source www.growingupwithpets.com

It\’s always a nice feeling to have your dog greet you at the door, but some dogs can be a bit excessive about it. Greeting you this way upon your return home is one common separation anxiety symptom. Simply put, separation anxiety is the fear of being left alone. If your dog has it, he is not alone. Animal behaviorists estimate that 10 to 15 percent of dogs exhibit symptoms of separation anxiety, which include:

Digging, chewing or scratching at doors or windows in an attempt to escape or reunite with you.

• Howling, barking and crying in an attempt to get you to return.
• Urination and defecation—even with house-trained dogs—as a result of distress.
• Destroying household objects.
• Clinginess or remaining close to you, even following you from room to room, while you\’re home.

Punishing a dog for separation anxiety behaviors will not solve the problem. You should understand your dog is not doing it intentionally; he is distressed and anxious because you are not there. This anxiety and nervous energy causes him to act out.

What Causes Separation Anxiety?

No one knows exactly. However, certain factors and triggers are common among separation anxiety cases. They include:

• A change in schedule that requires the pet to be left alone for longer periods of time than normal.
• Living in multiple homes or being abandoned by previous owners makes dogs susceptible to separation anxiety.

Ways To Treat It

Here are some commonly recommended ways to treat separation anxiety:

• Place the dog in a smaller space, such as a crate, where he can feel secure when you leave. However, if the dog panics when crated, do not force him in.
• Leave your dog an article of clothing that smells like you, such as an old T-shirt that you recently slept in.
• Teach your dog as many commands as possible, especially \”sit,\” \”relax\” and \”stay.\” The point of teaching anxious dogs to relax is to give them confidence. Do the exercise in all the rooms of the house and in the yard. Give praise and treats liberally.

Finally, do not make a big production out of your departures.

As always, make sure your dog is safe from pests and parasites. Ask your veterinarian for Sentinel^® (milbemycin oxime/lufenuron) Flavor Tabs^®, the only monthly oral 5-in-1 that protects against heartworm, intestinal parasites and fleas.

Dogs must be tested for heartworm prior to use. In a small percentage of treated dogs, digestive, neurological and skin side effects may occur.

By Lois Staas

NEWS Correspondent

Bellmawr Mayor Frank R. Filipek went on record at the January town council meeting, saying, \”I am tired of being called names on the phone about garbage stickers on recycling cans.

\”There is a separate recycling day and you do not have to separate the glass, cans, and paper. Putting your recyclables in the trash costs a lot of money- – 65 dollars a ton,\” he said.

\”With recycling we get money back. The new system will be on the new calendar and in the bulletin.

\”Recycling is the right thing to do. Businesses do it. It is not hard — one can for paper, cans, and glass,\” Filipek said.

During the public portion, Mark Matthews of Union Avenue inquired about the state of the landfill.

Filipek said, \”The landfill is sealed. The drilling sample came back fine. We will have a new drain. About 100 truck loads of dirt a day arrive.

\”I will make a prediction. Construction will start next year in June 2009. We have Bass Pro, I Max Movie Theater with a 20-screen building, and about four hotels are interested,\” he said.

In other business, Council approved a resolution awarding a contract to Professional Property Appraisers of Delran in the amount of $299,000 for the revaluation in Bellmawr.

Council also authorized the Borough to sign a lease agreement with Metro PC for a tower at Carter and Warren avenues.

Lynn Brophy of Weyerhaeuser Interstate Industrial Park gave monetary awards to the Bellmawr Fire Department, Police Department, and Hockey.

Council also appointed three Class I special Officers — Robert Fowler, Bri-an Ertl, and Jason Higgins.

Michael J. Draham was approved as Deputy Emergency Management Coordinator.

Councilman Stephan M. Sauter said, \”I thank Lynn Brophy for being here, I thank Weyerhaeuser for their dedication and commitment to this community.\”

Councilman Louis P. DiAngelo reminded everyone, \”Bellmawr baseball is underway. Please encourage your child or grandchild to come out and register.\”

 

source http://wpln.org

Monday, February 11th, 2008

Another state constitutional amendment, this one claiming a right to hunt and fish, is on its way to the floor of the state Senate. The Senate Judiciary Committee approved the bill last week.

Sponsor Doug Jackson says nationally such organizations as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) are gearing up, financially and politically, to oppose the traditional activities of hunting. Jackson argues that hunting is not just a hobby – it’s part of a heritage that builds character and responsibility…

read more

source www.nj.com February 11, 2008

The 17,000-student Ocean County school district has solar panels on seven of its school buildings. Ritacco said voters approved the $20 million referendum in 2005 by a 2-to-1 margin.

Converting sunlight into energy, solar panels have shaved about 10 percent off Toms River\’s utility costs. The district can sell excess energy that it doesn\’t need, using solar renewable energy credits. Superintendent Ritacco said the Toms River system generates $1 million in revenue a year.

