Bangor Boutique, located

at the Bangor High School,

is now collecting gently
used formal wear, shoes
and jewelry for prom. The
Bangor Boutique is set up to
ensure that every student has a
memorable prom experience
regardless of financial status.
Sebastian Loren, a local
kindergarten student, is
participating in the St. Jude
Math-A-Thon and he needs
your help! This program
allows Sebastian to help the
kids at St. Jude Children's
Research Hospital who are
battling cancer and other lifethreatening diseases, while
also practicing his math skills.
Please help Sebastian raise
money for St. Jude by making
a donation online at www.
mathathon.stjude.org/SLoren.
Donations will be accepted
through March 31st.
The Blue Valley Farm
Show is now accepting
applications for any student
who is or has been a
member of the Northampton County 4-H Clubs. Two
$500 scholarships will be
awarded. Applications must
be submitted no later than
March 31st. Winners will be
presented during the annual
Blue Valley Farm Show in
August. For more information, call Audrey Koeler at
610-495-3389.
The Bangor Area School
District, in partnership with
Community Services for
Children, will be offering a
pre-kindergarten program
at no cost to qualifying families beginning April 4th.
The program, open to three
and four year old children
residing in the Bangor Area
School District, has a limited
enrollment of 20 students. To

qualify, a family must meet

specific income guidelines
(ex. income for family of four
is at or below $72,900.) The
program will be held Monday
through Friday for five hours
and 15 minutes per day at
Five
Points
Elementary
School. Parents must provide
transportation to and from the
program. To apply, call Community Services for Children
at 610-437-6000.
The Bangor Womens Club
will be accepting applications from senior students at
Bangor and Faith Christian
High Schools for consideration for their 2016 scholarship. The scholarship amount
is $1000. Applications can be
obtained from the school
guidance office and the deadline to submit the completed
application is April 15th.
The Slate Belt Chamber of
Commerce applications for
the Scholarship Achievement Award 2016 are available at the guidance departments of Bangor High
School, Pen Argyl High
School, Faith Christian and
Career Institute of Technology. The Slate Belt Chamber
of Commerce will award one
scholarship to a senior from
each of the five area schools.
Applicants must reside in the
Slate Belt to apply. The scholarships will be presented to
the students based upon the
following criteria: academic
accomplishment,
demonstrated service to school
and/or community, demonstration of leadership capabilities, and future vocational
plans. Please note: A separate award, The Frederick
R. Curcio, Jr. Scholarship
Award, may also be applied
for at this time. To qualify, a
senior must be either registered at Lincoln Technical
Institute or majoring in

computer science. Applications must be received by

April 15th. A Scholarship
Awards Dinner is planned for
May 19th. For more information, contact the guidance
department or the chamber
office at 610-588-1000.
Slater Family Network is
sponsoring a $2,000 scholarship for a 2016 Bangor High
School graduate. Applications are now available on the
school district website under
the Slater Family Network tab,
in the HS guidance office or
the SFN office behind
DeFranco Elementary School.
Completed applications are
due at SFN on April 28th.
The family of Denny
Strouse is sponsoring a
$1,000 scholarship through
Slater Family Network for a
2016 Bangor High School
graduate. The applications
are available on the school
district website under the
Slater Family Network tab, in
the HS Guidance Office, or the
SFN office behind DeFranco
Elementary School.
Completed applications are due at
SFN on April 28th. Call the
SFN office at 610-599-7019
with any questions.
Upper Mt. Bethel Twp. is
looking to form a community park committee and is
seeking three residents of
Upper Mt. Bethel Twp. to
join. The committee is strictly
volunteer to oversee phases of
the park and scheduling of
events at the park. Please
submit your letter of interest
to Upper Mount Bethel Township Municipal Building,
Attn: Board of Supervisors,
387 Ye Olde Highway, Mount
Bethel, PA 18343, or email
officesecretary@uppermtbeth
el.org.
The Slate Belt Heritage
Center is looking for volunteers to assist with the
second phase of its Homefront Project. The phase has
begun and biographies of each
of the letter writers are being
researched. Volunteers will
meet on Mondays from 9am to
noon. For additional information, contact the center at
SBHC@ frontier.com or
contact Karen Brewer at 610588-8615.
The Bangor High School
Class of 1966 will hold their
50th Reunion on October
8th at the Delaware Water
Gap Country Club. Cocktails and class picture will be
at 6pm with a buffet dinner to
follow at 7pm. On October
7th, the class will attend the
Bangor High School football
game and sit as a group. They
will then have a get together at
Liberty Fire Hall after the
game. In honor of this being

the 50th reunion, the class will

be the guests at this years
Bangor High School graduation and will sit as a group.
Time and definite date are to
be determined.The class is
seeking a current address for
the following classmates:
Sondra Buskirk Baier, Jacqueline Williams Bartosh, Patricia
Pysher Bennett, Robert Mack,
Charlene Pasqualino, Linda
Repsher Silvius, Linda Meixsell Yeakel, Richard Danner,
Glenda Dunk, James Folk,
James LaBarre, Diana Galatioto,
Donna
Davidson
Edwards, David Tieff, Mikael
Turner, and Thomas Kittle.
Please contact Karen Brewer
at 610-588-8615 or 484-8945661 with information.
The Washington Twp.
Board of Supervisors is seeking members for the Recreation Committee. Volunteers
are needed to fill two permanent member vacancies and
two alternate vacancies. The
goal of the Washington Twp.
Recreation Committee is to
enhance
the
recreational
resources
available
to
residents. This Committee
meets the fourtth Tuesday of
each month at 7pm. Washington Township residents interested in filling these vacancies
are asked to submit a letter of
interest to: Washington Township Board of Supervisors,
1021 Washington Blvd.,
Bangor, PA 18013.

