Jeannine Luby’s Donor-Advised Humor Fund Distributes Grant to Abington Library The Scranton Area Community Foundation recently awarded the Abington Community Library with a grant from the donor-advised Humor Therapy Fund developed in 2005 at the request of Jeannine Luby, who initiated the idea for this fund as part of her graduate work at Marywood University. The goal of the Fund is to help area nonprofits spread therapeutic humor and laughter to their clients, employees and/or community members. Luby continues to raise money for the Fund annually and advises on grant disbursement each year. The Abington Library received this year’s grant to fund their ‘Laughter Lab’ project to be held in April for teens in the Abington community. Teens will benefit from the opportunity to connect, express their humor and creativity, and experience stress relief from humor and laughter as they learn comedy improv from instructors at Scranton Improv and Comedy and stress-relieving laughter yoga that will be donated by Luby from her business Laugh to Live! Participants of the Laughter Lab will also receive humor toolkits and have an opportunity to show off their improv skills in a comedy performance that will be follow the April workshop at a later date. Past recipients of The Humor Therapy Fund grant include: Boys and Girls Clubs of Northeastern Pennsylvania, NAMI Northeast Region PA, Goodwill Industries of Northeast PA, Serving Seniors, Meals on Wheels, Volunteers in Medicine, and Laughing At My Nightmare. To donate to the Fund or learn about how your nonprofit can apply for next year’s grant, visit: https://safdn.org/the-humor-therapy-fund/.
Grey Towers Heritage Association Partners with Delaware Valley High School Grey Towers Heritage Association is now partnering with Delaware Valley High School to benefit students, parents, teachers and GTHA. “We’re proud and privileged to announce that Grey Towers Heritage Association is now working closely in collaboration with Delaware Valley High School to create opportunities for students to develop their talents, volunteer in community organizations, and gain credits for community work,” states Eileen Smith, President of GTHA. Students will have opportunities to apply their skills in social media and other areas by partnering with GTHA to publicize and participate in GTHA events. “We want to spread the word, especially to students and their parents, that Grey Towers isn’t just a beautiful castle on a hill, but a place that invites all community members to take advantage of the natural beauty of the mansion grounds,” explains Emma Ciancio, Editor-in-Chief of DVHS’s Del.Aware school paper. “Through our print and online versions of the school paper, the Del.Aware team will be helping Grey Towers Heritage attract teens and their families to hike year-round and engage in community events featuring art, music, and history in a fun, natural environment spanning 102 acres.” “We’re proud of our students for accepting the invitation to team with GTHA,” adds DVHS Principal Louis DeLauro. “Engaging in these activities provides new opportunities for our students to participate in community life and in some cases, earn credits for doing so. This also shows well on resumes and applications for colleges and jobs.” For more information about Grey Towers Heritage Association and student volunteer opportunities, students and parents may visit greytowers.org or speak to Emma Ciancio at the school.
