Editor's note: "On the Job" examines occupations both common and unique once a month in 2015.

COAL TOWNSHIP - The list of patients on a wall-mounted flat-screen monitor continued to grow.

It rose to 23 people, ranging in age from 3 to 94, either being treated or waiting to be seen at Geisinger-Shamokin Area Community Hospital's (G-SACH) emergency department on a cold Tuesday evening in February.

The ailments covered a wide range: cardiac conditions, respiratory illness, influenza, abdominal pain and an assortment of bodily injuries.

With the ER's 12 patient rooms filled, the staff on duty - five nurses, one technician, a unit desk clerk, a mid-level provider and a physician - used gurneys in the hallway to create makeshift "rooms" 13, 14, and 15 for less critical patients.

A bad night at the ER? More like "par for the course," said Mark Williams, nurse manager for the ER.

"It's becoming more and more the norm here," he said. "We are getting the reputation for the quality urgent care that the area needs."

20,000 seen a year

Back in 1992, 20 years before Shamokin Area Community Hospital merged with the Geisinger Health System, the emergency department was revamped and remodeled to its current state. Back then, Williams said, the department would see about 8,000 patients a year. That number has grown to 20,000.

"A good number of those visits are usually non-emergency, but consist of those patients who do not have access to a primary care physician," Williams said.

It makes the job "busy and chaotic" at times, but satisfying, said nurse Sherry Stankiewicz, of Shamokin.

"We all strive to have to give our patients quality care," she said.

Everyone works together to keep the flow of patients moving to make sure all are seen in a timely manner, or to get to a higher level of treatment if needed.

Doctors and nurses meet at the hub of the department, an area in the center of the room where computers deliver lab results, patient history and digital X-rays for doctors to examine to help with their diagnoses.

"I can remember when we were doing everything with pencil and papers," said Stankiewicz, an 18-year employee of the hospital.

ER diplomacy

As the night continues, Williams watches his staff work with patients and doctors. At one point, he is approached by a patient's relative at the desk.

"We are looking for an update as to what's going on. The doctor told us that my mother is going to be admitted, but that was an hour ago," the woman says.

"I understand that." Williams replies. "Let me check on it."

After looking in the computer and talking with doctors, Williams tells the woman they are awaiting lab results and for a bed to be prepared upstairs.

"I just hope it happens soon because I have to be at work and I don't want her to be alone," the relative explains.

"Don't worry; we will take good care of her and transport as soon as we can," Williams assures.

"There are times that you have to be diplomatic with people, but that's our job," he says afterward about the exchange. "We are seeing people who are at their absolute worst, and family members feel completely helpless. You have to ease their minds."

Like a pit crew

Dr. Michael Fitzpatrick, director of the emergency medicine service line for the Central Region of Geisinger Health System, one of the doctors who takes shifts at G-SACH, says working there is a pleasure because of the staff.

"It is a very functional department," he said. "The word 'team' is often used to the point of being a cliche, but it's really true there. After working there for the past 2 1/2 years, I feel their work together really stands out."

Fitzpatrick said he remembers asking a fellow physician how it went after his first shift in the G-SACH ER.

"He told me it was like watching a NASCAR pit crew seeing how well the staff worked together," Fitzpatrick said.

The core of the staff has been there since before Shamokin and Geisinger merged in 2012, but Fitzpatrick said new employees have blended well with the existing staff.

"This very talented staff was there in the beginning. All we brought was a different method of record-keeping," he said.

"These are people who are treating their neighbors, maybe even family members," he added. "I just hope that the community-at-large realizes what they have there."

At the worst

While the ER has one larger room dedicated to trauma cases, every room is equipped to handle any problem.

"I can remember one time we had three code (emergency response) teams working in the department at three different beds," Williams said.

On this day, a patient in the trauma room was awaiting another team, this one the Life Flight medical helicopter crew that would transport him to Danville for more specialized care.

"On the average, about 13 percent of the patients seen in the emergency department will be admitted," Fitzpatrick said. "That's one of the challenges we face with the low acuity patients, because they can go from being sick to very, very sick quickly, and that consumes a lot of our resources."

Sometimes, all the care in the world doesn't help, and the department is the last place that person will see. Stankiewicz says those times are the toughest, and that's when "the team" becomes something more.

"Every person has the support of the rest of the staff when that happens," she said. "We try to heal each other, because such a situation is not something we can share with our families at home. When that happens, we turn into a second family for each other."

(Next month: On The Job in the office of a magisterial district judge.)

KELLY TOWNSHIP - A 2-year-old boy from Sunbury was struck and killed by a vehicle in the parking lot of the Walmart Supercenter in Kelly Township, near Lewisburg, around 10 p.m. Friday.

State Police at Milton said Anthony Cooley ran into a traffic lane and was struck and run over by a 2008 Mazda SUV driven by Deborah Neagu, of Milton. Neagu's vehicle was traveling north in one of the parking lot aisles.

Union County Coroner Dominick Adamo said Cooley was taken to the emergency room at Evangelical Community Hospital, Lewisburg, where he died from the injuries he sustained from the vehicle.

Cooley was a son of Timothy and Amy Cooley, of Sunbury.

Lenten devotions scheduled

The faithful of the South Anthracite Protopresbytery (deanery) of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia will continue the tradition of gathering for Lenten devotions Sunday afternoons in deanery churches. Stations of the Cross begin at 3 p.m. and are coordinated by the clergy of the deanery.

The Lenten devotion schedule for churches in the region include:

Today: Transfiguration Church, Shamokin.

March 1: St. Michael the Archangel Church, Shenandoah.

March 8: SS Peter and Paul Church, Mount Carmel.

March 15: St. Michael the Archangel Church, Frackville.

March 22, St. Nicholas Church, Saint Clair.

March 29 (Palm Sunday): St. Nicholas Church, Minersville.

