HARRISBURG - Area winners took home a total of $62,500 from Pennsylvania Lottery games in September.

Amber L. Manhart, of Ashland, won the area's biggest prize, $30,000, on a $3 Wild Number Bingo instant ticket.

In the number game drawings, Victor J. Scicchitano, of Shamokin, won two prizes of $2,500 each in the Big 4 game. Only one other area player, Walter M. Jurgill Jr., of Ashland, was a winner with Big 4, taking home $2,500 on a 50-cent ticket.

Winners, by town name, are:

Ashland

- Walter M. Jurgill, $2,500, Big 4, 50-cent bet.

- Amber L. Manhart, $30,000, Wild Number Bingo, $3 ticket.

- Mary T. Kasko, $1,000, Money Vault, $3.

- Scott McCormick, $1,000, Winner Take All Millionaire Edition, $20.

Coal Township

- Gerald Haypt, $1,000, 10X Cash, $10.

- Alisha A. Herb, $1,000, Instant Millions, $20.

- Debra A. Thompson, $1,000, Kings of Cash, $20.

- Frances Kuminski, $1,000, The Price Is Right, $5.

- Patricia Lehman, $1,000, Winner Take All Millionaire Edition, $20.

- Michael J. Snyder, $1,000, Winner Take All Millionaire Edition, $20.

Danville

- Nicole M. Gresh, $1,000, $50,000 Jackpot, $2.

- Lorie Lewis, $1,000, $pot $ome Ca$h, $2.

- Alice Bialecki, $1,000, Instant Millions, $20.

- Matthew Kipple, $1,000, Platinum Millions, $20.

- Joseph A. Showers, $1,000, Platinum Millions, $20.

- Florence Deitterick, $1,000, Solid Gold, $5.

- Christine E. Smith, $1,000, The Price Is Right, $5.

- Carl D. Weaver, $1,000, Winner Take All Millionaire Edition, $20.

Locust Gap

- Daniel T. McCarthy, $1,000, Sizzlin 777s, $10.

Mount Carmel

- Donna M. Kehler, $1,000, $50,000 Jackpot, $2.

- Raymond Brown, $1,000, Black Tie, $10.

- Melissa Aparicio, $1,000, Diamond Millionaire, $20.

- Peter Bridy, $1,000, The Price Is Right, $5.

- Jessica Duffy, $1,000, Wild 10s, $5

Shamokin

- Victor J. Scicchitano, two wins of $2,500, Big 4, 50-cent bet.

- Edward G. Narcavage, $1,000, Platinum Cro$$words Second Edition, $5.

MARION HEIGHTS - The investigation continues into Tuesday's robbery of a 53-year-old female, who had her purse stolen after being knocked to the ground outside her residence.

Mount Carmel Township Police Chief Brian Hollenbush said Friday the search is still on for the man who stole the purse of a 53-year-old Marion Heights woman as she was arriving home at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday on East Melrose Street.

"We have a number of leads that we are actively pursuing, but there is nothing new to report at this time," the chief said.

Police say the suspect attacked the woman and struck her in the head, most likely with his arm, before the woman landed on her face. Police said Tuesday the robber pushed her forward while grabbing her purse at the same time. A struggle ensued between the two before the purse strap broke and the robber ran away.

The woman, who was not identified by police, complained of soreness but refused medical treatment.

The suspect then fled east on Melrose Street turning onto Brunswick and then right onto Coal Street, where he entered a vehicle and left the scene.

Police "pinged" the victim's cell phone, which was inside her purse, to locate the robber. The region was canvassed, but neither the purse nor suspect were found.

Hollenbush would not disclose the amount of money stolen, saying the information could impede the investigation.

The suspect is described as a white male with a thin build, standing between 5 feet 11 inches and 6 feet tall with short light-colored hair. He was wearing jeans and a green or lime-green hoodie at the time.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Mount Carmel Township Police at 339-1653.

ELYSBURG - Richard Farr says he understands the many complaints that have been directed toward Rabbittransit in Northumberland County as the agency tries to adapt to a growing business and make use of a pilot program from the state that schedules shared-ride services.

At the same time, Farr, the agency's executive director, wants people to understand that the reason the county got out of the transportation business in mid-2011 and hired Rabbittransit was because it was losing as much as $500,000 a year.

The former operation - what Farr called a "countywide free-for-all" - is simply no longer financially feasible.

But he promised the operation would continue to improve.

"Our goal is to get this right. We, too, are equally frustrated," he said in an interview Tuesday at the agency's Elysburg location. "We may not be able to give them what they want, but we should be able to give them what we promised."

All three county commissioners said this week they believe Rabbittransit is working hard toward solving problems with the scheduling software.

Rabbittransit, part of the York County Transportation Authority, is a public transportation provider serving York, Adams and, since July 1, 2011, Northumberland counties. Nearly 7,000 riders use the service in those three counties each day to get to work, medical facilities, school and activities.

When the agency was hired in Northumberland County, Rabbittransit was granted an emergency 30-cent fare increase by PennDOT, raising the price to $1.45 for a one-way ride.

Like trains, airplanes

Farr says Rabbittransit volunteered for PennDOT's automated computer dispatch software pilot program because of a need for change. A second agency was selected to test the program in Montgomery County, in addition to Rabbittransit's three test counties.

The goal for the statewide program is to streamline the shared-ride process, provide better service, allow transit systems to better coordinate services across county lines and ultimately become more efficient. Success in test counties will determine if the software is put to use statewide.

Thus far, the program, which went live Sept. 10, has been the source of numerous complaints in Northumberland County. A key problem is that the system was readjusting schedules to maximize efficiency when there was a cancelation, but riders were not being told their pick-up times had changed, Farr said.

Riders have shared many tales of trouble, from long waits on the phone to schedule appointments, to missed pickups and excessively long days getting to and from appointments.

Farr promises improvement, but at the same time says a shared-ride program is not, and cannot afford to be, a taxi service. It is a public transit program, he stressed.

Farr compares the shared-ride program to other forms of public transportation, such as airplanes, ferries, trains and buses. A person wouldn't call those places and demand a time that works best for them; rather, they must work within established schedules.

Still, he said he recognizes there are elderly and intellectually disabled citizens who depend on prompt timing for medical appointments, and that consistency and static schedules are required.

$170,000 a month

Rabbittransit's Elysburg branch operates at 61 Tyler Ave., just off Route 487 near Boyer's Food Market, on 1.4 acres of land. The rented property has a 1,400-square-feet office building and a 7,000-square-feet maintenance building, and agency executives are weighing purchase the property.

There are 32 employees at Elysburg, including 25 drivers, four office staff and three maintenance workers. Operations manager is Jacquelyn Klemick, second-in-command/scheduler is James Golden and dispatchers are Kimberly Bartos and Joe Dowkus.

There is a fleet of 18 vehicles, including 16 handicap-accessible, 14-passenger vans and two three-passenger sedans.

Rabbittransit will receive a $375,000 PennDOT grant to replace five of the vehicles, and profit from selling the old vehicles will be placed in a capital reserve account designated for repairs.

The local operation costs $170,000 a month, which includes salaries, fuel, maintenance and rent.

500-600 riders daily

On average, Rabbittransit transports between 500 and 600 customers, mostly female senior citizens, daily in Northumberland County, most in the early morning and mid-afternoon, and mostly Wednesdays and Thursdays. There are at least 230 riders on an average day before 8:30 a.m.

On average, Northumberland County, with a population of 94,528 in 2010, has 150,000 rides per year. York County, population 434,972, has an average of 180,000 rides per year, Farr said, noting how York has more than four times the population but only slightly more yearly riders.

Reservations for rides must be made by 11 a.m. the previous day. If a person's name is not on the manifest, PennDOT prohibits the driver from allowing that person on the van. All riders must fill out an application.

The call center to schedule appointments in all three Rabbittransit service counties is in York. If the central call center gets backed up, a new feature installed over the last two weeks will divert the calls to other sites, where a dispatcher can schedule rides. Local dispatchers in Elysburg can even tap into the queue and answer calls coming from the 570 area code.

There are between 50 and 60 calls a day answered at the Elysburg site, and more than a 1,000 calls a day systemwide, Farr said.

