2016 Readers Choice

Transcription

2016 Readers Choice

2016 Readers’
Choice Awards
Our readers voted
for the
Best Local
Businesses:
Doctors,
Restaurants,
Fitness Facility,
Grocery Store,
Hotels,
Coffee Shops,
Family Fun, etc...
2 Saturday, March 26, 2016
READERS’ CHOICE
Times Leader
Times Leader
READERS’ CHOICE
Saturday, March 26, 2016 3
READERS’ CHOICE
Times Leader
At Voitek TV and Appliance, family means business
By Paul Sokoloski
[email protected]
It started as an interesting
endeavor by an old miner.
It’s grown into makes Voitek TV and Appliances, one
of Wyoming Valley’s most
popular destinations for home
upgrades.
Why else would crowds keep
coming back?
With two locations on
Wyoming Avenue — one in
Kingston and another in Exeter
— Voitek reached the platinum
level in this year’s Times Leader Readers’ Choice awards,
meaning the newspaper’s readers selected the business as
the best appliance store for all
three years of voting.
“It makes us really feel
good,” said David Voitek Jr.,
who co-owns Voitek TV and
Appliances with his father,
David Sr., and his brother, Ed.
“We always thought of the
people around here as family.
It’s a nice feeling to know they
feel the same way about us.”
After all, it’s a family business. And the Voitek business
booming.
A half decade ago, Voitek Sr.
began dabbling in the industry
as sort of a side job.
“He was a miner,” Voitek
Jr. said of his dad, who is currently in failing health. “When
he got done mining, he got
cleaned up and he started with
TVs. He would take them to a
farm and leave them there for a
weekend. He’d put an antenna
up, get a picture on it and say
to the families, ‘Try it for a
weekend.’ Of course, back then,
you only got three channels.
But most of the people kept
them. It just grew from there.”
People kept coming back to
the first store Voitek Sr. opened
in Kingston after beginning his
television building and repairing career in the basement of a
brother’s home.
The business has since
branched out to include major
appliances, and some 20 years
ago, the Voiteks opened a second, larger store in Exeter.
“Appliances are even a bigger
part of our business than TVs
are,” Voitek Jr. said. “We have
pretty much the largest sales of
stoves, refrigerators, receivers.”
That doesn’t mean Voitek
stores have tuned out the television stuff.
“We do TVs, home theater,
all that sort of stuff,” Voitek Jr.
said. “It’s just like being at the
theater, only more comfortable
because you’re in your own
chair.”
Which all leaves Voitek TV
and Appliance sitting pretty in
the eyes of Times Leader readers.
“Feels good,” Voitek Jr. said.
“We’re more conducive to the
people. I think we give good,
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
reliable service. We’re a family David Voitek Jr., co-owner of Voitek TV
and Appliances, believes a family-like
business.”
Reach Paul Sokoloski at 570-991-6392 or
on Twitter @TLPaulSokoloski
atmosphere in his stores in Exeter and
Kingston is what keeps customers
coming back for more.
Thank you for your continued support and letting
us create your ‘Design Dream”
Draperies & Interiors
”Making Your World More Beautiful” 4 Marion St. Luzerne, PA
570-288-8013 • sewfine.com
r
u
o
e
t
a
br
e
l
e
c
th
p
i
l
w
He
y
r
sa
r
e
v
i
n
!!!
n
s
a
g
t
n
s
i
1
v
4
sa
g
n
i
r
p
s
t
a
e
r
g
See us
on the
HOUZ APP
NEPA’S ONLY
READERS’ CHOICE
Times Leader
F.M. Kirby Center ramps things up
By Matt Mattei
[email protected]
WILKES-BARRE —
The F.M. Kirby Center
for the Performing Arts
offered 125 shows in
2015, ranging from
cultural displays like
Northeast Pennsylvania
Philharmonic performances to star acts like
Jerry Seinfeld and Z.Z.
Top. The result was an
increase in attendance,
a financially successful
season and community
recognition.
Now, the community
has lauded the historic
theater again, selecting
the Kirby Center as Best
Music Venue for the 2016
Times Leader Readers’
Choice Awards.
“It’s an honor,” said
executive director Will
Beekman. “For us to be
considered Best Music
Venue means a lot for
us, and we know how
hard the people work at
the other venues. We’re
friends with them. We
work together. We consider them our peers, so
to receive that honor is
humbling.”
Beekman said 2015
was encouraging, showing hard work pays off.
“What was most satisfying about last year
is that we started to see
results from what has
been a bit of a paradigm
shift in terms of our
programming model,”
Beekman said. “That was
to be a little more aggressive, not only in who we
bring in but in how many
shows we bring in.”
Beekman said the
Kirby staff is as much to
credit as the philosophy.
“Our tech director
has slept here a couple
times,” Beekman said.
“I think it’s more of a
lifestyle than a job. But if
you love it, you’re having
fun right now.”
Anne Rodella, director
of sales and marketing,
said it’s been enjoyable
to see relationships grow
with community partners
and with the community
at-large.
“To grow show-wise
and people-wise at the
same time has been fun,”
Rodella said.
Beekman noted the
Kirby’s mission to bring
arts, in general, into the
community.
“As much as we love
booking Jerry Seinfeld
and Z.Z. Top, we enjoy
just as much bringing in
the opera and Broadway,”
he said. “That’s the stuff
that makes us the Kirby
Center.”
Rodella said bringing
in those larger acts has
encouraged the staff to
bring in more missionoriented art shows.
See KIRBY | 7
“I think it’s more of a
lifestyle than a job.”
Will Beekman, executive director of the F.M. Kirby Center, talks about the paradigm shift in programming strategy that the venue has
undergone.
Aimee Dilger|Times Leader
Staff members of the F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts are, from left, John Bubul, Brian Gill, Art Dale, Joanie Brenton, Tina Yurko,
Will Beekman, Marion Kendzor, Paul Rodella, Lauren Menn. Second row, Maria Sacco, Drew Taylor, Michael Dale, Eileen Delarche and Anne
Rodella.
READERS’ CHOICE
Times Leader
READERS’ CHOICE
Times Leader
Kirby
From page 5
“We’re feeling more
comfortable to expand
that part,” Rodella said.
“And it’s exciting.”
With more than 50
volunteers and a growing
number of community
members who inquire
about volunteering or
being on the Kirby’s
board of directors, Beekman said public support
makes the Kirby team
feel good.
“I think it speaks to the
fact that it’s a fun place
to be, to attend a show,
to work a show, to just be
here,” Beekman said.
Rodella, who has
worked at the Kirby Center for 16 years, has seen
the place evolve.
“The positivity we feel
every year as we grow is
so encouraging, straight
from the audience
member who’s walking
in for maybe one show
that year to performers
who enjoy being here,”
Rodella said.
Beekman enjoys seeing downtown shops
and eateries benefit from
Kirby traffic as much
Patrons buy tickets at the F.M. Kirby Center box office.
as he enjoys seeing the
theater full, and he hopes
the future will bring even
more interest in WilkesBarre.
“What I would like
to do is not stop here,”
Beekman said. “We’re
running a little ragged
right now, but we’re see-
ing that it’s working and
paying off. I would like
to get to a point where
we can hire more people
and, therefore, do more
shows and, therefore,
bring more people to
downtown and, therefore, bring in more of our
mission programming
and just continue to
ramp that up.”
Reach Matt Mattei at 570-9916651 or Twitter@TLArts
T hank You
Times Leader readers for voting us
Best Appliance Store 3 years in a row!
TV AND APPLIANCE
Kingston - Exeter
READERS’ CHOICE
Times Leader
Pizza Perfect has the best square pizza and wings
By Jennifer Learn-Andes
[email protected]
KINGSTON TWP. —
The making of a square
pizza at Pizza Perfect is a
laborious process.
A ball of fresh dough
is placed on a peanut
oil-greased pan. The
dough must be gradually
stretched three times to
fit the rectangular pan
before it is topped with
homemade sauce, onion
and cheddar cheese.
“It takes an hour-and-ahalf. It’s exactly the same
all these years, and we’re
in our 41st year,” said
Tammy Lemelin, who
owns the eatery with her
sister, Janine Hudak.
The familiar blend
has garnered the square
pizza’s third first-place
win in the Times Leader
Readers’ Choice contest.
Pizza Perfect’s wings
also received the most
votes in that category in
this year’s contest.
The eatery’s mild wings
are the most popular, the
sisters said.
Other wings on the
menu: butter-and-garlic,
sweet-and-tangy BBQ and
“hot but bearable.”
The daring can try
a variety dubbed “fireman’s friends,” which
come with this warning:
“You’re on your own!”
The sisters believe
their wings stand out
because they are fresh,
cooked in peanut oil and
coated in sauces created
by their father, Richard
Adamchick, and his longtime friend and business
partner Myron Mickiewicz, who opened the
pizzeria in 1975.
“Our father would
invite his firefighter
friends to try his concoctions,” Hudak recalled.
“He and Myron tried different recipes.”
The wings were added
in 1988.
Lemelin and Hudak
have worked at the Carverton Road pizzeria
since they were young
and became owners in
November 2015.
Lemelin dabbed her
eyes with a tissue contemplating what the win
would have meant to her
father, who died in April
at the age of 72 after a
lengthy battle with liver
cancer.
“He did this for his
family. We worked with
him side-by-side,” she
said.
Their mother, Louise,
still works at the business, they said.
The women are thankful people continue to
embrace their unchanging staples, including
regular customers who
have been coming for
decades and now bring
their grandchildren.
Their food has been
part of countless community meetings, celebrations, awards ceremonies
and other gatherings.
“We’ve met a lot of nice
people along the way. We
have great customers,
loyal customers,” Hudak
said.
“A heartfelt thank you
to our customers and
employees for helping us
grow through the years,”
Lemelin said.
Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at
570-991-6388 or on Twitter @
TLJenLearnAndes.
READERS’ CHOICE
Times Leader
Charlotte Bartizek | For Times Leader
It takes an hour-and-a-half to make the square pizza at Pizza Perfect in Kingston Township, which won
the Times Leader Readers’ Choice three years in a row.
Charlotte Bartizek | For Times Leader
Janine Hudak, left, and Tammy Lemelin spend much of their time behind the counter at Pizza Perfect
in Kingston Township serving up the Times Leader Readers’ Choice most popular pizza and wings.
GINO'S SHOE STORE
2437 SR 309 HWY, Dallas
(570)675-2029
THANK YOU
TO ALL OUR LOYAL
CUSTOMERS
AND FRIENDS
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday 9:30 a.m. - 6 p.m., Thursday 9:30 a.m. - 8 p.m.,
Friday 9 a.m. - 6 p.m., Saturday 9:30 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sunday 12 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Voted Best Shoe Store 3 Years In A Row.
THANK YOU
FOR VOTING US
BEST LOCAL
JEWELRY STORE
Spring Shoes Have Arrived
Time to get your
Children's Spring Shoes
and Summer Sandals!
Like Us On
Facebook
AFAM
www.rainbowjewelers.net
570-287-6257
570
287 6257
625
70
S
R
W D OPER JEWE
O
ATE
AN
B
DS
L
ED
N
IN
N
W
C
I ILY O 789 Wyoming Ave. • Kingston E 19 ER
Stride Ritee • CClarks • Merrell • Keen • Nike • Saucony • Crocs • RReebok
bk
Skechers • Under Armour • See Kai Run • And Many More Top Name Brands!
READERS’ CHOICE
Times Leader
Sabatini’s offers various beers from around the world
By Jimmy Fisher
[email protected]
EXETER — Since Lindo Sabatini
purchased Sabatini’s Pizza from his
father in 2005, he’s worked hard to
incorporate craft beers into the business.
The beers’ popularity prompted
Sabatini to open a craft beer and bottle shop last spring, and the various
selections available have prompted
Times Leader readers to vote Sabatini’s for having the Best Beer Selection
in the 2016 Readers’ Choice Awards.
This marks the first time the business has received this award.
Sabatini’s has 12 rotating drafts and
a hand pump with a few hundred beer
selections, but the craft beer and bottle shop is where customers can really
dive into various selections.
All in all, Sabatini’s sells over 2,500
different types of beer.
“As far as the beer goes, we have
probably 100 to 150 Belgium beers,
60 German beers and beers from
countries from Austria to Switzerland,” said Sabatini. “As far as American craft beers go, we basically have
the best beers we can get from the
best American craft breweries.”
The craft beer and bottle shop sells
individual beers as single bottles, sixpacks or 12-packs of beers from all
around the world.
At the bar are four dedicated import
towers — German beer Schneider
Weisse, Netherlands beer La Trappe
and Belgium beer Chouffe and Delirium Tremens.
On the back wall are 16 rotating
beers which Sabatini said are changed
a couple times a day.
“It’s very rare that there is not a
new beer on there everyday,” he said.
“We’ve changed as many as 12 in
one day in the (new building) alone.
There are some beers that will reoccur, but the majority of them are just
in a constant rotation.”
In order to obtain beers from
around the world, Sabatini said relationships need to be formed with
brewing companies, which is not an
easy task.
“There’s a lot of work into getting
