Waverly Community House Seeking Volunteers The 2023 NEPA Film Festival is April 14th-16th at The Comm! Volunteers are still needed for 2 hour shifts on Saturday and Sunday. Please call Kathy at the Comm office if you are interested: 570-586-8191.All volunteers will receive a free Day Pass. Filmmaker Reception & Opening Night Party Friday, April 14th at The Comm, 6:00-9:00PM! Unique, original film screenings and WVIA workshops at The Comm Saturday, 11:00AM-7:00PM and Sunday, 11:00AM-4:00PM. For more information and to purchase tickets, please click HERE or visit nepafilmfestival.com
Johnson College Earns Military Friendly® School Designation Johnson College has earned the 2023-2024 Military Friendly ® School designation. Institutions earning the Military Friendly ® School designation were evaluated using both public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey. More than 1,800 schools participated in the 2023-2024 survey with 665 earning special awards for going above the standard. The 2023-2024 Military Friendly® Schools list will be published in the May and October issue of G.I. Jobs magazine and can be found at www.militaryfriendly.com. Methodology, criteria, and weightings were determined by Viqtory with input from the Military Friendly ® Advisory Council of independent leaders in the higher education and military recruitment community. Final ratings were determined by combining the institution’s survey scores with the assessment of the institution’s ability to meet thresholds for Student Retention, Graduation, Job Placement, Loan Repayment, Persistence (Degree Advancement or Transfer), and Loan Default rates for all students and, specifically, for student veterans. “Johnson College remains committed to helping our servicemen and women and their families further their education,” said Bill Burke, Vice President of Enrollment and Student Affairs at Johnson College. “The College’s dedicated staff assists with needs specific to military students. We provide dedicated space as well as priority scheduling and registration for our service members and veterans.” “Military Friendly® is committed to transparency and providing consistent data-driven standards in our designation process. Our standards provide a benchmark that promotes positive outcomes and support services that better the educational landscape and provide opportunities for the Military Community. This creates a competitive atmosphere that encourages colleges to evolve and invest in their programs consistently. Schools who achieve awards designation show true commitment in their efforts, going over and above that standard.” – Kayla Lopez, National Director of Military Partnerships, Military Friendly®. For more information about Johnson College’s student veteran programs, visit johnson.edu/veterans.
Settler’s Hospitality to Host 7th Annual Wally Wine Fest Settler’s Hospitality invites you to Sip back and relax! Visitors to The Waterfront at Silver Birches, April 14-16, will enjoy three days devoted to all things wine. Wally Wine Fest features a variety of domestic and international brands from wine regions across the globe. A Slab and Cab Wine Dinner on Friday, April 14 at The Settlers Inn kicks off the event. On Saturday and Sunday festival goers can drink in all the festivities from wine tastings and food pairings to a marketplace all offered lakeside at Silver Birches. There are two seated wine tastings scheduled on Saturday and Sunday. During the two-hour sessions, attendees will be seated at communal tables to enjoy four small plate tasting courses accompanied by three wine samples per tasting. Ticket holders will select their top three sampling choices from eight different wines for each course. Settlers Hospitality Sommelier, Claude Briere personally chooses the featured wines, which include domestic and international labels. Tastings are scheduled from noon to 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. each day. Bottles of every wine featured are available for sale. Prices range from $10-$100. Fine food, gift items and decor fit for wine lovers overflow at The Marketplace. Visitors may shop offerings from places such as Art on the Edge, which features home/wine décor. The Silent Auction benefits Lake Wallenpaupack’s fireworks display and features overnight stays at area accommodations plus gift cards to local restaurants and businesses. Golf and spa packages, as well as boat and paddle board rentals, are also up for grabs. Live entertainment rounds out the weekend-long festivities. Guests may bookend a Wally Wine Fest experience with the Bubbly Brunch offered at The Settlers Inn on Saturday and Sunday from 11:30 am. to 2:30 p.m. Visitors may savor a prix fixe brunch menu, live music and a tasting flight of sparkling wine. “Now that we’re seven years in, Wally Wine Fest is firmly established as spring’s hallmark event in the Lake Region. We relish the