Blairstown - area residents are invited to learn Microsoft Word at Project Self-Sufficiencys Main Street location on Thursdays, July

11th - 25th, from 6:00 9pm. Students

will learn wordprocessing techniques, including the creation of professional - looking letters, faxes, newsletters and other documents, as well as the use of mail merge features

used to print mailing labels and address letters to multiple recipients. For more information, call the Project Self-Sufficiency office in Blairstown at 908362-1777. On July 10th at 7pm, the Warren County Library, 2 Shotwell Dr., Belvidere, will hold the first in a series of programs called Junior Archaeologist / Paleontologist Club for children, age 8 and up. Dig into the past like real archaeologists and paleontologists with a series of hands-on activities. Sign-up is required. Sign up online at www.warrenlib.org. Warren County Soil Conservation District is happy to announce that local honey will once again be available for purchase at the District office, 224 W. Stiger St., Hackettstown. Sizes include one, two, and five pound jars at reasonable prices. Call 908-852-2579 for information. Like us on Facebook under Warren County Soil Conservation District. On Sunday evening, July 14th, from 7pm to 9pm, NAMI-Sussex will host a presentation and panel discussion about Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD. This free program on PTSD

will be held at Bridgeway, 93 Stickles Pond Road in Newton. There is no need to register in advance. While the program is free of charge, donations to the Northern New Jersey Veterans Memorial Cemetery will be gratefully accepted. For more information, call 973214-0632, or visit www.nami-sussexnj.org. The Chatham Community Band (CCB), under the direction of Mr. Brian Conti, is seeking new members for its organization. The band is an all volunteer, adult instrumental music group. For more information about the CCB, visit www.chatham communityband.org, or email Brian Conti, briancontib@aol.com. Come celebrate the dog, pig, goat and chicken days of summer at The Barnyard Sanctuarys monthly Pet Adoption Day on July 13th, 9am to 3pm, at Tractor Supply, 128 Route 94, Blairstown. For more information, call 973670-4477. We love hearing from you! Send your birthdays, anniversaries, and other info to: The PRESS PO Box 430 Blairstown, NJ 07825

The following is a list of books added to the Warren County Library collection this past week. Non-Fiction: Pulitzer: A Life in Politics, Print, and Power, By James Mcgrath Morris; The Aqua Net Diaries: Big Hair, Big Dreams, Small Town, By Jennifer Niven; Still Life: Adventures in Taxidermy, By Melissa Milgrom; The Last Hero: A Life of Henry Aaron, By Howard Bryant; A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Future: Twists and Turns and Lessons Learned, By Michael J. Fox; I, Rigoberta Menchu: An Indian Woman in Guatemala, By Rigoberta Menchu; Shockaholic, By Carrie Fisher; House of Versace: The Untold Story of Genius, Murder, and Survival, By Deborah Ball. Recreation: An Eagle Named Freedom: My True Story of a Remarkable Friendship, By Jeff Guidry; Ultimate Guide to Outdoor Projects: Plan, Design, Build, By Editors of Creative Homeowner; Ultimate Guide: Decks, 4th edition: Plan, Design, Build, By Editors of Creative Homeowner; The Home Color Bible: 1,000 Gorgeous Combinations for Every Room, By David Willis; How to Use a Sewing

Machine, By Simplicity; Complete Price Guide to Watches, By Cooksey Shugart. Personal Growth: Nine Rooms of Happiness, The: Loving Yourself, Finding Your Purpose, and Getting Over Life's Little Imperfections, By Lucy Danziger; U Chic: The College Girl's Complete Guide to a Fabulous Life, By Christie Garton; Mayo Clinic Book of Alternative Medicine, 2nd Edition: The new approach to using the best of natural therapies and conventional medicine, By Mayo Clinic; Healing Yoga for Neck & Shoulder Pain: Easy, Effective Practices for Releasing Tension and Relieving Pain, By Carol Krucoff; Eating Well 500 Calorie Dinners Cookbook, By Nicci Micco; Hunting Season: A Field Guide to Targeting and Capturing the Perfect Man, By Elle; What's a Disorganized Person to Do?, By Stacey Platt; Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard, By Chip Heath. Children: Recycling Things to Make and Do, By Emily Bone; The Little Red Hen and the Passover Matzah, By Leslie Kimmelman; Fox and the Hen, By Eric Battut; If Stones Could Speak: Unlocking the Secrets of Stonehenge, By Marc Aronson.

