Team celebrating survivors' birthdays

NUMIDIA - Southern Columbia Relay for Life is hosting a "Birthday Celebration" reception in honor of cancer survivors and their caregivers at 1 p.m. Sunday at the RCV Grange. The celebration will include refreshments, recognition of caregivers and words of encouragement from this year's honorary chair, Elaine Gitler. All cancer survivors and their caregivers are welcome; no reservation is necessary. Call Dolly at 875-2957 with questions.

Card shower planned for 100th

KULPMONT - A card shower is planned for Margaret Klembara, who will be celebrating her 100th birthday on Wednesday, March 28. Cards can be sent to Klembara at Serenity Gardens, Room 217A, 135 Vermont Drive, Kulpmont 17832.

SHAMOKIN - A Shamokin man wanted on three bench warrants was taken into custody by police Wednesday afternoon, but he later left Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, where he had been taken to be treated for a heart condition.

Police Thursday were continuing their search for Shane Picarella, 22, whose last known address is 69 E. Independence St., Apt. A, Shamokin.

Picarella, who was wanted by Shamokin police on warrants for burglary, theft by unlawful taking and retail theft, was spotted at about 2 p.m. Wednesday by Special Officer I Robert Searls in an apartment building at 69 E. Independence St., which also formerly served as a laundromat.

Searls said he contacted Chief of Police Edward Griffiths, who, along with Patrolman Raymond Siko II, responded to the apartment building. After Searls summoned police, he observed Picarella walk out of the apartment building and enter a nearby business in the 100 block of East Independence Street.

After being taken into custody inside the business, Picarella was transported to Shamokin Police Station, where he was detained in a cell to await incarceration at Northumberland County Prison in Sunbury on the warrants. While at the station, Picarella complained of a heart condition, prompting police to summon AREA Services Ambulance personnel.

After treating Picarella at the station, emergency medical personnel transported Picarella to Geisinger, where he was undergoing medical treatment before allegedly escaping. Police, who were notified about Picarella's escape Wednesday evening, couldn't confirm how Picarella exited the hospital and fled from the area, but he remains at large.

ELYSBURG - Harvey Boyer, of the Ralpho Township Planning Commission, presented supervisors Tuesday evening with revisions for the township's proposed campground ordinance, which have been discussed for almost two years.

Boyer said the only remaining issue to considered for the ordinance is the definition of rental cabins. After solicitor Todd Kerstetter cautioned that the wording of the ordinance must be correct to prevent future problems, supervisors asked Boyer to research other campgrounds and report back to the board.

Boyer, who is also the president of the Elysburg Fire Department, announced that because last year's Fire Cadet Weekend was such a success, the event will be held again this year. Boys and girls from 11 to 17 years of age are eligible to participate in the fire cadet activities June 23 and 24.

Supervisor Vince Daubert, presenting the street department report, said several township roads are in need of work. Roadmaster Howard Shadduck was asked to examine these roads, obtain quotes and report to the board.

Township manager Joseph Springer will apply for a grant for red light camera upgrades. A previous attempt to secure funding was unsuccessful. He will ask local representatives to help with the application.

Police Chief Stu Appel commended Officer Christopher Grow's actions relating to a high-speed chase on Feb. 25 that ended in the suicide of the driver in Coal Township. Appel said Grow took the initiative and acted on a report he heard on a different frequency. Grow's actions were "exemplary and professional," Appel said. Supervisors added their congratulations.

Dan Williams said one of the recycling bins either needs to be refurbished or replaced. Springer noted that a recycling grant has just been announced and if the township succeeds in obtaining funding, supervisors could use the money to purchase a new bin.

Springer also told the board that he has been in contact with William Seigel of SEDA-COG regarding the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) discussed at last month's meeting. Seigel sent him a letter to sign and send to the county requesting help in acquiring the grant money. Springer said the next requirement is for Seigel to hold a public hearing to discuss the grant. The board decided to have Seigel attend next month's supervisors' meeting as the official hearing.

Minutes and treasurer's report were approved. Reports were submitted by the departments of building, zoning, police and recreation.

STONINGTON - Roadmaster Jon Clemens and assistant roadmaster Jeff Murphy of Shamokin Township announced plans to attend a class to become Class A tank operators. Clemens said he was informed that according to new Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) regulations, someone in the township must be responsible for fuel tanks in case of a fuel spill. The regulations go into effect Aug. 18.

It would cost $4,000 to $5,000 per year to employ someone for this task, but the class for Clemens and Murphy will only cost the township $270.

Under DEP regulations, Supervisors Tom Carl, John Klinger and Greg Rachau will be listed as Class C operators, Clemens said. Supervisors will receive instruction from Clemens.

Clemens also reported at Wednesday night's meeting that a salt and cinder surplus will enable the township to lower next year's commitment to 80 tons instead of the usual 100-ton contract. Clemens gave a list of work being done during days of warmer temperatures.

Supervisors decided to sell the township's 1991 Chevy single-axle dump truck with a plow. Sealed bids, advertising in one of the municipal magazines and utilizing the Asset Auctions website were discussed as possible options. The board chose the Internet route in hopes or reaching a wider audience and because it entails no cost to the township. The minimum price will be $6,500.

Insurance representative Tony Rosini presented the board with a dividend check from Keystone Insurers Group for $968.88. Rosini said he hoped it would have been a larger sum, but catastrophes in the state, including hail and flood damage, impacted the final number.

George Wolfe presented the monthly fire department report. He also reported the annual fund drive is under way, and the auxiliary is planning a chicken barbecue in September. Stonington and Upper Augusta fire companies will hold a gun raffle in the near future.

Secretary and teasurer's reports were accepted as reported by secretary Stephanie McKinney. Solicitor James Bathgate gave a brief report.

MOUNT CARMEL - Class will be in session today at Mount Carmel Area School District, one day after a bomb threat caused the evacuation of the elementary and junior-senior high schools and ended school early.

No one was injured and no weapons were found. Police are searching for a suspect.

"There were no bombs," said Bernard Stellar, acting superintendent.

The day-long incident, however, did cause tense moments as parents rushed to the scene, only to be kept outside school gates as administrators worked to ensure an orderly dismissal and account for students before they left the property.

The bomb threat was made from a prepaid mobile phone to the county 911 center at 10:04 a.m. Thursday, said Brian Hollenbush, Mount Carmel Township police chief.

The caller made the threat quickly before hanging up, Hollenbush said, and he did not target a specific building.

The chief notified district administration, who organized an evacuation of about 1,500 students plus district staff from both buildings.

