TOWANDA - Meet Irma Wilhelm.

Irma turned 96 last month. Really ... 96? This lady who likes to chit-chat, and flash the bright smile? Who walks all over the place - "I want to be free to go as I want!" she declares.

Yes, she's 96. She wears those years well. And they recently brought her a special honor.

Those nine-plus decades are much like those of anyone who grew up long ago - years of trudging to school in the snow, woodstoves, farm life. But those are the years that are slipping away from us, that fewer and fewer folks remember. And, like anyone, Irma puts her own special spin on them. We should meet Irma - and meet someone special.

"People don't know how easy they have it nowadays!" she declares.

With roots in New Albany, she now lives in the Personal Care Home of Memorial Hospital, in Towanda, recently moving there from Brooklyn, N.Y. This morning she sits in her bright room with potted plants on the windowsill and quilt decorations of an angel, bunny and teapot on the wall. A fluffy toy cat sprawls on the back of her chair, a stuffed dog on the quilted bed. Her niece and her husband, Marie and Gene Retter of Sayre, sit with her.

Irma was born in Germany, one of four children of Herman and Marie Bendt. She had a brother, William, and two sisters, Giesela (today Giesela Robinson of New Albany) and Meta Chilson, who also lived locally and died in March.

In Germany, Herman farmed and worked as a mariner, tending fires on military vessels. They immigrated to the United States when Irma was 8. "My brother was 15 and he wanted to get over here because in 16 they draft the boys and he didn't want to go to war," she explains.

They sailed for 10 days, entered through Ellis Island and went to Wilkes-Barre on a train. Irma came down with the measles on board the ship, then Meta got them on the train. "I'm telling you!" Irma declares.

Herman worked in the mines four years. Irma started school and also began learning English. "When you're young it's easy to learn," she says. "And Mom picked it up pretty good, too."

Irma liked school, especially gym and learning to write music. "And I was sorry I had to leave there."

But "the mines got bad," she recalls, so her dad bought a 115-acre farm in New Albany and moved the family up. They rolled up their sleeves and got to work.

It was old-time farm life. The family had four or five cows, a couple horses, one or two pigs, chickens and geese (the main course at big dinners). Marie remembers butchered animals hanging from a tree.

The farm and garden, about 100 by 150 feet, fed them well. They canned applesauce, peas, carrots, string beans, meat. They made blood pudding, liverwurst and jellies. They picked gooseberries and currants, and Irma's mom baked bread and churned their own butter - there's nothing like warm bread and butter!

For Irma, days followed a routine: up in the morning, feed and milk cows, go to school, come home, chores, supper, homework, bed. If the summer was dry, you hauled in water.

And winters - "winters were cold!" she remembers. The house wasn't insulated, so they might take a warm brick to bed to keep warm. In the morning, Herman started a fire in the kitchen stove - that and the parlor stove were the only heat. They weren't always safe - even in later years Marie remembers her grandfather banging on the stove pipe to put out a fire inside. But they survived.

There was no electricity, which meant no lights. They used kerosene lamps. Entertainment? A crank-up Victrola played music.

The girls walked to school, 3 1⁄2 miles away in Overton. The roads were mostly dirt, up and down hills. "It was cold!" Irma remembers. Winter mornings might start below zero. "We got pretty much snow!" she says. It might reach her knees - and she was wearing a dress and galoshes - but she just kept walking.

Their dad got a horse and buggy. They just as well could have hitched it up and rolled along to school, nice and easy-like. But ... all their friends walked. And in the 1930s, like now, kids wanted to fit in. So they walked too.

Well, they did ride horses once. They and their dad went as far as the blacktop road, then he left the horses at a nearby farm. When the girls came back in the afternoon, the snow was getting deep. So deep the horses refused to walk through it. So they stayed overnight with the other farm family. (No word on how worried the Bendts must have been when the girls didn't come home. There was no phone to contact them.)

"That was really the old days!" Marie declares.

And this brings us to something Irma's very proud of - in eighth grade she had perfect attendance. "I just wanted to go!" she says. "I wanted to make one perfect year." And through snow and cold, over hills, day after day after day - she walked. She made it. The whole year.

It was a three-room schoolhouse, with grades one to three and four to six downstairs, and seven and eight upstairs, 20-25 students in all. Irma attended four years, with Miss Roberta Houseknecht as her teacher. All those years, she was the only one in her class.

"I didn't like history!" Irma states. "Everything else I liked."

The school had pot-bellied stoves, and Irma thinks they had to haul in water. "We played baseball in the road," she recalls. "There wasn't much traffic. ...

"Those were the days!"

She finished at 16, after eighth grade, and went out to work. She moved to New Jersey and then Brooklyn, doing housekeeping and later, cashier work.

In Brooklyn, Irma got in touch with a German family she'd known in Wilkes-Barre. She went to visit them one day and happened to shake hands with their son Frederick.

"You ever hear of love at first sight?" she says. "The strangest feeling goes through your whole body!"

Irma still waves her hands today just thinking about it.

They married in 1939. A more recent photo shows them standing in a flower garden, Fred's arm around his wife. Both had thick, white hair.

They would share 58 happy years and raise two children, Louise (Nelson), who lives in Chesapeake, Va., and Fred, from West Chester, N.Y. Irma now has two grandchildren, Kim and Claire, and three great-grandchildren, Paige, Kyle and Emily.

Irma, once a little immigrant girl who couldn't speak English, later went on to learn typing, keypunching and computers and spent 17 years with the New York City Office of Management and Budget. "I enjoyed that very much!" she says. Fred, in the meantime, did quality inspection work.

Today, she misses home but says the PCH folks are friendly. She enjoys the music, bingo and exercise programs.

Speaking of exercise - Irma even goes out and walks up to the grocery store and on the riverwalk.

"Someday I'm going to walk the whole thing!" she declares.

Her family treated her to dinner last month for her birthday, and she even got a state House citation from Rep. Tina Pickett, honoring her long, productive life.

