The Thompson Hose Company hosted the Independence Day Parade on July 2nd with food and activities at the fire hall after the Parade.  A Chicken BBQ, Ice Cream, Cotton Candy, Bounce Tent, and Fish Bowl Game awaited the crowds.

Leading the Parade the Grand Marshal was in Memory of John Frye.  Fire companies from Union Dale, Susquehanna, Forest City, Great Bend, Chenango, Clifford Township, Harford, Northern Wayne County, Lakewood, Columbia Hose Co.#1 and Hamlin joined the Thompson Hose Company.

Participants in the parade included: Susquehanna County Democrats, with Chairman Rick Ainey;County Commissioner, Mary Ann Warren and others.  Also present was the Military Police, with vehicles driven by Robert Sokol, and Bob Lyttle.  Police cars from Lanesboro and Susquehanna, Antique Cars, all terrain vehicles, and quads were all decked out.

Brooke Marvin the Susquehanna County Dairy Princess, Rooney’s Ice Cream Float, Boy Scout Troop 81, Susquehanna Girl Scouts, and clowns greeted the crowd. 

Starrucca Borough Council gathered for its monthly meeting on Tuesday, July 5, 2016, at the Community Hall. Between the 7 p.m. call-to-order and 9 p.m. adjournment, Council conducted a one-hour Executive Session, 35 minutes of public business, and 25 minutes of public participation.

Presiding over the meeting was President Kirk Rhone. Councilmen present were Darl Haynes, Art Kopp, Jason Heeman, Lou Gurske, and Donald Haynes, Jr. Mayor Mary Ann DeBalko was also present, along with Secretary/Treasurer Keith Payne, the borough’s Solicitor Jason Beardsley, and an audience of approximately 25 residents.

Notably absent from the meeting was Councilman Peter Frank. His absence was immediately explained as the first order of business when Secretary Payne read Mr. Frank’s letter of resignation from council, due to medical issues. The letter was dated June 9, and received on June 11. In response, council voted unanimously to accept Mr. Frank’s resignation.

President Rhone next put out a cattle call for any volunteers interested in filling the freshly vacated council seat. One Starrucca resident, Kathryn Nefti, answered the call. Councilman Gurske moved to approve her appointment and Councilman Heeman seconded. Ms. Nefti received both their votes for appointment. However, Councilmen Rhone, Kopp, Darl Haynes, and Donald Haynes, Jr., all voted “no.” The defeat of Ms. Nefti’s appointment brought recriminations from Councilman Gurske, who angrily demanded that those voting “no” provide a reason for their vote.

Councilmen voting “no” insisted they were not required to provide Mr. Gurske with the reason, or reasons, for their vote. When Mr. Gurske made his demand repeatedly, Council appealed to Solicitor Beardsley for a legal opinion. Mr. Beardsley stated flatly that Councilmen were not required to explain the motives for their votes for or against those seeking appointment.

Council moved on to Meeting Minute approval. President Rhone asked for a motion to approve the minutes of council’s last meeting. Prolonged silence was the only response. A second request for the same motion elicited the same response. Council and audience were awed and bewildered. “What do we do now?  What happens in that case? Are we in limbo?”  President Rhone made a command decision to go into Executive Session, even though an Executive Session was originally scheduled as the last item on the evening’s agenda.

Council’s Executive Session ran a full hour, from 7:09 to 8:09 p.m., at which time the audience was re-seated and council returned to regular order. Whatever troubled Council about the meeting minutes earlier, troubled them no more an hour removed. Councilman Kopp moved for the minutes approval, President Rhone seconded, and all voted unanimously to approve.

Secretary Payne provided council with the Treasurer’s Report, the Accounts Payable Report, and the bills to be paid for July 2016.  Balances for the General Fund, Liquid Fuels Fund, and UCC as of July 5, 2016 stood at $19,367.90; $26,659.76; and $659.72, respectively. Total expenses for the month of July, excluding legal expenses, stood at $1,087.33.  Legal expenses now outstanding totaled $9,830.08. President Rhone moved to pay all bills, EXCEPT legal fees (to Lavery Law); Councilman Kopp seconded. Councilmen Rhone and Kopp voted to approve; Gurske and Heeman voted against; and both Haynes councilmen voted to abstain (because of the legal fee issue). With the vote knotted 2-2-2, Mayor DeBalko was called upon to cast the deciding vote. Mrs. DeBalko voted to approve the motion. And so Starrucca’s bills will be paid for another month. To the knowledge of Council, Lavery Law is not pressing for imminent payment of the borough’s growing legal bill. Lavery Law’s most recent invoice (#51033), as of June 14, included $2,694.80 for hours of legal work performed since the previous billing cycle. 