Come celebrate the 4th of July weekend with Brook Hollow Winery! When you purchase any combination of a Red and White Wine, reach into our Blue Discount Ticket Bucket to determine your savings. Take a chance to get 5-50% off your entire Wine Purchase. Savings available Saturday and Sunday July 6th and 7th from noon to 5pm. Blairstown Summer Day Camp for boys and girls grades K

through 6th: through July 12, Monday through Friday from 9:00 - noon at Blairstown Elementary School. Camp is filled with games, crazy contests, special events, arts & crafts, water activities & so much more! Check the website at www.blairstown-nj.org click on Recreation for more summer fun or contact the Recreation Office at 908-362-6663 ext. 232. Summer Art Camp for Kids at the Sussex

County Arts and Heritage Council July 8-12, 15-19: This year will be our 6th Summer Art Camp for Kids at the Arts and Heritage Council. Camp is open to kids in 3rd through 8th grade and will be held at the Art Councils office at 133 Spring Street, Newton from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. each day. To register, call the Arts Council at 973-3830027, visit the office or email scahc@scahc.org. Wise Owl Workshops Go Native in the Garden at the Warren County Library, July 11 from 10:30am to noon. 2 Shotwell Drive, Belvidere. Children ages 6 12 will learn how to grow native plants from seed and be able to examine, feel, and smell them as they explore how native plants can be used. Get up close with

insects and learn about their life cycles and how they are bound up with native plants. Sign-up is required. Sign up online at www.warrenlib.org. How To Build A Fairy House Workshop at Catherine Dickson Hofman Library, July 11 1pm: Young fairy lovers will embark on an enchanting challenge... to build a miniature house so appealing it would surely attract a fairy to visit! Create a whimsical habitat to take home and plant in your own garden. Wear your finest fairy attire (wings will be available) and comfortable shoes, the magic in the air may inspire you to dance. Registration is required. Ages 8 -14. Register at warrenlib.org. Grace Community Church, Hope, Presents Vacation Bible Schools Fun Fair: July 15th through 19th, 9am to 11:30am, Route 519, Hope, NJ. Preschool aged to 8th grade invited. Call 908-4594706 to register. Project SelfSufficiency will host the Girls for a Change Empowerment Program for teen girls: Monday Friday, July 22nd 26th, 9am 1pm. To register for the Girls for a Change Summer Camp at Project SelfSufficiency, call 973940-3500 or visit www.projectselfsufficie ncy.org. Pajama Story Time at Warren County Library, July 24th and August 28th, 6:30pm: Want somewhere to wear your coolest pjs? On July 24th and August 28th at 6:30 p.m. the Warren County Library, located at 2 Shotwell Drive, Belvidere, welcomes you to Pajama Storytime! This is a half-hour program featuring a variety of stories suitable for the whole family! Please sign up online at warrenlib.org beginning July 15.

(NAPSI)Making a small room appear larger can be as simple as using color creatively. To add some breathing room to a compact space, all you need are some colorful ideas. Color is one of the easiest, most affordable ways to transform the look and feel of a room, says David Bromstad, HGTV star and celeb-

rity interior designer. When used in a few well-chosen places, such as a feature wall or statement piece of furniture, color can have a big impact in a small space. Bromstad offers these color tips for transforming a space from tiny to airy: Create a focal point with paint. Paint a state-

