Outreach Seeks Your Support in Building a Stronger Community Have you dreamed of making history? Of course; we all have. On Friday, June 4, you have a chance to be a part of history during northeastern Pennsylvania’s day of giving, known as NEPA Gives! Outreach – Center for Community Resources respectfully requests your support during the 24-hour NEPA Gives event on Friday, June 4, 2021. From 12:00 a.m. to 11:59:59 p.m. on June 4, donations made to Outreach through the NEPA Gives platform will support Outreach programs promoting family stability and economic self-sufficiency. Every gift makes a real difference in the lives of men, women, and children in YOUR community seeking hope for a brighter tomorrow. To learn more about Outreach and the individuals and families we serve, visit the Outreach NEPAGives page at https://www.nepagives.org/organizations/outreachworks. Thank you in advance for your generosity to our organization! Sponsored by Scranton Area Community Foundation, The Luzerne Foundation, Greater Pike Community Foundation, Wayne County Community Foundation, and the Northeastern Pennsylvania Nonprofit & Community Assistance Center (NCAC), NEPA Gives is a one-day online giving extravaganza that’s all about giving back to the community. To learn more about the #NEPAGives campaign, visit nepagives.org.
The Dime Bank Announces PennCFL Challenge Winners The Dime Bank is thrilled to announce winners of The Dime Bank sponsored Pennsylvania Council on Financial Literacy (PennCFL) Stock Market Challenge competition. Paige Schmidt, a student at Honesdale High School under the leadership of Ms. Barbara Lutat, triumphed in the Pike & Wayne Stock Market Challenge competition by finishing in first place in the High School Division. Read More Kevin Scissons, a student at Preston School under the leadership of Mr. Don Burchell, finished in first place in the Middle School Division. Read More Lakota Kinney, a student at Damascus School under the leadership of Mr. Don Burchell, finished in second place in the Middle School Division. Read More Logan Arthur, a student at Carbondale High School under the leadership of Ms. Licia Olivetti, finished in third place in the High School Division. Read More Reilly McNish, a student at Wallenpaupack Area School District under the leadership of Mrs. Argyro Paspalas, finished in third place in the Middle School Division. Read More Rosa SanClementi, a student from the Wallenpaupack Area School District, finished top ten in the state in the Spring Statewide 2021 Elementary School Division. Rosa worked under the leadership of her teacher, Mrs. Argyro Paspalas. Read More Congratulations Paige, Kevin, Lakota, Logan, Reilly, Rosa, and their teachers Ms. Lutat, Mr. Burchell, Ms. Olivetti, and Mrs. Argyro Paspalas on job well done! PennCFL provides to all students in grades K -12 in Pennsylvania a world-class, web-based stock simulation platform and curriculum. The cutting-edge, real-time stock game is derived from Stock-Trak’s University Platform, which is used in over 80% of the top business schools in the United States. The Dime Bank is proud to sponsor programs such as PennCFL that promotes financial education in our local schools.
‘Duty to Report Disappearance of a Child’ Bill Passes Judiciary Committee Rep. Karen Boback (R-Lackawanna/Luzerne/Wyoming) announced the passage of her legislation by the House Judiciary Committee that would require a report about a missing child be made within 24 hours after his or her whereabouts became unknown. The bill does offer protection for guardians who have a legitimate reason to believe the child is safe with someone else. “This bill was a response to the highly publicized trial of Casey Anthony. Ms. Anthony was acquitted of the murder of her child, even though the evidence showed she failed to report the child missing for nearly a month,” said Boback. “The legislation is written to ensure a parent could not be prosecuted for an innocent mistake, but only under circumstances where the conduct is completely unjustifiable.” House Bill 488 would require proof that a parent’s silence exhibited a reckless disregard for a risk of harm to a child, or for the child’s health, safety or welfare under the circumstances. The requirement that the parent act with recklessness would, for example, protect a divorced parent who may not have knowledge of their child’s whereabouts, but who has a reason to believe the child is with the other parent or a friend. The duty will extend to natural parents as well as stepparents, adoptive parents, guardians and custodians. A violation would be a felony of the third degree, punishable by up to seven yearsconfinement and $15,000 fine. The bill now goes to the full House for consideration.
