SHAMOKIN - The Cecilian Club presented its May concert at Mount Zion Welsh Congregational Church. Nan Weller, president, welcomed members and guests.

Before the music began, Marily Stasney read a brief article by Elizabeth Sherill. In "Reflecting the Light," Sherill told how our faces can reflect our life experiences.

The evening's concert consisted of highlights from the season's concerts. The program opened with a piano/organ duet as Irvin Liachowitz and Noriene Ladd played Rachmaninoff's "Theme from 2nd Concerto." This was followed by a vocal solo as Beverly Petrovich, accompanied by Weller, sang "Some Enchanted Evening" by Rogers. Bonny Klinger and Grethel Vinup played a piano duet, "William Tell Overture" by Rossini.

Margaret Morris, accompanied by Ladd, sang "I Am an American" by Schuster, Cunningham and Whitcup. Ladd performed an organ solo, "Shepherd's Pipes," by Harris. Vinup followed with a piano solo, "Nocturne Opus 9, No. 1," by Raye and Prince.

Tom Christ entertained the group with "The Baseball Game" from "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" by Gesner. Morris accompanied him. Mary Anne Miller offered a clarinet solo, "Etude No. 33," by Rose.

The program continued with a vocal trio, Morris, Martha Lynch and Miller, who, accompanied by Ladd, sang Styne's "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend." Liachowitz and Bonny Klinger played a piano duet, "Spanish Dance," by Moszkowski.

The concert concluded with everyone singing "Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah," accompanied by Ladd on organ and Vinup on piano.

Guests proceed to the tea which followed while members held a brief meeting. It was reported four applications were received for the club's annual scholarship. Each had to submit a CD showcasing a performance. Members were informed all four applications were excellent, and a decision will be made soon. The winner will be announced at the club's June 107th anniversary banquet, which will be held Monday, June 10, Harry's Grill. Members and adult guests are invited. Installation of officers for the next two-year term will be held.

SHAMOKIN - An 8-year-old girl suffered multiple injuries Monday afternoon when she was hit by a car driven by a woman who left the scene.

Patrolman Jarrod Scandle said Destiny Rubio, of 40 S. Anthracite St., suffered arm, leg and facial injuries in the 3:20 p.m. accident at Anthracite and Arch streets near her home.

Scandle said Rubio was standing on a sidewalk on the north side of Arch Street when she walked in between two school buses onto Arch Street, where she was struck by the front of a dark colored car traveling west on Arch Street.

Rubio was transported by AREA Services Ambulance to Geisinger-Shamokin Area Community Hospital, where she underwent emergency room treatment before being released.

Witnesses told police the driver initially stopped at the scene and asked about the condition of the girl before getting back into her car and leaving the area. The driver was described by witnesses as a tall white female with dark or red hair. She was wearing a dark red shirt and black shorts.

Anyone with information about the accident or driver is urged to call Scandle at 648-5708.

BLOOMSBURG - A Columbia County judge ordered the attorneys in a Cleveland Township appeals case to transcribe testimony at the next zoning board hearing before deciding whether residents fighting against proposed chicken barns must post a $151,100 bond.

Judge Gary E. Norton addressed more than 50 people in courtroom 1 in the county courthouse Monday afternoon after meeting privately with Atty. Joseph C. Michetti, who is representing the residents, and Atty. Lloyd Hampton, who is representing Joel and Sarah Knoebel, the couple hoping to build the chicken barns.

He said it would be redundant for the parties involved to provide testimony for hours in his courtroom when they were already in the process of doing so during the zoning hearing board meetings.

Last week, there was nearly four hours of testimony concerning the residents' appeal, and they will be meeting again at 7 p.m. Monday at the Cleveland Township Municipal building, at which time there will likely be another four hours of testimony.

Norton instructed the attorneys to have that meeting, type up a transcript and submit it and briefs to the court for review by July 8.

At that time, another hearing will be scheduled to determine whether the residents must post the bond for the appeal process.

While the decision of the zoning board is appealable - and whichever side loses will likely appeal to the higher court in front of Norton - the bond is not appealable.

'Frivolous' case?

The Knoebels, of 110 Center School Road, are the owners of Cleveland Pork, a five-year-old pork producing operation contracted with County View Family Farms, Middletown.

They were given permits to build two 43-by-500-foot poultry barns along Wynn School Road on part of a 76-acre tract of land in February, but the residents appealed their permits in March, saying building a Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) would be detrimental to their health, quality of life and property value.

However, the Knoebels say the zoning process has cost them income and the ability to expand their agriculture business, and call the residents' case "frivolous," because the property is in a R2 Residential Medium District zone, which allows for conditional use of agriculture and horticulture.

