $8.

All-You-Can-Eat Breakfast, 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Sunday, M.C. League, St. Patrick’s Parish Center, 411 Allegheny St., White Haven.

Easter flowers will be sold.

Free Dinner, 5-6:30 p.m., every Monday, for those in need, Christian and Missionary Alliance Church, 317 Luzerne Ave., West Pittston.

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Zachary Scott DePolo, son of David and Beth DePolo, Flourtown, is celebrating his first birthday today, Feb. 27.

Zac is a grandson of Libby and Charlie Kirkutis, Mountain Top; Dominick and Carol DePolo, Wilkes-Barre; and the late John Yendrzeiwski. He is a great-grandson of Alice Sooby, Wilkes-Barre. Zac has a brother, Tyler, 3.

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C MY K timesleader.com

TIMES LEADER www.timesleader.com

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Page 5

Husband’s recent online porn addiction robs marriage of its passion Dear Abby: I need help. My husband is addicted to online porn. Our sex life has suffered because of it. He seems uninterested in sex with me.

I had a feeling that it might be something or someone else.

My woman’s intuition told me there had to be a reason for him turning to porn, so I checked our computer’s history log and found he has been surfing gay porn. He does watch straight porn, but now peppers it with maleon-male porn as well.

It has shattered my world. I don’t know what to do. I can’t discuss this with my family. They would never view him in the same again. Help!

— J. in Brighton, England

DEAR ABBY ADVICE Dear J.: Your husband may be curious, bisexual or have discovered (late) that he is gay. It happens. You need to have a frank conversation with him. Remain calm, stay strong and remember that you, too, are entitled to a sex life. You have nothing to lose by discussing this, and everything to gain.

If you need more help afterward, consider going online and contacting the Straight Spouse Network at www. straightspouse.org.

Dear Abby: I have been in therapy for four years. I like my therapist,

UNIVERSAL SUDOKU

who has helped me immensely.

However, over the past year she has become increasingly tardy in keeping her appointment times.

I understand there are sometimes emergencies, but being a half-hour late every week is excessive. I feel it is disrespectful to me. She keeps saying I just don’t understand.

How can I get across to her how frustrated I am? Or do I need to find a new therapist?

— By the Clock in Connecticut Dear By The Clock: Tell your therapist exactly how this is affecting you and ask what HER problem is. She owes you an explanation.

I agree that being late for your appointment is disrespectful if it happens regularly. You may need to find

CRYPTOQUOTE

another therapist. If that’s the case, tell her why you are leaving. It takes courage to be assertive, but it will help you in your personal growth.

Dear Abby: Please help me with a delicate situation between me and my husband of seven years.

For our 20th anniversary, my first husband gave me a diamond anniversary ring. After running across it again, I have started wearing it.

My husband is very offended that I have chosen to do this. I wear it on the middle finger of my left hand.

I have tried explaining that there is no sentimental reason for wearing the ring. It’s just a beautiful piece of jewelry. He doesn’t want me to wear it at all, but I do. Do you have any advice?

— Likes the Sparkle in Wisconsin

Dear Likes The Sparkle: While the ring may be just a beautiful piece of jewelry to you, to your husband it may symbolize the 20-plus years you spent with someone else. Ask if he would mind if you had the stones in the ring remounted into something you could wear on your right hand — or consider selling it and using the money to buy another piece of jewelry that would be less threatening to your current spouse.

To receive a collection of Abby’s most memorable — and most frequently requested — poems and essays, send a business-sized, selfaddressed envelope, plus check or money order for $3.95 ($4.50 in Canada) to: Dear Abby’s “Keepers,” P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. (Postage is included.)

HOROSCOPE

BY HOLIDAY MATHIS

GOREN BRIDGE WITH OMAR SHARIF & TANNAH HIRSCH PREVIOUS DAY’S SOLUTION

ARIES (March 21-April 19). You feel wonderful about yourself when you make others feel good about themselves. It’s a talent, and one that requires an astute mind and a high level of attention.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Instead of imagining how you might succeed in business, think about how you could help your clients succeed. Your success depends on the positive difference you make in the lives of others.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). There’s a limit to what can be accomplished through thinking. At some point, you have to test the theory. In today’s case, the outcome will be surprising.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). Are you on a quest, or just in a dramatic mood? Beware: Questing can be a habit instead of a bona fide activity. You may find out that you already have what you seek.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). In some way, you’ll pour out stale feelings to make way for warm, loving ones.

It’s similar to the way you must empty your cup of the old, cold coffee before you can properly accept a new brew.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). You’ll overlook the peccadilloes of certain friends, but when your nearest and dearest commit such offenses, you feel it’s your responsibility to acknowledge it, if only to keep things honest.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). As your planets angle to cook up a financial snafu, you might consider seeing it as a math quiz of sorts.

And if you have the right attitude, this ultimately leads you to a better relationship with money.

CROSSWORD

ON THE WEB For more Sudoku go to www.timesleader.com

MINUTE MAZE

JUMBLE

BY MICHEAL ARGIRION & JEFF KNUREK

HOW TO CONTACT: Dear Abby: PO Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You cannot be an effective leader unless your team follows you at least some of the time. So don’t be afraid to request this at key points today.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21).

Right away you notice something to like in the new people you meet, and you forge fast bonds.

Ironically, you’re unconcerned about whether or not they like you, and they genuinely like you because of this.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19).

Life will give you reasons to get physical. Your hard work in this regard will pay off first in a short-term exercise high and later as a general contribution to your good health.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18).

Someone who once caused you stress will no longer be a bother to you. This person has moved on, and so will you. A smooth transaction this afternoon will be the first sign of progress.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). You’ll prove that the face of effective work is not always stern and serious. Sometimes it’s no sweat.