Geisinger Surgeon Completes 200th Robotic Assisted Pediatric Spine Surgery As of May 2021, Geisinger’s Dr. Meagan Fernandez has performed more than 200 robotic-assisted pediatric spine surgeries at the Pennsylvania-based Geisinger Musculoskeletal Institute. Geisinger’s Musculoskeletal Institute is the only pediatric hospital in Pennsylvania using robotic assisted technology for pediatric spine surgery. Robotic-assisted spine surgery has already been used in adults. But those surgeries are largely focused in the lumbar spine, where the robot guides the surgeon in placing a small number of screws. In pediatric surgeries, the surgeon covers a much larger area with significantly more screws. Dr. Fernandez specializes in treating pediatric sports injuries, ACL reconstruction and meniscus injuries, fractures and traumatic injuries, and scoliosis. For her pediatric spine surgeries, she uses the Medtronic Renaissance™ system, the first robotic spine assist technology used in Pennsylvania to treat pediatric patients with scoliosis that requires surgery. Renaissance™ is designed to improve the safety and accuracy of implant placement in spine surgery. A certified child life specialist accompanies Dr. Fernandez during clinic to help young patients cope using play therapy and activities. The child life team also helps children understand why they are getting certain tests and can answer questions about the equipment. Dr. Fernandez joined Geisinger in 2011 and is a 2005 graduate of the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. She completed an orthopedic surgery residency in 2010 at UPMC Pinnacle in Harrisburg and a pediatric orthopedic surgery fellowship in 2011 at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta – Scottish Rite Hospital in Atlanta. Dr. Fernandez is a member of professional organizations including the Scoliosis Research Society, Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North American, American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and Pennsylvania Osteopathic Medical Association.
Scranton Cultural Center to Launch Concert Series with Young Lion The Scranton Cultural Center at the Masonic Temple will launch its free outdoor summer concert series with Young Lion on June 11. Young Lion offers a blend of roots, rock and reggae and is comprised of members Jamie Zaleski, Lion Sanford, Chris Condel and Angelo Miraglia. The show will take place outside the Scranton Cultural Center at 420 N. Washington Avenue. “It has been a long hiatus for in-person events, which is what we thrive on” said Deborah Moran Peterson, SCC Executive Director. “We have enjoyed being able to connect with our audiences virtually through the past year, and we are so grateful to be able to welcome back the community with this free concert series.” Young Lion began playing together for Sarah Street Grill’s George Wesley Tribute Night in December 2016 in Stroudsburg, PA. Chris Condel and Lion Sanford were George’s bandmates, and Jamie Zaleski (of the Southside Bandits) fronted the band for most of the tribute night. They decided to keep working together, and have since added Angelo Miraglia on keyboards to round out their sound. Young Lion’s blend of roots, rock, and reggae is accomplished by the different playing styles and experience of its members. Young Lion live performances include improvisation on their songs to provide listeners with a fresh experience every time you hear them perform. All current CDC Guidelines will be followed at each performance with any updates being shared via social media. All performances will run from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM; a cash bar with light fare will open at 6:00 PM prior to each show. Additional performers in the series include Erin Malloy & Friends (July 9), The Mule Team (August 13) and Blind Choice (September 10). To learn more about the Scranton Cultural Center and its upcoming events, visit SCCMT.org. The free outdoor summer concert series is sponsored by LT Verrastro, Truly Hard Seltzer, UGI Utilities Inc. and Fidelity Bank. It is supported by Lackawanna County and the PA Council on the Arts.
Dime Bank Announces Website Redesign Coming Soon We are excited to announce that our redesigned website is scheduled to launch on June 30th! Our team worked hard to create a site with an updated look that is easier to navigate with useful information at your fingertips. Scroll down the homepage just like a news feed. Find our products and services listed together on product cards and explore your options for more details. All of your favorite features are still there: log in to online banking, open accounts, find security tips, apply for The Dime Bank job openings, plus learn all about various ways to bank on one easy to read page, and more! The web address hasn’t changed, you will still find us at www.thedimebank.com. This is the first phase of our upgrade. Later in the year, more exciting features are coming to make 24/7 banking with us even better. We hope you enjoy our fresh improved look. Thank you for choosing The Dime Bank!
