Geisinger ADMI Offers Online Training for First Responders

Geisinger’s Autism & Developmental Medicine Institute (ADMI) is offering free online training for first responders to help them better assist children with special needs during emergencies. The training is also open to other community members.

Up to 15% of children have a developmental or behavioral disorder, including autism, speech and language disorders, intellectual disabilities, or conditions like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and anxiety. The training program provides an overview of these conditions, their related behaviors, and strategies for communicating with children who have these disorders in a variety of situations.

The training is facilitated by Barbara Haas Givler, director of education and behavioral outreach at Geisinger’s ADMI, and Cora Taylor, ADMI assistant professor.

“This training for first responders provides practical strategies for approaching and supporting children with special needs in emergency situations,” Haas Givler said. “We appreciate all that first responders do for our patients with special needs, including autism, and we’re thrilled to be able to give something back to them.”

Interested community members can view the webinar at geisinger.org/ADMIEMStraining. The training was funded in part by the Rite Aid Foundation.

ADMI has also created materials to help children with special needs and their families understand what to do in an emergency. For more information, visit geisingeradmi.org/admi-approved-resources.

Lackawanna College Named one of World’s Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company

Lackawanna College announced today that it has been included in Fast Company’s prestigious list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies in 2021 for its Level Up program. The Level Up program responds to the national crisis surrounding the increasing cost of higher education by providing the opportunity for students to earn an associate degree while in high school.

Fast Company’s World’s Most Innovative Companies list highlights businesses and organizations that have made an impact and transformed their industry. Lackawanna College ranked No. 9 in the Corporate Social Responsibility category, which recognizes corporate initiatives that meaningfully make a positive contribution to their community and stakeholders.

“We are extremely honored to be recognized as one of Fast Company’s World’s Most Innovative Companies,” said Dr. Jill Murray, Lackawanna College President and Chief Innovation Officer. “At Lackawanna College, we are constantly seeking innovative ways to bridge the socio-economic gap and help students obtain a degree quickly and at significantly less cost. More than ever, students need alternative pathways to help them succeed and thrive in an ever-changing world.”

President Murray has made innovation a priority at Lackawanna College over the years. Programs such as the Falcons Athletic Learning Community and its Developmental Student Model have demonstrated a commitment to student success through innovation while newer projects such as Level Up, a Venture Lab, and e-commerce programs have been included in the college’s curriculum over the last few years. 

Lackawanna College would like to recognize its partnerships with local organizations like the Sordoni Family Foundation and the Scranton Area Foundation that continue to enhance enrollment capacity, deepen student learning and support resources that are reflective of Lackawanna’s mission and vision of serving as the “communities’ college”.

Providence Engineering Announce Senior Consultant

Providence Engineering is pleased to announce that Vaughn Silar has joined the firm as a Senior Consultant.

With more than 30 years of experience in the AEC industry, Vaughn has earned a reputation for building successful businesses and delivering exceptional service to many clients throughout the United States. His commitment to the AEC industry, especially in Central PA, has garnered many longstanding relationships.

In his role as Senior Consultant, Vaughn will work closely with the Leadership and Project Management teams at Providence. He will provide high-level strategy as well as guidance on day-to-day operations. Vaughn’s hiring comes as Providence continues to implement its strategic growth plan, while staying focused on client satisfaction and operational simplicity.

“I’m excited for the opportunity to join Providence” says Silar.  “This is a great firm that has contributed to many successful projects throughout the Mid-Atlantic. I believe we are poised to expand market share and I look forward to helping clarify strategic goals and enhance operational efficiency.”

Center City Print March Sale

Center City Print is more than just print! We are your community partner, your go-to for custom design and printed gifts, and your mini-marketing team. We are a one-stop-shop offering products that are tailored for your needs, custom graphic design to make it shine, and high quality professional printing to put on the finishing touches. Whether you are looking for a canvas print for a birthday gift or custom party invitations, direct mail services, banners and signage, or photocopies, we’ve got you covered! 

