Wilkes-Barre Times Leader 3-20

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    The Times Leader

    C M Y K

    WILKES-BARRE, PA SUNDAY, MARCH 20, 2011 $1.50timesleader.com

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    Dr. Susan Sordoni: a dream

    fulfilled PEOPLE, 1B

    Law enforcement in North-eastern Pennsylvania is growingincreasingly concerned over aproduct marketed as bath saltsthats being used as an alterna-tive to cocaine.

    These bath salts are not thetypical crystals sold in the soapand lotion aisle of a beauty store.This product is marketed mostly

    in head shopsand gas stationsunder the samedisguise. It is le-gal to sell andpurchase.

    Users snort, in-gest or smoke thesubstance similarto cocaine orcrack, undercoverdrug detectives

    explained.Adverse effects of bath salts,

    according to the National Insti-tute on Drug Abuse, include ex-treme paranoia, hallucinations,rapid heart rate, suicidalthoughts, disorientation, insom-nia and kidney failure.

    It is causing headaches for lawenforcement with reports of peo-ple wanting to harm themselvesor others, or causing disturbanc-es in public.

    Recent local incidents include:

    A state police criminal com-mander said troopers recentlyencountered a man who had dis-robed and threatened to harmhimself while running in trafficon the Nanticoke-West Nanti-coke Bridge.

    Scranton policebelieveRyanFoley, 25, was high on bath salts

    See SALTS, Page 16A

    The dirty businessof using bath salts

    Authorities throughout areawarn that cocaine substitutehas dangerous consequencesBy EDWARDLEWIS

    [email protected]

    Dont try thiskind of saltsin your bath,

    Page 16AShop ownersays hefollows law,Page 16A

    I N S I D E

    BENGHAZI,Libya TheU.S.and European nations poundedMoammar Gadhafis forces andair defenses with cruise missilesand airstrikes Saturday, launch-ing the broadest internationalmilitary effort since the Iraq warinsupportof anuprising thathadseemed on the verge of defeat.

    Libyan state TV claimed 48people had been killed in the at-

    tacks,but thereport could notbeindependently verified.

    The longtime Libyan leadervowed to defendhis countryfromwhat he called crusader aggres-

    sion and warned the involve-ment of international forces willsubject the Mediterranean andNorth African region to dangerand put civilians at risk.

    TheU.S. militarysaid 112 Tom-ahawk cruise missiles were firedfrom American and British shipsand submarines at more than 20coastal targets to clear the wayfor air patrols to ground Libyasair force. French fighter jets firedthe first salvos, carrying out sev-eral strikesin therebel-held east,

    C H A O S I N L I B YA

    U.S., othernations beginair strikesThe international strikes

    come hours after an

    emergency summit in Paris.

    ByRYANLUCASand

    HADEELAL-SHALCHI

    Associated Press

    See LIBYA, Page14A

    A NEWS B PEOPLE D BUSINESS F ETCUpset

    Forty Fort native Rob Kleinspends his days thinking of waysto makepeople laugh.

    He collaborates with world-fa-mous celebrities.

    His work appears on nationalTV.

    Kleins position since 2007?Writing for NBCs SaturdayNight Live.

    Itsreally fun. Yourealways bu-

    sy, and youre never bored, saidKlein, who graduated from

    Wyoming Valley West HighSchool in1999,as classvaledictor-ian.

    Klein was always a fan of SNLand its actors.

    Comedy ingeneralI lovedas alittle kid, but I dont think I everthoughtit was what Iwasgoing todowhenI grewup, saidKlein, 30,the son of Marilyn and GeneKlein, the latter a former LuzerneCounty chiefclerk/administrator.

    The idea ofcomedywritingas acareer surfaced while Klein wasmajoring in English at HarvardUniversity, where he was able towrite for the well-known under-

    graduate humor magazine, TheHarvard Lampoon.

    Klein saidhe practically lived atthe Lampoons castle-like head-quarters.

    Ilovedthe peoplethere.I lovedtheculture.The Lampoonwas myfavorite thing about being in col-lege,Klein said.I didntthink ofwriting there as something thatwas going tohelp mewith myca-reer.

    Other Lampoon writers havegoneon towriteforSNL,so Kleinapplied several times. He submit-tedpacketsof comedysketcheshehadwrittenuntil hewas hired.

    SNL head writer Seth Meyers,who anchors the shows Weekend

    Update,said Klein makes hispres-enceknownatworkintheNBCof-ficesonthe17thflooroftheRocke-feller Center in NewYorkCity.

    Area native live from New York

    PHOTO COURTESY OF 2011/DANA EDELSON/NBC

    Saturday Night Live writer Rob Klein, a FortyFort native, collab-

    orates with show castmember Andy Samberg. Kleingraduated

    fromWyoming Valley West High School.

    Rob Klein of Forty Fort has

    been a comedy writer for thehit NBC show since 2007.

    By JENNIFER LEARN-ANDES

    [email protected]

    Age: 30Hometown: Forty FortStatus: SingleCurrent residence: GreenwichVillage, New York CityEducation: 1999 graduate ofWyoming Valley West High School,valedictorian; 2003 graduate ofHarvard University, magna cumlaude

    M E E T R O B K L E I N

    See NATIVE, Page15A

    KINGSTON Masahiro Chibawas on a date at the Ueno ParkZoo in Tokyo at 2:46 p.m. on Fri-day, March 11.

    Allat once,thebirds inthe avi-ary starting crying out, he said.About 5 seconds later, the firsttremors of a massive 9.0 earth-quake shook the ground beneath

    his feet.Chiba, 16, of Tokyo, is one of

    three Japanese nationals study-ing at Wyoming Seminary UpperSchool who returned home dur-ing their spring break vacationand found themselves

    AIMEE DILGER/THE TIMES LEADER

    Wyoming Seminary students Masahiro Chiba, left, Mako Mat-suzaki and Ariko Ando discusstheir timein Japan duringthe

    earthquake and tsunami.

    Seminary students recall

    quake during spring [email protected]

    INSIDE: Food items tainted, 9A.

    See STUDENTS, Page14A

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    K

    PAGE 2A SUNDAY, MARCH 20, 2011 THE TIMES LEADER www.timesleader.com

    Albert, GeorgeDirner, Eleanor

    Disano, ThomasFord, Fred

    Gancarik, GregoryGrassi, Gerald

    Kalinoski, MaryNeely, Rose

    Obremski, MaryShutlock, Michael

    Tomshaw, Joan

    OBITUARIES

    Page 13A

    BUILDING

    TRUST

    The Times Leader strives tocorrect errors, clarify storiesand update them promptly.Corrections will appear in thisspot. If you have informationto help us correct an inaccu-

    racy or cover an issue morethoroughly, call the newsroomat 829-7242.

    DETAILS

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    CirculationJim McCabe [email protected]

    Published daily by:

    Wilkes-Barre Publishing Company15 N. Main St.

    Wilkes-Barre, PA 18711

    Periodicals postage paid atWilkes-Barre, PA and additional mailing offices

    Postmaster: Send address changesto Times Leader 15 N Main St

    +(ISSN No. 0896-4084)USPS 499-710

    Issue No. 2011-079

    WILKES-BARRE Citypolice reported the following:

    Police cited Julio Pozo,19,of 38 Empire St., with public

    drunkenness and underagedrinking charges after theyallegedly found Pozo urinatingon a telephone pole at the cor-ner of East Northampton andSouth Welles Streets at 2:12 a.m.Saturday. Pozo was held untilsober for his safety, police said.

    Asmar Crawford, 18, ofWalnut Street, said he was ap-proached and assaulted by sev-eral black males unknown tohim at 2:29 a.m. Saturday nearE.L. Meyers High School. Ac-cording to police, Crawford saidhe injured his left hand whilefighting back. He was taken toan area medical facility for treat-ment, police said.

    Police cited Thomas Wren,23, of Glen Lyon, on disorderly

    conduct charges at 12:03 a.m.Saturday at The Hardware Bar,12 S. Main St.

    James Thomas said a fencewas stolen from his property, 68Carlisle St., at 7:28 p.m. Friday.

    Police arrested MichaelCrisano, 46, of Edwardsville, onpossession of drug parapherna-lia charges at 4:06 p.m. Friday atthe corner of Grove and Pros-pect Street.

    A 13-year-old boy fromAshley will be cited with harass-ment after he put a 13-year-oldboy from Wilkes-Barre in a head-lock at 335 S. Franklin St. onMarch11, police said.

    Stephen Murphy, 31, of 40Walden Drive, Mountain Top,was cited with public drunk-

    enness on Thursday after policeresponded to a report of a mansleeping in his car on SouthMain Street, near MulligansIrish Pub around 11:25 p.m.Police said they awoke Murphyand found him to be highlyintoxicated. He was taken toheadquarters, but a responsiblesober adult could not be con-tacted, so Murphy was helduntil he was sober.

    Robert Ratchford, 27, ofPittston, was cited with publicdrunkenness after police respon-ded to a report of a man sleep-ing on steps at 35 S. Franklin St.around 10:25 p.m. Thursday.Police said they awoke Ratch-ford and found that he was high-ly intoxicated. He was takeninto custody and transported topolice headquarters. A respon-sible sober adult could not belocated so that Ratchford couldbe released. He was held untilhe was sober.

    Marie Landrigan, of 42Monroe St. said her sister Juliewas making threatening phonecalls Thursday. Police advisedJulie Landrigan to stop makingthe phone calls or she would becharged with harassment.

    Jennifer Dunn said a towcover was stolen from her vehi-cle parked in the area of 288Kidder St. on Thursday and thata bumper was also damaged.

    Michael Marchesano,18,faces a drug charge after policesaid he was observed smokingmarijuana Thursday on the topfloor of the Park & Lock Centralparking garage on South MainStreet.

    FRANKLIN TWP. ThomasJesso reported that someonestole a John Deere riding tractorfrom the end of his driveway onCulver Hill Road sometimebetween 3 p.m. Tuesday and 3p.m. Wednesday, state policesaid.

