Applications are now

being accepted for the 2016

Master Watershed Steward
Program. Master Watershed
Stewards receive 40 hours of
training on topics including
water quality, stream health,
native plants, recreational
resources, and groundwater.
The 2016 Master Watershed
Steward training program
starts Wednesday, March 9th
and continues on subsequent
Wednesdays from 6pm to
8:30pm through mid-June.
The course also includes
three hands-on Saturday field
trips. Classes will be held at
partnering
environmental
organizations throughout the
Lehigh Valley. For more
information about the Master
Watershed Steward Program
or to request an application
for the 2016 training
program, contact Erin Frederick at 610-391-9840 or
elf145@psu.edu. Applications are due by January 8th.
Two information sessions
will be offered: January 13th,
from 6:30pm to to 8:30pm at
the Lehigh County Agricultural Center, and January
27th at Illick's Mill in Bethlehem from 6:30pm to 8:30pm.
Little Creek Bar-B-Cue,
located at 1004 Washington
Blvd., in Bangor, is holding
a benefit for Daniele
Demler on January 31st,
from 12pm to 6pm. Eighty
percent of the days profits
will benefit Daniele Demler,
former Slate Belt resident
who was severely injured in

October when she was struck

by a motorcycle. For more
information, call Little Creek
Bar-B-Cue at 610-588-3831.
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 mem-

bers 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.

NORWESCAPs Career
and Life Transitions Center
for Women is hosting a
collaborative
monthly
workshop called "At the
Table: Support, Information, Hope" with DeTorres
and DeGeorge, a local
family law attorney and
financial expert. We will be
collaborating to help women
navigate
through
the
challenges of untying the
knot. To be held at the
Career and Life Transitions
Center, 16 Broad Street in
Washington, starting on
Thursday, January 14th from
6pm to 8pm. For more information please call 908-8352624 or www.conleyc2norw
escap.org.
RE/MAX
Town
and
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 homeaway-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 and Valley

in Hackettstown. Cash donations will be accepted as well
to 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, contact
Stephanie
Rucereto
at
srucereto@earth link.net.
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.
Public Notice: Pursuant to
the Open Public Meetings
Act, Chapter 231, P.L. 1975
and in accordance with
N.J.S.A. 40:20-75, notice is
hereby given that at the
Regular
Meeting
held
November 24th, the Board of
Chosen Freeholders of the
County of Warren took
action as follows: Scheduled
the Annual Reorganization
Meeting for Saturday, January 2nd, at noon, in court
room number one of the
Warren County Court House,
located at 413 Second Street,
in Belvidere.
Attention Warren County
Homeowners: The Local
Market Update as provided
by New Jersey REALTORS
shows
Warren
County
CLOSED home sales up 16.3
percent with the year to date
number being 792 (10/2014 10/2015). The Median Sales
price in 2014 was $237,000
and for 2015 is $254,000. An
increase of 7.2 perccent.
Great news for Warren
County. For more information on the statistics visit the
website at njar-public.stats.
10kresearch.com/docs/lmu/x
/WarrenCounty?src=map.
Public Notice: Pursuant to
the Open Public Meetings
Act, Chapter 231, P.L. 1975,
and in accordance with
N.J.S.A. 40:20-75, notice is

hereby given that at the

Regular
Meeting
held
December 9, 2015, the Board
of Chosen Freeholders of the
County of Warren took
action as follows: Scheduled
a Budget Meeting for
Wednesday, January 6, 2016
at 7pm; Scheduled a Budget
Meeting for Saturday, January 9, 2016 at 9am; Scheduled a Regular Meeting for

Wednesday, January 13,

2016 at 7pm. All meetings
will be held in the Freeholders Meeting Room, Wayne
Dumont, Jr. Administration
Building, 165 Route 519S, in
Belvidere.
Congratulations to North
Warren Regional High
Schools Jess Loughlin for
being named coach of the
year in girls cross country.

Adult Fiction: Armsden,

Catherine: Dream House;
Clark, Mary Higgins: All
Dressed In White; Connelly,
Michael: The Crossing;
Evanovich, Janet: Tricky
Twenty Two; Fluke, Joanne:
Sugar
Cookie
Murder;
Gerritsen, Tess: Playing
With Fire; Hooper, Kay: Fear
The Dark; Knoll, Jessica:
Luckiest Girl Alive; Krentz,
Jayne Ann: Secret Sisters;
Mills, Kyle: The Survivor;
Paterson,
James:
Cross
Justice; Preston, Douglas:
Crimson Shore. Benioff,
David: City Of Thieves;
Chiaverini, Jennifer: The
Cross Country Quilters;
Couch, Dick: Act Of Valor;
Trussoni, Danielle: Angelopolis; Wolf, Dick: The
Intercept; Wolfe, Tom: Back
To Blood.
Adult
Non
Fiction:
Kilmeade, Brian: Thoms
Jefferson And The Tripoli
Pirates; Lawson, Jenny:
Furiously Happy; Mann, Jen:
Spending The Holidays With
People I Want To Punch In
The Throat. Rattle, Alison:
Remember The Alamo;
Steiger, Brad: Real Ghosts,
Restless
Spirits,
And
Haunted Places.
Large
Print
Fiction:
Roberts, Nora: Stars Of

Fortune; Sandford, John:

Mad River. Coulter, Catherine: Bombshell; Evanovich,
Janet:
Takedown
Twenty; Grisham, John:
Sycamore Row; Hillerman,
Anne:
Spider
Womans
Daughter; Howard, Linda:
Shadow Woman; Palmer,
Diana: Protector; Patterson,
James: Private Berlin; Robb,
J.D.: Delusion In Death.
Young
Adult
Fiction:
Rudnick,
Elizabeth:
A
Frozen Heart.
Easy Fiction: Disney, Walt:
Aladdin; Jungle Book; Mickeys Christmas Carol.
Junior Fiction: Farshtry,
Greg: Escape From Sentai
Mountain; Kinney, Jeff:
Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: Old
School. Burnett, Frances:
The Secret Garden; Lanier,
Eve: Janet And The Magical
Land Of Varnivia; Philbrick,
W.R.: The Journal Of Douglas Allen Deeds; Riordan,
Rick: The Demigod Files;
Turner,
Dvds: Lost Season 1;2;3;4.
The Bridge On The River
Kwai;
Dickie
Roberts
Former Child Star; I Hate
Valentines Day; Laguna
Beach Season 1; March Of
The Penguins; Maze Runner
The Scorch Trials; When
Harry Met Sally.

It is becoming all too

common. Someone, or a few,
work their way into a school,
a business, a restaurant, or a
happy occasion party or
concert with guns blazing.
Before you know it several
are killed or injured.
It could be a terrorist attack,
someone with a grudge, or

NORWESCAP Child and

Family Resource Services
(CFRS) recently collaborated
with Newton Medical Center
to provide a free workshop
entitled Happiness: Strategies for Living a Happy and
Meaningful Life for early
education providers in our
community. The presenter,
Beth Schulaka, is a Licensed
Clinical Social Worker who
practices
psychotherapy
privately, as well as at the
Center for Mental Health at
Newton Medical Centers
Acute Partial and Intensive
Outpatient Programs.
Her experience in treating
psychiatric issues including
depression and anxiety, has
led to a knowledge base and
understanding
of
an
individuals ability to make
incredible changes in their
well-being through making
small behavioral choices.
Ms. Schulakas light-hearted,
interactive presentation was
geared toward having fun and
gaining tools for attaining
happiness and purpose and
provided concrete daily strategies for providers to improve
their wellness and quality of
life, especially during this
joyous and often hectic
holiday season.
Sharon Giacchino, CFRS
Director,
welcomed
the
participants
and
also
presented information on
Grow NJ Kids, the States

maybe someone simply with

a mental problem. Unfortunately such incidents have
become all too common, and
as we now know, they
happen everywhere.
The Hope Area Chamber of
Commerce will be hosting an
Active Shooter Awareness
event on Tuesday morning

quality rating and improvement system and the New

Jersey
Administrators
Credential Coursework which
begins in January of 2016.
Grow NJ Kids, New Jerseys
Quality Rating Improvement
System, is New Jerseys
program to raise the quality of
child care and early learning
and across the state. For
parents, it provides information on selecting a quality
provider to help them make
the most of their kids early
learning opportunities. For
child care and early learning
programs,
it
provides
resources that help raise their
quality and continuously
improve their programs.
The
New
Jersey
Administrators Credential

