2025 Nanticoke News

2/11/2025
Nanticoke City Fire Department promotes, adds firefighter
bkalinowski@citizensvoice.com

NANTICOKE  — The Nanticoke Fire Department has a new firefighter and a new lieutenant.
Nanticoke City Mayor Kevin Coughlin recently swore in Dave Hoffman as the newest career firefighter.
The mayor also promoted veteran firefighter Justin Gildea to the position of lieutenant.
“Wishing you both the very best,” the department said in a Facebook post.
Hoffman is an emergency medical technician and recently received many certifications.
“New hire Dave Hoffman comes to the Nanticoke City Fire Department from Newport Twp., where he was a full-time firefighter for the past couple of years,” Chief Mark Boncal said.
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Firefighter Gildea, who has a long list of credentials, was sworn into the rank of lieutenant. He has been a full-time career firefighter for Nanticoke for almost 11 years.
“Lt. Gildea brings much experience and possesses the leadership skills to fulfill this position,” Boncal said.

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2/11/2025
Jumper pulled from Susquehanna with no signs of life

Bob Kalinowski/The Citizens’ Voice

jhalpin@citizensvoice.com

 

The West Nanticoke Bridge was closed Tuesday while authorities searched for a reported jumper.
Authorities closed down the West Nanticoke Bridge on Tuesday morning as firefighters launched a water rescue operation to recover a man who jumped into the Susquehanna River.
The 55-year-old man was pulled from the water a short time later showing no sign of life, Nanticoke Police Chief Mike Roke said.
The incident was reported shortly before 11 a.m., when the unidentified man was reported to have stopped a vehicle on the bridge and then jumped into the frigid river.
Police shut down the bridge as water rescue and dive crews from area fire departments responded to the scene.
Crews from Nanticoke, Newport Twp., Plymouth and Hanover Twp. responded for the water rescue.
The man’s body was recovered from the river within about an hour.
 

1/29/2025
Nanticoke leading the way in girls wrestling
by Robert Ide – FOX56 WOLF

Girls have always been wrestling at Nanticoke but when the PIAA sanctioned their sport two years ago the school district was one of the first 100 that pushed the sport over the top.
Michelle Pastuizaca, Nanticoke Senior says, “ "My sophomore year. So I had to wrestle big guys and stuff like that. I was wrestling this big boy from Crestwood. My second year wrestling we added girls distinction and we were happy. With my teammate Sierra Ripka from there, we started recruiting girls to come down. "
Josh Ryan, Nanticoke girls wrestling coach added,” Last year from very winning any team matches because low numbers this year were are undefeated right now in team duals.. And every tournament we placed within the top 12 in every tournament. "
Sierra Ripka, Nanticoke Junior says, “ Wrestling with a bunch of the boys definitely pushed me. And then I did my first competition. And then after that, I never stopped. "
Junior Sierra Ripka has risen to the 2nd ranked 170 pounder in the state and is 20 and 1 this season. The district champ finished 4th at states last March.
Ripka says, "Going the states and placing fourth was it was amazing. Wrestling always was winning matches, most of them being by pins. I, I just kept knowing that I wanted to keep going. And I was very excited about how I finished last year, by the way, I want to do better this year. "
Ryan added, “ Aggressive. She's not afraid to grab somebody and throw them around. But other than that her mindset is a good asset this year "
Michelle Pastuizaca’s brother signed her up for wrestling her freshman year. Since she moved to just wrestling girls the senior won a district title and was 6th at regionals. And freshman Emily Kivler has stormed in and won 24 matches this season.
Pastuizaca says, "Like, my first year, I didn't know what to do. We just got on the mat, shake the hand, and just like, you know, try to defend. I like my second year. I started doing a lot of, like, full breeze and some headlocks. This year. I am practicing trying my doubles and singles. "
Ryan added, “ All right. She's (Emily) good on her feet. She's aggressive and she just loves the sport.
Next up for Nanticoke will be the second year of the district two championships and then onto states. There are high hopes for this Nanticoke team, especially with the experience.
Pastuizaca, says"My goals is to get a district champ again and go to regionals. So, get first or second, hopefully first make it to states this year. "
Ripka added, "if I was with the boys, I would not be where I am right now. And I mean, that's not my fault, no physical difference, but I am really happy that I have a spot to show about what I can do compared, then rather being compared to only boys. "

 

1/28/2025
Greater Nanticoke Area planning demolition of vacant Lincoln school building
mbuffer@citizensvoice.com

