City of Pittston officials gathered at the Pittston Community Garden to open the 2025 planting season.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Half of the principal caretakers of the Pittston Community Garden, Dr. Frank Colella of the Garden Goombas, spoke on the gardens and how it is beneficial for the community.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
City of Pittston Mayor Michael Lombardo welcomed all to the Pittston Community Garden thanking all partnerships involved making the garden happen.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Pittston Community Garden, located at 500 Kennedy Blvd., officiall held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to kick-off planting season on Monday, May 12.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
The Garden Goombas, Cuzzie Stuppino, left, and Doc. Colella, survey the soil to plan out what would be planted in the garden bed.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
PITTSTON — The 2025 gardening season has arrived and the City of Pittston held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Monday, May 12, to kick off the planting at The Pittston Community Garden.
The Community Garden, located at 500 Kennedy Blvd., was created last year with the award of an American Water Charitable Foundation 2024 Water and Environment grant.
Like last year, the Garden Goombas (Dr. Frank Colella and Joe (Cuzzie) Stuppino), Greater Pittston preeminent gardening experts, are back on board to plan, plant, and oversee the garden.
Also onboard are contributors to the project from American Water Charitable Foundation, Pittston Area School District, and the Housing Authority of the City of Pittston, Housing Authority residents, and the City of Pittston itself.
The goal of The Community Garden is for residents to gather together through a shared space for growing fresh, homegrown produce, while fostering community pride and sustainability.
Throughout the spring and summer of 2025, the garden will host a variety of educational and community programs, welcoming people of all ages to get involved and learn more about gardening and healthy living.
City officials from all departments were on hand for the ribbon-cutting ceremony with comments from City of Pittston Mayor Michael Lombardo, Colella, and Stuppino.
“This is really a great project,” Lombardo said. “I want to acknowledge each of the departments for making an effort to get this project on, particularly the Housing Authority and our Public Works Department, and our Community Development Office, who stepped up to really make sure this project got done. The more we can do projects like this and have really active engagement between residents and our staff, I think it’s better for the city.”
Colella and Stuppino have been working on many garden projects over the years and The Community Garden in Pittston was their third effort.
“The center of anything we do in the community is trying to be unique to tie it together,” Stupino said. “What we do here is we work with the elderly and the housing department to try to provide something unique to get anyone that’s living here attention, to come out and work with nature.”
The Garden Goombas have been recording their projects for thousands of social media followers to view in the last few years.
Colella’s family lived not too far from The Community Garden near the former St. Rocco’s Church. He gives all credit to his great grandmother and my grandmother for his initial interest in gardening. “We picked the perfect spot (for the community garden), and again, the whole idea is tying the community together,” Colella said. “The big picture is getting people together for fresh, healthy food, and interaction with the community. So we’re thrilled with Pittston City, the Housing Department, American Water, and Pittston Area High School, so it’s not two people, it’s not three people, it literally is the whole community getting together for a better cause, and we just appreciate you the city for letting us be part of it.”
