The Honesdale National Bank Promotes Emily Barton David Raven, President and CEO of The Honesdale National Bank, announced Emily Barton, is now Deposit Operations Officer. In making the statement, Raven noted, “Emily is a key member to the success of HNB. She is known for her professionalism and ability to problem solve while working closely with customers and internal staff at our bank.” In her current role, Barton provides assistance with wire requests, new account information, organizing documentation, and many other processes in the Deposit Operations Department. Barton has a variety of experience at the bank working as a CSR/Teller, Loan Operations Representative, Loan Operations Team Leader, Deposit Operations Supervisor, and she will continue to provide her knowledge in the industry to HNB as Deposit Operations Officer. In mentioning her role at HNB, Barton noted, “I am grateful to be part of the HNB family. HNB has provided me many opportunities and I am very fortunate to be surrounded by people that support and encourage me to take on new challenges. My role as Deposit Operations Officer allows me to find new efficient ways to provide the service our customers expect.” Barton graduated from Honesdale High School in 2014 and began her career in the financial industry with HNB. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Business from Keystone College in 2018 and obtained the ABA’s Principles of Banking Certificate. Outside of the bank, her spare time is occupied by skiing, hiking, gardening, and spending time with her family and dogs. The Honesdale National Bank, established in 1836, holds the distinction of being the area’s oldest independent community bank headquartered in Northeastern PA, with offices in Wayne, Pike, Susquehanna, Lackawanna and Luzerne Counties. The Honesdale National Bank offers personal banking, business banking and wealth solutions. For more information on HNB’s products and services, visit www.hnbbank.bank.
As Communities Return to “Normal,” Water Safety Should Be Top of Mind The Greater Scranton YMCA wants to ensure that water safety doesn’t get lost in our community’s eagerness to return to a “normal” summer. As temperatures rise, kids want to cool off, whether that is in home pools, ponds, lakes, rivers, streams, or oceans. And that means the risk of drowning is as prevalent as ever. For National Water Safety Month this May, the Greater Scranton YMCA is encouraging parents and caregivers to reinforce the importance of water safety skills with the whole family. “As ‘America’s Swim Instructor,’ the Greater Scranton YMCA typically teaches 1,500 children invaluable water safety and swimming skills each year. Last year, though due to COVID-19 precautions, we saw that number dip and want to remind parents and caregivers that it’s more important than ever to keep water safety top of mind as families start to return to their usual summer routines,” said Trish Fisher, President & CEO, Greater Scranton YMCA. As part of National Water Safety Month, the Greater Scranton YMCA is encouraging parents to play an active role in promoting water safety and providing five tips to ensure a safe and enjoyable swimming experience for all. 1. Never swim alone or without a water watcher. When children are swimming, make sure they are actively supervised at all times. Teach your children that they should only swim in locations where a lifeguard is on duty, or where a responsible adult agrees to watch the children in the water without distractions. 2. Supervise your children whenever they’re in or near water. Whether it’s bath time or taking a dip in a pool or lake, make sure your children are within arm’s reach at all times. 3. Don’t engage in breath holding activities. Children should not hold their breath for a prolonged amount of time while swimming, as this can cause drowning and has several other severe physical side-effects. 4. Wear a life jacket: Inexperienced or non-swimmers should wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket. 5. Don’t jump in the water to save a friend who is struggling in deep water. If a child finds their friend in deep water unexpectedly, their natural reaction may be to jump in the water to try to save them. Even if a child is a great swimmer, a panicked person will overpower them, pulling the rescuer underwater. The Y’s Safety Around Water program teaches the “reach, throw, don’t go” concept of using a long object to reach for them and pull them to safety. By using this technique, children can help their friend without compromising their own safety. To learn more about the Greater Scranton YMCA’s swim programs, including the upcoming Annual Safe Around Water Campaign sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Scranton, please contact Ken Brewster, Aquatics Director, at (570) 828-3112 or kbrewster@greaterscrantonymca.org.
COLTS to Service Keystone Industrial Park, Offering More Opportunities for Employees Beginning May 17 , the County of Lackawanna Transit System will service the Keystone Industrial Park on the #12 Jessup route. “We were very pleased to reroute a current bus in so that it can get employees of multiple businesses within the Keystone Industrial Park to work,” said Execu-tive Director Bob Fiume. “COLTS has been working diligently to expand service to industrial parks over the past few years.”The Jessup bus will now service the Park twice in the morning and three times in the afternoon. The official stop listed on the schedule is Barry Callebaut, but there are three other stops available within the Park. A new route that will serve CANPACK and Mid Valley Drive is also starting May 17. There will be both an inbound and an outbound trip in the morning and in the afternoon. CANPACK purchased passes in bulk for employees to utilize the ser-vice, guaranteeing ridership on the temporary route. The #16 Mid Valley Special meets up with the #11 Mid Valley Industrial Parks and #12 Jessup at the Jessup Youth Sports Complex.
