MAR LIN - Residents voiced concerns about air quality, the permit process and other questions about World Resources at a information session hosted Monday by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency at the Norwegian Township municipal building.

"I think the good news that we want to share with you is that we did this examination of the World Resource facility and we found nothing that needs to be taken care of. There are no hidden issues there. The groundwater is fine. The soil around the plant is fine, and that's the primary purpose of the meeting tonight," said Paul J. Gotthold, associate director of the office of Pennsylvania Remediation Land and Chemicals Division with the EPA.

World Resources recycles "EPA-listed and characteristic non-ferrous metal-bearing hazardous wastes, as well as non-hazardous wastes, by-products and other industrial residues," according to its website, www.worldresourcescompany.com.

Residents have from Wednesday to Sept. 27 to comment on the proposed decision by the EPA. Comments must be submitted in writing via mail, fax or email to EPA project manager Catheryn Blankenbiller.

Employees of the state Department of Environmental Protection Agency were also at Monday's meeting to a answer questions.

DEP representatives said later, however, that they were surprised about comments from the public about air quality.

"Would they test the air 24 hours a day?" said Irene Grabusky, a township resident.

Gotthold said questions about air quality are very common when dealing with industrial operations.

He said air monitoring is part of an air permit issued by a division of DEP. Officials at the meeting did not know about the permit but said air quality is monitored.

DEP does inspections once a year at the property. The company does not know when those inspections will occur, said Tracey McGurk, facilities supervisor with the waste management program of DEP.

"It's not a major source. I know that it's a small operation," she said of air emissions.

How often the air is monitored is determined by applicable laws, Gotthold said.

"I didn't realize air quality was such a big issue," McGurk said.

Township Supervisor Robert Kirwan agreed that air quality is a concern.

"I think the biggest problem is the air quality," he said.

"Already all these years we are putting up with odor. I think its time we did something about it," Grabusky said.

"In order to be able to do anything about any odors, we have to be able to verify it," Gotthold said. He advised residents to call 570-826-2511 with concerns.

One person asked what would happen if the company wanted to expand its operations.

McGurk said a permit would have to be reviewed and issued before that could occur.

The township currently has a hazardous waste and storage and treatment permit that was renewed in March 2012. It is good for 10 years.

The company is currently seeking a Class 2 permit that requires minor modifications, McGurk said. The company wants to add some tanks and upgrade containment areas, she said.

That application was submitted March 6 and a decision has not been made yet. A public comment period is required, she said.

John Bova can't tell you much about the anthracite mine cave-in that claimed his father's life in August 1963.

He was 8 months old, literally a baby in his mother's arms.

Now, at 50 years old, Bova displays a pocket Bible, a gold Social Security card and a small collection of ragged and yellowed letters, newspaper clippings and the deed for his father's grave on his dining table.

Those few items and a single photograph of his father taken on his parents' wedding day is all he has to remember his father.

Other photos show him with his mother. In one, she clutches him in her arms inside a church near their home in Pattersonville, southwest of Sheppton, as she prayed for a miracle. Another shows them at his father's grave at the mine site.

Bova's father, Louis, remains buried under hundreds of tons of rock and dirt more than 300 feet underground near Sheppton. Two other miners, David Fellin and Henry "Hank" Throne, who were separated from Bova when earth filled their mine, lived to see daylight again.

Bova's widow, Eva, didn't talk about the mine collapse but cried every day, her son said.

"My mom didn't say much at all," he said.

She left her son wondering what really occurred down the Oneida Slope No. 2 when the mine roof gave way on the morning of Aug. 13 and in the days that followed as the trapped miners struggled to survive in darkness with only sulphur water to sustain them.

Growing up, Bova heard unspeakable tales from old-time miners and others.

"All of my life, they said (Fellin and Throne) ate my father," Bova said.

Difficult words for anyone to hear - much less a fatherless child looking for answers and yearning for the father-son relationship.

"It was hard growing up without a father," he said. "Other kids were learning stuff from their fathers. All the kids were going fishing with their dads. It was tough."

Bova stayed with relatives as his mother struggled with her health, needing surgery to remove an extra kidney then developing cancer in what remained, he said. She was admitted to the hospital for an undisclosed ailment the day the other miners were rescued.

"My mother was sickly," he said. "I stayed with my uncle and aunt."

His mother's sister married an abusive drunk, Bova said.

"I got beat up every night," he said.

Bova survived the abuse but wonders how different his life would have been with his father, he said.

"I think I would have been a better person if my father lived," he said. "Everyone needs guidance in their life. I didn't have much guidance."

Bova remembers going to his father's grave at the mine site with his mother.

"It was so beautiful," he said, describing the evergreens on either side of the jeweled headstone and the white picket fence surrounding three sides of the plot.

When Bova was about 12, vandals chopped down the trees, knocked over the headstone and pried out its jewels. Tears welled up in his eyes as he recalled the devastation.

He calls his father's death "an act of God."

"What else can you say? He wanted him and he took him," Bova said.

Louis Bova shouldn't have been in the mine the morning of the collapse, his son said. He switched shifts with another worker who was expecting a child, he said.

Other published accounts say he switched shifts to spend time with his own son. Another contends that he had just moved to day shift when another man was added to the night crew.

"There's so many stories," Bova said. "It's like a fish story."

He doesn't know which stories are true or which got better with each telling. But the one that he can't shake is the possible cannibalization of his father underground, he said.

Rescuers sent cameras, microphones and even a miner down the rescue hole to search for Bova, finding no signs of life or death.

Fellin and Throne denied the barroom rumor concocted from a miner's tale that the smallest man in a cave-in was sacrificed to save the others, in a 1968 Chicago Daily News feature, which noted that Bova stood 5 feet, 4 inches tall and weighed about 120 pounds.

"Evil men," Fellin was quoted in the story. "That's what they are. Only evil men could think that I could have eaten Bova to stay alive."

Throne also denied turning to cannibalism in the five days before a drill reached the chamber in which he and Fellin huddled and rescuers sent food down the hole.

"I don't even like meat," he told a reporter.

Bova said music has helped save his life after his oldest son - named for his father, Louis John - got caught up with drugs, causing serious health problems. Playing guitar has helped him through the rough patches and allowed him to write a song about his father, "Entombed."

Bova also paid tribute to his father with several tattoos - one reads, "Never Seen, Never Forgotten."