ment wall that draws attention away from the size of your space and toward something beautiful and vibrant. Bright or bold colors work well, as the wall can appear to recede, creating the illusion of space. Go big with lighter and softer colors. In areas beyond the feature wall, use lighter and softer colors to make the space seem larger. Light blues and greens add significant light subtly to a room. Coordinate your colors. Stretch your space and maximize impact by using color to coordinate your rooms and decor. HGTV HOME by SherwinWilliams offers precoordinated collections of color, paint and wallpaper. The color palettes can be used to ensure that your walls, furniture and accessories help create a cohesive look. Reflect upon something. Placed opposite a window or side by side, mirrors can spread light throughout the room to

make spaces feel larger. A tall mirror draws the eye up, making ceilings look taller. When angled toward your rooms focal wall, a mirror can also create the illusion of depth. Paint something unexpected. Think beyond your walls and consider painting your mailbox or address numbers on your home, a stairway banister or a piece of furniture. Add a colorful punctuation point by transforming a bedroom nightstand bright blue or a desk chair in an unexpected orange. Everything else in the room will appear larger. Clever use of color adds the illusion of space and injects personality into it as well. Thats whats great about color; you can dramatically alter the look of a room while expressing yourself in a fun way, Bromstad adds. For additional inspiration and information, visit www.sherwinwilliams.com/hgtv.

Hello fellow readers, Its hard to imagine that July is upon us which means summer is in full swing. Its time to kick back and take some time off. But time off from working in the garden? I am all for it but sorry to say your garden may not agree. Why do we call it work anyway when most of us choose to garden? Lets shift our thinking a bit and call it playing in the garden, shall we? Maybe even get your kids involved? I encourage deadheading as a fun activity for the family. Im not talking about becoming a Grateful Dead follower (am I dating myself?), or a tractor trailer in transit with an empty load but the pruning of dead flower heads for the

purpose of influencing bounty. Deadheading saves the plant from continuing vital energy to spent blooms and therefore encourages more growth and blooms. All you need are a pair of scissors to cut back long stemmed flowers or a pair of fingers to pinch off short stemmed blooms to the first set of good looking leaves below; Hence a perfect activity for the kids. The time to deadhead is when blooms start to look ratty. If the flower has gone to seed you can save the seed or seed pods and plant them come spring. Or sprinkle seeds and plant seed pods now my preference after too many times uncovering stashes of seeds years later saved with good intentions. While deadheading please cut back any browning or dead foliage to tidy things up. I like to deadhead once or twice a month. Its especially important during the hot dry days of summer as it helps your flowering friends focus on new growth rather than producing seeds early in the season. Time to play! Garden dilemmas? askmarystone@gmail. com

Fresh, refrigerated and frozen foods are available to northwestern New Jersey residents at sharply reduced prices through the Jolin Food Box program. The food assistance program offers a variety of ordering options, from breakfast-lunchdinner combination packs to boxes of dinner entrees to special pack-

ages just for children. The price of a single box ranges from $22 $40. There is no limit to the number of boxes an individual or family can purchase, and the menu changes each month. The program even takes food stamps. Interested residents can order online with a credit card at

www.jolinfoodbox.com or by calling Project Self-Sufficiency at 973-940-3500. Payment is made when the order is placed. The next deadline for placing an order is Monday, July 15th; delivery will be made to Project Self-Sufficiency on Saturday, July 27th. The quality of the food products set the Jolin Food Box Program apart from other food assistance programs. Each month features a variety of menu items from seafood and poultry to baked goods and prepared meals. In one year, the Jolin Food Box Program has established 18 locations in New Jersey for distributing high quality food to residents in need. Project SelfSufficiency is the first distribution site in northwestern New Jersey. To find out more about the monthly food deliveries by the Jolin Food Box Program at Project Self-Sufficiency, or any of the other programs and services available at the agency, call 973-940-3500, or visit www.project selfsufficiency.org.

