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Issue Home February 4, 2009 Site Home

HEADLINES:
Blue Ridge To Refinance Again
MVSD Talks Taxes, Technology
More Parking Issues In Susky
Courthouse Report
Signs Of Blue For Harford
Gibson Barracks Report


 

Blue Ridge To Refinance Again
By Ted Brewster

The Blue Ridge School Board meeting on January 26 opened with a brief presentation by Henry Sallusti of RBC Capital Markets about the possibility of refinancing the district's bonds once again to take advantage of lower interest rates. He proposed, and the Board agreed on, a target of February 23 to close a deal that could save the district as much as $180,000 in interest on two series of bonds issued to finance the renovation project more than 12 years ago.

Mr. Sallusti's firm has helped to refinance these bonds at least twice before, each time saving the district substantial sums. This time, with markets so unstable (the "worst year in credit markets since the Great Depression," he said), he cautioned the Board that there could be no guarantee that the financial picture would remain this good by late February. On the other hand, it might even be better. Rates "move daily," he said. He said that "the district has acted prudently" in its bond financing over the years, but this might be the last time that these bonds could be refinanced advantageously. The last series of bonds would be paid off by 2017, and most of that is principal. This might be the "last bite of this apple," said he. There's "not much juice left in this lemon."

The Wellness Committee and the Education Committee met prior to the formal Board session. The Wellness Committee, headed by Board member Priscinda Gaughan, will meet on the second Monday of each month beginning at 4:00 p.m. Laurie Brown-Bonner reported that her Education Committee will meet again prior to the Board meeting on February 23. The Finance Committee, headed by Board President Harold Empett, will next meet also on February 23, but after the regular Board meeting.

The Board accepted the gift of five large-format color prints from Alen MacWeeney, "a Dublin born photographer specializing in portraiture, travel and reportage" (according to his website). The prints were available to view at the meeting. They were acquired through a group of philanthropists in the Scranton area. The artist estimates their value at about $15,000. Superintendent Chris Dyer said that he would be meeting with the Board's Facilities Committee, as well as other staff, to find a proper location to mount and display the artwork. The prints come with a plea to maintain support for the arts in the schools as a valuable contributor to learning.

Among routine personnel actions:

* Jenna Kogut was approved as a day-to-day instructional substitute.

* James Berger, of the Maintenance Staff, announced his intention to retire next month.

* Kristen Small will mentor Sarrah Dibble for the remainder of the school year.

* Kirk Hinkley will become the Junior High 8th Grade basketball coach.

* Janelle Tench was granted tenure.

One item on the agenda recommended the "exclusion" of a student. Asked the difference between "expulsion" and "exclusion," Mr. Dyer explained it as the difference between leaving voluntarily or involuntarily – resigning versus being fired, so to speak. The school usually requests that a student accept exclusion. Under Pennsylvania law, all youngsters under the age of 17 must be educated, one way or another. Disruptive students may be either expelled or excluded, but usually take part in classes at an "alternative" facility, such as the Bethesda program.

The administration recommended allowing $21 per hour for "Lost Planning Time" for the remainder of this year. According to Mr. Dyer, under the teachers' contract, faculty are allowed 40 minutes (one period) per day for "planning time" – time to plan their coursework. Occasionally, if a teacher is absent, another teacher will be asked to fill in when a substitute can't be brought in for the day. Often a teacher will use his/her planning period for this purpose. The administration wanted to pay teachers for this "lost" period.

The Board didn't agree. Former Board member Alan Hall, who has always taken a keen interest in Blue Ridge finances, argued that such practices would leave an opening for unregulated expenditure. It also seemed to be paying a teacher for the same hour twice. There must have been some discussion of the topic outside of the public session, because the Board did not discuss it before voting it down, almost unanimously.

The next public meeting of the Blue Ridge School Board will be on February 9. A workshop beginning at 6:30 p.m. will precede the business session and include an introduction to school board membership presented by representatives of the Pennsylvania School Boards Association (PSBA), the state lobbying organization for Pennsylvania's 501 school district boards of directors.