'Coffee & Conversation' planned

LEWISBURG - U.S. Rep. Tom Marino (R-10) will host a "Coffee & Conversation" event from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Monday at the Best Western Hotel, 7701 West Branch Highway.

He welcomes constituents to "voice their concerns, share their stories and ask questions."

Old-timers like to reminisce. I guess I'm an old-timer, then, because ever since I visited the headquarters of the French Association of Friends of the Rails (AFAC: Association française des amis des chemins de fer), I'm alive with memories of train travel the way it used to be in the "olden days" of Schuylkill County a half-century ago!

The headquarters of AFAC, an association dedicated to all facets of rail technology, is located in the basement of Gare de l'Est, one of the six major train stations of Paris, serving points in eastern France and Germany.

Beneath the station, you can also find a shopping center, a parking lot and a metro station where three lines cross. Somewhere in that underground labyrinth there is a door, behind that door, a hallway and then another door that leads to an old-fashioned wooden staircase. At the top, AFAC opens every Saturday afternoon to those lucky visitors who have found their way.

Once inside, once past the administrative office and the library, where a group of white-haired men deep in discussion ignore the bustle of visitors, we enter "Railside France," a world in miniature, where model trains traveling at speeds equivalent to 80 mph rush through tunnels and around sharp curves, crossing towns, cities, mountains and countryside that replicate the urban and physical geography of France.

The association possesses three platforms, all of which conform in the minutest detail to the standards of the French rail system, right down to the switching equipment and the railway signals. The most popular, built to the HO scale of 1:87 (model train buffs will understand), has an oval circuit with about 150 feet of track where 16 electric engines can run at the same time. There is even a terminus with 10 station platforms and nearby repair and cleaning stations.

The model trains, all replicas of engines and cars that run or once ran on French tracks, pull into stations that could be nowhere else but in France. Anyone who has ever traveled there will recognize the two-story country stations with their red-tiled roofs and stucco facades painted in pastel tones.

On the miniature platforms travelers wait for the train, some leaning out over the tracks, others seated on benches, with, on the wall behind them, posters that look like the real thing, as do the station clock and the sign with the station's name.

High in the miniature Alps, a model train fitted with cog wheels zigzags in and out of mountain tunnels. In Provence, a train traverses a valley between hills with stone villages perched on the slopes.

In honor of the station, which is home to the association, originally called Gare de Strasbourg, the capital of Alsace, members have built by hand a miniature main street of an Alsatian town. Naturally, there is also a replica of Gare de l'Est and just like the station above, recently renovated, its miniature underwent a major overhaul in 2014.

Wandering from room to room, from platform to platform, from one miniature corner of France to another, I'm reminded of my first visit to Roadside America in Shartlesville. I can't remember if it was an outing with the church choir or with the Brownies, but I'll never forget my fascination and delight with the miniature main streets lined with houses whose windows glowed, making me feel as if miniature families really lived inside.

"Railside France" may not be as grand as Roadside America, "the world's greatest indoor miniature village," but it is a fitting tribute to a nation that has built a first-class rail network for both passengers and freight.

Freight trains still cross Schuylkill County, still hauling coal, but in no way can the tonnage compare to the days after World War I when the Saint Clair coal and rail yard was the biggest car and engine repair station in the nation and the biggest coal yard in the world.

I still remember the rows and rows of tracks and the huge round house, which I could see from the Mill Creek Bridge when I was a child. After it closed in 1964, I visited it with my father and finally got up close to the monumental building, circling it, looking up at its glass and cement walls, feeling very small.

I also remember the Reading Station on East Norwegian Street, as I imagine many readers do. It was a big wooden structure, brown and tan (in my memories), Victorian in style, with a covered porch facing Railroad Street and the William Penn Hotel.

Sometimes I'd go to the station to wait for my father to come home from a business trip, running to him when he stepped off the train, dressed in the elegant way men dressed in those days: he wore a blocked felt hat and an overcoat over his gabardine suit.

Sometimes I'd go there to catch the train myself. My Aunt Mildred often took me to Reading to go shopping and have lunch at the Crystal Restaurant. On rare occasions, we'd travel all the way to Philadelphia to visit the eagle at Wanamaker's and eat at the automat.

Memories, memories! The Crystal Restaurant, the eagle at Wanamaker's, the automat, young readers may have no idea of what I'm talking about, but old-timers like me surely do.

They probably also remember the quiet beauty of the train ride between Schuylkill Haven and Hamburg, which followed the path of the Schuylkill Canal through thick forests until it reached the Kernsville Dam. For miles, the train left the noise of highways and cars behind, traveling beneath a canopy of green in summer, through pristine fields of white in wintertime.

I loved that train and I rode it until service between Pottsville and Philadelphia was discontinued around 1980. The train was fast, quiet, relaxing. Too bad it had to come to an end.

Today train travel is making a comeback in the U.S. and there are predictions a high-speed rail network could be in place by 2030.

In France, the first high-speed train, the TGV, joined Paris to Lyon in 1981, cutting travel time in half. Soon afterward the first miniature TGV showed up at AFAC headquarters, where members are too busy keeping up with the times to feel nostalgic about the past.

(Honicker can be reached at honicker.republican herald@gmail.com)

COAL TOWNSHIP - A Northumberland County Prison inmate died Saturday after authorities said he hanged himself at SCI-Coal Township Friday evening.

Brandon Menne, 21, of 18 S. Market St., Apt. 3, Shamokin, was found hanging in a cell at around 8 p.m. Friday, the same day he had arrived. He was immediately assisted by prison staff and taken by Life Flight helicopter to Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, according to a press release issued Saturday by the state Department of Corrections (DOC). He was pronounced dead at 2:26 p.m. Saturday.

Menne is the third inmate in county custody to have hanged himself in the past 18 months.

Stephen Bridy, chairperson of the county prison board, said prior to Menne's death the prison was permitting Menne's mother to visit him in the hospital.

Arrived same day

The DOC release said Menne was received at the prison Friday on a bench warrant that had been issued Feb. 5 for failure to comply with bail supervision requirements on charges of theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property.

