The Pen Argyl Alumni

Association is sponsoring a
trip to Deck the Halls at
the
American
Music
Theater on November 28th.
The trip includes dinner,
show and all tax and gratuities. For more information or
tickets, call Bill Ruggiero at
610-863-6297.
The East Bangor Methodist Church will be holding
it's monthly pastie sale on
December 1st. Pickup will
be at the church, 136 W.
Central Ave., at 3:30pm.
Choices are beef with or
without onion and broccoli
cheese with or without onion.
To place your order, call
610-588-1745.
A holiday plant sale to
benefit local victims of
crime is accepting orders
now through December 1st.
Plants will be available for
delivery (with purchase of 10
or more) or pickup December
9th. They are offering a
variety of lovely poinsettias,
Christmas cacti and wreaths.
For more information, help
with placing an order, and/or
to assist with the fundraiser at
your place of business, please
call Sara Ullmer at 610-4376610 ext. 26 or email
sullmer@cvclv.org.
Order
forms can be printed at
www.cvclv.org.
The Slate Belt Heritage
Center has commenced a
new project and is asking
for volunteers to assist them

in reading and summarizing over 4,000 letters written by Slate Belt World
War II soldiers. These
letters were written to Horace
and Mona Strunk, who were
editors and founders of the
Homefront Magazine. This
magazine was distributed
throughout all the different
war areas and kept local boys
in touch with home. Working
hours for this project are
Mondays, 9am to noon, and
Tuesday through Friday, 1pm
to 4pm. If interested, or for
additional information, email
blau.marc@outlook.com or
call 610-588-8615.
Slate Belt Health and
Rehabilitation is looking
for volunteers. If you enjoy
talking, singing, dancing,
exercising, reading, and
more, and would like to share
your gifts with the residents,
stop by 701 Slate Belt Boulevard in Bangor for an application or call 610-588-6161.
Volunteers must be at least 16
years old.
The Ladies Auxiliary of
the Mt. Bethel Volunteer
Fire Company is seeking
new members and volunteers. If you are interested
and would like further information, contact Gail at 570897-6293 or Kris at 610392-7975.
St. Johns Cemetery is
seeking donations to help
with the upkeep of the cemetery, roadways and monuments. They are also exploring the idea of adding a Community Columbarium near

the mosoleum. Donations can

be sent to Carol Hummel c/o
St. Johns Cemetery, 136
Messinger Street, Bangor, PA
18013.
The Slate Belt Heritage
Center Oral History Project is seeking Slate Belt
senior citizens who would
like to be interviewed. If
you know of anyone who has
a story, call Marc Blau at
570-897-5459.
The Ladies Auxiliary of
the Mt. Bethel Volunteer
Fire Company in Mt.
Bethel is seeking new members and volunteers. If you
are interested and would like
further information, contact
Gail at 570-897-6293 or Kris
at 610-392-7975.
Parking space rentals are
availabe in five municipal
lots
throughout
the
Borough of Bangor. Always
have a space to park! Cost is
$40 per month or $100 for
three months. Call the
Borough office at 610-5882216 for more details.

The United Methodist

Women are having a pastie
sale on December 4th.
Pasties are filled with potatoes and beef, with or without
onions and the price is $5.50
each. Orders will be taken
thru November 29 by calling
Michelle Peterson at 908362-6703. Orders can be
picked up at the First United
Methodist
Church,
10
Stillwater Road, in Blairstown from 4-6pm.
Applications for 2016 Dog
Park membership are now
available at the Blairstown
Municipal Building, online
at blairstowndogpark.com,
and also at the Blairstown
Rabies Clinic on December
5th. The Blairstown Dog
Park is a non-profit organization which depends on the
membership fees to insure
and maintain the park and
requires members to prove
that their dogs are licensed
and have the appropriate
shots to protect other members and their dogs. You must

have a membership tag to

prove that your membership
is up to date when using the
dog park. Fines may be
charged to offenders. The
membership is a mere $20
per dog per year for residents
and $25 for non-residents.
There is a $5 discount per
dog if your payment is
received before January 31st,
2016. Please read and obey
the rules for everyone's
benefit.
Fresh, refrigerated and
frozen foods are available
to northwestern New Jersey
residents at reduced prices
through the Jolin Food Box
program. The food assistance program offers a
variety of ordering options,
from breakfast-lunch-dinner
combination packs to boxes
of dinner entrees to special
packages just for children.
Each month features a variety
of high-quality menu items
from seafood and poultry to
baked goods and prepared
meals. The price of a single
box ranges from $20 - $40.
There is no limit to the
number
of
boxes
an
individual or family can
purchase, and the menu
changes each month. Interested residents can order
online with a credit card at
www.jolinfoodbox.com or by
calling
Project
SelfSufficiency at 973-940-3500.
Payment is made when the
order is placed. The next
deadline for placing an order
is Tuesday, December 8th;
delivery will be made to
Project Self-Sufficiency on
Saturday, December 19th. To
find out more about the
monthly food deliveries by
the Jolin Food Box Program
at Project Self-Sufficiency, or
any of the other programs and
services available at the
agency, call 973-940-3500,
or visit www.projectself
sufficiency.org.
Religious
education
classes at the Unitarian
Universalist Fellowship of
Sussex County have begun.
Children
ages
three
through 12 will participate
in a program called Sing
to the Power, which

includes lessons and activities that help children

explore ways they can use
their different forms of
personal power to effect
positive change in the
world. The classes are held
every Sunday from 10:30am
to noon in the fellowship hall,
located at One West Nelson
Street in Newton. For further
information, call 570-8282732
or
visit
www.
UUNewtonNJ.org.
Free exercise classes will
be held for adults at town
hall
in
Johnsonburg.
Classes are an hour long on
Monday and Wednesday at
10am, and Saturday at 9am;
or Tuesday, Thursday and
Friday at 4:45pm. For more
information, visit www.
frelinghuysennj.us/aerobics.h
tm, call Cathy at 908-8527426, or email cathy@cathy
baobean.com.
Blairstown Recreation is
offering
fall
workout
sessions of Zumba, PiYo,
Pilates and Yoga for adults
and teens. Zumba will be
held Tuesdays and Thursdays

from 6pm to 7pm now

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

Adult Fiction: Coyle,

Cleo: Billionaire Blend;
Galbraith, Robert: Career Of
Evil; George, Elizabeth: A
Banquet Of Consequences;
Grisham,
John:
Rogue
Lawyer; Johansen, Iris:
Shadow Play; Monroe,
Mary Alice: The Summer
Wind, The Summers End;
Morton, Kate: The Lake
House; Preston, Natasha:
The Cellar; Roberts, Nora:
Stars Of Fortune; Scottoline, Lisa: Corrupted;
Smith, Wilbur: Golden
Lion; Sparks, Nicholas: See
Me; Robinson, Barbara: The
Best Christmas Pageant
Ever.
Adult
Non
Fiction:
Brittain, Susan: Crocheting
For Dummies; Falick, Melanie: Handknit Holidays;
Hynde, Chrissie: Recklessmy Life As A Pretender;
Martz, Geoff: Cracking The
Ged Test 2016; The Old
Farmers Almanac 2016;

Ray, Jimi: I Wish It Would

Rain; Steyer, James: Talking
Back To Facebook.
Young Adult Fiction:
Rowell, Rainbow: Carry On.
Easy Fiction: Robertson,
Si: Everythings Better With
A Beard.
Audio Books Fiction:
Beck, Glenn: The Christmas
Sweater; Keller, Cynthia:
An
Amish
Christmas;
Kleypas, Lisa: Christmas
Eve At Friday Harbor;
Macomber, Debbie: The
Perfect Christmas; Mallery,
Susan: Christmas On 4th
Street; Medlicott, Joan: A
Blue And Grey Christmas;
Morrell, David: The Spy
Who Came For Christmas;
Patterson, James: Merry
Christmas, Alex Cross.
DVDs: Jurassic World; The
Mindy Project Season 3;
The Santa Claus; Santa
Claus 2; Santa Claus 3 The
Escape Artist; Will And
Grace Season 3.

