The 3rd Annual Italian

festival benefit was held

Saturday, June 14th at
Greggo Farms. The
benefit is held to support
the Rocket Elite Special
Stars, a competitive
cheering squad for kids,
teens and adults with
special
needs
and
disabilities.
Being able to be a part
of a team gives them so
many opportunities. The
kids light up every time
they walk in the gym for
practice.
The benefit was started
three years ago by the
Greggo family to raise
funds for the team's
yearly
competition
season.
Everyone who attended
enjoyed music and great

The Bangor Lions

Club recently presented
scholarships to five area
high school students.
The Lions presented the
following
students
scholarship checks in
the amount of $600:
Noah Barnes from Faith
Christian High School,
Sadie McHale from
Pius X High School,
Benjamin Hawes and

Danielle Strunk, both

from Bangor Area High
School. Bangor Lions
Club members John
Shiner and his sister
Letitia Shiner presented
Dashon Russell from
Pius X a scholarship
check in the amount of
$800 from the Mary
Esther Shiner Memorial
Fund.
The Bangor Lions

have been presenting

scholarships to deserving students for over 40
years.
Students are
chosen
for
their
academic success, extracurricular activities and
service to the community. Congratulations to
the 2014 scholarship
recipients and best of
luck in all your future
endeavors.

food, which included

homemade riccotta and
mozzarella, pizza fritta,
fresh
bread
and
prosciutto, corn, baked
potatoes and various
meats.
We would not be able
to hold the benefit every
year without the support
of Full Circle Removal,
Fabio Ilardi, Mark
Greggo, The Auteri
amily, John Kennedy
and Maria Sebastionelli,
Greggo Farms, Anthony
Ruggiero, Michele, Mr.
and
Mrs.
Louie
Goffredo, Carlos Zacarias, Gallina Farms, John
and Pepper Stackhouse,
Metz Amusements, Sal's
Pizza in Wind Gap,
Francesco's, Antonio's
Pizza and Ice Cream,

Macchiavello Construction, Fernicola Landscaping, Sal's Pizza

Randa, Pepsi-Co, Frito
Lay, Phoenix Restoration,
Calico
Owl
Creative, Giant in Wind
Gap, Pen Argyl Pizza
and Thecornguys.com,
Vincent Greggo said.
Thank you to the sponsors and all who helped
put this event together!
Also, thank you to
everyone who was able
to attend and support
this cheering squad! We
hope to see you next
year!
If you would like to
make a donation to the
Italian Festival benefit,
please send donations to
1570 Pen Argyl Rd., Pen
Argyl, PA 18072.

Faith Church Youth

Group started a drive to
raise funds for Camp
Brainerd after finding
out that the camp is in
need
of
financial
support.
The youth
group came up with the
idea of using a Fund
Jar where they urged
family and friends in the
community to support
their fundraising efforts.
The project benefits
Camp Brainerd, a 36acre camp site named
for David Brainerds
ministry to the Native
Americans
in
the

Pocono region. Camp

Brainerd is located in
Snydersville and is used
as a camping retreat
with its picturesque
views of meadows,
streams, lakes and
forest areas.
The
youth
group
received support from
family and friends and
had raised the funds
over the spring of this
year. Their motto was
to collect even pennies,
as they all count. So
when the funds were
counted at Faith Church
the children had raised

$247.42 in total from

their
efforts.
The
children were praised
for their efforts by
group leaders Lori
Pensyl, Marlene Teal
and Pastor Ruth Ann
Christopher.
Pastor
Christopher
said, Faith church is
grateful to have such a
caring youth group with
families and friends that
really get involved and
make a difference.
For more information,
visit
www.camp
brainerd.org, or faith
united.net

The East Bangor

United
Methodist
Church is looking for
book
donations.
Contact Lisa at 610588-8881 to schedule
drop-off. The church is
located at 136 W. Central
Ave. (Rt. 512), East
Bangor.
Slate Belt Senior
Center is in need of a
pianist for the Swinging Senior Chorus,
which meets on Thursdays, 10am to 10:45am.
Call Wanda at 610-5881224 for details.
The Bangor Borough
Parks and Recreation
Advisory Board, in

conjunction with the

Borough of Bangor,
will be sponsoring a
youth
basketball
summer league beginning in early June and
ending in early August.
Games will be played
each weekend on the
basketball court, located
in Bangor Memorial
Park. There will be two
divisions for both boys
and girls: 5th and 6th
grade, and 7th and 8th
grade. Entry fees apply.
For more information or
to register, contact
Asher Schiavone at
bangorparksummerleag
ue@hotmail.com
or

