March 31, 1894

Man arrested for using

counterfeit silver dollars

David Williams was arrested by Scranton police the evening of March 30 for paying for drinks at two West Scranton saloons with counterfeit silver dollars.

Williams, who worked as a contractor, told police he discovered a cache of silver dollars underneath the floorboards of a North Main Avenue building that he was converting to a saloon. It was believed that Williams didn’t know the coins were counterfeit.

Knights of Labor OKs project

The Progressive Assembly of the Knights of Labor gave its stamp of approval to plans between the city of Scranton and Scranton Gas and Water Co. for the construction of an electricity plant in the city.

The group’s approval vote came with two conditions: that Scranton City Council must hold public meetings on the plant to give citizens a voice, and that regular reports on the plant’s progress be made to council.

At the theater

The Academy of Music presented three shows: “The Crust of Society,” “The Old Homestead” and “The Night Owls.” The Frothingham presented the play “The Prodigal Father.” The New Wonderland presented “Under the Gaslight” and Jules Verne’s “Michael Strogoff.”

BRIAN FULTON, library manager, oversees The Times-Tribune’s expansive digital and paper archives and is an authority on local history.

Contact Brian at bfulton@timesshamrock.com

or 570-348-9140.

For local entertainers, living the dream doesn’t come cheap.

In fact, it often requires contingency plans that include working several jobs to support one’s creative outlet, joining professional unions to shore up jobs and investing in spaces to create opportunities.

The chance to earn a full-time living wage from music, theater and other performance art is a rare find in Northeast Pennsylvania. A few locals have been able to carve out careers that prove it is possible, though.

Dunmore resident Doug Smith tapped into his earning potential as a musician when he was still in high school. The now 72-year-old noted that work was easy to find in the nearby Poconos thanks to the booming resort business back then.

“We put a little band together and realized we can make a lot more money than the guys caddying,” Smith, a jazz bassist, said. “Kind of a lightbulb went on in 11th, 12th grade that it was a way to make money. I later majored in engineering at Penn State, but wound up playing all the time anyway, so I quit because it seemed like what I was supposed to be doing.”

Smith joined his first union in 1962, and served as vice president of Local 120 of the American Federation of Musicians in Scranton until 2014, when declining numbers all but dissolved the group. Smith then started up his own local affiliated non-profit musicians’ union, Scranton Music Association, of which he is treasurer. Since Pennsylvania is a “right-to-work” state, unions don’t have a lot of enforcement on the employers’ side, but they can try to keep up wages for members while also enforcing contracts through paid legal representation, and allow members to tap into a wider network of connections, Smith noted.

“It’s almost impossible to be a full-time musician in this area. There’s a lot of people who are good enough artistically, but there’s definitely not as much work as there was when the vaudeville era was going on and theaters were running,” Smith said. “It’s more difficult now, and it’s a shame, because so many young people don’t have a chance. The thing with me is, I’ve done this so long, I’ve made so many connections here and there, that things always come up. The only way something like that is going to happen locally is going on the road with a fairly well-known act. But then you’re not home, you’re touring all the time.”

Branching out

Josh Balz, 29, of Pittston, embodied that lifestyle during his time as a member of the nationally recognized band Motionless in White, which originated in NEPA and enjoyed success on its own and on the festival circuit, including spots on the Vans Warped Tour. So much time away from home wore on Balz, however, so he walked away from the band and instead devoted himself to a pair of unique oddities stores he owns, called the Strange and Unusual, with locations in Kingston and Philadelphia.

“Once you can live off being a musician full time, it’s few and far between for sure, but I was giving 50 percent to both (the band and the store), and I wasn’t happy touring anymore,” Balz explained. “Two hundred-and-ten shows a year takes a toll on you, so I set my roots down.”

He parlayed his personal success into means of supporting other forms of local entertainment, including creating and promoting his monthly, limited-invitation nightclub/gothic dance party events, called Noir Nights, at Scranton venue Stage West. Three of four events held since October enjoyed sellout status, drawing about 250 people to each themed party. Balz eventually hopes to create a dedicated performance space for the gatherings.

“When I opened my store, a lot of people doubted it, but I went from 1,500 square feet to 4,000 based on the whole dark aspect of our alternative community, and I wanted to bring that to Noir Nights,” Balz said. “I think the best thing is I have the freedom to do whatever I want, and since I do own businesses, people trust me, which is great.

“People who want to do things like this don’t have the resources, and I do,” Balz added. “I love this area, and I don’t want to leave. I grew up here, and I want people to stay here and enjoy it. Being able to offer cultured events makes me happy. Every time (I host Noir Nights), everyone comes up and thanks me for bringing this style to our area instead of having to go to the city.”

Jump ahead

Local musician Arthur “A.J.” Jump of Kingston veered down a similar path in the last couple of years, as he put expertise gathered from years of working in local bands and as a touring musician to good use in opening Karl Hall, a venue in downtown Wilkes-Barre.

The 34-year-old opened the hall in April after moving back to NEPA from a lively music scene in Eugene, Oregon, with a mission to bring culture and music to the area, whether providing a home base for local bands trying to gain exposure, or a mid-level performance space for regional and national acts already on tour.

A graduate of Berklee College of Music, where he focused on music business and jazz studies, and a longtime percussionist in area bands, Jump made good use of years spent immersed in music culture, which helped him identify a niche in NEPA’s market.

“Usually every band I’ve been in, I played some sort of role in the business side, managing and putting on shows,” he said. “I don’t like to sit still, and I’ve worn a lot of hats over the years. The area lacked a small, standing concert venue — not a bar or restaurant — strictly for shows. I saw a void in this area that needed to be filled. That’s why I came back to do this.”

Karl Hall holds about 90 seated or 140 standing, Jump noted, and he purposely books a variety of acts in various incarnations — from jazz groups to comedy shows, ticketed and nonticketed performances, seated and non-seated general admission — to ensure a diverse and successful model.

“I always say this area has some of the greatest musical talent I’ve ever seen or dealt with. It’s an interesting juxtaposition,” Jump said. “The consumer here is a tough nut to crack; they like what they like. But it’s always supported what I’m doing.”

Despite positive feedback and attendance so far, Jump said Karl Hall is not his sole source of income; rather, he works several jobs, including as a bartender, to sustain himself.

“That’s the thing about the music business. I’m not in this for the money,” Jump said. “If the money comes, that’s excellent, but I do understand that you have to work really, really hard in order to get it to the point where you can just solely live on that. Sometimes it just does not happen, and that’s the reality.

“The money will come if the people respond to what you’re doing. It’s a hard pill to swallow,” he added. “That’s the thing with art: It’s subjective. Art and business have a hard time working together.”

Try this on

Scranton’s Diana Hepburn found one way to segue her love of the arts and her organizational skills into a side career that supplements her full-time work as a dental hygienist.

As a member of International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 329, Hepburn has worked on wardrobe crews for traveling Broadway shows at Scranton Cultural Center at the Masonic Temple. Since joining the union in May 2016, she averages about five shows a year, with 20 under her belt so far, and said she’s found the tasks well suited to her existing skills.

“They were looking for detail-oriented people to work with wardrobe because some senior people were retiring,” Hepburn said. “I had zero experience in theater and never realized how much went into it. This used to be men-only, but now they’re welcoming women, and the education committee is working hard to make sure anyone interested has the opportunity to take classes.”

From helping with load-ins and load-outs on shows, such as “Flashdance,” “Cinderella,” “Kinky Boots” and “Monty Python’s Spamalot,” Hepburn’s duties have included picking up, steaming and ironing laundry, pre-setting baskets for quick changes, and working one-on-one with actors she’s assigned to.

While their stage work is considered best when it’s transparent to the audience, the union has been working to become more visible in the community outside of the theater through appearances in parades and volunteerism that includes food drives. As co-chair of the union’s women’s committee, Hepburn also works from within the group to improve on issues for members.

“I really think this place (Scranton) is trying to evolve. There’s a lot of entertainment happening,” Hepburn said. “As it stands, you’d have to move to a city like Las Vegas or New York to make it full time (on a wardrobe crew). But I like being part of a team and a union, people who are promoting education and doing good in the community. It’s an a amazing job — an all-for-one, one-for-all kind of thing, and I love that. It has helped me to be open and try new things.”

From personal growth to the greater good, jobs in the local entertainment industry may be tough to come by, but they are a worthy profession, according to those who hold them. Smith pointed to the numerous benefit shows and free public programs, especially for seniors and families, that he and others do to give back.

“This area does seem to have a very high percentage of really gifted and talented artists, in art and dance and music,” Smith said. “And NEPA has always seemed to support the arts significantly. I write a lot of grants, and one thing that comes up is contributing to the social structure of the area.

“For years I put together concerts in the park, all free to the public, and I’m involved with the Arts Heal live music at Geisinger CMC near the ICU,” Smith added. “It’s very rewarding, and when people go to those things, it’s a really great community thing. I think it’s important.”

Contact the writer:

pwilding@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9100 x5369;

@pwildingTT on Twitter

SCRANTON

Operating hours for the Steamtown National Historic Site are extended beginning today.

The park at 150 S. Washington Ave., in Scranton, is now open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The hours typically remain in effect until late December, according to the national historic site.

The park also plans to begin its railroad operating season in late April.

For updates, check Steamtown’s website at www.nps.gov/stea

— KATHLEEN BOLUS

WEST SCRANTON INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL

GRADE 8

Mariah Adryan, Jacob Allert, Ally Anderson, Emma Anderson, Madison Barletta, Alyssa Bestrycki, William Bonna, Emily Bresser, Briana Brijmohan, Luke Brink, Emma Buckingham, Aidan Burke, Mia Butka, Janellie Calderon, Camia Capalongo, Joel Castro Hidalgo, Jonah Castro Joyce, Jessica Cervantes, Michael Cole, Alexis Cramer, Jace Curyk, Amanda Cusick, Tony Do, Dylan Domenech, Allen Duverge, Everett Fitch, Nora Flannery, Jacob Ford, Ella Frounfelker, Brithany Galdamez Moesses, Kimberly Gallardo, Evan Gariepy, Anthony Gieda, Christian Gieda, Isabella Gigliotti, Kathryn Gilgallon, Pratichhya Glan, Pratima Glan, Jennifer Gonzalez Rodriguez, Jake Graniel, Gabriella Grasso, Ashley Gregory, Emily Haberstroh, Rayyan Halayqa, Courtney Hazelton, Rylie Heusner, Paige Higgins, Bryson Jackson Fischer, Cameron Jackson Fischer, Jinelle Jeffery, Robert Kalinich, Thomas Kane IV, John Keeler, Norah Kennedy, Abby Kerrigan, Zachary Lloyd, Luis Maldonado, Hunter Marcen, Christopher Marhefka, Joshua McConlogue, Cecelia Mellen, Julenny Mercedes, Kimberly Michel, Mia Michel, Brett Miller, Osselle Nedd, Grace Nee, Julia O’Neill, Josue Ortega Ortiz, Grace Pawluck, Lucy Pawluck, Louis Petrosky Magana, Olivia Pfohl, Hailey Pinto, Ariana Provinzano, Victoria Pulla, Zilbeth Quinones Ramos, Hannia Ramirez, Samantha Raphael, Derek Reese, Vincent Rinaldi, Lyryck Rivera, Brooke Rodney, Mya Rodney, Sydney Royce, Shania Ruiz, Jasmin Salaman, Alexa Sanchez, Ethan Smith, Emily Stevens, Isabella Summa, Jaedyn Thiede, JaeAnna Topa, Lindsay Tunis, MJ Turi, Dakota Turner, Amelia VanFleet, Melvin Villanueva, Autumn Walsh, Phoebe Walsh, Ariannah Watkins, Elijah Williams, Mason Wilson and Anderson Zou.

GRADE 7

Jacob Argenta, Hailey Balint, Katherine Barnansky, Jamie Barrett, Hunter Baumgardner, Shawn Beck, Shaela Bello, Ryan Boyce, Camila Bracho, Antwone Burrell, Amani Byirinbiro, Darian Calleja Alvarado, Dinello Capalongo, Caiden Carlson, Colby Celuck, Magdalene Churilla, Alaina Cigliano, Holden Cravetts, Roman Cruciani, Maxine Davila, Kydasia Deas, Tevvanna Decosey, Katelin DeRonda, Allison DeSantis, Christian Duhe, Heisy Duverge, Daniel Ebersole, Kyle Eckardt, Celia Emiliani, Noe Escalante, Kate Evans, Mariah Feaggins, Genesis Fernandez, Samantha Fuchylo, Fabrice Gatsinzi, Emma Gaughan, Trinity Geeting, Mia Gentile, Hunter George, Therese Giacomini, TJ Giannetti, Briana Gonzalez, Michael Grasso, Xavier Guy, Landon Hirschler, Kali Holbeck, Anna Holman, Blaise Jordan, Evan Kane, Madison Kingsborough, Jack Kizer, Kenneth Kizer, Landyn Kochis, Ava Krysko, Drake Kuehl, Daniel Laabs, Valeria Lasso, Arthur Levandoski, Julainna Lewonczyk, Kiera Loughney, Noah Lynch, Aubrey Mackie, Kristi Magar, Corrina Maldonado, Jeiline Maldonado, Tessa Mangan, Colin Manley, Kacey Marte, Helen Martinez, Carlos Matias, Janise Matias Santiago, Paul Matteo, Laci McDonald, Vincentia McDonough, Lamya McGowan, Quienton McMillan, Maximus Menichini, Mia Meyers, Benjamin Miller, Jacob Muracco, Emma Neiswender, Khloe Neuls, Paige Newcomb, Amelia Noll, Madison Nowakowski, Christopher Ogden, Kevin Ortiz, Juliana Pano-Leyva, Ryan Paulton, Ana Perez, Leslie Perez,, Keldi Perez Jimenez, Justin Peters, Carson Price, Natalie Ramos, Samson Repshis, Dominique Rivera, Tait Rivera, Camryn Roche, Alicia Rodezno, David Rodrigues, Kyara Rodriguez, Dynasty Ruiz, Rahmel Sanders, Lucile Sandman, Paris Santee, Christian Santiago, Mercedes Santiago, Gianna Savani, Jacob Schultz, Ann Sconfienza, Aaliyah Seifert, Ray Sherman, Kateryna Smirnova, Drew Sphabmixay, Aidan Spindler, Ava Stanton, Emily Stefani, Amya Stott, Christopher Strenkoski, Angelina Tabone, Emily Thomas, Brianny Tineo Taveras, Rebecca Tumavitch, Nico Ubaldini, Gabriel VanLeuven, Isabelle VanWert, Emily Walton, Elaina Welby, Lashai Wiggins, Andrew Williams, Nyema Woods, Wyatt Worsnick and Zoey Zimorowicz.