They've been - and still are - years of change and challenge, work and learning. Memories ... and love.

Meet Irma Wilhelm - and see how well she wears those years.

Annoyed by cats

I realize cats can't be licensed because their owners think cats are so exempt for the animal laws, they can just run free. Use our gardens and flowerbeds as litter pans and also stalk our bird feeders and kill the birds. Some people love to see the birds at our feeders enjoying the food we put there for them.

Looking for answers

Can someone please tell me why our gas is 13 cents higher than the gas in Tunkhannock?

A little help here

A resident tears down a house in Franklindale on Crayton Road and Rt. 414, burns the debris so the toxic fumes go into the air towards other people's homes, then buries the stuff. Where are you EPA and DEP?

Chemicals and term limits

Two things: One thing is, has anyone ever explained why we need toxic chemicals to drill for gas? And the second thing is, there has to be term limits for the United States Supreme Court.

Question for our rep

It's time for Tina Pickett to weigh in on Tom Corbett's Public Pension Bill. It's long overdue. We need her opinion to tell us her side of the fence. She's owes it to her constituents.

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Care to share?

The Daily Review's new Sound Off column will include items, both positive and negative, called in to a Sound Off hotline. That number is 570-265-1603. Calls will be anonymous; names will not be published. Profanity, as well as libelous content will be edited out. Give us a call. Let us know what's on your mind. We look forward to hearing from you!

Bradford County District Attorney Dan Barrett recently participated in a public hearing in Williamsport on the heroin crisis facing Pennsylvania.

The hearing was held July 9 at the Susquehanna Health Williamsport Regional Medical Center. State Sen. Gene Yaw and three representatives of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, a legislative agency of the General Assembly of Pennsylvania, conducted the public hearing, Barrett said.

He said the testimony at the hearing focused on the rise of heroin use and its availability in rural Pennsylvania.

"I enjoyed attending and was pleased to see the legislature giving some attention to this," Barrett commented. Barrett said that he received "generally a better understanding of what may be available and, sadly, an understanding of the more advanced heroin problem in the Lycoming County area that seems to be drifting its way north."

"The participants generally exchanged information," he noted.

Recently, attention was drawn to the heroin problem in western Bradford County, after four Canton residents were charged in a Bradford County Drug Task Force sting operation in Canton.

At the hearing, the initial panel of speakers included Barrett, Judge Nancy Butts of Williamsport, and Lycoming County District Attorney Eric Linhardt.

The second panel consisted of a state police lieutenant and the Williamsport chief of police while the third panel included the warden of the Lycoming County Prison and Donald Stewart, warden of the Bradford County Correctional Facility, according to Barrett.

"The purpose of the hearing was to enable the participants to get a better understanding of different perspectives on the heroin problems," Barrett said.

He said it was acknowledged that there were no easy solutions, but he said there was hope that even if one good idea came out of the hearing, the time would be well spent.

"I saw the benefit in that people from corrections or law enforcement or the court system might gain a better understanding of how these problems confront other agencies," he said.

Barrett said that prescription opioids pain killers are considered a "gateway" drug that people start using and then shift to heroin, which he said is more powerful and cheaper.

He said people obtain them from prescriptions or purchase them from people who sell the prescription pills illegally.

"I specifically mentioned that re-selling painkillers as well as selling heroin had become a source of income or income supplementing for many people," Barrett commented.

He noted one case in which an individual who lived in Rome was receiving pain killers with a street value of $3,600 each month through a subsidized prescription, due to a back condition. He said she probably took some, but was selling the rest. The person was convicted and is in state prison, he said.

Also, Barrett said, "we've seen a number of cases where older people who have gone through surgical procedures have become burglary victims simply because the burglars expected them to have prescription pain killers in their homes."

Barrett said that Dr. David Talenti of the Guthrie Clinic, representing the Pennsylvania Medical Society, spoke about the impact of heroin and heroin treatment and the misuse of opioids and how doctors view it as a medical problem.

According to Barrett, Warden Stewart spoke about the expense of drug treatment.

He noted that the warden mentioned pregnant female prisoners who have required methadone treatment for addiction to heroin, and the huge expense to the prison.

Barrett noted that the hearing also focused on making an overdose treatment called naloxone more available. According to an Associated Press article, it can reverse potentially fatal opioid overdoses.

"Making it available to first responders is considered fairly important."

Eric Hrin can be reached at (570) 297-5251; email: reviewtroy@thedailyreview.com.

TROY - Ché Regina is officially an ex-employee of the Troy Area School District.

The much-praised former Troy administrator, whose positions were cut earlier this year, has found employment elsewhere, according to district superintendent W. Charles Young.

According to an article in The Express in Lock Haven, Pa., the Keystone Central School District has hired Regina as its new assistant principal/athletic director. Regina couldn't be reached for comment.

At the Troy Area School Board meeting this week, Regina's resignation as junior-senior high school math teacher was accepted, effective July 21.

He had transferred into that position, following the elimination of his positions as elementary assistant principal and district development director. He had also served as the district's athletic director.

Many people had spoke out in support of Regina at a school board meeting earlier this year, prior to the eliminations of his administrative positions.

When Regina transferred into the junior-senior high school math teacher position, Young said that Regina "bumped" the junior-senior high school mathematics teacher, Scott Hakes, out of the position. Hakes was then furloughed.

However, due to Regina's resignation from the junior-senior high school math teacher position, the board recalled Hakes from furlough.

Also recalled from furlough this week was Heather Borden, junior-senior high school English teacher.

District business administrator Traci Gilliland said Borden was recalled due to a vacancy within the English Department that became available in July.

In addition, the board accepted the resignations of Beatrice White, 19.75 hour/week casual custodian; and Richard Wilson, assistant boys' soccer coach.

The board accepted the retirement of English teacher Douglas Beck, effective June 13.

In another personnel matter, there were three motions approved for junior-senior high school English teacher Libby Jones.