484-894-4115.
St. Johns Cemetery is
looking for donations.
This year the donations
will be used to repave
the cemetery roads, due
to pot holes and black
top breaking up. Donations can be forwarded
to Carol Hummel c/o St.
Johns Cemetery, 136
Messinger St., Bangor.
Troop 41 of Bangor is
looking for any and all
past leaders and youth
members. Whether the
involvement was in East
Bangor or the current
Johnsonville site, they
would like your participation to help celebrate
the 75th anniversary on
September 13th. Contact
Dave Karner at 484809-1796 for further
information.
Mt. Bethel/Portland
American Legion Post
216 would like to thank
everyone who attended
their annual Retirement of the Colors
ceremony on June
22nd.
The East Bangor
Methodist Church will
be holding it's monthly
pastie sale on Tuesday
July 1st. Pickup will be
at the church, 136 W.
Central Ave., at 3:30pm.
Choices are beef with or
without onion and broccoli cheese with or without onion. To order, call

610-588 -1745
Nicholas
Valletta,
Salutatorian from Pen
Argyl is also the son of
Robert Valletta from
Secaucus, NJ.
Happy
birthday
wishes are sent to Andy
Hampe, June 22nd;
Kendall
Elizabeth
Nemeth, June 23rd;
Joe
Capone
and
Ricardo
Martinez,
June
25th;
Olivia
Rasmussen, June 26th;
and Liz Ruggiero, June
29th.
Happy 5th Anniversary Sarah & Kevin
Loren.
Dont forget! With the
upcoming holiday, our
deadlines
have
changed!
Anything
received after June 25th
may not be printed in the
July 2nd or July 9th
editions
Having a yard sale
this summer? You can
advertise it for free on
our classified page from
now through September
17th.
We love hearing from
you! Send your birthdays, anniversaries
and other tidbits of
information to:
The PRESS
1 Broadway
Bangor, PA 18013
thepressmail@
gmail.com
Like us on Facebook!

Here is a list of the new

items added to the collection of the Bangor Public
Library during the week
of June 11th to June
18th:
Adult Fiction: Dunant,
Sarah The Birth of
Venus;
MacDougall,
Ruth Doan The Cheerleader;
MacDougall,
Ruth Doan Henrietta
Snow;
MacDougall,
Ruth Doan The Husband
Bench or Bevs Book;
MacDougall, Ruth Doan
Snowy; Clark, Mary
Higgins Daddys Gone a
Hunting.
Large Print Fiction:
McCullough,
Colleen
Antony and Cleopatra
Young Adult Fiction:
Corrigan, Eireann Splintering; DLacey, Chris
The Fire Within; Henderson, Lauren Kisses and
Lies; Kimmel, J. L. The

Yawning Rabbit River

Chronicle.
Young Adult NonFiction: Cowan, Finlay
Dragons & Fantasy
Beasts; Long, Lynette
Painless Geometry.
Junior Fiction: Abbott,
Tony Firegirl; Kimmel, J.
L. The Magic Gown.
Easy Fiction: Janovitz,
Marilyn Can I Help?;
Peck, Jan Way Down
Deep in the Deep Blue
Sea; Stickland, Paul
Dinosaur
Roar!;
Velthuijs, Max A Birthday Cake for Little Bear.
Easy
Non-Fiction:
Chorao, Kay The Babys
Bedtime Book.
Easy Reader Fiction:
Brown, Marc Arthurs
Reading Race.
DVDs:
Call
the
Midwife. Season Three;
Frozen;
Philomena;
Saving Mr. Banks

1st Place: The Mountain Men 241-2636:

Frank Kelly 50; Bill
Ross 49; Lee Marsh
48; Gary Miches 47;
Scott Rinker 47; Cory
Haab 47; and Larry
Miller 47.
2nd Place: Roseto Rod
& Gun Club 245-2630:
George Stevenson 50;
Dave Depalma 50;
Bernie Raybould 49;
Jay Dennis 48; and
Dave Snyder 48.
3rd
Place:
The
Nobodys 233-2611:

4th Place: Hartzells

Auction
238-2584:
Jason Bong 49; Sherman Schoonover 48;
John
Hartzell
47;
Dennis Caccioli Sr. 47;
Rich Hildenbrandt 47.
5th Place: The Barn
Dwellers
236-2577:
Jason Bok49; Greg
Spadoni 48; Don Winelander 47; Jim DeLong
47; Wayne Goetsch 45.

