Latest news with #TheTimes-Tribune
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Smurl announces independent campaign for Scranton council
Scranton City Council President Gerald Smurl will seek reelection as an independent candidate after withdrawing from Democratic primary contention in March over issues with his nomination petitions. Smurl, an incumbent Democrat who's served on council since December 2022, announced his independent run in a news release. 'Thanks to the overwhelming support and encouragement from my family and friends, I am happy to announce that I am running for reelection to Scranton City Council as an Independent candidate,' he said in the release. 'I want voters to know that I am committed to leading the city's future with independence, integrity and a shared intent to continue moving Scranton forward by supporting economic development, restoring parks and pools, and promoting cleaner, safer neighborhoods.' He joins a field of council candidates that includes Virgil Argenta, Patrick Flynn, Sean McAndrew, Marc Pane and incumbent Councilman Tom Schuster. Flynn, McAndrew and Schuster are all Democrats who won Democratic nominations in May's primary election. Pane, the lone Republican council candidate in that race, secured a GOP nomination in the primary. Argenta, who finished last in the Democratic primary for council, received enough Republican write-in votes to win a GOP nomination and advance to November's municipal election. McAndrew, a Scranton school director and nephew of Democratic Councilman Mark McAndrew, also won a GOP nomination with write-in votes and will appear on the November ballot as having both Democratic and Republican nominations. Council appointed Smurl in December 2022 to temporarily fill former Democratic Councilman Kyle Donahue's vacant seat after voters elected Donahue state representative. Smurl won reelection in 2023 to fill the remainder of Donahue's unexpired term and has served as council president since the beginning of 2024. Smurl filed earlier this year to run for reelection as a Democrat but withdrew from the primary field in mid-March, citing an issue with signatures on his nomination petitions. 'It came to my attention over the weekend that some of my campaign people got a bit overzealous … and actually got signatures that were not verified,' Smurl told The Times-Tribune on March 17. 'All it means is they didn't actually see the people sign a few of these.' He described the signatures in question as valid, but said at the time he didn't want the mistake to become an issue. The release announcing Smurl's independent candidacy says he felt an obligation to run despite the setback 'in order to continue supporting Scranton's senior citizens and working families, as well as small business owners and laborers throughout the city.' 'I heard from so many folks, urging me to run, that I felt I just couldn't let them down,' he said. 'And even though elections are never easy, I have a great team of supporters and volunteers that I'm incredibly grateful to have by my side. We're looking forward to fighting the good fight for the people of Scranton.' Smurl lives in South Scranton, is well-known for his annual 'Christmas Lights House' display on Prospect Avenue and is the longtime proprietor of Smurl HVAC LLC. He's also generally seen as a political ally of Democratic Scranton Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti and, as council president, communicates regularly with the mayor and her administration. Cognetti also seeks reelection this year. She comfortably defeated former Scranton School Board President Bob Sheridan in May's Democratic primary and will face Republican accounting executive Patricia Beynon and possible independent candidates for mayor in November. There are three council seats up for grabs in the November's election. The winners will serve alongside Councilman Mark McAndrew and Councilwoman Jessica Rothchild, both Democrats. 'I know that what I'm doing is working,' Smurl said Wednesday in a phone interview. 'Just look at what we're doing and how well the city is doing.'
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Carbondale to consider referendum for home rule charter update
Carbondale residents could have the opportunity to vote in November on a referendum modernizing personnel policies in the city's home rule charter. Carbondale City Council will consider adopting an ordinance during its June 16 meeting to add a referendum question to the Nov. 4 ballot addressing the personnel section of the city's home rule charter, according to Mayor Michele Bannon and a public notice published Friday in The Times-Tribune. If approved, the referendum will ask city voters whether to amend Article IX of Carbondale's home rule charter concerning its municipal personnel system, according to the notice. The charter is the city's governing document. The potential referendum comes as city officials are working to update their legislation, namely Carbondale's 1974 home rule charter, Bannon said. 'Government always needs to be transparent,' Bannon said. 'We always need to be responsive, and we need to be aligned with the evolving needs of our community.' Enacted in 1972, Pennsylvania's Home Rule Law increased local autonomy, according to the state Department of Community and Economic Development. Home rule charters transfer the basic authority to act in municipal affairs from state law to a local charter that is adopted and amended by voters, according to the DCED. The goal in Carbondale is to modernize its charter, clarify outdated language and 'ultimately enhance our operational efficiency within municipal government,' Bannon said. Elements of Carbondale's home rule charter don't reconcile with each other, Bannon said, which prompted her to speak with city council, their solicitor and members of the public. 'It's obviously clear that we need to make some changes in the charter, so we figured we'd start with personnel, simply because that's the heart and soul of who we are,' she said. 'The city of Carbondale provides service to our residents, so we want to make sure everything is lined up there and … that our staff gives our residents the best service they possibly can.' Councilman Dominick Famularo, who introduced the ordinance, echoed Bannon. 