Wolf Administration Wraps Up 2022 Construction Season

PennDOT Engineering District 4 today held a media event to wrap up another busy construction season and note the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s assistance in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne, and Wyoming counties.

“The 2022 construction season included the infusion of additional federal transportation investments and continued management of an infrastructure system covering 4,000 miles of roads and 2,100 bridges across six counties,” said PennDOT District 4 Executive Richard N. Roman, P.E. “Our design, construction and maintenance teams, along with many external partners, came together to find innovative solutions, executed most projects ahead of schedule, and kept the focus on safety for the traveling public and our employees at all times.”

These improvements include projects supported and accelerated by the BIL. In 2022 alone the BIL is bringing at least $49.6 million in funding to the District 4 region to be allocated by the department and its local Metropolitan and Rural Planning Organization (MPO/RPO) partners:

  • Lackawanna Luzerne Transportation Study (LLTS) MPO received at least $21.8 million;
  • Northeastern Pennsylvania (NEPA) MPO received at least $12.1 million;
  • Northern Tier RPO received at least $13.9 million more; and
  • Wayne County received at least $1.8 million more.

The district opened bids for 42 contracts totaling nearly $298 million in value. Of those contracts, 26 were for roadway work and 16 were for bridge work.

More than 371 miles of paving and 599 miles of seal coating (oil and chip) were completed in the district in 2022.

Work was performed on 28 state-owned bridges by contractors. This included replacing or rehabilitating 20 bridges and preserving eight bridges. Additionally, department-force bridge crews worked on 118 bridges. The district has been able to stretch resources by using in-house capabilities for highway and bridge improvements. 

Below is a list by county of the major projects that were completed or under construction in the district in 2022. Some of the largest are multi-year projects that started prior to 2022.

Lackawanna County:

  • Resurfacing on Routes 247,1010, 2006, 2008, 3018, 3033 and 6011 in various municipalities. Construction will be completed in 2022. $4.3 million;
  • Arch rehabilitation project on Route 632 over Ackerly Creek in Dalton Borough. Construction was completed in 2022. $410,000;
  • Interstate 84 over the Lackawanna Railroad, Roaring Brook, and Route 435 in Dunmore Borough, Bridge Replacement and Interchange Reconfiguration Project. Construction will continue through 2026. $113 million;
  • I-84 in Roaring Brook Township, Resurfacing and Bridge Rehabilitation Project. Construction will continue through 2023. $18.9 million;
  • Route 6006 (Robert P. Casey Highway) in Various Municipalities, Concrete Pavement and Bridge Preservation Project. Construction will continue through 2024. $29.9 million;
  • Main Street (Local Project) in Dickson City Borough, Resurfacing and Signal Improvements Project. Construction will continue through 2023. $1.1 million;
  • Bridge rehabilitation on Route 107 over Tunkhannock Creek in Scott Township.  Construction will continue through 2023. $944,000;
  • Bridge preservation on I-81 and Route 1016 in various municipalities in Lackawanna and Luzerne counties. Construction will be completed in 2022. $3.3 million;
  • Bridge rehabilitation on Route 8015 over Leggett’s Creek in South Abington Township.  Construction will be completed in 2022. $1.6 million;
  • Traffic signal project on Route 3013 in the City of Scranton. Construction will continue through 2023. $1.1 million;
  • Resurfacing, bridge preservation, and cable median barrier project on I-81 from Dickson City to the Susquehanna County Line. Construction will continue through 2024. $36.5 million;
  • Bridge rehabilitation on Route 407 over Lackawanna Lake in North Abington Township.  Construction will be completed in 2022. $1.9 million;
  • Bridge replacement on Route 307 over Green Run in Roaring Brook Township.  Construction will be completed in 2022. $1.9 million;
  • Bridge rehabilitation and superstructure replacement on Route 4005 over D&H Railroad in Benton Township. Construction will continue through 2023. $2.4 million;
  • Bridge preservation on I-81, Route 6006, Route 11, Route 348, Route 2004, and Route 435 in various municipalities in Lackawanna and Luzerne counties. Construction will be completed in 2022. $5.7 million;
  • Bridge rehabilitation on Route 6006 over Racket Brook in the City of Carbondale. Construction will be completed in 2022. $796,000;
  • Resurfacing on Routes 435 and 1007 in various municipalities. Construction will be completed in 2022. $1.4 million;
  • Resurfacing on Routes 247 and 1017 in various municipalities. Construction will be completed in 2022. $4.3 million;
  • Bridge rehabilitation on Route 4023 over Spillway Griffin Pond Reservoir in South Abington Township. Construction will be completed in 2022. $281,000;
  • Resurfacing and signal improvements project, Main Street Corridor (Local Project) in Dickson City Borough. Construction will be completed in 2022. $3.4 million; and
  • Federal Aid Resurfacing and ADA Ramp Reconstruction Project on Routes 247, 1010, 2006, 2008, 3018, 3033 and 6011 Construction will be completed in 2022. $4.2 million.