At least a half-dozen school districts if not many more have successfully installed solar panels, according to the New Jersey School Boards Association. Schools in Branchburg, Hainesport, Montclair and Margate all have solar panels.

read more

source www.nj.com

TCNJ officials are marveling and gushing this Valentine\’s Day because a secret admirer of the college has anonymously given a $1 million gift for its endowment.

Unlike the vast majority of sizable anonymous gifts that TCNJ and other colleges receive from donors whose names are known to school brass but not divulged publicly at the donors\’ request, this gift to TCNJ is courtesy of a benefactor whose identity is a mystery even to TCNJ President R. Barbara Gitenstein.

The only strings attached to the money are that $750,000 of it be dedicated to the TCNJ endowment to fund scholarships for underrepresented groups and female students, she said. The other $250,000 has no donor-imposed restrictions on it, although that money will go into the endowment as well and much of its revenue likely will go toward scholarships also.
read more

BY SARA MARTINO

Two Saints named Valentine, maybe even a third Valentine? We do know now that everyone wants to honor St. Valentine on his special day. One of the saints of the second century was Valentine of Roma. The other is Valentine of Terni and third saint was martyred in Africa. History is not clear on the reason that Saint Valentine (I, II or the III), is the patron of love but the modern world celebrates his day, February 14, with tributes to the loves of their lives.

\”Valentine\’s Day is the busiest time of the year for a florist,\” said Sunshine Flowers & Gift\’s owner, Diane Fisher. \”We start work at 7 am open at 9 am and stay open to 8 pm on that day. Sometimes later if the customers still come in or telephone for orders,\” she said.

At the present time, the shop has two full time designers, Linda and Georgette. Diane\’s sister Pat waits on the customers and does computer work for the business. Diane is in the design room, behind the cash register when needed and busy with the arrangements. Jim, as the fastest and best florist delivery man, delivers all over New Jersey and surprises many recipients with the beautiful arrangements from the shop.

\”On Valentine\’s Day, we have an extra ten people and three trucks out on the road,\” Diane said. \’Easter, Mother\’s Day, Christmas are some of the other busy days, but on Valentine\’s Day, customers request delivery specifically on the \”Sweetheart\’s Day\”, not the day before or the day after,\” she said. Other holidays are spread out over a few days.

According to some rose experts, Red roses mean \”romantic love\” and are the most popular and the traditional choice. White, yellow, pink, peach, and hot pink roses and the reds are ordered from three different wholesalers in the tri-state area and sometimes from Florida, California and South America if needed. White roses signifying \”purity\” lend themselves to displays of reverence and humility. The meaning of yellow roses is joy and friendship. Peach roses can be used to signify sympathy or gratitude. Pink and light pink roses show feelings of admiration. When the flowers arrive at the shop, the flower arrangers remove all the thorns and lower foliage, and then they condition the flowers to keep them fresh and long lasting.

Sunshine adds different ferns, plumosa and baby breathe to the custom-made arrangements .Balloons, teddy bears and other additions to the bouquets are available. In addition to the beautiful flowers and plants on the main floor, customers can step upstairs to an \”upper room\”, where Yankee Candles are on display as well as many other delightful gift items for sale. Throughout the shop, exquisitely designed Enesco Angels seem to float on the shelves. Bearington Bears are ready and waiting for you to bring them home.

Diane and husband Bill grew up in Gloucester City attended Gloucester Catholic High School and are the proud owners of Sunshine for the last 18 years after buying the property at 2 N. Broadway from a Mr. Funk, the previous owner. They have been married almost 41 years, with two daughters and three grandchildren. Diane\’s parents, Don and Anna Reddy were also born and raised in Gloucester City.

When the Fishers visited Alaska, Diane said they were pleasantly surprised to see how big and gorgeous the flowers were that grew there. \”The colors were so vibrant because of the extra hours of sunlight during the summer solstice,\” Diane said.

 

\”We will positively take lots of photos of tropical flowers when we go through the Panama Canal and while visiting the Caribbean in the future,\” Diane said. Birds of Paradise, Anthurium, Ginger, Protea and lovely Orchids are some of the pleasantry that the Fishers are hoping to gaze upon and partake of their flowery aromas. They will come back with additional, exciting ideas for their shop.

Diane will be too busy to traditionally celebrate Valentine\’s Day with a romantic dinner. But, she certainly will be surrounded by more flowers than the rest of us. \”My present to my husband will be \”a loving pat on the back\”. We\’ll celebrate after all the orders have been filled and the customers are satisfied .I still make sure that the girls in our family are presented with their floral tokens of love,\” Diane said.

\”Unless requested, we do not call ahead to tell recipient of the delivery. We do not want to spoil the surprise,\” Diane said.

If the government comes through with rebate checks for the tax payers, use some of the extra cash and spend it right in your neighborhood. What could be nicer than \”saying it with flowers\”?

Call 456-0324 and order early for the best Valentine selections. Sunshine Flowers & Gifts is open Monday through Friday from 9 am to 5 pm and on Saturdays 9am to 2pm.

