absolutely no reason to throw your trash on our roads. TLTC dumpster is for TLTC only, not your place to throw your trash! That dumpster was overflowing with trash from people’s homes. If you are renting your homes without being registered and you are found out, you will pay a hefty fine!

Have a safe and wonderful winter season.

Happy New Year to all! We hope you all had a wonderful Christmas & Holiday Season. It was a great Christmas for me. I was surrounded by all my children, grandchildren & great grandchildren. This is about the only time that we can get everyone together at the same time. The weather cooperated for all who were traveling to & from relative’s houses.

Now we are back to reality!

At our December meeting, the BOD voted on purchasing a new Pole Building for maintenance area. This will allow us to buy items in bulk instead of piece meal and will save money for our property owners.

The dam issues are progressing slowly but we are getting there. The divers who will fix the dam gate are on hold as of this time because of weather. Speaking of weather, as I am writing this message the heavy snow that has been predicted, has started to fall. Predictions are anywhere from 6

inches to a foot of snow, we will know in the morning when we look out our windows. Our maintenance department will be right on this storm.

Activities Committee held its annual Christmas party for our children. There were about 40 children who attended. Santa borrowed a fire engine from Albrightsville Fire Department and arrived with sirens blowing much to the delight of the children. Thank You Santa and Albrightsville fire department. Some members of our Publications Committee were there to take pictures and meet & greet the children and members of Activities Committee. Thank you Ladies!

Property Owners & Property Owners who rent their home, there was so much dumped bags of trash along our roads, last count about 17-18 bags along with oil cans dumped at school bus stop. Our trash dumpster is open 7 days a week, so there is

Sunday 7am to 7pm

Monday 7am to 3pm

Tuesday 3pm to 7pm

Wednesday 7am to 3pm

B o a r d o f D i r e c t o r s U p d a t e S u b m i t t e d B y : D o l o r e s C o s g r o v e

S P E C I A L

P O I N T S O F

I N T E R E S T :

If you have an

emergency please call

911. If you also want

TTPOA Security’s

assistance, you must

call Security

directly@

570-722-9563 or

1-800-916-7501

Office hours are

Monday thru Friday

9am to 5pm. Saturday

9am to 3pm. Closed on

Sunday

Without written au-

thorization from the

deeded property own-

er vehicle/trash passes

will not be given out.

Before beginning any

work outside your

home please contact

the office to inquire if

a permit is needed.

The New Rules of

Conduct and the New

ACC Rules for 2014are

available.

Reminder, we

recycle here in the

Trails. We have a

compactor just for

Co-mingled recycling.

For more information

please pick up your

pamphlet at the office.

Please see page2, Save

the Date for Meeting

Dates, office closings

etc.

W a s t e M a n a g e m e n t H o u r s

Trails Topics

February/ March 2014 Trails Topics

Thursday 3pm to 7pm

Friday 7am to 3pm

Saturday 7am to 7pm

Picture By: John Stoj

The Deadline for the next Trails Topics is March 7, 2014

Towamensing Trails Property Owners Association

P a g e 2 T r a i l s T o p i c s

Just knowing it’s almost Friday and my heart skips a beat as I begin to think about what fun we’ll have with our Pocono

Peeps! Ah…what to do with the weekend!

Local/Seasonal offerings include:

Crystal Cabin Fever: Lakeville PA.

570-226-6246 or www.crystalcabinfever.com

February 7th-23rd, Around the world in ice, 50ft Ice slide, Ice Carvings and demos.

Winterfest 2014 Jim Thorpe PA.

February 15th and 16th:For more info visit Jimthorpe.org/wfest.htm

14th Annual Polar Plunge: Hennings Pond, Albrightsville, PA

Sunday February 16, 2014 at 1:00pm

Cardboard Classic at Jack Frost

Friday, March 7, 2014, join Preston and Steve (WMMR)10am start.