The Bangor Womens Club

met at Prince of Peace
Church on Oct 20th. Marie
Balson did an inspiration
reading "Noah's Ark". June
Hess introduced the speaker
Jeff Finnegan, of Phillipsburg, NJ who is an avid
President George Washington historian. He spoke to
the group about the second
book he has published "Tis
Well". This book is about the
relationship that President
Washington had with his
personal physician James
Craig.
Mr. Finnegan is
working on a third book
about
President
Washington's
relationship
with his personal secretary
Tobias Lear. In addition to
describing the book, Jeff
shared interesting stories
about his quest to collect
President Washington information and memoribilia.
Also speaking at the October meeting was Amalia
Abramson, Bangor High
School Junior who the club
sponsored to attend the
HOBY Leadership conference at Villanova this past
spring. This was an excellent experience to learn
leadership and networking
skills.
New
members
Robin
Young and Marilyn Amy
were welcomed to the club.
There are currently 44 members. We are always happy
to see new faces join us for
interesting fellowship and
fun activities.
Anyone
intered in joining please
contact Ellen Prudenti,
Second Vice President, for
information at 570-8975787.
Clare Osmun did an inspirational reading "Be Thankful"
at the November 17th meeting. June Jones introducted
Marc Blau, Vice President of

the Bangor Heritage Center

who was the speaker . Marc
is a lifelong resident of the
Slate Belt and is a retired
Bangor High School teacher.
He spoke about the center's
project to create a Heritage
Tour Map of the Slate Belt
Region.The project was
possible due to a grant from
the Northampton County
Dept of Community and
Economic
Development,
Merchants Bank, and the
hours of labor donated by
community
volunteers.
Marc's brother David, a 1964
Bangor High graduate did
the Graphic Design and
Layout for the map and Jeff
Jancovic did the site photography. The map is available
free of charge to visitors who
stop at the Heritage Center.
Phase II of the project has the
center partnering with the
Totts Gap Arts Institute. This
project will provide for slate
markers at each of the sites on
the map. On each of the
markers there will be a digital
scanner that visitors can scan
on their Smart phones and get
information about the site.
Totts Gap has an electronic
map on their website. Marc
and other volunteers are in
the process of collecting,
reading, and scanning letters
that were sent to the Home
Front Magazine. This was a
magazine that was published
in the Slate Belt about local

information and was sent to

Slate Belt Service members
during World War II. This
was the only magazine of its
kind in the United States. In
addition to the local information, the magazine featured
local young women in the
article "Fairest of the Fair".
Virginia DePue and Doris
Deen, club members were
two of the young women
featured. The center has
copies of all the magazines
that were published from
1942 to 1945 and has them on
display. The center is also
doing an Oral History
Project, in which they are
interviewing local residents
to record their recollections
of our area history.
The club craft group under
direction of Carolyn Smith,
made 30 neck pillows that
are being donated to Gracedale. The club is providing
Thanksgiving baskets for
two needy families that have
been identified by the
Bangor Slater Network.
The next meeting will be
held at Prince of Peace
Church, Johnsonsville, PA on
Tuesday December, 15th at
noon. After a finger food
lunch, the choir from Faith
Christian
School
will
provide a musical program.
Everyone is welcome, please
call Ellen Prudenti, at 570897-5787 for full information.

Legislation sponsored by
Senator Mario Scavello
(R-40) requiring Senate
confirmation of appointees to
the Delaware River Joint Toll
Bridge
Commission
(DRJTBC), Senate Bill 927,
was unanimously approved
by the Senate recently.

The DRJTBC is made up of

five commissioners each
from New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The New Jersey
members are nominated by
the governor and confirmed
by the New Jersey State
Senate. The Pennsylvania
members are appointed by the

governor and serve without

Senate consideration.
New Jersey understands
the importance of choosing
members to represent their
interests on the Commission
by requiring Senate confirmation and Pennsylvania
should do the same. These

Twenty nine Warren County

Community College students
who have shown exemplary
work ethics were rewarded
for their efforts at the
College's annual WCCC
Trustees and Foundation
Scholarship Awards Dinner
on November 10th.
"These students truly give
their all and are quite deserving," said Lori Page, Chair of
the WCCC Foundation. "It is
our honor to assist them with
their financial needs through
these scholarships."
Peter Schmidt, Chair of the
Board of Trustees, echoed
Page's comments and added,
"The goal is to prepare these
students to thrive and
become a part of the work
force, hopefully here in
Warren County."
Offering words of appreciation, both Jessica Dermody
and Alayna Sulick, noted
that they have had to overcome their own unique
obstacles in order to pursue
their secondary education
and the scholarships go a
long way in making things
easier for them.
Dermody, a nursing student
from Washington, admitted
she was not the best student

in high school but she has

turned the corner at WCCC
and with the scholarship in
hand, is "committed to
myself and my future."
Sulick, from Phillipsburg,
considers WCCC a second
chance for her and is grateful
for the belief in her that the
scholarship signifies.
Among the special guests at
the ceremony were State.
Sen. Mike Doherty, NJ
Assemblyman John DiMaio,
Freeholder Director Ed
Smith, Freeholder Jason
Sarnoski, and former New
Jersey Speaker of the House,
Garabed "Chuck" Haytiaian.
"We take pride in helping
our students," said Samir
Elbassiouny,
Foundation
Executive Director. "If we
can assist them just a little bit
it gives us great pleasure."
The full list of scholarship
(with special awards noted)
recipients are as follows:
From Phillipsburg, NJ:
Breanna
Consentino
(Herbert
and
Elizabeth
Trubek), James P. Crouse
(King Memorial), Jolene
Kline (Warren County Hall
of Fame), Christina Munzipapa, Javiela Oleghe (United
Way Women's Leadership

Council), Precious Xena

Rilloraza, Christine Solt,
Alayna C. Sulick (Dorio
Courage to Continue), Brian
Summit, Anna Villegas
(WCCC Trustees), Benjamin
H. Volk, and Kirsten Woolf.
From Washington: Brandi
Gibbs, Jessica Dermody
(United Way Women's Leadership Council and Anton
and
Dolores
Sintich),
Marissa
Lucas,
Donna
Mizerek, John Ndegwa
(Chuck Haytiaian), Michael
Miele (Timothy Stepanek
Memorial), and Rorie Stockton. Hackettstown; Brianna
Misener (Robert Sydney
Needham),
Alexandra
Garcia (Lober Family Foundation), and Paige Revelle.
From
Great
Meadows:
Rocco DeCorso and Joan
Kimmel (United Way Leadership and David and Jean
Boone). From Port Murray:
Jade Campbell (Dr. William
Boll Memorial) and Logan
Hanisak. From Columbia:
Melanie Matts (Elite 20), and
from Belvidere: Savannah
Murphy.
For more information about
WCCC and its scholarship
opportunities, visit warren.
edu, or call 908-835-9222.

Commissioners are making

decisions that have a significant economic impact on the
Commonwealth
and
its
taxpayers,
and
people
appointed to these positions
must be qualified and properly vetted, Scavello said.
The commission maintains
20 bridges along 140 miles of
the Delaware River.
Decisions of the Commission affect a large number of

citizens and businesses in the

Commonwealth, many of
whom I represent. Senate Bill
927 offers greater transparency and accountability
among the members who
make those decisions, especially when it relates to
operation and oversight of an
agency that brings in nearly
$120 million annually, Scavello said. Of that $120
million, approximately 80

percent of the revenues come

from my legislative district,
and this legislation is a vital
step in ensuring that the Commission members are held
accountable and are acting in
the best interest of the Commonwealth.
Senate Bill 927 now moves
to the House of Representatives for consideration. You
can follow Senator Scavello
on Twitter and Facebook.

Pies Sale: November 25th,

11am-noon. 703 S. Delaware
Dr.,
Rt.
611
Stone
Church/Mt. Bethel. FMI,
Chrissy at 610-599-0809
Black Friday Penny Party:
November 27th, 4pm. Good
Shepherd Lutheran Church,
1335 Old Carriage Rd.,
Northampton (the corner of
Howertown and Old Carriage
Roads in Allen Township).
FMI, call Carole at 610-2627493.
Free Photos w/ Santa:
November 28th, 10amnoon. Merchants Bank, 303
Pennsylvania Ave., Bangor.
Pen Argyl Alumni Assoc.
Bus Trip: November 28th.
American Music Theater
Christmas
Show
in
Lancaster. FMI, call Bill at
610-863-6297.
Bangor Tree Lighting
Ceremony: November 28th,
6pm. Refreshments to follow
at the HUB.
Forks of the Delaware
Bottle Collectors Association Annual Bottle &

Antique Show & Sale:

November 29th, 9am-2pm.
Bethlehem Catholic High
School, Madison & Dewey
Ave., Bethlehem. FMI, call
William at 610-264-3130.
Toy Bingo: November
29th, 12pm. Our Lady of
Victory R. C. Church,
Church Hall. Cherry Lane
Rd., Tannersville, FMI, call
570-629-4572.
Borough
of
Portland
Annual Holiday Tree
Lighting
Ceremony:
November 29th, 7pm.
Downtown Portland. FMI,
call Stephanie Steele at 610216-6716 or Cindy Fish at
973-600-7120.
Families First Fundraiser:
December 1st, 4pm-9pm.
Detzi's Tavern. Helps families in need.
Famous Glenn Miller
Orchestra Performance:
December 1st, 7pm. M.
Craig Paine Performing Arts
Theater. Hosted by the
BAHS Slater Band Boosters
To pre-order tickets, please
call Deb Heiney at 610-5997012 ext. 2137 or email
heineyd@bangorsd.org.
Northampton
County
Detachment 298 - Marine
Corps League Meeting:
December 2nd, 1900 hours.
1621 Lehigh St., Easton. All
active duty and honorably
discharged
Marines

welcome.
FMI,
email
jimmineousmc@rcn.com.

