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    WILKES-BARRE Fourmonths after a state agencyordered Wilkes-Barre to stoputilizing Legion Security tomonitor the citywide camera

    system, the Hawkeye SecuritySolutions board renewed thefirms contract, even thoughpolice officers were now sta-tioned inside to watch thecameras.

    Hawkeye, the nonprofit

    organization formed to over-see operation of the cameras,

    voted in April 2011 to sus-pend Legions contract aftera hearing examiner with thePennsylvania Labor Relations

    Board (PLRB) ruled the cityhad committed an unfair laborpractice by allowing civiliansto monitor the cameras.

    The examiner directed thecity to immediately removeLegion personnel from the

    monitoring room and turnover those duties to police of-ficers. The city complied withtheorderand began placing of-ficers who were on light dutydue to injury in the control

    room.That decision would seem

    to negate the need to em-ploy Legion Security, but theHawkeye board didnt see itthat way. On Aug. 31, 2011,the board renewed a one-year

    contract that called for Le-gion to be paid $15 per hourfor 24-hour, seven-day-a-weekcoverage at a cost of $131,400,according to a copy of theagreement.

    Legion was permitted toremain, despite the PLRB rul-ing, because the city reachedan agreement with the policeunion that resolved officers

    WASHINGTON The Sen-ates top Democrat is settingCongress first showdown votefor Thursday on PresidentBarack Obamas gun controldrive as a small but mountingnumber of Republicans appear

    willing to buck a conservativeeffort to prevent debate fromeven beginning.

    Majority Leader HarryReid of Nevada announcedhis decision Tuesday as the

    White House, congressional

    Democrats and relatives of thevictims of Decembers massshooting in Newtown, Conn.,amped up pressure on GOPlawmakers to allow debate and

    votes on gun control propos-als. Twenty first-graders andsix educators were gunneddown at Sandy Hook Elemen-tary School, turning gun con-

    trol into a top-tier national is-sue.

    We have a responsibilityto safeguard these little kids,

    PLAINS TWP. SusanHooper has fought valiantlyeach of thelastsix years to keepbrother RobertCurleys killer inprison.

    She has written letters,launched petition drives, spo-ken to prosecutors and statelegislators, all in the hope of

    ensuring JoannCurley servesthe maximum20 years of her prisonsentence forpoisoning himto death. Forall her success(Joann Curley

    has been denied parole each

    year), Hooper has remainedfrustrated that she was nevergiven the chance to address theparole board in person.

    It appears thats about tochange, thanks in part to theefforts of state Sen. Lisa Baker,R-Lehman Township.

    On Tuesday, the Senate ap-proved Senate Bill 508, which

    would require the parole boardto provide victims or their fam-ily members the right to testifyin person when the offender

    who harmed them is being

    Baker

    timesleader.comWILKES-BARRE, PA WEdnESdAy, APRIL 10, 2013 50

    THE TIMES LEADER

    6 0 9 8 1 5 1 0 0 1 1

    TALES SHARED, TAILS WAGGED

    CLARK VAN ORDEN/THE TIMES LEADER

    David, a student with the Head Start program in Wilkes-Barre, reaches to touch Annabelle, a yellow Labradorretriever who joined her owner, Mrs. Pennsylvania 2012 Kimberly McLendon, during story time for area chil-dren Tuesday morning at the Barnes & Noble bookstore in the Arena Hub Plaza. McLendon is traveling the stateto read to children as part of the Mrs. Pennsylvania story time series. She and Annabelle will repeat their pro-gram at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Barnes & Noble in the Arena Hub.

    AP PHOTO

    Vice President Joe Biden speaks about gun legislation, Tues-day in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building at the WhiteHouse in Washington.

    One way to make a quick meal TASTE, 1CFOR SALE: SWB RailRiders owner Mandalay Baseball SPORTS, 1B

    INSIDEA NEWS: Obituaries 2A, 8A, 9ALocal 3ANation & World 5AEditorials 11AWeather 12A

    B SPORTS: 1B

    B BUSINESS: 8BStocks 8B

    C TASTE: Birthdays 4CTelevision, Movies 6CCrossword/Horoscope 7CComics: 8C

    D CLASSIFIED: 1D

    See HAWKEYE, Page 12A

    I n S I d EWilkes-Barre Parking Authoritylooks to investigate Hawkeyesystems effectiveness, Page 2A.

    807511

    Victims

    want voiceat parolehearingsSister of late Robert Curle

    champios chage i parole

    cosieratio i Peslvaia.

    By TERRIEMORGAN-BESECKER

    [email protected]

    Hawkeye pact with firm questionedLegio Securit has $131,400

    pact to watch cameras eve

    though police are oig job.

    By TERRIEMORGAN-BESECKER

    [email protected]

    WILKES-BARRE LuzerneCounty government has twonew top administrators ChiefPublic Defender Steven M. Gre-enwald and Chief Solicitor C.David Pedri.

    Ten county council membersswiftly andunanimously

    voted Tuesdaynight to con-firm the twodivision headn om i n a ti on smade lastweekby county Manager Rob-ert Lawton.

    CouncilmanEdward Bro-minski was ab-sent for a per-sonal reason.

    Al Flora,who had beeno v e r s e e i n g the Public De-fenders Officesince 2010, wasat the meetingto present hisannual reportbut didnt stayto witness hisreplacement.Flora, who hadapplied for thepost, can con-tinue working in the office in anon-union assistant public de-fender position at his current$52,178 salary.

    Floras pending suit againstthe county, which argues moreemployees are need to properly

    represent the indigent, is slatedfor trial June 24. Floras attor-neys issued a public statementMonday strongly advising thecouncil to keep Flora in charge.

    Lobbying to keep Floraspilledinto the council meeting, withKingston psychologist Ned Del-aney approaching the podiumduring public comment to en-dorse Flora.

    Delaney said Flora and Gre-enwald are both outstandingattorneys and men of integrity,but he said Flora initiated juve-nile justice reforms after the fed-eral corruption scandal.

    Just as you are trying to dothings differently, so has he,

    Delaney said.

    County OKsselection

    of 2 moremanagersnew chief public efeer a

    chief solicitor are chose.

    Five omiatios peig.

    By JENNIFER LEARN-ANDES

    [email protected]

    PETE G. WILCOX/THE TIMES LEADER

    Susan Hooper, sister of RobertCurley, who was poisoned todeath by his wife, has pushedto get the right for victims totestify in person in front ofthe parole board when crimi-nals are up for parole.

    Senate showdown gun vote set for Thursday

    WASHINGTON U.S. em-

    ployers have more job open-ings than at any other timein nearly five years. Yet they

    seem in no hurry to fill them.That disparity helps explain

    why the job market remainstight and unemployment high.Even as openings have surged11 percent in the past year, thenumberof people hired hasde-clined.

    Why so many openings yetso few hires?

    Economists point to several

    factors: Some unemployedworkers lack the skills employ-ers want. Some companiesmay not be offering enoughpay. And staffing firms saythat in a still-fragile economy,many businesses seem hesi-tant to commit to new hires.

    They appear to be holding outfor the perfect candidate.

    Were living in a fear-based

    environment right now, saidKim First, CEO of the Agency

    Worldwide, a recruiting firmfor pharmaceutical and bio-tech companies.

    Those who do have jobsthese days are unlikely to losethem. Layoffs have sunk to a

    pre-recession level.

    Labor department says num-

    ber of job openings rose in

    Feb. to most since May 2008.

    ByCHRISTOPHER S. RUGABER

    AP Economics Writer

    Jobs paradox: Plenty of positions, not much hiring

    I n S I d EHazleton Area wants judge toapprove school police officerappointment, Page 2A.

    Majorit Leaer Rei presses

    for ebate o proposals

    backe b Presiet Obama.

    ByALANFRAM

    Associated Press

    See GUNS, Page 12A

    See COUNTY, Page 12A

    See CURLEY, Page 12A

    See JOBS, Page 12A

    W H AT Sn E X TLuzerneCounty Councilwill meet at 6p.m. April 23in the councilmeeting roomat the countycourthouse inWilkes-Barre.

    Greenwald

    Pedri

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    Mary Banks Yelland, 92, a resi-dent of Wilkes-Barre, diedTuesday, April 9, 2013, at herhome after a lengthy illness.

    Mrs. Yelland was born in Wilkes-Barre, daughter of the late Fredand Lucy Simon Neuman, and at-tended city schools. She was mar-ried to Thomas Banks from 1946until his death in 1965, and latermarried a longtime friend, EdwardYelland, in 1966. They were mar-ried until his death in 1996.

    Mrs. Yelland was very activewith her husband in the Wilkes-Barre Corps of the Salvation Army,together serving more than 75

    years as volunteer workers. Ed-ward was honored for his serviceon the Christmas kettles while

    Mary served 33 years as a volun-teer in many capacities, retiring in2005 due to ill health.

    Shewasoneof themost wonder-ful mothers to ever raise three kidsand will be missed and cherishedfor a lifetime by her son John, whocared for her for the past five yearsand her daughter, Luci, who wasJohns supporting force.

    She has a host of family andfriends who will miss her and hercaring heart.

    In addition to her husbands, she

    was preceded in death by brothers,Emil and Arthur.

    Surviving are her sons, GeorgeE. Banks, Wilkes-Barre, and John

    Banks, at home; daughter, LuciPaparelli, Wilkes-Barre; severalgrandchildren and great-grandchil-dren; and numerous nieces andnephews.

