No. 18 Vol. 4
My Life Publications • 973-809-4784
April 2022
Livingston Family Remembers Deceased Teen by Spreading Mental Health Awareness
S
By Alexander Rivero ome pains are more unimaginable than others, and few are as unimaginable as the loss of a child by suicide. On July 29, 2021, Shiv Kulkarni, a fourteenyear-old freshman at Livingston High School, died by suicide while on an excursion into Manhattan with his family. Since that day, his parents and sister have been left to pick up the pieces of the boy’s life, to dig for answers, and to offer their insights to the world around them. They have done this, and continue to do this, all the while pushing for a more compassionate and inclusive approach to mental health in young people, especially as it relates to those that identify as LGBTQ, such as Shiv. In September, 2021, Shiv’s mother, Shilpa, addressed the Livingston Board of Education (LBOE) about her son’s death and what we can do as a community to prevent similar things from happening in the future. She sought to revisit the situation by calling the group of parents and community members to look at themselves and revisit what could have been done differently. Some lessons the Kulkarni family learned—via therapy, extensive reading, reflecting, conversing with others— was the need to return to fundamentals in the support structures for our children, both within schools and within the community at large, and to do it early in a child’s development to prevent them from having to absorb the lessons suddenly and without warning at some point in their future. “I’ve been speaking a lot on this since then, the need to focus on the mental hygiene of our children,” says Shilpa. “Just like we teach them to brush their teeth when they’re
young so that they grow up with the habit of sound dental hygiene and continue it on into their independent lives, we need to introduce coping strategies, build resiliency— mental hygiene—to take care of their brain health as they transition through puberty, through youth into adulthood.” One of Shilpa’s concerns is the fact that when it comes continued on page 2
Page 2 • April 2022 • Livingston Life • Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com
Spreading Mental Health Awareness... continued from front page to educating our young on manners of sex through sexed, we do not do justice to the inclusivity of the LGBTQ+ community. This lack of education on the matter creates confusion in the minds of children whose feelings simply do not conform with what they understand over time to be societal norms. The confusion leads to feelings of unworthiness, a lack of confidence, and a lack of self-worth at an early age, feelings they often cannot even voice out of a lack of the emotional vocabulary necessary to do so. All of this can be avoided to a great degree, argues Shilpa, by incorporating age-appropriate and inclusive sex education, so that no child feels lonely, out of place. Opponents of expanding sex-ed to include issues relating to the LGBTQ community, points out Shilpa, often overlook the fact that the proposed material will be presented to the children in accordance with age- and grade-specific curriculum guidelines. The idea is to introduce the students the diversity present within the human population that surrounds them, so by the time they reach an age where they are more likely to make a decision on how to live their own lives, they won’t feel out of place, isolated, and will feel confident to explore who they are without the confusion and shame. “This kind of education will help every child,” says Shilpa, referring to inclusive sex-education in school curriculums. “Even for heterosexual children, this education will enrich
their concept of normal social structure and will make them more emphatic human beings and better allies.” Shilpa explained that her son, who identified as gay and was suffering from depression, “internalized his nonstandard identity” throughout middle school, adding that he was “highly sensitive, an intellectual and a perfectionist to a fault.” Both she and her husband believe that it was this mentality paired with the surrounding heterosexualstandard environment that likely led to his depression. Asked if there was a way to get the student body to be more sensitive and inclusive to non-traditional heterosexual roles, Shilpa responds that this is precisely the area where they are focusing, especially on the overuse of certain words and ideas without having any strong policy backing them up. “Such words,” she says, “become empty jargon words if we just continue to do the things we were doing beforehand.” We cannot be more “inclusive”, or more “open”, she argues, if we are not actively working on building up a curriculum where such views are presented as legitimate ways for human beings to live their lives. Furthermore, Shilpa believes reducing people to “groups”—via an LGBTQ “club” for instance—only serves to separate them further from the general population, and slows the process of full integration by implicitly defining that person’s internal reality as a rare case, or a case rare enough to warrant only an extra-curricular group, as opposed to definitive integration into the everyday curriculum of
the whole student body. “We have to normalize these situations for the kids,” says Shilpa. “The kindness we need can only grow through the age-appropriate levels over the course of years. You can’t expect kids to become nicer just because we have a ‘kindness day.’” As for the Kulkarni’s as a family, the coping process continues, and will continue. Asked how they expect to find peace within themselves moving forward, Shilpa describes the need to remain present for her thirteen-yearold daughter, who has been very much affected by her brother’s loss. The family as a whole is finding its peace by focusing on their advocacy work in Shiv’s memory, as well as therapy. The Kulkarni’s are encouraging everyone to make a small donation to aid in the effort to bring awareness to our communities on the need for more expansive mental health initiatives within our schools. Please visit The Trevor Project or The Jed Foundation for more details. The family has also formed a foundation in Shiv’s memory—Shiv’s Third Eye. Through this foundation, they plan on working on a three-prong approach to help children like Shiv in the hope that one less will suffer through this insidious and invisible illness. Those three prongs are: awareness and education for parents about youth mental health and mental hygiene; support for the families of struggling youth; and fundraising to support pioneering research on treatment-resistant adolescent depression.
LOOKING FOR A NEW UNISEX HAIR SALON? CHECK OUT SPECIAL CUTS!
L A I C C U E T P S UNISEX SHOP S
FULL SERVICE
NEW SERVICES FOR MEN INCLUDE: GREY BLENDING • PERMANENT HAIR COLOR MENS HAIRCUTS BONUS TEA TREE NECK MASSAGE & HOT TOWEL NEW SERVICES FOR WOMEN INCLUDE: PERMS • DEEP CONDITIONING WAXING • HAIR COLOR HIGHLIGHTS
525 South Livingston Avenue (NEXT TO CAPITAL ONE BANK & CHERRY BROOK. PARKING AVAILABLE)
LIVINGSTON • 973.422.0303
for Men, Women and Children WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED ALL MEASURES TO KEEP YOUR VISIT SAFE
By Appointment Only
SENIOR DAY EVERY MONDAY!
SENIORS
3 off
$
any HAIRCUT Coupons not valid with other promotions. Exp. 5/31/22
5 off 2 off BLOW-OUTS $
$
any HAIRCUT
FOR ANY CLIENT
FOR ANY CLIENT
Coupons not valid with other promotions. Exp. 5/31/22
Coupons not valid with other promotions. Exp. 5/31/22
3 off 10 off
$
$
NEW CLIENTS
Coupons not valid with other promotions. Exp. 5/31/22
FULL COLOR SERVICE FOR ANY CLIENT Coupons not valid with other promotions. Exp. 5/31/22
Monday-Friday 8am-7pm • Saturday 8am-5pm Closed Sundays
Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com • Livingston Life • April 2022 • Page 3
with Andrea Hoffmann
A
HOME ZONE
nswers to your home and real estate questions. Q: My husband and I are buying our first home, but the mortgage will be in my name only. Is he still considered an owner? A: While a mortgage is a financial instrument, it’s the deed of a property that establishes ownership. Ideally, you’d both sign your deed. However, it’s good to know that in NJ, even if he failed to sign the deed, the primary residence of a married couple is considered joint property. It is best to consult an attorney to make sure everything is legally as you wish. Q: What is the “mansion tax” and does it apply even if the home I’m looking for isn’t a mansion? A: In New Jersey, sellers pay a Realty Transfer Tax that is calculated according to the sale price of the home. When the sale price is over $1,000,000, a supplemental 1% “mansion” tax kicks in which is the responsibility of the BUYER. That’s why we see homes closing for $999.999––it saves the buyer $10,000 of taxes! Home size has nothing to do with it. I know, it stings, and the bragging rights of owning a “mansion”
aren’t much consolation. It’s been a long time since this tax was levied, and based on the current market, it deserves reexamination. Q: Is gold the new silver in home fixtures? A: Home decor trends change all the time. It’s a great way to keep spaces refreshed (and keep interior decorating stores in business!). Benjamin Moore has announced that the 2022 color of the year is October Mist, so you can expect to see sage being put to bountiful use soon. Changing the color of your walls or accent decor (think pillows or curtains) is easy and inexpensive. Changing your fixtures is a different story. It’s true that gold fixtures had given way to brushed nickel for quite a while, but they’ve definitely been showing back up more and more. The right decor choices are the ones that make you feel happy and comfortable in your home. If you love gold fixtures, go for it! Get your own question featured in The Home Zone! Email me at Andrea. HomeZone@gmail.com.
Page 4 • April 2022 • Livingston Life • Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com
Former Livingston Resident Runs in Memory of His Late Grandmother that my grandmother had passed. The whole energy just shifted. By Steve Sears I just sat down and started going through photos of me and her.” onathan Cohen, 32, who grew up in Livingston, is always Cohen is no stranger to challenges. He had participated in the looking to find ways to better himself. virtual TCS 26.2 New York City Marathon in 2020, and earlier that “I’m a military man,” says Cohen, who now lives in New York year had done another fundraiser on his social media feed for City. “I spent two years in the Israeli Defense Forces, 20 months as Feeding America, where he fed 20,000 families by doing 1,018 an infantry combat soldier, and I’m always on the lookout for ways push-ups in an hour. “I did 18 push-ups every minute on the minute to push myself. I came across his content and read his book, and it for 60 minutes, and I posted it to my Instagram page. Initially, the really was just something that resonated with me.” goal was just to feed 10,000 people. But in the end, we ended up The book was Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the doubling that. That was also another special opportunity.” Odds, and the author was marathoner and ultramarathoner, David Cohen started his Goggins Challenge on Friday morning, Goggins, who also created the David Goggins 4X4X48 Challenge. February 25, at 8 a.m. and his final run was on Sunday, February Cohen, who had lost both of his grandmothers to Alzheimer’s 27, at 4 a.m. “I wanted to prove that we can go beyond the limits Disease, this year took part in the challenge, where participants that we set for ourselves,” he states. He finished by 8 a.m. that run four miles every four hours for 48 hours. He dedicated it to his morning with his brother running along side of him. “I did the late grandmother, Ziva Cohen. challenge on my own, but I wanted to incorporate my brother for “When my first grandmother passed away from this, it was one the final two miles.” of the most surreal moments,” Cohen recalls. “I had the opportunity Funding support for Cohen’s Goggins Challenge on his to say goodbye to her, but seeing someone who has taken care GoFundMe page was well above his initial goal of $1,200. “I’m of you for your whole life just suddenly being in a state of not grateful for the way this resonated with people,” Cohen says, “and recognizing you. I have this vivid image in my mind of her reaching I reached out to every single donor personally. If I couldn’t reach out to me and still smiling, but so clearly not knowing who I was. out to them personally, I wrote a thank you on the page. To see And that really just hit home in a way. And then when my second the outpouring of support from the community, from people I grandmother passed away from it, I didn’t get the chance to say know and people I don’t know, I’ve never experienced anything goodbye because she was in Israel, and I wanted to do something like that. This is really just an opportunity to remind myself what to memorialize her impact, and both of their impacts on me, and Photo courtesy of Jonathan Cohen I’m capable of, but also to give back at the same time. It’s not how that was about resilience.” you start. It’s how you finish.” Ziva passed away on her grandson’s birthday, February 9. “It had Cohen can be followed on Instagram @JonathanZCohen, and he hosts a podcast called been going great,” Cohen says of his 32nd birthday. “My parents were on their way to come celebrate with me and my family, and then on the way in, my dad called me to let me know “Inside The Inspired” (streaming wherever podcasts can be accessed).
