Denville February 2023

A Valentine’s Day Story

By Richard Mabey Jr.

Author’s Note: I do my absolute, honest best to write stories that are true and endearing to the human heart. This story is very precious to me, in that it is the story of the love that brought my paternal grandparents together.

From September of 1965 till the late Summer of 1966, my feet never touched the ground as I battled a most serious case of Rheumatic Fever. Like clockwork, my grandparents, Watson and Bertha Mabey would come to visit me in my bedroom every Tuesday and Thursday. It is during these endearing visits with my grandparents that Grandpa told me many, many stories of his youth and of his remembrances of life along the old Morris Canal. This very story was one of those true-life tales that Grandpa told me, all those years ago.

My grandfather was a very shy man. However, the good Lord graced him with the gift of story telling. Grandpa had this uncanny talent to use his voice flexion, to animate his hands, and to use his facial expressions to hold me spellbound as he spun his yarns of a time, long since past.

One of Grandpa’s favorite stories to tell was about the Valentine’s Day of 1915. Grandpa was 21 years old and Grandma was 18. It is a story unto itself, but Grandma’s parents, David and Catherine Storms, moved to Beavertown, just across the street from the old Mabey Homestead, in 1914. Grandpa was friendly with the Storms family. And, on the Valentine’s Day of 1915, Grandpa finally got the nerve to as Grandma for a date.

From Grandma’s point of view, I had learned that Grandma’s father did not fully approve of Watson taking his daughter for a date. You see, Grandpa rode his Indian motorcycle across Route 202 and knocked on the door of the Storms Homestead and asked to see Bertha. According to Grandma, it was her father who answered the door and when he saw Grandpa’s motorcycle in the back driveway, he was very concerned about Watson being too wild and reckless for his beloved daughter.

Grandpa often told me, with a big smile on his face, how he remembered sitting on the bench just outside the backdoor of the old Storms Homestead. “I remember your Grandma and her father had a bit of a discussion whether

or not your Grandma was going to be allowed to go for a motorcycle ride with me,” Grandpa would tell me. Then Grandma would interrupt Grandpa and say to me, “but I finally convinced Pop to let me take that motorcycle ride with your Grandpa!”

In May of 1916, my grandfather got the courage to ask his beloved Bertha to marry him. She said yes. They got married the very next month. Together my grandparents had nine children, 15 grandchildren, 19 great grandchildren, and 16 great great grandchildren.

In memory, I return to those wonderful and magical times of watching and listening to Grandpa tell his stories of the remembrances of his life as a young man. I do my best to be true to bring his stories back to life, to honor the beloved patriarch. I loved my grandfather all so very much. In many ways, he taught me a lot about the fine art of storytelling. I dearly miss him.

Richard Mabey Jr. is a freelance writer. He can be reached at richardmabeyjr@hotmail.com.

An endearing photograph, from 1915, of my Grandma and Grandpa, Watson and Bertha Mabey, on Grandpa’s Indian motorcycle.

This term is widely applied in dentistry and can mean a lot of different things to different people. This article is focusing on dental implants, specifically when all the teeth in the upper jaw, lower jaw, or both are replaced with dental implants.

For some people, there comes a point when they say to themselves, “OK, its time I did something with my teeth.” Reasons

full-mouth rehabilitation, a free consultation with Dr. Goldberg

General & Cosmetic Dentistry

Dental Digest: Teeth in One Day

for this epiphany can vary greatly, and might include: frustration with constant pain, bleeding gums, a smile that they are ashamed of, inability to chew and eat, or dentures they just can’t wear.

that these are temporary teeth: the final teeth will be fabricated approximately 4 to 6 months later.

Dental implants can help with all of these issues. They can provide comfort, stability, increased chewing efficiency, and improved self-esteem. Overall health improvement is another result reported by people soon after implant treatment is completed.

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Dental implant treatment options can vary greatly: 2 to 6 implants can be placed to stabilize a denture, individual implants can be placed to replace missing teeth, 4 to 6 implants can be utilized to support a removable denture called an overdenture, or permanent teeth can be placed onto these 4 to 6 implants.

This last option goes by many names: Teeth In One Day, All-On-Four®, Same Day Smile, and the list goes on and on. The process includes removal of any remaining teeth, 4 to 6 implants are placed, and teeth are attached to the implants. These 3 steps are performed in one appointment, so the patient is able to leave the dental office with a new smile the same day! It truly can be life-altering for some people: we see it time and time again. It should be noted

These Teeth In A Day processes have revolutionized implant dentistry. Although more expensive than dentures, it is less expensive than traditional full-mouth implant reconstruction. Costly and timeconsuming grafting is usually avoided. Furthermore, pain levels are significantly decreased. The overall number of visits to the dentist is drastically reduced, too.

all treatment is performed in one location: there is no bouncing between offices. In fact, Dr. Goldberg performs so many of these procedures he has built a surgical suite within his practice in order to deliver exceptional implant care to his patients.