To this day, Bova yearns for the truth, not another tall tale. He feels alone in the dark - not unlike his father 50 years ago.

"For some people, it's just another day," he said of the anniversary. "For me, it's the story of my life."

Marriage licenses

John F. Waters, Mohrsville, and Dorothy A. Koinski, Mohrsville.

Robert W. Rozetar, Saint Clair, and Annette M. Lech, Shickshinny.

Thomas E. Satterfield, Schuylkill Haven, and Rebecca L. Petrich, Auburn.

Austin K. Swinehart, Hegins, and Sherelee A. Heim, Hegins.

Brian R. Davis, Coaldale, and Cynthia A. Brennan, Coaldale.

Douglas M. Purin, Orwigsburg, and Melissa A. Gilfillan, Orwigsburg.

Even though stones have recently fallen from the ceiling of the 19th-century stone-arch stormwater tunnel underneath Pottsville, city officials are reluctant to do an engineering study.

"An engineering study is not cheap. I don't want to look at it. I'm afraid I'd be shocked. I think even if they did it piecemeal, we'd have a hard time affording that. We had no formal discussion on it. I worry about everything that happens in the city, but we're strapped. We're counting paper clips," Mayor John D.W. Reiley said Monday afternoon.

Two weeks ago, a 1-foot-wide section of the tunnel over Norwegian Creek caved in. It's on the far southwest side of the parking lot at Kentucky Fried Chicken, 419 S. Claude A. Lord Blvd., Pottsville.

Daniel E. Kelly, city superintendent of streets, recommended the city try to repair the arch by bringing in a contractor.

"I think it's something we can simply fix," Kelly said Monday night.

As of Monday, a contractor hadn't visited the site, Kelly said.

The city council did not have the hole in the KFC parking lot and the stone-arch tunnel on its agenda of its regular monthly meeting Monday night.

When asked during the public portion of the meeting, the council deferred to City Administrator Thomas A. Palamar, who explained the steps the city would take to repair it.

"A contractor is giving us an estimate on what he believes is wrong. Once he does that, we will determine what we need to do next, whether we have to do a further study on it or whether or not we can just repair it. We're keeping an eye on it right now, just to make sure it's not getting any worse," Palamar said Monday night.

The council will not consider doing an engineering study unless Kelly recommends it, Palamar said.

"Dan's on top of things and if he believes that an engineering study is needed and more work needs to be done, it will be done," Palamar said.

In recent years, the city has dealt with a few problems with the Norwegian Creek tunnel:

- In November 2012, the city paid Mazzuca Enterprises, Pottsville, $34,000 to repair a break in a stone-arch that created a hole in the 100 block of Mahantongo Street. That hole was 8 feet deep and 12 to 15 feet long.

- In March 2011, 4 inches of rain soaked the county, debris blocked an underground stone drain on the 700 block of Water Street and rushing waters broke through the roadway near the sidewalk at 728 Water St.

That summer, the city spent an estimated $30,000, removed 270 foot stretch of the old stone-arch system and replaced it with corrugated, hard plastic pipe 36 inches in diameter, Kelly and Palamar said previously.

- On Jan. 17, 2006, a section of a parking lot owned by Richard B. Ryon Insurance Co. and Century 21 Ryon Real Estate at 200 W. Norwegian St. began sinking. Heavy rains led to a subsidence April 6, 2006.

"That wasn't stone arch. That was a concrete section. Over the years, there were sections that were changed," Kelly said Monday.

The 15-by-30-foot hole in the parking lot remained for more than five years as city officials and representatives of the insurance and real estate firms discussed options for repairs.

In May 2011, Ryon hired Tropp Contracting Inc., Pottsville, to cap the hole and restore the parking lot. Contractor Bob Roos, Pottsville, also worked on the project, which cost an estimated $60,000, Richard F. Ryon Jr., vice president of Ryon Real Estate, said at the time.

PALO ALTO - The borough council on Monday night discussed the state plan to install 1,000 feet of 24-inch plastic pipe through the borough to bring a "permanent solution" to a mine water problem.

Council President John A. Deatrich Jr. said the plan was in the initial stages.

"We'll be looking as a council in the future, as we get more information, to vote on these things," Deatrich said.

If the borough is temporarily inconvenienced or if 40 years from now there may be construction, Deatrich said, he's willing to take that chance.

"You have all that water up there and if this is going to fix it, I'm for it," he said.

The discussion came after a public meeting Friday, where representatives from the state Department of Environmental Protection discussed a proposed long-term solution.

The meeting included Timothy J. Connolly, an engineer from Tetra-Tech, Dallas, Luzerne County, as well as local officials, including state Sen. David Argall, R-29; state Rep. Neal P. Goodman, D-123, and representatives of the state Department of Transportation and the Greater Pottsville Area Sewer Authority.

According to newspaper archives, DEP is considering establishment of a new line to divert the discharge on the 300 block of West Savory Street to a tributary of the Schuylkill River.

Michael C. Korb, environmental program manager for the Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation office in Wilkes-Barre, said Friday that state funding is available for the installation and the project must be bid, but before DEP can bid it, the borough council must sign an agreement to maintain the line once it's installed.

The borough can refuse, however.

From 2005 until 2011, problems with mine water flooding persisted at 302 W. Savory St., a property owned by James Somers Jr.

A few years ago, DEP stopped that flooding by installing a pipe that carried mine water rushing from the mountain into the sewer system managed by the Greater Pottsville Area Sewer Authority.

The first step would be to drain the pool of water in the mountain, according to Connolly. Then, the 24-inch pipe would be installed under 302 W. Savory St. and the line would run northwest under two borough-owned parks, then under East Bacon Street, which is State Route 2002.

DEP would have to apply for a highway occupancy permit from PennDOT before work can begin. The line would turn west and run along the north side of the road.

The line will pass the intersection of Hewes Street and turn west onto property owned by Walco Fabricating Co., 501 W. Bacon St., and DEP would have to apply for an easement from Walco.

According to Tetra Tech's proposal, the new line would connect to an existing 24-inch pipe owned by the Greater Pottsville Area Sewer Authority and DEP would have to apply for an easement from the sewer authority.

From there, the water would drain into a tributary of the Schuylkill River.

"I'm in favor of the project," Mayor Thomas W. Beveridge said Monday. "I just want to see it proceed at a pace and with the involvement of our attorneys and engineers to make sure the citizens are protected as best as they can be protected."

