The new Great Bend-Hallstead Volunteer Ambulance facility

Great Bend-Hallstead Volunteer Ambulance, Inc. held a celebratory open house on Sunday, May 18th 2014 to showcase their new facility, located at the same Carroll Street location in Great Bend Borough. The celebration contained everything from a ribbon cutting ceremony and dedication, instruction on how to conduct CPR, food, tours of the new facility, kids games, face-painting, door prizes, and more.

Before the ribbon cutting ceremony, several speakers took to the front of the building, including President and CEO Anthony J. Conarton, Board of Directors member Eddy Arnold, Pennsylvania State Representative Sandra Major, and Senator Lisa Baker. Captain Jody Ressequie, Great Bend Borough Council Member and also member of the Great Bend-Hallstead Ambulance, Inc., Jerry MacConnell and Great Bend Borough Mayor Jim Reicke spoke a few words as well.

During his speech, Board of Directors member Eddy Arnold noted that “In 2004 the ambulance corp was floundering. The ambulances were out of inspection, the EMT’s were few, and we could hardly get out the door to answer the emergency calls.” He also noted that a few dedicated people decided to “turn things around” and eight years later, it is evident that they did indeed turn things around, responding to over three hundred and sixty calls per year and serving at least 3,000 residents between Great Bend Township, Great Bend Borough, and Hallstead Borough.

Within this time, Great Bend-Hallstead Ambulance, Inc. also outgrew their small building. After two years of planning and meeting however, the new facility is equipped with a three bay garage, a meeting room, offices, a training room, and plenty of storage, in which members gave guided tours of. President and CEO Anthony Conarton stated that it was designed to be efficient for the next fifty years at least, accommodating a growing population as well as visitors frequenting from Interstate 81. He also stated that the new facility is nearly four times the size of the previous structure.

Conarton noted that the previous building was so small sometimes you could hardly squeeze through past the ambulance to get to the desk in the back of the building, where office tasks would be handled. The new facility, however, has plenty of room to conduct business with a spacious meeting room and training room that can be fully utilized to hold their monthly meetings, monthly in-house training, and even EMT classes.

Senator Lisa Baker says that the Great Bend-Hallstead Volunteer Ambulance, Inc. and it’s dedicated volunteers are a “great asset to the region and it’s citizens.” This is evident, as Captain Jody Ressequie stated that in the past few months, the volunteers at Great Bend-Hallstead Ambulance, Inc., have been responding to about thirty-five calls per month and in 2013, responded to 398 calls.

Jerry MacConnell, who serves as a volunteer for the Great Bend-Hallstead Ambulance, Inc., says that they are “always looking for people who want to dedicate time,” as there is always a need for more volunteers and with the new building they will be able to house more members and do more training in their facility. On average, every time the ambulance is called for, the trained EMT’s, First Responders, and Drivers will spend about two to three hours per call, and the ambulance cannot respond without a minimum of one EMT and a First Responder with EVOC (emergency vehicle operations class.)

It was obvious the passion these men and women have for their cause, as they proudly showed their new facility. There were plenty of smiling painted faces running around exploring the ambulance and playing games, while others enjoyed snacks and the company of one another. These dedicated individuals volunteering for the Great Bend-Hallstead Volunteer Ambulance, Inc. deserve a round of applause for their hard work and also recognition, not only for National EMS Week, but for the hard work they put in three hundred and sixty-five days a year, twenty-four hours a day. For this year’s National EMS Week, which was held May 18th through May 24th, the theme was “Dedicated For Life,” which is truly the case for Great Bend-Hallstead Volunteer Ambulance, Inc.

Susquehanna Community School District held its regular board meeting at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 21.  Nothing unusual about that; everything seemed the same.  But the board meeting turned out to be anything but. By the time the board finally adjourned at 7:48 p.m. there had been two executive sessions for personnel matters within the regular meeting.  After the second executive session an agenda item quite suddenly required, at Superintendent Bronson Stones’s prompting a roll call vote. With palpable tension a pall hung over the proceedings. When the first school director voiced a resolute, “No,” it signaled this was no routine matter. Each succeeding vote betrayed a strain of gut-wrenching seriousness, with the vote for and against the motion seesawing till the final vote was cast.  The few onlookers present sat up, leaned forward and focused intently as the most unusual scene before them played out.  

As quickly as the tempest arose, the matter was settled: 5-4. There were neither exclamations of exultation nor expressions of anger or sorrow. A collective sigh of relief filled the room as if the air had just been cleared of electricity after a thunderstorm.