all of the beers,” he said. “It’s not
like we just pick up the phone and
order them. We have to develop relationships with breweries and with
importers, and we have to support the
breweries to get the beers we want.
There’s a lot of time between myself
and my staff and managers that we
spend in developing these relationship
to get what we need.”
Hours for the craft beer and bottle
shop are 10 a.m. to midnight Sunday
through Thursday and from 10 a.m. to
2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Sabatini said the response to the
bottle shop since its opening has been
overwhelming and that business will
still be booming heading into its second year.
“It’s been fun,” he said. “A lot of
people still don’t realize we’re here
and once they come in to see the
place and taste some of the beers
maybe they haven’t had, they fall in
with something and they come back.”
Reach Jimmy Fisher at 570-704-3972 or on Twitter
@SD_JimmyFisher
All in all, Sabatini’s sells over
2,500 different types of beer.
Pete Wilcox | Times Leader
Lindo Sabatini with international beers at Sabatini’s brew house restaurant in Exeter.
READERS’ CHOICE
Times Leader
Lindo Sabatini with international beers at Sabatini’s brew house restaurant in Exeter.
Pete Wilcox | Times Leader
Thank You For Voting Dr. James DeFinnis
The Best Dentist 3 Years in a Row!
Platinum Award Winner
A Caring Dentist Like No Other
210 Carverton Rd., Trucksville 18708 | (570) 763-4364
READERS’ CHOICE
Times Leader
Gertrude Hawk Chocolates satisfies the sweet tooth
By Travis Kellar
[email protected]
KINGSTON —
Whether it’s the scrumptious dipped apples,
chocolate-covered pretzels or another indulgent treat, Gertrude
Hawk Chocolates can
satisfy even the largest
sweet tooth.
That sweet reputation
earned the popular chocolate chain in the Wyoming Valley a gold award
in this year’s Times
Leader Readers’ Choice
Awards with the most
votes in the category of
“Best Local Chocolate.”
Melanie Nardozzo,
spokeswoman for Gertrude Hawk Chocolates,
said her company is
excited to earn the designation.
“Gertrude Hawk is
proud to be a huge part
of the community and
always support it,” she
said. “So we are thrilled
to be recognized as the
best local chocolate.”
Laura Taylor, store
manager for the Gertrude Hawk Chocolates
store in Kingston, wasn’t
surprised to hear about
the award.
“We hear it on a daily
basis,” she said, referring to customers saying Gertrude Hawk’s
chocolate is the best
in the area. “We do
have people who come
in, actually weekly, to
repeat business.”
Taylor was a customer
before becoming an
employee of the company, explaining she would
often buy things for her
own children.
Her reason for wanting to work for the company was simple — she
loved their products.
“They have amazing
NORTHEAST WINDOW, INC.
55 Front Street Pittston, Pennsylvania 18640
(570) 654-4220 1-800-648-4650
www.northeastwindow.com
Northeast Window, Inc.
would like to thank everyone who voted for us
and are truly humbled by these awards.
Nardozzo credits the
company’s chocolate recipe as the defining factor in setting Gertrude
Hawk Chocolate apart
from other stores.
“Hands down, it’s the
creamiest, smoothest,
best-tasting chocolate
around,” she said.
With Easter just
around the corner, Taylor said a trip to a Gertrude Hawk Chocolates
store is part of holiday
traditions for many of
her customers.
She said Smidgens,
chocolates that come
in various shapes and
flavors, are hot commodities at this time of
the year.
Chocolate-covered
apples are also popular
items. Taylor expects to
sell at least 1,100 apples
through the Easter
season — annually, she
estimates her store alone
sells approximately
5,000 apples.
“It’s definitely something that is close to
people in this area,” Taylor said. “It’s definitely
a tradition for people
around here.”
Reach Travis Kellar at 570-9916389 or on Twitter @TLNews
Sean McKeag | Times Leader
Sacred Heart of Jesus Church
215 Lackawanna Avenue
Dupont, PA
It is through our quality
work and customers’
ER
D
satisfaction that we have
LEA
ES
M
I
been in business for
ET
TH
2014 & 2016 over 29 years and
RE BE
have worked on over
M ST
OD
EL
7000 homes
throughout this area.
BEST
WINDOW
COMPANY
ST R
BE OFE
RO
chocolate; I’ve always
liked their chocolate, so
I figured why not work
where I know they have
a good, quality product?” Taylor said.
The company’s sweet
legacy began in 1936
when Gertrude (Jones)
Hawk opened the store
in the kitchen of her
family’s small home in
the Bunker Hill section
of Scranton.
According to its website, the company now
has over 60 retail locations in Pennsylvania,
New York and New
Jersey.
Northeast Window, Inc.
570-654-4220 1-800-648-4650
Call for a free estimate today
Thank You from Father Verespy and Everyone at Sacred Heart.
FOR VOTING US BEST BAZAAR
READERS’ CHOICE
Times Leader
Honored to be voted Best Lasik Center for 3 years!
Our
your
A sincere
THANK YOU
for voting us
Best Chiropractors 3 years in a row!
Your confidence in our abilities is the
highest compliment you can give us.
We are proud to continue to offer you
the best treatment and service in NEPA.
BucciVision.com 1-877-DR-BUCCI
READERS’ CHOICE
to Times Leader
Readers Everywhere!
Times Leader
YOUR
For Making: 2016 Reader’s Choice Winner
For
Best Import Car Dealer
KINGSTON PA (570) 714-9924
KINGSTON PA (570) 287-1133
126 Narrows Road, Route 11 Larksville, PA • 570-288-7411
wyomingvalleymotors.com
READERS’ CHOICE
Times Leader
Store manager Laura Taylor creates Easter bunnies from white chocolate at Gertrude Hawk Chocolates
in Kingston.
Laura Taylor, store manager, decorates apples dipped in dark chocolate at Gertrude Hawk Chocolates
in Kingston.
Congratulations from Steve Farrell
Broker/Owner and Classic Properties
ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL YEAR
and Best Real Estate Agent
2016 - Silver Award Winner - Times Leader Reader’s Choice
JESICCA SKOLODA
JESICCA SKOLODA
Realtor
[email protected]
(o) 570-718-4959; x1322
(c) 570.237.0463
100 agents in 5 offices throughout NEPA
1,402 Closed Transactions ($156) Million
Closed in 2015 (GWBAR, GSBR, PMAR, BSAR)
(Closed Transaction Stats)
READERS’ CHOICE
Times Leader
Ken Pollock Auto Group cruises to title via customer service
By Dave Rosengrant
[email protected]
When looking to buy a new car, the
place to go is anywhere you see the
Ken Pollock name.
According to Times Leader readers,
three area dealers, Ken Pollock Nissan
in Wilkes-Barre, Ken Pollock Volvo in
Pittston Township and Ken Pollock
Ford and Lincoln in Berwick have been
selected as the 2016 Readers’ Choice
gold winner for Best New Car Dealer.
“The biggest reason I can see us
winning the award is the way we treat
people,” said Mitch Quinn, general
sales manager of the Nissan Dealership
on Mundy Street in Wilkes-Barre. “Our
customer service is always second to
none and the prices are always good,
as well.”
Quinn couldn’t be more right.
From the moment you walk onto the
Nissan Dealership, you’re greeted by
a friendly salesperson — not someone
just trying to make a sale. The sales
staff wants to make customers feel
comfortable, giving space when needed at the beginning of the process all
the way through the moment the new
vehicle is signed, sealed and delivered.
The sales team consists of 24 members across the three locations, all
with the same mindset: the customer’s
needs come first.
“I think that comes from Ken, that
comes from the top down,” Quinn
said. “When you have the type of an
owner who’s that customer-oriented,
that flows through the whole organization. So the managers are able to man-
Thank you for
voting us #1
you dream it...
WE CAN BUILD IT!
west and east region of Pennsylvania,
which includes 41 Nissan dealers.
That means the local dealer in the
Wilkes-Barre market competes with
major markets like Philadelphia and
Pittsburgh.
“When you have that kind of volume
in Wilkes-Barre and you’re competing
against bigger markets, it says we’re
doing something right. It says a lot
because we keep people coming back,”
Quinn added. “So the Readers’ Choice
Award is echoing the same stuff, that
people are happy with the sales here.”
Also under the Ken Pollock Auto
Group is Nationwide Car Sales in
Wilkes-Barre Township, a used car
establishment.
age differently and the sales people are
able to deal differently.
“Customer service is first, and with
Ken’s name on the building, he’s made
it clear that customer service comes
first.”
The friendliness of the staff doesn’t
stop at sales. Everyone is nice, from
the receptionist at the door to the owners, proves why these establishments
have been voted tops by readers.
All three venues have service departments that offer everything from oil
changes to transmission replacements
on all models.
To understand why the group flourishes locally, look no further than the
Nissan dealer, which consistently
ranks at or near the top of all nine
Nissan dealers in the Eastern Pennsylvania zone and throughout the entire
Reach Dave Rosengrant at 570-991-6398 or on
Twitter @tldrosengrant
RECTANGULAR
INGROUND POOLS
16 x 32....................$18,999
18 x 36....................$20,999
20 x 40....................$23,999
$200
PO
OPEN OL
INGS
Installed with 500w light, 6’ Diving Board, 8’ walk-in steps and concrete sidewalk.
Complete Swimming Pool Service
Safety Cover Sales & Installation
Topsoil & Hydroseeding Services
Complete Excavating & Hauling
GOT WATERFRONT?
www.ThePool4U.com • 570-388-2514
NOW YOU CAN DESIGN YOUR
DREAM DOCK WITH US
Times Leader
READERS’ CHOICE
Ken Pollock Nissan salesman Josh Mera shows a Nissan Murano to prospective buyers Renee
Brutoski and Joe O’Donnell.
The Ken Pollock Nissan dealership on Mundy Street in Wilkes-Barre.
THANK YOU
NEW
LOCATION
BEST FIREARMS DEALER
at
755 South Twp. Blvd.,
Pittston, PA.
for a Third Year in a Row
( Pittston Bypass )
for Choosing Us as
In Loving Memory of Bailey Sue Summer
ADVANCED ARMS, LLC
G
N
I
COM
!
N
O
SO
81 South Main Street, Pittston • www.advancedarms.com • 570-655-4867
READERS’ CHOICE
Times Leader
Coccia takes truck honors for second year
By John Erzar
[email protected]
PLAINS TWP. — The idea just isn’t
to sell one vehicle to one person. It
has to be done the correct way.
Do it right and that customer might
be back to buy another. And then
another. And perhaps another.
Coccia Ford Lincoln, located at the
junction of Route 315 and East Main
Street, has been following that philosophy for decades. Customer service — before, during and after the
sale — put Coccia atop the Best New
Truck Dealership in the Times Leader
Readers’ Choice Awards.
“We try to satisfy as many customers as we can,” said Greg Martin,
general manager at Coccia. “We try
to be fair, we try to be honest, we try
to accommodate them in any way we
can.”
Coccia is also one of the top dealers
in repeat customers. Martin said the
top-10 percent includes dealers with
at least a 68-percent return rate and
Coccia is at 73 percent.
“We’re way over the zone for the
top-10 percent,” Martin said.
The local award wasn’t the only one
this month for Coccia. It also received
the highest honor from the corporate
headquarters.
“We just found out this week we
won the President’s Award for both
Ford and Lincoln. They’re two separate franchises,” Martin said. “That’s
very rare because it’s very hard to
win the award. It’s based on customer
satisfaction in both sales and service.
What Ford does is they send out surveys to every customer that comes
in for sales and every customer who
comes in for service. Then they total
up all the scores and have a ranking
system.
“The top dealers in the country win
the President’s Award. We now won it
11 times. And it’s very rare to win it
from both Ford and Lincoln.”
The staple of Coccia’s Ford truck
fleet is the F-150 pickup, the bestselling truck in the United States in
2015. The F-150 has claimed that
distinction for 39 consecutive years,
so it’s no surprise it also leads Coc-
cia’s truck sales. The Escape has also
sold well even after a radical design
change for 2014 which saw the SUV
transformed from a somewhat boxy
shape to a sportier appearance.
Coccia started out in Luzerne on
a small strip of land on Main Street
where Nicholas Wyoming Valley
Truck Sales is now located. It moved
to its present location about 20 years
ago. The 10-acre facility has over 400
cars and trucks — both new and used
— on its lot.
“We’re a family owned business,”
said Martin, who has been with Coccia for 25 years. “I’m sure some of our
success is because of that.”
Reach John Erzar at 570-991-6394 or on Twitter @
TLJohnErzar
VOTED
39 ALLEN STREET | NANTICOKE PA 18634
570-735-5550
READERS’ CHOICE
Times Leader
Clark Van Orden | Times Leader
Greg Martin, general manager Coccia Ford in Plains Township, shows off a Ford F-150 pickup truck.
FAMILY HEARING SOLUTIONS FOR ALL AGES AND ALL STAGES
Jill Knecht Au. D., James Zeigler Au. D., Judith Johnston Au. D., and Robert Asby, M.S.
THANK YOU FOR SELECTING US FOR THE
Reader’s Choice Award
FOR THREE YEARS IN A ROW
Family
Hearing
H
Center
ZEIGLER - ASBY AUDIOLOGY
...all ages and all stages...
Hearing tests, aids and protection for the entire family
Kingston 570-714-2656 www.afamilyhearingcenter.com Dallas 570-675-8113
READERS’ CHOICE
Times Leader