    BUTLER TWP. Police re-ported the following:

    Police responded to a mo-tor vehicle accident at the in-tersection of Old Turnpike Roadand West Butler Drive at ap-proximately 4 p.m. Friday. Po-lice said a vehicle driven byJohn Hoffman, 50, of Drums,was traveling west on WestButler Drive when an unidenti-fiable blue vehicle ran a stopsign and pulled into his pathfrom Old Turnpike Road, caus-ing Hoffman to swerve into anoncoming vehicle driven byJoseph Pagnotti, 50, of Drums.

    Pagnotti sustained seriousinjuries in the collision and wastransported to the trauma cen-

    ter at Geisinger Wyoming ValleyMedical Clinic, police said.Hoffman also sustained injuriesand was transported to Hazle-ton General Hospital, policesaid.

    Butler Township police areasking anyone with informationabout the blue vehicle thatcaused the accident to contactthem at 788-3230.

    A resident of Shingle MillDrive said several packagesdelivered to her residence weretampered with and items werestolen on March12.

    Police cited Pilar LaCruz-Monroe, 38, of Freeland with asummary stop sign violation atapproximately 4 p.m. March 12.Police said Monroe pulled out infront of Marian Michaels vehi-cle, resulting in a two-vehiclecrash at the intersection of EastButler Drive and WoodsideDrive. No injuries were reportedin the accident, police said.

    POLICE BLOTTER

    Divorces sought and filed inthe Luzerne County Prothono-tarys Office from March 14through 18, 2011:

    Kimberly A. Schweiss,Kingston, and Randy K.Schweiss, Kingston

    John J. Rabbitz III, Hazle-ton, and Angela G. Rabbitz,Hazleton

    Kelly Petherick, Dallas, andMichael Petherick, Shickshinny

    Justine Fierman, Dallas,and Jason D. Fierman, Wilkes-Barre

    Deborah Skokoski, Hazle-ton, and John Skokoski, WestHazleton

    William D. Evans, MountainTop, and Ashley C. Evans, Law-ton, Okla.

    Sharon Ann Armitage,Pittston, and Joseph Armitage,Pittston

    Bonnie L. Floryshak, Ber-wick, and Michael J. Floryshak,Berwick

    David J. Floyd, Clarks Sum-mit, and Suzanne Floyd, Har-veys Lake

    Bruce W. Coolbaugh, Pitt-ston, and Christa Coolbaugh,Dallas

    Edward Karasek, Berwick,and Moxie Carasek, Berwick

    Sandra Carter, Hughes-town, and Brandon Carter,Hughestown

    John V. Morris III, Wilkes-Barre, and Helena A. Morris,Wilkes-Barre

    Michael A. Boroff, unknownaddress, and Susan D. Boroff,unknown address

    Deanna Bolish, Lattimersection of Hazle Township, andShane A. Bolish, Hazleton

    Dumas Cabral, Hazleton,and Keledy Jazmin Hidalgo,Hazleton

    Marriage license applicationsfiled in the Luzerne CountyRegister of Wills Office from

    March14 through 18, 2011: Matthew Ryan Curley and

    Aubrey Elizabeth Jones Leonard Lewis Golembiew-

    ski and Alexandra ElizabethFerrer

    David Michael Myzick andLois S. Cyron

    Edward Nearhouse andKaren Ann Geiger

    Thomas G. Baer and Deb-bie Lee Mueller

    Joseph Anthony Jones andDanielle Nicole Allen

    John Row and Lisa Benson Kevin Joseph Laroocque

    and Veronica Denise Rodriguez Gerald A. Flora and Elaine

    A. Gambucci Thomas Bruce Hutchins

    and Regan Melissa Cameron Butler K. McElwee and

    Deborah J. Booth William Morris and Jacque-

    lyn McCarthy Bruce Allen Trammell and

    Tanya Lee Paredes Anthony Carrono and Jessi-

    ca Yeager Dale Hines and Dang

    Nguyen Trang Jason Robert Gazda and

    Erica Sawicki

    PUBLIC RECORDS

    WYOMING Friends of theWyoming Free Library reachedoutto thecommunityin ordertogive back to the community onSaturday afternoon.

    A membership drive for theFriends of the Wyoming Free Li-brary was held in the MillerCommunity Room of theWyom-ing Free Library, on WyomingAvenue in Wyoming.

    Pizza and soda were providedfor the 11 attendees with a dis-cussion onnewways tobuild upmembership. And it worked.Four new members signed up.

    The Wyoming Free Libraryhas been in existence for 84years. Friends of the librarywould like to see it around forthe next 100, but funding cutscould be detrimental to its fu-ture.

    Brigid Anthony, 80, of Wyom-ing, said the small group wantsto attractyounger members. Shesaid the members of the librarygroup are aging and she wouldlike to see younger people joinup so financial supportfor theli-brary continues.

    We have eight members whoare over 80 years old, she said.

    To join the Friends of theWyoming Free Library, a $5 an-nual fee is required and applica-tions are available in the libraryduring hours of operation, Mon-day and Friday from10 a.m. to 6p.m., Tuesday through Thurs-day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., andSaturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.For more information call the li-

    brary at 693-1364.The group holds various fun-

    draisers such as book sales, abook club, raffles and bake salesthroughout the year. The pro-ceeds raised go to help the li-brary purchase incidentals, An-thony said.

    Financialsupport is importantfor the library in the face of somany funding cuts from thestate, county and local level.JohnRoberts,the WyomingFreeLibrarys executivedirector, saidthe librarys funding was cut bythe state for the 2010-2011 year.He said they are waiting to seehow much funding will be cutonce Pennsylvania GovernorTom Corbetts proposed budgetis approved.

    The countys changeover toHome Rule could also affect fu-ture funding for the library, hesaid. Roberts was unable at thetime to give amounts of fundingcuts, but said the cuts werequite deep.

    We were stillable to purchase

    the state-required materials and

    provide the same services, hesaid. But we are under a hiringfreeze.

    Roberts saidtheFriendsof theWyoming Free Library havebeen very generous. Over theyears, the friends of the libraryhelped purchase file cabinets,book shelves, furniture and avacuum.

    They even helped pay thecost of tuition and books for meto get the required educationneeded for my position, Ro-berts said.

    Discussing possible ways toattractinterest and raisemoney,Anthony said she worries thegeneral publichas theideathatalibrary is not needed with theprevalence of computers.

    Thisisnot true,she said. Inmany ways the library still sup-ports education.

    Although the library is smallin size, Anthony said the num-bers are up on use.

    Kicking around ideas, Antho-nysaidshe wouldliketo seefam-ily membership available,otherslike JoAnne Rygiel of Wyomingsuggested maybe selling a DVDof footage her husband, John,took of Wyomings 50th anniver-sary of its incorporation. Veron-ica Spliethoff, of Wyoming, sug-gested offering a writing work-shop.

    BILL TARUTIS PHOTOS/FOR THE TIMES LEADER

    Susan Maria of West Wyoming, left, libraryboard secretary SandraTouw of Dallas, Rae Anusiew-

    icz of West Wyoming, and JoAnn Rygiel of Wyomingchat at the Wyoming Free Library Saturday.

    Needed a new chapter

    Friends of the WyomingFreeLibraryPresident Brigid An-

    thony explains the fiscal chal-

    lenges facing the libraryandasks for ideas to increase

    community involvement.

    The Wyoming Free Library

    ponders ways to move ahead

    in an era of budget cuts.

    By EILEEN GODIN

    Times Leader Correspondent

    To join the Friends of the Wyom-ing Library, applications areavailable in the library Mondayand Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.,Tuesday through Thursday from 9a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturdaysfrom 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.A $5 annual fee is required.For more information, call thelibrary at 693-1364.

    H O W YO U C A N H E L P

    WILKES-BARRE A formerWest Pittston police officer wassentenced Friday to three to 12months in county prison oncharges he took money from adrug and alcohol program hewas supposed to teach at a lo-cal school district.

    Joseph Campbell, 49, ofWyoming, was sentenced onfive counts of theft by LuzerneCounty Senior Judge JosephAugello, and also received 7years of probation.

    He was in a position oftrust, Assistant District Attor-ney Samuel Sanguedolce saidFriday. And he committed atheft during each school year.

    Campbell, represented by at-torney Peter Loftus, was foundguilty of the charges by a juryat a February trial.

    Loftus said his client is deep-ly sorry for his actions and thathe temporarily stepped out ofcharacter. Loftus also saidCampbell has helped hundredsof thousands of children by pre-senting the DARE (Drug AbuseResistance Education) pro-gram, and is not at risk to reof-fend.

    Campbell, who was terminat-ed from the West Pittston Po-lice Department on Nov. 12,was charged in February 2010after an investigation by theDistrict Attorneys Office.

    County detectives allegedthat Campbell received nearly$20,000 in DARE funds forclasses he did not teach atWyoming Area High School.

    Campbell was paid to teachDARE classes through grants

    from the Pennsylvania Commis-sion on Crime and Delinquency(PCCD).

    West Pittston Chief Paul Por-firio conducted an internal in-vestigation after finding discre-pancies in Campbells timesheets for hours teachingDARE classes during the 2006-07 and 2007-08 school years.

    The investigation revealedCampbell submitted grant ap-plications claiming he taughtDARE to fifth-, seventh- and11th-grade classes when onlythe fifth-grade class was taught,according to court papers.

    Campbell was ordered to paymore than $12,000 in restitu-tion, since he has already paidjust over $3,000. The moneywill go to the PCCD, Sangue-dolce said.

    Campbell must report to theLuzerne County CorrectionalFacility on April 18 to beginserving his sentence.

    Ex-cop gets 3-12 months in prisonFormer West Pittston officer

    Joseph Campbell sentenced

    on five counts of theft.

    By SHEENA DELAZIO

    [email protected]

    PITTSTON Investiga-tors arewaitingfor theSus-quehanna River level todrop before resuming theirsearchforthebodyofamis-sing woman.

    itwillbe discontinueduntilthe river recedes.

    Theyre going to re-sume the search once theriver gets lower, she said.

    Investigators are moni-toring the river, she said,and Pittston police are pa-trolling thearea whereper

    12.Calabro, 48, did not re-

    turn to her apartment inGabriel House the night ofMarch 11. The transitionalhousing residence forwomen onWilliamStreetisa few blocks from the park.

    The district attorney

    The river level was closeto28 feettheday herpurse,an eyeglass lens, denturesand a boot were found inthepark.It droppedto 13.5feet by midweek, but start-ing to rise again.