    A private funeral service willbe held at the convenience of thefamily from the H. Merritt HughesFuneral Home Inc., a Golden RuleFuneral Home, 451 N. Main St.,

    Wilkes-Barre,with Lt. Ted Tressler,commanding officer, Wilkes-BarreSalvation Army Corps, officiating.Interment will be in Orcutt Cem-etery, Noxen. There will be no pub-lic viewing or service.

    www.timesleader.com TIMES LEADERWEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 2013 timesleader.com

    DETAILS

    LOTTERY

    MIDDAY DRAWINGDAILY NUMBER - 0-2-8

    BIG 4 - 6-7-0-0QUINTO - 1-7-0-0-1

    TREASURE HUNT01-02-06-18-22

    NIGHTLY DRAWINGDAILY NUMBER - 7-1-7(DOUBLE DRAW - 8-4-4)

    BIG 4 - 1-1-9-9QUINTO - 8-2-1-4-2

    CASH 504-12-30-31-33

    MEGA MILLIONS17-30-41-48-54

    MEGA BALL - 13

    No player matched all five numbersin Tuesdays Cash 5 jackpot draw-ing. Wednesdays jackpot will beworth $225,000.Lottery officials reported 62 playersmatched four numbers, winning$224.50 each; 2,160 players matched

    three numbers, winning $10.50 each;and 25,796 players matched twonumbers, winning $1 each.

    OBITUARIES

    Amendola, AnnaAston, Lenore

    Atcavage, John Jr.Budzinski, Jacqueline

    Bufalino, AngeloBushelli, Sharon

    Felia, Eleanor

    Fera, GenevieveGrogan, ArthurHaczewski, Walter

    Inman, HelenMontanye, JamesMontross, George

    Motyka, HelenMraz, Theresa

    Nearhoof, TheresaOlson, Charles

    Roberts, RhondaSwan, HelenTomko, John

    Topfer, SueYelland, Mary

    Pages 2A, 8A, 9A

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    Issue No. 2013-100

    Hazleton aims to hire 3rd armed officer

    WILKES-BARRE The solici-

    tor for the Hazleton Area SchoolDistrict has asked a LuzerneCounty judge to approve the ap-pointment of a school police of-ficer as part of the districts ini-tiative to improve safety on itscampuses.

    Attorney Christopher Slusserfiled a petition Tuesday askinga judge to approve the schoolboards appointment of MichaelStrenchock to serve as the dis-

    tricts third armed resource offi-cer. Since the shootings at an el-ementary school in Sandy Hook,Conn., in December, schooldistricts locally and elsewherehave been implementing moresecurity.

    The school board on March 26

    voted unanimously to hire Stren-chock, who previously workedfor 26 years for the Hazleton CityPolice Department in a numberof positions, including policechief.

    The presence of resource offi-cershas animpacton the climateof our school buildings and givesparents a comfort level that thereare trained people in the buildingif a situation does arise , As-

    sistant Superintendent DonaldBayzick said Tuesday.

    The school districts securitydepartment committee recom-mended Strenchock, of Hazle

    Township, for the position at itsMarch 20 meeting.

    Strenchock primarily will be

    assigned to the Hazleton AreaCareerCenterbut would be avail-able to other buildings if needed,Bayzick said.

    Strenchock is one of three re-source officers in the district, in-cluding one who is stationed atthe Hazleton Area High School,Bayzick said.

    District solicitor ChristopherSlusser said one of the officers isa state police officer.

    At the March 26 board meet-ing, school directorsalso voted infavor of spending $80,000 to buymetal detectors for the districtselementary and middle schools.

    The board also is discussingwhether to approve armed or un-armed guards for the detectors.

    Currently, 10 metal detectorsare placed at the administrationbuilding, high school, career cen-ter building and a ninth-gradecenter all on West 23rd Streetin Hazleton.

    School personnel also arepermitted to inspect backpacks,purses or other bags, accordingto school district policy.

    At a special meeting Mondaynight, theschoolboarddiscussed

    the purchase of a card accesssystem, cameras and a burglaralarm for installation at its Ha-zleton Area Academy of Sciencesschool, located at Drums Ele-mentary Middle School in Butler

    Township.The Hazleton Area Academy

    of Sciences school is currently aninth- and 10th-grade pilot pro-gram for students interested inscience, technology, engineeringand math.

    For right now, Strenchocks ap-pointment is in line with the se-curity plans the district has beenputting into place, and that itdoesnt mean more officers wontbe added in the future, Bayzicksaid.

    Michael Strenchock primarily

    will be assigned to Hazleton

    Area Career Center.

    BySHEENADELAZIO

    [email protected]

    WILKES-BARRE Oneday after the Wilkes-BarreArea School District nixed itscontract with Hawkeye Secu-rity Solutions, a member of thecitys parking authority saidshe wants to investigate thesystems effectiveness to deter-mine if the authority should re-new its contract, which expires

    in December.Board member Mary AnnKing suggested she and fellowboard members tour the com-mand center where the Hawk-eye cameras are monitored andrequest all police reports on in-cidents in the parking garagesto determine if the camerashelped reduce crime.

    King said her concerns wereprompted, in part, because she

    was told there were some kidssmoking marijuana on the roofof one of the parkades, but thesecurity cameras did notrecordthe action. The authority is inthe final year of a three-yearcontract that pays Hawkeye

    $100,000 annually.We should visit the controlcenter and see how it works,King said. And we need to askfor police reports.

    Her suggestion comes asquestions regarding the effec-tiveness of the camera systemcontinue to mount.

    The system came underscrutiny in December afterthe death of 5-year-old KevinMiller, who was fatally struckby a hit-and-run driver on WestNorth Street. Several city cam-eras stationed in the area failedto get a clear view of the ve-hicle, which was located afterpolice released photos from

    security cameras stationed atKings College and a privatebusiness.

    On Monday, the Wilkes-BarreArea School Board voted to re-

    ject a three-year, $270,000 con-tract with Hawkeye after boardmembers raised concerns over

    whether level of service beingprovided justified the cost.

    The district first contractedwith Hawkeye in 2009 to moni-tor 47 cameras that are mount-ed on streets surrounding eightschools. The district also hasinterior cameras at the schools,but they are not connected tothe Hawkeye system. They

    were purchased by the districtand are monitored by schoolresource officers in a controlroom stationed in each school,

    Len Pryzwara, the districtsbusiness manager, said.Under the original contract,

    Hawkeye was to provide a writ-ten report to the district detail-ing any incident the Hawkeyecameras captured, includinga summary of the incident de-tailing the facts, date and time.Pryzwara, in a recent interview,said as far as he knows Hawk-eye has never provided a singlereport on any incident in thethree years of the contract.

    Additional questions regard-ing the cameras effectiveness

    were raised by board memberLynn Evans at Mondays meet-ing.

    Evans, who drives a schoolbus, recounted how her buswas struck by a car on ButlerStreet last spring. The vehicle,

    which fled the scene, travelleddown numerous streets whereHawkeye cameras are sta-tioned,but police were not ableto locate it.

    The hood of the car had ahuge V put in it, Evans said.He traveled down ButlerStreet, down Wilkes-Barre Bou-levard. There are all these cam-eras, and they never caught theguy. I dont understand.

    Evans said shes finding ithard to justify the cost, particu-larly given the district is $1.7

    million in debt.It just doesnt balance. Weare enough in the hole with-

    out asking people to pay moremoney, Evans said. Were try-ing to cut costs and $90,000 a

    year would pay for a whole lotof books.

    Board member ChristineKatsock also questioned the

    value of the cameras. She saidshe has done some preliminaryresearch and discovered analternate system the districtcould install that would pro-

    vide more service than its nowgetting.

    We can put in a system that,if there is a problem, an alertcan be sent to the resourcepolice officers phone and itinstantaneously goes to 911 as

    well, Katsock said. That wasless expensive than the propos-al we got from Hawkeye, and

    we get more.SteveBarrouk, vice president

    of Hawkeyes board, attemptedto address board membersconcerns, but was unable toconvince them to renew thecontract.

    Barrouk told board membersthe loss of the contract wouldbe a major blow to Hawkeyeandmight force it toshutdownup to 20 percent of the camerasin use. Barrouk on Tuesday de-clined to discuss any action theHawkeye board might take tomake up the money, referring

    all questions to board Presi-dent Frank Majikes. Majikesdid notreturna phone messageseeking comment.

    Wilkes-Barre City CouncilPresident Mike Merritt, a mem-ber of the Hawkeye board, said

    Tuesday he does not know howthe board will make up the lossof the school district contract.

    Thats a major source of in-come, Merritt said.

    Im genuinely concerned.You either end the program, or

    weve got to find funding some-where.

    Councilman Bill Barrett saidHawkeye could ask the city forfunding,but it wouldnot beob-

    ligated to provide any moneyas Hawkeye is an independentauthority.

    City Council will vote

    on $47.5M Kings planW-B City Parking Authoritydubious about Hawkeye

    cameras effectiveness.

    By TERRIEMORGAN-BESECKER

    andBILLOBOYLE

    [email protected]

    [email protected]

    Cameras worth questioned

    WILKES-BARRE CityCouncil will vote Thursday on aresolution for the citys financeauthority to be used as a pass-through agency for the refinanc-ing of $47.5 million in bonds forKings College.

    Drew McLaughlin, the citysadministrative coordinator, saidthe city is not financially obli-gated or liable for the funding,butKingsneeds thecitys help toacquiretax-exempt bonds.

