TS_CNG/SUBURBAN/PAGES [S01] | 09/11/19
09:52 | BAUMEISTER
Abington The
InSIDE
SEPTEMBER 12, 2019
Snapshots from Our Lady of the Abingtons Fall Festival
Suburban
See page 4.
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A FAiR dAy in FlEEtvillE JUlIe JeFFeRy mANWARReN / FoR ABINGtoN SUBURBAN
Miss Rachel from Lollipop Party Services adds color and sparkle to the face of Kendyl Dixon of Dalton. Lollipop Party Services was one of the many vendors at the Fleetville Fall Fair.
JUliE JEFFERy mAnWARREn | SUBURBAN lIFe
Benton Twp. fire company’s fall fair a success BENTON TWP. — The Abington community showed its support for the Fleetville Volunteer Fire Company at the inaugural Fleetville Fall Fair. Held Saturday, Sept. 7, the fair was organized to raise support for the fire company and awareness of its need for new members. A group of active and social members of the Fleetville Vollunteer Fire Company came together to form a planning committee. Michelle Ross led the way with help from the Hay family, Mike and Andreia Halmo, Vanessa and Dan Canfield, Lynn Bellas, Susanne Green and Dianna Varady. “Michelle Ross started planning a fall vendor fair. When I heard about it, I wanted to be a part of it and knew it was something I could really get behind. Then, it just grew,” Green
said. “We had 35 vendors, then there were 45, then 55 and it kept growing.” Word spread, the community rallied, and on Saturday, 95 different vendors, events and activities were available for the first Fleetville Fall Fair. Vendors sold crafts, honey, soaps, jewelry, antiques and more. Activities included junior fire fighter training, live animals, a bounce house, face painting and balloon sculpting. Events occurred all day with live music by Paul LaQuintano and the Zeiger Family, dog agility and flyball demonstrations, a pie competition and a flag retirement ceremony by VFW Post 7069 from Clarks Summit. “We used to have a carnival, but that was over three decades ago,” Ross said. “We haven’t done anything this large in over 30 years.”
The inaugural fair was held to raise funds toward the purchase of a new pumper tanker for the Fleetville Volunteer Fire Company. Benton Township doesn’t have fire hydrants and the fire company was always in need of water sources or had to bring along a separate tanker to have water to fight fires. That required more members to fight fires and special training to drive the vehicles. “The new pumper tanker is half pumper, half tanker. So now we can leave with one apparatus and report much faster to fires. It allows us to start right away,” Ross said.
it’s personal For Varady, the cause became personal just a few months ago when she lost her home and pets in a fire. It
was the house in which she was born. Chief Tony Saxton was one of the emergency responders who arrived to help deliver her. “Dianna had a kitchen fire in June,” Green shared. “Her house burned to the ground. She is okay, but she lost all of her animals. Dianna was the one behind getting the signs up for the fair. I don’t know how she is so strong. She didn’t become angry and bitter because she lost everything. Instead, she became active in her community and is making a difference.” Clarks Summit Fire Company partnered with the Fleetville Volunteer Fire Company and hosted a benefit for Varady. “I think when something like Please see Fair, Page 6
Taste of the Abingtons: ‘Heat and sweet’ by EmmA blAcK StAFF WRIteR
focus on my product and try to sell it. It’s better to do it with somebody S. ABINGTON TWP. — Friends, else, and more fun. There is less fun and the go-with-the-flow attipressure,” said Litz. tude are what Gene Litz and Chris Calvey featured his own product Calvey Jr. are most looking forward solo in past years at Taste of the to at Taste of the Abingtons, which Abingtons but looks forward to will be Sunday, Sept. 29 at the Rathe camaraderie and flavor palette mada from 5-8 p.m. working with Litz will bring. The annual event is the premier “It’s a hot sauce hybrid. It’s fundraiser for the Rotary Club of tomato-based made with all natuthe Abingtons. It features food and ral ingredients, spices; it’s a sweet/ drink vendors from in and around savory blend that is so versatile,” the Abington area serving sample- Calvey said of his tomato habasize portions of their seasonal and nero puree. “You can have it by feature dishes. There will also be itself with a chip or mix it and add live entertainment and a raffle. it to any sort of dish you like. One Tickets are $25 and are available of my favorite things is to mix it from any member of the Rotary with cream cheese and put it on a club and on Eventbrite. bagel.” Litz, owner and chef of Thirteen