Randolph Life June 24

Cindy Novak Remembers Resurrection Parish Ministries

By Henry M. Holden

Cindy Novak, and her family moved to Randolph in 1948, when she was six years old. “Looking back, it was a good time to move since I had the opportunity to make many friends over those first years.” Her hobbies growing up were writing poetry and music.

“My involvement with Resurrection Parish expanded when I retired in 2002 from driving the medical bus for 12 years. That same year I was invited to join the parish staff.

“When I retired I told Father John Andrew who was pastor at the time and he said, ‘What are you going to do with all your free time?” It was also the time when Rich and Joan Reck were doing the Homebound Ministry. At the time. Rich Reck had decided to study in the Deaconate in the summer of 2003.

Fr. John Andrew said to me, “I understand you have knowledge of the homebound.”

“Father knew I was a licensed Practical Nurse and I had worked in a nursing home. I was a teenager, but nevertheless, Father asked me to be the coordinator of the Sick and Homebound Ministry. My husband was okay with that.

Cindy had been taking care of her mother-in-law one day a week. “My father-in-law asked the priest at Saint Mary’s church if he could come and give her communion. He said no. So, I asked her if I was a Eucharistic Minister, would you take communion from me? She said yes because they always took it from the priest, but it was early 1983 and times were changing.

“Back when Resurrection first started, in 1978, the deacons were being asked to become Ministers of the Eucharist. Father Martin, founding pastor, was the only one at the time who could give the Eucharist to the parishioners. Fr. Martin asked certain people if they would consider becoming a Eucharistic Minister. You couldn’t just

sign up and say I want to be one. It was a selective process. You had to be invited.

“In early 1983, I became a Eucharistic Minister. Father Martin, the pastor at the time was the one who hired me to be a Minister to the Sick and Homebound.

In December 1983, we had crosses on the Memorial Wall for those who had passed away, and had a Mass celebrated at the church. Father Martin said to me ‘We have to do something with these crosses. What do we do?’

“I said I don’t know but I’ll call around to the different churches and see what they do. I called around and everybody said they did masses on November 2, All Souls Day. Well, we were past that, so, we decided to have a Memorial Mass in December. I wrote letters to all the people who had relatives’ crosses on the wall. We had a

Mass and a rollcall, and we gave the crosses back to the families. So, Father said, ‘You might as will be part of this ministry too.”

“I also had a reason. I had lost my brother in 1974, and I had no bereavement support group and I had nobody to talk to, and my little baby was 3 1/2 weeks old. I was a real mess.

“Our Mission is to reach out to the bereaved of our parish; to assist them in the Funeral Mass or Memorial Mass preparation; and to follow up with calls and visits in the time of grief following the funeral. The Resurrection Parish Bereavement Support Group meets at 12:30 pm, in the Resource Room on the 2nd Sunday of the month following the 11 AM Mass. In May and October, it is the 3rd Sunday.

The Bereavement Ministry is an opportunity to listen, share and pray with those who have lost a loved one”. Powerful and painful, yet helpful in walking the journey of sorrow and grief, many find it supportive in picking up the pieces of their lives and learning to go on.

We have walked the road of grief. If you have also and continued on page 4

Rmake patients grimace, but root canals have a good place within dentistry.

Quite often people will come to me requesting an implant over a root canal. They state reasons such as a previous root canal that failed, a root canaled tooth that

Root Canal or Implant?

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

fractured, or a bad story heard from a friend regarding a root canal that they had done. However, a properly done root canal can be highly successful.

If I evaluate a tooth that I feel can be fixed, I usually encourage this avenue. Nothing that we (dentists) can do for you can replace what mother nature has given to you originally. Also, keeping the tooth preserves the option for an implant when it truly becomes necessary, and the tooth must be extracted.

Unfortunately, there are times root canals will not be advised, and the tooth must be extracted. Reasons can include: root fractures, decay that is extensive enough it renders the tooth non-restorable, teeth that have been re-treated multiple times, and the presence of concurrent periodontal (gum) disease.

both the implant and the root canal require “studs” or “posts.” In the case of the root canal, a “post” is oftentimes placed into the tooth. With the implant, the “implant” or “fixture” is placed into the bone. To some of you this may be obvious. However, to many patients, this is a rather confusing topic.

dentist advises this. Just be sure to follow through with his or her recommendations once the procedure is completed, such as a crown. Remember, keeping your tooth is almost always a better option than the alternative: an extraction followed by a dental implant, bridge, or denture.

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One item that requires clarification is what must be done for each procedure. When you perform a root canal, you are keeping the tooth. When you perform a dental implant, the tooth is removed. Also,

What I cannot advise you on is who should perform your root canal. That is between you and your dentist. Endodontists are root canal specialists: these are dentists who have continued their studies for 2 or more years beyond dental school. They have advanced training in the field of endodontics (root canals), and have well developed skills and advanced equipment. All of these will allow for a highly successful diagnosis, followed by highly skilled treatments. However, your general dentist may also have highly developed skills, knowledge, and equipment to allow for the same results.

Expires 2/28/22

3/5/6

Dr. Goldberg is a general dentist with credentials in multiple organizations. Please visit his website

So, in conclusion, I encourage you not to be too quick to rule out a root canal if your

About the author: Dr. Ira Goldberg has been a dentist for 28 years, and maintains an extremely well-respected practice in Succasunna, NJ. He performs general dentistry procedures, cosmetic procedures, as well as dental implant procedures. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Oral Implantology / Implant Dentistry, a Fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry, and a Scholar of the Dawson Academy for Complete Dentistry. He is also a lecturer in the field of implantology. For a free consultation, please call his office at (973) 328-1225 or visit his website at www. MorrisCountyDentist.com

Ira Goldberg, DDS, FAGD, DICOI

Ira Goldberg, DDS, FAGD, DICOI

100 Years Ago This Month

The month of June has been home to many historical events over the years. Here’s a look at some that helped to shape the world in June 1924.

• The Indian Citizenship Act is signed into law on June 2 in the United States. The law recognizes all Native Americans who had been born in the United States or its territories as U.S. citizens.

• Influential novelist Franz Kafka dies in Austria on June 3. Kafka, only 40 at the time of his death, suffered from laryngeal tuberculosis and died from starvation after eating became too painful. Kafka, now considered a literary giant of the twentieth century, was a relative unknown at the time of his death.

• The United States enacts the ClarkeMcNary Act on June 7. The act facilitates the purchase of land to expand the country’s National Forest System.

• Geologist and mountaineer Noel Odell watches British mountain climbers George Mallory and Andrew Irvine ascend from their base camp at Mount Everest on June 8. Mallory and Irvine are never again seen alive, and no trace of either man is discovered until 1999, when Mallory’s body is discovered at an altitude of more than 26,000 feet.

• Ecuador extends the right to vote to women on June 9, becoming the first country in South America to do so.

• The Newton Gang carries out the largest

train robbery in American history on June 12. The gang makes off with more than $3 million (the equivalent of roughly $54 million in 2024) after stopping mail train number 57 near Rondout, Illinois.

• The International Football Association Board legalizes the scoring of a goal by corner kick on June 14.

• On June 16, Italian Fascist politician Cesare Rossi surrenders to police in connection with the kidnapping of socialist and Italian Chamber of Deputies member Giacomo Matteoti earlier in the month. Matteoti’s body is ultimately found in August and signs suggest he was beaten to death. Though Rossi ultimately serves ample prison time for anti-fascist activities, he is not arrested for his involvement in Matteotti’s murder until 1947.

