Twenty-one students

acknowledge resound-
ing applause from their
audience as they com-
pleted their piano recital
with their director and
teacher, Alphons Gun-
ther. The Gunther Piano
Studio performed
recently at the First
Presbyterian Church in
Blairstown. Further
acknowledgement is
noted that Andie Bald-
win, Timothy Topolski
and Laura Topolski
participated in the 6th
Annual Community
Talent Show on Friday
April 25th presented by
The North Warren
Regional Interact Club.
Andie and Timothy
placed first in their
individual categories
and won overall perfor-
mance award. Laura
won second place in her
category.
For more information,
please visit alphonsgu
nther.com.
The Blairstown Black
Card first received a
cease and desist email
from American Express
Trademark Enforcement
on April 2nd, 2014 in
regards to the domain
blairstownblackcard.co
m. Two weeks later on
April 16th, an email was
received with an even
graver tone, which
included the following
language: be assured
that we will continue to
monitor your web site(s)
to verify your compli-
ance with this letter.
Failure to do so will
force us to defer this
issue to our Trademark
Attorney for further
actions.
To give some perspec-
tive about how ridicu-
lous this is, let me tell
you a bit more about the
Blairstown Black Card.
My name is Parker
Condit and I am the 25-
year-old founder of the
Blairstown Black Card,
a card that grants exclu-
sive discounts to local
businesses. This is a
one-man operation
working early mornings,
late nights, and week-
ends out of a home
office.
There are currently 22
participating businesses
and 190 Blairstown
Black Card contd pg. 14
Fitness Empire in
Blairstown is happy to
announce the Grand
Opening of their new
facility at 143 Rt. 94. It
will take place Satur-
day, May 17th from
9am 3pm and Sunday,
May 18th, 9am 2pm.
They were previously
located at Fountain Mall
Plaza. Mark your calen-
dar for this exciting
event and be sure to
attend!
Enjoy all they have to
offer, including healthy
food sampling, compli-
mentary massages, free
health-screenings with a
local chiropractor, and
complimentary intro
fitness classes.
There will be promo-
tions on memberships;
discounts on supple-
ments and of course,
tours of the new facility.
Owner and operator
Christian Fiume is an
ACE certified personal
trainer who has been
guiding clients to their
weight loss, fitness and
athletic goals for eight
years.
Fitness Empire has
private and semi-private
personal training with
certified personal train-
ers. There are single
sessions and training
packages available with
prices as low as $30. per
session. Yoga and a full
line of massage services
are available..
They feature top of the
line Cybex and Hammer
strength equipment and
more.
There are month to
month memberships for
those unable to make a
year long commitment.
Another feature at
Fitness Empire is the
availability of child care
services. It is by
appointment only and
begins at 8am and runs
hourly. Pick up a
detailed description of
their policies regarding
childcare or visit their
website.
Everyone will be
pleased with the brand
new locker rooms in
this new, larger facility.
Gift Certificates are
available also.
Hours are Monday
through Friday, 6am to
9pm; Saturday, 7am to
3pm and Sunday, 8am
-2pm. They can be
reached at 908-362-
8190 or visit
FitnessEmpireGym.com.
Facebook.com/FitnessE
mpire.
The Church of the
Incarnation Choir from
Jersey City will perform
at 6pm on May 10th at
St. Lukes Episcopal
Church on High Street in
Hope.
The concert is part of
the Music at St. Lukes
concert series. The
Church celebrated its
103rd anniversary last
December and hopes to
celebrate many more, in
large part due to its
vibrant music ministry
under the direction of its
Minister of Music, lyric
soprano and conductor
Gail Blache-Gill.
The choir has devel-
oped a repertoire of
many music genres
including gospel, spiritu-
als, classical, Latin and
jazz and regularly
welcomes guest vocal-
ists from the Musical
Theatre Department of
New Jersey City Univer-
sity and its alumni.
The choir sponsors
concerts, an annual
Black History Month
program and a Broad-
way night talent show-
case. The choir regularly
visits other churches to
share its musical gifts
and had the honor of
recently performing on
stage with R&B legend
Gloria Gaynor.
Incarnation is looking
to expand its music
ministry with a Jazz
Vespers service in 2014.
Tickets for the concert
at St. Lukes are $10 for
adults, $20 for families
and $1 for students 18-
years-old and younger.
Todays teenagers have
a lot to handle from
worrying about social
media, to keeping up
college-worthy grades,
to making the varsity
team their schedules
are jam-packed. Add to
the mix, a job market
thats not as welcoming
as it was in the past, and
youve got all the ingre-
dients for a challenging
situation. There are
fewer jobs for teens, and
because of this, they are
harder to land.
So how can you
prepare your teen to be a
contributing member of
society, with responsible
financial habits? Start
by letting them know
how important it is to be
smart about managing
money. Its an essential
first step toward becom-
ing a responsible adult.
Consider applying the
strategies below so that
when they do enter the
workforce and get their
first paycheck, theyll
make the most of their
hard-earned money.
Be persistent. Kids
tend to live in the
moment and be preoc-
cupied with friends, so
conversations about
something as boring as a
budget can make them
want to stop listening.