Through your chuckles and levity, you’ll accomplish a significant feat.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Feb. 27).

You have a burning desire and a clear right choice. Because you know what you must do, the consequences suddenly become inconsequential. Your work for the good of all won’t be glorified, but it will be rewarded in deeply profound ways. Band together in April. June brings publicity. July adds romance. Your lucky numbers are: 18, 2, 33, 39 and 50.

C MY K

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Wednesday, February 27, 2013

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A Good Day to Die Hard in DBox Motion Code Seating - R - 105 min.

(1:15), (3:40), 7:10, 9:30 *Dark Skies - PG-13 - 105 min.

(2:30), (4:45), 7:35, 9:50 *Snitch - PG-13 - 120 min.

(2:30), (5:00), 7:30, 9:55 A Good Day to Die Hard - R - 105 min.

(1:15), (2:00), (3:40), (4:30), 7:10, 7:45, 9:30, 10:00 ***Escape From Planet Earth in RealD 3D PG - 100 min.

(1:30), (3:50), 7:00 Escape From Planet Earth - PG - 100 min.

9:10 Beautiful Creatures - PG-13 - 135 min.

(1:00), (3:45), 7:00, 9:45 Safe Haven - PG-13 - 125 min.

(1:45), (2:50), (4:20), (5:30), 7:20, 8:10, 9:55 Identity Thief - R - 120 min.

(1:20), (2:00), (3:50), (4:50), 7:00, 7:30, 9:30, 10:00 Side Effects - R - 115 min.

(2:15), (4:40), 7:30, 10:00 Warm Bodies - PG-13 - 105 min.

(2:00), (4:20), 7:10, 9:30 Mama - PG-13 - 110 min.

(2:00), (4:20), 7:30, 9:50 Silver Linings Playbook - R - 130 min.

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March 2nd Parsifal 345 min - 12:00 PM All Showtimes Include Pre-Feature Content

(Parenthesis Denotes Bargain Matinees)

Avoid the lines: Advance tickets available from Fandango.com Rating Policy Parents and/or Guardians (Age 21 and older) must accompany all children under 17 to an R Rated feature *No passes accepted to these features. **No restricted discount tickets or passes accepted to these features. ***3D features are the regular admission price plus a surcharge of $2.50 D-Box Motion Seats are the admission price plus an $8.00 surcharge First Matinee $5.50 for all features (plus surcharge for 3D features).

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A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD (XD) (R) 11:55AM 2:25PM 4:55PM 7:25PM 9:55PM

A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD (DIGITAL) (R) 12:45PM 1:35PM 3:15PM 4:05PM 5:45PM 6:35PM 8:15PM 9:05PM 10:45PM ARGO (DIGITAL) (R) 1:30PM 4:15PM 7:00PM (10:00PM NOT ON 2/28/13) BEAUTIFUL CREATURES (2013) (DIGITAL) (PG-13) 12:35PM 2:00PM 3:25PM 4:50PM 6:20PM 7:45PM 9:10PM 10:35PM DARK SKIES (DIGITAL) (PG-13) 12:25PM 2:50PM 5:15PM 7:40PM 10:05PM DJANGO UNCHAINED (DIGITAL) (R) 9:25PM ESCAPE FROM PLANET EARTH (3D) (PG) 12:05PM 2:20PM 4:45PM 7:05PM ESCAPE FROM PLANET EARTH (DIGITAL) (PG) 1:10PM 3:30PM 5:50PM 8:10PM 10:30PM HANSEL AND GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS (3D) (R) 7:20PM HANSEL AND GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS (DIGITAL) (R) 1:25PM HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY, THE (3D) (PG-13) 1:00PM HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY, THE (DIGITAL) (PG-13) 8:05PM IDENTITY THIEF (DIGITAL) (R) 12:05PM 12:50PM 2:40PM 3:35PM 5:25PM 6:15PM 8:00PM 9:00PM 10:40PM LES MISERABLES (DIGITAL) (PG-13) 3:55PM (9:45PM NOT ON 2/28/13) LINCOLN (DIGITAL) (PG-13) 12:20PM 3:40PM 6:55PM (10:15PM NOT ON 2/28/13) SAFE HAVEN (DIGITAL) (PG-13) 12:30PM 1:45PM 3:10PM 4:30PM 5:50PM 7:10PM 8:30PM 9:50PM SIDE EFFECTS (DIGITAL) (R) 1:40PM 4:35PM 7:35PM 10:10PM SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK (DIGITAL) (R) 1:50PM 4:45PM 7:30PM 10:20PM SNITCH (DIGITAL) (PG-13) 11:50AM 2:30PM 5:10PM 7:50PM 10:30PM WARM BODIES (DIGITAL) (PG-13) 1:05PM 3:30PM 6:05PM 8:40PM ZERO DARK THIRTY (DIGITAL) (R) 4:35PM **Note**: Showtimes marked with a \”®”\ indicate reserved seating.

You must be 17 with ID or accompanied by a parent to attend R rated features.

Children under 6 may not attend R rated features after 6pm

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Bear Creek Community Charter School Accepting New Students Bear Creek Community Charter School is now accepting pre-enrollment applications for new students for the 2013-2014 school year. Bear Creek Community Charter School is a free public school. There is no tuition, and free transportation is provided to students residing in most Wyoming Valley communities. Bear Creek Community Charter School emphasizes academic achievement, parental involvement and environmental education.

803942

To learn more about enrollment for the new school year, visit the school’s web site at www.bearcreekschool. com or call (570) 820-4070. Space is limited and the pre-enrollment process ends on March 15, 2013.

Bear Creek Community Charter School is an equal opportunity educational institution.