Luzerne County:

  • Rehabilitation on Route 11 over Mill Creek Bridge and the Norfolk Southern, Reading, Northern, and Blue Mountain Railroad in the Borough of Dupont. Construction will continue through 2022. $1.9 million;
  • Roadway extension on Route 424 in Hazle Township. Construction will continue through 2024. $17 million;
  • Paving and surface treatment on Routes 18, 1013, 1015, 1029, 25, 27, 28, 2020, 2035, and 3030 in various municipalities. Construction will continue through 2023. $6.5 million;
  • Resurfacing on Routes 315, 1014, 1019, 2013, 2022, and 3021 in various municipalities. Construction was completed in 2022. $4.7 million;
  • Safety improvement project on Route 309 in Wilkes-Barre Township. Construction was completed in 2022. $1.3 million;
  • Bridge preservation on I-81, Route 11, and Route 309 in various municipalities. Construction was completed in 2022. $6.0 million;
  • Resurfacing on Route 315 in the Borough of Laflin, Plains Township, and Jenkins Township. Construction was completed in 2022. $1.9 million;
  • Resurfacing on Routes 11, 19, 92, and 309 in various municipalities. Construction will continue through 2023. $9.3 million;
  • Bridge preservation on I-81 in Hanover Township, Wilkes-Barre Township, and the Borough of Ashely. Construction will continue through 2023. $7.3 million;
  • Route 437 in Wright Township, Roadway Emergency Flood Project from Hurricane Ida. Construction was completed in 2022. $214,000;
  • Intersection improvement project at Route 2015 and Route 2004 in Plains Township. Construction will continue through 2023. $716,000;
  • Route 2007 in the City of Wilkes-Barre, Pedestrian Safety Improvement Project. Construction will continue through 2023. $1.4 million;
  • Railroad Bridge preservation on Route 29 over Susquehanna River in Plymouth Borough. Construction will continue through 2023. $4.7 million;
  • Surface improvement on Routes 315, 424, 1029, 1035, 2024, 2040, 2042, 2045, 2049, and 3017 in various municipalities. Construction will continue through 2023. $8.3 million;
  • Pipe replacement on Route 1043 and Route 1014 in Dallas Township. Construction was completed in 2022. $577,000;
  • Bridge replacement on Route 2035 over I-81 in Pittston Township. Construction will continue through 2024. $5.5 million;
  • Concrete paving repair on I-80 and I-81 in various municipalities. Construction will be completed in 2023. $5.4 million;
  • Route 3006 and Route 3008 in Conyngham Township, Base Repair Project. Construction will be completed in 2022. $2.3 million;
  • Route 93 and Route 309 in Sugarloaf Township, West Hazelton Borough, City of Hazleton, and Butler Township, Mircosurfacing Project. Construction was completed in 2022. $4.5 million;
  • Route 309 over Route 2022 in the City of Wilkes-Barre and Plains Township, Bridge Preservation Project. Construction will continue through 2023. $8.6 million;
  • Culvert replacement on Route 3007 over Little Wapwallopen Creek in Slocum Township. Construction will be completed in 2022. $1.2 million;
  • Bridge replacement on Route 92 over Lewis Creek in Exeter Township. Construction was completed in 2022. $805,000;
  • Culvert replacement on Route 1012 over a Branch of Harvey’s Creek Project in Jackson Township. Construction will continue through 2023. $12 million;
  • Culvert replacement on Route 1048 over Harvey’s Creek in Lehman Township. Construction was completed in 2022. $1 million;
  • Bridge replacement on Route 3014 over Nescopeck Creek in Nescopeck Township. Construction will continue through 2023. $2,7 million; and Culvert replacement on Route 1025 over Hicks Creek in Exeter Township. Construction was completed in 2022. $797,000.

