Teen pianist Shayne

Harrell recently
harnessed his musical
talents to create a CD of
his performances and
made it available for
sale in order to raise
funds for local non-
profit agency Project
Self-Sufficiency. The
CD is a compilation of
pieces prepared by
Shayne over the past
few years as part of a
recent evaluation by the
Piano Guild, a division
of the American College
of Musicians, a non-
profit organization that
encourages growth and
enjoyment through the
study of piano. The
production of the CD
was supervised by
Shaynes piano teacher,
Margaret Korczynski, of
the Sussex County
Music Workshop.
Pieces by Bach, Handel
and Burgmuller are
among the 10 works
presented on the CD.
Sevent een-year-ol d
Shayne, a student at
Pope John High School
in Sparta, is no stranger
to community service.
He is currently serving
as President of the
National Honor Society
at his school. He has
also participated in food
drives for Project Self-
Sufficiency, assisted
with programs for
special needs children
and serves as an usher at
his church.
He settled on Project
Self-Sufficiency as the
beneficiary of the funds
from his CD because of
the agencys broad-
based appeal.
I wanted to do some-
thing with my ability to
play piano and I thought
that a good way to raise
funds would be to make
a CD. I chose Project
S e l f - S u f f i c i e n c y
because it appeals to all
of Sussex County and
not just a specific
group, Shayne said.
Students of the Sussex
County Music Work-
shop, co-directed by
Margaret and her
husband Edward, are
often encouraged to use
their musical gifts to
benefit others.
One of the best ways
to perform community
service is to work in a
field that the student is
strong in, Margaret
said. Organizing a
concert is extremely
difficult, so one of the
best ways to raise
money is to create a
CD.
For example, during
the past eight years,
young piano students
from the Sussex County
Music Workshop have
been mentoring special
needs students at nearby
Walnut Ridge elemen-
tary school. A CD devel-
oped of classical reper-
toire performed by these
students has been sold to
benefit the special
education department of
the school.
Margaret praises the
efforts of all her
students, noting, Who
wants to play the piano?
Only hard-working kids!
Shayne is a lovely young
man. He works very
diligently at the piano.
He came up with this
concept himself. He
learned interesting
pieces of music and now
he is selling it.
The following is a list
of books added to the
Warren County
Library collection:
How to Read Literature
Like a Professor
Revised: A Lively and
Entertaining Guide to
Reading Between the
Lines, by Thomas C.
Foster. Mindset: The
New Psychology of
Success, by Carol
Dweck. Hands Free
Mama: A Guide to
Putting Down the
Phone, Burning the
To-Do List, and Letting
Go of Perfection to
Grasp What Really
Matters!, by Rachel
Macy Stafford. Frozen
Read-Along Storybook
and CD, from Disney
Press. The Amazing
Spider-Man 2 (DVD/
UltraViolet), from Sony.
The Promise (Thunder
Point), by Robyn Carr.
The Arsenal of Democ-
racy: FDR, Ford Motor
Company, and Their
Epic Quest to Arm an
America at War, by A. J.
Baime. Esperanza
Rising, by Pam Munoz
Rising. Clean Eats: Over
200 Delicious Recipes
to Reset Your Body's
Natural Balance and
Discover What It Means
to Be Truly Healthy, by
Alejandro Junger. The
Single Moms Club,
from Lions Gate. I am
Number Four Book 5,
by Pittacus Lore. The
Job: A Novel (Fox and
O'Hare), by Janet
Evanovich. A Replace-
ment Life: A Novel, by
Boris Fishman. The
Carpenter: Build a Win-
ning Team, by Jon
Gordon. Guy On Fire:
130 Outdoor Cooking
Adventures, by Guy
Fieri. Avatar: The Last
Airbender: The Rift Part
2, by Gene Luen Yang.
The Family Cooks:
100+ Recipes to Get
Your Family Craving
Food That's Simple,
Tasty, and Incredibly
Good for You, by Laurie
David. Defending Your
Castle: Build Catapults,
Crossbows, Moats,
Bulletproof Shields, and
More Defensive
Devices to Fend Off the
Invading Hordes, by
William Gurstelle.
Blairstown Dog Park
Update: Members of
the dog park recently
appealed to the Blair-
stown Committee for
parking for the handi-
cap, which has been
granted. This will make
the park available for
everyone. Look for the
signs in the near future.
