McDonald Foundation Donates $5,000 to Northeast Regional Cancer Institute

The McDonald Foundation presented the Cancer Institute with a $5,000 donation to support the Cancer Institute’s Community-Based Cancer Screening Navigation Program. Nevin Gerber, a representative of the McDonald Foundation and Spirit of Hope Ambassador together with Leo Vergnetti, Chairman of the Spirit of Hope Board of Ambassadors, presented the check.  

The Spirit of Hope Board of Ambassadors is a group of community volunteers that hosts an annual Spirit of Hope Celebration in November at Mohegan Sun Pocono. Proceeds from the event benefit the Northeast Regional Cancer Institute’s Community-Based Cancer Screening Navigation Program. This program helps low income and un/underinsured individuals in northeast Pennsylvania get their recommended colorectal, breast, cervical, and lung cancer screenings. 

Marywood University Professor Co-Authors Article

Sunny Sinha, Ph.D., associate professor in Marywood University’s School of Social Work, recently co-authored an article titled, “Community-Based Strategies for Harm Reduction Among Sex Workers in Kolkata, India.”

In the article, Dr. Sinha and her co-author explore research that was conducted with diverse groups of sex workers in India as well as around the globe, which has shown that decriminalizing sex work can promote the health, safety, and security of sex workers. Nonetheless, in many countries, including India, legislations criminalizing buying of sex—that is punishing clients of sex workers—have gained momentum with the accompanying rationale of rescuing/saving women trapped in sex work.

These legislations ignore the reality that sex work is an economically viable vocation for a majority of women, men, and transgender people in India—especially when compared to low-paying jobs with long, fixed hours of work. Consequently, such legislations have also not deterred people from choosing sex work as a livelihood option. In addition, little information is available about the community-based harm reduction responses.

In addition to her role as an associate professor in the School of Social Work at Marywood University, Dr. Sinha is also a Fahs-Beck Scholar, a doctoral dissertation grant program that helps support dissertation expenses of students in the U.S. and Canada. She earned her Ph.D. degree in Social Work form the University of South Carolina, Columbia. Her research and scholarship focus on a wide range of global issues, including HIV prevention, trafficking, and issues related to gender, race, class, and sexuality. She has published mostly on the issues of non-brothel-based female sex workers in Kolkata, India. Dr. Sinha is also the recipient of the Michael H. Agar Lively Science Award for 2018.

For additional information about Marywood University’s School of Social Work, please visit marywood.edu/ssw, or call the Office of Admissions at (570) 348-6234. To read the paper, “Community-Based Strategies for Harm Reduction Among Sex Workers in Kolkata, India,” please visit https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13178-021-00588-5#author-information.

Boback Announces Veterans Assistance Appointments

Rep. Karen Boback (R-Lackawanna/Luzerne/Wyoming) welcomes veterans assistance appointments back into her district offices in Dallas and Tunkhannock from the American Legion and Disabled American Veterans.

The Dallas district office located at 105 Lt. Michael Cleary Drive hosts both a service officer from the American Legion and a representative from the Disabled American Veterans Outreach. On the fourth Tuesday of every month starting in August, veterans can schedule an appointment with the American Legion service officer, Brian Stolarski from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. On the fourth Thursday of every month a representative from the Disabled American Veterans Outreach is in the office from noon to 3 p.m. To schedule an appointment at the Dallas district office, please call 570-675-6000.

The Tunkhannock district office located at 133 W. Tioga Street, Suite 4, hosts the American Legion service officer, the first Wednesday of every month from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. To schedule an appointment at the Tunkhannock district office, please call 570-836-4777.

Veterans or their dependents can schedule a meeting for a veterans assistance appointment to discuss issues and have questions answered about benefits and services for which they may be eligible.

Services available to veterans and their dependents include assistance with compensation, pension, death benefits, education, and health care. Veterans do not need to be a member of the organizations to receive these services.

Appointments are necessary and space is limited.

Marywood University Announces New VP for Finance and Administration

Sister Mary Persico, IHM, Ed.D., president of Marywood University, announced that William McDonald has been appointed by the board of trustees as the university’s new vice president for finance and administration (VPFA), effective July 1, 2021.

In his new role as Marywood’s VPFA, Mr. McDonald will serve as the university’s chief financial officer and will oversee a range of administrative and business operations that support Marywood and facilitate the advancement of its academic mission. He will be a key member of the executive leadership team, helping to define the strategic direction of the institution and providing leadership in the development and implementation of its financial and administrative infrastructure, along with its operational procedures.

