The first class of students at the Commonwealth Medical College has spent the last four years together. With balloons falling and streamers flying, the soon-to-be doctors learned on Friday where they will spend the next several years apart.

Match Day was held at medical schools across the country on Friday, an annual tradition. With the first class of TCMC students nearing the end of their last year, it was a first-time event for the Scranton-based college.

Students nationwide compete for residency spots, a required training that follows graduation from medical school. The new doctors are supervised by fully licensed physicians. Residencies are three to seven years long, and a fellowship sometimes follows, depending on the specialty.

It is up to each medical school to decide how to celebrate Match Day. TCMC students wanted a football draft theme. Staff members dressed like cheerleaders led the group in chants and the "wave." Other employees wore football jerseys and students wore jersey-style shirts with "MD 13" on the back.

Individually, each student received an envelope, while a photo and a few facts - many laugh-inducing - were shown on the large screen.

Students, having completed every first milestone of TCMC together, wanted to open their envelopes together, too. When the countdown reached zero, they unsealed their envelopes.

Many shrieked and gave hugs and high-fives. With trembling hands, they called family members. Some students cried, most out of happiness, but a few out of disappointment for not receiving their first choice. As students left the auditorium, college staff handed them plastic goblets of sparkling wine. Pizza, wings and other "football food" was ready in the lobby.

Charlie Karcutskie's heart was racing as he held his envelope, waiting for the go-ahead. Inside the envelope was a piece of paper that contained his future. The West Wyoming native will study general surgery at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami.

"I've wanted to go there for years," he said. "I'm thrilled."

Linda Berardi-Demo, Ed.D., associate dean for student affairs and admissions, said the college could not be more excited for the students.

"I think it was a great day for the Commonwealth Medical College, a great day for the class of 2013, and it's a great day for Northeast Pennsylvania," she said.

Officials also spoke about the high quality of the residencies, which they said is especially telling of the quality of education at TCMC.

"We're brand new," said Steven J. Scheinman, M.D., TCMC president and dean. "We didn't know how we were viewed. This is the most ... objective measure. It was a resounding success."

Out of the 58 students, 39 percent will stay in Pennsylvania. Many will stay in the Northeast U.S., but some will travel to the West Coast, and even to Hawaii. More than one-fourth of the students are specializing in surgery for their residencies.

Dr. Scheinman led the crowd in a toast.

"There are many things that make me proud to be at The Commonwealth Medical College. Nothing makes me prouder than the students," he said, and then instructed the group to raise a glass "for the wonderful, remarkable class of 2013."

Students graduate May 11, and other milestone events are scheduled between now and then. On Friday, the soon-to-be doctors were focused on the future.

Scranton resident Melissa Rader will complete her residency in pediatrics at Atlantic Health System in Morristown, N.J. Her parents and boyfriend were able to attend Friday's event.

Thomas Churilla, another Scranton native, will spend one year with internal medicine at Abington Memorial Hospital and then spend four years studying radiation-oncology at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia.

"It's been a rush," he said. "We've been anticipating this moment for so long."

Michael Gabriel, of Scranton, will be going into family medicine at the University of Alabama's School of Medicine. His goal is to eventually return to the region to help with the shortage of family physicians.

"I'm super excited," he said. "It's an amazing day for everyone."

Contact the writer: shofius@timesshamrock.com, @hofiushallTT on Twitter

Three people were arrested in Old Forge after a woman sold crack during a controlled drug purchase Friday, police said.

Lackawanna County detectives said Bernadette Samuel, 46, of Pittston, and Derrick Jones, 30, of New York City, were in a car driven by Shaun Lussi, 34, of Pittston, when Ms. Samuel sold crack near 1000 South Main St.

Police found another piece of crack in Ms. Samuel's sock, along with a small amount of marijuana, and almost $700 in cash on Mr. Jones, according to a complaint. Mr. Lussi admitted to police he gave the other two a ride in exchange for cocaine, police said.

All three were charged with criminal conspiracy to deliver a controlled substance.

Mr. Jones and Ms. Samuel were also charged with possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia, while Ms. Samuel was charged with delivery of a controlled substance and criminal use of a communication facility.

Bail and arraignment information were unavailable Friday night.

Contact the writer: ksullivan@timesshamrock.com, @ksullivanTT on Twitter

Lackawanna County SWAT team members were waiting when Tara Altland pulled into her Archbald driveway in a Mustang Thursday night, toting cocaine, heroin, oxycodone pills and a knife, police said.

Lackawanna County detectives, who had a search warrant for Ms. Altland's 626 Miller St. home, said Ms. Altland, 23, had 21 grams of cocaine and 50 bags of heroin in her purse, four pills in her bra and a knife tucked in the front of her pants. Her passenger, Kristen Kehrli, 29, 1536 N. Washington Ave., had a gram of cocaine in the pocket of her sweatshirt.

Police also found Ms. Altland's boyfriend, Michael Zajac, 27, same address, at the home. He directed police to a case containing $2,777, heroin, oxycodone, cocaine and marijuana and several crack pipes, police said.

Authorities also confiscated six guns, crack pipes and a digital scale from the gun safe in the bedroom.

All three were charged with possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, criminal conspiracy to possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia, according to the complaint.

Ms. Altland was also charged with possession of a small amount of marijuana.

All three were arraigned Friday and are slated for preliminary hearings Thursday. Ms. Altland is in Lackawanna County Prison in lieu of $100,000 bail, while Mr. Zajac is being held there on $150,000 bail and Ms. Kehrli on $10,000 bail.

Contact the writer: ksullivan@timesshamrock.com, @ksullivanTT on Twitter

LACKAWANNA COUNTY COURT NOTES

marriage license

n Jesus Gallardo and Janet Melissa Tapia, both of Scranton.

PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS

n Michael A. and Luz M. Booth, Dickson City, to Mara N. Lesko, Scranton; a property at 712 Wilson Court, Dickson City, for $89,200.

n John Crotti, executor of the estate of William A. Crotti, Scott Twp., to David L. Duchnik, Scott Twp.; a property in Scott Twp., for $90,000.

n Jason and Jaime Rosa, to Marina and Eugene Livchits; a property at Wildlife Way, Covington Twp., for $25,000.

n Robert Kania, Cynthia J. Kania, individual and executor of the estate of Edward V. Kanie; Robert, Ann, Mark and Marguerite E. Kania, Old Forge, to Michael Sean and Sloan A. Cummings, Taylor; a property at 422 W. Atherton St., Taylor, for $108,800.

divorces sought

n Nilsa Carrire Avila, Scranton, v. Braulio Acevedo Aviles, Camuy, Puerto Rico; married Dec. 22, 1990 in Quebradillas, Puerto Rico; Jeffrey C. Nallin, attorney.

n Marilyn Berlinski, Moosic, v. Jay Brian Lewis Berlinski, Avoca; married June 19, 2004; Marjorie DeSanto Barlow, attorney.

estates filed

n Margaret E. Brennan, 127 Cemetery St., Archbald, letters testamentary to Michelle Polisano, 8033 Woodland Hills Lane, Fairfax Station, Va.

n Carol A. Eramo, 1015 Engle Court, Scranton, letters of administration to Francine Eramo, same address; and Marianne Piazza, 520 Ward St., Dunmore.

n John J. Russo, 612 Moosic Road, Old Forge, letters testamentary to Ted Riviello Jr., 47 Ziegler Road, Pittston.

n Ellsworth J. Scott, 443 Clifton Beach Road, Clifton Twp., letters of administration to Ruth A. Scott, same address.

n Maynard E. Stratton, 401 Penn Ave., Scranton, letters of administration to Peter D. Stratton, 14 Bridlewood Drive, New Hope.

n Steven M. Chapple, 3 Chapple Lane, Clarks Summit, letters of administration to Brian Chapple, 2374 Newton-Ransom Blvd., Clarks Summit.

