Tri-Star Academy to Host Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting

Tir-Star Academy will be hosting their grand opening and ribbon cutting on Tuesday, February 16 at 4:00 p.m. The event will be held at 14 Kennedy Blvd., Archbald, PA. Light refreshments will be provided and all COVID-19 protocols will be followed.

RSVP to tristar.archbald@gmail.com by Friday, February 12 to attend.

Tri-Star Academy is a full time program dedicated to school age children. The program will accommodate all public school closures, delays, holidays, in-service days, summer time, and daily before and after care during the school year.

Tri-Star Academy has been operating since November 20 and is licensed by the Deptartment of Human Services.

Lackawanna College’s Rally for Restaurants Aids Local Restaurants, Scholarship

With restaurants feeling the impact of COVID-19, Lackawanna College teamed up with Scranton Tomorrow and the City of Scranton to raise money to help local restaurant owners and workers make ends meet. The effort raised over $30,000, which went directly to participating restaurants, and over $7,000 for the Lackawanna College School of Hospitality scholarship fund. 

Lackawanna College’s student-run restaurant, 409 on Adams, pivoted in a multi-faceted effort to help support the restaurant industry while also giving students valuable culinary experience with some of the area’s leading chefs.

“Rally for Restaurants exemplified what our region is known for-neighbors helping neighbors. We were honored to serve alongside the City of Scranton and Scranton Tomorrow to bring much-needed dollars to local restaurants,” said Stephanie Decker, Associate Vice President of Social and Economic Impact. “Lackawanna College and our students are so excited to continue this program as we prepare the newest restaurant workforce to emerge equipped to sustain and fortify the local restaurant economy and arts and culture of our region.”

Lackawanna’s School of Hospitality students worked alongside expert chefs from eight local restaurants, serving a total of 684 meals since the initiative launched in February 2020. A combination of generous sponsorships and in-kind donations helped offset the operating costs for the events, along with funds raised from private donations and t-shirt sales.

“I want to thank Lackawanna College and all of the students, and anyone involved at the College who has generously donated their time and energy to put these events on. There are few places like Scranton where you see a community rally around each other in times of need. It has been the bright spot in an otherwise dark year,” said Patrick Nasser, co-owner of Backyard Alehouse.

Lackawanna College will launch a second Rally for Restaurants initiative beginning next month.

Rally for Restaurants Recap Video: https://youtu.be/iUS7Kp4uYk8
Rally for Restaurants Web Page: https://www.lackawanna.edu/rally-for-restaurants/

Longtime Wilkes-Barre Provider Joins Geisinger 65 Forward Health Center

Joseph Anistranski, M.D., a longtime Wilkes-Barre family medicine physician, is joining the Geisinger 65 Forward Health Center team in downtown Wilkes-Barre. Geisinger 65 Forward is a healthcare program designed exclusively for people age 65 and over where patients get longer appointments, more on-site health services and social, educational and wellness activities.

Dr. Anistranski has been practicing family medicine in Luzerne County for more than 30 years. He earned his medical degree from the Pennsylvania State University after completing undergraduate studies in biology at the University of Pittsburgh. He completed his family medicine residency at Wyoming Valley Family Practice in Kingston.

Dr. Anistranski has practiced medicine at several Wyoming Valley locations throughout his career, including as an emergency room physician at the former Mercy Hospital, and in family medicine with Mercy Family Practice, Intermountain Medical Group, and The Wright Center for Community Health. Since 1996 he has served at the medical director for Catholic Social Services in Wilkes-Barre.

“I’m looking forward to being part of this team and to supporting this unique program,” Anistranski said. “The 65 Forward program is about making health care easier. Having these services and activities in the heart of downtown Wilkes-Barre can help us improve the health of our neighbors like never before.”

Dr. Anistranski is board certified in family medicine by the American Board of Family Practice and a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians (FAAFP).

Dr. Anistranski is currently accepting new patients. He joins George Avetian, D.O., at the Wilkes-Barre 65 Forward Health Center located in Midtown Village. Complimentary parking for tours and appointments is available in the lot adjacent to the 65 Forward Health Center off Northampton Street. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Anistranski, or for more information on enrolling in the program, can call 866-807-2849 or visit geisinger.org/forwardnewsWB to learn more.

Johnson College Receives a $25,000 Grant from the Robert Y. Moffat Family Charitable Trust

Johnson College was awarded a $25,000 grant from the Robert Y. Moffat Family Charitable Trust to support the College’s efforts to perform a comprehensive, campus-wide audit to ensure its campus is fully compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Johnson College’s staff want to make sure that the campus is welcoming to all who visit. It is paramount to the College’s institutional goal of promoting equity and inclusion as part of its Strategic Plan. Identifying and resolving accessibility issues throughout campus will achieve this important goal and affirm the College is in compliance with current ADA requirements. “While our buildings were either designed or retrofitted to be ADA-compliant, we’re always working to improve our campus,” said Dr. Katie Leonard, Johnson College President & CEO. “We are grateful to the Robert Y. Moffat Family Charitable Trust for this grant that will ensure our campus is accessible to everyone who is enrolled, works and visits Johnson College.”

For additional information on Johnson College, please call 1-800-2-WE-WORK, email enroll@johnson.edu, or visit Johnson.edu.