J
Gift Certificates Available
The Japanese Way of Beauty Leave Time Behind Beauty Couture & Shiseido Livingston Town Center 1180 Town Center Way Livingston • (973) 992-3388 BeautyCoutureUSA@hotmail .com
FOR ALL CLIENTS
SWEDISH MASSAGE 1 HOUR
59
$
Not valid with other promotions. Expires 5/31/22
FOR NEW CLIENTS
50% OFF 1st FACIAL FOR WOMEN, MEN & TEENS
Not valid with other promotions. Expires 5/31/22
Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com • Livingston Life • April 2022 • Page 5
ANTHONY FRANCOS
LIVINGSTON
CHICKEN • VEAL • SEAFOOD • PASTA • HOT & COLD SANDWICHES • APPETIZERS
FREE DELIVERY
To Livingston & parts of W. Orange/Short Hills
Catered Orders Delivered HOT To Your Door!
Full Menu, Prices & Online Ordering Available at
afpizza.com
2 OFF 5 OFF 4 OFF
$
2Apr22
$20 OR MORE
Mention this coupon. Not to be combined with any other offer. Expires 6/15/22
$
5Apr22
$30 OR MORE
Mention this coupon. Not to be combined with any other offer. Expires 6/15/22
$
4Apr22
ANY 2 LARGE PIES
Mention this coupon. Not to be combined with any other offer. Expires 6/15/22
OPEN 7 DAYS • Next to ShopRite
LIVINGSTON • 489 S. Livingston Ave •
SCAN HERE TO ORDER ONLINE
15% OFF
15Apr22
Any Catering Order $100 or more
Mention this coupon. Not to be combined with any other offer. Expires 6/15/22
973-535-1998
Page 6 • April 2022 • Livingston Life • Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com
RHA’s Giant Stream Cleanup Event Returns on April 23
A
s New Jersey’s Covid-19 cases continue to drop, the nonprofit Raritan Headwaters Association (RHA) is bringing back its massive Stream Cleanup event without restrictions on Saturday, April 23, from 9 a.m. to noon. “This year we’re essentially returning to normal,” said Zak Kircher, RHA’s Stream Cleanup coordinator and land steward. “This is our 32nd annual cleanup, and we are hoping to get a lot of local volunteers signed up to improve the health of the watershed.” In recent years, over 1,600 volunteers have signed up for the Stream Cleanup, which is timed to coincide with Earth Week. Volunteers included individuals, families, scout troops, churches, businesses, civic groups, schools, and environmental commissions. “The Stream Cleanup honors the spirit of Earth Day, bringing people together to help the environment,” said Cindy Ehrenclou, RHA’s executive director. “Not only does it beautify local stream corridors, but it also protects drinking
water supplies and prevents litter from washing downstream to the Raritan Bay and Atlantic Ocean, where it becomes a hazard to marine life.” In 2020, as New Jersey went into coronavirus lockdown, the Stream Cleanup was cancelled – although some local residents individually cleaned up areas in their neighborhoods. The Stream Cleanup resumed last year, but with a limited number of volunteers at each site and masking requirements. This year, RHA is looking for volunteers to pick up trash and recyclables at over 40 stream sites in the upper Raritan River watershed, which covers 470 square miles in Hunterdon, Somerset, and Morris counties. Masks are not required for this fun, important, outdoor event. Already, Kircher has been contacted by many longtime cleanup volunteers who are eager to come back. “We’ve heard from a lot of local Boy Scout and Girl Scout groups, and some church groups,” he said. “There are some site leaders who have continued on page 10
Tuesday-Saturday 9am Call to book your appointment (973)585-4060
50 Route 10 West East Hanover
NORTHFIELD PHARMACY
Since 1969
WE DELIVER Marvin Goldstein, B.S., R.P. Personalized Custom Service the way it should be! WE CARE ABOUT YOUR HEALTH!
Your Home Health Care Center
Your Y our Vaccine Center in Livingston Please Call
973-992-4050 for Appointment
The only Independent Pharmacy that has been serving 3 generations of Livingston residents for over 53 years.
Sales & Rentals Surgical Equipment & Supplies
• Safety Grab Bars • Wheel Chairs • Jobst & Sigvaris • Walkers • Braces Surgical Stockings (Moderna and J&J) • 4 Wheel Walkers • Shower Chairs • Raised Toilet Seats Shingles • Flu • Pneumonia • Crutches • Commodes • Bath Transfer Seats 568 So. Livingston Ave. • LIVINGSTON
COVID 19
(Next to Bank of America - Across from Seymour’s • Parking lot in rear)
973-992-4050 •
FAX: 973-992-7601
NEW
Card & Gift Wrap Department
50% OFF
• Nebulizer • Diabetic • Canes Test Center • Diabetic Supplies • Call for • Incontinence Supplies Additional Items
northfieldrx@gmail.com WE HONOR
ALL INSURANCE PLANS
Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com • Livingston Life • April 2022 • Page 7
Page 8 • April 2022 • Livingston Life • Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com
I Remember Mom: The Cross Road
I
By Richard Mabey Jr. n the midst of the cold winds of January of 1984, I found myself fighting a sore throat that led to a strep throat. And, sadly, the strep throat led to my second bout of Rheumatic Fever. And at the age of 30, the fate that had called me to fight the deadly strep infection at 12, had rebounded and gnarled itself to the inner chambers and valves of my heart. It was a year-long battle with two longstay hospital visits. But, I came out of it with a greater inner strength and a furious determination to leave my mark upon the world. It was in the Spring of 1985, that I landed a writing job at a big daily newspaper. I wrote engagement notices, wedding announcements, obituaries, scout news, church news, and news of various non-profit organizations. By the Summer of 1986, I was worn, weary, and feeling that my wheels were just spinning in sand, going nowhere. And, to top it all off, I had a boss who was anything but kind. In all honesty, she was a bit of a heartless tyrant. I was frayed, my inner self was torn, I lived on PeptoBismal tablets. The unrealistic deadlines, the long hours, the harsh voice of my boss, was taking a toll on me. And, as if that wasn’t enough, my girlfriend at the time, was insistent that I leave the comfort and warmth of the little Reformed Church that I grew up in, to take classes to become a Catholic. And, Anna’s parents were putting the pressure on me, to the nth degree. I have no conflict with the Catholic faith. But, I do have a problem with being pressured to do anything, just to please someone else. It wasn’t so much that Anna was a devoted Catholic, rather it
“We are open for business and following all Covid related protocols”
FACTORY AUTHORIZED WARRANTY DEALER DYSON • MIELE SEBO • SHARK BISSEL • ORECK HOOVER • HAYDEN CANAVAC • RICCAR NACECARE • BUDD ELECTROLUX EUREKA • KENMORE
VACUUM SALE!
was that her father had given me the ultimatum to convert to being a Catholic. I felt such inner turmoil. Sadly, Anna gave in to her father’s dislike of me and broke up with me. And, if that wasn’t bad enough, my boss was becoming meaner and meaner with the passing of each and every day. I felt like I was holding onto the end of a rope, at a cliff ’s edge, and the rope I was clinging to was rapidly fraying. A thousand and one times my mom, Janet Kemmerer Mabey, encouraged me to start my own newspaper, a smalltown weekly. I was filled with self doubts. I didn’t have all that much money in my savings account. And, a certain fear and insecurity was clinging to the core of my inner self. But, Mom would not give up on me. She wouldn’t let me give into my inner fears and insecurities. Mom continually told me that I had the right stuff, the fortitude, the dedication, the intelligence, and the deep drive to start my own small-town weekly newspaper. But, I still doubted my abilities. Finally, Mom told me to pray about it. It was about a week before Thanksgiving Day, of 1986, that the good Lord had the hammer fall upon me and awaken me to the fact that I needed to leave that big daily newspaper and step out on my own. It was a Monday morning. I remember it all so well. It was just before lunch time. My boss came over to my cubicle and just ripped and tore me apart, for not having met a most unrealistic writing deadline. I was overwhelmed with little articles to write about engagement notices, wedding announcements, and events of non-profit organizations.
LIVINGSTON VACUUM 1/2 blocks from 599 South Livingston Ave. S.(1 Orange Avenue) LIVINGSTON • 973-992-6151 Mon. - Fri. 9-5:30 • Sat. 9:30-4
High noon came. Lunch break. I remember going out to my car to eat my lunch. I had always brought a bag lunch to work. Once inside my care, the tears flowed down my cheeks like Niagara Falls. I knew I couldn’t take much more of it all. The shadow of Anna haunted me. The pain of losing her love, the mean-spirited shouting of my boss, it all had taken a toll on me. There in my car, eating my peanut butter and jelly sandwich, I took the time to earnestly pray. Mom was right. I needed to pray about it all. continued on page 10
MADISON Mon. VACUUM Fri. 9:30-5:30 81 Main St. Sat. -9:30-4 MADISON • 973-360-1200
PROFESSIONAL CARPET CLEANING
VACUUMS SERVICED ONCE A YEAR CLEAN BETTER & LAST LONGER!
WE ARE THE VACUUM EXPERTS! OVER 60 YEARS, 3 GENERATIONS, FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED SALES • SERVICE • ALL MAKES & MODELS
SERVICE COUPON VACUUM BAGS COUPON
CENTRAL VACUUM
10 OFF FREE 25 OFF BUY 2 PACKAGES GET 1 PACKAGE
$
VACUUM TUNE-UP Reg. $39.99 & up
FREE ESTIMATES
Limit 1 coupon per customer. Must be presented at time of tune-up. Valid in Livingston, and Madison. Expires 5/31/22
VACUUM TRADE-IN OFFERS
LEAST EXPENSIVE FREE 3 PACK ONLY Present coupon at time of purchase. Limit 1 Free Package. Valid in Livingston, and Madison. Expires 5/31/22
$
CENTRAL VACUUM TUNE-UP Limit 1 coupon per customer. Must be presented at time of tune-up. Valid in Livingston, and Madison. Expires 5/31/22
• VACUUM TUNE-UPS (EXTENDS LIFE & EFFICIENCY ) • 1 DAY VACUUM SERVICE • WE BEAT OR MATCH ANY PRICING ON ALL & SEBO VACUUMS
H CENTRAL VACS INSTALLED & SERVICED H
Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com • Livingston Life • April 2022 • Page 9
Pick Up or Delivery EZ Cater
“Where Our Kitchen Is Your Kitchen”
Page 10 • April 2022 • Livingston Life • Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com
RHA’s Giant Stream Cleanup... continued from page 6 been coming for over 20 years and they’re very dedicated.” To register, go to www. raritanheadwaters.org /streamcleanup/ and choose from a list of available stream sites. All volunteers will receive gloves, trash and recycling bags, hand
sanitizer, and data information sheets. The cleanup will be held rain or shine. While advance registration is required at most sites, walk-ins will be allowed at two sites with large parking areas, the Spruce Run and Round Valley reservoirs. For more information, contact Zak Kircher at zkircher@raritanheadwaters.org.
