Pennsylvania American Water Systems Recognized for 20 Consecutive Years of Excellent Tap Water Customers of Pennsylvania American Water can rest assured of the quality of their tap water, as 17 of the company’s water treatment plants were recently recognized by the Partnership for Safe Water at the Directors and Presidents levels for achieving water quality excellence. The national awards, which honor efforts to continuously optimize water treatment plant and distribution system operation and performance, were announced by the American Water Works Association. “Maintaining these levels of quality demonstrates Pennsylvania American Water’s continued commitment to optimizing treatment processes and providing high-quality water to customers,” said Pennsylvania American Water President Mike Doran. “Through the past year – pandemic and all – the dedicated teams who support these systems have continued their work every day to deliver tap water that is safe, clean, reliable, and meets or surpasses state and federal drinking water standards. I am so proud of our team for receiving more Partnership for Safe Water awards than any other water utility in the nation.” The Pennsylvania American Water treatment plants recognized this year are listed below. A full list of the company’s award-winning water systems can be found here. 20 Year Directors Award Brownsville Water Treatment Plant (Fayette County)Crystal Lake Water Treatment Plant (Luzerne County)Kane Water Treatment Plant (McKean County)Lake Scranton Water Treatment Plant (Lackawanna County)Norristown Water Treatment Plant (Montgomery County)Punxsutawney Water Treatment Plant (Jefferson County)Susquehanna Water Treatment Plant (Susquehanna County)Watres Water Treatment Plant (Luzerne County)White Deer Water Treatment Plant (Union County) 10 Year Directors Award Stony Garden Water Treatment Plant (Northampton County) 5 Year Presidents Award Bangor Water Treatment Plant (Northampton County)Brownell Water Treatment Plant (Lackawanna County)Crystal Lake Water Treatment Plant (Luzerne County)Hershey/GC Smith Water Treatment Plant (Dauphin County)Indiana Water Treatment Plant (Indiana County)Nesbitt Water Treatment Plant (Luzerne County) 5 Year Directors Award Rock Run Water Treatment Plant (Chester County) “We’re proud of our incredible team of expert scientists, treatment plant operators andengineers that support our water systems,” Doran continued. “This impressive award demonstrates their dedication and commitment to protecting the health and safety of our customers for the past 20 years and beyond.” Nationally, just over 400 surface water treatment plants are part of the Partnership for Safe Water, a voluntary effort that is designed to increase protection against microbial contamination through treatment optimization.
Lackawanna College Hosts Recovery Walk for National Recovery Month Members of the Lackawanna College community, including students in the Addictions concentration of the College’s bachelor’s degree program, conducted a Recovery Walk in downtown Scranton today. September is National Recovery Month, and students and staff spent the morning learning about care providers within walking distance of the main campus, including DATS, TPALS, and The Recovery Bank.
Penn State Scranton Hosting Speaker on Race and Identity Michael Sidney Fosberg, founder of Incognito Inc., grew up believing he was white; then, in his early 30s, he learned that he is actually black. On Thursday, Nov. 4 at noon in the Study Learning Center’s Sherbine Lounge, he will present, “Nobody Wants to Talk About It – Race, Identity and the Difficulties in Forging Meaningful Conversations”. For more than a decade, Fosberg has toured the country performing his autobiographical play, “Incognito” at schools, colleges corporations, government agencies, community organizations and military bases. The play is based on his personal experiences in learning of, and discovering, his Black biological father. After hundreds of presentations and in-depth dialogues, Fosberg has assembled a set of tools and takeaways useful in navigating uncomfortable conversations about race and identity. He will share these tools at this presentation, with the goal of providing a road map to more authentic and meaningful conversations and authentic dialogue. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Nicole Paolicelli in Penn State Scranton’s Student Activities Office at 570-963-2703 or email: ntp10@psu.edu. You can also visit the speaker’s website at: www.incognitotheplay.com.
