Pictured in Photo: Teri Kenny, TJ Maxx District Manager, Connie Parker, TJ Maxx Store Manager, Linda LaStarza, Executive Director of Safe Haven Pike County, Lauren Cernek, Christine Cummings, TJ Maxx Assistant Store Manager and TJ Maxx Employees. (Contributed Photo)
PIKE COUNTY- Safe Haven of Pike County was presented with a check from the TJ Maxx Foundation in the amount of $5,000. Connie Parker, manager of the TJ Maxx store located in Montague, New Jersey has adopted Safe Haven of Pike County as their community outreach partner. Ms Parker stated, “We support the work that Safe Haven does to help victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse in the community.” In addition to the Foundation award, TJ Maxx in Montague has supported the Safe Haven community wide “Gift of Giving” project. TJ Maxx provided holiday gifts for families in the Safe Haven shelter and needy children and teens in Pike County for the past two years.
The TJX Foundation has a primary mission of contributing to programs that provide basic-need services to disadvantaged women, children and families in the local community. The Foundation supports domestic violence prevention programs that target immediate emergency services and shelter for victims and family members affected by abusive situations as well as programming that works to break the cycle of violence.
The TJX Companies, Inc. was founded on the core values of integrity and treating people with respect, dignity and fairness. They remain committed to these values and continue to challenge themselves to improve the ways in which they embrace and leverage differences among people, whether they are their associates, customers, vendors, other business associates, or the community at large.
The TJX Companies, Inc. prides itself on being a Neighbor of Choice. They strive to be a responsive, caring and involved neighbor in the communities where their stores, home offices and distribution centers are located. In these difficult economic times, being a good neighbor is particularly important.
Through The TJX Foundation and the many initiatives supported by their operating divisions and Associates of TJX, they have touched communities in significant ways. In 2008, The TJX Foundation, together with their divisions, supported more than 1,800 nonprofit organizations.
Safe Haven, Inc., a not-for-profit organization is dedicated to restoring dignity to victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse. Services include free and confidential individual empowerment counseling, crisis intervention, emergency shelter, support groups, educational outreach programs, medical and justice system advocacy, community outreach, and volunteer training programs. Safe Haven provides a 24-hour crisis hotline, (570) 296-4357 (HELP). Any one interested in volunteering please contact Terry Ziemba, Volunteer Coordinator at 570-296-2827. There many different ways to help Safe Haven make our community a safer place for everyone. Check out their website at www.safehavenofpikecounty.org.
March 11, 2010 | Posted in
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Sally Heiblim (Contribute Photo)
John Rappa (Contributed Photo)
- Barbara Bernathy (Contributed Photo)
MILFORD — Out of Century 21 Roy B. Hull’s Milford office, Barbara Bernathy achieved Top Listings status by supplying an inventory of home listings in a variety of price ranges while an impressive Sally Heiblim led the way for Top Sales.
From our Dingmans Ferry office, we want to congratulate John Rappa for scoring both Top Listings and Top Sales for the month of January.
“Our team of Realtors have a remarkable work ethic, excellent marketing skills and experience coupled with commitment to give our customers 100% satisfaction”, commented Roy Hull, Broker/Owner. “If you’re looking for the ‘right address’, you will certainly find it here”.
Who does “Real Estate the Right Way”? Give us a call at 570-828-9591 or 570-296-9921 and we’ll tell you. Better yet, stop by one of our offices and we’ll show you.
March 11, 2010 | Posted in
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Pictured left to right: Maureen Beilman, The Dime Bank's chief financial officer, Jill George and Jennifer Porter. (Contributed Photo)
HONESDALE — The Dime Bank recently presented a $1,000 check to Workforce Wayne to support its 2010 operating costs. Workforce Wayne is all about building the skills of our people so that we can build our economy. Jill George, vice president human resources at The Dime Bank stated, “The Dime Bank is proud to support Workforce Wayne because it assists in the region’s economic development through training our residents and supporting workforce development.”
“This support from The Dime Bank comes at a critical time as Workforce Wayne is currently applying to outside grant programs that require a community match of funds,” sated Jennifer Porter, Workforce Wayne director of workforce initiatives. Visit www.workforcewayne.org or call 570-253-5334 to donate to a future of well-trained employees, expanding career and technical education, and a bridge between education and business.
