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timesleader .comWILKES-BARRE, PA WEdnESdAy,JuLy 3, 2013 50

6 0 9 8 1 5 1 0 0 1 1

Ever have blazi g pippi ?They i at the r t 4th.TASTE 1C

InsIdE

There a big cha gecomi g i Obamacare.NEWS 2A

Helping babies be prepared AIMEE dILGER /THETIMES LEAdER

Tri tan sokachdonatedmore than10,000 diaper and$1,113 toHannah Hope MaternityHomefor inglemother in cri i.

Countys tax base gets $7.8 mill

Areas jobless ratedips, still tops in P

Boy Scout donatesmoneyanddiapers tohome for pregnant women

A rew M. se erase er@timeslea er.com

Even though the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre region con-tinues to lead the state in unemployment, the past fourmonths have seen slight decreases to the rate, and for therst time in more than 20 years, the top month-to-month job growth in Pennsylvania occurred locally.

The Scranton /Wilkes-Barre Metropolit an Statistic alAreas (MSA) seasonally adjusted unemployment rate wasdown one-tenth of a percentage point in May to 9.3 per-cent. This marked the fourth consecutive monthly declineand was the lowest rate since April 2012, when it was 9.2percent.

Its a pretty good trend, said Steven Zellers, an analystwith the Department of Labor and Industry. He said thetrend has been a dip in unemployment because people aredropping out of the employment pool. But that wasnt thecase in May during which both the number of people in

Region added 2,100 jobs in May,most in the state for that period

M J J A S O N D J F M A2013

Mark Guydish/ The Times Leader

Local rate includes Luzerne, Lackawannaand Wyoming countiesSOURCE: Pa. Dept. of Labor and Industry

Jobless ratesMonthly rates, seasonally adjusted:

2012

9.3%

7.5%

10%

9.5%

9.0%

8.5%

8.0%

7.5%

7.0%

Wilkes-Barre/ScrantonPennsylvaniaU.S.

7.5%

7.6%

An honest and decent guy helps out a wild and crazy one

BILLTARuTIS/FOR THE TIMES LEAdERsteve Martin take a moment Tue day whileperforming with hi steep Canyon Ranger atthe Kirby Center in Wilke -Barre to thank theman who returned hi wallet earlier in the day.

Gri thblasts delayin computerystem setup

Je ifer Lear -A ea es@timeslea er.com

Luzerne CountyController Walter Grifthis issuing alarms over thecountys switch to a newnancial software system,but the administrationinsists everything is undercontrol.

The new $1.28 millionsystem from Michigan-basedNew World Systems Corp.was supposed to be opera-tional Monday but was stillnot accessible to employeesTuesday afternoon.

Grifth said there was nobackup because the admin-istration chose to end thecountys contract with theprevious software sup-plier ACS GovernmentSystems Inc. effectiveJune 30.

The software system pro-cesses and tracks countypayments and receipts.

Without an operationalsystem, employees wereunable to record and look upnancial data, transfer fundsand execute purchase orderson Monday and Tuesday,Grifth said. We cant con-duct business. The county iswithout a nancial system,

and I dont think thats agood place to be, Grifthsaid Tuesday afternoon.

County senior accountantBrian Swetz, the interimbudget and nance divisionhead director, said the merg-ing of data into the new sys-tem was taking longer thananticipated. Swetz said theadministration and NewWorld representatives wereworking feverishly to loadand verify the convertedinformation.

Griffith

See COMPUTER | 8A

See JOBLESS | 8A

Je ifer Lear -A eja es@timeslea er.com

Construction in 38 municipalitiespumped up Luzerne Countys tax base$26 million this year to date, newcounty statistics show.

However, $18.2 million of thosegains were wiped out by assessmentappeal reductions and demolition in 34

other municipalities. The net result: the county s tax base

grew $7.8 million from January toJune.

County Assessment Director TonyAlu, who released the statistics usedfor this analysis, is relieved additionsare surpassing losses because thecountys tax base had decreased $56million the second half of 2012.

$19.8 billion tax base The c ountys t axable property is cur-

rently $19.838 billion, compared to$19.856 billion a year ago.

At least were heading in the rightdirection, albeit not as quick as Id likeit to. Thats the best we can hope for inthis climate, Alu said.

Penn Lake Park, a lake communitynear White Haven, topped the grow-

ing municipalities, with an increase of $667,600, or 1.33 percent. The bor-oughs tax base is now $50.97 million.

More families are moving into theboroughs outlying zone, remodeling dated homes and building new ones,said borough Council President JillRosenstock. We just did a community

Penn Lake Park tops in growth, while Laurel Run had biggest reduction

See TAX | 8A

Bill OBoylebobo le@timeslea er.com

EXETER TWP. TristanSokach wanted to make animpact on some peoples lives.

The 14-year-o ld Boy Scoutfrom West Pittston did justthat. He collected more than$1,100 and 10,000 diapers for

infants served by HannahsHope Maternity Home, asupervised residence forwomen experiencing crisispregnancies.

The not-for-prot home alsoprovides educational servicesto enhance parenting and lifeskills and the spiritual well-being of the mothers.

Sokach is a Life Scout in theBoy Scouts, one step below theEagle Scout rank. He will bea freshman at Wyoming AreaHigh School in September.

An altar server and lec-tor at Corpus Christi Church the consolidated parish

See BABIES | 8A

Roger duPuir p is@timeslea er.com

WILKES-BARRE In a citywhere recent thefts have somepedestrians clutching their iPhonesand purses a little tighter, one lostwallet actually found its way homeTuesday.

Its owner? Actor, comedian and

musician Steve Martin. Its rescuer?He still remains clouded in mystery.

Honesty survives in Wilkes-Barre, Martin said through aspokeswoman. The gentlemancouldnt have been sweeter, nicer,kinder, and his Batman-like rescueof my wallet is one more reason toremember Wilkes-Barre.

Martin was in town for a one-

night appearance at the F.M. KirbyCenter on Public Square, where heperformed Tuesday evening withEdie Brickell with the Steep CanyonRangers.

Will Beekman, the venues pro-gramming director, said he did notknow the good Samaritans name,only that the man telephoned theKirby box ofce at about 10 a.m. toreport what he had found.

We thought it was a joke at rst,Beekman said.

A quick check with Martins

tour manager conrmed that thecomedian had been out riding hisbike around Wilkes-Barre earlier Tuesday, Beekman said, giving thecallers story the ring of truth.

Ellen Masaitis, who works atCurry Donuts next to the theater,told The Times Leader that the manwho found the wallet told her aboutthe incident when he came into theshop after meeting with Martin who, the man said, gave him a $100reward.

Performer Steve Martin o ers his thanks to thegood Samaritan who returned his lost wallet

See MARTIN | 8A

NEWSLocal 3Anatio & Worl 5AObit aries 4A,6A

E itorials 7AWeather 8ASPORTS: 1BBUSINESS: 8B

Stocks 8BTASTE: 1CBirth a s5CTelevisio 6C

Movies 6CP zzles7CCLASSIFIED: 1DComics 10d

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WILKES-BARRE ALuzerne man who admit-ted sending to a wrong number a text messagein which he threatened toblow up two area schoolswas sentenced Tuesday totime served in prison andimmediately paroled.

William Hoffman, 41,was sentenced by JudgeLesa Gelb to seven daystime served to one year inprison on a charge of ter-roristic threats stemming from the Dec. 21 text mes-sage incident.

If I were sentencing (Hoffman), I would givehim a kick in the pants,

Hoffmans attorney,William Ruzzo, said. Itwas an attempt to get ayoungster to go to school.

According to courtpapers, Hoffman sent athreatening text messageon Dec. 21 to the cell-phone of George Isaacs bymistake, intending to sendit to his now-former girl-friends daughter. The cell-phone number for Isaacsand the daughter differ byonly one digit, police said.

The message stated:I am going to shootup everyone I see onWatkins Street tomorrow.Ini tial ly I was going

to blow up GAR and WVWbut I changed my mind.So u better go the hell toschool tomorrow. Signed random mysterious

psychotic killer.Hoffman then sent a sec-

ond message, the criminal

complaint states, whichread: Sorry, that was abad joke to the wrong num-ber. Oops.

In l ight of the massshooting at Sandy HookElementary School inNewtown, Conn., where20 children and six staff members were killed onlyseven days earlier, Isaacstook his cellphone to theKingston Township PoliceDepartment.

Assis tant DistrictAttorney Brian Colemansaid Isaacs acted appropri-ately given that Hoffmansthreats were entirely pos-sible.

Ruzzo said Tuesday hisclient sent the text as away to get his now-ex-girl-friends daughter to go toschool, and that Hoffmanhas suffered a numberof collateral effects sincebeing charged.

Youre too old forpranks, Gelb said.

Hoffman replied that thetext wasnt a prank, andagreed it was an ill-fatedattempt at trying to getthe girl to go to school.Hoffman pleaded guilty tothe charge last month.

Gelb ordered Hoffmanto complete 20 hours of community service and to

have no contact with thegirl in the case or Isaacs.Dont do anything

stupid, Gelb warnedHoffman.

WASHINGTON In a major con-cession to business groups, the Obamaadministration Tuesday unexpectedly

announced a one-year delay, until 2015,in a central requirement of the newhealth care law that medium and largecompanies provide coverage for theirworkers or face nes.

We have heard concerns about thecomplexity of the requirements andthe need for more time to implementthem effectively, Treasury Assistant

Secretary Mark Mazur said in a blog post. We have listened to your feedbackand we are taking action.

Under the law, companies with 50 ormore workers must provide affordablecoverage to their full-time employees or

risk a series of escalating tax penaltiesif just one worker ends up getting gov-ernment-subsidized insurance. Businessgroups have complained since the lawpassed that the provision was too com-plicated.

The unexpected decision is sure toanger liberals and labor groups, but itcould provide cover for Democratic can-

didates in next years congressional elec-tions.

While the White House sacricedtimely implementation of a key elementof President Barack Obamas health carelaw, the move also undercuts Republican

efforts to make the overhaul and thecosts associated with new requirementsa major issue in congressional races.Democrats are defending 21 Senate seatsto the Republicans 14, and the GOPhad already started to excoriate SenateDemocrats who had voted for the healthlaw in 2009.

Senior White House adviser Valerie

Jarret cast the decision as part of aneffort to simplify data reporting require-ments.

She said since enforcing the coveragemandate is dependent on businessesreporting about their workers access to

insurance, the administration decided topostpone the reporting requirement, andwith it, the mandate to provide coverage.

