The Blue Mountain

Community Library will

be holding a Half Price
Book Sale on Friday,
July 18th and Saturday,
July 19th from 10am to
12pm. All items in the
Book Nook, located on
the second floor of the
library, will be priced at
25 cents to a dollar.
Items include children
and adult books, both
hard and soft cover,
puzzles, DVDs and
CDs. A free library tote
bag will be given with a

$10 purchase.
Please support the
library by purchasing
books for yourself or
your favorite reader.
The Blue Mountain
Community Library is
located at 216 S. Robinson Ave. in Pen Argyl.
Hours are Monday
through Saturday, 10am
to Noon and Monday
through Thursday, 6pm
to 8pm. Call Lisa for
more information at
610-863-3029 or visit
www.bmcl.org.

St. Johns Cemetery

is looking for donations. This year the
donations will be used
to repave the cemetery
roads, due to pot holes
and black top breaking
up. Donations can be
forwarded to Carol
Hummel c/o St. Johns
Cemetery, 136 Messinger St., Bangor.
Flicksville UCC is
offering
summer
Sunday
worship
services, now until
August 31st. Worship
will begin at 9:30am.
The regular fall schedule will resume on

Sunday, September 7th.

Troop 41 of Bangor is
looking for any and all
past leaders and youth
members. Whether the
involvement was in
East Bangor or the
current
Johnsonville
site, they would like
your participation to
help celebrate the 75th
anniversary on September 13th. Contact Dave
Karner at 484-809-1796
for further information.
Hope UCC Food
Pantry is in great need
of donations. Items
include any kind of
drinks
(in
plastic

bottles) or drink mixes,

such
as
Kool-aid,
lemonade and iced tea,
all canned fruits, canned
meats
(ham,
tuna,
chicken, spam, sardines,
canned stew, chili). All
donations
can
be
dropped off Monday
through Thursday, 8am
to 1pm. All monetary
donations may be paid
to: Hope United Church
Of Christ, P.O. Box
425.
Hope
United
Church of Christ, Wind
Gap.
Boys between the
ages of six and 17
interested in joining
Boy Scouts and Cub
Scouts should call Joe
Banghart for more
information, 610-5882307.
Congratulations to
Erin Hontz, daughter
of Brian and Kathy
Hontz, for graduating
with a Masters of
Science degree in Early
Childhood Studies from
Walden University in

Minneapolis,
Minnesota. She completed her
studies with a 4.0 GPA.
Happy
birthday
wishes are sent to
Carol Levits and Zach
Miller,
July
17th;
Gladys Miller, July
18th; Hayley Hogland,
July 21st and Tabitha
Booth, July 22nd.
Having a yard sale
this summer? You can
advertise it for free on
our classified page now
through September 17th
Send
us
your
Summer Fun Photos!
Email them to thepress
mail@gmail.com with
the
subject
PA
Summer Fun Photos.
We love hearing from
you! Send your
birthdays, anniversaries and other tidbits
of information to:
The PRESS
1 Broadway
Bangor, PA 18013
thepressmail@
gmail.com
Like us on Facebook!

Here is a list of the

new items added to the
collection
of
the
Bangor
Public
Library during the
week of July 2nd to
July 9th:
Adult Fiction: Arthur,
Keri Full Moon Rising;
Arthur, Kerri Kissing
Sin; Barr, Nevada Blind
Descent; Burns, Olive
Ann Cold Sassy Tree;
French, Tana In The
Woods; Hearn, Lian
Across The Nightingale
Floor; Hearn, Lian
Grass For His Pillow;
Kenyon,
Sherrilyn
Devil
May
Cry;
Khoury, Raymond The
Sign; Martin, William
Citizen
Washington;
Martin, William The
Lost
Constitution;
Pasulka, Brigid A Long,
Long Time Ago and
Essentially True; Robb,
J.D. Holiday in Death;
Robb, J.D. Imitation in
Death; Robb, J.D. Innocent in Death; Robb,
J.D. Portrait in Death;
Robb, J.D. Reunion in
Death;
Robb,
J.D.
Survivor in Death;
Robb, J.D. Vengeance
in Death; Roberts, Nora
Shadow Spell; Rollins,
James
The
Devil
Colony; Upfield, Arthur
William Bushranger of
the skies; A Napoleon
Bonaparte
story;
Upfield, Arthur William
The great Melbourne
Cup mystery; Upfield,
Arthur William Valley
of smugglers; a Napoleon Bonaparte story.
Adult Non-Fiction:
Altea, Rosemary Soul
signs : an elemental
guide to your spiritual
destiny; Bryson, Bill A
walk in the woods :
rediscovering America
on the Appalachian
Trail; Bruni, Frank
Born round : the secret
history of a full-time
eater; Conley, Kevin
Stud : adventures in
breeding; Everett, Mar-

shall Wreck and sinking

of the Titanic : the
ocean's greatest disaster; Shipley, Joseph
Twadell Dictionary of
word origins.
Pennsylvania Collection:
Coppolella,
Anthony Roseto, PA
CentAnni, 1912-2012.
Young Adult Fiction:
Columbus, Chris House
of Secrets; Ewing,
Lynne Daughters of the
Moon; Hill, Stuart The
Cry of the Icemark;
Paulsen, Gary Woods
Runner;
Teitelbaum,
Michael Avatar, the Last
Airbender: the Lost
Scrolls;
Telgemeier,
Raina Drama; TenNapel, Doug Ghostopolis;
Watase, Yuu Alice 19th,
Volume 1 to 7; Watase,
Yuu Imadoki! Nowadays Volume 1 to 4.
Junior Fiction: Byng,
Georgia Molly Moon
and the Monster Music;
Castro, Adam Gustav
Gloom and the People
Taker; Dadey, Debbie
Frankenstein Doesnt
Slam Hockey Pucks;
Hapka, Cathy Beware
the Bohrok; Kimmel,
Elizabeth Legend of the
Ghost Dog; Lenhard,
Elizabeth The Disappearance; Lubar, David
Beware
the
Ninja
Weenies and Other
Warped and Creepy
Tales; Palacio, R.J.
Wonder; Sachar, Louis
Wayside School Gets a
Little Stranger; Spencer,
Octavia The Case of the
Time Capsule Bandit;
Stine, R.L. When the
Ghost Dog Howls;
Telgemeier,
Raina
Smile; Vail, Rachel
Shells, Smells, and the
Horrible Flip Flops of
Doom.
Easy
Non-Fiction:
Mizumura, Kazue The
Emperor Penguins.
DVDs:
Bull
Durham/The
Transporter; The Last Word;
Les Miserables (1935).

All of Paul Farnans

former Bangor High
School football players
and
coaches
are
invited to place their
signatures on a sign
that will be attached
below the windows of
the press box at Paul
Farnan Field in Bangor
Memorial Park.
Signature opportunities are scheduled for
July 26th, from 10am
to noon at Bangor
Memorial
Park
Stadium and August
3rd from 1pm to 4pm
at Liberty Fire Company, following the
Bangor Football Golf
Tournament.
Other
signature
opportunities will also
be prior to and during
the two pre-season
football scrimmages at
Bangor
Memorial
Park/ Paul Farnan
Field. The first scrimmage is scheduled for

Saturday, August 16th

at 10am VS East
Stroudsburg
North,
and on Thursday,
August 21st at 6pm VS
Nazareth. Come out
and see the Slaters in
action and place your
signature on the sign.
Parents, siblings or
spouses of players and
coaches
who
are
unable to sign, are
welcome and urged to
sign for them.
The intention is to
permanently display
the sign on the press
box prior to the first
home game, which is
scheduled for September 5th.

