This past week, RE/MAX

Ridge Real Estate officially

kicked off its 2015 annual
toy drive in Warren County.
RE/MAX Ridge is collaborating this holiday season
with the national Marine
Toys for Tots Foundation to
collect toys to benefit needy
children.
Unfortunately, each year
during the holiday season,
many children are left out of
experiencing the joy of
receiving Christmas gifts.
"Participating in the toy
drive is the ideal way for
local businesses and families
to bring a smile to some
childs heart, explains Gail
Masson-Romano, broker and
owner of RE/MAX Ridge
Real Estate.
RE/MAX Ridge is accepting new toys in their original
packaging (without gift
wrapping) at their offices in
Blairstown and Washington.
Please stop by either office
between 10am and 4pm any
weekday. Your support will
be
very
much
appreciatedby so many.
Toys for Tots is a United

States Marine Corps Reserve

program which donates toys
to churches and other nonprofit organizations for
distribution
to
children
whose parents cannot afford
to buy them gifts for Christ-

mas. To date, the Toys for

Tots Program and Foundation have collected and
distributed more than five
hundred million toys.
Toys For Tots was founded
as a Los Angeles charitable

to better communities in the

future. RE/MAX Ridge is
honored to be a part of this
charitable endeavor.
RE/MAX Ridge Toy DropOff Locations: In Blairstown at 8 Main Street (in the
flat iron building adjacent
to the Blair Lake waterfall)
and in Washington at 325 W.
Washington Street (on Rt. 57
and across from Enzos
Restaurant). For more information, you may contact
RE/MAX Ridge in Blairstown at 908-362-7200 and
in Washington at 908-6894444.
Please
visit
ToyForTots.org for more
information about this wonderful charity.
Lastly, a reminder that our
annual Jingle On Main
Street Christmas party for
all children will be held this
year along with other Main
Street business on Saturday,
December 5th from noon til
5pm. Please plan to visit
Santa, The Grinch, Rudolph,
Mrs. Santa and so many
more beloved holiday characters at our office on 8 Main
Street!

The East Bangor United

Methodist
Community
Church will begin a fourweek Bible study, "Experiencing Advent Through the
Witness of Luke" from
December 2nd to December
23rd at 10am. Bring your
Bible. The church is located
at 136 W. Central Ave. (Rt.
512), East Bangor, PA. For
more information, call 610588-4453 or visit ebumc.org.
Weona Park Pool Pals will
hold a meeting on December 7th at 7pm, at St. Johns
Lutheran Church, 12 N.
Westbrook Ave., in Pen
Argyl. If you are interested
in having A Community Pool
In Pen Argyl And Want To
Do It Without Raising Taxes,
Come! For More Information Visit Facebook/Weona
ParkPoolProject.
The Slate Belt Heritage
Center has commenced a
new project and is asking
for volunteers to assist them
in reading and summarizing over 4,000 letters written by Slate Belt World
War II soldiers. These
letters were written to Horace
and Mona Strunk, who were
editors and founders of the
Homefront Magazine. This
magazine was distributed
throughout all the different
war areas and kept local boys
in touch with home. Working
hours for this project are
Mondays, 9am to noon, and
Tuesday through Friday, 1pm

to 4pm. If interested, or for

additional information, email
blau.marc@outlook.com or
call 610-588-8615.
Slate Belt Health and
Rehabilitation is looking
for volunteers. If you enjoy
talking, singing, dancing,
exercising, reading, and
more, and would like to share
your gifts with the residents,
stop by 701 Slate Belt Boulevard in Bangor for an application or call 610-588-6161.
Volunteers must be at least 16
years old.
The Ladies Auxiliary of
the Mt. Bethel Volunteer
Fire Company is seeking
new members and volunteers. If you are interested
and would like further information, contact Gail at 570897-6293 or Kris at 610392-7975.
St. Johns Cemetery is
seeking donations to help
with the upkeep of the cemetery, roadways and monuments. They are also exploring the idea of adding a Community Columbarium near
the mosoleum. Donations can
be sent to Carol Hummel c/o
St. Johns Cemetery, 136
Messinger Street, Bangor, PA
18013.
The Slate Belt Heritage
Center Oral History Project is seeking Slate Belt
senior citizens who would
like to be interviewed. If
you know of anyone who has
a story, call Marc Blau at
570-897-5459.
The Ladies Auxiliary of
the Mt. Bethel Volunteer

Fire Company in Mt.

Bethel is seeking new members and volunteers. If you
are interested and would like
further information, contact
Gail at 570-897-6293 or Kris
at 610-392-7975.
Parking space rentals are
availabe in five municipal
lots
throughout
the
Borough of Bangor. Always
have a space to park! Cost is
$40 per month or $100 for
three months. Call the
Borough office at 610-5882216 for more details.

Applications for 2016 dog

park membership are now
available at the Blairstown
Municipal Building, online
at blairstowndogpark.com,
and also at the Blairstown
Rabies Clinic on December
5th. The Blairstown Dog
Park is a non-profit organization which depends on the
membership fees to insure
and maintain the park and
requires members to prove
that their dogs are licensed
and have the appropriate
shots to protect other members and their dogs. You must
have a membership tag to
prove that your membership
is up to date when using the
dog park. Fines may be
charged to offenders. The
membership is a mere $20
per dog per year for residents
and $25 for non-residents.
There is a $5 discount per
dog if your payment is
received before January 31st,
2016. Please read and obey
the rules for everyone's
benefit.
Fresh, refrigerated and
frozen foods are available
to northwestern New Jersey
residents at reduced prices
through the Jolin Food Box
program. The food assistance program offers a
variety of ordering options,
from breakfast-lunch-dinner
combination packs to boxes
of dinner entrees to special
packages just for children.
Each month features a variety
of high-quality menu items
from seafood and poultry to

baked goods and prepared

meals. The price of a single
box ranges from $20 - $40.
There is no limit to the
number
of
boxes
an
individual or family can
purchase, and the menu
changes each month. Interested residents can order
online with a credit card at
www.jolinfoodbox.com or by
calling
Project
SelfSufficiency at 973-940-3500.
Payment is made when the
order is placed. The next
deadline for placing an order
is Tuesday, December 8th;
delivery will be made to
Project Self-Sufficiency on
Saturday, December 19th. To
find out more about the
monthly food deliveries by
the Jolin Food Box Program
at Project Self-Sufficiency, or
any of the other programs and
services available at the
agency, call 973-940-3500,
or visit www.projectself
sufficiency.org.
Re/Max Town & Valley is
holding a holiday collection
for our troops serving overseas. Not every person gets to
be home with their families
for the holidays. Our soldiers
overseas who fight daily to
protect our freedom, are the
people that aren't. Please take
a moment to purchase a small
item to put in the holiday
collection box. A few items
that are needed are: Shampoo, conditioner, chapstick,
deoderant, gum, candy,
magazines, DVD's, contact
solution, ITunes cards, decorations to make their home
away from home "festive" or
anything else you think
would make a soldier happy
while away from home. The
collection box is located at
Re/Max Town & Valley in
Hackettstown. If you would
like to make a cash donation,
we will purchase whatever
the box is lacking once the
collection is complete. For
any questions, or if you want
to make a donation but would
like someone to pick it up
please contact Stephanie
Rucereto
at
srucereto@earthlink.net.
Religious
education
classes at the Unitarian

Universalist Fellowship of
Sussex County have begun.
Children
ages
three
through 12 will participate
in a program called Sing
to the Power, which
includes lessons and activities that help children
explore ways they can use
their different forms of
personal power to effect
positive change in the
world. The classes are held
every Sunday from 10:30am
to noon in the fellowship hall,
located at One West Nelson
Street in Newton. For further
information, call 570-8282732
or
visit
www.
UUNewtonNJ.org.
Free exercise classes will
be held for adults at town
hall
in
Johnsonburg.
Classes are an hour long on
Monday and Wednesday at
10am, and Saturday at 9am;
or Tuesday, Thursday and
Friday at 4:45pm. For more
information, visit www.
frelinghuysennj.us/aerobics.h
tm, call Cathy at 908-8527426, or email cathy@cathy
baobean.com.
Blairstown Recreation is
offering
fall
workout
sessions of Zumba, PiYo,

Pilates and Yoga for adults

and teens. Zumba will be
held Tuesdays and Thursdays
from 6pm to 7pm now
through December 10th at
Blair
Academy
Dance
Studio. PiYo is offered on
Fridays,
now
through
November 20th from 8:30am
to 9:15am at the Evangelical
Free Church of Blairstown.
Pilates will be held Tuesday
and Thursday mornings from
9:15am to 10:15am at the
Evangelical Free Church now
through November 19th, and
Yoga will be held Mondays
and Wednesdays from 6pm to
6:50pm at Catherine Dickson
Hofman Library. For more
information, visit www.
blairstown-nj.org.
Public Notice: In accordance with the Adequate
Notice provision of the
Open Public Meetings Act,
please be advised that the
2015 meeting schedule for
the Warren County Mental
Health Board is as follows:
December 15th at 5pm.
Meetings will be held in
rooms 123A and B at Warren
County Community College,
located at 475 Rt. 57 in
Washington.

