"On the Job" examines occupations both common and unique once a month in 2015.

SHAMOKIN - Six days a week, Carole Fodor gets behind the wheel of the minivan she calls her office. She's ready to greet people with a smile and take them where they need to go.

As a driver for Shamokin Yellow Cab, she says she won't get rich, yet the job she's been doing for more than a decade is rewarding.

"I've taken time off to take care of my mom and dad, but I always end up coming back here," Fodor said. "It's like hanging out with your friends, or better yet, a family."

A slow start

Fodor and the other drivers start their day about 8 a.m., making sure the cabs are clean and working properly. Fodor keeps a carry-all of cleaning products and air fresheners in her van.

"I have OCD about it all," she joked. "I'm the same way at home with my kids," she said about wanting them to keep their rooms clean.

Prior to moving out, Fodor speaks with a dispatcher and gets the day's first fare. It's an elderly gentleman who called to reserve an 8 a.m. pick up at his home on Park Avenue, Coal Township.

Upon arrival, Fodor beeps the horn to let him know she's there - but no one shows. Fodor exits the cab and knocks on the door. Still no answer.

She returns to the van.

"Tom, you want to give a call to my location. He's not answering," she radios the dispatcher.

After about a minute, the dispatcher radios back.

"I'm not getting an answer there, Carole," the dispatcher says.

Fodor tries one more knock on the door, then radios that she's heading back to home base.

"That concerns me a little,' she says on the drive back to the cab company's headquarters. They never found out why the man didn't answer, but there was no medical emergency reported.

Lease agreement

Riders for Shamokin Yellow Cab are either cash customers or use the cab through its role as a subcontractor for Rabbittransit, Northumberland County's shared ride agency. Cabbies sign a lease agreement for the vehicles and then receive a percentage of each fare.

Shamokin Yellow Cab pays for all insurance, registration fees and maintenance, while the drivers are responsible for buying gas and keeping the vehicles clean.

"It is a bit of a control factor for us, the fact that the drivers pay for their own fuel," said Tom Schott, co-owner of the company with Ernie Delbo. "With them being responsible for fuel, it encourages them to take direct routes to save fuel and keep more money in the rider's pocket."

Foiled on detour

Back at the office, Fodor checks the five computer touch-screen tablets for any riders Rabbittransit has asked them to pick up.

"We help them out from time to time," Delbo said. "If we can get there quicker, we will help them out."

That is the case for Fodor's next fare. She drives a shared-ride customer from Kulpmont to Mount Carmel for an appointment, then heads back through Atlas to pick up a patient from Davita Dialysis.

However, to avoid waiting on a painting crew at the Viaduct to let her through, Fodor chooses a different route, through Diamondtown and out Wilburton Road.

It costs her, as two Rabbittransit units and another cab are ahead of her at Davita. With that, Fodor turns around and heads back to Shamokin.

"I knew that was a mistake, but I wanted to try to be quicker," Fodor said.

'Absolutely wonderful'

She soon makes up for it with Marilyn Sherman, a resident of the Coal Township High Rise who is looking for a ride to the hairdresser.

Sherman does own a vehicle, but will still pay the $3.45 fare for the first seven-tenths of a mile, and $2.45 for each seven-tenths thereafter.

"They are paving the street my hairdresser is on, so I don't want the car messed up by the tar," Sherman said.

She also uses Yellow Cab during winter months.

"They are absolutely wonderful," Sherman said. "I think the world of them."

Fodor says there's a steady number of customers that still use Shamokin Yellow Cab on a regular basis, and she knows several of them by their first names.

"I gave them Christmas cards with lottery tickets in them," she said. "One of them even won $100."

Loyal customers

The company operates five vehicles, three vans and two cars. Four of those vehicles stay in the Shamokin-Coal Township area and one in Mount Carmel.

"My wife is actually the one that drives the car in Mount Carmel," Delbo said.

He said a person with a good driving record, a pleasant personality and compassion would make a good cab driver in his company - but a little bit of "crazy" helps.

"We often compare ourselves to the TV show 'Taxi' because we are all a little nuts in here. But I love working with them. It's a lot of fun," Delbo said.

Their territory is mostly the city and township, as they only have about four or five customers in Mount Carmel.

"With that few of people, we get asked why we run there, but those people have been loyal to us so we are loyal to them," Delbo said.

'A good feeling'

The company operates from 8 a .m. to 5 p.m. daily and, at Fodor's prodding, may start running passenger-type buses in the near future.

Asked why the cab company doesn't operate at night, Delbo said it's a matter of economics.

"We did try at night, but there just wasn't enough business to sustain the effort,' Delbo said.

Fodor understands how valuable her work is, not just for getting people to their destination.

"For some, we could be the only human contact they have on a regular basis," Fodor said. "That gives me a good feeling. It doesn't matter what your problems are. If you can help make someone else's day better, it's a good day."

OVERLOOK - A flight school is taking off at the Northumberland County Airport.

The nonprofit Central Penn Aviation Academy has been providing the instruction necessary for a newcomer to earn a pilot's license for nearly a year.

The school is the only flight school in the region and also provides instruction out of Bloomsburg Municipal and Hazleton Regional airports.

"We're actually very proud of the start up of the flight school," said Ronald Smith, chairman of the Northumberland County Airport Authority.

The school has two planes that can be rented by students and members of the public, and the school's three instructors have impressive resumes: a pilot for transatlantic commercial jets, a pilot who flew the state governor's jet for several decades and a pilot who transports celebrities and corporate heads to vacation hot spots on private planes.

Expand local flying

Mark Fry, manager of the school, began flying with his dad as a child and earned his own pilot's license more than 20 years ago. He has his own plane, kept in a Northumberland County Airport hanger he's made into his second home - complete with a bar, patio and grill. Hoping to meet other flying enthusiasts and expand the society of pilots in the area, he and the other founders embarked on a mission to open the school last year.

The group shopped around for an airplane suitable for a beginner and advertised for instructors. Everything came together late last year, and the school began taking on its first students.

The type of certification needed to fly small airplanes and gliders - a private pilot's license - requires a written and a practical exam. The terminal has space to study for the written portion, as well as radio and computer equipment to track weather and other planes.