We have and will continue to makechanges as needed, Jarrett wrote in aWhite House blog post. In our ongo-ing discussions with businesses we haveheard that you need the time to get thisright. We are listening.

PAGE 2A WEDNESDAY,JULY3, 2013 NEWS www.timesleader.com TIMES LEADE

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2013-184

ObamadelaysmajorrequirementofhealthlawProvision that mid-to-large companies provide coverage or face nes on hold until 2015Ricardo Alonso-Zaldi arAssociated Press

Forty Fort probe to focus on code o ceCamille FiotiTimesLeaderCorrespondent

FORTY FORT An investigation thatborough council ordered Monday night is

focused on the borough Code EnforcementOfce and not any one person, the boroughsolicitor and code enforcement supervisorsaid Tuesday.

Solicitor Sam Falcone said the investi-gation is for the purpose of vetting outconicting allegations involving more thanone person in the department and is not

intended to focus on any one person in thedepartment.

The investigation will involve going through all of the records pertaining toevery employee in the department, said

Code Enforcement Supervisor SteveNowroski. In addition to Nowroski, thedepartment has one full-time and one part-time employee.

There are allegations that someone inmy department has been providing prefer-ential treatment to political gures in thecommunity, said Nowroski. When this

investigation is complete,allof the factswillbe revealed.

In addition to its own borough, the FortyFort Code Enforcement Ofce covers themunicipalities of Kingston and Wyoming.

Borough council voted to order an inves-tigation after a 24-minute executive sessionto discuss the issue. Falcone had informedcouncil just before the meeting of allega-tions he had heard.

Falcone said he was contacted by someconcerned borough citizens in the last twoweeks who said they were victims of politi-

cal targetingwhile others receivedfavorabletreatment. Falcone said when he becameaware of the four allegations, he becameconcerned and contacted council PresidentJoe Chacke. Falcone said Chacke told him

he was also aware of other allegations.Falcone recommended attorney John G.Dean of Eliot, Greenleaf & Dean. Deanshourly rate is$165,witha maximum cost of $4,000. Council voted to use Dean for theinvestigation.

Falcone encouraged anyone with con-cerns to come forward.

Authorities search W-B storage building

Aimee Dilger | TheTimes LeaderLaw enforcement officers wearing hazardous material protecti e gear exit the American Storage Building on Arch Street nearBlackman Streetin Wilkes-Barre Tuesday afternoon.On Tuesday night,city policesaid theywere onlyassisting in the operationand referred comment to the Office of the Attorney General. No further information was a ailable as of press time.

Man paroled afersending joke textSheena Delaziosdelazio@timesleader.com

DAdismisses security system complaint against Leighton, MurphySte e Mocarskysmocarsky@timesleader.com

WILKES-BARRE LuzerneCountys top cop says nei-ther Wilkes-Barre Mayor TomLeighton nor former admin-istrator J.J. Murphy broke thelaw when they had security sys-tems installed in their homes on

the taxpayers dime, nor whenMurphy sold his house, a llegedlywith part of a security systemstill in it.

Linda Urban, an ofcer withthe Wilkes-Barre TaxpayersAssociation, led a complaint onbehalf of the association with thestate Attorney Generals OfceBureau of Consumer Protectionin May alleging Leighton ille-gally accessed city funds tobuy close to $15,000 in homesecurity systems in 2005 andhave them installed in his andMurphys homes.

She also complained that

Murphy sold his house throughLeightons real estate company,

beneting nancially from theinstallation but not disclosing the system in the sales agree-ment.

The Attorney Generalsofce forwarded the complaintto Luzerne County DistrictAttorney Stefanie Salavantis.In a letter to Urban dated June26, Salavantis said her ofceinvestigated the theft of analarm system purchased byWilkes-Barre City and installedin the home of Mr. Murphy andfound that Murphy took theappropriate steps in returning the usable components of the

alarm system to Wilkes-BarreCity after he resigned. Thealarm systems purchase andinstallation is an internal issueto be addressed by Wilkes-BarreCity, Salavantis wrote, adding that the matter has been closed.

Urban said taxpayers are stillout thousands of dollars becauseof what these two men did.

Frank Sorick, taxpayerassociation president, saidSalavantisaddressed the removalof outdoor security cameras, butnot the indoor alarm panel orwindow and door sensors.

I think theyre pulling thewool over her eyes. Leighton hadsaid when he was campaigning in 2011 that it would havebeen more costly to remove thesecurity system than to just leaveit there. Stefanie is sorelymisinformed and I would hopeour DA would be smarter thanthis, Sorick said.

Salavantis did not respond

to a request for comment, andLeighton declined comment.

Murphy, now city manager inHobbs, N.M., said in an emailthat the security systems wereinstalled at the recommendationof the police chief after Murphyreceived threats and someonetried to break into his home. Hesaid Urbans complaint is lled

with factual inaccuracies andthat Sorick is misinformed, as

he paid for the removal of thecameras and returned them tothe city and paid for the monthlymonitoring of the alarm systemfor years.

As far as commenting on Mrs.Urban or Mr. Soricks comments,a great military leader once toldme, Never argue with an idiot. They will always try to bring you

down, and you can never bring them up, Murphy said.

ON THE WEBRead Murphyscompletecomments attimesleader.com

MUNICIPAL BRIEFSPITTSTON The Streets and Sanitation Department

announces the following changes to the garbage and recy-cling schedule for the July 4 holiday: collections scheduled forWednesdayare moved to Thursday; those scheduledfor Thursdayto Monday; and those scheduled for Monday to Tuesday. Forinformation, contact the Street Department at 570-654-1160, orconsult the Pittston City website, www.pittstoncity.org.

HUGHESTOWN The borough council work sessionwill be held at 7 p.m. Monday, before the regular councilmeeting at 7:30.

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LOCAL IN BRIEF

www.timesleader.com TIMES LEADER WEDNESDAY, JULY 3, 2013 PAGENEWS

SUGARLOAFTWP.

Sunday was big day for StevensCorreale Stevens had just gotten married and kissed hisnew bride Sunday when he got the call notifying him the stateSenate had unanimously conrmed him as the seventh memberof the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

Stevens says he and ancee Louise Baran picked June 30 astheir wedding date in February, long before his name surfacedas a possible successor to Joan Orie Melvin, who resigned inMay after being convicted on charges related to using stateemployees to help with her political campaigns.

Stevens, 66, is president judge of state Superior Court, anintermediate appeals court, and he has some administrativeduties to nish up before being sworn in as a justice, a ceremo-ny he expects to happen later this month.

His colleague on that court, Judge Jack Panella, performedthe wedding, and afterward they all had a second reason to cel-ebrate. I said, Lets go enjoy dinner, because the Senate justconrmed me, Stevens said.

WILKES-BARREDeputy sheri pleads guilty

A Luzerne County deputy sheriff charged with threatening tokill her ex-partner pleaded guilty Tuesday to a summary chargeof harassment.

Mary Jean Farrell, 52, of Arthur Circle, Mountain Top, wasscheduled to appear before County Judge Joseph SklaroskyJr., for a bench trial a trial before only a judge where sheinstead pleaded guilty to the summary charge. She was orderedto pay a $150 ne. Prosecutors withdrew a charge of terroristicthreats.

Farrell has been off-duty for an undetermined period on aworkers compensation claim.

According to court papers, Jennifer Johnson arrived on June29 at the Wright Township Police Department and said Farrelltold their daughter that she was going to kill Johnson. Johnsonsaid Farrell drove by her home at least ve times and begancalling her on the phone, threatening to kill her.

Johnson and Farrell have been involved in a custody actionfor several years involving two children. Court records indicateJohnson is the natural mother of the two children.

WILKES-BARRE

Shooter gets another day in courtA Luzerne County judge will allow a man serving a 24- to

72-year prison sentence after injuring several people in a shoot-ing at the White House Cafe in Wilkes-Barre in 2005 to with-draw his guilty plea next month.

County Judge Fred Pierantoni said in court papers ledMonday that Claude Johnston, 38, will bepermitted to withdraw his guilty plea after aformer county judge, Mark Ciavarella, deniedthe same request. A hearing was scheduledfor Aug. 1.

According to court records, Johnston andanother man red several rounds at custom-ers inside the Hazle Avenue bar in March

2005, injuring three people.Johnstons attorneys, including his currentattorney Jeffrey Yelen, have argued Johnston

should be allowed to withdraw his plea because his co-defen-dant received a lesser sentence that Johnston also agreed tobut didnt get and that his co-defendant was also permitted towithdraw his guilty plea previously.

Pierantoni said in his ling Johnston will be allowed to with-draw his plea because at the time he entered the guilty pleain December 2005, there was no basis for the plea put on therecord; there was no discussion of possible sentences and nes;and that Johnstons attorney failed to raise an issue to chal-lenge the voluntary and knowing requirement to a guilty plea.

HARRISBURG

Annual slots revenues down The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board reported Tuesday

gross revenue from the play of slot machines dropped nearly 2

percent in scal year 2013 compared to scal year 2012. Evenwith the dip, gross revenues topped $2.4 billion for the secondconsecutive scal year.

The 2012-13 numbers were generated with an average dailynumber of 26,326 slot machines in operation this scal yearcompared to the 26,495 operating on average in 2011-12.

Only one of the casinos Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem reported an increase, and it was only 1.66 percent. MoheganSun at Pocono Downs in Plains Township saw the second larg-est percentage drop, with a 6 percent decrease year-to-year.

SCRANTON

Dozen armories up for sale Twelve former Pennsylvania National Guard armories are

being put up for sale, including the Watres Armory in Scrantonand the Berwick Armory.

Both houses of the Legislature passed the authorizing legis-lation unanimously during the weekend. The bill awaits Gov.

Tom Corbetts signature . The bill author izes the sales of armories in Scranton andBerwick, as well as two armories in Blair County, two inElk County and one each in Centre, Franklin, Huntingdon,Lancaster, McKean and Northumberland counties.

The state Depar tment of Military and Veterans Affairs saysthe armories, built between 1904 and 1938, were once theheart of their communities but have been replaced by newerfacilities.

The armori es are listed on the National Register of Historical Places. Prospective buyers will pay a discountedprice in exchange for preserving the exterior facades of thebuildings for 25 years.

TOBYHANNA

Civilian furloughs to begin soon The Tobyhanna Army Depot , the regions largest employer,

has notied its 3,500plus civilian employees that their rstfurlough day is scheduled for July 12.

Depot commander Col. Gerhard P.R. Schrter said the depotplans to shut down industrial operations for 11 consecutiveFridays through Sept. 20. Those Fridays will serve as the fur-lough days for the vast majority of Tobyhannas workforce.

