ATLAS - Both sides in a dispute over the repair and usage of the former Savitski Brothers Coal Company met with Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) officials in Mount Carmel Township Tuesday and the tone was eerily similar to recent township meetings - plenty of complaints lodged by concerned citizens.

The purpose of the meeting, called by the state DEP, was to discuss two permits for which D. Molesevich and Sons Construction Company have applied in regards to the former Savitski Brothers site in Atlas and the Mustang Stripping Operations near Natalie. Township residents, including the Atlas project's most vocal critic, Joseph Chimel, were on hand for public comment.

The first permit addressed concerned the Mustang Stripping Operation. The company has applied for a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit to regulate wastewater at the stripping operations.

The permit allows for up to 100,000 gallons of wastewater to be contained at the site.

Officials from Susquehanna River Basin Commission were informed of the permit request.

Environmental attorney John W. Carroll, representing Chimel, asked DEP officials why the Susquehanna River Basin Commission was informed since the wastewater will stay on site and will not be discharged into nearby watersheds, including Roaring Creek.

Mining engineer Joseph S. Blyler, who is in the process of reviewing Molesevich's application, said it's standard procedure to inform the commission when a discharge permit is requested.

Carroll said Molesevich's application contains wrong information, to which Blyler said it's not uncommon for some applications to go through two or three revisions before being formally reviewed.

Atlas breaker

The second permit is a renewal and will allow Molesevich to continue coal refuse processing at the breaker in Atlas. It also addresses disposal of coal waste and wastewater. During the public comment portion, Carroll asked DEP officials several questions about the operation, including if the new operation allows for the processing of new material shipped in, as opposed to material already at the site, and if the permit allows for surface mining.

DEP's District Mining Manager Michael Menghini, who ran the meeting, said that if surface mining is to be included, the permit would require a major revision.

As the meeting continued, company owner Dennis Molesevich and staff members listened intently. Their attorney addressed several criticisms.

Chimel, who has been the most vocal critic against Molesevich's operation, asked DEP officials if residents' complaint are falling on deaf ears.

"We can say that there have been about 25 to 30 complaints about Mr. Molesevich's operation, and that inspectors are out once or twice a week, but no violations have been found," Menghini said.

Several people in favor of Molesevich's projects attended the meeting, including Joe Fiamoncini, who urged Atlas residents to be patient.

"The place we are sitting on was once a breaker, and I've always lived near a breaker," he said. "For the life of me, I don't remember my dad washing the house every week and there is better equipment at the breaker today. We all just need to have a little bit of common sense and remember that this gentleman is bringing jobs to our area and being an entrepreneur."

Another resident said, "I'm 80 years old and we've always washed the walls, but it's never been as bad as it is now and I'm sick and fed up with it."

'Limiting' hours

Carroll asked that the operation be limited to eight hours a day, five days a week. The permit allows the company to operate 25 hours a week, not including time spent fixing equipment. It does not limit what days work can occur at the site.

"With all the concerns about the dust and noise, maybe restrictions on hours of operations might alleviate some of the problems," Carroll said.

Menghini said Carroll's suggestion will be considered.

Molesevich's attorney asked DEP to also take under advisement that the company's hours are contingent upon customer needs.

Public comments on the applications will remain open for two weeks before they are reviewed again.

Top photo: Route 487 flooding in Paxinos. Others from left:

Row 1: Flooded car near Knoebels; cleanup in Shamokin's Fifth Ward; late-night rescue on Knoebels Parkway.

Row 2: Washout in Bloomsburg; flooding at the Idella Rebekah Lodge in Dornsife; the Susquehanna threatens Barry King bridge linking Northumberland-Shamokin Dam.

Row 3: Knoebels flooding; Red Cross relief in Shamokin; rescue in Trevorton.

Row 4: Evacuating in Bloomsburg; dawn over Shamokin Street that became Shamokin Creek; devastation in Bloomsburg; a few smiles in Shamokin's Fifth Ward.

Row 5: Washout along Route 487 between Elysburg and Catawissa; Rock Street in Shamokin; Rock Street in Shamokin.

Row 6: Mine discharge overflow near Shamokin; flood-ruined possessions in Shamokin; flash-flood devastation near Herndon.

(Photos taken between Sept. 7 and Sept. 16.)

Bloomsburg: Crest was 32.75 feet at 11:30 a.m. Friday, Sept. 9, establishing it as the "flood of record," breaking a mark of 32.70 set March 9, 1904.