Johnson College Announces New Associates Degree Program Students can now enroll in Johnson College’s new two-year associate degree Welding Fabrication Manufacturing Technology program. The program will start during the fall 2022 semester. The two-year program prepares students for entry-level work in the welding industry. Students learn industry methods such as plasma arc, shielded metal arc, and gas metal arc welding, as well as techniques and critical skills for today’s welding workforce, including safety, print reading, and weld symbols. Program graduates are prepared to sit for various American Welding Society certifications and can work as welders, fabricators, fitters, ornamental metal sculptors, welder helpers, or in similar roles within the welding field. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Welding Technology field has a 3% growth potential through 2029. Graduates entering this field have the opportunity to make a medium annual income of up to $44,190. Typical welding industry employers include structural steel fabricators, custom metal shops, industrial contractors, shipyards, pipe and pressure vessel fabricators, and retail welding sales. “Johnson College is adding this two-year associate degree Welding Fabrication Manufacturing Technology program because of the increasing demand from industry for highly skilled welders in today’s workforce,” said Dr. Kellyn Williams, Johnson College’s Chief Academic Officer. “This program, along with our one-year welding certificate program, creates options for potential students interested in entering the highly in-demand welding industry.” To learn more about Johnson College’s new Welding Fabrication Manufacturing Technology Program visit https://johnson.edu/weldingfabrication.
The Wright Center to Bring COVID-19 Vaccinations to South Side Farmers Market The Wright Center for Community Health is partnering with United Neighborhood Centers of Northeastern Pennsylvania to provide onsite flu and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccinations, including third doses of Pfizer, on Saturday, Oct. 23 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the South Side Farmers Market, 601 Cedar Ave., Scranton. The regional health care provider will utilize its 34-foot mobile medical clinic, Driving Better Health, to provide services in conjunction with its community partners. The 500-block of Cedar Avenue will be closed to vehicular traffic to ensure safe, easy access to the mobile clinic and free information about health care services available at The Wright Center for Community Health. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for ages 16 and older. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends Pfizer third-dose boosters be given six months after the second dose in these categories: Older adults (ages 65 and above) and those living in long-term care facilities; adults ages 50-64 at high risk of severe COVID-19 due to underlying medical conditions; adults ages 18-49 with underlying medical conditions should consider a booster, and adults 18-64 who work in health care and institutional settings, such as teachers, health care workers, daycare staff, grocery works and people in shelters or prisons. The CDC also recommended that people with compromised immune systems who had previously received two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine get a third shot of the same type to boost their protection from COVID-19. The third shot should be administered at least 28 days after the second dose. People interested in receiving a vaccine are encouraged to pre-register online at TheWrightCenter.org or by calling 570-343-2382. Walk-up appointments also are welcome throughout the day. People seeking vaccination services are asked to bring a photo ID and insurance cards. For those who are uninsured, The Wright Center will never deny health care services based on a patient’s inability to pay. “The Wright Center for Community Health works collaboratively with community agencies to make outreach to underserved communities in Northeast Pennsylvania,” said Robin Rosencrans, practice manager for Driving Better Health. “Our mobile clinic makes vaccinations more accessible for people who otherwise might not have necessary transportation for appointments with their primary care providers.” Driving Better Health features two fully equipped examination operatories and a medical staff aboard the mobile medical unit. It is a way to bring health care to the region’s most vulnerable, underserved populations. It is staffed by a multidisciplinary, bilingual primary care team of clinicians who will deliver primary health care to those most in need.
Acclaimed Cellist Mark Kosower to Perform at the University of Scranton Performance Music at The University of Scranton will welcome back acclaimed cellist Mark Kosower, principal cellist of The Cleveland Orchestra, for a solo performance as part of his unique recital series “Bach for Humanity,” on Sunday, Oct. 24. The recital will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Houlihan-McLean Center, Mulberry Street and Jefferson Avenue. The concert is open to all members of the University community and invited guests. Admission is free. Seating arrangements will include provisions for socially distancing between groups attending together and masks must be worn by audience members at the recital. Kosower has performed at the University several times in recent years. In 2018, he launched “Bach for Humanity,” a three-year commitment to bringing the composer’s cello suites and arrangements of his violin sonatas and partitas to both conventional and nonconventional venues, including concert halls, educational institutions, community centers and senior residences, through Ohio, the region and the nation. Kosower will also offer a masterclass for members of the University’s string orchestra during his visit. Currently the principal cello for the Cleveland Orchestra, Kosower has been called “a virtuoso of staggering prowess” by the Cleveland Plain Dealer. From 2006 to 2010, he served as the solo cellist of the Bamberg Symphony in Germany. Kosower has performed as soloist with symphony orchestras throughout the world, including Rotterdam Philharmonic, Orchestre de Paris, China National Symphony in Beijing, National Symphony Orchestra of Taiwan, Brazilian Symphony Orchestra and the Venezuela Symphony Orchestra, and is a frequent guest at international chamber music festivals, including Santa Fe, Eastern Music, North Shore Chamber Music, Japan’s Pacific Music Festival and Colorado’s Strings Music Festival. He has recorded for the Ambitus, Delos, Naxos International and VAI labels, and was the first cellist to record the complete music for solo cello of Alberto Ginastera, which he completed for Naxos. From those recordings, he was described as a “powerful advocate of Ginastera’s art” by Music-Web International, and Strings Magazine noted of his Hungarian music album (also with Naxos) that “the music allows Kosower to showcase his stunning virtuosity, passionate intensity and elegant phrasing.” A member of the faculty at the Cleveland Institute of Music and the Kent Blossom Music Festival, Kosower also teaches a week of classes at California:s Hidden Valley Music Seminars in Carmel Valley each summer, and has served as a visiting distinguished professor at the University of Oregon. He has given masterclasses around the world, and served as professor of cello and chamber music at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music from 2005-2007. Kosower’s June 2020 appearance on Performance Music’s “Scranton Isolation Informances” series can be viewed at: https://fb.watch/8CQacWoKHI/. All audience members must wear masks throughout the performance. University campus access and other health and safety information will be updated throughout the semester and can be seen on the Royals Back Together webpage. Please check Performance Music’s website, scranton.edu/music, within 24 hours of the recital for the most current information on audience COVID-19 mitigation measures (e.g., masking, vaccination, distancing, etc.). For more information on the concert, call 570-941-7624, email music@scranton.edu or visit scranton.edu/music. For more on Kosower, visit clevelandorchestra.com/discover/meet-the-musicians/cellos/kosower-mark.
