WNTI prides itself on

not only playing great

music of established
musicians, but also
highlighting up and
coming talent, particularly when it comes to
Northwest New Jersey.
A new showcase series
that focuses on these up
and coming artists kicks
off at the Inn at Millrace
Pond in Hope on Friday
February 6th from 7pm
to
9pm
with
Blairstown's
Gina
Rajeckas Royale taking
center stage in The
Tavern. WNTI DJ Jeff
Rusch, whose Saturday
morning show, Crow's
Nest, has been a fixture
at the station for many
years, will host the
Tavern
Showcase
Series.
"This is an opportunity
to give some very
talented musicians a
showcase to perform
live," said Mel Thiel,
Development Director
and Manager of WNTI.
"We have an amazing
pool of talented musicians in our region and
we want to use this
series to highlight them
in a cozy setting."
The
historic
inn,
located in the heart of

Hope, is a B&B/ Restaurant that offers entertainment throughout the

year. The WNTI Showcase will be a semiregular event at the Inn.
Admission to the show-

case is $10 per person,

with proceeds going to
the hugely popular
WNTI, a public nonprofit radio station.
Rajeckas Royale, a
senior at North Warren
Regional High School,
plays the piano and has
an amazing voice that
will surely take her
places in the years to
come.
A contemporary singer/
songwriter, she is a
driven musician with
passion. Her upcoming
EP, "Heir," is a compilation of a few of her original songs. Inspired by a

teacher, an ex-friend
and a guy, Royale pours
her heart into the EP,
drawing
inspiration
from a wide variety of
artists such as Stevie
Wonder, The Broods,
P!nk, John Mayer,
Michael Jackson and
The Beatles. Royale has
sung and played the
piano for almost all her
life, but she started
writing her own songs
at 14 years old.
"After writing my first
song, I remember sitting
at the piano and just
soaking it in," she
remembered. "The fact
that I just put my
thoughts and feelings
into my own song was
awesome.
It
was
unreal."
Since then, she has
come a long way with
an abundance of support
from family, friends and
fans. Her ultimate goal
is for her music to
inspire people across
the globe.
"I want my music to do
for people what it does
for me; music heals, and
music inspires," she
said.
For more about Royale
and to give her music a
listen, visit www.gina
royale.com.
The Inn at Millrace
Pond is located just
minutes from Route 80,
Exit 12 and offers an
array of cocktails and
craft and domestic
beers.
To make a reservation,
call 908-459-4884. For
more about the Inn at
Millrace Pond, visit
innatmillracepond.com.

Jason
and
Anne
Choudhry lost everything in a devastating
house fire recently.
Please support this very
desrving local family in
need by making donations at gofundme.com/
choudhryrelief.
Registration
for
children in Frelinghuysen Township who will
be entering kindergarten in September will
be held on Monday
and Tuesday, January
26th and 27th. To be
eligible for kindergarten, a child must be five
years old by October 1st,
2015. Forms are available for pick-up at the

school office or printable online at freling

huysenschool.org under
the Main Office and
Transportation
tab.
Parents should bring in
or
mail
completed
forms, a copy of their
childs birth certificate
and a written record of
immunizations
along
with proof of residency.
A complete physical,
done by the childs
physician,
will
be
required before September. Please call Mrs.
Drescher at Frelinghuysen School at 908-3626319 with any questions.
Cats and dogs need

dental care, too, and

you can save 25
percent on your pets
dental cleanings now
through
February
28th! See the ad for
Animal Mansion Veterinary Hospital on page 6
for more information.
Warren County Habitat for Humanity is in
need of donations for
their Annual Home
Raising Live and
Silent Auction and
Dinner on April 18th.
Help is needed funding
the materials and the
specialized labor and
equipment needed to
construct the houses.
Warren County Habitat
for Humanity is asking
community-focused
individuals
and
businesses for support
by making a donation of
new items, services, or
by providing corporate
sponsorship for this

worthy
fundraising
event. Attendees will be
informed that all participating businesses are a
sponsor and/or donor.
Proper documentation
will be provided to
donors for tax purposes.
For more information,
contact Kim at 908399-8386
or
WCH4HSilentauction
@gmail.com.
In need of vehicle
repairs? You can save
up to $20 at The Auto
Shop in Blairstown! See
page 10 for details!
Public Notice: In
accordance with the
Adequate
Notice
provision of the Open
Public Meetings Act,
please be advised that
the 2015 meeting schedule for the Warren
County Transportation
Advisory Council is as
follows: March 12th,
May 14th, July 9th

