Crystal Window & Door Systems Receives Industry Recognition Leading national trade publication US Glass Magazine named the Crystal Aluminum Series 1450/1460 Terrace Door the winner in the 2022 Doors and Door Products category of its annual Readers’ Choice Awards. “I’m proud that Crystal’s industry leading window and door products continue to be valued by the building industry,” said Sabrina Leung, Crystal’s R&D and Architectural Sales Manager.
WVIA’s George Graham Awarded Radio Broadcaster of the Year Award The Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters (PAB) Board of Directors has announced that WVIA’s George Graham will receive the Radio Broadcaster of the Year Award for 2023. The award will be presented at the PAB’s annual Excellence in Broadcasting Awards Luncheon at the Harrisburg Hilton Hotel on Friday, May 5th. The Broadcaster of the Year Award is conferred for continued quality performance and recognizes an active radio and television on-air broadcaster each year.
NEPA Alliance Attend National Conference NEPA Alliance President and CEO Jeff Box welcomed attendees to the 2023 National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) and Development District Association of Appalachia (DDAA) Washington Conference. The event featured a full day of learning and networking for regional development organizations and their stakeholders.
G.R Noto Electrical Construction Earns 2022 GASE Award G.R. Noto Electrical Construction, Inc., has the pleasure to announce it has earned the 2022 Pennsylvania Governor’s Award for Safety Excellence (GASE). This award recognizes outstanding workplace safety. G.R Noto makes it a priority to protect workers and prevent workplace injuries and illnesses. G.R. Noto Electrical Construction, Inc., efforts help to make not only itself a safe work environment, but also Pennsylvania a much safer place in which to work. The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry Bureau of Workers Compensations stated they “were impressed with G.R. Noto Electrical Construction, Inc’s engineering innovations implemented since last winning the GASE award in 2016, most notably the Prefab shop and the Building Information Modeling System (BIM). G.R. Noto Electrical Construction, Inc. safety efforts have continued to result in incident rates well below industry averages.
Space Time Mead and Cider Works Collaboration Wins Best of Class Honey Hole Winery’s/Space Time Mead & Cidery Work’s “Collaboration Pyment” made with Pennsylvania Chambourcin grapes and local honey received a Double Gold medal and “Best of Class” at the American Wine Society’s (AWS) 2022 Commercial Wine Competition held in Bellevue, Washington. In 2021, their Collaboration Lavender Mead won American Wine Society’s (AWS) Commercial Wine Competition Best of Class Mead “What is so great about this recognition is that the mead was made from all Pennsylvania sourced ingredients including honey from local apiaries The Bee Keeper’s Daughter, and Murphy’s Bee Farm.” said Pete Aiello of Honey Hole Winery. “Northeastern Pennsylvania has some quality beekeepers!” “Happy to be winning this with our friends at Honey Hole Winery”, weighed in Dan Schreffler of Space Time Mead & Cider Works. “Not only winning Best of Class two years in a row, and receiving a high score of 96, and Double Gold is special.” Out of 7 collaboration wines, the Chambourcin Grape Pyment is their third double gold medal award winning mead. This is the 3rd American Wine Society’s Commercial Best of Class Mead won by Space Time Mead & Cider Works. Their next collaboration is under development and will be released in Spring of 2023.