In matters of correspondence to the borough, Secretary Payne read two letters hand-delivered to him. The first was an undated letter from Starrucca resident (and former borough secretary/treasurer) Patti Smith to council. In her very brief letter she wrote, “. . .  I, Patti Smith, was asked by Art Kopp to go for a ride up to the top of Kellogg Road in the late summer of 2015. Art picked me up at my home and we drove up the road past Mr. Haynes’ home, turned around, and had no problems getting up and down.”

Other correspondence read by Secretary Payne included a hand-delivered letter from Jack Downton announcing his resignation from the Vacancy Board, effective July 5th 2016. President Rhone and Councilmen Kopp, Darl Haynes, and Donald Haynes, Jr., voted to accept Mr. Downton’s resignation; Councilmen Gurske and Heeman voted against acceptance of the resignation. Following the vote, President Rhone asked, “Anybody interested in filling that position?”  A roar of silence followed. President Rhone commented, “I guess not.”

In the Public Participation portion of the meeting, three residents took time to present their views and/or to question borough councilmen, and/or Solicitor Beardsley. Jack Downton presented a petition to council, read by Secretary Payne, which asked council to refrain from entering into any settlement with Darl Haynes in regard to the federal civil rights lawsuit against the borough, since there MAY be legal questions as to the validity of Starrucca Borough’s 2007 Boundary Resolution “that forms the underlying basis for Mr. Haynes’ claim.” The petition goes on to request “the Starrucca Borough Council to secure a bond in the amount of $25,000.00 as directed in the matter of Borough of Starrucca vs. Scott Township and Preston Township, that was docketed at 2-28-2014-MISC-CIV in the Court of Common Pleas in Wayne County, PA, and to utilize said bond to establish the true and correct boundaries of Starrucca Borough.” The petition was signed by 65 persons of Starrucca Borough, some being landowners, some voters, and some residents.

Mr. Downton went on to infer that council and/or the borough’s legal representation had failed to present at arbitration (sic) “the actual bills that had been paid to maintain Kellogg Road for umpteen years.” Mr. Downton went on to say that the borough had done nothing wrong, so why should the borough have to pay [the tentatively agreed upon settlement of $100,000]? Mr. Downton elaborated, “I was involved on putting on the  defense back after the complaint was entered in 2015, and  Lavery Law, Robert Hanna, did say to me that it was a very weak case that Mr. Haynes had.”

Mr. Downton continued, “And by putting that in there, the borough has always maintained the road, and for Mr. Haynes’ saying the road was impassable, and had denied him, I would say to this council that Mr. Haynes come up and show you  how he was denied of his property, because the road has always been passable. . .” At this point Mr. Downton extolled the passability of the road in 2015, and at the time Mr. Haynes had filed his lawsuit. Councilman Kopp took exception to both Mr. Downton’s statements and Patti Smith’s characterization of the roadway. Mr. Downton dominated center-stage for some 15 minutes as he alternately laid out his narrative of the borough‘s legal position, interrogated others, and debated numerous related issues. Eventually President Rhone intervened to let Mr. Downton know his three minutes were up. Councilman Gurske and Mr. Downton hotly contested the three-minute limitation, even though--it should be pointed out again--Mr. Downton had already held the floor for 15 minutes and appeared quite ready to filibuster indefinitely so long as left unchallenged.

 If, as Mr. Downton contends, Kellogg Road was already being maintained, and the road was passable and in good condition, and if the borough has receipts for the expenses paid in maintaining the road, would it not stand to reason that Darl Haynes would never have had a complaint about the condition of Kellogg Road? Why then would Darl Haynes have filed his filed his federal civil rights lawsuit? And why would the borough be in seemingly endless lawsuits with neighboring jurisdictions, and with Darl Haynes?