GRADE 6

Avronus Abdul Quddus, Angel Agosto, Brandon Amorim, Amairany Ayala, Valerie Ayala, Mason Bennett, Olivia Bloom, Mason Borie, Ramses Bracero, Dylan Brijmohan, Madison Cali, Ryleigh Campbell,Kiley Conforti, Antonio Cordaro, Kevin Do, Layce Duhe, Gianna Dupuy, Nicolas Evans, Gabryelle Fairweather, Kaitlyn Fassett, Jayden Foreman, Gianna Fratzola, Nathan Fuller, Antonio Galarza, Jose Gonzalez Cosme, Grace Griffiths, Micaela Guardia, Ahilyn Inoa, Bryan Jean Philippe, Giovanni Jimenez, Tierney Joyce, Mia Keenan, Kate Kowanick, Ashlyn Kudrako, Alena Lee, Rocco Leonard, Mia Lochie, Yahir Lopez, Javier Lugo, Ediana Macancela, Ydelisa Maleta, Anthony Margavitch, Mandie Martin, Madison May, Emma Miller, Zachary Miller, Elizabeth Mitchell, Katherine Morante Paulino, Michelle Moreira, Randy Mursch, Ryan Newcomb, Mathias Ngongo, Alyssa Notari, Angel Olavarria, Jamira Osgood, Jasmine Patackas, Vidhi Patel, Ciara Phillips, Lindsey Popil, Riley Price, Emelia Ramirez, Christopher Raymer, Jose Restrepo Zuluaga, Desthiny Reyes Trochez, Avery Richter, Devin Robinson, Valentin Romualdo, Mopfe Rose-Sanders, Marc Russo, Alexis Sanchez, Zacharee Shackelton, Ashton Shiner, Cheykota Siess, Ariel Smith, Kaleia Smith, Mila Smith, Mark Snyder, Phoenix Souryavong, Tom Spangenberg, Abygail Stevens, Reese Tanner, Gianni Torres Lugo, Anna Trapper, Ryan Tuffy, Michael Turi, Hayleigh Urbanowicz, Ava Wallace, Chase Walsh, Daphne Walsh, Amerie Watt, Makayla Webb, Emily Whitaker, Michael Wiktorek, Tymeir Winstead, Emma Wood, Tabbitha Wyrauch and Virginia Yanul.

WEST SCRANTON

HIGH SCHOOL

GRADE 12

Cesar Acosta, Jessica Almanzar, Collin Ismael Amaya, Ben Ryan Anderson, Corey John Anderson, Heather Anderson, Nagely Anderson, Makayla Arcuri, Hailey Jean Argenta, Abigale Barr, Sean Arthur Bell Jr., Nicholas Aaron Belles, Jordan Bennett, Kelly Bouton, Jake Butka, Cloe Bella Capalongo, MLyce K. Carter, Maeve Virginia Cast, Sonya Marie Castillo, Milagros Cervantes, Enzo Cicco, Jake G. Ciullo, Tyler John Connor, Peyton Cook, Ryan Corser, Ziyen Curtis, Devon Curyk, Mia Dantone, Melany Fernandes DePina, Emilia Meriza Doda, McCae A. Dougher, Emma Rose Egan, Madolyn Lily Emick, Timothy Jacob Engle, Sierra Flynn, Katie Fontini, Mauro Gallardo, Nicholas Thomas Garvey, Guillermo Gomez, Samuel Goncalves, Christopher Gowarty, Jalen Shammon Gregory, Thomas Griffiths, Dillon Grimes, Tania Vanessa Grissom, Caleb J. Hamm, Nolan Harrington, Sydney Nicole Hazelton, Alura Mary Henderson, Alexander Robert Hiller, Kylie Hirschler, Joseph Daniel Hopkins, Isabella Catherine Jean Philippe, Ava Jones, Rachel Kranick, Evan Krysko, Caitlynn Marie Larnerd, Haley Leonard, Austin Lipinski, Sara Lona, Rebecca Loscombe, Bailey E. Loureiro, Justin Anthony Lumadue, Karissa Mackie, Michael Mancuso, Luis Manuel Martinez, Nathalia Krystal Martinez, Ariel Matticks, Avery James McAuliffe, Shane Alexander McHugh, Adam Mehall, Rachael Mehl, Joshua Metzger, Samantha Miller, Katherine Morales, Keneth Daniel Morales, Jeanlee Morales Antonetti, Benjamin Mushak, Jacob Gregory Mushak, Sarah Lorin Muzzy, Brianna O’Brien, Meghan Olfano, Aleandra Nicole Otera Villanueva, Jessica Nicole Palauskas, Joshua James Palauskas, Frank Perry, Elizabeth M. Pfohl, Peyton Reese, Shelby Ann Reese, Jarnelys Reyes Mercado Reyes, Jamelys Jarelys Reyes Mercado, Yulian Rios, Jayla Rodriguez, Jacob Rogers, Emily Rose, Nevaeh Ross, Joseph Rutkowski, Pedro Salazar, Eugene Salazar III, Jeremy Seymour, Joseph Smith, Brenda Sodani, Adam Sprague, Katelynn Stormes, Brianna Mackenzie Strein, Evan Thomas, Maura Elizabeth Turi, Talila Turner Boyd, Joseph Valencia, Stephanie Vasquez, Matthew Vaughn, Angel Velequez, Lydia Eileen Walsh, Angelina Terese Wheeler, Hope Marie Williams, Zaynah Williams, William Winters, Caitlynn Woyshnar and Drew Hartley Yanni.

GRADE 11

Meadow Rein Abbasi, Alexandra Baena, Brianne K. Baker, Rachel Beidler, Jillian Bennett, Beyonce Blasko, Robert Bogaski III, Olivia Bolsar, Randall Bonitz Jr., Ryan Bresser, Alyssa Campbell, Connor James Carlton, Kaylee Nicole Caster, Jose Cazares, Kayla Chofey, Mackenna Cole, Brianna Coleman, Trystan Cook, Zachary Darbenzio, Kailey DeFina, Skyler Esquilin, Joseph Evanosky, Adriana Fyock, Geremia Gil, Maura Lynn Gockley, Gabrielle Goodrich, Ciara Grasso, Nicholas James Greaves, Nicholas Guerra, Stephannie Hall, Ashley Harmer, Gemma Terez Hashem, Talia Herrera Centeno, Cole Hunter, Nya Jewel Johnson, Serena Kay Kuehl, Samantha Kulp, Arianna Lazuka, Jacqueline Lipisko, Blendina Lluga, Carter Loureiro, Bryauna Lynn Manuel, Madasen Leigh Mariano, Jasmyne Suzane Faye Martorana, Digne MBinge, Cali McDonald, Francessca Mehl, Ashlyn Meyers, Mark Anthony Miller Jr. Julia Ann Miller, Kamden Miller, Angelina Moraca, Cassandra Moraca, Jared Morris, Samantha Mushak, Abbie O’Brien, Joseph Matthew Olsen, Kourtie Padula, Caitlin Pagnotti, Trinaya Janelle Parker, Jessica Parr, Gabriela Petorak, Abby Profka, Antonio Pugliese, Yasmin Ramirez, Ashley Ramos, Samantha Morgan Reese, Ana Karla Rodriquez, Savon Sansook, Mark Sedelnick, Gina Shafer, Kyle Slater, Ryan Sophabmixay, Blake Sphabmixay, Jamie Spindler, Jamie Stine, Morgan Avery Sulz, Makayla Taft, Paola Torres Reyes, Brittany Truskoloski, Jennika Lynn Tufano, Abigail Tulaney, Viscomi, Garrett Emily Tunis, Janet Uwiringlymana, Emily VanWert, Dominic Walsh, Cassidy Lynn Weber and Diavel Whatley.

GRADE 10

Gabriella Amaya, Zachary T. Anderson, Madlyn Anglin, Brian Asakiewicz, Ethan Michael Auer, Bibi Shameeza Bacchus, Colleen Mary Badyrka, Ashley Morgan Belles, Kasandra Berrios, Xavier Benjamin Bronson, Brennan Patrick Burnside, Cameron Butka, Cabre Anella Capalongo, Raphael Cintra Leite Carvalho, Laura Cervantes, Nicholas Cesario, Eashwar Chaitrm, Nashakee Ivekkis Cruz, Meadow Rae Curyk, Ava Layne Decker, Vyvian Do, Molly Dougherty, Jhordan Saul Duy, Brianna Eckardt, Antonio Evanosky, Austin Fashouer, Nicholas Forsette, Crystal Lenore Fox, John Cole Fuller, Sierra M. Gallucci, Dominique Heidy Gomez Juarez, Arron Bradley Gonie, Joshua Greenfield, Brandon Gregory, Zaniya Aquarius Grissom, Nathan Hazelton, Lariely Hernandez Burgos, Peter J. Hilburn, Nicolas Hipolito, Ahime Inoa Angeles, Alyvia Emme Janes, Jaela Dymond Johnson, Celeste Juarez, Kelly Lynn Kennedy, Kimberley Kovalcik, Steven Kyriazis, Emily Catherine Laabs, Michaela Lynn Leidinger, Austin Lewis, Camdyn Olivia Lewis, Anthony Loureiro,Tiahna Lugo, Anajah Sheree Magee, Aubrey Mangan, Marissa Matteo, Danilo McDonough, Nathan Mehl, Ethan Zander Menichini, Juliana Maria Mercedes Rodriquez, Cayden Merrifield, Jacob Metzger, Matthew Metzger, Alivia Minich, Allison Beth Morris, Lylah Mosley, Jacob O’Boyle, Matthew Pfohl, Joshua Powell, Marytere Quintana, Victoria Reilly, Lexyann Rezzino, Nicholas Roche, Joshua Safuto, Zenee Salaman, Cristian Sanchez, Hailey Carmen Santiago, Alana Scanlon, Gia Marie Sekelsky, John Robert Sinclair III, Lenah Stefani, Zoe Lynn Steffie, Madison Theobald, Olivia Rose Trapper, Anthony Viscomi, Brianna Vongmany, Abigail Walsh, Joseph Wessner and Quinn Williams Mayers.

GRADE 9

Michael Anthony Acciai, Arnold Aquiliar,Heiron Albert, Rusbelly Almonte Martinez, Enzo Alessandro Antonetty, Julia Marie Aris, Aaron Christopher Bauman, Allison Ann Beidler, Jessica Bennett, Aidan Bensley, Robert Donald Bray, Kaleigh Madelyn Brown, Emily Camacho, Odalys Camarillo, Bryan Cano Monzon, Adriana Marie Cardona Rosa, Khaliq David Charles, Dyllon Chavis, Ashton Cigliano, Vito Thomas Ciullo, Ashlyn Marie Cook, Makyla Lynn Cordaro, Patrick Cosgrove, Gloria Estelle Cruz, Angely Marie Davila, Lisveth Gabriela De Los Santos, Isabella Grace Deflice, Emily Dominguez Tolentino, Jesus Antonio Donaciano, Molly Ann Donovan, Olivia Dougher, Emily Fagerlin, Jack Francis Fahey, Natalie Ferrer Feliciano, Alanys Figueroa, Omar Andres Frias, Ryan Adrian Garcia, Justin Scott Gockley, Nicholas J. Gowarty, Abigail Griffiths, Brandon Joseph Griffiths, Jaquelin Guevara, John David Guichay Cardenas, Navaeh Marie Hammond, Joshua Brian Harvey, Rachel Elizabth Heil, Victoria Herne, Taryn Marie Hughes, Kaylei Janesko, Jeffery Robert Jarbola, Miguel A. Jimenez Roman, Ethan John King, Aaliyah Gianna Kochis, Ian Bryan Koehler, Aiden Richard Kologe, Leanne Brooke Krupski, Emily Elizabeth Labar, Marissa Rose Labonich, Mackenzie Grace Lane, Sage Renee Lesh, Ryan Daniel Lewis, Eljesa Lluga, Erin Taylor Lona, Madison Alexis Maloney, Jayden Elizabeth Matute, Haylee May, Kohibin McDonough, Finley Patrick McHale, Madison Margaret Mcgivern, Martin Antonio Mejia, Tyler Michel, Kevin Alexander Morales, Austin Hunter Muir, Thomas William Noll, Natalie Catherine Nowakowski, Janine Nyiramasengesho Jr., Jennifer M. Ojeda, Noah Jerome Palauskas, Jose Luis Paramo Jr. Nathan James Parker, Briana Perea, Alisha Pettway Jason Profka, Alexandra Nicole Ratchford, Michael John Reed Jr., Danielle Reese, Ritu Regmi, Jaclyn Rose Rencavage, Jasmine Rohlic, Cyan Marie Roman, Michael John Romiti, Gavin Royce, Gianna Marie Russo, Drianna Santiago,Lacey Alecia Santiago, Rustam Shakhsadinov, Nicholas Joseph Shimo, Anthony Silva, Mary Catherine Sinclair, Chloe Nadya Slater, Bobbi Rose Smith, Kelisiana Maryah Ari Smith, Camilla Phanthamith Sphabmixay, Ava Stabryla, Gianna Loren Tallo, Vicky Tang, Joshua Torres, Francis Truskoloski, Arianna Varela, John Edgardo Velazquez, Kimberly Rose Ventura-Legora, Tijana Vujasinovic, Makalya Rose Walker, Cecelia Walsh, Victoria lizabeth Watkins, Jade Katherine Weber, Courtney Montaine White II, Haley White, Jairo Yanez, Kevin Daniel Yaurincela and Adam Daniel Zenker.

