Mt Olive Life JAN 2020

No. 18 Vol. 1

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January 2020

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ON THE AIR with Marauder Madness (TV3)

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By Steve Sears hree days per week, 11th and 12th grade students in the TV Production 3 (TV 3) course at Mount Olive High School venture to school at 6:30 a.m. to prepare for and present a live morning show. The show airs at 7:20 a.m.

Monday, Wednesday, and Friday on FIOS Channel 32 and Cablevision Channel 21.

“Everything that goes into a show professionally happens here,” says Chris Praml, who is in his 11th year at Mount Olive High School and wears a few hats. He is the teacher of Television/Video Production, MOHS Communications Honor Society Advisor, Marauder Madness Advisor, and MOTV Station Manager. “Students are in charge of every aspect of the show. From show structure and scripting to concept creation to production and execution of their ideas. They work all the crew positions and equipment that are needed to produce and distribute their show.”

The full name of the course is Marauder Madness (TV 3), and Basic Television Production (TV 1) and Advanced Television Production (TV 2) are prerequisite courses. All of the before mentioned are full year courses and attaining at least a B+ grade in both TV 1 and TV 2 are required prior to taking TV3. Marauder Madness (TV3) teaches all aspects of creating and broadcasting a live news show. “From scripting and pre-production,” says Praml, “to working all crew positions in the studio during the production and distribution of the show, to planning, recording and editing all the segments for

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the show.” The course also teaches and encourages global communication and job skills, real world experience, teamwork and respect, time and stress management, self-motivation and independence, and creativity (thinking outside the box.)

Praml’s challenges as an educator are endless. “We have all the same challenges as any other classroom teacher working with kids in addition to all the technical challenges of a TV studio.” Praml, who actually studied television production while a student at Livingston High School and then proceeded to major in Communications and Broadcasting at William Paterson University, explains in brief the process.

“The kids come in at 6:45 in the morning for the morning show and we shoot for three run throughs before we go live at 7:20, and when we do the show we have a master control that switches over to the school and the community and pro-

grams it over the channel.”

Lindsey McLaughlin is a Marauder Madness student. “A single show has tons of behind the scenes work to make each thing possible. Segments have to be pre-recorded, edited, and exported and scripts have to be done a day in advance. Once these are prepped for the show, everyone must prepare their specific crew position so that everything runs smoothly.” Connor Nelson adds, “I would say the best thing about the course is the freedom it gives you. Not just freedom to walk around the halls and leave the school, but creative freedom as well. We have a lot of fun creating things that we enjoy and want to share with others.”

The next step is TV 4, for those students who have decided that this is the career that they’d like to be their future.

Praml’s former students – many who are enshrined on a Wall continued on page 10

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Faith Kitchen Feeds the Souls of the Needy

By Megan Roche n East Blackwell Street in Dover, you’ll find a warm meal and a side of hope with a visit to Faith Kitchen. Located at 123 E. Blackwell Street (Trinity Lutheran Church), there is always a warm meal at lunchtime from 11:30-12:30 and positivity to be found for all in the community.

Faith Kitchen was started back in 1983. In 2005, it became its own 501c3 charity and still operates upstairs inside of Trinity Church. They serve a nice lunch 6 days a week to anyone in need, no questions asked. The line forms at their door by mid-to-late morning in anticipation of doors opening at 11:30 a.m. No matter what the weather is, people are out there waiting. Those who come are hungry, tired, cold and wet. The outside elements wear them down. Some standing on the line outside the door have waited tirelessly because this will be the only meal they’ll eat today.

Currently the kitchen is fully covered when it comes to groups or community organizations who want to serve meals, but the team can always use donations or benefit from fundraisers.

According to Executive Director of Faith Kitchen, Joanne Bleecker, “We have groups that come in each day to serve.

They bring food, cook, serve and clean up. Since we do have a regular volunteering schedule of faith groups that serve here, we are blessed that we do not need to seek out individual volunteers for cooking and serving. What we need is volunteers to run paper drives for us. Any item collected helps to save us money and goes a long way in helping us feed those in need.”

After Faith Kitchen closes down for the day at 12:30 p.m.,

Edna’s Haven, a program of the Mental Health Association of Morris and Essex counties opens upstairs from 12:30-4:00 p.m. Edna’s Haven helps people get referrals for services.

Once a month, the Zufall Mobile Medical Van also visits Faith Kitchen to help those on a limited income receive access to the medical care they need.

Bleecker, who has served as executive director for Faith Kitchen for 4 years, worked in corporate America in computer science. She has been a CIO and COO for midsize multi million-dollar companies. However, when she took over at Faith Kitchen, she discovered something close to her heart.

“The most rewarding part is making a big difference in someone’s day. It’s a joy and a blessing to get to know the people that come through our doors. Everyone has a life story. Listening to their stories, struggles and triumphs are critical in truly understanding their challenges. Empathy is always the first step toward developing a deeper, sincere desire to help. I am amazed every day by their resilient spirit.”

Bleecker said.

While the kitchen is about community, that’s what also stemmed from the organizations need for a new logo.

Wanting to get the community involved in its creation, they reached out to County College of Morris’ Art and Design department.

“We worked with Professor Yvonne Bandy, M.A., M.S., Associate Professor, Liberal Arts Division, Art & Design Dept. at CCM. We received 17 entries from her students and chose the design created by 21 year old student, Sebastian Torres. We asked for both a black and white entry as well as 2-color to be used for a future t-shirt fundraiser and other media uses. We felt it was a great opportunity to get local

college-level art students involved in a charitable organization and they were able to design for a ‘client.’ We were so impressed with the creativity and the thought put into this project by these students.” Tammy Roselle, a Faith Kitchen board member said.

Working at a food kitchen may be taxing for some, but for Bleecker, this is one labor of love, one she personally understands.

“At this point in my career, I was drawn to the goodness and importance of nonprofit work. My parents are first generation Americans, and both knew what it was like to be hungry, so this cause is personally important to me. They taught me the true value of a meal, of a kind word and of extending a helping hand. I do my best to fulfill that purpose each day here.”

To learn more about Faith Kitchen, visit www.faithkitchendover.org.

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4 Myths Regarding Dental Implants

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By Ira Goldberg, DDS, FAGD, DICOI ental Implants have revolutionized modern dentistry. Whether a person is missing a single tooth, multiple teeth, suffering from pain due to infections or gum disease, or looking for a solution to stabilize dentures, dental implants can come to the rescue! However, over the years I see certain misconceptions repeat themselves.

Myth #1: My dentist told me I have to see a specialist / implant specialist.

Dental implants may be placed by any dentist who holds a license. Typically, they are placed by general dentists, oral surgeons, periodontists, and prosthodontists. It’s not

so important as to what type of dentist places them, but rather how much training and experience they have. Also, don’t forget that there is a second part to the implant once it is placed: one or more teeth have to be placed on top of the implant. If an implant is placed while ignoring this second part of the treatment, disastrous results may follow.

I have had to correct situations like this too often.

Myth #2: My friend has an implant placed for a certain amount, and your quote is much more!

When comparing fees, be sure you are comparing apples to apples. If your friend

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had an implant placed into a location where the tooth was already missing, the amount of available bone is excellent, and the angles for that implant are ideal, the cost of that implant is going to be a lot lower than where a tooth currently exists and requires extraction, a graft is necessary because of a poor amount of bone, and the implant is off-angle. Location in the mouth is very important, too: an implant in the front of the mouth has a much higher esthetic demand than the back of the mouth. This will affect cost, too.

Myth #3: It is always better to keep a natural tooth than to remove it and place an implant.

When a tooth has been diagnosed with a very poor prognosis, it is not always better to hang onto it: recurring infections can develop which cost time and money, the disease can affect adjacent teeth, and over time, they can cause additional bone loss. Removing infected teeth and placing an implant can eliminate the recurring infections, restore health to adjacent teeth, and preserve bone in your jaw.

Myth #4: Once I have an implant, I don’t have to see the dentist anymore.

This is not true. Although problems with implants are rare, they require observation and maintenance. Most of the time problems will develop within the first two years.

Failure to recognize and correct these problems often leads to implant loss, and worse, loss of adjacent teeth. Expect to return to the dentist 3 to 4 times within the first two years for maintenance.

If you are in need of one or more dental implants, the information available on the internet can be a bit overwhelming. It’s also difficult to get a sense of your own personal situation unless you understand all the facts that apply specifically to you. If you would like to speak with Dr. Goldberg personally and determine the best course of action for your specific situation, please give the office a call. As a Diplomate of the American Board of Oral Implantology / Implant Dentistry, he will be able to give you great insight.

Dr. Goldberg is a general dentist located in the Roxbury Mall in Succasunna, NJ. He provides general dentistry for the entire family, including: cleanings, check-ups, whitening, veneers, crowns, root canals, dentures, periodontal (gum) services, dental implants, and much more. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Implantology/Implant Dentistry, holds multiple degrees and is recognized as an expert in dental implants. You can find additional information on his website:www. morriscountydentist.com. The office can be reached at 973-328-1225 or via email: frontdesk.mcda@gmail.com

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A VIEW FROM THE LEFT

Try to Remember

I

EDITORIAL &

Opinions

s anyone here old enough to remember the urgent warning issued in a speech to the National Convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars in August 2002 by an American vice president who had artfully avoided the military draft during wartime? Dick Cheney, after acknowledging he was convinced that Saddam Hussein would “acquire nuclear weapons fairly soon,” went on to beat the war drums: “Simply stated, there is no doubt that Saddam Hussein now has weapons of mass destruction; there is no doubt he is amassing them to use against our friends, against our allies and against us.”

There was not then, and there never would be, any stockpile of Saddam Hussein’s WMDs to be used against us.

It was worse than “fake news”; it was taking his country into war under false pretenses, leaving as its legacy death, disillusionment and, yes, despair. But let us also recall the wise, if unheeded, words of a former Marine Corps company commander in Vietnam who there earned the Navy Cross, a Silver Star, two Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts; he posed the consideration the Republican administration sending American troops into Iraq refused to broach with the American people: “whether we as a nation are prepared to physically occupy territory in the Middle East for the next 30 to 50 years.”

That was Jim Webb, who would later be elected to the U.S. Senate from Virginia as an anti-war Democrat. He warned, “wars often have unintended consequences -- ask the Germans, who in World War I were convinced that they would defeat the French in exactly 42 days.” Today, 75 years after World War II, the U.S. still has troops stationed in both Germany and Japan, and 67 years after the Korean War ended, American

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Mark Shields soldiers remain on dangerous watch in Korea.

Does anyone else remember the young Army captain in Vietnam who had held in his arms a young soldier who had stepped on a landmine and was dying?

Colin Powell knew firsthand how painful it was to write condolence letters to the grieving next of kin. That led directly to the doctrine that would carry his name; it says that the U.S. should commit men and women to combat only as a last resort and after policy options have been exhausted -- and then only 1) when a vital national security interest of the nation is at stake, 2) when the U.S. force employed is overwhelming and disproportionate to the force of the enemy, 3) when the mission and military action are both understood and supported by the American people, and the mission has international support, and 4) when there is a clear and plausible exit strategy for the U.S. troops sent into harm’s way.

Maybe you recall the gentle rebuke Army Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf had for the fawning flatterers who lionized continued on page 6

DOWN

live to write. I write to live.

The close of 2019 marks two full decades since I entered national newspaper syndication. You are reading the 1,571st column I’ve filed with Creators Syndicate. The years have flown and so have the words: More than one million of them carefully marshaled each week for the past 1,043 weeks to enlighten, entertain and enrage.

Thank you, Creators Syndicate founder Rick Newcombe, for your steadfast support and friendship.

Thank you to the hundreds of newspaper op-ed and website editors who publish my work.

Thank you to the thousands of readers over the past 20 years who’ve provided warm encouragement, sharp criticism, typo corrections, whistleblower tips, crochet patterns, favorite poems and prayers. I am especially heartened by positive feedback from high school students assigned by their English teachers to expose themselves to views different from their own.

Though the past few months have been filled with slanderous accusations that I am a purveyor of “hate,” longtime readers of this column know that these weekly pieces are undergirded by love of language, love of family, love of freedom and love of country.

My columns have been filed from across the heartland and around the world, from our southern border to the Pacific Northwest, from Washington, D.C., to Iraq. I root for underdogs, watchdogs and sheepdogs. I oppose elites, control freaks, race hustlers, con artists, ingrates, liars, reality deniers, bullies and incompetents.

No topic is off-limits. I’ve shared dissenting views on the Japanese intern-

Michelle Malkin ment, rethought my former support for the death penalty and challenged the Big Pharma/Big Government orthodoxy on vaccines since 2004, when our family pediatrician kicked us out of her practice for requesting that a Hep B jab simply be delayed. While every major American media outlet cowered as Muslims worldwide rioted against free speech in 2006, my columns vigorously defending the Danish newspaper cartoonists who dared to draw Muhammad earned death threats, distributed denial of service attacks on my website and sharia warnings that continue to this day.

I’ve exposed the cronyism and corruption of the Bushes, McCains, Clintons, Obamas and Bidens. I’ve offended Muslims, Catholics, Lutherans and Jews with my opinions and reporting. I’ve been an equal-opportunity hate crime hoax debunker and crapweasel hunter.

Politics and policy have been a central focus, of course, but I’ve also shared continued on page 6

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20 Years...

continued from page 4 the joys and pains of my personal life: the birth of my children, the still-unsolved disappearance of my cousin from the University of Washington campus in 2011, my late mother-in-law’s experience with medical marijuana to relieve stage 4 melanoma-related pain in 2014, my daughter’s struggles with chronic illness and pain in 2015, and my 25th wedding anniversary celebration last year.

So many of the stories of suffering, perseverance, patriotism, faith and sacrifice I’ve shared with you remain inscribed on the hard drive of my soul, including Guadalcanal war hero and U.S. Coast Guard Signalman Douglas A. Munro and his dedicated friend Mike Cooley; the children who died on 9/11; Rick Rescorla; Jahi McMath;

Try to Remember...

continued from page 4 him after his successful leadership in the Persian Gulf War. He said: “It doesn’t take a hero to order men into battle. It takes a hero to be one of those men who goes into battle.” These thoughts all come back when an American president, our only chief executive never to have served a single day in either public service or military service

Haleigh Poutre; Justina Pelletier and Marty and Dana Gottesfeld; Daniel Holtzclaw; Valentino Dixon; Jeff Deskovic; and Brian Franklin.

Along the way, I’ve enjoyed connecting with remarkable human beings of all backgrounds and political stripes. In 2002, I wrote a tribute column to my friend and veteran crime journalist Jack Olsen, who died unexpectedly of a heart attack. We had carried on phone and email conversations for years since my days as a columnist at the Seattle Times. I recounted him jokingly calling himself my “one lefty friend.”

We traded notes berating and cajoling each other.

“O for Chrisakes, Michelle, lighten up,” Jack wrote in response to a column I did on touchy-feely conflict resolution seminars in

before coming to the White House, again confronted a hostile Iran by sending more American troops into harm’s way in Iraq.

Now is the time to be sure to remember.

To find out more about Mark Shields and read his past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2020 MARK SHIELDS DISTRIBUTED BY CREATORS.COM

the public schools.

“You are incorrigible,” he ribbed when I told him that (SET ITAL)was(END ITAL) my idea of lightening up.

From the very start of my journalism career, I’ve fought the scourge of identity politics and fetishizing of false “diversity.”

One of my very first syndicated columns in 1999 called out a “journalists of color” conference in Seattle for “treating minority journalists as trinkets to be tallied.”

A “newsroom that looks like America is worthless if it doesn’t reflect the diverse and discordant beliefs of its readers,” I wrote at the time. “Journalism doesn’t need more like-minded foot soldiers who march in political unity. It needs straight shooters

who think fearlessly for themselves.”

With free speech and free thought under intense fire from all quarters, those words mean more to me now than they did when I wrote them 20 years ago. My New Year’s resolution is to forge ahead and put the roar in the “Roaring Twenties.” There is so much truth yet to be exposed, so many more stories yet to tell, and miles to go before I sleep.

Michelle Malkin ‘s email address is MichelleMalkinInvestigates@protonmail.com.

To find out more about Michelle Malkin and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2020 CREATORS.COM.

Did You Know?

The tech sector continues to experience record growth. CyberstatesTM, a report compiled by CompTIA that analyzes data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Economic Modeling Specialists International (EMSI), Burning Glass Technologies, Hoovers, PwC/ CBInsights, MoneyTree, and more, paints a

promising picture for careers in technology.

According to the report, there were 3.7 million tech job postings in 2018. Popular jobs in the industry included IT services and custom software services, telecommunications and internet services and tech manufacturing. The three states with the highest net percentage of tech jobs are California, Texas and New York.

Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com • Mt. Olive-Hackettstown Life • January 2020 • Page 7

Freeholders Approve Preservation Grants for Six Open Space Projects

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Sites in Chester Twp., Denville, Jefferson, Mt. Olive, Morris Twp., and Roxbury

he Morris County Board of Freeholders has unanimously this week to approve county preservation grants totaling $1.96 million for six 2019 open space projects, totaling 164 acres located in six Morris County towns.

Included are projects in Chester Township, Denville, Jefferson, Morris Township, Mount Olive and Roxbury, all of which were recommended for grants by the county’s Open Space Trust Fund Committee.

Funding for the projects will come from the voter approved county preservation trust fund, generated by a special county tax. The recommended awards range from $28,000 to $684,900.

“As we celebrate 25 years of the county’s Open Space Trust Fund, this Freeholder Board and boards who have preceded us recognize that the deliberate and thoughtful preservation of open space throughout the County is part of what makes Morris County a great place to live, work, play and raise a family,’’ said Freeholder Stephen

Shaw.

The Open Space grant program has helped preserve 12,542 acres in 36 of the county’s 39 towns since the awarding of grants started in 1994. Morris County voters approved the program in November 1992.

Projects receiving grants include: • Chester Township, Black River Fields, 45 acres, $416,250 • Denville, AMCHU Property, 5.43 acres, $159,000 • Jefferson Township, Treadwell Tract, 78 acres, $400,000 • Morris Township, ValleVue Farm, 7.94 acres, $684,900 • Mt. Olive, Turkey Brook Extension, 17.24 acres, $275,000 • Roxbury Township, Veterans Park Addition, 10.5 acres, $28,000 For details on each project visit https:// planning.morriscountynj.gov/divisions/ prestrust/openspace/.

Saturday, Jan. 25th 2020 At 6:00pm Colleen Labow Sales Associate Office: 973-539-1120 Office Fax: 973-605-5105 Cell: 973-219-8639 Email: clabow.re@gmail.com Lisa Brett Sales Associate Office: 973-539-1120 Office Fax: 973-605-5105 Cell: 973-216-3573 Email: 4LisaBrett@gmail.com

Page 8 • January 2020 • Mt. Olive-Hackettstown Life • Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com

Two Hackettstown Area Girls Spread Cheer Together at Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parade

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By Megan Roche here are many Thanksgiving traditions to be had; the breaking of the wish bone, a turkey dinner with all the fixings, spending time with family, and of course, a parade. For two Hackettstown area girls, they made the trek with their families to Philadelphia to march in America’s oldest Thanksgiving Day Parade, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2019.

Hollie Ahlers and Sophia Thermenos, who are both Jr. Streaks Rec Cheerleaders, were so excited at the chance to perform in the parade, but that chance did not come easy.

The two were selected based on their superior cheerleading skills when they attended UCA’s Pine Forest Cheer Camp this past summer and were officially offered the chance to perform with 500 other cheerleaders from across the nation.

“Hollie and Sophia earned the All-American title via tryout based on superior cheerleading skills. Only the top 10% of cheerleaders who attend Varsity Spirit camps in the summer receive this honor and the chance to march in this prestigious holiday parade. This is their second season cheering competitively together and both have over five years competing on various teams. They are not only friends but will now perform at this prestigious event together.” Lisa Ahlers, Hollie’s mom, shared.

According to Hollie and Sophia, the day of the event was so much fun, despite the very early start time. With the

parade kicking off at 8:15 a.m, both girls had to be in Philadelphia on Tuesday to practice, do meet and greets, have photos taken and more. The day of the parade, call time was between 4:30-5:30 a.m.

“When I found out that I had been chosen for this experience, the last day of camp, everyone performed. At the end of the day, they told everyone who performed what they got chosen for. There was another Sophia that was performing as well, so I didn’t think it was me. I heard my last name and I was really excited. I couldn’t believe it.”

Thermenos said.

While the Thanksgiving Day Parade prep was happening, the two also had to prep for their regionals competition, where they could potentially grab a bid to compete at UCA Nationals in Orlando later this year.

Hollie, who is a fifth grader at Hackettstown Middle School and Sophia, who is a fifth grader at Mansfield Elementary School, both age 10, have been cheering together on the same squad for two years, but both have been cheering since Kindergarten. The two were grateful to be able to share the experience together.

“I am so excited! I rarely get nervous before competition, but we both know how big this moment is. Hard work pays off.” Hollie Ahlers said.

Lisa and Lauren, Hollie and Sophia’s mothers, couldn’t be prouder of their daughter’s dedication to their sport. continued on page 14

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Investments You Can Feel Good About Sustainable Investing: Making a Difference with Your Dollars

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hen you look at your investment portfolio, how does it make you feel? Do you see the companies you are invested in contributing to make the world a better place? With sustainable investing, you can put a focus on investing primarily in companies with practices and policies you believe in.

Follow along to learn more about making your investment choices more sustainable.