Adult Fiction: Coulter,

Catherine: The Lost Key;
Graham, Heather: Suspicious
Adult
Non
Fiction:
Repsher, Donald R.: Partnering With The Creator : A
Deeper Look Into The
Creation Story Of Genesis
Chapter One; Connolly, Sean:
The Book Of Totally Irresponsible Science; Jensen, Ruth:
Well-seasoned Quilt: Enjoy A
Quilt For All Seasons; Ogden,
Tom: The Complete Idiots
Guide To Magic Tricks;
Robertston, Kay: The Women
Of
Duck
Commander:
Surprising Insights From The
Women
Behind
The
Beards; Robertson, Korie:
Faith Commander: Living
The Five Values From The
Parables Of Jesus
Large Print Fiction: Clark,
Mary Higgins: The Melody
Lingers On; Coulter, Catherine: The Lost Key; Meltzer,

Brad:
The
Presidents
Shadow; Michaels, Fern: The
Guest List; Roberts, Nora:
The Liar; Robinson, Lee:
Lawyer For The Dog; Smith,
April: A Star For Mrs. Blake;
Walsh, Dan: The Unfinished
Gift
Large Print Non-fiction:
Meyer, Joyce: Good Health,
Good Life : 12 Keys To
Enjoying Physical And Spiritual Wellness
Reference:
Consumer
Reports Buying Guide, 2016
Easy Fiction: Bunting, Eve:
A Turkey For Thanksgiving;
Confalone, Emma: Three
Circles
Easy Non Fiction: Berry,
Joy: A Book About Lying.
Juvenile Fiction: Drake,
Salamanda:
Riding
The
Storm; Gurski, Samantha: The
Magic Of Bea; Lanier,
Sophia: The Land Of Happiness

St. Lukes Home Health

has been recognized as one
of the nations HomeCare
Elite Top Agencies by a
national research organization that has been conducting
surveys and reporting results
for 10 years.
This is the seventh time St.
Lukes Home Health has
earned
the
distinction,
according to Diane Ankrom,
BSN, RN, Director of St.
Lukes Home Health.
It is only through the
incredibly awesome care that
our staff provides to our
patients that keeps us on the
list year after year, Ankrom
said. This also speaks to the
wonderful team we have here
in the office whose dedication to supporting the care of
our patients makes everything run smoothly.
OCS HomeCare by
National Research Corporation uses publicly available
data from Home Health
Compare and the Centers for
Medicare
&
Medicaid
Services
(CMS)
Cost
Reports to create the
HomeCare Elite List of agencies. Five domains of performance were cumulatively
analyzed quality of care,
quality improvement and
consistency, patient experience (HHCAHPS), process
measure
implementation,

and financial performance.

According to the OCS
HomeCare national listing,
the quality of care, process
measure
implementation,
and
patient
experience
domains measure agency
performance in each of the
publicly reported Home
Health Compare measures.
The quality improvement
index is based on changes in
the nine outcomes released
in July 2014 and July 2015.
The quality consistency
score represents performance
relative to the state norm in
the quality measures over the
past five years. The financial
performance measure is
based on Medicare profit
margin for freestanding
agencies from the 2014 CMS
Cost Reports (or from 2013,
adjusted, when 2014 data
was not available).
Agency performance in
each of the domains was
compared against the performance of other organizations
in their state and nationwide
(including U.S. territories).
The domains were combined
into one overall score, using
a weighting methodology
that gives the greatest importance to quality of care. The
top 25 percent of agencies in
each region, both facilitybased and free-standing,
were identified and added to

the national list. Plus, the top

100 and 500 agencies in the
nation were recognized based
on overall score.
For more than 90 years, the
Visiting Nurse Association of
St. Lukes has provided
services that allow patients to
remain in the community.
When patients are referred by
physicians or discharged from
the hospital or another health
care facility, the VNA staff
provides care in their homes.
The Visiting Nurse Association of St. Lukes provides a
full range of services to
patients, from infants to
seniors, who live in Carbon,
Lehigh,
Northampton,
Monroe, Upper Bucks, Berks
and Montgomery counties.
Services and programs of the
Visiting Nurse Association of
St. Luke's include home health
care, hospice, Nurse-Family
Partnership, Patient Advocate
in the Home (PATH), and
Visiting Nurse Advocate in the
Home (VNAC). For more
information about the VNAs
services,
please
see
www.sluhn.org/vna.

The Blue Mountain Youth

Soccer League ended their
2015 soccer season on
November 7th and 8th at the
Moore Township Athletic
Complex, where hundreds of
passionate
players
and
coaches pursued a championship at the Garcia Cup. The
Wind Gap Girls U14 A team
brought home the hardware
for the Wind Gap Area

Athletic Association.
After completing the regular
season with a record of eight
wins and two losses, the
Wind Gap girls won two
games and tied one game at
the tournament en route to the
semifinals, where they faced
the Slate Belt Girls U14 A
team. The game remained
scoreless until the final five
minutes when the Thunder

put the ball in the back of the

net to send them to the Championship. They met a Bethlehem Township team who
handed them their first loss of
the season and continued to
finish undefeated. Wind Gap
was down 1-0 at halftime
after BTAA netted a penalty
kick just before the break.
Showing great resilience, the
Thunder scored two goals
with ten minutes left in the
game. BTAA tied the game at
2-2, but Wind Gap fought
back and scored another goal
in the last five minutes to win
the 2015 Garcia Cup by a
score of 3-2. Congratulations
on a fantastic season and an
even better tournament!

visit ebumc.org.
Northampton
County
Detachment 298 - Marine
Corps League Meeting:
December 2nd, 1900 hours.
1621 Lehigh St., Easton. All
active duty and honorably
discharged
Marines
welcome.
FMI,
email
jimmineousmc@rcn.com.
Slate Belt Baptist Church
Christmas Coffee House:
December 4th, 7pm. 1620
Church Rd. (across from
Wind Gap Middle School.)
FMI, call 610-390-9124. Free
music and snacks.
The Friends of the Bangor
Public Library Breakfast
with Santa: December 5th,
9am-noon. Tickets for sale at
the library, $5 for adults, $3
for children. Tickets will also
be available at the door. All
proceeds benefit the library.
FMI, call Karen Brewer at
610-588-8615.
East Bangor United Methodist Community Church
Free Italian Christmas
Dinner: December 6th,
4pm-6pm. 136 W. Central
Ave., Rt.512, East Bangor.
FMI, call 610-588-4453 or

Lucy Flinn State Farm

Insurance's 7th Annual
Christmas Party: December 5th, 2pm-4pm. The Gap
Theatre. Santa will be there
at 2:30. FMI, call 610-8635190.
Breakfast with Mr. & Mrs.
Santa: December 5th,
9am-noon. Bangor Public
Library. $5 adults, $3
children. Proceeds benefit
the library.
Breakfast
with
Santa
December 5th, 9am-11am.
Scorecard Sports Bar &
Grill. FMI or to reserve a
table, call 610-863-5269.
Christmas
Concert:
December 5th, 7pm. First
United Evangelical Congregational Church, 25 S. 2nd
St., Bangor. Free admission.
Featuring: WITNESS.
East Bangor Vol. Fire Co.
Bazaar: December 5th,
10am-1pm.
Accepting
donations. FMI, call 610588-5996.
New Approach Christmas
Concert: December 6th,
2pm.
Trinity
Lutheran
Church, 404 Broadway,
Bangor.
Pocono
Garden
Club
Annual Christmas Luncheon: December 8th,
12pm. Route 314, Pocono

Manor. Holiday Design:

Cheers, a mini design
incorporating red fresh or silk
materials nestled in a
stemmed clear glass, such as
a brandy sniffer, wine or
martini glass. No accessory.
FMI or reservations, call
Sandy at 570-619-8088.
Bangor
High
School's
Chorus Holiday Concert:
December 9th, 7:30pm. M.
Craig Paine Performing Arts
Theater.
Pocono Family YMCA
Annual Holiday Luncheon:
December 11th, 12pm-2pm.
FMI, email dlang@pocono
ymca.orm or call Deborah
Lang at 570-421-2525 ext.
139.
Cub Scout Pack 34
Spaghetti Dinner: December 11th, 4pm-7pm. Grace
Methodist Church, 404 E.
Mountain Ave., Pen Argyl.
Holiday Variety Shoppe:
December 12th, 9am-noon.
Good Shepherd Lutheran
Church, 1335 Old Carriage
Rd., Northampton (the corner
of Howertown and Old
Carriage Roads in Allen
Twp.), Northampton. New
and gently used Christmas
and gift items. Fresh table
centerpieces and wreaths.
Homemade candy.
FMI,
contact Carole at 610-2627493.
Holy Name Society of Our

Lady of Victory Church

Breakfast
With Santa:
December 13th, 8:30am1pm. Cherry Lane Rd.,
Tannersville, and is one mile
from Route 611. Take out
available. FMI, call 570629-4572.
Community
Christmas
Cantata: December 13th,
3pm. Sanctuary at Grace
United Methodist Church,
404 E. Mountain Ave., Pen
Argyl. FMI, call 610-8636472 or 610-863-4811.
Dine & Donate Fundraiser:
December 16th. Country
Roads Pizza, 1491 Lake
Minsi Dr.,Bangor. A percentage of the proceeds will be
donated to benefit American
Cancer Society thru the
Relay for Life. Relay is May
20th & 21st 2016 at Bangor
Park, 4pm-4pm. FMI, call
Karen at 610-588-2429.
Columbia Fire Co. No. 1
Breakfast w/ Santa: December
19th,
9am-11am.
Firehouse. FMI, call 610588-0597 or email kidsparty
@columbiafireco.org.