• The Grand National Assembly of Turkey passes the Surname Act on June 21. The act requires every Turkish citizen to have a surname.

• Fritz Haarmann is arrested in Hanover, Germany, on June 23. Prior to his arrest, Haarmann was seen stalking boys, and a subsequent search of his apartment uncovers evidence that Haarmann is a serial killer. Sometimes referred to as the “Butcher of Hanover,” Haarmann is ultimately found guilty of murdering 24 young men and boys and is executed by guillotine in April 1925.

Cindy Novak Remembers...

continued from front page

feel called to be there for others on this road, please sign up. Openings are available for training as a co-facilitator, to assist in sunshine ministry and hospitality

When I came to Resurrection, Susan Maitner had lost her son in an accident in his high school senior year. She left and went to Saint Elizabeth and started training as a bereavement minister and then she asked me if I would join her.

“I wanted to get it started here and Susan was the one that help me do that. I trained there and then I took two of the people to train with. We were trying to get groups around the area so anytime there was a meeting I would go. So, I would learn a lot more. We were also trying to get a group started in other churches because some of the groups had a closed meeting. for 10 or 12 weeks and then it’s over. I realized that what happens after you go for 12 weeks, you have no place to go. I decided we would meet once a month for 12 months. Fr. John Andrew was fine with it.

“We did quite a few things here. We had CCD, and had many choir practices in my home. I went to Saint Elizabeth to be up at certified pastoral minister, one night a week for four years. In the first year I had a summer course in psychology. And

then we had in the second year a course in sociology.” Cindy earned 33 credits and has a certificate in Pastoral Ministry.

And there is the Prayer Shawl Ministry which is a spiritual practice of group prayer before beginning to create shawls that are knitted or crocheted.

“I had heard about the prayer shawl ministry and wanted to try it.

The format is we begin with a prayer, and then we get busy doing our knitting and crocheting. When one is finished we circle at the end of the meeting, and we take all the prayer shawls that are finished and each of us takes one and each one prays over that shawl and it’s past around until all have been prayed for.

We also sow little crosses on the shawl, and then we say the Lord’s Prayer and then we go home.”

“We can make shawls, winter hats, mittens, scarfs, baby blankets, and other articles of warm clothing. We donate them to folks in need of warm winter clothing.

“I don’t know where I would be without Resurrection Parish. I think it’s very welcoming, it’s very open, and it doesn’t matter what priest we had they are the same as the people: They listen and are easy to say yes to them.

Intersection Safety Improvements Starting May 28 in Randolph

Lane Closures Expected at Center Grove and Quaker Church Road for Six Months

The project started Tuesday, May 28, safety improvements will be made to the intersection of Center Grove Road (County Route 670) and Quaker Church Road in Randolph Township.

Construction is expected to last six months, with lane closures from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily. Motorists should expect delays and are advised to plan alternate routes during these hours. The schedule may change due to weather or other factors.

Morris County initiated this project to enhance safety and traffic operations at the intersection that includes traffic signal replacements, pedestrian signals with countdown timers and Americans with Disabilities Act compliant curb ramps. Also to be included are crosswalks, sidewalks and overhead street lighting.

Additionally, paving, curbing, striping and widening at the southwest corner of the intersection

will be in the scope of work. The project limits extend on Center Grove Road from Route 10 to 300 feet north of the intersection, and on Quaker Church Road, 150 feet in both directions. This project is being funded through the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority’s (NJTPA) Local Safety Program and managed by Morris County.

J.C. Contracting has been hired as the contractor to complete this project.

The NJTPA is the federally authorized Metropolitan

Planning Organization for seven million people in the 13-county northern New Jersey region. The Local Safety Program is a federally funded program established by the NJTPA, in conjunction with the Federal Highway Administration and New Jersey Department of Transportation, to advance safety initiatives on county and local roads.

For more information, please contact the Morris County Division of Engineering at 973-2856750.

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Team Solar Power from County College of Morris is a Finalist in the 2024 Community College Innovation Challenge

Safely and Efficiently Increasing the World’s Energy Supply

Team Solar Power from County College of Morris (CCM) was selected as one of 12 finalists in the Community College Innovation Challenge (CCIC), led by the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) and in partnership with the National Science Foundation (NSF). In its eighth year, the competition seeked to strengthen entrepreneurial thinking among community college students to use science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to develop innovative solutions to real-world problems. Among the ideas teams presented this year are solutions for addressing clean water, renewable energy, HIV treatment, healthcare, fire prevention and assistive technology devices.

The CCM team, Team Solar Power, was comprised of three students: Aiden Aschoff ’24 of Oxford, who has earned his degree in mechanical engineering technology and working towards a second degree in engineering science, Malcolm Harrison ’24, of Summit, who transferred to CCM from the University of Miami and will be graduating this month with a degree

in chemistry, and Elaf Mahmoud ’25, of Rockaway who is pursuing a degree in engineering science and also a degree in mechanical technology. Dr. Chung Wong, Professor of Mathematics at CCM, served as the faculty advisor and mentor.

Team Solar Power’s project, Using Molecular Solar Thermal Systems as a Solar Alternative, proposed to increase the world’s energy supply, safely and efficiently, through a molecular solar thermal system. The system is non-toxic, cost-efficient and can capture light energy as heat, and then convert stored heat as energy.

“I am very proud of the work and what they have achieved so far,” said Wong. “I look forward to their performance at the national final next month.”

Finalists will participate in an Innovation Boot Camp in Washington, D.C., on June 10-13, and meet with entrepreneurs and experts in business planning, stakeholder engagement, strategic communication and marketplace dynamics. Students have the opportunity for professional development, mentoring and coaching to

build their skillset. The event will culminate in a Student Innovation Poster Session on Capitol Hill with STEM leaders and

congressional stakeholders, plus a pitch presentation to determine the first, second, and third-place winning teams.

Team Solar Power - Aiden Aschoff ’24, Elaf Mahmoud ’25, and Malcolm Harrison ’24, students at County College of Morris who are finalists in the Community College Innovation Challenge.

The Wave Set donates to New Jersey Sharing Network’s Joseph S. Roth Simulation Training Center

By Steve Sears

The Wave Set, formerly a 501 c3 nonprofit and now a partner of the NJ Sharing Network, in April donated $10,000 to the new Joseph S. Roth Simulation Center’s located at NJ Sharing Network headquarters in New Providence.

Jared Wohl of Livingston is the counder and advisor of The Wave (We Are Vital to Each Other) Set, which was begun in late 2013, right before his 65% partial liver donation to his brother Cameron in February 2014.

Wohl said, “Leading up to that point, as we were going through the process, we recognized that we really had limited experience with organ transplantation, and we felt like that was likely the case for many families being struck with that sort of situation.”

Also, when doing more research on organ donation in general, Wohl and his family learned at that time that 18 people a day were dying while waiting for a deceased person’s organ for a transplant, and that many people were being added to the waiting list every day.

“That list was growing exponentially,”

Wohl said, “but we learned that there were options for living donations, like in our case. The fact that I donated a portion of my liver to my brother, we just realized that there was this immense lack of awareness on the topic.”

In December 2013, The Wave Set launched a crowd-funding campaign to raise money for the production of a documentary describing the family’s journey through the transplant experience. The documentary, titled 65 Percent, was featured during a film festival circuit, which side-by-side with speaking engagements, further created an awareness and educated people on the importance of organ donation.

