WC Examiner News

Wandering kids yields guilty plea

2010-03-10T00:36:00Z

BY MICHAEL J. RUDOLF

Wyoming County Press Examiner

TUNKHANNOCK - A woman accused of letting her two small children wander along a highway pleaded guilty in Wyoming County Court on Friday.

Michelle Marie Belcher, 23, of Tunkhannock, entered a guilty plea of recklessly endangering another person.

According to the criminal complaint, about 1:36 p.m. on Nov. 25, 2009, Meshoppen Borough Police Chief John Krieg was called to the intersection of Bridge and Welles streets in the middle of the borough for a report of two children walking in the roadway without clothes.

The complaint says a woman saw the children outside, and she took them out of the roadway. The woman told Krieg she had the kids for about 15 minutes before their mother, Belcher, arrived.

Krieg's report says when the mother appeared, she looked like she was sleeping. The woman who found the children said the boy was wearing only a T-shirt, while the girl was wearing pants.

Krieg contacted Wyoming County Children and Youth Services, and the children were turned over to the custody of their grandparents.

According to the complaint, Belcher said she was in the bathroom and did not know the children were missing. She said her four-year-old son has unlocked the door in the past, but she never took any further methods to secure the door better.

Krieg noted that he has been to Belcher's residence many times, and has never found the door to be locked.

In court on Friday, Judge Russell Shurtleff noted that the charge Belcher pleaded guilty to is a second-degree misdemeanor, which carries a maximum penalty of two years in jail and a $5,000 fine.

Belcher's sentencing date has not been scheduled. She is free on $10,000 bail.

Tunk. Boro talks trash

2010-03-10T00:35:00Z

BY MICHAEL J. RUDOLF

Wyoming County Press Examiner

TUNKHANNOCK - Discussion on the purchase of a new garbage truck for Tunkhannock Borough elevated briefly into talk over whether the borough should be in the garbage business at all.

The purchase of a new truck was listed on the agenda for last Thursday's meeting. However, before the item came up, borough resident Ned Slocum asked council if it ever considered ending garbage collection.

Slocum said he wasn't advocating such an action, but just wondering if it had ever been discussed. He questioned whether it might be more beneficial for residents to contract with individual haulers on their own.

Several council members said there are many inherent problems with allowing individuals to arrange their own collection. There would even be problems if the borough itself would contract with a private hauler, they believed.

"Once you're into someone else and they're charging you to haul your garbage, you don't know where its going to go," said council member Bob Robinson.

Robinson said because borough employees are responsible for the collection, they take pride in their work. The result is that garbage pick-up is quite efficient, he said.

With a private company, Robinson stated, "We could end up with a dirty town."

"By us being in the business, we establish order in the town," added council member Evelyn Baltrusaitis.

Going with a private hauler might also be more costly for residents, some council members mused.

Secretary Dawn Welch noted that for the average resident who puts out two bags of garbage a week, it costs $216 a year.

Council member Marshall Davis said he has done some informal research into the costs from five private haulers in the area. He said they range from about $210 a year to as much as $384.

But Davis agreed that a key issue is the efficiency of the work.

"Are they going to be interested in how the town's going to look?" he wondered.

Council president Stacy Huber noted that unless actual bids are sought, private haulers are likely to be reluctant to give out exact prices, for fear of getting under-bid.

Getting back to the issue of a new garbage truck, Robinson noted that the borough is very much in need of one because the current truck is about 19 years old. He added that it also needs some repair work.

Robinson said he learned that if the borough goes through the state's COSTARS group-purchasing program, it could get a new 25 cubic yard truck for $164,651.

Between the borough's refuse account and its reserve funds, there is enough money to pay for such a truck, Robinson noted. He said the borough also has a line of credit it could use for the purchase if council wants to do that, although he prefers not to take that route.

Huber asked Robinson and the public works committee to come up with a recommendation to make for next month's meeting.

In another matter, council learned that a re-write of the borough's zoning ordinance is continuing. Huber noted that the work could take five to six months to complete.

Council also approved the closing of Tioga Street for several events, including Founders' Day, the Triton Hose Company parade, the Memorial Day parade and Tunkhannock Area High School's homecoming parade.

A request for closing the street for this year's Christmas in Our Home Town event was tabled because organizer Nancy Parlo asked that it be done for two days, on the night of Friday, Dec. 3, and during the day on Saturday, Dec. 4. In past years, the street was closed only for the Friday evening part of the event.

Council said it will ask Parlo to attend a future meeting to explain the need for a change.

Parlo recently took over coordinating the event for the Tunkhannock Business and Professional Association following the death of Richard Santee.

Man admits conspiracy to retaliate

2010-03-10T00:34:00Z

BY MICHAEL J. RUDOLF

Wyoming County Press Examiner

Michael John Cook, 22, of Tunkhannock, pleaded guilty to criminal conspiracy to commit retaliation against a witness.

