Friday, September 30, 2011

Happy in NEPA

Happy in NEPA - http://happyinnepa.typepad.com - is the TypePad blog of Dr. Patricia Fox who lives and works in Northeastern PA. She is one of the blogs I found on my most recent Twitter blog fishing expedition. You can follow her on Twitter @DrPFox

More from the About Page:

PFox - pink2
I am a psychology professional living and working in northeast PA (NEPA). I am abundantly curious about what makes people happy. Dr. Ed Diener pioneered the modern study of happiness, scientifically known as "subjective well-being." I became interested in the study of well-being while a graduate student in the Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) program at Marywood University in Scranton, PA.

As an educator, writer, and researcher, I explore the factors that influence happiness including income, personality, relationships, health, environment, geography, and public policy. As a trained clinical psychologist, I am curious about how individuals cultivate happiness. I am especially interested in the happiness of people living in northeast PA (NEPA).

Pennsylvania is experiencing an historical change related to its mineral wealth. In 2003, the first natural gas well in the Marcellus Shale was drilled in southwestern PA. Speculators began to secure gas drilling leases in late 2006. Natural gas drilling quickly came to northeast PA in 2007. In 2010, Pennsylvania was reported to have 57,469 natural gas wells, the second highest in the U.S. The citizens of PA continue to be divided about the potential economic benefits and the environmental risks of natural gas drilling in the state.

I blog about the scientific research on happiness and well-being. I also explore the events unique to northeast PA influencing happiness. Finally, I seek out those people living and working in NEPA who have discovered what makes them happy.


Some happiness is just what the doctor ordered after all of the tragic recent weather events that occurred in NEPA. I urge you to check out the blog, a little happiness never hurt anyone.

~M

Endless Simmer

The Endless Simmer blog is essentially a "foodie" blog. There are several individual contributors to this culinary blog...similar to NEPA Blogs setup, except they are from all over the country. The connection to "NEPA" is that one of the contributors is a NEPA Native. Blogger Clayton Jacobs (@bellyrulesmind on Twitter) is of local swagger, from the About Page:

"Neither a writer nor a chef by profession, Clay Jacobs (Borracho) joins the ES team with passion and desire to explore new culinary experiences and basic grammar skills. Borracho is as likely to rave about Michelin 3-star cuisine as the pizza place down the street. When he cooks, the focus is on local product, bold flavors and comfort food, but his posts mix in discussions of technique, sports, pop culture and a dash of the inane. His Gridiron Grub series offers amped-up takes on typical football and tailgating foods to enjoy when watching the game, even if you are a Dallas Cowboys fan."
There's also a blogger listed as attending college in Central Pennsylvania....Madeline Shores. Here's her bio from the About Page:

"After living off cafeteria food, the strange products of her tiny kitchen, and Central Pennsylvania’s finest offerings while attending college, Madeline Shores (ML) hwas forced to enter the real world in 2009 to begin her fast and sexy life representing the future of America. With only the stamp of a snotty private school and a completely unmarketable degree, ML has returned to Philly to live off cheap beer and whatever food she can afford (see: gourmet instant ramen). In her free time, she can be seen traveling and acting as the mealtime paparazzi while spending time with friends, some of whom have dubbed her “the anytime eater.”

On Twitter: @MadelineSho

To view all of the contributors to the blog, visit: http://www.endlesssimmer.com

More about the blog:

We created Endless Simmer to satisfy our insatiable desire to think about food constantly. We’re basically somewhere between regular consumers of food pop culture and total snobs. We can just as easily enjoy offal or destroy a Dunkin Donuts (fake) egg and cheese croissant. We love to experiment in the kitchen, but we do frown on cheating. There’s nothing we love more than a good food pun.

Turn to Endless Simmer for all your food needs. We will share our cooking stories, favorite shows, restaurant reviews, travel tales and any other things we can think of that incorporate eating in any way.

Clearly, we just can’t keep our mouths shut.

--

For our sake, we hope that they don't, because we were drooling over several of the posts. However, the "Top 10 Things I Ate In College That I'll Never Eat Again" post was pretty damn hilarious. I am guilty of so many of those food crimes! However, I'm kind of shocked that ramen noodles were absent from the list. Maybe some of the authors are guilty of still eating them (as I am on occasion)....speaking of which. TIME FOR DINNER.

~M

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

PostSecret

Let me preface this post by saying, the blog that I'm about to share with you is not a NEPA Blog, but the most recent post there ties in with NEPA as you'll see below....

What is PostSecret?

PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard. New "secrets" are posted every Sunday early in the morning. If you are so inclined, you can submit a new secret via the following snail mail address: 13345 Copper Ridge Rd Germantown, Maryland 20874. You can visit the blog going to http://www.postsecret.com.

Personally, I've been following this blog since approximately 2005. The online community has grown tremendously and Frank Warren has published 4 books with people's secrets. He is an advocate for suicide prevention and has teamed up with 1-800-Suicide to raise awareness and funds for the cause.

The secrets every week are a mashup of all different topics. Some controversial in nature, some comical, others about love. You never know what you are going to get (much like the swath of blogs we feature here). Sometimes there is a theme to the postcards secrets selected that week. For example, On Sunday, 9/11/11, most of the secrets carried a somber theme in remembrance of that tragic day 10 years ago. The secrets that were posted last Sunday (9/25/11) included the below post card.

DISCLAIMER:
I hope that showing this does not offend anyone as that is not my intention (especially those of you who have lost loved ones in 9/11). You simply cannot compare one tragic event with another. Suffering, no matter the circumstances, is not a contest to be won. I just wanted to bring attention to the fact that NEPA was represented on the PostSecret Blog this week.



-----Email-----
My family lost 3 homes in this month's flood in Pennsylvania. I feel guilty for thinking that you can't bring the 9/11 victims back, but you can help the ones suffering right now from the flooding in Pennsylvania.

If I may say so myself, we need all of the help we can get right now. While the major river flooding is over, there is much clean-up to be done from that...as well as the renewed threat of flash flooding with the heavy rains this week. I also want to reiterate that we have a Blog Post dedicated to Giving/Receiving help for flood victims and potential volunteer opportunities. CLICK HERE to view the most recent information. I try to update the list as soon as I get new information. If you have any tips on where new donation drives are being held or know of somewhere that needs volunteers that we do not have on the list....please email nepablogs@gmail.com with the info, and we will update accordingly.

Stay safe AND DRY out there NEPA!

~M

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

PA Live! Blog of the Week: Karla Porter

NEPA Blogs will be presenting a "Blog of the Week" on the WBRE's PA Live! every Tuesday. PA Live! airs weekday afternoons on WBRE from 4:00 to 5:00.


Watch this episode on the PA Live! site: 
http://pahomepage.com/palive-details/?nxd_id=202306

Our PA Live! Blog of the Week this week carries a name many in Northeastern Pennsylvania are familiar with: Karla Porter. Found at http://karlaporter.com/, Karla Porter's blog reflects her interests as a Human Resources professional, including Human Capital and New Media , and looks at topics like how to prepare an "elevator pitch," how individuals can use New Media to advertise their value to potential employers, and why poor customer service is bad business. From her "Who is She?" page:

I work with orga­ni­za­tions that want to achieve employer of choice sta­tus, are inter­ested in attract­ing can­di­dates who develop into employee brand advo­cates that drive growth and con­tin­ued suc­cess, embrace diver­sity, desire a cul­ture of inno­va­tion and excel­lence, want to enrich the com­mu­nity and reward supe­rior per­for­mance with celebrity.

As much as Karla Porter's blog is about human resource issues, it is also a prime example of a "Personal Branding Blog." A Personal Branding Blog is just what it sounds like: a blog that allows you to build your personal "brand". Personal Branding Blogs give bloggers some control over what information there is on the Internet connected to their names. The thought behind every post is "this is something I want people to read and associate with my name." Whether your goal is to land a specific job, to flesh out a résumé, or just to present a professional image of yourself, a Personal Branding Blog is something that can be of tremendous value to many people.


Here are some examples of blogs linked by NEPA Blogs that fall into the Personal Branding Blogs category, as well as some key posts that help to explain the concept :

Karla Porter
http://karlaporter.com/
See: 
- What’s Personal Branding Got to Do with Job Search?

Cheri Sundra is the New Black (according to me, Cheri Sundra)
http://cherisundra.blogspot.com/
See:

Mandy Boyle
http://mandyboyle.com/
(Described by Mandy as "a patchwork of posts surrounding marketing, social media, branding, and my own reflections.")
See:
How I Build My Personal Brand

You can also find my own Personal Branding Blog here:
Harold F. Jenkins
http://haroldfjenkins.blogspot.com/

(A word of caution: Don't assume that every blog that has a name for a title is - or is intended to be - a Personal Branding Blog. There are many examples of "Life" blogs - the meandering personal online journals that probably represent blogging in its purest form - linked by NEPA Blogs that use the blogger's name as a title, but aren't being used for the purpose of building a personal brand. Sometimes a blog is just a blog! But we'll talk more about "Life" blogs in a future installment.)

Blogs to Beat Cancer

In my last blog about the "Nothington Post" we received the below comment:

I was able to catch you guys on TV with George Roberts Computer Wise Show talking about Blogging and I picked up a few good tips! Thanks for the inspiration.

I'm helping a very dear friend who has suffered over five operations and is battling Ovarian Cancer. With the help of a few of her co-workers and the Boy Scouts Troop #80 we have put together a Fund Raising Benefit & Tricky Tray for Lisa Payne at the Jackson Township Volunteer Fire House off Rt.715 in Reeders, Pa. November 5th 2011 1:00pm to 5:30pm if anyone out there would care to attend. Everyone is invited and please bring a friend!

We’ve been working hard to raise-up some really great items to give away at this Fund Raising Benefit & Tricky Tray like a pair of Giant VS Eagles tickets, tons of gift cards from local business owners, dinner for two, gift baskets, DJ Chris Fox and a whole lot more!

If anyone reading this is in the position to donate monetarily please visit Lisa Payne’s Blog at;
http://lpovariancancerfund.blogspot.com/ because is she is certainly a one of a kind and I feel blessed to have her as a friend. Everyone that knows her in fact knows that this is a very special person and there just doesn’t seem to be enough like her in the world.

Other Contacts are Lori Dewitt 570-629-7818
and Kim Lollis 570-236-3115.


God bless you for your help!

Gary Keesler

PoconoPhotoShoot.com

As promised, I will be adding the Lisa Payne Ovarian Cancer Fund blog to our side bar, and hope that you will consider attending the event if you are in the neighborhood in November when the event will be occurring. Additionally, I will add PoconoPhotoShoot.com underneath the NEPA Companies & Organizations section of the blog roll.

