Marywood University Alumnus to Reveal Martin Luther King, Jr. Mural

Marywood University alumnus, Emmanuel Wisdom Adjei, bachelor of fine arts in graphic design graduate, and Eric Bussart, bachelor of fine arts in illustration graduate, will reveal their mural, “The Dream,” of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., at the City of Scranton’s First Friday event on July 2, 2021, at 5:30 p.m. The mural is located at the intersection of Adams Avenue and Mulberry Street, Scranton, Pa.

Scranton Tomorrow sponsored the grant that funded the mural project and is also organizing the unveiling. The mural, which will occupy the entire side of a building, as well as the imagery and messaging, is aesthetically outstanding and powerful.

Inspired by Martin Luther King (MLK), Jr., “The Dream” pays tribute to the American civil rights leader who changed the world. Artist Eric Bussart incorporated morning glory flowers into the design because they are resilient, just as his hero, MLK, was. With lettering by artist Emmanuel Wisdom Adjei, the mural encompasses a wide array of interests, including diversity, positive messaging, inclusion, urban gentrification, and art. The messaging and art work conveys a timeless message for the greater community, enhances the aesthetic appeal of the city, and showcases how graduates of Marywood University’s art programs are applying their talent and creativity to elevate humanity, a universal, as well as a Marywood, core value.

For additional information about Marywood University’s art department, please visit marywood.edu/art, or call the Office of Admissions, at (570) 348-6234. For additional information about Scranton Tomorrow’s mural projects, please visit scrantontomorrow.org/thedream.

Researchers Discover Protein Complex That Promotes Cancer Growth

A discovery by a team of researchers, led by a Geisinger professor, could yield a potential new treatment for breast cancer.

In a study published this month in Cell Reports, the team used small molecules known as peptides to disrupt a complex of two proteins, RBM39 and MLL1, that is found in breast cancer cells but not in normal cells.

The research team discovered that the abnormal interaction between RBM39 and MLL1 is required for breast cancer cells to multiply and survive. The team developed non-toxic peptides that prevent these proteins from interacting in breast cancer cells, disrupting their growth and survival.
“Because these proteins do not interact in normal cells, the peptides we developed are not harmful to them,” said Anne M. Moon, M.D., Ph.D., professor at Geisinger’s Department of Molecular and Functional Genomics and senior author of the study. “This offers promise for future non-toxic cancer treatment.”

Further laboratory tests are needed before the treatment could be trialed in humans, Moon said.

Geisinger’s cancer research also includes the MyCode Community Health Initiative, which returns clinically relevant results to participants at increased genetic risk for cancer, including breast, ovarian and colon cancers. The National Cancer Institute recently awarded Geisinger a 5-year, $3.6 million contract to study the role of genetic variation in cancer through the MyCode initiative.

Geisinger has an exciting research environment with more than 50 full-time research faculty and more than 30 clinician scientists. Areas of expertise include precision health, genomics, informatics, data science, implementation science, outcomes research, health services research, bioethics and clinical trials.

Woodloch Pines Resort Honors its Employees

After an extremely challenging year and three-month closure due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Woodloch Pines, an all-inclusive family resort in the Pocono Mountains, was more eager than ever to recognize the hard work and dedication of its longtime employees. Although the annual in-person staff meeting and celebration could not take place, the Kiesendahl Family, who have owned and operated the business for over 60 years, took the time to honor and reward their loyal team members with gift certificates and golden nametags in recognition of their service.


Woodloch has a very special history, which is a large part of what creates such an exceptional staffing base. When Woodloch founders Harry and Mary Kiesendahl first purchased the property back in 1958, the couple was looking for an escape from the hectic hustle bustle of life in New York and a way to reconnect as a family. As the resort grew over the years, both guests and staff alike grew to become family members as the Kiesendahl’s welcomed them with open arms.

Of the 1,091 part and full-time workers, 199 have served the company for at least a decade. Considering that the hospitality industry is well-known for its high turnover rate, this is certainly a notable accomplishment. 99 of these staff members have worked for the family resort for at least 20 years and another 40 for 30-plus years.