Sustainable investing is going mainstream: Not long ago, discussions about sustainability focused primarily on recycling bins and renewable energy. These days, sustainability reaches to all parts of the economy and our lives, including our portfolios. And unlike impressions from the past, sustainability and profitability are far from mutually exclusive as many investors believe sustainable considerations can positively affect long term value.

Sustainable investing refers to a range of investment approaches that include environmental, social and governance factors as part of the overall investment process and approach. Such factors include environmental effects, worker treatment, product sourcing practices and corporate governance, among others. The overall objective of taking this approach is to gain a fuller understanding of investments, in an effort to change the world for the better in the long-term. The expectation is that you should not have to give up returns to invest sustainably—rather, sustainable investments should perform comparably to or better than conventional equivalents. Worldwide, 50 percent of inves-

tors expect higher returns with sustainable investments and 32 percent expect equal returns, according to UBS Investor Watch, “Return on values.”1 With the right direction and focus, sustainable investing allows you to build a portfolio you can feel good about.

Implementing sustainable investments: If sustainable investing sounds like something you want to implement in your portfolio, consider which of these broad approaches resonates most with you. Keep in mind that sustainable investing is not philanthropy—the objective is to generate competitive returns, not give away money.

Exclusion investing: Exclusion is an approach that removes exposure to specific companies or industries that don’t align with your values. Common exclusions include alcohol, tobacco, weapons manufacturers and gambling related businesses.

Integration investing: Integration approaches focuses on incorporating environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) factors into the investment process, with the objective of enhancing one’s assessment of risks and opportunities. Integration investing may result in exposure to companies that don’t necessarily have a stated ESG focus, but which exhibit strong performance on environmental, social or governance metrics.

Impact investing: An expanding set of investment strategies aim to achieve intentional and measurable positive social or environmental change while delivering market rate or better returns. This investment style, called impact

investing, is typically achieved through active fund manager involvement with companies—whether private or public—to achieve targeted change and deliver returns.

Investors can adopt full sustainable investing portfolios or incorporate individual equity or fixed income strategies into their existing portfolios over time. They can use any combination of the above sustainable investing approaches to shape portfolios in a way that meets their individual goals.

Building a portfolio you can feel good about Sustainable investing is growing in popularity. A 2017 McKinsey and Company study found that more than 25 percent of all managed assets are invested with sustainability in mind and that the use of ESG integration specifically is growing at a rate of 17 percent per year.2 Fifty-eight percent of investors believe sustainable investing will be mainstream in 10 years, and adoption of sustainable investing is expected to grow significantly, from 39% of investors today to 48% over the next five years, according to UBS Investor Watch, “Return on Values.”1 Sustainable investing is not an all-or-nothing proposition: You have the choice to take small steps toward sustainable investing with a few small changes in your portfolio or dive in with a more extensive approach.

But one thing is certain, your portfolio won’t become more sustainable unless you take action. UBS is here to help. continued on page 14

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Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com • Mt. Olive-Hackettstown Life • January 2020 • Page 13

Teachers at Tinc Road Elementary School Promote Positivity

T

By Michele DiPasquale he power of positive thinking is not a new axiom, and over the years, many people believe that with daily conscious practice, enforcing positive thoughts throughout the day can help promote regular positive thinking and thereby a kind of peaceful contentment. Positive thinking has become so celebrated that teachers in elementary schools are taking it on with a happy fierceness in the hope that positivity in everyday life and social interactions are improved by making it a commonplace start to one’s day.

The teachers at Tinc Road Elementary School in Flanders are all about positivity and to help promote it they start their day with the Morning Meeting.

“Each and every morning, our teachers set the tone for the students by starting the day off in a positive manner. They recognize the importance of building a community of learners that respect one another and appreciate each other’s interests and opinions,” said Tinc Road Principal Scott Lipson.

Each and every morning, the staff at Tinc Road School holds its morning meetings in their classrooms from 8:40 until 9:00 a.m.

“All staff members participate, so on any given day, the music teacher might join in

on a third-grade-morning meeting, or the PE teacher will sit in with a first-grade class.

I make it a goal to take part in as many morning meetings as I can,” said Principal Lipson.

Tinc Road School embraces what’s known as SEL, social and emotional learning, which is the set of skills, knowledge, and behaviors involved in understanding and managing emotions, setting positive goals, feeling empathy for others, engaging in positive relationships, and solving problems effectively. By embracing the daily Morning Meeting, positivity becomes a happy practice.

The Morning Meeting is based on four components: the Greeting; Sharing; an Activity: and News. Teachers interpret the Greeting portion in their own way; some have the students stand in a circle to greet each other, while other teachers stand at their doorway and greet their students in a variety of ways as they walk in. Examples include handshakes, high-fives, thumbsups, and hugs. For the Sharing component, students share interesting stories or information that prompts questions from their peers. The Activity portion of the meeting brings students together in a shared exercise. The final News and announcements

component of the meeting comes from the teacher to inform the students about the day.

Character education is an important element of instruction, and creating a school culture where children feel safe and accept-

ed is essential to a child’s well-being. Tinc Road School focuses on good character education and a climate where everyone is accepted and has a voice, and where everyone is treated fairly with kindness and respect.

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Sustainable Investing... continued from page 12 1. “UBS Investor Watch: Return on values,” 2018, https://www.ubs.com/magazines/ wma/insights/en/investor-watch/2018/return-on-values.html.

2. “From ‘why’ to ‘why not,’ McKinsey and Company, 2017, https://www.mckinsey. com/industries/private-equity-and-principal-investors/our-insights/from-why-towhy-not-sustainable-investing-as-the-newnormal.

For more information contact David M Rose, CRPc Portfolio Manager Director, Short Hills, NJ 07078 973-315-1857

G

This article has been written and provided by UBS Financial Services Inc. for use by its Financial Advisors.

ESG/Sustainable Investing Considerations: Sustainable investing strategies aim to consider and in some instances integrate the analysis of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors into the investment process and portfolio. Strategies across geographies and styles approach ESG analysis and incorporate the findings in a variety of ways. Incorporating ESG factors or Sustainable Investing considerations may inhibit the portfolio manager’s ability to par-

Did You Know?

aming might seem like an unlikely topic to find its way into political discourse, but that’s precisely what happened in 2019 when American presidential candidate Andrew Yang discussed loot boxes. Loot boxes, which have been included in many popular games, ask players who have already purchased the games to spend even more money to purchase randomized digital content, such as player outfits and weapons, that can be used by gamers. In theory, the boxes can make the games more engaging.

However, the returns on the boxes are random, meaning gamers don’t know what’s in them before purchasing them. That has led

ticipate in certain investment opportunities that otherwise would be consistent with its investment objective and other principal investment strategies. The returns on a portfolio consisting primarily of ESG or sustainable investments may be lower or higher than a portfolio where such factors are not considered by the portfolio manager.

In providing wealth management services to clients, we offer both investment advisory and brokerage services which are separate and distinct and differ in material ways. For information, including the different laws and contracts that govern, visit ubs.com/working

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some lawmakers, and even presidential candidates like Yang, to question the practice of including loot boxes in games, with some even suggesting that the practice is no different than gambling. Loot boxes have drawn the attention of the Federal Trade Commission, an American watchdog group that vowed to investigate the process in 2018. In addition, some countries have taken measures to protect gamers from loot boxes.

That includes Belgium, which has outlawed loot boxes, and China, which has attempted to make the process more transparent by forcing companies to disclose the odds to gamers before they purchase the boxes.

continued from page 8 The two see the time spent in the gym and practicing, and they know that one day they will look back on their parade experience with happiness and positive thoughts.

“We were told before they went into camp that they would have the opportunity to try out for All American, but these girls are so talented in what they do, and they practice so hard. I definitely thought that they had a chance, but I never thought about being able to have the experience until it was put in front of us. It’s pretty surreal.” Lisa Ahlers said.

Overall, the two enjoyed the moment to-

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gether as teammates and friends. Through bonding over a Philadelphia dinner cruise, a dance, marching in the parade, the entire weekend will be cherished by the two of them for years to come. Their advice? Take every opportunity that presents itself.

“Just go for it. It’s fine if you never make it. If you still make whatever you are trying to make, just work harder every time and you can do anything.”

The girls plan to continue their competitive cheerleading careers for the years to come and they won’t let anyone or anything get in their way.

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Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com • Mt. Olive-Hackettstown Life • January 2020 • Page 15

Making the Environment a Clean Safe Place for Generations to Come: Mt. Olive School Collects Recycling

D

By Dawn M. Chiossi oing their part to make sure that the environment will be a clean, safe place for generations to come, students and staff at Budd Lake’s Sandshore Elementry School are demonstrating that green is the color they like best. Since October, they have been proactively collecting recycling-- preventing approximately 600 pounds of plastic from entering area landfills and possibly even the ocean.

Those pesky plastic bags seem to be everywhere; but while they may be convenient, they do much more than generate clutter. Once the plastic is used and thrown away, it can take up to a staggering 1,000 years to decompose in a landfill. In the process of breaking down, plastic gives off toxic chemicals that are harmful to the environment. Even worse, when plastic is discarded into the ocean, it can cause sea birds, seals, dolphins, and sea turtles to get all tangled up--making them vulnerable to predators, suffocate, cause intestinal problems, and eventually die.

So what to do with the bags? Donate them! Anywhere and everywhere there is plastic, Sandshore Elementary School is collecting it-- grocery store bags, trash bags,

bread bags, newspaper coverings, coverings for dry cleaning and laundry, sandwich and storage bags, bubble wrap, packing wrap, plastic overwrap, ice bags, cereal bags, and more.

Along with the hundreds of schools across the nation, students at Sandshore Elementary will be excitedly competing in the 13th Annual Trex Recycling Challenge to see who can collect the most plastic bags.

According to School Counselor, Elena Melekos, this is the first year the school is competing in the Trex Recycling Challenge.

Promoting both fun and responsibility, the contest takes place between the dates of November 15 (on America Recycles Day) and April 15th.

Encouraging students in kindergarten all the way up to those in 12th grade to see who can collect the most plastic bags, Trex’s recycling challenge groups together schools of the same size and same area. Students then work together to make the environment plastic-free.

Melekos shares that the idea of recycling came about as a result of two events last year: both from word of mouth. The first was when she created a Kindness Ambassador Team. She shares that in order to become

members of this team, students must apply and come up with ideas on how they would like to spread kindness and help the community. “A few of the students mentioned recycling in their applications,” she says.

Then when a colleague at Mt. View Elementary had mentioned their efforts in recycling with the Trex Recycling Project, the concept took root. “I shared the idea with all of the 85 members and they were very excited to have the opportunity to recycle and start this

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project,” she enthuses.

Each day students, staff, and community members drop off countless plastic bags in one of the boxes in Sandshore’s main lobby.

The Kindness Ambassadors, Melekos, and Sandshore’s Mrs. Thompson and Mr. Falkman all collect the plastic, weigh the bags, and then drop them off at Target. The store then sends the bags on to Trex to be properly continued on page 16

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Page 16 • January 2020 • Mt. Olive-Hackettstown Life • Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com

Recycling... continued from page 15 recycled.

Collection totals will be reported monthly to Trex, and the winners of the competition will be announced on Earth Day, April 22nd.

Winning schools will be awarded a Buddy Bench from the organization.

With the hopes of collecting an impressive one ton of plastic, Sandshore is well on their way. In October they collected 430.6 pounds of plastic and 496.8 pounds in November.

But the recycling effort is much more than just a chance to win a contest or a prize.

For Sandshore Elementary School, it’s a way of life. For them, it’s about becoming actively involved in the recycling effort.

Melekos remarks that the students are so involved with the effort, that they are setting up additional recycling containers around the school as well as the ones from Trex.

They also ask their classmates around the lunchroom to recycle any materials they can during lunch.

Their enthusiasm is so infectious, it extends to the staff and the community as well.

“Everyone has been extremely supportive of this recycling project. The teachers have been absolutely wonderful,” Melekos enthuses. “ Mrs. Thompson and Mr. Falkman, our physical education teachers, have been so kind and help store and collect plastic bags each day from our collection locations.

Mr. Heckman, our Art teacher, has created a bulletin board display to help us keep track of our collections. Our school security officer, Officer Stan, has helped with delivering our collections to Target. Our school nurse and Mrs. Herbst has helped us with weighing the bags each week.” Melekos even asserts that in addition to everyone else in the community, Council Woman Colleen Labow had noticed a flyer for Sandshore’s collection and had set up a collection in the town building.

“Just like everything else at Sandshore, this really is a team effort,” she prides.

“The students are so excited to see how much plastic is being collected and how much is used each day. They are really focused on making a difference in their community,” Melekos enthuses. “I know that this is a project that our leaders will want to continue for next year.” She goes on to say how inspired she is by the program and how the students are embracing green-friendly mindsets; how the program is teaching them to love and respect the planet.

“I am extremely proud of how passionate the students are,” Melekos prides. “Each morning the students come jumping out of their cars and busses with excitement carrying in full bags of plastic! They see that together we can make a difference by sharing why recycling is important and by encouraging others to do the same.”

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Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com • Mt. Olive-Hackettstown Life • January 2020 • Page 17

T

Two CCM Trustees Appointed to National Organization Focused on Strengthening Community College Governing Boards

wo members of the Board of Trustees at County College of Morris (CCM) have been appointed to serve on committees for the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) to assist with supporting the governing boards of community colleges.

ACCT supports community college boards in their efforts to govern and develop policies that focus on meeting community needs. The ACCT Board of Directors is informed by five committees: the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, Finance and Audit Committee, Governance and Bylaws Committee, Member Communications and Education Committee, and Public Policy and Advocacy Committee. The ACCT chair appoints committee members.

CCM Trustee Vice Chair Jeffery Advokat, of Denville, has been appointed to the ACCT Communications and Education Committee. That committee is responsible for evaluating and making recommendations to strengthen the organization’s links with members, identifying issues that require member input, and evaluating and making recommendations to strengthen ACCT education programs. Most recently, he was

a member of the ACCT Public Policy and Advocacy Committee. That committee is charged with reviewing public policy issues and recommending positions. He previously has served on the ACCT Governance and Bylaws Committee, which reviews resolutions related to the governance of ACCT, and amendments to the bylaws and board policies. Advokat also has been interviewed by and served as a speaker for ACCT on the topic of board ethics.

Advokat is a senior partner of Advokat & Rosenberg Esqs. in Morristown and a former Morris County assistant prosecutor. He has served on the Executive Board of the Pingry School PSPA in Short Hills and has experience in the classroom having taught business law at Caldwell College. He earned his J.D. from Hofstra University, his master’s fellowship in government from the Eagleton Institute at Rutgers University and his bachelor’s degree from Rutgers.

CCM Trustee Treasure Paul R. Licitra, of Flanders, immediate past chair of the CCM Board of Trustees, has been appointed to serve on the ACCT Public Policy and Advocacy Committee. That committee is charged with reviewing public policy issues and rec-

Paul Licitra

Jeffrey Advokat

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Licitra currently is office administrator for Senator Steven Oroho, Assemblyman Parker Space and Assemblyman Hal Wirths, and the Sergeant of Arms for the New Jersey Senate. He also possesses extensive experience in insurance spanning more than 45 years and covering all aspects of risk

management for large domestic and international clients. In the public sector, he was mayor of Mount Olive from 2000-04, after serving eight years on the Township Council. He earned his bachelor’s degree from St. John’s University, where he also taught as an adjunct professor in the Tobin College of Business.

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Page 18 • January 2020 • Mt. Olive-Hackettstown Life • Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com

I Remember Dad, Chapter 3:

So Proud the Airman

With each condensed chapter of “I Remember Dad” I try to bring a bit of the flavor and culture of my Dad’s generation, that of the men and women who grew up in the Great Depression and survived the sacrifices of World War II in their time of coming of age.

My Dad in his U. S. Army Air Corps uniform.

D

By Richard Mabey Jr. eeply etched in the heart of America, are the sacrifices made by the U. S. veterans of the Second World War. Sadly, the number of living veterans of World War II has been dramatically decreased in most recent years. Many of their stories, their remembrances, their heart-felt sacrifices will never be known to us.

For a multitude of reasons, many of the veterans of the Second World War spoke very little of the horrors that they endured to defend the honored principles of democracy and freedom. Many of the World War II soldiers returning to America’s shores, simply wanted to forget the nightmares of the war. Many were truly modest of their selfless and heroic deeds. And, for many others, what they endured was simply too painful to talk about.

My Dad was a veteran of the Second World War. He served at Hickam Air Field, right next to Pearl Harbor. My

father served in the Seventh Army Air Corps, which was the precursor to today’s Seventh Air Force. Dad was one of many, many service men who were sent to clean up the disastrous results of man’s inhumanity to man.

The painful memory of Pearl Harbor deeply haunted the good people of Hawaii. Dad would often tell me about the incredible stress that the men of the Seventh Army Air Corps endured, always anticipating another catastrophic attack from the Japanese.

I remember those years, when I was in grade school.

After supper, I would be playing on the floor with my Lincoln Logs or building a car model. From time to time, Dad would be looking at his old photo album of pictures of his years of service at Hickam Air Field. Sometimes, I would look up to my beloved father and see an expression of sadness befall upon his face. I remember one time, I’m pretty sure that it was when I was in the third grade, that

I saw tears fall from my Dad’s eyes as he looked at the pages of his photos from his days in the Seventh Army Air Corps.

Dad never talked much about his time of service in the Army Air Corps. In recent years, I have done some research about the Seventh Army Air Corps’ role in the Second World War. I was amazed and justifiably proud of my dear father. The United States was very much concerned about Japan assaulting Hawaii with another all-out attack.

One of my deepest regrets is that I never told my father just how proud I was of him for serving in World War II. And, it saddens me deeply to admit that I never really thanked my Dad for defending America, at a time when he was just a young man. Although my father and I were very close and shared many common interests, I never simply said thank you to my father for his great sacrifice. I truly wish I had.

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Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com • Mt. Olive-Hackettstown Life • January 2020 • Page 19

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Page 20 • January 2020 • Mt. Olive-Hackettstown Life • Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com

T

2020 Green Communities Achievement Award Request for Nominations

he New Jersey Green Communities Achievement Award recognizes those nominees whose outstanding efforts have greatly contributed to the field of urban and community forestry in New Jersey.

Exemplary work, whether public or private is eligible for the award program.

The Green Communities Awards recognize up to 4 recipients per year in the following categories: • Individual • Municipality • Business/Tree Care Industry • Non-profit/Non-governmental organization The criteria for nomination are: • Improving the environment in New Jersey’s communities through wise management of the trees and forest resources,

and the development of a self-sustaining local urban and community forestry program.

• Raising awareness of the value of urban and community trees and forests in New Jersey through education and outreach.

• Enhancing the beauty of New Jersey’s cities and towns with programs and projects for trees and forests.

• Providing exceptional effort and meritorious contributions to the field of urban and community forestry in New Jersey.

Please provide a brief nomination narrative providing justification for the nomination based on the categories and criteria described above. Nomination must state the Name, Title, Organization, Email, and Telephone Number of both the nominator and the nominee. Nomination narratives

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

When it comes to doing business in the Mt. Olive Area,

The Mount Olive Area Chamber of Commerce Is A Must!

Marketing In The Morning 3rd Wed. of Every Month

Feb. 4 Meet The Mayors

LongHorn Steakhouse, ITC - 7:30am

For more information, www.mountolivechambernj.com

should not exceed two (2) pages in length.

Self-nominations are accepted and encouraged.

Winners will be asked to present and share their work during a session at the 2020 Shade Tree Federation Conference.

Nominations for the 2020 Green Communities Awards are due by 5:00 pm, Sat-

urday, February 15, 2020.

Nominations must be emailed to Shannon Hart, NJ Urban and Community Forestry Program,Shannon.hart@dep.nj.gov. The subject of the email must state 2020 Green Communities Award Nomination. Questions may be directed to Ms. Hart at the email provided or 609-292-6512.

HELP WANTED

Head Brewer Position (Long Valley, NJ)

- Must live within 30 miles of Long Valley Pub and Brewery.

Long Valley Pub and Brewery is looking for a Head Brewer to run their 7bbl, steam-fired brewing system.

We are celebrating 25 years in business by installing a completely new 12-line draft system, and we need a Head Brewer with the passion, drive, and vision to carry us forward into the next 25.

The Head Brewer will have creative control of the beer and be the face of the brewery. In addition to brewing and cellaring, the Head Brewer will be engaging with customers, giving tours, and being part of occasional events. This is a unique and exciting opportunity to play an historic part in the rejuvenation of one of New Jersey’s oldest and still most award-winning brew pub.

General responsibilities will include: • Recipe creation / naming / descriptions • Staff education on your recipes • Brewing and cellaring of beer • Cleaning and maintaining appearance of equipment • Tracking beer production and consumption • Ingredient inventory and purchasing • Being on-site to interface with customers and give pre-scheduled tours • Being part of tasting events An assistant will be made available.

Please submit resume and salary requirements via email.

email at brcorp33@aol.com

ION

T IP R C S B U S IL A M E FREE

Make sure you receive each copy!

Delivered free via email to your home.

Black River Life Caldwell Life Denville Life East Hanover/ FP Life Hackettstown Life Hanover Life HomeTown Life Livingston Life Mendham Life Morristown Life Mt. Olive Life Randolph Life Roxbury Life Wayne Life West Orange Life

No. 17 Vol. 1

www.mypaperonline.com

January 2019

Climbing Beyond Cancer:

Randolph Climbing Center Hosts Fundraiser No. 17 Vol. 1 for Epic Experience

O

n the evening of Saturday December 15, Randolph Climbing Center (RCC) hosted an event Climbing Beyond Cancer to fundraise for the organization Epic Experience.