6th Place: Cherry

Valley 234-2507: Jen
Cobosco 49; Gerb
Zeigler 47; Tim Primrose 47; Mike Sanderson 46; Larry Mascera
45; and Ait Kruger 45.
7th place: Washington
Twsp. Fire Dept. 2101924. 5 Blinds, 42
Each.

Northampton County
will receive more than
$286,000 in revenue
from the collection of
an impact fee on natural
gas drilling activities in
the Marcellus Shale.
Distribution of revenue
will take place by Tuesday,
July
1st.
Pennsylvanias abundance of natural gas and
the fees required by Act
13 are the reasons we as
a county will again be
receiving this funding,
even though we are not
part of the Marcellus
Shale formation.
The three-year total
distributed to local
governments comes to
more than $611 million.
That, coupled with job
growth that has helped
reduce
the
states
unemployment level to
its lowest point in four
years,
shows
how
successful Act 13 has
been.
Impact fees under Act
13 are imposed on the
extraction of natural
gas
and
fluctuate
depending on price and

the rate of inflation.

Fees are collected from
the drilling companies
with 60 percent passed
onto counties and local
municipalities affected
by drilling.
The remaining 40
percent goes into the
Marcellus
Shale
Legacy Fund, which is
administered by the
state to be distributed to
conservation districts;
the Department of
Environmental Protection for administration
of the act and enforcement of clean air and
water statutes; the
Pennsylvania
Emer-

gency
Management
Agency for emergency
response
planning,
training and coordination related to natural
gas production from
unconventional wells;
and the Office of the
State Fire Commissioner for the development, delivery and
sustainment of training
and grant programs for
first responders.
For more information,
visit the Pennsylvania
Utility
Commission
website,
www.puc.
state.pa.us, and follow
the Act 13 (Impact
Fee) link.

(NAPSI)Volunteering
is easy way to give back
the increasing number
of older Americans who
rely on services and
social activities within
their community.
The Figures: The
number of older adults
in this country is growing at a fast rate.
According to a 2011
report from the U.S.
Administration
on
Aging,
there
are
roughly 11 million
seniors living alone in
their homes and nearly
1.5 million seniors in
nursing homes at any
given time.
The older population
numbered 41.4 million
in 2011, an increase of

18 percent since 2000.

Over one in every eight
people, or 13.3 percent
of the population, is an
older American.
The Facts:Many older
adults require assistance with daily activities and report having
functional limitations
which can make staying
in their homes difficult
without
assistance.
Over 20 percent of all
adults aged 75 and
older had 10 or more
visits to a doctor or
other health professional in the 12-month
span. Often, these
limitations in activities
because of chronic
conditions
increase
with age.

To remain active in
their
communities,
many seniors rely on
programs such as meal
delivery, adult day
activities and other
social
programs.
Seniors in nursing
homes use services to
connect with their communities.
These
programs often need
volunteers.
The Answer: Volunteering can be a fun and
easy way to give back
to the community.
Thats where the Got
an Hour? Give it Back
Campaign comes in. It
was developed by the
Aging
Networks
Volunteer Collaborative
through a grant from

the U.S. Administration

on Aging to help agencies throughout the
country attract volunteers to programs that
work with seniors. The
campaigns
website
includes a search toll to
help connect volunteers
to opportunities in their
neighborhood.
Volunteering can be as
simple as driving an
older neighbor to the

(NAPSI)Efforts to
track
and
analyze
amyotrophic
lateral
sclerosis (ALS), better
known as Lou Gehrigs
disease, have been
sporadic in the U.S.until now.
The National ALS
Registry gives persons
living with ALS the
chance to help scientists
identify causes, treatments, and a possible
cure from the disease.
ALS is a rapidly
progressive, invariably
fatal
neurological
disease that affects the
nerve cells that make
muscles work in both
the upper and lower
parts of the body; it

causes nerve cells to

stop working and die.
The congressionallymandated National ALS
Registry is designed to
compile new and existing U.S. cases of ALS,
shedding light on how
many people actually
suffer from the disease,
and helping doctors and
scientists better understand it. An estimated
20,000 to 30,000 people
in the U.S. have ALS,
but an accurate count
does not yet exist;
neither patients nor
doctors are required to
report newly diagnosed
ALS cases.
The federal Agency
for Toxic Substances

and Disease Registry

(ATSDR),
a
sister
agency of the Centers
for Disease Control and
Prevention
(CDC),
developed the National
ALS Registry in 2010,
and has been working
hard since then to make
sure that as many ALS
patients as possible are
counted.
The National ALS
Registry is an online,
secure database that
collects basic information from persons with
ALS. Patients can enroll
themselves easily from
anywhere they have
Internet access. When
they enroll, they answer
brief questions about