January 12th, from 8am to

10am., at the Inn at Millrace
Pond. William Eppell, Chief
of Staff of the Warren
County Prosecutor's Office,
along with Independence
Township
Police
Chief
Dennis Riley, will conduct
this important presentation.
The event is open to cham-

Coursework positions leaders

in the field to embark on a
quest for excellence that
begins with the administrator
themselves. By examining
their theories of bestpractices, management and
leadership, administrators
can lead their programs in
assessing and building the
level of quality within as well
as promote and advocate for
quality care for all children
and families in our state.
For information on Grow NJ
Kids, The New Jersey
Administrators Credential,
help in paying for child care
or any other information
related to quality, accessible
child care please contact
NORWESCAP CFRS at
973-383-3461.

ber members and any interested business person in the

region.
An active shooter is defined
as person(s) actively engaged
in killing or attempting to kill
people in a confined and
other populated area. In most
cases, active shooters use
firearms and there is no
pattern or method to their
selection of victims. Active

Rehearsals for the Spring

2016 season of Warren
County Community Singers
begin Tuesday, January 12th,
at the First Presbyterian
Church of Washington, 40
Church Street, Washington,
NJ. Rehearsals begin at
7:30pm, but registration
begins at 7pm each Tuesday
in January. The music fee is
$55.
WCCS is a non-audition
group open to singers high
school age and older. The
group sponsors the Childrens
Chorus of Warren County for
children ages eight and up
with unchanged voices.
Registration
for
the
Childrens Chorus begins
Tuesday, February 1st, and
continues every Tuesday in
February. The fee for
childrens music is $25 with
adjustments made for more
than one child in a family.
The annual Springfest of
Song will be held on Satur-

Shooter situations are unpredictable and happen quickly.

Individuals must be prepared
both mentally and physically
to take action in order to deal
with an active shooter.
Everyone
should
be
prepared to help prevent and
prepare for potential active
shooter situations. This
presentation is intended to
provide
guidance
to
individuals and to help them
prepare and respond to an

active shooter event.

Cost to attend the event is
$15 per person, which
includes a Continental style
breakfast.
Interested attendees are
encouraged to call in
advance to reserve your spot
as space is limited. Payment
can be made at the door. You
can call the Inn at Millrace
Pond directly at 908-4594884 or email dan@chp
communications.com.

day, April 30th, and Sunday,

May 1st.
WCCS present two concerts
per year, in the spring and the
first weekend of December. I
addition, the singers perform
by invitation at senior
citizens facilities and other

venues. A fundraiser Cabaret

Caf is held in the fall to
showcase individual members.
For additional information,
contact, WCCS President
Marilou Tshudy at 908-8878887.

Marine Corps League

Meeting: January 6th,
1900 hours. Northampton
Co., 1621 Lehigh St.,
Easton. All active duty and
honorably
discharged
Marines welcome.
FMI,
email
jimmineousmc
@rcn.com
Chapter #14, Society of PA
Archaeology
Meeting:
January 7th, 7pm. Palmer
Township Memorial Library,
1 Weller Place, (off Newburgh Rd.), Easton. Special
lecture "The Hexenkopf
Indian Remains & Legends."
Presented by Prof. Ned Heindel. Free FMI, call L. Ziegler
908-750-4110.

Connections for Women:

January
8th,
10am.
Hopesprings, Market St.,
Bangor.
East Bangor UMCC Financial Peace University Class:
January 9th, 1pm. 136 W.
Central Ave. (Rt. 512), East
Bangor. FMI or to register,
contact Becky Saltern at
rebeccaasaltern@aol.com or
610-739-4024,
or
visit
ebumc.org.

Irish. Learn how these "little

known" Scots-Irish who
settled here, before the
famous
Pennyslvania
German's (PA Dutch), made
an impact on the area and
what their lives was like.
The event is free (donations
accepted) and open to the
public. FMI, call Karen
Brewer at 610-588-8615.
Mission of Love Food
Pantry & Clothes Closet
Dirve: January 12th,
10am-2pm. N Main St.,
Bangor

FMI or tickets, call 610863-9095, ext. 1308

Adults/$4.50 Kids. FMI, call

908-689-6951.

Benefit
for
Daniele
Demler: January 31st,
12pm-6pm. Little Creek
Bar-B-Cue, 1004 Washington Blvd., Bangor. 80% of
the days profits will benefit
Daniele Demler, former
Slate Belt resident who was
severely injured in October
when she was struck by a
motorcycle. FMI, call Little
Creek Bar-B-Cue at 610588-3831.

Skylans Sierra Club Group

Presentation: What to do
when the power goes out:
January 12th, from 7pm9pm. Unitarian Fellowship,
1 West Nelson St., Newton.
Public
welcome.
Light
refreshments will be served.
FMI,
contact
Skylands
Group Chair Susan Williams
at
SkylandsGroup@gmail
.com or 973-222-0274.

Slate Belt Heritage Center

Monthly Historic Presentation: January 10th, 2pm.
The Heritage Center, 30
North 1st St., Bangor.
Speaker: Curator & President
Melissa Hough. Her topic
will be The Early Settlers of
the Slate Belt: The Scots-

Families First Snow Ball

Dinner & Dance Fundraiser: January 23rd,
6pm-midnight.
Weona
Park Recreation Center, Pen
Argyl. BYOB. Casual attire.

All You Can Eat Spaghetti

& homemade Meatballs
Dinner:
January
9th,
4pm-7pm. Broadway UMC,
2233 Rt. 57, Broadway. $9.

Project Self-Sufficiency
announces that the spring
session of its popular
employment
training
program, Higher Opportunities for Women, will
launch February 2nd. The
16-week HOW Program
combines intensive computer skills training with
classroom instruction and
off-site
internships
to
prepare women who have
been out of the work force
or underemployed to seek
entry-level office administrative positions.
Computer training and classroom instruction will take
place at the agencys
campus which is located at
127 Mill Street in Newton.
Interested participants are
encouraged to attend an
Open House to learn more
about the program. Open

Houses will be held at 10am

on January 7th and 19th, at
1pm on January 15th, and at
6pm on January 11th and
28th.
Women who take part in
the agencys HOW program
can expect 80 hours of computer skills training, including instruction in Microsoft
Word, Excel and other
applications.
The HOW
program also includes 40
hours of classroom instruction and 120 hours at an
unpaid externship at a community employment site,
which further prepares
participants to successfully
venture into the job market.
Coursework focuses on
workplace navigation, life
skills training, resume
preparation, and interviewing strategies.
Over the years, Project

Self
Sufficiency
has
partnered with a variety of
local businesses, non-profit
organizations and government entities to provide
HOW participants with
externship
opportunities.
Participants gain real-life
work experience while
honing the computer skills
they have received as part
of the HOW training
program. Since the HOW
programs
inception,
hundreds of women have
gained self-confidence and
learned marketable skills
which placed them on the
path to economic selfsufficiency.
Deborah Berry-Toon,
Executive Director of Project
Self-Sufficiency
explains that the HOW
program is more than just a
job-skills program. The

Higher Opportunities for

Women program offers
participants the opportunity
to gain the skills and confidence to compete in todays
job market, and that in turn,
helps put food on the table,
pay the rent, and ultimately
turn around the prospects
for the entire family. Project Self-Sufficiency is in the
business of changing lives.
Giving our participants the
tools necessary to become
economically self-sufficient
makes families stable and
helps the entire community.
Project Self-Sufficiencys
Higher Opportunities for
Women program launches
on February 3rd. To enroll,
or to find out more information about the program, call
Project Self-Sufficiency at
973-940-3500.