But dont give up. Insist
on helping your kids
understand money
basics how its earned
(no, it doesnt grow on
trees), where it goes
(taxes are an adult
reality) and what
happens when its gone
(savings are a good way
to build a buffer).
Encourage questions
even uncomfortable
ones, such as, how much
do you make? Are we in
debt? to build trust
and gradually introduce
adult realities.
If your teen isnt
willing to talk, turn to
the experts. Find a
financial book aimed at
teens or simply write
down some of the finan-
cial principals and
expectations you want
to impart and make it
required Set limits.
Handing your teen a
blank check or limitless
credit card is unwise for
many reasons. Spending
without limitations tells
kids they are immune
from responsibility. An
endless supply of fun
money will prevent your
teen from taking steps to
reach financial indepen-
dence by reinforcing
reliance on your
resources. Conversely,
creating a budget with
built-in limits teaches
teens to be better stew-
ards of the money you
entrust to them.
A budget provides
accountability and can
create a greater sense of
security, because it puts
your teen in charge. If
you teach your teen how
to live within a budget,
you give them a gift that
keeps giving into adult-
hood.
Check out the latest
apps. Todays teens are
tech savvy, so why not
meet them where they
prefer to live? Smart
phones and tablets are
valuable teaching tools,
even if theyre primarily
used for texting and
connecting with friends.
Look for apps that track
spending or provide
financial coaching.
Many are free or avail-
able for a nominal fee. If
the financial talks
remain stalled, try send-
ing your child a link to
an article on a financial
topic, or a pertinent
YouTube video as a
conversation starter.
You may just discover
that theyre open to
discussing these topics
via text or email.
Although it may feel
challenging at times,
teaching your teens
about money is worth-
while. And who knows,
they may even thank
you for it one day.
James Fahey, AAMS,
LUTCF, is a Financial
Advisor and Vice Presi-
dent with Ameriprise
Financial Services, Inc.
in Bedminster,NJ.
He specializes in fee-
based financial planning
and asset management
strategies and has been
in practice for 26 years.
To contact him, visit
ameripriseadvisors.com
/james.fahey.
READ ALL ABOUT IT!
Heres a List of Places You Can Find The PRESS
in NJ, along with your mailbox in selected zones &
thepressnewsonline.com. We also have a PA edition!
Blairstown, Knowlton
& Hope
A & P, Alpine Meats, Animal
Mansion, Ash Plumbing,
Asian Combat Arts, A-Tech,
Auto, Blair Tile, Blair Tire &
Auto, Blairstown Chiroprac-
tic, Blairstown, Country
Florist, Blairstown Munici-
pal Building, Blairstown Eye
Associates, Blue Ridge
Lumber, Buckwood,
Building Specialties,
Burgdorff, BuzzWorks,
Caffe Nelle Cucine,
Cannon Country Real
Estate, Columbia Post
Office, Custom Colonial,
Dale's Market, David
Krawski Dentist,
DogHouse, Dominick
Pizza, Dr. Magalio: Dentist,
Ellias Restaurant, First
Hope Bank, Fitness
Empire, Fountain Mall
Laundromat, Frank's Pizza,
Gallery 23, Geo's Pizza,
Gourmet Gallery, Grand
Rental Station, Hair
Company, Hairs 2 You,
Historic Blairstown Theatre,
Hope Deli, Hope Haircut-
ters, JD Liquors, John
Deere, Kozimors Uphol-
stery, Knowlton Municipal
Building, Lakeland Bank,
Lebduska Accounting,
Marksboro Deli, Mark D.
Nelke: DMD, Medical Asso-
ciate, Mediterranean Diner,
Napa, Nature's Harvest,
New HoHo, North Warren
Farm & Garden, North
Warren Pharmacy, North
Warren Truck Repair, Old
Stillwater General Store,
Pizza Express, PNC Bank,
Post Office (Both
Locations), Post Time Pub,
R. Keiling, Race's Farm
Market, Radio Shack,
Remax, Shell Gas Station,
Skyland Bank, Smitty's,
Sunrise, Nutrition Center,
Sun Velocity, Sunoco, The
Auto Shop, The Inn at
Millrace Pond, Tile Ware-
house, Tractor Supply,
Tramontin Harley-
Davidson, US Gas, Voulas
Hairway to Heaven, Village
Green, Warren County
Library, Wells Fargo,
Wilbur's Country Store,
Wine & Spirits, Woman to
Woman
Belvidere
A & P, Al's Pizza, ACI Truck
Stop, Bagel Smith, Bel-Pike
Lanes, Belvidere Diner,
Belvidere Spa, Clucas
Farm, Curves, Dee Doo's,
Dr. Amannda Richline,
Food Mart, Four Sisters
