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House committee unanimously passes Boback bill

Orders for big-ticket manufactured goods rebound in March

WILKES-BARRE &mdash; Kalina Halchak, an employee at Beaumont Inn in Dallas, Monday was a bit anxious as she waiting to feel the prick of a needle.
				Halchak wasn&rsquo;t the only one feeling a bit antsy.
				Some 40 to 50 employees of Friedman Hospitality Group were at the River Street Jazz Cafe to get their COVID-19 vaccinations, courtesy of their boss, Rob Friedman, and Sheehan&rsquo;s Pharmacy of Plains Township.
				As Halchak sat nervously in a chair awaiting the shot of the Moderna vaccine, Friedman was at her side, holding her hand in a gesture of support for his employee.
				Friedman is the founder of Friedman Hospitality Group, and owns several of the Wyoming Valley&rsquo;s finest establishments, including The River Street Jazz Cafe, The Beaumont Inn, Grico&rsquo;s, Kevin&rsquo;s Bar and Restaurant, Cork Bar and Restaurant, Fire and Ice on Toby Creek, Friedman Farms and Bank+Vine.
				&ldquo;First of all, I think it&rsquo;s critical for everyone to get vaccinated,&rdquo; Friedman said. &ldquo;Once our customers are seated, they take off their masks. Now, we will be able to tel them that most of our employees have been vaccinated.&rdquo;
				Friedman said most of his employees are younger in age and &ldquo;they don&rsquo;t always have the facts&rdquo; about the vaccine.
				&ldquo;So we had to nudge them a little bit to come here today and get vaccinated,&rdquo; he said.
				Some of the employees needed more than a nudge, so Friedman was there to talk to them and even hold their hand to get them through the process.
				Lynn McCarthy of Sheehan&rsquo;s Pharmacy said four employees came out to conduct the vaccine clinic. McCarthy said Sheehan&rsquo;s has done other clinics at their pharmacy on East Carey Street and at SS Peter and Paul Church in Plains. With McCarthy were Jill Florio, pharmacist; Katie Ruch, Sheehan&rsquo;s pharmacy manager; and Nevina Trunzo, a Wilkes University pharmacy student.
				John Carey, a sous chef at Beaumont Inn, said he feels getting the vaccine is necessary.
				&ldquo;It&rsquo;s necessary to ensure the integrity of the hospitality business and safety of everybody,&rdquo; Carey said.
				Patricia McDermott works at Cork restaurant. She said customers will feel more safe knowing the staff are vaccinated as well.
				&ldquo;I would rather be safe than sorry,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m all for the vaccine. It&rsquo;s a good thing.&rdquo;
				Jenna Kapral is a hostess at Beaumont Inn and she candidly said she was not excited about getting the vaccine.
				&ldquo;But I want to protect my little boy,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;But yes, I am nervous.&rdquo;
				John McDermott, a server at Fire & Ice on the Dallas Highway, said he favors getting vaccinated.
				&ldquo;The sooner we get vaccinated, the sooner we can get back to normal,&rdquo; he said.
				As the employees went one by one to get vaccinated, they seemed to be more relaxed.
				And they heard this announcement:
				&ldquo;Don&rsquo;t forget, you all have to come back May 24 for your second shot.&rdquo;
				A few groans could be heard, but the group appeared satisfied that the first round was over.
				The second shots will be given on May 24 at 11 a.m. at the River Street Jazz Cafe.

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40-50 employees of Friedman Hospitality Group receive vaccinations