Bangor High School Alumni Honor Award Recipients

BANGOR- The Bangor Area High School Alumni Association honored the 2007 Star Award and scholarship recipients at their monthly meeting.The Star Award, presented by the Bangor Area High School Alumni Association, recognizes achievements and/or contributions to society above and beyond the classroom. The 2007 Star Awards were presented to F. Scott Stinner and Anna Gothard, both graduating seniors.

Anna is the daughter of David and Sharon Gothard. Throughout her high school career, she has been involved in the musicals, marching band, Slater choir, concert band, jazz band, varsity softball, field hockey, National Honor Society, SADD, SPORTS club and Leo club. For two years she was the drum major of the marching band and won best drum major in two competitions. She was also nominated three times for a Freddy Award, twice as supporting actress and once as lead actress. She took third place in the Lehigh Valley Music Awards in the category, "Actress in a Staged Musical." In 2006 she represented Bangor for the PBS special, "Artist of the Week," under performing arts. Her future plans include attending Muhlenberg College where she will major in theatre and minor in music.

Franklin Scott Stinner, Jr. is the son of Rev. Franklin and Deborah Stinner of Bangor. Scott will attend Lafayette College in the fall to study Computer and Electrical Engineering. His goal is to design and build computer systems. Scott has been an active member of the marching band for four years, serving as tuba section leader during his senior year. He is a member of the National Honor Society and the Scholastic Scrimmage team. Much of his time during his senior year was spent working as part of the TV news crew for Channel 21 running, repairing and sometimes building parts of the control room. Scott is an active member of the Trinity Lutheran Church of Bangor where he serves as Youth Group president and acolyte. He also works as technical helper with Sunday school and the puppet team. Scott has had a driving interest in computers since elementary school. After spending years teaching himself about computer hardware and software, he built his own repair shop. Scott has used these skills to repair and rebuild over 125 computers for the Slater Family Network who then gives the computers to disadvantaged families in the community.

The following seniors, with the universities or colleges they plan to attend, were awarded $700 scholarships.

Briana Nicole Benner: Grove City College
Katie-Ann Coe: York College
Bobbi Jo Jennings: Bloomsburg University
Melissa Kakareka: Syracuse University
F. Scott Stinner: Lafayette College

Summer Sounds Returning to Weona Park

PEN ARGYL- The Weona Park Band Shell will host the Summer Sounds concert, “Serenade,” at 6 PM on Sunday, June 23 at Weona Park in Pen Argyl. The free concert begins at 6 PM and is sponsored by Pen Argyl Borough, Pen Argyl Athletic and Park Association, Green Knight Economic Development Corporation, MPTF and PA Partners in the Arts.

Slate Belt Museum Displaying the Artwork of Ellie Clancy

MT. BETHEL- The Slate Belt Museum will feature a two-week exhibition of the artwork of the late Ellie Clancy, a folk artist from Mt. Bethel, on Saturday and Sunday, June 23 and 24, and Saturday and Sunday, June 30 and July 1, from 1 to 5 PM. The museum is located at 2214 North Delaware Drive in Mt. Bethel, on Route 611just north of the Route 512 intersection. Admission is free, but donations are encouraged.

5th Annual Swing at the Stand

The 5th Annual Swing at the Stand will be held at the Weona Park Stand at 5 PM on Saturday, June 23. Members from the Bangor, Pen Argyl, and Pius X classes from the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s are encouraged to attend. Oldies music will play throughout the night. The price of admission is a covered dish or finger food to share and your own beverage. Enjoy the music of your youth and get reacquainted with old friends and meet some new ones. Come swing at The Stand.

14th Annual Robert L. Decker Memorial Softball Tournament

The 14th annual Robert L. Decker Memorial Softball Tournament will be held on July 14 and15 at Hillside Field in West Bangor. The tournament is open to Class C-D teams and the cost to enter is $150 with awards going to the top three teams. The tournament format is double-elimination. To register, or for more information, call John Smith at 610.588.1474 or 610.863.1293, extension 1.

