Penn State Alumni Association chapter to hold upcoming events

The Greater Scranton Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association will host a football pre-season pizza party on Friday, Aug. 14, at Arcaro and Genell’s in Old Forge. Event begins at 6 p.m.

Cost is $10/person and includes pizza, salad and soda. There will be cash bar. Donnie Collins will provide comments on the upcoming PSU season.

Venmo payments are accepted at: @PennStateScranton-AlumniAssoci. Reservations can be made by contacting Jeff Mallas at JRM9@psu.edu, Nick DeLeo at NDeleo52@yahoo.com, Mike Duricko at Mduricko@gmail.com or Walter Telech at psuchief1@gmail.com.

The event will also include the raffling/auctioning of PSU football season tickets. Those who wish to participate in the raffle but are unable to attend the event can Venmo the raffle ticket cost ($20).

To be entered into the raffle, email one of the above individuals with your name, physical address, email address and phone and you will be entered into the raffle. The face value of the season tickets is $2,400.

The chapter will also host a barbecue event honoring the memory of Dr. Wayne Sebastianelli. The event will be held Sunday, Oct. 4, from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Waldorf, 14 Waldorf Lane, Scranton.

Cost is $30/person. Menu includes pulled pork, barbecued chicken, salad, coleslaw, corn on the cob, dessert. Soda, tea and coffee will be available. There will also be a cash bar.

The chapter will name a scholarship to the Scranton campus in Sebastianelli’s name and present a plaque to the family. Matt McGloin, former PSU and Oakland Raiders quarterback, will be on hand to provide comments.

To make reservations/payment, contact Jeff Mallas at JRM9@psu.edu, Ann McDonough at AFM8252@gmail.com, Nick DeLeo at NDeleo52@yahoo.com, Walter Telech at psuchief1@gmail.com, Mike Duricko at Mduricko2@gmail.com or Dave Garvey at dgf1747@aol.com.

Mountain View Garden Club happenings

The Mountain View Garden Club will hold its annual Garden Hop Tour on Tuesday, July 21, at 5 p.m. in two gardens on Acre Lake with a pot luck. This event is for members only plus one guest. Members should watch for emails with more information.

This year’s annual Plant Sale/Exchange and Marketplace was a tremendous success. The club thanks those who helped as well as the community for its continued support. As a result, school students from surrounding areas will reap the benefits of the club’s Education and Community Grants for nonprofit installations and organizations for the 2027 calendar year. Applications can be found on the club’s website, mountainviewgardenclub.org.

On March 17, member Jim O’Pecko presented interesting information regarding using artificial intelligence as a gardening assistant. His list of information and resources can be found on the Mountain View Garden Club’s website under Resources, Jim O’Pecka’s AI presentation.

On Aug. 18, Carbondale Area School District teacher Alexandra Higgins will join the club to provide instructions on how to grow plants and vegetables with hydroponics​.

The club’s website has information regarding the full 2026 program schedule. There are also links to gardening resources and other information. New members are welcome. Membership information and applications are available on the website.

Historical society plans train excursion

The Lackawanna Historical Society has planned a train excursion to continue its summer celebration of America 250. On Aug. 15 a special Reading Blue Mountain and Northern RR Co. train excursion, “Revolution on the Rails: The Birth of a Nation, the Rise of a Railroad,” will travel from Pittston to Tunkhannock along Sullivan’s Trail while Revolutionary War reenactors, the Jersey Grays, provide details about the preparations and impacts of the Sullivan Campaign throughout the Wyoming Valley and into New York in 1779.

The train will depart Pittston at 10 a.m. and arrive at Riverside Park in Tunkhannock at 11 a.m. At the park, the general public is encouraged to join train passengers for additional historical programs by the Jersey Grays, including some demonstrations. Programs at the park are open to the public and will run from 11:15 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. The train departs Tunkhannock at 1:30 p.m. and returns to Pittston at 2:30 p.m.

The project is sponsored in part by NET Credit Union and the Lackawanna County Convention and Visitors Bureau. Tickets are $50 per person and can be purchased using the “Special Events” tab at rbmnrr-passenger.com.

For more information, contact the society at 570-344-3841 or email lackawannahistory@gmail.com.

County 3-on-3 hoops tournament set July 24-25

The Lackawanna County 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament returns July 24-25 to downtown Scranton.

The annual event tips off at 5 p.m. on Friday, July 24. Games run Saturday, July 25, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Games are played on Wyoming Avenue. Sunday, July 26, is the rain date.

Players of all skill levels and ages may participate. Register by Monday, July 20. All teams are guaranteed at least three games.

The entry fee per five-person roster is $125. Players will receive T-shirts.

A portion of the tournament’s proceeds will benefit NEPA Coaches vs. Cancer.

For registration information, go to the Parks and Recreation page at lackawannacounty.org, the Lackawanna County 3 on 3 Facebook page or riverfrontsports.com.

Co-op Farmers Market opens for 87th season July 17

The Co-op Farmers Market will open for its 87th season Friday, July 17.

The market’s hours are Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., including Labor Day, through Nov. 25. It’s located at 900 Barring Ave., Scranton.

For a list of vendors, go to coopfarmersmarket.com. You can also find information at facebook.com/coopfarmersmarketscranton.

Former ‘General Hospital’ actress due at videoconference

Emmy Award-nominated former “General Hospital” actress Sydney Mikayla will hold a virtual videoconference discussion at a screening of her movie “Crybaby Bridge” on Thursday, July 16, at the Scranton Art Haus, Lackawanna and Penn avenues.

Mikayla starred in the Cardinal Flix independent thriller, which follows a pregnant teenager and her family as they leave the city behind for the countryside.

Cardinal Flix is the New York City independent film company that plans to film and hire locally and is holding a film festival of its work.

Mikayla played Trina Robinson on “General Hospital” from 2019 to 2022 and was nominated for two Daytime Emmy Awards.

The “Crybaby Bridge” event is Thursday at 6 p.m. Cardinal Flix staff will also take part. Tickets are $11.

The series at the Art Haus also includes “Life After You” on July 23.