At the meeting Friday, Beveridge didn't like the idea of the borough taking responsibility for the line and said the 2013 budget for Palo Alto, a community of 450 residents, is $313,346 and he doubted the borough could afford maintenance on it.

Councilman Vincent Riotto said his only concern was that he didn't know why DEP wants the borough to take responsibility for the line after it's done.

"I am in favor of the project," Riotto said. "I know we want to get rid of the problem."

In other business, the borough council signed a letter of intent to the City of Pottsville to do a survey about the possibility of forming a regional police force.

"The borough is not committing to anything, it's simply a study and there's absolutely no cost," said solicitor Sudhir Patel, Pottsville. "It really is a no-brainer to go ahead with this, no downside at all."

Elizabeth Edmunds had already tugged the iconic white doctor's coat over her shoulders before she unlocked the front door of her office building.

Hers is a clean building on a clean lot in an aesthetically middle-class neighborhood on Carsonia Avenue in Pennside, just outside the Berks County seat of Reading.

She paid to have the building constructed and opened its doors in 1987 with not many patients of which to speak.

"I was going into big debt. I think I drained every penny I ever had. I had to build this building and buy all this equipment. It was tough," Edmunds, 72, said during an interview in an exam room at the office.

She never advertised her business, save for a blurb in her church bulletin. She was good to her patients and her patients were good to her, sharing positive word of mouth that helped build her client list. She estimates she treated more than 5,000 patients at the site as of last summer.

The office closed in July 2012, and Edmunds moved about two miles away to Healthways Family Medical Center in Exeter Township, where she continues to practice medicine twice a week.

"I consider my career to have been very rewarding, and the day I have to close my doors (for good) and walk away it's going to break my heart," she said as she choked up a bit. "I love my people."

Her people love her, and respect her for sure. It was her people - her colleagues, her patients - that nominated her for the 2013 Family Physician of the Year Award, an honor bestowed upon her by the Pennsylvania Academy of Family Physicians.

In Shamokin

Edmunds was born in Shamokin on Feb. 7, 1941, a daughter of Mary and George Edmunds.

As a student at Shamokin Catholic High School, she had already begun doing social work and knew she wanted to be a doctor. During her senior year, she came to realize something else - she wanted to become a nun.

She graduated in 1958 and matriculated at what was then known as College Misericordia, Dallas, Luzerne County, and began preparation to become a Sister of Mercy.

"I realized I had a vocation and I entered the convent, and the community I entered told me I was either going to be a teacher or a nurse and they wanted me to be a teacher. So I had no choice. I was told I was going to be a chemistry major and a math minor, and that's what I was."

Act of faith

Edmunds taught both high school and college for nine years, all the while earning a bachelor's degree in chemistry in 1966 and a master's degree in chemistry in 1971 from University of Scranton.

Medical school remained on her mind and she sought permission from her sister superior to apply. She was told to apply both to medical school and graduate school, and she did. She returned with acceptance into two medical schools along with a high alternate designation, as well as invites for four graduate teaching opportunities toward earning a doctorate.

Given the choice, at that point, she said she didn't care. She hadn't wanted to be a teacher but her experience leading a classroom all those years cultivated a passion for it. But it wasn't enough to override her desire for a career in medicine, and she was given permission to enroll at The Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania, now a part of Drexel University College of Medicine.

"A lot of things had happened around my going to medical school that hurt deeply and made me have second thoughts. In the end, the (religious) community pulled out all support. I went to medical school with a vow of poverty, no way to take out a loan.

"I went to medical school with the act of faith that if it was God's will I was going to get through it because I had nothing."

Navy girl

Two years into medical school and while still in the convent, Edmunds joined the Naval Reserves and received a two-year scholarship.

She already had one unique tie to the Navy. The USS Francovich, a destroyer-transport, was named for her uncle, Albert Francovich, who was killed in the Solomon Islands during World War II, according to a release published in 1973 in The News-Item.

Her commission into the medical corps made it two unique ties - Edmunds' is the only Roman Catholic nun in the Navy's history to be commissioned.

That same summer of 1973, she worked with Dr. J. Mostyn Davis, a family practitioner in Shamokin whom she admired greatly. If he'd had continued his practice, she'd have joined him.

Davis ended up taking a residency at Geisinger, she said, and a collaboration wasn't meant to be.

Two residencies followed her graduation from medical school in 1975 before she began two years active duty at the Naval hospital in Pensacola, Fla., in 1978. She wore a Navy uniform, not a habit.

"As far as they were concerned, I was just another female physician in the Navy," she said.

Edmunds would eventually decide to leave the convent. If things had worked out differently, she said she'd have never left.

"All I ever wanted to do was come back and open a clinic for the poor in one of our hospitals."

That wasn't the plan.

Love and work

Edmunds became an assistant professor and director of education activities at Albany Medical College in Albany, N.Y. in 1980. In 1981, she took a job at Wyoming Valley Family Practice, Kingston. She took both jobs to be as close as possible to her mother in Shamokin, who had been diagnosed with cancer. She would visit as frequently as her schedule allowed, and she cared for her until her death.

A job in the emergency room at Berwick Hospital followed, at which time she was also working part-time at Family Medicine, Kingston. She ended up in Reading as an associate director of family practice at St. Joseph Medical Center from 1984 to 1986 before leaving to begin her own family practice.

Long removed from Northumberland County and a great many other places, Berks County was where Edmunds finally settled.

Early into her career now in her own office on Carsonia Avenue, a patient had set Edmunds up on a blind date. She had recently broken off an engagement and marriage was far from her mind. As it goes, her would-be date had been divorced for a number of years.

All went well and they continued to see each other, but she couldn't help in thinking about their differences, chief among them was that he was older and Presbyterian.

In the end it didn't matter. About one month after they began dating, John Bankert popped the question. They were married in 1989 and remained so until his death in 2009.

Moving on

Bankert's passing was devastating. Her friend, who also is a priest, noticed as much.

"He said to me, 'You're killing yourself. You've got to stop doing nothing but eating and sleeping and working. You have to have a life.'"

She felt lost. Now in her late 60s, she wasn't about to go looking for a date. Not in a bar. Not anywhere. Not until the friend got her started on a Christian dating website. He made her try it for three months.

