16 minute read
A Pennsylvania Castle
Mercer Museum & Fonthill Castle
Located in Doyles-
town, Bucks County, the Mercer Museum and Fonthill Castle are historic castles celebrating the legacy of Henry Chapman Mercer (1856-1930), American archaeologist, anthropologist, ceramicist and scholar. Both sites are operated by the Bucks County Historical Society (BCHS).
The Mercer Museum, one of Bucks County’s premier cultural attractions and a Smithsonian affiliate, features both local and national seasonal exhibits as well as a core museum collection of over 50,000 pre-Industrial tools. This permanent collection offers visitors a unique window into pre-Industrial America through 60 different crafts and trades, and is one of the world’s most comprehensive portraits of American material culture. The museum also features a research library that is a center for local history related to the region, with its roots dating back to the founding of the Bucks County Historical Society in 1880. Fonthill Castle was built between 1908-1912, and was the home to Henry Chapman Mercer. Mercer built Fonthill Castle as his home and as a showplace for his collection of tiles and prints. The castle serves as an early example of reinforced concrete and features 44 rooms, over 200 windows and 18 fireplaces. Fonthill Castle’s interior features Mercer’s renowned, hand crafted ceramic tiles designed at the height of the Arts and Crafts movement.
Throughout the holiday season, historic Fonthill Castle offers daily one-hour guided tours showcasing Henry Mercer’s home decked out for the holidays. On weekends in December, explore the special 2022 Holiday Lights Meander route with your loved ones on your
own. Knowledgeable tour guides will answer questions and make this a seasonal experience to remember.
The Mercer Museum
84 South Pine Street Doylestown, PA, 18901
Fonthill Castle
525 East Court Street Doylestown, PA, 18901 The Mercer Museum & Fonthill Castle Hours: Tuesdays – Sundays 10 a.m. – 5p.m. Visit mercermuseum.org. H
Kevin Crawford Imagery
R E C I P E
Here is a quick favorite recipe for a delicious ItalianChicken Cacciatore Directions: dinner. If you prefer white meat over dark, use chicken strips cut into bite size pieces, which cook faster. Pour tomato sauce into pot on medium heat. Vegetables can be substituted to your liking. Recipe Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in another large nonstick pan overmakes enough for leftovers the next day or it can be cut in half for a smaller family. medium heat. Add cut chicken strips. Cook, turning chicken when brown underneath approximately 5-7 minutes. When
Ingredients: chicken is browned on both sides, season with 1/2 packet of Italian seasoning and cook through for another 3-4 minutes. 6 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil, Transfer to pot with tomato sauce.
divided
In same pan chicken was cooked, add remaining 3 table2 lb. chicken strips (cut strips into spoons of oil. Add onion and cook until translucent. Stir in three bite size pieces) bell peppers and cover with lid. Let cook on medium-high 1 large onion (or 2 small onions), cut for about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. When peppers into ¼ - ½ inch strips are slightly tender, add remaining packet of Italian season2 medium red or orange bell peppers (one large), cut into ¼ - ½ inch strips ing. Stir seasoning through onion/pepper mixture for a few minutes. Add to pan with chicken and sauce. 2 small squash (or one large), sliced While peppers and onions are cooking on stove, place cut squash and zucchini into a bowl and microwave for 5 min2 small zucchini (or one large), sliced utes or until vegetables are a slightly tender. Drain any water 2 – 24 oz. bottles of pasta sauce from the vegetables out of the bowl and add to pan on stove with sauce, chicken, onions and peppers. Add basil and 2 packets of Good Seasons Italian Dressing (Season to Taste) 1/2 to whole remaining packet of Italian seasoning (to taste). Lower temperature of pot on stove to medium-low and sim mer for 20 -25 minutes. Serve over pappardelle or your favorite pasta or rice. Italian bread to dip into the sauce is a must!
Buon Appetito!
Compliments of JoAnn Marianelli Finnerty Bella Faccias
HELEN & ED’S TREE FARM The tradition continues...In business since 1957, Helen and Ed’s is a 220 acre tree farm located in Dorrance Township, PA. Find fresh cut evergreens or choose and cut your own from many varieties and sizes. Wreaths and garland are handmade and pin tree stands are available. Come enjoy Christmas music, friendly atmosphere and service. 3758 Saint Mary's Road, Wapwallopen, PA 18660 www.helenandedstreefarm.com (570) 868-6252
THE BRIAR PATCH AT THORNHURST NURSERIES CHRISTMAS TREE FARM & GIFT SHOP Pre-cut Fraser and Douglas Fir. Choose & cut (7’ & above) Colorado Blue Spruce & Norway Spruce. Available tree sizes 6ft - 14ft. Fresh handmade wreaths & garland. Check out the gift shop…woodsy…eclectic…nature oriented. 278 Pine Grove Rd, Thornhurst, PA 570-842-1266. Follow us on Facebook.