Snowmobiling At Hickory Run State Park, White Haven 888-727-2757

Horseback Riding: Deer Path Riding Stables, White Haven, 570-443-4431

Skiing/Snowboarding/Snow Tubing

Jack Frost/Big Boulder, Blakeslee, PA (570) 722-0100

Camelback Mountain, Tannersville, PA (800) 233-8100

Save the Date

February 01, 2014...ACC Meeting

February 02, 2014...Groundhogs Day

February 08, 2014...Board of Directors Meeting 10am

February 14, 2014...Valentines Day

February 15, 2014...Civil Penalty Meeting (closed meeting)

February 17, 2014...Presidents Day

February 28, 2014...Optional Board of Directors Meeting

February 22, 2014...Advisory Meeting

March 01, 2014...ACC Meeting

March 08, 2014...Board of Directors Meeting

March 9, 2014… Daylight Savings (Spring Forward)

March 9, 2014...St. Patty’s Day Parade, Broadway in Jim Thorpe

starting at 1pm

March 15, 2014...Civil Penalty Meeting (Closed Meeting)

March 17, 2014...St Patrick's Day

March 20, 2014...First Day of Spring

March 22, 2014...Advisory Meeting

March 28, 2014...Optional Board of Directors Meeting

Buffalo Chicken Wing Dip

1 1/2 lb. Boneless Chicken Breast or Tenders ,1 stick plus 2 tablespoons But-ter,17oz. bottle Hot Sauce,1 packet Good Seasoning Italian Dressing Mix,1-2 tablespoons Honey,2- 8 oz. Cream Cheese Blocks (room temperature),1 jar of Marie's Blue Cheese Dressing,1 Bunch of Celery, Crackers

Wing Sauce : Combine hot sauce,1 stick of butter and packet of Good Season-ing in a sauce pan heat until butter melt do not bring to boil. Stir often. Set aside In large sauté pan add 2 tbsp.. Butter, Chicken and s&p to taste cook over low to medium heat until no pink appears. Remove from pan let cool.

In same pan combine Cream Cheese and Blue Cheese cook at low heat stirring until well combined and fully melted.

Dice or shred chicken in to very tiny pieces combine half the wing sauce, honey and blue cheese mixture. Mix well. Place in oven safe dish and bake for 30 minutes at 325 degrees.

Serve with washed and cut up celery and crackers!.

Italian Hoagie Salad

1/2lb, Imported Ham,1/2lb. Hot Ham,1/2 lb. Pepper Ham, 3/4 lb. Genoa Salami,1 lb. Provolone Cheese,1 Head of let-tuce,4-5 Tomatoes ,1 Large Spanish Onion,1/2 cup Olive Oil, 1-2 tablespoons Oregano

Dice first five ingredients into tiny pieces mix well, dice lettuce, tomatoes and onions but do not mix with lunch meat mixture , Right before serving mix everything together except on-ions serve those on the side , Pace in a big bowl with club rolls around it

Every Superbowl there isn't a drop left! Enjoy

Saint Patty's Day

Submitted by: Publications

St. Patrick’s Day, known as the Feast of Saint Pat-rick is traditionally a religious holiday. However over recent years it has increasingly become more of a non-religious drinking holiday! If you are hosting your own Saint Patrick’s Day party these Irish drink-ing games will make sure everyone has a fun time! But always remember to drink responsibly and know when you need to stop drinking as one drink too many could potentially ruin the day and nobody wants that! So, let the games begin:

Irish Poker: All you need is a full set of cards and some drinks!

How to Play: At the beginning of the game every-one that is playing is dealt 4 cards face down. It is essential that everyone has a fully topped off drink. The person to the left of the dealer goes first and has to guess whether they will turn over a red or black card. If they get it right everyone else drinks their drink for the number of seconds that the card value

indicates. If they get it wrong they have to drink instead. This continues until everyone playing is out of cards!

Now you need to consider a few Irish drinks. Care-ful though, not everyone can drink like an Irishman, even if it is St. Patrick’s Day!

The Irish Car Bomb: ¾ pint Guinness, ½ oz. Irish cream liqueur, ½ oz. Irish whiskey. Pour Irish cream and whiskey into a shot glass and drop into a pint glass of Guinness.

Nutty Irishman Shot: ¾ oz. Irish cream, ¾ oz. Frangelico, served as a shot.

Morning with Leprechauns: These Leprechauns in the morning are not gentle, be careful! 1 ½ oz. Baileys, 1 oz. Irish Whiskey, ¼ Cherry Brandy, 3 oz. cold black coffee. Combine all these ingredients into a highball glass filled with crushed ice and stir!

And now there’s nothing like some Irish laughter to keep the party going. Try these one-liners!