The United Methodist

Women are having a pastie
sale on Friday, April 1st.
Pasties can be ordered with or
without onions and are $5.50
each. Orders will be taken
through March 27th by calling
Michelle at 908-362-6703.
Orders can be picked up at the
First
United
Methodist
Church, located at 10 Stillwater Road, in Blairstown from
4pm to 6pm.
Knowlton Twp. Elementary School is planning for
the 2016-2017 school year.
At this time they would like
to identify as many children
as possible who will be
eligible for kindergarten in
September. To be eligible for
kindergarten, a child must be
five years old by October 1st.
If you have not already done
so, and you have a child who
will be eligible for next years
kindergarten class, call the
school at 908-475-5118, ext.
200. Dates for screening of
next
years
kindergarten
students will be released at a
later date. Parents will receive
details in the mail. Please pass
this information along to
anyone in Knowlton Twp.

who may have a child eligible

for kindergarten in September.
Knowlton Twp. Elementary is now accepting registrations for their preschool
program for fall. Children
must be four years old by
October 1st, and must be
toilet trained. The program
runs Monday through Friday
from 9am to 11:30am when
school is in session. Transportation is not provided for this
program. If interested, please
contact the school office at
908-475-5118, ext. 200.
NAMI (National Alliance
on Mental Illness) is offering a free Family to Family
Education Program starting
April 6th. A series of 12
weekly classes structured to
help caregivers understand
and support individuals with
serious mental illnesses while
maintaining their own well
being. The course is taught by
a team of trained NAMI
family member volunteers
who know what its like to
have a loved one struggling
with a brain disorder. There is
no cost to participate in the
NAMI Family to Family
Education Program. Registration is required. To register,
email
namiwarrencounty
@naminj.org or call Elaine at
908-619-9619. Classes begin
Wednesday, April 6th, from
7pm to 9:30pm, at Warren
County Community College,
475 Rt. 57 West, in Washington.
Knowlton Township has
entered into a cooperative
gypsy
moth
control
program with the NJ
Department of Agriculture.
A contract will be awarded to
apply Bacillus thuringiensis
var. kurstaki (FORAY 76B,
EPA Reg# 73049-49) using
aircraft to areas infested with
gypsy moth larvae. Aerial
application will begin on or
after May 16th through June
15th or until completion from
5:30am to 2pm, and possibly
in the evenings from 5pm to
8pm in the affected areas. A
map indicating the exact
areas to be treated along Mt.

Pleasant Road is available for

inspection at the municipal
building.
Residents may
contact the municipal clerks
office at 908-496-4816, ext.
6, or stopping by the office,
located at 628 Route 94 in
Columbia for information
regarding the exact date,
application times and any
other information concerning
the
treatment
program.
Individuals wishing additional information about
pesticides may contact the
National Pesticide Information Center at 1-800-8587378. For emergencies, call
the NJ Poison Information
and Education System at 1800-222-1222. For pesticide
regulation information, pesticide complaints, and health
referrals, call the NJ Pesticide Control Program at
609-984-6507. Upon request,
the pesticide applicator, or
applicator business shall
provide a resident with notification 12 hours prior to the
application except for Quarantine and Disease Vector
Control only, when conditions necessitate pesticide
applications sooner than that
time. Additional information
about the program is also
available on the NJ Department of Agriculture's website
at www.nj.gov/agriculture/
divisions/pi/prog/gypsymoth.
html.
Knowlton Seniors is seeking new members 55 or
older
from
Knowlton
Township and surrounding
areas. They offer multiple
trips to different sights each
year. They meet the first
Friday of each month at the
Knowlton United Methodist
Church on Route 94 at
1:30pm with few exceptions.
For more information, call
Sue at 908-496-4740.
Quality
artisans
and
antique vendors are wanted
for the Belvidere in Bloom
Summer Festival, held on
June 11th, from 9am to 5pm
at Garret D. Wall Park, in
Belvidere. For more information, call 908-310-7203 or
visit BelvidereinBloom.com.

Adult Fiction: Coyle, Cleo:

Deasd To The Last Drop;
Dye, Ginny: Carried Forward
By Hope; Glimmers Of
Change; Shifted By The
Winds; Ward, Penelope:
Stepbrother Dearest.
Adult
Non
Fiction:
Aldridge, Alan: The Beatles
Illustrated Lyrics; Auderset,
A: Conventional Wisdom;
Burford, Brendan: Syncopated An Anthology Of
Nonfiction
Picto-essays;
Colaneri, John: 501 Italian

Verbs; Guigar, Brad: The

Everything Cartooning Book;
Omahony, Mike: World Art;
Schonbrun, Marc: The Everything Rock And Blues Guitar
Book.
Young
Adult
Fiction:
Donnelly, Jennifer: Dark
Tide; Rogue Wave; Ford,
Christopher: Stickman Odyssey Book One.
DVDs:Ancient Mysteries,
Myths And Legends; Hubble;
Ultimate Avengers 2 Rise Of
The Panther.

