Republican and Herald from Pottsville, Pennsylvania • 6

POTTSVILLE (PA.) REPUBLICAN EVENING HERALD THURSDAY, JULY 26, 2001 fi i' f. '( It LINDSEY C. CORTESESpecta) Photo A pumping detail was called Wednesday after a sewer box was pushed open by torrential rains and murky water flowed RAINFrom Page 1 moisture that kept repeating," meteorologist Dave On-drejik said. More than 100 calls poured into the Schuylkill County Communications Center from Pottsville and surrounding communities, Supervisor Thomas J. Shearnsaid.

The first 911 call came at 5:11 pjn. just before the brunt of the storm. About 1,700 people were without power in Minersville, where the Little League Section 3 championship game was canceled. Flash flood watches were in effect through this morning in Berks, Northumberland, Dauphin, Lackawanna and Luzerne counties. In York, the heavy rains were blamed for rapid waters that canied away a 3-year-old boy, who remained missing hours later and was believed to have drowned.

This morning, damage from the storm was still evident. Emergency lifts today From Cressona to Saint Clair, there were ponds of rain along Route 61 and traffic lights that weren't working. As Pottsville recovered from the deluge, city officials lifted the state of emergency at 8 a.m. today. Showers are still possible today.

By Friday and Saturday, forecasters predicted fair weather and cooler temperatures, courtesy of a high pressure system over the Great Lakes. With reports of flash flooding, fallen trees and a downed power wire on 10th and Market streets, Pottsville Fire Chief Todd March deployed the city's eight fire companies. Meanwhile, a state of emergency was declared at 5:35 p.m., "restricting vehicular traffic for emergency purposes only." "It was the safety factor," Mayor John D.W. Reiley said. "We didn't want anyone losing a car or getting injured." But the damage was already done.

The water was higher on North Fourth Street than it was at Stoyer's Dam. It was knee-deep and causing havoc for motorists. One car tried to speed through and made it, but lost a part of its bumper in the process. Others went about halfway before being forced to turn back. Knee-high in water Nick Wachter, Pottsville, tried to get through.

He turned onto the road trudged through the water, trying to pump it out. "It was coming through like a waterfall," said William H. Phillips, the restaurant's owner. "What can you do." Port Carbon and Saint Clair fire units also were called on to relieve flooding at Ed's U-Save, 12th Street, Pottsville. Downtown businesses took some damage as well.

New Jersey volunteers Trina N. Coker, 17, and Nickolas W. Ruiz, 17, toil in the heat Wednesday at the Schuylkill Community Action project in Minersville. Jersey assists county JERSEYFrom Page 1 things I look forward to each year." Since Monday, the group composed of religious-minded youths from United Methodist churches in New Jersey labored in the heat and humidity to fully strip the inside of what used to be a double home, but will now be utilized as a single. "You get all of your frustrations out on the walls," said Trina N.

Coker, Runnemede, N.J. "It's effective anger management." A monstrous green dump-ster and yellow trash chute were in constant use, as other workers on breaks took turns dousing each other with water to keep cool and remind themselves how much fun they were having. "This is great," said 13-year-old Nick M. Cohen, of Port Republic, N.J., as he gripped a tiny shovel. "My birthday's on Friday, and I love being here.

It's fun. Besides, I'd only be sleeping or swimming if I stayed at home." The group, sporting forest green T-shirts emblazoned with their J.U.N.E (Jesus Unites Neighbors Everywhere) logo, will work on the South Third Street project through Friday. "I admire these kids because they come by their own free will, and raise their own money for the trip," said Beverly A. Hutzel, SCA's housing rehabilitation coordinator. "These are high achievers and hard workers that never complain.

They do all the dirty work." Schuylkill Community Action imports groups of workers at least twice a year to work on various programs. In Minersville, the group received unparalleled support from the borough and local businesses. Palermo's, Subba Bubba and Dimaggio's, all of Minersville, and Guers Dairy made food and drink donations to the weary workers. The borough also donated several borough workers' hours and some internal demolition equipment and heavy machinery. Today, an open house will be held from 3-6 p.m., at 233 West Warren Orwigsburg, to showcase the property.

1967 class from West Arch Street, traveled about 15 feet, and decided to head for higher, drier ground. When he tried to turn into the Garfield Diner parking lot, however, his car stalled and he was left to wade in knee-deep water and push his Ford Escort back. "I didn't think it would be like that," he said. "I'm a little bit wet here." Reiley said heavy street flooding was reported at South Centre Street, Progress Avenue and Route 61. "(The storm) caused a lot of damage we weren't anticipating," Reiley said.

Cars were stuck in "sink holes," areas of deep water, in the middle of streets and manhole covers popped out of place, Shearn said. Meanwhile, the Norwegian Plaza parking lot was literally turned into a swimming pool Water came to nearly three feet high, creeping half way up the window of a car parked there. Rocky horror show At Rocky's Pizza, water pressure was enough to crack through pipes and a cement casing and deluge the basement. A "sewer box" was pushed open and murky water came flowing out. Boxes and other items were floating as firefighters At the Schuylkill Haven dam, a swan searched for food as the water wasn't even high enough to cover its legs.

A patch of caked dirt was close by. The dryness is why Kolbe was at Trail Gardens near Cressona. They bought Black Eyed Susans to replace their plants that withered through the dry spell. "Everything's just dying," she said describing her garden. "It's going to make me insane." Martin's Farm Market and Garden Center near Reedsville, faced their share ft -s t'i into the basement of Rocky's Pottsville.

