Here is the complete round-up of highlights from front page news  in The Wayne Independent for 2008 in Wayne County, Pa.

January 2008
2- The year opens with coverage of one of many seminars on natural gas leasing, as companies and landmen canvass northern Wayne County for willing land owners.
3- Wayne County’s jobless rate for November 2007 was 3.7%.
5- Judge Raymond Hamill presides over the induction of 49 newly elected Wayne County officials.
5- Wayne Memorial Hospital presents a “safe haven crib” for babies that are abandoned.
8- Brian Smith is named chairman of the Wayne County Board of Commissioners.
9- Berlin Township Community Center is buoyed by $140,000 grant to make improvements.
10- Annetta DeYoung announces she is retiring as Executive Director of the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce, a post she has held since June 1988. Donna LaBar will become Executive Director effective February 1, 2008.
12- Honesdale Area Jaycees named Jeff Hiller, owner of the Trackside Grill, as “Boss of the Year” for 2008.
16- Noise from driving steel pilings for the Church Street Bridge Project raised some ire at the Honesdale Council meeting.
22- On January 20, the 1st Presbyterian Church, Honesdale, held their first ordination since 1933. Rev. Michael Lyle was ordained as their pastor.
23- PPL plans to upgrade a power line with a 500,000 volt transmission line, more than double what is used now, between the Susquehanna nuclear plant and the Roseland, NJ substation. One possible route is along the existing line right-of-way which cuts through Wayne County through Canaan, Lake, Paupack and Palmyra townships.
23- A& B Fuel files personal bankruptcy; over half million dollars is owed customers who paid for winter fuel but did not receive any.
26- The railroad trestle in Hawley will be restored this year, two years after the second flood severely damaged it. WEDCO reports that full grant funding has been obtained.
29- On Jan. 26, fire damages Apple Day Spa & Salon in Honesdale.
29- Sgt. James Gilgallon is named the new commander at Pa. State Police, Honesdale barracks.
30- Central Wayne Regional Sewer Authority held its first meeting.
31- WC Commissioners approve keeping paper ballots as the best alternative after electronic touch-screen machines were decertified last October. The state is to reimburse the county $293,000 for the electronic machines.

February 2008
2- Fire guts the Vince Scammell home in Hawley.
5- Jeff Hiller dons a Mardi Gras outfit to walk Honesdale for his restaurant, Trackside Grill.
6- Sgt. James Gilgallon is the new Honesdale barracks commander, Pa. State Police.
8- James Rodda is retiring as Honesdale High School Principal.
9- Vidal Martinez is the new superintendent, Upper Delaware Scenic & Recreational River.
9- Wayne County Public Library reports use is up, with books being more popular than on-line services.
15- The Community Room at the Wayne County Visitors Center has been named in honor of Annetta DeYoung, who has retired as Wayne County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director.
15- Wayne County Arts Alliance will host decorative benches this summer.
19- Wayne County Dairy/Ag Day enjoys record attendance.
20- Jonathan Tallman, age 18 and a senior at HHS, runs for Delegate to the Republican Convention (he did not win).
20- Opinions diverge into separate camps in Damascus Township, over gas leasing and exploration.
21- Wayne Highlands School District Board votes to replace 12 year veteran Varsity football coach Gene Biscontini.
21- Greg Frigoletto is named the new principal at HHS, beginning with the 2008 fall term.
22- Israeli firm RRsat Global Communications Network Ltd. is acquiring Loral Skynet’s satellite earth station at Kimbles.
23- Fire Controlman 2nd Class Surface Warfare, Robert Polt, of Honesdale, plays a role in shooting down an errant satellite with a missile from the USS Lake Erie, stationed in the Pacific.
26- Dr. Leonard Weiss is retiring after nearly 56 years as a Honesdale optometrist.
27- Wayne County Department of Planning reports that more than half of Wayne County is forested, and Lake Twp. may soon surpass Honesdale in population.