This month, our featured sale is 10% off Promotional Items. With hundreds of products to choose from like custom hand sanitizers, tech products, pens and everything in between, browse our catalog in-store or give us a call to email it over to you. Promo products are great for handing out to your clients as thank you treats, in swag bags for your employees, trade show events, or just for fun! Put your custom art or logo on just about anything! Offer valid until March 31, one coupon per customer per order. Mention code “March Cal 21” instore/phone. Not valid online. 

Boback Announces Virtual Job Fair Available to Service Members and their Families

Rep. Karen Boback (R-Lackawanna/Luzerne/Wyoming) announced two upcoming virtual job fairs to help active military members, veterans and their families.

The first was held by the Department of Defense Military Spouse Employment Partnership on Wednesday, March 10, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The second will be held by the Pennsylvania National Guard Associations on Wednesday, March 24, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“These virtual job fairs present an amazing opportunity for those who have served our country and continue to serve, along with their families as well,” said Boback. “I am always honored to help out our veterans and their families in any way I can and sharing this information will hopefully provide individuals with interview and hiring experience.”

The Department of Defense Military Spouse Employment Partnership is hosting its fourth virtual hiring fair for military spouses. The department is committed to ensuring military spouses have the access to education and employment resources to help them thrive in their military life. Providing virtual opportunities and empowering military spouses remains a top priority.

For more information individuals can call 800-342-9647 to speak with a Spouse Education Career Opportunities career coach or visit www.msephire.vfairs.com to register for the event.

The Pennsylvania National Guard Associations (PNGAS) is hosting its virtual job fair for all job seekers, veterans and non-veterans. PNGAS has been helping Guard members, veterans, their spouses, military families, and job seekers get job opportunities. Right now, in the middle of COVID, the PNGAS Job Board has over 2,000 job postings.  

For more information and to register for the event visit https://pngas.org/mission/jobs-board.

The University of Scranton Virtual HamSCI Workshop

The fourth annual HamSCI Workshop 2021 for amateur radio operators and professional scientists will be held in a virtual format on Friday and Saturday, March 19-20. The University of Scranton will serve as host for the Zoom webinar, sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF), that will include addresses by guest speakers, poster presentations and demonstrations of relevant instrumentation and software.

Participation is free through support from the NSF and the University. The theme of this year’s workshop is midlatitude ionospheric science.

The workshop will also serve as a team meeting for the HamSCI Personal Space Weather Station project, which is a NSF funded project awarded to University of Scranton physics and electrical engineering professor Nathaniel Frissell, Ph.D. The project seeks to harness the power of a network of licensed amateur radio operators to better understand and measure the effects of weather in the upper levels of Earth’s atmosphere.

The workshop’s keynote address on the “History of Radio” will be given by Elizabeth Bruton, Ph.D., curator of technology and engineering at the Science Museum of London. She will discuss the history, science, technology and licensing of radio amateur communities from the early 1900s through to the present day, exploring how individuals and communities contributed to “citizen science” long before the term entered popular usage in the 1990s. Dr. Bruton has been a non-licensed member of Oxford and District Amateur Radio Society since 2014 and their web manager since 2015.

J. Michael Ruohoniemi, Ph.D., professor of electrical and computer engineering at Virginia Tech and principal investigator of the Virginia Tech SuperDARN Initiative, will review the physics of the midlatitude ionosphere and discuss ways in which the amateur radio community can contribute to advancing scientific understanding and technical capabilities. Joe Dzekevich K1YOW, an amateur radio citizen scientist who recently published his work in CQ Magazine, will present “Amateur Radio Observations and The Science of Midlatitude Sporadic E.” The event will also include virtual oral presentations by researchers from NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, MIT Haystack Observatory, the University of Oslo, the University of Bath, Case Western Reserve University, Dartmouth College. the University of Alabama, Clemson University, the New Jersey Institute of Technology and The University of Scranton, among others.