The Greater Scranton YMCA Provides Tips and Programs During Heart Month February is American Heart Month, and with recently published research indicating blood pressure control has worsened in both men an woman since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Greater Scranton YMCA urges our community members to make their health a priority by getting a blood pressure screening. Blood pressure guidelines from American Heart Association indicate that nearly half of all Americans (46 percent) have high blood pressure. High blood pressure is often referred to as “The Silent Killer” because there are typically no warning signs or symptoms. While high blood pressure and heart disease are serious conditions, the good news is a healthy heart is an achievable goal through lifestyle changes such as regularly monitoring your own blood pressure, lowering sodium intake, eating healthier, and getting more physical activity. Getting help can be as easy as contacting the Y and taking part in The Greater Scranton YMCA is continuing its increased availability of the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program – which is part of the CDC-led National Diabetes Prevention Program. The YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program helps adults at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles to help reduce their chances of developing the disease. Type 2 diabetes is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease and people with diabetes are twice as likely to have heart disease or suffer a stroke as those who do not have it. The YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program provides a supportive environment where participants work together in a small group to learn about eating healthier, increasing their physical activity and making other behavior changes with the goal of reducing body weight by 7 percent in order to reduce their risk for developing diabetes. A trained Lifestyle Coach leads the program over a 12-month period. Increased physical activity and moderate weight loss not only reduce diabetes risk, but also have an impact on lowering blood pressure and cholesterol. In addition to monitoring your blood pressure, reducing sodium intake is a great way to keep your heart healthy. Per the American Heart Association (AHA), too much sodium in your system puts an extra burden on your heart and blood vessels. In some people, this may lead to or raise high blood pressure. Everyone, including kids, should reduce their sodium intake to less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium a day (about 1 teaspoon of salt). Having less sodium in your diet may help you lower or avoid high blood pressure. “While there are many ways to keep your heart healthy, making a conscious effort to tackle your blood pressure and decrease sodium intake are two quick, effective ways to prevent heart disease,” said Brandon Whipple, Senior Program Director, Greater Scranton YMCA. “No matter what your heart health goal is this year, the Y has a variety of resources to help you get started and achieve them.” The Greater Scranton YMCA offers a community of diverse individuals who can support all people in meeting their health and well-being goals. Learn more by visiting https://www.greaterscrantonymca.org/ or stopping into the Y.
Wayne Bank Promotes Vonnie Lewis Jim Donnelly, President and Chief Executive Officer of Wayne Bank, is pleased to announce the promotion of Vonnie Lewis to Vice President and Lakewood Community Officer Manager. “I am proud to announce Vonnie’s promotion. Her loyalty and spirit play a great role in the success of our Lakewood office. Vonnie’s commitment to sharing her knowledge and creating strong community relationships positively impacts those around her and sets a great example for all of us at Wayne Bank,” said Mr. Donnelly. Lewis joined Wayne Bank in 2005 as a part time teller and has held various positions since. She is responsible for overseeing the community relations and operations of the Lakewood Office. Lewis graduated from Broome Community College, where she received an associate’s degree in accounting. Lewis is a lifelong resident of Lakewood and enjoys the relationships she has built within her community. In her free time, Lewis enjoys camping with her family and helping her children, who she describes as her greatest achievement in life.
United Neighborhood Centers of Northeastern Pennsylvania Receives $10,000 from Hawk Family Foundation United Neighborhood Centers of Northeastern Pennsylvania (UNC) is excited to announce receiving a generous $10,000 grant from the Hawk Family Foundation to support our SCOLA (Scranton Council of Literacy Advancement) Adult Literacy Program. UNC’s SCOLA program has provided free adult literacy and ESL education to Lackawanna County residents, helping both native and foreign-born adults gain essential skills for economic, educational, and family advancement. The program offers ESL classes, citizenship preparation, and family literacy services through tutoring and group lessons. Classes focus on building language skills while encouraging long-term economic mobility, integrating workforce development and high-demand career pathways. Participants improve listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills, with lessons tailored to real-world applications and personal goals. The attached photo includes Lisa Durkin, UNC President and Chief Executive Officer; Maggie Hawk, Hawk Family Foundation Administrator; Audrey Golosky, Assistant Director of Community Education; and Rich Klinkle, UNC SCOLA Volunteer Teacher.