opportunity to showcase world-class wines to novice and connoisseurs alike,” explains Justin Genzlinger, CEO/Owner, Settlers Hospitality. “It’s a real privilege to witness the outpouring of enthusiasm for the festival, and welcome thousands of visitors to the Pocono Mountains. The fact that it helps support a beloved tradition at Lake Wallenpaupack like the Independence Day fireworks, make it all the sweeter.” Everyone who attends the festival at Silver Birches receives a commemorative wine glass. General admission is $60 in advance and $75 at the door. Designated drivers may attend for $30. A $200 platinum ticket includes the Slab and Cab Wine Dinner at The Settlers Inn on April 14. For $125, guests may attend the Slab and Cab Wine Dinner only. Visit wallywinefest.com to purchase tickets. Visitors may opt to stay over and take advantage of a $199 Sunday Night Lodging Special offered at the Hawley properties of Settlers Hospitality. Special thanks to Champagne Level event sponsors Silver Birches Resort, Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau and E. & J. Gallo Winery as well as Cabernet Level sponsors, AM Skier Insurance and Chant Realtors. Organizers also acknowledge the participation of Sauvignon Blanc Level sponsor, Comprehensive Physical Therapy and Rose Level sponsors Dime Bank, Lighthouse Harbor Marina and Wayne Bank. Settlers Hospitality would also like to thank Media and In Kind Sponsors Moka Origins, Lake Region IGA , Bold Gold Media Group and Adams Outdoor.
The University of Scranton to Host Engaging Events Two engaging Collaborative Programs are on tap for The University of Scranton’s Schemel Forum this spring. On Wednesday, Mar. 29, the Schemel Forum will partner with Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine to present “Mozart: The Mind and Music of a Genius,” featuring Richard Kogan, M.D., professor of psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College and artistic director of the Weill Cornell Music and Medicine Program. The program will begin at 5:30 p.m. in WVIA Public Media Studios’ Sordoni Theater, with a reception to follow. Admission is $35 per person. At the program, Dr. Kogan, a Julliard-trained pianist and Harvard-trained psychiatrist, will explore the mystery of creative genius through an examination of the life, mind and music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791). To illustrate his points, Dr. Kogan will perform some of Mozart’s most sublime musical compositions on the piano. Then, on Thursday, Apr. 27, the Schemel Forum, the Theology and Religious Students Department and the Weinberg Judaic Studies Institute will co-present “Only in America? Religion, State, and a Hasidic Town in Rural New York,” featuring David N. Myers, Ph.D., distinguished professor of history, Sady and Ludwig Kahn Chair in Jewish History, and director of the Luskin Center for History and Policy at UCLA. The event will take place at 7 p.m. in the Pearn Auditorium of Brennan Hall. Admission is $15 per person. At the program, Dr. Myers will discuss the remarkable case of Kiryas Joel, a town in New York state populated entirely by Satmar Hasidic Jews. What, Myers will ask, does this town of religiously observant Jews tell us about the “wall of separation” between religion and state of which Thomas Jefferson spoke? And, has that Jeffersonian ideal given way to a new vision of religious liberties as the paramount constitutional right? To register for the programs, contact Brooke Leonard at 570-941-4740 or brooke.leonard@scranton.edu. Or, to pay online, visit the Schemel Forum’s webpage (scranton.edu/schemelforum)
Marywood University Wind Symphony Earns National Recognition The Marywood University Wind Symphony is being nationally recognized as a featured ensemble at the Small Program Showcase during the 2023 College Band Directors National Association Conference, which will be held February 15-18, 2023, at the University of Georgia in Athens, GA. Selected by blind peer review, audio excerpts of the Marywood Wind Symphony’s performances from recent concerts will be played, and F. David Romines, D.M.A., director of bands and co-chairperson of the Music, Theatre, and Dance department at Marywood, will be speaking about specifics related to the band program during the “Small College Program Audio Performances” session at the conference on Saturday, February 18, 2023. “This is a great way to recognize the wonderful music we are making that might otherwise go unnoticed,” said Dr. Romines. Marywood University is the only educational institution in Northeast Pennsylvania that offers Bachelor of Music degrees, and students are given the opportunity to perform locally, regionally, nationally, and globally. For more information on music programs at Marywood University, please visit marywood.edu/academics/mtd or contact the Office of University Admissions at YourFuture@marywood.edu or (570) 348-6234.