themselves and their

lives, like if theyve
ever been in the military
or if they smoke. This
information is then used
by researchers to learn
more about the disease.
The
Registry
also
informs ALS patients
about research trials
they can join, and identifies support services in
their
communities,
including ALS Association and Muscular
Dystrophy Association
chapters,
offices,
centers, and clinics.
The National ALS
Registry will allow for
more ALS research to
be conducted than ever
before and possibly

doctor, bringing him a

meal or helping her
with housework. You
can spend only 60
minutes of your time
but the effect can be
infinite.
The Aging Networks
Volunteer Collaborative
is a national re_source
center that helps leaders
in the aging and disability networks engage
talented older adult
volunteers to meet
growing needs for
services. The Volunteer
Collaborative
offers
online resources, comprehensive training, and
opportunities for leaders to learn best practices from each other.
To find programs and
events nearby, visit
www.GiveitBacktoSeni
ors.org.

help to defeat ALSwhich could change the

lives of future generations.
To learn more about
the
National
ALS
Registry and how to
enroll,
visit
wwwn.cdc.gov/als/.

Domenic and Louise

Martino of Wind Gap
celebrated their 50th
Wedding Anniversary
on June 8th with a Mass
at
St.
Elizabeths
Church in Pen Argyl,
where they exchanged
their wedding vows.
The
mass
was
preformed by Msgr.
Vincent York.
Domenic is the son of
the late James and Mary
Martino and Louise is
the daughter of the late
Consalvo and Mamie
Capobianco.
They
have
two
children, Mary Louise
wife of Larry King of

Roseto, and James and

his wife Tiffany of
Debary, Florida. They
also have two grandchildren, Lauren and
Danielle
King
of
Roseto.
The Martinos are both
graduates of Pius X
High School of 1960.
They were married
June 6th by the late
Rev. Eugene Davis in
Our Lady of Mount
Carmel
Church,
Roseto.
A cocktail reception
was held in Northampton and a trip to Las
Vegas is planned for
September.

Mug club members can

raise their pint glasses
for a victory toast this
week now that the
discounts some once
enjoyed on frothy beer
are one step closer to a
comeback.
The state House passed
a bill recently that would
allow bars to offer
discounts on food and
malt or brewed beverages to patrons who are
part of a club or group
program offered by the
establishment.
Commonly
called
mug
clubs,
the
programs have been
around for years. While
offering exclusive tastes
of new craft beer, Tshirts and other perks,
some of them had even
offered
members
discounts on brews, but
that turned out to be a
party foul under the
states liquor code.
Sometimes what you
think would be okay
turns out is not in Pennsylvania, said Amy
Christie,
executive
director of the Pennsylvania Tavern Association.
In 2012, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control
Board cracked down on
Iron Hill Brewery,
finding its mug club
offered
an
illegal
inducement to buy beer

and violated acceptable

discount practices. At
the time, Iron Hill was
offering its mug club
members a discount on
their 24-ounce beers
and allowing them to
accrue reward points for
alcohol purchases.
Iron Hill revised its
mug club to alleviate the
issues, but the PLCBs
opinion spurred other
bars to evaluate whether
their mug clubs, beer
passports
or
other
loyalty programs were
legal.
All the while, customer
loyalty
reward
programs have become
ubiquitous everywhere
from
gas
stations,
grocery stores and book
retailers, leaving the
tavern industry feeling
as if it was lacking a
tool for business.
It gives your patrons a
reason to come back,
Christie said. Its so
commonplace in the

business industry that a

lot of people just didnt
realize that what they
were doing was apparently illegal according
to the liquor code.
House
Bill
2069,
approved 174-22 by the
House, would reverse
course and allow liquor
licensees
to
offer
discounts on brewed or
malt beverages. Its
sponsored by state Rep.
Kurt
Masser,
RNorthumberland.
He
didnt
immediately
return a message seeking comment.
The bill still has to
clear the state Senate
before it could become
law.
Its no surprise that
Iron Hill, which has six
locations in PA, wholeheartedly
supports
Massers bill. Loyalty
clubs that include alcohol are legal in all of the
states that border Pennsylvania, said Mark

Edelson, Iron Hills

director of brewing
operations.
The current prohibitions exclude traditional
Mug Clubs from being
used as a way to
promote loyalty and this
isnt
fair
to
the
customer, he said in a
statement.
Loyalty
programs play, and have
always played, a vital
role for tavern and
restaurant owners seeking to grow their business.
An amendment to
Massers bill would
prohibit bars from offering the club discounts or
disproportionate serving
amounts from midnight
to 2am, when bars must
close for the night in
PA.
Thats not a problem in
Christies opinion.
State law already
limits the time bars can
devote to happy hours to
14 hours a week and a
maximum of four hours
a day. Those specials
must be over by
midnight
anyway,
Christie said.
Its nothing new, she
said. Were all pretty
used to that.
Staub can be reached at
Andrew@PAIndepende
nt.com.
Follow
@PAIndependent
on
Twitter for more.