With the announcement of five “yes‘s” and four “no’s” the motion to “consider hiring Carmella Bullick as the high school principal effective July 1, 2014,” was approved.  There’s more on the pivotal vote and the explanation for it later in this article.  But before and after the aforementioned vote, the board took action on other matters of consequence.

Present for the meeting were President Steven Stanford, and board members Lori Canfield, Jason Chamberlain, Amanda Cook, Evelyn Cottrell, Carol Jackson, Holly Kubus, Martha Stanford, and Clay Weaver.  During the course of the meeting, Martha Stanford was reelected without opposition to serve as Board Treasurer for the school district for the 2014/2015 school year. 

The board unanimously approved a tentative District Budget of $15,543,589.00 for the 2014/2015 school year while setting the District millage at 45.78 in Susquehanna County and 13.39 in Wayne County for the upcoming school year.  District Business Manager Gary Kiernan noted that this is the biggest budget in the school’s history--but with good reason: included within the budget is the payoff of all district debt. 

The board also approved the service agreement between the District and the Borough of Lanesboro for campus safety and security for the 2014/2015 school year.  Superintendent Stone took a few minutes to thank the borough for their superb support of the District in making borough police available on such favorable terms.  He noted that few districts are able to take advantage of such extraordinary support by the municipality in which they are located.  The police presence, he noted, has had a significant side-effect of decreasing speeding on campus, thereby greatly improving motor vehicle safety.

Other motions approved by the board--all with dissenting votes--included, among others, those for:

Approval of Child Evangelism Fellowship of Susquehanna County to offer released-time instruction for the 2014/2015 school year.

Approval of bids for supplies for the 2014/2015 school year as submitted by the Business Office, and giving the Business Office permission to order supplies.

Approval of Edvation Tech Steps online technology program, at a cost of $3,400 for the 2014/2015 school year.

Approval of Craige’s Photique as the school’s photographer for the 2014/2015 school year.

Approval of the Carnegie Learning Geometry math text book for the 2014/2015 school year.

Approval of the Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit Agreement for the 2014/2015 school year.

Approval of the appointment of Attorney Joseph Gaughan as the District Solicitor for the 2014/2015 school year.

Approval of Traits Writing as the writing curriculum for the 5th and 6th grade at a cost of $2,916 for the 2014/2015 school year. Traits Writing was chosen to support the instruction of narrative, informational, and persuasive writing, and teachers are to be trained on this new curriculum in summer 2014.

Approval of nearly a dozen miscellaneous requests, ranging from the request of Kim Garrison & high school students for a field trip to Rickett’s Glen State Park on July 9, 2014, to granting Rachel Serfilippi permission to revamp the high school courtyard, and to granting Sara Perry permission to paint a mural on a high school hallway.

Returning to the pivotal vote which so closely divided school directors, I just had to inquire of Superintendent Stone, President Steven Stanford, and board member Carol Jackson why had the board been unable to reach consensus as it did on virtually all other issues. They patiently explained to me that there had originally been nine highly qualified candidates screened for the H.S. Principal position.  That initial grouping had been whittled down to five through meticulous examination.  Any one of those five candidates would have made a superb principal they said. Nevertheless, difficult as the screening process was, board members selected two finalists for evaluation. 

The divisiveness over final selection of Ms. Carmella Bullick as principal only arose because board members AGREED that both she and the other finalist were so evenly matched and eminently qualified.  Had one candidate been head-and-shoulders superior to the other, the choice would have been easy, but with two great choices the final decision posed a dilemma for the deciders. 

Ms. Bullick comes to SCHS from Hancock Central School District, where by all accounts she has an enviable record of accomplishment. Providing the five votes necessary for her selection were Jason Chamberlain, Amanda Cook, Carol Jackson, Steven Stanford, and Clay Weaver.

Superintendent Stone reminded all present that the board’s next regular monthly meeting will be on Wednesday, June 25.  While that date is the originally scheduled date for the meeting, it’s the fourth Wednesday of the month, not the third as is customary in most other months.  That said, Martha Stanford made her customary motion for adjournment, a second was forthcoming, and May’s meeting was history. Also customary Mr. Kiernan sprang from his chair and served up a delicious delight (brownies) to all who would partake.

At the May 19th meeting of the Mountain View School Board, five students were recognized as being the CTC students of the month in April. None were present, however. The five, which included Alexandria Anderson, Dylan Bean, Megan Mihalisin, Morgan Taylor, and Zackery Weida, were to receive their certificates at a later time.