According to the police complaint filed by Detective David Ide of the Wyoming County District Attorney's office, the victim's mother reported the assault. She told Ide she believed her son was attacked in retaliation for assisting police with a drug investigation years ago.

The victim, a 24-year-old man, told Ide that around 8 p.m. on Sept. 1, he was driving south on Route 92, about to turn onto Route 307 toward Lake Winola. The three men noticed a car behind him flashing its lights and motioning him to pull over.

The man pulled over at the Osterhout Triangle. He said he recognized one of the men.

The victim told Ide his attackers referred to an incident in which he was a prosecution witness.

Cook could get a maximum of seven years in prison and a $15,000 fine. He is free on $25,000 bail.

Others pleading guilty on Friday included:

Richard Shoemaker, 36, of Tunkhannock, delivery of a controlled substance. Maximum possible sentence is 10 years and a $100,000 fine.

Sherry Lynn Harvey, 30, of Plymouth, criminal conspiracy to commit possession of a controlled substance. Maximum possible sentence is 10 years and a $100,000 fine.

Eric Sickler, 29, of Noxen, criminal trespass. Maximum possible sentence is seven years and a $15,000 fine.

Roy Hart, 27, of Tunkhannock, criminal mischief and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, and two counts of writing bad checks. Maximum possible sentence is two years and a $5,000 fine, on the first two charges, and 90 days and a $300 fine on the latter two.

Joey Taylor, 23, of Monroeton, theft by unlawful taking and possession of drug paraphernalia. Maximum possible sentence is five years and a $10,000 fine on the first charge, and one year and a $5,000 fine on the second.

Gerald Engle, 32, of Tunkhannock, theft by deception. Maximum possible sentence is two years and a $5,000 fine.

Nathan Taylor, 24, of Meshoppen, simple assault. Maximum possible sentence is two years and a $5,000 fine.

Christopher Ely, 31, of Noxen, four counts of driving under the influence. Maximum possible sentence is six months in jail and a $5,000 fine on each count. Minimum sentence is 72 hours and $1,000 each.

Shawn Stanley, 26, of Tunkhannock, driving under the influence. Maximum possible sentence is five years in jail and a $10,000 fine. Minimum sentence is 90 days and $1,500.

Brian Cory, 24, of Wyalusing, driving under the influence. Maximum possible sentence is two years in jail and a $5,000 fine. Minimum sentence is 10 days and $500 each.

Jack Corker, 39, of Tunkhannock, driving under the influence. Maximum possible sentence is five years in jail and a $10,000 fine. Minimum sentence is 90 days and $1,500.

Steven Goode, 22, of Noxen, driving under the influence. Maximum possible sentence is six months in jail and a $5,000 fine. Minimum sentence is 48 hours and $500.

James Hricenak, 45, of Dalton, criminal trespass. Maximum possible sentence is 10 years and a $25,000 fine.

Kenny Sands, 37, of Tunkhannock, simple assault. Maximum possible sentence is two years and a $5,000 fine.

Suzanne Hallock, 27, of Swoyersville, simple assault. Maximum possible sentence is two years and a $5,000 fine.

Nikolas Morykon, 24, of Meshoppen, retail theft. Maximum possible sentence is two years and a $5,000 fine.

Muriel Haughwout, 39, of West Pittston, defiant trespass and disorderly conduct. Maximum possible sentence is one year and a $2,500 fine on each.

Karen Wilson, 29, of Meshoppen, theft by unlawful taking. Maximum possible sentence is one year and a $2,500 fine.

Richard Williams, 28, of Scranton, harassment. Maximum possible sentence is one year and a $2,500 fine.

Jennifer Manning, 23, of Jermyn, theft by unlawful taking. Maximum possible sentence is one year and a $2,500 fine.

Veronica Hoadley, 24, of Wyalusing, writing bad checks. Maximum possible sentence is one year and a $2,500 fine.

Jacqueline Nagurney, 40, of Springville, writing bad checks. Maximum possible sentence is 90 days and a $300 fine.

Several people originally scheduled to plead guilty informed the court - either in person, through their attorney or in writing - that they opted not to plea and requested a trial date. They included:

Raymond Breza, 48, of Falls, indecent assault. Breza is accused of assaulting a woman on Aug. 29, 2009, outside her Falls Township home. He is free on $25,000 bail.

Andrew Taylor, 26, Mehoopany, simple assault.

William Deacon, 31, of Waymart, driving under the influence.

Michael Caruso, 33, of Tunkhannock, theft by deception.

Forum addresses legislation

2010-03-10T00:33:00Z

BY ROBERT L. BAKER

Wyoming County Press Examiner

DIMOCK - Area residents got a primer on Marcellus gas drilling legislation last Friday night at the second of three League of Women Voter forums at Elk Lake High School.