Exam, Full Set of Films

Its important to understand not everyone needs this advanced implant procedure. It may be appropriate when all remaining teeth require removal, but oftentimes people leave my office after a consultation with a list of other options that help to save their teeth!

To learn more about Teeth In One Day, please visit the special videos Dr. Goldberg has created. Click on the red tab on the right side of his website at MorrisCountyDentist. com and view as many of these educational videos as you’d like. Feel free to also call his office for a free consultation.

Who should perform dental implant procedures? Only well-qualified dentists who have had extensive training in implant dentistry, and specifically these full-mouth implant procedures. Dr. Goldberg has been performing these procedures for almost 30 years! He also teaches these techniques to other doctors learning to become proficient with dental implants and full mouth procedures.

At Morris County Dental Associates,

About the author: Dr. Ira Goldberg has been performing implant procedures for 28 years. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Oral Implantology / Implant Dentistry, a Diplomate of the International Congress of Oral Implantologists, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Implant Dentistry. He performs all phases of implant dentistry at his office in Succasunna, NJ. He lectures to dentists in the field of implantology. For a free consultation, including a free 3-D scan (if necessary), please call his office at 973-328-1225 or visit his website at www.MorrisCountyDentist. com Dr. Goldberg is a general dentist, and also a Fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry.

Dr. Goldberg is a general dentist with credentials in multiple organizations. Please visit his website

Dr. Goldberg is a leading expert on dental implants. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Oral Implantology/Implant Dentistry, which is a degree held by only 1% of dentists worldwide. Whether you require a single implant or complex full-mouth rehabilitation, a free consultation with Dr. Goldberg should be considered.

Dr. Goldberg treats entire families, from toddlers to seniors. Services include cleanings, check-ups, fillings, Invisalign, dentures, cosmetics, and more! He and his staff enjoy the long-term relationships they build with their patients.

Ira Goldberg, DDS, FAGD, DICOI

Dr. Goldberg treats entire families, from toddlers to seniors. Services dentures, cosmetics, and more! He and his staff enjoy the long-term

Ira Goldberg, DDS, FAGD, DICOI

Denville Woman Authors Book About Her Husband’s Sudden Cardiac Arrest

By Steve Sears

Denville author, Laura Anne (last name not mentioned per request for privacy) recalls the 2017 evening at Caesars Resort and Casino in Atlantic City vividly

“December 27,” she says of the chilly night along the Atlantic shoreline. “The place is bustling, people dressed up and all there to stay or just have fun for the day. And I thought, ‘There has to be doctors, there has to be somebody...”

Her husband, John Stibravy, had just suffered sudden cardiac arrest across the table from his wife while they were celebrating their 20th anniversary. “Fortunately,” she continues, “through the grace of God, there was somebody (an EMT) there, and if he had not been there, this whole story would have been quite different.”

Her husband wrote a two-book set detailing his illness called Aortic Valve Replacement: Through the Dark Curtain and Sudden Cardiac Arrest: Back from the Dead, and his wife has now written her own book about Stibravy’s dying, coming back to life, and long road to recovery. Just Like That…A Story of Faith, Hope, Endurance,

and Death tells the story from the spouse’s point of view.

In a bizarre twist of fate, Laura Anne herself suffered sudden cardiac arrest nine months after her husband. She explains.

“I was supposed to have surgery on my foot, and they needed an EKG.” The EKG was abnormal, so a catheterization was performed. ‘When I had the cardiac arrest, it was during that heart cath. The minute they put that dye in me, I felt my chest go on fire and I felt like somebody was burning me from inside out.” Laura Anne was dead for 10 minutes but was revived.

Laura Anne, who is an Oblate of the Order of Saint Benedict, relied on God throughout the event with Stibravy. “I had to rely on whatever personal strength I might have,” she says. “And in the past couple of years after I saw John writing his book, and I thought that it helped him in sort of a cathartic way - he needed to get this out, and I helped him figure out some of the holes that he may not have rememberedthen I thought, ‘Why shouldn’t I write mine down?”

Laura Anne initially did an outline, and then started writing down key areas of the situation as it unfolded in her feelings at

the time, mentioning key people that were instrumental in helping and or inhibiting as time went along, and some of her life experiences that brought her to that moment, and helped her get through what she needed to get through. “For me, I felt that it was necessary,” Laura Anne says about the eight-month project. “It took me a while to come to terms with everything that I experienced. It was quite traumatic for me, but it’s also sort of cathartic to

write. Certain things are just ingrained in my brain that will never leave, and being my background is counseling and psychology and so on, I’ve always been someone who likes to look at others and kind of figure out what their character is and who they might be. But when this happened, everything sort of slowed down for a few hours.”

Just Like That…A Story of Faith, Hope, Endurance, and Death is available on www. amazon.com.

Laura Anne, with her husband, John Stibravy (courtesy of John Stibravy)

On Friday, January 13, the Executive Board of the Denville Seniors and the Officers of the four Chapters were installed by Denville’s Municipal Clerk, Tara Pettoni. All the members who attended this wonderful occasion were honored to have present at the ceremony Mayor Thomas Andes, Council Liaison John Murphy and Business Administrator Steve Ward.