'You can't pull over'

When students are ready to take to the skies, they are given one of the three instructors as their primary guide. A student will share the cockpit with the instructor, and sometimes another student will ride along in the back seat to observe.

The first lesson is completing the preflight checklist, which is similar to checking out a car before a long trip, but even more important because of the nature of flight.

"You can't pull over," warned Fry.

The checklist includes a visual inspection of the exterior of the plane to ensure essential physical elements like shocks, tires and wing flaps are in good working order.

The number of hours a student clocks in the sky while working toward a pilots license varies, just like earning a driver's license, Fry said.

"It all depends on their coordination," he said. "The more often you fly, the easier it becomes."

Fry said a typical student takes between 45 to 60 hours to earn a pilot's license. Of the school's six to eight active students, most come for a lesson once a week.

One of those students, Dave Rumbel, of Ringtown, took the school's first solo flight in July after several months of lessons. He became hooked on flying more than 40 years ago when he served in the Civil Air Patrol, which is like the Coast Guard of the skies.

"When you go up the first time you'll know if it has you, and the bug had me," he recalled.

After his unit disbanded, Rumbel became busy with his family and career and put his desire to earn his pilot's license on the back burner. But when he retired the spark reignited and he began looking around for a flight school. After checking into the Hazleton Airport, he was directed to the Central Penn Aviation Academy.

Rumbel still needs to log more practice time before he's ready for his practical exam, but he's already in the process of purchasing his own aircraft, which he'll store in a hanger at the Northumberland County Airport.

Hangers and fuel

Smith said the airport's 28 hanger slots are fully rented, and one of the 12 tie-down spots are in use. He said the airport has been extremely busy, largely from pilots dropping in on their way to other destinations.

"We have a very good price on fuel," he said. "On the weekends you get a lot of people."

The airport works like a gas station to the skies, with no fees charged for takeoff or landing. State and federal money from airplane fuel taxes fund 95 percent of the airport's upkeep, which has recently included runway resealing and repainting.

"We've been autonomous for quite a few years," he said.

Though few airport fees exist, the climbing cost of fuel can be a deterrent to newcomers. Flying a small private aircraft for an hour costs approximately $100.

"It's expensive now, but in 10 years it's going to be even more," said Fry.

Give it a try

Rumbel said people have expressed a fear of heights as a reason to avoid flying. But he said the sensation of flying is nothing like standing over a ledge.

"In fact, I think our instructor is afraid of heights," he said.

Fry invited anyone considering pilot lessons to come out to the school for a demonstration flight.

"If you're unsure of if you really want to do it, the instructor isn't going to take you up there and scare the bejeezus out of you," he said.

BU's GRE prep program open to all

BLOOMSBURG - Members of the community considering graduate school are invited to attend one of the meetings being held this week for Bloomsburg University's GRE (Graduate Record Exam) Preparation Program, offered each fall and spring semester.

Those interested should attend one of the following sessions: 3 to 4:15 p.m. Monday; 5 to 6:15 p.m. Tuesday; 3 to 4:15 p.m. or 4:30 to 5:45 p.m. Wednesday; or 5 to 6:15 p.m. Thursday.

All sessions will be held in the university's Centennial Hall, Room 164. There is a $20 fee, payable by check or cash at the introductory session.

Open to students, faculty, staff and local residents, BU's GRE Preparation Program provides tips, GRE practice questions and tests, and 10 group study sessions led by trained teaching assistants.

For more information, contact Jennifer Johnson, associate professor of psychology at BU, at jjohnson@bloomu.edu.

Marriage licenses

Edwin Leonel Rivera Rivera, 610 Masser St., Sunbury, to Glenda Mabel Alfaro Flores, 655 Wheatley Ave., Northumberland. Issued Aug. 27, 2015.

Dylan-James Patrick Purcell, 12 S. Vine St., Shamokin, to Kaitlyn Nicole Crouse, 614 N. Shamokin St., Apt. 502, Shamokin. Issued Aug. 27, 2015.

Chad Albert Leitzel to Connie A. Hoffman, both of 8189 State Route 147, Sunbury. Issued Aug. 27, 2015.

Michael James Deane to Amber Louise Adams, both of 931 Scott St., Kulpmont. Issued Aug. 27, 2015.

Matthew Aaron Persing to Tina Louise Alma, both of 502 Lahrs Road, Northumberland. Issued Aug. 27, 2015.

Joshua S. Stahl to Christi Renee Finamore, both of 816 Front St., Northumberland. Issued Aug. 27, 2015.

Jeramie Franklin Dimm to Christianne Case, both of 39 Watson Road, Turbotville. Issued Aug. 28, 2015.

Michael Moroz, 537 Chestnut St., Kulpmont, to Holly Ann Hinman, 47 N. Walnut St., Mount Carmel. Issued Aug. 29, 2015.

Robert Elwood Mull IV to Whitney Jean Schick, both of 459 N. Ninth St., Sunbury. Issued Aug. 29, 2015.

Richard Gerald Bitting III to Kimberly Mae Nelson, both of 2072 Irish Valley Road, Paxinos. Issued Aug. 29, 2015.

Tyler Steven Graves to Madison Nicole Murphy, both of 224 Lunar Lane, Milton. Issued Aug. 29, 2015.

Ren Allen Sinko to Eryn Kathleen Young, both of 320 Walnut St., Sunbury. To be issued Aug. 31, 2015.

Johnathon Francis Radziewicz to Jennifer Marie Lauro, both of 2038 Upper Road, Shamokin. To be issued Aug. 31, 2015.

Corey James Yeager to Marisa Lynn Betz, both of 345 S. Oak St., Mount Carmel. To be issued Aug. 31, 2015.

Alberto Santana to Carmela Amico, both of 533 Race St., Apt. 1, Sunbury. Issued Aug. 27, 2015.

Dominic Justin Adams to Kelsey Raven Comfort, both of 509 1/2 Chestnut St., Sunbury. Issued Aug. 27, 2015.

Property transfers

PFI LLC to Northumberland County, property in Ralpho Township, $1.