Danville: Crest was 31.55 at noon Friday, Sept. 9, second all time to Agnes' 32.32 on June 24, 1972.

Harrisburg: Crest was 25.17 at 1 a.m. Friday, Sept. 9, fifth all time (record is 32.57 on June 24, 1972).

Lewisburg: Crest was 25.91 at 3:45 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 8, 11th all time (record is 34.23 on June 24, 1972).

Milton: Crest was 26.6 at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 8, 10th all time (record is 34.55 on June 24, 1972).

Sunbury: Crest was 31.66 at 9 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 8, second all time to Agnes' 35.8 on June 24, 1972.

Wilkes-Barre: Crest was 42.66 in the early morning hours of Friday, Sept. 9, establishing it as the "flood of record," breaking a mark of 40.91 feet set June 24, 1972.

Meshoppen: Crest was 44.48 at 5:15 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 8, establishing it as the "flood of record," breaking a mark of 43.51 feet set June 23, 1972.

Towanda: Crest was 30.52 at 11:45 a.m., Thursday, Sept. 8, second all time to Agnes' 33.43 on June 24, 1972.

Source: National Weather Service

In June 1972, the remnants of Hurricane Agnes stalled over central Pennsylvania, drenching a wide geographical area for days on end and, in the process, creating a potent flood the likes of which usually occur but once in a generation.

Those who are old enough to remember Agnes thought, or at least hoped, that it would never happen again in their lifetimes. Then in September 2011, remnants of Hurricane Lee stalled over the midstate, sending bands of torrential rain through a region that was already saturated from heavier-than-normal summer precipitation.

As streams rose higher and higher and as predictions became more dire about the eventual river crests at each town, the stark realization hit people all along the Susquehanna watershed, from Towanda to Harrisburg: Lee is our Agnes.

The 2011 scenes, as recorded in television footage and newspaper photographs, were strikingly similar to 1972: An endless mass of water covering fields and rampaging through houses; highways that became lakes; bridges that were covered and impassable; 100,000 Pennsylvanians ordered to evacuate. Words like "flood victims," "disaster centers" and "pumping details" became part of the daily conversation.

In some areas, the flood was record-breaking. Some locations along the river were fortunate to record a crest that was a bit below the 1972 mark; others, like Bloomsburg, surpassed historic records that had lasted for more than a century. Appearances were deceptive. A community, at first glance, could look unscathed, yet just two or three blocks away, a neighborhood might be a scene of utter desolation. The Susquehanna levee system, put in place just a decade or so ago, helped some areas that were decimated by Agnes, yet other communities without levees faced a grim fate.

For the most part, central Pennsylvania was better prepared for Lee than Agnes. Since we have been there before, emergency management officials and local responders were much better prepared. Those in authority and, for the most part, citizens, took flood warnings more seriously this time, and responded with common sense. The loss of property was tragic, but fortunately, there was no loss of life in the immediate area.

Before Agnes, coal region folks lived under the mistaken but comforting delusion that because we are not situated on the river, floods "just can't happen here." It was disturbing, but we were no longer surprised to be presented with images of flooding in Shamokin's Fifth Ward and reports of emergency rescues in Tharptown, Trevorton and near Elysburg.

As Lee did her worst, there were constant comparisons with Agnes. People in areas prone to flooding recalled what conditions were like there in June 1972, and compared that national disaster 39 years ago to the one they were now experiencing. It was as though we were experiencing history, and reliving it.

Those who witnessed Agnes firsthand were left with a deep respect for the havoc a rampaging small stream or rising river can cause. Those who experienced Lee will pray for the rest of their days that a disaster such as this will never afflict the region again.

In conjunction with the National Weather Service chart above, the agency reported these rainfall totals from Sunday evening, Sept. 4, through 7 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 8:

Northumberland County

Bear Gap: 12.04 inches

Sunbury: 11.82 inches

Schuylkill County

Pine Grove: 14.70

Pottsville: 9.44

Mahanoy City: 7.56

Snyder County

Selinsgrove: 9.26

Source: National Weather Service

- A "monster" storm, Hurricane Irene, sets her sights on the East Coast. Some rain, 40 mph winds predicted for central Pennsylvania.

- Irene batters the North Carolina coast, but the National Weather Service predicts Irene will shift to the east, lessening its effects in Northumberland County. Steve Reiner, acting public safety director, says, however, the county will take "all necessary precautions" to cope with heavy rainfall.