I Remember Mom...
A NEW KIND OF JEWISH COMMUNITY
Looking to be connected to a Jewish Community? Perfect for anyone who is Jewish or Jew-ish.
continued from page 8 Somehow and someway, I got the courage to type up my resignation that very afternoon. At the end of the day, I gave my official two-weeks’ notice to my boss. At that moment in time, it was like a big, heavy, anchor was lifted from my heart. By early 1987, I began publishing the Lincoln Park Journal weekly newspaper. My dear mother was a constant source of encouragement to me. A new dawn was rising in my life. A new chapter of my life had begun. If it were not for the encouragement of my beloved mother, I would have never found the courage to leave the big daily
paper and take the bold step to start my own small-town weekly newspaper. Encouragement is one of the single most precious gifts that a parent can give to their child. Encouragement holds a greater value than silver or gold. For it can be the seed upon which the great tree of success springs forth. Please, never underestimate the positive power of encouragement. The result of encouragement knows no limitations, no bounds, no walls. Richard Mabey Jr. is a freelance writer. He can be reached at richardmabeyjr@ hotmail.com. Please put on the subject line: I Remember Mom.
Visit www.MAKOMnj.org for information about our free Zoom Services and our socially-distant in-person experiences.
What’s happening in your school or organization? Celebrating a special birthday, anniversary, graduation? Email us at editor@mylifepublications.com
Conran’s Plaza Next to Home Depot
KAM MAN Supermarket
200 Rt. 10 West, East Hanover
973-503-1770
973-922-3457
www.facebook.com/kammanfoodseasthanover
Find the Unexpected
CODE LIV ANY PURCHASE OF $30 OR MORE Kam Man Supermarket 200 Rt. 10 West • Hanover With this coupon. Not valid with other offers. 1 coupon per visit. Offer exp. 5/31/22
2 OFF CODE LIV ANY PURCHASE OF $30 OR MORE $
Kam Man Supermarket 200 Rt. 10 West • Hanover With this coupon. Not valid with other offers. 1 coupon per visit. Offer exp. 5/31/22
4 OFF
$
CODE LIV ANY PURCHASE OF $60 OR MORE
Larger Selection of Fresh Fruits & Vegetables
FRESH Visit Our Famous SEAFOOD Chinese BBQ, Hot Deli DAILY!! & Bakery Departments
2 OFF
$
Kam Man Supermarket 200 Rt. 10 West • Hanover With this coupon. Not valid with other offers. 1 coupon per visit. Offer exp. 5/31/22
Large Selection of Houseware Items
4 OFF
$
CODE LIV ANY PURCHASE OF $60 OR MORE Kam Man Supermarket 200 Rt. 10 West • Hanover With this coupon. Not valid with other offers. 1 coupon per visit. Offer exp. 5/31/22
Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com • Livingston Life • April 2022 • Page 11
Dine In
Family owned since 1982
Family Recipes ~ Family Values 1 Hook Mountain Road Pine Brook 973-575-6745
Take Out
Open 7 days a week
Celebrate Mom on Mother's Day Sunday May 8th VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR ONLINE ORDERING
www.gencarellis.com
Serving delicious traditional, authentic Italian dishes in a warm cozy atmosphere
10 OFF Your Entire %
Check
Dine In Only (1 coupon per table)
Any Large Pizza
Any Order $50 or more
Pick Up Only
Pick Up Only
GENCARELLI’S PINEBROOK
GENCARELLI’S PINEBROOK
GENCARELLI’S PINEBROOK
With coupon. Not to be combined, not valid on delivery, on holidays or in dining room. Expires 6/15/22
With coupon. Not to be combined, not valid on delivery, on holidays or in dining room. Expires 6/15/22
10 OFF
Any Order $100 or more Pick Up Only
Cucina 355 | 355 Franklin Ave, Nutley
5 OFF
$
With coupon. Not to be combined, not valid on Friday’s, holiday eves or holidays. Expires 6/15/22
$
Other locations:
2 OFF
$
1 Large
Cheese Pie toppings extra
10
$
Pick Up Only
+ tax
Grandma’s Pie Special
1599
$
+ tax
Pick Up Only
GENCARELLI’S PINEBROOK
GENCARELLI’S PINEBROOK
GENCARELLI’S PINEBROOK
With coupon. Not to be combined, not valid on delivery, on holidays or in dining room. Expires 6/15/22
With coupon. Not to be combined, not valid on delivery, on holidays or in dining room. Expires 6/15/22
With coupon. Not to be combined, not valid on delivery, on holidays or in dining room. Expires 6/15/22
Gencarelli’s | 58 Lake Drive West, Wayne
Cucina 347 | 347 Ramapo Valley Rd, Oakland
Page 12 • April 2022 • Livingston Life • Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com
Essex County’s Hailey Kops Claims Her Olympic Dream when her Israel Ice Skating Federation head coach, Galit Chait Moracci, who was doing choreography for her at that time, asked if she wanted to try pairs skating with a boy they had. “I had a tryout with him and then it all kind of started from there,” she recalls. Kops skated with Artem Tsoglin from 2016 – 2019, and then due to injuries she walked away from skating for two years. “I had an injury, and I think being a teenager and not really having a normal teenage life kind of took a toll on me,” she says. “I was kind of missing out on regular life, and I didn’t think it would be fair to my team, or my partner at the time, to stay in the sport if I wasn’t 100% committed. A lot of it had to do with my injury coming back, which was really hard, but definitely a part of it was I wasn’t fully committed to the sport anymore.” Things for Kops changed when her dad received a call early last summer from ISF President, Boris Chait, asking if Hailey would like to pair with 33-year-old, two-time Olympian, Evgeni Krasnopolski. “I did a year abroad in Israel, and I’d actually landed earlier that morning,” Kops says. “It was definitely a shock, because I hadn’t necessarily thought about competitive figure skating in those two years. Conversations would come up
W
By Steve Sears est Orange resident, Hailey Kops, has stepped into her dream. She will forever live with the word Olympian attached to her name. “Walking into that village, skating on the ice with the Olympic rings, seeing those rings on that ice - every single time I saw it was like the first time seeing it again it’s a feeling that I really can’t explain. It’s something that I think I’m going to always remember for the rest of my life.” Kops, 19, took part in the recent Beijing, China Winter Olympics as a pairs figure skater for Israel. She and her partner, Evgeni Krasnopolski, weren’t medal winners, but for Kops, just being there on the world’s biggest sports stage was a win in itself. “The opening ceremony, the way they set it up, was awesome,” she says excitedly. “They had this huge downhill entrance to walk down into this massive stadium, and it was an, ‘A-ha!’ moment. I did it!” Kops, who trains in Montclair, started skating as soon as she could walk. “My mom is a figure skating coach, so I think pretty soon after I started walking, she put me in skates as soon as she could find skates that fit me,” Kops explains. She first competed as a single skater up until the age of 13
Photo courtesy of Hailey Kops
with my parents or friends, or people would ask me if I missed it. But other than that, I hadn’t really thought much about it.” After a few early contests that the duo skated in, they then headed to Obersdorf, Germany, and the ISU Challenger Series CS Nebelhorn Trophy competition, where their results qualified them for the 2022 Winter Olympics. “When I joined back with the team, that competition was obviously the
goal,” Kops claims. “I think it was probably the craziest week of my life, honestly. Being thrown back into the competitive figure skating world was crazy in itself, and then to throw on top of it an Olympic qualifier that you have to go to, and in three months, was also a lot.” Krasnopolski told Kops that the competition would be like “The Hunger Games,” everyone fighting and vying for continued on page 13
We’re Looking For Customers For Life! That’s Why We Offer The Best Combination of
SERVICE • QUALITY • VALUE
WE CARRY ALL MAJOR BRANDS OF TIRES Hundreds of Sizes in Stock Including SNOWS! LIVINGSTON TIRE COMPANY
WE’RE MORE THAN TIRES!
10
WITH THIS COUPON
56 E. Northfield Road • Livingston
973-533-0101
%
OFF
AIR CONDITIONING
www.livingstontire.com livingstontire07039@gmail.com
10
$
OFF
COMPUTER ALIGNMENT
Repairs or Service *Plus Complete Safety Inspection Not valid with prior purchases or other offers. Expires 5/31/22
Rotation • Balancing Factory Warranty • Mounting Tire Disposal • Alignment Check
HOURS: Mon. - Fri. 10-5; Sat. 10-4
WITH THIS COUPON
Not valid with prior purchases or other offers. Expires 5/31/22
WITH THIS COUPON
NEW JERSEY STATE INSPECTION
49
$
50 (Reg. $59.50)
NJ Inspection Done By Appointment While You Wait Must present coupon at appointment. Not valid with prior purchases or other offers. Expires 5/31/22
Other tire stores may charge you up to $20 per tire for these items!
All Tire Prices Include FREE
Complete Auto & Light Truck Repairs
The only AAA Approved Auto Repair Center in Livingston
WARNING
WITH THIS COUPON
WITH THIS COUPON
TWO WHEEL BRAKE RELINE
CONVENTIONAL OIL CHANGE
FRONT DISC
• Install quality disc pads • Inspect rear brakes • Turn front rotors
REAR DRUM OR REAR DISC
• Install quality brake linings • Turn two drums • Inspect wheel cylinders
31
20 $ 95 OFF $ Includes: Oil. Lube & Filter, 20 Complete 10-Point Check. OFF
$
Many American Cars/Metallic Pads Extra. Additional parts or service extra. Not valid with prior purchases or other offers. Expires 5/31/22
(Reg. $34.95)
Most Cars, Some Filters Extra. Please Call For Appointment
Not valid with prior purchases or other offers. Expires 5/31/22
Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com • Livingston Life • April 2022 • Page 13
Olympic Dream... continued from page 12 final spots. “That’s really what it was like, it was super intense and crazy. And it was a rollercoaster of emotions that whole week, but it was also probably the most exciting time of my life because I did qualify (for the Olympics).” Since she first stepped onto the ice for the first time as a youngster, Kops had her eyes and heart on eventually competing as an Olympian. Now, she was Beijing bound. “All that work, all that time, all those things I gave up, all the sacrifices I made, it really felt like it was all worth it in that moment.” Her Olympic experience being a memory that she’ll cherish, Kops says there is one thing she hopes those watching her skate will remember. “I hope that I can show my love for the sport when I skate. That’s my goal.”
A
Foodtown of Caldwell Celebrates Grand Re-Opening
fter an extensive renovation, Foodtown of Caldwell celebrated its grand re-opening on March 11. “It’s been a long process, but well worth it as our customers and the community deserve the very best shopping experience in a modern grocery establishment,” said Jack Shakoor, owner of Foodtown of Caldwell. The new shopping experience begins as you approach the supermarket with a fresh façade along Bloomfield Avenue and the back adjoining parking lot. As you enter the supermarket, shoppers will immediately enjoy a contemporary, upscale shopping experience created by new modern lighting, floor tiles, wine display cases, food showcases, self-checkout registers and more. According to Adam Shapiro, Director of Operations for the store, the new décor package and complete reconfiguration of the aisles and positioning of the various departments improve flow and visibility and deliver a superior sensory shopping experience. Food and product enhancements include an added cheese shop, whole bean coffee, enhanced wine, beer and a liquor selection, greater variety of hot and prepared foods to go, expanded bakery department featuring fresh baked breads and rolls, expanded organic produce section as well as expanded Rancher’s Legend beef and more natural and organic poultry. In the Center Store, shoppers will notice an enhanced assortment of favorite brands, as well as an expanded offering of private label goods including natural and organic Green Way products, and an expanded assortment of natural and specialty goods.