WVIA Radio Announces Joint Celebration of 50th Anniversary WVIA Radio and The Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic announce a joint celebration of their respective 50th anniversaries. The Philharmonic and WVIA will mark the occasion by collectively commissioning and presenting the world-premiere of Palma, a fable for narrator, young string players, young chorus, and symphonic orchestra with music by Paul Salerni and text by Dana Gioia. The event will take place at the Scranton Cultural Center in November 2023. Just as the Philharmonic commemorates its continued mission to present live symphonic performances and music education through multiple concert series and educational outreach programs such as Music in our Schools, Young People’s Concerts, and the NEPP Mentoring Program, WVIA is pleased to present this piece as a salute to its beloved WVIA Radio and its hosts. Erika Funke, Lisa Mazzarella, George Graham, Larry Vojtko and Paul Lazar collectively immerse our region in classical, jazz, and opera programming throughout the broadcast week along with Morning Edition each weekday, All Things Considered, and Fresh Air in the afternoon, and many favorite weekend programs such as Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me and WVIA’s own WVIA News and Keystone Edition. Dr. Paul Salerni, NEH Distinguished Chair in the Humanities and Professor of Music at Lehigh University, director of the Lehigh University Very Modern Ensemble, and founder and Artistic Director of the Monocacy Chamber Orchestra will collaborate with Dana Gioia, a former Poet Laureate of California and Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. Salerni and Gioia are no strangers to collaboration. Salerni’s one-act opera Tony Caruso’s Final Broadcast, with a libretto by Dana Gioia, won the National Opera Association’s Chamber Opera competition. Haunted, a one-act ballet opera composed by Salerni, with a libretto by Dana Gioia, is adapted from Gioia’s poem of the same name. Salerni, a lover of Italian fables, has written compositions in the past based upon two of his favorites: The Big Sword and The Little Broom and The Old Witch and the New Moon. This newly commissioned selection completes the trilogy of fable-inspired works. The work will feature the main character, Palma, who wrestles with the conflicting interests of toiling for basic survival and her desire to make music with a cherished violin. Palma is named after Salerni’s ninety-four-year-old mother who was born in Carbondale. Featuring the NEPA Philharmonic conducted by Mélisse Brunet, this special performance will continue WVIA’s tradition of educating young people and the Philharmonic’s tradition of nurturing young players in their musical gifts. The performance will include the participation of talented local children from the Choral Society of Northeastern Pennsylvania and a school string ensemble from the Abington Heights School District. Enthusiasts of Salerni’s work note that while his compositions are challenging for the most talented of professional instrumentalists, they deftly engage audiences of all ages. As such, this debut performance narrated by WVIA’s own Erika Funke is destined to be a cherished highlight for our Pennsylvania communities.This performance will be the final concert Mélisse Brunet will direct as the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic’s Music Director. Following the program, there will be a reception to thank Mélisse for her outstanding leadership and extend our warmest wishes for a brilliant career.
SWB RailRiders Broadcaster Honored by Ballpark Digest Ballpark Digest has named Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders voice Adam Marco as the 2022 Minor League Baseball Broadcaster of the Year. The publication annually honors the best achievements from across the industry and Marco is the second Scranton/Wilkes-Barre broadcaster to win this prestigious award. “If I had Adam’s skill set, I would have a much easier time articulating just how deserving he is of the award,” said Katie Beekman, the RailRiders General Manager. “His unwavering dedication to his craft, his quick wit and his vast knowledge of the game make him the perfect candidate for this award. The RailRiders are so proud of his accomplishments and we hope to enjoy his talents for many years to come.” Marco has broadcast over 1,500 Minor League Baseball games in his career. He joined the RailRiders in 2018 as the fourth lead voice in team history. A 2001 graduate of Mercyhurst College, Marco worked in terrestrial radio for seven years before starting in baseball in 2007 with the Williamsport Crosscutters. After two seasons with the Oklahoma City RedHawks, he became the broadcaster of the West Virginia Power. Over eight seasons with the Power, he also served as a group sales and corporate sales representative before taking on the club’s Director of Marketing role in 2014. Marco was honored by the South Atlantic League as their Media Relations Director of the Year that same year. He replaced former SWB broadcaster and current Cincinnati Reds voice John Sadak in 2018. Sadak won this honor from Ballpark Digest in 2013 after the RailRiders inaugural season at the revamped PNC Field, which earned their praise that season as Ballpark of the Year. Since 2018, Marco has also served the team in various roles, ranging from marketing to sales to promotions while handling the RailRiders media relations and maintaining the club’s website. “Broadcaster of the Year is one of the most important industry awards we present—broadcasters are the public face of every baseball team, so we take our decision very seriously,” said Kevin Reichard, Ballpark Digest publisher. “Adam Marco is one of the best in the business. He calls a great game, but beyond that he’s an integral part of the RailRiders’ success in many ways not seen by fans. We’re honored to recognize his accomplishments.” The RailRiders open to the 2023 season at home on March 31. Season tickets are available at swbrailriders.com or call (570) 969-2255 for more information.
