KULPMONT - Approximately 70 emergency workers were called to the scene of a two-acre wildfire which broke out in a wooded area behind the former Anthra Textile Mill Tuesday afternoon.

Crews were initially called to the 1200 block of Chestnut Street, the borough's main thoroughfare, for a smoke investigation. Fire officials determined the smoke was coming from a large-scale wildfire in the wooded area behind the old mill.

"The fire itself was about a mile into the woods off the 1400 block of Maple Street," incident commander and Kulpmont assistant fire chief Raymond Siko II said. "Before we started to get it contained, there was about two to three acres that burned out there."

With the hilly terrain, filled with gaps and drop-offs heading up the mountain, getting trucks and equipment to the area was a bit of a problem as firefighters initially had to use backpack tanks to start fighting the flames.

At one point, fire officials discussed using a water drop from the air using a plane from the Pa. Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), but that wasn't possible since the planes were working to fight bigger wildfires in other areas.

By 6:15 p.m., fire crews working in the woods said the blaze was contained, and they were beginning the process of "mopping up" - making sure the blaze was extinguished and checking for other hot spots that could rekindle.

All crews were released from the scene at 7:28 p.m. Siko said he didn't get any kind of indication from those working the scene what may have started the fire. DCNR's Bureau of Forestry will be handling the investigation, he said.

He thanked all of the firefighters for their assistance and response and gave a special thank you to Turkey Hill Minit-Market, Kulpmont, for providing water to the firefighters.

Responding to the scene were Kulpmont Borough Fire Department, fire police and police officers, and fire crews from Atlas, Wilburton, East Cameron, Brady, Beaverdale, Strong, Elysburg, AREA Services and representatives from the Bureau of Forestry.

SUNBURY - Veterans in Northumberland County will receive some free services from row offices in the future.

During a brief meeting Tuesday, Commissioners Stephen Bridy and Richard Shoch approved a motion to authorize the prothonotary, register of wills, clerk of orphan's court and coroner to provide a free certified copy of any death certificate, birth certificate, marriage certificate or decree of divorce to "any disabled war veteran or member of the armed forces or their reserve components or the National Guard, or any war or armed conflict in which the United States has been, is now or shall hereafter be engaged, or by or on behalf of any dependent of any such veteran."

Commissioner Vinny Clausi, who favors the motion, was unable to attend due to an out-of-town emergency.

The commissioners tabled a similar motion last month proposed by prothonotary Justin Dunkelberger for further study.

Dunkelberger said there are approximately 9,000 veterans in the county.

Bridy, who strongly supports the free services, previously said Montour County already provides free services to veterans for serving their country.

Bridy asked for a motion to approve the sale of 10.99 acres of vacant land off Route 225 across from Mountain View: A Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Coal Township to Adrian Nestico at the appraised price of $26,000. The land is currently owned by Northumberland County Authority. Nestico also will be responsible for surveying and subdivision costs associated with the land transfer.

Shoch failed to second Bridy's motion because he said it was unnecessary for the county to grant its approval for the sale since the property is owned by the authority.

Bridy agreed the commissioners' approval isn't necessary, but called for the motion to be on the agenda so the sales of county or authority land are transparent to the public. The commissioner said getting any county or authority property on the tax rolls is important.

Both commissioners agreed to pay Core Power and Environment $11,486 for battery replacement for the emergency power at the county 911 center.

A 2002 Ford step van was purchased for $3,699 for the commissioners' office from the county weatherization department. The commissioners submitted the only bid for the van.

The board entered into a contract with David Zielinskie for the construction and erection of five signs at county senior centers at a cost of $3,975.

Commissioners also agreed to enter into a contract with Northumberland County Career and Technology Center culinary arts teacher James Schiavoni to provide cooking lessons to seniors at the action centers. The contract calls for Schiavoni to receive $30 per hour but not more than $1,650 total.

MOUNT CARMEL - A Mount Carmel man previously charged with neglecting his mother now is accused of forging her pension checks totaling $1,574.68.

Joseph Francis Campbell, 56, of 213 S. Vine St., was arraigned Tuesday afternoon by Magisterial District Judge Hugh Jones on eight felony counts of forgery filed by Cpl. David Donkochik.

Police said Campbell allegedly forged and cashed eight pension checks belonging to his mother, Rose Marcoon, 86, between Aug. 5 and Nov. 4. Some of the checks were forged after Marcoon was hospitalized, police said.

Jones set cash bail at $100,000 and Campbell was recommitted to Northumberland County Prison, Sunbury, where he has been held since his arrest in December on the neglect charges.

Campbell is scheduled to face a preliminary hearing on the new charges May 21.

At a pre-trial conference in early February, Campbell indicated he wanted to take the neglect case to trial, but county public defender Paige Rosini said it was possible her client may reach a plea agreement with the district attorney's office.

He was previously charged by Donkochik with felonies of neglect of a care-dependent person and forgery.

Police said Campbell was the primary caregiver for his mother at their South Vine Street home.

Dr. Peter McNeil, a Mount Carmel family physician, told police he hadn't seen Marcoon since May 2013 and went to her home unannounced about 1:30 p.m. Nov. 1 to check on her well-being. He entered the unlocked home and called her name and heard her respond from upstairs.

Police said McNeil found Marcoon in a filthy bedroom lying on a mattress stained by body fluids. There were no bedsheets on the mattress, only a dirty blanket. Alert but disoriented, Marcoon was thirsty and hungry, her stomach concave, and there were open sores and contusions about her body.

The doctor called for paramedics, who called for a police officer.