Lost revenue

The six-figure bond was determined by how much the barns could make Knoebel, how much he is losing in selling chicken manure, increased costs, attorney fees and miscellaneous and incidental costs, including lost interest.

If the residents lose their case, the bond would be made payable immediately to the Knoebels if the judge determines whether there should be a bond in the appeal process.

Johanna Lucid, of 24 Wynn School Road; Barbara Freeman, of 74 Wynn School Road, and Marianne Zenyuch, of 89 Monroe Drive, sat with Michetti in the front of the courtroom. Joel Knoebel and his wife sat in the front with Hampton.

Last week, Lucid said she and her husband Tom would be stuck if the barns were built, saying they don't have the money to move.

Knoebel and Hampton both declined comment after the court hearing Monday.

The Knoebels already operate two CAFOs on their 600 acres of property in the region: a 4,500-pig farm located on their home property, approximately three miles east of the R2 District, which is operated under Cleveland Pork; and a 2,200-pig farm located in Irish Valley, operated under the name RK Farms Inc.

Since last year

The battle began in April 2012 when the Knoebels spread manure on farmland surrounding Wynn School, Middle and Polk roads. Residents complained about the "overwhelming" stench and expressed concerns about their health.

Residents have been pushing for the Cleveland Township supervisors to pass an amendment to the zoning ordinance that would limit large-scale animal farms in a residential district. It would ban against a CAFO from exceeding 100 livestock animals within 500 yards of a residential dwelling in the R2 district.

COAL TOWNSHIP - Anthracite Outdoor Adventure Area Authority (AOAA) members hoped construction of a welcome center would start Monday, but the state has not signed the contracts for the work.

Chairman Jim Backes said PennDOT and the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) have to first approve the four contracts, totaling $1.6 million.

"It's a normal process. I don't think there's anything wrong," he said Monday.

Authority member Pat Mack, who is also the Northumberland County planning director, agreed with Backes, saying he wasn't shocked about the delay with such a large-scale project. The two agencies are in detailed discussions about the bids and Mack expects good news this week, he said.

"We're anxious, to say the least," he said.

The authority, which approved the contracts at a meeting on May 21, had listed June 3 as a target date for construction to start. They have cited Sept. 2 as a finish date.

The contracts, which total $1,637,281, were awarded to Paul Risk Associates Inc., of Quarryville, at $1,429,000 for general construction; J.B. Electric Corp., of Minersville, at $92,390 for electrical; Bognet Inc., of Hazleton, at $58,205 for plumbing, and Shannon A. Smith Inc, of Myerstown, at $57,685 for mechanical/HVAC.

Funding is coming mostly from two grants totaling $1.9 million that were awarded by DCNR in 2010 and 2011.

The welcome center will be built at the trailhead just off Route 125 south of Burnside. It will include an administrative building with an office, conference room and three maintenance garages. There will be 75 parking places on a paved lot and 180 spaces on a gravel lot, with additional overflow parking. The area will also include an ATV safety course, benches, lights and signs.

The AOAA authority will meet at 6:30 p.m. today at the Northumberland County Career and Arts Center, 2 E. Arch St., on the main floor, for its monthly workshop.

SHAMOKIN - City and state police and Northumberland County Coroner James F. Kelley are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of an 11-week-old boy Monday morning.

Navaydius D. Marciniak, of 349 S. Market St., was pronounced dead by an emergency room physician at 11:15 a.m. at Geisinger-Shamokin Area Community Hospital. Kelley said the infant was transported to the hospital from his home by AREA Services ambulance.

The coroner said an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death is scheduled for 7:45 a.m. today at Lehigh Valley Hospital, Allentown. The baby was born March 18.

"The case remains under investigation," Shamokin Police Chief Edward Griffiths said. "The cause of death will hopefully be determined by the autopsy."

He said it's too early to tell if it was suspicious or accidental.

"It's always tragic when an infant dies," he said.

Kelley said the boy resided with his 18-year-old father, Damon Marciniak; two brothers, ages 2 and 15 months, and other family members. The infant's 20-year-old mother, Turqoise Johnson, lives in Lewisburg, but was at the Shamokin home when the death occurred. She declined comment Monday afternoon outside her home.

Kelley said the victim, his parents and his two older brothers were sleeping in the same room when the death occurred.

He, too, said Monday it's undetermined if the death is suspicious or accidental.

Sleeping with siblings

At 10:28 a.m. Monday, emergency medical services personnel and police were dispatched to the Market Street home for a cardiac arrest call. When they arrived, they discovered the boy was unresponsive and not breathing. Patrolman Raymond Siko II assisted emergency personnel in transporting the victim to the hospital.

According to an affidavit that was part of a search warrant served by Patrolman William Miner, the child was sleeping on the floor.

Johnson told police she had woke up and gave Navaydius his "banky" because he was crying. She then went back to sleep.

