The high lonesome sound of Bluegrass music will echo through downtown Blairstown on Friday, September 5th when the award-winning group Town Mountain kicks off the Fall concert season at the Historic Blairstown Theatre. Town Mountain's music can best be described as traditional bluegrass, albeit with a rough-hewn side to it that is not too slick or glossy. They are a band of the here-and-now, yet they have a groove that is based on the bluesy and swinging sounds explored by the first generation of blue-grass pioneers of the last century. With the success of their latest album, Leave The Bottle, the word is out with some of their best reviews yet.Thank god that Town

Mountain are around to blow a hole in all the genre-juggling games of which music writers like myself are so fond, said Devon Leger, of Ed Helms The Bluegrass Situation. They play bluegrass. Period. They play it hard, they play it fast, and they play it like their fingers are bleed-ing and their picks are breaking.Phil Barkers

Lawdog sounds like an unearthed classic, and the groups tight harmo-nies alone make this record a treat for any bluegrass fan, said Juli Thanki of Engine 145, the 2011 IBMA Print Media Person of the Year award winner. David Morris of Blue-

grass Today adds more praise, The songs are new and mostly written by band members, but they sound like they could have come from the exciting early days of bluegrass... The band sounds the part tight picking and comfortable harmonies that arent overdubbed to soulless perfection. And the songs sound the part, too murder ballads, endless highways, a nod to bluegrass Celtic roots and even a tip of the hat to a moonshiner.Riding on the momen-

tum of Leave the Bottle, Town Mountain came away from the 2013 International Bluegrass

The Downtown of Washington will turn into the largest Street and Music Festival in Northwest New Jersey September 6th and 7th when the 10th Annual Festival in the Borough takes center stage. Highlighting the 25-

plus musical line-up over two days will be the awesome and ener-gizing Blues Brothers tribute band, Blues Brotherhood, on Satur-day and Jimmy and The Parrots on Sunday. Southbound, Bob

Lanza Blues Band, Lost in Place, Wink Keziah & Motel Delux (from North Carolina), Steve Kirchuk, Too Stupid To Quit, the JerZgirls, Jake Bracey, and other musi-cal acts will performing on various stages around town. As a special added

attraction, check out the Jersey Devil, The Illusionist and other professional wrestlers will take to the mat on Sunday afternoon start-ing at 1:30 in the Town Clock parking lot, and back on Saturday, DJ

Music Association (IBMA) World of Blue-grass convention with a couple of IBMA Momentum Awards in had for Band of the Year and lead singer Robert Greer for Vocal-ist of the Year. Town Mountain includes Greer on vocals and guitar, Jesse Langlais on banjo and vocals, Bobby Britt on fiddle, Phil Barker on mandolin and vocals, and Nick DiSe-bastian on bass. The band plans on recording a new album in 2014.Town Mountain was

formed out of the fertile music scene of Ashe-ville, located in the mountains of western North Carolina. After recording their first two albums, Town Mountain signed with Pinecastle Records label. That led to a pair of acclaimed recordings with 2011s Steady Operator as well as Leave The Bottle. Both projects were produced by Mike Bub, a recipient of five IBMA Bass Player of the Year awards as well as many other IBMA honors won during his time with the Del McCoury Band. The members of Town

Mountain have thought long and hard about their cultivated roots music groove. The group has focused on the goal of creating a unique sound and brand while still giving a nod and a wink to the traditional side of the bluegrass genre.I feel like were closer

to original bluegrass than a lot of bands out there today, says Langlais. I listened to a radio show recently that

featured Ricky Skaggs and he flat-out said that Bill Monroe influenced rock and roll. He said that folks like Elvis and Carl Perkins and those guys were looking up to Bill Monroe. So, I feel like our band has a lot of that influence as well, of the blues and early rock. If you go back and listen to Monroe pre-Chuck Berry, those are Chuck Berry licks. A lot of music in the 1940s and 50s was so over-lapping.

It is easy to put genrelabels on it today, 60 years later. But to behonest, it was all so new and it was influencing each other at the sametime.Town Mountain

appears at the Historic Blairstown Theatre onSeptember 5th at8:30pm. Tickets are $18in advance or $22 at thedoor. For tickets, visitthehbt.com/tickets or call The HBT box officeat 908349-1428.

Mitch Hess will feature kids music and a Kids Karaoke Contest (12 and under) in the early afternoon, in the new Downtown Park. The kids' winner will get a $50 prize! No pre-registration necessary. Saturday hours are

11am to 11pm and Sunday noon to 7pm. The Festival in the Borough is free to attend. There is also plenty of free parking. In addition to the free entertainment the streets will be lined with dozens of vendors selling an array of items, as well as a host of participating downtown businesses. Food of all varieties will also be on hand. And there is a beer garden hosted by the Washington Fire Depart-ment. Three stages are on tap:

PNC Stage in the Town Clock lot; the Hackett-stown Regional Medical Center Acoustic Stage at the corner of Broad/Rt. 57 at Doris' Finders Keepers, and the new "Wells Fargo at Scotty's

Public Notice: Pursu-ant to the Open Public Meetings Act, Chapter 231, P.L. 1975, notice is hereby given that the Board of Chosen Free-holders of the County of Warren has: Cancelled the scheduled Regular Session Meeting of August 27th at 7:30pm at the Wayne Dumont, Jr. Administration Building, 165 Rt. 519S, Belvidere.The United Methodist

Women are having a pastie sale on Friday, September 5th; orders will be taken through August 30th. Pasties are meat pies filled with potatoes and beef, with or without onions, and the price is $5 each. To order, call Michelle Peterson at 908-362-6703. Orders can be

picked up at the First United Methodist Church, located at 10 Stillwater Road, Blair-stown from 4pm to 6pm. The annual Blair-

stown Town Wide Yard Sale sponsored by the Blair Woman's Club is being held on September 20th and 21st. This year the sale has been expanded to include nearby neigh-boring areas. Applica-tions may be found in the lobbies of the Blair-stown Post Office, Cath-erine Dickson Hoffman Library and Blairstown Town Hall. Applications may also be emailed to pwoelfle@embarqmail.com. For more informa-tion, call 908-459-4129. Maps will be on sale at RE/MAX Ridge on Main Street in Blair-

stown on September 19th and 20th. Signs for the sale will be distrib-uted at RE/MAX Ridge, as well. All proceeds go toward community charitable giving, schol-arships and military support.Calling all North