Elementary students and personnel gathered at on-campus outdoor basketball courts. Junior-senior high school students and personnel gathered nearby on soccer fields.

The evacuation took about four minutes, Hollenbush said.

Law enforcement personnel and K-9 units did a full search of both buildings, checking classrooms, bathrooms, student lockers and more.

"There wasn't a locker that wasn't checked," Hollenbush said.

Police also checked under the vehicles that were parked on school grounds.

The scene was cleared at 2:15 p.m. and students and faculty were allowed to retrieve their vehicles, which were not permitted to leave the lots during the incident.

At that point, no one was yet allowed to re-enter the building.

With the exception of the district school board meeting Thursday night, all after-school activities were to go on as planned, Stellar said.

On-scene behavior

After the evacuation, administrators used automated telephone calls and e-mail messages to alert parents of an unspecified threat.

The alert said all students were safe and there was no need to respond to the scene. That last part was ignored by some, with upward of 500 parents gathering outside locked gates along West Fifth and South Willow streets.

Some parents remained calm and talked to students and faculty on the other side of the gate. Others were visibly upset, talking with friends or on cell phones, trying to get any information available.

Several others were belligerent, making demands, criticizing the district's response and berating district personnel. A few students were observed behaving the same way.

Overall, the arrival of parents at the scene - justified or not - seemed to cause more harm than good.

"When the parents started arriving, it was mass chaos," Hollenbush said. "The problem was when parents were arriving they wanted their kids, but we had to make sure every kid that leaves the facility was accounted for.

"This would have gone smoothly if parents didn't come in like gang busters," he said.

Stellar was also critical of the behavior of some parents, but empathized with them as a whole.

"I assured the parents that all the students were accounted for and they didn't necessarily need to come pick them up, that we would release them in an orderly fashion," Stellar said.

"I can understand they were concerned about the safety of their child," he said.

Stellar praised district staff, who he said followed an emergency plan exactly as drawn up.

Dismissal

About noon, students began to receive permission to leave campus. Junior-senior high school students were permitted to walk home.

Elementary students were bused to their normal bus stops. Students whose parents or guardians were not at the bus stop were to be returned to campus until someone arrived to pick them up.

The parents who arrived on scene were allowed to sign out their children.

Melissa Morales and Amy Fantini, neighbors who live in Mount Carmel, were at the West Fifth Street gate together. Both were waiting patiently.

Fantini was hoping to pick up her daughter, sixth-grader Tiera.

"I just want her out of the situation," she said.

Morales was waiting for her son and daughter, sixth-grader Zachary and kindergarten student Rebecka.

She was at home doing some spring cleaning when the alert came, and was dismissive of the suggestion by administration for parents to not come to the schools.

"Of course the first thing we're going to do is pick them up," she said.

Jennifer Shannon, of Kulpmont, was en route to work at Weis Markets in Coal Township when she received an alert from the district. She admitted being shaken up a bit before picking up her son, Blake, a kindergarten student.

"It's scary, especially when they tell you not to worry. Please. All the parents are here to pick them up," Shannon said.

She did note the efforts of district personnel. "They're doing the best they can," she said.

In class

Eric Filipczak, a senior, who was walking home with sophomore Stanley Stanchick and junior Sean McDonnell, spoke of the experience.

"I was in class when the alarm went off. I thought it was a drill," Filipczak said.

He spoke of exiting the school, standing around for about two hours, not being allowed to re-enter the building and not being allowed access to his car.

But, he said, "I felt safe."

MOUNT CARMEL - Three young bicyclists from Mount Carmel were injured after at least one of them struck a moving vehicle at a borough intersection Thursday afternoon.

The accident occurred shortly after 3 p.m. at Vine and Fifth streets. Injured were two 13-year-old females and a 14-year-old male. Two of the youths were seen sitting on the curb with abrasions, while the third lay in the street. A borough police officer described the injury of the third youth as moderate.

Cpl. Christopher Buhay, investigating officer, said a

Pontiac Sunfire, operated by Richard Kilburn, of Kulpmont, was traveling west on Fifth Street when at least one of the cyclists, who were traveling north on Vine Street, struck the driver's door of the vehicle. At the intersection, Vine Street has a stop sign; Fifth Street does not.

The impact left a large dent in the driver's door, and a twisted front tire on one of the bicycles. Two helmets lay in the street, several feet away from the bicycles.

Buhay was still investigating whether the youths were wearing their helmets. An investigation into the accident continues.

There was plenty of activity in the borough Thursday afternoon, a combination of students having been released early from school because of a bomb threat, and the fact that temperatures reached into the mid and upper 70s on another extremely warm March day.

MOUNT CARMEL - Borough council members Thursday night approved what they hope is the final step in the property acquisition process for the Shamokin Creek Flood Control Project.

David R. Grey, SEDA-Council of Governments project coordinator of community development, informed council members they needed to approve three minor issues before the final document can be sent to the Department of General Services (DGS), which is in charge of the project.

The first issue was a correction to the deed of easement for the property at 300 N. Turnpike St., which was to include an exhibit of the deed with the easement. The second issue was to grant a license to the state to use borough streets. The final issue was to grant authorization to council President Tony Matulewicz to sign the final document.

Councilmen Robert Shirmer and Leroy "Chico" Moser made and seconded a motion to move forward with rectifying the issues. It passed 7-0.

"I'm told we're only a month behind schedule," Grey told the council.

DGS requires borough representatives to physically deliver the deeds and associated documents to them by April 15, Grey said.

At that time, the creek project is out of the council's hands, and DGS can bid the project out and award a company the work by August at the earliest, he said.

The borough's obligations included acquiring the rights to the land around the creek and consolidating the deeds and signing them over to DGS.

The project, which has been held up by numerous factors for nearly 20 years, is expected to alleviate flooding from Shamokin Creek that has repeatedly damaged several homes.

Baseball league debate

Council members also discussed whether they should grant an annual request for $750 from the Mount Carmel Area Junior Baseball League, which has used the donation for insurance purposes in the past.

Shirmer first raised the issue during the general comment period, saying he would rather provide the money to the league boosters, who represent four borough teams.

There are 11 teams from the Mount Carmel area, Shamokin and Marion Heights that play on five fields between the teams' home areas.

"We should pay the damn insurance. If it costs the same as it did before, don't worry about it," Moser said.

The discussion quickly escalated into a shouting match between Moser and Councilman Clem Plisiewicz Jr.

"We're not insuring them. We're donating the money to the league and they do what they want with it," Plisiewicz said.

"How do you know?" Moser fired back, noting it's in past resolutions to use the money for insurance.