Epic Experience provides free weeklong adventure ex-

periences to adults who have been diagnosed with canacer. “Most organizations that existed at the time when Epic Experience was founded focused on kids or young adults. Epic Experience is the only one who does adults and all stages of Cancer, both

those currently in treatment and survivors,” says Sabine Schwab, who organized the event.

Schwab, 36, of Roxbury, was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2014 at age 32, shortly after giving birth to her daughter. Her tumor was about the size of a golf

ball. “I had open brain surgery, six weeks of daily radiation, and a year of chemotherapy,” says Schwab. She is a brain cancer survivor of almost five years now and devotes much of her time volunteering.

“I have dedicated my life to the cancer community. I serve on various boards, and I’m a speaker and advocate in the brain tumor community,” says Schwab.

Schwab a ttended an Epic Experience camp in May 2015.

Schwab’s experience brought her white water rafting on the Colorado River, among other activities. “It’s not just the adventures that bring the healing,” says Schwab, “they also make time for group discussions with commonly shared fears and questions along the cancer journey.”

Schwab joined the

Alumni Board of Epic Experience as an Outreach Specialist in June 2015.

In 2017, she became the Alumni Team lead, and in 2018 joined the Board of Directors.

Schwab enjoys climbing at Randolph Climbing Center and thought it would be the perfect place to fundraise for Epic

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January 2019

First Night Morris Recap

Experience. Joe Auriemma III, one of

By Dawn M Chiossi the managers and Eve is often a huge night ew Year’s the event for coordithe masses. People from all over nator of Randolph say goodbye (or in some cases, good riddance) to the old year and welcome in Climbing Center, the new with merriment and fun. says that theyone are one of New the York’s great Time Square is perhaps the most famous, kept secrets of the but every location has its own traditions, local climbing com- and Morristown is a prime munity. The Epic Experience event was the first fundraising event at RCC. Now, “we are looking cont. on page 9

N

Great 2 bedroom, 2 bath condo in “The Village at Convent Station”.

An open concept floor plan, large master with ensuite bath, and sliders that lead to a private deck make this a perfect place to enjoy life. An eat-in kitchen, large living/dining room, separate laundry complete this unit. Conveniently located near the Convent Train Station and downtown Morristown. Also, pets are welcome!

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example. Held at the Morristown Green, the First Night Celebration has been going strong for an impressive 27 years.

Not your ordinary New Year’s event, First Night is truly unique and inclusive.

Celebrating the arts and inspiring all creative people out there through community and togetherness, First Night is an event where all the world becomes a stage. Sponsored

by Morris Arts, they welcomed in approximately more than 10,000 people to ring in the New Year.

Founded in 1973, Morris Arts seeks to build community though the arts, inspiring and enriching the lives of everyone in the community. Their programs, activities, and events inspire all to connect and engage.

First Night is no different, and they are

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This wonderful tradition is filled with dance, theater, music, world cultures, visual arts and children’s programs; First Night Morris is an ideal event for all creative enthusiasts everywhere. First Night was so popular, not even the deluge of rain on New Year’s Eve could stop visitors from venturing out.

For one affordable price, $25.00 for a single ticket (and an even better sale price for advanced tickets) attendees enjoyed unlimited access to all events. Additionally, a four pack ticket and overnight packages were available.

With over approximately more than 100 artists and 81 events in 23 venues, continued on page 9

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Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com • Mt. Olive-Hackettstown Life • January 2020 • Page 21

Budd Lake Chapel Donates Gift Cards to Needy

Community Thanksgiving Brings Gratitude to All

T Pastor Allen donated over $2,000 dollars in Shop Rite gift cards from Budd Lake Chapel to help the families in need. Pictured areMichele Doucette, Jenna Murphy and Pastor Allen from Budd Lake Chapel.

he Community Thanksgiving Gathering took place on Monday, November 25 at Temple Hatikvah, Flanders.

Several residents attended as well as many leaders of the Mt. Olive Clergy Association.

Council President Joe Nicastro was able to welcome all and to express how grateful we are as a community. They also were able to raise $1,000 for the Mount Olive Food Pantry during the event. In photo : Shannon

Erica Tattersall

142 Main Street Chester, NJ 07930 Cell: 908-914-7944 Office: 908-879-7010 etattersall@weichert.com www.ericatattersall.com

Weichert Realtors Broker-Sales Person, GRI, SFR Weichert President’s Club (Top 1% of Weichert Realtors) NJAR Circle of Excellence 2016-18 Gold, 2013-2015 Silver, 2011-12 Bronze

R DE CT UN TRA N O C

31 Mallard Drive Allamuchy Twp. List Price: $350,000

Custom contemporary home in Panther Valley. Home offers so much with 3 BR, 4 BA, and a full fin WO basement. Kitchen remodeled w granite counters, center island and sliders to large trex deck with seasonal golf course views. New pergo XP floors. Bright and spacious LR/FR w sliders to deck. 1st floor w remodeled full bath and potential BR for 1st floor living.

Family room with floor to ceiling stone surround gas fireplace and vaulted ceiling. Second floor offers 2 BR, 2 BA, and loft room that opens to family room. LL w walkout & separate entrance offers living room with tile surround WBFP, BR, and full bath. This level would be a great in-law suite or recreation room...so many possibilities! New high efficiency HVAC and H2O heater.New Pella Patio doors (4) Newer roof. Exterior painted 2018

R DE CT UN TRA N O C

R FO LE SA

Jones, Joe Barrett, Rev. Meekyung Kim , Flanders United Methodist Church, Fr. Stan Baron , St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church, Rabbi Dr. Daniel Zucker Temple Hativah, Rev. Stuart Swicegood , New Beginnings Bible Church, Imam Jawad Ahmed Islamic Society of North Jersey, Council President Joe Nicastro, Rev. Moises Gomez Mountaintop Spanish Church, Rev. Matt Jones Mountaintop Church, Jerry Sheard.

50 Ketcham Road Independence Twp. List Price $650,000

www.50ketchamrd.2seeit.com Stunning 4BR 3.5 BA colonial w 2+ acre property. Gourmet kitchen w SS appliances, Wolf 6 burner range w flattop, warming drawer, granite counters, center island w built-in microwave, double wall oven, pantry & large breakfast area. Dual staircase from foyer and great room. 2 story GR w stone surround WBFP and wall of windows. Dramatic 2-story foyer entrance. Rec lighting, crown, shadowbox & double baseboard molding throughout home. Conservatory off of formal LR. MBR w tray ceiling and sitting area. MBA features soaking tub, glass enclosed stall shower w tile surround, 2 vanities, & 2 spacious WIC w California style organizers. 4th BR with huge loft area great for storage. Large basement w family room, WB stove, and exercise room. Entertain outside on large deck and patio area!

R FO LE SA

67 Canada Goose Drive Allamuchy Twp. List Price $389,000

Four bedroom, two and one half bath home with full basement. Perfect colonial tucked away on a quiet cul de sac in Panther Valley. Updated kitchen w new appliances, floors and freshly painted cabinets. Freshly painted, the open & light floorplan features new floors. Convenient first floor laundry.

Master bedroom w/2 walk-in closets, soaking tub and stall shower. Spacious basement with high ceilings just waiting to be finished. On your deck you’ll enjoy dining & the spacious and private backyard.

LD

LD

R FO LE SA

3 Brown Thrasher Rd. Allamuchy Twp. List Price $475,000

Stunning four bedroom, three and one half bath, custom home w full fin WO basement situated on beautifully landscaped property. Remodeled gourmet kitchen with center island, SS appliances, quartz counters, tile backsplash, recessed lighting, and laundry conveniently located in cabinets. Kitchen opens to stunning family room with gas fireplace. Main floor master BR w his and her updated bathrooms. Second level with three bedrooms, full bath, and an open loft area. Living room with wood burning fireplace and serene views. Full finished walk out basement with fireplace, exercise room, bar, and dance floor. Stunning patio with private yard and magnificent landscaping.

LD

SO

SO

But I am sure that I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round...as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely.

- Charles Dickens

SO 18 Primrose Lane Allamuchy Twp. Sale Price $358,640

75 Canada Goose Drive Allamuchy Twp. List Price $399,000

9 Marjorie Drive Long Valley Sale Price: $340,000

43 Sandpiper Drive Allamuchy Twp. Sale Price $277,500

Want to know what your house is worth in today’s market?

Visit my website: www.ericatattersall.com for a FREE Comparative Market Analysis.

Page 22 • January 2020 • Mt. Olive-Hackettstown Life • Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com

From The Chief

A

belated Happy New Year to all!

Welcome to the 2020’s.

The Mount Olive Township Police Department embraces the concepts of Community Policing and Data Driven Intelligence in addressing public safety issues, and these concepts are behind the bulk of our continued and new initiatives.

The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) Community Oriented Policing Service (COPS) has recently published “Law Enforcement Best Practices; Lessons Learned from the Field”. You can view the report from the following link: https://cops.usdoj.gov/RIC/Publications/cops-w0875-pub. pdf The DOJ COPS Office advocates for a Community Policing approach for police agencies. Their report focuses on what they consider seven key aspects to Community Policing: de-escalation; crisis intervention; first line supervisors; early intervention systems; internal affairs; recruitment, hiring and promotion; and data systems.

The Community-Law Enforcement Affirmative Relations (CLEAR) Continuing Education Institute was initiated in 2016 under Attorney General Porrino; and continues under the watch of Attorney General Grewal. It is intended to help bridge the gap between communities and law enforcement.

To date, training topics have included de-escalation techniques; cultural awareness; implicit bias; and sexual assault crimes and victim impact. All officers in the state must complete CLEAR training on an annual basis. In addition to the Attorney General required training, Mount Olive Officers annually receive supplemental training that has a bearing on

de-escalation and crisis intervention. Mount Olive officers utilize the training available through the Morris, Union, Somerset, and Monmouth Police Academies; the Morris County Police Chiefs Association; the Morris County Sherriff’s Office; the New Jersey State Police; and the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police. The Mount Olive Police Department’s training function is in the Support Services Division under the command of Lieutenant Philip Lucivero.

First Line Supervisors are important to Community Policing because they are the ranking officers at the point of contact and delivery of services to our community, businesses and those who visit. The Mount Olive Police Department’s First Line Supervisors consist of Sergeants. In the absence of the Sergeant, the First line Supervisors are the Corporals.

First Line Supervisors communicate job expectations to our police officers and provide feedback on performance. They are an integral part of Mount Olive’s Community Policing as they turn concept and vision into action. Sergeants and Corporals are in each Division of the Police Department.

In 2018, the Attorney General of New Jersey issued a Directive establishing a statewide policy requiring all law enforcement agencies to establish early warning systems. The intent is to address problems before they become major issues and gain or maintain the community trust. The Mount Olive Police Department utilizes the “Guardian Tracking Software” to track and review incidents. The following categories are tracked on all Officers of the Mount Olive Police Department: Internal Affairs complaints, whether issued by another officer or civilian; civil actions against officers; criminal investigations and/or complaints against officers;

any use of force determined to be excessive, unjustified, or unreasonable; domestic violence in which an officer is an alleged subject; an arrest of an officer; vehicular collisions determined to have been the fault of the officer; a positive drug test by the officer; cases brought to court by officers that are dismissed; cases brought to court by an officer where evidence is suppressed; insubordination by an officer; neglect of duty by an officer; unexcused absences by the officer; and any other indicators the Chief of Police may deem appropriate. Any of these instances, in and of themselves, may involve notification to the Morris County Prosecutors Office (MCPO) Professional Standards Unit. But, any three (3) instances within a twelve (12) month period necessitate an early warning review at the MCPO. In addition to the Early Warning System, Mount Olive staff officers (Lieutenants, Captain and Chief) conduct reviews of all bias, use of force, pursuit, and police crash incidents; consistent with the accreditation standards established by the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police. In addition to the Early Warning System that was mandated in 2018 by the Attorney General; random drug testing of police officers, post academy, was required. Ten percent (10%) of the Mount Olive Police Officers must be randomly drug screened twice annually.

Officers have never been more scrutinized in New Jersey.

High expectations are set to gain or maintain the community continued on page 24

Mount Olive’s Hometown Brewery

• 10 Craft Beers on Tap Plus several to go packages

• Sample Room

Comfortable and spacious

• Brewery Tours

Learn how the beer is made

• Bring Food

for a fun trip with friends and family

426 Sand Shore Rd. Mount Olive (908) 591-4186 Thurs & Fri 5–9PM | Sat 1–9PM | Sun 1–6PM

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Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com • Mt. Olive-Hackettstown Life • January 2020 • Page 23

Heritage Properties Th ank you for another spectacular year!

Inventory is ‘down’ in the MLS and we have buyers waiting to purchase in your town.

Please call us for a same-day complimentary market evaluation on pricing your home and also to hear about our system to bring buyers to your home very quickly.

Washington Twp. $459,000

Welcome home to this private 4 Bedroom, 2.5 bath, sanctuary in the highly sought after Yorkshire Estates in Long Valley. Open floor plan. Eat-in kitchen w slider out to deck w/pergola overlooking natures beauty. Cathedral ceiling gathering room w marble faced gas fireplace, skylights,great for entertaining. Spacious Master Suite w/ sitting area, walk-in closet and full bath. Partially finished walk-out basement w slider & large windows, ample storage space.Shed/Horse barn. New Roof, July 2019. New HVAC, 2017. Invisible Dog Fence. Includes Buyers Home Warranty. NJ Top Rated School System. Great for shopping, restaurants, farms, recreation. Easy access to Rt 46,80,206,78. Make this home your own. Great Value.

Martine Arndt (c) 732-801-7995

Washington Twp. $475,000

As you enter this home you will be amazed at the openness & light in the home. The rooms flow seamlessly into each other and the custom moldings enhance the space further. There is eucalyptus flooring throughout first floor along with a renovated full bath. The Ki tchen features Shaker style cabinetry, granite counters, Stainless Steel tiled backsplash & Stainless Steel appliances. There are sliders from the Kitchen & the Office/ Den to the large patio & level rear yard. Upstairs the Master Suite has a large walk in closet, dressing area & renovated ensuite bath. The 3 other bedrooms are all a good size. There is hardwood flooring throughout second floor & an updated Main bath. This level open property backs up to town owned land.

The solar roof panels are a cost saving addition too!

Mary Grant (c) 908-803-4523

Allamuchy Twp. $390,000

BETTER THAN NEW! No need to wait for TBB! - end unit with remodeled kitchen w/white cabinets & Quartz counters -all new SS appliances. Buyer pays 1/10th of 1% of purchase price to PVPOA @closing. Located in the lovely community of Panther Valley, with a premium lot location, this home offers privacy and mountain views. Three bedrooms, including a very spacious master bedroom with a luxurious bathroom & large WI closet, a comfortable open living room with fireplace opening to deck, a formal dining room, a sensational finished lower level that opens to a patio are just some of the many outstanding features of this beautiful home. Offering 3 pools with tennis & recreational areas, it is conveniently located near to major highways, shopping, restaurants, hospitals, and houses of worship. Don’t miss it!

Kathleen Hill (c) 973-219-6256

Mt. Olive Twp. $659,900 Best Value in Morris Hunt!!! Amazing 4750 sf Colonial w/ 5 BR, 3.5 BA, w/ quick closing available! Granite island & counter tops, formal DR, spacious FR w/ F/P & open flr plan, great for entertaining! Wonderful MBR suite w/ sitting rm, 2 WIC & sumptuous whirlpool bath & stall shower.

4 additional BR w/ jack & jill baths, private level yard w/ patio backs to woods w/ lots of room for a pool. 3 car garage, full basement can easily be finished for additional recreation. Quick closing available!

Sharon Caruso (c) 973-945-8142

Mt. OliveTwp. $489,000

Rocking chair front porch on this 3,000+sq ft col. Huge Kit w/ white cabinets, center island, sep E/I area. FR w/woodburning FP w/marble surround. 2 story entry. Huge MBR. MBAth w/ jetted tub&skylight Very large MBR closet w/ small office area through the closet. Finished rec room in lower level w/beige carpet, hi hat lighting. Laundry area off kitchen. Oversized 2 car garage w/auto openers. Salt water inground pool for your outdoor enjoymentl. New well pump and holding tank. Electronic dog fence around the property that just needs a transmitter.

This home has been lovingly cared for and is in absolute movein condition, and is truly a retreat at days end!

Patricia Berzanski (c) 973-713-4795

Chester Twp. $350,000

Welcome to this 3 Bedroom, 2 full bath Ranch style home located in desirable Chester Township. Features include plenty of natural sunlight, hardwood floors and spacious rooms! The picture window over looks the front yard and the sunroom off the kitchen offers access to the deck and views of the level 1 acre property. The master bedroom has a walk in closet, plus an ensuite updated bath with a tub/shower. The 2 car garage, has access to the rear yard, as well as stairs to the basement. The basement offers endless possibilities for additional room for enjoyment, with an office area, large recreation room and utility/laundry room with extra space for storage. Chester offers acres of open space, hiking trails town parks and recreation areas, in addition to a downtown district.

Virginia Butkus (c) 201-519-7171

Mt. Olive Twp. $359,000 Welcome home to this 4 bedroom 1.5 bath Split Level.

Extended eat-in kitchen and dining room. Bonus 22X15 den on first level. Upgrades include 7 year old roof, both bathrooms, brand new front door. Basement waterproofed and French drains, sump pump, furnace & water heater are newer. Central air, forced hot air, attic, automatic garage, level property. Neighborhood setting. Close to shopping and restaurants. Square footage as per njactb.

Lisa Lesko & Roxanne Kaminksky (c) 908-892-5105

Washington Twp. $659,000

Prepare to fall in love! Enjoy both worlds - privacy & convenience! Situated on a cul-de-sac, minutes from major commuter routes, shopping & schools! You will immediately notice wonderful details. Light filled, generously sized rooms, great entertainment flow. Freshly painted, refinished hardwood. Details such as inlay trimmed floors, custom moldings, transom windows, soaring ceilings, custom built ins, front & back staircases, tray ceilings 3 car garage,paver walkway, whole house generator, central vacuum, intercom, open level yard, are but a few. This is a home that has been well loved & cared for.

This 14 room, 5 Bedroom 3.1 Bath home has many options for utilizing the space to fi t your needs from the Bonus Rm to the Finished Lower Level. A first-floor secluded in-law suite could be easily created.

Carol Borman (c) 908-581-9205

Stanhope Twp. $365,000 Your thoughts on this?nd kitchen is perfect for entertaining.

The custom windows in the kitchen allow you to wish on a star while cooking. It also provides a center island, a table for quick meals and a desk for writing and homework. Serenity is the mood when you enter the glassed in sunroom. You will love the custom glass doors that lead to the outside deck and beautiful backyard. The 35X25 Fam/Rec room offers a bar, large sitting area, custom bookshelves,desk area for computer,game area and a fireplace. It is the room where you can get away without going away. The master bedroom, complete with walk in closet, high ceilings, fan and a private deck.

Lori Brauer (c) 973-229-4508

Washington Twp. $725,900

PRIVATE CUL-DE-SAC LOCATION - Elegant four bedroom CH colonial set on over 3 acres. Exquisite brick front home located on a beautiful cleared lot with spacious paver patio, built-in BBQ, hot tub & mature landscaping that provides an abundance of wooded privacy. Wonderful open floor plan with gleaming HW floors, front and back staircase and generous size eat-in kitchen with extensive center island/breakfast bar.

Warm and inviting family room with gas fireplace, classic formal living and dining rooms with custom moldings & sun-filled conservatory with palladian windows. Luxurious master suite with large walk-in closet, sitting room & private bath with jetted tub. Expansive walk-out unfinished basement offers a clean palette for additional living space & solar panels/natural gas create a very economical home.

Vicki O’Leary (c) 908-268-4345

AndoverTwp. $265,000

Randolph Twp. $900,000

Welcome to your new luxurious home in Randolph’s desirable Shongum lake section but with the desirable Center Grove school. This home features an updated kitchen, bathrooms, an expanded deck with gas grill hookups, a gazebo with electric for use of the fan and tv possibilities. There is also an enviable master bedroom WIC, a large addition currently used as an in-law suite with a bedroom, bathroom and additional living area. The house has 3 zones, central vac, on demand hot water, custom auto blinds, new garage doors, gas hook up for the fire pit, beautiful hardwood floors and so much more. The only way to really appreciate how much this home has to offer is to see it for yourself. Shongum lake memberships are also available as an option to those who are interested. Book your appointments today!

Liza Wiley (c) 503-530-6166

West Milford Twp. $499,000

BRAND NEW custom-built Colonial in a neighborhood of 49 new homes to be built. Village on Ridge is feeling especially cheerful this holiday season by offering this model home for a special price! The elevated Living room gives this house a true ‘wow’ factor from the moment you enter into the large foyer. This home has been upgraded nicely with iron railings, opens onto the deck and patio. Walk to Lake Lenape! Radiant lots of lighting, hardwood floors, and more. Beautiful stone is floor heating makes this home cozy for winter nights in front seen on the front exterior as well as the Family room fireplace.

Maple cabinetry, granite counter-tops and a center island can of the fireplace. be found in the kitchen. 9’ ceilings give this home a light and airy feel. A charming front porch and rear deck will be enjoyed for times outdoors. Such a desirable development which includes public sewer and natural gas heat! Appliance credit will be given.