I’ve been wiping newspaper ink off my hands most of my life.

My first job had me delivering The Citizens’ Voice newspaper to about 60 homes throughout my hometown of Laflin six days a week in the 1980s, when I was in my early teens.

Every morning before school, I crawled out of bed at 5 a.m., a bit later on Saturday, and never on Sunday because the paper only published six days a week back then. Some other guy delivered the hulking Sunday Independent, and I was more than happy for the single day of rest.

In the mornings, I made my way outside and grabbed several stacks that were delivered to my front porch, the base of my driveway or, sometimes, at the top of the street. I lugged them inside and loaded them into my delivery bag. If it was cold, and it often was, I bundled up. Dressing in layers was the key, I eventually learned.

Then I hit the streets. Handsome houses on roadways with quaint names like Cedarwood, Oakwood, Sprucewood, Laurelwood and Maplewood dotted my route. Twenty streets in all scattered around Hilltop Manor section. I delivered 50-60 papers on any given morning.

The paper gig started as a way to help pay for an ATV.

Every second week, I seem to remember Thursdays, I covered my route in the evening on my bike and collected $2.16 for two weeks from each customer. I got to keep any tips. If they weren’t home, I had to come back, usually the following Monday. If they still weren’t home, I just paid their bill and charged them double the next cycle.

There were many families.

The Wallaces. The Joyces. The Hendrickses. The Shovlins. The Morgans. The Cardonis. I can remember the families by the street on which they lived. I played Little League with many of their kids; many were my friends. We played soccer, spent time at the parks and swam in each others’ pools.

You really got to know your customers this way. I still remember the smells of their homes, the names of their dogs and many of their life stories.

Delivering newspapers is just one example of some of the many jobs in the region’s robust service industry. That industry, and many others that drive Northeast Pennsylvania’s economy, are highlighted in this year’s Outlook special section, “All In A Day’s Work: Our Jobs in the Region’s Offices, Factories and Beyond.”

You will learn about the workers, companies and regional job sectors that keep us employed, as well as what our region needs to keep us competitive.

In working on this section, I have a whole new respect for the dynamic, resilient men and women who make up our workforce. At nearly a half million strong, it is both fully productive and uniquely skilled.

I learned a few lessons on that paper route so long ago and they still apply today.

■ You can’t do anything about the rain or snow. Just be prepared, bundle up and bring an umbrella.

■ Don’t count your tips until after you pay your bills.

■ When appropriate, find shortcuts. And if there aren’t any, make your own.

■ You can get a lot done when you get up early. Deliver the morning newspaper and grow up before your neighbors’ eyes.

JOE HEALEY can be reached at jhealey@timesshamrock.com.

SCRANTON — Maria Squire, Ph.D., pointed to the diagram of a pig’s arteries and veins and started naming them. Her students followed along closely.

Thoracic aorta. Superior vena cava. Right subclavian vein.

Squire, in her 14th year as a faculty member at the University of Scranton, teaches students pursuing careers in science or medicine. After completing the diagrams, Squire started the students on the hands-on activity for that day’s advanced anatomy and physiology lab: finding the arteries and veins by dissecting fetal pigs.

Across Northeast Pennsylvania, area schools educate tens of thousands of students each year for jobs in the local workforce and beyond. Those same public and private schools, from small prekindergarten programs to regional universities, provide paychecks to a growing number of employees each year.

As of January, 19,900 people in Lackawanna, Luzerne and Wyoming counties worked in the educational services sector, according to the latest state employment data. The number is an increase of 100 jobs from a year ago.

Squire, 41, studied biology and Spanish at the University of Scranton, graduating in 2000. After receiving advanced degrees from State University of New York at Stony Brook, she returned to Scranton to teach.

“I love working with the students,” she said. “The most rewarding part of my job is when I can share my excitement with them and they get it.”

Large employers

The nine schools in Lackawanna County — Clarks Summit University, Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, Johnson College, Keystone College, Lackawanna College, a branch of Luzerne County Community College, Marywood University, Penn State Scranton and the University of Scranton — enroll about 14,000 students.

In Luzerne County, King’s College, Misericordia University, Wilkes University, Luzerne County Community College, Penn State Wilkes-Barre and Penn State Hazleton also educate and employ thousands of people each year.

In Lackawanna County, the Scranton School District is ranked the fourth-largest employer, while the University of Scranton is ranked fifth. In 2016, 8.8 percent of the total workforce in the county worked in education, earning an average salary of $46,611.

Education-sector jobs include counselors, technology specialists, maintenance, teachers, professors — like Squire — or Marywood University’s director of student activities and leadership development, Kimberly Coleman.

Coleman began working at Marywood five years ago. After growing up in Binghamton, New York, and receiving her undergraduate and graduate degrees from Binghamton University, she moved to Lackawanna County to pursue her “dream job.”

In her position, Coleman, 28, coordinates student events and programming, advises the student government association, plans orientations and develops meaningful relationships with students.

“Going into student affairs, I was looking for a meaningful career, one in which I could make a difference,” she said. “I love my work with Marywood. We provide a very individualized and personalized experience for our students.”

More than 73,000 students attended public school districts in Lackawanna and Luzerne counties last year. Budgetary concerns have caused many school districts to limit hiring and reduce workforce through attrition or layoffs. Still, public schools play a major role in the region’s workforce.

Meeting needs

Beyond employing thousands of people, area schools also help prepare the local workforce. As workforce trends change and colleges try to meet local demands, colleges often create additional jobs both on and off campus.

“We look at data and see where hiring is happening,” said Jeffrey P. Gingerich, Ph.D., provost/senior vice president of academic affairs at the University of Scranton. “We are listening to employers more and seeing what their needs are, rather than just doing what we’ve always done.”

In the last five or 10 years, higher education has started to think about career readiness more than ever before, Gingerich said. Schools must shape programs in ways that serve employers and help students get jobs, he said.

Seeing a need, the university is starting a business analytics major and specialization in the Master of Business Administration program. The university also will offer an advanced certificate in applied behavior analysis to meet needs of counseling and support services.

Based on local needs, Marywood is starting a respiratory therapy program and plans to soon offer a school psychologist program to address a local shortage. The university is looking at building its nursing program because of local demand. The school also wants to offer opportunities for adult learners who are looking to build or refresh skills without enrolling in a degree, said Provost Susan C. Turell, Ph.D., the chief academic officer.

“There is great data out there that pulls together what kind of jobs are being advertised, what skills are needed and what is being offered in the area,” Turell said. “We look at all of that to make decisions.”

At the same time, employers say they value the “soft skills” that students can learn from a strong liberal arts education, Gingerich said. Employers value someone who can think critically, solve problems or speak another language.

“With the transformation of industry and the workforce, it is so fast these days, we’re oftentimes preparing students for a job that may not even exist in five years,” he said. “We’re really trying to give them as many of the applied skills and the qualities they can have to be mobile in the workforce as it continues to transform.”

Increasing skills

As both the workforce and higher education change rapidly, schools must be proactive and intentional with their actions, said Tracy Brundage, Ph.D., Keystone College president.

Colleges must create options to allow easy access to lifelong learning. From dual enrollment to offering single skills-based courses to working professionals, schools must offer a wide range of educational opportunities, Brundage said.

A changing environment means people likely will hold multiple jobs and have multiple occupations before retirement. Colleges must teach students transferable skills, such as creative thinking, analysis, problem solving and listening. As industry evolves, experiential learning, such as apprenticeships and internships, becomes even more critical, Brundage said.

Since she become president last year, Brundage has worked to strengthen relationships with employers and industry.

“We don’t want to offer programs where there aren’t jobs,” she said.

Johnson College also continues to work with industry, President Katie Leonard said. Each program at the two-year college has a committee from people within the industry who meet with faculty and make recommendations on curriculum.

By listening to employers and trends, the college started new programs and created credentials needed for the workforce. A new building and property maintenance certificate program started because of a local demand, Leonard said.

The school also offers continuing education opportunities and creates industry-specific programs. For example, Johnson College and General Dynamics partnered to create a customized training program for entry-level CNC (computer numerically controlled) operator positions. Students in the program will have first preference for openings at General Dynamics.

“Our job placement rate speaks volumes,” Leonard said. “We’re continuing to strengthen our relationships with industry ... and getting our students exposed to employers.”

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Many workers today have turned to companies offering flexible schedules and independence for extra income.

This “gig economy” — driven by such businesses as Uber, Lyft, Airbnb, Etsy, Instacart, Upwork and more — involves workers engaging in “income-earning activities outside of traditional, long-term employer-employee relationships,” according to the Gig Economy Data Hub, a collaboration between Cornell University’s ILR School and the Aspen Institute’s nonpartisan Future of Work Initiative.

Surveys show that between 25 and 30 percent of workers nationwide had, in the previous month, done independent work for supplementary or primary income, according to the data hub. A recent Contingent Worker Supplement done by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, meanwhile, showed that alternative jobs — such as freelance, on-call, contracted and temp agency positions — were the main job for 10.1 percent of workers.

Pickup work

When he’s not sailing the world as a commercial mariner, Lakeville resident and Scranton landlord Mike Weiss heads to the Electric City to pick up a few shifts as an Uber driver.

“When I’m back on shore, I’m not earning any money, so this is a way for me to have a flexible part-time job,” he said.

The global ride-sharing company lets travelers find and book rides through its app, which connects them to a driver. Weiss joined in December 2017, and said Friday and Saturday nights tend to be the best time to take on passengers.

“I’ll try to do a 12-hour shift from about 8 p.m. to 8 in the morning, because I find those to be pretty consistent as far as getting rides,” Weiss said. “I’ve tried it on weekdays during rush-hour times. Outside of rush hour ... I found that I myself haven’t had much luck in getting a steady stream of rides. It’s not worth my time.”

Weiss also has driven for Lyft, another ride-sharing company. Out of the hundreds of rides he’s given — including 428 in 2018, his first full year — his average fare comes out to $8.50, which includes an optional in-app tip and cash tips.

“Most people don’t tip, because when the apps were created, it was kind of sold as, like, you don’t have to tip, and everyone remembers that,” Weiss said. “It’s hard.”

The “meter” starts running when a rider gets in the car, Weiss said, so in an area like Scranton, where “there’s no single concentration point of people that need rides,” he might have to drive 10 or 15 minutes just to pick up someone. Then, the passenger might only be in his car for a few minutes before he drops them off and heads back to where he started.

Many of the people he picks up are bar hoppers, and others have said they grabbed a ride because of a past DUI charge. “A very significant portion” of his clients are grocery shoppers, he said.

“It’s normal for me to be sitting outside Levels (a downtown Scranton bar) at 1 in the morning waiting for someone to ping me, and then I’ll get a hit for someone in Scranton to take them to the Walmart in Taylor,” Weiss said.

Other shoppers use Instacart to get their groceries. Through Instacart, workers pick up and deliver groceries and other essentials. The service arrived in the Scranton area in September 2017, and locally partners with retailers including ALDI, CVS, Price Chopper, Sam’s Club and Wegmans.

Opening doors

For Moscow resident David Martin, renting an apartment through property-sharing company Airbnb, on top of owning Dave’s Market in the borough, helped financially, and he hopes to add other properties to his Airbnb portfolio.

“I don’t look for anything to be the home run, but I look at every source of income as playing a part,” he said. “I would rather have five businesses and have five streams of income rather than have one stream of income.”

Airbnb has more than 5 million listings in 81,000 cities worldwide, according to the company. Martin opened the apartment in the same building as his market about a year ago after renovating the space so it looks “like someone was living here and it’s like you’re staying in their place.” Martin believes those personal touches attract people to Airbnb sites over hotels. He always has the lights on and his Netflix account running when guests arrive.

“It’s not like a generic, cookie-cutter (hotel). ... I think it connects people to where they’re staying more,” Martin said. “They don’t feel like they’re staying away from home.”

Renting through Airbnb brings in people who might not have normally stopped or stayed in Moscow, he said, and that in turn generates revenue for other local businesses, such as gas stations and convenience stores.

People have come from all over, Martin said, noting that many come from New York and New Jersey, attracted to local spots such as Big Bass Lake and Eagle Lake.

“It’s very high-traffic for us, especially for travel in the summertime,” Martin said.

For Weiss, if he gets 20 rides on a given night, he considers that pretty good.

“I think it’s a good thing. I think it will last,” he said. “I don’t know how long any individual person will last driving. ... I do think the services are very in-demand. I think they are very good and generally cheaper than taxis, and as such, people will want to use them when they’re going out.”

While Weiss does not consider driving a great job, he called it “very flexible.” But he would not recommend that anyone sign up to drive unless they have a good business sense, “because you are essentially kind of like a freelancer.”

“It’s really up to you to manage your expenses, because Uber or Lyft, they don’t pay for your vehicle,” Weiss said. “They don’t pay for maintenance. They don’t pay for the fuel, insurance, any of that. You’re really only getting paid for having people in your car.”

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DUNMORE — Scot Hartman drove his first big rig when he was only 13.

Now 58, the Dunmore resident and Road Scholar Transport driver spent the past 35 years professionally hauling goods throughout the country, joining nearly 2,000 tractor-trailer drivers in Lackawanna County. The county had 1,770 heavy and tractor-trailer drivers in 2014, and that number is projected to increase to 2,080 by 2024, according to the Department of Labor and Industry’s 2018 high-priority occupations listing for the state. Luzerne and Schuylkill counties had an estimated 3,740 drivers in 2014, with that number expected to grow to 4,200, according to the high-priority occupations list.