Winery, H&R Block, Hearth
Shop, Hickory Mortgage,
Little Johns Pizza, Mediter-
ranean Riverside Designs,
Riverton Hotel & Restau-
rant, Rosal Jewelers, Short
Stop, Skee's Busy Bee,
Skoogy's, Steckel's Shell,
Station, Thisilldous, Uncle
Buck's Diner, US Gas,
Vincent Haircuttery & Plus,
Zack's, Zeeks
Washington
A & P, Bagelsmith, Fliegauff
Jewelers, Home Instead
Senior Care, Kaffe Kaprys,
Lost Ladies, Mediterranean
Bistro, MWC Racing,
Pride-N-Groom, Quick
Check, Rossi, Second Time
Around, Shopper Stop,
Silver Stars Bagel, Smith
Dodge, Stanley's Pizza,
Town Market, Washington
Diner, Washington Shoe
Newton
A&G Pizza, Back in Motion,
BMW Dealership, Charm,
Co. Seat, Dunkin Donuts,
Hampton Diner, Ho Hos,
HobbyTown, Holiday Inn,
Home Furniture, Ware-
house, Kathy's Restaurant,
Newton News Stand,
Optical Center, O'Reilly's,
PB&J, Quick Check, Shop
Rite, Skylands Sport Shop,
Springboard Shoppe,
Superior Shower Doors,
The Chatter Box, VW-Audi
Dealership, Weis
Hackettstown
A & P, Bachs Home Health-
care, Cozy Corner, Golden
Skillet, Hacktettstown Free
public Library, Hackett-
stown Guns & Ammo,
Hackettstown Sandwich
Shoppe, Hackettstown
Regional Medical Center,
Mama's Pizza/Cafe Baci,
O'Neill's Jewelers. Prickley
Pear, Quick Check #2,
Riverstar Diner, Tranquility
General Store, Valley
Bagel, Weis, Willow Caf
Columbia
Ayers, Hunters Lodge,
Roses Cafe
etery Rd., Great Mead-
ows. Sponsored by SS
Peter & Paul Church.
Adults only. FMI, call
908-637-4269.
Food Assistance
Program: Order dead-
line May 19th; delivery
to Project Self-
Sufficiency is May 31st.
Fresh, refrigerated &
frozen foods available to
NW N residents at
sharply reduced prices
through the Jolin Food
Box program. Price of a
single box ranges from
$20-$40. FMI, call 973-
940-3500, or visit
projectselfsufficiency.org.
Lego Club: May 19th
4pm. Catherine Dickson
Hofman Library. Do you
like building with
Legos? Come join the
club! Use the Librarys
Legos and your own
creativity. Snacks will
be served. Registration
is required. Ages 8 & up.
FMI, call 908-362-8335.
Morning Literature
Group: May 19th
10:30am. Catherine
Dickson Hofman
Library. Join us for a
lively discussion by
fellow book lovers!
FMI, call 908-362-8335.
PJ Story Time: May
19th, 7pm. Catherine
Dickson Hofman
Library. Wear your
pajamas & bring your
pillow, blanket or favor-
ite buddy & join us for
stories & a craft. All
preschool aged children
invited. FMI, call 908-
362-8335.
Lapsit Story Time &
Sing-Along for Tots:
May 19th, 10am. Cath-
erine Dickson Hofman
Library. For children
ages 12- 36 months with
an adult who will also
participate. FMI, call
908-362-8335.
Close-Up Lecture with
Len Rue, Jr.: May
20th, 7pm. Catherine
Dickson Hofman
Library. Nature enthusi-
asts & photographer Len
Rue, Jr., presents a
close-up lecture. FMI,
call 908-362-8335.
Blair Woman's Club
Annual Tea Time:
Tuesday, May 20th,
12:30. Catherine Dick-
son Hofman Library.
Details next week!
Happens. Senior Fraud
Kit provided to each
attendee. Refreshments
served. RSVP recom-
mended. FIM, call
Home Instead Senior
Care Office: 908-835-
1400.
Free Legal Seminar
for Elderly: May 14th,
2-4pm. Project Self
Sufficiency, 127 Mill
St., Newton. Will cover
general estate planning,
development of a will,
advance directions for
healthcare, dealing with
Medicare & Medicaid,
tips on caring for aging
parents, & other issues
related to elderly. To
register, call 973-940-
3500.
Blairstown Seniors Bus
Trip: June 11th. The
Pines Dinner Theatre.
Anyone over 55 is
welcome to see Celebra-
tion USA. Sign up is
May 15th at 1pm at
Town Hall. FMI, call
Micki at 908-362-8919.
Snack & Read Book
Club: May 15th,
2:45pm. Catherine
Dickson Hofman
Library. Ages 12-15.
Sign up necessary. FMI,
call 908-362-8335.
Adult Jeopardy: May
15th, 7pm. Catherine
Dickson Hofman
Library. Test your trivia
knowledge of a wide
variety of topics. Regis-
tration required. Ages 18
& up. FMI, call 908-
362-8335.
I Love The Fair
Ground Cleanup: May
16th & 17th, 9am-
4pm. Sussex County
Fairgrounds, Augusta.
Volunteers needed. FMI,
call 973-600-8658.
Tricky Tray: Satur-
day, May 17th. Doors
Open 6pm. Drawing at
7:30pm. Independence
Twp. Fire House, Cem-
Free Family Law Semi-
nar: May 7th, 7-9pm.
