Luke Dempsey is strong leader for Dunmore 11-year-old all-stars

Posted on July 5, 2023 by The Dunmorean

By Steve Svetovich

Dunmore Elementary School student Luke Dempsey is proving to be a leader and key member of the Dunmore Little League 11-year-old all-star team.

Luke, who is actually still 10, went 2-for-2 with 4 RBIs to lead Dunmore to a 22-0 win over Old Forge/South Scranton in District 17, 9-11 all-star baseball action Friday, June 23.

He hit two singles driving in two runs on each base hit.

Ben Dempsey, his cousin, and Brady Schulte each had two hits and 3 RBIs for Dunmore.

Adam Grecco allowed only one hit and struck out five to earn the pitching win.

Son of Atty. Mike and Caressa Dempsey, Dunmore, Luke has an older brother Michael who is a former Dunmore Little League all-star and currently plays junior high school baseball at Dunmore.

Luke is the first baseman and cleanup hitter for his all-star team.

He talked about what it takes to be a good first baseman. “You need to be able to catch the ball and make a real good stretch,” he said. “And you need to talk on the field to your teammates.”

A serious and hard-working ball player, Luke had a robust .615 batting average during the regular Little League season. He hit two doubles, a triple and added 20 RBIs.

Hitting is not something he takes for granted. “You become a good hitter with a lot of hard work,” he said. “It’s also very important to always have fun.”

Amazingly, Luke did not strikeout in 40 at bats during the regular Little League season or in the first all-star game.

He plays travel ball for The Sandlot Baseball Academy.

His all-star coaches are Brian McCarthy, Ralph Steeves, and Pat Clark.

“My coaches always teach me to play hard and hustle,” he said.

Luke said he has learned a lot from his parents.

“They teach me to have fun and run hard all the time. Run everything out. And no crying.

“There is no crying in baseball.”

Polite and earnest, Luke said he enjoyed playing in the first all-star game of the season. “It was very exciting and a lot of fun,” he said. “We played under the lights.”

Luke said he also enjoys listening to music and likes rap artist “Da Baby.”

Luke is 5-1 and bats and throws right. A contact hitter all the way, Luke said he loves playing baseball and living in Dunmore.

“We have great coaches, great facilities and the best people.”

Keystone Chapter UNICO presents scholarships to local students

Posted on July 5, 2023 by The Dunmorean

Keystone Chapter UNICO recently awarded three scholarships, including two Piccolo Scholarships which are awarded to a male and a female graduating high school student athlete of Italian American heritage who is going to pursue higher education.

Further requirements include academic achievement, community service and acceptance to a school of higher education.

At the presentation of the Keystone UNICO Piccolo Scholarships were, front row from left: Emma Aversa of Old Forge High School. who will attend Penn State University; Cataldo Talutto of Dunmore High School who will attend Marywood University, and Keystone UNICO Piccolo Award chairman Marilyn Vitali.

Back row, same order: Piccolo Award committee members Bob Kovatch, Keystone UNICO President Louise Ligi, Ann Summa, and Nanine Gramigna. Missing from photo is committee member Mary Lou Karliak.

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Keystone Chapter UNICO also awarded the Angeline Manci RN Nursing Scholarship designed for a graduating senior from Dunmore High School whose intent is to pursue a degree in nursing and become an registered nurse, with a desire to contribute to the nursing profession with compassion, knowledge and care as was exemplified by Angeline Manci.

The student must have a B average or higher and have been accepted at a college or university, with plans to obtain a B.S. in nursing and licensure as an R.N.

At the presentation of the inaugural scholarship, which is sponsored by the DiVizio and Manci families are, from left: Gene and Toni Manci DiVizio; awardee Maura Sheets of Dunmore High School, who will be attending Bloomsburg University; Maura’s mother, Mrs. Shannon Sheets; and Patti Manci.

Mobile mammogram screenings in Lackawanna Co.

Posted on July 5, 2023 by The Dunmorean

The Wright Center for Community Health is collaborating with Lackawanna Mobile X-Ray, Inc., to offer convenient mobile digital mammogram screenings at two locations in Lackawanna County.

The 15-minute appointments are available aboard a mobile unit at The Wright Center for Community Health Scranton Practice parking lot, 501 S. Washington Ave., from 9 a.m. to noon on July 12, Aug. 9, Sept. 6, Oct. 11, Nov. 8, and Dec. 6. The Mid Valley Practice parking lot, 5 S. Washington Ave., Jermyn, is offering the specialty service from 1:30-4:45 p.m. on July 12, Aug. 9, Sept. 6, Oct. 11, Nov. 8, and Dec. 6.

To reserve an appointment, contact Christen Marante, BSN, RN, associate vice president, Value-Based Performance Program, The Wright Center, at 570-591-5225 or marantec@TheWrightCenter.org. Participants are asked to bring insurance cards to their appointment.

“The Wright Center is proud to be able to partner with a longtime community provider of mobile diagnostics services to make life-saving mammograms more accessible to the communities we serve in the region,” said Marante. “Mammograms remain the most effective screening tool used by health care providers to find breast cancer in most women.”

Lackawanna Mobile X-Ray, Inc., is the Mid-Atlantic region’s most experienced, full-service mobile diagnostics services provider. For more than 35 years, its highly trained specialists have been providing a wide range of mobile medical services on-site, including X-rays, EKG exams, ultrasounds, vascular studies, mammograms, and Holter monitors.

A Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike, The Wright Center for Community Health’s patient-centered medical home is an essential community provider of safety-net primary and preventive health services, a state-designated Opioid Use Disorder Center of Excellence, and a Ryan White HIV/AIDS Clinic. The Wright Center for Community Health’s nine locations in Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Wayne counties include a mobile medical and dental unit called Driving Better Health that together serve more than 40,000 unique patients annually and ensures everyone in the service area has access to integrated, affordable, high-quality health services regardless of their insurance status, ZIP code, or ability to pay.

For more information about The Wright Center for Community Health, go to TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019.