Category Archives: July 2023

Dunmore Lions honor high school graduates

Posted on by
Reply
Holy Cross High School participants in the 42nd annual Scholarship Awards dinner included, seated from left: Al Callejas, Holy Cross athletic director; Mary McHugh, Holy Cross Female Scholar/Athlete; Gabe Gonzales, Holy Cross Male Scholar Athlete, and Vince Tanana, Holy Cross Penn State Scholarship winner. Standing, same order: Mike Colangelo, invocation; Justin Patchcoski, toastmaster; Beth McDonald Zangardi; Gino Tempesta, dinner chairman, and Sam Sebastianelli Sr., Lions president.
Dunmore High School participants in the 42nd annual Scholarship Award Dinner hosted by Dunmore Lions Club at the Dunmore Community Center included, seated from left: Mark Finan, DHS athletic director; Nico Ruggiero, DHS Male Scholar/Athlete; Carl Boone, Penn State scholarship winner, and Ciera Toomey, DHS Female Scholar/Athlete. Standing, same order: Mike Colangelo,invocation; Justin Patchcoski, toastmaster; Beth McDonald Zangardi, Gino Tempesta, dinner chairman, and Sam Sebastianelli Sr., Lion president

The Dunmore Lions Club recently held its 42nd Annual Scholarship Award Dinner at Dunmore Community Center in Dunmore. This is the 72nd year the Dunmore Lions have been serving the community.

Honored with Penn State Scholarships were Carl Boone of Dunmore High School, and Vince Tanana of Holy Cross High School.

Also, honored with monetary gifts were: Dunmore High School Male Scholar/Athlete-Nico Ruggerio and Female Scholar/Athlete-Ciera Toomey, and Holy Cross High School Male Scholar/Athlete-Gabe Gonzales and Female Scholar/Athlete- Mary McHugh.  

Remarks were made by Mark Finan, Dunmore High School’s Athletic Director, and Al Callejas, Holy Cross High School‘s Athletic Director .

Further, Coaches Longevity Awards were presented to Dunmore’s Cross Country Coach Vince Fedor for 53 years of service, and Holy Cross High School Basketball Coach Al Callejas for 30 years of service. Presentations of awards were made by Lion President Sam Sebastianelli Sr., while Lion Gino Tempesta served as Dinner Chairman and Lion Michael Colangelo offered invocation. 

Lion Justin Patchcoski served as Toastmaster and congratulated all award recipients, “not only for the great honor they are about to receive, but to be at such an exciting time in their life.”

Further commenting, he added, ”I was thinking of a few remarks for this evening and I kept coming back to opportunity and perspective. As recent graduates, you’ve got the whole world at your fingertips. What an exciting point in your lives! With all the innovation in today’s world, I can’t imagine what opportunities the next 5 to 20 years will bring… Perspective helps us to understand situations from other positions, to consider other beliefs, experiences and viewpoints. Enjoy the months ahead, maintain perspective and make the most of your opportunities.”

Dunmore’s Emma Pasko assists with ScrantonShakes

Posted on by
Reply

Emma Pasko, 19, is a 2022 graduate of Dunmore High School, and now a sophomore at Ithaca College majoring in Television and Digital Media Production and minoring in Live Event Design and Management. This summer she is acting as Assistant Stage Manager during the summer season of the Scranton Shakespeare Festival.

Emma is working on the mainstage production of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, as well as two productions for SSF’s Youth Ensemble, Twelfth Night and The Lightning Thief. The Youth Ensemble, composed of high school students from throughout  Northeast Pennsylvania, also presents a cabaret style Player’s Piece each season.

Although it is her first year working with ScrantonShakes, Emma is no stranger to the organization. Her father, Jason Pasco of Dunmore, introduced her to the local theater organization when she was younger, and she vividly recalls favorite SSF productions such as Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, The Winter’s Tale, and Hood: The Musical.

“I grew up with this,” Emma points out. In addition, her sister, Julia Pasco, a recent graduate of New York University who is now looking to begin her theater career in NYC, appeared in SSF productions of Troilus and Cressida and Footloose, and played the clarinet in its presentation of Cabaret.

Emma has also been involved in band, chorus, and theater at Dunmore High School where she worked on Beehive: The 70s Musical and The Wizard of Oz.

Working on You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown this season feels like a “full circle moment” to Emma. During her sophomore year at Dunmore High, the student company was just days away from presenting the popular musical when it had to be shut down because of COVID.

Inspired by her early experience growing up exposed to the arts–both as an audience member and as a participant in theater camps including Arts Alive!–Emma has been drawn to focus on television and movie production at Ithaca, with an ultimate goal of becoming a director for television or film. She enjoys camera work, audio and lighting.

“My freshman year I felt nervous, wondering if this was a good fit for me” Emma explains. But my first year professors have been wonderful and it’s a great environment.”

Emma draws support from her family. Her father, who also loves music and concerts, is supportive of her goals. Her family also includes her mother, Pamela Pasco, and her grandparents, Paul and Eugenia Pasco of Dunmore and Joseph and Francine Kalinowski of Olyphant. In addition to Julia, she has two more siblings, Luke and Olivia Perez.

As far as her summer job, Emma says it is dream to work with the professionals at ScrantonShakes, and she is learning a lot of skills and how to work in a fast-paced environment where the company is doing multiple shows simultaneously.

“I am so grateful for this opportunity to learn in a professional setting, but also to be part of providing free theater to our area!” Emma says.

***

NOTE: For listings of show dates and times go to ScrantonShakes.com. Tickets are free, but seats must be reserved in advance at the website.