Warren and Hunterdon Counties are evaluating the need for a commuter shuttle service along Rt. 31, launching an online survey to help gauge the need for and level of interest in the service.The survey will run

until mid-March and can be found at 31ride.com.“We’ve got to find out

what the needs are, and whether the interest is there,” said Warren County Freeholder Director Edward J. Smith.State and federal fund-

ing could be used for a shuttle, Smith said, but “everything depends on how many people respond” and whether the response demon-strates the need for public transportation.Traffic congestion has

been a long-standing challenge to commuters along the Rt. 31 Corri-dor, and increased access to public trans-portation has been iden-tified as possible solution to address this congestion and improve the commute for residents of Warren and Hunterdon counties. The proposed shuttle would run from the Oxford area to the Clinton Park-N-Ride, with possible stops at NJ Transit’s High Bridge and Annandale rain stations.The survey is a

collaboration of Warren and Hunterdon counties, NJ Transit, and local transportation manage-ment associations, Tran-sOptions and HART Commuter Information Services.

Smith said he is excited about the possibilities, noting that if a Route 31 shuttle is launched, “For the first time you’d have public transportation to connect from Warren County to anywhere in the world.” From the park and ride lot and the train stations, travelers could access rail and bus routes leading to Newark Liberty Interna-tional Airport and to NYC, with its connec-tions to additional airports, train and bus depots, and ship termi-nals. Freeholder Jason J.

Sarnoski noted the shuttle would run both ways and could serve as an economic engine for the region.“Expanding our

options for travel in and

out of Warren Countywill help us get peoplefrom where they live towhere they work, andget people from outside of Warren County totake advantage of thebusinesses we have herein the Washington andOxford areas,” Sarnoski remarked.“Any time that we can

reduce the traffic on Rt.31 would be a benefit to the public,” Freeholder Richard D. Gardner said.“This is a very positive

pilot project, because aswe see every day, Rt. 31 gets backed up into Warren County with folks that are trying to get to Route 78 to get to work,” Gardner com-mented, adding, “I’veseen it get worse overthe years.”“We’ve got a chance to

get federal dollars, to getstate dollars, to workcooperatively with Hunterdon County…this is big stuff,” Smithremarked.

Walnut Valley United Methodist Church in Blairstown is holding a clothing drive now through March 13th. Anything soft (linens, clothes, purses, stuffed animals (but no toys, please), etc. will be accepted. For more information, email christiebende@yahoo.com. Hackettstown High

School classmates of 1975 are requested to contact Cindy Mincev-ich at 908-637-6171 to update their contact information for their 40 year reunion planned for Memorial Day weekend. Kindergarten regis-

tration for Blairstown Elementary School will be held on May 2nd, and May 9th for all pupils entering kinder-garten in September

2015. Kindergarten pupils must have reached their 5th birth-day by October 1st, 2015. Registration documents required to be brought to the school office before your screening date are a completed registration form, which can be found on the school website under forms; child’s birth certificate with the raised seal; signed doctor’s certifi-cate of immunizations; and, if you do not have a student registered at Blairstown Elementary School, you must provide proof of residence. Please call Eileen at 908-362-6111, ext. 109 as soon as possible to schedule your kindergarten screening appointment. Attention parents of

future kindergarten

students: Knowlton Twp. Elementary School is planning for the 2015-2016 school year. At this time, they would like to identify as many children as possible who will be eligible for Kindergar-ten in September. To be eligible for kindergar-ten, a child must be five years old by October 1st, 2015. If you have not already done so, and you have a child who will be eligible for next year’s kindergarten class, call the school at 908-475-5118, ext. 200 as soon as possible. Dates for screening of next year’s kindergarten students will be released at a later date. Parents will receive details in the mail. Knowlton Twp.