Enjoy the peaceful beauty and tranquility of this 4 bedroom 2 1/2 bath custom home. This property will delight you with scenic views of Lake Lenape. The large kitchen boasts granite counter tops with a large peninsula and an open concept that

Dulce Ruivo (c) 201-993-0683

Hampton Twp. $219,900

Available for the first time in 30 years is this well maintained 3 bedroom 1 bath ranch located in a quiet private lake community.Enjoy 2 lifeguarded beaches,boating,hiking,fishing in walking distance Recently renovated full bath w/tub tile floor, skylight & Bosch Instant Hot Water Heater. The Kitchen has granite counter tops & newer appliances. From the Dining Room open the sliding door to the large secluded deck, set on almost 1 acre. Living Room has original hardwood floors & a woodstove.

The garage has space for tools,bicycles , car, w/ loft storage.

Beaches, ball fields, lake,pavilion & playgrounds are for community members only.This home has central A/C,oil heat & basement storage.This is a move in ready well cared for home which must be seen! Give them a quality education with our Blue Ribbon schools.

Sydney Uster (c) 908-246-8753

Heritage Properties

Tammy O’Brien Roselle (c) 973-445-0443

Washington Twp. $217,000

Step inside & see all the room in this RANCH HOME. 3 Bdrms,2 Full Baths,LR/DR/Kit/FR & a Three Season Room off the FR. Full bsmt offers:storage room/utility room and workshop with a WBurning Stove. RANCH HOME offers excellent proximity to town, shopping, schools, county college and nearby Centenary University. Attached One-car Garage, Level Land, Glass Sliders open to your Light-Filled Three Season Room. Holidays can be further enjoyed with your Brick FirePlace located in the LR - Wood Burning/Heatolator. FR nearby DR and Sunroom.

Bsmt area offers: storage/closets/pantry/workshop/utility room-laundry (some TLC needed, but space is very ample and usable for multi purposes. Level Backyard perfect for entertaining, gardening (Shed) and enjoy. Easy level living. Bring offers...motivated sellers

Olena Tomlinson (Helen) (c) 908-338-7448

Mt Olive Office: 293 Route 206 North, Flanders • 973-598-1700 | Chester Office: 259 Main Street, Chester • 908-879-4700 • www.heritagepropertiesrealestate.com

Page 24 • January 2020 • Mt. Olive-Hackettstown Life • Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com

From The Chief... continued from page 22 trust. The Internal Affairs function in the Mount Olive Police Department is the supervising unit that tracks all of this and reports to me regularly on any flagged incidents or issues.

That function is currently held by Detective Lieutenant Luis Sanchez.

The quality of our officers determines the quality of service the community receives. The Mount Olive Police Department considers its most critical task to be recruiting and hiring the best possible Police and Communications Officers to deliver those services; and once hired, to hold those officers to a high standard and to train them well. The Selection and Recruitment Coordinator is Captain Michael Spitzer.

When police recruits test; they take a written examination administered by the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police. The top fifty percent (50%) move on to the Physical Assessment. All candidates must be cleared by a medical doctor at their choosing and expense, to participate in the assessment. The physical assessment includes a 1.5 mile run; 300 meter run; pushups; sit ups; vertical leap; and bench press. The top fifty percent of the physical assessment move on to the interview portion. On their assigned date for interviews, recruits attend a Pre-Objective Employment Interview. During this process, interviewing officers determine if there are any issues which disqualify the applicant for hire.

Should the recruit receive a pass, they next attend a seven officer Panel Interview. Once all recruits are interviewed, the Panel ranks the top ten recruits. I then interview three candidates; per ranking, for each available position and make a recommendation for hire to the Mayor. Mayor Greenbaum has recently approved the appointment of John Simonetti

and Anthony LaManna as recruit officers. They will attend the 92nd Basic Police Class from January 14, 2020 until May 30, 2020. Should they graduate, they will then enter the Mount Olive Police Departments Field Training Program for three (3) months. During that time they must successfully meet (597) training objectives. All of the officers presently on our police department have all gone through this arduous process. The Promotion Processes for each rank within the Mount Olive Police Department (Sergeant-Lieutenant-Captain) are challenging as well. The Patrol Commander is presently Lt. Craig Austenberg.

For Communications Officers all candidates must take Criticall Testing. Criticall is a software program that tests decision making while taking simulated phone calls and radio communication; dispatching simulated officers, and record entry. Following Criticall, the candidates appear before a Panel of Communications Officers and Police. This is followed by an interview with a Sergeant and the Commander of the Communications and Records Division. The Communications and Records Commander then recommends a candidate for hire. This candidate is then recommended to the Mayor for appointment. If the candidate is approved for hire, the Communications Officer must complete eighty (80) hours of Emergency Medial Dispatch and 911 Training; and then four hundred (400) hours of training at the Communications desk. During that time, Communications Officers must successfully meet (331) training objectives. The goal being to provide an exceptional workforce to deliver the highest level of police services to the community. The Communications and Records Division Commander is Lt. Michael Cordileone.

The last key aspect to a successful community policing

police department is data systems, leveraging technology to provide for greater efficiency and capabilities. All front line patrol cars have in car computers and digital video cameras; automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) are in two (2) patrol cars; officers have computers at their headquarters workstations, a Laboratory Information Management System called the Bar Coded Evidence Analysis Statistical Tracking (B.E.A.S.T.) system tracks our evidence; and the Enforsys System for report writing, record keeping and data. Mount Olive utilizes Twitter, and Facebook accounts to communicate with our community and we maintain a web page. The Mount Olive Police Department has a partnership with Ring that allows the police department access to the Neighbors Portal of the Ring Neighbors app that civilians can opt into. Police can share information with those on the app and vice versa at no cost. The police department has a Memorandum of Understanding Agreement with CarFax for access to their database and is another avenue by which civilians can request accident reports. Mount Olive also has a Memorandum of Understanding with Business Watch International that allows us to track precious metals and second hand goods that are sold in or out of town.

The Mount Olive Police Department includes all seven (7) key elements in our Community Policing and endeavors to continue to following federal and state law enforcement best practices in our mission to provide our community with the best possible police service.

Sincerely, Stephen Beecher Chief of Police

Kidz World Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics At Kidz World Pediatrics Dentistry & Orthodontics, we are dedicated to providing comfortable care for your child’s teeth!

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Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com • Mt. Olive-Hackettstown Life • January 2020 • Page 25

A

Resolve to Make Real Nutrition a New Year Priority

new year signals a chance to renew your commitment to healthier eating, but many of the most popular diets, like the keto diet and paleo diet, eliminate entire food groups, which can cause you to fall short on nutrients you need.

For example, a study in the “Journal of Clinical Lipidology” suggests low-carb diets may not have meaningful long-term benefits for weight or heart health compared to other diets and could actually restrict foods that are good for your heart.

This new year, instead of jumping on restrictive diet bandwagons, focus instead on consuming real, wholesome foods you can still enjoy, like dairy milk, that deliver benefits backed by decades of research.

Consider these tips for incorporating nutrient-rich foods into a few trending diets to make them work for you.

Intermittent Fasting: Skipping meals could do more harm than good if you’re not getting the nutrients you need to be your best. A better bet: balanced, flavorful meals that incorporate multiple food groups. If you really want to try intermittent fasting, consider not eating past a certain time in the evening so you can “fast” throughout the night, and make sure to eat a nourishing breakfast in the morning, like oatmeal made with real milk, topped with fruit and a handful of nuts.

Plant-Packed Plates: If you’re considering a vegetarian or plant-based diet in the new year, it’s important to pack the right nutrients into your meatless meals, particularly protein, calcium, vitamin D and vitamin B12. Make sure you’re getting enough by enjoying a variety of plant-based foods like beans, nuts, fruits and vegetables along with some other thoughtfully chosen options. Real dairy milk is a good choice in a vegetarian diet, providing as much as eight times more protein than many non-dairy milk alternatives.

Each 8-ounce glass is also a source of vitamin D, and an excellent source of calcium and vitamin B12.

Focus On Fats: If you’re keeping closer tabs on your fat intake, it’s important to choose the right ones and know that a growing body of evidence suggests not all saturated fats are the same. For example, whole milk, which has more dairy fat than skim or low-fat varieties, may actually

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

help raise “good” cholesterol and could be considered part of a diet that’s also good for your heart, according to research in the “European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.”

Calorie Conscious: Monitoring the calories you consume versus the calories you burn through exercise and everyday activity can help manage the fuel your body needs. When you consistently burn more calories than you eat, you are more likely to effectively lose weight. However, that

doesn’t mean you have to forgo all your favorite foods. For example, when it comes to dairy, swapping full-fat options for skim or low-fat alternatives is one way to receive the same nutrient package with less fat and calories.

Make better nutritional balance a priority this new year and find more advice and recipes at MilkLife.com.

(Family Features)

CELEBRATING 25 YEARS IN FLANDERS!

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Want your best health, naturally? Chiropractic seeks to correct the cause of pain and poor health, not just mask or treat the symptoms. Benefits include: Chiropractic care is great for any age!

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Advertise Your Business Here 12 Issues $95/issue

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Advertise Your Business Here 12 Issues $95/issue

Advertise Your Business Here 12 Issues $95/issue

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Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com • Mt. Olive-Hackettstown Life • January 2020 • Page 29

W

Winter Warm-Up - Recipes and Tips Rooted in Goodness

hen cold weather hits, it’s natural to seek comfort in a variety of forms: warm blankets, layers of sweaters and delicious, hearty meals. Winter is the perfect season for spending time indoors honing cooking skills to take your culinary creations to the next level.

Simple Recipes for Shorter Days With less daylight hours during the winter, many people tend to get sleepy earlier.

Quick weeknight dinner recipes are usually ideal, especially when they take only 30 minutes or so to prepare. Easy dishes are perfect for those nights when you want something savory and delicious, but you also want to get into pajamas and onto the nearest couch as soon as possible. Few things are better than a warm bowl full of flavor like this taste-tempting curry recipe bursting with caramelized onion and roasted garlic notes.

Chickpea, Spinach and Coconut Curry Prep time: 20 minutes Cook time: 12 minutes Servings: 6

2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon ginger, freshly grated 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 large yellow onion, chopped 1 tablespoon turmeric 2 teaspoons kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper, plus additional, to taste 1 can (29 ozs) chickpeas, drained and rinsed 1 jar (24 ounces) FarmToFork Caramelized Onion & Roasted Garlic Sauce 1 can (15 ounces) light coconut milk

4 cups baby spinach 1/2 cup non-fat plain Greek yogurt, stirred 1/2 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped 2 naan flatbreads, toasted and sliced In large skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil, ginger, garlic, onions, turmeric, salt and 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper. Cook 6-8 minutes, or until onions begin to brown, stirring frequently. Add chickpeas, sauce and coconut milk; cook 3-4 minutes, or until heated through. Add spinach; cover with lid. Simmer 3-4 minutes, or until spinach is wilted. Mix well.

Spoon mixture into six serving bowls and top each with spoonful of yogurt, pinch of cilantro and additional crushed red pepper, to taste. Serve with flatbread slices.

Find more winter recipes at farmtoforksauce.com.

Savory Harissa-Roasted Chicken and Vegetables Prep time: 20 minutes Cook time: 50 minutes Servings: 6 1/3 cup harissa paste, divided

1/3 cup olive oil, divided 1 large red onion, cut into 1/2-inch thick slivers 1 small head cauliflower, cut into small florets 1 jar (24 ounces) FarmToFork Marinara Sauce, divided 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided 3/4teaspoon ground black pepper, divided 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 2 pounds) 1 pound rainbow carrots, trimmed and peeled 1 lemon, juice only, divided 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh herbs such as dill, mint or cilantro, divided 1 1/2 cups plain Greek yogurt Heat oven to 425 F. In large bowl, whisk 2 tablespoons harissa and 2 tablespoons oil. Add onions and cauliflower; toss to combine. Spread vegetable mixture in single layer on 17-by-12-inch foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. continued on page 30

Cafe’ Margherita Weekly Lunch Buffet

Full Bar • Exciting Cocktails • Local Draft Beers & More

Social Hour Tues-Fri 3-6 pm

Cocktail Specials & Discounted Bar Menu Come Check Out Our New Lunch and Dinner Menus Tues., Wed., Thurs., Fri. 11:30am - midnight Sat. 3pm - midnight Starting Feb. 2 - Sun. 3pm-9pm Kitchen closes 10pm Closed Monday

9

$

Monday-Thursday 11:00am - 2:30pm

.95

per person

Soups, salad, sandwiches, wraps pasta, chicken...and more Walk in or make a reservation Call 973-347-7100

Follow Dino’s Pizza & Restaurant on social media for details and promotions

100 US Highway 46 | Budd Lake Village Green Shopping Center (Next to Home Goods)

Page 30 • January 2020 • Mt. Olive-Hackettstown Life • Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com

continued from page 29 In same bowl, whisk remaining harissa, 2 tablespoons oil, 1 cup marinara sauce, cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Add chicken; toss with tongs until well coated. Arrange chicken atop vegetables on baking sheet. Bake 50-55 minutes, or until chicken is deep golden brown and internal temperature reaches 165 F. Use vegetable peeler to create long ribbons of carrots. In bowl, toss carrots with 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 2 tablespoons chopped herbs and remaining oil, salt and pepper. In separate bowl, mix yogurt, remaining lemon juice and remaining herbs.

Serve each chicken thigh with roasted vegetables, dollop of herbed yogurt, carrot mixture and 1/4 cup warmed marinara sauce.

Gnocchi with Hearty Mushroom Bolognese Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 25 minutes Servings: 6 1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped 1 carrot, coarsely chopped 2 ribs celery, coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 2 pounds button, cremini or portobello mushrooms 1 jar (24 ounces) FarmToFork Marinara Sauce 3 tablespoons butter 1 pound refrigerated or frozen gnocchi 1/2 cup pecorino Romano cheese, grated 1/4 cup Italian parsley, coarsely chopped In food processor, pulse onions, carrots, celery and garlic until finely chopped. In large pot over medium-high heat, heat olive oil. Add chopped vegetables, salt and pepper. Cook 10 minutes, or until softened, stirring occasionally.

In food processor, pulse mushrooms until coarsely chopped. Add to large pot with vegetables. Cook 10-12 minutes, or until most liquid is evaporated, stirring occasionally. Stir in marinara sauce and butter.

Cook gnocchi according to package directions; drain. Add to sauce mixture; mix gently. Sprinkle with cheese and parsley.

Variety of Burgers • 20 Taps Local Craft Beers & More!

JUST UP THE

MOUNTAIN

Open 7 days 11:30am - midnight Kitchen closes 10pm except for Sun. at 9pm

Established 1991 Morris County’s Top Restaurant

44 Main Street, Chester 908.879.1887 www.benitostrattoria.com

FREE DELIVERY! Serving Lunch & Dinner Open 6 Days a Week Closed Mondays

Brand New Dinner Menu Catering & Private Parties

Great Great Selection Selection of of Veggie Veggie Burgers Burgers and and Salads Salads

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Stop In or Call In Our Take Out Window Is Now Open 141 Schooleys Mountain Road LONG VALLEY 908.867.7778

Winter Special

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With this coupon. Cannot be combined. Expires 2/8/20. OMG Only.

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3 Course Meal

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Most major credit cards accepted Plenty of FREE Parking

Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com • Mt. Olive-Hackettstown Life • January 2020 • Page 31

A Fun, Fruity, Refrigerated Treat

S

ave time on family desserts with make-ahead recipes like these Kristoff Ice Box Cupcakes. By using kid-friendly treats that add nutrition to appealing flavor, you can solve busy evenings just by reaching into the fridge. This and other family-friendly recipes are part of Dole’s healthy-living alliance with Disney’s Frozen 2. For details, visit dole.com/Disney. #Dole #DoleRecipes Kristoff Ice Box Cupcakes Prep time: 20 minutes, plus chill time Serves: 12 3 ripe DOLE® Bananas 1 container (8 ounces) fat-free whipped topping, thawed 7 low-fat honey graham crackers, coarsely crushed 1 pound Dole Strawberries, hulled and quartered Line 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners. In large bowl, mash bananas; fold in whipped topping.

Fill muffin cups halfway with graham cracker pieces, banana mixture and strawberries; repeat layers with remaining ingredients.

Refrigerate cupcakes 4 hours; serve in cupcake liners.

Approximate nutritional information per serving (1 cupcake): 78 calories; 3 calories from fat; 0 g fat; 0 g trans fat; 0 g polyunsaturated fat; 0 g monounsaturated fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 25 mg sodium; 164 mg potassium; 18 g carbohydrates; 2 g fiber; 8 g sugar; 1 g protein; vitamin A 0%; vitamin C 25%; calcium 2%; iron 2%; vitamin E 2%; thiamin 2%; vitamin B6 8%; phosphorus 2%; magnesium 4%; manganese 10%.

Long Valley Pub & Brewery at

Restaurant Village Taste Our 12 New Draft Beers Our Home Brews & Local Drafts Winter Special HAPPY HOUR

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Entire Food Bill

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With this coupon. Cannot be combined.

Expires 2/8/20. Long Valley Pub Only.

Open 7 days 11:30am - midnight Kitchen closes 10pm except for Sun. at 9pm Happy Hour Weekdays: 4 -7:00pm

1 Fairmount Rd • Long Valley • 908-876-1122

With this coupon. Cannot be combined.

Expires 2/8/20. Lakeside Tavern Only.

Formerly High Noon

Mon., Wed., Thurs., Fri., Sat., & Sun. 11:30am - Midnight Kitchen closes 10pm except for Sun. at 9pm Closed Tuesday

331 Route 46 • Budd Lake • 973-530-4131 RESTAURANT VILLAGE HOSPITALITY GROUP

Page 32 • January 2020 • Mt. Olive-Hackettstown Life • Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com

Celebrating Our 33rd Year!

BUDD LAKE

A Twist on a Classic Pie

DINER & RESTAURANT 120 Route 46 West, Budd Lake 973.691.9100 Fax: 973.691.9137

New Expanded Parking Lot Now Open!

W

hile apple pie is a traditional seasonal dish, you can add unique flavor with this skillet

version. Simply toss Honeycrisp apples with brown sugar, cinnamon and lemon continued on page 33

Breakfast • Lunch • Dinner • Bagels • Bakery

Open 7 Days 5am til 10pm

Serving Beer, Wine & Cocktails

Happy New You To All Our Friends & Customers!

Wishing You All The Very Best in 2020!

Best Soup King-Sized Prime Rib Dinner Saute Specials Cooked To Order Rita’s World Famous Cheesecake All Food Made On Premises Become a Fan of the Budd Lake Diner on Facebook

BYOB

I S TA N B U L

ASK ABOUT OUR FOOTBALL PACKAGES!

TURKISH MEDITERRANEAN CUISINE WE DELIVER

286 US-206, Flanders (973) 927-0635 istanbulcuisinenj.com

7 DAYS A WEEK 5am-10pm Istanbul Cuisine Flanders

Order: seamless.com, grubhub.com

ALL-U-CAN-EAT PASTA

ANGUS PRIME RIB $

Monday-Thursday

8.99

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Share Our Party Room

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After 4pm only Includes Garlic Bread & Salad NO TAKE-HOME PORTIONS MEAT & FISH EXTRA

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12 Bagels $7.95 6 Bagels $3.95 With coupon. Not to be combined.

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EVERY TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY & FRIDAY 11-3pm

$10 Order $20 Order $25 Order

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41 Rt. 46 East • Budd Lake • 973-691-2222 adamsfamilyrestaurant.com

Holds up to 70 people Flat Screen TV’s

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With coupon. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Expires 2/29/20

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With coupon. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Expires 2/29/20

Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com • Mt. Olive-Hackettstown Life • January 2020 • Page 33

A Twist on a Classic Pie...

1581 Country Rd 517|Allamuchy Twp|908-441-6127 Half Price

Happy Hour

WINGS

Mon-Fri 4-6pm

3

Creative Pub Fare

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Craft Beers

Sunday

YUENGLING PINTS All Day Sunday

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Open 7 Days a Week

FRIDAY NIGHT MUSIC

continued from page 32 juice then spoon between two pie crusts simmering in a thin layer of brown sugar and cinnamon then drizzle with caramel sauce for a deliciously gooey evening treat. (Culinary.net) Find more dessert recipes at Culinary. net.

Skillet Apple Pie with Caramel Sauce 4 large Honeycrisp apples, peeled, cored and sliced 1/4 cup sugar 1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon, divided 1 tablespoon lemon juice 6 tablespoons butter 1/4 cup, plus 2 teaspoons, brown sugar 2 refrigerated pie crusts

Wishing Everyone A Healthy, Happy New Year!

Check out our menu @

www.panther-pub.com

382 Rt. 46, Budd Lake 973.691.1330 973.691.1331

Ask Claude About Our All Inclusive Catering & Pizza Parties! hand-tossed pizza | pasta, ravioli & lasagna classic Italian dinners | salads & appetizers | hot & cold subs WING IT!