Local physician Joseph

McGinley, DO, has joined
the primary care provider
team at St. Lukes University
Health Network as St.
Lukes Lehighton Family
Practice.
Dr. McGinley, a resident of
Lehighton, PA, specializes in
care for the entire family and
treats infants to seniors as
part of his medical practice.

He focuses on preventive
and routine care, as well as
monitoring and treatment for
acute and chronic health
conditions. As an established local physician, Dr.
McGinley will continue to
provide care in the existing
practice location at 856
Interchange Road, Lehighton.
I am honored to care for
my patients in Lehighton and
the surrounding community, said Dr. McGinley. I
am committed to providing
the same quality and compassionate care to our community as a part of the St.
Lukes family of providers.

Dr. McGinley earned his

Doctor of Osteopathic

Medicine and his Master of

Biomedical Sciences at the
Philadelphia College of
Osteopathic Medicine in
Philadelphia, PA. He completed his medical residencies at St. Lukes Allentown
Campus and completed his
Bachelor of Science degree
in Biology at DeSales
University in Center Valley,
PA.
New patients are welcome!
To schedule an appointment,
please call 610-377-9020.
Office hours are as follows:
Mondays and Wednesdays
from 10am to 7pm and Tuesdays and Thursdays from
9am to 5pm.

Ridge & Valley Charter

School Open House: January 13th, 8:30am. 1234 Rt.
94, Blairstown. FMI or to
register, call 908-362-1114.

6pm-8pm. First Presbyterian

Outreach Center at 35 Main
Street in Blairstown. Open to
Blairstown-Area residents.
Fee for the computer course
is $10; students must be
registered Family Success
Center or Project SelfSufficiency participants. To
register, or FMI, call Project
Self-Sufficiency at 973940-3500
or
visit
www.projectselfsufficiency.
org.

HAVING AN
EVENT?

Intro to Microsoft Word

Class: January 14th-28th,

Send Us Info to
thepressmail
@gmail.com - Subject
Community event!

Responding to the recent

line-item veto of House Bill
1460, a $30.3 billion spending proposal which would
have provided an immediate
end to the state budget
impasse and significantly
increased funding for education, Speaker of the House
Mike Turzai (R-Allegheny
County) and House Majority
Leader Dave Reed (RIndiana County) issued the
following statement:
Today, Gov. Tom Wolf did
what he could have and
should have done more than
180 days ago drive out
appropriated dollars to help
children
and
victims
throughout Pennsylvania.
At some point, people
have to wonder how does
the governor consider a
$30.3 billion budget that
increases education funding
by more than $400 million
without relying on a sales or
income
tax
increase
garbage, but continues to
back a broken $30.8 billion
framework
budget
that
increases sales or income
taxes
without
pension
reform, property tax relief or
real steps to bring our liquor
system into the 21st century?

The reality is that over the

last month, the original
budget framework has
fallen apart for a host of
reasons the most significant being the lack of agreement on how to fund it.
Certainly, there is a recognition that new revenues will
be needed to help fund our
states priorities, but that
recognition must also be
respectful of the taxpayers.
Until today, the governor
has fully vetoed every
spending plan the Legislature has sent to him since
June. While it is important
needed funds are finally
being released to schools and
human service providers, a
full spending plan is necessary.
We understand that compromise is a two-way street,
but it needs to be based in
reality. It is time to reset the
chess pieces and work
together to move this state
forward and bring about a
long-term budget solution.
We will continue conversations with the governor and
Senate Republican and
Democrat to come to a
reality-based budget solution.

The Sussex County Mental

Health Board will be
partnering with the New
Jersey Chapter of the
American Foundation for
Suicide Prevention to bring
a free, three-hour, interactive suicide prevention
training called "safeTALK"
to Newton on Friday
evening, January 15th. The
safeTALK training will
teach participants to recognize and engage persons
who might be having
thoughts of suicide and to
connect them with community resources that provide
suicide intervention. SafeTALK stresses safety while
challenging taboos that
inhibit open talk about
suicide.
The "safe" of
safeTALK
stands
for
"suicide alertness for everyone." The "TALK" letters
stand for the actions that can
be practiced to help those
with thoughts of suicide:
Tell, Ask, Listen, and KeepSafe.
The safeTALK program,
developed by LivingWorks,
is intended for anyone age
15 and over who wants to

know what to say and do

when someone they know
seems to be contemplating
suicide. Those who might
benefit from this training
include parents and other
family members, school
personnel, high school and
college students, clergy,
youth leaders, resident assistants, coaches, and any
others who interact with
people at risk of suicide
and/or survivors of suicide
attempts.
The training will be held at
The Center, 65 NewtonSparta Road, Newton. A
light supper will be provided
from 6pm to 6:30pm, and the
safeTALK training will run
from 6:30pm until 9:30pm.
The trainer will be Rosie
Bauder, a resident of Blairstown who attends graduate
school
at
Boston
University's School of Medicine. Rosie is one of only
two certified safeTALK
trainers in New Jersey.
"This training requires
three hours because it is
interactive,"
explains
Bauder. "Participants will
respond to video scenarios,

and the learning process is

highly structured, with
graduated exposure to practice actions."
The training will be limited
to 30 participants, each of
whom will receive a
safeTALK resource book, a
printed wallet card, access to
a smartphone app of the
TALK steps, stickers identifying
the
participants
willingness and ability to
help, and a certificate.
Pre-registration for the
safeTALK
training
is
required. Those who wish
to register should call
Family
Partners
of
Morris/Sussex at 973-9403194 or register online
through
Eventbrite
at
www.newtonsafetalk.eventb
rite.com.
This training is being cosponsored locally by the
Sussex County Department
of Human Services, the
Sussex County Mental
Health Board, The Center
for Prevention and Counseling, Family Partners of
Morris/Sussex, Saint Clare's
Intensive Family Support
Services, and NAMI Sussex.

United Way of Northern

New Jersey invites winter
sports enthusiasts to its oneof-a-kind,
family-friendly
golf event in Sussex County
that takes place in any kind
of weather at the Sussex
County Fairgrounds on
Saturday, January 30th from
9am to 3pm. The 13th annual
United Way Chili Open Golf
Classic combines a spirited
golf outing with the serious
work of raising money to

help area residents who are

struggling to make ends
meet.
Golfers can play 18 holes
sometimes in the snow and
freezing temperatures and
warm up afterward with a
chili sampling fest as well as
a variety of other fare from
local restaurants and caterers.
Golfers also can take part in
dozens of raffles featuring
prizes from local businesses
and community members. In

addition, Sussex County

band R.E.N.O. will be on
hand to play its signature
brand of acoustic rock music.
The event will help ALICE
(Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) families
and individuals those who
are working and paying taxes
but still unable to afford the
basic necessities of housing,
food, child care, health care
and transportation. United
Way research shows that

more than 12,000 households or 23 percent of

Sussex County households
are ALICE.
This winter golf event not
only offers participants a
unique and adventurous
time, it also serves as a way
to assist our neighbors in
need, said United Way
Community Relations Manager Monica Lemperle.
Through the United Way
Chili Open Golf Classic, we

The Senate of Pennsylvania

took a historic vote on the
Property Tax Independence
Act, known as Senate Bill
76.
Unfortunately,
the
Senate failed to pass the bill
(25-24), which was introduced as an amendment to
House Bill 683. The bill
failed by a vote of 25 to 24,

with the Lieutenant Governor breaking a 24-24 tie.