Pike County

  • I-84 in Greene Township, Reconstruction and Bridge Replacement Project, Construction will continue through 2023. $103.8 million;
  • Reconstruction on Route 6 between Milford and Matamoras. Construction will be completed in 2022. $5.1 million;
  • Slope repair on Route 2002 in Delaware Township. Construction will be completed in 2022. $547,000;
  • Box culvert rehabilitation on Route 507 in Palmyra Township. Construction will be completed in 2022. $853,000;
  • Box culvert rehabilitation on Route 6 in Milford Township. Construction will be completed in 2022. $873,000;
  • Bridge replacement on Route 390 in Green Township. Construction will continue through 2023. $1.9 million;
  • Route 590 in Lackawaxen Township, High Friction Surface Treatment Project. Construction will continue through 2023. $298,000;
  • Resurfacing on Route 1014 in Lackawaxen Township. Construction will continue through 2023. $1 million;
  • Bridge replacement on Route 2003 in Lehman Township. Construction will continue through 2023. $814,000; and
  • I-84 in Matamoras Township, Roadway and Ramp Reconstruction Project. Construction will be completed in 2022. $7.1 million.

Wayne County

  • Bridge preservation on Route 507 in Dreher Township, Route 4003 in Dyberry Township and Route 3003 in Eaton Township. Construction was completed in 2022. $1 million;
  • Paving Route 6, Route 652 and Route 4005 in various municipalities. Construction was completed in 2022. $4.8 million;
  • Route 3017 in Salem Township, roadway emergency flood project. Construction was completed in 2022. $208,000;
  • Bridge replacement on Route 3034 in Lake Township. Construction will be completed in 2022. $795,000;
  • Resurfacing on Routes 6 and 1016 in various municipalities. Construction will be completed in 2022. $2.4 million;
  • Bridge restoration on Route 191 in Sterling Township. Construction will continue through 2023. $1 million; and
  • Slope reconstruction on Route 1006 in Berlin Township. Construction will be completed in 2022. $738,000.

Wyoming County

  • Resurfacing on Route 87 in various municipalities. Construction was completed in 2022. $3.8 million;
  • Resurfacing on Route 3001 in various municipalities. Construction was completed in 2022. $3.7 million;
  • Route 92 in Falls Township, Arch Culvert Rehabilitation Project. Construction will be completed in 2022. $1.6 million;
  • Roadway rehabilitation on Routes 29, 1011, 1013, and 2035 in various municipalities. Construction was completed in 2022. $2.1 million; and
  • Resurfacing on Routes 2008, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2021, 2023 and 2025 in various municipalities. Construction was completed in 2022. $3.6 million.

Marywood University to Celebrate the Season by “Making Spirits Bright”

“Making Spirits Bright,” Marywood’s annual celebration of the holiday season through festive programming, community service, and spiritual opportunities, will kick off on Wednesday, November 30, and continue through New Year’s Eve. 

FESTIVE PROGRAMMING

The signature event, Marywood’s Annual Christmas Tree Lighting, will take place in the Rotunda of the Liberal Arts Center on Wednesday, November 30, at 4 p.m. Seasonal music from student musicians will be featured. The event is free and open to the public. The public also may view the Marywood Christmas tree during the normal operating hours of the Liberal Arts Center, Monday through Friday, December 1-22, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Marywood’s campus will feature its main outdoor Christmas display of the Nativity scene at the Memorial Arch on Adams Avenue, and tasteful seasonal lighting will adorn various sections of campus. Indoors, an office decorating contest, sponsored by the Student Government Association, will allow students to vote for their favorite décor. A $250 donation will be given to the winning office’s favorite charity, and the winner will be announced at the tree lighting ceremony

Sounds of the season will be broadcast by Marywood’s award-winning, student-run radio station, VMFM 91.7, which once again becomes Christmas 91.7 and continues its traditional community gift of broadcasting commercial-free Christmas music, 24/7. Christmas programming starts on Friday, December 2, at 4 p.m., and continues through New Year’s Eve. Those outside of the station’s local broadcast range can stream it for free online or through the Tune-in app. 

Marywood will offer its traditional Breakfast with Santa event, hosted by the NEPA Marywood Alumni Chapter in conjunction with the Office of Alumni Engagement. The event is set for Sunday, December 4, from 9 a.m. – Noon, in the Latour Room, Nazareth Student Center. Seating is limited, and preference is given to Marywood alumni. Advanced registration is required; once the event capacity is reached, registration will be closed. For details, go to: https://alumni2.marywood.edu/breakfast-with-santa-2022.

