Roxbury Life December 2022

Big Red Santa Brings Happiness to All Ages

By Steve Sears

For Bob Smith, it may have started in 2009, but you can tell during discussion with him that he’s had the Santa Claus goodness within him all along.

Just ask Emily.

Although in his words he was terrified when he first dressed up as the Big Red Santa and the event was a success, it was best defined by little Emily, who the next day visited the event organizer and thanked them for bringing a real Santa Claus. “And it was because I was nice and I had a real beard,” Smith says. It mattered not to Emily that the red Santa suit Smith wore was older, that his beard was short, or whether it was sprinkled with baby powder. What mattered was Smith’s kindness to her, which Emily returned the following year, she showing up with a gift for the Big Red Santa.

“I think 90% of Santas find their way into the role by someone asking them to fill in for somebody that can’t make it,” Smith says. “I think 100% of the people who get that question are kind of reluctant to do that because they’ve never done it before.”

Smith wasn’t reluctant when first asked thirteen years ago. He filled the role, but was concerned his voice wouldn’t be correct or he’d say something wrong. The request came from a group called Rainbows for All Children, a nationwide group which meets with and supports children who had a parent pass away during the year and are grieving. Smith recalls the instructions he received at that time. ‘They said, ‘We’ve got all the toys, we’ve got the bag. Just show up, everything’s tagged, call up the kids, take the picture, and off you go.’” The group had available a Santa Claus suit from K-Mart, and Smith took care of the rest. “I had this very short George Clooney beard,” he says. “It really wasn’t quite right, and I peppered it with some baby powder, because I was not going to wear a previously used polyester

beard. Then I threw on a white turtleneck to cover the lack of beard.”

After his first appearance, Smith returned the suit and thought nothing more about dressing up as Santa Claus –until the following September, when he was asked by Rainbows for All Children to do it again. This time, not only was the child called up, but Smith also asked the parent who had lost a spouse to head forward as well. Smith explains. “I would say, ‘What would you like for Christmas?’ and ‘How have you been?’ I realized it’s about the family.”

During his first eight years as Santa Claus, Smith would do just a gig or two per year. In addition to the Rainbows event, he would get calls to do Breakfast with Santa get-togethers. As he started to get more requests for appearances, he then began to buttress his Santa skills. “For the first eight years, I had no idea that there were Santa Claus organizations,” Smith says. “There are Santa Claus groups that will help you hone your skills in terms that if you’re going to see 200 kids in a day, one or two of them are going to be on the autism spectrum. How do you handle that? How do you deal with sensitivity in terms of questions? If somebody asks, ‘Can you bring grandma back?’ There’s that part of it, the part in the chair, which we call ‘Chair Time.’ And then there’s also the business side of it.”

For the record, Smith now dons a custom-made Santa Claus suit, and his appearances aren’t limited just to the Christmas season. During this past summer, he had three Christmas in July gigs. Also, it took about six or seven years to convince Mrs. Claus (Smith’s wife, Pam) to make appearances with him. “The Knights of Columbus, every time they saw her, they said, ‘You’re coming to the Breakfast with Santa, too?’ and she would say, ‘No, no, no.’ I just bought her the dress, and once she had the dress, she was okay with it, and said it was a lot of fun. And Mrs. Claus is an integral part of the Santa experience.”

For more information about the Big Red Santa, visit www.bigredsanta.com.

The Big Red Santa and Mrs. Claus (courtesy of Bob Smith)

Many people are aware that in order to receive a dental implant, they must have enough bone. Without a proper amount of bone, a dental implant will be at risk of infection

or failure.

So what do you do if you don’t have enough bone? Bone grafts are usually the answer. However, there are many differ ent kinds of bone grafts.

When a tooth is removed, the remain ing hole is called a “socket.” This socket will fill in naturally with bone. However, if an implant is being considered a bone graft oftentimes is needed. Variables in clude the size, shape, and location of the remaining socket.

Besides socket grafting, there are other types of grafts. “Sinus grafting” is when you need implants in the upper back jaw, but the sinuses are too large. “Block graft ing” and “ridge splitting” are necessary when your own bone are too thin to ac cept implants.

Be aware that most of the time bone grafts need to heal before implants can be placed. Healing is usually required be tween 2 and 6 months.

Bone grafting material can be sourced from three locations, and will therefore

have different names: an “autograft” comes from yourself. The bone is harvest ed from a different location within your mouth. An “allograft” comes from a hu man cadaver. A “xenograft” comes from a different animal, such as cow (bovine). An “alloplast” is synthetic, meaning it is manmade.

One issue that is often overlooked is the condition of the gum tissue around a dental implant. Not only is it important to have enough bone for proper long term success, but the type of gum tissue that surrounds the implants is also critical. If you have thin, moveable gum tissue as op posed to thick and stable, your implants will be at risk of complications in the dis tant future. Overall health, medications, and smoking are other risk factors that can affect the long term success of dental im plants, regardless of bone grafting.

One implant scenario that avoids bone grafting is “All-On-Four®” or “Full Jaw Den tal Implants.” In this scenario, a full jaw of teeth can be placed onto 4 to 6 implants,

and these implants are oftentimes pur posely placed into areas that don’t require bone grafting.

Do you have questions? Visit Dr. Gold berg’s website, or contact us for a free consultation.

About the author: Dr. Ira Goldberg has been performing implant procedures for 27 years. He is a Diplomate of the Amer ican Board of Oral Implantology / Implant Dentistry, a Diplomate of the Internation al Congress of Oral Implantologists, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Im plant Dentistry. He performs all phases of implant dentistry at his office in Succasun na, NJ. He lectures to dentists in the field of implantology. For a free consultation, including a free 3-D scan (if necessary), please call his office at (973) 328-1225 or visit his website at www.MorrisCoun tyDentist.com Dr. Goldberg is a general dentist, and also a Fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry.

General & Cosmetic Dentistry

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Cannot be combined with other discounts Refer to New Patient Specials on our website for details Coupon must be presented, & mentioned at time of scheduling Expires 1/31/23

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Morris County Launches Interactive Story Map to Celebrate 20 Years of Historic Preservation Trust Fund

orris County is celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the Morris County Historic Preservation Trust Fund by launching an interactive, online story map of all historic sites found in the county, specifically offering background information, photos, video and geographic data on all sites that benefited from county historic preservation grants.

“We hope this story map can make the public more aware of the many historic treasures that are in our midst, and also acknowledge the strong support the Commissioners have shown toward historic preservation that contribute to the high quality of life here in Morris County,” said Ray Chang, Historic Preservation Program Coordinator for the Morris County Office of Planning and Preservation.