The Chamber Hosts International Women’s Day Luncheon Keynote address offered by Dr. Damary Bonilla-Rodriguez speaks on women’s equity in the workplace. Athena International Award presented to Laura Ducceschi. Scranton, PA —The Greater Scranton of Chamber of Commerce hosted their International Women’s Day Luncheon, sponsored by The Honesdale National Bank at Marywood University. Keynote speaker Dr. Damary Bonilla-Rodriguez offered a stirring challenge to step up and lead while focusing on the international theme, Embrace Equity. The luncheon included the presentation of the ATHENA Leadership Award, sponsored by Michael A. Barbetti LLC, to Laura Ducceschi, president & CEO of The Scranton Area Community Foundation. Dr. Bonilla-Rodriguez commented, “Women’s History month is an opportunity to acknowledge the circumstances that women face in the workplace and in terms of achieving a level of economic success, educational attainment, and other opportunities to climb the leadership ladder as it relates to their livelihood.” “International Women’s Day means so much. The importance of women’s contributions all over the world, to our community right here in Scranton. In terms of the workforce, women play such a key role, and we need to be able to continue supporting women so they can overcome barriers and become what they want to be,” stated Ms. Ducceschi. The keynote speaker, Dr. Damary M. Bonilla-Rodriguez, a national leading authority on leadership development, especially as it pertains to diversity and inclusion. Dr. Bonilla-Rodriguez delivers keynote addresses from roles in the non-profit, private, and government sectors and her doctoral research. The ATHENA Leadership Award, sponsored locally by Michael A. Barbetti LLC Certified Public Accountants, honors an exceptional individual who has achieved excellence in their business or profession, has served the community in a meaningful way, and has assisted women in their attainment of professional goals, and leadership skills. “Laura Ducceschi embodies these characteristics wholeheartedly,” shares Mr. Durkin.
High Tines Archery to Host Archery Fest High Tines Archery is hosting an archery fest at Montage Mountain from June 9-11th Take aim and join us for the Inaugural Montage Mountain Archery Fest presented by High Tines Archery! Three action packed days of shooting welcoming archers of all experience levels. The unbelievable variations in terrain, shot angles, and views offered by Montage Mountain will make every shot unique while testing your skills. Shoot one of the four 3D Target courses or take on all of them throughout the weekend. This event will feature industry and local vendors, food and drinks, live music, breweries and more. Tickets are on sale now and spots are expected to fill up fast…register today! COURSESCourse 1 – Mainline (beginner): 25 targets from 10 yards to 35 yards.Course 2 – Penns Woods (medium): 25 Targets from 15 yards to 50 yards.Course 3 – The Glades (intermediate): 30 targets from 10 yards to 70 yards.Course 4 – White Lightning (experienced): 30 Targets from 10 yards to 120 yards. PRICING3-Day Shoot (Friday 6/9, Saturday 6/10, & Sunday 6/11) – $140.002-Day Shoot (Friday 6/9 and Saturday 6/10) – $100.002-Day Shoot (Saturday 6/10 and Sunday 6/11) – $100.002-Day Shoot (Friday 6/9 and Sunday 6/11) – $100.00 Purchase Tickets Here