Joseph C. Purcell Jr. to Aleah M. Thompson, property in Shamokin, $6,000.

Gerald W. Mensch (executor), George W. Mensch (estate), to Craig E. Reader Jr., property in Zerbe Township, $1.

Norman E. Ford (by agent), Audress H. Hinkle (agent), Edith L. Barnhart (agent), to Noel D. Woodruff, property in Ralpho Township, $66,000.

Elizabeth M. Burt to 3PK LLC, property in Shamokin, $40,000.

Quisqueya Reynoso to Roland Alexander, property in Mount Carmel, $1,483.

B. Holly Prichard (estate), Beverly A. Smith (administratrix) to Beverly A. Smith, property in Rockefeller Township, $1.

Jarrett J. Sweeney, Jarett J. Sweeney, Dana M. Rowe and Dana M. Sweeney to Dana M. Sweeney, property in East Cameron Township, $1.

Dale Brosius and Janet Brosius to Kenneth L. Newman (trustee), Kenneth L. Newman Irrevocable Realty and Income Trust, property in Jordan Township, $67,500.

Ruth Landthaler to Michael P. Mahoney and Jane Wineberg, property in Ralpho Township, $197,500.

Joseph G. Kappen (trustee) and Joseph G. Kappen (Revocable Living Trust) to Joseph G. Kappen and Margaret J. Kappen, property in Ralpho Township, $1.

Margaret J. Wagner to Joseph G. Kappen, Margaret J. Kappen, property in Shamokin, $1.

Carol A. Broscious and Joseph G. Broscious to Susan M. Long and Roger L. Long, property in Coal Township, $6,000.

Amy L. Roseman, Gerald Zsido, Mary Ann Zsido, James Zsido and Loretta A. Zsido to Rocco A. Delvecchio, property in Mount Carmel, $47,000.

Charles Thomas Ravis and Lorraine G. Ravis to Michael A. Willow and Angela N. Willow, property in Shamokin Township, $1.

George Atiyeh House Flex LLC to David W. Lloyd, property in Shamokin, $19,500.

House Flex LLC to David W. Lloyd, property in Shamokin, $5,000.

Sandra Shaffer Mattern to Gene L. Dreibelbis and Suzanne G. Perry, property in Lower Mahanoy Township, $1.

Benjamin J. Spickler and Rebecca A. Spickler to Rebecca A. Spickler, property in Washington and Upper Mahanoy townships, $1.

Jennifer L. James, Jason C. James, Koryne Dilliplane, Joseph F. James (estate) and James Dilliplane to Jennifer L. James, property in Shamokin, $3,000.

John A. Leschinskie to Joseph J. Leschinskie Jr., property in Shamokin, $17,524.

Maria Adam to Mark J. Williams and Sandra A. Williams, property in Coal Township, $23,500.

George W. Heath (trustee), Jane I. Watson (trustee), Clair R. Heath (trustee) and Heath Irrevocable Residential and Income Trust to Millard H. Watson II and Jane I. Watson, property in Rush Township, $1.

Robert L. Faust Sr., Joan M. Faust, Robert L. Faust Jr. and Brandy M. Faust to Robert L. Faust Sr., Joan M. Faust and Robert L. Faust Jr., property in Lower Mahanoy Township, $1.

Robert L. Wolfe, Norma J. Wolfe, Robert L. Wolfe Jr., Lynn L. Mengle and Douglas E. Mengle to Todd R. Myers, property in Little Mahanoy Township, $1.

Stacey M. Forney, Kathleen Ann Hull (estate) to Stacey M. Forney and Theresa A. Bond, property in Zerbe Township, $1.

Charles A. Troup Jr. and Angela M. Troup to Stephen Sidella and Amber Sidella, property in Shamokin, $1.

Aerial assist

The News-Item thanks Mark Fry, manager of Central Penn Aviation Academy at the Northumberland County Airport, for courtesies extended in providing flight time for aerial photography that has been used recently, and will be used in future editions.

The Central Penn Aviation Academy

Locations: Northumberland County Airport (headquarters); Bloomsburg Municipal and Hazleton Regional airports

Instructors: Three

Planes: Two

Requirements: Minimum age to fly solo is 16; minimum age for a license is 17. All pilots need a third-class medical certification.

n More advanced pilots who already hold a private license and are looking to master complex flying skills can rent the school's "Bonanza" plane.

n For lessons: Contact Mark Fry, manager, at 570-441-2229

I started reading The Republican-Herald soon after I learned to read. Back in those days, it was still The Pottsville Republican and it arrived in the late afternoon, just in time for a quick read before the evening meal. The Republican was part of our family and in my mother's 91 years of life, there was hardly a day she did not hold "the paper" in her hands.

As a young reader, I skipped the long articles on the front page. Instead, I immediately turned to the editorial page, where I found "this day in history," which provided me with my first lessons in historical chronology.

Next I turned to my favorite column, "Days Gone By," events that, for the most part, took place in the region 100, 75, 50 or 25 years ago. I was a little girl, not yet 10 years old, and I had to make a considerable mental leap to travel so far back in time.

Even 25 years required effort. The entries were about soldiers coming and going from a terrible war, followed by the war's end and the soldiers' return home. 1960 marked the 25th anniversary of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. My father was in a boat off the coast of Japan when the first atomic bomb dropped, but that event seemed as distant to me as Noah and the Flood.

Traveling 100 years back in time was harder still. I had to cross from one century to another, to another war, one that took place close to home. My father, a Civil War buff, took us to Gettysburg and Antietam, where I learned the blood flowed ankle-deep.

At Gettysburg, we climbed Little Round Top. I even have a vague memory of laying eyes on the last Civil War veteran alive, a decrepit old man shrunken to the size of a boy, dressed in an over-sized Union uniform, slumped in a wheelchair.

More than 50,000 soldiers died at the Battle of Gettysburg, yet there was only one civilian death. We visited the modest house where it took place. Reaching out a hand, touching the table where Jennie Wade was kneading bread when a stray bullet found its way to her heart, I could feel her presence and no Civil War death seemed as real to me as hers.

