Congrats to our Fall 2021 SAGE Awards Winners The Chamber is happy to announce the Fall 2021 SAGE Awards winners from its Chamber Gala presenting held at the Hilton Scranton & Conference Center and sponsored by Fidelity Bank. Chamber board chair, Deborah Kolsovsky, opened the ceremony thanking all finalists, award sponsors, and Gala sponsors for their dedication to the NEPA community. Our emcee for the evening was Barry Snyder – formerly known as B-Ray with the Scranton/Wilke-Barre baseball franchise and now with the United Way of Lackawanna and Wayne Counties, with musical entertainment provided by Lexington Entertainment and EJ the DJ. The SAGE Awards honor outstanding local businesses for their talent, creativity, and innovation. The Fall SAGE Awards also included the IMPACT Awards, which were created to honor and recognize the innovation our local businesses employed due to COVID-19. The Chamber congratulates all finalists and winners of the Fall 2021 SAGE Awards. The winners in each category are: BEST PRACTICES IN COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT• Scranton Area Community Foundation BEST PRACTICES IN CUSTOMER SERVICE• Center City PrintBEST PRACTICES IN MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS• Fidelity Bank BUSINESS OF THE YEAR• Golden Technologies HOMETOWN STAR• Scranton Tomorrow IMPACT: COMMUNITY OUTREACH• NeighborWorks of Northeastern Pennsylvania IMPACT: PEOPLE AND CULTURE• Golden Technologies IMPACT: PRODUCTS AND SERVICES• Montage Mountain Resorts NEW AND EMERGING BUSINESS OF THE YEAR• Reed Advisory Group NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION OF THE YEAR• Agency for Community EmPOWERment of NEPA PEOPLE’S CHOICE• Friends of the Poor SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR• Quest Studio
ShopRite Pharmacies Offering $50 Gift Cards for COVID-19 Vaccine ShopRite pharmacies in Daleville and Moosic plan to offer $50 gift cards* to anyone who receives the COVID-19 vaccine, a program in conjunction with Lackawanna County and the Chamber. Mondays through Fridays from November 15 through December 3 the incentives will be offered. A breakdown of the schedule is listed below: Monday, November 15th through Friday, November 19th (11 a.m. – 7 p.m.)Monday, November 22nd through Friday, November 26th (11 a.m. – 7 p.m.)Monday, November 29th through Friday, December 3rd (11 a.m. – 7 p.m.) Interested parties can reserve an appointment by calling either pharmacy: ShopRite of Daleville Pharmacy PHONE: (570) 842-7848921 Drinker Turnpike, Suite 24, Covington Township, PA 18444 ShopRite of Birney Plaza pharmacy PHONE: (570) 904-60423382 Birney Avenue, Moosic, PA 18444 More information about receiving a vaccine through ShopRite can be found here: https://vaccines.shoprite.com/ *While supplies last.
Lackawanna College Tuition Reimbursement Survey Lackawanna College fellow invites businesses to answer the following survey regarding tuition reimbursement. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/9N97QB9
Young Announced as Assistant Director of Allied Services Vocational Services Erin Young was announced as Assistant Director of Vocational Services in Scranton. Erin has been with Allied Services Integrated Health System since 2013, and has served as a Program Specialist, Lead Program Specialist, and most recently as Clinical Coordinator. She is the Incident Management Lead contact, part of the team involved in the Quality Assessment Improvement Process (QAI), an Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) Certified Investigator and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) trainer for the Vocational Services Division. In addition to continuing to function in her current role, Erin’s new responsibilities will include oversight of workshop staff and day-to-day operations of the Vocational Work Program. Erin’s knowledge of the program and dedication to providing the best possible services will serve her well in her new position.
Marywood University’s Concert Choir and Orchestra to Join Forces for Major Fall Performance Pictured in the collage from the top, left to right, are: Rick Hoffenberg, DMA, Director of Choral Activities; Evan Harger, ABD, Director of Orchestral Activities; the Marywood Concert Choir and Orchestra. For the first time in five years, the Marywood University Concert Choir and Orchestra, along with four vocal soloists, are joining forces to present a major fall performance on Sunday, November 21, 2021, at 4 p.m., in the Sette LaVerghetta Center for Performing Arts. The concert is free, open to the public, and in person. Masking protocols must be followed inside all Marywood University facilities. The two ensembles will present a monumental piece of music by Michael Tippett, A Child of Our Time. The concert also will feature Three Spirituals for Orchestra by Adolphus Hailstork. According to the directors, this is the largest-scale concert that Marywood’s Department of Music, Theatre, and Dance has presented to the public since 2016. The Concert Choir is directed by Rick Hoffenberg, DMA. The Orchestra is directed by Evan Harger. Concert soloists include: Jennifer Cowgill, soprano; Ellen Rutkowski, mezzo-soprano; Wes Poole, tenor; and M. Moses Andradé, bass. Tippett’s A Child of Our Time was composed during World War II in response to the horrors of Kristallnacht, and the piece wrestles with issues such as racial tensions and persecution that are as relevant now as they were 80 years ago. The composer, an ardent pacifist, used African-American spirituals to represent the voices of the oppressed, in this case the Jews who were murdered by the Nazis. For additional information about the Concert Choir and Orchestra Concert and other performances at Marywood University, please visit marywood.edu/mtd/events or call (570) 348-6268.