Tobyhanna Army Depot’s Forward Repair Activities Sustain Forward Units Nestled in the scenic Pocono Mountains, Tobyhanna Army Depot is a driving force of global readiness for the joint warfighter. With employees permanently stationed in 43 locations across the globe, Tobyhanna’s talented workforce and expansive capabilities are vital to the readiness of the U.S. Armed Forces and partner nations. These highly skilled professionals bring decades of sustainment expertise to the frontlines, bolstering the DOD and playing a key role in its regional sustainment framework. TYAD is the Army’s Command, Control, Communications, Computer, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) repair source. A dynamic organization, TYAD’s team manages over 2,500 fabrication and repair programs that provide readiness across the Joint Forces. While most of the workload that Tobyhanna supports is conducted at the depot in Northeastern Pennsylvania, the requirement to repair systems and provide support forward is a critical component of TYAD’s strategy to lead the Army’s Organic Industrial Base in supporting the evolution of mission requirements. In a time where Army leaders look to the OIB as a key component to solve readiness and capability gaps in the sustainment of the Army, Tobyhanna demonstrates an organic, proven, and sustainable model to deliver OIB expertise and capability to forward operating units. In the 1990s, Tobyhanna personnel recognized that the traditional depot sustainment model was evolving and, in response to changing warfighter needs, the depot established permanent Forward Repair Activities, or FRAs, outside of its gates. These FRAs have continuously operated in strategic locations such as Germany, Kuwait, Korea, Fort Liberty, Fort Cavazos, and Joint Base Lewis-McChord and play a crucial role in increasing readiness: reducing downtime for units, decreasing transportation costs, and developing support relationships with tactical Army units, which aids in the identification of gaps in current Army sustainment structure for supporting C5ISR systems. Today, CECOM remains the only lifecycle management command with a persistent presence in key locations across the U.S. and within CENTCOM, EUCOM and PACOM. Tobyhanna’s strategic foresight has positioned it well to meet the needs of the future force, including a growing need to repair equipment at forward locations. Forward support services, like the ones already provided by TYAD FRAs, were highlighted by a panel of senior sustainment leaders at the Association of the U.S. Army’s Annual Meeting and Exposition in October. During the dialogue, Army Materiel Command Deputy Commanding General and Acting Commander Lt. Gen. Christopher Mohan touted AMC’s expeditionary capability, noting how it reduced costs and minimized system downtime for servicemembers. The idea of expanding forward support services is underscored by the DOD’s emphasis on the RSF, first announced in May by the then-Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, Dr. William A. LaPlante, and former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Sustainment, Christopher Lowman. The RSF aims to optimize regional maintenance, repair, and overhaul operations and has three main goals: to prevail in a contested logistics environment; enhance military readiness; and strengthen regional partnerships across joint and allied partners. TYAD’s FRAs provide capabilities not found in tactical formations under the existing two-tiered maintenance system. In addition, FRAs leverage the larger framework of depot capabilities and experience, serving as a mitigation strategy within a contested logistics environment — and thusly enabling the Army to quickly regenerate combat power. Capabilities are tailored to individual theaters of operations, with the ability to rapidly expand or evolve. Teams are augmented by contracted workforce or through the deployment of depot employees across the world. As the Army has transitioned its focus to support multi-domain operations, the maintenance assets in tactical formations require support from the Sustainment Level of Maintenance, especially when employing C5ISR systems in forward environments to support Command and Control functions. Through the employment of its FRAs, TYAD is poised to support these requirements. TYAD’s forward support model has thirty years of proven success, exceeding expectations when taking on new challenges. For example, when AMC needed its OIB to surge support for Ukraine, TYAD had technicians on the ground in Poland in less than 48 hours. Because the support came from the FRA in Germany, the team already understood the theater of operations and had the support network in place to meet AMC’s needs expertly. Partner nations greatly benefit from TYAD’s far-reaching capabilities. A forward support team touched down in Poland this summer for a six-month mission providing C5ISR familiarization training to native warfighters. At the conclusion of the trainings, students will have the ability to maintain and sustain a variety of military equipment from radios to radars. Through developing a wide base of supported customers, TYAD can reduce costs to any single requirement while providing readiness at the point of need. The team at Tobyhanna continues to look to the future, adapting our capabilities to meet the needs of tomorrow. TYAD is developing relationships with private industry to expand its capabilities to operate FRAs at the point of need. Under this construct, TYAD will establish public-private partnerships with companies to leverage their forward factories and maintenance facilities to execute rapid repairs. Conversely, private companies may use the TYAD FRAs as support locations to provide product support to their programs. Through this increase in flexibility, TYAD will enable more rapid sustainment of systems in areas where permanent government owned FRAs are not sustainable, and a more flexible option is needed. The depot is also exploring an expansion of FRAs into the Far East, acknowledging the opportunities for quicker and more reliable services within the remote Pacific regions. Whether warfighters are within the continental U.S. or in the furthest corners of the globe, Tobyhanna Army Depot stands ready to quickly support them, ensuring mission success today, tomorrow and into the future. TYAD is a recognized leader in providing world-class logistics support for command, control, communications, computers, cyber, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems across the Department of Defense. Tobyhanna’s Corporate Philosophy, dedicated work force and electronics expertise ensure the depot is the joint C5ISR provider of choice for all branches of the Armed Forces and industry partners. Tobyhanna’s unparalleled capabilities include full-spectrum logistics support for sustainment, overhaul and repair, fabrication and manufacturing, engineering design and development, systems integration, postproduction software support, technology insertion, modification, foreign military sales and global field support to our joint warfighters. About 3,300 personnel are employed by Tobyhanna. While the organization’s headquarters is located in the Pocono Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania, Tobyhanna’s worldwide workforce includes employees in 43 fixed locations across the globe. Tobyhanna Army Depot is part of the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command. Headquartered at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, the command’s mission is to deliver integrated C5ISR weapon systems, business systems, and medical sustainment to enable full spectrum combat operations at the point of need.
