Morristown Mendham February 2023

Morristown Author Addresses Food Allergies in New Book

By Evan Wechman

Morristown resident Kayla Cappiello has always enjoyed cooking up tasty meals in the kitchen since she was a child. She has always had a flair for designing recipes which would delight her friends and family.

However, as much as Cappiello loved eating her delicious creations, as a young adult she started to suffer many unhealthy reactions after eating some of these meals. She desperately wanted to know what was going on and how she could help herself.

“Food allergies and dietary restrictions can be tricky. It’s often confusing what doctors to go to. Everyone’s journeys are different. I started my journey with an allergist. They were able to test and diagnose for actual allergies and helped me navigate my tree nut allergy. When I was still experiencing digestive issues, I saw a gastroenterologist for my celiac gene testing and my lactose intolerance testing. They specialize in disorders and diseases that affect the digestive system,” says Cappiello.

This long and difficult process of finding out why she was having such negative reactions to certain foods led Cappiello to be her best advocate. She found out she was gluten free, lactose intolerant and allergic to some tree nuts (pistachios, hazelnuts, and almonds).

Cappiello started looking for other people in the area who were going through similar issues. As a result, she started blogging about her food allergies and which foods did and didn’t work for her. In a short time, she created a large following of people with food allergies which provided a sense of community for both her and her several thousand followers.

She kept experimenting in the kitchen to find out what foods worked for her and how she could tweak otherwise unhealthy foods into good choices.

Her findings will be published in her new cookbook, «Easy Allergy-Free Cooking» which comes out in early April through Simon and Schuster. She hopes these recipes will allow readers to keep their allergies in check while enjoying such wonderful and yummy creations.

Some of the offerings include sugar-free cinnamon bun French toast and one of the author’s personal favorites, a caramelized onion and pear pizza with a white balsamic dressing.

This cookbook caters to people with all kinds of allergies. It allows readers to select from a wide variety of milks, grain substitutes, and meat replacements that will work for them.

According to Cappiello,”gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan and vegetarians, this book welcomes everyone.”

The Morristown author is hoping her book becomes part of a larger conversation regarding food allergies and how people can overcome them. She wants residents to not give up looking for answers and to stay strong.

“If you suspect you may have a food allergy or a food intolerance, reach out to your primary care doctor or an allergist and they can help you by finding you a specialist. My advice, and so many people told me this along the way, but be your own advocate. You have to speak up and be honest and continue talking to doctors and ask to be tested. Often if you have a food intolerance your symptoms may be written off, misdiagnosed, or just not prioritized. Make sure you ask for the tests and push for the care you want. If a doctor isn’t giving you the tests or the care you want, find another doctor who you connect with who can give you the answers you need.”

Cappiello works full time as a designer for the wellknown undergarment company, Tommy John, but has always had a passion for writing. While studying the fashion industry at Marist College, she minored in creative writing and loved it. She has not ruled out writing a second cookbook in the near future where she concentrates on one idea such as allergy friendly pizzas.

But for now, according to Cappiello, “I’m hoping people see you can still live a normal, healthy life with whatever allergies or dietary restrictions they have. You don’t need to stop eating the foods you love; you just need to adjust them and I’m here to show them how.”

The book is currently available for pre-order on Amazon.

Photo Credit: Jen Costa of Fox and Hare Photography

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

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

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

General & Cosmetic Dentistry

Dental Digest: Teeth in One Day

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Exam, Full Set of Films

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

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

At Morris County Dental Associates,

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

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

a free consultation with Dr. Goldberg should be considered.

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

Ira Goldberg, DDS, FAGD, DICOI

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

Ira Goldberg, DDS, FAGD, DICOI

Ever Hiked in Northern NJ? Thank the NY-NJ Trail Conference

By Chip M. O’Brien

Howie Liebmann still remembers the moment that changed his view of hiking trails forever.

He was hiking the White Mountains of New Hampshire, a demanding trek in the best conditions, and springtime snowmelt had swallowed many stream crossings. In order to cross, he had to remove his socks and boots, wade through the frigid water, and dry off on the other side before continuing. It was arduous and exhausting.

“And then you come to a spot where there was a bridge built,” Liebmann says. “And you go: wow. Thank God for this bridge. I don’t know who built this bridge, but God bless ‘em.”