I've been thinking a lot about time, battles and vestiges of the past ever since I returned from a week in Sicily, a trip I took with my nephew, Louis Graup, Auburn, about to enter his senior year as a math major at Temple University. We traveled all over the western part of the island, documenting our movements in photos: "We saw you at" Agrigento, Selinunte, Segesta, among the temples and ruins of cities built more than 2,500 years ago.

As when I was a child reading "Days Gone By," I had to let go of my narrow notions of time to plunge into the past. At Selinunte in southwestern Sicily, I crossed a vast plateau overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, walking streets first laid out in the seventh century B.C. To the north, stretch olive groves and dry fields where sheep graze. To the south, about 220 miles across the sea, lies the city of Tunis in Africa.

About 2,500 years ago, Selinunte was a thriving city with 30,000 Greek citizens and probably just as many slaves. On one plateau lay the marketplace and the acropolis, the city's center of power; on another, across a river flowing into the sea, the Greeks built their temples, monumental structures in the Doric style made of the local golden stone.

Starting in the eighth century B.C., the Greeks arrived to colonize Sicily, at the same time as the Phoenicians who set sail from Carthage, near present-day Tunis.

At Selinunte, Greeks and Carthaginians clashed more than once. In 409 B.C., invading troops from Carthage killed more than 16,000 inhabitants and conquered the city. It was also a battleground of the First Punic War, which ended in 241 B.C. Towards the war's end, the Carthaginians, who retained control of Selinunte, destroyed the city when they could no longer defend it.

Louis and I visited the remains of other Greek cities, some more magnificent than Selinunte, but nowhere else did I feel so strongly the destructive forces of man and time. Massive columns, broken or leaning to one side, some still standing tall, rise to the sky, the last defenders of past glory. Everywhere there is rubble, a mixture of stone and terra cotta, fragments of the homes where people once lived and of the utensils they once used.

Time and nature have done their work at Selinunte but there is also the violence of man leaving his destructive mark on history.

Protected from the beating sun by a parasol, Louis and I could contemplate this destruction from our lounge chairs on the beach at Marinella di Selinunte, a small resort a few steps from the ruins. Walking along the shoreline, we could see the remains of Selinunte's largest temple dedicated to the goddess Hera.

After sunset, we forgot the past for a while. Along the main street of Marinella, a few bars blasted Italian pop music. In the relative cool of the evening, families, couples and groups of young people came out to stroll. Restaurants were crowded and Louis and I enjoyed a delicious pizza on the terrace of our hotel. For dessert, we had juicy slices of "anguria," watermelon.

Everywhere we traveled in Sicily, we had to juggle with time, bounding back and forth between millenniums, constantly confronted with what happened 2,500, 2,000, 1,000 or 500 years ago.

We also encountered the influence of early Christians from Constantinople, of Iraqi Muslims who arrived via Tunis in the ninth century, of the French, the Spanish and the Germans, and finally of a united Italy, thanks to Garibaldi, the great unifier of the Italian people, who arrived on the island in 1860.

During our trip to Sicily, my childhood practice of time-travel, picked up while reading The Republican, was an indispensable skill. Yet, I'll admit, at times Sicily was too much for me.

We spent our last days in Palermo. This city is at once majestic, breathtakingly beautiful, decadent, dirty and at times downright ugly. Hot, humid, crowded and enveloped in tantalizing mystery, it is the fitting symbol of an island that, despite thousands of years of outside influences, remains a world, and a law, onto itself.

(Honicker can be reached at honicker.republicanherald@gmail.com)

MOUNT CARMEL - A teenager from Elysburg has been charged with a felony count of aggravated assault against a police officer and numerous other offenses following a vehicle chase that police said reached 100 mph early Saturday.

Ryan J. Little, 18, of 144 Horvath Drive, is accused of pinning an officer's arm by rolling up a car window during a traffic stop, then leading police from Mount Carmel to Elysburg. The incident ended when Little was tased in a field outside a home he shares with his father.

Started at 2:45 a.m.

The incident unfolded at 2:45 a.m. when Mount Carmel Patrolman Jason Drumheller saw a PT Cruiser go through a stop sign at East Fourth and Oak streets.

EAST BUFFALO TOWNSHIP - A 27-year-old Williamsport woman faces multiple charges including driving under the influence, aggravated assault of a police officer and resisting arrest in connection with a traffic stop at 10:30 p.m. Friday along Route 15 near River Road in this Union County township.

Lisa Marie Gerdus was committed to Union County Prison in lieu of $20,000 cash bail.

Milton state police Trooper Jason R. Caccia said he stopped Gerdus for unsafe driving. Gerdus told police she wasn't driving in a safe manner because she was texting her boss. Indicators of impairment were observed and officers attempted to arrest Gerdus for suspicion of DUI, but the driver refused to exit her vehicle as Caccia reached through a window to turn off the ignition, police said.

At that point, police said Gerdus kicked at Caccia and attempted to hit him. Caccia and Trooper Maxwell Andres were able to unlock the car and remove Gerdus from the vehicle, but police said Gerdus continued to struggle before eventually being handcuffed.

As police were preparing to transport Gerdus from the scene, she began to struggle and kicked Buffalo Valley Regional Police Officer Tammy Smith in the arm and leg. Police had to use a hobble strap to bring Gerdus under control, but she again broke free while in a cruiser and began kicking the inside of the car, police said.

Buffalo Valley Regional Police Officer Chad Lehman was kicked in the chest by Gerdus as he attempted to assist.

The defendant eventually transported to Evangelical Community Hospital in Lewisburg for DUI processing. Police said Gerdus refused to consent to a blood test and was taken to the state police station at Milton, where they said she spit in Caccia's face while in a holding cell.

Police had to restrain Gerdus to a bench, but she continued to act aggressively and spit on the floor of the holding cell.

Addresses sought for class members

MOUNT CARMEL - Addresses for the following classmates from the Mount Carmel Area High School Class of 1965 are needed:

Jean (Bednarchik) Tammosselo, Michael Delvecchio, Diane (Korzeniecki) Spry-Lackner, Patricia McCoy, Richard Pinamonti, Deborah (Reiner) Richardson, Betty (Shimko) Eckenrode, Robert Narcavage, Rose Ann (Anania) Reban, Peter Slotterback, Peter Visscher, and Dolores (Valera) Shaulinskie.