Elementary Preschool is now accepting regis-trations for fall 2015. Children must be four years old by October 1st, 2015 and must be toilet trained. The

program runs Monday through Friday from 9am to 11:30am when school is in session. Transportation is not provided for this program. If interested, please call the school office at 908-475-5118, ext. 200.Attention Blairstown

Seniors: The first Blairstown Seniors trip of 2015 is sched-uled for April 22nd to Brownstone to see “American Band-stand” staring Joe Zisa and featuring Eric Kearns. Any Blair-stown resident over 55 is welcome. Sign-up is Wendesday, March 25th at Town Hall at 1pm. For more information, call Mickey at 908-362-8919.Warren Co. Habitat

for Humanity is in need of donations for their Annual “Home Raising” Live and Silent Auction and Dinner on April 18th.Help is needed funding

materials, specialized labor and equipment needed to construct the houses. Warren Co. Habitat for Humanity is asking for support by making a donation of new items, services or by providing corporate sponsorship for this fundraising event. Attendees will be informed that all partici-pating businesses are a sponsor and/or donor.

For more information,call 908-399-8386. We love hearing from

you! Send yourbirthdays,

anniversaries and tidbits of info to:

The PRESS,1 Broadway,

Bangor, PA 18013thepressmail@gmail.comVisit Us 24/7 online atthepressnewsonline.com

Like us! facebook.com/thepressnewsonline

Family Movie Night: March 11th, 6:30pm.Warren Co. Library, 2 Shotwell Dr., Belvidere. Come watch a movie

that recounts a day in the life of a grumpy young boy who has everything go wrong, all in one day. Rated PG. FMI, call

908-475-6322 or visit www.warrenlib.org.

Evening Lit Group: March 11th, 7pm. Catherine Dickson Library, 4 Lambert Rd., Blairstown. Evening book discussion group. FMI, call 908-362-8335.

Kid’s Crafts: March 13th, 4pm. Catherine Dickson Library, 4 Lam-bert Rd., Blairstown. Ages 5-12. Sign up is necessary. FMI, call 908-362-8335.

Boy Scout Troop 140 7th Annual Spaghetti Dinner: March 13th, 5pm-7:30pm. 1st UMC, 10 Stillwater Rd., Blair-stown. Eat-in or take-out. FMI & tickets, call Lori: 908-362-7460.

Hope Twp. Class of 2015 Tricky Tray Fundraiser: March 13th, Doors open 6pm. Hope Twp. School, 320 Johnsonburg Rd., Hope. FMI, visit hopetown shiptrickytray.shutterfly.com.

Fred S. Burroughs

North Jersey Chapter Annual Fund Raising Banquet: March 21st, 6:30pm. Andover-Sparta Rd., Sparta. Prizes, raffles & more. Reservations can be made at nnjtu.org. Tick-ets available by contact-

ing Sue Reed at 908-850-8773 or sbreed@ optonline.net. RSVP by March 13th.

Warren Co. Historical Society Luncheon/ Meeting: March 14th, 11:30am. Bloomsbury. FMI & reservations, Call Beverly at 908-475-4188.

St. Patrick's Day Dinner Dance: March 14th, 6:15-11pm. McNulty Hall. Snow date: March 15th. Spon-

sored by St. Jude LadiesGuild & Knights of Columbus Council#12430. FMI & tickets,call Robert Ho at 908-382-1525 or Lorraine Meister at 908-459-5114.

Morning Lit Group: March 16th, 10am.Catherine Dickson Library, 4 Lambert Rd.,Blairstown. FMI, call908-362-8335.

Free Bankruptcy Seminar: March 18th, 7–9pm. Project Self-Sufficiency, 127 Mill St., Newton. Registra-tion req’d. To register, call 973-940-3500.

Adult Jeopardy:March 19th, 7pm. Catherine Dickson Library, 4 Lambert Rd.,Blairstown. Registration req’d. Ages 18 & up. FMI, call 908-362-8335.

Young Adult Book Club: March 19th, 2:45pm. CatherineDickson Library, 4 Lambert Rd., Blair-stown. Ages 12 -15.Sign up req’d. FMI, call908-362-8335.