The Music, Theatre, and Dance department is presenting several seasonal concerts, all of which are free and open to the public, including: 

  • String Ensemble, Thursday, December 1, 7 p.m., at the Marian Chapel. The String Ensemble will be performing an arrangement of American composer George Walker’s Adagio from the 2nd String Quartet, Grieg’s Holberg Suite, and Divertimento in Bb, K.137 by Mozart.
  • Chamber Singers Christmas Concert, Sunday, December 4, 4 p.m., at the Marian Chapel. The Marywood University Chamber Singers’ annual Christmas Concert will feature Francis Poulenc’s profound and highly expressive Mass in G, as well as settings of “O Magnum Mysterium” by composers from both the Renaissance and the present day. In addition to sacred choral music, the performance will include Will Todd’s jazz settings of popular Christmas carols.
  • String Project Holiday Gala Concert, Monday, December 5, 6 p.m., Munley Theatre, Sette LaVerghetta Center for Performing Arts. This concert will feature string students, ages 4-18, performing a wide range of music and styles, including some holiday music, both in small ensembles and orchestra.
  • Marywood Guitar Ensemble and Melinda Krokus, Music & Spirituality Holiday Concert, Tuesday, December 6, 7 p.m., at the Marian Chapel. The Marywood Guitar Ensemble presents its traditional Holiday Concert by performing a diverse repertoire, including songs, old carols, Blues, and French music. This year, however, brings two novelties, focused on Music & Spirituality. Melinda Krokus joins the concert, providing poetry readings and grounding sessions. In addition, a very special set of guests, who have been taking Professor Carvalho’s Music & Spirituality class, will present posters on their individual research!  The topics are extremely varied, such as the Igbo spiritual and musical practices, the music of Ariana Grande, Paganism, Catholic Councils, and many more.
  • Marywood Wind Ensemble, Christmas Variety Show, Wednesday, December 7, 7 p.m., Marywood Heights Commons.The Marywood Wind Ensemble, under the direction of Dr. F. David Romines, will present a gift to the residents of Marywood Heights in the form of a Christmas variety show with instrumental musical numbers and a lot of singing. All of the traditional holiday favorites will be featured in the program. Special guests will include the Marywood acapella group, Nomadic Chromatics.
  • Marywood University Orchestra, Saturday, December 10, 2 p.m., Munley Theatre, Sette LaVerghetta Center for Performing Arts.

COMMUNITY SERVICE

An on-campus Giving Tree service project will run from November 7-November 30. Gifts for the Giving Tree are due at the Tree Lighting ceremony on November 30, and drop off boxes will be available at the event as well as on campus. Beneficiaries of this service effort are Friends of the Poor, Marywood Heights, and the Community Intervention Center. Additionally, Marywood’s Campus Ministry Office will host a Christmas card writing social event for students, with cards being sent to Our Lady of Peace residents/staff, NativityMiguel Scranton students/staff, St. Joseph’s Center residents/staff, and veterans.

SPIRITUAL OPPORTUNITIES
Mass for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, patronal feast of the IHM Sisters and the United States, will be celebrated on Thursday, December 8, at Noon in the Marian Chapel.

For information on Marywood’s Christmas events and related resources, visit marywood.edu/makingspiritsbright. 

The YMCA Diabetes Awareness Month

November is National Diabetes Awareness Month and a time for all Northeastern Pennsylvania residents to assess their risk for developing prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. Following a year of reduced activity due to COVID-19, statistics show prediabetes rates are on the rise. Currently, 96 million American adults (more than 1 in 3) have prediabetes and 8 out of 10 of them do not know they have it. In addition to the increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, people with prediabetes are also at risk of developing other chronic diseases such as heart disease and stroke.
Prediabetes is a condition in which a person’s blood glucose is elevated, but not high enough for a type 2 diabetes diagnosis. To address this issue, the Greater Scranton YMCA offers the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program, which helps overweight adults achieve moderate weight loss through healthier eating and increased physical activity, potentially preventing or delaying the onset of type 2 diabetes.

The YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program is a group-based lifestyle intervention for adults at high-risk of developing type 2 diabetes and has been shown to reduce the number of new cases of diabetes by 58 percent overall and by 71 percent in adults over 60.

