Governor Shapiro Announces Planning of PA’s First Economic Development Strategy Moving at the Speed of Business: PA SITES Responding to outreach from businesses who see the benefits of locating or expanding in the Commonwealth, Governor Shapiro and Secretary Siger also unveiled the Pennsylvania Strategic Investments to Enhance Sites (PA SITES) pilot program. PA SITES will make at least $10 million in grant funding available to help more sites across the Commonwealth become “shovel ready” to attract and retain more businesses. Eligibility for the program includes PA municipalities, economic development organizations, redevelopment and municipal authorities, and industrial development agencies. Don’t delay! Applications are due by November 8th. Please help us spread the word to any others that may benefit from this program. PA: The Place for Growth For the Shapiro Administration and DCED, September was a huge month for business investments and job creation, as two national companies highlighted major expansions in Pennsylvania. DCED Secretary Rick Siger joined top United Parcel Service (UPS) officials to celebrate the completion of the company’s new East Zone Regional Hub in Dauphin County, the company’s fourth largest domestic hub. The Commonwealth, through DCED, offered UPS more than $9 million in incentives to win that major expansion which has already created nearly 1,250 jobs. Governor Shapiro and DCED Secretary Siger joined Pratt Industries Executive Global Chairman Anthony Pratt in Carlisle to announce a new commitment by the corrugated packaging company to invest $500 million and create hundreds of jobs in Pennsylvania over the next ten years. Economic Opportunity for All Governor Shapiro gave small businesses a better shot at getting Commonwealth contracts when he signed an Executive Order making the procurement process more accessible for small and small diverse businesses to compete for state contracts, giving them a better chance to succeed, and create good-paying jobs. Investing in Our Workforce The Shapiro Administration believes our workers should have the freedom to chart their own course to success. Echoing that, Secretary Siger announced a $200,000 grant to support manufacturing programsto inspire students and connect manufacturing talent in Clarion, Crawford, Erie, Forest, Mercer, Venango, and Warren counties with regional employers. Reinforcing the priority of workforce investment, Secretary Siger also announced a $200,000 Manufacturing PA Training-to-Career (MTTC) grant award to the Indiana County Technical Center to support a new Electrical Occupations Program for students in grades 10 through 12 in Indiana County. Investments in Tourism Fayette County’s Yough River Park was the perfect setting for Governor Shapiro and Secretary Siger to launch Pennsylvania’s Office of Outdoor Recreation and highlight the bipartisan 2023-24 budget’s $112 million budget investment in state parks and forests. That focus is also aimed at bringing outdoor recreation tourist revenue to Pennsylvania. World Cup soccer and the U.S. Open are bringing world-class athletes to the Commonwealth, and sports tourism will follow. Secretary Siger announced $5 million in grants through DCED’s Sports Marketing and Tourism Program to help bring nationally-known sporting events to Pennsylvania. The goal of the innovative investment is to capitalize on sports tourism which can increase sales to both large and small businesses in the surrounding area. Strengthening Communities The Commonwealth is always ready to help local communities stay on track. In September, new funding was awarded through the Municipal Assistance Program to support local governments in eight counties with planning for zoning and updating of comprehensive plans. Secretary Siger also announced three new low-interest loans through the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority to support business expansions and spur the economy in Beaver, Elk and Westmoreland counties. These newly approved loans build upon Governor Shapiro’s commitment to create a stronger economy across Pennsylvania.
Scranton Cultural Center Receives PA Historic and Museum Commission Grant The Scranton Cultural Center at the Masonic Temple is pleased to announce the completion of a long-range study that will guide its future efforts in the ongoing preservation, restoration, and modernization of the historic structure. The study was funded through the Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission and the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office. The completed report provides a comprehensive look at all of the building systems and spaces and identifies work remaining to be done. The study ranges from mechanical systems such as ventilation and plumbing to illumination and preservation of doors and historic paintwork. Taking slightly over a year to complete, the report was prepared by Highland Associates, an architectural and engineering firm located in Clarks Summit, Pa. The firm has over thirty years of experience in doing detailed analysis of structures and in designing solutions to achieve the multi-faceted goals of the SCC. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Designed by renowned architect Raymond Hood, the 180,000+ square foot structure has been in constant operation since opening in 1930. The building encompasses two theaters, a grand ballroom with balcony, several masonic lodge rooms, meeting spaces, a library and a youth theater space, as well a offices and support spaces. At one time, the facility housed an eight-lane bowling alley and a billiard room – both now converted for alternative uses. “We were delighted to have been chosen by PHMC as a grant recipient. This study is absolutely critical to our ability to plan the next steps in the restoration program and will serve as guidance for our future development and capital campaigns,” Deborah Moran Peterson, executive Director of the SCC said. “As a non-profit organization, this type of support is critical in our ongoing efforts to restore and improve our building so that we can continue to serve a broad and diverse population as a center for cultural and entertainment activities.” PHMC / PA SHPO provided $25,000 in a matching grant with the matching balance being provided by a private donor. Previous restoration and modernization work totals over $17,000.000 dollars, starting in 1987 with the formation of the Scranton Cultural Center and the award of $8,000.000 from the state of Pennsylvania under then Governor Robert Casey. A state funded exterior restoration project is currently being developed and is anticipated to begin in late spring of 2024. Future projects will include restoration of the Weinberg theater interior and modernization of stage mechanical, audio and lighting systems, addition of air conditioning to the second, third and fourth floor spaces, upgrades to the facility computer, phone and security systems, modernization of restrooms and dressing rooms, modernization of the facility HVAC control systems, and energy efficiency improvements, among others.