It’s a familiar sentiment for the 24 staff members and 2,500 volunteers who power the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference. “They know bridges don’t happen on their own,” says Liebmann, who now leads volunteers in maintaining 75 miles of trails as the NYNJTC’s Northwest New Jersey Trail Chair. “And they want to pay it forward.”

The New York-New Jersey Trail Conference is a nonprofit organization that builds, maintains, and protects about 2,175 total miles of hiking trails from the Delaware Water Gap in northern New Jersey to just north of the Catskills in New York. About 760 of those miles fall within New Jersey, almost all north of Interstate 80.

“Basically, we do work to make sure that the natural areas and trails in our region are accessible and sustainable for another century, for generations to come,” says Ashley Nester, Community Outreach Coordinator for the Trail

Conference.

The Trail Conference knows something about sustaining wilderness trails for generations: in 1923, after changing its name from the Palisades Interstate Trail Conference, the organization built the first completed mile of the Appalachian Trail near Bear Mountain, NY.

While the Trail Conference remains focused on building and maintaining hiking trails, as well as publishing famously authoritative trail maps by Sussex County, NJ cartographer Jeremy Apgar, it has also expanded to include conservation and stewardship work that ties to its mission. “It’s great if we have someone building a trail, but what about the natural areas around those trails?” Nester says. “You can’t really have a healthy trail system without a healthy forest for it to thrive in.”

On the local level, the Trail Conference’s work in NJ focuses primarily on three tasks: erosion mitigation, management of invasive plants, and trail upkeep and signage. All three have increased in importance as more people have turned to local trails for recreation and relaxation since COVID: Nester notes that the Conference’s most popular trailheads each saw about 20,000 users in 2022 alone.

The battle against erosion has become increasingly challenging thanks to changing conditions: more intense summertime heat, followed by intense storms with heavy, eroding rain. “It has forced the Conference, particularly our trail builders, to think a lot more creatively about what a sustainable trail looks like,” says Zachary Cole, Long

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NY-NJ Trail Conference...

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Distance Trail Coordinator for the Conference. Trail crews can deploy an arsenal of tools to control water flow and erosion: water bars, check dams, puncheon (a low plank bridge), and puncheon’s big brother: the much-beloved bridge.

Though erosion presents a constant challenge, many parks suffer from an even more aggressive enemy. “The biggest problem here is probably the proliferation of invasive botanical species,” says Bob Jonas, currently Co-Supervisor of Morristown National Historical Park alongside his wife, Estelle Anderson. Invasives choked the trails when they first arrived as Co-Chairs of the Central North Jersey Committee in 2008. A three-year concerted effort helped fight back the worst of it, ensuring wider trails and reduced regrowth. “They’re very prolific,” he says. “So it’s a constant job, really.”

The Conference focuses on about a dozen particularly aggressive invasive species in NJ, including barberry, Japanese stiltgrass, and multiflora rose.

Training is also a major component of the Conference’s work: they offer rigorous apprenticeship programs for their certified sawyers as well as practical training and experience for their Conservation Corps members. “We’re really training the next generation of environmental conservationists and leaders,” Nester, the Community Outreach Coordinator, says.

All of this work is accomplished in partnership with federal, state, local, and private entities, as the Trail Conference doesn’t own any land itself and must seek permission from land managers in order to service the

trails.

In the case of long distance trails, this might require conversation with literally dozens of land owners. The Conference serves three long-distance trails: the NYNJ section of the Appalachian Trail, which it maintains alongside the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, and two trails that it designs and leads: the 358-mile Long Path and the 180-mile Highlands Trail.

The Highlands Trail is of particular importance to NJ because it passes through the federally recognized Highlands Region, which occupies less than 15% of the state while providing over 70% of its population with drinking water. By connecting separately owned pieces of the Highlands Region into one landscape, says Cole, the Long Distance Trail Coordinator, the Highlands Trail helps preserve NJ’s water and air quality while offering opportunities for recreation, as well as justification for preserving individual parcels of natural land.

If certain land is considered historically significant, several entities must approve major maintenance projects before the Conference can proceed. Anderson, CoSupervisor of Morristown National Historical Park, notes the historical importance of the land she maintains: over 7,000 of George Washington’s troops were stationed at Jockey Hollow throughout the terrible winter of 1779-80 during the Revolutionary War. Every pile of rocks “could have been an encampment,” she says. “It could have been a fireplace, it could have been a foundation.”