During the first hearing of visitors, Ruth Littman spoke up. She stated that she had been asked by a few parents to be present, and asked that before anything be passed that evening for the cafeteria there be more clarification regarding what a meal consisted of and what constituted a la carte. A bulk mailing of bills had gone out, she related, a lot of which went to parents who were on the free lunch program and who were shocked that they got bills. One woman she knew had called and asked why she was receiving bills, and she felt that the reasons she was given didn’t make sense. Another woman had asked her to talk about the fact that while her children had free lunch, her son often packed his meal. However he liked to get a milk to go with it. This mother had been told by the cafeteria that she was billed for the milk because the school didn’t have a free milk program, and that if he wanted free milk the boy could get the entire free lunch and then throw away the food. Ms. Littman wondered why the school was encouraging children to get a lunch so they could throw it away. Another mother was told that her child was billed for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich because it didn’t meet the state’s standards of nutritious.

A cafeteria manager stood to respond to these concerns. She said that they had sent home statements for all of the free lunch students whose status had changed during the year. If they were asked to pay full rate at the start of the year and then switched to being free lunch students, they had to pay the balance which existed before it was adjusted. As far as a la carte items went, sometimes the children had money in their account, but not enough for what they were purchasing. The transaction would go through because there was money, but it became overdrawn. Ms. Littman said that she wasn’t complaining about the letter, but that there was insufficient information attached. The manager asserted that there was a link on the letter where a parent could go online to check their cafeteria activity. Ms. Littman pointed out that people on the free lunch program might not have computer access.

She then asked why the children were being told to get the entire lunch and throw the meal away. The cafeteria manager reiterated that the school didn’t have a free milk program. The only people who qualified for free lunch were students like the pre-k students who didn’t qualify for a meal. A milk otherwise would not be reimbursable. Ms. Littman said that this didn’t make sense, to which the manager replied that they were state guidelines. As far as the peanut butter sandwich went, the child was charged because they did not get the full meal. In order for it to be a reimbursable meal, a lunch had to consist of three portions. Ms. Littman asked whose responsibility it was to ensure that the children had the full meal. One child she spoke about was eight years old and had learning disabilities. The manager stated that it should have been addressed at the register.

Another cafeteria management representative spoke up to give further information. She reiterated that there were state requirements which dictated what the students needed to have in order to have a reimbursable meal- this consisted of five areas. The cafeteria was required to serve a certain portion of these requirements every day, and in order for a meal to be reimbursable they had to give a child three of these requirements. By law they couldn’t force a child to take the complete reimbursable meal; they could explain it to the child but not force the point. If the child didn’t take the meal the cafeteria had to charge them a la carte. From the states point of view this made sense- otherwise they would pay $3, for instance, for a milk. Ms. Littman opined that a high school student could understand these requirements, but an elementary child couldn’t. The manager reiterated that the cafeteria also couldn’t make a child take the required lunch items if they chose not to. Just because a child was on the free or reduced lunch program, that did not entitle them to just take a milk or a sandwich- according to the USDA that did not make a nutritional meal.

She explained that Mountain View did work under an offer versus serve format, where the children could take what they wanted. A district could address this issue by becoming a full serve system at the elementary program, where the cafeteria just put predetermined items on the child’s tray. Many districts switched to offer versus serve to reduce waste and give students choice. Mountain View in fact used to be a full serve site, but had made the decision to switch due to the cost of the food and the waste. They didn’t have this choice at the high school, where regulations dictated an offer versus serve model, but it could be done at the lower grades. Under the current format, however, the children were allowed to choose three items, one of which had to be a fruit or a vegetable. Usually if the child just chose the entree and this fruit or vegetable it would meet the requirements, as the entree usually counted as two components. Mr. Stoddard asked to confirm that if they went to a full serve model they would probably be throwing away more food. She responded that she hadn’t been the regional manager at the time the decision was made last time, but she knew in part it was made due to the waste. Mr. Twining noted that the flip side to the waste would be that all of the free lunch students would receive their components and not get charged. She clarified that their lunch would be free up to those five components, but anything above those components would still be a la carte. Mr. Barhite asked if the free and reduced lunch students could be made full serve, while the self pay students were offered versus serve. This was not possible, the manager explained, as it would be discrimination and not allowed per regulations.

Ms. Littman had earlier stated that she would contact the state with a complaint if the board could not address her concerns adequately. After this discussion, Mr. Barhite and Mr. Stoddard seemed to almost encourage this, telling her that they wished her luck in getting somewhere, and noting that the state had tied the board’s hands.