Julanne Skinner, Susquehanna County LWV president served as moderator and said her goal was to let people know where their legislators stood, but more importantly where legislation stood in regard to the Marcellus shale.

Sen. Gene Yaw, R-23^rd Dist., was first up and spoke to a pair of Senate bills- 297 and 298.

Yaw claimed that SB297 would possibly be up for a vote in the next couple of weeks and aims to amend the 1984 Oil and Gas Act.

He said that the goal of his legislation was to change well reporting requirements "to make more information available to the general public."

Yaw noted, however, that by keeping information up front "and honest," he expected it may embrace the possibility of attracting other people to come to Pennsylvania.

His SB298 aims to amend the state's clean and green law so that its purposes are uniformly interpreted across the entire state regarding preferential tax assessments, and particularly as land is impacted by Marcellus shale development. He noted the issue was also pending before the House Agricultural and Rural Affairs Committee.

Rep. Sandra Major, R-111^th District, which encompasses about 75 percent of Susquehanna County and much of Wyoming County, spoke to HB 977 which she has co-sponsored.

A similar bill 2453 was introduced in 2009 but did not make it out of committee, Major said.

She said the bill's intent was relatively simple in adding references to the Marcellus shale to the Oil & Gas Law which governs the industry in Pennsylvania, to define a lease, to define a royalty owner and to define royalty calculations.

She said the bill would also address a ‘rule of capture' issue that has caught some people's attention and would require horizontal drilling not to be done under people's property if they were not presently involved in a lease.

Rep. Tina Pickett, R-110^th District which includes about one-fifth of Susquehanna County where most of the drilling activity to date is going on, said "I have to tell you that every single day of my life there's a concern somewhere about gas drilling."

She acknowledged that on a daily basis she hears from constituents, and she acknowledged that she has listened to some of the residents of Dimock who have damaged water supplies.

She said that "but what about my water" is something she hears from everyone and no one wants fresh, clean water sacrificed.

She acknowledged that after the experience along Carter Road after which methane apparently got in the water supply of wells serving more than two dozen families, she has done some searching, and now questions, "Is our law sufficient to protect our water?"

She said as presently interpreted if a water supply is within 1,000 feet of gas drilling activity and a substantial change happens for the worse to the water that the gas driller "is presumed to be the problem."

Pickett said she would like to see the presumption distance changed to 2,000 feet

But, Pickett also noted that she would like to see something not presently in the law and that is that gas drillers be required to provide each landholder within proximity of a well to supply two water tests, one before any drilling activity commences and the other at whatever point the landowner wants a second test done.

Like Major, she, too is looking more closely at horizontal drilling, and also at something she recently found alarming- gas drilling being permitted in flood plains.

"We have to get a handle on that," Pickett said, noting that she was waiting to hear back from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection about some pictures that surfaced this winter of flooding at a couple of gas drilling sites in flood plains.

One was in Rush Township, Susquehanna County, which is in her district.

She said, "the impact could be huge" if there were an accident in such a setting.

Asked Monday why a state legislator was not getting an immediate reply to a DEP request, DEP spokesman Dan Spadoni in the Williamsport office, said he was unaware Pickett had not been responded to.

He acknowledged Tuesday morning that Pickett was sent information about gas well drilling in a flood plain, but would not confirm when that took place.

Spadoni said he assumed that it addressed her concern and if she had others they would "certainly" be followed up in a timely manner.

He noted that there was nothing in the 1984 Oil & Gas Act that prevents drilling in a flood plain, but drilling is restricted from taking place within 100 feet of a waterway.

Also on Friday's panel was attorney Lester Greevy, an oil and gas law expert who raised issues about leases and industry spokesman Carl Carlson.

Carlson said that Susquehanna, Bradford and Tioga counties were considered to be one of two "sweet spots" for accessing the Marcellus shale in Pennsylvania and he addressed concerns about a severance tax as proposed recently by Gov. Ed Rendell.

He pointed out through other taxes and permits, that the industry spends about $600 million in taxes already, and doubted the severance tax, if applied would bring in more than $25 million a year.

Yaw, Major and Pickett said they were all for a severance tax, but Yaw made a point of underscoring that the issue is how the proposed 5 percent tax would be divided once it's collected.

He showed several plans before various legislative committees and said he was concerned that most have the revenue going into a general fund rather than back to the area where the drilling is taking place.

The presenters left themselves with only enough time to address about five questions.

One raised the issue of the alarming gas drilling going on in a flood plain and questioned if that wasn't evidence that a moratorium was needed, as presently exists in New York state.

Neither Major, Pickett nor Yaw said a moratorium was in order.

Major said she was shocked at what happened in Rush Township. "We need to be mindful of places that flood and hope DEP would not permit a site of that nature."