He had been evaluated per standard policy, which includes an assessment for suicide risk, and placed in the housing unit where Northumberland County Prison inmates are being held, said Susan McNaughton, DOC spokeswoman.

Bridy said Menne had been admitted to county's custody Feb. 11 at the Snyder County Prison. He had also been assessed at that time.

"Department of Corrections staff, the superintendent and the warden of the prison are all working together to fully investigate how this happened and prevent it in the future," said McNaughton.

Male Northumberland County inmates are being processed at the Snyder County Prison before being transported and held at SCI-Coal Township due to the devastating Jan. 14 fire at the county prison, the 139-year-old stone structure on Second Street in Sunbury.

Third hanging

Menne's death follows those of Cyrus Lewis' on June 15, 2014, and Andrew Beers' on Aug. 13, 2013, both by hanging at the former county prison. Families of both have filed federal lawsuits alleging wrongdoing by the prison system and the county. Another inmate, Ryan Francis, committed suicide on March 7, 2006.

Documents for a lawsuit filed by Andrew Beers' mother, Sherry Beers, listed seven suicides occurring in the past 20 years. Additionally, an unidentified inmate attempted suicide on July 14, 2014, according to the documents.

Menne's suicide is the first to occur in the county's care since the inmates were transferred to state facilities.

LEWISBURG - The Campus Theatre invites film enthusiasts to ditch their tuxedos and gowns and walk the red carpet in their pajamas.

The art deco film house will host its annual Academy Awards party beginning at 5:30 p.m. today.

The event kicks off with a pre-party featuring hors d'oeuvres, a cash bar, a silent auction and a gentle pillow fight arena. Guests are filmed walking the red carpet into the theater, and the footage is streamed onto the big screen. The feed will be swapped to coverage of the red carpet at the 87th Annual Academy Awards at 7:30 p.m.

While in past years the event has been a black tie affair, Jessica Paquin, director of outreach and fundraising at the Campus Theatre, said the staff decided to change the dress code after realizing many would-be attendees were opting out partly due to the late night.

"Some of our audience wasn't able to come," she said.

The cost of the event also limited the target demographic.

"Who wants to buy a dress for one night of fun?" she said.

To help reach a wider audience, the theater dropped ticket prices from $35 to $15 per person and from $50 to $20 per couple.

The party is a big fundraiser for the nonprofit theater, which provides an outlet for artistic films that might not make their way to the screen of a cineplex.

"Everybody loves the Oscars, and we're a movie house first and foremost," said Paquin. "It's an event that was made for the theater."

One of the best parts of the event for Paquin is guessing the winners of each award, and this year she's ready with her bet for Best Picture.

"I'm going 'Birdman' all the way!" she gushed. "I saw that movie five times. It was the best movie I saw all year for sure."

MOUNT CARMEL - Snowfall continues to plague the area, but Mount Carmel Borough Code Enforcement Officer Robin Williams is trying to make sure sidewalks stay clear.

Williams issued 209 tickets following snowstorms Jan. 26 and Feb. 9 to property owners who failed to comply with the borough ordinance stipulating sidewalks must be shoveled, leaving a 36-inch wide path.

Although the ordinance states snow removal must occur within 24 hours, Williams and his crew didn't head out until Jan. 29 and Feb. 11 so residents would

have some cushion time for the new rules.

"Anybody that showed an effort that they shoveled, we gave them the benefit of the doubt," Williams said.

While some of the houses are vacant, many of the property owners simply chose to not clear their sidewalks, he said. He also noticed that his tickets had made an impact by his second run through town.

"The ones we gave tickets to were cleaned up afterwards," he said. "So it does work."

Fines for failing to clear sidewalks increase dramatically with each offense. A first-time offender pays $25, while second and third offenses bring fines of $50 and $100, respectively.

These fines can be paid at the borough offices, where Williams keeps on file at least two photos taken of each property at the time of the violation.

The borough also tacks on late penalties ranging from $10 to $50 if the fine isn't paid within 10 days, he said. If a property owner fails to respond to the ticket within 30 days, it becomes a citation sent to the district magistrate. The average fine of a citation of this type is $198, but Williams said he's seen them top $320.

Williams said no legitimate excuse exists for racking up snowy sidewalk fines.

"There's tons of kids looking to shove sidewalks," he said. "Pay a kid $5 or $10."

SHAMOKIN - Twenty ladies donned their best hats and took afternoon tea at the Kallaway Center for the Arts Sunday afternoon.

The tea, held promptly at 4 p.m., served as a fundraiser for the Northumberland County Council for the Arts and Humanities.

For $25, guests dined on a multi-course luncheon at delicately decorated tables in the Joseph and Sarah (Wiest) Hall room on the second floor of the Kallaway Center.

"We wanted to do something different and at the same time we wanted to bring some culture to the area," said executive director Jeanne Shaffer.

Guests entered the Kallaway Center and were greeted at a coat check station manned by Mike Shaffer, who teaches a fly tying class at the center.

Venturing upstairs, guests then each received a glass of punch in the reception hall. The stairs were decorated with classic tea attire - hats, gloves and handbags.

Five tables seating four guests each were set with floral china, matching tea sets, silverware detailed with flowers, candelabras, doilies and strings of pearls.

A teapot warmer kept water piping hot while the ladies dined on a series of bite-sized delicacies that included cucumber on wheat sandwiches, sponge cake hearts with champagne swiss butter cream, rose petal scones with rose water icing and chocolate meringues.

Shaffer prepared most of the dishes but had help with the baking from Tammy Tweed, who mastered crafting elaborate confections by taking four Wilton cake decorating courses at the Kallaway Center.

The event had a learning curve for attendees who were not used to taking tea. Used tea bags were to be placed on a separate dish, not on the saucer beneath the tea cup. A raspberry gelato was to be eaten between the chicken spinach soup and the baked ham and swiss to cleanse the palate. The single-serving foods stacked on the three-tier tea trays were to be tasted from bottom to top.