CHECK US
OUT BEFORE
YOU BUY!
For voting us your Reader’s
Choice for Best Truck Dealer &
Best Domestic Car Dealer as
well as helping us earn the
President’s Award for both
Ford & Lincoln for 2015
YOU BUY!
For Outstanding
Customer
Satisfaction
2015
2015
Coccia Ford
Coccia Ford
Now 11 Time
Winner!
Winner!
0% FOR 60 MONTHS PLUS $2,000 ON
2016 FORD FUSION
2016 FORD ESCAPE
2015 FORD FOCUS
VOLUME FORD
& LINCOLN
DEALER IN NEPA
FOR OVER
27
CONSECUTIVE
YEARS
CONVENIENTLY LOCATED
BETWEEN SCRANTON &
WILKES-BARRE
READERS’ CHOICE
Times Leader
MLB Advertising has a results-focused approach
Employees
describe
creative,
motivating
atmosphere
By Gene Axton
[email protected]
WILKES-BARRE —
Twenty years ago, AJ
Zambetti returned to
Northeastern Pennsylvania from the New York
metropolitan area and
took a job as art director
for Maslow Lumia Bartorillo (MLB) Advertising.
He has since been promoted to creative director, a position he has held
for the last decade. Zambetti said he stays with
the company because of
what its offers both personally and professionally.
MLB Advertising has
been recognized as the
Best Local Advertising
Agency by Times Leader
readers in the 2016 Readers’ Choice contest.
“You get to really
immerse yourself in clients and what they do
without a lot of restrictions, so you can be as
involved as you want to
be without anyone holding you back,” Zambetti
said. “I think that it also
is a positive environment
for people and families.”
John Bartorillo, who
served as creative director
with previous iterations of
the agency before becoming partner in 1991,
returned the sentiment.
“The team of people is
really great,” Bartorillo
said. “They all have their
own area of specialization but they’re all part
of the team so we work
together. We have a very
diverse client group that
spreads itself out over
technology and consumer
and business-to-business.
I think that’s really a good
thing.”
MLB Advertising’s
clients include WilkesBarre/Scranton International Airport, Intermetro
Industries and rehab
specialists Allied Services. The latter is one of
Graphic Designer Kristen
Blake’s favorite accounts
to work with.
“You feel like you’re
really on the team with
Allied,” Blake said. “You
see our advertising efforts
getting stories out of
people getting better and
getting back to the lives
they love.”
That type of immersion
isn’t exclusive to Blake’s
experiences with clients;
Art Director Michael
Scholl has a similar relationship with local grocery store chain Gerrity’s.
“I do a lot of work with
Gerrity’s,” Scholl said.
“I feel like I work there
sometimes.”
According to Bartorillo,
he and his team approach
every client from the
small, one-time jobs to
the large, long-standing
partnerships with the
same goal: to be indis-
Tony Callaio | for Times Leader
Shown here at MLB Advertising are, from left, seated, Kristen Blake, designer; Mike Avvisato, business development. Standing, John
Bartorillo, president; AJ Zambetti, creative director.
pensable. According to
him, MLB Advertising
accomplishes this by forging a relationship with
its clients that’s based on
competency and mutual
respect.
“Our theme that we
use is we create results,”
Bartorillo said. “We try
to find the truth in the
client’s product or service
and we try to express it in
ways that are relevant to
the customer. Then we tie
it to a result, which makes
their business go further.”
Reach Gene Axton at 570-991-6121
or on Twitter @TLArts
READERS’ CHOICE
Times Leader
Times Leader
READERS’ CHOICE
Turkey Hill named best convenience store third year in a row
By Nick Wagner
[email protected]
Wyoming Valley readers decided one
convenience store in the area is above
the rest when it comes to gas and grub.
Turkey Hill Minit Markets earned the
Times Leader’s Readers’ Choice nod for
the Best Convenience Store. This is the
third straight year the store has won the
honor, making it a “platinum” honoree.
In the Wyoming Valley area, Turkey
Hill operates 25 stores with eight of
those stores in Wilkes-Barre alone,
including a new one at the intersection
of Coal Street and Wilkes-Barre
Boulevard that opened in October 2015.
The majority of stores also offer pay-atthe-pump fueling options.
In January 2015, Turkey Hill
opened and expanded a new location
on Memorial Highway in Dallas to
replace a store that operated further
down the highway.
The new, 4,000-square
foot location provides
passers-by and residents
of the Back Mountain
a one-stop shop for all
convenience store needs.
With their “Fresh To
Go” options, Turkey Hill
stores feature everything
from selections of
sandwiches, pizzas,
subs, wraps and grilled
options. The stores have
a variety of choices for breakfast, lunch
and dinner, offering salads and snack
options.
As far as beverage options go,
Turkey Hill offers Coffee Central and
Soda Central, which allow customers
to customize drink
options, along with
coolers of varieties of
beverages.
Turkey Hill ice cream
made with natural
ingredients is stocked
in store freezers.
Several stores
throughout the
Wyoming Valley offer
different non-food or
drink options. Many
serve as a RedBox
location and some even offer car
washes. Each store offers a full behindthe-counter convenience for tobacco
This is the third
straight year the
store has won the
honor, making it a
“platinum” honoree.
Aimee Dilger | Times Leader file photo
The new Turkey Hill Minit Market in Wilkes-Barre Boulevard opened in October 2015. Turkey Hill has been
named the Times Leader Readers’ Choice award winner for Best Convenience Store.
products and lottery games.
Along with dining options, Turkey
Hill stores also cater to automobile
fuel needs and, in 2010, the company
introduced its Rewards Card program.
The first Turkey Hill store opened
in 1967 in Lancaster by Charlesand
Emerson Frey. The company has
expanded to 270 stores in Pennsylvania,
Ohio and Indiana, 230 of which
offer gasoline options. Turkey Hill’s
headquarters is in Manor Township,
near the Susquehanna River, just
outside Lancaster.
Turkey Hill is one of five convenience
store chains operated by The Kroger
Co.
Reach Nick Wagner at 570-991-6406 or on Twitter @
Dispatch_Nick
READERS’ CHOICE
Times Leader
Gerri Bridal has helped brides look beautiful for three generations
By Mary Therese Biebel
[email protected]
PITTSTON — When she
began preparations for her
November wedding, Kristen
Osenkarski, of Hughestown,
knew exactly where she’d look
for her bridal gown.
“My best friend came here
for her wedding last year, and
every dress she tried on was
beautiful,” Osenkarski said,
her glance taking in a rack
of gowns at Gerri Bridal in
Pittston.
Osenkarski has had a successful search at Gerri Bridal,
too, where she said owner
Judy Monko and her daughter,
Michelle DeBiasi, have made
her feel “absolutely, 100 percent” pampered and well cared
for.
Many Times Leader readers
agree; they voted Gerri Bridal
the Best Bridal Shop in this
year’s Times Leader Readers’
Choice Award contest.
“Michelle really knows,
when she sees the bride, what
will flatter her,” Osenkarski
said. “I thought I wanted a ball
gown but I didn’t end up with
that.”
Because the bride-to-be is
quite petite, Monko said, a ball
gown with a full, Cinderellatype skirt would overwhelm
her. DeBiasi found her a different style gown she loves but,
we must point out, the gown
Osenkarski is wearing in a
Times Leader photograph is
NOT the one she will wear at
her wedding.
She agreed to model a different one so her guests and especially her groom, David Tetlak,
will see her gown for the first
time on her wedding day.
Gerri Bridal likes to maintain that wedding tradition,
along with other customs,
Monko said.
“We tell the brides their
gown is ‘something new’ and
we give them a garter to be
their ‘something blue’ so they
just have to find ‘something
old’ and ‘something borrowed.’”
Kristen
Osenkarski, of
Hughestown,
models a wedding
gown at Gerri
Bridal Shop,
Pittston. This
one is beautiful,
she said, but
she’ll wear a
different one at
her November
wedding.
Thank you
Leading Provider of Garage Doors,
and Door openers in NEPA
To Our Patients and the Readers
for Voting Dr. Harris and Dr. Kile
the “Best” 3 Years in a Row
Celebrating 50 years of caring for kids!
Accepting New Patients • Offering FREE Pre-Baby Classes For Expectant Parents
kingstonpeds.com
288-6543
570-288-6543
Pe d i a t r i c A s s o c i a t e s o f K i n g s t o n , L L C
Thank You
Times Leader Readers!
570.696.1757
TRUCKSVILLE
Times Leader
READERS’ CHOICE
The shop itself is a family tradition,
now in its third generation.
Monko’s mother, Regina Jerrytone,
used to work at the former Zimmerman’s bridal shop in Wilkes-Barre
where there was another Regina, so
her co-workers called her Gerri, a feminine version of the first two syllables of
her last name.
The original “Gerri” opened her
own shop 50 years ago in Pittston,
where her daughter Judy pitched in to
help “since day one.” Granddaughter
Michelle has been at the shop since
babyhood, Monko said, remembering
how she went into labor at the store,
delivered the baby at the hospital and,
a few days later, stopped by the store
to introduce the new arrival to the
seamstresses.
Michelle DeBiasi practically grew up
at Gerri Bridal where she’s developed
a knack for helping brides find something that makes them feel like a queen
while expressing their personality and
enhancing their beauty.
“Everybody’s got their own unique
style and unique taste,” DeBiasi said.
“That’s what’s fun about this business.
It’s like fitting the pieces of a puzzle
together.”
Within the next few weeks, mother
and daughter Monko and DeBiasi are
looking forward to moving Gerri Bridal
a few blocks away from its old location
on North Main Street to the New Rose
Building, a mural-covered structure on
South Main Street, still in downtown
Pittston.
Reach Mary Therese Biebel at 570-991-6109 or on
Twitter @BiebelMT
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Michelle DeBiasi, co-owner of Gerri Bridal Shop, shows Kristen Osenkarski, of Hughestown, some contrasting styles of bridal gowns.
SANITARY BAKERY
In Business Since 1918
126 E. Ridge St., Nanticoke, Pa. | 570-735-6630
THANK
YOU
FOR VOTING US
BEST BAKERY!
Sanitary Bakery specializes in custom made all occasion cakes
and desserts. We take great pride in preparing all our cakes
using only the finest ingredients, ensuring you with superior
quality, freshness and taste. Unlike grocery store bakeries, our
cakes and breads are baked on the day of your event, prepared
just the way you requested. We are conveniently located in
the heart of Nanticoke City at 126 E. Ridge Street and we are
owned and operated by Joe and Ed Kowalski.
READERS’ CHOICE
Times Leader
King’s College named best local college
By Mark Guydish
[email protected]
As King’s College celebrates its 70th anniversary, the current president and three past presidents got
together at the University of Portland, which — like King’s — was set up by the congregation of the Holy
Cross. From left, are The Rev. Charles Sherrer (1974-81), The Rev. James Lackenmier (1981-1999), The
Rev. Thomas O’Hara (1999-2011) and The Rev. John Ryan (2011-present, the ninth president).
THANK YOU
PATRONS, FAMILY & FRIENDS
VOTED BEST LOCAL FIRE ARM DEALER
PIESTRAK’S GUN SHOP
104 ALDEN MTN. RD., NANTICOKE
735-3776 OR 1-800-281-0716
WILKES-BARRE
— The humble beginnings story is pretty
well known, A priest
dispatched from Notre
Dame with a pocket full
of money and a typewriter establishes Wyoming
Valley’s first college for
the sons of miners, and a
local landmark is born.
King’s College marks
its 70th anniversary this
year, something The Rev.
John Ryan, in his fifth
year as president, said
likely will be only modestly marked. “We may
wait until the 75th for a
bigger celebration.”
This also marks the
third consecutive year
King’s has won the
Times Leader’s Readers’
Choice Award as the
Best Local College/University. It’s an honor that
makes Vice President for
Enrollment Management
Corry Unis — a pretty
big booster for the college any time — gush
upbeat.
“I think the future is
bright for us, Unis said.
“I started working at the
college in 2013 and what
the team has been able
to do is increase applications by 35, 40 percent.
That’s huge knowing
demographics are going
the wrong way.”
High school enrollments and extension
graduates going onto
higher education have
been declining in the
area and the state, and
King’s College student Betty
Montgomery, of Philadelphia
local colleges have had
to work harder to sustain
enrollment.
While King’s, like
others, has looked to
compensate with more
international students —
Ryan noted that enrollment has climbed from
1 to nearly 100 in a few
years — Unis said King’s
has “increased its local
market share each year.”
Yes, tuition has
climbed, but Ryan
noted financial aid has
increased at a faster
rate, so by that yardstick King’s is arguably
more affordable now
than a few years ago.
He believes the college’s
fundamental strength is
commitment to its original mission: Teaching
students to make a living
and make a life.
Unis said King’s keeps
true to three principles:
Personalized attention
with an average of 17 students per class, a caring
community that builds