While the vote on the
amendment did not move
property tax elimination
forward, the battle for
reform is not over. My comments on the Senate floor
reflect my concern regarding
years of escalating home

foreclosures and rising tax

bills in my district. As has
been said before, no tax
should leave you homeless. I
invite you view my comments on the Senate floor by
visiting
my
website
senatorscavello.com
While I am disappointed
that the vote barely fell

short, my fight continues.

Because members were
absent for the vote on the
amendment to House Bill
683 and new vacancies in
the Senate will soon (take
place) be filled, school property tax elimination is not
dead. No citizen should be
forced to choose between
paying for food, medicine,
or their school property tax
bill.
With the upcoming legislative session, we return to
work on many important
issues. School property taxes
continue to be the most
important issue to residents
in the 40th District and I will
continue to push my
colleagues in Harrisburg to
do the right thing for taxpayers of the Commonwealth.

are helping area residents

achieve financial stability.
The event raises funds to
help provide ALICE households with access to free tax
preparation, financial education and other supports,
putting ALICE on the path to
financial independence.
Tickets are $65 per golfer
before Jan. 11 and $75 per
golfer after Jan. 11. Tickets
for lunch only are $10 per
person. For more information
or to register, visit United
Wa y N N J . o rg / C h i l i 2 0 1 6 .

United Way of Northern New

Jersey is a nonprofit organization working to improve
peoples lives and strengthen
communities by focusing on
Education, Income, and
Health. United Way of
Northern New Jersey serves
Morris, Somerset, Sussex,
and Warren counties as well
as portions of suburban
Essex County. Advocate.
Volunteer. LIVE UNITED.
To
learn
more,
call
973.993.1160
or
visit
www.UnitedWayNNJ.org.

By Dr. James R. Fedich,

Village Family Clinic

Winter's coming and while

we've gotten off the hook
pretty much so far, sooner or
later we are going to get a
couple of those whopper
snowstorms. And that means
back problems for a lot of
people, if they are not careful.
Back pain is nothing new of
course, whether or not you are
pushing yourself too hard
shoveling snow.
Research has shown that the
pain in your back can also be a
pain in your brain. Research
conducted at Northwestern
University has discovered that
chronic lower back pain can
deteriorate brain function. The
study was performed on 42
individuals, half with chronic
back pain and half without.
The study found that in
patients with six months or
longer of low back pain they
had lost about 1.3 cubic centimeters of brain matter. This
much loss of brain matter is
equal to the amount lost in ten
to twenty years of aging.
The study also found that

Repeat after me: Stop

doing your own books! You
will not believe how many
people still think that a bookkeeper is a luxury; not a
necessity. Mary Young, the
founder of How Can We Help
LLC, continues, I have seen
too many business owners
who are so busy taking care
of their clients and employees, prioritizing their time on
their area of expertise, but not
leaving enough time to focus
on the most important part of
their business their financial
books.
Keeping their own financial

every year a person has chronic

low back pain, they lose the
same 1.3 cubic centimeters of
brain matter. This essentially
means that for every one year
that you have chronic back
pain, your brain ages 10 to 20
years. So, if you have lower
back pain for three years,
which many people have, your
brain may have aged 60 years
in that time. This is some very
significant research.
Essentially, that achy low
back you have been putting off
for years has been slowly
destroying your brain. Dr. A.
Vania Apkararian who headed
that study, states, Chronic
pain is a state of continuous
persistent perception with
associated negative affect and
stress.
This research supports what
chiropractors have been saying
for years. Your body is a
highly tuned machine, and
when a part of that machinery
is not working properly, it
disrupts the rest of your
system. If you have nerve
compression in your low back,
and the impulses from your

records, or asking a family

member to do it, seems like a
good way to save money. But
after bringing reports and
bank statements along with a
box of receipts, to an accountant at the end of the year,
business owners find out that
they are going to pay more in
taxes. You might not realize
it, but this practice of letting
your accountant spend time
looking for those lost receipts
or records of expenses eventually costs you more in
accounting fees.
Your
accountant
may
suggest that you hire a book-

brain are not allowed to travel

freely down the nerves, then of
course this will affect your
brain. Your brain is always
monitoring the body, and if it
cannot send and receive
messages to a part of the body,
this interferes with its system.
The nervous system is a highly
tuned machine, and just like
your car it needs a tune up.
Now is as good a time as any
to get a check up and make
sure that everything is working
well. Nobody ever looks back
on life and wishes they had
taken worse care of their body.
Take care of yourself now
before you regret it later! And
please don't overdo it shoveling snow. Remember, bend
and lift! Overdoing it is a sure
way to have back problems, as
well as other health issues.
*This article is not intended to
diagnose, treat, or cure any
disease.
This article is not
intended to substitute for the
advice of a doctor. To contact Dr.
Fedich at Village Family Clinic,
Route 517, Allamuchy, phone
908-813-8200 or visit www.
hackettstownfamilyclinic.com.

keeper to make sure you are

not overlooking deductions
which are often missed or
unrecorded because of poor
and disorganized records. If
you were to hire an inhouse
bookkeeper
for
your
business, your cost would
include salary, payroll taxes,
workmans comp and possibly medical insurance, vacation and sick time. A better
option would be to hire a
virtual bookkeeper who does
your books online, but
charges you a fixed monthly
fee instead of your company
paying out benefits to another

The Independence Township Police Department,

Tiffany Kushner, Centenary
College's Senior Director of
Student Services, WRNJ
Radio, and the Warren Hills
Peer Leadership group are
among those that will be
honored at the Second
Annual
Coalition
For
Healthy and Safe Communities Recognition Luncheon.
In addition, Pat Kollar, who
has been involved with the
Warren County Municipal
Alliance for 20 years, Debi
Natale and Helen Carey,
volunteer advocates for the
Coalition's efforts, will be
honored, as well as Bourbon
Street Wine and Spirits of
Warren and Hunterdon counties for their commitment to
the TIPs training program

(Training for Intervention

Procedures)
for
their
employees.
Special guest Rita Foti, a
member of the Warren
County Community College
Board of Trustees, will be a
special guest at the event,
scheduled for Wednesday,
January 20th (snow date
January 21st). The luncheon
will be held at the Inn at
Millrace Pond in Hope. The
luncheon begins at 11:3am
and will conclude by
1:15pm/
The Coalition for Healthy
and Safe Communities, a
program of the Family Guidance Center of Warren
County, is dedicated to
raising awareness about the
effects of alcohol and drug
abuse, particularly with

youth.
Guest Speaker will be
Donald Hallcom, Director of
Prevention and Early Intervention with the NJ Department of Human Services,
Division of Mental Health
and Addiction Services.
Tickets for the luncheon are
$35 each, with proceeds
supporting the purchase,
training, and distribution of
NARCAN lifesaving kits.
Reservations should be made
by January 15th.
For more information and to
register, call 908-223-1985 or
email Kim Spangenberg at
kspangenberg@fgcwc.org..
You can make online
payments via the Family
Center
Center,
www.
fgcwc.org (via Pay Pal).
If you, or someone you
know is interested in learning
more about the coalition's
goals and getting involved,
call 908-223-1985.