Marcoon, who was taken for treatment to Geisinger-Shamokin Area Community Hospital, was weak and couldn't move her arms and legs. She weighed between 75 and 80 pounds.

Police said the deed to Marcoon's home was put in Campbell's name. A bank account was changed to a joint account. Campbell was unemployed and his mother's only caregiver.

Campbell told police he tried to convince his mother to seek medical attention, but that she put it off. He was aware of her declining health, but made no attempts to seek outside assistance for her care, according to a criminal complaint.

Northumberland County Judge William H. Wiest removed Campbell as Marcoon's guardian during a hearing in November and granted emergency guardianship to Eldercare Solutions of Williamsport on the recommendation of Northumberland County Area Agency on Aging.

Marcoon reportedly is residing in an area nursing facility.

MOUNT CARMEL - The guest speaker at Mount Carmel Eagles Club, Aerie 464, annual Mother's Day celebration will be Northumberland County Controller Christopher Grayson.

The event will be held at 7 p.m. Friday at the the club headquarters, 148 S. Oak St, and will be followed by a buffet in the social room. All Eagles and Auxiliary members are invited to attend.

The Mother's Day celebration is marked throughout the Fraternal Order of Eagles since the creation of this national day of recognition was accomplished through the club's lobbying efforts. In 1914, Congress passed legislation signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson proclaiming the second Sunday in May as a "national day to honor our mothers."

Grayson graduated from Our Lady of Lourdes Regional High School and attended Susquehanna University, where he earned a bachelors degree in accounting with honors from the Weis School of Business. Upon graduation, he accepted a position as an auditor with KPMG, an internationally recognized accounting firm.

Grayson later purchased his family's business, Ye Olde Butcher Shoppe. He ran the business for 18 years and in March 2005 was elected borough tax collector, a position he held for eight years until he was elected county controller.

Grayson and his wife, Jennifer, reside in Mount Carmel.

SHAMOKIN - The sun is up barely 30 minutes Saturday morning and the farmers are almost through setting up for market in the downtown.

It's been the same scene for decades every Saturday between April and November - park along Independence Street, open the truck and set up shop on the sidewalk.

The Haupts have been coming for 53 years, Lloyd Wehry for 57 years, Carl Raker for 42 years.

That's not to say there hasn't been change. Just the opposite. The faces, the goods, the foot traffic - there's plenty different. Some farmers are now serving the third and fourth generations of customers.

Business has slowed as the customer base erodes with the population, but the farmers still show up Saturday mornings. Some on Tuesdays and Thursdays, too. Customers show up a little later. And the scene remains as much social as it is mercantile.

'A good life'

Naomi Haupt, or "Janie" as she's known, met her husband, James, through the Shamokin market. They were born only months apart and knew each other their entire lives. Naturally, it was because their parents had market stands.

Janie and James were married in 1960 and two years later opened a stand of their own, Haupt Produce. It remains supplemented in part with fruit and vegetables grown on their Irish Valley farm.

The Haupt name is marked on the side of a box truck parked east of the red light at Eighth and Independence streets. But the business is now their son's, Wilford. He's in Sunbury on Saturdays. They go to Lewisburg and Schuylkill Haven on weekdays.

James still farms and Janie is a regular at the Shamokin stand with the help of a neighbor "kid" from the valley, Bill Donovan. Now 32 years old, Donovan figures he's been helping in the Haupt's fields since he was 7 and made it to market around the time he turned 13.

Together he and Janie unload lettuce, potatoes, apples, strawberries, squash, plants and more. They joke with each other, and with customers. It's as good a way as any to pass the time when they're slow, and an even better method to keep their customers coming back.

"We could have always walked. We have the wheelbarrow," Donovan cracks about saving money, bringing about another in a series of smiles and laughs from Janie.

Janie can't remember all of their customers' names. She swears she knows their faces.

Ed Bendas, of Kulpmont, stops by. His face she knows. He's their second customer on this Saturday. He was picking up potatoes and onions for the "pyrohy workers" of Shamokin's Transfiguration church. Saturday's load was light. It'll pick up as the season moves along. Like the farmers, Bendas says the pyrohy business has also slowed.

Beverly Loeper, of Shamokin, was the first customer. She was there for "the best" dandelion. Theresa "Boots" Ramp, of Coal Township, showed up early for oranges, apples and spring onions.

There are fewer faces to remember now anyway, and Janie talks about some from years ago, as far back as when farmers would hitch their horses nearby. It's why they don't come to town on weekdays any longer. But there's enough to return on Saturdays.

"It's a good life. Shamokin's been good to me," Janie says as she lines up boxes of tomatoes, working to fill the table before foot traffic picks up.

Good and cheap

It's nearing 8 a.m. and the farmers have been set up for more than an hour. Customers, not so much, but they'll come soon enough. Maybe it's the morning chill - 45 degrees - that's kept them inside.

"Shamokin don't wake up too fast this time of year," Jean Wehry says. "When it's summer they're out walking and will stop."

The Wehrys' stand is the first on Independence Street if you're coming from Market Street. Lloyd and Jean live in Shamokin. Their daughter stays on their farm in Leck Kill.

Lloyd says he's in town between 5 and 5:30 in the morning on Saturdays, sometimes earlier. They're in town Tuesdays and Thursdays when the weather cooperates. It's now Lloyd's only market stand, more a matter of convenience than prime location.

They sell "tons" of bananas and apples. They also have potatoes, cabbage and dandelion.

"Tomatoes are one of the best sellers. We have wonderful tomatoes," Jean says.