The Wright Center Physican Named “Well-being Champion” by National Organization Dr. Stephen S. Long Jr., an internal medicine-pediatrics (Med-Peds) physician at The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education, has been selected to serve a three-year term as an American College of Physicians (ACP) 2025 Well-being Champion for the Pennsylvania Chapter’s Eastern Region. The ACP Well-being Champion Program was launched in 2015 to address physician burnout and improve well-being, professional satisfaction, and practice efficiency amid health care challenges. Its goals include promoting individual and community well-being, advocating for systems change, and improving the work environment to enhance physician engagement, quality of care, and patient satisfaction. As a trained ACP Well-being Champion, Dr. Long joins a network of over 250 ACP Well-being Champions who are committed to improving the culture and practice of internal medicine by leading efforts to enhance physician well-being and foster a culture of professional satisfaction. “I am truly privileged to be selected as an ACP Well-being Champion,” said Dr. Long, a Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, native who is board-certified in internal medicine and pediatrics. “Physician well-being is critical to providers’ health and the quality of care we deliver to our patients. I am committed to working alongside my colleagues to foster a supportive, sustainable work environment that prioritizes both professional fulfillment and patient-centered care.” As the nation’s largest medical specialty organization, the ACP is dedicated to advancing health care quality and effectiveness by promoting excellence and professionalism in medicine. It advocates for quality patient care, education, and career fulfillment within internal medicine and its subspecialties. Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, president and CEO of The Wright Center, serves as the governor of the ACP’s Pennsylvania Chapter, Eastern Region. A University of Scranton graduate, Dr. Long earned his medical degree from the Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine and completed his Med-Peds residency at MaineHealth Maine Medical Center in Portland before returning to Northeast Pennsylvania. Dr. Long is available for appointments with patients of all ages at The Wright Center for Community Health Clarks Summit, 1145 Northern Blvd., South Abington Township, on Mondays and Tuesdays and The Wright Center for Community Health Mid Valley, 5 S. Washington Ave., Jermyn, from Wednesdays through Fridays. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Long, visit TheWrightCenter.org or call the Clarks Summit location at 570-585-1300 or the Mid Valley location at 570-230-0019. Dr. Long is married to Juliette Meyers, an Archbald native and art therapist at The Wright Center.