Ms. Littman asked if it would be possible at least to have a bin where, if a student had to get food they didn’t want, they could leave it so that another child could take that item. The manager said they couldn’t do this, as then you encountered issues with that child having already touched the food. She sympathized that the cafeteria system had its problems.

Ms. Littman then asked why the school didn’t participate in a free milk program. It was responded that the school could contact PDE and ask about this. Mr. Patchcoski offered to do this, and was advised by the board to please pursue it. Dr. Plonski-Sezer thanked Ms. Littman for bringing it to their attention. Mr. Stoddard agreed with her frustration, opining that it was a frustrating situation.

The regular meeting then proceeded. Joseph Gaughan was appointed to again be the district’s solicitor for the 2014-2015 school year. Sweet, Stevens, Katz, & Williams, LLP were appoined as special counsel.

The motion was made and seconded to approve a preliminary general fund budget for the 2014-2015 fiscal year in the amount of $19,422,931.45, based on 36.929 mills real estate tax, $5 per capita tax under Act 511, % per capita tax under section 670 of the Public School Code, Occupational Assessment Tax at 100 mills, 1% earned income tax under Act 511, and 1% real estate transfer tax, local effort. This amount differed from what had been published on the agenda.

Family Health Clinic of Barnes Kasson, PA was appointed to be the school’s medical facility at a rate of $75 per hour for school health physicals, sports physicals, and other school district requested services.

Breakfast, lunch, and a la carte prices were set at each school. They were to remain the same as the previous year. Nutrition Inc. was again approved to be the cafeteria management company.

A motion was made and seconded to approve a summer school program to run Monday through Friday from July 7th to July 24th. Period 1 was to run 8:00 to 10:00 am and period 2 from 10:15 to 12:15 pm. The cost would be $100 per course for Mountain View students, and $135 per course for non-resident students. Educator prep time was scheduled from 12:15 to 1:15, with a half hour prep time for each course. The Pre-k Counts summer kindergarten readiness program was also approved, to run on weekdays from July 15th to July 25th from 8:30 am to noon.

The motion was made and approved to vacate all coaching appointments, as well as the athletic director position, at the end of the 2013-2014 school year. A motion was similarly made to vacate all supplemental appointments as well. The motion was then made to authorize advertizing for fall sports coaches and supplemental salary positions.

Mrs. Shea, during her report, spoke about the sixth grade Washington trip the next day, and noted that the high school seniors were also leaving for Florida. The next week the district was scheduled to host the Susquehanna County superintendents meeting. They had also invited the districts’ directors of special services, as they were expecting to hear a presentation from the office of OVA.

She read items of note from Ms. Kelly and Mr. Presley, who were both absent that evening. Ms. Kelly thanked everyone who came out for the grades five and six band and chorus music program, along with the staff who contributed to it. She also thanked those who continued to make the Washington, DC trip possible. Mr. Presley noted that they were finishing up Keystone exams, and that the softball and baseball teams were in the district playoffs. Mt. View was seeded number two in the playoffs. He also thanked those involved in the band and chorus concerts, calling the product very enjoyable and entertaining for all in attendance.

A reminder was given of the Relay for Life event on May 30th, and the board was asked to please consider coming out to support the event.

Ms. Voigt was present to give her report, and noted that the 21st Century after school program was winding up. She reported on the NPCTM (The Northeast Pennsylvania Council of Teachers of Math) math contest. She and Mrs. Gesford had been coordinating the competition for eight years now, the competition itself was in its 24th year. It was held at Marywood University, and the sponsors included the Math Department at that college and the state version of that organization. This year they had 265 students participate. The students didn’t participate as a school, they were put on a team of six with 5 other students from different schools. Mountain View had come home with three medals. The kids, she said, were great. She thanked the board for letting extra educators come down to coach. All of the work was voluntary.

Student Hannah Phillips was given recognition. She had been accepted into the Summer Writing Program at Susquehanna University, and had found out that she was finally getting one of her works published. The company had told her that they received more than 3,000 submissions and hers would be one of about 70 they were using. Ms. Voigt said that they were very proud of Hanna, who had worked hard on writing since she was in elementary school and had a following on-line. Ms. Aherne asked if the district could post her story on the website when it came out. Mr. Twining pointed out that they would have to ask her, as she would hold the copyright.

Susquehanna Community School District Board Directors took the following personnel actions during their regular meeting on Wednesday, May 21, 2014.