relationships with students, and professional
preparation of the staff.
That Notre Dame con-
Corry Unis
nection doesn’t hurt.
Ryan said 13 students
are heading there for
an engineering degree,
thanks to a dual enrollment agreement.
“Any time we get to
co-brand ourselves with
our sister school adds to
a level of prestige,” Unis
said.
Maybe, but students
cite the atmosphere
of friendship and the
sports.
“As soon as I came
to King’s, it felt right.
When I came for a tour,
everyone was so nice and
helpful,” said Alexa Lambert, 20, a junior from
Alburtis, near Allentown.
King’s 5-year physician
assistant program was a
draw, as was the opportunity to participate on the
swim team.
“I came and immediately fell in love with
King’s,” said Betty Montgomery, 21, a theater
major from Philadelphia.
“You’re not just a number
here. Everybody knows
your name.”
She learned about
King’s at a college fair in
high school and intended
READERS’ CHOICE
Times Leader
to study special education, but switched to theater as a major because
she fell in love with that,
too. She’s already had
one job interview in the
Philadelphia area.
Senior Angela Coco
was looking for “a small,
Catholic and supportive”
college, and selected
King’s after a visit
because the people “I
met were so incredibly
inspiring and interested
in me! It felt right.
“King’s’ best attribute
is the community on
campus,” she continued.
“Everyone knows me:
students, professors, and
staff. The people here are
my beloved mentors, coworkers, spiritual leaders
and friends. They want
to help me succeed.”
Kings College senior Angela Coco
THANKS
YOU!
The
For Making
AWARD
Us Your GOLD
WINNER
For BEST NEW CAR DEALER
Ken
Nissan
339 HWY 315, PITTSTON, PA • 570-301-6915
229 MUNDY ST., WILKES-BARRE, PA • 1-866-704-0672
1120 FRONT ST., BERWICK, PA • 570-752-2797
kenpollockautogroup.com
READERS’ CHOICE
Times Leader
Freshly baked products and butcher shop give Gerrity’s nod
By Brigid Edmunds
[email protected]
LUZERNE — From freshly
baked pastries made in store
to a fully functioning butcher
shop, Gerrity’s Supermarkets
strives for customer satisfaction.
The familial atmosphere
and commitment to quality
has earned the family-run
business a gold award in the
Times Leader Readers’ Choice
Awards.
For co-owner Joe Fasula,
the company is honored to not
only receive the award, but to
know its customers appreciate
the work the Gerrity’s family
puts into serving the community.
“It’s nice to know our customers notice,” Fasula said.
While the strong sense of
family has driven the business
since the beginning, Fasula
says there are a “blend of
things” that give Gerrity’s the
edge over other supermarkets,
including its in-store food production and competitive sales.
“Our tie to the community
is important,” Fausla said. As
a local business, he said, the
company tries to give back
to the community as much as
possible through donations
and fundraisers.
William Gerrity opened
the first Gerrity’s Market in
1895. At first, it was just a
small meat shop. According
to the store’s website, Gerrity
passed the store down to his
three sons, William Jr., Joseph
and Thomas. After William
Jr. moved out of the area and
Thomas passed away, Joseph
Gerrity became the sole
owner.
According to Fasula, his
father, Neal, began working
Pete G. Wilcox|Times Leader
Co-owner of Gerrity’s Supermarket Joe Fasula places customer John Morgan’s groceries in a shopping cart at the Gerrity’s Supermarket in Luzerne on Tuesday.
in the store when he was
about 12 years old and eventually Neal and Joseph Gerrity
became partners. Once Gerrity retired, he sold his half
of the business to Neal. After
Neal passed away, Fasula’s
mother, Joyce, known to most
as “Mom,” became president
of the company and has since
become the face of Gerrity’s
— something Fasula attributes
to the store’s success.
“(Having a female owner) is
really powerful in the grocery
business, because women do
most of the food shopping,” he
said. He thinks “Mom” offers
a strong connection to the
female shopper.
However, if Fasula did have
to pick a top reason for the
company’s success, it would be
the employees.
Fasula said the company
is lucky because it has many
employees who have been at
the company for many years
and have invested a lot into
their work at Gerrity’s.
“We have employees who
are experienced, who care and
who give good service,” Fasula
said. “They’re the ones that
really make it happen.”
Employee Jean Bilbow has
been at Gerrity’s for eight
years and says it feels like “one
big happy family.”
Bilow believes customer
service and employee friendliness makes Gerrity’s stand out
from other supermarkets in
the area.
“I’d like to think we go
beyond the call of duty (to
make sure) the customer
leaves here completely satisfied,” she said.
Bilbow also expressed how
the relationship between the
owners and employees helps
her get more out of her job.
“When I started working
here, I had no idea I would
get so much more out it,” she
said. “You give and you get
back.”
Reach Brigid Edmunds at 570-991-6119.
Times Leader
READERS’ CHOICE
READERS’ CHOICE
Times Leader
Cook’s Pharmacy is best for service, supplies, quality advice
By Geri Gibbons
[email protected]
KINGSTON — When entering
Cook’s Pharmacy on Wyoming Avenue,
the brightness and cleanliness of the
local drug store stands out.
Overseeing operations is registered
pharmacist and owner Jim Gaudino,
who is never too busy to make his way
to the pharmacy counter and provide
information to customers.
On a recent day just after noon,
Gaudino had already answered several
customer questions in regard to their
prescriptions.
Customers want to know whether
a prescription might interfere with
another prescription they are taking,
how long a drug can be kept, how it can
be stored or if it is necessary to finish a
prescription.
For these questions, Gaudino and his
staff of 35 are always available.
It is because of this personal service
that Cook’s Pharmacy
has been named Best
Pharmacy in the 2016
Choice contest.
Although Gaudino
and his wife, Dawn,
purchased the business
in 2002 from Dawn’s
father, Fred Lombardo,
it is a family business
that dates back to 1967.
Lombardo bought
the pharmacy from the Cook family
in 1967, keeping that family name
attached to the business
The full-service pharmacy not only
provides quality service on site, but
also offers delivery service. The pharmacy also carries a full line of over-thecounter products and
cosmetics.
To fit the needs of
its customers, the
pharmacy offers compounding, specifically
prepared prescriptions
to its customers, as well
as immunizations.
Gaudino uses every
opportunity to meet the
needs of the community,
including technology.
Facebook posts from the pharmacy
not only provide basic information, but
Gaudino uses every
opportunity to meet
the needs of the
community, including
technology.
also alert members of the community
to the latest in medical news, such as a
new ADHD drug, which children can
take by mouth, and heart health awareness.
The pharmacy maintains a Twitter
account, providing links to information customers might find interesting,
including the dangers of chewing ice
and how to strengthen fingernails.
Gaudino views his pharmacy as not
just a service or product, but an opportunity to interface with members of
the community and to inform them of
important medical information.
He looks forward to continuing to
serve the community in person, by
delivery and online.
Reach Geri Gibbons at 570-991-6117 or on Twitter @
TLGGibbons
Thanks to everyone who took the time to
vote us Best Local Bar & Best Martini
Times Leader
READERS’ CHOICE
Thank you Times
mes Leader
LLead
eaad
ader
deerr Readers
Read
Rea
Re
R
eeade
ad
der
errs
eers
rs for
foorr voting
voot
oti
tin
ing The
TTh
he Joan
Joaan
n Harris Centre
THE BEST DANCE STUDIO
Our Staff, Our Dancers
And Our Families
Truly Appreciate
Your Recognition
Follow Us
On Facebook
The Joan Harris Centre
570-287-7977
Leggio’s
Italian Ristorante
Amanda Hrycyna | For Times Leader
Jim Gaudino, owner of Cook’s Pharmacy, is shown in the pharmacy on Wyoming Avenue in Kingston.
Serving Lunch and Dinner.
Now Also Serving Breakfast
at the Dallas Location.
Thank You for
Supporting Local
Businesses!
Best
Italian Food
Thank You For Voting Us Best Towing Service.
We Appreciate Your Support
➢ Tows & Winch Outs
➢ Jump Starts & More
➢ PA State Inspections
➢ Flat Tires
➢ Lockouts
➢ All Auto Repairs
3603 SR 309 Highway, Dallas 18612
570-674-2354 (2ELI)
80722792
64 Center Hill Road, Dallas 570-675-4511
1092 Highway 315, Plains 570-822-0861
READERS’ CHOICE
Times Leader
Times Leader 2016 Readers’ Choice Awards event
Annual event
at Genetti’s
Conference
Center honors
businesses voted
by readers as
‘best’
All photos by Sean McKeag
People mingle at the bar in Genetti’s ballroom before the Times Leader Readers’
Choice.
An attendee applauds during the Readers’ Choice awards ceremony.
An attendee laughs during the Times Leader Readers’ Choice awards ceremony
Tuesday night.
Jason Gilroy, of Northeast Window in Pittston, returns to his seat after
accepting his award.
Tom Huynh from Casabella Nails & Spa accepts his award.
Joe and Sandy Fasula, of Fire & Ice on Toby Creek, accept an award
from Times Leader Advertising Manager Kerry Miscavage.
PAC Construction receives a gold award for Best Remodeler.
An attendee enjoys herself during the Times Leader Readers’
Choice awards ceremony at Genetti’s Tuesday night.
Times Leader
Times Leader Advertising Director Anthony Spina welcomes everyone to the Readers’
Choice ceremony at Genetti’s Tuesday night.
READERS’ CHOICE
Dr. James DeFinnis of Back Mountain Dental was honored
as ‘Best Dentist.’
Turkey Hill was named Best Convenience Store for
the third year in a row, making it a Platinum winner.
Joe Fasula, center, and Joyce Fasula, right, of Gerrity’s supermarkets, accept their award Attendees of the ceremony watch the Readers’ Choice awards being given at Genetti’s on Tuesday.
from Times Leader Advertising Director Kerry Miscavage.
Women’s Boutique and Consignments won the gold award for the Best Clothing Boutique.
Kevin Smith, left, Broker/Owner, Century 21 Smith Hourigan Group, and David Hourigan, Broker/Owner, Century 21
Smith Hourigan Group, accept the gold award for Best Real Estate Agency from Times Leader Advertising Manager
Kerry Miscavage.
READERS’ CHOICE
Times Leader
READERS’ CHOICE
Times Leader
Audiologists Dr.
Judith Johnston, left,
Robert Asby and Dr.
Jill Knecht, of Family
Hearing Center in
Kingston and Dallas.
Jim Gaudino, owner of Cook’s Pharmacy.
Bill Tarutis |
For Times Leader
Amanda Hrycyna|For Times Leader
PLATINUM PREFERRED
CONTRACTOR
A+ member
Northeastern
& Central PA
Thank you
SMITH & MILLER ROOFING, INC.
ROBERT SMITH, West Pittston
Established 1976
570-655-6710
Thank You For Voting Us Best Dance Studio!
The Back Mountain’s #1 choice in dance for children since 1990
Dance Studio • 5 Goodman Road, Dallas
Tap • Ballet • Hip Hop
HIC# PA-005521
(570) 675-7227
Ages 3 and up
80726993
to our customers who voted us as One of the Best
Roofing Companies! We Appreciate Your Support!
READERS’ CHOICE
Times Leader
Family Hearing Center earns top honors
By Steve Mocarsky
[email protected]
Submitted photo
Dr. Jim Zeigler owns Family
Hearing Center in Kingston
and Dallas, where he works
with three other licensed
audiologists to provide
comprehensive
hearing
services to patients from
infants to senior citizens.
KINGSTON — Having good hearing is
important in so many
aspects of life — work,
school, socialization and,
not least of all, personal
safety. Family Hearing
Center has earned the
confidence of Times
Leader readers when it
comes to ensuring they
can hear the important
things in their lives.
With offices in Kingston and Dallas and
more than 100 years
of combined experience between the four
audiologists who work
there, the practice has
captured the Times
Leader Readers’ Choice
award for Best Hearing
Aid Center for the third
year in a row, earning it
a platinum designation
this year.
“We’ve been around
the longest, that may
account for some of it,”
Robert Asby said of the
trust level of patients.
In 1967, when Asby
was director of the
Department of Audiology at the Geisinger
Medical Center in Danville, he established
the first independent
audiology practice in
Pennsylvania with two
physicians also formerly
on the Geisinger staff.
The group installed the
latest in diagnostic hearing testing equipment to
provide a series of firsts
in comprehensive audiology care in northeastern
Pennsylvania.
Robert Asby & Associates was the first audiology practice in the
region to fit advanced
technology hearing aids
in a comprehensive audiology and medical setting. Other firsts include
the addition of newborn
hearing testing and the
establishment of a center
for Auditory Evoked
Response testing at the
Wilkes-Barre General
Hospital.
Over the years, the
practice changed locations, as well as names.
It temporarily relocated
to Wilkes-Barre General
Hospital after the flood
of 1972, and then moved
to an adjacent medical
arts building.
Dr. James Zeigler, the
current owner, who was
away at a seminar and
unable to participate in
an interview, joined the
practice in 1987. Robert
Asby & Associates even-