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MVSD Talks Taxes, Technology
By Melinda Darrow

Sandra Major came to Mt. View Elementary School to tour the pre-k program, the elementary principal stated at the January 26 school board meeting. She reportedly enjoyed her visit, reading a book to the children, who were also able to take a book home.

The high school reported various occurrences of note as well. The board attended the school for a tour, showcasing the art and music departments, the library, and the technology department. It is hoped that this will become a repeated event, with the special education department being featured next.

The week prior to the meeting, the annual Poetry Out Loud competition had been held. The event, organized in a coffeehouse style, was spoken of positively. Mandy Schmidt emerged the overall winner of the poetic battle.

Late winter is the season, it appears this year, of assessments and scheduling at Mt. View. Staff is looking into their student recommendations for next year, and students are beginning to have individual meetings with counselors for scheduling purposes. Writing PSSA’s are slated to begin February 9. Mt. View was randomly selected to participate in the NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) testing, a precursor to looking at the Graduation Competency Assessments (GCA). This test, which all seniors will take, is also used to investigate how the U.S. compares with other countries academically. In a less global comparison, the Mountain View versus Blue Ridge Scholastic Scrimmage Math is scheduled to air on WVIA on Sunday, February 8 at seven.

The boardroom is now decorated by art, upon which fact one visitor directed attention. It is the work of the sculpture class, under the tutelage of Mr. George Barbolish.

Another visitor asked why, at the elementary school, students can only buy ice cream on Fridays. It was explained that with so few students buying ice cream the transfer of the product in and out of the freezers each day (which leads to extensive thawing and refreezing) was counterproductive.

Several matters at the meeting were the subject of debate. One of these involved taxes. Tax collector representatives attended the meeting to put forth a proposal for switching from a percentage system of compensation to a per bill system. Under the proposal collectors would receive compensation ranging from $11 to $7 for various types of bills and bill collection activities. The representatives argue that this would maintain a steady compensation rate, evening out fluctuations. Tax collectors, they asserted, suffered a significant loss of earnings due to homestead and farmstead exclusions. Were things to be evened out, one man said, tax collectors are not the only people who would benefit. The board, in turn, would realize savings and it might have an impact on those contemplating running for collector. Collecting, it was said, is thought to be a part-time job, but in reality it becomes a way of life. The collection system, one present stated, is not broken, but it could use some tweaking. Mr. Mirabelli agreed that a per bill system made more sense for everyone. At least one board member felt, however, that if the board granted the rates asked, the district might face censure for paying so well. It was decided that the matter needed further consideration, but that the direction would be established at a public meeting.

The board refrained from spending money on two requested items. The first involved at transfer of $9,200 from the school supplies budget to the technology budget. Mr. Griffiths protested this move, stating that it was not necessary, that the district was already ahead in technology, and that the board had spent money on this area already. Ms. Vagni explained that the administration was not attempting to pad the budget or shuffle money. Mr. Stewart’s budget had been cut, she said, and the district had not received a grant. It was to be used for Promethean boards for the middle school, which she felt was less well supported than the high school technologically, though the staff is trained and ready.

Dr. Chichura reported, however, that the district is planning on spending out of the budgetary reserves this year, and needs to either raise income or cut costs to compensate. He expressed his opinion that in these uncertain economic times, if it wasn’t looking to raise taxes the district needed to look at saving money, despite a need. The item was struck from the agenda.

Later in the meeting it was suggested that new display cases be purchased for the wall across from the gym. When the board toured the school they had looked at the current setup, which consists of three very nice, custom made cases. These are insufficient , it was said, for the district’s needs, with many trophies being in storage. The current three cases would be kept, but moved to other locations for displaying purposes, and a four-foot tall unit installed the length of the then empty hallway. Mrs. Jesse queried as to whether the district really had the money to buy trophy cases if it didn’t have the money for technology Mr. Roy Twining agreed, expressing his opinion that Promethean boards directly effect education and would thus be more important. It was decided to hold on this matter for now as well.