(location
TBD),
September 10th and
November
12th
at
1:30pm. Meetings will
be held in the Rutgers
Cooperative Extension
Meeting Room at the
Wayne Dumont Jr.
Adminisration Building,
located at 165 Co. Rt.
519 South in Belvidere.
Public Notice: In
accordance with the
Adequate
Notice
provision of the Open
Public Meetings Act,
please be advised that
the 2015 meeting schedule for the Warren
County Human Services
Advisory Council is as
follows: January 27th,
March 24th, May 26th,
July 28th, September
22nd and November
24th (location TBD) at
1:30pm. Meetings will
be held in the Freeholder
Meeting Room at the
Wayne Dumont Jr.
Adminisration Building,
located at 165 Co. Rt.
519 South in Belvidere.
Public Notice: In
accordance with the
Adequate
Notice
provision of the Open
Public Meetings Act,
please be advised that
the 2015 meeting schedule for the Warren
County Mental Health
Board is as follows:
February 17th, March
17th, April 21st, May
19th, June 16th, July
21st, August 18th,
September 15th, October 20th, November
17th and December 15th
at 5pm. Meetings will be
held in rooms 123A and
B at Warren County
Community
College,
located at 475 Rt. 57 in
Washington.
Public Notice: In
accordance with the
Adequate
Notice
provision of the Open
Public Meetings Act,

please be advised that

the 2015 meeting schedule for the Warren
County LACA/DA is as
follows: February 10th,
April 14th, June 9th,
August 11th, October
13th and December 8th
at 5pm. Meetings will be
held in Meeting Room
A--located on the first
floor--at Warren County
Department of Human
Services, located at 1
Shotwell Drive in Belvidere.
Want to add some
color to your life this
drab winter season?
You can save 10 percent
on hair painting or
ombre at Voulas Hairway to Heaven in Blairstown! See Voulas ad
on page 9 for more
information!
Our Annual Point
and Shoot Pet Photo
Contest has begun!
This weeks entries and
details can be found on
page 6. Dont miss out
for your chance to win a
prize from one of our
sponsors: Watch Over
Me Pet Sitting, Kim
Pollard
Photography
and Sit, Stay, N Play.
One grand prize winner
will receive a $100 gift
certificate to the pet
store at Blairstown
Agway!
Happy
Birthday
wishes are sent to
Justin Due, January
21st; and Candice
Pinto, January 25th.
We love hearing from
you! Send your birthdays, anniversaries
and tidbits of information to
The PRESS,
1 Broadway,
Bangor, PA 18013
thepressmail@gmail.com

Visit Us 24/7 online at

thepressnewsonline.com

& Dont Forget to

Like us on Facebook!

The Sussex County

Department of Human
Services, Mental Health
Board and partnering
organizations will host a
Mental Health Advocacy Training Workshop, "Empowerment
through Advocacy," on
January 27th from 5pm
to 8pm. The Training
Workshop is free and
open to the public.
A buffet supper will be
available,
however,
seating is limited to 55
participants. It will be
held in the Community
Room of the First Presbyterian Church, located
at 54 High Street in
Newton. Pre-registration
is required by calling
973-940-3194, or emailing
clozaw@family
partnersms.org.

