Scranton Cultural Center Receives Grant from SACF The Scranton Cultural Center at the Masonic Temple received a $5,000 Critical Needs Grant from the Scranton Area Community Foundation to assist with restroom upgrades. The Scranton Cultural Center houses 26 restrooms, eight of which were in great need of repair and refurbishment. To safely and efficiently serve the community, corrective measures were needed to ensure that bathrooms are accessible, safe and clean to both the public and the organization’s staff. Hosting hundreds of events per year and approximately 80,000 visitors, the SCCMT is highly utilized. The continued success of the SCCMT and its services depends heavily on the ongoing preservation and modernization of the building. That, along with challenges presented by COVID-19, it was vital to undertake hygiene upgrades for the protection of the public and staff.
Treasurer Garrity Announces Auction of Unclaimed Property Treasurer Stacy Garrity today announced that the next online auction of unclaimed property items from Treasury’s vault will take place tomorrow, October 26, and Friday, October 28. This auction includes fine jewelry, coins, currency and more. “This is a unique opportunity to highlight our unclaimed property program and get more people interested in finding what is theirs,” Garrity said. “We work diligently to locate the rightful owners of every piece of property that comes into our vault – and I encourage everyone to search for themselves at patreasury.gov/unclaimed-property. But, even though we have the largest working vault in the United States, there is limited space. So, from time to time, we have to auction some of the physical items we receive.” Pook & Pook, Inc., of Downingtown handles item appraisal and auctioneer services. Auction items can be previewed at pookandpook.com, which is also where interested bidders can register. More than 3,900 items from Treasury’s vault will be on the auction block over the two days, including: Multiple 1 ozt. fine gold South African Krugerrands;A Liberty Eagle 1 ozt. gold coin;Three U.S. $500 notes featuring President William McKinley;A 14K gold, diamond, and gemstone bracelet;A 10K gold necklace with a 14K University of North Carolina diamond-studded pendant;An Omega 18K gold wristwatch; andA custom Breitling stainless steel and black diamond wristwatch. Some items will be combined into Treasury-only lots. Items from other consignors will also be featured in the auctions but are never comingled with Treasury items. Items are kept in Treasury’s vault for at least three years before they head to auction. Those sold at auction are carefully tracked and documented. Treasury updates its unclaimed property records to reflect the proceeds from an item’s sale, so if a rightful owner one day comes forward the proceeds of the sale are available for them to claim. Treasury employees and immediate family members are prohibited from bidding in the auctions. Unclaimed property comes to Treasury in accordance with state law. Tangible property, like the items being auctioned, most often comes from abandoned safe deposit boxes, with other items coming from college dorms, nursing homes, or police evidence rooms. Unclaimed property also includes balances of forgotten bank accounts, uncashed checks, stocks, insurance policies and more. About one in ten Pennsylvanians is owed some of the more than $4 billion in unclaimed property being safeguarded by Treasury. The average value of a claim is $1,500.
Marywood University Presents “The Magic Flute” Marywood University’s Department of Music, Theatre, and Dance is collaborating with the School of Architecture in creating a full-scale production of Mozart’s The Magic Flute. The production marks only the second time in Marywood’s history that its students will perform a complete opera with orchestra. The stage director for The Magic Flute is A. Scott Parry, who is on the faculties of Manhattan School of Music and New York University and has directed productions at professional opera companies across the country, including New York City Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, Michigan Opera Theatre, Dallas Opera, Chicago Opera Theatre, Indianapolis Opera, and Pittsburgh Opera. The Music Director and Conductor is Rick Hoffenberg, D.M.A., co-chair of Marywood’s Department of Music, Theatre, and Dance. Marywood’s production of The Magic Flute is made possible in part by a grant from the Community Events Fund of the Scranton Area Community Foundation, which supports non-profit organizations hosting community events which add value to the overall community and enrich the lives of those in our area. Performances are free and open to the public and will be held in the Munley Theatre of the Sette LaVerghetta Center for Performing Arts on Saturday, November 12, at 7 p.m., and on Sunday, November 13, at 2 p.m. Additionally, there will be a compressed version of the opera performed for local middle school and high school students on Thursday, November 10, at 10 a.m.