Forks of the Delaware,

Chapter #14, Society of
Pennsylvania Archaeology
Meeting: December 3rd,
7pm. Palmer Memorial
Library, 1 Weller Place (off
Newburgh Rd.) Easton. FMI,
contact Leonard Ziegler at
908-750-4110.
Friends of Mt. Olive Public
Library Holiday Fundraiser Bag O' Book Sale:
December 5th, 10am-4pm.
202
Flanders-Drakestown
Rd., Flanders, in rear of Main
Library.
FMI,
visit
www.mopl.org or call 973
691-8686.

Pets must be leashed or

crated. Licenses purchased
by check only.

Columbia. FMI, call Jim at

973-927-9555 or 973-2296049.

Jingle on Main: December

5th from 12pm-5pm. Main
St., Blairstown. Shop local
event Saturday December 5th
from 12pm to 5pm. Santa
Claus will make an appearance from 3:30pm to
4:30pm.
A tree lighting
ceremony will take place at
4pm in lot next to Gourmet
Gallery.

8th Annual Holiday Craft

Show & Breakfast w/
Santa: December 12th,
8am-11:30am.
North
Warren
Regional
High
School hosted by the
National Art Honor Society
and Future Business Leaders
of America. Breakfast w/
Santa will be from 8am11:30am. Craft Show from
9am-4pm.
FMI,
email
NWRnationalartshonorsociet
y@gmail.com or call 908362-8211, ext. 1303.

Christ Church Newton

Hosts Annual Toy Sale:
December 5th, 9am-noon.
Christ Church, 62 Main St.,
Newton. Proceeds benefit the
poor in the Central American
country of Panama. FMI, call
the church office at 973383-2245
or
visit
christchurchnewton.org.
38th Hope Christmas Craft
Market: December 5th,
10am-5pm & 6th, 10am4pm. Hope Twp. Village.
Proceeds fund recreation
programs for Hope Children.
FMI,
visit
www.hope
township.com.
Warren County Community Singers Winterfest of
Song: December 5th & 6th,
7:30pm. Grace Lutheran
Church, 300 Roseberry St.,
Phillipsburg,
Sunday
concert, 3pm. First Presbyterian Church of Washington,
40 East Church St. FMI,
email jprim7@netscape.net.
Walpack
Historical
Society's Walpack Christmas: December 5th, 6th &
12th, 1pm-5pm. FMI, call
973-948-4903.
Annual German Christmas
Celebration
&
Open
House: December 6th,
2pm-5pm. Vass Farmstead,
97 Stillwater Rd., Hardwick.

Santa's Secret Workshop:

December 5th, 9am-1pm.
Blairstown
Elementary
School, 1 Sunset Hill Rd.,
Blairstown. FMI, email the
Blairstown
PTG,
ptgbl
airstown@gmail.com.

Breakfast with Santa:

December 6th, 9am-noon.
Old Greenwich Presbyterian
Church,
17
Greenwich
Church Rd., Stewartsville.
Sponsor: Venturing Crew
63, BSA. $6 Adults, $5 ages
6-12, 5 & under free. FMI,
call 908-268-4086.

Free Rabies Clinic: December 5th, 9am-noon. Blairstown Twp. DPW Garage, 25
Lambert Rd., Blairstown.

Messiah Sing-In: December 6th, 3pm-5pm. Knowlton Presbyterian Church, 3

Knowlton Road, Rt. 616,

Eleventh Hour Rescue

Winter
Wonderland:
December 12th, 10am-4pm.
Sussex Co. Fairgrounds, 37
Plains Rd., Augusta. Well
behaved dogs on leash are
welcomed. No flexi-leads
please. FMI, and a list of
adoptable
dogs,
visit
www.ehrdogs.org or call
973-664-0865.
Knights
of
Columbus
Council #12430 Blood
Drive: December 12th,
8am-noon. St. Jude RC
Church, McNulty Hall, 7
Eisenhower Rd., Blairstown.
The blood drive will be held
in memory of Deacon
Michael Sullivan.
For
appointment, call Robert Ho
at 908-382-1525, or email
rhmt1998@gmail.com.
Christmas in the Country:
December 13th, 1pm-3pm.
Ramsaysburg
Historic
Homestead, Delaware. Tree
lighting; holiday carols,
crafts and refreshments;
cured homemade bacon for
gifting; and a visit from
Santa! FREE event! FMI,
call 973-997-0920.
Water Gap Singers Holiday
Concert: December 13th,
4pm. Lutheran Church of
the Good Shepherd, 168 Rt.
94 South, Blairstown. No
admission fee. Free-will
offering.
Reception
to
follow. FMI, call 973-9279555 or 973-229-6049.
Holiday
Mini-Bazaar:
December 14th, 10am-7pm.
Hackettstown Library. Sponsored by the Friends of the
Library. FMI, call 908-8870529, 908-852-4936 or visit
hackettstownlibrary.org.

On Sunday, November
22nd, members of the St.
Davids Welsh Society of the
Slate-Belt
gathered
at
Founders Park in Bangor,
PA, in honor of Welsh Heritage Day in the borough. The
Ceremony of the Daffodil
has become an annual tradition for the group since the
naming of the Sunday before
the birthday of town founder
R. M. Jones was designated
by the borough council as
Welsh Heritage Day in
Bangor.
This year, the ceremony
included a tribute to the late
Albert Foulkes, a resident of
the Bangor, who was the
driving force behind the
towns Welsh Day celebrations, which brought thousands of people to the region
annually for over 30 years.
Foulkes, whose family originated in the slate region of
North Wales, was well known
in
Welsh
communities
throughout the Mid-Atlantic
region of the United States.
The group will be placing a
plaque in his memory in the
Welsh Room at the Slate-Belt
Heritage Center.
Following the ceremony,

members of the group joined

together for lunch at Country
Roads. The next activity of
the Welsh Society will be
held on December 13th, at
1:30pm, at the Prince of
Peace Church in Johnsonville. At that time, the group
will hold a pasty lunch as part
of its annual holiday Nosen
Llawen, which translates
from the Welsh language as

merry night in which those

participating offer music,
poetry, and humor along with
the food. For further information, call 610-863-9314.

On Friday, December 4th at

6:30pm, Pen Argyl Borough
will host a very special
evening at the Weona Park
Community Center in Pen
Argyl, PA. Mayor Sabatine,
Borough Council and the
Pen Argyl Outreach Committee invites the families of
Pen Argyl to attend Pen
Argyls Holiday Celebration
at the Community Center
located in Weona Park. Join

friends, family and neighbors for a joyous holiday

celebration.
As always, to get the Slate
Belt in the holiday spirit,
Holiday carols will be sung!
And of course, Santa Claus
will be making a special trip
to Pen Argyl to visit the good
children of the Borough.
Santa will be giving small
gifts to all the young children
in attendance.

There will be free drinks

and snacks. The goodies,
drinks and gifts are being
donated by local businesses,
the Mayor and Pen Argyl
Borough Council.
In case of inclement
weather the event will be
held Sunday, December 6th
at 1pm. For more information contact the Pen Argyl
Borough Manager, at 610863-1822.

The Slate Belt Heritage

Center will hold their
monthly historic presentation on Sunday, December
13th at 2pm speaker for the
afternoon will be local historian Mike Piersa who has
spearheaded many projects
that help preserve the history
and artifacts for the Slate
Industry in Northampton
County.
Between the 1870's and
1930's, over 7,000 hoists
were built in Bangor by the
S. Flory Manufacturing Co.
In 2016 one the them will
return to Bangor for public
display. Project coordinator
Mike Piersa will show how
this 115 year old machine
links the history of slate
quarrying, heavy industry
and modern community
building in the Slate Belt.

Guests will hear a progress

report detailing the behindthe-scenes work already
accomplished as well as
plans for upcoming ground
work that will produce a
traditional slate roofed
pavilion to exhibit the hoist.
The Quarry Hoist display is
a project of the Slate Belt
Community Partnership and
Totts Gap Arts Institute for
the Borough of Bangor. It is
a volunteer driven project
being
build
without
taxpayer funding.
Mike Piersa is an industrial
historian whose vast knowledge base and hands-on
philosophy has enabled him
and his volunteer crews to
preserve over 250 tons of
historic machinery from
mining, transportation and
manufacturing
facilities

across the northeast. Mike

looks forward to every day
which could find him
researching papers discovered in dusty attics, interviewing retired engineers,
restoring
century
old
machines or being immersed
in a cloud of steam from one
of the many stationary
engines with which he
works.
Mike is a historian for the
National Museum of Industrial History organization
and Bethlehem and a graduate of Moravian College and
Lehigh University.
The event is free and open
to the public. The Heritage
Center is located at 30 North
1st Street, Bangor, Pa. For
additional
information
contact: Karen Brewer at
610-588-8615.