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More Parking Issues In Susky
By Barbara Whitehead

Parking was once again a topic of discussing at the January 24 meeting of the Susquehanna Borough Council. This time, the owners of a business on Front St. were present to discuss an advisory they had been given by the police department that council was going to do away with diagonal parking on that street and institute parallel parking. The business owners said that this would create problems, one of which would be inadequate parking for the business. Council expressed a willingness to find a reasonable solution, and after discussion it was agreed that the direction of the cars should be reversed to better suit the flow of traffic, and that lines should be painted to make the spaces more at an angle, allowing more room for traffic. The line painting will be included when the marking for Main St. is contracted out in the spring.

Council also enacted a boro-wide snow parking ban ordinance. It will be illegal to park any vehicle on any boro street between November 1 and April 1 of each year, after the National Weather Service has issued a “Winter Storm Advisory, Watch, or Warning,” for 48 consecutive hours after the warning has been issued, or until the duration of the storm is concluded, whichever occurs first.

And, after discussion, a proposed ordinance to create the position of a parking enforcement officer was tabled. Mayor Reddon felt that it was a good idea, but she objected to the fact that the salary for the officer would have to come out of the police department budget, which council had cut. There was not enough money in her budget to fund the position, she said. It was agreed to table the ordinance until a more definitive discussion can determine where the money for salary will come from, what the salary will be, and how many hours per week the officer will work. Bill Iveson thought the discussion should include a consultation with the State Police, particularly as the parking officer would be working during hours when the boro officers are not on duty. He thought the State Police should give some indication of what backup they could provide should any problems arise when the parking officer is on duty. It was agreed to continue the discussion at the next committee meeting.

In other business, council has been notified that there will not be a county tire recycling program this year, as the state is no longer funding the program.

Bill Kuiper had been contacted by one of the owners of property adjacent to what had been the upper portion of Second Ave. Some 25 years ago, he said, council had vacated the road, which had been equally divided among the two adjacent property owners. But, it seems there is no record of the transaction, either in Montrose or in the boro (so far). After discussion, council approved contacting the boro’s solicitor to see if some record of the vacating can be found and, if not, whether or not it has to be done again.

A LERTA application for Lakey’s was approved, as all the paperwork (permits, etc.) was in order. This program allows for property owners who have completed renovations or improvements over a certain amount to receive a one-year exemption from boro property taxes and a three-year exemption from school taxes.

Discussion continued about maintenance for the library’s section of the boro building. Council is waiting to hear if replacement of the doors would qualify under the Main Street program for matching funds for façade improvement. A verbal quote was received for re-stretching the carpet; a motion carried to proceed if the quote could be first given in writing. And, price quotes are being sought for painting the rooms.

The boro has an ordinance in place that requires that a portion of insurance proceeds from burned out buildings be placed in an escrow account with the boro, to ensure that the property is properly cleaned up. Fortunately, this is not a situation that arises too often, but unfortunately, there was one recently. Council approved setting up a separate account for deposit of the check.

A request from the county Tax Claim Bureau to approve the sale of two properties in repository was discussed at length. When properties listed in the annual county tax sale are not sold at two subsequent tax sales, the bureau requests approval to accept any reasonable offer for the properties from the municipality and the school district. Council thought that acquiring the properties might be a step towards providing municipal parking. One of the properties in question, in the second ward, was determined to be unsuitable and approved for sale by the bureau. The other, in the first ward on Washington Street, is suitable. The existing house has been condemned and would have to be removed; council thought this might be something that could be done through the Elm Street program. It was agreed to find out if the boro could acquire the property, and whether or not the boro would be responsible for any liens that might exist.

And, the state is making grant funding available for large infrastructure projects. Council thought this might be applicable to the boro for drainage projects. After discussion, it was agreed to contact the county housing authority to see if they would be willing to help with the application process, and the administration of the grant if it is obtained.

The next regular meeting will be on Tuesday, February 24, 7:00 p.m. in the boro building.

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Courthouse Report
Compiled By Lauren P. Ficarro

DEEDS

James A., Thomas J. and James E. (Estate) Melan and Mary Kate Panaro to James A. Melan and Mary Kate Panaro, in Auburn Township for one dollar.