Church,
Bangor.

Slate Belt Baptist Church

Christmas Coffee House:
December 4th, 7pm. 1620
Church Rd. (across from
Wind Gap Middle School.)
FMI, call 610-390-9124. Free
music and snacks.

Pocono
Garden
Club
Annual Christmas Luncheon: December 8th,
12pm. Route 314, Pocono
Manor. Holiday Design:
Cheers, a mini design
incorporating red fresh or silk
materials nestled in a
stemmed clear glass, such as
a brandy sniffer, wine or
martini glass. No accessory.
FMI or reservations, call
Sandy at 570-619-8088.

The Friends of the Bangor

Public Library Breakfast
with Santa: December 5th,
9am-noon. Tickets for sale at
the library, $5 for adults, $3
for children. Tickets will also
be available at the door. All
proceeds benefit the library.
FMI, call Karen Brewer at
610-588-8615.
Lucy Flinn State Farm
Insurance's 7th Annual
Christmas Party: December 5th, 2pm-4pm. The Gap
Theatre. Santa will be there
at 2:30. FMI, call 610-8635190.
Christmas concert: December 5th, 7pm. First United
Evangelical Congregational
Church, 25 S. 2nd St.,
Bangor. Free admission.
Featuring: WITNESS.
East Bangor Vol. Fire Co.
Bazaar: December 5th,
10am-1pm. Accepting donations. FMI, call 610-5885996.
New Approach Christmas
Concert: December 6th,
2pm.
Trinity
Lutheran

404

Broadway,

Library, 1 Weller Place (off

Newburgh Rd.) Easton. FMI,
contact Leonard Ziegler at
908-750-4110.
Friends of Mt. Olive Public
Library Holiday Fundraiser Bag O' Book Sale:
December 5th, 10am-4pm.
202
Flanders-Drakestown
Rd., Flanders, in rear of Main
Library.
FMI,
visit
www.mopl.org or call 973
691-8686.

Bangor
High
School's
Chorus Holiday Concert:
December 9th, 7:30pm. M.
Craig Paine Performing Arts
Theater.

Santa's Secret Workshop:

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

Pocono Family YMCA

Annual Holiday Luncheon:
December 11th, 12pm-2pm.
FMI, email dlang@pocono
ymca.orm or call Deborah
Lang at 570-421-2525 ext.
139.

Free Rabies Clinic: December 5th, 9am-noon. Blairstown Twp. DPW Garage, 25
Lambert Rd., Blairstown.
Pets must be leashed or
crated. Licenses purchased
by check only.

Thanksgiving Eve Service:

November 25th, 7pm. Delaware Presbyterian Church.
Clarence Street, Delaware.
Joint service with the First
Oxford Presbyterian Church
at Hazen. All are welcome to
give thanks. FMI, call 908475-4500.
Grand Opening of Randolf
Adoption Center: November 27th & 28th, 12pm-8pm
and 29th, 12pm-5pm. Eleventh Hour Rescue, 861 Rt.
10, E. Randolph. Reduced
adoption fees, plus extra $25
off of any black dog adopted
on Black Friday. FMI, visit
www.ehrdogs.org or call
973-664-0865.
Forks of the Delaware,
Chapter #14, Society of
Pennsylvania Archaeology
Meeting: December 3rd,
7pm. Palmer Memorial

Jingle on Main: December

5th from 12pm-5pm. Main
St., Blairstown. Shop local
event Saturday December 5th
from 12pm to 5pm. Santa
Claus will make an appearance from 3:30pm to 4:30pm.
A tree lighting ceremony will
take place at 4pm in lot next
to Gourmet Gallery.
Christ Church Newton
Hosts Annual Toy Sale:
December 5th, 9am-noon.
Christ Church, 62 Main St.,
Newton. Proceeds benefit the
poor in the Central American
country of Panama. FMI, call
the church office at 973383-2245
or
visit
christchurchnewton.org.
38th Hope Christmas Craft
Market: December 5th,
10am-5pm & 6th, 10am4pm. Hope Twp. Village.
Proceeds fund recreation
programs for Hope Children.
FMI,
visit
www.hope

township.com.
Warren County Community Singers Winterfest of
Song: December 5th & 6th,
7:30pm. Grace Lutheran
Church, 300 Roseberry St.,
Phillipsburg, Sunday concert,
3pm. First Presbyterian
Church of Washington, 40
East Church St. FMI, email
jprim7@netscape.net.
Walpack
Historical
Society's Walpack Christmas: December 5th, 6th &
12th, 1pm-5pm. FMI, call
973-948-4903.
Annual German Christmas
Celebration
&
Open
House: December 6th,
2pm-5pm. Vass Farmstead,
97 Stillwater Rd., Hardwick.
8th Annual Holiday Craft
Show & Breakfast w/
Santa: December 12th,
8am-11:30am.
North
Warren
Regional
High
School hosted by the
National Art Honor Society
and Future Business Leaders
of America. Breakfast w/
Santa will be from 8am11:30am. Craft Show from
9am-4pm.
FMI,
email
NWRnationalartshonorsociet
y@gmail.com or call 908362-8211, ext. 1303.
Eleventh Hour Rescue
Winter
Wonderland:
December 12th, 10am-4pm.
Sussex Co. Fairgrounds, 37
Plains Rd., Augusta. Well
behaved dogs on leash are
welcomed. No flexi-leads
please. FMI, and a list of
adoptable
dogs,
visit
www.ehrdogs.org or call
973-664-0865.
Knights
of
Columbus
Council #12430 Blood
Drive: December 12th,
8am-noon. St. Jude RC
Church, McNulty Hall, 7
Eisenhower Rd., Blairstown.
The blood drive will be held
in memory of Deacon
Michael Sullivan.
For
appointment, call Robert Ho
at 908-382-1525, or email
rhmt1998@gmail.com.
Christmas in the Country:
December 13th, 1pm-3pm.
Ramsaysburg
Historic
Homestead, Delaware. Tree
lighting; holiday carols,
crafts and refreshments;
cured homemade bacon for
gifting; and a visit from
Santa! FREE event! FMI,
call 973-997-0920.
Holiday
Mini-Bazaar:
December 14th, 10am-7pm.
Hackettstown Library. FMI,
call 908-887-0529.

By Maria Cascario

This is the time of year

when we begin to think of
Christmas trees! Orchard
Road Christmas Tree Farm,
formerly Otts Tree Farm,
was established in 2006 by
Keith and Sandy Robinson.
Located at 768 Orchard
Road, in Mt. Bethel, PA, it is
a family oriented cut-yourown tree farm.
More than 10.000 trees
have been planted over the
past nine years. Varieties
include Canaan Fir, Fraser
Fir, Douglas Fir, and
Concolor Fir.

The Annual Village Family

Clinic Toy Drive has always
been hugely successful, and
this year, it shouldnt be any
different. From November
30th through December 4th,
anyone who brings in an
unopened, unwrapped toy for
a child will receive a free
exam (new patient) or for
existing patients, co-pays are
waived for any service. Last
years drive brought in
dozens of toys for needy
children and over the years,
hundreds.
If we can make a kid
happy, thats what it is all
about, said Dr. James
Fedich, owner of the clinic.
A lot of kids arent as lucky
as others. Our goal is to
brighten the holidays for as
many kids as we can.
Village Family Clinic is
now located on the spacious
first floor of the Allamuchy
Corporate Center (next to

Keith who is a former

country boy from Washington, New Jersey was happy
to establish his business in
our area. The openness and
space reminded him of his
youth and life in an ideal
country atmosphere.
Some of his high school
friends are now helping him
on the farm. His right hand
man is George Bargiel. We
do all our own pruning and
trimming and provide the
necessary TLC, said Keith.
Important to the Robinsons
is the added personal touch
of greeting their potential

customers before they are

welcome to wander through
the rows of perfectly
groomed Christmas trees.
We will bale your tree and
secure it to your vehicle.
Your satisfaction is guaranteed. If for any reason you
are not satisfied with your
tree, bring it back and it will
be replaced at no charge.
Orchard Road Christmas
Tree Farm opens the Friday
after Thanksgiving and operates daily through the weekend before Christmas Day.
Hours of operation are
Saturday and Sunday 9am to
4pm, please call ahead on
weekdays at 973-879-1556.
At Orchard Road Christmas
Tree Farm, you can enjoy the
view of Delaware Water Gap,
as well as the picturesque
200-year old farmhouse
along with other outbuildings. Another feature is the
refurbishment of the grand
bank barn on the property
and the original summer
kitchen.
The
Robinsons
look
forward to seeing you at the
farm and making your
Christmas season a glorious
one with a tree from their
farm! (ADV.)