Project Self-Sufficiency
127 Mill St., Newton.
Topics: child support,
grounds for divorce,
court procedures,
custody, alimony,
parenting time, equitable
distribution of assets &
other topics related to
divorce. Free & open to
the public. To register,
call Project Self-
Sufficiency at 973-940-
3500.
Project Self-
Sufficiency Career &
Job Fair: May 7th,
10am-2pm. 127 Mill
Street, Newton. Free &
open to the public; no
registration required.
FMI, call 973-940-3500,
or visit projectself
sufficiency.org.
Empowerment for
Women Program: May
7th, 7pm. Catherine
Dickson Hofman
Library. A Life Empow-
erement Coach will
speak about how to
learn to tap into &
harness your own power,
rise above it & take an
active role in your own
life. FMI, call 908-362-
8335.
NW Girls Soccer
Tricky Tray: May 9th.
Doors open 6pm; First
Drawing 7:30pm.
North Warren High
School, 10 Noe Rd,
Blairstown Advanced
tickets at Voula's Hair-
way to Heaven. Refresh-
ments available. Go to
Trickytray.com for more
information.
Fashion Illustrating:
May 10th, 10:30am.
Catherine Dickson
Hofman Library. Partici-
pants are introduced to
fashion illustrating
through drawings, poses,
& clothing. Ages teen -
adult. Registration
required. FMI, call 908-
362-8335.
One Stop Mom Shop:
May 10th & 11th,
10am-3pm. 350 Oxford
Rd, Oxford. Spring
plants & baked goods!
Warren Haven Strolling
Garden Family Council
Coalition to Save
Warren Haven. To
dontate baked goods,
plants or support in any
way, call 908-637-8244
or email icare@warren
haven.org.
Committeeman Avail-
able: May 10th,
11:30am-1pm. Paul
Avery will be at the
Town Hall. No appoint-
ment necessary. In an
effort to develop new
lines of communication
for Blairstown citizens,
Committeeman Paul
Avery will again be
available to meet with
residents.
Patriot Park Play-
ground Sycamore Park
Gr o u n d b r e a k i n g
Ceremony: May 14th,
8am. Lambert Rd.
Blairstown. Grand
opening ceremony
May 18th, 5pm.
Evening Literature
Group May 14th: 7pm.
Catherine Dickson
Hofman Library. Join
the group for some inter-
esting reads & lively
discussions. FMI, call
908-362-8335.
United Methodist
Church & Home
Instead Senior Care
Free Educational
Workshops, now
through November: 1st
meeting May 14th,
7pm-9pm. United
Methodist Church, 116
E. Washington Ave.,
Washington. Topics are
Financial Abuse Tactics,
Top Scams, Impact of
Crime on the Elderly,
Fraud Triggers and
Targets, Scam Proof
your Senior & What to
Do if the Inevitable
(NAPSI)Not hi ng
says summer like ham-
burgers and hot dogs
sizzling on the grill. In
fact, according to the
25th annual Weber
GrillWatch Survey,
more than 80 percent of
grill owners say that
burgers are their favor-
ite thing to grill,
followed by hot dogs
(75 percent).
To celebrate
Americas love affair
with hamburgers, brats
and other classic grilled
fare, Weber Grills has
released Webers Big
Book of Burgers-their
first cookbook dedi-
cated to fueling
Americas passion for
backyard classics.
This book is truly a
start-to-finish guide to
throwing the ultimate
backyard bash, says
New York Times best-
selling cookbook
author Jamie Purvi-
ance. Each of the 160
recipes features a photo
and goes beyond the
burger, with fun twists
on hot dogs, side dishes
and even cocktails.
Webers Big Book of
Burgers also explores
famous regional favor-
ites in its America the
Burgerful section,
including Santa Fe,
where the green chili
cheeseburger rules, to
Columbia, South
Carolinas own pimento
cheeseburger.
An in-depth Sausage
and Hot Dog Geogra-
phy section salutes
regional favorites like
Classic Chicago-Style
Hot Dogs topped with
pickled sport peppers
and neon-green relish,
and New York Hot
Dogs with Sweet Red
Onions.
Extreme Burgers
Serves: 4 Prep Time: 25
minutes. Grilling Time:
68 minutes
4 slices thick-cut
bacon, cup mayon-
naise, 1 teaspoon
minced garlic, Kosher
salt, Freshly ground
black pepper, 2 ripe
Hass avocados, 1 table-
spoon fresh lime juice,
2 teaspoons minced
garlic, 2 pounds ground
chuck (80 percent lean),
1 tablespoon Worces-
tershire sauce,
teaspoon smoked
paprika, teaspoon
onion powder, 8 thin
slices cheddar cheese, 4
hamburger buns, split,
4 leaves Boston lettuce,
1 ripe beefsteak tomato,
cut crosswise into 4
slices about inch
thick.
In a skillet over
medium heat, fry the
bacon until crisp, 10 to
12 minutes, turning
occasionally. Drain on
paper towels.
Whisk the mayo ingre-
dients, including
teaspoon salt and
teaspoon pepper. Mash
the guacamole ingredi-
ents, including
teaspoon salt and
teaspoon pepper.