"No, it's not!" Plisiewicz replied.

Moser then said not to give the money to anyone.

Councilman Gary Hixson Jr. asked why this discussion was happening when it was the league who requests the money, not the boosters.

"Why are we trying to give money to someone who didn't even ask?" he said.

In the end, council voted unanimously to grant the league the $750, but look into the issue before next year's request comes in.

WEIGH SCALES - Emergency permits sought by Shamokin-Coal Township Joint Sewer Authority for flood repairs have been denied.

The state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) turned down the permits to fix damages to sewer authority infrastructure in Shamokin and Coal Township caused by historic flooding in September.

The reason, authority officials were told, is because the authority waited too long to apply.

Sam Rumberger III, interim director of operations, reiterated during Wednesday's authority meeting what had previously been explained to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA): Abnormal water levels prevented authority employees from thoroughly assessing damage for four months.

"Some issues related to the flooding are only being discovered now and the damages were unknown until complaints from residents were made," Scott Keefer, authority engineer of Great Valley Consultants, wrote in a memo in January.

FEMA was agreeable to the explanation, pledging to reimburse emergency repairs, which have been estimated to exceed $1 million. That work must be completed within 18 months.

DEP, however, was not so understanding.

Rumberger said DEP felt the authority should have applied for the emergency permits during the flood event in September, the likes of which were not seen since 1972's Hurricane Agnes.

A request for an on-site meeting with DEP officials is still pending, with the agency citing staff shortages as causing the delay, Keefer said during Wednesday's meeting.

The cost to replace portions of sewer interceptor lines in Shamokin's Fifth Ward was previously estimated at $525,000. Another $100,000 will be needed to repair or replace 10 manholes in the Shamokin Creek channel. Other repairs include damage to a pump station and a water treatment building in Ranshaw at a cost of $48,000, and repairs to exposed pipes near Shamokin's Rescue Fire Company at a cost of $35,000.

"Now is perfect," Rumberger said of conditions for emergency repairs. "The creek could not be in a more perfect state as low as it is. ... But we can't get in there."

The authority will wait to seek bids for repair work in lieu of DEP permits.

Applications for two permits - one of which seeks permission to allow equipment and materials into the Shamokin Creek - are under review. If they are declined, the authority would be required to pursue a more elaborate permit that could further delay an emergency repair project.

Five easements must also be obtained to allow access to area waterways where repairs are to be completed.

Apart from repairing damage, the emergency repairs would also alleviate the amount of creek water from reaching the sewer plant, further taxing the system.

"We must move as soon as possible to prevent stream water from reaching the plant and get it back to normal levels," Keefer said.

In lieu of federal reimbursement, the repairs are expected to be paid with funding from the authority's trust fund.

Keefer said that since the work had not yet begun, there was one advantage: The trust fund has grown, allowing for the availability of more capital up front.

Sewer lines

Coal Township is seeking to replace existing storm inlets on Chemung Street as part of a paving project and may wish to tap into the authority's existing storm line.

The Springfield section of Coal Township is where the federally mandated sewer project began, and the sewer and storm water systems are now segregated there.

As part of a financing issue with the project, the authority purchased all existing sewer lines in the city and township.

Keefer said this is the first instance where either the city or township wish to tap into the collection system since it acquired the lines. He suggested that if either municipality is to connect to the authority system, that they provide the engineering plans for such a move.

Among outstanding issues identified by Keefer are responsibility for correction of potential drainage problems.

If a municipality were to install new lines, authority Solicitor James Zurick said they would be the municipality's property and not property of the authority unless they were turned over.

Keefer said the authority should accept any new lines if a municipality were to offer ownership.

The authority will further review the matter.

Other business

The authority voted to renew for three years its electricity provider agreement with Washington Gas Energy Services. The fixed price of $0.06034 per kilowatt-hour is lower than the current rate of $0.073065 and among the lowest rates in the past eight years.

Work to repair and replace storm drops along city and township streets continue. Rumberger said about 40 have been completed since January, adding that about 120 were fixed in 2011.

A 45-minute executive session was held for personnel reasons.

COAL TOWNSHIP - A former substitute teacher at Shamokin Area Middle/High School who allegedly sent numerous sexually graphic text messages to four female high school students last year was arraigned Thursday morning on felony offenses.

Michael S. Zack, 23, of 201 Warsaw St., Marion Heights, is charged by Coal Township Detective Jeff Brennan with felonies of obscene and other sexual materials and unlawful contact with a minor, and a misdemeanor of corruption of minors for incidents that occurred between March 15 and Oct. 30, 2011, in the east end of the township and at the middle/high school.

Zack is accused of sending approximately 4,300 text messages to two 17-year-old females and two 16-year-old girls, all of whom attend Shamokin Area Middle/High School. Many of the messages depicted sexually graphic material, police said.

Zack, who voluntarily turned himself over to authorities, was arraigned at 10:45 a.m. by Magisterial District Judge John Gembic III, who released the defendant on $20,000 unsecured bail, which did not require him to post any money. Gembic ordered Zack to avoid all contact with the victims and witnesses in the case and abide by other supervised bail conditions.

Zack, who has no prior criminal record, was represented at the arraignment by Attorney Marc Lieberman of Elysburg. Lieberman said his client is scheduled to start a new job Monday that is unrelated to the teaching profession.

The defendant wore a tie, dress shirt, pants and shoes to the legal proceeding. He and his lawyer declined comment after the arraignment.

Gembic scheduled Zack's preliminary hearing for 9:30 a.m. March 20, but Lieberman said he will most likely request a continuance.

Zack was hired as a 180-day substitute teacher in the district in August and terminated by the school board at its December meeting, retroactive to Nov. 16.

The felony offenses each carry a maximum penalty of seven years imprisonment and/or a $15,000 fine. The corruption of minors charge carries a maximum penalty of five years incarceration and/or $10,000 fine.

According to a criminal complaint, police were advised Nov. 17 by school district officials that Zack may have been sending inappropriate text messages and sexual pictures to a 17-year-old female student.

During an interview, the 17-year-old victim told police she had Zack as a substitute teacher. She said Zack sent her a friend request on Facebook in September or October and a short time later, he sent a text message on her cellphone. She said Zack obtained her cellphone number from her Facebook page. The 17-year-old said Zack texted her every day about sex and also asked to meet her, which she declined to do. The teen said Zack sent her several sexually graphic text messages and sexually graphic pictures of himself.

Phone records obtained by police indicated there were more than 800 text messages exchanged between Zack and the 17-year-old female between Oct. 1 and 8. Records also showed several pictures were exchanged and that some of the text messages were exchanged while they were in school.