Lackawanna College Center for Technology Innovation Receives Donation from Coterra Energy Lackawanna College and Coterra Energy have partnered again on a new initiative to help expand workforce opportunities in northeast Pennsylvania. Through the Pennsylvania Neighborhood Assistance Program/Special Program Priorities (NAP/SPP), Coterra has donated $1 million to Lackawanna College to assist with the implementation of its new Center for Technology Innovation (CTI) to be launched in 2024 at their Scranton Campus. The collaboration between Lackawanna College and Coterra Energy is driven by a shared commitment to fostering innovation, technology, and workforce growth in the region. The CTI will serve as an education and corporate training space for both new students and existing professionals in the industrial technology workforce. “This partnership aligns perfectly with our mission to provide students with the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in the modern workforce. The Center for Technology Innovation will be a catalyst for innovation, creating a bridge between education and industry to drive economic growth in our community,” President and Chief Innovation Officer Jill Murray said. Coterra Energy’s donation reflects their commitment to supporting local communities and investing in the future of the workforce. This collaboration builds on the success of previous partnerships between Lackawanna College and Coterra Energy, underscoring the ongoing dedication of both organizations to the prosperity of northeast Pennsylvania. “Coterra has a history of investing in education locally, and Lackawanna College has been a great partner. From the School of Petroleum and Natural Gas in Tunkhannock, we have seen local students transition into solid careers with family sustaining wages,” Coterra Director of External Affairs George Stark said. “We expect the CTI to have the same impact here in Scranton. We are proud to call NEPA home and are excited to foster growth in new technologies and careers.” The CTI offers undergraduate degree programs, corporate training, as well as short term, stackable certificates, to prepare individuals for the jobs of tomorrow in areas such as robotics, electric vehicles/advanced automotive, cybersecurity, and communications technology. The CTI is now accepting enrollment in programs that will lead to careers in industries such as transportation and logistics, warehousing and distribution, industrial automation, and technology and communication. Lackawanna College’s vision for the CTI is to ensure the College’s role as an economic, social, and community development leader that supports the future industrial ecosystem.
Greater Scranton YMCA Receives Grant Award In June, 2023, the Greater Scranton YMCA was awarded a $15,000 Community Needs grant from the Scranton Area Community Foundation. Grant funding will support the expansion of the Y’s Early Learning Center. Since the onset of the COVID-19 public health emergency, the need for child care services in our community has grown substantially. Enrollment in the Greater Scranton YMCA’s early childhood education programs has grown significantly, with more than 60 children currently on a waitlist. The Greater Scranton YMCA is limited in space and at maximum capacity. In order to open an additional 30 child care spots each year, the Greater Scranton YMCA will renovate its second floor, which is currently being used for storage and the location of H-VAC. Through renovating the space, the Greater Scranton YMCA will create three new classrooms, each licensed to serve up to 10 children. The classrooms will specifically serve children ages zero to two, as the need for infant care is great. “Thanks to incredible community partners like the Scranton Area Community Foundation, the Greater Scranton YMCA will grow its Early Learning Center to serve more children and families from our community who are in need of care,” said Trish Fisher, President & CEO, Greater Scranton YMCA. “Through expanding the center to open an additional 30 spots annually, we will provide parents and caregivers with a safe, nurturing environment for their children to thrive in while they are able to work. We are so grateful for this support.