Keep those submissions a-comin'. Send us yours via nepablogs@gmail.com.

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Nothington Post

Yesterday we received another mailbag submission from someone called "Scare Jacket". The only text in the email was the URL (that is to say, the Uniform Resource Locator).

Nothington Post
http://nothingtonpost.blogspot.com

From the about section:

A blog dedicated to local, state, and national news, based in Luzerne County, PA, with an emphasis on politics as seen through a conservative lens.

To give us news tips or letters to the editor please email:
NuPoBlog@yahoo.com

We check the blog email at least once a week, so be patient.

An interesting fact about the blog, is that it is written under total anonymity. I do not know the author, or am able to find any specific details as to who he/she might be. They are definitely someone who resides in Northeast PA.

There is also a sister site linked from the blog roll on Nothington Post which is authored by the same anonymous person:

The Obscure Lure
http://obscurelure.blogspot.com
"Odd News, Out of the Box thought, Off-beat Commentary"

I'm going to add both of these links to the blog roll here at NEPA Blogs. I think the political crowd of bloggers will appreciate these two new blogs. Don't forget, if you have a blog that you would like us to feature, send an email to nepablogs@gmail.com.

Happy Sunday!
~M

Saturday, September 24, 2011

A dog blog

Yesterday, while were all enjoying libations and interesting conversation at Blog Fest, we received the following email from Ada Mae Compton:

Hi,

This is my dog blog, out of Tioga County. Mostly, it is a first-hand account of unconventional shale gas development's impact on our family.
http://adamaecompton.wordpress.com

Thanks,
Ada!
I must say, I was intrigued how a dog blog and the shale gas development could go hand in hand, so I visited the link as soon as the email came into the inbox. The story line is profound. I don't think I could sum it up any better than the introduction right on the main page:

Ada the Dog

Just a 3-legged dog living thu an unnatural disaster

Thanks for visiting! The most recent blog posts are in the right-hand column!

I’m a three-legged dog named Ada who’s living the country life here in northcentral PA. My name is short for Americans with Disabilities Act. I was adopted from the vet’s office after I was abandoned by some guy who works in the natural gas industry. So the story goes: I was brought to PA from TX and left here when he went back to TX. After I became a stray and was hit in the road, someone dropped me off at the vet.

The vet saved me by amputating one of my front legs. A month later, I was adopted by my new master and he gave me my name. He lets me blog, but moans about using too much bandwidth, whatever that is.

This is the blog of my life and the ongoings here in the country… specifically, the part about how operations at the Marcellus Shale wellpad next to my kennel’s property (literally) has affected my favorite places to play– in the field, in the pond, in the water from the garden hose.

So far, my master can light the tap water on fire and his pond’s ecosystem is crashing (e.g., the salamanders have died off). Pre-drill analytics show that I used to drink pristine water… now, my master fills my water bowl from one of those 5-gallon blue water jugs. The scariest part is that the gas wells next door haven’t even been fracked yet. All this drama and trauma is from the drilling process and/or the perforation process (which happens right before fracking). Isotopic analyses prove the thermogenic methane migration comes from the gas wells next door.

I’m guessing you’ve never met a dog with an education in organic chemistry, philosophy, or assessment, and I hope we can be friends!

Read answers to FAQs about me in my first post by clicking here! Also, at the right-hand side of each page, you’ll see links to some of my other posts in the archive. See ya round the blogosphere, friends!


I am so glad that "Ada" contacted us about linking to her blog. We are very thankful that she found a new, more responsible and loving owner. We will continue to follow her adventures, by adding her to our blog roll. We invite you to do the same.

~M

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Yuengling Brewery Blog

5 Signs you may be from NEPA:


#5 - You use heyna at the end of every other sentence.

#4 - You've gone around trick or treating to bars when you were younger.

#3 - You can actually pronounce Knoebels the correct way (Hint - Ka-Nobles).

#2 - You've done the dollar dance at a wedding.

#1 - Your food pyramid consists of: Middleswarth, Tastykake, Turkey Hill and Yuengling.


HEY...*cue segue*...Speaking of Yuengling...Did you know that they have a blog?

http://yuenglingbrewery.blogspot.com

The Official Yuengling Brewery Blog covers all of the events and happenings at America's Oldest Brewery. If you didn't know much about the Yuengling company or the beer they produce, this blog seems to be a great resource.

From the side bar:

Yuengling Brewery
Located in Pottsville, PA, United States

Welcome to the official Yuengling Brewery blog. Yuengling is America’s Oldest Brewery. Located in Pottsville, PA since 1829, we have grown to become one of the largest domestic brewers, still family-owned and operated today. The brewery is currently under 5th generation ownership of Dick Yuengling, Jr. and produces seven beer brands including Traditional Lager, Light Lager, Black & Tan, Dark Brewed Porter, Lord Chesterfield Ale, Premium and Light. Our products are distributed in 13 states up and down the East Coast. For more information, please visit our website at www.yuengling.com.

Give the blog a visit and have a cold one on us!

~M

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

PA Live! follow-up

Yesterday was the second Tuesday for PA Live!, and the second installment of the NEPA Blogs "Blog of the Week!" And in a bit of self-referential linking, the Blog of the Week was...NEPA Blogs! (Video should be available here, though I'm having some playback issues. Oh, geez, I really did go overtime there! The clip runs 2:55 - we were scheduled for 90 seconds!)

Once again I got to meet a lot of great people on the set. First up was Gabriella Conover, a Junior at Meyers High School in Wilkes-Barre who is working on a Senior project called A Project of Hope, a breast cancer awareness project. From the event's Facebook page:
This is Gabriella Conover's Senior project. This will be a breast cancer benefit dinner with a tee shirt sale and a Chinese auction. All proceeds are being donated to Candy's Place in Forty-Fort. I have been working very hard all threw out the year to plan this. Each dinner will cost $7.00 and tee shirts will be $10.00. You must pay in advance to lock in your spot. Dinners will be limited and will be eat in or take out. We are also currently accepting donations for the Chinese auction. If you are interested please contact Jacqueline Askew for further information.My total goal for this project will be $3,500. R.S.V.P September 28th. If you have any questions please feel free to send me a message and i will give you a number to call about further details.
The dinner is October 12, 5:00 - 7:00 at the Wilkes-Barre Area Voc-Tech school at 350 Jumper Road in Wilkes-Barre. The menu is Chicken Scampi, Mashed Potatoes, Carmelized Carrots, and Chocolate-Covered Pretzels - all fresh-made by students of the culinary arts classes, all for $7.00, eat in or take out. PLEASE CALL 570-991-8780 AND MAKE RESERVATIONS BY SEPTEMBER 28.   Gabriella'a project benefits Candy's Place, which lists the event on their events page. You can see Gabriella's whole interview here.

Also on the set were representatives from the Bayada Nurses, who specialize in providing home health care. I met Community Liason Mile Sokoloski and Division Director Garri Vickers, RN, MSN, CRNP. I don't see their segment online yet, but I'm sure it's coming!

Of course, no episode of PA Live! would be complete without something delicious being made on the set! On Tuesday's episode this was Pork Tenderloin Neptune, prepared by Chef John J. Hudak, Jr. of Vanderlyn's, located at 239 Schuyler Avenue in Kingston. It was made with the biggest shrimp I have ever seen, something like four ounces apiece! They simply had to be seen to be believed! I mean, look at them!


I believe Chef Hudak said these are called "#8"s - meaning eight or fewer to the pound. I later heard that these bad boys are actually four ounces apiece! That's some substantial shrimp!

So, what will next week's Blog of the Week be? That's a good question! I'd better get started on that...

Tumblr Trio

Psssst! NEPA. I have a secret for you.

I have a Twitter addiction. I am the soul figurehead that manages the @nepablogs Twitter account. I scour it at least once a week to see if there are any new bloggers that have decided to give us a follow. Today, I'll be sharing with you the three Tumblr blogs that I came across most recently. Fear not! I still have an extensive queue of Twitter bloggers to add to our blog roll, but I'm trying to break it down into more manageable doses. I think these few Tumblr blogs may snap you out of your mid-week blues......or something like that.



First up...A Tumblr Sports blogger who loves Hockey!

"Lets Go Pens 1105"
http://letsgopens1105.tumblr.com
Hey! My name is Danielle! Just in case you couldn't tell by the title I'm a HUGE hockey fan! My favorite teams are the Penguins, Hurricanes, and Blackhawks. I don't mind any of the other team except the Capitals, Islanders, and of course the Flyers. Favorite players are all the Staals (including Jared!), Jonathan Toews, Jeff Skinner, Deryk Engelland, and Max Talbot!


Next...Christian Kemmerer with a Political Themed Blog.

"No Tea 4 Me"
http://notea4me.tumblr.com
On Twitter: @christiank22

Replacing right-wing extremism with potent home-brewed posts...


Lastly, the spirital blog of Mathew John Kester. He just started up his Tumblr blog today, so there are only 2 posts currently.

"A Wretch Like Mathew"
http://awretchlikemathew.tumblr.com
On Twitter: @awretchlikemat

I am Mathew. I live in the mountains of N.E. Pennsylvania with my wife Kelly, my daughter Zuzu and my son Max. (COMPLETE BIO COMING SOON!)


One of the things we like to drive home about NEPA Blogs, is that there's literally a blog for any and every topic imaginable. As you can see by the wide variety of Tumblr blogs in this post, we certainly a vast variety of local bloggers that have something to interest everyone. Keep those blog submissions a-comin'.

Now about those midweek blues....just think, we are in the downward curve heading towards Friday. Feel better now?

~M

Cultured Carbon County

Success! When I decided to start drumming up press for NEPA Blogs, I did it with one idea in mind. That is, to increase traffic to our blog and find more bloggers from Northeastern PA. It is starting to finally pay off as we are noticing our traffic increasing dramatically. Harold has mentioned it in his most recent post on his career search blog here.

Today we received our first mailbag submission from someone who learned about us through watching Computer Wise on Blue Ridge Channel 13. I hope that we keep up the momentum with attracting new bloggers to our site. And hey, maybe even inspire folks to start a blog who were on the fence about it.

Anyway, without further ado...I present to you a submission from Ron Rabenold from Lehighton, PA:
Just saw you guys on TV-13...neat!...thanks for all your work...

Here is my blog...Let me know what else you'd like me to do; not sure how you would like me to link mine to yours...

Thanks...
ron Rabnenold

Ron, that's all you have to do...just send us your link and we will feature your blog!