Eric M. and Jennifer J. Brown to Eric M. Brown, in Harmony Township for one dollar.

Melessia (Estate), William F. (Estate) and William A. Congdon to William A. Congdon, in Clifford Township for one dollar.

Janet and James J. Fitzsimmons to Brian P. Fitzsimmons and Maureen Franco, in Forest City for one dollar.

Gregory A. Strawn to Allen Strawn, in Montrose for one dollar.

Bremer Hof Owners, Inc. to Richard C. and Judith P. Franzen, in Herrick Township for $3,495.00.

Alberta Crandall (Est) to Norman C. Button and Mary P. Kerr-Button, in Hallstead Borough for $19,000.00.

Lola J. Stephens (FKA) Lola J. Logue to Michael A. and Lola J. Stephens, in Apolacon Township for one dollar.

Elizabeth S. (AKA) Elizabeth J. and Paul R. Valentine to Elizabeth J. and Paul R. Valentine, in Ararat Township for one dollar.

Dean A. Johnson to Valerie Johnson, in Herrick Township for one dollar.

Valerie Johnson to Harry and Eileen Harsin, in Herrick Township for $150,000.00.

George B. and Susan G. Stephens to George B. Stephens, in Franklin Township for one dollar.

Herbert R. Dewey to Michael J. Dewey, in Bridgewater Township for one dollar.

Kathryn C. Schroeder to Joseph and Helen A. Castronova, in Jackson Township for one dollar.

Joseph and Helen A. Castronova to Joseph and Helen A. Castronova, in Jackson Township for one dollar.

Kathryn C. Schroeder to Kathryn C. Schroeder, in Jackson Township for one dollar.

Frances M. Gerchman to Guy E. Gerstel, in Forest City for $1,000.00.

Guy E. Gerstel to Guy E. Gerstel, in Forest City for one dollar.

Willard J. Hurley to Tammy L. Carlson, in Thompson and Ararat Townships for one dollar.

Michael D. Vaughn to Frank Czyzewski, in New Milford Township for $125,000.00.

Michael D. Vaughn to Michael D. Vaughn, in New Milford Township for one dollar.

Carmela and Joseph Nowalk to Tanya Nowalk Rudock, in Brooklyn Township for one dollar.

Shaindy Meisels to John J. Munley and Amy S. Alexander, in Forest City for $85,000.00.

Edward R., Jr. and Heather A. Shingler to Aleksandr Dizik and Florentina Vasui, in Auburn Township for $75,000.00.

Marilyn J. Ace to Molly E. Sayre, in Auburn Township for $97,000.00.

John and Kimberly Proch to John Proch, in Lenox Township for one dollar.

William E. (AKA Estate) William Edward Black (Estate) to Howard A., Jr. and Eleanor B. Jarnagin, in Hop Bottom Borough for one dollar.

Me-Shanna Recreation Club to Kathleen M. Larkin and Vincent L. Meder, in Auburn Township for one dollar.

Robert J. and Carol A. Hoffmann to Mario Button, in Oakland Borough for $47,000.00.

Mildred A. (Estate), Allen C., Carolyn M., Kyle and Robert Wolf to Allen C. and Carolyn M. Wolf, in Susquehanna for one dollar.

Perry L. Whitney (Estate) to Robert Gerald Whitney, Leon Ben Whitney, Donald Allen Whitney, Alice Louise Whitney Potter, Jean Irene Whitney Richard and Helen Jane Whitney Smith (Estate), in Thompson Township for one dollar.

Helen Jane Whitney Smith (Estate) to Bradley R. Smith, in Thompson Township for one dollar.

Millington H. Delia (Family Trust Number One) to Millington H. Delia, in Silver Lake Township for one dollar.

Gerald D. (AKA) Gerald and Sally A. (AKA) Sally Ann Whiteman to Gerald D. (Rev Trust) and Sally A. (Rev Trust) Whiteman, in Jackson Township for one dollar.

DIVORCES

Brenda Rockwell Halesky vs. Scott A. Halesky, both of Thompson, married 2003.

BENCH WARRANTS

The Susquehanna County Domestic Relations Section has Bench Warrants for the following individuals as of 10:56 a.m. on January 23, 2009.