    An up-and-down patternwas forecast for this week

    graduallyfall to13.7feetbyearly Tuesday morning be-fore starting another rise.

    Members of the Germa-niaHoseCo.s waterrescueteam have been searchingthe river near the park aswellas an areadownstream

    River searchfor Calabrohalted until

    By JERRY LYNOTT

    [email protected]

    Lottery summaryDaily Number, Midday

    Sunday: 1-7-1

    Monday: 7-7-9Tuesday: 5-2-5Wednesday: 1-7-5Thursday: 2-1-6Friday: 3-6-9Saturday: 2-1-6

    Big Four, MiddaySunday: 3-6-1-3Monday: 3-8-0-3Tuesday: 8-4-7-3Wednesday: 4-0-4-4Thursday: 7-0-3-4Friday: 1-2-9-3Saturday: 9 -3-8-7

    Quinto, MiddaySunday: 3-4-7-0-5Monday: 8-0-0-5-6Tuesday: 2-7-1-7-3Wednesday: 5-4-0-0-7Thursday: 3-9-3-0-5Friday: 6-6-7-8-4Saturday: 7-6-2-9-7

    Treasure Hunt

    Sunday: 07-16-19-22-24Monday: 01-05-06-16-27Tuesday: 11-16-18-23-24Wednesday: 10-16-23-24-28Thursday: 03-06-15-17-24Friday: 01-03-07-25-30Saturday : 14-15-18-19-23

    Daily Number, 7 p.m.Sunday: 6-1-3Monday: 1-2-2Tuesday: 2-2-0Wednesday: 3-7-5Thursday: 7-7-1Friday: 3-8-7Saturday: 2-0-9

    Big Four, 7 p.m.Sunday: 1-8-6-7Monday: 6-5-7-5Tuesday: 6-6-4-3Wednesday: 0-6-9-9Thursday: 4-8-9-5Friday: 4-3-9-2Saturday: 5-8-8-4

    Quinto, 7 p.m.Sunday: 4-1-8-0-4Monday: 0-7-3-7-5Tuesday: 2-4-9-1-2Wednesday: 0-3-5-1-9Thursday: 8-0-6-3-8Friday: 5-0-7-3-8Saturday: 9-7-8-1-2

    Cash5Sunday: 01-03-12-23-36Monday: 01-09-19-34-41Tuesday: 03-05-16-25-32Wednesday: 14-24-37-38-43Thursday : 18-24-27-37-41Friday: 09-13-20-28-32Saturday: 04-08-21-31-33

    Match 6 LottoMonday: 03-16-18-42-43-46Thursday: 04-08-09-42-45-48

    Mega MillionsTuesday: 10-11-12-28-43Megaball: 45Megaplier: 04

    Friday: 14-33-34-54-56Megaball: 37Megaplier: 04

    PowerballWednesday: 28-39-40-48-53powerball: 09powerplay: 03Saturday: 03-11-20-27-46powerball: 08powerplay: 02

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    C M Y K

    THE TIMES LEADER www.timesleader.com SUNDAY, MARCH 20, 2011 PAGE 3A

    LOCAL

    timesleader.com

    Well thereit is: $6million tosavetheSterlingHotelfor destruc-tion.

    I know what youre thinking: Is thatatypo? Wasnt allthat LuzerneCountymoney supposed to save theWilkes-Barre landmark from destruction?

    Well, yeah, andit did,for almostadecade.But nowthe owner, thenon-profitdeveloper of lastresortknownas CityVest, hasadmitteddemolitionisbeing seriously considered. If thathap-pens, wewill have spent $6 milliontosavethe Sterlingfordestruction.

    To be fair, they havent hauled in thewrecking ball yet. Butwith CityVest

    andotherofficials suddenly toutingwhata great site itwillbe afterthehotel is razed ratherthan howgreat itwill be oncerestored, it sure soundslikethecountdownhas begun.

    Alsoto befair, about$3 millionofthatmoneypaid forthe demolitionofan annex andfor removal of hazardousmaterials thathad to be taken outwhether thehotelis saved or not.

    Another$640,000 bought an adjacentparkinglot. Androughly thesameamount went intobuying additionalneighboring parcels, thoughthat dealsmelled likelast weeksmackerel.Letsrecap.

    A couple buys a building in1997withpromises of loftapartments, does noth-ingwith it,movesto Maine andleavesit rot. Wilkes-Barre razesthe buildingandputs a $303,000lienon theproper-ty to cover thedemolitioncosts. Theclearedpropertyis appraised at about$341,000 andCityVestbuysit forthatamount.Then CityVestalso pays the$303,000lien,eventhoughthe couplewhosold it justreceived enoughmoneyfrom thesale to paythe lien themselves.

    Theremay bea good explanationforCityVest to usecountymoneyto effec-tively spend nearlytwicethe appraisedvalue on theproperty, butas real estatedeals go,this soundslikea sweetheart.

    Questions abound

    But for arguments sake,lets concedethatroughly$4.3 millionof thecountymoney went to buyingland, razingthehotelannex, and hazardous materialabatement. Thats still $1.7 milliontosavea building soyoucan knockit

    down.CityVest Executive Director Alex

    Rogers insiststhe $6 millionexpendi-ture produced a success, even if thehotelis obliterated.CityVestconsoli-dated property,removed the crumblingannex,eliminatedhazardous materials,andcleared up $2 millionin backtaxes,thuscreatingan available tract of landin a highlydesirablelocationripe fordevelopment.Its a big change, Rogerssuggests,from thestatusof thesitewhen CityVestfirstboughtit.

    Maybe.Or maybe Rogers is just rede-finingsuccess.

    Rogers also argues that demolitionwill costlessthan it would have beforeCityVest gotinvolved, thanksto theremoval of theannexand hazardousmaterial. Butthats a hard idea to sell.After all,a demolition companywasalready here to knock down theannex,completewithall itsheavyequipmentandexperts. Bringingpeople andma-chineryin twiceto thesame placeisusually more expensive, not less.

    Butthereal question is: How canwespend $6 millionand still have a build-ingso deteriorated thatdemolition ismoreattractive than renovation?Shouldnt stabilization havebeen thefirstpriority?

    Imbetting wecould have spent acouple hundredthousand certainlyless than$1million to mothball thehotel. Fixthe roof, boardthe windowsand provide ventilation.

    More detailsare forthcoming, butthecorner of Marketand River Streets isstartingto smell prettybad.

    And its not the Susquehanna.

    MARK GUYDISHO P I N I O N

    Razing the issueof whether cashwas well-spent

    PLAINS TOWNSHIP The last ofwinters fury didnt stop the cleanup ofarea roads Saturday by a foundationsupporting the local homeless and chil-dren.

    A small group of people representingthe Jenni Sunshine Foundation, led byfounder Frank Kearney, 48, of Wilkes-Barre, braved cold temperatures andhigh winds Saturday to mark their firstcleanupof theirnewly-adoptedroadwayalong Exit 1 of Route 309. The 1.4 milestretch of road lies on the access ofRoute 315 fromRoute309 nearJack Wil-liams Tire and Auto Center.

    We wanted this stretch of highwayfor the amount of traffic here, said

    Kearney,a carpenter.The morepeoplethatseeour sign, themorewe getouttothepublic.Everyonewhois goingto thecasino will see this sign.

    One of the volunteers, Amanda Zu-niesienko, 43, of Bethlehem, a friend

    Blustery day, but warm hearts

    AIMEE DILGER/THE TIMES LEADER

    JenniSunshine

    Founda-tioncoor-

    dinatorFrank J.

    Kearney

    and volun-teer Kath-

    ryn Balo-ga clean

    upanAdopt a

    Highwaysection of

    road on

    Saturday.

    ByJOHNKRISPIN

    [email protected]

    See SUNSHINE, Page 5A

    To see when the next cleanup on theirstretch of highway is, or more informa-tion on their services, contact the JenniSunshine Foundation via its website atwww.jennisunshineartsfoundation.org(will be changed to www.jennisunshine-foundatinon.org soon), contact FrankKearney at 570-270-3280, or email himat [email protected].

    F O R M O R E I N F O R M AT I O N

    WILKES-BARRE TWP. -- Commonexperiences with a dreaded diseasebrought people together to have a goodtime on Saturday when about 125groups, individuals and families gath-ered at the Mohegan Sun Arena to par-ticipated in the third annual AmericanLung Associations (ALA) Fight forAir.

    They came to climb the 1,224 steps ofthe concourse floor ofthearena, honor thosethey know and lovewho have fought lungdisease and to helpraise funds and aware-ness, according toDonna Ray-Reifler,manager of specialevents for the ALA ofPennsylvania.

    She estimates ap-proximately $12,000was raised that will beused to support life-saving programs.

    Chris Mooney, afirefighter from King-ston and spokesman

    for theevent,said fire-fighters from severallocal communitiestook part in the stairclimb to honor FredKase, the former as-

    sistantfirechief ofKingstonwhois fight-inga battleagainst lungcancer,and oth-ers they know with the disease. Fire-fighting teams from Nanticoke, PlainsTownship, Laflin Borough, JenkinsTownship, and other municipalitiestookonthe arenain fullfirefightingrega-lia, including about 75 pounds of gearand equipment.

    We will do anything we can to en-hance the general health of the public,Mooney said.

    Hesaid firefightersworktogetheras abrotherhood.

    Taking somesteps forbetter lungs

    at the arenaAmerican Lung Association

    sponsors climbing event to raise

    funds for lung cancer.

    By RALPHNARDONE

    Times Leader Correspondent

    Its aboutspreadingthe mess-age tofight lungdiseasealong withraisingmoney forcancer re-search andhaving

    some fun.JeffMartin

    Participant

    See CLIMB, Page 5A

    Side.The site of the Sterling, a large plot

    on thenortheastcornerof North Riverand West Market streets, had longbeen prime real estate. In 1871 it hadbecome the site of the Music Hall, alarge theater that featured the latestplays and musical comedy. But with

    When the Hotel Sterling opened forbusiness on Aug. 14, 1898, the firstguests in the door experienced the

    biggest, most luxurious hotel Wilkes-Barre had ever seen.

