HRT - Hormone Replacement Therapy in Sussex, NJ

HARDYSTON, NJ - The Sussex County YMCA is making plans for the summer and gearing up for summer adventures that will keep kids active, engaged and healthy all summer long.

Registration will open for 2023 summer camps on Tuesday, Nov. 15 to 2022 returning camp families, followed by registration for Y Family Members on Nov. 29. Camp registration will open to the community on Dec. 12. Families can take advantage of Early Bird reduced rates for camp from Nov.15 - Jan.16.

The Y will run three developmentally appropriate day camp programs for children ages 3-12 in 2023, building self-esteem, confidence and social skills in a fun, safe and enriching environment:

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All camps are held at the Sussex County Y in Hardyston and run June 19 - Aug. 25. Archery, arts and crafts, group swim lessons, and nature and science activities are some of the daily activities a child may take part in, depending on the camp. Each camp incorporates fun and engaging weekly themes into the program.

Camps are accredited by the American Camp Association. Financial assistance is available through the Y.

Child care after camp is available with full-day camps, for an additional fee.

This year, families who pay camp balances in full by Dec. 19 also receive $50 a week in Y Bucks to use toward other Y programs.

Registration is also open for nearby Blue Mountain Day Camp and sleepaway camps offered at Fairview Lake YMCA Camps in Newton. Learn more about camps and how to enroll at fairviewlakeymca.org.

For more information about summer camps and registration, visit metroymcas.org/summercamp or call 973-758-9039.

ABOUT THE Y

Established in 1885, the Metropolitan YMCA of the Oranges invests in its diverse communities to promote wellness, safety and quality of life for children, adults and seniors. Its seven branches in East Orange, Livingston, Maplewood, Hackensack, Hardyston, Stillwater and Wayne are committed to nurturing the potential of kids, promoting healthy living and fostering a sense of social responsibility through an array of programs. Some 35,000 people belong to the Metro Y, which awards more than $2 million annually in direct and indirect financial assistance.

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The New Jersey chapter of the Sierra Club is one of the main drivers of a proposal to turn the federal lands of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area into a full-fledged national park.

So it was noteworthy when opponents spied one line in the N.J. environmental club’s most recent quarterly newsletter. It said that the chapter executive board voted in August to withdraw from an internal resolution with other state chapters that would have encouraged the national Sierra Club to support the recreation area’s redesignation to Delaware River National Park and Lenape Preserve.

N.J. Sierra Club leaders who spoke to lehighvalleylive.com said the vote wasn’t a reflection on the project itself, they just didn’t think the resolution was ready.

“There’s going to be more discussions on this within the club,” chapter chairperson Rich Isaac said, speaking generally about the national park project.

Opponents like Sandy Hull, a Sussex County resident who leads the No National Park group, believe it reveals a schism.

“That tells me that part of their support base has now eroded,” Hull said.

But she also acknowledged that it was only “one step to getting this thing squashed.” The project also has the support of the Sierra Club’s Pennsylvania chapter, which did not return a request for comment on Wednesday.

There also was speculation while the project website was down for a time, but it is back up and running after switching to a new host.

The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area covers 70,000 acres in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, straddling the Delaware River from I-80 on north to the New York border. It was formed half a century ago when the federal government seized the land for the planned Tocks Island Dam and reservoir, which was never built.

The water gap drew 4.3 million visitors and generated more than $200 million for the surrounding communities in 2021. It is run by the National Park Service, which has taken no public stance on the matter.

Proponents say the national recreation area could be an even bigger draw, and better preserve the local river environment, with national park status.

But hunting organizations don’t want game land accessible as a national recreation area to be barred by a national park designation. Counties and municipalities have withheld support pending more information. Residents with long memories of the federal takeover are leery of any changes. And while environmental groups generally seem to support the effort, the Delaware Riverkeepers Network has come out against it over concerns of increased development and traffic around the park’s borders.

5-minute read

Shortly after he was elected to the state Legislature, Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin decided he wanted to do something beyond his legislative duties, more than his “fancy job title” called for. So he stole a page from the playbook of running mate Sen. Joseph Vitale, who dedicates time to Habitat for Humanity, and decided to build on initiatives that serve his community.

Coughlin said earlier this month that he always cared about food insecurity, and the “fact that people don’t get to eat” is something that “just bothers the hell out of me.”

But the galvanizing moment came from a standard grand opening event at the St. Vincent De Paul center in South Amboy, one of the towns in his Middlesex County district. The shelves were full in the new space, he said, but "it wasn't about that."