Q: What is out on the lawn all summer and is Irish? A: Paddy O’Furniture

Irish you a happy St. Patrick’s Day!

P a g e 3 T r a i l s T o p i c s

Dear Towamensing Property Owners,

You’re newly appointed members of the Publications Committee would like to thank everyone for your positive feedback on our first publication. Our eager

and inexperienced hands and hearts were so filled by your comments and kindness that well, our cups runneth over! We must confess to a few misspells and

even a grammar “No, No” here and there. We appreciate your patience with us as we are sure despite our best efforts, it is unlikely to be a onetime occurrence!

This release has sort taken on its own life so much so that is probably worthy of a quick note. If we were to speak as a whole in terms of what this publication is

about we would lean most heavily toward volunteerism. Sure we have a chuckle in here for you should you read on as well as pictures, local events, seasonal

celebrations, recipes and community updates as was our intent, but by simply writing and putting into words the good works that are done in this community by

our neighbors we also believe we have perhaps captured the essence of our community. Interestingly enough, as topics came up almost everyone contacted to

provide details regarding charity work instinctively declined, not wishing for their inclusion to take the form of a self-serving endeavor. And I think most of us

can relate to that feeling. Nonetheless, as a group we have chosen to include these articles because we believe that the majority and recipients are best served by

doing so. Hopefully you will read not only about your neighbors good works, but in doing so also obtain a sense of awareness and take to heart the existing

needs of community and the endless opportunities to contribute.

Kind regards,

Colleen Mack

Publication Committee Chair on behalf of the entire publications committee

Valentines Day

Submitted By: Publications

Valentine’s Day is a fun celebration each year, espe-

cially when you receive candy and cards from your

friends and loved ones. Who doesn’t like a little

chocolate!! But, that being said there is a bit more to

this day, according to the history books that is. Did

you know that Valentine’s Day is actually named

after a real person called St. Valentine? There are

many stories and legends behind who the real St.

Valentine was, but most scholars agree that he was

a martyr. After he died a writer named Geoffrey

Chaucer wrote a poem as a present to King Richard

II, who was going to be married soon. In it, he

mentioned St. Valentine, and over time, the idea of

Valentine’s Day became associated with the idea of

love.

In the last few decades, Valentine’s Day has changed

a lot! Today we still exchange cards, but many peo-

ple buy ready-made cards instead. We also give

flowers (usually a bouquet of red roses) or choco-

lates as a gift to remind people of our friendship and

love for them. Another common symbol of love on

this day is Cupid, the Roman god of love. According

to legend, anyone who is struck by his arrows

(ouch) will fall in love.

Don’t forget that while it is great to remind people

how much you value them on Valentine’s Day, it

isn’t the only time to do so. You can continue doing

nice things for people throughout the rest of the

year too (see article on volunteering). Today, many

people focus on giving gifts on Valentine’s Day and

some people even get quite stressed out about it

because they think they have to spend a lot of money

on gifts! The main thing to remember is that

Valentine’s Day is all about showing people

that you love them and appreciate them. Let’s

face it…time spent with someone is always

better than a present.

P a g e 4 T r a i l s T o p i c s

Back in 1980 I fell in love with the most beautiful girl I ever saw, and to my amazement she loved me back. With a group of friends we rented a winter home in Towamensing Trails and always had amazing times enjoying the good fun with great people. The course of life took over and we married, bought a house, and had 3 beautiful children. Of course there were some bumps in the road, but our love made those easy to overcome and combined we were able to mold them all into fine adults and can sit back with pride on a job well done. After our lives settled down we were fortunate to now purchase a home back in Towamensing Trails which we both en-joy as often as we can. Now nothing brings me more joy than sitting in front of a blazing fire along with the same girl who has now grown into the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. Happy Valentine's Day Michelle

Courage of an Amazing Man

Time after time…. o how I have tried.

To express how I feel deep down inside.

Trying to express the man that you are, is not an easy task by far.

Everything I am about to say is all very true; it is not simply because I love you.

Although right now life should be about you, the words that I say are all very true .

You put me first in all that you do; you calm my fears and dry my tears.

No one knows what you have endured. You suffer in silence, of this I am sure.

You live every day in a positive way, never letting the struggle get you down, and always, always turning my frown upside down.

There are many times that I ask why, yet you always keep your feelings deep inside.