C. Johnson

Students REACH-HEI to pursue dreams in medica

Mark Guydishmguydis @timesleader.com

WILKES-BARRE Kahlil Rust had pretty highhopes from the outset.

I want to be a neurosur-geon, the Hazleton AreaHigh School soon-to-be- junior said.

But after spending time onthe Kings College campuslearning about cancer treat-ment, he was reconsidering.

I didnt know that muchabout the different treat-ments, like gamma knifesurgery, Rust said Tuesdaywhile showing off a posterhe designed to explain whathe had learned. Now Imthinking about getting intothat instead.

Rust was one of about20 students from area highschools who participated inthe REACH-HEI (RegionalEducation Academy forCareers in Health HigherEducation Initiative) pro-gram, a federally funded,multi-year effort to helpstudents from low-incomefamilies pursue dreams of acareer in the medical eld.

While the program runsyear-round with day visitsand trips for the students, itincludes a three-week resi-dential summer componentwhen students live on cam-pus and interact with col-lege staff. Kings Hispanic

Outreach program assistant

coordinator Reyna Logsdonsaid Tuesdays event, heldoutside on the collegesMonarch Court, was achance for the students toshow off what they learnedthrough posters and chatswith those who decided tostop by.

The bulk of the programtargets high school students,but there is also an offer-ing for middle school stu-dents, Logsdon said. Theydesigned a ier touting theprogram and set up an AlexsLemonade Stand, namedafter a charitable foundationcreated by a Connecticut girldiagnosed with neuroblas-toma when she was about1 year old and who lateropened a lemonade stand

to raise money for cancerresearch. Alex died at age 8,but her idea thrives.

We are hoping to raise$200 today, Logsdon said.

The high school studentsringed the circular court,built on what used to be astretch of South FranklinStreet, with easels and post-ers displaying what they hadlearned, offering as muchinformation as any passerbywanted. Desiree Lewis, alsofrom Hazleton Area, talked inconsiderable detail about thetypes of brain tumors, bothbenign and malignant, andthe problems each can create.

I learned a lot more than

I would have if I did the

research on my own, Shesaid. We did a lot of coolstuff and different stuff. Iexpected it to be like highschool work, but the profes-

sors challenge you more.

Asked if that meant it wasworth losing three weeksof summer vacation, Lewissmiled.

I kind of wanted it to be

longer.

Posters and lemonade stand also raiseawareness and cash for cancer research

CLARk VAN ORDEN PhOTOS/ThETIMES LEADERLicbeth Torres and Josh Lozada work the Alexs Lemonade Stand aspart of the Pathways to Success Program taking place through theKings College Hispanic Outreach Program. Proceeds from the sale gotoward cancer research.

Khalil Rust of Hazleton Area High School presents his research posterabout the different types of cancer and their impacts on the body toStephen LeNensola of the Kings College Education Department.

Clean-water advocate cant roll in parade

Jon OConnelljoconnell@timesleader.com

MONTROSE TheMontrose area service clubsthemed their Fourth of Julycelebration A Good Neighbor4th, but one organization hasbeen banned from including itstruck in the parade.

The Montrose Kiwanis,Lions and Rotary clubs paradecommittee told Vera Scroggins,a member of Citizens for CleanWater, that she could notinclude their water truck in Thursdays parade because hermessage did not t with thespirit of community they weretrying to project, according toScroggins.

Citizens for Clean Waterprovides, among other things,

clean water weekly to familieswho found methane in theirgroundwater.

Methane is a naturally occur-ring gas trapped undergroundin Pennsylvania and, while itcant be conrmed that thenatural gas industry has causedmethane to pollute water sup-plies, a study by the NationalAcademy of Sciences showsthat more methane is found inground water near natural gasextraction.

There are about 10 familiesnear Montrose in SusquehannaCounty who receive freshwater delivered by gas com-pany contractors, according toScroggins. Her organizationdelivers to three families whodo not receive water from thecompanies.

Scroggins said she went tothe parade committee asking if she could include her watertruck, a large pickup that car-ries a water tank, in the holi-days procession which is partof a day-long festival in town.She was told her original anti-fracking message was contro-versial and didnt belong in theparade, Scroggins said.

Scroggins said she scrappedthe anti-fracking mantra torun in the parade with a neu-tral, more neighborly message.Scroggins posts anti-fracking videos to her YouTube chan-nel and the Citizens for CleanWater group is known for itsrigid anti-fracking stance.

Laurence Kelly, the LionsClub member who heads upthis years parade committee,was not available for comment.

Ed DeWitt, a Kiwanis Clubmember, said the decisionbelongs to the committeealone. DeWitt pointed out that

Scroggins truck is not a oat,its a truck with a water tank inthe back. He supported Kellysdecision saying the serviceclubs have put on the paradefor 37 years and, so far it hasbeen free of controversy.

DeWitt said he works hardgetting ready for the celebrationandwas disheartened to see dis-sension seeping into the event.

Would-be participant believes her stance on

natural gasdrilling behind apparent ban

Scroggins

Be smart: Leave freworks shows to prosTess KornfeldTimesLeaderIntern

WILKES-BARRE In2011, 200 people a day wentto emergency rooms for treat-ment of reworks-relatedinjuries during the two weeksbefore and after the Fourth of July, state statistics show.

Doctors and nurses inNortheastern Pennsylvaniasay this number can be greatlyreduced by taking precautionsto keep the summer holidaysafe and fun.

One change of behavior, saidHenry Chip Dunham, direc-tor of Emergency Services atWilkes-Barre General Hospital,is to go to community eventsat which reworks are stagedby professionals. These folks,towns and sponsors are spend-ing tens of thousands of dollarson these displays that are phe-nomenal, he said.

Dr. Ronald Strony, direc-tor of emergency medicine atGeisinger Wyoming Valley,said there is no comparisonbetween the professional useof reworks with personal usewhen it comes to safety. Theonly thing you have to do at a

public display is enjoy yourself.The risk is dramatically andexponentially lower, Stronysaid.

Gail Malloy, a registerednurse and coordinator of theInjury Prevention Task Forcefor Emergency Medicine atHazleton General Hospital,

said public display-goersshould buy ear plugs costing only $3 for 10 pair, to protecttheir hearing and to standfar away from the rework dis-play.

The farther away you are,the more you can appreciatethe beauty of them, she said.

Yet, many people continueto light consumer reworks athome. In 2011 around 17,800res were started by consumerreworks in the U.S., according to the National Fire ProtectionAssociation. One preventivemeasureis tomakesurethere isrunning water nearby, Dunhamsaid. You need to water downthese things; otherwise it willcause a brush re, he said.

The associations annualreworks report says childrenare most at risk and that spar-klers accounted for 34 percent

of emergency room reworksinjuries, with 25 percent of thevictims being under 15.

Sparklers should not be usedat all, said Dunham, but if fami-lies do, it is important to makesure children understand notto touch the glow. The spar-klers burn at 1,000 to 3,000

degrees. To put that into per-spective, you bake a cake at 325degrees, Dunham said.

Strony said although spar-klers are considered benignthings, they are one of themost dangerous things for kidsto hold.

If a child is going to displaysparklers, Malloy offered thesesafety tips: Supervise the child,have the child wear protectiveeyeglasses and closed shoes,and ensure that the child staysin one place and holds the spar-kler away from the body.

The Wilkes-Barre GeneralHospital recorded around sixto 10 reworks-related injuriesin 2012, while in past years thefacility typically saw around12 to 18. Some victims, saidDunham, now goto urgentcarefacilities that opened locally inrecent years.

Too many backyard celebrationsend in emergencyroom visits,saythosewhoknow

TESS kORNfELD/fOR ThE TIMESLEADER

Gail Malloy, a nurse at HazletonGeneral Hospital, recently offeredfireworks safety tips intended toprevent burns,eye injuries andotherunnecessary Fourth ofJuly mishaps.

Leave fireworks like these in thehands of professionals, so yourhands arent permanently damaged

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SCRANTON FormerDallas head footballcoach Ted Jackson wantshis job back leading theMountaineers from thesidelines, and he wants tobe protected from futureretaliation from Dallasschool directors.

An amended lawsuitJacksons lawyer, KimberlyBorland, led in federalcourt Tuesday appears toclarify allegations over theHall of Fame coachs dis-missal in February 2012.

U.S. Dis tr ic t CourtJudge James M. Munleyon June 20 dismissed asection of Jacksons rstlawsuit but allowed himto rele an amended com-plaint to clarify violationsof his First Amendmentright to free speech.

Jackson, 62, alleges hewas red as head coachafter he spoke out againstthe suspension of his son,

Ted Jackson Jr., as a coachin the district. The young-er Jackson was suspendedas an assistant footballcoach for two games dur-ing the 2011 season afterreceiving unsportsman-like conduct penalties inconsecutive games.

He was red as the highschools basketball coachin November 2011 after adue process hearing withschool ofcials.

Jackson claims his opin-ion about the way his sonwas suspended and redwas protected speech.

The lawsui t allegesschool Principal Jeffrey

Shaffer retaliated againstJackson by failing to per-form a mid-season evalua-tion in 2011. Shaffer wait-ed until after the footballseason ended to performthe evaluation, which con-trasted with a near perfectevaluation following the2010 season.

School directors openedthe position of head foot-ball coach in December2011. Jackson applied forthe position, which wasawarded to Robert Zaruta.

Claims in the rst law-suit and amended com-plaint allege school direc-tors Catherine Wega,Maureen B. Matiska ,Karen B. Kyle , LarryG. Schuler, Richard G.Cos le tt and Cha rlesPreece, who are named

in the lawsuit , have aRepublican afliation withZaruta.

The lawsui t s ays Zarutaonly had seven years of coaching experience atthe junior varsity level,while Jackson had been

head coach at Dallas since1984, leading the programto 14 Wyoming ValleyConference titles, fourEastern Conference titles,three District 2 titlesand the Class AA StateChampionship in 1993.

PAGE 4A WEDNESDAY,JULY 3, 2013 www.timesleader.com TIMES LEADNEWS

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Claire YakusJuly1, 2013

Claire Yakus, 89, of Luzerne,passed away peacefully onMonday, July 1, 2013, at home,surrounded by family andfriends.

Born in Luzerne, she was adaughter of the late Frank andPauline Kaydan Rebarchick.Claire was a graduate of LuzerneHigh School, was a member of Holy Family Parish and wasactive in the former St. JohnsMother Club, Luzerne FireDepartment Ladies Auxiliaryand St. Anns Rosary Society.