Yaw raised the issue that if a hill was surrounded by a flood plain, then drillers should be allowed to use that hill to site a well.

Yaw, who more than a month ago had been refusing to meet with some of his constituents, who were involved in a lawsuit with Cabot Oil over their damaged water supply in Dimock Township, found himself in their presence Friday night after the forum.

Victoria Switzer said she showed him pictures of damage in Dimock and she claimed he questioned whether they were in fact from Dimock.

She said after the meeting that she felt demeaned that he couldn't just accept them at face value.

"Why should he not want to know the truth?" she asked.

Monday crash target of police investigation

2010-03-10T00:32:00Z

BY MICHAEL J. RUDOLF

Wyoming County Press Examiner

Tunkhannock Township police are investigating a crash Monday evening along Lane Hill Road.

Police said at 8:19 p.m., Michael R. Smith, 42, of Tunkhannock, was driving when his car hit a tree.

Both Smith and a passenger, identified as a 17-year-old girl, were both flown to Community Medical Center in Scranton for treatment.

Police said the crash was preceded by a report of a hit and run accident involving a vehicle with the same license tag as Smith's.

The accident is still under investigation and charges are pending.

Township police were assisted by Tunkhannock Borough Police at the scene. Ptlm. Mark Papi investigated.

Caution: More roadwork ahead

2010-03-10T00:31:00Z

BY STACI WILSON

Times-Shamrock Writer

PennDOT's recent closure of a Bradford County road has spurred talk about the deteriorating road conditions in Susquehanna County.

Increased traffic and heavy loads on roads, like Rt. 29 in Dimock, along with the typical spring heaving have caused an increase in potholes along that stretch of road putting drivers that travel it and their vehicles in peril.

County Commissioner Leon Allen, who lives in Springville, said the heavily trafficked road is worse now than it's ever been.

Allen said, "I don't know if it's the weather conditions or the heavy truck traffic or if it's a combination."

He said he has not spoken to PennDOT officials about the road yet but said the northbound lane is in worse condition than the southbound lane.

Allen said that the northern lane has deteriorated so much in one area drivers are forced to move into the oncoming lane to avoid the bad spot in the road.

PennDOT District IV spokesperson Karen Dussinger said the state agency is doing its best to keep up with the roads and monitor the conditions on a regular basis.

Dussinger said that when there is natural gas drilling activity in an area, PennDOT is in contact with the gas companies.

PennDOT's Susquehanna County assistant maintenance manager Mike Dewey said they have been in touch with all the gas companies working in the area.

According to Dewey, Cabot Oil & Gas has taken responsibility for the road even though other companies and trucks are also at work in that area.

"They have been really responsive to fixing the roads," said Dussinger, "especially this time of year."

"We have good communication with them," said Dussinger.

However, Dussinger said that during spring only cold patch is used to fill in the potholes and the patch jobs don't hold for a long period of time.

Dewey said, "We're trying to keep up with it," and added, "We're patching one day and it's popping out the next."

According to Dewey, Route 29 is just one of many roads showing signs of deterioration in the county. He said that Route 706 and Route 267 north of Lawton are also damaged.

Some side routes in the Springville area, said Dewey, are right down to mud.

Dussinger said PennDOT can provide natural gas companies with a list of state approved contractors that can handle the necessary road repairs.

When disaster strikes, go to Forkston

2010-03-10T00:30:00Z

BY ROBERT L. BAKER

Wyoming County Press Examiner

When disaster strikes, it's not uncommon for emergency responders to pack their bags and head for some exotic location, like New Orleans, Haiti or even Chile.

On March 27-28, a Disaster Response Team from the Wyoming Conference of the United Methodist Church is heading to Forkston.

While not of the human suffering embodied in the recent earthquakes, January's flooding wreaked all sorts of damage on Forkston's Creek Junction Park.

Kids of all ages who count on one of the three ballfields when Little League season begins on May 1 will appreciate their kindness, Elizabeth Burke said Sunday.

And so, Montrose United Methodist Church Pastor Jane Pykus, who is part of the Wyoming Conference response team sent out a call by e-mail to local pastors and layleaders of area United Methodist Churches to see if they could add hands and feet to their faith the weekend of March 27-28 in a workbee.

Forkston Pastor Jean Swett said that after Palm Sunday's worship service, March 28, members of her congregation will wave their palm branches high as they leave the church building and trek a quarter mile away to the ball field to help clean debris, grade the grounds, relocate fencing and reposition a gazebo that lost its mooring during the recent floods.

Then there's pressure cleaning and, well, more work than people running a Little League program are accustomed to handling.

Pykus' own Montrose church will be providing Saturday lunches for whatever workers show up that day. Pastors representing about 10 of Wyoming County's 19 United Methodist Churches are expecting to participate in whatever ways they might be needed, and they hope all the rest will as well.