Though the glitz and glamour of the meal brought exclamations of adoration, attendees also expressed appreciation at the social nature of the event.

"It was nice to get out and talk to people," said Nancy Booth, who sat with two friends from the Overlook Garden Club.

Tara Venna used the tea as an opportunity to spend quality time with her mother, whose birthday is in a few weeks.

She wore a pink suit with a string of pearls and a hat decorated with flowers and ribbon.

"I made my hat with my seven-year-old twin daughters," she said, adding that she would love to bring them along in the future. "So many of my friends would bring their daughters.

Shaffer said the next teas were being planned for April or early May. She planned to continue hosting them on Sundays at 4 p.m. with a variety of changing themes. The dates will be announced on the Northumberland County Council for the Arts and Humanities's Facebook page and in The News-Item, she said.

Shaffer, who has been an avid auction attendee for more than a decade, moved dozens of dishes into the Kallaway House in preparation for the event. She said she spent four to five hours per day on and off for two months preparing the building for the event and described carrying the boxes of heavy china up multiple staircases as "the hard part."

The work didn't go unnoticed. Elizabeth Johnson sought out Shaffer at the end of the tea to express her pleasure with the afternoon.

"This is one of the most exciting things I've done here," she gushed.

MOUNT CARMEL - The Mount Carmel Municipal Authority (MCMA) is granting borough residents illegally discharging storm water into the borough's sanitary sewers an amnesty period lasting until March 31 to bring their systems up to code.

After April 1, any residence found to have an existing basement sump pump without a certificate of compliance issued by the borough will receive a citation from code enforcement that may result in penalties of $300 per day and imprisonment.

John Bucanelli, project engineer for the $14 million Shamokin Creek Flood Control Project, said the illegally discharged storm water has led to the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) fining MCMA more than $11,000.

The borough was constructed on a labyrinth of sewers that handled both sanitary and storm water. Environmental regulations have since prohibited such systems.

MCMA began working towards complying with the Clean Water Act in 2005, when it invested more than $22 million in the construction of a new waste water treatment plant and a separate set of sewers that would strictly handle storm water and not sanitary waste.

During the construction of the new system, a set of temporary overflow pipes were installed. They went unused until May 2014, when "an unfortunate series of events" caused an inundation of the sanitary sewer resulting in discharge from one of the pipes, said Bucanelli.

The flow led to weeks of investigation on the cause, delaying the project and forcing MCMA to continue using the pipes beyond the Sept. 1 removal deadline mandated by DEP. As a result, MCMA was fined daily until the last pipe was removed in December. Fines totaled more than $11,000.

"MCMA argued that the unexpected event was not attributed to the lack of due diligence in implementing the (corrective plan), and elimination of the temporary relief before completing an appropriate investigation would be irresponsible," Bucanelli said. "MCMA received a letter from the Pennsylvania DEP that included a proposed amendment... (that) would extend the compliance date to Dec. 31, 2015. However, the letter also indicated that the description provided for implementing a temporary contingency plan lacks sufficient detail."

Bucanelli said that while roof drains connected to the sanitary sewer have bene eliminated, homeowners harboring illegally connected sump pumps are contributing to the overflow that DEP is displeased about. MCMA plans to perform "non-invasive testing of the sanity sewer" in spring to "identify unauthorized and unacceptable discharges," including anyone with an illegally connected sump pump.

DEP requires MCMA to complete compliance inspections within a specified time frame, Bucanelli said. These inspections involve venturing into privately owned areas.

"Borough code enforcement has encountered significant difficulty in gaining access and coordinating compliance inspections as residents fear the assessment of penalties," he said.

By granting the amnesty period, Bucanelli hopes residents with illegally discharging sump pumps step forward and make changes.

All borough residents with an existing sump pump will be required to hold a certificate of compliance issued by the borough. After April 1, any residence without the certificate will be in violation of the ordinance and prosecuted, Bucanelli said.

Any borough resident owning a sump pump with questions pertaining to the ordinance may contact MCMA at 570-339-5166.

Better not

I am a taxpayer calling from Northumberland County. I was just wondering how stupid do those county officials think we are that it is going to be justified to spend a million dollars to give people that are going to retire anyway that extra money. They better not be taking it out of my retirement fund.

Misheard

Dear Frog, please make a correction to my previous call. You must have misheard me. There is no vaccine for HIV. There is a childhood vaccine HIB, which protects against meningitis.

Staring at the sun

I get up at a quarter to five every morning to go to work and I have noticed something lately. The sun is coming up a little bit earlier every day and it is hanging around in the evening a little bit longer. I attribute this to global warming, and I think if it continues that eventually we are all going to die.

Bring them in

Frog, please ask people in your Sound Off column to take in their pets inside on these bitterly cold days and nights. If it is too much trouble, that is what the SPCA is for. Don't just abandon them. All life is too precious to just throw away. Please take care of your animals. Frog's take: Please, heed this advice, readers.

Location, location

Concerning the bronze Vinny Clausi. Maybe instead of building a new prison they could just put a big statue of Vinny Clausi where the old prison used to be. See how people would like that.

Six month break

I am glad Brian Williams got suspended without pay for six months, but he should have been fired completely. They should do that to more of these lazy bums on TV.

Four years

They only thing worse than another four-year term of Vinny Clausi would be a four-year term for Kymberley Best. The only thing worse than that would be a four-year term of George Zalar as county commissioner.

Vigilantes

To the caller making a comparison between criminals here in the U.S. and Islamic terrorists, quit talking like an idiot. The peaceful Muslims can stop the terrorists. Their laws are different than ours. How are the people here in the U.S. supposed to stop our criminals? In case you didn't know, our criminals are well-protected and seem to have more rights than they deserve. How long can vigilantes really last in America?