The warehousing and transportation industries are rapidly expanding in Northeast Pennsylvania as developers shift their attention to the region because of its available workforce, cheap land and easy access to numerous interstates.

The region has always had warehousing, but never to the extent it does today, said Lackawanna County Transportation Planning Manager Steve Pitoniak. Rather than 50,000- or 100,000-square-foot facilities, “we’re seeing million-square-foot warehouses that are stand-alone facilities,” he said.

“Warehousing is what the up-and-coming businesses are,” he said.

Pitoniak attributed the popularity of warehousing and distribution in Northeast Pennsylvania to proximity to various major roads, like Interstates 80, 81, 84, 380 and 476.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s District 4, which encompasses Lackawanna, Luzerne, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming counties, has more miles of interstate than any other PennDOT district, Pitoniak said.

In Luzerne County, Mericle Commercial Real Estate Services’ 1,800-acre CenterPoint Commerce & Trade Park boasts nearly 10 million square feet of facilities and is “especially attractive to distribution centers,” said spokesman Jim Cummings. The park houses major firms like Amazon, FedEx SmartPost, Home Depot and Lowes.

The landscape for distribution centers changed “largely to the favor of Northeastern Pennsylvania” in recent years, he said.

The largest regional competitors are Lehigh Valley, Greater Harrisburg, and Northern and Central New Jersey, Cummings said. Because those regions have seen so much distribution and industrial construction, “they are running out of land,” he said. Additionally, real estate costs, taxes and labor have “risen significantly,” Cummings said, explaining that companies contact Mericle saying they can no longer afford the other locales.

Cummings also listed growth in automation as a significant change for the distribution landscape. Shortages of labor, especially skilled labor, is one of the “most vexing” problems in the industry, he said.

“With the growth in e-commerce likely to continue for many years to come, the supply of logistics labor will continue to dwindle,” Cummings said. “Companies recognize this problem and have thus been aggressively looking for ways to use robotics and artificial intelligence to lessen their reliance on human capital.”

He said he believes growth in automation will be the “single biggest trend” in distribution centers over the next decade.

Jim Barrett, who founded Road Scholar in 1988, employs about 113 drivers but wants to hire more, he said. The No. 1 problem facing the trucking and logistics industry is an inadequate driving workforce — “hands down,” he said. Fewer drivers to choose from leads to “deteriorating talent,” Barrett said.

“I see the absence of talent,” Barrett said, describing Road Scholar’s employment numbers as “not enough” because of it.

Despite the workforce deterioration, the industry grew significantly over the past 30 years, Barrett said.

“I think it has nowhere to go but to continue to spiral upwards,” he said.

The price of land locally is “more palatable” than cities like Newark or East Brunswick, both in New Jersey, and Barrett attributed the industry growth to highways, saying local drivers are “two hours into New York, two hours into Philadelphia, four hours into New England.”

“It gives us access to consumer goods,” he said. “It allows our businesses to have a quick distribution pattern.”

Additionally, firms can access about 34 percent of the population within four hours of driving, Barrett said.

Local warehousing and distribution firm Kane is Able tells its clients that they can access 80 million consumers within a day’s drive of its Scranton facility, Kane spokesman Alex Stark said.

Stark also attributes the growing warehousing and distribution industries in Northeast Pennsylvania to a strong blue collar workforce, along with tax incentives and local workforce development. In Lackawanna County, warehouses often receive tax abatements like the Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance program. Under LERTA, property owners only pay a fraction of taxes — if any — on the improvements done to a property for a certain period of time.

Stark also works with the Scranton Lackawanna Industrial Building Company, which is an affiliate of the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce, to speak at area high schools and colleges about opportunities in the industry to develop the local workforce.

SLIBCO Vice President Andrew Skrip noted that salaries are “climbing dramatically,” with distribution wages climbing from $8 to $11 to $15 an hour.

Workforce availability is one of the major concerns in the industry, SLIBCO Vice President Amy Luyster said, explaining that forklift and truck drivers are “very much in demand.”

To foster a regional workforce, SLIBCO works with firms like Kane is Able to make connections in schools to “build a pipeline,” she said.

A depleted workforce in part drove organizations from the Lehigh Valley region to Northeast Pennsylvania, SLIBCO economic development specialist Bruce Reddock said. Over the past five to 10 years, big box distribution centers consumed a number of jobs, “and I think that’s why they’ve looked at the northeast part of the state,” he said.

The SLIBCO officials all agreed that the warehousing and distribution industries will only grow, even if automation takes hold.

“I think it’s going to continue to grow but you’re going to see this higher level approach of warehousing and distribution where it’s going to be more automated,” Reddock said.

Automation will not lead to substantial job losses though, because firms will still need higher-skilled employees to operate their machines, Reddock said.

As more national developers move into the region, SLIBCO officials said they believe it will only lead to more growth. Reddock said he thinks they will see Northeast Pennsylvania, and Scranton specifically, as “the place to be.”

“We hope that generates a snowball effect,” he said.

However, with the increase in large warehouses in Lackawanna County, “we don’t have million-square-foot sites left ... so there’s a need for it,” Skrip said. “We sometimes have to move mountains to have flat sites.”

Although Skrip could not speak to an exact location, SLIBCO has sites in mind to level to create more million-square-foot sites.

As locations like the Valley View Business Park in Jessup and Archbald and CenterPoint in Pittston and Jenkins Twps. draw in millions of square feet of warehouse space, the firms need truck drivers and logistics to deliver their products.

That is where Hartman and an eye-catching yellow and teal Peterbilt 386 truck come in.

The Road Scholar driver estimates he’s driven at least two million miles throughout his career, and he is a member of Road Scholar’s million mile accident free club.

“I enjoy driving the truck itself,” he said, explaining he likes the challenge of hauling goods as a less-than-truckload (LTL) driver.

LTL drivers have multiple stops on each trip.

“I like the challenge of trying to get all the stops off,” he said. “That’s what I enjoy about this — the challenge.”

Trucking runs in the Hartman family, the career trucker said, explaining his uncles, cousins and briefly his father were all truck drivers.

Hartman said he has watched the industry change for the better and for the worse. Technological innovations greatly benefitted the industry, bringing with them GPS and satellite-equipped computers, he said. At the same time, a lack of truck drivers has led to more “less than desirable” drivers on the road, he said.

There is a “tremendous shortage” of drivers in the county, with many drivers now in their late 40s through mid 50s, said Dominic Jengo, the northeast U.S. regional vice president of the Logistics and Transportation Association of North America.

Even with the shortage of drivers, Jengo, who has more than 50 years in the trucking industry, does not foresee self-driving trucks in the near future.

“We have a long way to go in developing more sophisticated software for these things to operate,” he said, explaining that there is much more room for error driving an 80,000-pound tractor-trailer compared to a 4,000-pound self-driving car.

For Jengo, the internet brought “astronomical” change, like the advent of onboard computers, allowing carriers to track drivers more easily.

He compared the technology to the popular driving service Uber in that a firm can see the nearest truck and dispatch it to a location to make a pickup.

Regardless of how the industry changes, “no matter how you slice it, you got to move product from point A to point B,” Jengo said. “A truck is a truck, and it’s moving freight.”

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This year, our yearly Outlook section takes an in-depth look at the region’s employment picture. The Times-Tribune reached out to several area business leaders and asked them the same question: “What are the three best things about the region’s workforce? And feel free to include any areas that need improvement.” Here are their responses.

GARY DRAPEK

United Way

When speaking to employers, the one overriding comment I consistently hear about NEPA’s workforce is the amazing dedication and work ethic that seems to abound in this region. Whether it’s ingrained or learned is debatable, but the fact remains that local employers, most especially newcomers to the area, are astonished at the quality of the workforce and the overall commitment to the job at hand. Longevity seems to be an important part of this work ethic. In a day and age of “revolving door” careers and job changes, employees in our region also possess the unique attribute of “job loyalty.”

Being “connected” to the larger community is also a trait that is important to our regional workforce. This connection includes a deep-rooted sense of responsibility to others and a profound desire to become involved in community activities that helps to improve the overall quality of life for everyone. Many in our region have had direct contact with nonprofit organizations at some time in their lives. The realization that no one has gotten to their current place in life without some help from someone along the way is never forgotten.

And finally, through my experience, I have witnessed a distinctive versatility and adaptability among area workers that is an exceptional quality for success for any employer looking for a strong and dependable workforce. Employees in our region are “team players.” For the most part the “that’s not my job” attitude seems to be non-existent. Rather there is a greater focus on doing whatever it takes to get the job done. Local employees take a great deal of pride in their work and experience personal fulfillment in completing a job to its ultimate conclusion.

JOE FASULA

Gerrity’s

The workforce in Northeast PA is deeply connected to each other and to the community. I have family members and friends living all over the United States. They always tell me how much they miss our area. They point out how much people here come together to support their friends and neighbors. It’s not like that in most areas of the country. People are more transient. Their roots are not as deep where they live.

This connection is a tremendous asset to the workforce in our area. Employees who are part of a close-knit community provide a different level of customer service. Often, they are waiting on their friends and neighbors.

Our workforce is also very family oriented. This makes workers more responsible. People with strong family ties work harder and care more about their jobs. This translates into better customer service and higher-quality products. They appreciate employers who offer job security and a safe and pleasant work environment. And when they receive that, they excel even more.

The other thing that sets our workers apart is that they celebrate tradition and appreciate routines. Sometimes, it means that we are slow to accept change, but it also makes us more reliable and dependable.

The only real downside is the fact that there simply aren’t enough of us. The area has seen a growth in the number of jobs in recent years. The nation’s economy is growing and, for once, Northeast PA is growing right along with it. During economic booms of the past, we always seemed to lag behind — not so this time. As a family business owner, I feel the effects every day. While we have had sales growth, the real impact on our business has been the challenge of filling open positions. There is a tremendous demand for homemade and prepared food, which requires skilled butchers, bakers, cooks, cake decorators and deli workers. We are very lucky to have a strong nucleus of longtime employees, but there are a growing number of positions that we need to fill and we simply can’t find enough candidates.

I am lucky to have grown up in Northeast PA and I am very fortunate to own a business in this area. Our workforce is second to none. It is my hope that, as more and more large employers recognize the advantage of locating here, we will not only attract new workers, but we will also retain the workers of tomorrow.

CHUCK FINN

Chief Operating Officer, Pride Mobility Products

While there are many strengths to our region’s workforce, some of the top ones include a workforce built on the solid ethics of hard-working, loyal team members dedicated to their families and our area. The success of Pride Mobility Products and Quantum Rehab is driven by the same ethics instilled in our employees: hard work, team loyalty and dedication to their families and our area. This creates a strong passion in our employees to make a difference in people’s lives by providing innovative, market-leading products, operational efficiency and friendly service.

Employees from our region naturally come together as a team to serve in a variety of essential functions in areas of responsibility which include, but are not limited to, assembly, quality inspection, shipping and receiving, engineering, project management, sales, marketing, technical services, finance and compliance. We’re proud of our company’s diverse talent that has been home-grown in local high schools, colleges and other area employers. The hard work of our employees, coupled with their skills, knowledge and expertise, supports our mission.

The dedication and loyalty of the workforce in our region speaks for itself with over 365 employees serving our company for 10-plus years. We are a “work family” that cares about making time for fun, appreciation, and spending time with our personal families at company-sponsored events such as summer picnics and children’s holiday parties. We work hard and play hard because that’s who we are and what our region’s workforce brings to the table.

Pride has two facilities in Luzerne County: one in Duryea, which houses our teams of employees focused on production, sales, technical service, research and development, and distribution center operations, as well as a facility in Exeter with marketing, finance, accounts receivable and payable, information technology, and business management. We are proud of our robust engineering internship program, which has primarily been developed through students from local colleges and universities. This unique insight into our company prior to their graduation has proven to be a valuable experience for both the students and our existing workforce.

While we encourage higher learning, we must also educate our region’s workforce that skilled labor and craft workers are incredibly valuable and essential to a manufacturing company like ours. This is something we feel could use improvement in our area. We must create greater awareness in our young people and in future generations of the incredible, highly innovative companies right in their own backyards and the amazing career opportunities that await them.

SCRANTON — In a bright, colorful room at Isaac Tripp Elementary School, 12 young students built beds for plastic animals using wooden sticks and blocks.

The children used imagination and engineering skills for the challenge. Supporters of the preschool program in the Scranton School District say that each day, the children also build a foundation for future academic success.

With the district’s preschools out of compliance because of a lack of enrollment criteria and $6 million in federal funding at risk, the school board soon will decide on the future of the program. Changes could include creating those criteria, shifting funds — or even closure. The decision could come as early as Monday.

Scranton is the only Lackawanna County district that offers free preschool for children 3 and 4 years old.

“We’ve got to look at the dollars and cents of all this and make responsible decisions with opportunities for our students in mind,” school Director Katie Gilmartin

said. “The compliance issue is incredibly important. We cannot jeopardize the funding that supports so many other programs.”

Academic progress

Scranton started its public preschool program in 1965, quickly becoming a local leader in early childhood education. The program began with 75 students. Fifty-four years later, about 425 children attend the half-day 3- and 4-year-old preschool programs.

In Maria Anuszewski’s preschool class for 3-year-olds at Isaac Tripp Elementary last week, a dozen children giggled as she introduced “Mr. Z,” a plush figure that helps children learn the alphabet. The students counted to 27 — the day of the month — and spent time in classroom centers for dramatic play, creative arts and building.

For about two decades, Anuszewski taught fourth grade, where she saw the impact early education can have years later. Two years ago, she decided to help make that impact by teaching 3-year-olds.

She teaches them concepts such as buoyancy, without the students even knowing the word. They learn social skills, like how to take turns or share.

“My favorite part is seeing the ‘aha’ moment you’d never think a 3-year-old is capable of,” Anuszewski said. “Then they’re ready for kindergarten. ... It’s magical, isn’t it?”

She and other teachers fear those “aha” moments could disappear.