- National Weather Service confirms that although Northumberland County could receive substantial rainfall from Irene, the rain will not be as heavy as originally feared.

- Irene is responsible for four deaths in Pennsylvania, and many areas in the eastern part of the state experience significant flooding. Northumberland County, however, emerges relatively unscathed, except for some downed trees and power outages that affect about 520 people.

- Because of forecasted heavy rains from the remnants of Hurricane Lee, a flood watch is issued for 27 Pennsylvania counties, including Northumberland. Residents, especially those in low-lying areas, are advised to stay alert since there is a potential for more than 5 inches of rain in a 48-hour period.

- Creeks and small streams overflow their banks throughout Northumberland County, causing massive flooding. Rainfall in some places has already reached 10 inches.

- Rapidly rising water in Zerbe Run prompts evacuation of three Trevorton families and a water rescue.

- Roaring Creek pours out of its channel, inundating parts of Knoebels Amusement Resort.

- Emergency officials begin evacuation on portions of Rock Street in Shamokin.

- Small stream flooding and extensive runoff make many roads impassable throughout Northumberland County.

- The county issues declaration of disaster emergency. County government closes down due to flooding, and all non-essential workers are excused from reporting the following day.

- Schools close for the day or dismiss early, with most not reopening until the following week.

- In early morning hours, heavy downpours lead to water rescues in Tharptown and on the Knoebels Parkway.

- Shamokin Creek floods again in the city.

- Predictions of the eventual crest of the Susquehanna River cause growing alarm as the Flood of 2011 brings back memories of the 1972 Agnes flood.

- In addition to a rash of road closings, practically all major bridges in the region are closed, with the exception of the Veterans Memorial Bridge in Sunbury.

- Rescue crews knock on doors along Priestley Avenue in Northumberland to make sure residents are evacuating their homes.

- Geisinger Medical Center implements emergency protocols, making sure essential medical needs are met but limiting many of its non-emergency services.

- Seven large but mostly empty oil silos topple at the Duke Heating Oil property at Weigh Scales, apparently from water washing out their foundations.

- The level of flooding in Bloomsburg (32.75 feet) tops a 1904 record. The river's crest at Sunbury is at 31.66 feet, second only to Agnes. The water doesn't go over the flood wall at Sunbury.

- Bloomsburg University students are told to go home because of the severity of the flooding and related problems in the town of Bloomsburg.

- Flooding is extensive along the Rivershore neighborhood in Herndon.

- More than 100,000 people are evacuated from communities along the Susquehanna River because of major flooding.

- As cleanup continues in Shamokin, city officials urge flood-affected residents to carefully document their damages to ease the process when they apply for disaster aid.

- Work continues on cleaning up Knoebels Amusement Resort, which experienced extensive damage as a result of the flooding.

- A late-night thunderstorm produces torrential rain that causes Fiddler's Run to overflow its banks into at least a dozen homes in Mandata and another small group of homes along a nearby stretch of Route 147. People flee in a panic.

- Many roads remain closed as a result of the past week's flooding.

- Route 61 between the Cameron Bridge and Route 487 is reopened to traffic under a lane restriction.

- A home on North Third Street in Shamokin is condemned as a result of flood damage.

- An announcement is made on the planned opening of disaster relief centers in Shamokin, Sunbury, Herndon and Milton.

- U.S. Rep. Tom Marino visits local flooded areas, including Knoebels. Park officials announce that, after days of extensive cleanup efforts, the park would be open to the public the following weekend.

- President Barack Obama issues a flood disaster declaration for 19 Pennsylvania counties, including Northumberland, Schuylkill, Columbia, Montour, Snyder and Union.

September 14

- For the first time in 157 years, the Bloomsburg Fair is canceled.

- Six homes on Rock Street in Shamokin are condemned as a result of flood damage.

- The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reminds residents they have 60 days to request flood disaster assistance.

- State senators from northeastern Pennsylvania, three Republicans and two Democrats, hold a news conference to pledge a concerted approach for increased state funding for flood victims.

- FEMA officials canvass flood areas to remind homeowners and businesses to file for disaster assistance. More than 500 claims for assistance had been filed as of that date at Northumberland County's four disaster relief centers.

- Knoebels Amusement Resort reopens for its normal fall season weekend schedule.

- All four lanes of Route 61 from Shamokin to Paxinos are reopened, but four other roads in Northumberland County remained closed.

- Plans are announced for a FEMA/PEMA Disaster Recovery Center in Shamokin.