    Named for businessman and inves-tor Walter G. Sterling, the new innwas seven stories tall and had a spa-cious, columned lobby designed toevoke comparisons with the greatmetropolitan hotels all over America.

    The new building was an almost in-evitable expression of the growingwealth and confidence of the city. Thecoal industry, upon which the wholeareas economy was based, was boom-ingand waspulling railroading,manu-facturing and other industries alongwith it.

    Wilkes-Barres population was on asharp rise, and by 1900 census figureswould register a staggering growthfrom 37,000 in 1890 to 51,000. It was,in the words of the Wilkes-Barre Re-cord newspaper, a beautiful, wealthyandgrowing city. By thenew century,Luzerne Countys pop-ulation would be neardouble that of just 20years earlier.

    Important featuresof the downtown werethe Lehigh Valley andCentral of New Jerseyrailroad stations, justoff East Market Street,wherehundreds of peo-ple daily disembarkedin or departed from thecity. That and generalurban growth of thepost-Civil War yearswas spawning moreand larger hotels, gen-

    itsproximityto thedowntownand therail stations, the land was even moreuseful for a hotel.

    The stockholders had grand plansfor their new mega-inn. But apparent-ly they were displeased by the designsubmitted by architect J.H.W. Haw-kins, which made it look like some-

    thing rising out of the Eu-ropean countryside. Thehotel was planned as abrick Victorian Chateauwhose high roof wouldhave risen in two tallpeaks,covered with severalrows of gabled dormers,write Vito J. Sgromo andMichael Lewis in Wilkes-Barre Architecture: 1860-1960.

    Eventually, though, theytamed Hawkins designdown to something sim-pler and more urban mod-ern, a flat-sided, flat-roofedstructure thatlookedto the

    A Sterling history

    COURTESY OF LUZERNE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

    TheHotel Sterling occupiedone of the mostprominentcorners in Wilkes-Barre West Market and NorthRiver. This

    early-20th-century scene shows, at right, the Hollenback Coal Exchange building.

    Hotel beganas Valleysplace to be

    TheHotel Sterling was famed for its spaciouslobby, shownhere in a turn-of-

    the-century scene. A Christmas a treewould be placed in the center.

    ByTOMMOONEY

    For The Times Leader

    COURTESY OF LUZERNE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

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    PAGE 4A SUNDAY, MARCH 20, 2011 THE TIMES LEADER www.timesleader.com N A T I O N & W O R L D

    Look in THE TIMES LEADER for todays valuable inserts from these advertisers:

    DALLASCENTREHARDWARE

    WASHINGTON

    Gates postpones trip

    Defense Secretary Robert Gatesfinal visit to Russia as a member of

    President Barack Obamas Cabinetcomes as the military powers struggleto find common ground on a missiledefense shield in Europe.

    Gates pushed back his departure totoday , a day later than planned, toremain in Washington and keep tabs onthe developing situation in Libya,where the U.S. and its allies beganmilitary operations to enforce a U.N.no-fly zone.

    Moscow helped open the door foraction by not blocking the U.N. Securi-ty Council resolution a move thatdefense officials said reflected thebroader spirit of cooperation betweenthe nations.

    Gates visits to St. Petersburg andMoscow will be especially poignant forthe former CIA director, a Russianscholar. The defense chief has said hewill retire this year, but has not given adate.

    JERUSALEM

    Militants f ire mortar shellsPalestinian militants in Gaza fired

    more than 50 mortar shells into Israel

    on Saturday, the heaviest barrage intwo years, Israeli officials said, raisingthe prospect of a new Mideast flareup.

    Also Saturday, Hamas police beatreporters and news photographerscovering a rally in Gaza City, drawing astiff condemnation from the reportersassociation.

    Israel invaded Gaza two years ago toput a stop to daily rocket barrages byGaza militants, and Saturdays ex-change showed how the conflict couldquickly spiral out of control. GazasHamas rulers are thought to be tryingto avoid another Israeli invasion, afterthe last one caused widespread dam-age, killed more than 1,400 and left theterritory under blockade, but Hamasclaimed responsibility for some of themortar rounds.

    DALLAS

    Day care owner surrendersA woman accused of fleeing the U.S.

    after a fire at her Texas day care centerkilled four children has turned herselfin to authorities in Nigeria, her brothersaid Saturday.

    Ron Tata told The Associated Pressthat relatives in Nigeria informed himearly Saturday that Jessica Tata wentto the U.S. consulate because "it wouldbe the right thing to do."

    U.S. Marshals Service spokesmanJeff Carter said the 22-year-old womanwasnt in the agencys custody. E-mailssent to the U.S. consulate in Nigeriawerent immediately returned.

    Authorities believe Jessica Tata fledto Nigeria two days after a fire eruptedFeb. 24 at her home day care center inHouston. Four children were killed andthree were injured.

    BEIRUT

    Syrian police seal off citySyrian police sealed off a southern

    city Saturday after security forceskilled at least five protesters there inthe first sign that the Arab worldspro-democracy push is seeping intoone of the regions most repressiveplaces.

    Residents of Daraa were being al-lowed to leave but not enter the city onSaturday, said prominent Syrian rightsactivist Mazen Darwish. The quick

    I N B R I E F

    AP PHOTO

    Cherry blooms will spread cheer

    Ania McCormick collects cherry blos-soms to make table arrangements atThe Wyatt House senior citizen resi-

    dence on Bainbridge Island in Wash-ington state. She had permission togather the blossoms.

    CAIRO Eagerfor their firsttasteofa free vote in decades, Egyptians linedupby the hundreds Saturday tovoteonconstitutional amendments sponsoredby the ruling military that critics fearcould propel the countrys largest Isla-mist group to become Egypts mostdominant political force.

    The nationwide referendum is thefirst major test of the countrys transi-tion to democracy after a popular up-rising forced longtime leader HosniMubarak to step down five weeks ago,handing the reins of power to the mil-itary.

    Underscoring the tensions beneaththe euphoria, however, a crowd of an-grymen pelted reformcampaignerMo-

    hamed ElBaradei and a group of hissupporters with rocks, bottles and cansoutside a polling center at Cairos Mo-kattam district.

    ElBaradei, who also was the formerhead of the U.N. nuclear watchdogagency,wasnt injured but wasforced toflee in an SUV without casting his bal-lot. The crowd also smashed the carwindows and shouted, You traitor. Wedont want you. ElBaradei supportersat the scene countered by chantingwewant you.

    The Nobel laureate later tweetedthat organized thugs were to blameforthe attack.In a secondTwitter post-ing, he said figures from the Mubarakregime were seeking to undermine therevolution, a reference to the uprisingthat ousted the former leader.

    Early signs showed an unusually big

    turnout,with lines formingbefore pollsopenedand snaking along thestreetsinCairo andothercities. Menand womenstood in separate lines as is customaryin the conservative and mainly Muslimnation.

    The vote promises to be the freest inEgypt since the1952ouster of themon-archy. Egypt has since been ruled bymenof military background, with fraudand low turnout defining every nation-wide vote.

    This is a historic day for Egypt,Deputy Prime Minister Yahya al-Gamalsaid after casting his vote. I had neverseen such large numbers of voters inEgypt. Finally,the peopleof Egypt havecome to realize that their vote counts.

    Voters were asked to choose yes orno for the whole package of ninechanges.

    E G Y P T I A N E L E C T I O N Nationwide referendum is the first major test of transition to democracy

    Hundreds line up to vote

    AP PHOTO

    Egyptian officials count votes at a

    polling station in Cairo, Saturdayfollowing a referendum on constitu-

    tional amendments. Critics fear if theamendments pass, it could propel the

    countrys largest Islamist group to

    become Egypts most dominant politi-cal force.

    ByMAGGIEMICHAEL

    andHAMZAHENDAWI

    Associated Press

    NEW YORK The noise atground zero is a steady roar. En-gines hum. Cement mixerschurn.Air hornsblast. Cranes, in-cludingonethatlookslike a giantcrab leg, soar and crawl over ev-ery corner of the 16-acre site.

    For years, the future has beenslow to appear at the site of theSept. 11, 2001, attacks. But withsix months remaining until thenational 9/11 memorial opens,the work to turn a mountain ofrubble into some of the inspiringmoments envisioned nearly adecade ago is thundering for-ward.

    One World Trade Center, oth-erwise known as the FreedomTower, has joined the Manhattanskyline. Its steel frame, alreadycladin glass onlowerfloors, nowstands 58 stories tall and is start-ingto inch abovemanyof thesky-scrapers thatring thesite. A newfloor is being added every week.

    The mammoth black-granitefountains and reflecting poolsthat mark the footprints of thefallen twin towers are largely fin-ished, and they are a spectacle.Workers have alreadybegun test-ing the waterfalls that will ulti-

    mately cascade into a void in thecenterof each squarepit.Thepla-za that surrounds them has thepotential to be one of the citysawesome publicspaces oncecon-struction is complete. Some 150trees have already been plantedinthe plaza deck,evenas workerscontinue to build it.

    Work on9/11 site isbuildingmomentumSix months remain until thenational memorial opens at

    ground zero.

    ByDAVIDB. CARUSO

    Associated Press

    Warren M. Christopher, a keyfigure inpeaceeffortsin Bosniaandthe Mideastassecretaryof state in theClinton adminis-tration, has died, a spokeswoman for hislawfirmsaid Saturday.He was85.

    ChristopherdiedathishomeinLosAn-geles late Friday of complications frombladder and kidney cancer, said SonjaSteptoe of the law firm OMelveny &Myers, where Christopher was a senior

    partner.A longtimeCalifornian,Christopheral-

    soheadedapanelthatpushedanumberofLos Angeles Police Department reformsfollowing the1992 riots.

    A loyal Democrat and meticulous law-yer, Christopher also supervised the con-tested Florida recount for Al Gore in the2000 presidential election. The Supreme

    Court, ona 5-4vote,de-cided for George W.Bush.

    As he prepared tostep down in 1996 assecretary for someoneelse to pick up the ba-ton,he saidin aninter-view he was pleased to

    have played a role in making the UnitedStatessafer.

    Hisproudestaccomplishments,hetold

    The Associated Press, included a role inpromotingabanonnuclearweaponstestsandextensionof curbson proliferationofweapons technology. He alsotried to pro-motepeacein theMiddleEast,tirelesslytravelingto theregion.ChristophermadesometwodozentripstoSyriaaloneinafu-tileeffort topromotea settlementwith Is-rael.

