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Abington The
JULY 19, 2018
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SummitFest rocked downtown Clarks Summit. Page 7
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READING COMPANIONS
ELIZABETH BAUMEISTER Suburban Subplots
Tastes of Dalton
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Caedance Miller, 7, of Clarks Summit, reads to Brunson during a special program at Abington Community Library meant to help kids feel more at ease reading. by Clayton over staff writer
CLARKS SUMMIT — Caedance Miller, 7, sat on the floor at the Abington Community Library with a book opened in front of her and started to read to a 6-year-old friend. “Once there was a girl who had a little seed of an idea,” she read from the pages of “Grow,” which tells the story of a child who cultivates a plot of land into a garden. Bronson rested his head on the floor, looked at the pictures and let out an occasional pant as he listened intently. Bronson is a dogue de bord e a u x , a l s o k n ow n a s a French mastiff, and a regular at the Read to Dogs program at the library. Canines have come to the library once a month for years to listen to stories. The program provides a place for children to read out loud and work on their reading skills without feeling pressured or overwhelmed. “It’s a very relaxing atmosphere,” said Barbara Frutchey, coordinator of Read to Dogs at the library. “The dogs are very patient and are good listeners.” “We love it because it’s a great partnership for the library,” said Laura Gardoski, head of youth services at the library. “It encourages kids to read and love reading.” The humans who accompany
the dogs to the program said improvements to a child’s confidence and reading level is apparent after attending several events. “When the same kids come, what an improvement you can see,” said Mary Ann Wolfe of Moosic, who regularly attends with her daschund, Brinkley. While the program is good for children to practice reading out loud and develop a love of books, it’s also good for the dogs. The four-legged listeners who come to Read to Dogs are certified therapy dogs and time there counts toward keeping the certifications, Gardoski said. The dogs who attended the most recent Read to Dogs, Bronson, Brinkley, labrador retrievers Pokey and Cocoa and poodle-bichon frise mix Callie, all love people, especially children. Visiting the library gives them a chance to interact with them. Callie usually makes a stop at a groomer before stories. Red bows were affixed to the fur on her ears at the most recent Read to Dogs. For other dogs, the program provides a link to their pasts. Gus, an 8-year-old golden retriever, was raised with five children in Elmira, New York and was used to having kids around before he ended up at a rescue shelter, according to his human, Dave Oberbeck of Meshoppen. Oberbeck initially
Querida Gonzalez, 7, of South Abington Township, reads to Callie at the Abington Community Library. fostered Gus before deciding to keep him. Since then, Gus has volunteered at area elementary and high schools as a therapy dog in addition to attending Read to Dogs. Besides listening to stories, Gus also greets or bids farewell to children with a handshake. Claire, a 7-year-old greyhound, retired as a racing dog a few years ago before Amanda Gilroy of Newton Township adopted her. Greyhounds are working dogs and have a lot of energy. Claire is no different and tends to get a little stir crazy if left in the house too long, Gilroy said. Therapy work and events like Read to Dogs give Claire an outlet for that energy, she said. “It’s as good for the dogs as it is for people,” Gilroy said, adding that she would recommend
therapy dog training to other dog owners. It was Caedance’s first time reading to dogs at the library. She came with her twin brother, Cameron, and grandmother, Desiree Miller. “I wanted to see dogs,” Caedance said. “I like dogs.” Contact the writer: cover@ timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x5363; @ClaytonOver on twitter
Want to go? the read to Dogs program is for children in kindergarten through fourth grade and is held every second wednesday from 6-7 p.m. at the abington Community Library, 1200 w. Grove st., Clarks summit. it is free to attend and no registration is required.
Abington National wins district title by herb smith staff writer
SCRANTON — Ryan Nealon shut down North Pocono’s potent lineup for five-plus innings and Reece Vida delivered a go-ahead, two-run double in the fifth inning as Abington National captured the District 17 Little League baseball championship, 3-2, on July 9 at the Rocz Complex at North Scranton Little League. Nealon allowed two runs on seven hits and struck out seven in five-and-a-third innings as Abington National advanced to the Section 5 tournament. “I was just throwing strikes and my teammates were making plays,” Nealon said. Nealon got Abington’s offense going in the first inning with a leadoff single to right field. He advanced to second on a groundout and scored
on Mark Nazar’s single to give Abington a 1-0 lead. Abington put together a two-out rally in the second inning when Conner Abel doubled and Gavin Walsh singled, but North Pocono starter Cole Dymek got a popout to end the threat. North Pocono answered with a run in the second inning. With two outs, Riley Moore doubled to left center field. A pair of wild pitches allowed Moore to come around to score, tying the game 1-1. In the fifth inning, Gavin Walsh led off with a double to left center. Nealon singled to put runners on the corners with no outs. Vida then laced a double down the right field line to drive in both runs, giving Abington a 3-1 lead. “I was thinking that we needed two runs and so I hit an outside pitch down the line,” Vida said. North Pocono rallied in the fifth,
Ordering spiedies anywhere but upstate New York is like getting a “Philadelphia” cheesesteak somewhere other than Philly. You’re in suspect terrain until after you taste that first bite. Which is why I was pleasantly surprised when I tempted my taste buds with a chicken spiedie sandwich from the Cub Scout Pack 175 stand last Thursday evening at the Dalton Fire Company Carnival. Tender and tangy. That’s how spiedies should be, and these did not disappoint. Perplexed? You’re probably not alone. When I mention spiedies in conversation in northeast Pennsylvania, people usually look at me like I have two heads. “Oh, it’s a food,” they say after I explain. “I thought maybe you meant Speedo, as in the swimsuits.” Or they’ll just be relieved I wasn’t referring to a drug. Spiedies (pronounced SPEE-dees) are cubed pieces of meat – usually chicken, pork, lamb or beef – marinated in a special sauce similar to Italian dressing and grilled. They can be served on a hard roll or on a skewer. The dish originated in the 1920s with Italian immigrants in the Binghamton area. The name comes from the Italian “spiedo,” which translates to “spit,” as in a cooking spit. Spiedies are most wellknown throughout the Southern Tier region of New York, where I first experienced them at a family cookout. They are, however, gaining popularity in the central part of New York as well as surrounding areas. Several years ago, I was surprised to find bottles of spiedie sauce available locally at the former Ray’s Shursave Market in Factoryville and a few other small local grocery stores. More recently I noticed some of the bigger stores like Sam’s Club and Wegman’s selling cubed meat pre-packaged in the spiedie marinade. But the Cub Scouts’ stand at the Dalton carnival was the first of its kind I’ve seen in this area. And not only were their sandwiches impressive, but the service was as well. With a little adult supervision and a lot of enthusiasm, the young scouts took orders, made change, dried cold water bottles with a towel and delivered the food to their customers. Please see Dalton, Page 6
What’s inside Calendar ........................ 2 where am i? contest ....... 3 suburban family ............. 4 Green scene ................... 5 Just for fun .................... 8 ChristOPher DOLan / staff PhOtOGraPher
Abington National Little League players celebrate with the championship banner after defeating North Pocono in the District 17 Little League championship on July 9. but was stymied on a heads-up play to put runners on the corners with by Abington third baseman Declan no outs. Anthony Santaniello ripped Walsh. Aiden Bussacco led off with a ball to third, but Declan Walsh a single and went to second on a wild pitch. Nick Reese then singled Please see District Title, Page 10
sports ...................... 9, 10 Classifieds ................... 11 schools ........................ 12
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