VNA Hospice and Home Health Community Sock Donation Drive Success Every year the Christmas holiday tends to bring out the best qualities in our human race. A time for giving, placing others needs before our own, and donating a priceless gift of volunteered time. In November, our Volunteer Coordinator, Marina Pambianco, and our amazing volunteer network organized a local donation drive requesting pairs of socks to be distributed in the month of December along with Meals on Wheels food delivery. Our goal at VNA Hospice and Home Health was to collect 1000 pair of socks for those in need. This year the Visiting Nurse Association ASKED and our community ANSWERED loud and clear. We are overwhelmed with the tremendous community response. The total number of sock pairs collected for our VNA “Sox in the Box” donation collection was 3,410 pairs of socks. Yes, three thousand four hundred and ten beautiful, whimsical, uplifting, warm, and loving pairs of socks donated from various schools, patrons, churches, and community organizations in our local area. We are humbled and grateful to share this news and are especially thankful to the students and faculty who embraced this request at St Mary’s in Dunmore, LaSalle Academy in Jessup, parishioners from Queen of Angels in Jessup, Christ the King in Archbald and Eynon, Our Lady of Mt Carmel in Dunmore, Holy Cross in Olyphant and Sacred Heart in Peckville. There are so MANY WONDERFUL community members who donated to this great request and we have planned on sharing this sock bounty across Lackawanna County. Meals on Wheels will receive 2,000 pairs of socks. Therefore, each client will get 2 pairs of socks for Christmas and the rest will be distributed to local nursing homes and support agencies to brighten and uplift others this holiday season. This is a great introduction to the newly implemented, “VNA Smiles for Miles Project” which will begin for all VNA patients, families, and caregiver staff with recent funding provided by the Scranton Area Community Foundation. What a tremendous reflection of our community’s kindness and generosity! VNA Hospice and Home Health would like to wish you all good health and happiness this holiday season. May your hearts always be filled with love and kindness and your feet always be warm! United we stand, Onward and Upward we Achieve.
Marywood University Recognized as a Best Allied Health Professions Schools Marywood University is one of the 2021 Best Allied Health Professions Schools according to Health Care Degree Search. Allied health encompasses a broad group of health professionals who use scientific principles and evidence-based practice for the diagnosis, evaluation and treatment of acute and chronic diseases, promote disease prevention and wellness for optimum health, and apply administration and management skills to support health care systems in a variety of settings. Marywood has earned a total of 6 different awards in this year’s rankings. Highlights includes #7 Best Allied Health Professions Schools in Pennsylvania; #9 Best Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services Master’s Degree Schools; #19 Best Allied Health Professions Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region; #26 Best Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services Schools; and #69 Best Allied Health Professions Schools. The determinants that Health Care Degree Search employed for their ranking methodology include outcome focus; majors and degree offerings; the amount of time for a student to graduate; ranking factors; post-graduation wages; educational resources and success; post-graduation debt, program demand; online options; and data systems, including integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP), the College Scorecard, and the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS). For additional information about Marywood University’s College of Health and Human Services, please visit marywood.edu/hhs/index.html, or call the Office of Admissions, at (570) 348-6234. For additional information about Health Care Degree Search, please visit healthcaredegreesearch.com/colleges/marywood-university/media/ranking-college-quality-media-kit/.
Boback First Woman Appointed Chair of House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee Rep. Karen Boback (R-Lackawanna/Luzerne/Wyoming) has been appointed as the first woman chairman of the House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee by Speaker Bryan Cutler (R-Lancaster) for the 2021-22 session. Boback was recently sworn into her eighth term in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. “I am proud to be part of a team of strong legislative leaders who support our Commonwealth,” Boback said. “It is my honor to have Speaker Cutler’s and my fellow members’ continued trust and support with the chairmanship of this important standing committee.” The House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee oversees legislation concerning public safety, emergency planning and preparedness, 911 emergency telephone services, fire and emergency medical services response and training, PA National Guard and military/veterans issues, nuclear power plant safety and response programs, flood response and mitigation programs, hazardous material planning and response, emergency communication systems, and homeland security and safety programs and initiatives. “In the district, I have made veterans and their needs a priority,” Boback explained. “I have held veterans’ outreach in our offices, as well as organized mobile veterans counseling outreach.” Boback has held 13 annual veterans’ recognition events and expos. She is also an active member on the Gino J. Merli Veterans’ Center Advisory Council. She has hosted several fire and EMS seminars to keep emergency responders in her district up to date on current emergency services laws and programs. In the upcoming legislative session, Boback is eager to work with her colleagues in the House and Senate, as well as all of the stakeholder organizations and state agencies which her committee oversees. For more information about this committee, or any other state-related issue, contact Boback’s Dallas district office at 570-675-6000 or her Tunkhannock office at 570-836-4777. Information can also be found on her website at Rep.Boback.com.