Here is a rundown of the members installed and their office:

Executive Board: President Grace Clemente, Vice President Linda O’Hara, Secretary Roseanne Jones and Treasurer Ray Erwine.

Chapter One: President Roseanne Jones, Vice President Ann Glynn and Treasurer Grace Clememte.

Chapter Two… President Geraldine Taormina, Vice President Linda O’Hara, Secretary Dannie Butler and Treasurer Linda O’Hara.

Chapter Three: President Bill Murray, Secretary Roger Bettys and Treasurer Bob Troiani.

Chapter Four: President Susan Stevens, Co Vice Presidents Carol DeLorenzi and Susanna Foerster, Secretary Lucille Lenarducci and Treasurer Harry Bonfanti.

This event took place at the Denville Senior Center at the corner of East Main Street and Hall Street and was well attended by so many members from all the four Chapter Clubs. If you’re a Senior reading this and not a member of one of our Chapter Clubs stop by and see what your Township provides for your fun and enjoyment!

Denville Chef Channels Lifetime Love of Cooking

By Jillian Risberg

il Torrente is changing the rules when it comes to making pizza and for owner/chef Sal Perez, living his dream makes him feel like he chose the right path in life.

“Seeing people smile when they try my recipes (is everything),” the chef says when you present family, friends and customers with good food and service, they return because you make them happy.

It comes down to his creativity.

With pizzerias and Italian restaurants a dime a dozen, Perez says what makes il Torrente unique in such an overcrowded market are their exclusive recipes, like cauliflower and gluten-free crust that other Italian restaurants don’t have.

“We do pizza crust; it’s good and people love it,” the chef says eating on the outside patio is special. “We also have pasta, subs, wraps, seafood and paninis.”

You can’t go wrong with his free-range chicken sandwiches or a fresh organic green salad.

According to Perez, music star Kevin Jonas lives in town and comes to eat at il Torrente.

The chef uses only real ingredients, local and organic produce on all of his pizzas, including ripe tomatoes using a secret family recipe.

“For summertime I have a big area in the backyard of my restaurant where I grow

basil, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers,” the chef says when they have all the plants and vegetables growing it’s very nice.

His favorite dish to prepare is Chicken Torrente, breaded chicken with vodka sauce topped with fresh mozzarella.

His connection to cooking dates back to childhood.

“I would always see my mom cook and usually helped her, especially for holidays for all these people,” says Perez. “I love this kind of kitchen stuff, food wise. That was my dream when I was a kid, to open my own.”

The biggest challenge of his career to date was staying afloat during the early days of COVID-19.

“I have friends and family who own pizzerias, restaurants,” the chef says some of them had to close (and didn’t reopen, unfortunately). “I was worried I’d have to

close mine too.”

Luckily that didn’t happen.

In fact, Perez now owns another place (Pizza Rustica) in Rockaway that he opened two years ago.

In order to juggle both locations the chef brought on a partner, Eduardo Salazar.

“He’s been helping a lot so I can have a little free time for my three kids and family,” the chef says.

He calls Denville one of the most caring communities. “The policemen, fireman are all very helpful,” says Perez. “Especially through COVID they supported me and thank God we’ve kept the doors open.”

At only 15 his connection to food/cooking started at Frank’s Pizza (Flanders), where he dreamed of opening his own pizza place.

He worked for them for six years and then bought his own place (Pizza Express) in Netcong when he was in his 20s. The chef then saved more money to become partowner in a bigger restaurant (another Frank’s Pizza) in Stanhope; and in 2016 moved to Denville, where he opened il Torrente. His ex boss from those early days inspired Perez to follow his dream.

“I remember he told me ‘I can see in the future you’re going to open up a couple of places,’” the chef says. “Since he said that to me when I was 15 or 16-years-old I put it in my mind that I can do it, and I’ve been giving the best of me — best service, best food and keeping people in the area happy.”

For more information, visit Facebook and Instagram: il Torrente.

The Underlining Message Behind Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera

By Tommy Hughes

When was the first time, through the art of fiction, an individual genuinely felt that one good scare?

When was the first moment where they felt a cold shiver of fear running through their body, causing them to crawl up into a ball on the floor?

In the case of an operatic soprano, it was her mysterious angel of music. A guide toward glory. The unseen genius.

After 35 years, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s: The Phantom of the Opera will close it’s record run at Broadway’s Majestic Theater on April 16th, 2023. A timeless classic that not only set the bar high for musical storytelling, but also set the bar for theatrical productions as a whole. As was the Winter Garden Theatre with the original run of Cats, the Majestic Theater has evolved to Broadway what Augusta National Course has become to the sport of golf. An equivalence of what Williamsport, Pennsylvania has become to the sport of baseball. What the Rose Bowl is to NCAA Division I football, and what the city of Indianapolis is to open-wheel automobile racing.

