ECRWSS Local Postal Customer
My Life Publications PO Box 575 Flanders, NJ 07828
259 Easton, Md 21601
E a s t H a n o v e r / F l o r h a m Pa r k’s H o m e t o w n N e w s p a p e r
EAST HANOVER FLORHAM PARK Vo l . 2 0 • Is s u e 2 FREE - TAKE ONE
LIFE Februar y 2024
Member of Mid-Atlantic Community Papers • Association of Community Publishers AUDITED BY CIRCULATION VERIFICATION COUNCIL (CVC), ST. LOUIS, MO.
FREE - TAKE ONE
Florham Park Rotary President Honored as Paul Harris Fellowship
FLORHAM PARK - The Florham Park Rotary Club surprised past president President Simone Campbell by recognizing her with a Paul Harris Fellow Award at their Friday, Jan. 12 meeting. A Paul Harris Fellowship Award is the highest honor that Rotary can bestow on an individual. Named after the founder of Rotary in 1905 the award is available to Rotarians and non-Rotarians who demonstrate the high professional and personal standards exemplified by Paul Harris. The award is given by The Rotary Foundation in recognition of substantial and exemplary community service in support of Rotary ideals. “She’s always putting everyone before herself. It just embodies everything that the Rotary is. It’s about giving. It’s a service organization, and any time there’s something that needs to be done, she’s willing to sacrifice her time and everything else to make sure that we get it done. And there’s no one
more deserving than her.” said current President, Damion Bernard.
Simone served as President of the Florham Park Rotary from July 2022 to June 2023. Initially she was in the Rotaract club in Jamaica before coming to the US in 2005 and starting employment with PwC in Florham Park. Asked why she has stayed in Rotary for so long, Campbell stated two reasons - “I have bought into the important mission of Rotary. And it’s a stabilizing force for me. I get joy from doing Rotary activities.” Under her leadership as Rotary club president, after COVID the club held two successful Halloween Dog Parade & Costume Contests and resumed the Taste of Florham Park in May 2023. Both successful scholarship fundraisers helped lead to 4 scholarships being awarded in 2023 to Florham Park students with a history of community volunteerism and who attend local high
schools as Seniors. Four scholarships were the most number of scholarships in one year ever by the club. This contributed to a smooth transition of leadership to current president, Damion Bernard, who continues with several successes. About Rotary Rotary International is a nonpolitical and nonsectarian organization open to all people, regardless of race, color, religion, gender, or political preference. 40,000+ clubs in 200 countries worldwide dedicated to humanitarian services, high ethical standards, and goodwill and peace around the world. This global network of 1.4 million people who volunteer their skills and resources to solve issues and address community needs. Ending polio: Rotary members have played a key role in bringing the world to the brink of polio eradication. These efforts have ended polio in all but 2 countries, Afghanistan and Pakistan. One Rotary club is in Flor-
Florham Park Rotarian Simone Campbell is presented with the Paul Harris Fellowship award by Michael Karu, Audit Chairperson for our Rotary District 7475, and previously was the Assistant Governor in the District at the Florham Park Diner Friday morning, Jan. 12. Photo by David Kramer
ham Park. To learn more and consider joining, guests are welcome to attend a weekly Rotary breakfast meeting at the Florham Park Diner at 182 Ridgedale Ave. Meetings are
Bessie Coleman was the First African American Pilot in America
BY HENRY M. HOLDEN STAFF WRITER
AREA - Bessie Coleman was born in Atlanta, Texas on January 26, 1893, the 12th of 13 children born to a former slave. Her mother motivated her and instilled a driving force that helped her fight overwhelming odds, blatant racism, and sexism to become the first licensed black American pilot. From an early age her mother urged her to “become somebody.” Although her mother could not read, she managed to borrow books from a traveling library, hoping that somehow Bessie could teach herself to read. “I did,” said Coleman, “and I found a brand new world in the written word. I couldn’t get enough. I wanted to learn so badly that I finished high school;something unusual for a black woman in those days. The teachers I had tried so hard. I don’t wish to make it sound easy, but I decided I wanted to go to college too. Since my mother could not afford college, I took in laundry and ironing to save up the tuition money.” When Coleman thought she had enough saved, she enrolled in Langston Indus-
trial College (now Langston University, Oklahoma). She seriously underestimated the expenses and her money lasted only one semester. When she realized she could not go on, she became depressed, moved to Chicago to live with her older brother, and found work as a manicurist. Coleman said, “I guess it was the newspapers reporting on the air war in Europe that got me interested in flying. I was an avid reader and searched the libraries looking for information on flying. I think all the articles I read finally convinced me I should be up there flying and not just reading about it. So, I started searching for a flying school. “At first, I thought it would be easy, just walk in and sign up. I didn’t realize that I had two strikes against me. I remember hearing of a few women pilots before the war, but I had never seen one. The other strike against me was my color.” Bessie said, “I refused to take no for an answer. My mother’s words always gave me strength to overcome obstacles. I knew someone important and decided to see if he
Winner from January’s “Find Hank the Hornet Mascot” Contest
AREA - The winners from December’s “Find Hank the Hornet Mascot” are Sophia Dipopolo; Florham Park, Donna Perruso; East Hanover, Joyce Beyer; East Hanover, Marleen Nigro of East Hanover .The ads that “Hank the
Hornet” were in: Public House, Hardwood Floors, Shed World, Christine Nagy, Kam Man and Flobega. Thanks to everyone who enter and congratulations to our winners!