The Dime Bank is your total financial partner serving Wayne and Pike counties in Pennsylvania and Sullivan County, New York. The Bank offers a full array of financial services ranging from traditional products to electronic banking and trust and investment services. For more information on The Dime Bank, visit www.thedimebank.com. Community banking yields community benefits.
March 11, 2010 | Posted in
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Back row left to right: Joe Regenski, Ayla Steimling, Paul Regenski, Patti Steimling, Diane Gravel, PCHS Board President Steve Warshaw and Tom Regenski. Front row left to right: Cheryl Bertucci, Lauren Bertucci, PCHS Executive Director Barry Heim with Coco, and Stephanie Matolyak. (Contributed Photo)
HAWLEY — A fun time was had by all at Gresham’s Chop House on Rt. 507, on Wednesday, March 3 at a “Realtors® to the Rescue” Fundraiser to benefit the Pike County Humane Society (PCHS). Spearheaded by Patti Steimling and a team of animal lovers and Humane Society supporters, the fundraiser provided much needed dollars, generated through an admission charge and raffle ticket sales.
In addition to revenue, the evening also provided great conversation and hospitality in a cordial bar/lounge atmosphere, hot and cold Hors D’oevres donated by the Gresham Chop House, and a tricky tray raffle with prizes donated by real estate companies, stores, businesses and individuals.
At the end of the event, PCHS Executive Director Barry Heim introduced Coco as a representative of the shelter’s adoptables, “…the real beneficiaries of events such as these,” Heim noted. Any group that would like to run a fundraiser for the PCHS can call the shelter at 570-296-7654 or contact Steve Warshaw at swarshaw@ptd.net for information.
March 11, 2010 | Posted in
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Anne Marie Bartlett (contributed photo)
MILFORD— Anne Marie Bartlett has been named “Realtor of the Month” for February at Weichert, Realtors – Ruffino Real Estate. According to Owner/Realtor Donna Ruffino, the title holder managed three open house events, “more than fulfilling the agency’s February requirement of two open houses. The Realtor of the Month criteria is varied each month to deliver recognition for the many sales related achievements that contribute to identifying top performers.
Ruffino thanked Bartlett “for being a shining example of the Weichert Recipe for Success, for keeping the flow of new buyers here in our company and for posting signs with balloons around Pike County, giving us unparalleled credibility with local sellers.”
WEICHERT, REALTORS® – Ruffino Real Estate is located at 406 West Harford Street in Milford, telephone 570-296-7570.
March 11, 2010 | Posted in
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NEWTON, N.J. — From the courthouse to television studio, court reporters, deposition reporters and broadcast captioners are in demand. Sussex County Community College (SCCC) will offer a Court Reporter Certificate Program information session on Tuesday, April 6 at 6 p.m.
Court reporters work in the legal community, provide communication access for people with hearing loss, and are usually independent contractors running their own reporting firm. The U.S. Department of Labor projects that court reporting job opportunities are expected to grow 9 to 25 percent by 2016. Court reporters, including deposition reporters and broadcast captioners, earn an average of more than $60,000 a year. This hybrid training program includes both classroom and online training. The program also includes instruction on how to record the spoken language of judges, lawyers, and witnesses who testify under oath on the computerized Stenograph machine. The duration of the program is approximately two years.
To attend the information session on April 6, please RSVP to 973-300-2287.
March 11, 2010 | Posted in
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FRANKLIN, N.J. – Keep an eye on the news and read your credit card statements carefully, as many credit card companies have announced plans to significantly raise their interest rates early this year. Thankfully, there are some ways you can fight back. As an alternative to help homeowners manage their finances, SussexBank recommends that consumers consider a pair of financial products – home equity loans and home equity lines of credit. These tried and true financial tools may help qualified homeowners pay down their credit card balances and make some additional funds available, all at significantly reduced interest rates. Experienced SussexBank home equity specialists are available to walk homeowners through the process.
Consider the following hypothetical situation that illustrates the potential savings a typical homeowner could enjoy simply by using a home equity loan from SussexBank to pay down credit card debt. For example, a customer paying down a $10,000 credit card balance at 20 percent APR over 60 months would pay approximately $264.94 per month. The same customer paying down a home equity loan at 4.99 percent APR* over 60 months would have a payment of $188.66 per month. That’s a savings of over $75 a month, and more than $4,500 over the entire 60-month term.
