The Pocono Raceway offers Chamber members discounted tickets to the following events:

NASCAR Cup Series on Sunday, July 23
The Great Pocono Raceway Airshow on Saturday, May 27
The Great Pocono Raceway Airshow on Sunday, May 28

Chamber members can use code SCRANTON during checkout or use this link (using the link shows prices at the discounted rate) to purchase tickets.

Johnson College is holding a Transfer Day on Wednesday, May 24, 2023, from 12 to 3 p.m. on its campus in Scranton, PA. The College is encouraging current college students that are interested in changing the direction of their education and ultimately their career path to visit its campus.

Students will meet with Enrollment, Financial Aid, Career Services, and Counseling and Disability Services representatives. In addition, staff members from the Registrar’s Office will be on-hand for transfer credit analyses and review potential schedules for the upcoming semester. Students will learn why Johnson College is the leader in hands-on education, how it exposes students to industry from day one, and how its two-year degree programs, focusing on careers in in-demand industries, have the highest return on investment in the short term. 

To attend Transfer Day at Johnson College, students must register online at https://johnson.edu/transfer/ or contact the College’s enrollment team at enroll@johnson.edu or (570) 702-8856.

The Lackawanna College Athletics Department announces the Lackawanna College Annual Golf Tournament. The 2023 tournament will be on Monday, June 5th, at Elmhurst Country Club in Moscow, PA.

The tournament starts with registration and lunch at 11:30 a.m. in the club house, followed by a 1:00 p.m. shotgun start. Hole sponsors, closest-to-the-pin contests, longest drive competitions, and more door prizes and raffles will be available for all attendees. At 6:00 p.m., dinner will be in the club house, with prizes awarded and raffle items drawn.

“Proceeds from this tournament will support the needs of our student-athletes through various athletic department programming,” Danny Berg Coordinator of Athletic Operations and Fundraising said. “It’s also a great opportunity for our supporters to see the faces of the athletics department and have a nice day golfing.”

The tournament is open to teams of four and individual golfers, starting at $200 for single golfer registration, and $800 for a team. The price includes golf, cocktails and reception at Elmhurst Country Club.

Golfers and their teams interested in participating are encouraged to visit www.lackawannafalcons.com/golftournament for registration. Parties interested in sponsoring the event can also find additional information on sponsorship packages and ways to get involved.

Misericordia University announced today that renovation and construction has begun on a 38,000 square foot state-of-the-art facilty to house its popular Occupational Therapy (OT) and Physical Therapy (PT) programs. The new education and health care space will be within a renovated section of the former Mercy Center which is immediately adjacent to campus. The university and the Sisters of Mercy recently completed discussions for a long-term lease on the property, which formerly housed a skilled nursing facility that ceased operations in 2022.

The renovated building will feature separate and specially designed space for both the occupational therapy and physical therepy programs. Among the many features, the new facility will offer observation rooms and labs, state-of-the-art lecture rooms with interactive video capibilities, a home health lab, acute care lab, student lounges and flexible study rooms, capstone centers, and faculty offices, as well as clinic spaces where students and faculty will engage the community. .

“Our occupational and physical therapy programs have a long track record of preparing excellent clinical practicioners who care deeply about their patients,” says Daniel J. Myers, Ph.D., president. “This is a very special opportunity to utilize an existing building that is essentially on our campus to enhance both programs’ physical space. We appreciate the Sisters of Mercy working so closely with us on this opportunity following their decision to change the use of that facility.”

The $8.5 million dollar renovation started on March 16 with demolition of the interior walls, ceilings and mechanical systems. OT will be on the first and second floors while PT will occupy the third floor. Work will also be done on the entrance area to establish the building as a Misericordia University entity and create appropriate and secure access to adjoining housing for Sisters of Mercy. Twenty-five Sisters of Mercy still reside in an attached residential wing of the former Mercy Center. It is expected that work will be complete by December 2023 and ready for use by students in January 2024.

“Perhaps the most distinguishing charastics of our OT and PT programs, and what makes them the region’s premier programs, are the quality of our faculty and the quality of the student-faculty interactions,” says Barbara Schwartz-Bechet, Ph.D., dean of the College of Health Science and Education. “We had adequate space before, but this upgrade will add needed space to facilitate those excellent, existing student faculty interactions as well as keep up with cutting-edge technology and the demands of delivering a premier program.”

The Misericordia University Occupational Therapy department was first accredited in 1985 by the American Occupational Therapy Association. Currently, full-time, traditional students who successfuly complete the Bachelor’s of Science in Occupational Science (OS) degree, continue into the Master’s of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) degree track or the Doctorate in Occupational Therapy (OTD) degree track. The program also offers a weekend entry-level master’s program for adult learners wishing to enter the field or occupational therapy assistants wishing to earn their master’s. A post-professional OTD program is also available for OT master’s holders looking to move to the doctoral level.