Senator Mario Scavello

(R-40) voted Monday for
legislation
that
would
permanently eliminate all
school property taxes in
Pennsylvania and establish a
fairer way to fund public
schools.
The vote to amend House
Bill 683 to include provisions from Senate Bill 76,
known as the Property Tax
Independence Act, failed by
a vote of 25 to 24, with the
Lieutenant Governor breaking a 24-24 tie.
School
property
tax
reform has remained my
highest priority since I was
first elected State Representative. This fight is of
particular importance for
Monroe and Northampton
counties and the entire
Commonwealth as it
provides much-needed relief
to seniors on fixed incomes,
families struggling to make
ends meet while putting their
children through school, and
first-time homebuyers pursuing the American Dream of
homeownership, said Scavello. It is extremely frustrating to come so close to a
historic victory and come up
short.
The measure would have
eliminated all school property taxes across the state. To
replace the revenue the property tax currently provides to
public schools, the legislation would broaden the base
of the state sales tax to
include more services and
products and increase the
rate from 6 percent to 7
percent. The remainder of
the funding necessary for

public schools would be

generated by an increase in
the state personal income tax
from 3.07 percent to 4.95
percent.
Existing revenue dedicated
to property tax relief from
casinos would be used to
eliminate school property
taxes. The Property Tax/Rent
Rebate program would
continue to provide assistance for county and municipal property tax relief for
those who qualify. The new
revenue sources would
replace dollar-for-dollar the
revenues lost by the school
property tax elimination.
Under the proposed legislation, any school district seeking to spend above the allotment from the state would
have to ask the voters for
their support in a referendum. School districts may
locally increase the personal
income tax or earned income
tax only if approved by the
voters in that district, Scavello said.
The legislation was
authored through the combined efforts of more than 80
grassroots groups who are
committed to eliminating the
school property tax.
I knocked on 10,000
doors this past year. And as I
approached those doors, 95
percent of the people mentioned Senate Bill 76, Scavello said. This fight is not
over. As has been said
before, no tax should have
the power to leave you
homeless.
You can follow Senator
Scavello on Twitter and
Facebook.

By Melissa Sarcona
Carson Monks

and

Venturing Crew 276 of

Byram, New Jersey recently
attended the 2015 Sussex
District Fall Cub Scout
Camporee, hosted by Mount
Allamuchy Scout Reservation. The Crew members
volunteered their time to help
run some of the activity
stations for the young Cub
Scouts. Some of the stations
our crew members ran
included COPE and rock
climbing, fishing, science
and sublimation, BB gun
shooting, archery, nature
hikes, and a zip line. Other
activities offered throughout
the camp were mountain
biking and totem pole carving.
When the crew arrived
Friday evening, it was
muggy and rainy out, but that
doesnt stop a Boy Scout!
Fellow campers treated them
to a late night snack of hot
dogs and French fries before
Crew 276 returned to their
cabin for a few rounds of
Apples to Apples (a crew
favorite). The next morning,
the entire camp met at
Vollers Field for morning
flags. Conducted by members of the crew, the American Flag was saluted and
raised. Vice President of
Fundraising,
Christopher
Rozek, played the trumpet
calls, as he did all weekend.

Throughout
the
day,
programs, as afore mentioned,
were run. The Cup Scouts
took a particular liking to the
BB gun range. At dinner time,
the camp was served a fantastic spaghetti and meatball
dinner, courtesy of the Mount
Allamuchy staff. After dinner
the camp gathered at Council
Point for the evening campfire. Packs and troops had the
opportunity to perform skits
and sing songs for the entire
camp to get involved in. It is
most definitely a time of
laughter and silliness.
The campfire held a more
serious note as the night
progressed. For the second
time, Crew 276 performed a

flag retirement ceremony. At

their previous meeting the
flags were saluted and then
cut up into stripes and stars.
Each person present at the
campfire was given a piece of
the worn out flags to place on
the fire and be burned until
unrecognizable.
Crew
member Thomas Seltzer read
the order of the states as they
joined the Union while people
filed down the aisles and
placed their piece of flag in
the burning fire. The next day
the grommets were dug out of
the ashes.
As usual, the Cup Scout
Camporee was a fun and
exciting experience for both
the Cub Scouts and the Scouts

that helped run the stations. I,

personally, cannot wait to
attend the Spring Camporee
again in 2016. I would also
like to thank the Mount Allamuchy staff for the use of
their beautiful facilities and to
Carlos for organizing the
event.
Venturing is a youth development program of the Boy
Scouts of America for young
men and women who are 14
through 20 years of age.
Venturing Crew 276 meets
monthly in Byram Township
at the Lakeland Emergency
Squad building. More information on the crew can be
found
at
venturecrew
276.com.

Engaged to be married
Just married Married without children - Married with
children Blended Marriage
- Married with an empty nest
. this course is for YOU!
Bangor Church of the Nazarene invites you to join the
upcoming Sunday course
focused on finding purpose
within your marriage. Each
session will offer opportunities to dig into Gods Word to
discover His design for
marriage, tips for living
day-to-day as a married
couple and insight on how to
build a legacy through your
marriage. Topics such as:
Keeping
Love
Alive,
Healthy Homes, Growing
Together Spiritually, Communication Tips, Money
Matters and Marriage Savers

are just some of the highlights of this interactive

course.
Your instructors; Brian K.
Hontz Sr. and his wife of 36
plus years, Kathy; bring a
myriad of experience and
professional resources to the
Sunday School classroom.
Brian is a professional counselor, licensed in both PA and
NJ, with a Masters degree
concentration in Marriage
and Family life along with
Substance Abuse. Kathy is a
certified middle school
teacher and nationally recognized writing Fellow. Both
presenters have extensive
teaching and experiences in
various venues from small
classrooms to large conferences. Called by the Lord to
partner with a passion for

invigorating
marriage
partnerships; this couple
offers active engagement in
the classroom filled with
practical tips drawn from
Gods Word.
The Bangor Church of the
Nazarene is located at 150
Bunny Trail in Bangor, Pa;
Sunday School begins at
9:30. The course is set to
launch on Sunday 6 December. All are welcome to
attend, even if only one of
the marriage partners is able
to join us please come. For
more information, please call
610-588-6929.

St. Lukes Dinner by

Starlight has raised more than
$1 million to support
programs and services at St.
Lukes Allentown Campus.
This years Dinner by
Starlight, held late last week,
honored long-time supporter
and friend, David Lobach,
Chairman, President & CEO
of Embassy Bank. Although
Lobach is best known for his
role as head of Embassy Bank,
he has graciously lent his
business acumen to St. Lukes
for many years, first serving
on the Board of Governors at
St. Lukes Allentown Campus,
then on the Network Board of
Trustees for more than nine
years and serving as Chairman
from 2008-2012. He currently
sits on the Network Board as a
Trustee, according to Frank
Ford, President of St. Lukes
Allentown Campus.
I am delighted and proud
that this years event was held
in honor of Dave Lobach,
said Ford. Dave has served
this hospital for many years
through the transition from
Allentown Ostepathic to the
current hospital. We value and
appreciate his dedication,
vision, strong work ethic and
commitment to St. Lukes and
this community.
Three additional Shining
Stars were recognized for their
efforts to make our commu-

The Blue Mountain Community Library will once

again be the recipient of a
fundraiser sponsored by
Wendys Restaurant, located
on Rt. 512, in Wind Gap, PA.
On Wednesday, December
2nd, from 5pm to 8pm,
Wendys will generously
donate a portion of all food
sales, both dine-in and
drive-through, to the library.
Please consider participating
in Library Night at
Wendys to support the
library.
The Library Christmas Tree
Fundraiser has also begun.
For a $5 donation you may
place an ornament on the
tree to honor or memorialize
a loved one or pet. The fundraiser will continue through

nity a better place to live.

They include Easton resident
Antoinette Cicale; Kathleen
Mills of Bethlehem; and
Germansville residents Bill
and Christine Hankee.
The monies raised from this
years event will support the
St. Lukes Adopt-A-School
initiative
for
Allentown
School District. This program
demonstrates
St.
Luke's

the end of December. This is

a great way to decorate the
tree and support your
library.
The library depends on
fundraisers for the purchasing of new books, as well as
the everyday expenses to
keep the library open. Membership to the library is free
for all residents of the Pen
Argyl Area School District
and non-residents may join
for a small yearly fee.
The library is located at
216 S. Robinson Ave. in Pen
Argyl. Hours are Monday
through Saturday, 10am to
noon, and Monday through
Thursday, 6pm to 8pm. Call
Lisa at 610-863-3029 for
more information or visit
www.bmcl.org.

commitment to provide easy

access to medical, dental and
vision services to disadvantaged youth in our community.
The program also
supports student literacy
initiatives and provides
educational opportunities to
learn about healthy living,
including eating fresh foods
and the importance of
exercise.