Approved Jennifer Rockwell’s request for an unpaid 93-day leave at the start of the 2014/2015 school year.

Approved hiring Michael Matis for summer Industrial Arts maintenance at a rate of $25/hour, not to exceed 40 hours.

Approved transferring Gina Baker from the Junior High Girls Basketball Co-Coach position to the Junior Varsity Girls Basketball Coach position for the 2014/2015 basketball season.

Approved accepting the following resignations, all effective June 11, 2014: Carly Batzel as Student Council Advisor, Kim Legg as Junior Varsity Girls Basketball Coach, Carol Bushong as SADD Advisor, and Danielle Dibble as H.S. Aide. 

Approved the addition of Eric Watkins to the Substitute Bus Driver List.

Approved hiring the following personnel:

Ellen Rockwell & Bridgette McKennas for Extended School Year for summer 2014.

Roze DeCicco & Susan Day for Summer School Aide for summer 2014.

Jamie Bollinger for Summer Speech Teacher for summer 2014.

Thomas Adornato for Summer Driver Education Teacher.

Shirley Decker for Registered Nurse one day per week for the 2014/2015 school year.

Approved hiring Carmella Bullick as the high school principal effective July 1, 2014. (See related story.)

The Susquehanna County DOMESTIC RELATIONS Section has outstanding BENCH WARRANT’S for the following individuals as of 10:25 a.m. on May 23, 2014: Duane M. Aldrich, Shawn J. Bedford, Anthony M. Choplosky, Tina M. Clark, David J. Fischer, James Gerard, Francis M. Hagemeyer, Jr, Jeremy W. Hall, Bradley M. Huzzard, Dustin L. Johnson, Todd J. Layton, Joshua S. Lee, Charlie J. Legere, Casey M. Lehman, Derrick Lezinsky, Robert J. McCrone, Ethan A. Meagley, David N. Miller, Ronald N. Mitchell, Jordan L. Payne, Matthew J. Peters, Veronica D. Phelps, Eric A. Pike, Sherri M. Rosa, Scott A. Russell, Bruce A. Schurr, Todd J. Slater, Anthony L. Smith, Nathan C. Strohl, Frederick Swingle, III, Tessa E. Thomas, Justin S. Thompson, Donna N. Tunstall, Robert J. Twilley, Steven G. Warner, Kevin H. Welch, Eric W. Zick. Please contact the Domestic Relations Section at 570-278-4600 ext. 170 with any information on the location of these individuals.

Tyler Spencer, 20, of Honesdale, PA to 3 months to 24 months in a state correctional facility, pay $150 fine, pay cost of prosecution, pay $50 Criminal Justice Enhancement Act Fee, receive drug and alcohol counseling, obtain GED for Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle in Herrick Township on November 3, 2013. Mr. Spencer also received, 5 months to 24 months in a state correctional facility to be followed by 3 years probation and to run concurrent to the above sentence, pay restitution to the victims, pay $250 fine, pay cost of prosecution, pay $50 Criminal Justice Enhancement Act fee for Theft by Unlawful Taking in Herrick Township on October 28, 2013.

Terrance Harry Simmons, Jr, 25, of Forest City, PA to 6 months to 23 months in Susquehanna County Correctional Facility, followed by 2 years probation, pay $250 fine, pay cost of prosecution, pay $50 Criminal Justice Enhancement Act Fee, not to have contact with the victim, receive a psychiatric evaluation, abide by a 10 PM curfew, receive a sex offender evaluation and treatment, not to live by parks for Corruption of Minors in Forest City Borough on January 14, 2013.

Robert L Wellman, 29, of Dunmore, PA to 11 ½ months to 23 1/2 months in Susquehanna County Correctional Facility, followed by 3 years probation, pay $300 fine, pay cost of prosecution, pay $50 Criminal Justice Enhancement Act Fee, pay restitution to the victim, not to have contact with the victim, receive drug and alcohol treatment, not to possess transport or consume alcoholic beverages, pay $250 DNA testing fee and submit sample, not to have contact with anyone on supervision, perform 50 hours community service for Robbery in Lenox Township on November 18, 2013.

Crystal Lynne Conklin, 32, of Carbondale, PA to 23 months probation, pay $150 fine, pay cost of prosecution, pay $50 Criminal Justice Enhancement Act Fee, pay $100 Act 198, receive a drug and alcohol evaluation and treatment, receive mental health evaluation and treatment pay $250 DNA testing and submit sample for Criminal Attempt/Acquisition or Obtain Possession of Controlled Substance in Susquehanna Borough on August 30, 2013.