• 1 Lg. Cheese Pizza • 1 Order Buffalo Wings • 1 Order Mozzarella Sticks • 1-2 Lt. Soda $33.80

-7.95

25.85

$

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PACKAGE #1 - (6-9 ppl)

1 Large Pizza w/any 2 toppings, 1 Large Plain Pizza, 1 Super Stromboli (meat or Veggie) 30 Blazing Hot Wings

-19.78

49.95

$

28%

SAVINGS

Tax not included, delivery or pick up only. Not to be combined with other offers. EExp. 2/29/20

PIZZA SPECIAL

MON., TUES. & WED. • 2 Lg. Cheese Pizzas • 1-2 Lt. Soda $28.85

-10.10

$

18.75

35%

SAVINGS

Tax not included, delivery or pick up only. Not to be combined with other offers. Exp. 2/29/20

MUSSEL MANIA • 2 Lg. Cheese Pizzas • 1 Lg. Order of Mussels • 1 Large Salad

• 1 Lg. Cheese Pizza • Fried Calamari • Baked Ziti • House Salad with choice of dressing • 1-2 Lt. Soda $39.80

24%

Tax not included, delivery or pick up only. Not to be combined with other offers. Exp. 2/29/20

$69.73

FAMILY COMBO

-9.95

$

29.85

PACKAGE #2 - (12-18 ppl)

-38.22

$

93.95

-11.30

32.50

SAVINGS

1 Large Pizza from Gourmet Section, 1 Large Pizza w/any 2 toppings, 2 Large Plain Pizzas, 2 Super Strombolis (meat or Veggie), 50 Blazing Hot Wings $132.17

$43.80

25%

Tax not included, delivery or pick up only. Not to be combined with other offers. Exp. 2/29/20

29%

SAVINGS

Tax not included, delivery or pick up only. Not to be combined with other offers. Exp. 2/29/20

2 teaspoons whipping cream caramel sauce Heat oven to 350 F. In large bowl, combine apples, sugar, 1 tablespoon cinnamon and lemon juice until apples are covered. Set aside.

In oven-safe, 10-inch nonstick skillet, melt butter. Add 1/4 cup brown sugar and remaining cinnamon; mix until combined.

Boil 5-8 minutes.

In same skillet, place one pie crust over brown sugar mixture. Pour apples over pie crust. Cover apples with second pie crust.

Cut slits in top to release steam. Brush whipping cream over crust. Sprinkle with remaining brown sugar.

Bake 35-45 minutes until crust is golden brown.

Drizzle with caramel sauce.

$

2-14” SUBS

• Your Choice of Subs • 2 Ltr Soad Italian Combo Meatball • Turkey & Cheese Sausage, Peppers & Onions

26%

SAVINGS

Tax not included, delivery or pick up only. Not to be combined with other offers. Exp. 2/29/20

$28.85

-7.90

20.95

$

Tax not included, delivery or pick up only. Not to be combined with other offers. Exp. 2/29/20

PACKAGE #4

PACKAGE #3 - (24-36 ppl)

2 Large Pizzas from Gourmet Section, 2 Large Pizzas w/any 2 toppings, 2 Large Plain Pizzas, 3 Super Strombolis (meat or Veggie), 80 Blazing Hot Wings, 3 Ft. Hero ( 1 ft. Italian, 1 Ft. Turkey, 1 Ft. Roast Beef) $258.75

-83.80

$

174.95

18” Assorted Mini Sandwich Platter, 48 Mini Sandwiches, Minimum 12 of Each Variety $72.00

32%

SAVINGS

Tax not included, delivery or pick up only. Not to be combined with other offers. Exp. 2/29/20

27%

SAVINGS

-24.00

$

48.00

33%

SAVINGS

Tax not included, delivery or pick up only. Not to be combined with other offers. Exp. 2/29/20

Also Check Out Our Catering Menu For Full & Half Trays Also Available...Our Gourmet Appetizers & Dessert Platters

1 Mount Olive Road | Budd Lake 973-448-0300 | www.brandasitaliangrill.com

20-YARD $

Large Cheese Pizza • 6 Garlic Knots Choice of One: Buffalo Wings • Mozzarella Sticks Bruschetta • Garlic Bread Chicken Fingers & Fries

40-YARD $

2 Large Cheese Pizzas Choice of One: 1/2 Tray Baked Ziti 1/2 Tray Buffalo Wings (45) • 5 Garlic Breads 36 Garlic Knots • 1/2 Tray Mini Stromboli’s 1/2 Tray Chicken Fingers & Fries

25 60

60-YARD $

100

80-YARD $

145

2 Large Cheese Pizzas Choice of Two: 1/2 Tray Baked Ziti 1/2 Tray Buffalo Wings (45) • 5 Garlic Breads 1/2 Tray Mini Stromboli’s • 36 Garlic Knots 1/2 Tray Mixed Sandwiches • 1/2 Tray Antipasto Italiano • 1/2 Tray Chicken Fingers & Fries 3 Large Cheese Pizzas Choice of Three: 1/2 Tray Baked Ziti 1/2 Tray Buffalo Wings (45) • 5 Garlic Breads 1/2 Tray Mini Stromboli’s • 36 Garlic Knots 1/2 Tray Mixed Sandwiches • 1/2 Tray Antipasto Italiano • 1/2 Tray Chicken Fingers & Fries

TOUCHDOWN $

195

Enzo-ne Packages

4 Large Cheese Pizzas Choice of Four: 1/2 Tray Baked Ziti 1/2 Tray Buffalo Wings (45) • 5 Garlic Breads 1/2 Tray Mini Stromboli’s • 36 Garlic Knots 1/2 Tray Mixed Sandwiches 1/2 Tray Antipasto Italiano 1/2 Tray Chicken Fingers & Fries

Like and follow us on @enzospizzabuddlake

Page 34 • January 2020 • Mt. Olive-Hackettstown Life • Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com

Making a Difference on a Global Level: Hackettstown’S Centenary University Takes on Global Water Crisis

M

By Dawn M. Chiossi aking a difference on a global level, Hackettstown’s Centenary University takes on an essential and basic cause, the Global Water Crisis. Acutely concerned regarding humanitarian causes and improving the quality of life for those who need it, Centenary University is doing its part to aid in the Global Water Crisis.

According to Centenary University Chaplain, Tim Nicinski, they are actively involved in participating in a variety of worthwhile causes to help others, including Soles For Souls (bringing shoes to those in need) and much more.

Helping in the Global Water Crisis is just the latest inspiration for the University’s ENACTUS Club. Abbreviated to demonstrate its core principles and values, ENACTUS stands for Entrepreneurial, Action, Us. While business often receives a cutthroat reputation, ENACTUS is the exact opposite. Both a class and a club at the university, this organization demonstrates a long-standing commitment to utilizing their entrepreneurial skills combined with their deep devotion to helping others.

Striving to benefit people worldwide, and serving as a catalyst for change and progress, Centenary’s ENACTUS Club energetically aids with a great variety of causes affecting humans at large. Originally founded in 1975 as SIFE (Students in Free Enterprise) ENACTUS is a non-profit educational organization that combines businesses and higher education. The club provides college students with leadership opportunities for establishing a variety of outreach programs while making a difference.

For Nicinski, the results are catastrophic for humans in general. A lack of something as basic as water causes physical and psychological harm, robbing people of their dignity. “The global water crisis is a world-

wide crisis that affects health, poverty and food supplies,” he asserts. “The work that we do brings clean water to the world to help end the poverty and illness associated with unclean water.”

As a champion for the underdog, Nicinski shares, “I’ve always had a heart for serving others, having been a Marine, police officer and teacher. As a pastor (with 12 years experience-- two years at Centenary) I’ve engaged in social justice ministry regularly.”

Aiding in the Global Water Crisis is just another in a long line of humanitarian causes that he is passionate about. Nicinski credits both the university’s Under the Golden Dome Speaker Series and the ENACTUS club with raising awareness about this critical issue.

“The Under the Golden Dome Speaker Series brings speakers in to educate the university community about social justice issues facing the world. The ENACTUS Club has been working on the Global Water Crisis for a few years.”

Working in conjunction with the Wine into Water Organization, the members of the ENACTUS club excitedly dove in to see what they could do to provide water to those who desperately need it. The way the program works is that a Centenary student and a United States Veteran travel to places severely in need. Once there, they will help build necessary water wells which will allow these villages to have clean drinking water.

With international offices in Nepal, the Dominican Republic, and Colombia, the Wine to Water organization not only raises funds to combat this crisis, but they also keep in mind the specific needs of that particular country and work toward particular goals to help.

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Nicinski describes Centenary University’s recent Under the Dome talk as an informational event where Centenary student and ENACTUS Co-President Marc Santora along with Marine Veteran Jackie Dunlap shared how they visited the Dominican Republic to deliver and build water filters to combat the water crisis.

The work involved is both arduous and extensive, from planning to fundraising to bringing the clean water itself, there is much to do in the process of creating change. Nicinski has one word for the concept and for the people who participate in it all: Inspiring. Although he has never visited the Dominican Republic himself, he knew he had to become involved in this essential cause. “I visited the ENACTUS practice presentation regarding their clean water effort,” he shares. “I was not only impressed with their plan but inspired to help.

So I began working with students to bring about this event and help in their efforts in the future.” He explains that the university supports the students “with facilities and supervision as well as direct participation in filter building, staff assistance, and gen-

eral support,” he tells. “Students are then delivering the filters, meeting with those in need, and helping build filters in the Dominican Republic.”

For Nicinski, there’s an extra benefit to this humanitarian effort; It not only brings clean water to those in need, but the initiative also brings all sorts of people together. “I’m thrilled seeing the collection of people involved,” he prides. “The students are working with a veteran’s group which allows them to meet veterans and develop an awareness of their life after military service.”

For all at Centenary University, its teamwork that strives to make a positive difference in the lives of others. “I’m excited that the program brings important social justice concerns to the minds of the community,” Nicinski shares. “It is in knowing what is going on that people will be inspired to take action. Not only does the program bring attention to the global water crisis and demonstrate that locally we can change things for the better. With programs like this, young people are really making a difference, and by engaging across many groups of people, good things can happen.”

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Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com • Mt. Olive-Hackettstown Life • January 2020 • Page 35

Hackettstown Rotary Changing Lives in Ghana

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by Elsie Walker hen people in the United States hear the word “cataract”, most probably think of a surgical procedure which comes with age and has become slightly commonplace.

However, to people in Ghana, such an operation is life-changing.

According to www.cureblindness.org, in Ghana and other developing countries, malnutrition, inadequate health and education services, poor water quality, and lack of sanitation can lead to preventable blindness at any age. Once blind, a person in Ghana is considered useless. He or she can’t

work to help support the family; thus, the loss of one’s sight impacts an entire family. However, the Himalayan Cataract Project is helping to change that. The mission of that project is to “restore sight in remote areas of the world”, explained Robyn Jensen, Hackettstown Rotary’s Chair for International Projects. A few years ago, the rotary took up the Himalayan Cataract Project as its international project.

Chartered in 1940, Hackettstown Rotary Club follows the motto, “Service Before Self”. The rotary does fundraisers, such as its annual Memorial Motor Madness and partnering a

couple times a year with the Centenary Stage company, with proceeds going to rotary projects. Funds raised generally stay locally, supporting organizations such as NORWESCAP Food Bank, Camp Merry Heart, and the Arc of Warren County, to name a few. However, Hackettstown Rotary also takes on an international project. In 2016, it got involved with the Himalayan Cataract Project.

“We have given funds in previous years directly for surgeries,” said Jensen. According to www.cureblindness.org/cause, through innovation and special techniques, having the surgery done takes 10 minutes and

costs $25. The site also shares that “Of the more than 36 million people worldwide suffering from unnecessary blindness, almost half are due to cataract – which can be surgically treated.”

Also, to help the outreach in Ghana, Hackettstown Rotary had gotten it a bus. In the United States, school buses must be retired after a certain time, but they are still serviceable. The rotary was able to get a bus donated, with the rotary paying for its transport to Ghana.

The bus is used to transport patients for eye surgery and for two surgical outreaches, one in central Ghana and one in the working neighborhoods of the capital Accra along the coast.

This year, the rotary has provided $5,000, so that Dr. Benedicta Appiah-Thompson, a leading ophthalmologist at the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital (Ghana), could come to the U.S. for more training this past fall. In November, Appiah-Thompson spoke about the Himalayan Cataract Project during a Hackettstown Rotary-sponsored event. Early this past October, Appiah-Thompson and her team had hosted a high-volume surgical outreach with support from the Himalayan Cataract Project.

During that outreach, sight was restored to hundreds of individuals who had lost their vision due to cataracts.

At the end of five days, the team of five surgeons set a new national record in Ghana of 713 sight-restoring

surgeries.

“What they are doing in is making a difference to the people of Ghana and their economy. It is fixing a disability that is so easy to fix, but has such a big impact for the people,” shared Jensen.

Jensen shared that it is “very fulfilling” to help the Himalayan Cataract Project. She also noted Hackettstown Rotary’s on-going

desire to give back to the community and the group’s comradery. It is “a wonderful organization,” she said.

Jensen shared that Hackettstown Rotary is always looking for new members.

It meets Tuesdays at 12:15 p.m. at the Panther Valley Golf & Country Club. For more information on Hackettstown Rotary, see its website at www.hackettstownrotary.org/.

Donation Day at Mt. Olive Library

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he Friends of the Mt. Olive Library will be accepting books, Saturday January 18th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Snow Date January 25th.

202 Flanders-Drakestown Road Flanders.

The Library phone is 973-691-8686.

Bring your gently used books, CDs, DVDs to the basement at the back of the library

building. Re-reading is even better than recycling!

We don’t take any encyclopedias, Text Books, VHS tapes, dirty or mildewed books.

Everything else is great.

See the Library website: www.mopl. org/Friends.htm and the Friends’ Facebook page for further information.

Page 36 • January 2020 • Mt. Olive-Hackettstown Life • Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com

Mountaintop Church Seeks to Update and Expand with 10-year Plan

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By Steve Sears ount Olive Township’s Mountaintop Church is seeking to update their current church structure while also expanding within the next 10 years.

The name of the expansion program is called Legacy 20/20.

Matt Jones, who has been a Pastor for 17 years, is planning for the next generation.

“Lord, we’ve been blessed by the previous generation,” he says, “so what are we going to leave the next generation? We want to see clearly as to what we’re going to leave our next generation.”

Call it maintaining the current and building for the future. “We’re doing a threephase program right now over the next few years,” says Jones. “The first phase is we need a new roof, our front sign is ‘tired’ we put letters on, and they break, and we’ll be updating the bathrooms that we have.

Things that we all need within the facility.

That’s the first part of the program. Then we would like, within the next 5 - 6 years, to expand on to the back of the building, make a larger building, that would help us consolidate some of the ministries that we have been doing. The Episcopal Church has been marvelous – we’ve worked together with the pantry - but we realize that as it continues

to grow, it would give us more room for the pantry.” Jones also states that another special part of the expansion is for a thrift shop.

“The thrift shop would enable us to permanently fund the pantry through the sales of good, lightly used clothing, etc. It would be a blessing to those who bought it at an inexpensive price and a blessing to the pantry as it would fund the pantry. It would also enable us to be generous with people who have lost possessions in time of tragedy that we can help get them back on their feet.”

Jones also mentions that former New York Giants football player Lee Rouson, who does a lot of work with the youth, is a member of the church, and Jones would love to have a gymnasium or facility that would be much larger than the current youth room.

Also, there is a Spanish part of the congregation that meets on Sunday nights and Jones would love extra worship space for all. Planned for as well would be newer office space and, should families need shelter due to loss of home, have a spot to rest their heads until light is seen from the darkness.

The third phase, looking 10 years down the road, is about finishing things off and finalizing everything.

“This expansion” says Jones, “would really just enable us to do more with the com-

munity. Just to expand enough to enable to continue the things we currently do.”

Funds have been raised courtesy of pledges within the church itself, and so far, $100,000 has been raised. Jones figures on about $800,000 for the entire project, and donations are welcome from the community.

“It’s not just about Mountaintop Church,” states Jones. “It’s about what Christ has called us to do. He has called us to reach out

to the community around us and to see his love and redemption. That’s our goal here, to be a tool of spiritual redemption, but also those in need, redeeming them whether it be food, whether it be community, whether it be loneliness – wherever God has called us to be of help.”

Visit www.mtopag.org to learn more about Mountaintop Church, which is located at 6 Naughright Road.

Project Help: A Key to Helping New Jersey’s Veterans on the Homefront

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By Megan Roche or Sandy Mitchell, beginning Project Help in 2016 was one of those lightbulb-going-off moments. After losing her husband to suicide after he came back from the Vietnam War, she picked up the pieces for her children. She attended school in the evenings and worked a full time job to support her family. She found that she loved helping others, but was never truly satisfied.

“I started this by myself and was determined that no matter what, this was going to be successful. I wanted to accomplish our mission, no matter what it took. My husband got out after 11 years in the military and when I lost him to suicide, I had three kids. It was also a real learning point for me, dealing with a tragedy. From losing him, I really had to make a decision of where my life was going to go. I could either pick up the pieces and move forward and create a life for myself and my kids or I was going to become a victim and be a complete and utter failure in my life. I really recreated my life after losing him,” Mitchell said.

With many stints with other non-profits and through starting some of her own, her true passion in life was unlocked when she created Project Help. Project Help is designed to help veterans in need. Mitchell helps connect veterans to all sorts of organizations who can help with lawyers,

mental and physical health issues, housing, and more. Project Help also offers financial assistance to New Jersey veterans who qualify.

“I am supposed to do this because of what happened in my life. It’s been a lot of hard work, but I have made tons and tons of contacts. I have grand visions of things to come and I am really excited about the organization. I have a good group of people who I work with and I think that we are all on the same track that we want to help veterans get through some of their darkest days and prevent as much tragedy in their lives as we can,” Mitchell said.

Project Help recently launched their Mobile Closet initiative. The mobile closet serves as a resource to veterans and their families. The converted school bus drives around the area and finds itself mainly outside colleges and career fairs to offer free interview clothing and career advice to local veterans. The bus also houses computers and printers for creating and printing resumes. The bus was unveiled in late 2019.

“It’s been an amazing ride right now. We have people calling left and right who want to volunteer or get involved. After launching the bus, it really became a launch pad for us. We have been getting a good bit of recognition lately, and it’s been really good for us,” Mitchell shared.

In addition to their mobile closet, they

also host many fundraising events throughout the year. In December, the team works to collect Christmas cards for veterans and toys for children of veteran families. Many people comment on Project Help’s website about what the organization has meant to them.

“Project Help has been a huge blessing for me, after going through a couple of challenging years of losing everything and having no place to live. When I finally got my apartment, Project Help paid one month’s rent for me. Not only was PH ready to help but Sandy put me in touch with people/organizations ready to help a Veteran in need.

I’m so grateful for PH helping me at a pivotal, intricate time. Especially during the time when many of the larger organizations declined to help. Something that I will never forget about Project Help is that Sandy got to know me personally and she was able to connect me with amazing people who were eager to help me and go far beyond the call of duty. As a Veteran, it is important for me to know that Project Help is supported and able to continue their work, because they truly have a heart to help Veterans. Sandy, thank you times a million!” Rita, an Army veteran, posted on their website.

Mitchell’s work has become fulfilling for her in the best of ways. She is there for veterans, whether they need someone to vent to or by helping those veterans navi-

gate problems in their life, she feels that she still has much to offer to these men and women who give their lives to defend our freedoms.

“Life is full of choices and you have to decide where you want it to go and what you want to do. I like to help these veterans come up with a plan for their lives. If you help one person, you have done good, and there is always more good to be done in this world,” Mitchell said.

Project Help is always actively seeking new volunteers to join their expanding team. Volunteers can give as much of their time as they wish by helping out at fundraisers, handing out marketing materials, placing phone calls, updating data spreadsheets, and keeping their mobile closet clean and ready to go.

“In 2018, our target goal for volunteers was 50. Since most have limited time and experience, our need is more than if we pre-qualified volunteers. Our best volunteers, often move on to joining a committee and some actually become board of director members,” Mitchell said.

The future of Project Help is bright. They have recently expanded their organization to Florida, and are hoping to add additional branches in New York and Pennsylvania in 2020. For more information on Project Help or to learn how to become a volunteer or donor, visit www.projecthelp.us.

Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com • Mt. Olive-Hackettstown Life • January 2020 • Page 37

Mountain View Third Graders Learn Government from Mayor Greenbaum

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ayor Rob Greenbaum spoke with the students from Mountain View on December 9, 2019. Students are learning about government. Classes held mock elections based on how they are handled in democracies and republics, as well as learned how decisions are made in a monarchy. Students have distinguished the different levels of government (local, state, federal), as well as their roles. Students are currently learning about the system of checks and balances, and the responsibilities of each branch of our government.

Students left to right: Preston Gallagher, Madison Shaffer, Rocco Gallo, Ryan Zlasney, Jenna Bilotta, Emma Lindstedt, Lucas Bartow, Christopher Nessim, Antonio Rodriguez, Joseph Trochez, Maureen Beil. Teachers left to right: Mary Fisher, Courtney Koppinger, Mayor Rob Greenbaum, Emily Cali, Christine Rogoff

Families Enjoy Holidays That Much More Thanks To Food Drive Siemens Healthineers. Additionally there were several monetary and gift card donations that will also go towards helping needy families.

The MO Food Pantry, which serves the Greater Mount Olive community yearround, can be reached at 862-251-3938.

Sgt. Hatzel Recognized for Over 20 Years of Service

The Holiday Drive “Collection Team” prepares to pick up food collections.

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amilies in Mount Olive that could use a boost got a big boost in time for the Christmas holidays. The 24th Annual Mount Olive Holiday Food Drive continued a long tradition of success, with collections totaling near 3000 pounds of food donations from dropoff boxes throughout the township at area businesses and numerous corporations, many of which are active members of the Mount Olive Area Chamber of Commerce.

