Northeast Regional Cancer Institute to Benefit from Basketball Tournament

Judi H Rock On committee member and son of Judi A. Perry Hartridge, Johnny Hartridge, is hosting a 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament for grades 6-8 on Saturday, May 27 and Sunday, May 28 at 1:00 p.m. at Holy Rosary Gym. The gym is located at 316 Williams St., Scranton. Team registration is $40 which includes a t-shirt for each player. There will be food available for purchase and raffle baskets. The proceeds from the fundraiser will benefit the Northeast Regional Cancer Institute.  

For more team registration forms and event information, contact Johnny Hartridge at (570) 904-7604 or email him at e22star@verizon.net. Team registration is due by Friday, May 19.  

This event is in Memory of Judi A. Perry Hartridge. Judi Perry Hartridge, passed away from cancer in 2007. To honor her memory and love of music, her family and friends formed a committee – Judi H Rock On, to raise funds to fight the disease that claimed her life. Judi’s family held seven Judi H Rock On musical fundraisers. This event is the first sports related fundraiser in her memory.  

Jewish Family Services to Honor Natalie Gelb at Annual Community Matters Event

This year JFS is celebrating our 5th Annual Community Matters event which honors outstanding leaders who have made a difference in our community. Past honorees include James and Susan Connors, Morey and Sondra Myers, Jane Oppenheim, and Louis and Barbara Nivert. We are proud to announce that we are honoring Natalie Gelb at this year’s event. This year’s event will be held on June 1st from 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. at the Scranton Cultural Center.


Born and raised in Scranton, Natalie is a graduate of Scranton Central High School and the University of Maryland. She served as the Executive Director of the Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority (LHVA) from 2004 until her retirement in 2017 where she was instrumental in the development of the seventy-mile Lackawanna River Heritage Trail system. Natalie is also a founding member of Defenders of Democracy and currently serves on the Boards of Keystone College, Jewish Family Service, and the Jewish Federation of Northeastern Pennsylvania.


For over 100 years Jewish Family Service of Northeastern Pennsylvania has been helping individuals and families in our region achieve well-being, health, and stability. The Annual Community Matters community recognition event is our major event fundraiser each year. The event helps support JFS programs and services including Mental Health Services, Financial Assistance, Case Management, Guardianship of Person Service, and the Mae S. Gelb Kosher Food Pantry.
Tickets for the event are $100 and include full kosher dinner stations catered by Pocono Kosher as well as a cash bar. We will have entertainment by Doug Smith and will once again host our silent auction. A presentation will be held honoring Ms. Gelb with coffee and dessert afterward. Tickets are available for purchase online. Sponsorship and ad book opportunities can be reviewed online and purchased by calling JFS at 570-344-1186.

Tobyhanna Army Depot Celebrates Arrival of Navy Transporter

Personnel at Tobyhanna Army Depot marked the expansion of the AN/APX-123 common transponder workload with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on May 2.

An airborne identification friend or foe (IFF) system, the APX-123 is used in several branches of the U.S. Armed Forces. IFF systems are commonly used for command and control operations, utilizing a transponder to positively identify friendly aircraft. Thousands of aircraft fly with the APX-123. While Tobyhanna has had a robust APX-123 program for the U.S. Army, the ribbon-cutting denotes the beginning of depot support for the U.S. Navy’s version of the asset.

Depot Commander Col. Daniel L. Horn presided over the ceremony, which was also attended by depot senior leadership, personnel from Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Naval Supply Systems Weapons Systems Support – Philadelphia, representatives from BAE Systems, and members of the depot workforce who support the project.

In his remarks at the event, Horn praised Tobyhanna’s cooperative efforts across the joint services.

“Today is a great opportunity to celebrate another collaboration with the U.S. Navy. Team Tobyhanna is proud of its enduring support to America’s warfighters,” he said.

Electronics Mechanic Supervisor Frederick Granoski leads the C4ISR Directorate’s Transponders Branch; his team will execute both a repair and test/inspect programs for the APX-123. Granoski said he is excited about the possibilities ahead.

“The APX-123 represents a significant growth for our mission, allowing us to support more of this critical asset.”

Jason Kilmer agreed.

“Not only is our workload increasing, we are also increasing our capabilities by conducting more comprehensive testing on this important equipment,” he noted. Kilmer is an electronics mechanic leader in the Transponders Branch.

Representatives from the Navy are also very excited about the new collaboration, said Capt. David Neall.