Tupperware Benefit for Sherwood Peters

A Tupperware benefit will be held from 10 AM to 3 PM on Saturday, June 23 at North Bangor Fire Hall. The open house benefits Sherwood Peters who is battling Leukemia. There will be door prizes, 50/50, raffles, a bake sale and cash and carry.

Slate Belt Students Named to NCC Deans' List for Spring Semester

The following students have been named to the Deans’ List for the spring semester at Northampton Community College (NCC). The honor is reserved for students who achieved a minimum grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale.

Bangor: Jessica Albert, Marissa Baddick, Nick Castaldo, Donna Chart, Kathryn Cuff, Sara DeBoer, Becky Dillman, Michael Diorio, Kristine Doherty-Kachline, Ryan Engler, Christopher-Aaron Felker, Lindsay Frisbie, Jack Fulzenloger, Stacey Hildabrant, Barry Hocking, Rory Holderness, Brian Hontz, Nikki Jones, Elizabeth Keiser, John Kennedy, Tyler Kutzman, Ronald Leon, Elizabeth Maginley, Kevin McCabe, Michael Meyers, Brenda Miller, Claire Mitchell, Craig Murray, Lisa Nasatka, Sara Osborn, Larissa Panczer, Dawn Phillips, Emmanuel Pinckney, Kristina Pribic, Tracy Remaley, Roxanne Riotto, Catherine Rue, Elizbeth Rue, Krystal Sheredos, Lynne Spagnola, Susan Stiuso, Christen Streng, Katrina Templeton, Ryan Vanderhoff, Jennifer Vedral, Winifred Wagner, Kathryn Weiss, David Wojtkowski.

Martins Creek: Erika Frantz, Mark Orse, Sarah Wassel.

Mount Bethel: Kristin Belkey, Cheryl Biggs, Judith deBoer, Robert Hernandez, James Landitch, Jennifer Lomerson, Matthew Palka, Jennifer Peterson, Mark Pugliese, Anthony Serio, Laurin Wollan.

Pen Argyl: Faith, Austin, Kristen Brobst, Joanna Brooks, Kathy Chelednik, Jenna DeFranco, Lisa Getz, Yan Gray, Vincent Greggo, Amber Grey, Lisa Grose, Dana Hahn, Kristi Harrison, Nicole Lockard, Sherree McCollum, Ronald McIntyre, Dawn Miller, Mary Miller, Thomas Neill, Virginia Quinones, Jennie Saylor, Sean Stuber, Alexandra Tanghe, Mallory Tarnoski, Tanya Waberski, Christina Williams, David Jr. Williams, Douglas Williams, Rebecca Williams. Perkasie:Rachel Ruttle.

Portland: Autumn Biersack, Theresa Hoskins, Holly O'Brien, Margo Stefanic.

Roseto: Hannah Bath, Ann Cameron-Dorish, Jeffrey Cooper, Eric Frost, Michael Labate, Marco Marinucci, Kathleen Miller, Jennifer Mulligan, Kelly Ringland.

Wind Gap: Randi Baker, Kristen Bennett, Foretta Byles, Jennifer Dillman, Jarrod Findon, Lisa Little, Amber Long, Heather Owen, Celinda Pysher, Tracey Riedinger, Scott Rodney, Jessica Vitale.

Pen Argyl Borough Seeking to Fill Vacancy

Pen Argyl Borough is seeking to fill a vacancy on the Borough Zoning Board. Interested residents should contact Borough Manager, Robin Zmoda at 610.863.1822.

Mt. Bethel Vol. Fire Company Gun Show

The Mt. Bethel Volunteer Fire Company Gun Show will be held from 9 AM to 3 PM on Sunday, July 15 at the Mt. Bethel Volunteer Fire Company's firehouse. The show features many tables of antique and modern guns, knives, and hunting and fishing equipment. Local dealers and collectors will be on hand. Admission is $4 for adults and children under age 12 will be admitted free if accompanied by an adult. Breakfast and lunch will be available. The Mt. Bethel Volunteer Fire Company is located on Route 611 in Mt. Bethel. For more information, call Harry Nasatka at 610.588.7538.