Both individuals that have

an addiction problem and
their family members can
struggle with codependent
behaviors. A sign of codependency is weak boundaries or failure to set limits.
An individual that has a
weak sense or no sense of
healthy boundaries leaves
themselves vulnerable to
abuse.
They often lose
themselves in other people,
have difficultly saying no
and gain false confidence
when trying to fix others.
Codependent people can
struggle with a fear of abandonment. This causes them
to cling onto relationships
and work hard at pleasing
others to feel acceptance.
An enabler is a term for a
person that tries to rescue
or fix others or makes
excuses for an addicts

behavior and their own. A

key issue with an enabler is
that unknowingly they can
shield natural consequences
of addiction from an
individual. These shielding
actions prevent the addicted
individuals from facing the
full weight of the problems
they are causing.
In taking responsibility for
others, the codependent can
feel that they are in control or
can control a person by
giving them their needs.
Since this is a false sense of
control, it often backfires.
Lastly through all the above,
the person struggling with
codependency neglects themselves repeatedly. They can
lose a sense of self, have low
self-esteem and even turn to
an addiction to cope.
To learn about addiction and
recovery for you or someone
in your family, stop by A
Clean Slate at 100 S. 1st
Street, in Bangor, PA.

The Pocono Garden Club

will hold a general meeting
on Tuesday, April 12th at
1pm. The meeting will be
held at the Kettle Creek
Environmental
Education
Center, Running Valley
Road, in Bartonsville, PA.
Master
Gardener
Leif
Abbey will present a
program
on
growing
vegetables and herbs in
raised beds.
Members are encouraged to
participate in the monthly

design, titled Spring, Oh

Glorious Spring, using fresh
spring flowers to design a
parallel arrangement.
The horticulture entry is a
Hellebore or flowering bulb
displayed
in
a
clear
container. Any plant with
foliage will be the houseplant
entry.
Anyone interested in plants
and gardening are welcome.
For more information, please
email
nonnie0506
@yahoo.com.

By Jana Morris, Executive

Director/Founder of Recovery
Revolution

By Christopher Rozek

On January 29th through

31st, Venturing Crew 276
participated in the annual
Klondike
Derby
at
Winnebago Scout Reservation. The team of five members pulled a sled from station
to station, building fires, tying
knots, constructing shelters,
performing first aid and so
much more. We worked as a
team to execute the different
tasks at every station, using
our knowledge and leadership
skills. For seven hours, Crew
276 did their best and got a
really high score for their first
Klondike as a crew.
The crew arrived at
Winnebago Scout reservation
on Friday and started prepping for the race the next
morning. After revile, Crew
276 woke up, ate breakfast,
gathered their gear and made
their way to the parade field

for morning colors. After the

troops were dismissed, the
crew started their first station
at the first-aid course, where
they treated the victim for a
broken leg and arterial bleed.
After successfully completing

the first-aid station with a

perfect score, they continued
the day going from station to
station.
The crew finished their day
with dinner and a campfire at
the campsite after a long day.

The next morning, they

packed everything up and
headed back home.
We gained a lot of experience working as a team.
We had a great time
competing with the Troops in
our council.
We will be back next year
for another great competition.
These were some of our
Crew remarks. Over all, we
participated in the Klondike
Derby and had a great time.,
and cant wait for next year!
Venturing is a youth development program of the Boy
Scouts of America for young
men and women who are 14
through 20 years of age.
Venturing Crew 276 meets
monthly in Byram Township
at the Lakeland Emergency
Squad building. More information can be found at
venturecrew276.com.

Easter Walk-Thru: March

25th, 6pm-9pm. Slate Belt
Baptist Church, 1620 Church
Rd., Pen Argyl. Guided tours
every 15 mins. Preregistration suggested. FMI,
call 610-390-9124.
Upper Mt. Bethel Twp.
Easter Egg Hunt: March
26th, 11am. Upper Mt.
Bethel firehouse, Rt. 611.
Open to ages 12 & under.
Rain or shine.
Lookout Fire Co. Egg Hunt:
March 26th, 11am. Weona
Park, Pen Argyl. Ages 0-10.
FMI, call Larry at 610-7392033.

Eastern Monroe Co. Library,

Rt. 611/N. 9th St., Stroudsburg. All Monroe Co. animal
lovers are encouraged to
attend. FMI, visit their
website at www.monroeanimals.org, on facebook at
Facebook.com/MonroeAnima
lLeague,
email
monroe
animalleague@gmail.com, or
call 570-421-7775.

on Target Instructional
Shooting Clinic - A
Program from the Women
of the NRA: April 16th.
Rain or shine. Ladies only,
age 12+. Four clinic sessions
& one-on-one instruction.
Register by April 1st. FMI,
contact Margaret at 570-4208795 or secretary@brcv-rod
gun.org.

E. Bangor Vol. Fire Co.

Basket Bingo: April 1st,
7pm. FMI or tickets, call
610-588-5996.

Blue Ridge Cherry Valley

Rod & Gun Club Refuse To
Be A Victim Seminar: April
30th,
8:30am-12:30pm.
Register by April 1st. FMI,
contact Margaret at 570-4208795 or secretary@brcv-rod
gun.org.

Northampton Co. Detachment 298 Marine Corps

League Meeting: April 6th,
1900 hours. 1621 Lehigh St.,
Easton. All active duty &
honorably
discharged
Marines welcome! FMI,
contact
jimmineousmc
@rcn.com.

Slate Belt Area Knights of

Columbus, Fr. DeNisco
Council Easter Egg Hunt:
March 26th, 2pm. 1680 W.
Bangor Rd., Washington
Twp. Every participant will
receive a chocolate Easter
bunny. Winners of age groups
finding a gold, silver or
purple egg will win a prize.

Richmond UMC Rummage

Sale: April 15th, 9am-2pm
& April 16th, 8am-noon.
8538 Delaware Dr. (Rt. 611 &
Five Points Richmond Rd.)
Bangor. Fill a bag Saturday,
10am-noon.

Monroe Animal League

Meeting: March 29th, 7pm.