Warren Regional Marching Band Alumni: this year marks the 30th anni-versary of NWR Marching Band and they would love to recognize the alumni at the Home Show that will take place on September 27th. If you or someone you know is a Marching Band Alumni and would like to attend, email northwarrenmarching bandhomeshow@yahoo.com.Reserve a table now

for the Yard Sale Alla-muchy Community Day, which will be held October 18th at the firehouse from 10am to 4pm. The sale is spon-

sored by Panther Valley Ecumenical Church. To reserve a table, call 908-269-5818 as soon as possible, as tables are limited and will be sold on a first-come first-served basis.When picking up

those last minute school supplies, please take the time to support the local busi-nesses who advertise in The PRESS! Remem-ber, for every $100 spent at a locally owned store, $45 remains in the local economy, com-pared with about $13 per $100 spent at a big box store (Businessweek).Send your birthday

wishes to thepress mail@gmail.com!

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Project Self-Sufficiency participant Yolanda Dones recently received a newly-refurbished van from a local auto repair center as part of the used vehicle donation program at Project Self-Sufficiency. The young woman had been struggling to take her child to daycare and get to work using the public transportation system in Sussex County. When she learned that she was going to receive a free car, she was shocked. I started crying, I was

so happy, Yolanda said. It feels very good to be more self-sufficient. Auto repair shop owner

Dave Hergert coordi-nated the donation of a 2003 Honda Odyssey to Yolanda. The local shop is a family-owned, full service auto repair center and New Jersey state inspection station. We had the car and we

did what we had to do to make it work, Dave said. A local auto parts store sponsored the vehicle repair work by giving us the parts. We supplied the labor. We decided to go through Project Self-Sufficiency because were trying to do something local and give back to the commu-nity.

The annual Warren County Patriot Day Ceremony honoring all victims who perished in the Terrorist Attacks of September 11th, 2001, including several Warren County residents, and Warren County Emergency Service personnel who have died in the line of duty, will be held on Sunday, September 7th, 2014 starting at 1pm.The ceremony will be

held at the Warren County Emergency Services and 9/11 Memorial located at 1500 State Highway 57, Washington, between

Deborah Berry-Toon, Executive Director of Project Self-Sufficiency, said, It is extremely difficult to function as a family in our area with-out access to a reliable vehicle. This young woman desperately needed a car to get to work, and we are delighted to be able to pass this vehicles along to her. We are tremendously

grateful to [the repair shop] for their role in this effort. Project Self-Sufficiency has been fortunate to be the recipient of several vehicles from individu-als and area businesses, and we will continue to welcome the donation of good quality, pre-owned vehicles from our neigh-bors for families in need. To donate a car to

Project Self-Sufficiency,

or to find out more about the programs and services available at the agency, call 973-940-3500, or visit project selfsufficiency.org.Project Self-

Sufficiency is a private non-profit, community-based organization dedi-cated to improving the lives of low-income families. The agencys mission is to provide a broad spectrum of holis-tic, respectful, and com-prehensive services enabling low-income single parents, teen parents, two-parent families, and displaced homemakers to improve their lives and the lives of their children while achieving personal and economic self-sufficiency and family stability. Since 1986 Project Self-Sufficiency has served more than 20,000 families.

the Warren County Technical School and the Warren County Community College.

This ceremony will beattended by firstresponders: fire, lawenforcement and emer-gency medical servicepersonnel from through-out Warren County.There is no cost to

attend this ceremonyand free parking is avail-able at the neighboringWarren County Techni-cal School.For more information,

contact Warren CountyFire Marshal, Chief Joseph Lake Jr., at 908-835-2066, or WarrenCounty Fire AcademyDirector, Chief JosephFox, Sr., at 908-835-2068.

NW Dem. Club Meet-ing: Aug. 27th, 7pm. Meeting room of Cath-erine Dickson Hofman Library, Lambert Rd., Blairstown. Discussing Roy Cho's campaign for the House against Scott Garrett & Senator Cory Booker's re-election campaign against Jeff Bell. Carol Cook will discuss her campaign for Blairstown Twp. Committee. They will also invite the candi-dates for the Board of Ed if there is a contest. Refreshments provided. FMI, call Fred Cook at 908-362-6808 or email fpchistory@yahoo.com.

Knowlton Fine Arts Homeschool Co-Op Orientation: Aug. 29th, 10am. FMI, call 908-619-9621 or visit knowltonfinearts.org.

The Daniel Plan 6-Week Health Series: Tues. at 7pm starting Sept. 10th. Registration req. by Sept. 1st. FMI & to register, email jean@ justrightcoach.com.

Empowerment For New Beginnings 5-week Confidence-Building Program: Tuesdays, 9:30am-2pm starting Sept. 2nd. Offered by NORWESCAPs Career & Life Transitions Center for Women. FMI, call 908-835-2624.