The Leadership
Lackawanna core program class of 20222023 met on Thursday, September 8, 2022 for their first session which included an orientation and an introduction to leadership basics. This mark’s the organizations 40th year. Leadership Lackawanna strives to enhance the skills, connections and knowledge of emerging and established leaders, hence strengthening our communities, workplaces
and organizations. Leadership Lackawanna Executive Director, Nicole A. Morristell commented, “I’m excited for the adventures and opportunities that lie ahead. This year’s participants have accomplished great things in their past and I look forward to seeing how they will utilize the leadership skills they acquire over the next ten months.”
In Leadership Lackawanna’s 10-month Core Program, participants gain direct and indirect leadership, interpersonal and managerial skills, as well as an enhanced understanding of the issues relevant to the Greater Scranton region, through monthly sessions. Areas of focus can include community development, economic development, government, health care, law, education, quality of life, sustainability, history and media, with sessions featuring widely recognized specialists. Members of the class also devote a large portion of their time to develop and implement community projects, hence enhancing their leadership abilities, fostering teamwork and benefiting local nonprofit organizations. Leadership Lackawanna’s Core Program accepts applications from candidates who live, work or play in Lackawanna County. The Leadership Lackawanna Core Program participants include:
Jasu Acharya, Community Bank, NA; Jennifer Aglialoro, Children's Advocacy Center of NEPA; Ariana Argust, Allied Services; Kristin Armstrong, NBT Bank; Paul Ballard, Marywood University; Kristin Bender, Gertrude Hawk Chocolates; Patricia Castillo, Barry Callebaut; Rebecca Cerra, Lackawanna College; Thomas Chairge, Prudential Financial; Joseph Cholko, Sordoni Construction Services; Paul DePrimo, Tobyhanna Army Depot; Dee Desai, Hilton Scranton & Conference Center; Kelley Dougherty Laird, Fidelity Bank; Lisandra Garcia, PNC Bank; Kyle, Gattuso, PNC Bank; Hannah Gaul, Tobyhanna Army Depot; Ciera Grimsley, Procter & Gamble; Caleb Hicks, Northeast PA Youth for Christ; Joy Hubshman, United Neighborhood Centers of NEPA; Drew Kirby, Montage Mountain Resorts, LP; Ted Kowalick, FNCB Bank; Brianna Larose, Procter & Gamble; Taylor Lewis Carito, Benco Dental; April Martinborough, Real by Nature, LLC; Alyssa McQuillan, NBT Bank; Jessica Mislinski, Girl Scouts in the Heart of PA; Nicole Paolicelli, Penn State Scranton; Tressa Parker, Greater Scranton YMCA; Joel Perkins, Penn State Scranton; Karla Perks, Empower Retirement; Anthony Portanova, Tobyhanna Army Depot; Carmelo Rivera, El Coqui Construction LLC; Patrick Ruane, Tobyhanna Army Depot; Alexandria Small, Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine; Jennifer Thomas, FNCB Bank; Gerard Walsh, The Azek Company - Vycom; Jim Warren, Warren Construction; Alissa Weiss, The Honesdale National Bank H
Pictured above: Front row (l to r): Lisandra Garcia, PNC Bank; Taylor Lewis Carito, Benco Dental; Jasu Acharya, Community Bank, NA; Alissa Weiss, The Honesdale National Bank; Alexandria Small, Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine; Kristin Bender, Gertrude Hawk Chocolates; Brianna Larose, Procter & Gamble; Ciera Grimsley, Procter & Gamble; April Martinborough, Real by Nature, LLC; Nicole Paolicelli, Penn State Scranton; Drew Kirby, Montage Mountain Resorts, LP; Alyssa McQuillan, NBT Bank; Joy Hubshman, United Neighborhood Centers of NEPA; Tressa Parker, Greater Scranton YMCA; Ariana Argust, Allied Services; Back Row (l to r): Carmelo Rivera, El Coqui Construction LLC; Anthony Portanova, Tobyhanna Army Depot; Joel Perkins, Penn State Scranton; Hannah Gaul, Tobyhanna Army Depot; Karla Perks, Empower Retirement; Rebecca Cerra, Lackawanna College; Jennifer Aglialoro, Children's Advocacy Center of NEPA; Sarah Sorrells, Penn East Federal Credit Union; Kelley Dougherty Laird, Fidelity Bank; Jessica Mislinski, Girl Scouts in the Heart of PA; Kyle Gattuso, PNC Bank; Jim Warren, Warren Construction; Dee Desai, Hilton Scranton & Conference Center; Paul DePrimo, Tobyhanna Army Depot; Thomas Chairge, Prudential Financial; Joseph Cholko, Sordoni Construction Services; Gerard Walsh, The Azek Company - Vycom; Paul Ballard, Marywood University; Caleb Hicks, Northeast PA Youth for Christ; Jennifer Thomas, FNCB Bank; Ted Kowalick, FNCB Bank; Patrick Ruane, Tobyhanna Army Depot; Absent from the photo: Patricia Castillo, Barry Callebaut and Kristin Armstrong, NBT Bank
