Made Famous by The Office, Pennsylvania Paper & Supply celebrates its 100th Anniversary Company’s iconic red brick tower is the opening shot of The Office intro Every episode of The Office opens with the red brick tower of Pennsylvania Paper & Supply (PPS), a Scranton institution and family business celebrating its 100th anniversary on Friday, May 20, with a ribbon‐cutting ceremony to symbolize the opening of a new century of serving its customers.“My grandfather Jacob Fink and my dad Jerry Fink would be proud to see how much their company has grown over the last 100 years and surprised to learn that our building is a landmark known around the world,” said Douglas Fink, Pennsylvania Paper & Supply President. “A young John Krasinski took that opening shot of our tower in 2004 when he was doing research for The Office and for his role as Jim Halpert in the fictional paper company Dunder Mifflin.” “Almost two decades later, fans from around the world still show up daily looking for the real Dunder Mifflin, but we’re not the colorful oddballs of The Office; we’re a team of 300 professionals steeped in 100 years of history,” he added. The PPS story began in 1922 when Jacob Fink opened a business selling paper bags to Scranton’s grocers. Built on his core principles of listening to the customers, filling their needs, and doing it better than anyone else, PPS expanded its product line beyond paper to include janitorial and sanitation supplies. It also broadened its territory beyond eastern Pennsylvania into New York and New Jersey and now services everywhere in the country through e‐commerce. Matching the longevity of the company is the loyalty of its clients, some of which have been customers since the firm’s earliest days. As the company grew it moved several times before opening its Scranton Showroom & Warehouse under the iconic tower almost 55 years ago, a fitting site for its 100th anniversary celebration and ribbon‐cutting. “Since our founding, Pennsylvania Paper & Supply has strived to uphold our core values set by my grandfather Jacob—to serve our community, employees, and marketplace with excellence. We look forward to building on this legacy as a way forward for the next one hundred years,” said Fink.
Greater Scranton YMCA kicks Off Summer with Annual Healthy Kids Day The Greater Scranton YMCA is hosting the Y’s annual Healthy Kids Day® this Saturday, May 21st, encouraging families to take a moment to help kids be kids and set them up for a summer of success. Sponsored by Howard Johnson® by Wyndham, the day-long event will feature activities such as a petting zoo, rides, healthy cooking demonstrations, arts and crafts, a kid’s fun run and more to motivate and teach families how to develop and maintain healthy routines at home. “At the Y, we believe in the potential of all children and each day we work to help kids find that potential within themselves,” said Trish Fisher, President & CEO, Greater Scranton YMCA. “Healthy Kids Day is a fun, free community-wide event to kick off summer and remind us all how important it is for kids to stay active physically and mentally throughout the summer.” Celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2022, Healthy Kids Day is the Y’s national initiative to improve health and well-being for kids and families. The Y hopes to use the day to get more kids moving and learning, creating healthy habits they can continue while they’re away from the classroom. When kids are out of school, they can face hurdles that prevent them from reaching their full potential. Research shows that without access to out-of-school learning activities, kids fall behind academically. Kids also gain weight twice as fast during summer than during the school year. With all that’s going on in the world right now, Healthy Kids Day is a reminder to families that we can help ensure all children have access to what they need to reach their full potential, even during out-of-school time. Keeping Kids Healthy All Summer LongIn celebration of YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day, the Y offers the following tips to help families develop healthy