Off easy

I am calling about Mr. Kashner. Although some of the things he is saying might be accurate, I think he got off easy. He should be thanking the judge for that sentence. They could have thrown the key away on him.

Festival planning is tonight

SHAMOKIN - A meeting for the 10th annual Anthracite Heritage Festival will be held at 6:30 p.m. today at the Northumberland County Council for the Arts and Humanities art studio (handicapped entrance) in the Northumberland County Career and Arts Center, Arch and Eighth streets. Anyone wishing to volunteer to help plan the festival is asked to attend.

Comedian to perform for progressives

NORTHUMBERLAND - The Susquehanna Valley Progressives will host a comedy-club style event feature Sunbury comedian Peterson Toscano from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday at the Front Street Station, 2 Front St.

Toscano, will present his show "Peterson Unplugged: A Ridiculously Serious Look at the End of the World." at this free event.

More information can be found at the group's website, www.svprogress.org.

Optical clinic to make local stops

SHAMOKIN - Two eyeglass clinics will be held in March to help low-income residents receive inexpensive eyeglasses.

North Western PA Optical Clinic will be at Sunbury CareerLink from 10 a.m. to noon March 10, and at Central Susquehanna Opportunities, 2 Arch St., from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 17. Participants will need a prescription and an appointment. Call 1-800-901-1912 for information and to schedule appointments.

North Western PA Optical Clinic is a privately funded program that provides eligible persons with eyeglasses for $40, including lined bifocals. No-line bifocals are available at an additional cost. The clinic also offers a solid tint.

Income guidelines are: one person, $21,660; two people, $27,992, and $6,960 for each additional person in the household.

All frames are all brand new and donated from the manufacturers.

First candidate petition filed in Sunbury

SUNBURY - Stephen Major, Democratic candidate for supervisor in Ralpho Township, was the first candidate to file a nomination petition with the Northumberland County Board of Elections for the May 19 primary election ballot.

The period for circulating and filing petitions by candidates began Feb. 17 and ends March 10. Major filed his petition Monday.

COAL TOWNSHIP - Up to nine homeowners in Coal Township's east end are sought to split hundreds of thousands of dollars for housing renovations.

Coal Township received a $350,000 federal grant in 2013 for rehabilitation projects benefitting low-income owners. Six projects are currently underway. Between seven and nine remain to be funded, said township Manager Rob Slaby.

Homes are sought in and around Hickory Ridge, Lower Sagon, Coal Run, Ranshaw, Upper and Lower Excelsior, Springfield and Marshallton.

Approximately $20,000 is spent on each project, Slaby said.

Renovations are performed to bring properties up to modern code, including new heating systems, windows and electrical systems, and fixes to plumbing and roofs.

More than $1 million was received by Coal Township over the past decade from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's HOME Investment Partnerships Program. Slaby said 29 homes were rehabilitated. Funds are rotated between the township's east and west sides with each grant award. The program is administered by the Housing Authority of Northumberland County on a contracted basis.

Income limits vary, although Slaby said income isn't the lone factor for an award. Applicants awarded funds have a lien placed against their property that is forgiven over five years. Should the home be sold before the lien is satisfied, a prorated portion of the grant is due back to the township for reinvestment into the HOME program.

For more information, call 570-644-0395 or visit the township municipal building, 805 W. Lynn St. Applicants from the west end will be considered for a future grant award.

Susquehanna Valley gas prices continued to follow the trend across the nation. Local gas prices increased six cents this week to $2.457 a gallon, according to AAA East Central's Fuel Gauge report.

On the national front

The national average price for regular unleaded gasoline has increased for 28 consecutive days for a total of 27 cents per gallon, which is the longest streak of rising prices since last spring. The year-over-year discount at the pump has narrowed in recent weeks but remains lofty by historic standards.

Refineries are in the middle of conducting seasonal maintenance, a process that can limit fuel production and contribute to rising pump prices. In addition, there remains the potential for unexpected refinery problems to further impact production and cause temporary prices spikes in various regions.

Last week, an explosion at the ExxonMobil refinery in Torrance helped push up prices in California, while bitterly cold weather in the Northeast and Midwest led to a number of refinery problems in those areas. Ample domestic supply is expected to keep a ceiling on prices, though there is a good chance that prices will continue to rise this spring.

Global crude oil prices remain volatile, with markets continuing to seesaw and West Texas Intermediate crude oil last week posting its first weekly loss in a month. The balance between global supply and demand continues to weigh on prices, and despite U.S. production companies reassessing plans for exploration and production amid shrinking profit margins, domestic crude oil inventories climbed to record levels and output rose to its highest level since 1973, according to a Department of Energy report released last week.

West Texas Intermediate closed last week at its lowest level since Feb. 11, settling down 82 cents at $50.34 per barrel at the close of Friday's formal trading on the NYMEX.

(AAA East Central is a not-for-profit association with 83 local offices in Kentucky, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia serving 2.7 million members.)

This week's Susquehanna Valley average price - $2.457

Average price during the week of Feb. 16, 2015 - $2.395

Average price during the week of Feb. 25, 2014 - $3.659

The following is a list of the average price of unleaded self-serve gasoline in various areas:

Lewisburg - $2.452

Mifflinburg - $2.467

Milton - $2.446

Selinsgrove - $2.464

Shamokin - $2.456

Sunbury - $2.459

Northumberland County Commissioner Richard Shoch has announced his intention to run for re-election this year.

Shoch, 48, was first elected in 2011. During his tenure, he has served as the county representative to the Local Elected Officials Board of the Central Pennsylvania Workforce Investment Board, and also served on the governance committee of that board. In addition, he has also represented the county as a member of the conservation district board, the board of delegates for the Penn State Agricultural Extension, and the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania's courts and corrections committee.

Shoch has served over the years in various capacities with numerous local volunteer organizations, including Boy Scouts of America, Sunbury's Revitalization Inc., Susquehanna Valley and Pennsylvania State ARC boards and SUNCOM Inc. He was recently named to the board executive committee for Susquehanna Valley Community Education Project Inc., a non-profit organization working to establish a community college in the Central Susquehanna Valley.