Mix the ground chuck
with the Worcestershire
sauce, 1 teaspoon salt,
teaspoon pepper, the
smoked paprika and
onion powder, and then
gently form eight
patties of equal size,
each about inch thick
and a little wider than
the buns.
Refrigerate the patties
until ready to grill.
Prepare the grill for
direct cooking over
medium-high heat
(400 to 500 F). Grill
the patties over direct
medium-high heat, with
the lid closed, until
cooked to medium
doneness (160 F), 6 to
8 minutes, turning
once.
During the last 30
seconds to 1 minute of
grilling time, place a
slice of cheese on each
patty to melt, and toast
the buns, cut side down,
over direct heat.
Build each burger on a
bun with garlic mayo, a
lettuce leaf, a tomato
slice, two patties, as
much guacamole as you
like, a slice of bacon
(torn in half) and more
garlic mayo.
Serve immediately.
For more information
or to get a copy of
Webers Big Book of
Burgers, visit
www.weber.com or
www.amazon.com.
Hello fellow readers,
Its challenging to talk
when your mouth is
wide open with dental
tools, a sucking device,
and a set of hands. In
fact it can be trying and
I wonder if the strategy
of encouraging conver-
sation is to keep our
mind off their work.
Lets just say I would
rather go to the female
doctor than the dentist
even though Im blessed
with good teeth.
While there, I had a
lovely chat with Dawn
who is not only a
gardener she is a gentle
dental assistant. Dawn,
mentioned a favorite
plant Brunnera
pronounced BRUN-er-
ah, with the accent on
the first syllable, also
known as Siberian
Bugloss. In spring it is
covered in tiny blue
flowers with yellow
centers typical of the
old-fashioned Forget-
me-nots; hence is also
called False or Perennial
Forget-me-nots.
The delicate flowers
are in sprays above the
foliage and often stay in
bloom for 4 weeks. An
outstanding feature is
the large, heart-shaped
leaves; some solid deep
green and others with
unique variegation or
spotted in silvery-white.
Attractive foliage is an
essential element in the
garden enjoyed
throughout the growing
season beyond when in
flower.
Deer and slugs do not
often bother Brunnera
(yay), which makes it a
wonderful alternative to
Hosta and looks fabu-
lous with different
textures and leaf shapes
such as Hellabores, Iris,
Bleeding heart, and
Geraniums. Brunnera
prefers part to full shade
but some varieties can
grow in full sun if kept
constantly moist. Its
true that the variegated
leaves can burn in direct
sunlight and plants may
go dormant in extreme
heat. Use Brunnera in
woodland or shade
gardens and near ponds.
It makes a great ground
cover, looks beautiful
lining a border or path
and is a wonderful
choice for containers.
Brunnera macrophylla
is low maintenance but
a slow grower; though
the flashy foliage and
long lasting flowers are
well worth the wait!
Jack Frost is my favor-
ite with large heart-
shaped, silver leaves
outlined by a web of
green veins and does
well in sun if kept moist.
Other favorite varieties
include Langtrees with
dark green leaves and
silvery spotted edges,
Hadspen Cream with
creamy variegation and
'Looking Glass' with
silver leaves that look
almost metallic.
Thanks for our one-
way conversation
Dawn. Garden chat is
always relaxing.
Garden dilemmas?
askmarystone.com
Dr. Jim, what are the
best options to treat
lower back pain?
By Dr. James R.
Fedich, Chiropractor
AllamuchyFamilyClinic.co
mWell, you are not
alone. It is estimated
that 80 percent of
Americans will experi-
ence a bout of lower
back pain. When we are
the ones stricken with
the back pain, there are
so many treatment
options that it can make
your head spin.
We all know that an
ounce of prevention is
worth a pound of cure.
And of course that is
always true. Proper diet,
exercise, nutrition and
spinal care can avoid
most serious spinal
problems. However,
now we have waited
until it hurts, what
should we do now?
Three recent studies
have come out to help us
with this difficult
decision. One study
published in the Journal
of Manipulative and
Physiological Thera-
peutics sought to see the
effects of active care
(exercise and stretch-
ing), chiropractic
manipulation, or both
together. The study
found that chiropractic
manipulation, along
with active care yielded
the best results.
Another study in the
same journal examined
the effectiveness of
muscle relaxers or
chiropractic adjust-
ments for low back pain.
The Agency of Health
Care Policy and
Research stated in 1994
that for uncomplicated
acute low back pain,
chiropractic manipula-
tion was recommended
as the top treatment.
They also recommended
that anti-inflammatory
drugs could be used.
This study aimed at
deciphering which was
more effective. After
two weeks of treatment
with either adjustments
or anti-inflammatory,
the adjustments proved
to be more effective
than the placebo, muscle
relaxers, or anti-
inflammatory.
A third study in the
Journal Spine sought to
seek the results of
patients who choose
back surgery. This
study examined nearly
18,000 patients with
back pain. The study
sought to seek the qual-
ity of life of patients
after back surgery for a
previous problem and
those that choose not to
have surgery.
Previous back surgery
is associated with
significantly worse
general health status
than those without
surgery, stated the
research team.
It was discovered that
patients who underwent
surgery had a far poorer
quality of life years
later.