“We know that adults with diabetes do not live as long as those without it, and that their medical expenses are over 2 times greater than others,” said Trish Fisher, President & CEO, Greater Scranton YMCA. “The YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program provides a safe and supportive environment where people can learn to change behaviors and potentially decrease chances of developing prediabetes or type 2 diabetes.”

Individuals can assess their risk for prediabetes by taking a simple 1-minute risk test at cdc.gov/prediabetes/takethetest. Through this assessment, visitors can also learn how lifestyle choices and family history help determine the ultimate risk for developing the disease. Several factors that could put a person at risk for type 2 diabetes include race, age, weight and activity level. If a person is at risk, a diabetes screening conducted by a physician can confirm a diabetes or prediabetes diagnosis.

The YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) led National Diabetes Prevention Program, is a 12-month evidence-based program that features a lifestyle coach who helps participants learn tactics for healthy eating, physical activity and other lifestyle changes during 25, one-hour classroom sessions. Long-term program goals include reducing participants’ body weight by 5 to 7 percent and increasing physical activity to 150 minutes per week.

Nationally, more than 70,000 people participated in the program at over 1,100 sites in 47
states throughout the country. Participants who completed the year-long program lost an
average of 5.5 percent of body weight and completed an average of 168 minutes of physical
activity per week.

For more information about how to qualify for access to the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention
Program, contact Brandon Whipple, Senior Program Director, at (570) 828-3116 or visit the
Y online at www.greaterscrantonymca.org.

Johnson College to Host Regional College Fair

Johnson College is hosting the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre College Fair on Tuesday, November 15, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Moffat Student Center Gym on the College campus.

This public event will give attendees the chance to learn more about local colleges and universities, connect with admission representatives from across the region, and have questions about everything from academics to campus life answered.

Participating schools include Johnson College, Kings College, Lackawanna College, Marywood University, Penn State Scranton, University of Scranton, Luzerne County Community College, Wilkes University, and more to be announced.

To register for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre College Fair, visit Johnson.edu/collegefair or contact Johnson College’s Enrollment Department at 570-702-8856 or enroll@johnson.edu.

Outreach – Center for Community Resources GED Graduate

Outreach – Center for Community Resources received a $5,000 Innovative Impact grant from the Scranton Area Community Foundation to support the delivery of GED services for individuals in the community to further their education.

This grant provided essential resources for Outreach to serve additional adults in our community in need of these services. Outreach is providing GED educational instruction to economically disadvantaged adults at no cost. This is only possible with grants to support the GED program. Adults with a GED earn on average $9,000 more annually than adults without a GED. Less than 10% of the job positions in the United States will consider hiring someone that does not hold a high school diploma or GED. Attainment of a GED is critical for adults seeking employment and economic self-sufficiency.

The Scranton Area Community Foundation has been serving the Northeastern Pennsylvania region for over 65 years as a steward, a grantmaker, a charitable resource, and a catalyst for change and growth. The Scranton Area Community Foundation was established as a community trust in 1954 by the Scranton Family, whose initial gift was the seed that has grown into a permanent vehicle for donors to accomplish their philanthropic goals while helping to support positive change within our community. Today the Scranton Area Community Foundation holds and manages a variety of funds from individuals, organizations, and corporations. Through these gifts, the Foundation responds to community needs and has provided grants to support regional nonprofits.

Cal Bieryla is one of the first to participate in the community GED program at Outreach. Cal was extremely motivated to learn while managing multiple responsibilities, such as being a single Dad and having a full-time job. By utilizing the in-person and online instruction offered by Outreach, Cal was able to attend Math class in the morning after working all night. Then, he worked on English on his own time via Google Classroom. Cal’s goal was not simply to pass the GED exam, but to obtain scores that would allow him to be accepted into college. On July 18, he officially became a graduate with college-ready scores. 

Outreach supported his desire to pursue post-secondary education by connecting him with assistance to explore careers, complete college applications, and financial aid paperwork. Within a few days of completing his GED, Cal was officially accepted into Lackawanna College and is now studying Cyber Security.

With grant support from regional foundations, Outreach Center for Community Resources delivers family educational and workforce development services and programs to the regional community that promotes family stability and economic self-sufficiency. Outreach provides evidence-based early childhood programs that help families and children gain the skills needed to be healthy and productive members of the community. Outreach improves the lives of over 4,000 individuals each year with award-winning workforce and family development programs that support them as they navigate life’s challenges.