Three local companies

reaffirmed their commitment to the health of the
residents of the Slate
Belt region by making
significant donations to
the Slate Belt YMCA in
recent weeks. Gifts by
Merchants Bank, Deer
Park Natural Spring
Water produced by
Nestl Waters North
America, and Majestic
Athletic, a subsidiary of
VF Licensed Sports
Group, were announced
at a photo shoot in the
lobby of the Slate Belt
YMCA on Friday, June
6th.
Naming opportunities
for all three companies
will be provided within
the core YMCA facility,
which is scheduled to
open
this
year.
Merchants Bank has
pledged $50,000 and is
sponsoring the Child
Watch area, where young
children of YMCA
members can play safely
under supervision. Deer
Park/Nestl Waters has
pledged $25,000 and is
sponsoring one of two
athletic fields that will be
located on the vast green
space on the Y property.
Majestic Athletic has
made a significant gift,
which will be recognized
with the naming opportunity for the branch
directors office.
Anthony J. Biondi,
CEO and Director, and
Tracey S. Smith, Executive Vice President and
Chief Operating Officer,
presented the check for
Merchants Bank.
Merchants has been a
cornerstone of the Slate
Belt region for over 120
years; the Slate Belt
YMCA will join us in
that designation for the
next 120 years. We have

been a proud partner in

the effort to build a Y in
the Slate Belt in small
ways already. Sponsoring the Child Watch is
our way of making a
bigger splash, Bondi
said.
Eric Andreus, Natural
Resource
Manager,
presented the check from
Deer Park Nestl
Waters. Andreus oversees several regional
springs that serve as
sources of water for the
Deer Park brand,
including one in Washington
Township.
Andreus has spearheaded water donations
for several previous
Slate Belt YMCA fundraising events, including
the annual walk/run.
The health and wellness of the communities
where our springs are
located is important to
us. We hope the new
Deer Park Athletic
Field will be a place for
all in the community to
come together to be
active and healthy,
Andreus said.
Tom Schupper, Social
Compliance Manager,
VF Imagewear, and his
young son presented the
check
for
Majestic
Athletic.
Many of our employees live in the Slate Belt,
and Majestics roots are
in the Slate Belt, Schupper said. It was very
important
to
our
employee
community
relations committee for
Majestic to help make
the Slate Belt YMCA a
reality. As a current
member of the Greater
Valley YMCA and the
parent of children who
are learning to swim in
the Nazareth YMCA
pool, I am delighted the

company will be one of

the founding corporate
partners of the Slate Belt
Y.
Frank Frey, CEO and
President of the Greater
Valley YMCA, and Jill
AHearn, Branch Director of the Slate Belt
YMCA, received the
donations.
Frey said, The Slate
Belt YMCA belongs to
and is shaped by the
Slate Belt community.
Gifts from the community funded the core
facility; gifts from the
community will fund the
pool. The support given
today by these three
companies brings the
fundraising total for the
next phase of the project
to almost $1M.
We need at least $2M to
build the type of pool the
community wants. The
Founders Committee for
the Slate Belt YMCA is
very grateful to everyone
who has made their
splash so far. We ask
that everyone continue to
Think Big because we
arent done yet. Everyone needs to give in

order to make the

remaining phases of the
project (the pool and the
gymnasium) a reality.
While the presentation
was made in what will be
the lobby of the Slate
Belt YMCA, dump
trucks and backhoes
were busy just outside
the window.
The site work was that
last piece of the project
to be started, John
Goffredo of Nu Cor
Construction said. We
couldnt get outside until
after this long cold
winter was over.
Jill AHearn, who will
run the local Y branch,
shared her excitement
that the project will soon
come to a close.
Everyone has waited a
very long time for the Y
to open. Seeing the daily
changes is proof that the
wait wont be too much
longer!
No official date for
opening has been set at
this time, but the YMCA
staff assures that the
community center is on
schedule to open in
2014.

