Chamber Hosts Lackawanna County Commissioners

On Thursday, February 29, The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce hosted Lackawanna County Commissioners Chris Chermak, Bill Gaughan, and Matt McGloin at a breakfast meet and greet. The County Commissioners interacted with Chamber and affiliate organizations’ board members. Bob Durkin, president of The Chamber, Jerry Musheno, chair of the board for The Chamber, and Vince Galko, chair of the Government Affairs and Advocacy Committee for The Chamber, provided remarks to guests and welcomed County Commissioners. The county commissioners gave short salutations and spoke on the County’s and The Chamber’s strong connection in attracting, sustaining, and growing businesses to Lackawanna County.

Greater Scranton YMCA to Open Second Early Learning Center

In April 2024, the Greater Scranton YMCA will open its second Early Learning Center. The 6,300 square foot center is located at 1015 Underwood Road in Olyphant and is licensed to serve up to 125 children ages zero through five.

The need for child care services in our community is great. Enrollment in the Greater Scranton YMCA’s early childhood education programs has grown from 209 in January, 2023 to 244 children in January, 2024. These children are enrolled in full and partial day early childhood education programs, as well as before and after school care. Of the 244 children enrolled, 92 are receiving financial assistance. The department is at maximum capacity, with a waitlist full at 150 kids.

While the YMCA has begun its early childhood education expansion project to renovate the second floor of its facility in Dunmore to create three new classrooms, a need for services still exists. This year, YMCA leaders signed a lease for an additional facility located in Olyphant. The YMCA is renovating the facility, updating eight classrooms and adding outdoor play equipment.

“As always, the Greater Scranton YMCA will adapt its programs and services to meet the needs of our community,” said Trish Fisher, President & CEO, Greater Scranton YMCA. “The opening of our second Early Learning Center will allow our YMCA to make a substantial impact on the great need for childcare services in our community.”

The Early Learning Center in Olyphant is estimated to open on April 2 9, 2024. For families
interested in enrolling their child(ren) and for more information, contact Tressa Parker, Education Director at the Greater Scranton YMCA, at tparker@gsymca.org.

The City of Scranton Reminder for Fourth Quarter Payroll Tax

Entities conducting business within the City of Scranton are reminded that the due date to submit their fourth quarter tax return for the 2023 Payroll Preparation Tax is February 28, 2024.  A person shall be deemed to be conducting business within the City if they engage, hire, employ, or contract with one or more individuals as employees, partners, or is self-employed and, in addition, does at least one of the following:

  1. Maintains a fixed place of business within the City;
  2. Owns or leases real property within the City for profit;
  3. Maintains a stock of tangible, personal property in the City for sale in the ordinary course of business;
  4. Conducts continuous solicitation within the City related to such business; or
  5. Utilizes the streets of the City in connection with the operation of such business (other than for the mere transportation from a site outside the City, through the City, to a destination outside the City.)    

Institutions who are exempt from the Payroll Preparation Tax as a result of their status as a nonprofit are required to file quarterly returns claiming their exemption.

Returns submitted after February 28, 2024, will be subject to penalty and interest on the balances due.

The Payroll Preparation Tax is a tax levied separately by both the Scranton School District and the City of Scranton.  The 2023 Payroll Preparation Tax rate for the Scranton School District is 0.7553 percent and the 2023 Payroll Preparation Tax rate for the City of Scranton is 0.2787 percent.  The combined 2023 Payroll Preparation Tax rate is 1.034 percent.

The City of Scranton and the Scranton School District have both appointed Berkheimer Tax Innovations, Inc. to administer the Payroll Preparation Tax on their behalf.  Tax forms are available on Berkheimer’s website at hab-inc.com/pptforms.  Additional information, including Frequently Asked Questions, can be found at scrantonpa.gov/payroll-prep-tax-information, https://www.scrsd.org/departments/business-office and hab-inc.com/ppt-faq.

Please direct all questions regarding the Payroll Preparation Tax to Berkheimer by emailing ebpt@goberk.com or by calling (610) 599-3140.

Grey Towers National Historic Site to Offer Free Open House

Please join us at Grey Towers Heritage Association National Historic Site on May 20, 2024, from 3:00-5:00 pm for our FREE Business Open House. This Business Open House is a time for local business owners and managers to experience what Grey Towers has to offer. Please tour our museum and grounds, ask questions and learn what your guests and customers will experience when they come to visit us. Learn about the programs and activities we offer. Discuss potential partnerships for promoting our local economy with Grey Towers Heritage Association representatives.

