2020-2021 PIAA District II High School Basketball Championships this week at Mohegan Sun Arena

The 2020-21 PIAA District II High School Basketball Championships presented by Price Chopper Market 32 will be hosted from March 11th-13th at the ASM Global, the premier venue management and services company, managed Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre Township.

The PIAA District II Committee has hosted the Boys and Girls Basketball District Championships at Mohegan Sun Arena every year since 2016. Local and state guidelines on indoor venue capacities will be observed to ensure social distancing and guest and participant safety. Currently, Mohegan Sun Arena is permitted to host up to 15% capacity, which equates to approximately 1,500 people per game. This event will mark the first publicly ticketed event to be hosted at the venue under the revised capacity restrictions.

The District II High School Basketball Championship game schedule is as follows:

Thursday, March 11th
3:00 p.m. Girls 1A – Forest City vs. Susquehanna
5:30 p.m. Girls 4A – Berwick vs. Scranton Prep
8:00 p.m. Boys 3A – Wyoming Seminary vs. Riverside

Friday, March 12th
3:00 p.m. Girls 2A – Old Forge vs. Holy Cross
5:30 p.m. Girls 6A – Wilkes-Barre Area vs. Hazleton Area
8:00 p.m. Boys 5A – Abington Heights vs. Crestwood

Saturday, March 13th
10:00 a.m. Boys 2A – Old Forge vs. Elk Lake
12:30 p.m. Girls 3A – Western Wayne vs. Riverside
3:00 p.m. Boys 4A – Mid Valley vs. Scranton Prep
5:30 p.m. Girls 5A – Dallas vs. Abington Heights
8:00 p.m. Boys 6A – Williamsport vs. Scranton

Sunday, March 14th has been reserved for any weather-related cancellations.

Ticket prices for the District II Basketball finals at Mohegan Sun Arena are $8 for adults and students. Tickets will be sold by each participating school district and will be limited to comply with current local and state capacity restrictions for indoor facilities. Parking fees are included with the ticket price. All tickets are general admission and will require guests to sit in specially marked seats to comply with social distancing guidelines. Tickets will be valid for each individual game as sold. As opposed to previous years, all ticket holders for a specific game will need to exit the venue upon that game’s conclusion. Anyone wishing to attend another game will need to purchase a ticket for that specific game. The venue will be cleaned with CDC recommended disinfectant before and after each game. District II Gold passes will not be honored at Mohegan Sun Arena.

A limited number of tickets are on sale now at the NBT Bank Box Office at Mohegan Sun Arena. The Box Office will be open for ticket sales on the following dates and times this week:

NBT Bank Box Office at Mohegan Sun Arena hours:
Wednesday, March 10th – 10am-2pm
Thursday, March 11th – 1pm-8:30pm
Friday, March 12th – 1pm-8:30pm
Saturday, March 13th – 8:30am-8:30pm

One hour prior to the start of each game time and up until 20 minutes into the start of that game, Mohegan Sun Arena will limit Box Office ticket sales and transaction to accommodate guests attending that game only to assist with crowding around the Box Office area. All tickets will be sold at the exterior Box Office windows to ensure social distancing. Ticket purchasers are asked to limit the number of people in line to just the person making the transaction and then rejoin your group before entering the security checkpoint line.

Mohegan Sun Arena is undergoing numerous enhancements to the venue to ensure patron safety including:

  • Restroom renovations with easy-to-clean resin epoxy flooring and installation of touchless fixtures.
  • Plexiglass partitions around concessions areas.
  • Installation of directional and social distancing signage throughout the venue.
  • Replacement of cloth fabric seating to easy-to-clean vinyl seating.
  • Activation of the ASM Global VenueShield program providing the highest levels of safety, security and consumer confidence, in alignment with approvals from local government officials and health care experts.  