Community
Action
Committee of the
Lehigh
Valley
(CACLV)
Meeting:
July 16th and July
23rd, 10am-6:30pm.
Lookout Fire Company
Social Hall, Pen Argyl.
Information
about
many programs available to Northampton
County residents.
Bangor Park Board
Family Luau: July
18th,
7pm-9:30pm.
Bangor Memorial Park
Pool. Food & drinks
will be available for
purchase. Fees apply.
FMI, contact Sherry at
610-588-6894
or
Debbie at bangorpark
board@gmail.com
Men's Senior Baseball
League Blood Drive:
July 19th, 12pm-4pm.
1050 Iron Pigs Way,
Coca-Cola Park, Allentown.
East Bangor United
Methodist Community Church Used
Book Sale: July 18th,
5pm-8pm & July 19th,
9am-5pm.
Baked
goods for sale. 136 W.
Central Ave. (Rt. 512),
East Bangor. To donate,
call Lisa at 610-5888881.
FMI,
visit
ebumc.org.

Alexis
R.
Young
Memorial Fund Basket
Raffle: July 19th,
1pm-4pm. 243 S. 8th
St., Lehighton. FMI, call
Annette at 484-6290600.
Knights of Columbus
Flea Market & Craft
Fair: July 19th & 26th,
9am-3pm. Rt 940 &
Commerce St., Pocono
Summit. FMI, Call 570619-6924
Cloverside
Saddle
Club 50th Anniversary
Celebration: July 20th,
10am. 1199 Potomac
St., Mt. Bethel. FMI, call
Kathy at 570-897-6698
or Tammy at 570-8013348, email cloverside
saddleclub@gmail.com
and visit cloverside
saddleclub.weebly.com
East Bangor United
Methodist Community
Church welcomes Lisa
Schwartz & Laura
Goss:
July
20th,
9:10am. 136 W. Central
Ave. (Rt. 512), East
Bangor. FMI, call 610588-4453
or
visit
ebumc.org.
Christmas In July:
July 20th, 11am-3pm.
Pocono
Mountain
Harley Davidson, 4300
Manor Dr., Rt. 33,
Stroudsburg. FMI, visit
www.pocono hd.com,
call 570-992-7500 or
visit
Boomers
Angels.com, on Face-

book or call 570-3504977.

Safe Haven Pet Rescue
Adoption Day: July
27th, 11am-3pm. Rt.
209,
Brodheadsville.
Safe Haven requires a
pre-adoption applications w/ references & a
home visit prior to adoption. FMI, a list of
adoptables & adoption
applications, visit SafeHaven
Pa.org
or
SafeHaven@ epix.net.
Diamond Fire Company Flea Market:
July 27th & August
24th, 8am to 2pm. Held
outside, 110 Main St.,
Walnutport. FMI, call
610-767-8476.
Roseto
Summer
Recreation Program:
July 28th-August 8th,
9am-noon, MondayFriday. Registration
July 19th & 26th,
10am-noon.
Roseto
Ball Park. Ages 5-12.
Free
for
Roseto
residents.
Bus Trip to Atlantic
City Casino: Wednesday, July 30th, Bus
leaves Stroud Mall at
8:30am & returns at
8:30pm. FMI, contact
Debbie
at
special
recreationservices@gm
ail.com or call 610751-7692
Safe Haven Dog Adoption Day: 11am-3pm.

Sunday, August 3rd,

Rt. 940, Mt. Pocono.
FMI about Safe Haven
& to find a list of
adoptables & adoption
applications, please visit
SafeHavenPa.org,
or
email
SafeHaven
@epix.net.
Despicable Me 2 Movie
Night: August 16th,
Dusk-? Free to the
public.
Refreshments
will be sold. FMI,
volunteering for the
Board or any of these
events, contact Debbie
at
bangorparkboard
@gmail.com or Sherry
at 610-588-6894
Safe Haven Dog Adoption Day: 11am-3pm,
Sunday, August 17th,
Route 209. Brodheadsville. FMI about Safe
Haven & to find a list of
adoptables & adoption
applications, please visit
SafeHavenPa.org,
or
email
SafeHaven
@epix.net.
Safe
Haven
Dog
Rescue
Meeting:
Tuesday, August 19th,
6:30pm. Rt 209, Kresgeville. FMI about Safe
Haven, volunteering &
foster applications, visit
SafeHavenPa.org,
or
email
SafeHaven@
epix.net.

(NAPSI)The story
of Army Specialist
Travis Fugate may be
eye-opening for many
Americans.
Fugate
experienced
the challenge of vision
losstwice. He lost
vision in his right eye
from an improvised
explosive device (IED)
blast in Iraq in 2005,
and a few years later, he
lost the sight in his
remaining eye, toobut hes also experienced how other veterans can lighten their
challenges.
Fugate
served as a member of
the Kentucky Army
National Guard until
his combat injuries.
The blast caused the
loss of his right eye,
traumatic brain injury,
and injuries to his left
eye, resulting in severe
visual impairment.
Where He Turned:
Fortunately, he met
other injured veterans
through the Blinded
Veterans Association
(BVA) and it helped
him toward rehabilitation.
Programs include:
Benefits Counseling:
BVAs Field Service
Officers are blinded

veterans who help

others make their way
through the complicated system of veterans benefits. They help
veterans
find
the
services they need,
including rehabilitation
training, health care,
and job training and
placement.

BVAs
timely
magazine-in large print
and in various other
formatskeeps
blinded vets up-to-date
on changing regulations, benefits, job
opportunities, and technology to help them
cope.
Local Regional
Groups: These offer
activities,
social
support, and services to
blinded veterans.
Volunteer Service
Offices: A national
network of Volunteer
Service
Offices
provides
counseling
and support services to
blinded veterans.
Family Scholarships:
For
the
spouses,
children and grandchildren of blinded veterans.
National Actions:
BVA
works
with
federal, state and local

governments to advocate for and protect the

rights and benefits of
blinded veterans.

Operation
Peer
Support: An ongoing
effort to link recently
blinded veterans with
veterans from previous
conflicts. The unique
understanding
their
fellow blinded veterans
have of the challenges
they face is an invaluable source of support
for these veterans,
many of whom later
serve as mentors and
role models.
Project Gemini, an
international outgrowth
of the Operation Peer
Support initiative.
These programs and
services have helped
Fugate and other veterans who have lost their
sight recently. Today,
thanks in part to BVA
assistance and support,
Fugate is a college
student studying computers.
To Help and to Learn:
To volunteer to help
blinded veterans and
their families, call
(800) 669-7079. For
further information on
the organization, go to
www.bva.org.

(NAPSI)Space
Shuttle astronauts and
American heroes Shannon Lucid and Jerry
Ross recently joined the
ranks of legendary
space pioneers Neil
Armstrong,
John
Glenn, Alan Shepard,
Jim Lovell, Sally Ride
and John Young with
their induction into the
U.S. Astronaut Hall of
Fame during a moving
ceremony at Kennedy
Space Center Visitor
Complex. Lucid is the
only American woman
to serve aboard the
Russian Space Station
Mir, and Ross is the
first human to complete
seven space shuttle

missions. The setting

for
the
induction,
underneath the Atlantis
orbiter in the new
Space Shuttle AtlantisSM attraction at the
Visitor Complex, was
fitting because Atlantis
carried Lucid to Mir for
her historic 188 days on
the space station in
1996, and five of Ross'
seven flights were on
Atlantis. The Astronaut
Hall of Fame, part of
the popular Visitor
Complex,
features
fascinating and historic
spacecraft from the
U.S. Space Program
and the world's largest
collection of personal
astronaut memorabilia.

