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Cefaly sentenced to more prison time from spa embezzlement

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Stormwater fee projects plan gets update

<p>KINGSTON &#8212; It&#8217;s a modest space in a back building of the Gateway Shopping Center, and it doesn&#8217;t exactly connect to the office it is designed to expand, but the addition to EOC Inc. in Edwardsville had a lot of people smiling during an open house and ribbon cutting ceremony Thursday.</p><p>&#8220;It gives us expanded tutoring opportunities,&#8221; EOC Executive Director Carolyn Quinn said above the din of conversation and two-piece music group in the new room. &#8220;and we have more space for group meetings.&#8221;</p><p>EOC is a nonprofit fully funded by the U.S. Department of Education focused on increasing awareness of education beyond high school for low-income students an adults. The non-profit serves 11 counties, providing various supports annually to 2,333 adults attending or trying to attend college or other post-secondary education schools, and offering SAT prep classes, financial guidance and a better idea of post-secondary options for 1,000 middle and high school students in five regional school districts (Shenandoah Valley, Hazleton Area, Hanover Area, Wilkes-Barre Area and Scranton).</p><p>&#8220;We help potential first-generation students through the post-secondary process,&#8221; Assistant Director Angeline Abraham said.</p><p>The new office is on the opposite side of the old office. While they are in the same building essentially with rows of business space on each side, the two are not lined up in a way that made a connecting door easy. So at least for now visitors must drive (or walk) around the building to get from one to the other.</p><p>EOC is part of the federal TRIO programs that have origins in President Lyndon Johnson&#8217;s &#8220;war on poverty.&#8221; Despite the all-caps, TRIO is not an acronym. It initially encompassed three program: Upward Bound (created in the Education Opportunity Act of 1964 to help eligible students and veterans prepare for college), Talent Search (created in the original Higher Education Act of 1965 to help student grades 6-12 better understand educational opportunities) and Student Support Services (created with the 1968 re-authorization of the Higher Education Act to help eligible students complete college degrees).</p><p>The federal EOC program was created under the TRIO umbrella with the second reauthorizing of the Higher Education Act in 1972, focusing on helping displaced or under-employed workers choose a college and find financial aid. The regional nonprofit corporation, EOC, was created in 1980. The main headquarters have been in the Gateway Center for about five years. There are also offices in Hazleton and Scranton.</p><p>Despite keeping the name, TRIO now encompasses eight programs. EOC administers two: Educational Opportunity Centers and Educational Talent Search. The former works mainly with adults while the latter with the middle and high schools.</p><p>And while the programs are generally for lower-income people, Abraham stressed anyone interested in their services can call her at 570-331-6755. &#8220;If we can&#8217;t help them, we&#8217;ll direct them to an agency that can.&#8221;</p><p>For more information, visit their website at <a href="https://eocinc.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">eocinc.org</a></p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Executive Director Carolyn Quinn cuts the ribbon on new office space for EOC Inc. in Edwardsville Gateway Shopping Center on Thursday. EOC is a nonprofit funded through the federal Department of Education and focused on helping middle school, high school and adults work toward post-secondary education in 11 counties. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/web1_EOC-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Executive Director Carolyn Quinn cuts the ribbon on new office space for EOC Inc. in Edwardsville Gateway Shopping Center on Thursday. EOC is a nonprofit funded through the federal Department of Education and focused on helping middle school, high school and adults work toward post-secondary education in 11 counties. </caption0><photoCredit0>Mark Guydish | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/web1_EOC-2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">The new space for EOC Inc. in the Gateway Shopping Center was briefly emptied for a ribbon cutting ceremony before the crowd returned indoors to mark the office expansion of the 40-year-old nonprofit. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/web1_EOC-2.jpg</photo1><caption1>The new space for EOC Inc. in the Gateway Shopping Center was briefly emptied for a ribbon cutting ceremony before the crowd returned indoors to mark the office expansion of the 40-year-old nonprofit. </caption1><photoCredit1>Mark Guydish | Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/web1_EOC-1.cmyk_.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Executive Director Carolyn Quinn cuts the ribbon on new office space for EOC Inc. in Edwardsville Gateway Shopping Center on Thursday. EOC is a nonprofit funded through the federal Department of Education and focused on helping middle school, high school and adults work toward post-secondary education in 11 counties. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/web1_EOC-1.cmyk_.jpg</photo2><caption2>Executive Director Carolyn Quinn cuts the ribbon on new office space for EOC Inc. in Edwardsville Gateway Shopping Center on Thursday. EOC is a nonprofit funded through the federal Department of Education and focused on helping middle school, high school and adults work toward post-secondary education in 11 counties. </caption2><photoCredit2>Mark Guydish | Times Leader </photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/web1_EOC-2.cmyk_.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">The new space for EOC Inc. in the Gateway Shopping Center was briefly emptied for a ribbon cutting ceremony before the crowd returned indoors to mark the office expansion of the 40-year-old nonprofit. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/web1_EOC-2.cmyk_.jpg</photo3><caption3>The new space for EOC Inc. in the Gateway Shopping Center was briefly emptied for a ribbon cutting ceremony before the crowd returned indoors to mark the office expansion of the 40-year-old nonprofit. </caption3><photoCredit3>Mark Guydish | Times Leader </photoCredit3></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Mark Guydish</p><p>mguydish@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Mark Guydish at 570-991-6112 or on Twitter @TLMarkGuydish</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Expanded office for program that helps low-income students attend college