Soon they'll have homegrown lettuce, green onions and peas, and homegrown fruit closer to summertime. They sell eggs from Lloyd's nephew's farm. Jean sells her own baked goods.

Like Janie up the street, Lloyd has come to know his customers, several generations of them. His wife thinks it's the cheaper prices compared to grocery stores that keeps the market viable.

"I think that's what's bringing a lot of people to market," Jean says.

Market the market

Dave Delbo, of Elysburg, runs the aptly named Dave's Flowers in Ralpho Township. He brings potted plants, fresh-cut flowers and bouquets to the downtown each week.

Dave's been part of the farmers market about 30 years. He has the help of his wife, Alicia, and his children, Greg, 16, and Jess, 12. The kids have been at market since they were babies. Customers may remember them entertaining themselves in a playpen while their parents worked. Now they're making bouquets themselves and interacting with passers-by.

"They like when they get paid," Dave says of their desire to work Saturdays.

Easter tulips, hyacinths and spring bed flowers are among the in-season offerings.

This past winter was rough. At one point the cost of propane spiked, in turn spiking the cost to run his greenhouse. And then there was a shortage. He couldn't get any at one point in January. But he got by.

Dave says his market business peaked around 2000. It's been a steady decline since, down to about half of what he was doing at the start of the last decade. They stopped coming on weekdays. But he's optimistic.

"I think it's slowly rebuilding now," he says.

Part of the problem, he says, is "a lot of people don't know we're here."

So he started a Facebook page, www.facebook.com/shamokinfarmersmarket, in hopes of reaching customers new and old. He posts photos from his flower truck as well as some photos of the neighboring farmers.

He also wishes administrators in city hall would become more active in promoting the market. It's a positive event, something the city can be proud of, he said.

Dave noted a running theme amongst the farmers about the slowed market: population decline. But Shamokin isn't any less colorful, whether or not his tulips and roses and such are brightening the west side of Independence and Eighth streets.

"There's some funny characters," he says. "I think every town has a few."

It's all relative

The Stewarts are a father-son team, Bill Jr. and Bill III. Their stand is east of the Haupts', halfway up the next block of Independence Street.

Customers are already stopping by as they're unloading onions, watermelons and pineapples from a van and a Ford Explorer packed tightly with produce.

"How much are your lopes, bud?" dad calls out.

"Two dollars," son replies.

"Bananas?"

"Eight for a dollar."

Bill Jr. started coming to market six years back. His son, a high school senior at Lourdes Regional, took over the business before he leaves for college in the fall. He controls purchasing and storage, the most critical components. Vegetables like potatoes hold up well in storage, but buy too many flats of strawberries and he eats the cost of rotten fruit.

"He's doing better than I ever did," Bill Jr. says of his son, especially when it comes to careful purchasing.

With customers at the stand Saturday like Tony Kalinowski, of Shamokin, there's little worry of much going to waste. He snatched up eight flats of strawberries, six bunches of asparagus and eight pineapples.

"You're gonna make me run to the bank," he jokes with the Stewarts.

After that, he bought more. Much of it will be blended into smoothies for his family.

"I'm here every week," Kalinowski says. "You can't beat the price."

Bill III is using the profits to restore a 1987 Camaro, a 2004 4.8 liter engine and rear positraction among the upgrades. "It turned out to be a lot more expensive than I thought," he says.

When Bill III goes to college, Bill Jr. will take back the business. But there are twin 13-year-old brothers in waiting, he says.

Goodbye, for now

"And this is gonna be your last week," Carol Bobber, of Shamokin, says to Carl Raker. "OK, we're gonna miss you."

While the other farmers in market are winding up for the season, April is the month when Raker's Meats calls it quits. Carl shuts down the butcher shop of his operation and strictly farms in the Sunbury area. He'll be back in November, and none too soon for folks like Bobber.

The butcher's market stand is a truck, an umbrella and a makeshift display case. He stocks pork chops, ham slices, homemade bologna and smoked sausage and cheeses. There's frozen packs of ground beef available as well as beef sticks and jerky and other goods. It comes from the family farm.

The cold months are naturally his busiest as he's able to set up outdoors without worry of spoiling meat. A snowstorm one Saturday in February dumped inches of snow in the downtown, but Raker and a young nephew bundled up and stuck it out, dusting snow off the packaged ham loaves set on a display table.

Carl's been coming to market since 1971.

"Back in the '80s it was really booming," he says.

But he still has loyal customers like Bobber, who walks over from her home nearby on Commerce Street. Her two sisters come to market, too, he says.

"I'll see you around Thanksgiving time," she tells him as she walks off with freshly smoked sausage and a block of cheese.

Freshly baked

Sisters Frona and Lonnie Yoder, of Winfield, set up next to Raker's Meats. They stay until around Thanksgiving, right when Raker's hits its stride. Their Stein Lane Wood Fired Bake Shop offers fresh fruit pies, tandy cakes, whoopie pies, sticky buns and cookies.

"Everything was baked yesterday," Frona says.

They also sell baskets woven by their parents.

The Yoders have been at the market about five years. They sell their goods at campgrounds, too.

They'd stay longer than the April-to-November season in downtown Shamokin, but as Frona says, "It's too cold for us to be out here in the winter."

For now it's spring, it's about 10 a.m. and foot traffic has hit a pace fast enough to keep the farmers on their toes, but just slow enough to enjoy the scene.

WILLIAMSPORT - A Shamokin man who told police he is a heroin addict has been accused of possessing drug paraphernalia.

Williamsport police Sunday filed the charge against Rodger Raymond Facer Jr., 26, who will be sent a summons from the office of District Judge Allen P. Page III.