Also requested was
permission to plant
small trees to be donated
by deceased members
families and a small
shelter or pavilion for
shade. These will be
considered by the com-
mittee and advised at the
next meeting.
NW Marching Band
is selling three-month
calendar raffles. They
are $10 each for 92
chances to win! Daily
drawings will be held
July through September.
For more information,
contact Sandy at 908-
448-1889.
The North Warren
Recreation Group is
welcoming outdoor
enthusiasts that enjoy
things such as hiking,
bike riding, canoeing,
hunting, local fishing,
deep sea fishing trips,
golfing, archery and gun
target shooting, and
wildlife sightseeing.
Hosting two activities a
month will be the goal
of the group. If inter-
ested, email Matthew at
muconn47@centurylink
.net.
Photos from North
Warrens and
Belvideres graduation
ceremonies are now
available online for
purchase. They make
great gifts! Visit
thepressphotos.fototime
.com to view and
purchase photos, calen-
dars, mugs, t-shirts and
more!
Send us your summer
fun photos! Email
thepressmail@gmail.co
m with the subject NJ
Summer Fun Photos.
Say Happy Birth-
day to your loved
ones in The PRESS!
Send us their names and
birthdays and well print
it here for free! You can
also send us a photo and
a birthday wish and
well publish it in the
paper for a small fee.
For more information,
call 610-599-1952.
We love hearing
from you!
Send your tidbits of
info to: The PRESS
PO Box 430
Blairstown, NJ 07825
thepressmail
@gmail.com
Like us on Facebook!
On July 13th the Hope
Historical Society will
be celebrating 60 years
of service to the commu-
nity. The free event will
take place in the village
at both the Community
Center and the Museum.
Both locations will be
open for visitors from
1pm to 4pm. The
village center is just a
few minutes from Exit
12 on Interstate Route
80. Visitors arriving
from Route 80 should
take Route 521 south to
the blinker light and turn
left. The museum is
located on Route 519
(also known locally as
High Street), one block
north of the blinker light
in the center of town,
and the Community
Center is a short walk
one block away on
Walnut Street.
The society will also be
showing a video in the
community center
several times during the
day. The video to be
shown at the Commu-
nity Center is a docu-
mentary made in 1955.
It depicts life in a rural
village, circa 1800s and
contrasts it with the
1950s The 1800s era
was filmed in Hope and
the 1950s era in Hack-
ettstown. Local
residents were cast as
actors in the movie.
Hackettstown residents
may recognize the home
at 610 Grand Avenue
where the movie was
filmed. Some of the
residents in the movie
were Ruth Hoover and
Jim Cochran(if anyone
recognizes other Hack-
ettstown residents who
were actors, the
museum would like to
be made aware so the
records can be updated).
Hope residents who
took part in the movie
include Amanda
Bowers, Fred Planer Sr.,
Tom Planer, Bobby
Liss, JC Van Horn,
Linda Green, Sandy
Hutchins, Bo Hartung,
Betty Switzer, Rob
Walton and Eleanor
Kostenbader.
Another video of inter-
est to Hope residents
will be the Last Cup of
Coffee, a tribute to
Hartungs Store on High
street, which served the
residents for several
generations before Skip
Hartung retired. A 60th
anniversary cake and
punch will also be
served at the Commu-
nity Center during the
day.
Free Walking Tour
maps of the historic
village will be available.
The tour lists 34 items
of historical interest for
visitors wishing to take
an easy stroll around the
village. Horror movie
buffs may recognize
two locations filmed
here for the original
Friday the 13th movie.
For more, call Nancy
Treible at 459-4277
The Warren County
Health Department is
reporting that three
free-roaming cats have
tested positive for rabies
this spring, and would
like to remind residents
that rabies in wildlife
and free-roaming
animals continues to
pose a risk to pets and
people.
Rabies is transmitted
through the saliva of an
infected animal through
a bite, or an open cut.
Rabies is almost always
100 percent fatal once a
person or animal begins
to show symptoms.
Protecting pets, includ-
ing those kept indoors
and livestock, by keep-
ing them up to date on
their rabies vaccine is an
important step in reduc-
ing the spread of the
virus as well as reducing
the chances of develop-
ing the disease.
Rabies is a prevent-
able disease, said
Cindy Beernink, head of
the health departments
rabies program. It is
very important to make
sure your animals are
properly vaccinated.