Many years later, the non-profit joined forces with New Jersey Sharing Network which is New Jersey’s largest organ procurement organization. The $10,000 donated by The Wave Set was in celebration of the 10-year anniversary of Cameron’s transplant, and it also coincided with National Donate Life Month in April - as well as Jared and Cameron’s birthday (they were born on the same April day three years apart). A National Donate Life Month Flag Raising and Simulation Center

Ribbon Cutting was held on April 16 for the staff and funding partners.

Wohl, a musician with a few albums to his credit and whose background is in educational technology and sales embraced the idea of being able to educate patients and families on what that process courtesy of the Simulation Center could look like. He

said of the donation, “It was a great feeling all around. When we learned about the opportunity, my brother and I immediately said that is what we wanted to support with the funds.”

For more information, visit www. sharingnetworkfoundation.org/thewaveset.

Kidz World Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics

The Wohl families present The Wave Set’s donation to the New Jersey Sharing Network’s new Joseph S. Roth Simulation Center (courtesy of the Wohl Family)

Morven Museum & Garden Reveals Historic Side of Princeton

Home’s rich history illuminated by efforts to preserve its integrity

By Jeff Garrett

Not far from Princeton University in the town itself, there’s a house with tremendous history and mystique with luxurious gardens just waiting to be explored if you haven’t visited yet.

Located at 55 Stockton Street, Morven is an operational showcase of New Jersey through means such as special events, educational offerings and well-themed and welltimed exhibitions to enlighten a visitor’s arrival.

Built by well-known historical figure Richard Stockton, who signed the Declaration of Independence and has a college named after him in New Jersey among other worldly achievements, Morven was constructed in the 1750’s when Richard was in his 20’s. It gets its name thanks to Richard’s wife Annis who Richard married in the late 1750’s. Annis Boudinnot decided to name the house “Morven” calling out a mythical castle of King Fingal in Scottish writer and poet, James MacPherson’s, “Ossiamic Saga,” which in Gaelic means “big hill.”

Aptly named, the original residence burned a great deal of the massive structure to the ground by a servant who had an accident with candlelight and caused a fire. Rebuilt in 1958 with bricks, some of the actual original brick sits on display in the West Wing of the house.

Years passed before the Revolutionary War started. The interim years between rebuilding the home saw Richard, Sr and Annie raise their son, Richard, Jr, before the three needed to flee their residence with the British occupation. Decades later in 1840, Robert Stockton inherited Morven where his mother lived until 1837. He had plans to refurbish the home but was called to Naval duty. After the Civil War, ownership of the house went Robert’s eldest son which then went to his cousin, Samuel Witham Stockton, a Civil War veteran.

Over the years, the title owner would hands again before Helen Stockton, widow of Bayard Stockton, decided she could not keep up with the house’s expenses, opting to refurbish the mansion to lease. It’s in 1928 where Robert Wood Johnso, Jr. leases the home until 1945 when Walter Edge occupies Morven. It was in 1954 when the Edges decided to transfer Morven to the State of New Jersey on the condition that the structure be used as the Governor’s mansion or utilized as a museum.

Several Governors including Brendan Byrne called Morven home after renovations were made in the 1950’s before Byrne himself played dealmaker in 1982 saying that if the New Jersey historical society could put together $4 million to repair Morven, and Drumthwacket, that Morven would essentially become the Byrnes’ and Drumthwacket

would serve as the home of the governor.

After the New Jersey Historical Society moved out in 1986, Historical Morven, Inc. was incorporated in 1987 and several renovations took shape over the following 20 years. So what’s inside this marvelous building?

Amazing restoration efforts to preserve the historic components of Morven allows visitors to wander the halls of the mansion to view its original colors and parquet floors. Modern accoutrements abound since there is a nine-zone environmental system in place to ensure that each area of the building has the right temperature and humidity levels in every gallery.

There’s handicapped-accessibility in Morven and throughout the six-year-old Stockton Education Center, a large facility containing an Atrium, Classroom and Gathering Space where programs and events are held.

Programs such as lectures, hands-on workshops and family days allow the public to learn more about the rich history of the historic residence turned museum.

The Morven Museum and Gardens is open from Wednesdays thru Sundays from 10am- 4pm while tours of the facility are given on the hour at 11am, Noon, 1pm and 2pm.

For more information about Morven, call 609-924-8331, email info@morven.org or logon to www.morven.org

Norwescap’s Fourth Annual NorwesFest 2024: A Fantastic Day Of Family Fun And An Evening Under The Summer Sky

Set in the bucolic fields of Ort Farms, 25 Bartley Road in Long Valley, NJ, NorwesFest returns for its fourth year on June 22 and it promises to be another annual event to remember.

Whether it’s the delightful day on the farm with family, or the elegant night under the stars with spouse, partner, or friends –there will be plenty to do at the non-profit Norwescap’s 4th Annual premier event, NorwesFest 2024.

With two distinct components, part one brims with activities for the kids…

Family Fun Day – Families with children of all ages are welcome!

June 22 | 11:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Admission: FREE for all to attend. Register in advance online at www.norwescap.org/ NorwesFest

Children’s laughter and cows mooing is the soundtrack of Family Fun Day. Farm animals and hayrides, treasure hunts, gigantic OMG Bubbles, faux axe-throwing, classic games like volleyball and badminton, unlimited rides on the unique “cow train,” plus an array of arts and crafts under the big tent – it all adds up to a fantastic Family Fun Day! Admission is free for all to attend, and advance registration is encouraged.

And while kids with painted faces play unicorns and superheroes, adults can indulge in wine and beer tastings. Food trucks will sell an assortment of taste treats, and Norwescap will offer light refreshments as well.

Part two is geared towards adults… Sunset Soirée – A special evening out for grown-ups only

June 22 | 5:30 – 9:00 p.m.

Tickets: Available online at www. norwescap.org/NorwesFest

Come evening, the festivities shift to the enchanting Sunset Soirée. Step into Ort Farms’ rustic barn, transformed by the warm glow of twinkling lights, little bouquets of freshly picked wildflowers, and the sweet aroma of fresh-cut hay.

The Sunset Soirée, a ticketed event, unfolds with a gourmet farm-to-table dinner, complemented by local brews, fine wines, and craft cocktails. Guests are invited to dance the night away with a 17-piece jazz/swing band featuring vocalist Kevin Grey. For some friendly competition, try a lawn game, including cornhole and bocce ball. A solar-powered carousel adds a whimsical touch, a photo opportunity board helps capture the moment, and the vista across the valley is exquisite under the summer sky.

Onsite parking is free for both events.

Norwescap’s Chief Development Officer, Christine Coffey, noted, “Events like NorwesFest, help Norwescap support community members across our five service counties seek the help they need to reach a more stable future. The funds raised from NorwesFest 2024 enables us to bring positive change to thousands of families

throughout New Jersey over the coming year and beyond, helping our communities -– one person at a time, one family at a time – to reach their goals.”

NorwesFest is Norwescap’s primary fundraising event. Thanks to their event sponsors, all proceeds from ticket sales and donations directly support their mission to create opportunities and change lives for tens of thousands of New Jerseyans each year. Norwescap assists people with their most urgent needs, like food and housing, and funds programs that help them work towards a future where they and their families can thrive.

Sponsorship opportunities and Sunset Soirée tickets are still available. Contact Christine Coffey at coffeyc@norwescap. org or (908) 454-7000 x1106 for more information.

Unable to attend the event? Consider making a donation. Every contribution, no matter the size, helps make a difference in someone’s life.

