MCLEAN, Va. – Hilton (NYSE: HLT) today recognized its top owners and developers as winners of the 2017 Hilton Owner Awards. In addition to the annual Development Awards announced each year at the NYU conference, Hilton added a “Top Performer” category to celebrate owners achieving excellence in guest experience and business performance.

“Our owners are incredible partners and we are deeply appreciative of their many contributions to our nearly 100-year legacy of spreading the light and warmth of hospitality,” said Christopher J. Nassetta, president and CEO, Hilton. “Today we are honored to unveil our 2017 Hilton Owner Awards, which celebrate those owners who truly went above and beyond last year to help us in our journey to deliver exceptional experiences – every hotel, every guest, every time.”

2017 Top Performer Awards

Top Performer Award: Small Portfolio

• First Class Hotels, LLC
  • Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts
• Goldman Sachs
  • Conrad Hotels & Resorts
• Virginia Tech Foundation
  • Curio Collection by Hilton
• Reading Hospitality, LLC
  • DoubleTree by Hilton
• Woodbine Hospitality
  • Tapestry Collection by Hilton
• The Woodlands Development Company
  • Embassy Suites by Hilton
• First Bristol Corporation
  • Hilton Garden Inn
• Midamerica Hotels Corporation
  • Hampton by Hilton
• Kinseth Hospitality Companies
  • Tru by Hilton
• Lighthouse Properties
  • Homewood Suites by Hilton
• Sonya Investments
  • Home2 Suites by Hilton

Top Performer Award: Mid-Sized Portfolio

• Welcome Group, Inc
  • Hilton Hotels & Resorts
• Leadon Operations
  • DoubleTree by Hilton
• AVR Realty Company, LLC
  • Embassy Suites by Hilton
• The North Central Group
  • Hilton Garden Inn
• Truss Development, LLC
  • Hampton by Hilton
• High Hotels, Ltd.
  • Homewood Suites by Hilton
• Magnolia Lodging, LLC
  • Home2 Suites by Hilton

Top Performer Award: Large Portfolio

• The Raymond Group
  • Hilton Garden Inn
• MCR Development, LLC
  • Hampton by Hilton
• Apple Hospitality REIT
  • Homewood Suites by Hilton
• Starwood Capital Group
  • Home2 Suites by Hilton

The Development Awards recognize the passion, creativity and innovative spirit of Hilton developers that are committed to quality projects, meet or exceed brand standards and have a positive impact on the local community.

“We are excited to recognize our developers after a tremendous year of growth, innovation and success,” said Matt Wehling, senior vice president, development, U.S. and Canada, Hilton. “Our team is proud to work with our dedicated partners on world-class projects that create an everlasting impact on our guests, communities and the hospitality industry.”

The Hilton Development team selects the winners based on distinct criteria including, total number or quality of hotels developed and in operation, commitment to project quality, impact on local community and early adoption of newer brands.

2017 North American Development Awards

Lifetime Achievement Award

• Alpesh Patel
• Kana Hotel Group

Multi-Brand Developer of the Year

• Robert G. Schaedle, III
• Chartwell Hospitality, LLC

New Developer of the Year – Canada

• Caroline Parent
• Hotel Logisco S.E.C.
• Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton Québec City /Saint-Romuald

New Developer of the Year – United States

• Stephen J. Congel
• Pyramid Management Group, LLC
• Embassy Suites by Hilton Syracuse Destiny USA

Developer of the Year – United States

• Lifestyle:
  • Monty Hoffman, Mark Dorigan & Shawn Seaman – PN Hoffman
  • Canopy by Hilton Washington DC The Wharf
• Full Service:
  • Roedel Companies
  • Hotel Saranac, Curio Collection by Hilton
• Focused Service:
  • Innisfree Hotels
  • Hilton Garden Inn Ft. Walton Beach
• Focused Service:
  • OTO Development
  • Hampton Inn and Suites by Hilton – Santa Monica
• All Suites:
  • Mac Haik Realty
  • Embassy Suites by Hilton Houston West – Katy & Embassy Suites By Hilton College Station

Developer of the Year – Canada

• Dr. Steve Gupta
• Eastons Group of Hotels Inc.
• Embassy Suites by Hilton Toronto Airport