Misericordia University’s Physical Therapy Department a features a six-and-a-half year professional program resulting in a bachelor’s degree and a doctor of physical therapy (DPT) degree. Students can choose from a variety of disciplines for undergraduate study (pre-DPT). Students accepted into the pre-DPT program as freshmen are guaranteed progression into the DPT program as long as academic criteria are met; there is no need to re-apply to the graduate phase of the program.

The OT and PT programs are currently housed in the university’s Passan Hall, on lower campus at 100 Lake Street. Passan was the former Commonwealth Telephone headquarters and was repurposed in 2011 to house many of the unviersity’s health science progams, including Nursing, Speech-Language Pathology, Occupational Therapy, and Physical Therapy. The relocation of OT and PT to the former Mercy Center will afford new opportunities to utilze the space they leave behind. A campus review is underway to determine the best use of that space.

Founded in 1924 by the Sisters of Mercy, Misericordia University is Luzerne County’s oldest four-year institution. The university offers dozes of academic programs on the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels in both full- and part-time formats from the College of Health Science and Educatoin, The College of Business, and the College of Arts and Sciences. For more information about Misericordia University, please call 570-674-6400 or visit www.misericordia.edu.

Mohegan Pennsylvania has launched an Enhanced Gift Card Program, powered by eGIFTIFY. Through this program, guests will be able to order and send customizable digital and traditional gift cards that can be used for shopping, dining, entertainment, the hotel at Mohegan Pennsylvania and the spa.

“We are very excited about this partnership with eGIFTIFY, and to be the first gaming destination in Northeast Pennsylvania to offer digital gift cards to our guests,” said Tony Carlucci, President & GM of Mohegan Pennsylvania. “This innovative way of sending gift cards to friends and family is not only convenient, but it’s timely and secure.”

Digital gift cards can be purchased directly at moheganpa.com/giftcards and can be sent to recipients via email, SMS, Facebook or by printing a copy of the order. Traditional gift cards are also available for purchase via the Enhanced Gift Card Program and can be shipped to recipients. Gift cards cannot be used towards gaming and cannot be purchased with Momentum Dollars.

Offering the right mix of benefits to employees is a daunting task for almost any company.  Yet most business owners understand the importance and value a strong employee benefit portfolio has on their company’s growth and overall success.  But choosing the best benefits is only part of the story.  Choosing the right insurance carriers to provide those benefits is not only the other part of the story, but an often undervalued aspect as well.

When evaluating different carriers for benefit plans, there are several things employers should consider prior to making a decision.  While working with a benefits broker or consultant will greatly simplify this process, it is ultimately up to the business owner to assure the carrier selection is the best fit for their company.  Here are a few points to consider:

Carrier Credentials…In addition to checking that carriers are licensed to do business in any state(s) with client locations, decision makers should also seek assurance that the carrier is financially sound and meets all state requirements such as those involving required premium reserve levels. 

Diversity of Products and Services…Most companies today, especially those with more than a few employees, tend to offer multiples plan options for their employees to choose from.  The right carrier should have a wide portfolio of plans available for any group.  Which of those plans should be in the company benefit package?  That should be based on the specific demographics of each business, the health care needs of that population and the company budget.

Provider Networks…Prior to including a plan in the company’s benefit portfolio, the decision maker should be assured that employees and their families will be comfortable choosing from the physicians and hospitals within the provider’s network.

Cost Competitiveness…This is obvious, but with all other factors being equal, the plan premiums for both the company and it’s employees are a major factor in any decision to choose or bypass a carrier.

Level of Technology…Online access to health information, digital tools and monitoring and other technology can assist in the management of health issues, taking stress away from employees seeking enhanced well-being and providing employers utilization based savings in the process.

Customer Service Experience…Research the level of personalized customer service that the provider offers members.  Especially in smaller businesses, where there are fewer if any human resource personnel for employees to turn to for help with claim issues, a friendly, responsive and effective call center can make or break the employee experience.

The The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce offers its members access to My Benefit Advisor as a solution for employee benefits, including voluntary offerings. For more information about My Benefit Advisor, visit our website at gscc.mybenefitadvisor.com or contact Dawn Card at (800) 377-3539.

Pennsylvania American Water announced today that 14 watershed-related projects across the Commonwealth will receive financial support through the company’s annual Environmental Grant Program. The recipients will receive a share of grant funds totaling more than $75,000 for their community-based projects that improve, restore, or protect watersheds.

A panel of judges selected the grant recipients from 50 applications, which were evaluated on environmental need, innovation, community engagement and sustainability.

“Each year, we are so impressed by the commitment of organizations in our communities to restore and protect our watersheds,” said Justin Ladner, president of Pennsylvania American Water. “It is inspiring to see so many opportunities to bring our diverse communities together to work toward creating a better environment, and we are very proud to support these worthy projects.”

