A bill stemming from the accidental shooting of a pregnant woman by a hunter is making its way through the state Legislature. The Senate passed the bill 48-0. Take a NEWS POLL.

Express-Times Photo | SUE BEYERState Sen. Lisa Boscola, along with local Sens. Pat Browne and Bob Mensch, voted for a bill that would limit the liability of landowners when hunters commit gaming violations on their land.

Pennsylvania farmers are backing a proposal that would limit their liability when hunters break the state’s game code.

The bill, approved 48-0 earlier this month by the state Senate, would absolve landowners from liability when hunters commit Pennsylvania Game Code violations on their property. The landowners could remain liable if they take payment for allowing a hunter on their property.

Dennis Koehler, the Lehigh Valley’s representative to the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, said the bill stems from the November 2004 shooting of Casey Kantner.

Kantner, who was pregnant at the time, was sitting inside a car outside her North Whitehall Township home when she was shot in the head and critically wounded by a hunter’s bullet. She later delivered a healthy baby. In Kantner’s case, the hunter, Craig Wetzel, was found 90 percent liable, and orchardist Daniel Haas and Overlook Orchards Inc. were found 10 percent liable.

After that, farmers and landowners across the state were afraid to allow hunters on their property, he said, and this proposed legislation would help open up land for hunting again.

Koehler said his family hasn’t had any bad experiences on the land they own, but they rent a lot of land. Landowners aren’t allowing hunters onto the property, he said, and groundhogs, geese and small game that are no longer hunted are damaging the land.

Area Sens. Lisa Boscola, Pat Browne and Bob Mensch voted for the legislation, sponsored by state Sen. Richard Alloway, a Republican from Franklin County.

Boscola said that as the state’s game laws are currently written, if a hunter shoots a deer out of season, the owner of the land could be fined along with the hunter.

Most of the time hunters have a longstanding history with the owners of the property on which they hunt, Boscola said, but sometimes hunters come onto property without the owners’ knowledge and violate the game code. The proposed law prevents landowners from being punished for illicit activity that they don’t know is happening, she said.

“Why would you want to penalize somebody who has no idea what somebody else did?” she said. “That seems archaic to me.”

The bill must pass in the state House, where it has been in the game and fisheries committee, before becoming law. Boscola predicted it would pass overwhelmingly in the House, too.

Pennsylvania Farm Bureau President Carl T. Shaffer said in a news release announcing the Senate’s approval that the bill is a “commonsense piece of legislation” that protects landowners from being unfairly prosecuted.

Dennis Scholl, outreach coordinator for the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, will be leading a historical bicycle tour Saturday on the D&L Heritage Trail.

View full sizeExpress-Times Photo | LISA MASSEYDennis Scholl will lead a historical bicycle tour from Sand Island in Bethlehem to Palmer Township on the D&L Trail Saturday. Scholl said he hopes the tour helps people appreciate the trail's recreational and historical value.

Area residents can brush up on their history and get a healthy dose of exercise this Saturday with a seven-mile bicycle tour from Bethlehem to Palmer Township on the historic D&L Trail.

Dennis Scholl, outreach coordinator for the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, said he will lead the ride and point out early Moravian settlements, shad fisheries and historical landmarks along the canal.

Civil War enthusiasts may also want to take part. The site of a former wool mill which made uniforms for Union soldiers and burned down in 1862 is along the tour. A former Civil War cavalry training ground is another stop, Scholl said.

The “Magical History Tour” will begin at 10 a.m. under the Fahy Bridge in Bethlehem near Sand Island and continue to the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission’s boat launch under the Route 33 overpass in Palmer Township, Scholl said.

Biking on the trail instead of driving to work can save money on gasoline, and the trails provide a place for people to maintain a healthy lifestyle through exercise, Scholl said.

“You get that exhilaration by getting out and being out in nature,” he said. “For health and recreation, they can’t be beat.”

Those who are worried about their ability to make the trek should rest assured. There will be frequent stops along the tour and ice cream sundaes at the end, Scholl said.

The tour is one of several events hosted by the D&L National Heritage Corridor for Saturday’s National Trails Day. Scholl said he hopes people gain a greater knowledge of the trail and its recreational and historical value through the activities.

To register for the tour, email Loretta Susen at loretta@delawareandlehigh.org, or call 610-923-3548 ext. 221.

