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Teams from area shine
dyssey of the Mind teams from O Northeastern Pennsylvania ranked among the most creative
students in the world last week. State champion team Crestwood Middle School placed 15th of 58 division II teams in problem 3 “To Be or Not to Be,” during the World Finals at Iowa State University. Odyssey of the Mind is an international creative problem-solving program. Teams of up to seven students receive one of five “long-term” problems at the beginning of the school year that they must solve in an eightminute performance within a small budget. They also receive a secret “spontaneous” problem the day of competition that they must solve on the spot. Teams from Dingman-Delaware Elementary School, Pike County; Shohola Elementary School, Pike County; Pocono Elementary Center, Monroe County, and Delaware Valley High School, Pike County also competed in the world competition.
WILKES-BARRE
Arts group hosts meeting Gina Malsky, director at Downtown Arts, hosted the Downtown Wilkes-Barre Business Association meeting Friday. Malsky told the group about Sunday’s presentation of “The Wizard of Oz” with more than 120 local children participating. The show starts at 2 p.m. and tickets can be purchased by calling 332-7817. Malsky said the Malsky former church building on North Franklin Street that houses Downtown Arts is in need of repairs. Malsky said $50,000 is needed to restore water-damaged walls and ceilings. Lori Majikes, special events coordinator for the city, announced the Farmers Market opening day is set for June 28. Hours are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The YMCA “Y Walk Wednesdays” begin Wednesday. The first walk is “Agnes and Lee: Protecting the Valley from Unwelcome Visitors.” Jim Brozena, executive director of the Luzerne County Flood Protection Authority, will be the walk leader. Start time is 6 p.m. PLAINS TWP.
Leadership to honor grads The 31st Annual Leadership Wilkes-Barre Dinner and Graduation will celebrate the accomplishments of the 49 members of the program’s Class of 2012 on Thursday at The Woodlands Inn & Resort. The programs 2012 class implemented the following community impact projects: •Blue Chip Animal Refuge – provided assistance and increased awareness for the no-kill shelter through supply drives and property improvements •Leadership Offers Laughter– a family-friendly festival, held in conjunction with World Laughter Day, promoting the benefits of laughter •Special Spaces– renovated bedrooms for children with life-challenging illnesses •Wilkes-Barre Bears– provided facilities improvements and renovations for the mini-football team •Wilkes-Barre Free Clinic– held medical supply drives and sought volunteers •Youth Revolution– a festival for the youth of NEPA, promoting healthy life choices The program will also recognize Andrea Caladie, CPA, principal with ParenteBeard, LLC, with the Distinguished Leadership Alumni Award. The event begins with a cocktail hour at 5:15 p.m. and dinner at 6:15. The cost is $55 per person and public is invited to attend. Reservations can be made by contacting Leadership Wilkes-Barre at 570-823-2101 ext 135. WEST PITTSTON
Festival panel will meet The West Pittston Cherry Blossom Committee will hold its next meeting at 7 p.m. Sunday at the Corpus Christi Parish school building, 605 Luzerne Ave.
SATURDAY, JUNE 2, 2012 PAGE 3A
LOCAL
Senators blast inaction on road work State officials call for progress on the stalled South Valley Parkway. By ANDREW M. SEDER aseder@timesleader.com
HANOVER TWP. – On his drive up from Harrisburg, state Sen. Vince Hughes said he encountered some construction, but not enough to satisfy him and other legislators who gathered off Exit 2 of the South Cross Valley Expressway Friday morning. “There should be a lot more construction going on,” said Hughes, D-Philadelphia, as he spoke at the announcement of a Senate Democrat initiative that seeks to leverage existing federal, state and private resources in
support of $2.8 billion in new infrastructure investment. The proposal would begin repairing Pennsylvania’s crumbling roadways and bridges, which in turn would create jobs and laying the foundation for future economic growth. In the Luzerne, Lackawanna and Wyoming county region, which at 8.7 percent has the highest unemployment rate in the state, job creation is extremely important, said Sen. John Yudichak, D-Plymouth Township. Speaking near where the stalled South Valley Parkway was envisioned, Yudichak said the initiative could get the project back on track. He said the project, which was conceived in 1998, originally called for four lanes to bypass Middle Road extending from
“For 14 years the project’s been on the drawing board. Job growth and safety have been stuck at a red light,” Yudichak said. Building the parkway would open up thousands of acres of land, some owned by the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber, some by the Earth Conservancy, to development and could spur the creation of thousands of jobs. “Without the infrastructure, you can’t unlock the potential,” noted Larry Newman, vice presFRED ADAMS/FOR THE TIMES LEADER ident of the Greater WilkesBarre Chamber. State Sen. John Yudichak speaks as senators, left to right, But the project, and hundreds Vincent Hughes, John Blake and Jay Costa stand behind him. of others across the state, are Hanover Township to Newport lanes to two and the length in backlogged as the state’s transTownship. It was to cost $30 half by ending the bypass in portation funding initiatives are million at that time. Now 14 Nanticoke. It has a current price years later the proposal cuts the tag of $35 million. See ROAD, Page 12A
Wyoming County Chamber event is a hit with attendees, employers
GOP will discuss Skinhead winner
Party was unaware Steve Smith, committee winner, had ties to supremacy group. By TERRIE MORGAN-BESECKER tmorgan@timesleader.com
NIKO J. KALLIANIOTIS/FOR THE TIMES LEADER
Jessi Silfee, left, and Alicia Walker, both from Montrose, get information on employment opportunities from Employment Solutions representatives Christina Randolph, left, and Cheryl Gallagher.