"It was the long, long line of people outside who wrapped around that building and the next, and then it really hit home,” he said.

What's being done

Coughlin talked to his chief of staff and came up with a fundraising event, Bowl for Hunger. A dozen years later, the event has raised more than $300,000. But since 2018, when he became Assembly speaker, the third-most-powerful elected position in New Jersey, he has broadened his efforts and led multiple statewide bills aimed at addressing hunger.

That legislation includes increasing funding for food banks and food assistance programs, food desert relief initiatives and creating a New Jersey Food Waste Task Force, which is why Coughlin thinks that New Jersey is a leader in fighting food insecurity.

Sen. Steven Oroho, R-Sussex, noted that while many are celebrating the holiday season with friends and family, we “must remain mindful that too many New Jerseyans cannot afford the luxury of a feast on their table or even a simple meal."

"We know that food insecurity impacts children, families and seniors not just on holidays, but each and every day,” said Oroho, the Senate minority leader. “I am thankful for the bipartisan commitment in the Statehouse to work together to end hunger within our state. New Jersey is showing the nation that compassion and decency is something we can all agree on.”

Helping food banks:North Jersey food pantries 'need help badly' for the holidays. Here's what you can do

Related:Families in need skip meals to pay other expenses. Food pantries also in dire straits

Coughlin noted that $85 million was included in last year’s budget to fight food insecurity and part of that was $1 million distributed to 11 colleges throughout the state.

“I never thought about the fact that there are thousands of college students who struggle with food insecurity in addition to struggling to pay the tuition. Part of that, I guess, is that demographics have changed,” he said. “More folks face economic challenges every day, so this is one way to help them change that. So now we have food pantries at colleges.”

The battle against hunger is part of the state’s economic development plan. A report by the Economic Development Authority issued earlier this year said more than 1.3 million New Jerseyans live in areas considered “food deserts,” places where there is limited access to healthy food because of poverty and a lack of stores and access to public transportation.

The creation last year of the Office of the Food Security Advocate and the work it does are a step toward solving those issues, and it’s a path that Coughlin, a prime sponsor of the bill to establish the office, hopes other states will follow. He noted that this year brought the return of the White House Food Conference, the first held since the Nixon administration in 1969.

“The president of the United States said, ‘Let’s end food hunger in 2030,’ and he made an incredibly salient point when he said, 'If you can’t feed yourself and you can’t feed your family, then what the hell else matters?' And he’s right,” Coughlin said.

Why access to food matters

The problems New Jersey is facing aren’t because of a food shortage but an issue with access to food, Coughlin said. That became an even bigger problem during the pandemic, with historic unemployment claims that led many pantry donors to become recipients of their assistance. The use of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly called SNAP or food stamps, increased 23% during the pandemic, according to the group Hunger Free New Jersey.

The efforts reach people of every age. Coughlin noted that in 2019, the reduced-cost lunch and breakfast program became free, and then the eligibility threshold changed to give access to 26,000 more children.

Coughlin wants to expand it further, to everyone, because while “there are lots of folks that don’t need it, some of the real challenges you face in conquering food insecurity is the stigma that goes along with it," he said. And children especially “don’t want to stand out as the kid with the free lunch,” he added, but they still face challenges, namely weekends and summers.

It’s not just children facing setbacks though, Coughlin said.

People aren’t using the services that are already available, like SNAP and WIC, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children.

Although food pantries saw increases during the pandemic, Coughlin said there's only about 81% participation in SNAP and 58% for WIC, which he calls a “staggeringly challenging number.”

Next steps for New Jersey

Coughlin is quick to admit that he’s “not the first guy to think about this” and that he “certainly didn’t create the infrastructure for it.”

Coughlin said credit and continued support should go to food pantries throughout the state, like Community Food Bank and the Food Bank of Southern New Jersey, because they do “tremendous work.” He noted that the director of the Office of the Food Security Advocate, Mark Dinglasan, worked at CUMAC, the Center of United Methodist Aid to the Community, in Paterson, so his hands-on experience is invaluable because the “food insecurity fight is real.”

"I have seen firsthand how great the need continues to be on the front lines," Dinglasan said. "The best way that New Jerseyans can help is by reaching out to local organizations that are serving on the front lines and asking what they need."

Coughlin said that’s just a starting point, though, and it’s important to “make sure folks are getting what they need immediately” and then “make sure they understand the need to take advantage of the social benefits that are there,” like WIC, SNAP and free lunch and breakfast programs in schools.