The 2023 grant recipients are:

Allegheny Cleanways, Allegheny County – Monongahela River Cleanup Series
With the funding, community volunteers will conduct cleanups of riverbanks along the Monongahela River from Donora to Point State Park.

Annville Free Library, Lebanon County – Annville Free Library Rain Garden
Funding will support an educational rain garden to help manage runoff and educate the public on the benefits of rain gardens.

Borough of Camp Hill, Cumberland County – Clock Courtyard Pollinator Garden
Partnering with local watershed groups, the borough will plant a pollinator garden with native plants and shrubs, educating the public on gardening with native plants and preserving pollinators.

Borough of Steelton, Dauphin County – Watershed Education Programming and Clairton Community Garden Improvements
With the grant, the borough plans to construct several rain gardens and community food gardens to reduce stormwater runoff and address limited access to affordable and healthy food.

Coatesville Youth Initiative, Chester County – Camp Quiet Thunder
Coatesville Youth Initiative will hold a summer camp for underserved youth to learn about their watershed while developing critical life and leadership skills. The campers will also hold a watershed cleanup and install rain gardens in Coatesville.

Foundation for Ohio River Education (FORE) – Ohio River Sweep 2023
Funding will support the annual volunteer cleanup along the Ohio, Allegheny, and Monongahela Rivers.

Indiana County Conservation District – First Waves Indiana
First Waves Indiana plans to engage underserved youth in meaningful outdoor experiences, including tree planting, stream biology, paddleboarding, and fly fishing, with a resulting video of the program.

Lower Allen Township, Cumberland County – Pollinator Garden Installation and Turf Grass Conversion
With the grant, the township will convert two community areas from turf grass to native pollinator meadows to promote reduction of non-point source pollution runoff to Yellow Breeches Creek and Cedar Run.

Marywood University, Lackawanna County – Environmental Stewardship Camp
Funding will support a camp for students ages 10-14 in the Scranton School District, exposing students to water quality topics while exploring the Lackawanna River.

Pennsbury School District, Bucks County – Rain Garden & Outdoor Educational Classroom
The grant will fund the construction of a rain garden in the courtyard of the William Penn Middle School. Students will learn about stormwater and watershed management, as well as pollinators.

Pike County Conservation District – Pike County Guide to Clean Drinking WaterThe grant will support the development of an educational brochure and web page educating the public on local drinking water sources and how to protect those sources from non-point source pollution from their properties.

Stroud Water Research Center, Chester County – Providing Meaningful and Accessible Watershed Education to Underserved Audiences
Stroud Water will utilize its Watershed Education Mobile Lab to visit schools, communities, and summer camps to provide watershed education and skills for watershed protection.

Three Rivers Waterkeeper, Allegheny County – Community-Based Water Stewardship
The project will expand watershed and source water protection along the Monongahela River, as well as train community stewards to detect and report pollution along the waterways.

Watersheds of South Pittsburgh, Allegheny County – Watershed Education Programming and Clairton Community Garden Improvements
The organization plans to revitalize a community garden and conduct watershed educational workshops to highlight the importance of land use and green space on water quality.

Pennsylvania American Water initiated its Environmental Grant Program in 2005 to support projects that protect or restore drinking water sources and surrounding watersheds. Since then, American Water has expanded the annual program to many of its state subsidiaries across the nation. To date, Pennsylvania American Water has donated more than $725,000 to fund nearly 150 projects.

The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders are partnering with MyTV WQMY once again to broadcast seven games in 2023 on local television in NEPA. The RailRiders are thrilled to continue their partnership with MyTV WQMY and return to the airwaves this Saturday.

In addition to rivals like Buffalo, Lehigh Valley, Rochester and Worcester, games against the Omaha Storm Chasers (Kansas City Royals affiliate) and Norfolk Tides (Baltimore Orioles) will be televised. Omaha has not played in Moosic since the 1990 season, while Norfolk returns to PNC Field for the second straight season and currently boasts one of the top teams in Triple-A.

Adam Marco, the “Voice of the RailRiders,” will call the action alongside DJ Eberle. Airtime is slated for five minutes prior to first pitch.

RailRiders 2023 MyTV WQMY Broadcast Schedule

Thursday, 6/08 vs Norfolk- 6:35 first pitch
Tuesday, 6/20 vs Buffalo- 6:35 first pitch
Thursday, 7/06 vs Lehigh Valley- 6:35 first pitch
Thursday, 7/20 vs Worcester- 6:35 first pitch
Thursday, 8/03 vs Rochester- 6:35 first pitch
Thursday, 8/24 vs Lehigh Valley- 6:35 first pitch

For more information, visit www.swbrailriders.com.