Dustin Frank Canfield, 19, of Montrose, PA to 1 months to 12 months in Susquehanna County, pay restitution to the victim, pay $100 fine, pay cost of prosecution, pay $50 Criminal Justice Enhancement Act Fee, continue with mental health treatment, take all prescribed medication for Simple Assault in New Milford Township on February 20, 2014. Mr. Canfield also receive 23 months probation to run consecutive to the above sentence, pay $100 fine, pay cost of prosecution, pay $50 Criminal Justice Enhancement Act Fee, continue with mental health counseling, take prescribed medication for Simple Assault in Bridgewater Township on April 2, 2014.

Evan Hess, 20, of Forest City, PA to 9 months to 18 months in Susquehanna County Correctional Facility, followed by 5 years probation, pay $300 fine, pay cost of prosecution, pay $50 Criminal Justice Enhancement Act Fee, pay $250 DNA testing fee and submit sample, not to possess firearms, not to have contact with anyone on supervision, not to have contact with codefendants, receive drug and alcohol treatment for Criminal Conspiracy/Robbery in New Milford Township on January 13, 2014. Mr. Hess also received 6 months to 18 months in Susquehanna County Correctional Facility followed by 5 years probation, pay $200 fine, pay cost of prosecution, pay $50 Criminal Justice Enhancement Act Fee, not to have contact with codefendants, not to have contact with anyone on supervision, not to have contact with the victim in this case for Flight to Avoid Apprehension in New Milford Township on January 13, 2014.

Erica Jo Major, 31, of Susquehanna, PA to 8 months to 16 months in Susquehanna County Correctional Facility followed by 4 years probation, not to have contact with the victim in this case, not to have contact with codefendants in this case, pay $300 fine, pay cost of prosecution, pay $50 Criminal Justice Enhancement Act Fee, pay $250 DNA testing fee and submit sample for Criminal Conspiracy/Robbery in New Milford Township on January 13, 2014.

Francis Lee Muchanic, 31, of Susquehanna, PA to 4 1/2 years to 9 years in a state correctional facility, followed by 10 years probation, not to possess firearms, not to have contact with the victim in this case, pay $300 fine, pay cost of prosecution, pay $50 Criminal Justice Enhancement Act Fee for Burglary in New Milford Township on January 13, 2014. Mr. Muchanic also received 33 months to 7 years in a state correctional facility to run concurrent to the above sentence, pay $150 fine, pay cost of prosecution, pay $50 Criminal Justice Enhancement Act Fee, not to possess weapons, abide by a 10 PM curfew, receive drug and alcohol evaluation, receive mental health evaluation for Theft by Unlawful Taking in New Milford Township on January 13, 2014. Finally, Mr. Muchanic received 1 year to 2 years in a state correctional facility to run concurrent to the above sentences, pay $200 fine, pay cost of prosecution, pay $50 Criminal Justice Enhancement Act Fee, not to have contact with anyone on supervision, receive a drug and alcohol evaluation, receive a mental health evaluation, not to have contact with the victim for Simple Assault in New Milford Township on January 13, 2014.

Dylan M Brewer, 20, of New Milford, PA to 9 months to 18 months in Susquehanna County Correctional Facility, followed by 5 years probation, not to have contact with the victim in this case, not to have contact with co defendants, not to have contact with anyone on supervision, not to possess transport or consume alcoholic beverages, pay $250 DNA testing fee and submit sample, pay $300 fine, pay cost of prosecution, pay $50 Criminal Justice Enhancement Act Fee for Criminal Conspiracy/Robbery in New Milford Township on January 13, 2014.

Crash: On May 10th a juvenile Montrose girl was traveling westbound on Coleman Rd. in Bridgewater Township when she lost control of her vehicle on a downhill section. The vehicle slid off the right hand side of the roadway and struck a tree coming to rest. The girl and a juvenile passenger were utilizing seat belts; both sustained minor injury.

Crash: On May 21st at 3:30 pm Stathis Douvos of Brooklyn, NY was traveling north on Sr 0081 when his vehicle struck a deer. A seat belt was in use; the driver wasn't injured.

Theft: The police are investigating a theft of an aluminum extension ladder prom a Springville Township property. The victim, a Laceyville man, was doing work at the property and left his ladder there to use. When he returned to the job site the ladder was gone.

Theft: The state police are investigating a report of a theft of split wood, which was removed by unknown actors. The wood was in New Milford Township at the time. Anyone with information is asked to please contact the police.