Panther Valley Church) on

Route 517. The new office
features an array of services,
including Physical Therapy,
Medical Pain Management,
CDL/
DOT
Physicals,
Spinal
Decompression,

massage therapy, and Cold

Laser.
For more information call
908-813-8200. For more
about the clinic, visit
www.HackettstownFamilyC
linic.com.

The church has been collecting instant mashed potatoes,

stuffing mix and other
Thanksgiving items this
month to help needy families.
The Portland Upper Mount
Bethel Food Pantry (PUMP)
is an ecumenical, charitable,
food pantry, serving the
surrounding areas.
It is
currently located at 100 Division Street in Portland. The
food pantry is in its 20 plus
year of existence and continues to grow. They currently
serve approximately 300
families from the Slate Belt
area on a twice-monthly
schedule. The food pantry
distributes over 60 tons of
food annually.
PUMPs financial support
and their volunteers come
from many local service
organizations,
various

churches and charitable

groups, as well as individuals
who recognize the needs of
the members of our community.
The pantry is always in need
of additional food and mon-

etary donations. Any assistance that you can offer will

help PUMP serve the needs
of our community.
The church family is proud
to be able to help those in
need in their community.

The holidays are quickly

approaching and that means
it's time for the Annual Toys
for Tots Toy Drive Event
hosted by Portland Lodge
311 F&AM.
The lodge
would like to invite the community to join them at the
Blue Valley Farm Show
Complex on November 28th
from 1pm to 4pm as we help
the U.S. Marines of Allentown, PA deliver Christmas
to children in need throughout Northampton County.
Santa will be landing by
helicopter at this years
annual Toys for Tots Event
compliments of Mr. Carl
Tolino . Santa will be available for pictures in the photobooth and each child who
visits with him will receive a
free 4in by 6in photo and a
gift. Chesty the Marine Bulldog Mascot will be escorted
to the event by our U.S.
Marines, Margaret the Pink
Fire Truck and Washington
Township Police and fire
departments,
Plainfield

Township fire department

and Slate Belt Regional
Police Department.
The
rescue vehicles will remain
on display throughout the
afternoon.
This year
children of all ages and enjoy
a meet and greet with their
favorite characters from the
Star Wars Saga. Children
may also get a photo with
Elsa and Olaf from the
children's movie Frozen. The
DeVaLug Lego club will be
at the event with their large,
Lego Christmas display and
The Gospel Train Club will
have their interactive Lionel
and Thomas the Tank Engine
displays. Children will also
be able to enjoy various
children's activities, hot
chocolate, crafts, face painting and so much more.
Parents may browse the
vendors, who will have a

variety of crafts, products and

Christmas gift ideas. Portland Lodge asks that those
who join them on Saturday,
bring a donation of a new,
unwrapped toy for a child up
to age 12.
The Green Knight Wrestling
Club will be joining the
festivities of Toys for Tots
with an Ornament Decorating
Contest! They are asking for
everyone who attends this
years toy drive to bring with
them an ornament that they
have made and decorated.
They are hoping everyone
can help them fill a Christmas
tree with the handmade ornaments that will then be
donated to a local family in
need of a Christmas tree. The
ornaments will be judged that
day and the top three ornaments will be awarded prizes!
Portland Lodge No. 311 is
proud to organize and host
this event for our local Toys
for Tots Campaign Office.
The local Toys for Tots office
independently serves the

entire county of Northampton. Last year over 6,000

children in Northampton
county met the qualifications
and registered to receive
toys from our local Toys for
Tots office. When a donation
is made in Northampton
County,
the
donation
remains in and benefits a
child
in
Northampton
county. The foundations
goal is to deliver, through a
new toy at Christmas, a
message of hope to less
fortunate youngsters that
will assist them in becoming
responsible,
productive,
patriotic citizens.Together
our great community can
assist the United States
Marines, the true heroes of
Christmas, in making wishes
come true to local children
in need.
For more information and
details please visit the event
facebook page, Toys for Tots
- A Slate Belt Tradition or
via email at slatebelt
toysfortots@gmail.com.

Ciao Amici,This story takes

place in Roseto during the
Depression. Across the street
from where seven year old
Frank lived and had his shoeshine stand, was a newsstand. Frank decides to
commit some petty larceny
so he goes in and stuffs some
comics under his shirt not
realizing the shop owner can
see him from the hanging
mirror. Now that he is
discovered, he makes a run
for it. The shop owner chases

him across the street hitting

him with the bristles on a
broom. Franks father, seeing
his son being chased, runs
out to defend him. What is
going on, the father asks?
The owner complains,
Your son stole some
comics!
Frank, open your shirt,
the father demands! To his
surprise he sees the stolen
books. The father then apologizes to the shop keeper,
Sorry my son made a bad
decision. May I borrow your
broom?
Franks father takes the
broom and proceeds to hit
Frank with the handle part,
not the bristles. Lesson here
is; not only do you hurt your
self by stealing [the bristle]
but it is even harder on your

family [the stick].

"L'unica cosa che vale la
pena di rubare un bacio da
un bambino dormiente".
The only thing worth stealing is a kiss from a sleeping
child.
~ Joe Houldsworth
Con cordiali saluti,
Joe
Growing up in the Butcher
Shop, is available at the
shop or on our web page. To
receive menu specials and
our newsletter, join our mail-

ing
list
at
JDeFrancoAndDaughters.co
m, click on mailing list and
enter your email. Send your
Roseto stories, recipes and
comments
to
portipasto@epix. net or call
610-588-6991.
J. DeFranco and Daughters
is located at 2173 W. Bangor
Rd. in Bangor, PA. Store
hours are 7am to 7pm, seven
days a week, with catering
available anytime or by
appointment.

Members of the Lehigh

Valley Republican Delegation in the Pennsylvania
House of Representatives
today issued the following
statement regarding Gov.
Tom Wolfs announcement
that the Commonwealth will
continue to welcome Syrian
refugees.
Members of the delegation
include Reps. Gary Day (RLehigh/Berks), Joe Emrick
(R-Northampton),
Marcia
Hahn (R-Northampton), Julie
Harhart
(RLehigh/Northampton), Ryan
Mackenzie (R-Berks/Lehigh)

and Justin Simmons (RLehigh/Montgomery/Northam

pton).
We have great concern about
the governors decision to
move forward with the continued acceptance of Syrian
refugees. Since his announcement earlier this week, many of
our constituents have not only
been surprised by his action,
but are fearful for the safety of
themselves and their families.
Providing a home in Pennsylvania to these refugees in a
time of such uncertainty
jeopardizes our fundamental
responsibility public safety.

While we do understand the

importance of reacting with
compassion toward our fellow
man, we must also not be so
quick to disregard the will of
Pennsylvania citizens. Their
interest, concerns and safety
must always be our top priority as leaders of this state.
The governor may wish to
act with compassion, but rest
assured, ISIS has no compassion and will stop at nothing to
bring terror into our country
however it can. ISIS is not
contained, as President Barack
Obama had wished; and not
only is it not contained, it has

publically stated that a terrorist attack in the United States

is coming.
Furthermore,
national
security
officials
have
expressed serious concerns
that ISIS members will
infiltrate our country as
refugees. They have testified
that gaps remain in our
ability to check incoming
refugees for terrorist connections. Preliminary investigations suggest that one of the
bombers in the recent terror
attack in Paris was a refugee
who emigrated.
So far, more than 30 gover-

nors have declared that they

will not open their state to the
Syrian refugees at this time.
We are urging Gov. Wolf to
reverse his decision and do
the same. It is with great
caution and concern that we
respectfully implore him to
wait until we know that the
well-being of the citizens of
our Commonwealth will not
be at risk and to not allow for
the possibility of what has
happened in Europe to come
to our doorsteps.
In the end, we understand
this remains a federal issue.
But with the FBI director and
other
federal
officials
expressing deep concerns

about the vetting process of

refugees, we believe now is
the time to take a step back
and allow the federal government to conduct a thorough
review and ensure that those
refugees who seek no harm are
the ones we admit into the
Commonwealth.
Emrick, Hahn, Harhart,
Mackenzie and Simmons have
joined nearly 100 of their
colleagues in signing on to a
letter to the governor expressing these same concerns. The
letter is available for viewing
at http://goo.gl/wfwOcM.
If you wish to voice you
views, contact Gov. Wolf at
governor.pa.gov/contact.