n Susan Humphrey, also known as Sue E. Humphrey, 237 Market St., Moscow, letters testamentary to Judith Czachor, 5631 Haas Pond Road, Madison Twp.

n Edward H. Kundla, 443 Leigh Road, Covington Twp., letters of administration to Mina C. Kundla, same address.

bench warrants

The following warrants have been issued by Judge Margaret Bisignani Moyle for failure to appear for Child Support Contempt Hearings:

n Reinaldo Crespo Jr., 643 Birch St., Scranton; $6,345.70.

n David A. Doyle, 3 Route 2012, Clifford Twp.; $2,939.

n Brian A. Drutarousky, 129 S. Filmore Ave., Scranton; $12,595.50.

n Derrick Ford, 133 Grove St., Wilkes-Barre; $1,045.63.

n Thomas W. Fox, 1415 Fordham Court, Scranton; $1,149.32.

n Shawn L. Kitt, 1906 Prospect Ave., Scranton; $5,478.99.

n Matthew H. Luther, 1209 Foss Ave., Drexel Hill; $1,909.82.

n Christopher A. Smith, 201 E. Ridge St., Nanticoke; $20,195.76.

n John R. Steinruck Sr., 2019 Margaret Ave., Scranton; $2,503.01.

Anyone with details on the above is asked to call the Child Support Hotline at 963-6721 ext. 8160.

ONLINE: thetimes-tribune.com/courts

Josie Gilces and Raj Gandhi recalled the lessons they learned about how to stay safe in and out of their homes during the Kids in Control program at the Boys and Girls Club of Northeastern Pennsylvania.

Josie, 8, learned who she could go to in the community if she ever gets hurt and had to ask for help.

Raj, 9, said talking with firefighters and exploring the firetruck helped fire safety lessons stick with him.

"When there's a fire in our house, we can stop, drop and roll," he said Friday afternoon at the center.

Numbers released by the program revealed that 100 percent of the kids who participated in the program reported increased knowledge in handling scissors and knives properly, avoiding dangerous situations away from home and avoiding being victimized when home alone.

They, along with more than 170 kids from Lackawanna and Luzerne counties, took part in the 12-lesson after-school program last year thanks to a $5,000 grant through the Blue Ribbon Foundation of Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania.

Children ages 6 to 11 were educated on first aid, stranger awareness, playground safety, cyber safety and controlling anger.

"We try to focus on health and wellness, especially children because the skills they learn will stay with them into adulthood," said Blue Cross spokesman Anthony Matrisciano.

Boys and Girls Club director Rich Kasavage said speakers from the community, law enforcement and first responder agencies came in and did hands-on, interactive demonstrations with the children, just one of the things that made the first-time program a success.

"It's good for the kids now and for the future," Mr. Kasavage said.

Contact the writer: ksullivan@timesshamrock.com, @ksullivanTT on Twitter

SCRANTON — Eleven people were displaced and one was treated for a minor burn Saturday afternoon when a fire damaged a South Side apartment building and commercial space.

Fire crews quickly extinguished the blaze at 505 Cedar Ave. despite what Assistant Chief Jim Floryshak said were challenging conditions in a tight block of buildings. The fire was confined to a second-floor apartment but heat and smoke damaged other parts of the building, he said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

— Laura Legere

South Side fire displaces 11

SCRANTON - A fire that began in a closet displaced 11 people and injured one Saturday afternoon, city police said.

Fire crews quickly extinguished the blaze that began at the apartment building and commercial space at 505 Cedar Ave. about 2:17 p.m., despite what Assistant Chief Jim Floryshak said were challenging conditions.

The fire was confined to a second-floor apartment, but heat and smoke damaged other parts of the building, he said.

Police Sgt. Michael Perry said one of the building's residents, 66-year-old Katherine Shea, told police she tried to put out a fire in the closet, burning her hand in the process.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, authorities said.

WILKES-BARRE - A man was shot and killed early Saturday morning in the city.

Renold Julien, 26, of Wilkes-Barre, died from gunshot wounds he suffered in a shooting in a parking lot outside Locals 88, a bar at 86-88 Poplar St. His death was ruled a homicide, said Luzerne County Acting Coroner Bill Lisman.

Police headed to the bar at Poplar and Arch streets at 2:12 a.m., but by the time they got there, Mr. Julien was gone, according to a supervisor at the county 911 center. Police officers canceled an ambulance because there were no patients at the scene.

Friends drove Mr. Julien to Wilkes-Barre General Hospital, and that hospital transferred him to Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center in Plains Twp., Mr. Lisman said. Mr. Julien was pronounced dead at Geisinger around 4 a.m., and an autopsy later that day confirmed he died from multiple gunshot wounds.

Attempts to reach Robert A. Nicoletti Jr., who holds a liquor license for Locals 88 according to a state Liquor Control Board website, were unsuccessful. Alicia Crich, who left an apartment above the bar Saturday afternoon, confirmed someone was shot in the parking lot and said the bar wouldn't be open Saturday night.

Police said they do not think the shooting was random, but city spokesman Drew McLaughlin could not be reached to explain what led to that conclusion.

The corner has been the scene of violence before.

In November 2012, at least one person was shot after a dispute at the bar.

In February 2012, a man with a shotgun robbed a Burgit's City Taxi driver who was waiting for a customer outside. In August 2009, authorities raided the establishment, then named the Poplar Inn, as part of a string of drug busts at several sites in the area.

Contact the writer: bwellock@citizensvoice.com, @CVBillW on Twitter

Perspectives on business coaching

- People rarely change on their own. Some coaches say it is impossible for people to self-correct.

CoachFirm business coach Robert Scott said most people require an outside force, an accountability partner, to help them change and grow.

Society does a great job providing guidance and mentoring in early years, with the support of teachers, coaches and advisers, said Diana Scott of Fresh Mind Coaching in Scranton. In the professional world, mentoring is rare. Small businesses owners rarely have a outside third-party they can rely upon.

- Too much or too little. Large and small organization can often have the opposite problems. Larger organization tend to have too many meetings and excessive policies and procedures, said Dr. Alan Brumagim, Associate Professor of Management at the University of Scranton. Smaller operations often don't have policies and procedures at all. Small organizations don't meet often enough. Everyone does their own thing, getting together to solve a crisis then go their own ways.

A business coach can help larger operations streamline and smaller companies standardize and formalize, he said.

- Passion myth. The idea that a skill or passion will translate to successful business is "the most destructive myth" in small businesses, said Mr. Scott.

"No one thinks about how dark a business can get," he said. "I can show you people with passion for something that ended up divorced, bankrupt, in debt to family and friends."

BENFIELD, SISTER MARGARET, I.H.M., Monday, Mass, 11 a.m., Our Lady of Peace Residence, 2300 Adams Ave., Scranton. Interment, St. Catherine's Cemetery , Moscow. Calling hours, today, 3 to 5:30 p.m., Our Lady of Peace Residence. Prayer service, 4. Contributions: I.H.M. Sisters Retirement Fund, I.H.M. Center, 2300 Adams Ave., Scranton, PA 18509.

BIDWELL, JOAN M., West Scranton, Monday, 9:30 a.m., Kearney Funeral Home Inc., 125 N. Main Ave., Scranton. Blessing service, 10, Cathedral Cemetery Chapel. Interment follows. Visitation, today, 3 to 6 p.m. Contributions: St. Mary's Villa Campus, Attn: Lisa Zamber, 516 St. Mary's Villa Road, Elmhurst Twp., PA 18444. Condolences: kearneyfuneralhome.com.