It appears that issues are being conflated in discussions of Kellogg Road. Virtually no logically discussion can be had on the issue unless pin-prick precision is used to define the exact number of feet being talked about, and where those feet exist from a geographical point of certainty. The (current) legally defined borders of Starrucca since its 2007 Resolutions are what Darl Haynes is talking about, and what Scott Township, Preston Township, Wayne County, and Judge Hamill are in agreement about. What Mr. Downton defines as the proper boundaries of Starrucca Borough may or may not be what SHOULD be true and real, but they are in no sense the current LEGALLY DEFINED borders. In the eyes of the law, Kellogg Road currently exists as 5215 feet, all within the jurisdiction of Starrucca Borough. It is a fact that the borough is NOT collecting liquid fuels money for that full amount of road footage. It is also fact that the borough is not, and has not for many years, maintained all 5215 feet of Kellogg Road, even as it is obligated to do so under court order of Judge Raymond Hamill.

Whether the 65 persons who signed the petition presented by Mr. Downton appreciate the gravity of their request to NOT enter into settlement cannot be ascertained. What can be divined is that should the strategy they favor be pursued and end unsuccessfully, it could ultimately cost Starrucca taxpayers two to three times the currently quoted tentative settlement amount of $100,000. Borrowing $25,000 to commence pursuit of an administrative remedy is only seed money for what is still a costly legal battle ahead. Considering the borough’s inability to pay its current legal bills, prudent persons might well consider rejection of legal settlement as an act that hazards the municipality’s very existence.

Following Mr. Downton was resident Thomas Galiardo. Mr. Galiardo indicated his eagerness to loan the borough $25,000 at 3.5% interest for five years so that the borough could post bond to pursue resolution of boundary disputes administratively. How the borough might raise the principal and interest to repay the loan after five years was not explained. Also, how the borough might finance related future litigation was not addressed.

Dave Soden spoke twice during the public participation portion. Mr. Soden described the problems of a ditch across Coxton Lake Road, as well as a plethora of pot holes that had sprung up on same road. His was a plea for immediate road repairs to be made to the troubled area. In his later comment to council, he asked if the litigation concerning the borough’s boundaries was ever going to be settled. President Rhone assured Mr. Soden that council was working to settle the boundary issue, and that the road crew would soon be working the rough section of Coxton Lake Road so sorely in need of repair.

In Old Business President Rhone inquired, for the fifth consecutive month, if any resident were interested in volunteering to fill the position of Emergency Management Coordinator. His request, like those of previous months, met with the same result: stony silence. Also, President Rhone directed the road committee to look into making sure the borough was collecting liquid fuels monies for the full length of the borough’s roadway mileage.

Before closing, President Rhone announced that council would be conducting a future work session concerning legal issues, date still to be determined. Inquiries from the audience about public attendance brought clarification that the work session was, in fact, an Executive Session, and would be closed to the public. The topic of the Executive Session will be fine-tuning of the tentative settlement of the Haynes federal civil rights lawsuit, as well as settlement of all Haynes-related litigation in the Court of Common Pleas.

The next regularly scheduled monthly meeting of Starrucca Borough Council is Monday, August 1, 2016.

August 18th from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm has been slated for a Police Officer to Meet & Greet the residents of the Borough, Councilperson Terri Gulick stated at the July 7th meeting.  A resident of the Borough first brought this idea to light at the October 1, 2015 meeting.  He asked Council to consider hosting a meeting with the Police and the residents so they would be able to ask them questions.  Due to the change of Police coverage from the Montrose Borough to the Great Bend Borough it took awhile to make the arrangements.  The Police Officer will be bringing coffee to the Meet & Greet.

Councilman Ken Carey provided a report from the last Council of Government (COG) meeting he attended.  He said it was the most attended meeting he’s been to, and ninety-nine percent of the meeting addressed the issue of the proposed incinerator project.  COG officials also announced at this meeting that the Sewage Enforcement Officer will be out on leave, but they found a replacement to cover for him during this time period.

Councilperson Donna Cosmello stated there are more kittens by her home, and Councilperson Gulick stated there were five in her garage.  Council spoke for a few minutes on the options they have to curb the problem.  Mayor Scott Smith said people have come up to him to talk about the feral cat problem also.  Council will continue to address the issue, and contact the appropriate agencies.

