TS_CNG/SUBURBAN/PAGES [S01] | 08/14/19
10:30 | BAUMEISTER
Abington The
AUGUST 15, 2019
SuburbaN
INSIDE
Reunited on the field See page 9.
T H E VO I C E O F T H E A B I N G T O N S
AN EDITION OF THE TIMES-TRIBUNE • FREE • WWW.ABINGTONSUBURBAN.COM
FoR thE lovE oF aRt
ELIZABETH BAUMEISTER Suburban Subplots
Savoring summer
JULIE JEFFERy MANwARREN / FOR ABINGTON SUBURBAN
Diana Lombardi, owner and instructor at Abington Art Studio, guides 13-year-old Morgan Yoniski in using chalk pastels as an art medium.
JUlIE JEFFERY MaNWaRREN | SUBURBAN LIFE
Abington Art Studio, The Gathering Place collaborate CLARKS SUMMIT — Diana Lombardi has made it her life’s work to teach children how to translate the world around them using a variety of different mediums. Now she partners with others in the community to exhibit art in hopes that exposure will raise awareness and inspire others to value art. Furloughed from teaching art at a neighboring school district in 2011, Lombardi opened a small art studio space on Colburn Avenue in 2012. Less than a year later, Abington Art Studio outgrew the space and moved to its current location at 208 Depot St. Lombardi runs the fullservice art studio that offers classes in pottery and other art forms. Pottery classes include hand building, wheel throwing and glazing as well as sculpture and design. Other art classes offered include drawing and painting using a variety of mediums. “Students create their own instruction,” Lombardi said. “We have small group instruction, but it’s student-led. Each
student focuses on what they want to work on. It’s beautiful from a teaching perspective. So often students dislike art because they are forced to do what the teacher tells them. Because I knew that as a teacher, I shifted how I teach here in the studio and gave students here more freedom. They get individualized instruction, but they learn what they are interested in and we take it where they want to go.” Lombardi returned to teaching in the classroom in 2016, but had grown such a love for her studio and students that she kept the studio opened and hired additional staff. “It’s what I love to do,” she said. “It gives me creative freedom, and I can pass that on to my students.” “We’re constantly trying to validate art and show people the value in what we do. I believe art teaches students to think more creatively and critically than any other subject. We need to value art as a society. It teaches us to interpret the world around us. It teaches
JULIE JEFFERy MANwARREN / FOR ABINGTON SUBURBAN
These indigenous leaf tiles were a result of the colloboration between Abington Art Studio and the Gathering Place in Clarks Summit. critical thinking in students and promotes higher level thinking.” Lombardi shared that she hires qualified art-trained educators. She is thrilled to have Mark Chuck on staff, who is an accomplished ceramic
sculptor. Lombardi teaches art classes along with other trained teachers. One of those is Maria Veniamin, who started as a student at Abington Art Studio seven years ago. Please see Art, Page 12
lINDa SCott | IN THE ABINGTONS
Kicking together
CLARKS SUMMIT — Local kickball enthusiasts are invited to assemble teams to play in the inaugural Don’t Stop Ballieving Kickball Tournament Saturday, Sept. 14 at the Clarks Summit United Methodist Church, 1310 Morgan Highway. Organizers plan to make the tournament an annual event. Teams can consist of 8-10 players. Players must be 8-15 years old with only three players between the ages of 13 and 15 and three between 10 and 12 years old per team. The event is coed and the cost is $100 per team. Players must sign a waiver prior to playing. The first place team receives a trophy. “We decided to have a kickball tournament because we thought it was a creative way to bring the community and church together as well as help raise money for
church needs,” said event organizer, Fred Hawkins. “Candace McColligan and I came up with the idea and are organizing the tournament along with our church family in hopes of creating a fun and successful fundraising event.” Food and drinks will be available for purchase from the church. “We believe this event is important to not only raise money for needs of the church, but to grow as a church family,” said Hawkins. “It is to gather as a community and to promote some friendly competition, too. Come one and come all. ... Who will claim the first annual kickball tournament bragging rights?” Money raised will be used for church projects and needs. For more information, call Fred Hawkins at 570-862-0755 or Candace McColligan at 570-351-2883.
Please see Summer, Page 12
the format/rules: ■ Double elimination. ■ Baseball rules with some modifications. ■ Five innings or 60 minutes (whatever comes first) in a complete game. ■ Extra innings played if game is tied or at the end of five innings must establish a winner. ■ Home team is determined by coin flip. ■ All players play the field every inning. ■ Continuous kicking order, all kick (must be estab-
Summer proves true the idiom, “time flies when you’re having fun.” Wasn’t it just a couple weeks ago that I dug out my tank tops and flip flops and tucked my winter coat and snow boots into the dark recess of my closet? But no. It’s already mid-August. What happened to June and July? I started the season with a mile-long bucket list of things to do, the surface of which I’ve barely scratched. Now, all of a sudden, people all around me are backto-school shopping, getting ready to close their pools and making plans for Thanksgiving. But all I can think about is making the most of what precious bits of summer remain. The season seemed longer when I was a kid – until the first day of school came around. But by then I was ready to go back. Ready for fall. Now, I just want to savor summer. Here’s my list of 10 things to do before the season’s demise, most of them reminiscent of childhood. For 10 more, see our special publication, “Fun in the sun: Top 10 things to do before school starts,” included in today’s paper. 1. Camp out. One doesn’t have to go camping to camp out. Summertime for me as a kid meant pitching a tent in my back yard. Sometimes I slept in it overnight. Most of the time I got scared after 10 minutes and ran into house calling for Mom. Other times, my brother, Eddie and I “camped out” on our living room floor. We pumped up our air mattresses, Mom popped a big bowl of popcorn and we slid our copy of “The Fox and the Hound,” into our VHS player before falling asleep. 2. Roast marshmallows. If you don’t have a fire pit or anywhere to build a campfire, a grill will work just as well. Don’t forget the graham crackers and Hershey’s bars. 3. Take a walk or ride a bike. This was practically all I did during the summer as a kid. One of the neighbors used to tell me I was going to wear a rut into our dirt road from walking/riding up and down it so much. I probably did. 4. Go stargazing. Those who live in areas where the stars are visible
lished order prior to start of game). ■ Kicking out of order is an out. ■ No walks. ■ Three strikes (attempt to kick and miss) is an out. ■ Outs recorded by force, tag or hit by ball. ■ No head shots; if runner is hit in the head, runner is safe and is granted an additional base. ■ Umpire makes the call and has final say; no arguing.
What’s inside Calendar ........................ 2 Contest .......................... 3 Schools ...................... 3, 4 Local governments .......... 5 Green Scene ................... 6 Just For Fun .................... 8 Sports ............................ 9 Churches ...................... 10
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