Throughout his tenure as a commissioner, Shoch said he has been a staunch advocate of the need for a culture change in Northumberland County government. Without it, Shoch said, "we will unfortunately continue to suffer from the expense and distraction of needless lawsuits and unvetted initiatives that have contributed to the significant increase in the county's tax mill rate over the last three years."

Shoch added, "It is imperative that the citizens of Northumberland County elect a board of commissioners that our neighboring counties are willing to work with. We need to take advantage of opportunities to provide many of our services more efficiently and cost-effectively through regionalization with our neighboring counties. That requires an atmosphere of trust, transparency, mutual respect and fair-dealing between the partnering counties."

A native of Northumberland County, Shoch resides in Sunbury with his wife, Paula, and their four children. Shoch is a local attorney who, prior to being elected commissioner in 2011, was employed by the law firm of Wiest, Muolo, Noon, Swinehart & Bathgate. Prior to returning to the area in 2002, Shoch was employed as an in-house counsel and vice president of Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, a global financial management firm headquartered in New York.

Shoch is the first incumbent commissioner to formally announce his candidacy for re-election, as well as the first Republican to announce for the office.

Others who previously announced their candidacies for commissioner are Nathan Savidge, Thomas Aber, Myron Turlis and George Zalar, all Democrats.

DANVILLE - Dr. David T. Feinberg will succeed Dr. Glenn Steele Jr. as president and chief executive officer of the Geisinger Health System Foundation Board of Directors effective May 1.

Feinberg will become the sixth chief executive officer in Geisinger's 100-year history, according to a press release issued Monday. He currently serves as president of the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) Health System; chief executive officer, UCLA Hospital System, and associate vice chancellor, UCLA Health Sciences in California.

During his tenure, the UCLA Health System hospitals have regularly ranked among the best in the United States by U.S. News and World Report.

"I am honored to become part of the Geisinger family," Feinberg said in the press release. "I have always been impressed with Geisinger's commitment to doing what is right and best for its patients and members, as well as its many contributions to improving care and reforming our nation's health care system. It is important to me to not only continue, but also expand Geisinger's work in patient care, research, education, innovation and community service, and I look forward to continuing Geisinger's trajectory of achievement upward."

"We are extremely pleased to have David Feinberg join the Geisinger family as our new president and CEO," said board Chairman William Alexander in the release. "Dr. Feinberg has a proven record of achievement, and we are confident that he will do an excellent job leading Geisinger into our second century of service."

Named to the 50 Most Influential Physician Executives and Leaders by Modern Healthcare, Feinberg has had a long, successful career at UCLA. In addition to his president, CEO and associate vice chancellor roles, he has also served as vice chair for clinical affairs, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences; medical director, Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital at UCLA; medical director, UCLA Neuropsychiatric and Behavioral Health Sciences; medical director of managed care/outpatient services, medical director/adolescent partial hospitalization program, founder and director of child and adolescent consultation, diagnosis and brief treatment program and director, training for child and adolescent fellow substance abuse rotation, UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute and Hospital.

Triple-board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in child, adolescent and addiction psychiatry, Feinberg earned his undergraduate degree at the University of California, Berkeley, and graduated with distinction from the University of Health Sciences/Chicago Medical School. He completed an internship in pediatrics at Loyola University Medical Center, as well as residency and fellowship training in psychiatry and child psychiatry at the UCLA School of Medicine, and earned a Masters of Business Administration from Pepperdine University.

His numerous awards and recognitions include the Cancro Academic Leadership Award from the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry; Medical Center CEO of the Year, Healthcare Leadership Award by The Los Angeles Business Journal; Leadership, Vision and Commitment Honoree by the National Health Foundation; Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association; Outstanding Physician of the Year at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute and Hospital; Outstanding Physician of the Year by the Southern California Psychiatric Society; and member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society. The author of numerous articles and chapters, he is a leading speaker on attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, autism, pediatric bipolar disorder, pediatric depression, adolescent substance abuse and the industrialization of medicine.

Steele will continue as chairman of xG Health Solutions, an independently operated venture based in Columbia, Md., that helps health care organizations across the country create value and improve quality.

ATLAS - A fire hydrant exploded at East Columbia Avenue and Route 61 in Atlas at around 10 p.m. Sunday, shutting down both roads to traffic, flooding basements and sending a geyser of water into the chilly night sky.

As is the case with the plumbing in many homes recently, the freak hydrant incident is blamed on the cold, too.

A resident of the 400 block of East Columbia Avenue, where the fire hydrant had been located, said she was sleeping in the front room of her house when she heard a "low roar." She immediately called 911 and reported the break.

Firefighters and police arrived to find water spurting from the location of the hydrant two to three feet into the air. The hydrant, located on a grassy slope where Route 61 curves down into the Viaduct, was not visible behind the watery plume.

At least a foot of water gushed downhill across East Columbia Avenue, flowing into several of the basements on the block. The neighbor who reported the break said she didn't have water in her basement but her sidewalk was heavily damaged. She was told Aqua Pennsylvania would be responsible for making repairs.

Mount Carmel Township Police Chief Brian Hollenbush said Aqua turned off the water shortly after 11 p.m. and the scene was cleared at around 11:30 p.m.

Although the break originated from a 12-inch water main, Hollenbush said other utilities in the area raised apprehension for emergency crews.

"We were concerned of the gas line right there, (and) making sure the gas line didn't rupture," he said.

By Monday afternoon, Aqua and contracting crews had excavated the soil around the hill and removed the broken hydrant. A new hydrant was installed, but workers said it wouldn't be turned on until cementing could take place.

Hollenbush pointed to frigid temperatures as the cause of the break. The National Weather Service reports area temperatures dropped from Sunday's high of 41 degrees at 3 p.m. to 32 at around the time the hydrant broke, but it's been considerably colder, including a number of cases where it was sub-zero overnight, in the past few weeks.

