The Times Leader from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania • 1

iVr- -mnryn n'mium iiiufmscy I -s. i rni a. a :r.vpn v. rt. STA3T 1 IrQl WILKES-BARRE, PA timesleader.com FRIDAY, MARCH 26, 2010 50C -JL Ji JliLj CITY COUNCIL MEETING Areatai TTTT-T iw 1 ti I I I i 3 a 6 i i ii L- iJm0 -r- -mar- collectors may sue At issue is the Luzerne County controller halting payment for uncollected bills.

5 Is- i r.rns -t ,1 las ft By JENNIFER LEARN-ANDES time.sleuder.com Thirteen Luzerne County tax collectors met Thursday morning to share concerns about county's sudden cancellation of pay for uncollected bills and the way their work is being publicly portrayed. County Controller Walter Griffith stopped a $4-per-bill payment for uncollected bills this week, saying it wasn't authorized by the county commissioners' 2001 resolution governing tax collectors' pay. Tax collectors will continue to receive $3.50 from the county for each bill that's paid, Griffith said. The county's 69 elected municipal tax collectors are researching the resolution and weighing options, including legal action. The county set a precedent by paying the $4 for uncollected taxes, they say.

Former Hazle Township tax collector Marguerite Benderavich is also pursuing legal action on her own because she's one of 10 people who didn't make Griffith's cancellation cut-off. Benderavich, who was unable to attend Thursday's gathering at the Hanover Township municipal building, said the DON CAREYTHE TIMES LEADER Wilkes-Barre firefighter Dan Emplit expresses his concerns to Wilkes-Barre City Council members about the cutbacks in the fire and EMS departments at a meeting Thursday. ii-y ii 1111 viii liyil(yicill. li Members of the city's fire department tell Mayor Leighton force reduction is dangerous. See TAXES, PageMA 1 v.

1 4 cil chambers for the meeting. Dan Emplit, a city firefighter, addressed council as a resident and took Mayor Tom Leighton to task for his recent decision to reduce the minimum number of firefighters per shift from 14 to 12. Leighton said he made the decision to cut down on escalating overtime costs in the fire department. The mayor has said the city has already paid out more than $100,000 in the first two months of 2010. He said that if that continues, the overtime will reach $600,000 or more and would bankrupt the city.

Emplit said that when Leighton was elected he asked all the city unions to Report: Vatican given warnings Documents allege Pope didn't take action in Wisconsin sex abuse case. By BILL OTSOYLE boboyUtimesleader.com. WILKES-BARRE The battle between city firefighters and the mayor continues to heat up. More than 70 members of Local 104 of the International Firefighters Association walked in protest around City Hall Thursday before city council's meeting. Most of them, wearing bright yellow T-shirts with the words "No more fire EMC department cutbacks" emblazoned across the back, filed into coun DON CAREYTHE TIMES LEADER Wilkes-Barre city fire and EMS personnel walk an informational picket line outside of City Hall Thursday just before a council meeting.

See FIREFIGHTERS, Page 14 A The Associated Press 'NEW YORK Milwaukee's Roman Catholic archbishop warned a top Vatican office led by the future Pope Benedict XVI about a priest who may have molested as many as 200 deaf boys, Democrats at victorious end of health care fight according to documents obtained by The New York Times, but the priest was never defrocked. The documents were provided by two lawyers Rush mentions Times Leader on air Legislation also strips private lenders of ability to originate student loans. right of every citizen. Republicans vowed to campaign for repeal in the fall election season, drawing a quick retort from President Barack Obama: "I welcome that fight." The president spoke in Iowa as the Senate voted 5643 for legislation making changes, including better benefits for seniors and low-income and middle- dential campaign. Former Alaska Gov.

Sarah Palin appeared at a rally in Scranton and The Scranton Times-Tribune reported that someone yelled "kill him" when then-presidential hopeful Barack Oba-ma's name was mentioned during the event. who have filed lawsuits Pope Benedict alleging the Archdiocese of Milwaukee didn't take sufficient act ion against the Rev. Lawrence Murphy. The priest, who died in 1998, worked at the former St. John's School for the Deaf in St.

Francis from 1950 to 1975. Times Leader staff While discussing reports of threats being made against bers of Congress who voted for the U.S. health care bill, radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh mentioned The Times Leader during his broadcast Thursday. Limbaugh referenced an incident that occurred during the 2008 presi By JIM KUHNHENN Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON Capping an epic struggle, congressional Democrats put the final touches Thursday to historic legislation enshrining health care as the -1 See VATICAN, Page T1A See RUSH, Page 14A Limbaugh See HEALTH, Page 14A Old Duryea railroad yard taking on new life WEATHER Abigail Barber. Much colder.

Clearing. High 40, low.32. Details, Page 10B Rail cars of sand to be used in Marcellus Shale natural gas extraction get a home. INSIDE A NEWS: Obituaries 2A, 10 A Local 3A Nation World 5A Birthdays 12A Editorials 13A SPORTS: 1B BUSINESS: 8B Stocks 9B CLASSIFIED: 1C Comics 10C GUIDE: CrosswordHoroscope Television Movies It Go to www.tlmes-leader.com to see be- photos of Pittston Yard. ing new track to accommodate 100 new rail cars and constructing a faculty to store and hold up to 800 cars of sand to be used in hydraulic fracturing, or "tracking," operations at Marcellus Shale drill sites through By STEVE MOCARSKY DURYEA Investment spurred by Marcellus Shale natural gas exploration has transformed an antiquated, weed-ridden rail yard just north of Pitt-ston into a state-of-the-art trans-loading terminal teeming with rail and trucking activity on an almost daily basis.

Over the last year, Reading Northern Railroad Co. sunk $100,000 into Pittston Yard, lay- 1 1 out Northeastern Pennsylvania, said Reading Northern President Warren A. MicheL The reasonjor our success is that we are the largest facility in IIDIll! BILL TARUTISFOR THE TIMES LEADER Don Hess of Industrial Waste qroup of Exton, Chester County, opens a train car valve at an old rail yard In Duryea. 0981 001 1" Set YARD, Page MA.