March 2008
1- Traffic signals are in place at the bridge project at 4th and Church, but are not yet activated.
1- District Attorney Michael Lehutsky promises a full probe of the April 15, 2005 crash that claimed Diane M. Glynn. Her family’s attorney found fault with the investigation that failed to bring charges against the truck driver who ran into Glynn’s car.
2- Beulah Fortnam, formerly of Tyler Hill, turns 100.
6- An electronics firm, JEC Technologies, announced plans to break ground in the spring in the VISION 2000 Industrial Park in Forest City. Sixty jobs were anticipated at the start, and 260 within five years. The firm backed  out, however, in the fall, citing the economy.
7- Waymart Area Historical Society, with several other organizations interested in heritage tourism, hope to acquire and renovate the former Farview guard dormitory on Route 6, for a visitor’s center.
11- Potential investors examine the 91 acre property off Bucks Cove Road, Texas Twp. where an ethanol plant is proposed. David Williams led them on a charter train ride to the site. The cost cited is $145 million.
12- Leadership Wayne Class of 2008 proposes to clean and restore the 1869 Civil War statue in Central Park.
18- Jack Gearhart, Pa. DCNR, warns that Wayne County’s mature forests are showing fewer small trees. A serious threat to future timbering is foreseen.
19- Wayne County’s electronic voting machines, given up in favor of paper ballots, will be leased to Elections USA Inc., Quakertown, for use in other states where the machine has not been decertified.
22- Equinunk Charge, United Methodist members again carry a large wooden cross from the Union to the Braman church, for Good Friday.
26 & 27- Brush fires busy area firefighters.
27- Republican contenders for the 10th Congressional District, hoping to unseat Rep. Chris Carney, appear together at the Wayne County Council of Republican Women meeting: Chris Hackett and Dan Meuser.
28- About 70,000 acres in northern Wayne County have been included in leases for natural gas exploration.

April 2008
2- The sign is up for the new Wayne County Correctional Facility, set to open in June.
4- Of 996 new Democrats, 678 switched from  other parties, Wayne County Bureau of Elections reports. Democratic ranks are up 11 percent.
7- Two Guys From Italy, an Italian landmark restaurant at the Route 6 Plaza, reopens after a fire shut them down on Sept. 29, 2007.
5- February’s unemployment rate was 4.5% in Wayne.
5- Upper Delaware Council (UDC) continues to examine the natural gas controversy.
5-  Scores of shoes are displayed at a Victim’s Intervention Program rally outside the Courthouse for domestic and sexual violence victims.
8- WEDCO plans a partnership for a state-of-the-art career center.
8- Area truckers complain of the escalating fuel costs.
11- Natural gas companies have persuaded 781 Wayne County landowners to sign lease, Penn State Extension reports. Seminars are planned to examine the financial and environmental impacts.
16- An arrest was made of the former American Legion Post #254 (Honesdale) Financial Officer, who is accused of stealing approximately $29,000 in Post funds.
17- Christopher Pietraszewski is the new principal at Preston Area School.
18- The traffic signals are operating at the 4th Street Bridge, in preparation for the widening project.
19- Himalayan Institute is hosting runners from Cameroon, who will participate in the Boston Marathon.
21- An optometrist, modular dealer and other businesses are affected by a major fire at the Rt. 6 Professional Building in Wilsonville.
22- Chris Hackett beat Dan Meuser in the Primary Republican race for 10th Congressional District. In Wayne County, Hillary Clinton is favored for President on the Democratic ticket though Barrack Obama became the nominee. Democrats had a 52% turnout in Wayne; Republicans, 31%. The overall turnout was 39.10%.
25- Ruth Havens, of Bethany Village, turns 100.