The board rescinded the motion of Oct. 14, 2013 regarding the termination of Jones.

Also, the board approved the sabbatical leave that started Sept. 17, 2013 and lasted the rest of the 2013-14 school year for Jones, in accordance with the professional contract and the school code.

Finally, the board accepted the resignation of Jones, effective June 16.

The board also approved using a "Health Care Look-Back Measurement Period" from May 2014 to April 2015 for determining full-time employee status as defined by the IRS as it relates to Health Care Reform.

The board approved transfers for Tim McAninch from physical education teacher at W.R. Croman Primary School to physical education teacher at Troy Intermediate School (TIS) and Haley Campbell from physical education teacher at TIS to physical education teacher at Croman.

The board approved the revised athletic director job description. Tammy Shedden was hired as part-time athletic director, in addition to several teachers.

Eric Hrin can be reached at (570) 297-5251; email: reviewtroy@thedailyreview.com.

Correction

In the story about Leonard Storms' preliminary hearing that appeared in Thursday's edition of The Daily Review, the sub-headline contained erroneous information, indicating that Robert Brewer's bail had not been reduced. Robert Brewer is the assault victim in the case. Leonard Storms has been incarcerated on the assault charges, and it is his bail which was not reduced, due to extensive criminal history. The Review regrets the error, and apologizes for it.

A 30-year-old man was killed early Thursday in a motor vehicle accident on U.S. Route 6 in Wyalusing Township, police said.

Jason Avery of Shreveport, La., was driving east on Route 6 when, for unknown reasons, his vehicle entered the westbound lane and struck an oncoming pickup truck operated by Corey Cloud of Jennings, La., police said.

The front driver's side portion of Avery's 2000 Chevrolet 1500 Silverado pickup truck struck the front driver's side portion of Cloud's pickup truck, police said.

The accident occurred at approximately 1 a.m. on Thursday, west of Wyalusing Borough, authorities said.

Bradford County Chief Deputy Coroner Jay Cummings said he pronounced Avery dead at the scene at 1:57 a.m.

Cloud, 36, suffered a moderate injury and was transported to Memorial Hospital in Towanda, state police at Towanda said.

Cloud was treated and released from the hospital, a spokesman for the hospital said.

Avery and Cloud were both wearing seat belts, police said.

Avery died of blunt force traumatic injuries, Cummings said.

Cloud's pickup truck, which was a 2013 Ford Super Duty model, and Avery's pickup truck were both towed from the scene, police said.

James Loewenstein can be reached at (570) 265-1633; or email: jloewenstein@thedailyreview.com.

TOWANDA - The Bradford County Commissioners announced this week that they have sent a letter to U.S. Attorney Peter J. Smith which asks him to investigate the large decline in the size of royalty payments made by Chesapeake Energy Corp.

The decrease in the size of royalty checks has affected a large number of Bradford County royalty owners, the commissioners said.

The letter, which is dated July 10, explains that the commissioners "continue to receive an incredible number of calls and letters from leaseholders within the county asking for assistance in what they believe are unfair deductions" from their royalty checks, the commissioners wrote in a press release that they issued this week about the letter.

"Both Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane and Governor Tom Corbett have stated their intent to investigate the issue," the commissioners wrote in their press release. "However, the commissioners are not aware of any action that has been taken. The commissioners have contacted the state legislators through letters, phone calls and personal visits but to date no legislation has passed to address the issue. Inaction by those elected to represent us in Harrisburg continues to negatively impact the residents of our county, region, and state.

"The commissioners want a serious effort to address the issue of clarifying what was the Legislature's intention of the '1979 Minimum Royalty Act,'" the commissioners' press release states. "They believe the minimum royalty should be guaranteed at 12.5 percent as originally defined in 1979. The current silence of many in Harrisburg is deafening.

"The extraordinary reduction of royalties paid to landowners (mostly working families and senior citizens) results in reduced economic activity as well as reduced tax receipts that the state would receive," the release states.

"In March, a rally was held on the front steps of the courthouse asking the Legislature for support of House Bill 1684, in June this bill was tabled and will not be voted on before the summer break begins," the press release says. "This extremely serious issue has caught the attention of royalty owners and operators across the nation. The commissioners believe this matter impacts interstate commerce as it involves out-of-state companies conducting business activity in Pennsylvania."

House Bill 1684, which the Bradford County commissioners support, would guarantee that landowners receive, at a minimum, a 12 1/2 percent royalty payment, without any post-production costs being taken out of that minimum payment.

State Sen. Gene Yaw said that he would, as he has stated numerous times in the past, vote for House Bill 1684 if it passed the House and were brought before the Senate.

Yaw said it is unfair for the commissioners to portray him as not doing enough to assist leaseholders.

"I have three bills that are all related to gas issues - Senate Bill 1236, Senate Bill 1237 and Senate Bill 1238 - that have all passed the Senate several months ago," Yaw said. "Since then, they have been sitting in the House. So don't tell me that I haven't done anything."

Yaw said he has also authored two other bills that would increase access to natural gas, which have also passed the House and "are sitting in the Senate."

By contrast, two senior members of the House, Tina Pickett and Matt Baker, could not get House Bill 1684, which they sponsored, through the House of Representatives, Yaw said.

Yaw said that at this point, if House members want to assist leaseholders and other local residents, they should pass the five gas-related bills that he got through the Senate.

Senate Bill 1236 would allow those receiving royalties the opportunity to inspect records of natural gas companies to verify proper payments. In addition, the bill requires all royalty payments be made within 60 days of production unless otherwise stated in the lease. Any delinquent payments are to be paid with interest.

Senate Bill 1237 would prohibit a gas company from retaliating against any royalty interest owner by terminating their lease agreement or ceasing development on leased property because a royalty interest owner questions the accuracy of current royalty payments. Companies found to have violated the provisions of this act face civil penalties of up to $1,000 per day.