The date of the incident is unclear from the arrest affidavit, but city police said it appears it happened at 4:20 p.m. March 29, when an officer was dispatched to Washington Boulevard and Sherman Street for possible drug activity.

Facer, a passenger, and another individual in a parked car were asked if they had seen anything usual, police said. An officer observed several neatly folded $20 bills on Facer's left leg, the affidavit states.

Upon questioning, he allegedly told police he was an addict who, with another individual, were in the Williamsport area to buy heroin and directed the officer's attention to some hypodermic needles.

Court records show Facer is scheduled to have a May 19 preliminary hearing before another district judge in Lycoming County on a retail theft charge.

MOUNT CARMEL - Mount Carmel Area will hold its traditional field day ceremony at the silver bowl stadium at 3:30 p.m. today prior to the home track meet against Southern Columbia and Midwest.

The MCA Big Red Band will follow the field day candidates from the high school to the stadium, where the candidates will be escorted to the middle of the field by senior members of the boys track team. The 2013-2014 Field Day Queen will then be crowned.

Candidates

Jessie Gibson is a senior and a daughter of Edward and Melissa Morales, of Mount Carmel. Her activities include Interact Club, art club, Future Teachers of America and peer mediation. She received the VFW award, is on the distinguished honor roll, is a member of the National Honor Society and Masque and Gavel and was a previous WVIA artist of the month.

In her spare time, she likes spending time with family, teaching dance and playing basketball. Gibson plans to enlist in the U.S. Navy and further her education in criminal justice.

Allison Reinhardt is a senior who resides in Mount Carmel with her mother, Sharon Lunger. Reinhardt is a senior member of the color guard and has been on rifle for six years. Her interests include reading, writing and music. She is employed at Boyer's Food Market in Mount Carmel. She plans to attend Central Penn College to major in paralegal studies.

Coral Swank is a senior and a daughter of Doug Troutman, of Natalie, and Maria Troutman, of Coal Township. She is the vice-president of the Interact and chemistry clubs and participates in art club. Swank was a previous school board merit award winner and is in the National Honor Society and National Society of High School Scholars.

In her free time, she enjoys reading, writing and spending time with her friends. She plans to attend Cedar Crest College for genetic engineering.

Maliyah Edwards is a junior who resides in Kulpmont with her mother, Jennifer Brown, and stepfather, Ronald Brown. She participates in varsity cheerleading and is a member of the distinguished honor roll and National Honor Society. Edwards enjoys reading and spending time with her friends. She works at the Old Mill, Knoebels Amusement Resort, during the summer. She plans to attend a four-year college for a degree in biology.

Kayla Witt is a junior and a daughter of Norm and Leanne Witt, of Kulpmont. She has been a color guard captain for three years and is a yearbook editor and a reporter, writer, anchor and editor for MCA-LIVE. Witt was also a part of this year's musical, "Legally Blonde: The Musical," and is a member of the Holy Angels Church choir. She is a previous merit award and elks student of the month recipient. She is a distinguished honor roll student and a member of the National Honor Society.

Witt works at Pepe's and enjoys reading and spending time with her friends. She plans to attend a four-year college.

The sophomore representative is Natasha Nevis, a daughter of Joe and Tammy Nevis, of Mount Carmel. Nevis is involved in soccer, track and field, Future Business Leaders of America, Future Teachers of America, student council, art and pep clubs, chorus and the school musical. She is a member of the National Honor Society and took third place in business math at a recent FBLA regional competition.

Her interests include music, reading and drawing. She plans to attend a four-year college for math and to become a certified physical therapist.

MINERSVILLE - Seeking inspiration for his senior film project, James R. Nevada, a Minersville native, looked to his roots.

He wrote and directed a short film drama about 19th century anthracite miners and filmed for the most part in Luzerne and Schuylkill counties. It's called "From The Hard Coal," and he's finishing up the editing, getting ready to present it to his instructors at the Rochester Institute of Technology's School of Film and Animation (RIT).

"If it was just for a grade, I would have made a much smaller movie. It sort of means a lot to me," Nevada said Tuesday of the 15-minute, $9,000 production.

"It's for a thesis requirement. In order to graduate, we need to make a film or work on somebody else's. So it's a school project, but we wanted the reach to be much beyond that," said Patricia Daluisio, of Medina, N.Y., an RIT senior who was one of the producers on the film.

First screening will be for students and staff at RIT in mid-May. Eventually, Nevada wants to have a public screening at one of the shooting locations - Eckley Miners Village, Weatherly.

"We're working on specific dates," Nevada said.

Born in Minersville, Nov. 27, 1992, Nevada, 21, is a son of Jim S. and Darlene Nevada. He attended St. Nicholas Elementary School until eighth grade. His family now resides in Doylestown. According to his resume, his goal is to "learn, network and find a career in the film industry." He is owner of The Teaberry Entertainment Co. He will graduate from RIT in May.

He started writing "From The Hard Coal" in 2011.

"It started out as a six-page script I wrote three years ago," Nevada said. Chris Skopowski, of Warrington, a sophomore at DeSales University, Center Valley, is credited as co-writer.

"I came up with the story and he helped out with the dialogue," Nevada said.

It takes place in the early 1870s and is a story about a father and son and "a young boy's moral stance."

"A miner named Jack and his breaker boy son Francis live and work in a small coal-mining town in the Coal Region of Pennsylvania. In the wake of a murder by the town guards, the mining families rally together to decide how to respond," according to the synopsis in the film's press kit.