Blue Ridge Cherry Valley

Rod & Gun Club Women

Friends of the Bangor

Public Library Free Spring
Brunch w/ the Author:
April 2nd, 10am. 39 S. Main
St., Bangor. Local author
Vikki Romano will feature
her latest release Edge of
Darkness. Registration req'd.
FMI or to register, call 610588-4136.
Krusaderz 4 A Kure's
Annual Tricky Tray: April
9th, 11am. William Pensyl
Social Hall, Portland Hook &
Ladder Co. #1, Portland.
Drawings at 1pm. benefits
American Cancer Society,
Slate Belt Relay for Life.
Slate Belt Heritage Center
Re-Opening Ceremonies:
April 14th, 7pm. Slate Belt
Heritage Center, 30 N. 1st St.,
Bangor. FMI, call 610-5994993.
Traditional
Spaghetti
Dinner: April 17th, Noon5pm. Our lady of Victory
R.C. Church, Cherry Lane
Rd., Tannersville. FMI, call
570-629-4572.

The
Crystal
Laundry
Presented
by
Harvey
Drury: May 12th, 7pm.
Slate Belt Heritage Center,
30 N. 1st St., Bangor. FMI,
call 610-599-4993.
Vettes for Vets Car, Truck
& Motorcycle Show: June
12th, 9am-3pm. Blue Valley
Farm Show, 707 American
Bangor Rd., Bangor. FMI,
visit www.slatebeltcorvette
club.com.

Blairstown Seniors Trip to

Brownstone: April 20th.
Sign-up on March 23rd, 1pm
at town hall. Open to
residents 55+. Sounds of
Sinatra. FMI, call Mickey at
908-362-8919.
First UMC of Blairstown
Holy
Week
Services:
Maundy Thursday supper
communion service March
24th, 6:30pm at Walnut
Valley UMC, 4 Vail Rd.,
Blairstown; Good Friday
service March 25th, 7pm;
Easter Sunrise service
March 27th, 6:45am. Continental breakfast to follow;
Easter
Resurrection
Celebration March 27th,
10am, followed by fellowship time. All are welcome to
join. First UMC of Blairstown, 10 Stillwater Rd.,
Blairstown. FMI, call 908362-6693
or
visit
firstumcblairstown.com.
Tranquility UMC Holy
Week Services: Maundy
Thursday, March 24th
7:30pm; Easter Sunrise
Service,
March
27th,
6:45am on the lawn, immediately followed by breakfast;

Traditional Easter Worship, March 27th, 10am. 5

Kennedy Rd. (Rt. 611) Rt.
517, Hackettstown.
Panther Valley Ecumenical
Church Spaghetti Dinner:
April 1st, 5pm-8pm. 1490
Rt.
517,
Hackettstown.
Adults $10, children $5,
under 3 free. Tickets at door
are $2 more. Takeout available. FMI, call 908-8525444.
NJ Audubons Friday
Night at the Swamp:
Fridays, April 1st-29th,
5pm-7pm. Great Swamp
National Wildlife Refuge.
Free & open to the public.
Please meet at the Great
Swamp at the Overlook on
Pleasant Plains Rd., about a
quarter mile east of N.
Bridge, Barnardsville.
Dr. Elliott Trommald Free
Lecture on John I. Blair:
April 5th, 7pm.
Made
possible for Blairstown
Historic Preservation Committee by Blair Academy's
Society of Skeptics lecture
program. Armstong-Hipkins
Center for the Arts, DuBois
Theatre, Blair Academy
Campus.
FMI,
visit
www.blair.edu or email
BlairstownHistoric@gmail.c
om.
NJ Audubon Greenwood
Gardens Field Trip: April
7th, 8am-11am. Greenwood
Gardens, 274 Old Short Hills
Rd., Short Hills. Registration
w/ Greenwood Gardens
reqd. FMI or to register, visit
www.green woodgardens.org
or call 973-258-4026.
Annual Spring Ladies Aid
Rummage Sale: April 8th,

9am-4pm. Yellow Frame

Church, Rt. 94 & 1 Yellow
Frame Rd., Fredon. FMI, call
973-383-5364 or 610-5889166.
St. Joseph Regional School
Honoring Alumni Night:
April 9th, 6pm. Celebrating
60 years of loving & faithful
educational
community.
Country-Western
Casino
Night theme. All proceeds
support Catholic education at
St. Josephs School in
Newton, Sussex Co. FMI,
call 973-383-2909.
Fish & Chips Dinner: April
14th, 5pm-7pm. Yellow
Frame Pres. Churh, 1 Yellow
Frame Rd., Newton. Adults,
$14; children 10 & under, $7.
Eat-in or take-out. Must
purchase tickets in advance.
FMI or tickets, call 973-3835701 or 973-579-0157.
18th Annual Stateliner
Spring
Classic
5K
Run/Walk & Childrens
Fun Run: April 17th.
Phillipsburg High School,
Maloney
Stadium,
489
Hillcrest Blvd., Phillipsburg.
FMI, contact James at 908213-2404
or
spring
classic@hotmail.com.
North Warren Marching
Band Tricky Tray: April
22nd, 6pm. NW Regional
High School. First drawing at
7:30pm.
Pre-sale tickets
avail. until April 8th. Tickets
are $12. Light refreshments
& snacks avail. for purchase.
FMI,
email
nwrmbtt@
gmail.com.
Soroptimist International
Annual Tricky Tray Fundraiser: April 23rd, 6:30pm.
Independence Firehouse, 24
Cemetery Rd., Great Meadows. FMI, tickets & donation
opportunities,
email
sitrickytray@gmail.com or
call 201-952-3732.