The collection was organized by the Mount Olive Area Chamber of Commerce and the Mount Olive Kiwanis Club with all the food and donations going to the Mount Olive Food Pantry. The food was

collected by a team of volunteers from the Chamber, Kiwanis Club and the Food Pantry. The food was collected in time for the holiday season so that area families in need can enjoy the holidays that much more at the dinner table.

“It was an amazing outpouring of support from the Greater Mount Olive community,” said Greg Stewart, Chair of the Holiday Food Drive committee and a Mount Olive Township Councilmember. “Nobody wants to see families struggle during the holidays. This food drive truly brings out the best in people and businesses.”

The top collectors were Givaudan Fragrances, Nisivoccia LLP, Robertet USA and

O

n Tuesday, December 3, 2019, Chief Beecher recognized Sergeant Russell Hatzel for his over twenty years of dedicated service in training fifty Basic Recruit Police and Corrections classes for the

Morris County Public Safety Academy. In photo: Chief Stephen Beecher, Grace Hatzel, Emma Hatzel, Julianne Hatzel, Sergeant Russell Hatzel , Mayor Robert J. Greenbaum and Jason Hatzel

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

Page 38 • January 2020 • Mt. Olive-Hackettstown Life • Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com

Mount Olive’s Theater Dance Center Set to Give Back

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By Megan Roche or Theater Dance Center, it’s time for their annual Fighting Children’s Cancer Foundation Gala. On January 25th, the groups that make up the TDC company will once again come together to raise money toward the FCCF. “The Gala started in 2010 because I had a young friend who died from bone cancer in the fall. I started a conversation with my dancers about how we could help, have an impact or make a difference. Our Ballet mistress had gone through a fight with breast cancer only 2 years before. What I did not know was that I too had breast cancer and would go through a double mastectomy and chemotherapy as we performed our first Gala in January of 2011. Our dancers have now raised more than $85,000 for cancer charities and veteran services since our first gala.” Milene Schetlick, co-owner of Theater Dance Center said.

Schetlick, who has been dancing since the age of three, grew up in a family that loved dance. Her parents, two accomplished ballroom dancers, put her and her three siblings in dance classes at very young ages. Milene moved to New York City at the of 18 on a full scholarship to Joffrey Ballet

School. She opened Theater Dance Center in 1991 with Mary Ellen Volz after meeting Volz while teaching at her childhood dance studio. For Schetlick and Volz, the gala holds many emotions.

“We are proud of what we have accomplished with many of our dancers pursing dance. The gala features memorable moments with talented dancers performing for their friends, family, and community.”

Schetlick said.

The night of the gala can be an emotional one, for everyone. From the dancers, who do special dedications to loved ones fighting cancer, to the staff who have battled cancer in their own lives. The Gala also lets the dancers feel out their competition routines, all while raising money for a great cause.

“The dancers perform their competition dances for the very first time. We try to raise awareness about our charity and how

our audience members can help. This year (as it has been for a few) we are supporting The Fighting Children’s Cancer Foundation, A NJ based organization that helps local families whose children are fighting cancer.

This charity is very special to our dancers, because they are helping other children like themselves.” Schetlick said.

Theater Dance Center is very grateful for all the community support, especially from their sponsors for the gala’s evening.

It’s because of the community support that TDC is able to host a gala year after year.

“Thank you to all our sponsors who have supported our dancers and helped to make our event a success. Burke Contracting, ADD Systems, The Orthopedic Institute of NJ, Maximum Health Physical Therapy, Sal Salafia Construction, North Jersey Aquatics, INFLUGroup, Ambient Event Group, Shaffer Steel Corporation, Falcon Safety/Dust-Off and Dr. Jennifer Kastner at Advanced Performance and Rehabilitation Center.”

Tickets for the gala are available by calling (973) 584-5020. The Gala will be hosted at Mount Olive High School’s Performing Arts Center on January 25th at 6:00 p.m.

To learn more about Theater Dance Center, visit www.theaterdancecenter.com.

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Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com • Mt. Olive-Hackettstown Life • January 2020 • Page 39

Mt. Olive U10 Girls Soccer Goes Undefeated

Back row left to right... Coach Schwartz, Madison Rauh, Mia Zebi, Layla Blakey, Sydney Cerasoli, Allison Rambo, Coach Tilves, Coach Misener. Front row left to right... Taylor Heinemann, Giselle Acevedo, Jordan Notaro, Maggie Tilves, Jenna Scheuten, Bella Cefola. Not Pictured Demitria Watkins.

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he Mount Olive Maniacs girls travel basketball program spent much of their holiday break participating in the Wayne PAL holiday tournament. The program sent 4 teams to the tournament in grades 4th through 7th, traveled many miles, participated in about 20 games over a week and a half, and made it to the championship game in the 6th and 7th grade divisions. On Monday December 30th both the 6th grade and 7th grade teams played in the finals.

The 6th grade team gave a great effort and came up a little short against a tough Ridgewood team. The coaches were so proud of

the 6th grade team since the year before they came to the same tournament and did not win a game. Nice job girls! The 7th grade team would take on a tough Montville team that had defeated Mount Olive 3 times over the last 2 seasons, twice in overtime and once on a buzzer beater. After so many heartbreaking losses to Montville, it was the Maniacs time to come out on top! The Maniacs were crowned 7th grade champions of the Wayne PAL holiday tournament by a score of 31-21! Congratulations girls! You can follow the Mount Olive Maniacs program on Instagram and Twitter @MOmaniacs.

Council President Helps Celebrate Holidays with Local Seniors

Pictured: Natasha Maher -64, Alexa Moscatello -18, Katie Rodas- 10, Erika Ryan -7, Sophia Conelli – 24, Lia Held-99, Madison Hughes- 4, Natalie Bilheimer-1, Gianna Wilkinson-19, Lyla Brown -13, Coaches Mario Rodas, Frank Held, and Sean Ryan.

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ur U10 girls, the MO Lightening, ended their season both undefeated and as the Morris County Youth Flight 2 Champions! They are a wonderful group of

Pajama Program Contribution Drive in Hackettstown “Share Your Love with Children in Need”

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Pajama Program Contribution Drive will be held in Hackettstown, for the 11th year, to benefit the New Jersey Chapter of the Pajama Program, a 501c3 nonprofit that provides new, warm sleepwear and new, nurturing books to children in need. The drop off sites are Trinity United Methodist Church, Main Street, Hackettstown and Exit Realty 149 Main St., Hackettstown from Sunday February 9 through Saturday, February 15, 2020.The pajamas and books are distributed to organizations throughout Warren County. Wearing warm pajamas and hearing a bedtime story can make a significant difference for these children and

E C

ouncil President Joe Nicastro visited with the Mount Olive Seniors at their Holiday Luncheon. In photo Council President Joe Nicastro and Sandy Masklee.

The luncheon was held at The Minebrook Golf Club in Hackettstown on Dec. 12.

girls, both on and off the field! They are MO proud!!” Shared Coaches Rodas, Held, and Ryan.

help them to a brighter future. Since Valentine’s Day, February 14th, is a day of love, it seems appropriate to focus our local need towards this day. For these children, there is no better gift than a good night and a good book. Pajamas and books are on sale at clearance prices at many local retail stores, making it an easy way to give. Tax-deductible checks are also welcome, made payable to Pajama Program. (On the memo line please write NJ Chapter.) For more information visit the Pajama Program International website www. pajamaprogram.org. or call Linda Mezzino 908 637-4838 or Andrea Schick 908-303-9342

Did You Know?

very February people across the United States and Canada pay homage to prominent African American and black figures who have had impact on the world in various ways. Each year, athletes, doctors, film stars, writers, directors, and politicians are just some of the people highlighted as individuals of merit. The official observance of Black History Month, sometimes referred to as African American History Month in certain areas, is relatively recent, though the contributions of black people have been celebrated for centuries. Black History Month evolved from Negro History Week, which was created in 1926 in the United States by historian Carter G. Woodson.

Woodson chose the second week in February because it coincided with both the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln

(February 12) and Frederick Douglass (February 14). The prominent civil rights group The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, or NAACP, was also founded on February 12 on the centennial anniversary of the birth of Lincoln. Each of these things makes February an ideal time to celebrate black history. Negro History Week continued through the 1960s and ultimately evolved into an entire month of celebrating on some college campuses. However, Black History Month would not receive national recognition in the United States until 1976, when President Gerald Ford officially recognized it as an opportunity to honor the accomplishments of black Americans throughout history. Canada officially recognized Black History Month in 1995.

Page 40 • January 2020 • Mt. Olive-Hackettstown Life • Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com

Learn More About YOUR Mount Olive Township Historic District

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By Steve Sears he quiet, the stillness, the desolation, the emptiness on a cold, day-after-a-snowstorm morning is so apropos here.

The corner of Mount Olive Road and Flanders-Drakestown Road, heading down to the Flanders section of Mount Olive, is a part of the Mount Olive Village Historic District. It is here where Mount Olive had its beginnings.

What stands here now, separated by a tiny cemetery, parking lot and an empty plot of land once home to a Presbyterian Church, are a tiny, one-room schoolhouse known as the Mount Olive Academy, and the Mount Olive Baptist Church.

At one time, children attended classes here, church services were celebrated. The school is now long closed, the church abandoned in 1970 as the congregation moved to a newer facility up the road, both buildings having been shuttered (especially due to age of the buildings) to new generations.

You can stand here and take it all in, try to envision the past, and wonder what’s to be done with the structures. The answer? Something positive.

Kathy Murphy, Vice-President of the Mount Olive Historical Society, says while pointing, “This is part of it, the cemetery up here. This is where the Presbyterian Church was,” she says, indicating a snow- covered plot of land next to a parking lot, an empty cement set of stairs ascending slightly the empty spot. “It burned down. Now, here’s the schoolhouse, and then the old Baptist Church.” The latter sits at the corner, down a slight hill. It is the third building on the site, the first being a log cabin, the second a wood frame building at the beginning of the 19th century. The third structure was built beginning in 1853. Murphy believes it is the eighth Baptist church in New Jersey.

“This whole area makes up the Mount Olive Village,” she says.

Murphy and others have secured both structures and are working on prepping both to be reopened to the public.

Murphy talks about the cemetery adjacent to the church, which was originally called Schooley’s Mountain Church. “The earliest stone here is Elizabeth Cozad.”

On this cold morning, Cozad’s stone is snow-covered.

“She died in her 80s in 1812. She lived here during the (American) Revolution, and her father had established the (iron) mines and everything. It goes back, and of course there’s more than half a dozen Civil War, and at least three or four Revolutionary War (soldiers buried here) that we know of – and there may be more. And, of course, there’s a bunch of headstones missing.”

The whole corner, per Murphy, was all part of the absolute earliest settlement in the area. “All the little village clusters were after this.”

Exiting your car and trying to walk either towards the schoolhouse or church, you sense the hardship that folks had in inclement weather in earlier days. Young kids trudging to school maybe had fun among the flakes on the way to their studies, while congregants carefully stepped in ankle-deep snow, on their way to perform their Sunday constitution of studying God’s Word.

Back then, the churches and mines prevailed, and all

the founding families of the area are buried here.

The Baptist Church remained for a period after the congregation moved, using it for their youth group for a period before leaving the building entirely. The building had no bathroom but just an outhouse, and parking was in a not-so-spacious gravel lot.

When Murphy moved to Mount Olive, as a volunteer she was able to get grants for the town. She then was hired part-time and transitioned to full-time, a job she loved. And there was the history aspect, which she loved and majored in during college.

While in the township’s employ, the Baptist Church (labeled “Meeting House” on the front of the building) roof was discovered to have a leak. Murphy, thenMount Olive Township Clerk, Lisa Lashway, Mount Olive Historical Society President Thea Dunkel, and high school History teacher Noreen Risko (she and her group instrumental in getting a roof put on the schoolhouse in 1980), sought a way to buy the building for the town.

A deal was worked out, a purchase price was secured from Morris County, and the group now owned the few acres that belonged to the Baptist Church across from Town Hall, the old church itself, and the schoolhouse. “You have to be creative; you have to make it work,” says Murphy when asked what her feelings were when the buildings were acquired. “We had done some research and we knew that this was important for the town.” Also, when the church was abandoned, the building reverted back to a clause in the original deed from the 1700s that said if the church fails to use it as church property, it goes back to the family.” Murphy then looks at the cemetery downhill. “Colonel (Peter) Salmon (Captain of the Western Battalion of Morris County, New Jersey) is buried here in the cemetery, and there is a family association that still meets, and it was going to revert to them! We had to have – I can’t tell you how many people had to sign off on that!”

The town gave its okay, and the powers-that-were at the church were approached and approved of the idea, and the county at via its Preservation Trust expanded past open space and included historic preservation. “The timing was right,” says Murphy. “2004 was when we acquired it. We did an application to the Preservation Trust to purchase the property as open space, which we got the money for, but then right after that we went back to the Preservation trust for the historical component, and what you needed to do was start getting it on the National Register (of Historic Places).” The first step was the exterior, where the steeple was falling off, that was rotted, and a new roof. Certain criteria have to be followed to remain on the National Register. “It has been a real learning experience for us, too,” says Murphy.

The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in the summer of 2015.

The ultimate goal with both properties is to open

both to the public; unveil a window to the past. It is hoped that the church can be opened to the public next year (2020). It will be used to see what it was like to have a church experience therein, but also to be used for small meeting and conferences. “It would make a lovely wedding chapel,” says Murphy. “We want the community to appreciate it. We want the public to be able to use it. And at the same time, it would be nice to raise enough funds to cover the operating costs.”

“We’ve done some terrific things.”

One very interesting tidbit was the uncovering of a painted canvas ceiling in the church, which Historian Dunkel had researched and discovered was done back in 1870. Because the roof leak had damaged artwork, rather than rip the ceiling down, in 1890 a then-installed tin ceiling covered up the canvas…to an extent. “They covered up the painted ceiling, which had lavenders and blues,” says Murphy, a touch of pain in her voice.

“Yellows and everything – real color. No realized that it had this paining until the tin ceiling got the bad roof leak, and you can see where the tin was damaged, little bits of fabric were hanging out there.” The tin ceiling has now been removed, and the worst damage revealed is over the choir loft.

It will remain in its current condition for now. There is beauty there, even in its poor condition.

As for the 1837 one room schoolhouse, Murphy has a few of the old desks now inside the building. In the future there will be “History of Mount Olive” displays, but obviously returning it to is 19th century classroom setting would be ultimate. “We can get continued on page 44

Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com • Mt. Olive-Hackettstown Life • January 2020 • Page 41

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Mount Olive Councilwoman Speaks Out for Injustice and Rights of All Who Are Vulnerable

By Jillian Risberg t’s in her blood — and a labor of love for Councilwoman Colleen Labow to help others and she’s been doing it all her life.

So it would seem only natural that she chose a life of service. But it didn’t start out that organically.

Back in 2001, one of Labow’s friends urged her to apply for the town’s newly formed Ethics Committee.

The councilwomen felt it was a bad idea.

“Judy, you know I can’t stand politics,” Labow told her friend. “I really don’t want to get involved with that stuff. But she kept after me saying, ‘you really need to.’”

After two months of back and forth — Labow says she finally agreed, submitting her application and was actually chosen by the council for that committee.

“In the meantime, the council race was coming up,” she says. “And I decided to run for the Mount Olive Township Council.”

But they informed her that she couldn’t be on the Ethics Committee if she was going to run for council, even though there was no selection criteria.

“So they decided to make changes to the selection criteria and violated the Sunshine Act actually,” Labow says. “John Dorsey (Republican State senator, assemblyman), the township attorney at the time told me if I didn’t like it I would have to sue.”

According to the councilwoman, she didn’t want to sue the town, but she says they were doing everything illegally.

“I did file suit and had an attorney pro bono and I won,” Labow says. “It took two years and he told me it cost the town like $1200 in legal fees.”

She didn’t win that initial election but two years later the councilwoman ran again and secured a seat on the council. “I started my service in January 2004,” Labow says.

“And it became like a joke after that whenever we were talking about ordinances or things you could do with a resolution vs. an ordinance.”

“John Dorsey used to kid around and say, ‘You gotta ask Mrs. Labow, she’s the ordinance expert around here.’”

When it comes to politics, the councilwoman says you like to think on a local level that everybody, including your fellow residents are concerned about the township.

“They always say there’s no Democratic or Republican way to plow the roads or to pave the roads,” Labow says.

Council President Joe Nicastro echoes that sentiment, adding that when he looks at an issue he only sees a Mount Olive issue

and what the right thing is to do for the residents. Working with Labow they are able to make that determination.

“Colleen is very knowledgeable and passionate and I enjoy our time together serving on council,” he says.

The councilwoman tries to stay as informed as possible so when a resident comes to her with a question or concern, she is able to direct them to the proper channels.

“But sometimes things do become very political,” Labow says.

Fortunately for the past several years, especially since Rob Greenbaum’s been there, the councilwoman says they haven’t experienced those political games and it’s been great.

“Because my dreams of how government should run, our government is running about as best as it could be,” Labow says. “Everybody is very respectful of others opinions, ya know we don’t always have to agree.”

And the councilwoman says that none of them have any problem agreeing to disagree.

“I love that we all listen to each other and want to hear what the other one has to say,” Labow says. “Sometimes we change our minds, sometimes we don’t.”

She says they’re not fighting about it, instead staying focused and realistically looking at how to perform the most effectively for the township.

“It sounds like it doesn’t seem possible but it’s really exciting that it’s actually working,” the councilwoman says. “That’s why I think when you keep politics out of it you can get things accomplished.”

She calls it an honor to be a member of the council and can’t think of a better government entity to work with than Mayor Rob Greenbaum and all the commissioners.

“We have a rare mindset,” she says.

“We all keep what we believe is in the best interest of our community the priority.”

According to Labow, even if you don’t like whoever’s elected, try to work with the person during their term to see what you can get done.

That type of collaborative effort has paid off for the council.

“We have worked very hard to improve roads, programs and services, reduce debt, increase our financial rating and (always) look for more ways to make improvements and keep municipal taxes stable,” the councilwoman says.

Looking ahead to 2020, there will be new tenants in town, as Amazon intends to repurpose the old Sam’s Club (ITC Crossings Mall) into an e-fulfillment center sometime in the new year, the company announced.

Stunned workers were greeted with locked doors when the Budd Lake site closed abruptly in early 2019 due to nationwide budget cuts, along with 175 jobs.

When the giant retailer moves into the space, they plan to hire hundreds of fulland part-time employees.

“They’re contemplating putting a flex warehouse,” Labow says. “Of course they’d have to improve the cap for the landfill and all that other stuff. So all these things are really nice items that are happening.”

On the other hand, the councilwoman says you get the frustrating end of the job and you have to have a lot of patience.

“We had this nice donation of land in the ITC for the section of the Morris Canal piece,” Labow says. “Our insurance company is concerned because of some waste material that it cost us about $30,000 to have an environmental company come to the state-owned access road to get to this junk, clean it up so we can get this really nice donation. But he wants to charge us $8,000 in permit fees.”

Labow says it’s the only section in what’s left of the Morris Canal that actually has water.

“I don’t know if that part is part of it or if it attaches to it but I’m fortunate that I’ve

taken a hiking course over in that area and it’s just gorgeous,” the councilwoman says.

She says it’s been three years trying to get this piece of property in the township’s name.

“Then you have people in the public who are constantly complaining, why isn’t our government doing this or that,” Labow says.

“Just because you’re not seeing something completed doesn’t mean we’re not working on it.”

“There’s no class to take that teaches you how to be a legislator, you really need to educate yourself and you have to care enough to want to learn.”

According to the councilwoman, whenever there is an accomplishment— you just relish those moments.

“Anytime you’re able to help somebody it’s very, very rewarding,” Labow says.

As chair of the Mount Olive Board of Health, Labow oversees anything related to wellness for the council.

“I’ve been fortunate enough that my colleagues have voted for me to be the chair,” Labow says. “Joe Nicastro was before me and I think Ray Perkins was before Joe and then I was it before Ray — so you kind of switch off and on.”

The council president is proud to serve with Labow.

“She is such a caring person,” Nicastro says. “No matter what an issue is Colleen will give her all to try to help.”

In 1999 to 2001 Labow did just that, joining the Mount Olive Police Department’s Crisis Response Team to become an advocate for victims of domestic violence.

“There’s a big anonymity thing,” Labow says. “If I were to run into somebody that I advocated for in the store you can’t even say hello. Then I realized as an elected official running for office you start to become known, people recognize you and I didn’t want that to interfere with anybody finding their path to a healthier, safer way of life.”

And the councilwoman’s years as a real estate agent have allowed her to share extensive experience with numerous issues related to septic systems and wells.

She also enjoys working with the Board of Health, including Animal Control (with free rabies vaccinations twice a year), the Senior Center/township nurse, septic installation projects and well water testing.

In 2009, she helped launch the Mount Olive TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) Project, a grassroots effort to manage the feral cat population in the township.

“The volunteers are fantastic people,” continued on page 44

Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com • Mt. Olive-Hackettstown Life • January 2020 • Page 43

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Recalling Steve Slattery’s Historic Exploits at Mount Olive High School and Beyond

By Steve Sears or Steve Slattery, it was always about the love of running.

“It’s one of those things where I was always a kid who grew up and played a lot of sports and was pretty athletic. So, you need the right combination of being able to run, being a strong miler or two-miler, and be athletic enough to hurdle or be able to jump over the water jump and be a good Steeplechaser.