by Eric Levis

Waterways Conservation Officers from the

Pennsylvania Fish and
Boat
Commission
(PFBC) are gearing up
to participate this weekend in Operation Dry
Water the nations
boating under the influence (BUI) awareness
and
enforcement
campaign. The nationwide event took place
from June 27th through
29th.
Boating under the
influence is no different
than driving a car after
someones been drinking, said Colonel
Corey Britcher, director
of the PFBC Bureau of
Law
Enforcement.
Alcohol impairs an
individuals ability to
operate a boat safely
and puts the driver, his
passengers and others
on the water at risk.
Boating is a fun
summertime activity,
he
added.
Were
asking all boaters to
help keep it that way by
boating sober.
Last year across the
state, 17 individuals
died
in
boating
accidents. Alcohol was

a contributing factor in
two of the cases.
So far this year, PFBC
waterways conservation
officers have arrested 24
individuals for boating
under the influence.
They
arrested
90
individuals in 2013; 60
individuals in 2012; 62
in 2011; and 65 in 2010.
Filtered by region,
WCOs in 2013 arrested
the following number of
individuals for BUI:
Eleven in Northwest
Region (Counties
Butler, Clarion, Crawford, Erie, Forest, Lawrence, Mercer, Venango,
Warren), Twelve in
Southwest
Region
(Counties - Allegheny,
Armstrong,
Beaver,
Cambria,
Fayette,
Greene, Indiana, Somerset, Washington, Westmoreland), Three in
Northcentral
Region
(Counties - Cameron,
Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Elk, Jefferson,
Lycoming,
McKean,
Montour, Northumberland, Potter, Snyder,
Tioga, Union), Thirty
Four in Southcentral
Region (Counties Adams, Bedford, Blair,
Cumberland, Dauphin,

(NAPSI)After
a
grueling winter, summer
is finally here and
Americans across the
country are trading their
heavier layers for lighter
wear. Whether your idea
of fun in the sun is a
picnic at the park,
hiking, volleyball on the
beach or grilling in the
backyard, its important
to be mindful of one
outer layer in particular:
your skin. As seen on
ABCs Good Morning
America and NBCs
TODAY,
boardcertified dermatologist,
Dr. Jeanine Downie,
offers these easy tips to
help protect your skin
while you embrace
warm weather activities.
1. Apply sunscreen
with SPF of 30 or higher
at least 30 minutes

before sun time. Make

sure to reapply every
two hours.
2. Add sunscreen to
tips of ears, part lines of
scalp and tops of the
knees and feet-areas that
often get forgotten.
3.
Always
wear
UVA/UVB sunglasses
to avoid suns radiation
and potentially longterm damage to eyes and
the skin around them.
4. Wear tightly woven
clothing and wide-brim
hats for more sun
protection. Look for
UPF clothing above 30.
5. Do not scratch! Bug
bites will take longer to
heal, may heal in a dark
mark and could get
infected. Instead, pack
Cortizone-10 Intensive
Healing Formula, which
contains the no. 1 doctor
-recommended medi-

Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon, Juniata, Lebanon, Mifflin, Perry,

York), Fifteen in Northeast Region (Counties Bradford,
Carbon,
Columbia, Lackawanna,
Luzerne, Monroe, Pike,
Sullivan, Susquehanna,
Wayne, Wyoming) and
Fifteen in Southeast
Region (Counties Berks, Bucks, Chester,
Delaware,
Lancaster,
Lehigh,
Montgomery,
Northampton, Philadelphia, Schuylkill)
In 2009, the National
Association of State
Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA), in
partnership with the
United States Coast
Guard, launched Operation Dry Water to help
draw public attention to
the dangers of boating
under the influence of
alcohol and drugs.
During the three-day
Operation Dry Water
weekend, law enforcement officers at local,
state and federal levels
will be on heightened
alert for those violating
boating under the influence laws. In 2013,
officers
contacted
144,044
recreational

cine* for treating itchy

skin. The extra-creamy
formula
goes
on
smoothly and relieves
itch quickly while helping to heal the skin
issue. It is proven to
moisturize
for
24
hours** with seven
moisturizers and three

boaters and made 290

BUI arrests during the
three-day weekend.
Many boaters may
not know that the
threshold for BUI is the
same as with motor
vehicles 0.08 percent,
added Britcher. Fish
and Boat officers regularly patrol waterways
and will have an
increased presence.
According to the 2013
U.S.
Coast
Guard
Recreational
Boating
Statistics, from 2009 to
2013 there has been a 37
percent decrease in the
number of recreational
boater deaths where
alcohol use was listed as
the known primary
contributing
factor.
From 2012 to 2013,
there was a 31 percent
decrease in the number
of alcohol- related recreational boater deaths
the most significant
decrease in the past five
years.
If convicted of boating
under the influence,
operators could face
fines and jail time.
For more information
on Operation Dry Water,
please visit www.oper
ation drywater.org.

skin-nurturing vitamins.
6. Skin needs hydration. Drink water regularly, especially in the
heat. Plan ahead and
freeze water in reusable
water bottles. As the day
goes on, the ice will
melt and the water will
stay cold and refreshing.
Before
stepping
outside, be sure to
follow these easy steps
to help protect your
skin. After all, summer
months may come and
go but your natural glow
is available year-round.
Learn more ways to care
for your skin this
summer by visiting
www.cortizone10.com.
Notes: *Data on file,
Chattem, Inc., **Refers
to the ingredient hydrocortisone.

By Mary C. Tillotson

Pennsylvania lawmakers are considering a bill

that would allow school
administrators to base
layoff decisions in part
on teachers performance, as measured by
the states new evaluation system.
My goal is to protect
our high-quality educators,
regardless
of
seniority, said state
Rep. Ryan Aument, RLancaster, the bills cosponsor.
Seniority
should not be the
primary way decisions
are made.
If the bill passes, PA
will join the 22 states
requiring that seniority
not be the only factor in
teacher layoff decisions,
and the 18 states that
explicitly
mandate
teacher performance be
considered, according to
National Council on
Teacher Quality.
When a layoff comes
in PA now, it doesnt
matter how theyre
doing. Good teachers
who are knocking it out
of the park can be laid
off just like somebody
whos phoning it in,
said Nancy Waymack,
managing director for
district policy at NCTQ.
I think for those folks
who are really knocking
it out of the park who
may be lower in seniority when the layoff
comes up, they may be
more likely to look
around and see if there
are
other
(career)
options that are more
secure.
PA law allows teachers
to attain permanent
status after three years
on the job.
Aument tried to amend
the bill to make it five
years and require that
the two most recent
evaluations showed the
teacher at least satisfactory before being
granted
permanent
status. Though his
amendment failed in
committee, he said he
plans to try again on the
House floor.

The Association of
American
Educators
doesnt have a position
on the PA bill, said Alix
Freeze, senior director
of communications and
advocacy for the group,
but 78 percent of its
members nationwide
disagree
with
seniority-based layoffs
in its 2014 membership
poll.
The PA State Educators
Association
opposes the bill, but its
spokespeople
didnt
return calls for comment.
Aument
said
his
constituents in
particular,
school
administrators
and
school boards have
brought this issue to his
attention.
Theyre
seeking
more flexibility to be
able to manage their
staff, either because of
declining enrollment or
declining budgets, he
said. I think they
should be able to do so
in a way that theyre not
forced to eliminate
programs or eliminate
teachers who have less
seniority just because
of the seniority provisions in our current
law.
Aument cited Vergara
vs. California, a lawsuit
in which the judge
recently
overturned
teacher-related statues,
including
senioritybased layoffs. In the
case, student plaintiffs
argued teacher job
protections kept underperforming teachers in
the classroom, at the
expense of student
learning.
I think it certainly
affirms the work were
doing in PA, and builds
momentum, he said. I
think our young people
have a right Id
argue, a constitutional
right to access to a

quality educator in the

classroom.
Opponents of the bill
have expressed concern
the evaluation system
may not give an accurate portrait of a
teachers effectiveness.
Some have argued
increased funding for
schools would decrease
the need for layoffs.
PAs
evaluation
system, which will be
fully in place next year,
includes a variety of
measures for teacher
performance,
which
NCTQ considers a plus.
Those measures include
student growth data,
measured in various
ways, and classroom
observations.
Classroom observations are much more
structured,
which
helps
mitigate
the
effects of principals
like or dislike of the
teacher being observed,
said Jim Buckheit,
executive director of the
PA Association of
School Administrators.
Check this box if you
think you saw this.
Rubrics,
framework,
standards, observable
behaviors.
Checking
whether they have a
lesson plan and everything is laid out and
organized, not just

haphazard. Things you

can document.
Good teacher evaluations include data on
student growth, classroom observations and
student surveys, Waymack said. Ideally,
multiple people would
observe the classroom,
and student surveys
would be grade-level
appropriate and ask
questions that reveal
the teachers performance and not whether
the student likes the
teacher.
Focusing solely on
increasing funding to
prevent layoffs is the
wrong
approach,
Aument said.
I think its important
that those two issues
really are separate
issues. There are a
number of reasons why
districts might have to
resize staff, he said,
noting budget issues
and declining enrollment. Theyre two
separate issues. In the
unfortunate
circumstance when they have
to use a furlough, we
want to make sure
were protecting our
high-quality
educators.
Contact Mary C.
Tillotson at mtillotson
@watchdog.org.