I know you are not aware of how strong you truly are. Yet you are ad-mired by many both near and far.

I love you for the man that you are. Dealing with pain each and every day, however, you are confident it will soon go away.

I never dreamed just how much our love would grow with each new struggle and difficult time.

Despite it all, I am so very glad that you are mine. Love C

I love you a lot I love you a little If I had a donut

I'd give you the middle!

Thanks!

February is a very special month for

me, not only because it's Valentines

day But it is the Month I married my

Best Friend and My Soul Mate Mikey!!

So I would Like to Thank The Lord for

Blessing me with the Best Husband in

the world!! Happy Anniversary and

Happy Valentines Day To My

Mikey!! With all My Love Always!!

To Bobby,

You've given me a reason for smiling once again, You've filled my life with love and you've become my closest friend.

You've shared your heartfelt secrets And your trust you've given to me, You showed me how to feel again To laugh, and love, and see.

You are more special then you will ever know.

Thank you for loving me the way you do. SW xoxo

I loved you yesterday, I love you still. I

love you more and I always will. For there

is nothing in my life that is not touched

and better because of you and there is no

place that I would rather be than at the

side of you!

Happy Valentine’s Day Handsome!

XOXO CM

Romans 8:38, 39. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth,

nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The guest of honor was Santa who made

his grand entrance arriving on a fire

truck. Children were able to tell Santa

what they wished for Christmas and

have their picture taken. Each child

received a

candy cane

and a gift

card.

The party

ended with several group games and a

story “The Biggest Christmas

Tree” read by

Bailey Wright.

A good time

was had by all.

The activities committee would like to thank all

the volunteers who helped, the parents who

brought the treats, the men who helped set up

and take down. The

party was a great suc-

cess because of all you

do.

A special thank you to

the Albrightsville Fire

Company for

providing the wonder-

ful visit from Santa.

P a g e 5 T r a i l s T o p i c s

The Children's Christmas Party was

held on Saturday

December 14th at the

Community Center.

There were 45 chil-

dren with their

parents enjoying the

activities. Some of the activities included

a craft designing a Christmas Tree pic-

ture frame and then

individual games were played including

the ring toss, wreath toss, pin the nose

on Frosty and decorating a Christmas

Tree which was

then

displayed at the

Teepee.

The True meaning of Christmas Submitted by: Sondra Watterson

I had a helping hand this Christmas Season, a way to see past my hardships and redirect my thoughts onto something more meaningful. I am

proud to say I am the Office Liaison to one of the best committee’s in our Community, not for the work they do here, although I am proud of

them for that too; but for their generosity this Christmas season to the children and teens living right here among us.

During one of our regular meetings they asked me how they can help a family in our area this Christmas. I suggested to them a family, who I

know personally to be struggling this Holiday season. They all purchased gifts for these children, but they didn’t stop there. They also

shopped for gifts for teenagers who are fostered in our Community. The thought that was put into these gifts were touching to say the least.

I had the pleasure of speaking with Carbon County Children and youth and handing over these wonderful gifts. The gratitude and joy I experi-

enced was overwhelming and I knew I needed to pass those feelings on to the Committee.

This group of ladies reminded me of the true meaning of Christmas; it is much better to give then it is to receive and the best and

most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.

-- Helen Keller

P a g e 6 T r a i l s T o p i c s

February 2014

TLTC Board of Directors

President: Bob Steiger

Vice President: George Jakubisin

Secretary: Jeanne Pfaff

Treasurer: Joan Elliott

Director: Bill McKenna

Director: Larry Peabody

Director: Richie Gericke

Entertainment

February

02.01.14 DJ Rockin Robin….8pm-12am

02.08.14 DJ Pat Doyle….8pm-12am

02.15.14 DJ Tiny….8pm-12am

March

Cardboard Classic Weekend

03-07-14 DJ Rocking Robin….8pm-12am

03-08-14 DJ Lenny Longo….8pm-12am

St. Patrick’s Day Celebration

03-15-14 McElligott Irish Dancers 6:30pm

DJ John Martell 8pm-12am

**Special Announcement**

*Exercise Hour Continues on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9am to 10am.

*Tuesday night cards, Texas Holdem’ no sign up necessary, just come and play.

Please have your membership cards available to show the bar tenders.

