CMYK
THE ABINGTON
JOURNAL An edition of The Times Leader
Serving the Greater Abington Community since 1947
Clarks Summit, Pa.
Festival of colors
FACTORYVILLE
Theatre alive and well
GREEN GLORY
SOUTH ABINGTON TWP.
Page turners
South Abington Elementary School celebrated Read Across America. See Page B10.
Lady Comets eliminated
Upper Dublin defeats Abington Heights girls basketball team. See Page C1.
INSIDE
The Abington Journal
Please enclose this label with any address changes, and mail to The Abington Journal, 211 S. State St,, Clarks Summit, PA, 18411
ArtsEtc.............................A1 1 Calendar...........................A2 Classified ...........................B1 Crosswords.......................A9 Obituaries.........................A6 School ........A4, A5 B10, C3, C4 Sports ...............................C1
See Ransom, Page 7
ABINGTON JOURNAL PHOTOS/JASON RIEDMILLER
The Abington Heights High School Marching Band members await their turn on the parade route.
M
ore than 13,000 people representing close to 200 businesses, high schools, community organizations and others flooded the streets of downtown Scranton March 12, for the 50th annual Scranton St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Beginning at noon with the sounds of the United States Naval Academy
‘Native Son’ Matt McGloin, center, with his brother, John, and mom, Cathy.
Band, the parade featured 14 bagpipe groups, countless marching bands and appearances by local elected officials including Scranton Mayor Chris Doher-
Letters tie students, soldiers
ty, U.S. Reps. Lou Barletta (PA-11) and Tom Marino (PA-10) and more. The parade association made strides to recognize its rich past this year and included an appearance by surviving parade association founder Paul F. Crowley and the family members of the late men who formed the association in 1962.
BY RYAN D. BEARDSLEY Abington Journal Correspondent
CLARKS SUMMIT - A group of seventh- and eighth-graders at Abington Heights Middle School recently donated many hours of their time to benefit the lives of soldiers serving the United States. Students at the school volunteered for “Operation Give Back” and put together holiday care packages and wrote letters several months ago for soldiers stationed overseas in Afghanistan. The activity was organized by seventh-grade teacher John Fitzsimmons and sent by the Tobyhanna Army Depot to the soldiers. “We asked students to bring in certain imperishable items and other things that the soldiers in Afghanistan could use,” Fitzsimmons said. “The response was fantastic. We packed over 300 care packages for the soldiers.” Several students, as well as Assistant Principal Eduardo Antonetti, received letters back from a soldier who was overwhelmed with the students’ and administration members’ generosity. Specialist Damion Stephens of the United
Hospitality in the Summit Son recalls father’s hotel to the letter
“We’ve known each other all our lives,” said Bob Vogelbacker. BY T’SHAIYA STEPHENSON His father, John Vogelbacker, who Bob Vogelbacker, 86. Abington Journal Reporter purchased the hotel in approximateJohn Vogelbacker emigrated to ly 1900 and ran the business until America from Germany in 1863, ays before chain hotels and motels came into the Clarks according to Bob Vogelbacker, who 1924. The name of the Clarks Summit today lives in Fort Meyers, Fla., with Summit area, there existed his wife of nearly 60 years, Kathryn. hotel entails an interesting story. the Vogelbacker Hotel. The hotel, Bob Vogelbacker said his father had located at 206 Depot St., was owned The couple graduated from the by John Vogelbacker, now deceased, Clarks Summit-Clarks Green Joint several siblings . Outside of John High School in 1943 before both who moved to the Abington area See Hospitality, Page 7 from Dunmore, according to his son attending Syracuse University.
D
March 18, 1965 - The Abington Journal reported the “Abington Lions Club will conduct a door-to-door sale of charcoal in the Abington area Saturday ... Proceeds from the sale will be used for Lions Club Sight Conservation Fund.”
651 Northern Blvd., Chinchilla
www.northpennbank.com
587-5705
March 18, 1965 - Dempsey’s O.K. Tire Store in Clarks Summit offered the “Year’s lowest prices in “Silvertowns-the new car tires!” The sale price with a trade cost, $18.28.
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March 21, 1968 - The Abington Journal reported that “Vandals paint ‘flower power,’ other messages on Waverly School wall.
See Soldiers, Page 5
March 25, 1971 - The Abington Junior Woman’s Club will present “Love Duds,” an Adventure in Fashion April 16 at the Abington Heights Senior High School, according to The Abington Journal.
ABINGTON JOURNAL/RYAN BEARDSLEY
0.85%
Operation Give Back participants, from left, include: Erin Schumacher, Marissa Paulish, Mia Paone, Paige Harris, Jessa Sablan, Noah Sirianni, Jake Peterson, Sam Jubon, Ian Halloran.
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RANSOM TWP - Ransom Township supervisors approved a resolution for an irrevocable letter of credit for Falling Springs Estates, a proposed development in the township, at the supervisors meeting March 7. Chairman Joe Esposito was absent from the meeting. Township Solicitor Bill Jones said, “We originally had a letter of credit, then we had a cash deposit, now were going back to an irrevocable letter of credit, which is the prerogative of the developer….” The amount of the irrevocable letter of credit is $260,000. “It’s our intent tonight to release the $260,000, plus the accrued interest that’s on there to further authorize the execution of the third addendum,” Jones said. The third addendum in the development agreement for Falling Springs Estates refers to the irrevocable letter of credit. Edward Bush, a principal developer of the group, said it is a 50-acre spring-fed lot with two phases. “It’s a pristine area and we’re proud to be in Ransom Township.” In other news, Supervisor and Road Master David Bird mentioned the condition of the roads March 7 after the snow received the night before. “Mother Nature hit us again,” said Bird, who added that problems with vehicles posed an
’Once Upon a Mattress’ opens March 17 at Lackawana Trail. See Page A12
SCRANTON
MARCH 16 TO MARCH 22, 2011
BY T’SHAIYA STEPHENSON tstephenson@theabingtonjournal.com
Members of the St. David’s Society of Lackawanna County rode through the parade in style.
Victorian High Wheelers entertain.
Sukanya (Sue) Roy, 13, took first place for the third straight year at the 2011 Times Leader/Scripps Northeast Pennsylvania Regional Spelling Bee. See Page A4.
Ransom discusses roadways
CLARKS SUMMIT
Celebrate Holi Hai at the Abington Community Library March 19. See Page A3.
To BEE or not to bee?
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