    According to the proposed res-olution, thecollege is refinancingsome olddebtused forcapital im-provement projects already com-pleted, and some of the revenuegenerated by the refinancing willgo to newprojects on campus.

    The bonds being refinanceddate back to 2001, 2002, 2003and 2007, according to the reso-lution, and were used by Kingsfornew facilities.The bonds werealso used for improvements toexisting facilities, including resi-dence halls, the gymnasium andparking areas.

    McLaughlin said he did notknow what new projects mightbe done with the funding from

    the refinancing.College spokesman John

    McAndrew said $32 million ofthe refinancing will go towardold debt, $10 million to repay anendowmentfor thenew annexoncampus and the remaining $5.5million could be used for futureprojects.

    TheBoardof Trusteesmeetsthe first week of May and is ex-pected to approve a new five-

    year strategic plan, McAndrewsaid. Im sure there will besome projects discussed wherethat money could be used.

    I just wantto be clear thatthecity is not obligated in any wayto this financial transaction, hesaid.

    A public hearing on the issuewill be held 9:30 a.m. April 22at City Hall Council Chambers,fourth floor, City Hall, 40 E. Mar-ketSt.

    In other business at Tuesday

    nights meeting, council ViceChairman Tony George againasked the administration the sta-tus of termination proceedingsagainst LAG Towing. Councilapproved a motion in January toask Mayor Tom Leighton to lookinto beginning termination mea-sures against the towing compa-ny owned byLeo A.Glodzik.

    Marie McCormick, city admin-istrator, saidno decisionhas beenmade to institute the proceed-ings. George said an arbitrator issupposed to handle the matter.

    TimHenry, cityattorney, saidthemayor must first decide to termi-nate the contract.

    There are so many variables,

    McCormick said after the meet-ing. Were looking at complaintsand reviewing the contract.

    There is no timetable set for adecision.

    George also asked aboutHawkeye Security Systems, thenonprofit company formed bythe city to handle the camerasurveillance system. George wastold no general fund money isgiven to Hawkeye.

    George saidhe raised theissueafter Wilkes-Barre Area SchoolDistrict terminated its contract

    with Hawkeye on Monday.

    WILKES-BARRE A statepolice undercover drug inves-tigation uncovered an allegedMegans Law offender.

    Anthony Curry, 47, had beenliving at a Carlisle Street resi-dence since September afterfailing to register the address

    with authorities as a convictedsexual offender from New Jer-sey, according to arrest papers.

    Curry was arraigned Tuesdayby District Judge Rick Cronaueron a charge of failing to regis-ter with state police. He was

    jailed at the Luzerne CountyCorrectional Facility for lack of$25,000 bail.

    Curry hadbeen jailed forlack of $25,000bail since hisarrest on drugoffenses lastmonth.

    A c c o r d i n g to the criminalcomplaint:

    Curry was the target of an in-

    vestigation by the state policeVice and Narcotics Unit on alle-gations he was selling heroin in

    Wilkes-Barre.State police learned Curry

    was convicted of sexual assaultin Passaic County, N.J., in Sep-tember 1996 and is required toregister his address with author-ities as a sexual offender for therest of his life.

    Curry was arrested near hisresidence that was searched bystate police on March 27. His

    girlfriend told state police shehas been living at the CarlisleStreet residence since Janu-ary 2004, and Curry moved insometime in September, thecomplaint says.

    Curry provided the CarlisleStreet address as his residence

    when he was processed on thedrug offenses.

    State police said Curry never

    registered the Carlisle Streetaddress as required under thestates Megans Law, accordingto the complaint.

    New Jersey court records sayCurry was sentenced in 1996 tosix years in prison on the sexualassault charge, and five years inprison on drug distribution of-fenses.

    Preliminary hearings on thedrug charges and Megans Law

    violation are scheduled on April16.

    Cops: Megans Law offender unregisteredAnthony Curry was found

    during an undercover drug

    investigation.

    By EDWARDLEWIS

    [email protected]

    Curry

    THE CASH 5 NUMBER

    in Tuesdays Times Leaderwas incorrect. The numbersdrawn were: 28-31-32-38-43.

    ByBILL OBOYLE

    [email protected] H AT S N E X TWilkes-Barre City Council meetsin regular session 6 p.m.,Thursday i n Council Chambers,City Hall.

    MORE OBITUARIES, Pages 8A, 9A

    Mary Banks YellandApril 9, 2013

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    TIMES LEADER www.timesleader.com WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 2013timesleader.com PAGE 3A

    LOCAL

    HANOVER TWP.

    2 Valley teens missingTownship police are searching for

    two teenagers who might have runaway together.

    Samantha Zink, 16, of HanoverTownship, and Mac Lord, 17, of Wilkes-Barre, were last seen on Sunday.

    Anyone with information is asked tocall township police at 825-1254 or 911.

    LUZERNE COUNTY

    Agency seeks your inputThe United Way of Wyoming Valley

    wants to engage members of the com-munity to create a shared vision for thefuture and set goals for collective ac-tion.

    In order to accomplish these goals,UnitedWaywill be hosting a numberofcommunity conversationsover the nextfew months. While these conversations

    will take many forms, at the heart ofthem is one common question: Whatdo you want your community to looklike?

    Upcoming conversations are sched-uled 1 to 3 p.m. Friday at Trinity Pres-byterian Church in Dallas; April 16

    from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Mill Me-morial Library in Nanticoke; and April23 from 9 to 11 a.m. at the OsterhoutFree Library in Wilkes-Barre.

    Light refreshments will be provided.Those interested can register online

    at www.unitedwaywb.org/community-conversation or by calling Amy Zawadaat 829-6711, ext. 222. Since space islimited, and participants are asked toRSVP.

    MOROCCO

    Runner finishes stage 3After the third day of running across

    the sands of Morocco, Dallas native LizByron found herself still in the desert

    Tuesday but in a good place overall in

    the Marathon des Sables.I got 14th place to-day & Im now in 24thplace overall. What?!!

    wrote Byron on Tues-day in her blog at run-forlaptops.edublogs.org.

    The Bishop Hobangraduate is a special-

    education teacher at Gardner PilotAcademy in Boston and is trying toraise money through donations to pur-chase laptop computers for the school.

    The six-day, 155-mile race through theSahara Desert is self-supported withrunners carrying their food and sup-plies in backpacks. The Tuesday leg

    was 23.6 miles; Wednesdays course is

    50 miles with 15 miles in sand dunes,Byron wrote.

    HARRISBURG

    Mundys advocacy honoredThe Pennsylvania Early Learning

    Investment Commission gave stateRep. Phyllis Mundy,D-Kingston, its Chil-drens ChampionAward on Tuesday,recognizing her long-time work for policiesbenefiting childrenthrough high-qualityearly childhood care

    and education.The commissions 75 members are

    top business leaders appointed by the

    governor to increasebusiness,civicandpublic awareness of the importance ofearly childhood education.

    Mundy shared the award with stateSen. Pat Browne, R-Northampton, herco-chairman of the legislative EarlyChildhood Education Caucus.

    WILKES-BARRE

    Crenshaw set for FiestaPop singer Marshall Crenshaw has

    been announced as a concertperformerfor the Fine Arts Fiesta this year.

    The festival will be held Thursdaythrough Sunday, May 16-19 on PublicSquare in Wilkes-Barre. Crenshaw, whohad a string of successful recordingsin the 1980s and 90s, is scheduled toperform on Sunday, May 19. The timeof the concert hasnt been announced.

    There will be no admission charged forthe concert.

    I N B R I E F

    Samantha Zink, Mac Lord

    WILKES-BARRE Wantto be a school district superin-tendent? Theres an opening,though the requirements are abit rigid.

    Want to influence the selec-tion of the next Wilkes-BarreArea School District superinten-dent? Interested parties mightsoon get the chance to becomethe swing vote on a frequentlydivided school board, and theprimary qualification is residen-cy in the district.

    The intersection of the twovacancies is ripe with historyof the current, frequently frac-tured board. When the SchoolBoard launched a superinten-dent search last year after JeffNamey announced his retire-ment, Maryanne Toole wasboard president with a thinningmajority as she pushed for an

    outside search done with as-sistance from the PennsylvaniaSchool Boards Association.

    Toole lost that majority in No-vember when board memberRobert Corcoran who hadopenly lobbied to have his wife,already working in the districton a part-time basis, promoted joined four other membersto make in-house candidate Ber-nard Prevuznak superintendent.

    Toole contended the search

    process hadnot been com-pleted. Corco-ran counteredthat a vote hadbeen needless-ly delayed andPrevuznak wasthe best choice.A month laterat the annualr e o r g a n i z a -tion meet-

    ing, Corcoranhelped electJohn Quinnpresident over

    Toole.The politi-

    cal plot took a sharp turn whenCorcoran accepted a job in Ger-many and moved there beforethe January monthly meeting.He returned at the Februarymeeting, participating and vot-ing via a Skype Internet connec-tion and a laptop computer.

    Toole and two others left themeeting in protest, question-ing the legality of Corcoran

    voting after he admitted he nolonger had a physical residence

    in the district. Board memberChristine Katsock brought thequestion to the Luzerne CountyDistrict Attorneys Office, whichagreed to investigate.

    But Corcoran opted not toparticipate in theMarchor Aprilmeetings, triggering a section ofthe state school code that al-lows the board to oust a mem-ber who misses two consecutive

    Dual vacanciesat W-B Area?

    Corcoran

    Prevuznak

    Board might be seeking

    superintendent and new

    school director at same time.