University students Veronica Romanek (KD2UHN), Hampton, New Jersey; Cuong Nguyen, Ashley; and M. Shaaf Sarwar (KC3PVF), Lahore, Punjab, are among the iposter presenters.

A full schedule of speakers and registration information can be found on the HamSCI Workshop 2021 website.

2020-2021 PIAA District II High School Basketball Championships this week at Mohegan Sun Arena

The 2020-21 PIAA District II High School Basketball Championships presented by Price Chopper Market 32 will be hosted from March 11th-13th at the ASM Global, the premier venue management and services company, managed Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre Township.

The PIAA District II Committee has hosted the Boys and Girls Basketball District Championships at Mohegan Sun Arena every year since 2016. Local and state guidelines on indoor venue capacities will be observed to ensure social distancing and guest and participant safety. Currently, Mohegan Sun Arena is permitted to host up to 15% capacity, which equates to approximately 1,500 people per game. This event will mark the first publicly ticketed event to be hosted at the venue under the revised capacity restrictions.

The District II High School Basketball Championship game schedule is as follows:

Thursday, March 11th
3:00 p.m. Girls 1A – Forest City vs. Susquehanna
5:30 p.m. Girls 4A – Berwick vs. Scranton Prep
8:00 p.m. Boys 3A – Wyoming Seminary vs. Riverside

Friday, March 12th
3:00 p.m. Girls 2A – Old Forge vs. Holy Cross
5:30 p.m. Girls 6A – Wilkes-Barre Area vs. Hazleton Area
8:00 p.m. Boys 5A – Abington Heights vs. Crestwood

Saturday, March 13th
10:00 a.m. Boys 2A – Old Forge vs. Elk Lake
12:30 p.m. Girls 3A – Western Wayne vs. Riverside
3:00 p.m. Boys 4A – Mid Valley vs. Scranton Prep
5:30 p.m. Girls 5A – Dallas vs. Abington Heights
8:00 p.m. Boys 6A – Williamsport vs. Scranton

Sunday, March 14th has been reserved for any weather-related cancellations.

Ticket prices for the District II Basketball finals at Mohegan Sun Arena are $8 for adults and students. Tickets will be sold by each participating school district and will be limited to comply with current local and state capacity restrictions for indoor facilities. Parking fees are included with the ticket price. All tickets are general admission and will require guests to sit in specially marked seats to comply with social distancing guidelines. Tickets will be valid for each individual game as sold. As opposed to previous years, all ticket holders for a specific game will need to exit the venue upon that game’s conclusion. Anyone wishing to attend another game will need to purchase a ticket for that specific game. The venue will be cleaned with CDC recommended disinfectant before and after each game. District II Gold passes will not be honored at Mohegan Sun Arena.

A limited number of tickets are on sale now at the NBT Bank Box Office at Mohegan Sun Arena. The Box Office will be open for ticket sales on the following dates and times this week:

NBT Bank Box Office at Mohegan Sun Arena hours:
Wednesday, March 10th – 10am-2pm
Thursday, March 11th – 1pm-8:30pm
Friday, March 12th – 1pm-8:30pm
Saturday, March 13th – 8:30am-8:30pm

One hour prior to the start of each game time and up until 20 minutes into the start of that game, Mohegan Sun Arena will limit Box Office ticket sales and transaction to accommodate guests attending that game only to assist with crowding around the Box Office area. All tickets will be sold at the exterior Box Office windows to ensure social distancing. Ticket purchasers are asked to limit the number of people in line to just the person making the transaction and then rejoin your group before entering the security checkpoint line.

Mohegan Sun Arena is undergoing numerous enhancements to the venue to ensure patron safety including:

  • Restroom renovations with easy-to-clean resin epoxy flooring and installation of touchless fixtures.
  • Plexiglass partitions around concessions areas.
  • Installation of directional and social distancing signage throughout the venue.
  • Replacement of cloth fabric seating to easy-to-clean vinyl seating.
  • Activation of the ASM Global VenueShield program providing the highest levels of safety, security and consumer confidence, in alignment with approvals from local government officials and health care experts.  