Geisinger Honored by American Medical Association Geisinger has earned recognition from the American Medical Association (AMA) as a Joy in Medicine™ recognized organization. The prestigious AMA distinction is granted only to organizations that attest to the rigorous criteria of the Joy in Medicine™ Health System Recognition Program and demonstrate a commitment to preserving the well-being of clinical care team members through proven efforts to combat work-related stress and burnout. “While there is still work to do, this recognition is a testament to our commitment to building a culture that allows our Geisinger family to thrive both personally and professionally,” said Susan Parisi, M.D., chief wellness officer. “When we create change at a system level to truly improve our care team members’ well-being, our patients and our entire Geisinger community benefit. We’re excited to join this collaboration of like-minded organizations where the mental health and well-being of our care team members is a priority, and we’re eager to continue this important work.” Burnout rates among the nation’s physicians and other health care professionals spiked as the COVID-19 pandemic placed acute stress on care teams and exacerbated long-standing system issues. While the worst days of the pandemic are past, the lingering impact of work-related burnout remains an obstacle to achieving national health goals. “Health organizations that have earned recognition from the AMA’s Joy in Medicine Health System Recognition Program are leading a national movement that has declared the well-being of health professionals to be an essential element for providing high-quality care to patients, families and communities,” said AMA President Jesse M. Ehrenfeld, M.D., M.P.H. “Each Joy in Medicine recognized organization is distinguished as among the nation’s best at creating a culture of wellness that makes a difference in the lives of clinical care teams.” Geisinger was recognized for its efforts to improve employee well-being through its Center for Professionalism and Well-being (CPW) — a team that offers Geisinger employees a variety of services related to mental health, burnout mitigation, community building, peer support and crisis response. In 2022, Geisinger named Dr. Parisi the health system’s first chief wellness officer to oversee the CPW and guide the implementation of a systemwide strategy to improve the mental health, professional fulfillment and overall well-being of the Geisinger family. Since its inception in 2019, the Joy in Medicine™ Health System Recognition Programs recognize more than 100 organizations across the country. In 2023, a total of 72 health systems nationwide earned recognition with documented efforts to reduce system-level drivers of work-related burnout and demonstrated competencies in commitment, assessment, leadership, efficiency of practice environment, teamwork and support.
Allied Services Receives Patient Satisfaction Award for Second Consecutive Year Allied Services has been recognized as a Superior Performer for achieving an overall family satisfaction score that ranked in the top 20% of all eligible SHP clients. The annual SHPBest™ award program was created to acknowledge home health agencies that consistently provide high-quality service to their patients and hospice providers that consistently provide high-quality service to families and caregivers of patients receiving hospice care. The 2022 award recipients were determined by reviewing and ranking the overall HHCAHPS survey satisfaction score for more than 2,500 home health providers and the overall CAHPS Hospice survey satisfaction score for more than 1,000 hospice providers. Assistant Vice President of Hospice and Palliative Care at Allied Services, Laura Marion, said, “These awards are so meaningful to our team because they are the result of feedback from our patients, caregivers, and families. To know that they see and value the quality and compassion of the care we deliver is the greatest reward.” Allied Services Hospice has served the community since 2015, providing care to more than 4,200 individuals and families in that time. Today, Allied Services’ hospice professionals provide compassionate end-of-life care in homes around Northeastern and Central Pennsylvania, and at their Hospice Centers in Scranton and Wilkes-Barre. The Allied Services Hospice staff is very proud to achieve this honor for the second time. They were previously recognized as a ‘Premier Performer’ in 2021. With the largest HHCAHPS benchmark and CAHPS Hospice benchmarks in the nation, SHP is in a unique position to identify and recognize home health organizations that have made patient satisfaction a priority and hospice organizations that have made family and caregiver satisfaction a priority. Read more about the SHPBest awards program, including methodology and recipient lists at www.shpdata.com/hospice/shpbest-caps-hospice.
RailRider Announce Player and Pitcher Of The Month Award News from the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders: Minor League Baseball has announced the Player and Pitcher of the Month Award winners for September in each of the 11 full-season leagues in Major League Baseball’s player development system. RailRiders right-hander Will Warren was tabbed as the International League’s top pitcher for the final month of the 2023 regular season. Warren went 1-0 with a 0.63 ERA in five appearances, including three starts, allowing just two earned runs over a league-best 28.2 innings. He led the International League in strikeouts (36) and was second in average against (.152) and WHIP (0.91). His two earned runs allowed were the fewest by a pitcher with more than 14.1 innings of work. Warren was selected by the Yankees in the eighth round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of Southeastern Louisiana University. He made his Triple-A debut in May and went 7-4 with a 3.61 earned run average for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre over 21 appearances, striking out 110 batters over 99.2 innings of work. Between the RailRiders and Somerset Patriots this season, the 24-year-old compiled a 10-4 record with a 3.35 ERA, totaling 149 strikeouts and 59 walks over 129.0 innings pitched. Warren is the sixth player in franchise history to earn a monthly honor from Minor League Baseball, joining Brandon Duckworth (Pitcher- July 2001), Jose Pirela (Player- June 2014), Aaron Judge (Player- June 2016), Jake Cave (Player- July 2017) and Michael King (Pitcher- August 2018). Scranton/Wilkes-Barre’s 2024 season begins on March 29. Season tickets for the home schedule are on sale now. Please visit swbrailriders.com or contact a ticket sales representative at (570) 969-2255.