    ByMARKGUYDISH

    [email protected]

    A New York man has pur-chased an abandoned Wilkes-Barre factory that was stuckin a pool of Luzerne Countyproperties that didnt sell inpast back-tax auctions.

    The property at 447 NewGrove St. includes the factoryin Wilkes-Barre and an adja-cent 3.21-acre lot in Hanover

    Township.The prior owner, 447 New

    Grove Street LLC, had paid$500,000 in 2008 for the prop-erty, which is assessed at acombined $717,800. However,city officials say that companynever carried through withproperty renovations.

    Alex Zbinovsky, who pur-chased the New Grove Streetproperty through his compa-nies Future Horizons-PALtd. and Future Horizons-Ha-nover Ltd. paid $500 each,or a total $1,000.

    County officials have beenpushing for sales becausethe tax claim repository hasamassed an inventory of 750properties significantly

    more than all other similarly-sized counties in the state.New ownership returns theproperties to the tax rolls andeliminates the countys semi-liability.

    Zbinovsky, of Nanuet, N.Y.,said he will be reaching out toneighbors to discuss proposedreuse of the factory site.

    Neighbors objected in 2006when Volunteers of Americaproposed demolishing the fac-tory to build an independentlivingfacility foryoungadults.

    Zbinovsky said Future Ho-

    rizons is a very community

    New owner of old Wilkes-Barre factory seeking local input

    CLARK VAN ORDEN/THE TIMES LEADER

    The new property owner of 447 New Grove St. said he iskeeping his options open for the buildings new purpose,though he will consult with nearby residents.

    New York man wants to

    hear ideas for New Grove

    Street structure.

    By JENNIFERLEARN-ANDES

    [email protected]

    KINGSTON LongtimeWyoming Valley West custodianRobert Lushefski could face dis-ciplinary action including los-inghis job at tonightsmonthlySchool Board meeting.

    Lushefski pleaded guilty April1 to summary charges that hedumped personal garbage into adistrict Dumpster without per-mission.

    The big decision for the boardmay be whether the guilty pleastrips Lushefski of any right tocontractual benefits such as accu-mulated sick time.

    Lushefski, 53, was cited inMarch with two counts of diver-sion of services. According tothe citations issue by Larksvillepolice, Lushefski put personal

    garbage in a Dumpster located atState Street Elementary on Feb.19 and Feb. 25 without districtpermission.

    Lushefski, of Plymouth, plead-ed guilty to both charges on April1 before District Judge DavidBarilla, according to court docu-ments. District SuperintendentChuck Suppon said Lushefski

    was suspended without pay priorto theplea.

    Supponsaid theboard also con-ducted a Loudermill Hearing

    part of state-mandated due pro-cess for a government employeeprior to removing or otherwiseimpacting employee rights. Sup-pon couldnt recall thedateof thehearing.

    An attempt to reach boardPresident Gordon Dussinger on

    Tuesdayfailed, butVicePresidentJoe Mazur said that, while ac-tion on Lushefskis employmentstatus was not on the meetingagenda he had seen, he expected

    WVW custodian facesfiring after guilty pleaRobert Lushefski admitted

    to putting personal trash in a

    school district Dumpster.

    ByMARKGUYDISH

    [email protected]

    See PLEA, Page 7A

    See SCHOOL, Page 7A

    Cartwright to openoffice at Penn Place

    PETE WILCOX/THE TIMES LEADER

    During May, U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright might open a district office in the Penn Placebuilding in downtown Wilkes-Barre to provide constituent services.

    WILKES-BARRE When he won elec-tion to Congress in the fall, U.S. Rep. MattCartwright promised to open four officesthroughout the 17th District. Three of

    the four locations he promised already areoperating, and the fourth soon will be indowntown Wilkes-Barre.

    Luzerne County Manager Robert Law-ton saidthe county approachedCartwrightabout leasing space in Penn Place, on EastMarket Street across from Genettis, andhes pleased the offer has been accepted.

    County Council will vote on the leaseagreement at its April 23 meeting, Lawtonsaid. The plan is for Cartwright to movenext month into the second-floor, three-room suite thats now occupied by thecounty coroner. The coroner will move toanother office on the same floor, countyEngineer Joe Gibbons said.

    Gibbons said the 920-square-foot spacewill be leased for $1,227 per month anamount thats standard with congressional

    district office space and the two-yearlease will start May 1.

    Making money is nice, Lawton said.But the most important thing is that Rep.Cartwrights office is in downtown Wilkes-Barre and co-located with county govern-ment.

    Cartwright, D-Moosic, previously an-nounced plans to or has opened districtoffices in Scranton, Easton and Pottsville,as he pledged he would after he defeatedRepublican Laureen Cummings in the No-

    vember election. He also promised a Wil-kes-Barre location, but until now no move-ment was made publicly on opening an

    office in the largest coun-ty in his six-county dis-trict. The district servesall or portions of Monroe,Carbon, Lackawanna, Lu-zerne, Northampton andSchuylkill counties.

    The Scranton of-fice opened first; one inPottsville opened in late

    March. A permanent Easton office willopen in early May, but staff members havebeen working out of an office on the ninthfloor of Eastons City Hall since February.

    Matt is excited that we have reachedan agreement in principle concerning our

    Wilkes-Barre district office, said ShaneSeaver, Cartwrights spokesman. Rep.Cartwrights top priority as congressmanisto provide the highest quality constituentservices possible. Our staff understandsand appreciates the needs of the 17th Con-gressional District, and will be superb rep-resentatives for its constituents. We cannotguarantee outcomes, but we can guaranteethat people will be treated with the dignity

    and respect and the timely service they de-serve.

    The office, which likely will be staffedby two people, will focus primarily on eco-nomic development and constituent advo-cacy regarding issues with Social Security,Medicare, the IRS, veterans benefits andother federal programs, Seaver said.

    The Wilkes-Barre area has been withouta congressional office this year. U.S. Rep.Lou Barletta had an office in Plains Town-ship, on Route 315, but it closed whenredistricting took effect this year, and his11th Congressional District shifted to onlythe southern part of Luzerne County.

    ByANDREWM. SEDER

    [email protected]

    Cartwright

    See INPUT, Page 7A

    Byron

    Mundy

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    TIMES LEADER www.timesleader.com WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 2013N A T I O N & W O R L D PAGE 5A

    WASHINGTON

    Liberals protest Obama cutsLiberal lawmakers from both cham-

    bers of Congress and a coalition oflike-minded groups rallied outside the

    White House on Tuesday, voicing frus-tration at the Democratic presidentthey say has let them down by propos-ing cuts to Medicare and Social Secu-rity.

    Organizers frommore than15 groupsstacked nine file boxes in front of the

    White House that they said containedmore than 2 million signatures on peti-tions urging Obama to reverse courseon cuts included in the budget he willunveil today. Many of the groups, in-cluding the AFL-CIO and the NationalOrganization for Women, played an ac-tive role in fueling Obamas re-electionlast year.

    Rep. Mark Pocan, a freshman Demo-crat from Wisconsin, said cuts to theprogram are an affront to the nationsmoral promise. And Sen. Bernie Sand-ers, a Vermont independent allied with

    Democrats, offered a bleak warning toany lawmakers who support the mea-sure.

    If they vote to cut Social Security,they may not be returning to Washing-ton, Sanders told about 100 people

    who gathered with signs that read NoChained CPI and We earned our So-cial Security.

    HARRISBURG

    PSU case moves forwardThe criminal case can move forward

    against three Penn State administra-tors accused of covering up reportsthat Jerry Sandusky was behaving im-properly with children, a judge ruled

    Tuesday.Judge Barry Feudale denied an at-

    tempt to throw out the grand jury re-port backing up the accusations andruled against several other defense re-quests.

    Defendants Gary Schultz, Tim Cur-ley and Graham Spanier are charged

    with perjury, obstruction, endanger-ing the welfare of children, failure toproperly report suspected abuse andconspiracy.

    The three had sought to exclude thetestimony of Penn States former gen-eral counsel, Cynthia Baldwin, basedon her actions as she accompanied themen to grand jury appearances in Har-risburg in early 2011.

    VELIKA IVANCA, SERBIA

    13 dead in village shootingsHe allegedly went from house to

    house in the village at dawn, cold-bloodedly gunning down his mother,his son, a 2-year-old cousin and 10 oth-er neighbors. Terrified residents saidif a police patrol car hadnt shown up,they all would have been dead.

    Police said they knew of no motiveyet in the carnage Tuesday that left sixmen,six women and a child deadin Ve-lika Ivanca, a Serbian village 30 milessoutheast of Belgrade.

    After the rampage, police said sus-pect Ljubisa Bogdanovic, a 60-year-old

    who saw action in one of the bloodi-est sieges of the Balkan wars, turned

    his gun on himself and his wife as au-thorities closed in. Both were in gravecondition at a hospital in the Serbiancapital.

    I N B R I E F

    AP PHOTO

    A string of arrests in the last few months has brought unwelcome attention to the growing number of people, mostlypoor immigrants, who make a living by donning character outfits, roaming Times Square and charging tourists a fewdollars to pose with them in photos.