One such employee, John Taninies, is celebrating his 40th year working at Woodloch. After graduating high school, Taninies began his career during the summer of 1981 working the waterski dock on the family resort’s lake. He also washed dishes in the evening and was asked if he would like to work in the kitchen full-time. He enjoyed the experience enough to pursue his culinary degree at Sullivan County Community College in New York from 1983 to 1985 while maintaining his job at Woodloch. During the summer of 1984, Taninies worked with a classmate who owned a catering company that was serving athletes and staff at the U.S. Open and the Los Angeles Olympics, after which he returned to Woodloch. He went on to help open the brand-new kitchen and bakery at The Inn at Woodloch, built to accommodate the growing number of guests at the Poconos resort. After 21 years of managing The Inn and spreading his talents across Woodloch’s various kitchens, Taninies found his way back to where he originally began his culinary career — the kitchen of the resort’s Main Dining Room — which he has been managing since 2006.

“John has been a dedicated part of Woodloch’s team for the past forty years. He continues to share his expertise and leadership to this day.  His strong guidance and work ethic have earned him the respect of his peers throughout Woodloch, and we have been fortunate to have John as part of our extended family,” remarked Bob Kiesendahl, co-owner and Food and Beverage Director of Woodloch Resort.

“Our staff members are second to none. We are where we are because of them, and we couldn’t be more grateful, especially given the past year’s challenges,” continued Bradley Kiesendahl, Woodloch’s President and C.E.O. “Thanks to their efforts, Woodloch has maintained its longstanding reputation of providing first-class hospitality through our most difficult days. We are deeply appreciative of the hard work, genuine care, and unending compassion our team members display each and every day.”

The Poconos resort is excited to announce that it is currently hiring new employees. For more information, please visit: https://www.woodloch.com/view/careers/.

HNB Supports Leadership Lackawanna with EITC Donation

The Honesdale National Bank was once again authorized to make approved contributions under the Commonwealth’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) Program. HNB designated $2,000 of their approved allotment to Leadership Lackawanna. The funds, donated by HNB, will support curriculum enhancement for the betterment of local young professionals.

HNB President & CEO David Raven stated, “Leadership Lackawanna provides development for the skillsets of our area’s business owners and professionals, underwriting the growth and expansion of our local commerce and region’s economy.” He continued, “We are glad that we can provide funding for this program to continue the benefit to our community.”

Nikki Morristell, Executive Director, Leadership Lackawanna, said “We are most appreciative to HNB for their continued support.  These funds directly impact the 41 aspiring high school juniors in our Tomorrow’s Leaders Today program, hence allowing their leadership skills and abilities to grow and shine. Indirectly this generous gift  provides an unparalleled combination of people, resources and opportunities to the community, impacting NEPA for years to come!”

Leadership Lackawanna is a 501(c)(3) charitable, nonprofit organization in northeastern Pennsylvania dedicated to community leadership and professional development. Its five programs – Tomorrow’s Leaders Today, Leadership U, Core, Executive, and Welcome Scranton! – enhance the skills, connections, and knowledge of emerging and established leaders, enabling them to better serve in our communities, workplaces, and organizations. Since inception, Leadership Lackawanna has graduated more than 2,300 community leaders.

Andrew Mazza Diesel Jam 2021 to be Held at the Circle Drive-In

The Andrew Mazza Diesel Jam 2021 will take place on Saturday, July 10, 2021, from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Circle Drive-in located on the Scranton-Carbondale Highway in Scranton, PA. Diesel Jam supports The Andrew Mazza Foundation, the Diesel Truck Technology Program at Johnson College, & scholarships for Johnson College & high school students.

Diesel Jam is a celebration of the truck community, featuring a diesel, gas, & antique truck show, mobile dyno runs, industry vendors, apparel vendors, food vendors, live entertainment & more. It is an all-day (rain or shine) family-friendly event.