NorwesFest: supporting the mission and vision of Norwescap’s work across New Jersey. Make wonderful memories while making a difference in the community at NorwesFest 2024 held at Ort Farms, 25 Bartley Road, Long Valley.

By Evan Wechman

TMorris County Welcomes Israeli Survivors

he October 7th attack in Israel by Hamas has had a terrible effect on Jews all over the world. Not only did many Israelis lose loved ones, but it has fueled antisemitism both abroad and in the United States.

This tragedy has brought about significant acts of valor from Israeli natives in temples and community halls throughout the state.

This is due to the newly formed organization, The Faces of October Seventh. It was formed by Dar Halevy Feldman who was in Israel during the horrific attack. She has been mainly in Morris County the last few weeks, educating the public about her experience.

Feldman, who has been a director of Hillel at several universities in California, has seen firsthand the acts of hatred towards her community both here and in Israel.

She is not surprised by the wave of antisemitism that has been moving across college campuses.

“Antisemitism has been in the universities for a while now. All the misinformation that is occurring is not surprising,” she says.

As the leader for The Faces of October Seventh, she is hoping to educate both Jews and others about the hate they have been

receiving.

“I was in Israel October 7th, and it was very scary, and October 8th was scary as well because the reaction of the world was terrible,” Feldman says. “I was worried and felt like I had to do something.”

Feldman took the initiative of forming her organization which is comprised of Israeli volunteers who have brought approximately 14 survivors of that horrible night to speak to Americans about their experience.

One of the more prominent speakers is Daniel Dvir who has spoken at dozens of synagogues such as the Chabad of Morristown. The temple welcomed Dvir with open arms as she spoke about attending the concert with friends and then, fortunately, surviving the atrocities of that evening.

Dvir, who has lost loved ones from that night, continues to display strength, courage, and even humor to help her deal with the trauma.

She can talk about parts of her escape from Hamas which bonds her instantly to fellow Jews in America.

“While I was running in the field, my mom called me, asked me who I am with, and when I said I was alone, she starts screaming like any Jewish mom, so I hung

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up,” Dvir says.

However, as much as she can use humor to alleviate the pain, she is fully aware of her near-death experience.

“At some point when I was hiding in the tree for like 30 minutes, there was a moment of silence. For a full minute, the automatic gun shuts stopped. It was super weird because it hadn’t stopped since they attacked us two hours ago. I thought they killed everyone.,” Dvir says.

Such honesty has brought change for non-Jews as well. According to Feldman,

after one of the receptions recently, a woman admitted her parents had raised her to hate Jewish people. She was even taught the Holocaust never happened.

However, from listening to Dvir, she said she understands the truth now and is happy she has finally been educated.

If anyone is interested in speaking, hosting a talk, or can provide much needed funds for the organization to travel the country to speak to others, please visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/faces-ofoctober-7th

God Loves You More Than You Will Ever Know!

By Richard Mabey Jr.

It is when we feel defeated, down-trodden, saddened, or depressed, is just the time that we need to dig deep within ourselves, to bounce back with a greater inner strength. No matter how dismal things may look, the one thing that none of us can afford to do, is to give in to feelings of defeat and surrender. No matter how grim a situation may look, we still need to look for hope, faith and inward encouragement.

God loves you more than you will ever know. God’s love is infinite. It knows no boundaries. God’s love for you, is the love that brings the peace that passes all understanding. Hold dearly to this truth. Hold fast to the principle that the Divine One, who created the universe, deeply cares about your well being.

Since September of last year, I have been to three different cardiologists, in search of treatment for my Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. I want to be very sensitive here. The three doctors that I went to, at different times, were all very sincere. I believe they were doing their very best to help me with my HCM. But the hard, cold truth is that they did not really have the specialization of working with treatments for HCM. It was not their fault. HCM affects one in 500 people. So, the average cardiologist does not come across a lot of patients with HCM.

I prayed and prayed and prayed to find a doctor who was very well versed in treating HCM. I never gave up. I focused my energies into deep prayer. I held steadfast focus. The kind of focus that a soldier might hold in heart and mind, just before facing a battle.

As if the odds were a

Yours truly with Little Izzy.

million to one, the door opened for me to be seen by a cardiologist at the University of Florida Medical Center (Shands) who specialized in treating patients with HCM. My specific classification of HCM is known as Apical HCM. It requires very, very specific treatments and prescription meds. And, yes, the meds are rather expensive.

Am I out of the woods now? Not by a long stretch. But with my new prescription meds, I have been getting less and less chest pains. I’m not as easily winded. Yes, I still do get chest pains. But they are not as frequent as they once were. And now, I can walk around the block, without getting overwhelmingly winded. I’m making some degree of progress to getting back on track.

I am convinced, without a shadow of a doubt, that the door that opened to my getting treatment at UF Med Center, was the

result of deep prayers, holding steadfast faith, and persevering with a laserfocused energy on finding a path to healing.

Know this: God loves you more than you will ever know. Miracles really do happen. Prayer is the key to unlocking the doors that are holding you back. A deep belief in a miracle, coming to you in your life, is essential for supernatural events to unfold. Hold deeply to this golden truth: God loves you more than you will ever know. Pray, pray, pray and then pray even more for a miracle to come into your life. Truly, expect a miracle to come into your life!

Richard Mabey Jr. is a freelance writer. He hosts a YouTube Channel titled, “Richard Mabey Presents.” Richard most recently published a book of poetry and short stories. He can be reached at richardmabeyjr@hotmail. com.

By Henry M. Holden

The Zepplin Hindenburg,

804

feet long, and three times the length of a Boeing 747 was powered by four 1,100-horsepower diesel engines, giving it a maximum speed of 84 miles per hour. It was the largest and fastest air vehicle at the time.

On May 3, 1937, the airship Hindenburg departed Frankford, Germany, on its second season of service to the United States. This trip was the first of the 1937 season for passenger service between Europe and the Lakehurst Naval Station (NAS). In 1936, Hindenburg had completed ten successful trips (1,002 passengers) and was so popular that they had to turn away customers.

War clouds in Europe did not seem to bother the Hindenburg’s passengers. They were paying a hefty sum in 1937 dollars, $750 round trip (the equivalent to $16,267 in today’s money). Many said it was the future of luxury air travel. The trip was made to order for executives and businessman since the trip would take at least a week on a ocean liner.

On this trip, the airship was only half full, carrying 36 passengers despite it being equipped to carry 72, but, Hindenburg was booked solid for the return trip. The passengers were among the wealthiest

Hindenburg: What Really Happened

who had received invitations to attend the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizebeth. The airship was due to turn around in record time for its trip back across the Atlantic.

Several theories have been put forth, each seeking to explain the ignition source that led to the airship’s rapid destruction.

These theories range from a spark igniting leaking hydrogen, to the presence of a flammable fabric covering, a puncture caused by a broken wire, the possibility of engine failure, and even the specter of internal sabotage that would add an additional layer of intrigue to this already intricate historical event.

Meanwhile, the passengers were being treated like royalty and could relax with fine wines, and food. It was almost a fantasy trip for them. They could play, sing, or listen to piano music or just sit and write postcards and letters to family.

Rumors abounded that soon the United States would be dragged into the European conflict with Hitler. Japan had invaded China, and Spain was engaged in a civil war with a proxy air force from Germany. And the isolationists were preaching to their followers in the United States.