employee. A certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor ensures

that an accountant will
receive your financial records
in good order so they do not
have to spend extra time at
much higher rates, straightening out your books for the
preparation of your business
tax returns.
With thirty years of experience, I have been involved
with enough audits to know
that if an auditor sees poor
record keeping, he will dig
deeper to find errors. If you
have your books in order, the
audit will go more smoothly.
It is a bookkeepers job to
know the inner workings of
your business and to keep
you organized.
Working as a controller for
several large firms, Mary has
gained the expertise necessary to help business owners
with their bookkeeping. In
2012, Mary opened How Can
We Help LLC. It is a virtual
bookkeeping and office management service with clients
in New York, New Jersey and
Pennsylvania. Mary is a
QuickBooks ProAdvisor and
a specialist in QuickBooks
Desktop and QuickBooks
Online.
When
business
owners come to her to clean
up their books, they realize
how valuable her services are
in minimizing errors, identifying waste, and protecting

their assets.
For example, Mary noticed
the credit card fees had gone
up for one client, and brought
it to the owners attention. It
was discovered that the client
was being charged a higher
percentage because the owner
was manually entering the
credit card charges: The
machine was not working
consistently. Mary negotiated
a lower fee on behalf of her
client, saving the businessmoney every month.
As a QuickBooks ProAdvisor, Mary can save you hours
of time, letting you focus on
running your business. She
can help you correct or catch
errors made by your employees, and alert you to potential
trouble. Her company will
take care of QuickBooks
Online software support and
training.
So what is QuickBooks
online? you might ask. And
why should I get it?
QuickBooks online allows
you to work on your financial
records from anywhere,
anytime. With QB online,
you can link all your banking
accounts, and view all your
transactions from one source.
You can also email an invoice
or statement to a customer,
who can easily pay you with a
credit card or bank transfer.
No more waiting for your
check in the mail! You get

paid faster with QuickBooks

online payments.
Working
online,
your
biggest worry is if your internet goes down at home or
work. Heres a little secret.
Turn on your phone hotspot
and you are back in service.
With QuickBooks online, you
can have up to 5 users which
includes your bookkeeper
and your accountant. So now
no more preparing reports at
year end. Your bookkeeper
and accountant have access to
what they need.
Mary Young is ready, today,
to help you get organized,
whether you are starting a
new business venture, getting
a fresh start in an existing
company, or contemplating a
move to online bookkeeping.
We have small business startup packages starting at $100 a
month. Mary offerstraining as
well as ongoing bookkeeping
services, customized for your
business.
For more information, go to
www.hcwehelp.com or email
Mary
at
myyoung@
hcwehelp.com
or
call
908-496-4322 to set up a free
phone consultation. We are
offering a special through
January 30, 2016, at $80.00
per month. How Can We
Help, LLC is available to
work with you and your
business today and help get
you organized for 2016.

Artist Jeffrey M Green of

Bangor, PA will exhibit his
work at the Eagles Nest
Gallery in Nazareth, PA for
the month of January. The
Eagles Nest is a unique art
gallery in Naareth Area High
School. Here youth can
directly learn about and
appreciate art and creativity in
their school.
Jeffrey Green has focused
primarily on the medium of
colored pencils for the past 20
years. Conveying beauty and
the uplifting are main themes
in an expressive realism. The
fact that something as unassuming as a pencil can be
pushed to the level and impact
of a painting is a fascinating
thing to me, relates the artist.

St. Lukes tiniest and most

vulnerable patients and their
parents were given some
additional tools to encourage
and foster baby-parent bonding by the Lilys Hope Foundation the week before Christmas.
Lilys Hope donated three
MamaRoo bouncers with
covers and a Kangaroo Chair
to the Neonatal Intensive Care
Units (NICU) at St. Lukes
University Hospital - Bethlehem. The bouncers emulate
the movement that the baby
feels while being carried or
held by mom or dad. Kangaroo recliners have been
specially designed to support
"kangaroo care. Kangaroo
care is important, said Kimberly Costello, DO, FAAP,
Director of Neonatology, St.
Lukes University Health
Network, to encourage the
natural skin-to-skin bonding
experience between parents
and their infant.
Kangaroo care, also known
as skin to skin care, is vital for
our NICU babies. It not only
encourages bonding between
parents and child but also
stabilizes infants glucose,
helps them maintain their
temperature,
helps
with
weight gain and increases
mothers breastmilk supply,
said Dr. Costello.
The
Kangaroo chair makes both
the parent and the infant for

Colored pencils have been

quite a source of curiosity and

interest in the painterly art

form he employs.

Mr Greens work has been

featured
in
COLORED
PENCIL Magazine,
CP
Magazine, and Lehigh Valley
Style Magazine. Solo shows
have included the Nazareth
Center for the Arts in Nazareth and the Rotunda Gallery
in Bethlehem. He currently
teaches colored pencil workshops in Bangor at Bloom
Creative Studios a creative
place to enjoy art of every
kind and an outreach to
women in need in the community.
Twenty four pieces are on
display at the exhibit, with
floral, still lifes, nature and
ocean scenes. A reception is
free and open to the public,
the evening of January 8th.

helping us give the babies an

even better start to life. Generous gifts, like those given to
us by Lilys Hope Foundation,
mean more to our babies than
words can express. We are
truly grateful for all Lilys
Hope has done for the St.
Lukes NICU.
"Lily's Hope Foundation is
thrilled to be partnering with
St. Luke's for more than a year
now, said Jennifer Driscoll,
Lilys Hope founder. This
donation allows us to not only
support their NICU families
through our Packages of
Hope, but also through donations to the NICU itself.
Lily's Hope is happy to be
providing additional support
to the families that come
through the St. Luke's NICU,
now and in the future."
The Lilys Hope Foundation
supports babies, children, and
their families with unexpected
and urgent needs due to
premature birth, said Driscoll.
We support our NICU families by providing them with
essential items since they
have been unable to prepare
for their childs early arrival.
Our Lilys Hope Families that
are in the middle of this medical crisis are referred to us by
hospital case workers, hospital staff and word of mouth.
We work with each individual

family to answer their specific

needs by way of our Packages
of Hope. Our Packages of
Hope include items that can
often be expensive and
difficult to find. Examples of
the care package contents are
micro-preemie/preemie clothing, preemie diapers, car seats
or car seat beds, bassinets, gift
cards for use toward transportation to the NICU, and much
more, Driscoll continued.
About St. Lukes NICU
Services: St. Lukes two
NICUs are certified to provide
advanced care to critically ill
newborns and premature
babies. Staffed 24/7 by

fellowship-trained, boardcertified
neonatologists,
neonatal nurse practitioners
and a team of speciallytrained nurses, lactations
consultants, occupational and
physical
therapists,
the
NICUs at St. Lukes offer the
latest in technology, developmental techniques and family
support. St. Lukes Level III
NICU (the highest level of
NICU care offered in the
Lehigh Valley region) is
located in St. Lukes University Hospital Bethlehem,
and St. Lukes Allentown
Campus offers a Level II
NICU.

Roseto. As far as playing

outdoors
is
concerned,
winter, spring, summer or fall
we played outside doing
some sort of sport. There
wasnt any indoor football
park at the time. As teams
were picked there wasnt any
way to distinguish teams by
uniform colors but only by
knowing everyone in the
neighborhood and what color
Coop-peel -lean [ski cap]
they wore. Running on the
frozen tundra in the field
behind the house the cold
weather had little effect when
you are running, chasing or
being chased. We would play
mostly tag that happened to
end up being tackle by all
collisions that would occur.
The sun would set early and
we would return home sometimes before dinner. On occasion as I would enter the
house, the aroma of sweet
oil pretzels baking in the oven
would melt away the cold
January air that was frozen on
my skin. Other times the
aroma of fennel tarelli on the
black pepper viscoat would
do the melting procedure .
Here Josie, Mom or
Grandmom
would
say,
These came right out the
oven! I would take my
gloves off and hold them to
warm my hands and then bite
into them to warm the inside
of my body and soul!
It was so cold that only
people like "Ed" and "Bob"
have enough time to write
their names in the snow.was
made popular by St. Francis
of Assisi. He visited Bethlehem and saw the stable,
where it was thought that

Jesus was born.