habits this summer that can have a lifetime effect: High Five the Fruits and Veggies – Make sure kids get at least five servings of fruits and veggies each day, the minimum number nutritionists recommend for healthy childhood development. And to keep kids’ taste buds evolving, have everyone in the family try at least one bite of a new fruit or vegetable at least once a month. Read Together – The summer is a great time to enjoy books with summer program participants—and 30 minutes a day goes a long way! Take trips to the local library or create a family reading challenge to see who can log the most minutes of reading. Encourage youth to create their own stories as well. Get Moving! – Activities that require movement also help kids flex their mental muscle. Use materials in unique ways: ask youth to build models, manipulate tools or develop their own theatrical scenes. Play Together – Play may be the best way to prevent childhood obesity. By putting more play into your family’s day, you will soon find yourself getting the activity that will have your family feeling energized and strong. Make Sleep a Priority – Doctors recommend 10-12 hours of sleep a day for children ages 5-12 and 7-8 hours per night for adults. Sleep plays a critical role in maintaining our healthy immune system, metabolism, mood, memory, and learning. The Greater Scranton YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day will take place at the Y’s facility, located at 706 N. Blakely Street, Dunmore, from 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. The Kids Fun Run (pre-registration not required) will begin with the 3-5-year-old race from 10:30-10:40 a.m. followed by ages 6-9 from 10:45-10:55 a.m. and the 10-14-year-old race from 11:00-11:10 a.m. Additional features of the day include a petting zoo, rides, vendor fair, face painting, healthy cooking demonstrations and more.Locally, Healthy Kids Day is sponsored by Matrix Fitness, Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, Community Bank, Rainey & Rainey CPA, Topp Business Solutions, Northeastern Rehabilitation Associates, Brucelli Advertising and NET Credit Union. For more information, contact Brandon Whipple, Wellness Director, atbwhipple@greaterscrantonymca.org or call (570) 828-3116 or visit the Y online at www.greaterscrantonymca.org.
Geisinger Fundraiser ‘Moves Mountains’ for Cancer Geisinger will raise funds for cancer services during a night of fun, fine food and live music. Moving Mountains for Cancer begins at 6:30 p.m. May 20 at Montage Mountain, 1000 Montage Mountain Road, and proceeds benefit the newly expanded Frank M. and Dorothea Henry Cancer Center at Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center. The Henry Cancer Center provides care for the whole person and includes the patient’s family and loved ones. The center provides all the services a patient needs under one roof, so no one has to leave northeastern Pennsylvania for world-class care. By participating in Moving Mountains for Cancer, patrons can enable even more patients to get the care they need at the Henry Cancer Center. The event will be held rain or shine, and the evening features: Social hour and hors d’oeuvresWelcome and dinnerLive music by the Elegance QuartetCampfire and glow night activitiesFireworks Tickets cost $150 and can be purchased at go.geisinger.org/MovingMountains or by calling 570-214-0400. Those who can’t participate in person can donate on the event page, and sponsorship opportunities are still available.
Annual Honey & Blueberry Festival Coming to Northern Poconos Equestrian House By the middle of June, the wild blueberries are reaching their peak and bursting with flavor. The sweet and delicious honey from the beehive farm is flowing. Put them together and you have the Inaugural Honey & Blueberry Festival, a family-friendly event taking place at Equestrian House©, a newly-renovated Events Venue built on a former horse farm in the Northern Poconos. A visit to the festival will add flavor and memories to Father’s Day weekend or heading into the July 4th holiday! Admission is FREE. Pick your own wild blueberries. Learn