While New York City will move on and keep going, the closing of this record run is something no one thought they would ever see. The musical has become a staple for the city. A timeless classic, the musical has spanned the globe having evolved into a phenomenon. Relatable, the power within emotionally connects viewers in mannerisms reminiscent of what led them toward their love for a

particular craft.

The gifts of the title character engulfed in a tragic love story by a path of fantasy.

An evolution, it is a story that began through the writings of a journalist. Upon retirement, the journalist took inspiration through in-depth investigation of the Paris Opera House, and it’s basement cell that housed prisoners of the Paris Commune. Gaston Leroux. His inspiration told a story of both fear and irrelevance. A horror story of underlying meaning. Fear, not due to the story or subject matter, nor because of the closed-minded onlooker and their reaction to the title character. A fear of the individual taking the next step forward due to internal fear placed in them by society. Shamed into solitude. Shunned by the multitude.

Irrelevance, because the story serves as a reminder that talent is profound irregardless of what one looks like. While the story’s main theme is surrounded by romance, it’s underlining focus is a title character and their gift of music. It was a gift discovered on their own. The music, there. The passion, undeniable. They had no way of sharing this gift with the world until they heard the voice of Christine Daaé. A voice imagined by the Gods. A reason and platform to share his gift with the world.

And a gift the world received.

When the final curtain falls inside the Majestic Theatre on April 16th, the chapter may fade, but the story will live on. An ending that may be scary. Fear of the unknown.

Yet, if the title character’s fear is felt, it is a fearful wonderment of what will happen next. An individual cannot simply hop aboard César and set a course for Coney Island. Though, if the individual’s gift lives within them, they will find further inspiration to make their song take flight.

The power of the music of the night.

The Phantom of the Opera runs until April 16th, 2023 at the Majestic Theatre on 44th Street in New York City. Tickets Available through: mtc.telecharge.com

Fighting the Flu: 3 Tips to Protect Your Health

When most people hear about vaccines these days, the first thing that comes to mind is COVID-19. However, vaccines also help prevent other serious illnesses like the flu, especially for those at higher risk.

According to the American Heart Association, people with underlying risk factors like heart disease, stroke, obesity and diabetes are at high risk of serious flu complications. During the 2018-19 flu season, more than 93% of adults hospitalized for the flu reported at least one underlying medical condition that placed them at high-risk for complica-

tions, based on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Even so, a survey on behalf of the American Heart Association found 3 in 5 U.S. adults may delay or skip the flu shot this year, despite warnings from health experts the influenza season could be severe after a mild 2020-21 flu season.

“Unfortunately, the flu is back,” said Donald Lloyd-Jones, M.D., Sc.M., FAHA, volunteer president of the American Heart Association. “We’re seeing cases in communities across the country. If you’ve delayed your flu shot, it’s not too late to get one for the cur-

rent flu season, which usually lasts until late spring. Getting it as soon as possible offers the most protection for you and your loved ones.”

Knowledge Gap

A lack of information may contribute to decisions to skip or delay the flu shot. The survey identified a significant knowledge gap, with an overwhelming majority (94%) of adults in the United States incorrectly answering at least one of eight questions about the shot. Younger generations were less informed than their older counterparts, but across all age groups, more than half of U.S. adults answered at least two questions incorrectly.

Despite the knowledge gap, some common misconceptions may be fading. Among all respondents, 73% know you can’t get the flu from the flu shot and 88% know you can get a COVID-19 vaccine and the flu shot at the same time.

Flu and Heart Health

There is a strong correlation between the flu and cardiovascular diseases like heart disease and stroke. Among adults hospitalized with flu during recent flu seasons, heart disease was one of the most common chronic conditions. According to the CDC, about half of adults hospitalized with flu have heart disease. In addition, research published in “The New England Journal of Medicine” showed

those who are not vaccinated against the flu are six times more likely to have a heart attack within a week of infection.

Preventing the Flu

Take steps to protect yourself and your loved ones from the flu this season with these tips from the American Heart Association:

Get your flu shot. Most experts recommend getting your shot early in the season, but it’s not too late to benefit from the protection. The flu shot is available to anyone at least 6 months old. While getting the shot isn’t a guarantee you won’t get the flu, it reduces the chances of contracting a severe case.

Wash germs away. Washing hands frequently and thoroughly helps reduce the spread of germs, including those that cause viruses like the flu. Also make a point to avoid touching your face, since your nose and mouth are natural entry points for germs. Seek medical attention. If you get sick, seeing a doctor can bring relief and help shorten your illness. If the flu is detected early enough, you may be able to take an oral antiviral treatment that reduces the length and severity of your symptoms.

Learn more about protecting your heart health and preventing the flu at heart.org/ flu. (Family Features)

with Saint Clare’s A Look Inside A High-Tech Cath Lab

By Mark J. Bonamo

An inside look into a high-tech cardiac catheterization lab, better known as a cath lab, can be both fascinating and life-saving. Dr. Barry Lowell, Medical Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Lab and Cardiac Rehab at Saint Clare’s Health, believes the updated cath lab at Saint Clare’s Health offers the highest quality and most advanced technology available, anywhere.