The Training Workshop

will begin with an overview by a panel of
experts on how to access
the
treatment
and
support services available to Sussex County
residents, how to advocate effectively for legislation
and
funding
necessary to maintain
and
improve
those
services, as well as to
raise public awareness
of the challenges faced
by individuals and families affected by mental
illness. Guest panelists
will include Phil Lubitz,
Associate Director of
NAMI New Jersey
(National Alliance on
Mental Illness); Ann
Wright, Director of
COMHCO (Coalition of
Mental Health Consum-

ers
Organizations);
Elizabeth
Manley,
Director of the New
Jersey Children's System
of Care; and Debra
Koss, M.D., past chair of
the Sussex County
Mental Health Board
and past president of the
New Jersey Council of
Child and Adolescent
Psychiatry.
The expert panelists
will subsequently lead
breakout
workgroup
sessions with those in
attendance representing
four categories of stakeholders:
consumers,
family
members,
parents/caregivers
of
children with mental
health and behavioral
challenges, and mental
health
professionals.
The experts, assisted by

members of the Sussex

County Mental Health
Board, will guide their
group's discussion about
issues and needs and
provide advocacy strategies and resources.
Workgroup participants
will learn not only how
to advocate with legislators and policy makers,
but how to advocate
within systems, including mental health treatment facilities, workplaces, schools, health
insurance agencies, etc.
Registered participants
should check their email
or familypartnersms.org
for
notification
of
cancellation due to
inclement weather. A
snow date of February
17th has tentatively been
scheduled.

Warren County will

participate in the annual
nationwide count of
homeless individuals on
January 28th. The Point
in Time Count gives the
human services community an unduplicated
count of our homeless
population and information
about
those
individuals who are at
risk of homelessness.
This
information
becomes a valuable
planning tool in developing federal and local
strategies to end homelessness.
In conjunction with the
Point in Time Count,
Warren County will hold
Project
Homeless
Connect at Saint Philip
and Saint James Mercy
Hall in Phillipsburg and
at the American Legion
in Hackettstown from
10am to 2:30pm. In the
event of severe weather,
Project
Homeless
Connect will take place
on January 30th at the
same time and locations.
Information regarding
any changes in the
schedule will be available by calling the
Warren County Department
of
Human
Services, Division of
Administrations main
number at 908-4756331.
Project
Homeless
Connect is a one-day,
one-stop event in which
the community comes

together to help those

most in need. Individuals experiencing homelessness, or at risk of
homelessness, are able
to receive a variety of
services such as information on housing,
emergency
social
service benefits, health
insurance and how to
obtain information on
the Affordable Care Act,
legal services, substance
abuse, mental health,
medical services and
employment. In addition, lunch will be
served, flu shots and
haircuts will be offered

and donations of winter

coats will be available.
Event coordinators plan
to reach out to more
community members in
need of services in an
effort to prevent homelessness.
The Project Homeless
Connect event is a true
community
effort
planned and executed
through the Warren
County Department of
Human Services Housing Committee. Members of the planning
committee
include
Catholic
Charities,
NORWESCAP
Food

Bank, Family Promise,

Warren County Division
of Temporary Assistance
and
Social
Services, Easter Seals,
United Way of Northern
New Jersey, Domestic
Abuse
and
Sexual
Assault Crisis Services,
local businesses, and
faith based communities.
For more on the Point
in Time Count and
Project
Homeless
Connect, contact the
Warren Co. Dept. of
Human Services, Division of Administration
at 908-475-6331.

Volunteers are needed

on Wednesday, January
28th to help connect
individuals and families
at risk of or facing
homelessness
with
available social service
supports during the
annual Project Homeless Connect.
United Way of Northern New Jersey partners
with the Warren County
Department of Human
Services to link the
countys most vulnerable with information
and services in the
arenas of housing, emergency assistance, legal
support,
substance
abuse, mental health and
employment.
Project
Homeless Connect is an
annual one-day, onestop event in two central
locations to bring the
community together to
help those most in need.
Volunteers are needed
during the hours of 9am
and 3pm for event set-up
and clean-up, assistance
with food and clothing
distribution and more.
Advance training may
be required for certain
duties. Spanish interpreters are also needed.
Volunteers
will
be
assigned to one of the
following
locations:
Saint Philip and Saint
James Church, Mercy
Hall, 430 South Main
Street in Phillipsburg; or
The American Legion,