The result: digging and moving rocks is not permitted in the park without approval from the State Historic Preservation Office, the Tribal Historic Preservation

Office, and the Northeast Region Archeology Program. But Anderson and Jonas are undeterred. They’ve made a list of twenty trail signposts that they’d like to replace or service, as soon as approval and warmer weather arrive.

The Trail Conference enjoys a harmonious relationship with land managers and park staff. As a volunteer-run organization, the conference can perform necessary trail work that parks don’t have the time, personnel, or resources to do themselves. Liebmann, the Northwest NJ Trail Chair, recalls asking one park superintendent for her input about a tricky trail maintenance challenge. Her response: “Why are you asking me? You know the trails better than I do. What do you think?”

“And she’s right,” Liebmann says. “We’re on the trails all the time.”

This speaks to the especially vital role that the NY-NJ Trail Conference fills in NJ: our state allocates insufficient funds to its parks, leading to a lack of resources and park staff that many fear is unsustainable. In April 2022, ecologist Michael Van Clef, Ph.D. released the New Jersey State Lands Management Report assessing NJ’s public lands and resources. Clef depicts a dire picture of NJ’s state parks: the state’s operating budget for parks is one third of Pennsylvania’s and one sixth of New York’s, even as NJ state lands face more environmental pressures due to greater population density. Park staffing has been slashed to bare bone, with only fifteen Park Superintendents assigned to supervise fifty parks, and “invasive species control is virtually absent on park lands” due to a lack of personnel to tackle the job.

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NY-NJ Trail Conference...

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In short, NJ parks don’t have enough staff to do the work required to keep trails usable– and without the Trail Conference’s legion of volunteers, there would be no one to do the work at all. “They probably would just say, okay, close the trail,” Anderson says. “And not just our park… all through the state, if they’re not taken care of. They don’t have the staff to do it.”

Even the Trail Conference’s work is hamstrung in NJ due to a lack of partner funding. Though volunteerrun, the conference’s work depends on lumber and other equipment and materials that must be regularly replaced. Many programs run by the New York side of the Trail Conference, specifically those that hire Americorps volunteers, naturalists, conservation workers, and other professional contractors, rely on state grants that are unavailable in NJ.

One solution presented itself to Anderson and Jonas at Morristown National Historical Park. In April, the Friends of Jockey Hollow formed under its first Executive Director, Leslie Bensley. Its purpose: to help fund maintenance, restoration, and other upgrades for the park’s Jockey Hollow and New Jersey Brigade Areas, including historical structures and trails. With the nation’s 250th anniversary approaching, the task is particularly timely for this heritage site.

“We want to promote the park. We want to protect the environmental... and cultural resources,” says Bensley. “We couldn’t be more pleased to have Bob and Estelle as our leaders because they are some of the most qualified

and passionate trail leaders… How lucky are we that this is their park and we get to work with them?”

In his State Lands Management Report, Van Clef recommends creating a similar organization at the statewide level: a nonprofit friends group that could fund public lands projects across NJ. Such a proposal is already in motion. Bill A-594 proposes the creation of the NJ State Parks and Open Space Foundation, an organization that would fulfill this exact purpose. “[NJ parks] are precious jewels in the most densely populated state in the nation, and they must be maintained and protected at all costs,” writes Assemblywoman Shama Haider of District 37, who sponsored the bill. “The entity created with the passing of A-594 would make it easier for private citizens to support our public spaces, something that we should have done a long time ago.”

Assemblyman Alex Sauickie of District 12, a co-sponsor of the bill, agrees. “Parks play a critical role in quality of life and getting people outdoors, especially postpandemic,” he says. He looks forward to lobbying for the bill and getting more cosponsors, mentioning the nation’s upcoming semiquincentennial as well: “There’s no better time than now, in my opinion, to be really focused on this.”

Bill A-594 currently awaits approval by committee before it can be referred to the state assembly. If the bill passes, the new organization would tie in well with the work of the Trail Conference. “What I think this bill speaks to is that the ones that are getting it done really well, right now, tend to be volunteers,” Sauickie says. The organization’s support would allow the Trail Conference

to fund more ambitious projects throughout northern NJ.