For me, it was something that came pretty naturally, and it was something I gravitated to.”

For the record, Slattery was a national champion in middle school, a four-time All-American during his Mount Olive High School days and was a big part of the University of Colorado winning its first national title in Cross-Country.

It all started in Mount Olive. “Yeah, it was a great place to grow up,” says Slattery. “I was really lucky to grow up in Mount Olive. I grew up in the Flanders part of Mount Olive.

We had good schools, there was a lot of stuff to do, and it was a pretty safe and quiet place.”

Slattery, who ran Steeplechase in college, was interested in another type of running in his early days. His love of running was ingrained early in his life. “I ran the mile and Cross-Country and the two-mile in high school. I really got started running in middle school. I was on the middle school cross country team, and I was the national champion for the 3,000 meter and 1,500 meters (which is the mile and two-mile metric measurements). So I was the national champion in 8th grade and I went to Mount Olive High School and I was a state champion in Cross-Country (mile and two mile) and track, and then I went to the University of Colorado, where I was actually still the school record holder in the mile, but then I started getting into the Steeplechase as well. I ran both the mile in Steeplechase and also the two-mile, which were my main events as a professional.”

Slattery’s move up to the high school level was greeted happily by Dave Sulley, who was Slattery’s high school coach. “Steve came into high school with some outstanding accomplishments already at the middle school age group level. He dominated the local league and established many records in Cross- Country and track. He also competed at the regional and national level and won several titles.

Recognizing that their son was special, his parents encouraged him at this point to consider developing his talent.”

“I had already known coach Sulley for a long time,” says Slattery. “He was a great coach and having someone like him who had a lot of success at the high school – he eventually retired from Mount Olive and then coached at Delbarton and had a lot of success there -- it really helped. A lot of times you need the combination of a talented athlete who is also going to work hard, but you also need the right coaches to guide them, and for me I was just lucky that all of those things came together. Growing up in Mount Olive where we had a very good coach and I had some talent, and I was willing to work hard -- all of that came together for me.”

Slattery had success right away. “Steve immediately set his stamp on the high school level his freshman year,” said Sulley, who Slattery says didn’t overwork him but did enough to help the youngster’s progress. “He won the Mor-

ris County Cross-Country championships. He went on to win all four years, which no boy has ever done. He went on to win both the county 1600 and 3200 in indoor track four years in a row and the outdoor 3200 four years in a row as well as two 1600 titles. Arguably, he was the greatest male distance runner in Morris county competition.”

What did Slattery have that perhaps other runners didn’t? Sulley elaborates. “Steve was totally dedicated to the sport. He set ambitious goals and followed through on training to achieve them. He never had any serious injury, other than a sprained ankle once, and I attribute that to his paying attention to detail in his training. He worked on the

essential aspects of running and was focused on learning how to achieve at the highest level. He spent time learning the sport through reading and research and began to develop a strong sense of direction in doing what would make him succeed.”

Then, there was his competitive nature. “Naturally, he was and has always been extremely competitive. He was gutsy and fearless on the Cross-Country course and track.

While he won so often, he took losses with grace and philosophical analysis and immediately looked ahead to how he would do better the next time. He developed many enduring friendships in the sport and was a good sportsman throughout his career. In that sense, he became a great ambassador of the sport. He was willing to help others and had a great sense of humor. He demonstrated leadership in both action and words.”

Sulley and Slattery maintain a special friendship to this day. “It’s my pleasure to say that Steve and I developed a great relationship and it has moved beyond the coach-athlete one to lifelong friendship. I attended meets where he competed beyond high school, including the Olympic Trials. I always look forward to hearing from him and seeing him and knowing his wife Sara and their children. Through Steve’s collegiate and professional career, I was able to get a glimpse into higher levels of the sport as well as meet some of the great elite runners that he and his wife knew at the professional level.”

A top recruit in his class, Slattery received quite a few scholarship offers. He chose the University of Colorado because every year they were one of the top schools in the country, but also because he wanted to run professionally after college, and coaches there had much success in prepping for runners for that. Also, the Buffaloes had never won a national title, but with Slattery now on board, they hoped the plan would reach fruition – and it did. In his junior year, the Buffaloes won their first Cross-Country national championship.

Mark Wetmore, Slattery’s Head Coach at the University of Colorado, was ironically enough a teacher at Mount Olive High School before heading west. He also attended high school in Bernardsville with Sulley. “We are always excited when talented athletes choose us,” he says when asked about Slattery ultimately choosing to be a Colorado Buffalo. Slattery his first semester got acclimated to both collegiate life with his classes, but also to the altitude in the state. His second semester he ran indoor and outdoor track, and Wetmore quickly got him to compete against the best in the country.

And Slattery’s contribution was huge, especially in his junior year in the championship race. “2001 was the first year C.U. won a national title,” says Wetmore. “Steve passed about 20 opponents in the final kilometer. We won by one point I believe.”

“It was really good,” says Slattery, “to be with a great coach and a great program, but also to help the program reach its first national championship and the excitement around that.”

And excitement when he renewed a friendship with someone very special: his future wife, Sara. “We actually met briefly in high school at the high school national chamcontinued on page 48

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Mt. Olive Township: Think Spring!

Garden Plots Available at the Community Garden at South Branch Preserve

ow entering its seventh year of operation, the Community Garden at South Branch Preserve has plots availabe for the 2020 season, which runs from April 1st through November 30th.

An informational meeting will be held on Wednesday, February 19th at 7 p.m at the Mt. Olive Township public library, 202 Flanders-Drakestown Rd, Flanders, NJ 07836. Free vegetable seeds will be available to interested gardeners, and sign ups for plots may be completed at this time.

“The camaraderie and friendships among the gardeners has been amazing, and the gardeners donated over 350 lbs of excess produce in 2019,” said Barbara McCloskey, the Garden Manager and Membership & Outreach Manager for the Land Conservancy.

The annual membership rate for Mt. Olive Township residents and/or members of The Land Conservancy is $35 per 10’ x10’ plot and $45 for non- residents. There is a one-time irrigation fee of $30 for each plot.

The Community Garden is located at the intersection of Wolfe Road and Route 46 West.

It is part of South Branch Preserve, which totals over 200 acres in this location. Preserved

by The Land Conservancy and its partners (including Mt. Olive Township) this land was purchased to protect the headwaters of the South Branch of the Raritan River, a drinking water supply source for over 1.5 million New Jersey residents.

The garden is surrounded by fencing, to keep out deer and rodents, including rabbits

and groundhogs. A shed is located onsite, which houses some gardening supplies. Gardeners are encouraged to bring their own gardening tools.

Water is provided by The Land Conservancy by individual spigots and hoses throughout the garden. Only organic gardening practices are allowed at the Preserve.

For additional information, contact Barbara McCloskey at The Land Conservancy of New Jersey at (973) 541-1010, x14, gardenmanager@ tlc-nj.org or visit our website at www.tlc-nj.org.

Founded in 1981, The Land Conservancy of New Jersey is a member supported, non-profit land trust dedicated to preserving and protecting vital natural lands and water resources throughout the State. The Land Conservancy has preserved over 27,000 acres of land and helped towns secure $235 million in county, state, and federal grants for their land conservation projects.

Accredited by the National Land Trust Accreditation Commission in 2009, and reaccredited in 2015, The Land Conservancy of New Jersey has worked with 100 municipalities in 13 counties and is recognized for meeting the highest quality standards for protecting open space, upholding the public trust, and ensuring that their conservation efforts are permanent.

For more information about the work of The Land Conservancy of New Jersey, visit their website www.tlc-nj.org or call 973-541-1010.

Historic District... continued from page 40 kids to try and sit down and experience it.”

The stained glass windows in the church have been removed (“They were from the 1940s, they didn’t match the church, and they weren’t in the best shape anyway,” says Murphy), and have been returned to the original glass windows that appeared in a 1930s newspaper article about the

church that showed a picture of the side of the building. “There were shutters at that time, covering the windows. But one of the shutters was broken and you could see the frame of the window inside. From that, they were able to determine how many panes of glass were in it.” The roof on the school must be replaced. “When the

old Presbyterian Church (originally built in 1857) – which at the time was turned over to a private resident - burned to the ground ten years ago, the heat curled up some of the roofing tiles. We want to get a new roof on there.”

“Historical” to Murphy means the following. “Once you get people in, I think they’ll

make a little more of a connection. That’s why we want to see buildings like this preserved, otherwise every town just becomes this nameless blur of strip malls and chain stores. People don’t have that connection to their community unless there’s something unique about it. I hope this helps provide more of that.”

ettstown; Pinot’s Palette and made chunky afghans. It was really cool.”

When Labow first became chair of the Board of Health a couple of terms ago she volunteered for Meals on Wheels, even going on apartment inspections because she’s all about having a hands-on approach — to get a feel for what everyone in the department does.

“I’ll never forget as long as I live that in some cases people have to wait for somebody to come by and take out your garbage or change a lightbulb,” Labow says. “Probably not supposed to do stuff like that but what are you gonna do, I’m right there.”

So they’re trying to set up a program for those who don’t have family close by who

can visit on a regular basis to check on them and help with the little things.

“Get volunteers and we have to vet the people and make sure they are on the up and up plus reliable that they will actually be there,” the councilwoman says. “I think it’ll work out just fine; it’s that everything takes so long. I’m more of the, if something needs to be done — let’s just do it.”

And they have to be very conscientious to make sure to follow that line and not waver because Labow says there’s too much at stake.

“It’s always nice to get that reassurance and people give you the thumbs up and want you to keep going,” the councilwoman says. “I’m out there doing everything I can.”

Councilwoman Speaks Out... continued from page 42 Labow says. “That evolved where all of a sudden people who needed help with having their cats (or even their dogs) spayed or neutered, resources, make connections — find homes for some of the pets — it was wonderful to keep that group going.”

And she’s especially passionate about the Mount Olive Health Improvement Coalition, trying to find better ways to connect with the community on wellness related issues.

“Sometimes we have our seniors and disabled population, which is really hard for them to get out as much on their own,” Labow says. “And there are a lot of people who are lonely.”

According to the Board of Health chair, having a healthy life isn’t all about physical health. So in one of the coalition meetings they discussed meeting up for various activities, possibly (with Labow saying she loves this idea) a crochet or knitting class at the library, book of the month club, holiday cookie swap and go back to basics.

Labow recalled a time when there were quilting parties and whole communities would get together, sharing snips of fabric to make a great big quilt.

“I’ve been collecting all these patterns for mittens and hats,” the councilwoman says. “I used to crochet with my grandmother — she taught me how. And my sister, niece and I went to that place in Hack-

Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com • Mt. Olive-Hackettstown Life • January 2020 • Page 45

Mount Olive Area Chamber of Commerce Torch of Presidency Passed

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By Steve Sears

huck Aaron, soon to be the new President of the Mount Olive Area Chamber of Commerce (MOACOC), is living the dream.

He has always wanted to own his own business, and for 5 years he has done so, he and partner Mike Bigger in 2014 opening Jersey Girl Brewing Company in Mount Olive.

Aaron worked for number of companies, all the while educating himself by working various positions. “Distribution, manufacturing, sales, finance – it all comes into owning a business. I became a student of business, so now that I run my business I understand how to build teams, how to finance growth, how to network for sales, and build relationships – that’s been helping us grow a lot the last four years of being open.”

Aaron assumes the Chamber helm from three-year President Harry Browne. “I became an active member the first January after we were opened, ran for an open Board position, so I’ve been on the board now for two years.” Aaron was initially recording secretary, worked on rewriting the bylaws, and has recently served as Vice-President. He will initially serve a one-year term. “Vice President was a great job, and I’m looking forward to the challenge of being President – big shoes to fill with Harry. He’s very active, engages, and has done a lot to grow the Chamber. So, I’m excited by the challenge.”

Aaron, 51, had reached the point in his life where he was either going to take the self-employment plunge or not. He dove in. “We decided ‘this is what we’re going to do,’ and it’s been great. When you say ‘great’ it’s like a lot of other businesses that start up. A lot of nights of not sleeping, very long days, the worries of day to day when you start up, you have to cut things you wish you didn’t have to, but just out of necessity of keeping the business alive to the next cycle.

You’ve got to make those tough decisions.”

Aaron isn’t originally from Mount Olive. He was born in Louisiana, lived in Europe for three years, and has also lived in Virginia. He has lived in the Garden State the longest, since the 7th grade, residing in Morris Plains, attending high school in Madison and college at Seton Hall University, and got his master’s degree in Finance Technology from the New Jersey Institute of Technology. He met his wife, Angela, while in college in the late 1980s. The couple has two sons, Andrew (age 17) and Michael (age 15).

The MOACOC is, per Aaron, ‘more Mount Olive than the surrounding towns. Hackettstown being the largest of the surrounding towns, the membership is typically made up of Mount Olive and Hackettstown businesses members, but there are some that are a little further bit reaching than that.” He then adds, “We are at 170 members now. Harry will give you the exact numbers. I know he’s pulled some data. Since he’s been President, there’s probably been about a 40% growth in membership in the last three years.”

Browne, 58, a former 12-year Mount Olive resident, now resides in nearby Independence and has been a financial and insurance advisor 20 years. He currently works for One Legacy Financial Group. He and his wife, Mary Rose Ryan, are proud parents of a daughter, Sharon, and son, Harrison.

Browne, who is remaining on as a Trustee, says, “41%,” regarding the increase in membership that past three years.

He cites a few reasons for that success. “I was fortunate enough to surround myself with Board members and com-

mittee members who wanted to roll up their sleeves and actually do something. We truly wanted to contribute to the growth of the businesses of our members. A lot of the things we focused on was, ‘How do we improve the value of being a member?’ Granted, nobody is spending a lot of money to be a member of this Chamber of Commerce. It’s only $125 a year. It goes more beyond that. It’s participating, getting involved, making the connection.” Browne relates it to his own business “I got to know people, and then trust develops, and then a relationship develops. And then you’re doing business.”

“You invest the time; you make the relationships. It’s a whole different level of prospecting, and it may not be the person you’re talking to. It could be one of their contacts.”

Aaron’s biggest challenge as Vice-President was organizational design. “Running the Chamber Board as a Board.

One of the first things I did coming into the Chamber was to rewrite the bylaws and establish a core set of rules for operating. That went over really well. It took quite a bit of time to put together. I didn’t do it alone; I was working with a team but was kind of the lead on that. More recently, we started to focus on Board meeting agendas, roles and responsibilities of each of the members. The President typically, when Harry started, was THE guy; did everything, led everything. It’s too much. When you have a Board of nine or ten people, everyone needs to contribute, everyone needs to take responsibility. I think that’s been a nice transition over the last year. “ As for 2020 and his first year of Presidency, Aaron believes the focus has to be on consolidation and delivery of value. “Our members expect two things: the ability to network with other businesses to help their business grow or find other like-minded businesses to communicate with – whatever their need is in their business. We need to connect to other business to help them achieve their goals.

Two, we need to educate; we need to provide some type of education that helps our smaller businesses get access to information. This teaches them those things that help them take that business to the next level, whether it’s marketing related growth, financial education, business planning, how to network, how to present your business. We have a lot of large service business manufacturing in the Chamber. I think we need to focus in on diversity of membership.

As we build this value piece, we need to bring more brick and mortar, the small shoppe guys, the guys that are running operations on the corridors that run throughout the Mount Olive Chamber. We can’t forget them: those are the ones that are the aces of the business community, the ones where people shop day to day. If we get them involved, and we maintain our current membership, and we begin to offer focused platforms every month that people can attend and schedule up and know about as we go through the year, we can’t help but become stronger and stronger as a Chamber -- which is only good for the community businesses, because now were growing – now we’ve put our businesses in a growth mode. We need to focus on these things, and that’s where I believe our challenge is going to be next year.”

Short term goals are streamlining events, combining them. Marketing in the Morning is a popular business networking event held on Wednesday mornings, but there are others called Women in Business, Young Professional Group, and Lunch and Learn. All take a lot of effort and en-

Chuck Aaron ergy to create platforms. Aaron is pushing for consolidation of the last three, to have in his words “one really strong meeting every month that is guest speaker-oriented, that has networking involved in it. It’s two hours long, and we take the people that were running those three events and they (will) run this core event. Two events a month, and members have a chance to engage and participate, and that’s where they’re going to get value back from being members. That’s absolutely important to me.”

Browne envisions certain things for the MOACOC, and one is Aaron taking the momentum and strength created the past three years and raising the Chamber to the next level. “Not only of volunteers but of membership. You know, I’d be happy with a 20% increase -- get us to over 200 members. And have a realistic goal. Continue to improve the value of being a member. He (Aaron) already has mentioned to us at a Board meeting some ideas about streamlining our networking events that show some real promise.

So now there’s getting the right people, the right boots on the ground, who share that vision, and they’ll do it.”

Aaron encourages non-member businesses to give the Chamber a shot. “The only reason we do what we do is to be able to provide businesses with a place where they can go and learn and network and come and be a part and see what we do. Come as a guest: you don’t have to be a member to attend events. Try it before you buy it.”

Browne also touts the vastness of the area and opportunity. One of the things he focused on was developing the Hackettstown area, the latter with a Main Street area of doing business. Browne’s goal was to try and get some of those businesses to become Chamber members. Himself living next to Hackettstown while also formerly living in Mount Olive and being MOACOC President, he did his best to speak to businesses about getting involved. He brought continued on page 48

Page 46 • January 2020 • Mt. Olive-Hackettstown Life • Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com

New Beginnings Bible Church -

Living Its Pillars of Faith

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by Elsie Walker he church began on June 14, 2007.

A few people from another church felt as if God was calling them to start a church led by (at the time) Pastor Robert Dalsing. Our first services were actually held in one of the member’s backyard,” shared church member Matt Keir of Landing. The church met in a variety of places before finding a permanent location.

Today, New Beginnings Bible Church, a non-denominational church, calls 104 Bartley Flanders Road, in Flanders, its home.

The current pastor is Stuart Swicegood, who became the church’s pastor in March 2018. Swicegood grew up in south Alabama and at age 11, while at a summer camp, confessed Christ as Lord. He has been a minister for 20 years. The ministry is a second career for Swicegood. His first career was as an executive account manager working at the second largest payphone provider in the United States. He got the call to ministry just as the payphone industry was about to see major changes. He said the timing was good.

Besides being the pastor of New Beginnings Bible Church, Swicegood teaches at the American Christian (High) School in Wharton. Among the courses he teaches are the New Testament and logic. He has three daughters, one of whom attends the American Christian School. Swicegood’s hobbies are reading and listening to music. The family has two cats, named by his youngest daughter after bands: Pantaloon and Killjoy.

Swicegood noted that the church has five pillars (principles): Proclaiming the authority of God’s Word without apology, lifting high the name of Jesus through worship, believing firmly in the power of prayer, sharing the good news of Jesus with boldness, and pursuing Christ-likeness together in sincere communities – small groups.

These pillars can be seen throughout the life of the church.

Worship at New Beginnings Bible Church is at 10 a.m. each Sunday. The style of worship is contemporary with a small praise band. Keir shared, ”there is a worship leadership leader who sings and plays guitar, a few singers and a bassist.“ People can listen to sermons from the pastor’s current sermon series by visiting this page, www. nbbcnj.org/listen.

“The church is a family. We all love each other and spend time with each other on more than just Sunday mornings. I’ve had several friends come to this church and tell me it is one of the few places they can go

“

and feel loved and not judged, no matter what,” said Keir.

Kids Ministry is for children from birth to third grade. Children participate in age appropriate education and worship, which prepares them for when they join in the worship in the sanctuary (starting in the fourth grade).

After church, Swicegood said there is an informal time of fellowship where people will mingle, pray for each other, and converse about the service. Once a quarter the church’s hospitality team organizes a meal during which members get together and share in fellowship.

“We all fellowship before and after church. We also stress the importance of small groups and becoming closer and accountable with, and for, one another,” said Keir.

There are mutual ministries, which consist of small groups which meet for a short Bible study and then break out to talk. Attendees ask each other about what is happening in their lives and to see if they are living the Christian life. “We care for one another and encourage one another to live the Christian life. We recognize that we’re all broken and God has brought us all together to help each other,” shared Swicegood.

Prayers and scripture are important to this church and its website shares ways in which people can share and grow in each one. For example, the church’s website notes that there is a Friday Morning Prayer time at 6 a.m. at the Starbucks near the Target by the Rockaway Mall.

Also, its website notes, “as a church, we need to be constantly coming together before the Lord to pray for one another and those whom the Lord has called us to reach.

Our prayer gathering meets on the second Tuesday of every month to pray together as a corporate body of Christ. We begin at 7 p.m. and pray for about an hour.”

The Ironworkers, a men’s ministry, exists to encourage and equip men to walk as faithful disciples of Jesus, leading their families as servant leaders, and impacting their workplaces, neighborhoods, and friends as living examples of the power of God’s grace.

It meets the first Friday of the month from 6:30–8:30 p.m.; it includes meal, study, and fellowship. “We also have a few people that go to a Goodwill Mission (Goodwill Rescue Mission) in Newark and preach the gospel,” said Keir The pastor shared they are looking into launching a young adult ministry in 2020, noting the number of young single parents

around.

The New Beginnings Bible Church congregation reaches out to those both near and far.

“Currently, we are heavily involved with the Mount Olive Food Pantry,” said Keir.

“The whole church collects whatever items the food pantry needs for the month, then a few people go there and help.”

In addition, the church has helped another food bank as well, with food donations.