“My team and I are thrilled; we’ve been working on this project for several years and it is great to reach the finish line.” Neall serves as the Deputy Program Manager for Combat Identification Systems.

Tobyhanna is slated to repair several hundred assets for the U.S. Navy APX-123 program through at least 2030.

The acquisition of new workload such as the APX-123 is directly aligned with Tobyhanna’s long-range strategic plan, TOBY2035. The plan, which focuses on posturing the depot to be competitive in the future, has lines of effort dedicated to expanding Tobyhanna’s portfolio through securing new workload and connecting with the community. The APX-123 represents growth for the depot’s expansive support of Naval weapons systems.

Tobyhanna Army Depot is a recognized leader in providing world-class logistics support for command, control, communications, computers, cyber, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C5ISR) systems across the Department of Defense. Tobyhanna’s Corporate Philosophy, dedicated work force and electronics expertise ensure the depot is the Joint C5ISR provider of choice for all branches of the Armed Forces and industry partners.

Tobyhanna’s unparalleled capabilities include full-spectrum logistics support for sustainment, overhaul and repair, fabrication and manufacturing, engineering design and development, systems integration, post production software support, technology insertion, modification, foreign military sales and global field support to our joint warfighters.

About 3,100 personnel are employed at Tobyhanna, which is located in the Pocono Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania. Tobyhanna Army Depot is part of the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command. Headquartered at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, the command’s mission is to empower the Soldier with winning C5ISR capabilities.

WVIA Set to Premiere ROAR: The Story of the Southern Columbia Football Tigers

WVIA will premiere original documentary film ROAR: The Story of the Southern Columbia Football Tigers this Thursday, May 11 at 8 p.m. on WVIA television. The documentary chronicles the 2022 Southern Columbia Area High School Football Tigers as they chase a PIAA (Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, Inc.) record sixth consecutive state championship.

Award-winning WVIA filmmaker Alexander Monelli tells the story of their season from the locker room to practices to the sidelines of the games, giving viewers an up close and never-before-seen look at one of the top high school football programs in the state. Located in rural Catawissa, Pennsylvania (near the world-renowned Knoebels Amusement Resort), the film aims to discover what makes the small-town team so successful year after year.

The film will feature interviews with the 2022 Southern Columbia football team and its coaches alongside interviews with former NFL players Henry Hynoski (Southern Columbia, New York Giants) and Bo Orlando (Berwick, Houston Oilers), as well as former WNEP sports director Jim Coles, who covered Southern Columbia and regional high school football for 33 years, and current WNEP sports reporters, Landon Stolar and Steve Lloyd.

“I can’t wait for people to see this documentary about the Southern Columbia high school football team. I spent every day for a year working on this film. I spent the last two months waking up at 3:45am every single day to finish the film properly,” said filmmaker Alexander Monelli. “It’s always exciting when WVIA puts out a new original documentary and I’m just super honored to be a part of that legacy. This company is the home of documentary filmmaking in the region and I’m proud to share this film with all of you on May 11th.”

“What I hope people will say after this documentary is ‘they do things the right way,” said head coach Jim Roth. “As far as the way we work, the way we treat players, the way we interact, and then the rest takes care of itself and translates into wins.”

“Southern Columbia High School football is a unique story, and we are excited to give our viewers an up-close and personal view of this team,” said Ben Payavis II, WVIA Chief Content Officer. “WVIA takes pride in shining a light on the stories of our region and giving them a platform to be shared with the world.”

The trailer for ROAR: The Story of the Southern Columbia Football Tigers can be viewed here: https://www.wvia.org/roar-the-story-of-the-southern-columbia-football-tigers

The documentary film will broadcast on WVIA television and will also be available to watch on WVIA’s YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/live/D3EHpfDDq0I?feature=share and Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/events/575101254451175/. In addition to the broadcast premiere, there will be exclusive interviews with director Al Monelli, Southern Columbia Football Coach Jim Roth, and former WNEP Sports Director Jim Coles.

Johnson College to Celebrate Largest Graduating Class

Johnson College will celebrate its largest graduating class at its commencement ceremony on May 13, 2023, at 10 a.m. on its Scranton campus. Graduating students will report to the Moffat Student Center gym by 9 a.m.

Graduates will complete programs for Associate of Science and Associate of Applied Science degrees, academic certificates, and Readiness in Skilled Employment (RISE).

John W. Cosgrove, Chief Executive Officer of AllOne Foundation & Charities, will give the commencement address. Degrees will be presented by Katie Leonard, Ed.D., President & CEO of Johnson College, and Heather Bonker, General Education Director of Johnson College.