    AP PHOTO

    At least 14 stabbed at Texas collegeLife Flight personnel rush a victimwounded in a stabbing attack Tuesdayon the Lone Star community collegesystems Cypress, Texas campus intoMemorial Hermann Hospital Tuesdayin Houston.A student went on a building-to-build-ing stabbing attack there, wounding atleast 14 people before being subduedand arrested, authorities said. Theattack began at about 11:20 a.m. andsent at least 12 people to area hospi-tals, including four people taken by he-licopter, according to Cy-Fair VolunteerFire Department spokesman RobertRasa. He said several people refusedtreatment at the scene and all thewounds were consistent with stabbing.The attack came three months aftera different Lone Star campus was thesite of a shooting in which two peoplewere hurt. The suspected gunman inthat incident is charged with aggra-vated assault.

    PHOENIX There was a time

    when Karina Galiciawould change the

    subject when her friends brought upimmigration. She constantly worried

    that she would be arrested if anyone

    found out she was living in the U.S. il-

    legally.

    But after years of hiding it, she de-

    cided last year that telling her story

    would do more good than harm. She

    began attending immigration reform

    rallies, wore T-shirts with slogans de-manding more rights for immigrantsand largely got over her fear of beingdeported.

    You just start to believe enough isenough. If you dont expose yourself,things are never going to change, saidGalicia, 23, who was brought from

    Mexico to Phoenix when she was 7.Across the country many who once

    were afraid to reveal their unlawfulstatus are trying to shape the nationalimmigration reform debate by sharingtheir stories, protesting and lobbying.

    The growing influence of Hispanicvoters especially in last years elec-tion has added to the momentum.

    These are youth that were educat-

    ed in the American education systemfor the most part. Now they are doing

    what we teach people to do in Amer-ica stand up for your rights, saidKevin Johnson, a civil rights professorat the University of California, Davis.

    The marches and rallies stand instark contrast to the anti-illegal im-

    migration movement, which generallytriesto swaypoliticiansthroughphonecalls or letter-writing campaigns. Ac-tivists say they arent worried thatlawmakers or voters will be influencedby the emotional message from thosein the country illegally.

    Immigration reform critics argueextending legal rights to immigrantsliving illegally in the U.S. will prompt

    new waves of illegal immigration, cre-ate financial problems for cash-starved

    governments as low-income and un-dereducated immigrants become eli-

    gible for social benefits and increase

    job competition in a tough economy.Immigration reform is in the eye

    of the beholder. What they are reallypushing for is amnesty of some form,

    saidIra Mehlman, a spokesman fortheconservative Federation for American

    Immigration Reform in Washington,D.C. It might go over well with sup-

    porters, but its not going to necessar-

    ily influence people or members ofCongress who are opposed or even on

    the fence.

    PYONGYANG, North Korea

    Scores of North Koreans ofall ages planted trees as part ofa forestation campaign armed

    with shovels, not guns. In theevening, women in traditionaldress danced in the plazas tocelebrate the 20th anniversary ofthe late leader Kim Jong Ils ap-pointment to a key defense post.

    Despite another round ofwarnings from their leaders ofimpending nuclear war, there

    was no sense of panic in the capi-tal on Tuesday.

    Chu Kang Jin, a Pyongyangresident, said everything is calmin the city.

    Everyone, including me, isdetermined to turn out as one to

    fight for national reunification if the enemies spark a war, headded, using nationalist rheto-ric common among many NorthKoreans when speaking to themedia.

    The Norths latest warning,issued by its Asia-Pacific PeaceCommittee, urged foreign com-panies and tourists to leaveSouth Korea.

    The situation on the KoreanPeninsula is inching close to athermonuclear war due to theevermore undisguised hostileactions of the United States andthe South Korean puppet war-mongers and their moves for a

    war against North Korea, the

    committee said in a statementcarried by state media on Tues-day.

    There was no sign of an exo-dusof foreigncompaniesor tour-ists from South Korea.

    White House spokesman JayCarney called the statementmore unhelpful rhetoric.

    It is unhelpful, it is concern-ing, it is provocative, he said.

    The warning appeared to be anattempt to scare foreigners intopressing their governments topressure Washington and Seoulto act to avert a conflict.

    Analysts see a direct attackon Seoul as extremely unlikely,and there are no overt signs that

    North Koreas army is readyingfor war, let alone a nuclear one.North Korea has been girding

    for a showdown with the U.S.and South Korea, its wartimefoes, for months. The Korean

    War ended in 1953 with an armi-stice, not a peace treaty, leavingthe peninsula still technically at

    war.In December, North Korea

    launched a satellite into spaceon a rocket that Washington andothers called a cover for a long-range missile test. The North fol-lowed that with an undergroundnuclear test in February, a steptoward mastering the technolo-gy for mounting an atomic bomb

    on a missile.Tightened U.N. sanctions thatfollowed drew the ire of NorthKorea.

    Escalating rhetoric continues

    even as observers see no

    imminent signs of war.

    ByJEANH. LEE

    Associated Press

    N. Korea

    urgesforeignerstogetout

    Immigrants play more vocal role in debateMany inthe country illegallyare now

    speaking out on issue of reform.

    By CRISTINA SILVA

    Associated Press

    NEW YORK CookieMonster stands accused ofshoving a 2-year-old. SuperMario was charged withgroping a woman. And Elmo

    was booked for beratingtourists with anti-Semiticslurs.

    Times Square is crawl-ing with entrepreneurs whodress up as pop-culture char-acters and try to make a fewbucks posing forphotoswith

    visitors to the big city. Butsome of these characters areunlike anything youve seenon SesameStreet or at Dis-ney World.

    They smoke, they use foullanguage, and they can be

    aggressive. At least three ofthem have been arrested in

    the past seven months.He was using words that

    were really bad, said Par-mita Kurada of Stamford,Conn., who told police shegot into a dispute this week

    with a man in a Cookie Mon-ster costume who demand-ed $2 for posing with her2-year-old son, Samay.

    Kurada said that whenshe told the Cookie Monsterthat her husband needed toget cash, the shaggy bluecreature pushed the boy andbegan calling her and thechild obscene names.

    It was very scary for us,and I was crying. I didnt

    want to provoke him, soI said, Well give you themoney, but stop yelling! she said.

    Osvaldo Quiroz-Lopez,33, was charged with assaultand child endangerment.

    In the wake of the latestarrest, the bustling Cross-

    roads of the World wasfilled Tuesday with perform-ers, including multiple ver-sions of Mickey and MinnieMouse, Hello Kitty, a Trans-former robot, Lady Liberty,Super Mario and Elmo.

    Many of them are immi-grants trying to eke out aliving in what appear to beknockoff costumes.

    As street performers pro-tected by the First Amend-ment, they are free to roam

    Times Square and work fortips that average between$2 and $5 a photo as longas they dont block traffic,sell merchandise or demand

    payment, police say. Thatsa ticketable offense that cancost about $60.

    Police spokesman PaulBrowne said in an emailthat the department has hadoccasional issues with the

    faux paws in Times Square,but theyre nominal.

    The case against the Su-per Mario charged withgroping is still pending. TheElmo accused of an anti-Semitic rant pleaded guiltyin September to disorderlyconduct and was sentencedto two days of communityservice.

    City Council SpeakerChristine Quinn called theCookie Monster case justhorrible and said lawmak-ers have been looking intohow to regulate the charac-ters. But she noted the issueis, well, fuzzy.

    Its very challenging le-

    gally because dressing upin a costume and walkingaround Times Square is, webelieve, a First Amendment-protected activity, saidQuinn, a candidate to beNew Yorks next mayor.

    WASHINGTON Tex-ting by the pilot of a medicalhelicopter contributed to acrash that killed four people,federal accident investiga-tors declared Tuesday, andthey approved a safety alertcautioning all pilots againstusing cellphones or otherdistracting devices duringcritical operations.

    It was the first fatal com-mercial aircraft accident in-

    vestigated by the NationalTransportation Safety Boardin which texting has beenimplicated. And it under-scored the boards worriesthat distractions from elec-tronic devices are a growing

    factor in incidents across allmodes of transportation planes, trains, cars, trucksand even ships.

    The five-member boardunanimously agreed that thehelicopter crash was causedby a distracted and tired pi-lot who skipped preflightsafety checks, which wouldhave revealed his helicopter

    was low on fuel, and then,after he discovered his situ-ation, decided to proceed

    with the fatal last leg of theflight.

    The case juxtaposesold issues of pilot decisionmaking with a 21st centurytwist: distractions from por-table electronic devices,said board Chairman Debo-rah Hersman.

    The helicopter ran out offuel, crashing into a farm

    field in clear weather earlyon the evening of Aug. 26,2011, near Mosby, Mo., alittle over a mile short of an

    airport. The pilot was killed,

    along with a patient beingtaken from one hospital toanother, a flight nurse and a

    flight paramedic.One board member, Earl

    Weener, dissented on the

    safety alert decision, say-ing the cases cited as thebasis for it including the

    medical helicopter accident were the result of bad

    decisions by pilots without a

    direct connection to the use

    of distracting devices.Other board members

    disagreed. We see this as

    a problem that is emerging,and on that basis, lets try toget ahead of it, said board

    member Chris Hart.The pilot, James Freuden-

    berg, 34, of Rapid City, S.D.,

    sent 25 text messages andreceived 60 more during the

    course of his 12-hour shift.

    NTSB:Pilotstextingcontributedtocoptercrash

    Characters who pose for

    money sometimes shockTimes Square visitors.

    Board concerned that

    distractions from

    e-devices are growing

    factor in incidents.

    ByVERENADOBNIK

    Associated Press

    By JOAN LOWYAssociated Press

    AP PHOTO

    An emergency medical helicopter pilot might have beendistracted by text messages when he failed to refuel hishelicopter and misjudged how far he could fly.