tually became Asby &
Zeigler Audiology, and
the group was the first
audiology practice to fit
computer programmable
hearing aids in northeastern Pennsylvania.
Dr. Judith Johnston
joined the team in 1997
and, three years later,
the practice relocated
to the current offices at
the Park Office Building on Third Avenue
in Kingston and Twin
Stacks Center on Memorial Highway in Dallas.
Dr. Jill Knecht joined the
practice in 2011 and the
name was changed to
Family Hearing Center.
READERS’ CHOICE
Times Leader
Knecht believes the
benefits of having four
licensed audiologists
working together adds to
patient satisfaction.
“It allows us to schedule enough time for each
patient, and that’s one of
the reasons I like working here. We absolutely
don’t schedule ourselves
so that we’re rushed. We
make sure that we have
enough time to answer
all the questions, to
make sure the patients
are comfortable,” Knecht
said.
“One of the complaints
we hear from other
offices is that people are
rushed in and out,” Asby
added. “This is all hi-tech
and there’s a lot to do
and it takes time. And
among the group we see
everyone from infants to
the elderly.”
“That’s one of the
reasons we changed the
name to Family Hearing
Center,” Knecht continued. “We want people to
know that if we’re seeing
someone’s grandmother,
we can also see their
grandchild. We can do
that all here and they
can be comfortable with
everyone seeing the same
person.”
Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader
Audiologists Dr. Jill Knecht, left, Dr. Judith Johnston and Robert Asby use a Real-Ear instrument for testing hearing aids at Family Hearing
Center in Kingston.
Johnston said “more
personalized follow-up
care” is another perk
patients appreciate.
“It’s not like a onesize-fits-all hearing aid.
We take into account
everyone’s individual
listening needs and then
help them decide what
type of hearing aid is
best for them. We don’t
just fit them and forget
about our patients. We
see them back for several
follow-up visits to make
sure things are working
well, to make sure they’re
comfortable,” Johnston
said.
Asby said hearing aids
are “miniaturized computers, so we interface
them with our larger
computer. And every
hearing aid that comes
out of this office is
custom-fit to the person’s
ear and to their hearing
pattern, their hearing
test results. That probably sets us apart. We
really match the person
and the instrument, and
that’s what this equipment is all about.”
Johnston said audiology technology is constantly evolving, and
the practice keeps up
with acquiring the latest equipment to better
serve patients.
For example, a device
called New Ear allows
the audiologists to
place a microphone in a
patient’s ear canal next to
the ear drum, place the
patient’s hearing aid on
top of it, and get a readout on a computer screen
showing how well the
hearing aid is actually
working in the patient’s
ear, Johnston explained.
“Things are changing
all the time,” Knecht
said. “You almost need
an IT degree to keep up
with it,” she added with
a laugh.
Reach Steve Mocarsky at
570-991-6386 or on Twitter @
TLSteveMocarsky.
Thank
ank Y
You
ou
uF
For
or Your Support.
or
Best Carpet Store
(down on Main St. in Pittston)
Thanking all our loyal clients
for another gold win!
109 South Main St., Pittston • 570-602-PAWS (7297)
Hardwood
Ceramic Tile
Linoleum
Laminate
Flooring
• Carpet
&
KW
K
WC
Carpets
t
More
•
•
•
•
For All Your Floor Covering Needs
12 Months
12
Moonths
nths Same
Saame
me As
As Cash
Cash Available
Cas
AAvaila
Av
vailaabble
Mon, Thurs 9am - 8pm • Tues, Wed, Fri 9am - 5pm • Sat 9am - 3pm
570-675-8691
309 Memorial Hwy, Dallas, PA 18612
(Behind Gino’s Shoe Store on Rt. 309)
READERS’ CHOICE
Times Leader
Polishing teeth with a smile awards James DeFinnis
of Back Mountain Dental ‘Best Dentist’ award
By Eileen Godin
[email protected]
KINGSTON TWP. — Dr. James
DeFinnis of Back Mountain Dental not
only calms patients’ fears; he gives them
a reason to smile.
DeFinnis’ patients, in turn, have
shown their gratitude by voting him
as “Best Dentist” in the 2016 Times
Leader Readers’ Choice Awards for the
third consecutive year.
It’s not just DeFinnis’s white smile
that earned him this recognition, but his
chair-side manner, thorough exams and
upbeat office atmosphere, said patient
Suzanne Haas, of Franklin Township.
“He has a great personality. He picked
his team really well,” Haas said. “He is
a perfectionist which is what you want
from a dentist.”
“It is quite flattering to be chosen for
the past three years as ‘Best Dentist,’”
DeFinnis said. “This award is a testament to my support team.”
The eight-member staff of dental
hygienists and office staff members
shares a common motto of being “serious about dentistry, but we do not take
ourselves seriously,” DeFinnis said.
Humorous rapport among DeFinnis,
his staff and patients can ease jittery
nerves of those in the exam chair.
“We have grown a business by calming nerves,” he said.
DeFinnis said his commitment to
providing patients with comprehensive
dental care sets him apart from others
in his field.
An example of his dedication is a
computerized device called CEREC
placed in a corner of an exam room.
CEREC allows DeFinnis to measure,
design and carve a porcelain block into
a dental crown for installation in one
day.
Typically, dental crowns require a
two-visit procedure requiring patients to
take more time off from work, he said.
“It (CEREC) reduces a patient’s need
to take off time from work for a return
visit,” he said.
Dentistry has played a role in DeFinnis’ life since childhood. His father, John,
is a dentist in Berwick. DeFinnis began
practicing dentistry in his father’s office
for almost a year before the opportunity
to purchase the Back Mountain practice
came available, he said.
DeFinnis established his practice at
210 Carverton Road in Trucksville in
2000.
“It was a great opportunity,” the Berwick native said. “The Back Mountain
is a great area to raise a family.”
“Dentistry is a family affair,” the
42-year-old said. “My brother, Tom, has
a dental practice in Philadelphia.”
Even DeFinnis’ wife, Jodee, keeps
Back Mountain Dental organized.
DeFinnis and his wife live in Shavertown and have three daughters, Isabella,
10; Nadia, 8; and Mila, 4.
Reach Eileen Godin at 570-991-6387 or on Twitter @
TLNews.
Times Leader
READERS’ CHOICE
Dentist James DeFinnis at Back Mountain Dental in Kingston Township displays a computerized device
called CEREC that can design and carve a dental crown while the patient waits.
James DeFinnis of Back Mountain Dental works on a patient Suzanne Haas, of Franklin Township.
Haas described DeFinnis as a perfectionist when it comes to dentistry.
READERS’ CHOICE
Thank You Times Leader Readers!
GOLD WINNER for BEST REAL ESTATE AGENCY
We are thrilled to add this award to the many other awards we received from
CENTURY 21 Corporate for SUPERIOR SERVICES to our clients and customers.
2015 WAS AN AWARD WINNING YEAR FOR OUR COMPANY
CENTURY 21 Corporate recognized our company
and our offices for an outstanding year in 2015.
OUR COMPANY AWARDS
#3 Company in Pennsylvania in Units Sold
#4 Company in Pennsylvania in Commission Volume
CENTURY 21 Corporate Per Person Productivity Award
OFFICE AWARDS
All three offices earned the coveted
CENTURY 21 Quality Service Pinnacle Award for Outstanding Service
Our Mountaintop and Shavertown offices won the
CENTURY 21 Gold Medallion Award for Superior Sales Performance
AGENT MASTERS AWARDS
Awarded for superior levels of sales performance
Masters Diamond
Masters Emerald
Masters Ruby
Donna Klug
Al Clemonts
Debbie Reed
Pam McGovern
Sue Barre
Michael Pinko
Michelle Reilly
Rick Gaetano
Lynda Rowinski
QUALITY SERVICE AGENT AWARDS
Awarded based on surveys returned by clients served for superior service
QUALITY SERVICE PINNACLE
Debbie Reed
Michael Pinko
Pam McGovern
Cathy Tkaczyk
Al Clemonts
Linda Cuono
Nikki Callahan
Rick Gaetano
Heidi Kozlowski
Ruth Hollander
QUALITY SERVICE
Michelle Reilly
Barbara Mark
Joan Everett
Lynda Rowinski
Valerie Zane
Carl Goeringer, Jr.
Jolyn Bartoli
Pat Gazenski
Proud to serve Wyoming Valley and all of Luzerne County
creating a superior customer experience every sale.
WHAT’S BETTER THAN FOUR AWARDS FOR CUSTOMER SATISFACTION?
EIGHT.
For the second year in a row, the CENTURY 21® brand ranked “Highest Overall Satisfaction for First-Time and Repeat
Home Buyers and Sellers” by J.D. Power. Congratulations again to our many driven agents.
Shavertown
570.696.1195
Kingston
570.287.1196
Mountaintop
570.474.6307
Century21SHGroup.com
Times Leader
Bucci Laser Vision is tops
in world of ophthalmology
By Joe Dolinsky
[email protected]
WILKES-BARRE — Before establishing himself as one of the nation’s premier
eye surgeons, Dr. Frank Bucci carved up
the competition on the hardwood.
Growing up in northern New Jersey,
Bucci helped lead his high school hoops
team to an appearance in the state finals.
A full basketball scholarship followed at
Florida’s Rollins College, where Bucci
captained a squad that was among the
top Division II programs in the nation.
An athletics career didn’t pan out for
the avid sports fan, but Bucci still finds
himself tops in the nation in another category as an expert in opthamology.
The 64-year-old Bucci has performed
nearly 28,000 microsurgical ophthalmic
procedures, published dozens of articles
in medical literature and has been at
the forefront of the technology since its
inception.
Bucci Laser Vision, the eye institute
and surgery center Bucci founded in Wilkes-Barre in 1998, was named the Times
Leader Readers’ Choice award winner
for the third consecutive year.
Bucci, who also operates a large notfor-profit ophthalmology center in Lima,
Peru, said winning the award solidifies the emphasis the institute puts on
patient care.
“To me, it reinforces that our patients
believe we’re delivering for the community,” Bucci said of the award from inside
the eye institute’s state-of-the-art operating room.
If a procedure goes off without a hitch
and a patient can see more clearly than
before, they’ll spread the word, Bucci
said, adding the result has a stronger
reach than any advertisement could.
“Word of mouth is everything,” Bucci
said. Just as important is the institute’s
diversity in providing multiple surgeries
across the board.
Some specialists perform LASIK but
lack in their surgical prowess, while
other centers have cataract surgeons
Dr. Frank Bucci discusses the process of removing
cataracts in the operating room of Bucci Laser
Vision in Wilkes-Barre.
who put in implants but don’t specialize
in LASIK, Bucci said.
Bucci credits staff members, a “key
group of people” who ensure things at
the Wilkes-Barre institute run smoothly.
Part of that consistency, he said, is due
to an emphasis on education.
Bucci Laser Vision offers free seminars
on the ins and outs of procedures, hosted
by Bucci himself. During the monthly
meetings, attendees can talk to patients
who have already had surgeries, Bucci
said. If a prospective patient doesn’t
want to attend the seminar or can’t make
it to one, Bucci offers free one-on-one
consultations.
Bucci has also made his mark branching out into philanthropy. In 2003, he
co-founded Hospice of the Sacred Heart
in Wilkes-Barre. The agency now has
105 employees in nine counties and has
served over 11,000 dying people, Bucci
said.
Despite a frenetic schedule that has
Bucci frequenting flights to Peru, volunteering at the hospice, lecturing around
the globe and performing consultations
and surgeries that number nearly 30
each day, Bucci’s enthusiasm hasn’t
waned.
“I don’t have a job and other activities,” Bucci said. “I have a life, and this is
all part of my life.”
Reach Joe Dolinsky at 570-991-6110 or on Twitter @
JoeDolinskyTL
Times Leader
READERS’ CHOICE
Dr. Frank Bucci talks about his practice in the operating room of Bucci Laser Vision in Wilkes-Barre.
Dr. Frank Bucci looks through an instrument used to perform eye surgeries in the operating room at
Bucci Laser Vision in Wilkes-Barre.
Graz ie
THANKS
for Voting Us Best Round
Pizza 2016 Readers Choice
The Times Leader
445 HAZLE AVE.
Wi l k e s B a r r e
HOURS: OPEN SAT-THURS 4:00 PM TO MIDNIGHT
Friday: 10:00 AM to Midnight
829-9728
80723541
READERS’ CHOICE
Times Leader
Food, drinks and family create atmosphere at R Bar & Grill
NEWPORT TWP. —
The R Bar & Grill, a family owned bar, is the place
to unwind and enjoy good
food and drinks. Times
Leader readers agree as
the township bar won the
Best Local Bar category in
the 2016 Readers’ Choice
Awards.
The bar, which has
served lower Luzerne
County for five years, is in
its second location. Sisters
Lauren Maga, of Wapwallopen, and Lindsey
Temerantz, of Nanticoke,
“outgrew” their old building on Union Street, Nanticoke, and upgraded to
119 Kirmar Ave., the site
of the old Alden Manor.
The current building is
five times larger than the
other building.
“We closed for one
week, four days actually,”
Maga said about the move
that took place in November 2014.
The restaurant/bar is a
“family affair” for the sisters and they try to keep
the place comfortable. If
a patron gets out of hand,
they’re placed on the bar’s
banned list.
“We do not put up with