Blue Valley Farm Show Scholarships Awarded

The Blue Valley Farm Show awarded its 2007-2008 scholarship. Each recipient will receive a $500 scholarship in a ceremony scheduled for August 25 at the annual Blue Valley Farm Show. Receiving scholarships this year are Emily A. Lieberman of Pen Argyl, Susan M. Scheurer of Nazareth and Allyson E. Mackavage of Bethlehem. Emily graduated from Faith Christian School and will attend Philadelphia Biblical University in Langhorne, Pennsylvania this fall majoring in Early Childhood Education and Bible. Emily has been a member of the Northampton County 4-H Plainfield Township Sewing Club for the past 9 years. Susan graduated from Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Performing Arts in June of 2007 and will attend Eastern University in St. Davids, PA majoring in Music Education. Susan has been a member of the Northampton County Busy Fingers, Home is Where the Heart Is and Clever Clovers for the past 10 years. She has been a treasurer, vice president, president and secretary of her 4-H clubs. Allyson graduated from Liberty High School and will be attending Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, NJ this fall majoring in Chemical Engineering. Allyson has been a member of the Northampton County 4-H Our Eyes Have Paws for 5 years

Immaculate Conception School Holds Field Day

Immaculate Conception School (ICS) celebrated the end of the 2006-2007 school year on Thursday, May 24 with their annual field day activities. Pius X High School students helped to organize the activities for the ICS students with all participating in a rousing tug-of-war at the end of the day. The contest featured the students versus the faculty and parents. Much to the students’ chagrin, the faculty and parents won the contest.

Borough of Bangor Yard Sale

The Borough of Bangor is holding a town-wide yard sale on Saturday, June 23. Permits are available for purchase at The Press.

Portland Borough Council Seeking to Fill Vacancy

Portland Borough is seeking to fill a vacancy on its borough council. The vacant seat expires in December 2007. All interested residents should send their resume to the Borough of Portland, PO Box 476, Porltand, PA.

Allies Invading Bangor

The Allies will unite and invade Bangor with random acts of kindness from Monday, June 25 through Friday, June 29. The Allies are a group of youth leaders and youth pastors from the Slate Belt area that have joined forces to form a stronger team to reach and impact teens for Christ. The Allies will help shutins, seniors and single moms in need of help around the house with small projects such as yard clean-up and painting.

Roseto Borough Summer Recreation

The Borough of Roseto is sponsoring summer recreation from July 16 through August 10, Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 12 PM at Roseto Borough Park. The program is open to children entering first grade through eighth grade, as of September 2007. There is no charge for children of Roseto Borough residents. Non resident fees are $30 for the first child, $20 for the second child and $10 for any additional child in the same family. Registration will be held at the Roseto Borough Park on Friday, July 13 from 7 to 8 PM and on Saturday, July 14 from 10 AM to 12 PM.

Bangor Park Summer Recreation

The Bangor Memorial Park 2007 Recreation Program runs from July 2 through August at Bangor Memorial Park from 9 AM until 12 PM, Monday through Friday. The program is for children ages 5 through 14. The fee for Bangor and Washington Township residents is $75 for-the first child and $50 for each additional child. The fee for non-residents is $95 for the first child and $95 for each additional. To register, contact Sandy Schweitzer at 610.588-.2139 or Bangor Borough at 610.588.2216.

Bangor Schools & Bangor Library Co-Sponsoring Summer Reading Program

Super sleuths and daring detectives are invited to “Get a Clue At Your Library.” The 2007 Summer Reading Program is open to young people, preschool through children entering grade 5, this fall. There will be story hours, crafts, drawings and a reading incentive program. A special preschool story hour for kids who have not yet entered kindergarten will be offered at 10 AM each Friday at the Bangor Public Library. Children entering grades 1 through 5 this fall are invited to attend one session per week at one of the three locations, as the program will be the same at each location. Tuesdays the program will be held at 1 PM at the Bangor Public Library. Wednesdays the program will be at DeFranco Elementary at 12 PM. Thursdays Five Points Elementary will host the program at 10 AM. The program runs June 19 through July 27. For more information, call LouAnn Fehr at 610.599.7013, ext. 3309.