Marywood University Ranks as Best Value Among Northeast PA Colleges Marywood University continues to offer the “Best Value” among Northeast Pennsylvania Universities, according to the 2022-2023 U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges ranking. Marywood also remains the highest ranked of only two local institutions included in U.S. News “Best Colleges for Veterans” category, along with repeating and advancing its strong showing in the “Top Performers in Social Media” category. Moving up two places from last year to #23 of the regional universities (North) ranked for “Best Value,” Marywood continues to demonstrate its affordability as the highest ranked of the three local four-year private colleges included in this category. According to U.S. News, the “Best Value” ranking considers a school’s academic quality. The higher the quality of the program and the lower the cost, the better the deal. Only schools ranked in or near the top half of their categories are included, because U.S. News considers the most significant values to be among colleges that are above average academically. At #44, Marywood was the highest ranked of only two local universities on the “Best Colleges for Veterans” (Regional Universities North). According to U.S. News, these are the top-ranked schools in the 2023 Best Colleges rankings that participate in federal initiatives helping veterans and active-duty service members pay for their degrees. Marywood University ranked #48 overall on the “Best Regional Universities North” list, which includes institutions from 11 states, and continued to exhibit its strong digital presence in the “Top Performers in Social Media” category, advancing to #59, up 13 places from last year’s rankings.
Geisinger College of Health Sciences Launched Opening a Geisinger blue umbrella and holding it aloft, newly installed president and dean, Julie Byerley, M.D., MPH, announced the formation of Geisinger College of Health Sciences. The college will serve as the “umbrella” institution uniting Geisinger’s School of Medicine, School of Nursing and School of Graduate Education under a single entity. In addition, the new entity will oversee the expansion of the Geisinger School of Nursing from a diploma-granting to a degree-granting institution that will bestow an associate degree in nursing. The new organizational structure also paves the way for future health professions programs needed to serve our region. “Geisinger Commonwealth Day is a celebration we created to honor our past and embrace our future,” Dr. Byerley said. “There was no better forum than a setting uniting our founders, our community and our health system leadership to celebrate this next step in the life of local medical and health education.” “The evolution of our current nursing program has been a goal for some time, and we’re thrilled to see it come to life — especially now, when nurses are needed most,” said Janet Tomcavage, executive vice president and chief nursing executive at Geisinger. “This step forward will help even more individuals begin a rewarding career in nursing.” Dr. Byerley noted that Geisinger Commonwealth remains the name of the School of Medicine — and the school’s commitment to its founding mission hasn’t changed. “Our school will remain focused on serving our community, providing opportunity and advancement for local learners and leveraging the discoveries of our research team to improve health and well-being.” The new structure, Dr. Byerley said, will create more synergy and opportunities for interprofessional learning experiences and greater collaboration with Geisinger’s Research Institute. “It’s a win for our learners and our scientists,” she said. “Our community will reap the benefits of our integrated, cooperative approach to educating the healthcare teams of the future.”
Staples Recycling Customers will get $5 back via Store Bonus when they recycle or shred in store, up to once a month. From PCs and printers to camcorders and coffee brewers (and more), we’ll take your old tech — completely free.
PennDOT Invites Businesses To Prepare for Nevi Grant Program The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) today announced that resources are now available to help businesses and organizations to prepare in advance of the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Notice of Funding Opportunity announcement, which is anticipated for late December/early January. As part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), PennDOT will receive and distribute $171.5 million in formula funds for electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure over the next five years. The NEVI funding available for the first federal fiscal year is $25.4 million. NEVI grants will require the grantee to provide a minimum 20% match. “The NEVI program will help Pennsylvania build out its EV charging infrastructure,” said PennDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian. “As this is a new program for Pennsylvania and the nation at large, we want to give our partners and businesses as much opportunity as possible to prepare for application submission to support our efforts of transparency and equity.” The NEVI grant funding supports the commonwealth and federal goal of expanding EV charging along the previously designated Alternative Fuel Corridors (AFCs) (list) and Interstate lookalikes. Pennsylvania has over 1,800 miles of AFCs. Per the guidance from U.S. DOT, NEVI formula funds must first be used to “build out” designated AFCs (no more than 50 miles between stations and less than 1 mile from an exit) and meet U.S. DOT minimum standards and requirements. The NEVI Grant pre-announcement resources include information about applicant eligibility, eligible projects, and eligible and ineligible costs. In addition, PennDOT has created an interactive map identifying existing AFC-qualifying stations and has grouped interchanges based on priority through a gap analysis. An outline of the potential scoring criteria is also included listed in order of priority. Interested businesses and organizations are encouraged to review the ‘How to Get Ready’ section on PennDOT’s website for recommendations on how to prepare for the upcoming grant opening. PennDOT will host an informational webinar about the 2022 NEVI Grant Program on Tuesday, November 1, 2022, from 10 AM to noon. This webinar is intended for all audiences interested in applying for PennDOT NEVI grant program funds. This webinar will provide an overview of the PennDOT NEVI grant program, as well as information on eligibility, types of projects funded, how to apply, eligible and non-eligible costs, and application best practices. In addition, NEVI stakeholder sessions are being held around the state. These sessions will include a presentation portion, followed by an opportunity to network, and expand professional connections and partnerships. Interested parties can register for a session of interest on PennDOT’s “Learn About NEVI” webpage. To enhance traveler information for the growing number of EV drivers, the state’s traveler information system – 511PA – now also includes EV charging station locations as an option on its traffic map. Using data from the U.S. Department of Energy, the map shows locations across the state by connector type, including CCS, J1772, CHAdeMO, Tesla, and NEMA.
