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
Wilkes University Allan P. Kirby Lecture Terry Jones, founder of Travelocity.com and founding chairman of Kayak.com, will deliver the Allan P. Kirby Lecture in Free Enterprise and Entrepreneurship at Wilkes University at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 21. Jones will deliver the lecture On Innovation: Powerful Ideas to Create a More Innovative Organization, at the Dorothy Dickson Darte Center for the Performing Arts at 239 S. River St. in Wilkes-Barre. The lecture will also be livestreamed for registrants who cannot attend in person. Earlier in the day, Jones will meet with a small group of Wilkes students for a question-and-answer session. Jones’ lecture will focus on the need for business to continually innovate while giving leaders simple but powerful ideas they can use to create a more innovative organization. As the founder of Travelocity.com and founding chairman of Kayak.com, Jones helps audiences turn innovation into an everyday skill. His career and personal experiences provide real-world illustrations of how challenging and ultimately rewarding it can be to gather a team and establish a culture that is open to change. And he gives audiences step-by-step plans to create that culture. He authored the books On Innovation and Disruption Off and is managing principal of On Inc., a consultancy he founded to help companies transition to the digital economy. He is a venture capitalist with General Catalyst Partners and Sierra Angels. Advance registration is required. For more information and to register, please visit www.wilkes.edu/kirbylecture. Questions about the event can be directed to Mildred Urban, director of University events, at mildred.urban@wilkes.edu or (570) 408-4330.
Boo Bash Is Back At Mohegan Sun Pocono! On Friday, October 29th, join Mohegan Sun Pocono in the Keystone Grand Ballroom for a free, no-cover Halloween celebration featuring a live performance by Drop Dead Sexy and a costume contest with over $5,000 in cash prizes. BOO BASHFriday, October 29th8:00pm – 11:00pmKeystone Grand Ballroom Costume ContestRegistration for the costume contest takes place right outside the Keystone Grand Ballroom from 8:00pm – 10:00pm. The premier party band on the East Coast, Drop Dead Sexy comes to rock the stage with the best music from Queen to Bon Jovi to Michael Jackson. Over $5,000 in cash prizes will be awarded for “scariest”, “sexiest”, “most casino”, and “most original” costumes. First place in each category takes home $500 cash, second place receives $250 and third place receives $150. Best overall costume wins $1,000! Plus, guests should be sure to dance by the stage, as the band will pick their favorite costume of the night and the winner receives $500! All winners will be announced at 11:00pm. Guests must be 21 or older with valid ID to attend this event. Masks and full face paint are only allowed in the event space. Costume photos will be taken upon registration. Costumes are not required to attend.
NBT Bank Promotes Smaniotto to Chief Human Resources Officer NBT Bank Executive Vice President and Chief of Staff Catherine Scarlett announced that Cynthia Smaniotto has been promoted to Chief Human Resources Officer. This achievement is the result of Smaniotto’s role in supporting the organization’s growth over the past 20 years, including expansion to more than 1,900 employees across seven states in the northeast. “Cindy has repeatedly demonstrated her effectiveness as a leader throughout her two-decade tenure with NBT,” said Scarlett. “Recently, as facilitator of our NBT Forward team, Cindy has provided executive leadership and guidance in helping the company and employees navigate the challenges of the pandemic.” Smaniotto joined NBT Bank in 2000 through the acquisition of LA Bank where she served as Director of Human Resources. During her time with NBT, she has held numerous roles, including Regional Employment Manager, Director of Employment Services and, most recently, Director of Human Resources. She is based at NBT’s Scranton Financial Center on Keyser Avenue. Among her many contributions to NBT, Smaniotto has supported the development and expansion of the human resources division to include specialties, such as talent acquisition, health and wellness, diversity and inclusion, and career guidance. She has also served as a steadfast employee advocate by advising managers and executives on talent development best practices. “One of the most fulfilling accomplishments of my career has been the time I have spent supporting the cultivation of a successful and cohesive team here at NBT Bank,” Smaniotto said.