On July 4th, in part of the celebration, ALL Hope residents and Hope Area Chamber of Commerce members get FREE ADMISSION to Land of Make Believe on this special day. FUN is what it is all about at Land of Make Believe where the park, in partnership with the Hope Area Chamber of Commerce, is giving Hope Township residents, many of whom are volunteers for Hope with boards, fire department and other important groups, the chance to celebrate our nation's birthday with a FREE day of FUN at the park. On Thursday, July 4, Hope Township residents (and only Hope residents), as well as Chamber members, will be admitted free beginning at 10 a.m. and continuing throughout the day. Acres of Fun and Miles of Smiles awaits You and Your Family. Christopher Maier, whose family has owned the family favorite amusement park since its inception, with the Chamber's support,

invites all Hope residents to enjoy the 59th consecutive season of the Land of Make Believe by coming to the park as a "guest." Hope residents attending simply need to bring along proof of residency to receive their free admission to what has been called the "Happiest Place in New Jersey." "This day honors our forefathers for their vision and courage, and the Chamber and Land of Make Believe want to take the opportunity to thank those who volunteer their time and those who look after us," said

Maier, also the Chamber's president. "In addition to our own volunteers close to home we have the world's largest volunteer group of armed services. We have to keep them in our thoughts at all times, but particularly on a patriotic day such as July 4th." Members of the Hope Chamber of Commerce, who volunteer their time for the business organization to help improve the business quality of life in the Hope area, will also be on-hand during the festivities. Throughout the day of FUN, folks should remember the importance of this holiday honoring the people who make us safe. Over the years Land of Make Believe has been recognized for being among the safest amusement parks in the country. The Warren County Freeholders cited Land of Make Believe as "a valuable and irreplaceable asset to our county, its economy and its environment". Land of Make Believe is the economic engine that keeps 450 acres in Open Space at no cost to the taxpayers. For further information about Land of Make Believe, call (908) 4599000 or visit www.lomb.com.

Travelcenters Of America Honoring Military Members With Meals And Donation Drive To Support Military Families
TravelCenters of America LLC (TravelCenters), operator of the TA and Petro Stopping Centers travel center brands, invites all active duty military, veterans and reservists with proof of service to enjoy a complimentary meal on Independence Day, July 4, 2013, at any participating TA or Petro sitdown restaurants nationwide. Independence Day meals can be enjoyed at more than 170 participating Iron Skillet, Country Pride and other full-service, home-style restaurants within TA and Petro locations. We seek to honor the service by the men and women who have valiantly fought for our country by inviting them into our restaurants to share a meal. We recognize that they sacrifice personal and family time doing what needs to be done to keep America safe, said Tom OBrien, President and CEO of TravelCenters. We know that about one-third of drivers in the trucking industry are military veterans. Not only did they serve our country in the armed forces, they continue to serve by ensuring the safe and reliable transport of goods across the country; often times away from their families for days and weeks at a time. In 2012, TravelCenters served meals to more than 15,000 veterans and active duty military service men and women on Independence Day. This year, the company is offering its guests the opportunity to support the National Military Family Associations Operation Purple Program. We invite all of our guests to participate in the National Military Family Associations Operation Purple Program, donating what they can, said John Ponczoch, Senior Vice President of Restaurant Operations. This valuable organization provides services to families in the different phases of military life deployment, reintegration and coming together after an injury. This July 4, any veteran, activity duty or reservist from the military can receive a complimentary meal of their choice (up to a $15 value) by simply showing proof of service to their server prior to ordering their meal. Proof of service includes: U.S. Uniform Services ID Card or Retired ID Card; Current Leave and Earnings Statement; Veterans Organization Card; Photograph in uniform; DD214; or Citation or Commendation. Customers can make donations to Operation Purple at participating TA and Petro locations.

Local Students Inducted Into Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society At Bucknell
The following students have been inducted into Alpha Lambda Delta honor society at Bucknell University. Meghan E. Carroll, Phillipsburg. Carroll is the daughter of Linda and Patrick J. Carroll, Phillipsburg, and a 2012 graduate of Phillipsburg High School. Carroll is a first-year student in the Bachelor of Arts program. Tara A. Wilk, Washington. Wilk is the daughter of Mary Beth and Robert R. Wilk, Washington, and a 2011 graduate of Immaculate Heart Academy. Wilk is a sophomore in the Bachelor of Science program, majoring in Civil Engineering. Alpha Lambda Delta honor society is a national organization that recognizes students who have maintained a 3.5 GPA or higher and are in the top 20 percent of their class in their first year of education.