Marciniak told police that when he woke up, he saw the 15-month-old's leg on top of the deceased child. He woke Johnson to have her check to see if Navaydius was breathing. Police said the boy's mother grabbed the child and found he was not breathing. Marciniak and then his aunt and uncle performed CPR on the child before calling 911.

The mother had described to police that when Marciniak woke her, the 15-month-old's body was "half way" on the baby, according to the affidavit.

While viewing the child's body in the emergency room, police and Kelley said they saw what appeared to be a "bruise or discoloration" on the right side of the victim's head. "This mark is undetermined at this time," Miner wrote in the search warrant affidavit.

Blankets removed

Blankets and bedding were removed from the home for DNA analysis. Police reported there were "bed bugs" in the bedding.

Assisting Miner and Kelley at the scene were Siko, Cpls. Darwin Tobias and Jarrod Scandle, and Trooper John Knepp of the state police Records and Identification (forensics) Unit from Montoursville.

Miner conducted several interviews at the home and interviewed the victim's parents again at the police station early Monday evening.

HARRISBURG - A local parish will have a new priest at the helm in the coming weeks after an announcement from the Diocese of Harrisburg.

In a press release made by the Very Reverend Robert M. Gillelan Jr., diocesan administrator, notice was given that effective Monday, June 17, The Rev. John Szada, pastor of Divine Redeemer Church, Mount Carmel, will be transferred to become the new chaplain of the Carmel of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, of Elysburg.

Szada became pastor of Divine Redeemer in July 2011, assuming the leadership role from the Rev. Robert Yohe, who had been involved with the church since it was formed under consolidation of several area Catholic churches.

The Carmel of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, Elysburg, is the former Carmelite Monastery, Elysburg and the home of the Discalced Carmelite Nuns, an order in which the sisters are not seen by the public, living in seclusion in order to pray for the world's sins.

Gillelan, who became Diocesan administrator after the sudden death of Bishop Joseph McFadden on named the Rev. Martin O. Moran the new administrator of Divine Redeemer Parish, also effective June 17.

Joseph Aponick, director of communications for the Diocese, said the "administrator" title for Moran is a temporary one.

"A Diocesan administrator does not have the power to appoint a pastor, so he gives them the title of administrator," Aponick said. "When a new bishop is named, he will, in all likelihood, change the title from administrator to pastor."

The press release only says that Moran had been on assignment outside of the Diocese.

The only other local announcement made was, at the presentation of the Rev. Augustaine Idra, regional supervisor for the Apostles of Jesus, The Rev. Fred Wangwe, the campus minister at Bucknell University, Lewisburg, was named the new administrator of Saint Monica Parish, Sunbury, effective June 17. Idra presented the Rev. Bernard Wamayose as the new campus minister.

Two grandsons of a Mount Carmel man recently graduated from universities while another grandson completed his sophomore year of college.

James Philip Mortensen, a son of Susan and Glenn Mortensen, of Laurel, Md., graduated with a degree in computer science from the University of Maryland Baltimore Campus, an honors university. He has accepted a position teaching undergraduate students in the computer and engineering labs at the university.

Briton Sean Gergen, a son of Robert and Laura Gergen, of Ambler, graduated magna cum laude from the College of Engineering at Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y. He has accepted a position with Oracle Corporation in Red Wood City, Calif., a multi-national computer technology corporation that ranks third in the world to Microsoft and IBM.

Trevor Gergen, a son of Robert and Laura Gergen, has completed his sophomore year at Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Mass., with a 4.0 grade point average and will be studying at the London School of Economics in London, England, from October to June 2014. He will then return to Boston College for his senior year.

Mortensen and the Gergen brothers are grandsons of Philip Gergen, of Mount Carmel, and the late Joan Gergen.

Officer available to help vets

SUNBURY - An American Legion officer will be at the Sunbury district office of state Rep. Lynda Schlegel Culver, R-108, Wednesday to assist veterans with questions about benefits and to help file claims.

Randy Nosal, of the Legion's Department of Pennsylvania, will be at 106 Arch St. from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. He is scheduled to be at the Sunbury office on the first Wednesday of every month to assist with compensation and pension claims, education benefits, enrollment in the VA health care system, burial and survivor benefits, state benefits, obtaining military personnel and medical records.

To schedule an appointment, call 286-5885 or 1-800-924-9060. Appointments are not necessary and walk-ins are welcome.

Ta-Ta Trot set for July 13

SUNBURY - The fourth annual Ta-Ta Trot, a 5K run/walk, will be held at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, July 13, during the Sunbury Celebration on North Fourth Street, next to the YMCA.

The event will benefit the Geisinger Marie Lamey Fund and Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition.

In 2012, 981 trotters raised $43,162.79 for breast health awareness. More than 1,300 attendees are expected this year.