New Build/Adaptive Reuse of the Year

• 2017 New Build of the Year Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts
  • Property: Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills
  • Developer: Oasis West Realty, LLC
• 2017 New Build of the Year Tapestry Collection by Hilton
  • Property: Hotel Skyler Syracuse, Tapestry Collection by Hilton
  • Developer: Woodbine Hospitality
• 2017 New Build of the Year Hilton Hotels & Resorts
  • Property: Hilton Des Moines Downtown
  • Developer: IEC Hotel Corporation
• 2017 New Build of the Year DoubleTree by Hilton
  • Property: DoubleTree by Hilton Greeley at Lincoln Park
  • Developer: Scott Ehrlich, Lincoln Park Hotel, LLC
• 2017 New Build of the Year Embassy Suites by Hilton
  • Property: Embassy Suites by Hilton Oahu Kapolei
  • Developer: Western States Lodging
• 2017 New Build of the Year Hampton by Hilton
  • Property: Hampton Inn & Suites Portland-Pearl District
  • Developer: The Raymond Group
• 2017 New Build of the Year Homewood Suites by Hilton
  • Property: Homewood Suites by Hilton Charleston Historic District
  • Developer: Tara Investments
• 2017 New Build of the Year Home2 Suites by Hilton
  • Property: Home2 Suites by Hilton Murfreesboro
  • Developer: Kana Hotel Group
• 2017 New Build of the Year Hilton Garden Inn
  • Property: Hilton Garden Inn Santa Barbara/Goleta
  • Developer: Huntington Hotel Group
• 2017 New Build of the Year Tru by Hilton
  • Property: Tru by Hilton Lancaster East
  • Developer: Justin Shelton & Dave Hogg, Springwood Hospitality

Dual-Brand of the Year

• Property: Embassy Suites by Hilton and Hilton Garden Inn Boulder
• Developer: Sage Hospitality Resources

Conversion of the Year

• 2017 Conversion of the Year Curio a Collection by Hilton
  • Property: The Statler Dallas, Curio Collection by Hilton
  • Developer: 1914 Commerce Leasing, LLC
• 2017 Conversion of the Year Tapestry Collection by Hilton
  • Property: The Troubadour Hotel New Orleans, Tapestry Collection by Hilton
  • Developer: Slumber Corners Manager, LLC
• 2017 Conversion of the Year Hilton Hotels & Resorts
  • Property: Millennium Hilton New York One UN Plaza
  • Developer: Millennium Hotels & Resorts
• 2017 Conversion of the Year DoubleTree by Hilton
  • Property: DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Hollywood Beach
  • Developer: Sotherly Hotels
• 2017 Conversion of the Year Hampton by Hilton
  • Property: Hampton Inn Marathon – Florida Keys
  • Developer: Baywood Hotels, Inc.
• 2017 Conversion of the Year Homewood Suites by Hilton
  • Property: Homewood Suites by Hilton Los Angeles International Airport
  • Developer: Hannah Greenberg & Robert Alter. SVI Airport LLC
• 2017 Conversion of the Year Home2 Suites by Hilton
  • Property: Home2 Suites by Hilton Atlanta Norcross
  • Developer: Subhash N. Patel, Global Management & Investment
• 2017 Conversion of the Year Hilton Garden Inn
  • Property: Hilton Garden Inn San Antonio Airport South
  • Developer: Baywood Hotels, Inc.

Conversion Developer of the Year – Canada

• Property: DoubleTree by Hilton Toronto Airport & Doubletree by Hilton Halifax Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
• Developer: Manga Hotels Inc.

Resort Development of the Year

• Property: The Grand Islander by Hilton Grand Vacations Club
• Developer: Blackstone

Rep. Karen Boback (R-Columbia/Luzerne/Wyoming) has announced her office will hold a Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Seminar featuring state Secretary of Aging Teresa Osborne.  The event will take place on Friday, July 20, at the Wyoming County Active Adult center located at 101 Dymond Terrace in Tunkhannock.  Doors will open at 10:30 a.m. and the program will begin at 11.

“This event will help grandparents raising grandchildren better understand the resources and programs available to them,” said Boback.  “We will have the departments of Aging and Human Services on hand to answer questions and provide information.”

Boback has been active in helping and assisting grandparents raising grandchildren during her time in the Legislature.  In April, the House passed legislation that she co-sponsored, House Bill 2133, establishing the Kinship Caregiver Navigator Program, an informational resource to operate both as a website and a toll-free hotline. The website would offer information on support and services available, and a specially trained navigator would be able to provide support and guidance to kinship caregivers.