How it works

In order to cover the cost of the shared-ride service, Rabbittransit must transport 2 1/2 to three passengers an hour. If it takes a person 15 minutes by car to travel from point A to point B, it will take them at least 40 minutes by Rabbittransit van - not counting unforeseen factors like longer boarding time for some passengers, road construction, accidents and detours.

Once a rider requests a time, that information is put into the system, which calculates the closest time to the desired time in relation to other scheduled pick-ups in that area. A dispatcher can manually access the schedule and change it as needed.

When a van arrives at a location, there is a four-minute window in which the rider must acknowledge the driver before he leaves. If a driver is unable to reach a person on time, Rabbittransit is contracted with local cab companies to provide transportation, and the rider is charged Rabbittransit fees.

According to the new system, every ride is tracked by GPS and can be monitored from the Elysburg homebase. Dispatchers know exactly where a van is at any given moment, what time it arrived at a destination and its duration there.

In order to maximize efficiency, Farr said suggestive guidelines for riders, such as scheduling appointments for later morning rather than early morning, are being developed. Since the slower times are between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., it is more likely to be picked up closer to the time a person requests.

Farr said it can be challenging with some elderly riders. He said some will call multiple times to schedule the same ride because they've forgotten, or they might miss a ride because they don't remember they had one scheduled.

Deliver what's promised

Nonetheless, Farr said he understands the frustrations and that his agency is working to correct scheduling problems. He realizes the importance of the service.

"If you don't have mobility, there is no freedom," he said.

Despite the past month of trouble, Farr notes Rabbittransit has had 13 months of good service and is now working to "correct old problems with new ideas."

"We recognize the fiscal constraints of what we do. If we can't provide service and keep it under control, that passenger won't have transportation to complain about," he said.

"We're not happy, and we're not going to rest until we deliver what we promised we'd deliver."

Leaders: Be patient

SUNBURY - A meeting was held Tuesday among Nothumberland County commissioners and department heads from Area Agency on Aging, Adult Probation and Behavioral Health and Intellectual Services to discuss problems and solutions regarding Rabbittransit and the county's shared-ride service.

"I'm asking seniors in Northumberland County to have a little patience. In the long run, they'll be better off," Commissioner Vinny Clausi said Wednesday. "We're going to give them (Rabbittransit) a little more time to perfect the program."

Commissioners Stephen Bridy and Rick Shoch said they were both satisfied with the meeting.

"As far as the process, they're working out the kinks and they've come a long way," Bridy said.

PORT CARBON - A Pottsville woman charged with stealing more than $50,000 over a three-year period while employed by Goodwill Fire Company, Minersville, and Minersville EMS surrendered to authorities Friday afternoon, walking into district court with her head completely covered by a coat and escorted by her mother.

Brenda S. Shuman, 47, of 382 N. Second St., was charged with two felony counts of forgery; seven felony counts each of theft by deception, theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property; two felony counts of theft by failure to make required disposition of funds, and five felony counts of access device fraud.

Shuman was arraigned by Magisterial District Judge David A. Plachko and released on $50,000 unsecured bail pending her preliminary hearing scheduled Thursday.

Prior to Plachko setting bail, Minersville police Chief Michael Combs told the court that bail is necessary.

"We're not looking for outlandish bail, but these are serious charges," Combs said.

Shuman's attorney, Anthony Urban, said his client lives with her 17-year-old son, is a longtime county resident and surrendered to authorities as requested. He said Shuman will appear for all court proceedings and is not a flight risk.

Following the hearing, Combs said a great deal of time and effort went into the investigation that led to Shuman's arrest.

"We're confident there will be a successful prosecution," he said.

Among the items Shuman purchased with company money included shoes, items from gift shops and airline tickets, Combs said.

Drug advisory board meeting set

SUNBURY - The Northumberland County Drug and Alc hol Program Advisory Board will meet at 5:30 p.m. Thursday in the Human Services Building, 217 N. Center St.

SCA to hold developmental screening

CATAWISSA - A free developmental screening for children aged 3 and 4 who are residents of the Southern Columbia Area School District is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. Nov. 14 at G.C. Hartman Elementary Center.

The screening will cover hearing, speech, vision, fine motor skills, personal and social skills, adaptive behavior, cognitive skills and height and weight.

For an appointment or more information, contact the school district at 356-3503.

Downspouts must be out in borough

MOUNT CARMEL - Mount Carmel Municipal Authority's deadline for downspouts to be removed from the sanitary sewer system in the borough is Oct. 31.

Call 339-5166 and a representative will assist with any concerns.

Rushtown Road paving work set

RUSH TOWNSHIP - A PennDOT maintenance paving crew in Northumberland County is scheduled to repave a few sections of Route 2006 (Rushtown Road) totaling about one-half mile, later this month.

Full-width paving will take place between the intersections with Snydertown Road and Grubb Hill Road. The crew is expected to start at the north end and work its way south over two days.

Rushtown Road will be closed from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 24 and 25. A red-arrow detour will be in effect using Snydertown Road and Logan Run Road. School buses will need to use an alternate route during the project.

MOUNT CARMEL - Family Home Medical Home Health Agency has earned The Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval for accreditation by demonstrating compliance with The Joint Commission's national standards for health care quality and safety in home care. The accreditation award recognizes Family Home Medical's dedication to continuous compliance with The Joint Commission's state-of-the-art standards.

Family Home Medical underwent a rigorous unannounced on-site survey in July. A team of Joint Commission expert surveyors evaluated Family Home Medical for compliance with standards of care specific to the needs of patients, including infection prevention and control, leadership and medication management.

Established in 1988, The Joint Commission's home care accreditation program accredits more than 5,600 organizations. The Joint Commission's standards address the home care organization's performance in specific areas, and specify requirements to ensure that patient care and services are provided in a safe manner. The Joint Commission develops its standards in consultation with health care experts, providers and researchers, as well as measurement experts, purchasers and consumers.

"In achieving Joint Commission accreditation, Family Home Medical has demonstrated its commitment to the highest level of care for its patients," says Margherita Labson, R.N., executive director, home care accreditation, The Joint Commission. "Accreditation is a voluntary process and I commend FHM for successfully undertaking this challenge to elevate its standard of care and instill confidence in the community it serves."

On the Net: www.jointcommission.org.

SHAMOKIN - Dorothea Maguire was fed up.

Having no confidence that she could book a timely ride to her Oct. 5 doctor's appointment through Rabbittransit, and having no local family or friends who drive, she decided to walk instead.

It's about one mile from her home on Pearl Street in the Fifth Ward to the office of Dr. Richard Albright on Commerce Street - no easy task for a 74-year-old woman who relies on a walker and has a history of heart disease and strokes.

Yet there she was, slowly making her way through the streets of Shamokin on her return trip.

"If they don't want to do this job right, why don't they give it to someone who wants to do the work?" she said while traveling along Rock Street.

Rabbittransit, part of the York County Transportation

Authority, was hired by Northumberland County to operate its transportation department starting July 1, 2011. The change led to a number of service complaints, which subsided as the company got comfortable in its new role. But the recent implementation of an automated computer dispatch software program, part of a PennDOT pilot project, has resulted in an even larger public outcry against Rabbittransit.

'I waited and waited and waited'

Maguire said she walked home from a doctor's appointment on Sept. 28 after waiting at least 90 minutes for a Rabbittransit van to arrive.

"I waited and waited and waited. I just wanted to get home," she said.

When her Oct. 5 appointment approached, she didn't even bother to call the agency.

"I wouldn't try. They wouldn't get me anyhow today. I know if I call them up, I won't get through," she said, noting long waits on the phone to schedule rides.

Also, she said she was once told by a dispatcher that Rabbittransit didn't have any record of Albright's office.

While Rabbittransit utilizes local cab companies to pick up riders when they don't have enough staff or vehicles, Maguire had a bad experience, too, with that alternative. She said a cab driver who dropped her off at Walmart told her Rabbittransit would pick her up. When the van came, the driver told her she wasn't on the manifest and, citing state policy, wouldn't allow her to board.

"If I didn't get a hold of my friend, I'd still be sitting at Walmart," she said.

Other cases

Apparently, Maguire is not alone in her trouble with Rabbittransit.