“Having a public preschool sets us apart,” said Molly Zvirblis, who teaches at McNichols Plaza Elementary. “It makes us stand out.”

With more than 80 percent of students in the Scranton School District classified as economically disadvantaged — a number that increases yearly — teachers say offering early education has never been so important.

“I just love to see the growth,” Zvirblis said. “For most of them, it’s their first experience in a school. They are very timid. Some are crying. Some just want to go home and are quiet and withdrawn. Within days, they start to come out of their shells. Soon, not only can they recite the alphabet, they are recognizing letters. The growth is huge.”

Out of compliance

The federal government gives Scranton about $6 million in Title funding each year, most of that Title I, designated to help the district boost the academic performance of students from low-income families. The district uses about $2 million of that to pay for the preschool program. Now, the entire $6 million is in jeopardy.

The district has no criteria for enrollment — a federal violation. Some parents register their children for preschool when they are only a few days old. The district allows parents to request schools, no matter where in the city the family resides. The “first-come, first-served” process, which could give admission preference to affluent, academically-advanced children over those who live in poor, less academic-rich environments, violates federal guidelines, district officials said. School districts are not required to offer preschool programs.

Federal monitors scheduled to visit the district in May will find the district is out of compliance, administrators said. An audit of the program revealed the compliance problem last year, Superintendent Alexis Kirijan, Ed.D., said.

“This is not suddenly an issue,” she wrote in an email. “Over the years, different practices were put in place that were not fully researched before implementation. The comprehensive state audit pointed out the areas that need to be changed.”

On Monday night, the board could decide to create enrollment criteria, keep the program as-is and stop using federal funds or discontinue preschool and use the $2 million for existing programs aimed at increasing achievement. Enrollment criteria would have to include a set registration period and enroll students based first on academic needs, then financial needs.

The district has not announced what will happen to the families whose incoming preschoolers are already registered but may not meet the new requirements.

With the district in financial recovery after accumulating a $28.6 million deficit over the last five years, school directors say they closely watch every dollar spent. Directors say they hope to keep the program.

Board President Barbara Dixon, a former district teacher and principal, said she knows the value of preschool.

“I could never support early programs being eliminated,” she said. “They are the foundation of success for the kids in our schools.”

Director Paul Duffy’s older son attended preschool and his younger son is scheduled to start in 3-year-old preschool this fall. If the district sets enrollment criteria, his son may no longer be eligible.

“It’s important to come into compliance and maintain federal funding,” Duffy said. “I’m going to work hard to make sure we have the support to keep it. ... Even if my son misses out, we have to keep that program.”

Parent concerns

Abundant research shows the benefits of early education. Children’s brains “are the most flexible” during the first five years of life, which makes those years critical for lifelong growth and learning, according to Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children, which advocates for public funding for preschool programs. Waiting until kindergarten to receive high quality early learning is too late, as students who attend preschool demonstrate greater cognitive and social-emotional growth than children who do not have those opportunities, according to the Harrisburg-based organization.

Children in preschool also have a lower chance of needing special education services or ending up incarcerated as adults.

“At the start of the school year, the kindergarten teachers can very easily tell us what incoming students have had preschool,” said Laura Lantka, who teaches 4-year-olds at Robert Morris Elementary. “Preschool is very needed in our community.”

A 2017 study with researchers from Georgetown University, Vanderbilt University, Duke University and the Brookings Institution, among others, concluded that poor and disadvantaged students make the most gains in preschool. English language learners can also show immense progress, according to the study.

Anuszewski sees evidence of that in her classroom. One child could not speak English when he started preschool in September. He now speaks in sentences.

Parents say if Scranton discontinues the program, many families would not have the money for private preschool. Local preschools would not even have the seats to absorb the population.

Rachel Keefer’s 4-year-old son, Valentino, attends preschool at Frances Willard Elementary School. Along with letters and numbers, he learns social and communication skills. Keefer said she knows her son will be ready for kindergarten.

“I’m very grateful for preschool,” Keefer said. “I’ll be heartbroken if they take it away.”

Molly Boswell’s 5-year-old daughter also attends preschool at Willard. Since September, her daughter, Mary, has made amazing progress.

“I feel like it would be such a travesty to get rid of programs that are so good for kids,” Boswell said.

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@hofiushallTT on Twitter

Upcoming meeting

The Scranton School Board will meet at 7 p.m. Monday in the auditorium at Northeast Intermediate School, 721 Adams Ave. The board could make a decision on the future of the preschool program.

SCRANTON — It happened every couple of weeks. When his hands and legs filled up with water, John Howey rushed to the emergency room.

“I’d keep on running into the same battle,” he said.

It wasn’t until medical workers with a new, innovative home health program for the most extreme chronic disease cases started daily check-ins that he got his symptoms under control.

He has edema, a symptom of his cirrhosis or late-stage liver scarring.

Before signing on with Geisinger at Home — the Danville-based health system’s pilot solution for people who have complex, layered chronic illnesses — his hands swelled up and felt tight.

His edema put him at risk for other problems. He worried about a heart attack, and with good reason. He’s had four of them, and four strokes.

He also has emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder.

However, since Geisinger picked him among 2,500 other chronically ill patients across its network for the pilot program, a nurse now spots a potential problem from a command center and takes action.

He hasn’t been back to the hospital since November.

The 100 or so nurses, physician assistants and social workers now running Geisinger at Home use technology to keep patients out of the emergency room and living better.

The program also employs roving doctors, dietitians, pharmacists and paramedics.

They’re part of the changing face of health workers now steering patients away from hospital beds and collaborating to treat the whole patient as a team.

They’re also part of the single fastest-growing jobs segment in Lackawanna, Luzerne and Wyoming counties. In the metro area, nearly 45,000 people work in health trades, and the sector has added 800 workers since January 2018, according to the latest state data.

Creative recruitment

Most talent acquisition officials will tell you they wish they could hire more, but, like every other industry facing bottom-of-the-barrel unemployment, qualified workers are hard to find.

Health administrators are stretching old recruitment techniques and adding new ones.

For the first time last year, Allied Services Integrated Health System started working directly with high school guidance counselors, in addition to the high school career fairs they already hold.

They’re targeting high school seniors who haven’t settled on career paths.

Counselors arranged for the students who hadn’t committed to a college to meet with them, said Judy Oprisko, Allied’s vice president of human resources

.

For organizations like Allied and Geisinger, the employment crunch strikes particularly deep because they rely on workers across broad sectors, for example maintenance and information technology, housekeeping and security. All those job descriptions give workers a chance to climb the ladder and earn more money within the health system.

“Even food service could be a career path,” Oprisko said, pointing out how staff at Allied’s Skilled Nursing Facility in Scranton prepare more than 1,000 meals each day.

In March,

Allied raised the starting rate for certified nurse aides at the Skilled Nursing Facility by $2 to $15 per hour with shift differentials for night and weekend work.

The health system leans heavily on nurse aides, who work in one of the lowest paying medical positions industry-wide.

It requires the least amount of training, yet can be some of the most demanding work.

“You’re lifting them in and out of the bed, you’re showering them … running around answering call bells,” said Theresa Snyder, Allied’s employment manager

.

“For us, the struggle is the nurse aides,” she said, adding that her fellow recruiters at other skilled nursing and rehabilitation facilities tell her they’re up against the same hiring challenges.

“I know it’s not just us,” she said.

The health system, Lackawanna County’s largest single employer, has its own in-house training program for nurse aide certification as well as signing bonuses and flexible work hours.

The health system offers tuition assistance, up to $3,000 a year, scholarships and loan repayment programs for employees who seek advanced training

.

Allied plans a high school career fair from 1 to 7 p.m.

April 10

in the community room on its Morgan Highway campus. Students and parents can call 570-348-1348 for information

.

Even if they have the right people to do the job, hospital advocates say bureaucratic red tape prevents qualified workers from reaching their full potential.

In testimony March 12

before the state House health committee, the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania

encouraged the legislature to act on bills that would give advanced practice professionals, including physician assistants and registered nurses who have advanced training, more freedom to treat patients without a physician’s supervision and speed up the process in which insurance companies credential health providers within their networks.

Both initiatives, the HAP says, would increase patient access to providers.

Home care

Visiting with John Howey in his airy, lightly furnished apartment one cold March morning, Danielle Menichelli, a nurse practitioner from Pittston, flipped open her laptop.

She’s the health professional who enrolled Howey in the program, though nowadays any number of workers might stop by depending on what he needs.

Geisinger identified around 10,000 patients across its network who are eligible for Geisinger at Home. Among the thousands already enrolled, the health system has seen up to a 45-percent drop in emergency room and hospital admissions.

A doctor visited Howey. A mobile X-Ray team set up their gear in his bedroom to take images.

Every day, he climbs onto a high-tech scale. The device, which communicates with a command center, sends his weight to a nurse who can tell right away if he’s retaining water.

If that’s the case, the nurse might call with instructions to take a pill.

If it’s worse, the nurse can schedule a home visit.

Though it’s not the case for Howey, some patients are bedridden, and wait until their conditions demand emergency help, said Janet Tomcavage, Geisinger’s chief population health officer.

Home health workers become detectives who study patients’ home environments to uncover conditions that worsen symptoms.

In one example, visiting health workers for a patient who frequently was hospitalized for lung disease realized she had no air conditioning.

Her home got unbearably hot and humid in the summer months, so they tapped a Geisinger community fund and installed a small air conditioner.

“She’s had no more emergency room visits,” Tomcavage said.

At Howey’s kitchen table, he and Menichelli looked askance at two packs of Pall Mall cigarettes on the table.

If not for the home visits, Menichelli said Howey could hide the fact that he still smokes, something his doctors and nurses would definitely want to know.

“I’m trying to cut down, trying to quit,” he said. “I don’t like to smoke. It’s a very hard thing to quit.”

Contact the writer:

joconnell@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9131;

@jon_oc on Twitter

Nate Kenny says working for a nonprofit is challenging and rewarding.

And, in many ways, it’s different than life in the private sector.

Kenny is acting director of Wilkes-Barre programming for Volunteers of America, a faith-based nonprofit organization that provides affordable housing and other assistance services, primarily to low-income people.

In the nonprofit sector, “people do amazing things,” he said.

Kenny worked for Goodwill for eight years before joining Volunteers of America last year. Working for a nonprofit service organization, especially one that is focused on helping people who need help, “gives you a sense of purpose,” he said.

Kenny worked for a major retailer as a young man before moving to the nonprofit world. He said he heard “a calling” that led him to seek out ways to help those in need and earn a living at the same time.

Kenny said he enjoyed his job in retail, especially dealing with customers — much the same as he enjoys interacting with people who are served by Volunteers of America today.

But working for a nonprofit provides extra motivation, just not the monetary kind, Kenny said.

“It isn’t about the paycheck, it’s all about the people,” he said.

For nonprofits, it’s also about raising enough money to keep the lights on and fulfill the mission.

The Association of Fundraising Professionals, in a report issued last month, said the number of donors to charitable causes declined by 4.5 percent last year, while donations of less than $250 dropped by 4.4 percent and donations between $250 and $1,000 dropped by 4 percent.

However, revenue from charitable donations of at least $1,000 increased by 2.6 percent in 2018, leading to an overall monetary increase of 1.6 percent, according to the report.

Many of those large donations went to larger nonprofits, which could have left some smaller and midsized nonprofits struggling for donations, the report states.

Kenny did not handle donations and funding issues when he worked for Goodwill, so he could not comment on how the donation landscape has changed in recent years.

However, Volunteers of America, like many nonprofits, relies on varied funding sources, including grants and donations — and appreciates contributions of any size, he said. Those donations help to fund programs that provide vital services, including a shelter that houses women who in many cases would otherwise be homeless or trapped in abusive situations, he said.

Kylee McGrane founded A Moment of Magic Foundation to help bring a smile to the faces of seriously ill children.

Hundreds of mostly college-aged volunteers from the foundation’s 16 chapters dress up in costume, often as characters from animated films such as the princesses from the Disney film “Frozen,” and visit children being treated in hospitals and other institutions.

They read stories, conduct bedside visits, group visits and other special events, at no cost to the institution at which the children are staying.

The volunteers get as much satisfaction and enjoyment as they give, according to McGrane, a Wilkes-Barre native who graduated from Coughlin High School in 2013.

“There is nothing like nonprofit work,” McGrane said. “It is the most rewarding type of work I can imagine.”

It is not always easy, however. The foundation’s mission is “restoring the magic of believing at a time when a child needs to ‘just be a kid’ and reminding them to be brave, strong and fearless.”

That takes work. And money.

“Working for a nonprofit is extremely challenging,” McGrane said. “When planning large fundraising events where we hope to secure a large amount of revenue, we basically have a budget of zero, whereas a for-profit company has a built-in event, talent and marketing budget. We want to get as much donated as possible so we can keep our costs ... focused on the kids we serve. Luckily, we have been fortunate to have amazing community partners, but working on donations alone can be extremely stressful and difficult.”

It helps that many of those who donate to the foundation and those who volunteer share a deep sense of purpose, according to McGrane.

“Everything we do in A Moment of Magic, from the budget we set, to our daily decisions, to our long-term goals is entirely motivated by our mission,” she said. “We want to serve children with critical illnesses in a way that is new, creative, innovative and rooted in the belief that one moment can change everything for someone else.”

Obtaining donations can be difficult because of all the good choices from which potential donors may choose, according to McGrane.

“I think that for nonprofits, getting donations, sponsorships or support can be difficult because there are so many amazing organizations doing incredible things,” she said. “In order to succeed, we have to figure out what makes us different and build on that. We engage our community in a way that feels like a family helping each other out rather than a donor writing a one-time check. We know what makes us special and we work very hard to cultivate that.”

Wilkes University President Patrick Leahy issued a statement in response to emailed questions about working for a nonprofit.

“It all comes down to mission,” Leahy wrote. “The more you believe in the mission of your organization, the more gratifying your life and career. I have always found incredible reward in working at institutions of higher education. Where for-profit businesses may have specific goals in terms of revenue generated or products sold, our outcomes focus on graduation and retention rates, faculty research and scholarship, and meaningful contributions to the local community.”