So, that was a lot of
information in a short
amount of time. How-
ever, it is important to
review your options.
Even though a study
recommends one type of
treatment over another,
it does not mean that
treatment is right for
you. Different treat-
ments work for different
people. It is important
to try a conservative
approach first and work
your way up the ladder.
Exercise, nutrition and
adjustments rarely
create permanent
damage, however, other
options might.
Dont expect immedi-
ate results from any
treatment and remember
to be patient. If one
treatment doesnt work,
try another. The beauty
of our country is that we
have so many options
for so many things.
Madeline Taranto's
landscape oil paintings
wowed the judges at the
3rd Annual Warren
County Arts Festival on
April 28th.
Taranto, of Port
Murray, thus earned the
first place prize of
$1000. Doris Ettlinger
of Hampton, water
color painter and illus-
trator, took second
place, $500, and
Melissa Pikul of
Florida, New York, took
the third place prize for
her handcrafted jewelry.
She received a check
for $250. Kyler Rolo-
son of Belvidere
received the Student
Artist prize for his
graffiti art. He, too,
received a check for
$250.
"We had our largest
registration of artists
ever," said Sandi
Cerami, Executive
Director of the Wash-
ington Business
Improvement District
(WBID). "Each year the
festival gets bigger and
bigger. In fact, this year
we sold out of spaces a
few days before the
event. It was an exciting
day, a lot of fun."
Dozens of artists and
vendors lined the streets
of Downtown Washing-
ton for this year's Arts
Festival, and the newest
edition to the event, a
Green Fair, drew many
families and children.
Presented by the
WBID the Arts Festival
also featured live music
with local favorites
Claire Reynolds and
Mike Esposito.
The WBID, hosts an
array of arts-oriented
events during the year,
including a monthly art
walk and the Festival in
the Borough September
6th-7th, the region's
largest street and music
festival. If you'd like
more information about
any of these events and
how you can get
involved, you 908-
689-4800 or visit
washingtonbid.org. You
can also LIKE the
Washington BID Face-
book Page.
Spring appears to
finally be upon us! There
are so many good things
about this time of year,
but it also means we
must be aware of the
danger parasites can
present to our pets. Last
month we looked at what
we can do about fleas
and ticks. This month we
will discuss another
threat- heartworm
disease.
If you go back about
thirty-five years or so,
heartworm disease was
one of the top killers of
dogs in New Jersey.
Then a drug was devel-
oped called diethylcar-
bamazine, which was a
daily oral heartworm
preventative. The
incidence of heartworm
disease dropped. How-
ever, stopping the medi-
cation for even a few
days would leave a dog
susceptible to the infec-
tion. A number of years
later, ivermectin was
created and its use as an
anthelmintic was unpar-
alleled. It could be used
just once a month to
prevent heartworms and
because this was so
much easier, the number
of cases of heartworm
disease dropped even
more.
Heartworm disease is
less common now, but it
is still vital to protect
your pet for several
reasons. The first can be
summed up in one event-
Hurricane Katrina.
Many dogs were left
homeless and rescue
groups relocated them
all over the country.
Unfortunately, fifty
percent of those dogs
had heartworm disease.
With those new sources
of infection, mosquitos
started transmitting
heartworm and it is now
present in all fifty states.
A second thing is that
we are seeing many
rescue dogs being
brought up from the
southern part of the US,
where heartworm
disease is rampant.
Again, with a source of
infection, mosquitos can
spread the disease. In
addition, coyotes and
fox can carry and trans-
mit heartworm. Luckily
we dont have an
epidemic, but that is
because so many owners
are diligent in protecting
their pets.
Heartworm disease is
treatable, but that treat-
ment is not without risk.
The medication, called
Immiticide, does kill the
heartworms quite effec-
tively, but since those
worms live in the heart
and in the blood vessels
leading into the lungs,
when they die, they can
cause fatal blood clots in
the lungs. It is much
better to prevent the
infection in the first
place.
Heartgard is a chew-
able monthly tablet that
also prevents round-
worms and hookworms.
Sentinel does all that,
plus it controls whip-
worms and also kills flea
eggs and larva, helping
to prevent house infesta-
tions. A third option is
Proheart 6. This is an
injection that is given
every six months and
prevents heartworms as
well as hookworms.
Revolution is a topical
application that is
particularly useful in
cats. Cats do get heart-
worm disease and since
Immiticide is toxic to
them, there is no treat-
ment. Revolution
prevents heartworm,
roundworms, hook-
worms and kills fleas
and ticks. It also kills ear
mites and scabies.
If your pet is currently
on heartworm preventa-
tive, kudos to you! If not,
dogs need to be tested to
make sure they are nega-
tive before starting the
preventative. The test is
a simple blood test that
can also be combined
with a test for several
tick-transmitted diseases
(lyme, ehrlichia and
anaplasma). We can then
discuss the best option
for heartworm preven-
tion to help your pet
continue to have a happy
and active life.
The top high school
writers were recognized
at a special reading at
Warren County Com-
munity College in April.
Winners of the 2014
Warren County High
School Fiction and
Poetry Contests, as well
as the student authors of
WCCC whose works
appear in this year's
edition of Ars Poetica,
the Student Art and
Literary Magazine, did
readings at the event.
