Occupy Scranton Tents Removed

3 12 13 20 2 GOLackawanna Sunday, December 25, 2011 COVER PHOTO OF FIRST NIGHT SCRANTON CO-CHAIRS PAIGE BALITSKI AND DAMIAN THE MAGICIAN BY JASON RIEDMILLER 3 NEWS COURTESY PHOTO Page 3 – ’Tent Monsters’ scurry around square Former Abington Page 4 – Burglary at New Visions gallery Heights standout Becky Burke recently Page 8 – Gervasi, ex-fire fighter, guilty of arson earned her 1,000th WS college career point Page 10– 1967 ambulance ends journey in Spring Brook with Louisville. STORY: Page 26 NE 12 ARTS Page 12 – Rusted Root set to play Hardware Bar Pages 13-15– A guide to First Night Scranton ’12 19 SPORTS Page 20 – Teams tackle holiday tournaments Page 23 – PSU on fence about McGloin in bowl game Page 26 – New PBL team ready to go Page 27 - Scranton coach breaks D3 win record OUR TEAM GO Lackawanna Editor Obituaries – 558-0113 Christopher J. Hughes 558-0113 News Tips [email protected] 558-0113 General Manager [email protected] Paul Andrews – 558-0845 Missed Paper – 829-5000 [email protected] Classified TS Reporter/Photographer 1-800-273-7130 Rich Howells – 558-0483 Advertising – 829-7101 [email protected] Subscriptions – 1-800-252-5603 AR Advertising Representative Hours of Operation Karen Fiscus – 970-7291 9a.m. – 6p.m.; M-F; 210 Wyoming [email protected] Avenue, Scranton 18503 Mom reminds me of spirit of season Don’t tell Christmas that we forget how to It’s become almost as tradi- CHRISTOPHER J. HUGHES has a anyone, but bekindtostrangerswhoseneeds tional as stockings over the fire- BEHIND THE very thoughtful mother. Email him my mom is far outweigh our own. place or the “Christmas Catholi- at [email protected]. kind of Santa BYLINES Stories covered over the last cs” we all know that take our Claus. week helped to start reminding space in the pews that we do Well, she CHRISTOPHER J. me of that, but Mom’s rally cry of something for a stranger during was for at least HUGHES generosity sealed the deal. the holidays. one little girl and her family this While it may be too late for Why do we always stop there? +(ISSN No. 0896-4084) week. on Christmas morning, even if some of us to give something to Wouldn’t it be great to carry the USPS 499-710 You see, Mom gathered up the said child wasn’t fully aware of an individual or an organization feeling of selflessness through- Issue No. 2011-359 elves in her office and encour- the Christian belief that Jesus that works to help them this out the year? TS Newsroom aged them to brighten up the ho- Christ was born on Dec. 25. Christmas, it’s something easy Some might argue that giving 829-7242 [email protected] lidays for a local school student Complete with a stocking full to recall next year. of yourself all year would cheap- Circulation whosemotherisbattlingapretty of small gifts, Mrs. Hughes- When you leave your favorite en the special feeling Christmas Jim McCabe – 829-5000 [email protected] serious disease. We’ve seen her Claus dropped off the gifts on toy store next fall and are asked gives us. But would it really? Published weekly by: around our neighborhood in Monday, leaving a tear in the eye to donate to Toys For Tots or an- Iencouragereaderstodowhat SPOR Impressions Media West Scranton and learned earli- of the young girl’s grandmother. other holiday-oriented drive, they can to be a bit more gener- 15 N. Main St. erthisyearofhermother’s strug- Don’ttellanyone,butasstone- think about how much you just ous next year. Spread some joy Wilkes-Barre, PA 18711 gles. faced as Mom can be, she left spent and what10 percent of that through little things like holding Periodicals postage paid at Scranton, PA Mom got those in the work- choked up, too. I could still hear total would mean to a family an elevator door for someone Postmaster: Send address changes shop to give what they could it in her voice when she called to with a soldier serving overseas, a down the hall or leaving a larger to Times Leader, 15 N. Main St., over the last few weeks in order inform me of how successful the parent fighting for their life, or tip than usual at a restaurant. Wilkes-Barre, PA 18711 Delivery Sunday 75¢ per week to buy the essentials that the collection and gift drop went. one of many people barely sur- Your Mom would be just as Mailed Subscriptions Sunday family needed and gifts that any We can often get so wrapped viving in the worst economy proud of you as I am of mine. $1.00 per week in PA child would be lucky to receive up in the commercialism of since the Great Depression. Merry Christmas. $3.05 per week outside PA Sunday, December 25, 2011 GOLackawanna 3 Protest continues after demonstrators, sheriff’s office agree to terms; info tent remains. NE WS AR TS