Entertainment .........................Section 2

East Hanover/Florham Park’s Hometown Newspaper

EAST HANOVER FLORHAM PARK LIFE

Vol. 17 • Issue 2 May 2022

FREE - TAKE ONE

Member of Mid-Atlantic Community Papers • Association of Community Publichers AUDITED BY CIRCULATION VERIFICATION COUNCIL (CVC), ST. LOUIS, MO. FREE - TAKE ONE

BY STEVE SEARS STAFF WRITER

For Kary Antholis, Life Has Been a Gift

FLORHAM PARK - For Kary Antholis, born and raised in Florham Park, life has been rewarding.

Antholis founded Crime Story Media, LLC after his retirement from HBO. “I’ve just always been interested in complex stories about crime, criminality, its impacts, and the way we as a society go about trying to punish people or prevent crime. I taught a couple of classes at USC, one on crime drama, one on crime documentaries and podcasts. I was attached to a few projects that I had put into development at HBO that were in that world and I started publishing podcasts.” Antholis has two, limited series projects that are coming out in 2022. We Own This City premiered on HBO in April, and the other is called Black Bird, and that will be on Apple TV+ in July. Antholis also had a podcast that was nominated for an Ambie Award called Firebug. “I’m in the process of transitioning that from the podcast to trying to do it as a television series,” he says. “All of these media forms kind of meld together.”

Antholis, 59, grew up in Florham Park and attended Delbarton High School. “There were a total of four of us from Florham Park and a couple of kids from Madison that that became kind of a crew in my class, and then my brother went there, too.” His memories of Florham Park are fond ones. “One of the things that I remember most clearly were sports. I was not a great athlete, but I was a devoted one, and I enjoyed living in Florham Park. I lived there essentially until I was 18 years old, and went back a couple of summers when I was in college and worked summer jobs in and around the area. Florham Park had a big impact on me. I enjoyed my time in school and played sports there, learned discipline, learned how to read and write and do math, and I think very fondly of my youth there.”

Antholis graduated from Maine’s Bowdoin College in 1984 with a Bachelor’s degree in History and French, and got his Master’s degree in History from Stanford University. Antholis also graduated from the Georgetown University Law Center and serves on the Board of Visitors there.

Antholis in 1995 released a 41-minute documentary called, One Survivor Remembers, about the late Holocaust survivor, Gerda Weissmann Klein. It won an Academy Award for Documentary Short Subject and the Emmy for Outstanding Informational Special. “The most profound impact that Gerda had on me and making this fi lm had on me was it made me want to be a better husband,” Antholis says. “And when I made the fi lm, we did not have children, but it made me want to be a father - a good father.”

Antholis’ greatest gift that he’s received and gifted back was really making an effort to be present in the moment, and particularly with his family. “If there’s anything that I continue to aspire to do, it’s to be present for my wife, and to be present for my kids,” he says. “I think being vigilant about being present for the things that I’m doing in life, and for the people that I’m working with, or that are part of my family and my friends, being present is a kind

Photo courtesy of Kary Antholis

of perpetual ambition.”

For more information about Crime Story, LLC, visit www. crimestory.com.

East Hanover Woman Honors Late Mom in New COVID Book

BY JILLIAN RISBERG STAFF WRITER

EAST HANOVER - Two years in, omnipresent Coronavirus has left a trail of devastation in its wake, so Jean Sime and Brenda Cortez wanted to ensure that all those lost to the dreadful disease didn’t die in vain.

And it was personal: When COVID took motivational speaker Sime’s beloved sister Vivian, she collaborated with bestselling author Cortez (with whom she had worked on an organ donation book) to come up with Voices-19, Their Legacies Live On.

Dina Kess says she was thankful to have been picked to be part of this beautiful tribute. “It means the world to me to be able to shine a light on the devastation that COVID brought to my family and how it took my mom,” says Kess. “Many of us were not fortunate enough to escape the horrors of

Hanover Manor Wins Outstanding Catering Excellence Award

EAST HANOVER - The Hanover Manor in East Hanover was recognized by the Automatic Fire Alarm Association of New Jersey (AFAANJ) with their award for Excellence in Catering.

Criteria for the award include food quality, service, and professionalism.

Hanover Manor owner Angelo Kontogiannis accepted the award from AFAANJ President Dennis Boone at the association’s annual joint symposium with the New Jersey Society of Fire Protection Engineers on April 7th.

Presenting the award is AFAANJ President Dennis Boone, holding the award is Angelo Kontogiannis, owner of the Manor followed by members of the AfAANJ Board.

