UNC’s Mid Valley Senior Center Summer Party

United Neighborhood Centers of Northeastern Pennsylvania (UNC) invites you to join us for our joyous and celebratory annual Summer Party on Wednesday, July 3, 2024, from 5 p.m. to 6:30 pm at our Mid Valley Senior Community Center at 310 Church Street in Jessup. New and old friends will come together to celebrate the warmth of summer and the very special 103rd birthday of Julia Mellody, a beloved member of our community. Mellody, an active participant at UNC’s Mid Valley Senior Community Center, is known for her love of parties and her favorite food, ravioli. Our special centenarian birthday cookout bash will be filled with joy, laughter, and live music. And, of course, a delicious cake! We invite you to celebrate summer and wish Julia many more happy and healthy years.

WVIA Presents Kansas City Jazz

WVIA released the ticket price includes the concert as well as a desserts and wine after-party. The concert will last approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes with a brief intermission. We encourage you to bring a picnic dinner and after the concert ends, enjoy a dessert and wine after-party with the musicians and the community.

A romping, stomping seven-piece band will be here on July 21st to celebrate the legacy of the great American genius Eddie Durham. He was the man behind one of the most quintessential hits of the 20th century, Glenn Miller’s In The Mood, and the resident genius in the original Count Basie band. Loren Schoenberg will serve as the music director for the dynamic seven-piece band showcasing Eddie Durham’s sound.

For decades, Eddie Durham’s story was largely overlooked until 2024 when WVIA released the original documentary film Wham-Re-Bop-Boom-Bam: The Swing Jazz of Eddie Durham. This documentary is currently airing on over 250 public television stations throughout the United States, bringing well-deserved recognition to Eddie Durham for his significant contributions to the world of jazz.

Loren Schoenberg is a senior scholar of the National Jazz Museum in Harlem, on the faculty at The Juilliard School and has taught at Manhattan School of Music and the New School. Schoenberg has lectured at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the White House, the New York Philharmonic, Stanford University, and the Aspen Institute. Schoenberg, a tenor saxophonist/pianist, has played and recorded with Benny Carter, Benny Goodman, Jimmy Heath, Eddie Durham, Marian McPartland, Clark Terry, John Lewis, Christian McBride, and Buck Clayton, and he was musical director for Bobby Short from 1997 to 2005. He also received two Grammy awards for best album notes in 1994 and 2004. Schoenberg has been published widely (including in The New York Times), and his book, The NPR Guide to Jazz, was released in 2003. In 2001, he led the effort to establish the National Jazz Museum in Harlem and served for more than a decade as its executive director, creating many of its signal programs and enlisting Christian McBride, Jonathan Batiste, Ken Burns, and Wynton Marsalis to help further the museum’s mission.

The Swiftwater to Open New Fine Dining Restaurant

The Swiftwater is proud to announce the opening of its in-house fine dining restaurant, “The Olivet,” on June 10th, 2024. Situated within the heart of the Poconos, The Olivet promises to offer an unparalleled culinary experience, blending exquisite culinary artistry with a sophisticated ambiance.

Elegant Ambiance

The Olivet offers an exquisite space that seamlessly blends the fresh mountain air with a refined dining atmosphere. Gather to enjoy a sophisticated culinary experience, complemented by expertly crafted cocktails and a serene ambiance. The restaurant features indoor and outdoor seating on their garden patio under the stars. The Olivet’s floor to ceiling glass doors are fashioned to seamlessly open to the patio during the warmer seasons. The indoor dining room is a blend of wood beams, glass chandeliers, and gold accents. The bar features a marble countertop, custom gold centerpiece, and gold floral accent lights.

A Feast for the Senses

The Olivet’s menu is a testament to culinary excellence, offering a diverse array of dishes that cater to discerning palates. Highlights for dinner include Braised Pork Belly, Beetroot Burrata Salad, 12oz. New York Strip Au Poivre, Ricotta Gnudi, and Green Walk Hatchery Rainbow Trout. The bar features a full cocktail, wine and beer menu with signature drinks like the Olivet Martini, Swiftwater Manhattan and Black Diamond Negroni. Highlights for breakfast include Candied Bacon Eggs Benedict, Brûléed French Toast, and Shrimp and Grits. Pair that with a cup of Moka Origins coffee and you’ll start the day ready for adventure.

Reservations and Contact Information

The Olivet will be open to the public for breakfast and dinner service daily. Breakfast is available 7am-11am and dinner will be served from 5pm-10pm Sunday-Thursday and 5pm-Midnight. Friday and Saturday. Reservations can be made through The Swiftwater website or by calling the restaurant directly at (570) 895-0000. For more information, please visit TheSwiftwater.com.