Rose Vivino, 71, of 246 S. Pearl St., Shamokin, said she can't get through when she calls.

"I don't know what's wrong with that place. They should close if they don't want to take customers anymore," she said last week.

Irene Sowal, 82, of 31 S. Shamokin St., Shamokin, said she has missed her ride in the past because the driver left before she came out of her house.

On another day, she was scheduled to be picked up at 8:30 a.m., but the van didn't arrive until 9:30 a.m. The trip was scheduled to return her at 1:30 p.m., but she said she got home at 3 p.m.

"I don't know what times to schedule my appointments since I don't know what time my rides are scheduled," she said.

Frances Kalejta, 87, of 983 Trevorton Road, Coal Township, said Rabbittransit sent a taxi to pick her up after a beautician appointment in Trevorton. But the taxi got there before her appointment. The driver waited 10 minutes and left. A relative of the beautician ended up taking Kalejta home following her hair appointment.

"It's ridiculous the way they run things," she said.

How else?

Maguire said she has no choice but to use the service when she needs to take longer trips, such as to Geisinger Medical Center in Danville.

"How else am I going to get to a hospital? If you're a senior citizen with no family around, how will you get there?" she said. "For a senior citizen, going to the doctor is just like food. You have to eat; you have to go to the doctor."

Divorces

Shane A. Bower, 224 S. Ninth St., Trevorton, from Miranda E. Bower, 154 Lower Patch Road, Coal Township. Married May 13, 2006.

Jeffrey Lee Derr, 1542 W. Walnut St., Coal Township, from Beth Ann Derr, 1320 W. Gowen St., Coal Township. Married Sept. 22, 1990.

Kathleen Ann Hancock, 1237 W. Nelson St., Coal Township, from Ray McKinley Hancock Jr., 550 N. Market St., Apt. A2, Shamokin. Married June 22, 1982.

Rebecca Manhart, 601 Chestnut St., Kulpmont, from Leroy Manhart, 475 High Road, Ashland. No marriage date available.

Charles E. Matusheski, 311 Windy Acres Drive, Middleburg, from Kathleen R. Matusheski, 140 E. Spruce St., Apt. R, Selinsgrove. Married Sept. 3, 1988.

Melvin P. Miller Jr., 17 Coal St., P.O. Box 133, Llewellyn, from Tammie S. Miller, 335 Susquehanna St., Trevorton. Married June 26, 1993.

Alan L. Mutschler, 914 E. Commerce St., Shamokin, from Crystal Mutschler, 124 E. Chestnut St., Shamokin. Married Dec. 17, 2002.

Tammy Ososkie, 1724 W. Chestnut St., Coal Township, from Edward Ososkie, 909 W. Walnut St., Coal Township. Married Aug. 2, 2003.

Gary L. Smith from Carolyn K. Smith, both of 641 Queen St., Northumberland. Married March 30, 1963.

Michelle Ann Switzer from Daniel Delmar Switzer, both of 223 Wild Turkey Road, Sunbury. Married May 13, 1989.

Troy M. Foresman, 90 Foresman Lane, Muncy, from Pamela J. Foresman, 10 Gap Road, Allenwood. Married May 16, 1992.

Marriage licenses

Richard Lee Foulds, 2523 Captain Bloom Road, Sunbury, to Bernadette P. Beecroft, 211 E. Dewart St., Shamokin.

Jordan J. Eby, 517 Kulp Ave., Coal Township, to Kirsten L. Chappel, 114 N. Poplar St., Coal Township.

Brian Michael Yeager, 4061 Muncy Exchange Road, Muncy, to Karen L. Kovaschetz, 99 Catawissa Ave., Sunbury.

Cody Saun Kratzer, 118 S. 10th St., Sunbury, to Kalyn Rachel Barber, 761 Skunk Hollow Road, Mifflinburg.

Kevin W. Wormald to Sonja R. Haig, both of 1714 State Route 890, Paxinos.

Rafael Cameron to Lawra R. Ponce, both of 527 Race St., Sunbury.

Property transfers

Emily M. Parker to Aleksander Kolovic, property in Shamokin, $54,000.

Warren H. Barnes to JP Restoration, John P. Ferrari, property in Kulpmont, $1,000.

Ned C. and Debra A. Hartman to Ned C. and Debra A. Hartman, property in Shamokin Township, $1.

Stephen G. Wasko estate, aka Stephen Vasko, David Roginskie, administrator, to George Marshalek, property in Shamokin, $2,000.

Darlene K. Bogetti, Darlene K. and Stephen J. Hill to Stephen J. and Darlene K. Hill, property in Marion Heights, $1.

Joseph K. Schoppy to Northeast Apartments LLC, property in Mount Carmel, $10,000.

James J. Bressi to Debra A. Miller, property in Mount Carmel, $10,000.

Susquehanna Bank to Apartments and Acquisitions LP, property in Mount Carmel, $9,000.

Nancy Prinz, executrix, Nancy L. Wondoloski to Apartments and Acquisitions LP, property in Coal Township, $13,000.

Kathryn Marena, by agent, Heather Makal, agent, to William Feese, property in Shamokin, $6,000.

Anna Polites to Equity Trust Co., custodian, Dennis Brubaker and Gerald Stauffer, by custodian, property in Mount Carmel, $4,200.

Kelly L. Haupt, Kelly L. and Mark I. Harris to Mark I. and Kelly L. Harris, property in East Cameron Township, $1.

Christian M. and Crystal M. Lamont to Michael D. and Nichole L. Barvitskie, property in Coal Township, $93,665.

Debra A. and Ronald E. McIntyre Jr. to Joel A. McIntyre, property in West Cameron Township, $1.

Chester W. Collier estate, Loralee J. Foura and Linette Sassani, executrixes, to Ryan and Heather Libby, property in East Cameron Township, $25,000.

Gloria R. and Frederick P. Holmes to 101 W. Girard Inc., property in Mount Carmel Township, $1.

Darrell R. Evans to Darrell R. Evans and Andrea R. Evans, property in Jackson Township, $1.

Fannie Mae (Federal National Mortgage Association), by agent, KML Law Group, agent, to Patricia M. Eakin, Ronald E. Whitehorne, property in Sunbury, $35,000.

Jennifer Andino to Paul and Elizabeth A. McNutt, property in Zerbe Township, $16,000.

Gladys J. Comfort estate, Joyce Kerstetter and Dennis Comfort, executors, to George E. and Melissa G. Portzline, property in Rockefeller Township, $1.

I Quadrant Properties LLC to Thomas H. McDonald, property in Kulpmont, $62,000.

John H. and Louise K. Fetterman to John P. Marinari, property in Ralpho Township, $177,000.

Philip J. Kemberling to Philip J. Kemberling, property in Rush Township, $1.

Kelly D. Hepner estate, Thomas R. Markowski, executor, to David F. and Dyan M. Petrovich, property in Coal Township, $8,000.

Margaret Ann Chapel Purcell and Michael T., Margaret S., George H., Hyon O., Richard J. and Evelyn B. Chapel to Richard J. Chapel, property in Mount Carmel, $1.

Maureen J. Kuzo and Maureen J. Herman to William J. Kuzo, property in Mount Carmel Township, $77,500.

Ralph E. Houser estate, Shirley M. Houser, Duane A. Houser, administrator, to Peter A. Kauwell, property in Lower Augusta Township, $125,000.

Leona I. Vlock to Jefferey A. Vlock, property in Shamokin, $1.

Dennis M. and Grace M. Bender to Michael and Dawn M. Maher, property in Kulpmont, $150,000.

Robert F. and Bonita M. Politza to Meredith C. Lerch, property in Ralpho Township, $107,000.

Donald E. Kerestes to Kerestes Irrevocable Grantor Trust, by trustee, Donna M. Kerestes, property in Mount Carmel, $1.

Richard G. O'Neal estate, Jill Gibson, administratrix, to Roberta L. and Kenneth M. Gammon, property in Shamokin, $12,800.

Keystone Masonry Inc. to Chadwick T. Moore, property in Coal Township, $1.

Janice Parker to Tracey Parker, property in Mount Carmel, $1.

Susquehanna Bank to Northeast Apartments LLC, property in Kulpmont, $2,500.