The 17-year-old victim told police she learned that Zack was talking to another female student at the school, who was identified as a 16-year-old.

During an interview with police, the 16-year-old said she knew Zack from being a substitute teacher. The victim said Zack sent her sexually graphic messages and also identified two other girls who received text messages from Zack.

Another 16-year-old girl, who was 15 when she and Zack started talking around the summer of 2011, said the defendant sent her a friend request on Facebook, which prompted them to talk on Facebook and text each other.

She said the conversations on Facebook and text messaging started out polite before turning sexual in nature. She said at one point Zack asked her to have phone sex with him, but she refused. She said Zack sent her several pictures and text messages that were sexually graphic.

Phone records indicated there were more than 3,000 text messages exchanged between Zack and the 16-year-old between March and September 2011. Records also indicated the text messages were exchanged while the victim was in school.

Another 17-year-old student told police Zack sent her a Facebook request about three days after he started as a substitute teacher. The victim said she and Zack started talking on Facebook and then began text messaging each other. She said they texted each other "all day and night" and that the text messages eventually turned sexual in nature. The 17-year-old said Zack sent her numerous sexually graphic text messages pertaining to her body and sexual acts while she was in school.

Phone records indicated there were more than 500 text messages exchanged between Zack and the 17-year-old between Oct. 1 and Oct. 30.

Shamokin Area Superintendent James Zack, who is the defendant's uncle, declined comment about the charges.

Tracey Witmer, president of Shamokin Area School Board, said board members were aware of incidents involving Zack, but did not realize the serious nature or extent of his alleged criminal acts.

"I hope this sets an example that actions like these won't be tolerated," she said. "Teachers and everyone else employed in the district need to know their boundaries with students. You would think being the nephew of our superintendent that he would know better and be more appreciative that he was given a job opportunity in our district. He did something stupid and now he's going to pay for it. This is really a shame."

POTTSVILLE - The public is invited to join Reading Anthracite Co. and West Spring Energy LLC for Community Day, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 31, at the New St. Nicholas Plant located at 46 W. Mt. Laffee Road, as the companies celebrate a coal industry that is "growing again."

Visitors will get an up-close look at the new Komatsu PC4000, a 850,000-pound Komatsu hydraulic shovel. The day will also feature a tour of an operating coal mine where the latest advancements in the energy industry will be highlighted. Light refreshments will also be served.

Parking for the event will be at the New St. Nicholas Plant. There, visitors will board buses for round-trip transportation to the newly opened West Spring Energy mine site near Locust Gap. Estimated tour time is 3 hours.

A highlight of the event will be the unveiling of the new Komatsu PC4000 excavator. Brian Rich, president of Reading Anthracite, announced the purchase of this 29-cubic-yard hydraulic excavator and ancillary mining equipment that will allow the company to increase mining capacity.

The "super shovel" is currently being operated at the West Spring Energy mine. During Community Day, visitors will have the opportunity to get their photo taken with this mammoth piece of equipment.

"In addition to this capital investment in our company and our community, we are in the process of hiring an additional 60 employees to support our mine expansion efforts," Rich said. We anticipate being able to extract 400,000 to 500,000 incremental tons of run of mine (raw) coal annually."

Community day is free, but reservations are required. To reserve a tour time, call 624-4722 or 624-4724 with name, number attending, phone number and e-mail address. Callers will be given a departure time. Reservation deadline is Tuesday.

The last tour will depart from New St. Nicholas Plant at 12:30 p.m.

Rain date for this event is Saturday, April 14.

Reading Anthracite Company, headquartered in Pottsville, was founded in 1871. West Spring Energy and The West Spring Slope in Locust Gap was mined at various times dating back to the 1900s, and still has an abundance of high quality anthracite in close proximity to the surface, the company reports.

HARRISBURG - Bishop Joseph P. McFadden has strongly endorsed the recent "Statement of the U.S. Council of Catholic Bishops Administrative Committee on Religious Freedom" and has requested that all the faithful of the Diocese of Harrisburg receive a copy of it via their parish bulletins.

The statement will also be made available electronically via the diocesan website, www.HbgDiocese.org/conscience and via e-mail to thousands of homes.

Bishop McFadden said, "This statement reaffirms our commitment to address the HHS mandate's attack on the most fundamental civil right guaranteed by our Constitution."

In the statement the U.S. bishops promise to continue "vigorous efforts" against the violations of religious freedom in the Health and Human Service (HHS) health care reform mandate. The bishops declare that government has no place defining religion or religious ministry and states that they will seek protection for conscience rights of institutions and individuals while stressing action with the public, the White House, Congress and in the courts.

In support of this issue, the bishops of Pennsylvania have declared Friday, March 30, as a day of prayer, fasting and abstinence for the preservation of religious liberty.

The Central Susquehanna Disaster Relief Fund, established by Central Susquehanna Community Foundation, announces grant distributions of $110,000 to provide assistance for the region's 2011 flood victims who are still recovering from the disaster.

The Disaster Relief Fund committee, comprised of regional representation, reviewed grant applications and recommended grants to;

- AGAPE of Bloomsburg.

- Central Susquehanna Opportunities Inc., Shamokin.

- Columbia County Redevelopment Authority, Bloomsburg.

- Shickshinny Borough.

- Family Service Association, Luzerne County.

- Union Snyder Community Action Agency, Selinsgrove.

Grant support to these agencies will assist with such needs as temporary housing for residents who are still displaced from their homes, heating assistance, trash removal, cleaning assistance for the elderly and disabled, hot water heaters, stove/ranges, refrigerators and some uncovered costs of reconstruction. Additional grant applications are still pending for the remaining funding. Emergency grants of $2,500 from the fund were made in September to assist with urgent temporary housing needs.

Members of the disaster relief fund committee include: Joy McGinnis, Berwick Area United Way; Terry Specht, City of Sunbury; Mayor Beverly Moore, Shickshinny; Bryan Hagenbuch, Montour County Case manager for Central Susquehanna Opportunities; Diane Lepley, Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare; Gregg Stavinski, Northumberland County Adult Services; Matt Beagle, Columbia County Volunteers for Disaster Relief; and Robin Barbour, Union-Snyder Community Action Agency.

Committee members and other community representatives were asked to provide insight to the unmet needs and issues for flood victims of Snyder, Union, Northumberland, Montour, Columbia and lower Luzerne counties. The committee considered immediate, intermediate and long-term needs when awarding grants. The Central Susquehanna Disaster Relief Funds are being granted to nonprofit organizations assisting flood victims with needs where reimbursement is not available from other resources. The deadline for grant applications was Dec. 31, 2011.

