The Electric City Renaissance continues with the Renaissance at 500. Governor Ed Rendell was in town this morning to help break ground on the redevelopment project happening on the 500 block of Lackawanna Avenue, Scranton, called the Renaissance at 500.

Renaissance at 500 will include 16 new condominiums located in eight turn-of-the-century buildings, boutiques and a landscaped park. Rendell announced $15 million in state funding for the project which is expected to add at least 180 new jobs to the downtown area.

The project aims to bring together vibrant retail shops and restaurants with residential areas and abundant green space to create a cornerstone for the rebirth of the downtown.

The 500 block of Lackawanna Ave. was shut down for the unveiling of the project and the area was crowded with local public officials, businesspeople and community leaders, showing the strength of Scranton’s commitment to downtown revitalization.

Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Some of you may have noticed some unusual advertisements for Wilkes University on local billboards and television seeming to target individual students from area high schools.

Well, the ads not only caught the eye of several local high school seniors; the Associated Press put together an article on the ads and their effectiveness.

What do you think? Do you find non-traditional advertising campaigns like the Wilkes ads interesting? And have you or has anyone you know chosen to attend Wilkes based upon these ads?

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Save the date for the first annual Mini-Thon dance-a-thon sponsored by the Boys & Girls Club of NEPA and the United Neighborhood Centers of NEPA on Friday, Nov. 7, from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. at Lackawanna College Student Union (The Former CYC).

The event, featuring twelve hours of fun movement and music, will benefit kids in the Greater Scranton area. There will be teams and individual entrant categories. More information and registration details will come in the months ahead but, for now, save the date to “Dance Your Feet Off for Kids!”

For more information, call 570-342-8709 or 570-346-0759.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

This Mother’s Day, give Mom the gift of Whole Body Wellness with any of the products from Danielle & Company’s all natural bath and beauty line.

Danielle & Co. will offer free shipping for orders over $49 this Mother’s Day and 20% off online orders online with the discount code: ECRMD. Shop from Danielle & Co.’s online store here.

Danielle K. Fleming, founder and CEO of the Clarks Summit-based business, created her company while in grad school. Fleming is a Certified Behavioral Therapist and her interest in scents and their therapeutic value led her to explore the possibility of creating beauty products that could enhance a person’s physical and emotional well-being. As Fleming has said, “Scent is very powerful and has a way of evoking emotions like no other sense. It is your connection to your past and I believe it enlivens the spirit.”

Fleming has developed a patent-pending system to categorize aromas based on five main effects: Focus, Elevate, Relax, Balance and Sensual. “The combining of psychology and the olfactory system is the perfect unity of art and science. It is a very sophisticated process,” Fleming said.

She began making soaps in her kitchen and selling them at a local farmer’s market but she now sells her products wholesale through her website. Today, her products are distributed in luxury spas and boutiques throughout the United States and Canada.

In August 2007, Fleming launched a line of organic body washes at the New York International Gift Fair, winning Best New Product in the Natural/Organics category and reaching the finals in Best New Bath/Body Product with her soaps. In January, Danielle & Co. launched its Organic Soap Garden at the same show and won Best in Show.

The win caught the eye of buyers from QVC Home Shopping Network who met with Fleming and invited her to pitch her eco-friendly product in conjunction with Earth Day. A few weeks ago, Fleming shot her segment for the network. “The experience was quite awesome,” she said. “It was a ton of fun and very exciting to be on national television.”

Danielle & Co.’s products are made with the purest ingredients (many are organic and made with essential oils), eco-friendly and cruelty-free.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

The May 2 First Friday was another huge success for the downtown Scranton arts community. Each venue was crowded with visitors enjoying the art, music and food.

Visitors came downtown for the art and stayed for the great restaurants and shopping. With 26 participating gallery spaces this month, the event continues to grow.

The June First Friday will be Friday, June 6. Artists are already signing up for what’s sure to be the biggest and best First Friday ever.

Follow these links if you’d like to host an event, show your work or become a sponsor.

For more photos from First Friday, go to ECR’s Flickr page.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Great food, great music and a great cause – check out the Jazz on Jefferson fundraising event on Friday, May 9, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on the 800 block of Jefferson Avenue, Scranton.

Read the rest of this entry »

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Downtown Scranton business owners are hoping to make Saturday the busiest day of the week with a new Second Saturday event. Why not Rediscover Scranton for yourself and see what the buzz is about?

Members of the Scranton Business Alliance have organized the first ever Second Saturday event, set for Saturday, May 10. Read the rest of this entry »

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

A grants workshop on funding for local artists and arts and culture organizations will be held on Thursday, May 1, at 6 p.m. at the Electric City Trolley Museum at 300 Cliff St. on the property of Steamtown Historic Site.

Read the rest of this entry »

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Play the ponies and support a good cause at the Voluntary Action Center’s Run for the Roses at The Kentucky Derby.

Run for the Roses will be held Saturday, May 3, at 3 p.m. at the Waverly Country Club, 903 South Abington Road, Clarks Summit, PA. Patrons get to take a chance on a real horse race, while supporting the causes administered by The Voluntary Action Center.

Read the rest of this entry »

Bookmark It

Hide Sites