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders 2025 Field Staff Announced The New York Yankees have announced that Shelley Duncan will return to lead the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders in 2025; his third straight season at the helm. Duncan paced the RailRiders to an 89-win campaign in 2024, finishing with the second-best overall mark in the International League. “Being a part of this organization, I feel very privileged,” Duncan said. “It’s exciting. I said it from the get-go. I feel the same way now as I did on day one. I feel that within this organization, I’m part of the family. There’s a lot of great people here. There are great coaches. Great front office members. Top down, nobody wants to be anywhere else but with the Yankees and I’m about as lucky as can be.” Gerardo Casadiego returns to Moosic for a second year and becomes the team’s new pitching coach. Mike Merganthaler is the RailRiders’ new hitting coach, while Gil Velazquez, Zak Wasserman and Spencer Medick all join Duncan’s staff as well. Velazquez will serve as the bench coach, Wasserman will be the defensive coach and Medick will be the new bullpen coach. Athletic Trainer Brandon Rodríguez rejoins the RailRiders’ support staff and is joined by Assistant Athletic Trainer Nori Subero, Strength & Conditioning Coach Danny Smith, Home Clubhouse Manager Jim Billington and Advance Scouting Analyst Steven DiMaria, who all return to their roles from 2024. Danny Althoff has been added to the support staff in 2025 as the Video & Tech Assistant. “[Having a new staff] is going to be a lot of fun,” Duncan stated. “Year one, I had to get to know everybody. It was also a situation back then where all the coaches had been there. This time, roles will be reversed, and I will have the experience along with Casa [Casadiego]. It is an absolutely amazing group of coaches and I can’t tell you how excited I am to work with all of them.” Duncan, 45, was tabbed as the 20th manager in franchise history in January 2023. He led Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to a 73-75 record that summer before going 89-60 last year. Duncan was drafted by the Yankees in 2001; a second-round selection out of the University of Arizona. He reached Triple-A with Columbus in 2006 and spent portions of three seasons in an SWB Yankees uniform. Duncan appeared in 272 games for Scranton/Wilkes- Barre between 2007 and 2009. In 2009, he hit .277 with 30 home runs and 99 runs batted in over 123 games, garnering the nod for International League MVP. His Major League career spanned 330 games for the Yankees, Cleveland and Tampa Bay over seven years. Casadiego, 44, enters his 13th season within the Yankees organization. After playing 10 seasons in Minor League Baseball, including parts of two seasons at the lower levels for New York, Casadiego moved to the coaching ranks in 2014. He joined Duncan’s staff last season as the bullpen coach, having previously been the pitching coach with Hudson Valley in 2021, Somerset in 2022 and Tampa in 2023. Mergenthaler, 36, enters his first season within the Yankees organization after eight seasons with the Cleveland Guardians. He worked his way up through the Guardians’ minor league system, including spending 2024 as a hitting coach for the Columbus Clippers. Mergenthaler was originally selected in the 32nd round of the 2011 First-Year Player Draft by San Francisco out of the University of Richmond and played professionally for three years. Velazquez, 45, joins the Yankees minor leagues after ten years as a manager, coach or coordinator with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks organizations. He was selected by the New York Mets in the 14th round of the 1998 draft and played professionally for 16 seasons, including 27 games in 2013 for the RailRiders. He began his coaching career in 2015 and managed the Great Lakes Loons in 2016 and the Reno Aces in 2022. Wasserman, 34, enters his second season in the Yankees organization, having spent 2024 as the Hudson Valley Renegades Defensive Coach. He was drafted in 2009 out of high school by San Francisco but chose to play college ball at the University of Louisville. Wasserman signed with Arizona after school and with New York in 2016, when he pitched in 13 games for the Pulaski Yankees. After his playing career ended, Wasserman was the head coach at Lake Michigan College. Later, he moved to Xavier University as a volunteer assistant before becoming an assistant coach in 2023. Medick, 33, has been a coach in the Yankees farm system since 2022. After a stint as the pitching coach for the FCL Yankees in 2022, he served in the same role for Hudson Valley during each of the last two seasons. Medick pitched at Elon University and began his professional career with Arizona in 2014. He closed his playing days with three seasons in the Frontier League. After retiring, Medick became a throwing trainer at both Prime Sports Performance and Driveline Baseball before joining New York’s minor league fray. Rodríguez returns