Lexington Entertainment Releases Fellows Park Sunday Concerts Schedule

Lexington Entertainment has released the Fellows Park Sunday Concerts Schedule. All concerts are FREE to the public and are held at Fellows Park Sundays from 4:30 to 6:00 pm

1000 to 1098 Fellows Street in West Side (Corner of Fellows Street and South Main Avenue)

Information: 570-983-6485

__________________________________________________________________________________________

June 9        DUSTY VINYL                                                            4:30 pm

June 16      JOE STANKY & THE CADETS                                 4:30 pm

June 23      IMPASTAS                                                                   4:30 pm                             

June 30      DOUG SMITH’S DIXIELAND ALL-STARS            4:30 pm

July 7         JOHN STEVEN’S POLKA BAND                              4:30 pm

July 14       FABULOUS FORTUNES                                            4:30 pm

July 21       X’TERRA                                                                     4:30 pm

July 28       JACK MEAD & the 3rd STREET BAND                  4:30 pm

August 4    LITES OUT                                                                  4:30 pm

August 11   TOM HAMILTON JAZZTET                                    4:30 pm

August 18  RETRO ALLIANCE & WIGGY DIGGY BAND       4:30 pm

August 25  Rain Date                                                                    4:30 pm

Hospice of the Sacred Hearts to Host Camp Healing Hearts

Hospice of the Sacred Heart hosts Camp Healing Hearts. This event is a five-day camp experience to provide grief education to children ages 8 to 14 who have experienced the death of a loved one. Camp is designed to provide campers exposure to the arts, giving them the opportunity to develop healthy ways to express themselves and process their emotions. Trained bereavement counselors and members of the regional arts community work together to assist the campers in finding comfortable outlets to share their grief. Jennifer Seechock, Hospice of the Sacred Heart Director of Counseling Services, will be available throughout the week for media interviews.

The five-day camp is free and is made up of instructional sessions in various art platforms.  This year’s theme is Pure Imagination. Bereavement counselors will be available throughout the week if any campers or family members require individual support.

Community volunteers lend their time to campers with artistic projects in painting, writing, photography, yoga, dance, singing and cooking/baking. All sessions will be held in person at the lodge at Montage Mountain Resort. At the conclusion of camp activities, campers and their families will enjoy a day at the waterpark on Friday, August 9th. Media representatives are encouraged to attend any session Tuesday through Friday.

A video retrospective of Camp Healing Hearts will be presented before the feature film at the Circle Drive-In, 1911 Scranton Carbondale Highway, Dickson City, on a date to be determined.  

WHEN:           

Monday through Friday, August 5 through 9, 9:00 – 11:30 AM

BEST DAYS FOR MEDIA COVERAGE ARE TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, AUGUST 6 THROUGH 9, 9:30 TO 11:30 AM.

Jennifer Seechock, Hospice of the Sacred Heart Director of Counseling Services, will be available during those times for media interviews.

WHERE: Montage Mountain, 1000 Montage Mountain, Scranton, PA 18507

CONTACT: Jennifer Seechock

Hospice of the Sacred Heart

(570) 855-4370

jseechock@HospiceSacredHeart.org

Camp Healing Hearts is sponsored by New York Life, Lackawanna County, Montage Mountain Resort, Simrell Media, Lamar Advertising and Mansour’s Market Café.

Outreach – Center for Community Resources to Host Ribbon Cutting

Outreach – Center for Community Resources will host a ribbon cutting for its new Young Adult Center (YAC) on Thursday, July 11, 2024, from 10 AM – 1 PM. The ribbon cutting will take place at 11 AM. The YAC is located on the lower level of the Outreach Seventh Avenue Center, 431 North 7th Avenue, Scranton, PA, 18503. 

Outreach is excited to celebrate the opening of the YAC. The YAC is a newly renovated space at the Seventh Avenue Center and has been serving young people ages (14-24) since January. Programs include youth services to help young people transition into adulthood. Many of the young people served by the Center have had previous involvement in the justice system, are aging out of the foster care system, have withdrawn from high school, or need an extra support system due to family circumstances. 

The Center is staffed with a Youth Services Manager and three full-time Independent Living Case Managers. The YAC works closely with other Outreach team members to provide full wraparound services, including GED tutoring, workforce development training, life skills, and parenting classes. When needed, Outreach refers to outside agencies for additional services. 

Outreach – Center for Community Resources offers a variety of programs, with respect for the individual and with the highest professional standards, that promote family stability and economic self-sufficiency. For over 35 years, Outreach has served residents of Northeastern Pennsylvania with evidence-based programming, including home-visiting programs Parents as Teachers®, SafeCare® Augmented, Parent/Child Play & Learn Groups, the Incredible Years® parent training program, family reunification, supervised visitation, prison reentry, life skills programming, GED, and workforce development services. Outreach was privileged to serve nearly 5,000 individuals across the region last year. 