Hopesprings Community of Faith Meeting at East Bangor Fire Hall

Hopesprings Community of Faith is currently meeting on the fourth Sunday of each month at East Bangor Fire Hall. The group meets for coffee at 10 AM with a worship gathering at 10:30 AM with nursery care and a kids program. For more information, call Pastor Walter Wilson at 610.599.0202 or visit www.hopespringscommunity.com.

Pius X High School Accepting 2007-2008 Registration

Pius X Junior/Senior High School is now accepting registration applications for the 2007-2008 school year. To obtain a registration form, schedule a tour, and/or to have your child spend a day to shadow a Pius student, please call 610-588-3291. The school is located at 580 Third Avenue in Bangor across the street from Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church.

American Cancer Society Receives Grant to Help Give Cancer Patients a “Lift”

The American Cancer Society was recently awarded a community investment grant from Mack Trucks, Inc. that will help more cancer patients get to their potentially lifesaving treatments.

American Cancer Society volunteers provide transportation to and from cancer-related treatment free of charge for those who need assistance. The donation from Mack allowed the Society to purchase a vehicle that will be used by volunteer drivers in the Lehigh Valley community.

“The donation by Mack is going to help a lot of cancer patients and their families who need help getting to their treatments,” said Dee Mathis, Regional Cancer Control Director for the American Cancer Society. “It’s going to help us provide more rides for those who need them, and I hope it also encourages more people to volunteer as drivers.” As part of the Mack Community Grants program, an employee review committee chose the American Cancer Society as one of the program’s 2006 recipients, based on the need for transportation assistance for cancer patients in the community.

“The American Cancer Society does tremendous work, and we’re pleased to help them with their mission through our Community Grants program,” said Mack spokesman John Walsh. “We’re proud to support programs like these that benefit people in our community, and make our community a better place to live,” Walsh added.

If you have one or more mornings or afternoons free during the month, you can become a volunteer driver for the American Cancer Society. Volunteer drivers require no special skills or education; all that is necessary is a safe driving record, current insurance, some free time, a serviceable vehicle or willingness to drive the Society’s vehicle, and an interest in helping others. A person can volunteer as often as he or she wishes. The Society provides an orientation, support materials, and other assistance.

For information on how to become a volunteer driver, or if you or a loved one needs assistance getting to your cancer-related treatments, call your American Cancer Society at 1.888.227.5445 option 1, or visit www.cancer.org.

The American Cancer Society is dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by saving lives, diminishing suffering and preventing cancer through research, education, advocacy and service. Founded in 1913 and with national headquarters in Atlanta, the Society has 13 regional Divisions and local offices in 3,400 communities, involving millions of volunteers across the United States. For more information anytime, call toll free 1-800-ACS-2345 or visit www.cancer.org.

Dedicated to quality, reliability, and total customer satisfaction, Mack Trucks, Inc. has provided its customers with innovative transportation solutions for more than a century. Today, Mack is one of North America's largest producers of heavy-duty trucks, and MACK® vehicles are sold and serviced in more than 45 countries worldwide. All Mack manufacturing locations are certified to the internationally recognized ISO 9001 standard for quality and ISO 14001 standard for environmental management systems. Mack is also a proud sponsor of Share the Road, an American Trucking Associations' public information campaign aimed at enhancing the safety of our nation's roadways. Mack is a member of the Volvo Group, a publicly held company headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden. For more information about Mack, visit www.macktrucks.com."

4-H Holding Benefit Car Wash at Forks UCC

The Northampton County 4-H Teen Council will be holding a car wash on Sunday, June 24 at Forks United Church of Christ on Sullivan Trail. The car wash will be held from 12 to 3 PM. The 4-H Teen Council will donate a portion of the proceeds to various organizations in the area. Recently they have donated to Dream Kids, who support Dream Come True, and to Equi-librium, a therapeutic riding organization. 4-H offers over 150 hands-on projects with an emphasis on leadership and life skills. The program is open to youths ages 8-18. Volunteer leaders for various projects are always welcomed. For further information concerning the 4-H program, call 610.746.1970.