Also clearing the state House in April was House Bill 1539, which would grant temporary guardianship to grandparents when the parents of the grandchildren are unable to care for them primarily due to substance abuse issues.  Boback supported this bill and voted in favor of it.

“An estimated 82,000 grandparents are the sole caregivers for nearly 89,000 grandchildren in Pennsylvania,” said Boback.  “We must do everything we can to help and assist our senior citizens who raise and provide for their grandchildren.”

No RSVP is required.  To find out more on this event, please call Boback’s district office at (570)-836-4777.

Honesdale, PA / June 25, 2018 / The Dime Bank has awarded scholarships to four students from Wayne Highlands, Wallenpaupack Area, Delaware Valley, and Carbondale Area school districts based on their academic and leadership capabilities. To be eligible for The Dime Bank Directors Award the students must be furthering their education in the field of business, economics, finance, management, or accounting. Each graduating senior was presented with a check for $1,000.00 to attend the college of their choice. The Dime Bank is proud to support future leaders with this educational assistance.

2018 Directors Award recipients are: Kally Pachuta from Wayne Highlands who will be attending St. Joseph’s University majoring in Marketing; Carter Schmalzle from Wallenpaupack Area who will be attending Lehigh University majoring in Computer Science/Business; Olivia Regal from Carbondale Area who will be attending St. Joseph’s University majoring in Marketing; Liliana Hendrix from Delaware Valley who will be attending Carnegie Mellon University majoring in Business Administration.

Pictured left to right front row students: Kally Pachuta, Carter Schmalzle, and Liliana Hendrix; Back row: The Dime Bank President and Chief Executive Officer Gary Beilman and Board Directors David Reynolds, John Kiesendahl, and Todd Stephens.

The Dime Bank has been helping customers meet their financial needs since 1905. Serving its primary market of Northeast Pennsylvania, the bank offers a full array of financial services and solutions. Community banking yields community benefits. For more information on The Dime Bank, visit www.thedimebank.com. Member FDIC.

Scranton, Pa, Keystone Community Resources, (KCR) recently went to the Disability Funding Rally at the Pennsylvania Capitol Building in Harrisburg to support funding for Pennsylvanians with disabilities and rallied the “We Are Worth It, Fix The DSP Crisis!” initiative.  KCR joined advocates in and around PA to advocate for fair funding for individuals with autism and intellectual disabilities, (ID) and their Direct Support Professionals, (DSP) to help raise DSP wages to a living wage.  A KCR program participant with intellectual disabilities, KCR employees and advocates got a chance to visit Senator Lisa Baker’s office to discuss issues that individuals and companies have that provide services.

Pictured Left:  Theresa Manning, Production Program Manager, KCR Bridge Street, Mark Panek, Day Program Participant at Keystone Community Resources, R. Michael Cortez, Esquire, Legal Counsel & Executive Director Health & Human Service committee office of Senator Lisa Baker and Kristie Baker, Program Developer at Keystone Community Resources

Mission Statement
Our mission is to provide people with autism and intellectual disabilities diverse opportunities to lead fulfilling lives. Keystone Community Resources is a company that provides community based services for individuals with autism and intellectual disabilities. This company is comprised of approximately 600 employees, in human services field in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. It has 60 group homes; nine day programs; a bakery, Keystone Konfections, in Tunkhannock; a coffee business, Keystone Koffee, and Artworks Gallery in Scranton. These locations are working vocational businesses that allow people with disabilities to learn life and work skills.

Visit www.keycommres.org/advocacy  or follow the latest Keystone news and more on and Facebook.

Lackawanna College head men’s and women’s soccer coach Rudy Roediger recently announced a revolutionary partnership with iSportsAnalysis, a company that provides sport performance analysis software and Global Positioning Systems.

The partnership means that iSportsAnalysis will be the exclusive provider for the Lackawanna College men’s and women’s soccer programs for Global Positioning Systems and Match Analysis. Both teams will utilize iSportsAnalysis’ Sports Performance Analysis video analysis software, along with Athlete Performance Pro, a Global Positioning System.

“We are truly delighted to be the very first team at any level in the USA working with iSportsAnalysis,” stated Roediger. “The addition of technology to our program will enhance not only our player development and injury prevention, but aid in our player’s preparation for and promotion to four-year colleges and universities and potentially beyond. Truly this puts our programs on the cutting edge like professional and national teams around the world.”