332 Willow Grove

Street in Hackettstown.
To volunteer at Project
Homeless
Connect,
email Eileen.ODea@Un
itedWayNNJ.org, call
908-835-3550, ext. 304,
or visit UnitedWayNNJ.
org/BecomeAVolunteer.
United Way of Northern NJ is a non-profit
organization working to
improve peoples lives
and strengthen communities by focusing on
Education, Income, and
Health. These are the
building blocks for a
good life a quality
education that leads to a
stable job; the tools
needed to achieve financial stability; and good
health. We lead caring
communities to create
long-lasting
changes
that transform peoples
lives. Together, united,
we can inspire hope and
create opportunities for
a better tomorrow.
United Way of Northern
NJ serves Morris, Somerset,
Sussex
and
Warren counties as well
as portions of suburban
Essex County, including
the Caldwells, Cedar
Grove, Essex Fells,
Fairfield, Glen Ridge,
Livingston, MillburnShort Hills, Montclair,
Roseland, and Verona.
For more information,
call 908-835-3550, ext.
304 or visit www.United
WayNNJ.org.

Maple Syrup Snow

Candy
Snacktivity:
Jan. 21st, 3:45pm.
Catherine
Dickson
Hofman Library, 4 Lambert Rd., Blairstown.
Use syrup to make a
sweet treat. Ages 6 &
up. Younger children
will require adult assistance.
Registration
reqd. FMI, call 908362-8335.
2015 March for Life:
Jan. 22nd, 5:30am
mass. Bus leaves St.
Jude Church in Blairstown at 6am for Washington D.C. Stand up for
the the unborn. Will
return at 4pm. Those
who cant walk will be
dropped off at the
National Shrine of the
Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. Contact Robert or Mary Ho
at 908-382-1525 or
jiaying6@ptd.net FMI
or reservations.
Awesome Art for Kids:
Thursdays, Jan. 22ndFeb. 12th, 3:15pm4:30pm. Art room at
Blairstown Elementary
School. Open to kids in
grades 1-3. Kids will
enjoy
making
art
projects from recyclables. Sponsored by
Blairstown Recreation
Department. Prior registration reqd. through

recreation office. FMI,

visit www.blairstown
-nj.org and click on
Recreation or call 908362-6663 ext. 232.
7th Annual Winterfest
Beer & Wine Festival
Fundraiser: Jan. 24th,
4pm-8pm. Hawk Point
Golf Club, Washington.
Variety of craft beer&
wine, buffet & hot
wings, live entertainment, 50/50. Shuttle
service avail. Snow
date: Jan. 25th. FMI &
tickets, call 908-6894140 or visit vhswc.org.
Morning Lit Group:
Jan 26th, 10am. Catherine Dickson Hofman
Library, 4 Lambert Rd.,
Blairstown. Come for a
lively discussion by
fellow book lovers! Fly
Away Home by Jennifer
Weiner is this months
topic. FMI, call 908362-8335.
Lego Club: Jan 26th,
4pm. Catherine Dickson
Hofman Library, 4 Lambert Rd., Blairstown.
Create your own Lego
design.
Snacks
provided. Ages 8 & up.
Registration required.
FMI, call 908-362-8335.
Healthy Meals For
Seniors: Jan. 30th,
1pm. Catherine Dickson

Hofman Library, 4 Lambert Rd., Blairstown.

Join Julianna Manzo,
R.D. when she offers
suggestions on how to
plan healthy meals
whether you're dining
alone or w/ a companion. Registration reqd.
FMI, call 908-362-8335.
Fandom Friday: Jan.
30th, 3pm. Catherine
Dickson
Hofman
Library, 4 Lambert Rd.,
Blairstown. Celebrate a
different fandom at the
library once a month w/
themed crafts & games.
Chat about the fandoms
you love w/ fellow fans.
Snacks provided. Registration reqd. Ages 11 &
up. FMI, call 908-3628335.
Movie Night Featuring
Showtime: Feb. 3rd,
6pm.
Warren
Co.
Library, 2 Shotwell Dr.,
Belvidere. Starring Brad
Pitt, Shia LaBeouf &
Logan Lerman. Rated R.
FMI, call 908-475-6322
or visit warrenlib.org.
Decorate a Valentines
Day Cookie: Feb. 5th,
2pm. Warren County
Library, 2 Shotwell Dr.,
Belvidere. Learn how to
decorate
a
unique
Valentines Day cookie
using a wet-on-wet icing
technique. Young adults
& adults only. Space is
limited;
registration
reqd. FMI, call 908475-6322.
Chester Lioness Club
Dinner Meeting: Feb.
5th, 6:30pm. 190 W.
Main
St.,
Chester.
Speaker will be Joseph
Gaudio, DDS. His
presentation: "Another
morning
headache?
Another broken tooth?
Understanding
Func-