SHAMOKIN - City council gave final approval to its Act 47 plan Monday. Up next is a visit to the courthouse.

The city's proposed increase of its earned income tax will be considered by Northumberland County President Judge William H. Wiest during a hearing at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday. The judge's OK is necessary to boost the tax to 2 percent, which is the backbone of the city's financial recovery strategy.

The tax is currently 1 percent, and revenue is split in half with Shamokin Area School District. The increase would bring 1.5 percent to the city, estimated at up to an additional $915,000 in tax revenue annually through 2019.

Council voted unanimously Monday to approve not just its Act 47 plan and its proposed tax increase, but also to create the position of city administrator. It replaces the city clerk's position, effective immediately, and will continue to be held by Robert M. Slaby.

The new title brings a new salary of $59,000, up from $45,000. Cost of the administrator's salary is expected to be offset by $79,600 in grant funding spread over the next five years.

The raise was recommended by financial consultants who created the Act 47 plan, sponsored by the state Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED). Their reasoning: most of the 120 plan initiatives must be instituted by the administrator, and the salary is meant to retain or recruit more qualified candidates in years to come.

Shamokin has been on a path to bankruptcy, which the Act 47 plan is meant to prevent. The city amassed $2.2 million in budget deficits collectively the past six years. With expenses projected to continue outpacing revenues, the next five years' deficits were forecast at a combined $4.4 million.

Instead, city council was accepted in June into the state's fiscal recovery program - one of 28 municipalities to do so since the program's inception two decades ago. The plan calls for drastic change inside City Hall, including freezing wages, raising employee contributions towards health care and the aforementioned tax increase.

Shamokin's plan has the city exiting Act 47 in 2020 with an approximate $600,000 budget surplus, stark contrast to the systemic deficits it has created over the years.

SUNBURY - With all his appeals exhausted, Alfons Keefer was ordered Monday morning by Judge Charles Saylor to immediately begin serving his 4 1/2 to 24-month county prison sentence on a felony theft charge.

The execution of sentence was granted more than two years after the 50-year-old Shamokin man was convicted by a jury of theft of movable property and a misdemeanor of obstruction of administration of the law.

Keefer was transported to Snyder County Prison to be processed. He is scheduled to be transferred later in the week to SCI-Coal Township, where male county inmates have been held since fire destroyed the 139-year-old county prison in Sunbury Jan. 14.

Keefer's attorney Ernie Preate, a former state attorney general, was not present for the brief legal proceeding after previously being informed by the judge that his presence wasn't required.

Upon being escorted from the courtroom by Sgt. Dwayne Pidcoe of the county sheriff's office, Keefer declined comment to a News-Item reporter when asked about having to begin his jail sentence.

Keefer, who has no prior criminal record, will most likely only serve his minimum sentence.

He was accompanied to court by two family members.

Northumberland County First Assistant District Attorney Michael Toomey, who prosecuted the case, said, "The victim and myself are glad this case is concluded."

Appeal denied

Last month, the state Supreme Court upheld Keefer's sentence by denying his petition for allowance of appeal from an order by the Superior Court in May upholding his conviction.

The salvage yard owner had been free on $5,000 appeal bail since his sentencing by Saylor May 14, 2013, on both charges that he was convicted of Feb. 13, 2013. He was found not guilty of a misdemeanor of deceptive business practices. A felony of receiving stolen property and a misdemeanor of tampering with or fabricating evidence were dismissed due to insufficient evidence.

In addition to the jail time on the theft charge, Keefer must serve two years of supervised probation upon his release from prison on the obstruction offense.

The sentence also requires Keefer to pay $1,100 in fines plus costs and complete two years of supervised probation upon his release from prison. Keefer must make restitution of $32,500 to Ford Motor Credit Co.; $2,100 restitution to Joy Kulenguskey, of Coal Township, and $818.49 restitution to the county district attorney's office for expenses incurred to have Ken Cade, of Phoenix, Ariz., a customer service representative for Ford Motor Credit Co., testify at Keefer's trial.

His post-sentence motion requesting a new trial was denied in January 2013 by then-county prothonotary and clerk of courts Kathleen Strausser because a hearing involving the motion had not been held within 120 days of its filing in accordance with Rule 720 of the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure.

Preate, who took over as Keefer's attorney May 23, 2012, did not request a 30-day extension on the 120-day rule, but even if he did, the time period to hear the post-sentence motion still would have expired in late October 2012.

Preate later filed an appeal to the Superior Court.

Keefer was charged by Trooper Kevin L. Bletz of the Pennsylvania State Police Auto Theft Task Force with failing to return a silver 2001 Ford F-350 truck owned by Kulenguskey that he towed in 2008. Police said the turbo diesel, quad cab truck was towed and stored by Keefer at his business, A&G Towing on Bear Valley Avenue, before it disappeared.

The charges, filed in August 2010, involved a two-year investigation conducted by Bletz, who was asked by then Northumberland County District Attorney Tony Rosini and Shamokin police to conduct the probe in February 2008 because of a prior conflict between city police and Keefer. That conflict involved a dispute with the city over towing and storage charges when Keefer removed 18 vehicles from Robert Gilligbauer's Shamokin property in 2007.

HARRISBURG - The Rev. Michael E. Messner, pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, Lancaster, and native of Lykens, was injured in a fall at the parish rectory. It is unknown when the incident took place but he was discovered by the contracted snow removal company between 3:30 and 4 a.m. Sunday.

Messner was taken to Lancaster General Hospital where he was treated for his injuries. A full account of those injuries was not available, but he is said to have sustained head injuries which required an operation. He is currently sedated and is listed in critical condition.

Daily Masses at Sacred Heart Church are canceled for this week. Masses scheduled for the weekend will be held.