Robert G. Arthur, David P. Atherholt, Jr., Erika L. Back, Keith Beach, David S. Blaisure, Joseph Bonavita, Michael P. Bradley, Jr., David M. Brant, Ryan T. Brooks, Kenneth G. Burgess, Joshua D. Calby, Mark T. Conklin, Kevin Cowperthwait, Jeffrey A. Craig, Thomas J. Croghan II, Mary Dallasta, John J. Deakin, Jeffrey L. Decker, Amanda Dedonis, Paul H. Donovan, Deborah L. Drish, Jonathan Fathi, Kristoffer B. Fazzi, David J. Fischer, Thomas Fisher, Nesbitt W. Fitch, Jr., Ryan M. Forder, Kelly Fox, Yvette Glover, Angela M. Grecco, Jeremy J. Grick, David Haines, Jr., Suzanne R. Hansen, Keith G. Harms, Jamie E. Heaman, Ann Hightower, Holly N. Holbrook, Timothy M. Holmes, Lyle J. Hugaboom, Roy M. Huntley, Robert M. Jenkins III, Carl M. Kelder, Erik E. Krisovitch, James R. Lee, Charlie J. Legere, Carlos L. Leiser, Howard J. Linder, Debra J. London, George D. Lowery, Joseph Malloy, Jr, Tanika Marazzani, Patricia J. Marrero, Jason Marshall, Fred C. Materese, Mark C. McCarey, Joseph C. Moore, Anthony Neri, Todd M. O'Hara, Ivy U. Oropallo, Donald Palmer, Gary Perico, Jonathan R. Powers, Jeffrey A. Ransom, Kim Read, Nathan Rosene, Donald L. Rousseau, Jr., Neil D. Shaffer, David J. Shiner, Frank Siglin, Duane Spencer, Amy M. Squier, Andrew J. Survilla, Earl H. Thompson, Jr., Christopher Trayes, Anthony M. Vaow, Keith W. Vroman, Robert C. Walter, II, Glynn Wildoner, III, Patrick L. Yachymiak, Karl D. Zantowsky.

Please contact the Domestic Relations Section at (570) 278-4600 ext. 170 with any information on the location of these individuals.

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Signs Of Blue For Harford
By Ted Brewster

The agenda for the meeting of the Harford Township Supervisors on January 27 listed only two items. Most of the nearly hour-and-a- half session was consumed with a detailed discussion of new street and road signs to be installed over the next few years.

The meeting opened, however, with consideration of a penalty clause to be added to a "change order" requested by the contractor, ProCon of Vestal, NY, who wants to shut down work on the bridge over Butler Creek on Pennay Hill Road until Spring. ProCon warranted that the work would be "substantially complete" by May 15, and finally complete by May 29.

This is a cause of some concern to the Supervisors, who expect the township to be fully reimbursed for the project by federal and state emergency management agencies to the tune of about $400,000. In order to get the funding, the project must be completed by the end of June. There have been delays and extensions throughout the project already. Supervisor and township Secretary Sue Furney said that both the contractor and Hawk Engineering, designers and overseers, had no objection to adding a penalty clause to the change order. The only question was what kind of penalty to impose for failure to meet this latest deadline.

The contractor proposed a penalty of $100 per day for failure to complete on time, assuring the township that the project was "first priority" once the weather breaks. That didn't sound like enough, considering that the township could stand to lose over $300,000 if the deadline isn't met.

In the end the Supervisors specified a penalty of $1,000 per day for delays beyond the May 29 estimated completion date. Supervisor Garry Foltz also remarked that the bridge would probably have to be inspected by the state before it could be used.

What with the re-addressing program that required some roads to be renamed, a requirement that all municipalities update their street and road signs has become a financial nightmare for townships around the state, not the least for Harford, which may need more than 100 new signs. Under regulations adopted by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) in February of 2006, signs will have to be in compliance with federal standards by January 9, 2012. The 2003 edition of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) of the Federal Highway Administration (FWHA) requires that all such signs use "retro-reflective sheeting" for visibility, and use six-inch letters. The federal standards are supplemented by a PennDOT publication called Chapter 212, "Official Traffic Control Devices."