Claire worked at RothAmerican and YakusConfectionery, the family-ownedbusiness in Luzerne.

She was preceded in death byher husband, Raymond; broth-ers, Stanley Rebarchick, FrankRebarchick; and sister, LottieSkunda.

Surviving are sons, RonaldYakus and his wife, Susan,Phoenix, Ariz., Robert Yakusand his wife, Karen, Luzerne;daughter, Barbara Rahl and herhusband, Edward, Luzerne;grandchildren, Ronald Yakus Jr.,Christopher Yakus and his wife,Jennifer, Michael Rahl, LaurenRahl; great-grandson, LoganYakus; and numerous nieces andnephews. She loved animals,especially her pet cat and com-panion, Grey.

Claire was a very loving andcaring wife and mom. She wasan amazing grandmother whocould make you smile and laughto no end. She was our life, loveand now our angel. She will be

forever in our hearts and deeplymissed. The family expresses their

gratitude to the staff at RenalConsultants, Dr. Edward Carey,aide Maureen S eeley-Evansky,Southern Hospice and all friendsand neighbors for their love andsupport.

Funeral will be held 9:30 a.m.Saturday at Betz-JastremskiFuneral Home Inc., 568 BennettSt., Luzerne, with a Mass of Christian Burial at 10 a.m. inHoly Family Parish, Luzerne,with the Rev. Michael Zipayofciating. Interment will be inSt. Anns Cemetery, Lehman.Friends may call 6 to 9 p.m.Friday at the funeral home.

In lieu of owers, a memo-rial donation can be made tothe SPCA of Luzerne County,Fox Hill Road, Wilkes-Barre, PA18705.

To light a virtual candle orleave a message of condolencefor her family, please visit www.betzjastremski.com.

June Davis sukusJuly 2,2013

June Davis Sukus, 90, for-merly of Wilkes-Barre, passedaway peacefully on Tuesday, July2, 2013.

Born in Plymouth, June wasa daughter of the late David andNellie Melvin Davis. She wasa graduate of Plymouth HighSchool, class of 1940.

June worked as a waitress formany years at the former LowesRestaurant, Wilkes-Barre.

She was an active member of her community. June loved peo-

ple and everyone who knew herloved her as well. She had a car-ing and generous heart and wasalways sure to leave a seat at thetable during family gatheringsand holiday meals, a traditionher children carry on today. Shewas the deeply loved and highlyrespected matriarch of her fam-ily. June will be deeply missed byher family and many friends.

June was an avid reader andespeciallyloved reading and writ-ing poetry. She was a memberof the Jolly Girls Card Club formore than 50 years and a mem-ber of the former St. John theEvangelist Church, Wilkes-Barre.

Preceding her in death, inaddition to her parents, were herhusband, William S. Sukus, andbrother, David Davis.

Surviving are her sons,William P. Sukus and his wife,Bonnie, Dallas, Kevin P. Sukusand his companion, Josie Maira,Pittston, Robert D. Sukus, Plains Township, Shawn D. Sukus

and his companion, Mary JaneDulsky, Harding; her daughter,with whom June resided, DebraKennedy and her companion,Jack Patyak, Plains Township;grandchildren, William J. Sukus,Lisa Marie Sukus, KristieVaccaro and Raymond E.Kennedy; great-grandchildren,Karlie, Keira and Kali Kennedy;sister, Helaine Wane, DaytonaBeach,Fla.; and numerous niecesand nephews.

Funeral services will be 7 p.m.Friday at Harold C. SnowdonFuneral Home Inc., 140 N. MainSt., Shavertown. The Rev. JamesJ. Paisley, pastor of St. TheresesChurch, Shavertown, will ofci-ate. Interment will be made inChapel Lawn Memorial Park,Dallas. Friends may call 5 p.m.until services.

In lieu of owers, memorialdonations may be made to VerveVertu Art Center, 47 N. FranklinSt., Wilkes-Barre, PA 18701.

Joseph e. negrYJuly 1,2013

Joseph E. Negry, 91, passedaway peacefully Monday atKeystone Gardens Estates, sur-rounded by his family.

Joseph was born April 6,1922, in Larksville, a son of thelate Joseph and Anna Negry. Hegraduated from Larksville HighSchool and attended Wilkes

College. He was a U.S. Armyveteran, serving in World War II.Joseph was employed at the

Tobyhanna Army Depot andthe Pennsylvania Departmentof Welfare, County AssistanceOfce, Wilkes-Barre. He wasa part-time instructor at WestSide Area Vocational TechnicalSchool.

Following his retirement in1985, he became a volunteerwith the Volunteer Income TaxAssistance (VITA) Program. Heprepared income tax returns forsenior citizens at senior centersin Luzerne County. Joseph wasa member of the Valley Rod andGun Club, Luzerne Social Cluband LuzerneCounty DemocraticAssociation.

Joseph looked forward tospecial times with his family. Hewas an avid hunter and sher-man. He played poker with fam-ily and friends. Joseph enjoyedhis dog.

In addition to his parents,Joseph was preceded in death byhis wife,Jennie Piazza;daughter,Judith Golden; brother, Michael;and sisters, Mary Linkosky,Margaret Yaglowski, HelenBudnar and Florence Antes.

Surviving are his daugh-ter, Janet Nerbecki and herhusband, John, Lain; grand-children, Maura Nerbecki andChristopher Golden.

The family thanks the st aff atKeystone Gardens Estates andHospice of the Sacred Heart forthe exceptional care and com-passion they provided Josephand our family.

Funeral services willbe 9:30 a.m. Saturday atthe Michael J. MikelskiFuneral Home, 293 S.

River St., Plains Township. AMass of Christian Burial willbe celebrated at 10 a.m. at Ss.Peter & Paul Church, Plains Township. Interment will beat St. Anthonys Cemetery,Courtdale. Family and friendsmay call 8 a.m. until services.

In lieu of owers, memo-rial donations may be made inJosephs name to the SPCA, 524E. Main St., Plains Township,PA 18702.

anDrew YurChak Jr.June 30,2013

Andrew Yurchak Jr., 79, of Plains Township, passed awaySunday evening, June 30, 2013,in the Wilkes-Barre GeneralHospital.

He was a son of the lateAndrew and Julia (Fritz)Yurchak Sr. Born and raisedin Plains Township, he was agraduate of Plains MemorialHigh School, class of 1953.After graduating, he joined theU.S. Marine Corps and proudlyserved for 16 years. He served

in the Marine Air ControlSquadron 3, serving in Japanand Korea as a sergeant.

It was in his military careerthat he met the love of his life,Miyoko. Miyoko and Andrewwere married in Japan in 1960.He brought his bride to theUnited States and they lived inCalifornia and Virginia beforenally settling in his hometownof Plains Township.

After serving in the military,Andrew attended the WestSide Vocational School forupholstery. He was employedby Nelsons Furniture until hisretirement. Andrew enjoyed hisretirement, spending most of histime driving his beloved around,going to bingos and the casino,but the best time was with theirgrandchildren. Together theywould go and see the grandchil-dren in all their sporting events.Andrew and Miyoko weremarried for 53 years and werealways together. Now they arereunited once again.

Preceding him in death washis beloved wife, Miyoko, inApril 2013.

He is survived by his daugh-

ters, Julia Hoskins and her,husband Todd, and CatherineBrown and her husband,Michael; son, Walter and hiswife, Beth; brother, WalterYurchak; grandchildren, Nicole,Maggie, Ryan, Justin, Mikayla,Michael, Joshua and Jacob.

Funeral serviceswill be held at 9 a.m.Saturday at the SimonS. Russin Funeral

Home, 136 Maffett St., Plains Township, with requiem ser-vices following at 9:30 a.m. inHoly Resurrection OrthodoxCathedral with ArchpriestJoseph Martin, pastor, ofciat-ing. Interment will follow inSt. John the Baptist OrthodoxCemetery, Pringle, with mili-tary honors accorded by theU.S. Marine Corps. Family andfriends may call 4 to 8 p.m.Friday with a Parastas serviceat 7 p.m.

In lieu of owers, memo-rial gifts may be made toHoly Resurrection OrthodoxCathedral, 591 N. Main St.,Wilkes-Barre, PA 18705.

MiChael DuDaJuly1, 2013

Michael Duda, 91, formerlyof Kingston, died Monday, July1, 2013, in Hospice CommunityCare Inpatient Unit, GeisingerSouth Wilkes-Barre.

He was born in Larksville,son of the late John and MaryMorris Duda. He was a gradu-ate of Larksville High Schooland attended Wilkes BusinessCollege. He was honorably dis-charged from the U.S. Army in1946.

Mike was the owner and

founder of Glen CarbonicGas Co. of Larksville. Hewas a 50-year member of theIndependent Fire Company No.1, Kingston, and a life memberof both the Six County FiremensAssociation and VFW Post 1425,Plymouth. He was also a lifemember of the Plymouth RotaryClub and a recipient of the PaulHarris Award.

Mr. Duda was a former mem-ber of Fox Hill Country Club. Hewas a member of the former St.Hedwigs Church, and currentlyof St. Ignatius Church.

The family thanks MedicalOncology Associates; Drs.Greenwald, Rittenberg and Mitchell; and HospiceCommunity for their care of Mike during his illness.

He was preceded in death byhis wife, the former Helen Rex;and sister, Elizabeth Estock.

Mike is survived by his son,Michael Duda, Mountain Top;

daughter, Dorriann Jolley,Dallas; grandchildren, RobinDuda Vlock, Lee Duda, LukeJolley and Annalisa Jolley; broth-er, John Duda, Larksville; niecesand nephews.

Funeral will be 9 a.m.Saturday at KopickiFuneral Home, 263Zerbey Ave., Kingston,

with a Mass of Christian Burialat 9:30 a.m. in St. IgnatiusChurch. Interment will be inSt. Marys Cemetery, Hanover Township. Friends may call 6 to8 p.m. Friday. The IndependentFire Company No. 1 will meet atthefuneralhomeat 7 p.m. Friday.

In lieu of owers, memorialcontributions may be made toMedical Oncology AssociatesPrescription Assistance Fund,382 Pierce St., Kingston, PA18704; or Plymouth Rotary Kids@ Kristmas, c/o Buddy OMalia,133 Greenwave Blvd., Larksville,PA 18704.

salvatore saM D. BellanCa Jr.June 30,2013

Sam Bel lanca , 76, of Lain, passed away unex-pectedly on Sunday, June 30,2013, in Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center, Plains Township. He is survived by hiswife, Sue (Assunta) LaMarcaBellanca. They would have cel-ebrated their 52nd wedding anniversary on Monday, July 1,2013.