Theft: Sometime between October 2013 and May 19th the registration plate was stolen off a utility trailer in Great Bend Township, as it was parked in the owner's back yard. Anyone with information is asked to please contact the police.

Burglary: A crime occurred in which one or more perpetrator(s) forcibly entered a cottage and garage in Liberty Township, taking a Kawasaki ATV, tools, and scrap metal from within. The investigation was continuing as of the time of report. Anyone with information is asked to please contact the police.

ATV Crash: On May 17th at 9:20 pm, a 12 year old and 14 year old were traveling west on T-514 on an ATV when the vehicle failed to negotiate a left curve in the roadway. The vehicle exited the roadway and struck several small trees, then traveled down an embankment. The driver sustained major injury; the passenger sustained minor injury.

Burglary: Between the 14th and 17th of May one or more perpetrator(s) burglarized a Liberty Township residence, which was the rental property of two Hallstead women. After gaining forcible entry into the residence, the perpetrator(s) stole copper plumbing from the same. Anyone with information is asked to please contact the police.

Simple Assault: On May 10th at 7 pm two male victims were assaulted at a residence on Miller Road in Rush Township. Both required medical treatment at area hospitals. The investigation was continuing as of the time of report.

Commercial Vehicle Crash: On May 15th at 1:54 pm Joel Brown of Hallstead was attempting to back up on T741 in Liberty Township when his cement truck got too close to the right side bank. The vehicle rolled off the road onto its right side, into a small creek located off the south side of the east bound lane. The driver was utilizing a seat belt; he was not injured. United, Snake Creek, and Hallstead Fire and EMS responded. Susquehanna County Hazmat support response team responded, along with Charlie Gleason. Marv's recovered and towed the truck from the scene.

Criminal Mischief: One or more perpetrator(s) smashed the mailbox of a Montrose man, at a location in Rush Township.

Theft from Motor Vehicle: Between the 13th and 16th of May, one or more perpetrator(s) stole loose change and CDs from a vehicle on Mitchell Street in New Milford. Entry was gained through an unlocked door. Anyone with information is asked to please contact the police.

Commercial Vehicle Crash: On May 15th at 1:18 pm an unnamed driver operating a Dodge Ram 2500 was traveling north on SR 11 when the truck lost traction while towing a utility dump trailer. The trailer came around the passenger side as the vehicle struck the guide rail. It then continued to spin and came to rest facing a southerly direction. The towed vehicle lost its load of metal pieces on the roadway. Police were assisted at the scene by Great Bend/Hallstead EMS.

Burglary: Between October and April forced entry was obtained into a cabin on Lake Chrisann in Bridgewater Township, and personal property was stolen from within. Anyone with information is asked to please contact the police.

Possession drugs/paraphernalia: On May 8th at 10 am a 17 year old juvenile female was found to be in possession of suspected Heroin and drug paraphernalia at the Susquehanna County Career and Technology Center in Dimock. The investigation was continuing as of the time of report.

Crash: On May 9th at 5:43 am an unnamed driver was traveling east along SR 3023 in Lathrop Township when he or she momentarily fell asleep and drifted off the road to the left. The vehicle came to a rest in the muddy shoreline of Lakeside Pond. The driver was not injured in the crash. The vehicle was removed from the scene by Plummer's Towing, at the operator's request.

Burglary: The police are investigating a report of a burglary at a Bridgewater Township location in which money was taken while the victim, a Montrose man, was gone for the day. Anyone with information is asked to please contact the police.

Criminal Mischief: Between the 10th and 12th of May, a Clifford Township woman reported that her mailbox had been damaged. The investigation was ongoing as of the time of report.

ATV Crash: On May 11th at 2:45 pm Travis Moniz of Little Meadows was traveling north on SR 4013 in Apolacon Township, one an ATV. The vehicle lost control as it was negotiating a left hand curve in the roadway, and rolled over. The driver was utilizing a motorcycle helmet; he sustained injury of unknown severity as of the time of report.

Burglary: On April 29th at 3:30 am perpetrators smashed the front door glass of the Dundaff Country Store in Clifford Township, and entered the store. The perpetrators then fled the premises without taking anything. Anyone with information is asked to please contact the police.

Theft: Between May 10th and 11th a Hallstead man discovered that a Loews Brand aluminum 15-16 ft. canoe was taken without authorization. Anyone with information is requested to please contact the police.

DUI: On May 9th a Kingsley man was involved in a traffic stop on Jeffers Pond Road in Lenox Township. Further investigation led to the arrest of the accused for DUI. Charges were pending BAC results as of the time of report.