St.
Lukes
University
Health Center has donated an
ambulance to Northampton
Community College (NCC)
for use in its emergency
medicine services (EMS)
degree program and community trainings.
This donation enables us to
provide our students with
more real world scenarios,
says John T. Evans, EMS
program manager, NCC. He
adds students will be better
prepared for real life emergencies having practiced and
refined their skills while
working in the back of a
moving ambulance. The
ambulance is the first the
program has ever owned. It
will be re-lettered with the
NCC name and will reside at
the colleges Fowler Center
on Third Street in South
Bethlehem.
The ambulance will be used
not only for students enrolled
in NCCs EMS degree

program, but also for community training and certification provided free to the
community. St. Lukes and
NCC have a long partnership
of educating the regions fire,
EMS and ambulance crewmembers, both employed
and volunteers, on pre-

hospital emergency care,

Adam Maziuk, coordinator
of St. Lukes Network PreHospital
Liaison,
PreHospital Services Department, says.
Kermit Gorr, executive
director of Ambulance and
Transportation Services for

St. Lukes University Health

Network, added that prior to
the donation, EMS providers
would have to take an ambulance out of service when a
crewmember was being
trained. This will no longer
be the case now that the
school has its own ambulance.
Logistically it helps the
ambulance squads, hospitals
and all of the community.
Were investing in the future
of our EMS providers, Gorr
says. That is one of those
gifts that will pay off for
years to come.
Currently, about 30 students
are enrolled in NCCs emergency medical technician
programs. They consist of a
mix of students who plan to
earn a living as emergency
response employees, volunteers and college students
enrolled in nursing or physician assistant programs,
Evans says.

The 79th Annual Second

Ward Easter Egg hunt will be
held on Saturday, March
26th, at 1pm, at the home of
Michael and Karyn Christensen, located at the end of
Blue Ridge Ave., in Bangor,
PA.
Children up to and including age 12 are invited to
participate. Special prizes

will be awarded in each age

group. The egg hunt will be
held rain or shine.
Anyone wishing to donate
colored hard boiled eggs for
the hunt should deliver them
to Heards Meat Market,
located at 501 S. Main St., in
Bangor, by Friday, March
25th.
The Easter chick will arrive

by firetruck to delight everyone. The event is cosponsored by the Second

Ward Fire Company and the
Second Ward Ladies Auxiliary.
The sponsors wish to
extend a special thank you to
the Christensens for allowing this wonderful tradition
to continue.

A memorial scholarship was

established in 1997 by the
Bangor Area High School
Class of 1986 to honor the
memory of deceased classmates. It is named in Gary
Moffetts honor because he
not only served as class
treasurer, but he also touched
the lives of all who had the
privilege to know him. They
have since dedicated this

memorial scholarship to
recognize other classmates
who have passed in recent
years:
David
Pritchard,
Cherry Oyer Klinger, Frank
Lisovich, Melissa Fox Niceforo, and Kelly Cory.
A scholarship award of $500
will continue to be presented
annually to a member of the
graduating senior class at
BAHS who best exemplifies

the qualities Gary embodied

-- leadership, friendship,
service, character, and scholastic achievement.
The recipient is chosen by
Garys wonderful and loving
family and is announced
during
commencement.
Anyone interested in applying for the scholarship should
see the guidance counselor at
Bangor High School.

The newly refurbished

Roys Hall is pleased to
announce its summer musical production, Bye Bye
Birdie.
Bye Bye Birdie, the ultimate
feel-good musical, will be
staged on Friday, Saturday,
and Sunday, July 29th, 30th,
and 31st. This iconic musical
revolves around rock 'n' roll
superstar, Conrad Birdie (a
dead ringer for Elvis Presley), who, to the dismay of
his adoring fans, has been
drafted into the army.
Comedy takes center stage as
Conrads agent, Albert Peterson, cooks up one last publicity stunt - a farewell kiss to
be bestowed on a lucky
young fan from Sweet Apple,
Ohio.
The popular score features
How Lovely To Be a
Woman, The Telephone
Hour, Kids, Put On A
Happy Face, A Lot of
Livin' To Do, and One Last
Kiss.
Join the Bye Bye Birdie cast

of characters, including
Albert, Rosie, Conrad, Kim,
Hugo, and the kids from
Sweet Apple, Ohio as they
bid Conrad Birdie one last
goodbye.
Auditions for Bye Bye
Birdie, (the Winner of four
1961 Tony Awards, including Best Musical) will be
held at Roys Hall, located at

30 Main Street, in Blairstown, on Saturday, April

23rd, from 9am to 4pm, and
on Sunday, April 24th from
1pm to 4pm. Callbacks will
be held Sunday, April 24th,
from 5pm to 7pm, as
needed.
For more information and
audition materials, please
visit RoysHall.org

Area residents can file their

taxes for free online through
MyFreeTaxes.com, the first
free national online tax
preparation program.
A safe, easy way to file
state and federal taxes,
MyFreeTaxes is free for
anyone earning $62,000 or
less. Residents earning more
than $62,000 can use the site
at a discounted rate.
United Way of Northern

New Jersey is encouraging

those who fall below the
ALICE line households
earning above the poverty
level, but less than what it
takes to afford the basics
to take advantage of this
free service this tax season.
ALICE stands for Asset
Limited,
Income
Constrained, Employed. There
are some 100,000 families
in Morris, Somerset, Subur-

ban Essex, Sussex and

Warren counties who fall
below the ALICE line and
could benefit from using
MyFreeTaxes.
For households struggling
to survive, every dollar
counts, said United Way
Manager Monica Conover.
Trying to come up with the
average $200 that tax
preparers charge is not an
option for ALICE, which is

why MyFreeTaxes is a
welcomed option.
With free English and
Spanish
tax
support,
MyFreeTaxes
offers
a
simple process that includes
free telephone, email and
online chat supports from
IRS-certified
specialists.
MyFreeTaxes is sponsored
by United Way Worldwide
and uses tax filing software
provided by H&R Block.
In
addition
to
MyFreeTaxes, area residents
who are struggling to make

ends meet also have the

option of free in-person tax
preparation. United Way, in
conjunction
with
local
partners and the IRS, offers
a free tax preparation
program at various sites
throughout the region. Residents meet one-on-one with
IRS-certified
volunteers
who prepare and file both
state and federal returns for
free.
Residents who are living
paycheck to paycheck have
two
free,
high-quality