Teen Craft: Sculpt it! March 19th, 6pm.Warren Co. Library, 2 Shotwell Dr., Belvidere.Make paper sculptures, build w/ playing cards & try sculpting whileblindfolded. Snacks will be served. For those in 5th grade & up. Regis-tration req’d. FMI, visitwarrenlib.org.

A l l - Y o u - C a n - E a tPancake & SausageSupper: March 21st, 4:30-7pm. WalnutValley UMC, 4 VailRd., Columbia. Carry-out avail.

NWR Marching Band Fundraiser: March 21st. Details to follow.

Fresh, refrigerated and frozen foods are avail-able to northwestern New Jersey residents at sharply reduced prices through the Jolin Food Box program. The food assistance program offers a variety of order-ing options, from breakfast-lunch-dinner combination packs to boxes of dinner entrees to special packages just for children. Each month features a

variety of high-quality menu items from seafood and poultry to baked goods and prepared meals. The price of a single box ranges from $20 to $40. There is no limit to the

number of boxes anindividual or family canpurchase, and the menuchanges each month. Interested residents can

order online with acredit card at www.jolinfoodbox.com or bycalling Project Self-Sufficiency at 973-940-3500. Payment is madewhen the order isplaced. The next deadline for

placing an order is Tues-day, March 17th; deliv-ery will be made toProject Self-Sufficiencyon Saturday, March28th. For more information,

call 973-940-3500, orvisit www.projectselfsufficiency.org.

Hello, fellow readers! How much wood can a

woodpecker peck when a woodpecker can peck wood? The answer is - lots! True, that’s the ditty pertaining to a wood-chuck, but it was the first chuckle that came to mind when I heard from Barbara of Sparta who has a pileated wood-pecker working on a tree next to her house. He’s leaving behind piles of woodchips in the snow, Barbara reports, “five holes so far, rectangular, about 10 inches long and five inches wide!” She asked if the tree should be taken down, “or might they nest in those huge holes? Which would be wonderful if that were the case.” The pileated

woodpecker’s long neck excitedly drums on their feast, sounding like hammering that “can be heard a quarter of a mile away” tells my birder buddy Dennis of Blair-stown, who went on to say Barbara’s wood-pecker is probably feeding on a colony of carpenter ants. Hence her tree is likely not in its glory and may be rotting in the middle. The

pileated woodpecker’s primary food is carpen-ter ants, supplemented by other ants, wood-boring beetle larvae, termites and other insects. They also eat wild fruits and nuts. Pileated woodpeckers

are monogamous and bond for life. Their territory can be 150 to 200 acres and so it is rare to see more than two birds together at a time. They usually nest 25 to 70 feet high up in a tree, so Barbara’s is a feeding tree, not a nesting tree. They prefer a dense, mature forest for nesting. Just like the feeding holes, the entrance to the nest is oblong, about 3 ½ inches, and the cavity is between 10 and 24 inches deep. As you would guess by

the size of the nesting and feeding holes, these beautiful birds can kill a tree. Given the proximity to the house, it’s best to take down Barbara’s tree before Woody the Wood-pecker does. Mischievous birds.

Maybe that’s why their call is a loud, far-carrying laugh. Garden dilemmas?

askmarystone.com

Though American Country Real Estate was established in 1984, its story can be traced back even further three years prior when Real Estate agent Maria McDonough went into labor showing a home while pregnant with her daughter, Lacey. “She was literally

brought up in the business,” Maria McDonough said. Thirty years later,

Maria and Lacey com-prise a nearly insepa-rable mother-daughter tandem, positioning American Country Real Estate as a leader in the region. Specializing in country homes and farms, American Coun-try Real Estate, based in historic Hope Township, covers properties through most of NJ, in addition to eastern Pennsylvania. Lacey was originally

licensed as a salesperson in NJ 2005, and PA in 2007, then obtained her Associate Broker license in 2010. She’s now the Broker of Record for American Country Real Estate. “I am so blessed to

have my daughter so

close to me and to spend so much time with her,” Maria said. “Many children grow up and grow away from their family, but Lacey has grown up and has gotten very close to me; I believe it is because we both share the love for this business.”Through dedication

