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Pen Argyl's Madison Mennel (white) fights for possession, during the Knights' 61-26 loss to Southern Lehigh in a game played at Pen Argyl Saturday afternoon. (More photos below) (More photos tomorrow) Sbtt Photo Haley Burns

Bangor's Meredith Colton (25) reaches for a rebound, during the Slaters' 50-40 win over Salisbury in a game played Saturday night at Bill Pensyl gym at Bangor High School. (More photos tomorrow). (More photos below) Sbtt Photo Elizabeth Bina.

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Spring

Pen Argyl - January, 2014

MTD: 1.42 Normal: 3.08

01 - .00
02 - .46
03 - .00
04 - .00
05 -. 00
06 - .96
07 - .00
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10 - .00
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17 - .00
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24 - .00
25 - .00
26 - .00
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YTD - 18.50

November 26............................0.25
December 9..............................0.50
December 10............................2.00
December 15............................5.50
December 17............................2.75
December 24............................0.25
December 26............................0.25
January 2.................................6.50

4-H Leather Crafting Club
Looking for New Members

Leather working is an old and vanishing art form. In LetherCrafters 4-H Club we try to tech the members how to handle leather and how to work with leather. Some of the arts the members learn are: tooling, selecting patterns to use, dying, staining, stamping and lacing. Many of the members design and craft their own items; many use pre-bought kits and finish the item. Each learns at his/her own speed.
The club meets on the first and third Fridays of each month through April. The meetings are held at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Moorestown, from 7:30 PM - 9 PM.
New members are welcome to join us! Youth ages 8-18 are encouraged to join us to learn this art form. The members projects will be exhibited at the annual 4-H Fair in August, with the opportunity to enter these creations in various local fairs, and then used by the members. Representatives from Tandy Leather Company will be available at some of the meetings to help the membership. 4-H leaders will guide the members through basic tooling and crafting. Projects range from very simple items for the younger or less experienced members through more intricate and detailed items for the older or more experienced members; each project being selected by the 4-Her. Members are expected to purchase his/her own project materials. The club has basic tools, stains, and lacing for use by the membership; there are small projects available for purchase form the club.
There are various fees for 4-H membership payable to Penn State and the county. In addition there is a modest fee for the club. Adults who accompany youth and wish to participate may do so for a modest fee.
Membership is limited due to the nature of the projects and the help required, please reserve your space early. For more information or to join LeatherCrafters, please call Janice Martin, 610-837-7294, Cindy Rifenburg, 610-760-9337, or Janet Kline, 610-837-6244.
There are over 150 hands on projects offered by 4-H, with an emphasis on leadership, life skills and the community. For further information concerning the 4-H program, in general, please call the Northampton County Extension Offices asking for Brad Kunsman, 610-746-1970. Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity, and the diversity of its workforce

Bingo - Bushkill Fire Co. Doors 5pm. Bingo 7pm.
Blue Mountain Library - Open 10-12 & 6-8pm
Bangor Public Library - Open 1-8
Slate Belt Senior Center - Open 8-4. Blue Valley Farm Show
Gym Nite - 6-8pm, Faith Christian School, Roseto. 610-588-6929
Slate Belt Band - Practice. Roseto American Legion, 143 Garibaldi Ave., Roseto 7:30-9.
Story Time - Preschool children. Blue Mt. Community Library, Pen Argyl, 10:30am
Washington Township Supervisors Meet - Municipal Building, 7pm
Plainfield Township Supervisors - Meets 7:00pm Municipal Building.
Bangor Yard Waste - Dump in container at Bangor Park, 8-2
UNICO - 7pm. Medic 9 building, Blue Valley Drive (Rt 512).

Click Here For Future Events

Mohegan Sun Trip

St. Elizabeth of Hungary Parish Will Be Sponsoring a Trip to the Mohegan Sun in Wilkes Barre on Thursday, January 9, 2014. Please Note: this Trip Will Take Place of the Monthly Atlantic City Trip for the Months of January and February.
There Will Be 2 Pick up Locations: the First Will Be at the St. Elizabeth's Parking Lot in Pen Argyl and the Second Will Be at the Old St. Joseph Church in Wind Gap.
For More Information, Please Call Mary Lou Derea-lohman at 610-863-4846 or 610-844-4630

Safe Haven Volunteer Meeting

Safe Haven Pet Rescue will have a Volunteer Meeting on Tuesday, January 21 at 6:30 PM at Cherry's Family Restaurant, Route 209 near Route 534, Kresgeville.
If you are an animal lover, please come and meet the volunteers and have a bite to eat. Safe Haven is a small group of dedicated animal advocates who rescue dogs from high kill and overcrowded shelters and find them loving homes. All dogs are in foster care until their permanent homes are found. Safe Haven has rescued more than 700 lives so far.
Safe Haven always welcomes volunteers and foster families. Volunteers are needed for adoption days, dog transport to veterinary and grooming appointments, fundraising, clerical help, home visits and more. Foster homes are needed in order to save more dogs.
If you are interested in volunteering or fostering, come to the meeting or visit www.SafeHavenPA.org for volunteer and foster applications and to see the available dogs. For more information, email SafeHaven@epix.net. Join Safe Haven PA on Facebook.