Our mission, as stewards of Grey Towers NHS, we perpetuate the leadership and conservation legacy of Gifford Pinchot and the Pinchot family. We want the community and its business leaders to feel included and valued at Grey Towers. We are here to provide hospitable service across diverse audiences to those living or visiting Milford. We value collaborating with you and the community.

Our address is 151 Grey Towers Drive, Milford, PA 18337. Any questions, please call (570) 296-9630 x3. We look forward to meeting you.

Please RSVP to info@greytowers.org by May 6, 2024.

Scranton Area Community Foundation President and CEO Appointed to ECAC

The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia announced this week the appointment of Laura Ducceschi, President and CEO of the Scranton Area Community Foundation, as one of four new members to its Economic and Community Advisory Council (ECAC).

The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia’s Economic and Community Advisory Council (ECAC) informs the Bank’s senior leadership of emerging trends, issues, and market conditions that impact monetary policy within the Third Federal Reserve District and across the country. The Council is comprised of members from both the private and public sectors throughout PA, NJ, and DE, and fosters greater integration to encourage economic growth.

Ducceschi was asked to serve on the Council because of her deep understanding of issues impacting economic mobility, including community revitalization, workforce development, transportation, and housing, and her commitment to bringing together diverse groups and forging cross-sector partnerships to address regional challenges. Noted as of particular value to the Council is Ducceschi’s focus on developing responsive programs and using resources in innovative ways to advance inclusive growth across Northeastern Pennsylvania, as well as the knowledge she will bring on emerging trends in philanthropic giving and on a community foundation’s role in being a community catalyst. She will serve a three-year term.

Ducceschi has been president and chief executive officer of the Scranton Area Community Foundation since 2012. She manages over 320 charitable funds and four foundations with more than $90 million in total assets. Ducceschi has also spearheaded many initiatives, including NEPA Moves with the Philadelphia Fed, NEPA Thrives, Women in Philanthropy, and NEPA Gives, a 24-hour regional giving day in northeastern Pennsylvania.

There are 14 members of the Economic and Community Advisory Council. In addition to Ducceschi, the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia has also appointed Ken Kaiser, senior vice president and chief operating officer of Temple University; Jesse McCree, chief executive officer of SCPa Works; and Leslie Smallwood-Lewis, chief operating officer and cofounder of Mosaic Development Partners.

A press release from The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia indicates that they help formulate and implement monetary policy; supervise state member banks, bank holding companies, and savings and loan holding companies; and provide financial services to depository institutions and the federal government. It is one of the 12 regional Reserve Banks that, together with the Board of Governors in Washington, D.C., make up the Federal Reserve System. The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia serves eastern and central Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey, and Delaware.

For additional information on the ECAC, visit https://www.philadelphiafed.org/our-people/advisory-councils/ecac.

Broadway in Scranton Offers Leap Day Deals

It’s an offer so good, it’s four years in the making! In honor of Leap Day, this Thursday, February 29th only, patrons can purchase select tickets for $29 to these two shows at Broadway in Scranton.

This offer is valid on February 29th only and on select seats to the opening night performances of COME FROM AWAY (April 5th at 7:30PM) and PRETTY WOMAN (May 17th at 7:30PM). This offer is limited to 2 tickets per purchase.  This promotion is subject to ticket availability and does not apply to previously purchased tickets.

Patrons must use code LEAP to redeem this offer. Tickets may be purchased online at BroadwayInScranton.com and in person at the Scranton Cultural Center Box Office (10AM – 5PM).

COME FROM AWAY * Scranton Cultural Center April 5 – 7

Broadway’s COME FROM AWAY is a Best Musical winner all across North America!

This New York Times Critics’ Pick takes you into the heart of the remarkable true story of 7,000 stranded passengers and the small town in Newfoundland that welcomed them. Cultures clashed and nerves ran high, but uneasiness turned into trust, music soared into the night, and gratitude grew into enduring friendships.

Don’t miss this breathtaking new musical written by Tony® nominees Irene Sankoff and David Hein, and helmed by Tony-winning Best Director, Christopher Ashley. Newsweek cheers,“It takes you to a place you never want to leave!”  On 9/11, the world stopped.  On 9/12, their stories moved us all. (Show age recommendation: 10+)

PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL * Scranton Cultural Center May 17 – 19

PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL, based on one of Hollywood’s most beloved romantic stories of all time, springs to life with a powerhouse creative team led by two-time Tony Award®-winning director and choreographer Jerry Mitchell (Hairspray, Kinky Boots, Legally Blonde). Brought to the stage by lead producer Paula Wagner, PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL features an original score by Grammy® winner Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance (“Summer of ’69”, “Heaven”), and a book by the movie’s legendary director Garry Marshall and screenwriter J. F. Lawton. PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL will lift your spirits and light up your heart. “If you love the movie, you’ll love the musical!” (BuzzFeed News).