BURNE, JOANN, Clarks Summit, Mass, Monday, 10 a.m., Our Lady of the Snows Church, 301 S. State Street, Clarks Summit. Interment, St. Catherine's Cemetery, Moscow. Calling hours, today, 4 to 7 p.m., Lawrence E. Young Funeral Home and Cremation Service, 418 S. State St., Clarks Summit. Memorials: St. Joseph's Center, 320 S. Blakely St., Dunmore, PA 18512. Condolences: lawrenceeyoungfuneralhome.com.

COCCODRILLI, BERTHA, Lake Ariel, Mass, Tuesday, 9:30 a.m., St. Thomas More Church, 105 Gravity Road, Lake Ariel. Interment, St. John's Cemetery, Jessup. Go directly to church. Calling hours, Monday, 5 to 8 p.m., James Wilson Funeral Home, 143 Gravity Road, Lake Ariel. Contributions: donor's favorite charity. Condolences: jameswilsonfuner alhome.com.

COLEMAN, LOUISE Z. GIULIANI, formerly of Dunmore and Clarks Summit, Monday, Mass, 8:30 a.m., Our Lady of the Snows Church, State Street, Clarks Summit. Interment Cathedral Cemetery, Scranton. Go directly to church. Calling hours, today, 4 to 7 p.m., Carlucci-Golden-DeSantis Funeral Home Inc., 318 E. Drinker St., Dunmore. Contributions: Kevin Coleman Memorial Scholarship Fund, c/o Delaware County Community College Advancement Office, 901 S. Media Line Road, Media, PA 19015. Condolences: DunmoreFuneralHome.com.

CURCIO, JULE "JULIANNA MARIANNA," Scranton, Scranton, August J. Haas Funeral Home Inc., Scranton. Saturday, Mass, St. Francis of Assisi Church, Scranton, by the Rev. Scott Sterowski, pastor. Pallbearers: Mark and Geoffry Curtin, grandsons; Joseph, Michael and Bruce Opshinsky, nephews; Interment Italian-American Cemetery, Minooka section.

DALE, ROBERT, formerly of Old Forge, calling hours, today, 2 to 4 p.m., Kniffen O'Malley Funeral Home Inc., 728 Main St., Avoca. Condolences: bestlifetributes.com.

DELFINO, PASCHAL J. "PAT" "PATSY," Utica, N.Y., Monday, 9 a.m., Eannace Funeral Home, 932 South St., Utica. Mass, 10, St. Mark's Church, Utica, by the Rev. Mark Pasik. Interment, private, Calvary Cemetery, Utica. Visitation, today, 2-5 p.m., No flowers. Condolences: eannacefuneralhome.com.

DUVALL, DORIS, Stoneville, N.C., visitation, Monday, 7 to 9 p.m., Thomas P. Kearney Funeral Home Inc., 517 N. Main St., Old Forge. Condolences: kearneyfuneralhome.come.

FARLEY, GEORGE D., Honesdale, formerly of New York, visitation, today, 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m., Parise Funeral Home, Carbondale. Interment, Queen of All Saints Cemetery, Central Islip, N.Y. Condolences: parisefuneralhome.

HANYON, RALPH L., Nicholson, service, military honors, Nicholson American Legion Post 953, Monday, 7 p.m., Charles H. Litwin Funeral Home, 91 State St., Nicholson. Condolences: litwinfuneralhome.com.

HART, DOUGLAS E., St. Joseph's Center, Monday, 2 p.m., St. Joseph's Center chapel. Arrangements: Vanston and James Funeral Home, 1401 Ash St., Scranton. Condolences: vanstonandjames.com.

KNIGHT, SUSAN J., Dunmore, Monday, 9 a.m., Morell-LaBelle Funeral Home, 301 Chestnut St., Dunmore. Interment, Shady Lane Cemetery, Chinchilla. Calling hours, today, 3 to 5 p.m., funeral home. Condolences: dunmorefunerals.com.

MANCIA, LUCILLE "CUBIE," Jessup, Monday, 11 a.m., Arthur A. Albini Funeral Home, 1003 Church St., Jessup. Interment, St. John's Cemetery, Jessup. Calling hours, today, 5 to 8 p.m. and Monday 10 a.m. until service.

MITTELMAN, JEANETTE, Delray Beach, Fla., formerly of Scranton, today, 11:30 a.m., Dalton Jewish Cemetery, by Rabbi Yisroel Brotsky, Rabbi Dovid Saks and Rabbi Jack Engel. Condolences: DunmoreFuner alHome.com.

NELSON, OTIS "BARRY" JR., Old Forge, Tuesday, 7 p.m., Thomas P. Kearney Funeral Home Inc., 517 N. Main St., Old Forge, by the Rev. Louis T. Kaminski, Prince of Peace Parish pastor. Calling hours, Tuesday, 5 until services. Condolences: KearneyFuneralHome.com.

RAY, SHARON M., Forkston Twp., March 24, 2 p.m., Forkston UMC Pastor Jean L. Sweet officiating. Interment, Forkston Cemetery. Calling hours, today, 2 to 6 p.m., Harding-Litwin Funeral Home, 123 W. Tioga St., Tunkhannock. Contributions: Forkston U.M.C. Paint Can Fund, 203 Main St., Forkston Twp., PA 18629. Condolences: apli twinfuneralhomes.com.

RAYNER, ROBERT E. SR., Clarks Summit, formerly of Scranton, viewing, Monday, 11 a.m., St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Taylor Avenue and Ash streets, Scranton. Masonic service, 1:50. Service of remembrance, 2. Interment Dunmore Cemetery. Contributions: Knights Templar Eye Foundation, 1033 Long Prarie Road, Flower Mound, TX 75022 or Memorial Fund of St. Peter's Lutheran Church, Taylor Avenue and Ash streets, Scranton, PA 18510. Condolences: vanstonandjames.com. Arrangements: Vanston and James Funeral Home, Scranton.

REGAN, JOHN T., Clarks Summit, formerly of Scranton, Saturday, Vanston and James Funeral Home, Scranton. Pallbearers: Willard Ziesemer, Ted Phillips, Kenneth Regan, Joseph Corpora, David Harte and Michael Krafjack. Interment, Abington Hills Cemetery.

REYNOLDS, ELLA F., Dunmore, Scranton, Monday, 10 a.m., Bomberger-Lesko Funeral Home Inc., 1660 N. Main Ave., Scranton, by the Rev. Robert Walls, pastor of Our Father's House. Interment Dunmore Cemetery. Calling hours, today, 3 to 6 p.m. Contributions: donor's favorite charity.

SCHMIDT, VERONICA VANYO, Lake Ariel, calling hours, today, 2 to 5 p.m., James Wilson Funeral Home, 143 Gravity Road, Lake Ariel. Mass, Monday, 9:30 a.m., St. Thomas More Church, 105 Gravity Road, Lake Ariel. Interment, St. John the Baptist Slovak Cemetery, Duryea. Contributions: St. Jude Children's Hospital, stjude.org; or Catholic Television Channel, catholictv.com. Condolences: jameswilson funeralhome.com.

STANTON, NORMA PHILLIPS, Clarks Summit, today, 6 p.m., Joseph W. Sznyter Funeral Home, 1101 Prospect Ave., Scranton. Interment, convenience of the family. Calling hours, 3 until service.

At 82, Clara Montone sees tough times ahead.

The Carbondale resident faces rising medical costs, transportation to appointments, post-retirement expenses, decreased mobility and missing companionship. Some retirees, like Mrs. Montone, spend time at area senior centers, but not all have that option.

An aluminum pan of food, a half pint of 2 percent milk and slice of white bread are the only items connecting some homebound seniors to the outside world.

The provisions delivered through the Meals on Wheels program offer some elderly folks in Lackawanna County their only interaction of the day, according to Jean Barnes, 75, Scranton, who is a volunteer driver.

"I think loneliness is a very big issue," she said.

She has made deliveries in Dunmore and Scranton for about two years, bonding with the seniors on her route.