Eric Speece:
Perseverance Against Setback
Eric Speece was recently inducted
into the Luzerne County Sports Hall of Fame. He has been dedicated to football since he played it in his childhood backyard in his hometown of West Pittston.
Although he broke his leg at age 4, Eric wanted to continue playing football. At age 7, his father was asked to coach the local mini-football team for the West Pittston Rams. Eric joined this team in 1974 and continued until 1980. During this time his team won the Greater Pittston Junior Football League 'C' Team Superbowl in 1976 and the 'B' Team in 1978.
"My father was my first coach initially got me interested in football,” said Eric.
Eric also played little league baseball joining the Halls /Nursery / Millers Economy, a team within the West Pittston Little League (WPLL), in which he won the championship in 1979.
Eric attended Wyoming Area Secondary Center and participated in basketball and track and field, but he succeeded best in football when he played it from 10th to 12th grade. He was a running back and a defensive back and scored 27 touchdowns and rushed for over 1,700 yards during his sophomore and junior years. When he was a senior, he scored 20 touchdowns and rushed for over 1,100 yards. He became the Wyoming Valley Conference's second leading rusher scoring 124 points. He was named both Citizen's Voice Offensive Player of the Year and VFW Player of the Year. Other high school accolades include Honorable
Mention All-Scholastic and First
Team All-Scholastic. He was a member of the UNICO Team.
Eric credits his coaches for his accomplishments. "Coach Marranca pushed me to be the best I could and allowed me to grow as a player," he said. "Bobby Langan was my running back coach. He believed in me as a player, even at a young age, and gave me the confidence to excel."
What Eric enjoyed best about high school football was being under the lights on Friday night and the friendships that were built as being part of a team.
Eric continued to play football at Lock Haven University, where he majored in business. He lettered in football in 1984 and 1985. He was the leading rusher and started seven games.
Unfortunately, he was involved in a car accident causing part of one of his kidneys to be removed. "I wasn't sure if I would be able to play again, and I needed to be closer to home if there were any issues," he said.
Therefore, Eric transferred to Bloomsburg University, where he changed his major to exercise science. After two years of not playing football, Coach Pete Adrian still saw his fire and drive and decided to give him a chance despite his injury. The next year, Eric was back in lettering in 1987 and 1988. He was able to accomplish 203 carries for 1,055 yards, averaging 5.3 yards per carry. He also scored six rushing touchdowns as well as two receiving touchdowns. After his graduation from Bloomsburg Eric returned to his hometown of West Pittston and became the head coach of the West Pittston Rams A Team from 1997 to 2006.
"I taught the players the basics of RAMS - right attitude means success," he said. "I tried to instill the fundamentals of the game, and to prepare them to play on the high school level for Wyoming Area. I tried to mimic what my father taught me, the love of the sport and why exercise is important for the body and mind." The Rams played in nine of the ten playoffs during Eric's tenure. They won the WVWYFCC (Wyoming Valley West Youth Football and Cheer Conference) Championship in 1999 and runner-up in 2000. He has been an active member of the Wyoming Area Coach Staff, in which he is a volunteer running back coach and helps with the offensive line. In 2006, Eric went back to school at Marywood University. He earned his HPE (Health & Physical Education) certificate in 2008. The next year, he was inducted into the Wyoming Area Ring of Pride. In 2010, he earned his Master of Arts in Teaching. Eric became assistant principal at Greater Nanticoke Area High School. "It is extremely rewarding as an administrator to guide and watch students grow into mature young adults," he said. This past July, Eric accepted the position of principal at his former high school, Wyoming Area Secondary Center. "I love being back at my alma mater and can't wait to see what this stage of my career brings, and what these students will accomplish," he said. Eric lives in West Pittston with his wife, Cathie, and their son, Ethan. Ethan is continuing his father's tradition of playing football at Wyoming Area. He also participates in wrestling, lacrosse, track and field and has a black belt in karate.