about beehive farming. Trampoline, tennis and basketball courts for the kids, and more! The festival will take place rain or shine on the following weekends (all dates Sat/Sun) from 11:00am to 5:00pm: June 18/19June 25/26July 2/3 July 9/10 (Vendor Weekend)July 16/17July 23/24 The official festival vendor weekend will take place the July 9/10 with food, commercial and craft vendors, local entertainment and additional activities available for the whole family. General Information Vendor Application The Honey & Blueberry Festival’s Mission To promote honey, honey bees and their products, and beekeeping. Through lectures and demonstrations, the crowd can learn about bees and how to keep them healthy. Issues facing the bees include pests, pesticides, diseases, malnutrition, and climate changesTo recognize, appreciate and celebrate the cultural and economic significance of blueberries and their productsTo foster the education and future of agriculture and agritourism in the Northern Poconos regionTo join as a community, in particular our families and young people, for fun, education and wholesome activities
Spirit of Hope Celebration Raises $56,982 for Northeast Regional Cancer Institute Front row, seated from left to right: Marta Gomes, Traci Fosnot, Leo Vergnetti, Board of Ambassadors Chairman, Karen M. Saunders, President, Northeast Regional Cancer Institute, Robin Long and Jo Ann Romano Hallesky.Second row, standing from left to right: Vanessa Vergnetti-Thomas,Joe Van Wie, Nevin Gerber, Dino Campitelli, Richard P. Conaboy Jr. (2021 Tribute to Courage Honoree), William Davis, Kristie Hynoski, Clarence Baltrusaitis, Meghan Gagorik, and Amanda E. Marchegiani, Community Relations Coordinator, Northeast Regional Cancer Institute. The Spirit of Hope Celebration Board of Ambassadors and Associate Board of Ambassadors presented the Cancer Institute with a $56,982 check from their 2021 Spirit of Hope event. “On behalf of the Ambassadors who truly exhibit the ‘Spirit of Hope’ we are thrilled to present you with these funds to help individuals receive early detection and free screenings,” said Leo Vergnetti, Chairman of the Board of Ambassadors. The Board of Ambassadors, a group of community volunteers, hosted the ninth annual Spirit of Hope Celebration in November 2021 at Mohegan Sun Pocono. More than 300 people were in attendance. The event featured cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, music, and a live and silent auction. Richard P. Conaboy Jr. was the Tribute to Courage Honoree. Proceeds from the event benefited the Cancer Institute’s Community-Based Cancer Screening Navigation Program. This program helps low income and un/underinsured individuals in northeast Pennsylvania get their recommended colorectal, breast, cervical, and lung cancer screenings.
Gerrity’s Raises $57,224 for Ukraine Gerrity’s Supermarkets and Gerrity’s Ace Hardware have raised $57,224.96 for Ukrainian relief. The money was collected over the last month. Customers donated $37,224.96 at the checkout and online at Gerritys.com. In addition, the family-owned business pledged to contribute $20,000. Joe Fasula, co-owner of Gerrity’s, presented a check to Saint Vladimir’s Ukrainian Catholic Church. Saint Vladimir’s will be using the money to aid the victims and refugees of the Russian-Ukrainian war. “We are humbled by the generosity of our customers, and we are honored to help raise this money for such a worthy cause,” said Joe Fasula. Gerrity’s will continue collecting money for the next several weeks and donate all funds through Saint Vladimir’s. Gerrity’s will also be selling medical supplies that have been requested for the victims. Gerrity’s is the largest family-owned, locally owned supermarket business in Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Northampton Counties. The company consists of ten supermarkets, three Ace Hardware stores, and a corporate office. Gerrity’s is owned by Joyce “Mom” Fasula and her son, Joe, and is part of Shursave Supermarkets. Gerrity’s was founded in 1895 as a small meat market and became a supermarket in 1980. Gerrity’s currently employs over 1300 people.