tional Dentistry," will be

geared to appropriate
dental care for the overage-50 "Baby Boomer"
population. Community
residents welcome to
attend by reservation.
FMI or reservations, call
Holly at 908-879-5932.
Family Movie Night
Featuring Showtime:
Feb. 11th, 6:30pm.
Warren Co. Library, 2
Shotwell Dr., Belvidere.
Featuring a movie about
a community of quirky
creatures whose amazing cavernous home is
threatened when the
town villain comes up
w/ a plot to get rid of the
creatures. Its up to a
human orphan boy to
devise a daring plan to
save them all. Rated PG.
FMI, call 908-475-6322
or visit warrenlib.org.
Wacky Wednesdays:
Wed., Feb. 18th &
25th, 3:15pm-4:30pm.
Blairstown Elementary
School gym. Open to
kids in grades K-3.
Sponsored by Blairstown
Recreation
Department.
Wacky
Wednesdays are filled
w/ exercise, laughs &
socialization. To register
or FMI, call 908-3626663 ext. 232.
Smoky
Mountain
Show Trip & Pigeon
Forge Fundraiser Trip
for Haven of Hope for
Kids: May 31st-June
6th. Includes transportation, 7 & 6 nights lodging, 10 meals, guided
tour of the Great Smoky
National Park & 6
shows. Enjoy free time
visiting the historic
Downtown Gatlinburg
& the Roanoke Market
in Roanoke, Virginia.
Deposit due now; full
payment by March 25th.
FMI, call Gladys at
908-459-9210.
Hope
Township
Fitness Classes: M, W
& F, 9am; M, 7pm; T
& Th, 7:30am & 7pm.
FMI, call Ellen at 908229-3981, visit Hope
Fitness Classes on Facebook or email hopefit
ness@embarqmail.com.

Blairstown, Knowlton
& Hope
A & P, Alpine Meats,
Animal Mansion, Ash
Plumbing, Asian Combat
Arts, A-Tech, Auto, Blair
Tile, Blair Tire & Auto,
Blairstown Chiropractic,
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, Dales Clocks,
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,
Imagine
Computers, JD Liquors,
John Deere, Kozimors
Upholstery,
Knowlton
Municipal Building, Lakeland Bank, Lebduska
Accounting,
Marksboro
Deli, Mark D. Nelke: DMD,
Medical Associate, Mediterranean 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
Belvidere
A & P, Al's Pizza, ACI Truck
Stop, Bagel Smith, 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,
Vincent Haircuttery & Plus,
Zack's, Zeeks
Washington
A & 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, Town
Market, Washington Diner,
Washington Shoe
Newton
A&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
Hackettstown
A & P, Bachs Home Healthcare, Cozy Corner, Golden
Skillet, Hacktettstown Free
public Library, Hackettstown Guns & Ammo,
Hackettstown Sandwich
Shoppe,
Hackettstown
Regional Medical Center,
Mama's Pizza/Cafe Baci,
O'Neill's Jewelers. Prickley
Pear, Quick Check #2,
Riverstar Diner, Tranquility
General Store, Valley
Bagel, Weis, Willow Caf
Columbia
Ayers, Roses Cafe

The PRESS
thepressnewsonline.com

to new heights!
Wish you could trade in that deadend job for one where you could
reach your potential? You can, with
help from the Classifieds! Check out
the Help Wanted ads on page 13!