Teens and adults are asked to make advanced donations of $25, children $15, to participate. A $5 premium will be added for registration the day of the event. Performance T-shirts are guaranteed for those who register before June 13. Additional performance T-shirts are $15 and pink ribbon recognition signs honoring survivors are available for $10.

For more information, to sponsor the event, or to register, call 214-5066 or visit www.tatatrot.com.

Carmelite 50-Plus

ATLAS - The May meeting of the Carmelite 50 Plus Club was held at Village Towne restaurant.

President Cindy Saukaitis opened the meeting and greeted the six members and officers present. The Pledge of Allegiance, the Senior Adult Ministry (SAM) prayer and St. Mother Pauline's prayer was recited. Members sang the club song and a verse of "America."

They prayed for the deceased and sick members of the club and for the safety of American troops. They said a special prayer for Edna Keister, president of the SAM club, and Gerry Palevicz; Bishop Joseph McFadden, who died recently, the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing and the three girls who were kidnapped 10 years ago and recently rescued.

After the meal, Maria Kaminski read the minutes from the April meeting, which were approved on a motion by Arlene Terry and seconded by Tina Connor and placed on file. Al Visintainer gave the treasury report, which was approved on a motion from Terry and seconded by Connor and made available for audit.

The president read a thank-you note from Keister. She also reported on the April 13 meeting of the Council of Catholic Women. She spoke with the former principal of Holy Spirit School, which she attended, and was thrilled that he remembered her after all these years.

This year has been named "Year of Faith."

The 50/50 was won by Connor and Saukitis.

The next meeting is scheduled for 5 p.m. Thursday, June 13, at Village Towne restaurant.

The members also played bingo after the meeting.

IRISH VALLEY - Clark's Grove United Methodist Church will once again present its "Music in the Valley" concert series.

It will be held the first three Tuesdays in June at 7 p.m. at Clark's Grove U.M. Church.

The event features free entertainment and free food; there is no admission fee.

Weather permitting, the first and third concert will be held outdoors; attendees are asked to bring a lawn chair.

The first in the series will be held this evening, featuring the Vic Boris Trio, composed of Vic Boris, keyboardist and lead singer; Rob Ensinger, bass, and Todd Egger, drums. Singing and dancing along is highly encouraged.

The second show, on June 11, will be an American show by the Morgan Family and Uncle Bean.

The third concert will be a surprise, but is guaranteed to entertain.

Patsies

TREVORTON - Patsies Senior Adult Ministry held its monthly meeting May 20 at St. Patrick Church hall. It was the annual Mother's/Father's Day banquet. There were 39 members present, who said a prayer and gave the Pledge of Allegiance.

May birthdays were Dot Bowers and Helen Hollenbach, both lifetime members, Janet Klock, Joyce Koppen, Rita Troutman and Bette Wilkinson. Happy birthday was sung to all. Those celebrating May birthdays should provide a dessert for the June meeting or make a donation to the Rental/Goodies fund.

Donations received at the April meeting were from Joan Brown, Helen Betzko, Mary Frances Rebuck, Lena Shade and Charlotte Foust.

The club welcomed new members Ron Kuhns, Marilyn Henninger, Theresa Schetroma and Linda Zanella. Dues for 2013 are being collected; they are $3 and can be paid at the June 17 meeting, 1 p.m.

The July 15 meeting will be a covered dish at Shikellamy Marina starting at 11 a.m. Bingo and cards will be played after the social.

The annual Senior Adult Ministry Mass and Banquet will be held in October at the Cardinal Keeler Center in Harrisburg. Interested members can contact any officer for more information.

Koppen gave a report of future trips sponsored by the Patsies.

Winners of the 50/25/25 drawing were Tina Blessing and Judie Urick.

Hannah's Restaurant served a full-course turkey dinners.

The "Over 50" song was sung and cards and bingo followed the banquet.

SUNBURY - A 49-year-old Mount Carmel charged with injuring a pedestrian with a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol and drugs had her guilty plea continued Monday because she has applied for treatment court.

Cheryl L. Twiggs, of 250 S. Poplar St., Apt. 4A, was scheduled to enter a plea before Judge William H. Wiest, but the proceeding was continued indefinitely at the request of Northumberland County Public Defender Paige Rosini. She asked for the continuance because Twiggs' application for treatment court is pending.

Twiggs was charged by Mount Carmel Township Patrolman Daniel Politza with aggravated assault by vehicle while driving under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance, driving under the influence of alcohol, driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs, careless driving and driving at an unsafe speed.

Police said the charges relate to a Feb. 8 two-vehicle accident in the 800 block of West Fifth Street that injured pedestrian Gerard Koveleskie, of Mount Carmel.