The Amazing Spider-man Movie Night:

Blairstown, Knowlton& Hope

A & P, Alpine Meats, Animal Mansion, Ash Plumbing, Asian Combat Arts, A-Tech, Auto, Blair Tile, Blair Tire & Auto, Blairstown Chiroprac-tic, Blairstown, Country Florist, Blairstown Municipal Building, Blairstown Eye Associates, Blue Ridge Lumber, Buckwood, Building Specialties, Burgdorff, BuzzWorks, Caffe Nelle Cucine, Cannon Country Real Estate, Columbia Post Office, Custom Colonial, Dale's Market, David Krawski Dentist, DogHouse, Dominick Pizza, Dr. Magalio: Dentist, Ellias Restaurant, First Hope Bank, Fitness Empire, Fountain Mall Laundromat, Frank's Pizza, Gallery 23, Geo's Pizza, Gourmet Gallery, Grand Rental Station, Hair Company, Hairs 2 You, Historic Blairstown Theatre, Hope Deli, Hope Haircutters, JD Liquors, John Deere, Kozimors Upholstery, Knowl-ton Municipal Building, Lakeland Bank, Lebduska Accounting, Marksboro Deli, Mark D. Nelke: DMD, Medical Associate, Mediter-ranean Diner, Napa, Nature's Harvest, New HoHo, North Warren Farm & Garden, North Warren Pharmacy, North Warren Truck Repair, Old Stillwater General Store, Pizza Express, PNC Bank, Post Office (Both Locations), Post Time Pub, R. Keiling, Race's Farm Market, Radio Shack, Remax, Shell Gas Station, Skyland Bank, Smitty's, Sunrise, Nutrition Center, Sun Velocity, Sunoco, The Auto Shop, The Inn at Millrace Pond, Tile Warehouse, Tractor Supply, Tramontin Harley-Davidson, US Gas, Voulas Hairway to Heaven, Village Green, Warren County Library, Wells Fargo, Wilbur's Country Store, Wine & Spirits, Woman to Woman

BelvidereA & P, Al's Pizza, ACI Truck

Stop, Bagel Smith, Bel-Pike Lanes, Belvidere Diner, Belvidere Spa, Clucas Farm,Curves, Dee Doo's, Dr.Amannda Richline, Food Mart, Four Sisters Winery, H&R Block, Hearth Shop, Hickory Mortgage, Little Johns Pizza, Mediterranean Riverside Designs, Riverton Hotel & Restaurant, Rosal Jewelers, Short Stop, Skee's Busy Bee, Skoogy's, Steckel's Shell, Station, Thisilldous, Uncle Buck's Diner, US Gas, VincentHaircuttery & Plus, Zack's, Zeeks

WashingtonA & P, Bagelsmith, Fliegauff Jewelers, Home Instead Senior Care, Kaffe Kaprys, Lost Ladies, Mediterranean Bistro, MWC Racing, Pride-N-Groom, Quick Check,Rossi, Second Time Around, Shopper Stop, Silver Stars Bagel, Smith Dodge,Stanley's Pizza, TownMarket, Washington Diner,Washington Shoe

NewtonA&G Pizza, Back in Motion, BMW Dealership, Charm, Co. Seat, Dunkin Donuts,Hampton Diner, Ho Hos, HobbyTown, Holiday Inn,Home Furniture, Warehouse, Kathy's Restaurant, Newton News Stand, Optical Center, PB&J, Quick Check, Shop Rite, Skylands Sport Shop, Springboard Shoppe,Superior Shower Doors, The Chatter Box, VW-Audi Dealership, Weis

HackettstownA & P, Bachs Home Health-care, Cozy Corner, Golden Skillet, Hacktettstown Free public Library, HackettstownGuns & Ammo, Hackett-stown Sandwich Shoppe, Hackettstown Regional Medical Center, Mama's Pizza/Cafe Baci, O'Neill's Jewelers. Prickley Pear, Quick Check #2, RiverstarDiner, Tranquility GeneralStore, Valley Bagel, Weis, Willow Caf

ColumbiaAyers, Roses Cafe

Sept. 2nd, 6pm. Warren Co. Library Headquar-ters, 2 Shotwell Dr., Belvidere. See the action on the 14 ft. screen! PG-13. Register at warrenlib.org or call 908-475-6322.

Hope Historical Soci-ety Meeting: Sept. 2nd, 7:30pm. Hope Commu-nity Ctr., Walnut St., Hope. Guest speaker Linda Green Rosen-krans. Refreshments will be served. Bring a friend. FMI, call 908-459-4277.

2014 Twp. Community Green Fest Sept. 7th, 1pm-4pm. Fairview Lake YMCA Camp, 1035 Fairview Lake Rd., Stillwater. Rain or Shine. Hosted by Stillwater Twp. Green Team, in partnership w/ Fairview Lake YMCA to showcase hands-on educational activities, vendor displays, wildlife show, Gemini 2 singing, a Recycled Art Show to encourage residents to create art from trash/ recycled materials w/ a prize for creativity in use of recycled materi-als. Celebrate & support Stillwaters commit-ment to going green. For vendor/ submission forms & updates, visit stillwatertownshipnj.com.

Team Home Instead Yard Sale, Bake Sale, Hot Dog & Popcorn Sale Fundraiser: Sept. 14th, 10am-2pm. 127

Belvidere Ave., Wash-ington. Rain or shine. Proceeds benefit the Home Instead Team at the 12th Annual Joan Knechel Memorial Walk October 19th at River Park, Hackettstown.

Free Learn to Twirl Intro Class: Sept. 15th, 16th & 18th. Northeast Brach of Warren Co. Library, Rt. 46, Hackett-stown. Wear shorts, tank tops, sneakers & hair up. Have fun while learning basic Baton Twirling skills in this intro class provided by a United States Twirling Associa-tion (USTA) Certified Instructor. Batons will be available. Teens 13 & older, 3:30-4:30pm; Tots 5-8, 4:30-5:30pm & Tweens 9-12, 5:30-6:30pm.

Chicken BBQ Take-Out Dinner: Sept. 20th, 4pm-6pm. Yellow Frame Presbyterian Church. Limited tickets, available through Sept. 15th. To order, call 973-383-5364.

Country Western Dance, featuring band: Tied To The Trax: Sept. 20th, 7pm. Historical Vass Farm-stead, 97 Stillwater Rd. Hosted by Hardwick Twp. Historical Society. Refreshments will be available. For more information, call 908-362-8496 or 908-362-5928.

Blairstown Town Wide Yard Sale: Sept. 20th & 21st. FMI, call 908-459-4129.

Peoples Climate Change March:

September 21st. NYC. Bus transportation spon-sored by Skylands Group, NJ Sierra Club Chapter. Buses will leave Trinity St. in Newton. FMI and tickets, visit newtonbus. eventbrite.com.

