NeighborWorks Welcomes PNC Bank as Fall Festival Presenting Sponsor NeighborWorks Northeastern Pennsylvania (NeighborWorks) is pleased to welcome PNC Bank as this year’s presenting sponsor for the West Scranton Fall Festival. In collaboration with the City of Scranton, the inaugural West Scranton Fall Festival will be a two-part event that is FREE to the public and will be held Saturday, Oct. 22. Rain date is Nov. 5. It will take place first at Clover Field, located at 400 W Locust St, in Scranton from noon to 3 p.m., and then at Allen Park at the corner of North Main Avenue and Price Street from 6-9 p.m. “Coming together to support local businesses and celebrate our community has never been more important than it is now,” said Pete Danchak, PNC regional president for Northeast PA. “As a National Main Street Bank, supporting the West Scranton Fall Festival as the inaugural presenting sponsor is simply the right thing to do – and fun!” From 3-6 p.m., attendees will be encouraged to check out local establishments within the West Scranton business corridor. For more information and future business promotion regarding the Fall Festival, please go to the Facebook event page here.
Scranton Tomorrow Salute to Soup Salute to soup! Nothing says fall like a hearty soup! As part of Scranton Tomorrow’s Fall into Downtown Scranton campaign, restaurants and cafes in the Downtown Scranton Business District are stirring up seasonal favorites for lunch, including soup’s to keep your warm on those chilly, fall days. Yum! Where to Dine Click here to visit our Downtown Scranton Dining Guide, featuring more than 60 restaurants, cafes and pubs offering indoor, curbside, takeout, and delivery options in the Downtown Scranton Business District.
The Dime Bank Cybersecurity Tips In recognition of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, the Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) and The Dime Bank are reminding consumers of practical steps to help safeguard their sensitive data and mitigate losses in the event of a data breach or compromise. User connectivity to the Internet is at an all-time high, with 45% of respondents citing that they are always online, but nearly two-thirds (62%) of users lack access to cybersecurity knowledge, according to the National Cybersecurity Alliance. Out of more than 1,700 incidents of cybercrime that were disclosed by participants, 36% were phishing attacks that led to a loss of money or data, while 24% reported falling victim to identity theft. “Cyberattacks and threats are constantly evolving, underscoring the need to stay vigilant and take proactive measures to guard against cyberattacks,” said ICBA President and CEO Rebeca Romero Rainey. “Consumers can take comfort knowing that community banks take the protection of their customers’ data very seriously, adhere to some of the strictest data privacy laws of any sector, and provide strong education to help reinforce a culture of cybersecurity.” How to Reduce Your Risk While there is no foolproof way to avoid online identity theft, you can minimize your risk by: Limiting disclosed information – Never respond to requests for personal information such as your banking ID, account number, username or password, even if they appear to originate from your bank, government agencies or companies with which you have a relationship.Taking advantage of security features – Enable the strongest multi-factor authentication (MFA) offered by your bank, and enable it through a trusted mobile device, an authenticator app, or a secure token.Performing a system purge. Check your app permissions and use the “rule of least privilege” to delete what you don’t need or no longer use. Ensure all software on internet-connected devices is current.Shredding documents with personal or sensitive information and changing passwords regularly. How to Respond to a Data Breach Monitor account activity for transaction irregularities and report discrepancies to The Dime Bank by calling our fraud department immediately at 570-253-1970 x7790. In the unfortunate event of an account compromise, to minimize your risk: Consider a security freeze* on your credit report to restrict access to your credit file.Set up a fraud alert*, which directs banks to verify your identity before opening a new account, issuing an additional card, or increasing the credit limit on an existing account.Report stolen finances or identities and other cybercrime to the Internet Crime Complaint Center* and to your local law enforcement and state attorney general.
Keystone College To Host Internship and Career Expo Keystone College/Sodexo will sponsor an Internship and Career Expo on Thursday, Oct. 20 from noon to 3 p.m. in the Theatre in Brooks on campus. Over 30 regional and national employers will be in attendance along with numerous Keystone students. You are invited to cover and speak to students seeking jobs in our area and companies looking to hire them.