and commitment to helping people through the home buying process, something that for many is one of life’s most significant events, Maria and Lacey both agree that Real Estate provides a great sense of fulfillment.“We both love the

business because we enjoy helping people with one of the largest investments they will

make in their life,” Lacey said.As buying a home

often involves making decisions with family in mind, it’s reassuring for many clients to know that the team looking out for their interests is just as family-oriented. But no matter what the dynamics are, Maria and Lacey have perfected the ability to blend familial closeness with the utmost in profes-sionalism. “We have a terrific

working relationship with mutual love and respect for each other,” Maria said.Lacey added, “We also

have the gift of knowing how to separate business from personal, which is the key to our success.”

Built on the bond between a mother and a daughter, AmericanCountry Real Estate iswell-positioned to build on its tradition of excel-lence moving well intothe 21st century. “I see this company

staying multi-generational strong andcompeting,” Maria said.“We have talented andexperienced agents and with Lacey at the helm,we are only headed formuch success in thefuture.”To speak with Maria or

Lacey, call 908-459-9888 or visit www. americancountryre.com.Their office is conve-niently located in down-town Hope near Exit 12on Rt. 80.

One of the biggest mistakes that people make when it comes to giving back is not having a strategy for their charitable contribu-tions. By default, many people put off charitable giving to the end of the year to beat the Dec. 31 deadline for donating to qualified charities. To make the most of your giving, start to plan your charitable gifting strat-egy for the entire year now. Here are five steps to

consider to get a jump on your gifting strategies for this year:1. Estimate how much

you’d like to contribute this year. Just as you plan how much of your income to set aside for retirement or to meet other financial goals, the same should be true for your charitable contribu-tions. Determine what percentage of your income you plan to dedi-cate to your favorite causes. You may want to establish a savings account dedicated to charitable giving and have money from each paycheck set aside into this account.2. Identify your favor-

ite charities and give earlier in the year. Although charities often make a year-end push for donations, they are happy to accept money at any time of year. These organizations have cash flow needs month after month. Consider establishing a monthly contribution via a credit card or authori-zation from a bank account. Make sure to check with your employer to see if they offer any sort of gift match or giving program. In other cases,

you may want to write a check to specific chari-ties on a quarterly basis. Either option would help organizations meet their financial obligations throughout the year.3. Do your homework.

If you are familiar with your favorite charities and confident that your money is used wisely, you should feel comfort-able making contribu-tions to them. If you aren’t certain, ask the organization to provide financial information and an explanation of how they accomplish their primary objectives. Do your homework and search for an objective assessments of an organization’s effective-ness. 4. Find time to volun-

teer. Today more than ever, organizations need volunteers help to accomplish their goals. While your money means a lot to them, so does your time. Try to build volunteerism into your calendar. It is a great way to give some-thing back.5. Take advantage of

annual gift tax exclu-sions. If you have a large

estate that you are trying to reduce in order to avoid potential future estate taxes, you can make yearly gifts to anyone of up to $14,000 per person free of gift tax consequences. That means one married couple could gift up to $28,000 per year per recipient without incur-ring gift tax conse-quences. The ability to make gifts annually without tax is a major benefit for wealthier households that would like to reduce the size of their estate. Make sure to check with your tax advisor if you have questions about the potential tax conse-quences of your giving strategy.James Fahey, AAMS,

LUTCF®, CLTC® is a Financial Advisor and Vice President with Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. in Bedminster,NJ. He specializes in fee-based financial planning and asset management strat-egies and has been in practice for 26 years. To contact him, please visit ameripriseadvisors.com/james.fahey.Ameriprise Financial,

Inc. and its affiliates do not offer tax or legal advice. Consumers should consult with their tax advisor or attorney regarding their specific situation.Investment advisory

products and services are made available through Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., a registered investment adviser. Ameriprise Financial

Services, Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC.© 2015 Ameriprise

Financial, Inc. All rights reserved.