Owners should talk with
their veterinarian if they
are unsure of their pets
vaccination status, she
noted.
Vaccination and
animal control
programs have helped to
prevent rabies in most
pets. Cats and dogs that
spend time outdoors
may have more risk of
coming into contact
with a rabid wild
animal, but it is impor-
tant to also vaccinate
pets that stay indoors. In
New Jersey, cats
account for the vast
majority of domestic
animal rabies cases.
Farm animals, dogs, and
other domestic pets can
also become infected so
take measures to keep
wild animals from
entering houses, attics,
barns, and garages.
There are other steps
residents are urged to
take to protect them-
selves and their pets
from rabies.
Thoroughly washing
animal bites and
scratches with soap and
water.
Seek medical attention
after an animal bite or
scratch.
Avoid all contact with
wild and free roaming
animals. This includes
bats, stray cats and
dogs.
Do not allow pets to
roam free.
Report unusual behav-
ior in free-roaming or
wild animals to your
local animal control
officer.
Report all bites to your
local health department.
Fortunately, for
persons who have been
exposed to an infected
animal, there is a highly
effective treatment to
prevent the develop-
ment of the disease.
This treatment is
referred to as Postexpo-
sure Prophylaxis or
PEP. It consists of a
four-dose rabies vacci-
nation regimen in
conjunction with rabies
i mmu n o g l o b u l i n .
Administration of PEP
is considered a medical
urgency, not a medical
emergency.
For more information,
residents can call the
health department at
908-475-7960 during
normal business hours
or visit the Centers for
Disease Control and
Preventions website at
www.cdc.gov/rabies.
with Alzheimers
Disease or Dementia.
Will explore symptoms,
managing and coping
with behaviors, Health
concerns, activities, &
taking care of you, the
caregiver. A workbook
will be provided.
Refreshments will be
served. RSVP recom-
mended. Please call
Home Instead Senior
Care office at 908-835-
1400.
Childrens Concert by
singer/ songwriter
Elaine Silver: Sat.,
June 28th, 10am.
Parish Hall, St. Lukes
Episcopal Church, 346
High Street, Hope.
Touch the Earth &
Hug a Tree is a fun &
lively show designed to
help make kids aware of
the environment,
getting along with
others & ways to help
preserve Mother Nature
for future generations.
Summer Bible School:
July 28th-Aug. 1st,
5:30pm-8pm. First
United Methodist
Church of Blairstown
10 Stillwater Rd.
Presented by Blair-
stown, Knowlton &
Walnut Valley
Churches. Bible fun,
great music, super
science, cool crafts,
hands-on mission work,
global games & more.
FMI, visit first
umcblairstown.com
Vacation Bible
School: Aug. 4th-8th,
9am-11:30am. 35
Main St., Blairstown.
All are welcome to this
program. Includes
crafts, recreation, Bible
stories, science, music,
and snack. FMI, call
908-362-5254.
visit balirstown-nj.org
and click on Recre-
ation.
Vacation Bible
School: July 21st-25th,
6-8:15pm. 3 Knowlton
Rd., Columbia. Dinner
for the whole family
provided at 6pm. Skits,
singing, puppets, games
& crafts. Free & all
welcome. FMI or to
register, contact
Bethany Summers at
908-459-4221 or betha
nypetvet@hughes.net.
Upcoming Land Use
Board Meeting: July
21st, 7:30pm. Blair-
stown municipal bldg.
To discuss North
Warren High School
land use. The public is
always welcome to
attend these meetings.
Free Social Security
Workshop: July 22nd,
2pm & 7pm. 31 Belvi-
dere Ave., Washington.
Sponsored by Warren
Co. Habitat for Human-
ity. FMI or to RSVP,
contact Erik
J.Hendriksen, FIC -
Thrivent Financial
Associate, at 908-849-
4832 or erik.hendriksen
@thrivent.com.
Blairstown Seniors
Bus Trip to
Ehrhardts on Lake
Wallenpaupack: Aug.
20th. Sign up is July
23rd at Town Hall,
1pm. The group will see
Danielles Dream Big
Tour. $30 per person.
FMI, call Mickey at
908-362-8919.
Alzheimers Family
Caregiver Workshop:
July 26th, 10am-
12pm. A personalized
experience for those
caring for loved ones
July Computer
Classes: Times Vary.