- The Disaster Recovery Center, which provides one-on-one service, opens at the Northumberland County Career and Arts Center.

Higher and higher the creek waters rose. Residents of Shamokin's Fifth Ward, many of whom had witnessed a similar frightening scenario four decades before, hoped in vain the rain would stop in time. But it didn't.

The 10 inches of rain that fell within three days was more than the creek channel could take, and on the afternoon of Wednesday, Sept. 7, emergency officials had to begin the evacuation of portions of Rock Street from East Pine to East Chestnut streets, and the area of Third Street near Walnut.

There then followed a seemingly endless stretch of time in which the sights and sounds of water being pumped out of basements served as a backdrop for daily existence in the afflicted areas. Just as the tension seemed to subside Wednesday night, a new round of sustained torrential rain renewed fears as Shamokin Street became Shamokin Creek. The flood zone took on a surreal quality overnight into Thursday, Sept. 8, as neighbors coped as best they could and helped each other get through the disaster.

Two days later, Fifth Ward residents, some of whom were displaced twice by rising creek waters, received the disturbing news that electrical power could be cut pending precautionary inspections of their homes' electrical systems.

In the coming days, it became apparent that recovery and a sense that "things are back to normal" could take weeks or even months. Although the frightening escape of rising waters was behind them, flood victims are experiencing the ongoing ordeal of cleaning up and drying out, discarding mud-covered debris and tackling the process of documenting loss and applying for disaster aid.

Lower Northumberland County, like all locations along the Susquehanna River, did not escape unscathed from the flooding associated with the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee. But after the river crested, when everyone thought the worst was over, a flash flood, resulting from an intense downpour, caused additional problems for residents of the Mandata and Dalmatia areas.

By early afternoon on Thursday, Sept. 8, flood waters courtesy of Lee were well into the first floors of the approximately two dozen homes situated in Herndon's Rivershore neighborhood that lines the river. Water was seeping into garages and backyards in homes farther south that front Route 147.

Water flooded Inch Memorial Field, a typical occurrence during periods of high water. The situation this time was even worse than normal, as several inches of water covered a section of Route 147 at "the ballfield."

At Dornsife, water from the Mahanoy Creek inundated the post office parking lot. Water poured several feet high into the first floor of the Idella Rebekah Lodge.

The flooding prompted the opening of a shelter at the Mandata American Legion post.

But, for some, it got worse.

Shortly before midnight on Friday, Sept. 9, a thunderstorm that produced torrential rain - one local measurement was 5 inches - stalled over the county's southwest corner and wreaked havoc. It put Fiddler's Run over its banks and into about a dozen homes in the village of Mandata. At the same time about a half-mile downstream, a tidal wave of water about 3 or 4 feet high washed up Route 147, causing several families to evacuate their homes, including Andrew and Sandra Moore and their two sons, who fled through chest-deep water onto the highway, dodging debris and holding onto the guardrail to avoid being swept away. The responding Herndon Fire Company engine, in fact, had to retreat from the "tidal wave," which it safely did but not before water washed into the floor of the cab.

There were similar stories for folks along a small stream in Dalmatia that night.

Although people living in the area were frightened by the midnight storm and suffered heavy loss to property, there were no reported injuries to residents or motorists.

The sign by the miniature golf course that records levels of high water at Knoebels Amusement Resort over the past four decades tells the story.

Agnes, the granddaddy of all modern-day floods, the storm to which all subsequent deluges have been and will forever be compared, still holds its dubious place of honor atop the measurement board, but - no surprise - the "Lee" Flood of 2011 is just underneath, a mere few inches shy of the 1972 mark.

Anyone in the vicinity of Knoebels who was carefully eyeing the rapidly deteriorating situation along Roaring Creek the evening of Sept. 6 had cause to suspect that the stream would overflow its banks, but no one could predict the water's rampage would be anything close to Agnes' proportions.

"Best case scenario, the creek stays in the banks," said Joe Muscato, Knoebels public relations manager. Not yet knowing how Lee would play out, Muscato then commented on the importance of being prepared, no matter what. Employees had already begun the process of moving merchandise and other equipment to higher grounds.

Knoebels needed every bit of that added preparation, as heavy rain the following day, Wednesday, Sept. 7, raised water levels and brought back memories of Agnes. When the waters receded, a grim picture remained of ruined cabins, damaged rides and mud-soaked debris. The park posted photos of the devastation on its Facebook page, and Knoebels officials announced the park would be closed the weekend of Sept. 10 and 11.