***Coming Soon Bar Bingo***

Updated News 24 hours at TLTCLIVE.com

TLTC Winter Hours

Monday: 4pm-10pm

Tuesday: 4pm-10pm

Wednesday: 4pm-10pm

Thursday: 4pm-10pm

Friday: 3pm-2am

Saturday: 12pm-2am

Sunday: 12pm-9pm

Menu

Saturday Bar Menu 12-4:45

Sunday Bar Menu 12-6

Monday Sausage or Hot Dog

Tuesday Flat Bread

Wednesday Roast Beef

Thursday Bar Menu 5-8

Friday Dinner Menu 5-10pm

Saturday Dinner Menu 5pm-9pm

Special Events

Sweetheart Dinner Saturday February 15th: 16oz Prime Rib, Glass of Champagne,

Baked Potato, Green Beans, Soup or Salad, Dinner Roll and something sweet to finish

your dinner, DJ Tiny will play from 8-12. $18.00 per person. Tickets will be availa-

ble at the bar after January 15th.

Cardboard Classic Weekend: Entertainment Friday and Saturday Nights.

Saint Patrick’s Day Celebration: 6:30 pm McElligott Dancers will perform at

6:30pm. John Martell will continue the celebration.

Medieval Dinner: Special Medieval dinner (Eating utensils optional) will be a lot of

fun. DJ from 8-12

Kentucky Derby Party: May 3rd Start Planning to wow us with your fancy hat. Prizes

for best hats for Men and Women.

Please make sure you have your 2014 Membership: The TLTC Membership Meetings are scheduled for the 3rd

Saturday of every Month at 10am.

570-722-8582

Be Prepared to Show your New 2014 Membership by

January 31, 2014

To Be Or Not To Be: Trails Lake

and Tennis Club (TLTC)

Membership

Inside the walls of our tree lined

community lays a 4000 square

foot building known to us all as

the “Clubhouse” (TLTC). Not

everyone in the community is a

member, but for me it has been a

true Gem and a place that not

only fills my need for fun, com-

munity and entertainment, but

also my heart.

It’s almost nine years since we

were scouting out potential prop-

erties in the Pocono’s and the

truth be told this community was

not my first pick. In fact, owning

a home in the Pocono’s was more

of an investment decision and one

I thought would have more of a

financial benefit serving primarily

as a rental property with the occa-

sional “perk” of family use on an

infrequent basis. In reality this is

anything but the case. Thank

goodness we don’t always get

what we wish for! We have yet to

have ever rented this property out

and even if I wanted to-I would

have to advertise it as coming with

a handsome, jovial and friendly 54

year old man who packs his bag at

the thought of it on Thursday

night!

At the house closing the builder

handed us a blue folder with two

typed pages of useless information

and off we went. Brand spanking

new to the community and with

not a single friend-we joined the

Club House. From there it didn’t

take long to make some new

friends and special ones I am likely

to carry through my life.

That first winter our pipes froze

three times, the crawl space

flooded and we got pulled over by

security twice! With each event,

we went to the club house and

club members came to our aide

first by chuckling at us and then

educating us on how to close the

house up properly in the winter or

lending us a heater to defrost the

pipes etc. Long lasting and endur-

ing friendships came even more

with joining the shuffleboard

team! There is more laughter in

that building than one outsider

may imagine. And while food is

served up, it is not the only thing

served there. Here there is much

laughter. Laughter that gives one a

reprieve from the woes of life

even if only momentarily. Com-

radery that wraps its arms around

you and wipes the tear from your

eye when you are in need of a”

little loving” or a “special friend”.

If you’re new to the community

or not a frequent Club House

attendee come on down and meet

your neighbor! Circling the bar

you’ll find what will soon become

familiar faces offering up free hugs

and kisses as you make your way

to the outside area should you

desire to partake in a

“smoke”. Don’t forget to give a

wave to our bartenders offering

up a warm greeting and libation at

a nominal cost or the waitresses,

waiter and kitchen staff serving up

some warm food for the tummy as

you pass by the tables filled with

both young and old. Be sure to

stop at the far back of room where

the ever-growing shuffleboard

family resides. Bring your neigh-

P a g e 7 T r a i l s T o p i c s

bor, company or just yourself and

join the game where two dollars

and arrival by 3:45pm will get you

and yours into the game and where

the only score you’ll remember will

be measured by the fun and the

amount of new friends you made.

