September 2011

A 13-year-old girl was the only witness against a former Summit Hill man during a magistrate hearing yesterday.

She kept composed, speaking just above a whisper in explaining how the man, Nicholas D. Molino, 42, now living in Wilkes-Barre, would have sex with her, sometimes twice a day. She said he had been assaulting her since she was just six years old, and it came to a halt when she went to live with a different relative during the summer of 2010 – when she was 12.

A night of fun and laughter is planned for Saturday, Nov. 12, when the ninth annual Tech-Net Comedy Night is held at Penn's Peak, Jim Thorpe.

Proceeds from the event will benefit Dream Come True, Blue Ridge Chapter and local fire companies, including Aquashicola Volunteer Fire Department, Franklin Township Fire Company, Lehigh Township Volunteer Fire Company, Albrightsville Fire Company and West End Fire Company, Brodheadsville.

The Hazleton Fibromyalgia Support Group will meet at 6 p.m. on Wednesday.

Guest speaker will be attorney Jacqueline Zabresky of Wilkes-Barre, who will explain Social Security Disability, SSI and what you must know to apply.

Meetings are held the first Wednesday of each month (except for January and February) at Faith United Church of Christ, 21 Faith Drive, Hazle Township. This is located off the Airport Beltway behind the Toyota dealership.

Meetings are open to anyone with fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome.

Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Erbe of Tamaqua celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on Sept. 22. They were married in St. Jerome's Rectory, Tamaqua, by the late Rev. Joseph Dougherty.

Mrs. Erbe is the former Dolores Marcin, daughter of the late Michael and Bernetta Marcin of Tamaqua.

Mr. Erbe is the son of the late Walter and Sarah Erbe of Tamaqua.

Miss Lisa Digiglio, a junior at Panther Valley High School, has been selected the Rose Queen for the 1977 St. Therese Shower of Roses celebration which will take place Sunday at Our Lady of Mounty Carmel Church, New Columbus. Attendants will be Trieste Digiglio and Theresa Izzo. The First Rose Princess is the queen's sister, Joanne, a freshman at Panther Valley. The Second Rose Princess is Michelle Damiano, a Panther Valley High School sophomore.

There was plenty of good news for the Panther Valley football team on Friday night.

Not only did the Panthers beat Jim Thorpe for their first victory of the season, but they also saw Brock Mitchell return to the field.

Mitchell, a second-team All-State tight end a year ago, suffered a serious leg injury in an ATV accident back in December.

The injury, which required several surgeries, cost Mitchell the entire 2010-11 winter and spring sports seasons and left him questionable for this football season.

Panther Valley School Board has approved personnel changes.

The board accepted the retirement of high school cafeteria head cook Lennora Goida, effective May 12, 2012; the immediate resignation of varsity girls softball coach James Gilbert; the retirement of high school Special education teacher Joan Kennedy, effective Dec. 23, 2011.

Lehighton Area Memorial Library, 124 North St., Lehighton, will host a book signing and release party for Autumn Jordan (aka Diane Gerber of Lehighton), author of a newly released book, "In the Presence of Evin" from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 29, at the library. For additional information call the library at 610-377-2750 or email at lehighton.library@gmail.com.

Salem St. Paul's Lutheran Church

Sunday, Oct 16 from 3-6:15 p.m. is Family Fun Day. Pocono Lutheran churches will host a Family Fun Day on Sunday, Oct. 18, from 3 to 6:15 p.m. The event is outdoors and will include games, supper and worship at St. Paul's picnic grove in Albrightsville, off Rte. 534. Bring food to share. Drinks and dinnerware will be provided.

See the Rev. Scheffey for more information.

Care Package committee

The Carbon County Navy Club Ship 260 is available to all schools in the Carbon County area to present their flag program. The club performed this program at a number of schools earlier this year. Officials are limited to two presentations in the morning. This is a free program to schools.

For more information or to set up a program at a school, call club historian Robert "Ski" Siesputowski at (570) 645-3643.

The American Cancer Society will host a Look Good, Feel Better makeover workshop from 6-8 p.m., Oct. 3, at St. Catherine's Medical Center- Ashland. The session is free and open to all local female cancer patients actively undergoing cancer treatment. It will be held in the Susan Amedow Board Room, 101 Broad St.

The West Penn Township planning commission reviewed two plans on Tuesday evening at the municipal building to add subdivisions on Thomas W. Smith's property on Penn Drive on Route 443 and on Cynthia and Steven Hatton's property on Mush Dahl Road near Route 309.

Last month, the commission accepted a set of preliminary plans to add a trailer, which will serve as offices, on Smith's lot. At this month's meeting the plans were formally reviewed. Issues such as parking, a trash holding area and lot access were worked out with Township Engineer Ronald B. Madison, PE.