Senate Bill 1238 would require a gas company to record a surrender document in the county Recorder of Deeds office where the oil and gas well is located within 30 days upon expiration, termination, or forfeiture of an oil and gas lease.

Yaw said he believes that Attorney General Kane's investigation is underway, but that she is not publicizing information about it.

Yaw said it is normal for law enforcement agencies, including the Attorney General's Office, to not publicize information about ongoing investigations.

"What the Attorney General is doing is completely normal and what I would expect in a situation like this," Yaw said.

Yaw said that he does not expect a U.S. attorney to launch an investigation into the royalty payment issue when it is already being investigated by the Pennsylvania attorney general, particularly since the U.S. Attorney General's Office is under Democrat control and Kane is a Democrat.

"The chance of a U.S. attorney usurping the power of a Democratic (Pennsylvania) attorney general is probably about nil," Yaw said.

Chesapeake Energy Corp. has declined to provide comment for this story, according to Gordon Pennoyer, a spokesman for Chesapeake Energy.

James Loewenstein can be reached at (570) 265-1633; or email: jloewenstein@thedailyreview.com.

A Towanda man involved in a fatal April 2013 motor vehicle accident in Ulster Township entered a guilty plea this week in county court.

Manuel Jesus Borrero, 21, pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of involuntary manslaughter, a first-degree misdemeanor, according to Bradford County district attorney Dan Barrett.

Borrero's case was called for a pre-trial hearing Tuesday, during which Borrero pleaded guilty to the charge, also known as negligent homicide, Barrett said.

The prosecution was prepared by assistant district attorney Al Ondrey, he said. According to court documents, Borrero is represented by attorney Craig Kalinoski of Scranton.

Borrero's sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 4, Barrett said. Under the state's sentencing guidelines, a first-degree misdemeanor is punishable by up to five years' confinement.

Borrero, the operator of a 2001 Audi A4 found to have inadequate brakes, was traveling southbound on Route 220 at about 5:40 p.m. on April 21, 2013, when the vehicle crossed into the northbound lane about a third of a mile north of the road's intersection with Bridge Street, striking a 2007 Dodge Ram operated by 24-year-old Kyle Decker of Gillett.

Upon impact, the Ram lost its front driver side tire, flipped onto its passenger side and then onto its roof before striking a utility pole, according to a criminal complaint filed with the court by state police at Towanda. Deputy county coroner James Bowen pronounced Decker dead at the scene, according to police.

In addition to involuntary manslaughter, police initially charged Borrero with homicide by vehicle, a third-degree felony, and 12 summary offenses.

Borrero told police that he had pulled over to the side of Route 220 just prior to the accident because his brakes "didn't feel right," police said. Upon re-entering traffic, vehicles in the southbound lane began to slow down for a vehicle making a left-hand turn into a driveway, Borrero told police. Borrero tried to brake, but his brakes "went to the floor," according to police.

Borrero then tried to downshift and swerve around the vehicle in front of him in an attempt to pass between the SUV and Decker's truck, but struck the truck, he told police.

A police inspection of Borrero's vehicle revealed that it would not have passed a state inspection, police said. Police said the Audi's brake pads were lower than state minimum requirements, both rear tires had inadequate tire tread and tire cord showing and the rotor braking system had visible severe gouging. The vehicle's registration had expired in March 2013, police said.

Police found two bottles of rum behind the driver's side seat in Borrero's car at the scene of the accident, police said. A test of Borrero's blood came back negative for the presence of alcohol.

Amanda Renko can be reached at (570) 888-9652; or email: arenko@thedailyreview.com.

CANTON - Anniversaries and birthdays are usually celebrated with cake and candles, but Canton Borough's sesquicentennial will be commemorated with something different - ice cream and swimming.

Canton Borough Council members are planning a celebration of the borough's 150th anniversary for later this summer.

The matter was discussed at the recent council meeting.

"What I thought I'd try to put together is like an old-fashioned ice cream social or something down at the pool area," Amy Seeley, borough administrator, told council. She asked council members their thoughts on the timeframe that they would like for the celebration.

After some discussion, council decided to have an ice cream social and a free swim, around the end of the War Memorial Pool's season this year.

When asked for comment, council president Ken Robertson said the social would be held at the pavilion, by the pool. He said it would be a free event. No date has been set yet, however.

"Hopefully, it's a nice hot day so people can enjoy the pool," he commented. "I'm sure it will be a good time, the local folks gathering together."

After council made its decision on the celebration, Seeley told council, "I'll work towards that."

Looking back over the history of the borough, Robertson noted that Canton was incorporated during the time of the Civil War. And he noted that Bradford County was a major supplier of soldiers from Pennsylvania to the Union Army.

"In the midst of all that, we incorporated and became the town we are today," he said.

Robertson added that he thought the Hometown Heroes banners that have been installed this year in the borough are "a nice touch at this particular point in time."

Since this spring, council has been considering a rental inspection ordinance, but Seeley said she didn't have "anything new" on this front. Earlier this year, Seeley had provided some sample copies of rental inspection ordinances for council's review.

She said the floodplain ordinance was submitted to the state Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) and a telephone conference was scheduled. "Then, hopefully, at the August meeting, I can bring you back a draft copy to be advertised," she said.

During the solicitor's report, council solicitor David Brann said he didn't have "anything for public consumption."

Council received the street department report for June.

According to the report, the department: had the pool pressure-washed and got it up and running; received a load of mulch for the playground; picked up several loads of brush/40 bags of leaves; fixed some street/route signs; put new rear tires on the lawn tractor; repaired the swing at the pool; trimmed a few trees; mowed and trimmed several times; cleaned up for the block dance; put up signs for the block dance; did spring clean up (all week); and had a new clutch installed at Watson's in the Dodge.

In addition, the street department installed fire extinguishers at the pool; built a stand for the microwave at the pool; talked to Greg Dibble with PennDOT on paving projects; hauled leaves; cleaned catch basin grates several times; helped with Electronic Recycle Day; ran the chipper; checked on the pool daily; put a bench together and installed it in front of a borough business (VIA-purchased); had a street sweeper demonstration; tore out a beaver dam; and replaced a broken sewer cap at the office.