Born in Pittston on May 16,1937, he was a son of the lateSalvatore and Rose ArmandoBellanca.

He was a graduate of PittstonHigh School and Scranton Technical School for job train-ing.

He served in the U.S. ArmyReserves, stationed in FortKnox, Ky.

Sam was a New York Yankeesfan as well as a University of Pittsburgh Panthers fan. In hisyounger years, he was an avidbowler.

Sam and Sue were childhoodsweethearts. Sam was a kind,generous person who lovedspending time telling stories tohis grandsons. He was alwaysby Sues side. They especiallyenjoyed dinners together. Theywere not only partners in lifebut also business partners. For18 years, together they ownedand operated the Garden VillageItalian Deli in West Pittston. They became grandparentsto many of the neighborhoodchildren, teenagers and young adults who were often dailypatrons of The Deli. Sam notonly served food to his patrons,but also passed on life lessonsand wisdom. He was a dynamicperson who was loved by manyand will be greatly missed.

In his earlier years, Samowned and operated LaBellaFashions, LaBella Dress Factoryand Mari-Belle Bridal. He hadalso worked in quality controlfor Lady Carol Dress Factoryand in sales for Circle Nut andBolt.

He was a former councilmanof Lain Borough and a mem-ber of St . Maria Goretti Church,where he was also an usher

In addition to his parents, hewas preceded in death by hisfather-in-law and mother-in-law,Raymond and Mary LaMarca;brothers, Joe Bellanca,Anthony Toby Bellanco andSteve Bellanca; niece, RosinaBellanco; nephew, MichaelPolicare; brother-in-law, CataldoLaMarca.

He was a devoted and loving husband to Sue and a wonderfulfather, grandfather and brother.

Inadditionto hiswife,Sue,heis survived by a daughter, SusanMajor and her husband, Deleon,West Pittston; son, SalvatoreBellanca and his wife, Maria,Warwick, R.I.; four grandsons,Erik, Devon and Ezekiel Majorand Gianfranco Bellanca; sister,Connie Bellomo, Schenectady,N.Y.; three sisters-in-law, MaryPolicare and her husband,Dominick, Pittston, ClaireLa Marca, Pittston, and RoseMaholski, Nanticoke; numerousnieces and nephews.

Funeral service willbe 9 a.m. Saturday fromthe Peter J. AdonizioFuneral Home, 251

William St., Pittston, with aMass of Christian Burial at9:30 a.m. in St. Maria GorettiChurch, 42 Redwood Drive,Lain. Interment will followin Mount Olivet Cemetery,

Carverton. Friends may call 2 to4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Friday at thefuneral home.

Online condolences may bemade at www.peterjadoniziofu-neralhome com

Area preps for patriotic holiday

Aimee Dilger | The Times Leaderl rryhi da xturovskisus d w am ric f gs o g C ry dM i s r s i p i stow s i r i r is w k i ici io of u comi g Four of Ju y o id y.

Former football coach lesamended lawsuit over dismissaled d lelewis@timesleader.com

Bill Tarutis | ForThe Times Leaderex-D s d foo b co c t d J ckso , s ro i g sid i s o nov. 12, 2010, s ks o g b ck is job.

Douglas eDwarD kistlerJune 28,2013

Douglas Edward Kistler, 73,of Lake Silkworth, passed awayFriday, June 28, 2013 in Wilkes-Barre General Hospital.

Doug was born in Wilkes-Barre on Aug. 26, 1939, a sonof the late Dr. Charles Jonasand Marjorie Bone Kistler of Kingston.

He was a veteran whoserved in the U.S. Army at FortBelvoir, Va., and Panzer Casern,Bobligen, Germany.

He was a 1957 graduate of Kingston High School, con-tinued his education at WilkesCollege and did postgraduatework.

Doug was employed in thetelecommunications eld, hav-ingreceivedtrainingatSouthernNew England Telephone

Co., in Connecticut, and atthe Bell Telephone facility inCooperstown, N.Y. He worked atMCI during the formative years.He was a partner in Marketing Systems Development Corp., inLyndhurst, N.J., for 20 years.Electronic Data Systems pur-chased the company in 1988,where Doug served as a con-sultant in Plano, Texas andLondon, England. He retired in1993.

In retirement, Doug built ahotel, had a real estate businessand owned Kistler BrothersStandardbreds. He was in thehorse business for 30 yearsand the proud owner of manychampions. Winning theWalnut Hall Trophy with trotterDash Drive at the Red Mile,Lexington, Ky., and the PA SireStakes Championships with llyCoulantine was thrilling.

His sister, Lilah Jean Kistler,preceded Doug in death on July

3, 1968.Doug is survived by his

wife, Margaret Hopkins Kistler,daughter of the late Patrickand Elizabeth Burns Hopkins,Kingston; daughter, Gina

Michelle and her husband,David Barry, Pemberton, N.J.;son, Douglas Charles PatrickKistler, Kingston; daughter,Delilah Lynne and her husband, Thomas Michales, Montvale,N.J.; twin grandchildren,Evan Charles and Jillian LilahMichales, Montvale; brother,Dr. Dale Kistler and Dr. SueMurahata, Denver, Colo.

Dougs corneas were donatedto the PA Lions Northeast EyeBank.

Cremation was doneby Kopicki FuneralHome, 263 Zerbey Ave.,Kingston. There will be

no calling hours. A memorialservice will be held in August.

Memorial contributions maybe made to the library of oneschoice or to the Lake SilkworthAmbulance Service, 31 LakeAve., Hunlock Creek, PA 18621.

Messages and memories canbe shared at dekistler@epix.net.

More OBITUARIES | Page 6A

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IN BRIEF

www.timesleader.c m TIMES LEADER WEDNESDAY, JULY 3, 2013 PAGE 5ANATION/WORLD

Latest Taliban attack kills sevenAmir ShahT e Ass ciatedPress

KABUL, Afghanistan Taliban suicide attackersblew up a truck bomb early Tuesday at the gates of aNATO suppliers compound in Kabul and sprayed gun-re at security personnel, killing ve guards and twocivilians, Afghan ofcials said.

The morning attack was the latest in a series target-ing high-prole locations in the Afghan capital. Theattacks have made clear the Taliban have no intentionof endingthe violence,evenas they saythey are willing to enter peace negotiations.

The U.N. deputy chief, Jan Eliasson, who was inKabul wrapping up a ve-daytrip to Afghanistan whenthe attack took place, said continued violence could

only harm the Talibans own cause.I would hope that there would be steps taken by

the leadership of the Taliban to realize that the tool of violence in any case cannot instill condence in thepopulation, he said. Theres been too much suffering there andthereare toomany widows, toomany father-and-motherless children in Afghanistan and I think weneed to instill a sense of calm.

But the Taliban showed no signs of backing off,telling The Associated Press by phone that Tuesdaysattack was part of its offensive started in the spring totarget military and diplomatic sites with suicide bomb-ers.

This hasno link tothe peace process, themilitantsspokesmanZabiullah Mujahid said. Itwill continue allover the country occupied by the foreigners.

Suicide assault atNATO compoundcomes asgroup saysitwill talkpeace

AP PhoToAn Afghan security force member stands guard near theentrance gate of a NATO compound following a suicidebombing Tuesday in Kabul, Afghanistan. Militants blew upa suicide car bomb at the gate to the NATO compound andattacked guards with small-arms fire, killing five guards andtwo civilians.

CDC: Overdose deaths up among middle-aged women

Mike StobbeAPMedicalWriter

ATLANTA Middle-agedwomen account for the fastest-growing share of overdosedeaths in the U.S., and theirdrug of choice is usually pre-scription painkillers, the gov-ernment reported Tuesday.

Its a serious health problemand its getting worse rapidly,said Dr. ThomasFrieden,direc-tor of the Centers for DiseaseControl and Prevention, which

compiled the data.For many decades, the over-

whelming majority of U.S.overdose deaths were menkilled by heroin or cocaine.But by 2010, 40 percent werewomen most of them mid-dle-aged women who took pre-scription painkillers.

Skyrocketing female over-dose death rates are closelytied to a boom in the use of prescribed painkillers. Thenew report is the CDCs rstto spotlight how the death

trend has been more dramaticamong women.

The CDC found that thenumber and rate of female pre-scription drug overdose deathsincreased by around 400percent from 1999 to 2010.For men, the increases werearound 250 percent.

Overall, more men still diefrom overdoses of painkillersand other drugs; there wereabout 23,000 such deaths in2010, compared with about15,300for women. Mentend totake more risks with drugs thanwomen, and often are moreprone to the kind of workplaceinjuries that lead to their being prescribed painkillers in the

rst place, experts say.But the gap between men

and women has been narrow-ing dramatically.

A jump was also seen invisits to hospital emergencyrooms. Painkiller-related ERvisits by women more thandoubled between 2004 and2010, the CDC found.

Studies suggest that womenare more likely to have chronicpain, to be prescribed higherdoses, and to use pain drugslonger than men. Someresearch suggests womenmight be more likely than mento doctor shop and get painpills from several physicians,CDC ofcials said.

But many doctors might notrecognize these facts aboutwomen, said John Eadie, direc-tor of a Brandeis Universityprogram that tracks prescrip-tion-drug monitoring effortsacross the United States.

The report calls for a mind-set change by doctors, whohave traditionally thought of drugabuse as a mens problem,he said. That means doctorsshould consider the possibilityof addiction in female patients,think of alternative treatmentsfor non-cancer chronic pain,and consult state drug moni-toring programs to nd out if a patient has a worrisome his-tory with painkillers.

Painkiller-related ER visits bywomen morethan doubled between2004 and2010

AnsweringGettysburgs call

Genaro C. ArmasT e Ass ciatedPress

GETTYSBURG Maneuvering around snarling trafc along nar-row roads, scores of visitors haveocked to the Gettysburg battle-eld this week for the 150th anni-versary of the Civil Wars dening conict. Many traveled to honorancestors who fought on the hal-lowed grounds as soldiers.

Some tourists snapped picturesin front of the stately statues andmonuments that mark positions of troops of Union and Confederateforces, while military buffs quizzedpark rangers on popular battleeldeducation programs. One on LittleRound Top drew more than 500people 10 times more than thetypical turnout and attendees

carefully walked the hilltop pathand craned their necks to listen tothe Civil War history lesson.

Oh my gosh, there so many peo-ple, Park Ranger Allyson Perrysaid between stops on the Tuesdaymorning tour. Im so impressed.