The Board of Directors of

the Blue Mt. Community
Library would like to thank
Caf on Broadway in Wind
Gap for sponsoring a fundraiser for the library on
February 23rd. The money
we received will be used for
the expenses at the library, as
well as the purchase of new
books. Also, thanks to all
who supported the library by
patronizing the caf.
If you are looking to add
books to your collection or
give to your favorite reader,
stop in the librarys Book
Nook and browse. There are
many children and adult hardcover and soft cover books to
purchase, as well as CDs,
DVDs and puzzles. In honor

options when it comes to

filing their taxes, allowing
them to save their hardearned
money,
said
Conover.
United Way in-person tax
preparation sites in Morris,
Somerset, Suburban Essex,
Sussex and Warren counties
are now open. To make an
appointment at a free tax
site or to find out more
information
about
MyFreeTaxes, visit www.
UnitedWayNNJ.org/FreeTa
xPrep.
of spring, throughout the
month of March, if you buy a
book by an author whose last
name begins with S, you
may choose any other item of
equal or lesser value free.
Also in March, the library is
collecting art supplies for the
program Color for Kids,
which provides these materials to young students who do
not have access to them.
Drop off your donations at
the library.
And speaking of coloring,
the library has begun a Coloring for Adults group, which
meets Tuesdays at 10am on
the second floor. Materials
will be provided, but attendees may bring their own.
Anyone with an interest in
joining is welcome and no
registration is required.
The library is located at 216
S. Robinson Ave., in Pen
Argyl, PA.
Hours are
Monday through Saturday,
10am to noon and Monday
through Thursday, 6pm to
8pm. Call 610-863-3029 for
information,
or
visit
www.bmcl.org.

PA State Rep. Marcia Hahn

(R-Bushkill
Township)
recently joined the majority
of her colleagues in voting
for and asking Gov. Tom
Wolf to sign key budgetrelated legislation into law
for the 2015-16 fiscal year.
The state House approved
and sent to the governors
desk House Bill 1801, which
would restore the December
29th cuts made by the governor to the currently enacted
budget.
Hahn issued the following
statement after passage of
the fourth 2015-16 budget
bill that the Legislature has
sent to the governors desk

and that would increase

basic education funding by
$200 million and restore
support for agriculture
Pennsylvanias No. 1 industry and correctional facilities across the state without
requiring tax increases:
Gov. Wolf now has the
opportunity to atone for past
budget vetoes and put to rest
the threat of school closings
that has left many students
and their parents uneasy.
Signing House Bill 1801 into
law would send to schools
throughout the state $200
million more than in fiscal
year 2014-15.
The legislation would

also support the agriculture

community and no longer
place the Penn State Extension service, our farmers
support service and lifeline
in time of crisis, at risk of
closure due to insufficient
funding.
The great majority of my
constituents have asked me
to oppose broad-based tax

increases and support the

core functions of government
in a responsible manner.
House Bill 1801, which
passed
with
bipartisan
support, does that, which is
why I stand in support of it.
Questions about this or any
legislative issue should be
addressed to Hahns district
office a 610-746-2100.

We are busy here at the shop,

so I am handing over this
months article to my wife.
She has been in the trenches
with me at State of the Arc for
a long time. Enjoy!
Hello, all! My name is Tansy
and Im the general manager
here at SOTAW.
Its common mythology that
breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but when
it comes to a weld shop, lunch
is where its at. It has been
said that a great weld shop
runs on a great lunch, and I
am inclined to believe this to
be true.
At my shop a lot of thought
goes into that precious half
hour every day. What to eat
and drink or where to go? Am
I packing, going home to fry
up some leftovers and let the
dog out, or eating out somewhere?
Our area of the Slatebelt has
seen a lot of new restaurants
open recently, which is a good
thing. Most of us here at the
shop are lucky enough to live

Ciao Amici,
With the end of the Lenten
Season and Easter approaching, I am reminded of a
special time growing up in
the butcher shop. We went
from 40 days ago carne vale
[farewell to meat] to Carne
Ritorna [return of meat].

local so we can go home; only

my machinist drives in from
further afield and he always
has on-hand a delicious
homemade sandwich or rice
bowl. He tells me he preps
everything for the week on a
Sunday evening.
I look forward to sitting
around our messy table in the
break room with my staff.
Brushing to the side old bolts,
welding magazines and bits
of metal to make room for a

pizza. Sharing some gossip or

a joke or some personal stuff
happening at home. To me it
is the absolute best way to
make everyone feel they are
important and needed as part
of the whole team. The rituals
we build are what makes each
day unique.
Stop by State of the Arc
Welding, located at 800 Rutt
Road in Bangor, PA, for all
your welding and fabrication
needs.