Eric Hrin can be reached at (570) 297-5251; email: reviewtroy@thedailyreview.com.

Right through the stop sign

Wish that the Towanda Borough Police would spend more time watching the stop sign at the corner of N. Fourth and Ann Street, mostly north bound traffic. It seems that the majority of travelers totally ignore this stop sign.

No votes for Corbett

My husband worked hard for the state of Pennsylvania and retired with a pension, and in all his retirement years, he never once had a cost of living increase. And now we read that Governor Corbett wants to slash his monthly payment - just temporarily he says. Well Governor Corbett, slash your own salary instead. And even though we've always voted Republican, we will not be voting for you in the next election!

A dangerous intersection

How come they can't do something about the corner of 467 and 187? Somebody is going to get killed one of these days - then it will be too late. This has been going on for years! Why not put a red light by this bridge to slow people down? Or do away with this corner. They come around this corner about 70 miles an hour. These big trucks shake the whole mountain. They could put some police around here sometimes to catch these people. There have been about four wrecks in about three months - I lost count there have been so many!

Got hats and gloves?

A local organization is looking to sell vintage hats and gloves that anyone may be throwing away or cleaning out. The money will be used for scholarships. Please call 570-265-3336.

Susquehanna Co. roads

When one crosses the county line in Susquehanna County, one realizes how deplorable the road conditions are there. Their little band-aid fixes have done little to improve the roads. They haven't even re-painted the lines from last year. These road conditions have been going on for the past few years. Between carving up the countryside and the road conditions, no wonder tourism has dropped off in some of these counties.

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Care to share?

The Daily Review's new Sound Off column will include items, both positive and negative, called in to a Sound Off hotline. That number is 570-265-1603. Calls will be anonymous; names will not be published. Profanity, as well as libelous content will be edited out. Give us a call. Let us know what's on your mind. We look forward to hearing from you!

A Towanda man suspected of having a young child with him while he led authorities on a high-speed chase has been sent a summons to appear before Magisterial District Judge Tim Clark to answer various charges.

According to information filed at Clark's office, Dillon Robert Benjamin, 22, has been charged by Towanda police with endangering the welfare of a child; recklessly endangering another person; driving while his license was suspended or revoked; failure to obey traffic control devices; failure to use his turn signal; operating a vehicle at an unsafe speed; careless driving; and reckless driving.

The incident that led to the charges being filed against Benjamin occurred on May 30 in Towanda Borough. Towanda officer Josh Lake reported being on duty at the police department headquarters around 12:40 p.m. when he and other officers heard yelling and screaming outside the office. Going outside, Lake reported that they heard a vehicle take off from Park Street at a high rate of speed. The vehicle was later identified as a 2005 Dodge Ram, and the operator identified as Benjamin. Lake said he and other officers observed the Dodge turn onto Merrill Parkway and head north. The Ram then headed west onto State Street, Lake said, with the vehicle breaking traction and then squealing its tires.

Getting into a police cruiser, Lake said he was the first officer to follow the pickup, with Chief Randy Epler and Det. Al Ogden also in pursuit. As he pulled onto State Street, Lake continued, he activated his lights and siren. Lake said he observed the pickup accelerate to an even faster speed, then turn north onto Third Street without using the proper signal. State police were called in for assistance at this point.

As he turned onto Third Street, Lake said, he had lost visual contact with the black Dodge. A witness pointed and yelled that the pickup had turned west onto Lombard Street, and Lake did the same. Speaking with another witness in the area, Lake was informed that the pickup had driven by at a very high rate of speed. The area in question is a school zone, and school was in session at the time, according to reports.

Lake and other officers continued to search the area - including State Street, Bridge Street Hill, and Old Plank Road, but with negative results. The search was called off at that point, but Chief Epler informed Lake that the Bradford County Sheriff's Office had caught some of the incident on their security cameras.

Lake again spoke with the witness who had observed the Ram pass through the area, who said the Ram had cut through the Ss. Peter and Paul Church parking lot, and when it turned onto Lombard Street, she thought it was going to wreck as it was "going very fast." The witness also reported the pickup had not stopped as it exited the parking lot.

Lake next spoke to Bradford County Sheriff C.J. Walters, who said that their security cameras had earlier recorded the Dodge coming off Poplar Street, following a black car. Walters told Lake both vehicles stopped in front of the Towanda police station, and Benjamin was observed in the pickup, arguing with a person who had gotten out of the black car. Lake also spoke with Det. Al Ogden, who said he had spoken with one of the people in the car. From Ogden's description, Lake said, he determined the identity of the person was Vicki Potter, and later spoke with her. Potter informed Lake that Benjamin and her daughter had earlier gotten into an argument which started to turn physical. During the incident, Potter explained, Benjamin had "ripped" a baby from her daughter's arms.

Potter said she went to the Towanda police station to report the incident, with Benjamin following in the black pickup truck. Outside the station, Potter continued, a second altercation occurred.

Lake asked Potter if she knew if the child had been with Benjamin during the high speed pursuit. Potter said she was not certain, but knew that the child had been with him earlier.

Lake then went to the residence of Benjamin's parents, and recognized a Dodge Ram sitting in the back yard as the vehicle which he had pursued earlier in the day. The parents informed Lake that Benjamin was in the house, and had him come out and speak with him.

When asked if he had had an issue with someone earlier in the day, Benjamin informed Lake that they got into an argument that "got a little out of hand." When Lake asked Benjamin why he had failed to stop his vehicle during the pursuit, Benjamin replied "I didn't know there were cops behind me." Lake informed Benjamin that he did not believe him, and that he was not being truthful. Lake pointed out how the pickup was observed traveling at a high rate of speed, which Benjamin denied - insisting he was following a minivan at the time. Lake then informed Benjamin that witnesses had observed the high-speed incident, but he again denied driving at a high rate of speed. Lake reported that he observed Benjamin's daughter standing next to him during the interview, and asked Benjamin if he had her with him while he was driving the Dodge; which Benjamin confirmed.