Lucille Fala-Brennan, of Jim Thorpe, director and founder of The Strawberry Playhouse, Tuscarora, served as a "local producer" and helped Nevada find cast and crew.

"I was in her first play that she did at the playhouse 12 years ago. I played Sid Sawyer in 'Tom Sawyer,'" Nevada said.

The cast of "From The Hard Coal" includes Bobby Maso, of Freeland, an actor who has performed at The Strawberry Playhouse and with The Eckley Players at Eckley Miners Village. He has the lead role of Jack.

"Working on the film was a tremendous experience. In particular, I loved working on the Schuylkill County and Eckley scenes because both places are very special to me. I have a lot of history acting in each place and getting to spend so much time working there for a new film was a blast," Maso said Wednesday.

Dave Bradbury, of Mahanoy City, plays Bryant and Matt Bubel, of Pottsville, plays McNaulty, according to Nevada.

The crew filmed at Pioneer Tunnel Coal Mine & Steam Train Inc. in Ashland in September 2013, The Maid's Quarters in Pottsville in October, Eckley Miners Village in October and November 2013, and The Old White Church in Ringtown in November, according to Nevada.

Some of Nevada's ancestors were coal miners in the anthracite region.

"A great-grandfather of mine died from the black lung while working in the mines. He was Tyrolean. Another helped ship coal down to Philadelphia. He was Ukrainian. Two of my Irish great-grandfathers also worked in the mines," Nevada said.

(Watch the trailer at http://youtu.be/iAOb7-TR0Mg.)

History Day planned at Fort Augusta

SUNBURY - History Day will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at the Hunter House, 1150 N. Front St.

This is the second year for the event, formerly staged in Northumberland's King Street Park, to be held at the site of Fort Augusta.

Mike McWilliams, organizer for the popular event, has assembled a variety of re-enactors and craft demonstrators for various historical periods, from the French and Indian War to World War II. Canal memorabilia and other exhibits will be available, including a special exhibit of Hunter family items.

The library and museum will be open and food and drinks will be available.

The event will be held rain or shine.

Vendors needed for yard sale

ELYSBURG - Elysburg Fire Department has scheduled a yard sale fundraiser for 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 17, at the department, 1 E. Mill St.

Indoor and outdoor spots are available. Indoor size is 10-by-10 feet, including two tables, and cost is $20; and the outdoor spots are 20-by-20-feet at $15 each.

Concessions will be available in the bingo hall.

All proceeds benefit the Elysburg Fire Department ambulance service.

For more information or to reserve a spot, call 570-274-0798 or 570-898-7636.

Heaven book explored at Lifetree Cafe

ELYSBURG - An exclusive filmed interview with Todd Burpo, author of New York Times best seller "Heaven Is for Real: A Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back" will be screened at Lifetree Cafe from 7 to 8 p.m. Sunday at Elysburg Presbyterian Church, 320 W. Valley Ave.

In 2003, Todd nearly lost his 4-year-old son, Colton. The boy's appendix burst, and he fought a life-threatening infection. To save Colton's life, emergency surgery was conducted. After the surgery, Colton began telling his parents about his "visit to heaven."

Admission to the 60-minute event is free. For more information, contact Kathy Vetovich at 570-672-9346 or kvetovich@gmail.com.

SHAMOKIN - A public presentation on Shamokin's potential entry into a state program for financially distressed municipalities will be held at 5 p.m. June 4 at city hall.

Representatives of the state Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) will review a consultative report prepared on behalf of the city. It's largely a more detailed historical financial overview compared to an Early Intervention Plan that had been prepared for Shamokin by a financial adviser.

There are 20 municipalities currently enrolled in Act 47; nine have been in the program for more than two decades.

The City of Reading is an Act 47 municipality. A comprehensive plan prepared in 2009 for that city by the Governor's Center for Local Government Services details current and projected finances, tax and revenue trends and pension obligations.

Acceptance into the state's Act 47 program could bring Shamokin an interest-free loan to pay more than $811,000 in outstanding bills that went unpaid in 2013. It would also, in theory, prevent a projected cash shortage in August and year-end deficit of $350,000.

The city would also be under increased scrutiny from the state on spending, staffing and union contracts with city employees, all of which would be expected to be addressed by city council toward eliminating a string of annual budget deficits.

Shamokin meets five criteria for Act 47: at least three consecutive budget deficits, spending exceeds revenue, a deficit equal to at least 5 percent of municipal revenue for consecutive years, failure to meet its annual pension payment and a maxed-out real estate tax levy.

City council voted April 28 to apply for entry into the program. An application has since been hand-delivered to DCED.

A DCED official previously said a decision on Shamokin's application from DCED Secretary C. Alan Walker would come within two weeks after the consultative report is submitted. A June 1 entry date had been targeted by city and state officials.

SHAMOKIN - Two gubernatorial campaign signs were removed from a downtown intersection after a complaint was made Thursday at city hall about the signs having been placed on public property.

The signs were placed in the grass on the city-owned park plots to the immediate north and south of Independence Street at Market Street sometime Thursday. They belonged to the campaign of Tom Wolf, one of four Democrats seeking the party's nomination in the May 20 primary election.

Rick Bozza, code enforcement officer, said a man who supports Gov. Tom Corbett made the complaint, saying if signs for the incumbent Republican couldn't be placed on public property then no other candidate should be allowed.

Bozza contacted city solicitor Frank Konopka, who said the signs should be removed.

Konopka told The News-Item he wasn't certain there was any specific law or ordinance banning the placement of campaign signs on publicly owned property, but that it was more a matter of decorum since the city has taxpayers of many political beliefs.