Lackawanna College Pinky Swear PACK Honored for Fundraising Efforts The Lackawanna College Pinky Swear Ambassadors on College Campuses to Help Kids with Cancer (PACK) were honored at a virtual event on May 26 by the Pinky Swear Foundation for raising $4,200, becoming the second top fundraising group in the foundation’s “It Takes Two” fundraiser out of 69 registered PACKs around the country. “This award shows the dedication of our students in their mission to support children and their families who are living with pediatric cancer,” said Stephanie McDaniels, faculty advisor for Lackawanna College PACK. “We look forward to continuing our work with the Pinky Swear Foundation to spread awareness, fundraise, develop student leaders on our campus and make a difference.” The Lackawanna College PACK raised the funds by hosting a basket raffle that included a large spring-inspired basket valued at over $400 including gift cards, chocolate, and surprises donated by Lackawanna College PACK students. The basket raffle pulled in a remarkable amount of donations from Lackawanna College students, faculty, staff, and the Scranton community. This was Lackawanna College PACK’s first fundraiser. “We are always amazed at the incredible passion and dedication of our Pinky Swear PACK members,” said Frankie Behr, Pinky Swear Foundation Student Leadership Manager. “The efforts seen from the Lackawanna PACK are incredibly creative and we are even more excited that every dollar they raised will actually be tripled thanks to our partners at KLN Family Brands and a generous family foundation. This support will help so many families when they need to most – right now.” Learn more at www.lackawanna.edu.
PA CareerLink® Lackawanna County Now Open for In-Person Visits Staff is available to help with your training and employment needs. Employers have posted well over 2500 job orders in the last 6 months and are searching for qualified applicants. Beginning June 1st, we are available for in-person visits from 8:30 – 4:30 p.m. every day with appointments recommended. All COVID protocol will be followed.
Johnson College to Host In-Person Get to know Us Event On Tuesday, June 29, 2021, Johnson College is holding a Get To Know Us Event for adult and transfer students from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the Moffat Student Center on its campus in Scranton, PA. Current college students interested in changing the direction of their education and adults looking to change their career paths are encouraged to attend. To register, visit Johnson.edu/transfer or contact Johnson College’s enrollment team at enroll@johnson.edu or (570) 702-8856. Attendees will meet with representatives from Enrollment, Financial Aid, and Career Services. In addition, staff members from the Registrar’s Office will be on-hand for transfer credit analyses and review potential schedules for the upcoming semester. Attendees will also learn why Johnson College is the leader in hands-on education, how it exposes students to industry from day one, and how its two-year degree programs, focusing on careers in essential industries, have the highest return on investment in the short term. Johnson College provides real-world, hands-on learning in a caring environment and prepares graduates to enter into or advance in their careers. Johnson College degrees become essential careers. Johnson College was founded in 1912, and is the region’s premier technical college, offering 15 associate degree and 3 academic certificate programs. An emphasis on hands-on instruction is supported by a low student-to-teacher ratio. Located in Scranton on a 44-acre campus, the College is an accredited, private, non-profit, co-educational institution with a strong tradition of working with regional businesses and industries to ensure a skilled and qualified workforce. For additional information on Johnson College, please call 1-800-2-WE-WORK, email enroll@johnson.edu, or visit Johnson.edu.
Geisinger Continuing Walk-In COVID-19 Vaccines this Week Geisinger continues to make it easier to get a COVID-19 vaccine by offering walk-in vaccine events this week at its four vaccine centers. Walk-in COVID-19 vaccinations will be available: Thursday, June 3, at the Geisinger Jersey Shore Hospital Vaccine Center, 116 Kerr Ave., Jersey Shore, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.Friday, June 4, at the Geisinger CenterPoint Vaccine Center, 300 Keystone Ave., Pittston, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.Saturday, June 5, at the Geisinger Hughes Center Vaccine Center, 9 Stearns Lane, Danville, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.Saturday, June 5, at the Geisinger Lewistown Hospital Vaccine Center, 400 Highland Ave. Ext., Lewistown, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Geisinger is offering the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at all locations, which is a two-dose vaccine administered 21 days apart. Walk-in vaccines are available to anyone age 12 and over, but those under 18 years old must have a parent or legal guardian with them to receive their vaccine doses. The vaccine centers are staffed with pediatric teams, including pediatricians, to answer any questions and assist with the vaccinations. Geisinger continues to offer COVID-19 vaccines by appointment at its four vaccine centers, and those can be made through myGeisinger or by calling 570-284-3657. To check on additional walk-in vaccine days and times, and for more information about the COVID-19 vaccine, visit geisinger.org/COVIDVax.