All trucks are invited to participate & prizes will be awarded for Best in Show, Best Big Rig, Best Tow, Best Pick Up, and Best Antique & Diesel Jam People’s Choice. Additionally, cash prizes for the mobile dyno are $1,000 for Highest Overall Horsepower and Guess Your Horsepower prizes for 1st Place – $800, 2nd Place – $500, 3rd Place – $200, 4th and 5th Place – $100 each.

Early registration is no longer available. Day of event registration & truck check-in will begin at 8 a.m. on July 10th, registration will be limited & the fee is $35 per registration. An additional $100 fee is required to register for the mobile dyno.

The Andrew Mazza Foundation started in 2016, supports & enriches the community through Andrew’s passions & hobbies. Proceeds raised from Diesel Jam will enhance & expand the Diesel Truck Technology Program at Johnson, provide both high school & Johnson College students with scholarships, & serve the community in which Andrew called home. Proceeds also aid The Andrew Mazza Foundation in hosting their annual Truck-or-Treat community Halloween event in Clifford for children & families in various local school districts.

The Diesel Truck Technology program at Johnson College prepares students as entry-level technicians with the latest information on diagnosis, repair procedures, preventative maintenance, & necessary safety applications in diesel technology. The program graduates more than 20 students each year who have an immediate impact on the diesel truck industry, especially in northeast Pennsylvania. To learn more about Johnson College’s Diesel Truck Technology program visit Johnson.edu, call 1-800-2-WE-WORK, or email enroll@johnson.edu.

For more information, including how to become an event sponsor or vendor, please contact Dawn Ziegler at (570) 313-0369, Andrewmazzafoundation@gmail.com, or visit andrewmazzafoundation.com/diesel-jam.

Alabama to Perform at Mohegan Sun Arena

Country Music Hall of Fame group ALABAMA will bring their “50th Anniversary Tour” to the ASM Global managed Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza in Wilkes-Barre on Friday, July 23rd, 2021 at 7pm with special guest Tracy Lawrence.

The event was originally scheduled for April 12th of 2019 before being postponed due to health concerns within the band and most recently due to COVID-19. All tickets purchased for the original performance dates will be honored on July 23rd. This includes any tickets purchased for the previous dates including April 12th, 2019, August 29th, 2019 and October 2nd, 2020.

The Alabama concert will be the first live music concert hosted inside the venue since March 6th, 2020. The venue will be at 100% capacity per the state of Pennsylvania’s loosening of restrictions on indoor venue capacities.

“This is the night we’ve been we’ve been waiting for,” said Will Beekman, ASM Global General Manager of Mohegan Sun Arena.  “On July 23rd, we are officially back.  We are a better, stronger, safer venue for having gone through what we’ve gone through, but we are putting that behind us. It’s time to move on. It’s time to go live again.”

ASM Global reminds everyone attending this event to please adhere to the new hygiene and security policies in place consistent with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Pennsylvania Department of Health guidance for the safety of all participants, guests and employees at the Mohegan Sun Arena including:

  • Face coverings and social distancing for guests who are fully vaccinated will no longer be required. All vaccinated guests are free to continue to wear face coverings if they choose to do so.
  • All guests two years of age and older who are not fully vaccinated must wear face coverings during their visit except while actively eating or drinking.
  • Guests do not need to show physical proof of being fully vaccinated. However, if guests are not fully vaccinated, they must follow the current guidance and continue to wear a face covering.
  • We will rely on our guests to accurately follow the guidelines based on their vaccination status.

If a guest is experiencing any of the following, we ask that you stay home:

  • A guest who has COVID-19 symptoms.
  • A guest who has a COVID-19 test result pending.
  • A guest who is under a healthcare provider’s care for a positive COVID-19 test.
  • A guest who has been exposed to COVID-19 (unless fully vaccinated).

Mohegan Sun Arena continues to maintain our enhanced cleaning, sanitization, and disinfection standards through the activation of the ASM Global VenueShield program, providing the highest levels of safety, security and consumer confidence, in alignment with approvals from local government officials and health care experts. 

For additional information, please visit www.MoheganSunArenaPA.com


Limited tickets are still available at the NBT Bank Box Office at Mohegan Sun Arena and Ticketmaster.