Anyone with information on these classmates are asked to contact Ed at 570-339-3660.

Breaking the cycle of abuse discussed

SHAMOKIN - How to break the cycle of abuse will be considered at Lifetree Cafe, at 7 p.m. Thursday. The program, title "Blowing the Whistle on Abuse: One Courageous Teenage Girl Tells Her Story," includes a film of a young woman who was abused by her father for 11 years. "My dad started sexually abusing me when I was 5. I didn't know what it was, but I knew it felt wrong because he told me not to tell mom. I felt trapped," said the young woman, who chose at 16 to finally tell her story. Participants will also get a glimpse of the cost of her going public with the abuse she experienced as well as the freedom that came when the abuse ended.

Admission to the 60-minute event is free. Snacks and beverages are available. Lifetree Cafe is located at Antioch Place, 531 N. Market St., Shamokin.

Lifetree Cafe is a place where people gather for conversation about life and faith in a casual, coffehouse-type setting. Questions about Lifetree may be directed to Kathy Vetovich at 570-672-9346 or info@antiochplace.org.

MANDATA - Retired roller-skating rink operators Don and Roberta Molaro, of Dornsife, received a plaque of appreciation from the Eastern Rink Operators section of the RSAI (Roller Skating Associations, International) for their many contributions to that organization over their 26 years of membership.

"It was totally unexpected," said Don Molaro. "We'd just gone to that meeting to say goodbye to the many rink operators we were friendly with over the years."

The Molaros were active members of the local RSAI (Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware) while operating the Skatery. They'd bought the former Skate Ranch in 1988 and turned it into a successful skating business. They retired a few years ago and sold the rink to 3T Sports.

Molaro served as an officer of the tri-state RSAI section. She was secretary for nine years and vice president for eight and spent some time in between as president, vice president and secretary when the vice president and president both sold their rinks within a couple of weeks.

The Molaros helped build a more active membership by making meetings more interesting and useful to member operators.

The couple even closed their rink for six weekends during their busy season in 2006 while they toured the nation to share their beginner teaching methods with other rink operators in a series of seminars. As a result, the number of rinks offering beginner classes nearly doubled and the Molaros received the "Heart of The Industry" award from the national RSAI in 2007.

In retirement, the Molaros, who met at a roller rink in 1958, still skate twice a week at Sunset Rink in Shamokin Dam. They are also Special Olympics roller skating coaches for the Northumberland/Snyder area, and train SO Athletes for competitive artistic roller skating at Sunset Rink.

SHAMOKIN - The local artistic trio of Matt Leavens, Claude Harrington and Jeff Tweed recently completed its fifth mural in the downtown area of the city. The mural, painted on the facade of the O.I.P. restaurant on Independence Street, fittingly features old time, mom-and-pop­ style Italian shops and markets from Shamokin's past. The latest work of art is part of the Northumberland County Council for the Arts and Humanities' Shamokin Mural Project. It is the fifth mural since 2012.

A small section of the mural bears the names of a few of the local Italian shops and eateries past and present, including O.I.P., Christiana Groceries, Catino's, Terminal Market, Bressi's, Vottero's, Albertini's, Martini's Market and Picarelli's.

Representatives from the Italian shops came out Monday evening as the sun was setting to take a look at the mural.

"I think it is great and shows pride in the community," Dante Picarelli said. Picarelli's Deli is one of the Italian markets still in operation near the corner of West Independence and North Sixth streets.

"It's a way to honor the Italians that started all this in Shamokin," Michael Catino said, who's father, Jimmy Catino, started his business with a fruit and vegetable truck.

All three mural artists were on hand Monday evening in front of the popular restaurant.

"I think this is the best one of all and it is getting the most attention because of its location," Leavens said. "There is a routine to them and once you get accustomed to doing them, they get better."

"I enjoy doing anything to improve or encourage improvement in the community," Tweed said.

Immortal

Tweed also pointed out a small section in the upper right hand corner of the mural that was unplanned and added by Tweed that says "in memory of Luke Jones." Tweed related the story of a tearful woman who stopped by recently and gave them a donation for the mural. Her late husband used to have her drive him around to look at the murals around the city. Tweed never did get her first name.

Jeanne Shaffer, executive director of the Northumberland County Council for the Arts and Humanities, is quite pleased with the final product.

"I am just elated with the whole project. It is more than I imagined," Shaffer said. "They gave me a sketch and I liked it, but this is more than I expected."

The project's first mural was completed in the summer of 20102 on the side of the Bressi & Martin Real Estate building on the corner of Independence and Eighth streets. Leavens,

Harrington and Tweed were assisted on that mural by several of Leavens' then art students at Our Lady of Lourdes Regional School Amanda Miller, Michelle Albert, Aisha Bucanelli and Brandon Purcell. That mural features such historical Shamokin landmarks as the Coney Island Lunch, the Eagle Silk Mill clock tower, F&S Beer and a coal miner representing the area's Anthracite heritage.

The second mural depicts the former Edgewood Park on a large rooftop billboard at the Independence Street gas station at Market and Independence streets. The third mural of the former Central Drug Store hangs in a window frame on the Eighth Street side of the Varano Insurance Agency building. The fourth mural is of the independent ice cream parlors and dairies and is at the corner of Water and Market streets.

Harrington had a philosophical take on the murals and their meaning to the community.

"When you do something for yourself, it dies, but when you do something for someone else, like the town, it becomes immortal," she said.

Shaffer noted the council is looking for a location for the next mural, and anyone interested should contact her at 570-850-9121.

SUNBURY - Fourteen defendants facing multiple charges were sentenced Monday in the Court of Common Pleas.

- Jenna Ocacio-Rodriguez, 30, of Hazleton, was placed on nine months probation, fined $100 and ordered by President Judge William H. Wiest to make $549 restitution to Walmart Supercenter in Coal Township for retail theft filed by Coal Township police in connection with an incident Sept. 10, 2013.

