Tobyhanna Army Depot Single Shelter Switch Tobyhanna Army Depot (TYAD) can add the Single Shelter Switch (SSS) to its list of ever-growing workloads. Part of the Tactical Network Transport – At The Halt (TNT-ATH) system group, the SSS is a shelter system that provides robust voice, video, and data communications for global data exchange from anywhere on the planet between various United States Military Units, as well as other friendly coalition forces. Tobyhanna provides diverse support for this system including overhauls, minor resets and repairs. The SSS is very similar to another TYAD workload, the AN/TTC-59 Joint Network Node (JNN). Once upon a time, the Army used these two systems for different purposes. The SSS was used more for phone communications and the JNN for network communications. As time passed and technology evolved, the SSS has grown to also feature network communication capabilities. The SSS workload was acquired based on TYAD’s proven ability to adapt to network and information technology (IT) heavy related systems. Although the internal components of the SSS are now very similar to that of a JNN, TYAD employees would not have ever developed an understanding of how to maintain a SSS without its counterpart. IT Specialist Dan Harnden said he believes IT and network heavy workloads will be prominent at TYAD in the future, so this is a positive sign for the kinds of work depot employees can successfully handle. “Doing successful work on these systems is a sign of how TYAD is adapting to the needs of the United States Army,” said Harnden. “Gaining this knowledge really opens up our possibilities here at the depot.” C4 & Logistics Engineering Division Chief Chester Tracewski and Division Operations Manager Anthony Brandi agreed, saying they believe Tobyhanna has the capability to support the many customer needs. “Tobyhanna’s full-scale support of satellite communications systems provides our diverse customer base with a ‘one-stop shop’ for their readiness needs.” The Network Integration Technology Enhancement (NITE) modernization effort refreshes the Army’s widely fielded TNT-ATH equipment, which is reaching end of life. TYAD engineers have regularly assisted CECOM engineers to locate suitable replacement parts no longer available, as well as added insight for ways to achieve smaller tactical footprints of the equipment for future developments.
NRCI Spirit of Hope Celebration Finalize Event Details The Board of Ambassadors met last week at Montage Mountain to finalize plans for the upcoming Spirit of Hope Celebration set for Friday, November 11, 2022, at Mohegan Sun Pocono. The 2022 Spirit of Hope Tribute to Courage Honoree is Bob Durkin, President of the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce. The Board of Ambassadors is a group of individuals and business leaders in northeast Pennsylvania whose purpose is to raise funds and promote a gala event in support of cancer screening awareness throughout the region.
Commonwealth Health and Jersey College Open Nursing Program To train additional caring and skilled nurses, Jersey College and Commonwealth Health have collaborated to establish a School of Nursing on Moses Taylor Hospital’s campus, serving the greater Scranton region. The Jersey College Hospital-Based Professional Nursing Program at Moses Taylor Hospital is a six-semester program, culminating in an Associate Degree in nursing, providing its graduates with opportunities to become a registered nurse. Inaugural classes begin in January and students can enroll now. “Jersey College and Commonwealth Health have worked together for many months to develop a unique nursing education experience,” said Greg Karzhevsky, Chancellor of Jersey College. “From our initial meetings, the Commonwealth Health leadership teams have shared our vision for this collaborative model of educating future nurses to care for patients in Northeastern Pennsylvania.” With more than 12,000 square feet of classroom and office space, the Scranton program combines the teaching experience of a college and the clinical expertise of a hospital. This hospital‐based track offers students the ability to learn the art and science of nursing from within a hospital setting. Students are able to experience a seamless transition from classroom theory to clinical application. “The need for nurses in this market and across the country has been high for some time and is expected to continue,” says Todd Burda, CNO of Moses Taylor Hospital and Regional Hospital of Scranton. “Among other factors driving need, nurses have many employment options. We believe that engaging with well-educated students to share the values, philosophies and practices of Commonwealth Health hospitals will help us care for our communities into the future.”