The Wright Center Receives Grant to Support Healthy Moms Program The Wright Center for Community Health was recently awarded nearly $600,000 in federal grant funding to combat the ongoing opioid crisis by supplying addiction treatment and related services to pregnant women and new mothers who cope with substance use disorder. The grant will support women living in recovery in Northeast Pennsylvania who are active in the region’s Healthy Maternal Opiate Medical Support program (Healthy MOMS), which The Wright Center for Community Health co-founded with its community partners nearly three years ago. More than 115 mothers and their children are currently helped by the collaborative Healthy MOMS program, which relies on dozens of health care organizations, government agencies and nonprofit groups to extend services across a multicounty territory. The Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs will administer the grant funding that was made available to states by the federal government, specifically through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). It is intended “to improve outcomes for individuals in recovery from substance use disorder,” according to Gov. Tom Wolf’s office. The Wright Center is one of 12 organizations in Pennsylvania to receive funding during the grant distribution process to expand access to pregnancy support services. Those services include postpartum health care, mental health care, nutrition education, employment readiness, childcare, life skills training and linkages to appropriate treatment programs, including medication-assisted treatment. One aim of the grant-funded project will be to extend supportive services to more women in southern Luzerne and Schuylkill counties. “We’re extremely grateful to be the recipient of funding that will enable us to help additional mothers and their families across our region,” said Maria Kolcharno, director of Addiction Services at The Wright Center for Community Health. “These moms essentially face a triple challenge today: caring for babies, maintaining sobriety and emotionally pushing through the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s a lot to ask of anyone, especially women who because of their past substance use might be alienated from a support network of family and friends.” Among public health officials, pregnant women who use substances are deemed a priority population to receive recovery services, because both they and their unborn babies are especially vulnerable. The COVID-19 pandemic seemingly has made the situation even more fragile for certain people living in recovery and triggered a spike in substance misuse, as reflected in increased rates of relapse and drug overdose. Pennsylvania, for example, experienced a 14-percent increase in drug overdose deaths in 2020 compared to the prior year, according to preliminary data released this summer by the state Department of Health. The latest grants are part of $55 million in federal funding awarded to Pennsylvania through the SAMHSA Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant Program COVID-19 Supplemental Awards. Announced in early October, the $598,644 award made to The Wright Center will allow the Healthy MOMS program to further serve women and their children in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike, Schuylkill, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming counties. A collaborative venture from the start, the Healthy MOMS program would not be an effective project without the substantial and sustained contributions of its dozens of community partners. Information about the project and its partners is available at this website: healthymoms.org. Learn more about the Healthy MOMS program by calling 570-995-7821 or texting healthymoms to 555888.
Telespond Senior Services Awarded $5,000 to Support Operations Telespond Senior Services has accepted a $5,000 Critical Needs grant award from the Scranton Area Community Foundation to support operations of in-home and on-site senior services in Northeastern PA. Telespond’s on-site day program provides a community-based environment for older adults who require supervised care outside the home during the day. Telespond’s in-home personal care services assist seniors with non-medical activities of daily living so they can continue to live independently. Telespond is dedicated to enhancing the safety and well-being of the region’s elderly and has served the Lackawanna County community for over 40 years. To learn more, visit http://www.seniordayservices.org/
Former State Rep. Marion L. Munley First Woman Included in Scranton’s Distinguished Citizens Memorial Marion L. Munley, a former member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and pioneer in women’s equality, became the first woman included in Scranton’s Distinguished Citizens Memorial on October 15. Munley was chosen by officials from the Lackawanna County Arts and Cultural Department and the Lackawanna Historical Society for her indelible mark on state politics and women’s rights. After her husband, Hon. Robert W. Munley passed in 1947, she won a special election for his seat in the Pennsylvania State House. She was the first woman elected from Lackawanna County & Northeastern Pennsylvania. Munley was re-elected to office eight times. During her tenure, she was the first woman elected to a leadership position in the Democratic Caucus in the 300-year history of the legislature. She also became Secretary of the House of Representatives, the first and only woman to hold that position. The Distinguished Citizens Memorial in Courthouse Square also includes late Gov. Robert P Casey, U.S. Rep Joseph M McDade, and former governor and UN Ambassador, William Warren Scranton II.Munley was an advocate for equality and fairness throughout her career and was a coauthor of House Bill 66 (1959), which prohibited “the discrimination in rate of pay because of sex”. She became the matriarch of a family that would continue in her footsteps in local politics and the legal field. The Munley family is proud to honor their grandmother’s legacy.