She was placed on probation for one year, fined $100 and ordered to make restitution of $400 to Ye Olde Coin Shoppe, $2,227.28 to Klebon Insurance and $812.68 to Christa Stumhofer for criminal trespass filed by Coal Township police relating to an incident April 4, 2013.

Ocacio-Rodriguez also was placed on probation for one year, fined $100 and ordered to make restitution of $120 to Kathy Sabotchick and $150 to Game Stop for theft involving an incident Aug. 23, 2013.

- Anthony Dagostino, 20, of Mount Carmel, was sentenced by Wiest to 23 months intermediate punishment with the first four months on house arrest and fined $250 for possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance.

He also was placed on probation for one year and fined $250 on another count of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance.

Dagostino was sentenced to six months intermediate punishment with the first three days on house arrest, fined $1,000 and had his driver's license suspended for 12 months for driving under the influence of a controlled substance.

All the charges were filed by Mount Carmel police in connection with incidents that occurred last year.

- Zachary Tyson, 28, of Shamokin, was sentenced by Wiest to six months intermediate punishment with the first 30 days on house arrest, fined $750 and had his driver's license suspended for one year for driving under the influence of alcohol Nov. 13 in Coal Township.

Tyson also was sentenced to two years consecutive probation and fined $150 for recklessly endangering another person relating to the same incident.

- Jeffrey Miller, 44, of Shamokin, was sentenced by Wiest to 2 1/2 to 5 years in state prison and fined $300 for failing to register as a sexual offender Oct. 15. The charge was filed by Shamokin police.

- Bradley Keister Sr., 40, of Shamokin, was sentenced by Wiest to two years probation, fined $100 and ordered to make $3,627.29 restitution to Jane Tomedi for accidents involving death or injury relating to a Feb. 21 incident in Coal Township.

Keister also was sentenced to two years probation and fined $100 for criminal conspiracy to commit retail theft filed by Coal Township police in connection with a Dec. 16 incident.

- Uriah Fausey, 23, of Middleburg, was sentenced by Wiest to 16 days to six months in Northumberland County Prison, fined $1,000 and had his driver's license suspended for 12 months for driving under the influence relating to an April 15 incident in Shamokin. Fausey was given credit for prison time previously served.

He also was placed on probation for one year for possession of drug paraphernalia.

- Robert Perez-Irizarry, 25, of Lewisburg, was sentenced by Wiest to 1 to 2 years in state prison and fined $250 for possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance filed by Coal Township police in connection with an incident May 8, 2014.

He also was sentenced to 6 to 24 months in prison, fined $100 and ordered to make full restitution for issuing a bad check April 19, 2014. The charge was filed by state police at Milton.

- Norman Hemerka Jr., 44, of Kulpmont, was sentenced by Wiest to one year probation and fined $150 for recklessly endangering another person involving a May 22 incident in Mount Carmel Township. Hemerka was ordered to refrain from drinking alcohol and attending bars.

- Travis Scherer, 26, of Wilkes-Barre, was sentenced by Wiest to time previously served to six months in county prison, fined $1,000 and had his driver's license suspended for 12 months for driving under the influence of a controlled substance relating to an incident March 31, 2013, in Mount Carmel Township.

- Joseph Aiello, 32, of Mount Carmel, was sentenced by Wiest to five years intermediate punishment with the first 90 days on house arrest, fined $1,500 and had his driver's license suspended for 18 months for his third driving under the influence of alcohol offense. The charge was filed by Mount Carmel police in connection with an incident Nov. 27, 2013.

- Linda Shifflet, 47, of Shamokin, was sentenced by Judge Charles Saylor to 18 months intermediate punishment with the first 90 days on house arrest, fined $1,500, had his driver's license suspended for 18 months and was ordered to pay $500 restitution to Bruce and Dawn Conrad for driving under the influence of alcohol. The charge was filed by Sunbury police in connection with an incident Feb. 27, 2014.

- Keifer Zsido, 24, of Kulpmont, was sentenced by Saylor to one year probation and fined $75 for retail theft committed Nov. 25 in Mount Carmel Township.

- Wayde Kerstetter, 22, of Shamokin, was sentenced by Saylor to 23 to 48 months in state prison and fined $100 for aggravated indecent assault filed by state police at Stonington in connection with an incident Aug. 1, 2014. Kerstetter also was ordered to register for life as a sexual offender and is prohibited from having contact with the victim. He must report to Snyder County Prison Monday.

Kerstetter also was sentenced to two years consecutive probation and fined $50 for false imprisonment relating to the same incident.

- Karin Sharpe, 37, of Middletown, Del., was sentenced by Saylor to three days to six months in county prison, fined $1,000 and had her driver's license suspended for 12 months for driving under the influence of alcohol. The charge was filed by Shamokin police in connection with an incident Oct. 27, 2012.

Sharpe, who will be granted immediate parole upon serving her sentence, must report to Snyder County Prison Friday.

MANDATA - Students at Line Mountain School District will be returning to school next week, but their stay will likely be brief.

Teachers have announced a strike beginning Sept. 16 - one week after classes reconvene Sept. 8.

Though the strike will disrupt the fall semester, Superintendent David Campbell said students should still show up prepared to learn during the first week.

"Our expectations will be: Come in and be respectful and get an education," he said. He advised parents to "treat (the strike) like Christmas break."

Campbell believes the strike will likely last nine days, with class resuming Sept. 29. This calendar will be finalized by the Pennsylvania Department of Education as the strike deadline approaches.

"Students must finish by June 15," said Campbell.

To ensure students complete the required amount of class by that deadline, nine days currently marked as holidays will become regular school days: Dec. 28, 29 and 30, Jan. 18, Feb. 15, March 23, 24 and 28, and June 15.

Additional, if a strike occurs, open house will be rescheduled for 6 p.m. Oct. 7 and 8 for elementary and middle/high school students, respectively, so students can attend class for approximately the same number of days before their parents meet their teachers.

School day starts later

Though middle/high school students may be loath to return to class, a slightly later start time may curb some of the pain. Teachers will now have a planning period from 7 to 7:42 a.m., so students will enter the building at 7:43 a.m., 18 minutes later than last year. The school day will still end at 2:25 p.m.

