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PHOTOS: Best of Times Leader

<p>FORTY FORT &#8212; More than 300 people representing local businesses and organizations received honors at the 6th Annual Best of Times Leader 2019 Readers&#8217; Choice Awards on Wednesday night.</p><p>&#8220;We started the concept of local reader voting 10 years ago in the Dallas area to celebrate local business owners,&#8221; said Kerry Miscavage, Times Leader Media Group vice president of sales and marketing. &#8220;Over the years, we have grown the concept to several geographical areas. The Best of the Times Leader covers a wider area of Northeastern Pennsylvania.&#8221;</p><p>Miscavage noted this year&#8217;s voting broke a record, with over 70,000 votes cast across all categories.</p><p>Awards were presented in three categories: platinum, gold and silver. Miscavage said platinum winners are companies that had the most votes in their category six years in a row.</p><p>Joan Harris Centre took home Best Dance Studio honors for the sixth straight year in the platinum category. </p><p>The Luzerne Borough dance studio has taught students of the Wyoming Valley for nearly 40 years.</p><p>Jennifer Harris, faculty administrator and master instructor, said getting the award for Best Dance Studio is a very humbling experience.</p><p>&#8220;We are currently serving over 500 students in numerous types of dance,&#8221; said Harris. &#8220;I&#8217;m glad to know that the students and people from the Valley appreciate all of the hard work we do.&#8221;</p><p>The dance school offers ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, modern and contemporary classes.</p><p>Dan Landesberg, administrative director of Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center and Geisinger South Wilkes-Barre, represented the health care system as it took home three awards.</p><p>&#8220;These awards speak to how exciting it is to be a part of Geisinger,&#8221; Landesberg said of his company&#8217;s wins for Best Hospital, Best Health Insurance Provider and Best Employer with Over 50 Employees. &#8220;It&#8217;s a true testament to the quality care our staff provides to this great community.&#8221;</p><p>Landesberg said Geisinger employs over 7,000 staffers in Northeastern Pennsylvania alone.</p><p>&#8220;Our purpose is our caring,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We embody that every day. These awards validate our values and our continuance to care and serve the community.&#8221;</p><p>The Room at 900 in Forty Fort hosted the evening&#8217;s festivities.</p><p>&#8220;On behalf of the Times Leader, we would like to thank our event sponsors and partners MCR Productions, Room at 900, Grico&#8217;s Catering, Susquehanna Brewery, Cork Bar and Restaurant, Ruth&#8217;s Chris and Northeast Wine Company,&#8221; Miscavage noted. &#8220;All our local partners helped make this event a fantastic experience for our winners.&#8221;</p><p>Check out the Times Leader&#8217;s special section Saturday profiling some of the Best of TL Readers&#8217; Choice winners. </p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Times Leader Media Group publisher Mike Murray and vice president of sales and marketing Kerry Miscavage kick off the celebration at Wednesday&#8217;s Best of Times Leader Readers&#8217; Choice Awards. The Room at 900 in Forty Fort hosted the event. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_TTL032819BestofDAILY3-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Times Leader Media Group publisher Mike Murray and vice president of sales and marketing Kerry Miscavage kick off the celebration at Wednesday&#8217;s Best of Times Leader Readers&#8217; Choice Awards. The Room at 900 in Forty Fort hosted the event. </caption0><photoCredit0>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_TTL032819BestofDAILY4-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Times Leader staffers, including publisher Mike Murray in center, pose for a photo at Wednesday&#8217;s Best of Times Leader Readers&#8217; Choice Awards. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_TTL032819BestofDAILY4-1.jpg</photo1><caption1>Times Leader staffers, including publisher Mike Murray in center, pose for a photo at Wednesday&#8217;s Best of Times Leader Readers&#8217; Choice Awards. </caption1><photoCredit1>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_TTL032819BestofDAILY1-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">The Times Leader Best Of celebration at the Room at 900 had over 300 attendees and many readers choice awards were handed out. Aimee DIlger|Times Leader </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_TTL032819BestofDAILY1-1.jpg</photo2><caption2>The Times Leader Best Of celebration at the Room at 900 had over 300 attendees and many readers choice awards were handed out. Aimee DIlger|Times Leader </caption2><photoCredit2>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit2></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Dan Stokes</p><p>dstokes@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Dan Stokes at 570-991-6389 or on Twitter @ByDanStokes</p></shirttailMeta></div>

TL honors winners of Readers’ Choice Awards