After that, Coughlin hopes to “help them with other programs that might be out there: utility assistance, child tax credits, all of those things that are available that can help people, because they face real challenges.”

Dinglasan went on to say many organizations are still serving almost the same number of families as at the height of the pandemic and that his office is working on ways to address that by developing outreach plans to increase enrollment in existing services, making plans to address gaps they already know about and implementing partnerships with the private sector to create food security.

Coughlin knows that the challenge is not something that “ever goes away,” because “as many days as there are, there’s someone who needs some help,” which is why he sees it as a continued priority.

“If you want to be a great state, country, whatever, you need to do a few things, and I think they are closer to a moral obligation than a governmental function. I think feeding people is at the top of that list,” he said. “If you’re not doing that, then don’t you dare call yourself great.”

ATTOM has released its Special Housing Risk Report, spotlighting county-level housing markets around the United States that are more or less vulnerable to declines, based on home affordability, foreclosures and other measures in the third quarter of 2022. The report shows that New Jersey, Illinois, Delaware and inland California continued to have the highest concentrations of the most-at-risk markets in the country, with the biggest clusters in the New York City, Chicago and Philadelphia areas. Southern and Midwestern states remained less exposed.

The third-quarter patterns – based on gaps in home affordability, underwater mortgages, foreclosures and unemployment – revealed that New Jersey, Illinois and California had 28 of the 50 counties most vulnerable to potential declines. That was roughly the same as the 27 more-at-risk markets that were in those states in the second quarter of this year. During a time when the broader U.S. housing market boom slowed considerably, those concentrations still dwarfed other parts of the country.

The 50 most at-risk included eight in and around New York City, seven in the Chicago metropolitan area, four in or near Philadelphia and nine spread through northern, central and southern California. The rest were clustered mainly in other parts of the East Coast, including all three counties in Delaware.

At the other end of the risk spectrum, the South, Midwest and western areas outside California had the highest concentration of markets considered least vulnerable to falling housing markets.

Counties were considered more or less at risk based on the percentage of homes facing possible foreclosure, mortgage balances that exceeded estimated property values, the percentage of average local wages required to pay for major home ownership expenses on median-priced single-family homes, and local unemployment rates. The conclusions were drawn from an analysis of the most recent home affordability, equity and foreclosure reports prepared by ATTOM. Unemployment rates came from federal government data. Rankings were based on a combination of those four categories in 581 counties around the United States with sufficient data to analyze in the third quarter of 2022. Counties were ranked in each category, from lowest to highest, with the overall conclusion based on a combination of the four criteria.

The ongoing wide disparities in risks throughout the country remained in place at a time when the overall U.S. housing market had one of its weakest third-quarter performance in the past decade. Key measures for the period running from July through September of 2022 showed the national median home value decreasing 3 percent, home-seller profits declining, foreclosures doubling, compared to the same period in 2021, and mortgage lending plummeting to its lowest level in three years.

That happened as 30-year mortgage rates climbed close to 7%, inflation remained at a 40-year high and the stock market fell. Each of those forces cut into what home buyers could afford.

As with past ATTOM reports on market risk, the latest vulnerability gaps do not suggest an imminent, major fall in home values or equity anywhere in the nation. What they do show is different locations facing greater or less risk amid an increasingly uncertain future for the U.S. economy hanging over the housing market.

Most-vulnerable counties again clustered in the Chicago, New York City and Philadelphia areas, along with sections of California

Twenty-eight of the 50 U.S. counties considered most vulnerable in the third quarter of 2022 to housing market troubles (from among 581 counties with enough data to be included in the report) were in the metropolitan areas around Chicago, Ill.; New York, N.Y.; and Philadelphia, Pa., as well as in California. California markets on the list remained mostly inland, away from the coast.

The 50 most at-risk counties included three in New York City (Kings, New York and Richmond counties, which cover Brooklyn, Manhattan and Staten Island), five in the New York City suburbs (Essex, Passaic, Sussex and Union counties in New Jersey and Rockland County in New York) and seven in the Chicago metropolitan area (Cook, De Kalb, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry and Will counties, all in Illinois). The four in the Philadelphia, Pa., metro area that were among the top 50 in the third quarter were Philadelphia County; Gloucester County, N.J.; New Castle County, Del.; and Cecil County, Md.

Another 11 were scattered along other parts of the Mid-Atlantic region, including the other two counties in Delaware (Kent and Sussex) and three others in New Jersey (Atlantic, Cumberland and Warren).