Greater Scranton YMCA Summer Food Program Six out of seven kids in need of healthy, nutritious meals may have gone hungry this summer, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). With support from the Walmart Foundation, the YMCA worked to fill the gaps through its Summer Food Program, while also responding to a growing hunger crisis in the wake of rising costs of food and economic uncertainty during the pandemic. According to the USDA, around 30 million kids receive free or reduced-cost meals thanks to the National School Lunch Program. However, once the school year ends, only 14 percent of those same kids are able to access free meals over the summer break, leaving many children without nutritious meals during the summer months. This is at a time when many families are struggling due to rising costs of food and the lingering economic uncertainty following the COVID-19 pandemic.The Y’s Summer Food Program was available at more than 2,500 locations across the country this summer, including at the Greater Scranton YMCA. From June through August, 2022, the Greater Scranton YMCA served 4,142 meals and 2,782 snacks to 235 children here in the Greater Scranton region. During the school year, the Greater Scranton YMCA will also serve healthy meals and snacks in its afterschool program and early childhood education program to provide kids with nourishment and academic enrichment. “Hunger has a lasting impact on the development of children,” says Trish Fisher, President & CEO, Greater Scranton YMCA. “Giving kids access to nutrient-dense meals allows kids to focus, learn and become empowered to reach their full potential. The Y’s Summer Food Program, along with our Food Program offered during the school year, helps make sure kids can enjoy healthy and delicious meals and snacks throughout the course of the year.” To learn more about the Greater Scranton YMCA’s Food Program and Early Childhood Education Program, contact Tressa Parker, Education Director, at tparker@greaterscrantonymca.org.About
Mark Novitch Elected Chairman of the PTD Board Mark Novitch of Sherwood Freightliner & Western Star, Inc. and Sherwood Isuzu Trucks has been elected chairman of the Pennsylvania Truck Dealers Board of Directors, during the PTD convention in August. Mark has served on the PTD board since 2004. PTD is head quartered in Harrisburg and represents all franchised truck dealers & dealerships in PA. Mark has worked with Don & Maria Sherwood since 2001 and is General Manager, SR Vice President, part owner and CX Manager (customer experience manager). The truck dealership has 3 locations in Dunmore, Tunkhannock, and Hazleton area. Dealer Principal, Don Sherwood, was PA Truck Dealer of the year in 2014. The Sherwood family has been in the vehicle business since 1925. Mark and his wife, Cinda, live in Nicholson and have a daughter, Lisa Truesdale, son-in-law Ron Truesdale and grandchildren Lincoln Mark Truesdale and Gabrielle Truesdale, fiancé Patrick Bussmann and great grandson, Oden Bussmann. Mark worked in the family business, W.W. Novitch, Inc., the International Truck & Farm Equipment Dealership in Nicholson and TRL, Inc., as the Director of Fleet Maintenance Operations before becoming a partner at the Sherwood Truck dealerships. Mark was the Mayor / Police Commissioner of Nicholson and served on several boards including First NTL Bank of Nicholson, Community Bank & Trust, PA Truck Dealers, Keystone College, Johnson College, Nicholson Heritage Association and Nicholson Cemetery Association. He held prior church positions of Trustee, Elder, Financial Secretary, Treasurer, Finance & Budget Committee. Mark is quoted “I enjoy going to work every day, but my favorite job is husband, dad, grandpa, and great grandpa. I am very fortunate, thank God”.
FNCB Bank Honors Long-Time Employees FNCB Bank, locally based since 1910, recently recognized 19 employees with 10 or more years of service during an employee appreciation event at Glenmaura Country Club, Moosic. The following employees were honored at the event:45 years of service: Mary Ann Gardner (Compliance). 35 years of service: James Bone (Finance), Dawn Diehl (Retail Banking), and Tom Lunney (Facilities). 30 years of service: Jerry Champi (Executive) 25 years of service: Pat Barrett (Commercial), and Holly Fortese (Loan Operations) 15 years of service: Tiffany Bator (Compliance), MT Constantino (Retail Banking), Anthony Grande (Facilities), Ted Kowalick (Mortgage Origination), Jamine Mbae (Retail Lending), Lois Syryla (Commercial), and Karen Wolfe (Retail Banking). 10 years of service: Michael Cummings (Marketing), Michelle Jacques (Executive), Nancy Pipcho (Credit), Margaret Woody (Compliance), and John Zielinski (Technology Services).