Grandmom and Grandpop

always seemed to be excited
as the hours would be even
longer because of all the
work that would have to be
done to fill the orders for
Vitello and Agnello [Veal
and Lamb]. It was a relief to
know that days would get
back to normal and the
spring weather would also
be getting nicer! The butcher
shop formed the hub for the
extended DeFranco family.
Grandpops brothers, sisters,
nieces and nephews all came
to pick up their orders and
wish each other a Buona
Pasqua [Happy Easter].
Naturally as is the custom
for naming Italian children,
the first son was named after
the fathers father so there
where many nephews named
Martin like my Dad and the
first daughter was named
after the fathers mother. So
many nieces were named
Theresa like my Aunt
Theresa.
I hold the memories of all
the delicacies my grandparents would be able to
provide only because they
were butchers; the Capisal
[roasted
lamb
head],
Sanguedol [blood pudding],
Toginad [prosciutto and
provolone wrapped with
intestines] and sorfito [liver,
heart and lungs fried with
onions, tomatoes and hot
peppers].

In this day and age people

are squeamish about this type
of food, but back then it was
a way of life. The utilization
of the product first because
they were poor and then
because of tradition speaks a
lot of what kind of people
they were. I would have to
say if they were on the show
Chopped, they would be
Chopped Champions.
From my wife Joelene and
I, to your family, Buona
Pasqua/Happy Easter!
La Pasqua inteso per
essere un simbolo di
speranza e di rinnovamento e
di vita nuova.
Easter is meant to be a
symbol of hope, renewal and
new life. ~ Janine di
Giovanni
Con cordiali saluti, Joe
Growing up in the Butcher
Shop, is available at the
shop or on our web page. To
receive menu specials and
our newsletter, join our mailing list at www.JDeFranco
And Daughters.com, click on
mailing list and enter your
email. Send your Roseto
stories, recipes and comments
to
portipasto
@epix.net or call 610-5886991. 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.

Pocono Medical Center and

the Trapasso family introduce
the countys premier, honorary event titled, I Need A
Hero, on Friday April 1st
from 6pm to 10pm at Desaki
Restaurant in Swiftwater,
PA.
I Need A Hero celebrates
and honors local EMS providers and all that they do for our
community through their
extraordinary work. An
integral part of Pocono Medical Center achieving its
mission of building a healthier
community lies in the integration and teamwork of its local
EMS partners.
As a community hospital, it
is important that we take the
time to reflect and recognize
the work of Bushkill EMS,
Pocono Mountain Regional,
Suburban EMS, and West
End Community Ambulance,
our local emergency medical
first responders, and do so by
creating a momentous project
that will hopefully not only
touch the lives of our community, but serve as a clear representation of our support,
companionship, and partnership with our local EMS
providers and how important
their roles play as our everyday heroes, said Geoffrey M.
Roche, Director of Community Outreach and Government Relations at Pocono

Medical Center.
Desaki Restaurant owners
and Monroe County residents,
Vincent and Charlie Trapasso,
have graciously donated their
time and livelihood to this
event in honor of their
community and in recognition
of the safety they are afforded
through the commitment of
local emergency medical first
responders, My wife and I
have been blessed with good
health and the God given
ability to give back. We are
committed towards making
Monroe County a place where
our children and their children
thrive and take pride in their
community for years to come.
It is an honor and a privilege
to serve, said Vincent and
Charlie Trapasso. As a true
testament of their generosity
and
appreciation,
they
announce that 100 percent of
the proceeds for the event will
go towards supporting our
local area EMS through
education, training, and
equipment to assist them in
taking care of patients.
I Need A Hero consists of a
night of music, dancing, hors
doeuvres, sushi, and surf and
turf. To purchase tickets for
the event call 570-476-3531
or email DDuBois@pocono
medicalcenter.org or make a
check payable to Pocono
Health Foundation, 206 E.

Brown Street, East Stroudsburg, PA with ATTN: Denise

DuBois. RSVP for the event is
March 25th.
Pocono Medical Center has
served the Pocono Mountain
region for over 100 years,
marking it as one of Monroe
Countys largest employers
with more than 230 physicians and now over 2,000
staff employees. Pocono
Medical Center has three
comprehensive
healthcare
centers located in Bartonsville, Tobyhanna, and Brodheadsville each offering
imaging and lab services. In
addition, Pocono Medical
Center has 19 primary and
specialty care physician
practices throughout the
region. Pocono Medical
Center offers a full continuum
of care from clinical and acute
care services to specialized
services ranging from endocrinology, neonatology and
perinatology to pulmonary,
neurology, bariatric, general,
orthopedic,
and
even

minimally-invasive surgery
with our da Vinci robotic
surgery.
Homecare
and
hospice services are also
available through the Pocono
Health System Visiting Nurse
and Hospice. U.S. News &
World Report recently named
Pocono Medical Center
among the top 10 percent of
hospitals in Pennsylvania and

as a Best Regional Hospital

including
two
HighPerforming Hospital recognitions in both heart failure and
heart bypass surgery. Pocono
Medical Centers ESSA Heart
and Vascular Institute offers a
full breadth and depth of
cardiovascular
services,
including diagnostic cardiac
catheterization, cardiac angioplasty, open-heart surgery,
and minimally invasive heart
procedures as well as vascular
surgery and cardiac rehabilitation services. The Dale and
Frances Hughes Cancer
Center at Pocono Medical
Center offers a variety of
treatments and modalities,
including
state-of-the-art

radiation therapy equipment

and medical oncology. Pocono
Medical Center is a designated, accredited Primary
Stroke Center providing stroke
care via telemedicine. In
addition to Pocono Medical
Center serving as one of the
busiest emergency departments in the state, it is also the
only fully-accredited Level III
Trauma Center in the Commonwealth as well as the sole
Trauma Center program for all
of Monroe County and its
surrounding communities. For
more information or to learn
more, please visit our website
at poconohealth system.org, or
visit
facebook.com/pocono
medicalcenter.