The weather had been calm for most

of the trip but that began to change as the behemoth reached Boston. Zeppelins normally took two and a half days to reach the US from Germany, moving twice as fast as an ocean liner. Although Hindenburg had taken three days because of badweather it had plenty of diesel fuel left. It could have flown further.

Out of an abundance of caution, when the rain and sporadic lightning became a threat, Captain Max Pruss changed course

and headed towards lower Manhattan. The weather seemed to follow him, so he changed course and headed for the New Jersy shore.

On its flights in 1936, it had been struck by lightening several times without any damage to the airship or its passengers.

When the weather improved, Captain Pruss decided it was safe enough to head for his destination, Lakehurst.

on page 17

The Hindenburg destroyed itself in 32 seconds because of the hydrogen it was using for lift. continued

Hindenburg...

continued from page 16

Hindenburg was over Lakehurst at an altitude of 295 ft. when the captain ordered the mooring lines dropped from the bow (back); the starboard line was dropped first, followed by the port line.

In one of the many postmortems that took place was the claim that the port line was overtightened according to an eye witness. The line was connected to the post of the ground winch. The light rain began to fall as the ground crew grabbed the mooring lines, which were now getting wet.

As Pruss made the final turn of the ship and aligned the mooring post with the airship, he ordered 1,100 lb. of water ballast in successive drops because the airship was sternheavy. As these measures failed to bring the ship in trim, six men were then sent to the stern, adding their weight to correct the trim of the airship.

Several other eyewitness testimonies suggested that the first flame appeared on the port side just ahead of the port fin, and was followed by flames that burned on top. Commander Rosendahl (USN), an expert on lighter than air ships testified that the flames in front of the upper fin were “mushroom-shaped.” Rosendahl was the commanding officer of the Lakehurst Naval Air Station at the time and considered an expert on rigid airships.

Others reported seeing a dim blue flame – possibly moments before the fire on top and in the back of the ship near the point where the flames first appeared. Several other eyewitness testimonies suggested that the first flame appeared on the port side just ahead of the port fin.

One witness on the starboard side reported a fire behind the rudder on that side. On board, people heard a muffled

detonation and those in the front of the ship felt a shock as the port trail rope overtightened; the officers in the control gondola initially thought the shock was caused by a broken mooring line.

At 7:30 p.m., a few witnesses saw what appeared to be fabric ahead of the upper fin flutter as if gas was leaking. Others reported seeing a dim blue flame – possibly static electricity, or St. Elmo’s Fire. (St. Elmo’s fire is a weather phenomenon in which luminous plasma is created by a corona discharge from a rod-like object such as a mast, spire, chimney or in this case a mooring line in an atmospheric electric field.)

There was a buildup of static charge from the storm on the craft, surface and frame. When the mooring rope, wet from the storm, was dropped to the ground, the frame discharged, creating an electrical difference between the frame, and covering that started the fire.

Immediately, the radio and newspapers blamed the Germans for sabotage. Others said the opposite, that the United States had sabotaged the craft. Questions arose, was it mechanical failure? Was it shot down? Was it a bomb, or sabotage?

Eighty years of research and scientific tests support the same conclusion reached by the original German and American accident investigations in 1937: It seems clear that the Hindenburg disaster was caused by an electrostatic discharge that ignited the hydrogen leak.

The Hindenburg’s cells were designed to carry helium for lift. But the United States had restrictions on its export. The Germans modified the cells for hydrogen. There is no record of inspecting the modifications.

The cause of the hydrogen leak is more of a mystery, but we know the ship experienced a leakage of hydrogen before the disaster.

The FBI found no evidence of sabotage, and no convincing theory of sabotage has ever been advanced.

It became clear during the investigation that the disaster had nothing to do with the zeppelin’s fabric covering being “highly flammable.” In fact, Hindenburg was just one of several hydrogen airships destroyed by fire because of their flammable lifting gas. The fact is that Hindenburg was destroyed in 32 seconds because a spark that triggered the hydrogen to ignite.

The spark was most likely caused by a difference in electric potential between the airship and the surrounding air: The airship was approximately 200 feet above the airfield in an electrically charged atmosphere, but the ship’s metal framework was grounded by its landing line; the difference in electric potential likely caused a spark to jump from the ship’s mooring line to the fabric covering.

The intensity of the effect, a blue or violet glow around the object, often accompanied by a hissing or buzzing sound, is proportional to the strength of the electric field and therefore noticeable to the gondola crew primarily during thunderstorms or volcanic eruptions.

Zeppelin flights didn’t end immediately with the Hindenburg disaster. But by the late 1930s passenger airplanes had greatly improved in speed, reliability, and operating cost as airplanes became increasingly popular and safe. The airships’ slow speeds, their vulnerability in stormy weather, and the difficulty of procuring steady supplies of helium soon rendered these unusual aircraft obsolete.

Help Keep Lights On and Doors Open at Shelter

SOS is a grassroots, community based, nonprofit, 177bed shelter program serving battered/homeless women and children. Its mission is dedicated to breaking the cycle of domestic violence, poverty, and abuse by restoring balance and harmony through individual empowerment.

By Cheryl Conway

Women and children victimized by abuse have turned to Strengthen Our Sisters in Passaic County for the past 55 years, but with mounting challenges both financial and regulatory, the shelter’s mission of providing a safe sanctuary is in jeopardy.

SOS had seven houses, a day care, food pantry and thrift store but with recent hurdles was forced to close one of its main houses. A few months ago, the final closure sale of The Cathy House in Wanaque went through forcing seven of its residents to relocate to the main house in West Milford.

“The Cathy House in Wanaque needed extensive repairs after a recent storm,” says SOS Founder and Executive Director Sandra Ramos. “There was damage that we were unable to repair over the years. We also needed the money for utilities, insurance, and repairs on other houses.”

SOS got $250K for the sale of The Cathy House. The money was used to keep the other six houses afloat for now.

“It was used to pay down the mortgage of the other houses,” says Ramos.

She fears the other houses are at risk.

“I started this 55 years ago and I’ve have been struggling to take people that no one else would take,” explains Ramos. “All monies go to directly provide the needs of the people. I don’t earn a salary and even when I did it was nominal. I was a professor and much of what I receive these days comes from that. The people that make the rules live in a different reality. They can imagine how difficult it is for those who struggle for a safe place to sleep.”

Lack of money and support, as well as state laws have become a thorn in SOS’s side.

“The state is not giving us our voucher money because we don’t have paid staff, and they asked that we make repairs (which were done),” says Ramos. “With the support of former Senator Gerald

Cardinale, we were able to have volunteer staff that were board members. They also have a problem with the fact that we keep people for longer than 90 days, but they have nowhere else to go. Apartments are very expensive, those that have section 8 have a hard time finding places that are willing to accept it. There are also extensive waiting lists.”

Ramos has not given up and continues to seek support.

“Our dedication to serving our community knows no bounds, but we find ourselves at a crossroads,” says Ramos. “Without the necessary funds to cover electricity costs, we face the difficult decision of potentially having to sell our properties. However, this raises the crucial question: Where will the individuals we currently serve, and those who will seek our assistance in the future, turn?

“I have tried to get publicity, we write grants, we received a recent $30k from ‘Metallica’, and other donors we received $10k and $20k,” says Ramos.

She is seeking people who would donate their time to make repairs on the remaining houses, as well as any monetary assistance to go toward utilities, and of course, any legal assistance.

“I need a lawyer to challenge what the state is doing, which is illegal,” claims Ramos. “They say we are the only ones taking people in wheelchairs and walkers, they don’t respond to our calls.