    Cookie monstrous behavior in NYC

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    WILKES-BARRE A Shaver-town man charged with settingfire to a gazebo on Lake Louise inFranklin Township pleaded guiltyMonday to a related charge.

    Stephen David Getz, 26, with alast known address of Hillcrest Av-enue, pleaded guilty to a charge ofcriminal mischief.

    Additional charges of arson,criminal conspiracy and criminalmischief were withdrawn. JudgeFred Pierantoni said Getz will besentenced on the misdemeanorcharge on June 26.

    According to court papers, inOctober 2008, police were calledtoinvestigate a fire ata woodgaze-bo along the shore of Lake Louise.

    The owner, Shep Pawling, said thefire was discovered by his daugh-ter the day before. Police later de-terminedthe firewas intentionallyset.

    A juvenile later admitted to po-lice in May 2010 he and Getz stolea motorcycle that they threw inthelake andthat Getz then starteda fire at the gazebo.

    WILKES-BARRE A Moun-tain Top woman charged withtaking more than $20,000 from aMount Pleasant business after fail-ing to provide cleaning servicespleadedguilty Mondayto a relatedcharge and was sentenced to three

    years probation.Kathleen R. Benner, 54, of Yea-

    ger Road, entered the plea to acharge of theft by deception. Ben-nerwas ordered tohave no contact

    with Baker Hughes Corp. and topay $28,645 in restitution which

    must be paid in full within threeyears.

    According to court papers, onMay 31, 2012, representatives ofBaker Hughes reported they ter-minated the services of Benner,operating as a professionalcleaner.

    The representative said Bennerfound a loophole in their systemand was able to bill the companyfrom January 2011 to April 2012for services she did not perform.

    WILKES-BARRE A HanoverTownship man who police say wasdriving over the speed limit andhauling 960 pounds of concrete

    mix when he crashed head-on intoanother vehicle, killing an elderlycouple, has waived his right to aformal arraignment.

    Kevin Allen, 36, of MartinStreet, waived the arraignment inLuzerne County Court on Friday,entering a plea of not guilty to twochargesof homicide by vehicleandrelated driving offenses. He next

    will be scheduled to appear beforea county judge for a pre-trial hear-ing.

    Police allege Allen was travel-ing 73 mph in a 45-mph zone on

    the Sans Souci Parkway on Aug.4, 2011, when he veered into on-coming traffic and slammed into a2006 Chevrolet Impala, operatedby Edward Skwirut, 89.

    Police initially s aid Allen wastraveling 67 mph at the time of thecrash. Skwirut, and his wife, Doro-thy, 86, died at the hospital of mul-tiple traumatic injuries, accordingto the Luzerne County CoronersOffice.

    Allen was driving a 2002 Chev-rolet Xtreme truck transporting adozen 80-pound bags of concretemix at the time of the crash, ac-cording to the criminal complaint.

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    TIMES LEADER www.timesleader.comWEDnESDAy, ApRIL 10, 2013 O B I T U A R I E SpAGE 8A

    The Times Leader publishesfree obituaries, which have a27-line limit, and paid obituar-ies, which can run with a photo-graph. A funeral home repre-sentative can call the obituarydesk at (570) 829-7224, send afax to (570) 829-5537 or e-mailto [email protected]. Ifyou fax or e-mail, please callto confirm. Obituaries must besubmitted by 9 p.m. Sundaythrough Thursday and 7:30 p.m.Friday and Saturday. Obituariesmust be sent by a funeral homeor crematory, or must namewho is handling arrangements,with address and phone num-ber. We discourage handwrittennotices; they incur a $15 typingfee.

    O B I T U A Ry p O L I C y

    CHOLLAK - Claire, Mass of Chris-tian Burial noon today in Gate ofHeaven Church, 40 Machell Ave.,Dallas.CIUFERRI - Florence, funeral 9:30a.m. Thursday at Victor M. FerriFuneral Home, 522 Fallon St., OldForge. Mass 10 a.m. in Prince ofPeace Parish, West Grace Street,Old Forge. Friends may call 5 to 8p.m. today.CRUZ - Luis, friends may call 6 to8 p.m. Friday at George A. StrishInc. Funeral Home, 105 N. Main St.,Ashley.DAVIS - Ann, celebration of life8:30 a.m. today at McLaughlins,142 S. Washington St., Wilkes-Barre.

    Funeral Mass 9:30 a.m. in theChurch of St. Mary of the Immacu-late Conception.EARLEY - James, funeral 9 a.m.today at H. Merritt Hughes FuneralHome Inc., 451 N. Main St., Wilkes-Barre. Funeral Mass 9:30 a.m. inHoly Saviour Church, a worshipsite of St. Andre Bessette Parish,Wilkes-Barre.HELFRICH - Lillian, Mass ofChristian Burial 10 a.m. today in St.Aloysius Church, Wilkes-Barre.HELLER - Theresa, funeral 9 a.m.Thursday at George A. Strish Inc.Funeral Home, 105 N. Main St.,Ashley. Mass of Christian Burial9:30 a.m. in St. Leos/Holy RosaryChurch. Friends may call 5 to 8p.m. today and 8 a.m. until servicesThursday.JUDGE - Dorothy, memorial Massand committal prayers 9:30 a.m.today in St. John the Evangelist

    Church, 35 William St., Pittston.Friends may call 9 a.m. until Mass.KARKUT - Helen, funeral 9:30a.m. Thursday at Lokuta-ZawackiFuneral Home, 200 Wyoming Ave.,

    Dupont. Mass of Christian Burial10 a.m. in Sacred Heart of JesusCemetery Chapel, Lackawanna andPine Streets, Dupont. Friends maycall 5 to 8 p.m. today.KELLER - Marion, viewing 2 to6 p.m. Thursday in The Chapel atMercy Center, Misericordia Univer-sity, Dallas Township. Funeral Mass11 a.m. Friday at St. Nicholas RomanCatholic Church, 226 S. WashingtonSt., Wilkes-Barre.KOZAK - Walter, funeral noontoday at Metcalfe-Shaver-KopczaFuneral Home Inc., 504 WyomingAve., Wyoming. Friends may call 10a.m. until services.MARX - Donald, funeral 11 a.m.

    today in Jackson Baptist Church,Derrs.MATTE - Andrew, divine liturgy 10a.m. today in St. Nicholas Byzan-tine Catholic Church, Swoyersville.Friends may call 8:30 to 9:30 a.m.at Kopicki Funeral Home, 263 Zer-bey Ave., Kingston.MIKLOSI - Betty, funeral 9:30 a.m.today at S.J. Grontkowski FuneralHome, 530 W. Main St., Plymouth.Services 10 a.m. in Ss. Clement& Peter Episcopal Church, WilkesBarre.REESE - Donna, funeral 10 a.m.today at Jendrzejewski FuneralHome, 21 N. Meade St., Wilkes-Barre.SKORDINSKI - Andrew, funeral9 a.m. Friday at Simon S. RussinFuneral Home, 136 Maffett St.,Plains Township, and at 9:30 a.m.in Holy Resurrection OrthodoxCathedral, 591 N. Main St., Wilkes-

    Barre. Friends may call 7 to 9 p.m.Thursday with Parastas at 7:30 p.m.SMITH - Donald, funeral 9:30 a.m.today at Lehman Family FuneralService Inc., 403 Berwick St., White

    Haven. Mass of Christian Burial 10a.m. in St. Patricks Church, WhiteHaven.STANCHAK - Samuel, funeral 9a.m. today at Wroblewski FuneralHome, Inc., 1442 Wyoming Ave.,Forty Fort. Requiem service 9:30a.m. in Saint John the Baptist Rus-sian Orthodox Church, 93 ZerbyAve., Edwardsville.STOLARICK - Robert Sr., remem-brance 1 p.m. today in EmmanuelAssembly of God Church, 239Church Road, Harveys Lake. Memo-rial 2 p.m.STOLARICK - Robert Jr., remem-brance 1 p.m. today in EmmanuelAssembly of God Church, 239

    Church Road, Harveys Lake. Memo-rial 2 p.m.WILLIAMS - Joseph, funeral 11:30a.m. today at Yeosock FuneralHome, 40 S. Main St., Plains Town-ship. Friends may call 11 a.m. untilservice.WILLIAMS - Robert Jr., funeral11:30 a.m. today at Yeosock FuneralHome, 40 S. Main St., Plains Town-ship. Friends may call 11 a.m. untilservice.

    FUNERALS

    LENORE ASTON, 92, for-merly of Wilkes-Barre, passedaway Friday, April 5, 2013, at theHospice Unit of Johnston-WillisHospital, Richmond, Va.

    A memorial service willbe announced from KniffenOMalley Funeral Home Inc., 465S. Main St., Wilkes-Barre.

    JAMES W. MONTANYE, 52,of south Scranton, died Saturdayevening, April 6, 2013, at home.Prior to his illness, he served asline chef for The Barrel Restau-rant in Moscow. A faithful Chris-tian, hewas activewith theSalva-tion Army. He is survived by hismother, Edie; sisters, Wendy andKelly; and brothers, Randy andKevin.

    Private arrangements areunder the care of the KearneyFuneral Home Inc., 125 N. MainAve., West Scranton. To leave acondolence, visit www.kearney-funeralhome.com.