The story map was created by the Office of Planning and Preservation to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the grant program.

The Historic Preservation Trust Fund was established by the Morris County Board of County Commissioners after voters overwhelmingly approved a referendum on Nov. 5, 2002, to allow a portion of the Morris County Open Space & Farmland Preservation Trust Fund to be used for historic preservation.

“This has been an exceptionally successful and

well received program, with nearly $46 million being committed to assist in the preservation, protection and restoration of 122 historic properties since the first grant was issued in 2003,” said Commissioner Stephen Shaw, the board liaison to the county Office of Planning and Preservation.

“Almost everywhere you go in Morris County, you can point to a place, a building or a monument that represents a specific era in our history, from the days Native Americans lived here and Europeans began to settle in, to the American Revolution, the industrial revolution and beyond. Morris County has a wealth of sites and structures embodying the American story, and our trust fund has helped to preserve that,” he added.

The story map is based in part on digital mapping data provided by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Geographic Information System, as well as data on historical properties compiled by the New Jersey Historic Preservation Office. A legend is provided identifying various levels of historical determinations afforded different sites.

However, the story map dives deepest into Morris County historic sites, specifically the 122 sites afforded grants through the Historic Preservation Trust Fund over the past 20 years. Using the GIS mapping, visitors may

navigate to all 122 Morris County sites easily and view photos, background information and, where available, videos and audio presentations that provide a fuller understanding the sites’ significance.

The videos can be watched on YouTube with captions for better accessibility.

The Historic Preservation Trust Fund considers grants for the acquisition, stabilization, rehabilitation, restoration or preservation of historic resources by municipalities, qualified non-profits and the county. Many sites have received multiple grants over the years for various stages of preservation, from planning to actual construction.

Applications are reviewed by the volunteer members of the Morris County Historic Preservation Trust Fund Review Board, and the board ultimately recommends each year to the County Commissioners what projects should be provided grants and the amount of each grant.

The new story map introduces visitors to the 11-member review board.

Historic resources must be listed or certified as eligible for listing on the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places, to be eligible for the program.

The map is available to view at www.storymaps.arcgis. com/stories/e6da96eb190a4c8e94bab06dcd1b8e7e

Are You Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired? Exploring Another Treatment Option for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue immunodeficiency syndrome (CFIS) also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) is a disabling and poorly understood illness that is becoming more widespread in Western countries. CFIS is a term used to describe a myriad of neurological, neuromuscular, and immunological abnormalities. The initial onset of CFIS consists of flu-like symptoms including fever, sore throat, tender lymph nodes, chills and extreme fatigue. The chronic manifestations of CFIS always include disabling fatigue but can also include muscle and joint pain, sleep disorders, headaches, hypo- or hypersensitivities, cognitive disorders, depression, malaise, anxiety, irritability, confusion, weight fluctuations, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, muscle fatigue, worsening PMS, visual disturbances, tachycardia, paresthesias, dry eyes, dry mouth, night sweats, skin rashes and decreased sexual desire.

The etiology of CFIS is still unknown, but the suspected cause is a viral infection. Some researchers believe that CFIS is actually a neurological response to a viral infection. Since there are no absolute markers or lab tests to confirm the illness, chronic fatigue immunodeficiency syndrome is often diagnosed by symptoms alone and by process of elimination. For the same reasons, western medicine has no treatment for chronic

fatigue. Instead, doctors prescribe individual medications to deal with each of the associated symptoms.

As with any illness, traditional Chinese medicine treats the individual on a case- bycase basis. A diagnosis is made based on the individual’s symptoms as well as their tongue and pulse presentations. The patient’s tongue is inspected and 6 pulses are felt on each wrist in order for the Acupuncturist/ Chinese Medical Practitioner to determine the diagnosis. Since chronic fatigue manifests differently in each person, this method of diagnosing is superior. The treatment plan is then formulated based on the individual’s diagnosis. As you can see in the chart- one Acupuncture treatment plan will address all of the individual’s symptoms as well as the illness as a whole. This is known as a root and branch treatment. Addressing the root cause of the chronic fatigue is addressing the illness as a whole while treating the branch aims to relieve all of the symptoms associated with the illness. A single Chinese herbal formula can also be prescribed to treat both the root and branch of the chronic fatigue syndrome.

For more information about Acupuncture and Chronic Fatigue Immunodeficiency Syndrome, call Kearstin R. Tripi, L.Ac at Mt. Olive Acupuncture & Wellness 973-527-7978.

By Henry M. Holden

Joshua (Josh) Coyne, grew up in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Alessandra (Allie) Altieri, grew up in Randolph, nearly a thousand miles apart. Yet music would bring the two together. That music first formed a bond, then a friendship and then love and marriage on October 23, 2022. The link that brought them together was the Manhattan School of Music. The same school that the former Director of Music at Resurrection Parish, Rick Edinger, and Assistant Giovanna Reyes-Mir attended. In fact, the four knew each other while at the school.

With a major in Composition and a minor in violin/viola, Josh embraces skills at the organ, the piano, and with the violin and viola. He has served in ministry as a director and assistant director at churches in New York City. He also works as a Conductor, Composer and Orchestrator in musical theater throughout the northeast United States. With her Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance, Allie has sung in churches in New Jersey and New York City. Her operatic performances include singing with the

Bronx Opera Company, the dell Arte Opera Ensemble, and Opera in the Ozarks.

The Coyne family was involved in the local arts community, with Joshua participating at Theatre Cedar Rapids, and the Cedar Rapids Symphony. Early on he expressed interest and showed an aptitude in music. He took his first lessons at the Cedar Rapids Symphony School.

“I don’t know if I had an aptitude for music, but I do know that I just loved it. It was a natural fit. It is part of me. I think many musicians would describe it the same way.”

Joshua talked about his early music motivation. “That first influence for me when I was young was a teacher named Peter Shepherd. He was a black man, and it was the first time I ever saw a black man playing a violin or any classical music. The symphony had a music school, so I started taking lessons with Peter Shepherd.”

In 2006, Joshua and his family moved to the

(Photo credit Henry M. Holden) continued on page 7

Washington, D.C. area, where he continued his violin studies with Lya Stern and began composition study.

“Lya Stern and I both went to the Manhattan School of Music. She had lived in Hungary and then Romania, and she came to the states to study the violin with a group of teachers including noted violinist, Jascha Heifetz. Lya Stern, herself was a student of Jascha Heifetz, and she played in many musical scores for different shows.”