Growing up in Roseto I do
not remember visiting a home
that did not have one. The
shoemaker Leonard Castelluci had the most beautiful
Presepio of all. After dinner
some nights we would go up
Garibaldi Avenue to see it,
not only the characters from
the Christmas Story, but
every day people, objects,
like houses, food, and
animals; however, the figure
of the baby Jesus was missing! As we walked home
from Midnight Mass, Mom
would take us to see the
Presipio. She would say,
Fare vedere il bambino Ges
nel suo presepe? [Do you
see the Baby Jesus is in his
crib?]
Il Natale sar sempre finch
ci troviamo nel cuore a cuore
e mano nella mano.
Christmas will always be as
long as we stand heart to
heart and hand in hand. - Dr.
Seuss
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.

Q: My father takes multiple

medications for several
conditions and Im worried
about potential drug interactions. Could this be a problem for him? How can I help
prevent future problems?
A: This is an excellent
question and potentially life
saving. According to the
Centers for Disease Control,
more than 20 percent of
Americans are now taking
three or more prescription
drugs.
Like your father, most
seniors live with multiple
medical conditions and take
several prescriptions and
over-the-counter
medications to treat their diabetes,
high cholesterol, arthritis,
depression or acid reflux. In
fact, the average older adult
takes five or more medications every day, which puts
them at risk for dangerous
drug interactions.
The Institute of Medicine
(IOM) estimates that at least
1.5 million adverse drug
events occur in the U.S.
every year, and some of
them are fatal. If your father
is taking two, three or more
medicines, either prescription or over-the-counter, its
very important to keep track
of everything he is consuming. To help your father
identify and avoid possible
dangers, follow these steps:
Make a list of his current
prescription,
over-thecounter and herbal medications. Make sure he shares a
copy of this list with every
health provider involved in
his treatment, at every visit.
Also, keep a list of his medi-

cation on his refrigerator.

Review his medications.
Ask your fathers primary
doctor to review his drug
regimen. In addition to
dangerous interactions, the
use of multiple medications,
especially in older adults, can
exacerbate existing ailments
and cause troubling side
effects like memory lapse or
fatigue.
Reduce the number of drugs.
Research indicates that many
older adults take at least one
unnecessary drug. Ask his
doctor if there are alternative
non-drug
treatments
or
behavior changes that could
help. For example, changing
his diet, getting more exercise
or making other lifestyle
changes might provide as
much relief as taking a medication. Also, your father may
be taking a drug that is redundant and can be eliminated or
taken at a lower dosage.
Use a single pharmacy and
know your pharmacist. Make
sure your father fills all his
prescriptions at the same
pharmacy. This way, his regular pharmacist can check for
potential interactions and
counsel your father on an
ongoing basis.
Be careful with over-thecounter drugs.
Taking
ibuprofen or antacids on top
of prescription medications,
for example, could make
existing conditions worse or
make side effects more likely.
Read the package inserts,
which will provide details
about side effects and
possible conflicts with other
drugs.
Older adults need to be
knowledgeable about all the
drugs they are taking and
their impact. For example,
side effects such as memory
loss, fatigue, muscle pain or
confusion can all lead to falls
and other major problems.
But by following these
recommendations, you will
help your father avoid
dangerous drug interactions
and negative side effects.
Most importantly, this strategy will allow him to get the
most benefit from his drug
therapy.
Lan Su MD is a physician at
PMC Physician Associates Internal Medicine Specialists
in East Stroudsburg, PA.

Hello, fellow readers!

It occurs to me when we are
young, entering adulthood,
we are in a stage of growing
and gathering. Typically
choosing a partner thereby
adding an extended family.
Pursuing a career, nesting in a
home,
maybe
having
children. When young we
tend to look forward rather
than look back.
As we grow older, theres
often a shift of looking
forward to looking back to
what has been. We typically
do less gathering and more
letting go of unneeded
possessions, unhealthy habits
or relationships perhaps.
Letting go doesn't mean we
can't look forward to the
future with excitement. Still a
priority, which can also be the
biggest challenge but greatest
gift, is living in the now.
Cherish today. This moment.
Our plants are dormant over
winter but its a wonderful
time to dream about the
bright colorful world to
come. At the same time enjoy

the world around you now.

Take an inventory of your
garden. Do you have good
bones meaning the structure
of your outdoor spaces?
Consider your garden bed
lines, hardscape shapes and
function, the form of your
focal points and woody
plants. Winter interest in the
garden features the showy
bark of trees and shrubs.
Even some dry perennials
and ornamental grasses look
glorious in the winter. Of
course there are persistent
fruits such as berries to enjoy
along with the fun of watching birds feasting on them.
There are all sorts of evergreen foliage colors and
shapes of woody plants with
weeping or vase-shaped
branches for example. Of
course there are garden structures such as fences, pergolas, arbors, and pots that can
be left out in winter that
enhance your good bones.
You may notice things are
overcrowded and should be
moved. Or areas where additions are in order. Take good
notes and if you need more
than tweaks, it would be wise
to take measurements and
make plans to-scale using
graph paper. Or consider a
professional
landscape
design you can implement
over
time.
Creatively
designed landscapes are
beautiful year round.
So appreciate the beauty of
our world now. Enjoy your
life now. But along with the
now comes dreams, hopes
and inspiring plans for the
future. Wishing you a Joyful
New Year!
Garden dilemmas?
askmarystone.com

(NAPSI)While
often
overlooked, your floors are
your homes greatest canvas
and one of its true untapped
features. Replacing your
hardwood floors can be
expensive and time consuming, but refinishing them will
not only restore the richness
and elegance of the wood to a
beautiful appearance, it will
also protect it from everyday
wear and add value to your
home.
To ensure that your floor
finishing is a success,
consider these tips from
Minwax spokesperson and
wood finishing expert, Bruce
Johnson:
Test it First: Always test
any stain you are considering
on an inconspicuous spot,
such as in a closet. All woods
react differently to stain, so
what you see on a sample in
the store or online may not be
the same as how your wood
accepts and responds to the
stain you apply.
Sand Away: Dont skimp
on the sanding before you
stain. Stains depend on open
pores for adequate absorption and only by sanding off
any old finish can the pores
be opened to receive your
new coat of stain. Never sand
after you apply your stain.
Brush it Off: Dust is the
enemy of a smooth finish. To
remove all the sanding dust

(NAPSI)Sometimes, all
it takes to make a big difference in the look and feel of
your home are a couple of
minor updates. By picking
the right pieces to refresh
and choosing colors that
make a statement, smaller
projects can end up making a
lasting impact.
An Unexpected Pop of
Color. Make any room come
to life in an unpredictable
way by adding a bright color
to an ordinary piece of furniture. Minwax Water Based
Wood Stain is the perfect

from the pores and joints, use

the bristle attachment on a
shop vacuum. Then wipe the
floor with a clean, damp
cloth.
Note the Exit: Plan
carefully so you can exit the
room without walking across
wet stain. Also plan to complete the staining of the entire
room in one session to avoid
lap marks that are darker in
color.
Timing is Everything:
Keep in mind that the final
color of any stain is determined in part by how much
stain the wood absorbs. The
longer the stain sits on the
wood, the darker and richer
the color will be. During
your test, note the amount of
time that lapses between

choice for a variety of

projects like an end table or
your childs headboard. It is
available in 40 different
colorsranging from rich
wood tones to decorative
colors like Perfectly Pink
and Tangerine. First, apply
Minwax Water Based PreStain Wood Conditioner to
the wood prior to staining to
ensure even stain color
penetration and reduce grain
raising on both soft and
hardwoods. Then apply the
stain in the color of your