State Rep. Marcia

Hahn
(R-Nazareth)
voted on June 30th to
concur
on
Senate
amendments to House
Bill 2328, the general
appropriations bill for
fiscal year 2014-15. The
legislation,
which
contains no new taxes or
tax increases, sets yet
another record in funding for K-12 education
at $10.5 billion, eclipsing the amount spent
during 2013-14.
Hahn
issued
the
following statement on
House Bill 2328, which
has been sent to the desk
of Gov. Tom Corbett for
his signature into law:
Pennsylvanians want
state government to take
care of their hard-earned
tax dollars as they
handle the money in
their own households by
spending
responsibly
using only existing
revenue. For that reason,
voting to support House
Bill 2328 is the right
vote for my constituents.
Weve followed this
pattern for the last three
years and it has helped
us reduce our unemployment rate to the lowest it
has been in six years.
This budget invests in
our future by supporting
K-12 education at yet
another record level of
$10.5 billion, which is
more than last years
mark. Schools in the
138th
Legislative
District will receive the

following increases:
Bethlehem Area School
District 5.9 percent.
Nazareth Area School
District 6.7 percent.
Northampton
Area
School District 5.0
percent.
Pen Argyl Area School
District 4.8 percent.
Significant increases
in funding for Pre-K
Counts
and
special
education also demonstrate a continued commitment to the next
generation.
As a member of the
House Agriculture and
Rural Affairs Committee, I am especially
pleased
with
the
increased appropriation
for the agriculture community. Line items that
were reduced in the past
are restored, especially in
the areas of education
and promotion of PA No.
1 industry.
We are slowly righting
the ship. The fiscal
responsibility
demonstrated in the last three
years has brought us to
this point. Continuing
down this path is making
Pennsylvania
more
attractive to business,
which should in turn put
even more people back to
work and result in better
days for the Commonwealth.
Questions about this or
any legislative issue may
be directed to Hahns
district office at (610)
746-2100.

(NAPSI)Three
hours spent scrubbing
my deck and driveway
and 10 minutes scrubbing the inside of a trash
can.
There is an easier way:
pressure washers. A
pressure washer uses
velocity and pressure to
spray water out of a
nozzle at an extremely
high rate. This makes
cleaning things like
boats, gutters, outdoor
furniture, cars and lawn
mowers fast and easy.
Consider the job of
cleaning your deck. I
dont mean just spraying
off some dirt. I mean
serious cleaning, like
when the wood on your
deck turns grayish
brown after a season. A
pressure washer blasts
the brown, dirty look
away and in a short time
your deck looks fresh
and new again.
Another handy use is
for trash cans. Im not

kidding when I say I

have the worst smelling
trash can on the block.
In the past, I filled the
can with soapy water,
emptied it and scrubbed
the sides with a brush,
only to have the funky
smell return when the
can dried. Turns out I
never needed to get that
close to a trash can.
This is especially true
since I started using the
Krcher K3 Follow Me,
which has a detergent
tank attached. I just fill
the tank with soap, turn
on the pressure washer
and blast the dirt and
smell awayfrom afar.
This top-notch equipment was designed for
regular people to use
with
confidence.
Because its electric, all
you have to do is plug it
in. Its easier, and less
expensive to use and
maintain than a gas
pressure washer, and
theres no stopping in
the middle of a job to fill

up a gas can. It makes

big jobs small, complex
jobs easy anddare I
say itmaybe a little
fun, too.
Key features include:
Portability: Its four
sturdy wheels let it
follow users over grass,
gravel and uneven
terrain
(hence
the
Follow Me) without
tipping over.
Weight: Its only 16.3
poundsmore than 10
pounds lighter than its
closest
competitors.
Lets be frank, the
weight of the machine
automatically limits the
number of people who
can use it effectively.
Who wants to lug
around a heavy appliance when he or she is
already
working
outside, hot and tired?
Not I.
Power: Fortunately, the
machine has not compromised its power for
convenience. A durable
N-Cor pump puts out

1,800 PSI through

patented nozzles that
blasts with 35 times the
pressure of a garden
hose, while using up to
80 percent less water
than a garden hose.
For tough jobs, the
included
DirtBlaster
wand increases the
effective pressure by up
to 50 percent, while the
induced Vario Power
Spray wand is for jobs
requiring
a
more
delicate touch, such as
cleaning a car and
outdoor furniture.
Versatility: Theres an
on-board detergent tank
and a Quick Connect
System on all hoses that
makes set up fast and
easy for the user. Simply
push and click hoses
into place.
Available accessories
include a Deck and
Driveway Cleaner and
an extension wand.
Learn More:For further
facts and tips, visit
www.Karcher.com/us.

(NAPSI)As the U.S.

housing market continues its rebound, many
buyers and lenders are
trying to understand the
new landscape and what
it means. With tougher
credit standards, fewer
buyers qualify for mortgage loans. While housing prices remain below
the peak of several years
ago, they have been
steadily rising, according to the Illinois Association of Realtors.
To
help
Illinois
residents, the state has
introduced a new home
loan program, Welcome
Home Illinois, administered by the Illinois
Housing Development
Authority (IHDA). The
program aims to stimulate activity among
first-time homebuyers
who have been missing
from the market.

By offering qualified
borrowers $7,500 in
down-payment assistance and a belowmarket, 30-year, fixedrate loan, the program
frees many buyers who
have been trapped on
the sidelines to get into
the
homebuying
marketplace.
Homeownership
is
essential
to
our
economy, and Welcome
Home Illinois represents the best opportunity for everyday, hardworking residents to
own a home, said Governor Pat Quinn.
There are several steps
that applicants can take
to become more attractive to a lender, according to IHDA Executive
Director
Mary
R.
Kenney.
She recommends those
considering buying a

home for the first time:

Consult a homeownership counselor. Try
asking your lender if
you need help finding a
counselor. Homeownership counselors can
provide
advice
on
buying a home, renting,
defaults, foreclosures
and credit issues.
Strengthen your
credit score.
Save for down
payment and closing
costs and build a healthy
savings account. Lenders want to see that
youre
not
living
paycheck to paycheck.
In addition to creating
homeownership opportunities, its believed the
program will stimulate
statewide
economic
activity and will generate an estimated:
1,500 full-time jobs
$50 million from real

estate-related industries
More than $40
million in economic
activity for the state

Additional
$16
million in other statewide spending
To qualify for this
program,
borrowers
must
be
first-time
buyers or not have
owned their primary
residence in the last
three years.
To learn more about
this and other affordable
housing programs, visit
www.welcomehomeilli
nois.gov.