WVIA’s Broadcast of Pennsylvania’s Congressional District Debate WVIA will broadcast the 2022 8th Congressional District Debate live from the WVIA Studios in Pittston, PA on Thursday, October 20th, at 7 p.m. The debate will simulcast live regionally on WVIA-TV, and WNEP TV, statewide on PCN and nationally on C-SPAN. The broadcast can also be heard on WVIA Radio and will livestream on WVIA’s Facebook and YouTube channels as well as at wvia.org. The live debate for the 8th Congressional District will feature incumbent Congressman Matt Cartwright (D) and Jim Bognet (R). Information on Matt Cartwright can be found at https://www.cartwrightcongress.com Information on Jim Bognet can be found at https://www.bognetforcongress.com The producer and moderator of the debate will be WVIA’s Larry Vojtko. Panelists for the debate include Borys Krawczeniuk, Staff Writer of the Times-Tribune, Roger DuPuis, News Editor for the Times Leader, and Lisa Washington, WNEP. On Friday, October 21st, WVIA will broadcast the 2022 9th Congressional District Debate at 7 p.m. live from the WVIA Studios. The debate will feature incumbent Congressman Dan Meuser (R) and Amanda Waldman (D).
Johnson College Receives Grant Johnson College has been awarded a $250,000 grant from the Moses Taylor Foundation to support the development of a new Biomedical Equipment Technology laboratory to be housed in the new campus gateway building, Ideal Saldi Hall. The new laboratory will provide critical hands-on learning on the latest technology available and in use throughout the region in healthcare facilities. The program trains students as entry-level biomedical technicians with medical terminology and human physiology principles, as well as the maintenance and support, planning, and installation of medical equipment according to standards and guidelines. The future promises revolutionary advancements in the biomedical equipment technology industry. New technology such as 3D printing, computer miniaturization, and nanotechnology, will provide exciting new opportunities for biomedical equipment technology graduates. The construction of the new gateway building is one of the four pillars of the College’s comprehensive, 5-year capital campaign, Innovation at Work. The building will highlight students’ future career potential by showcasing various industry training opportunities within classroom and laboratory spaces such as a Biomedical Equipment Technology laboratory. In recognition of its support, the new biomedical equipment technology laboratory will be named in honor of the Foundation. Campus visitors will have the opportunity to see students actively learning within the new lab through large glass viewing areas. The two-year Biomedical Equipment Technology associate degree program prepares students as entry-level biomedical technicians with skills training that include medical terminology and human physiology principles, as well as the maintenance and support, planning and acquisition, and installation of medical equipment according to standards and guidelines.
Treasurer Stacy Garrity: Account Validation Makes Payments More Secure Treasurer Stacy Garrity today announced that the list of vendors qualified to provide new electronic payment security protocols (Account Validation Services, or AVS) for state government agencies has been posted to Treasury’s website. “AVS is a powerful tool in the never-ending fight against fraud and identity theft,” Garrity said. “Criminals are constantly looking for new ways to steal taxpayer dollars, and we will do everything possible to stop them. I thank the General Assembly and Governor Wolf for giving Treasury the authority to require AVS across all state agencies.” Act 54 of 2022 authorized Treasury to require the implementation of AVS, a significant step forward in detecting and preventing the fraudulent expenditure of public funds. AVS, which is almost instantaneous, uses bank account information and other unique identity data fields to confirm a payee’s relationship with the receiving bank account. The list of qualified vendors includes 10 companies capable of providing AVS. Every agency, board or commission for which Treasury makes payments must choose one of the vendors to use for its payments no later than January 2024. Act 54 requires Treasury to update the list of approved vendors at least every two years.
The University of Scranton Events The University of Scranton Open House The University of Scranton, a nationally recognized Jesuit university in northeast Pennsylvania, will host two Open House events for prospective students and their families on Sunday, Oct. 23, and Sunday, Nov. 6. “Best 388 Colleges,” “Best Buys in College Education,” “America’s Best Colleges,” “A Focus on Student Success,” “Best Undergraduate Teaching,” “Best Catholic Colleges” – these are just a few of the ways that the nation’s leading college rankings and guidebooks consistently refer to The University of Scranton. For 29 consecutive years, U.S. News & World Report has ranked Scranton among the 10 top Master’s Universities in the North. The Princeton Review included Scranton in its list “Best Colleges” for 21 consecutive years and in its ranking of the nation’s “Best Science Labs” (No. 7) for six years, among other rankings. At the Open House, participants can learn about Scranton’s 69 undergraduate majors, meet with faculty, students, admissions counselors and financial aid representatives. Student-led campus tours will be conducted throughout the day and will include residence halls, dining halls, computer labs, science labs and academic facilities. In addition, representatives of student organizations, athletic teams and Scranton’s programs of excellence, such as the undergraduate Honors Program, Special Jesuit Liberal Arts Honors Program, Magis Honors Program in STEM, Business Honors Program and Business Leadership Honors Program, will also be available. Judaic Studies Fall Lecture Dru Johnson, Ph.D., director