Contact the writer:

emark@citizensvoice.com

570-821-2117

On the web

A Moment of Magic Foundation:

www.amomentofmagic.org

Volunteers of America

www.voapa.org

SCRANTON — Andrew Smith has to think about what he did the last time he had a day off.

“When was it?” he pondered, with a chuckle.

As he stares at the ceiling of his office inside Insalaco Arena at Marywood University, he is surrounded by the typical signs of a career in the sporting world.

A Boston Red Sox baseball on his shelf.

Pictures of his kids playing soccer surrounding it.

Golf balls piled up in a bowl, and the reality that he gets so little time away from the games, he can’t immediately recall the last time he had any.

It’s simultaneously a significant daily grind and a small price to pay for long run at a dream career.

Smith juggles two jobs at Marywood — as its women’s soccer coach and its assistant athletic director for communications. Technically, it’s two titles combined into one job, but really, they’re two very different positions Smith has learned to juggle well enough to devote 100 percent of his efforts.

According to a 2018 report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 4.9 percent of American workers held more than one job at the same time in 2017, continuing a rate that has been consistent since 2010. However, some experts contend it’s difficult to know with any measure of accuracy how many people are working at more than one position.

As Marywood’s sports information director, Smith keeps statistics for all 22 of the university’s athletic teams, promotes them, maintains archives and histories of those programs on the athletic department website, and nominates deserving athletes for national and league awards based on academics or on-field performance. As the women’s soccer coach, he recruits players and has been named conference coach of the year six times in the last 14 seasons.

“Whenever I’m writing a story, I try to do it from a point of view to someone who wasn’t at the game, give them a good overall summary of a story,” Smith said. “What amazes me is, there are kids with 4.0 (grade-point averages) who are all-stars in their sport, and they have a part-time job and they’re involved in this club or that club. I really don’t know when they sleep. I don’t know how they do it.

“There are some kids that have major jobs outside, because that’s how they pay for college. They’re the kids who amaze me, because they just have so much on their plate, and they somehow don’t get burned out. They’re still passionate. Those are the kids I really like to work with, because they are the ones who have to earn everything. That’s what most Division III athletes are like.”

On a daily basis for those student-athletes, Smith is equal parts mathematician and salesman, strategist and storyteller. Been that way, he says, essentially since 2005. Then, he was a sports information newbie, learning on the job when he was asked if he’d consider adding the women’s soccer team head coaching duties again. He’d previously held the job as a fresh-out-of-King’s College former goalkeeper in 1998.

“When I got asked to be the soccer coach again, it was kind of a dilemma,” Smith said. “Coaching has always been my passion. But, it was also like, ‘Do I have the time to do both of them?’ You want to be able to give 100 percent to each job.”

In early March, Lisa Bogaski took a personal day from her full-time job at a Scranton nursing home.

It’s pretty much the only way, Bogaski says, she gets a long stretch of hours between punches of the time clock. A certified nursing assistant, she works 40 hours per week at a Scranton nursing home, then spends her weekends shuttling rental cars at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport.

In all, it’s about 60 hours, and consistently seven days, per week at the office.

“I do it to earn extra money so I can actually make a living,” the 21-year-old Scranton High School graduate said. “Right now, it’s hard.”

Like Smith did when he started at Marywood in 1998, Bogaski has big dreams of a career in a business she has long admired.

Bogaski has been striving for a career in health care since she turned 16. Her aunt is a registered nurse in New Jersey, and she always admired the work, never underestimating the amount of effort it would take to carve out a spot in the industry.

Like most teenagers, she worked a retail job once she became old enough to do so, but she also spent some time learning the ropes while doing entry-level work at St. Joseph’s Center. They were long hours for little pay even back then, but none of it quashed her passion for the job.

She went to school, became a certified nursing assistant and has aspirations to become a licensed practical nurse. Then, she hopes, she can continue her education long enough to ultimately secure bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing. She has designs on a push for those goals starting in 2020, but she also understands it’s going to further tighten an already loaded schedule, likely making her a 7 a.m. through 11 p.m. worker when school is combined with the two jobs she already has.

“I just feel like I can do better than I am right now,” Bogaski said. “I don’t want to be a CNA my whole life. I want to step up and be an LPN and get my bachelor’s degree and my master’s. But as of right now, I like what I’m doing.”

That’s just the thing about it, Smith adds. As tough as the schedule can be, as stressful as working toward a career goal can be and as strenuous as the job he chose can be on the work-home balance, it comes down to a simple reality: He loves what he’s doing. Even in those months from Aug. 1 through May 31, when he’s working “literally seven days a week, with the exception of that week between Christmas and New Year’s.” When he’s either coaching a soccer game or on the road recruiting or making sure the statistics are being meticulously compiled at any number of games Marywood is playing on a given night. When he’s at home taking a phone call from a recruit’s coach. When he has to pull out a laptop on a recruiting trip to Connecticut or Virginia or anywhere else in between — or even just after he puts his kids to bed — to write a recap of that day’s field hockey game. When he’s driving home to Exeter to pick up his kids from school, and when he’s leaving them again a few hours later to get back to campus to be at one of the six games he typically has to attend in a week.

“My older daughter, she plays soccer, and her season is mid-August to November, on Saturdays. I get to maybe one game of her games (during a season),” Smith said. “That’s really the only time I wish I had a 9-to-5 job.

“I always say, if I didn’t go recruiting on a weekend, I could have more hours or free time away from athletics. But if I did, the soccer team would suffer. I’m just passionate about that. I’m very organized and very passionate about sports in general. But if I ever had to separate them, it would still be long-hour jobs. If it was just soccer, I’d still be recruiting. If it was just sports information, I would still be here. I might have one or two more days off, but it’s what I chose. I love doing it.

“It keeps me young. It keeps me fresh. I think I would probably be bored at a 9-to-5 desk job and probably wouldn’t last very long doing that.”

Contact the writer:

dcollins@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9125;

@DonnieCollinsTT on Twitter

SCRANTON — Growing up in Tunkhannock, Em Maloney, founder of Queer NEPA, didn’t have many opportunities like the local organization provides for people today.

Maloney, 26, who identifies as queer and prefers to use the pronouns they/them, founded the organization to help ensure others have the opportunities Maloney sought to fully express themselves.

“It’s nice to be able to provide space to connect,” said Maloney.

Queer NEPA, which hosts a variety of events throughout Northeast Pennsylvania and is going into its second year, is now beginning Queer Coffee Klatchs every third Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m. at Adezzo, 515 Center St., Scranton. The first will take place April 18.

Maloney hopes the monthly meetups provide a safe and sober place for everyone, including teenagers, to hang out and have informal discussions on any number of topics.

Maloney expected Queer NEPA — described online as a “progressive, grassroots LGBTQ+ organization dedicated to culture, community and justice” — to grow slowly. However, the response over the past year has been positively overwhelming.

The group is governed by a board of five and has about 150 members and volunteers of all ages, races and genders. Queer NEPA also works with local activism groups, including Action Together NEPA and the NEPA Rainbow Alliance.

Maloney saw the good the organization provides during an all-ages Halloween party Queer NEPA organized in October.

There, Maloney witnessed a 13-year-old trans boy “live his truth” as he sang karaoke to songs by the band My Chemical Romance.

“The work of Queer NEPA is vital for our region’s development and they work tirelessly,” said Conor O’Brien, executive director of the Scranton Fringe Festival, which produces the sellout annual Big Gay StorySlam. “Creating safe spaces for authentic communication amongst the LGBTQ+ community always leads to fantastic progress.”

Members of Queer NEPA frequently attend protests and host a variety of events in Scranton, Wilkes-Barre and Hazleton. The organization is also in the process of organizing its second annual Pride Series, which celebrates LGBTQ+ Pride Month in June and marks the 50th anniversary since the Stonewall riots in New York City, a catalyst for the gay rights movement.

Maloney said the process to show inclusivity to all people has been slow in the region but has been happening for many years, noting there are allies all over Northeast Pennsylvania.

Maloney believes that’s why the group is more important then ever.

For information, visit Queer NEPA on Facebook or queernepa.org

Contact the writer:

kbolus@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9100 x5114;

@kbolusTT on Twitter

SCRANTON — Employees producing laundry detergent and fabric softener for U.S. Nonwovens Corp. at the company’s city factory won’t make less than $11 per hour.

Neither will the forklift drivers, the packers, the people loading and unloading bottles, the warehouse folks or those on the shipping and receiving end of the operation, said project manager Stephen Robacker.

“A company comes into an area and they expect to get cheap help; that’s not U.S. Nonwovens,” Robacker said, noting the company plans to start producing products at the former Master Halco Inc. chain-link fence factory in the coming weeks. “Our plan here at U.S. Nonwovens ... is to get as many dedicated people into this company ... because I want to see my city grow. We’re not going to see this city grow at $8.50 (an hour).”

And while the company’s commitment is a sign of progress, many members of Northeast Pennsylvania’s workforce labor for an hourly wage far less than $11. The average hourly wage of the 461 adults employed full time and served by the Scranton-based Outreach Center for Community Resources is about $7.78, which amounts to $16,182 a year, officials there said.

That’s significantly less than the $11.34 an hour that two full-time workers parenting a child each must make to achieve a living wage in Lackawanna and Luzerne counties, according to a 2016 study by the University of Scranton and the Wilkes-Barre-based Institute for Public Policy and Economic Development, a think tank funded by area colleges and universities. The institutions defined “living wage” as the earnings rate at which a full-time worker can achieve a “standard of living that meets essential basic needs and allows the worker to live a modest but dignified life.”

The same two-adult, one-child family would need to earn a combined $47,186 annually to achieve a living wage in the two-county area where 40 percent of households had an annual income under $35,000 when the study was published.

“Basically there are a number of residents in Northeastern Pennsylvania that aren’t earning a living wage,” institute Director Teri Ooms said, noting approximately one-third of the households in each county are earning below $25,000 annually. “The challenge that we’ve always had as a region, if you compare our per-capita income and wage levels ... with the state and in some cases with the nation, you’re going to see that we are lacking.”

Lagging behind

Despite a humming national economy marked by record low unemployment, stock market growth and other metrics of success, University of Scranton economics professor Satyajit Ghosh, Ph.D., said wage increases both nationally and locally “almost seem like an afterthought.”

Reflecting a national trend, wages in Northeast Pennsylvania have remained “quite flat” amid an otherwise robust economy these past years, though they have started to climb recently, Ghosh said.

In Lackawanna and Luzerne counties, average weekly wage growth over a four-year period, between the first quarter of 2014 and the first quarter of 2018, lagged behind state and national averages, according the institute’s Fall 2018 Quarterly Economy Tracker. Such wages grew by just 1.5 percent in Lackawanna and 2.7 percent in Luzerne, compared to 4.7 percent statewide and 6 percent nationally over the same period.

While Northeast Pennsylvania residents enjoy a relatively low cost of living compared to much of the state, average hourly wages in Lackawanna and Luzerne counties are well below the statewide average. Lackawanna County’s average hourly wage of $19.96, for example, is almost $3.50 per hour less than the state average of $23.44, according to May 2017 wage estimates provided by the state Department of Labor and Industry’s Center for Workforce Information and Analysis, the center’s most recently available data.

Still, experts say there are reasons to be optimistic as more and more employers look to take advantage of the region’s proximity to major metropolitan areas, existing transportation infrastructure and federal and state tax-abatement incentives.

This positive growth comes amid a workforce shortage both locally and across the country, which is creating competition among employers to attract workers and is driving up wages. It’s simple supply and demand.

“I think we’re definitely going to see wage growth,” Ooms said. “I think a lot of it is going to emanate organically from businesses creating that upward pressure because of the demand for workforce and the limited supply. I also expect government will come to the table and raise the minimum wage some.”

Organic wage growth

Gov. Tom Wolf is pushing to hike the state’s minimum wage from $7.25 per hour to $15 per hour by 2025, an ambitious policy proposal that’s sure to draw pushback from many politicians and business leaders. As that debate continues, some area employers like U.S. Nonwovens already are offering higher starting wages to bring in workers.

“We find that we are losing our employees to each other,” said Joseph Fernandes III, the vice president of SoCafe, a commercial coffee roaster that relocated from Newark, New Jersey, to Dunmore in 2017. “It becomes more competitive, and obviously the people who have higher margins are going to start raising their starting pay.”

When SoCafe left Newark its starting wage was about $9 an hour. Now, most of the company’s lower-paying jobs start between $11 and $12 an hour. Depending on family composition, that could amount to a living wage, and Fernandes said the return has been worthwhile.

“We’re looking for that Type A personality who is willing to take ownership of the role they are in ... and have a sense of pride in the product that they develop,” he said. “When we hired that $11 (an hour) employee, we found that what we’d get in return justifies the increase in salary.”

At Cardinal LG, an Archbald-based subsidiary of Minnesota-based Cardinal Glass that produces laminated glass used in doors and windows for residential and some commercial markets, the lowest starting hourly wage is $12 for day-shift workers and $13 for night-shift employees.

“I think there’s a lot of competition for employees right now,” said Joe Michaels, plant manager at Cardinal LG’s 208,000-square-foot facility at the end of Lakeview Drive. “We want people who are looking for a career with good job security. ... We’ve got at least 20 positions we’d like to fill this year.”

Cardinal LG has job openings on all shifts for production employees and forklift operators. It’s also looking to fill higher-paying posts on the technical maintenance side of things but is having some difficulty doing so, Michaels said.

At SoCafe, Fernandes noted a local shortage of potential workers who can take jobs as electrical technicians, machinists and other high-skill, good-paying positions.

This reality, experts said, underscores the need for workforce development programs connecting employers, educators and career-seeking students and workers.

Workforce

development

To address the existing shortage in the labor force, organizations like Outreach, the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce and others are advancing various initiatives aimed at establishing an employment pipeline with job providers.