For more information about how you might help, contact Swett at 833-5301 or Jason Burke of the FWM Little League at 833-5774.

Priest facing drug charges dies

2010-03-10T00:29:00Z

BY JEREMY G. BURTON

and MICHAEL J. RUDOLF

Times-Shamrock Writers

A local Catholic priest with a history of drug problems died Thursday afternoon in Minnesota, where he was seeking treatment at a rehabilitation facility.

The Rev. James B. Shimsky, 50, was admitted to St. Mary's Hospital at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., after "developing a medical problem," the Diocese of Scranton said on its website. He had been residing at a nearby rehab program.

According to Shimsky's attorney, Peter Paul Olszewski Jr., the priest's death was unrelated to the conditions he was being treated for.

"It was a complete shock to everyone," Olszewski said.

Shimsky was arrested Jan. 30 after police said he was seen buying cocaine from his parked car in North Philadelphia. Since July, he was pastor of St. John Vianny parish in Scott Twp., though he had been on leave since his arrest. He also previously served in Wilkes-Barre, Tunkhannock, Dunmore and Carverton.

Olszewski said he learned of Shimsky's death shortly after meeting with the Philadelphia District Attorney's office that would have resulted in criminal charges being withdrawn.

"We had worked out a settlement that was very amicable to the District Attorney's office and Father Shimsky," Olszewski said.

That agreement would have resulted in all charges being dropped if Shimsky successfully completed his rehabilitation treatment.

"The DA's office was obviously concerned with the father's well-being," Olszewski said.

Olszewski said Shimsky was well on his way to completing his treatment. With his death, the attorney said, the charges become moot and will be withdrawn.

Shimsky was known to be open with parishioners about having a history of addiction. He volunteered ministering to recovering addicts at Clearbrook Manor.

In a statement, Bishop-designate Joseph C. Bambera called Shimsky's passing a "great loss."

"He had willingly embraced his treatment program, and he was working hard to address his issues. It was our hope that through his efforts and with God's grace he would be able to return to us and continue his priestly service," Bambera said.

Shimsky was a Scranton native, ordained in 2001. While serving the parishes at Lake Winola and Tunkhannock, he was full-time chaplain at St. Michael's School.

Hearings waived on stolen Jeep

2010-03-10T00:28:00Z

BY MICHAEL J. RUDOLF

Wyoming County Press Examiner

FACTORYVILLE - Two suspects charged with stealing a vehicle in Factoryville and abandoning it on Forkston Mountain last spring waived their preliminary hearings on Tuesday.

Courtney Lynn Gruver, 19, of Woods Drive, Dalton, and Michael R. Weisenbacher, 21, of Noxen, each face felony charges of criminal mischief and receiving stolen property. Weisebacher is also charged with theft by unlawful taking, also a felony, and unauthorized use of a vehicle, which is a misdemeanor.

Weisenbacher also waived a hearing on misdemeanor charges of receiving stolen property and theft from a motor vehicle for a separate incident.

All of the hearings were scheduled to be held before Magisterial District Judge Linda Baumunk in Factoryville. The cases will now be sent on to the Wyoming County Court of Common Pleas.

According to the criminal complaints filed against Gruver and Weisenbacher in the stolen vehicle case, on May 22, 2009, a resident of Mathewson Terrace, Factoryville, parked his 2009 Jeep Cherokee in front of his home, but forgot to remove the keys.

The owner's girlfriend reported that she saw the Jeep outside shortly after midnight on May 23. However, at 9:30 a.m., the owner looked out his windo and discovered the vehicle was gone.

Police discovered the Jeep on Forkston Mountain in Forkston Township on Aug. 16, 2009. According to the complaint, it was found in an old coal mine and had extensive damage.

Police interviewed Gruver and Weisenbacher on Sept. 8, 2009. Weisenbacher admitted taking the Jeep, and Gruver said she was there at the time. During a later interview, she said she was with Weisenbacher when they drove the Jeep to Sweet Valley, Noxen and Forkston.

In Weisenbacher's other case, he is accused of taking several items from two other vehicles in Factoryville the same day.

The complaint in that incident says that a resident of Highland Avenue parked his 2006 Hyundai outside his home and left it unlocked. The next day he discovered that an MP3 player, a memory card and a digital camera were missing.

Also, a woman whose car was parked at the same address reported several items taken from her 2002 Honda, including two packs of cigarettes; a lighter; a laptop computer; a bookbag containing clothing, a camera, a computer mouse, a memory card and a battery pack; medication; and cash. The woman later reported that a jewelry box containing earrings, a ring and a bracelet were also missing. She also told police she located a shirt, pants and belt at the corner of Church and Lindley streets.

The two said the missing items were valued at $1,655.55.