Featured in the musical is Roy Orbison and Bill Dee’s international smash hit song “Oh, Pretty Woman,” which inspired one of the most beloved romantic comedy films of all time. Pretty Woman the film was an international smash hit when it was released in 1990. Now, 30 years later, PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL is “Big romance and big fun!” (Broadway.com). “Irresistible! A romantic fantasy. A contemporary fairy tale,” says The Hollywood Reporter. PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL delivers on all the iconic moments you remember. Get ready to experience this dazzling theatrical take on a love story for the ages. Are you ready to fall in love all over again? (Show age recommendation: 12+)

Anthracite Heritage Museum Announces Spring Reopening

The Anthracite Heritage Museum is thrilled to announce our reopening for Spring on March 1st!!   New this year we have extended our weekly public days to Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 10am to 4pm.  As always school tours, group tours, and research visits are available during business hours every day of the week.  22 Bald Mountain Road, McDade Park, Scranton.

Upcoming events:
March 11, 2024.  Charter Day
This is the annual day that the PHMC celebrates the founding of Pennsylvania with free admission across all state historic sites and museums.  This year the Anthracite Heritage Museum is excited to add a special program by Justin W. Emershaw.  Justin is a mining engineer with Atlantic Carbon Group, in Hazleton and he will give an in depth and evocative presentation on the current state of anthracite coal mining.  He gave a similar program during the recent Mining History Month program at Eckley Miners’ Village to rave reviews.  If you ever wanted to know about anthracite coal mines and what’s happening today, come down to the museum on Charter Day.
March 11, 2024.  2:00 pm.  Anthracite Heritage Museum, McDade Park, Scranton.

Industrial Heritage Study tour of the United Kingdom sponsored by the Anthracite Heritage Museum, September 2024.  Join us on a sensational tour of the United Kingdom to study significant industrial heritage sites that contributed to the rapid global expansion of industrial activity from the late 18th into the 19th centuries. This 15 day tour will start in Glasgow and end in Portsmouth and include several UNESCO world heritage industrial sites.  Key sites include: New Lanark, Falkirk Wheel, Mersey Tunnel, Manchester Science and Industry Museum, Menai Suspension Bridge, Telford Suspension Bridge, Anderton Boat Lift, Quarry Bank Mill, Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, Snowdon Mountain Railway, National Slate Museum, Ironbridge Gorge, SS Great Britain, the Concorde, Great Flat Lode, King Edward Mine Museum, Royal Cornwall Museum, Gwennap Pit, Geevor Tin Mine, Wheal Martyn Clay Works, Brickworks Museum, Bucklers Hard, Royal Navy Submarine Museum, HMS Victory. Interesting four-star hotels, all breakfasts and several dinners included.  Dates: September 14th – September 29th. Leaving from Philadelphia to Glasgow, Returning from London to Philadelphia.  Details: http://www.anthracitemuseum.org/united-kingdom-industrial-heritage-tour-2024/

May 2024. Opening of the 50 year retrospective of Anthracite Photographer Scott Herring’s work.  Scott has been documenting the people and places of anthracite since he was young.  The museum is thrilled to work with Scott to share this monumental exhibit of his remarkable career.  Dates and details to follow.

June 8,9 2024 Arts on Fire
Join us for our annual celebration of our industrial heritage and the arts taking place at the historic Scranton Iron Furnaces.  Iron pours, live music, arts demonstrations, food.  Details forthcoming.

PennDOT Announces Public Hearing for Interstate 81 Section 316 Ashley to Arena Project

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), in coordination with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), will host a Public Hearing and receive public comments in-person, online, and by mail on an Environmental Assessment (EA) prepared for the Interstate 81 (I-81) Section 316 Ashley to Arena project (formerly known as the Partnership 81 project).

The in-person Public Hearing will take place on March 19 from 4:00 – 8:00 PM at the Luzerne County Community College Educational Conference Center, Building 10 – 521 Trailblazer Drive, Nanticoke, PA 18634 (snow date March 26). Registration and an open house display will begin at 4:00 PM and remain open until the end of the hearing. Formal public testimony opportunities will be from 5:00 – 8:00 PM.