Team First Book-Sussex

County, a literacy enrichment program sponsored by
NORWESCAP Child and
Family Resource Services
(CFRS) , recently raffled a
handmade Mother Goose
themed crib/wall hanging
size quilt (value $150) to
raise funds in their continuing efforts to give needy
children in the county their
First Book.
Margaret Anderson, a long
time First Book Advisory
Board member and talented
quilter, donated the double
sided colorful quilt which
features several of the much
beloved fairy tale characters.
The quilt was displayed at
Sparta Book Store, 29 Sparta
Theatre where store owner
Donna Fell once again
generously supported First
Book by selling the $1
chances at her establishment.
Team First Book-Sussex
County has been sponsored
by CFRS for more than 15
years, and has raised over
$55,000 during that time to
distribute new books to

children who, for economic

reasons, have little access to
books. Our First Book Team
selects community tutoring,
mentoring, and literacy
programs serving at-risk
children, and supports these
programs through book
grants.
These
local
programs are then able to
purchase books through the
National First Book Bank at
very reasonable prices so
that they can distribute

multiple new books to each

child in their program.
NORWESCAP is a nonprofit community action
agency established in 1965
that creates opportunities for
over 30,000 low-income
people in northwest NJ by
providing a large portfolio of
self-sufficiency and emergency services. The mission
of NORWESCAP is Creating Opportunities. Changing Lives.

An
Assembly
panel
recently advanced a resolution Assemblyman Parker
Space sponsors supporting
the expansion of access to
healthcare to veterans
residing in Sussex County.
The bill, AR-213, which
supports the establishment
of a federal Department of
Veterans
Affairs
community-based clinic in
Sussex
County,
was
approved by the Assembly
Military and Veterans
Affairs Committee.
Nearly 50,000 veterans
reside in Sussex County
and its neighboring counties, but because Sussex
and Warren counties do not
have a VA outpatient clinic,
our veterans have to travel
unreasonable distances to
receive the healthcare they
have earned, said Space,
R-Sussex, Warren and
Morris. Many men and
women who served and
sacrificed
suffer
from
PTSD or have debilitating
injuries and do not have the
means to travel.

Access to high-quality
healthcare shouldnt be a
burden. Theres no question
there is a need for a clinic in
Northwest Jersey, he
continued. I am privileged
and honored to support this
effort.
The Department of Veterans Affairs New Jersey
Health
Care
System
(VANJHCS)
provides
veterans with access to
medical care, with an
emphasis on primary care,
surgery,
critical
care,
mental health, orthopedics,
pharmacy, radiology and
physical therapy. Its two
main campuses are in East
Orange (the corporate
office), and Lyons. Satellite
outpatient
clinics
are
located in Brick Township,
Elizabeth,
Hackensack,
Hamilton, Jersey City,
Morristown,
Paterson,
Piscataway and Tinton
Falls.
I would like to thank
Assemblyman Space for
introducing this important
resolution. Veterans in

Sussex County need access

to basic primary care medical services and the Assemblyman understands that,
said Michael J. DeVilliers,
who, along with local veterans, asked Space and Senator Steve Oroho to introduce
resolutions calling for a VA
clinic in Sussex County.
Providing medical services
to veterans is primarily the
federal
governments
responsibility, but its a
tremendous support to know
that our state elected representatives are behind our
veterans in Sussex County.
DeVilliers
serves
as
Veteran Services Coordinator at Sussex County Community College.
The U.S. Veterans Health
Administration
(VHA)
administers nearly 1,400
outpatient clinics and other
services for nearly nine
million veterans nationwide.
The Senate passed Orohos
resolution, SR-114, in July.
Former
Assemblywoman
Alison Littell McHose is
also a resolution sponsor.

United Way of Northern

New Jersey is seeking the
assistance of area residents
to sign up as volunteer tax
preparers to help the
estimated 123,000 ALICE
(Asset Limited, Income
Constrained, Employed) and
poverty-level families and
individuals avoid the high

cost of preparation fees

during the upcoming tax
season.
Each year, United Way of
Northern New Jersey teams
up with the IRS and community partners to offer struggling individuals and families free tax preparation and
education about tax credits.

United Way has launched

the recruitment campaign for
volunteer tax preparers in
order to have trained volunteers across the region,
including in Warren County.
During the last tax season,
hundreds of volunteers
helped United Way and its
partners file more than 5,000

Theres a new and vibrant

song in the air at the First
United Methodist Church of
Blairstown!
On Sunday, October 25,
2015, the church welcomed
their new music leader,
Larrie Reynolds Ed.D. Dr.
Reynolds has served as a
church musician and worship
team leader for more than
thirty years in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Tennessee,
and
California.
Most
recently, Reynolds led the
music ministry at the Butler
Church of the Nazarene in
Butler, New Jersey. In addition to keyboards, Reynolds
is a proficient guitar and bass
player, and knows drums as
well.
Reynolds grew up in Baltimore, Maryland but spent
much of his life in the Midwestern states of Oklahoma,
Kansas, and Texas. As a

child, Reynolds sang with

his family in revivals up and
down the eastern coast of the
United States. Church attendance and membership has
always been an important
part of his life. He came to
know the Lord at a Nazarene
Camp meeting at age 16 and
later decided to follow Gods
prompting to enter the music
ministry.
Reynolds graduated from
Southern Nazarene University, in 1979, with a degree in
Religious Education. In
1981, Larrie received a
Masters
degree
from
Central State University, and
a Doctors of Education
degree from the Oklahoma
State University in 1991.
Reynolds has worked as a
public school music teacher,
principal, Assistant Superintendent, and CEO for the
Edison Schools Newton

Learning Division. Presently, Reynolds is Superintendent of Schools for the

Mount Olive Township
Schools in Mount Olive,
New Jersey. He also teaches
classes in the Graduate
school for Montclair State
University.
Musicians and vocalists are
invited to come be a part of
the new music ministry of
the church. Rehearsals are on
Sunday mornings at 8 a.m.,
and worship starts at 10. The
First
United
Methodist
Church of Blairstown is a
vibrant
and
multigenerational community of
faith located in beautiful
Blairstown, New Jersey that
seeks to engage people in a
Christian faith that is transformational both in their
personal lives, and in the
communities that they live
in. For more information,
visit us online at www.
firstumcblairstown.com or
facebook.com/firstumcblairs
town, or call 908-362-6693.

tax returns across the northern New Jersey region.

As a result, area residents
saved an estimated $1
million in tax preparation
fees. In addition, the service
helped these households
claim nearly $1.4 million in
tax credits, taking home a
total of $5.6 million in tax
refunds.
Becoming a volunteer tax
preparer is a tangible and
rewarding way to make a
difference in your community, said United Way of
Northern New Jersey CEO
John Franklin. When we
help ALICE claim critical
tax credits and avoid high
preparation fees, muchneeded funds are put back
into their wallets and the
local economy.

The Penn State Extension

Lehigh and Northampton
County offices are now
accepting applications for
the 2016 Master Watershed
Steward Program here. The
program, now in ten Pennsylvania
Counties,
is
designed to provide people
who are enthusiastic about
the environment with the
information and skills
necessary to share their
experience and knowledge
with others.
Master Watershed Stewards receive 40 hours of
training on topics including

As a first step to becoming

an IRS-certified tax prep
volunteer, individuals are
invited to take part in a brief
orientation. The 60-minute
webinar provides an overview of the tax program and
the volunteer opportunities
available.
United Way is offering the
following webinar dates,
December 3rd at noon and
8th at 5pm.
Upon completion of the
webinar, volunteers can sign
up for in-person training
courses offered by United
Way and its partners or train
online using resources and
links provided during the
orientation.
For more information or to
register for the webinar to
become a tax preparer, email
Monica.Conover@UnitedWa
yNNJ.org, call 973-993-1160

ext. 529 or go to www.