Alzheimers Family Caregiver Workshop Presented by Home Instead Senior Care: September 27th, 9am-11am. United Methodist Church, 115 E. Wash-ington Ave., Washing-ton. A personalized experience for those caring for loved ones w/ Alzheimers disease or other dimentias. Explore symptoms, managing & coping w/ behaviors, health concerns, activi-ties & taking care of you, the caregiver. Workbooks will be provided & refresh-ments served. RSVP to Home Instead Senior Care at 908-835-1400.

21st Annual Saddle Up for St. Jude Childrens Hospital Horseback Trail Ride: Oct. 5th, 10am registration. Water Wheel Farm, 124 Fredon Marksboro Rd., Newton. Rain date Oct. 12. FMI or to sponsor the event, email Sandy at ladydunit@ gmail.com or call 973-691-8641. Ride on the Paulinskill Valley Trail. Prizes awarded. Coggins required. FMI, visit stjude.org/saddleup.

Hocus Pocus Family Movie Night: Oct. 8th, 6:30pm. Warren Co. Library Headquarters, 2 Shotwell Dr., Belvidere. Call 908-475-6322 or visit warrenlib.org FMI.

Hello fellow readers, Many of you like to

dance! Jane from Mt. Bethel, Pennsylvania wrote in about the fun of watching butterflies in her garden and asked how to attract more. Ben from Belvidere won-dered if he planted butterfly-loving plants would he be inviting deer to the party. It turns out several

butterfly magnets are not adored by Bambi. Unlike humming birds that can hover, butter-flies need to cling to blossoms to feed and prefer daisy-type flow-ers and clusters or spikes of small flowers. I have had terrific luck with Shasta daisy / Leucan-themum maximum, even though classified as occasionally severely damaged on the Rutgers Plants Rated by Deer Resistance. Knock on wood, as deer preferences change and can vary drastically by neighborhood. A few obvious butter-

fly seducers include Butterfly Bush / uddleia davidii, a fast-growing, deciduous shrub that reaches six to eight feet

in height with arching purple, pink or white flowers; and Butterfly Weed/Asclepias tube-rose, also loved but not by deer. Butterfly Weed takes a while to estab-lish, but their bright orange flowers are worth the wait. It might be obvious that a plant named Bee Balm/Monarda didyma would attract bees, but its tufts of red, pink, or purple flowers on the tops of tall stems are just as good at attracting butterflies.In its glory this time of

year are Purple cone-flower, Echinacea purpurea, a well-known medicinal plant with large purple flowers with drooping petals. Plus theres Black-eyed Susan, Rudbeckia fulgida, a glorious golden North American native that blooms from summer to frost. Others for your late

summer butterfly shop-ping list include Stokes' Aster / Stokesia laevis, Russian Sage/Perovskia atriplicifolia, and of course Lavender/ Lavandula angustifolia. My number one favor-ite, because he stands a regal six feet tall and has a fluffy flower head, is Joe-Pye Weed/ Eupato-rium. While native in shady wetland areas, I've had success planting this good old boy in full sun. The nifty thing is most

of these butterfly mag-nets are in their glory right now. So fill in your bald spots (in your garden that is), dig in and dance! Garden dilemmas? Ask

Mary at askmary stone.com

(NAPSI)How well your outdoor power equipment works the next time you need it could depend on how you winterize and store it. Here are hints that can help:Do your winterization

tasks in a safe work zone. Before you start, set up a safe work zone. Work only in a well-ventilated area that is away from heat sources, sparks or flames.Collect your outdoor

power equipment that you intend to store. This might include a lawn mower, generator, string trimmer, chain saw, edger, power washer, blower, chipper, splitter or other tool that uses a small engine to do outdoor work.Read the owners

manual. Always consult your owners manual for directions on how to properly winterize and store your equipment. If you cant find your manual, check the manufacturers website.Be safe. Before servic-

ing or repairing any outdoor power equip-ment, disconnect the spark plug and battery cables. Wear safety glasses and gloves to protect against harmful chemicals and debris.Drain the fuel. Stored

equipment should not have fuel in its tank. Many fuels today contain ethanol, which absorbs water and may phase separate, causing operating problems. If there is fuel in the tank, remove what remains. Run the engine until it stops.Store leftover fuel

properly. Gasoline should be stored no more than 30 days with-out being treated with a fuel stabilizer. Use a sealed container that is approved for fuel storage. Always keep fuel out of the reach of children and away from heat sources or flames.Check and clean your

equipment. Check for loose belts or missing or damaged guards. Check and tighten all screws

and nuts. Grass, leaves and dirt that have accu-mulated on the equip-ment should be removed.Lubricate, sharpen and

charge as needed. Check the oil level and blade condition. Change the oil now if needed. Get your lawn mower blade sharpened so it will be ready for spring. Inspect the spark plug, replace it and add clean engine oil. Check the air filter and clean or replace as needed. If your equip-ment has a removable battery, take it out and store it in a warm spot. If you have a battery char-ger, you may want to charge the battery before storing.Take your equipment in

for servicing if needed. A busy lawn care season may have left your equipment worn and in need of repair. The winter season is when repair shops are the least busy, so if your equip-

ment needs a tune-up or additional servicing, now is a good time to take it in.Find a safe storage

space. Store your equip-ment away from pool chemicals, cleaners or fertilizersanything that could cause corro-sion from spills. Your

storage area should becool and dry, and yourequipment should be outof the reach of children and pets.Properly store your

supplies. Avoid spills inyour storage space bystoring your lawn careand outdoor suppliesproperly. Leftover lawn care materials should bestored in sealed contain-ers, so pests such asrodents are not drawn toyour storage space.Find your winter

equipment and place itin an accessiblelocation. Dig out the snow shovels, snow-blowers or throwers, scrapers, ice melt or rock salt. If you are outof winter supplies, now can be a good time tostock up before youneed them. Place yourwinter equipment and supplies in an accessiblelocation.