    RHONDAANN (MCELWEE)ROBERTS, 46, Nanticoke, diedSaturday, April 6, 2013. Born in

    Wilkes-Barre on June 11, 1966,she was a daughter of the lateRonald L. and Sylvia M. CohickMcElwee. She was preceded indeath by her husband of 14 years,Gordon Roberts. Surviving aredaughter, Lynsey Roberts; sons,Justin, Phillip and Michael Hum-mel; grandchildren, Justin, Bri-anna, Weston; sisters, Sylvia Go-chaeur (Paul), Nancy Kishbaugh;brother, Christopher McElwee;

    numerous nieces and nephews;and her fiance, Jay Hess.Memorial service 4 p.m. Sat-

    urday at George A. Strish Inc.Funeral Home, 105 N. Main St.,Ashley. Interment at a later datein Maple Hill Cemetery, Hanover

    Township. Friends may call 2p.m. until service.

    THERESA M. NEARHOOF,54,of NewEgypt, N.J. andformer-ly of Wilkes-Barre, died Saturday,March 23, 2013, at Deborah Hos-pital in Browns Mills, N.J. The-resa worked at the Wawa Storeon Main Street in New Egypt formany years. She was preceded indeath by her father, Robert Hana-han. Surviving are her husbandof 29 years, John Nearhoof; sons,Jonathan Nearhoof, Hightstown,N.J., and Justin Nearhoof, NewEgypt. Also surviving are hermother, Mildred Hanahan; broth-ers, Ralph and Richard Hanahan;

    many aunts, uncles and cousins,all of Wilkes-Barre.

    Memorial service 9 a.m.Tuesday at Ss. Peter and PaulUkrainian Catholic Church, 635N. River St., Wilkes-Barre.

    Helen Emily MotykaApril 8, 2013

    Helen Emily Motyka, 92, former-ly of Larksville, died Monday,April 8, 2013, in Riverstreet Manor,

    Wilkes-Barre.She was born in Larksville,

    daughter of the late John and So-phia Trybulski Salek. She was alifelong resident and graduatedfrom Larksville High School. Sheretired from RCA Manufacturingin Mountain Top and was a mem-ber of St. John the Baptist Church,Larksville.

    Helen was preceded in death byher husband, Joseph Michael Moty-ka; and sisters, Emily, Stella, Maryand Frances.

    She is survived by her daughter,

    Suzanne Motyka, Mechanicsburg;son, Chris, and his wife, Cindy Mo-tyka, Downingtown; granddaugh-ter, Noel, and her husband, Robert

    Wright; grandsons, F.J. Kolenkie-wicz, Andrew Motyka and StephenMotyka; beloved niece, Violet Ras-movicz and her family; and nieces

    and nephews.Funeralwill be Friday at10 a.m.

    from the Kopicki Funeral Home,

    263 Zerbey Ave., Kingston, with aMass of Christian Burial at 10:30a.m. in St. John the Baptist Church.Interment will be in the St. JohnsCemetery, Dallas. Friends may callFriday from 9 a.m. until time of ser-

    vice at the funeral home.

    Eleanor Barbara FeliaApril 8, 2013

    Eleanor Barbara Felia, 62, ofKingston, passed away Mon-day, April 8, 2013, at her home

    with her family by her side.Shewasborn inKingston,daugh-

    ter of the late Ronald and ElizabethBelcher. Barb was formerly em-ployed by Mohegan Sun Casino,Plains Township, and had been anAvon representative for more than30 years. She was a member of St.Ignatius Church, Kingston.

    She was preceded in death byher granddaughter, Jessyca.

    Barb is survived by her husband,Robert Felia; her children, RobertJr., Ronald and Christine, all ofKingston; grandchildren, Robbie,Kayla and Jackie; two great-grand-children; andsisters, Rita,Luzerne,and Lorraine, Wilkes-Barre.

    Funeral will be Saturday at9 a.m. from the Kopicki FuneralHome, 263 Zerbey Ave., Kingston,

    with a Mass of Christian Burial at9:30 a.m. in St. Ignatius Church.Friends may call Friday from 5 to8 p.m.

    In lieu of flowers, the family asksthat memorial contributions bemade to the Four Diamonds Fundat Penn State Hershey ChildrensHospital.

    Sharon BushelliApril 8, 2013

    Sharon Bushelli, 52, of Voorhees,N.J., peacefully went home to bewith the Lord on April 8, 2013.

    She was the devoted wife ofScott Bushelli, loving daughter ofRaymond and Clara, mother to Ja-mie, stepmother to Daniel and Ker-ri, and grandmother to eight grand-children and one great-grandchild.

    Sharon was a member of the St.Thomas More Parish. She was em-ployed at the University of Medi-

    cine and Dentistry, where she hadmany close friends who prayed and

    walked with her on this journey.She was on active duty in the

    U.S. Marine Corps for seven years,leaving the service as a captain ofMarines.

    Sharon traveled extensively withher travel buddies and did all man-ner of adventures to expand herknowledge of the world and its dif-ferent cultures and people.

    Sharon lived her life by onemotto: If its worth doing its

    worth over doing. She would notwant anyone to grieve her passing.She was full of life on each day we

    were blessed with her presence,and it was an honor to call her wife,mother and best friend. No words

    can express the extent to which shewill be missed.

    There will be a viewingfrom 6 to 9 p.m. on Fridayand 10 to 11 a.m. on Satur-day at the Bradley Funeral

    Home, Rt. 73 and Evesham Road,Marlton, N.J. A funeral service willbe held at 11 a.m. on Saturday atthe funeral home. Interment will beprivate.

    In lieu of flowers, please send do-nations to any organization whichsupports the early detection, treat-ment and search for a cure of triple-negative breast cancer.

    ANGELO J. BUFALINO, 82,of Pittston, passed away Tuesdayin Geisinger Wyoming ValleyMedical Center, Plains Town-ship, surrounded by his family.

    Funeral arrangements arepending and will be announcedby the Peter J. Adonizio FuneralHome, 251 William St., Pittston.

    The complete obituary will ap-pear in Thursdays edition.

    Charles W. OlsonApril 8, 2013

    Charles W. Olson, 65, of Noxenand formerly of Bear Creekand the Hudson section of Plains

    Township, died Monday, April 8,2013, at his home.

    Born in Wilkes-Barre on May11, 1947, Charles was the son ofthe late William and Anna DrustOlson and attended the Wilkes-Barre schools. He was formerlyemployed at JG Bedwick ScrapYard, Nationwide Tire, Interna-

    tional Color Printing Co. andBridon American. He retired fromMideast Aluminum, Mountain

    Top.Charles was an avid hunter

    and enjoyed a good day of fish-ing, whether fresh water or oceanfishing. He was the family prank-ster, always tricking the easiestand most gullible target. He was

    well known for his Fourth ofJuly parties and always had thebiggest fireworks display. A jack-of-all-trades, he was a very bigfamily man who loved all of hisfamily and friends. He would doanything for anyone. Prior to hisillness he was a member of Hud-son Primitive Methodist Church.

    In addition to his parents, hewas preceded in death by his sis-ters, Charlotte Olson, Albina Ve-

    licky and Margaret (Maggie) Dix-on; and brother, Andrew Olson.Surviving are his wife of 44

    years, Linda Searfoss Olson;daughter, Kimberly Appenzeller,Florida; sons, Charles WilliamOlson, Noxen, and David MartinOlson and his wife, Ruth, Noxen;grandchildren, Shayna and herhusband, Mike Umble, Lancaster,Klarissa, Deseray, Hallie, Jacob,Steven, Josh and Brandon, all

    of Florida, Tammy Appenzeller,very special daughter, Florida,and Alyssa Michelle and JeremyChristopher, both of Noxen; great-grandchildren, Cody Michael andCasey Lee Umble, Lancaster;brothers, William Olson and his

    wife, Pauline, Hudson, John Ol-son and his wife, Cathy, Wilkes-Barre, and Joseph Olson and his

    wife, Pat, Wilkes-Barre; sisters,Ann Marie Olson and Marion Os-topick and her husband, Eugene,Parsons; sisters-in-law, NancyBozek, Hanover, Pat Kyle, Ha-nover, and Venus Searfoss, Wil-kes-Barre; and many nieces andnephews, to whom he was theirfavorite uncle.

    Relatives and friends maycall Friday from 6 to 9 p.m. at theE. Blake Collins Funeral Home,159 George Ave., Wilkes-Barre.Services will be conducted at 8p.m. by the Rev. K. Gene Carroll,Ph.D. Private interment will be inMemorial Shrine Cemetery, Car-

    verton.Condolences can be sent to the

    family at www.eblakecollins.com.

    Walter F. HaczewskiApril 8, 2013

    Walter F. Haczewski, 86, ofPlains Township, passedaway Monday morning at theHomewood at Plum Creek Nurs-ing Home, Hanover, Pa., where hehad recently been a resident.

    Born in Wilkes-Barre, he wasa son of the late John and Sadie(Friday) Haczewski.

    Walter was a graduate of PlainsMemorial High School, Class of1944, and was a U.S. Navy veteranof WorldWarII, attainingthe rankof radioman, third class. Upon hisdischarge from the service at theend of World War II, Walter en-rolled at Wilkes College, Wilkes-Barre, graduating in 1950 witha bachelor of science degree inaccounting. He was employed byRoth Novelty Co. of Wilkes-Barreas an accountant and companymanager.

    Walter was a devoted Catho-lic and was a lifelong memberof Sacred Heart Church, Plains

    Township, until its merger withSs. Peter & Paul Church in 2010.At Sacred Heart Church, he was aEucharistic minister and a senioracolyte. He was a member of thePlains American Legion, JosephE. Conlon, Post 558 for 63 yearsand the AARP.