She worries when seniors tell her they don't have rides to appointments and can't fill other needs.

"She didn't know who to call," she said of one woman, adding that she tries to help the seniors beyond her Monday drop-off when she can. "I think everybody who volunteers for Meals on Wheels does the same thing."

In addition to her volunteering gig, she has seen friends deteriorate living alone. When her best friend started to develop Alzheimer's, the signs weren't realized immediately.

"I think there are people who live alone and that happens and no one picks up on the signs," she said.

For others, like Mrs. Montone, senior centers offer comfort, a meal and a variety of useful services. The former chef says the Carbondale Senior Center helps to keep her mind sharp. Donning a bright, purple hair bow and electric blue nail polish, she said there are troubles, but she tries to look on the bright side.

"We have to grow old gracefully," she said.

There are bumps in the road though, particularly when adjusting to life after retirement.

"I found out a couple of times I didn't have enough to pay a bill," she said. She has since developed a careful budget.

There is an added difficulty for widowers, added 69-year-old Marge Riley, Carbondale, whose husband passed away five years ago.

"Living without your spouse - it's tough," she said. "You're making your own decisions."

More and more seniors now stay at work beyond retirement age or return to work for the additional income. Some continue working for fear of slowing down.

"You have all of your lifetime to decide when to retire," Michael Figliomeni, 77, Childs, said. "Half of the people I know retire and don't know what to do."

Trudie Steiger, 90, said it would be nice to return to work again. She worked as a stenographer at Ellis Island before moving to Pennsylvania. She can type, but she's unfamiliar with computers, a skill she'd like to learn.

Her eyes creased with laughter as she added, "Actually, I wouldn't like to go back to work."

"With the money I have, I find I get along fine," she said. "That's mainly because of family up here."

She lives in Jermyn with her daughter, who is able to take her to appointments and take care of other needs. When seniors don't have family or friends to support them though, they are more vulnerable.

Betty Fedak, 83, Carbondale, worked in housekeeping for 15 years at the Marian Community Hospital in Carbondale before retiring. She still drives, but she worries about peers who encounter health problems who don't.

"I hope they bring a hospital back to Carbondale," she said. "I don't like that it's so far away."

"I'd rather see a hospital than a hotel," she added.

Joe Curcerello, 68, Carbondale, agrees the 16-mile drive to Scranton worries him. He also questions health-care options and state budget cuts.

"They cut back on us," he said, adjusting his hat. "That's who needs it the most."

Mr. Figliomeni agreed.

"Seniors, what do we last, a few years?" he said. "Who do they cut first? Us."

The men referred to the state budget, as well as limiting the Carbondale Senior Center to two days a week. It used to be open five days, which they all missed.

"I live with my daughter, so I like to be with people around my own age," Mrs. Steiger said.

For seniors who don't drive, the center can be a life line for companionship and a hot meal.

"When you don't drive, half of your life is shot," Mr. Figliomeni said, pointing to his thick eyeglass frames. "I was never used to depending on anybody."

"We need to have five days a week," Ms. Fedak said emphatically. "(Seniors) can hardly wait to get out."

"A lot of the people have no place to go. We don't have the mobility we would like," Mrs. Montone chimed in, nodding at a cane she uses.

Despite their concerns and the hurdles that lie ahead, the group agreed that facing down the golden years was easier with a good attitude. After listing his concerns, Mr. Figliomeni spent the last ten minutes before the center served lunch sinking billiards balls.

"Enjoy every day," Mr. Figliomeni said. "If you can make a person smile, that's the best."

Contact the writer: rbrown@timesshamrock.com, @rbrownTT on Twitter

By Denise Allabaugh

With health sciences becoming the fastest-growing job market in the country, Misericordia University has evolved to meet students' demands, said President Michael MacDowell.

Misericordia University continues to offer liberal arts education and has expanded its offerings in health sciences.

A reason for the expansion, Mr. MacDowell said, is that many believe a college education should provide practical and employable skills and the health sciences offer those skills.

"The current employment rate and rising college debt are enhancing the argument for a practical college education," Mr. MacDowell said. "Finding a good first job is of great concern to those graduating college."

The Bureau of Labor Statistics shows industries and occupations related to health care are projected to have the fastest job growth between 2010 and 2020. The health care and social assistance industry is projected to create about 28 percent of all new jobs created in the U.S. economy.

Misericordia University has a long tradition in offering health sciences, which began with the nursing education it has offered since 1944. That tradition was expanded in 1973 with the introduction of one of the country's only medical imaging programs at a four-year college.

Misericordia's commitment to the health sciences increased with the introduction of undergraduate-plus-master's five-year programs in occupational therapy, physical therapy and speech language pathology.

Last year, the university added another Master of Science program for physician assistants, a career now considered a booming job with rapidly growing employment prospects.

Employment for physician assistants is expected to grow by 39 percent in 2018 from 2008, much faster than the average for all occupations, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

According to Misericordia officials, entry-level annual salaries for physician assistants is about $84,000 for new graduates and the national average salary is more than $100,000. Physician assistants are in hot demand because of the need to cut health care expenses. Although physician assistants don't demand the same salaries or need the same education levels as physicians, they can still treat patients and make diagnoses.

"There are certainly more job openings in health sciences," Mr. MacDowell said. "There are a good number of positions and they have pretty good salaries so we are driven by what students want to major in and they, in turn, are driven by what fields they can do well in and what fields there are jobs."

Driven significantly by its graduate success in the health and medical science fields, Misericordia's enrollment has grown in the last 14 years from about 1,000 students to more than 1,900 full-time students and 1,200 part-time students.

The growth occurred despite declining enrollment trends at similar institutions, said Mr. MacDowell, who is retiring this year as president after more than 15 years in the position.

Last year, when many institutions saw enrollment decline, Misericordia's freshman class increased from 370 students to 510, he said. Forty-five percent of students at Misericordia University are enrolled in health sciences, he said.

"We already had a positive reputation in the field of health sciences. We simply grew that program in conjunction with the demand that students have for the health sciences," Mr. MacDowell said. "We grew into the health sciences. We didn't just invent it. It was natural progress. It was evolution, not revolution."

In the physical therapy and occupational therapy fields, graduates have 100 percent placement in jobs and nursing majors are close to that, Mr. MacDowell said. Many have jobs before they graduate. Medical imaging has a 90 percent job placement within six months, he said.

Despite its expansion in health sciences, Misericordia was founded as and continues to be a liberal arts institution, Mr. MacDowell said. At Misericordia, liberal arts education is effectively combined with practical career orientation and there has not been a trade-off between liberal arts and health sciences, he said.

All Misericordia students are required to complete a core curriculum, which includes courses in philosophy, history, religion, science, mathematics, English and other traditional objects.

"The result of this mixture of liberal arts and professionally focused curriculum is a graduate who is not only employable, but flexible," Mr. MacDowell said. "Misericordia graduates often assume well-paying jobs as practitioners in the health sciences and many other fields. Because of their strong liberal arts background, they are rapidly elevated to management positions in hospitals, rehabilitation facilities and related for-profit and nonprofit businesses."

Contact the writer: dallabaugh@citizensvoice.com

In redefining the American Dream for the 21st century, Lackawanna County economic development director George Kelly thinks it can be instructive to go back to the 18th century and one of the republic's founding documents.

The pursuit of happiness that Thomas Jefferson wrote about in the Declaration of Independence may not equate with Americans' standard mantra of the past 60 or 80 years - marriage, children, a good job, a nice house in the suburbs "and a lovely dog out front," Mr. Kelly said.

But he said it can serve as a guide for developing something more relevant in contemporary terms.

"The real question is what makes you happy," said Mr. Kelly, a finance executive who was hired last month to head the county's new Department of Economic Development. "If I was a young person looking at what I am going to do or where I am going, the important thing is to come up with a plan that is going to achieve that happiness."