Geisinger to Host Hiring Events As Geisinger continues recruitment efforts to help make better health easier for the communities of northeastern and central Pennsylvania, the health system will hold in-person hiring events in Danville, Pittston, Williamsport, and Reedsville from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 25. Those attending the events will have the opportunity to discuss career opportunities at Geisinger, potential sign-on bonuses and recruitment incentives, and benefits including retirement programs, parental paid leave, tuition reimbursement, and health insurance on the first day of employment. Attendees should bring an updated resume as there will be opportunities for on-site interviews for certain positions. Geisinger offers a variety of career opportunities within departments that provide direct patient care and those who support operations. Openings throughout Geisinger’s operations in northeastern and central Pennsylvania include registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, respiratory therapists, patient care unit assistants, pharmacy technicians, phlebotomists, social workers, environmental services technicians, and food service workers, among others. The hiring events will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Oct. 25 at the following locations: Geisinger Office Building, 32 Justin Drive, DanvilleGeisinger CenterPoint, 300 Keystone Ave., PittstonHoliday Inn Williamsport, 100 Pine St., WilliamsportHoliday Inn Express & Suites Reedsville, 30 Happy Valley Dr., Reedsville “Our staff plays a critical role in bringing important health services close to home for our patients, members and neighbors,” said Jeff Lowry, director of recruitment for Geisinger. “Additionally, we work to provide the area with career growth opportunities with competitive salaries and benefits. We are always looking for talented and dedicated individuals to join our team and work to make better health easier for our communities.” Registration is encouraged, but not required for the Oct. 25 hiring events. Walk-ins are welcome. Visit jobs.geisinger.org/hiring to register and view all roles that are eligible for sign-on bonuses and hiring incentives. To learn more about job opportunities at Geisinger or to sign up for Geisinger job alerts, visit jobs.geisinger.org.
