M t . O l i v e’s H o m e t o w n N e w s p a p e r
MOUNT OLIVE LIFE Vo l . 1 7 • I s s u e 2
Februar y 2022
Member of Mid-Atlantic Community Papers • Association of Community Publichers • Mt. Olive Chamber of Commerce AUDITED BY CIRCULATION VERIFICATION COUNCIL (CVC), ST. LOUIS, MO.
Mount Olive Middle Schoolers Win STEAM Tank Challenge
BY STEVE SEARS STAFF WRITER
MOUNT OLIVE TWP. Who said watching television isn’t beneficial? For Mount Olive Middle School 7th graders, Eman Husain and Meryl Payyappilly, doing so paid big benefits. The duo was named winners of the U.S. Army/New Jersey School Boards Association STEAM Tank Challenge in middle school division for their “Helping Handcuffs” concept. Initially tasked by their Chester M. Stephens Elementary School teacher to come up with an idea for the 2019 challenge in the younger division, they wracked their brains with thought, but were unable to come up with an idea. “Our teacher, Mrs. Karrie Blomquist, she approached us and a couple of other students I believe, and she told us about the program and how it was a good opportunity for us to create an invention,” Payyappilly recalls.
“There are plenty of things we could have done at the time, but none of it was coming to us, and none of it was very inspiring to us. And then we were watching Sponge Bob and it just kind of clicked.” In front of the television watching Sponge Bob Square Pants investigating an aquatic prison and seeing a commercial advertisement as a follow up, the two friends came up with an idea for safer handcuffs for law enforcement to use which would reduce injury for the person wearing them. Once they had their idea, Husain and Payyappilly took about a month to come up with a true concept made of recycled steel called “Helping Handcuffs” for the elementary division of the contest. After that, in order to get to the regional round, they had to create a video which explained their idea and ultimate invention, and then post it on
YouTube. When viewed by the STEAM Tank judges and personnel, they were on their way to the regionals. Then COVID-19 in early 2020 arrived, and so did the end of the competition. However, all was not lost. As the girls entered Mount Olive Middle School, teacher Rebecca Kreider, who had advised her own 8th grade class in the middle school division, was all ears when Husain and Payyappilly reached out and explained their situation to her, they wanting to continue pursuing their earlier idea. “From there,” says Payyappilly, “we created a presentation and we did a virtual meeting with the STEAM Tank judges and we presented it to them.” “She was very helpful,” Husain says of Kreider. “She was an inspiration. She felt like we had this idea we started from elementary school and we should continue it.” Kreider continued
Donations to Keep Warm This Winter
to help as did teacher Beth Cohen, who helped with the presentation and logistics of their final setup. After their presentation, the girls were invited to a virtual award ceremony, where they learned they were the challenge winners. Husain and Payyappilly are currently working on getting more information about “Helping Handcuffs” out into the public. “We were so concerned about how people could actually become extremely injured, especially if you are an older age. It just inspired us, so we had to do something about it,” Payyappilly says. “We feel we should bring it to the public.” Adds Husain, “We felt that it was just something that we needed to continue, and what we needed to do, and we still are doing it. We started it and it was just kind of an obligation to finish it.”
Those Jumbo Fiddles in Mount Olive
Andrew Tatarenko, Business Administrator Mount Olive Township, Erika DePack Flanders Firefighter, and Sean Dolan Flanders Firefighter/EMT.
MOUNT OLIVE TWP. -M&A Collectibles LLC located at 111 Canfield Ave Randolph donated over 100 blankets to
Mount Olive Township on Jan. 26. Blankets were distributed to the Mount Olive Food Pantry and the Health Department of
Mount Olive Township to serve and help the residents of Mount Olive.
Your Chance to Win ShopRite Gift Cards with the “Find Moe Life Mascot” Contest
MOUNT OLIVE TWP. Check out our new mascot... Mr. Moe Life. Look for him in the ads in this issue and enter (no purchase necessary) to win a Free Reusable grocery bag or a $25.00 ShopRite gift card. It is easy to enter. Look through the paper and read the ads and
look for Mr. Life in the ad. He will be located throughout the paper in 6 random ads. Then go to www.mtolivelife.com scroll down and fill out the form to be entered. Winners will be notified and printed in the next issue.
MOUNT OLIVE TWP. The winners from January’s “Find Moe Life Mascot” are Danielle Soriano, Doreen Pietrangel, Carl Panetta, Karen
Thomlinso, Lynn Taylor and Marcus Bocchino. The ads that Mr. Life was in were Auto Perfection, Budd Lake Bagels, Life Story, Dug’s Rugs, Al’s
Winners From January’s “Find Moe Life Mascot” Contest
Painting and Berk’s Furniture. Thanks to everyone who enter and congratulations to our winners!
The five-foot-high raised platform pictured was required to play his jumbo harp with his Ferris Celestial Orchestra. (credit author’s collection.)
BY HENRY M. HOLDEN STAFF WRITER MOUNT OLIVE TWP. Mount Olive resident Arthur K. Ferris became famous for his hobby - creating “jumbo” musical instruments. During his lifetime he worked in Flanders/Ironia area, and the 1940 U.S. Census lists him as living at Main Street, in Mount Olive. Born 1871, in Madison, Wisconsin, and lacking any musical training or carpentry skills, he worked as an estate caretaker and landscape gardener. During the cold months, he had essentially no work to do outside so he began making musical instruments to occupy his time. At first, he had tried creating crude fiddles but failed miserably.
Ever have a question about the snow plowing in town?
Join council president Joe Nicastro for a public forum on Thursday, February 17, at 7:00pm on everything you want to know about snowplowing. We will answer all your questions.
What’s Inside...
Register at https://www.mountolivetwpnj.org/home/ events/51126.
Local Mom Authors Trilogy on Autism ....................................................................................................... Page 4 A Valentine’s Day Story................................................................................................................................... Page 5 For Your Health ............................................................................................................................................... Page 6 Business Profile ................................................................................................................................................ Page 9 Morris County News..................................................................................................................................... Page 14
Ferris’ hobby of making jumbo violins started one winter night around 1924. During the winter months and over the years Ferris created many instruments, from a small “angel” violin to a combination harp-violin with strings one hundred inches long. According to his wife Bertha, he was inspired by the angelic music of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, where he was a member. Bertha related in a newspaper interview in 1940, that in 1924, Ferris had a visionary encounter with the angel Gabriel. Gabriel gave him detailed instructions on how to build massive angelic-sounding instruments, according to
angelic designs. The Ferris’ together devoted their lives to Christian ideals of the Seventh Day Adventist and used music to spread the Word. Bertha was not a composer; she was the chief performer in his ensembles and provided her original contribution during ensemble improvisations. “Then,” Arthur’s wife recounts, “a voice spoke to him. “I’m Gabriel,” it said, “you write this vision and make it plain that people may read it. You make these instruments and show these people that the word of God is true.’” The instruments ranged PLEASE SEE JUMBO FIDDLES, PAGE 8
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