Supervisor and Roadmaster Terry VanGorden has contacted at least four vendors for bids for the signs. One of them provided a couple of samples, one with a bright blue background, one with green. He said that Lenox Township has already chosen green; New Milford selected red. He recommended that Harford use the blue. (Regulations offer a selection of colors, but require all such signs in a municipality to be of the same color.) The signs will be double-sided, eight inches high, and long enough to contain the name of the street or road in six- inch uppercase letters; the signs will also have the TR numbered designation. (Official regulations actually give the dimensions in millimeters. The signs will probably use the Cleartype font face.) The regulations also require the use of "breakaway" posts to support the signs.

There are a number of private roads in Harford Township. The regulations do not require private road signs to be updated, however it was suggested that private road signs in the new style include a PVT designator. It had been suggested that the township might provide the labor to help install private road signs, but Mr. VanGorden said that he would consider helping to install only signs of the new, approved, design. Owners of private roads would be responsible for purchasing the signs and hardware; if they would like to purchase along with the township, payment would be required in advance.

Since the purchase of so many signs, poles and other hardware could be quite expensive, the Supervisors hope to complete the project over a period of three years.

Most of the lengthy discussion involved the number of signs required for each of the township's roads, and where they would be placed. For example, where School Street meets Tyler Lake Road in Harford village, only about 40 feet from the intersection of Tyler Lake Road with Tingley Lake Road, should there be signs at both locations (the consensus seemed to be no on this one). White Road, which connects Three Lakes Road with Plank Road across the outlet of Lower Lake, was discussed at length, particularly with respect to the placement of one or more signs at its intersection with Three Lakes Road. There are also several roads that cross municipal boundaries.

Mr. VanGorden hopes to get a reasonable price for the signs at a volume of over 100. He will be planning their installation. If you would like to hear more, consider attending the next meeting, scheduled for February 10, beginning at 7:00 p.m. at the township office on Route 547 just south of the Interstate.

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Gibson Barracks Report
Compiled By Melinda Darrow

CRASH

On January 21, at around 8:00 a.m., Joseph Fizzano of Little Meadows was traveling SB on SR 2011 when, being temporarily blinded by glare from the sun, he drove off of the roadway and struck a tree. Fizzano was not injured. His vehicle was towed from the scene by Beck's Towing.

THEFT

On January 21, at around 11:47 a.m., one or more unknown person(s) removed a 50” flat screen TV from the residence of Vito Vittorio. It is unknown how entrance to the house was obtained. The TV was last seen on 5/29/08, and was reported missing on 1/21/09.

ARREST PRIOR TO REQUISITION

On Tuesday January 20, a PSP Gibson trooper was on routine patrol running radar on Interstate 81 in Great Bend Twp. At approximately 10:20 a.m., a vehicle stop was conducted for a violation of the vehicle code. An NCIC check on the operator of the vehicle, Cara Giacomozzi of Baltimore, MD, revealed that she was wanted by York County, PA on two separate warrants. The defendant was advised that there were active warrants for her arrest issued out of York County, PA and was placed in custody. The accused was subsequently remanded to Susquehanna County Jail.

THEFT

Between the 8th and 9th of January, Ronald Peltz of Thompson is accused of having removed a 100-pound propane tank from Ararat Twp., and utilizing it without authorization. The tank belonged to Leonard Vogler of the Corning, NY area.

CRASH

On January 17, at approximately 6:22 a.m., Timothy Jinkins of Edgewood, MD was traveling South along SR 81 when, in Great Bend Twp, his vehicle veered into the median. At this point Jinkins awoke and steered the vehicle back to the right, continuing across both southbound lanes and colliding with the guard rail. Jinkins was transported from the scene due to minor injuries, and at the time of the report was to receive citations for his actions in the crash.

THEFT FROM A MOTOR VEHICLE

Between the 5th and 16th of January, a Ruger .22 pistol was stolen from a vehicle belonging to Edwin Burns of Hop Bottom.