( N A P S I ) T h e r e s
good news for household
water well owners who
want to care for their
wells and their water.
They now have unprecedented help with access
to 15 online lessons,
eight webinars and much
moreall free.
This menu of tools and
resources is being made
available
online
at
www.WellOwner.org by
the National Ground
Water
Association
(NGWA) with support
from the U.S. Environmental
Protection
Agency.
The online lessons,
webinars and tip sheets,
among other tools, help
take the mystery out of
being a well owner, said
Cliff Treyens, NGWA
director of public awareness. Any well owner
with access to a computer can learn the
basicsincluding action
stepsimportant
to
keeping
their
well
systems in good operating order and their water
safe.
Online lessons cover:

What to test water for

How to get and interpret a test
Water treatment
Arsenic
Bacteria
Nitrate
Radon
Well maintenance
Groundwater protection
Well flooding
Well construction

Decommissioning
unused wells
Water testing near
hydraulic fracturing

Finding a qualified
water well professional
Using water wisely.
The webinars cover
many of the same topics.
Treyens said these new
informational tools are
intended to equip well
owners to ask informed
questions in order to get
the help they need to
address key water well
related issues.
Many well owners are
paralyzed when it comes
to addressing problems.
The information tools

we have developed
break water well issues
into manageable size and
allow the well owner to
learn at his or her pace,
Treyens said. Importantly, these tools also
provide a next step to
address an array of
issues facing an average
water well owner.
To help the well owner
learn, each online lesson
includes a quiz at the
beginning and a quiz at
the end. We know from
test results that most
well owners who take
both quizzes are learning
key information that will
help them take care of
their wells and their
water, Treyens said.
NGWA
encourages
organizations
and
individuals to post and
share the links to the
lessons, webinars, tip
sheets and other tools.
Our goal is to protect
the public health, and the
more people who learn,
the better, Treyens
said.
To access these well
owner training and
technical
assistance
tools,
visit
www.WellOwner.org.

Hello fellow readers,

Last week we spoke
about aphids and a
remedy using dish
detergent. Since then,
there's been an influx
of other kitchen and
natural
remedies
against undesirables.
Gail of Stone Church,
PA suggests garlic, a
natural insect repellent
as it emits a strong
odor that insects and
small rodents cannot
tolerate. Mix a solution
of two cups water, four
tablespoons
garlic
powder and a squirt of
liquid dish soap so it
will
stick.
Spray
directly onto plant
leaves, repeating daily
until bugs are gone.
Why not chop a few
fresh garlic cloves and
place throughout the
garden while you are at
it.
Tom of Hope suggests
Pepper Spray (sounds
like riot control for
insects) using two cups
water, four teaspoons
of powdered pepper,
such as cayenne, chili
or red pepper flakes,

and a squirt of liquid

dish soap. Spray it on
plant
leaves
and
surrounding soil to keep
insects as well as moles
and other small rodents
out of the garden.
But Neem oil stands
out of the crowd as an
old tried and true that I
am reminded of, thanks
to Dave from Bangor.
Its a natural alternative
to synthetic pesticides
extracted from the fruits
and seeds of the Neem
tree/Azadirachta indica,
a tropical or semitropical tree native to
India.
Neem
oils
antibacterial
and
antiseptic
attributes
discourage fungi and
parasites but does not
negatively
affect
humans or mammals.
And it can protect crops
against
rust,
scab,
mildew and blight.
Neem does not directly
kill insects on the crop.
Rather, it works as a
contact
insecticide,
which makes plants
taste bitter. The insects
starve and die within a
few days. Neem also
suppresses the hatching
of pest insects from
their
eggs.
Azadirachtin, a chemical in
the oil, also interrupts
insects'
transitions
between stages of metamorphosis. The greatest
benefit of using Neem
oil is that it doesn't
harm beneficial insects
such as butterflies,
earthworms, bees and
lacewings. Awesome!
Its
like
finding
Neemo!
Garden
Dilemmas?
askmarystone.com

Randy and Lisa Sandt

of Bangor would like to
announce the engagement of their daughter
Sarah to Douglas Reisen,
son of Peter Reisen and
the late Evelyn Reisen of
Mt. Bethel.
The bride and groom
are both graduates of

Bangor
Area
High
School.
Doug
is
employed by Allstate
Septic
Systems
of
Bangor and Sarah is
employed by St. Lukes
University
Health
Nework. The wedding is
being planned for May
2015.