Project Self Suffi-
ciency, 127 Mill Street
in Newton. Classes
include an Introduction
to Personal Computers,
introductory &
advanced classes in
Microsoft Word &
Excel, PowerPoint &
Outlook, QuickBooks
accounting software, &
courses designed
specifically for seniors
& for men. Students
must be registered
Family Success Center
or Project Self-
Sufficiency partici-
pants. FMI, call 973-
940-3500 or visit proj-
ectself sufficiency.org.
Senior Fraud Preven-
tion Workshop: July
9th, 1pm. Phillipsburg
Public Library, 200
Broubalow Way.
Hosted by Phillipsburg
Free Public Library &
Home Instead Senior
Care of Warren Co.
Workshop will focus
on financial abuse
tactics, scenarios,
prevention & educa-
tion. Each participant
will be given a work-
book. RSVP to the
library at 908-454-
3712.
Petting Zoo: July 9th,
10:30am. Catherine
Dickson Hofman
Library. Come meet a
pony, pig, sheep,
donkey, goat, rabbit,
and chicken. FMI, call
908-459-8335
Story Hour with
Guest Reader: July
9th, 2pm. Catherine
Dickson Hofman
Library. Author &
elementary school
teacher Belinda Diaz-
Perez will read her new
book, Bully the Bull-
frog, and present a
follow up craft. FMI,
call 908-459-8335.
Free Workshop-
Preparing for Long
Term Care: A Gift
Your Family
Deserves: July 10th,
2pm & 7pm. 31 Belvi-
dere Ave., Washington.
Sponsored by Warren
Co. Habitat for Human-
ity. FMI or to RSVP,
contact Erik
J.Hendriksen, FIC -
Thrivent Financial
Associate, at 908-849-
4832 or
e r i k . h e n d r i k s e n
@thrivent.com.
How To Draw a Wol-
verine with Ted
Riddle: July 10th,
2pm. Catherine Dick-
son Hofman Library.
Join local comic book
author & illustrator,
Ted Riddle & learn
how to create a wolver-
ine on your own page.
Ages 8-14. Registra-
tion required. FMI, call
908-362-8335
Chess Camp for Chil-
dren: Mon.-Fri., July
14th-18th, 12:30-
2:30pm. Blairstown
Elementary School
library. Offers begin-
ners & intermediate
levels of play. Offered
by Blairstown Recre-
ation. Available to
boys & girls going into
grades 2-6 as of
September 2014.
There will be a tourna-
ment & medals
awarded, which will
culminate on Friday.
Fees apply. Registra-
tion accepted at the
Recreation Office,
mail-in or drop-off
box. FMI, call 908-
362-6663 ext. 232, or
Hello fellow readers,
I am flattered how
many of you introduced
yourselves at last
weeks 4th of July
festivities. It goes to
show the energy of our
local paper and the
sense of community it
promotes. I am grateful
to The PRESS and to all
of you for engaging in
our chat.
Well the heat is on,
which often goes hand
in hand with dryness,
causing plant stress.
How can we leave
stressed plants to de-
stress ourselves by
going on vacation?
Jim from Harmony
Township asks what to
do so his garden and
pots dont shrivel up
while he is away. The
temptation is to juice up
your plants before you
leave, but dont fertilize,
as it will stimulate new
growth that needs more
water.
Gather containers and
move them to the shade,
as their grouping will
help hold moisture and
humidity. Soak every
pot and bed long and
slow before you leave,
but don't leave plants
sitting in water, as root
rot is not reversible,
while drought stress
usually is. You can set
pots on stones or bricks
above the level of water
in a tray or saucer to
maintain humidity.
If you are going to be
away for more than a
week, best to have
someone come and
water your pots and
garden if Mother Nature
doesnt. And dont
forget about your indoor
plants, which are better
moved four feet or so
from a sunny window.
If it's really dry before
you leave, give the lawn
one long soak and avoid
the temptation to mow
extra short before you
leave, as it will cause
further stress. Not to
worry if your grass turns
a little brown. Going
dormant for a few weeks
in summer is natural and
makes your lawn less
welcoming to grubs.
Most of all, prepare for
a deer free-for-all, as
they will be quick
studies that you are
away. I use a systemic
organic spray called
Deer Out and dose even
deer resistant plants.
Enjoy your respite Jim;
your garden chores will
be waiting for your
return.