Strategic use of a home equity loan together with a home equity line of credit can help you leverage the power of both. For example, you may wish to pay off credit card debt that escalated during the holidays using a home equity loan and arrange for a home equity line of credit to be available for unexpected needs. Both of these financial tools can be obtained at the same time, saving you money on the current credit card interest payments and avoiding exorbitant credit card interest rates on future purchases.
For bank information, please call 973-827-2914 or visit www.sussexbank.com.
February 25, 2010 | Posted in
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STROUDSBURG – The Greater Pocono Chamber of Commerce (GPCC) Business Expo 2010 will be going green and is inviting all exhibitors to go green too.
This year the GPCC Business Expo will host the 23rd Annual Business Expo, sponsored by Geisinger, will be on Wednesday, March 10 from 2:30 to 7 p.m. and Thursday, March 11 from noon to 7 p.m. at East Stroudsburg University, Koehler Fieldhouse.
Sponsored by PP&L, the VIP reception and ribbon cutting ceremony for all exhibitors will be on Wednesday from noon to 2:30 p.m.
The GPCC and its sponsors are providing this exciting and timely opportunity for all businesses to showcase their green products, services or how your company incorporates environmentally friendly business practices at this annual event that attracts thousands. For best booth selection, contact the Chamber soon for the best selection.
Currently the GPCC is accepting applications from all businesses that would like to participate as exhibitors or sponsors. To introduce a sustainable approach in planning the event, all applications will be posted on the Chamber Web site, www.poconochamber.com. For additional information, please contact Miriam Conway at (570) 421-4433
February 25, 2010 | Posted in
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MILFORD - Discover Pike PA and the Pike County Hotel Tax Board had a productive year by creating a number of valuable tools for Pike County Tourism and we will continue to develop upon them for 2010. We developed a complimentary Visitors Guide and Map to the website, created a Social Media presence, installed a touch screen computer at the new Lake Wallenpaupack Visitors Center and reached millions of people through an online and print campaign. Through these outlets visitors can get information on accommodations, area activities, cultural events, and outdoor recreation all within Pike County’s four-season destination.
The Pike County Hotel Tax Board is comprised of five area business members appointed by the commissioners. Those members include Ron Schmalzle: Ski Big Bear/Costa’s Family Fun Park, John Kiesendahl: Woodloch Pines Resort, Eric Ehrhardt: Ehrhardt’s Waterfront Resort, Craig Cox: Myer Motel, and Bridget Gelderman: East Shore Lodging/Wallenpaupack Scenic Boat Tour. Our mission is to provide recommendations to the Commissioners concerning the distribution of room tax revenue allocated back to Pike County. In doing this the board oversees the implementation of a county wide tourism marketing plan focused on increasing room occupancy, attraction visits and overall interest in Pike County.
“Two years ago Discover Pike PA was developed and the hotel tax funded a comprehensive website (http://www.discoverpikepa.com) offering visitors one-stop shopping for planning a trip to Pike County. The website includes over 350 tourism related business listings with contact information and GPS coordinates, an interactive map, a trip itinerary builder, video, a photo gallery and events database. This past year, we enhanced the visitors experience by giving the website many arms and legs,” said Bridget Gelderman, Pike County Hotel Tax Board Member. “We are proud of the accomplishments and hope that area businesses use this valuable tool as another marketing element for their brand.”
Discover Pike PA realized that travelers wanted something tangible in their hands when planning a trip. In 2009, the Discover Pike PA Visitors Guide was created to compliment the website. The Visitors Guide had 320 complimentary area tourism businesses listings, discounted advertising opportunities, a pull out map, event listings, fun facts, and more. 50,000 full color, 52 page, 8 ½ x 11 visitor guides were printed with a complimentary online edition on the Discover Pike PA website. In addition, 90,000 complimenting Discover Pike PA Maps were inserted in the Visitors Guide and distributed separately as well. The Map was complete with business listings, coupons and information about natural attractions. The Guide and Maps were distributed to over 500 locations in Pike, Monroe, Carbon and Wayne County, Northern NJ, Lehigh Valley, Orange/Delaware/Sullivan Counties NY, State Welcome Centers and Rest Areas, Lake Wallenpaupack, Tannersville and Jim Thorpe Pocono Mountain Visitors Centers.