Eric was incredibly honored and humbled being inducted into the Luzerne County Sports Hall of Fame. H – Ben Freda
Sharon Ann Toman Penn State Scranton Associate Teaching Professor of Music
Sharon Ann Toman has been teaching at Penn State Scranton for over 20 years, first as a part-time faculty member, then becoming a full-time music instructor in 2000, the same year she created the Campus Chorale.
She is the Director of Music for the Penn State Scranton Chorale, The Roc[k]tet, and Campus Jazz Band; campus Arts and Humanities program coordinator; and the University’s Arts and Architecture College referral representative.
Toman received her Bachelor of Music at Marywood University and her Master’s in Music at The Catholic University of America. She conducted post graduate studies at the Manhattan School of Music and doctoral studies at Temple University. Penn State Scranton’s Chorale is comprised of students, faculty and staff. It first performed at campus events and increased in popularity over time. It is to Toman’s credit that the group has continued to grow significantly. There are no tryouts. Students can participate for credit or as an extracurricular activity. As Director of Music, it is Toman’s job to help each student be his or her musical best. “I will work with them even if they are not a seasoned or experienced musician. Over the years, this process of developing their love for singing or playing an instrument has been highly successful for our campus’ music program,” she said.
The students who comprise the chorale and campus jazz band are not music majors. Both groups consist of students, faculty, staff, retirees, alumni and local professional musicians. The blending of the individuals has added to the learning experiences and creates a fun environment that contributes to the success of the performances. Over the years, as the Scranton campus grew in both degree offerings and enrollment, more students got involved in the music groups. Another group, now known as “The Roc[k]tet” , began as a group of eight female vocalists called the Lionettes. Eventually, under Toman’s direction, it morphed into a mixedvoice show choir of four female and four male vocalists, whose repertoire includes a cappella and a show choir format with singing and dancing. Students must audition for a place in this group. In 2005, with three successful musical groups, Toman decided to showcase the immense talent and organized the campus’ first ever public spring concert. Held on campus and free of charge to the community, it was a huge success. An annual spring concert and a holiday concert have occurred since then. Due to its growth, Toman the event held the event off campus at The Theater at North in North Scranton in 2017, giving the performers a bigger stage with a larger audience capacity. She then successfully advocated for the campus to add a public holi-
day concert at an off-campus venue to accommodate larger audiences, leading to the community holiday concert being held at Grace Bible Church in Dunmore, in addition to an oncampus community performance.
This year’s performance will take place there on Sunday, Dec. 11 at 4 p.m. at the Theatre at Lackawanna College. This concert is free to the public. With four concerts each year, Toman prides herself on being a hands-on director. “There are many challenges to conducting multiple performances both on and off campus,” she said. “I oversee the entire process, which includes everything from rehearsals, programs, moving musical equipment, prep work with venue staff, sound and lighting and everything behind the scenes. Every performance prep is different and requires attention to detail both musically and physically.” In addition to her teaching, directing and performance duties, she has also helped create a music and technology course at Penn State Scranton.
Toman and Deb Smarkusky, associate professor of IST at Penn State Scranton, have created “Integrating Music and Animation with Technology” (INART), which introduces students to the music and technology environment through software applications. Course concepts include composing/arranging electronic music; sampling, editing and processing digital audio; creating musical software applications and animations; and utilizing active learning opportunities through the learning and development of music and technology applications. The course’s success inspired the pair to create an interdisciplinary course project for students in both a music course and a technology course integrating music and choreography using JAVA with LEGO Mindstorms Robots. This has resulted in the publication of journal papers, conference papers and presentations. “Being able to teach and work with students in helping them learn about music and motivating and encouraging students to use their musical creativity brings me the most joy. The students in our music program are dedicated to their musical ensemble,” said Toman. H