The University of Scranton to Host Acclaimed Trumpeter and Vocalist Benny Benack III Acclaimed trumpeter and vocalist Benny Benack III will perform at a concert featuring The University of Scranton’s Jazz Ensemble on Friday, Nov. 12, at 7:30 p.m. in the Houlihan-McLean Center. On Friday, Nov. 12, Performance Music at The University of Scranton will present a concert featuring the University’s Jazz Ensemble with acclaimed trumpeter and vocalist Benny Benack III as their guest soloist. The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Houlihan-McLean Center, Mulberry Street and Jefferson Avenue. The concert is open to invited guests and all members of the University community. Admission is free, all audience members must wear masks throughout the performance. University campus access and other health and safety information will be updated throughout the semester and can be seen on the Royals Back Together webpage. Please check Performance Music’s website, scranton.edu/music, within 24 hours of the recital for the most current information on audience COVID-19 mitigation measures (e.g., masking, vaccination, distancing, etc.). The program will feature Benack soloing with the band on both voice and trumpet, and will include a variety of songs such as Bye Bye Blackbird, Choo Choo Ch’Boogie, Operator, Sway, St. Louis Blues and more. Performance Music Conductor and Director Cheryl Y. Boga is excited for Benack’s first visit to Scranton. “I have known Benny since fall of 2009 and have truly enjoyed watching and listening to him develop into such a mature, versatile and exciting musician and entertainer,” said Boga. “I am really looking forward to having him work with our students.” A 2014 finalist in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Trumpet Competition and winner of the 2011 Carmine Caruso International Trumpet Competition, Benack has already proven himself to be a rare talent as both a jazz trumpeter and vocalist. A frontman for Postmodern Jukebox, the vintage music collective famed for its old-school covers of modern pop songs, Benack in 2020 released “A Lot of Livin’ to Do,” the follow-up to his well-received 2017 debut album, “One of a Kind.” The third in the generational line of a legendary family of Pittsburgh jazzmen, Benack has been showcased in international headliner tours at Jazz at Lincoln Center Shanghai, JALC’s “NY Jazz All-Stars” (Mexico), throughout Asia and Europe, and has headlined his own group’s tours throughout the U.S. He has performed at New York City’s leading jazz venues, as well as played in the house band for NBC’s “Maya & Marty” and performed as a trumpet soloist with the Christian McBride Big Band, Ann Hampton Callaway, Josh Groban and Ben Folds. The University of Scranton Jazz Band is a 22-member ensemble made up of students from majors spanning the curriculum. There is no music major at the University, and all enrolled Scranton students (undergraduate and graduate) are eligible for membership in the University bands, choirs and string ensembles, with neither an audition nor enrollment fee required for membership. Other programs within the department, including both large ensemble and chamber ensemble music-making opportunities, guest artist concerts, World Premiere Composition Series, the Nelhybel Collection and Scranton Brass Orchestra, closely coordinate programming with the student ensembles and offer unique opportunities for student musicians in the ensembles to hear, observe, interact and perform with numerous world-class musicians and artist-teachers. High school juniors and seniors who are considering applying to Scranton are encouraged to contact Performance Music to arrange to sit in on a rehearsal, meet the staff, attend a concert, or tour the building. For further information on the concert, call 570-941-7624, email music@scranton.edu or visit scranton.edu/music. For more info on Benack, visit bennybenackjazz.com.
Geisinger Relocates Scranton Dermatology Practice Getting skin care in Lackawanna County is easier and more convenient with Geisinger Dermatology Scranton now located in the 3 W. Olive St. complex. In addition to relocating skin care services from Geisinger Community Medical Center, the health system welcomes dermatologist and Mohs surgeon Mary Brady, M.D., to Scranton. The skin care team at Geisinger Dermatology Scranton provides complete dermatology services including pediatric dermatology and Mohs surgery. Additionally, the team treats a variety of conditions including acne, cysts, eczema, hives, melanoma, nail care, psoriasis, rosacea, skin cancer and warts among many other skin conditions. Dr. Brady returns to Geisinger and brings her experience with Mohs surgery to Scranton. She earned her medical degree from Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia after completing her undergraduate studies in biology at Bucknell University. She completed her dermatology residency at Geisinger Medical Center and fellowship in Mohs micrographic surgery and dermatology oncology at the Cleveland Clinic. For more information about Geisinger’s skin care services in Scranton or to book an appointment, call 570-558-2130 or visit Geisinger.org/ScrantonDerm.
NeighborWorks West Scranton Neighborhood Plan Wins Award NeighborWorks Northeastern Pennsylvania’s West Scranton Neighborhood Plan was recognized by the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Planning Association at its annual conference and awards luncheon in Pittsburgh on October 19, 2021. NeighborWorks’ West Scranton Neighborhood Plan was one of just three plans to receive an award. According to the judges, “The plan achieves its essential purpose. Its thoughtful organization and graphics appeal to a wide range of users and the size and scope allow for implementation.” “It is an honor to receive this award not just on behalf of NeighborWorks but all the people and organizations who were involved in developing our West Scranton Neighborhood Plan, especially the residents,” said NeighborWorks’ n eighborhood re vitalization manager, Todd Pousley. “ From the beginning, we set out to develop a resident-driven plan that reflects the ideas and priorities of the people who live and work in West Scranton, and we accomplished that with the help of a 26-person steering committee. We can’t wait to put the plan into action!” The West Scranton Neighborhood Plan, a 10-year strategy for revitalizing West Side, was released in the fall of 2020 and is now being implemented by NeighborWorks and its community partners. WRT—an architecture, planning, and design firm based in Philadelphia—assisted with development of the plan, which was funded by the Regional Foundation (formerly the Wells Fargo Regional Foundation).