American Legion Hosting Waggin’ Tails Adoption Day

Waggin’ Tails Pet Rescue, a no-kill all-volunteer animal rescue organization, will hold an adoption day on Saturday, July 29 from 10 AM to 2 PM at the American Legion in Gilbert. Many wonderful dogs will be available to meet with potential adopters. Anyone interested in adopting a dog must fill out a pre-adoption application with veterinary and personal references and have a home inspection prior to adoption. The American Legion is located on Route 209 in Gilbert. For more information, call 570.992.4185 or visit www.waggintailsrescue.com.

“Culture Snapshots” at NCC

Whether you’re planning to travel abroad, looking to get in touch with your roots, or just seeking some summer enrichment, you’ll find it in Northampton Community College’s Culture Snapshots courses. Taught by NCC’s foreign language instructors, these courses introduce you to the language, culture, history, travel, food, and music of Germany, Italy or Poland.

Courses are held at NCC’s Main Campus in Bethlehem.

* German Introduction: Tuesdays, July 10-31, 6 to 8 p.m.
* Italian Introduction: Tuesdays, July 31-August 21, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
* Polish Introduction: Thursdays, July 12-August 2, 6 to 8 p.m.

For a detailed course description or to register online, go to www.northampton.edu. To register by phone using a credit card, call 877.543.0998.

Thatcher Band Brings Clapton to the Mauch Chunk Opera House

The Craig Thatcher Band will perform an Eric Clapton Retrospective at the Mauch Chunk Opera House at 14 W. Broadway in Jim Thorpe on Saturday, June 23 at 8:30 PM. Presented by JTAMS Productions, noted bluesman Craig Thatcher and his all-star band will journey through the career of Eric Clapton.

Thatcher, a devoted student of the music and technique of the great Clapton, created this retrospective show which spans Clapton's more than 40-year career and features songs from The Yardbirds, John Mayall and The Bluesbreakers, Cream, Blind Faith, Derek and The Dominoes and, of course, the legendary guitarist's brilliant solo career. Slowhand fans will appreciate Thatcher's mastery of Clapton's greatest songs and solos.

Joining guitarist and vocalist Thatcher in the Lehigh Valley based Craig Thatcher Band are guitarist Chris Morrison, Wayde Leonard on bass and vocals, Craig Kastelnik on Hammond B-3 and vocals, Pat Flaherty, vocals and percussion and drummer Don Plowman. This band has been entertaining audiences with their exciting brand of blues-rock since 1993 and is a must-see live band with an explosive on-stage energy and confidence.

Having performed with many world renowned musicians including Buddy Guy, Jonny Lang, Chris Smither, Ted Nugent, Bobby Rydell and Train at concert halls, theatres, festivals and clubs all over the world, the band was nominated for five awards at the Lehigh Valley Music Awards in 2000, walking away with Best Overall Performer, Best Electric Guitarist and Best Duo for Thatcher and James Supra. In 2002, Thatcher won Best Overall Performer and, in 2003, Thatcher won Best Acoustic Guitarist and Thatcher and Supra again won Best Duo. Thatcher and Supra again won Best Duo in 2004 while Thatcher again won Best Acoustic Guitarist. In 2004, the band was also voted Best Local Band by the readers of Lehigh Valley Magazine.

The band has released two CDs; "Because Of You" and "Temptation," both of which consist mostly of original material written by Thatcher.

Thatcher and Supra have also released an acoustic blues CD called "Hard Times," which, in August of 2005, won Best Blues CD, Best Overall CD and Best Cover Design at the LVMA. The title track, written by Thatcher, won Best Original Song. That same year, Thatcher won Best Acoustic Guitarist for the third time.

To reserve tickets, or for more information, call 570.325.0249 or visit www.jtams.net.