    He wasmoresuccessful in thenegotia-tions that produced a settlement in 1995forBosnia,ending awar among Muslims,Serbs and Croats that claimed 260,000livesand droveanother1.8millionpeoplefromtheir homes.

    Christopher also gave top priority tosupporting reform in Russiaand expand-ingU.S.economic tiesto Asia.

    WhileChristopher oftenpreferred a be-hind-the-scenes role, he also made newsas deputy secretary of state in theCarter

    administration, conducting the tediousnegotiations that gained the release in1981of 52Americanhostagesin Iran.

    In privatelife, Christopher alsoserved.Among many other things, he chaired acommissionthat proposed reforms of theLosAngeles PoliceDepartment in theaf-termathof thevideotaped beatingby po-liceof motorist Rodney Kingin 1991.

    W A R R E N C H R I ST O P H E R 1 9 2 5 - 2 0 1 1

    A peacemakers final journey

    Christopher

    By BARRY SCHWEID

    AP Diplomatic Writer

    BRASILIA, Brazil As Americanmissiles struckLibya, President BarackObama doggedly promoted his LatinAmerican agenda Saturday.

    Back home, his message was all butlost in theroar over theLibyanconflict.

    The United States doesnt simplyrecognizeBrazils rise; wesupport it en-thusiastically, Obama said from thiscapitalcityas helauncheda five-dayou-

    treachmissionthat will alsotakehimtoChile and El Salvador.

    Yet the Libya dilemma required Oba-mas attention.He wastalkingwith Bra-zilian President Dilma Rousseff just asthe U.S. and its allied partners were an-nouncing the start of a military cam-paign against Moammar Gadhafi.

    By late afternoon, Obamaannouncedthat the United States has begun mili-taryoperationswith itspartners againstLibya.

    Obama juggles Libya war, Latin America

    AP PHOTO

    President Barack

    Obama talks withBrazilian President

    Dilma Vana Rous-seff during lunch in

    Brasilia, Brazil,

    Saturday. Obamasmission in Latin

    America is to bol-ster the kind of

    economic relation-ships that can add

    jobs for the strug-gling unemployed

    back home.

    ByBENFELLER

    AP White House Correspondent

    GETTING A CLOSE LOOK AT THE MOON

    AP PHOTO

    People stand beside St. Michaels Tower on Glastonbury Tor hill watching the moon as it progresses across

    the sky at its closest point to the Earth in almost two decades, Saturday. It is the first time since Jan. 19,

    1992, that the moon has come into such close proximity to the Earth.

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    and foundation board member,made the trip to take part in theAdopt-A-Highway cleanup,sponsored by PennDOT.

    Its nice to be able to dogood causes in the name of chil-dren.

    Another volunteer, KathrynBaloga, of Plains Township,who has been involved sinceDecember, said the benefits tolocal children from the founda-tion are vital to their develop-mental years. After last yearsbike drive, I just wish I couldvedone more for the kids, saidBaloga.

    Kearney mentioned the mostcommon piece of litter was ei-ther a soda can or bottle.

    In their mission statement,the foundations goal is to in-troduce Art through its history,culture, symbolism, expressionand individuality to young peo-

    ple. The JSF provides a safe andsupportive environment whereyoung people can have a hands-on artwork experience, focusingon the creativity of the individu-al. Our founders believe thatcreating room for young peopleto grow in this setting will al-low them to become more gift-ed students, eventual teachersand inspired people. The JSFstrives to support communities

    currently lacking in creative artprograms by providing instruc-tors, supplies and a space foryoung people and their parentsto come together in the name oflove for art and freedom of ex-pression.

    The foundation started inmemory of Kearneys fianceJennifer Riley, an artist, mother,daughter and friend to many.She died Sept. 24, 2008, due tocomplications with liver dis-ease.

    Activists from Evansville,Ind., San Francisco, Calif., Por-tland, Ore., Bethlehem, and SanJose, Costa Rica, have adopted

    the foundations mission and de-veloped their own programsand events.

    The foundation is only ayear old, said Kearney. We an-nounced our foundation onMarch 3, 2010, and its flyingout of control. There are a cou-ple thousand members nation-wide.

    Their next area event will beheld April 2 and 3 outside the

    Walmart in Wilkes-Barre Town-ship. The fundraiser will raisemoney for area children by sell-ing potato pancakes and springwreaths. Children are encour-aged to attend this event, wherea free art project, called Let ItGrow, will be held. Childrenwill paint their own pottedplants, plant a seed, and let itgrow.

    In a past event held last year,and in partnership with theWilkes-Barre/Scranton Pen-guins, the foundation repairedused bicycles and donated themto area children in need of aholiday gift.

    SUNSHINEContinued from Page 3A

    Firefighters are especially

    prone to lung disease becauseof the exposure they face tocarcinogens released fromburning synthetics, diesel fuelexhaust, and smoke inhala-tion, Mooney added. Thatswhy they wear a high-techbreathing apparatus and pro-tective apparel.

    Fred didnt have the protec-tive equipment like we donow, Mooney added.

    Kase is recuperating athome with his family. He hasput up a gallant fight for thelast five years, almost twice aslong as the health care profes-sionals predicted, Mooneyadded.

    Jeff Martin, from Avoca, waspart of an eight-member teamwho participated in honor ofJoe Ranelli, a friend who losthis battle with lung cancer inDecember of 2009. The climbwas Martins first.

    Its about spreading the

    message to fight lung dis-ease, Martin said, alongwith raising money for cancerresearch and having somefun. Climbers cheered anddanced as they finished thegrueling run; one fell on hisback gasping for air as histeammates congratulatedhim.

    Lydia Siegfried from Bethle-hem participated in memoryof her father, Richard, who

    lost his 10-year battle onMarch 7. She and her auntGayle Hendricks, and cousinsBonnie and Megan Stephens,wanted to honor their lovedone.

    Ray-Reifler said climberscame from far and wide onSaturday. She sees the eventgaining momentum and pop-ularity and she expects futureevents to top increasinglyhigher fund raising goals.

    CLIMBContinued from Page 3A

    AIMEE DILGER/THE TIMES LEADER

    Kingston firefighter

    and event spokesmanChris Mooney makes

    his way up the stepsat Mohegan Sun Are-

    na during the Fight forAir stair climb Sat-

    urday. Firefightingteams from Nanti-

    coke, Plains Township,

    Laflin Borough, Jen-kins Township, and

    other municipalitiestackled the arena in

    full firefighting rega-lia, including about 75

    pounds of gear andequipment.

    WILKES-BARRE The wife

    of a man killed in an alcohol-related wreck in October hasfiled a wrongful death lawsuitagainst the driver of the othervehicle.

    Nadiya Meshko, and her at-torneys, Patrick Dougherty andJames Wetter, filed the lawsuitin Luzerne County Court Fridayagainst 24-year-old Kirra L.McPeek, of Wilkes-Barre, whowas involved in a head-on colli-sion with Mykhaylo Meshko on

    Oct. 31.Also named as defendants in

    the suit are Bob & Tom En-

    terprises, owner of ScrewballzBar and Grill in Hanover Town-ship.

    The wreck left MykhayloMeshko dead, after police saidMcPeek was driving with ablood-alcohol level of .238 nearly three times the legal lim-it.

    At the time of the collision,(McPeek) acted in a grosslynegligent, reckless and wantonmanner, the lawsuit says.

    Woman sues over DUI fatalityBy SHEENADELAZIO

    [email protected]

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    Whatever itsstyle, guests quickly

    saw it as a worthy successor tothe citys previous luxury hotel the aging wooden Wyoming Val-ley House with its long porches,just a few doors down South Riv-er Street.

    The opening itself was a majorpublic event. Said the Recordnewspaper, From early in the af-ternoonto latelastnighta steadystream of persons passed in theMarket Street entrance.

    Within the next decade or so,competitors arose. The HotelHart and the Redington (eventaller than the Sterling), facingeach other across East MarketStreetnearthe rail stations. Eventhe smaller new hotels, Raderson South Main Street and theBrewery Hotel on East MarketStreet,beganto look modernandimposing. The era in which ho-tel in Wilkes-Barre meant awooden building with a fewrooms was over.

    The Sterling, with its ornatelobby suggesting big-city sophis-tication and its large dining andbanquet rooms, didnt take longto become an area institutionwherepeoplewentto splurge andbe pampered..

    The owners employed Oppen-heims String Orchestra to enter-tain dinner guests in its restau-rant, known after 1911 as ThePalm Room. Wrote HarrisonSmith, A famous New York chefprepared suchdelicaciesas high-flavored and well-dressed oys-

    ters, mince pie or plum puddin-gand wine-cured cheeses.

    Stayingat theSterling was, forthe time, pricy. The hotel adver-tised 200 bed chambers and par-lors and125bathsat $1.50and $3a day.

    The building was a beehive ofactivity. Wellinto the20th centu-ry the Sterlings public roomswere packed with meetings, con-ventions and banquets, and at alltimes ittriedto maintainan airofupscale sophistication. The me-nu for a 1916 testimonial dinnerfor a Luzerne County judge in-cludedblue pointoysters,broiledSt. Johns River shad,roast milk-fed squabchicken, Roquefortcheeseand befitting agathering of importantmen coffeeandcigars.The owners broadenedtheir menu a few yearslater when they hired aChinese chef to addAsian cuisine.

    Wyoming Valley en-joyeda prosperoustimein the1920s.For what-ever its problem, theanthracite-based econ-omy provided employ-ment for a large seg-ment of the male workforce, writes SheldonSpearin WyomingVal-ley History Revisited.Educational opportu-nities were expanding,

    and the area, togetherwiththerestofthenation,experi-enced a housing boom. Andwhatis today called infrastructure bridges, streets, sewers, and thelike improved substantially.

    Along with business andwealth, population began togrow. Wilkes-Barre was well onits way to a 1930 census of morethan 86,000 people, more thandouble its current size, and thecounty would have more than450,000.