Police reported Twiggs had a blood-alcohol content of .145 percent and also was driving under the influence of Cotinine, Nicotine, Theobromine, Delta-9 Carboxy THC, Oxycodone and Paroxetine.

SHAMOKIN - The Shamokin Planning Commission has again held off on making a recommendation to city council on what to do about replacing street lights along Independence Street.

The five-member board tabled a recommendation during its monthly meeting Monday. They continue to look into what savings the city could realize if it purchased new poles and LED fixtures and bulbs from a vendor other than PPL Electric Utilities. The city currently leases the street lights from the company.

The commission will compare a study on the 47 downtown street lights being prepared by General Electric versus costs paid to PPL, and whether or not long-term savings from a new system would outweigh the initial cost of materials and installation. It will also research if a city-owned system would be a better alternative to continuing to lease the equipment.

Since PPL removed the project from its 2013 construction schedule, commission members said there is no point making a decision this month. They had said last month they were expecting to make a recommendation in June.

Teri MacBride, regional affairs director for PPL Susquehanna Valley, said Monday the city was removed from the schedule in "late winter."

The project remains in limbo, at least on PPL's end, until city council chooses how to proceed.

"Until we get this official communication from the city, we're not going to schedule them into our workload," MacBride said.

Current system

The current system uses high-pressure sodium (HPS) bulbs, and PPL would replace the aging and frequently malfunctioning system with the same style lamp pole and technology. PPL does not currently offer LED systems.

The cost of PPL's offer would be covered by a monthly tariff already paid by the city on each of its 664 street lamps.

The tariff varies by the type of pole and the amount of energy used, and ranges from $11 to $38 per pole each month.

Federal studies on the lighting performance of LED versus HPS vary, with some LED systems saving between 50 and 70 percent while others offer no discernible difference, and many variables factor into the performance.

According to cost estimates provided last month by City Hall, it pays average $1,200 for electricity and $11,200 for a distribution charge monthly for its entire street lighting system.

If the city were to go with another vendor for its street lights, PPL would remove the system currently in place. That includes the malfunctioning conduit beneath Independence Street. It would not be responsible to replace that, MacBride said.

The extent of its responsibility to the new system would only be to provide electric service at either end of Independence Street; everything in between would be the city's responsibility to install and maintain, she said.

Jeff Fromm, planning commission chairman, and other commission members appear to be under the impression that PPL would replace the underground conduit regardless of which direction the city chooses with respect to the poles and fixtures.

Options

Fromm said he'd heard from PPL officials, but not MacBride, that the utility company would begin offering LED bulbs in two to three years for the "cobra head" style lamps that are already in place along Independence Street and elsewhere in the city.

They will not be offered for the "acorn style" lamps, like those along Lincoln and Arch streets, Fromm said he was told. For that reason alone, he said he would not support a recommendation for acorn lighting.

If the city were to enter a 10-year lease with PPL for a new HPS system, Matt Losiewicz, commission member, suggested the city ask the utility company whether or not it would replace the HPS fixtures and bulbs with LED technology if it begins to offer such technology during the life of its lease with Shamokin.

Barbara Moyer suggested the city look into an "adopt-a-pole" program for corporations doing business in the city to support replacement of the current system with a more decorative and energy-efficient system in the downtown.

SUNBURY - Fire and government officials from the northern end of the county voiced several concerns Tuesday over a pending decision by the county commissioners involving upgrades to the county communications center.

The commissioners, who are mandated by the federal government to make 911 upgrades, must decide to purchase a new "VHF-trunked" system that will cover the entire county or continue to pay Union County for 911 services provided to the Milton, Watsontown and Turbotville areas.

Last month, the commissioners said they will consider a $5.5 million proposal submitted by Motorolla Solutions of Columbia, Md. The proposal doesn't include pagers, radios and other equipment that could cost up to $1 million.

Warrior Run Fire Chief Mark Burrows told the commissioners, "The current system is not broke. We just spent $60,000 on a two-way radio system in 2012. You are making this a political issue."

Burrows inquired how the upgrades would affect 911 services in the northern end of the county.

Commissioner Chairman Vinny Clausi assured Burrows that areas in the northern end of the county would receive the same or better service as a result of the upgrades. But he said the commissioners are still not sure what the price tag will be for a system that covers the entire county compared to one that excludes the northern end of the county.

Northumberland County currently pays Union County $60,000 per year to provide 911 dispatching services to the Milton, Watsontown and Turbotville areas and receives $40,000 per year through the use of land-line phones. But Clausi said Union County wants to increase its fee to $200,000 per year to provide the dispatching services.

"I'm here to work for all the taxpayers of Northumberland County," Clausi said. "I want to do what's right."

Commissioner Richard Shoch explained there are several factors involved in choosing to go with a countywide system or having Union County continue to provide services in the northern end of Northumberland County.