Congrats, BlairstownDear Editor, Im writing this letter

to congratulate the town of Blairstown on their genius decision with regards to our recent extensive roadwork, especially their decision to:1. Re-route busy Route

521 traffic, which typically travels at a rate of 50 to 60 mph during rush hour, down our narrow, winding 35mph country road. Whatever made you think that all the folks rushing to work would voluntarily reduce their speed to our 35mph?2. Not bother to

reduce our streets speed to a 25mph zone in anticipation of this normally fast moving traffic exceeding our streets 35mph?3. Not send notice

to the residents of the streets affected (namely Heller Hill Road and the short side of Union Brick Road between Heller Hill Road and 521)informing us directly of this detour route and the towns estimation of how long it would be in effect? Or at the very least, could the town have set up a meeting addressing this

plan specifically and inform our street residents directly as to when this meeting was planned so we can attend? Doing this simple thing couldve helped us prepare our families and properties and avoid the tragedy and near tragedies that have already occurred since this detour was established.4. Not bothering to

pre-plan with the Blair-stown Police on how to keep the residents, their children, and their pets safe by scheduling a regular police presence. It took a phone call to a concerned and proactive councilwoman who contacted the police chief, as well as many complaints by the residents of these roads, to get the police to understand the speed and danger with which these vehicles were traveling on a road with blind corners and hidden driveways. I understand from what the police are telling our street residents, they are small and cannot be every-where at once with all the roadwork being done at the same time... so I ask...Who approved several major road

construction projects at the same time in a small town with such a small police force to ensure safety?5. As drivers, we

have been tailgated by rude detour drivers trying to force the speed limit or passed illegally over the double yellow. Personally, my husband and I were almost T-boned this past week by a driver speeding through the four-way stop at Heller Hill and Union Brick. As moth-ers with strollers, walk-ers and bike riders, we have come close to being run off the road. Forget being able to walk our pets. Its simply too dangerous when the cars come barreling around blind corners. There is simply no time to keep ourselves and our pets safe. I end in saying we lost

a beloved and cherished family pet to a speeding driver on our road on Saturday evening, August 9th. My children grew up with her. The family is heartbroken.We chose our road to

live because of its quiet-ness and safety for our family.

Sincerely,Laura Fagan, a Union

Brick Road resident

Everything is Better with a Friend Dear Friends and

Family, In just under two

months we will be walk-ing 39.5 miles in two days in the Avon Breast Cancer Walk October 19th in New York City as a team. My friend, Eileen, participated in the first NY Avon Walk in 2002 as a survivor. This time we will be walking 39.5 miles in two days as TEAM KEEGAN. Keegan is my

nephews wife, who at 36, has been diagnosed with stage three breast cancer and married for just two years. Young women can and do get breast cancer. It is estimated that more than 250,000 are age 40 or younger and this year 13,000 of them will hear those words you have breast cancer. Its discouraging that it continues to target us and the younger genera-tion as well. We are hoping this aids in help-ing prevent you or your children from going through this. Keegan has received a

glow-in-the dark pin and handed a cocktail. Sounds like she is really enjoying life, but they are referred to as radia-

tion and chemotherapy and is facing more surgery. A woman is diagnosed with BC every 12 minutes, affecting one in eight! We all know and love more than eight women in our lives and the life you help save may be one of those eight. Future cancer patients may also struggle with health care costs so early detection and research is key. The more who walk,

the more of us survive. Were already walking but you have the power to help us reach our goal. We are each com-mitted to raise $1,800 for a total of $3,600. We hope our participation will play a small part in the efforts to support Keegan as she battles

and overcomes the challenges she is faced with by this disease. Its easier than ever to

make a tax deductible donation by following the link to our online team site at avonwalk. org/goto/TeamKeegan.Or, if you prefer you canmake a check out to The Avon Breast CancerFoundation and send it to us at 91 Gaisler Rd.,Blairstown, NJ 07825and thank you for yourcontinued support. Most sincerely, Evelyn Constantine

and Eileen (Sanson) Newhall

Views and opinions expressed in letters to

the editor do not necessarily reflect those

of The PRESS or its staff.

With the retirement of Pastor Jack Kroeze after serving the Evangelical Free Church of Blair-stown and surrounding communities for 25 years, the church is pleased to announce Pastor Todd Nathan as the new senior pastor.Pastor Nathan comes to

the church with a depth of experience, including serving as executive pastor of Victory Church in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and senior pastor at Mt. Laurel Evangelical Free Church in Randolph, New Jersey. In addition to his more

current pastoral respon-sibilities, Pastor Nathan served in the business community for seven years. His formal educa-tion includes a Bachelor of Science in business from Penn State Univer-sity and a Master of Divinity from Columbia International University. He has been involved as a retreat speaker, numer-ous seminars and train-ing sessions. Always one to be

involved with various areas of the local com-munity, he is looking forward to continuing

his involvement in the Blairstown area. Pastor Nathan loves spending time with his wife Karin of 25 years with whom he has three children, Michael, Madison and Michelle. Celebrating one year as

Pastor of Student Minis-tries, the church has welcomed with enthusi-asm Pastor Rich Lerner and his wife, Annabelle. Pastor Lerner comes wih a variety of youth experiences, including junior high, senior high and college levels. He has a degree from Liberty University, which he received Summa Cum Laude in 2012. In addition, he served in the business community for a number of years. This summer, Pastor

Lerner led Ignite (the churchs youth ministry) to a national conference in Kansas City, Missouri. His enthusi-asm is contagious with both youth and adults. The church looks forward to many years of service from Pastor Lerner and Annabelle. The Evangelical Free

Church of Blairstown is also pleased to

announce Elisa Schaffer as music director. She is serving on a part-time basis to formulate the music and worship for Sunday services. She comes to the church with a Bachelors Degree in music compo-sition from Manhattan School of Music and as a skilled artist on the keyboard. She has expe-rience as an accompa-nist, organist and music director for Light of Canyon Methodist Church and Salvation Army in Anaheim, California. Elisa is married to Chip

Schaffer and is the mother of four beautiful girls. The Evangelical Free

Church invites the com-munity in welcoming the new ministerial staff.