Geisinger Expanding COVID Vaccine Availability for Tier 1A Healthcare Personnel Geisinger is continuing to provide the COVID-19 vaccine for healthcare personnel who qualify as part of the state’s Phase 1A groups by expanding administration with new community-based vaccine centers throughout central and northeastern Pennsylvania. Appointments are required to receive the vaccine, and can be made online using myGeisinger. A questionnaire must be completed prior to scheduling to ensure eligibility and for health screening purposes. Healthcare personnel must bring to their appointments their healthcare-related identification (certificate, license etc.) to verify eligibility as part of the state’s Phase 1A groups and a valid driver’s license. Healthcare personnel who have been cared for by Geisinger or have Geisinger Health Plan insurance, but don’t have a myGeisinger account, can create one online. Those who haven’t been cared for by Geisinger and don’t have Geisinger Health Plan insurance or anyone under the age of 18 can call 570-284-3657 for help setting up an account. In alignment with federal and state guidelines and as supplies, staffing and logistics allow, COVID vaccines will be available to all healthcare personnel who qualify as part of the state’s Phase 1A, including: ChiropractorsClinical personnel in school or university settingsContracted healthcare personnel not directly employed by a health care facilityDentists and dental hygienistsDirect support professionalsEMSMedical students and traineesNon-Geisinger providers and their staffsNurses, nursing assistantsPersons not directly involved in patient care but potentially exposed to infectious material that can transmit diseasePharmacists and Pharmacy TechniciansPhlebotomistsPhysiciansTechniciansTherapists Geisinger is administering the Pfizer BioNTech and Moderna COVID vaccines. When scheduling appointments, it’s important to remember that two doses of the vaccine are required so healthcare personnel are encouraged to consider both doses when scheduling. The second dose of the Pfizer vaccine is needed 21 days after the first, and the second dose of the Moderna vaccine needed 28 days after the first. It’s required to receive both vaccines doses at the same location. Vaccines also remain available to Geisinger staff. To date, Geisinger has provided about 15,000 first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. Even as the vaccine becomes more available in our communities, preventive measures to help stop the spread of the virus continue to be important. Everyone, including those who receive the vaccine, should continue to properly wear a mask, avoid group gatherings, maintain physical distancing and practice proper handwashing. For answers to questions about the vaccine, visit the Geisinger COVID-19 vaccine resources center at geisinger.org/COVIDvax.
Johnson College Now Enrolling Students in OBDII Emissions Training Class Johnson College’s Continuing Education Program is currently enrolling students into its OBDII Emissions Training class. The class will be held in Weaver Hall on the Johnson College campus on Monday, Feb. 22 and Tuesday, Feb. 23 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., and conclude with testing on Thursday, Feb. 25 at 6 p.m. Space is very limited to allow for social distancing. Face masks must be worn at all times while on campus. To learn more or enroll call 570-702-8979 or email continuinged@johnson.edu. The OBDII computer monitors a vehicle’s emission control systems in real-time and is capable of informing a motorist or technician of a systemic issue the moment it occurs. The system operates through a series of indicator lights, drive cycles, trouble codes and readiness monitors. During an inspection, an emission analyzer scan tool plugs into the diagnostic connector that is attached to the OBDII computer and communicates with the vehicle. The OBDII computer relays to the scan tool whether it has discovered errors in the emission control systems. The emission analyzer then determines whether the vehicle is being operated in compliance with emission standards. For more information visit https://johnson.edu/continuing-education/odbii-emissions-licensing/. The class fee of $180 is paid to Johnson College and a study material and testing fee of $39.99 is paid directly to the PA Training Portal. For additional information on Johnson College, please call 1-800-2-WE-WORK, email enroll@johnson.edu, or visit Johnson.edu.