"That's why we bid out two ways - one for the entire county and one without the Milton area," he said.

Shoch also said he wanted to do what's right for all the taxpayers by making sure the new system is efficient as possible, but also affordable to the county.

Milton Fire Chief Wayne Shaffer said he was concerned about time delays involved with dispatching services under a new system.

Clausi told Shaffer, "I won't jeopardize the safety of our citizens, but we must wait for Mission Critical to complete its study."

Clausi promised Shaffer that officials in the northern end of the county will be consulted before a decision is made involving the 911 upgrades.

Vaughn Murray, chairman of the West Chillisquaque Township Board of Supervisors, said it will cost the county more money to take over dispatching services in the Milton area.

He recommended that commissioners sit down with emergency responders throughout the county to discuss the issue before making a final decision.

Murray, who suggested developing a long-term contract for dispatching services, said, "There will be a logistics issue involved with this and I believe public safety will suffer with two different systems."

In a related issue, the commissioners entered into a $457,000 agreement with Motorola Solutions for mandatory phone system upgrades for the 911 communications center. Clausi said the county will only be responsible for paying $60,000, while the remaining funds will come from the federal government.

The board agreed to purchase a 2013 Dodge Caravan SE from Zimmerman Enterprise Inc. for $22,820, 2013 Ford Fusion SE from Sunbury Motor Company for $21,700 and 2013 Ford Edge SE from Sunbury Motor Company for $28,977. The purchases will be made through the Costars piggyback program.

Chief Clerk Gary Steffen announced the county tax claims bureau will conduct a judicial sale at 10 a.m. today in the commissioners' meeting room at the administration center.

Helen Hollenbach of Trevorton, who recently turned 102, was honored by the commissioners with a citation and plaque. Hollenbach, a member of Trevorton Senior Action Center, was unable to attend the meeting due to illness.

At the end of the meeting, Clausi reported a news conference will be held in July. When asked by the media to elaborate about the purpose of the conference, Clausi said, "I can't say anything more at this time. But it will be about saving money for the taxpayers."

By Justin Strawser

MOUNT CARMEL - Today marks the first day of the Mount Carmel community pool, which will once again be run by borough manager Edward Cuff III after borough council attempted to privatize the management of the pool last year.

The Henry J. Honcz and Louise C. Honcz Memorial Pool will be open noon to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday for the summer, weather permitting, said Cuff Tuesday.

It operate for the duration of June and July, and Cuff will evaluate whether to keep it open through August depending on attendance and employee availability.

The borough had contracted with Neptune Pool Management Inc., Delaware, to operate and management the pool last year, but company officials informed the borough last month they would be relinquishing the duties of the pool back to the borough.

They weren't making enough money to turn a profit, which is common among public pools, Cuff said.

The idea was that the borough relinquished responsibility of the pool and snack bar's operation and maintenance as long as the company kept the facility open and safe. The borough maintained ownership, but the company kept the profit.

Neptune did not disclose any financial records with the borough for 2012 profits or attendance, Cuff said.

With Cuff as manager again, he hired seven lifeguards to watch over the pool and man the concession stand. He met with them Tuesday night to discuss rules, regulations, schedules, expectations and chain of command.

He is planning on hiring at least three more individuals to allow more flexibility in the schedules, he said.

The borough voted last month to approve no more than $15,000 for the operation of the pool, which will come from the Henry Honcz fund that was bequeathed to the borough from Henry J. and Louise C. Honcz in 2010.

With the exception of an extremely rainy 2011 in which the pool cost $25,000 to maintain, the borough was putting in excess of $30,000 into the pool each year with no profit. The concession stand and admission brought in $14,500 in 2011, but it was nowhere near breaking even.

One cost saving measure this year will be to collect admission at the concession stand instead of collecting it at the office, which should save an extra worker, Cuff said.

Plus, it will free up traffic around the bathroom, which could result in less trash to be cleaned up in that area, he said.

Cuff said there's even consideration to have adult swimming with a DJ at night at some point during the summer.

WILKES-BARRE - Among the students named to the dean's list at King's College for the spring semester were Elen O'Donnell and Diana Pierce, both of Shamokin.

SHAMOKIN - Northumberland County Coroner James F. Kelley said an autopsy Tuesday morning on the 11-week-old boy who died Monday in Shamokin did not reveal anything suspicious.

"There was no bruising noted on the baby that would concern us," he said Tuesday afternoon from the Shamokin Police Station.

He referenced a mark on the baby's head that was described as "a bruise or discoloration" in an affidavit accompanying a search warrant sought and obtained by Shamokin Police on Monday.

"There was a mark on the forehead, but there was no underlying hemorrhaging" related to that mark, Kelley said.