Here's a bit of information about this blog taken from the quote at the top of Cultured Carbon County blog...

A cursory crash course on Carbon County, Pennsylvania and other stuff I like...namely, a poem or a good story. Be sure to browse the more than 90 posts in my archives or do a key word search in the search box above left. The 100th Post!

I will be adding Ron's blog to the sidebar. As always, if you have a blog you would like featured here, please shout at us at nepablogs@gmail.com.

~M

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

PA Live! Blog of the Week: NEPA Blogs

NEPA Blogs will be presenting a "Blog of the Week" on the WBRE's PA Live! every Tuesday. PA Live! airs weekday afternoons on WBRE from 4:00 to 5:00.


Watch this episode on the PA Live! site: 
http://pahomepage.com/palive-details/?nxd_id=201146

The second blog that we'll be featuring as the PA Live! Blog of the Week is...NEPA Blogs!

I started NEPA Blogs back in 2006 as a way of trying to increase visits to my blog by creating a network of local and regional blogs all linked to each other. Since then it has grown into something much bigger than that, a site that links to hundreds of blogs throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania - and we're constantly adding more!

Along with leading local political blogger Gort of Gort42 and Michelle Hryvnak Davies, who is our resident expert on social media, technology, and social and media contacts, we actively seek out new blogs to add to our list of links and gladly link to sites that are submitted to us by email at nepablogs@gmail.com, through Twitter, or on our Facebook and Google+ pages.

The blogs on NEPA Blogs reflect the diversity of the region. We have links to blogs aimed at moms (NEPA MomAbout places to go...), shopping blogs (Bucktown Bargains), poetry blogs ( Michelle Coulter, Jenny Hill,  qazse), photography blogs (Frank's Place, Burnside Photographic, a portrait of scranton), fashion, beauty, and style blogs (A Girl's Gotta Spa!, Fashion Vandals, Darling StewieJilly BeansTALK, Trend HUNGRY), blogs aimed at women ( Woman Tribune, Menstrual Poetry), political blogs (The LuLac Political Letter, Pittston Politics, Gort42, NEPArtisan, Pure Bunkum), blogs about Northeastern Pennsylvania (Susquehanna River SentinelElectric City Renaissance), blogs about sports (Camp the Summit, Chirps from Center Ice, Highland Park Hockey, NEPA Miners Football), blogs about beer (mybeerbuzz.com, pszenica-piwo), and personal blogs that are about everything and anything (Another Monkey, mhryvnak.net, Circumlocution for Dummies, We are: clamco). There's a blog about RV life (Miles of RV Smiles), a blog about riding a motorscooter around the Wyoming Valley (Scootin' da Valley), and even a blog by a couple from Scranton that documents their travels around the world (Uncornered Market)! 

The live-updating sidebar on NEPA Blogs gives us the opportunity to see what everyone on our links list is talking about at the same time. Every once in a while, when an event takes place that affects people throughout the region simultaneously, we will do a post that links to all the different posts people have done on this subject - for example, the earthquake from a few weeks ago, the effects of Hurricane Irene (here and here), and, of course, the flooding that so many of us have recently experienced and its aftermath (here and here, with more to follow.) In times of emergency, we also do our part to act as a community resource with posts like Giving Help, which was widely accessed through Facebook and Twitter links in the days following the flood.

We're always looking for new blogs to add, and the good news is, new blogs are being created all the time! If you'd like to submit your blog to be linked on our site, just send the link to nepablogs@gmail.com. (We also change our header photo every Wednesday, so if you have an image you think would look nice at the top of NEPA Blogs, plaese send it in!)

You can find our site with the easy-to-remember shortcut nepablogs.org, follow us on Twitter, or find the NEPA Bloggers group on Facebook or NEPA Blogs on Google+.

BONUS! There is a get-together of bloggers from throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania this Friday, September 23 at Rooney's in Pittston, starting at 6:00. You can read all the details here. Maybe we'll see you there!

Monday, September 19, 2011

PA Live! video posted!

 

The video of our first NEPA Blogs "Blog of the Week" on PA Live! has been posted!

Blog of the Week: Susquehanna River Sentinel - PAHomePage.com

Be sure to tune in to WBRE's PA Live! tomorrow and every Tuesday to see the latest Blog of the Week!

Our10.org

Our10.org is not a blog, but it is a website set up to assist people affected by the recent flooding in Northeastern Pennsylvania. From their "About" page:

About Our10.org


Press Release: September 15, 2011


Our10.org was founded on September 16th, 2011 in response to heavy flooding damage caused by Hurricane Irene in North Eastern PA. It is our hope that both flood victims and those not affected by flooding will be able to better connect with each other to address the needs of victims in starting the process of rebuilding their lives.


Due to issues regarding storage of larger items, many relief efforts have a difficult time getting items such as couches, washers/dryers, and appliances to those affected. We hope that our website, coupled with the generousity of locals and needs of affected victims, will assist in helping those in need to turn their damaged houses back into homes.


Our10.org was founded by local Tunkhannock graphic designer and marketer Michael Cahill and Tunkhannock local and web developer Chris Mincarelli. Michael saw a need and a way to help affected individuals and families in his area rebuild and spoke with Chris, who wanted a way to help from where he currently resides in Maryland. As a result the two conceptualized and developed Our10.org and look forward to seeing it help this area rebuild, and hopefully be helpful in the future for other areas affected by disaster.


To contact Michael or Chris regarding Our10.org, please email them at info@Our10.org.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

NEPA Blogs episode to rerun on ComputerWise TV!

If you're a BlueRidge Communications subscriber, you'll be able to see a replay of Michelle and Harold from NEPA Blogs on ComputerWise TV! Originally aired in June, this episode will run again starting September 21!

 

Nanticoke History Online

A recent addition to the blogosphere is Nanticoke History Online Blog Spot, a blog about Nanticoke History that happens to be online! Check it out!
 
 http://nanticokehistoryonline.blogspot.com/

Leslee Clapp

A fourth blog from Thursday night! This is from Leslee Clapp, head of a group of poets and writers who held a poetry reading at the Vintage Theater right after our Bloggers' Roundtable. In it Leslee shares what she has learned from the people, things, pigs, and horses in her life!

Leslee Clapp
http://leslee-clapp.blogspot.com/

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Three from Thursday

As a consequence of Thursday's Bloggers' Roundtable at the Vintage Theater in Scranton, I've picked up three blogs to add to the NEPA Blogs sidebar! Here's hoping there will be more to follow!

First off, the Vintage Theater itself has a news blog on its website, letting you know about everything that's going on at the Vintage and beyond!


One of the events coming up (tomorrow!) which is mentioned on the website (but not on the blog per se) is playwright Kait Burrier doing dramatic readings from her plays. (Doors open at 5:00, readings begin at 6:00.) In looking for more information on Kait, I came across this interview on the blog "The Write Life," which turns out to be a blog about Wilkes University's Creative Writing MA/MFA program:

The Write Life
http://wilkeswritelife.wordpress.com/

A little more digging (because, hey, I'm like that, that's what I do) revealed that Kait herself has a blog!

Kaitlyn Burrier's Live Blog
http://kaitburrier.com/

...on which, confusingly, the introductory post (which I can't appear to link to directly without hand-copying the URL, grrrr) appears to only have gone up 16 hours ago.

(Or, you know, doing a screen grab of the URL as it appears on my bottom bar. Because I'm like that, too.)
 
So there you have it. Three blogs for the sidebar, all as a consequence of the Bloggers' Roundtable! We'll see where things go from here...

UPDATE:  Uggggh, bad news. Of the three, only the Vintage Theater blog appears to have an RSS feed that Blogger likes - and it's not capturing it yet! Kait's is a Tumblr blog, and Tumblr blogs are often problematic. The Wilkes blog appears to have valid RSS - you can see it here - but Blogger hangs up when I try to add it. Maybe Blogger is just tired. Maybe tomorrow. In any case, all three of these will also be added to the list of static links on the sidebar, too!

Friday, September 16, 2011

Wyoming Valley Flood Information Sheet

Michelle D., a Leadership Wilkes-Barre alum, received this message today:

Dear LWB Alumni and Friends:

Over this past week we have heard from many people who have been affected by the recent flooding as well as those who are eager to help with the clean-up efforts and are looking for information on how to become involved. In response to these inquiries, we have compiled the attached list of resources for both flood victims and community members looking to lend a hand.

Please note that the list is based on what we have seen or heard of through our media; it may not list every donation point or volunteer organization.

The Leadership Wilkes-Barre Team

Here (after the break) is the list, in PDF form. You will need to download it and/or open it on your own computer to access the links.

NEPA Bloggers' Roundtable follow-up

Last night I took part in the NEPA Bloggers' Roundtable presentation, held at the Vintage Theater in Scranton and sponsored by Pages & Places @ Anthology, The Vintage Theater, and Go Lackawanna. I was there at the invitation of Rich Howells from Go Lackawanna, who served as moderator and one of the bloggers on the panel (he has two blogs, Rich Howells and Muckmakers.) I was there representing both NEPA Blogs and my personal blog, Another Monkey. Also on the panel were Tom Borthwick, who blogs about politics at NEPArtisan and is one of the mysteriously few bloggers in Scranton, and Justin Vacula,  who blogs about atheism, religion, society, and related topics.

First off I would like to say: THERE WAS NO TABLE - round or otherwise! Well, there was a small one off to the side, with copies of Go Lackawanna and several other publications; I added a generous pile of NEPA Blogs blog cards to it, and these were mostly gone by the end of the night.

All you need to know, on a card.
 (There was also a counter in the back where wine, coffee, soda, and water were available.)

The Vintage Theater was a cozy place, with seating for about two dozen people and more seats scattered around. The four of us sat in chairs across the small stage and took turns discussing issues and giving insights relating to blogging in general and in Northeastern Pennsylvania in particular. We were videotaped from two angles, though it is entirely possible that I managed to ineptly foul up the recording on the camera that Michelle lent me for the evening; in that case, I may need to beg Rich for a copy of his video. Rich also did a digital audio recording of the event.

We spoke from a little after 7:00 to a little after 8:00, with a Q&A session running through about 8:40 - by which time the theater was filling up  with folks coming to take part in a meeting of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Poets & Writers that was to start at 9:00. After the blog presentation was over, I stuck around to hear the poets. It has been years - maybe decades - since I attended a poetry reading, and who was I to pass up an opportunity for an experience that was essentially dumped in my lap? Plus, poets sometimes have blogs - we have links to a few poetry bloggers already - so the possibility existed that maybe I could pick up a few more bloggers to be listed on NEPA Blogs.