The Central Susquehanna Disaster Relief Fund received more than $130,000 in donations from September to December 2011. The foundation recognizes and appreciates leadership contributions from PPL, Weis Markets, Susquehanna Bank, Mifflinburg Bank & Trust, Dunkin Donuts, Sunbury Motors and generous gifts from more than 300 individuals and businesses.

Northumberland National Bank and First Keystone Community Bank served as donation collection sites. Numerous fundraisers held by businesses and groups contributed to growing the fund. These donations are now providing much needed support for area residents.

In addition to disaster assistance provided by grants from the Central Susquehanna Disaster Relief Fund, Central Susquehanna Community Foundation affiliates - Selinsgrove Area Community Foundation, Sunbury Area Community Foundation and Berwick Health & Wellness Fund - provided grant funding in their communities for disaster related needs, totaling more than $8,000. The Columbia County Volunteer Organization for Disaster Relief (CCVODR) Fund, a component fund of Central Susquehanna Community Foundation, also received approximately $10,000 in donations, and the foundation assisted Rieter Automotive in Bloomsburg in establishing a disaster relief fund for their employees affected by the September flooding.

Central Susquehanna Community Foundation is a nonprofit, public charity which provides grant funding for nonprofit programming and services regionally in Central Pennsylvania. CSCF administers Berwick Health & Wellness Fund, Sunbury Area Community Foundation, Selinsgrove Area Community Foundation as well as 80 other endowments providing perpetual support for charitable needs of the community.

For more information, contact Central Susquehanna Community Foundation at 1-866-454-6692 or visit the website at www.csgiving.org.

CATAWISSA RR - A week after board member Dawnmarie Buriak resigned as representative of Region II in Southern Columbia Area School District, the board unanimously approved her replacement during Monday night's meeting.

Gale Zambor Schuerch, 56, of Roaring Creek, will fill the position of representative of Cleveland, Franklin, Locust and Roaring Creek townships until the term expires November 2013.

"I have a pretty good knowledge of the school district and know a lot of people in the area. I have a love and passion for the area," she said.

Schuerch has been a resident of the district since 1990 and her five children were educated at Southern Columbia Area. One is a sophomore at the high school.

Schuerch is married to Conrad Schuerch and is self-employed at a bed and breakfast. She is a freelance advertise designer and an artist.

She told the board it bothers her that the American education system is not the best in the world and it's the job of everyone on the board to help that change. She is most proud of the educational scores of the students.

"Sports stuff is great, but academics is where it's at. It's something that will stay with you for the rest of your life," she said.

The position was vacated when Buriak resigned last week. She had won the position in the 2011 general election from Dave Stellfox, who was also interested in the position she vacated.

However, after listening to Schuerch answer the board's questions, Stellfox withdrew his name from consideration.

"I put my name in because no one else had yet. I don't think the board can run with seven people," he said, making reference to a second seat left empty when Ronald Brobst resigned in January

Superintendent Charlie Reh explained that Stellfox's interest in the position was welcomed because of his past experience and his expertise on the building project.

"It's a very key time to have all the information on all the major topics. You don't have to be re-educated," he said.

President Michael Yeager and Director Timothy Vought asked Stellfox to reconsider, but he said he would not.

Directors Charlie Porter and Charlene Cove made and seconded the motion to appoint Schuerch to the board. It passed unanimously 7-0.

She then took the oath of office and joined the board for the rest of the meeting.

Reh later suggested the board look into changing who is allowed on the board since the position left vacant when Brobst left has been empty for months.

"If we have an empty seat, it should be open to all regions," he said.

Solicitor Rich Roberts said the board would have to petition the courts to change anything concerning the number of representatives they have from the three regions.

Schuerch said she didn't know the solution, but agreed it needed to be fixed.

Vo-tech budget

The approval for the 2012-13 Columbia-Montour Area Vocational Technical School general operating budget failed.

The vo-tech school's budget is $7,074,112 and the district's contribution to the budget is $533,070 - a 1 percent increase from last year.

Directors John Yocum and Rick Steele made and seconded the motion. It was a tie vote with directors Eric Stahley, Schuerch, Vought and Ted Yeager voting against it.

In other business, the board:

- Approved the 2012-13 Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit general operating budget of $1,283,134.

- Appointed Brewer and Company LLC to audit the financial records for the local tax collectors for the year ending Dec. 31, 2011, as required by Pennsylvania Local Tax Collection Law at a cost not to exceed $2,400.

SHAMOKIN - The following hearings took place Tuesday before Magisterial District Judge John Gembic III. Defendants who waived their charges to court or were held for court were ordered to appear for plea court May 14 in Northumberland County Courthouse, Sunbury, at which time they can plead guilty or no contest, or seek a trial by pleading not guilty.

- Christopher Stank, 38, of 1748 W. Chestnut St., Coal Township, pleaded guilty to a summary offense of hit and run and was ordered to pay a $300 fine plus costs. A stop sign violation was withdrawn.

Stank was charged by Shamokin Patrolman Shane Mowery in connection with a Jan. 3 hit-and-run accident at Second and Water streets.

- Ryan T. Pancher, 33, of 708 W. Mulberry St., Shamokin, pleaded guilty to harassment and was ordered to pay a $100 fine plus costs. An additional charge of simple assault was withdrawn.

Pancher was charged by Shamokin Cpl. Darwin Tobias III with assaulting his girlfriend, Barbara Kuminski, on Feb. 29 at 708 W. Mulberry St.

Volunteers busy for Daffodil Days

COAL TOWNSHIP - American Cancer Society staff and volunteers were busy Monday wrapping and storing fresh daffodils for the annual Daffodil Days campaign.

Helping with the project Monday at the Irish Isle Provision Company were Matthew Heins of the Northwestern Academy staff and students from the academy, Erin Louis, American Cancer Society community volunteer involvement director; volunteers Julie Griffiths, Mary Ellen Candelora, Joe Candelora, Chris Lehman and Syl Gotaskie; Patty Bush, co-chair of Daffodil Days, Nancy Froutz, Daffodil Days chairperson, and Earl Sheriff, owner of Irish Isle.

Sponsors for Daffodil Days are Michael Foods, the Plumbing Outlet and Irish Isle. Daffodils are available at Brewser's Sports Grille, Coal Township; Original Italian Pizza restaurant, Elysburg; Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Church, Elysburg; Masser's Restaurant, Paxinos; Irish Isle, Coal Township; Dunkin' Donuts, Shamokin; Lauren's Hair Boutique, Shamokin; Crystal Ann Creations, Elysburg; Beverly's Flowers, Shamokin; The News-Item, Shamokin, Geisinger-Shamokin Area Community Hospital and Mount Carmel Area Public Library.