Keystone College Establishes VST Headquarters Keystone College is going above and beyond in its efforts to serve our nation’s veterans. The college is now the East Coast headquarters for Veterans Stand Together (VST), a national non-profit organization dedicated to providing a wide-range of critical services to people who have served our nation so well. VST will maintain a presence at Keystone’s Veterans Center in Alumni Hall on campus and plans to extend its outreach to the Northeastern Pennsylvania community. Based in Torrance, Cal., VST serves as a type of clearinghouse to help veterans obtain important services as they adjust to life outside of the military. “Military veterans have so many needs as they transition to civilian life but sometimes they don’t know where to turn to get answers to their questions,” said VST Chief Academic Officer Mark Treston, a 1993 Keystone College graduate. “Those needs are varied and are often unique to each individual. They could involve medical or psychological assistance, career training, educational advice, or a combination of all those and more. Our goal is to talk to each person and find out exactly what they are seeking, put them in contact with the right groups or organizations, and then work with them to see that their specific situation is addressed.” VST was created in 2020 at the height of COVID-19 pandemic by Mr. Treston, a veteran of the Israeli military, and the organization’s Executive Director George Casillas, a U.S. Marine veteran. Both men operate a security firm in California and have employees who are veterans. “We noticed several of them needed assistance in some way but really didn’t know where to go or who to speak with. Being former military members, George and I tried to provide our assistance and put them in contact with people or organizations that could help,” Mr. Treston said. “That’s how we began and we’ve continued to expand our outreach in the past couple of years.” Now, the affiliation with his alma mater will enable VST to expand its presence even further. “As a Keystone alumnus, I’m so thrilled to begin operations on campus. Keystone has a long and proud history of service to veterans dating back over 150 years,” Mr. Treston said. “We’re so proud to help veterans and their family members at Keystone and across the nation, anywhere and anytime we can. That’s our mission.” For more information on Veterans Stand Together, visit www.usavest.org. Members of the Keystone community may contact Veterans Outreach Coordinator Daron J. Hogan, SSgt/USMC Ret. at daron.hogan@keystone.edu. Founded in 1868, with a commitment to providing an education to Civil War veterans and their families, Keystone is home to the Elmer Hawk ’48 Veterans Center. The Veterans Center offers a comfortable and convenient meeting place for this special group of Keystone students who have given so much to their country. Students can meet with each other, complete their school assignments, or simply relax, read, visit with friends and family members, or watch television while waiting for their next class. Keystone was recently listed as one of a select group of colleges that is “Best for Vets” by Military Times Magazine, a national publication which serves veterans and active military members. In previous years, Keystone has also been listed as a top school for veterans by other national military and veterans publications. Recognized as one of the best educational values in Northeastern Pennsylvania, Keystone offers more than 50 undergraduate and graduate degree options in liberal arts and science-based programs in business, communications, education, natural science, environmental science, and social sciences. Located 15 minutes from Scranton, Pa. and two hours from New York City and Philadelphia, Keystone is known for small class sizes and individual attention focused on student success through internships, research, and community involvement.
Crystal Windows Opens New Branch Office Award-winning manufacturer Crystal Window & Door Systems is moving its national expansion plans forward with a new branch office in Dallas, TX. Located near major highways at 454 West Mockingbird Lane in the West Dallas neighborhood of the city, the facility will include a sales showroom, warehouse space, and administrative offices. At over 5,600 sq. ft., this will be the largest of Crystal’s branch sales and distribution centers independent of a production facility. “In recent years, Crystal has supplied several projects in the region and with the Texas construction market booming, it makes sense for us to establish a presence here,” said Frank Ganninger, Central West Regional Manager. “This will allow Crystal to further develop relationships with the design and construction professionals here.” The Dallas branch office is undergoing renovation and fit-out and will be operational early next year.