Knoebels had been in this predicament before. The park, situated at the confluence of Mugser's Run and Roaring Creek, is always hard hit. In addition to Agnes in 1972, there was Eloise in 1975, a January 1996 blizzard followed by a quick thaw and heavy rains, and torrential downpours in 2004 and 2006. Over the past four decades, the park management and dedicated staff have been resolute in their commitment to helping the park recover as quickly as possible.

Within days of the Flood of 2011, the park was well on its way to recovery. On Tuesday, Sept. 13, U.S. Rep. Tom Marino, stopping by to observe the cleanup effort, lauded Knoebels officials and workers for the quick cleanup.

Dick Knoebel promised the park would be open as scheduled the weekend of Sept. 17 and 18, but warned that because of the flood damage, a few rides would be inoperable. If the park was not "100 percent functional," that weekend, it came close. Park-goers had to look hard to find evidence of the recent flood - except for the new date on the measurement board.

MOUNT CARMEL - Mount Carmel Township police said arrests are pending from a traffic stop on Sunday that reportedly involved members of the Mount Carmel Area High School football team.

Chief Brian Hollenbush, in a telephone interview Wednesday, acknowledged an investigation is ongoing.

"I don't have much to say at this point. I'm waiting for lab results and stuff to come back," he said. "There are arrests pending. Let us get all i's dotted and t's crossed."

Saying there would be a public report issued, he added, "At this point, there are charges coming down. As soon as I get the blood results, there will be other consequences."

He said he would not release any names until charges are filed, and would neither confirm nor deny those involved are members of the football team.

Mount Carmel Area head football coach Carmen DeFrancesco, reached Wednesday by phone, said all of the team's starters are available for Friday's game against Montoursville and that no players had been removed from the team. He declined further comment.

The incident, including those allegedly involved, has been widely discussed on social networking sites and otherwise in the public realm.

The Red Tornadoes are off to a 4-0 start this season.

MOUNT CARMEL - The following hearings took place Wednesday before Magisterial District Judge Hugh Jones. Defendants ordered to appear for arraignment in Northumberland County Court, Sunbury, can plead guilty or no contest, or seek a trial by pleading not guilty.

n Tracy M. Edmondson, 35, of 464 Main St., Ashland, waived to court two counts of driving under the influence of alcohol involving a July 26 incident at the intersection of Brennan's Farm Road and Washington Drive in Den-Mar Gardens.

Mount Carmel Township Patrolman Kelly Campbell filed the charges.

n Ashley A. Karpinsky, 34, of 111 S. Chestnut St., Mount Carmel, waived to court charges of driving under the influence of alcohol, driving under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance and possession of an adulterated or misbranded controlled substance in connection with a June 10 incident at Fifth and Locust streets.

Mount Carmel Patrolman Jason Drumheller filed the charges.

Electronics recycling begins today

COAL TOWNSHIP - Electronics recycling begins today at the Coal Township Recycling Center, Venn Access Road, and will be held each Thursday.

Most electronics - televisions, computers and monitors, radios, microwaves, cell phones and the like - will be accepted.

Large appliances - washers, dryers, stoves - and items using freon - refrigerators, freezers and air conditioners - will not be accepted.

The center is open from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. today. For more on electronics recycling or other information, call the center at 644-1066.

Bless the pets

SHAMOKIN - The Rev. David M. Byerly, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church, will bless the pets of members and the community at 2 p.m. Sunday at the front of the church on West Chestnut Street.

Commemoration for Francis of Assisi takes place Tuesday. Francis valued all of God's creation, especially animals on farms and those sharing domestic life. It is tradition to have blessings for those animals.

Class reunion Saturday

BEAR GAP - Members of Our Lady of Lourdes Regional High School Class of 1976 will celebrate their 35th-year reunion at 1 p.m. Saturday at Helfrick's Grove.

For more information, call Lisa at 672-2925 or JoAnne at 644-1755.

Soup kitchen closed

SHAMOKIN - Restoration Ministries' soup kitchen, 525 W. Chestnut St., which is usually open from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday will be closed until further notice due to water damage. The church apologizes for the inconvenience and will reopen as soon as it is able.

SUNBURY - Aimee Buehner of Bowen Agency Realtors earned the Graduate Realtors Institute professional designation from the Pennsylvania Realtors Institute.