    The key player in the HotelSterling had come to be HomerMallow, who had come to bepresident and majority stock-

    holderin 1920,and thehotelfor atime was known as the Mallow-Sterling.In the1920s, plans werelaid for a major expansion. Theowners builta huge14-story addi-tion along West Market Streetandconnectedthemviathesmallformer Plaza Hotel, between thetwo parts of the Sterling, whichthey had already purchased.

    The result was something stillgrander than the original Ster-ling. Running from the lobby tothe elevators of the new tower

    was a broad hallwaycalledPeacock Alley, inimitation of New YorkCitys famed Waldorf-As-toria, where guests couldstrutin theirfineryon theway to or from dinner.Fine paintings and sculp-tures scattered through-outthepublicareas creat-ed a sense of big-city so-phistication.

    The elegance, howev-er, would soon begin toseem antiquated. By thetime the new Sterlingwas ready to roll, theGreat Depression hadsetin, and hotels all overAmericawereseeing few-er guests walk throughtheir doors and fewer or-ganizations schedulebanquets.

    So it was that in 1936 afinancially troubled Sterlingwent into receivership. One ofthe trustees, construction mag-nate and former state SenatorAndrewJ.Sordoni,formeda newcorporation and becamethe Ster-lingsowner. Mallowremainedina lesser capacity.

    From the late 1930s on, theSterling was one of a group of ar-ea hotels owned by Sordoniscompany, and although it re-mained the areas largest hotel ittook on yetanother personality less upscale and more communi-ty-oriented.

    The banquet rooms were still

    popular venues for meetings anddinners. The main dining roomhelped pioneer the smorgas-bord (now known as buffet)conceptto local diners. ThehugeChristmas treein thelobby,deco-rated by guests and friends, was

    an annual communal event. Em-ployees madeup a Sterling Cho-rus that offered entertainmentsin the hotel and at other sites.During World War II, the hoteldedicated the American Room,with eight huge patriotic murals.

    Perhaps the most striking fea-ture of the Sterling, though, wasthehugeneonsignatopthehotel,installed in 1939. With 10-foot-high letters, it spelled out HotelSterling and was visible all overWyomingValley. A penthouse ontop of the tower provided Sordo-ni, who lived in the Back Moun-tain, with a home downtown.

    While a 1941 strike by employ-eesover wagesforced thehotel toclose fora week,theSterlingcon-tinued as the areas biggest andmost famous hotel.

    By the second half of the 20thcentury, the areas hotel scenehad changed considerably. Com-pared to earlier years, the areaspopulation wasdecliningand theold businesses that had poweredthe economy coal, railroading,factories weregoneor stagnant.As federal redevelopment pro-jects took hold, the entire face ofWilkes-Barres downtownchanged. Even some of the Ster-lings old competitors, like theHart, fell victim to the wreckersball.

    In the 1960s, the Sterling wasrenting out much of the 1898building to Kings College fordormitory space, and by the

    1980s the tower had become alow-cost residential hotel. Afterthe Sordoni interests left thescene, the Sterling went througha variety of owners and evenone short-lived name change, tothe Sterling Inn Towne. In the1980s, owners announced a planto turn the structure into condo-miniums and even began accept-ing deposits. But the project nev-er came to fruition. City healthauthoritieseventuallyorderedallpeopleliving inthe hotelto leave.

    By the turn of the century, ahundred years after constructionof the original part of the Ster-ling, the structure was vacant.

    A nonprofit developer, CityV-est, then took over the propertywith a plan to redevelop the site.Witha budgetof $6millionin Lu-zerne County money, it toredown the 14-story tower and the

    connector building aswellas oth-er nearby buildings.

    But no developer for the 1898building, theoriginal Sterling,ev-er turned up.As of 2011,CityVestwas seeking permission to de-

    molish that building and marketthe entire site as a vacant plot ofland.

    After well over a century, thename Sterling had passed intohistory.

    STERLINGContinued from Page 3A

    COURTESY OF LUZERNE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

    With its large and attractive banquet rooms, the Sterling quickly became a popular site for meetings, dinners and other events. Here,

    the Bell Telephone Co. holds a banquet in the 1920s.

    1788: The Sign of the Buck, laterknown as the Old Fell House, EastNorthampton and South Washing-ton streets. It was maintained byJesse Fell, who developed a gratethat would burn anthracite coal,

    making possible the developmentof the anthracite industry.1831: The Phoenix Hotel, on SouthRiver Street near West Market. Atfour stories, it was the areas firstlarge hotel. It was torn down tomake way for the Wyoming ValleyHouse.1866: The Wyoming Valley House,on South River Street near WestMarket Street. It gained promi-nence as the areas largest andmost luxurious hotel and retainedthat reputation until the Sterlingwas built. It was torn down early inthe 20th century.Late 1800s: The Exchange Hotelopens on Public Square. It will besucceeded by the Fort DurkeeHotel. It will be torn down and thesite redeveloped in the late 20thcentury.1898: The Hotel Sterling, at WestMarket and North River streets. It

    quickly supplanted the WyomingValley House for size and luxuryand endured until the late 20thcentury.1906: The Redington Hotel, onEast Market Street and SouthPennsylvania Avenue. It was theareas tallest hotel until the 1930s.It is now part of the Genetti BestWestern complex.Early 20th century: The HotelHart, on East Market Street, nearNorth Pennsylvania Avenue. It wasdemolished in the 1970s duringredevelopment of the citys down-town.Mid-20th century: The Host Motel,on Kidder Street. It was one of thelocal pioneers of the motel con-cept once the era of the downtownhotel began to diminish. It waslater torn down and the site rede-veloped.

    W- B H OT E L S H I ST O RY

    COURTESY OF LUZERNE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

    The Sterling was famed for its fine cuisine and was a local pioneer in types of foods and ways of

    serving it. Here, a buffet is set up for guests.

    The building

    was a beehive

    of activity.

    Well into the

    20th century

    the Sterlings

    public rooms

    were packed

    with meet-

    ings, conven-

    tions and

    banquets, and

    at all times it

    tried to main-

    tain an air of

    upscale so-

    phistication.

    COURTESY OF LUZERNE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

    Among the Sterlings neighboring buildings were the Hollenback Coal Exchange, at center, and theLehigh and Wilkes-Barre Coal Co. The Hollenback building no longer exists.

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    C M Y K

    THE TIMES LEADER www.timesleader.com SUNDAY, MARCH 20, 2011 PAGE 9A N E W S

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    FUKUSHIMA, Japan In thefirst sign that contaminationfrom Japans stricken nuclearcomplexhad seeped intothe foodchain,officialssaid Saturday thatradiation levels in spinach andmilk from farms near the tsuna-mi-crippled facility exceededgovernment safety limits.

    Minuscule amountsof radioac-tiveiodine alsowere found in tapwater Friday in Tokyo and else-where in Japan although ex-perts said none of those testsshowed any health risks. TheHealth Ministry alsosaid thatra-dioactive iodine slightly abovegovernment safety limits wasfound in drinking water at onepoint Thursday in a samplingfrom Fukushima prefecture, thesiteof thenuclear plant, butlatertests showed the level had fallenagain.

    Sixworkerstryingto bring theFukushima Dai-ichi plant backunder control were exposed tomore than 100 millisieverts of ra-diation Japans normal limit

    for those involved in emergency

    operations, according to TokyoElectric Power Co., which oper-ates the complex. The govern-ment raisedthat limit to 250 mil-lisievertson Tuesdayas the crisisescalated.

    Officials said the crisis at theplant appeared to be stabilizing,with near-constant dousing ofdangerously overheated reactorsand uranium fuel, but the situa-tion was still far from resolved.Japans military planned to startdousing one troubled reactor Unit 4 forthefirsttimeshortlyafter daybreak this morning.

    We more or less do notexpectto see anything worse than whatwe are seeing now, said Hidehi-ko Nishiyama of the Nuclear andIndustrial Safety Agency.

    Japan has been grappling witha cascade of disasters unleashedby the 9.0-magnitudeearthquakeon March 11. The quakespawneda tsunami that ravaged Japansnortheastern coast, killing morethan 7,600 people and knockingout cooling systems at the Fu-kushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant,causing thecomplex to leak radi-ation.

    More than 11,000 people arestill missing, and more than452,000 are living in shelters.

    Chief Cabinet Secretary YukioEdano, meanwhile, insisted the

    contaminated foods pose no im-

    mediate health risk.An expert in the United States

    also said the risk appeared limit-ed and urged calm.

    The most troubling thing tomeis thefearthats outof propor-tion to the risk, said Dr. HenryDuval Royal, a radiologist atWashington University MedicalSchool.

    The tainted milk was found 20miles from the plant, a local offi-cialsaid. Thespinachwas collect-ed from six farms between 60milesand 75milesto thesouthofthe reactors.

    Thoseareasare richfarm coun-try known for melons, rice andpeaches, so the contaminationcould affect food supplies forlarge parts of Japan.

    More tests werebeing done onother foods, Edano said, and if

    they show further contamina-

    tion, then food shipments fromthe area would be halted.

    Officialssaidit wastoo earlytoknow if the nuclear crisis causedthe contamination, but Edanosaid air sampling done near thedairy showed higher-than-nor-mal radiation levels.

    Iodinelevels in thespinach ex-ceeded safety limits by three toseven times,a food safety officialsaid. Tests on the milk doneWednesday detected smallamounts of iodine-131 and cesi-um-137. But only iodine was de-tected Thursday and Friday, aHealth Ministry official said.

    High levelsof iodine arelinkedtothyroid cancer, oneof theleastdeadly cancers if treated.

    Japan finds radiation in milk, spinach near nuke plantMinuscule amounts of

    radioactive iodine also werefound in tap water in Tokyo.

    By SHINOYUASA

    andERICTALMADGE

    Associated Press

    APPHOTO

    A Japanese drum gets stuck on an iron bar in the devastated

    town of Rikuzentakata, northeastern Japan, Saturday.

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    PAGE 10A SUNDAY, MARCH 20, 2011 THE TIMES LEADER www.timesleader.com

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    C M Y K

    THE TIMES LEADER www.timesleader.com SUNDAY, MARCH 20, 2011 PAGE 11A C L I C K

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    Dr. Richard Grossman, left, and Rich Bonin

    David Wolthouse and Kathy Musto, both of Mountain TopJoe Brojakowski of Pringle, left, Mike Skursky of Forty Fort, andChris Gregory of Kingston

    Dr. Loren Grossman, left, and Thomas J. Yoniski Jr.