FNCB Announces Staff Promotions FNCB, locally-based since 1910, today announced several staff promotions. Michael Cummings, CFMP, Senior Vice President, Marketing Manager Michael Cummings, CFMP, has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Marketing Manager where he is responsible for managing all aspects of the Marketing function for the Bank, including strategic planning, digital marketing, advertising, public relations, and social media. Mr. Cummings has held numerous marketing roles since joining FNCB in 2011. Most recently, he was Vice President, Marketing Manager. Prior to joining the Bank, he spent 20 years in professional baseball as the Director of Public Relations for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons and Yankees. He is a graduate of Scranton Technical High School and the University of Scranton where he received a bachelor’s degree in marketing. In 2018, he was awarded the Certified Financial Marketing Professional (CFMP) certification from the American Bankers Association for demonstrated excellence in the field of financial services marketing. An active member of the community, he has served as a youth soccer and softball coach and currently serves as Vice-Chairman of the Scranton Redevelopment Authority. He resides in Scranton with his wife Wendy, son Andrew and daughter Elizabeth. Jeffrey Mokychic, Vice President, Treasury Manager Jeffrey Mokychic has been promoted to Vice President, Treasury Manager where he is responsible for managing daily liquidity and forecast longer-term liquidity position, developing, and implementing wholesale funding strategies, and assisting with the management of the Bank’s investment portfolio. Mr. Mokychic joined FNCB in 2016 and most recently was Assistant Vice President, Treasury Manager. Prior to joining the Bank, he spent 15 years with the Bridgeton Group. He is a graduate of Dallas High School and the Pennsylvania State University with a bachelor’s degree in actuarial science. He currently serves as the Education Superintendent at Orange United Methodist Church in Dallas, PA where he resides. Daisy Geisinger, Assistant Vice President, Application Services Analyst Daisy Geisinger has been promoted to Assistant Vice President, Application Services Analyst where she is responsible for providing support and management for a wide variety of bank-wide applications. Prior to joining the applications services team in 2014, Ms. Geisinger had extensive experience in bank operations and applications with ESSA Bank and Franklin Security Bank. She is a graduate of Lake Lehman High School and the Pennsylvania State University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. She is also a graduate of Leadership Northeast, class of 2022. She resides in Harveys Lake with her husband Glen and children Meara and Griffin. Joyce Groza, Assistant Vice President, Accounting Manager Joyce Groza has been promoted to Assistant Vice President, Accounting Manager where she will be responsible for management of the Finance division, FDIC and SEC reporting. Prior to joining FNCB Bank in 2019, she was an assistant vice president at Ridgewood Savings Bank in Ridgewood, NY. She is a graduate of Economics & Finance High School in New York, NY and Queens College (NY) with bachelor’s degrees in accounting and economics. She also attended the Executive Leadership program at the Michigan University Ross Business School. She resides in Mountain Top with her husband Christian and children Michael and Nikolas. Claire Guarneri, Banking Officer, BSA Supervisor Claire Guarneri has been promoted to Banking Officer, BSA Supervisor where she is responsible for overseeing the daily operational and administrative activities of BSA. In her time with FNCB Bank, Ms. Guarneri has been a Lead Teller, Jr. Customer Service Officer, Community Office Manager and most recently the Retail Operations Supervisor. Prior to joining FNCB, she was a branch manager at Luzerne Bank. She is a graduate of E.L. Meyers High School and attended Luzerne County Community College. She resides in Moosic with her husband Joe and daughter Gabriella. Rebecca Richardson, Banking Officer, Electronic Banking Supervisor Rebecca Richardson has been promoted to Banking Officer, Electronic Banking Supervisor where she is responsible for providing application support and training for online banking, mobile app, debit cards, as well as business online banking products. Ms. Richardson has been with FNCB since 2014 previously serving as a Loan Operations Associate and Electronic Banking Coordinator. Prior to joining FNCB, she had a 15-year tenure with Bank of America. She is a graduate of Old Forge High School and the University of Scranton with a certificate in accounting. She resides in Olyphant with her husband Mark. John Zielinski, Banking Officer, Technology Services Analyst John Zielinski has been promoted to Banking Officer, Technology Services Analyst where he is responsible for managing servers and workstations, resolving technology related issues and helping to implement new technology. Mr. Zielinski has held numerous roles at FNCB since joining the Bank in 2011 including Retail Banking Assistant, Electronic Banking Analyst and Application Services Analyst. He is a graduate West Scranton High School and the Pennsylvania State University with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics. He resides in Mountain Top. Randy Snedeker, Banking Officer, Merchant Sales & Services Manager Randy Snedeker has been promoted to Banking Officer, Merchant Sales & Services Manager where he is responsible for growing the Bank’s merchant services portfolio, including sales, service, and training to a wide variety of area businesses. Prior to joining FNCB in 2018 as a Merchant Service Associate, he held various sales positions for companies in northeastern Pennsylvania. Mr. Snedeker is a graduate of Carbondale Area High School and the Pennsylvania State University with an associate degree in American studies and a bachelor’s degree in journalism. Additionally, he is a member of the TSYS/Global Payments Advisory Board Service Committee. He resides in Simpson with his wife Christy and children Abby and Milo. Ted Kowalick, Banking Officer, Mortgage Loan Originator Ted Kowalick has been promoted to Banking Officer, Mortgage Loan Originator where he is responsible for guiding prospective homeowners through the mortgage application process from initial loan application through closing. Mr. Kowalick has been helping make the dream of home ownership come true for hundreds of clients since joining FNCB in 2006. He is a graduate of Forest City Regional High School and the Pennsylvania State University with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. He resides in Clarks Green.