Being world leaders in online sports analysis, iSportsAnalysis was developed by world class sports scientists, coaches, trainers, and lecturers to help optimize, maximize, and realize the performance of athletes and teams. The software helps sports clubs, universities, and colleges win matches and sporting competitions, aids in player development, and helps prevent injuries.

“iSportsAnalysis is proud to be working with college programs which help young players – both in their sports performances and in their understanding of sports analysis. Our ethos has always been to bring performance analysis, match tagging and GPS performance analysis, previously only available to professional teams, to colleges, universities, and grassroots clubs. It is our privilege to aid in these areas of player development,” said Anadi James Taylor, founder of iSportsAnalysis.

“Our goal is to give our athletes the best possible resources to perform at the highest level,” said Joya Whittington, Lackawanna College Athletics Director and Head Women’s Basketball Coach. “I think this partnership speaks volumes about not only the direction of our soccer programs but athletics at Lackawanna College.”

Roediger who has had multiple years of working with match analysis and Global Positioning Systems in the college, professional, and international ranks of soccer spoke highly about iSportsAnalysis.

“It was clear from my first conversation with iSportsAnalysis Founder, Anadi James Taylor, that we wanted to be the very first program at any level in the USA to partner with iSportsAnalysis,” said Roediger. “While there are other companies out there doing each side of the technology, iSportsAnalysis does both where they are linked together and they are really breaking new ground with both areas.”

iSportsAnalysis’ Sports Performance Analysis evaluates and improves communication, intensity, pitch coverage, positioning, tactical, and technical aspects for individual players and the team by producing detailed views, comparisons, and demonstrating team and individual strengths and weaknesses.

The iSportsAnalysis Athlete Performance Pro GPS Tracking System is revolutionary and one of the only professional-grade systems available to all players. The system accurately measures distance, top-speed and number of sprints, max deceleration, and work-ration along with heart-rate monitoring of the athlete’s max heart rate, time over heart rate max, and percentage of time over heart rate max. The newly designed iSportsAnalysis’ Athlete Performance Pro tracks the G-Force impacts the athlete encounters during each session.

Visit LackawannaFalcons.com and click on the team link for more information on the Lackawanna College men’s and women’s soccer teams throughout the offseason and during the 2018 campaign. Follow Falcons soccer on Instagram @LCFalconsSoccer and Twitter @LCFalconsSoccer.

For more information on iSportsAnalysis visit isportsanalysis.com.

About Lackawanna College:

Founded in 1894, Lackawanna College is a private, accredited college serving the people of northeastern Pennsylvania. With a main campus situated in downtown Scranton, Lackawanna’s expanding footprint also includes satellite centers in Hawley, Hazleton, New Milford, Sunbury, and Towanda. Learn more at lackawanna.edu.

Grand opening ceremonies were held on June 22, 2018 at the new Sherwood Freightliner, Sterling & Western Star Dealership at 50 Old Berwick Road in Drums, PA.  The new facility is located on I-80 at exit 256, behind the Pilot truck stop.  The 35,000 sq ft new construction includes 15 service bays and 2 Express Assessment stalls.  The dealership also has 3 sales offices, a fully stocked Parts department & showroom, and a spacious, comfortable drivers lounge.  SFSWS also has their own Training Center with a DTNA certified trainer, that is equal to the corporate training facilities in Portland and Charlotte.

The Sherwood family has provided transportation solutions since 1925.  Don Sherwood, dealer principal, has been a GM store owner since 1967, Western Star Trucks since 1985, and Freightliner trucks since 2002.  SFSWS Trucks was Pennsylvania Truck Dealer of the Year in 2014, and 3^rd overall in the country.

SFSWS has its main store in Dunmore, PA, and the second location in Tunkhannock, PA.  The three dealerships combined handle NEPA trucking needs with 89 employees.  The dealerships mainly represent Freightliner & Western Star trucks, and Detroit Diesel engines, transmissions and axles, while continuing to represent Cummins engines, Alliance truck parts, CAT, Isuzu trucks, MBE engines, Sterling trucks, Mobil Oil, Allison and others.  Corporate reps travelled from SC, OR, MI and OH last week to attend the ribbon cutting ceremony, open house and lunch hosted by the Sherwood company. (see attached picture)