Farther down the trail, ValerieJosephson waited near the memo-rial for the 20th Maine Regiment,the unit that helped defend thehill from Confederates exactly 150years ago Tuesday. Josephson, 72,of Stockholm, N.J., said she has

visited Gettysburg 10 times butnever on July 2, the day that hergreat grandfather Manseld Hamgot shot in the thumb while ght-ing on Little Round Top in 1863.

I still get the chills when Istart riding into Gettysburg.

Theres such a feeling here, saidJosephson, who self-published abook about her great-grandfathersunit. I have been thinking aboutthis for years. Im going out here todo my part (to honor him) today.

Up to 10,000 Union andConfederate troops died atGettysburg July 1-3, 1863, withanother 30,000 wounded. Itsthe bloodiest battle fought onAmerican soil.

Along with Little Round Top,some of the most desperate ght-

ing on July 2 occurred at placesthat have become well-known toGettysburg enthusiasts. Among them are Devils Den, the PeachOrchard and the Wheateld.

The South gained ground on Day2 but could not dislodge Northern

defenders setting up Gen.Robert E. Lees ill-fated decision onthe third and nal day of the battleto launch Picketts Charge.

The battleeld today is underthe care of the National ParkService, which has been prepar-ing for the 150th anniversary foryears. A commemoration ceremo-ny was held Sunday night, whilevarious ranger and educationalprograms have held the interest of visitors since then.

Bus trafc wasnt around in the

1860s, though. Nor were therecuriosity-seekers riding around onbikes or tour groups traveling bySegways.

Its like an army, one frus-trated visitor mumbled under hisbreath to a friend on the crowded

Little Round Top tour. If they hadthis many troops back then, thenmaybe they wouldnt have as muchof a problem.

The Park Serv ice has said itdoesnt keep ofcial counts of visi-tors to battleeld programs, whichare free and dont require registra-tion. Gettysburg National MilitaryPark typically attracts 1.2 millionvisitors a year a mark that of-cials expect to easily exceed thanksin large part to the 10-day anniver-sary period that ends Sunday.

Visitors ock to Americas hallowedground to soak inhistory or recallancestors sacri ce

A visitor to Little Round Top views the Devils Den during ongoing activities this week commemorating the 150th anniversary of theBattle of Gettysburg. Union forces t urned away a Confederate advance in the pivotal battle of the Civil War fought July 1-3, 1863.

AP PhoToA military helicopter flies over an opponentof Egyptian Islamist President MohammedMorsi as he waves a national flag Tuesday inTahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt. With a militarydeadline for intervention ticking down, pro-testers seeking the ouster of Egypts Islamistpresident sought to push the embattled lead-er further toward the edge with another mas-sive display of people power.

VATICAN CITY

One step closer to sainthood

A Vatican ofcial says Pope JohnPaul II has cleared the nal obstaclebefore being made a saint.

The ANSA news agency said acommission of cardinals and bishopsmet Tuesday to consider the case andsigned off on it, leaving only PopeFrancis to approve it. A Vatican of-cial conrmed that the decision hadbeen taken some time back and that Tuesdays meeting was essentially aformality.

One possible canonization date isDec. 8, the feast of the ImmaculateConception, a major feast day for theCatholic Church. The ofcial, whospoke on condition of anonymitybecause canonization cases are cov-ered by pontical secret, conrmedreports in La Stampa newspaper thatJohn Paul could be canonized togetherwith Pope John XXIII, who called theSecond Vatican Council.

DUBLIN

Abortion law moves forward

Ireland appeared on course to legal-ize abortion in extremely restrictedcircumstances as lawmakers voted Tuesday to support a bill that wouldpermit pregnancies to be terminatedwhen deemed necessary to save thewomans life.

Catholic leaders warned that theproposed law, which faces a nal votenext week, would become a Trojanhorse leading eventually to wide-spread abortion access in Ireland. But

Prime Minister Enda Kenny insistedIrelands constitutional ban on abor-tion would remain unaffected, andhis governments Protection of LifeDuring Pregnancy Bill won over-whelming backing in a 138-24 vote.

MIDDLESEX,VT.

Hearings likely for Voting Rights Act

Vermont U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahysays he will call hearings of theSenate Judiciary Committee to see if legislation can be written to protectminority voting rights that manyfeel were threatened after the U.S.Supreme Court overturned the Voting

Rights Act.Leahy, a Democrat and chairman of the Judiciary Committee, says he hasconsulted constitutional scholars andwill encourage both Republicans andDemocrats to call witnesses.

Last week the U.S. Supreme Courtissued a decision that effectively halt-ed enforcement of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, which has protectedminority voting rights by requiring federal approval for changes to stateand local voting procedures in somestates and smaller jurisdictions.

Leahy says he doesnt know whatthe solution is. He calls the SupremeCourt decision entirely new ground.

DAKAR, SENEGAL

Ex-dictator facing war crimesA special tribunal in Senegal has

charged former Chad dictator HisseneHabre with war crimes, crimes againsthumanity and torture over atrocitiescommitted during his eight-year rule.

The charges were handed down atthe end of a two-hour meeting at theExtraordinary African Chambers, acourt inaugurated earlier this year toprosecute Habre after more than twodecades of living freely in Senegal.

Habre ruled Chad from 1982 to1990. Human rights and victimsgroups say that soon after coming topower, he promoted members of hisGorane ethnic group to head a ruthlesstorture and killing apparatus targeting members of other ethnic groups thatthreatened his rule.

He was removed from ofce in 1990in a military coup, eeing to Senegal.

Egyptian showdownintensi es

Most frearm deaths occur outside war zones, study fnds

John HeilprinT e Ass ciatedPress

GENEVA The vastmajority of people who diefrom armed violence eachyear are killed outside of wars and other conflicts,a global survey of firearmsrevealed Tuesday.

The Graduate Inst itutesannual survey found an aver-age of 526,000 people a yeardied violently between 2004and 2009, and that 90 per-cent of the armed violencedid not involve internation-al conflicts or civil wars.

The survey also foundthat between 42 percentand 60 percent of lethal

violence occurs with a fire-arm, and that civilians holdabout three-quarters of theapproximately 875 millionweapons worldwide.

The survey, whic h issponsored by the Swissforeign ministry and othergovernments, covers bothmilitary-style small armsand light weapons such asrevolvers, rifles and subma-chine guns, along with com-mercial handguns and long guns. Among the multipleother findings are:

A strong correlationbetween the rise and fallof ammunition prices inLebanon and the popularityof certain rifle models used

by Syrian rebel fighters. Forexample, Belgian-made FNFAL rifles became uselessto Syrian fighters when theprice of cartridges reached$3. But the most common-ly available military rifles,including the Russian-madeAK 47s and American-made M16s in Lebanon andPakistan, command higherprices when ammunitionprices tend to be low.

The Insti tute s seniorresearcher Glenn McDonaldsaid ammunition pricesreflect the course of armedconflicts l ike the one inSyria, and added that thesurvey overlapped with thefirst year and a half of the

conflict there.We see that ammunition

prices are, in fact, following levels of fatalities in Syria,he said.

Between 40 percentand 70 percent of femalemurder victims are killed byan intimate partner, oftenwith a gun. Around 66,000women are killed violentlyeach year around the world equivalent to 17 percentof all intentional homicides usually by a current orformer partner.

The risk is increased bythe presence of guns in thehome, said the surveysresearch director, AnnaAlvazzi del Frate.

Homicides linked tothe Italian mafia declined43 percent between 2007and 2010, reflecting itsmove away from tradition-al activities to more legalbusinesses. But the over-all decline masks regionalvariations, such as in Naplesand Calabria, where there isa high degree of mafia vio-lence.

Homemade weapons mainly mortars, pistolsand pump-action shot-guns that confer statusand strength are now themain type of firearm car-ried by the Nicaraguangangs that sprung up afterthe end of the nationscivil war between the U.S.backed Contras and theSandinistas.

Survey says civilianshold about three-quarters of the875 million weapons worldwide

7/28/2019 Times Leader 07-03-2013

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BONNER - Lisa,friends maycall5 to8 p.m.todayatS.J.GrontkowskiFuneral Home,

Plymouth. Prayerservice7:30p.m.CAREY - Col.Eleanor, MassofChristianBurial11 a.m.today inQueenOf TheApostlesChurch(St.MarysChurch),HawthorneStreet,Avoca.Friends maycall10 a.m.until services.COLLINS - Kenneth,viewinghours 4to 7 p.m.todayatGraziano FuneralHome Inc.,Pittston Township.CULVER - Derek,memorialservice 4 to5 p.m.SaturdayatYeosock FuneralHome,40 S.MainSt., Plains Township.GRONCHICK - Bernadine,funeral services11 a.m.today atAndrew Strish FuneralHome,11Wilson St.,Larksville. Friendsmaycall10 a.m.until service.HASLEM - William,celebration

oflifewitha funeralMass9 a.m.todayin theChurchof St.Maryofthe ImmaculateConception, 130S.Washington St., Wilkes-Barre.HOLKO - Edward,funeral9 30 d S J

W.Main St.,Plymouth. MassofChristian Burial10 a.m.inAllSaints Parish,66 Willow St.,

Plymouth.HOLWEG - Albert, funeral service8:30 p.m.todayat NeilW.ReganFuneralHome Inc., 1900 PittstonAve.,Scranton. Friendsmay call7to9p.m.MOCK - Michael,MassofChristianBurial10 a.m.todayin St.JudesRoman CatholicChurch,Mountain Top.MROS - EdwardJr.,funeral11 a.m.today atYanaitis FuneralHome Inc., 55 StarkSt., PlainsTownship.Friends may call9 a.m.untilservice.Casual dress isrequested, as Edwarddislikedformalattire.PIENTA - Robert, gravesidememorial service 11:30a.m.Saturdayat Ss.Peterand PaulCemetery,Cemetery Road, PlainsTownship.POLINSKY

- Della, funeralservice 9:30a.m. todayatBednarskiFuneral Home,168WyomingAve.,Woming. MassofChristian Burial10 a.m.inSt.JosephsChurchof St Monicas

call8:30 a.m.until service.POLTROCK - Norma,funeral11a.m.todayat LehmanFamilyFuneralServiceInc.,403 BerwickSt.,WhiteHaven.Friends maycall9 a.m.until service.SAXTON - Loretta,MassofChristianBurial9:30 a.m.todayin St.IgnatiusChurch, 339 N.MapleAve.,Kingston.SHEPHERD - Sybil,funeralservices11 a.m.todayatMetcalfe-Shaver-Kopcza FuneralHome Inc., 504WyomingAve.,Wyoming.Friendsmay call9:30a.m. untilservices.SHOBACK - Robert, funeral9 a.m.todayat Bernard J.PiontekFuneralHome Inc., 204Main St.,Duryea.Mass of ChristianBurial9:30a.m. in HolyRosaryChurch,Duryea.YATSKO - George,funeral11 a.m.todayin Prince of Peace Church,Dallas.