PennDOT ‘Innovations Challenge’ Winners Announced The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) today announced that a team of students from Monroe Career and Technical Institute in Bartonsville, Monroe County has been selected as the statewide winner for the 2021-2022 Innovations Challenge. Since last fall, high school students in grades nine through 12 have been working hard to solve this year’s challenge, which asked students to develop a comprehensive and cost-effective public engagement strategy, beyond the current public engagement procedures (outlined in Publication 295) that uses innovative technologies and tools that PennDOT can implement to more effectively engage and connect with all age groups during the transportation planning and project development process. “Each year, the PennDOT Innovations Challenge allows us to turn to the next generation of leaders to become an active part of proposing potential solutions to the challenges we face,” said PennDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian. “I commend all of the students who participated in this year’s challenge for their ingenuity and creativity in developing solutions to this real-world transportation challenge.” Mentored by Ross Ruschman, the statewide winning team members are Neylla Joseph, Kyle Jarrett, Brittany Ulate-Mora, and Gavin Glukhoy. Their proposed innovative solution was the PaE3 program, which stands for Excite, Educate and Engage. The PaE3 program is an innovative way of using existing technologies to approach the need for communication between PennDOT and its key stakeholders and get citizens involved in PennDOT’s planning and project development process. The program focuses on using existing technologies to approach the need for communication between PennDOT and its key stakeholders, including using map applications like Waze and Google Maps to provide notifications about proposed road work projects, similar to how those sites show accidents and current construction projects. Now in its fifth year, the Innovations Challenge aims to not only help students explore real transportation challenges that PennDOT is facing, but also open their minds to the very real possibility of working for PennDOT or in the transportation industry after graduation. For this year’s challenge, the Associated Pennsylvania Constructors (APC) provided $2,500 and the American Council of Engineering Companies of PA (ACEC/PA) provided $1,500 for a combined total award of $4,000 for this year’s first place team. For complete details, visit the Innovations Challenge webpage at www.penndot.pa.gov.
HNB Supports WVIA with EITC Donation The Honesdale National Bank was once again authorized to make approved contributions under the Commonwealth’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) Program. HNB designated $2,500 of their approved allotment to WVIA Public Media. The funds, donated by HNB, will support educational programming. HNB President & CEO, Thomas E. Sheridan Jr., stated, “The accessibility of public media will continue to be important to our communities.” He said, “We are glad that we are able to continue to serve our area by contributing funding for this program.” Kirsten Smith, Grants & Education Officer at WVIA stated, “Thanks to the HNB’s EITC contributions, WVIA will be visiting many children in our shared region with educational programs to benefit their literacy and STEM needs. I will be certain to inform you of that progress and punctuate how impactful your EITC donations always are in doing wonderful things for children and families in our region.” WVIA-FM is a non-commercial, public FM radio station licensed to serve Scranton, Pennsylvania and is the National Public Radio member station for Northeastern Pennsylvania. The station is owned by the Northeastern Pennsylvania Educational Television Association along with its sister television station, WVIA-TV.