anything,” Maga said. “We
want people to feel like
family.”
Being able to work
around her family life,
Maga said, means not
missing important dates in
the lives of her 9-year-old
and 6-year-old children.
“Family comes first,”
she said.
Temerantz admittedly is
the “calmer” sister while
Maga is a “panicker.”
“She can call me on a
stressful day,” Temerantz
said. “We have a good balance.”
The duo started with
12 bar stools in the Union
Street location and has
grown to 29 tables and
20 bar stools. The Alden
Room is a 150 person
capacity banquet hall on
the top floor, which “is
booked with parties for
next year.”
The larger area allows
for more employees as the
business grew from five to
30 workers.
“They might as well be
family,” Maga said of the
employees.
Walking into the bar
and restaurant takes individuals back to their nearest local service station as
old street signs, hubcaps
and license plates adorn
the walls. Temerantz
considers it a “garage-y”
feeling.
“People will come in
and say, ‘Oh I found this
and brought it for you,’”
Maga said about some of
the decor.
There is a spot dedicated to firefighters and
police officers with department patches and other
memorabilia under glass
at the bar.
The menu offers typical
bar fare, including over 60
wing flavors, sandwiches
and burgers. The sisters
also have a late night
menu served after 11 p.m.
for bar patrons. Flights of
beer and flights of mixed
drinks are also featured.
The idea to open the
bar was “something for
us, a legacy,” the sisters
noted.
“Our dad (who owns
One Stop Service Shop on
Alden Road in Nanticoke)
wanted us to do something for us,” Maga said.
The bar business made
sense, since Maga has
been in the business since
she was 18 years old.
“She creates the drinks,”
Termerantz said.
Reach Melanie Mizenko at 570-9916116 or on Twitter @TL_MMizenko
Lindsey Temerantz, co-owner of The R Bar, works in the serving station of the restaurant. The bar/
restaurant is decorated with pieces from American history, such as automobile hub caps and license
plates.
READERS’ CHOICE
Times Leader
R Bar owner Lauren Maga makes a signature drink while her sister, Lindsey Tamerantz, helps out behind the counter.
The Pickled Bloody Mary, a signature drink at the R Bar, is topped with fresh bacon.
A few of the R Bar’s signature drinks include the Cucumber Melon, which includes homemade
cucumber vodka; The Duke, which has peach and pineapple flavors; Mango Lemonade and the Nirvana,
a twist on a traditional Mango Bay Breeze.
READERS’ CHOICE
Times Leader
Top of the Slope voted best Times Leader readers
Wilkes-Barre shop has catered
to skies and snowboarders for
more than 40 years
By Tom Venesky
[email protected]
WILKES-BARRE — Mike Miscavage wasn’t aware his business, Top
of the Slope, had been named Best
Ski Shop in the 2016 Times Leader’s
But Miscavage has a good excuse
for not being aware of the honor: business has been brisk.
“You get doing so many things, you
don’t always notice,” Miscavage said.
“I’m certainly happy about it.”
Busy days are nothing new for the
Wilkes-Barre shop, which has been
in business since 1972. The shop
was opened by Miscavage’s father,
Edward, and Mike took it over in the
late 1980s. The reason for its longevity, Miscavage said, is attributable to
a simple business philosophy.
“We’re good guys, we’re local, honest and we don’t price gouge,” he
said.
Miscavage never planned to take
over the family business. He was
always around it and it was just a
natural progression, he said. Still, he
admitted selling skis, snowboards and
outdoor gear is a good fit.
“I love being outside and away
from the computer,” Miscavage said.
“When you’re skiing, you’re not thinking about everyday life. It’s good
therapy.”
Snow drives business at Top of
the Slope, which caters to skiers
and snowboarders. The business
also focuses on the summer outdoor
enthusiast and stocks sleeping bags,
tents, hiking boots and rock climbing
equipment - a facet Miscavage said is
becoming increasingly popular.
To tap into that interest, Miscavage opened a rock climbing gym next
door to Top of the Slope.
“I sell a lot of ropes, harnesses and
carabiners,” he said. “Climbers buy
them and even a lot of roofers.”
But the main draw is winter, and
that’s why Top of the Slope is packed
with skis, snowboards and plenty of
winter apparel. Catering to skiers
and snowboarders, however, means
the business is dependent on winter
weather. The last few winters have
been good, Miscavage said, even
though this year was a bit challenging.
“It didn’t snow. The average person
doesn’t see snow on the ground, then
they think there’s no skiing,” he said.
“When that happens, you don’t get the
new people to the sport.”
Over the years, Miscavage has seen
plenty of trends come and go in the
world of outdoor recreation. He used
to sell kayaks when they were popular
and even taught wind sailing on the
side.
Things have changed with winter
sports, as well. It wasn’t that long
ago many skiers were switching to
snowboarding, but now the reverse is
happening.
“Snowboarders are starting to ski
now,” Miscavage said. “It’s leveling
off.”
No matter what trend develops or
how many changes take place, Top of
the Slope is prepared to cater to the
ever-evolving interests of its customers.
“We’ve been here a long time and
it’s about sticking to what you know
and what we’ve been doing for customers,” Miscavage said.
Reach Tom Venesky at 570-991-6395 or on Twitter @
tltomvenesky
Mike Miscavage, owner of Top of the Slope, took over the family business in the late 1980s.
THANK YOU
FOR VOTING
FOR US.
BEST WINGS
Hanover Twp. / Ashley
Plains
15 E. Carey St.
782 Hazle St.
(By Sneaker King)
Forty Fort
980 Wyoming Ave.
Dallas
31 Lake St.
(By Dallas Family Practice)
Nanticoke
302 East Noble St.
570 825-8222 570 970-9991 570 288-3278 570 675-8000 570 258-1111
Top of the Slope not only carries skis, but every accessory a skier needs for a day in the snow.
READERS’ CHOICE
Times Leader
Casabella Nails & Spa
Thank You
To All Our Customers For Your Continued Support.
• Gel Nails
• Manicures
• Pedicures
• Waxing
• Nail Art
Walk- Ins Welcome • Gift Certificates Available
1930 Memorial Hwy,
Shavertown, PA 18708
570-674-9085
Monday - Saturday 9 am - 7 pm Sunday 11 am - 5 pm
2ND LOCATION
OPENING SOON.
305 Bear Creek
Commons, Wilkes-Barre
(Next to Hoopla, Super Cuts and Buffalo Wild Wings)
READERS’ CHOICE
Times Leader
Mohegan Sun Pocono is a destination resort
By Jerry Lynott
[email protected]
PLAINS TWP. — Whether he knew
it or not, Mike Bean struck what
sounded like a new advertisement for
Mohegan Sun Pocono.
People travel from near and far to
gamble, dine, shop, attend a concert
or show, visit the spa or spend a night
or weekend at the hotel. The former
Pocono Downs is no longer a one-trick
pony and instead offers a myriad of
options, including harness racing.
“Part of our strategy here at Mohegan Sun Pocono is to give our guests
as many reasons to come visit us as
we can and the opportunity to have a
different experience every visit,” said
Bean, Mohegan’s president and general
manager.
Mohegan Sun Pocono was chosen
best casino in the 2016 Times Leader’s
Readers’ Choice awards and is a threetime winner in that category.
Bean has been on the scene since
2005, the year the Mohegan Tribe
of Indians of Connecticut acquired
Pocono Downs in Plains Township.
The Mohegans’ Tribal Authority introduced slot machines a year later and
embarked on a journey to develop the
property.
“We are coming up on our 10-year
anniversary. Over the course of that 10
years, we have gone from a racino to a
destination resort casino,” Bean said.
Aimee Dilger | Times Leader
Mike Bean, president and general manager of Mohegan Sun Pocono, said the destination resort casino
aims to attract people from further away more often for longer stays.
“Thus, our name change from Mohegan
Sun at Pocono Downs to Mohegan Sun
Pocono to reflect the fact that we’re no
longer slot machines and a race track.
But now we are a true destination of
our own.”
Mohegan added Project Sunrise in
2008 to house the slots now numbering
We appreciate
your votes and
business!
2,300. Table games followed in 2010.
In late 2013, the 238-room hotel and
20,000-square-foot conference center
opened, along with the 4,000-squarefoot Spa Sapphire.
“If you look at what we had, which
was basically slots machines and a
grandstand with a very modest food
New Residential Construction
Custome Remodeling
offering to today, we have 21 bars and
restaurants,” Bean said.
It doesn’t stop there. It’s home to the
Wise Crackers Comedy Club, a television cooking show on the weekends
and live music almost every day of the
week, he said.
“We have everything from casual
dining at Bar Louie to some nice Tuscany menu at Rustic Kitchen to, in my
opinion, one of the best steak houses
anywhere in Ruth’s Chris,” Bean said.
“And we continue to improve. Ruth’s
Chris has just gone through a very nice
renovation. We continue to upgrade our
facility and to provide just an outstanding experience for our guests.”
Bean paid credit to the staff and
employees, nearly 2,000 of them, for
earning the award. “This great team
really takes care of our guests every
time,” he said.
The team and Mohegan’s offerings
“differentiate” it from others in the
industry, Bean said, and give people a
reason to travel from Washington D.C.,
Baltimore, New York City and three
and four hours away.
“Our vision is to get more and more
people from further and further distances to come more often and stay
longer,” Bean said. “So we’ve demonstrated that over the course of 10 years
and we plan to continue to do that in
the future.”
Reach Jerry Lynott at 570-991-6120 or on Twitter @
TLJerryLynott
Commcercial Projects
Land Development
Thank You
Times Leader
Readers
Thank you!
rank
F
arey
C
Construction, Inc.
Where High Quality
Is The Standard
Direct: 570-655-2374
www.frankcareyconstruction.com
READERS’ CHOICE
Times Leader
QFHVW\OHLQQRYDWLRQHQHUJ\FRORU
DORQ1RX9HDX
6DORQ1RX9HDX
DORQ1RX9HDX
6DORQ1RX9HDX
6DORQ1RX9HDX
6DORQ1RX9HDX
HOHJDQFHVW\OHLQQRYDWLRQHQHUJ\FRORU
QFHVW\OHLQQRYDWLRQHQHUJ\FRORU
([SHULHQFH7KH6DORQ'LIIHUHQFH
(ZRHIV\[V\Y
The ‘Coal to Diamond’ sculpture greets guests at the casino entrance at Mohegan Sun Pocono.
(ZRHIV\[V\Y
*VSVY7YVNYHT
*VSVY7YVNYHT
&ROOHJH6WXGHQW+DLU&XWV21/<
$VNDERXWRXU&RORU3URJUDP
~ Mini~Mani & Pedi
O6DNew
O
%ULGDO3DUWLHV
ORQ$VNDERXWRXU&RORU3URJUDP
X
*HO0DQLFXUH
)
Walk
In Blow Dry
Bar
$ HUY(.LYHSK(]LU\L+HSSHZ
7ULDO8SGR%ULGDO8SGR
LFH
63(&,$/
6RQVOTED
0DNHXSDSSOLFDWLRQ
BEST
HAIR SALON
*HO3ROLVKa
%ULGDO3DUWLHV
O
Q
O
Q
R
O
O
D
%ULGDO3DUWLHV
O
R
,QFOXGHV0LPRVD3DVWULHV
O
*HO0DQLFXUH
X
%ULGDO3DUWLHV
O
D
*HO0DQLFXUH
X
)
D
*HO0DQLFXUH
6
6
)
6
$
H
7ULDO8SGR%ULGDO8SGR
H $6HUYLFH 63(&,$/
RQ\RXUZHGGLQJGD\
0LQLa0DQL3HGL
63(&,$/
F(.LYHSK(]LU\L+HSSHZ
7ULDO8SGR%ULGDO8SGR
UYLF63(&,$/
7ULDO8SGR%ULGDO8SGR
Ask
about
our
Color
Program!
6H$VNDERXWRXU&RORU3URJUDP
0DNHXSDSSOLFDWLRQ
0DNHXSDSSOLFDWLRQ
*HO3ROLVKa
OO
>HSRPUZ>LSJVTL:HSVU5V\=LH\(JJLZZVYPLZJVT/V\YZ!;\LZ ">LK";O\YZ "-YP ":H[ - Gel Polish %ULGDO3DUWLHV
*HO3ROLVKa
0LQLa0DQL3HGL
Q
O
Q
R
O
O
R
OO6D&DOO
X
%ULGDO3DUWLHV
O6DORQ1RX9HDX*LIW&HUWLILFDWHV0DNHVD*UHDW*LIW
D
*HO0DQLFXUH
)
*HO0DQLFXUH
6
$
H
- Mini-Mani & Pedi
7ULDO8SGR%ULGDO8SGR
LF63(&,$/
RQ\RXUZHGGLQJGD\
FH
Y
0LQLa0DQL3HGL
&DOO
63(&,$/
7ULDO8SGR%ULGDO8SGR
U
H
6
-Bridal Parties
*HO3ROLVKa
6DORQ1RX9HDX*LIW&HUWLILFDWHV0DNHVD*UHDW*LIW
>LSJVTL:HSVU5V\=LH\(JJLZZVYPLZJVT/V\YZ!;\LZ
">LK";O\YZ
"-YP ":H[ 0DNHXSDSSOLFDWLRQ
- Gel Manicure
RQ\RXUZHGGLQJGD\
0LQLa0DQL3HGL
RQ\RXUZHGGLQJGD\
$*HUDOG$YHQXH'DOODV
ZZZVDORQQRXYHDXDFFHVVRULHVFRP:DONLQV:HOFRPH
+RXUV0RQ7XHV:HG7KXUV)UL6DW
$*HUDOG$YHQXH'DOODV
0DNHXSDSSOLFDWLRQ
&DOO
$*HUDOG$YHQXH'DOODV
0DNHXSDSSOLFDWLRQ
*HO3ROLVKa
*HO3ROLVKa
1RX9HDX*LIW&HUWLILFDWHV0DNHVD*UHDW*LIW
63A Gerald
Avenue, Dallas • (570)675-5111
RQ\RXUZHGGLQJGD\
0LQLa0DQL3HGL
0LQLa0DQL3HGL
RQ\RXUZHGGLQJGD\
$*HUDOG$YHQXH'DOODV
Walk-Ins Welcome • SalonNouVeauAccessories.com • Hours: Tues 9-6; Wed 10-7; Thurs 9-7: Fri 9-6; Sat 9-4
RQQRXYHDXDFFHVVRULHVFRP:DONLQV:HOFRPH
Best
Tex Mex
Restaurant
Best
Take-Out
READERS’ CHOICE
Times Leader
Forty Fort Lube & Service builds relationships
By Derek Levarse
[email protected]
Pastor Bob Kopp was
visiting his family in
Forty Fort for just a few
days this winter when he
had problems with his
new car.
On the advice of his
parents, the Illinois
resident and King’s College grad didn’t end up
at a national chain to
get fixed up. Instead, he
took the car to Forty Fort
Lube & Service on Wyoming Avenue.
“Not only were the
owner and employees
extraordinarily compe-
tent, they were compassionate to my dilemma,
and I headed back to the
Windy City with renewed
appreciation for home,”
Kopp wrote in a letter
to the Times Leader in
January. “It’s also worth
emphasizing Forty Fort
Lube & Service, unlike
my experience with
national brand dealerships echoed by too many
others, could have soaked
my mechanical ignorance
for unnecessary services
and an exorbitant bill.
“So here’s a big thank
you to Forty Fort Lube
& Service that has
reminded me that there’s
no place like home.”
Plenty of others in the
Wyoming Valley agree
with Kopp. The business was voted “Best
Auto Repair” in the 2016
Choice Awards.