Governor Tom Corbett

and the Department of
Environmental Protection (DEP) recently
announced that the Pennsylvania Energy Development
Authority
(PEDA), an independent
public financing authority created in 1982, will
offer an estimated $12.5
million in grants and
loans beginning June
14th for alternative and
renewable
energy
projects, along with
projects
deploying
technologies such as
solar energy, wind,
hydropower
and
biomass.
This funding is an
opportunity for companies,
municipalities,
schools and organizations to deploy alternative energy projects or
construct new facilities
related to alternative
fuels, Corbett said.
Such projects further
our goal to develop a
diverse
and
robust
energy sector here in
Pennsylvania,
in
a
manner that protects our
environment and uses

our resources smartly

and efficiently.
Those eligible to apply
include non-profit corporations;
Pennsylvania
schools, colleges and
universities; any Pennsylvania municipality,
and public or private
corporations,
partnerships, limited liability
companies, associations
and other legal business
entities.
Grant or loan funds will
be awarded on a
competitive
basis.
PEDA anticipates awarding approximately $10
million specifically for
alternative and renewable energy projects,
deploying technologies
such as solar energy,
wind, hydropower and
biomass.
Funding is also available for clean alternative
fuels, alternative energy
manufacturing
and
alternative
energy
research.
Funded activities must
be conducted entirely in
Pennsylvania and be in
compliance with applicable laws.
Applications are due by
4pm on August 15th and
must be submitted online
using the states eGrants
system,
grants.dcnr.
state.pa.us. Grants will
be awarded in the fall.
Potential applicants are
encouraged to participate

in a related webinar,
scheduled for June 24th
from 2pm to 3pm
PEDA is an independent public financing
authority created in 1982
by the Pennsylvania
Energy
Development
Authority and Emergency Powers Act,
revitalized through an
April 2004 Executive
Order. The authority's
mission is to finance
clean, advanced energy
projects in Pennsylvania.
To register for the webi-

nar, complete the online

grant application or learn
more about PEDA, visit
www.dep.state.pa.us,
keyword: Pennsylvania
Energy
Development
Authority.
The availability of
funding helps further
implementation of Gov.
Corbetts
Energy
Equals Jobs state energy
plan released in January.
To learn more about the
energy plan, click the PA
State Energy Plan button
on the DEP webpage.

(NAPSI)While the
Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention
recently
announced
that Lyme disease is
about 10 times more
common than previously reported, there
are ways you can
protect yourself. The
new figures showed
that as many as
300,000 Americans are
diagnosed each year.
Because Lyme disease
is
prevalent
and
serious, disease experts
are reminding people
about prevention and
detection.
Spread through the
bite of an infected tick,
Lyme disease can cause
rashes and flulike
symptoms that can
leave
you
feeling
miserable. Its more
common than you may
think.
Lyme disease is most
prevalent
in
New
England, the upper
Midwest and West

Coast but its a nationwide

probleminfected ticks are in all
50 states.
Despite its prevalence,
Lyme remains difficult
to diagnose. Thats
because its symptoms
mimic other diseases,
namely the flu and
chronic
fatigue
syndrome.
Lyme disease is a
debilitating
illness
affecting thousands of
Americans, said Dr.
Bradley Bush, a naturopathic doctor who treats
patients in the Lyme
hot-spot state of Minnesota. Dr. Bush offers
these tips:
Reduce your exposure. Especially during
the warmer months,
avoid wooded areas.
After coming inside,
bathe and check your
entire body for ticks.
If bitten, tweeze. If
you find a tick on your
skin, use tweezers to
remove it as quickly as

possible. Grab as close

to the skin as possible,
then pull upward without twisting.
Know the symptoms. Early symptoms
may include fever,
chills, sweats, muscle
aches, fatigue, nausea,
headache and joint
pain. Sometimes, a
bulls-eye
rash
appears.
When in doubt, get
tested. Receiving a tick
bite is rarely noticed. If
you have symptoms,
its risky to take a wait
and see approach. The
earlier you test, the
earlier you can be
treated.
Traditionally, doctors
have been limited to
Lyme tests such as the
Western blot, which
measures the bodys
antibody response to
infection. Since 70
percent of patients
dont produce an infection response, however,
the sensitivity of these

tests is lowdetecting
only about 30 percent
of Lyme in early stages
and 50 percent in late
ones.
As a result, many
Lyme victims go undiagnosed. They may
suffer needlessly and
eventually develop a
chronic form of the
disease,
which
becomes even more
difficult to diagnose
and treat.
Now,
however,
patients have a new,
more accurate option:
iSpot Lyme. It detects

the actual bacte_rial

infection that accompanies Lyme, resulting in
an accuracy rate of 84
percent. It can detect
Lyme disease within
only four to six days
after infection, allowing
for earlier detection and
treatment. When combined with Western blot,
this test provides the
most accurate and sensitive means of testing for

Lyme.
With its higher sensitivity and specificity,
iSpot Lyme has helped
me diagnose patients
earlier, leading to faster
treatment
and
improved
clinical
outcomes, said Dr.
Bush. Ive successfully used iSpot Lyme
to monitor and retest
patients. I use it to rule
out the disease and to
monitor
treatment
progress.
The test can be
ordered through Pharmasan Labs, a CLIAapproved
laboratory
with
expertise
in
testing for tick-borne
diseases. To find out
how to get the test, call
1-877-282-0306. You
can learn more about
Lyme disease and sign
up for free news
updates at www.ispot
lyme.com.