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Lehigh Valley News
National News
2013 Under Review
Cold weather forces mice indoors
Cool science stuff at cold temps
Man will swap jeep for your wife

Pen Argyl's Tanner Fehr (3) looks to pass, during the Knights' game with Salisbury played Tuesday night at Pen Argyl. Sbtt Photo Haley Burns

Pen Argyl's Strouse (4) dribbles along the three-point arc, during the Knights' 61-26 loss to Southern Lehigh in a game played at Pen Argyl Saturday afternoon. (More photos below) (More photos tomorrow) Sbtt Photo Haley Burns

2013 UNDER REVIEW...

Groundbreaking ceremonies were held Friday June 7 for the Slate Belt YMCA on West Pennsylvania Avenue in Pen Argyl. Sbtt Photo Larry Cory

Joe DeFranco of J. DeFranco and Daughters gives a talk Thursday night at the Slate Heritage Center about his book entitled Growing Up in a Butcher Shop. Sbtt Photo Larry Cory

Pen Argyl, Pennsylvania, weather forecast

Bangor's Jasmine Vass dribbles into the front court, during the Slaters' 50-40 win over Salisbury in a game played Saturday night at Bill Pensyl gym at Bangor High School. (More photos tomorrow). Sbtt Photo Elizabeth Bina.

CLIMATE........

Cold Weather Pushes
Rodents into Homes

With the holidays over for another year, you may think you won't have any more surprise guests until spring. Think again. Nearly a third (29 percent) of Americans have had a "visit" from one of winter's least-welcome "guests" - rodents - according to a survey from the National Pest Management Association. In fact, these pests enter approximately 21 million homes each winter, and nearly half of the infestations occur in the fall and winter months.
"It can be extremely unnerving to hear scurrying sounds in the middle of the night or find evidence of a rodent infestation in the pantry or another part of the home, " says Missy Henriksen, vice president of public affairs for the NPMA. "We advise all homeowners to take the necessary steps to rodent-proof their homes and prevent these unwanted pests from using homes as shelter to ride out the chilly winter months."
Rodents spread Salmonella and other bacteria through their droppings, can trigger allergies and asthma attacks as a result of a protein in their urine, and bring with them other diseases such as murine typhus, infectious jaundice, Weil's Disease and rat-bite fever. In addition to the health and sanitation concerns, rodents can also damage property as they chew through wood and drywall. They can even gnaw through-electrical wires, causing fires.
NPMA's rodent survey found:
* Rats or mice are a problem in 29 percent of homes, including 35 percent of those in the Northeast;30 percent in the South;22 percent in the Midwest; and 28 percent in the West.
* Of those who have had a problem, 45 percent said it occurred in the fall and winter months.
* Rodents showed up most often in kitchens (50 percent), basements (27 percent), living rooms (25 percent), attics and garages (24 percent), bedrooms (22 percent) and bathrooms (11 percent).
To combat rodent infestations this season, NPMA recommends five home maintenance tips:
* Inspect the outside of your home for easy access points. Seal any cracks and crevices with silicone caulk, paying special attention to areas where utility pipes enter the structure. Remember, mice can enter homes through holes the size of a dime and rats through holes the size of a quarter.
* Fill larger gaps inside your home with pieces of steel wool, as the roughness of the steel fibers deters pests. This works especially well with rodents because they are unable to gnaw through the material.
* Screen attic vents and openings to chimneys, which could serve as potential entryways.
* Replace weather-stripping and repair loose mortar around the basement's foundation and windows.
Properly landscape around the home to avoid providing sites where pets can hide. Keep shrubbery trimmed and ensure mulch is kept at least 15 inches from the foundation.
For more information on pest control, visit www.pestworld.org.

Because science! Cool stuff that
only happens in the freezing cold

Cold weather can be a drag. But it can also be an opportunity to do wacky science things that won't work in August. Around much of the country where freezing temperatures have kept folks inside and bundled up, some are braving the weather to conduct a few experiments. Meteorologist Eric Holthaus took it upon himself to test the theory that boiling water turns instantly into snow if the air is cold enough. Holthaus tossed a pot of boiling water into the minus 21°F air and — voila! — instant snow flurries.
Holthaus told Storyful: “Today was the coldest weather I’ve ever personally experienpembced, and the first time I’ve tried this trick. Sure enough, it works!”
Why use boiling water? For reasons that remain a mystery — even to scientists — boiling water can freeze faster than cold water in some circumstances.
The phenomenon is known as the Mpemba effect and is named after Ernesto Mpemba, a student from Tanzania who found that he could make ice cream faster if he used milk that had been heated up. His claims were mocked by some, but Mpemba asked around and found that local ice cream merchants were already using his technique. Today it's widely accepted, if not exactly widely understood.

Man wants to swap his jeep for your wife

A Texan man who wanted to trade his jeep for a week with someone else's wife has had his online ad removed from Craigslist.
The unnamed man, from Huntsville, Texas, was very clear about what he wanted in his ad which was stronger on technical details than spelling.
"I have a 4wd Jeep Cherokee. Its is dully (sic) loaded and has a which (sic) attached to front ranch hand bumper and grill gaurd (sic).
"The truck only has 48,000 miles on it. I am looking to trade it but I looking for certain things only. I don't need it but its (sic) paid for so O (sic) don't have to sell it.
"Now here is what I am looking for. A lady (preferable (sic) married to how (sic) wants the jeep) she mist (sic) be 18 to 50 and fit.
"I give you the jeep and you leave your wife with me for a week. When you come pick her up she have the signed title to the jeep.
"So if interested send me several photo of the wife and I get right back to you. The photo need to be nude after all she will be for a week."

Pen Argyl's Nate Gillette (5) tries to control the opening tap, during the Knights' game with Salisbury played Tuesday night at Pen Argyl. Sbtt Photo Haley Burns

Bangor's Meredith Colton (25) and Chandler Zungolo (23) get in position to rebound, during the Slaters' 50-40 win over Salisbury in a game played Saturday night at Bill Pensyl gym at Bangor High School. (More photos tomorrow). Sbtt Photo Elizabeth Bina.

Pen Argyl's Sara Cinelli posts up looking for a pass, during the Knights' game with Southern Lehigh played at Pen Argyl Saturday afternoon. (More photos tomorrow) Sbtt Photo Haley Burns

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