Burglary/Theft: Between 3:30 pm and 9:30 pm on May 1st the residence of a 48 year old man in Lathrop Township was entered, and personal items stolen from within. Anyone with information is asked to please contact the police.

Hit and Run: On May 6th at 7 am an unknown vehicle was traveling north in the Rite Aid parking lot in Bridgewater Township when it failed to negotiate a curve in the roadway to the left. The vehicle struck a pole with its driver's side. After impact, it continued in a northern direction before crashing into a curb with its passenger side. The vehicle then drove through mulch, fleeing the scene. No video was available at Rite Aid; the vehicle description was unknown as of the time of report.

Theft: Between May 8th and 9th, an ATV was stolen from a Bridgewater Township driveway. The ATV was parked int the driveway unsecured. The perpetrator(s) fled the scene southeast through the victim's rear yard towards a baseball field. The ATV was a white and blue 2007 Yamaha 350 Raptor. Anyone with information is asked to please contact the police.

Theft: Between May 6th and 8th, unknown person(s) took possession of a 1990's red doodlebug minibike from a residence on SR 171. The minibike did not run and had parts damaged or missing. Anyone with information is asked to please contact the police.

Possession Drug Paraphernalia: On May 5th at 1:25 pm a marijuana pipe was found in a juvenile male student's bag at the Montrose High School. Charges were filed through juvenile allegation.

Anyone having information regarding any of these incidents is asked to please contact the state police at (570) 465-3154.

Littering: On 04/08/14 at 12:40 p.m. Silver Lake Township Police received a report of someone dumping garbage on North Shore Drive. The caller reported that someone is putting their garbage in with other people’s garbage to be picked up. Chief Timothy Burgh took the report. This case is still under investigation.

Burglary: On 04/10/14 at 6:50 p.m. Silver Lake Township were called to a residence located on State Route 167 for a report of a burglary. The victim reported that someone forced their way into the residence during the daytime hours and stole valuables. The home owner was not at home at the time of the incident. Officer Tiffany and Chief Burgh responded to this incident. This case is still under investigation.

Criminal Trespass: On 04/17/14 at 1:10 p.m. Silver Lake Township Police responded to a residence located on Donovan Road for a report of criminal trespass. The owner of the residence reported that an elderly man came onto their property and started shooting at geese. The Pa. Game Warden was notified of the incident. The incident is being handled by the Pa. Game Warden and the Silver Lake Township Police. Chief Timothy Burgh took the report. This case is still under investigation.

Wires Down/Traffic Control: On 04/25/14 at 3:55 p.m. Silver Lake Township Police while out on patrol found electrical wires that were down on the roadway. Wires were found hanging on State Route 4002 at Quaker Lake. The wires were blocking one lane of traffic. Silver Lake Township Police and the Silver Lake Fire Company did traffic control until the incident was resolved. Chief Timothy Burgh was the responding officer.

Structure Fire: On 04/29/14 at 3:25 p.m. Silver Lake Township Police Department was dispatched to a structure fire located on Sweeney Road. Upon arrival of police a second alarm was called in and the structure was almost fully involved. Several fire companies from around the area responded to the fire. The home owner was at home at the time of the fire and was able to get out safely with his family. This case is not under investigation. Chief Timothy Burgh was the responding officer.

Traffic Control On 04/29/14 at 5:10 p.m. Silver Lake Township Police were requested for traffic control at the intersection of the Brackney Hill and Quaker Lake Roads. The fire company was filling trucks to fight a fire on Sweeney Road. Chief Timothy Burgh was the responding officer.

Rekindle/Structure Fire: On 04/30/14 at 10:05 a.m. Silver Lake Township Police were out on patrol on Sweeney Road. It appeared that there was a rekindle at the fire scene from the day before. Silver Lake Township Police requested the fire company to the scene to put out the fire. Chief Timothy Burgh was the responding officer.

Silver Lake Township Police responded to some medical calls in the township for the month of April.

Any information or questions for Silver Lake Township Police, please call 570-278-6818 or email us at silverlaketwppd@epix.net, all information will be held strictly confidential. You can look at the Silver Lake Township Website at www.silverlaketwp.org, to see all Silver Lake Townships' news, profiles, and resources, including the police reports.

In our May 7, 2014 issue, Page 5, we inadvertently named two articles with the wrong Header. They should have read the following: Brandon Soden Gets Claire Williams O’Neil Scholarship and Emily Staros Awarded Claire Williams O’Neil Scholarship.