Veteran in the business for over 35 years
Free Pickup & Delivery
“The renovation of Foodtown of Caldwell underscores Jack Shakoor’s commitment to the community he serves. He is a longstanding member of our cooperative – including being on our Cooperative’s Board
of Directors – and operates three additional Foodtown supermarkets in Northern New Jersey,” John T. Derderian, President & COO, Allegiance Retail Services/Foodtown.
Grand Opening
Residential & Commercial
161 Eagle Rock Ave, Roseland
Niyama Yoga & Wellness Shalas
Same Day Service Wedding Gowns Wash and Fold Pickup & Delivery
2 Littell Rd • East Hanover 973-302-5536
Thai Yoga Body Work Radiant Heated Vinyasa Integral Sound Therapy
Mon - Fri 7am - 7pm Saturday 8:30am - 6pm Sunday 8:30am - 5:30pm
The art of self study
Same Day Service Wedding Gowns Wash and Fold
2 Littell Rd • East Hanover 973-302-5536
20% OFF
new customers only
goldenprofessionaldrycleaners.com
Ayurvedic Counseling Reiki Energy Healing Therapeutic Yoga Barre Fusion Meditation Yoga Ropes Now in 4 Locations 161 Eagle Rock Ave, Roseland • 1250 Sussex Tpke., Randolph 270 Sparta Ave., Upper Lake Mohawk • 550 SE 6th Ave., Delray Beach, FL
973.500.2939 NiyamaYogaShala.com Training.NiyamaYogaShala.com
Page 14 • April 2022 • Livingston Life • Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com
The History Behind April Fool’s Day
S
By Henry M. Holden can your favorite newspaper or news website this April 1, and chances are you will see some headlines that look doubtful. Read further, and you will find that some of those stories are complete hoaxes, because it’s April Fools’ Day. There have been several April Fool’s Day pranks that have caught the public’s eye through the years. One famous prank became known as The Great Spaghetti Harvest. In 1957, a BBC broadcaster announced that Switzerland had a heavy spaghetti crop for the year and even showed footage of people harvesting spaghetti off trees. At the time, spaghetti was relatively unknown in the UK. Several viewers afterwards contacted the BBC for advice on growing their own spaghetti trees. CNN called this broadcast “the biggest hoax that any reputable news establishment ever pulled.” But where do we get the strange custom of playing pranks on April 1? Well, nobody knows for sure. All we know is that the custom was known in Renaissance Europe but has roots much older than that. Traditional theory places the origin of April Fools Day in the Roman Empire and dates it to the reign of Emperor Constantine. According to the story, a group of court jesters convinced Constantine to make one of them “king for a day.” Constantine obliged, and made one king for a day. He decreed that it would be a day of cheerfulness, and thus created what came April Fools Day. The only problem with that story was it was a hoax. It was an April Fools
A Laughing Fool. Netherlandish oil painting (possibly Jacob Cornelisz. van Oostsanen) ca. 1500. (LoC Public Domain Image.)
Day prank, pulled by Boston University professor Joseph Boskin, on Associated Press reporter Fred Bayles, in 1983. Bayles reported the story, and the AP ran it, only to retract it days later. There is a good lesson here: Do not take as fact everything you read about April Fools Day. (But no worries, you can totally trust me!) Many think the idea of April Fools Day goes back to Roman times, when a joyful festival called Hilaria, originally probably a spring equinox celebration, came to be celebrated on March 25. In Roman terms, March 25 was “the eighth of the Calends of April,” which associates the festival strongly with April 1, the Calends of April. However, there is no hard evidence to connect Hilaria with April Fools Day, so this is just another speculation by curious people.
People have hypothesized about the origins of this holiday, suggesting that it was part of the Roman Saturnalia, a Druid rite in Britain, with a carnival-like medieval celebration of the Feast of Fools. But despite attempts to establish an earlier origin for the day, clear references to a tradition of fooling in April do not begin until the late Middle Ages. It is possible that there is a glimpse of April Fools Day in Chaucer’s “Nun’s Priest’s Tale” (ca. 1390), which shows the rooster being fooled by, and in turn fooling, a fox. This occurs “Syn March bigan, thritty dayes and two,” or 32 days after March began, i.e., April 1. This would be an early, clear reference to the date, but scholars think the word “bigan” is a scribal error, and that the continued on page 19
DRIVEWAYS LOTS & PATIOS PAVERS SIDEWALKS BELGIAN
BLOCKS MASONRY SERVICE SNOW PLOWING MUCH MORE...
Fully Insured Free Estimates
10
%
Off
Any Job including residential commercial dumpsters Coupon must be presented at time of estimate. Cannot be combined with other offers. Expires 5/31/22
220 Kearny Ave. Kearny, NJ 07032 East Hanover, NJ 07936 LIC No.:13VH01119300
Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com • Livingston Life • April 2022 • Page 15
The UPS Store
TM
TRUST the UPS STORE PACK & SHIP WITH CONFIDENCE
MOVING your Home or Business? Local Pick-up Available NEED TO SEND GIFTS TO MOM OR OTHERS? KIDS GOING OFF TO CAMP OR COLLEGE? We have all the supplies you need! Trust the UPS Stores certified Packing Experts to Professionally Pack & Ship your Items.
The UPS Store is More Than Just Packing & Shipping
Shipping Services
Document Services • Black & white copies • Color copies • Binding • Laminating • Specialty Papers • Printing • High-volume Copy Jobs • Shredding Services • Document Shredding • Notary Services • We Make Signs, Banners, Posters & Car Magnets • DOCUMENT SHREDDING
• UPS Next Day Air® • UPS 2nd Day Air® • UPS Ground • UPS International • Ground Freight • International Freight
184 S. Livingston Ave (at East Cedar Street)
LIVINGSTON • (973) 992-3339 store3667@theupsstore.com • theupsstore.com/3667 Mon.- Fri. 8:30 - 6:30 • Sat. 8:30 - 4:30
3
The UPS Store
TM
COUPON
MONTHS FREE
WITH A 1-YEAR MAILBOX SERVICES AGREEMENT (New Box Holders Only)
Limit one coupon per customer. Not valid with other offers. The UPS Store centers are independently owned and operated. Valid at the UPS Stores Livingston only. Expires 5/31/22
10
The UPS Store
TM
COUPON
%
OFF
PACKAGING Limit one coupon per customer. Not valid with other offers. The UPS Store centers are independently owned and operated. Valid at the UPS Stores Livingston only. Expires 5/31/22
35
The UPS Store
TM
COUPON
¢
COLOR COPIES
(8.5X11, single-sided, white 28# paper)
Limit one coupon per customer. Not valid with other offers. The UPS Store centers are independently owned and operated. Valid at the UPS Stores Livingston only. Expires 5/31/22
10
The UPS Store
TM
COUPON
%
OFF
SHIPPING SERVICES
Limit one coupon per customer. Not valid with other offers. The UPS Store centers are independently owned and operated. Valid at the UPS Stores Livingston only. Expires 5/31/22
Page 16 • April 2022 • Livingston Life • Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com
I
Hearty, Wholesome Dishes to Support Immune Systems
f feeding your family wholesome meals is a daily goal, keep in mind you can serve up tasty foods that also feed your immune system by including ingredients like mushrooms. With their earthy flavor, mushrooms – like many other fruits and vegetables – can also play a positive role in supporting a healthy immune system. Studies at Oregon State University concluded there are a variety of micronutrients important for supporting a healthy immune system. Consider that three of these nutrients (vitamin D, selenium and B vitamins) can be found in mushrooms, meaning these family-friendly recipes for Roasted Chicken Thighs and Veggies with Mushroom Orzo Risotto; Grilled Portobello Gyros with Yogurt Dill Sauce; Creamy Spinach, Mushroom and Lasagna Soup; and Asian Barbecue Sesame Salmon with Noodles and Veggies can help you add all-important nutrients to your family’s menu. Find more ways to add mushrooms to family meals at mushroomcouncil.com. Grilled Portobello Gyros with Yogurt Dill Sauce
Recipe courtesy of Emily Weeks of “Zen and Spice” Cook time: 15 minutes Total time: 25 minutes Servings: 4 4 portobello mushrooms 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika 2 yellow bell peppers, sliced Yogurt Dill Sauce: 1 English cucumber, grated 1 cup whole-milk
Greek yogurt 1/2 cup sour cream 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1/2small lemon, juice only 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon minced fresh dill 4 pita breads or naan 2 tomatoes, thinly sliced 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced 1/2 head green lettuce crumbled feta cheese (optional) Remove stems from mushrooms and brush caps with wet towel. Using spoon, carefully scrape out gills. Slice mushrooms into 1/4-inch pieces and place in medium bowl with olive oil, oregano and smoked paprika. Preheat indoor grill pan over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and peppers; grill, tossing occasionally, until tender, 5-7 minutes. To make yogurt dill sauce: Squeeze grated cucumber in clean towel to remove excess liquid. Add to large bowl with yogurt, sour cream, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic,
salt and dill. Stir to combine. To serve, place mushrooms and peppers in middle of pita bread. Top with tomatoes, onion, lettuce, feta, if desired, and big dollop of yogurt dill sauce. Creamy Spinach, Mushroom and Lasagna Soup Recipe courtesy of Emily Weeks of “Zen and Spice” Cook time: 30 minutes Total time: 40 minutes Servings: 4 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 2 cloves garlic, minced continued on page 17
OUR RESTAURANT AND BAR IS PERFECT FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY! Join Us Every Tuesday 7-9 PM
NJ locals have been frequenting Bonds Tavern for more than six years now - and for good reason! Our modern tavern is the perfect place to enjoy a delicious meal and a beer. In fact, we have 50 craft beers available! There seriously is something here for everyone. We welcome you to our local tavern to enjoy a casual lunch, spend an evening drinking with friends or even just pick up some food to take home.