ASM Global reminds everyone participating and attending these championship events to please adhere to the new hygiene and security policies in place for the safety of all participants, guests and employees at the Mohegan Sun Arena including:

  • Everyone ages two and up will be required to wear a mask covering your face and nose when approaching the security checkpoints and upon entry to the venue.
  • Masks must be worn at all times inside the venue with the exception of when consuming food or beverage.
  • Cashless transactions are encouraged at the venue concessions stands. Limited stands will be open for this event, but all opened stands accept credit cards. Please assist our staff in obtaining a contactless environment by using a credit card.
  • Guests are asked to arrive at the venue with their group to be seated together. Seating is first-come, first-served and cannot be reserved in advance.
  • No more than four people will be permitted to sit together and will be seated in specially marked seats to help achieve safe social distancing.
  • Hand sanitizing stations have been placed at all entries and throughout the venue.
  • Upon exiting the venue, guests are asked to take their trash with them to the nearest trash receptacle and leave the venue at the direction of the venue staff.

    For more information on these policies, please visit https://www.MoheganSunArenaPA.com/VenueShield.

ASM Global also reminds guests of the following event security procedures:

  • Walk-through metal detectors will be in place at every arena entrance.
  • Mohegan Sun Arena’s “Clear Bag Policy” allows guests to bring their personal belongings in a clear tote not to exceed 12”x12”x6’.
  • Purses, backpacks and diaper bags are no longer permitted inside Mohegan Sun Arena.
  • Guests are asked to have their keys, wallets and phones out of their pockets upon arrival at the security checkpoints and jackets should be unzipped.
  • Security checkpoints will open approximately one hour prior to each game start time.
  • Doors for each game will open approximately 30-45 minutes prior to the event start time.
  • Event doors may be delayed due to the length of the previous game and time to properly sanitize high-touch surfaces and seating areas.

For more information about this policy and to view all prohibited items, please visit https://www.MoheganSunArenaPA.com/Policies

All student athletes, coaches and event officials must comply to the additional safety measures enacted by the PIAA for competition. For additional information about these policies, please visit https://www.piaad2.org.

The PIAA District II committee and Mohegan Sun Arena would like to thank and acknowledge the following event sponsors: Price Chopper Market 32, McCarthy Tire, Luzerne County Community College, NBT Bank, Wilkes University, Allied Services, Joyce Insurance and Red Robin.

The Dime Bank Announces Brian C. Urbas as a New Commercial Lending Officer

Brian C, Urbas has been hired at The Dime Bank as a new Vice President, Commercial Lending Officer, announced President and Chief Executive Officer Peter Bochnovich.

Urbas has 20 years of progressive banking and lending experience working at Northeast PA financial institutions serving Wayne, Susquehanna, and Lackawanna counties. Urbas’ enthusiastic and driven leadership skills coupled with his extensive experience yielded long-lasting customer relationships and strong business partnerships. His responsibilities included developing strategies to build new retail and business relationships in various industries, underwriting, and preparing and analyzing financial information for loan approval.

Urbas’ responsibilities as a vice president, commercial lending officer at The Dime Bank will be garnering new commercial customer relationships in the area as well as maintaining existing commercial relationships. Senior Vice President Chief Lending Officer William Boyle stated, “Brian’s experience and knowledge of the various financial needs of commercial customers make him a great addition to our commercial lending team. His ability to focus on business development coupled with his superb customer service will prove to be a benefit for The Dime Bank and our customers, present and future.”

Urbas has a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Bloomsburg University. He lives in the Forest City area with his wife Lora and three children Claire, Max, and Marlo. Urbas is a basketball and baseball coach for the Forest City Regional Schools and a baseball coach in the Carbondale Teener League.