The Everhart Announces Upcoming Children’s Programs for Winter and Spring of 2021 The Everhart Museum announced today that registration is now open for the popular Everhart Minis and Junior as well as the newly created Creative Expression Lab. In partnership with Marywood University Art Therapy Department the Everhart Museum has created the Creative Expression Lab, inspiring kindergarten through sixth-grade artists to express creativity and imagination and explore social and emotional growth. Weekly themes will integrate social and emotional concepts such as empathy, respect, understanding of one’s emotions, and developing positive social interactions. The Creative Expression Lab is hosted by Dr. Ashley Hartman, Assistant Professor of Art Therapy, a board-credentialed art therapist (ATR-BC), and licensed professional counselor (LPC). Art therapists and students from Marywood University’s Art Therapy Program will develop and co-facilitate Studio Sessions. Creative Expression Studio Sessions will occur at the Everhart Museum on Saturday afternoons from 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm. Winter Session runs from February 20th through April 3rd, and Spring Session from April 10th through May 22nd. Member pricing is $35, and non-members are $40. Everhart Minis and Everhart Juniors will Explore Printmaking. Everhart Mini students (grades kindergarten through fourth) will have the opportunity to explore the art of composition and stamps used in printmaking. Students will learn what is unique about the variety of printmaking processes. Together they will explore artwork around them, their influence on their own artwork, how personal preferences and life experiences influence art, and how they can learn from past artists and connect what they learn into each individual creation. Everhart Junior students will be exploring composition, collagraph printmaking, and fashionable art. They will learn various art techniques and better understand the cultural and historical context of each artwork they view. Sessions for both the Minis and Juniors are as follows: Winter Session Virtual Open Studio at 10:00 am each Saturday starting on February 13th through March 27th. Spring Sessions, which are hybrid, begin on Saturday, April 10th through Saturday, May 22nd.Spring Session classes are hybrid and will be offered as kits with a live virtual component to all registered students. Limited on-site class seats will be available on a first-come, first-served basis once COVID restrictions are lifted for Spring Session ONLY. Kits are unique to the Everhart Museum and can be shipped (additional rates apply) outside of Lackawanna County. To subscribe to updates on classroom availability, contact assistant.programs@everhart-museum.org. Notifications will go out ahead of openings. “The programs offered this winter and spring have great potential to enrich arts learning at home,” said Stefanie Colarusso, Director of Programs. “The minis and juniors classes will provide students with the technical skills needed to create a work of art, and the expression lab is a safe space for all learners to express themselves through active arts learning.” Member pricing is $35, and non-members are $40 for both the Minis and Juniors. Kits are unique to the Everhart Museum and can be shipped outside of Lackawanna County. To Register for all programs, please visit “LEARN” on the Everhart Museums website at www.everhart-museum.org and click the link for member or non-member pricing.
Wolf Administration Invests in Rail Infrastructure, Supporting Business Development and 200 Jobs Statewide Today, Governor Tom Wolf announced the approval of 26 rail freight improvement projects that will enhance freight mobility while creating or sustaining more than 200 jobs across Pennsylvania. “Investing in our states rail system creates jobs and supports efficient freight travel,” said Gov. Wolf. “These investments help us build a world-class infrastructure system and support the business community.” The State Transportation Commission voted to approve $31.3 million for the projects through the Rail Transportation Assistance Program (RTAP) and the Rail Freight Assistance Program (RFAP). Pennsylvania has 65 operating railroads, which is more than any other state. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is committed to working with private rail operators and rail-served businesses to construct new rail lines and assist in maintaining and improving Pennsylvania’s roughly 5,600 miles of freight lines. Following is a list of 26 approved rail freight projects with the state share: Adams and Cumberland Counties: Gettysburg & Northern Railroad — $1.5 million to replace approximately 2,600 ties and 3,315 feet of rail on its mainline and improve three at-grade crossings Allegheny County: Union Railroad Company — $700,000 to replace approximately 500 bridge ties and 700 feet of rail on the first phase of their low-grade bridge project Union Railroad Company — $1 million to repair the Port Perry Bridge by replacing the floor beams and bridge stringers Berks County: Redevelopment Authority of the County of Berks — $991,250 to construct approximately 1,200 feet of yard tracks at their Boyertown Transload Facility Dyer Quarry — $192,150 to expand the locomotive garage to store their locomotives and re-align the track connecting the garage Bradford and Wyoming Counties: Lehigh Railway, LLC — $506,100 to replace approximately 4,900 rail ties. Bucks and Chester Counties: East Penn Railroad, LLC — $500,500 to improve track conditions by replacing approximately 4,500 ties on the Wilmington Northern line and 2,000 ties on the Quakertown line Clearfield and Cambria Counties: RJ Corman Railroad — $3 million to replace approximately 7,500 ties and 74,000 feet of rail on worn areas of its Cherry Tree and Cresson subdivisions Clinton County: South Avis Realty Inc. — $391,461 to replace ties and raise, line, and surface its industrial park tracks Delaware County: CSX Transportation — $8.4 million to replace a tunnel to permit routing of double-stack container and multi-level auto rack traffic to/from Port of Philadelphia Elk, McKean, and Warren Counties: Buffalo & Pittsburgh Railroad, Inc. — $700,000 to replace approximately 44,000 ft. of rail and 2,500 ties and surface the line to maintained 286,000 weight capacity and