Other activities:

• “Tails & Trails Dog Walk” at 10 a.m. at the Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve in New Hope

• Family Bike ride at 1 p.m. from East Penn Boat Launch in Bowmanstown to Lehigh Gap Nature Center in Carbon County

• Meet & greet with D&L Executive Director Elissa Garofalo, first at the Glen Onoko access point from 9 a.m. to noon, then at Lehigh Gap Nature Center in the afternoon.

Councilmen Lamont McClure, Tom Dietrich and Ken Kraft all vote against going behind closed doors Thursday night to discuss the swaption. But their efforts failed in a 5-to-3 vote.

Lamont McClure

The 35-year-old woman also left threatening messages on the phone of the victim during the ordeal, according to court records.

View full sizeAP File PhotoCrystal Fenstermaker was placed in Northampton County Prison in lieu of $20,000 for the yard sale theft and leaving threatening messages for the victim.

The ceremony features John Veiszlemlein, of Bath, as valedictorian and Tyler Laubach, of Walnutport, as the class salutatorian. See a list of graduates.

View full sizeCourtesy PhotoJohn Veiszlemlein was named valedictorian for the class of 2012.

View full sizeCourtesy PhotoTyler Laubach was named the 2012 class salutatorian.

He was struck when a Wind Gap man attempted to turn left onto Route 191.

View full sizeExpress-Times File PhotoA Nazareth motorcyclist was hospitalized Thursday after colliding with a car on Route 191 in Stockertown, according to Pennsylvania State Police in Belfast.

The fundraiser, which features an all-day picnic and motorcycle ride, was formed following a 2010 quadruple homicide in Northampton.

View full sizeExpress-Times File Photo | MATT SMITHA bike run was held during a day full of music, food and activities to benefit the families of Denise Merhi and Steven Zernhelt, neighbors and victims of a murder in June of 2010.

"Amazing isn't a big enough word for the love and support we've felt from the community," the 39-year-old said. "I get chills when I talk about it."

“We all decided it was time for this benefit to move on and help other families,” Nauman said. “Every one of them is a tragedy.”

“Every penny we make is going to these families. Nobody makes a dime out here,” Nauman said. “You will not leave here hungry, and you will not leave here without being able to say you’ve had the best time you’ve ever had.”

Ron Werkheiser said he and other members of the family wish they could thank everyone who has helped in each small way.

Mark Werkhesier's children, who are being raised by his sister and brother-in-law, will have a way to see the good in the world thanks to the community's generosity, despite the tragedy they've already experienced, according to the victim's brother.

"I can't speak for the kids, but I hope they can realize all the love and support that's out there, that there is still good in this world," Ron Werkheiser said. "If that's the only good thing that comes out of all of this, it's worthwhile."

Mark S. Smolow gave up his right to a preliminary hearing today before District Judge John Capobianco in Nazareth.

View full sizeMark S. Smolow

"Essentially, it seemed he was providing an excuse for the robbery," Mulqueen said.

Police found the 35-year-old Carbon County man wandering in the road near his car at Airport Road and Snyders Church Street, according to court records.

View full sizeExpress-Times File PhotoPennsylvania State Police report a Carbon County man was driving with a blood-alcohol content nearly four times the legal limit.

The 12-year-old girl that the suspect believed he was communicating with since January was actually a federal law enforcement officer, according to authorities.

View full sizeExpress-Times Photo | BILL ADAMSNorthampton police are investigating a case of child luring over the Internet with the help of federal authorities.

Judge Edward Smith argued his latest sentence for an HIV-positive Bath man is appropriate given his lack of remorse and criminal behavior.

Express-Times File Photo | BRUCE WINTERShaun P. Austin

Smith quoted his lengthy statement at the time of the sentencing, saying, "I'm not without mercy. I'm not without compassion. But I simply cannot, with the information available to me, impose a sentence any less than the one I just imposed."

"I can read between the lines," Austin said. "It has been clear that you have an agenda against me."

"We thoroughly considered the nature and circumstances of the appellant, the protection of the public, the gravity of the offense in relation to the impact on the victims and the community, and the rehabilitative needs of the appellant," Smith wrote.

The 18-year-old's friends warned him in text messages to his mother's phone that he should not take the vehicle because she would likely report it stolen, court records say.

View full sizeAP File PhotoJames Latham Lebus, 18, is in Northampton County Prison in lieu of $20,000 bail.

The 16-year-old was killed by a 29-year-old man who was robbing him, according to Michigan authorities.

View full sizeJoshua Stepp, left, was killed June 11 by John Burress, authorities charge.

"Had I known this beforehand I wouldn't have let them go," Stepp-Gross said this morning, her voice breaking. "I'm just so sad and angry."