Political Correctness Has Run Amuck When You Cant Tell the Truth of Our Founding Over a month ago, Evangelical Free Church of Blairstown verbally committed to allow Warren County Tea Party to hold an assembly in celebration of July 4th on church property contingent speakers presentations are non-political and we not disclose we are a Tea Party organization. Even though we agreed to these restrictions, on June 15, 2013, the church pulled the plug. Problem being: We dont want to offend....We have Democrats in our congregation, thank God. There are Democrats in the Tea Party. The real question is are they Americans? Are they Patriots ? The Evangelical Free Church of Blairstown is not alone. Churches across our nation have become silent, indoctrinated with the dont want to offend philosophy. Churches should be a dominant influence on morality. Instead, they no longer shape our values because they have become silent, not calling sin what it is inside church walls, never mind outside in public, and America is worse off because of it. Christians should be a force, much the way God said to Jeremiah, Attack you they will, overcome you they cant. Once upon a time, churches protected

Judeo-Christian values against those who sought to destroy them. Today, the vast majority of churches have become pitifully weak. Their view of sin and morality is not based on Gods Law, rather rooted in current popular practices. Where are the churches French political thinker and historian, Alexis de Tocqueville, wrote about in Democracy in America, published in 1835 after his travels in America: -Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits -Flame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius -And power America is great because America is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great. Churches should not be afraid to speak out. Dedication to Gods word is their only option. When churches do not speak truth, they have allowed ways of the world to dilute truth. It is high time for churches to take a stand for Biblical values, which are also conservative values, and are the principles upon which our nation was founded. There is no room for political correctness in the Bible. Churches have forgotten these important words spoken by Christ: But he that denies me before men shall be denied before the angels of God. Luke 12:9 In 1775, Lutheran

minister, John Peter Muhlenberg, was authorized to raise and command the 8th Virginia Regiment of the Continental Army. The clergy, called black regiment because of black robes worn while preaching, helped lead the fight for independence in America. Before marching off to war, Muhlenberg delivered a powerful sermon from Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8: For everything there is a season; when he got to the eighth verse, A time for war and a time for peace , he shouted, And this is a time of war, took off this black robe to reveal the uniform of a Virginia colonel, grabbed his musket from behind the pulpit, and led 300 men to South Carolina to fight in the Revolutionary War. His brother, Frederick, also a minister, who opposed joining the military, watched the British burn his church to the ground before him. He then joined the Army. Although it has not come to taking up arms, we are at war today also. The church in America is in crisis and freedom of religion is on the ropes. Jesus warned of false teachers. The Apostle Paul said to Christians at Galatia, Am I therefore become you enemy, because I tell you the truth? What happens when churches cater to people and dont stand up for fear of offending? You end up with a bunch of false Christians, hypocrites that care more about what something looks like than truth. Elizabeth Allen
Views & opinions expressed in Letters to the Editor do not necessarily reflect those of The PRESS or its staff.

The Warren County Board of Chosen Freeholders joined in commemorating the centennial of the Alpha Volunteer Fire Company as well as the 75th anniversary of the Alpha Ladies Auxiliary. The organizations celebrated their milestones with a parade and other festivities on June 22nd. I congratulate you on 100 years, and wish you another 100 years in the future, Freeholder Director Jason J. Sarnoski told the fire company members as the board unanimously adopted a resolution honoring Alphas first responders. Fire Chief Charles K. Bodogh, Jr. and Donna Bevilacqua, president of the Ladies Auxiliary, accepted the proclamation from the freeholders.