Daffodils cost $10 for a bunch, $12 potted, $15 for a Vase of Hope and $25 for a Bear and a Bunch. Daffodils Days, which benefits the Lower Northumberland Unit of the American Cancer Society, runs through March 25.

Yeakel presentation canceled

DANVILLE - VISION 2020, presented by Lynn Yeakel, director of the Institute for Women's Health and Leadership, College of Medicine, Drexel University, scheduled for March 31 at the Danville Elks, has been canceled.

People with reservations will receive refunds soon in the mail.

'By Andy Heintzelman

SHAMOKIN - By mid-April, patients will be able to have "face-to-face" consultations with physicians at Geisinger Medical Center without leaving their rooms at Geisinger-Shamokin Area Community Hospital (G-SACH).

Such advances in "telemedicine" brought about by the Jan. 1 merger of the two institutions, and a wide-ranging discussion of health care in the era of reform, were detailed at Tuesday's monthly luncheon of the Brush Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce.

G-SACH Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Thomas Harlow and Geisinger CAO Thomas Sokola updated about 30 chamber members during the meeting, sponsored by G-SACH, at Original Italian Pizza.

The telemedicine that will allow physicians, when practical, to meet with patients from afar through video provides a level of care "close to home" that a community hospital couldn't get otherwise.

"That's the beauty of the merger," Sokola said.

Harlow said specialists are in short supply across the country, and that being able to consult with physicians through telemedicine makes it a matter of hours instead of days for someone to "see" a specialist.

"We think it's an interesting process; it's not being done in a lot of places," Harlow said. "Those are some of the (benefits) about becoming part of the Geisinger system."

$3 to 4 million in upgrades

Harlow said upwards of $2.5 million has already been spent on upgrades to information technology systems at G-SACH; by the end of the fiscal year June 30, $3 million to $4 million will have been invested campuswide. That will include a new natural gas/oil boiler to replace a 50-year-old unit, and the addition of redundant cooling and heating systems.

"That's not real glamorous or sexy," but an infrastructure improvement nonetheless, Harlow said.

There were no layoffs with the merger, and Harlow said hirings are possible as services expand. He said there is consideration now of adding emergency room staff.

"The emergency department has been very busy," Sokola added. "We've been looking at wait times, so we want to add some resources to that."

Reform impact

Dr. Jim Dolan, with Mid-State Occupational Health Services, which is now contracted with G-SACH, asked about the impact of President Obama's health care reform. Harlow said it has forced the industry to consider new ways of doing business.

"The model we have today, quite honestly, is obsolete," he said.

Health care based on quantity is slowly changing to one based on quality, where doctors or hospitals are paid for the outcome of patient care.

"Previously, if a surgeon had a bad outcome, you bring the patient back, you fix it and you still get paid" by the provider, be it an insurance company or the government through Medicare, Harlow said. "I think what we're seeing is a shift across the industry in who assumes that risk."

Harlow said the time is approaching where the government and insurers will make just one payment to a provider to cover preventative care, hospital care and home care. "We're going to pay you one fee and you figure out how you're going to provide care across the spectrum" is the thought, he said.

Currently, if a patient picks up an infectious disease while at the hospital, and he spends a few extra days there because of it, the hospital still gets reimbursed.

"Why should we? We shouldn't," Harlow said.

'Proven Care'

Geisinger's Proven Care program is built along those lines, Sokola said. It started a few years ago with bypass surgery, where doctors joined with Geisinger's financial folks and insurance side to develop specific criteria that the hospital and the patient must follow "every single time" so the process could be closely tracked. From a reliability factor of 30 percent initially, it's now 95 to 100 percent, and Proven Care is now applied to some 11 medical "products," with once-reluctant physicians now asking for it in their specialties, Sokola said.

He said a New York Times reporter in 2007 referred to Proven Care as "surgery with a warranty."

On a personal note, Sokola, a native of the Wilkes-Barre area, said his first job out of college in the 1970s was as the manager at the Long John Silvers along Route 61 in Coal Township, and that he lived for a time in Locust Gap. To laughter, he even acknowledged a visit during that time to the infamous Conn's Garden Club bar in downtown Shamokin.

SUNBURY - A Sunbury woman charged with holding her former boyfriend's 2-year-old son upside down by the ankle and throwing him onto a couch in January was ordered by a county judge Monday to be released on her own recognizance, but remained incarcerated Tuesday in the county prison on a probation violation.

April Baker, 25, who had been recommitted to Northumberland County Prison in lieu of $75,000 cash bail after waiving her right to a preliminary hearing Jan. 26 before Magisterial District Judge Benjamin Apfelbaum, was scheduled to be released after being placed on supervision by Northumberland County President Judge Robert B. Sacavage during a bail reduction hearing Monday afternoon. The judge, who released Baker on her own recognizance, ordered the defendant to avoid contact with any child under 18, including the 2-year-old victim, and her ex-boyfriend and the boy's father, Jason Philhower, 26.

Baker, who is represented by Attorney Michael Rudinski of Willliamsport, also was ordered by the judge to limit her contact with her two children and their father, who reportedly is incarcerated.

Baker said she planned to live with her aunt, who obtained custody of her children after she was imprisoned. But as of Tuesday night, she remained in the county jail on a probation detainer out of Union County.

Baker and Philhower, who lived together at 634 Susquehanna Ave., Apt. 2, at the time of the alleged offenses, are charged by Sunbury Sgt. Christopher Blase with felonies of aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of a child, and misdemeanors of simple assault and recklessly endangering another person relating to Jan. 12 incidents at their apartment.

Philhower remains incarcerated at Northumberland County Prison in lieu of $75,000 cash bail.

Both defendants are scheduled for plea court Monday afternoon at Northumberland County Courthouse.

According to a criminal complaint filed by Blase, Baker is accused of holding the child upside down by his ankle and throwing him onto a couch, breaking his leg.

The accusations against Philhower and Baker also include reports of putting the child in "timeouts," where he had to face a wall.

Blase reported in an affidavit that the boy was taken to the emergency room at Sunbury Community Hospital on Jan. 12 by his aunt, Nina Philhower, who came by the apartment to return a DVD to Philhower, her brother.

When she arrived at the apartment door, she could hear the child screaming and crying. She then allegedly heard Baker yelling, "Keep it up and you will not get anything to eat," and "I wish you would get out of my life."