In the meantime, as they have for the past hundred years, the volunteers of the Trail Conference continue caring for New Jersey’s trails, their presence largely invisible. “Before I started at the Trail Conference, I truly thought that the parks were the ones that were maintaining trails,” Nester, the Community Outreach Coordinator, says. “And that’s where I get chills because I think it’s so cool that we’re doing that work, and that there’s people out there who are willing to dedicate their time to keeping our public spaces accessible for us to use.”

“It’s the community looking after community assets,” says Cole, the Long Distance Trail Coordinator. “They have a vision and a creative ability that is just unparalleled… it’s impressive, and it’s incredible.”

“If you saw these guys work…” says Liebmann, the Northwest New Jersey Trail Chair. “These people love doing what they’re doing.”

He remembers one particular project: building a 40foot pedestrian bridge in Stokes Forest. He watched a crew of volunteer trail maintainers move Class 1 poles, essentially treated telephone poles, into the forest and set them up to form the bridge. “I was utterly in marvel,” he says. “We had thirty people standing on that bridge. You didn’t see that bridge drop an inch. They put a 40-foot bridge up in a day and a half.”

The next day, hikers enjoying Stokes Forest did not need to hop a precarious path across wet stones or wade across a swollen, muddy creek. Someone had built a bridge.

5

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bucket List Travels: The World’s Wildest Horse Race

by Paul Partridge

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

Welcome to the Palio

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

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

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

– compressed into a single, unforgettable day.

Neighbor vs. Neighbor

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Race Day

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

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

Next comes the parade, a two-hour feast for the eyes featuring archers, horsemen, flag wavers, drummers, trumpeters, noblemen (and women) – all dressed in Medieval and Renaissance era costumes. Every neighborhood is represented. By 7 pm it’s race time. An entire Shakespearian play takes place in the leadup to the start. Nine horses are chosen randomly to enter the starting line. They take their position rather casually, Italian style. There are no gates; only a singular rope holds the ensemble (loosely) in place. It’s more like a moving scrum of unruly kindergarteners then a starting line.

The Puppet Master

The 10th horse, called the Rincorsa,

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Morristown resident Paul Partridge has been building a travel bucket list for years. Now he’s diving in – near and far – and shares his adventures in this column. The Palio di Siena is an insane horse race that’s been held since the Middle Ages and continues today. Here’s a view from inside the ropes.

Bucket List Travels...

continued from page 8

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

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

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

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

Secret Backroom Deals

Heads of the contrade make secret backroom deals, so if their horse is the Rincorsa, they might be rewarded if they enter when their horse is in a good position, or their enemy is in a bad position. The jockeys also make deals, so you don’t

know if they are trying to win or just block another rider. Perhaps this explains why the Sienese name for jockeys is assassini (assassins).

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

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

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

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

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

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

finish. The winner is . . . Goose! The Oca neighborhood faithful rush onto the racetrack, flags waving, tears of joy overflowing. They hug and kiss the

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

NAME: Mike Lateiner, DMD, MS

NAME: Ami Dhaduk, DMD

NAME: Denise Kitay, DDS, MMSc

Palio jockeys race bareback just as they have since 1656.

By Richard Mabey Jr.

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

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

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

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

A Valentine’s Day Story

as Grandma for a date.

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

Grandpa often told me, with a big smile on his face, how he remembered sitting on the bench just outside the backdoor of the old Storms Homestead. “I remember your Grandma and her father had a bit of a discussion whether or not your Grandma was going to be allowed to go for a motorcycle ride with me,” Grandpa would tell me. Then Grandma would interrupt Grandpa and say to me, “but I finally convinced Pop to let me take that motorcycle ride with your Grandpa!”

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

In memory, I return to those wonderful and magical times of watching and listening to Grandpa tell his stories of the remembrances of his life as a young man. I do my best to be true to bring his stories back to life, to honor the beloved patriarch. I loved my grandfather all so very much. In many

ways, he taught me a lot about the fine art of storytelling. I dearly miss him.

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

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

Unashamed of Hope: The Power of the Untold Stories Project

By Chip M. O’Brien

What’s the point of storytelling? What are stories for?

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

Faced with an existential threat, Storytelling Arts questioned its core mission. “We had to ask ourselves, in times of Black Lives Matter and COVID-19, are folktales the most relevant way to use storytelling?” remembers Linda Helm Krapf, Executive Director of Storytelling Arts. “Or is it time for us to begin thinking about personal stories?”