“And remember entertainment

starts at 8!“

This is the beginning of the New

Year and a great time to join the

TLTC. As a private club member-

ship is as follows: Property Owner

and Family of Property Member:

$30.00/pp, Social Member:

$40.00, Seasonal Member - Month-

ly-$15.00/pm or Quarterly:

$30.00/pp.. Applications can be

picked up at the TLTC. Member-

ship is required to be served alco-

holic beverages. You do not have to

be a member to be served food or

use the pool, lake or tennis courts.

TLTC Submitted By: Publications

DAM UPDATE Submitted By: Dan Hunton

Some good news to report on the three issues concerning the Dam, First is the long awaited final signature of the homeowners around the lake concerning The sign off of the Department of environmental protection's probable maximum flood which is 1000 years, The new homeowners have agreed and have signed off, so now we are in 100% compliance with the DEP.

Second issue is the non-functioning gate which releases water downstream, Divers were in on November 14, 2013 with underwater video and camera surveillance to hopefully find a visual problem, Their professional opinion and concerns were that there is a buildup of debris and corrosion on the track that the gate rides up and down on, The next step that they will be taking is to basically power wash the track to clean it off.

And the third and final issue is the concrete wall extensions on the downstream side which the DEP does not feel are long enough which is causing some slight erosion. The engineers were in to survey and we are waiting for final approval from the DEP so we can put some bids out there for a contractor.

Few businesses have both

the interest and privilege of

playing a positive role in the

lives of people living in our

community. Even fewer of

them actually transform that

potential into action by show-

ing more than a brief sprint

of support to our neigh-

bors. For that reason we

would like to give an “Atta

Boy” to one such business

that is helping to make our

community a better place to

live. DiMaria Realty owned

and operated by our

Towamensing Trails neigh-

bors Dan and Victoria Di-

Maria. Dan and Victoria’s

charitable yearlong actions

assist some of the most vul-

nerable individuals in our

area as well as provide sup-

port to our homeless

vets. Throughout the year

they collect food that will not

only fill holiday food baskets

but also stock the shelves of

the local food bank in Carbon

County year round. As Victo-

ria says “We can all agree a

person should not go hun-

gry, and sadly right now with

the recent distribution of

food to 56 families in need,

our shelves are now empty

and people are calling for

food”. If you are blessed

enough not to have to worry

where your next meal is com-

ing from and would like to

provide some support,

much as the cause you choose to

help. Dedicating your time as a

volunteer helps you make new

friends, and boost your social

skills. And most important..it just

makes you feel really good about

yourself! It is a great way to meet

new people, it strengthens your

ties to the community and you get

to meet new people with the same

interests as you. Volunteering is

good for your mind and body.

Volunteering increases life satis-

faction. While doing good for

others you feel a sense of accom-

plishment, an overall good feeling

that you helped someone. It

With busy lives, it can be hard to

find time to volunteer. I am sure life

keeps you busy working, cleaning,

babysitting, hiking, skiing, golfing…

oh you get the point! But do you

have just a few hours to spare? If you

answer “yes” to that question the

rewards are endless.

One of the better-known benefits of

volunteering is the impact on the

community. Unpaid volunteers are

often the glue that holds a communi-

ty together. Volunteering allows you

to connect to your community and

make it a better place. However,

volunteering is a two-way street, and

it can benefit you and your family as

makes you a better person.

Volunteering can help combat

those winter blues. It will put you

in contact with other people who

share your interests and common

goals.

Volunteering is better than any

gym!! It is good for your health at

any age. Studies have shown that

those who volunteer have a lower

mortality rate than those who do

not.

Helping others kindles happiness.

It is fun to give back. It gives you

that warm fuzzy feeling; it makes

you appreciate all that you have.

Lynn and Sally were given permis-

sion to spruce up the main en-

trance. Sally roped her husband

Wayne into this project, and in

October 2013, they started. They

cleaned up the area, planted many

daffodil bulbs for the Spring, and

decorated for the Fall Season. The

end of November , they were back

and decorated for the Holiday

Season and it was beauti-

ful! THANKS to these

"PEARLS" ,for caring about our

community, doing a wonderful

job, and making our main entrance

beautiful and inviting!!!!!