“As the prospect of a possible recession hangs over the U.S. economy, counties in three of the seven largest metropolitan areas – New York City, Chicago, and Philadelphia – are among the most vulnerable to a potential downturn in their housing markets,” says Rick Sharga, executive vice president of market intelligence at ATTOM. “These counties, and many more in Central California share a number of traits – poor affordability, relatively high unemployment and foreclosure rates, and homeowners who are underwater on their loans – which could spell trouble if the economy takes a turn for the worse.”

California had nine counties in the top 50 list: Butte County (outside Sacramento), Humboldt County (Eureka) and Shasta County (Redding) in the northern part of the state; Madera County (outside Fresno), Merced County (outside Modesto), Stanislaus County (Modesto) and Tulare County (outside Fresno) in central California, and Kern County (Bakersfield) and Riverside County in the southern part of the state.

Higher levels of unaffordable housing, underwater mortgages, foreclosures and unemployment continued in counties most at-risk of downturns

Major home ownership costs (mortgage payments, property taxes and insurance) on median-priced single-family homes consumed more than one-third of average local wages in 33 of the 50 counties that were most vulnerable to market problems in the third quarter of 2022. The highest percentages in those markets were in Kings County (Brooklyn), N.Y. (106.1% of average local wages needed for major ownership costs); Rockland County, N.Y. (outside New York City) (75.6%); Riverside County, Calif. (63.8%); Richmond County (Staten Island), N.Y. (63.3%); and New York County (Manhattan), N.Y. (60.6%). Nationwide, major expenses on typical homes sold in the third quarter required 30% of average local wages.

At least 7% of residential mortgages were underwater in the third quarter of 2022 in 28 of the 50 most at-risk counties. Nationwide, 5.7% of mortgages fell into that category, with homeowners owing more on their mortgages than the estimated value of their properties. Those with the highest underwater rates among the 50 most at-risk counties were Peoria County, Ill. (16.8% underwater); Tangipahoa Parish, La. (outside New Orleans) (15.7%); Saint Clair County, Ill. (outside St. Louis, MO) (15.1%); Kankakee County, Ill. (outside Chicago) (14.8%); and Philadelphia County, Pa. (14.5%).

More than one of every 1,000 residential properties faced a foreclosure action in the third quarter of 2022 in 45 of the 50 most at-risk counties. Nationwide, one in 1,517 homes were in that position. (Foreclosure actions have risen since the expiration in July 2021 of a federal moratorium on lenders taking back properties from homeowners who fell behind on their mortgages during the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic that hit in 2020. Roughly twice as many foreclosure cases were open in the third quarter of 2022 compared to same period in 2021.) The highest foreclosure rates in the top 50 counties were in De Kalb County, Ill. (outside Chicago) (one in 289 residential properties facing possible foreclosure); Peoria County, Ill. (one in 326); Sussex County, N.J. (outside New York City) (one in 410); Cumberland County, N.J. (outside Philadelphia, Pa.) (one in 433); and Will County, Ill. (outside Chicago) (one in 457).

The August 2022 unemployment rate was at least 5% in 23 of the 50 most at-risk counties, while the nationwide figure stood at 3.7%. The highest levels among the top 50 counties were in Tulare County, Calif. (outside Fresno) (8%); Kings County (Brooklyn), N.Y. (7.1%); Winnebago County (Rockford), Ill. (6.8%); Merced County, Calif. (outside Modesto) (6.8%); and Kern County (Bakersfield), Calif. (6.7%).

Twenty-one of the 52 counties least vulnerable to housing-market problems from among the 581 included in the third-quarter report were in the South, while another 15 were in the Midwest. Just eight were in the West and eight were in the Northeast. (A total of 52 counties made the list of least at-risk because of ties in the rankings).

Tennessee again had six of the 52 least at-risk counties in the third quarter, including four in the Nashville metropolitan area (Davidson, Rutherford, Sumner and Williamson counties), while Minnesota had five – Hennepin County (Minneapolis), Olmsted County (Rochester), Ramsey County (St. Paul), Saint Louis County (Duluth) and Stearns County (St. Cloud).

Other counties least at-risk included four in Wisconsin. They were Brown County (Green Bay), Dane County (Madison), Eau Claire County and La Crosse County. New Hampshire also had four – Hillsborough (Manchester), Merrimack (Concord), Rockingham (Portsmouth) and Strafford (Dover).

Aside from Hennepin County, Minn., counties with a population of at least 500,000 that were among the 52 least at-risk included King County (Seattle), Wash.; Santa Clara County (San Jose) Calif.; Middlesex County, Mass. (outside Boston); and Travis County (Austin), Texas.