“I have written the Governor repeatedly,” adds Ramos. “Holly Schepisi has been helpful but I’m still waiting for her to call me back.”

Those willing to contribute to help women and children who are abused with no place to go, can send a check to P.O. Box 1089 Hewitt, NJ 07421; or contribute to GoFundMe at https://www.gofundme. com/manage/stop-the-shutoff-notice Email Ramos at info@ strengthenoursisters.org

By Henry M. Holden

OJune 16, - Father’s Day – A Salute to Dear Old Dad

n June 16th let us be thankful for the fathers we’ve had in our lives, who made positive outcomes for us and celebrate their contributions to the fathers of tomorrow.

On July 5, 1908, a West Virginia church sponsored the nation’s first event explicitly in honor of fathers. It was a Sunday sermon in memory of the 362 men who had died in an explosion at the Fairmont Coal Company mines, in Monongah. But it was a one-time commemoration and not an annual holiday.

The following year, a Spokane, Washington, woman named Sonora Smart Dodd, one of six children raised by a widower, tried to establish an official equivalent to Mother’s Day for male parents. She went to local churches, and shopkeepers to solicit support for her idea.,

The campaign to celebrate the nation’s fathers did not meet with the same gusto as Mother’s ’s Day–perhaps because, as one florist explained, “Fathers haven’t the same sentimental appeal that mothers have.”

Eventually Sonora was successful: Washington State celebrated the nation’s first statewide Father’s Day on June 19, 1910. However, it was not until 1972—58 years after President Woodrow Wilson made Mother’s Day official—that the day honoring fathers became a nationwide holiday in the United States. Father’s Day 2024 will occur on Sunday, June 16.

William Jackson Smart was a twicemarried, twice-widowed Civil War veteran and father of 14 children. One of his children would dedicate her life to the creation of Father’s Day in honor of her devoted and selfless father.

The idea slowly caught on and the holiday spread. In 1916, President Wilson honored the day by using telegraph signals to unfurl a flag in Spokane, when he pressed a button in Washington, D.C. In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge urged state governments to observe Father’s Day.

Today, the day honoring fathers is celebrated in the United States on the third Sunday of June. In other countries, especially in Europe and Latin America, fathers are honored on St. Joseph’s Day, a traditional Catholic holiday that falls on March 19.

Many men, however, continued an indifference to the day. As one historian writes’ They scoffed at the holiday’s soppy attempts to domesticate manliness with flowers and gift-giving, or they derided the proliferation of such holidays as a commercial gimmick to sell more products–often paid for by the fatherf.”

During the 1920s and 1930s, a movement arose to scrap Mother’s Day and Father’s Day altogether in favor of a single holiday, Parents’ Day. Every year on Mother’s Day, pro-Parents’ Day groups rallied in New York City’s Central Park a public reminder, said

Parents’ Day activist and radio performer Robert Spere, “that both parents should be loved and respected together.” That one day of togetherness didn’t appeal to some of the divorced or separated men, and women.

Paradoxically, however, the Great Depression derailed this effort to combine and de-commercialize the holiday. Struggling retailers and advertisers redoubled their efforts to make Father’s Day a “second Christmas” for men, promoting goods such as guns, neckties, hats, socks, pipes and tobacco, and greeting cards.

When World War II began, advertisers began to argue that celebrating Father’s Day was a way to honor American troops and support the war effort. By the end of the war, Father’s Day may not have been a federal holiday, but it had become a national institution.

In 1972, in the middle of a nasty presidential re-election campaign, Richard Nixon signed a proclamation making Father’s Day a federal holiday. Today, economists estimate that Americans spend more than $1 billion each year on Father’s Day gifts.

The first official Mother’s Day services in 1909 were held at Sonora’s church in Spokane, Washington, when she had an epiphany—if mothers deserved a day in honor of their loving service, why not fathers?

When Sonora was 16, her mother Ellen died, leaving William as a single father to Sonora and her five younger brothers. And by Sonora’s account, he performed brilliantly. “I remember everything about him,” Sonora said many years later to the Spokane Daily Chronicle. “He was both father and mother to me and my brothers and sisters.”

Sonora’s mother Ellen, herself a widow, had three children from a previous marriage. On top of that, William had also been married and widowed before he met Sonora’s mother. William had five children with his first wife, Elizabeth, who were already grown when William became a widower for the second time.

In 1910, Sonora brought a petition before the Spokane Ministerial Alliance to recognize the courage and devotion of all fathers like William on June 5, her dad’s birthday. The local clergy liked the idea of a special Father’s Day service, but couldn’t pull something together so quickly. So they settled for June 19, the third Sunday in June.

On that first Father’s Day in 1910, church sermons across Spokane were dedicated to dear old dad, red and white roses were passed out in honor of living and deceased fathers. The mayor of Spokane and governor of Washington issued proclamations, and Sonora found her calling. She would spend much of the next 60 years pushing for the official recognition of Father’s Day as a national holiday.

William Jackson Smart, the original

inspiration for Father’s Day, was born in Arkansas in 1842. He enlisted as a Union soldier there in 1863. That was odd because Arkansas was a Confederate state. Spokane resident, Jerry Numbers, who owned what had been Sonora’s home, researched the Smart family history for Spokane’s Father’s Day Centennial Celebration in 2010. Numbers says that William, in fact, fought for both sides in the Civil War.

Driving a supply wagon for Confederate troops, William was captured in the Battle of Pea Ridge, a decisive Union victory in Arkansas in 1862. Rather than languish in a prisoner of war camp, he opted to join the northern cause. As indication that William was a “Reb” before he was a “Yank,” Sonora was a member of both the United Daughters of the Confederacy and the Daughters of Union Veterans.

When Sonora was born in 1882, William and his second wife Ellen were living on a “coal ranch” in Jenny Lind, Arkansas. Instead of mining for coal, William and the family “farmed” it, collecting chunks of coal from the surface and carting it to town for sale. William and Ellen sold the property in 1887 for $5,000—a handsome sum at the time— and the family traveled by train to a new homestead outside of Spokane. (The farm in Arkansas would turn out to be one of the most productive coal fields in the entire nation.)

It was on the Smart’s family farm near

Creston, Washington, where William’s second wife died, and he became a widower again at the age of 56. His youngest son was seven and Sonora, his oldest child still living at home, was 16. In Sonora’s memories of this difficult time, she recalls her father as a “great home person,” a man who exemplified fatherly love and protection.

Sonora won the support of her congressmen, who began to lobby for the creation of a national holiday. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson celebrated Father’s Day in Spokane during a visit to Washington. We don’t know if William Jackson Smart was there to shake the president’s hand, but it would have been one of his last Father’s Days. William died three years later, in 1919.

Much more than a Father’s Day booster, Sonora Smart Dodd was an accomplished artist, poet, children’s book author, funeral home director, and founding member of just about every civic organization in Spokane. But she never let go of her determination to give fathers like hers the recognition they deserved.

It wasn’t until 1972, six years before Sonora’s death at the age of 96, that President Richard Nixon finally signed a Congressional resolution declaring the third Sunday in June to be Father’s Day. Sonora’s quest was challenging but had a happy ending. Her dad, no doubt, would have been proud.

By Richard Mabey Jr.

It was the dawn of June of 1972. My college final exams were coming upon me. I was just finishing up my freshman year at County College of Morris. My beloved girlfriend, Penny Lancaster, had most recently told me that she was planning on attending Rutgers University in September. Originally, Penny had planned on attending CCM, so that we could see each other more often. Penny was a kind, sweet, thoughtful, intelligent young woman. We had begun dating in the beginning of my senior year at Boonton High School. It all weighed heavily upon my mind.