Garden dilemmas?
askmarystone.com

(NAPSI)Grilling is
one of Americas favor-
ite pastimes and a popu-
lar summer activity in
backyards across the
country. More than 60
percent of American
households will cook
kabobs, fresh vegetables,
and of course meat on
propane grills this
summer, according to the
Propane Education &
Research Council
(PERC). PERC is an
energy check-off
program dedicated to
safety and training for
the propane industry.
Summer is a time to
enjoy the outdoors with
family and friends, says
PERC President and
CEO Roy Willis. And
with the onset of warm
weather, its also a good
time to review outdoor
safety tips, including safe
grilling techniques.
Willis offers families
some simple reminders
for preparing and main-
taining safe cooking
conditions while using
propane grills.
Before using the grill,
he recommends review-
ing and following all grill
manufacturers instruc-
tions.
If you buy a propane-
powered grill and
assemble it yourself,
follow the
manufacturers instruc-
tions to the letter, Willis
says. Better yet, have
the grill assembled
before you bring it
home.
Next, the location of the
grill is an important
consideration. PERC
reminds families that the
only safe location for any
grillincluding propane
cooking unitsis
outside in a well-
ventilated area and a safe
distance from the home.
Grills should never be
placed in a confined
area, Willis says. Make
sure your grill is at least
five feet from your house
on a level surface away
from siding, outdoor
furniture or anything else
that could be a fire
hazard. Its something
that you dont always
think about when youre
grilling, but its a basic
safety measure thats
easy to implement.
Whether the grill is
equipped with an
automatic ignition or
needs to be lit manually,
the manufacturers
instructions should be
followed precisely.
Always use caution
when lighting the grill
and never stray from the
grill manufacturers
instructions, says
Willis. If the flames go
out for any reason, turn
the grill and gas off and
wait 15 minutes before
relighting it.
PERC also encourages
families to keep the top
open when lighting the
grill. This allows for
ventilation and ensures
that propane vapors are
not being released into
the confined grilling
area.
Finally, proper storage
of propane cylinders is
an essential safety step
when using propane-
powered grills.
Be sure to store
propane cylinders
upright and outdoors,
and keep cleaning fluids,
oil-soaked rags, gasoline
or other flammable mate-
rial away from cooking
areas and gas appli-
ances, Willis says.
Removing combustible
materials from any heat
source is always a good
idea.
PERC reminds families
that propane is a safe fuel
when handled properly,
and encourages grillers
to learn about additional
resources on
usepropane.com.
The Bunnell building,
as it was most com-
monly known, was
erected circa 1857 by
S.H. Lanterman after the
division of the real estate
of the late Margaret
Hankinson. It was first
occupied by the firm of
Rice and Lanterman, but
has had a number of
occupants over the
years. An early
merchant of the village,
John Bunnell, Esq. kept
a variety store here for
13 years (see currency
image dated 1862).
R.S. Stoll also main-
tained a store here for 22
years. In the spring of
1893, Read Pullis
opened two businesses
at this location, Pullis
Furniture and Pullis
Undertaking. Other
businesses of the site
were the OK Radio
Shop, Bufis Photogra-
phy and Vincent New-
baker Caskets. How-
ever, long-time residents
of Blairstown will
remember this property
as the Atlantic and
Pacific Tea Company,
the A&P. Tunis Stoffels
and Harold Gilbert were
the proprietors.
Those were the days
when salmon cost 25
cents a pound, bread was
.10 cents a loaf and soap
was 5 cents a bar. The
A&P would remain at
this location for over 45
years before relocating
in the early 1970s to the
location on Route 94,
across from Cedar Ridge
Cemetery.
Blairstown Historic
Preservation Commit-
tee. Celebrating
Blairstown's 175th
Anniversary! 1839-
2014.
The Chester Lioness
Club meets for dinner
monthly from Septem-
ber through June on the
first Thursday of the
month at 6:30pm Ches-
ter. The club is a non-
profit service organiza-
tion serving Chester and
the surrounding com-
munities since October
11th, 1985. In the true
spirit of fellowship the
Chester Lioness Club
strives to enrich the
community through
service and donations.