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    Holly Miller of Romark Logistics, left, and Lauren Miles ofAssante Staffing

    Paul Smith of Shavertown, left, Joe Gronchick of Kingston, andLoren Golden of Wilkes-Barre

    Jocelyn Hook, left, Maureen Harrison, Mrudula Shah, andJune Olzewski

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    THE TIMES LEADER www.timesleader.com SUNDAY, MARCH 20, 2011 PAGE 13A O B I T U A R I E S

    The Times Leader publish-es free obituaries, whichhave a 27-line limit, and paidobituaries, which canrunwitha photograph. A funeral

    home representative can callthe obituary deskat (570)829-7224, senda faxto (570)829-5537 or e-mail to [email protected]. If youfax ore-mail,please call toconfirm. Obituaries must besubmitted by 9 p.m.SundaythroughThursdayand 7:30p.m. Friday and Saturday.Obituariesmustbe sent byafuneral home or crematory,ormustnamewhois hand-ling arrangements, withaddressand phone number.We discourage handwrittennotices; they incur a $15typing fee.

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    DISANO Thomas, viewing from 3to 6 p.m. today at RecuperoFuneral Home, West Pittston.Funeral10 a.m. Monday from theRecupero Funeral Home, 402Susquehanna Ave., West Pittston.Service 10:45 a.m. in ChristianAssembly, Wilkes-Barre.

    DYMOND Aileen, memorial ser-vice 11a.m. Saturday at FriedmanFarm Chapel (formerly EastDallas United Methodist Church),Lower Demunds Road, Dallas.

    FIDA Irene, funeral10:30 a.m.Monday from the Corcoran Funer-al Home Inc., 20 S. Main St.,Plains Township. Mass of Chris-tian Burial11a.m. in Ss. Peter &Paul Church, Plains Township.Friends may call from 5 to 8 p.m.today.

    FITZSIMMONS Rita, funeral 8:30a.m. Monday from the Graziano

    Funeral Home Inc., 700 Twp.Blvd., Pittston Township. Mass ofChristian Burial 9 a.m. Monday atSt. Maria Goretti Roman CatholicChurch, Laflin. Visitation from 4to 7 p.m. today at the funeralhome.

    FREED Celia, funeral noon todayat the Rosenberg Funeral Chapel,348 S. River St., Wilkes-Barre.Shiva will be observed from 6 to8 p.m. today at the WoodlandsInn & Resort, Plains Township.

    FREY Brett, memorial service11a.m. April 2, in the chapel at theMemorial Shrine Cemetery,Carverton.

    HASAY John, funeral 9 a.m.Monday from the Mayo FuneralHome, 77 N. Main St., Shickshin-ny. Mass of Christian Burial 10a.m. in St. Marthas Church, HolySpirit Parish, Fairmount Springs.Entombment will be in the fam-ilys mausoleum at MossvilleCemetery, near his Red Hill farmin Fairmount Township. Militaryservices will be conducted by

    American Legion Post 495 ofShickshinny. Visitation from 2 to5 p.m. today at the funeral home.

    MANCOS Margaret, funeral 9 a.m.Monday from the GubbiottiFuneral Home,1030 WyomingAve., Exeter. Mass of ChristianBurial 9:30 a.m. at St. Anthony ofPadua Church, Exeter. Friendsmay call from 6 to 8 p.m. today atthe funeral home.

    MANDYCZ Anthony Jr., Monday9:30 a.m. from the WroblewskiFuneral Home Inc., 1442 WyomingAve., Forty Fort. Mass of ChristianBurial 10 a.m. in Holy Name/SaintMarys Church, Swoyersville.Friends may call from 5 to 8 p.m.today at the funeral home.

    METROKA George, funeral 9:30a.m. Monday from the John V.Morris - Charles J. Leagus Funer-al Home, 281 E. Northampton St.,Wilkes-Barre Heights. Office ofChristian Burial in Saint John theBaptist Byzantine CatholicChurch. Interment will be in SaintMarys Roman Catholic Cemetery,South Main Street, HanoverTownship, where military honorswill be accorded. Friends areinvited to join his family forvisitation and remembrancesfrom 4 to 8 p.m. today at thefuneral home.

    PETRUCELLI Anthony, Mass ofChristian Burial 10:30 a.m. Tues-day in Holy Rosary Church, 316William St., Scranton. Intermentwith military honors will be heldin the Cathedral Cemetery.Friends may call from 3 to 7 p.m.Monday at the Solfanelli-FiorilloFuneral Home Inc., 1030 N. MainAve., Scranton.

    ROZANSKI Ronald, Tuesday11a.m. from the Sheldon-KukuchkaFuneral Home Inc., 73 W. Tioga,Tunkhannock. Friends may call atthe funeral home from 6 to 8p.m. Monday.

    SEARL Marjorie, funeral 4 p.m.today at the Howell-Lussi FuneralHome, 509 Wyoming Ave., WestPittston. Friends may call at thefuneral home from 2 p.m. untilservice time today.

    THOMAS Edwin, funeral 11:30 a.m.Monday from the Nat & GawlasFuneral Home, 89 Park Ave.,Wilkes-Barre. Friends may callfrom 10:30 to11:30 a.m. Monday atthe funeral home.

    TOMASETTI Margaret, funeral 9a.m. Monday from the Peter J.Adonizio Funeral Home, 802Susquehanna Ave., West Pittston.Mass of Christian Burial 9:30 a.m.in Our Lady of Mount CarmelChurch, Pittston. Friends may call

    from 5 to 8 p.m. today at thefuneral home.WASMANSKI John Jr., funeral 9

    a.m. Monday from the Mark V.Yanaitis Funeral Home, 55 StarkSt., Plains Township. Mass ofChristian Burial 9:30 a.m. in Ss.Peter & Paul Church, PlainsTownship. Friends may call from 2to 5 p.m. today.

    FUNERALS

    JOAN B. STANKOSKI TOM-SHAW, 76, a life resident ofSwoyersville, died Friday evening,March 18, 2011, in The LaurelsHealth and Rehabilitation Centerin Kingstonwith herlovingson byher side.

    Funeral arrangements are

    pending from the Lehman FamilyFuneral Service Inc., 689 HazleAve., Wilkes-Barre.

    MICHAEL SHUTLOCK, 92, ofPlains Township, passed awayThursday, March 17, 2011, at Hos-pice Community Care, GeisingerSouth Wilkes-Barre.

    Funeral arrangements arependingfromthe Gubbiotti Funer-al Home,1030Wyoming Ave.,Exe-ter.

    Mary Obremski, 92, of PlainsTownship and formerly of

    Wilkes-Barre, died Friday after-noon, March 18, 2011, at River-street Manor Nursing Center,Wilkes-Barre.

    Born in Wilkes-Barre, she was adaughter of the late Michael andKathleen (Katchmar) Yateshin.

    Mary was a homemaker all herlife. She was a former member of

    Sacred Heart Church, PlainsTownship, and currently a mem-ber of Ss. Peter & Paul Church,Plains Township.

    She was preceded in death byher husband, Joseph, in 1991; sis-ters, Ann Klimchak and Rose Ke-ris; and brothers, Peter, John andWilliam Yateshin.

    Surviving are her sister, HelenOlga Florio and her husband,John,Plains Township;and severalnephews and nieces.

    Funeral will be held at 9 a.m.Tuesday at the Corcoran FuneralHome Inc., 20 S. Main St., PlainsTownship, with a Mass of Chris-tian Burialat 9:30a.m.atSs. Peter& Paul Church, Plains Township.Entombment will be held at theconvenience of the family. Friendsmay call from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday.

    Online condolences may bemade at www.corcoranfuneral-home.com.

    Mary ObremskiMarch 18, 2011

    Mary Kalinoski, of the Hudsonsection of Plains Township,

    peacefully passed into the lovingarms of her Lord Friday evening,

    March 18, 2011.Born in Exeter, she was a daugh-ter of the late Mary Petro.

    She was a graduate of ExeterHigh School. Shortly after gradua-tionshe began herlifelong careerasa Seamstress workingin thesewingindustry and was a member of theILGWU.Maryalsowasemployedatthe Golden Palace, Parsons Sectionof Wilkes-Barre, the Plains Ameri-can Legion as a Waitress, and sheworked the Plains Voting Polls formany years.

    Marywasknownfor hergeneros-ity and volunteerism and as a won-derful baker. Sheenjoyed days play-ing with her loving companions,Peachesand Sasha, andactivitiesatthe Plains Senior Center. Prior toher illness, Mary walked at leastthree miles a day. She loved plantsand gardening. She was a former

    member of St. Josephs Church,Hudson, and currently was a mem-ber of Ss. Peter & Paul Church,Plains Township.

    In addition to her mother, shewasprecededin death by herbroth-er, Joseph Salvo.

    Surviving are her husband, Leo-nard M.Kalinoski;sons, LeonardJ.,ofHudson,and Robertand hiswife,

    Deborah, of Sweet Valley; brothers,Michael Salvo and his wife, Enri-queta, Arizona, and Robert Salvo,Florida; as well as a sister, BarbaraGreen and her husband, Pat, Cali-fornia.

    Funeral Mass willbe heldat9:30a.m.Wednesdayat Ss. Peter & PaulChurch, Plains Township. Inter-ment will be held at the conve-nience of the family. There will be

    no calling hours.Memorial donations may be

    made to the S.P.C.A. of LuzerneCounty, 524 E. Main St., Fox HillRoad, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702.

    Arrangements are by the Corco-ran Funeral Home Inc., 20 S. MainSt., Plains Township, PA 18705.

    Onlinecondolencesmay bemadeat www.corcoranfuneralhome.com.

    Mary KalinoskiMarch 18, 2011

    Gerald J. Gras-si, 67, passedaway Tuesday,Ma rch 15,2011. Born andraisedin Hugh-estown, he re-sided in Wood

    Ridge, N.J.He was the owner/operator of

    Emjay Maintenance for 23 years.Geraldwasthe belovedfather of

    Christine Cawley of Duryea, Ger-

    ald V. Grassi and wife, Claudia, ofFairLawn, N.J.,and Vincent Grassiof Ho-Ho-Kus,N.J.;loving grandfa-ther of Chad, Cody, Tyler and Isa-bella; great-grandfather of McKen-zie;anddearbrother ofPaulGrassiand Marie Riggi.