How did the event go? In my estimation, quite well. The four of us shared experiences and information, and interacted well with each other. But I'd be more interested in knowing what members of the audience thought.

NEPA Blogs may be involved in upcoming Pages & Places events - we have yet to receive official notification. I'm looking forward to it, and I encourage you to go!

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Two from Rich Howells

Thursday night I will be representing both my own personal blog (Another Monkey) and NEPA Blogs at a bloggers' roundtable event being held at the Vintage Theater in Scranton from 6:00 to 9:00. Also at the table will be bloggers Justin Vacula and Tom Borthwick, as well as blogger and moderator Rich Howells. When I learned who the other participants were I was less surprised at the fact that Justin and Tom are already listed on NEPA Blogs and more surprised that we don't have either of Rich Howells's blogs listed!

From the "About Rich" section of the main page on his personal blog, Rich Howells (http://richhowells.net/):

Rich is a 27-year-old writer, award-winning journalist, part-time blogger, and occasional misanthrope living in Scranton, Pennsylvania. He is a total nerd and co-founder of That Thin Line Productions, which produces entertainment for the web, such as this site and Muckmakers. Obviously, he also enjoys writing profiles in the third person. To learn more, visit the About page.

His Muckmakers blog (http://www.muckmakers.com/) has the subtitle "Highlighting the scandals you may have missed." From his lengthy and involved "About" page comes this bit that he says is "about as close to a mission statement as we’ll get:"

We hope to entertain as well as inform, injecting a healthy dose of cynicism, wit, sarcasm, and impropriety into our commentary in hopes of giving it to you straight while keeping you laughing, because if you can’t laugh at the world and its problems, you’re probably part of said problems.

Drop by both of Rich's blogs and have a look. He's been doing a lot of work behind the scenes on both of them, so don't be surprised if you see some changes soon. And if you have a chance, be sure to come out and see all of us at the Vintage Theater!

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

NEPA Blog Fest 2011 (Fall Edition)

Its that time of time of the year again. You can just smell autumn in the air, and the leaves are starting to fall ever-so slightly. That means one thing, and one thing only....TIME FOR NEPA BLOG FEST 2011 (Fall edition, of course). Do you like how I recycled the Spring logo image by cropping off the bottom? I'm a creative genius, what can I say....

Gort 42 posted the details on his blog yesterday and also created a Facebook event page.



Here's the 411 from Gort's Blog Post:

It was so much fun the last 3 times we are going to do it again.

The next blogger meetup will be Friday September 23rd at Rooney's Irish Pub 67 S. Main St. Pittston, PA 18704 starting at 6PM.

Our political bloggers from Luzerne and Lackawanna counties will be there along with our readers, commenter's and people who are just interested in local politics. We should also have many candidates and their supporters.

You don't have to blog about about politics to attend as we welcome everyone who blogs. If you're listed on NEPA Blogs this is the place to be.

The promotion of this event is a bit behind schedule because of the flooding that has impacted just about everybody involved but there should be a good turnout. I'll do my best to get the word out and expect my blog buddies to do the same.

There are 3 rules to the event.

1. No Speeches

2. You must wear clothes even it is warm.

3. Agree to disagree but don't be disagreeable.

There is no charge for admission.

I hope that you can show up and join us in some drinks and interesting conversation....Did I mention there was going to be drinks? I won't be able to partake in this years festivities due to my new shift, so have one or two for me :)

SPREAD THE WORD. ALL are welcome.
Yes, that includes you, Mr. (Mrs.?) Lurker.

~M

NEPA Blogger's Roundtable

A few weeks ago Harold (a.k.a "DB Echo") was invited to participate in a Bloggers forum by Rich Howells of Go Lackwanna! He graciously accepted the offer and is scheduled to appear in the roundtable tomorrow night. I invite you all to attend as it is free of charge. I would love to go and meet you all as well, but with my new night shift position, my schedule unfortunately does not allow it.



Here are the details:

Where: The Vintage Theater; Penn Avenue; Scranton PA
http://www.scrantonsvintagetheater.com/

When: Tomorrow, Thursday, September 15, 2011 from 6-9pm

Moderator: Rich Howells

Guest panelists:

Tom Borthwick, local teacher former candidate for Scranton School Board, and author of http://www.nepartisan.com/, one of the leading local political websites.

Justin Vacula, co-organizer for the NEPA Freethought Society, Examiner.com contributor, and the blogger behind http://www.justinvacula.com/, where he examines atheism, religion, and other philosophical topics.

Harold Jenkins (yay!), an autobiographical blogger from http://anothermonkey.blogspot.com/ as well as a contributor to NEPA Blogs (http://nepablogs.blogspot.com/), a clearinghouse providing links to blogs and other sites about NEPA or by people from NEPA.

The What:

Who is writing about the Scranton area's music scene, art scene, business community, politics, and philosophical beliefs -- and what are they saying? Coffee and complementary wine will be available starting at 6pm. It is FREE OF CHARGE (as previously mentioned) and open to the public. Rich Howells, will provide perspective on writing as a longtime blogger and as well as a journalist. While the two sides often battle for supremacy in modern media, Rich is of the opinion that both have their own place in delivering important information and opinions to the public. Rich Howells' blog can be found at http://richhowells.net/ (I already added it to the blogroll).

This event is sponsored by Pages & Places @ Anthology, The Vintage Theater, and Go Lackawanna.
I really hope that you can attend!
~M

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

PA Live! notes

NEPA Blogs made its debut on PA Live! today, featuring our first Blog of the Week. Big thanks to Dave Kuharchik, Monica Madeja, and the whole crew at WBRE for making this as easy as possible, and especially big thanks to Michelle D. for making this happen!

I'm trying to convince Dave and Monica to start a PA Live! blog where they can talk about the show's content each day, take readers behind the scenes, or give insights into the show - whatever they like! But in the meantime, let me fill you in on this episode - and add two bloggers to the NEPA Blogs list.

Today's episode - only the second episode of PA Live! ever - featured Jessie Holeva, a fashion blogger whose blog's motto is "Where style cravings fit a skinny budget." She's just back from the New York Fashion Show, and has a swag bag containing "the newest hair products, wrinkle cream, fake nails, a new drink, and even a shirt designed by Avril Lavigne" to give away! Her blog is called Trend HUNGRY (http://trendhungry.com/). Visit this post for information on the swag bag giveaway. Jessie will be presenting fashion information every Tuesday on PA Live!

Jessie's brother James Holeva was there as well, providing moral support. James is a comedian, former columnist for The Weekender, and a "Certified creeping specialist" according to his business card. He's also a blogger, and his blog, The Wingman Chronicles(http://wingmanchronicles.wordpress.com/) is... well, he describes it as "The uncouth adventures, uncensored exploits, tales of creepin', and advice of The Wingman James Holeva." It's certainly not a blog for the kiddies, and even some older folks may feel a bit creeped out. Read at your own risk, and consider yourself warned!

A delicious meal was prepared on the set by Master Chef Marcello of the Cafe Toscana restaurant (http://cafetoscanarestaurant.com/) - Capelli d’Angello Toscana: Angel Hair Pasta with Shiitake Mushrooms, Sun-dried Tomato & Arugula in a Garlic & Olive Oil Sauce. (The smell of garlic sauteing in olive oil almost brought the show to an abrupt end as everyone on the set nearly fell on Chef Marcello like a pack of ravenous zombies.) When I asked him after the show if he had a card, he said "No, but I have a pen." I took his pen, thanked him, dug in my pocket for a scrap of paper to write on, and asked him for Cafe Toscana's website - which he pointed out to me was printed on the side of the pen he had just given me! So my thanks to Master Chef Marcello of Cafe Toscana for the delicious meal and lovely pen!

What does next Tuesday's installment of PA Live! have in store? You'll just have to wait and see! In the meantime, be sure to tune in to WBRE every weekday between 4:00 and 5:00 for PA Live!

PA Live! Blog of the Week: The Susquehanna River Sentinel

NEPA Blogs will be presenting a "Blog of the Week" on the WBRE's PA Live! every Tuesday.  PA Live! airs weekday afternoons on WBRE from 4:00 to 5:00.

Watch this episode on the PA Live! site:
http://pahomepage.com/palive-details/?nxd_id=200846

The first blog that we're going to feature as the PA Live! Blog of the Week is one that is suddenly very relevant to a lot of people in Northeastern and Central PA: the Susquehanna River Sentinel.

The Susquehanna River Sentinel is written by kayaker and clean-water enthusiast Don Williams. While Don doesn't currently live in NEPA, he was born and raised in the Wyoming Valley, still has family in the area, and stops by frequently to visit and to paddle along the Susquehanna. (He's logged a few more miles in a kayak than Governor Corbett!) He is passionate about the Susquehanna, and it shows in his blog. He writes about the health of the river, its history, and threats to its continued well-being. He doesn't pull his punches or shy away from controversy when it comes to topics like fracking and the threats it poses to the Susquehanna. And with a background in law and a degree in Earth and Environmental Sciences, he knows what he's talking about.

The Susquehanna River Sentinel looks at things that don't always make the news. Don's been keeping track of the methane bubbling from the Susquehanna - a consequence of fracking activity - since it started over 376 days ago. He helped clean up in Wilkes-Barre and Kingston after the flood of '72, so he knows the task that the people affected by the flood of 2011 are facing. It was through his efforts that the Susquehanna has been declared the most endangered river in America. And he features a list of links to other blogs about fracking, the Susquehanna, and NEPA in general.

The Susquehanna River Sentinel blog can be found at srs444.blogspot.com - "srs" for "Susquehanna River Sentinel," and "444" for the total length of the river in miles. If you're someone whose life is affected by the Susquehanna, or if you're someone who cares about the Susquehanna, go visit this fascinating blog by its most passionate defender: the Susquehanna River Sentinel.

For more interesting blogs by people living in Northeastern Pennsylvania, from Northeastern Pennsylvania, or blogs about Northeastern Pennsylvania, visit NEPA Blogs at nepablogs.org. If you're a blogger who'd like to be listed on NEPA Blogs, or if you know a blog you think we should be listing, drop us a line at nepablogs@gmail.com. And be sure to watch for the NEPA Blogs "Blog of the Week" every Tuesday between 4:00 and 5:00 on PA Live! on WBRE!

Monday, September 12, 2011

Right Wing Wiz Kid Change

Good afternoon everyone. I hope you are having an ok Monday despite the last two weeks of down right nasty weather in Northeast PA.

I received the following email from the Mailbox:

I am currently listed on NEPA Blogs as Right Wing Wiz Kid.