By Michelle Ancell

Hello fellow readers,

One Mississippi, two
Mississippi was the
advice of the JCP&L
operator who suggested
not taking a shower
during a thunderstorm,
which is exactly where I
was when one clambered through and
kicked out the power,
cable, Internet and
telephone.
It came out of the
blue, I explained in my
defense.
The kind operator said
he always told his
daughter if you count
the time from lighting to
thunder the number of
Mississippis indicates
the number of miles
away the storm is.
Its true that light
travels
faster
than
sound. It takes about
five seconds for sound
to travel one mile
although travel time can
be impacted by humidity and temperature.
The main thing to notice
is if the number of
Mississippis increases
between lightning and
thunder, the storm is
moving away and its
safe to shower. Busted!
The Mississippi counting technique is legend-

ary, but such things

always bring a chuckle.
Why not hippopotamus
or rhinoceros?
They
have about the same
number of syllables after
all. Still the gentlemans
southern drawl made the
wisdom more fitting for
Mississippi than hippopotamus.
JCP&L was quick to
respond, and labored for
hours to re-wire the lines
ripped off the pole by a
downed tree 40 feet from
the front door. Of course
I got a laugh when the
lineman used a garden
rake to guide the new
line into place.
A bit of unrelated
advice as shared by
Cheryl of Clinton who
gardens in her bare feet;
its called grounding or
earthing and there is a
hub-bub of scientific
research that touts the
benefits.
Bare feet
directly on Mother Earth
encourage electrons into
the body that are present
in a practically limitless
and
continuously
renewed supply on the
surface of the Earth.
They say earthing generates a powerful and
positive shift in the
electrical state of the
body and the electrodynamics of blood, which
restores natural selfhealing
and
selfregulating mechanisms.
Phew!
Bottom line, it feels
good to walk shoeless,
as evidenced by how
great you feel after a day
barefoot on the beach. I
would suggest however,
not walking barefoot
with a garden rake
during a thunderstorm.
Thanks, Mr. Mississippi.
Garden dilemmas?
askmarystone.com

By Leonardo Claros,
MD, and Maher El
Chaar, MD, St. Lukes
University
Health
Network

The media was buzzing recently with the

findings of a Cleveland
Clinic study showing
that
weight
loss
(bariatric) surgery is
helping many obese
patients reverse type 2
diabetes.
Has diabetes actually
been cured by surgery?
For many people, the
answer is yes.
Many patients with
diabetes no longer take
insulin after weight loss
surgery, and are often
able to stop medications
within a day or two after
surgery. After three
years, many people with
diabetes no longer take
any diabetes medications at all.
Even the American
Diabetes Association
now enthuses, Its hard
to dispute that in the
fight against type 2
diabetes,
weight-loss
surgery trounces medication and lifestyle
changes in severely
obese people.
Our experience at St.
Lukes
University
Health Network shows
that surgical management of diabetes is just
beginning
to
help
people take control of
this ravaging disease.

We see people just

coming out of surgery
showing no symptoms
of diabetes where able
to maintain normal
blood glucose levels
without
medication,
long before they have
achieved any significant
weight loss. Clearly
weight loss is not the
driving factor for diabetes reversal in these
cases.
There are numerous
studies and theories
about what can cause
such an immediate and
dramatic reversal of
type 2 diabetes. While
no conclusive scientific
proof of the causes has
emerged, one thing is
clear:
weight-loss
surgery is a safe, effective method to cure
diabetes for many.
These results suggest
that weight loss surgery
should be available to
help many other people,
not just the severely
obese.
Weight loss surgery is
offered to patients who
have a body mass index
(BMI) greater than 35
who also have an associated serious health
condition such as diabetes, high blood pressure
or sleep apnea. The
surgery is also available
to any patient with a
BMI of 40 or greater.
However,
some
surgeons are already

performing experimental surgeries on people

with diabetes who have
lower BMIs.
These guideline from
the National Institutes
of Health were established nearly 20 years
ago and has never been
revised or updated. With
increasingly less invasive procedures such as
lan
aparoscopic
approaches, weight loss
surgery has become
even more effective and
safe. At St. Lukes, our
clinical outcomes for
mortality, readmissions
and length of stay are
far better than the
national average. Our
quality data is based on
performing more than
2,000 procedures.
Additionally, patient
outcomes continue to
improve as well. Quality of life issues beyond
weight loss, such as
lower cholesterol and
blood pressure and
improved sleep, make
life better overall for
many patients. In addition to critical health
improvements, weight
loss surgery patients
often benefit from
increased self-esteem
and regain control over
simple things in life,
like walking without
being
winded
and
sitting in an average size
chair.
Weight loss surgery in

reversing
diabetes,
eliminates or reduces
the need for insulin and
other medications and
gives people more
control over their lives
and health. In general,
people who undergo this
procedure soon after
being diagnosed with
diabetes also benefit
from preventing many
of the long-term complicaitons of the disease,
which may include
neuropathy, blindness,
non-healing
wounds
and heart disease. The
International Diabetes
Federation calls for
bariatric surgery to be
considered earlier in the
treatment of eligible
patients to help stem the
many
complications
that can result from
diabetes, and not only as
a last resort to treat this
illness.
A team of doctors and
other healthcare professionals
working
together should suggest
if surgical management
of diabetes may be right
for each individual. As
health
care
costs
continue to be highly
scrutinized, and providers seek ways to provide
the best care for their
patients, weight loss
surgery may provide a
win-win as a costeffective solution for
diabetic patients as
well as a cure.

(NAPSI)A material
so light its barely
thereand so good at
catching particles it was
used by NASA to
capture
interstellar
dustcan make a major
difference in how men
look and feel.
Thats because this
advanced material, aerolite, based on the science
of aerogel, is also used
in skin care formulations made to treat
mens oily skin.
The chemists at Kiehls
Since 1851 created a
way for men to manage
excess oil with aerolite.
Its highly porous structure and large surface
area can absorb four
times its own weight in
oil. Oil Eliminator 24hour Anti-Shine Moisturizer, with aerolite
technology, not only
uses the space-age
ingredient, the product
actually went to the edge
of space. A weather
balloon lifted a tube of
Kiehls Oil Eliminator
110,000 feet above the
Earth. To view the
journey to the edge of
space and back, go to

YouTube.com/KiehlsN
YC. At www.kiehlsin
space.com, you can
enter the Put Some
Space On Your Face
contest with your own,
customized
action
figure going into space,
too. Just post a photo of
yourself in midair to
Instagram, Twitter or
Facebook,
using
hashtag #SpaceFace and
#Contest.
The full Oil Eliminator
skin care regimen is
available
at
www.Kiehls.com/Kiehl
sinspace, by mail order,
or
from
1-800KIEHLS-2

Carly Lynn Jones,

daughter of Brian and
Nancy Jones of Roseto,
graduated Summa Cum
Laude this May from
East
Stroudsburg
University (ESU) with a
degree in Rehabilitative
and Human Services
and a minor in Psychology. She is a 2011
graduate of Bangor
High School. During
her time at ESU, she
was a member of the
National Rehabilitation
Association,
Best
Buddies, Sigma Sigma
Sigma, and Sigma Pi
Epsilon Delta.
She also was the president of the Rehabilitative Services Student
Organization, a student
worker in the Special
Education and Rehabilitation department, a
volunteer at a thrift store
that benefits a women's
shelter,
earned
the
National Excellence in
Leadership
Award

through the National

Society of Leadership
and Success, and was
featured in Who's Who
Among
College
Students.
During her last semester at ESU, Jones
interned full-time at one
of the nation's top rehabilitation
hospitals,
MossRehab in Philadelphia, and worked with
individuals with moderate to severe traumatic
brain
injuries
and
strokes.
Currently,
she
is
employed as a Caregiver
with Visiting Angels in
East Stroudsburg and is
studying to become a
Certified Brain Injury
Specialist. In the fall,
she will continue with
Visiting Angels and will
be attending Marywood
University's Masters in
Social Work program.
She will also be a graduate assistant for Marywood.

(NAPSI)According
to the National Safety
Council, injuries related
to falls are still a
primary concern for
seniors, and with good
reason: The Centers for
Disease Control (CDC)
states one in three
adults aged 65 and over
experience a fall each
year.
To proactively address
concerns about falls,
many seniors choose to
invest in a personal
emergency
response
system (PERS). But

according to senior
safety expert Dennis
Boyle of MobileHelp,
there are four main
things to consider when
choosing the right
PERS device:
1. Waterproof: Showers
and pool decks are
slippery surfaces that
seniors
regularly
utilizethe wearable
pendant or accessories
that detect falls should
be
waterproof
to
accommodate
such
activities.
2. Mobile: More than

45 percent of falls
happen outside the
homeif the person is
mobile, the PERS
device should be, too.
3. Automatic fall detection: Following a fall,
80 percent of people
arent physically able to
push the button on their

PERS device. With

automatic fall detection, they dont have
toif they fall and
cant push the button or
even respond-help will
still be on the way.
4. Comfort: The device
should be lightweight,
with multiple wear
options (such as neck
pendant or wristwatch
styles),
and
neck
pendants should feature
quick-release fasteners
for safety.
Learn More: For further
facts,
go
to
www.mobilehelp.com
or call 1-800-761-9185.