In addition to attending classes at CCM, I also worked at the A&P in Whippany. It was a Saturday afternoon in early June and I was scheduled to work the night crew from 11 o’clock at night till seven in the morning. Dad and I were working at his workbench in the basement of the old Mabey Homestead. I think that we were building a birdhouse. I am 90 percent sure that is the project we were working on. I had planned on taking a nap at about four that afternoon, before driving off to the old A&P.

As we were cutting pieces of plywood, I remember that we heard the meowing of a cat. I remember this like it was yesterday, and not over 50 years ago. As soon as Dad heard the call of this cat, who was now sitting at the open doorway of the cellar, he looked at his watch.

“Three o’clock. My little friend’s just on time,” Dad said with a certain joyful glee in his voice.

Then I remember Dad walked over to the old bookcase that stood against the cellar wall, opposite of Dad’s workbench. Dad walked over to the old bookcase that was filled with canned goods. He took a little can of sardines and opened it up, and walked over to the cute little gray cat, still

A Father’s Day Story

meowing to my dear father.

On a little table, beside the cellar door, Dad scooped out the sardines onto a little bowl that he had on a shelf by the cellar door. He put the sardine-filled bowl down in front of the adorable little cat.

“Here you go, my little friend,” I remember Dad saying to this cute little gray cat.

A smile filled my father’s face as he watched the little cat eat the sardines. It was a side of my dear old Dad that I had never quite seen before. After the little cat ate all of the sardines, Dad petted him on the head. The dear little cat moved one of his little paws upon Dad’s hand, as if to say thank you to my father for giving him such a special supper. The little cat then came into the cellar and walked around as if he owned the place.

It’s funny. In that little moment of time, my worries about my upcoming final exams, my anxieties about dealing with my less than kind coworker at the A&P, and my concerns for Penny going to Rutgers, all seemed to melt away.

Dad returned to his workbench. We worked some more on our birdhouse project. About four o’clock, Dad told me that I should go upstairs and get some sleep before I went to work that night. And, I did just that.

I remember that my sister and I bought my father a brand new jigsaw for Father’s Day that year. We had both been saving up for quite a while.

Now at 70 and fighting a serious heart condition, I look back at that Saturday afternoon, with both joy and sadness. A big part of me wants to go back in time, to return to that early June Saturday of 1972 and have just a half-hour to spend with my dear father, at his old rugged basement workbench. But my time machine is broken.

My father served as Scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop 170 for 30 years. He was a certified Lay Leader of the Methodist Church. For over a decade, he taught God and Country classes at the First Reformed Church of Lincoln Park. In his job, as a long-distance truck driver, he brought New York City their big, tall Christmas Tree, for over 25 years. Most of the time, Dad hauled the big evergreen from the State of Maine.

Despite all of these worthwhile accomplishments, tonight, as I write this little true-life story, I reflect upon the man who fed sardines to a little gray cat, at his cellar door. I miss my Dad. If your father is still on this side of Heaven’s Gate, tell him you love him.

Richard Mabey Jr. is a freelance writer. He hosts a YouTube Channel titled, “Richard Mabey Presents.” Richard most recently published a book of poetry and short stories. He can be reached at richardmabeyjr@hotmail.com.

A rare photograph of my beloved father at his old basement workbench.

By Henry M. Holden

The Whirly Girls is an international group of female licensed helicopter pilots.

In June 1987, 17-yearold Kim Darst landed a Bell JetRanger helicopter in a soccer field behind her high school in Blairstown, New Jersey. When the rotor blades stopped, she climbed from the cockpit and change her sneakers into high heels. She put on a white cap and gown, and she became the first person to fly a helicopter to her high school graduation.

In retrospect Darst recalls, “It sounded like fun,” but Darst wanted to do it the right way. “I asked for permission from my school, the town, the state police, and the FAA.” They all agreed to let me do it.”

The event came just 2 months after she had earned her private helicopter certificate.

Darst wasn’t always interested in flying. Until her junior year of high school, she had never even flown and was planning a career in marine biology. Then, on a family vacation in November 1986, she and her parents flew for 20 minutes in a JetRanger on a charter flight through the Grand Canyon. Darst sat up front, watching the pilot, fascinated by what he was doing. “I can’t tell you anything about the Grand Canyon,” she says, beaming, “but I can tell you everything about that helicopter.”

When back on the ground, she began taking flying lessons in a Bell 47. When she wasn’t flying, she worked as an apprentice mechanic alongside her flight instructor, Ernie Kittner. She earned her airframe and powerplant certificates that way, spending as many as 18 hours a day at the airport, and living out of a trailer.

At first, Darst didn’t realize she had been bitten by the flying bug. And all she could do was think about flying. It wasn’t long before she

Whirly Girl Kim Darst Sets New Records

was busy signing the papers for her first helicopter. She found her 1957 Bell 47 near Homestead, Florida, in March 1988. Her father cosigned a loan with her on the condition that if she missed a payment, she would have to sell the helicopter.

With the deal sealed, she and Kittner flew the helicopter with Kittner aboard to give Darst a rest. It took eight fuel stops, and 17 hours in the air from Florida to her New Jersey home, following the “concrete compass” of Interstate 95.

While she was enroute family members were clearing trees from the family’s 12acre trac. She also needed a fuel tank to be installed and a windsock raised. With all the details ironed out, Kim Darst opened her flight school, and KD Helicopters, was born.

Darst has a love for the low-and-slow airplanes that goes beyond her earlier attraction to the airlines. Kiwi Airlines offered her a job as a flight engineer on the Boeing 727.

“I found out that the “big iron” didn’t have the same appeal that flying close to the ground in a helicopter or single-engine airplane does. I didn’t like the airlines like I thought I would. I thought it was the next step, but when I got there, I said, “I like general aviation better.” She gave up a career with Kiwi Airlines and turned down a job offer from the FAA so that she could continue instructing in the helicopter and five airplanes she owned.

There is no doubt Darst is having fun. One measure of her of her love of flight is her airtime. Darst stopped keeping a logbook when she logged 30,000 hours in the air. “I would have to estimate I’m at least 35,000, near 40,000 hours in the air.” That is nearly six years in the air.

She has had students for each of her instructor

ratings, which include airplane, single-engine and multiengine; helicopter; gyroplane; instrument, airplane; instrument, helicopter; and glider.

When living in New Jersey she kept her Piper Cub; two Cessna Skyhawks; a Lake amphibian; and her favorite among her airplanes, a pristine blueand-white Cessna 195 she’s affectionately named Clyde.

Darst says she’s happy as an instructor, but she is also looking at her options. She wants to stay close to her general aviation roots, “flying and fixing helicopters and ‘little airplanes.’”

On a trip to Alaska to visit a friend she found another challenge when she witnessed the annual Iditarod Dog Race. “I said to myself I have to try that.”

Kim Darst drove 6,000 miles in a truck with 18 dogs to come to Alaska and realize her dream — racing in the 1,100-mile Iditarod.

“I hooked up a couple of Samoyed dogs and took them for a run. I was hooked! I started out the way I did in aviation, from the bottom up. I would race larger and larger races. I raced in the 30-mille, then 60-mile up to the 1,100-mile Race.