Job seekers, gas industry meet By MATT HUGHES mhughes@timesleader.com
MESHOPPEN TWP. – Gas companies and the people who want to work for them packed the Wyoming County Fairgrounds Friday for the inaugural Business, Job and Gas Expo. The Wyoming County Chamber of Commerce has held annual job fairs for more than a decade and three years ago began hosting a yearly natural gas expo to connect local businesses and the emerging drilling industry, but this year’s fair was the first to unite the two concepts. “We really wanted to make it big,” said Mark Carpenter, chairman of the group’s board. “We had a big crossover between the job fair and the gas expo, and a lot of common interests between the players, and I think we hit a grand slam here with
this format.” The event attracted close to 140 vendors – among them a half-dozen drilling companies and dozens of subsidiary service providers – and hundreds more job seekers. Like many recent job fairs, the competition for open positions was stiff. In the first two hours, Southwestern Energy recruiter Lisa Madalone said she had taken more than 100 résumés for 10 open positions in Tunkhannock, with “probably three times” as many candidates saying they planned to apply for those jobs through the company’s website. Sharon Morgan of Cabot Oil and Gas had run through the 50 applications she brought along for three open positions before noon. Laura Wiernusz of Sugar Hollow Water
Services said her company doesn’t have immediate openings but had still taken about 20 résumés at the job fair. “They seem like really quality candidates,” she said. “I didn’t run into any people I wouldn’t want to hire. There’s a lot of really good people looking for work.” Two factors may make ramp up competition for local gas jobs even more. Some companies have shifted their operations to “wet gas” regions of western Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio as the price of natural gas has fallen, and the development of worker training programs at educational institutions like Lackawanna College has produced more local graduates with skills needed by the gas industry. “When we’re looking for employees we See EXPO, Page 10A
Teen assault suspect gets OK to graduate Garrett Artsma, charged with assault, must avoid witnesses to the incident. By EDWARD LEWIS elewis@timesleader.com
KINGSTON TWP. – A Dallas High School senior can attend graduation ceremonies and parties but must stay away from fellow graduates who are witnesses to an alleged assault last month. Garrett Artsma, 18, surrendered at the office of District Judge James Tupper on Friday on charges of aggravated assault, simple assault, criminal trespass, reckless endangerment and harassment. He was released on $5,000 unsecured bail. Harveys Lake police charged Artsma with assaulting Brandon Harding at an underage drinking party on May 12-13. Tupper told Artsma to stay away from
witnesses who are also graduating on June 15. If Artsma attends graduation parties where witnesses are present he was advised to stay in another room or outside. Artsma Artsma was a fullback/linebacker for the school’s football team and also wrestled at 195 lbs. Police said Harding suffered a concussion, chipped teeth and a severely broken nose that requires surgery. According to the criminal complaint: Harding told police he was at his parents’ house on Lakeside Drive hosting a party for a few college friends. Harding said he received a text message from Artsma at about 9:10 p.m. on May 12 asking if he could attend the party.
Harding sent a text message that he was not welcome. Artsma showed up at the house at about 2 a.m. and was asked to leave by Harding. A friend with Artsma shoved Harding saying, “Do you want to start something?” the criminal complaint says. Harding told Artsma to leave when he claimed Artsma punched him in the face. Harding fell to the floor and was punched several more times by Artsma, according to the criminal complaint. Artsma left the house with friends going to another house in Harveys Lake. He allegedly told friends he struck Harding because he wasn’t invited to the party and felt Harding was talking about him, the complaint says. A preliminary hearing is scheduled on June 11 before Tupper.
The head of the Luzerne County Republican Party said the party’s executive committee will meet to discuss what position, if any, it will take regarding the election of a man with ties to a white supremacy group as a committee person for the party. Terry Casey said he was unaware that Steve Smith, former director Smith of the Keystone State Skinheads, had won election to the committee position in the third district until he learned of news reports regarding the matter. No candidates had sought the committee member seat, allowing Smith, 41, of Pittston, to win the post through a write-in campaign in the November general election. He received three votes, according to election results. The Pennsylvania Democratic Party on Thursday sent an email to various media organizations regarding Smith’s election. The email referenced an article by the Southern Poverty Law Center that detailed Smith’s involvement with the Skinheads and other groups it described as being associated with the white supremacy movement. Mark Nicastre, communications director for the Democratic Party, said the party believes the Luzerne County Republican Party should seek Smith’s immediate removal from the post. Casey said Friday he was unaware of Smith’s background and does not know what the party’s position will be until he discusses it with the executive committee. “I don’t think the party ever faced this kind of situation before. It will be a matter for the executive committee and the committee people to decide,” he said. Casey said, even if the executive committee decided it wanted to remove Smith, he does not know if it would have the power to do so because he was elected to the position. Smith said Friday said he decided to seek the committee position after he saw there were no candidates for the post, and he would See GOP, Page 12A