More and more people are

becoming familiar with the
word "WRAP." Some even
know that it has something
to do with emotional wellbeing. On Friday, December 11, from 6:30-8:30 p.m.,
NAMI Sussex will host a
free workshop, open to the
public, to answer the question, "What is WRAP?"
Research
has
proven

(NAPSI)Holiday retail
sales are expected to
increase anywhere between
3 and 4 percent during the
2015 shopping season,
according to estimates by
various experts in the industry. That's down slightly
from 2014 but higher than
the
National
Retail
Federation's 10-year average
of 2.5 percent.
But before you pull out the
plastic credit cards this year,
you should take stock of
your financial situation.
That means getting a copy of
your credit report to gauge
your credit payment obligations before the holidays.
Consumers can get an
annual free copy of their
credit report from each of
the three nationwide credit
bureaus: Equifax, Experian
and TransUnion. Go to
annualcreditreport.com.
"Better to review what you
owe currently before taking
on additional debt that might
be a strain on your budget,"
said Stuart K. Pratt, president and CEO of the
Consumer Data Industry
Association.
"Many
consumers get caught up in
the holiday spirit and focus
on the many gifts and
presents they want to
purchase for family and
friends. Then the bills start
arriving in January and
along with them realization

WRAP to be an important,
evidence-based
recovery
model that has been improving lives for almost twenty
years. WRAP is a registered trademark that stands
for the Wellness Recovery
Action Plan, a selfdesigned prevention and
wellness
process
that
anyone can use to get well,
stay well, and make their

that the payments are due.

Budgeting for expenses
based on an overview of
current credit obligations is
a much more responsible
way to go about it."
Another benefit of reviewing your credit report now is
to check to make sure everything is in order before you
hit the shopping mall. If you
see something in your report
that is wrong, then you will
have plenty of time to clear
it up. Notify the credit
bureau if there is an issue.
They will send all the information provided to them to
the appropriate lender and
then let you know what the
resolution is.
Pratt noted that encourag-

ing consumers to get a copy

of their free credit report is
part of a much larger
consumer initiative called the
National Consumer Assistance Plan that the nationwide
credit bureaus have implemented. "With only about a
third of consumers getting
their free annual credit report,
our goal is to engage with
consumers and increase that
percentage. Getting your
credit report is key to better
understanding your personal
finances," said Pratt. Studies
show that managing credit
and debt obligations is a key
factor in long-term financial
security, he noted. The
campaign will roll out over
the next several years.

life the way they want it to

be. It was developed in
1997 by Mary Ellen Copeland, PhD, and a group of
people who were searching
for ways to overcome their
own mental health issues
and move on to fulfilling
their life dreams and goals.
It is now used extensively
by people in all kinds of
circumstances
and
by

health care and mental

health systems all over the
world to address physical,
mental health, and life
issues.
The WRAP workshop
will be held at Bridgeway,
93 Stickles Pond Road in
Newton. There is no charge
for this program and no need
to register in advance.
Coffee and light refreshments will be served. For
information or directions,
call 973-214-0632.

A consortium of local
businesses, educators and
non-profit
organizations
gathered to kick off the
annual Season of Hope Toy
Drive with a challenge to
individuals, schools and
businesses serving Sussex
and
Northern
Warren
County: Collect enough toys
by mid-December to enable
thousands of children to have
a memorable and happy
holiday.
Sussex County
Board of Chosen Freeholders
Member George Graham
addressed the group clad as
Santa Claus to punctuate the
importance of the effort.
Holiday
carols
were
provided by musicians Katie
Van Varick and Ann Socha.
The toy drive is a joint
effort coordinated by Project
Self-Sufficiency, along with
its partners Charm, The
Chatterbox Drive In, iHeartMedia,
Inc.,
Intercar
Mercedes Benz, Pass it
Along, Selective Insurance
Company
of
America,
Service Electric Broadband
Cable, the Sussex County
Chamber of Commerce,
Sussex Honda, The New
Jersey Herald, The Printing
Center, and the United States
Marine Corps Toys for Tots
to benefit local families in
need. The group aims to
gather thousands of new and
unwrapped items to distribute to families in need during
mid-December.
Project Self-Sufficiency
Board of Directors member
Sue Murphy and her
husband, Greg Murphy, CEO
of Selective Insurance Com-

Knowlton
Presbyterian
Church will hold its eighth
annual Messiah Sing-In on
Sunday, December 6th from
3pm to 5pm, at Knowlton
Presbyterian Church, 3
Knowlton Road, in Columbia, NJ. A light supper will
be provided for all who
attend after the Sing-In.
There is no admission for this
event. A free-will offering
will be taken to help with
expenses.
Handels Messiah has been
a standard by which much
Christmas Music has been
measured. It is perhaps the

pany of America, will be

serving as co-chairpersons of
this years Season of Hope
Toy Drive. Greg Murphy
comments,
Project
Self-Sufficiencys Season of
Hope toy shop can help make
a childs Christmas a merry
one. Local residents who
donate a new, unwrapped toy
have the comfort of knowing
that they contributed to the
joy of children in our own
community on what should
always be a very special day.
That, to me, is the spirit of
Christmas we all want to
share.
The annual Season of Hope
Toy Drive has served thou-

most famous and frequently

sung Oratorio of the season.
Consequently, many people
love to sing it or hear it whenever possible, even in a nonformal or non-concert setting.
Knowltons Sing-In invites all
who are interested in singing
or listening to attend. If you
are a singer and have a score,
please bring it. If you do not
have a score, there will be
some extras provided for your
use. Again, this is not a performance, concert or rehearsal.
It is a sing-a-long. The entire
work will not be sung, but
most choruses and many solos

sands of children in Sussex

County for many years. The
initiative solicits donations
from individuals, businesses,
civic organizations, schools,
youth groups, athletic teams
and other groups throughout
November and early December.
Area elementary
schools, middle schools and
high schools will once again
be invited to participate in a
competitive Stuff the Stocking campaign. Last years
winning
school,
Green
Township, narrowly edged
out Newton High School to
win the celebratory trophy.
The
Sussex
County
Schools are glad to partici-

pate again in the Stuff the

Stocking competition, said
Dr. Ken Greene, Newton
Superintendent and President
of the County Superintendents Association. Last year
this project was so successful
in bringing joy to many families. We want our students to
be able to experience that
again. Organizers hope to
encourage each local school
to collect hundreds or even
thousands of gift items over
the course of the next few
weeks.
We are searching for
individuals, youth groups,
social service agencies,
scouting
troop,
moms

groups, churches and other

organizations which will step
in and coordinate toy drives
on behalf of the low-income
families in our area, noted
Deborah Berry-Toon, Executive Director of Project SelfSufficiency. The Season of
Hope Toy Drive directly
benefits Sussex and Northern
Warren County families in
need. The items collected
here stay right here. It truly
is a way for neighbors to help
each other during a difficult
time of the year.
Girl Scout Ruby Esposito, a
member of Troop #225 and a
longtime volunteer at the
Season of Hope Toy Shop,
has created Project Toys 4
Teens in pursuit of her Gold
Award. The new initiative
aims to collect 2,000 items
targeted specifically for
teenagers in need. Every
year there is a great amount
of toys collected for toddlers
and children. However, there
is a lack of teen toys and I
feel that I could make a
difference, noted Esposito.
Sussex County Freeholder
George Graham summed up
the significance of the season
and the toy drive, saying, I
am honored to support the
Season of Hope toy drive on
behalf of the Sussex County
Board of Chosen Freeholders. Every child deserves
that magical moment when
they can open up something
that is just for them and that
is what this toy drive is all
about.
A wish list has been
assembled for those who
want to contribute, but may

will be. The average attendance has been seventy-five

singers in past years. The
church would love to make it
to one hundred singers this
year.
Come join them for this
joyous event. For more information call Jim at 973-9279555 or 973-229-6049. For
directions
visit
www.
knowltonpca.org or www.
poconorecord.com
under
events calendar for December. If you would like to
bring a finger food to share at
the light supper, please feel
free to do so.

(NAPSI)This
elegant
Swedish Ten-Minute Trifle
makes a great dessert, especially for berry lovers.
Sweden, home of the smorgasbord, a tempting spread
of sweet and savory dishes,
is a rich source of healthy,
delicious, special occasion
recipes for home entertaining.
One of their secrets:
Swedens forests are full of
tart-sweet
lingonberries,
picked and served with
everything from waffles and
pastry to Swedish meatballs.
The
lingonberry
was
featured on The Dr. Oz
Show as a superberry,

loaded with antioxidants

and bursting with juicy
flavor.
The next time the partys at
your place, take a tip from
Swedish home cooks: You
can serve lingonberry jam
with ham or turkey instead
of cranberry sauce, or use it
as a topping on pancakes or
waffles for a festive brunch.
For a quick and delectable
dessert your guests will
love, try this Ten-Minute
Trifle from the makers of
Felix Lingonberry jamits
a fresh take on an all-time
classic.
Ten-Minute Trifle
8-10 ginger biscuits

be unsure of what to donate.

Items needed for teens
include electronics, such as
calculators, watches, portable
music devices, computer
games and software, popular
CDs; make-up, perfume,
scented lotions, hair dryers,
hair straighteners, curling
irons; jewelry and accessories; sports equipment and
team gear, such as t-shirts,
sweatshirts, and hats; popular
books; clothing and pajamas;
and backpacks.
Items sought for younger
children include books; legos,
blocks and building toys;
action figures; DVDs and
CDs; electronic learning
games; infant toys; multicultural dolls and toys; Play Doh;
trading and collectible cards;
matchbox cars; trendy toys.
In addition, donation of gift
cards, wrapping paper, gift
bags, gift boxes and stocking
stuffers are always appreciated.
Gift items can be dropped off
at Project Self-Sufficiency,
which is located at 127 Mill
Street in Newton, Monday
through Thursday, from 9am
to 8pm., Friday, 9am to 4pm;
additional drop-off sites will
be added in the coming
weeks.
Donations are requested by
Wednesday, December 16th
in order to allow ample time
for the items to be distributed
to needy families.
For information about the
Season of Hope Holiday Toy
Drive, call Project SelfSufficiency at 973-940-3500
or
visit
www.
projectselfsufficiency.org.