Join Us Every Wednesday
POKER NIGHT
Tacos Sandwiches Soups Salads Burgers Pizza Fajitas
643 Eagle Rock Ave West Orange (973) 731-5309 Join Us Every Thursday
Join Us Every Friday
Tue - Thu: 4:00PM-12:00AM Fri: 4:00PM-2:00AM Sat: 12:00PM-2:00AM Sun: 12:00PM-12:00AM Mon: Closed
Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com • Livingston Life • April 2022 • Page 17
Hearty, Wholesome Dishes...
continued from page 16 1 medium onion, small diced 8 ounces crimini mushrooms, sliced 1 jar (24 ounces) marinara sauce 1 can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes 2 tablespoons tomato paste 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar 1 teaspoon granulated sugar 1 tablespoon dried basil 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon oregano 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1 bay leaf 3 cups vegetable broth 6 lasagna noodles, broken into pieces 1/2 cup heavy cream 5 ounces fresh baby spinach 1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, for topping Heat large pot over medium heat. Add olive oil, garlic, onion and mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions and mushrooms soften, 4-5 minutes. Add marinara, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, vinegar, sugar, basil, salt, oregano,
pepper, bay leaf and broth. Bring to boil over high heat then reduce heat to low and simmer. Add lasagna noodles and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and remove bay leaf. Stir in heavy cream and spinach until wilted, 2-3 minutes. Divide between bowls and top with dollop of ricotta and sprinkle of mozzarella. Roasted Chicken Thighs and Veggies with Mushroom Orzo Risotto Recipe courtesy of Emily Weeks of “Zen and Spice” Cook time: 50 minutes Total time: 1 hour, 10 minutes Servings: 4 Chicken: 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs salt & pepper, to taste 6 tablespoons unsalted butter 16 ounces crimini mushrooms, quartered 3 zucchini, sliced in half moons 3 large carrots, thinly sliced 4 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves removed and roughly chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced
until browned, 4-5 minutes on each side. In large bowl, toss mushrooms, zucchini, carrots, garlic and rosemary. On large baking sheet, spread vegetables. Nestle chicken into vegetables. Drizzle with butter and juices from pan. Bake 20 minutes until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender. To make orzo: In small pot over medium-low heat, warm broth. Using skillet from chicken, add butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions soften, 3-4 minutes. Add orzo and black pepper. Stir and cook 2 minutes. Add white wine and cook until evaporated, about 1 minute. Add warm broth to orzo 2/3 cup at a time, stirring until liquid is absorbed. Repeat with remaining broth, waiting until last batch is absorbed before adding more. Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan. Serve in individual bowls with chicken and roasted vegetables atop mushroom orzo risotto.
Orzo: 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1 small yellow onion, diced 2 garlic cloves, minced 16 ounces crimini mushrooms, finely chopped 1 cup uncooked orzo pasta 1/8 teaspoon black pepper 1/3 cup white wine 1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese To make chicken: Preheat oven to 450 F. Pat chicken dry. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. In large skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter. Sear chicken
n a a g M e & m p ent i h s r e n w Under New O
Delivery through
order online
Sushi & Asian Cuisine FRESHLY Made to Order!
Formerly Fan Bistro SUNDAY-THURDAY
% 10 OFF for a purchase of 25 or more
MLpub.liv
$
Not to be combined with any other offer and excludes lunch special menu. Expires 5/31/22
SUNDAY-THURDAY
10 OFF for a purchase of 70 or more
MLpub.liv
$
$
Not to be combined with any other offer and excludes lunch special menu. Expires 5/31/22
4175 TOWN CENTER WAY LIVINGSTON • 973.758.8108 ORDER ONLINE @ WWW.QQASIANNJ.COM
OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK Mon.-Thurs. 11am-10pm Fri. & Sat. 11am-11pm Sun. 12pm-10pm
Page 18 • April 2022 • Livingston Life • Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com
Now Serving GLUTEN FREE PIZZA & PASTA!
A Celebratory Passover Dessert Since 1993
PIZZA CALL FOR FAST DELIVERY... SATISFACTION GUARANTEED! 73 W. Mt. Pleasant Ave. • LIVINGSTON Corner S. Mitchell Ave. • (Entrance in Rear)
973-740-0066
FAX: 973-740-9148 • OPEN SUNDAYS 11AM www.livingston-pizza.com OPEN SUNDAY 11AM-9PM MON-THURS 11AM-9PM FRI & SAT 11AM-10PM FREE PARKING
W
hen celebrating with family, there is nearly nothing better than passing a light and sweet dessert around the table. These Simple Macaroons are crisp, dipped in decedent chocolate and a completely scrumptious option for celebrating Passover. Simple to make and easy to eat, this sweet dessert is a crowd favorite. With a fresh kick of lemon zest and crunch of shredded coconut, they are a bite-sized, delicious way to end your meal. They take little to no time to make, only baking 10-12 minutes for a tray full of tasty dessert bites ready to devour. With sweet honey and vanilla, the flavors come together to create something sweet but not overpowering. It’s a small, crumbly bite that’s perfect for sharing during Passover. Find more sweet treat recipes for any holiday at Culinary.net. Simple Macaroons Recipe adapted from marthastewart.com Yield: 15 macaroons
1 large egg 2 1/4 tablespoons honey 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract grated lemon zest 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 1/4 cups shredded coconut 5 ounces dark chocolate, melted Preheat oven to 375 F. In bowl, whisk egg. Add honey, vanilla, lemon zest and salt; whisk. Stir in coconut until completely coated with egg mixture. Using 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop, make 15 balls, transferring each to parchmentlined baking sheet, spacing about 2 inches apart. Bake macaroons 10-12 minutes, rotating halfway through, until coconut starts to brown on edges. Transfer sheet to wire rack and let cool. Before serving, drizzle with melted chocolate or dip bottom sides of macaroons in melted chocolate to cover bases. Refrigerate 15 minutes to set. (Culinary.net)
TRY OUR
COUPON LIVINGSTON PIZZA • 973-740-0066
We
Our Customers!
EXTRA THIN 12” BAR PIE $8
2 LARGE PIZZAS $ 50
COUPON
1 OFF $ 50 1 OFF $ 2 OFF
LIVINGSTON PIZZA • 973-740-0066
$2095 + tax
Limit one coupon per customer. Not valid with any other offer promotions. Coupon expires 5/31/22
COUPON
2 OFF $ 5 OFF
$
LIVINGSTON PIZZA • 973-740-0066
Any Order of 16.00 or More
$
Pick-Up or Delivery
Limit one coupon per customer. Not valid with any other offer promotions. Coupon expires 5/31/22
What’s happening in your school or organization? Celebrating a special birthday, anniversary, graduation? Have a human interest story or something you would like to share? Email us at editor@mylifepublications.com
Thin Crust Sicilian Pizza Catering Trays Wraps, Dinners, Salads & Calzones!
COUPON
LIVINGSTON PIZZA • 973-740-0066
Any Order of $ 30.00 or More Pick-Up or Delivery
Limit one coupon per customer. Not valid with any other offer promotions. Coupon expires 5/31/22
Any Large Pizza Pick-Up or Delivery
Limit one coupon per customer. Not valid with any other offer promotions. Coupon expires 5/31/22
COUPON
LIVINGSTON PIZZA • 973-740-0066
Any Large Pizza Pick-Up or Delivery
Limit one coupon per customer. Not valid with any other offer promotions. Coupon expires 5/31/22
COUPON
LIVINGSTON PIZZA • 973-740-0066
Any Order of 16.00 or More
$
Pick-Up or Delivery
Limit one coupon per customer. Not valid with any other offer promotions. Coupon expires 5/31/22
Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com • Livingston Life • April 2022 • Page 19
History Behind April Fool’s Day...
Over 30 Years of Experience
Full-Service IT Consulting for Homeowners and Small Businesses
• All-Inclusive IT Department for Small Businesses • Working from Home and Remote Learners • Desktop Support - All-Inclusive • Cyber Security Solutions and Risk Management • Support and Installation of Hardware, Software, Printers, Scanners & More • IT Consulting Services • Home and Small Businesses Internet and Network Design, Configuration, and Setup • Video Production Services • Data Backup and Recovery Solutions • Microsoft Server Setup and Management & More!
15% OFF in On-Site Professional Services Work Exp. 3/31/22
ON CALL COMPUTER SERVICES LLC PARSIPPANY • (201) 406-6978
continued from page 14 intended date was May 2, thirty-two days after March was over. Even if this is true, the existence of such a scribal error could suggest that medieval scribes expected hoaxes to occur on April 1. But still, this does not qualify as hard evidence of an April Fools custom. In France, “poisson d’avril,” or “April fish,” is the name for a person duped on April Fools Day. The first reference to “poisson d’avril” is from a 1508 poem by Eloy D’Amerval called Le Livre de la Diablerie, or The Book of Deviltry. However, from the context we can’t be sure if the author was referring to April 1 or to fools in general. The idea of the “April fish” seems to be the fact that fish were plentiful and hungry in the spring, and easy to catch. An “April fish” was more gullible than a fish at other times of the year. Thus, a mere reference to an “April fish” does not itself prove there was a holiday on April 1. Some sources, such as Charles Panati’s Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things, cite another 16th-century French origin: 1564, when the celebration of the New Year officially moved to January 1 by Charles IX’s Edict of Roussillon. According to Panati, the New Year had the celebration
on March 25 because of the arrival of spring, with a week-long observance ending on April 1. Panati further claims: “Frenchmen who resisted the change, and others who forgot about it, continued partying and exchanging gifts during the week ending April 1.” The real history of New Year’s observances in France is more complex, with different regions celebrating at various times. As early as 1507, books printed in France indicated that people were beginning the year on January 1. Besides, Panati does not provide any concrete evidence of any of his claims in the form of modern-day accounts or surviving invitations–not even for the claim of a week-long celebration, which is necessary to involve April 1 in the New Year change. In all, we will have to consider his story to be real, or a hoax on all of us. The first certain reference to April Fools Day comes from a 1561 Flemish poem by Eduard De Dene. In the poem, a noble person sends his servant on crazy, fruitless errands. The servant recognizes that he is running on “fool’s errands” because it is April 1.
Work with one of the top realtors in the Livingston Office. An AGENT that can connect with today’s buyers with use of great negotiation skills and modern technology.
HARDWORK, HUMILITY, HONESTY AND CREATIVITY GETS YOU TO THE TOP! CHECK OUT MY NEW LISTING 143 W NORTHFIELD ROAD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE BEST REAL ESTATE MARKETING STRATEGIES THAT I HAVE TO OFFER TO GET YOU TOP DOLLAR FOR YOUR HOME. CALL FOR CONSULTATION TO KNOW YOUR HOME “VALUE”!
https://tour.vht.com/434238442/143-w-northfield-rd-livingston-nj-07039
RACHNA MAHESHWARI Among the top 10 realtors in the office-2020, 2021 International Diamond Society-Coldwell Banker Realty-2020, 2021 Zillow 5 star *****reviews
REALTOR® Coldwell Banker Realty 2 E Mount Pleasant Ave Livingston 07039 201-687-2707-CELL https://www.zillow.com/myzillow/Profile.htm Buyer/Seller specialist in many counties. "Choose a job you love, and you will never work a day in your life".