Recipients of Johnson College’s Award for Academic Excellence A.A.S., Jacob Banta, an Automotive Technology program graduate, and Richard Christianson, a Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning Technology program graduate, will serve as student speakers.

Matthew Michalek ’85, Vice President of Operations of L.R. Costanzo Company, and Co-Owner of B & M Property Development, will give the alumni address to the newly graduated Johnson College class of 2023.

The event will be live-streamed on the College’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/JohnsonCollegePA.

Alpha Beta Kappa (ABK) is the premier national collegiate honor society for trades and essential occupations. The society honors excellence not only in the classroom, but also in shop, studio, and laboratory study. Additionally, students must be a member of a student organization or club to become Alpha Beta Kappa members.

The National Technical Honor Society (NTHS) is an educational non-profit that exists to honor, recognize, and empower students and teachers in Career & Technical Education The appearance of the degree candidate’s name does not verify satisfactory completion of degree requirements.

Health Coaching by Yolanda Spring Specials

  1. $150 off of a 6-session package – includes 2 60-minute sessions per month for 3 months.
  1. $300 off of a 12-session package – includes 4 60-minute sessions per month for 3 months.

Lexington Entertainment Summer Lineup

Saturday, May 6                                DOUG SMITH’S DIXIELAND ALL-STARS              5:00 – 8:00

                                                                Run for the Roses Kentucky Derby Day Fundraiser

                                                                           Scranton Country Club

                                                                           1011 Morgan Highway

                                                                           Clarks Summit, PA     $100 donation

Saturday, May 13                              DOUG SMITH BAND                       8:00

                                                                           Saturday Night Dance & Grand March

                                                                           Skytop Lodge

                                                                           Skytop, PA   www.skytop.com

Friday, May 19                 ARCADIA CHORALE with the DOUG SMITH JAZZ TRIO                  8:00

                                                                           Opposites Attract

                                                                           Saint Luke’s Presbyterian Church Hall

                                                                           232 Wyoming Avenue

                                                                           Scranton, PA

Saturday, May 20                         DOUG SMITH’S DIXIELAND ALL-STARS  12:30- 3:30                                                                                                                      

  Community Day –Free to the Public

                                                                           Everhart Museum

                                                                           Nay Aug Park

                                                                           Scranton, PA

Saturday, June 3                                DOUG SMITH’S DIXIELAND ALL-STARS                  8:00

                                                                           Saturday Night Dance & Grand March

                                                                           Skytop Lodge (History Week)

                                                                           Skytop, PA  www.skytop.com

Sunday, June 4                                  DOUG SMITH’S DIXIELAND All-STARS                1:00 – 3:30

                                                                           featuring Erin Malloy      

                                                                           Lackawanna County Heritage Fair

                                                                           Montage Mountain

                                                                           Moosic, PA         

Thursday, June 1                               DOUG SMITH JAZZ TRIO                                     6:00 – 9:00

                                                                           Jewish Family Services “Community Matters” Event

                                                                           Scranton Cultural Center

                                                                           420 North Washington Avenue

                                                                           Scranton, PA

Wednesday, June 14                         GUITARIST BRIAN KEELER w/ the DIXIELAND ALL-STARS    5:00 – 7:00                                                                    Summer Solstice Fest

                                                                           French Azilum Historic Site

                                                                           Bradford County, PA

Saturday, June 17                              DOUG SMITH BAND                        8:00

                                                                           Saturday Night Dance & Grand March

                                                                           Skytop Lodge

                                                                           Skytop, PA www.skytop.com

Sunday, June 18                         DOUG SMITH’S DIXIELAND ALL-STARS                    1:00 – 4:00

                                                            Community Celebration

                                                            Cresco Train Station

                                                            Cresco, PA          

Friday, June 23                          PAULETTE COSTA & FRIENDS                                   5:00 – 7:00

                                                                           Friday Night Concert

                                                                           Allen Park

                                                                           1100 Price, Street

                                                                           Scranton, PA

Tuesday, June 27                              ERIN MALLOY & FRIENDS                                   6:30 – 8:30

                                                                           Tunes on Tuesday

                                                                           Suraci Bocce   Reservations: 570-806-1158 – $15

                                                                           Intersection of Routes 2012 & 2014

                                                                           Clifford Township, PA

Saturday, July 1                                 DOUG SMITH BAND                                      6:30 –7:45