Mohegan Pennsylvania Events Mohegan Pennsylvania Forever Motown Holiday Celebration Forever Motown will perform a holiday celebration inside Mohegan Pennsylvania’s Keystone Grand Ballroom on Sunday, December 4th at 4:00pm. This Friday at 10:00am, tickets for this all ages show will go on sale, starting at $25 via Ticketmaster.com. Tickets that are purchased at the Mohegan Sun Pocono Box Office, located at the Hotel Front Desk, will receive a complimentary voucher for $10 Free Slot Play! Experience Forever Motown with some holiday flare on one stage for one night at Mohegan Sun Pocono! A legendary collection of performers including G.C. Cameron, original lead singer of The Spinners, Glenn Leonard, former lead singer of The Temptations, and former members of The Marvelettes headline this trip down Motown memory lane. The group of nine all-star performers will bring all the soul to the Keystone Grand Ballroom for a full stage production that can’t be missed! To learn more about this show and to purchase tickets, visit mohegansunpocono.com Mohegan Pennsylvania to feature Halloween Costume Showdown Guests are in for a treat when a new Halloween bash hits Mohegan Pennsylvania on Saturday, October 29th from 8:00pm – 10:00pm inside The Hive Taphouse. The Haunt at the Hive will have its own Halloween costume party set to award cash prizes for the best costumes in different categories. The Haunt in the Hive will also feature the popular band, Screaming Broccolli, on the music stage. For entry into the costume party, guests must be 21+ and register on the Sky Bridge outside of The Hive Taphouse during the event. Contest winners will be announced at 11:00pm. There will be three categories; Scariest, Most Original and new this year, Best Couple or Group costume! The top prize for each category will check in at $300 in cash. From there, 2nd and 3rd place in each category will be awarded $200 and $100 respectively. It’s time for the most enthusiastic Halloween partiers in northeast PA to bring their A-game! The Haunt in the Hive will also feature a drink special, The Zombie – made with Vodka, Midori Lime, Blue Curacao and RumChata. In addition to a killer costume contest, the rockers by way of Staten Island, NY, Screaming Broccolli, will be on-hand providing live entertainment. Led by long-time front man Michael Laughlin, Screaming Broccolli has played across the northeast and east coast, and was named by SiLive.com “Best of Staten Island” for being the region’s best cover band. The band is known for having an incredible song catalog, playing everything from ‘The Chain Gang’ to The Chainsmokers. Visit facebook.com/screamingbroccolli for more info.
FNCB Donates to Lake Lehman School District FNCB Bank, locally based since 1910, is pleased to announce their latest project supporting the community with the donation of two multi-sport scoreboards at the brand-new Lake Lehman School District athletic fields. The new scoreboards can be used for baseball, softball, soccer, lacrosse and field hockey. “The new athletic fields are a great asset to the Lake Lehman school district and community,” said Jerry Champi, FNCB Bank President and CEO. “The multi-sport scoreboards will not only benefit the Lake Lehman student athletes but will also help the district attract regional tournaments and tourism dollars to our area.” The scoreboard donations represent part of FNCB’s larger Community Caring initiative. Through outreach programs, donations and an employee volunteer network, FNCB is committed to helping the communities they serve.
PennState Scranton Offers Free Course Environmental Science (3 credit course BISC 003) In this course, we will explore the root causes of today’s environmental crisis and, in so doing, consider scientific, technological, sociological, psychological, and personal responses to what is, arguable, the most significant crisis in the history of our species. If you commit to fully engaging with this course, you can expect to:(1) Discover how questions can be powerful catalysts for learning; (2) Grow in your ability to see both yourself and Planet Earth from new and liberating perspectives; (3) Appreciate the power of critical thinking and personal reflection as a means to both personal and global transformation; and (4) Realize that you, should you choose, can play a significant role in the healing of our world. (Plans are to have at least one meeting be a field trip). This course is held on Tuesday evenings 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm on the Penn State Scranton campus from 1/17/2023 to 5/2/2023 plus an online component. Full Scholarships are available through the generosity of the DeNaples Family and the Keystone Sanitary Landfill Contact our Center for Business Development and Community Outreach for more information: scrantonoutreach@psu.edu or 570-963-2600
Johnson College Innovation and Creation Stem Program Scranton Intermediate and NativityMiguel School of Scranton students from Johnson College’s Innovation and Creation STEM afterschool programming joined a national celebration of afterschool programs called Lights On Afterschool on October 20, 2022. The sixth through eighth-grade students showed their support of the National Afterschool Alliance’s Lights On Afterschool event by participating in challenges that used littleBits electrical circuits to illuminate their projects. The first set of students used the littleBits to demonstrate Morse Code through lights. The second set of students participated in an architectural design and drafting challenge using Legos and littlBits circuitry to create structures that incorporated a lighting component. The projects encouraged them to communicate with each other while expanding their knowledge in both STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) and history. Through Johnson College’s Innovation and Creation STEM program, students are exposed to careers and fields they might not have previously known about. They are given the opportunity to engage in STEM-related learning in a way that promotes innovation, creation, problem-solving, and many other essential skills. Students complete projects using a variety of modern robotic, electronic, and engineering equipment that is provided to them by the College. Additionally, students learn about the steps they can take to expand their STEM education, including Johnson College’s Dual Enrollment and Industry Fast Track programs. Through these programs, students are eligible to earn college credits while they are attending high school. To learn more about Johnson College’s Innovation and Creation STEM programming, contact Tim Frank at (570) 702-8963 or tfrank@johnson.edu.