I recently shut that site down and started a new blog, Semper Fi Parents, which can be found at : http://semperfiparents.com/

I'd be grateful if you changed the listing, and if you send me the code I will put one of your buttons on my site.

Regards

Carl Andrews
I have updated the Blogroll accordingly. Be sure to check out Carl Andrews new adventure over at Semper Fi Parents!

~M

NEPA Blogosphere Flood of 2011 wrap-up, Part 2

It's hard to call this a "wrap-up" of any sort as the story is still ongoing. For people in areas inundated by the Susquehanna and by flooding creeks and streams, this story will go on for months and years to come. But here are the latest posts from the NEPA Blogosphere on the Flood of 2011:

Jennifer D. Wade gives a media insider's view of the flood - as well as the view of someone who has the levee that holds back the Susquehanna literally in her back yard - in September Floods (or, bullets whizzing by my head.)

Lorina at Is THIS Bliss? has one word for people mulling over whether or not they should evacuate when ordered to: GTFO!

Don at the Susquehanna River Sentinel recalls flood clean-up after Agnes in Post-Flood: The Sights, the Smells, the Sounds, and documents a stunning bit of damage of personal relevance in To All of My October Paddling Friends.

James Rising looks at how the local and national media covered the flood in this week's Aggregate Saturday.

Karla Porter has been through a lot in the past 8 Weeks - including establishing and managing a Facebook group for disseminating accurate, truthful information about the flood, its effects, and post-flood recovery.

David Yonki's LuLac Political Letter has had plenty of flood coverage in issues 17481749, 1750, 1751, and 1752.

Andy Palumbo gave a view from Duryea (and shared some river wisdom) in FloodWatch 2011, and realized the power of Twitter in a crisis situation in Re Tweet.

Dale Wilsey Jr. of Manic Frustration witnesses the awesome and horrifying power of the flooding Susquehanna in '72 Déjà vu : September flooding in Tunkhannock Part 1.

Gort42 has much to say about the flood:
- Wyoming Valley Flood 2011-update
- Wyoming Valley Flood 2011-Barletta and Obama respond.
- Wyoming Valley Flood 2011-the levee system held, now the cleanup
- Barletta's reponse
- Wyoming Valley Flood 2011-paying for it

Stephen Albert of Not Cease From Exploration makes some observations about flooding in West Pittston (among other things) in Road Apples, #111.

Matt Taylor makes many days of rain look beautiful in his video Rain Daze.

Justin Vacula looks at Skepticism During the Flood.

Politics in Northeastern Pennsylvania reminds us that PA Dems Attacked Corbett for Emergency Readiness Ads.

On Another Monkey, I compare the political climates for recovery during 1972 and 2011 in The water this time.

The Right to Gripe griped about the flood in The Flood of 2011, and gripes some more in Flood Thoughts 2011.
JimboBillyBob at Posts From the Fringe is exhausted from dealing with Tropical Storm Lee, but promises a big post soon.

Dan Emplit at WB Fire Fighters Thoughts commends the mayor of Wilkes-Barre for his actions in Don't yell at him for doing his job, and stresses the value of South Station as the only Wilkes-Barre firehouse not in the flood plain.

Mark at Circumlocution for Dummies shares an important link for people who need help in Wilkes-Barre in Recovery Web site.

Scootin' da Valley takes a scooter as far as it can go in affected areas in Nature Comes Calling.

Pittston Politics will not be regularly updated for a while as blogger Joe Valenti's house was affected by the flood. Best wishes, Joe!

Whole Family offers HEALTH Tips During FLOOD 2011 Clean-up! and Health Tips Unliklely to be Heard on Local Flood News.

Gary Ryman at Keep 200 Ft Back: My View From the Back Step shares an insight on persuading people to evacuate in Get in the boat!

The SPCA of Luzerne County gives some Flood updates - On the animal front.

Rachel of all trades focuses on flood assistance in the Bloomsburg area in Flood of 2011 - a few places to give and get assistance.

McGruff at Sights on Pennsylvania explains how Democrats are actually holding up FEMA Disaster Aid by refusing to kill funding for electric cars.

David DeCosmo at No News Is...Good News? tells us about Old Man River...He Just keeps Rolling Along! and shares an amusing story from the terrible days of Agnes in True Confessions!

Mandy Boyle shares her thoughts in Rivers Run Deep.

In a post I think I missed in our first wrap-up, Lisa at Live & Learn looks warily at the coming disaster on Wednesday, September 7 in Checking In... and writes about the flood itself in Epic...

Mike Burnside checked in on September 9 in Late Summer Evening.

Steve Fretz at Miles of RV Smiles asks Pennsylvania: Have You Used Your Motorhome As A Storm Shelter?

And finally, Michelle Davies has gone above and beyond with NEPA Blogs in the mega-post Giving Help, which is a virtual one-stop guide to giving (and getting!) flood relief in NEPA.

***************************

This isn't the end, I am sure. There will still be many posts about this flood, and I am sure I have missed a few. But that's it for now.

For an earlier view of this disaster, see NEPA Blogosphere Flood of 2011 wrap-up, Part 1.

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Giving Help

LAST UPDATED - 4:19pm on 10/03/11

Many of us in the area have been fortunate enough to not be affected by the September floods, but others did not fair so well. The whole basis of NEPA Blogs is to talk about blogging and people from the area, but we would not be doing the community a service if we didn't help out in this time of extreme need.

Here are ways that you can help:

Entercom Communications is holding a cleaning supply drive for the victims of the flooding. You can drop off supplies at either the Wilkes-Barre Twp. Wal-Mart or the one in Taylor. Help them fill the trailer. More details here: http://pahomepage.com/fulltext?nxd_id=199416



The American Red Cross's Facebook Page states that "Over 4,000 people spent last night in Red Cross shelters in NY & PA." You can donate to the Red Cross's efforts by texting REDCROSS to 90999. I believe the 10 dollar donation will be tacked on to your monthly cell phone bill.

WNEP & Times Shamrock Communications have set up a local Flood Relief Fund. More information about how you can donate here.

The Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce has setup a recovery website where you can give help/get help or find information about the recovery efforts. Wilkes-Barre City has a similar website setup here. Here is a list of open GWB Chamber member businesses: http://gwbrecovery.org/open-for-business/list-of-ofb-companies. John Dawe released a Flood Recovery for Business Briefing Slideshow here.

The HelpLine of NEPA is always a valuable resource for assistance for crisis situations. They are on Twitter and Facebook and also have a website: http://www.helpline-nepa.info

Voluntary Action Center of Northeastern PA is requesting volunteers to assist with the Flood Clean-up efforts. Read the Press Release here.

The Penn State Cooperative Extension has provided the following information links: http://www.extension.purdue.edu/floodpub/index.html and http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/flood.

WNEP TV seems to be echoing our efforts: They established at Help for Flood Victims link here.

The U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Office of Disaster Assistance provides low-interest disaster loans to homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes and private, non-profit organizations to repair or replace real estate, personal property, machinery and equipment, inventory and business assets that have been damaged or destroyed in a declared disaster.

Here is a list of types of loans in which you may qualify: Home and Personal Property Loans, Business Physical Disaster Loans, Economic Injury Disaster Loans and Military Reservists Economic Injury Loans.

For more information about services provided by the SBA, visit www.sba.gov, or call the SBA customer service center at 1-800-659-2955.

Via: The Times Leader

You can Pre-Register for FEMA Assistance by calling (800)621-3362. TTY 1-800-462-7585 for hearing impaired. Or online: www.disasterassistance.gov

Please have the following:

  • Address and phone number where you can be reached
  • Social Security number
  • Mailing address
  • Date the damage occured
  • Address of the affected property
  • Brief description of the damages
  • Insurance information
  • Family's gross income

Register today - Even if you have Flood Insurance. Some losses may not be covered.


The Wilkes University Small Business Development Center is available to assist small business owners affected by the recent flood. Please contact our office at 570-408-4340 if we can help you in your recovery effort. Please pass this message along to those who may benefit from our assistance.
Link
NEPAConnect.com was emailed to me from Amy Gregory. She noticed my post about the "Giving Help" link on the Wyoming Valley Flood 2011 Facebook Page and tells me
"NEPA Connect created a FREE matching tool for needs and donations/services to help out. I think it will solve the problem of posts falling off the page like they do on FB pages. Please give it a try and recommend it to others!"
I just headed over there to offer some baby furniture to a needy family. If you have any stuff laying around not being used that you can offer up, I'd suggest using this portal. Listings are free of charge.

The United Way of Wyoming Valley has established a Flood Relief Fund for victims of the early September Floods. You can learn more about it by visiting their website: http://www.unitedwaywb.org


In response to the recent flood, United Way has established a fund for flood relief victims in the Wyoming Valley. At the same time, United Way of Wyoming Valley has decided to postpone the start of its annual community campaign, so that it can focus its efforts on meeting the immediate critical needs of our community due to the recent natural disaster.

With the help of a community impact committee, consisting of community volunteers, flood-related needs will be prioritized and relief funds will be allocated. Every penny of one’s donation will go to help our flooded neighbors in need and 100% of the funds will remain in the Wyoming Valley.

Donate securely now through PayPal - no need for an account! All major credit cards accepted.




From Wyoming Valley Flood 2011 Facebook Page:

The Cross Valley Federal Credit Union,
starting on Monday, all of our branch locations will be accepting donations of cleaning supplies for the American Red Cross. We will also have donation canisters out for those wishing to make a monetary donation to Red Cross. Any support is greatly appreciated! We have locations in Wilkes Barre, Dallas, Forty Fort, Mt Top and Hazleton. For a specific listing of all of our locations you can also visit www.crossvalleyfcu.org. It doesn't matter where we donate - as long as we do. :0) This Valley is capable of doing amazing things!!! Our hearts go out to all those affected.

The West Pittston Public Library is in need of volunteers to assist with their clean-up effort. From what I understand, they started working on the efforts again today (9/11) at 10am. You can offer your services via their Facebook Page: West Pittston Library.

West Pittston Update: When re-entering the borough on Sunday, you must have the proper identification to be let back in. Via: WNEP

Another West Pittston Update: Provided via Amy Hetro on Facebook - Information from West Pittston Borough Council: Anyone physically unable to carry their flood debris from their house to curb side should contact the borough office at 655-7782. The National Guard will assist.

Hot meals will be available from the Corpus Christi Church on Luzerne Ave from 4-7pm Mon-Fri this week. These meals are available for victims, volunteers and first responders.

Also, there will be roving canteens throughout the town serving hot meals this week.