A plan to change the high school schedule from an eight-period day to a seven-period day has been reversed after students spoke out against it at school board meetings.

"We listened to them," Campbell said.

During the summer, he worked with High School Principal Jeffrey Roadcap and other members of the administration to maintain the eight-period day while overcoming staffing losses that necessitated the change. With teachers now teaching during all eight periods, more class options are available.

"It's a way better schedule than a seven-period day would have been," said Campbell. "It increases their opportunity to get to their third elective."

"We believe it's a good thing for the kids," said Roadcap. "It opened up the schedule for students."

Tech goes full day

The 32 students attending the Northumberland County Career and Technology Center will see more time in their specializations as the program has been bumped from a half day to a full day.

Six students are already registered for the school's dual enrollment program, which is offering classes at Luzerne County Community College and Harrisburg Area Community College. A computer center has been set up at the high school for online courses.

Director of special education Amy Dunn, who manages the programs, said classes will continue for these categories of students regardless of the strike. Transportation will still be available for vo-tech students.

"They will be contacted with details," she said. She added that she would be available at home throughout the strike if parents or students have questions.

New teachers

Two new teachers will join the district this year: Ashtin Klinger, a physical education teacher at the middle/high school, and Dana Brown, a music teacher specializing in instrumental and band.

Danielle Koser is new to the middle school language arts department, though students may recognize her from her years teaching at the high school. Liz Pomykalski, previously an elementary school teacher, will also move to the middle school to take a fifth grade reading teacher position.

Jill Yisrael, a physical education teacher at the elementary school, will take on new duties as a health instructor. First- and second-grade students will receive half a year of health education, and third grade students will have a full year.

New curriculum also includes the Journeys program, which will be implemented in the elementary levels, and a math series for students of all grade levels.

Buddy Bench

Also new at the elementary school is a Buddy Bench, which will be painted by students in the gifted program before taking its place on the playground.

"Students who need to someone to play with at recess can gather there and find buddies," said Elementary School Principal Jeanne Menko.

High school students can make friends in a new archery club, which will compete for the first time this year.

Roadcap, who is serving as faculty advisor for the club, said the competition season will begin in fall and run through winter. All high school students are invited to try out, with the highest scoring students earning a spot on the inaugural team.

MANDATA - A 17-year search for the perfect salt shed came to an end Aug. 25 when the Line Mountain Board of Directors voted 5-4 to accept a $54,000 bid to construct one.

Directors were apprehensive about accepting the bid from Snyder Equipment Company Inc., of Watsontown, but it was the only offer made to construct an open-ended salt house on the district's campus.

Board president Troy Laudenslager voted to accept the bid, but expressed his dismay at the price tag. He said he had expected bids to come in closer to $30,000.

Until the shed is constructed, the salt is kept safe from weather using a tarp. Leakage typically results in the loss of a portion of the salt, which becomes hard and unusable if dampened.

The board explored numerous other options over many years, but the corrosive nature of salt constricts the selection of building materials. Snyder Equipment Company will construct the building primarily from concrete, which is not affected by salt.

Even after Tim Lagerman, director of plant and operations for the district, explained the reason for the price, several directors were not swayed. Voting against accepting the bid were directors Ronald Neidig, Lamont Masser, Marlin Yeager Jr. and Linda Gutkowski.

SUNBURY - Northumberland County commissioners pushed further ahead on building a new county prison Tuesday by accepting a proposal from Alexander Building Construction Company, of Harrisburg, to oversee the project.

Commissioner Stephen Bridy, who participated by teleconference, and Chairman Vinny Clausi agreed to a construction management services contract at a cost of $23,120 per month during the design and bidding phase and $46,190 per month during construction.

Bids were also received from CGL Companies, of Columbia, S.C., and Quandel Construction, of Harrisburg.

Commissioner Richard Shoch opposed the motion, claiming bids from the other two firms were less expensive. The commissioner said he believes CGL and Quandel are just as qualified.

Clausi, who operates his own construction business, said the flat fee for the services will significantly reduce costs connected with change orders. He also pointed out that Alexander has it owns lawyer and architect who will be involved with the work.

Bridy said the new prison and work release center will cover more than eight acres of the 22-acre site at the former Knight-Celotex manufacturing plant at 1400 Susquehanna Ave., Sunbury. The property encompasses several blocks in the northern end of Sunbury and a small section of land in Upper Augusta Township.

Bridy previously said the entire prison and work release center project will cost between $20 million and $35 million.

He said the new 90-cell prison will be designed for 260 inmates, but will be able to hold a capacity of more than 300 inmates. The county prison at 39 N. Second St., which was built in 1876, had a maximum inmate capacity of just under 300 before being extensively damaged by fire Jan. 14.

Since the fire, most of the male inmates have been housed at SCI-Coal Township while female inmates have been incarcerated at SCI-Muncy. Prisons in Snyder, Montour and other counties also have been used to house prisoners.

Earlier this year, the county completed its $2 million purchase of the site from Moran Industries, which bought the property in 2011.

Moran Industries Inc. is a third-party logistics company based in Watsontown that specializes in warehousing and distribution.

A public hearing regarding the new prison site will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday in the commissioners' meeting room at the administration center.

In other business, commissioners unanimously awarded contracts to LTS Plumbing and Heating, of Paxinos, and Menco Mechanical, of Mifflinville, for heating, ventilation and air conditioning, furnace cleaning and repairs for LIHEAP Crisis, LIHEAP Standard and Doe Funding as recommended by the weatherization department.

The proposal from LTS includes rates of $65 per hour for a technician, $37.50 per hour for labor, $129 for a standard cleaning and 58 cents per mile over 20 miles. Menco's proposal includes $69 per hour for a technician, $45 per hour for labor, $145 for a standard cleaning and no travel expenses.

Controller Chris Grayson, who read the proposals, said the state recommends the county hire two vendors for the work. He said only two bids were received.

On a 2-1 vote, the commissioners agreed to advertise an ordinance adopting an employment incentive tax reimbursement program in an attempt to lure business into the county. Shoch abstained on the vote.

Clausi and Bridy approved a change order for Motorola Solutions in the amount of $239,448 for equipment and warehouse costs involved with the ongoing 911 radio project. Shoch abstained because the motion listed on the agenda did not say what the change order was for.