At Taste of the Abingtons, the Olives, and Calvey, chairperson of duo will serve smoked pulled pork the event and president-elect of the with Litz’s Caribbean rub, a tortilla Rotary Club of the Abingtons, will with Calvey’s tomato habanero pucombine their talents for the secree spread and a pineapple pico de ond straight year. The two worked gallo with balsamic. and served together last year and “With the spread, I wanted to enjoyed their experience so much, extenuate the spread, so that’s just they decided to collaborate again. going to be on it’s own on a tortilla “I feel like this event is a friendly and the pork is going to have the event, so it’s not like I have to just rub, but otherwise pretty much
plain. I’ll use a sweet balsamic with a salsa to cool it down a little so it will be heat and sweet at the same time,” Litz said. Calvey is excited about the chance to show locals the full potential of what food can be. “It’s such a fun event and just being able to open peoples’ eyes to the uses of our different products and mainly expanding their horizons, this really goes against the grain on a lot of things,” Calvey said. “Since we did it together, we got a lot of attention last year which was cool and good for both our businesses. We’re not seeking attention, but it did make it fun. This year the dish is going to be a lot simpler so we’ll be able to engage with the customers a lot more and talk to them about what we do,” Litz said. The two learned where they can improve and make the overall experience better for themselves and anyone who decides to try their dish this year. “[Last year] we were focused on preparing and cooking versus having it already assembled and being able to engage the customer,
ELIZABETH BAUMEISTER Suburban Subplots
Finding fall in flavors
Eleven days. That’s how long we have until the official first day of fall. In some ways, it’s already here. At least two local fall festivals were presented over the weekend (one at Our Lady of the Abingtons and the other at the Fleetville Volunteer Fire Company). Abington Heights students went back to school last week, and the high school football season began even before that. We’ve been sipping pumpkin lattes and snacking on apple cider doughnuts for a few weeks now. Thanksgiving and Halloween decorations started springing up in area retail stores at least a month ago. But in other ways, it’s still summer. Fleece jackets and fashion boots are buried in our closets behind sundresses and sandals. The grass and leaves are still lush green. Local ice cream shops such as Dairy Queen and Manning Farm Dairy are busy with customers looking to savor that last taste of summer. The sense of taste is a big part of what carries us from one season to another. I can think of several foods that signify the arrival of specific seasons. For example, whenever Mom prepares Dad’s grandmom’s beef pie, it invokes, for me, memories of raking leaves in my backyard and jumping in the piles with the neighbor kids. And most people would agree, the smell of gingerbread baking is a distinctly winter scent, associated especially with Christmas. Spring is a time for salads and greens, and summer is filled with the aroma of hot dogs, hamburgers and barbecue foods. In celebration of the upcoming season, here are two of my favorite family recipes that always help me in finding fall.
Grandmom’s beef pie (handed down by Aunt lettie Kell) 1 lb. stewing beef, cut into small pieces 4 raw carrots, sliced 1/2” thick 1 package frozen peas biscuit dough 4 c. water 1/2 to 3/4 stick butter 3 medium or 2 large potatoes, peeled and diced Place the water, beef, carrots and potatoes in a large pot and cook until well done. Add peas, then cook for five more minutes (about 40 minutes total). Pour into deep dish. Please see Flavors, Page 5
What’s inside emmA BlACk / StAFF PhotoGRAPheR
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Gene Litz, owner and chef of Thirteen Olives in Clarks Summit, left, and Chris Calvey Jr., hold a bottle of pineapple white balsamic vinegar and a jar of tomato habanero puree, respectively.
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watch them enjoy and explain the whole ensemble and get constructive feedback or praise from them,” Calvey said. “We can enjoy them enjoying. “Make sure you come out.”
Just for Fun .................... 8
contact the writer: eblack@ timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100; ext. 5447
Contest .......................... 3 Suburban Family ............. 3 In the Abingtons .............. 5 Green Scene ................... 5 Sports ............................ 9
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