Dick’s House of Sport Spooktacular October Events Climb for a Cure – All Month long. Climb For A Cure is your chance to conquer the wall while making a meaningful contribution to the fight against breast cancer. In partnership with the American Cancer Society of NEPA, 50% of the proceeds from EVERY climb in the month of October will be donated to the organization. Half of the proceeds go to American Cancer Society Price: $10.00 per climb October 11th, 18th, 25th – Home School PE Every Wednesday! Our Home School PE program is designed for young, homeschooled athletes that want to further their healthy and active lifestyle. Each week (Sept – Oct) your athlete will learn a new unit instructed by one of our trained teammates! Units will range from rock climbing, team sports, golf, outdoor games and more! October 13th Friday the 13th Bingo – Includes Prizes! Celebrate this (un)lucky day by joining us for Friday the 13th Bingo! All athletes will receive a spooky themed bingo card and will have to walk around the store to find our teammates who associate with each bingo square. Once you get Bingo, return it back to us and you will receive a prize! FREE event October 16th National Sports Trivia Night – Get your Trivia On! – Includes Prizes! Show us what you got! Gather your buddies and join us for our first Trivia Night! In celebration of National Sports Day, our theme is, you guessed it, SPORTS! There will be prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place teams! Teams must be at least 2 people. Price: $10.00 per team October 17thYoga Meets Baseball/Softball Yoga benefits every athlete! This yoga session will focus on different sports each month. This month, we will be focusing on yoga for Baseball and Softball players! This class will be taught by Chelsea Manganaro, founder of NearMe Yoga. Chelsea will demonstrate the most beneficial yoga stretches you can do as an athlete. Afterwards, participants will get to sample some delicious smoothies from NearMe Cafe and take some swing in our Multi-Sport Cage! There will be 2 sessions to this class, one specifically for Softball and one for Baseball. Each will be 40 min. Please make sure to select your correct time when booking! SOFTBALL: 6:00-6:40PM BASEBALL: 7:00-7:40PM Price: $10.00 per person October 20th Halloween Paint Night with Spirited Art! Join us for a Halloween painting class instructed by Spirited Art Scranton! This class is recommended for children 6 years of age and older, however, everyone is welcome! All paint supplies will be provided and every athlete can take their painting home with them! Price: $30.00 October 27th – Halloweekend – Pumpkin Painting Join us for Halloween Events ALL WEEKEND! Crafts, Halloween Games, and more will be FREE to everyone, however, there are a few premium events that participants MUST need wristbands for. DAY 1: PUMPKIN PAINTING All athletes will receive a mini pumpkin which they can paint themselves and take home! All painting supplies will be provided. Athlete MUST have a wristband for this event. Check In at the Rock Wall. Price: $10.00 October 28th – Halloweekend – Trick or Treat & Costume Party Join us for Halloween Events ALL WEEKEND! Crafts, Halloween Games, and more will be FREE to everyone, however, there are a few premium events that participants MUST need wristbands for. DAY 2: Costume Contest Dress to impress and enter our costume contest! Each athlete will get their photo taken in their costume and hang it up on our photo wall! We will have a staff vote and select a winner at the end of the night. Winner will be contacted and they will receive a gift card! ALL Athletes will be able to participate in our in-store Trick or Treat event! Visit each department and collect candy along the way! Athlete MUST have a wristband for this event. Check In at the Rock Wall. Price: $10.00 October 29th – Halloweekend – Scavenger hunt, Doggy Trick or Treat & Costume Party! Doggy Trick or Treat & Costume Party Join us for Halloween Events ALL WEEKEND! Crafts, Halloween Games, and more will be FREE to everyone, however, there are a few premium events that participants MUST need wristbands for. DAY 3: Doggy Trick-Or-Treat & Costume Contest Celebrate Howl-O-Ween by bringing your pup to Trick-Or-Treat around the store. Our staff will have different dog treats at each department! There may be some doggy vendors along the way as well. Also, enter your spooky doggo in our costume contest! Each dog will get their picture taken and hung up on our photo wall. Staff will vote for the winners of various categories. Winners will be contacted and receive a prize! Price: $5.00 per dog PLEASE ACKNOWLEDGE: There WILL be other dogs throughout the store. PLEASE only bring your dog if they are friendly! DICK’S House of Sport is not responsible for the owners or dog’s actions. Scavenger Hunt Join us for Halloween Events ALL WEEKEND! Crafts, Halloween Games, and more will be FREE to everyone, however, there are a few premium events that participants MUST need wristbands for. DAY 3: Halloween Scavenger Hunt All athletes will receive a treasure map guiding them throughout the store to find some spooky goodies! Athlete MUST have a wristband for this event. Check In at the Rock Wall.