(or biscuits of your own

choice), crushed
cup Felix Lingonberries
1 cup whipping cream,
whipped
1 teaspoon vanilla sugar
Crumble some ginger
biscuits, putting half in the
bottom of a glass. Whip
cream together with vanilla
sugar. On top of the biscuit
crumbs, add a layer of
lingonberries, then a layer
of whipped cream. Repeat,
finishing with a layer of
cream. You can also mix the
cream with the berries.
For more tempting recipes,
go
to
www.felixjams
.com/Swedish-recipes

Classes in Microsoft Word,

Microsoft Excel, and computer courses designed
specifically for men, as well
as seminars designed for
goal exploration, skills
assessment and interpersonal
growth will be offered at
Project
Self-Sufficiency
during December.
All
courses will take place in the
agencys Career Center,
which is located at 127 Mill
Street in Newton. The fee
for each computer course is
$10; the class for seniors is
$25. Students must be registered Family Success Center
or Project Self-Sufficiency
participants.
An advanced course in
Microsoft Word will be
offered on Tuesdays and
Thursdays, now through
10th, from 10am to noon. A
combination
Microsoft

Word I and II class will be

offered on Tuesdays, and
Thursdays, now through
10th, from 6pm to 8pm.
Students will learn wordprocessing
techniques,
including the creation of
professional-looking letters,
faxes, newsletters and other
documents, as well as the
use of mail merge features
used to print mailing labels
and address letters to
multiple recipients.
Introductory
Microsoft
Excel classes will be held on
Tuesdays and Thursdays,
now through 10th, from
noon to 2pm. A combination Microsoft Excel I and II
course will be offered on
Mondays and Wednesdays,
now through December 9th,
from 6pm to 8pm. Instruction will encompass the
creation of spreadsheets,

databases and workbooks for

use in tracking inventory,
sorting data and creating mailing lists. Students will learn
how to add, subtract, multiply
and divide rows and columns
using formulas and become
adept at storing, managing
and interpreting data.
A special Mens Employment Lab will be offered on
Wednesdays, December 2nd
and 9th, from 9am to noon or
from 6pm to 8pm. Participants will receive assessment
testing, discuss short and
long-term employment goals,
obtain basic computer instruction, and assistance with
resume development and job
search techniques.
The Career Center at Project
Self-Sufficiency is now offering participants new courses
designed
to
maximize
personal and professional

skills, while combining career

assessments, training and
access to employment opportunities. The new Career,
Education and Employment
Foundations course bundles
goal-setting exercises with
introductory computer training and career seminars.
Upon completion, students
are poised to move on to more
advanced computer training
or enter the workforce. Separate sessions are available.
Daytime courses will meet on
Mondays and Wednesdays,
now through December 9th,
from 10am to 1pm. For those
who prefer an evening schedule, the group will gather on
Wednesday evenings, December 2nd through 23rd, from
6pm to 8pm.
The agencys new Foundations for Personal Success
series offers participants the
opportunity to focus on interpersonal skills, such as anger
management, effective communication, the establishment
of healthy relationships, nutrition, social media and other
topics. Daytime courses will
meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays, now through 10th, from
10am to 1pm. A separate
evening session will meet on
Tuesdays, now through 22nd,
from 6pm to 8pm.
The agency also offers a
series of seminars on Fridays,
from 11am to noon, covering
topics such as Resumes and
Cover Letters, Interviewing
Skills, Job Search, Financial
Management,
and
Careering 101.
Project
Self-Sufficiencys
Career
Center also offers help with
obtaining a GED; job training
for women, teens and young
adults; career counseling and
assessment; Job Start and Job
Search services. Interested
participants are encouraged to
contact the agency for a
schedule.
The fee for each computer
course is $10; the class for
seniors is $25. All computer
classes at the agency are open
to registered Family Success
Center and Project SelfSufficiency participants. To
inquire about eligibility, or to
find out more about the computer courses, seminars or
career fairs offered at Project
Self-Sufficiency, call 973940-3500, or visit www.
projectselfsufficiency.org.

The Water Gap Singers,

under the direction of Joseph
Mello, will perform their
Holiday Concert on Sunday,
December 13th , 4pm, in the
Lutheran Church of the Good
Shepherd, located at 168
Route 94 South (next to
ACME shopping plaza),
Blairstown, NJ. The Water
Gap Singers are partially
funded by the Warren County
Cultural and Heritage Commission. The concert will
include performances of
Mozarts Regina Coeli and
Haydns Te Deum accompanied by orchestra and
contemporary
composer
Daniel Pinkhams Christmas
Cantata for chorus, double
brass choir and organ. There
will also be several shorter
works
including
John
Rutters
What
Sweeter
Music, Robert Shaw and
Alice Parkers arrangement
of O Tannenbaum for male
chorus and Ding Dong
Merrily on High, arranged by
David Willcocks. The audience will be invited to join
the Water Gap Singers in
singing several traditional
carols.
Mozart admired Handel
greatly and this setting of
Regina Coeli reflects his
admiration by including
several places in the work
reminiscent of Handels
Messiah, particularly the

Hallelujah
Chorus.
Haydns Te Deum begins
with a lively and declamatory allegro section and
concludes with a wonderfully jubilant fugue. A brief
middle section is in sharp
contrast to the beginning and
end sections, being slow in
tempo
and
mysterious,
almost chant-like at times
melodically and harmonically. Daniel Pinkhams
Christmas Cantata opens
with full chorus, followed by
a rhythmically complex
allegro sung by sopranos and
altos. In the third section the
tenors add to the complexity
and the final section once
again is for full chorus. This
is an unusual and powerful
piece ringing with the traditional Christmas sound of
brass!
There is no admission for
the concert, but a free will
offering will be taken to
offset
the
considerable
expense of this concert. A
reception
with
holiday
refreshments will follow for
all who participate and/or
attend the concert. For more
information call 973-9279555 or 973-229-6049 or
visit our website at www.
watergapsingers.org.
Do
come and enjoy the music of
the season with this amateur
chorus with the professional
sound!

(NAPSI)According to a
recent Ipsos survey, just 4
percent of homeowners
surveyed selected heat as the
household item they would
miss the most during a power
outage, compared to more
than half (51 percent) who
said they would miss their
TV the most. Yes, long hours
in the dark can be incredibly
boring without the entertainment of a news program or
favorite show, but when
considering power outages
during the dead of winter, a
lack of entertainment may be
the last thing homeowners
should be concerned about.
This research points out that
many homeowners dont
realize the dangers and
inconveniences they would
face during a power outage.
To help homeowners be
better prepared for the realities of winter-related power
outages, Generac Power
Systems compiled a few
reminders of unexpected
things theyll be without:
1. Running water. When the
heat is out, pipes are more
susceptible to freezing. Even
if you have an oil-based

source of household heating,

a power outage will still
disrupt service and indoor
temperatures will dip. A
frozen or burst pipe can halt
your access to running water
(and could lead to some very
expensive home repairs).
Opening the faucet will
provide relief from the
excessive
pressure
that
comes with ice blockage and
can prevent a burst pipe.
2. Fast emergency responders and utility companies.
Snow, sleet, freezing rain
and ice all make for treacherous travel conditions, meaning response from emergency and utility crews will
be delayed during winter
storms. When power outages
are involved, families can
quickly find themselves in
dangerous situations with
delayed response from these
important services. With
proper at-home preparation
and safety, you can protect
your family from needing to
call these crews for help in
emergency situations.
3. Wireless Internet. Most
homeowners forget that
when the power goes out, so

does their wireless Internet

access. With routers down,
that means no connection to
communicate with loved
ones or get important
updates about the storm.
Cellular service can also be
interrupted during outage
times, and with no way to
charge cell phone batteries,
that option is also often
limited.
4. Daylight. This one might
seem like a no-brainer, but
many people forget that
daylight hours are short
during the winter. Especially
when a storm is passing
through, homes can get dark
and stay dark for the majority
of the day. Candles and
flashlights work well for
short periods of time, but its
important to rethink backup
light options during the
winter when darkness is
prolonged.
These critical household

(NAPSI)It was once a

steadfast tradition to cut
down a live tree to place in
the home for the holidays.
However, live Christmas
trees and their upkeepand
often, their messcaused
many to forgo this tradition
and turn to artificial trees to
decorate their homes during
the holidays. Today, the
benefits of a sustainable,
safe, clean, artificial tree
have caused eight in 10
homes to opt for an artificial
tree. While that all sounds
like improvement, there has
always remained one significant drawback to going faux:
Artificial trees simply dont

functions are all things that

homeowners would desperately miss in the event of a
winter
power
outage,
whether they are aware of it
or not. The best way to
ensure you and your family
wont be without is to create
an
organized
winter
preparedness
plan
that
includes a stockpile of food,
water and other supplies as
well as a source of backup
power. Whether from a home
standby option that automatically turns on when utility
power is interrupted or a
portable unit for powering
essential items, generators
can make all the difference in
the safety of your home and
family this winter.
Learn More
To learn more about winter
preparedness, visit generac.
com/be-prepared/preparefor-high-winter-storms
or
call 1-888-GENERAC.

offer the coveted aroma of a

real Christmas tree.
A Scent-Sible Solution:
Now, however, the authentic
smell of a fresh-cut pine or
spruce is available in the
form of a holiday ornament.
ScentSicles scented ornaments are available in a
variety of scents and can
easily be hung from an artificial tree, filling the home
with a scent reminiscent of a
live tree. Available in over
27,000 stores nationwide,
ScentSicles are made of
paper sourced from sustainable resources and infused
with 100 percent pure
fragrance. They offer a
simple, no-mess and noflame way to make artificial
holiday
greenery
smell
lifelike, enhance the scent of
a real tree or just add scent as
a decoration.
Learn More: You can find
out more online at www.
scentsicles.com.