YOUNGBLOOD - Mary, funeral1 p.m.todayat Maher-CollinsFuneralHome,360 N. MapleAve.,Kingston.Massof ChristianBurial1:30p.m. in St.IgnatiusLoyolaCh h Ki F i d

PAGE 6A WEDNESDAY, JULY 3, 2013 www.timesleader.com TIMES LEADOBITUARIES

NOTICETO ALLVETERANS

and ex-service personnel who have loyally servtheir country in peace and in war.

If you were honorably discharged andlive anywhere in the State of

Pennsylvania, you are now entitled to aburial space at no cost in the veterans

memorial section at

Chapel Lawn Memorial Park RD 5 Box 108, Dallas, PA 18612is o er is available for a limited timeonly. Special protection features areavailable for your spouse and minor

children with National TransferProtection. is limited time o er is also

extended to members of theNational Guard and Reserve.

Space is limited.Conditions - Burial spaces cannot be forinvestment purposes. You must register

for your free burial space.

1 800 578 9547 E t 600

Kniffen OMalleyWilkes-Barre & Avoca

823-7157 457-2801BestLifeTributes.com

Viewing beforeCremation

Brian Lef er

STANLEY J. GORGAS JR.,83, of West Railroad Street,Alden, passed away Monday athome.

Funeral arrangements arepending from the Stanley S.Stegura Funeral Home Inc.,Nanticoke.

EDWARD S. ZUKAUSKAS,84, of Exeter, passed awayMonday at the TimberRidge Nursing Home, PlainsTownship.

Funeral arrangements arepending from the GubbiottiFuneral Home, 1030 Wyoming Ave., Exeter. For information,

visit www.gubbiottifh.com.MARY RUTH (RUDDICK)

JONES,79, died Sunday. Born inNanticoke, she attendedKingston High School. She livedinFort Worth,Texas,since1970.She was the mother of six chil-dren. Mrs. Jones earned severalawards, including the Service toMankind Award, Outstanding Women of Fort Worth by theFort Worth Commission onWomen, Woman of the Year bythe Star Telegram and the FortWorth Volunteer of the Year bythe United Way. Surviving areher husband, Gomer W. JonesIII; six children, 17 grandchil-dren; four great-grandchildren;and brother, Fred Ruddick.

In lieu of owers , pleasemake a donat ion to the

Alzheimers Association, www.alz.org.RICHARD H. BELL,

66, of Franklin Township,passed away Tuesday morning in the Wilkes-Barre GeneralHospital.

Arrangements are pend-ing from the Metcalfe-Shaver-Kopcza Funeral Home Inc., 504Wyoming Ave., Wyoming.

EDWARD KAMINSKI,86, of Pittston Township,passed away Monday evening,surrounded by his family, atCommonwealth Hospice at St.Lukes Villa, Wilkes-Barre.

Arrangements are pending and will be announced from theKiesinger Funeral Services Inc.,255 McAlpine St., Duryea.

JEAN HARRY,

of Plymouth, died Monday eve-ning.Funeral arrangements are

pending from the William A.Reese Funeral Chapel.

MARGARET KARASSIK,of Wesley Village, died Tuesdayevening.

Funeral will be todayat a time to be announced.Arrangements by Rosenberg Funeral Chapel, 348 S. River St.,Wilkes-Barre. For more informa-tion, visit www.rosenbergfuner-alchapel.com.

RUSSELL CIRKO,85, formerly of the Hanoversection of Nanticoke and theProvincial Towers of Wilkes-Barre, passed away Thursdayat Tyler Memorial Hospital,Tunkhannock. Born March 31,1928, in Nanticoke, Russell wasa son of the late Wasil and EllaHallick Cirko. After serving inthe U.S. Marine Corps, Russellmoved to New York City andworked as a bellman until retire-ment. He was preceded in deathby several brothers and sisters.Surviving are sisters, MaryHozlock and Irene Sivilich, bothof Nanticoke.

Private funeral ser-vices were held fromEarl W. LohmanFuneralHome Inc., 14 W. Green

St., Nanticoke. Interment wasin St. Michaels Cemetery, GlenLyon.

OBITUARY POLICY

TheTimes Leaderpublishesfree obituaries,whichhavea27-line limit,and paidobitu-aries,whichcan runwithaphotograph.A funeralhomerepresentativecan call theobituarydesk at 570-829-7224,senda faxto 570-829-5537 oremail to ttlobits@civitasmedia.com.If youfaxor email,pleasecallto confirm.Obituaries mustbe submitted by7:30 p.m. forpublicationin thenextedition.Obituariesmust be sent byafuneralhomeor crematory, ormust namewho ishandlingarrangements,with addressand phone number.

More OBITUARIES | Page 4A

GLORIA JEAN JEANIE LESCOWITCHJune 29,2013

Gloria Jean JeanieLescowitch, 53, of Wilkes-Barre,passed away unexpectedly onJune 29, 2013, at Wilkes-BarreGeneral Hospital.

Born in Hazleton on June10, 1960, she was a daughter of Theresa (LaBuda) Lescowitchand the stepdaughter of the lateCharles May.

Jeanie eventually settled inthe Wilkes-Barre area and wascurrently employed by The Times Leader in the circula-tion department. Jeanie was afriendly and God-loving person.She loved life, her friends and allanimals.

She never hesitated to helpanyone in need and, true to herideals, she was listed as an organdonor. The Gift of Life Registrysuccessfully harvested all of her organs that she unselshlydonated. Jeanie will be sorelymissed by all who knew andloved her.

She was preceded in deathby both sets of maternal grand-parents; her beloved stepfather,

Charles May; various aunts anduncles.

Surviving her are her mother, Theresa, Wilkes-Barre; brother,Dennis Lescowitch, Hazleton;beloved companion, DonAllison, Wilkes-Barre; numer-ous aunts, uncles, cousins, step-brothers and stepsisters; fourgodchildren, Susan and MichaelLeiby and Sabrina and EricaKoprowski, whom she adoredand was very close to. She alsoleaves behind Tasha, her 20-yearold pet cat who was a comfortand a loyal friend.

A memorial service willbe held at noon Friday at theHoly Cross Episcopal Church,373 Main St., Wilkes-Barre.Relatives and friends are invitedto call from 10 a.m. until the ser-vice at the church.

In lieu of owers, the familyasks that memorial donations bemade to an animal shelter in thedonors home area.

Arrangements are under thedirection of McCune FuneralHome, Mountain Top.

WILLIAM T. BEECHAM SR.July 1,2013

William T. Beecham Sr.,79, of the Upper Askam sec-tion of Hanover Township,died Monday evening, July 1,2013, in Birchwood Nursing and Rehabilitation Center,Nanticoke.

Born in Wilke s-Ba rre Township, he was a son of thelate Matthew and Emma EvansBeecham, and was a graduate

of Ashley High School. Mr.Beecham was employed as aforklift operator at CertainTeedin Mountain Top prior to retir-ing.

Bill was preceded in deathby his beloved wife, the formerDelphine Dena Ostrofsky,Sept. 13, 2003; brothers,Edwin, 1970, David, 1978,James, 1990, Harry, 2002,George, 2003, Thomas, 2012;and sister, Mary Ann Zettles,2012.

He is survived by sons,William T. Beecham Jr. and hiswife, Ann, Breslau section of Hanover Township, Carl andhis wife, Kayleen, Upper Askamsection of Hanover Township;grandchildren, Billy, Amanda,Sarah and Matthew; brother,Gerald Beecham, Wilkes-Barre;nieces and nephews.

Funeral service will be con-

ducted at 10 a.m. Friday atLehman Family Funeral ServiceInc., 689 Hazle Ave., Wilkes-Barre, with the Rev. JamesSienkiewicz, pastor, ofciating.Interment will be in HanoverGreen Cemetery, Hanover Township. Friends may call 5 to8 p.m. today.

For more information, or tosend the family online condo-lences, visit the funeral homeswebsite at www.lehmanfuneralhome.com.

THOMAS J. WAGNERJuly 1,2013

Thomas J. Wagner, 90, alife resident of Exeter, passedaway Monday, July 1, 2013,in Riverstreet Manor, Wilkes-Barre.

Born in Exeter on Nov. 23,1922, he was a son of the lateJohn and Margaret TomshawWagner.

He was a graduate of St.Cecilias High School, Exeter.He was a member of St. CeciliasChurch, now St. Barbara Parish,and its Holy Name Society.

He was a member of the Local44 Sheet Metal Workers Union.He had been worked as a roong estimator for Phoenix Roong,Dunmore, and retired fromGreat Additions, Luzerne.

In addition to his parents, hewas preceded in death by hiswife, Grace McGovern Wagner,in 2004; son-in-law, RaymondRedington; grandson, RaymondRedington Jr.; brothers, Bernardand Vincent Wagner.

Surviving are children,Kathryn Gavlick and her hus-band, Bernard, Langhorne,Margaret Peggy Redington,West Pittston, Thomas WagnerJr., West Pittston, and John PaulWagner, Exeter; grandchildren,Bernard Gavlick, Langhorne,and Maureen Redington andher husband, David Bank, St.Simons Island, Ga.; brothers,Frank and Jack Wagner; sisters,Evelyn Caughlin and BernadineJones; numerous nieces andnephews.

Private funeral services willbe held at the convenience of thefamily.

Memorial donations may bemade to the Pittston Library, 47Broad St., Pittston, PA 18640.

Funeral arrangementsare entrusted to the Peter J.Adonizio Funeral Home, 251WilliamSt., Pittston.Onlinecon-dolences may be made at www.peterjadoniziofuneralhome.com.

FELIX JOHN ROSSIJune30, 2013

Felix John Rossi, a residentof Wesley Village, Inkerman,passed away on Sunday,June30,2013, in Wilkes-Barre GeneralHospital.

Felix was born in Pittston onOct. 5, 1921, a son of Matilda(Deloise) Rossi Bori and JohnRossi.

He graduated fromHughestown High School,where he met his future wife,Regina Joan Rena Shannon. They were married in January1944 while he was on leave fromthe U.S. Army during WorldWar II. They were married for56 years at the time of Renaspassing in 2000.