'The language of our charter is 50 years old, and there are many spots throughout the charter where either the understanding of the passage has changed or the language seemed inappropriate,' Famularo said. Carbondale last amended its home rule charter in 2004 when residents approved a referendum allowing the mayor to fill the position of managing director if he or she met the qualifications. Amending the home rule charter has to be done by referendum, Bannon said. According to the draft ordinance, there would be amendments to three items under the personnel section. First, appointments and promotions of subordinate officers and employees within departments shall be made by the mayor/managing director, not the department head. That conflicts with other parts of the charter, and the mayor/managing director already handles appointments and promotions, Bannon said. Second, any employee who files a petition for election of office would have to obtain a positive opinion from the State Ethics Commission and any other relevant agency. Currently, the charter stipulates that no city employee shall serve as an officer of a political party; any city employee who files a petition for election to a partisan political office and does not withdraw shall be required to take a leave of absence for the duration of the campaign. If not elected, the employee shall promptly be restored to the previously held position without losing any rights, according to the current charter language. While campaigning for mayor in 2023, Bannon had to take a leave of absence from her longtime position as city clerk. That became an issue for the city, Famularo said. 'She had to leave her position for several months during the campaign, and of course what happens then is we have a gap in leadership in the city,' he said. 'I really don't think that was anyone's intention when they wrote the charter.' Third, the amendment would remove 'cumbersome language' regarding civil service, Bannon said. According to the proposal, the home rule charter would only say, 'All full-time police and fire employees of the city shall be covered by civil service,' deleting a line saying, 'with the exception of the managing director, the city solicitor, department heads and the city clerk.' City council will meet June 16 at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall, 1 N. Main St.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Road to Warped' tour set for Scranton theater, needs zoning OK for lot
The show will go on, but maybe only indoors. Entrepreneur Josh Balz, who has The Road to Warped Tour set for June 12-15 at his Ritz Theater at 222 Wyoming Ave. in downtown Scranton, planned on also using a parking lot across the street as an outdoor venue for the four-day festival. But he needs to get city zoning approval to use the parking lot for a carnival, vendors and an outdoor stage. On Thursday, the city zoning board issued a public notice in The Times-Tribune of the board's agenda for a June 4 meeting at City Hall starting at 6 p.m., during which Balz will seek 'a special exception to hold an event in the parking lot with vendors and a live music stage as part of a four-day music and craft gathering event at 245-247.5 Wyoming Ave.' In a phone interview Friday, Balz — who in April announced the Road to Warped Tour — said he thought he only needed an event permit from the city to use the parking lot for the festival. 'I didn't think I needed zoning approval. I just thought I would need an event permit. So I didn't think it would be this much of a process,' Balz said. Josh Balz A zoning board denial of use of the parking lot would significantly hamper his plans and keep everything confined to the approximately 500-seat theater, he said. 'It just creates a nightmare,' Balz said about a possible zoning board denial. 'It (the festival) loses its wonder. It loses its heart,' without an outdoor component. 'It does a whole lot of damage to the situation.' His festival is an offshoot of the revived Vans Warped Tour, which had been an annual tour from 1995-2019 of up-and-coming and classic punk, emo, hardcore and pop punk music. The Vans Warped Tour had often stopped in Scranton at the Montage Mountain pavilion venue. Singer Isis Queen of the band Barb Wire Dolls, based in Crete, Greece and Los Angeles, performs in front of the crowd on Monday during the Vans Warped Tour 2017, held at Montage Mountain in Scranton. (TIMES-TRIBUNE / FILE PHOTO)A jammed packed crowd watches the band Chiodos perform during the Vans Warped Tour at the Toyoya Pavilion at Montage in Scranton in 2019. (TIMES-TRIBUNE / FILE PHOTO)Music fans pack the front of the stage as they watch Australian band The Amity Affliction perform on Tuesday during the Vans Warped Tour 2013 held on the grounds of the Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain in Scranton. (TIMES-TRIBUNE / FILE PHOTO) The revived Vans Warped Tour has three main events, with the closest one in Washington, D.C., and that was sold out in April. The Road to Warped Tour in Scranton is a small stop along the way. Some of the same bands will play both the Ritz and the D.C. festival, which overlap for two days. It would be the Ritz's biggest event since it opened in its current incarnation last year. Local and rising acts will begin at noon, with headliners later. The performances will be all-ages shows. One-day tickets cost $55 plus fees, and full festival tickets cost $199 plus fees. For information and ticket sales see The Ritz also hosts Noir Dark Spirits restaurant and bar, a goth ice cream parlor, a tattoo shop, a mead bar and a salon. A new marquee is seen installed on the Ritz Theater in downtown Scranton on Saturday, May 11, 2024. Balz also hoped to close the 200 block of Wyoming Avenue for the Road to Warped festival, but learned the city required advance notice of at least a year for such a request. The street will stay open during the festival, he said. The zoning hearing, set for only eight days before the festival starts, puts Balz 'between a rock and a hard place,' he said. The zoning application says Balz would rent the parking lot for the festival. 'We request allowance to hold an event in the approved parking lot featuring a small carnival area by S&S Amusements with vendors and a live music stage as part of a four-day music and craft gathering,' according to the zoning application on file at City Hall. 'This setup will attract both locals and out-of-town visitors, creating a lively and engaging experience that encourages longer stays. By adding these features, the gathering becomes more appealing to guests traveling from outside the region, boosting foot traffic and benefiting local businesses. This event supports Scranton's efforts to revitalize downtown as a vibrant entertainment destination.' Balz said he worked out an arrangement with the private commercial parking lot, in which he would provide passes to the parking lot patrons to instead use nearby parking garages during the festival. 'I'm just taking a giant gamble. I'm trying to make Scranton proud of what I'm doing. That's where I'm a little disappointed,' Balz said. 'But there are rules and I'm just trying to follow them.'