With the summer boating season underway,

the Pennsylvania Fish
and Boat Commission
(PFBC)
strongly
encourages boaters to
check water conditions
in advance and to
always wear their life
jackets, on PA waters.
According
to
Pennsylvanias boating
accident reports, almost
80 percent of all boating
fatalities happen to
boaters not wearing a
life jacket, said Laurel
Anders, PFBC Director
of
Boating
and
Outreach. During late
spring
and
early
summer, boaters can
expect to encounter
high and cold water due
to frequent rain events.
These factors can be a
recipe for disaster for
boaters who underestimate the power of
water.
Sudden cold water
immersion is one of the
main reasons people
drown. When a person
is unexpectedly plunged
into cold water below
70F, the bodys first
response is usually an
involuntary gasp. This
is something no one can
control and ruins the
ability to swim because
the person hyperventilates.
There is a wealth of
new research on cold
water survival, which

states that wearing a life

jacket
significantly
increases a persons
chance of survival,
Anders said. Without a
life jacket, a victim may
inhale while under
water and drown without coming back to the
surface. This can only
be prevented by wearing a life jacket at all
times while on the
water.
So far this year, six
people have died in
recreational
boating
incidents, several of
which occurred in high
water following rain
events. At least two of
the victims were not
wearing life jackets.
Many boaters dont
wear
life
jackets
because they claim they
can swim. However, a
recent American Red
Cross survey found that
most Americans overestimate their swimming
ability. Overall, the
survey found that more
than half of all Americans (54 percent) either
cant swim or dont
have all of the basic
swimming skills.
Cold, fast waters can
make treading water
very difficult even for
those with moderate or
better swimming abilities, Anders said.
Make a personal commitment to boating
safety by always wear-

ing your life jacket and

insisting
that
your
passengers do as well.
Water survival safety
tips include:
-Always wear a life
jacket, even when not
required. Many models
provide
insulating
qualities against cold air
and water.
-Never boat alone.
-Have a float plan and

know the waters you

plan to boat.
-Always check the
weather and real-time
river forecasts for the
potential of hazardous
high water.
-Bring a fully-charged
cell phone with you in
case of emergency.
-If you are about to fall
into the water, cover
your mouth and nose

with your hands. This

will reduce the likelihood of inhaling water.
-If possible, stay with
the boat. Get back into
or climb on top of the
boat.
To learn more about
life jacket wear and cold
water survival, visit the
PFBC website www.
fishandboat.com/safety.
htm.

The Pocono Garden

Club will present their
Annual Flower Show
on Saturday, July 12th
at the Stroudsburg Jr.
High School, Chipperfield Drive, Stroudsburg.
Open to the public
from 10am to 4pm,
The Classics is the
theme for this years
show. Floral design
arrangements will be
created to depict a
classic book such as
Charlottes Web, the
classic Gone With the
Wind, Swing and Sway
music of Dont Sit
Under the Apple Tree,
and the all time Classic
Hat horticulture specimens that are very
popular with local
gardeners will be on
display for viewing.

Specimens are judged

for their condition,
development and the
culture of each specimen. House plants are
also
exhibited
and
judged.
The show will offer the
popular plant sale, along
with Chinese and live
auctions. This year there
will also be an old fashion cake walk offering

wonderful baked goods

provided by the club
members.
The Pocono Garden
Clubs
mission
includes
community
service activities, such
as the maintenance of
the
award-winning
garden at the Hughes
Library and the Judy
Holtz Memorial Butterfly Garden at the

Monroe County Environmental Education

Center. The annual
flower show is the
major
fundraiser,
which provides scholarships that include
educational activities
and regional programs
that promote the study
of gardening, floral
arts, conservation of
our forests and native
environments.
Anyone interested in
gardening or floral
design is welcome to
submit an entry on July
11th, 9:30am to 11am.
All entries will be
judged.
For more information,
contact Pocono Garden
Club President Cherie
Morris at 570-2365289 or email kwaheri
@ptd.net.