(NAPSI)The most
enduring memory of the
winter of 2014 just might
be the millions of
potholes that continue to
dish out punishment to
drivers and passengers
across the U.S. and
Canada. But abominable
road conditions can cause
more than just a bonerattling ride; they can also
damage important steering and suspension
components, including
shock absorbers and
struts.
Many drivers understand that their vehicles
have taken a severe
beating over the past
several months, but they
might not be able to
detect some damage
without having a professional technician inspect
their steering and suspension system, said Bill
Dennie, director of ride
control channel management for the Monroe
brand of shock absorbers
and struts. Because this
damage can occur over a

period of months rather

than days, the driver
might not notice how
much worse his or her
vehicle handles today as
compared to last fall.
Although potholes are a
year-round issue in many
regions, they are most
prevalent during and
immediately following
winter due to repeated
freeze-thaw cycles. By
almost any measure,
however, 2014 has been
unusually painful and
expensive for road repair
crews and consumers.
Shocks and struts play
important roles in safe
driving by helping to
deliver satisfactory steering, stopping and stability. Their damping action
helps maintain movement of the vehicles
suspension within safe
limits. This, in turn, helps
the brakes do their job by
maintaining tire traction
and distributing the
vehicles weight across
all four wheels. Shocks
and struts also limit the

transfer of vehicle weight

from front to back when
braking, and from side to
side around turns. And
properly
functioning
shocks and struts help
protect tires from abnormal wear.
Automotive
repair
shops have reported
dramatic increases in tire
and wheel damage as a
result of potholes and
other hazards related to
winter weather. Your
shocks, struts and other
chassis components have
faced the same abuse and
in some cases might have
experienced
physical
damage or accelerated
wear, Dennie said. Its
a good idea to ask a
service
provider
to
inspect your steering and
suspension system before
making any road trips.
To learn more about
how shocks and struts
contribute to driving
safety,
visit
www.monroe.com
or
contact your automotive
service provider.

In celebration of June
being National Cancer
Survivors
Month,
Carole
Ann
F.
Bowyer, the Hope for
Strength Breast Cancer
funds co-founder, and
volunteers hosted the
2nd
Annual
Pink
Ribbon
Raffle
in
Bartonsville.
More
than eighty people
attended the event that

included a happy hour

featuring a signature
cocktail The Hope
Explosion
Martini,
massages and many
raffle prizes donated by
local businesses and
individuals.
The
Hope
for
Strength Breast Cancer
Fund is for not of the
Pocono
Mountains
because we are part of

the community, and we

support it by hosting
various events, stated
Staci Ann Beers, cofounder.
Marynell
Strunk,
Pocono Health Foundation, said, It was such
a success we already
secured next years date
of June 26th, 2015.
All money raised
benefits the The Hope
for Strength Breast
Cancer Fund. The
purpose of the fund is to
minimize the financial
and emotional impact
of breast cancer diagnoses and treatment. The
Hope for Strength
Breast Cancer Fund
will provide up to $500
to both male and female
patients of the Dales

and Frances Hughes

Cancer Center for basic
living expenses. The
fund was established in
2011 after Bowyers
daughter was diagnosed
with breast cancer.
Although
Bowyers
daughter lives in Washington,
DC,
they
decided to create Hope
for Strength in the
Pocono Mountains to
help the patients in the
area where Ms. Beers
grew up and received
an education.
Contact Carole Ann F.
Bowyer at cabowyer@
ptd.net or 570-9770872 for more information about the Hope for
Strength Breast Cancer
Fund and how you can
get involved.

(NAPSI)All your
hard work to become
financially stable can
unravel if you become
a victim of identity
theft.
Identity theft occurs
when someone steals
personal information
such as your Social
Security number, birth
date
or
mothers
maiden name. Many
people dont know
theyve been victimized until a collection
agency comes knocking on their door.
Identity theft is a
growing problem but
there are steps you can
take to prevent it.
Never give out
personal information
over the phone, on the
Internet or through the
mail unless you initiate the transaction or
know whom youre
dealing with.
Dont reveal any
personal information
before you find out
how it will be used
and
shared
with
others. When someone
requests your Social
Security number, ask
if you can provide
alternate information.

At medical offices, use

an identifier that is not
your Social Security
number.
Ensure the passwords to your credit
card, bank, phone and
all
other
online
accounts arent easily
available and cant
easily be guessed.
Avoid using obvious
information such as
your birth date, digits
in your Social Security
number
or
your
mothers maiden name.
Change your passwords
periodically,
particularly those associated with financial
accounts.
Keep items with
personal information in
a safe place, such as a
locked storage device
or password-protected
electronic file. Tear up
or shred all unneces-

sary papers containing

Social Security numbers, account numbers
and birth dates before
discarding them so
dumpster
divers
cant retrieve them.
Protect your mail.
Keep your eyes open
for bills and statements. If you think one
of your statements is
missing, quickly call
that company to let it
know. Take outgoing
mail to a postal mailbox or the post office.
If your mail suddenly
stops, go to the post
office. Thieves sometimes submit change of
address forms to divert
mail to their address.
Check your bank
and credit card account
activity promptly upon
receipt of a written
statement. If you see
any problems, immediately report them to
your financial institution. The Federal Trade
Commission
offers
guidance on immediate
steps to take to limit
the harm.
For more tips and
resources,
visit
www.SaveAndInvest.o
rg/LearnMore.

The Department of
Environmental Protection (DEP) and police
in
Pittsburgh
and
Mount Lebanon are
continuing their investigation into the disappearance of a portable
gauge containing sealed
sources of radioactive
material.
The gauge belongs to
Solar Testing of Pennsylvania and the company is offering a $500
reward for information
leading to the recovery
of the gauge. It was last
used by the company on
Friday, June 27th, in the
Mount Lebanon area.
The
company
is

licensed by DEP to use

the gauge.
The nuclear density
gauge is a Troxler
Model 3411B, serial
number 5434. The
gauge is yellow in color
and about the size of a
shoe box, with an
electronic keypad and a
metal rod extending
from the top surface.
The Troxler gauge
contains approximately
nine millicuries of
cesium-137 and 44
millicuries
of
americium-241.
The device is safe as
long as it is not
tampered with or damaged.

Anyone who should

find the gauge should
leave it alone and report
its location to DEP
during regular business
hours at 412-442-4000;
or contact the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency offhours at 717-651-2001.
If the gauge appears to
be damaged and it
appears to be an emergency, dial 911. A
trained individual will
be sent to recover the
gauge.
For more information,
or to view a photo of the
missing device, visit
www.dep. state.pa.us,
Keyword: Troxler.

"I'm so scared I'm not

going to be able to get
everything done. I can't
believe no one will help
me! It makes me so
angry. I've never felt so
alone and out of control
before."
The emotional experiences involved with
providing care can
strain even the most
capable person. The
resulting feelings of
anger, anxiety, sadness,
isolation,
exhaustion
and then guilt for
having
these
feelingscan exact a
heavy toll.
It's important to recognize the emotional
signs
of
caregiver
stress. Take a look at
the following list and
see if any apply to you:
Anxiety, Depression,
Moodiness,
Mood
Swings,
Butterflies,
Irritability, Easily Frustrated, Road Rage,
Memory Problems and
Lack of Concentration,
Feeling out of control,
Increased
Substance
Abuse, Phobias, Argumentative, Feeling of
Isolation, Job Dissatisfaction
Noticing the way
stress affects you physically is sometimes
easier than seeing how
it is affecting you emotionally. You may want
to think about how your
spouse or children are
reacting to you. If
you're more grumpy
than normal they may
let you know or may
just
avoid
you
altogether.
Consider talking with
a healthcare professional that can help you
to evaluate your situation. Remember, it is
not selfish to focus on
your own needs and
desires when you are a
family caregiver. In
fact, it is important that
you take initiative with
your own physical and
emotional care, or else
it could make you less
useful to the person for
whom you are caring.