Understanding the treatments options inside a high-tech cardiac catheterization begins with the difference between elective angioplasty and emergent angioplasty.

Elective angioplasty is a minimally invasive procedure that involves a catheter, which is a flexible plastic tube. The catheter with a small balloon dilates, or “opens up”, a blocked artery that supplies your heart muscle

with blood. The balloon compresses built-up plaque and creates a wider channel for blood to flow.

Emergency angioplasty is a life-saving procedure designed to open coronary artery blockages that are impeding proper blood flow to the heart.

“At Saint Clare’s Health, we have been performing emergency angioplasty for patients having heart attacks for many years. We quickly assemble an exceptional team to treat and open the arteries of people experiencing heart attacks. In that instance, a blood vessel on the heart is occluded generally with plaque and a clot. Within 90 minutes, we have the vessels open through angioplasty, and we cease any damage that may arise in a patient’s heart,” Dr. Lowell explained.

“Elective angioplasty is an exciting new addition to what we do. We have

recently begun providing the same services electively for patients who are experiencing any type of coronary obstructive disorder, like angina or a small heart attack,” Dr. Lowell added. “We have learned that angioplasty of this nature is safe, and we are very comfortable providing these comprehensive services. The technologies have allowed us to safely treat people electively, and in most instances send them home on the very same day.”

The new technologies available at Saint Clare’s Health allow Dr. Lowell to treat his patients at the hospital in a way that is both local or around the corner from his patients, as well as ahead of the curve in providing advanced technology for critical heart procedures.

“From the 1990s onwards, we were working

with balloons and then subsequently stents, and we were working under X-ray conditions. Today, our technologies provide us the opportunity to look directly inside the artery and characterize the nature of the blockage. Is it a flaw? Is there calcium? Is it just a single blockage or perhaps several?” Dr. Lowell queried. “We can use various different technologies which enables us to provide our patients with the safest and highest quality of care depending

upon what we’re up against, and can readily choose another modality

versus a stent, for example, if need be.”

continued on page 12

Laura Anne, Oblate of the Order of St. Benedict

Dr. Barry Lowell, Medical Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Lab and Cardiac Rehab at Saint Clare’s Health Dr. Barry Lowell, Medical Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Lab and Cardiac Rehab at Saint Clare’s Health

High-Tech Cath Lab...

continued from page 10

“These changes in technology bring about better outcomes for patients both in the short term and the long term,” Dr. Lowell added. “When we were using mostly balloons, they were not as durable as we would prefer. Later, after stents were more widely used, a substance was developed that made it inert so it wouldn’t react adversely with the body, making them virtually permanent. We can also now place stents more effectively as a result.”

Dr. Lowell pointed out that Saint Clare’s Health employs these types of advanced technologies within the smaller, more intimate confines of its facilities, providing patients with the same advantages found at larger academic hospitals.

“At this point in time, I can comfortably tell you that we have the absolute best imaging, best technology and the most high-quality angioplasty catheterization laboratory services available anywhere in the country. This new technology has taken us leaps further. We are able to assess the physiology of the blood flow characteristics in blood vessels. We are

able to see inside of blood vessels,” Dr. Lowell said. “After working in this field, I am able to see things better than before. We are so proud of this lab.”

Along with the benefits created by the use of new technologies, Dr. Lowell outlined how Saint Clare’s provides the rehabilitation and recovery services needed to ensure continued cardiac health.

“From our perspective, we think of our cardiac rehab program as a cardiovascular wellness program. Not only are we treating patients post-heart attack or post-placement of stents, we are treating people with peripheral arterial disease, or who have difficulty walking,” Dr. Lowell said. “What we do is also more than just a program of exercise. Our nurses provide exceptional care. They teach dietetics and lifestyle change, and it becomes a separate community in and of itself.”

“I might also add that our program here at Saint Clare’s Health is perhaps the largest and one of the few programs that offers not only acute cardiac rehab for people who have had a recent incident, but we offer maintenance, which most

and

For

on Saint Clare’s Cardiac

Bucket List Travels: The World’s Wildest Horse Race

Morristown resident Paul Partridge has been building a travel bucket list for years.

Now he’s diving in – near and far – and shares his adventures in this column.

by Paul Partridge

Ten wild-eyed stallions are sprinting straight at us. The rumble of their hooves and violent power of their strides augurs a frightening determination. Hours earlier these horses were blessed at church, and it looks like they may need it. There’s a hairpin turn ahead and surely there’s no way all can make it through without incident.

Welcome to the Palio

I’ve been lucky enough to attend the World Series, the U.S. Open, the Indianapolis 500, the America’s Cup, Army vs. Navy, and the Tall Ships parading down the Hudson during the Statue of Liberty’s Centennial celebration.

Nothing compares to the spectacle, the pageantry, and the pandemonium unleashed by a bareback horse race involving three death-defying laps around the Piazza del Campo in Siena Italy.