Noting that he has many family members and friends who are volunteer firemen, Sarnoski said, I know what they go through and what they do to put their lives at risk to make sure other people in their community are safe, and thats very admirable. Freeholder Edward J. Smith said the proclamation for the fire company and ladies auxiliary is one of his favorite kinds of proclamations, because it recognizes volunteerism, which he called a core value for us. And its what makes it work here in Warren County. I dont see how we would ever be able to provide the services that are provided if not for the service of volunteers.

Calling the fire companys centennial an enormous milestone, Freeholder Richard D. Gardner said that milestone is possible only through the continued volunteerism demonstrated by the community. Im sure sometimes its a struggle, but Alpha is a great community, Gardner said. There have been some dramatic fires and other emergencies in Alpha over the year that have called upon really brave individuals to do their part, Gardner said. He added, All the training by the volunteers can never go underestimated. Its really such a valuable thing for the community at large.

Between the responsibilities involved with caring for aging parents, taking care of our own families, work demands and any number of other stressors life may bring, were dealing with way too much and our bodies may be suffering. Summer is here! Give yourself permission to take a break from your everyday stress and so you can rest and recharge. 5 Tips for Planning a Relaxing Vacation 1. Ask yourself: What do I really need in order to relax? This is a tough question when youre used to considering just a brief trip to the store by yourself or a 10-minute shower your daily relax time. Think about it: Whats weighing on you? Taking up your time? Keeping you from doing the things you really want to do? Give yourself permission to take a break from those things. Where theres a will, there a way. 2. Dont make your vacation a repeat of your everyday life. If your everyday life is a rat race, dont schedule activities for every minute of your vacation so that you come home

desperate for another vacation. Make sure your vacation includes unscheduled time that you can spend however you wish. Vacations are designed to help you relax and have fun. Anything that involves worry, stress, unnecessary responsibilities or have-to-dosskip it. 3. Leave your guilt at home. Guilt is that nasty voice that makes you feel bad for leaving extra work for everyone else, or deciding to hire someone to

care for your aging loved one while youre gone. Dont let guilt keep you from getting the reprieve you need. If your work is too much of a burden for someone else to help cover for a short time, thats an indication you need the vacation in the first place. And letting your loved one receive some additional help and attention from a professional CAREGiver while youre away could be a great change of pace for both of you. If

youre worried about leaving your loved one because of a condition like dementia, arthritis or diabetes, Home Instead Senior Care have specialized services for that too. 4. Dont cut corners prepping for your vacation. Put in the time before you leave to properly prepare for your vacation. Think through all the items you need to pack, put together a rough itinerary, consider potential problems and keep a

back-up plan in mind if necessary. Theres nothing less relaxing than realizing you forgot something important or neglected to make an important reservation. This is an especially important step whether your aging loved one stays behind or comes along with you. 5. Try planning several mini-vacations instead of one long one. Sometimes the preparation needed to go away for a long time and the catch-up work awaiting

you after is more trouble than its worth. Planning several short weekend trips rather than a weeklong vacation might help reduce the before and after stress. It may also take pressure off you from feeling the need to turn your one vacation opportunity into a golden week that fulfills every wish and longing previously suppressed by work and family obligations. For more information, visit the website at CaregiverStress.com.