Kelley said complete results of the autopsy will take 18 weeks, three weeks longer than adult autopsies because of additional testing that is done on infants. Toxicology tests and those that check for bacteria and viruses, as well as spinal fluid, will be conducted. X-rays that were taken will be reviewed by a pediatric specialist at Hershey Medical Center, Kelley said.

Emergency medical services personnel and police were dispatched to 349 S. Market St. at 10:28 a.m. Monday for a cardiac arrest call. The baby, Navaydius D. Marciniak, was pronounced dead at 11:15 a.m. at Geisinger-Shamokin Area Community Hospital.

Police spent hours at the house, interviewing the parents, Damon Marciniak, 18, and Turqoise Johnson, 20, and others. They removed bedding from the home.

Johnson lives in Lewisburg but was at the Shamokin home when the death occurred.

The parents told police they woke to find Navaydius' 15-month-old brother lying partially on top of him. The boys were sleeping on the floor with a third brother, age 2, in the same room with the parents, police said. Navaydius wasn't breathing, the parents said, and Marciniak and his aunt and uncle performed CPR while 911 was called.

Dr. Michael Johnson performed the autopsy on Navaydius starting at 7:45 a.m. Tuesday at Lehigh Valley Hospital, Allentown. Kelley and investigating officer, Shamokin Patrolman William Miner, were present, the coroner said.

Kelley said he and family are interested to learn the results of this testing because a girl, Jahniyah Turner, from the same family died two years ago at 6 months.

Jahniyah's cause of death was listed as sudden death of an infant while co-sleeping with an adult.

Kelley said they'll compare records to see if there's any genetic correlations between the deaths of the two children.

The two children do not have the same parents, Kelley said.

SHAMOKIN - The first public ride for the Anthracite Outdoor Adventure Area (AOAA) could be little more than three weeks away if the AOAA authority's plans to move forward are not delayed.

Chairman Jim Backes suggested at the workshop meeting Tuesday night that the authority and committee members work over the next few weeks and tentatively allow the first 100 individuals to pre-register for an open ride June 22 on the 2,000-acre eastern portion of the property.

The soft opening will allow the authority members to deal with various problems that arise on a smaller scale before opening it to everyone, Backes said.

"We can sit here and plan and plan and plan, and we're still going to miss something," Backes said. "We have to start somewhere."

It would also start fulfilling the authority's mission to bring recreation activities to the public, it would be in prime riding season and it would generate revenue, he said.

Authority member Barry Yorwarth said they would need to mark the trails and property lines before allowing anyone in the park.

The authority and committee members will be moving forward with the plans and will advertise once they know whether hosting the event will be feasible.

It may require a vote at the next scheduled meeting, which would be four days before they want to hold the event, said Solicitor Frank Garrigan.

If the event is scheduled, they will be doing so without a permanent building, but the plans for that are also moving forward.

Authority member Pat Mack said the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) and PennDOT approved Paul Risk Associates Inc., of Quarryville, as general contractor for the construction of a welcome center late Monday.

The other three contracts were not approved yet, he said.

The contracts, which total $1,637,281, were awarded by the authority last month to Paul Risk Associates Inc., of Quarryville, at $1,429,000 for general construction; J.B. Electric Corp., of Minersville, at $92,390 for electrical; Bognet Inc., of Hazleton, at $58,205 for plumbing, and Shannon A. Smith Inc, of Myerstown, at $57,685 for mechanical/HVAC.

Funding is coming mostly from two grants totaling $1.9 million that were awarded by DCNR in 2010 and 2011.

The general contractor will likely start construction in the next two weeks, and the remaining contracts will likely be approved by next week, Mack said.

The welcome center will be built at the trailhead just off Route 125 south of Burnside. It will include an administrative building with an office, conference room and three maintenance garages. There will be 75 parking places on a paved lot and 180 spaces on a gravel lot, with additional overflow parking. The area will also include an ATV safety course, benches, lights and signs.

The authority originally was expecting to start construction by June 3 with a target finish date of Sept. 2.

The AOAA authority will hold its monthly workshop at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 18, at the Northumberland County Career and Arts Center, 2 E. Arch St., on the main floor..

IRISH VALLEY - The Irish Valley Motocross Park is getting a makeover ahead of the Braveheart Freedom Mud Run and Music Fest.

The tracks designed for dirt bikes are being adapted to host runners for the facility's second mud run on Saturday, June 15.

Owner Tim Krebs is working to come up with man-made obstacle ideas and bring them to life, including creating a "spider's web" of bungee cords for competitors to crawl through, building a machine to spray foam onto the course, and generally muddying up the place more than it already is.

Natural obstacles like hills and ponds are already in place.

This year's mud run has a new name after ties were severed with last year's promoter.