At a time and in an economy when many people view the old model as out of their reach, Mr. Kelly and others insist the American Dream - or at least its 21st-century equivalent - is something that can be attained with patience and savvy life choices.

It starts with education.

Austin Burke, president of the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce, said young people especially need to critically examine "the possibilities and the opportunities" available to them in Northeast Pennsylvania.

"While it may seem more difficult these days, the dream is still alive if you choose carefully the career that you want and prepare for that with the education that you need to capture that career," he said.

Mr. Kelly said education can be expensive, but it is the best way to guarantee that an individual will elevate their economic status.

"If you can't afford a (four-year) college education, look at a community college. If you can't afford community college, go to trade school and pick up a skill that is marketable," he said.

At the same time, education needs to be a process, not a destination, said Teri Ooms, director of the Wilkes-Barre-based Institute for Public Policy & Economic Development.

Many workers who were in jobs and careers they thought were safe, sound and secure were unprepared when the Great Recession proved them wrong, she said.

"I have two teens myself and I keep reminding them the world is changing, and you have to change with it," she said. "It means continuing education, lifelong learning, always upgrading your skills and learning something new or going back for new certifications and things like that."

Mr. Kelly said job security was not a big issue when an employee could count on "having that 30-year IBM job or 30-year AT&T job." Now every worker needs a backup plan.

"If your job goes away, what is your plan B?" he asked. "It might be having some skill sets or being able to do something else. You should come up with a plan and actually take steps to get that plan B going so you can be much more settled in life and you're not as stressed out with the day-to-day challenges."

Both he and Ms. Ooms said more people are correctly examining their spending with the goal of building up their savings, which was another lesson of the recession.

Mr. Kelly pointed out bankruptcies in Lackawanna County were down 13 percent last year, which tells him not only that the economy is improving but that people are spending less and holding onto their money.

"I think everybody just has to re-evaluate things differently and recognize that regardless of what age you are, allocating a savings line item on your family budget is extremely important," Ms. Ooms said.

That re-evaluation also extends to one of the cherished cornerstones of the American Dream: home ownership.

An ancillary finding of research the Institute for Public Policy & Economic Development performed for local clients over the past year is that more adult children are moving back with their parents and, in some cases, bringing children of their own with them, Ms. Ooms said.

"Does it mean they will never be able buy their own home? No, I don't think that is the case. I think it's going to take longer and probably cost more than most people anticipated, but I don't think it's a dream people should give up on," she said.

Before the real estate crash, owning a home was the fastest path to increasing personal wealth, and it is still a doable part of the American Dream, Mr. Kelly said.

But there is also the happiness factor, he said. People need to assess whether they really need to leverage everything to buy that four-bedroom, five-bath McMansion to be happy.

"It's like Warren Buffett saying you should buy the least car you can because it is the worst investment you ever make," Mr. Kelly said. "On a house, buy the least house that you can that will fit you comfortably because then your taxes are lower, your payments are lower, the maintenance is lower and your stress level is lower."

Mr. Kelly also preaches healthy living, pointing out that next to losing a job, a major health crisis is probably the biggest threat to economic security.

"It pays and it's in everyone's best interest to live healthier and give up some of those bad habits so that you actually minimize the threats to your financial well-being, your happiness," he said.

Contact the writer: dsingleton@timesshamrock.com

Carbondale

When the first St. Patrick's Day parade marched through Carbondale in 1833, reports say there was 3 feet of snow on the ground.

Today, the Carbondale Historical Society will hold "The St. Patrick's Day Promenade - Celebrating 180 Years of Integrity and Tradition," beginning at 11:45 a.m. immediately after the Mass at St. Rose of Lima Church. The procession will move to Memorial Park, where step dancing, songs and a ceremony will be held before an Irish tea at the Chamber of Commerce building.

"St. Patrick used the little green shamrock to symbolize the Holy Trinity heralding Christianity in the Emerald Isle," Pat Monahan, a promenade committee member, said in a news release. "In our own green valley, we celebrate in honor of all the Irish who left the land they loved so well, to dig the coal, build the railroads and provide a better life for their children, who have gone on to become proud Americans."

rbrown@timesshamrock.com

Dunmore

The borough is getting ready for its close-up.

Dunmore is the latest town that will be featured in the 13th edition of WVIA's "Our Town" series. Folks with WVIA met with Dunmore residents Thursday for the first of two community sessions. A second community meeting, in which Dunmore residents can volunteer as videographers, storytellers and business sponsors, will be held at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Dunmore Community Center, 1414 Monroe Ave.

Those who attend Wednesday's meeting will help decide which landmarks, events and local stories the program should explore. Residents will be divided into groups to cover respective topics of interest.

The documentary is scheduled to premiere on WVIA at 8 p.m. June 4.

Anyone interested in being a videographer or storyteller for the documentary should contact WVIA's "Our Town" producer, Lisa Mazzarella, at 602-1164 or lisamazzarella@wvia.org.

Jessup

Two trees in bloom highlight a banner telling Web surfers they have reached the borough's new website.

The photo of the front of the Jessup Borough Building serves as the header of the new site at www.jessupbor ough.com, which Councilman Randy Santarelli said will offer residents several helpful new features.

All ordinances are posted, current weather and news are linked, and a calendar of community events and athletic field schedules is available on the site.

"We had a website up there that was really outdated," he explained. "We have the ability to update this site constantly with pictures and information."

rbrown@timesshamrock.com

La Plume Twp.

Keystone College has kept the streak alive.

For the fourth consecutive year, the college was named to the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for its commitment to service and civic engagement.

Every year at Keystone, about 1,000 students log an average of 17,000 hours of community service.

This year's projects included planting trees at local parks, volunteering at the Friends of the Poor Thanksgiving dinner, wrapping Christmas presents for senior citizens and caring for children at child care centers.

miorfino@timesshamrock.com

Olyphant

Parishioners at SS. Cyril and Methodius Ukrainian Catholic Church will have a special guest on Holy Thursday.

The Most Rev. Stefan Soroka, the metropolitan-archbishop of Philadelphia of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, will visit the local parish to celebrate the Vesperal Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great on March 28 at 10:30 a.m.

"I think it's really exciting that he's coming during Holy Week," parishioner Lauren Telep said. "This is really a very special occasion."

During the liturgy, the archbishop will also bless the Chrism, which is used during the Holy Mysteries of Chrismation.

The ceremony of the Washing of the Feet, which symbolizes when Jesus washed the apostles' feet, will also take place.

rbrown@timesshamrock.com

Waverly Twp.

Children will have a chance to see the Easter Bunny eight days before he visits their home.

The Waverly Community House will hold its annual Bunny Breakfast and Egg Hunt on Saturday at 10 a.m.

Hosted by the Family Fun Committee, the event is for children ages 1 and older and will feature a pancake breakfast, crafts, games and an extraordinary egg hunt, community house Executive Director Maria Wilson said.

Plus, there will be a visit from "The Bunny."

"Kids have a blast, and families get to come and have breakfast together," Ms. Wilson said. "They love it because kids can have their picture taken with the Bunny."

Tickets are on sale for $10 at the community house.

miorfino@timesshamrock.com

As Scranton resident and longtime overachiever Alesia Walsh struggled to run a 10-mile race in May, she didn't know about the 20-pound tumor hidden inside of her.

She just thought the long-distance run seemed a bit tough, a strong test to her stamina and willpower. She also attributed back pain to sitting too long.

And then she began experiencing the headaches.

Ms. Walsh, 24, started feeling sick in January 2012, during her first year of dental school at Temple University in Philadelphia. Always a Type A personality with a heavy emphasis on winning, she attributed her feelings to stress, a possible allergy and other possible causes.

As her symptoms continued, it didn't seem to make sense to her. She didn't smoke and was a moderate drinker. She ate healthy foods and exercised regularly.