West Pittston Fire Department on Spring Street has some supplies available to its residents affected by the flood. They state they have water, gloves, self-heating meals, hand sanitizer & water available.

A Flood Victim Relief Benefit event page was just created on Facebook.
Here are the details:
Dianes Deli in Pittston and Jane Moser from the band Our Ashes Remain, are holding a benefit on October 22,2011. This benefit is to support the victims of the flood in which Pittston and surrounding areas have suffered. I am extending my hands out for some help to help them! We need gift baskets, gift cards, donations and anything that would be benefitcial to helping people get back on their feet again. So far from what I gather the bands involved are as follows in no particular order: Our Ashes Remain, %Dual Diagnosis%, Purveyor, The Way, dED&BURYd, Aarika Ariel Whittle, E J DeRoy, Casey Jones and more acts to follow. Everyone is welcome and it will most likely be an all day event! Come on everyone, if you ever had a chance to do something nice for someone and backed away, STEP UP AND TAKE THIS CHANCE!

When: Saturday Oct 22 from 2pm until Oct 23 2:00am.
Where: Diane's Deli & Internet Cafe; 206 South Main Street; Pittston PA

From Wyoming Valley Flood 2011 Facebook Page: Marilyn Capolarella Currey posted that she owns a womens consignment shop in West Pittston located in the Insalaco Shopping Center next to the Dunkin Donuts. She reports that they have unsold spring and summer womens clothing ranging from size 0-3x. Anyone in need of clothing is invited to come by the store and take what you need. Store hours are M-F 10am-6pm. They will be there tomorrow, Mon (9/12).

Also, Lisa Villano Mulvey stated that a hot dinner is being served to the residents, volunteers, National Guard and anyone else who is in the town working all week in West Pittston at the Immaculate Conception church on Luzerne Ave. Baked goods (or any food for that matter) would be welcomed if you want to coordinate your efforts with the existing efforts. People will be there cooping in the morning and serving dinner from 4pm to 7pm.

The Hunlock Creek Fire Hall is now a drop off site for cleaning supplies for all of those affected by flooding. If you want to donate, please drop off at the hall....(editors note: however, I do not have specific dates or times that they will be open.) They are specifically requesting the following items: disinfectants (clorox, lysol, etc.), mops, brooms, gloves, buckets, etc.

Excelsior Hose Company in Duryea is collecting cleaning supplies, clothing and anything else you can think of donating to the flood victims of lower Duryea. There are some who have lost everything unexpectedly, since the forecast was not for the Lackawanna River to flood. (Editor's note: I do not have any specific dates or times for these collections). UPDATE - This collection site has been combined with the VFW on Stephenson Street in Duryea. See below.

9/11 Duryea Update: Anyone who has spare cleaning supplies, clothing, basically anything that can be of assistance to flood victims who reside in the lower section of Duryea and is willing to donate them, please bring the items to the VFW on Stephenson Street in Duryea. They are also accepting monetary donations. They will be on site at this location until *Correction*: 9:30pm. They will be on site tomorrow 9/12 as well.

9/12 Duryea Update: The VFW is putting out requests once again for cleaning supplies. They are down to only 10 bottles of Clorox. They have no push brooms, buckets, or mops. They also are requesting squeegees. They are NOT accepting major appliances as they have no room to store them, including microwaves. They are accepting coffee makers, clothes, baby items, childrens' books, etc. They still can use mops and buckets.

More about Duryea: Residents are asked to put trash at the front of their homes for later pickup. Officials in Duryea are also asking residents returning to their homes not to park on Main Street. Park elsewhere and walk to your home. Via: WNEP

TradeMark Realty Group will be collecting any donations like cleaning products, clothing etc. or just anything you could spare and give it to Red-cross or local churches for distribution.
 Our office will be open everyday 9am -5pm and will be available for chat through our website www.TradeMarkRealtyGroup.com if you have questions.

Servpro of Hanover Township has crews out in full force helping people get their lives, homes and businesses back to normal. If you are in need of water damage cleanup and restoration services, our office available 24/7 at (570)-822-4700. Via Their Facebook Page.

West Side All Starz will be a drop off area for donated clothing, blankets, pillows, non perishable foods, bottles of water and cleaning supplies for those who have lost their homes and belongings in the flood. Items can be dropped off starting today 11am-10pm at 545 Charles Street, Luzerne PA 18709. If you are in need of items please email Tammy at tammytbwss@aol.com.

Cub Scout Pack 100 and Plains Soccer are asking for your donations to help our neighbors who have been affected by the recent flooding. DONATIONS OF non-perishable food, cleaning supplies, bleach, mops, paper products, toiletries, towels, linens and clothing of all sizes. DROP OFF at SCOUT HALL, 13 Stocker St, on Sunday from 5-8 PM, Monday from 6-8PM, and Tues from 6-8PM.

The PA Department of Health will be at the PSTI Headquarters building Sunday at 3pm with their mobile unit giving tetanus shots to emergency responders, who have not a shot in 10 years. Please note: This is ONLY FOR FIRST RESPONDERS.

MedExpress in Edwardsville and Wilkes-Barre has Tetanus shots available. Open from 9am to 9pm daily.

Wilkes-Barre General Hospital to offer free tetanus vaccinations, posted on their website on September 16, 2011

As part of its efforts to aid community members affected by the recent flooding and evacuation emergencies, Wilkes-Barre General Hospital will provide free tetanus vaccinations to individuals age 16 and older at two community locations, in West Pittston and Plymouth:

LOCATIONS

  1. First United Methodist Church, 408 Wyoming Avenue, West Pittston
  2. Plymouth Fire Hall, 451 West Main Street, Plymouth

DATES/TIMES FOR BOTH LOCATIONS

  • Saturday, September 17, from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
  • Tuesday, September 20, from 6 – 9 a.m. and 4 - 7 p.m.
  • Wednesday, September 21, from 6 – 9 a.m. and 4 - 7 p.m.
  • Saturday, September 24 from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
  • Saturday, October 1 from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Verizon Wireless has coordinated with the City of Wilkes-Barre to provide a mobile communications center. The Verizon Communications Center is located at 278 S. Sherman Street in Wilkes-Barre and will be open to public beginning Saturday Sept 10 from 10am to 8pm. The facility arrived on site Friday Sept 9., and will remain at this location until at least Tuesday.

Residents of the Port Blanchard section should place refuse at curbside and it will be picked up Monday. Via: WNEP

The Fifth Element Tattoo Gallery located at 318 Wyoming Ave., Wyoming, PA will be running a drive to help those in need from the flood. Starting on Monday they will be accepting cleaning products and canned goods, they have separate boxes setup on site for both.

The Luzerne County Courthouse & County offices will be reopening on Monday. Source: Times Leader

The Salvation Army of Wilkes-Barre has some information that you should be aware of, including updated contact information, by reading this article at the Times Leader website.

Salvation Army Flood Recovery Update: Items desperately needed are food, beverages, paper products, and cleaning products. They can be dropped off a the Kidder Street location on Saturday or Sunday. You may drop off at the Penn Ave location Monday. Financial donations can be sent to 17 S. Pennsylvania Ave; Wilkes-Barre, PA 18701 or texted to 80888.

Polish Falcons Club (Mocanaqua) Shelter needs almost anything and everything you can think of from food, first aid supplies, water, clean-up supplies, volunteers, etc. They are also requesting medical personal to help for a few victims. The address is 134 Main Rd. in Mocanaqua.

Cherry Street Bible Church (Corner of Church & Cherry Streets in Plymouth) is having a Free Clothing give-away Saturday Sept 17th from 10am to 2pm. Their contact number is 570-779-4838. Their website is www.cherrystreetbiblechurch.com via Plymouth Twp. Fire Rescue Tilbury Station 169.

The American Red Cross Sub Station located across from the Ashley Police Station at 15. N. Main Street, Ashley, is looking for donations. Specifically requesting bottled water, food, clothing, cleaning supplies and cash donations. Checks can be made out to St. Vincent Kitchen or American Red Cross.

The American Red Cross at the N. Sherman Street Wilkes-Barre location will have clean-up kits available starting Monday at 9am. It will be a drive through service and motorists are asked to enter the back of the building on the right side and exit on the left side. Via: WNEP

Rocky & Sue from KRZ just posted this to Facebook:
From the Wyoming Mayor Boyer -- Can you help me get the word out about a flood relief program Wyoming Borough is coordinating with all Gerritys Supermarkets and the Wyoming Price Chopper? Customers can purchase cleaning supplies in these stores and donate the items on the spot. The cleaning supplies will then be delivered to the area flood victims. Items needed are bleach, rubber gloves, cleaners, towels, etc. The items are taken out and put to use almost immediately.

LCCC is having a blood drive on Tues, Sept 13 from 9am to 3pm in the Cafeteria on campus. You can learn more about it by visiting the news article posted on their Student Intranet Link.

Harding Residents: (Luzerne County) officials advised to put any trash curb-side but NOT on the street, they are coordinating a pick-up but do not have the day determined yet.

The Sons of the American Legion Mt. Post 781 are sponsoring a Flood Relief Drive effective 9/12/11. Items or cash donation can be dropped off at the American Legion Mt. Post 781 on Church Road in Mt. Top M-F 1pm-9pm and Sat & Sun from 12pm-9pm. Collection Date will be until Sept 26th. For more information call 570-474-2161 or visit the website at www.alpost781.org

Items they are collecting include: Surgical Masks, Latex Gloves, Large Sponges, Scrub Brushes, Bleach, Cleaners, Cleaners w Bleach, Disinfectant, Pine Sol, etc., Hand Sanitizer/Wipes, Broom Heads, Small/Large Mop Heads, Large Black Garbage Bags, Broom Sticks, Garden Gloves, basically anything cleaning related will be extremely helpful!

From the Citizens' Voice: A large truck of cleanup kits just arrived at Tilbury Fire Co. Hall in West Nanticoke. Also, State emergency officials are working to establish mobile disaster recovery centers in four Northeast PA counties by Wednesday. Counties include: Luzerne, Wyoming, Bradford, and Columbia. More on this here.

Thomas' Barbeque 4810 Birney Ave; Moosic is collecting cleaning supplies today to distribute to those in flooded areas. Call 313-0342 for more information. Via @GWBChamber

FROM THE MAILBAG (nepablogs@gmail.com):

Can you please add this to your page.

Clothing distribution to benefit families affected by the flood. Sponsored by Kids Klothes Line & the Keystone Rescue Mission Alliance. To be held at Our Lady of Mt Carmel Church, 237 William St., Pittston, PA. 1-4:00 p.m. All clothing and shoes available free, no income requirements. Donations of clothing accepted. Please email volcor@scrantonrescuemission.com or call Kathy @ 570-871-4795 – Keystone Rescue Mission Alliance.