ASM Global reminds everyone participating and attending these championship events to please adhere to the new hygiene and security policies in place for the safety of all participants, guests and employees at the Mohegan Sun Arena including:

  • Everyone ages two and up will be required to wear a mask covering your face and nose when approaching the security checkpoints and upon entry to the venue.
  • Masks must be worn at all times inside the venue with the exception of when consuming food or beverage.
  • Cashless transactions are encouraged at the venue concessions stands. Limited stands will be open for this event, but all opened stands accept credit cards. Please assist our staff in obtaining a contactless environment by using a credit card.
  • Guests are asked to arrive at the venue with their group to be seated together. Seating is first-come, first-served and cannot be reserved in advance.
  • No more than four people will be permitted to sit together and will be seated in specially marked seats to help achieve safe social distancing.
  • Hand sanitizing stations have been placed at all entries and throughout the venue.
  • Upon exiting the venue, guests are asked to take their trash with them to the nearest trash receptacle and leave the venue at the direction of the venue staff.

    For more information on these policies, please visit https://www.MoheganSunArenaPA.com/VenueShield.

ASM Global also reminds guests of the following event security procedures:

  • Walk-through metal detectors will be in place at every arena entrance.
  • Mohegan Sun Arena’s “Clear Bag Policy” allows guests to bring their personal belongings in a clear tote not to exceed 12”x12”x6’.
  • Purses, backpacks and diaper bags are no longer permitted inside Mohegan Sun Arena.
  • Guests are asked to have their keys, wallets and phones out of their pockets upon arrival at the security checkpoints and jackets should be unzipped.
  • Security checkpoints will open approximately one hour prior to each game start time.
  • Doors for each game will open approximately 30-45 minutes prior to the event start time.
  • Event doors may be delayed due to the length of the previous game and time to properly sanitize high-touch surfaces and seating areas.

For more information about this policy and to view all prohibited items, please visit https://www.MoheganSunArenaPA.com/Policies

All student athletes, coaches and event officials must comply to the additional safety measures enacted by the PIAA for competition. For additional information about these policies, please visit https://www.piaad2.org.

The PIAA District II committee and Mohegan Sun Arena would like to thank and acknowledge the following event sponsors: Price Chopper Market 32, McCarthy Tire, Luzerne County Community College, NBT Bank, Wilkes University, Allied Services, Joyce Insurance and Red Robin.

The Dime Bank Announces Brian C. Urbas as a New Commercial Lending Officer

Brian C, Urbas has been hired at The Dime Bank as a new Vice President, Commercial Lending Officer, announced President and Chief Executive Officer Peter Bochnovich.

Urbas has 20 years of progressive banking and lending experience working at Northeast PA financial institutions serving Wayne, Susquehanna, and Lackawanna counties. Urbas’ enthusiastic and driven leadership skills coupled with his extensive experience yielded long-lasting customer relationships and strong business partnerships. His responsibilities included developing strategies to build new retail and business relationships in various industries, underwriting, and preparing and analyzing financial information for loan approval.

Urbas’ responsibilities as a vice president, commercial lending officer at The Dime Bank will be garnering new commercial customer relationships in the area as well as maintaining existing commercial relationships. Senior Vice President Chief Lending Officer William Boyle stated, “Brian’s experience and knowledge of the various financial needs of commercial customers make him a great addition to our commercial lending team. His ability to focus on business development coupled with his superb customer service will prove to be a benefit for The Dime Bank and our customers, present and future.”

Urbas has a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Bloomsburg University. He lives in the Forest City area with his wife Lora and three children Claire, Max, and Marlo. Urbas is a basketball and baseball coach for the Forest City Regional Schools and a baseball coach in the Carbondale Teener League.

Wayne Bank Promotes Kristen E. Lancia to Assistant Vice President

Lewis J. Critelli, President and Chief Executive Officer of Wayne Bank is pleased to announce the promotion of Kristen E. Lancia to Assistant Vice President. 

Mr. Critelli noted, “I am so pleased to announce this promotion.  Kristen is committed to finding creative marketing solutions to align with the Bank’s strategic objectives, while working to expand our digital reach.  She does a great job overseeing the marketing department and is well-deserving of this recognition.” 