"I think it is extremely inappropriate for candidates of any persuasion. They can't be there. It's plain common sense," Konopka said.

If the city were to allow the campaign signs of one candidate placed on city-owned property, it would have to do the same for all candidates, he said.

"Then you know what the city's going to look like," Konopka said.

A city hall secretary had planned to contact the Wolf campaign along with the Northumberland County Democratic Committee.

Roger Babnew, county Democratic committee chairman, said when contacted that he was unaware of the signs. He'd received signs from the Wolf campaign on Wednesday but hadn't distributed any.

He planned to drive to Shamokin from his Sunbury-area farm and remove the signs.

"It's easier for me to just run over and get them than have an extra day of (negative) publicity," Babnew said.

Elizabeth Kremer, chair of the county Republicans, was unaware of the situation. She said it can and has happened to both parties, and that she herself has driven to a few public spots to take down signs.

A Wolf campaign spokesman was unaware of the matter and noted the campaign has hundreds of volunteers across the state.

MOUNT CARMEL - The following memorials were placed in the April bulletin of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church:

Francis Juchniewicz from Joan Owens.

Aaron Profit from Mr. and Mrs. Martin Pittman Sr.

Harry Darrah (birthday) from the Darrah family.

Howard "Snick" Benfield from Helen Hynoski and family and Rita Buhay.

Cecilia E. Gaughan from Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Rusnak and family, Paul and Judy Bartko, Dan and Phyllis Ficca, Mr. and Mrs. Ray Kornacki and Mary Rudisill.

Edward Tarlecki from sister-in-law Theresa Tarlecki and family.

Joseph, Catherine, Leonard and Dorothy Bresadola from Patricia Bresadola.

Ben Frank from Mr. and Mrs. Ray Kornacki.

Walter Hynoski, Sr., from Helen Hynoski and family.

Andrew Mushalko (birthday) from Millie Mushalko and family.

Bernice Czylowski (anniversary) from Millie Mushalko and family.

Cyril Menko (49th anniversary) from family.

Cynthia Pohar (first anniversary) from Roman and Christine.

Francis Bilder from C. Bilder.

Kortni Ann Kenenitz from Daddy, Kitty and Kenny.

Victoria and Frank Woznicki from Virginia Woznicki.

Robert Ruths from Mr. Blair Ruths and Ms. Mary Ruths.

For health of Mary Siano from Chris, Michele and family.

TIFFIN, Ohio - Sarah Shepard, a 2008 graduate of Shamokin Area High School and 2012 graduate of Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania with a bachelor's degree in psychology, received a Master of Science in criminal justice with a focus in forensic psychology at Tiffin University, Tiffin, Ohio. While attending Tiffin University Shepard presented her graduate research at the OCCJE conference in Toledo, Ohio, and ACJA conference in Philadelphia.

She is a daughter of Ronald and Kim Shepard, of Shamokin.

LM kindergarten registration set

TREVORTON - The Line Mountain School District will hold its final kindergarten registration for 2014-15 from 9 a.m. to noon May 21 at the elementary school.

Registration will be by appointment only. Students must be 5 years old prior to Sept. 1. A parent must accompany a child registering for kindergarten in order to participate in screening tests.

Parents should call the Line Mountain Elementary Office at 570-797-3825 to schedule an appointment.

Culver invites public to park event

SUNBURY - Rep. Lynda Schlegel Culver (R-108) will host an annual public meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 15, at the Degenstein Community Library, 40 S. Fifth St.

John Clifford, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources' new manager at Shikellamy State Park, will provide an overview of the 2014 park complex, current and future plans for the marina, and information about seasonal activities scheduled to happen at the park.

Culver and Clifford will be available before and after the meeting to answer any related questions.

For more information on this year's meeting or any other state-related issue, call Culver's district office at 570-286-5885 or go to LyndaCulver.com or Facebook.com/RepCulver.

In Shamokin, spring's warm weather and sunny skies bring not just flowers and butterflies, but a boom in the already egregious feral cat population.

The problem has become so uncontrollable that city code enforcement officer Rick Bozza is eyeing Northumberland Borough's recently adopted cat licensing ordinance.

Bozza estimates between 400 and 600 feral cats have made their home within city limits. He does not include cats with owners in that count.

"It's out of my control now," Bozza said earlier this week.

Feral cats wreak havoc on blighted and well-maintained properties alike. Cats urinate on buildings, trees and sidewalks, emanating a nauseating stench that engulfs the city during hot and humid summer months. Cat urine also contains chemicals that can cause damage to buildings, especially woodwork.

Bozza said one Shamokin woman's car, which was covered and parked off the street, was severely damaged by scratches when the animals dug their claws into the paint and windshields.

"It's a public nuisance," he said.

Rules for cats

Residents in Northumberland became frustrated by many of the same experiences, leading them to enact the new ordinance.

The borough has yet to fully enforce the ordinance because it is awaiting implementation of a electronic system that can track the licenses, but borough officials said they expect the system to be up and working in the coming weeks.

The ordinance extends many of the existing rules about dogs to cats. Under the new ordinance, cats must be licensed through the borough, spayed or neutered and kept indoors unless leashed.

Any unleashed cat found outside will be picked up by animal control. If licensed, the cat will be returned to its owner, who may receive a citation for violating the leash law. If unlicensed, the cat will be taken away by animal control.

Bozza strongly supports this part of the ordinance, and said Shamokin has already deputized two people to help with animal control.

"I have nothing against cats, but if they are strays they should get picked up and euthanized," he said.

PETA accepts euthanasia as an option for controlling cat populations.