The GRI designation is a nationally recognized mark of achievement in the real estate profession. She was awarded the designation after completing 90 hours of classroom instruction covering subjects including contract law, professional standards, sales and marketing, finance and risk reduction. Individuals completing the program learn the fundamentals of brokerage and other areas of real estate specialization.

Buehner is among approximately 4,579 residential specialists in Pennsylvania who have earned the GRI designation.

Bowen Agency Realtors, a 42-year-old realtor firm with offices in Selinsgrove, Lewisburg and Sunbury, has 24 full-time agents in residential sales, a full-time Commercial/Industrial/Investment/Business Brokerage Division, a full-service apartment/house property management department and a full-service certified general appraiser serving Snyder, Union, Northumberland and Montour counties.

Benefit for Linda Reed

- When: 6 to 11 p.m. Saturday

- Where: St. Francis Home Association, 615 Race St., Shamokin

- Donation: $10

- Featuring: Local country singer Warren Dane. Food and drink included.

Anyone interested in making a donation for the event is asked to contact Bernie Venesky at 809-3247 or Joe Daniels at 204-0633.

Monetary donations to Linda and Earl Reed can be made payable to the Linda C. Reed Cancer Fund, Union Bank & Trust Co., 450 W. Shamokin St. Trevorton 17881.

WILKES-BARRE - Keziah Block, Shamokin, began student teaching at Dan Flood Elementary School.

Block graduated in May with a degree in elementary and early childhood education from King's College.

She is among 38 King's students who have begun 14-week student teaching experiences in area elementary and high schools during the fall semester. She is currently teaching a first grade class.

The supervised student teaching experience is necessary to fulfill King's degree requirements and to obtain a Pennsylvania Teacher Certificate.

BLOOMSBURG - Mark C. Gilger Jr. graduated May 7 from Bloomsburg University with a bachelor of arts degree in journalism.

While at Bloomsburg, he attained dean's list honors several times, wrote articles for Spectrum Magazine and played intramural basketball.

He completed an internship with The News-Item in the summer of 2010 and 2011 and is employed as a staff writer with the Republican Herald in Pottsville.

Gilger is a 2007 graduate of Our Lady of Lourdes Regional High School.

He is a son of Mark and Paula Gilger Sr., Shamokin, and a grandson of Elizabeth "Betty" Gilger, Shamokin; Rose Polifka, Wilburton No. 1, and the late William J. Gilger Sr. and Paul Polifka.

SELINSGROVE - Anthony Munson, a junior at Susquehanna University, is studying abroad this semester in London, England.

Munson, a 2009 graduate of Shamokin Area Junior/Senior High School, is currently studying business at Regent's College.

He is a son of Debra and Mark Munson, Shamokin.

As a semester program, Susquehanna students have the opportunity to visit numerous industries in Scotland, The Czech Republic, Italy, Germany and France. The companies and countries vary by semester, but all visits introduce students to an international perspective of business problems, cultural considerations and global collaboration needed in today's business world.

STATE COLLEGE - Santina Sacavage recently graduated from Penn State University, University Park, with a bachelor of arts degree in crime, law and justice.

While attending Penn State, Ms. Sacavage completed an internship with the Centre County Probation Office and participated in the THON dance marathon in order to raise funds and awareness for pediatric cancer. She plans to pursue a career in criminal justice.

She is a 2007 graduate of Mount Carmel Area High School and is the daughter of the Northumberland County President Judge Robert B. Sacavage and Frances Sacavage, of Mount Carmel. She is the granddaughter of Frances Poklemba, of Scranton, the late attorney Stephen F. Poklemba, of Mount Carmel, and the late Charles and Betty Sacavage, of Kulpmont.

MOUNT CARMEL - The residents of Water Street are sick of feeling ignored by Mount Carmel Borough Council and want something to be done about the creek that keeps destroying their property.

"I know they're trying to work on it, but I just want something temporary to protect all of us down here. I don't know what the solution is. I just can't do this anymore," Michele Krah, 39, of 311 E. Water St. said Tuesday afternoon at her residence along Shamokin Creek.

The Flood of 2011 is the fourth time in a year that the Krah family's basement at 311 E. Water St. was damaged by high water, even after they took measures to protect their basement. They cemented shut the front entrance after the third time, but the extreme flooding in September pushed water all around their house, breaking open a steel door and dumping nearly five feet, 56 inches, of water into their basement.

The fourth time, they lost their oil furnace and electrical box. Their foundation is still sound, but interior walls were destroyed.