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

Krapf immediately recognized its relevance. “That told me we all have to get together and listen to one another,” she

says. “Because the answers are with all of us together, not separate.”

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

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

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

Religious School Style

when many of his childhood haunts were being destroyed for new construction.

“It became a cathartic process,” Ritzie remembers. “I went into a search of going back to my childhood, childhood trauma. And it was very difficult because I thought, I’m 64 years old. I felt that I had dealt with it all. And I had. But there were certain

things that needed truth to be told to it, because there were two sides to a story. And I wanted to know the truth.”

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

continued on page 12

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

Unashamed of Hope...

continued from page 11

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

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

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

“That’s when it came full circle for me,” Ritzie says. “After everything was done on the last performance, I knew I had done

what I needed to do. And the healing started.”

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

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

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

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

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

The Untold Stories project / program shows that stories can be for healing,

catharsis, connection, and liberation.

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

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

Match Your Winter Skin Care Routine with Your Active Lifestyle

Winter weather can pose some unique challenges to your skin, especially if you’re trying to maintain an active workout routine. Exposure to the elements while exercising outdoors can have a harsh impact on the skin. On the other hand, the humidity and constant running of heaters can also wreak havoc if the weather forces you to work out indoors.

“The winter season can be a challenge for those trying to maintain their workout regimens, especially this year when many people are staying closer to home,” said Dr. Jeanine Downie, board-certified dermatologist and Medline Remedy consultant. “An outdoor workout is a great way to get some fresh air and burn calories, but it’s also important to nourish your skin before and after you’ve completed your workout.”

Just like establishing a good winter workout routine, there are some things you can do to keep your skin in shape all winter long. Use sunscreen any time you venture outdoors and dress for whatever elements you may be facing. Be sure to remove wet clothes, which can create friction and skin irritation, immediately

after returning inside. Limit the length of hot showers, which can also dry out skin, and use a quality moisturizer, especially after exposure to harsh weather.

Learn more about winter skin care at remedyderm.com

Long-Lasting Moisture

When you spend time working out outdoors, your body’s natural hydration is more prone to evaporating. That, in turn, can lead to dry skin. Whether you’re battling rough skin or simply want to help keep your skin hydrated, a clinically tested lotion can help maintain the skin’s natural defenses. After spending time outside and every time you wash your hands or bathe, help retain moisture for up to 24 hours with an option like Remedy Dermatology Series Body Lotion, which includes safflower oleosomes for lasting moisturization with natural oils. Its smooth, rich formula absorbs quickly, leaving skin feeling soft with no greasy or oily residue.

Enriched Skin Nutrition

Repeated exposure to the winter elements can take a toll, leading to dry, cracked and dehydrated skin. A quality lotion that matches your skin type can help. Formulated by skin care specialists for dry,

dehydrated skin, Remedy Dermatology Hand & Body Moisturizing Cream contains soothing antioxidants and vitamins that support skin nutrition. The fragrance-free, hypoallergenic cream goes on rich and thick but still absorbs readily into the skin

st. patricks day at

to help it stay hydrated. The proprietary botanical blend of humectants, manuka honey, natural oil emollients, ceramides and botanical nutrition is also free of 80 of the most common allergens that contribute to skin sensitivity. (Family Features)

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

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

By Steve Sears

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

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

Walker, who is in Sea Girt (LTC (Ret) William Kale is Volunteer Co-Curator in Lawrenceville), is an informative, eager guide. He has a wealth of knowledge of military history. When you visit the Sea Girt location which is located a shell’s toss from the beach, you can visit display cases and see artifacts throughout the one-room facility. The museum details the Garden State’s Militia and National Guard history starting with the Dutch and Swedish, who arrived in the late 15th century, up through the Revolutionary War to the Civil War, World Wars I and II, to the present day. “We’re basically tracing the citizen soldier really since New Jersey’s inception,” Walker says. “There are different players at that point. We do trace our lineage and our heritage through the British colonization, but we do recognize the other nations that were called on in New Jersey at the time.”