 
The Greater Nanticoke Area School District plans to demolish the vacant Lincoln Elementary School building on Kosciusko Street in Nanticoke, Superintendent Ronald Grevera said, noting the “building has become an eyesore in the community and a potential safety hazard.”
The school board voted Jan. 9 to begin the demolition process. Board President Tony Prushinski appointed a committee of the board “to take the building down after the brutal fire” that engulfed the former Pulaski school on Market Street in Glen Lyon in late December, Grevera said.
After that fire, Prushinski insisted the old Lincoln school building “be demolished due to the proximity to” the Greater Nanticoke Elementary Center on the district school campus along Kosciusko Street, Grevera said.
The former Pulaski school closed in 1980 and had been under construction for years as part of a developer’s plan to create 29 luxury loft apartments at the property.
The Lincoln Elementary School building opened in 1913 and remained in use until 2001. The board will solicit bids in the future for the demolition after the district works with Verizon and T-Mobile to remove cell towers on the building, Grevera said.
Also at the Jan. 9 meeting, the board voted to limit any potential property tax increase this year to 6.1% – the index amount set by the state to limit property tax increases in the school district. School officials “don’t anticipate having to raise taxes this year,” Grevera said.
The school board is required to propose a budget for 2025-26 by the end of May and adopt a final budget for 2025-26 by the end of June. School districts must either seek voter approval in a referendum or get state approval for allowed spending exemptions if they want a tax increase that exceeds the index amount.

 

1/9/2025
Nanticoke City Council votes to place term limit question on primary ballot
mroarty@timesleader.com

NANTICOKE — Residents might once again have the opportunity to vote on whether or not council members should have term limits.
During Wednesday’s combined work session and regular meeting, council unanimously voted, on first reading, to place a question on the May 25 municipal primary election ballot to eliminate Section 2.10 of the City of Nanticoke Home Ruler Charter, which states that council members may not serve more than three elected, consecutive terms.
Nanticoke previously put the same question on the ballot in 2023, with the majority of voters opting to keep term limits in place.
Former council member John Telencho asked council why they wanted to ask voters a question they seemingly already answered.
“What message are we sending to the people of Nanticoke?” he asked. “Why are we doing this again?”
However, several council members stated that many residents had told them they were confused by the wording of the question and didn’t understand what they were voting for in 2023.
“A lot of ‘em were misunderstood on the question,” said Council President William Brown, adding that the residents he spoke with asked him to put the question on the ballot again.
City Clerk Jennifer Polito agreed and said she fielded multiple calls from residents who were confused about the question.
Council member Mark O’Connor echoed those same thoughts.
“So many people told me they couldn’t understand the wording in it,” he said.
O’Connor was appointed to council last year, when his wife, incumbent Democrat Lesley Butczynski, was unable to take her seat due to the term limits remaining in place.
Butczynski was first appointed to council in 2012, when she filled the seat vacated by Councilwoman Margaret Hydock, following her resignation.
Butczynski then won a one-time, two-year term in 2013. She subsequently won a four-year term in 2015 and a second four-year term in 2019.
City Solicitor William Finnegan told The Times Leader back in August of 2023 that the language in Section 2.10 of the Home Rule Charter is vague, adding that the drafters of the charter did not define how long a term is — but that he would interpret it to be a period of four years.
At the meeting, O’Connor said Butczynski’s initial reelection was reason enough to believe voters didn’t understand the term limit question.
“So we’re gonna try it again because of the people coming to all of us saying, ‘What happened here? Why isn’t Leslie there? What was wrong?’ It was misworded. They didn’t understand it,” he said.
When it was asked why Butczynski was able to run again even though it was unclear whether or not she’d be able to serve, Finnegan reiterated that the home rule charter does no prohibit someone from doing so. They just can’t take office.
Finnegan also stated that it’s likely there will be other charter amendments in the future.
“There are areas in the charter that, frankly, lack clarity,” he said.
Also at the meeting, council approved several of Mayor Kevin Coughlin’s re-appointments including:
• Christina L. Josefowicz to the Nanticoke City Municipal Authority
• John Gregorowicz to the Nanticoke Police Civil Service Board
• Larry Karnes to the Nanticoke Fire Civil Service Board
• Tony Prushinski to the Nanticoke City Housing Authority.
City Hall will be closed Monday, Jan. 20 in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
The next council meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 22.