During Councilman Carey’s report, he said the bathhouse is in very bad shape and needs to be renovated.  There is a possibility a grant may be available to cover some of the expenses.  Councilperson Gulick offered the proceeds from the Midtown Festival, approximately eight thousand dollars to go towards the renovation project.  She said a representative from Peoples Security Bank came in to present a check for one thousand dollars, a very generous donation.

Councilman Carey stated there is a problem with people not picking up after their dogs in both parks.  He said he didn’t think it was right people had to watch where they walked, and they need to have some courtesy for others who use the park.  Council agreed people should clean up after their dogs to ensure the enjoyment of everyone who uses the parks.

Council spoke about two Ordinances that will be advertised shortly, one is for each Council member to be paid fifteen hundred dollars per year in quarterly installments.  The other Ordinance is for the Peddler’s Permit.

A person approached Councilman Carey and asked if it would be possible to hold a one day Flag Football Tournament on August 6th.  Since this was the first time a request like this was made he asked Council to provide some feedback.  Council spoke for a few minutes on the subject and said organizers would need to provide an Insurance Certificate, with the New Milford Borough as an additional insurer.  Council determined that any organized activity, by individuals or a group, would need to register at the Borough office and provide insurance for their activity.

At the close of the meeting, Councilperson Gulick along with Council, and the Mayor thanked Chuck Welch for all the work he has been doing at the parks.  People have been complimenting the beauty of the parks to Council members, and they wanted him to know it’s appreciated.

During the month of July, do wardens will canvass homes throughout the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture's region three jurisdiction in Carbon, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming counties, ensuring all dog owners have current licenses and rabies vaccinations for their dogs.

Local counties include: Wayne County; the week of July 11; Susquehanna County; the weeks of July 18th and 25th.

The Department of Agriculture reminds dog owners that a license is one of the best ways to be reunited with your dog if you were to become separated.

Under Pennsylvania law, all dogs three months or older must be licensed by January 1 of each year. The fee is $6.50 for each spayed or neutered dog and $8.50 for other dogs. Older adults and persons with disabilities may purchase a license for $4.50 for spayed or neutered dogs and $6.50 for others.

Additionally, all dog and non-feral cats (three months of age and older) must be vaccinated against rabies. Booster vaccinations must be administered periodically to maintain lifelong immunity.

Violators can be cited with a maximum fine of $300 per violation plus court cost.

Licenses may be purchased through your County Treasurer, by calling your county courthouse, or from a registered issuing agent.

For more information, visit www.licenseyourdogPA.com or call 717-787-3062

BENCH WARRANTS

The Susquehanna County DOMESTIC RELATIONS Section has outstanding BENCH WARRANT’S for the following individuals as of 10:00 a.m. on July 8, 2016; Edward R. Ashman, Asa M. Atherholt IV, Michael J. Burger, Joshua Burns, Brian N. Carter, Natasha Everett, Shawn P. Fiorentino, David J. Fischer, Jeffrey J. Gamble, Morgan A. Garcia, Randy Gregory, Jonathan L. Hollister, Kristen N. Kelly, Thomas E. Kingston, Todd J. Layton, Charlie J. Legere, Steven J. Leiser, John J. Liepinis III, Jason Luce, Jr, David N. Miller, Peggy J. Mills, Ralph J. Minnick, Timothy Murray, Curt Newhart, Matthew J. Peters, Michelle Petersen, Brian T. Phillips, Desiree L. Shifler, Michael A. Sipple, Robert Staff, Christopher D. Taylor, Charles Vanwinkle, Jr.

Please contact the Domestic Relations Section at 570-278-4600 ext. 4050 with any information on the location of these individuals.

DEEDS

Craig and Mary Lou Reuter to Appalachian Basin II LP, Wildes Mineral Interests LLC & McCrow Energy Partners II LLC, in Gibson Township, for $1.00.

George P. Hicks and  Patti J. Moxen to Frederick Scheduler, in Liberty Township, for $190,000.00.

Earle A. and Robert Wootton to Endless Mountain Health Systems, Inc., in Bridgewater Township, for $1.00.

Rodney T. Hunsinger (ESTATE), Tiffany Mae and David Morgan to Jerry L. and Diane L. Cronk, in Bridgewater Township, for $44,000.00.

