LCEEC Beginner Beekeeping Certificate Program

The Lackawanna College Environmental Education Center (LCEEC) in Covington Township is accepting applications for the Beginner Beekeeping certificate program.

The program will run April 7-June 9, Thursday’s, 5 p.m.- 7 p.m. at the Environmental Education Center, 93 MacKenzie Road, Covington Twp. The $250 10-session course is for both beginner and seasoned beekeepers.

After completing the course, participants will be certified to manage honeybee colonies for maximum bee health and honey production.

Courses in the Beginner Beekeeping Certificate program include:

  • History of Beekeeping
  • Honeybee Biology
  • Behavioral Aspects of Honeybees
  • Apiary Equipment and Installation
  • Rules and Regulations
  • Environmental Challenges
  • Pollinators and their Benefits
  • Hive Check and Applied Care

To enroll in the LCEEC Beginner Beekeeping Certificate Program, visit Lackawanna.edu/beekeeping, email lceec@lackawanna.edu or call (570)842-1506.

The University of Scranton’s Earth Day Essay Contest

Area students in grades five to 12 can participate in The University of Scranton’s Earth Day Essay Contest 2022. The contest is offered free of charge and this year’s essay theme is “We Are All Connected.” Topics students can write about include conservation, recycling, healthy eating, agriculture, renewable energy, eliminating single use containers, bees, gardening or transportation, among other subjects.

Essays for students in grades five and six must be between 200 to 400 words. Essays for students in grades seven and eight must be between 300 to 500 words. Essays for students in grades nine to 12 must be between 500 to 700 words. Electronic submissions must be sent to susan.falbo@scranton.edu on or before Monday, April 4. Mail-in entries must be postmarked on or by April 1 to be considered and can be sent to: The University of Scranton, Office of Sustainability, Smurfit Arts Center, 445 Madison Avenue, Scranton, PA 18510, Attn: Earth Day Essay Contest.

Visit the University’s Sustainability website for complete submission rules and details.

Winners of the Earth Day Essay Contest will be announced by the University’s Sustainability Office and student Sustainability and Conservation Society at an Evening of Environmental Science program for participants and their families and teachers on Wednesday, April 20, 2022, beginning at 6 p.m., in the atrium of the Loyola Science Center on campus.

Geisinger Seeking Volunteers for Pet Therapy Program to Support Frontline Workers

Geisinger is seeking additional volunteers for its pet therapy program to participate in support sessions for frontline staff as they continue to work through the COVID-19 pandemic.

While the program continues to provide comfort to Geisinger patients in its hospitals throughout northeastern and central Pennsylvania, it also has increasingly served hospital staff through the pandemic over the past two years. Due to lower volunteer participation during the pandemic, Geisinger is recruiting new volunteers into its program.

Volunteers are needed at all Geisinger campuses, including those in Danville, Wilkes-Barre, Scranton and Lewistown, among others.

“Our pet therapy program brings a great benefit to patients and staff,” said Tina McDowell, director of Volunteer Services. “By volunteering, you can help decrease stress levels and provide a much-needed positive experience for our frontline staff who might be feeling overwhelmed by the effects of the ongoing pandemic. Just a few minutes of comfort and relief can improve overall mental wellbeing.”

Dogs and their handlers must go through Geisinger volunteer training with the volunteer services department before serving. Only dogs certified by an American Kennel Club recognized program are eligible.

If you’re interested in learning more about volunteering in the health system’s pet therapy program, contact volunteer services at 570-271- 6230.

Join Downtown Business in Support of Ukraine

Calling Scranton businesses to help us decorate the downtown in yellow and blue showing support for the people of the Ukraine.

Utilizing flags, lighting, window painting, posters, and merchandise are a few ways to showcase your support.

Please contact Liz Baldi at lizbaldi@scrantontomorrow.org if you are interested in participating. Scranton Tomorrow will be putting together a press release and would love to include the location and a photo of your display.

If you are a Scranton business, but not located in the downtown, and are interested in participating, please let us know, all are welcome! Check out how Ufberg & Associates and Nada & Co are showing their support and get inspired!

Helen Lavelle, Top 25 Women in Business

Did you catch the March Edition of the Northeast Pennsylvania Business Journal this week?

Lavelle Strategy Group CEO and Chief Creative Strategist, Helen Lavelle, was named one of the Top 25 Women in Business in 2022! She is a trailblazer, an advocate, an innovator, a communicator and a collaborator. We are honored to work alongside her every day.

Congratulations Helen on this amazing honor!

The Business Journal honors 25 Women in Business in our region every March. These professionals are a diverse cross-section of innovative leaders, high-profile decision makers and company executives.

They are improving their community, mentoring future business leaders, raising families and encouraging other women to take the lead.

DMVA to Host Virtual Veteran Town Hall

The Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA) will host the first in a five-part series of virtual Veteran Town Halls on Wednesday, March 16, from 5-6:30 p.m., according to Rep. Karen Boback (R-Lackawanna/Luzerne/Wyoming). The topic will be veteran suicide prevention, with a focus on the support and resources available to veterans throughout the Commonwealth.

“As majority chairman of the House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee, I am pleased the DMVA has made suicide prevention the topic of its first virtual town hall of the year,” said Boback. “It is critical that Pennsylvania veterans know what resources are available to them when they need someone to talk with about their emotional issues.”

Attendees can participate by using a WebEx link. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions of the presenters live through the chat feature. They should visit DMVA’s website at www.dmva.pa.gov, Twitter of Facebook pages for the WebEx link. 

The series of virtual town halls will provide the Commonwealth’s nearly 800,000 veterans with a convenient platform to learn and ask questions about programs and services earned through their military service.

The following are the dates, times and topics for the four remaining 2022 Virtual Veteran Town Hall events:

May 18, 5-6:30 p.m. – Serving Older Veterans.
July 13, 5-6:30 p.m. – Resources for Homeless Veterans.
Sept. 14, 5-6:30 p.m. – Transportation Issues Facing Veterans.
Nov. 2, 5-6:30 p.m. – Honoring Veterans for Their Service and Sacrifice.

Noteology ‘Peace for Ukraine’ Candle

Noteology stands in solidarity with the Ukrainian civilians and refugees and pray for peace during this turbulent time. 

To show our support, we developed our ‘Peace for Ukraine’ Sunflower candle and will be donating $8 per candle to the International Rescue Committee, an organization providing life saving support to people forced to flee their homes in Ukraine.  The sunflower is the national flower of Ukraine and has become a global symbol of solidarity for Ukraine. Our sunflower candle is filled with love and peace, with notes of sunflowers in bloom, lemon peel, lemon verbena, and a touch of honey. 

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day the Scranton Cultural Center Way

The Scranton Cultural Center at the Masonic Temple is once again the place to celebrate this year’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade!  The Center’s annual St. Patrick’s Parade Day Party will begin at 11:00 AM on March 12 and will continue until 4:00 PM.  Admission is free and live entertainment will be provided by Kilrush.  In addition, several parade performers will continue their acts at the SCC for all party-goers to enjoy, from bagpipers to step dancers and more!

Admission is FREE to the public as the Scranton Cultural Center’s gift to the community.  A cash bar and light fare will be available for purchase.  Please note that the Scranton Cultural Center requires masks for all patrons unless actively eating or drinking.  Full venue policies can be found at SCCMT.org/covid.

The 2022 St. Patrick’s Parade Day Party is sponsored by The Society of Irish Women, the Hilton Scranton & Conference Center and LT Verrastro.

Highland Associates Paul Duffy Passes Architect Registration Examinations

Highland Associates is pleased to announce that our employee, Paul Duffy, successfully passed his Architect Registration Examinations and is now a licensed Registered Architect. A graduate of Marywood University’s School of Architecture, Paul earned a Bachelor of Architecture Degree in 2015. Since joining Highland Associates in 2016, Paul has been actively engaged in the data center, corporate and retail market sectors, serving as an integral part of the design team.

To become licensed, one must receive a professional degree in architecture from a program accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB), gain experience under a practicing architect with 3,740 total hours across six categories and pass six sections of exams.

About Highland Associates:

Celebrating our 34th year in business, Highland Associates is a multi-disciplined firm specializing in Architecture, Engineering and Interior Design with offices located in Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania, New York, New York and Miami, Florida. Highland Associates offers a comprehensive list of services to satisfy the most difficult projects. Each day, our 150+ design professionals and support staff work as a team to analyze client needs and create practical solutions to meet the functional, aesthetic and financial objective of any project. Concept-driven and problem solving, Highland Associates is an award-winning design firm, guided by a design process and team approach.