After moving to D.C., Joshua performed for the then presidential candidate, Barack Obama at the Stand for Change Rally in February 2008, and later as well for the Haitian Embassy.

Joshua composed the score

to Anne and Emmett, a play about Anne Frank and Emmett Till. It explores an imaginary conversation between Emmett Till, an African American, and Anne Frank, a GermanDutch Jew. They were murdered as young teenagers because of racial hatred. The play recounts the lives of Emmett and Anne, comparing the events in their lives and deaths.

“The premiere of the play was to be held at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in June 2009, but was canceled due to a shooting earlier that day,” said Joshua.

In the summer of 2011, Joshua was one of the subjects in a series of articles describing the difficulties students have

getting scholarships, loans, and grants, to be able to afford college. As a result of these articles, Joshua earned a scholarship which allowed him to attend Manhattan School of Music.

“When I was younger my mom was involved in the arts. She worked for several artist’s organizations.” At one point, Joshua’s mom worked for a theater company and there were some connections there that were helpful. “It was like all of these DC parties I’m invited to so I go to play and I meet people with connections. Some of this was a little weird since I was so young.”

Allie Altieri’s parents moved from Rockaway to Randolph when she was four years old.

“I was able to join the children’s choir at St. Matthew’s when I was five. I did not have to be in kindergarten to join the choir, I just had to know how to read words, not music. I am very grateful because that exposure led to a career as a singer.”

Allie moved through the children’s choir, the youth choir, and the adult choir, and they let her occasionally direct

the children’s choir. She stayed in Saint Matthew’s choir until she graduated high school.

“They had an arrangement like we had here at Resurrection, a children’s choir, a youth choir, and an adult choir. While I was in high school, I got to be a cantor occasionally then I went on to co-direct the children’s choir.” Later at Resurrection Parish she became the Soprano Soloist assisting at the Christmas and Easter Masses.

Allie met Charlene Stepnowski, who codirected the children’s choir. “Charlene is a neighborhood institution. She was my piano teacher. I started private lessons when I was 13. It was through her and Pam Kane, the former organist here at Resurrection, that I became more involved with the choir.”

Most of the parish know Allie and Josh as two loving and caring people. That was illustrated with the celebration of the Sacrament of Matrimony on October 30 followed by a reception celebrating their union where more than 125 people attended.

Randolph Native Walks Across America to Support Homeless Vets

By Alexander Rivero

2020 Seton Hall University graduate

Tommy Pasquale, 24, is heading from New Jersey to California—on foot. The Randolph native will be embarking on this adventure to raise much needed awareness for the National Coalition of Homeless Veterans, which reports that on any given night in the US, there are up to 38,000 former members of the armed forces that have no place to call home.

Pasquale left the Jersey shore— specifically Manasquan Beach—for Venice Beach, California in September of 2022, and plans on arriving in sunny southern California in April. At a twenty-miles-aday clip, he feels that the goal of reaching California by April is doable, without being excessive.

Coming along for the trip is a wheeled cart with reinforced wheels and an American flag, loaded with basic provisions and equipment—such as a sleeping bag, a tent, canned goods, fruit, protein powder, beef jerky, some toiletries, clothes, books, a daily journal. He also has a cell phone, of course, which he uses to chart and document his daily progress, and a couple of chargers.

Although Pasquale himself never served,

the armed forces have always been a great passion for him. He has veterans in his family, and amongst his closest friends, many of whom are currently active duty, and he is proud to do what he can.

“They’ve done so much for our country,” he says, by phone as he walks through Church Hill, Tennessee, “and I’m happy to be doing something to honor them.”

There is no better time for such an adventure, too.

“It’s always been lingering in the back of my mind, crossing the country on foot,” Pasquale says. “I guess the idea of doing it finally overtook my thinking to the point where I had to do it. And I said to myself, if you’re ever going to do it, now’s the time. I have no family, I’m young, strong. And it’s all for a great cause.”

What one would assume would be obvious hurdles along the way have so far proven to be opportunities to connect with strangers and make new friends. Pasquale was never much worried about this element of the trip, however. In fact, finding the deep well of generosity amongst random folks on the road is right on par with how he thought people would act towards him.

“I’m a stranger to them, and yet they’ve treated me like family,” he says.

One experience of note was in Culpepper, Virginia. Pasquale was tired after a very long day, and he was looking for a spot to put up his tent. He happened to pass by an American Legion (Post 330), and

the members there welcomed him in with open arms.

“Those guys fed me, took care of me,” he says. “They even got the local paper to

on page 9

Tommy Pasquale in Culpepper, Virginia. continued

Walks Across America...

continued from page 8

help. It was at a point where I was hurting physically, and drained emotionally a little bit. They helped me out more than they know.”

He has relied on Veterans of Foreign War (VFW) houses, American Legions, firehouses, and the generosity of regular citizens who have invited them to their homes for a hot meal, hot shower, and to spend the night on several occasions, softening the hard edges of the trip and assuring Pasquale that all would be just fine.

More pleasant surprises followed. Chief among them is the degree to which his body has been able to recover from the steady pounding of pavement at twenty miles per day. Pasquale admits that, at first, he was in pain. But his body recuperated and adjusted to the new demands, and he seems to have physically leveled up to the challenge.

“No question, as I’ve gotten along further, I’ve gotten steadier,” he says. “Early on, emotions were running very high, especially because I was leaving everyone I loved. But now I’ve settled into the groove,

both emotionally and physically.”

As one might expect, it gets a little lonely out on the road all alone, but Pasquale has been keeping in touch with family and friends regularly, and says he never feels he’s by himself.

As for training, Pasquale spent the entire summer of 2022 living on the beach in Manasquan. There, he says, he trained every day by walking anywhere between ten and twenty miles on the beach each day, just to make sure his body would be ready.

Pasquale says his greatest hope for this experience is to raise $75,000 for the homeless veterans, which he sees as a reachable number.

“But really,” he adds, “if we can get one veteran off the street, I think it will have been a success.”

He has a Go Fund Me page for the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, and any donations would go directly to that veterans group. Pasquale is active on social media. You can find him on Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, and LinkedIn. He can be found at @tommy_walks_america.

All Seven Schools in Roxbury Township Earn Sustainability Certification

All seven schools in Roxbury Township have met the requirements to achieve Sustainable Jersey for Schools certification, bringing the total number of certified schools across New Jersey to 352. As leading examples of sustainability excellence, these schools provide outstanding learning opportunities for their students and join an established cohort of recognized schools across the state.