of Center for Hebraic Thought and associate professor of biblical and theological studies at The King’s College in New York City, will present “Does the Hebrew Bible have a Unique Philosophy?” at The University of Scranton’s Judaic Studies Institute Lecture on Thursday, Oct. 27, at 7:30 p.m. in the Pearn Auditorium of Brennan Hall. The lecture is free of charge and open to the public. Dr. Johnson teaches Biblical literature, theology and biblical interpretation at The King’s College. He is an editor for the Routledge Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Biblical Criticism series, an associate director for the Jewish Philosophical Theology Project at The Herzl Institute in Israel and a co-host for the OnScript Podcast. Dr. Johnson has held research fellowships at the University of Saint Andrews, Scotland, the Shalem Institute for Advanced Studies, Jerusalem, and the Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. He currently serves on the steering committee of the Scripture and Church Seminar in the Institute for Biblical Research and was formerly the chair and co-founder of the Hebrew Bible and Philosophy Program in the Society for Biblical Literature. He has taught in Western Kenya, Brazil and the United Kingdom. Dr. Johnson is ordained as a minister in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degree from the University of Missouri – St. Louis, a Master’s in Divinity degree from the Covenant Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. in theology from the University of St. Andrews – Scotland. The Weinberg Judaic Studies Institute was created in 1979 through an endowment funded by the local Jewish community. The Institute fosters a better understanding and appreciation of Judaism, Israel and their histories. It supports visits to the University by Jewish scholars and writers and supports library acquisitions, publications, faculty research, travel and other scholarly endeavors. The work of the Institute was further enhanced by a $1 million gift from Harry Weinberg in 1990. Andrew Gonzalez To Perform at the University of Scranton Performance Music at The University of Scranton will present a solo recital featuring acclaimed modern and historical performance viola and violincello da spalla player Andrew Gonzalez on Saturday, Oct. 15. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Houlihan-McLean Center, Mulberry Street and Jefferson Avenue. Admission is free, with seating on a first-come, first-seated basis. According to Cheryl Y. Boga, conductor and director of Performance Music, “Andrew has performed at Scranton many times with our student string orchestra and his own quartets and trios. We are very excited to welcome him back to present a solo recital – our hall loves his sound.” Passionate about historical performance, Gonzalez frequently performs on baroque viola and the violoncello da spalla. A student of Cynthia Roberts from the Juilliard 415 program, he has performed in festivals and series such as the Washington Bach Consort, Valley of the Moon Music Festival, American Bach Soloists, the Boston Early Music Festival, Helicon and many others. Gonzalez is one of the few people in the world who plays the violoncello da spalla, a five stringed mini cello that is played on the shoulder. Hailed by the Strad Magazine for his ‘warm hearted playing and mellow tone’, Gonzalez enjoys a full career as both a soloist and chamber musician, performing in prestigious venues throughout the United States, as well as halls throughout Asia and Europe. As a sought–after chamber musician, his playing has allowed him to collaborate with respected ensembles such as the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and the Sejong Soloists, as well as members of the Guarneri, Juilliard, Tokyo, Orion, Borromeo and Vermeer quartets. In the fall of 2020, he became the new violist of the Jasper String Quartet. Also an accomplished teacher, Gonzalez served as a fellow of Carnegie Hall’s ‘Ensemble Connect’ from 2016-2018 and teaches chamber music in the Heifetz Institute’s Program for the Exceptionally Gifted. Originally from Chesapeake Virginia, Gonzalez attended the Governor’s School where he was introduced to chamber music and symphonic music. This led to his affiliation with the Hampton Roads Chamber Players, an ensemble that he has since performed with and offered masterclasses for, as well as a concerto appearance with the Virginia Symphony. An avid orchestral player, Gonzalez performs frequently with the New York Philharmonic, New York City Ballet, Orchestra of Saint Luke’s, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Philadelphia Chamber Orchestra, New York Classical Players and Novus NY. A graduate of The Juilliard School, Gonzalez holds both a master’s and bachelor’s degree under the direction of renown violists and pedagogues Michael Tree, Heidi Castleman, Steve Tenenbom and Hsin-Yun Huang. He performs on a 1930 Frederick Haenel viola modeled after a Gaspar da Salo. PA House and PA Senate Candidate Debates Set The University of Scranton’s Center for Ethics and Excellence in Public Service (CEEPS), in collaboration with the League of Women Voters of Lackawanna County, will host debates for PA House and Pennsylvania Senate candidates in October. All debates are presented free of charge and will take place in the PNC Auditorium of the Loyola Science Center on the University’s campus. The dates and times of the debates and the candidates (listed alphabetically) are listed below. The 112th Pennsylvania House seat: Tuesday, Oct. 18, at 6:30 p.m.; Kyle Mullins (D) and William Torbeck (R). The 114th Pennsylvania House seat: Wednesday, Oct. 19, at 6:30 p.m.; David Burgerhoff (R) and Bridget Kosierowski (D). The 118th state House seat: Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2022, at 8 p.m.; James Haddock (D) and James May (R). The 22nd state Senate seat: Thursday, Oct. 27, 2022, at 6:30 p.m.; Thomas Bassett (R) and Martin Flynn (D).