UnitedWayNNJ.org/TaxPrep
Team.
United Way of Northern
New Jersey is a nonprofit
organization working to
improve peoples lives and
strengthen communities by
focusing
on
Education,
Income, and Health. These
are the building blocks for a
good life a quality education that leads to a stable job;
the tools needed to achieve
financial stability; and good
health. We lead caring communities to create longlasting changes that transform
peoples
lives.
Together, united, we can
inspire hope and create
opportunities for a better
tomorrow.
To learn more, call 973993-1160 or visit www.
UnitedWayNNJ.org.

water quality, stream health,

native plants, recreational
resources, and groundwater.
After completing the training session, students fulfill
50 hours of volunteer
service. In subsequent years,
Master Watershed Stewards
can maintain their status
through 20 hours of volunteer time to watershed
projects or programs, and
attending a minimum of 10
hours of continuing education training. Examples of
projects and programs
include
designing
and
installing
demonstration
rain gardens or streamside
plantings, teaching children
about stream ecology, and
organizing
educational
workshops that address such
topics as backyard conservation or homeowner storm
water management.
The 2016 Master Watershed
Steward
training
program starts Wednesday,
March 9th and continues on
subsequent
Wednesdays
from 6pm to 8:30pm
through mid-June. The
course also includes three
hands-on Saturday field
trips. Classes will be held at
partnering environmental
organizations
throughout

the Lehigh Valley. The fee for

the program is $100, which
helps offset the costs for
program
materials
and
professional guest speakers.
Scholarships are available for
those with financial hardships.
For more information about
the Master Watershed Steward Program or to request an
application for the 2016
training program, contact
Erin Frederick by telephone
at 610-391-9840 or by email
at elf145@psu.edu. Applications are due by January 8th.
Two information sessions
will be offered. One will be
held on Wednesday, January
13th, 2016 from 6:30pm to
8:30pm at the Lehigh County
Agricultural Center. The
second will be held on
Wednesday, January 27th at
Illick's Mill in Bethlehem
from 6:30pm to 8:30pm.
The 2016 Master Watershed
Steward Program is a collaborative effort of Penn State
Extension, the Watershed
Coalition of the Lehigh
Valley, Northampton County
Conservation District, Appalachian
Mountain Club, the Wildlands Conservancy and the
Lehigh Gap Nature Center.

St. Lukes Orthopaedic

surgeon
Nicholas
J.
Avallone, MD has been
selected as one of New
Jerseys top doctors in
orthopaedic surgery. Dr.
Avallone, an orthopaedic
sports medicine specialist
with St. Lukes Orthopaedic
Specialists in Phillipsburg,
was recently featured by
Inside Jersey magazine as
one of the top physicians in
the Garden State.
The selection process for
Inside Jerseys Top Doctors
edition is conducted by

Castle Connolly Medical, a

respected medical ratings
research firm based in New
York City. Top doctors are
nominated by their peers in
an extensive survey process.
Ranking is also based on
physicians
medical
education, training, hospital
a p p o i n t m e n t s ,
administrative
posts,
professional achievements
and
malpractice
and
disciplinary
history
as
screened
by
Castle
Connollys
physician-led
research team. Only those

Three Slate Belt Girl Scout

troops have volunteered to
decorate storefronts in
downtown Bangor. The
selected store fronts are
Bono Pizza, Dukes Sporting
Goods, and Borked PC. The
Prince of Peace Boy Scout
troop will decorate at Brays
News Agency. On Friday,
December 4th, the Slate Belt
Heritage Center will be open
from 5pm to 8pm, and will
be decorated inside for
Christmas.
Trinity Lutheran Churchs
choir will be caroling
downtown on Friday from
6pm to 7pm. On Saturday,
December 5th, the Heritage
Center will open from noon
to 3pm, from 1pm to 1:30pm
old fashioned Christmas
stories will be told by Perry
at the Heritage Center.
Elsa from the Disney
movie Frozen will make an

appearance downtown from

12:15pm to 1:45pm for
photo ops wit the children.
In edition to the Christmas
festivities, the Second Ward
Annual Childrens Christmas
Party will be held on
December 12th, at 1pm, at
the Fire Hall. The party is
open to children and
grandchildren of families
living in the Second Ward
and of Second Ward
firemen. To register your
child for a gift, call
610-588-2700 by Monday,
December
7th.,
please
specify girl or boy. Ages can
be up to and including 13.
Santa will arrive by
firetruck and refreshments
will be provided. Anyone
wishing to donate baked
goods call 610-588-2700.
For more information, call
Bonnie
LaBar
at
610-588-2700.

doctors who are among the

very best in their specialties
and in their communities are
selected for inclusion.
A graduate of Princeton
University and Robert Wood
Johnson Medical School,
Dr. Avallone completed his
residency
training
at
Harvards
Orthopaedic
Combined
Residency
Program and a fellowship in
orthopaedic sports medicine
at Lenox Hill Hospital. Dr.
Avallone has been in
practice for eight years and
serves as Head Team
Physician for two colleges
and five high schools in the
region. He is dual board

certified in orthopaedic
surgery and orthopaedic
sports medicine and his
special interests include
ACL reconstruction, rotator
cuff repair, concussion
management, arthroscopy of
the shoulder and knee and
hand, wrist, elbow and ankle
ligament repairs.
Dr.
Avallone sees patients at St.
Lukes
Orthopaedic
Specialists, St. Lukes Bone
& Joint Institute, St. Lukes
Hillcrest
Plaza,
755
Memorial
Parkway,
Building 200, Suite 201 in
Phillipsburg, New Jersey.
Appointments can be made
by calling 908-859-8884.
Beginning at 9am on
November 15th, members of
the
Blairstown
Environmental Commission
(BEC) pulled together a
small group of volunteers
for the Commissions annual
Roadside Cleanup.
The
group began its journey at
the town line near the Arena
Farm and worked its way
north along Route 94 to
finish
at
Blairstowns
Walnut Valley Field.
According
to
the
volunteers, We collected a
full truckload of litter
including broken plastic car
parts, old tires and destroyed
mailboxes plus two car
mufflers. The best part,

though, was grabbing lots of

recyclables so that the nearly
2-mile stretch of road was
pretty well cleaned up by the
end of the morning.
The BEC Roadside Cleanup
is intended to bring attention
to the condition of Route 94,
which
is
the
main
thoroughfare for Blairstown
and the surrounding areas.
A special thank you to Carl
Stoddard, Blairstown Public
Works Foreman, for getting
the towns pickup truck ready
for the group, and to Rob
Merrifield of Blair Academy
for allowing the group to
dispose of the collected
recyclables
through
the
schools recycling program.

(NAPSI)Scientific
evidence shows that breathing polluted air can impair
memory and reasoning,
reduce academic performance and even result in
lower intelligencebut you
dont have to put up with it.
Here are three important
ways air quality directly
affects your ability to think:
1. Standardized tests
Standardized tests have
become increasingly important in education. Parents and
educators already debate the
potential effect of family
income, cultural background,
gender and other influences
on test results. Now,
researchers also look closely
at the effect of air quality on
standardized test scoresand
conclude that its significant.
One study of schoolchildren
in Southern California found
that exposure to higher levels
of fine particulate air pollution (known as PM2.5) is
linked to consistently lower
scores on standardized tests
in math and reading. A separate study of fifth-grade
schoolchildren
concluded
that every increase of 2.1

cubic feet per minute (cfm) in

ventilation was associated
with a 2.9 percent increase in
students passing a standardized math test.
2. Getting older
Evidence is growing that
cognitive decline associated
with aging is at least partially
related to breathing air pollution. In one study, scientists
administered
math
and
memory tests to 780 people
age 55 or older, then correlated scores with pollution
levels where the participants

lived. After adjusting the

results
for
education,
employment
and
other
factors, the researchers still
found significant differences
in scores based on air quality.
Participants in areas with
high pollution levels had
error scores that were 150
percent higher than those
living in areas with low
pollution.
3. Memory
Neuroscience
researchers
exposed mice to high levels
of particulate air pollution
(similar to levels in Beijing or
Mexico City) for 10 months.
They observed that the mice
exposed to high pollution
levels took longer to navigate
through a maze and made
more mistakes.
Examining the brains of the
mice exposed to pollution,
the researchers found physical changes in the tips of
neurons in the part of the
brain
responsible
for
memory. The researchers also
found that the mice exposed

to high levels of pollution

showed increased levels of
pro-inflammatory chemicals
in the brain.
What You Can Do
Each person can help reduce
the sources of pollution,
better ventilate indoor environments and support air
filtration for schools and
other places as needed. Here
are a few examples of
positive steps that can clean
the air:
Get involved: Schools with
better indoor air quality have
better attendance rates and
test scores. You can ask the
school principal, school
board members or the American Lung Association what
you can do to get involved in
improving classroom air
quality.
Avoid unnecessary exposure:
Avoid unnecessary exposure
to outdoor air pollution and
use a high-performance air
purifier such as the IQAir
HealthPro Plus to keep the air
clean
at
home.
Visit
www.iqair.com for more
information. To see a ranking
of the best and worst regions
of the nation in terms of air
pollution,
visit
www.stateoftheair.org.
Reduce
air
pollution:
Conserving energy, recycling, driving less or driving
low-polluting vehiclesthe
choices you make can help
reduce air pollution for
everyone. The negative effect
of air pollution on the ability
to think is just one of the
many ways air pollution
affects health. By taking
action today to reduce air
pollution, you can help
ensure a cleaner, smarter
future for all of us.

