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PLAINS TOWNSHIP
I-81 fatal victim identified
A man walking along the southbound lanes of Interstate 81 was killed when he was struck by several vehicles Wednesday night. The Luzerne County Coroner’s Office identified him as 52-year-old Darren Simonson of Plains Township. Acting Luzerne County Coroner William Lisman said Simonson was pronounced dead at the scene at 9:35 p.m., a short distance from the Exit 170B ramp in Plains Township. State police at Wyoming said Simonson was struck by a vehicle and possibly other vehicles at about 8:35 p.m. Simonson’s death was ruled an accident by the coroner’s office. The southbound lanes of Interstate 81 were closed for more than three hours before they reopened at 11 p.m. Anyone who may have witnessed the incident is asked to call state police at Wyoming at 697-2000. WILKES-BARRE
Study critiques drilling regs
A study by two Wilkes University institutes finds Pennsylvania’s new rules governing the natural gas industry fall short in providing safeguards and advantages to local governments. The Institute for Public Policy and Economic Development and the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research for Northeastern Pennsylvania jointly released a 20-page report that comments on key provisions of the new impact-fee law, Act 13. Weaknesses cited include provisions that strip municipalities of land-use planning and local control, provisions that give local government an option as to whether to impose the fee, and to choose the fee, which caps at 2.5 percent regardless of market price increases. Other criticisms cited include the regulations’ failure to establish protective measures for air pollution control, pipeline rights of way, and compressor station isolation distance. The regulations also allow more drilling on state land and fail to account for impacts to counties suffering from pipelines, congestion and social dislocations. Among the strengths noted are provisions that allow counties and municipalities to receive revenue to offset impacts. WASHINGTON, D.C.
Fire cos. get FEMA grants
U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Scranton, on Thursday announced the Federal Emergency Management Agency has awarded $117,803 in grants to two fire departments in Lackawanna and Luzerne counties. The Cottage Hose Ambulance Corp. Inc. in Carbondale will receive $42,753 for operations and safety. The Jonathan R. Davis Volunteer Fire Company in Dallas Casey will receive $75,050 for operations and safety. Federal funds are awarded through the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program. DALLAS TOWNSHIP
PA program receives nod
The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant has granted accreditationprovisional status to Misericordia University’s new Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies . The program offers studies at the graduate level and a five-year combined program with the university’s Bachelor of Science in Medical Science. The Pennsylvania Department of EducaBrown tion approved the program in December. “Attaining accreditation-provisional status from ARC-PA is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our devoted and highly qualified PA and natural sciences faculty members,’’ said Russ Pottle, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “In particular, the presence of Drs. Stanley J. Dudrick and Scott L. Massey, and Darci Brown, signals that we expect our physician assistant program to attain national prominence.”
FRIDAY, MARCH 23, 2012 PAGE 3A
LOCAL WILKES-BARRE CITY COUNCIL
Leonard Cornish is also named to fill spot on the panel
Jensen gets planning board job By BILL O’BOYLE boboyle@timesleader.com
WILKES-BARRE – Despite criticism from several residents, City Council appointed Christine Jensen to the city’s planning commission by a 3-2 vote Thursday night. In an unexpected development, Leonard Cornish was appointed to the same panel at the request of Councilman Tony George. That vote was 5-0. George and Maureen Lavelle voted against Jensen’s appointment, while Council Chairman Mike Merritt, Vice Chairman Bill Barrett and George Brown voted in favor. George said Jensen was a
good human resources director, but lacked the appropriate background needed to serve on the Jensen planning commission. He said Cornish has the proper background. Jensen, now the administrator at CareerLink, was not the choice of several residents. Frank Sorick, president of the Wilkes-Barre City Taxpayers Association, noted that Jensen “took the heat” for Mayor Tom Leighton last summer when it was learned that she was the
one who hired Leighton’s daughter, niece and nephew to summer positions. That action resulted in a complaint filed with the state Ethics Commission that would later clear Leighton. Sorick said Jensen also hired her daughter to a city summer job before she resigned. “Of course Mayor Leighton had nothing to do with the hiring of his relatives – he’s just the mayor,” Sorick said. “Of course he offered no input or direction.” Sorick quoted from the state Ethics Commission handbook See COUNCIL, Page 6A
FRED ADAMS/FOR THE TIMES LEADER
Councilman Bill Barrett addresses Bob Kadluboski during public comment at City Hall on Thursday.