May 2008
Paul Brancato, CEO of Ideal Steel Supply Corp., has purchased the Stourbridge Railroad including operating rights.
1- A four day forest fire in Pike County is under investigation.
1- A tourism web site is launched, www.visitwaynecounty.com.
2- Driver behavior is seen as a factor in traffic snarl at the 4th Street bridge construction area.
3- Recreational uses are suggested for the Cannonsville Reservoir.
6- The Northern Wayne Property Owners Alliance has formed to organize land owners in hope for a joint gas drilling lease. Meanwhile, Damascus Citizens for Sustainability hosts a crowded meeting in Callicoon to discuss environmental concerns with gas drilling.
8- The first exploratory natural gas rig of the year for Wayne County is being drilled at the Louis Matoushek property in Clinton Township. The Stone Energy Corp. rig is pictured on page one.
13- Area truck drivers are hard hit by escalating fuel prices.
13- Beams are being laid for the Church Street Bridge. The job is completed on May 20.
13- Edward Langendoerfer is named Honesdale Borough Council President.
16- Tours are being given of the new Wayne County Correctional Facility. The prison is described as spartan and efficient.
20- On May 17-18, the Wayne County Historical Society holds a grand opening for the John and Helen Villaume Wing.
27- Dr. Walter Barbe is restoring the D&H Canal Lock 33 House in White Mills.
28- Korean War veterans in Wayne County will be honored October 4th.
30- WEDCO breaks ground for the Sterling Business Park.
31- Waymart Volunteer Ambulance Corp. is replacing their 12-year old ambulance.

June 2008
4- A conditional use application for the 80-room hotel project next to Home Depot was passed by Texas Township Supervisors. Chairman Jack McDonald had to recuse himself because he had offered his opinion in a previous meeting.
5- Waymart Mayor John Millard hopes to prohibit juveniles from smoking in the Borough.
6- Pa. National Guard, Co. A 1-109th soldier, Staff Sgt. Earl Granville, was seriously injured in combat in Afghanistan.
6- Wall Street West invests in Wayne County’s economic future with a $285,000 grant to improve the local labor force.
7- Delaware River Basin Commission will help oversee gas drilling in the region.
8- Bertha Ordnung of Seelyville turns 100.
11- Wayne County YMCA is celebrating 30 years.
10- Honesdale High School Class of 2008 graduated June 8th with 309 students.
10- Michael Agolia, frustrated customer of Wyoming Homes, Inc., is picketing outside the business in White Mills. See June 13th and 27th issues. On Aug. 12, the owner of Wyoming Home turns himself on forgery and theft related charges.
11- Western Wayne High School holds graduation.
12- A heat wave is capped by hail, wind and rain, bringing down trees and wires on the 10th.
13- Wayne County dairies yields 104 million pounds of milk each year. There are 100 active dairy farms and approximately 6,200 dairy cows in the county.
13- Wallenpaupack Area High School graduates 208 students.
19- Decorative benches are lining the streets thanks to the Wayne County Arts Alliance.
20- Video Display Corp. (”Chroma Tube”) in White Mills is looking to share space in their plant with a rail user.
21- The third annual Honesdale Roots & Rhythm Music & Arts Festival is held in Central Park.
26- Staff Sgt. Michael Kacer Jr., a native of Waymart, is seriously hurt in combat in Afghanistan. He is with the Pa. National Guard, Company B, 1-109th.
26- Wayne Highlands taxes will rise 3.75%.

July 2008
1-American Cancer Society Relay for Life raised about $30,000 in the Honesdale event.
1- Wayne County unemployment is at 4.7%, up 0.6% from last year.
3- A story details some new information about the last hours Laura Lynn Ronning was alive, before being murdered, July 27, 1991. The case remains unsolved.
3- Decorated Pleasant Mount soldiers will be honored on the 4th.
11- Cadet Jacob W. Watson graduates from West Point.
15- The proposed ethanol plant is said to be moving forward with the purchase of 91 acres off Bucks Cove Road by the Indian Orchard Renewable Energy LLC.
16- Public dumping behind the Honesdale Little League ball field has been prohibited.
17- Starrucca Borough Council cut the ribbon for Buck Bridge, which has been replaced.
18- Charges have been filed in the April 15, 2005 death of Diane M. Glynn, who was killed when the car she was driving was struck by a box truck.
19- Damascus veterans are raising money for a memorial.
22- Diocese of Scranton’s Planning Commission has recommended consolidation of several Catholic churches in the area.
22- Leeward Construction spends the night pouring concrete for the Church Street Bridge Project.
23- Damascus Township has joined the Upper Delaware Council (UDC), the first of Wayne County’s river-front townships to do so in the 20-year history of the UDC.
24- Pocono tourism is solid despite high gas prices, declares Carl Wilgus, Executive Director, Pocono Mountain Visitors Bureau (PMVB).
25- Wayne County Commissioners explore a proposed gas lease for the county farm property.
26- Waymart Area Historical Society dedicates the restored D&H open air railroad car #43.
26- Wayne County Commissioners disburse $35,000 from hotel tax for the Lake Region Visitor’s Center.
29- Tibetan Prime Minister Samdhong Rinpoche visits the Himalayan Institute.
31- Evelyn Bennett of Waymart turns 107.