Kopp’s experience
made an impression on
owner Joe Kristan, who
received plenty of attention in the shop as well as
on Facebook. One person
even sent him a laminated copy of the letter that
ran in the paper.
“It’s just great to see
that (reaction),” Kristan
said. “That’s what it’s
about for us. You try to
33 Hill Street • Wilkes-Barre
800-545-5517
FriedmanElectricLDC.com
Thank You For Voting Us BEST Lighting Store!
20% OFF
any regular priced item
Lighting • Fans • Landscape Lighting • Home Decor & Accessories
FriedmanElectricLDC.com
Stroudsburg • Scranton • Wilkes-Barre
Hazleton • Bloomsburg • Selinsgrove
With this coupon. Not valid with other offers or prior purchases.
Expires 6/30/16
Denise and Deanna-Lighting Design Specialists
be honest, up front and
truthful.”
Kristan owns the
garage at 1097 Wyoming
Ave. in Forty Fort, as well
as a second location at
300 Pierce St. in Kingston. The first site has
been open for nine years
while the second has
been open for four.
An alum of Bishop
O’Reilly High School,
Kristan believes that
being locally owned and
operated gives the shop a
personal touch.
“A lot of customers like
the approach we have
— we’re the mom-andpop of the new century,”
Kristan said. “We’re not
about a number; we’re
about building a relationship one-on-one with a
customer. Knowing their
name when they come in.
Explaining to them what
they need and they don’t
need.
“We’ve always been
that way since day one.
We pride ourselves on
that.”
The personalized
approach carries over
to the types of services
offered.
For people with particularly busy schedules,
Forty Fort Lube arranges
for local pick-up and
drop-off of cars. Kristan
called that “a huge part”
of his business because of
the flexibility it provides
customers. Loaners are
also available for those
who still need to drive
to work while repairs are
made.
The goals, ultimately,
are convenience and comfort.
“It’s kind of like going
to the dentist — nobody
wants to have to see us,”
Kristan said. “So we
want to make sure the
experience is as painless
as possible.”
Reach Derek Levarse at 570-9916396 or on Twitter @TLdlevarse
Times Leader
READERS’ CHOICE
Lisa and Joe Kristan’s Forty Fort Lube & Service was voted ‘Best Auto Repair’ in the 2016 Times Leader
Chris Papadoplos works on a vehicle at Forty Fort Lube & Service on Wyoming Avenue.
READERS’ CHOICE
Times Leader
PNC Bank rated tops for third straight year
By Bill O’Boyle
[email protected]
Kirby Center for the Performing Arts,
the United Way, the Scranton/WilkesBarre RailRiders and Mohegan Sun
Arena at Casey Plaza.
WILKES-BARRE — For the third
“We feel if our community grows and
straight year, readers have chosen PNC
prospers, we will all succeed,” he said.
Bank as the name you can bank on.
PNC Bank employs nearly 700 people
Pete Danchak, PNC’s regional presiat 66 branch offices in the northeast
dent, is thrilled for the designation of
region, Danchak said, adding many
Best Bank in the Times Leader 2016
have been with PNC for 25 or more
Readers’ Choice contest.
years.
“We feel very fortunate to be the
“We value our employees’ committrusted bank for financial services in
ment and passion to serving our clients
the region,” he said. “We have developed many long-term relationships with and customers,” Danchak said. “Many
of our employees also serve as volunour customers and community organizations, allowing all to grow together.” teers in many community organizaDanchak said PNC Bank’s philosophy tions.”
He said PNC has always encouraged
is to strengthen both the company and
employees to take an active role in
the community. He pointed to PNC’s
their communities.
“long track record” of supporting the
PNC’s northeast region includes
arts, citing PNC’s support of the F.M.
Thank You!
Proud to have served the
Wyoming Valley Area for
more than 60 years
Walter’s
Hardware
Just Off Coal Street
On Walter’s Way
823-1406
DO IT CENTER
Luzerne, Lackawanna and Monroe
counties and the Lehigh Valley area.
Corporate offices are housed in Scranton and Wilkes-Barre, Danchak said.
“We strive to be customer-focused.”
Danchak said. “Like I said, our commitment is to our clients and the communities we serve.”
Danchak said PNC and its employees
want to add whatever they can to the
quality of life in Northeastern Pennsylvania.
He said the region has access to
major cities and markets, while offering a lifestyle rich in family values and
traditions.
“This region is multi-generational,”
Danchak said. “And we have a great
educational system, outstanding recreational venues and an abundance of
natural resources and beauty.”
Danchak said Northeastern Pennsylvania “is blessed with a strong road
infrastructure, industrial parks and a
dedicated workforce with a strong reputation.”
He said leveraging the region’s
strengths is the key to retaining and
recruiting the best workers and their
families.
While at PNC’s branch on Schechter Drive in Wilkes-Barre Township,
Danchak walked around the building,
saying hello to customers and employees.
“Our customers have been loyal to
PNC for years,” he said. “We try to
show our appreciation to them every
day.”
Reach Bill O’Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @
TLBillOBoyle.
Thank
You
For Voting Us
BBest Carpet Store
3 Years In A Row!
THANK YOU GIFT CARD
$50
50TH ANNIVERSARY
THANK YOU Gift Card
Since 1965 Exp 4/10/16
Use Towards Any Purchase of $100 or More
1345 Hwy 315 • Wilkes-Barre • 570-825-3435
75 Morgan Hwy • Scranton • 570-346-8793
3406 Route 611 • Bartonsville • 570-629-4082
www.GiantFloor.com
READERS’ CHOICE
Times Leader
PNC Bank branch manager Andrew Gavlick in his office on Schecter Drive.
PNC Regional President Pete Danchak poses for a photo in the PNC Bank on Schecter Drive in WilkesBarre Township.
THANK YOU to our customers and everyone who voted,
we appreciate your business and your support!
THANK YOU • THANK YOU
THANK YOU • THANK YOU
THANK YOU • THANK YOU • THANK YOU • THANK YOU • THANK YOU
THANK YOU • THANK YOU • THANK YOU • THANK YOU • THANK YOU
To Readers of the Times Leader,
and all Our Valued Guests,
Thank You,
~ Gus Genetti
GENETTI
77 East Market Street, Wilkes-Barre • For Reservations: 570-823-6152
MAXWELL’S HOUSE
PET RESORT
Thank
You!
We enjoy
caring for your pets!
Boarding • Grooming • Daycare
10 Tunnel St. Pittston PA
570-655-1406
Facebook.com/MaxwellsHouseResort
READERS’ CHOICE
Times Leader
READERS’ CHOICE
Times Leader
Times Leader Readers’ Choice 2016 platinum winners
BEST HEARING AID CENTER
Family Hearing Center
BEST INSURANCE AGENT
Christie Bonnice
BEST ITALIAN FOOD
Cafe Italia
BEST CHEF
Eugene Philbin
BEST SUSHI
Mirakuya
BEST COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Luzerne County Community College
BEST LASIK SURGERY
Bucci Laser Vision
BEST SQUARE PIZZA
Pizza Perfect
BEST IMPORT CAR DEALER
Wyoming Valley Motors
BEST TIRE STORE
Jack Williams Tire
BEST DENTIST
Back Mountain Dental
BEST FRESH FOOD MARKET
Wegmans
BEST WAREHOUSE OPERATION
Valley Distributing & Storage
BEST APPLIANCE STORE
Voitek TV & Appoliance
BEST POOL COMPANY
Bel Air Pools & Excavating
BEST BANK
PNC Bank
BEST EYE CARE CENTER
Eye Care Specialists
BEST LOCKSMITH
Kingston Locksmith
BEST STEAK DINNER
Ruth’s Chris Steak House
BEST REHABILITATION CENTER
Allied Services John Heinz
Institute of Rehabilitation
BEST JEWELRY STORE
Rainbow Jeweler
BEST WINDOW
TREATMENT STORE
Sew Fine Draperies & Interiors
BEST CARPET STORE
Giant Floor
BEST HOME HEALTH CARE
Bayada Home Health Care
BEST SEAFOOD
JJ Banko’s Seafood
BEST SUB SHOP
Primo Hoagies
BEST HAPPY HOUR
Arena Bar & Grill
BEST HOTEL
Woodlands Inn and Resort
BEST CASINO
Mohegan Sun Pocono
BEST LOCAL COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY
King’s College
BEST HEAVY EQUIPMENTCO.
Medico Industries Inc.
BEST COMPUTER REPAIR
The Computer Shop
BEST MATTRESS STORE
Sleepy’s
BEST HOSPITAL
Geisinger Wyoming Valley
Medical Center
These businesses have been voted BEST
in their category for three consecutive
years by Times Leader readers.
BEST DAY SPA
Woodhouse Day Spa
BEST ARCHITECT
Borton-Lawson
BEST FITNESS FACILITY
Planet Fitness
BEST FURNITURE STORE
Ashley Furniture Home Store
BEST PLACE FOR FAMILY
Knoebel’s Amusement Park
BEST THEATRE VENUE
Cinemark
BEST BUFFET
Timber’s Buffet
BEST CONVENIENCE STORE
Turkey Hill
Advance Arms
BEST AMBULANCE SERVICE
Trans-Med Ambulance Services
BEST CABLE CO.
Comcast
BEST SHOE STORE
Gino’s Shoe Store
BEST CHIROPRACTOR
Cohen and Haydu Chiropractic Clinic
BEST HEALTH
INSURANCE PROVIDER
Highmark Blue Cross/Blue Shield
BEST NIGHT CLUB
BEST PHONE COMPANY
Verizon
BEST COFFEE SHOP
Dunkin’ Donu
Thank You
for your
Support
and Vote!
We are honored and enjoy being your choice Insurance Agent!
Leo J. Sperrazza Agency
For all your insurance needs
21 Broad Street, Pittston • (570)603-0664
READERS’ CHOICE
Times Leader
Pete G. Wilcox|Times Leader
Co-owner of Gerrity’s Supermarket Joe Fasula inside Gerrity’s Supermarket in Luzerne.
Thank You For Your
Votes and Your
Continued Support.
Best Chiropractor
Nikki, Beth, Tana, Dr.Morris, Dr.Rusczyk, Dr.Barnard, Dr.Miller, Lindsey, Summer, Wendy and Brandi
Most Insurances Accepted
Walk- Ins Welcome on Saturdays
Chiropractic & Rehab Associates of Dallas, PC
Tunkhannock Chiropractic Spine & Sports Center, LLC
Phone 570-696-4346
1230 Memorial Hwy., Ste. 102 | Shavertown, PA 18708
Phone 570-836-0558
608 Hunter Hwy., Ste. 112 | Tunkhannock, PA 18657
www.BackMountainBacks.com
READERS’ CHOICE
Times Leader
Times Leader 2016 Readers’ Choice gold winners
These businesses have been voted
BEST in their categories this year by
Times Leader readers
BEST PHOTOGRAPHER
Photography by Jay
BEST SERVER
Annette Kindler
BEST DAY SPA
Woodhouse Day Spa
BEST ARCHITECT
Borton-Lawson
BEST CHILD CARE
Small Wonders Day Care School
BEST CATERER
Backdoor Take-Out & Catering
BEST TANNING SALON
Sun Tan City
BEST MATERNITY WARD
Wilkes-Barre General Hospital
Planet Fitness
BEST TAKEOUT
CK’s Cantina & Grill
BEST ATTORNEY
Mattioli & Munley Law
Ashley Furniture Home Store
BEST PLACE FOR FAMILY FUN
Knoebel’s Amusement Resort
BEST STEAK DINNER
Ruth’s Chris Steak House
BEST SPORTS BAR
Lucky’s Sporthouse
BEST CARPET STORE
Giant Floor
BEST RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE
Grico’s Restaurant
BEST TOWING SERVICE
Falzone Towing Service
BEST FITNESS INSTRUCTOR
Jessica Sands
BEST BUFFET
Timbers Buffet
BEST RESTAURANT MENU
Cooper’s Seafood House
BEST SEAFOOD
JJ Banko’s Seafood
BEST REALTOR
David Wychock
BEST BEER DISTRIBUTOR
Wyoming Valley Beverage
BEST HAPPY HOUR
Arena Bar & Grill
Turkey Hill
BEST BUTCHER
Fetch’s Kielbasi Shop/ Meat Market
BEST CLOTHING STORE
Kohl’s
BEST ENERGY CO.
UGI
BEST TRUCK DEALER
Coccia Ford Lincoln
BEST GOLF COURSE
Blue Ridge Trail Golf Club
BEST GARDEN CENTER
Edward’s Garden Center
BEST CHEF
Eugene Philbin
BEST GROCERY STORE
Gerrity’s Supermarket
Family Hearing Center
BEST BARTENDER
Mark Mason
ND ACCOUNTING & CONSULTING, PC
BEST CASINO
Mohegan Sun Pocono
BEST BAZAAR
St. Nick’s Bazaar
BEST HEAVY EQUIPMENT CO.
Medico Industries Inc.
BEST MARTINI
279 Bar & Grill
ACCOUNTING & TAX PREPARATION
Thank
You
To All Of Our Clients Who Voted
Us Best Accounting Firm
BEST MATTRESS STORE
Sleepy’s
BEST PLACE FOR A FIRST DATE
Fire & Ice on Toby Creek
BEST ASIAN CUISINE
Thai Thai
BEST BEER SELECTION
Sabatini’s Pizza
BEST THEATRE VENUE
Cinemark
See GOLD | 56
• Business Management
• Bookkeeping
• Accounting and
Auditing Services
• Payroll
• Tax Preparation Services
• Small Business
Consulting
- Individuals, Corporations, Partnerships,
Non-Proﬁts, Trusts & Estates
Nicholas M. Daddio
Michael A. Daddio, CPA
5929 Main Road, P.O. Box 105
Sweet Valley, PA 18656
214 Pine Street
Berwick, PA 18603
PH. 570-477-3618
F. 570- 477-2485
PH. 570-752-7860
READERS’ CHOICE
Gold
From page 55
BEST AUTO REPAIR
Forty Fort Lube
BEST LASIK SURGERY
Buccu Laser Vision
BEST AUTO SALESPERSON
Fred Benson
BEST TRUCKING FIRM
Kane is Able
BEST NURSING/RETIREMENT HOME
Wesley Village
BEST TIRE STORE
Jack Williams Tire
BEST LAUNDROMAT
Liberty Cleaners
Times Leader
Valley Distributing & Storage
Bayada Home Health Care
The Computer Shop
BEST BANK
PNC Bank
BEST SUB SHOP
Primo Hoagies
BEST EMPLOYER OVER 50 EMPLOYEES
Cross Valley FCU
BEST AD AGENCY
MLB Advertising
BEST FLORIST
Mattern Flower Shop
BEST HAIR SALON
Sakari Salon and Spa
Allied Services John Heinz
Institute of Rehabilitation
BEST REAL ESTATE AGENCY
Century 21 Smith Hourigan Real Estate
BEST HOSPITAL
Geisinger Medical Center
BEST HOTEL
Advanced Arms
BEST ROUND PIZZA
Angelo’s Pizza
BEST RESTAURANT FOR BREAKFAST
Michael’s Family Restaurant
BEST HARDWARE STORE
Dallas Centre Hardware
BEST BAKERY
Bakery Delite
BEST COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY
King’s College
Trans-Med Ambulance Services
BEST RADIO STATION
98.5 KRZ
BEST SELF STORAGE
U Haul
BEST CREDIT UNION
Cross Valley Federal Credit Union
BEST PEDIATRICIAN
Dr. Kyle
THANK YOU
To All Our Loyal Customers Who Made This Possible.
Voted Best Local
Hardware Store
Without you, We Wouldn’t Be The Best!
Dallas Centre Hardware
42-44 Main Street, Dallas
570-675-4104
Mon.-Sat. 8-5 & Sun. 10-3
READERS’ CHOICE
Times Leader
BEST CABLE CO.
Comcast
Voitek TV & Appliance
BEST CHIROPRACTOR
Cohen & Haydu Chiropractic
BEST HEATING OIL CO.
Button Oil Co. Inc.