    Interment will be held at 11a.m. Saturday at Memorial ShrineCemetery, 1831 8th St., WestWyoming.

    Arrangements are by the San-tangelo Funeral Home, 300 N.Main St., Lodi, N.J.

    Gerald J. GrassiMarch 15, 2011

    GREGORY JOSEPH GANCAR-CIK, 62, of South Main Road,WrightTownship,passedawayFri-day afternoon, March 18, 2011, atGeisinger Wyoming Valley Medi-cal Center, Plains Township.

    Funeral arrangements arependingfrom theGeorge A. StrishInc. Funeral Home, 105 N. MainSt., Ashley.

    Thomas Anthony Disano, 70, ofMays Landing, N.J., went home

    to be with the Lord, Thursday,March 17, 2011.

    Tom was born in Luzerne, onMarch 14, 1941. He was a graduate

    of Luzerne High School, class of1958.

    HejoinedtheU.S.ArmyReserves9th Artillery Division in Kingston.Heretired asDirector of SecurityofManhattan Mall, New York City,N.Y., in1996. Hewas highlyrespect-edin hisprofessionof over 30years.

    A loving husbandand devotedfa-ther, spending time with his family,especially his grandchildren, madehim happiest.

    You could always find Nanu atthe football fields and hockeycourts. Tom was the beloved hus-band of Edna Mae Disano.

    He was a son of Florence DisanoandthelateSam Disano,andhe wasthe brother of the late Carl Disano.

    Tom is survived by his son Samand wife, Michelle; grandchildren,Samantha, Dante and Prima; andhisson Christopherand hiswife,Ti-

    na, and grandson Julian. He is sur-vived by his sister and brother-in-law,Josephineand AnthonyRicciar-

    di; sister, Dorothy Disano; nephewJames Ricciardi; nieces, Nina Ric-ciardi, Lisa Disano Stull, and CarlaDisano Connelly; as well as severalgreat-nieces and nephews.

    Viewingwill beheld atRecup-ero Funeral Home, West Pitt-

    ston, from3 to6 p.m.today.Funeralwill be at 10 a.m. Monday from theRecupero Funeral Home, 402 Sus-quehanna Ave., West Pittston, witha service at 10:45 a.m. in ChristianAssembly, 195 E. Northampton St.,

    Wilkes-Barre,with theRev. LouFal-coneofficiating. Burialwill followatDenison Cemetery, Swoyersville.

    Thomas Anthony DisanoMarch 17, 2011

    Eleanor T.Dirner, 81, of Luzerne,entered into Eternal Life on Fri-

    day March 18, 2011, at the Hospiceof the VNA, Heritage House,Wilkes-Barre.

    Born on April 29, 1929, in Hud-son, she was a daughter of the lateMartin and Josephine SkrypekBonetski. She was a graduate ofPlains High School, class of 1947.

    Prior to her retirement, Eleanorwasemployedin thegarmentindus-try. Shewas a memberof HolyFam-

    ilyParish, Luzerne,andthe Interna-tional Ladies Garment WorkersUnion.

    She was preceded in death byhusband,James Dirner, in2000;sis-ters, Madeline Caladie and SisterJoan of Arc (Catherine); and broth-ers, Edward Bonetski and StanleyBonetski.

    Eleanor is survived by her sister,Mary Ann Andrejko and husband,John,of PlainsTownship;and sever-al nieces and nephews.

    Funeral will be held at 9:30 a.m.Monday from the Betz-Jastremski

    Funeral HomeInc.,568BennettSt.,Luzerne, with a Mass of ChristianBurialat 10a.m.in HolyFamilyPar-ish, Luzerne. Interment will be inChapel Lawn Memorial Park, Dal-las. Friends may call from 5 to 8 to-day.

    Inlieu offlowers,memorial dona-tioncan be made to DisabledAmer-ican Veterans. Condolences can besent to [email protected].

    Eleanor T. DirnerMarch 18, 2011

    George J. Sloshy Albert diedsuddenly late Friday night,

    March18, 2011,while in thecompa-ny of his family.

    A lifelong resident of Wilkes-Barre, he wasinvolved in bothbusi-ness and communityservice organi-zations throughout his life.

    Hewas a1943graduateof G.A.R.Memorial High School who, imme-diately after graduation, enlisted inthe U.S. Marine Corps to serve hiscountry in World War II. He partici-pated in the Pacific Campaign, wasinvolved in theBattleat Okinawa inits Night Fighter Unit, and was amember of one of the earliest unitsto arrive in Japan at the conclusion

    of the war. He remained in the Ma-rine Corps Reserves during the Ko-reanWarand eventually returnedtoPennsylvania.

    He, along with his other familymembers, hisfather, Joseph,his un-cle George, his brother, Anthony;and cousins, Albert and Edward,founded Bloomsburg Metal Co.,which grew and remains an activeandsuccessful local companytothisdate.

    Mr. Albert was a member of theWilkes-Barre Lions Club, served asa Past President for that organiza-tion, and was its Man of the Yearinrecognitionof hislengthyserviceto the charities that the organiza-tion served.He was a member ofSt.Anthonys/St. Georges MaroniteChurch for his entire life.

    He was preceded in death by his

    parents, Joseph and Zakia Albert;his stepmother Anna Swiderski Al-bert; and his brother, Anthony Al-bert.

    Mr. Albert and his wife, the for-mer Emily Radziewicz, celebratedtheir 61st wedding anniversary onSeptember 5, 2010. In addition tohis wife, he is survived by children,Laura Albert of Dallas, Dr. Mark J.and his wife, Dawn Baldassari Al-bert, of Dunmore, and attorney Jo-seph G. and his wife, Kimberly Al-bert, of Shavertown; his sevengrandchildren, Whitney Albert, Sa-gen Albert, Marco Albert, ZacharyAlbert, HelenaAlbert,EthanAlbertand Joseph G. Albert II; and his ex-tended family, Christopher Lam-bert and Jesse Lambert.

    Friends may pay their re-spects at a viewing to be con-

    ductedfrom Mamary-DurkinFuner-al Service, 59 Parrish St., Wilkes-Barre, from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday.Fu-neral will be held at 9:30 a.m.Wednesday with services at St. An-thonys Maronite Church, ParkAve-nue, Wilkes-Barre, at 10 a.m.Wednesday.

    Mr. Albert was an extraordinary,generousand kindmanwithfriendstoo numerous to mention andwhomhecherished.He willbe sore-ly missed by all that had the privi-legeofknowinghim.Thosewhode-sire may give memorial contribu-tions to St. Anthony/St. GeorgeMaronite Church, Wilkes-Barre.

    George J. Sloshy AlbertMarch 18, 2011

    Rose Neely, 80, of East Main

    Street, Plymouth, died Satur-daymorning, March19, 2011,at theHospice Community Care Unit,Wilkes-Barre.

    She was born in Plymouth, adaughter of the late William andFlorence Buttsavage Suprum, andattended the Plymouth schools.

    Mrs. Neely was a member ofChrist Fellowship Church, Ply-mouth, where she was a SundaySchool teacher and nursery attend-ant. She had been employed as ahome health aide for the VisitingNurse Association. She enjoyed hergarden and her numerous pets.

    Shewas preceded indeath byherhusband, Donald; a son Vern; abrother, Joseph; and sisters, Irene,Florence and Elizabeth.

    Mrs. Neely is survived by sons,

    Donald and his wife, Mary, Ply-mouth, and Rickand his wife, Jean,Plymouth; and a daughter Donna,Smyrna, Ga.; seven grandchildren,Mark, Carl, Kerri, Jason, BobbiRose, Alyson and Crystal; sevengreat-grandchildren; a sister, MarieEllsworth, Plymouth; as well assev-eral nieces and nephews.

    A memorial servicewill beheldat 4 p.m. Monday at the Christ Fel-lowship Church, Plymouth, withPastor Dave Neely officiating.There are no calling hours.

    Memorial contributions may besent to the Christ FellowshipChurch,246 E. MainSt., Plymouth,PA 18651.

    Arrangements areby theWilliamA. Reese Funeral Chapel, rear 56Gaylord Ave., Plymouth.

    Rose NeelyMarch 19, 2011

    Fred L. Ford, 91, passed away Fri-day, March 18, 2011, at the Ma-

    nor at Susquehanna Village.Hewas bornon October18,1919,

    inWilkes-Barre,a sonof thelateGe-orgeand Carolyn (Lipp)Ford.He at-tended Wilkes-Barre area schoolsand graduated from G.A.R. HighSchool in 1937. He graduated fromWilkes-Barre Business College.

    Fred was retired from the Bor-ough of Kingston in 1982 where heserved as Controller.

    He was the husband of the lateSara Jones Ford.

    Fred served four years with the7th Armored Division and the 8thAir Force and served in the Europe-an Theater in World War II. He washonorably discharged as a FirstLieutenant.

    He was a member of the FidelityLodge No. 655 F&AM and theBloomsburg Consistory. He was amember of the First Welsh Presby-terian Church in Wilkes-Barre,

    where he had served as an elder,trustee and financial secretary. Hewas also one of the founders of theHeights Little League.

    He was preceded in death by ason William; and a grandson Ri-chard.

    Fred is survived by his sons, Ri-chard Ford and his wife, Mary Ann,ofSpringCity,Pa.,and FredFordJr.,and his wife, Jean, of Halifax, Pa.;grandchildren, Jennifer, Sara Ann,Frederick, Gary, Katherineand Wil-liam; and six great-grandchildren.

    Graveside services will beheld at noon Friday at Mount

    Greenwood Cemetery, Shavertown.Donations can be made to his

    church at South Meade and North-ampton Streets, Wilkes-Barre, PA18701.

    Hoover-Boyer Funeral Homes ofMillersburg, Pa., is handling the ar-rangements.

    To sign the guestbook, go towww.hbfuneralhomes.com.

    Fred L. FordMarch 18, 2011

    DURYEA A borough manadmitted to four daytime bur-glaries to support a pain killeraddiction, police said.

    Way