C&R Cycles Inc. to Powerking Motorsports LLC, property in Kulpmont, $145,000.

Editor's note: A series of stories on congressional race issues continues.

More than 2½ years after it passed, President Barack Obama's health care reform law still sucks up all the air in the room when politicians talk health care.

Known officially as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the March 2010 law is better known as Obamacare, the derisive name fastened to it by Republicans who vow to repeal it, but a name Obama now embraces.

"Because I do care," the president said during a visit Monday to San Francisco. "I care that folks with pre-existing conditions

can still get insurance. I care that insurance companies don't jerk you around."

Republicans say they care, too, and they want to keep provisions such as pre-existing condition coverage, but House Republicans like U.S. Reps. Lou Barletta and Tom Marino say Obamacare won't work and will cost jobs and hurt Medicare.

In the last two years, they have voted more than 30 times to either repeal the law, take away its funding or do, in Barletta's words, "whatever we could to stop the government takeover (of health care by) Obamacare."

As they run for re-election, Barletta and Marino are joined in their full-throated disdain by fellow Republican Laureen Cummings, a home health nursing agency owner running for the other northeast Pennsylvania congressional seat.

"That needs to be repealed," Cummings said of Obamacare.

The Democrats running for local congressional seats - Phil Scollo against Marino, Gene Stilp against Barletta and Matt Cartwright against Cummings - say repeal is unnecessary. If problems crop up, fix them, they say.

"Instead of Congress voting (30) times to try to repeal it, try to make it the best bill it could possibly be," Scollo said.

What Republicans want to repeal is a bill designed to:

- Expand health care coverage to 32 million uninsured Americans. It would do that partly by setting up state-based exchanges where they could buy health insurance coverage and help the poor pay for coverage with federal subsidies. The law will mandate citizens to have coverage and imposes penalties for those who don't of $695 on individuals and up to $2,085 on families.

Though Republicans railed for two years against the mandate as unconstitutional, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld it in June, saving the law's key provision.

- Eliminate 75 percent of the Medicare prescription drug coverage gap by 2020.

- Provide a tax credit to small employers with no more than 25 employees and average annual wages of less than $50,000 who want to offer coverage.

- Forbid insurance companies from denying coverage for pre-existing conditions to anyone starting in 2014.

- Fine companies with more than 50 employees $2,000 a year per worker if the companies do not provide health insurance.

- Allow parents to keep their children on their health insurance plans until age 26.

- Increase the threshold for deducting medical expenses on tax returns by a third, making deductions less likely.

- Cut $716 billion in subsidies to private Medicare Advantage plans and other health care providers to help pay for the law. Medicare Advantage is Medicare-type coverage offered through private insurers. The chief Medicare actuary once predicted the cut would chase 7.4 million people out of Medicare Advantage plans, though they would remain eligible for traditional Medicare.

When congressional Democrats passed the law, they took the money from Medicare Advantage plans, which were becoming more expensive than traditional Medicare, the opposite of what was supposed to happen.

The Congressional Budget Office, which analyzes costs for Congress, said in March 2011 the law will actually cut the federal budget deficit from 2012 to 2021 by $124 billion, a figure that evokes scoffs from Republicans.

10th Congressional District

In the 10th Congressional District race between Marino and Scollo, Marino said the law is already falling short of expectations because its 10-year estimated cost has almost doubled, $1.6 trillion, compared to the original estimate of $940 billion.

The Congressional Budget Office disputes this, saying its higher estimate - actually $1.76 trillion, issued in March, is based on different years - 2012 to 2022 instead of 2010 to 2019 - and more years, 11 instead of 10.

For 2019, the last year common to both estimates, the estimated cost was of Obamacare was $218 billion in the original estimate and $224 billion in the latest. Marino said he had not heard of the CBO's savings estimate and did not dispute it, but was bothered by paying for it through the $716 billion Medicare cut.

"I think everybody should have health care," he said. "And for those who can't afford it, it's our responsibility to help those."

Marino said he favors keeping the pre-existing condition and age 26 requirements, but Obama's plan unnecessarily expands government's role. He said the law's 15-member "unelected" Independent Payment Advisory Board will decide "what type of illnesses get priority and who gets priority."

The law expressly forbids the board from rationing health care, but requires it to work on ways to slow Medicare's growth.

"But how do you think they can prevent people (from getting coverage)? Through costs," Marino said. "Certain aspects of diseases, particularly where there's no cure for it, they're not going to hesitate to say the cost of treating someone for a disease like this (for) which there's no cure is too expensive so we're not going to do it."

Marino said the reform law also does nothing to limit medical malpractice awards that drive up doctors' malpractice insurance premiums and force them to order costly procedures to protect themselves against lawsuits.

Marino touted his own efforts to reign in costs - pending bills that allow hospitals to more easily but still privately share a patient's medical information and small pharmacies to band together to buy drugs more cheaply.

"Everybody has to come to the table on this," he said. "We can't do it without the insurance agencies, the pharmaceuticals, the doctors, the hospitals, the home health providers, people who are buying it."

Scollo said he understands the nation's health care woes first hand. He and his wife lost their insurance coverage for a while during her fight against cancer because an insurance company refused coverage and later when he couldn't afford premiums while dealing with a prostate problem.

"At the end of the day, it's not really my story, it's people we talk to around the district who are in the same boat," Scollo said.

Scollo said he would have voted for the reform law.

"It's not perfect and I'm not a big fan of the mandate at the end of the day," he said. "I do think it's a stake in the ground," he said. "There's a ton of things (that need tweaking) I'm sure, but I would need to look at it on a line by line basis."

He would be open to Republican ideas such as allowing small businesses to pool employees for coverage to get lower rates and to allow insurance plans to offer coverage across state lines.

"I want to sit down with my colleagues and figure out what the most cost effective way is without having the average person subject to devastation," he said.

11th Congressional District

In the 11th Congressional District (which now encompasses the greater Shamokin-Mount Carmel area) between Barletta and Stilp, Barletta uses many of the same arguments as Marino - the $716 billion cut, the new, higher estimated costs, "the unelected bureaucrats" that will decide coverage.

But he also railed against the law's "21 new taxes, 13,000 new regulations," 800,000 lost jobs and the potential loss of health insurance by three million people.

The CBO estimates between three million and five million people will lose coverage from 2019 to 2022 as employers stop offering coverage because of the new law.

Barletta said he favors medical malpractice reform, small-business coverage pooling and allowing interstate competition for coverage, but opposes the mandate.

"These should be passed in increments" and new ways other than the mandate found to pay for costly provisions such as pre-existing condition coverage, he said.

"I was a small businessman. To get a better employee, you want to give benefits," he said.

Stilp declines to say if he would have voted for the reform law, but says he favors its coverage of pre-existing conditions, age 26 coverage, preventive medicine provisions and better access to care for women.

He wants to focus on ensuring small businesses are not hurt by the law, he said.

"That burden has to be shifted to the much larger corporations," he said.

Stilp said he would focus on implementing the recommendations of the respected Institute of Medicine, which recently estimated the nation's health care system wastes $750 billion a year.

17th Congressional District

In the 17th Congressional District race between Cummings and Cartwright, Cummings also decries the $716 billion cut. She questions whether the nation had such a large problem with uninsured people that it required Obamacare. Many studies showed about 45 million Americans lacked health insurance, but Cummings contended most of them were between 20 and 30 years old and did not want to pay for insurance coverage.

If Democrats had allowed for legitimate debate on the reform law, things would have been different, she said.

"Maybe they could have gotten parents to realize this is an issue and parents could have gone to insurance companies and demanded that their children be left on the insurance," she said. "I think that they would much prefer that to having to deal with a whole government takeover of our health insurance. But this government doesn't have any faith in the American people. I do."

A licensed practical nurse, she railed against regulations such as one that requires nurses, doctors and hospitals to track the temperature in their refrigerators and "throw out good medicine."

"That's why I think my specialty would help in Washington," she said.

Cartwright said he would have voted for the reform law, but he favored creating a public option - government-sponsored coverage that people could buy if they were unsatisfied with private insurance plans.