"I said, 'You're nuts,' " she recalled. "I did, and I met my husband."

She married her second husband, Charles A. Itle, on June 30, 2012.

Edmunds is modest and dignified, strong and thoughtful. Her character and her mannerisms could peg her for a family doctor without the many degrees or the doctor's coat tipping anyone off.

She credits her success to her upbringing in Shamokin and her exposure to good role models in the medical community. Also, she said, her own ethics and morals.

"My mother always taught me that you never got anywhere if you didn't work for it," she said. "Decide what you want to do and work for it. You can accomplish it if you work for it."

Continuing to fight blight, the City of Pottsville on Monday shuffled some federal grant funds for a demolition project for 2014 during a council meeting.

"The city is developing a large demolition project that will focus upon enhancing the efforts of the blight task force and 11 properties have been submitted to the state Department of Community and Economic Development for demolition approval," city Administrator Thomas A. Palamar said.

Palamar said the addresses will be released once they get state approval.

To give the proposed demolition project a financial boost, the council approved a resolution allowing the city to reallocate funds from the 2011 and 2012 grant programs funded by the federal Community Development Block Grant.

In the city's 2011 CDBG account, $39,503 were earmarked for "sewer separation," $55,000 for "demolition" and $25,000 for future improvements to the "Joulwan Park parking lot."

The council voted to cancel the "sewer separation" line item and move $25,503 from that account to "demolition," bringing the total for "demolition" in the city's 2011 CDBG account to $80,503.

The council moved the remaining $14,000 from the "sewer separation" line item to the Joulwan Park project.

In the city's 2012 CDBG account, $25,000 were earmarked for "demolition," $25,000 for "commercial rehab" and $25,000 for "housing rehabilitation."

The council voted to cancel the line items for "commercial rehab" and "housing rehabilitation" and move the funds to "demolition," bringing the total for "demolition" in the city's 2013 CDBG account to $75,000.

In June, representatives of the Pottsville Blight and Nuisance Task Force unveiled the "Top 10 Worst Properties in the City of Pottsville" at its regular meeting using a slide projector and a screen.

In July, the task force unveiled the "Second Top 10 Worst Properties in the City of Pottsville."

On Monday, the task force used a slide projector and a screen to offer updates on how it is tackling those top properties.

"We plan to effectively and carefully deal with the first 10 homes before moving to the next set of 10," the task force announced in one of the slides titled "Plan of Attack."

"We are here to find out what we need to do on these properties. This is not a negative thing. A lot of times people think about this blight task force stuff and they think it's a negative connotation, but it is not ..." Palamar said.

Citizens can contact the city to reported blighted properties by calling 570-628-1234, ext. 316 or sending an email to fightblight@city.pottsville.pa.us.

During the public portion of the meeting, a representative of one of the property owners in the Top 20 spoke out. Edward W. Orlick, 799 Clarence Ave., father of Edward J. Orlick, who owns 313 Peacock St., which is No. 17 on the blight light, said Edward J. is his son and they both own 313 Peacock.

"My property, I don't think, is that bad. And I think the task force is very hypocritical. I'm more ashamed of Pottsville than my property. Pottsville is a large blight. The streets are the worst anywhere. Pottsville owns a lot of properties that are overgrown and full of weeds," Edward W. said.

On July 10, Edward J. Orlick said the property next door to 313 Peacock St. - a weed-filled lot at 315 Peacock St. - is unsightly and further reduces the marketability of his property. According to the online Schuylkill Parcel Locator, 315 Peacock St. is owned by the City of Pottsville.

"I think you guys need to address some of your own blight," Edward W. said.

In response, Palamar said, "We have no buildings on that property, just so you know."

In other matters, the Fraternal Order of Eagles Aerie 134 donated $500 to the city's Drug Abuse Resistance Education program, and representatives of the Eagles, including Trustee John O'Grady, were present at Monday's meeting.

The contractor who bought and renovated the Pottsville Senior Community Center a few years ago has been featured in a new book about finding financial success in the tough economy.

"You can save money by installing solar panels, just do your homework first," Stephen R. Buzalko, 55, of Pottsville, owner of Buzalko Properties and Buzalko Woodworking, said Monday.

In April 2010, he put a solar system atop his home at 660 Gordon Nagle Trail, Pottsville. Later this month, he plans to install them atop the Pottsville Senior Community Center, 201 N. Centre St., Pottsville.

Buzalko is featured in a book released Aug. 6, "Clark Howard's Living Large for the Long Haul: Consumer-Tested Ways to Overhaul Your Finances, Increase Your Savings and Get Your Life Back on Track," published by Avery Trade, New York.

Howard is a nationally syndicated consumer expert who advises consumers on saving more, spending less, and avoiding being ripped off. His radio show is heard every day on more than 200 radio stations throughout North America. He is also co-host of HLN's nightly news program "Evening Express" with CNN's Ryan Smith, according to Howard's website at clarkhoward.com.

Buzalko said Howard, of Atlanta, Ga., wanted to tell his story, after reading posts Buzalko made on an Internet blog dedicated to solar energy last year.

"I was on his website looking for information about self-directed IRAs and retirement accounts and I saw a thread about solar energy. Somebody was asking 'Is it worthwhile?' So I put my two cents in," Buzalko said.

In particular, Buzalko advised buyers to get at least three quotes and to question contractors before hiring them.

"Ask them how many systems they've installed, how long they've been in business, who's going to apply for grants and submit the paperwork and who pays for the permits," Buzalko said.

In September 2012, Howard interviewed Buzalko by email.

Buzalko's story is featured in a five-page chapter titled "Solar Saver," which begins on Page 147. In it, he talks about how he installed solar panels at his 2,000-square-foot home at 660 Gordon Nagle Trail and saved money.

Born in Schuylkill Haven Oct. 30, 1957, Buzalko graduated from Schuylkill Haven Area High School in 1975. He served in the Army for three years and was honorably discharged with the rank of E-4.

In 1985, he opened Buzalko Woodworking on Mount Hope Avenue, Pottsville. He moved his business to 660 Gordon Nagle Trail in 1989.

In April 2010, Buzalko hired a contractor to put in a 10-kilowatt solar system with 50 roof-mounted panels atop his Gordon Nagle Trail home and office. The project cost was $55,000.