Kids Klothes Line FB page https://www.facebook.com/#!/kids.klothes.line

Event Page https://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=172219392855824

Kathy Regan
Volunteer Coodinator
Keystone Rescue Mission Alliance Inc.
570-871-4795
www.scrantonrescuemission.com
Befriend us on Facebook!"

From King's College:
Please let The Office of Campus Ministry know of any King's family/individual in need of assistance as they recover from the flood. Many people have already been asking how they might be of assistance. We are in the process of determining how best we might help. Please contact Campus Ministry with information at 570-208-5890. To volunteer with recovery efforts, please contact Leann Mazurick at the Shoval Center at 570-208-5810.

Also From King's College:
The West Pittston Library suffered severe damage to its holdings in the recent flood. The Education Department is spearheading a drive to collect books to be donated beginning Tuesday, Sept 13. Please bring all books, with the exception of textbooks, including children's books, that you no longer need to one of the collection boxes located in Holy Cross Holl, O'Hara Hall, lobby leading to the Theater, and the McGowan Business School.

You can also bring donations to Woodforest National Bank offices located inside Walmart stores in Hazleton, Pittston and Taylor. Call 655-9379 for more information. Source: Times Leader

K-Mart in Pittston
is now accepting donations of clothing, food and cleaning supplies! These supplies will be given to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church. There will be a giveaway benefitting flood victims and families Sunday Sept 18th from 1pm to 4pm. If you are unable to deliver donations contact Jessica at 885-6343 and she will assist you with arranging pick-up of the donation.

Autism Behavioral Services
is a drop off for donations for flood victims. Hours of drop off are Mon-Thur 8am-4pm and Fri 8am-2pm. They are located at 1122 Wyoming Avenue, Exeter. The main entrance is around the back, just ring the door bell. See Mary Vesloski as she is coordinating the efforts.

Applause Theatre
will be in West Pittston collecting. Stop by to drop off donations of cleaning supplies, canned goods, clothing: Sun Sept 18 5-7pm & Mon Sept 19 6-8pm at 234 Wyoming Ave; West Pittston --- Char & Co Salon. They request that you do not call the location that is hosting them.

From Facebook -
Cheryl Gressley is an affiliate with a local non-profit "Sons of a Carpenter" based out of the Lehigh Valley. They are looking for churches or individual disabilities to help rebuild from the flood. They will also take individuals with compelling stories. Please feel free to email info@sonsofacarpenter.org for more information. Their website is www.sonsofacarpenter.org

The Wilkes-Barre & Scranton locations of the Tobyhanna Federal Credit Union
are collecting donations of cleaning supplies, non perishable items, and gently used clothing. The locations are 880 Schechter Drive in Wilkes-Barre, 315 Franklin Avenue in Scranton. Call 1-866-862-9328 for directions.

UFCW will be collecting cleaning supplies, personal items and cash donations for flood victims at their Wyoming, Kingston, and Hanover branches. Contact Debbie Scott at 570-693-0500x233 for further information.

NEPA Blogger Shannon Nelson (from A Girl's Gotta Spa! Beauty Blog) of is thinking of auctioning off some of her (as she puts it) "bazillion beauty products" to help raise money for the flood victims/Red Cross. I will be sure to pass more details about that along as they become available.

St. Ignatius Church in Kingston is collecting prepared food to help feed those who are cleaning up their homes & businesses in West Pittston and Harding. Prepared food & other donations can be dropped off at St. Ignatius 339 N. Maple Ave: Tuesday 4-6pm in Bergan Hall (two doors down from the church itself) and will be taken to Immaculate Conception/Corpus Christi on Luzerne Ave. in W. Pittston. Wednesday donations will be accepted in St. Ignatius Church basement (Conlon Hall). Prepared foods, snacks, drinks, desserts are all welcome. Their website is: http://www.stignatiuspa.com.

The offices of GEM Riverside Rehabilitation, providers of physical, occupational and speech therapies, will be collecting cleaning supplies for the recent flood victims. The collection will continue through the month. New cleaning supplies can be dropped off at the following GEM Riverside locations: 80 N. Mountain Blvd. (Route 309) in Mountain Top (474-1171); 506 Hazle St. in Wilkes-Barre (270-4366); and 27 Main St. in Dallas (674-2659).

The Luzerne borough hall, as well as the Swoyersville American Legion and Kingston VFW, are accepting personal items needed for flood victims.
Items include toilet paper, soap, deodorant, shampoo, toothpaste and toothbrushes.
Also needed are flood clean-up items, including latex gloves, scrub brushes, surgical masks, bleach, disinfectants, large sponges, garden gloves, paper towels, bathroom cleaner, mops and brooms.
Items may be dropped off at the Luzerne Borough Building, Academy Street, Luzerne; Swoyersville American Legion, Shoemaker Street, Swoyersville; or the Kingston VFW, Wyoming Avenue, Kingston.
Robert Mericle donates to help flood victims. He has made several of him employees and vehicles available to flooded areas. I learned about this from WNEP.

WYOMING - A donation drop off for all flood victims is underway at the Wyoming Hose Co. No. 2 on 3rd Street in Wyoming. Source: Times Leader
People are in desperate need of the essentials including clothes for men, women, and children; household items such as toiletries, food, diapers, formula, and baby toys. Monetary donations will be accepted as well. Items for pets also are being accepted.
Extended hours for donations are until 9 this evening, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday.
Flood victims are welcome to stop by to receive any supplies they might need to move forward.
First National Bank of Pennsylvania banking offices are acting as collection points for cleaning supplies that will support American Red Cross flood relief efforts.
Today through Friday, residents are invited to join bank employees in collecting the following items most needed by the Red Cross in affected areas: drinking water, bleach and rag mops.
Local branches are located at 120 Highland Park Blvd., Wilkes-Barre Township; 46 S. Mountain Blvd., Mountain Top; 35 E. Main St., Nanticoke; 1 S. Church St., Hazleton; Rittenhouse Place, Route 309, Drums; 2378 State Route 118, Hunlock Creek; and 74 E. Tioga St., Tunkhannock. Call 1-800-555-5455 or visit fnb-online.com for hours and other branches. Source: Times Leader

The Greater Nanticoke Area Trojans football team and the players’ parents will be accepting donations for floods victims at the Nanticoke vs. Meyers football game Friday night (9/23/11).
Items needed are flashlights, batteries, light bulbs, garden hoses, Tylenol, Aleve, aspirin, Neosporin, water, canned food and buckets. Donations will benefit flood victims in the Nanticoke area. For more information visit the website: http://www.gnasd.com
The Wilkes-Barre River Common is looking for volunteers to whip the River Common back into shape for the Children's Chalk Fest to be held on October 1, 2011 from 11am-3pm. Here are the details via WNEP:

To help ready the park, RiverCommon.org organizers are seeking volunteers on the following dates:
  • Thursday, September 22nd: 5:30pm-7:30pm.
  • Saturday, September 24th: 10am-12pm.
  • Sunday, September 25th: 1pm-3pm.
Volunteers are asked to meet recovery organizers at the Market Street Bridge Stairway to the River Common Park, located directly across the street from the former Hotel Sterling (River Street, W-B). Volunteers are encouraged to bring flat shovels, industrial brooms, masks, gloves, water-hose extensions and power-washers.
As advised by public health officials, volunteers are advised to receive a tetanus shot as instructed by their personal physician. Any questions regarding tetanus shots, should be directed to family practitioners.
Lazy Boy Furniture donates more than $200,000 of furniture to the Salvation Army for flood victims. Read the Citizens' Voice article here for more information.
LCCC is making used computers available to students who were affected by the flood. View the details here to see if you qualify for one of these machines.
Northeastern Eye Institute was featured on "Leckey Live" on WNEP this morning with regard to their Flood Relief Program. Details here. Basically, if you have been affected by the flood, you may be entitled to free replacement contact lenses or glasses.
Salon owner cuts to the chase with her donations (article by Times Leader). Christina Freeman of Ciao Bella Salon and Studio is accepting donations of clothes and toiletries to distribute to flood victims in Shickshinny. Donations can be made through the Ciao Bella Salon and Studio, 41 Oxford St., Suite A, Hanover Township. Freeman can be reached at the shop at 824-4152.


Attention Wyoming County residents! This information is for you --

Interfaith Friends has a list of available furniture and larger items available for free to those affected by the floods. If you need furniture, baby items, clothes or anything Interfaith Friends has, you may stop by during business hours. ALL items are given at NO CHARGE to anyone affected by the flood. Their contact # 570-836-2428.

The Cub Scout Pack 518 of Tunkhannock are collecting donations to give to flood victims. So far they have clothing, toys, games, paper products, personal care items and backpacks. However, I'm not sure of how to get in touch with them.

P & G has a diaper booth setup in the Tunkhannock Wal-Mart parking lot. They will be there Saturday (9/10) from 6pm to 9pm. They will then be set up Sunday (9/11) through Friday (9/16) from 7am to 7pm.

All information for Wyoming County was found via the American Red Cross of Wyoming County's Facebook page.


Via Ryan Leckey's Facebook Page: Donations can be dropped off for Falls (Wyoming county) flood victims at the Lake Winola Volunteer Fire Company (which is actually right near the post office in Falls). They are looking for clothing, non perishable food items, toiletries, pet foods or even cash/checks. All contributions greatly appreciated. If anyone needs help finding the fire company, they can ask at the post office which is right at the Falls bridge. Thank you!

The Laceyville Goodwill Fire Company is reporting that they received a large amount of food and supplies from the Wyoming County United Way at the Laceyville Fire Hall. They have baby food, diapers, baby wipes, baby bottles, toiletries including: deodorant, toothbrushes, toothpaste, hand soap, hand sanitizer, bananas, cereal, pasta, peanut butter, yogurt, fruit cups, capri suns, bread, sunny delite, granola, pudding and etc. There are also clothes available. If you affected by flooding in the Laceyville area, please stop down at the fire hall. They are also accepting donations of all types, but especially looking for small appliances (such as microwaves) and cleaning supplies.

The Tide Loads of Hope Program has made a visit to Wyoming County courtesy of P&G. WNEP reports that
The Tide truck will remain in WalMart's parking lot near Tunkhannock through the end of Monday. Click here to view the article.