Those providing testimony are asked to register in advance by calling (570) 235-2964 or emailing c-ssartori@pa.gov. Registration for testimony will also be available at the hearing. Oral testimony will be limited to five minutes per participant and the number of slots will depend on available time. Individuals may provide testimony privately in a separate hearing room with a stenographer.

In lieu of oral testimony, written comments may be submitted by mail or email to the contact below. All written comments must be received/postmarked by April 12, 2024. Written comments may also be brought to the in-person hearing and deposited in the comment box. The public can access the comment form online at https://bit.ly/I81ashleytoarenaproject.

The project documents can be made available in alternative languages or formats if requested. If you need translation/interpretation services or have special needs or have special concerns that require individual attention, contact Stephen Sartori, PE, Consultant Project Manager, at c-ssartori@pa.gov or (570) 235-2964.

PennDOT and FHWA encourage the public to review and comment on the EA during the 30-day public comment period from March 11 to April 12. The EA is available for review at these locations:

·       PennDOT District 4-0: 55 Keystone Industrial Park, Dunmore, PA 18512

·       Ashley Municipal Bldg.: 49 Cemetery Street, Ashley, PA 18706 

·       Wilkes-Barre Township Municipal Bldg.: 150 Watson Street, Wilkes-Barre Township, PA 18702

·       Hanover Township Municipal Bldg.: 1267 Sans Souci Parkway, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18706

·       Sugar Notch Borough Office: 892 Main Street, Sugar Notch, PA 18706

The EA is also available for review on PennDOT’s website under the Resources section at https://bit.ly/I81ashleytoarenaproject.

All comments will receive equal consideration regardless of the method of submission, whether they are provided verbally in person, in writing, via email, through U.S. mail, or by way of an online comment form.

The public hearing location is accessible to persons with disabilities. Any persons having special needs or requiring special aids are requested to contact Stephen Sartori at (570) 235-2964 or c-ssartori@pa.gov prior to the meeting event in order that special disability needs may be accommodated.

The project is a 7.5-mile reconstruction of I-81 from Hanover Township to Wilkes-Barre Township in Luzerne County between milepost 161.2 north of Nuangola exit and exit 168, Highland Park Boulevard.

The EA, prepared under the National Environmental Policy Act, examines the potential impacts to natural, social, economic, and cultural resources from this project and the alternatives under consideration. It will determine whether an Environmental Impact Statement would be prepared, or a Finding of No Significant Impact would be issued.

Motorists can check conditions on major roadways by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information, and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras. 511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following local alerts on X.

Subscribe to PennDOT news and traffic alerts in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne, and Wyoming counties at www.penndot.pa.gov/District4.

Information about infrastructure in District 4, including completed work and significant projects, is available at www.penndot.pa.gov/D4Results. Find PennDOT’s planned and active construction projects at www.projects.penndot.gov.

Find PennDOT news on X, Facebook, and Instagram. 

Deadline is Near to Apply for SBA Physical Disaster Loan

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is reminding businesses of all sizes, private nonprofit organizations, homeowners and renters in Pennsylvania affected by the severe storms and flooding that occurred Sept. 9, 2023, to apply for physical damage disaster loans by the March 25 deadline.

Anyone in Lackawanna County and the adjacent counties of Luzerne, Monroe, Susquehanna, Wayne, and Wyoming in Pennsylvania with physical property damage should apply for the low-interest disaster loan.

Businesses of all sizes and private nonprofit organizations may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets.

Disaster loans up to $500,000 are available to homeowners to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate. Homeowners and renters are eligible for up to $100,000 to repair or replace damaged or destroyed personal property, including personal vehicles.

SBA can also lend additional funds to businesses and homeowners to help with the cost of improvements to protect, prevent or minimize future disaster damage. Approved loans may qualify for a loan amount increase of up to 20 percent of their physical damages, as verified by the SBA, for mitigation purposes. Eligible mitigation improvements may include a safe room or storm shelter, sump pump, French drain or retaining wall to help protect property and occupants from future damage.

Interest rates can be as low as 4% for businesses, 2.375% for private nonprofit organizations and 2.5% for homeowners and renters with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not begin to accrue, and monthly payments are not due, until 12 months from the date of the initial disbursement. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.

Applicants may apply online and receive additional disaster assistance information at SBA.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

The deadline to apply for property damage is March 25, 2024. The deadline to apply for economic injury is Oct. 25, 2024.

Link to the fact sheet can be found here.