More than 1,100 people participated in 2012. Krebs says he expects a bit of a dropoff in 2013, largely because the mud run - patterned after obstacle challenge events that have become popular across the nation - was new to the area.

Competitors got banged up, got dirty and were largely exhausted after the event, and it takes a special kind of adventurer to tough out an obstacle course with military-style challenges.

"They just did it to say they did it," Krebs said of many local first-timers. "I know there are people out there that will just come up the day of the race" but not compete.

Online registration for adults is $55 by Saturday; kids 4 to 6, $15, and 7 to 13, $20. The day-of cost for adults is $60, and kids prices will remain the same. A portion of the proceeds will benefit local charities.

There are three races to accommodate different age groups: the older the competitor, the more challenging the course.

A course for children aged 4 to 6 years will be set up on the park's peewee motocross track with small obstacles. Parents must accompany the tykes throughout.

Kids from 7 to 13 years will on the intermediate track that includes more hills, a pond crossing challenge and a wall crossing.

The remaining competitors will compete on the adult track, where they can stick to the 5K route or, if they're feeling good, opt for a detour and travel a 5-mile course.

Additional man-made obstacles include military-style walls to climb over, barbed wire fencing to crawl under, and large hay bale piles to scale.

An automated self-watering system will keep all three courses plenty muddy. Krebs expects the kids will enjoy that the most.

"They love to get dirty, and they can get dirty without getting in trouble," he said.

The first wave of adults will begin at 8:40 a.m., with others following in 20-minute intervals. The intermediate races will start at 9:30 a.m. and the peewees at 10 a.m.

A free post-race party will follow with live music at Krebs Grove. Parking is free.

For more information, visit braveheartmudrun.com.

SUNBURY - Northumberland County cut over $1.9 million in expenses in 2012, according to a preliminary financial report given by Controller Tony Phillips during Tuesday's commissioners' meeting.

Phillips said the majority of the savings were made through tax collections, personnel cuts, elimination of the transportation and central purchasing departments, a reduction of rental costs by moving county offices from the American Legion building in Sunbury to other facilities, and the installation of a new voice-over Internet phone system.

He said the savings were initiated by the prior and current board of commissioners.

The controller said the general fund showed an operating surplus of $304,000. As per the 2012 budget, $175,000 was transferred from the sale of Mountain View Manor, which is currently part of the debt service account.

He said the general fund also transferred out $3.87 million to supplement the operations of the human services agencies and other non general fund departments. Comparing 2011 to 2012, general fund expenses and transfers combined were reduced by over $1.9 million. He said the general fund's overall deficit has now been reduced to $1.6 million.

Phillips said the county collected over $14.1 million in combined 2012 taxes (real estate, debt service and per capita), which is an approximate increase of $1.3 million from 2011. The county tax collectors had an average collection rate of 92.7 percent. He said $1.1 million of 2012 county taxes were left uncollected, causing a shortfall in the budget of $279,000.

The county also collected almost $980,000 in prior year taxes.

During 2012, Phillips said the county issued a bond for $5.2 million to rectify a cash flow issue. He said the issuance of the bond did not contribute to the operating surplus in 2012 and no funds were borrowed from debt service after the issuance. All prior debts between the general fund and debt service have been satisfied, according to Phillips.

A second bond was issued for $1.8 million to begin the 911 radio project.

In 2011, the county was not able to make its $1.3 million contribution to the retirement fund because the general fund had expended all its cash by the end of the year. That payment was made in 2012, Phillip said.

In addition, the county made its 2012 retirement contribution, which totaled $806,725, on a quarterly basis. "As of the end of 2012, this contribution has been paid in full," he said. "The retirement fund stood at $73.69 million at the close of 2012."

The controller said the debt service ended 2012 with a cash balance of $3.31 million. He said the debt service account also will receive an additional $8.3 million over the next eight years from the sale of Mountain View Manor.

As of Dec. 31, he said the county's outstanding bond debt principal stood at $30.99 million, which will be paid by the year 2026. As additional bonds are issued to complete the 911 radio project, the debt service will need to be monitored and adjusted to bear that additional debt burden, Phillips said.

At the meeting, Phillips stated, "The county no longer is lost in the woods financially, but we aren't out of the woods."

In a press release issued to the media prior to the meeting, the controller said, "The county was able to operate within budget in 2012 and posted at an operating surplus for only the second time since 2006. The county finances are pointed in the right direction, but remain in a very fragile state. The county faces challenges in the future when you combine the economic condition of the area with upcoming issues such as the 911 project and an aging prison. Fiscal restraint must continue throughout 2013 and for the future for this positive trend to continue. The deficit that had been amassed in 2011 has been reduced slightly and will need to be continually addressed as it does negatively affect the county's credit rating, which impacts interest rates as well as possible grant funding."