View full sizeMLive Photo | KHALIL AlHAJALA trailer at Westwood Heights mobile home park where residents say Joshua Stepp was killed June 11 in Mount Morris Township.

"He was so excited about it. He printed up business cards two years ago," Stepp-Gross said. "He was doing good, getting a lot of clients in town and out of town."

The 47-year-old is accused of punching and kicking paramedics who responded to a house party following a fight.

View full sizeExpress-Times File PhotoA Carbon County man was cuffed and shackled after he assaulted a man at a party and two paramedics, police report.

As county officials attempt to negotiate a buyout date with Bank of America, the debt from the deal has grown to $27.6 million.

Swaptions are bets that short-term interest rates will stay below long-term interest rates over time.

The county collected $1.9 million up front when it entered the deal in 2003, but the economic collapse all but guaranteed the county would take a loss. The county will earn some of the money back through the next 18 years due to lower interest rates, but it would still lose millions of dollars if Bank of America ends the deal Oct. 1 as it is expected to, according to Doran Hamann, acting director of fiscal affairs.

"I never knew worldwide economics affected Northampton County," Stoffa said Tuesday.

"I don't want this to endanger future generations," he said.

"This pattern of inaction in the past has caused the county a lot of money," Werner said.

"(The complete buyout) pushes us toward a fiscal meltdown that doesn't have to happen," he said.

Easton police are on the scene with bomb sniffing dogs.

View full sizeExpress-Times File PhotoThe Northampton County Courthouse was evacuated early this afternoon.

Todd Steven Lindenmoyer told police he accidentally shot Edward A. Kimak after his loaded shotgun got caught on a pipe.

View full sizeTodd Steven Lindenmoyer

Northampton County Executive John Stoffa is expected to terminate the financial deal with Bank of America tonight.

Swaptions are bets that short-term interest rates will stay below long-term interest rates over time. The county collected $1.9 million up front when it entered the deal in 2004, but its debt skyrocketed in the past few years as the economy collapsed.

"I’m looking for a way that will end this thing tomorrow," he told council.

"Basically, we’ve been negotiating against ourselves," he said.

Nonprofits cannot be afraid of change, Historic Bethlehem Partnership says

Change is nonprofit organizations’ key to success, according to the president of Historic Bethlehem Museums and Sites.

President Charlene Donchez Mowers said audiences continue to evolve as does what people are willing to pay for.

For the partnership, it meant changing the hours of tours, rethinking what programs draw patrons and turning to social media for advertising. The organization constantly analyzes its market to determine what residents and visitors are interested in, she said.

The innovations have helped the Historic Bethlehem Partnership break even despite losing $30,000 to $60,000 a year in state funds.

Her advice to other groups: “You need to ask, ‘Why are you are doing what you are doing? Is there a need for that service? What are you providing that fills a need for the community and is it being done by somebody else?’”

Her organization offers a Titanic Commemoration dinner at Hotel Bethlehem, re-creating the last meal aboard the ship with guests dressed in period clothing. Its annual Thanksgiving Turkey Trot brought more than 1,000 last November. School tours of sites also are popular, reaching about 16,000 children annually, she said.

“We simply refocused, reorganized, rethought and tweaked,” Mowers said.

The Northampton County Historical and Genealogy Society in Easton learned of the loss in state aid the same year it moved into a new, larger headquarters at the Sigal Museum.

“All nonprofits have been hammered by the elimination or significant decreases in funding over recent years," said Barbara Kowitz, the organization’s executive director. "We've all needed to look toward new earned income streams to sustain our programs."

Kowitz has added value by implementing new programs or increasing their availability. The museum added several children's programs, grew the organization’s history education lecture series and opened the venue for rental use. The result was 3,500 paying visitors by the museum’s first anniversary.

“We were very fortunate in that the plan was there before the economy tanked,” Kowitz said. “We're all biting the bullet so we can keep things going as we should. It’s a challenge and an adventure to implement these new funding streams.”              

THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF MUSEUMS’ 2011 NATIONAL SURVEY

• More than 70 percent of American Association of Museums' member museums reported economic stress at their institutions in 2011, ranging from moderate (43 percent) to severe (16 percent) to very severe (13 percent) -- with very severe stress defined as “the very worst I have seen in at least five years.”

• Nearly 40 percent of museums in 2011 experienced a decline in total revenues compared with 53 percent that experienced reduced revenues in 2010 (which means that many museums have experienced compounded years of shrinking revenues since the start of the economic downturn in 2008).