N O R W E S C A P s Career and Life Transi-tions Center for Women is offering a new and expanded confidence building program entitled Empowerment For New Beginnings. Developed by Janet Cargill, this inspira-tional program utilizes a variety of resources including those devel-oped by Louise Hay, Dr. Christiane Northrup and Jack Canfield. Topics will include: Goals, using the tools for creat-ing and achieving your dreams; self-awareness, discovering and owning your unique gifts, talents, strength and courage; learning simple ways to heal the mind, body and spirit; and creating your new story. This 5-week program will include a Job Readiness work-shop and will be offered on Tuesdays from 9:30am to 2:30pm start-ing September 2nd For information, please call the Career Life Transi-tions Center for Women at 908-835-2624. Pre-registration is required. The Career & Life Tran-sitions Center is located at 16 Broad Street, Washington. Displaced Homemak-

ers are women who have lost their primary means of financial support following the death or disability of a spouse or due to divorce

or separation and now must return to the work-force. Displaced Home-makers have tradition-ally been out of the job market for a significant period of time, lack marketable skills and are now faced with support-ing both themselves and their family. The Career and Life Transitions Center also provides services to women who have been in a long term relationship that has ended, women with spouses who have been actively deployed, as well as to women who must return to the work-force when their spouse has become unem-ployed. Services the Career and

Life Transitions Center offers focus on assisting women prepare for a return to the workforce and includes a computer training program, career interest inventories, career counseling, job

search skills, support groups, self-esteemworkshops, and refer-rals to communityresources. The mission of the Career and LifeTransitions Center is toprovide quality servicesthat will assist women gain personal and economic self-sufficiency and reach their full potentialthrough education train-ing, job readiness, com-munity referrals and supportive services. NORWESCAP is a

non-profit community action agency estab-lished in 1965 that creates opportunities forover 30,000 low-income people in northwest NJ by providing a large portfolio of self-sufficiency and emer-gency services. The mission of NORWES-CAP is Strengtheningcommunities by creat-ing opportunities thatimpact poverty.

(NAPSI)As schools increasingly turn to the Internet and new technologies, more and more, students are asked to perform online research, grades and assignments are posted on websites, and com-munication between teachers and parents and students is done through e-mail. Because of this, its increasingly impor-tant for families to have access to the Internet at home.Unfortunately, about

30 percent of Ameri-cans, particularly those from low-income com-munities, are still not connected to the Internet at home. Research shows the main reasons include a lack of under-standing of how the Internet is relevant and useful to daily life, the cost of a home computer and the cost of Internet service.To combat these barri-

ers, theres Internet Essentials from Com-cast, the nations largest and most comprehen-sive broadband adoption program. Its connected

more than 350,000 fami-lies since 2011, or about 1.4 million low-income Americans, to the power of the Internet.The program offers

families with at least one child eligible for the National School Lunch Program in-home Inter-net for $9.95 a month, the opportunity to buy a computer for less than $150 and access to free digital literacy training.

To help even more families get online, Comcast now offers up to six months of compli-mentary Internet service for all eligible families that sign up for Internet Essentials through September 20th, 2014.Also new this year to

engage more families, theres an amnesty program. As long as the customer meets all other eligibility criteria, Com-

cast will offer amnestyfor an outstanding billthats more than a year old, so the family can now be eligible to connect to InternetEssentials.Based on customer

surveys, 98 percent offamilies said they signedup for Internet Essen-tials because their kids need it for school and 83 percent said their childs school expected thatstudents have online access at home.Additionally, home

Internet gives kids and their parents access touseful online educa-tional activities such asKhan Academy, anonprofit that provides afree world-class educa-tion for anyone,anywhere through www.khanacademy.org.For further informa-

tion, visit www.Internet Essentials.com or, for Spanish, www.Internet Basico.com.Educators and third

parties can visit InternetEssentials.com/Partner. Parents looking to enrollchildren can call (855)846-8376.

(StatePoint) With todays engaging technology, it can be hard to get kids off the couch and outside. But no matter what your childs interests are, outdoor time is impor-tant.Here are some ways to

inspire kids to get outside without sacrific-ing their technology:TabletsTaking your entire

library with you to the park for story time may not have been possible when you were a kid, but these days, the answer is at your finger-tips. Tablets designed just for kids, like VTechs InnoTab, offer tough and rugged designs, with features that lend themselves to exploring the great outdoors, through a camera or video recorder for on-the-go creativity or just relax-ing outside with an e-book. Hours of read-ing pleasure can easily become outdoor enter-tainment that takes kids

on a myriad of literary adventures!Wearable GadgetsCool, outdoor-friendly

gadgets can inspire tech-loving kids to leave their computers behind for some outdoor fun.

Wearable technology inparticular is a growing and affordable trend.The VTech Kidizoom

Smartwatch, for example, is a fun,durable, kid-toughwatch that features acamera, video recorder, onboard games, a wackyvoice changer and a rechargeable battery.Its timer and stopwatch

could easily inspire arelay race and its camerawill make a buddingdetective of any child. The Smartwatch is also great for capturing adigital photo scrapbookof kids outdoor adven-tures and sharing with friends and family. Moreinformation can befound at vtechkids.com /kidizoomsmartwatch.Outdoor Movie

ScreeningFor kids who are movie

buffs, prying their eyes away from the screen can be a formidable task. So why not take thescreening outdoors?Bask in the glow of

fireflies while screeninga family favorite. Allyoull need is a smallprojector. Borrow onefrom a friend if youdont have one. Hang a sheet as a makeshiftscreen against the side of the house. Invite theneighbors and make it a party. And since kids arent confined to movietheater rules and restric-tions, encourage them to act out scenes or sing along for even more funinteraction.These days, technology

is making it easier thanever to get kids outsideand experience theworld around them.