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Zachary Kovaleski, Holy Cross High School
Over the next few weeks, The Times-Tribune is honored to present the profiles of each member of the Scholastic Superstars Class of 2025. These outstanding students were nominated by their schools and chosen by a panel of local officials. * Zachary Kovaleski (Zachary Kovaleski) * Zachary Kovaleski, Holy Cross High School(Zachary Kovaleski) Show Caption 1 of 2 Zachary Kovaleski (Zachary Kovaleski) Expand Zachary Kovaleski, Holy Cross High School Q: What accomplishments are you most proud of and why? A: I am most proud of being able to maintain my grades and balance my time between school, extracurriculars, work, service projects, and my hobbies. Q: What were your most rewarding school or community activities? A: At school, the student council has allowed me to help students find enjoyment in school, and in the community, assisting in my parish has demonstrated the impact of bringing people together for good. Q: What is something you do to relax? A: In my spare time, I like to write short stories, spend time with friends, take long drives, golf, and listen to music to relax. Q: Plans after high school graduation? A: College, major in civil engineering to ultimately become a practicing engineer and entrepreneur. Q: Who do you most admire and why? A: I admire my father, Jeff Kovaleski, more than anyone, for how he has been able to balance being a principal, borough council president, and committee head while also spending time taking care of his family and putting his moral values first. Q: What advice do you have for younger students? A: Always keep working, never give up, and be there for each other, because you never know what someone is going through or how much reaching out to them can mean. Show others that you appreciate them. A little about Zachary Kovaleski Hometown: Dickson City Parents: Brenda and Jeffrey Kovaleski Some of his honors: Valedictorian, National Honor Society, honorable mention Cum Laude on the National Spanish Exam, Voice of Democracy Audio Essay district winner. Some of his activities: History club, chess club, Mock Trial, student council. Some of his athletics: Baseball, golf. Some of his community service: Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership program, Leadership Northeast's Tomorrow's Leaders Today program, Little League volunteer, church volunteer. What his nominator said: 'He is a joy to know and an outstanding member of his own local community.'
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ryleigh Kilmer, Mountain View Junior-Senior High School
Over the next few weeks, The Times-Tribune is honored to present the profiles of each member of the Scholastic Superstars Class of 2025. These outstanding students were nominated by their schools and chosen by a panel of local officials. Ryleigh Kilmer, Mountain View Junior-Senior High School Q: What accomplishments are you most proud of and why? A: I am most proud of co-founding our Fellowship of Christian Athletes club and representing our Future Business Leaders of America chapter on the state and national level. Each of these opportunities has allowed me to further develop my leadership skills. Q: What were your most rewarding school or community activities? A: As a member of the Susquehanna County Recreation Center volunteer committee and the Hallstead Bridgewater Church kids ministry service team, I am able to give back to my community in a positive way. * Ryleigh Kilmer Ryleigh Kilmer (Ryleigh Kilmer) * Ryleigh Kilmer (Ryleigh Kilmer) Show Caption Ryleigh Kilmer 1 of 2 Ryleigh Kilmer (Ryleigh Kilmer) Expand Q: What is something you do to relax? A: I love to go shopping and try new kinds of food. Q: Plans after high school graduation? A: College, and enroll in a pharmacy program to earn my Doctor of Pharmacy degree. Q: Who do you most admire and why? A: I admire our high school principal, Dr. (Mark) Lemoncelli. Whether it's a kind smile or a greeting by name, he makes it known that his office door is always open and that he will listen to and support each of us. Dr. Lem embodies service leadership, sets a great example for everyone who has the pleasure of knowing him, and will never hesitate to advocate for any of his students. Q: What advice do you have for younger students? A: Do not be afraid to reach out for help or utilize the resources around you. You will not only find assistance, but may also form a connection that will be beneficial in the future. A little about Ryleigh Kilmer Hometown: South Gibson Parents: Matthew and Ashley Kilmer Some of her honors: Susquehanna County Transcript Athlete of the Month, National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society. Some of her activities: Future Business Leaders of America, student government, Fellowship of Student Athletes, School Counselor Advisory Council. Some of her athletics: basketball, volleyball. Some of her community service: The Susquehanna County Recreation Center project, church volunteer. What her nominator said: 'She is a self-confident, intelligent young woman who will continue to flourish in life after high school.'
