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the voice of the abingtons abingtonsuburban.com | June 1, 2017
It’s time for the Clarks Green UMC’s annual barbecue|PAGE 3
A grant will help Equines for Freedom treat veterans|PAGE 6
A local college student has won an academic award |PAGE 8
A WEll-DEsErvED AWArD Civic League names its first woman of the year
By Linda Scott
her community and who works to make it a better place. SPEciaL to tHE aBinGton SUBURBan “Dori is a visionary, a dreamer, someone who sees what does not yet exist,” Dori Waters has devoted her life to said Bill Carter, pastor of First Presbytehelping others. She owned the Bottega rian Church in Clarks Summit. “She purin Clarks Summit and is an advocate sues the works of compassion and social for those who have special needs. Most justice. She has been a persistent advocate recently, Waters had a vision for a comfor inclusion with a special concern for munity classroom in the Abingtons and those with special needs and disabilities.” The Gathering Place was created out of “I admire her tenacious support of this vision. causes and people she believes in,” said She will be honored by the Abington Heights Civic League as the Woman of the Gwen Harleman, director of Verve Vertu Year on Monday, June 5. The event will be Art Studio in Dallas. “She helps create a unified community, showcasing talents held at the Camelot Restaurant and Inn and gifts of all members, proving we Clarks Summit. Waters will become the all matter and can share something of first woman to win this award. ourselves to make our lives vital and our “This award is proposed by the Gencommunities strong.” eral Federation of Women Pennsylvania Waters and her husband Joe run a (GFWPA) to its members as a means Special Olympics Riding program at their to honor citizens as well as to increase public awareness of our organization and farm. Their daughter Selena has Down clubs,” said Linda Young, a member of the syndrome. “I met Dori through the community GFWPA board of directors and a member classroom dance classes and then enrolled of the Abington Heights Civic league my daughter, who also has Down synboard of directors. drome,” said Tracy Khalife, a pharmacist “My first thought was Dori and that whose daughter participated in the riding she was a perfect recipient,” she said program. “This is not only a riding proThe candidate chosen could not be a gram, but a time for parents of specialmember of the Abington Heights Civic needs children and adults to gather and League. The reason for choosing this talk. Dori has been an example to my person could not be because of a profesfamily that we can all make a difference.” sional or family activities. The candidate “What a worker. Dori is committed had to be someone who cared for his or that when she sets out to do something, she accomplishes it,” said Warren Watkins of Clarks Summit. He knows Dori through the Appalachia Service project, in which the Clarks Green United Methodist TS_CNG/SUBURBAN/PAGES [S01] | 05/31/17
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Waters, left, hugs her daughter Selena.
Church participates. She is not a member of the church, but spearheaded many fundraisers. “She sets a high standard for all of us adults in the world of volunteerism.” “Dori is an artist in many forms, writer, advocate, shopkeeper, promoter, community classroom developer, Gathering Place envisioner and a woman with great instincts,” said Waters’ friend Emily Rancier. “Because these instincts are fueled by a desire to make things better, more compassionate, more humane and more beautiful in her world and her com-
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE TIMES-TRIBUNE
munity, her endeavors have been successful. You might say the development of The Gathering Place is the culmination of all her accomplishments so far. The Gathering Place exists because Dori exists.” “Dori knew her focus from the beginning of her volunteering days and followed her intuition as well as the ideas of people who became longtime devoted friends,” said Young. “Today we have The Gathering Place. I am waiting to see what comes next.”