Hello Fellow Readers,

Thanksgiving is a time to
gather and reflect on gifts we
are grateful for. Versions of
the holiday are celebrated
different times of the year by
other countries too. While
most folks consider it a secular holiday (not based on
religion) almost all religions
offer prayers of thanks after
harvests or other times.
Wonderful
to
imagine,
despite our differences, we
share gratitude and thankfulness.
In todays world its hard to
see beyond devastating
violence and fear; intolerance driven by the regrettable human condition the
need to be right. We feed the
division by engaging in it.
Media counts on it for ratings
and
clicks.
Politicians
depend on it for votes. And
we sadly follow their lead
setting an example of intolerance to our youth.
Then theres this little paper
who largely shares happiness
and good news. I'm grateful
to The Press for
nurturing our community
and for all of you for sharing.
Recently I had the joy of

meeting with June of

East Bangor PA who lives in
her family home dating back
a hundred years. In her
garden is a Tree Peony
(Paeonia
suffruticosa)
planted by her Aunt Stella
nestled below several mature
Norway spruce. While peony
like a break from the hot sun
with dappled shade from
nearby trees, theyll struggle
if overshadowed. They dont
like sharing their root space
with surrounding trees and
shrubs either. An old photo of
the Junes peony busting in
blooms illustrates the change
in vigor since then; when the
surrounding trees were not
crowding her out. I suggested
we move her peony to a
sunnier spot. Its true that
peonies dont like to be
moved, but fall is the best
time to try. For now June
prefers to keep her peony
where she is. Let her live out
her years rooted where shes
been. Theres great respect in
that.
Like people with opposite
points of view, different
religions and cultures, plants
need their own space to
thrive. All people and plants
need nourishment, water and
love. Each is an individual,
but together they create a
beautiful garden and ecosystem for pollinators and other
wildlife if we allow it. Or, we
can destroy it with toxic
chemicals and overshadowing; rather than allowing each
to have what it needs while
living in harmony amongst
each other. Imagine if we
gave each other just that.
Without judgment.
Without intolerance. Without
violence. These things I pray
for our world which begins
here at home.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Garden Dilemmas?
askmarystone.com

Nationally-renowned
urogynecologist
Vincent
Lucente, MD, FACS, was
recently recognized with the
prestigious Raymond A. Lee
Endowment Award from the
American Urogynecologic
Society (AUGS) for his
contributions
to
the
advancement
of
urogynecologic surgery.
For the past twenty-five
years, Dr. Lucente has
dedicated his career to the
pursuit of innovation and
surgical
excellence
in
minimally
invasive
approaches for the treatment
of female urinary and fecal
incontinence, as well as
pelvic organ prolapse. He has
helped pioneer many new
surgical techniques and was
the first physician in the
United States to perform a
transvaginal
midurethral
sling for stress incontinence.
Years later he was among the
first to teach single incision

By Jennifer Lively

Did you know that one in 10

American teenagers has
abused products with DXM
to get high.
DXM,
or
dextromethorphan,
is
a
common ingredient in cough
and
combination
cold
medicines. Teens, however,
have found another use for

sling techniques, which he

now performs in his
office-based surgical suite
for
properly
selected
patients.
Dr. Lucente has instructed
and
trained
numerous
residents and fellows over
the
years,
including
colleagues around the globe.
He is the Director of the
Minimally
Invasive
Gynecologic Fellowship at
St. Lukes University Health
Network and the Chief
Medical Officer and partner
for The Institute for Female
Pelvic
Medicine
&
Reconstructive Surgery. The
Institute, founded by Dr.
Lucente, is a center of
excellence for female pelvic
floor disorders integrating
effective medical training,
innovative clinical research
and service oriented patient
care. He also holds a position
as a Clinical Professor of
Obstetrics and Gynecology,

cough medicine -- getting

high. Sometimes referred to
as "triple C" (Coricidin,
cough and cold) or "Robo
tripping"(Robitussin).
Taking huge doses of cough
medicine to get high may
sound disgusting but is a
cheap, dangerous, and an
easily accessible way for
teens to misuse a household

Temple University College of

Medicine.
The Raymond A. Lee
Endowment is a named
lectureship created by AUGS
to honor one person annually
who contributed to the
development and surgical
advancement
of
urogynecology and to further
advance the knowledge and
teaching of gynecologic
surgery through ongoing
AUGS educational programs.
In August 2010, the Mayo
Clinic and the Department of
Obstetrics and Gynecology
donated $25,000 to AUGS to
establish a named lectureship
in honor of Dr. Raymond
Lee,
a
pioneer
in
urogynecologic surgery, as
well as mentor and colleague
to many AUGS members and
leaders.
The award consisted of a
$2000 stipend, which Dr.
Lucenre donated back to the
society and was provided an

opportunity to address the

entire AUGS society during
an acceptance speech. Dr.
Lucente's talk was entitled
"Becoming
a
Master
Surgeon...No Crystal Stair.
He passionately spoke about
how changes needed to be
made in the field so surgeons
could develop better surgical
skills during their training
years and continue to learn
new surgical techniques
during their life time as to
safely adopt innovation in
surgical solutions to female
pelvic health disorders.
The
American
Urogynecologic
Society
(AUGS), founded in 1979, is
the
premier
non-profit
organization
representing
more than 1,800 members
including
practicing
physicians,
nurse
practitioners,
physical
therapists, nurses and health
care professionals, as well as
researchers from many

drug.
Although DXM products
are quite safe when taken as
recommended, high doses
can cause hallucinogenic
trips -- and pose serious
risks. The risks of DXM
abuse are real. At high doses,
DXM can cause: Impaired
vision, sweating and fever,
rapid breathing, increased

and irregular heart rate and

blood pressure, nausea,
vomiting, and diarrhea,
slurred speech, impaired
judgment
and
mental
function, memory loss, rapid
eye
movements,
hallucinations
and
dissociative effects, coma
and death. More information
is available at a Clean Slate
Recovery Center, 101 South
1st Street in Bangor, PA.

disciplines, all dedicated to

treating female pelvic floor
disorders. As the leader in
Female Pelvic Medicine and
Reconstructive
Surgery,
AUGS promotes the highest
quality patient care through
excellence in education,
research and advocacy.
What Does AUGS Do?
Hosts premier scientific
meetings in the field of
female pelvic medicine and
reconstructive surgery
Disseminates information
regarding clinical and basic

science
Provides forums for the
exchange of ideas and
experiences related to the
field
Encourages and facilitates
original and collaborative
research
Aids in didactic and
clinical training for medical
students,
practicing
physicians,
residents-intraining and allied health
professionals
Promotes
continuing
medical education

The House Gaming Oversight Committee today voted

to approve legislation which
would legalize and regulate
Internet gaming in Pennsylvania and provide strong
protections for children and
consumers, said Gaming
Oversight Chairman John
Payne (R-Dauphin), who
authored the bill.
House Bill 649 would
authorize the Pennsylvania
Gaming Control Board to
issue interactive gaming
licenses to Pennsylvania
casinos,
permitting
the
licensee to offer interactive
gaming.
Todays bipartisan committee vote is the first step
toward ensuring Pennsylvania consumers can safely
participate in interactive
gaming, Payne said. Right
now, thousands of Pennsylvanians who are playing these
games online are at risk for
fraud and abuse. This strong
regulatory framework is
necessary to protect our
children and our citizens and
to help shut down black
market sites.
The legislation includes
safeguards
that
would
prohibit anyone under the age
of 21 from participating in the
games, protect the privacy of
authorized players and help
minimize compulsive gambling.
Right now, it is nearly
impossible
to
prevent

children from gambling

online or protect problem
gamblers, Payne said.
Like many Pennsylvanians,
I have children and grandchildren and understand how
important it is to get this
right. We must have a
thorough set of guidelines
and penalties in place to end
the wild west atmosphere
that currently exists and
protect authorized consumers
from
unscrupulous
operators and fraudulent
games.
In addition to stronger
safeguards, House Bill 649
would distribute revenue
generated by interactive
gaming to the state, counties
and gambling addiction
assistance programs.
Legalizing, regulating and
taxing interactive gaming in
Pennsylvania should be
given due consideration
before any broad-based tax
increases, Payne added.
Weve been talking about
needing additional revenue
for five months, and this is a
viable option that would
benefit the state and our
communities.
House Bill 649 also
includes
language
that
would
authorize
slot
machines at certain international airports, expanded
casino liquor licenses and
off-track betting facilities.
The bill now moves the full
House for consideration.