Messner was born in May 1962 in Lykens. He was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Harrisburg June 6, 1998. He was assigned as Pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, Lancaster Aug. 22, 2009. In previous assignments he served at St. Francis Xavier, Gettysburg and Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish, Abbottstown in addition to others.

The parish requests prayers for his speedy recovery.

Bigger is better in America. We can't help ourselves. That restless spirit of one-upsmanship is essentially hard-wired into our DNA. So it was no surprise when American brewers pushed the IPA envelope, adding additional fermentables for a higher alcohol percentage and more - lots more - hops. This evolution eventually morphed into the creation of a new style in the mid 1990's - Double IPA (DIPA), also known as Imperial IPA.

The style's immense popularity owes itself to one beer. In 2000, Vinnie Cilurzo of the Russian River Brewing Company in Santa Rosa, Calif., was asked to participate in the first Double IPA festival. Previously, while working for Blind Pig Brewing in 1994, Cilurzo had brewed the nation's first commercial DIPA, but he admitted " it was so bitter, it was like licking the rust off a tin can."

Russian River didn't have a Double IPA in its repertoire, but Cilurzo had an idea for a new recipe. Focusing on an experimental hop called YCR-014 (now known as the venerated Simcoe), he brewed a DIPA. That beer became the most recognizable, sought-after, coveted and fixated upon brew in the history of craft beer.

What Cilurzo didn't have was a name for his creation. He settled upon Pliny (pronounced with a long "i") the Elder, named after a Roman naturalist who lived in the first century A.D. Pliny is credited for creating the botanical name for hops, currently known as Humulus Lupulus. And perhaps he would have discovered even more if he hadn't perished in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D.

The demand for Pliny the Elder far exceeds its supply. People drive hundreds of miles or wait in line for hours at Russian River's brew pub when a new batch is released. (There's even more fanfare when Pliny the Younger - a triple IPA - is released.) And in this look-at-me marketing-crazed society, Pliny's nondescript bottle, with its plain green label with a simple red circle, is a testament to its confidence.

Double IPA isn't simply a big IPA. It would be far too sweet, trending on Barley Wine territory. It isn't a throat-gagging, bitter hop bomb, either. The secret to Pliny (and other great DIPAs) is a complete fermentation for dryness, combined with massive amounts of hops added late in the brewing process for overwhelming hop flavor and aroma. Made correctly, the style is a showcase for a brewer's skill. It's also one of the few high alcohol styles that has enough drinkability to make it quaffable by the pint.

I was lucky to sample Pliny at last summer's National Homebrew Conference in Grand Rapids. It's all that - and more. Unfortunately, it's also basically unavailable on the East Coast, except for at the iconic Monk's Café in Philadelphia. But don't worry; there are several readily available DIPAs which are just as good, but not as highly hyped. Double IPA pairs well with full-flavored foods, such as sharp cheddar and stinky blue cheese; smoked brisket; and spicy foods containing chili and cayenne pepper. And lastly, remember with hop-centric brews to check the freshness date. Enjoy the recommendations. Cheers!

Dirt Wolf, Victory Brewing; Downingtown: Victory bills its DIPA as "a tribute to the hop vines that spring from the earth with the voracity of a wolf among sheep." The pour is clear gold in color with a white foamy head. Its blend of four hops results in a harmonious aroma of citrus, pine, and floral spices. The hops also dominate the flavors, with ripe citrus, oozing pine and mild grassiness, leading to bready malt in the background. My taste of Pliny at the conference instantly reminded me of Dirt Wolf. Perhaps the similar taste and Victory Brewing's proximity to Monk's Café is evidence that some reverse engineering was at work. Regardless, take advantage of this gem; it's available year-round.

Double Dog, Flying Dog Brewery, Frederick, Md.: Double Dog is part of Flying Dog's Wild Dog Release. It means business, weighing in at an impressive 11.5 percent alcohol, pushing the boundary between Double IPA and Barley Wine. Its color is coppery amber, and the head is tan. The aromas are of citrus, stone fruit, pine resin and toffee - with a hint of booze. Its body is very full - chewy, yet not cloying. The flavors are resinous pine, citrus and a touch of caramel. I guarantee no one will have to double dog dare you to quaff a pint of this extraordinary DIPA.

Palate Wrecker, Green Flash Brewing, San Diego, Calif.: I had to include a West Coast Double IPA in the mix. The name is decidedly lacking in subtlety, but don't be afraid. It pours amber with a thick, effervescent tan head. The aromas are predominately of citrus with notes of bread in the background. The body is rich and luxurious, coating the tongue. The taste of uber-resinous pine resonates long after the drink is finished. Its warming sensation upon swallowing was indeed welcome on a cold February night.

Hopslam, Bells Brewing, Comstock, Mich.: Hopslam pours orange-amber in color with mild carbonation. The aromas are of grapefruit, orange and peaches, followed by a touch of honey, which also helps to keep the body in balance. The upfront bitterness is nicely balanced by the sweet hop flavors of peach, orange and apricot that follow. This assault of hops isn't aggressive; it's more like being ensconced in a hop-lined velvet glove. The finish is exceptionally smooth, with a long-lingering warmth, masking its 10 percent alcohol. This highly anticipated winter seasonal topped my expectations. Be sure to get it while you can.

Hop Ranch. Victory Brewing;, Downingtown: Yes, there are two Double IPAs from Victory. They earned it. This is Karol's favorite DIPA. Its color is hazy, golden straw - with a thin, quickly dissipating head. There is incredible complexity for only two hop varieties, Mosaic and Azacca. The aromas are a mix of citrus and apricot with a hint of malt. Its body is light and has an oily hop mouthfeel. Sweet flavors of pineapple and mango meld with tart citrus, ending with a long dry finish. Like Hopslam, Hop Ranch is a seasonal brew. Remember what happens to he who hesitates.

(The Brew Dude is published every other week on the Food and Drink Page. For comments, suggestions or questions, email Mark Pasquinelli at thebrewdude@newsitem.com.)