You, too, can WIN Lauren Bartell, shown, colored her way to free Sesame Street Live tickets. See Page 10A Enter this month’s contest to win circus prizes at The Abington Journal office, 211 S. State, Clarks Summit.
THE ABINGTON
JOURNAL
Hail to the CHIEF Keystone Players dedicate performance to retiring president and first Lady. See Page 9A.
An edition of THE TIMES LEADER
Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
Trail pupil lauded for Naval Service
www.theabingtonjournal.com
Loaves of generosity By ElIZaBETh BauMEISTEr lbaumeister@theabingtonjournal.com
By BEN FrEDa Abington Journal Correspondent
FACTORYVILLE -Superintendent Matthew Rakauskas discussed the Naval Operational Support Center in Avoca at the Lackawanna Trail School Directors meeting March 11. “One of the programs that we have there amongst the Navy Reserves is the United States Sea Cadet Corps program,” said Rakauskas. “It’s a program where it’s an opportunity for young men and women in high school to get introduced to the Navy and participate in training events.” Commander Albert C. Seeman presented a letter of appreciation to Lackawanna Trail student Jericho Hendershot for his “dedication, superb leadership, military bearing and outstanding participation.” “The exemplary nature of your contributions clearly establish that you have adopted the Sea Cadet Corps values as a personal standard,” Seeman said to Hendershot. “Thank you for your outstanding dedication and distinguished professionalism.” In other business, student council president Logan Garrison said he is planning a conference to help create an atmosphere that allows students to feel more comfortable discussing issues with their principal, vice-principal and superintendent. He said that student advisors agreed to it. Garrison said the student council will fund the conference. In other business, Elementary Center Principal Tania Stoker offered a presentation
See TRAIL, Page 10A
INSIDE
ABINGTON JOurNAL/ELIzABETh BAuMEISTEr
From front: Sebastian Barry, Abington Heights junior and Mike Bonczar, owner, Beta Bread, form loaves of bread from dough. InDIvIDuAl bITeS bASIc breADS From the classic grilled cheese sandwich to a fancy bread lasagna with lay* Team pairs beer, dinner in the ers of fresh bread, cheese, sauce and Community Classroom…...Page 2 vegetables, according to Mike Bonczar, owner of Beta Bread, Clarks Summit, * Factoryville -based roasting lab the possibilities of how one may incorporate bread in a menu are many. brews boutique coffee.... ..Page 3. “It can be a side dish,” he said,” “or * Dolce Vita bring Italy to Abington something that’s part Community Library.... .......Page 3. of the main course.” Four of his and his customers’ favorites * The spice is right at Dickson City are: Muffuletta, a Indian restaurant …..........Page 4. layered sandwhich consisting of various and cheeses * Lake Winola resident combines meats (for a recipe, visit food, films with blog ….... Page 4. cookingchanneltv. com/recipes/
A passion for baking and a desire to feed the hungry, combined with generosity and hard work recently produced more than 200 loaves of bread for the St. Francis of Assisi Kitchen in Scranton. Abington Heights High School junior Sebastian Barry, along with the assistance of his grandfather, Carmell Santa Cruz, baked the bread in four sessions at Beta Bread, Clarks Summit for Barry’s senior project. They then delivered it to the kitchen, which provides more than 225 hot meals to those in need, free of charge every day. Barry said he decided on this particular project because of the local need among the poor for food and nutrition. He feels many people recognize the need to help the poor outside of their areas, while overlooking those in their own town or city. “There are a lot of people in Scranton desperately in need,” he said, “so I wanted to help the people around here.”
