CMYK Basket at the ready Waverly Community Church hosted an Easter egg hunt and festivities for children. See Page 3.
THE ABINGTON
JOURNAL
Runway READY Lackawanna Trail Fashion Show raised funds for Marching Band and Color Guard. See Page 4.
An edition of The Times Leader
Wilkes-Barre, Clarks Summit, Pa. Pa.
www.theabingtonjournal.com
Meet the President
Future starts with volunteers
Marty Gatto and Mara Lord helped paint decorative rocks, shown, for the memorial garden in Dalton Streamside Park .
“I wanted to do something to continue to remember her.” Lackawanna Trail High School senior Nina Gatto Speaking about a garden at Dalton Streamside Park, which she created in memory of her friend, Delaney Sandercock
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BY KELLY MCDONOUGH Abington Journal Correspondent
Don Demarest, club president for the Trail Rotary Factoryville sums his feelings about his involvement with Rotary International as a whole: “When you wake up and smell the coffee, then pour yourself a bowl of Wheaties , put your glasses on and shake the cobwebs loose, you pick up the paper and realize everyday what nonprofit organizations accomplish in NEPA for the good of our Don Demarest citizens and children. Now magnify this by the thousands across this country.” He sees the big picture. “Rotary is not just a club, it’s an education.” Demarest has witnessed firsthand what the organization has done locally as well as throughout the world. And he wants to spread to the world that people are needed in all walks of life to help the endeavors club members face. The Factoryville resident has been busy with Rotary for three years, club president for 2011-2012 and 2012-2013, and has experienced first hand what the organization does locally, as well as
ABINGTON JOURNAL/ELIZABETH BAUMEISTER
Lackawanna Trail High School senior Nina Gatto, works on her senior project, a garden at Dalton Streamside Park in memory of her friend, Delaney Sandercock, who passed away about two years ago in a drowning accident.
TRIBUTE to a friend Garden keeps memories alive By Elizabeth Baumeister lbaumeister@theabingtonjournal.com
T
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50¢
A.H. coach faces charges against minors
April 5. Cerco allegedly sent a friend request to the preteen girl on the social network site, Facebook. The girl and Cerco chatted online for “approximately a week and a half.” BY CHRISTOPHER J. HUGHES The chats allegedly beAND ROBERT TOMKAVAGE came “uncomfortable” when Staff writers Cerco began asking the girl about “the type of underSOUTH ABINGTON wear she wears under her TOWNSHIP - An assistant yoga pants” and when he Abington Heights High told the girl to leave the School seventh and eighth grade baseball coach alleg- clothing items under his car. After learning of the aledly admitted to police that leged conduct, Abington he “crossed the line” when Heights Superintendent Dr. he asked a 12-year-old feMichael Mahon contacted male player to bring her police. He later told investiyoga pants and underwear gating officers that internal “to baseball practice in a policy in the district prohibbag and leave them under its coaches from “texting, his car,” according to a e-mails, or social network criminal affidavit. Gavin Joseph Cerco II, 25, contact” with student athletes. of Clarks Summit, was In a forensic interview at charged with one count of corruption of minors by the the Children’s Advocacy Lackawanna County District Center, the girl repeated the Attorney’s Office and South Abington Township Police See Coach, Page 6
Gavin Joseph Cerco II allegedly solicited clothing, including underwear, from 12-year-old baseball team member.
See President, Page 9
INSIDE
APRIL 11 TO APRI 17, 2012
he 10-by-20-foot garden plot sits to the side by the creek, with a variety of flowers pushing through the carefully spread brown mulch. Purple pansies, yellow forsythias and a small tiger lily plant, among others, grow under the sun and in the shade of a small tree. A brand new bench sits in one corner, and after its wood has aged, carved into it will be the words, “Side by side or far apart, you will remain close to
our hearts.” The garden, located at Dalton Streamside Park, was created by Nina Gatto, 18, of Dalton, as her senior project at Lackawanna Trail High School, and is a memorial to her best friend, Delaney Sandercock, who passed away about two years ago in a drowning accident at Lake Winola. Gatto said her friend loved pretty things, such as flowers, and the bright orange tiger lilies were her favorite. She said she be-
This photo of Nina Gatto and Delaney Sandercock was taken about two years ago, shortly before Sandercock’s death. It is now treasured by Gatto, who created a garden in her friend’s memory at Dalton Streamside Park.
lieves the garden will serve as a good memory of her friend, and she hopes other friends and relatives of Sandercock will enjoy it as well. “I wanted to do something to continue to remember her,” she said. The project is ongoing for more than a year now; Gatto started it about five months after the tragedy. Her first step was to bring the idea to the town counSee Tribute, Page 7
Ransom: Not at liberty to discuss resignation referred to law enforcement for investigation,” according to the statement, “we are not at liberty to discuss anything with respect to the case including BY ELIZABETH BAUMEISTER information obtained from the lbaumeister@theabingtonjournal.com Township Auditors, informaRANSOM TWP. - The Ran- tion provided to law enforcesom Township Board of Super- ment, or the course and scope of the investigation.” visors distributed a written It ended by stating that the statement at its meeting April 2 Supervisors would not be able regarding the resignation of Kathy Zielinski from her posi- to answer any questions at that night’s meeting relating to the tion as township secretarymatter, and thanking attendees treasurer. According to the supervisors, for their understanding. Supervisors did, however, Zielinski, who worked with the answer some questions relating township about 18 years, resigned after irregularities were to the job opening for the position previously held by Zielindiscovered by Ransom Township auditors in some township ski, saying they are looking for an experienced individual to accounts, and her resignation was accepted at an emergency fill a temporary position at no meeting March 19. “Since the matter has been See Ransom, Page 7
Township supervisors seek temporary secretary-treasurer.
Middle School celebrates feat
Return to ‘glory’
needs and interests of young rtomkavage@theabingtonjournal.com adolescents, and its commitment to helping all students CLARKS SUMMIT- Stuachieve at high levels. dents, teachers and adminisThe program began with an trators gathered for a schoolopening message from Princiwide celebration April 4 as pal Michael Elia who comAbington Heights Middle School was re-designated as a mended the sense of togetherness that is present at the Pa. Don Eichhorn “School to Watch.” The event was held in school. “We have unity here at the the auditorium, but also spilled Middle School,” Elia said. “We out into the cafeteria where students watched the program care about the school and have a lot of pride. We wouldn’t be on a big screen projector. successful without the best Three years ago, the Middle teachers and support staff in School was first designated a the state of Pennsylvania. They “School to Watch.” come in early and stay late.” Abington Heights Middle Eighth grade students Ellie School was selected by state leaders for its academic excellence, its responsiveness to the See Achievement, Page 6
lbaumeister@theabingtonjournal.com
BY ELIZABETH BAUMEISTER
BY ROBERT TOMKAVAGE
“Pina, ” an Oscar-nominated tribute to the legendary choreographer Pina Bausch is directed by Wim Wenders. It features multiple languages with subtitles. Rating: PG
When flooding destroyed much of the Dietrich Theater in Tunkhannock right before the opening of its Fall Film Festival last September, theater staff wondered whether or not they would make it, according to Hildy Morgan, who was executive director at the time. “It was a really close call for us,” Morgan said. She added that she is grateful the countless volunteers who came to clean up the mess and essentially remodel the theatre, and for Erica Rogler, who “led the charge.” See Glory, Page 11