At Sage Coffehouse and Tea Garden on Centre Street, owner MaryAnn Price was alerted to problems when something strange happened in the restroom. "The toilet started bubbling," she said. "It was splashing all over the place. "I flushed the toilet and went to the basement and I saw a river." The water was pumped from the facility, but firefighters had to beware of more dangerous issues, since the building uses a gas heater. Mark T.

Major, executive director of the Schuylkill County Visitors Borough, has an office close by and said he saw young boys riding their bikes through. Eventually, when enough water accumulated, the boys ditched the bikes to take a swim, he said. "I'm just glad my car wasn't parked there," he said. Basements flooded Across the rest of the city, basements were flooded. Water overflowed the side of the street, crept over the sidewalk and flowed right under the door of Edward D.

Barket's Real Estate office on South Second Street. He said his office has been there since 1989 and he hasn't had such flooding before. Needless to say, he's thankful the downpour. "I like to see it come to an end," he said with a slight laugh. "I can't be grateful enough to see this rain come down." As for Trail Gardens, they've had their struggles.

"Brutal" is how manager Kenneth G. Johnstone described the summer. "Certainly business has slowed down," he said. "It was doing better with more rain." The garden was watering its plants twice a day, instead of its normal one-per- GfiSGIMJS STR0UDSBURG fit 811 (1-12 miles north of Stroud Mall, ntxt to AAA) Tnurs. 10AM-6 PM; fri.

10 AM-8 PM; Sat 10 AM-4 PM; Sunday Closet) (570) 424-2421 Rt 309 (2 milM iwd to South Fri. 10 AM Sunday (570) JACQUELINE DORMERStaff Photos Pizza on North Centre Street, "It always comes over the sidewalk, but never in the door," he said. At the Crossing Maternity Home on Arch Street, the basement was flooded causing damage to a number of baby supplies. Marietta L. Montalvo, executive director of the Angel Baby Ministries which runs the maternity home, said there were three feet of water.

"I was about to leave and I wanted to check something in the basement and then I saw the water," she said. "I felt sad." At 319 W. Arch Street, water in the basement was close to three feet deep. "We have a fire extinguisher on the banister and it was so bad, (the water) was halfway up it," said Lo-retta Brown, an apartment holder in the building. "I didn't know whether to scream or laugh or what to do." Outside the apartments, there were nearly two feet of water trapped in the yard between the building and a concrete wall, covering a window near the ground.

Next door Hazle P. LaPla-ca's basement at 315 held about three feet of water as well. 'Everything is floating," she said. "My reaction was 'Oh my God'." day, and left its sprinklers on more often to refresh dying flowers. Also, the ponds there lost six inches of water, forcing Johnstone to refill them.

"We have to work harder to keep everything alive," he said. Johnstone's own garden was withering away as well. "I came back from vacation and all my plants were dead," he said. "I mowed the lawn before I left and when I got back, it still didn't need to be mowed." EMMAUS On the Auto ir(tir off Lehigh St South id of RL7Saoon from South Mai Tues, Fri. 10AIMPM; Thurs.

10 AM-8 PM; Sat 10 AM-4 PM; Sunday Closed (610) 966-2271 Deluge ends county drought fears in a flash DRYFrom Page 1 her Orwigsburg garden. "It's parched." Before the deluge, only 16 Vi inches of rain had fallen this year. At this time last year, that figure was 28 inches. And July hadn't been any better. Before the storm rainfall was on pace for 2.7 inches for the month.

For the past eight years, July has averaged over four inches of rain. "It was very dry," said Bill E. Gartner, another forecaster with the National Weather Service. Water pours down South 13th Street from Oak Terrace, Pottsville, during Wednesday's rainstorm. of difficulty as well.

With no rain to refresh the crops which they sell, business was slowing down. "Some crops in the field were suffering from it," owner Luke K. Martin said, noting the corn crops as suffering extensively. "We were irrigating, but we didn't have enough water to reach all of it." Martin had to drill an extra well at the store site just to keep up. He said if rain hadn't come, he could have started losing crops and eventually business.

World's Best Smoker! A Vf t- 't r-i 'r? i j.tTTTTTTntT rrr-i try "iu I Big Green EggH ring found in lake dig down as the owner. "He contacted the high school office, and in the yearbook I happened to be the only student with those initials," Neidig said. "Someone told him my married name, and where I lived and he came to the house and dropped off the ring with my husband, Barry." On the afternoon of July 5, Neidig went to the store to pick up few items. When she arrived home, her husband was waiting for her with a mysterious smile on his face, his hands clasped behind his back. "He said close your eyes and hold out your hand and I did, Neidig said.

When she opened it, lying in the palm of her hand was the ring, almost 30 years and a day after she last saw it, a little dirty, but none the worse for wear from its long exile at the bottom of the lake. "I've always been a lucky person," Neidg said. "But I'm really lucky that a honest person found it and did the right thing by giving it back." RINGFrom Page 1 "I figured it was lost for good." After her father died unexpectedly five years later of a heart attack, the loss of the ring kept coming to mind, since it had been a special present from her parents. In mid-June, draining of the lake began, preliminary to a reconstruction of the dam, part of plans to make Sweet Arrow the first piece of a countywide park system. Since then, hobbyists with metal detectors have been combing the lake bottom.

Some are looking for a little extra cash, others like Dean A. Reinbold, Ravine, who found the parachutist's bracelet Mai Weaver Bartram's husband had given her in 1945 simply enjoy returning mementos to their owners. A few weeks ago, a Tremont man he wished to remain anonymous found the ring using a metal detector. With a few clues to help him the Williams Valley High School Class of 1967 insignia and the initials "LRS" he was able to track Nei- TAMAQUA south of Taraqua, TsmaquaFtaa) Thurs. 10AM-6 PM; Sat 10 AM-4 PM; Closed 386-5656.