McHose-Space Bill to Prevent Unemployment, Disability Fraud Gets Assembly OK

The General Assembly this past week, approved a bill sponsored by Assemblywoman Alison Littell McHose and Assemblyman Parker Space that is designed to prevent unemployment insurance (UI) and temporary disability insurance (TDI) fraud by requiring the transfer of death and incarceration records to the Department of Labor. The office of the state Comptroller issued a report last month that found inmates in the state prison system received more than $23 million in state benefits they were not entitled to, including benefits from UI, Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Work First New Jersey and the state employee pension system. Unemployment and disability benefits are intended to assist law abiding individuals who have lost their job or are ill or injured and need that income to provide for themselves and their families until they can get back on their feet, said Alison McHose, R-Sussex, Warren and Morris. Someone sitting in a prison cell is there because he or she are paying the consequences for breaking the law. Its unconscionable that inmates have been receiving unemployment checks and other benefits. Based on recent audits of the systems, its clear that better oversight is needed. A 2009 to 2011 audit of the Department of Labor and Workforce Developments (DOL) UI Services program revealed various mechanisms of the benefit payment system that could be updated to improve the collection of data and provide a more timely analysis and verification of wages earned and a beneficiarys status, including vital statistics death files, periodic cross matches, and testing of the result for conflicts. This measure will expedite that process and allow the department to receive electronic notification of death and incarceration statistics in a timely manner to ensure that individuals who are not eligible do not receive unemployment or temporary disability benefits, stated Parker Space, R-Sussex, Warren and Morris. The bill, A-3812, will require the state registrar to facilitate the electronic notification, upon completion of the death record and issuance of a burial permit, of a decedents name, Social Security number and last known address to the DOL. In addition, the Department of Corrections will be required to provide DOL with the name and Social Security number of each inmate at the time of incarceration.

On June 12th, 2013, RE/MAX House Values 4 hosted an Agent Appreciation Event for its agents. The entire office chartered a bus to New York City for the day, where they enjoyed a Broadway performance of Jersey Boys. Afterward, the staff and agents headed over to Green Township, NJ for a

relaxing dinner at Pub 517. The event was a blast, said Denise Scafati, Office Administrator for RE/MAX House Values 4. The agents have been motivated. It was a day off to relax with our second

family and enjoy the day together as a hardworking team. Since the event, the agents morale and spirits have been raised. The office support and cooperation has been boosted. We try to give back to the agents as

much as possible, and after a great spring market, the office needed a break. To contact RE/MAX House Values 4, call (908) 852-1333 or visit its website at www.housevalues4.rem ax-nj.com.

Gallery 23 in Blairstown is pleased to feature the work of Susan David and Katherine Yvinskas during the month of July 2013. A gala reception hosted by the artists will be held on Saturday, July 6th from 12- 4pm. The public is invited to their special Sensational Summer event and to meet the artists.

Susan and Katherine are offering a special 20% discount on selected work from July 4th July 6th. This is a unique opportunity to delve into the artists studio closets and acquire works that are rarely available. Susan David is a founding member of Gallery 23 and currently serves as the Coordina-

tor for Art at the PNC Bank in Blairstown where she arranges the monthly exhibitions. Susan began her artistic career as a custom jeweler. She has studied design, jewelry technique, antique jewelry appraisal and gemology with Lisa Spiros, Marsha Davis, Edith Weber and others. Susan uses interesting and unusual mixes of mediums and textures in designing her jewelry. While her work centers on her gemstones, silver, gold, and turquoise jewelry, she has also embraced a sculptural view of her art with her life-size jeweled figures, known as her Shenaniquins series. Shenaniquins are process art, a form of folk art she learned from her grandmother, incorporating items which have outlived their original uses and transforming them into something splendid, beautiful and a joy to behold. For these unique creations she frequently uses vintage stones or old costume jewelry combined with hundreds of other found objects. Katherine Yvinskas is a

member of Gallery 23 and serves as Gallery Director. Her recent series of mixed media drawings and paper creations feature the glory of

flowering plants. She has been in love with drawing all of her life and as an avid gardener and herbalist, she excels in capturing the subtle qualities of her botanical

and other subjects. Katherine is noted for her drawing, printmaking and painting. She trained in fine art at Northern Illinois University where she received her Master of Fine Arts degree. Her work is included in the collections of the Hunterdon Museum of Art and in many private collections throughout the United States and Europe. Gallery 23 is located at 23 Main Street in Blairstown, New Jersey. For more than 12 years Gallery 23 has offered distinctive and highquality, affordable art from local artists. Paintings, drawings, prints, photography, ceramics, jewelry, glass, wood, fiber arts, and note cards are some of the many offerings. Gallery hours are Monday-Saturday from 10-5 and Sunday from 12-4. For further information, please call 908362-6865 or visit them online at www.Gallery23.net.