Founded in 1980, the National Guard Militia Museum was the fourth state National Guard Museum at that time. Rapid growth and expansion encouraged the opening of the Lawrenceville Museum in 1998. Walker says, “We do rely on private donations mostly, so you’re able to reach out to us and inquire about whether or not we want a certain artifact.” Uniforms, medals, several types of equipment, and handwritten notes relating to New Jersey militia can be viewed here, as well as federal artifacts. One especially fascinating aspect of the museum is that, with so much emphasis

placed on New Jersey’s role in the American Revolution – and rightly so - the museum also has a deep focus on our state’s involvement in the Civil War. Copies of articles, diaries, letters, memoirs, newspaper clippings, and regimental histories are part of one of the largest collections of New Jersey related Civil War research material in the United States.

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

The museum relies heavily on in-person visits, and if you enter the doors in Sea Girt, you will see displayed an 18th century powder horn, the oldest artifact on-site, and the 28’, 4,000 pound “Intelligent Whale.” Built in 1864, the submarine, mammal-like vessel was tested in the Long Island Sound, but the Navy was not interested in using it. There are also quite a few replications of period militia uniforms.

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

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

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

6 Tips for Adding More Seafood to Your Family’s Menu

Seafood can make for a healthy addition to diets, particularly for children. It improves body and brain function, and studies conducted by “Pediatrics” and the “American Journal of Clinical Nutrition” have linked seafood to reduced risks of heart disease and allergic conditions like asthma.

In fact, the United States Department of Agriculture suggests making seafood part of healthy diets and its 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend putting it on menus at least twice a week.

While there are common complaints, such as “my kids won’t like it” or “I don’t know how to prepare it,” these tips can help make it quick, easy and affordable to add nutritious seafood to your family’s menu.

Start with shrimp. Shrimp is one of the most popular types of seafood in the United States. Try shrimp warm or cold as a snack, appetizer or main course. It’s versatile and can be sauteed, broiled, boiled, grilled or baked. Make it fun. Consider putting healthy fish like wild cod, salmon or pollock into fun foods like tacos or burgers.

Buy frozen. Fish is now flash frozen at sea to lock in freshness. Frozen seafood meals add convenience and help cut down on waste because what you don’t use can go back in the freezer.

Cook with your kids. If your kids don’t think they like seafood, have them help with dinner. Cooking with kids can help

develop healthier longterm habits and a more adventurous palate. It also helps improve motor functions and confidence.

In fact, a study published in “Pediatrics” shows getting children involved in meal preparation may increase their enjoyment of healthy foods.

Pick the right products. To create a family-friendly menu, consider an option like Aqua Star’s Cutting Board meal kits, a selection of 10 recipes that include everything a family needs to prepare a tasty, healthy meal. Selections include tacos, flatbreads and comfort favorites. With pre-portioned ingredients for quick preparation and cleanup, they make it easy for parents and kids to create their own restaurant-quality meals.

Eat at home. Eating out often can drive unhealthy eating habits and strain family budgets. Seafood is easy and convenient to make, whether you use a simple recipe like these Chipotle Shrimp Street Tacos or choose a convenient meal kit, and can help you spend more time together at the dinner

table. Find more tips and recipes to add seafood to your family’s table at aquastar.com.

Chipotle Shrimp Street Tacos

Total time: 20 minutes

Servings: 2

1 Aqua Star Chipotle Shrimp Street Tacos Meal Kit, including: creamy ancho chili sauce, Aqua Star shrimp, chipotle seasoning, spinach, corn , roasted tomato white corn tortillas 2 teaspoons cooking oil, divided Submerge unopened sauce packet in bowl of water to thaw.

In large skillet, heat 1 teaspoon oil; add shrimp and cook 6-8 minutes. Drain excess fluid and add chipotle seasoning.

In medium skillet, heat remaining oil; add spinach, corn and roasted tomato. Cook 4-5 minutes until water is evaporated; set aside.

In microwave, warm tortillas in moist paper towel 30 seconds.

To build tacos, fill two tortillas with shrimp and vegetables then top with sauce. (Family Features)

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

By Tommy Hughes

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

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

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

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

baseball. What the Rose Bowl is to NCAA Division I football, and what the city of Indianapolis is to open-wheel automobile racing.

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

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

An evolution, it is a story that began through the writings of a journalist. Upon retirement, the journalist took inspiration through in-depth investigation of the Paris Opera House, and it’s basement cell that housed prisoners of the Paris Commune. Gaston Leroux. His inspiration told a story of both fear and irrelevance. A horror story of underlying meaning.