Least-vulnerable counties continue to have more-affordable homes along with lower levels of underwater mortgages, foreclosure activity and unemployment. Major home ownership costs (mortgage payments, property taxes and insurance) on median-priced single-family homes consumed more than one-third of average local wages in 29 of the 52 counties that were least vulnerable to market problems in the third quarter of 2022. The lowest percentages in those markets were in Morgan County, Ala. (outside Huntsville) (20.4% of average local wages needed for major ownership costs); Saint Louis County (Duluth), Minn. (22.3%); Limestone County, Ala. (outside Huntsville) (25.5%); Greene County (Springfield), Mo. (25.7%); and Benton County (Rogers), Ark. (25.9%).

Less than 5% of residential mortgages were underwater in the third quarter of 2022 (with owners owing more than their properties were worth) in 42 of the 52 least-at-risk counties. Those with the lowest rates among those counties were Chittenden County (Burlington), Vt. (1.2% of mortgages were underwater); Sarasota County, Fla. (1.7%); Williamson County, Tenn. (outside Nashville) (1.9%); Williamson County, Texas (outside Austin) (1.9%); and Pinellas County (St. Petersburg), Fla. (2%).

More than one in 1,000 residential properties faced a foreclosure action during the third quarter of 2022 in none of the 52 least at-risk counties. Those with the lowest rates were Chittenden County (Burlington), Vt. (no residential properties facing possible foreclosure); La Crosse County, Wis. (one in 17,591); Fayette County (Lexington), Ky. (one in 16,238); Eau Claire County, Wis. (one in 14,989); and Missoula County, Mont. (one in 13,636).

The August 2022 unemployment rate was less than 3% in 45 of the 52 least-at-risk counties. The lowest rates among those counties were in Chittenden County (Burlington), Vt. (1.6%); Cass County (Fargo), N.D. (1.7%); Olmsted County (Rochester), Minn. (1.8%); Cache County (Logan), Utah (1.8%); and Shelby County, Ala. (outside Birmingham) (1.9%).

Image: “my neighborhood” by Cubosh is licensed under CC BY 2.0

At least there's one rollercoaster open year-round.

The New York area is bracing for a blast of the wintriest weather it has seen yet in the 2022-23 season, though, that's not saying much, of course, given the record-breaking daily heat that just "scorched" some spots a week ago.

While Monday morning was the first time Central Park dipped into the 30s, expect that to become a pretty regular thing over the next stretch. Temperatures will drop even colder Tuesday morning, potentially triggering new freeze watches from the National Weather Service. And the highs during the day will be lower as well, not getting out of the mid-40s.

A chilly rain moves in by Tuesday's evening commute, with some snow mixed in north and west. Other spots could see an icy or wintry mix. Higher elevation areas and spots that see the coldest temps are more likely to see some white stuff, but no significant accumulation -- or really, measurable accumulation at all -- is expected with this system.

Areas far north and west of the city could see up to 3 inches accumulate through Wednesday, but most of the tri-state area will get less than an inch of snow if any. New York City isn't expected to see snow at all, this map shows.

The National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory for Dutchess, Orange, Sullivan and Ulster counties in New York, Sussex County in New Jersey and Pennsylvania's Pike County, warning of the potential for up to a tenth-inch of ice between Tuesday afternoon and mid-morning Wednesday on top of the snow. Driving may be hazardous and sidewalks will be slippery.

Additional Hudson County valleys could be added to the advisory Tuesday, so be sure to check here for the latest weather alerts in your neighborhood.

Meanwhile, up to 2 inches of cold and soaking rain are expected to sweep through NYC, Long Island, most of New Jersey and coastal Connecticut.

What to Expect Tuesday Night

For the most part, the weather will clear out by Wednesday afternoon. Sullivan, Ulster and Orange counties in New York might see a wintry mix early Wednesday, so commuters are advised to take extra precautions on the roads and rails. It could be slippery early. Some in those counties saw a couple of surprise snowflakes fall Sunday -- a weak, if not highly-anticipated first "snowfall." Wednesday won't bring much either.

But we also won't be going back to those 70-degree November Saturdays. Temperatures in New York City stay below 50 degrees for the foreseeable future, and highs for Saturday may not make it out of the 30s. The holiday travel outlook looks good though, for now, though rain may be possible on Thanksgiving (but hopefully does not arrive until after the parade).

10-Day Outlook

Track any approaching precipitation using our interactive radar below.