Critics said that would be government interfering in the free market, but Cartwright contends that would keep insurance companies from overcharging while giving the government purchasing power that produces savings.

Cartwright said he favors the insurance mandate, noting states even require drivers to have car insurance.

Without the health care mandate, too many people are left uninsured. Even with the law, about 30 million people remain uncovered, he said.

"So the challenge is to get 100 percent of people covered," he said. "Uninsured care happens and it's just a question of who pays for it. If you don't cover it, the people paying for it are the providers. It's the doctors, it's the nurses, it's the hospitals."

Cartwright said the law will undoubtedly require tweaking because it's so comprehensive.

BEAR GAP - Hundreds of trees are planned to be timbered in the Roaring Creek watershed as Aqua PA replaces a century-old waterline.

The trees stand directly along the access road of the Roaring Creek tract of the Weiser State Forest and are brightly marked by spray paint - surely a curiosity to the watershed's many visitors.

New waterline will be installed from the McWilliams Reservoir to Aqua PA's pump station of Route 54, approximately four miles.

"The pipelines that are being utilized right now are from original construction, probably back in the early 1900s," Patrick Burke, regional manager of the Roaring Creek Division of Aqua PA, said Sunday. "Certainly they lasted a good long time, that's why they've been around for 100 years.

"At a certain point in time you have to think about replacing them before they become problematic."

The existing pipes are cast iron. One portion is 14 inches in diameter; the other 18 inches. The new line would be much wider - 30 inches - and made of more durable ductile iron, he said.

The old lines would simply be abandoned, he said, since digging them up would cause greater disturbance of the forest land.

Timbering is being coordinated with Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Once construction work for the line is completed, the company will work with the state agency to create a new walking trail.

The project remains in the development phase and has not yet been put out to bid. Burke expects that it could lead to an uptick in employment for local construction workers.

Work on the new pipeline could begin in late 2013, he said.

COAL TOWNSHIP - An ordinance is being considered by Coal Township commissioners to implement provisions of a 2010 state law allowing harsher penalties against owners of blighted properties.

The move comes at the request of the Northumberland County Blight Task Force, and was announced during Thursday's monthly board meeting.

The Neighborhood Blight Reclamation and Revitalization Act was signed into law by former Gov. Ed Rendell in October 2010 and put into effect in April 2011.

If a code violation is left unaddressed by the property owner for six straight months, the law allows a municipality to take action, even having an out-of-state offender extradited for prosecution.

Punishment also includes placing a lien against all of the alleged offender's properties, not simply the blighted properties, towards recovering the costs of repair or prevention. It also allows a municipality to go after a mortgage lender, limited partner and others to recoup costs.

Such an outstanding code violation can prevent a property owner from obtaining a municipal permit, too. Permit denials are also allowed by law if a property owner has an outstanding code violation has a delinquency for services like water or garbage collection as well as taxes that are final and ineligible for appeal.

If the permit is necessary to fix a code violation, it can not be denied, and there also are avenues for appeal.

Coal Township is among the counties largest municipalities that have dedicated funding towards the cause as leverage to pursue larger sums of money for demolition projects and the like.

Apart from joining the newly created task force, this year the township has instituted a ticketing system to more quickly punish code violators and adopted a more frequent inspection schedule for rental properties.

MMO obligation

Coal Township will pay $163,008 to its pensions in 2013.

The state's share of the township's minimal municipal obligation is $132,316.06. That leaves the township on the hook for $30,691.94, all of which will be covered with money remaining from a prior state allocation for the MMO and other tax money, according to Township Manager Rob Slaby.

Those monies will dry up with the 2013 payment. The township's obligation increases to $180,048 for 2014, and if the state's allocation remains unchanged, that leaves $48,048 to be paid by the township.

Department reports

The following reports are submitted monthly by the respective department heads:

The township police department responded to 263 complaints in September; patrolled 5,353 miles; issued 22 parking tickets, 29 criminal complaints or citations, 29 traffic citations; abated three abandoned vehicles; investigated 16 traffic accidents.

The code officer issued 39 building permits and 18 occupancy permits while following up on each of the 124 complaints received at the office.

The fire department logged more than 201 man-hours while responding to 26 calls in September, including one "high occupancy" fire, three traffic accidents, five automatic fire alarms, one brush fire and one vehicle fire. Of those calls, seven were to provide mutual aid.

The township street department, among other jobs, repaired roadway or curbing at Highview Estates and on Washington Boulevard, repaired a wall and installed curbing on Locust Street, painted yellow lines, and filled in pot holes in the Edgewood and Ferndale sections. Trucks and leaf vacuums were prepared for leaf pickup, which will begin Monday.

Other business

Coal Township Commissioners also:

- Set Trick or Treat for 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 31;

- Hired Richard Capps as a full-time mechanic, beginning Monday. He will be paid $13.05 hourly with a 90-day probationary period;

- Accepted the treasurer's report, which included an account balance of $282,532.39 in the township general fund;

- Approved an addition to the police manual for audio and video recording;

- Allowed Union Fire Company to conduct its annual fund drive this month;

- Acknowledged correspondence from PennDOT about its erosion and sediment control plan having been approved for its proposed bridge replacement project on Route 61 over Shamokin Creek near Tharptown;

- Announced its 2011 audit was completed;

- Said the township was selected by state Department of Environmental Protection selected it for a sample review of its recycling grant applications;

- Voted to allow the sale of properties on the repository list, including 1212 and 1218 Chemung St., 22 S. Poplar St., 114 S. First St. and three other parcels;

- Approved spending $212.73 to cover the insurance for the portion of a fundraising scavenger hunt, Grave Robbers Run, to be held Oct. 20 in Coal Township. The event will also be held in Shamokin and that municipal entity will insure the portion inside its lines;

- Vacated a section of a paper street from Independence to Walnut streets in the 1600 block of W. Walnut St. at the request of Ronald Grzybowski;

- Adopted ordinance to establish stop signs at Clay and Hunter streets and Fern and Locust streets, and create a 15 mph speed limit on Upper Excelsior Road;

- Acknowledged receipt of a letter from township resident David Sage, also a township police officer, saying only municipalities "within the footprint" of the developing outdoor adventure area above Burnside receive any proceeds, not places like the City of Shamokin "who are not directly impacted by the park."

- Received notice of approval for an erosion and sediment plan for John Reidinger of 1627 Trevorton Road, along with notice that such a plan was approved for a stream bank stabilization project at 119 18th St., Tharptown, was approved.

BEAR GAP - More than 400 vehicles drove through the Roaring Creek Tract of the Weiser State Forest on Sunday, taking advantage of an invitation extended to the public three years running.

The eight-mile gravel access road through the watershed is most always restricted to vehicle traffic, save for Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and Aqua PA.

That it was opened for 5 1/2 hours Sunday to the public, one-way from Route 54 to Route 42, allowed frequent visitors a new perspective to that acquired through hiking or biking.

And for those unable or uninterested in making a physical trek, it offered a rare opportunity for a convenient trip through one of the natural jewels of the greater Shamokin area.

Jim Kellum and his wife, DeeDee, of Sunbury, have been to the state forest several times to hike or bike. They have many friends who drive up from the Reading area to do the same.

The couple was running errands Sunday and decided to take a break by driving through the Roaring Creek tract and do "a little leaf peeping."

"We can come and enjoy the view without the effort," Jim said with a laugh.

The Kellums, like all visitors Sunday, were greeted by Wes Harner and Joe Fishburn, DCNR employees. The welcoming committee provided maps and a rule sheet spelling out the dos and don'ts of the drive-through event.

That so many people turned out to take their vehicles into the watershed Sunday is evidence enough of why it's restricted, Harner said.

"People wonder why we don't always have it open," he said. "It's a safety thing."

Having vehicles on the access road daily would be a hazard to the hikers and bikers, fishermen and hunters who take to the land by foot and by pedal. It would also clog up the road and perhaps stymie rescue vehicles in the event of an emergency.

There were no emergencies Sunday and it appeared no one was in any great hurry to drive quickly through the watershed to begin with, as visitors pulled off the road to explore the woods and reservoirs.

Conservation displays and presentations were set up at the complex near the McWilliams Reservoir at the access road's halfway point, and visitors were encouraged to stop and picnic at tables along the hiking trails.