Fear, not due to the story or subject matter, nor because of the closed-minded onlooker and their reaction to the title character. A fear of the individual taking the next step forward due to internal fear placed in them by society. Shamed into solitude. Shunned by the multitude.

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

reason and platform to share his gift with the world.

And a gift the world received.

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

Yet, if the title character’s fear is felt, it is a fearful wonderment of what will happen next. An individual cannot simply hop aboard César and set a course for Coney Island. Though, if the individual’s gift lives within them, they will find further inspiration to make their song take flight. The power of the music of the night. The Phantom of the Opera runs until April 16th, 2023 at the Majestic Theatre

What’s happening in your school or organization?

Celebrating a special birthday, anniversary, graduation?

Dr. Patricio Molina Releases First Album of Original Music

By Steve Sears

Yamaha artist and Riverdale resident, Dr. Patricio Molina, had written the music, but the songs sat unrecorded, some for as long as 10 years.

“I had been working on this music for a long time,” Molina says. “There are some pieces that I wrote in 2012, there are some pieces that I wrote almost two months before the release, and there are some pieces I wrote when I was very young when I came to this country. I was trying to see what I could do with it, because now there was enough music to create a concert or an album.”

It is an album, and D.N.A. is the title. Molina, who has released albums featuring the music of various composers, now presents 11 of his original, self-performed compositions for solo piano. The offering pays tribute to his early life in Chile and beyond, his musical journey, and with two tunes he portrays his love for his wife and son. “They (the songs) are all part of me in a way,” Molina says. “These pieces were written at specific times in my life, and they were really written for myself. I did not write them for performance; I just wrote them because I had the urge to express something in music.”

“Cueca,” representing musical styles from his Chilean homeland, Molina wrote in 2012, and “Taqsim for Piano” comes from embracing his mother’s Syrian heritage.

“In the last couple of years, I’ve started embracing more of my culture and heritage,” Molina says. “A lot of the newer music includes Arabic touches and flavors. ‘Taqsim’ is an Arabic improvisation, so that was one of the latest ones I wrote.” “A Musical Portrait” is a gorgeous 2:45 piece that Molina wrote for his wife of three years, Mallory, when he proposed to her, and “Light” represents the first time he looked into and “met” the light in young son Patricio Jr.’s eyes. “Imagining a life with him, now being a part of my life, I could see the beautiful light through his eyes,” he adds. Also, an additional piece of music initially destined for D.N.A. will find a home on pianist Lara Downes’s upcoming April album release.

For Molina, there is a deep fondness for the piano, an instrument he first embraced at age three, and he has always found it extraordinary how so much can be expressed and said through just one instrument. “That’s always fascinated me,” he says. “I can imitate the Arabic sounds, Chilean sounds, inner feelings, dances - all of that and just with one instrument.”

When asked how those unfamiliar with him and his music, and with the piano especially, can best listen to and even understand the music presented on D.N.A., Molina offers this. “With art, the more you listen to it, the more you appreciate it. There is a difference

between listening and hearing. I encourage people to listen to it attentively, maybe with a cup of tea or by a fireplace without any distractions, and really, really listen to it as a meditation almost. All the pieces tell a story. The “Cueca,” the Chilean dance, goes places. It’s not just a dance. There’s a theme, a melody, and I convert the melody. I bring the melody to the bottom, to the top, and sometimes I make the melody longer, sometimes shorter. If you’re able to pick up

on all those little things I do with the music, I think that’s where the magic happens.”

Molina, who is Music Director at Saint Thomas the Apostle Parish in Bloomfield, is currently working on a collaborative project with opera soprano, Christine Moore Vassallo. D.N.A. is available on Apple Music, You Tube, and Spotify. For more information about Molina and his album, visit www. patriciofmolina.com.

Dr. Patricio Molina, making music live in concert (courtesy of Dr. Patricio Molina)

Fighting the Flu: 3 Tips to Protect Your Health

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

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

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

“Unfortunately, the flu is back,” said Donald Lloyd-Jones, M.D., Sc.M., FAHA, volunteer president of the American Heart Association. “We’re seeing cases in communities across the country. If you’ve delayed your flu shot, it’s not too late to get one for the current flu season, which usually lasts until late spring. Getting it as soon as possible offers the most protection for you and your loved ones.”