By doing research on grants, Buzalko was able to save money on the project. In particular, he received a $19,500 grant through the Pennsylvania Sunshine Program and a $16,500 federal tax credit on his 2010 taxes. In the end, he said he paid "about $19,000" for the system.

In February 2003, Buzalko and his wife, Ann Marie C. Buzalko, bought the three-story building at 201 N. Centre St. from National Loan Investors for $65,000, according to the online Schuylkill Parcel Locator.

The Schuylkill County Office of Senior Services contracts Diakon Community Services for Seniors, Pottsville, to manage the Pottsville Senior Community Center, Karen Wood, the director of Diakon in Pottsville, said Monday.

The Pottsville Senior Community Center has been headquartered on the first floor of the 201 N. Centre St. property "more than 15 years," Wood said.

Meanwhile there's a tenant in a second-floor apartment and the third floor is vacant.

Wood praised Buzalko's decision to put solar panels atop the building.

"He's one of those guys who's really trying to improve the community. He really takes care of the properties he owns and I couldn't ask for a better landlord," Wood said.

Buzalko hired Gridsmart Solar, Schuylkill Haven, to install a 12-kilowatt solar system with 52 roof-mounted panels atop the building.

"It's going to take up pretty much the whole roof," he said.

The project cost is $28,000. But he received incentives including an $8,500 Pennsylvania Sunshine Grant and an $8,400 federal tax credit. He said his total out-of-pocket expenses may be "around $5,150."

"The project should pay for itself after about six years," he said. "Right now, we pay about $400 or $500 per month for electricity. When these go up, I'm hoping it cuts that bill in half to either $200 or $250 per month. That's what I'm hoping for during the months of spring, summer and fall. We won't get that kind of return in the winter," Buzalko said.

Aside from his business on Gordon Nagle Trail and 201 N. Centre St., Buzalko owns three other properties in Pottsville: an office building at 200 N. Second St., an office building at 405 W. Norwegian St. and a vacant downtown office building at 108 N. Centre St. He also owns 401 Beechwood Ave. in Mar Lin, location of the U.S. Post Office, and a house at 322 N. Center St., Frackville.

He's also been a member of the city's Historical Architectural Review Board for five years.

Howard could not be reached for comment Monday, but a message was left with Grace Del Rio, his assistant in Atlanta, Ga.

A walk to the site of the Sheppton Mine Disaster will be held Sunday, 50 years to the day when rescuers realized coal miners David Fellin and Henry "Hank" Throne had survived a mine collapse.

Those who attend the free, public event will learn more about the efforts to save the men, who were trapped for almost two weeks underground, said Patrick M. "Porcupine Pat" McKinney, education coordinator for the Schuylkill Conservation District.

The Schuylkill On the Move walk will take participants to the grave site of miner Louis Bova, whose body was never recovered from the mine. There, McKinney said, a short program will be held to memorialize Bova, recognize the survivors and pay tribute to the rescuers.

After the program, McKinney will share information about the rescue.

"We always try to focus on something historical while enjoying nature," McKinney said. Knowing that 50 years had passed since the disaster, he suggested the August walk.

Rescuers had spent all of Aug. 18, 1963, drilling a 6-inch borehole into the ground. At that point, there was no proof any of the men had survived.

When the hole was drilled to the correct depth, rescuers heard the miners' voices, but it would take several days to free the men. A special drill was used to reach Fellin and Throne, who were pulled to safety Aug. 27.

Ronnie Sando, Beaver Meadows, was among the rescuers and will be on hand for the Schuylkill On the Move walk.

"I'm the only guy living from Pagnotti's rescue crew," said Sando, who authored the book, "The Famous Sheppton Mine Rescue." "I was 25 at the time and even back then, I sensed that (the rescue) was a miracle."

McKinney is familiar with the area and said he would personally support efforts to make the area a community park or historic site.

Participants should meet in the parking area along Schoolhouse Road located off Route 924 in Sheppton. McKinney said walkers should wear comfortable clothes and shoes for the walk and bring water and snacks.

For more information, contact McKinney at 570-622-4124, ext. 113, or porcupinepat@yahoo.com.

Schuylkill On the Move is a collaborative effort lad by the Schuylkill Conservation District working in concert with the Schuylkill County Visitors Bureau, Schuylkill Conservancy and Schuylkill County VISION.

"Our goal is to get people out into natural areas to reconnect, get healthy and at same time, learn history," McKinney said.

Deeds

Port Carbon - Stanley J. and Mary P. Folweiler to Charles A. Minchoff; 21 Cherry St.; $5,000.

Pottsville - Tax Claim Bureau of Schuylkill County to Robert Engleman Jr.; 608 N. Eighth St.; $1,081.

Tax Claim Bureau of Schuylkill County to Izoi LLC; 211 Fairview St.; $795.

Tax Claim Bureau of Schuylkill County to House Flex LLC; 918 W. Race St.; $1,045.

Tax Claim Bureau of Schuylkill County to Izoi LLC; 212 N. George St.; $780.

Tax Claim Bureau of Schuylkill County to Francis DeVizia; 326 E. Arch St.; $826.

Tax Claim Bureau of Schuylkill County to David Petravich; 734 Hornung St.; $936.

Tax Claim Bureau of Schuylkill County to Garage Flex LLC; 730 N. Third St.; $740.

Talal Rajha to Luigi and Rosa Troia; 1590 W. Market St.; $46,000.

Rush Township - Paul G. Corinchock and Carol A. Tallick to Robert C. and Deborah Delp; property on Route 309; $57,000.

SMNRC LP, administrator of the Estate of Lee Grace Hartranft, to Randy and Karen M. Wasserleben; 42 Ardmore Ave., Hometown; $105,000.

Shenandoah - Charles F. and Renee McGee to Brian B. Rooney Jr.; 524 W. Washington St.; $23,920.

Richard Piaskowski and Stanley J. and Marie J. Piaskowski to Marilyn Stefanski; property on Centre Street; $29,900.

Tax Claim Bureau of Schuylkill County to Francis DeVizia; 436 W. Penn St.; $801.

Tax Claim Bureau of Schuylkill County to Francis DeVizia; 18-20 W. Laurel St.; $806.

Tax Claim Bureau of Schuylkill County to Hyder and Maryam Binjameel; 26 E. Poplar St.; $700.

Tax Claim Bureau of Schuylkill County to Francis DeVizia; 421 E. Mount Vernon St.; $805.