The watershed area is about 9,000 acres - about 6,600 between the state highways and another 2,300 acres on the east side of Route 42.

George Donkochick came to the event with his wife, Rieta. The Donkochick's live about 16 miles away in West Cameron, but when George was a child growing up in Natalie, the watershed was practically his backyard. Access was restricted back then to even pedestrians - it was incorporated into the state forest system in 2003 - but he admitted breaking the rules once or twice.

"This is really the first time I've been in it since they opened," he said, as his wife said she'd never been in the watershed. "When we were kids we used to sneak down through.

"Legally, I'm going through now," he joked.

Dave Dyer, of Elysburg, has been through the Roaring Tract a great many times. He estimated he'd given tours to more than 18,000 visitors since 1986 when he began working security for the former Consumers Water Co., which purchased the 101-year-old Roaring Creek Water Co. the year before he started.

Two name changes and a merger later, the water company became Aqua PA, a division of Aqua America. The Roaring Creek system will be in operation 130 years come 2014.

On Sunday, Dave and his wife, Alice, drove through, with Dave recounting at the ride's end a great deal of the land's history and that of its original owners, the McWilliams family.

"The water was so good that the men would drink from it," he said of when water was pumped from Kline's Reservoir, near Route 42, up Big Mountain from a steam plant to a mining operation to wash coal. "Then they started to put it in their houses."

Of the McWilliams Reservoir, Dave says, "190 acres," "52 feet deep," "1,333,000,000 gallons when it's full." He easily rattled off the same stats for the Bear Gap Reservoir near Route 54.

Lorne and Nancy Fritz, of Danville, drove through the Roaring Creek on Sunday in their classic 1971 MG.

"The first time we walked about halfway," Nancy said, noting that's about four miles in and four miles out.

"Then we decided we better bring the bikes over," Lorne cracked.

They enjoyed the drive, but both said, for their tastes anyhow, the forest is best enjoyed on bike.

BURNSIDE - Volunteers filled a 30-yard roll-off container to the brim this weekend with trash strewn about Burnside Mountain.

"It's overflowing, so everybody did a great job," Kathy Jeremiah, planning department grants manager for Northumberland County, said of the container and the efforts of volunteers.

The cleanup was organized by Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful and Northumberland County Planning Department and was held Saturday and Sunday. It included participation of about 30 volunteers, some of whom came as far away as Philadelphia and the Washington, D.C. area.

Some volunteers were locals, others were members of out-of-area off-road clubs.

The cleanup was the second coordinated by the nonprofit organization and the county department on the land being developed as the Anthracite Outdoor Adventure Area.

The volunteers concentrated on picking up burn piles filled with household trash and construction debris, Jeremiah said.

A skid loader was instrumental in the cleanup and was donated by Jeff's Auto Body and Recycling, Paxinos, while the roll-off was donated by Waste Management.

Shamokin-Coal Township

Monday - Morning cards and puzzles, 8:30 a.m.; yoga, 9:30 a.m.; Walk A Mile, 10:30 a.m.; Wii bowling, and treadmill for those with doctor's slip.

Tuesday - Morning cards and puzzles, 8:30 a.m.; Wii competition with Milton; shopping at Lycoming Mall, van leaves at 9 a.m., cost is $2; bridge lessons, 10:30 a.m.; bridge, noon; aquacize, 1:30 p.m.

Wednesday - Morning cards and puzzles, 8:30 a.m.; VNA flu shots, 9 a.m. to noon, blood pressure and blood sugar screening, 10 to 11 a.m.; Wii bowling, 10 a.m.; Vo-Tech luncheon served, 11:30 a.m.; pinochle and Pokeno, 12:30 p.m.

Thursday - Morning cards and puzzles, 8:30 a.m.; Wii bowling; bingo, 12:30 p.m.; aquacize, 1:30 p.m.

Friday - Morning cards and puzzles, 8:30 a.m.; Wii bowling; nickel bingo, noon.

Saturday - Cards, 7 p.m. Doors open at 6 p.m.

Mount Carmel

Monday - Fun and Fitness, 11 a.m.; lunch, 11:45 a.m.; bean bag, 12:30 p.m.; Pokeno, 1 p.m.

Tuesday - Wii bowling, 10 a.m.; lunch, 11:45 a.m.; Unlucky 7s, 12:30 p.m.

Wednesday - Musical Memories, 10 a.m.; parachute ball toss, 10:30 a.m.; lunch, 11:30 a.m.; hospice presentation by Family Medical, 12:30 p.m.; bingo, 1 p.m.

Thursday - Wii bowling, 9 a.m.; trivia, 10 a.m.; lunch, 11:45 a.m.; puzzle time, 1 p.m.

Friday - Fun and Fitness, 10 a.m.; HSIM Exercise, 11 a.m.; lunch, 11:45 a.m.; Pokeno, 1 p.m.

Kulpmont

Sunday - Pinochle, 1:30 p.m.

Monday - Wii and noodle balloon in the morning; bean bag, 10:30 a.m.; Pokeno, 12:30 p.m.

Tuesday - Wii competition at Dewart SAC, van leaves at 9 a.m.; pinochle-cards, noon.

Wednesday - Sunbury SAC coming for Wii competition, 9 a.m.; Vo-tech luncheon at Shamokin SAC, you must be signed up for the meal, van leaves center at 10:30 a.m.; bunco, 12:30 p.m.

Thursday - Wii and noodle balloon in the morning; Mary Barrett will review Medicare annual enrollment infromation, noon; bingo, 12:30 p.m.; evening cards, 4 p.m.

Friday - Wii and noodle balloon in the morning; Megan from Lower Anthracite Transportation System to answer questions, noon; nickel bingo, 12:30 p.m.

Centralia-Wilburton

Monday - Traveling Library with James Patterson.

Tuesday - Chair exercise with Carol Burton, 10:15 a.m.

Wednesday - Family Medical blood pressure and blood sugar screening, 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.; birthdays celebrated.

Thursday - Bring a Friend Day; site managers meeting, 1 p.m.

Friday - Center closed.

Elysburg

Monday - Pokeno, noon.

Tuesday - Healthy Steps, 9:30 a.m.

Wednesday - Golden Living Center from Sunbury to speak on "Home Safety," 11 a.m.; Students from the Vo-Tech will prepare a dinner at the Shamokin SAC. Meal will be roast pork, mashed potatoes, string beans and dessert with coffee or tea. Please let the center know if interest is attending. Cost is $6; bingo, noon.

Thursday - Healthy Steps, 9:30 a.m.

Friday - Crafts, 9:30 a.m.; pinochle, noon.

Trevorton

Monday - Wii games, 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.; card games, 12:30 p.m.

Tuesday - Wii bowling practice, 9:30 a.m.; movie and snack, 12:30 p.m.; evening bingo, 6 p.m.

Wednesday - Scrabble, Phase 10 and UNO, 9:30 a.m.; shopping at Weis Market, 12:30 to 2 p.m.; last day to order pierogies.

Thursday - Bean bag toss, 10 a.m.; Unlucky 7s and 31, 12:30 p.m.; evening bingo, 6 p.m.

Friday - Wii games, 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.; exercise, 10:30 a.m.; $1 bingo, 12:30 p.m.; birthday party, 5 p.m.

Light the Night event set at Oak Grove

OVERLOOK - Oak Grove Church's third annual Light the Night event will be held from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 28, at the church, 133 Oak Grove Road. It features free hayrides, games, prizes, pumpkin painting, drinks and treats.

For more information or directions, call 898-9093.

District judge earns recertification

HARRISBURG - Magisterial District Judge John Gembic was again certified for service as a member of Pennsylvania's Unified Judicial System after successful completion of continuing legal education course work. Conducted by the Minor Judiciary Board and the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts, the educational program for Magisterial District Judges was held recently in Harrisburg.

The week-long instructional program is designed to ensure that magisterial district judges remain current in a variety of legal topics and management techniques required to fairly adjudicate cases and effectively supervise a district court office.

Continuing education course work is required by statute of each of the more than 500 Pennsylvania Magisterial District Judges, with approximately 50 Magisterial District Judges attending one of 13 such classes at some time during the academic year.