    Walter also took great pridein his gardening skills. His homeand yard on North Main Street

    was always beautiful to the eyeand well-manicured. He and his

    wife, Josephine, loved to go ontheir Polka Excursions for daysat a time.

    He was preceded in death byhis brother, John Haczewski;sisters, Sophie Baltusavich, Flor-ence Flossy Haczewski, StellaShatowskas and Theresa Eveland.

    Surviving are his wife of 62

    years, the former JosephineA. Ferrara; sons, John Hacze-

    wski and his wife, Mary Jo, Lit-tlestown, Pa., Frank Haczewskiand his wife, Suzanne, Kalispell,Mont., Joseph Haczewski andhis wife, Donna, Gettysburg, and

    Walter Haczewski and his wife,Janet, Oxford, Pa.; 10 grandchil-dren; two great-grandchildren;brother, Joseph Haczewski, Plains

    Township; sister, Josephine Ma-

    hal, Levittown; and several niecesand nephews.

    Funeral services forWalter will be held Thurs-day at 9 a.m. from theCorcoran Funeral Home

    Inc., 20 S. Main St., Plains Town-ship, with a Mass of ChristianBurial at 9:30 a.m. in Ss. Peter &Paul Church, 13 Hudson Road,Plains Township. Interment withmilitary honors by the PlainsAmerican Legion funeral detail

    will be held in Sacred Heart Cem-etery, Plains Township. Friendsmay call today from 6 to 8 p.m. atthe funeral home.

    Donations in Walters memorymay be made to the AlzheimersAssociation, 57 N. Franklin St.,

    Wilkes-Barre, PA 18701-1309.Online condolences may be

    made at www.corcoranfuneral-home.com.

    MORE OBITUARIES, Pages 2A, 9A

    ARTHUR F. GROGAN, 46,of Duryea, died Tuesday, April9, 2013. He was born Feb. 21,1967 in Scranton, son of Faith

    Grogan of Clarks Summit andthe late Arthur J. Grogan. Sur-

    viving are his wife, Jill DeCandisGrogan; children, Riley M. andArthur Phillip; brother, FrankGrogan (Gloria), Clarks Sum-mit; sisters, Elizabeth Woodruff(Scott), Moosic, Kimberly Hahn,Clarks Summit; grandmother-in-law, Norma Duddeck, Old Forge;mother- and father-in-law, Caroleand Phillip DeCandis, Old Forge;sister-in-law, Renee Kowalski(Ed), Norristown; many aunts,uncles, nieces, nephews; and twogreat-nieces.

    Funeral services 1 p.m .Friday at St. Peters Luther-an Church, 100 Rock St.,Hughestown. Friends may call 10a.m. until services. Visit www.ke-arneyfuneralhome.com for more

    information.

    John Stephen TomkoMarch 29, 2013

    John Stephen Tomko, 93, diedMarch 29, 2013.Born on November 29, 1919, in

    Czechoslovakia, John was a son ofthe late Stephen and Anna Fabian

    Tomko. A 1937 graduate of Nan-ticoke High School, Nanticoke,he enlisted in the U.S. Navy andserved during World War II on thelight cruiser U.S.S. Nashville from1940 until 1946. He was awardedthe Bronze Star medal with com-bat V for distinguished service ina combat zone. John retired fromthe U.S. Navy in 1960 as a chief

    petty officer.Johns federal government ca-

    reer, specializing in education, ledhim to S an Diego, where he retiredin 1980 after 20 years of service.Along the way he received a mas-ters degree in education.

    John is survived by hiswife of 67 years, Anne (Bu-nor) Tomko, San Diego;son, Lt. Col. John S. Tom-

    ko Jr., U.S. Army (retired), Alexan-dria, Va.; daughter, Sallie Morgan,Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.; broth-ers, Ambrose Tomko, Nanticoke,and Joseph Tomko, Neshanic, N.J.;sisters, Theresa Kubasek, Wilm-

    ington, Del., and Agnes Haidacker,Avenal, N.J.

    Anna Marie AmendolaApril 9, 2013

    Anna Marie Amendola, 78, ofLiberty Hills, Hanover Town-ship, passed away on Tuesday,April 9, 2013, at her home.

    She was born in Hanover Town-ship on July 30, 1934, a daughter ofthe late Joseph and Angela Damia-no Amendola. Annawas a graduateof Hanover Township High School,Class of 1952. Prior to her retire-ment, she was employed for many

    years as an administrator for theDepartment of the Navy in Wash-ington, D.C.

    She was preceded in death byher brother, Joseph F. Amendola;and sisters, Mary Moore, Marga-ret Amendola and Anna (Nanny)Amendola.

    Surviving are her brothers, An-

    thony and Dominic Amendola,Hanover Township; sisters, An-

    gela and Rita Amendola, HanoverTownship; nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, great-great-nieces and great-great-nephews.

    The family thanks Erwine HomeHealth and Hospice for their kindand compassionate care, especiallyChrissy, her aide.

    Funeral services will be heldon Friday morning at 11:30 a.m.from the Nat & Gawlas FuneralHome, 89 Park Ave., Wilkes-Barre.Deacon Francis Bradigan from St.Andrews Parish,Wilkes-Barre,willofficiate. Interment will be in St.Marys Cemetery, Hanover Town-ship. Friends may call on Fridayfrom 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the fu-neral home.

    Online condolences may be sent

    by visiting Anna Maries obituaryat www.natandgawlas.com.

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    Sue Ace TopferApril 3, 2013

    Sue Ace Topfer, 88, passed awayon April 3, 2013 in Allen, Texas.Prior to living at Heritage Housein Wilkes-Barre, she lived in Moun-tain Top for 41 years.

    She was born March 30, 1925to Dr. Percy H. Ace and DorothyRedheffer in Media, Pa. Sue earned

    a Bachelor of Science degree inchemistry from Ursinus Collegeand a Master of Science in libraryscience from Syracuse University.

    Her professional career includedlaboratory technician at AmericanViscose Corp. and library positionsat Luzerne County CommunityCollege and Wilkes University. Sheis a former member of the Ameri-can Library Association, the NorthAmerican Serials Interest Groupand was secretary of Wilkes Faculty

    Wives and Womens Club for six

    years.She was preceded in death by

    her husband, Alvin R. Topfer, onSept. 2, 2006, and by a son, KeithA. Topfer, on September 26, 1985.

    Sue is survived by her sisters,Dorothy A. Roberts, Lima, Pa., andElizabeth A. Gibson, Marcellus,

    N.Y.; children, Edward H. Topfer,Allen, DorothyS. Kimes, Redmond,Ore., and Kurt A. Topfer, Mountain

    Top; four grandchildren; and twogreat-granddaughters.

    Instead of a public memorialservice, Sue requested a privateservice at the convenience of thefamily. Also, she requested thatflowers and memorial contribu-tions be omitted. Rather, she wouldbe happy to know that she was re-membered as a loving wife, motherand grandmother.

    John Jack Atcavage Jr.April 8, 2013

    John Jack Atcavage Jr., ofKingston, passed away Mon-day, April 8, 2013, at the Wilkes-

    Barre General Hospital.Born in Wilkes Barre, a son ofDolores Donovitch and the lateJohn Atcavage, Jack was a gradu-ate of West Side Central CatholicHigh School, Kingston, Class of1972, and a graduate of KingsCollege, Class of 1976.

    Jack was very active in Scout-ing and attained the highest rankof Eagle Scout. He was also anavid Dallas Cowboys fan.

    Jack was the owner and opera-tor of Franks Quality Market inLuzerne. Prior to that, he starteda catering partnership with hislate father, John.

    Surviving, in addition to hismom, Dolores, are sisters, Mari-

    lyn Atcavage(John), Phoenixville,Pa., and Carolyn Kehrli, Glen-moore; brother, Richard Atcavage,

    Gwynedd Valley; nieces, KatelynAtcavage and Nicole Kehrli; neph-ews, Richard Atcavage and SeanAtcavage; and a very dear friend,Jennifer McLaughlin.

    Family and friends may callThursday from 6 to 8 p.m. at theLehman-Gregory Funeral HomeInc., 281 Chapel St., Swoyersville.A Mass of Christian Burial willbe held Friday at 10 a.m. at HolyFamily Parish, Bennett Street, Lu-zerne. Anyone attending is askedto go directly to the church. Inter-ment will be in St. Marys Annun-ciation Cemetery, Pringle.

    In lieu of flowers, donationscan be made to the Boy Scouts ofAmerica.

    Helen R. SwanApril 8, 2013

    HelenR. Swan, 100,of Idetown,passed away Monday, April 8,2013, at the Meadows NursingCenter, Dallas.

    Mrs. Swan was born in Dallason Jan. 1, 1913, and was a daugh-ter of the late Horace and Miran-da Rogers Spencer.

    Helen graduated from DallasTownship High School in 1931.She attended Noxen Bible BaptistChurch. She enjoyed quilting and

    flower gardening.In addition to her parents, shewas preceded in death by her hus-band, Preston, who passed awayin 1996; brothers, Harry, Russelland Ernest Spencer; and sisters,Ethel Shaver and Mabel White-sell.

    She is survived by her son,Kenneth D. Swan, and his wife,Elaine, Idetown; sister, Liva Har-ris, Dallas; grandchildren, ScottSwan and his wife, Mary Ellen,Rockaway, N.J., and David Swan,Dallas; and great-stepgr


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