South Manheim Township - Mary Ann Hanus to Mary Ann Hanus and Denise McSorley; Lot 2038, Lake Wynonah; $1.

Ara J. Reber, by attorney in fact Harold Steve, and Harold W. Steve Jr. to Eugene Handwerk; 627 Wynonah Drive, Lake Wynonah; $257,000.

Upper Mahantongo Township - Anna Wiest to Delroy F. Jr. and Sheila M. Straub; 1.49-acre property; $1.

Delroy F. Jr. and Sheila M. Straub to Delroy F. Jr. and Sheila M. Straub; 100 Vista Road, Klingerstown; $1.

Washington Township - Dwayne and Rosemary Sensenig to Bradley Ulsh; 761 Mountain Road; $210,000.

MINERSVILLE - Borough police on Sunday arrested Joseph E. Boris Jr., 45, of 311 Arlene St., in connection with a burglary at 317 Pine St. last month.

Minersville police Chief Michael Combs said Monday that Boris was found "passed out in the street, drunk" in the borough on Sunday and officers were able to pick him up and take him into custody.

He was arraigned by Magisterial District Judge David A. Plachko, Port Carbon, and committed to Schuylkill County Prison in lieu of $50,000 straight cash bail. He was charged with one count of burglary, one count of theft by unlawful taking and one count of criminal trespassing.

According to the affidavit, police saw Boris walking on Carbon Street near Second Street on July 28, carrying a bag over his shoulder.

Earlier that day, a resident told police he saw the same person on North Fourth Street looking into cars.

When police stopped Boris, he said he found the bag in a Dumpster and he then allowed police to look into the bag that had a Pennsylvania identification card for Edward Williams, 317 Pine St., credit cards, several pieces of metal bars and a plastic box containing jewelry.

"We couldn't get a hold of the victim ... so we had to let him (Boris) go," Combs said.

Once police spoke to Williams, they determined that Boris had broken into the home. A warrant was then issued for Boris' arrest.

Boris was also arrested by Cass Township police, in conjunction with Minersville police, in May with criminal trespass, theft, receiving stolen property, possessing instruments of crime and resisting arrest.

Those charges were part of an investigation into several thefts from properties both in Cass Township and Minersville.

"He's made a killing on scrap, $200 a pop," Patrolman Richard Clink said.

Combs said that at that time, Boris got out of jail on bail and then police began receiving reports of car break-ins and other thefts.

Clink said Boris' "criminal history is so bad" that he's looking at serving time in a state prison because of a misdemeanor with his theft charges.

Police are starting the process to revoke his bail from the previous charges.

"We're glad to have Mr. Boris off the street in the borough," Combs said.

TREMONT - Following up its successful conference on timbering in March, the Schuylkill County Conservancy is planning a second conference - this time about the American chestnut tree.

Called "The Return of the American Chestnut," the event is set for 8 a.m. to noon Sept. 7 at the Tremont Borough Community Center. The fee to attend is $5 per person.

"A lead researcher from Penn State will present the program and discuss efforts to restore this species back into the landscape.," Frank P. Snyder, a state service forester who works for the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Tuscarora, said Monday.

That speaker is Sara Fitzsimmons, a research technologist at Penn State University, State College. She is also the northcentral coordinator for the American Chestnut Foundation, Snyder said.

"There will also be a quick bus trip to see a collection of American chestnut trees in Tremont Township,' he added. "This is a very popular topic of many folks in Schuylkill County and Pennsylvania."

The fee, Snyder said, will include cost of hiring the main speaker and bus transportation to a chestnut plantation on land owned by the Schuylkill County Municipal Authority.

"There will be a tour of a recently planted American chestnut plantation where you will see first-hand how these trees are being used to reclaim mining sites that will greatly help control flooding in nearby communities," Snyder said.

The registration deadline for the conference is Aug. 30. To register, send a check for $5 to: Schuylkill County Conservancy, Attn.: Wayne G. Lehman, Schuylkill Conservation District, 1206 Ag Center Drive, Pottsville, PA. 17901.

The Schuylkill County Conservancy is a nonprofit 501c3 organization that works to preserve farmland, open space, rural heritage, streams, wetlands, waterways, forests, historic sites and structures, and other natural resources, according to its website at schuylkillconservancy.org

In March, the organization held a conference on timbering at the Health and Wellness Building at Penn State Schuylkill campus, Schuylkill Haven. It was free to the public, Snyder said.

The conservancy wasn't sure how many people would come out, but more than 80 did. And that inspired the conservancy to hold a second conference this year, Snyder said.

"We had an evaluation sheet we handed out to all the participants. And we asked them if they would be interested in future events, and what kind of topics they would like to hear about. And American chestnut was one of those topics they requested," Snyder said.

The American chestnut was once one of the more prominent tree species in the eastern United States. The species was almost completely wiped out by a fungal blight, Cryphonectria parasitica, accidently brought from Asia to New York in the late 19th century, according to hobbyfarms.com.

"Over the years, I've noticed people always want to talk about the American chestnut. I think it's because that tree is near extinction. But they see it's still growing in the forest, but it keeps dying out. So it's a constant reminder that this tree is struggling to survive," Snyder said.

"At this workshop you will be familiarized with the efforts of the American Chestnut Foundation to restore the American Chestnut back into our eastern woodlands. The benefits that this species provides our environment, wildlife and society will be discussed. You will meet researchers and project partners who have made contributions in restoring this tree to our landscape," according to a press release for the event. Conference slated

· What: "The Return of the American Chestnut"

· Host: The Schuylkill County Conservancy

· When: 8 a.m. to noon Sept. 7

· Where: Tremont Borough Community Center, 139 Clay St.

· Cost to attend: $5 per person

· Deadline to register: Aug. 30

· How to register: Send a check for $5 per person to: Schuylkill County Conservancy, Attn.: Wayne G. Lehman, Schuylkill Conservation District, 1206 Ag Center Drive, Pottsville, PA. 17901.