(Rain Date July 7)                                               Independence Day Celebration

                                                                           Central Park

                                                                           Church Street, Honesdale, PA

                                                                           Fireworks at Dusk

Thursday, July 6              DOUG SMITH BAND featuring Erin Malloy                          5:00 – 7:00

                                                                           Summer Concert Series                                                                                                         Waverly Community House

                                                                           Waverly, PA

Friday, July 7                BRIAN KEELER & THE DOUG SMITH JAZZ QUARTET            5:00 – 7:00

                                                                           Brain Keeler Art Opening (First Friday)                                                                                                         Artworks Gallery & Studio

                                                                           236 Penn Avenue

                                                                           Scranton, PA

Saturday, July 15                              DOUG SMITH’S DIXIELAND ALL-STARS              3:00 –5:00

                                                                           Summer Concert

                                                                           Gouldsboro Train Station

                                                                           Gouldsboro, PA

Lackawanna College Beekeeping Certificate Registration Now Open

The Lackawanna College Environmental Education Center now accepting registrations for the next In-Person Beginner Beekeeping Certificate beginning May 4, 2023.

The program is designed to support both new and seasoned beekeepers through an entire apiary year. Participants will learn about honey bee biology, beekeeping equipment, apiary production and environmental challenges. By the end of this course, participants will be able to manage honey bee colonies for maximum bee health and honey production. Upon successful completion of the course, students will earn a certificate in beekeeping.

Classes start May 4, 2023 and run every Thursday from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. until June 22, 2023. The cost is $250 for the certificate which includes 8 sessions. The program will be held at the Lackawanna College Environmental Education Center (LCEEC) located at 93 MacKenzie Road, Covington Township.

Dates                            

  • May 4, 2023 – History of Beekeeping
  • May 11, 2023 – Honey Bee Biology
  • May 18, 2023 – Behavioral Aspects of Honey bees
  • May 25, 2023 – Apiary Equipment and Installation
  • June 1, 2023 – Rules and Regulations
  • June 8, 2023 – Environmental Challenges
  • June 15, 2023 – Pollinators and their Benefits
  • June 22, 2023 – Hive Check and Applied Care

PennDOT District 4 Now Hiring

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation is seeking hardworking individuals for paid internships, summer maintenance, and student summer workers in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne, and Wyoming counties. If you enjoy working in an active, fast-paced environment with the potential for promotion into a permanent position, check out the various opportunities at PennDOT and apply today!

“These positions are a great opportunity for students to work where they live and have a positive impact on the transportation network.” said Jonathan Eboli, P.E., PennDOT Engineering District 4-0 Assistant District Executive of Maintenance. “Students will have the opportunity to learn more about engineering and PennDOT which may lead to interest in full-time careers with the Department after graduation.”

Engineering Internship – PennDOT – Statewide (College)

Are you looking for a paid internship?  The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) offers statewide paid internship opportunities during the summer to students in a variety of majors, predominantly in engineering, science, and technology fields; however, PennDOT does more than just road construction and snow removal. PennDOT is a customer-driven service organization responsible for the planning, design, construction, and maintenance of Pennsylvania’s multimodal transportation system.


PennDOT interns enjoy opportunities in various areas of PennDOT operations. Internship opportunities associated with this posting will be headquartered throughout PennDOT’s Engineering Districts. Although all assignments may not be offered in every location, additional examples of work and special projects may be available. View PennDOT’s District map to see where your home county lies.

You may be able to obtain academic credit through participation in PennDOT’s internship program. Ask your academic advisor if your college offers credit for paid internships.

Additionally, some internships may offer the flexibility to telework if determined operationally appropriate by the hiring organization.

PennDOT College Student Summer Worker

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation is seeking hard-working college students for employment during the summer months for the 2023 Summer Employment Program! If you enjoy working in an active, fast-paced environment while performing public service, check out this opportunity and apply today!

PennDOT Summer Employment Program (Non-Student)

https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/pabureau/jobs/3826246/penndot-summer-employment-program-non-student?pagetype=jobOpportunitiesJobs
The Commonwealth is an equal employment opportunity employer and is committed to a diverse workforce. The Commonwealth values inclusion as we seek to recruit, develop, and retain the most qualified people to serve the citizens of Pennsylvania. The Commonwealth does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious creed, ancestry, union membership, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, AIDS or HIV status, disability, or any other categories protected by applicable federal or state law. All diverse candidates are encouraged to apply.