Benjamin's preliminary hearing has been scheduled for Aug. 8 before Judge Clark.

On Friday and Saturday, June 27 and 28 one of the last great estates in Towanda, Pa. was auctioned by ROAN Inc. Auctioneers & Appraisers of Cogan Station, Pa. over the course of two days.

The Estate of the late Frances R. and David R. Smith of Towanda was auctioned for the Smith family by the Roan family, which featured an exceptional one-of-a-kind American primitive oil painting on canvas inscribed on reverse 'View of Towanda Bradford CO Pennsylvania painted by H. Walton 1851' by American painter Henry Walton (1804-1865) and sold for a commanding $86,000. This colorful and untouched work shows great detail from figures and sheep on the foreground bank to boats with US flags on the river, and a covered bridge over the Susquehanna River to buildings on the town side - some of which are identifiable to this day - with a vibrant blue and white sky, held in its original gilt frame and original stretcher with most of the original paper label that read 'James S. Earle 216 Chestnut St Philadelphia PA.'

In addition, a pair of portrait paintings of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Mercur, also attributed to Henry Walton sold for $4,000. Two vintage automobiles included a 1971 Cadillac El Dorado that sold for $7,100 and a classic MGTD convertible that sold for $19,500. Jewelry included a ladies platinum filigree diamond ring marked 'PLAT' and signed 'HW' with a 1-ct center stone and five tiny accent diamonds (2.1-dwt) sold for $4,200. A platinum set "ribbon wreath" brooch marked 'PLAT 8996' containing 39 total diamonds (2.21-ct/6.2-dwt) sold for $1,100. Silver featured a cased set of sterling flatware, (57) pieces partial service for twelve of Gorham 'Louis XV' pattern (approx. 59.97 t.oz.) that sold for $1,500, and another cased set of sterling flatware for $950. In addition, (22) Oriental rugs in a variety of styles and sizes, most in very good condition also featured a runner that sold for $1,100.

Overall, the experience of such a successful sale says a lot about the current markets. Art is strong. Jewelry and silver are still valuable. Antiques sell best when they're rare and unique. Oriental rugs are generally a buyer's market except for the best examples.

Submitted by ROAN Inc. Auctioneers & Appraisers.

Tioga Downs Casino has announced that the facility will be holding the first-ever World Chicken Spiedie-Eating Competition, featuring World Champion Joey Chestnut. The 10-minute, all-you-can-eat contest is presented by Lupo's and will take place at 7 p.m. on Saturday, July 26, trackside at Tioga Downs.

The chicken spiedie, which claims Endicott as its birthplace, is a sandwich comprised of grilled, marinated chicken cubes on a bun. The term "spiedie" comes from the Italian spiedo, meaning spit, or spiedini, referring to cubes of meat cooked on a skewer.

Sanctioned by Major League Eating, the contest will feature Major League Eaters from around the country. Many have just competed in the July Fourth Hot Dog Eating Championship in Coney Island, N.Y., which was won by Joey Chestnut for the eighth consecutive year.

"Introducing Joey Chestnut to the chicken spiedie is like giving a paintbrush to Picasso," said MLE Chairman George Shea. "We expect a monumental record that will fully honor the deep history of the chicken spiedie and its cultural significance in upstate New York."

In addition to World No. 1 ranked eater Joey "Jaws" Chestnut of San Jose, Calif., a number of famous eaters will be present including No. 10 Jeff "The Beastman" Butler of Cleveland, Ohio; No. 23 Ronnie "The Real American" Hartman of Ft. Stewart, Ga.; Marcos "The Monster" Owens, No. 16; and "Buffalo" Jim Reeves, No. 21; Eric "Badlands" Booker, No. 22, Selden, N.Y.; and No. 26 Crazy Legs Conti of New York City.

In addition to bragging rights, competitors will vie for a cash purse that totals $5,000. More information on Tioga Downs is available at www.tiogadowns.com. For more details on chicken spiedies, visit www.spiedies.com. Information on Major League Eating can be found at www.ifoce.com.

LAPORTE - In a split vote, the Sullivan County School Board this week approved a new contract with the district's teachers which increases spending on salaries by more than 9 percent over the next four years.

The contract, which was ratified by the teachers on July 10, covers the four-year period from July 1, 2014 through June 30, 2018.

During the first year of the contract, the school district will spend an additional 2.5 percent on salaries, with the extra money being distributed as raises for the teachers, said Doug Lindner, the business manager for the school district.

Spending on salaries will increase 2.25 percent during each of the last three years of the contract, with the additional spending also being distributed as raises for the teachers, he said.

However, the increased spending on salaries is offset to an extent by the fact that teachers will have to pay more for their health insurance, he said.

During the past school year, teachers paid a portion of their health insurance premiums that was equivalent to 1.5 percent of their salaries, he said.

During the first year of the new contract, their contribution to their health insurance premiums will increase to 2 percent of their salary, he said. The contribution toward their health insurance premiums will continue to rise over the life of the contract until, during the final year, it will be 3.5 percent of their salary, Lindner said.

The contribution that a teacher makes toward his or her health insurance premiums does not depend on whether he or she has family members who receive health insurance through the school district, he said.

The district's previous contract, which was in effect for three years, ended on June 30, 2014.

Following the school board's vote on Tuesday, the new contract went into effect, Lindner said.

Superintendent of schools Craig Skaluba called the contract "a win-win for both sides."

Alice Carpenter, president of the Sullivan County Education Association, said: "I appreciate the effort of both sides to come to an agreement amicably, and avoid some of the pitfalls" that some other school districts in the area have experienced.

Voting for the contract were James Lambert, Darwin Hatch, Molly Kinsey, Kimberly Phillips, Rebecca Ferguson and J. Wilson Ferguson.