applying the stain and wiping

off the excess so you can
repeat this for the color you
desire.
Remove Excess Stain:
Never let stain sit on the
wood for longer than the
label directions recommend.
And always remove any stain
that the wood does not
absorb. Allowing stain to dry
on the wood surface will
prevent your clear protective
finish from adhering.
Between the Lines: When
staining in sections, stop
your stain application at a
joint between two boards
rather than in the middle of
one board. Individual boards
may accept the stain slightly
differently, so a slight change
in color between boards will

not be as noticeable as a
change in color created by
stopping in the middle of a
board.
Give it Time: Do not apply
your first coat of clear
protective finish until the
stain is completely dry. If a
clear finish is applied over a
wet stain, the stain will be
pulled back out of the pores
of the wood and will mix
with the finish, creating a
muddy effect. Or worse,
your protective finish may
not adhere to the floor. You
should allow 24 hours for
your stain to dry before
applying the finish.
Protect Your Floor: Stain
adds color to wood but will
not protect your floor from
foot traffic, spills and everyday wear. For the best results,
apply Minwax Ultimate
Floor Finish, a technologically advanced topcoat for
floors that provides a crystal
clear finish with superior
durability. It dries in just two
hours, and cleans up with
soap and water. Minwax
Ultimate Floor Finish is
certified to GREENGUARD
standards for low chemical
emission into indoor air
during product usage.
Learn More
For
more
tips
and
techniques on floors and
other wood projects, visit
www.minwax.com.

choice. To complete your

project,
topcoat
with
Minwax
Polycrylic
Protective Finish for longlasting beauty and protection.
Show Off Your Artsy Side.
Create decor that you will be
proud of and want to show
off. One simple way to do
this is to create a wood art
project to use as wall decor.
Whether you create a
wooden frame for a prized
photo or a trendy wooden
sign, use Minwax Wood
Finishing Cloths to complete
your project. They are easyto-use cloths that come premoistened with stain and
finisheven gloves are
included! Minwax Wood
Finishing Cloths make completing a wood finishing
project
quick
and
convenientin one easy
step. Simply wipe on the
stain and then wipe off the

excess, and let it dry for an

hour. Once the stain dries,
hang your creation on the wall
and sit back to admire it!
Bring the Outdoors In. A
simple way to liven a room is
by bringing nature in with
flowers or plants. Create a
colorful indoor planter box
that doubles as wall decor. To
ensure even stain color
penetration and reduce grain
raising, start by applying a
coat of Minwax Water
Based Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner to a lightweight unfinished planter box. Then stain
the wood with Minwax
Water Based Wood Stain in a
bright hue such as Daffodil to
add a splash of color to the
room. For both beauty and
protection, dont forget to
topcoat your project with
Minwax
Polycrylic
Protective Finish. Once the
finish dries, fill the box with
your favorite potted flowers
or indoor plants.
Learn More
For more information, inspirational photos, detailed
project plans and tips on how
to
stain,
visit
www.
minwax.com
or
www.
Pinterest.com/Minwax.

When a Parishioner of
Hopesprings became diagnosed with Stage 4 metastatic colon, liver and lymph
node cancer in February last
year the church heard a
calling to help oncology
patients. Parishioner Kim
Parsons led a group of volunteers to create Hearts of
Hope Comfort Bags for the
oncology patients at the LVH
Bangor site. Kim and the
volunteers gathered monetary donations and donations of blankets, water
bottles, anti nausea wristbands, magazines, adult
coloring
books,
puzzle
books, colored pencils, inspirational readings, get well
cards, plush socks, hand
sanitizer, chapstick, lotion,
and hard candy to fill the
bags. The bags are to be
given on a patients first
oncology appointment to
show them that others care
about what they were going

St. Lukes Emergency

Transport
Service
was
recently recognized for its
expertise in transporting
pediatric patients through a
multi-agency program that
recognizes EMS agencies
that are willing to go above
and beyond current pediatric
transport
requirements
within Pennsylvania.
Participating in this volunteer program and being
recognized at this level
should reassure parents that
the safety and well-being of
their children is of utmost
importance to St. Lukes
EMS providers, said Kermit
Gorr, Executive Director of
Ambulance & Transportation Services, St. Luke's
University Health Network.
St. Lukes has a strong commitment to safely transporting
and
treating
our
communitys youth in every
aspect of health care.
Every year, more than
70,000 children are transported by ambulances in
Pennsylvania. This means
that almost every seven
minutes a child is being
taken to the hospital with a
potentially life threatening
medical condition.
In order to ensure that EMS
agencies within the Com-

monwealth of Pennsylvania
are prepared for its youngest
and most vulnerable patients,
the Pennsylvania Emergency
Medical Services for Children program, in partnership
with the Department of
Health, Bureau of EMS and
the Pennsylvania Emergency
Health Services Council, has

created the Pediatric Voluntary Recognition Program to

recognize EMS agencies
consistently deliver excellence in emergency medical
care to children within the
Commonwealth.
The Pennsylvania Pediatric
Voluntary
Recognition
Program has recognized St.
Lukes Emergency Transport
Services, located in Quakertown, PA in the Expert
category. This level demonstrates that the EMS agency
has additional pediatricspecific medical equipment
on
their
ambulances,
requires EMS providers to
complete ChildLine child
abuse background clearances, provides four hours of
pediatric-specific continuing

education per year, is

actively involved in multiple
community
outreach
programs and offers ongoing
car seat checks to parents
and guardians in the community.
By participating in this
program, St. Lukes Emergency Transport Service is
demonstrating that they are
truly prepared for pediatric
patients and are ready to
respond to any and all emergency situations involving
Pennsylvanias
youngest
citizens, said Thomas Winkler, EMS for Children Project Manager, Pennsylvania
Emergency Health Services
Council.
The Pennsylvania Pediatric
Voluntary
Recognition
Program consists of five
levels that include pediatric
equipment standards, ChildLine background checks,
pediatric-related continuing
education courses, community outreach programs, and
car seat check programs.
Recognizing that motor
vehicle accidents are a major
cause of injury to children,
the EMSC program wishes
to recognize those agencies
working to ensure all
children are safe in their own
child safety seats, explained
Winkler.
St. Lukes is now one of 12
ambulance services in the
Eastern Pa. EMS Council
region and only one of 4 in
the Bucks County EHS
Region to be recognized
under this program. The
Pennsylvania
Emergency
Health Services Council is
the legislatively-authorized
independent advisory body
to the Pennsylvania Department of Health and all other
appropriate agencies on
matters pertaining to Emergency Medical Services.

through and to give them

items of comfort that are
helpful to get through
chemotherapy.
Kim Parsons states, "It's a
team effort and important to
keep with our church mission
of helping those locally.
When our parishioner was
diagnosed she had difficulty
accepting help from others so
this was a way we could help
her keep continue giving
back to the community also."
Kim talked with us about
how generous the community has been with donations
and reaching out to help the
team of volunteers accomplish their goal. Each bag,
Kim explains, is also hand
painted by Hopesprings
Pastor's
wife,
Shannon
Almanzar to bring even a
more personal touch to the
bags. Hopesprings volunteers were able to deliver
about 20 bags the first time
around. This time the volunteers will deliver a total of 40
bags plus the Slate Belt

Chapter of Pink Heals

www.Pinkfiretruckspa.org
partnered by generously
donating 40 blankets to the
cause. John Rigione of Pink
Heals also volunteered his
time to put the Hearts of Hope
Bags together.
The Parishoner reported that
being part of Hopesprings,
Pink Heals and LVH has felt
like family full of love and
compassion for her and those
going through chemotherapy.
As the first recipient of a
Hearts of Hope bag she was
overwhelmed with emotion
of how terrific her friends and
the Slate Belt are. She
explained how having all
these components in her life
work together to do this lifted
her spirits and how support
through chemotherapy was a
key part to her maintaining
her positive attitude.
Hopesprings would like to
continue being able to
provide the Hearts of Hope
bags on an ongoing basis to
oncology patients. If you
would like to help contribute
you can do so in two ways:
1. You can donate $20 to
purchase a "Thirty-One"
zipper pouch for $17.17 and
the remainder will go to the
purchase of contents to fill
each pouch by sending a
check payable to Hopesprings
at Market Street, 301 Bangor,
PA 18013. In the memo
please write Hearts of Hope.
You can also drop off items at
Hopesprings.