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).

Disaster Blaster Featured in Franchise Journal

The challenge was how to take a business operating in an industry already valued at $210 billion and make it even better. The father-and-son team behind Disaster Blaster believe they have built a better mousetrap and are now ready to expand their business model on a national basis via franchising.

Founded in 2006, Disaster Blaster is a full-service, indoor restoration firm specializing in water damage, smoke damage, duct cleaning, asbestos abatement, and a wide range of other services, including meth lab cleanup and remediation – the only company in its market professionally trained to perform such work. Gary Lyons, 71, and son Matthew Lyons, 39, formed a mitigation and restoration company that separates itself from the competition with a simple but highly impactful strategy: Disaster Blaster offers the most services to the most wide-ranging customer base; one that encompasses insurance claims, commercial clients, property owners, cleaning companies, home sellers and buyers, schools, and universities and more.

“We wanted to address what we saw as serious issues inherent in the industry as a whole, such as the seasonality of service offerings and the over-reliance on certain customer segments and revenue sources,” Gary said of the restoration industry, which has been valued at $210 billion, according to IBISWorld. “That led us to develop the Disaster Blaster brand and concept that addressed the seasonality issue within our industry and create stability in growth, revenue, and income.”

Already approved to sell franchises in 30 states, Disaster Blaster is selling territories throughout the country, with the average territory including a population of between 150,000 to 200,000. Experience in management or the trades is beneficial, but not required. “We want someone who is honest, dependable, and ethical,” Matthew said. “We want individuals who will represent the Disaster Blaster brand well in their territory and have a long-term interest in the brand and fulfilling the needs of their customers. And we want to offer a startup business to couples and individuals who are looking to operate a small mobile business that otherwise may be out of reach for them.”

Disaster Blaster considers itself the “Indoor Environmental Experts” and also provides radon mitigation, flood cleanup, mold remediation, odor removal, vandalism repair, basement waterproofing and reconstruction. But Disaster Blaster’s meth lab cleanup and remediation is certainly a differentiator.

According to figures from a report by news organization Spotlight PA, the “Pennsylvania State Police, the agency that typically handles drug lab busts here, logged 923 incidents” from 2017 to 2021. Matthew said Disaster Blaster began offering meth remediation about six years ago after they received several requests for the service.

Spotlight PA further reported that although meth remediation makes up less than 10 percent of Disaster Blaster’s projects, Matthew said he’s hoping the state will eventually regulate the service. Clients are generally property owners or managers who want to clean a property so it can be rented again; people who purchased bank-owned properties without knowing the full history of the home; and insurance companies. The jobs are complex and take at least two weeks.

“We didn’t believe it was that big of a problem up here,” Matthew told Spotlight PA. “I grew up here. I’ve lived in northeast Pennsylvania most of my life. I never expected that we would have the issues here that we have.”

The possible effects of climate change are another area that Matthew said might impact their service offerings in the future. “It will be interesting to see how that may impact our services and/or the need for our services,” he said. “Additionally, homeowners are becoming more and more aware of the needs for our services for such things as mold, radon, or asbestos remediation.”

Although they formed Disaster Blaster in 2006, both Gary and Matthew have been involved in the industry since 1996. Both owned separate mitigation and restoration businesses until they decided to launch Disaster Blaster together. Gary also worked in the insurance industry for more than 20 years as a claims representative handling mitigation and property restoration claims and later as a claims manager overseeing close to 100 offices across the country. Likewise, Matthew started working in the mitigation/property restoration industry when he was 14 and holds multiple industry certifications.

“My experience in handling property claims for insurance companies has been invaluable in helping our customers navigate the claims process and will also be an invaluable resource for our franchisees,” Gary said.

While they both operated similar businesses on their own, Gary and Matthew said there was a period of adjustment as they combined their knowledge and experience to create a newly branded company. “We had to essentially start over from scratch,” Matthew said. “We had to market to customers who didn’t know our name yet. We had to develop our own marketing, relationships, and vendors. It was a lot of change, but it was well worth it in the end.”

“We love watching people succeed and are anxious to help our franchisees grow their businesses,” Gary said. “We are excited to watch the Disaster Blaster brand grow nationally, broadening our ability to assist more homeowners in need of our services or with existing environmental issues.”