“Around Town: A couple of very meaningful midday timeouts - Wilkes Barre Times-Leader” plus 2 more

Poshe Temmuz 23, 2021

Posted: 22 Feb 2020 06:39 PM PST

In this space I usually write about nighttime activities: restaurants I've visited, events I've stopped at or parties I've attended.

This week, though, there were some notable daytime meetings that stuck with me.

The first was a Monday lunch date with the brilliant Dr. Jason Nataupsky and Ms. Elyse Wilson. I met this dynamic duo for lunch to talk about how they are spearheading a fundraising competition through the Westmoreland Club that will benefit area nonprofits.

The effort is called 501C Free Raise to the Finish and will help nonprofit organizations raise funds, increase their community presence and gain exposure to professional development.

Through partnerships with Westmoreland Worldwide, MLB Advertising and Omnitized, the Westmoreland Club initiative is providing each participant with a media kit to promote their programs.

Any nonprofit in Luzerne County can be nominated by submitting their information via the online form at 501cFree.info, and anyone in the world can vote via the Luzerne Foundation's secure voting platform.

Once nominated, the first round of voting will commence April 1 through April 30. It is $5 to vote for a charity. Then, the top 15 charities move on to the second round from July 1 through 30 for $10 per vote.

Excitingly enough, a reveal party will be held Aug. 15 at the Westmoreland Club, where the overall winner will be named and receive a $5,000 food and beverage credit toward hosting a fundraising event and become the beneficiary of the club's women's committee's "Acts of Kindness" event which raised more than $5,000 last year.

Kudos to both of these folks and the Westmoreland Club for pursuing this idea.

Hopefully some nonprofits will get some much-needed exposure during the process.

Besides that, the other notable lunch was with Trixie Jackson, our real estate sales representative, and Jeannie Brady, broker and appraiser for ERA Brady Associates in Tunkhannock.

We got together for lunch, and I'm still feeling inspired after our conversations.

Jeannie, ever the thoughtful type, asked Trixie and me what made us truly happy.

I mentioned feeling true happiness after I've helped someone with my work at the paper. Trixie reflected on the calmness of the early-morning hours. And Jeannie shared with us that she's truly happiest when she sees others happy and when she's helped them during a life transition.

Our midweek lunch at Twigs Café in Tunkhannock was the perfect break from the hectic work week.

We discussed being present in the moment and ways in which we find our own happiness.

Jeannie, who has run ERA Brady Associates since 1989, has had a wealth of experiences.

She's very involved in the community through her work with the Tunkhannock Rotary Club, and it was an all-around joy to dine with her.

These two lunch dates of the week made me think about why we need to take "timeouts" in life.

Take timeouts to discuss something special. Take timeouts to reflect on the ways you find your happiness. Take timeouts to work on projects that matter.

I'm especially lucky to be able to take these short time-outs to focus on things that matter, like the 501cFree initiative, which you should look into.

As the initiative chair Elyse Wilson recently said to me, "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take."

Do yourself a favor and take this shot. A nonprofit near and dear to your heart may end up elevating its presence to new levels simply by being nominated at 501cFree.info.

Mike McGinley is the Times Leader Media Group's major accounts executive. Reach him at [email protected] or 570-704-3945.

10 of the most enlightening documentaries about celebrities that you can stream right now - Insider - INSIDER

Posted: 31 Jan 2020 12:00 AM PST

Taylor Swift's new Netflix documentary, "Miss Americana," tracks the singer's public political awakening and is the latest of many celebrity documentaries to reveal new sides of their well-known subjects.
Artists like Beyoncé and Lady Gaga have also released Netflix documentaries about their careers and personal lives, while other stars such as Demi Lovato and the Jonas Brothers have documentaries available to stream on YouTube and Amazon Prime.
Here are 10 enlightening celebrity documentaries that you can stream right now.
Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

In recent years, ever-present internet fandoms and social media have made A-list celebrities open to scrutiny in a way they've never been before, so it makes sense that many of these stars choose to hide their private lives and retreat behind carefully curated public personas.

Documentaries, however, can give audiences a peek behind the curtain (often coinciding with the release of a major new project) and are an increasingly popular mode of celebrity revelation — providing a look into their everyday lives and artistic processes, while generally promoting their work and shaping their star narratives as they see fit.

The latest of these movies, Lana Wilson's "Miss Americana," explores Taylor Swift's public political awakening and was released on Netflix on Friday.

To commemorate the release, here are 10 enlightening celebrity documentaries available to stream right now.

St. David’s Day Tea to be held in Edwardsville - Wilkes Barre Times-Leader

Posted: 11 Feb 2020 12:00 AM PST

'Changing Habits' will perform show tunes, patriotic tunes and other music as entertainment during the St. David's Day Tea, set for March 3 at Dr. Edwards Memorial Congregational Church in Edwardsville.

The Ethnic Committee of the Dr. Edwards Memorial Congregational Church, 668 Main St., Edwardsville will hold their annual St. David's Day Tea at 7 p.m. March 3.

Chair of this year's Tea is Carol Jones Wolosz who, after giving the welcome, will turn the program over to Toastmaster Peter Keller, Chair of the Deacon Board of the Church.

The program for the evening is "Changing Habits" an outreach ministry of Gate of Heaven Church, Dallas. They are directed by Marilyn O'Connell and Debbie Pike and are accompanied by Jill Antall. Their program is a varied one from show tunes, old tunes, fun tunes and patriotic tunes with the purpose of bringing joy, laughter, encouragement and hope into the lives of the audience.

Special gifts will be presented to the Oldest Woman and Oldest Man by Bette Lee Devers, Chair of the "Cynonfardd" Eisteddfod of Dr. Edwards Church.

Dr. Robb Henderson, Pastor of Dr. Edwards, will give the Invocation, Remarks, and Benediction.

Hymn singing will take place under the direction of Carol Jones Wolosz accompanied by Glenn Ryman, organist of the church

A Te Bach will follow with Welsh cookies, homemade breads, cheese, jellies, coffee and tea. Betty Jones will direct the kitchen and members of the Ethnic Committee will serve.

Tickets are a donation of $5 and may be purchased from members of the Ethnic Committee or you may call Jean Bonn at 570-678-3976. Tickets may also be purchased at the door.