Lynn Hall and Sally Fetter-

man had an idea to improve

our community, beautify the

main entrance of

Towamensing Trails. They

took their idea to the office to

see if the Advisory and Plan-

ning Committee had anything

planned, they did not, so

P a g e 8 T r a i l s T o p i c s

consider dropping off non-

perishable and in date food

items to DiMaria Real-

ty. They are open 7 days a

week and located at 2681

State Route 903 or you can

call 570-234-3754 and/or

drop off food items at the

Teepee or TLTC and some-

one from the office will pick

up the donations.

“By working together we can ALL

make a difference.-Victoria DiMaria”

Hunger In The Community Submitted by: publications

“Pearls of The Trails” Submitted By: Publications

Lets Give Back in 2014!!!! Submitted By: Publications

Volunteering just makes you feel

good!

For volunteering opportunities in our area go to www.volunteermatch.org. They list things such as, visiting the elderly, reading to children, transporting a homeless animal, walking dogs at the local shelter or cuddling kitties. There is pretty much something there for everyone.

You are the piece of the puzzle of

someone else’s life. You may never

know where you fit, but others will fill

the holes in their lives with pieces of

you.

Author: Bonnie Arbon

Our neighbors, Brian and Sue

Denham are Cardboard Classic

Champions. For those of you

unfamiliar, The Cardboard Classic

is a contest held by 93.3 WMMR

at Jack Frost / Big Boulder. The

contest rules are to build a themed

sled , carry it up the mountain and

sled down while keeping the card-

board sled intact.

Brian and Sue have been doing it

for 7 years. The first year they

won was 2011 with repeat perfor-

mances in 2012 and 2013, win-

ning both Best Coors Light Design

and Coors Light For A

Year. Brian Denham leads the

team with co-captains Glenn

Denham, Randy Handlovsky, and

Chris Denham at his side. Helpers

include Debbie, Susan Denham,

Michelle, George, Maryanne and

Rich. “It's grown into a great

family tradition each year also

enjoyed with some amazing

friends which over the years has

grown to include many of our

Towamensing Trails friends as

well”.

Project building begins in January

and takes 5-6 weeks to complete.

The supplies to make the sled are;

cardboard (lots and lots of it),

glue, string, paint, tape, lots and

lots of beer and a ton of patience!

The sled is then disassembled,

loaded onto multiple trailers and

hauled on a 3 hour drive. Along

with all their hard work, they will

show up at dawn to secure a great

spot, erect a tent city and cook a

breakfast that is unbelievable! And

with Ginger a "little spicy" is a fair description

of this sometimes shy, warm-hearted wom-

an. For those unfamiliar with the program it is

the mission of the U. S. Marine Corps Reserve

Toys for Tots Program to collect new, un-

wrapped toys during the holiday season and

distribute those toys as Christmas gifts to less

fortunate children living in the community in

which the campaign is conducted. More than

just a toy, delivered is the message of hope. A

message that will hopefully play an active role in

the development of one of our nation’s most

valuable resources- our children.

Program sponsors include the Marines (of

course) as well as mega million dollar compa-

nies like Toys R Us, Hess, Hasbro, and

Lego. And then there is our very own Ginger

who can be found cooking, serving up the food

and washing the dishes by hand late into the

night. I asked Ginger why she got involved in

the program in the first place and she said- “I

just wanted things to be better and to do some-

thing for someone other than myself”.

This past year Ginger, along with Zee at her

side, collected close to $2000.00 in cash and

gifts. You are an inspiration to all of us la-

dies. Personally I have seen the lines of parents

in my own neighborhood enduring the cold in

hopes of securing even a single gift for their

kids. I wish you each a moment where you could

see and feel the joy of what you have been able to

bring forth to others. I am sure that single mo-

ment would be just breath taking.

If you would like to help, reach out to Ginger and

Zee by getting involved, donating or attending the

Toys For Tots Dinner. For more information and

to speak with Ginger directly please contact the

TLTC.

"You make a living by what you get. You make a

life by what you give."

--Winston Churchill

Twinkling lights and the ringing bells of the

Salvation Army outside the mall entrance along

with carefully placed donation boxes during the

holiday’s may be just garland to some of us but

thankfully not to us all. Many of us have enjoyed

the fleeting feeling of charity as we pass by and

empty the change from our pockets in donation.