"Having witnessed firsthand the gruesome things that can happen to feral cats and to the animals they prey on, PETA cannot in good conscience oppose euthanasia as a humane alternative to dealing with cat overpopulation," according to PETA's website.

Tattooing and RFID microchips are two ways cats can be licensed permanently.

According to Ashley Carnahan, a veterinary technician at Sunbury Animal Hospital, the procedures are painless and cost between $40 and $50.

"It's definitely a good idea," she said.

Don't feed the cats

In addition to the new rules regarding household cats, Northumberland's ordinance also forbids outdoor feeding of feral cats.

Bozza said outdoor feeding is the biggest contributor to the feral cat problem in Shamokin.

When Bozza drives through neighborhoods with feral cat issues, he sees bowls of cat food, sometimes numbering in the dozens, sitting on porches, driveways and sidewalks. Some cat feeders have even been installed on trees in wooded areas.

According to PETA's website, "Each situation is different, but it is never acceptable - no matter how noble the intentions - to feed cats without providing them with medical care, vaccinations, and spaying or neutering. Doing so would serve only to endanger the cats and perpetuate the overpopulation crisis and its tragic consequences: the needless deaths of millions of animals every year."

Bozza knows these bowls are the biggest contributors to the cat problem in Shamokin, but without an ordinance forbidding their existence, he cannot do anything to remove them. He strongly supports an ordinance that would eliminate unmonitored outdoor feeding.

"I encourage people not to feed the cats," Bozza said. "The cats won't leave once you feed them."

Bozza does note one positive aspect to the enormous cat population.

"They are good for mice," he said. "We have absolutely no mouse problem in the city."

Raccoons by the hundreds

SHAMOKIN - One side effect of feeding cats is that it attracts raccoons.

City code enforcement officer Rick Bozza says the Shamokin raccoon population ranges in the hundreds.

Several houses in the city have become infested with raccoons, including one on Seventh Street. Bozza visited the adjoining house on a complaint call and found six baby raccoons living upstairs. He removed the raccoons but more began occupying the space a short time later.

Bozza indicated the accumulated trash problem also contributed to the growth in both the raccoon and feral cat populations.

"If you stop feeding them, they will go away," says Bozza.

Sarah DeSantis

Editor's note: The accompanying story was published Tuesday by the Washington Examiner about the death of Bob Kemper, who was born and raised in Kulpmont. He attended St. Mary's School in his hometown and was a 1978 graduate of Our Lady of Lourdes Regional High School, Coal Township. His mother, Lucy Kemper, lives at Maria Joseph Assisted Living, Danville, and his aunt, Pat Kemper, in Kulpmont.

The Washington Examiner staff lost a dear friend and colleague Saturday with the passing of Bob Kemper.

An Examiner assistant managing editor and a former Washington and White House correspondent for two major national newspapers, Kemper died Saturday of an apparent heart attack. He was 53.

Those who worked with him knew him as a hard-working newsman from the old school, who covered the White House under two administrations as well as major national news events and helped train scores of young journalists as an editor at the Examiner.

They also recall him as a sincere friend, a good editor and a great wit.

Examiner editor Stephen G. Smith said Kemper's reporters and desk mates "will remember his deft line editing, his deep understanding of political Washington and his lively - and occasionally wicked - sense of humor."

Examiner White House correspondent Brian Hughes recalled him this way:

"Whether you were a friend, colleague or complete stranger, you could always count on Bob to deliver his greatest gift: laughter. As an editor, he had this unique way of making you smile even when eviscerating your copy. Seemingly infinite presidential debates really just turned into the late-night Kemper comedy hour - or hours. He was an equal opportunist and was capable of ribbing you without an ounce of nastiness. ...

Kemper reported on Washington and the White House for both the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Chicago Tribune. He was one of the few journalists allowed to spend much of Sept. 12, 2001, with President George W. Bush, and he later authored a book on the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, "Rubble: How the 9/11 Families Rebuilt Their Lives and Inspired America."

In less-heady periods, his missives for White House pool duty were the stuff of legend.

When he changed papers and jobs in 2004, the Washington Post's Dana Milbank dedicated a "White House Notebook" installment to Kemper's dispatches, calling him "the man who did for the White House pool report what Ernie Pyle did for war journalism and Walter Cronkite did for network news. With the departure of Kemper ... the nation has lost its foremost chronicler of White House tedium." ...

Asked by USA Today in 2001 to name the best part about regular visits to Crawford, Texas, outside Waco, where the new president had a ranch, Kemper replied, "all the free sweat."

Kemper joined the Examiner newspaper as an assistant managing editor in September 2010, overseeing its national and Virginia political coverage. Among his accomplishments as an editor was oversight of the paper's extensive probe into sweetheart deals and poor management by the agency overseeing the massive project to connect D.C.'s subway system with Dulles International Airport in the Virginia suburbs. He stayed on with the Examiner when it converted from a local daily newspaper to its current all-politics format last June.

His friend and colleague Mike Hedges, former managing editor of the Examiner, recalled visiting with Kemper recently. "He loved recalling the times we'd broken big stories, and the times we'd had fun writing a headline and beating the competition. He took a lot of pride in the paper's aggressive local news coverage, and especially in the excellent work he'd coaxed out of a bunch of young reporters. ...

"His joy in producing the best paper we could each day inspired us all, and was a fundamental part of the Examiner newspaper's character. I was grateful to have him as a friend, and I'll truly miss him."

For two years before coming to the Examiner, Kemper was a freelance writer and editor, mainly for U.S. News and World Report and National Journal. He also was an adjunct professor at American University's communications school.