Kristen began her career with Wayne Bank in 2012 and currently serves as the Bank’s Marketing Officer.  She earned a B.S. in Design & Merchandising with a Writing Concentration from Drexel University and is currently working towards her Certified Financial Marketing Professional designation.  Kristen resides in Scranton with her husband, Ralph, and enjoys cooking, gardening, and practicing yoga.

Wayne Bank is a subsidiary of Norwood Financial Corp., Member FDIC, and is located in Honesdale, Pennsylvania.  The Bank has 30 Community Offices serving Wayne, Pike, Monroe, Lackawanna, and Luzerne Counties in Pennsylvania, along with Delaware, Sullivan, Otsego, Ontario, and Yates Counties in New York State, including those offices operating under the Bank of Cooperstown and Bank of the Finger Lakes brands.  The stock trades on the NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol— NWFL.

Lida Kiefer Named Practice Manager of The Wright Center for Community Health’s Hawley Location

The Wright Center for Community Health recently promoted longtime clinical employee Lida Kiefer to the leadership role of Practice Manager.

Kiefer will lead The Wright Center’s Hawley Practice at 103 Spruce Street, where she will be responsible for daily operations including oversight of patient flow, staff and services. The Wayne County office is home to clinical staff who provide primary and preventive care for pediatric, adult and geriatric patients, including routine check-ups, sick visits, behavioral/mental health, and addiction and recovery services.

A graduate of McCann School of Business and Technology, Kiefer joined The Wright Center in 2012 as an administrative assistant and worked her way up to the role of certified medical assistant II. She most recently served as Co-Manager of Medical Assistants, responsible for monitoring patient care quality and coordination as well as daily oversight of all medical assistants on staff. In addition to her leadership responsibilities at Hawley as Practice Manager, Kiefer will also serve as a medical assistant there.

“Throughout her career at The Wright Center, Lida has demonstrated her dedication to our mission of improving the health and welfare of our community. This promotion is a great fit for her proven skills and experience,” said Kathleen Barry, Deputy Chief Operating Officer.

Kiefer resides in Honesdale.

Marion Munley Speaks at the AIEG’s 2020 Virtual Symposium

Munley Law is pleased to announce that attorney Marion Munley recently spoke at the Attorneys Information Exchange Group’s (AIEG) 2020 Virtual Symposium on trucking accident litigation. She gave a virtual presentation on “Setting Up Your Trial Story.” The AIEG is “a national organization dedicated to sharing information and ideas among member attorneys for the benefit of clients who have been affected by dangerous and defective products.”

Marion Munley is a champion of victims’ rights and the civil justice system. She is known for her compassionate approach to representing the catastrophically injured and her tireless devotion to her clients and their families. Triple Board Certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy in Civil Trial, Civil Practice, and Truck Law, Marion has earned an AV-Preeminent designation from Martindale-Hubbell, the industry’s highest ethical and client satisfaction rating.

Marion is an active member of the American Association for Justice (AAJ) and currently serves on the AAJ Board of Governors and on its Executive Committee. She was the first woman to become Chair of the AAJ Trucking Litigation Group in 2018 and is a past chair of the AAJ Women Trial Lawyers Caucus. Marion is the second woman in Pennsylvania to become Board Certified as a Civil Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. Among her other professional affiliations are the American Board of Trial Advocates, the International Society of Barristers, and the Summit Council.

She has been named to the Best Lawyers in America list by Best Lawyers since 2012 and was selected as “Lawyer of the Year: Personal Injury – Plaintiffs” for the Allentown Metro Area this past year. Marion has also been selected to the list of Pennsylvania Super Lawyers for the last 15 years and has been consistently recognized as one of the “top 50 Women Lawyers in Pennsylvania” in Super Lawyers Magazine. A graduate of Temple University School of Law (J.D., 1986), Marion received her undergraduate degree from Scranton University in 1983.

Boback Meets with Stakeholders and Discusses Legislative Priorities

Rep. Karen Boback (R-Lackwanna/Luzerne/Wyoming), majority chairman of the House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee, held informational meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday with agency stakeholders.