At the end of the meeting, the commissioners approved an ordinance read by solicitor Frank Garrigan that allows the county to pledge its taxing authority as collateral for Northumberland County Authority to borrow money to purchase the Human Services Complex on North Second Street in Sunbury currently owned by MLC Properties LLC and Penn Homes.

Bridy pointed out the county is expected to save $3.12 million over 13 years by purchasing the complex instead of leasing it.

SUNBURY - Pat Mack will resign later this month as Northumberland County planning director, but will still be working with county officials through his new employment with Northumberland County Housing Authority.

Mack's last day will be Sept. 25.

Northumberland County Commissioners Vinny Clausi and Stephen Bridy, the latter participating by telephone, voted Tuesday to appoint grants manager Kathy Jeremiah as Mack's successor. Commissioner Richard Shoch abstained because he believes an appointment should be deferred to the new board of commissioners who will take office in January.

Mack, who earns $44,513 as planning director and supervisor of the weatherization department, highly recommended Jeremiah for the post.

"It wasn't an easy decision to resign because I loved this job, but I'm also thrilled for the opportunity to work for the housing authority," Mack said. "Kathy and I have worked together since I became planning director in February 2010 and she is best suited to do the job. No one is better."

Jeremiah, who currently earns a salary of $33,805, will be paid $42,000 in her new role, which is the starting salary for department heads.

"Pat and I have worked together as a team over the years and have been commended by several state agencies," she said. "I'm very sorry to see him go."

She said Mack will continue to work with her through the housing authority with the HOMES and blight programs.

Jeremiah has worked for the county for 7 1/2 years. She began her career in the Custody/Protection from Abuse Office before being named tourism director, a position that was later eliminated. She has been the grants manager for 6 1/2 years.

Bridy and Clausi also appointed recycling coordinator and maintenance director Dale Henry to supervise the weatherization department at his regular salary of $35,881. Shoch abstained on the vote.

LEWISBURG - Home improvement is the focus of the Second Annual Central PA Fall Home Show Expo to be held Friday through Sunday, Sept. 18 to 20, at the Silver Moon Banquet Complex, 137 Silver Moon Lane.

Experts will showcase flooring, heating, solar, sunrooms and additions, basement finishing, waterproofing, home security, roofing, custom kitchens, energy efficient windows, exterior products and the newest ideas pertaining to decking and landscaping.

Puppet Meister Marionettes will present "Country Kids Jamboree" all three days, a show of delightful music, comedy and face painting.

There will be free giveaways from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday, food by Silver Moon Banquet Catering and free admission.

Sponsors are Max Media of Pennsylvania, The Milton Standard-Journal and The Valley Trader direct mail magazine.

The Silver Moon Complex is located minutes two miles north of Lewisburg. The complex hosts the area's largest farmers market on Sundays.

The following defendants pleaded guilty during their preliminary hearings Aug. 26 before Magisterial District Judge Hugh Jones, of Mount Carmel.

n Jonathan L. Morgante, 30, of 739 Ash St., Apt. C., Kulpmont, was sentenced to 12 months probation and ordered to pay a $200 fine and court costs after pleading guilty to disorderly conduct.

Morgante was charged by Kulpmont Police Officer Patrick McAndrew following a July 30 incident in the 700 block of Spruce Street.

Charges of criminal trespass, loitering and prowling at night and public drunkenness were withdrawn in the case.

n Lelo L. Shingara, 48, of 311 Shingara Lane, Sunbury, pleaded guilty to a charge of possession of drug paraphernalia was ordered to pay a $100 fine plus court costs.

She was charged by Mount Carmel Township Police Officer Kelly Campbell following an April 23 incident in the 200 block of East Saylor Street, Atlas.

A charge of driving while operating privilege is suspended was withdrawn in the case.

n Peggy Sue Miller, 36, of 917 Chestnut St., Apt. B, Kulpmont, pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance and was ordered to serve six months probation and to pay a $200 fine plus court costs following her hearing.

Miller was charged by Kulpmont Police Officer Patrick McAndrew following a June 19 incident in the 700 block of Fir Street, Kulpmont.

Charges of public drunkenness and disorderly conduct were withdrawn in the case.

SUNBURY - The parents who left their 3-year-old child live in a Mount Carmel apartment littered with garbage and feces were sentenced Monday to probation and intermediate punishment.

Randall W. Walters, 36, was ordered by Northumberland County President Judge William H. Wiest to complete 23 months of intermediate punishment, with the first nine months on house arrest, for endangering the welfare of a child.

Walters, who will begin his sentence Thursday, was fined $50 and is prohibited from patroning bars or consuming alcohol.

His fiance, Yvonne Clouser, 31, was sentenced by Wiest to one year probation and fined $50 on the same charge. She also is not allowed to patron bars or drink alcohol.

Walters and Clouser, who reportedly currently reside in Sunbury, were ordered to comply with all recommendations made by Northumberland County Children and Youth Services.

Both defendants are undergoing counseling.

Two counts of disorderly conduct for creating an offensive condition filed against Walters and Clouser were not prosecuted under the plea agreement with the district attorney's office.

Prior to sentencing, Northumberland County Public Defender Peter Kay, who represented Walters, told Wiest his client has taken substantial steps to correct the wrongs he has committed. He said, "Mr. Walters and his fiance simply didn't know how to take care of a child."

He said Walters had a prior record score of 4, but had not been arrested for six years.

Public defender Paige Rosini, who represented Clouser, said her client has no prior record score.

Rosini and Kay reserved comments about the sentencings.

In June, Walters and Clouser, formerly of 214 S. Oak St., Apt. 2, Mount Carmel, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor of recklessly endangering another person filed by Cpl. David Donkochik in connection with an April 15 incident.

They are accused of allowing their son to live in the apartment that had animal feces and urine covering the living room floor, garbage strewn throughout and insects swarming about old food left on the kitchen stove.

The child was placed in the care of his grandmother, Donkochik said.

Mount Carmel Code Enforcement Officer Robin Williams condemned the apartment due to unlivable conditions.