PennDOT Invites Private Industry to Submit Qualifications for Major Bridge Public-Private Partnership Initiative

The state’s Public-Private Transportation Partnership Office is inviting the private sector to submit their qualifications to compete for the opportunity to enter into a progressive public-private partnership (P3) with PennDOT to administer the Major Bridge P3 Initiative.

“While we’re reaching out to the public and evaluating the candidate bridges for this initiative, we’ve seen significant private-sector interest in this program,” PennDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian said. “This initiative will quickly address and fully pay for badly needed work on important interstate bridges and make work on other projects possible.”

The private development entity chosen for the P3 will enter into a pre-development agreement to design, build, finance, and maintain one or more bridge packages. Each package will include select bridges and associated infrastructure, including tolling infrastructure, gantry structures and toll buildings for each bridge. The department continues to evaluate and conduct public involvement and environmental reviews on the candidate bridges announced for consideration in February.

Interested proposers must submit an electronic copy of their statement of qualifications to design, build, finance, and maintain major interstate or expressway bridges and associated roadway and tolling infrastructure to PennDOT Public-Private Transportation Partnership Office as instructed in the Request for Qualifications document by 11:00 AM on Thursday, Aug. 5, 2021. Parties can view submission requirements on the “Major Bridges Program” page at www.P3.pa.gov.

The project was approved by the state’s P3 Board on Nov. 12, 2020, and since then PennDOT has hosted three industry forums to educate potential, private-sector stakeholders on the scope and requirements. This is in addition to public outreach being conducted for the PennDOT Pathways transportation funding initiative, National Environmental Policy Act requirements for each candidate bridge, and varied legislative and stakeholder engagement.

Act 88 of 2012, the state’s transportation P3 law, allows PennDOT and other state agencies, transportation authorities and commissions to partner with private companies to participate in delivering, maintaining and financing transportation-related projects. The law created the seven-member Public Private Transportation Partnership Board, appointed to examine and approve potential public-private transportation projects. Upon board approval, the department or appropriate transportation agency can advertise a competitive RFP and enter into a contract with a company to completely or partially deliver the transportation-related service or project.

To learn more about P3 in Pennsylvania, visit www.P3.pa.gov.

Lackawanna College Training Future Scranton, Wilkes-Barre Officers

Lackawanna College’s Police Academy Class 255 is off to an impressive start. Comprised of 11 officers from both the Scranton and Wilkes Barre Police Departments, this cohort of cadets embarked on a fully funded police training program in the Scranton campus on April 26, 2021.   

Both the Wilkes-Barre and Scranton Police Departments will pay for the cadets’ tuition. The departments are eligible for reimbursement upon cadets’ completion of the program by the Pennsylvania Municipal Police Officer’s Training Commissions (MPOETC) thanks to an Act 89 annual grant of $5 million authorized in 2013. This grant stipulates that police officers must be trained and certified through the Act 120 Pennsylvania Municipal Police Basic Training Program for the departments to receive reimbursement.  

“Currently, MPOETC will reimburse a department 75 percent of the tuition and 45 percent of the hourly wages required for the training of any cadet hired by the department and paid to attend the Lackawanna College Municipal Police Academy,” Lackawanna College Director of Police Academy Operations John Chilleri explained. 

Lackawanna College’s Police Academy is the only academy in northeastern Pennsylvania authorized by MPOETC to provide both the Pennsylvania Municipal Police Basic Training Program and the Pennsylvania Municipal Police Annual Mandatory In-Service Training (MIST).  

“The academy also provides law enforcement training for police departments in 13 counties in the Commonwealth, including lethal weapons training (Act 235) and customized training programs, meeting the training needs of law enforcement agencies, private security, and other first responder organizations,” Chilleri added.   

Class 255 is expected to graduate in December 2021. 

Learn more at www.lackawanna.edu. 

Noteology Sense of Smell Training Kit Now Available

Have you lost your sense of smell due to a COVID-19 infection? Danielle Fleming may be able to help!