“For the first time Pike County has two ways to communicate the natural beauty, activities and facilities available to travelers. One is the traditional travel guide, which in addition to providing an overview and map of Pike County, provides individual businesses the opportunity to showcase their property. The other, DiscoverPikePa.com, reaches the world to spread the positive news about the hidden treasure that is so close to one third of Americans. Both of these venues will not only help to attract visitors but also be a source of pride to all of us fortunate to live in Pike County, PA,” said, John Kiesendahl, Board Member.
Many area businesses determined that Social Media is an effective way to keep customers informed and entertained, tourism is no exception. Discover Pike PA developed a Social Media presence on Facebook and Twitter. The Discover Pike PA homepage encourages visitors to stay informed of everything going on in Pike County by signing up for DP on Facebook, Twitter, their mobile phone and the monthly newsletter. We encourage everyone to become a fan on Facebook and Twitter to find out everything that is happening in and around Pike County. Area businesses are encouraged to post information, events and specials on the Discover Pike social media pages.
Visitors can now access Discover Pike PA information at the Lake Wallenpaupack Visitors Center through our easy to use Touch Screen Computer located on the main Pocono Mountain Visitors Bureau level. In addition, our website and visitors guide is now complimented by a Discover Pike PA Phone Line answered by PMVB at the Visitors Center – 1-888-Pike-101.
Discover Pike created a Mobile Phone Application to compliment the website. Access is now available to area businesses by downloading the Discover Pike Mobile App right to your phone. On the DiscoverPikePA.com homepage look for “Discover Pike PA on the Mobile Web.” Click on it and follow the instructions. The mobile website allows users to quickly and easily find area businesses and link directly to their homepage. It has the business description, address information, phone number and GPS coordinates. It is a very valuable tool for tourism in the county.
In 2009, the Commissioners allocated the room tax to fund a number of organizations within the county. A total of $65,000 was allocated to the following: Lake Wallenpaupack Visitors Center, Pike County Chamber, the Hawley Lake Wallenpaupack Chamber, Pike County Historical Society, Lake Wallenpaupack Watershed Management District, Pike County Fair and Green Dreher Fair.
Discover Pike PA posted 160 area events throughout the year. Events get posted on Facebook and Twitter and we send out a regular email newsletter to over 2000 people letting them know what is happening in the area.
Discover Pike PA launched a comprehensive advertising campaign reaching over 10 million people through print and online media including Trip Advisor and CNN.com, 70 East Coast Newspapers such as: NY Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, Baltimore Sun, Pittsburgh Post Gazette, Long Island Newsday, USA Today, NY Newsday, Washington DC Examiner, Bergen County Record and White Plains Journal News. Individuals that wanted more information reached out through reader services and those received a Visitors Guide. Over 11,000 requests came in for more information on Pike County.
We could not have done so much in one year without the partnership of PMVB and two area businesses. Bailey Design & Advertising published the Visitors Guide and Map and LockData developed and maintains the website and created the mobile phone application.
We are currently starting the 2010 Pike County Visitors Guide & Map. For more information or how you can get your tourism related business involved in Discover Pike PA, please contact us at 1-888-Pike-101 or email info@discoverpikepa.com.
February 25, 2010 | Posted in
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Rosemary Broderick
MATAMORAS — Rosemary Broderick, a corporate executive at Advanced Imaging Specialists (AIS), recently authored a column for the online version of the trade magazine, ADVANCE for Imaging & Radiation Oncology.
Broderick’s column, “Lead On: Trying times call for business leaders who try harder,” was posted online as a Radiology Business Management Association Alliance feature. Addressing the need for resilience in this changing health care economy, her message to business managers was to stay positive, lead by example and face challenges head-on.
“As industry leaders, we’ll continue to work under great pressure while searching for ways to ensure the future success of the diagnostic imaging field,” she wrote. “Radiology plays a critical role in the ever-changing world of medicine and health care delivery. Now is an exciting time for us as leaders to show our strength and make a positive impact.”
AIS, provider of outpatient diagnostic imaging services in Pike and Lackawanna counties, serves the communities of Scranton, Dunmore and Matamoras. This column is available online at http://bit.ly/cAXYbO.
February 25, 2010 | Posted in
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