Related: Buy Local/UEZ

 

Hi Bill,

For the first time in many years, Congress is starting to pay attention to unfair credit card fees and practices.

It\’s because they\’re getting worse. Some of the biggest banks in the country, like Citibank and Chase and Capital One and MBNA (now part of Bank of America), have been accused of unfair practices in congressional hearings. Some banks have used so-called \”universal default\” to raise the interest rates of good customers to 36% APR or more; others have been caught changing your bill\’s due date or using the fine print to hook college students into cards with terms they can\’t afford.

And every card company engages in the unbelievable practice of changing the price of their product after you\’ve already bought it — -when they raise your interest rate, it isn\’t only for future purchases, but it applies retroactively to your old balance, too.

Tell Congress to kiss credit card abuses goodbye.

Click here to send them a personalized Valentine:
http://www.njpirg.org/action/financial-privacy/vday?id4=ES

It\’s easy. We\’ll print up all the responses we get and make a Valentine\’s Day delivery to Capitol Hill. We\’re hoping that the not-so-secret admirers they hear from will convince them to take decisive action now to outlaw deceptive credit card practices.

Sincerely,

Allison Cairo
NJPIRG Executive Director
[email protected]
http://www.NJPIRG.org

P.S. If you didn\’t do it already, call to lower your APR. Here\’s what one member reported. \”When I called the credit card company and requested a rate reduction, they transferred me to the rate adjustment department, said I was \”eligible,\” and they dropped it by nearly 3 percent — from over 15 to 13. Thanks very much for prompting us!\” Report your story here: http://www.njpirg.org/action/other-issues/lower-apr

Enjoying the warm sunshine in the Florida Keys this past weekend are three Gloucester City guys , from left, Bob Bevan, Michael Barron and Tom Tedesco.

Picture the palm trees blowing in the wind in the background …. you can almost hear the three-some singing the lyrics from the Alan Jackson, Jimmy Buffet song.

It\’s 5 o\’clock somewhere!………..

I ain\’t had a day off now in over a year
My Jamaican vacation is gonna start right here
If the phones for me
You can tell \’em I\’ve just sailed away

Pour me somethin\’ tall and strong
Make it a hurricane before I go insane
It\’s only half past twelve, but I don\’t care
It\’s five o\’clock somewhere ………….

KLIMOWICZ ADDS 19 EN ROUTE TO 17th DOUBLE-DOUBLE

Media release

Ewing, NJ…The College of New Jersey women’s basketball team hosted No. 6 ranked Cougars of Kean University on Wednesday night in Packer Hall on South Division on the line. The Lions would snap Kean’s 16-game win streak as they pulled off the79-71 win to improve to 17-5 overall and 8-2 in the NJAC, while Kean falls to 21-2 and 9-2 in the NJAC. TCNJ has now won four in a row and ties the head to head series as Kean won the first meeting on January 16, 60-44.

TCNJ’s junior center Hillary Klimowicz (Scotch Plains, NJ/Scotch Plains-Fanwood) added her 17th double-double of the season as she tallied a game-high 19 points and 14 rebounds and six blocks.

TCNJ lead 35-29 at the half as the Lions got 12 first half points from rookie forward Kelsey Kutch (Hillsborough, NJ/Hillsborough). TCNJ led by as many as 12 in the first half (28-16 at 9:14) and in the second half Kean pulled within one point for the first time since the opening bucket of the game at 15:05 in the second half (TCNJ 43-42 Kean). Kean tied the action at 9:51 as freshman Angelica Bermudez (Belleville, NJ/St. Anthony) completed a three-point play and tied the action at 51-51.

TCNJ used an impressive performance from the line in the second half as they shot 82.8%, making 24 of 29 free throws. Among the leaders down the stretch, Kutch hit all 12 of her free throws, making 6-6 in each half, while Klimowicz made 9-of-10 for the game and was 7-8 in the second half. Senior Sara Best (High Bridge, NJ/Voorhees) added 17 points for the Lions and made 6-11 from the floor to help the Lions to the win.

Kean’s junior guard Melissa Beyruti (Union City, NJ/Union Hill) led the Cougars as she tallied 15 points, adding nine in the second half. She added four treys in the contest, while Bermudez finished with 13 points as she too added nine second half points. Senior center Chari’ Cooper (Paulsboro, NJ/Paulsboro) added a double-double as she pulled down 10 rebounds with 10 points. Rookie guard Brittany Powell (Tinton Falls, NJ/Monmouth Regional) added 11 points as she hit 3-of-5 from three points range.

Kean was held to a 34.8% performance from the floor (24-69), while TCNJ also held a 45-38 edge on the boards and forced 22 turnovers.

TCNJ returns to action on February 16 at Richard Stockton for a 1 p.m. road contest at Richard Stockton College, while Kean will play next hosting Richard Stockton on February 20.