(NAPSI)Theres
a
goodand
surprisingreason you may pine for
greenery. Living landscapes
are an important part of the
outdoor lifestyle that Americans enjoy but the benefits go
beyond the barbecue and
backyard baseball. Green
spaces are necessary for your
health.
The advantages of grass and
landscaping surpass the usual
physical benefits that result
from
outdoor
activity,
explained Kris Kiser, president and CEO, Outdoor Power
Equipment Institute (OPEI).
Numerous studies have
found that people who spend
more time outside or who are
exposed to living landscapes
are happier, healthier and
smarter.
Researchers have studied the
effect of nature on human
well-being for years, but
recent studies found a more
direct correlation between
human health, particularly
related to stress, and the
importance of access to nature
and managed landscapes.
Heres a look at a few:
Getting dirty is actually
good for you, according to Dr.
Christopher Lowery, a neuro-

scientist at the University of

Bristol in England. Mycobacterium vaccae in soil stimulates serotonin production,
which explains why people
who spend time gardening and
have direct contact with soil
feel more relaxed and happier.
Living near living
landscapes can improve your
mental health. Researchers in
England found that people
moving to greener areas experienced
an
immediate
improvement in mental health
that was sustained for at least
three years after they moved.
The study also showed that
people relocating to a more
developed area suffered a drop
in mental health.
Green spaces can make you
healthier, too. People who live
within a half mile of green
space (such as parks, public
gardens and greenways) were
found to have a lower
incidence of 15 diseases by
Dutch researchersincluding
depression, anxiety, heart
disease, diabetes, asthma and
migraines. A 2015 study found
that people living on streets
with more trees had a boost in
heart and metabolic health.
Living landscapes can even
reduce
attention-

deficit/hyper-activity disorder
(ADHD) symptoms. Children
gain attention and working
memory benefits when they
are exposed to greenery, says a
study led by the Centre for
Research in Environmental
Epidemiology in Barcelona. In
addition, exposure to natural
settings may be widely effective in reducing ADHD symptoms in children.
Spending time around
plants also improves concentration and memory in adults.
Research shows that being
around plants helps you
concentrate better at home and
at work. Charlie Hall, Ellison
Chair in International Floriculture at Texas A&M University,
believes that spending time in
gardens can improve attention
span and memory performance by as much as 20
percent.
Gardening is great for the
body and the soul. People who
gardened for at least 30
minutes a week had lower
body mass indexes, a measure
of body fat, as well as higher
levels of self-esteem and better
moods overall. They also
reported lower levels of
tension and stress.
Nature walks (or runs) are
great for your brain and stress
levels. A National Institutes of
Health study found that adults
demonstrate significant cognitive gains after going on a
nature walk. A Stanford

University study found that

walking in nature, rather than
in a concrete-oriented, urban
environment, resulted in
decreased anxiety, rumination,
and negative affect, and
produced cognitive benefits,
such as increased working
memory performance.
Living landscapes help you
heal faster. Multiple studies
have discovered that plants in
hospital recovery rooms or
views of aesthetically pleasing
gardens help patients heal up
to one day faster than those
who are in more austere
environments.
You might even be a nicer
person when you spend time
in nature, as it enhances social
interactions, value for community and close relationships. A
systematic research review
concluded that the balance of
evidence indicates conclusively that knowing and experiencing nature makes us
generally happier, healthier
people.
All these benefits reinforce
the importance of maintaining
yards, parks and other
community green spaces.
Trees, shrubs, grass and flowering plants are integral to
human health. Not only do
they provide a place for kids
and pets to play, they directly
contribute to mental and
physical well-being.
For tips on maintaining a
living landscape, even in
drought conditions, go to
www.opei.org/stewardship.

Hello, fellow readers!

For those of you that tuned
in last week, the spring
honey do list went without a
glitch; beyond expectation in
terms of all that matters. And
my dear Curt was a wonderful
sport with the ribbing. Truly, I
didnt expect him to gather
the remaining dead heads
(sounds grizzly) - the still
standing seed heads for those
that may not know. Im a
jokester, as I suspect you may
have noticed after all these
weeks. This is our 199th chat
together; can you believe?
Im grateful that The Press
invites me to be part of their
mission of nurturing our sense
of community. And thankful
for all of you who ask questions, offer advice, and share
happiness or challenges
(beyond the garden). Were
learning from each other and
thats what life is about. I look
forward to continuing our
journey of growing with
Mother Earth.
As I write, its day-two of the
Springfest Garden Show and
today is our lecture on Plant

Companions
given
in
conjunction with my colleague
and dear friend Marty Carson.
This column will be published
after the show. Based on
yesterdays warm welcomes, I
know Ill see many of your
encouraging, smiling faces at
our talk. Thank you for your
support!
One of the greatest joys of the
show is meeting all the folks
that walk through, some even
in wheelchairs or walkers. One
lady yesterday reminded me of
my Mom who would love to
be here if she could. Sporting a
denim shirt and garden clogs,
the beautiful elderly ladys
face lit up when her daughter
parked her in front of the
garden to take photos. I'll bet
she was an avid gardener in
her day.
Young children walk through
with their scavenger hunt
worksheets looking for things
in the garden. And after their
rounds, they come back carrying seedlings planted while
here. I wonder if they realize
the significance of their
seedlings. They too will grow
up absorbing the nutrients of
the love received and experiences theyve been introduced
to. Then typically recreate the
way of life they learn with
their families, as they journey
through adult life. Hence, why
parenting and nurturing our
youth is the most important
role. Its wonderful to see
children being introduced to
how things grow.
Spring is officially here and
we look forward to the new
beginning, the significance of
the rebirth, the glory of a new
season, and a new day. Happy
Easter to all!
Garden dilemmas?
Askmarystone.com