The aunt opened the door and saw Baker walking through the living room, holding the boy upside down by his ankle and throwing him on the couch. She put a diaper on the child before putting a blanket over his head, she said.

When the aunt asked to see the child, Baker removed the blanket and the aunt saw the child was bleeding from his mouth and had a large bruise on the left side of his face.

The aunt offered to take the child to her house, and Baker agreed, according to the affidavit. When she put the boy's coat on, she noticed he would not stand on his left leg.

Nina Philhower convinced her brother to allow her to take the child to the hospital, Blase reported. After examination at the hospital, the boy was transferred to Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, where he was examined by Dr. Pat Bruno, who specializes in identification and treatment of child abuse victims.

Police said the child had a broken left leg, and bruises of varying ages on his buttocks, ear, mouth, arms, head, eyelid and penis.

Jonathan Chalkin, a male who said he was at the house when Baker allegedly carried the child by his ankle and threw him on the couch, told police the boy had no problem walking and that he saw no injury to his leg until then. He also admitted, police said, to seeing both Jason Philhower and Baker strike the child on the buttocks repeatedly over the past week, both while the child was wearing a diaper and when he wasn't. He also saw both of them squeeze the child's face and yell at him, and put him in the "timeouts."

MOUNT CARMEL - Baby Tyrion is ready to be fed, and like many babies, the 10-month-old appears cranky ahead of his meal.

He's crying and fussy, and his parents' attempts to placate him aren't working.

But to believe that Tyrion is simply cranky is to not know his condition, one that brings about fits of seizures and has left him unable to develop the strength to lift his own head. It's a disease that could require round-the-clock care for the rest of his life.

Tyrion suffers from schizencephaly, the ramifications of which caused doctors to advise his parents, Ashley and Lee Patrick, to consider terminating the pregnancy. Even inside the delivery room of a North Carolina hospital, the couple says medical staff told them the outlook for their son was grim.

"'I will miscarry. It will be a still birth. Don't expect him to live long after he is born. Don't expect to leave the hospital with your baby,'" Ashley, 22, says she was told leading up to her son's birth last May.

"Then it was, 'Well, you won't have too long with him after he's home.'"

The couple moved to Mount Carmel late last month because of its proximity to Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, and also because of its low cost of living.

Inside Tyrion's room in the family's apartment, Ashley and Lee work together to set up a feeding tube. The tube is attached to a bag and a plug surgically implanted into Tyrion's stomach, and his body stiffens uncontrollably - his back arching and his limbs fully extending.

His persistent crying - which continued in this case for about a half an hour, a result of his condition - is interrupted by a deep breath. Several moments pass - a half-minute that drags uncomfortably long - before he exhales and lets out a few more short cries, finally seeming to relax.

The scene is jarring, but for Tyrion's mom and dad, it's nothing out of the ordinary.

"Oh, he's been doing it since he was born," Ashley says while sitting on a loveseat, her arms cradling her son.

Little development

Schizencephaly is an extremely rare brain disorder that stymies development of a baby's physical and mental makeup.

At 10 months old, Tyrion does little more than roll his head from left to right, but he doesn't have enough muscle mass to allow him to hold his head up on his own. His eyes wander, too, unable to remain focused.

He's prone to seizures, and he's on medication to control them. He suffers from another disorder, hydrocephalus, which causes the buildup of brain fluid. For that, a shunt has been surgically implanted to allow the excess fluid to be absorbed into his abdomen.

He has had little to no mental development, and his long-term prognosis remains unclear. The Patricks are preparing for the worst.

"We call him our living doll. I hate to say it that way, but that's the best way to put it," Ashley says.

"He's projected not to do anything," says Lee, 23, while acknowledging every case is different and the projection could prove wrong.

"He'll be wheelchair-bound more than likely, and dependant on someone for the rest of his life; he'll be non-verbal, non-communicative. As far as the eyesight, we don't know yet, but more than likely he'll be blind," Ashley says.

Diagnosis

The Patrick's courtship was one that moved quickly.

Lee, who was adopted, grew up in Ohio. "I always wanted a son because I never had a father of my own," Lee says.

He is now a lance corporal in the U.S. Marine Corps, 4th Combat Engineers Battalion, based in Baltimore.

He met his wife - a resident of Washington, D.C. - online in 2010 and soon after discovered they had mutual friends. Both were living in the nation's capital at the time.

In July 2010, just three weeks after they'd met, they were married. Two months later, Ashley was pregnant.

At 22 weeks, an ultrasound found something wrong with their baby's brain. Just a few weeks before her Ashley's due date, Tyrion's diagnosis was made. Doctors believed he had suffered a stroke while in the womb.

When presented, the idea of an abortion was quickly dismissed, they say.

On May 21, 2011, Tyrion was born. He weighed 8 pounds, 14 ounces and was 22 inches in length.

Warm welcome

The couple found Geisinger through relationships created with others on an online support network for parents of children with neurological disorders.

They knew no one in Mount Carmel when they moved to the borough last month; no family, no friends. They brought with them clothing, a play pen and little else.

Their apartment came way of Realty World. When employees of the borough realtor learned of the Patricks' plight, they stepped in to help.

A futon bed, dressers and other furniture were rounded up, as were baby supplies. They also scraped together a substantial donation, some of which was used to buy Tyrion a crib.

Both were overwhelmed by the show of support.

"I'm from D.C. You just never hear of this," Ashley said.

"We didn't think it, we didn't expect it, we didn't ask for anything," Lee said in expressing his thanks.

Lee is scheduled to head to a base in Baltimore and on to Missouri for retraining in the coming months. In the meantime, he's found work. Ashley is still looking for a job. She's certified as a phlebotomist and hopes one day to become a registered nurse.

Long road ahead

Tyrion has at least three scheduled appointments at Geisinger this month. The Patricks say they expect him to be at the hospital more frequently as he grows older.

Ashley counts on her fingers as she rattles off the types of specialists her son has been seen by - neurosurgery, neurology, ophthalmology, neuroophthalmology, orthopedics, special needs nutrition, gastroenterology, kidney specialists, genetics specialists, developmental pediatrics and an epilepsy specialist.

Physical therapy will be performed at their home. The couple is awaiting seven-day-a-week nursing service, with nurses likely visiting overnight and allowing the couple some sleep.

Recalling his stance on abortion, Lee admits he doesn't know what he'd do if the couple were to have a second child with such extensive medical needs.

"I understand I was a little contradictive. I'm not for it, I don't agree with it whatsoever. ... If we had two children with the same problems with different ages, I don't know how we'd deal with it," Lee says, adding that adoption could be another alternative.