Hello fellow readers!

Last week The PRESS
published a wonderful
quote by Robert Brault,
In every gardener there
is a child who believes in
The Seed Fairy. Turns
out the day before it
published I happened to
speak with the seed
fairies at Catherine Dickson Hofman Library in
Blairstown.
There was a sign for
seeds on top of a metal
file cabinet I noticed
while there. Maybe the
frozen tundra is getting
to me, but a sign for
seeds makes me just
plain giddy. First I spoke
with Amy, who said
they've been sharing
seeds for three years. She
then introduced me to the
lead seed fairy, Patty,
who shared more.
They used to call it a
Seed Library, but the
Department of Agriculture is now involved,
which means seeds
would have to be tested.
Instead, the library relies
on donations from generous seed companies. This

year, Abundant Seeds

gave them 500 seed
packs. They also have a
stash from Baker Creek
and Seeds of Change,
among others. The
majority are vegetable
seeds, with some flower
and herbs to boot. They
are all non-GMO, which
means they have not
been genetically altered
and are non-hybrid, also
known
as
openpollinated seeds, which
allows gardeners to
collect seeds from their
crop for future planting.
They have heirloom
seeds and some organic.
True some are a year or
older, but as Peggy
explained, seeds can
remain viable for a few
years. And the price is
right (free) so there is no
risk to give them a
chance to grow.
Beyond the seed donations, the library hosts a
seed
swap
among
gardeners. Literally its
in the bottom drawer of
the file cabinet. Bring
and you can take; or
maybe theyll just let you
take. We have to be
patient though, as its not
until the beginning of
March when library
patrons can pick up to
five packets of seeds for
free. Until then, lets
drool over some seed
catalogues, shall we?
Garden dilemmas?
askmarystone.com

(NAPSI)While
professionally cleaned
ductwork can be like a
breath of fresh air to
many houses, there are a
few facts you should
know when its time to
have your homes air
ducts cleaned.
1. In a typical six-room
home, up to 40 pounds
of dust are created annually through everyday
living. Your heating and
cooling system is the
lungs of your home. The
dander, dust, chemicals
and other contaminants
are pulled into the
HVAC system, where
they can build up and
possibly contribute to
health problems, especially for people with
respiratory conditions,
autoimmune disorders
or allergies.
2. According to the
U.S. Department of
Energy, 25 to 40 percent
of the energy used for
heating or cooling a
home
is
wasted.
Contaminants in the
heating and cooling
system cause it to work
harder and shorten the
life of your system. A
clean HVAC system
doesnt have to work as
hard so it uses less
energy.
3. When you do hire a
professional cleaner, ask
if it belongs to NADCA,
a trade association of the
HVAC inspection, main-

tenance and restoration

industry. Its members
have signed a Code of
Ethics and invested time
and
resources
into
industry-related training
and education. They
also have general liability insurance.
4. You should be aware
that some non-NADCA
companies use scare
tactics and bait and
switch methods to
squeeze money out of
their clients or dont
clean the HVAC system
at all, let alone to the
industrys standards.
How To Tell Youre
Getting A Professional
Cleaner
Is the company able
to show proof of
NADCA membership
and certification?
Is the contractor

willing to conduct a
thorough inspection of
the HVAC system prior
to per- forming any
work and disclose any
problems discovered?
Will the contractor
clean the supply and
return air ductwork, the
airstream side of the
heat exchanger and the

secondary
heat
exchanger?
After cleaning, are
access panels properly
sealed; blower blades
and compartment clean
and free of oil, dust and
debris? Point a flashlight into the cooling
coil. Does light shine
through? It should if the
coil is clean. Check to
make sure the coil fins
are straight and evenly
spaced and the coil drain
pan is clean and that it is
draining properly. Do
the filters fit properly
and are they the proper
efficiency
recommended by the manufacturer?
Learn More
You can get free
brochures about HVAC
inspection, maintenance
and restoration as well
as a complete checklist
and more information
online
at
http://
nadca.com.