All seven Roxbury schools first earned bronze certification back in 2018 and have maintained that accreditation for the last four years and the district is actively working towards achieving the silver certification status through Sustainable Jersey for Schools.

Assistant Business Administrator and Green Team Leader Kathy Kolbusch shared, “The SJFS program offers our district the opportunity to work with our students on issues such as recycling, composting, waste reduction, and more recently – climate change. The District’s focus on bringing students, teachers, administrators, parents, and our community members to work toward greater district and community sustainability, aligns perfectly with the Portrait of a Graduate initiative while preparing the children of today for tomorrow.”

“I’m proud of the work we are doing in Roxbury. We have demonstrated the ability to take on challenging environmental issues and follow through with meaningful action which got the district to Bronze once again. I believe our students understand what is at stake and they are ready and willing to address the issues head on. As the District’s leadership, it is imperative that we

Kidz

The dental group kids LOVE and their parents trust!

not only provide support and guidance but that we work side by side with our young people to create a better and healthier future for everyone.”

Sustainable Jersey for Schools developed the voluntary certification program in 2014 as a roadmap for prekindergarten through twelfth-grade public schools to

reach their fullest potential. Roxbury first adopted this mission just two years after its inception. Roxbury looks to the future to become more sustainable and green in its policies and practices. In doing so, the Board of Education and administration made the decision to pursue district continued on page 11

Roxbury Twp SD (L to R): Sustainable Jersey’s Executive Director Randall Solomon, Roxbury Superintendent Loretta Radulic, Roxbury Business Administrator Joseph Mondanaro, Roxbury Assist Business Administrator Kathy Kolbusch, Roxbury Board Members Leo Coakley and Anne Colucci, Roxbury Vice President and President Dan Masi and Carol Scheneck, and Sustainable Jersey’s Board President, Gary Sondermeyer. (courtesy of Sustainable Jersey for Schools)

Sustainability

continued from page 10

sustainability and green initiatives by creating and approving various policies outlining its position and efforts and has listed sustainability as one of its district goals for the past few years.

In achieving this recognition again, Superintendent Dr. Loretta Radulic added, “The District and Board of Education is committed to sustainability, from ensuring proper training to creating programs for our students. The Sustainability program has allowed us to obtain grants for tower gardens, the TREP$ program at the elementary schools, and our latest butterfly migration project at Kennedy School. I’d like to give a shout-out to Kathy Kolbusch and Ann Rhodes, who have been instrumental in championing this initiative. As a District that is forever looking towards the horizon, we graciously accept the Bronze Recertification recognition and have plans to move us into the Silver category for next year!”

Each school that is certified at the bronze level must submit documentation

to show it has completed a balanced portfolio of the program’s sustainability actions, attaining a minimum of 150 points. The more advanced silver level requires a minimum of 350 points of sustainability actions.

“Becoming a certified sustainable school is a rigorous process that helps schools implement steps to be sustainable in their operations and proactive in preparing students for the challenges they will face in the future,” said Randall Solomon, executive director of Sustainable Jersey. “As the state is dealing with an increasing number of climate changerelated threats, broad-based sustainability literacy is required to ensure that young people are equipped to recognize and respond to critical issues now and in their chosen careers,” Solomon added. Sustainable Jersey participating schools serve as learning labs and the certification program supports educators by identifying authentic learning opportunities for students and staff.

A Remembrance of the Real Santa of Main Street

By Richard Mabey Jr.

are people who touch our hearts and lives, to whom we will not truly appreciate their kindness till years and years have passed. Such is the case of my remembrance of the Real Santa Claus of Main Street. It was a long standing tradition, of the Mabey clan, to spend Christmas Day at the old Mabey Homestead. From the day I was born till I was six years old, my parents and I lived in Clifton. Every Christmas Day, we would sojourn westward on Route 46 to the little hamlet of Lincoln Park, where my great grandmother, Dora Mabey lived.

I remember we would arrive at the old Mabey Homestead, early in the morning. I was a shy and sensitive child, so the abounding number of relatives that would congregate at the old farmhouse, would seem all so overwhelming to me.

I don’t know at what age I had any degree of conscious remembrance of the dear, kind, elderly man who was the Real Santa of Main Street. I remember him fondly as a very kind man with a gentle spirit. He would knock on the door of the old Mabey Homestead, sometime during the late morning on Christmas Day, all dressed in his Santa Claus gear.

My dad was the fifth of nine children, so on Christmas Day the Mabey Homestead abounded with children, my many cousins. Santa would arrive with a big burlap bag strung over his shoulder, with a gift for each and every one of my cousins, my sister and myself. I remember the gifts were not expensive at all. Some were actually handmade toys. While some had a clue of having been passed

down from another child, who had outgrown the little toy car or doll.

My mom and dad, my sister Patti and I moved into the old Mabey Homestead in the early Autumn of 1959, shortly after Great Grandma Mabey went Home to be with the Lord. I was six years old that Christmas. I remember wondering if the real Santa would still be knocking on the door on Christmas Day. To my happy surprise, the real Santa did come by to visit us, with presents for my sister and I.

I never learned the name of the Real Santa of Main Street. My grandfather, Watson Mabey, one time told me that he thought that he lived in this little house at the end of Clover Lane. When I was about 10 years old, I walked down Clover Lane, stood at the front yard of that little home and wanted to knock on the front door and see if that was in fact, the home of the real Santa. Sadly and regretfully, I didn’t get the courage to knock on the door. That little home was torn down many years ago, to make room for a larger, modern home.

My Aunt Vi once told me that she thought that the Real Santa of Main Street lived in a little home in Towaco, just past the Lincoln Park border. I don’t think anybody really knew who this kind hearted soul was. It’s one of the greatest mysteries of my childhood.

The Christmas of 1961, when I was eight years old and in the third grade, was the last time that the Real Santa of Main Street ever came to visit us on Christmas Day. I once asked my father if he knew who this gentleman was. He endorsed Grandpa Mabey’s theory.

In deep fondness, I remember the Real Santa of Main

From 1953, a photo of the Real Santa Claus of Main Street. Yours truly sitting upon the lap of Santa, with my mom and dad.

Street. I think about him from time to time. My intuition tells me that he was not a wealthy man at all. I think he was actually quite poor. Somehow and someway, he accumulated toys for children in the neighborhood. Most of the toys he gave to us, were handmade. He was truly the real Santa Claus of my childhood.

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

Dr. Michael McCleaster

Roxbury High School Aviation Flies to New Heights in Third Year

By Steve Sears

Courtesy of a generous partnership with curriculum from the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), Roxbury High School for the past two years has offered an official Aviation course program for grades 9 to 12.