Police interviewed Weisenbacher on Nov. 3, 2009, at which time he admitted taking the items from the vehicles the same night he stole the Jeep.

Gruver is free on $15,000 bail. Weisenbach is out on $25,000 total bail for both incidents.

Group seeks to resume Lake Carey sewer study

2010-03-10T00:27:00Z

BY MICHAEL J. RUDOLF

Wyoming County Press Examiner

WILKES-BARRE - Several advocates of a sewer system for the Lake Carey area visited the regional office of the state Department of Environmental Protection on Thursday, looking for information to support their position.

Following about an hour and a half of research, they came upon several documents they hope will encourage the Tunkhannock Township supervisors to support the project.

"We're trying to find the facts. We want to do what's right," said lake resident Dick Daniels.

In November, Tunkhannock Township voted to end its involvement with updating its Act 537 plan, which would include studying a joint sewer project with Lemon Township. The vote at the time was 2-1, with Randy White and Ernie Reich opposing the update, and Glenn "Ace" Shupp supporting it.

The Lemon Township supervisors are unanimously in favor of the joint project.

Daniels and Shupp were joined at the DEP office by Lake Carey residents Minturn Smith, Chris Ziemba and Art Sherwood.

Among the documents the group found in DEP's files was a letter from the agency commenting on Tunkhannock Township's current Act 537 plan at the time it was submitted for state approval in 1990.

That letter notes that DEP found the majority of the township's plan acceptable. However, it specifically noted that the agency had concerns about the situation at Lake Carey.

"That portion of the plan for the area delineated adjacent to Lake Carey has been found unacceptable to the Department, and is hereby disapproved," the letter notes.

"It is encouraged that Tunkhannock Township develop a joint Sewage Facilities Update with Lemon Township to address the needs of the Lake Carey and the flow pond drainage area," the document continues.

The group was unable to find any documentation that indicates the state's recommendation was addressed. Sherwood speculated that because it was merely a recommendation and not a mandate, there may not have been a response.

According to Smith, the township's application for its 1990 plan was based on a lengthy study by Milnes Engineering that was started in 1971. That study has contingencies for a sewer system in the lake area that were never adopted into the actual plan, Smith said.

Shupp said he is anxious to have the joint project study continue not only to alleviate the sewage problem at the lake, but also because the township has invested about $160,000 in it so far.

He said if the study gets finished, DEP will reimburse half of that expense. Otherwise, the township loses that money, Shupp said.

"The only way we can get it back is to finish it," Shupp said.

Daniels said he found a letter from DEP to Tunkhannock Township in the files from April 2009 noting that by joining with Lemon, Tunkhannock Township will actually get priority for reimbursement.

"DEP also will continue to place additional emphasis on multi-municipal reimbursement requests by processing those requests first," the letter states.

Daniels said this refutes claims made by the two supervisors who voted against continuing the study.

"We were told we weren't going to get reimbursement anyway, but that's not what this says," Daniels commented.

The group plans to bring the documents to the next Tunkhannock Township supervisors meeting, with hopes it can get at least one of the two dissenting supervisors to change his vote.

"I'm going to bring it up at the next meeting and ask, ‘Are you going to finish this thing?'" Ziemba said.

Tunk. Twp.’s sewage plan explained

2010-03-10T00:26:00Z

BY MICHAEL J. RUDOLF

Wyoming County Press Examiner

Under the Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities (also known as Act 537), every municipality in the Commonwealth is required to have a plan in place to address sewage disposal issues.

The act, passed in January 1966, mandates that all townships, boroughs and cities in Pennsylvania draft a plan that addresses its present and future sewage disposal needs.

Like every other municipality, Tunkhannock Township has such a plan. And like many other communities, the plan is an old one.

The township's current Act 537 plan went into effect when it was approved by the state Department of Environmental Protection on July 30, 1990 - nearly 20 years ago.

And that actually makes it one of the more recent plans enacted in Wyoming County. In fact, 15 municipalities have plans more than 20 years old, according to DEP records. Several of them date back to 1971.

Four other municipalities - Nicholson Township, Mehoopany Township, Windham Township and Laceyville Borough - have plans between 10 and 20 years old.

Only three boroughs - Factoryville, Nicholson and Meshoppen - have plans less than a decade old.

Tunkhannock Township's Act 537 plan applies to every home, business and other building in the township. It states that no building shall be occupied unless its sewage facilities meet the plan's specifications.

The township plan calls for the appointment of a sewage enforcement officer to oversee and inspect buildings and facilities. The officer shall also review applications and issue permits.

The plan notes that sewage systems may either be community systems, which connect multiple buildings to a common treatment facility, or on-lot systems for individual buildings.

The plan requires that all systems be inspected by the sewage enforcement officer before being put into operation.