Physical Signs of
Caregiver Stress
"If I could just get
some
good
sleep,
maybe I wouldn't feel
so tired all the time and
this headache would go
away."
When you're a caregiver it's easy to forget
about your own needs.
After all, you're a caregiver not a me-giver.
Right? Well, yes and
no. As difficult as it
might seem, you need
to pay attention to
yourself too. Why? One
study done by Elissa
Epel from the University of California found
that family caregivers
experiencing extreme
stress have been shown
to age prematurely.
This level of stress can
take as much as 10
years off a caregiver's
life.
So how do you know
if caregiver stress is
affecting you? Look for
these common physical
signs of caregiver
stress:
Disturbed
Sleep,
Back, Shoulder or Neck
Pain, Muscle Tension,
Headaches, Stomach
and Digestive Problems
(upset or acid stomach,
cramps, heartburn, gas,
irritable
bowel
syndrome,
constipation, diarrhea), Weight
Fluctuation (gain or
loss), Loss of Hair,
Fatigue, High Blood
Pressure,
Irregular
Heartbeat, Palpitations,
Chest pain, Perspiration, Skin Disorders
(hives, eczema, psoriasis, tics, itching), Periodontal Disease, Jaw
Pain,
Reproductive
Problems or Infertility,
Weakened
Immune
System Suppression:
more colds, flu, infections, Sexual Dysfunction and lack of libido
If you are experiencing some of the signs
listed above, consider
talking with a healthcare professional that
can help you to evaluate your situation. You

are not alone. Getting

support
will
help
reduce caregiver stress,
as well as reduce the
associated risks of
ongoing stress.
This article originally
appeared
on
Caring.com: Emotional
Signs of Caregiver
Stress/Physical Signs
of Caregiver Stress
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Our
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(NAPSI)While
most students hope to
be popular while at
college,
for
many
colleges, the quest for
popularity can take an
intriguing turn.
These days, universities often struggle to
draw
prospective
students and alumni
donations
in
an
extremely competitive
environment.
Some,
however, have discovered a solution. Consider the case of
historically
black
college Jackson State
University (JSU). It
needed a strategic
marketing plan, help
combining more than
100 websites into one,
and an honest evaluation of the brand
platform.
To achieve all that,
JSU had to engage
students,
faculty,
alumni, and community
and business leaders.
The process included a
comprehensive survey
that compared the
perception of these
groups to reality, an
analysis of its marketing and communications strengths and
weaknesses, advertising and social media.
There was also the
launch of the new logo
during halftime of a
JSU home football
game
while
the
schools
legendary
band, the Sonic Boom
of the South, generated
excitement.
The result: record
student enrollment and
alumni giving.
The experts behind
this turnaround, vitalink, a branding and
marketing firm, and
AndiSites, a web

design company, work

as part of the HBCUgrow team to create
results
oriented
programs for colleges
and
universities,
including Historically
Black Colleges and
Universities (HBCUs).
They
offer
these
suggestions:
1. Define what your
university or other
organization wants to
accomplish. Make a list
of specific goals and
objectives and measure
success.
2. Do the research.
Have an unbiased party
look
at
existing
research,
conduct
market and competitive
research, survey stakeholders
(mini-focus
groups and Perception
vs. Reality survey) and
do an objective brand
audit. Use a third party
to encourage honest
responses.
3. Engage your stakeholders from day one.
Theyll give you a
360-degree view of
realitynot just how
you see your brand. If
your website is not
working, you can be
certain theyll let you
know. A collaborative
approach also gains the
buy-in you will need to
roll out a new or

updated brand.
4. Create a flexible
strategic plan with
measurable
results,
update as you learn and
move forward. Dont
let it sit on a shelf.
5. Get your creative
and brand right. Its not
just the logo or pretty
graphics. Your brand
platforms messages,
voice and tone all need
to
represent
your
school accurately for
better results. Again,
input from an unbiased
party helps ensure
youre on track.
6. Communicate from
beginning to end, using
the
methods
your
stakeholders
prefer.
Personalized,
multitouch,
multichannel
automated campaigns
make this easier and
free up your staff to
focus on high-value
tasks. Bonus: Results
are trackable.
7. Follow through
with your brand promises. If you dont live
up to your brand,
people turn away and
you dont get a second
chance.
Sign up for tips, facts
and whitepapers at
vitalinkweb.com/hbcug
row, e-mail info@
vitalinkweb.com or call
1-919-850-0605.

(NAPSI)When
youve made a love
connection and feel
its time to introduce
your two-legged companion to your fourlegged friend, here are
a few tips from the
nations leader in pet
adoptions, PetSmart
Charities, and the
worlds largest dating
website, Match.
They have teamed up
to reveal the important
role that pets play in
our dating lives.
Start With A Photo
Session: Before you
set up the in-person
meeting, share or
exchange photographs
of your pets. Its an
easy way to give the
new person in your life

an idea about the role

your pet plays in your
world.
Keep The Energy
Positive And Mellow:
When you walk in the
door, keep movingput your stuff down,
hang your coat, get all
the way in the house
and free up your
hands, then greet your
pet.
If your date is with
you, he or she should
follow this approach,
too. It lets the youre
home! energy fade
before anyone interacts with your pet, so
shes calmer. Thats
especially important
when youre with a
guest.
Dont Force It: Its

natural to be a little
nervous. You and your
date already like each
other, so its important
to you that your pet

Boomers
Angels
Animal Rescue and
Care, Martins Creek,
has joined thousands of
animal welfare organizations across North
America that list their
homeless
pets
on
Petfinder, the online
leader in responsible
pet
adoptions.
Petfinder, the largest

feels the same way. A

recent PetSmart Charities and Match survey
found that women are
more likely to judge

their date based on

their pets reactionalmost half of women
do it, and 30 percent of
men do, too.
Even though youre
eager, dont push it.
You know how intuitive your pet is, right?
Shell pick up on any
awkward, uncomfortable energy right away,
which will make her
edgy and turn her off
to the whole situation.
However, if you take
a deep breath and stay
relaxed, chances are
your pet will also stay
relaxed. Behave as
naturally as possible,
speaking
in
your
normal voice. Stay
involved in the introduction for the first

few minutes. Try

sitting on the floor
together so all three of
you are participating in
the meeting.
Following these tips
will help you navigate
the first meeting.
When you date someone, youre looking for
signals. Similarly, you
should watch for cues
from the pet to tell you
what your next move
should be. In the
meantime, just hang
out, relax and give
your pet some time to
adapt to the change.
For more information
about PetSmart Charities and its adoption
programs, visit the
website at www.pets
martcharities.org.

database of adoptable
animals on the Internet, has been committed to animal welfare
and rescue organizations dedicated to the
cause since its founding in 1996.
Over 13,000 rescues
and shelters leverage
Petfinder's
website
and mobile apps to

connect homeless pets

with prospective pet
adopters.
To
get
started, a potential
adopter simply enters
his or her search criteria and a list is returned
that ranks the pets by
proximity to the location entered. Adoptions
are carried out by the
animal
placement
group that is caring for
the
pet
selected,
following its policies.
Petfinder was established as a grassroots
project by Betsy Banks
Saul and Jared Saul to
end the euthanasia of
adoptable pets. Since
its inception, the website has facilitated more
than 21 million adoptions, making it the
most life-saving initiative in animal welfare.
Additionally, Petfinder
is a digital destination

for pet owners, providing resources on pet

care, health and training while helping to
provide happy, lifelong
relationships.
Petfinder is owned by
Nestl Purina PetCare
Company, a global
leader in the pet care
industry. Nestl Purina
PetCare
promotes
responsible pet care,
humane
education,
community
involvement and the positive
bond between people
and their pets. The
North American headquarters for Nestl
Purina
PetCare
is
located at Checkerboard Square in St.
Louis, Missouri. Nestl
Purina PetCare is part
of Swiss-based Nestl
S.A., a global leader in
nutrition, health and
wellness.