All that’s delightful and charming about Italy is on display – food, wine, art, architecture, fashion, passion, it’s all here

– compressed into a single, unforgettable day.

Neighbor vs. Neighbor

Siena is divided into 17 neighborhood districts or wards called Contrade. Each contrada has its own colors and flag, and takes the name of a spirit animal or object. For example, Leone (lion), Lupa (she-wolf) and Drago (dragon).

The rivalry between neighborhoods is fierce. The greatest outcome is for your contrada to win. The second-best outcome is for your rival neighborhood to lose.

Some contrade have resorted to bribery to get their horses to perform better, while others have employed drugs. Jockeys have been kidnapped, seduced, and threatened. Heavy objects have been placed under saddles to slow down competing horses.

The preparations that take place leading up to race day are enormous. Think Halloween, Mardi Gras, and the Rose Bowl parade, rolled into one. The festivities culminate with the pre-race dinner.

My family is invited to dinner with the Aquila (eagle) contrada. The setting, in the

The dental group kids LOVE and their parents trust!

shadow of the Duomo, is so spectacular I get goosebumps. It feels as if we’re dining at Hogwarts.

Up at the main dais, the jockey is serenaded by hymns, chants, children’s poems and vino-fortified toasts. Some vestal virgins may have been offered but I can’t be sure from my seat. Our jockey seems surprisingly subdued, as if hoping for the fete to end.

Perhaps he’s not confident in his steed because horses are not chosen; they’re assigned by lottery. Or maybe he’s recalling the unfortunate history of Aquila, as Eagle holds the record for fewest race victories. Or he could be contemplating the plight of previous riders – heroes turned goats following inglorious defeat. For a Palio jockey, adoration can turn to contempt –or worse – in under 90 seconds.

Race Day

For three days prior to race day, a watchman has been sleeping with Eagle’s stallion to guard against tampering. This morning he’s walked to the Duomo and blessed by the local priest.

Piazza del Campo starts to fill around 3 pm. The festivities officially begin when the Italian cavalry enter the square. Impressively, majestically, they parade in, salute the dignitaries, and then lead a series of charges, swords drawn. Half mesmerizing, half terrifying, it jolts the crowd to attention.

Next comes the parade, a two-hour feast for the eyes featuring archers, horsemen, flag wavers, drummers, trumpeters, noblemen (and women) – all dressed in Medieval and Renaissance era costumes. Every neighborhood is represented.

By 7 pm it’s race time. An entire Shakespearian play takes place in the leadup to the start. Nine horses are chosen randomly to enter the starting line. They take their position rather casually, Italian style. There are no gates; only a singular rope holds the ensemble (loosely) in place. It’s more like a moving scrum of unruly kindergarteners then a starting line.

The Puppet Master

The 10th horse, called the Rincorsa,

The Palio di Siena is an insane horse race that’s been held since the Middle Ages and continues today. Here’s a view from inside the ropes. continued on page 14

NAME: Mike Lateiner, DMD, MS

NAME: Ami Dhaduk, DMD

NAME: Denise Kitay, DDS, MMSc

Bucket List Travels...

continued from page 13

stands alone, surveying the scene. He can enter when its jockey so decides. In this way he’s the puppet master, because the race begins only when the Rincorsa crosses the starting line.

The dance between the Rincorsa and the other horses is called the Mossa. There’s lots of banging and bumping and fidgeting. Jockeys are tense. Horses twitch and snort. The crowd, 40,000 strong, crescendos into a fevered roar – shouting, gesturing, imploring, cursing (and that’s the women).

Then, a moment of calm, a second of quiet. All eyes turn to the Rincorsa.

Suddenly a horse rears, squealing and kicking. The other mounts scatter. Race organizers scramble to get the horses calmed and realigned. This happens several more times. Mossa can take two minutes or over an hour. Seven centuries of grudges and paybacks play out in the scrum activities.

Secret Backroom Deals

Heads of the contrade make secret backroom deals, so if their horse is the Rincorsa, they might be rewarded if they enter when their horse is in a good position, or their enemy is in a bad

position. The jockeys also make deals, so you don’t know if they are trying to win or just block another rider. Perhaps this explains why the Sienese name for jockeys is assassini (assassins).

Without warning the Rincorsa bolts across the starting line and a cannon fires to signal the race is on. Our Aquila jockey hasn’t recovered from last night and is late off the line.

The racetrack is not a perfect oval. Walls jut out at crazy, dangerous angles, especially in Turn 2 where we’re sitting. The walls are padded to protect the horses, but that doesn’t prevent collisions.

Jockeys are sometimes separated from their mounts (remember, they’re riding bareback). A riderless horse is not disqualified. The first horse to cross the finish line – with or without a jockey –wins.

The lead changes constantly – and suddenly. Which fuels the excitement. And the delirium of the crowd. One minute your horse is at the back of the pack. Two breaths later, he’s charging to the lead.