Mike Gottfried and Chris Blough, both members of the school’s staff of science teachers, are the instructors.

Roxbury Assistant Superintendent of Schools and head of Curriculum Instruction, Dr. Charles Seipp, learned of the program from pilot David Sarkisian, a Delta Airlines pilot and community liaison to Morris Hills High School in Rockaway, who introduced the program at that school. “The curriculum is free from AOPA, and as I listened more, I thought, ‘Wow, this is really an awesome opportunity that we can provide.” Seipp says. He then conferred with Roxbury Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Loretta Radulic, and some Board of Education members about the reasonable potential to roll out the program. “And as we started to talk more about it, Mike and his colleague, Chris, immediately came to mind as science teachers who are not only qualified but could be passionate about building this thing.”

Gottfried says, “His (Sarkisian) hope was to have more schools in the area pick up on the program and carry it out, because obviously there’s a significant need for pilots now, and projecting into the future.”

Now in its third year at Roxbury High School, a total of 55 students take part, 35 in Aviation 1 and 20 in Aviation 2. And the program is reaping benefits. “We’ve had four students that have meaningfully gone through their flight training,” Gottfried says. “All four students are over 20 hours. They’re

ranging between 20 and 45 hours right now.”

And, the program is open to those who don’t aspire to be a pilot. “There is a plethora of careers available to students in the aviation industry,” Gottfried says. “That’s one of the things our curriculum really works to include, and that’s kind of a special thanks to AOPA for letting students know that there is a lot more that you can do beyond being a pilot, because you need people on the ground that are able to maintain the pattern. There’s also a lot of different careers just within the maintenance aspect of it. There’s just so many different careers, which I thought was really interesting.” The Aviation program also includes curriculum

to properly pilot and utilize various types of drones.

Gottfried and Blough also do their best to take the Aviation program outside the classroom. Gottfried says, “We brought in a New Jersey State Police helicopter, they landed on one of our soccer fields last year, and they’re going to come back again this spring. We have a scheduled trip to Morristown Airport, and that’ll be our first field trip with students outside of the school and that’s simply because of COVID.” The instructors also planned to take their students to Warren County Community College to check out the school’s Unmanned Systems\Drone Technology program. continued on page 15

Roxbury High School Aviation class members with a NJ State Police helicopter (courtesy of Mike Gottfried)

Roxbury High School Aviation...

In addition to the class program, Gottfried and Blough also offer an Aviation Club. “We had a pretty solid turnout for our first year,” Gottfried states. “We have almost 40 students in the club. That’s just providing an opportunity for students to really either further engage with aviation, because obviously there’s only so much time. and we’re limited in what we can do within the classroom day to day simply because of the curriculum and scheduling. But we wanted to open up the Aviation Club

for not only our students in the program, but also more specifically for the students not in the program to do one of two things. One, it could be the kid that can’t fit aviation in their schedule, but they are so passionate about it and want to learn more about it and be more engaged with it, or it could be for the students that are somewhat interested but don’t want to commit to what might be intimidating as a four-year program.”

For more information about the Roxbury High School Aviation program, www. roxbury.org/Page/417.

CCM Athletics Presented with Champions of Character Award

The Athletic Department at County College of Morris (CCM) – from student/athletes and coaches to administration and staff – recently gained additional confirmation of their success with a Champions of Character Award from the National Junior College Athletic Association Region XIX.

The award recognizes outstanding results in the character development of student/athletes and coaches by embracing the five core values of respect, responsibility, integrity, servant leadership and sportsmanship. Additionally, the award recognizes institutions that demonstrate outstanding involvement in the community, which results in positive character development through sport.

“It is such an honor to have our student/athletes, their coaches and the staff who support them recognized with this prestigious award,” says Jack Sullivan, director of Athletics at CCM. “The college places a very high emphasis on developing and supporting athletics who succeed both on and off the field, and we’re pleased to have Region XIX recognize those efforts.”

While the Titans have won many honors and championships over the years, this is the first time CCM Athletics has been recognized with this award.

To learn more about Athletics at CCM, go to www.ccm.edu/athletics/

Students in the Roxbury High School Aviation class man the controls (courtesy of Mike Gottfried)

An Appetizer Worth the (Short) Wait

ppetizers are many people’s favorite part of a meal. From dips and finger foods to little treats and fried pieces of perfection, there is a wide array of considerations for a pre-meal snack.

Some appetizers are much more appropriate at certain events. For example, buffalo chicken wings are best enjoyed on game days, salads are normally served at showers and vegetable trays are a typical Thanksgiving Day classic.

However, there are recipes that are too easy to make and too satisfying not to serve at almost every festivity you and your family attend. This Easy Crab Rangoon shines above the rest for many reasons, but the main point of this heavenly sample is it’s easy to make and bake.

This appetizer is placed in the oven until it’s golden brown, topped with little green scallions with a creamy filling all packaged in a crispy outer layer.

Plus, the cream cheese is mixed with luscious amounts of crab meat. This is a seafood lover’s dream. Actually, it’s any appetizer lover’s dream.

To make this mouthwatering recipe, you only need a handful of ingredients and a few kitchen tools.

The little bites of perfection come out of

the oven steaming hot, waiting to be topped with more crunchy, fresh scallions. Once they have cooled for a few moments, they are ready to be devoured.

Find more appetizer recipes that are simple and made to impress at Culinary.net Easy Crab Rangoon

Servings: 12 Nonstick cooking spray

12 wonton wrappers

4 ounces cream cheese, softened 4 ounces lump crabmeat 1 scallion, sliced thin, green and white parts separated 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated 1 teaspoon soy sauce

Heat oven to 350 F.

Spray muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray. Press wonton wrappers into muffin cups. Lightly spray wrappers with nonstick cooking spray and bake until lightly browned, 6-9 minutes. Let cool slightly.

In medium bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Combine with crabmeat, scallion whites, ginger and soy sauce. Fill each wonton wrapper with filling. Bake until filling is heated through, 6-8 minutes.

Sprinkle with scallion greens. Serve warm. (Culinary.net)

Dinner in many households means foolproof recipes that families can count on, but those can become bland and boring. Finding new ways to put a twist on meals throughout the week adds fun to time spent in the kitchen while bringing new flavor to the table.