SUNBURY - A bench warrant has been issued for an Elizabethville man accused in a 2010 crash that claimed the life of a Dalmatia teen.

Thomas L. Schorr, 31, of 29 N. Market St., failed to appear in Northumberland County Court Monday for jury selection on his upcoming trial on charges of accidents involving death while not properly licensed, three counts of recklessly endangering another person, driving while operating privilege is suspended or revoked, duties at stop signs, driving vehicle at a safe speed, careless driving, reckless driving, driving on roadways laned for traffic, false reports and failure to use a safety seat.

The charges stem from an April 12, 2010, accident during which Schorr was allegedly driving erratically with three passengers in his vehicle. One, Bethany Harris, 19, of Dalmatia, exited the vehicle while it was still in motion, striking her head on a rock. She passed away one day later from her injuries.

According to police, Schorr lost control of his 2001 Saturn while traveling around a left curve on McKees Road, Lower Mahanoy Township.

The car then exited the road and struck an embankment with is passenger side before traveling back onto the road and continuing toward Lenker Road.

In a 2010 News-Item article, the teen's mother, Becky Harris, said her daughter tried to leave the vehicle because of Schorr's erratic driving. Harris said her daughter had a fear of such driving because she had been a passenger in two other vehicle accidents, including one in 2008 that caused extensive injuries to her arm, requiring surgery.

Both Becky Harris and Bethany Harris's boyfriend said Schorr should have been given a blood alcohol test at the scene, but state police said if the legal justification to make a DUI arrest was there, police would have done it.

Other trials set

Schorr's case was one of three jury selections Monday before Northumberland County President Judge Robert Sacavage involving upcoming local cases.

Erik J. Harrington, 23, formerly of Sheetz Avenue, Northumberland, waived his right to jury selection and elected to have an Oct. 30 bench trial before Sacavage on felony charges of robbery, burglary, aggravated assault, theft, criminal conspiracy to commit robbery, criminal conspiracy to commit burglary, aiding the consummation of a crime, and simple assault and a misdemeanor charge of terroristic threats.

Harrington was charged by state police in connection with the July 16, 2005, armed robbery of James Honecker, a disabled man living in Paxinos at the time of the robbery.

Police said Harrington and three other individuals - all wearing dark clothing, hats and bandannas across their faces - entered Honecker's home at 1:30 a.m. and held the victim at gunpoint while the house was ransacked. The thieves took 12 rifles and shotguns, knives, ammunition, cash, jewelry, an amplifier and prescription narcotics, valued at $5,590, and caused $300 damage to the home.

Harrington allegedly fled Pennsylvania before his preliminary hearing and was taken into custody on April 29, 2011, in North Carolina. He was extradited to face charges.

A co-defendant in the case, Kasey A. Sees, 26, formerly of Sunbury, pleaded guilty to felony charges of burglary and robbery in August 2006 and was sentenced to 3 1/3 to 6 2/3 years in prison.

A jury of nine men and three women, and two female alternates, will hear the case of Michael Bramhall, 54, of 1119 W. Arch St., Shamokin, before Sacavage beginning Thursday, Oct. 25.

Bramhall was charged with aggravated assault and simple assault following a Nov. 16 incident at his home when county probation officers attempted to speak with him about a female for whom they had an active warrant.

After being told to come around the back and making probation officer get a copy of the warrant he could read, Bramhall met probation officers at the back door, holding a shotgun by its barrel with the butt of the gun on the floor.

When the court officers tried to approach, Bramhall allegedly began to thump the butt of the gun on the floor telling them, "Come on in and see what happens."

Police from Coal Township and several neighboring departments were called, but once a Coal Township police officer came to the door, Bramhall became cooperative.

Municipality Dem Rep Other

Municipality Dem Rep Other

Coal Township 3,062 1,696 410

Delaware Township 751 1,466 281

East Cameron Twp. 186 164 32

East Chillisquaque 88 247 56

Herndon 50 109 29

Jackson Township 133 340 51

Jordan Township 106 314 40

Kulpmont 1,308 465 132

Lewis Township 350 608 97

Little Mahanoy Twp. 71 134 21

Lower Augusta Twp. 186 412 76

Lower Mahanoy Twp. 237 631 110

Marion Heights 283 138 35

McEwensville 63 110 26

Milton 1,322 1,784 579

Mount Carmel Boro. 2,328 1,061 371

Mount Carmel Twp. 1,359 405 130

Northumberland 841 1,281 317

Point Township 722 1,459 305

Ralpho Township 1,096 1,484 318

Riverside 512 612 197

Rockefeller Twp. 390 953 131

Rush Township 221 405 74

Shamokin City 2,198 1,411 419

Shamokin Township 534 829 119

Snydertown 57 112 17

Sunbury 2,018 2,340 822

Turbot Township 327 680 169

Turbotville 189 241 47

Upper Augusta Twp. 557 1,023 201

Upper Mahanoy Twp. 124 227 27

Washington Twp. 128 250 35

Watsontown 419 705 163

West Cameron Twp. 84 167 17

West Chillisquaque 434 773 209

Zerbe Township 439 497 120

SUNBURY - Five men who have been deeply involved in the development of the proposed Anthracite Outdoor Adventure Area (AOAA) were appointed on a split vote Monday morning to staggered terms on a newly-formed authority that will operate and maintain the recreation park.

Patrick Mack, county planning and industrial development director; Michael Schwartz, a local bank official and chairman of the Zerbe Township Board of Supervisors; James Backes, director of operations for GDK Development Inc.; Barry Yorwarth, an outdoor enthusiast and federal prison employee, and David L. Crowl, a longtime contractor and state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) volunteer, were appointed to the authority, effective Jan. 1, 2013.

Mack, Schwartz, Backes, Yorwarth and Crowl will serve five, four, three, two and one-year terms, respectively, in accordance with the Pennsylvania Municipal Planning Code and Municipal Authority Act. The staggered terms were established to avoid having a high turnover on the board during the same year.

The five volunteer appointees are outdoorsmen and all but Schwartz serve on the steering committee for the AOAA.

The appointments were approved on a 2-1 vote by the Northumberland County commissioners during a special meeting that also included the adoption of a policy for the AOAA and a proposed ordinance that sets forth permitted usage of the AOAA property and fines to be imposed for improper use of the land.

2 to 1

Voting in favor of the appointments were Commissioners Vinny Clausi and Stephen Bridy, who previously voiced their support for a five-member board. Commissioner Richard Shoch, who believes the formation of the authority was done too quickly without proper public input, cast the lone dissenting vote on the appointments, policy and ordinance.

Prior to the authority appointments, Shoch said he had nothing personal against any of the nominees, but objected to the selection process and size of the board.

He said, "I want to see the project move forward and succeed, and the authority will have my support."

Shoch said the policy for the AOAA was presented to him at 10:45 a.m. Monday, 15 minutes before the special meeting. He added, "I believe there is a need for more discussion. There is no waiver of liability during hunting season and no provision involving ATV riders being allowed on the property unless they are an organized group."

The commissioner said there is too much "rule making" given to the planning commission instead of the authority under the policy for the AOAA.

In referencing the master plan for the park, Clausi responded, "We have a $250,000 book for implementing policy for the AOAA. We've drug our feet long enough on this and should have had an authority adopted in 2011. I was elected to lead, not fight. It's time to move forward. No more mud slinging."

Shoch said he believes the county is losing out on a chance to generate revenue by not charging hunters to use the property.

Mack said the planning department and commissioners attempted to please hunters as best as possible when developing the policy.

Bridy said, "We are setting up the authority to protect taxpayers. The authority can make changes as they see fit. We've already been sued once over this."

Clausi once again challenged Shoch to be "part of the solution" rather than "part of the problem."

"These are good business people being appointed to the authority and I support every one of them," Clausi said. "We must stand behind them and support the park. It's the right thing to do."

Clausi promised to keep "politics" out of the authority.

Number of members is average

As for the controversy surrounding the number of authority members, Bridy said his research on the matter revealed that the average membership of the 71 authorities in the state is five. He said 8.6 percent of authority members in the state are government employees.