Voting against the contract were Tim Nitczinski and Virginia Miller.

In an interview after the meeting, Nitczinski said teachers in the Sullivan County School District are already paid sufficiently, compared to teachers in surrounding school districts.

Nitczinski noted that the Sullivan County School District, which has 600 students, has an annual budget of over $13 million, whereas the Benton Area School District, which has approximately 50 more students that the Sullivan County School District has, has an annual budget that is less than $11 million.

"A lot of our taxpayers live on a limited income," Nitczinski said, adding that they have to pay the higher taxes that the salary increases are causing.

Nitczinski noted that there was a tax increase implemented this summer to address a shortfall in the Sullivan County School District's Fiscal Year 2014-15 budget, which was caused in part by the raises that teachers will be getting under their new contract. He said he did not vote for the tax increase.

Nitczinski also said that several other school districts in the area have implemented freezes in teachers' salaries in the past. By contrast, the Sullivan County School District has never frozen teachers' salaries, he said.

Miller declined to provide a comment to The Review on her vote.

James Loewenstein can be reached at (570) 265-1633; or email: jloewenstein@thedailyreview.com.

ATHENS BOROUGH - Two families were able to escape a Friday morning fire at their North Main Street residence.

The Athens Borough Fire Department was dispatched at about 4:26 a.m. Friday to 411 N. Main St., near the intersection of Main and Pine streets, for a working structure fire.

The department received assistance from the Sayre Borough Fire Department, the Athens Township Volunteer Fire Company, the Ulster-Sheshequin Fire Association and cover-up assistance from the Towanda Borough Fire Department. The departments returned into service at around 9 a.m. Friday.

The Bradford/Sullivan chapter of the American Red Cross provided water, ice and breakfast to about 60 first responders and is also assisting the families displaced by the fire, according to information from the Red Cross.

The organization provided one family, consisting of three adults and one infant, with food, lodging, clothing, shoes, infant supplies and a crib. The other family - two adults and one child - received food, lodging, clothing, shoes and transportation, according to the Red Cross.

Amanda Renko can be reached at (570) 888-9652; or email: arenko@thedailyreview.com.

On July 25 and 26, at the Owego Free Academy located on Sheldon Guile Boulevard in Owego, N.Y., Relay for Life to benefit the American Cancer Society will once again welcome teams to spend the night under the stars as they raise dollars for cancer research, as well as awareness of cancer and survivorship. But there is one team that is being led by one of the youngest members to serve as a team captain in Relay history - Multiple Miracles.

Fifteen-year-old Elizabeth Chin, daughter of Olivia Chin, who has been battling Multiple Myeloma, decided to surprise her mom last year by putting together a team for the Relay for Life event that is held each year in Tioga County. According to Olivia, Elizabeth formed a team with her friends. Elizabeth was 13, going on 14 at that time, and is one of the youngest team captains in the U.S.

"She did it to surprise me," said Olivia. "She told me two weeks before the event. She got help from her father to do the online registration, and then got some late help from me to request for donations," she added.

Olivia Chin, who recently authored a book about her struggles titled "Love Olivia," is battling Multiple Myeloma, a cancer that attacks the bone marrow, and Amyloidosis, which attacks the organs.

Olivia was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma in 2009, and her daughters wanted to raise money to help those with cancer. Last year in May, her daughters saw a Relay for Life sign and wanted to create a team. They surprised her with a team a few weeks later.

In honor of their mother, Olivia's daughters named their team "Multiple Miracles," a quiet play on the MM for her team name and for Multiple Myeloma.

Elizabeth stated in a recent interview that the team picked this name because her mom has Multiple Myeloma, and stated, "We are always hoping for miracles to happen with cancer."

The team has seven members and expects a few more to join in the days leading to the Relay for Life event. And just like last year, the team will consist of all kids, except for the cancer survivors who join them.

Currently, the team has collected just over $1,100, and has a goal of $2,000. The team raises the money by asking for donations and having fundraisers to include an upcoming Doug's Fish Fry fundraiser that will take place from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Aug. 14, at the Bulk Food Store located on Fifth Avenue in Owego.

Last year, the team collected over $2,000 for the Relay for Life, and is hoping to match or exceed that amount this year.

When asked if she had a message for families and loved ones battling cancer, Elizabeth stated, "Never give up hope and always think positive. New drugs are constantly being created, and we have to hope that these new cures will be there when our loved ones need them."

Relay for Life in Tioga County, N.Y. will kick-off at 6 p.m. on Friday, July 25. The ceremonial survivors lap will offer an emotional opening to this fundraising event. Teams will be set up around the track, and there will be information provided for cancer survivors, those currently battling cancer, and for family members supporting loved ones in the fight.

The luminaries will light the track throughout the evening as walkers and teams raise dollars and awareness. The closing ceremony for the event will take place at 5:45 a.m. on Saturday, July 26. To learn more, visit relay.acsevents.org/.

As many as 150 participants are expected to gather in Owego, N.Y. for the sixth annual Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway of Valor Tribute Ride on Saturday, July 26. Route 38, designated in 2009 as the "Vietnam Veterans' Memorial Highway of Valor," stretches 98 miles from Owego to Sterling, N.Y.

The police escorted ride begins at 10 a.m., and will depart from Owego Free Academy located on Sheldon Guile Boulevard in Owego. Food and entertainment will await participants when the ride concludes at the American Legion in the Village of Hannibal, N.Y.

Registration takes place between 8 a.m. and 9:45 a.m. on the day of the ride, and the public is welcome to participate. Local event organizer Bill Chandler, president of Vietnam Veterans Chapter 480 shared, "Cars and trucks can come along, and everyone is welcome." In past years, planes have flown overhead along the route, and many riders participate to remember or honor a loved one or acknowledge and show support for all Vietnam veterans.