Also included in the plan are detailed definitions as to what determines a malfunctioning system. In such cases, owners are given 30 days to make corrections to the problem.

Regarding maintenance of on-lot sewage systems, the township's plan defines areas that use them as "high risk areas." It requires that all such systems be pumped out every three years, or more frequently if problems are discovered.

Records of such pumping are to be turned over to the township and kept on file.

The plan also notes that the township can impose a fee for issuing permits.

One clause in the plan states that just because a building is in a rural area does not mean it is exempt from the law. "There are no exceptions for rural residences as defined in the Sewage Facilities Act," the plan notes.

Should property owners be found in violation of the plan, they could be fined between $100 and $300 per offense, with each day in violation constituting a separate offense.

Google offers views of local streets

2010-03-10T00:25:00Z

BY MICHAEL J. RUDOLF

Wyoming County Press Examiner

A relatively new online service from Google now makes it possible to look at street-level views of much of Wyoming County.

The images were added to the Google Earth program over the past few weeks, augmenting those that have existed for more populated areas for the past year or so.

"We've been working to expand it to more parts of the United States," said Google spokesperson Elaine Filadelfo. "We realize people really anywhere can benefit from it."

Google Earth is a downloadable program that lets people look at detailed satellite photos of virtually anywhere in the world. It was first put online in 2005, and shows high-resolution photographs taken from a number of sources.

Starting about two years ago, Filadelfo explained, Google began using special panoramic cameras in vehicles to add what it calls "Street View."

By clicking on a little icon of a camera while looking at a satellite view, the program instantly takes the viewer to the perspective of standing at that location. The image is not only 360-degrees all around, but also up-and-down. That means if, for example, you are looking at a scene from under a bridge, you can tilt the image up to see the underside of the bridge.

The first images taken by the vehicles were in larger cities, Filadelfo said. Street Views were added to places like New York City, Philadelphia, Washington and Los Angeles throughout 2008.

As those were being added to the program, more pictures were being taken throughout the country. Filadelfo said the intent is to eventually have images of everywhere on earth.

Suburban and rural areas in Pennsylvania were among those incorporated into the program in February, Filadelfo noted.

The panoramic cameras are mounted on top of vehicles which drive down roads at normal speed, Filadelfo explained. The Google Earth software stitches them together and links them to the satellite views based on their location.

"We only take photos from public roads," Filadelfo noted.

For example, in Wyoming County, images were shot along every state highway, as well as some secondary state roads such as Keelersburg Road in Eaton Township and Rattlesnake Hill Road in Meshoppen Township.

Filadelfo noted that the software automatically blurs faces and license plate numbers so that while people and vehicles can be seen in detail along the streets and roads, for the most part they can't be identified.

Once in a great while the software goofs, she admitted. However, by going to Google Earth's website, someone can request to have an inappropriate image deleted or modified.

Filadelfo said for the most part, there has been nothing but positive reaction to the images.

"A lot of people like to show off their hometowns," she said.

Wyoming County Planner Paul Weilage, who uses aerial and satellite images for official mapping purposes, said he is familiar with the Google Earth program, but doesn't use it in his work. The county planning office uses different but similar aerial and satellite views provided directly by state and federal agencies.

But Weilage said Google Earth and its Street View application has a number of valuable applications to the public.

"It's extremely useful to any delivery entity," Weilage said. He explained that delivery companies can use the images to pinpoint the location of their destinations, and the drivers can know what to look for before they get there.

"It's valuable to have that visual advantage," he said.

Travelers will also find the program useful in planning trips, Weilage added. He noted that he has used it for vacation planning.

Although Weilage pointed out that the Street View images could be a few months to a couple of years old, landscapes and buildings don't change significantly enough to make them out-of-date for most public purposes. He added that Google is good about keeping its images updated.

Where were they?

2010-03-10T00:24:00Z

Conspicuously absent from the forum of panelists was Sen. Lisa Baker, R-Lehman Twp., whose 20^th Senatorial District comprises roughly the eastern half of Susquehanna County, and Rep. Jim Wansacz, D-Old Forge, whose 114^th District includes the extreme southeast corner of Susquehanna County.

Rep. Sandra Major presented a note of regret for Baker saying that she had a previous commitment arranged before the forum had been put in place.

Baker's district accounts for 43.2 percent of Susquehanna County's residents.

Wansacz's district includes Forest City borough which accounts for about 4.4 percent of Susquehanna County's residents.

Wansacz is the only Democratic state legislator in the county, but more importantly is also the only local legislator who sits on the State House's Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, which has oversight of any new legislation moving forth dealing with energy matters.

Two of the committee's six hearings over the past year have dealt specifically with the Marcellus shale.

The committee also has considered more than 20 different house bills over the past year.