To help reinvigorate traditional weeknight

Put a Zesty Spin on Weeknight Meals

dinners, chef Bobby Flay and Hidden Valley Ranch created the three-part Hidden Valley Ranch Night! series to debut dishes that bring bold flavor to traditional meals, such as these recipes for Ranch Crusted Burgers with Avocado Ranch Sauce and Ranch Seasoned Chicken and Mushroom Quesadillas with Tomato Salsa and Sour Cream. The series

will provide a spin on weeknight staples to showcase the simplicity, versatility and zesty flavor of ranch seasoning when used to create family-friendly dinners any night of the week.

Find more information, including series episodes and additional recipes, at hiddenvalley.com/ranch-night Ranch Crusted Burgers with Avocado Ranch Sauce

Servings: 4 Avocado Ranch Sauce:

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon well-shaken buttermilk

1/2 teaspoon Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

3 green onions, thinly sliced

2 avocados, peeled, pitted and diced

Ranch Spice Crusted Burger:

1 1/2 tsps Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning

1 teaspoon paprika kosher salt freshly ground pepper

1 1/2 pounds ground chuck (80% lean)

2 tablespoons canola oil

8 slices American cheese

1/4cup water

4 brioche buns, split in half

Avocado Ranch Sauce

To make avocado ranch sauce: In bowl, whisk mayonnaise, sour cream, buttermilk, ranch seasoning, salt and pepper until smooth. Fold in green onions and diced avocados; set aside.

To make burgers: In small bowl, whisk ranch seasoning, paprika, salt and pepper.

Heat large cast-iron pan or griddle over high heat. Divide meat into four 6-ounce patties and make deep depression in centers with thumb. Season each with spice rub on one side.

Add canola oil to pan and heat until shimmering. Place on burgers in pan, spice side down, and cook until golden brown and lightly charred, 4 minutes. Turn burgers over and cook 4 minutes, or until they reach desired doneness.

Top each burger with two slices cheese. Add water to pan and cover tightly with lid 10 seconds, or until the cheese is melted.

Place burgers on bottom buns and top each with avocado ranch sauce and top buns.

Sister Cities: Roxbury, New Jersey, Meet Roxbury, Vermont

By Steve Sears

Roxbury, Vermont, was granted on November 6, 1780, chartered on August 6, 1781, but was not officially settled until 1789. Located in the center of the state, there is a marker on the eastern side of Roxbury that cements this claim.

Route 12A runs north and south and bisects the community of 42 square miles. “12A runs down through one valley and route 12 through the other. We have two valleys, and so we have kind of a West Roxbury and East Roxbury. But those aren’t official designations; we are all one town,” says Sue Nevins, Roxbury, Vermont historian, who explains why someone would want to visit the town she has lived in for 18 years. “The first thing is it’s very rural. There’s no industry per se in town, we might be between 650 and 700 people. We’re just very, very rural, but we’re only about 40 minutes outside the capitol. Montpelier is a very nice place to visit.”

And so is Roxbury, which is elevated in some areas and dominated by the Roxbury State Forest. A spot to stay in town is the old Johnnycake Flats Inn, an early 1800’s farmhouse and Bed & Breakfast, and there are also a variety of Air BnBs in town, as well as in neighboring communities. Says Nevins, “Northfield, Vermont is the next town north, and there’s a couple more inns in that area, and then Randolph, Vermont is the next town to the south.” Dining in Roxbury is at a minimum. “We’re too small to actually have a restaurant,” says Nevins. “We do have a general store, the Roxbury Country Store. They have a fairly nice, little selection of wines, and they have some nice craft beers that we make in Vermont.” However, driving for a fine meal is not out of the question. “It’s 20 minutes to Randolph, Vermont for us, so it’s definitely within driving distance for a meal. They have some nice restaurants and, as a

matter of fact, they have a Thai restaurant called SAAP.” Serving northern Thai cuisine, SAAP features the culinary skill of Executive Chef Nisachon Morgan, who was recently named Best Chef in the northeast by the James Beard Foundation. “It’s a wonderful restaurant. As I understand it, since they got the award, you really have to make reservations,” says Nevins.

According to Nevins, one Roxbury, Vermont’s claims to fame is having the state’s oldest fish hatchery, which almost met its demise in 2011. It was opened in the late 1800s. “It’s the oldest one, and it was also the most productive one. Much of it was destroyed when we got hit by Hurricane Irene, which was supposed to hit New York City and instead demolished central Vermont. But they’ve rebuilt it, and it’s a little Central Vermont tourist attraction. Kids can come and they can feed the fish, and it’s quite a nice little place.”

As for Roxbury, Vermont history, there are a few aged cemeteries in town. “At the peak of our population right after the Civil War, that was when we had the highest population. We had about 1,500 people, and we have a number of cemeteries,” says Nevins, who is actually one of the cemetery commissioners. “Many of the houses in town are historic and Vermont has - I think mostly because people couldn’t afford to build new houses - preserved a lot of their old housing stock. Riding through town and into the hills, you see a lot of older houses.”

The rurality of Roxbury means you don’t have to go to the state forest to enjoy nature. It’s right underfoot wherever you are. Says Nevins, “The thing about Roxbury is that you can pretty much drive anywhere, just park your car, and walk. You don’t even have to go to the state forest to go for a walk.”

For more information about Roxbury, Vermont, visit www.roxburyvt.org.

A Fourth of July parade passing by Roxbury Country Store

Morris County’s Own Rob Asaro - Funny, Fearless and Found Himself

By Jillian Risberg

An unlikely pair travel cross-country in Rob Asaro’s new play Lost Again, inspired by the playwright and Parsippany native’s own adventures on the road as a stand up comic. Most recently it had its limited run at The Tank in New York City.

Lost Again is about two mismatched strangers paired up by a mutual friend: Ilona Young, a type-A, know-it-all travel blogger on a cross-country assignment and Casey Calvino, a jaded comedian on a tour of the US. Their story is one of identity, pain, adventure, friendship, moving on and moving forward. Each act takes place in a city or town, en-route from New York to Los Angeles. The story is part misadventure, part self-discovery and part buddy dramedy.

Viewers are sure to take something away from Asaro’s wild comic adventure.

“They feel a little understood — it’s very specific feelings,” the funny man says this project deals a lot with regret, also what matters and the meaning of things. “I hope people walk away like, ‘I feel that way too, it feels good that someone expressed some of these ideas,’ but also if they’re laughing and having a good time. I’m a comedian

so… I want people to enjoy themselves.”

Asaro hopes Lost Again, which he wrote after adapting it from his 10-episode series — can have life beyond the play.

“You live it; like when you’re doing this,” he says that’s all there is. “I’m obsessed with it.”

The script was a finalist at the Austin Film Festival pitch competition in 2021.