Before that, Kemper spent four years reporting for the AJC and three years working for the Tribune, coming to Washington after serving as a national correspondent in Chicago, writing about city, state and national campaigns. (At the Tribune, he recalled to Examiner colleagues, he had three separate phone numbers for three desks - one in the main newsroom downtown, one at his desk in the Tribune magazine offices on a different floor, and another at a bureau in the suburbs, "and my editor could never get me at any of them.")

A newsman who knew the purpose of pneumatic tubes and copy spikes in newsrooms of old, Kemper never took to Twitter (he did have a page on Facebook), but he would likely be amazed to see the many plaudits he has received from friends and colleagues there since his passing. Susan Page of USA Today called him "a smart, lively, funny journalist who has died too young." Yahoo's chief Washington correspondent Olivier Knox called him a "great reporter, generous friend, and easily the funniest person I have ever met."

Kemper's passing came as a shock to many. He suffered a major heart attack in the Examiner newsroom on Feb. 3 and spent much of the following month in the hospital. But in recent weeks, friends and colleagues thought he was making a strong recovery, undergoing cardiac rehab, exercising and spending time with his family. Just a couple of weeks before his passing, he told colleagues he hoped his doctors would soon give him a timetable for returning to work.

Bob Kemper grew up in Pennsylvania and was an alumnus of Juniata College there. He first made his name in Richmond, Va., where he covered the state capitol for the Newport News Daily Press before moving to Washington to cover the Pentagon and Congress.

A Kensington, Md., resident, he was a devoted father to his three children, sons Ryan and Jack and daughter, Grace. Survivors also include his mother, Lucy; siblings Richard Kemper and Karen Hirschi, and ex-wife Mary Kemper.

A funeral Mass was celebrated Thursday. Collins Funeral Home in Silver Spring is in charge of arrangements.

SHAMOKIN - A city man already incarcerated on drug charges faces multiple felony offenses for delivering heroin and oxycodone in the city in January.

Damian M. Dietrich, 31, an inmate since February at Northumberland County Prison, Sunbury, was arraigned by video at 9:30 a.m. Thursday by Magisterial District Judge John Gembic III on three counts each of delivery of heroin and possession with intent to deliver heroin, one count each of delivery of oxycodone and possession with intent to deliver oxycodone, and two counts each of criminal use of a communication facility.

All the charges, which are felonies, were filed by Cpl. Bryan Primerano.

Dietrich, who has an extensive criminal record, is accused of delivering four packets of heroin to an informant for $150 Jan. 11. He also is charged with delivering three packets of heroin for $100 Jan. 16 and for $45 Jan. 30, and delivering two oxycodone pills to an informant for $20 Jan. 23.

Gembic set cash bail in the amount of $25,000.

COAL TOWNSHIP - The order of events for The Moving Wall visit planned for late May has been announced.

At 8:30 a.m. Thursday, May 29, motorcycle riders will escort The Moving Wall from Danville through Elysburg, Kulpmont and Shamokin to Tharptown, where the wall will be displayed through Monday, June 2.

A ceremony will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, May 31, and will begin with an opening prayer. A presentation by a choral group will be given and a veteran of the Vietnam War will serve as guest speaker. A battlefield memorial will be presented and a Gold Star Mothers wreath will be placed. The Pennsylvania Army National Guard will present a rifle salute, and Taps will be played by Line Mountain students.

An honor guard will stand sentinel at The Moving Wall 24 hours a day while the memorial is in Tharptown. Volunteers will man an information table to help visitors find names of those listed on The Moving Wall.

Volunteers are also sought to help build a platform for the wall Saturday, May 17, and to place the wall May 29.

According to www.themovingwall.org, The Moving Wall is a half-size replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., and has been touring the country for almost thirty years.

"When John Devitt attended the 1982 dedication in Washington, he felt the positive power of 'The Wall.' He vowed to share that experience with those who did not have the opportunity to go to Washington," according to the website.

Devitt, Norris Shears, Gerry Haver and other Vietnam veteran volunteers built The Moving Wall. It went on display for the first time in Tyler, Texas, in October 1984. Two structures of The Moving Wall travel the nation from April through November and are on display for about a week at each site.

For more information or to volunteer, call Sol Bidding, local organizer, at 570-274-5298.

BY LARRY DEKLINSKI

BURNSIDE - ATV enthusiasts may have spotted a TV personality cruising the area Thursday.

Brian Fisher, host of Fisher's ATV World, spent several hours filming at the Anthracite Outdoor Adventure Area (AOAA) for a future episode that will run on Discovery's Destination America channel.

The series has been airing nationally on Discovery's Velocity channel for 11 seasons and has filmed episodes in four different countries and 29 states. The show is family-oriented and focuses on a variety of travel destinations, including off-road parks and factory tours.

Fisher, originally from Dover, Pa., and his wife, Melissa, drove 12 hours from Nashville, Tenn., to tour the park, which opens to the public Saturday, May 17.

Various scenes were filmed by Melissa, such as Brian operating his ATV on trails and talking to AOAA authority chairman Jim Backes.

"I want to showcase a new place to ride," Brian Fisher said before hitting the trails with Backes. "When people see this on TV, they will come."

Fisher heard of the AOAA through Lance Schwartz, a son of authority member Michael Swartz, who has taken photos for Fisher and written ATV reviews for various publications, including "Field & Stream."

"You can tell it (AOAA) wasn't just put together quickly," Fisher said of the area encompassing the trailhead. "If it would have been a place with beer cans laying around, I would have turned right around."

The episode is expected to run 9 a.m. on a Sunday in July.