There was no discussion Friday night, for instance, of House Resolution 609 which supports continued state regulation of hydraulic fracturing and urges the U.S. Congress not to approve legislation that would remove state hydraulic fracturing regulating practices under the Safe Drinking Water Act.

Trail preps for higher pension costs

2010-03-10T00:23:00Z

BY MICHAEL J. RUDOLF

Wyoming County Press-Examiner

FACTORYVILLE - Lackawanna Trail School Board is looking at ways it could handle a possible massive expense in coming years.

At Monday's work session, business manager David Homish said the district may be in better shape than others around the state in dealing with its upcoming payments to the Public School Employees' Retirement System.

Homish explained that the system is funded by mandatory contributions by employees, school districts and the state. School districts' shares are based on a percentage of total annual salaries.

In order for the state system to have enough money to keep operating, Homish noted that many experts believe it will require huge increases in school contributions over the next few years. For a lot of districts, those increases could be beyond what districts can afford.

What Trail has done, Homish noted, is to store away money by not reducing its cutting back on what it budgets for its contribution, even when the state mandates a lesser percentage.

For example, Homish explained that in the 2007-08 school year, the state required districts to contribute 7.13 percent, and Trail budgeted that amount accordingly.

The next year, the required percentage dropped to 4.76 percent. Homish said he kept the 7.13 percent amount in the district's budget, and the excess that the state system didn't need was deposited in a reserve account. That enabled the district to set aside about $195,000 for contingencies, he said, without raising taxes.

In 2009-10, the state-mandated percentage went to 4.78 percent. Trail continued to budget 7.13 percent and set the money aside, resulting in another $200,000 deposited in savings.

"We have something put away to take care of the next couple of years," Homish said.

For the 2010-11 school year, Homish noted that the state is raising the percentage for districts' contributions to 8.22 percent, and he will use that rate when setting up this year's budget. While it means a slight increase in what Trail must pay into the fund, it is less of a hike than other districts are facing.

The problem comes in future years, Homish said. While no one knows exactly how much the state will mandate beyond the coming year, estimates are that the rate will be around 10.59 percent in 2011-12. That could cost Trail an additional $238,000.

And by 2012-13, the speculation is that the rate will top 29 percent, Homish said. If that happens, Trail could end up having to contribute more than $1.7 million.

And if estimates hold true, the rate could skyrocket even higher after that, Homish said.

"Where do you come up with that kind of money?" Homish wondered.

Because no one knows what the actual percentage will be beyond the coming year, Homish said even the best preparations could go awry.

"You can't even plan for this because you don't know," he said.

In another matter, the board heard a report from athletic director Jeff Gregory on the possibility of starting a soccer program. Gregory conducted a feasibility study after some residents asked the district to look into it.

Gregory said if the district opts to add soccer to its athletic menu, the best course would be to start with a co-ed junior high program. After that, it could be expanded into a junior varsity and then a varsity program.

According to Gregory's study, start-up costs for a junior high program would be between $17,000 and $18,000. That would include uniforms, equipment, coaches, scorekeepers, league dues, field maintenance and other costs. The expenses would obviously be higher as the program expands, he said.

Also, Gregory said the district must consider its facility usage if soccer is added. The program would have to be fit in among all the other fall sports. A junior high program could use the former baseball/field hockey field behind the high school that is now solely a practice field, he said. Whether that would be suitable for future varsity use isn't certain, he said.

Eaton to investigate erosion problem

2010-03-10T00:22:00Z

BY MICHAEL J. RUDOLF

Wyoming County Press Examiner

EATON TWP. - At the request of a property owner, the township supervisors plan to look into erosion issues along Goble Hill Road.

Terry Goble approached the supervisors at their meeting last Tuesday, March 3. He said whenever there is heavy rain or melting from snowfall, it affects his property.

"This erosion is exacerbating itself in each subsequent storm," Goble said.

He noted that the problem is now causing problems with neighboring properties, because silt from his land is being deposited in neighbors' driveways.

Goble suggested the supervisors consider getting a professional engineer to study the situation, and determine what action can be done to reduce the impact of water runoff.

Supervisor Kenny White said township officials would look at the problem. He added that they would contact the Wyoming County Conservation District to see if any funding is available to work on the situation.

"We'll get the conservation district up there. That's our best bet," White said.

The supervisors also heard from Rabbi Harry Shemu'el Dombek, who heads the Bet Shavei-Tzion International religious encampment along Jadick Lane.

Dombeck said there have also been problems with erosion near the congregation's facility, and asked the supervisors to look at that area as well.

Dombek said his primary purpose for attending the meeting was to inform the supervisors about planned subdivisions on the congregation's property, near a pavilion it uses for services.

After looking over Dombek's plans, the supervisors said it appears the changes are minor subdivisions, which should not cause any problems. White said they would forward them to Wyoming County Planner Paul Weilage for review.