Felix served in the U.S. ArmySignal Corps in the Pacic Theatre during World War IIand spent time on Guam and inJapan after the armistice.

He and his family lived formany years in Hughestown.In 2006, he moved to WesleyVillage, where he resided untilhis death.

Felix worked for 49 years for

Scranton Electric and PP&L asa distribution technician, work-ing from the Pittston substation.

He was a longtime parish-ioner of Blessed SacramentChurch in Hughestown.

After his retirement, he was

very active as a volunteer inHughestown, contributing tothe building and maintenance of athletic elds and walking paths.

He was active in the Knightsof Columbus. He was an avidbowler for many years, includ-ing as a senior bowler well intohis 80s.

He is survived by his twochildren, John, Mendham, N.J.,and Mary Ann, West Chester;three grandchildren, Michael,Philadelphia, James, Cranford,N.J., and Kathryn, Bridgeport,Conn.; sisters, Mary Hensleyand Elizabeth Pirrillo.

A Mass of ChristianBurial will be held at9:30 a.m. Friday inSt. Joseph Marello

Parish, William Street, Pittston.Entombment will follow inMount Olivet Cemetery,Carverton. Friends may call 5to 8 p.m. Thursday at Peter J.Adonizio Funeral Home, 251William St., Pittston.

The family requests that inlieu of owers, memorial dona-

tions be made to MethodistsHome, Wesley Village, 209Roberts Road, Pittston, PA18640.

Online condolences may bemade at www.peterjadoniziofuneralhome.com.

MARY JOAN ERVINEJune 28,2013Mary Joan Ervine,

77, of Tunkhannock,passed away atthe VNA Hospice,Scranton, on June 28.

She was born inBinghamton, N.Y.,on April 11, 1936,a daughter of thelate John and Evelyn Kraft Tompkins. She graduated fromMeshoppenHigh Schoolin 1954and attended Ursinus College.

Mary Joan belonged to the Tyler Memorial Auxiliary andwas the editor of the State FarmInsurance Newsletter, Dallas, Texas.

She was preceded in deathby her husband of 49 years, H.Clayton Ervine Sr., on Jan 9,2005.She is survived by her daugh-ter, Jennifer Ervine, Wilkes-Barre; son, Clay Ervine and hiswife, Molly, Libertyville, Ill.;

grandchildren, Roband Lily Ervine; cous-in, Judy Kraft Meadand her husband,David, Tunkhannock;aunt and uncle, Leonaand Harold Propst, Ft.Lauderdale, Fla.

A visitation willbe held from noon until 1 p.m.Saturday at the Harding-LitwinFuneral Home, 123 W. TiogaSt., Tunkhannock, followed bya celebration of Mary Joans life.Interment will be in OvereldCemetery, Meshoppen.

In lieu of owers, memorialcontributions may be madeto the Meshoppen FrancisKennard Library, P.O. Box39, Meshoppen, PA 18630;or a charity of the donorschoice.

For directions or to shareonline condolences, visit www.aplitwinfuneralhomes.com.

VIOLA C. MICHELSJuly 1,2013

Viola C. Michels,of Falls and formerlyof Angola, N.Y., diedMonday in GeisingerWyoming ValleyMedical Center.

She was born inWest Seneca, N.Y., onApril 5, 1909, daugh-ter of the late Edward andCaroline Schneemann Bauer.

Viola was an active mem-ber of the Church of the HolyRedeemer Corpus ChristiParish, Harding, and a memberof the Pittston Senior CitizensCenter.

She was preceded in deathby her husband, MatthewJ. Michels; son, Matthew E.Michels; daughter, GeraldineJones; and si ster, Louella Bauer.

Surviving are daughters,Carolyn Smith, Falls, SandraMayer and her husband, Thomas, Derby, N.Y.; 13

grandchildren; 23great-grandchildren;and nine great-great-grandchildren.

Funeral Mass willbe held at 10 a.m.

Thursday from theChurch of the HolyRedeemer Corpus

Christi Parish, Harding, withMonsignor John J. Sempa asofciant. Family will receivefriends 5 to 7 p.m. today atthe S heldon-Kukuchka FuneralHome Inc., 73 W. Tioga St., Tunkhannock. Family andfriends are asked to go directlyto the church Thursday morn-ing.

In lieu of owers, memorialcontributions may be made toChurch of the Holy Redeemer,2435 Route 92, Falls, PA 18616.

Online condolences may besent to the family at www.sheldonkukuchkafuneralhome.com.

JOAN MARIE ETzELJune 30, 2013

Joan Marie Etzel,81, of Wilkes-Barre,pas sed away onSunday, June 30, 2013,at the Wilkes-BarreGeneral Hospital.

She was born inScranton on May24, 1932, a daughterof the late John and MarthaWelenz Malakin. Joan was for-merly employed as a payrollclerk at the American CigarCo. in Mountain Top. She wasa member of Good ShepherdLutheran Church in Wilkes-Barre and was formerly activewith the Cub Scouts, serving asa den mother.

She was preceded in death byher husband, Frederick W. EtzelJr., in 1975.

Surviving are her son,Frederick W. Etzel III, Wilkes-

Barre; brothers, JohnMalakin, Harrisburg,Robert Malakin,Wilkes-Barre, PaulMalakin, Owego,N.Y.; niece, KarenMullen; and nephews,David, Sean and ScottMalakin.

Funeral services 11 a.m.Friday from the Nat & GawlasFuneral Home, 89 Park Ave.,Wilkes-Barre. The Rev. PeterKuritz, pastor of the GoodShepherd Lutheran Church, willofciate. Interment will be inOak Lawn Cemetery, Hanover Township. Friends may call 10a.m. until time of services at thefuneral home.

Online condolences may besent by visiting Joans obituaryat www.natandgawlasfuneralhome.com.

PATRICIA ANNE NAGLEJune 28, 2013

Pat ricia AnneNagle, 80, passedaway Friday, June 28,2013, in Rockville,Md., where she hadbeen living for the pastfew years.

She was born inAvoca on Dec. 18,1932, a daughter of the latePatrick Farrell and MargueriteReilly Farrell.

A longtime resident of ColtsNeck, N.J., Patricia earnedMSW, LCSW, ACSW andLNHA licensures from RutgersUniversity and was involved insocial work and social work pol-icy for more than 30 years. Shewas named New Jersey SocialWorker of the year in 1999 andalso served as a past president

of the New Jersey NationalAssociation of Social Workers(NASW). She was the rstwoman president of the RutgersUniversity Alumni Federation.Prior to her retirement in 2008,Patricia worked as an adjunctprofessor for Rutgers School of Social Work.

She was preceded in death byher rst husband, Leon Murray,1962; second husband, John

Nagle, 2005; broth-ers, John Farrell andWilliam Farrell; sister,Peggy Ann Farrell;and niece, SharonFarrell.

Patricia is sur-vived by a son, LeonPatrick Murray, South

Carolina; nieces, Rose Russo,Avoca, Kathleen DeFazio,Springbrook, and SusanLaBruno, Honesdale; and neph-ews, Patrick Farrell, Moosic,Michael Farrell, Avoca, and Thomas Farrell, Avoca.

Funeral will be held 10:30a.m. Friday at Kiesinger FuneralServices Inc., 255 McAlpine St.,Duryea, with a funeral Mass at11 a.m. in Queen of the ApostlesChurch, St. Marys, Hawthorne

Street, Avoca. Friends may call9:30 a.m. until time of servicesat the funeral home.

As Patricia dedicated herlife to the eld of social work,she would want contributions,in lieu of owers, to be madeto any charity closest to yourheart.

Online condolences may bemade to www.kiesingerfuner-alservices.com.

BERTHA MAE WILLIAMS CRAGLEJuly 2,2013

Bertha Mae WilliamsCragle, 90, of HunlockCreek, went home tobe with her Lord andSavior Tuesday morn-ing at St. Lukes Villa,Wilkes-Barre. She wassurrounded by her lov-ing family.

Born March 12, 1923 inPlymouth, she was a daugh-ter of the late Edward andMae Williams. She was raisedin Hunlock Creek, where she

attended a one-room school-house. She later attended HarterHigh School, Nanticoke.

Bertha was employed by vari-ous sewing factories and madebomb shells during World WarII. She later worked at RetreatState Hospital as an LPN. Sheretired in 1982.

Her hobbies included embroi-dery, knitting, gardening andvacationing to different statesand islands.

Bertha was a strong andspiritual woman until the veryend. She read her Bible dailyand loved the song How Great Thou Art. Her favorite Bibleverse was Isaiah 41:10: Do notfear, for I am with you. Do not bein dismay for I am God.

Bertha was preceded in deathbyher husbandof 30 years,Relza

C. Cragle; companion of 27years, Michael Chorney; brother,theRev. EdwardWilliamsJr.;sis-ters, Ruth Morris Thomas, MaryBoyes, Mabel Smith; grandson,Edward Lewis Schutz; andniece, Mabel Joline.

Surviving are her children,

Naomi Hummel,Wilkes Barre, MarshaMeade, Wyoming,Relza Cragle Jr.and his wife, Cindy,Sweet Valley, Lena S.Schutz, Wilkes-Barre,Deborah Dotter andher husband, William,

Pittston; numerous grandchil-dren, great-grandchildren, niecesand nephews.

The family expresses theirextreme gratitude to all the

agencies and teams of nursesand caregivers that tended toBertha during her journey, espe-cially those from Hospice of theSacred Heart. A special thanksis given to Patty Boehm for thewonderful care and kindnessprovided to both Bertha and thefamily.

Family and friends are invitedto call from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8p.m. Friday at the Clarke PiattFuneral Home Inc., 6 SunsetLake Road, Hunlock Creek.Funeral services will be 11 a.m.Saturday at the Hunlock CreekUnited Methodist Church, 853Main Road, Hunlock Creek. Allattendees are asked to proceeddirectly to the church for the ser-vice. Interment will follow at theBloomingdale Cemetery, Ross Township, Shickshinny.

In lieu of owers, pleasemake memorial donations tothe Hunlock Creek UnitedMethodist Church, 853 MainRoad, Hunlock Creek, PA 18621;or to Hospice of the SacredHeart, 900 Rutter Ave., Suite 8,Forty Fort, PA 18704.

HUBERT R. GREENJuly 1,2013

Hubert R. Green, 85, of Mountain Top, entered intoeternal rest on Monday, July 1,2013, at Hospice CommunityCare, Dunmore.

Born in Broo