The winners of the
2014 Fiction Contest
are, 1st Place, Marissa
Perino, Phillipsburg,
2nd Place, Christian
Menza, Warren County
Technical School, 3rd
Place, Simtan Patel,
Warren Hills, and Hon-
orable Mention, Morgan
Rutar, Phillipsburg.
The winners of the
2014 Warren County
High School Poetry
Contest are, 1st Place,
Marissa Perino,
Phillipsburg, 2nd Place,
Nicole Antonelli,
Warren Hills, 3rd Place,
Caleb Frey, Phillips-
burg, and Honorable
Mentions, Ewurakua
D a w s o n - A m o a h ,
Phillipsburg, and Sarah
Gross, Belvidere.
Open to all high school
students in Warren
County, over 150
submissions were sent
in this year.
The Visiting Authors
Series is supported by a
grant from the Warren
County Cultural and
Heritage Commission.
The Blair Academy
Players are proud to be
presenting Arthur
Millers All My Sons
on May 8th, 9th and 10th
at 7:30pm in Armstrong-
Hipkins Center for the
Arts Wean Theatre.
Admission to the show
is $10 for adults and $5
for non-Blair students.
Reservations can be
made by emailing direc-
tor Micki Kaplan
McMillan at
mcmilm@blair.edu.
The play opens in a
suburban American
neighborhood in 1947 as
Joe and Kate Keller
(played by Tyler Brooks
15 and Lizzie Devlin
16) mourn the loss of
their son Larry, who
went missing during
World War II. Their son
Chris (played by Kend-
all Slocum 15) would
like to marry his
brothers ex-fiance
Ann Deever (played by
Abby Troy 14), but her
brother, George (played
by Andrew Parsons 15),
arrives to interfere with
the couples plans to
wed. Soon it is revealed
that Ann and Georges
father was sent to prison,
while Joe was set free,
for a crime the two com-
mitted. As the plot
unfolds, guilt, denial and
anger become the focus
of the play as the charac-
ters grapple with their
own actions and emo-
tions, as well as those of
the people around them.
The cast also includes
Dan Kim 15, Brianna
Annunziata 16, Karthik
Reddy '15, Taylor Hunt
'15 and Mekhi Holley
17.
The Players and I
reveled in Arthur
Millers exploration of
self preservation in this
play, and the lengths to
which his desperate
characters are willing to
go to survive, while also
protecting those whom
they love, said Ms.
McMillan, who
produced the show
alongside student-
director Martinique Ho
14.
More so than any
other performance Ive
directed in my eight
years at Blair, All My
Sons presented an
intense challenge to our
student-actors, she
concluded. This is a
talented crop of
performers who rose to
that challenge, and I am
extremely proud of their
growth.
Blairstown's beloved
landmark, the Old Mill,
was built circa 1818 by
local businessman and
resident William
Hankinson. It was a
stone replacement for the
previous grist and saw
mill that Benjamin Smith
had erected in 1760 and
the reason the village
was originally referred to
as "Smith's Mills".
Hankinson's stone mill
has undergone several
renovations over the
years including a
wooden extension (later
removed - see photo, abt
1900), an additional floor
and finally the arches
that were added in about
1903 and have become
its identifying character-
istic. Among his many
endeavors, John I. Blair
owned the mill from
about 1880 until nearly
the time of his death in
1899. Mill operations
ceased in 1932 and by
1941 it became the Blair-
stown Public Library,
created by the Blair
Woman's Club. It was
later renamed Catherine
Dickson Hofman Library
and in 1995 the library
moved to its current
location on Lambert
Road. The mill is now
owned by Blair Acad-
emy. Blairstown
Historic Preservation
Committee - Celebrating
Blairstown's 175th Anni-
versary. 1839-2014
Black Card members,so
it's not as if we are knock-
ing on American
Express's front door as
fierce competitors. Not
2014, a second cease and
desist only that, but the
size and scale of the
Blairstown Black Card is
inherently limited by the
name. While there are a
few Black Card members
and businesses participat-
ing in areas slightly
outside of Blairstown
(Hope, Frelinghuysen,
Columbia) a move
towards nationwide
expansion seems unlikely
at this point. Finally, lets
not forget that the Ameri-
can Express Black Card
and the Blairstown Black
Card are fundamentally
different in their nature.
For example, one of
them is a credit card
while the other is a
discount card, which
doesn't even have a
magnetic strip. If I were
trying to rip off the
American Express credit
card in question, I would
have created the worlds
worst imitation product
ever. The Blairstown
Black Card cannot even
swipe and since it is a
thick metal card it would
probably break most
credit card readers.
Another glaring example
of how these two are
different has to be the
price tag. The Blairstown
Black Card is currently
$30.00 and anyone can
buy one. The American
Express Black Card is by
invitation only and has an
initial fee of $7,500.00
plus a $2,500.00 annual
fee. At this point the
Blairstown Black Card
LLC could not even
afford the initial fee for an
AmEx Black Card, even
it were lucky enough to
be invited to their high
brow club.
Why did this happen?