Darst has worked for more than 30 years to get to this point. She estimates it took about 10 years to get the money for it. The cost of just running the race at about $50,000 with dog food and entry fees and getting up to Alaska. The race has 26 check points and food bags waiting along the way and it generally takes a few days to complete the race. Driving the 12,000 miles to and from Alaska in her truck that gets 8 miles to the gallon cost a a lot, she said.

Kim Darst was born and raised in Blairstown, New Jersey. “I am a helicopter pilot by trade but a dog musher by passion. My dogs come from Susan Butcher’s kennel. I look forward to bringing my dogs back to

their origin. Kim owns and operates a flight school on an airport named Husky Haven in NE Pennsylvania. The flight school consists of three helicopters and seven airplanes. I was the first New Jersian to qualify and enter the

Iditarod. My favorite part of the race was the friends I met and the fans.”

In 2009, Kim became the 1st New Jerseyan to race in the Iditarod. Kim is currently operating her flight school and giving dog sled rides and presentations in Shingleton, MI.

The Iditarod Race began in 1973. During the Alaskan Gold Rush in 1909, they used the Iditarod Trail route to get to snowbound areas using dogs to pull their sleds. This became a national historic trail.

The original Iditarod was established in 1967, and it was a dog race that only included a smaller portion of the trail. It was six years later

when the race was changed to include the entire trail, from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska. I never truly moved to AK. I went up there and trained for Iditarod in 2009 but I found my favorite place in the world for me to be the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. In my opinion it is a mini-Alaska. We get lots of snow, lots of trails, and nice and quiet. I love it there. I now own 73 dogs and run a sled dog touring business up there. I certainly never gave up aviation. I still own 3 helicopters a Bell47, my first aircraft ever that I bought back in 1988. I own a S300 helicopter that I bought back is 1995 and then of course the Jet Ranger that I bought in 2000. I reduced my airplane fleet to a Cessna 172 and it is the first airplane I ever bought so my second aircraft and I still have my J3 cub which is now on floats as I live on a lake. I never won Iditarod, but I did win other dog sled races like Stratford

NH race and the High Point race.

Around 1,500 dogs start the race each year, I sold my airport that I had in Pennsylvania, and I sold my parents properties in Blairstown as my mom just passed away a year ago,. Kim Darst is a member of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), Whirly Girls and says her hobby is water skiing.

VFW Memorial Post 7333 Honored

VFW Memorial Post 7333 was honored to be the guests of honor at the National Day of Prayer event held at Picatinny Arsenal on May 2, 2024.

Commander Angel Soto thanked the attendees and invited them to join us for our Memorial Day ceremony on May 27th. Adjutant and Chaplain Deacon Rich Reck delivered an explanation of the National Day of Prayer program that was received with a standing ovation. The

Trest of the program is shown in the photos and included remarks by

he adage, “Success has many fathers, but failure is an orphan” is an applicable turn of phrase in many instances, and it seems to ring true when trying to pin down the origins of ice cream. A 2019 study from Datassential that surveyed more than 2,500 consumers about their dessert habits and preferences found that ice cream is the No. 1 dessert. If that’s a fairly straightforward pursuit, identifying the origins of this beloved treat is not

Did You Know?

so easy. Many attribute the origins of ice cream to China’s Tang dynasty, which was in power from 618 to 907. History. com notes that sources from that period reference a sweet drink made from iced, camphor-laced water buffalo milk, which certainly sounds similar to modern day ice cream. But others point much further back, noting that iced drinks and desserts were sold along the Euphrates River as far back as at least 4000 B.C. History.com also

to pray for our troops and our nation.

notes that the first European ice creams can be traced to Italy in the 1600s. The difficulty with distinguishing the exact origins of ice cream, and the various claims that trace those beginnings to one place or another, support the notion that success, in this case the confectionary triumph that is ice cream, indeed has many fathers.

Garrison

Commander LT. Colonel (LTC) Burgos and Command Sgt. Major CSM Franks and

a benediction by Garrison Chaplain LTC Simon Chang. VFW members attending

the event included Vice Commander Bill Menzel, LTC ( Ret.) Steve Niblett and

Trustee Richard Collari. It was a great way

A Taste of Greece in Randolph on June

7 -9th

by Elsie Walker

St. Andrews Greek Orthodox Church is offering “a taste of Greece” on June 7-9th as it welcomes people to its Big Greek Festival. The festival, held at the church at 1447 Sussex Turnpike in Randolph, shares the Greek culture through food, entertainment, and more. Admission is free. Festival hours are as follows: Friday, June 7th lunch is from 11am - 2pm (takeout or eat in). Preorders are taken at https:// standrewgonj.square.site or by phone 973584-0388. Dinner is 5pm – 11pm. Saturday festival hours are 11am – 11pm and Sunday festival hours are 12pm – 7pm. Free parking is available at the County College of Morris with free round trip shuttle service. Other details with a menu for the days of the festival are located at biggreekfestival.com

Steve Mitrakos of Morris Plains, who is part of the festival committee, said that the festival’s mission is to share the Greek culture, heritage, and religion with others. The festival is also about philanthropy, as the funds raised through it are used to help the church assist those in need, as they are taught to do in their faith. Speaking of faith, Mitrakos noted that Father John Theodosion, the church’s spiritual leader, will be giving church tours as part of the festival. Theodosion will talk about its worship, beliefs, and show its sanctuary.

Entertainment at the festival includes a bit of Greek heritage as well as games for children. There will be Greek music and a DJ. Mitrakos noted that traditional Greek dances will be performed by two GOYA (Greek Orthodox Youth Association) groups of the church. The younger group has youth from grades three to six; the older group has youth from grades seven to twelve. Also, there will be a game truck outside with a variety of games for kids, and there will be a bouncy. Tickets are sold to take part in the games and boucy. For those who enjoy shopping, there will be an Agora (Greek for “marketplace”) with a variety of vendors offering products and services. In addition,

50-50s will be held during the festival. The festival’s “taste” of Greece includes food sold inside the church and in an outdoor taverna (Greek for “tavern”) grill and bar on Saturday and Sunday. The food on sale during the festival, which includes pastries, is prepared by the people of the church. There are certain lunch and dinner offerings on Friday with a larger menu available on Saturday and Sunday. These allow people to enjoy various Greek dishes Popular are Gyros which are sliced chicken or traditional gyro meat on a pita, with lettuce, tomato, onion and tzatziki (yogurt, garlic and cucumber sauce). When asked about pastries, Mistrakos described two of his favorites: Galatoboureko, which is phyllo filled with creamy custard, topped with sweet syrup and Loukoumathes which are hot fried dough puffs drizzled with honey and topped with chopped walnuts.

Also, during the festival, people will have the opportunity to buy a raffle tickets for a blue metallic 2024 Mercedes Benz, Model GLC300 W4 ( MSRP $54,220 ) with all-wheel drive, remote start, parking assistant, navigation and more. Tickets are $25 a piece and all ticket sales benefit Saint Andrew Greek Orthodox Church. The raffle drawing will be at 12:30pm on September 29th at the church, and the winner need not be present at the drawing.

Mitrakos said that St. Andrews Greek Orthodox Church is a “welcoming place”. About 100 volunteers, members of the church, help to put on the Greek festival, welcoming the variety of people who attend. It is estimated that about 5,000 people will visit the festival over its three days. While most come from New Jersey, there are visitors from Pennsylvania and New York, too.

For more information about the festival, visit biggreekfestival.com and for information about St. Andrews Greek Orthodox Church visit https://standrewgonj. org

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