(NAPSI)Millions of
school choice supporters
are planning to participate in special events to
raise awareness about
opportunities in K-12
education.
At present, individuals,
schools and organizations across the country
have planned over
10,000 events to bring
attention to the issue.
The events, which are
independently organized
and funded, will include
information
sessions,
roundtable discussions,
movie
screenings,
rallies and other special
events.
The goal is to shine a
positive spotlight on all

types of effective education options for children,

including
traditional
public schools, public
charter schools, public
magnet schools, home
schooling,
private
schools and online academies.
According to Andrew
Campanella, president
of National School
Choice
Week,
the
growth in enthusiasm
for school choice can be
attributed to simple
supply and demand.
More American families than ever before are
actively choosing the
best educational environments
for
their
children, which has

galvanized millions of
additional
parentsthose
without
optionsto
demand
greater choices for their
own children, Campanella said.
Campanella predicted
that the number of
events planned for 2015
will be more than 60
times larger than the
first celebration in 2011,
because people see it as
an opportunity to start
thousands of individual
conversations
about
educational choice in a
positive,
forwardlooking, fun, nonpolitical and nonpartisan way.
To learn more, visit
schoolchoiceweek.com.

The Blair Academy

Players will present two
comedic
one-act
productions on January
22nd, 23rd and 24th at
7:30pm in ArmstrongHipkins Center for the
Arts Wean Theatre.
Tickets, which cost $10
for adults and $5 for
non-Blair students, can
be reserved by emailing
Micki Kaplan McMillan
at mcmilm@blair.edu.
Both shows involve
theatre-focused content,
noted director Mrs.
McMillan, who said the
productions are actually
plays about plays.
In Tom Stoppards The
Real Inspector Hound,
pompous theatre critics
Moon and Birdfoot
(played by Jonas Kim
15 and Michael Park
16), attend a melodramatic whodunit play.
As the production takes
place, they each review
it with opposing opinions, hoping to further
their own careers as
revered authorities in the
theatre industry. Before
the end of the show,
however,
the
two
become a part of the
play, which ends with
some negative implications for their futures
despite their desperate
attempts to get ahead.
The ensemble cast is
filled out by Kate
Meaney 17, Morgen

Williard 16, Karthik

Reddy 15, Shea Lawless
15,
Andrew
Parsons 15, Malcolm
Biggins 15, Lizzie
Devlin 15 and Kendall
Slocum 15.
The second production
of the evening, The
Actors Nightmare by
Christopher
Durang,
follows the performances of an actor,
George (played by
Kendall), who has no
recollection of auditioning for, rehearsing or
performing
in
any
production in his past.
After stumbling through
his lines in several well
known pieces, such as
William Shakespeares
Hamlet and Robert
Bolts A Man for All
Seasons, he finally rises
to the occasion by reciting the correct lines in
his final show, though he
ultimately misses a
well-earned
curtain
call.
Kendall and Karthik
will appear in The
Actors
Nightmare,
joined by Lauren Tung
17, Taylor Hunt 15,
Caleb Nadeau 15 and
Caroline Devlin 17.
Jenna Sanborn 15
served as assistant director for the two performances, while Chelsie
Xu 17, Maria Ngugi
18 and Julia Wienberg
18 aided in providing

costumes and props.

Mrs. McMillan, who
has taught theatre and
English at Blair since
2006, praised the cast
for its dedication to each
of the plays, which have
presented some new and
exciting challenges for
the young actors. In both
shows, the Players
worked diligently to
master their characters
varying accents, she
said. Students were also
tasked with making the
theatre-specific humor
in each script universal
and entertaining to all,
regardless
of
the
audience's level of
understanding of the
world of the theater.
Mrs. McMillan says
she was most impressed
by the work students put
in
after
rehearsal,
researching the historical context of each
show, as well as the
physical, mental and

emotional traits of their

characters.
Theyre so willing to
put in the work to make
the show authentic and
successful, she said.
The
material
we
choose to perform in
Blairs performing arts
program is sophisticated
and advanced; our Players could go up against
several college and
professional
theatres
and stand out because
they believe so deeply
in what they are doing.
There are veterans of
the stage mixed with
some newcomers, all of
whom have worked
hard to make this show
side-splittingly funny,
Mrs. McMillan added,
encouraging the community to attend one of
the
Players
three
performances.
And
who doesnt want to
have a good laugh in the
dead of winter?