August 2008
2- Dorflinger Suydam Sanctuary plans to open an interpretative trail.
6- Texas Township approves the subdivision for the proposed 80-room hotel.
6- PPL Electric Utilities  picks Route B for its upgraded transmission line, following mostly the existing right-of-way.
8- Trails End Camp’s kitchen is destroyed by fire (Aug. 7).
9- DRBC pushes Stone Energy Corp. to apply for a permit for the natural gas well dug in May in Clinton Township.
12- The 146th Wayne County Fair had a total attendance of 89,664.
14- Wayne County Prison is now housing females.
15- James Kaufman is the new Wayne Highlands Middle School principal.
19- “Waystock” rocks Wayside Park in Waymart (Aug. 16).
20- Prisoners say farewell to the 1935 prison in Honesdale. The jail will be removed for courthouse parking.
26- The 91st GDS Fair begins in Newfoundland.

September 2008
3- Brundage’s Pharmacy opens at 238 Belmont St., Waymart.
4- Greater Honesdale Partnership (GHP) is awarded $300,000 in an earmark from Congressman Chris Carney.
6- Wayne Highlands School District has a newly renovated football complex, with the first game on the field held Sept. 5.
9- Wayne’s jobless rate was 4.7% in July.
10- Company A, 2nd Battalion, 1-109th Infantry, Pa. National Guard, will deploy for the second time to Iraq on Sept., 18. About 20 soldiers are leaving.
11- The 9/11 marker in Honesdale Borough was put back in place in time for the 11th. It had been in storage for a few years since a landscaping project. Honesdale High School students place almost 3,000 flags.
13- Cadjaw Dam  is still on the “at-risk” list.
13- Dr. Walter Barbe holds a grand opening for the new D&H Canal Museum in White Mills.
18- A horrendous fire (see Sept. 19 issue) destroys an apartment house on East Street, Honesdale, and severely damages another next door. There were no injuries but several families are left without a home. Stricter borough enforcement of the Rental Ordinance is foreseen.
24- Workforce Wayne hires its first director, Jennifer Porter.

October 2008
Stourbridge Line train excursions are now traveling the full route to Lackawaxen for certain rides, now that the Hawley railroad trestle has been restored.
1- VFW Post 5823, Hawley, has closed, and the building has been transferred to the County for the Hawley Senior Center. The Commissioners announce it will be named the Robert J. Drake Senior Center in memory of the W.W.II veteran who helped form the Post. A dedication is held, Nov. 11th.
1- Wayne’s jobless rate was 5.5% in August.
2- A State Police trooper is hurt by an apparent accidental discharge, during a six hour standoff in Salem Township.
3- Honesdale’s annual scarecrow contest features a space alien theme.
4- A ceremony is held in Central Park, Honesdale, to honor 82 Korean War veterans from Wayne.
8- Dessin Animal Shelter is temporarily closed after a fire.
5- A special Stourbridge Line train excursion honors Joe Hessling, cancer victim and train enthusiast. The fund-raising ride took supporters to a chicken barbecue at the Hawley Fire Hall. Joe was The Wayne Independent’s long time Circulation Director.
10- Wayne County Democrats see historic gains in registrations, growing 2,250 since the fall 2004 presidential election. Republicans gained only 212 in that period, but still are in the lead by 6,600 registered voters.
10- Honesdale Fire Department is hosting rides around Central Park for Fire Prevention Week.
11- An African tribal king, Fon Sehm Mbinglo I of Nso Kingdom, Cameroon, visits the area, guest of the Himalayan Institute and Honesdale Area Rotary.
11- A hot air balloon wows Honesdale residents with a low-flying passage (see Oct. 14).
14- Aqua America Pa. buys Honesdale Consolidated Water Company.
16- Local bankers try to allay fears in the face of a national financial crisis. In the Oct. 17 issue, several residents who lived through the Great Depression comment and compare.
16- Beams are lowered for the newly expanded 4th Street Bridge.
25- The National Park Service held a day-long program at Damascus School celebrating the 40th year of the Wild & Scenic Rivers Act, the 30th anniversary of the Upper Delaware Scenic & Recreational River, and 20th year of the Upper Delaware Council.
28- Wayne County GOP opens a McCain/Palin headquarters at 100 4th Street. The Democrats have had a busy Obama/Biden headquarters on Main Street for months, with help from an Obama/Biden campaign team.
28- As much as 10 inches of snow falls in southwestern Wayne County with lower amounts elsewhere.