The club recently
supported Camp
Marcella for the Blind,
Chester Area Senior
Housing, The Chester
Food Pantry, Chester
Lions Club Octoberfest,
Chester Theater Group,
Community Hope,
Creative Heartworks,
Inc., Donations for "We
Care" packages for
Armed Forces, Home-
less Solutions, Jersey
Battered Women's
Service, Lions Chari-
table Foundation,
Matheney Medical and
Educational Center,
Operation Chill Out,
Relay for Life - Ameri-
can Cancer Society,
Scholarships for local
high school graduates,
Senior Resource Center
- Festival of Trees, The
Market Street Mission,
and The NJ Foundation
for the Blind. Fundrais-
ing activities to support
the club's charitable
activities include the
bi-annual Culinary
Adventures restaurant
raffle to be held this
year on December 4th
and Theater Parties in
co-operation with the
Black River Playhouse.
The club is actively
seeking new members
who are service minded.
Community members
interested in attending a
meeting or learning
more about The Chester
Lioness Club may call
Holly Simmenroth at
908-879-5932.
Local law firm
Hollander, Strelzik,
Pasculli, Pasculli,
Hinkes, Wojcik,
Gacquin, Vandenberg &
Hontz is celebrating its
50th year of service to
northern New Jersey
residents. The law firm
was founded in 1964 by
current partner Sanford
Hollander, along with
Albert Trapasso, and
Frank Dolan. It origi-
nally employed five
other staff members in
addition to the three
partners. The story of
the celebrated law firm
is really the story of
Sanford Hollander, who
believes that he is the
oldest practicing lawyer
in Sussex County.
According to Sanford,
establishing the law firm
was his idea. Albert
and Frank were ten
years older than me. I
was just a kid, really.
They both had the same
birthday. I proposi-
tioned the two of them in
1963 and we opened our
doors on April 1st, 1964.
Except for the Attorney
Generals office, this is
the only place I have
ever worked.
Sanford had formi-
dable law partners. Like
Sanford, Albert
Trapasso also hailed
from the town of
Newton, and had been a
star athlete at Newton
High School. Frank
Dolan was originally
from Jersey City. Both
Trapasso and Dolan
were students at Ford-
ham University and both
were veterans of World
War II. Albert Trapasso
had been severely
wounded in France
during the war, and
almost died on the battle
field. He returned to
Newton after a long
rehabilitation. Frank
Dolan served as a PT
boat commander during
the war. Later, he
moved to Sussex County
and eventually served as
the Sussex County Pros-
ecutor. Sanford
Hollander attended
Brown University,
received his law degree
from Columbia Univer-
sity, and was fortunate to
have clerked for the
Attorney General of
New Jersey immediately
following his gradua-
tion.
The firm was originally
housed within the
Sussex & Merchants
National Bank Building
on Spring Street. A
short time later, the
business moved across
the Newton Town
Square to 40 Park Place,
the site it has occupied
ever since.
According to Sanford,
the keys to the firms
success have been its
ability to evolve as the
law has evolved, and the
opportunity to hire
excellent attorneys who
are specialists in their
fields. In the begin-
ning, we were general-
ists, as were most
lawyers, recalls
Sanford, although
Frank Dolan was a supe-
rior trial lawyer. When I
came back to Sussex
County there must have
been 35 lawyers in the
entire county. There
were more cows than
people.
As a father of four
outstanding scholar
athletes who attended
Newton High School,
Sanford Hollander
describes the firms
hiring practices with a
touch of humor, I have
never hired a lawyer
who wasnt smarter than
me. I took the smartest
kid out of my childrens
high school classes!
Thats how we got Mark
Hontz and John Vanden-
berg.
Regarding the evolu-
tion in the law, Sanford
notes, The world of law
has changed. The
expanding role of
government in our lives
has created rules and
regulations promulgated
under legislation. Its
incomprehensible how
much they have prolifer-
ated over the past 50
years.
Sanford specializes in
real estate transactions,
estate planning and
administration. The
firm has continued to
expand and now num-
bers ten attorneys along
with ten support staff.
Each attorney is able to
focus on an area of
specialty, such as family
law, elder law,
workmans compensa-
tion, personal injury,
land use, bankruptcy,
and other issues. There
is a unique family spirit
in this law firm, muses
Sanford. Everybody
likes each other. We
strive to serve the best
interests of our clients
and the public. He is
quick to add, But that
doesnt mean that were
not fierce advocates!
We work very well with
each other and with our
clients. Were always
looking for lawyers who
will be compatible with
us and fit into our
culture and philosophy.
The motto on the firms
website, a legacy of
caring and dedication to
our clients needs, sums
up the philosophy of the
firm and its founder.
