Scrantonian Tribune from Scranton, Pennsylvania • 15

9 Hv THE SCRANTONIAN Bl. irBgnimafl Sunday, April 14, 1985 Mary Anne Proves Grade A in Our Spelling Bee riw' T. i i 1 By ROBERT CURRAN All eyes In the auditorium were on I4-year-old Mary Anne O'Malley who atood In the center ot the atage. The pronouncer, JoAnn C. Stout, gave O'Malley the word to spell.

It was sgabello." With hardly any hesitation, O'Malley responded g-a-b-e-l-l-o." The Judges gave their signal ot approval, the audience erupted In applause, and It was all over. OMalley, an eighth-grader at St. Mary of Mount Carmel School, Dunmore, had won the 1995 Spelling Bee sponsored by The Scrantontan- Tribune for the benefit ot the Easter Seal Society of Northeastern Pennsylvania, The drama In the Jefferson Ilall Auditorium of the University of Scranton had narrowed down to O'Malley and Tricla Tot sky of Carbondale Area Junior-Senior High School. it Aw Totsky missed on the spelling of "ctenoid." To win, OMalley had to spell "ctenoid" correctly, which she did, and then spell "sgabello," She came through with flying colors, and was congratulated by friends, family, well-wishers, and Totsky and her family. For her outstanding efforts, Scrantonian-Trlbune officials John Christmas and Jay Holman, on behalf of the newspapers, presented her with the treasured first prize donated by The Scrantonian-Trlbune: a trophy and an all-expenses-pald trip to Washington, D.C., for the National Spelling Bee, June 3 to 7.

She also received a handsome 30- volume set of the Encyclopaedia Brltannlca, valued at 1,000, as a gift from that educational publisher. For the benefit of educators, journalists and others In the audience who couldnt spell the tough words, and who didnt know their meanings, "sgabello" Is an Italian Renaissance wooden side means having the margin toothed like a comb. These are certainly words and meanings that we all use In our everyday conversations. Winning Is a family tradition In the O'Malley household. O'Malley's sister Lucy, 15, won the Spelling Bee In 1982 and again In 1983.

In 1982, when Lucy went to the finals, she finished 17th out of a field of 150, and was the highest-finishing eighth- grader In the United States. The OMalley sisters are the daughters of Todd and Elizabeth O'Malley, Moscow. He Is a Scranton attorney. The Spelling Bee Is open to students from the eighth grade on down, and one participant was In the third grade. Thirty-three students took part in this year's Scrantonian-Trlbune event, and they qualified from schools In Lackawanna, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming counties.

Alan Mazzel, director of development for the Easter Seals, said the Bee takes place annually as an educational community project, and this years contest Is the largest ever. The Bee, he said, Is the only regional one that is affiliated with the National Spelling Bee, with the winner going on to the national finalfc. For finishing second, Totsky received trophy and a 13-Inch Zenith color television set. Other top finishers and their prizes follow: Mark Darmofal, third place, St. Thomas Aquinas School, Archbald.

His prize was a Random House Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged Edition. Jennifer Strony, fourth place, SS. Cyril and Methodius School, Olyphant. Her prize was Websters Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary: Kristen OHora, fifth place, North Scranton Intermediate School. Her prize was Webster's Collegiate Thesaurus.

Lisa Petritus, sixth place, St. Patricks School, Scranton. Her prize was the 1985 World Almanac. Trophies and plaques were provided by The Scrantonian-Trlbune and Superior Trophy and Engraving Co. The other awards were given by the respective publishers, and the Zenith television set was provided by the Zenith Co.

Sitting down after it was all over, and holding her trophy, a poised Mary Anne O'Malley said with a smile: "I'm glad its all over. She pointed out that there was quite a bit of tension. She recalled that when her sister Lucy was studying for the contest, she asked Lucy some of the words, and Mary Anne remembered a number of them. A Bee book lists 2,250 words, and as anyone whos been in a contest can say, trying to remember the difficult ones Is no easy Job. For Mary Anne O'Malley, a moment of suspense came when she was given the word "ctenoid.

She said: I wasn't sure on that one I guessed. Some of the other words she spelled correctly enroute to winning were: fiendish, cholesterol, dailiness and gymkhana. O'Malley faced tough competition from Totsky who earlier spelled I I The Scrantontan A Sandone WHAT A DAY Everyone Is in a good mood after the completion of the 1985 Spelling Bee sponsored by The Scrantonian-Tribune Holding their trophies in the front row are Mary Anne OMalley, left, the winner, and Tricia Totsky, who finished second. Others are judges Michael Sheridan, supervisor of reading in the Scranton School District, and Karen De Sandis, vice principal of Scranton Technical High School. "hercogamy perfectly.

This is another word that we all use scores of times daily. It means a state in which pollination is made impossible by structural obstacles. This and many of the other words may have sent writer William B. Buckley Jr. to his dictionary.

The words Were difficult, the competition was tough, and with consistency the mark of excellence, Mary Anne O'Malley earned a valued Utle as champion of this years regional Spelling Bee. THE WINNER Mary Anne OMalley of Moscow Saturday spells one of the words that that made her the winner of the regional 1985 Spelling Bee competition. Many of the words in the contest werent Greek, but sounded as if they were. Charter Breach Cost City Funds, Lynn Says emergency existed, allowing the city to hire a Philadelphia law firm to pursue the matter without going through competitive bidding. The Mayor cant declare a state of emergency without the consent of council, Lynn pointed out, questioning why city officials even those not considered allied with Mayor James B.