By Andrew Staub

Another
day
has
passed, and Pennsylvania is still without a
budget.
So
far,
services
havent been affected,
but the impasse has
made for intriguing
political theater as
Republican Gov. Tom
Corbett jousts with the
Republican-controlled
Legislature
over
pension reform.
The biggest remaining
question is whether
Corbett will sign the
budget the General
Assembly put on his
desk hours before the
June 30th deadline
expired. He wants
lawmakers to enact
pension reform, but
neither the Senate nor
the House has mustered
enough votes for a
Corbett-backed
proposal that would
stack a 401(k)-style
plan on a traditional
pension.
Its unclear how long
Corbetts holdout will
last. He has until Friday
to sign the budget, let it
pass without his signature or veto it. His press
secretary, Jay Pagni, did
not return a message
left Tuesday.
With Corbett trailing
Democratic challenger
Tom Wolf by 22 points
in the latest Franklin &
Marshall College poll,
the governor needs to
change the narrative of
the campaign, said G.
Terry
Madonna,
a
political analyst at the
school.
And, Madonna said,
whats better than a
veto of the budget to
show Corbett is serious
about shifting the paradigm?
He desperately needs
something to take to the
voters a victory, a
policy victory, a legislative victory, Madonna
said,

Corbett will have

more to think about
after this week. The
state Senate approved
the fiscal code, a
catch-all piece of legislation that essentially
implements the budget.
Whether Corbett signs
it is anybodys guess.
Senate President Pro
Tempore Joe Scarnati,
R-Jefferson,
urged
Corbett to move. Scarnati released a statement this past week
that
parsed
the
governors
previous
statements that he
wouldnt consider new
revenue to balance the
budget
without
pension reform and
changes to the way the
state sells liquor.
In light of his conditions,
the
budget
presented to Governor
Corbett by the General
Assembly contains no
new revenues, Scarnati said, while encouraging the governor to
sign the budget as it
stands.
That didnt happen
Tuesday. Even though
forcing
lawmakers
back to re-do the
budget could be seen
as a sign of leadership,
some believe Corbett
has
already
overreached in his quest for
pension reform.
State Senate Minority
Leader Jay Costa, DAllegheny, said last
week that folks are
wed to what they
believe when it comes
to the pension bill. He
doesnt think a special
session
would
be
successful in pushing
along pension reform
and said Corbett might
have overplayed his
cards by refusing to
sign the budget.
Now, Corbett looks
weak within his own
party on the issue,
Costa said.
I think the plan back-

Pennsylvania Gov.
Tom Corbett hasnt
signed the state
budget in hopes of
cajoling lawmakers
to tackle pension
reform. It hasnt
worked so far.
fired, he said.
Leo Knepper, executive director of the
Citizens Alliance of
Pennsylvania,
a
conservative
group
that often backs upstart
candidates,
thinks
Corbetts team used
poor strategy by failing
to anticipate what
would happen if the
Legislature didnt heed
the call for pension
reform.
Signing the budget
now

without
pension reform
would make Corbett
look weak, Knepper
said. Letting it pass
without his signature
would be less humiliating, Knepper said.
Knepper
doesnt
know the exact impression that a veto might
leave though he
does think it will
irritate lawmakers who
will have to cancel
summer vacations to
re-do the budget.
Its one of those
damned-if-you,
damned-if-you-dont

situations, Knepper
said.
The stalemate has
been somewhat of an
oddity, given that
Republicans control
the governors office
and both chambers of
the General Assembly.
So why cant Corbett
get what he wants?
Madonna outlined a
few reasons.
First, the House
Republican caucus is
very badly divided
between more moderate GOP members
from the eastern part
of the state and the
two- to three-dozen
Tea
Party
types,
Madonna said.
Then there are the
ideological differences
between the House
and the Senate, which
havent agreed on
big-ticket items such
as Medicaid expansion
or liquor privatization,
Madonna said.
Finally,
hyperpartisanship
has
further muddled the
budget process. In the
past, lawmakers in the
minority party were
willing to put up leadership votes for a
budget if they received
something in return.
This year no Democratic lawmaker voted
in favor of the budget.
Madonna cant recall
that happening before.
Add those factors
together,
Madonna
said, and its not
exactly a recipe to get
something done.
Staub can be reached
at
Andrew@PA
Independent.com.
Follow @PAIndependent on Twitter for
more.

The Hyssongs will be

presenting a concert of
Gospel Music at Slate
Belt Baptist Church,
1620 Church Road, Pen
Argyl across from the
Wind
Gap
Middle
School on Sunday, July
20th at 10am. A goodwill offering will be
taken.
Dell, Susan and Richard Hyssong travel full
time as the award
winning
Hyssongs.
Their energetic family
ministry
combines
family vocal harmony,
humor and brass instruments (trumpet and
trombone) to delight
audiences through the
powerful medium of
music. The group has
been singing together as
a family for more than
15 years. In that time,
the Hyssongs have
received many accolades
for their quality, inspirational Southern Gospel
sound. The group was
voted Top New Trio

during the 2013 Singing

News Fan Awards. The
have also consistently
placed songs on the
Southern Gospel Top 40
charts, such as the 2013
singles, Oh What a
Name and Is It Just
Me. In 2014, their song,
God's in Control,
peaked at #24 on the
Singing News radio
charts. Their current
song, "Thinking About
Going Home", is #18 in
July. The Hyssongs were
the cover story in an
issue of Christian Voice
Magazine in 2012 and
have been featured in
Singing News Magazine
several times. The group
has also been featured on
Paul Heil's The Gospel
Greats radio program.
The Hyssongs perform at
more than 250 events
each year throughout the
United
States
and
Canada. For more information and details about
the show call 610-3909124.

State Rep. Joe Emrick

(R-Northampton)
joined the majority of
his House colleagues
on June 30th, in voting
to concur on Senate
amendments to House
Bill 2328, the general
appropriations bill for
fiscal year 2014-15.
The legislation, which
contains no new taxes
or tax increases, sets
yet another record in
funding
for
K-12
education at $10.5
billion, eclipsing the
amount spent during
2013-14.
Emrick issued the
following statement on
House
Bill
2328,
which has been sent to
Gov. Tom Corbetts
desk for his signature
into law:
As a former teacher,
I am pleased to support
a spending plan for
fiscal year 2014-15
that
features
yet
another record-setting
appropriation in K-12
education. For the
fourth
consecutive
fiscal year, we will be
looking to the future
through investments
like this, in addition to
significant increased
raises in support for
Pre-K Counts and
special education.
Public schools in the

137th
Legislative
District received the
following increases:
Bangor Area School
District $842,940.
Easton Area School
District $2,437,093.
Nazareth Area School
District $1,028,572.
While I could go into
more specifics, I feel it
is important to emphasize
the
overall
philosophy of this
spending
plan
in
relation to the budgets
of the last three years.
We continue to live in
trying economic times,
made even more difficult by decisions of the
Obama administration
that have made our
lives more challenging.
Decreased support
from
the
federal
government has forced
to us to make difficult
spending decisions. We
nevertheless
have
crafted a budget for
2014-15 that does not
rely on the wallets of
Pennsylvania taxpayers in order to be
balanced. No taxes are
raised or created and
no new debt is
incurred.
They are your tax
dollars and we are
charged with being
good stewards of them.

Not confining our

spending to existing
revenue is irresponsible. Voting for this
budget is an extension
of the sound economic
practices I taught and
promoted in the classroom. It only makes
sense to support the

same as a state representative.

Questions about this
or any legislative issue
may be directed to
Emricks Mt. Bethel
district office at 570897-0401 or his Nazareth district office at
610-746-5090.