Outreach is launching what it calls the LEAD Center, which stands for “lead, educate and develop.” The project will identify gaps in Lackawanna County’s workforce and train job seekers to fill those positions.

“It’s going to be open to everyone, but basically we are targeting individuals who face insurmountable obstacles to finding employment,” said Kristin Cianfichi, the organization’s director of community outreach and resource development. “The whole purpose of the program is to identify where the needs are from the manufacturers and business leaders.”

The LEAD Center expands on Outreach’s existing workforce development services, including a free job-search group where people can seek help with résumés, learn and practice interview skills and review postings.

Meanwhile, Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce President Bob Durkin said nothing is dominating the chamber’s work more than workforce development. To that end, Skills in Scranton, the chamber’s nonprofit workforce development arm, identified and is focusing on five major segments of the local economy where there are existing and emerging jobs: advanced manufacturing; transportation and logistics; construction and utilities; health care; and business operations.

The chamber’s approach also brings together representatives of and leaders in those sectors to ascertain what their workforce needs are. It then works to connect those business leaders with community organizations and secondary and post-secondary educational institutions, Durkin said. It also teaches educators about the skills their students will need to succeed in various fields.

“If we look at the moment, then it’s a difficult challenge because there’s just a limited pool,” Durkin said. “But in the meantime, if we don’t start working on the idea of establishing a whole new pool of talent, and a prepared pool of talent, a year from now, five years from now and beyond we are going to be in the same situation.”

Contact the writer:

jhorvath@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9141;

@jhorvathTT on Twitter

Justine Williams feels responsible for the safety of soldiers.

Inside Tobyhanna Army Depot in Monroe County, she manages multiple fabrication and integrations programs to support communications and electronics equipment for all branches of the armed forces.

“I absolutely love my job,” said the 37-year-old Dupont resident, who has worked for Tobyhanna for the past 11 years. “Knowing that I am responsible for the safety of the war fighters and any other personnel in harm’s way allows me to really appreciate what I do.”

Williams provides logistical support by managing the design and fabrication of cables and brackets for the Blue Force Tracking System, which will be installed across various combat vehicle platforms.

She ensures that all related operations are on track. These operations include managing cost, schedule and performance and coordinating the shipment and delivery of goods to soldiers, she said.

Williams said she enjoys coming to work because “everyone shares the same vision and is dedicated to the mission.”

“This truly creates a family environment where everybody is there for each other,” Williams said.

Tobyhanna Army Depot is filled with skilled workers who design, manufacture, repair and overhaul hundreds of electronic systems.

The logistics center for the U.S. Department of Defense has more than 3,900 employees and is the largest industrial employer in an 11-county region in Northeast Pennsylvania, said Tobyhanna Army Depot spokeswoman Kristyn Smith.

Workers repair systems at the depot and across the globe. More than 350 depot employees travel outside Tobyhanna’s gates to support soldiers in the field in locations such as Afghanistan, South Korea, Germany and Kuwait.

Tobyhanna Army Depot contributes just over $2.7 billion to the local economy, which results in the creation of 9,400 community jobs that support the area, Smith said.

The average annual salary of employees at Tobyhanna Army Depot exceeds $55,000, providing family-sustaining wages for many people throughout the region, said Kurt Bauman, vice president for community and economic development services for the Northeastern Pennsylvania Alliance.

Danielle DeMatteo, human resources specialist for Tobyhanna, recently came to the Great Northeast Job Fair at Mohegan Sun Pocono in Plains Twp. looking for more workers to fill high-paying jobs.

Open positions at the depot range from electronics mechanic helpers to electronics workers, she said. The helper positions start at $18.96 per hour, and more experienced senior positions like electronics and sheet-metal mechanics and electricians receive $20.53 per hour and “great” benefits, she said.

DeMatteo said available jobs change and open positions are available daily. Tobyhanna has a number of open positions because of all the work coming in, she said. People can apply for jobs at Tobyhanna Army Depot at www.usajobs.gov.

Vital to local economy

The depot is one of many businesses in Northeast Pennsylvania that play a critical role in the nation’s defense and are vital to the local economy.

In the seven counties that the NEPA Alliance serves — Luzerne, Lackawanna, Carbon, Monroe, Pike, Schuylkill and Wayne — there are about 22,000 businesses, and Bauman estimated that more than 2,000 are in the U.S. Department of Defense supply chain.

Pennsylvania is seventh in the country in defense spending with more than $12 billion spent annually, according to the U.S. Department of Defense Office of Economic Adjustment.

“Defense contracts represent a large percentage of our manufacturing base and typically employ highly skilled labor that demand higher salaries,” Bauman said.

Eric Esoda, president and CEO of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center, said defense contractors and manufacturers are critical to the regional economy not only because of the direct jobs they provide but because of the local supply chains they support, which create additional indirect jobs.

During 2017, the most recent year for which information was available, 60 manufacturers within Luzerne, Lackawanna and Monroe counties shared in more than $345.7 million of defense contracts issued that year. Together, the companies employ more than 5,200 production technicians and office professionals, Esoda said.

“In addition, they rely upon a network of local subcontractors, logistics companies, food service providers, maintenance firms, IT support firms and other businesses in order to fulfill those contracts,” Esoda said. “By doing so, they bolster many smaller manufacturers and several other sectors of our economy as well. When a local company lands a Department of Defense contract, it doesn’t merely benefit that company, it benefits their entire regional supply chain and overall community.”

Defense companies flourish

In addition to Tobyhanna Army Depot, other businesses in the U.S. Department of Defense supply chain in the region include Medico Industries in Hanover Twp.

The company has produced more than 20 million metal parts for government defense programs, according to its website. It recently installed manufacturing equipment in a second facility, including nine additional presses that have significantly increased the company’s capabilities.

Medico Industries purchased the building in the Hanover Industrial Park in 2010, and it has the capability and capacity to mass produce military shells. Since its inception, it has produced more than 300,000 81 mm mortars to military branches.

Medico is a subcontractor to several defense companies, including Lockheed Martin, Alliant TechSystems and the Israeli Military Defense.

Lockheed Martin has a 350,000-square foot facility in Archbald, where skilled workers design and manufacture defense systems for the Navy, Air Force and international customers. The facility also provides safety-critical nuclear instrumentation and control systems for naval submarines and aircraft carriers.

The site supports two product lines. The Precision Guided Systems line designs and manufactures air-to-ground weapon and training systems. Products include the Paveway II Plus Laser Guided Bomb kits, Enhanced Laser Guided Training Rounds and the Paragon direct attack munition.

Its Nuclear Systems line supports two primary sets of customers. On the military side, it has provided safety-critical nuclear instrumentation and control systems for naval submarines and aircraft carriers for more than 60 years. Its systems operate aboard all Navy nuclear submarines and aircraft carriers deployed worldwide.

Lockheed Martin employs more than 500 workers in Archbald and touts a “robust portfolio that helps sustain high-tech employment,” a spokesman said.

“Our more than 500 employees are raising families and spending their dollars at local businesses,” the spokesman said in an emailed statement. “They also give back through volunteerism, having logged nearly 6,500 hours in the local community last year, including beautifying a veterans memorial park and supporting a holiday toy drive. In addition, the company donated $20,000 to nearby schools and charitable organizations in 2018.”

Gentex Corp., which produces military helmets, is a family-owned company with roots and headquarters in Carbondale dating back to 1894.

The now-global company provides protection for global defense forces, emergency responders and industrial personnel.

Its product portfolio includes helmet system platforms and capability upgrades for defense and security forces sold under the Gentex, Ops-Core, ALPHA, Cromwell and Argus brands; Aegisound hearing protection and communications products for military and industrial personnel; PureFlo industrial respiratory protection systems; Dual Mirror OEM aluminized fabrics; and Filtron OEM light-management technology.

The company supports its global customers through a worldwide distributor network, including its headquarters and five other facilities in the U.S. and the United Kingdom.

Gentex employs more than 500 people in Lackawanna County, said spokeswoman Alexandra Brax.

“Gentex Corporation supports the global defense market, which includes the U.S. Department of Defense,” Brax said. “Our products have been trusted by defense forces in the air, on land and at sea for over a century to provide both industry-leading protection and advanced performance capabilities.”

Brax said while defense is one of the key markets Gentex supports, others are emergency response and industrial safety.

Another defense company and premier manufacturer of projectile metal parts is General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems.

General Dynamics has operated a plant in Scranton since 1963, and the facility provides all branches of the U.S. military with an extensive range of products, including gun systems for land, sea and air applications. Its products include single- and multi-barrel guns, individual crew-served weapons, ammunition handling systems, shipboard defense systems, gun pods and loaders, according to its website.

NEPA Alliance

supports contractors

In the wake of decreased defense spending and sequestration, the NEPA Alliance and its regional economic development partners recently received a $1.7 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense Office of Economic Adjustment and two additional awards of $200,000 to provide support to Department of Defense contractors and supply chain vendors to diversify their products and services, Bauman said.

The new initiative, called the Northeastern Pennsylvania Defense Transition Partnership, was designed in collaboration with the state Department of Community and Economic Development and the Northeast Pennsylvania Partnership for Regional Economic Performance.

In addition to the NEPA Alliance, primary team members include the Northeastern Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center and the small-business development centers at the University of Scranton and Wilkes University.

“The partners develop market diversification plans that identify new opportunities and jobs for local businesses that have some dependency on Department of Defense spending or they have been negatively impacted by a decrease in Department of Defense contracts,” Bauman said.

In addition to a market diversification plan, eligible businesses can receive a voucher of up to $10,000 to implement recommendations that were identified in the plan.

Contact the writer:

dallabaugh@citizensvoice.com;

570-821-2115;

@CVAllabaugh on Twitter

The Lackawanna Historical Society in Scranton hosted a pysanky-making workshop Saturday, taught by Tammy Budnovitch of Lake Ariel. The Ukrainian Easter egg-decorating technique employs traditional folk designs using a wax-resist method.

VETERANS

Jessup Post 5544

slates food sales

Jessup VFW Post 5544 Lenten food and clam chowder sale, Friday, noon-5:30 p.m. or sold out, 205 Dolph St.; Man­hat­tan clam chowder, $7.50/quart, $5/pint; New England clam chowder, $9/quart, $6/pint; crab bisque, $11/quart, $6/pint; halushki $5.75/quart, $4/pint; tuna hoagies, $5.75; pierogies with butter and onions, deep fried, or deep fried with butter and onions, $10/dozen, $5.75/half-dozen, $1/each; potato pancakes, $1/each; 570-489-7070 Wednesday before.

Post auxiliary plans

pancake breakfast

Dunmore VFW Post 3474 Auxiliary pancake breakfast, April 7, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.; post 110 Chestnut St.; adults, $8; children, $5.

Squadron 86

plans fish dinners

SAL Squadron 86 Lenten fish fry benefiting Hunts for Healing, Fridays through April 19, 5-7 p.m., American Legion Post 86, Main Street, Susquehanna; fried flounder, shrimp or baked haddock; 570-853-3542.

Sen. Baker sets

veterans outreach

State Sen. Lisa Baker veterans outreach with VFW service officer, April 12, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., 22 Dallas Shopping Center, Memorial Highway, Dallas; appointments requested, 570-675-3931.

109th offers

scholarships

The 109th Infantry Regiment Association will offer $1,000 scholarships to children and grandchildren of members and veterans of the regiment. Applications at http://109thinfantry.org under the documents tab. Deadline is April 15.

Post 5937 offers

scholarships

VFW Post 5937, Dickson City, will offer two $2,000 scholarships to high school seniors residing in the Midvalley area and children and grandchildren of members of VFW Post 5937; deadline: May 1. Applications at American Legion, 901 Main St., Dickson City; or Richard Capwell, 570-489-1222.

Dickson City post

offers scholarships

American Legion Post 665, Dickson City, will offer $1,000 scholarships to seniors in the Mid Valley School District or who are children/grandchildren of a member of Post 665; deadline: May 1. Applications at the post, 901 Main St., 570-489-4304; or through Isadore Dzwieleski, 570-233-1324.

Camp 8 plans

park ceremony

Ezra S. Griffin, Camp 8, Sons of Union Veterans, wreath-laying ceremony, Saturday, 10:30 a.m., Lincoln monument, Nay Aug Park. Open house, Saturday, noon to 3 p.m., Scranton City Hall, side ADA entrance, Mulberry Street; Grand Army of the Republic Museum.

Meetings

POST 3451

Rabiega-Gorgol VFW Post 3451, today, 4:30 p.m., 606 Alder St., Scranton.

POST 207

Kosciuszko American Legion Post 207, Thursday, 7 p.m., SS. Peter and Paul Church hall, 1309 W. Locust St., Scranton.

MARINE CORPS LEAGUE

Northeastern Detachment Marine Corps League and Museum, April 7, 2 p.m., detachment, Alder Street.

109TH INFANTRY

The 109th Infantry Regiment Association, Wednesday, 6 p.m., Shopa-Davey VFW Post, Peckville.

LCCV

Lackawanna County Council of Veterans, Monday, 10 a.m., conference room, Gino J. Merli Veterans Center, Scranton.

POST 121

Koch-Conley American Legion Post 121, Thursday, 7 p.m., Gino J. Merli Veterans Center conference room.

POST 920

American Legion Post 920, Monday, 7 p.m., Kilcoyne’s Bar, 129 S. Main Ave., Scranton.

AMERICAN LEGION DISTRICT 11

American Legion District 11, Wednesday, 7 p.m., Post 869, South Main Street, Archbald.

POST 4909

Dupont VFW Post 4909, Monday, 7:30 p.m., post home.

POST 25

Gen. Theodore J. Wint VFW Post 25, April 7, 2291 Rockwell Ave., Scranton, canteen meeting, noon, post meeting, 12:30; nomination of officers.

POST 327 AUXILIARY

Olyphant American Legion Raymond Henry Post 327 Auxiliary, Monday, 7 p.m.