Hello fellow readers,

There are oodles of folklore
on winter weather predictions. Plentiful acorns, thick
corn husks, squirrels gathering nuts early, crickets in the
chimney, halos around the
moon, early rodent infestation or bird migration, when
pigs eat sticks, and my
favorite narrow rust
colored bands on woolly
bear caterpillars are all sure
signs of a harsh winter
ahead. I heard a new one
recently, when Marcia from
Columbia buys a new winter
hat or fuzzy robe its a slam
dunk for a snowy winter.
Why is it that so many
woolly caterpillars cross the
road in the fall asked Jim of
Mt. Bethel, PA? Its not to
get to the other side (sorry
jokesters) but in search for
overwintering sites under
bark or inside cavities of
rocks. When spring arrives,
woolly bears spin cocoons
and transform into the
Isabella
Tiger
Moth
(Pyrrharctia Isabella); not
beautiful butterflies more
fitting coming from their
cute fuzzy larvae stage. In
truth, woolly bear caterpil-

lars from the same bunch of

eggs can have a wide variation in the size of their
colored bands making the
folklore iffy.
The Eastern Pennsylvania
Weather Authority (EPAWA)
released
their
2015/16
Winter Outlook for the areas
they serve which includes
Northern New Jersey. They
provide detailed technical
information using acronyms,
complicated charts and
squiggly maps. Thankfully
they boil things down in
laymens terms.
They predict December
temperatures will be slightly
above normal, precipitation
also above normal with the
monthly snowfall near to
slightly above normal. January temps will likely be
below normal and precipitation and snowfall near
normal. They predict February temperatures could be
well below normal and
precipitation and snowfall
well above - whoa! March
temperatures likely will be
slightly below normal with
precipitations and snowfall
predicted to be slightly
above normal.
They go on to explain the
active track and battle zones
that may set up many times
this winter where there will
be a tough rain, snow and ice
line to deal with making
their
job
forecasting
individual storms more difficult. Maybe best to rely on
Mr. Woolly Bear.
Did you know since 1973
there is an annual Woolly
Bear Festival held every fall
in Vermilion, Ohio. Its
much like the Ground Hog
Day festivities in Punxsutawney,
Pennsylvania.
Maybe a good add-on to
your bucket list.
Garden dilemmas?
askmarystone.com

As the holiday season

descends upon us, we all are
thinking about celebrating
with family and friends,
eating turkey and apple pie,
and buying gifts for our
loved ones. While most of
those presents may be found
at the mall or on Amazon,
there are some gifts that cant
be bought at any store for
any price.
I have always considered it
a privilege to be a veterinarian. Being an advocate for
the health and well-being of
our furry, feathered, and even
scaly family members was
something that I always
wanted to do and I have been
lucky to be able to do that for
my career. Veterinarians
enjoy a unique relationship
with their patients, being
able to care for them
throughout their lives.
The first introduction is the
brand-new puppy scurrying
around the exam room, scarfing up treats while getting his
first vaccine. New petowners are full of questions
about feeding, training, and

preventative care and the

discussion helps establish that
bond between the veterinarian, client and patient. As that
puppy grows into a young
adult, regular check-ups keep
that relationship strong.
People always seem to be
very open when speaking
with their veterinarian (we
are consistently in the top-10
on the trusted profession list),
and we often learn a lot not
just about the pet, but the rest
of the family as well. Over
the years, that young adult
evolves into a mature adult.
We get to manage health
problems both large and
small. Each time we see that
patient, it is an opportunity to
become more of a part of their
lives. As they enter their
senior years, we try to keep
their quality of life as good as
possible for as long as
possible. However, the aging
process cannot be stopped
and there comes a time that
many owners need to make
the decision to let their friend
go. We are there to see them
through that peaceful end and

give them comfort in those

last moments together.
So the gift veterinarians
share is that bond we get to be
a part of. At times, it can be
joyous or stressful or sad, but
it is always an honor and
something we take very
seriously. We are proud to be
certified by the American
Animal Hospital Association,
which holds us to a high set of
standards met by less than 15
oercent of small animal practices in the United States.
Blairstown Animal Hospital
strives every day to live up to
its motto of Excellence in
Medicine and Surgery.
Veterinarians committed to
continuing education, a team
of certified veterinary technicians, and a caring support
staff all make up our animal
health community. By teaming up with our pet owners,
we can provide our patients
with the best of care.
We wish you and your
family, including the fuzzy
members, a joyous holiday
season and prosperous New
Year.

Ciao Amici,
As the holidays approach
again I am reminded of the
how fortunate I was to grow

up in the butcher shop. We

could not forget our family
because for the most part we
lived together or our immediate family lived near by. I
recently read the following
story. I certainly hope it is
not true. But all you have to
do is go to an assisted living
home to see that it probably
is true.
It was Grandfathers birthday. He was seventy-nine. He
got up early shaved, showered, combed his hair, and
put on his Sunday best so he
would look nice when they
came. At noon he got tired,
but decided to forgo his nap
so he could be there when
they came. Most of the rest of
the afternoon he spent near
the phone so he could answer

it when they called. He had

five children, and they had
not visited him for a long
time, but today was his birthday, and they were sure to
come. At suppertime, he left
the cake untouched and after
supper, he sat on the porch.
Before retiring he left a note
on the door be sure to wake
me up when you come It
was Grandfathers birthday.
Your Family should be
celebrated everyday. Be sure
to do something today so
everyone
feels
appreciatedand can thrive.
La cosa peggiore il sentimento di non essere soli,
stato dimenticato da qualcuno che non poteva dimenticare.
The worst feeling is not
being alone; it's being forgotten by someone you could
not forget.
Con cordiali saluti,
Joe
Growing up in the Butcher
Shop, is available at the
shop or on our web page. To
receive menu specials and
our newsletter, join our mailing list at JDeFrancoAnd
Daughters.com, click on
mailing list and enter your
email. Send your Roseto
stories, recipes and comments to portipasto@epix.
net or call 610-588-6991. J.
DeFranco and Daughters is
located at 2173 W. Bangor
Rd. in Bangor, PA. Store
hours are 7am to 7pm, seven
days a week, with catering
available anytime or by
appointment.

(NAPSI)A recent study

conducted by Harris Poll
revealed that 73 percent of
women aged 50 and over say
they dont feel their age, and
only slightly more than onethird would like to be 25
again. Additionally, a majority say their confidence level
is higher now than when they
were younger. Boomer
women of today feel secure
in a fresh, exciting, new
stage in their lives filled with
work, family, and social and
community activities. On top
of it all, they want their looks
to reflect the vital way they
feel.
The conversation about
what makes a woman beautiful has never been more
interesting, notes gerontologist Dr. Alexis Abramson,
who consults for the LOral
Paris beauty brand. I can
tell you that boomer women
have reinvented and redefined every life stage as
theyve passed through it,
and theyre in the process of
doing the same now. Many
cite that, when it comes to
beauty, they prefer to look
like
themselves,
only

refreshed. Rather than trying

to hold on to the past, they
are proud of where they are
now.
Despite this confidence and
contentment, there is a
collective sense among
women within the demographic that the beauty
category has forgotten them,
especially when it comes to
hair color, as there are very
few products on the market
that specifically serve the
needs of this growing
consumer base. Considering
that the majority of women
aged 50 and over who have
ever colored their hair claim
to do so because they hate
having gray roots, this would
seem to be a serious void.
The fact is that hair, just like
skin, ages, and that by the
age of 45, over 50 percent of
people are affected by
grayingsuch a drastic
segment of the population
that it should be impossible
to ignore.
Without doubt, the most
common concern of women
who sit in my chair is staying
ahead of grays, says Los
Angeles-based celebrity hair

colorist for LOral Paris,

Kari Hill. As fun as hair
color can be and as much as
it is a vehicle for selfexpression, for so many, hair
color choices are function
over fashion. Generally
speaking, Ive found that
women want at-home hair
color that corresponds to
their desires: easy to use,
easy to apply and, above all,
looks authentic.
Most current hair color
formulas designed to cover
grays are often too heavy, too
contrasting when roots grow
in, and leave women with
very visible roots that need
to be touched up every few
weeks. They also dont address womens worries about
volume and shine, as colored
gray hair can appear dull.
Fortunately, brands such as
LOral Paris have taken
these insights seriously,
developing products suited
for mature women. Hill
recommends Excellence Age
Perfect Hair Color, which is
specifically designed for the
50-plus age group. The color
uses technology that reacts
differently to gray and
pigmented hair, creating a
layered high and low tonal
effect, almost as if highlighted, which softens the
look of regrowth. In addition, its enriched with collagen, known for its texturizing effect, and Ceramide R
for repairing and protecting.
Aside from its distinct
technological and formulation benefits, an innovation
such as LOral Paris Excellence Age Perfect takes into
consideration other attributes
that women of this demographic want and need from
a hair color product, like ease
of application, with its
uniquely designed ergonomic application brush. The
increase in font size on what
can sometimes be hard-toread instructions is tremendously helpful as well, says
Hill.
You can learn more online
at www.lorealparisusa.com.