HNB Bank Promotes Skylar Grove Thomas E. Sheridan Jr., President, and CEO of The Honesdale National Bank, has announced Skylar Groover has been promoted to Branch Supervisor of HNB’s Hallstead Office. In making the announcement Sheridan stated, “Skylar has been an essential part of the HNB Family in our Susquehanna County community.” He continued, “Her local knowledge and ability to adapt to support each and every customer has shown true to her dedication here at HNB.” As Branch Supervisor, Groover will be responsible for managing the daily operations of the Hallstead Office as well as connecting with customers to understand how to better serve the community. She is a graduate of Montrose Area High School and is working toward a degree in Marine Science with a focus in Geology. Groover began her career in the financial industry in 2020 as a part-time teller at HNB. She went on to become a full-time teller, then accepted a position as CSR and now Branch Supervisor. In commenting on her new role at the bank, Groover noted, “Coming into work at HNB, I had no knowledge of the banking industry, but I never felt like I wasn’t supported.” She continued, “I have been allowed room to grow my knowledge and make mistakes along the way, only to find an amazing group of people ready to lend a hand.”
Wolf Administration Honors Students at PA School Bus Safety Poster Contest Ceremony Today, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) Director of the Bureau of Driver Licensing Kara Templeton joined the Pennsylvania State Police and school bus safety advocates to honor nine students for communicating important school bus safety messages through their submissions to this year’s School Bus Safety Poster Contest. The students, in kindergarten through eighth grade, were recognized for their winning entries in the 2022 School Bus Safety Poster Contest. The theme for this year’s contest – “1 Bus + 1 Driver = A Big Impact on Education” – reminds everyone of the important dynamic between students and their school bus drivers, who navigate commonwealth roadways daily to deliver students to school and home without incident. “By using their talent and creativity, these young artists help us share important safety messages through their creations,” said PennDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian. “This year’s creations reinforce the importance of school bus drivers in delivering students to and from school safely and the role they play in students’ well-being every day.” This year’s winners were chosen from over 400 student entries from schools across Pennsylvania. The first-place entries will be moved on to the national competition, which will be judged at the end of this month. 2022 School Bus Safety Poster Contest Winners include: Kindergarten – Grade 2 1st Place: Lipi Kairi, Mt. Lebanon Montessori School, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County 2nd Place: Ananya Sri Boddupalli, Franklin Elementary School, Sewickley, Allegheny County 3rd Place: Luke Dye, Mars Area Primary Center, Mars, Butler County Grades 3-5 1st Place: Kashish Bhargava, Shamona Creek Elementary School, Downingtown, Chester County 2nd Place: Avery Herlocher, Sugar Valley Rural Charter School, Loganton, Clinton County 3rd Place: Abbey Hines, All Saints Catholic School, Cresson, Cambria County Grades 6-8 1st Place: Razayah Keller, Brockway Area Jr/Sr High School, Brockway, Jefferson County 2nd Place: Peyton Seaman, East Juniata High School, McAlisterville, Juniata County 3rd Place: Kaelyn Walter, East Juniata High School, McAlisterville, Juniata County There were no qualifying entries submitted this year for the Special Education and Computer Aided categories. Templeton and Sgt. Michael Pavelko, Division Supervisor for the Commercial Vehicle Safety Division of the Bureau of Patrol for the Pennsylvania State Police, presented certificates and small gifts provided by the Pennsylvania School Bus Association to the students in recognition of their efforts to help to communicate this important safety message. Historically, the ceremonies are also used to recognize the winners of the statewide and international school bus driver competitions, however, neither competition was held this year. These two events have held special significance in the celebration of this important safety observance, but their absence does not diminish the important message of protecting students from potential harm as they commute daily to and from school. “Bus drivers do an extraordinary job every day ensuring the safety of our children as they travel to and from school,” said Sgt. Pavelko. “Their continuing dedication to the safe delivery of their precious cargo reinforces the trust parents have in them.”