Sanford Hollander has
been a staunch supporter
of numerous local orga-
nizations, serving for
twenty-one years on the
Newton Board of
Education and volun-
teering with the SCARC
Board of Trustees for
many years. He helped
create SCARCs pro
bono Guardianship
Services Program to
provide assistance to
secure legal guardian-
ship for families with
d e v e l o p me n t a l l y
disabled adult children.
Every human being is
entitled to infinite
dignity because we are
all created in the image
of God, he notes.
As his firm celebrates
its 50th year, Sanford
Hollander still comes to
work every day. It
keeps me alive! he
jokes. He sees clients
and consults with other
attorneys at the firm.
At my age you think
about your legacy. I am
confident that the firm
will continue to thrive
because of the people
who are here.
The attorneys and
employees of the law
firm of Hollander, Strel-
zik, Pasculli, Pasculli,
Hinkes, Wojcik,
Vandenberg & Hontz
follow in the footsteps
of their founder by
volunteering at numer-
ous non-profit organiza-
tions within the commu-
nity. In addition, they
are proud of the firms
legacy of professional-
ism and commitment to
their clients. The firm is
A-rated by Martindale &
Hubbell, the agency
which provides objec-
tive indicators for
lawyers ethical
standards and profes-
sionalism. Ratings are
generated from evalua-
tions of lawyers by other
members of the bar and
judiciary in the United
States and Canada. For
information about the
law firm of Hollander,
Strelzik, Pasculli,
Pasculli, Hinkes,
Wojcik, Gacquin,
Vandenberg & Hontz,
call 973-383-3256.
On Thursday, July
10th, at 7pm, NAMI
Sussex will host a
presentation by an attor-
ney entitled "Legal
Guardianship and
Special Needs Trusts for
Adult Loved Ones with
Mental Illness." The
program is free and open
to the public.
The presenter will be
attorney Leonard
Pasculli, a partner in the
law firm of Hollander,
Strelzik, Pasculli,
Pasculli, Hinkes,
Wojcik, Gacquin,
Vandenberg & Hontz,
L.L.C. in Newton.
The presentation will
be held at Bridgeway
Rehabilitative Services,
93 Stickles Pond Rd.,
Newton. There is no
need to pre-register for
this event. Mr. Pasculli
has practiced law for
more than 30 years,
both in private practice
and as in-house counsel
for two Fortune 500
corporations. He is a
graduate of Pennsylva-
nia State University and
Fordham Law School,
and earned his MBA
degree from Rutgers
University. He currently
serves on the boards of
the Sussex County Bar
Association and the
Sussex County Cham-
ber of Commerce, and
he is a member of the
National Academy of
Elder Law Attorneys.
Mr. Pasculli focuses
his practice on real
estate, elder law, Med-
icaid planning, guard-
ianships, special needs
trusts and business law.
The law firm of
Hollander, Strelzik,
Pasculli, et al., is a
general practice firm
serving North Jersey for
half a century.
For more information
or directions call
NAMI-Sussex at 973-
214-0632. NAMI
Sussex is an affiliate of
the National Alliance
on Mental Illness,
providing support,
education, and advo-
cacy to persons with
mental illness and their
families.
A Land Use Board
meeting will be held on
July 21st at 7:30pm at
the Blairstown Munici-
pal Building. The North
Warren Regional High
School has previously
appeared before the
board requesting that
they be put in a new
zoning category, not
commercial or residen-
tial like the rest of the
town. This would give
them the power to do as
they please without the
consent or variance
from the Land Use
Board. The board will
vote on this at the meet-
ing.
Also, although voted
down by the public a
few years ago and
because the amount is
under the state cap,
North Warren High
School is planning an
addition, which could
ultimately amount to 1.2
million dollars.
The public is always
welcome to attend.
Government Exists to
Serve People, Not the
Other Way Around
During a regular town-
ship meeting on June
11, 2014, Blairstown
Committee members
approved AN ORDI-
NANCE TO AMEND
CHAPTER 190 OF
THE CODE OF THE
TOWNSHIP OF
B L A I R S T O W N
ENTITLED WATER
TO ESTABLISH NEW
WATER CHARGES.
This new ordinance
takes buildings with
more than 1 unit, called
multi-unit structures,
and forces upon the
owner, a separate charge
for each unit in his
building, not necessarily
forcing them to put in
separate water meters.