WVIA Announces Kate Sickora as New Chief Development Officer WVIA, the PBS and NPR affiliate for northeastern and central Pennsylvania has announced that Kate Sickora is the organization’s new Chief Development Officer. Sickora will start at WVIA in July. “I am excited to have the opportunity to work with Kate and proud that we can attract such talent to join the WVIA team” said Carla McCabe, WVIA President and CEO. “Kate brings the perfect mix of fundraising experience and commitment to the public media mission.” Kate Sickora is an award-winning Development Professional and Major Gifts Officer who has spent her career in public television and radio raising millions of dollars over her twenty years in the industry. Starting first at KLRN Public Television in San Antonio, Kate then moved to Oregon Public Broadcasting for her role as Director of Major Gifts. She then served as a major gifts and board development consultant to over a dozen stations creating new major gift programs and coaching station staff how to strengthen those already in place. After NPR received the transformational bequest by Joan Kroc, NPR hired Kate to work collaboratively with stations to build trusting relationships so further philanthropic opportunities could thrive. She is delighted to work in the space where her personal passion for a stronger public media system and her great honor in connecting with inspiring philanthropists overlap. “I am thrilled to join Carla McCabe and her strong team at WVIA,” said Sickora. “The station has such a great history, a talented and committed board of directors, and a long history of loyal support from the community. To me this signals WVIA’s value as a very special regional treasure and I believe in Carla’s vision for making the station even stronger for the future. My children and I are looking forward to embracing the NEPA community as our new home.”
Circle Drive-In Theatre Community Events *Vic DiBitetto will no longer be appearing at the Circle Drive-In Theatre
Marywood University to Hold Transfer Tuesdays Opportunities Marywood University will hold its Transfer Tuesdays program for college students or former college students who are considering transferring to Marywood University. We welcome transfer students at all stages of their college careers. Transfer Tuesdays opportunities will take place on the following Tuesdays: May 18, June 22, July 20, and August 17, 2021. Those interested can schedule an appointment every half hour beginning at 2 p.m. Registered visitors can discuss financial aid and scholarship options, transfer credits, take a tour of campus, review credits for transfer eligibility, and complete an application for admission. Marywood University’s fall semester begins on Monday, August 23, 2021. For additional information, or to register for the spring/summer Transfer Tuesdays program, please call Marywood University’s Office of University Admissions, at (570) 348-06234, email YourFuture@marywood.edu, or visit www.marywood.edu/transfernow.
Pennsylvania American Water Supplier Diversity Webinar Please join us on Tuesday, May 25 at 1 p.m. EDT as we discuss the importance of Supplier Diversity and building an Inclusive culture across American Water. Click the link below to register and please share with your colleagues that are interested in this important topic. Date: Tuesday, May 25, 2021Time: 1 p.m. EDT Click here to register: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=-Yw3NcDa8EWExxv7mCB7Wd8MlsmsqzRDq7n-OEFMYw9URVVJMjlOQUhXT0RLRFcyNVBXN1lLQVVWRy4u
Keystone College Receives PA Smart Grant for Youth “STEM” Initiative Keystone College has received a state grant to develop several technology programs for regional elementary and high school students. The $378,150 grant is part of Governor Tom Wolf’s $10.8 million PAsmart initiative to expand access to computer science and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education for Pennsylvania students. Keystone’s grant will focus on developing computer science, information technology, and 3-D printing for elementary and high school students. Specific school districts involved will be announced soon. High school students included in the Keystone initiative will have an opportunity for dual enrollment and to attain certifications in Python coding and/or SOLIDWORKS 3-D printing. The certifications can be used as resume builders to join the workforce after high school and the dual enrollment credits can be applied toward higher education opportunities. Elementary students will be engaged in glass blowing and ceramic classes. They will learn about materials science and how it relates to the creation of those art forms. The PAsmart grant also includes funding for technology and software and instructor stipends. “We are extremely grateful to Governor Wolf to be included in the PAsmart initiative,” said Keystone College President Tracy L. Brundage, Ph.D. “The education programs we develop will help local students obtain valuable training. Whether they decide to continue their education after high school, or enter the workforce directly, these programs are critical for young people to develop the necessary skills to be successful in their careers and in their lives.” “Workers in all types of jobs increasingly need to use computers and technology,” said Governor Wolf. “In order to meet that demand, I launched PAsmart in 2018 to expand science and technology education. These grants will help our schools and communities to expand STEM and computer science education. That will strengthen our workforce, so businesses can grow, and workers have good jobs that can support a family.” Keystone offers more than 40 undergraduate and graduate degree options in liberal arts and science-based programs in business, communications, education, natural science, environmental science, and social sciences. Located 15 minutes from Scranton, Pa. and two hours from New York City and Philadelphia, Keystone is known for small class sizes and individual attention focused on student success through internships, research, and community involvement.
Scranton Area Community Foundation Grant Supports Outreach Center for Community Resources The Scranton Area Community Foundation awarded a $7,000 COVID-19 Critical Needs Grant to support the workforce development programs and educational services that Outreach – Center for Community Resources provides to the regional community. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Outreach has continued to operate and provide assistance to those in need. The Scranton Area Community Foundation is supporting Outreach as the organization responds to an increased demand for essential services and programs. Outreach serves a broad population of those affected by poverty and other challenges: single parents, unemployed workers, educationally at-risk children, veterans, individuals with health, behavioral and cognitive issues, individuals in recovery, and others in transition. Outreach improves the lives of over 5,000 individuals each year with award-winning workforce and family development programs that support individuals as they navigate through life’s challenges. 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 which 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 as they respond to the critical needs of those disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