"I couldn't figure out what was going on," she said. "I thought I was allergic to shellfish."

In June, Ms. Walsh's blood pressure shot up and she felt dizzy. Again, she thought it was a migraine headache. For an honors graduate in neuroscience and biology at the University of Scranton, she wasn't used to guessing wrong so many times.

The answer changed her life. With the medical term of dysgerminoma, she was diagnosed with a rare germ cell tumor, a form of ovarian cancer. Listening to her doctor explain her situation, she learned that about one in 300,000 people get this form of cancer.

Her life changed with the diagnosis, but things felt surreal. How could her life really be threatened, the Scranton Preparatory School graduate thought. She went from studying for exams to become a dentist to turning into the patient.

"It was hard to process," she said recently. "I didn't really feel scared until I went in for surgery."

Friends and family distracting her with breakfast in the mornings and spending time with her in the hospital seemed to help distract her from the frightening "what if" questions. A friend even shaved his head when Ms. Walsh began chemotherapy, helping her smile and laugh during a time she didn't have hair.

In hospitals from Scranton to New York City, Ms. Walsh's experience with physicians helped her see the importance of them connecting with patients. Some seemed cold, while others explained things to her in ways that showed they cared. With each physician interaction, Ms. Walsh realized the importance of how medical professionals treat patients.

While always having the drive to succeed academically, Ms. Walsh believes her experience with cancer has helped her as she prepares to return to dental school in August.

"I feel like I've become more sensitive toward other people's feelings, more empathetic," she said. "If people say they're in pain, I can really empathize with that."

Since her cancer surgery in October, Ms. Walsh has spent time with her family in Scranton as she regains strength. She also works part time at Valley Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in Scranton.

Laura Toole, an oncology social worker and director of community and patient services at the Northeast Regional Cancer Institute, said many people diagnosed with cancer often see it as a life-changing experience, often describing a shift in priorities and life perspective.

For people returning to work after treatment for cancer, Ms. Toole said one of the most common side effects is fatigue.

"It's a different kind of tired that is much more debilitating," she said. "Many people need to change the way they approach their job, build in more frequent breaks."

Elizabeth Jacob, Ph.D., faculty member in the department of counseling and human services at the University of Scranton, said people experiencing cancer and other dramatic illnesses and diseases often have an "existential crisis," where they look for larger meaning in their lives. Dr. Jacob knows from professional and personal experience. In July, she had a surgical brain procedure related to early onset Parkinson's disease.

Based on her experience with Parkinson's disease, Dr. Jacob plans to change her area of focus from diversity issues to chronic illness. Having taught a course on chronic illness, family and disability, Dr. Jacob said she wants to inspire students to "celebrate life." She also said personal and professional goals have changed since her diagnoses 12 years ago.

"Your vision of what you want to accomplish in life becomes more urgent," she said.

As for Ms. Walsh, she has found new ways to style her hair as it grows back. She also continues to study medical books as she prepares to return to dental school in August. Thinking about her past year, she said she has found silver linings.

"It could be worse - I have my family and friends," she said. "This has helped me see the big picture."

Perhaps symbolic of her resilience, Ms. Walsh continues to exercise and plans to run the same 10-mile race in Philadelphia again in May, this time without cancer weighing her down.

"Whenever training feels tough, I just tell myself that I already did it with a 20 pound tumor in my stomach," she said.

Contact the writer: business@timesshamrock.com, @businessTT on Twitter

Gaetano Ferri came to this country with little more than a desire to make a better life than the one he left behind in Italy.

Like so many other immigrants, his American life started in the anthracite mines of Northeast Pennsylvania. Out of that, though, came another life, begun 77 years ago, as one of the founding fathers of what came to be known as Old Forge-style pizza.

Those two facets of Gaetano Ferri's life carry on today, in the Moscow pizza shop run by his grandson, Bill Ferri.

Ferri's is a little different than your usual NEPA pizza parlor, in that Mr. Ferri has turned it into a mini-museum paying homage to the region's coal mining past. Mine-related artifacts and photos cover the shops's walls.

"When I opened up this pizza shop, I thought I would do something a little different," Mr. Ferri said during a recent day at the shop. "We've worn out the Italian pizza shop with the olive oil can and the peppers and the boot of Italy."

Reminiscing with Mr. Ferri was his 82-year-old father, Vince Ferri, who operates the Ferri's Pizza on Keyser Avenue in Scranton. Together, father and son have about 100 years of combined experience in the pizza trade.

"Big mistake we all made," Vince Ferri cracked.

He says this only half-jokingly, because both he and his son agree that making a living in pizza is a lot harder today than it was years ago.

"I think the small business man is an extremely endangered species. Forget the bald eagle," Bill Ferri said. "I have a pretty good pulse on the community. I don't see anyone coming in here who wants to go into their own business."

So why keep doing it?

"Lack of ability to do anything else," he said with a laugh. "We never made any big money. We made a living. We're not getting rich, but we're doing OK."

Pizza pioneers

The story of Ferri's Pizza began in 1936, when Gaetano Ferri and his wife were running a bar-restaurant attached to their Old Forge home that catered to his fellow miners.

"They had pastas, and my grandmother made bread," Bill Ferri said. "What she would do was take some of her bread dough and spread it out and put the tomato product on it with cheese, and make pizza. It was given away for free at the bar, like you would popcorn or peanuts today."

After World War II, the economy started to pick up, and the couple started charging a nickel a slice. It was then the family realized they had a potentially lucrative market for their product, made in the classic Old Forge style, on a rectangular crust with a tangy sauce and a blend of cheeses, including American.

By the early 1950s, Gaetano and his four sons, Vince among them, were opening little shops throughout the area that sold nothing but pizza. Within a few years, they had shops in Green Ridge, West Scranton, South Scranton, Taylor and Exeter, among other places.

Vince Ferri, who bought his first shop off his father for $1, had as many as five shops. They were no-fuss, barebone spaces rented for next to nothing. "We certainly were a pioneer, one of the first that I could come across, that exclusively sold pizza," Bill Ferri said.

The Ferris were pioneers in other respects, from their development of the pizza box (an image of Gaetano wearing a miner's hat is on the ones they use today) to the par-baked pizza shell. During the early '60s, the brothers ventured into the frozen pizza business.

"We had a very, very good in with all the grocery stores," Vince Ferri said.

"They were working day and night," Bill Ferri said. "My father was sleeping on flour bags waiting for the drivers to show up so he could go home."

In the end, they couldn't quite perfect the automated, streamlined operation needed to sustain such an operation. It was around this time that a wedge formed between the brothers. They simply couldn't agree on anything.

"Disharmony is a big part of the collapse of the empire," Bill Ferri said with a laugh. "There's a lot of colorful characters in my family."

In the early '70s, he opened a shop at the former Big G hamburger stand on Taylor Hill. There he would remain for the next few decades, until the property was sold to make room for the Wal-Mart.

"He didn't have any money to change the sign, so it stayed the Big G," Bill Ferri said.

Bill Ferri grew up "making forts out of pizza boxes" at his father's shops, and there was never really any doubt that he'd go into the family business. By the time he was 21, he was running Vince's South Side pizza shop.

From there, he opened his own shop in Dunmore. Several years later, he moved to Archbald, where he developed the recipe for his now hugely popular "potato pizza," which he only sells during Lent. He moved to Moscow in 1990, and is now in his second location in the borough.

Times change

Times have certainly changed. Bill Ferri can still remember the days when a tray of Ferri's "red" sold for a buck.

"I grew up with that. There was no inflation or anything. That stayed that way for a good 15 years," he said.

This, of course, was before the era of the big chains, like Pizza Hut and Domino's, which today offer prices and discounts that mom-and-pops like Ferri's simply can't compete with.