A child of former Cuban dictator Fidel Castro raises awareness about country she left behind
A rebel’s daughter By EILEEN GODIN Times Leader Correspondent
WILKES-BARRE – Curiosity about a country and ruler brought many area residents out to hear Alina Fernandez, daughter of former Cuban dictator Fidel Castro, speak Thursday night at Wilkes University. Fernandez said it was her goal to raise awareness and encourage people to “Google” and learn about Cuba. “We are so close, but still so far away,” she said. Fernandez was a guest speaker in honor of Women’s History Month, sponsored by the Northeastern Pennsylvania Diver“Castro would sity Education Consortium write to his and the Office of Diversity Iniwife and my tiatives. mother. I don’t Growing up, she lived with know if the mother, sisprison censors her ter and father. were tired of Her mother fell love with reading his let- in Castro while ters, but they corresponding got the letters with him during his prison mixed up.” term before he Alina Fernandez rose to power in Daughter of Fidel the revolution Castro that overturned the government in 1959. “Castro would write to his wife and my mother,” she said. “I don’t know if the prison censors were tired of reading his letters, but they got the letters mixed up.” One of the first institutions to fall apart under Castro’s Communist reign was the family, she said. Accusations of being a traitor were easily pointed at immediate family members. At this time, Operation Peter Pan was initiated and about 14,000 children were sent to live with American foster families, she said. As a young girl, Fernandez remembers the “hairy-faced” people, who were the rebels, interrupting her morning programs. Eventually, Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck disappeared from TV.
Kayden Stowell gets a chance to meet the hockey players at practice as part of Make-A-Wish Foundation. By TOM VENESKY tvenesky@timesleader.com
AIMEE DILGER/THE TIMES LEADER
Alina Fernandez, the daughter of Fidel Castro, talks about growing up in Cuba and how she was able to leave in the 90s.
She did recall seeing on TV a man, blindfolded, wearing a shirt with dark spots. “It took me a while to realize what I saw was an execution,” she said. As a teenager, she was publicly recognized as Castro’s daughter, would frequently be given letters and messages from the people to take to Castro. He would tell her they were letters from traitors.
Castro’s power grew and he controlled the phone lines, education, land and food rations. Religion was abolished. Fernandez joined the dissident movement in 1989. She said that when her daughter was not allowed to receive an education, she decided it was time to leave. In December 1993, she disguised herself as a Spanish tourist and escaped.
Victim’s acquaintance accused in West Pittston burglary Woman allegedly crawled through dog door and stole money, credit card, which she used at Walmart. By EDWARD LEWIS elewis@timesleader.com
WEST PITTSTON – A homeowner believes a woman she knows crawled through a dog door and rummaged through her house, stealing money and a credit card, according to charges filed. Police charged Mary Butera, 49, of Susquehanna Avenue, with burglarizing the home of Sharon Noone on Wyoming Avenue on Jan. 25. Charges of burglary, theft, receiving stolen property, criminal trespass and access device fraud were recently filed against Butera with District Judge Jo-
A young Penguins fan returns to his roots
seph Carmody in West Pittston. The charges were mailed to Butera. According to the criminal complaint: Noone arrived home on Jan. 25 and noticed her laptop computer was moved, drawers open on numerous cabinets and money missing from a case. She told police she believed the burglar entered her house through a dog door. Mary Jo Hetro allegedly saw Butera in front of Noone’s residence when Noone was away. Hetro is identified in the complaint as Noone’s aunt. Noone said she sent a text message to Butera asking if she was aware of a burglary. Butera responded with a text message, “At least they did not get your jewelry,” the complaint says.
Kayden Stowell was born a Penguins fan. Literally. During a Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins home game in March 2007, Kayden’s mother, Amanda, went into labor. The Penguins were playing Hershey that night, and Amanda waited until the end of the game before heading “They gave to the hospital where she would give birth him a jerto Kayden the next sey when day. “She wanted to see we got who won,” said her here, and husband, Doug. The family has he just lit since moved from up. It Mountain Top to Maryland, but on Thurs- means a day they returned to lot to see reunite Kayden with the smile his Penguin roots. As part of a visit ar- on his ranged by the Makeface.” A-Wish Foundation, Doug Stowell Kayden, who has Kayden’s father Down syndrome, spent the morning at Coal Street watching the Penguins practice before taking the ice with several of the players. After practice, Kayden visited the Penguins locker room and had the players sign his jersey before he left to have lunch with Tux. He and his family will attend Saturday’s game as guests in the Penguins’ Suite before stopping by the locker room for a final farewell from the players. It’s a dream weekend for a child who was born a Penguins fan. See FAN, Page 6A
Noone said she did not tell anyone what was stolen from her house except police. Noone and Butera exchanged a series of text messages in which Butera allegedly stated she would leave Noone’s items on a porch, according to the complaint. Police allege Butera stole Noone’s credit card, which she used to purchase items at Walmart in Pittston Township and tried to use at Walmart in Taylor. In an unrelated case, Butera is serving a probation sentence that expires in April on a retail theft charge, according to court records. A preliminary hearing is scheduled on April 4. CLARK VAN ORDEN/THE TIMES LEADER
Edward Lewis, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 829-7196.
Kayden Stowell gets a chance to play with the Penguins during practice.