Going into the final lap, it looks to be a two-horse race between Nicchio (Seashell) and Oca (Goose). Meanwhile the Eagle has landed, crashing in Turn 2 and never

finishing the race.

The crowd is on its feet. It’s a photo finish. The winner is . . .

Goose! The Oca neighborhood faithful rush onto the racetrack, flags waving, tears

of joy overflowing. They hug and kiss the jockey and hoist him onto their shoulders, singing songs of joy. The winning horse is marched into church and down the aisle for a blessing.

Palio jockeys race bareback just as they have since 1656.

Morris County NJSFWC Participate in MLK Day of Service

55 members, representing nine clubs in the highlands district of the New Jersey State Federation of Women’s clubs (NJSFWC), participated in a Martin Luther Jr., Day of Service.

Clubs that participated included Boonton, DenvilleRockaway, Hopatcong, Long Valley, Madison, Roxbury, Parsippany, and Washington.

109 pre-designed Kits: Dinner-in-a-Bag, Healthy-LifestyleMeal-Kit, Snow-Day-Meal-Bag, and College-Meal-Kit were

assembled, and an additional 426 extra food items were donated to the Morris County Interfaith food pantry.

Each year, all eight NJSFWC districts in the state participate in the same Day of Service project. Past day of service projects include Covenant House, Embrella and NJ Veteran’s homes.

New Jersey State Federation of Women’s Clubs, founded in 1894, has its Headquarters on the Douglass Residential Campus, in New Brunswick. The college, formerly Douglass

College, was established by NJSFWC in 1918. To learn more about NJSFWC and membership in a local club, visit www. NJSFWC.org or call 732-249-5474.

For more information regarding the General Federation of Women’s Clubs, contact www.GFWC.org. Opportunities are provided for women in education, leadership training, and community service projects through participation in local clubs, enabling members “to make a difference in the lives of others, one project at a time”.

New Jersey’s National Guard Militia Museum is a Draw for All Ages

By Steve Sears

New Jersey’s National Guard Militia Museum has two locations. The main location is in Sea Girt, and the second is in Lawrenceville.

The museum is an offshoot of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. Staff Sgt. Andrew Walker is the Director/Curator of the 501 c 3 non-profit organization that (courtesy of the museum website), “supports the collections, exhibitions and educational programs of the museum through volunteerism, advocacy,

and fundraising.”

Walker, who is in Sea Girt (LTC (Ret) William Kale is Volunteer Co-Curator in Lawrenceville), is an informative, eager guide. He has a wealth of knowledge of military history. When you visit the Sea Girt location which is located a shell’s toss from the beach, you can visit display cases and see artifacts throughout the one-room facility. The museum details the Garden State’s Militia and National Guard history starting with the Dutch and Swedish, who arrived in the late 15th century, up through

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the Revolutionary War to the Civil War, World Wars I and II, to the present day. “We’re basically tracing the citizen soldier really since New Jersey’s inception,” Walker says. “There are different players at that point. We do trace our lineage and our heritage through the British colonization, but we do recognize the other nations that

were called on in New Jersey at the time.” Founded in 1980, the National Guard Militia Museum was the fourth state National Guard Museum at that time. Rapid growth and expansion encouraged the opening of the Lawrenceville Museum in 1998. Walker says, “We do rely on private continued on page 19

Centuries of guarding New Jersey (courtesy if the National Guard Militia Museum)

Unashamed of Hope: The Power of the Untold Stories Project

By Chip M. O’Brien

What’s the point of storytelling?

What are stories for?

In early 2020, these questions held dire importance for the nonprofit organization Storytelling Arts, Inc. Before 2020, it had focused on bringing programs about folk tales to schools throughout NJ. Now the pandemic had shut down schools across the state.

event conducted over Zoom. Krapf describes the events as tentative, an experiment. Both storytellers and audiences enjoyed the personal stories program. When shutdown regulations receded, the concept reached its full incarnation as the Untold Stories of a Storied People project.

Faced with an existential threat, Storytelling Arts questioned its core mission. “We had to ask ourselves, in times of Black Lives Matter and COVID-19, are folktales the most relevant way to use storytelling?” remembers Linda Helm Krapf,

Executive

Director of Storytelling Arts. “Or is it time for us to begin thinking about personal stories?”

The idea for a new direction came from an unexpected source. Krapf’s last flight before the COVID shutdown took her through the Denver Airport, where she spied a Desmond Tutu quote on a poster. It read, “My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together.”

Krapf immediately recognized its relevance. “That told me we all have to get together and listen to one another,” she says. “Because the answers are with all of us together, not separate.”

The idea turned into an online storytelling

Phase One of the project began last year. A total of eight storytellers gathered from four NJ communities, Jersey City, Morristown, New Brunswick, and Trenton, to prepare for in-person performances. The project focused on people with profound life experiences whose stories had not been heard so those stories could be elevated and amplified.

One of those storytellers was Ron Ritzie, a lifelong resident of Morristown who has watched his childhood community change over the years. An accomplished artist, painter, and muralist, Ritzie had not yet committed his own story to words. The Untold Stories project and its training workshops gave him the opportunity to craft his story creatively, during a summer when many of his childhood haunts were being destroyed for new construction.