"I'm embarrassed at what we charge today for pizza. We're at $13.50 a tray. We were making more when it was a dollar a tray," he said. "Your overhead is so high anymore. Your profit margins have shrunk."

A significant part of that overhead can be attributed to health care costs, Bill Ferri said.

"It's brutal," he said. "It's more than our mortgage. You go and buy $1,000 worth of cheese, you can spin it into $3,000. You go and give $1,000 to a health insurance company, that money's gone. It's a dust trail. There's no return."

It's also harder to find good help these days, he said. Meanwhile, ever-evolving tastes for specialty pizzas, be it buffalo chicken or gluten-free, only make things more challenging.

Some things are better nowadays, though, like the customer pool, which is bigger because more people eat out on a regular basis, Bill Ferri said. What loyal Ferri's customers get is a recipe that's been tweaked very little over the past eight decades. The sauce is a well-kept family secret - not even the Ferris' wives know the exact ingredients.

"People say, 'Vince, why don't you sell the recipe?'" Vince Ferri said. "I say, 'No, it's going to go with me. What goes in the family stays there.' "

But don't expect Bill Ferri to be throwing in the towel anytime soon. All the ups and downs aside, pizza has provided a pretty good life for him and his family.

"Seventy-seven years later, we're still making a living," he said. "That's something I'm proud of."

Contact the writer: jmcauliffe@timesshamrock.com, @jmcauliffeTT on Twitter

Kirsten Stevens is a mother of two and a grandmother of five.

She's also a senior in college.

More than 30 years after she quit college after two years to get married and have kids, the Forty Fort resident is just months away from receiving her bachelor's degree in Human Development and Family Studies with a minor in Gerontology, with hopes of becoming a college admissions counselor after graduating from Penn State Worthington Scranton in May.

"Graduating is something I never thought I'd be able to do," Ms. Stevens, 52, said.

Adult learners and non-traditional students looking to break into new careers or overcome a competitive job market make up a significant amount of students on local college campuses.

Over the past five years, adult learners have made up about 30 percent of students on campus, Christopher Lewis, an adult education coordinator at Penn State Worthington Scranton campus, said.

There were 486 adult learners out of the 1,598 students on campus during the 2011-12 school year, with the largest portion of those students ranging in age from 24-29, however Penn State has students as old as 65, he said.

Many have lost their jobs or are looking to advance in a new career. The availability of classes online, at night and during the day allow for flexibility.

"They want something better for themselves. They want something better for their families," Mr. Lewis said.

At the University of Scranton, there were 181 undergraduate adult learners out of 4,041 on campus and 1,857 graduate students in 2012.

Lackawanna College associate business professor Joseph Gilroy, a former adult learner, said he has noticed an increase in adult learners in his classroom over the past five years.

There has also been an influx of military veterans going back to school, both Mr. Lewis and Mr. Gilroy said.

Mr. Gilroy quit college when he was 20 years old to join the Army, getting married and starting a family before going back to get his degree - a feat that took him 11 years to accomplish.

He said adult and non-traditional students are his favorites - their focus, real-life experiences, dedication and commitment to success are traits he admires.

Adult learners face challenges in the classroom, like keeping up with the technology their younger counterparts use so easily.

Ms. Stevens learned not only how to proficiently work a computer, but to submit a paper in an online drop box. She even created a Facebook account to keep in contact with her classmates, with whom she fit right in.

"The experience of the college student has been tremendous," she said. "The kids, as I call them, have accepted me as just another college student."

Contact the writer: ksullivan@timesshamrock.com, @ksullivanTT on Twitter

Cindi and Alan Heyen continue in the mold shaped by Don Telesca.

Mr. and Mrs. Heyen, of Old Forge, acquired Northeastern Plastics Inc. in Scranton after Mr. Telesca died last June at age 84. He ran the company until shortly before his death.

"It was like a natural progression for us," said Mrs. Heyen, a daughter of Mr. Telesca, an Old Forge resident whose career in the plastics industry spanned more than six decades.

Mr. and Mrs. Heyen operated an associated business, JED Pool Tools Inc., at the same location as Northeastern Plastics.

But when Mr. Telesca died, the future of the company he established in 1982 was at stake.

"It would have been difficult to sell the business as it was," Mrs. Heyen said.

She and her husband bought the interests of Mrs. Heyen's sisters in Northeastern Plastics and now operate it together with JED Pool Tools. The plant employs 28 full-time workers.

"Keeping Northeastern Plastics' name out there is important," Mrs. Heyen said as she sat in an office at the 90,000-square-foot former Morris White Fashions pocketbook factory at Penn Avenue and Poplar Street. "I'm proud to keep it going."

Although family businesses are an exalted bedrock of American tradition, many wither between generations.

Fewer than 60 percent of family companies pass to a second generation and only about one-seventh reach a third generation, said Dick Kane, president of Kane Is Able Inc., a Scranton-based logistics provider.

"It's hard to go from generation to generation," said Mr. Kane, who represents the third generation of his family at Kane Is Able and is also an executive in residence at the Wilkes University Family Business Forum.

"Family businesses get so wrapped up in the business that they don't do the planning. They avoid that item because it's an emotional issue."

Patrice Persico, who headed the Family Business Forum when it was located at King's College in Wilkes-Barre, knew Mr. Telesca. She said Mr. and Mrs. Heyen probably felt some apprehension taking over for an acclaimed figure in the plastics industry.

"It's tough to follow a giant's footsteps like that," Ms. Persico said. "That's probably one of the hardest things to hurdle."

One of the first tasks the Heyens undertook when they acquired Northeastern Plastics was conversion to an electronic office system to maximize efficiency and control costs.

Mrs. Heyen concentrates on accounting and inventory functions and Mr. Heyen handles sales and oversees production. Both hold engineering degrees.

When Mrs. Heyen saw an office worker scrawling figures on paper after the takeover, she asked, "Why are you writing down inventories like that?"

Because Mr. Telesca liked it that way, the employee responded.

"They didn't use the accounting system we have for inventory control," Mrs. Heyen said. "My dad was old school."

Mr. Telesca started his career in synthetics as an office boy in the 1940s at Consolidated Molded Products, the Scranton company credited with manufacturing the first plastic toys. He rose to sales manager before Consolidated Molded closed in 1981. He and a partner established Northeastern Plastics, which manufactures injection-molded products, including automotive parts, locker handles, armrests, color sample chips and ladder components.

"When he lost the best job he had, he took action and started a company that succeeded beyond his dreams," Mrs. Heyen said.

He acquired JED Pool Tools in 1989, and Mr. and Mrs. Heyen came on board to run the company, which manufactures swimming pool supplies, such as skimmers, chlorine dispensers, hoses and vacuum parts.

The Heyens learned about thrift from Mr. Telesca and bought JED in 2005.

"He taught me great business sense," Mrs. Heyen said. "Don't overspend or waste. Always check pricing. We still use some of the folders from years ago and just relabel."

After her father's death, Mrs. Heyen found a note in Mr. Telesca's desk from a female employee thanking him for continuing to pay her even though she had missed an extended period of work because of illness.

"He could be gruff, but he was really good to his employees," Mrs. Heyen said. "He appreciated them and they appreciated him."

Family businesses stand apart because they are responsive to their employees and communities, Mr. Kane said.

"Businesses that are publicly traded are really focused on quarter-end results. Their objective is to please the shareholders," he said. "Family businesses typically have a longer view."

Contact the writer: jhaggerty@timesshamrock.com

The family vacation remains an enduring legacy of America's post-World War II economic boom.

But with the stagnated wages of the past few years, many families have less money in the travel kitty than they once did. Luckily, Northeast Pennsylvania has much to offer for the budget-minded, both for visitors and local staycationers alike.