improve safety Fayette County: P and S Railyard — $227,658 to construct loading and unloading equipment and raise its track to accommodate the transload of materials Lackawanna, Monroe, and Wayne Counties: Delaware-Lackawanna Railroad — $1.3 million to construct a 3,900-foot siding to expand capacity and replace approximately 7,440 feet of rail and 1,550 ties Lawrence County: New Castle Industrial Railroad, Inc. — $262,500 to construct a new 3,200-foot siding to expand its main line track capacity accommodating increased interchange traffic with CSX and NS railroads Luzerne County: Redevelopment Authority of Luzerne County — $276,500 to replace approximately 1,500 ties and surface 5 miles of track McKean and Venango Counties: Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad — $4.7 million to replace three thru truss bridges and rehabilitate two abutments on a thru-girder bridge Mifflin County: SEDA-COG Joint Rail Authority — $282,245 to finish the work of phase II of the rehabilitation of approximately 1,550 feet of track on its West Park branch Montgomery County: Pennsylvania Northeastern Railroad — $483,000 to replace approximately 6,000 ties on its Stony Creek branch and Bethlehem branch. Northumberland County: Boyd Station — $2.6 million to expand its rail infrastructure and construct four new tracks and install unloading equipment Somerset County: Corsa Coal Corporation — $246,434 to rehabilitate approximately 10 miles of track from its Coleman Junction to the Cambria Plant Union County: Winfield Storage — $130,900 to rehabilitate approximately 400 feet of track and build an unloading pit and conveyor to transload the agricultural products from rail to truck Venango County: Oil Creek Titusville Lines, Inc — $140,000 to extend a passing siding by 1,000 feet improving its operations Westmoreland County: Three Rivers Marine & Rail Terminals, LLC — $176,146 to replace approximately 600 ties, two switches, and surface 800 feet of track Wyoming County: Procter & Gamble Paper Products Company — $246,886 to realign its tracks and replace a turnout to improve its operations and safety York County: York Railway Company — $2.1 million to replace 1.2 miles of jointed rail with CWR rail including the rehabilitation of seven turnouts and 10 public grade crossings For more information on PennDOT rail grant programs visit the Doing Business tab and click on Rail Freight and Ports.
PennDOT Driver License, Photo Centers Closed for Martin Luther King Jr. Day Holiday The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) today announced that all driver license and photo centers, including the Riverfront Office Center in Harrisburg, will be closed Saturday, January 16, through Monday, January 18, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Customers may still obtain a variety of driver and vehicle products and services, including all forms, publications and driver training manuals, online through PennDOT’s Driver and Vehicle Services website, www.dmv.pa.gov. Driver and vehicle online services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and include driver’s license, photo ID and vehicle registration renewals; driver-history services; changes of address; driver license and vehicle registration restoration letters; ability to pay driver license or vehicle insurance restoration fee; driver license and photo ID duplicates; and driver exam scheduling. There are no additional fees for using online services. A complete listing of PennDOT driver and photo license center closings in 2020 is available online. Motorists can check conditions on major roadway miles by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information, and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras. 511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website. Follow PennDOT on Twitter at www.twitter.com/PennDOTNews and like the department on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PennsylvaniaDepartmentofTransportation and Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/pennsylvaniadot/.
Northeast Regional Cancer Institute Receives $2,335 Donation The Plains Township Police Department collaborated with Futuristic Innovative Graphics in Kingston to specially design t-shirts as a breast cancer awareness fundraiser in October 2020.They raised $2,335.33 to support the Northeast Regional Cancer Institute, a local organization focused on easing the burden of cancer in northeastern Pennsylvania. It was important to the organizers to keep the proceeds local. Community members were able to purchase t-shirts online through Futuristic Innovative Graphics website. The fundraiser was promoted on social media through the police department, graphics company and the Cancer Institute’s designated pages. The Plains Township Police Department plan to host this fundraiser again in fall 2021.
Greater Scranton YMCA RESET Challenge Sick and tired of feeling sick and tired in these COVID-19 times? The Greater Scranton YMCA invites all in the community, Y members and non-members, to participate in a free six-week RESET challenge designed to help transform spirit, mind and body. “Now, more than ever before, we need to recharge and refocus,” said Trish Fisher, President & CEO, Greater Scranton YMCA. “The COVID-19 pandemic has worn us down. It’s isolated us in so many ways. This challenge provides an opportunity to get active and healthier by yourself or as a strong family.” Each week of the six-week challenge will feature a different theme, including reset, refresh, reconnect, replay, reinvest and restore. To keep each other accountable, participants will be assigned a team that is led by Y staff. All aspects of the challenge can be done virtually. The challenge begins February 1, 2021 and registration is currently open. To join, text RESET to 22454! In addition to the RESET challenge, the Greater Scranton YMCA will begin offering this month a new virtual wellness platform, BurnAlong. BurnAlong is provided exclusively to our members, providing on-demand group exercise, sports and play programs with Y instructors. The platform also includes access to 1000s of on-demand classes from instructors nation-wide, including classes in training, mindfulness, nutrition, stress management and more. To learn more about RESET and BurnAlong, visit www.greaterscrantonymca.org or call (570) 342-8115.