AREA - Check out our mascot... Hank the Hornet. Look for him in the ads in this issue and enter (no purchase necessary) to win
a $25.00 gift card (4 winners). It is easy to enter. Look through the paper and read the ads and look for “Hank” in the ads. He
7:47 to 8:50 a.m. every Friday. For additional information about the Florham Park Rotary visit the new website at www. FlorhamParkRotary.org, check Florham Park Community TV
(Channels 21 for Cablevision and 35 for Verizon), or write or call Membership Chair George Gregor at ggregor@florhamparkrotary.org or 917-8480982.
A Valentine’s Day Story
An old photo of my Mom and Dad, taken shortly after Dad received his Honorable Discharge from the United States Army Air Corps.
BY RICHARD MABEY, JR. GUEST WRITER
Bessie Coleman in flying clothes
could use his influence to get me into a flying school.” Robert S. Abbott, the founder and editor of the Chicago Weekly Defender, was very enthusiastic about Coleman’s idea, but also pessimistic. After an exhaustive search of the flying schools in the country, he concluded that there were some who would teach a woman, but there were none that would teach a black woman. “He did have a ray of hope,” said Coleman. “He told me that Feance had more liberal attitudes toward women and people of color and suggested I study French.” Coleman took Abbott’s advice and went to night school. In a few months, she learned enough French and saved enough money to travel to Europe. Again, she underestimated the cost and her money ran out. She came back to Amer-
ica and found a job in a chili restaurant, but she would not let go of her dream. Coleman went back to Europe again in 1921. This time, she had more money and went looking for the best instructor she could find. Coleman learned to fly with the chief pilot of the world-famous aircraft manufacturer, Tony Fokker. Fokker said she had skill and what he called a natural ability. He encouraged her and was anxious for her to succeed. Coleman earned her license on June 15, 1921. “I returned to the United States with my airpilot license from the Federation Aeronautique International. I was the first black licensed pilot in the world. I had grand dreams, but I was a realist. If I could have a minimum of my desires, I would have no regrets,” Coleman said. Having reached
Your Chance to Win a $25 Gift Card with the “Find Hank The Hornet Mascot” Contest will be located throughout the paper in 6 random ads. Then go to https://www.mypaperonline. com/find-hank-contest.html
scroll down and fill out the form to be entered. Winners will be notified and printed in the next issue.
AREA - In August of 1942, my father had just finished his basic training, in the United States Army, at Fort McClellan in Alabama. He was granted a week’s leave. Dad was about to be assigned to the Seventh Army Air Corps, to be dispatched to Hickam Airfield in Hawaii. While on his week-long leave, Dad had lunch with his brother Earl and Uncle Earl’s wife, Eleanor. Uncle Earl and Aunt Eleanor had just gotten married in June. They moved into Aunt Eleanor’s homestead, in the 600 block of Boonton Avenue in Boonton. They lived with Aunt Eleanor’s widowed father. It was a Sunday afternoon that Dad visited Uncle Earl and Aunt Eleanor. A most fateful Sunday. After lunch, Dad and his brother took a walk to the front yard of Uncle Earl’s new home. They stood beneath a maple tree and talked. Across the street, on Boonton Avenue, a young high school girl sat upon the rock wall of her home, reading a book. In the dozens of times that Dad told this story, he always said that he asked Uncle Earl who was the girl sitting upon
the rock wall. And Uncle Earl simply replied, “she’s one of the Kemmerer girls.” Then Dad was quiet for a moment and he simply said to his brother, “she’s such a pretty girl. I’m going to marry her.” Fast forward to February of 1943. Dad is at Hickam Airfield. He is assigned the task of fueling up airplanes. He is all so homesick. There is a certain anxiety and fear in the air. For rumors are abounding of another Japanese attack. It is now Valentine’s Day of 1943. Janet Kemmerer (my Mom) is working an after-school job at the A&P in Boonton. She is working in the Bakery Department. It is close to closing time. Three Valentine’s Day cookies are still on the shelf. They had not been sold. Mom’s boss simply says, “Janet, why don’t you take those Valentine’s Day cookies home with you.” So, Mom does. Mom gives one Valentine’s Day cookie to her Mom, and one to her Dad. And, the other one she carefully wraps in a box, to send to the Airman at Hickam (being my Dad). Mom PLEASE SEE VALENTINE’S DAY, PAGE 2