BEST BURGER
Fire Guys Burger and Fries
BEST WINGS
Pizza Perfect
BEST HEALTH INSURANCE PROVIDER
Highmark Blue Cross/ Blue Shield
Luzerne County Community College
BEST USED AUTO DEALER
Sans Souci Motors
BEST PHARMACY
Cook’s Pharmacy
BEST ENTERTAINMENT VENUE
Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza
Cristie Bonnice
BEST FUNERAL HOME
Corcoran Funeral Home
BEST ACCOUNTING FIRM
Carver Associates
BEST KITCHEN STORE
Top Value Kitchens
BEST SUSHI
Mirakuya
BEST DRY CLEANER
Liberty Cleaners
BEST HOME BUILDER
Summit Pointe Builders
BEST GRANITE STORE
Penn Granite and Stone
BEST SQUARE PIZZA
Pizza Perfect
BEST CHEESESTEAK
Philadelphia Subs
BEST ITALIAN FOOD
Cafe Italia
BEST REMODELER
PAC Construction
BEST DENTIST
Back Mountain Dental
BEST JEWELRY STORE
Rainbow Jeweler
BEST EMPLOYER
UNDER 50 EMPLOYEES
Dr. Loren Grossman
BEST MICROBREWERY
Susquehanna Brewing Company
BEST FAMILY DOCTOR
Dr. Patrick Kilduff
BEST SHOE STORE
Gino’s Shoe Store
BEST DELI
J&J Deli
grateful to you
2013
2014
2015
for making us a winner in Child Care!
272 West Eighth Street, West Wyoming, PA 18644
(570) 693-3556 www.cookiecornerchildcare.com
Limited Openings in Fall Nursery School / Call for info
*Licensed by Dept. of Education & Dept. of Child Welfare*
See GOLD | 58
THANK YOU TO
ALL WHO VOTED!
Nursery School and Daycare
...is
BEST BAR
R Bar & Grill
KINGSTON
165 West Union Street, Kingston
570-288-2881
www.bitethebest.com
READERS’ CHOICE
Times Leader
Gold
BEST LOCKSMITH
Kingston Locksmith
BEST LIGHTING STORE
Friedman Electric
BEST MUSIC VENUE
F.M. Kirby Center for Performing Arts
From page 57
BEST HARDSCAPE STORE
Stonewords Plus
BEST ELECTRICIAN
Dave Monk Electric
BEST PLACE FOR
OUTDOOR DINING
River Grill
BEST WINDOW
TREATMENT STORE
Sew Fine Draperies & Interiors
BEST GIFT SHOP
Bee Hive Gift Shop
BEST PRIVATE
GOLF COURSE
Huntsville Golf Course
BEST PUBLIC
GOLF COURSE
Blue Ridge Trail Golf Club
BEST PAINTING CO.
Sherwin Williams
BEST BRIDAL SHOP
Gerri Bridal Shop
BEST DOMESTIC CAR DEALER
Coccia Ford Lincoln
BEST NIGHT CLUB
The Woodlands Inn & Resort
BEST CHILDREN’S
CLOTHING STORE
Humphrey’s Apparel & Toys
BEST PHONE CO.
Verizon
BEST DOG GROOMER
Pawsitively Perfect Pet Salon
BEST NEW CAR DEALER
Ken Pollock
BEST INTERNET PROVIDER
Comcast
BEST SIGN PRINTING
Wet Paint Printing + Design
BEST LANDSCAPER
Steve Riley
BEST COFFEE SHOP
Dunkin’ Donuts
BEST T-SHIRT PRINTING
Wet Paint Printing + Design
BEST LIBRARY
Pittston Library
BEST RECORDING STUDIO
JL Studios
BEST TAX PREPARER
H&R Block
BEST PSYCHOLOGIST
Dr. Francis Angelella, Psy.D
BEST ROOFING COMPANY
Northeast Window
BEST POOL COMPANY
Bel Air Pools & Excavating
BEST TAILOR
Siani’s Cleaners
BEST DANCE STUDIO
Back Mountain Dance Studio
BEST WINDOW COMPANY
Northeast Window
BEST DOG KENNEL
K-9 Korner
BEST SKI SHOP
Top of the Slope
BEST OVERHEAD DOOR CO.
Lynn Overhead Door
BEST TEX-MEX RESTAURANT
CK’s Cantina & Grill
BEST VAPE SHOP
Xhale Vapor Lounge
Wegmans
THANK
YOU
For Your Support
• Best Restaurant Atmosphere
• Best Place For Outdoor Dining
• Best Chef, Jeff Huntzinger
Route 309, Dallas • 570-675-7100
thebeaumontinn.com
BEST BAR FOOD
Tipsy Turtle Pub
BEST CONSIGNMENT SHOP
Cliche Consignment
BEST NAIL SALON
Divas Nail Salon
BEST CLOTHING
BOUTIQUE
Women’s Boutique
& Consignments
BEST WEDDING VENUE
Woodlands Inn & Resort
BEST LAW FIRM
Comitz Law Firm
BEST HVAC BUSINESS
Bellio Plumbing & Heating
BEST BARBEQUE
B3Q Barbeque by Barry
BEST ANTIQUE SHOP
Today’s Treasures Antiques
BEST CHOCOLATE
Gertrude Hawk Chocolates
READERS’ CHOICE
Times Leader
Thank You!
To all of our loyal patrons that took the time out of their busy schedules to vote for us
as Best Auto Repair Shop, we are truly humbled. The growth we have experienced over
the years is because of customers like you who faithfully support our business.
“Service You Can Trust”
To all of our customers that have genuinely come to recognize that
everyday our main goal is to understand your needs personally, and
to meet them with the very best automotive service & experience that
you deserve. We understand that your time is valuable. Whether you
are a parent that wants to make sure your vehicle is maintained and
safe for your family, or a Senior whose only interest is an occasional
trip to the grocery store, hairdresser, church service or doctor’s
appointment. A salesperson that spends countless hours traveling, or
the auto enthusiast that wants the absolute best performing vehicle
they can have. We appreciate your trust and we will do our very best
to continue to give you the kind of automotive service you deserve.
To all of our Fleet Accounts we understand that your main objective
is to have safe and reliable vehicles so that your employees can do
their day to day tasks efficiently as time is of value. We strive to
accommodate and provide you with fast, dependable service. We truly
appreciate and are grateful for the trust you have placed in us.
To all of our new patrons that have been with us for a short time.
We understand just how intimidating it can be to try a new garage for
automotive service. We appreciate and thank you for giving us the
opportunity. Your continued patronage and suggestions are a vital
part of our growth. Thank you to Forty Fort and Kingston Boroughs for allowing us to
be part of two great communities that welcomed us with open arms. We are most grateful and thankful to all of our employees. Their
dedication, diligence and enthusiasm at working extremely hard to
achieve the very best day in and day out. Without their commitment,
we would not have achieved this fortunate and terrific observance of
service in our industry.
1097 Wyoming Avenue
Forty Fort Location Only
Forty Fort • (570) 718-1501
Full Service Gas Hours:
Kingston • (570) 283-1504
Hours: Mon. - Fri. 7:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Mon. - Fri. 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Sunday 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Hours: Mon. - Fri. 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
www.fortyfortlube.com
300 Pierce Street
READERS’ CHOICE
Times Leader
Times Leader 2016 Readers’ Choice silver winners
These businesses have been voted
second BEST in their categories this year
by Times Leader readers.
BEST PHOTOGRAPHER
Jessica Standish Photography
BEST SERVER
Marc Dellario
BEST DAY SPA
The Sapphire Salon & Destination Spa
BEST ARCHITECT
Paul Lewis
BEST CHILD CARE
Cookie Corner Child Care Center
BEST CATERER
Peculiar Culinary Company
BEST TANNING SALON
Tanfastic Tan Centers
BEST MATERNITY WARD
Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center
S.W.E.A.T. Fitness Studio
BEST TAKEOUT
Overbrook Pub & Grill
BEST ATTORNEY
Comitz Law Firm
Raymour & Flanigan Furniture Store
BEST PLACE FOR FAMILY FUN
Sky Zone Trampoline Park
BEST STEAK DINNER
Longhorn Steakhouse
BEST SPORTS BAR
Buffalo Wild Wings
BEST CARPET STORE
KW Carpets & More
BEST FITNESS INSTRUCTOR
Kyle McGlynn
BEST SEAFOOD
Cooper’s Seafood House
BEST HAPPY HOUR
River Grille
BEST CLOTHING STORE
Boscov’s
BEST GOLF COURSE
Fox Hill Country Club
BEST GROCERY STORE
Wegmans
BEST BARTENDER
Lauren Maga
BEST CASINO
Mount Airy Casino Resort
BEST BAZAAR
Sacred Heart of Jesus Church Bazaar
BEST HEAVY EQUIPMENT CO.
Dominic’s Equipment Co.
BEST MARTINI
Bar Louie
BEST MATTRESS STORE
Raymour & Flanigan Furniture Store
BEST PLACE FOR A FIRST DATE
Grico’s Restaurant
BEST ASIAN CUISINE
Mirakuya Japanese Restaurant
BEST BEER SELECTION
Arena Bar & Gtill
BEST THEATRE VENUE
R/C Wilkes-Barre Movies 14
BEST RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE
The Beaumont Inn
BEST NURSING/RETIREMENT HOME
Riverstreet Manor
BEST BUFFET
Royal House Buffet
BEST TIRE STORE
Kost Tire & Auto Service
BEST REALTOR
Jessica Skoloda Frohman
BEST LAUNDROMAT
Larksville Laundromat
Sheetz
Kane Warehousing Inc.
BEST ENERGY CO.
PPL
BEST BANK
Wells Fargo
BEST GARDEN CENTER
Dundee Gardens
BEST ADVERTISING AGENCY
Mojo Marketing
The Hearing Center
Riverstreet Manor
BEST TOWING SERVICE
Eli’s Towing & Recovery
BEST RADIO STATION
WRKC
BEST RESTAURANT MENU
Fire & Ice on Toby Creek
BEST SELF STORAGE
Close 2U Storage
BEST BEER DISTRIBUTOR
Mountain Beverage
BEST CREDIT UNION
UFCW FCU
BEST BUTCHER
Morgan’s Butcher Shop
BEST PEDIATRICIAN
Dr. Michael Harris
BEST TRUCK DEALER
Valley Chevrolet
Erwine Home Health & Hospice
BEST CHEF
Jeff Huntzinger
BEST SUB SHOP
J&J Deli
BEST AUTO REPAIR
Graziano Collision
BEST FLORIST
Robin Hill Florist
BEST LASIK SURGERY
BEST REAL ESTATE AGENCY
Lewith and Freeman Real Estate
BEST AUTO SALESPERSON
Tyler Karalunas
BEST HOTEL
Genetti Best Western
BEST TRUCKING FIRM
CDS Transportation
BEST ROUND PIZZA
Sabatini’s Pizza
READERS’ CHOICE
Times Leader
BEST HARDWARE STORE
Walter’s Hardware Store
Rebennack’s Appliance
Lackawanna College
BEST PUBLIC GOLF COURSE
Wilkes-Barre Municipal Golf Course
BEST COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY
Wilkes University
BEST WINGS
Pizza Bella
BEST ENTERTAINMENT VENUE
Mohegan Sun Pocono
BEST DOMESTIC CAR DEALER
Bonner Chevrolet
Custom Computers
Northeastern Eye Institute
BEST KITCHEN STORE
Bed Bath & Beyond
MotorWorld
BEST EMPLOYER OVER 50 EMPLOYEES
Friedman Electric
BEST FUNERAL HOME
Wroblewski Funeral Home
BEST GRANITE STORE
Home Depot
BEST NEW CAR DEALER
MotorWorld
BEST HAIR SALON
Salon Nouveau
BEST DRY CLEANER
Master Garment
BEST REMODELER
Northeast Window
BEST LANDSCAPER
Edward’s Garden Center
BEST HOSPITAL
Wilkes-Barre General Hospital
BEST CHEESESTEAK
Bobbie O’s
BEST MICROBREWERY
Breaker Brewing Company
Gerrity’s Supermarket
Piestrak’s Gun Shop
BEST JEWELRY STORE
Van Scoy Diamond Mine
BEST BAR
479 Bar & Grill
Hops & Barley’s
BEST TAX PREPARER
Tamra Accounting & Financial Services
BEST RESTAURANT FOR BREAKFAST
Perkins Restaurant & Bakery
BEST SHOE STORE
Humphreys’ Bootery and Bags
BEST BAKERY
Sanitary Bakery
BEST CHIROPRACTOR
Back Mountain Backs
Back Mountain EMS
BEST HEALTH INSURANCE PROVIDER
Geisinger Health Plan
BEST CABLE CO.
Service Electric
BEST PHARMACY
CVS
BEST BURGER
Red Robin
BEST ACCOUNTING FIRM
N&D
Snyder & Clemente
BEST USED AUTO DEALER
Leo Sperazza
BEST SUSHI
Shogun Japanese Restaurant
BEST SQUARE PIZZA
Revello’s
BEST DENTIST
Loren J. Grossman, DMD
BEST FAMILY DOCTOR
Dr. Luigi Spagnolini, MD
BEST PRIVATE GOLF COURSE
Fox Hill Country Club
See SILVER | 62
BEST HOME BUILDER
Frank Carey Construction
BEST ITALIAN FOOD
Leggios Italian Ristorante
BEST EMPLOYER UNDER 50
EMPLOYEES
Carpenter Dental
BEST DELI
Goldstein’s Deli
BEST HEATING OIL CO.
Capozucca Brothers Oil Co.
VOTED BEST ELECTRICIAN
READERS’ CHOICE
Silver
From page 61
BEST PAINTING CO.
Spencer’s Painting & General
Construction
BEST POOL COMPANY
Skovish Brothers Pools & Spas
BEST NIGHT CLUB
Breakers
BEST WINDOW COMPANY
Pella Windows & Doors
BEST PHONE CO.
AT&T
BEST OVERHEAD DOOR CO.
All Door Sales Inc.
BEST INTERNET PROVIDER
Verizon
BEST LOCKSMITH
Jeff’s Lock & Key
BEST COFFEE SHOP
Starbucks
BEST HARDSCAPE STORE
Sans Souci Stone & Brick Yard
BEST LIBRARY
Back Mountain Memorial Library
BEST WINDOW
TREATMENT STORE
Budget Blinds of Wyoming Valley
BEST PSYCHOLOGIST
Thomas Tomkiewicz, LCSW
BEST TAILOR
Alterations by Liza
Times Leader
BEST DOG KENNEL
Maxwell’s House
BEST SIGN PRINTING
Fast Signs
BEST TEX-MEX RESTAURANT
La Tolteca
BEST T-SHIRT PRINTING
Axelrad
BEST LIGHTING STORE
Lowe’s
BEST RECORDING STUDIO
Borwick’s Performance Hi-Fidelity
BEST ELECTRICIAN
Robert J. Stella Electric
BEST ROOFING COMPANY
Smith Miller Roofing
BEST GIFT SHOP
Hallmark
BEST DANCE STUDIO
Joan Harris Centre
BEST BRIDAL SHOP
David’s Bridal
BEST SKI SHOP
The Ski Corner
BEST CHILDREN’S
CLOTHING STORE
Carters
BEST VAPE SHOP
Fog Vapes
BEST DOG GROOMER
Maxwell’s House
BEST MUSIC VENUE
River Street Jazz Cafe
READERS’ CHOICE
Times Leader
BEST PLACE FOR
OUTDOOR DINING
The Beaumont Inn
BEST LAW FIRM
Hourigan Kluger &
Quinn
BEST BAR FOOD
Hops & Barley’s
BEST HVAC
BUSINESS
Monk Heating & Air
Conditioning
BEST CONSIGNMENT
SHOP
My Sister’s Closet
BEST NAIL SALON
Casabella Nail & Spa
BEST CLOTHING
BOUTIQUE
Showroom 56
BEST BARBEQUE
Uncle Bucks BBQ
BEST ANTIQUE SHOP
Farmhouse
BEST CHOCOLATE
Michael Mootz Candies
BEST WEDDING VENUE
Appletree Terrace
King’s College President Rev. John Ryan talks with the Times Leader editorial board in Wilkes-Barre on Tuesday.
THANK YOU TO ALL OUR
WONDERFUL PATRONS & FRIENDS
Today’s Treasures
Antiques
Voted Best Local
Antique Shop
• Tra
ins • T
oys • Furniture • Military ws
o
stume
Jewelry • Stained Glass Wind
g:
• Decorative Accessories
n
i
r
u
Select
Contemporary Lines Feat als
• Moo
rcroft Pottery • Steiff Anim
• Co
CELEBRATING OUR 45TH YEAR
All Major Credit Cards Accepted
Wed to Sun
12 noon - 5pm
10 East Main Street • Plymouth, PA 18651
570.779.2929
www.todaystreasures.com
READERS’ CHOICE
Times Leader

2016 Readers Choice

Transcription

Similar documents

I`m helping to end MS by participating in the 2016 Jayman BUILT MS

The Board of Directors of Qatar Fuel (WOQOD) is pleased to invite

5 `S` Training Program at ABV-IIITM, Gwalior on 21.07.2016

4 star ALOE HOTEL, PAPHOS

Velimatti Honkanen

THE RC WILLEY ROOM TO TALK BLOG

2016 MW Alliance Raffle - Manitowish Waters Alliance LTD

HERE - Perfect Shots Photography

2016 Sponsorship Prospectus

Clamshell Quilt Guild Alice`s Archives July 20, 2016