“Over the last two days, fellow lawmakers and I heard from our agency stakeholders that affect our veteran and emergency preparedness community,” said Boback. “It was a rather unique opportunity for all of us to her from experts across the veterans affairs and emergency preparedness field. These meetings, while virtual, provide us with the necessary information and keep both new and returning members to this committee up to date with the most current legislative priorities of the organizations and communities we represent and serve.

“I was concerned with the vaccine programs logistics and rollout, which is why I pressed Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) Director Randy Patfield with questions that are important to all of us. In their continued planning and distribution of the vaccination, we need to make sure that counties that have worked so diligently in containing the spread and keeping Pennsylvanians safe are treated fairly. Smaller counties and those that have handled this pandemic properly should be treated equitably in the supplying of the vaccines. While PEMA and the Department of Health coordinate their efforts to make sure Pennsylvanians are safely vaccinated, this committee stands ready to assist them.”

Informational hearings of the committee provided members the opportunity to hear the legislative priorities of stakeholders for the current legislative session. Those present were MG. Mark J. Schindler, acting adjutant general of the PA Department of Military and Veterans Affairs; Kathleen Fabrizi, executive director of the PA National Guard Associations; Chad Rettew, chairman of the board for the PA National Guard Associations; Sam Petrovich, chairman of the PA State Veterans Commission; Robert Gray, PA War Veterans Council Legislative Committee chairman of the Military Officers Association of America; Col. Kevin Berry, PA Wing Commander for the PA Civil Air Patrol; Chris Arnold, Northeast Regional Liaison for the Defense – State Liaison Office with the Department of Defense Military Community and Family Policy; Rear Adm. Nancy J. Lescavage, U.S. Navy (Ret.), executive director of the PA Military Community Enhancement Commission; Randy Padfield, director of the PA Emergency Management Agency; Bruce Trego, commissioner of the Office of the State Fire Commissioner; Dylan Ferguson, director of the PA Department of Health, Bureau of EMS; Jerry Ozog, executive director of the PA Fire and Emergency Services Institute; Patricia Waldinger, regional chief executive officer for the Greater Pennsylvania Region of the American Red Cross; Guy Triano, regional chief executive officer for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Region of the American Red Cross; J.T. Pennington, president of the PA Professional Firefighters Association; Tim Leech, vice president of the Pittsburgh Fire Fighters; and Don DeReamus, legislative committee chair of the  Ambulance Association of PA.

Tuesday’s meeting can be viewed here. https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pagopvideo/268690852.mp4 Wednesday’s meeting can be viewed here. https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pagopvideo/780413516.mp4

The University of Scranton’s Earth Day Essay Contest Open for Submissions

Area students in grades seven to 12 can participate in The University of Scranton’s Earth Day Essay Contest 2021. The contest is offered free of charge and this year’s essay theme is “Caring for our Common Home.”

Essays for students in grades seven and eight must be between 200 to 400 words. Essays for students in grades nine to 12 must be between 300 to 500 words. Electronic submissions must be sent to susan.falbo@scranton.edu on or before Friday, April 9.

Visit the University’s Sustainability website for complete submission rules and details. Only electronic submissions will be accepted this year. Mail-in entries will not be accepted for 2021.

Winners of the Earth Day Essay Contest will be announced via an event hosted on The University of Scranton Sustainability Office Facebook page on Earth Day, April 22, beginning at 7 p.m.

This year marks the 51st anniversary of Earth Day.

Allied Services Integrated Health System Announces Staff Promotions

Allied Services Integrated Health System announces the staff promotions of the following:

Brianna Hoban, NHA, PCHA, was announced as Administrator of Allied Services Skilled Nursing Center in Scranton.  Over the course of the last three years, Hoban has served as the Assistant Administrator for the 369-bed skilled nursing and has played an integral role in the development and implementation of regulatory policy and corrective audits and has confidently assisted with directing operations throughout the COVID-19 public health emergency. 

In addition to serving as the Administrator of the skilled nursing facility, Hoban will also continue in her role as Assistant Vice President of Skilled Nursing Administration. In this role, Brianna assists in providing operational and administrative support to the leaders of the health systems Wilkes-Barre-based skilled nursing divisions.  