“I write these projects and fall in love — some you’re with for a long time, go back or adapt in a certain way,” says the comedian. “You become invested. Not just write it and hope somebody says yes,” Asaro says he wants it to live in some capacity.

Hence his desire to produce, act and write his own work: whether it be a web series, play or pilot, and get it to Netflix or HBO.

“I never just wanted to act and never just wanted to write. It was about being able to do both,“ Asaro says it’s tough to navigate when you’re a hyphenated sort of talent.

“Many show business folks only want to see you one way: just an actor, a comedian, a writer.”

So the funny man keeps going — hoping to grow and get better to surprise his friends and colleagues who know him.

“If I can surprise them that means I am (evolving) because they know my style,” he says it takes tons of devotion. “It’s hard to have a normal life when you do this sort of thing.”

He shared that show business can be tricky and there can be attitudes, egos and a sinister undercurrent in certain ways. His advice to young people starting out: stay away from the element that doesn’t make you feel good or you don’t trust. Instead, surround yourself with plenty of good, talented people.

And patience is important.

“Be where you are,” says Asaro. “You can’t rush the process. It takes a while to develop not only your comedic voice but what interests you to write about.”

According to the comedian, he wasn’t a sophisticated child but had a keen understanding of comedy. He says one can learn to be funny if you immerse yourself in it and find your voice.

At three or four his mom took him to the mall, where he pretended to be a dancing mannequin and that connected him with his first agent — who sent him on a cereal casting call.

“Mom brought snacks for me and they

told her there were no snacks in the office. After that she wouldn’t bring me in because of the snack policy,” Asaro says. “The joke growing up was always, ‘I didn’t get to be a messed up child actor because my mother wasn’t allowed to bring in a baggie of Chex Mix.’”

Seinfeld was an early influence, he adored Norm McDonald… and the early Simpsons were amazing.

At 14-years-old, Asaro asked his dad to

use vacation money to take a standup class. And the rest is history.

“He took me into the city once a week for the class,” the funny man says when it concluded he went to Stand Up NY on the Upper West Side.

“Did my set there; I was 14 performing when everybody else was in their late 20s,” says the comedian. “It was an interesting experience.”

Asaro has toured the country performing and is the founder of the nationally known Emerson College comedy troupe: Chocolate Cake City that’s still there 20 years later. He relocated to Los Angeles right out of college, studied with Second City, and returned to NYC in 2006.

The funny man grew up in Parsippany.

“It’s a different mentality, different energy, different speed, a different sense of humor,” Asaro says of the area and NYC, that shaped him significantly.

From there for years he tried to make short films; do standup, sketch comedy and improv, web series, one-man shows.

While sets involving topical humor are not the comedian’s thing, “I like comedy

that comes from within” — he admits the 24-hour (in your face) news cycle was hard to ignore.

And he says it feels nice to be out there again in the city, working through and living the creative and rehearsal process.

“Being in those spaces… with people who are jazzed to be there and excited about the work,” says the funny man, adding that Zoom never felt real.

His dream is to make Lost Again as a series and constantly produce work. He adapted another piece, Light at the Diner (various vignettes), to perhaps do on stage — about a bunch of people who enter a diner on a weekday night and their different experiences.

“I would love to have a production company one day and be able to produce this work, employ all my friends, collaborators and people I find funny who should be working all the time,” Asaro says.

“I would like to be successful where I could give people that I feel deserve it (amazing, wonderful talents) a platform.”

For more information, visit www. robasaroshow.com

Former Roxbury Director of Bands Leads Rutgers University Marching Scarlet Knights to Part in 97th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

By Steve Sears

The Rutgers University Marching Band, better known as the Rutgers University Marching Scarlet Knights will be spending part of their 2023 Thanksgiving Day separated from their turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce. But for good reason.

The group was recently selected to take part in next year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Todd Nichols is in his sixth year as Band Director at Rutgers. “There is a very arduous application process which requires all kinds of video footage and audio samples of the band’s performance, a list of accomplishments like a CV for the band, and letters of recommendation from people who are aware of the history of the group,” Nichols says, explaining the process of entry and selection. “And you put together a pretty comprehensive application package, and then it’s reviewed by a panel of production and music people from Macy’s. They evaluate all the applications and then they invite

groups that they feel have the level of performance and the quality that’s expected for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.”

The Marching Scarlet Knights were one of three collegiate bands (along with Alabama A&M and Texas Tech) and one of 10 bands chosen overall to perform. “We’re thrilled, number one, just to be part of it. But also, the parade is going to be 97 years old in 2023, and our band celebrated its 100th anniversary a handful of years ago, and this is the first time in the history of Rutgers that the band has ever been invited to perform in the parade,” Nichols says.

Nichols and the band do not know yet what they will perform on the big stage. In fact, the preparations for the event will be in addition to the band’s very heavy exhibition and football season schedule.

“We will have multiple site visits to New York to make sure we’re familiar with the parade route and the performance area, and then we will do a massive recruiting push from the day it was announced

until we go, to be able to have the best representation we can,” Nichols says. “We will design and stage a performance of the parade itself, which culminates in a :30 spot on TV that everybody sees right there in front of Macy’s, where the band actually gets to do their thing.”

Also, graduating band members this spring will not be excluded, and incoming

freshman will be well prepared for the big moment. “We have a very detailed process for how we help the new students get prepared,” Nichols states. “And, what I said to our seniors when we did make the announcement is that they will have the option to come back and participate in the parade next year since they were part of continued on page 25

An October 22 halftime presentation at SHI Stadium as representatives from Macy’s announce the Marching Scarlet Knights will perform in the 2023 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (credit: Ben Solomon/Rutgers Athletics)

A New Year’s Day Story

By Richard Mabey Jr.

an love be limited? Is it possible that God’s blessings can reach beyond our limited human understanding of time and space? Are the flames of sibling love, between two sisters, able to transition to a world beyond this world that we humanly know? Is it possible, that love is the greatest force in the universe?

On November 11, 2019, my mom, Janet Kemmerer Mabey, had heart surgery to replace her Aortic Valve. After the surgery, my sister Patti and I were elated that Mom still had a few years left upon this earth, before it would be her time to be called Home to be with the Lord. But by the first of December, it became painfully obvious that Mom’s time upon this earth, was coming to a close.

It was in early December of 2019 that Mom’s general practitioner, told my sister and I that it was time to set up for Hospice home visitations. It was a deeply sad time.