Page 20 • April 2022 • Livingston Life • Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com
New Jersey’s Aviation Hall of Fame and Museum Celebrating 50 Years of Flight
I
By Henry M. Holden n the first decades of aviation, Teterboro Airport, in Bergen County, was the center of development and record setting flights. Teterboro Airport is the oldest operating airport in the Tri-State Region. In the 1920s and 1930s, record-setting flights became a national obsession, and many of the flights originated or terminated at Teterboro Airport. Many famous pilots flew out of Teterboro including Charles and Ann Morrow Lindbergh, Jimmy Doolittle, and Clarence Chamberlain, the second man to fly non-stop across the Atlantic were early users of the airport. Later, they were followed by former navy pilot Arthur Godfrey, and astronauts Buzz Aldrin (the second man to walk on the Moon), Walter Schirra, and Kathryn Sullivan, the first woman to walk in space, and Janis Blackburn, the first woman in the world to be a flying crew member on the Airbus A-300, along with others became the modern-day aviation pioneers. The museum displays historic aircraft, space equipment, artifacts, photographs, fine art and an aircraft model collection. The library has more than 4,000 volumes and a collection of aviation videos. A party held on August 14, 1970, commemorated the 50th anniversary of the first landing at Teterboro Airport. Donald Borg, publisher of New Jersey’s largest evening newspaper, The Bergen Evening Record, and others nostalgically discussed events that had taken place at the airport. It was soon evident that the airport held exclusive historical
importance. The group agreed to preserve the history, and the seeds of the Aviation Hall of Fame and Museum (AHOF) were planted. Ten New Jersey aviators were selected to be the first inductees with H. V. “Pat” Reilly becoming the executive vice president and director. By Laws, restricted inductee selections to be limited to four per year. This has been waived only occasionally. The first induction dinner saw 600 guests attending. Television personality Arthur Godfrey was the guest speaker. In 1939, the Goodyear blimp Mayflower made daily sightseeing flights over the New York City World’s Fair. In 1952, Arthur Godfrey buzzed the control tower while taking off in his DC-3. As a result, his pilot’s license was suspended for a time. The museum contains a number of unique exhibits including the rocket engine that propelled the X-15 to a blistering speed of Mach 6.7 (4,520 mph), a record that still stands for winged aircraft. An X-15 also topped the altitude goal of 250,000 feet by nearly 19 miles. “The airplanes on display include a Martin 2-0-2 airliner, which is open to the public, a Bell-47, and the only known Lockheed 402-2 Bushmaster in existence, which stands at the entrance to the museum,” said Ralph Villecca, Executive Director of the museum. “We also have a Bell AH-1S ‘Cobra’ attack helicopter, a Coast Guard CH-53 helicopter, and a number of other aircraft.” The Aviation Hall of Fame and Museum was originally
The late Pat Reilly surrounded by inductee’s plaques. Reilly was a key figure in the formation and creation of the AHOF. (Credit Henry M. Holden)
located in the first control tower that opened in 1948. When the tower was retired in 1975, it became the first home of the Aviation Hall of Fame and Museum in New Jersey. It was the first state aviation museum in the country, and it was incorporated as a nonprofit educational organization on April 6, 1972. There were one hundred steps from the field level to the top of the tower. The hall of fame occupied the top three continued on page 21
NORMAN THE FLOORMAN New Jersey’s Flooring Expert
Norman the Floorman’s founder, Norman Zeitlin, has been in the flooring business for 64 years! Norman offers a full range of quality wood, vinyl and laminate flooring, at extrememly competitive prices. Better still, Norman not only sells flooring, he installs, refinishes and repairs it too!
Fully Insured Visit our showroom Mon.-Sat. 10-5 (evenings by appt.)
45C E. Northfield Road, Livingston (next to Livingston Bagels)
Owner, Norman Zeitlin
Norman the Floorman.com 973-515-5211
Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com • Livingston Life • April 2022 • Page 21
The author’s grandchildren in Bell AH-1S ‘Cobra’ attack helicopter during an Open Cockpit Day. (Credit Henry M. Holden)
Aviation Hall of Fame... continued from page 20 floors. This author remembers the climb to the top. For those who wanted to go slowly, there were aviation photos on the walls that visitors could enjoy during their hike to the top. Some of the electronics were disabled and left in place for the youngsters to simulate a controller. The radio exchanges between pilots and controllers remained active and broadcast for the visitors.
The first museum reached capacity when it held about 1,000 artifacts. “People came to give me all kinds of aviation memorabilia,” said the late Pat Reilly. “But I had no place left to put them. I ran out of room.” The museum has been cited as One of the 10 Best Museums in the state of New Jersey,” and there are several one-of-a kind or last of a kind aircraft. “We have the last Martin 2-02, in world, and the cockpit and one row of
first class seats of a TWA 880,” said Villecca. “We have flight simulators, and relics of illfated flights such as the Hindenburg dirigible that was destroyed by fire in Lakehurst in 1937.” Artifacts of the Hindenburg, can be found on display. The newsreel film does not do justice to the size of the Hindenburg. The display documents the tragedy, and illustrations show that this massive airship was almost the size of the Queen Mary ocean liner. “Many adults are fascinated by the piece of airframe we have on display,” said Villecca “People go up to it and touch it.” “We have the cockpit of an F-111 fighter jet and many people are fascinated by its appearance. We also have the first American hovercraft invented by Charles Fletcher on display. The Sikorsky HH-52 Coast Guard 1455 rescue helicopter which was instrumental in the Marial Cuban boatlift, now stands at the entrance to the museum. One of our most popular exhibits among the children and parents is the ‘Little Cut Up.’ We took parts from several airplanes and put them together for the youngsters to operate the manual controls.” When the new Aviation Hall of Fame and Museum opened in 1983, there was room for the museum’s collection, but it was soon overloaded with memorabilia, and artifacts. Plans were made for a building extension. However, the extension was delayed by the
Department of Environmental Protection for three years until they determined the extension would not do damage to nearby wetlands. “The focus of the AHOF is on events and people who contributed to New Jersey’s aviation heritage,” said Villecca. “Today, there are 192 men and women inductees in the hall of fame, including six New Jerseyborn astronauts, and fifteen war aces.” Air Force Colonel Edwin (Buzz) Aldrin Jr., a resident of Montclair, and AHOF inductee was a Korean War fighter pilot, and Lunar Module Pilot for Apollo XI. He followed Neil Armstrong onto the surface of the moon in 1969. Navy Captain Walter M. Schirra, Jr, of Hackensack, was one of the nation’s original seven astronauts, and the only person to have flown in each of the three generations of U.S. spacecraft – Mercury, Gemini and Apollo. To qualify for induction, the candidate must be from New Jersey or must have significant aviation ties to New Jersey. The achievements of the candidate must be followed by an ongoing commitment to advance aviation. The museum has been designated as an educational center so there is probably something for everyone to enjoy and learn about. For more information see www. njahof.org or phone 201-288-6344.
We are doing things differently... Talk to me about safe practices and procedures for buying and selling your home. Aside from our normal approach, we are now offering
Grainne Dugan Broker - Salesperson
Flexible Communications • Virtual Showings Showings with Social Distancing • Virtual Client Consultations E-Signatures • Electronic Contracts Remote Offers • Strict Safety Precautions
856.296.4757 Cell•gsellsnj@gmail.com 327 Bloomfield Avenue • Caldwell, NJ 07006 • 973.226.1717 Office • 973.618.5930 Fax
Page 22 • April 2022 • Livingston Life • Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com
Honoring Late Daughter, Wayne Mom Channels Pain into Passion
T
By Jillian Risberg he visual impact of seeing 500+ children’s faces of loved ones lost gazing out from the trailer to scare the heck out of the youth is a powerful wake-up call: ‘this could happen to me’ — Stay Away From Drugs. It was Angels Across America’s first Event in Kissimmee, Florida — the camper will travel from state to state to create awareness, vital to save lives— and it meant everything. “We were excited for our first rollout. Moms who lost their children wanted to see the picture of their child ‘cause that’s the only memory we have now,” says Susan Schmidt. For Schmidt, the loss of her daughter is crushing torture, as though her soul has been ripped from her body. Alyssa is forever with her heart and always on her mind. It was May 28, 2016, when her world imploded. “I live with the heartache of losing my daughter every single day. She was 20 years old and I found her in her bed, she made a choice by snorting heroin and it killed her,” Schmidt says after a year she got on Facebook and learned other moms experienced the same loss. That’s when she knew she needed to do something. “I had to learn about all this because I had no clue and there are a lot of naive families out there,” she says at first she was ashamed, ‘I raised her well, she went to Catholic school, came from a good family,’
how could this happen. Because addiction doesn’t discriminate, and will take the best of anyone. “You just grow with the pain and out of that becomes compassion to help others and keep our loved ones’ memories alive,” says Schmidt. She has precious recollections of her beautiful, caring, charismatic, loving, smart, funny daughter. “Everything changes when you lose a child,” she says you miss all those little things you experienced together. And a heartbreaking new normal sets in. They’re educating the parents, the public, especially the youth because they’re buying drugs off Snapchat and social media. “Every drug (crack, cocaine, heroin, Xanax, methadone) is riddled with Fentanyl and these 10, 11, 12, 13-year-old kids are dying,” Schmidt says their life matters. That’s the ‘One Pill Can Kill’ campaign. “They want to get high but they die. Their sudden death is like a traumatic shock to all of us.” According to the CDC, there were an estimated 100,306 drug overdose deaths from opioids in the United States during the 12-month period ending in April 2021. Schmidt noticed slight behavior changes (‘she was a little more angry’) in her daughter but didn’t think much of it. Alyssa assured her it was nothing, ‘mom, just leave me alone.’
“I thought it was growing pains,” says Schmidt. “Never expected to go upstairs and find her gone, never in a million years.” Her pain became passion and Alyssa’s mom dove into Angels Across America, to support every family as much as she can. “I miss her dearly and love comes from what I’m doing now,” Schmidt says it’s for all those moms who found their child dead or got a phone call saying their child is dead. And she has company in her grief, having met MaryBeth Moore Zocco, who started Ryan’s Ride in 2019 after the loss of her
25-year-old son Ryan Moore from fentanyl poisoning on 12/17/2018. Shortly after the first ride, the Orlando mom began The FRoM Project (Forever Ryan’s Mom) to keep his memory alive by sending handmade personalized cards to grieving parents all over the world. They honor and remember loved ones taken too soon by substance use disorder overdose or fentanyl poisoning. “Alyssa was my whole world, my best friend, we loved to cook together, shop continued on page 23
Kidz World Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics At Kidz World Pediatrics Dentistry & Orthodontics, we are dedicated to providing comfortable care for your child’s teeth!
The dental group kids LOVE and their parents trust!