For more information, please visit www.outreachworks.org Upcoming Events. 

UNC’s Camp Kelly Overnight Camp Registration Still Open

United Neighborhood Centers of Northeastern Pennsylvania (UNC) still has available space at our Camp Kelly Traditional Girls Overnight. The camp is in the countryside of Tunkhannock, Wyoming County, just 30 minutes from Scranton. UNC’s Camp Kelly provided a weeklong, authentic, great outdoors version of cabin camping for girls. We created an environment where every girl can learn to feel confident in their abilities and where they are committed to building upon their sense of self with each activity. Our camp is designed to foster confidence, connection, and character in every guest.

It is sometimes the first time many young girls stay overnight away from home, starting a memorable personal growth and unique experience. We encourage them to act like children but empower them to become self-sufficient and independent. We also give them the tools they need to become responsible adults. For many girls, it is not only their first time sleeping away from home but in a cabin near the wilderness or without the amenities they are used to.  They must embrace getting out of their comfort zone.

Campers are invited to register for week 1, July 7 -12, or week 2, July 14-19. The cost is only $405 per camper. If you would like to feature our available space, Kelly Langan, our Director of Children & Teens, is available for interviews and tours of camp. She can be reached at klangan@uncnepa.org. We can also provide interviews with staff and campers.  To view pictures of our camp, visit UNC’s Camp Kelly on Facebook.

UNC’s Pine Brook Free Summer Programming

United Neighborhood Centers of Northeastern Pennsylvania (UNC) Pine Brook Revitalization Neighborhood Revitalization Plan has scheduled free summer programming for the community. The programs include a yoga class, a walking club, and a book club for children.

Start your week aligned with Yoga every Monday during July and August at the Capouse Corner Green Space at 1371 Capouse Street at New York Avenue. The free class for all levels of ability is at 5:30 p.m. The dates are July 8, 15, 22, and 29, and August 5, 12, 19, and 26.

Get your steps with Walking Club every Tuesday during July and August. The free group will meet at John Adams Elementary School at 5:30 pm. Walks will be approximately 30 to 45 minutes at all paces. The dates are July 9, 16, 23, and 30, and August 6, 13, 20, and 27.

Feed your mind at Reading in the Park, a children’s book club, every Wednesday during July and August at 11 am. Children will be provided with a book and snack. The dates are July 10, 17, 24, and 31, and August 7, 14, 21, and 28.

In the event of inclement weather, please check United Neighborhood Centers of NEPA’s Pine Brook Neighborhood Plan page on Facebook for cancellation and rain dates.

UNC’s Pine Brook Neighborhood Community Revitalization Plan is funded by Coterra, FNBC Bank, and Peoples Security Bank through the Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development Neighborhood Partnership Program (NPP). Their annual contribution of $50,000 for six years will help rebuild, restore, and revitalize Pine Brook, a designated Elm Street Community, through the Pennsylvania Keystone Communities program. 

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders to Partner with the County of Lackawanna Transit System

The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders are pleased to partner with COLTS, the County of Lackawanna Transit System, to help provide a new option for fans attending games at PNC Field this season. COLTS will now offer service from five locations to PNC Field.

Three trips to and from the following stops will run Tuesday through Saturday, both before and after the game COLTS will run service from the Transit Station, the DeNaples Center at the University of Scranton, Moosic at South Webster, Valley View and Hill Top. Service will leave PNC Field at three different times nightly with return stops at each location.

“COLTS considers transit to be an essential part of our community and its success,” stated Timothy McGrath, Executive Director for the County of Lackawanna Transit System. “Whether you are going to school, healthcare or work, we are here to get you there safely. Our mission is to enhance mobility for all citizens of Lackawanna County by offering affordable, reliable and safe transportation. Everyone should have the opportunity to get to where they need to, and we are honored to expand our service to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. The Game Day Express should be a home run, and we hope you enjoy the game with COLTS!”

First pitch for games on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday is at 6:35 P.M. Saturday games begin at 6:05 P.M.

“We are thrilled to partner with COLTS to provide this new transportation option to PNC Field,” said Katie Beekman, the General Manager of the RailRiders. “The ballpark has been a part of the fabric of our community for decades and we are truly excited for the new option to assist all fans wanting to attend games.”

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre begins the second half of the 2024 season this evening at PNC Field. The RailRiders host the Worcester Red Sox starting at 6:35 P.M. tonight. For tickets or upcoming promotional information, visit swbrailriders.com or call (570) 969-2255.