Not alone

They aren't alone either. Emily Homanick, 68, of 319 E. Water St., lost a gas furnace, a hot water heater, a freezer full of food, a washer, a dryer and two dressers during the Flood of 2011. This was the first time she has lost so much, but not the first time she was flooded.

Bob Handrahan, 58, of 304 E. Center St. lost a furnace, a hot water heater, a sump pump, a shed, a lawnmower, a snow blower and assorted tools. This was the first time he lost anything as well.

And other families along the creek experienced losses, too, they said.

"Every time it rains, I'm holding my heart, hoping it doesn't flood," Handrahan said.

The Krah family has spent more than $22,000 of their own money and $8,000 of insurance money received after flooding in September 2010, April and May. They have yet to receive estimates on how much damage the Flood of 2011 cause or how much they might receive from insurance or Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Michele, 39, her husband, Chuck, 43, and their 12-year-old son, Tyler, have been staying with Michele's parents since the storm.

"It looked like the houses were islands and this creek was a lake," said Michele's mother Debbie Martin.

Homanick, who estimates her home received at least $15,000 in damage, received approximately $1,360 from FEMA to replace her furnace and hot water heater.

Handrahan hasn't received any aid.

'Nothing we can do'

Despite their troubles, there might not be much the borough can do. While construction of a flood control project is expected to start in the spring, the borough isn't responsible for it. The Department of General Services (DGS) has the money for the project and will be bidding out for services. The borough's only obligation in the process is to acquire the rights to the land around the creek, consolidate the deeds and sign them over to DGS.

"We don't have the authority to do it. There's nothing we can do. We don't own any of it. It's their (DGS) project. It's not the borough's. The borough is not doing the creek project. I repeat, the borough is not doing the creek project," borough President Tony Matulewicz said.

The borough may have previously dropped the ball, but the project has never moved faster than it has in recent years, he said.

Furthermore, some residents have refused to sign off on the project until they were compensated for their land, he said.

"It's our own residents who are holding this project up," Matulewicz said.

There are Jersey barriers along that section of Water Street, and the borough placed a row of sandbags along the creek before the water rose in September, but nothing prevented the damage.

Nevertheless, the residents need help now, not next year, they say.

"They need to find some temporary fix," said Martin. "If you go to a doctor, and they can't help you, they send you to another doctor who can help you. If you don't know what to do, get someone else to help us."

Krah said she feels neglected.

"It makes you feel like they don't care, because it's not happening to their house," she said.

Homanick was emotional as she relayed her former passion for the area.

"I used to love this town, but not no more. I'm going to sell my house if I can," she said.

Matulewicz said there is nothing that can be done until the project starts next year.

"The average person thinks we're sitting on money, and we're not doing anything. That's not the case. I want this project done just as much as anyone, but how do you temporarily fix something that takes 450 days to fix? There's no way to patch the water there," he said.

Other homes sustained more damage in the record-setting flood, but that doesn't make Water Street residents' situation any less painful, Krah said.

She has also been told to move if the problem is such a hassle, but she said she shouldn't have to.

"I like this house. I like this neighborhood. I like where I live. We're just disgusted. I don't want people's pity. I just want somebody to help me," she said.

Martin said the council is ignoring her daughter and the other residents' problems.

"They say nothing can be done or they don't know what to do, and we're supposed to live with that?" she said.

TREVORTON - One month ago, Earl and Linda Reed celebrated their 34th wedding anniversary.

It's been much longer since they first met at a library; Earl, a high-school junior, causing Linda, an eighth grader, and her friend to giggle so much she thought they'd be thrown out. That same year on Dec. 18, which just happened to be Earl's birthday, the pair went on their first date to a school dance.

Standing in the sunroom of their Trevorton Road home in Zerbe Township, they laughed about the circumstances surrounding how they met, Earl calling the former Linda Machusak his high-school sweetheart.

On Aug. 13, their anniversary, celebrating their 34th year together was bittersweet. Less than two weeks prior, on Aug. 4, Linda was diagnosed with cancer.

Linda, a 54-year-old teacher with Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit's Pre-K Counts program at Sunbury's Grace S. Beck Elementary School, had been coughing since spring and was seeking to quell it as the new school year approached.

A mundane trip to her doctor evolved into complex testing and subsequent consultations at three medical facilities - Geisinger Medical Center, Lehigh Valley Hospital and Johns Hopkins Hospital - including CAT scans and X-rays. It was a bronchoscopy that determined a mass found in her lungs was an atypical carcinoid tumor. Small cancer cells were also found on lymph nodes around her trachea.