NAME: ____ Mi ke ein ____Lat er, ____ ____ DM____ ____ D, MS _ NAME: ____ Ami____ Dha____ duk____ , DMD _________ NAME: ____ Denise Kita ____ DD____ ____y,____ S, MM ____Sc _
218 Ridgedale Ave. • Suite 203 • Cedar Knolls 973-585-6756 • kidzworlddental.com
Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com • Livingston Life • April 2022 • Page 23
Mom Channels Pain... continued from page 22 together, did everything together, she’d come home from work, we’d talk for hours… and she’d tell me about her day.” How do you pick up the pieces and move forward — according to Schmidt; honor them ‘and talk about our children as much as we can to whoever will listen.’ She held ‘Celebration of Life for Alyssa’ and joined the Wayne Alliance. This year will be her fifth annual candle-lighting on International Overdose Awareness Day. Angels Across America supports all the grieving families and their loved ones, who are deeply loved and missed. They educate the public and youth on the dangers of illicit drugs, every street drug is extremely addictive and using can have dire consequences. Leslie (Billy) Smith owns Angel’s trailer. Smith lost his son, Jeremy, 30, a construction worker who fell off a building. He was put on Oxycodone for the pain. When the prescriptions ceased — he turned to street drugs and it’s what killed him. Schmidt says tell your kids you love them every day and about the inherent risks out there. “The heartache is unbearable some days but we keep pushing forward to honor and love all the angels we lost,” she says. “When I do their pictures, graphics — make a video talking to their moms, I feel like I know each
one of them.” Kids are fragile today, COVID has made things worse… and there is much selfmedicating going on. Either you die or live this road of recovery every day, they struggle — nothing good comes out of doing any kind of drug. “Alyssa’s dreams were shattered because she made a mistake,” Schmidt says she blamed herself. “How did I not know, what if I did this, what if I said that; I beat myself up to this day and friends say stop, she made the choice.” Recalling all their amazing milestones and accomplishments you boasted and bragged about, while also thinking: ’G-d knows what they’re getting into.’ It’s a lonely place to be after losing a child. “I’ll do these events, then it hits you. Becomes so overwhelming where I’m quiet and within myself for days,” she says she can’t function. “Then go, go, go and break down again; it’s horrible. Or go upstairs and lay in my daughter’s bed and just cry.” Her goal is to prevent kids from overdosing. “Be afraid, be very afraid because you can’t come back from dying,” says Schmidt, of getting them to think before making a potentially fatal choice. “I can’t bring back any of our children we lost,” says Schmidt. To learn more, search Angels Across America on Facebook.
Specialist in Prosthodontics and Implant Dentistry Spec Premit #3775
Dr. Barry A. Kaplan
Dr Kaplan is a Prosthodontist specializing in cosmetic and implant dentistry serving the greater Morris and Essex county areas.
NEW PATIENT SPECIAL
150
$
Includes a cleaning, comprehensive exam, 4 bitewing x-rays and 2 periopical x-rays Normal valued at $325. Only valid for patients with no insurance.
NEW PATIENT SPECIAL
Newly renovated state-of-the-art office 120 Columbia Turnpike • Florham Park 973.540.1311 • https://kaplandentistrynj.com/
299
$
ZOOM! Teeth Whitening Limited Time Valid thru June 30, 2022
Page 24 • April 2022 • Livingston Life • Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com
An April Story
W
By Richard Mabey Jr. hat spiritual connections lie dormant between man and beast? What lost communication, from a bygone era, still remains intact deep within the inner fiber of both man and beast? Could it be that we are guided and molded by forces so innately natural, that they gently call to the deepest core of our subconscious minds? Could it be that in early April, the calling of the majestic buck deer graced the inner fiber of a 13-yearold boy, marking him with a calling that remained fixed in the deepest chambers of his heart? My grandfather, Watson Mabey, often told the story of the great, glorious, majestic buck deer that walked the woods at the end of Mabey Lane. Grandpa also had told me that the great buck could also be seen, from time to time, walking the path of the old Morris Canal. Grandpa had worked the canal, from his youth, and eventually became the Chief Engineer of Incline Plane Ten East. My sister Patti, my cousins and I would often sit at the feet of Grandpa Mabey, as he sat upon his chair in the living room of the old Mabey Homestead. Grandpa was a most wonderful and enchanting story teller. He often told the family legends of the majestic buck deer. Grandpa always ended every tale about the magnificent deer, by telling us that whoever looked into the eyes of the majestic buck would be marked for a special calling for the rest of their life. In early April of 1967, I was in the eighth grade, 13 years old, and I decided to take a walk down the forest path to the old Morris Canal, all by myself. It was a sunny, Saturday morning. The wild flowers were blooming along the forest path, that began at the end of Mabey Lane. I had no idea that magical morning, that my life was about to change forever.
A photo from 1932 of my grandfather, Watson Mabey, proudly standing in his backyard, of the home he built at the end of Mabey Lane.
As I walked the forest path, squirrels scurried about, jumping from tree limb to limb. Birds sang and chirped melodies to shame even the world’s greatest musical composers. Thistle stalks abounded between the maple, the oak and the elm. There was a certain peace that filled the air in those magical wooded acres. As I walked down the wooded path, I could not believe my eyes. There to the right of the narrow forest path, proudly stood the majestic buck. It was a most surreal moment in time, it all seemed like a dream. Slowly and steadfastly, the old, tall buck came walking toward me. It was as frightening as any horror film I had ever seen at the old State Theater in the nearby town of Boonton. The antlers of the powerful deer seemed to reach out three or four feet from the majestic buck’s skull. As the deer came ever so close to me, I shuttered. I stood my ground. It was not so much that I was being brave and fearless, it was
actually quite the opposite. I remember being so taken and overcome with fear that my legs would not move an inch. You read about such moments in time, you dream about such moments in time, but this was a moment that was all so real, as frightening as it was. My heart began beating like a big bass drum. Sweat filled the crevices of my hands, like little pools of water that clung to my palms. The carotid sinuses in my neck pounded in a fastpaced rhythm. As the deer, ever so slowly, ascended closer to me, I remembered the very words of Grandpa Mabey. The Great Majestic Buck was the central character of a family legend. It was at least a dozen times that Grandpa told me the legend of the Great Majestic Buck. The Mabey legend was that whoever looked the stately deer in the eye, directly in the eye, was a marked man. That from that point on, the person who stood steadfast to the great deer and looked continued on page 25
Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com • Livingston Life • April 2022 • Page 25
R CALL FO R YOU L VIRTUA G! N I T MEE
An April Story...
UGLY HOMES WANTED
FOR TELEVISION PROGRAM In This Area
We need 30 Ugly Homes with Ugly Kitchens, Bathrooms, Siding, Windows, etc., Inside or Outside that need Fixing or Remodeling. We will repair and replace them and shoot video for training film and future TV show on Home Remodeling Work. Must Sign Release, for purpose of filming job! This must be a complete remodeling job, not just patch up work. This remodeling is to be specially priced out of work, with compensation back to the homeowner for signed release.
CALL 1-800-281-1582
Ask for Project Department, for job evaluation and estimate of cost and compensations! Serious Inquiries Please! Tri-State Creations, LLC • NJ License 13VH04728900
Family Owned & Operated
continued from page 24 him square in the eye would be so marked for a special calling, that his or her life would never, ever be the same. The deer was now only about 10 feet from me, when the grand beast stopped and threw his head back, as if he was about to attack me. Something kept me from running down the forest path. I felt the presence of my grandfather, standing beside me, saying to me, “stand your ground, Richie, stand your ground.” And then the Great Majestic Deer lowered his head and slowly, steadfastly began once again to walk toward me. My body shook like the last leaf hanging upon a twig of a maple tree, in the midst of an April breeze. I thought that my heart was going to burst, it was beating so hard and all so fast. The Great Majestic Deer was now about four feet from me. I was frozen. I could not move. And, with all the courage that I could dig deeply from within the core of my soul, I looked the huge beast deep in its eyes. The grand deer looked back at me and flung its head back in a fury. Then lowered his head, turned around and ran into the thick of the April forest. I felt a deep blessing succumb my heart, mind, and soul. I had looked the Great Majestic Buck deep into his eyes and he looked deep into mine. From that point on, I would never be the same.
I walked down the forest path. As I stood within eye’s view of the old Morris Canal, l could see the foundation of my great grandfather’s icehouse. William Mabey had built the icehouse with the help of my grandfather and Grandpa’s brother, Earl. Sadly, Earl was killed in battle, in France during World War I. When I came upon the foundation to the old Mabey Ice House, I sat upon the stone foundation and looked at the still, murky waters of the old Morris Canal, that lied just a few feet north of the old foundation. The memory of the Great Majestic Buck was engraved upon the deepest chambers of my heart. Perhaps Grandpa’s legend was not a fairy tale, perhaps there was a great depth of truth to the old Mabey Legend. At the age of 13, in early April of 1967, I felt my grandfather’s gift of story telling fill my heart. I had looked the Great Majestic Buck Deer in the eye. I was now marked with the gift of a special calling. I knew deep in the chambers of my heart, that the great buck had blessed me with the calling of story telling. There was no doubt in my heart. None at all. Richard Mabey Jr. is a freelance writer. He can be reached at richardmabeyjr@hotmail. com. Please put on the subject line: An April Story.
Commercial • Residential
Commercial: Handling unique needs of your business. Residential: Heating, Cooling, Air Quality & Home Comfort.
Serving Essex, Morris & Passaic Counties for Over 10 Years! Fully Insured FREE ESTIMATES on Replacement or New Units, and Ductless Mini Splits
$25 OFF
Your First Service Call With this coupon. Expires 5/31/22
EMERGENCY SERVICE CALL 973.670.9375
Contractors Lic. 13VH04064200 Master HVACR Contractor Lic. 19HC00052200
BE PROACTIVE! CALL NOW for your AIR-CONDITIONING CHECK-UP & MAINTENANCE APPOINTMENT!
info@JMCoolingHeating.com • www.jmcoolingheating.com
Page 26 • April 2022 • Livingston Life • Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com
N
Celebrated Chefs Support Project Self-Sufficiency
orthwestern New Jersey’s premier culinary fundraising event, A Taste of Talent, will be held at Perona Farms on behalf of local non-profit agency Project Self-Sufficiency on Monday, May 2nd, beginning at 6:00 p.m. Patrons are invited to mingle with chefs from approximately 50 celebrated area restaurants while feasting on appetizers, entrees, and desserts. The epicurean event raises funds for the non-profit agency which specializes in services for low-income families in Sussex, Morris, Hunterdon and Warren. Sponsorships for A Taste of Talent range from $500 - $25,000. The event will take place indoors and outside at the venue. Volunteer musicians will perform throughout the facility. Some of the many fine restaurants which have participated in the past, and many of which are expected to return, include 403 Broad, Andre’s Lakeside Dining, Black Forest Inn, Bobolink Dairy & Bakehouse, Café Pierrot, Caffe NaVona, Chocolate Goat Gift Shoppe, The Circle, Clay Oven, Cliff’s Ice Cream, Fossil Farms, Front Porch Organics, George’s Wine & Gourmet Gallery/Fran’s Farmhouse Kitchen, Gourmet Gallery, Green Cart Catering, Hayek’s Market, il Porto, Chef Jesse James, Krave Café + Caterer, L’Amico NYC, Lorraine’s Cake Shop & Tea Room, Mama’s Café Baci, North Shore House, Pattycakes Bake Shop, Perona Farms, Portofino Ristorante, Ryland Inn, Chef Tim Schafer, Slamwich Scratch Kitchen, Springhouse Creamery, St. Moritz Bar & Grill, Stone Water, Tanti Baci Caffe, White Birch, and Windy Brow Farms. “A Taste of Talent is our signature fundraising event and the cornerstone of our annual campaign,” noted Deborah
Chefs from approximately 50 restaurants are expected to participate in A Taste of Talent at Perona Farms on behalf of Project SelfSufficiency.
Berry-Toon, Executive Director of Project Self-Sufficiency. “Funds raised by A Taste of Talent make it possible for Project Self-Sufficiency to provide the programs and services necessary for families in northwestern New Jersey to attain economic self-sufficiency. We continue to be humbled by the support we are receiving from the restaurateurs in our area, and we are looking forward to a delightful event.” Select donation categories are available for A Taste of
Call us for all your Snow Plowing.. Commercial / Residential
We Recycle All Types of Material: Concrete, Asphalt, Roofing, Siding, Bricks, Sheetrock & more...
