Archbald Winter Carnival, kickoff of borough’s 150th birthday celebration, rescheduled

Archbald will kick off its 150th birthday celebrations with a winter carnival Saturday. The event, originally scheduled for Feb. 7, was rescheduled to Feb. 14 due to a forecast of inclement weather and frigid temperatures, according to the Archbald Neighborhood Association Facebook page.

Archbald Borough and the Archbald Neighborhood Association are partnering to hold the wintertime event from 1 to 3 p.m. in and around the Borough Building, 400 Church St., and the nearby High School Plaza Park. The carnival launches what will be a series of monthly events collaborating with different community groups for the borough’s 150th anniversary, said Kayleigh Cornell, co-founder of the Archbald Neighborhood Association.

Organizers wanted to make as much of the carnival as they could free, and to help offset that, they received a $1,000 America250 grant through Lackawanna County, which is funding free horse-and-carriage rides from Brookvalley Farm, she said.

Events will include at least a dozen outdoor games and half a dozen indoor craft stations for kids, along with free s’mores donated by Mayor Shirley Barrett, free hot dogs from the local Sons of the American Legion and free popcorn from the Karen Spataro family; fire pits setup by the Fire Department, drone demonstrations from the Archbald Police Department, a touch-a-truck with the Eynon Sturges Hose Company 3, desserts from Queen of Tarts Desserts, hot chocolate, coffee, soup from Ginger’s Pies, barbecue from the Smoked & Sauced food truck, a winter story time led by the Valley Community Library and free hair tinsel by Mandy with Holiday Hair, according to Cornell, Barrett and an event press release.

Other 150th anniversary events throughout the year will include other community groups like the Archbald Borough Veterans Monument Park Committee, the Gravity Slope Colliery Committee, and the Archbald Neighborhood Association also will hold a beach party at Aylesworth Park in the summer, Cornell said. The borough will additionally close down part of Main Street with vendors and music in July, and the Veterans Monument Park Committee hopes to hold a dedication ceremony in May for their upcoming park on Kennedy Drive to coincide with a Memorial Day parade, said Barrett, who is also a member of the monument park committee.

Trolley museum to host railway society’s Winter Meet

Lackawanna County’s Electric City Trolley Museum, 300 Cliff St., Scranton, will host the Pennsylvania Garden Railway Society’s 27th annual Winter Meet over Presidents Day weekend.

Steam-powered and electric model trains highlight the event, which will take place Friday, Feb. 13, Saturday, Feb. 14, and Sunday, Feb. 15, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Monday, Feb. 16, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is $6 for adults and $5 for children. Trolley rides will run, weather permitting, Saturday and Sunday for $6 per ticket.

Joining the Pennsylvania Garden Railway Society to co-host are Warrior Run Loco Works, Aikenback Live Steamers and the Wyoming Valley Live Steamers.

Wright Center offers free sessions to educate families, caregivers about dementia

The Wright Center for Community Health, in collaboration with Age Friendly Lackawanna, is offering free, informative sessions to help people better understand and support loved ones with dementia.

Led by a specially trained Dementia Champion, the one-hour sessions focus on increasing knowledge about dementia and small, practical, everyday ways to support people who have it.

“We know that receiving a diagnosis of dementia can be overwhelming,” said Nicole Flynn, the director of the Wright Center’s geriatrics service line. “These sessions are a great way to learn more and become more familiar with how to help your loved ones with dementia.”

Participants can attend a session in person or virtually.

Dementia Champion sessions will be available on:

Feb. 17, June 23 and Sept. 22, 3 to 4 p.m., at the Wright Center for Community Health Scranton, 501 S. Washington Ave.
March 13, May 15 and Oct. 23, 2 to 3 p.m., at the Wright Center for Community Health Mid Valley, 5 S. Washington Ave., Jermyn.
April 15, July 15 and Nov. 18, 3 to 4 p.m., at the Wright Center for Community Health Wilkes-Barre, 169 N. Pennsylvania Ave.

For more information, including how to join a session virtually, contact Flynn at flynnn@TheWrightCenter.org.