Tracey Kopetz, CDM, was announced as Assistant Vice President of Allied Services Food and Hospitality Services. Kopetz joined Allied Services Dietary Department over fifteen years ago and has served in several roles during her tenure. Most recently as Assistant Vice President and Director of Dietary Operations at the health systems skilled nursing facility in Scranton. 

Kopetz will continue to provide support to the health systems skilled nursing centers in both Scranton and Wilkes-Barre. In her newly expanded role, she will also coordinate with the managers of the Dietary Departments at both Allied Services Scranton and Wilkes-Barre Rehab Hospitals. Tracey will provide support to these divisions in the areas of resident menu development, staff budgeting, food and supply ordering, and regulatory compliance. 

Luke Bauman, RN was announced as Administrator of Allied Services Center City Skilled Nursing, where he will oversee operations at the 50-bed skilled nursing facility, as well as the 31-unit senior living apartment complex in Wilkes-Barre. Prior to his transition to Center City, Bauman had served for three years as the Director of Nursing for the health systems skilled nursing facility in Scranton. Additionally, Bauman served as the Executive Director of Nursing Services for the Meade Street and Center City campuses for the past year. Prior to joining Allied Services in 2018, Bauman brought with him years of experience as a Director of Nursing in larger nursing facilities in the Lehigh Valley area. 

Luke will continue to serve as Executive Director of Nursing Services. In his new role as Administrator, he will be responsible for the daily oversight of all departmental operations and assurance of regulatory compliance at the Center City Skilled Nursing location. 

Katlyn Kirkpatrick, CDM was announced asDirector of Dietary Services, for Allied Services Skilled Nursing Center in Scranton. Bringing sixteen years of long-term care experience with her, Katlyn joined the Allied Services team two years ago as the Assistant Director of Food Services. Katlyn is a Certified Dietary Manager who has assisted with the transformation of the food delivery service at the skilled nursing facility.   Katlyn will be responsible for the day-to-day dietary operations at the Scranton-based skilled nursing center, including resident meal delivery systems, personnel management, inventory control, and regulatory compliance. 

Nicole Clark was announced as Patient Finance Coordinator of Allied Services Skilled Center in Scranton. Clark joined Allied Services in 2017 and transitioned to the skilled nursing team in 2019. Clark has worked to transform several areas of the patient finance department, such as building effective relationships with state and local government agencies, strengthening the collaboration with interdisciplinary leaders, and prioritizing routine communication with residents and their families. 

Lackawanna College Named a Military Friendly® School

Lackawanna College earned the 2021-2022 Military Friendly® School designation by VIQTORY. The College has received this designation multiple times. Each year, the list of Military Friendly® Schools is provided to service members and their families to aid them in selecting the best college, university, or trade school to receive the education and training needed to pursue a civilian career. More than 1,200 schools participated in the 2021-2022 survey, with 750 schools earning the designation.

Being designated as Military Friendly® means that Lackawanna College shows a commitment to creating sustainable civilian opportunities for veterans. The College has developed several academic and social support programs to make the process of navigating the college experience easier and ensuring that veteran students meet all requirements set out in the most recent GI Bill® of benefits.

“Our student veterans bring great qualities that enhance our college community,” said Catherine Fox, Student Life Coordinator and Veterans Advisor for Lackawanna College. “We are proud to be chapter members of Student Veterans of America. We have a fantastic veterans lounge and participate in SALUTE, a National Honor Society specific to student veterans. We appreciate everything these students have done for their country and want to ensure that they are given the resources they need to succeed in college.”

Data for the Military Friendly® designation is acquired from public data sources, proprietary data from the Military Friendly® survey and personal data from surveys from veterans. All determinations are made by VIQTORY with input from the Military Friendly® Advisory Council of independent leaders in the higher education and military recruitment community. The 2021-2022 Military Friendly® Schools list will be published in the May issue of G.I. Jobs magazine. The list can also be found at www.militaryfriendly.com For more information about Lackawanna’s commitment to attracting and supporting military students, visit lackawanna.edu/veterans.