John R. Stackowitz (ESTATE) to John R. Stackowitz Jr., in Susquehanna, for $1.00.

Edwin D. Walters and Emilia Tanudji to Mark D. and Marjorie B. Singer, in Springville Township, for $35,000.00.

Donald M., Debra A, Anthony B. & Katrina L. Dissinger to Anthony B., Katrina L., Donald M. & Debra E. Dissinger, in Great Bend Township, for $1.00.

Bremer Hof Owners, Inc. to Paul S. and Diana M. Pennington, in Herrick Township, for $100.00.

Bremer Hof Owners, Inc. to Jewel M. Olson, in Herrick Township, for $100.00.

Bremer Hof Owners, Inc. to Verna H. Stevens, in Herrick Township, for $100.00.

Bremer Hof Owners, Inc. to Sharon W. Cook, in Herrick Township, for $100.00.

Bremer Hof Owners, Inc. to Leroy L. Lord Jr. and Susan R. Lord, in Herrick Township, for $100.00.

Oil and Gas Real Estate Experts LLC to Kim and David Boyer, in Thompson Township, for $38,000.00.

Brian and Merritt Guinean to Brian Guinean, in Liberty Township, for $1.00.

Robert L. Conklin (BY SHERIFF) AKA Robert Conklin (BY SHERIFF), Robin A. Komar (BY SHERIFF) and Alan John Komar (BY SHERIFF) to CNB Realty Trust and Pennstar Bank - A division of NBT Bank, in Ararat Township, for $6,788.59.

John J. McHugh Jr. (BY SHERIFF) to LSFB Mater Participation Trust, in New Milford Township, for $1,493.99.

Dale J. Hancock (BY SHERIFF) AKA Dale Hancock (BY SHERIFF) to Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB (DBA) and Christiana Trust, in Lenox Township, for $1,648.73.

Warren and Norman Maxson to Carl J. and Rebecca Snyder, in Lenox Township, for $29,500.00.

William Kingsbury, Jacqueline Kingsbury (AKA) Jacqueline M. Kingsbury to John J. Ward, in New Milford Township, for $40.000.00.

Anthony McNeilly (AKA) Anthony McNeilley and Wendi McNeill (AKA) Wendi McNeilley to Edwin Nordahl II, in Jackson Township, for $110,000.00.

Sandra B. Benson to Sandra B. and Gerald F. Benson, in Lanesboro, for $1,000.00.

Ida Nilsson (ESTATE) to Dylan Pruitt, in New Milford Borough, for $114,900.00.

W. Douglas, Marcia G. Donald H. and Barbara Holdren to Marshall L. McCarty, in Auburn Township, for $140,000.00.

Earl L. Rosenkrans (ESTATE) to Steven LuPole, in Liberty Township, for $65,000.00.

William and Margo Burchell to Edward M. and Lauren C. Thomas, in New Milford Township, for $404,000.00.

Stone Financing LLC to Bradley D. Canale, in Choconut Township, for $100,000.00.

Donald C, Sandra K., Elmer C. Jr., Linda M., Gregory A., Diana F., Randy A., Julia L., Jamie S. and Rachelle M. Gilbert to Steven J. Rivers and Lisa Schineider Rivers, in Clifford Township, for $300,000.00.

CR Properties 2015 LLC to Johanna D. Hernandez Humberto Hernandez Agapito, in Uniondale Borough, for $17,300.00.

James M. and Lisa G. Schaffer to Felisha and Matthew D. Benson, in New Milford Township, for $1.00.

Endless Mountains Health Systems, Inc. to Bridgewater Township, in Bridgewater Township, for $1.00.

Mitchel Maxwell, Sally Maxwell, Dwight Smith and Deborah Smith to Lighting Creek Holdings LP and Appalachian Clean Energy LLC, in Middletown Township, for $1.00.

Deutsche Bank National Trust Company to Seth K. Schmidt, in Montrose, for $22,101.00.

JJH Holdings LLC (AKA) J J H Holdings LLC to Pentagon Energy LLC, in New Milford Township, for $550,000.00.

Joan Fitzgerald (AKA) Joan D. Fitzgerald to Eric D. and Lynn Taylor, in Herrick Township, for $100.00.