Mack said Rock Run Recreation Area, an off-road vehicle park covering more than 6,000 acres of property in Cambria and Clearfield counties in the western part of the state, has seven voting members on its 12 to 15-member board that operates the facility. But Mack noted Rock Run is owned by a recreation authority rather than the county.

Mack said he is hopeful construction of the AOAA park will begin next fall, but couldn't provide a target date for its official opening.

David F. Kaleta, 54, of Shamokin, who has sued the county for denying him access to the AOAA and violating the Sunshine Act, reserved comment about the authority appointments after the meeting.

With the appointment of the authority, county solicitor Frank Garrigan said the next step for the AOAA involves the articles of incorporation for the Northumberland County Anthracite Outdoor Adventure Area, which must be submitted to Secretary of the Commonwealth Carol Aichele by today.

Garrigan, who said the articles of incorporation were mailed overnight to the state, identifies the three other municipal authorities in the county and their addresses - Northumberland County Authority, Northumberland County Industrial Development Authority and Redevelopment Authority of the County of Northumberland. The articles of incorporation also includes the names and addresses of the five AOAA authority members.

"When the authority members take office in January, they will adopt their own bylaws and policy for the AOAA, while using the county's policy as a template," Garrigan said. "The policy adopted today is only an interim policy. The authority members also will be responsible for issuing permits and waivers of liability for the AOAA. The county will lease the land to the authority and they will run the AOAA."

Garrigan comprised the articles of incorporation, while Mack developed the rules for the policy.

Time, money

The solicitor said the authority members will serve as volunteers, but will receive lifetime passes to use the AOAA during regular operating hours as long as they comply with all the regulations for the park.

At the beginning of the special meeting, Coal Township resident Paul Leshinskie asked the commissioners who currently keeps track of the revenue and expenses generated by the AOAA.

Clausi said Mack, treasurer Kevin Gilroy and controller Tony Phillips assist in handling the revenue and expenses.

Clausi has repeatedly said that no taxpayer money will be spent on the AOAA.

County budget director Jeff McClintock said a separate revenue account has been established for the park, with cash being deposited into the general fund.

Bridy pointed out that no overtime expenses are incurred by county employees working on the AOAA because they are salaried workers.

Mack said separate time sheets are kept for work involving the AOAA.

Leshinskie, who supports the economic gains that could be generated by the park, said, "I believe the park shouldn't be run by a government entity. It should be run by a business entity."

MOUNT CARMEL - Officers said the police department's new Facebook page was a valuable tool in locating a seven-year-old girl who wandered from her home Monday evening.

The father's fiance reported the girl missing at 7:16 p.m., an hour after she left her residence in the 100 block of North Market Street. The girl was found alone and unharmed at 8:20 p.m. in the area of Seventh and Vine streets, about 10 blocks away, by a borough resident, whose wife saw the missing girl's photo and clothing description on the department's Facebook page.

Police said the family did not give a reason why the girl went missing, but noted the girl had a frog with her when she was found.

Assisting at the scene were the Mount Carmel Fire Department, Mount Carmel Township and Kulpmont police departments and Sheriff Chad Reiner and his K-9, Clark.

SUNBURY - Hunting will be allowed at no cost at the Anthracite Outdoor Adventure Area (AOAA) between the middle of November and end of January and the county planning department will be responsible for enforcing rules and regulations for the park until an authority established Monday by the county commissioners takes over operation of the off-highway vehicle park in January.

Outside of hunting season, the AOAA land will be open only to formally organized groups.

Operating hours for the AOAA will be from dawn until dusk and nobody will be granted access to the park after dusk unless they obtain a special camping permit.

A policy to establish rules for the AOAA and the advertisement of a proposed ordinance enforcing regulations involving use of the county-owned land were approved on a 2-1 vote at Monday's special meeting.

Commissioners Vinny Clausi and Stephen Bridy approved the policy and advertisement of the ordinance, while Commissioner Richard Shoch voted against them.

The rules and regulations are the same set forth in the AOAA master plan adopted by the commissioners Dec. 6, 2011.

Hunting season at the AOAA is defined in the policy as the period of time, excluding Sundays or other days prohibited by the Pennsylvania Game Commission, between the beginning of black bear archery season (typically mid-November) and the end of deer archery season (typically the end of January) as determined by the Pennsylvania Game Commission calendar.

However, in the event the beginning or ending dates set for those seasons are significantly altered, the planning department shall be authorized to alter the beginning and ending dates of the AOAA hunting season.

During the AOAA hunting season, the AOAA, which is defined in the master plan as approximately 6,500 acres in Coal, East Cameron, West Cameron, Mount Carmel and Zerbe townships, hunters and fishermen will not be required to request permission, obtain permission slips or execute waivers of liability as required by the policy for other activities. Hunting will be unsupervised and a walk-in only activity; no parking will be allowed on AOAA property.

All other activities on the AOAA during the AOAA hunting season shall be prohibited, except for Sundays or other days when hunting is prohibited.

Handicapped and disabled hunters who have obtained proper clearances and permission from the game commission and/or state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) to hunt with a motorized or assistance vehicle will be permitted to hunt on the land during the AOAA hunting season.

Other activities

The planning department will receive and review all applications for usage of the AOAA. All applications will be considered on a first-come, first-serve basis and may be denied by the county planning department if it is determined an application conflicts with other previously scheduled events.

So as to prevent one group from monopolizing usage of the AOAA, once an applicant has been granted permission to use the land, that applicant shall not be granted permission to use the land to the exclusion of another applicant for three months. Applications for usage shall not be for a period longer than 48 hours.

The planning department shall make all reasonable attempts to accommodate multiple usages of AOAA lands. It shall be the goal of the policy to accommodate as many different types of activities and organizations as possible in an effort to help promote the AOAA.

If it is determined by the planning department that an applied for time, date, location or activity cannot be accommodated, another time, date, location or activity may be suggested.

All applications for usage of the land must be received by the planning department at least one week prior to the date of the applicant's requested use. Incomplete applications may be rejected.

The following parties shall not be required to file applications with the planning department to gain access to the AOAA:

- Northumberland County employees or officials who receive permission from the planning department to enter the AOAA.

- Contractors hired by the county to perform work on the AOAA land, and subcontractors hired by the contractors as long as they are acting within the scope of their work.

- Any utility company employees, security personnel engaged by the county, police, fire or other emergency officials acting within the scope of their duties.

- Any person appointed as a guide who is acting at the direction of the planning department.

Formally organized groups only

An applicant must be a formally organized group and verification must be provided. Adequate proof shall include articles of incorporation, bylaws, proof of 501(c)(3) status or other similar documentation.

The applicant must have liability insurance in an amount to be set for all applicants by the planning department and provide proof of the insurance at the time of application.

The applicant must read and acknowledge all of the rules of the AOAA.

The total number of participants in an applicant's group must be greater than six adults and all participants must be listed on the applicant's application.

The applicant must have a designated contact person and must agree to have each participant sign a waiver of liability, which must be signed and submitted before any permit will be granted. Failure to have the designated minimum number of people participate on the dates of usage will result in the applicant being banned from future usage.

Due to dangers associated with the AOAA, a list of approved guides will be provided to applicants if requested. The planning department shall advise all applicants whose participants do not include an approved guide that a guide be consulted prior to use.

In the event of an emergency, the planning department may close the AOAA to everyone other than emergency personnel for a period no longer than until the next meeting of the county commissioners.

All applicants granted permits must stay within the confines of the AOAA, excluding normal ingress and egress at the main entrance. They will be provided with an AOAA map and must park their vehicles not being used in AOAA activities in a designated area of the AOAA.

Applicants approved for permits must agree to abide by all rules as provided to the contact person, who must review the rules with participants prior to use of the property. The contact persons must agree that they are the responsible party for the conduct of the applicant group.

All applicants approved for permits must follow all local, state and federal rules, regulations, ordinances, codes, statutes or laws.

The planning department shall have the authority to adopt further rules to reasonably regulate the conduct of users of the land and the ability to promulgate the rules shall be considered an administrative function of the planning department.

Under a proposed ordinance adopted by the commissioners, any person violating the rules and regulations of the AOAA will be ordered to pay the county a fine of not more than $600 plus court costs for each violation, and/or face possible imprisonment of not more than 10 days.