• A third of museums entered 2012 with larger budgets (32 percent) and another third (35 percent) fully maintained their budgets from 2011.

• Museums leaders are also guardedly optimistic about the future, with 28 percent saying that 2012 will be better or much better economically for their museums and just 13 percent predicting worse times ahead.

• The median price of an adult general admission ticket remained the same as it was in 2009 and 2010 ($7), while 40 percent of museums remained free at all times or had suggested admission fees only.

• Museums adopted a variety of budget-saving measures in 2011, but one area where they did not cut back was education.

• While 28 percent of institutions froze hiring and 13 percent laid off some staff in 2011, 19 percent of museums (69 of 371 that responded to this question in the survey) experienced a net increase in staffing during the year, with a median increase of two full-time, paid positions.

Source: Dewey Blanton, a spokesman with the American Association of Museums

For more information about Lehigh Valley nonprofit organizations, visit tinyurl.com/9zxj99p for a study conducted by Michele Moser Deegan, associate professor at Muhlenberg College and director of the Lehigh Valley Research Consortium, and Roland Kushner, professor at Muhlenberg College.

'If you're in the throes of it ... you might not see it for what it is,' said Gary Ruschman, director of intake and referral/emergency services for the Northampton County Department of Human Services.

A phone call from a loved one, friend or co-worker can make a world of difference for someone suffering from mental illness.

Gary Ruschman, director of intake and referral/emergency services for the Northampton County Department of Human Services, said although the mentally ill still face stigmas, there are far more places to turn for help now.

Or, perhaps more accurately, places where others can find help for a loved one, Ruschman said.

“If you’re in the throes of it … you might not see it for what it is,” Ruschman said. “We’re here so people have someone to turn to, so at least they can make that one call. And sometimes that one call is all it takes.”

Department of Human Services Director Ross Marcus said outreach programs in Northampton and Lehigh counties are there for people to call with questions or concerns. No question is too small, Marcus said.

“I would much rather people call … than not call and have it rise to a fatal or serious situation,” he said.

Mental health is as important as physical health but is addressed far less in this country, according to Ruschman. Age and cultural preconceptions prevent sufferers from seeking treatment, he said.

“There is this stigma that mental health is a weakness,” Ruschman said. “People don’t see mental health treatment as a necessary thing. There’s a lack of wanting to get treatment, so there are a lot of people who suffer needlessly.”

Misunderstanding the mentally ill

From television shows to news coverage, mental illness is often portrayed as extreme and violent, according to Kathleen Kelly, administrator of the county’s mental health, early intervention and developmental program.

High-profile cases such as Seung-Hui Cho’s rampage at Virginia Tech that killed 32 people and Jared Loughner’s shooting in Tucson, Ariz., that killed six and wounded former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords can make mental illness look like an epidemic of violence, Kelly said.

Kelly said sensational stories such as those lead to public misconceptions.

“I do think the public believes there is more of a chance for violence among the mentally ill. But the data does not support that,” she said.

While those with severe diagnoses such as schizophrenia appear more likely to commit crimes, the general population and those with mental health issues are near equally likely to offend, Kelly said.

Changing such perceptions is slow work, Kelly said. Education, outreach and testimonials from recovering patients are effective, but funding cuts in the mental health field are threatening to cripple education and preventative medicine efforts, she said.

Ruschman said education is needed now for the politicians in charge of crafting budgets.

“You can’t cut these programs,” Ruschman said. “The system is going to fall out and it’s going to implode. We have to draw the line and say it’s necessary to get the funding to these programs.”

How to get help

Ruschman said his department can refer people to places to get help and can even assist those without insurance to find treatment.

The department also provides emergency services, the most drastic being involuntary commitment to a mental health treatment center.

Most of the time, he said, patients choose to stay beyond the maximum five days and continue treatment once it’s begun.

The number of involuntary commitments in Northampton County has risen, according to Ruschman. He said diminishing resources and lack of insurance can help explain the climb.

The county has seen at least 500 involuntary commitments and at least 1,300 mental illness referrals for those with no insurance for each of the past three years, according to Ruschman.

“The last three or four years have been pretty steady across the board with people needing help and us trying to get them help,” Ruschman said.

After a patient receives treatment, the struggle isn’t over. Ruschman said professionals must constantly remind people that their success is due to their treatment and vigilance.

“When you feel better, you forget how you felt before,” Ruschman said. “That’s a revolving door we’re constantly trying to educate people about.”