AVIA announced today that

St. Lukes University Health
Network has joined the
AVIA Innovator Network.
St. Lukes becomes part of a
growing collaborative of
forward-leaning
health
systems seeking to transform
healthcare by leveraging
emerging technologies and
new care models.
St. Lukes has a strong
innovation track record,
demonstrated through initiatives such as PriceChecker, a
price transparency tool helping patients understand and
pay for healthcare services
in advance. St. Lukes will
work with AVIA to implement the best technologyenabled solutions in areas
such
as
post-discharge
follow-up, patient flow, and
behavioral health.
By bringing health systems
together to work on shared
challenges, AVIAs process
de-risks the emerging technology
selection
and
prepares members for implementation success. This
rigorous process includes

problem
identification,
market landscaping, vendor
evaluations, implementation
planning, and accelerated
adoption. As a result, AVIA
members are able to move
forward together faster
with confidence.
St. Lukes will be a valuable addition to the AVIA
Innovator Network. The
leadership team is making
bold moves in quality
improvement, patient experience, and operational
efficiency,
said
Eric
Langshur, CEO and cofounder of AVIA. We are
thrilled to help St. Lukes
accelerate its innovation
agenda.
We are excited to work
together with AVIA and
other leading health systems
across the country to identify
best-in-class technologies to
support St. Lukes ongoing
mission of providing worldclass clinical care in our
community," said Chad Brisendine, Chief Information
Officer at St. Lukes University Health Network.

A week before the 2015

Christmas, RE/MAX Ridge
Real Estate delivered to the
US Marines Corps Reserves
the bounty from its Toys For
Tots collection drive. The
agents of RE/MAX Ridge
Real Estate, from both the
Blairstown and Washington
offices, left no stone
unturned in their efforts,
including collecting toys
from their circles of clients,
family and friends.
Thanks to the heart-felt
generosity of the community, carloads of toys made
their way to Picattiny Arsenal from the RE/MAX
Ridge offices.
Picattiny
Arsenal is one of the main
distribution venues for this
wonderful Marine Corps
Reserve charity.
RE/MAX
Ridge
also
hosted an early-December
holiday party in their Blairstown office with a theme of
Bring Santa A Toy.
Gail
Masson-Romano,
Broker-Owner of RE/MAX
Ridge explained, Santa,
The Grinch, Mrs Claus,
Santas Elves, Snoopy,
Frosty and Rudolph and
other costumed RE/MAX
Ridge
agents
greeted
hundreds of children and
parents to our holiday party.
We suggested to the parents
that they ask their children
to help Santa this Christmas,
by bringing him a toy.
By helping Santa to fill up
his sleigh with toys, he
would visit every home and
leave presents for every
child.
The response from the

community was overwhelming and, as a result, we

received many more gifts
for our Toys For Tots
program, and the parents
captured on camera the true
joy of giving as only a
child can express.
Joanne Van Valkenburg,

Broker-Manager
offered,
RE/MAX Ridge is honored
to be a part of this charitable
endeavor and we look
forward with enthusiasm to
next years Toys For Tots
drive. We wish to thank all
those who so generously
contributed toys this year,
bringing a little more joy
into the world through so
many childrens hearts.
RE/MAX Ridge offices are
located in Blairstown at 8
Main Street and in Washington at 325 W. Washington
Avenue (Rt. 57). For more
information
you
may
contact RE/MAX Ridge at
1-800-962-7899, or in Blairstown at 908-362-7200 and
in Washington at 908-6894444.

MDsave and Easton Hospital are working together to

help local residents without
insurance or with highdeductible health plans save
money* and get more of the
medical care they need.
Through
the
MDsave
marketplace, patients at
Easton Hospital will have
access to a wide variety of
medical procedures at upfront prices as well as simplified billing and educational
resources.
MDsave
was
recently
featured in a Fortune magazine article citing an
estimated
17.4
million
Americans are on highdeductible health plans,
where the average deductible
is $6,000 a year or more.
Another 38 million Americans had no insurance coverage at all as of January 2015.
In both cases, out-of-pocket
expenses can prevent many
individuals and families from
getting medical care they
need, especially preventive
procedures that could help
stave off future health issues.
MDsave and Easton Hospital have been working to
create better options for these
patients since September,
rolling out the program to its
network practices first.
In todays marketplace,
healthcare can be confusing
and expensive, especially for
consumers who are uninsured
or carry high-deductible
insurance plans, said Easton
Hospital CEO John Zidansek. This service can help
these patients access the
same quality healthcare they
have come to expect at our
hospital at a lower cost.
MDsave empowers patients
to take more control over
their healthcare decisions by

offering transparent pricing

and educational resources on
diseases and treatments.
MDsave's website allows
patients to geographically
search
by
procedure,
provider,
specialty,
or
ailment,
and
compare
pricing. The process is
upfront and easy. Patients
would choose the best
options, add to them to their
carts, and check out online the price posted is whats
paid. The price includes all
costs associated with the
procedure including physician billing. Patients will not
receive another bill.
Working with Easton
Hospital, we are taking an
important
step
toward
making healthcare more
accessible and affordable,
says MDsave co-founder and
CEO Paul Ketchel. We
know that the cost of preventive treatments is often a
factor in consumers neglecting to have them. We hope
that our strategic alliance will
increase access to quality
medical care and, as a result,
help save lives.
*Savings are calculated
based on the MDsave price
compared to average market
cost of offered medical
services.
Headquartered in Brentwood, Tenn. with offices in
San
Francisco,
Calif.,
MDsave is the worlds first
online healthcare marketplace, bringing together
patients seeking affordable,
quality care with providers
offering trustworthy services
at fair prices. MDsave simplifies the healthcare billing
process for patients and
providers alike through negotiated rates, bundled pricing,
and up-front payment. The

MDsave marketplace also

helps employers and payers
offer more value to employees and policy holders with
out-of-pocket
deductible
costs. Launched in June
2012, the company offers a
wealth of information on its
website
about
common
diseases and procedures. For
more information, visit www.
mdsave.com.
Easton Hospital is a 254-bed
acute care teaching hospital
serving more than 300,000
residents in Northampton
County
and
the
five
surrounding counties in
Pennsylvania
and
New
Jersey. Founded in 1890, the
hospital is celebrating its
125th anniversary in 2015.
The hospital offers an active
Emergency
Department
which sees more than 32,000
annual visits; a cardiac care
program recognized as an
accredited Chest Pain Center
and one of 55 designated
Heart Attack Receiving
Centers in the country; a
Center for Orthopedics, Joint
and Spine which is accredited
by the Joint Commission for
both total-hip and total-knee
replacement; a certified
Primary Stroke Center; a
Surgical
Weight
Loss
program designated as an
accredited center in Bariatric
Surgery; and the Easton
Regional Cancer Center
which is a Fox Chase Cancer
Center Partner. In addition,
the hospital maintains two
free-standing,
fullyaccredited residency training
programs in surgery and
internal medicine. For more
information and a complete
list of services offered at
Easton Hospital, visit the
hospitals website: www
.easton-hospital.com.