Source: Frank P. Snyder, service forester, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Forestry, Tuscarora.

n Ashland: The Ashland Area Rotary will sponsor a free band concert presented by Cressona Band at 7 p.m. Aug. 14 at Eureka Park. Before the concert, the club will hold it's annual chicken dinner with pick up at the Little League concession stand. Cost is $9 and includes three pieces of chicken, baked potato, vegetable, cole slaw, roll, dessert and beverage. All proceeds will benefit the Rotary Charities.

n Frackville: North Schuylkill High School students Justine Paul and Lauren Damiter attended a recent meeting of the Frackville Rotary Club to inform the group that they had adopted Rotary International's Shelter Box Project as their senior project at the school. According to a Rotary press release, shelter boxes, which cost $1,000 each, consist of a tent-like structure, a small cook stove, water, food and other necessities, and are sent to areas of the world affected by disasters such as hurricanes, typhoons or earthquakes to offer temporary relief to people displaced by the events. The boxes are numbered so that each buyer of a shelter box can trace its location. They are stored in warehouses to await their need. When a disaster occurs, Rotarians said in the release, it is too late to begin raising the money to put together such life-saving implements, so the Shelter Box Project aims to have the items ready to be sent quickly to disaster areas. The club endorsed the project as an example of Rotary's motto, "Service Above Self," and pledged to support the students in their effort. Tom Graves, Frackville Rotarian and past district governor, told club members there were no cases of Polio III reported anywhere in the world last year. Rotary International initiated its Polio Plus Program in 1985 with the goal of eradicating all three strains of the polio virus. So far, the only areas on the planet still afflicted by the disabling disease are Nigeria and Pakistan, where resistance by religious extremists, ignorance and difficult topography have impaired the eradication efforts, according to the Rotary release. In Pakistan, several volunteers have been murdered by extremists in the past year as they attempted to inoculate the population, yet brave people persist in their efforts to rid the world of the affliction.

n Frackville: People who participated in the Frackville Rotary Club's free swim night on July 28 at the pool in Frackville Memorial Park may have had the impression they were transported to the Hawaiian islands. Disc jockey Drew featured music of the South Pacific, there was an aroma of barbecued pork and leis were presented to each participant as he/she walked into the pool's pavilion area, according to a Rotary press release. The event was sponsored by the club to promote the use of the borough's swimming pool. Rotarian John E. Domalakes, who distributed the leis, said more than 125 people participated in the event. Rotarians Noreen O'Boyle, Suzanne Domalakes, Joseph Walters and Karen Domalakes sold pulled pork sandwiches, chocolate desserts and pineapple-coconut cupcakes. To top off the event, Mother Nature provided a "spectacular double rainbow" over Frackville, according to the release.

n Girardville: The Rob Krick Heart Fund Committee meeting has been rescheduled for 7 p.m. today in St. Vincent de Paul Roman Catholic Church hall. Lottery ticket donations are still being accepted to be used in the floral arrangement that will be raffled off during Pioneer Day in Ashland Aug. 17. The ticket donations may be dropped off at Girardville Borough Hall any weekday during normal business hours.

n Minersville: The Sunshine Club of Heritage Hill will sponsor a Super Saturday Community Yard Sale beginning at 8 a.m. Sept. 7, according to Anna Kubilus. Anyone wanting to set up a table should call Anna at 570-544-6027 or Carol at 570-544-3157. Kubilus said food and refreshments will be available and entertainment will be by John and Joe.

n Orwigsburg: The 5K Run, Walk & Roll to benefit the Orwigsburg Veterans Memorial is set for 9 a.m. Sept. 7 at the memorial building, Washington and Grove streets, just off Route 443. Entry, if postmarked by Aug. 20, will be $25 general and $23 for active military personnel or veterans. A Fun Run will begin at 10 a.m. and the cost is $15 per entrant. After Aug. 20, add $5 for each category. Checks payable to Orwigsburg Memorial Restoration Run should be mailed to the Orwigsburg Memorial Task Force, P.0. Box 157, Orwigsburg, PA 17961. More information is available online at www.run4memorial.com.

A photo published on page seven in Monday's edition shows Knights of Lithuania treasurer Paul Domalakes. The identity was wrong.

in 2-vehicle crash

SCHUYLKILL HAVEN - The drivers involved in a crash Saturday in North Manheim Township escaped injury.

State police at Schuylkill Haven said the incident occurred at 2:05 p.m. at routes 61 and 443 as Bridget Mabry, 53, of Pottsville, who was driving a 2009 Toyota Corolla, was traveling north in the left lane and failed to see a 2005 Ford F-250, driven by Bryan Witmier, 30, of Strausstown, stopped in the left lane of Route 61. Mabry hit the back of the Witmeir's vehicle with the left front end of her car.

Both drivers were wearing seat belts, police said.

Mabry was charged with failing to drive a vehicle at a safe speed.

The Orwigsburg Fire Company, Orwigsburg Fire Police and Orwigsburg Community Ambulance assisted at the scene.

Driver to be cited

for hitting car

HAMBURG - An Orwigsburg woman had her vehicle towed after another driver backed into it.

State police at Hamburg said the incident took place at 7:07 p.m. Saturday in Tilden Township, Berks County.

Police said Shane Boyle, 20, of Hamburg, struck the left rear wheel of a 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan, driven by Joan Premich, 53, with his 2009 Dodge Charger.

Boyle was backing up on the westbound side of Jetson Drive as Premich was turning left into Burger King from the eastbound side, police said.

Boyle will be cited with limitations on backing, police said.

Man injured

in 1-car crash

BERNVILLE - A 29-year-old Frackville man was arrested for driving under the influence Saturday in Berks County.

State police at Hamburg said Michael Wood, driving a 1999 Dodge Dakota, left the road while following a curve on Bloody Springs Road, Upper Tulpehocken Township, and hit a tree. Police said he continued on a rim and damaged a property at 10 Adherne Lane before getting stuck in a field, police said.

He suffered minor head injuries when his face hit the steering wheel, police said. An ambulance responded to the scene but Wood was not taken to a hospital, police said.

He will be charged with driving too fast for road conditions, pending blood tests, police said.

Woman charged

with retail theft

FRACKVILLE - An Ashland woman was charged after allegedly stealing items from Sears in the Schuylkill Mall.

State police at Frackville said Dorothy Brenneman, 31, put a necklace and earrings into her handbag Friday and left the store at 4:42 p.m.

A Sears loss prevention officer confronted her and the items were recovered and returned to the store, police said.

Police charged Brenneman with retail theft.

Woman steals

from market

PINE GROVE - A 41-year-old woman faces retail theft charges after she allegedly stole items from BG's Market in Pine Grove.