Under the original water
ordinance, Chapter
190-4A, All . . . users
purchasing water from
Blairstown Township
shall have the amount of
water received...
measured by meter. The
amount to be paid. . .
shall be $75.00 per
quarter for the first
8,000 gallons or any
portion thereof . . . and .
. . $6.00 for each addi-
tional 1,000 gallons.
In other words, quar-
terly water charges used
to be based on the
number of meters
serving a building, not
the number of units
within the building. For
example, a 4-unit struc-
ture with one meter was
billed for total water
usage. Now, because
there are 4 units within
one structure, 4 addi-
tional water charges
(one for each apartment)
will be billed per quar-
ter. What was a
$75/quarter bill is now a
$300/quarter bill.
Committee member
Paul Avery, conceiver of
the new ordinance, errs
when he equates users
in the original ordinance
to units. Each user
is a meter. A user is
not a unit. They are
not the same. If there
are 10 units in one
building with one meter,
it is one user. Mr. Avery
goes beyond the bounds
of common sense and
legal principle to base
water rates on number
of units instead of
total water consumption
measured by meters the
township provided the
property. If a property
has one meter, it has one
user, irrespective of the
number of units within
the building. Mr. Avery
believes if one divides
his building into 4 apart-
ments, 4 quarterly
charges should be
billed, one for each
apartment or unit.. A
user is not the same as
a unit. This is an error
and the new law is
unfair because of this
error.
Multiple users are
paying multiple charges
because they have
multiple meters. A
Landlord might have
divided a building into
apartments and decided
each tenant should pay
for their own water bill.
Consequently, a meter
was installed to measure
water usage for each
apartment.
It appears Mr. Avery
was perhaps trying to
invent a way to create
more revenue to help
cover cost of providing
water. The real question,
however, is it fair?
Some people will be
whacked, while others
will be untouched. It is
unequal. It targets a
particular group of
property owners to
increase revenue from
water accounts only
those owners of multi-
unit buildings, and that
is unfair. This is impor-
tant because a big house
with a large family and
4 baths that receives
town water is one user
because it has one meter
and pays $75/quarter.
Another smaller build-
ing divided into 4 small
apartments each with
one bath, will pay
$300/quarter. Service
has not changed. Its the
same meter in both
houses, and each prop-
erty is one user
because each property
has one meter. Water
usage should be based
on total water consump-
tion. If total usage is the
same, why should one
property have to subsi-
dize the other? Whats
fair about that?
It is how the word
user is being deter-
mined that results in
steep increases for a
specific group of prop-
erties. If enough
revenue is not being
collected, there are
other more fair ways to
raise revenue. The
Township could
increase the quarterly
water fee charged all
users. There could be
different higher quar-
terly charges to struc-
tures using larger meters
because larger meters
cost more.. A surcharge
to all users could
cover increases in costs
to the town for water
above current costs,
which would make all
users liable for such
increases based on their
usage. There also is an
important revenue issue
on how DPW workers
who work on the water
system get paid.
This new ordinance
will affect Tenants as
well. Landlords must
now figure out how to
absorb the steep
increase. In the past,
Landlords might have
divided the
$75.00/quarter water
charge and the water
usage 4 ways between 4
apartments, or they
might have absorbed it
out of their own pocket.
This change may mean
Landlords have no
choice but to pass on
$900/year increase to
Tenants, which divided
four ways, is a $225.00
increase/year in rent. Or
they will be forced to
absorb the increase
because of this new
town law.
This is an issue of
serious concern. There
is enough factual infor-
mation to declare the
law should be
rescinded. Hopefully,
hundreds of people
affected by this law read
this article and it will
make sense to you the
law is unfair because of
this erroneous change.
There is a lot to work
out for fairness before
saying lets hike rates.
There is no real justifi-
cation to do this in such
an unequal way. Being
unequal is the whole
point.
People have the right
to let elected officials,
who represent us, know
to repeal the new law at
the next town meeting
July 9, 2014, 7:30 pm at
Blairstown Municipal
Building. If people
dont show up at meet-
ings to discuss these
issues, ordinances like
this will be passed , and
people will have to pay
the piper.
Maybe Ill see you
there.
Sylvia Zika
Blairstown, NJ
Comments welcomed:
szdmd@embarqmail.com
Views & opinions expressed
in letters to the editor do not
necessarily reflect those of
The PRESS or its staff.