Our10.org - Our10.org was founded on September 16th, 2011 in response to heavy flooding damage caused by Hurricane Irene in North Eastern PA. It is our hope that both flood survivors and those not affected by flooding will be able to better connect with each other to address the needs of survivors in starting the process of rebuilding their lives. **Read our blog post about it here.

Via the Mailbag: Jacqueline Thompson wrote to us
"I am the founder of People in Need, a non-profit group helping out flood victims. We are in need items for our donation site site located on Rt. 92S 2.5 miles past Dunkin Donuts in Tunkhannock. Many families are in need right now from the flood. If you are willing to donate please contact me @ 996-0754 or 996-3019 or via mail at Jackiepa64@hotmail.com. Thank You for your time. "
You can visit the Wyoming County People in Need Facebook Group by clicking here.


Lackawanna County --

Several Red Cross blood drives have been scheduled. There is one today (9/11) at the American Legion Raymond Henry Post 327, 101 Willow Ave, Olyphant from 10am to 3pm. Monday (9/12) at CMC, Mulberry Street, Scranton from 12pm to 4pm. More blood drive information including additional dates and locations can be obtained by calling 1-800-RED-CROSS


Columbia County / Sullivan County / Central PA --

(All information obtained via the Y 106.5 Facebook page)

Free Childcare for residents who were affected by the recent floods in our area and to those who are helping with the clean up efforts. Childcare service provided by Chrissy Van Hoover and Jennifer Devine Arbogast and other childcare providers and volunteers at Wesley United Methodist Church in Selinsgrove from 11:30-5pm Sunday Sept 11th.

Y 106.5 FM
is taking American Red Cross Donations now and throughout the weekend at their Sunbury Motors Studios in the Susquehanna Valley Mall. Donate now for your friends, neighbors and community. Their webpage is http://www.y106.fm, also, you should check out the flood information page there, it sums up everything going on (school closings, road closings, where to report damage) in one shot. Click here to view that.

Century 21 Mertz and Assoc; 299 Mill Street Danville (next to BJ Ribs)
is organizing a collection of items for disbursement to local shelters, the Red Cross and Salvation Army. They are specifically looking for donations of cleaning supplies, canned food, adult & children's clothing as well as monetary donations.

Bloomsburg Fair Association is requesting volunteers. They are in need of volunteers to help with the clean up efforts at the fairgrounds. Flood waters hit the fairgrounds at an all time high. With the fair starting at the end of the month, they don't have much time to recover. The fair is scheduled to being on September 24, 2011. Currently they have no phone service, so please no phone calls. Basically, if you can help, just show up. The fairgrounds are located at 620 West Third Street; Bloomsburg, PA 17815.

UPDATE ABOUT THE BLOOMSBURG FAIR: If you haven't already heard by now, the Bloomsburg Fair has been cancelled for the first time in 156 years! We at NEPA Blogs are devastated to learn this news. However, we know that the fair will be back bigger and better next year. Source: WNEP

Helping Neighbors - Bloomsburg 2011 Facebook Page is a great resource for getting information.

Again, from Ryan Leckey's Facebook page:
Our Lady of Lourdes Church on Walnut street in Montoursville is taking collections. They are in need of shovels, toiletries, cleaning supplies.

Jeremy Deebel from WBRE is reporting that Agape Ministries in the Bloomsburg area is collecting clothes, cleaning supplies and helping to organize volunteer efforts. They are located across from the Children's Museum. They are actively working with the Red Cross and other agencies.

The Red Cross in the Bloomsburg area has also stated that Wesley United Methodist Church and a church in Lighstreet (Editor's note: I don't have a name...sorry) are both collecting clothing and cleaning supplies.

The Greater Berwick Red Cross is giving out free clean up kits. People can pick them up at the Red Cross in Berwick between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.

The last day for flood debris pick-up was 10/03/11 - according to WNEP.


Northern Tier --

I'm sorry, I've not been trying to ignore you all in the affected areas up north, I just do not have the contacts up in that region to pass along any donation drives or volunteer needs. I did come across this Facebook Page: SRBC Neighbors Helping Neighbors which seems to be spreading a wealth of information about the region. If you have any additional submissions or tips, please be sure to pass them along so I can post them.

Bradford County Flood Facebook Page
has information for those residents affected in that area.

Binghamton, NY reached out via Facebook to us to let us know they have also setup a Facebook page similar to Bradford County and others previously posted. If you have friends or relatives up in that area that need assistance, please visit the page here.




Politician's Repsonse:

HAZLETON – Rep. Lou Barletta, PA-11, announced the establishment of several Constituent Recovery Centers – places where his staff members will be to help people who have questions with the federal disaster assistance procedures.

Beginning Monday morning at 10:15 a.m., members of Rep. Barletta’s staff will be on hand to talk with residents, business owners, and elected officials to answer questions about the federal response to the historic flooding of the Susquehanna River.

Rep. Barletta’s Constituent Recovery Centers will be at:

•Duryea Borough Building, 315 Main Street, Duryea
•West Pittston Police Department/Borough Building, 555 Exeter Avenue, West Pittston
•Bloomsburg Office of State Rep. David Millard, 605 West Main Street, Bloomsburg
•Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Business and Industry office, 2 Public Square, Wilkes-Barre (for business inquiries)
Future hours of the Constituent Recovery Centers will be announced.

[Snipped]

Via Gort42's blog.

Update: 9/12/11
Gort now has Flood Advice posted from State Rep. Phyllis Mundy. Click here to view it.

Joe Biden is expected to visit the region on Friday to assess flood damage. Source: Times Leader

Update: 9/14/11
US Rep Tom Marion wants a federal hearing on the flood.




Towing Services: Also, LAG will conduct free tows for any vehicles trapped in flooded water or need to be taken to higher ground from the flood areas in coordination with the city. Contact 570-208-4152 to request service. Source, WBRE.

Photography Services: Top of the Mountain Photography by Bridget Banik is offering to take flood damage pictures free of charge to anyone who may have lost their camera/electronics in the flood. You can contact her via her Facebook page or call 570-417-6330. Also, according to the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce's twitter account, Patrick Gensel, freelance photographer and NEPA Blogger is willing to help as well, please contact him through his website at http://patrickgensel.com.

ALSO - From the mailbox: ShadowCatcher Ltd. Photography
is offering to all flood victims who do not have access to a camera, FREE photos of their properties for Insurance and FEMA Claims. Call Lori at (570) 270-9300.

Computer Services: Alex Sergay (asergay@gmail.com) has volunteered to help with computer issues for those affected by the flood. "Hard drives that get flooded can be recovered, but you have to keep them wet so they don't rust and ship them right away to a recovery place. They say not to start a flooded drive yourself, since it could damage it." Also, Staples has offered to help businesses in flooded areas including office supplies, furniture, toner, printer and IT products. Contact David Kanavich (david.kanavich@staples.com)

Source: GWB Chamber of Commerce Facebook.

Pet/Animal Information: Please contact the SPCA of Luzerne County if your has been lost. In Luzerne County, stray animals are taken to the facility when they are found within county boundaries. Contact them at 570-825-4111 and they will take a "lost" report and cross match it with any reports they get of found animals or with animals that have been brought in as strays. More information can be found on their website: http://www.spcaluzernecounty.org

Update ~ There is now a Facebook page for the lost and found pets of the Sept 2011 flood. Click here to view it.

Road Closure Information: Available via 511PA which is updated via PENNDOT. You can also dial 511 to get the same information via phone. Editors note @ 5:05pm: I'm hearing that 511's information may not be up-to-date. I suggest following these websites road closure lists as well:



While most of these links contain the same information, I'm including them all in case one is more of a comprehensive list than the other or is updated more frequently, etc.

City Transportation: It appears that LCTA is back to its normal schedule as of Monday 9/12/11. You can view http://www.lctabus.com for more information.

School Closures:


Health Care Facilities:
  • Click here to read an updated statement on Wyoming Valley Health Care System facility openings/closures. WVHCS has a display of helpful hints and safety issues for anyone involved in the cleanup after the flood. There is information on mold, HVAC, bleach, air quality etc in the Health Resource Center off of the main lobby in the hospital.
  • Click here to read and updated statement on Geisinger Wyoming Valley's openings/closures. They are offering valuable information about health risks after the flood here.


Utility Questions:


A lot of questions have been coming through about whether or not the power is on in a certain section of the city, also if the gas is turned on/off and if there are boil water advisories. I cannot speak to every individual section of the county that you may live in. It is best to call your Utility Company with these questions.

Reporting Damage:
If your property was affected, report to your municipality, document, photograph, clean, report to Insurance Company, All Utilities. If you need other assistance or have questions, go to the Red Cross. They are experts in referrals and assistance.

"The #1 thing that you need to do as you cleanup your business is DOCUMENT everything. If you throw out anything at ALL or have to buy anything keep receipts...Take a lot of pictures. We need to be able to declare a value on things lost in order to facilitate federal aid." - Mike Shay from Congressman Barletta's Office

FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers opened today according to WNEP. The centers are open from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday, then Thursday, september 15 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily going forward. Click here to view the list of centers.

Here's an article that WNEP just posted about What FEMA will do for flood victims. I found informative.

Among some of the things they assist with:
  • Two months rent
  • Low-interest loans, not payouts, but loans of up to $200,000
  • Up to $32,000 in a straight payout to home owners who qualify

Disaster Unemployment Assistance is available according to the Times Leader. Click here to read more about it.

DEP Advisories: State issues warnings about floodwater contamination - a must read if you are participating in any cleanup activity. http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/newsroom/14287?id=18603&typeid=1

Mail Delivery: Don't be surprised if you receive mail on Sunday....YES, I said SUNDAY. The postal service is attempting to resume service to the areas it missed due to the mandatory evacuation and flooding. Source: Times Leader

This is just the beginning of the list, I've read about several dozen smaller communities, churches and businesses taking up collections for the victims. If you know of any, please feel free to post in the comments, or hit us up on Facebook to let us know. I would like to get as much information in this post as possible for the victims and will continue to update as more information becomes available.




Oh and by the way, Harold & I were made administrators of the Wyoming Valley Flood 2011 Facebook page which has grown to 6,547 likes as of this post. It has served as a information portal for questions about evacuations, road closures, and donation collection points, etc., etc., etc. Please feel free to follow it if you are in need of any of that information. We would like to thank Karla Porter for her efforts in creating this page. It has helped several people get the information that they needed in this crisis.

Edited to say: If you are questioning any of the information you are hearing online or otherwise, it is recommended to contact the Luzerne County Rumor control hotline at 800-821-3716. UPDATE @ 6pm: The EMA rumor control hotline is closing as of 6pm tonight. Source: Times Leader

~M