Wolf Administration Hosts Roundtable Discussion with Teens on Safe Driving Representatives from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), State Police, Department of Education and local education and law enforcement representatives held a face-to-face forum at Cedar Cliff High School in New Cumberland today, sharing their collective knowledge with students from Cedar Cliff and Red Land high schools to mark Teen Driver Safety Week in Pennsylvania. “We can all do our part to make highways safer by working together to help new drivers gain valuable experience and knowledge,” said PennDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian. “Parents and teachers are an integral part of establishing a mentality of safety behind the wheel amongst teen drivers.” The forum was held to call attention to teen driver safety and share important information directly with teen drivers during the nationwide observance October 17-23. The question-and-answer format gave teens a chance to glean valuable information from knowledgeable sources they may not otherwise interact with. Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death for teens. From 2016 to 2020, there were 82,066 crashes in Pennsylvania involving at least one 16-to-19-year-old driver resulting in 530 fatalities. Of those crashes, 45.6 percent involved the driver driving too fast for conditions (18,635 crashes), driver inexperience (7988), driver distraction (8,574) or improper/careless turning (7,490). A total of 39,399 crashes included one or more of these factors. The risk of a crash involving any of these factors can be reduced through practice, limiting the number of passengers riding with a new driver, obeying all rules of the road, and using common sense. “Parents and caregivers should encourage safe driving behavior long before their teen gets a learner’s permit by consistently modeling good habits behind the wheel,” said Colonel Robert Evanchick, commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police. “Set a positive example by ensuring everyone in the car is buckled up, eliminate distractions in the vehicle, obey the speed limit and remember to drive defensively.” PennDOT suggests that parents consider the following recommendations to help their children become safe and responsible drivers: Set a good example with your own driving habits.Have regular conversations with your teen about safe driving skills before they get their learner’s permit.Establish a parent/teen driving contract.Ride with your teen occasionally after they receive their license to monitor driving skills.Enforce observance of speed limits and other rules of the road.Strongly encourage your teen to avoid distractions behind the wheel, such as talking or texting on their cell phone.Limit the number of passengers they have in their vehicle.Limit dawn, dusk, and nighttime driving until your teen gains more experience and enforce a curfew. Remember, state law prohibits 16- and 17-year-olds with a junior license from driving between 11:00 PM and 5:00 AMGradually increase the amount of time/distance your teen is permitted to drive. “Driving a car requires experience, skill, and undivided attention,” said Department of Education Secretary Dr. Noe Ortega. “Driver education training programs are invaluable in preparing teenage drivers to get behind the wheel, keeping themselves, their passengers, and fellow drivers safe on the road.” As part of ongoing efforts to educate and assist teen drivers, PennDOT invites teens, their parents, teachers, and others to share video messages on Instagram about the personal costs of a crash, close calls, and advice on avoiding crashes. Anyone can join in this important conversation by using the hashtag #PATeenDriver. Like the Department on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PennsylvaniaDepartmentofTransportation and Instagram at www.instagram.com/PennsylvaniaDOT. Follow PennDOT on Twitter at www.twitter.com/PennDOTNews.
Broadway in Scranton Presents Waitress Broadway In Scranton is thrilled to announce WAITRESS will play at the Scranton Cultural Center for five (5) performances this December. The diner opens Thursday, December 2nd. Tickets for WAITRESS go on sale THIS THURSDAY, October 21st beginning at 10AM. Tickets are available in person at the Scranton Cultural Center box office and online at BroadwayInScranton.com. For group (10+) rates and more information call 570.342.7784. Meet Jenna, a waitress and expert pie-maker who dreams of a way out of her small town and rockymarriage. Pouring her heart into her pies, she crafts desserts that mirror her topsy-turvy life such as “The Key (Lime) to Happiness Pie” and “Betrayed By My Eggs Pie.” When a baking contest in a nearby county — and a satisfying encounter with someone new — show Jenna a chance at a fresh start, she must find the courage to seize it. Change is on the menu, as long as Jenna can write her own perfectly personal recipe for happiness. Waitress opened April 24, 2016 at Broadway’s Brooks Atkinson Theatre. Based upon the 2007 motion picture written by Adrienne Shelly, WAITRESS is the first Broadway musical in history to have four women in the four top creative team spots, with a book by Jessie Nelson, a score by Grammy® Award-winning singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles (composer of “Love Song” and “Brave”), choreography by Lorin Latarro and direction by Tony Award®-winner Diane Paulus. The WAITRESS Tour features Choreography Re-created by Abbey O’Brien, Tour Direction re-created by Susanna Wolk, and includes Scott Pask, Scenic Design; Suttirat Anne Larlarb, Costume Design; Ken Billington, Lighting Design; Jonathan Deans, Sound Design; Wigs by Richard Mawbey; original music supervision by Nadia DiGiallonardo, with tour music supervision by Ryan Cantwell. Arrangements by Nadia DiGiallonardo and Sara Bareilles, and Orchestrations by Sara Bareilles and The Waitress Band. Waitress is produced by NETworks Presentations LLC. Casting by Stewart/Whitley. “WAITRESS is a little slice of heaven!” says Entertainment Weekly, and is “Warm, witty, wise andhilarious. A wonderful treat.” according to London’s Express Online! “It’s an empowering musical of the highest order!” raves the Chicago Tribune. Don’t miss this uplifting and hilarious musical celebrating friendship, motherhood, and the magic of a well-made pie. WAITRESSDecember 2 – 5, 2021Thursday, December 2 @ 7:30pmFriday, December 3 @ 8:00pmSaturday, December 4 @ 2:00 & 8:00pmSunday, December 5 @ 1:00pm For more information on Broadway In Scranton, please visit BroadwayInScranton.comConnect with BROADWAY IN SCRANTONFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/BroadwayInScranton/Instagram: @Broadway_In_ScrantonTwitter: @BroadwayInNEPA