Fine arts teacher Zo

Blatt will exhibit oil
paintings and an installation in The Romano
Gallerys latest exhibition,
: Summer in
Skopelos, which will
be on display now
through February 7th in
Armstrong-Hipkins
Center for the Arts.
The pieces featured in
the show were derived
from work Ms. Blatt
completed
during
summer 2014 as an
artist-in-residence at the
Skopelos
Foundation
for the Arts in Greece.
Throughout her monthlong residency, Ms.
Blatt met and worked
with both local residents
and other traveling
artists, allowing for a
creative environment in
which she could solely
focus on her artwork.
In the exhibition, I
tried to portray the
visual experience of my
daily life on the island,
capturing the relationship between the natural
landscape and the old
architecture of the
island, she said. I
hope that the gallery
transmits the feeling of
Skopelos and the beauty
that exists at each turn
of the old village.
The Romano Gallery
is delighted to show the
work of a Blair faculty
member and expand our
understanding of Ms.
Blatt as an artist, as well
as a fine arts teacher,
added
Christine

Parauda, co-director of
the gallery. Taking the
summer to study and
create a body of work
enriches not only the life
of Ms. Blatt, but also
that of her students. We
are pleased that she has
been so forthcoming in
sharing her craft with
the community.
Aside from several oil
paintings that will be on
display,
Ms.
Blatt
created an interactive
installation inspired by
her time on the island.
Each person who visits
the installation will have
the chance to put his or
her mark on the piece,
so that its shape and size
will change over time,
explained Ms. Blatt. It
is thrilling to relinquish
control over the final
product and give that
authority to the audience.
Ms. Blatt, who joined
Blairs faculty in 2013
as a painting and drawing
teacher,
looks
forward to introducing
her artwork to the community, as well as giving
students an opportunity
to learn more about their
teachers professional
work outside of the
classroom.
A number of students
have seen pieces in
progress over the course
of the fall semester, and
a few even helped to
create the installation,
she explained, adding
that she is eager to
engage in dialogue
about her work with

Blair student artists.

Before coming to Blair,
Ms. Blatt completed an
undergraduate dual BFA
program at the University of Pennsylvania and
the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in
2010. In 2013, she
earned a masters degree
from Harvard Graduate
School of Education.
Prior to teaching in
Blairs fine arts department, she taught afterschool art classes at an
independent school in
Philadelphia, as well as
began an after-school
mural program in a local
public middle school.
It was important to me
to be able to continue
my own artistic studies
and have time to focus
on my artwork, as this is
hard to come by when
school is in session,
Ms. Blatt said. I
returned
from
the
residency
totally
inspired, with many new
ideas that I have been
able to see through to
completion this fall and
will continue to explore
after the exhibition.
The Romano Gallery is
located in ArmstrongHipkins Center for the
Arts
on
Blair
Academys campus at 2
Park Street in Blairstown. The gallery is
open Monday through
Saturday from 10am to
6pm.
Visit
Blairs
website for more information about upcoming
exhibitions
in
the
Romano Gallery.

A man who grew up in

Blairstown
was
currently
living
in
Vermont. He was diagnosed with ALS, Lou
Gehrig's disease, three
years ago. He wanted to
move back home to be
near his family and
lifetime friends. With
the help of a local
realtor, he was able to

find a large ranch home

and a local investor who
bought the home and
local contractors who all
came together to volunteer their time and skills
to renovate this home.
Local business's donated
materials and put rush
orders on some supplies.
The
North
Warren
football team and cheerleaders emptied out the
basement of years worth
of clutter. This man
Todd Quinn, his wife
Cat and their son
Sawyer were able to
move in this home on
Christmas Eve and were
thankful to have the
ability
to
receive
visitors. Thank you to
the entire community
and the many hours they
volunteered to make it
all possible.
Thank you,
Sharon Cheslock