COLTS Advertising Did You Know You Can Advertise with COLTS? There’s no better way to showcase your services and products than through public transit advertising. COLTS buses and vans are literally moving billboards!! Advertising with COLTS is a great way to reach your customers and clients because your ads will have thousands of views each day. COLTS has opportunities for advertising on both the interior and exterior of our buses and vans, and on our bus shelters. Contact Gretchen Wintermantel at gwintermantel@coltsbus.com or (570) 346-2061, ext. 1217, to get started!
Mohegan Sun Arena Keith Urban’s Tour Keith Urban’s “THE SPEED OF NOW WORLD TOUR” shifted into overdrive today, with news that Tyler Hubbard, lead singer of the multi-platinum-selling, record-breaking duo Florida Georgia Line, will join Urban’s fall lineup, that already includes 3x GRAMMY® nominee Ingrid Andress. Urban, whose shows are a legendary combination of freneticism and unpredictability debuts his new lineup, a musically explosive trifecta on September 3rd at The Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, CA. The tour will hit Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza in Wilkes-Barre, PA on Thursday, October 20th. Tickets are on sale now at Ticketmaster or in person at the NBT Bank Box Office at Mohegan Sun Arena. “THE SPEED OF NOW WORLD TOUR,” which brought Urban back to the road late last month after nearly four years, continues through the summer with Andress, before taking on Hubbard for more than two-dozen shows to run through November. For information on where to get tickets go to www.keithurban.com. Urban’s shows feature many of his 24 No. 1 hits, some not played in years, as well as new songs never performed live. In addition, Urban’s set list includes his latest single “Brown Eyes Baby,” as well as songs reworked specifically for “THE SPEED OF NOW WORLD TOUR.” “I’m psyched that my brutha Tyler Hubbard is gonna come out and join Ingrid (Andress) and me on the fall leg of my “SPEED OF NOW WORLD TOUR,” said Urban. “…it’s like some Ocean’s 11 sh#t, and it’s gonna be a BLAST!!!!!” Hubbard brings to the tour his trademark high-energy performance style, as well as songs from an upcoming new album. The project’s first single, “5 Foot 9,” has over 40M global streams and is quickly moving up the charts. The second track from the project, “35’s” has over 1M global streams and his next song, “Way Home,” will be released July 15. “I’ve been writing and recording a lot of new music for my first solo album, songs that are made to be played live,” says Hubbard. “I am so excited to be joining Keith (Urban) on his fall tour and can’t wait to play them for the first time for fans across the country.” Critics from around the globe have hailed Urban’s concerts as ones “not to be missed,” as unpredictable as they are explosive. Combine his infectious showmanship, virtuoso guitar playing, effortless spontaneity with a fist-pumping, arena-ready arsenal of hits and “THE SPEED OF NOW WORLD” TOUR promises to be one of the concert event of the summer. “THE SPEED OF NOW WORLD TOUR” September 3 Mountain View Shoreline Amphitheatre September 8 Phoenix Footprint Center September 9 San Diego North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre September 10 Los Angeles The Kia Forum September 15 Salt Lake City USANA Amphitheatre September 16 Denver Ball Arena September 17 Wichita INTRUST Bank Arena September 22 Grand Rapids Van Andel Arena September 23 Columbus Nationwide Arena September 29 Kansas City T-Mobile Center September 30 Oklahoma City Paycom Center October 1 Ft. Worth Dickies Arena October 6 Lexington Rupp Arena October 7 Nashville Bridgestone Arena October 8 Atlanta State Farm Arena October 13 Savannah Enmarket Arena October 14 Knoxville Thompson Boling Arena October 15 Charleston Charleston Coliseum October 20 Wilkes-Barre Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza October 21 Uncasville Mohegan Sun Arena October 22 Belmont Park UBS Arena at Belmont Park November 4 Peoria Peoria Civic Center