Linda paused before recalling her first thought when she learned her diagnosis: "'OK, I have a big fight ahead of me.' But I didn't feel like I was defeated."

Telling the kids

Linda and Earl, 56, an employee at Lowe's Distribution Center at Highridge Business Park, are clearly working to stay upbeat when discussing Linda's illness. Both are kind toward each other and, for both, laughter comes easy. But it's obvious the reality of the situation has taken its toll, and each understandably wear their worry outwardly.

That's evident when they spoke about breaking the news by phone to their children, Trevor, 29, and Lindsay, 23.

With Linda beginning chemotherapy Wednesday, the couple decided to take a road trip last weekend to visit their kids, first to Trevor in North Carolina and then to Maryland to see Lindsay, before returning to Pennsylvania.

"It doesn't help to cry and worry because I can't change it," Linda said of words she spoke to her daughter. "I just have to fight it the best way I know how and crying and worrying will just make me weaker."

For Linda, surgery isn't an option. Instead, she'll start the regular intravenous chemo treatment - a six-hour session, eventually followed by two three-hours sessions, and repeated after a two-week break - before, they hope, taking the medication Sutent, pending approval by her health care provider.

Sutent is typically approved for those diagnosed with kidney or pancreatic cancer.

According to cancer.net, a website with information approved by the American Society of Clinical Oncology, an estimated 4,400 adults in the U.S. are diagnosed each year with a lung carcinoid tumor with a 85-percent to 90-percent survival rate. However, the survival rate for those, like Linda, who are diagnosed with an atypical lung carcinoid, plummets to 50 percent to 60 percent.

The website cautions that these rates are based on data and may not apply to individual cases. It is not possible, the website states, to tell a person how long they may live with a carcinoid tumor.

'She's a fighter'

The Reeds, well aware of the severity of the situation, seem to take these figures with a grain of salt. After all, Linda is resigned to fighting back.

"There may come a time, but I have not yet cried. If I do, I won't stop. If it becomes hopeless I may, but right now I don't know, so I have to try," she said.

"She's tough," Earl added. "She's a fighter."

"I have to," Linda continued. "There's no other thing to do right now but fight the fight and see what happens."

Both take heart in the outpouring of support they've received since Linda's diagnosis, be it from family and friends, neighbors and coworkers and fellow congregants of First Reformed United Church of Christ, Sunbury.

They sift through a pile of cards spread on their kitchen table, reading aloud the inscriptions from a few, smiling and laughing the entire time, thankful for any gesture of kindness they've received.

On Saturday, friends have organized a $10 benefit from 6 to 11 p.m. at St. Francis Home Association, 615 Race St., Shamokin. Monetary donations are also being accepted on their behalf at Union Bank & Trust Co., 450 W. Shamokin St., Trevorton, payable to the Linda C. Reed Cancer Fund. Medical costs for the couple haven't yet become impossible, but they expect them to mount quickly.

Laughter a good medicine

While Linda said she hasn't yet cried when thinking of her diagnosis, Earl breaks down when he talks of their involvement with American Cancer Society's Relay for Life, now realizing firsthand what its beneficiaries go through. With his hand masking his face, Linda rubs his arm and whispers reassurance to her husband, "It's OK. It's OK."

These moments seem new to them, if not rare. As it proved, laughter is more the norm for the Reeds. When Linda spoke of reprioritizing her life and learning not to sweat the small stuff, Earl cracked: ""I give her an incentive to live. We run the sweeper in the living room everyday because of the cat hair, and I told her if she died I'm not running the sweeper."

"So I told him I'm coming back in the middle of the night and I'm going to run the sweeper," she replies.

They laugh together, something they appear to do often, something they did when they first met in the library more than 30 years ago. It may be to relieve the tension of the moment, but it appears more natural than that, and they hope more frequent as time marches on. Benefit for Linda Reed

- When: 6 to 11 p.m. Saturday

- Where: St. Francis Home Association, 615 Race St., Shamokin

- Donation: $10

- Featuring: Local country singer Warren Dane. Food and drink included.

Anyone interested in making a donation for the event is asked to contact Bernie Venesky at 809-3247 or Joe Daniels at 204-0633.

Monetary donations to Linda and Earl Reed can be made payable to the Linda C. Reed Cancer Fund, Union Bank & Trust Co., 450 W. Shamokin St. Trevorton 17881.