High school junior Andrew Amati dropped out of school at the age of 16 because hearing problems made it challenging to function in a large classroom setting. His high school guidance counselor suggested that he check out the Skylands Alter-native High School Program, formerly known as Youth Connections, offered at Project Self-Sufficiency. A few weeks later, Andrew was enrolled in the program and well on his way to achieving his General Educational Development (GED) Certificate. He was pleasantly surprised to learn that in addition to the curriculum, the program also offered on-the-job work experi-ence, tips on workplace etiquette, help with resume development and other services. Like Andrew, approxi-

mately 7 percent of high school students will drop out of school before reaching the 12th grade, according to the U.S. Department of Educa-tion. Students from low-income families are almost twice as likely (13.8 percent) to drop out of high school as their higher-income peers. There are many significant reasons teens drop out of high school

before graduating, rang-ing from peer pressure to lack of parental support to failure to address special needs. A feeling of boredom or lack of engagement at school is another common prob-lem. While the reasons for dropping out are varied, it is predictable that those without a high school diploma will fare worse economically than their peers. Without a diploma, they will have a difficult time finding meaningful work. High school drop outs will earn less, have poor health, live in poverty and have children at an early age, many of whom will also grow up to be high school drop outs, according to EduGuide, a non-profit organization that works with schools and other non-profit groups. The free Skylands

Alternative High School program at Project Self-Sufficiency is designed for teens and young adults who are no longer enrolled in school, or those who have gradu-ated from high school but who may be strug-gling with literacy. The Skylands Alternative High School program helps guide participants through GED testing, job training, and place-ment at a work site, in college or the military.

Once a participant is accepted into the program, they can expect to undergo a battery of assessment testing followed by help with attaining their GED, life skills training, pre-employment train-ing, and other remedial education efforts. Child-care, lunch and limited transportation assistance is available to all partici-

pants. Upon completion of their education, participants will be placed in internships, followed by placement in paid employment, college or the military. Follow up support will be provided by Project Self-Sufficiency staff to ensure that the new employees are faring well in their positions. The small class size

within the Skylands Alternative High School program was the key to Andrews success. The main reason that I dropped out of high school was because I was in classes with a large amount of people. My hearing problems made it hard to focus. I needed one-on-one time with the teachers, and I got that kind of attention at Project Self-Sufficiency. Andrew completed his

school work and passed his GED test on the first try. He was assigned to an internship at a local restaurant as part of the program. I liked that you had to work for 50

hours at a job because it helped me to understand the work environment. I would recommend

this program to anyone who is thinking about dropping out of high school. I really liked the people because they didnt judge me, com-mented Andrew. It gave me a new outlook on how to work in a workplace and how to treat others. Andrew is looking forward to start-ing college in the fall, and plans on pursuing a career in game design. He will be taking online courses instead of attending classes in person. I think it would be easier for me to do at home. I can learn it by myself. Eligibility guidelines

for the Skylands Alter-native High School program are strict. Participants must be local residents between the ages of 16 21, who fall below the federal poverty guidelines. Male participants are required to register with the Selective Service System in order to qualify.

For assistance in apply-ing for the Skylands Alternative High Schoolprogram, or to find out more about the otherprograms and services available at ProjectSelf-Sufficiency, call 973-940-3500 or visitwww.projectselfsufficiency.org. Project Self-

Sufficiency is a privatenon-profit community-based organization dedi-cated to improving the lives of low-incomefamilies residing in northwestern New Jersey. The agencys mission is to provide abroad spectrum of holis-tic, respectful, and com-prehensive servicesenabling low-incomesingle parents, teenparents, two-parentfamilies, and displaced homemakers to improvetheir lives and the livesof their children throughthe achievement of personal and economicself-sufficiency andfamily stability. Since 1986 Project Self-Sufficiency has served more than 20,000 fami-lies, including over30,000 children.

The community is invited to a special celebration on Septem-ber 7th honoring Michelle St. Andre, former owner of Natures Harvest for 26 years, community activ-ist, volunteer and supporter of local people, businesses and causes. Th event begins at 6pm at Brook Hollow Winery. After 26 years of

building community in the center of Blairstown, Michelle is now enjoy-ing life as a full-time local farmer along with her husband, Rene, daughter, Peiwen, two miniature donkeys and five dogs. Her legacy is an interconnected com-munity of people who have been touched by

Michelles tireless efforts to make this world a better place.Seating is limited. For

more information and to RSVP, visit www. EveningWithMichelle.Eventbrite.com.

Tavern Stage" on Belvi-dere Avenue on Satur-day only with live music in the afternoon and then a DJ Dance Party from 6pm to closing! The Festival in the

Borough, last year named the Top Festival in the Skylands Region, is a family-friendly

event with lots of fun stuff for the kids to do. There will be a climbing wall and Kids Karaoke Contest on Saturday, inflatable rides, and free mini-golf courtesy of Stew's Auto Body both days. A special feature will be the appearance and photo ops with celebrity look-a-like "Elsa of Frozen" on both Saturday and Sunday from 1pm to 4pm! Major sponsorship for

the festival is provided by local companies, such as the Inn at Mill-race Pond, WNTI Radioand others, with grant funding from theWarren County Cultural and Heritage Commis-sion. For vending informa-

tion or more details on the festival itself, visitwww.festivalintheborough.com or call theWBID office at 908-689-4800.

Until 1848, the children of Blairstown had attended classes in two locations: in a wood frame schoolhouse located near the Presby-terian church on Main Street and, by 1822, in a brick schoolhouse built on the south side of the Paulins Kill. In 1848, a schoolhouse was built on the hill above Main Street for use by both academy and public students. This was the beginning of Blair Acad-emy. The public school lessons were held in one room while the academy lessons were held in another. In 1895 a public school

was built in a large meadow located at the end of East Avenue. At first the new school was only a grammar school, but by the turn-of-the-century it was recog-nized that a two-year high school was needed. About that time the building was raised from beneath to add another floor. Later, a four-year high

school was implemented and the first class to

graduate from this course was in 1912. Sadly, in the summer of 1928 the building burned to the ground and for one year the classes were held at the Cedar Lake House. By the fall of 1930, a new brick schoolhouse was completed. This building is now the Blairstown Elementary School. Grammar and

high school were held in this building from 1930 until 1970, when North Warren Regional High School was built.Blairstown Historic

Preservation Committee, Celebrating Blairstown's 175th Anniversary, 1839-2014.Best wishes to all

students for a great and productive school year!