McNulty -allow such Charter violations to continue. Why is there no accountability?" Lynn demanded. Is the Charter really working?" Lynn also took the city to task for hiring the Philadelphia law firm of Dilworth, Paxson, Kalish and Kauffman, which so far has not brought the city any closer to a settlement on the disputed funds. The money invested by the city was earning 8.65 percent interest from March 22 to April 5. City officials are claiming that the investment package came due days before the firm foundered, so the money should not even be involved in bankruptcy court proceedings.

There have been reports that the city could have invested the money in local banks or with local investment firms at interest rates equal to or higher than those offered by the New Jersey company. Attempts by city officials and the Philadelphia legal firm to contact anyone affiliated with the investment house have apparently been futile. By RON DAVIS A member of Scranton's former home rule study commission has charged that the citys involvement with an insolvent New Jersey investment firm Iviolates the Home Rule Charter. Green Ridge resident Leo Lynn said the charter contains built-in system of checks and balances. One of those checks, he maintained, is that theres no authorization for anyone outside the treasurers office to invest city funds.

The city may be out the amount placed into short-term securities with the Livingston, N.J., firm of Bevill, Bresler and Schulman, which has filed for bankruptcy. It was apparently city business administrator Richard Rossi who channeled the funds. Who authorized him (Rossi) to invest? Lynn asked. "It should come under the treasurer. The business administrator's not bonded for that.

He's bonded, but not for handling of public funds. Lynn contended that the city should be charged with malfeasance of public money. "The taxpayers shouldnt be responsible for bad investments, he stated. Lynn further questioned the existence of a state of emergency in connection with the troubled funds. City solicitor Edmund Scacchitti and city controller Richard Novembrino agreed Wednesday that such an Luzerne Might Be Low Bridged in Saturn Race the plant locate with them because it would mean an estimated 6,000 Jobs.

-And it would be a boost for the economy in the Commonwealth just to get the plant to come to Pennsylvania, regardless of what portion of the state it would locate, Specter himself has acknowledged. Most of the negotiations being conducted are on a' state level because states are important agents in bringing about viable proposals to GM, especially since they control such things as taxation General Motors has promised it would select a site by June 1 By MITCH GROCHOWSKI Two potential sites in Pennsylvania for the proposed General Motors Saturn plant are in Lackawanna and Luzerne Counties but it appears the Luzerne proposal is developing a clearance problem literally speaking. 1 General Motors wants rail service to whatever site it selects in the estimated 20 states from which proposals are being entertained. tGM also wants to use high cube boxcars along the rail line which happen to be 19 feet high. In order to get to the Luzerne site 1q the Hazleton area, along Conrail tracks, whatever cargo is being hauled would have to get under three bridges and three trestles which have clearances of about 18 feet, six Inches, The Scrantontan has learned.

No such problem exists for the site in Lackawanna, located in Jefferson which would be serviced by the Lackawanna Rail Authority line. Sources say the rail problem by no means eliminates Luzerne County from consideration and there are efforts under way to deal with this matter in the event there should be any clear indication GM would be seriously considering Northeastern Pennsylvania for its new plant. Sen. Arlen Specter, here this week for a briefing on the Lackawanna and Luzerne sites, was apprised of the rail situation in Luzerne County and was asked to check into it with Conrail. Nevertheless, there are a total of 38 official proposed sites in Pennsylvania alone for the Saturn plant and 20 states reported to be seriously in contention for having The ScrantonianA.J.

Sandone 18 Arrested In Drug Bust Court Fight Continues Over Sale of TV Station ITS SPRING The great spring weather Saturday proved to be an enormous assist to the annual Easter Egg Hunt at Nay Aug Park. At top, these kids waste little time in starting the hunt. At left, chairman Dave Walker gives a little help to John McGloin and Louise Bennett as the two inspect the wonders of the rabbit. Elsewhere in the north- east, convertible tops went down and garden supplies were dragged from the garage as residents took jT advantage of balmy tem- 1 Ifr peratures and sunny skies. Sixteen adults and two juveniles, all from lower Luzerne County, were arrested in a drug sweep early Saturday conducted by state and local police.

The raid netted about $15,000 worth of cocaine, marijuana and methamphetamine, according to state police. The 18 suspects were brought to the Shickshinny state police substation for processing and then taken before Magistrate Leonard Olvinski of Nanticoke for arraignment. The suspects, none from Lackawanna or upper Luzerne Counties, had a variety of charges lodged against them including possession of controlled substances with intent to deliver and criminal conspiracy. The Luzerne County District Attorneys Office participated in the investigation as did a number of law enforcement authorities from lower Luzerne municipalities. to A move against the assets of a New York-based media conglomerate Is expected to take place as early as this coming week after Federal Judge Richard Conaboy Friday refused to grant a stay of Judgment regarding money owed to the former owners of WDAU-TV by the parties who initially agreed to buy the local station.

On April 2, Conaboy entered, judgment in favor of WGBI Radio, i Madge Holcomb, Jean Reap, Mary Griffin, Katherine Collins and the estate of E. Megargee in the amount of $625,000 owed by Robert Dudley, Avery-Knodel Inc. and USTV Network Inc. That figure was the lions share in a settlement in a breach of contract case regarding the failure by a group of New York investors to buy WDAU which was eventually sold to an Atlanta investment firm for $9 million. The total settlement amount offered by the parties who initially wanted to buy the station and then changed their minds was $1,395,000 to quiet the breach of contract suit.

But Dudley, Avery and USTV asked Conaboy last week for a stay of judgment, which the jurist denied Friday, and there was a report emanating from Federal Court that the plaintiffs intend to move against the assets bf the debtor group which promised to pay the $625,000 in order to settle the suit. i.