TRUCK FIRE

On January 22, at approximately 2:10, John Swann of Emmaus, PA was traveling Northbound on SR 81 in New Milford Township when smoke filled the interior of the cab in the Mack Truck he was driving. Swann was unable to see and stopped the truck in the right lane. As the truck was burning, Swann exited it and attempted to use his small fire extinguisher without success. The New Milford and Harford fire companies responded and put out the fire. The truck was totally consumed in the conflagration, and was removed from the scene by Kozlowski towing.

THEFT

One or more unknown person(s) stole a snowboard while at the Elk Mountain Ski Resort on January 25, between 6 and 6:30 p.m.

CRIMINAL TRESPASS

Thomas Price, Jr. is accused of having entered a house owned by Rosemarie Greenwood of Montrose on January 26 without having permission to do so. The accused was arraigned before D/M 34-3-01 and remanded to the Susquehanna Co. jail on $100,000 bail.

HIT AND RUN

On January 13, at approximately 4:21 a.m., an unknown driver was backing up on South Grant Road in Great Bend Borough when he or she backed into a 2005 Dodge Magnum, which was legally parked off the roadway. The perpetrator then fled the scene without providing the required documentation for the crash. The man is described as having driven a dark colored Jeep Wrangler with New York plates.

CRASH

On January 7, at approximately 8:08 a.m., Robyn Welch was traveling west along SR 848 in New Milford when she lost control of her vehicle due to icy road conditions near the Old Mill Village. The Jeep traveled off the right side of the road and slid down an embankment, rolling onto its left side during the slide.

CRASH

On January 13, at approximately 8 a.m., Amy Landry of Susquehanna was traveling south on SR 1013 in Harmony Twp when she veered off the west berm of the roadway, striking two trees. The Toyota Camry sustained severe damage.

CRASH

On January 17,l at approximately 11:30 p.m., Julie Dippre of Olyphant was traveling south on SR 374 in Clifford Twp when she lost control of her vehicle, traveled across a T intersection, and struck a fence on the property of the Idle Wild Ski Shop. No EMS or fire responded, nor did a tow truck.

THEFT-FRAUD

On January 8, Alan Chase of Little Meadows discovered that over $541.10 in transactions were completed on his credit card without his authorization. The investigation was ongoing at the time of the report.

CRIMINAL MISCHIEF

It was reported by Robert Wallace of Nicholson that sometime during the night of January 14, someone shot out his vehicle's window. The damage was valued at approximately $850. Anyone with information is asked to call PSP Gibson at (570) 465-3154.

DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE

On January 9, at approximately 9:25 p.m., John Regan of Union Dale drove his vehicle into a drainage ditch in Ararat Township. Regan was asked to perform field sobriety tests, which he failed. He was subsequently arrested for Driving Under the Influence, and charges were filed in District Court 34-3-02.

CRASH

On January 28 at approximately 4:09 p.m., Joshua Vanbrakle of Hershey, PA was traveling North on I-81 when he lost control of his vehicle, exited the roadway, and struck a PennDOT sign. No EMS responded, and Bolus Towing pulled the trailblazer from the scene. The incident occurred in Harford Twp.

CRASH

On November 28, at approximately 4:09 p.m., Rosa Leiva of York, PA was traveling North on I-81 in Harford Twp. when she lost control of her vehicle, which rolled over. No EMS responded. Bolus Towing towed the Toyota 4 Runner from the scene.

CRASH

On January 7, at approximately 11:02 a.m., Peter Bruno of Brooklyn and Timothy Tomlin of Falls were both traveling south along SR 11 in Great Bend Twp. when Tomlin attempted to make a sharp right-hand turn onto a dirt road, requiring him to move his vehicle slightly to the left. Bruno traveled along the right-hand side of Tomlin's vehicle in an attempt to pass it. Tomlin went to complete the turn at this time, and was struck in the right middle of the vehicle by Bruno. No injuries were sustained in this low speed crash. At the time of the report, Bruno was slated to receive a multitude of citations for his traffic violations.

If you have information regarding any of these incidents, please contact PSP Gibson at (570) 465-3154.

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