Danielle Fleming, Founder & CEO of Noteology, has dedicated her career to studying the psychological effects that aromas can have on our moods and behaviors while applying this knowledge to the perfumery and consumer goods industry. When people lost some or all of their sense of smell after a COVID-19 infection, they flocked to her for help.

“People ask me to make lots of products for them; from perfume for dogs to natural deodorant. But this request was very different. People were coming to me in tears. They couldn’t smell anymore. It ranged from not being able to smell at all, that’s what we call “anosmia”, to a partial loss of smell (hyposmia), all the way to “parosmia” (when smells smell different, generally worse, than usual) and phantosmia (phantom smells), when you smell something that isn’t there, like smoke or gasoline.”

“I just knew I had to do something to help. People were scared, and rightfully so. You don’t realize how important and valuable your sense of smell is until you don’t have it.” An entrepreneur by day, a researcher by night, she studied the literature, read the research, and developed The Sense of Smell Training Kit™ to help those that need it.

This kit is designed to assist someone in regaining their sense of smell due to a post-viral infection, like COVID-19. It provides them with step-by-step instructions on how to do Scent Therapy at home. It’s like physical therapy for your nose. For example, if you injured your leg, you would go to physical therapy and learn the steps to heal your leg. If you injured your sense of smell from post-viral infections, like COVID-19, you would do scent therapy to learn the steps to regain your sense of smell. 

The kit was developed based on the research of Professor Thomas Hummel of the Smell and Taste Clinic at the University of Dresen in Germany. In his 2009 study, he investigated whether repeated short-term exposure to odors over a twelve-week period would have any effect on the olfactory ability of a group of anosmia sufferers. He concluded that compared to baseline, training patients experienced an increase in their olfactory function. In contrast, olfactory function was unchanged in patients who did not perform olfactory training. These results indicate that structured, short‐term exposure to selected odors may increase olfactory sensitivity. Ms. Fleming used her background in psychology to enhance the kit with Scent Mantra cards to increase the connective pathways between smelling and olfactive recognition. “Your brain needs to learn how to smell again. In essence, you are retraining it by linking what you are smelling and how your brain recognizes and processes it.”

You can find the related research articles HERE. 

Local Partnerships & Mental Health

Ms. Fleming wants to help as many people as possible. With the help of The Scranton Area Community Foundation and Scranton Primary Health, economically disadvantaged populations will be able to access the kit free-of-charge. “Our community is the heart of our region. Being able to partner locally to make the kit accessible to everyone is an amazing testament to how much we care about the health and wellness of our community. Currently an English version is available with two translation versions being currently worked on for the Spanish and Gujarati populations.

Another reason Ms. Fleming wanted to partner with Scranton Primary Health is their holistic approach to heath and wellness. “There’s more to losing your sense of smell than you think. After some time, anxiety can creep in. You’re constantly trying to smell things to see if you can, and when you don’t, depression can settle in. You can get nervous about what you are missing, like what if I can’t smell smoke and my house is on fire. Or you miss the pleasure senses of smelling bacon in the morning or a hot dog on the grill in the summer. When you lose your sense of smell you are losing more than just the ability to smell things, you are losing your ability to experience pleasure and safety, and that can be devastating.”

With their partnership with Scranton Primary Health, clients will be able to also address any mental health issues they may have with their sense of smell loss. “It’s a win for our entire community”, states Ms. Fleming.

What is included in the kit? 

The Sense of Smell Training Kit™ includes everything you need to retrain your brain to smell again. 

  • 4 Scent Jars 
  • Sense of Smell Training Booklet with 4 Scent Mantra Cards
  • Sense of Smell Tracking Sheet

Where can the kit be purchased?

The Kit can be purchased online at www.noteology.com (direct link to the kit https://bit.ly/senseofsmellkit) or by calling 570-343-2100 to place your order over the phone. The kits are made to order for optimal effectiveness. They are $45.99 with a portion of the proceeds being donated to The Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia where scientists at focus on interdisciplinary research on the senses of taste and smell.

Scranton Primary Health kits will be ready by early July. 

Want to learn more?  Visit our FAQ page HERE.