A few of us may even give some thought to

placing a new toy in the Toys For Tots box upon

exiting the mall. For most of us this is or will be

a rare event of charity and selflessness; a single

event and a fleeting momentary feeling of inspi-

ration. Gratefully, this is not the case for all.

Among a list of people making this world a bet-

ter place is our friend and neighbor Ginger Carl-

son. For the last 14 years Ginger, with the assis-

tance of her good friend Zee Caputo, have dedi-

cated their time and effort to the Toys For Tots

program.

Months prior to the actual event, Ginger begins

planning, gathering information, cutting cou-

pons, and prepping for the annual Toys For Tots

Dinner at the TLTC. The cost of the meal is

$9.00/pp which typically takes place the first or

second Thursday in December. All proceeds,

minus cost of the meal are donated to the Toys

For Tots Program. For those of you unfamiliar

A L o t O f W o r k B u t W e l l W o r t h I t : S u b m i t t e d B y : P u b l i c a t i o n s

P a g e 9 T r a i l s T o p i c s

God bless them, it’s made it down

the mountain solid every single year.

After the contest and all that hard

work it's thrown into a dump truck

and demolished.

This year they are planning their best

design yet. Everyone will have to

show up to JFBB on Friday March 7,

2014 at 9am to see what "Team

Denham" have created this year!

This is an absolute blast! So mark

your calendars and head to JFBB to

support our Card Board Classic

Champs!!!

Ginger: A Little Spicy, Enriches The Lives of So Many Submitted By: Publications

Ginger and Zee presenting the

check for “Toys for Tots”

P a g e 1 0 T r a i l s T o p i c s

Pizza Hoagies, and Fresh Baked Goods Daily

1795 Sate Route 903, Jim Thorpe, PA 18229

Phone 570-325-2893 Fax 570-732-3738

To Advertise

Please call Sondra

570-722-0302

Protect Yourself in 2014

Identity theft is one of the biggest problems in today’s cyber world. People are desperate for money and will do anything to get it. Although the Internet has brought many benefits to the world as a whole, it has also opened a new avenue for those who want to steal identities and take your money. Here are a few ways to protect yourself from identity theft: 1. Use caution on the Internet.

2. Think about what you post on social networks.

3. Keep your credit/debit card PIN numbers to yourself.

4. Never share your username or password.

5. Change your password periodically.

6. Do not use the same password for everything.

7. Do not save credit card information online.

8. Review your Credit Report annually.

Although law enforcement has now started to crack down on cyber criminals, the best thing you can do to protect yourself is to keep your personal information and credit card numbers safe and secure.

December Treasure's Report

P a g e 1 1 T r a i l s T o p i c s

PA#027155 Happy New Year from your Neighbor-

hood Realtors!

DiMaria Realty– Open 7 Days a Week

Call us at 570-234-3754

Towamensing Trails

Property Owners Association

PO BOX 100

Albrightsville, PA 18210

Address Services Requested

Phone: 570-722-0302

Fax: 570-722-2061

E-mail: office@towamensing.com

For all Emergencies Call 911

Towamensing Trails Security 570-722-9563

1-800-916-7501(When Connected hit 0.)

Towamensing Trails Office 570-722-0302

Monday thru Friday 9am to 5pm

Saturday 9am to 3pm

Closed Sunday

Towamensing Trails Website: www.towamensing.com

Towamensing Trails E-mail: office@towamensing.com

Trails Lake and Tennis Club 570-722-8582

Police Department (non-emergency)

Carbon County Sheriff 570-325-2821

Fern Ridge State Police 570-646-2271

Postal Service

Albrightsville Pine Point Plaza 570-722-9493

Local Emergency Departments

Fire Dept.'s Penn Forest Township

Fire Company #1 (Route 903) 570-325-8114

Fire Company #2 (Route 534) 570-722-0555

Albrightsville ( Route 534) 570-722-8325

Borough & Township services

Carbon County Court House 570-325-3611

Penn Forest Township Building 570-325-2768

Medical

Gnaden Huetten Memorial Hospital 610-377-1300

Palmerton Hospital 610-826-3141

Pocono Medical Center 570-421-4000

Geisinger Wyoming Valley 570-808-7300

US Veterans Hospital 570-824-3521