RailRiders Extend Partnership with Bold Gold Media Group The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees, have agreed to a two-year extension of their radio broadcast partnership with Bold Gold Media Group through the end of the 2024 International League season. All 150 RailRiders regular season games will be heard on “The Mothership” and its network of five frequencies across NEPA.Scranton/Wilkes-Barre games can be heard locally on 1400 WICK-AM (Lackawanna & Luzerne Counties), 1440 WCDL-AM (Lackawanna County & Pocono Lake Region), 93.5 FM (Scranton & Northern Lackawanna County), 106.7 FM (Wayne & Pike Counties) and 107.9 FM (Lackawanna County). In addition to radio broadcasts heard across the region, all RailRiders games will be streamed live on the web with links available through swbrailriders.com and boldgoldradionepa.com. The broadcasts are also streamed through Bold Gold’s free RadioBOLD app and MiLB’s First Pitch app.Adam Marco enters his sixth year as the “Voice of the RailRiders,” having joined the franchise in 2018. Last November, he was honored as Ballpark Digest’s Minor League Broadcaster of the Year.Emily Messina will join the broadcast team for the 2023 season. She spent the past three seasons as the lead broadcaster and Media Relations Manager of the Reading Fightin Phils, the Philadelphia Phillies Double-A affiliate. Previously, Messina broadcast games for the Melbourne Aces in the Australian Baseball League. She has also had stints in the Arizona Fall League and with the Lynchburg Hillcats in the Cleveland Indians minor league system. In the offseason, Messina calls a variety of sports including field hockey, basketball and swimming. She is a 2019 graduate of the Catholic University of America, where she was a four-year varsity athlete.Each RailRiders’ radio broadcast begins 20 minutes prior to first pitch. For more information, please contact the RailRiders front office at (570) 969-2255.
Penn State Scranton Launches Leadership Workshop Join Penn State Scranton for our half-day Leadership Essentials Workshop Series which can benefit you, your employees and your business. Help your team members, managers, and supervisors in today’s work environment by providing the leadership tools that will help them become a valued part of your team. Leadership Workshop Schedule – Spring 2023 WorkshopDescriptionTimeDateCostRegistrationCommunicating EffectivelyFocus on enhancing your speaking and listening skills.9 am – Noon Thursday 4/13/23 $89 discounts availableTo register call 570-963-2600Building Work RelationshipsExplores the characteristics of high quality work relationships and understand interpersonal styles9 am – Noon Thursday 4/20/23 $89 discounts available To register call 570-963-2600Developing and Retaining EmployeesFocuses on an employees continuous improvement and learning.9 am – Noon Thursday 4/27/23 $89 discounts available To register call 570-963-2600Developing a TeamTools and methods to benefits of organizations to adding or existing teams.9 am – Noon Thursday 5/4/23 $89 discounts availableTo register call 570-963-2600 *NOTE: These leadership workshops are non-credit courses. TBD = To be determined Location: Penn State Scranton 120 Ridge View Drive, Dunmore, PA 18512. Please contact 570-963-2600 for more information or to be placed on our mailing list for upcoming workshops.