Swicegood shared that they’ve taken food donations outside a Chester supermarket.

Congregation members are also encouraged to practice intentional neighborliness. Swicegood explained that members are asked to get to know their neighbors, and once a quarter pick a neighbor and do something for that person, whether it is in-

vite him/her to dinner, bring him or her a dish, or help in some other way.

Finally, the church supports missions and ministries locally and around the world. The church supports a mission in New Guinea which is bringing the word of God to people who have never heard the gospel of Jesus. Another ministry they support is in the Middle East where there are places closed to the gospel. Additionally, the church supports the Lighthouse Pregnancy Resource Center, The Transformation Life Center, and through World Vision, the church supports a 12-year-old girl in Lesotho, Africa who hope to be a nurse one day.

For more information on New Beginning Bible Church, visit its website www.nbbcnj. org/ or phone: 973-584-3698.

Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com • Mt. Olive-Hackettstown Life • January 2020 • Page 47

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Page 48 • January 2020 • Mt. Olive-Hackettstown Life • Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com

Recalling Steve Slattery... continued from page 43 pionships. I was two years older than her, and at the University of Colorado she ended up coming (there) as well.

We knew each other from then, we were friends, started dating right away in college. She’s been probably the biggest influence on my life. She’s just a really talented, hard working person and she’s very dedicated. Having someone in your life who has similar goals and work ethic really helped me.” The couple has been married for 16 years and have two children, a 6-year old son named Steven, and 4-year-old daughter named Cali.

Both Slattery and his wife ran professionally after college, he winning a national title at the USA Outdoor Championships in 2003, and she in 2007 won an international gold medal at the Pan American Games. “We got to compete for our country and travel all over the world. It was a really awesome experience and we’re just really grateful that we got to experience that in our lives. It’s not something a lot of people get to do.”

Sara is now a head coach of the Men’s Cross-Country and Assistant Track and Field coach at Grand Canyon Uni-

Chamber of Commerce... continued from page 45 events over township lines, and Mount Olive members were exposed to the opportunities in Hackettstown, and vice-versa.

The largest growth area in membership came from Hackettstown. “I see continued growth,” he says, “from the Hackettstown and Mount Olive areas.”

“I think,” says Browne, again knowing well the potential of Chamber membership, “any viable business – whether it’s someone working from home who could use

advice, guidance, or leadership; or a Main Street business, Route 46, 206, or Main Street, Hackettstown – get involved. Join. It is the shortest marketing money you could ever spend.”

“If you are feeling alone as a business, like you’re out there by yourself, you’re really not,” says Aaron. “There’s a community of businesses out there waiting and looking to help you be successful.”

Visit www.mountolivechambernj.com.

Have an interesting story you would like to share?

Email us at editor@mylifepublications.com

versity, and Steve is an area sales manager for Cutera.

Slattery has said many times he “worked hard” with regard to his running career. He was asked to define that.

“Many times, when you want to be good at something you need to be dedicated. And for running you have to run a lot, but not just run a lot but run hard. There’s a big difference between running kind of hard and running really hard. You know that if you need to be good you need to run a lot and run hard and push yourself – every day.”

“I was one of those people who was willing to do that.”

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Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com • Mt. Olive-Hackettstown Life • January 2020 • Page 49

State of the Township Address 2020

C

ouncil President, members of the Town Council, Municipal employees, friends, relatives and fellow residents of Mount Olive, as I proudly finish my second term as Mayor of this wonderful Township and begin my third term, I once again thank you for the opportunity to report on the 2020 State of the Township of Mount Olive.

Many have asked me what more I hope to accomplish in the upcoming four years. The most important goal is tax stability. For the eighth year in a row, we will be introducing a budget that will include no municipal tax increase for the residents. To accomplish that, we continue to encourage growth while at the same time limit spending.

Notwithstanding the realization of no municipal tax increases for almost a decade, nothing gives me greater pleasure then the renewed pride our residents have for this community. As in past years, I often hear from residents and non-residents alike, how wonderful our facilities are like Turkey Brook and/or our High School, and how much our residents love and enjoy Mount Olive.

It is not enough to simply have great facilities though, we also strive to have great programs for our residents. Our award winning Recreation Department is second to none.

Once again, through the use of social media, radio, signs and newspapers, Mount Olive residents are always connected to the happenings in Mount Olive. Our communication efforts and successes are still the envy of all of our surrounding towns.

Beyond the programs that we run, I have instilled in our Town employees the “can do” attitude when it comes to the needs of our residents. Our municipal departments understand that we work for the taxpayers and in many instances have gone above and beyond to resolve individual homeowner issues.

Of course, all of the accomplishments could not have been achieved without the hard work and support of the Governing Body. We work collaboratively as a team in Mount Olive. I would once again like to thank Joe Nicastro for his leadership in 2019 and look forward to working with him again in 2020. I congratulate Joe on his appointment to another term, I believe an unprecedented fifth consecutive term as Council President and thank him and the rest of the Town Council for their support and guidance. While I generally get the credit, the successes are equally shared with and earned by the Town Council. So too, I would be remiss by not highlighting the outstanding work and accomplishments of your Department Heads and employees.

Administration The Administration Department continues to coordinate all aspects of local government and is responsible for the day-to-day operations associated with all municipal activities.

As with any large organization, a significant amount of time was spent on Human Resources, hiring twenty four new employees and processing two retirements. We will continue to look for dedicated individuals to best serve our Township. Additionally, a new contract was negotiated with the Mount Olive Township Police Department which will have a savings impact on future budgets.

Legislatively, we supported policies and made changes to our ordinances to reflect the current environment and we will continue to make recommendations as we encounter issues throughout the year. Our franchise agreement with Altice was recently renewed which we were able to negotiate a senior discount, a $25,000 technology grant and free Wi-Fi at Turkey Brook Park.

Phase I of the Old Flanders Sewer project is near completion, the Gold Mine Hotel was demolished with our eye now on the Blue Bird and we re-negotiated our lease agreement with Centercourt for the continued use of their pool facility.

We are bringing awareness to our 24th District Legislators about the algae blooms at Budd Lake as we seek for assistance from the DOT and DEP, a Sister City was entered into with Mount Olive, North Carolina to enhance our relationship, our council meetings are now live streamed and our website has been updated. Furthermore, our shared services continue to deliver as our contracting towns show confidence in our services by renewing their contracts and adding additional services.

Over $1.1 million dollars was awarded in grants from Federal, State and County agencies and we will continue to look for additional grant opportunities to help offset our expenditures. Major projects include the rehabilitation of International Drive, the restoration of the Seward House and Old Baptist Church, and the Turkey Brook Park Extension.

Our office continues to support community events by fostering the relationship with the business who have partnered with us through their generous donations and various sponsorships throughout the year.

Finance Department The Finance Department, which comprises the finance, collection and assessment divisions exceeded operating expectations in 2019. Our projected fund balances in all funds are slated to be higher than last year balances, most notably in our main operating budget.

With respect to the tax assessment division, the Township received over $1 million in revenue from $40 million in added assessments and the reverse tax appeal from Toys R Us. We also settled twenty five County tax board judgments which resulted in no refunds. For 2020, our property values are expected to grow by $52 million or almost 2%. Our state audit of the farm qualified Woodland Management Properties was found to be in 100% compliance with no deficiencies. We have the lowest number of pending state tax appeals in comparison to similar Morris County towns and are near the top in added assessment revenue increases.

In the collection division, we updated our tax website to include links for all available tax relief programs and also created multiple PDF forms. We worked closely with the Township Attorney to prepare and hold an assignment tax sale for the Combe Fill property and were responsible for collecting over $110 million in property taxes, water and sewer rents.

Our tax collection rate is expected to well exceed 99% which we have been able to do since 2014. A successful tax sale also resulted in over $310,000 in premiums which will return to the Township in five years pending no lien redemptions.

In the finance division, the 2018 audit was completed for the eleventh year in a row with no audit recommendations, along with no recommendations for the LOSAP, JIF and arbitrage audit. The best practice checklist was completed satisfactorily to obtain our final allotment of state aid and we met our continuing disclosure requirements. All non-vested LOSAP accounts were closed resulting in an additional $23,000 to the Township and the services provided by our bank have been renegotiated resulting in an additional $110,000 in interest. The time and attendance solution was upgraded and we were able to obtain reduced rates from our payroll provider by 18%. Finally, our archival storage project was completed, reports were prepared using the new FAST online module, we continued to assist with the Old Flanders sewer assessment and the annual water/sewer study was prepared.

Police Department The prevention of crime, crashes, and negative quality of life issues continue to be the focus of the Mount Olive Police Department. To be successful in those endeavors, we need the support of the community. The police department remains committed to maintaining and building those positive relationships by offering and participating in National Night Out, Coffee with a Cop, Keeping Seniors Safe, Touch a Truck, and Law Enforcement Against Drugs.

The Mount Olive Police Department is a community oriented police department that utilizes data driven technology and intelligence to direct resources. The Mount Olive Police Department is committed to following nationally recognized best practices and maintaining accreditation through the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police.

Department of Public Works In the Roads Department, a successful year of paving was accomplished by resurfacing over twenty roadways, including phase II of International Drive North. Drainage improvements were also made to six areas prone to flooding.

The Parks, Building and Grounds Departments addressed the outdated HVAC systems in the municipal building by replacing four units. Improvements were made by installing three turf baseball infields and a new concrete pad for the event tent at Turkey Brook Park. Additionally, Lou Nelson and Flanders Park received new playgrounds with ADA accessibility.

In the Water and Sewer Department, engineering plans continue for the installation of water lines in the Pershing Estates Development, the old sewer filtration system at the Cloverhill sewer treatment plant was replaced along with a newly expanded treatment plant office and support was provided for the Old Flanders Sewer project.

The Sanitation Department continued with another successful town wide large item cleanup and will be expanding its services to the Morris Chase Development adding an additional one hundred and eighty properties. The shared service contract with Chester for sanitation pick up was also renewed generating over $40,000 in gross revenue.

The Fleet Department continues to handle all maintenance issues for township owned vehicles and as-

1

Page 50 • January 2020 • Mt. Olive-Hackettstown Life • Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com

State of the Township Address 2020...

sists with Fire and EMS vehicle maintenance and up fits as needed. This new service to our volunteer departments was provided as an option to save money and to streamline the maintenance of their vehicles. The Fleet Department has also continued to organize and carry out the township auctions of vehicles, equipment, Police surplus, and obsolete IT equipment to maximize return on investment for the township.

Recreation Department The Recreation Department held sixteen special events in 2019 with more than seventy thousand attendees, four hundred and thirty one business sponsors and over one hundred and thirty volunteers. Five new events debuted, including Mardi Gras, Seas the Day, Pirate Day, Oktoberfest and Bonfire Boutique. Bubble Palooza 5K Fun Run & Walk won the Morris County Park Alliance Award for Outstanding Program. Other favorite events included Movie Nights, Touch a Truck, Chili Brewfest, Cabin Fever Reliever, Fairy & Pirate Festival, Raiders of the Lost Park Mud Run, Mt. Olive Week Carnival, and the annual Food Trucks & Fireworks.

During the school year, forty nine programs for our youth and adults were held with over two thousand participants. Four summer camp programs were also held which over six hundred children participat-

ed.

Between our three aquatic venues, Budd Lake Beach, Pirates’ Cove and the Mt. Olive Pool, we had over forty one thousand visitors this summer!

The Recreation Department revamped their on-line registration program, Community Pass, to be easier to navigate and Visa credit cards can now be accepted, in addition to MasterCard and Discover.

Instagram and social media videos were added to the marketing plans for events.

E-newsletters are sent weekly to over eight thousand people.

Health Department The Health Department submitted their application for National Public Health Accreditation. National Accreditation validates a local health department’s commitment to quality improvement, performance management, accountability, transparency, and capacity to deliver the Ten Essential Public Health Services. In this effort, the Department convened a group of approximately thirty local public health, healthcare, non-profit, religious, business, hospital, and government officials to form the Mount Olive Health Improvement Coalition in order to complete a community health assessment and begin creating a community health improvement plan. They will complete the

improvement plan and start implementing improvement strategies in early 2020.

The Senior Transportation program continues to grow. Over the past year staff made over two thousand trips taking our seniors to their medical appointments. This is more than in any previous year and is a 48% increase over last year. They also delivered over twenty five hundred meals to homebound, low-income seniors. Overall, the program saw close to six thousand passengers this past year.

The Health Department continues to

coordinate the Township’s annual holiday gift program; again this year they distributed gifts to fifty children for twenty two Mt. Olive families. This program is only possible because of the generous donations of our residents and local businesses and churches.

The Health Department began providing public health services to Mine Hill this year.

They also continue providing services to Wharton, Dover, Mt. Arlington and Netcong.

Through shared services agreements and fees the Department collects, approximately $500,000 was generated.

1

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Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com • Mt. Olive-Hackettstown Life • January 2020 • Page 51

State of the Township Address 2020...

The Health Director received the NJ Local Boards of Health Association’s annual Meritorious Service Award for outstanding contribution to public health and the Deputy Director was appointed to the Public Health Licensing Board by the Commissioner of the NJ Department of Health.

IT Department Mount Olive Township scored higher than average during an overall external network assessment and penetration test conducted by an independent cyber-security company.

The testing assessed the security posture

of our routers, firewalls, and other security appliances that filter malicious traffic from the internet. The network was evaluated in the same manner that a malicious outside attacker would. The company could not penetrate our firewalls, which demonstrated our network security effectiveness.

The IT department has broadened security awareness to all employees with interactive training, educational courses, and email security guidelines and best practices.

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Management Program were conducted to strengthen email security awareness for all employees. Once the simulations were complete, training courses on how to avoid phishing attempts were developed.

The IT department proactively monitors over two hundred eighty users and groups and over one hundred twenty devices, which includes workstations, servers and tablets.

All township data is securely backed up daily and stored in two different cloud locations in the event of a true disaster.

Planning Department The Planning Department’s key accomplishments for the year included the preparation of an “Area in Need of Redevelopment” study and “Redevelopment Plan” adopted by the Planning Board and the drafting of a new overlay zone district ordinance adopted by the Township Council to establish a potential development on the one hundred acre former Combe Fill North landfill. The Department also prepared an ordinance to rezone six vacant acres along Rt. 46 in Budd Lake from R-6 residential zoning to a C-1 commercial designation thus implementing a recommendation in the Master Plan Reexamination Report. The Township Planner assisted the Planning Board in reviewing a number of new development applications approved during the past year including a

new Wawa on Rt. 206; Three T’s, a restoration and expansion of long term empty office building for new roofing company; a new Boat House restaurant and apartment to replace existing dilapidated building on Sand Shore Road; Fratelli Beretta’s 33,000 sq. ft. addition to their existing facility in the International Trade Zone; 700 International Drive, a new 63,440 sq. ft. bldg.; Revolution Fitness, a new personal training studio on Rt. 206, a new clubhouse building and in ground pool in Village Green; and a new digital billboard on Rt. 206. The Department has begun the initial review process for a proposed 700 unit residential development to be located in the FTZ-4 district zone which will include one hundred affordable units counted towards the Township’s affordable housing obligation.

In addition, the Department continued to work with various property owners towards creating a new Highlands Redevelopment District to include vacant land in the Light Industrial zone located at westerly end of Sand Shore Road and properties on the southerly side of Rt. 46 including the Mt. Olive Parkade shopping center to facilitate new development within the Highlands Preservation Area. The Department has implemented the Township’s new regulations to register vacant and abandoned buildings and

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Page 52 • January 2020 • Mt. Olive-Hackettstown Life • Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com

State of the Township Address 2020... collect fees to ensure compliance with municipal property maintenance code. The Township Planner has and continues to work with the Open Space Committee and Land Conservancy in creating an updated open space plan. Finally, the Department issued three hundred twenty five Zoning Permits and processed three hundred seventy five OPRA requests.

Construction Department During the past year, the Building Department has collected over $500,000, issuing over fourteen hundred construction permits and over one thousand certificates of occupancy.

The department conducted over five thousand inspections and will continue to bring the best possible service to the residents, business owners and contractors of Mount Olive.

Fire Prevention The Fire Marshal’s Office enforces fire safety regulations to every commercial building and business in the Township, along with providing a shared services to Chester Borough, Hackettstown and Allamuchy. Over eighteen hundred businesses are inspected annually generating over $150,000 dollars in annual revenue. New software was also

implemented making inspections easier and more efficient for our Fire Inspectors working in the field.

Conclusion This is only a snap shot of the many achievements and accomplishments our Township Departments and employees have achieved this past year. I will continue to strive to make Mount Olive Township the best place to live, work and raise a family. I consider every member of the community a family member. The pride that you have shown me, the dedication for our community and the support that we have for one another is over whelming.

I know there are still many things upon which we need to improve and promise to do my best to accomplish and make as my priority in the New Year. I look forward to and ask for the resident’s support for many years to come. In closing, I would like to thank the Township Council, our Business Administrator and all of our Department Heads and municipal employees for a job well done in 2019. May the New Year bring you good health, happiness and prosperity.

With Gratitude and Appreciation, Rob Greenbaum Mayor, Mount Olive Township

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No. 17 • Vol. 6

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www.mypaperonline.com

June 2019

Roxbury Teen Helps Save

Route 80 Motorist’s Life

By Elise Phillips Margulis with, he knew from medical hristopher Caccavella, school that 17, was when a person’s face is purple, they are cydriving to Morris County School of anotic--suffering from oxygen deprivation.

Technology when he encountered The man had a car that was blocking no pulse but his body was his lane 80. He saw that the driver’s on Route warm so Mazpule knew that the man had body was recently suffered slumped over the steering a cardiac arrest. wheel, pulled The surgeon started doing over immediately and chest comcalled driver was barely breathing. #77. The pressions and explained to Troiano how to Just then administer oxygen. another driver, Denville Soon the police arrived attorney Matthew and gave the motorist Narcan, an Troiano, pulled over. opioid antagonist that partially Caccavella said he was nervous or completely because reverses an opioid he had never been in a overdose. situation like that The driver began to regain but knew he had to do conscioussomething. “I was ness and started moving a bit, but just at the right place at Mazpule the right time. I knew they had to continue the CPR knew the driver needed help so I decided while. for a Mazpule took the oxygen to help him. I didn’t know from the how condition was when I stopped.” serious his police officers’ emergency kit and administered it to the motorist.

Fortunately, Dr. George By applying an Mazpule, a Automated External Defibrillator, Mazpule over to see what was wrong. All three gastrointestinal robotic surgeon at HUMC determine were modest and just d and The Valley Hospital, happy they could also stopped to in- defibrillati that the man did not need play a part in helping the man. He’s also on. vestigate the situation. The car doors were fortunate that one of the After ten to twenty seconds locked so they broke the concerned fellow the victim motorists car window with a had a was a doctor. pulse and began coughing golf club that Mazpule had so Mazin his car, pulled pule pulled Caccavella doesn’t see him up into a sitting positi the man out through the himself as a on. window hero but is glad he was During questioning, the formed CPR on the unconsciou and perthere to assist police learned the surgeon. By pulling until the paramedics arrived. s motorist that the man had taken Kratom which his car over and is calling #77, he was a psychoacti ve herbal extract that sti The motorist who was able to summon the mu- ambulance (and slouched over lates the same opioid brain receptors Mazpule) quickly. The his steering wheel is a 24-year-old deliv- morphine as doctors at the hospital does. The effect of the herb eryman for Hansel ‘n Griddle agreed that the mowas torist would have in Denville. still apparent. died if he hadn’t received Although Mazpule’s positi on as a robotic Clare’s HospitalThe victim was taken to St. treatment when he did. surgeon doesn’t involve in Denville.

CPR and reviving The Roxbury police The motorist was very patients like the one he officers called fortunate that was presented Caccavella, Troiano and Mazpule pulled his school to explain why he would be late for class.

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Moving in 2020? PARTNER WITH US & SAVE MONEY!

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MILITARY REWARDS

WHO IS ELIGIBLE? Veterans and Active Military and their Immediate Families.

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Coming Soon....

AARP PARTNERSHIP

Coldwell Banker’s Parent Company, Realogy, has announced a new partnership with AARP, expected to launch nationally in early 2020.

If you are an AARP Member, we are very proud and excited to be able to help you successfully navigate your move while helping you save money in the process.

*The cash back bonus is offered in most states. In some states, a gift card or commission reduction at closing may be provided in lieu of the cash back bonus. The program is not available for employer-sponsored relocations or transactions in Iowa or outside the United States. The cash back bonus is not available in Alaska, Louisiana and Oklahoma. In Kanas and Tennessee, a MasterCard MAX gift will be issued. In Mississippi, New Jersey, and Oregon, a commission reduction may be available at closing. The cash back bonus is only available with the purchase and/or sale of your home through the use of a program-introduced real estate agent. The actual amount you receive is based on the purchase and/or sale price of your home. All real estate commissions are negotiable. Other terms and conditions may apply. This is not a solicitation if you are already represented by a real estate broker. Please check with a program coordinator for details. Program terms and conditions are subject to change at any time without notice. Additional terms, conditions, and restrictions apply.

THE DEBRA BURKE TEAM

YOUR Positive Connection For Positive Results 191 MAIN ST. • CHESTER • Cell 201-230-4725 • Office 908-879-4900 Log onto DebraBurkeTeam.com for more information about my services. debraburketeam@yahoo.com

© 2018 Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Operated by a subsidiary of NRT LLC. Coldwell Banker® and the Coldwell Banker logo are registered service marks owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC.