The Recovery Bank Launches Grief Support Group The Recovery Bank, a nonprofit peer-driven recovery support center, has announced the launch of a new Grief Support Group for family members and loved ones who have lost someone to drug or alcohol addiction, overdose, or other substance-related deaths. The initial group meeting of GRASP (Grief Recovery Support After a Substance Passing) is scheduled for Thursday, July 22, 2021 at 6:00pm at 120 Wyoming Avenue, Scranton. “This support group seeks to bring together those who have suffered the unique and extremely painful loss occasioned by overdose and other circumstances, so that they can help each other in their healing process,” said Frank Bolock, Project Director at The Recovery Bank. “Unfortunately, our community has felt far too many of these tragic and untimely deaths, and families often struggle to cope after such a loss,” he continued. There have been over 500 reported overdose deaths in Lackawanna County since 2014, according to data available from the County Coroner’s Office. Carol Coolbaugh, facilitator of the Luzerne County Chapter of GRASP, and Cara Cali, a Certified Recovery Specialist/Certified Family Recovery Specialist at The Recovery Bank, will guide the initial support group meeting. The support group is free to the public but seating is limited due to COVID safety precautions. Please call The Recovery Bank at (570) 880-7901 to reserve a seat. “As someone who has personally experienced a loss like this, I understand that there is often a stigma associated with overdose deaths. We may become isolated in our grief, feeling that no one understands our pain. The benefit of a group like GRASP is that we can connect with those who have also lived this loss. We don’t have to walk this road alone,” Cali emphasized. Visit RecoveryBank.org to learn more.
Governor Wolf Announces Over $15 Million in Green Light-Go Grant Funds to Improve Traffic Safety Governor Tom Wolf announced today that 50 municipalities will receive over $15.6 million to support traffic signal upgrades, increasing mobility and efficiency across Pennsylvania’s communities through the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s (PennDOT’s) “Green Light-Go” program. “The safety improvements supported by the Green Light-Go program not only help municipalities relieve congestion and traffic flow, they help Pennsylvanians move safely and efficiently,” said Gov. Wolf. “I’m proud to help our communities improve mobility for Pennsylvanians.” Green Light-Go grants are provided as reimbursement to municipalities for updates to improve the efficiency and operation of existing traffic signals. Grant funding through the Green Light-Go program may be utilized for a range of operational improvements including, but not limited to light-emitting diode (LED) technology installation, traffic signal retiming, developing special event plans and monitoring traffic signals, as well as upgrading traffic signals to the latest technologies. This is the sixth round of funding disbursed through the Green Light-Go program for municipal traffic signals. Following is a list of local approved projects: Lackawanna County City of Scranton – $488,000 for modernization of traffic signals along Cedar Avenue at E. Elm Street and Maple Street including new mast arms, controller cabinets, signal heads and pavement markings. Luzerne County City of Hazleton – $305,677 for modernization of the Diamond and Vine Street traffic signal.City of Wilkes-Barre – $300,000 for development and implementation of new traffic signal timing plans at 13 intersections.
NET Credit Union Sponsors Local Event NET Credit Union is the event sponsor for The Lackawanna Historical Society’s “Afternoon Tea” event on July 31st. The Lackawanna Historical Society will host the event on the Caitlin House’s front porch with Fiddlesticks Tea Company, a tea company located in Odessa, NY. Founded in 1886, The Lackawanna Historical Society provides the community with local history through its museums, libraries, exhibits and programs. The Lackawanna Historical Society is located in the Caitlin House, which is the former residence of early Scranton financier and his wife, George H. and Helen Caitlin. The Caitlin House is one of Scranton’s architectural treasures. To learn more about the “Afternoon Tea” event and The Lackawanna Historical Society, please contact 570-344-3841, email lackawannahistory@gmail.com or visit http://www.lackawannahistory.org/
HNB Supports Wayne County Public Library 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 $20,000 of their approved allotment to the missions of the Wayne County Public Library. The funds, donated by HNB, will support students with e-resources and virtual programming within the seven-library system including the following local libraries: Bethany, Hamlin, Hawley, Newfoundland, Northern Wayne, Pleasant Mount, and the WCPL (Honesdale). Along with the e-resources, equipment will be purchased to provide virtual programming for those who cannot get to the library. Some resources include free online tutoring, online SAT/ACT classes, free access to the Get a Five program for those in Advanced Placement classes, hundreds of tutorials and videos, Learning Express Library, Teen Health & Wellness, Prenda Coding, and STEM Online Resources. HNB President & CEO David Raven stated, “We are privileged to have the opportunity to provide local support to organizations like the Wayne County Public Library with funds through the EITC program.” He continued, “We are glad to see this contribution go towards program upgrades along with advancement of technology and resources.” Tracy Schwarz, Wayne County Public Library Director, mentioned, “The Libraries are working hard to provide programming, equipment, and education to support student learning in creative new ways.” She said, “In Addition, we continue to purchase STEM materials, computers, equipment, and other collection materials to further the excitement and education of Wayne County’s students.”
Providence Engineering Executive Vice President, Mark Ritchie, P.E., Retires After 37 years in the A/E/C industry, trusted and admired Professional Engineer, Mark Ritchie is retiring as Executive Vice President of Providence Engineering. Mark has been around the A/E/C industry all his life. His father and grandfather both worked as bricklayers, so from an early age, Mark knew he wanted to be a part of the construction industry. But he also knew he did not like the strenuous physical work in the heat of the summer and cold of winter, so he decided to attend Penn State University and become an engineer. After graduating in 1984, Mark’s career took him to Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and finally, Central Pennsylvania where he started his own engineering firm in 2000. Based in Carlisle, Ritchie Engineering provided structural design services for thousands of projects throughout Pennsylvania, Ohio and the Mid-Atlantic region. In January 2017, Ritchie Engineering merged with Providence, and thus, Providence Engineering opened our sixth office in Pennsylvania. Mark would go on to help open and lead the establishment of Providence’s seventh office in his hometown of Pittsburgh. Mark’s retirement plans include playing more golf with his wife Lisa, spending time with his family, which now includes three grandsons, and remaining an active member of his church and the Carlisle community. Congratulations Mark!
Gunn-Mowery, LLC Hires Amanda Krotzer, Allie MacGregor and Iris Statler We are pleased to welcome Amanda Krotzer, Allie MacGregor and Iris Statler to Gunn-Mowery, LLC. Amanda joins the Gunn-Mowery team as a Personal Lines Agent. In her role as a Personal Lines Agent she reviews applications, prepares quotes, and evaluates risks for our clients in order to best meet their coverage needs. She graduated from Kutztown University with a degree in art education. She began her career in insurance in 2011 when she worked as a part-time office assistant. Later, in 2013 Amanda obtained her Property and Casualty license, CISR (Certified Insurance Service Representative, and her CIC (Certified Insurance Counselor). Learn more about Amanda Krotzer by visiting her Meet the Team page on our website. Allie joins the Gunn-Mowery team as a Commercial Account Administrator. Her role as Commercial Account Administrator consists of commercial auto changes, issuing insurance certificates, processing policies and endorsements, working with carriers and more. Allie received her Bachelor’s from Penn State Harrisburg and her Master’s from Lock Haven University. While completing her Master’s, she worked full-time at Consumers Insurance Agency as a Licensed Agent. Learn more about Allie MacGregor by visiting her Meet the Team page on our website. Iris joins the Gunn-Mowery team as our Accounting Administrator. In her role, Iris processes direct bill commissions, cash receipts, vendor and carrier payments, as well as assist our Accounting Department using our Agency Management System. Iris has an extensive background in accounting, including her role as a Senior Financial Analyst at IBM. She also recently served as a Board Member and Treasurer for the Central Pennsylvania Suzuki Association. Iris is a graduate of the University of Maryland where she earned her B.A. in Finance. Learn more about Iris Statler by visiting her Meet the Team page on our website.
The Prescription Center Opens Second Location The Prescription Center, located on 310 Adams Ave. in Scranton, opened a second location on July 6. Visit them at 329 Cherry Street, Scranton located inside the new Scranton Counseling Center. Transferring your prescriptions to the Prescription Center is easy. Just call 570-209-9900 or reach them on Facebook. Free Same Day DeliveryMonthly Refill Requests Done for YouFree Weekly or Monthly Pill PackagingSpanish Speaking Translators
The Wright Center and NYU Langone Dental Medicine to Introduce Scranton Dental Residency Program The Wright Center for Community Health is pleased to announce it will welcome its first dental resident in July 2021 as part of a new affiliation with New York University (NYU) Langone Dental Medicine Postdoctoral Residency Programs, the largest dental residency program in the country. NYU Langone Dental Medicine was designed to educate residents in primary dental care for vulnerable patients and underserved areas while providing culturally competent health care to socially and economically-disadvantaged residents in the region. The Wright Center, a Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike with a growing network of practices in Lackawanna, Luzerne and Wayne counties, provides safety-net primary care services, including dental care, to people of all ages regardless of insured status or ability to pay. “This new program will build on our ongoing efforts to address persistent health disparities and difficulties in accessing oral health care for at-risk patients in Northeast Pennsylvania,” said Meaghan Ruddy, Ph.D., The Wright Center’s Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs. “It is our plan that program graduates will also receive advanced knowledge, skills and experiences to best serve children and adults who need these services the most.” The lack of fluoridated water in Northeast Pennsylvania, coupled with poor nutrition and lack of education on the importance of oral health, has resulted in a critical need for dental care access for disadvantaged communities. Lackawanna County is also designated by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) as a Health Professional Shortage Area, meaning it suffers from a critical shortage of dentists, primary care physicians and mental health providers. “During the pandemic, even with the successful launch of telehealth services for our dental patients, many people put their oral health on hold,” explained Kimberly McGoff, Manager of Dental Operations for The Wright Center. “As more people are getting vaccinated and COVID-19 restrictions are lifted, we’ve seen an overwhelming rise in requests for dental appointments — an increase of more than 30% since January alone. In order to meet the higher demand, our dentists and staff are coming in on their days off to help meet the region’s needs.” In response, The Wright Center is also actively recruiting two more full-time dental providers, with a new dentist set to join the care team in August. Additionally, The Wright Center’s new mobile medical unit, Driving Better Health, is equipped with two full dental operatories and will offer pop-up dental clinics in both rural and urban settings throughout a seven-county Northeast Pennsylvania service area. By training tomorrow’s doctors today in community-immersed clinical learning environments that serve diverse and medically underserved populations, The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education is creating the health workforce pipeline America needs while addressing the country’s growing primary care provider shortage. Research shows that more than 90% of graduates who trained in Teaching Health Centers, like The Wright Center, remain in primary care practice, and more than 75% plan to work in underserved communities. The dental residency is the newest addition to The Wright Center’s robust physician learner programming, which also includes internal medicine, family medicine and psychiatry residencies as well as gastroenterology, geriatric and cardiovascular disease fellowships. The Wright Center is the nation’s largest Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education consortium, with close to 250 physician learners gaining hands-on training throughout Northeast Pennsylvania and in partnering sites in Washington state, Arizona, Ohio and Washington, D.C.