Northeast Regional Cancer Institute Announces New Officers and Board of Directors The Northeast Regional Cancer Institute’s Board of Directors elected new officers. Robert Cole, PhD, was elected as Chair of the Board of Directors, Holly Roever Carron, Secretary and John Ruddy, DPS, CFA, CPA, Treasurer. In addition to the new officers, the Board of Directors appointed three new Board members, Maria Montoro Edwards, PhD, Michael P. Curran, and Samuel Lesko M.D., M.P.H. Holly Roever Carron is President at HW Roever Inc, an independent, family operated franchisee of Dunkin. Holly is responsible for operating nine Dunkin in the Greater Scranton area and is extremely knowledgeable about quick service restaurant trends. Ms. Carron is a graduate of the Pennsylvania State University at University Park with a bachelor’s degree in Marketing and International Business with a concentration in Spanish. She currently serves as Chair of the Board at St. Joseph’s Center, an organization designed to assist those with intellectual disabilities and developmental delays. Ms. Carron is currently a member of the Dunkin’ Brands Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Ad Committee assisting in making marketing decisions for 78 stores. Robert Cole, PhD, is the Senior Vice President, Chief Analytics Officer at Allied Services Integrated Health System. He is a 25-year employee of the health system. The non-profit organization is the leading provider of healthcare and human services for northeastern Pennsylvanians with disabilities and chronic illness. Robert earned a Master’s and a Doctorate in Experimental Psychology from the State University of New York at Binghamton, NY and brings strong data analytics into the organization’s business lines. Robert Cole, PhD, lives in Duryea with his wife, Donna, and their daughter Carsyn. He grew up in Duryea, graduated from Pittston Area High School and earned his bachelor’s in psychology from Bloomsburg University in 1992. Michael P. Curran serves as the CEO of Commonwealth Health’s Moses Taylor Hospital and Regional Hospital of Scranton. Prior to this role, Michael was the Vice President of Operations for the east region of Prospect Medical Holdings, where he was responsible for several acute care facilities. Michael also held executive positions at Crozer Health. He holds a Master’s Degree in Health Administration from Cornell University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Michael is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives. Maria Montoro Edwards, PhD serves as President and CEO of Maternal and Family Health Services (MFHS), a non-profit health and human service organization working to improve the health of Pennsylvania women and children in 17 counties by offering programs that prevent disease, promote wellness, and empower individuals to make healthy choices. Dr. Montoro Edwards has a doctorate in Human Development, is a certified research administrator with a credential in protecting human subjects in research and has a certificate in Executive Leadership for Healthcare Professionals from Cornell University. She has taught grantsmanship and research methods on the graduate level. She serves as board member and secretary of the Alliance of Pennsylvania Councils and is a voting member of the National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association (NFPRHA) and the Family Planning Councils of America (FPCA). She is past Co-Chair of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Rainbow Alliance and currently serves as chair of the Nonprofit Community Assistance Center (NCAC) board and Vice Chair of Telespond Senior Day Services board. Dr. Montoro Edwards has more than 25 years’ experience in non-profit administration and a record of success in securing, implementing, evaluating, and stewarding public and private funding. Samuel M. Lesko, M.D., M.P.H. received his undergraduate degree from Drexel University and his medical degree from Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, both in Philadelphia. Dr. Lesko completed residency training in Family Medicine at the University of Connecticut and has been certified by the American Board of Family Practice. He has also served as a Senior Staff Fellow with the Food and Drug Administration of the U.S. Public Health Service and has earned a Master’s degree in Public Health from Yale School of Medicine. Dr. Lesko has more than 35 years’ experience conducting health research. He has held appointments at Boston University School of Public Health, Penn State College of Medicine in Hershey, and Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine. He has been affiliated as Medical Director with the Northeast Regional Cancer Institute since 2000. Dr. John A. Ruddy is an Associate Professor of Finance in the Economics and Finance Department of The Arthur J. Kania School of Management, University of Scranton. There he teaches undergraduate and graduate level courses in Finance. Dr. Ruddy has a B.S. in Accounting from the University of Scranton and an M.B.A. in Finance and Investments from The George Washington University. He also holds a Doctorate in Professional Studies, with a focus in Finance from Pace University. He holds the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designations. The University of Scranton has recognized Dr. Ruddy four times for his teaching. He was the recipient of the Kania School of Management Outstanding Professor in 2013 and 2017 and the University’s Teacher of the Year Award in 2014. Most recently, he was the recipient of the 2020-2021 KSOM Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching. He previously served on the Scranton Preparatory School’s Board of Trustees and the Howard Gardner Board of Directors. About the Northeast Regional Cancer Institute The Northeast Regional Cancer Institute is a nonprofit community-based agency serving 7 counties in northeast Pennsylvania with offices located in Scranton and Wilkes-Barre. Focusing on surveillance, community and patient services, and hospital and practice support services, the Cancer Institute invests 100% of its resources locally. The mission of the Northeast Regional Cancer Institute is to ease the burden of cancer in Northeastern Pennsylvania.
