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Riverfest offers a little bit of education and a whole lot of fun

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Kingston fugitive arrested Friday morning after five years on the run

SWOYERSVILLE &#8212; A Swoyersville couple whose pool was vandalized last Thursday are offering a $500 reward for information leading to the conviction of the perpetrators.Joe and Elaine Lipinski said $10,000 in damage was done to the their pool on Warsaw Street overnight between June 16 and June 17.The liner was slashed, and the back flow of water caused extensive damage to the structure of the pool and equipment, the couple said.Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to call 911.The couple has lived in the borough for almost 70 years, and nothing like this has ever happened before.&#8220;We built this house ourselves, at night in 1970,&#8221; said Joe Lipinski.The Lipinskis said their daughter-in-law discovered the heavily damaged pool when she came over to swim with their grandchildren on June 17.&#8220;Our grandchildren were swimming in it the night before,&#8221; said Joe Lipinski. &#8220;And our neighbor said he was outside as late as 10:30 and heard nothing.&#8221;He said nothing had been taken from the yard, but a secondary propane tank had been thrown into the pool.The Lipinskis said the real loss is time spent in the pool with their family during limited summer days.&#8220;There is someone in the pool everyday during the summer,&#8221; said Elaine Lipinski.Joe Lipinski said their insurance company would reimburse them for some, but not all, of the worked needed to fix the pool.&#8220;We lost about $600 of water,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We&#8217;ll have to refill it.&#8221;Elaine Lipinski is looking forward to filling up the pool once again &#8212; with family members.&#8220;We have nine grandchildren,&#8221; she said. &#8220;This pool is for them.&#8221;The couple said they have called the police department.&#8220;They said they were continuing the investigation,&#8221; said Joe Lipinski. &#8220;They need to hear from someone who knows something, that is why we are offering the reward.&#8221;The couple also called the Mayor Chris Concert.&#8220;I thought we should call the mayor to let him know how bad it was,&#8221; said Joe Lipinski.<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta>By Geri Gibbonsggibbons@www.timesleader.com</bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta>Reach Geri Gibbons at 570-991-6117 or on Twitter @TLGGibbons</shirttailMeta></div>

Swoyersville couple offers reward after vandals damage pool