"Lately, we've been hearing from people who want to stay closer to home. Who want to do something different," said Tracy Barone, executive director of the Lackawanna County Convention & Visitors Bureau. "Because we have a lot of things a lot of places don't have."

Part of the region's appeal is that it's just a few hours' drive from some of the East Coast's biggest population centers, with hotel rates far lower than one would find in a big city.

Heritage tourism remains NEPA's bread and butter, given the area's rich mining and railroading history. The list of attractions includes Steamtown National Historic Site, Anthracite Heritage Museum and Scranton Iron Furnaces, which has seen its profile rise significantly in recent years thanks to events like its Bonfire and Arts on Fire Festival.

"I've never met a little boy or grown man who doesn't ooh and ah over the trains at Steamtown," Ms. Barone added with a laugh. "You can't overlook (the historical factor). Nobody goes to Philadelphia and doesn't see the Liberty Bell. We were helping to build the nation here."

Chester Kulesa, site administrator for the Anthracite Heritage Museum, said annual visitation to the museum is about 51 percent locals and 49 percent out-of-towners. Many visitors are mining and genealogy enthusiasts, he said.

Of course, there's plenty for the general visitor to enjoy. What enhances the museum's appeal, Mr. Kulesa said, is that it's located within McDade Park, and adjacent to the Lackawanna Coal Mine Tour.

"During the summer, it makes for a really nice day trip," said Mr. Kulesa, who also oversees the Iron Furnaces. "You can easily spend three hours or more here in a day. There's so many amenities."

The price is right. Admission to the museum is just $7 for adults, $6 for seniors and $5 for kids ages 3-11. And there's a number of discounts and specials, Mr. Kulesa said.

"There's a lot of ways we try to think innovatively when it comes to visitation," he said.

The region also boasts plenty of outdoor attractions, like the newly renovated PNC Field, which in the coming months is sure to bring thousands of baseball fans to the area to see the New York Yankees' Triple-A farm team, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.

The Steamtown Marathon, held every October, brings in runners from all over the country who love its fast, downhill course. Come wintertime, the local ski resorts are tourist havens. And during the summer, the region's many state parks provide a cheaper alternative to a beach or theme park.

The state's 120 parks received 37,873,595 total visitors last year, up from 36,889,089 visitors in 2011, according to Terry Brady, deputy press secretary for the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

"We're economical, and we offer such a variety for the family," Mr. Brady said. "For a family, you can rent a campsite at any of our state parks for $20 a night, which is not going to break the bank."

Or, he said, they can rent a fairly modern cabin, which sleeps up to six, for about $450 a week. The most up-to-date-cabins go for $638 a week, and have electricity and other amenities.

Each of the region's state parks has its own unique features. Ricketts Glen State Park in Luzerne County is famous for its gorgeous waterfalls. Frances Slocum State Park in Wyoming boasts a 165-acre lake for fishing and kayaking. Nescopeck State Park in Luzerne County has "a beautiful nature center and environmental learning factor," Mr. Brady said.

Lackawanna State Park in North Abington Twp. is among 25 parks participating in DCNR's First-Time Camper program. And Promised Land State Park in Pike County is among a select number of parks statewide that allow pets in its campground area, Mr. Brady said.

That being said, plenty of locals are still spending money on big trips. Rose Belotti, a travel agent for AAA North Penn, said last year's travel sales industry-wide were way up from where they were at the start of the Great Recession.

"We have been phenomenally busy over the last year," she said. "We're way up with Disney and cruises. And with all-inclusives and honeymoons. And we have a lot of people doing destination weddings. ... The travel industry in general is pretty strong."

Contact the writer: jmcauliffe@timesshamrock.com, @jmcauliffeTT on Twitter

OLD FORGE - Orange construction signs straddled each side of the road and an LED sign advised passengers that the bridge located just beyond the righthand bend is closed.

Tucked around the bend - in between the detour and the closed Main Street Bridge in Old Forge - is Jetz Car Wash, a relatively new business that has seen fewer customers since construction on the bridge started in late January.

"We are still a young business, about two years in, and we're trying to gain momentum," said Jack Schieber, the owner of Jetz Car Wash on Main Street. "You want to be focused on other things, like how you can advance the business, but it's hard when something like this really affects the end result."

While contractors continue replacing the decades-old bridge - a process estimated to take a year - Mr. Schieber said he has no choice but to wait and hope customers drive past the bright orange signs and ignore the detour. There isn't much else he can do.

"We're handcuffed," he said.

Mr. Schieber isn't alone. Business owners across the county - and nation - have been forced to deal with an increasing number of road or bridge closures.

In some cases, the closures have cut off key arteries to businesses, diverted traffic and cut the number of potential customers.

"It negatively impacts businesses because it certainly makes it more difficult for customers to get there," said Jeffrey Box, the president and chief executive at Northeastern Pennsylvania Alliance. "But it starts with the infrastructure, and we all have to suffer some inconvenience now for the long term benefit.

"If you look at how the country developed, a key factor is the creation of the interstate system, which allowed us to be much more efficient in delivering goods to the market. If we don't maintain what we built, it's going to hurt the economy and businesses everywhere."

Plagued by years of underinvestment, combined with insufficient funding and rising commodity costs, the nation's roads and bridges have substantially deteriorated in the last couple decades.

Lackawanna County is no exception.

Of the county's 412 state-owned bridges, four are closed - tied with Berks County for the second most in the state. Another 12 have posted weight restrictions and another 66 are deemed structurally deficient, showing significant deterioration to decks or other major components.

Meanwhile, five - or 7 percent of the 65 locally-owned bridges 20 feet or longer - are closed, and a combined 32 have weight restrictions or are structurally deficient.

The roads aren't much better.

A 2010 study conducted by TRIP, a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., said poor pavement conditions cost drivers in the Scranton/ Wilkes-Barre $1,000 a year in the form of traffic crashes, additional vehicle operating costs and congested-related delays - more than the cost to drivers in Pittsburgh and Harrisburg.

The study also suggests that just 13 percent of major roads in the metropolitan area are in good condition.

A target goal is 75 percent.

"Corporations don't locate here because they can't get their goods to the market, without a closed bridge or road in their way," said Tom Lawson of Borton-Lawson Engineering at a Focus 81 meeting in February. "It's just not good for business. It's not good for the local economy."

Since the Main Street Bridge in Moosic closed in April 2011, Jackie Bower's flower shop has suffered.

The co-owner of Bloomin' Idiots Floral and Garden Center, located at 100 Lonesome Road in Old Forge, saw a 45 percent decrease in business in 2011, and a 25 percent dip in sales in 2012 compared to 2010.

To offset the decrease in traffic, Ms. Bower said she has spent more in advertising, including paying for signs to "direct people how to get around the bridge" and to the store.

"It's a major issue and from what I understand, they are going to start working on a small bridge around the corner," she said. "Pretty much the consensus on the road is we are all done - everyone is just like, 'what are we going to do? Can we hold out for another year?'

"Nobody seems to care. They don't care if they are putting people out of work."

PennDOT spokesman James May said the agency is always mindful of how a closure will affect businesses - a point Mr. Box supported - citing the Interstate 81 North Main Avenue project.

Originally, PennDOT officials planned to close both the exit and entrance ramps of I-81 south at North Main Avenue - a move that would have expedited the construction process.

Concerns from local business owners prompted PennDOT to reconsider and ultimately decide to close one ramp at a time, while always maintaining an exit ramp.

"After weighing our options, we realized it would be a great benefit to the local businesses and customers," Mr. May said. "In the end, we want to inconvenience people as little as possible, but we need to fix these bridges and roads and sometimes that requires them to be closed."

Standing in the car wash parking lot, Mr. Schieber could hear the sound of cars humming in the distance.

More often than not, they never visited his shop..

"It's like a ghost town around here," he said.

Contact the writer: miorfino@timesshamrock.com, @miorfinoTT on Twitter