So you made an appointment for your pet for the annual check-up and shots. This seems like just a quick stick in the butt and off you go, but it is far more involved than that. When you check in at the front desk, we have you fill out a brief questionnaire about your pet, which includes information on heart-worm and flea/tick preventatives, activity, diet, bloodwork, lifestyle, body weight and any concerns or questions you may have for the doctor.An important part of

the physical exam is the history. Since your pet cannot talk, we rely on the owners to report any changes in behavior, activity, eating and drinking. These can often be signs of a disease process going on. We then perform a thorough hands-on examination. The eyes and ears are evaluated for discharge, irritation and functional prob-lems. We check the mouth for evidence of dental disease--85 percent of pets over the age of two have periodontal disease and early intervention, including a full dentistry under anesthesia, is

often warranted. Lymph nodes are palpated for enlargement. The heart is asculted for murmurs and arrhythmias and the lungs for abnormal sounds. We also palpate the legs and back for signs of discomfort or changes in range of motion which can indicate anything from injury to lyme disease to arthritis and other issues. The coat and skin are evaluated for presence of fleas, ticks, infections, allergies, and lumps and bumps. Many skin masses are just hard cysts or fatty lumps (lipomas), but anything that is changing should be investigated. A very simple fine needle aspirate can be taken to get a small sample of cells which can be sent to the pathologist. We also can discuss the different options that are available for flea and tick control- we carry a variety of different prod-ucts and can find the best for each individual situation.After the physical

exam, sometimes further testing is recommended. For older pets, pets taking a medication long-term or pets that have had previous prob-lems, monitoring blood-work is very important.

We offer a complete blood panel that checks liver and kidney func-tion, blood sugar, protein, calcium, electrolytes, thyroid hormone levels, and red and white cell counts. For healthy older animals, it gives a base-line for normal and also can detect early disease processes before they make your pet sick. A heart or lung problem found on the physical may warrant an x-ray.It is only after all of

this that we do the necessary vaccines. It is important that your pet is healthy so that his immune system will respond appropriately to the vaccine. A sick pet may either not make the antibodies the vaccine is designed to induce or it may make him feel sicker.Your pets health is of

prime importance to us at Blairstown Animal Hospital, so dont delay in scheduling your four-legged family members exam. Next time you are in, take a moment to read the Veterinarians Oath, drawn by Dr. Leals nephew Stefen, which is proudly displayed on our wall and youll understand why we do what we do!

(StatePoint) One of the most fundamental responsibilities of pet ownership is an annual visit to the veterinarian for a heartworm checkup.Veterinarian and

American Heartworm Society President Dr. Stephen Jones is offering some answers to common questions about this ritual. My veterinarian is

recommending a heart-worm test, but my dog was just tested a year ago. Why does he need a test again so soon?Your dog should have

an annual heartworm test to determine if he became infected during the previous season.It takes months before a

dog with heartworm will test positive. So testing annually -- usually at the time the prescription for his heartworm medica-tion is being renewed -- makes sense.As with many diseases,

the earlier heartworm can be diagnosed, the better the chances he will recover. If heart-worm disease in a dog goes undetected and untreated, the worms can cause progressive and potentially fatal damage to his arteries, heart and lungs. If my dog is on

continuous heartworm prevention, why does he need to be tested?Annual testing ensures

his prevention program is working. Heartworm medications are highly effective, but dogs can still become infected.Why? A common

reason is simple forget-fulness. Missing just one dose of a monthly medi-cation, or administering it late, can leave a dog unprotected. Even if you do everything right and on time, its no guaran-tee.Some dogs spit out

their heartworm pills when their owners arent

looking. Dogs have also been known to vomit heartworm pills or rub off a topical medication. Whatever the cause of missing or delaying a dose, any of these mishaps can put your dog at risk of heartworm infection. Do my cats need

heartworm protection too?Like dogs, cats get

heartworm disease. And while cats are not as easily infected as dogs, it only takes one or two heartworms to make a cat very sick. Thats why the American Heart-worm Society recom-mends year-round heart-worm prevention for both dogs and cats.Because heartworm

disease in cats may or may not involve infec-tion with adult worms, the diagnosis can be challenging. Veterinar-ians typically run heart-worm blood tests on cats before putting them on medication the first time, but later rely on such procedures as chest x-ray or ultrasound to confirm diagnoses.

Project Self-Sufficiency will sponsor a free seminar about issues related to Family Law on Wednesday, September 3rd, from 7pm to 9pm at the agencys campus, located at 127 Mill Street in Newton. The program will address child support, grounds for divorce, court proce-dures, custody, alimony, parenting time, equi-table distribution of assets, and other topics related to divorce. The presentation, which will be facilitated by Michele Olenick, Esquire, is free and open to the public. Project Self-

Sufficiency provides a variety of free legal education services to participants, including one-on-one consulta-tions, pro se divorce workshops, clinics for assistance with the preparation of child support motions, and monthly forums on a variety of topics. The agencys legal services programs are sponsored by the Sussex County Family Success Center at Project Self-Sufficiency.Project Self-

Sufficiency is a private

non-profit community-based organization dedi-cated to improving the lives of low-income families residing in northwestern NJ. The agencys mission is to provide a broad spec-trum of holistic, respect-ful, and comprehensive services enabling low-income single parents, teen parents, two-parent families, and displaced homemakers to improve their lives and the lives of their children through the achievement of personal and economic

self-sufficiency and family stability. Since 1986 Project Self-Sufficiency has served more than 20,000 fami-lies, including more than 30,000 children. The Family Law semi-

nar will be held at the agencys Newton campus, which is located at 127 Mill Street. Attendance is free, and open to the public, but registration is required. To register call Project Self-Sufficiency at 973-940-3500.