The challenges presented the Patricks at their age dealing with a special needs child has admittedly created some relationship challenges and exacerbated others. At the same time, they say it can draw them closer.

"Every little milestone is a great leap for us. Some people talk about how their child's crawling, walking," he said. "He doesn't roll over, but when he does, maybe 2 years old he rolls over for the first time, it's going to be amazing for us."

COAL TOWNSHIP - Shamokin Area School Board voted Tuesday to increase incentives to entice long-tenured teachers into early retirement prior to next school year.

The board is also proposing to eliminate tuition reimbursement for teachers.

The Shamokin Area Education Association must now review the proposals and its members must decide whether or not to accept them.

The proposals came during a board meeting at which more than 100 parents, students and staff attended,

with the size of the audience forcing the meeting to be held in the middle/high school cafeteria.

Many in attendance were there in support of keeping the district's swimming pool open in light of looming budget cuts.

The proposals are the latest made by school directors in order to decrease an estimated $4.6 million budget deficit for the 2012-13 school year. A final budget must be passed by June 30.

Teachers employed 25 years or more and at least 10 years at Shamokin Area are already eligible for an early retirement incentive that pays $16,000 up front and an additional $6,000 paid over five years, said Steve Curran, district business manager.

The board proposal would give qualified early retirees an additional $10,000 for up to seven years or until they reach age 65. That money would be placed into a Health Reimbursement Account (HRA) to be used for acceptable health care costs.

The above incentives would now also be eligible to teachers with 25 years total but less than 10 years at Shamokin Area, with the caveat being that $6,000 would be paid into an HRA for five years total.

According to the International Revenue Service website, there are no reporting requirements for HRAs on income tax returns. The contributions are excluded from gross income and anything left over can be carried forward from year to year.

The money is not eligible for use on anything other than qualified medical expenses, according to the IRS.

The board proposal says at least 10 professional staff members must opt into the early retirement agreement for the incentives to be paid out.

Directors Brian Persing and Ron McElwee have previously been credited with spearheading the initiative to boost the early retirement incentives. Persing has said that if 12 people opt to retire early, an estimated eight jobs could be saved through attrition.

Salaries across the board at the district - from teachers to support staff and beyond - were previously estimated at $12,459,053 in 2012-13, up slightly at $135,274.

Employee benefits, however, are expected to rise dramatically, totaling $6,526,812 and up $1,042,826, due in large part to increases in retirement contributions and tuition and health reimbursements.

If the union were to forgo tuition reimbursements, Superintendent James Zack said Tuesday that the district could save an estimated $100,000 heading into next year.

The contract with the Shamokin Area Education Association expires at the end of the 2012-13 school year.

School pool

With the size of the impending deficit, it appears almost nothing is off the table when it comes to balancing next year's budget.

Apart from employees potentially losing their jobs, extracurricular activities could also be in jeopardy.

To prevent the possible closure of the district swimming pool, the swim program is hosting a fundraising event this summer to raise money to help offset the estimated $45,000 it takes to keep it up and running.

"The solution to that problem is what programs we can initiate and bring to the school to raise funds for (the pool)," Rich Kashnoski, district swim coach, said Tuesday after the meeting.

The school board voted to approve a swim clinic - Mutual of Omaha BREAKout! Swim Clinic - that will bring two Olympic medalists to Shamokin Area for a one-day program.

Kashnoski said five-time medalist Josh Davis, formerly of the U.S. Swim Team, will be on hand for the event Aug. 26. Another Olympic medalist is also guaranteed to be at the event.

"What better way to celebrate swimming than to bring an Olympic athlete to come and teach our kids to swim," he said.

The event is sponsored by the high school and Shamokin Stingrays swim programs. Up to 80 swimmers are eligible to register by contacting Kashnoski at richkashnoski@yahoo.com or 847-2503.

Kashnoski said he hopes $10,000 is raised for the district.

"If we can raise that, that is a big chunk of change," he said.

Bob Getchey, school board director, said during Tuesday's meeting that a lot of jobs could be lost in the near future due to Shamokin Area's financial crisis.

The district's fiscal problems - shared by most public schools across the state - could also bring about a pay-to-play fee for students to take part in sports activities, something he hopes to avoid.

While Getchey said board members never said they were going to close the swimming pool, the possibility remains.

"We never said we were going to close the pool. We would have to vote on that," he said. "We said we could close the pool and that might happen."

The stress of balancing next year's budget was reflected in another statement made by Getchey.

If he knew the crisis facing the district, he said he never would have campaigned last year to get elected to the school board.

"This is going to be a sad day in Shamokin and Coal Township," he said of when next year's budget is passed.

Getchey blasted Republican Gov. Tom Corbett for the state of school finances and urged district residents to contact state Sen. John Gordner, R-27, or state Rep. Kurt Masser, R-107, to express concern over Shamokin Area's budget woes.

ASHLAND - Pioneer Tunnel Coal Mine and Steam Train will open for its 50th season on Sunday.

An anniversary celebration is scheduled to coincide with the annual Pioneer Day, which marks its own anniversary, the 20th, on Aug. 18.

Pioneer Tunnel, among the state's leading tourist attractions with 40,000 visitors per year, offers the chance board mine cars and travek 1,800 feet into the Mahanoy Mountain into what was once a working mine. There, visitors hear explanations about how coal is mined, complete with storyboards and up-close examinations of the equipment used. It is a constant 52 degrees deep inside the earth.

Outside the mine, people can ride the Henry Clay, a steam locomotive built in the 1920s that travels a three-quarter mile track around the Mahanoy Mountain. Riders see the Mammoth Strippings and a bootleg mine, and can see the Centralia mine fire during the train ride.

Pioneer Tunnel, at Oak and 19th streets, is open only during weekends in April, with tour times at 11 a.m. and 12:30 and 2 p.m. It is, however, closed on Easter weekend.

In May, September and October, weekday tours are at 11 a.m. and 12:30 and 2 p.m., and weekend tours are held continuously from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. From Memorial Day to Labor Day, mine tours and train rides run continuously from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

In addition to mine tours and train rides, the 50th anniversary celebration and 20th Pioneer Day will include a number of special events at the adjacent Higher-Up Park. Music will be performed by oldies group Memory Lane, and there will be a craft fair, petting zoo, face painting, historical displays, food stands, bingo games and free shuttle service from 23rd and Center streets.

For more information, or to arrange a group tour, call Pioneer Tunnel at 875-3850.

On the Net: www.pioneertunnel.com