Your Chance to Win a $25 Gift Card to East Hanover Diner with the “Find Hank The Hornet Mascot” Contest

AREA - Check out our new 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 to East Hanover Diner (4 winners). It is easy to enter. Look through the paper and read the ads and look for “Hank” in the ads. He will be located throughout the paper in 6 random ads. Then go to www. easthanoverflorhamparklife. com scroll down and fi ll out the form to be entered. Winners will be notifi ed and printed in the next issue.

Winners From March’s “Find Moe Life Mascot” Contest

AREA - The winners from March’s “Find Hank the Hornet Mascot” are Lizabeth Costa, Debra Manno, Grizel Melillo, Jennifer Healey. The ads that “Hank the Hornet” was in are Magnolia, Golden Professional, Weichert, Darren’s Tree Service, American Home Remodeling Home Show.

Thanks to everyone who enter and congratulations to our winners! COVID unscathed.”

Anastasia Koiveroglou, 67, passed on May 31, 2020.

According to Kess, she got sick in April and fought for over a month and a half.

And she lost her dad to cancer on March 25, 2016.

“They both inspire me,” Kess says. “I feel like they would want me to always do the best I can in everything. They are my inspiration.” There are 19 stories in the book, a collection of different combinations of people — either losing a parent, spouse, sibling or child.

“It was incredibly diffi cult to write,” Kess says many tears were shed writing the chapter about her mom. “I was honored to be able to share her beautiful life with the world.”

When it comes to that kind of loss, author Susan Wiggs said: “There is something about losing a mother that is permanent and inexpressible — a wound that will never quite heal.”

They expect to release the book April 26, 2022.

She feels it’s incredibly important to share with the public.

“So they may see our loved ones were not just a number,” says Kess, who has amazing recollections of her mom. “They were loved and they are missed.”

She loved traveling to Greece with her, where Kess’ grandparents had a big garden and her mom would pick vegetables and cook delicious meals.

The two shared a beautiful bond.

“Memories of helping and watching her in the kitchen, taking me everywhere I wanted to go and vacations in Greece,” Kess says recent memories include: going to casinos together, shopping, dinner or taking small trips. “My mom was so much fun.”

She carries those precious moments close to her heart.

And trusts that the stories in Voices of all whose normal was ripped from them deeply resonates.

“I hope people will understand that this virus ended hopes, dreams and tore families apart. Our loved ones were not just a statistic,” says Kess.

The past few years have been overwhelming.

And Kess is baffl ed by the reaction of many to the pandemic.

“The way they downplayed the virus and ‘it’s only 2%’ line was challenging to hear,” Kess says she highly doubts they would say that if they lost a loved one. “What’s encouraged me is the love and support from COVID groups I am part of and the reassurance that there are still many good people with compassion.”

As US COVID deaths inch toward one million, it couldn’t be more comforting — to have a loving hand extended from those who have also grappled with unthinkable loss.

The payment poster at a specialty risk transfer, care-coordination company had never written anything before for a book and says she learned to detail her emotions better.

“It’s crazy because I have all these feelings inside and putting them into words isn’t as easy as it may sound,” says Kess. “It’s helped me express myself better.”

Hostility has been at an alltime high during the pandemic, with many lashing out and even resorting to violent attacks against others.

Going forward Kess wishes people would be more understanding and sympathetic of others during trying times.

“The pandemic was very diffi cult for many people,” she says. “I feel as a society, we could have done better in many aspects. I try to stay positive and not be bothered by ignorant comments or situations — but it can be challenging.”

Kess is not sure what she may do in the future in regard to writing.

But she knows one thing is certain…

“I will continue to memorialize my mom every chance I get,” says Kess. “She deserves to be remembered.”

To learn more about the book, visit www.facebook. com/voices19book/.

What’s Inside...

Food Network Chopped Chef ..................Page 2 Wounded Combat Vet Artist ....................Page 4 A Moment in Time ...................................Page 6 Let’s Talk Health ....................................Page 10 Decorated Sacred Heart Softball Star ....Page 11 Morris County News ........................ Page 12-15 Entertainment .........................Section 2 , Page 1 Crossword Puzzle .....................Section2, page 2

We’re Back!!

EAST HANOVER /FLORHAM PARK- We want your opinion on our new design and would like to know the likes or how we can improve your community newspaper. Send us your comments via email to joe@mylifepublications.com.

You can now add events for your organizations and groups on our website 24/7 at www.easthanoverfl orhamparklife.com.

Please take a minute, if you have not done so already to visit www.iwantmypaper.com to let us know you want to continue receiving your paper free each month.

We look forward to hearing from you and hope you enjoy East Hanover/Florham Park’s Own Community Newspaper.

Joe and Mary, Publishers 33 Mt. Pleasant Ave., East Hanover • 973-567-8265

$5 Off