Talent, ranging from $500 - $25,000. A limited number of tickets for individual donations are available at a cost of $300. Perona Farms is located at 350 Andover-Sparta Road, Andover. To make a contribution to Project Self-Sufficiency, to obtain tickets to A Taste of Talent, or to find out more information about the programs and services available at the agency, visit www.projectselfsufficiency.org or call 973940-3500.
WE ALSO OFFER: • Concrete • Fencing & Decks • Blue Stone & Keystone • Brick & Belgian Block • Stone Work • Porches & New Garages • Foundations • French Drains • Waterproofing • Stamped Concrete • Kitchens & Bathrooms • Sheetrock & Doors • Flooring & Siding • Planting & Mulch • Tree Removal • Commercial & Residential Parking Lots SNOW PLOWING
10 OFF %
ANY JOB INCLUDING
RESIDENTIAL/COMMERCIAL
DUMPSTERS
Coupon must be presented at time of estimate. Cannot be combined with other offers. Expires 5/31/22
LUIGI
GENERAL CONSTRUCTION & PAVING
Call Us Today For Your FREE ESTIMATE! We Rent Dumpsters! 20, 30 & 40 Yards A-901 License
OFFICE: 973-669-2550
www.luigiconstruction.com
Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com • Livingston Life • April 2022 • Page 27
Master Services, LLC 35 Years Of Excellent Service Member NJ Arborists Association
• TREE SERVICES • Tree Cutting • 65’ Bucket Truck • CRANE SERVICE • Landscaping Beautification • Tree Planting • Fall/Spring Cleanups • Storm Cleanups • Stump Grinding
Commercial • Residential Owner Operated
24 HOUR EMERGENCY SERVICE
NJ License# 13VH02344600 LTCO# 780612
FREE ESTIMATES EAST HANOVER 973-887-6456 24 HR. EMERGENCY 973-476-5755 Credit Cards Accepted
We honor ALL Competitor’s coupons!
Kiwimbi Annual 5K Coming in June
T
he Third Annual Walk for Thought and 5K race is June 4, 2022 at 9:00 am at Duke Island Park in Bridgewater. Sure to be a great early warm-up to summer, the event is hosted by Kiwimbi International, a U.S.-based non-profit organization dedicated to providing educational opportunities to underprivileged children and their families in Sub- Saharan Africa. It is both a virtual and in-person event. Prizes for in-person age group winners and special Kiwimbi 10th Anniversary categories will be awarded.
Did You Know?
A
comprehensive review of research published between 1990 and 2020 studying the link between physical activity and mental health outcomes determined that nearly 90 percent of all peer-reviewed, published research reported a positive, statistically significant relationship between exercise/physical activity and mental health. Conducted by the John W. Brick Mental Health Foundation, the review found that 1,029 of the 1,158 experimental studies examined
FREE ESTIMATES • FULLY INSURED
HOME Spring $800 OFF Any New Roof
Registration is available at https:// raceroster.com/events/2022/57495/ kiwimbi-5k-and-walk-forthought or https://kiwimbi.org Students in rural Kenya typically walk 45 minutes one way to school each day, so the Walk for Thought invites you to do the same, while the 5K offers a more competitive opportunity. To sponsor/partner with Kiwimbi or learn more about the event, please click info@kiwimbi.org.
Improvement HELP IS HERE!
reported significant positive relationships between physical activity and mental health outcomes. General physical activity, a broad descriptor referring to the amount of daily or weekly physical activity people engage in irrespective of type, had the greatest number of positive studies of any type of physical activity, followed by cardiovascular and aerobic activity and yoga. Authors of the review concluded that their findings illustrate that exercise and movement can now be considered mainstream elements
FREE GUTTER GUARD
With Any New Gutter Installation AAA APEX Why Should I Use With coupon. Cannot be combined with any other offers.
AAA APEX
CHIMNEYS | MASONRY | GUTTERS | ROOFING | SIDING
201-682-5251
LIC#13VH0852250 ROOFING Re-Roof New Roof Roof Repairs Flat Roof Shingles
CHIMNEY CLEANING REPAIRS REBUILD CAPPING
A Chimney Lining System?
Starting At
45.00
$
Protect your house from heat transfer to combustibles Protect the masonry from the corrosive (ANY HOUSE) byproducts of combustion AAA APEX Provide a correctly sized flue for With coupon. Cannot be combined with any other offers. optimum
GUTTER CLEANING
ALL WORK GUARANTEED 15% OFF SENIOR DISCOUNT 15% OFF ANY MASONRY JOB
GUTTERS
CLEANING REPAIRS INSTALLATION SCREENING REPLACEMENT
24/7 EMERGENCY SERVICE
MASONRY
DRIVEWAYS REPAIRS STEPS SIDEWALKS BRICKS & BLOCKS
74.99 Chimney Cap • Fireplace Cleaning $
12 Point Inspection AAA APEX
With coupon. Cannot be combined with any other offers.
$250-$350 ANY ROOF REPAIR AAA APEX
With coupon. Cannot be combined with any other offers.
Page 28 • April 2022 • Livingston Life • Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com
5 Steps to Prep Your Yard for Spring
W
hen spring arrives, days of enjoying your outdoor living space aren’t far away. Getting your yard ready for months of outdoor enjoyment will take a little work, but you’ll quickly see and appreciate the results. These five steps can have you on your way to a lush, healthy lawn and outdoor area in no time. 1. Dethatch Throughout the winter, dead grass and other debris accumulate on your lawn. This waste, known as thatch, can be quite a hindrance to your spring lawn. It promotes fungi, encourages pests and keeps new grass seed from sprouting. You can use a special dethatching rake or any rake with sturdy tines. 2. Aerate Before spreading grass seed, you’ll want to give the new roots room to spread and grow. Aerating the lawn helps make your soil more welcoming to new growth by allowing moisture, nutrients and air to sink deeper into the soil. Depending on the size of area you need to aerate, two of the easiest options are doing the job by hand or using an attachment on a riding lawn mower. 3. Prune The lawn isn’t the only place debris can
pile up. Your flower beds and any other vegetation can become a holding ground for twigs, branches, leaves and other yard waste. Give your plants, shrubs and trees a close look to find broken, damaged or dead material and remove it to make way for new growth. 4. Weed Even the healthiest lawns are susceptible to weeds, but getting a jump start on weeding early in the season can help you keep control. You can manage weeds by treating with an herbicide before the sprout or, if you prefer, there are chemical-free alternatives like vinegar, salt or cornmeal. Be aware that many alternative products don’t distinguish between the vegetation you want (like grass) and weeds, so these remedies are best used along borders and within beds to discourage weed growth. 5. Seed Winter weather and wear can cause uneven patches in the lawn. Seeding in the spring requires more work than the fall (especially if you tend to have hot, dry summers), but with enough nurturing and regular water, you can fill those spots in for a more uniform lawn. Visit eLivingtoday.com for more advice to make your outdoor living space spectacular. (Family Features)
PROFESSIONAL • RELIABLE • AFFORDABLE
EVEREST CONSTRUCTION & HOME SERVICES
973.886.8488 Lic # 13VH11614900
ROOFING
GUTTERS
CHIMNEY
AIR CONDITIONERS
FREE ESTIMATES!
Veterans & Senior Discounts
AIR CONDITIONING VENTILATION | HEATING ROOFING | SIDING | GUTTERS MASONRY | CHIMNEY DECKS | PAINTING Never An Overtime Charge 24/7 Emergency Service No Job Too Big No Repair Too Small Serving Your Community Fully Insured Family Owned & Operated
www.everestconstructionpro.com
$250 OFF
$950 OFF
With this ad
With this ad
FREE
FREE
With this ad
With this ad
any masonry repairs
Gutter Cleaning Estimate
$50 OFF
any new roof
Chimney Cleaning Estimate
$75
any LINER repair
air conditioning tune up and inspection
With this ad
With this ad
$125 OFF
$250 OFF
25 FT.
any hot water heater replacement
any system upgrade
With this ad
With this ad
Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com • Livingston Life • April 2022 • Page 29
Page 30 • April 2022 • Livingston Life • Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com
DJ/MUSIC
HANDYMAN
973-831-610 973-8316102 2
Music
www.griffithhandymannj.com Owner Operated • Not A Franchise
SERVICES
DJ-Karaoke-Emcee Cocktail Piano 973-222-7000
Fully Insured www.michaelscalisi.com
Michael Scalisi
HOME INSPECTION
ASK US ABOUT OUR PHOTO BOOTH
GENERATOR
VGALLEY
5% OFF
“One Call Does It All”
973-547-7748
Any Job Over $100
• Carpentry Repair • Tile Repair & Regrouting New Customers Only. Must be present at time of estimate. • Sheetrock Repair Small or • Caulking Labor only. Cannot be combined with Big Jobs • Interior/Exterior Painting • Picture Hanging any other offer. Expires 5/31/22 No • Wall Paper Removal Problem! • Siding Repair April Special • Deck Repair • Door/Lock Replacement • Concrete Masonry Repair • Carpet, Tile & Upholstery DRYER VENT • Powerwashing Cleaning & Many More CLEANING Services • Gutter Cleaning Call for detail. Expires 5/31/22 SERVING ALL OF PASSAIC, BERGEN, SUSSEX & ESSEX COUNTIES
Larry McEntee
NorthwestNJ@HomeTeam.com NJ Home Insp Lic# 24GI00161600 • Radon Lic# MET13750
22 Aldersgate Cir., Budd Lake, NJ 07828
www.HomeTeam-NorthwestNJ.com
HARDWOOD FLOORS
MOLD
ENERATORS
We specialize in Installation, service and warranty for Generac, Kohler and most brands of permanent standby and portable generators
Schedule your appointment today
908-876-4510
marc@valleygenerators.net
IF YOU ARE A BUSINESS OWNER READING THIS, SO IS YOUR BEST CUSTOMER We can help build and brand your business Livingston Life is 100% mailed to local residents and businesses We offer local news, informative articles, community happenings and online advertising No long term commitments, free artwork and personal marketing guidance Servicing Morris, Passaic, Essex and Warren Counties
Barbara Freda
Marketing Sales Associate 973-769-5310 cell barbara@mylifepublications.com
Call, email or text Barbara for more information
Advertise with Livingston Life www.mypaperonline.com
Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com • Livingston Life • April 2022 • Page 31
COMPLETE HOME REMODELING SIDING
ROOFING
BATHROOM
STEPS
KITCHEN
OVER 40 YEARS OF REMODELING EXPERIENCE
DECKS
DISCOUNT SAVINGS
20% OFF WITH THIS COUPON. EXPIRES 5/31/22
CALL TODAY FOR YOUR FREE IN-HOME ESTIMATE! WE ALSO OFFER: BASEMENTS, ADDITIONS & MORE
AmericanHomeRemodeling.com
800-941-5541
LOW MONTHLY PAYMENTS 100% FINANCING* 0% For Up To 18 Months * Payments and rates based on credit & bank approval
NJ HIC #13VH01504400 NY LIC #0999832-DCA NY/NJ/CT Licensed & Insured