November 2008
5- The Nov. 4th General Election, in which Barrack Obama won the presidency, enjoys a 72% turnout in Wayne.  McCain won Wayne county but Obama won Honesdale, Incumbent Congressman Chris Carney beat Republican hopeful Chris Hackett.
7- Greater Honesdale Partnership (GHP) holds an annual meeting. The GHP announces plans to use the $300,000 earmark from Rep. Chris Carney, funding a Stourbridge Line train depot platform and renovations for a new GHP office at the Wayne County Visitors Center.
13- Jim Ankin proposes to start a trolley bus service in Honesdale.
19- Wayne County EMA purchases anthrax test kits.
20- Berlin Township joins the UDC.
18- Preservation Pennsylvania lists the 105 year old Wangum Falls Bridge at risk of being lost. PennDOT has planned to replace the span.
21- Pa. Department of Corrections gives a 100 % compliance rating to the new Wayne County Prison.
25- Hamlin Fire & Rescue is now housing one of its ambulances at the Hideout Lake Ariel Fire Sub-station.
25- The former home of educators Maurice Meagher Sr. and Margaret K. O’Neill Meagher, at 627 Park Street, is being removed for expanded parking for Wayne Memorial Hospital.
26- “Thanksgiving Together” celebrates 25 years with another community meal (held Nov. 27).

December 2008
3- Wayne County Emergency Alert Network offers alerts to cell phones by way of text messages.
4- 1st Presbyterian Church, Honesdale, is having their steeple clocks restored.
5- Wayne Highlands School District excels in SAT scores, beating state and national averages.
6- Peter Propst is named Wayne Highlands School Board President.
6- Wayne’s jobless rate was 5.2% in October. The September rate was 5.3%.
10- Wayne County Commissioners plan to keep taxes stable in 2009.
10- A report states that Co. A, 2nd Battalion, 1-109th Infantry, Pa. National Guard, has returned from Afghanistan. They arrived over the last couple weeks in three shifts.
10- A report notes that the Central Wayne regional Authority (CWRA) passed a resolution approving use of part of the land for the expanded sewer plant, for Honesdale Fire Department’s training grounds.
11- Donations are helping to pay for a new playground at Bethany, largely funded by state grants.
12- A State Police drug raid at Aspen Ridge development nets eight suspected drug traffickers. Two more suspects are sought.
13- Hawley celebrates the 10th annual “Winterfest.”
16- There are at least 8,400 licensed dogs in Wayne County.
16- Honesdale’s draft 2009 budget calls for a 9/10 mil increase but Council plans to make cuts.
17- Dawson Geophysical Company is planning a vibration study on Beech Grove Road, to explore for natural gas.
18- Traffic is switched over to the new section of the 4th Street bridge so Leeward Construction can begin replacement of the old section.
19- Wallenpaupack Lake Estates has donated a lot for a fire sub-station of Lakeville Fire Company.
19- A big snow storm falls on the area, with 10 inches measured at Honesdale.
20- Chemotherapy services will end at Wayne Memorial Hospital Jan. 31, 2009, pending hiring or contracting new oncology services.
20- Low interest rates spur a rush by homeowners to refinance mortgages. Home foreclosures in Wayne County are less than the national average.
23- U.S. Census data shows that Wayne County’s per capita income, in 2007, was $21,423, slightly below the state average.