JASON RIEDMILLER PHOTO / FOR GO LACKAWANNA Occupy Scranton protester Alex Lotorto is removed from his ’tent monster’ by members of the Lackawanna County Sheriff’s Department on Thursday afternoon. Occupy Scranton tents removed By CHRISTOPHER J. HUGHES aboutthecourthouselawnonLin- tion in a peaceful manner, permit [email protected] den Street, their heads poking or not… We don’t need that piece SCRANTON – The tents that through the top. The so-called of paper to stay here. This is our became part of the symbol of the “tent monsters” were inspired by land, and we are going to stand up ongoing Occupy Scranton protest Occupy Melbourne, according to for our Constitutional rights.” that began in mid-October were Lotorto. The courthouse will continue moved Friday afternoon, but not “It was deescalated with some to be a base for the demonstra- in the way members of the Lacka- humor,”hesaidofthehuman-tent tions. Lotorto said they plan to wanna County Sheriff’s Depart- hybrids. “I’m really happy no one cover the sides of the information ment had anticipated. got hurt.” tentwithatransparentplasticma- SPOR The group’s courthouse use Lotorto came close on Thurs- terial to comply with the sheriff’s form expired on Dec. 21 at 11:59 day. Four sheriffs deputies sur- request. p.m. By noon on Thursday, in ac- rounded his tent. As he raised his Vanorden, who sometimes cordance with a 12-hour courtesy hands through the top of it, sher- took unorthodox approaches to extension to remove personal iffs ripped open the hole he had calling attention to local issues TS property granted by Sheriff John stuck his head through and re- that the movement has focused ALackawanna County sheriff laughs Thursday as Occupy Scran- Szymanski, many pieces of per- moved him from the tent itself. on, quickly borrowed a sheriff’s ton member Mike Vanorden speaks to Chief Deputy Sheriff Dom sonal property were already re- “The tents moved when they phonetospeakwithChiefDeputy Manetti on his cell phone. moved. An information tent and came,” Lotorto said with a smile. Sheriff Dom Manetti to wish him two personal tents remained on Memberssaidtheendtotheen- amerry Christmas. He playfully Szymanski told Lotorto that they test but no structures, no camp- the grounds Thursday. campmentonCourthouseSquare shouted, “You’ve got the upper can remain on the courthouse ing, no electrical,” Lackawanna When sheriffs approached just doesn’t end their movement. hand for now” to Szymanski grounds 24 hours per day through County Communications Direc- afternoon,thetwotentsoccupied “We’re going to reorganize, re- across the courthouse square. New Year’s Eve when the city con- tor Lynne Shedlock said in an by Mike Vanorden and Alex Lo- group,” Vanorden said. “We are In speaking to protesters after ducts its First Night celebration. torto sprouted legs and moved going to continue our demonstra- they were ripped from their tents, “Occupy Scranton is free to pro- SeeOCCUPY, Page 7 4 GOLackawanna Sunday, December 25, 2011 Scranton gallery Tuesday fire displaces 11 burglarized last weekend By CHRISTOPHER J. HUGHES By CHRISTOPHER J. HUGHES to Virginia by Monday, at- [email protected] [email protected] tempted and failed to break SCRANTON – Crews SCRANTON - The owners the glass door and climbed in- knocked down a third floor fire of New Visions Studio and Gal- to the business through some at 802-04 W. Elm St., Scranton, WS lery said they won’t let the of the eight windows they had within less than 30 minutes Grinches who they believe bur- smashed with large rocks that Tuesday morning, but the blaze NE glarized and vandalized their were discovered throughout displaced 11 people just before storefront ruin their holiday or the storefront. the Christmas holiday. their mission as a new busi- “There was glass embedded Assistant Fire Chief Al Lucas ness in the city. in the walls and halfway into said a 20-year-old man was taken Adam Weitzenkorn and Mel- the gallery,” Weitzenkorn said. from the scene by Lackawanna anie Boisseau, co-owners of Acash register containing at Ambulance and treated for first the gallery at 201Vine St., least $50 was stolen along with degree burns to his face. Dominic Larusso, 804 W. Elm Scranton, said Monday that several comic books, cameras, St., said his son, the young man, they believe the store was tar- and video games that were for tried to battle the fire and re- geted by some unruly fans that sale in the shop. trieve items from his bedroom were in attendance at the The break-in followed the shortly after 8 a.m. Larusso said “Punk Rock Xmas Show” held gallery’s biggest opening re- he purchased the double block Dec.

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