“It became a cathartic process,” Ritzie remembers. “I went into a search of going back to my childhood, childhood trauma. And it was very difficult because I thought,

I’m 64 years old. I felt that I had dealt with it all. And I had. But there were certain things that needed truth to be told to it, because there were two sides to a story. And I wanted to know the truth.”

As the storytellers worked together in workshops, many of their stories became more vulnerable and personal. For Ritzie, as for many of the storytellers, facing the truth of their stories activated emotions

that they had buried for years. But allowing their buried stories to be seen, heard, and validated also proved liberating. “To tell you the truth, that last summer, I did nothing but cry,” Ritzie says, comparing the process to peeling the layers off an onion or a scab off a wound. “It was like that. And when I finally got to the root of the truth, I was okay.”

After completing their training, the

continued on page 20

A performance of the Untold Stories of a Storied People project in Jersey City last year.

Militia Museum...

continued from page 17

donations mostly, so you’re able to reach out to us and inquire about whether or not we want a certain artifact.” Uniforms, medals, several types of equipment, and handwritten notes relating to New Jersey militia can be viewed here, as well as federal artifacts. One especially fascinating aspect of the museum is that, with so much emphasis placed on New Jersey’s role in the American Revolution – and rightly so - the museum also has a deep focus on our state’s involvement in the Civil War. Copies of articles, diaries, letters, memoirs, newspaper clippings, and regimental histories are part of one of the largest collections of New Jersey related Civil War research material in the United States.

“National Guardsmen are, and still are viewed, as citizen soldiers,” Walker explains. “Civilians during peace, and then soldiers during war. That is really what the militia is: citizens leaving their normal, everyday lives and being called into service. That is the National Guard - you are just supposed to protect your state and your country, and so that’s where citizen soldier comes from.”

The museum relies heavily on in-person visits, and if you enter the doors in Sea Girt, you will see displayed an 18th century

powder horn, the oldest artifact on-site, and the 28’, 4,000 pound “Intelligent Whale.” Built in 1864, the submarine, mammal-like vessel was tested in the Long Island Sound, but the Navy was not interested in using it. There are also quite a few replications of period militia uniforms.

Walker has tried to bring into the museum a narrative, downhome connection, and resident historian Joseph Bilby has delivered. “He crafted all of our narratives, and it really makes sure that it’s pointing to those human connections, those kind of personal stories on those citizen soldiers from New Jersey.” The museum’s Oral History Program is run by Assistant Curator, Ms. Carol Fowler, who has over 20 years of interviews that need to be summarized from audio logs. Volunteers and especially interns value the effort. “It’s a great learning tool for them to see all the work that goes into keeping history,” Walker says.

The Sea Girt location is located at 100 Camp Drive, and the Lawrenceville museum is at Lawrenceville Armory, 151 Eggert Crossing Road. Admission is free, but donations are accepted. Visit www. njmilitiamuseum.org for more information.

Unashamed of Hope...

continued from page 18

storytellers performed in each of their four communities. For Ritzie, the Morristown venue held particular symbolic importance: the event took place at Grow It Green Urban Farm, across from his former junior high school.

About sixty people attended the Morristown performance. In the talkback after the event, one audience member addressed Ritzie specifically. Ritzie had told a story about a painful and highly unusual childhood experience; the man in the audience had lived through the exact same thing.

“That’s when it came full circle for me,” Ritzie says. “After everything was done on the last performance, I knew I had done what I needed to do. And the healing started.”

It’s an experience that happened more than once. “Every single audience reflected back to us that they too felt seen and heard, because the storyteller stories were often their stories,” says Krapf. Sharing stories not only healed the storytellers, but helped their audiences heal, too.

Ritzie is still performing with the Untold Stories of a Storied People project, but his stories will most likely turn aside from childhood trauma. “I did it,” he says, “I dug up those bones. I buried them so many times. And now it’s time for me to continue to do

what I need to do as an artist, as somebody that’s going to live a healthy life for years to come.”

After the success of Phase One, the project itself will change and expand, too. If funding is secured, a hoped-for Phase Two will grow Untold Stories of a Storied People to include a monthly storytelling lab in Madison and the ability to bring aboard more storytellers with untold stories from immigrants, veterans, especially female veterans, essential workers during COVID, and all others who feel unseen and unheard.

Krapf hopes that the empathy created by storytelling can offer better solutions. “Our humanity needs to be elevated,” she says. “We need to respond to these times in a different way than the way that we’re responding.”

That’s one answer to our original question: what are stories for?

The Untold Stories project / program shows that stories can be for healing, catharsis, connection, and liberation.

Or, as Micah Bournes writes in the poem “Humming Fools” linked on Storytelling Arts’ website, stories can be for creating hope–hope that by witnessing each other’s stories, we can all become more human.

For more information about Untold Stories of a Storied People, visit www. storytellingartsinc.org/

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