“Bill is a seasoned vice president and has a thorough working knowledge of all the fiscal and related operations of an institution of higher education,” said Sister Mary Persico. “He resonates strongly with our mission and culture.” 

Mr. McDonald comes to Marywood from Bloomfield College, Bloomfield, N.J., where he focused his entire career on higher education finance, planning, and administration. During his more than three decades at Bloomfield, he worked his way through the ranks in fiscal roles and responsibilities, beginning as an accountant and ultimately becoming the institution’s vice president for finance and administration.

Mr. McDonald’s sound financial and administrative management during his career at Bloomfield resulted in operating efficiencies, revenue enhancements, and cost reductions in the areas of finance, technology, recruitment and retention, facilities, and vendor negotiations.

His work and dedication have been recognized with the Distinguished Service Award from Bloomfield College, a Gold Award from the Downtown N.J. Excellence Awards for Franklin Street Residence Hall, and a Development Recognition Award from the Suburban Essex Chamber of Commerce. Additionally, Mr. McDonald twice merited the Dedicated Service Award from Livingston National Little League and Softball.

His community affiliations include the Ancient Order of Hibernians and Knights of Columbus-Military Wounded & Veterans Project. Mr. McDonald was previously involved in the Bloomfield Business Advisory Board, Livingston American/National Little League and Softball, and Project Children.

Mr. McDonald holds a master of science degree in management from Thomas Edison State College (Trenton, N.J.) and a bachelor of science degree in accounting and administration with a concentration in finance, from Bloomfield College (Bloomfield, N.J.) Additionally, he completed the College Business Management Institute Program of the Southern Association of College and University Business Officers at the University of Kentucky (Lexington, Ky.)

PennDOT Highlights Career Opportunities

PennDOT District 4 highlighted opportunities to join the PennDOT team in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming counties. 

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation is seeking hardworking individuals to work from September 2021 through April 2022 in the Winter Maintenance Program! If you enjoy working in a fast-paced and dedicated environment on a seasonal basis, or with the potential for promotion into a permanent position, this is the job for you. Please go to www.employment.pa.gov or click here to apply today.

Watch this video to see how you can make a difference in the Winter Maintenance Program!

“Engineering District 4, which is responsible for Lackawanna, Luzerne, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming counites has immediate openings for transportation equipment operators with commercial driver’s licenses (CDL), diesel and construction equipment mechanics, auto mechanics, laborers, and radio dispatchers in all counties.  We need to fill almost 100 CDL operator positions and 23 non-operator positions, District-wide for this winter.” said Jonathan Eboli, Assist District Executive of PennDOT District 4.

Starting hourly rates are:

·       Transportation Equipment/CDL Operator ($19.24)
·       Diesel & Construction Equipment Mechanic ($20.40)
·       Auto Mechanic ($18.08)
·       Semi-Skilled Laborer ($16.05)
·       Tradesman Helper ($16.05)
·       Welder ($18.08)
·       Radio Dispatcher ($14.25)
·       Custodial Worker ($14.25)
·       Stock Clerk ($14.25)

Motorists can check conditions on major roadway miles 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 regional twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website. Subscribe to PennDOT news and traffic alerts in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming counties at www.penndot.gov/District4. Information about infrastructure in District 4, including completed work and significant projects, is available at www.penndot.gov/D4Results.

HNB Supports Lacawac Sanctuary 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 the Lacawac Sanctuary Field Station and Environmental Education Center, nestled on 550 acres near the shores of Lake Wallenpaupack. The funds, donated by HNB, will support the Center’s K-12 innovative educational programs

HNB President & CEO David Raven stated, “Lacawac Sanctuary presents benefits to our environment,  local students, and community members.” He said, “We are glad that we can continue to support the funding of this organization to care for our youth’s education and environmental preservation.”

Craig Lukatch, Lacawac Sanctuary President, said, “Lacawac Sanctuary is very grateful for the generous support of The Honesdale National Bank. Lacawac’s YES (Youth Engaging Science) Programs provide opportunities for students to participate in hands-on environmental STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) education programs both in and out of school.”

The Lacawac Sanctuary offers direct experiences with nature, providing relevant learning that equips students with critical thinking, creative approaches, and problem-solving skills. Their mission is to preserve the natural beauty of Lake Lacawac, its watershed, and surrounding lands; to conduct long-term research on natural systems as part of a global effort to understand and protect the Earth’s biodiversity; and to increase appreciation of this effort through innovative, field-based educational programs for students, teachers, and the community.

Lukatch continued, “Lacawac strives each year to take our inquiry-based science programs to the next level, transforming the way teachers teach and students learn environmental education.”