CLARKS SUMMIT — The Gathering Place for Community, Arts and Education encourages are residents to welcome spring with one or more of the classes offered through April and May that will provide a breath of fresh air to your home and spirit. From brightening a room with an updated furniture piece or a creative wooden sign to enlightening your perspective on eating, gardening or area history, the upcoming classes offer the opportunity to grow and enjoy.

This semester’s classes are sponsored by Maura Armezzani, Esquire of Saporito, Falcone and Watt; Talbots, Clarks Summit; Timothy P. McGurrin, D.M.D.; Francine Gallagher, and Dixon Automotive Collision and Service Center. These sponsorships help provide funds for brochure publication, and help subsidize instructor salaries.

Upcoming classes include:

• Signs, Signs Everywhere – Friday, April 13, 5 to 8 p.m. Create your own wooden sign from four artistic options. Join Shiloh Byrnes of From Drab to Fab for a Paint Party and go home with your creation. Cost is $45, supplies included. Call 570-563-2402 to register.

• Hey, Take a Hike! — Saturday, April 14, 10 a.m. Join Caroline Seamans and Connie McDonnell for gentle hiking in Lackawanna State Park. Cost $10. Check the Gathering Place Website www.gatheringplacecs.org for more details. Call 570-563-2402 to register.

• Singer, songwriter, and author Sylvie Simmons – Sunday, April 15, 7 p.m. She will talk about her writing, her music and the musicians she has met and interviewed. Seating must be reserved in advance by contacting gatheringplacecs@gmail.com Cost of $10 a seat to be paid at the door. Sylvie Simmons is regarded as one of the foremost rock journalists of the time. She has written books about Leonard Cohen, Johnny Cash, Neil Young and is presently working on a book about Debbie Harry. She’s interviewed Frank Zappa, Lou Reed, Tom Waits and many more. An accomplished musician in her own right.

• Looking for the perfect landscape art piece for your home? Create your own with Earl Lehman, during Acrylic Landscape Painting a session of three classes, on Tuesdays April 17, May 1 and 8, 6 p.m. Earl instructs you in the art of landscaping using acrylics and the out-of-doors as your inspiration. Supply list on website www.GatheringPlaceCS.org. Cost $60.

• Ukulele for Adults — Five Mondays, April 23 – May 21, 7-7:45 p.m. Instructor Steve Kurilla introduces students to the little “hipster” instrument and has you singing and strumming along by the end of the five week session. Must bring your own ukulele. Cost $50.

• The Story of Scranton — Wednesday, April 25, part of the moontime lecture series. Sarah Piccini from the Lackawanna County Historical Society will take us back to when Scranton was the Electric City. With pictures and anecdotes, she brings this booming turn-of-the-century era alive. Cost $5. Pay at the door.

• Tips and Techniques: Repurposing Furniture — Four Tuesdays beginning May 1, 7 to 8:15 p.m. Transform old furniture with creative paint and finishing techniques. Val Langan of Woods and Company will demonstrate milk paint, chalk paint and stain. Bring one piece of furniture no larger than a night stand or end table. Cost $25 plus $20 for supplies.

• Senior Alert — Tuesday, May 1, noon. Jeff Thomas of the Voluntary Action Center will present a talk on the proper storage of medication, personal protection, current drug trends, and proper disposal of medications. Food, drinks and giveaways. Cost Free.

• Cooking Italian with eggplant – Monday, May 7, 6:30 p.m. While The Gathering Place offers cooking classes as a regular part of each semester, this is a special “pop-up” class with sous chef Assunta Meloni. She will prepare traditional Eggplant Caponata and Pasta a la Norma. Cost $35.

• Knit a Spring Wrap — Three Wednesdays, May 9, 16 and 23, 6:30 p.m. Use beginner and intermediate knitting skills to create a rectangular wrap with Kristina Laurito helping every step of the way. Cost $30 plus $10 supply fee.

• The Good Friday Bombing — Wednesday, May 9, part of the noon time lecture series. In April 1936, the Wyoming Valley was rocked by a terrorist bombing that killed a coal mining official Thomas Maloney and his young son. Mary Beth Voda will recount the details of this episode known as the Good Friday Cigar Box bombing. Cost $5.

• Streaming for Dummies — Wednesday, May 16, 7 p.m. The Best Buy Geek Squad lead by Pat will clear the mysteries surrounding streaming; Apple TV, Smart TV, Google TV, Hulu, Roku, Netflix, etc. Cost $15.

• Foraging for Wild Edibles — Thursday, May 17, 10:30 a.m. Join Susan Vinskofski and explore South Abington Park in search of wild edibles. Meet at the Pavilion. Cost $10.

For more information on any of the classes and programs offered at The Gathering Place, visit the website at www.GatheringPlaceCS.org.

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