The Skylands Group of NJ

Sierra Club will host its
annual Holiday Social on
Tuesday, December 8th,
from 7pm to 9 pm, at the
Unitarian Fellowship Hall, 1
West Nelson Street in
Newton, NJ.
The event is open, free of
charge, to anyone interested
in learning about Skylands
Group's activities to protect
and enjoy the natural
resources and beauty of
northwest New Jersey.
The event will include a

"Not-So-Silent"
Auction
fundraiser. Those in attendance will be able to silently
bid on a variety of items and
services provided by members and friends of the
Skylands Group. Area stores,
restaurants,
and
other
businesses are also invited to
contribute items for the
auction. The annual silent
auction is Skylands Group's
main source of funding.
"This will be a relaxed and
informal social event with
lots of delicious desserts

prepared by our members,"

says group chair, Susan
Williams. "We want people
to come to enjoy the company
of others who care about the
environment.
Newcomers
who would like to learn about
the issues we have been working on are most welcome."
The Skylands Group holds
monthly programs focusing
on issues such as preservation
of clean drinking water,
protecting open space against
development, preserving the
natural habitat of the thou-

sands of unique plant and

animal species native to the
northwest
New
Jersey
region, and utilizing alternative energy sources to help
slow the rate of erratic
weather patterns which have
affected northwest New
Jersey, along with other
parts of the U.S. and the
world.
The group also organizes
hikes and other outings to
enjoy the natural beauty of
the Skylands region.
For more information,
contact Susan Williams at
SkylandsGroup@gmail.com

Knowlton
Presbyterian
Church will hold its eighth
annual Messiah Sing-In on
Sunday, December 6th from
3pm to 5pm at Knowlton
Presbyterian
Church,
located at 3 Knowlton Road,
in Columbia, NJ.
A light supper will be
provided for all who attend
after the Sing-In. There is no
admission for this event. A
free-will offering will be
taken to help with expenses.

Handels Messiah has been

a standard by which much
Christmas Music has been
measured. It is perhaps the
most famous and frequently
sung Oratorio of the season.
Consequently,
many
people love to sing it or hear
it whenever possible, even
in a non-formal or nonconcert setting. Knowltons
Sing-In invites all who are
interested in singing or
listening to attend. If you are

a singer and have a score,

please bring it. If you do not
have a score, there will be
some extras provided for
your use. Again, this is not a
performance, concert or
rehearsal.
It is a sing-a-long. The
entire work will not be sung,
but most choruses and many
solos will be.
The average attendance has
been seventy-five singers in
past years. We would love to

make it to one hundred singers this year!

Do come join us for this
joyous event. For more
information call Jim at 973927-9555 or 973-229-6049.
For directions visit www.
knowltonpca.org or www.
poconorecord.com
under
events calendar for December. If you would like to
bring a finger food to share
at the light supper, please
feel free to do so.

(NAPSI)Preparing
a
mouth-watering
holiday
meal is a monumental task,
but one that can be simplified easily to avoid a mealtime flop. Generally, the
biggest problem in kitchens
is dull knives. Beginning
stages of cooking start with
cutting raw food, and serving
often requires cutting and
slicing. When the knife is
dull, the beginning steps are
onerous and the ending
stages are awkward, and
because you have to press
harder to make the knife
move through the food,
fingers are often cut.
It follows then that a sharp
knife is critical for preparing
the meal and carving the
bird. If it is a holiday and the

chef mauls the bird, you

know what to do. There is no
better holiday present than a
set of sharp knives and a
sharpener to keep them that
way, says Michael Ruhlman, well-known author,
food blogger, cook and
journalist whose mission is
to translate the chefs craft
for every kitchen.
Ruhlman
and
ChefsChoice,
leading
manufacturer of quality
electric knife sharpeners,
have teamed up to present
the perfect Thanksgiving
bird...from cooking to carving.
Step 1: Sharp knives are not
only safer, they will help you
smoothly cut thin, even
slices without shredding the

meat. Fortunately, you dont

have to be an expert to put a
razor-sharp edge on your
knife. A sharpener such as
ChefsChoice EdgeSelect
120 can make sharpening
easy. The sharpener uses 100
percent
diamond-coated
disks (2.5 karats worth of
diamonds!) and a polishing
stage to create a durable,
arch-shaped edge in seconds.
Precision guides eliminate
guesswork for predictable,
professionally sharp edges
every time. For help finding
a sharpener thats right for
you, call 800-342-3255 or
visit www.chefschoice.com.
You can also access additional recipes at www.
edgecraft.com/chef1.html.
Now you are ready to begin
to cook.
Ruhlmans Roasted Turkey
Adapted from Ruhlmans
cookbook How To Roast,

copyrighted 2014 Follow on

twitter @Ruhlman
Ingredients: 1 (10- to 12pound/4.5- to 5.5- kilogram)
turkey, Kosher salt to taste, 4
celery ribs, cut into large
chunks, 1 Spanish onion,
quartered, lemon, halved
again, 3 carrots cut into large
chunks, 1 bunch thyme
(optional), 1 bunch sage
(optional), cup/110 grams
butter, melted, 1 cup dry
white wine, 2 cups turkey or
chicken stock, preferably
homemade, or water, 3 tablespoons flour (Serves 10)
1) About 4 hours before you
plan to start roasting, remove
turkey from refrigerator,
rinse, pat dry, and let sit at
room temperature.
2) Preheat oven to 425 F (or
400 F for convection).
3) Liberally salt interior and
jam of the celery, of the
onion, lemon and herbs into
birds cavity. If you wish,
truss bird as you would a
chicken. Rain salt evenly all
over the bird.
4) Add remaining celery,
onion and carrot to pan.
Place bird in low-sided pan
(or elevated on rack in roasting pan; you want plenty of
circulation around the bird)
and put in oven.
5) Roast at high temperature

for 20 minutes. Pour melted

butter evenly over bird and
lower temperature to 375 F
(or 350 F convection).
Continue to roast until the
breast reaches 155 F in 60
to 90 minutes, basting as you
wish.
6) Remove pan from oven.
Show off the bird to your
guests.
Step 2: After the turkey is
cooked
per
Ruhlmans
instructions, slice through
skin between legs and breast.
Then remove each leg at
joint. Slice down vertically
through the center of the
breast.
7) The breast should still be
pink; if it looks cold and raw,
return the entire bird to the
oven for 10 minutes. Put bird
on cutting board and remove
each leg at joint.
8) Pour off all but a quarter
cup of fat and juices in the
pan, reserving some of the
fat to make a roux. Pour the
liquid over the roasted
vegetables still in the pan.
Bring liquid to a simmer on
the stovetop, then return the
legs to the pan and place in
the oven.
9) Roast legs for an additional 45 to 60 minutes; if
longer than an hour, turn the
oven down to 200 F. The

legs will only get better with

time and can be left in the
oven for up to 4 additional
hours; dont worry about the
breast, well reheat in the
stock at the end.
10) Combine flour with
reserved turkey fat to make a
roux.
11) Remove legs and place
pan over high heat on
stovetop.
12) Carve dark meat from
drumsticks and thighs and
place in the hot stock in
roasting pan. Remove each
breast half from the turkey
(be careful not to tear the
skin). Dont worry if the
breast is a little pink; this
means it will be juicy as it
finishes cooking in the hot
stock.
Step 3: Cut the breast crosswise into to inch slices.
Transfer the pieces to the
stock pan. Turn burner to
high and bring stock to a
simmer. Whisk in roux,
simmer for a minute or two
to ensure that everything is
hot and the sauce thickens,
then serve.
By following these steps
from
Ruhlman
and
ChefsChoice, you can
enjoy your family and
friends, knowing the meal
will be perfect.