The issue was the term
"blackcard", which
apparently American
Express owns, so don't try
to use the words black
and card consecutively
without express written
consent from American
Express first. It is also
worth mentioning that the
credit card in question is
actually called the Ameri-
can Express Centurion
Card and it is only infor-
mally referred to as the
"blackcard". Regardless,
their Trademark Enforce-
ment team felt it was
necessary to contact me
and use scary legal terms
like "trademark infringe-
ment" and "immediately
discontinue any and all
use".
Now with my vast expe-
rience and understanding
of trademark law (20
minutes on Wikipedia), I
think they have a weak
case based on the 8
specific criteria, which
are used to determine
confusion of trademark
infringement. I would
have put a side by side
image of the Blairstown
Black Card and the
AmEx Centurion Card so
you can see the differ-
ences, but two cease and
desist letters this month is
enough for me - feel free
to Google it on your own.
The term "mark" in this
instance is blackcard.
See my responses in bold.
1. Strength of the mark -
Different typeface, size,
and location on the card.
2. Blairstown Black
Card is a discount card,
not an invitation only
credit card. It doesn't
even contain a magnetic
strip.
3. Similarity of the
marks - Different
typeface, size, and
location on the card.
4. Marketing channels
used - Facebook Ads and
word of mouth - not a
Madison Avenue market-
ing firm.
5. Type of goods and the
degree of care likely to be
exercised by the
purchaser - If anyone
purchased a Blairstown
Black Card and expected
to get an American
Express Centurion Card,
please let me know and I
apologize for any confu-
sion. You must be disap-
pointed with what you
received and will be
refunded in full, which
you can put towards the
$7,500.00 initial fee for
the card you were expect-
ing.
6. Defendant's intent in
selecting the mark - The
Blairstown Black Card is
a black metal card based
in Blairstown, NJ. The
"mark" seems appropri-
ate.
7. Likelihood of expan-
sion of the product lines -
The Blairstown Black
Card is based in Blair-
stown, NJ. Expansion
outside of Blairstown is
not only unlikely, but
wouldn't be practical due
to the name.
So that is the legal side
of the argument, which is
questionable at best. Let's
take a look at the morality
of what is and has
happened in the past few
days.
Do you know who
makes up my legal team?
You know what? Let's
forget about right and
wrong for a minute and
let's just think about
whether the Blairstown
Black Card and AmEx
Centurion Card could
possibly co-exist without
issue. Considering that
the Blairstown Black
Card is limited in both
size and scale due to it's
name, the cards are
functionally different,
and we are in non-
competing spaces, then
yes, I think we could co-
exist without any real
issue.
[Side note: Visa also has
a Black Card. They are a
direct competitor to
American Express as a
credit card company, but
somehow the Visa Black
Card is still around. They
probably have an equally
impressive legal team.]
Moving forward, I have
willfully complied with
their request and have
moved my entire website
to a new domain name
b l a i r s t o wn - b l a c k -
card.myshopify.com over
the past weekend.
Typically on weekends, I
meet with business
owners trying to grow the
Blairstown Black Card,
fulfill orders, and send
out email updates to
current members inform-
ing them about the latest
deals. Instead, I spent the
whole weekend dealing
with this borderline frivo-
lous issue while creating
an entirely new website -
Thanks AmEx! The
reason it is so frustrating
is because this is such an
obvious case of a bully,
pushing around the small
guy. The worst part is that
I cannot do anything
about it. I do not have the
resources or knowledge
to put up a reasonable
fight so I am forced into
compliance by default. I
gave into their request
and am no longer using
the domain name blairsto
wnblackcard.com. Four
months of building out
that site, optimizing it for
SEO, and creating an
online store were all
taken away in an instant.
Not to mention all of the
marketing material which
currently brandishes the
w e b s i t e
www.blairstownblackcar
d.com is now essentially
worthless.
However, I am doing all
of this under protest,
hence this article. If they
are going to push me
around, the least I can do
is let people know how
and why it's happening.
Did I try to boost my
business by piggybacking
an established name like
Not intentionally, but the
Blairstown Black Card is
a black metal card based
in Blairstown. You can be
the judge of whether or
not it is a reasonable
name.
Did other people pay
attention to my business
because of an established
coorperation. I don't
know because I cannot
speak for other people.
Unlike American Express
who claims that, "As you
are no doubt aware,
Blackcard is a trademark
used to identify products,
services, activities and
events related to Ameri-
can Express." I'm sorry
American Express, I was
not aware that you own
the words black and card
when relating to all prod-
ucts, services, activities,
and events.
Am I wrong in this situa-
tion?
Legally speaking,
maybe. Morally and
ethically, maybe. Who am
I to say? All I can do is let
you know what transpired
a few weeks ago and let
you all come to your own
conclusions.
At this point, I will let
the chips fall where they
may and just continue
with what I initially set
out to do - help small
businesses in Blairstown,
grow the Blairstown
Black Card for the current
members, and hope the
legal team at American
Express doesn't come up
with any more cute ideas.
But in case they do, you
will all be the first to
know!
With Love,
Parker Condit - Proud
Founder
Blairstown Black Card