The theft took place between 3:28 and 3:38 p.m. Aug. 3 as Stacie Renninger, of Pine Grove, allegedly put multiple items into her purse without paying for them, police said. She also had items under her cart, police said.

She then went through the checkout counter without paying for the items valued at $49.69, police said.

Charge were filed in the office of Magisterial District Judge Carol Pankake's office, Tremont.

MAHANOY CITY - The borough council voted Tuesday to advertise for a new police chief due to the planned retirement of Chief Mark J. Wiekrykas.

Wiekrykas, 51, who has been on the borough police force for 25 years, plans to officially retire at the end of the year. Until that time, he will use vacation and unused time owed to him while remaining as chief.

Wiekrykas has been police chief for 15 years, having been hired for the position in 1999. When asked about his experiences as a chief, Wiekrykas said that working in a small town has some unique aspects.

"Policing in a small town is a phenomenal experience because you're exposed to everything that happens in the course of your work shift," he said after the meeting. "In a larger department, a patrol officer goes to call, waits until a detective shows up, leaves and sometimes may never know what happens to a case. No matter how much cooperation there is, there's always some division of labor between patrols and investigations and other units in the larger department."

Wiekrykas said police officers in smaller towns can see cases from beginning to end.

"Here, you can have a barking dog to someone with a weapon," Wiekrykas said. "If you're on duty, you're the officer that's going to handle that call. The range of experience is phenomenal."

Wiekryas said that the police department has excellent officers, which helps make the job easier.

"The job is easier with a really phenomenal bunch of officers to work with who are aggressive and want to go out and do their jobs on a daily basis," Wiekrykas said.

The police department has four full-time officers, which include the chief, and about eight part-time officers.

Even though he will be retired, Wiekrykas plans to keep active.

"I've been a part-time criminal justice instructor at McCann in Hazleton for about eight years. I plan to keep doing that and do a little bit more if they'll allow me to do more," he said. "I still maintain all of my active EMS and instructor certifications. I've been a volunteer with the Shenandoah ambulance since I was in high school and I plan to become a little more active like I used to be and do some teaching in that arena as well. I also have my sideline as a church organist (at Blessed Teresa of Calcutta Roman Catholic Church, Mahanoy City). Whatever else life throws at me, we'll see what happens."

Wiekrykas will continue to live in Mahanoy City.

"I'm here for the duration, I guess," he said.

Council President Patti A. Schnitzius praised Wiekrykas as chief after the meeting.

"It's been a pleasure to work with Mark as chief of police. We'll certainly miss him here in the borough," Schnitzius said. "We worked hand-in-hand for the 14 years I've been on council. He's always been very kind and cooperative as a working partner with the borough."

Mayor Nancy A. Petritsch said the position will be open to candidates internally and externally.

"Everybody will be able to apply," Petritsch said.

Number incorrect

There are 450 residences and about 1,100 residents in the Borough of Palo Alto. The number of residents was incorrect in Tuesday's edition.

PINE GROVE - The cause of a fire that destroyed two sheds at 4 Kurtz Road, Washington Township, was still under investigation as of press time late Tuesday.

Carl Stump, second assistant chief at Friedensburg Fire Company, said the fire was reported about 8:20 p.m. and two small sheds were ablaze when he arrived. It took only a few minutes to put out the flames and no one was hurt but both sheds were destroyed, Stump said.

Township Fire Marshal Mike Stalnecker was still investigating the cause of the fire late Tuesday.

Assisting at the scene were North End Fire Company and Hose, Hook and Ladder, both of Pine Grove, Friedensburg Fire Company and Summit Station Fire Company.

PINE GROVE - A borough council candidate who faces indecent assault charges in county court has withdrawn his name from the General Election ballot.

Robert Wolfe won the Republican nomination to a four-year term in the May primary election. On Tuesday, Frannie Brennan, director of the Schuylkill County Election Bureau, said Wolfe withdrew from the race Aug. 6. The last day for candidates to withdraw was Monday.

"It now goes to the county chair and they have to do a substitute nomination and that has to be in Aug. 22," Brennan said about the change, adding that there isn't much time.

A call to Wolfe was not returned Tuesday. He said previously that he would not run in the General Election because of health concerns involving his kidneys and a possible stroke.

Gary Bender, the Schuylkill County Republican chairman, said Tuesday that he is aware of Wolfe's withdrawal.

"I have a meeting (scheduled) with the committee people from Pine Grove Borough," he said. The group will select a candidate and that name will be given to the elections bureau.

Wolfe, 43, of Pine Grove, faces charges of aggravated indecent assault, corruption of minors, unlawful contact with minor-sexual offenses, sexual abuse of children-child pornography and indecent assault.

He was arrested at his home May 23 by the Pine Grove police department.

Magisterial District Judge James R. Ferrier ordered all charges against Wolfe held for the county court at a preliminary hearing in June.

Pine Grove police allege that Wolfe had unlawful sexual contact with a 13-year-old girl, who is now 16, at North End Fire Company in the borough. Police also allege Wolfe, who worked on the custodial staff at Pine Grove Area High School at the time, and the girl met several other times, exchanged pictures and talked in a sexual manner.

Pine Grove Area school board President David Lukasewicz said Tuesday that Wolfe was unanimously fired from his position with the district at a June 20 school board meeting.

Wolfe was also vice president of Hose, Hook and Ladder No. 1 Fire Company in Pine Grove as of May.

Fire Chief Dave Sattizahn did not return a call Tuesday to confirm whether Wolfe still holds that position with the fire company.

Schuylkill Medical Center-South Jackson Street

To David and Mary Beth McGinnis Strohl, Pottsville, a daughter, July 1.

To Lee T. and Karrie Collins Grimes, Pottsville, a son, July 21.

To Jeremy T. Miller and Cynthia Mae Dengler, Hegins, a son, July 22.

Scott Krause and Stephany Hauptly, Schuylkill Haven, a daughter, July 22.

To Eric Eccker, Ulster, and Karissa Laughlin, Schuylkill Haven, a daughter, July 27.

To Kyle Kerstetter and Jennifer Miller, Spring Glen, a daughter, July 29.

To Shaun Martin and Shayla Halcovich, Mahanoy City, a daughter, July 30.

To Eric and Cheyenne Ashley Myers, Pine Grove, a son, July 30.

To Brad and Sarah Marconis Woznisky, Pottsville, a son, Aug. 2.