Knowledge Gap

A lack of information may contribute to decisions to skip or delay the flu shot. The survey identified a significant knowledge gap, with an overwhelming majority (94%) of adults in the United States incorrectly answering at least

one of eight questions about the shot. Younger generations were less informed than their older counterparts, but across all age groups, more than half of U.S. adults answered at least two questions incorrectly.

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

Flu and Heart Health

There is a strong correlation between the flu and cardiovascular diseases like heart disease and stroke. Among adults hospitalized with flu during recent flu seasons, heart disease was one of the most common chronic conditions. According to the CDC, about half of adults hospitalized with flu have heart disease. In addition, research published in “The New England Journal of Medicine” showed those who are not vaccinated against the flu are six times more likely to have a heart attack within a week of infection.

Preventing the Flu

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

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

Wash germs away. Washing hands frequently and thoroughly helps reduce the spread of germs, including those

that cause viruses like the flu. Also make a point to avoid touching your face, since your nose and mouth are natural entry points for germs.

Seek medical attention. If you get sick, seeing a doctor can bring relief and help shorten your illness. If the flu is detected early enough, you may be able to take an oral antiviral treatment that reduces the length and severity of your symptoms.

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

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

6 Tips to Keep Pets Safe and Warm This Winter

Just as people prepare their homes, cars and families for extreme temperatures and weather events of winter, it’s important to remember pets’ needs this time of year. As cold weather sets in, Dr. Jennifer Freeman, DVM, resident veterinarian at PetSmart, shares these tips to prepare and ensure your pets are warm and happy throughout winter.

Take Caution When Outdoors

When temperatures reach levels of extreme cold, Freeman recommends limiting outdoor walks and monitoring your pet’s behavior for signs of stress or discomfort. Letting your dog outside to use the bathroom or go for a quick walk is OK, but never leave a pet outside for a long period of time, especially during a winter storm.

“Don’t let your dog off its leash after snowfall, as snow can mask familiar scents,” Freeman said. “This can cause your pet to become disoriented or lost if they get too far away.”

Add Extra Layers

Despite efforts to limit time outdoors, your pet needs to go outside for bathroom breaks and exercise. Pets who are small, short-haired, old or have any health issues or illnesses may be more sensitive to cold weather.

Pet sweaters can help keep your pet warm. If your pet is shivering, that’s a sign they need extra layers. To help trap body heat and protect paws from extreme cold, consider using booties when venturing outside.

Watch out for Hazardous Chemicals

Many people use snow-melting products like deicers, antifreeze and salt, which can cause skin irritation and be

fatal if ingested by your pet. Pet parents should keep an eye on their pets when they’re outside and be mindful of hazards. After a walk, it’s important to thoroughly rinse your pet’s paws and stomach, Freeman said, especially after walking in areas where these products are frequently used.

Keep Skin Protected

Just like humans, many pets get dry skin during the winter. When your pet needs a bath, try using a pet-friendly moisturizing shampoo to help keep skin healthy and hydrated. If your pet’s skin seems extra dry, supplements like fish oil can be added to your pets’ food to help the skin and coat. It’s important to keep an eye on skin health and check with your vet if issues persist as they could be signs of larger problems.

Have an Emergency Plan

“While creating emergency kits in case of a storm or power outage, don’t forget about your pet’s needs,” Freeman said. “A pet’s kit should include supplies needed to keep them fed, warm and secure during emergency conditions like blizzards or extreme cold. Items like sweaters, insulated vests, paw booties, pet-safe ice melt and a heated bed or pad can help avoid risks associated with freezing temperatures.”

Gather any other care items your pet may require such as medications, puppy pads, waste bags, litter box supplies and calming spray. Freeman also suggests storing a one-week supply of food in a waterproof container along with bottled water and portable bowls as well as a list of feeding routines and behavioral considerations in case others need to care for your pet.

Ensure Identification Information is Current

While winter emergencies may add to the importance, it’s crucial your pet wears a tag displaying your phone number year-round. Microchip and register your pet with current contact information and tuck a copy of their vaccination and medical records, veterinary contact information and a current photo in your emergency kit.

Find products to help protect your pet this winter at PetSmart.com. (Family Features)

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

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