See LOAVES, Page 11A rachael-ray/mushroom-and-spinachbread-zagna.html) • Toast or French toast with fresh jam or preserves • Sliced bread with olive oil and italian seasoning • Grilled cheese sandwhich, best with fresh baked bread
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50¢
Newton shifts polling location
By KEvIN KEarNEy Abington Journal Correspondent
NEWTON TWP. - For the first time in 10 years, Newton Township residents will cast votes at the Municipal Building when the primary election rolls around May 21. The Lackawanna County Bureau of Elections has agreed to move the polling station from the Recreation Center back to the Municipal Building, Board of Supervisors Chairman Ronald Koldjeski said at the monthly meeting March 11. “We were told verbally and they’ll be sending us a letter, so it’s going to happen,” he said. The supervisors requested the move mainly due to safety issues, Koldjeski said. The recreation center is home to a daycare and a preschool, and the building is always very secure, the supervisor said. But on Election Day that changes, when the doors are open to anyone. “We have a lot of young children there,” Koldjeski said. So to be on the safe side, the supervisors decided to move the polling station back to its original location. Koldjeski noted the Municipal Building is wheelchair accessible, has plenty of room for voting machines and privacy, and has multiple exits. “It’s really nice. I’m happy that it’s coming back here,” he said. The township had moved the polling station 10 years ago to the recreation center because the center was looking for occupants, but now it is well occupied and the change can be made, Koldjeski said. In other news, the township has applied for a $10,000 grant to fix the floors and backboards at the recreation center. Once the work is done, the supervisors hope to rent out the court to basketball leagues. “Hopefully we can get some revenue
See NEWTON, Page 11A
TEAChEr OF ThE MONTh
Swan song for Abington Heights teacher
ArtsEtc. .................................. 9 Calendar ................................ 2 Classified .............................. 16 By KElly McDoNough Abington Journal Correspondent Crosswords ........................... 5 Mary Alice Bartz does everything graceObituaries ........................... 8, 15 fully, including easing into her retirement. School .................................... 12 This Abington Heights teacher has spent the Sports .............................. 13-15 past 30 years teaching kindergarten at Clarks
The Abington Journal
March 20 to March 26, 2013
Summit Elementary. Regarding her retirement, which begins at the end of this school year, she has mixed feelings. “I’m going to miss the children and families that pass through. And I’m going to miss the people I work with,” Bartz said. Over the span of three decades, Bartz has seen much change in the school system. When 20 years ago, Clarks Summit Elementary School started the inclusion of special needs children in the districtshe recalled it was difficult to find resources to explain how to integrate the children. “We had a little boy who couldn’t speak and was not developmentally ready. He couldn’t dress himself or write. But because kindergarten children are the most nurturing, they mothered the boy. And by the end of the year he was able to speak in a full sentence,” Bartz explained. Bartz mentioned several reasons she knew she had a calling to teach young children. She said she is fascinated by watching young ones learn and seeing the light go on when they get it. “It’s so exciting to watch,” Bartz said, “seeing how fast they can grasp things. I love the teaching environment structure of the day, and I just love reading a story and teaching them sounds. It truly is exciting every day.”
An educator who makes a difference
ABINGTON JOurNAL/ELIzABETh BAuMEISTEr
Teacher of the Month Mary Alice Bartz
Clarks Summit Elementary School is different than most area schools in that it still offers half- day kindergarten as opposed to a full day. Bartz said their program is aggressive and very academic. It’s not all about play time. By the end of the year, the children have to write a four- page story with sentences they crafted themselves. “Thirty years ago, if children knew the letters of the alphabet, we sent them to first grade. Today, they’re coming into kindergarten having to already know the alphabet,” Bartz said. Within the span of a 34 -year career, Bartz has watched all kinds of children grow and has taught offspring of children who were
See TEACHER, Page 6A
When my son entered kindergarten at Clarks Summit Elementary School this year, we wrote the school to request Mrs. Bartz, who is retiring this year. Not only had I heard she was an amazing teacher from parents in his preschool, but I knew firsthand. She had been my teacher too. I was a member of the first class that Mrs. Bartz (then Miss Morgan) ever taught. And now my son is in her last class. When I was in kindergarten at St Gregory’s I was a very shy child, pretty much not speaking to anyone. Miss Morgan never made a fuss about that and gave me chances to feel good about myself in ways that were comfortable to me-this had a huge impact on me. I remember her much as my son describes her to me—encouraging, funny, kind and consistent. As he transitions into “real” school I am glad he is doing so with a teacher who wants to know him as a person, who works with him from the point he is at, and who shows him that learning is fun. Kindergarten is half day, but the amount she manages to get done, including time spent individually with each child, is
remarkable. And the children realize the importance of this to the extent that their 5 and 6 -year -old minds can—they love her and trust her fully. She makes them laugh—I hear stories of her “calling” Mother Nature or Jack Frost on a banana someone brought in for a snack. She encourages them to be their best self—the sunny days they (hopefully) come home with are treasures. And her students have an impact on her as well—when I met with her for parent conferences she relayed a story to me about one of my sisters—she remembered a specific picture my sister drew 30 years ago. Amazing! I still have the card that Mrs. Bartz sent to me, and all members of her first class, upon our high school graduation. That she thought to do that is another example of how she cares about her students so deeply. Even as a senior in high school, I realized how special that was. Mrs. Bartz is truly deserving of an article in your paper, especially as she retires this year. I am happy for her but so sad my younger two will not have her as their kindergarten teacher. Thank you, Sarah Dawgert