(NAPSI)Before the year

is done, it may be wise to
take stock of your life and
your familys to make sure
youve done all you should.
Here are seven ideas:
1. If you have a Flexible
Spending Account, use it up
before it expires. See your
doctor, dentist, optometrist
and so on.
2. Add to your 401(k) or
403(b). An extra contribution before the end of the
year can help it grow faster.
Also, see if you can reduce
your taxable income by
contributing to an IRA.
3. Make sure your health
insurance is all set. During
Medicares annual open
enrollment period, which
ends in December, you can
change plans or get one for
the first time. People insured
by private companies and
through the Affordable Care
Act may also have deadlines.
4. Donate to charity to help
it and help yourself to a tax
deduction. Contributions in
kind such as an old car or old
clothes and contributions of
time, such as volunteering at
a soup kitchen, can also be
put toward a tax deduction.
5. Take your vacation time.
If your time off is use it or
lose it by years end, go do
your holiday shopping. Play
with your kids while theyre
off from school. Avoid commuting in the dark.
6. If theres a collegebound student in your

family, make sure all applications, fees, forms and so

on have been properly
filled in and filed.
7. If you or someone in
your family is a young man
between 18 and 26, be sure
registration with the Selective Service is all squared
away. All young men,
including
immigrants,
regardless of status, are
required to register within
30 days of their 18th birthday.
Registration is not only
required by law, its necessary for many college
loans and grants and jobs
with many state and
municipal governments as
well
as
government
contractors. Some places
even require it for a
drivers license.
Fortunately, its easy to
do. Many students can
register at their high
school. In addition, mailback registration forms
are available at any post
office or with a Reminder
Mail-Back Card that Selective Service sends to young
men. Checking Yes on
the Selective Service box
on the Free Application for
Federal
Student
Aid
(FAFSA) form has the
Department of Education
send Selective Service the
information.
Its
also
possible to register online
at www.sss.gov, where you
can find further information.

The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has

awarded Hazleton Shaft
Corporation a $9.3-million
contract to isolate and extinguish the Jeanesville mine
fire near the village of
Tresckow in Banks Township, Carbon County. Hazleton Shaft has an active permit
with DEP to mine on land
adjacent to the entire 200acre site and has been working to extinguish the part of
the fire that is burning on the
active mining area.
We are happy to be working with Hazleton Shaft
Corporation on this phase of
the mine fire project, said
Mike Korb, Environmental
Program Manager of the
Bureau of Abandoned Mine
Reclamation in WilkesBarre. The company, lowest
of eight bidders, is familiar
with the mine fire, and they
and DEPs Pottsville District

(NAPSI)According to a
study from Wyndham Vacation Rentals, most travelers
take ski and snowboard
vacations in groups of four
or more. Hitting the slopes
with a big group doesnt
have to be hard, even when it
comes
to
coordinating
everyones schedules and
travel arrangements.
Group Ski Trip Tips
While it can be challenging
to keep everyone happy
during the vacation, these
planning hints can help get
everyone started on the right
foot.

Mine Office have implemented a work plan for the

active mine area that will be
worked in coordination with
this
abandoned
mine
project.
The Jeanesville mine fire is
burning on approximately 28
acres both on the surface and
underground. Approximately
50 new and existing monitoring boreholes will be used to
continue to gauge the scope
and intensity of the fire.
Hazleton Shaft has also
agreed to extinguish any
underground burning material they may discover during
the project.
During the work, residents
may experience a sulfur-like
odor. DEP is committed to
completing the construction
utilizing any methods available to minimize the smoke
and odor, and conducting air
quality monitoring on an asneeded basis. Previous air

Find the right lodging.

When traveling with a larger
group, alternative lodging
options might be your best
bet. A cabin, condo or home
lets everyone stay together
under one roof without sacrificing privacy. Everyone can
have his or her own
bedroom, while common
spaces such as a living room
or dining room make spending time together easy. Most
rental homes also feature a
kitchen, which can cut down
on the stress of dining out as
a large group. Have everyone take a night to prepare

quality monitoring related to

the fire indicated no dangerous levels of gases in the
area.
Our Air Quality staff is
ready to respond if residents
notice any lingering odors in
their neighborhoods, said
Mike Bedrin, Director of the
DEP Northeast Regional
Office in Wilkes-Barre. We
want people to feel safe
knowing the fire is being
extinguished and the air they
breathe is not hazardous.
Residents who do experience any odors coming from
the fire are encouraged to
contact DEPs Northeast
Regional Office complaint
line at 1-866-255-5158 ext.
2.
The work to extinguish the
blaze involves digging two
isolation trenches to contain
the fire and stop it from
spreading. The project will
involve the excavation of

approximately 2.6 million

cubic yards of material to
isolate the fire on the south
side. A water supply for the
fire will be obtained by
connecting to a line owned
by the Hazleton City Authority and from a well to the
mine pool which lies below
the area.
As part of the project,
approximately 200 acres will
be cleared and grubbed. It is
anticipated that the work will
take two years to complete,
and upon completion of the
project, any disturbed areas
will be seeded, cleaned up
and the equipment removed
from the site. The site will be
stabilized and vegetated in
coordination with the US
Fish and Wildlife Service and
Office of Surface Mining.
Firefighting foam will be
used as needed. The overall
length of the project could be
up to two years.

dinner. Youll not only save

money, youll enjoy time
together without the interruptions of a busy restaurant.
Plan for transportation.
When researching lodging,
see if your accommodations
rest along a community
shuttle route or offer their
own shuttle services. Also
look into the destinations
transit systems. Sun Valley,
for example, offers free bus
service. If youre renting a
car, make sure you plan for
times when the group splits
up. Leaving half the group
stranded wont make for a
fun situation.
Agree on activities beforehand. While skiing and
snowboarding may be the
top priorities, there are
plenty of other activities to
do during a ski trip. From
dogsledding
and
snow
tubing to unique local festivals, you might find attractions you just dont want to
miss. Have everyone weigh
in on top choices before the

trip, especially those who are

attending but who arent avid
skiers or snowboarders. Considering everyones preferences in advance can help
reduce stress during the trip
itself.
Give everyone some
downtime. Opinions often
differ, especially within
larger groups, so allow for
flexibility during the trip. If
your muscles are begging for
a break, read a book or
squeeze in a post-run nap
while your fellow travelers
stay on the slopes. If half of
the group wants to head
downtown for the afternoon
while the other half wants to
get in another mountain
activity, split up for a few
hours. By staying flexible
with the groups itinerary,
youll avoid any tension and
better enjoy the time you all
spend together.
To start your planning now,
you
can
visit
www.WyndhamVacationRen
tals.com for deals on vacation rental homes in some of
North Americas top ski
destinations.

Warren County Community

College's Alpha Upsilon Rho
Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa
recently
inducted
the
college's top students to its
organization at a special
ceremony
on
campus,
including several from Blairstown, Belvidere and the
surrounding area. These
students earned the right to
be in this exclusive society
due to their grades and commitment to their educational
pursuits.
Phi Theta Kappa International is the honor society for
2-year colleges and boasts
members from throughout
the country. Membership is
based
upon
academic
achievement. Among the
criteria
for
induction,
students must be enrolled in
accredited courses leading to
an associate degree program
and have a GPA of 3.5 or
over. As a member of this
organization, these students
are eligible to apply for Phi
Theta Kappa Transfer Scholarships offered by over 600
4-year colleges and universities located throughout the
United States.
"These
students
truly
embody what happens with
hard work, perseverance and
determination; they are able

to reach new heights,said

Rose Lynch, WCCC Director
of Student Activities and
PTK Advisor. "These are the
creme de la creme at our
college. They have certainly
made an important step in
their academic career with
this achievement."
In addition to honoring the
inductees, Lisa Stoll, WCCC
Librarian and a former PTK
alumnus herself, delivered a
very well-received speech
about educational opportunities that are still out there."
Among those inducted
were:
Kristen
Chaney,
Michelle Cupo, Laura Kittek,

Sarah Kise, Melanie Matts,

Steven Martin, Anna Van
Wettering, Douglas Blaine,
Anne
Blaine,
Danielle
Astrab, Edward Biegaj,
Emily Haupin, Troy Koch,
Bradley Reasoner, Tonja
Smith, Olivia Zelus, Samantha Hunter, Samantha Tuttle,
Melissa Calabro, Sara Black,
Jessica Dermody, Carina
Cobar, Danielle Dorman,
John Ndegwa, Erick Velasquez, Jessey Vigil, Maria
Goncharenko,
Shauna
Casciano, Lauren Brine,
Ligaya
O'Brien,
Emily
Dahan, Asbury; Rachel
Danitz, and Frank Leitner.