to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, having spent the first half of 2023 with the RailRiders. He enters his fourth season with the Yankees after starting with the Tampa Tarpons in 2022. He took the lead role in Somerset midway through the 2023 campaign and remained in that spot in 2024. Before joining up with the New York, he spent two seasons in the Baltimore Orioles organization. Born in Ponce, Puerto Rico, Rodríguez received an Associate’s Degree from the University of Puerto Rico-Ponce, and his B.S. and M.S. in Athletic Training from East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania. Subero enters her fourth season with the Yankees organization and second year with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. She is a graduate of the University of Miami with a B.S. in Athletic Training and earned a Master’s degree in Exercise Science from Concordia University Chicago. Subero, a Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela native, spent 2022 with the FCL Yankees and was the Tampa Tarpons athletic trainer in 2023. Smith joined the Yankees organization in 2017 and has advanced through the ranks, reaching Scranton/Wilkes- Barre last season. He spent 2017 with Pulaski and moved to Staten Island for the 2018 and 2019 seasons. After spending two years with Hudson Valley, including 2021, when he was named the South Atlantic League’s Strength & Conditioning Coach of the Year, Smith was promoted to Somerset in 2023. He graduated from the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford with a B.S. in Sports Medicine in 2014 and earned his M.S. in Sport and Exercise Science at Gannon University in 2015, where he served as a Graduate Assistant. The RailRiders open their 2025 slate on March 28 with a three-game weekend set at Lehigh Valley before a six-game series in Syracuse. The home opener is scheduled for April 8 at 6:35 P.M. as the Rochester Red Wings head to PNC Field. “The team we have on day one might be different than the team we have on day two,” Duncan explained. “That’s how it is, so it’s constantly getting the feel of the locker room and understanding the players. Learning their strengths and weaknesses. You try to put the right groups together. You try to build chemistry with the right culture. There isn’t one secret to unlock the potential. To be successful at this job, it’s all about relationships and I have to get to know everybody. I’m going to go in there with an open book, build these relationships right from scratch, not assume anything, and do everything I can for every player, every coach, and the organization. Hopefully, we build something special.” Please direct any interview requests to Adam Marco – amarco@swbrailriders.com Single-game tickets for 2025 go on sale on February 3 at 10 A.M. Season tickets and flex plans are available now. For more information, contact the RailRiders front office at (570) 969-BALL or visit swbrailriders.com.
Scranton Area Community Foundation NEPA Healthcare Foundation Welcomes New Board Members The Northeastern Pennsylvania Healthcare Foundation (NEPA HCF) is pleased to welcome several new members to its Board of Directors. The newly elected board members are: C. Catherine Mihalick, JD, CTFA Michael Elmo Clemente Attorney Terrence R. Nealon, Jr. Patrick G. Connors, MD Jason R. Woloski, MD, FAAFP, FCPP These elections reflect the NEPA HCF’s ongoing commitment to bringing together dedicated professionals to support the Foundation’s mission of improving the health and well-being of the region’s people, particularly the most vulnerable and underserved. The Foundation thanks its departing board members for their service and contributions over the years and looks forward to the continued growth and impact of their work in the region. For more information about the Northeastern Pennsylvania Healthcare Foundation, please visit www.nepahealthcarefoundation.org.
Scranton Area Community Foundation Colon Cancer Fund Raised $25,000 Organizers of the Shine Like Susan 5K, all seniors from Abington Heights High School, recently presented a check for $25,345 to the family of Susan Burke in support of the Susan Burke Foundation for Colon Cancer Fund at the Scranton Area Community Foundation. The Susan Burke Foundation was established in July 2022 in memory of Susan Burke, a beloved community member and running coach who passed away from colon cancer. The foundation provides financial assistance to individuals with a colon cancer diagnosis who are facing financial hardship. The Shine Like Susan 5K, held in July 2024 at Abington Heights Middle School, marked the third year of the event organized by the Class of 2025. Since its inception in 2022, the race has raised over $71,350 to support the Susan Burke Foundation for Colon Cancer. The Scranton Area Community Foundation administers the Susan Burke Foundation for Colon Cancer Fund, which assists local families in need during their cancer journey. For more information or to donate, visit the Scranton Area Community Foundation website.