POST 4954

Old Forge VFW Post 4954 nomination of officers, April 9, 7 p.m.

POST 25 AUXILIARY

Gen. Theodore J. Wint VFW Post 25 Auxiliary, April 10, 5:30 p.m., 2291 Rockwell Ave., Scranton, nomination of officers.

Merli Center

Today: Coffee, 8:30 a.m.; morning visits, 8:45; Eucharistic ministry visits, 9:15; bingo, 2 p.m.; unit visits, 4.

Monday: Morning visits, 8:45 a.m.; Bible study visits on units, 9:30; rainbow sensations, third floor, 10:15; trivia with brownies and beverages, 2 p.m.; senior fitness, 3; unit visits, 4; Bible Club, 2 south, 4; pokeno, 1 south, 7:30.

Tuesday: Morning visits, 8:45 a.m.; bingo social, 10:15; Vincenzo’s dine-in, 3 south, 12:45; volunteer ministry on units, 1:15 p.m.; choir practice, 1:45; Catholic service, 3; unit visits, 4.

Wednesday: Morning visits, 8:45 a.m.; AMVETS doughtnuts and coffee, 10; resident council, 2 p.m.; food committee, 2:30; unit visits, 4.

Thursday: Morning visits, 8:45 a.m.; Denny’s brunch, 9:45; chapel service, 10; basketball, third floor, 10:15; George Rittenhouse music program, 2 p.m.; senior fitness, 3; unit visits, 4.

Friday: Morning visits, 8:45 a.m.; arts and crafts, 10:15; bingo sponsored by American Legion District 11, 2 p.m.; senior fitness, 3; unit visits, 4.

Saturday: Morning visits, 8:45 a.m.; artist in residency, 9:30; Mickey Daniels music program, 2 p.m.; unit visits, 4.

VETERANS NEWS should be submitted no later than Monday before publication to veterans@timesshamrock.com; or YES!desk, The Times-Tribune, 149 Penn Ave., Scranton, PA 18503.

Since his retirement from farming, Arden Tewksbury has become an advocate for dairy farmers.

Or what’s left of them, anyway.

Tewksbury, who grew up in Susquehanna County and considers himself a “lifetime dairy farmer,” formerly raised about 100 to 110 dairy cows on his farm in Meshoppen, also growing crops to feed them.

It was a family operation along with hired help from outside the family, which Tewksbury said is far and few between nowadays.

“I’ve retired from actually milking cows, but I haven’t retired from the problems,” he said. “There’s hardly any (farms) left in Wyoming County. If there’s 10 left in Wyoming County, that’d be a high number.”

The main problem is dairy farmers being underpaid, said Tewksbury, who estimates that Pennsylvania dairy farmers lost around $550 million last year.

Farmers are suffering financially and having their farms foreclosed on, and Tewksbury said suicide rates among dairy farmers are “outstanding.”

Farming infrastructure is also being depleted and destroyed, and no one appears to care, he said, also noting that others businesses related to agriculture feel these effects.

“You’ve got to go all the way from Tunkhannock to Troy before you find another implement dealer, and the same with feed dealers,” he said. “It’s hitting not just our dairy farmers, it’s hitting these other people.”

Tewksbury said the real problem is that the costs of processors, stores and so on are covered, but not those of dairy farmers.

“They don’t want to talk about covering our costs,” he said.

Three generations of Browns in Lemon Twp. are trying to turn the tide of bad news into something that might work.

For the past two years, their Brown Hill Farm has seen success with bringing in visitors through agritourism ventures.

People had known their roadside produce stands, but recently with a Fall Festival and Sunflower Festival, Scott Brown said, “We’d get visitors that would just stop by from everywhere.”

Last year also marked another first for Brown Hill Farm: hemp.

Theta Farms contracted Brown Hill to grow the crop, which is a variant of the cannabis sativa plant used for industrial purposes.

The first attempt went well, and Brown said this year he plans to grow hemp for two or three companies on about 15 acres.

Brown explained that rather than more farmers growing hemp, processing plants would be the catalyst to a hemp market in this area, whether it’s for concrete, plastic, CBD oil or otherwise.

If a bigger market develops, he could see hemp becoming a bigger part of Brown Hill Farm’s future.

“Hemp really seems to have a lot of potential,” he said. “As soon as there’s a close market.”

Despite these successes, Brown Hill Farm is not totally immune to the issues facing the local farming industry.

As a former dairy farmer, Brown is aware of how milk prices are hurting local farmers. The cost of production is exceeding profits and digging a hole for small dairies.

Prices were higher than they were when Brown Hill Farm focused on dairy, but it was still a struggle then and part of the reason the family left dairy behind, he said.

“Some dairies that pretty much have been on a cash basis all their life, never had debt, (and) go out of business because they can’t survive in today’s world,” he said.

While it’s not nearly as problematic, Brown said his farm has similar issues with its crops.

“We don’t have any control over prices, just like with milk,” he explained. “I have the ability to somewhat do pricing with my crops, but not where I’d like to be.”

Francis Wilcox, owner of Wilcox Farm Supply in Tunkhannock Twp., echoed the challenge facing dairy farmers.

As a former dairy farmer who sold his cows in the late 1990s, he’s almost happy he got out while he did.

“I know what it’s like. I raised four kids on the farm and I know I couldn’t do it now,” Wilcox said.

Even though he isn’t a farmer anymore, farming issues still affect him, as fewer farmers in the area means fewer customers patronizing his business. He’s seen a big decline in the last few years and would estimate that his business has been cut in half.

So Wilcox diversified, making a full-scale supply of farm toys available among the feed, fertilizer and fencing.

Still, he said, young people aren’t coming up as farmers because it’s too difficult to get started, so older farmers aren’t being replaced.

But the challenges are even greater than that, Tewksbury said.

He worries about how large corporate manufacturers use protein concentrate and fillers in dairy products, as opposed to small farms that produce “good food consumers want.”

“They don’t want processed food, they want the real food,” he said.

Problems facing dairy farmers are the catalyst for his activism, specifically with one local organization.

In 1991, farmers gathered in Tunkhannock to form the Progressive Agriculture Organization, or Pro-Ag for short, which Tewksbury still runs.

“It’s been a real challenge financially to keep it going,” he said. “We have a few members that kick in pretty good, but we’ve lost so many because so many dairy farmers have gone out of business.”

Earlier this month, Tewksbury was busy at the entrance of Tractor Supply Co. in Tunkhannock, asking shoppers to sign a petition for U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and also to buy tickets for Pro-Ag’s latest fundraiser.

The petition thanks Perdue for making millions of dollars available to American dairy farmers, but also lists actions Pro-Ag members want the government to take.

These include enacting a new pricing formula that takes cost of production into account; if a milk supply management program is necessary, pattern it after the program contained in the Federal Milk Marketing Improvement Act; launch an investigation into the safety of whey protein concentrate; and place a $20-per-hundredweight floor price on milk if all else fails.

Contact the writer:

bwilliams@wcexaminer.com, 570-836-2123 x36

Before a Chicago developer built a 1,485-megawatt natural gas-fired power plant in their backyards, the grassroots group Citizens for a Healthy Jessup never opposed such a large-scale project.

They certainly never studied host community agreements, which compensate municipalities like Jessup for housing things like power plants. And, they never imagined they would pioneer a public push to achieve a more lucrative host agreement between Jessup and Invenergy LLC. Invenergy built and now operates the combined-cycle Lackawanna Energy Center in Jessup after inking a $1 million annual host agreement with the borough in March 2016.

Now, the group that hired consultants, doggedly scoured the web researching host agreements and regularly reported its findings at public meetings, is leading the charge to implement in Pennsylvania the minimum host agreement standards it didn’t have the benefit of more than three years ago.

State Rep. Kyle Mullins, D-112, Blakely, and state Sen. John Blake, D-22, Archbald, are also behind the effort. The lawmakers are working with the citizens group and the Sierra Club on legislation establishing such standards for other communities targeted for power plant development.

“The bottom line is having the minimum standards at least gives you minimum protections,” Citizens for a Healthy Jessup member and Jessup council President Gerald Crinella said. “You are going to walk away from the table with something for your community.”

Legislative action

Companion bills soon to be introduced by Blake and Mullins in the state Senate and House, respectively, would impose a yet-undetermined host agreement fee structure based on the megawatt output of a proposed fossil fuel power plant with an electricity generating capacity of at least 10 megawatts.

The bills, which are being drafted, also would ensure host municipalities, school districts and counties each have a seat at the negotiating table when crafting host agreements.

All three taxing bodies would have to provide residents an opportunity to weigh in on a potential host agreement. The legislation also would provide guidance on how municipal, school and county officials may use host agreement revenues.

The bills may require the state Department of Environmental Protection to verify that a host agreement is in place and is compliant with the law before final permitting, Blake said.

It would require developers to provide an upfront payment for municipalities to hire experts, conduct studies or engage outside counsel. It also may require developers to increase payments annually or on some time scale based on certain metrics, but the lawmakers said that element is still being worked out.

“At the end of the day, we are trying to be prescriptive about the base minimum standards of these agreements,” Blake said. “Now that doesn’t mean that negotiations aren’t going to be more fruitful or that some accommodations are going to be made maybe greater than what we would provide as the minimum, but we just wanted to set a minimum set of what I would call uniform standards.”

Drafts of the bills are not yet available. Co-sponsor memos, where legislators agree to co-sponsor a bill, have yet to be circulated.

Invenergy spokeswoman Beth Conley said the company cannot comment on legislation it hasn’t seen.

Mullins said the legislation would not affect past deals like Jessup’s, but would better prepare other municipalities for future host agreement negotiations.

Some Citizens for a Healthy Jessup members said they believe Jessup’s host agreement with Invenergy would have been more valuable, especially for Valley View School District, if legislation like this existed to set baseline standards. The group fought hard for the borough’s 4,500-plus residents to get a fair sum to offset noise, traffic, pollution and other “negative impacts” of the plant, Crinella said.

“There’s so many deficiencies in the process that we discovered by our experience that became the outline of this legislation,” group President Jason Petrochko said. “And, if all of those things were in place, those deficiencies would be corrected and communities would be protected and taxpayers would be protected.”

Jessup’s deal

Jessup’s final, $1 million annual host agreement with Invenergy was significantly more lucrative than Invenergy’s original $500,000 annual offer but still disappointed Citizens for a Healthy Jessup, which now has more than 60 members. The group implored borough council to hire additional experts and insisted the borough was leaving money on the table, citing examples of power plant host agreements in other states.

More than a year after the agreement was approved, a local political revolution swept a slate of several early Invenergy critics onto borough council.

The agreement guarantees Jessup $1 million for each year the plant operates, with a 10 percent increase each decade, among other terms. The borough also received $500,000 during the plant’s construction and will collect an annual initial operating period fee of $400,000 for five years. Of that $2 million total, Valley View School District gets $500,000 over a five-year period.

The relatively small amount for Valley View, which faces a $1.3 million deficit, underscores the need for the legislation, Crinella and group member Jeff Smith said.

While every bit helps, Valley View Business Manager Corey Castellani said the $100,000 annual payment, which begins this year, doesn’t go far with rising healthcare, special education and other costs and mandatory pension contributions.

The district would have loved to help negotiate the Invenergy host agreement but was not given the opportunity, Castellani said.

“The hard thing for us to deal with back then was that we just didn’t have a spot at that table,” he said. “If we were there, we could have fought for more money for the school district.”

Invenergy officials and former Jessup solicitor Richard Fanucci, who negotiated the final host agreement with the company, defended the deal.

“The borough of Jessup voted on and approved the Lackawanna Energy Center Host Community Agreement, the largest power plant host community agreement by total dollars in Pennsylvania, and the benefits speak for themselves,” Invenergy said in a written statement. “Many power plants in Pennsylvania, including some that have come online recently, have been developed with no host community agreement at all.”

Fanucci, Valley View’s solicitor for nearly three decades, noted Invenergy was not legally bound to offer Jessup any host agreement. Without state-imposed minimum standards, Fanucci said negotiating and approving the host agreement “was 100 percent a municipal decision” that council made at the time.

In its statement, Invenergy argued the agreement will generate more than $50 million for the borough over the life of the project and that the power plant will generate more than $15 million in new tax revenue for Valley View once the facility loses its tax-exempt status in 2023. The company invested more than $285 million in the local economy since construction began, including $170 million in wages and benefits for workers, and donated nearly $500,000 to local nonprofits, according to the statement.

Jessup officials made their host agreement a condition of Invenergy’s conditional use permit, meaning they could pull the permit if the company didn’t comply.

Citizens for a Healthy Jessup and Fanucci touted having legislation as a tool to protect communities that may not take that step.

“To me, this legislation is a long time coming and overdue,” said Fanucci. “It’s only fair that they have a law, and only fair and right to school districts and counties and everybody who has an interest in the community, just like there’s laws for landfills (and) casinos.”

Members of the group continue to argue Fanucci failed in his duty to secure the best deal for the borough and the district, a charge he emphatically rejects.

Political prospects

The legislators and Citizens for a Healthy Jessup say there could be bipartisan support for the bills because fossil fuel power plants are planned or proposed in both Democratic and Republican areas of the state.

“When we circulate the co-sponsor memo regarding these minimum standards that we want to establish for Pennsylvania, we’re going to direct them to the lawmakers where the plants are being planned so we can get some bipartisan support for it,” Blake said.

Petrochko endorsed the strategy.

“It’s hard to be a representative in a district where a power plant is coming and not be in favor of something that is going to benefit your communities and your school districts and your counties,” he said.

At the same time, Smith said residents in those communities should embrace the same kind of focused community engagement Citizens for a Healthy Jessup has practiced these past years.

“This is a statewide bill, but it does not take the focus off local elections and in your planning meetings and in your council meetings,” he said. “That’s where you are effective. That’s where your life revolves around ... and to be involved there is to be part of a community.”

Contact the writer:

jhorvath@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9141;

@jhorvathTT on Twitter