Stops along the way include Groton, N.Y., home of U.S.M.C. Medal of Honor recipient 2LT Terrence Graves and Throop, N.Y., home of U.S. Army Medal of Honor recipient SP4 Robert F. Stryker. As has been tradition in past years, more participants are expected to join the Tribute Ride at the Groton stop. Chandler said, "We have had a total of about 250 people after the Groton stop."

The Highway of Valor Tribute Ride is a way to honor the fallen and pay tribute to all veterans. The first stop honors Terrance Graves. In February 1968, while searching for a group of Vietnamese soldiers, Graves' eight-man patrol was ambushed and wounded. As they boarded a rescue helicopter, one soldier was noted missing. Graves and another Marine got off the rescue helicopter to search for the missing man, however under heavy fire, the helicopter had to depart. Once the missing soldier was found, they then managed to board a second helicopter. Sadly, the second helicopter crashed, killing all on board, including Graves. The second stop honors Robert Stryker. In 1967, Stryker was killed when he threw himself on a mine as it detonated, saving a dozen of his fellow soldiers.

In August of 2009, former New York State Governor David Paterson signed a bill into law designating Route 38 as the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway of Valor. Since that time, 40 signs have been placed all along Route 38 at no cost to the taxpayer, so that drivers who frequent the road will understand and appreciate the sacrifices of these veterans.

Lauren Dates, a Vietnam Veteran paratrooper and Bronze Star Medal recipient from Sterling, N.Y. is recognized as the individual who spearheaded the effort to designate Route 38 as the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway of Valor. In May 2014, Dates received a total of 12 overdue awards, including the Purple Heart and Army Commendation Medal in a ceremony at U.S. Rep. Dan Maffei's Syracuse office, more than 40 years after his own heroic combat actions.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway of Valor Tribute Ride is sponsored by the Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) Chapters 377, 480 and 704; and Chapter 17 of the Blue Knights Motorcycle Club.

Communities along the Route 38 Corridor are urged to come together along the Valor ride route and wave, clap, display American flags or thank you signs to show appreciation and thanks to the Vietnam veterans who were not given a Welcome Home four decades ago.

For more information, contact Harvey Baker, VVA Chapter 377 at (607) 898-3507; Bill Chandler, VVA Chapter 480 at (607) 222-6357; or Dan Baker, Chapter 17 of the Blue Knights Motorcycle Club at (607) 229-8153.

Information can also be viewed at www.cyberspokes.com or "The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway of Valor" on Facebook.

Tioga Downs EBC and NYSS golf outing planned for Saturday, Aug. 9

Tioga Downs extends an invitation to all horsemen and owners participating at Tioga Downs to join them in the annual horsemen's golf outing on Saturday, Aug. 9.

The golf outing will be contested in the four-man scramble format, and will take place at Pheasant Hill Country Club in Owego with an 8 a.m. shotgun start. A steak dinner and prize ceremony at the course will follow the golf outing.

The tournament is free for all horsemen and owners. To sign up, please email Garrett Madison at gmadison@tiogadowns.com or call him at (607) 699-7691.

Tioga Downs hopes that you will make plans to join them on Saturday morning, Aug. 9 for golf, and also on Sunday, Aug. 10 for racing at 1:30 p.m. featuring divisions of the New York Sire Stakes for two-year-old pacers, and the final for the $250,000 estimated Empire Breeders Classic, which features the top three-year-old pacing colts and fillies sired in New York.

For more information on Tioga Downs, visit them online at www.tiogadowns.com.

HARRISBURG - In an ongoing effort to provide added professionalism to the Office of Sheriff, the Pennsylvania Sheriffs' Association, working in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Local Government Commission, the County Commissioners' Association of Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency reached one of its goals with the signing of House Bill 1772 now Act 114 of 2014, on July 9.

The Association has been working on legislation to provide training for Sheriffs as well as a certification and decertification process. Act 114 provides training, waiver training and continuing education for Sheriffs and Deputy Sheriffs throughout the Commonwealth. This training is at no cost to taxpayers, but instead is funded by a portion of the fees collected by the Sheriff's Office on legal documents they serve.

"There was a time in Pennsylvania when many of the individuals elected to the Office of Sheriff had no law enforcement background, but that simply isn't the case anymore," said Executive Director Bob Wollyung. "Now, all but a handful of Sheriffs are either former deputies or police officers, former chiefs of police or former members of the State Police. This legislation recognizes those changes."

Sheriff Ray Gerringer, current president of the Sheriffs' Association credits a lot of fine work to "people behind the scenes" to get this law enacted. He stated that "this will go a long way to show that Sheriffs and their Deputies have a legitimate place among the law enforcement agencies of this Commonwealth."

Submitted by PA Sheriffs' Association.

MONROE TOWNSHIP - By mid-afternoon on Saturday, six timber rattlesnakes had been brought to the pen at the Monroeton Rod & Gun Club.

The two largest timber rattlesnakes in the pen were a 51-inch serpent, caught in Overton Township, and a 49-inch-long specimen, caught in Franklin Township, said James Chestney, the coordinator of the state government's Timber Rattlesnake Project.

Those two snakes are probably 20 to 25 years old, he said.

The snakes can live to be over 30 years old, he said. The largest timber rattlesnake caught in Pennsylvania was 56 inches long, he said.

Male rattlers that are caught at this time of year tend to be on the move to find mates, he said. Sometimes they are found crossing a road, he said.

The 34 people who registered to participate in the hunt this year were only allowed to capture male snakes that are at least 42 inches long. They will be releasing all snakes caught in the hunt at sunset today at the same location they where they were caught.

Also in the pen were two copperheads, which were caught in Wyalusing Township.

The rattlesnake hunt event, which continues all day today at the Monroeton Rod & Gun Club in Monroe Township, also features horseshoe competitions, vendors and food.

Hundreds of people attend the event each year, said Donna Hoiaas, a member of the club's board of directors.

James Loewenstein can be reached at (570) 265-1633; or email: jloewenstein@thedailyreview.com.