My mother was great stickler for cleanliness. But, I con fess that with the influx of nurses and home care profes sionals, it was tough to keep Mom’s bedroom as neat as a pin. In December, when there were no Hospice personnel at our home, I would read Mom excerpts from the Holy Bi ble. Mom would then gently fall asleep. But even as Mom would sleep, ever so peacefully, I would continue to read the Bible to Mom.

I remember that it was in the second week of December, that I was reading Mom her Bible, Mom fell asleep. I con tinued to read the Bible to her. Mom suddenly awoke and begin talking about her plans to have a New Year’s Day par ty. It was a long standing tradition of the old Mabey Home

stead, as far back as I can remember, that New Year’s Day was a time of open house and home-cooked food for the old family farmhouse.

When Mom awoke, she spoke as if we were still living at the old Mabey Homestead, rather than the reality of now living in our Florida home. And, one of the things Mom spoke about that afternoon, was that she was looking for ward to seeing her sister Alice on New Year’s Day. Mom be gan telling me what needed to be done to prepare for the big New Year’s Party.

As Mom would tell me that I needed to clean all the baseboards, vacuum the rugs, Mom would look me in the eyes and say, “oh Richard, I can’t wait to see my sister Alice again.” I remember this went on for a good half-hour, then Mom drifted off to peaceful sleep.

I stayed at Mom’s side. Even though Mom was sleep ing, I read her some passages from the Book of John. About an hour later, Mom woke up again and told me immense details of the New Year’s Day Party that we had just had. Mom recalled the memory of the dream that she just had, complete with the most tiny details of the splendid party that she had just been a part of.

Then, Mom looked at me and simply said, “Richard, it was so good to see my sister Alice again. It was all just so good.” Then Mom closed her eyes and once again drifted off to sleep.

On the night of the twenty-third of December of 2019, my beloved mother went Home to be with the Lord. It was a sad moment in time. Looking back now, three years later, I still remember how real Mom’s dream was to her.

Former Roxbury

continued from page 24

Could it be that on some level it was all so very real? That on some Heavenly plain, Mom did see her sister Alice Kemmerer Knothe in spirit, that was as real as anything on this physical plain.

I am not a theologian by profession. I do know this though. God is a source of immense love and compassion. The rest is left to the beliefs of my dear readers.

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

the process to help us get there.”

The parade appearance places the Marching Scarlet Knights and Rutgers University in a huge spotlight, and that’s important for a few reasons, which Nichols highlights. “It’s a big deal because, being one of the youngest members of the Big 10 Conference since I began at Rutgers in 2017, we’re all committed to a build of our brand, of our program, our producteverything that is associated with the Big 10, and that’s athletics, academics, arts, performance, etc. It just gives us a chance now to show that the Rutgers band is right in the thick of things with all of our peers as far as quality, and as far as our seriousness of purpose in the fact that, even though we’ve only been in the conference fewer years compared to our peers, in a very short time we’re establishing ourselves

Mom and Aunt Alice, in 1996. What’s

as a legitimate member of the conference and legitimate ambassadors for our school. There’s three and a half million people on the parade route, and another 22 and a half million people watching on TV, who will get to see and hear the Rutgers band. I think that’s huge for our university.”

The Marching Scarlet Knight’s parade appearance will share a spot at the top of the list as the most impressive things the band has taken part in. There was, after all, the performance at the 2014 Super Bowl halftime show, as well as the on-campus performance for current US President Joseph Biden back in 2018. “We’re very fortunate that the band has an incredible long history of big deal performances,” Nichols says proudly. “I would definitely say this is one of them. I don’t know if I can categorize one more over another, but it’s certainly up there as one of the top three.”

Adventure Aquarium Celebrates 30 Years of “Edutainment”

By Steve Sears

Melissa Patterson, Guest Experience and Events Manager for New Jersey’s Adventure Aquarium, coins what goes on at the facility perfectly.

“I like “edutainment”: entertainment that is educational. The entertainment and ed ucation really go hand in hand,” Patterson says. “Our main goal is always going to be to educate our visitors about the animals here and about the ocean, and why it’s important to care about these animals, care about the ocean, and to care about waterways and conservation, and caring for species, like our sea turtles and our sharks and our penguins. But, by adding that entertainment side of things into the mix, that’s how we really create those unforgettable experiences for the visitors, and that’s what keeps them en gaged and keeps them excited.”

Patterson provides a brief history. “Ad venture Aquarium was opened by the state as part of a plan to revitalize the Camden waterfront and drawing revenue to the city and to the area, and really revitalize west ern New Jersey and the Delaware River wa terfront, especially on the New Jersey side. We opened officially as the New Jersey State Aquarium on February 29, 1992.” In Septem ber of 2004, the State Aquarium closed for expansion, and by the time it reopened in May 2005, it had almost doubled in size, and was renamed Adventure Aquarium. Current parent company, Herschend Family Enter tainment, acquired Adventure Aquarium in November of 2007.

Since its opening, Adventure Aquarium has not only been a huge cornerstone of both Camden County and the city of Cam den, but even the Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey areas as well. “We really have the support from Camden and from the commu nity to thank for that,” Patterson says. “We would be nothing without our community, and we really pride ourselves on supporting the community and being out in Camden

and trying to make a difference, and trying to have a positive impact on the residents. Because without them, what would we be?”

More than 700,000 visitors enter the doors every year. A large majority of those visitors are families with children, many of them living within 50 miles of Camden or residing in the Philadelphia area. “We really are definitely open to all ages; I think there’s really something for everyone to find here,” Patterson says. “We like to say that ‘We bring families closer together,’ and that’s whatever family means to you. Of course, there’s the traditional definition of family, but our school groups can be families, or groups of friends can be families. We have couples that have started their relationship here by going on a first date, then getting engaged here and getting married here, and then they bring their kids. It’s really, really rewarding to see our guests who come here because they’re all so different from each other. But they can all find something, for sure.” Including busi ness and corporate professionals, who uti lize Adventure Aquarium for a unique team building experience. “Our Group Sales office is very, very busy,” says Patterson. “We love our groups here; they make up a big chunk of our visitor population. It really is very var ied on who comes in the door. I think a lot of people think just of children and families and schools, but we really do welcome ev eryone.”

One reason Adventure Aquarium is so popular is what Patterson calls “marquee” animals. “We love our sharks here,” she says. “We have the largest collection of sharks in the Northeast, and some of those sharks have been here from when we first opened. But our hippos, especially; we’re the only aquarium in the world that exhibits hippos. And something that’s really special about that exhibit is you see them underwater. When you go to zoos or safaris, you can see them in the water, but it’s not very often that you get that underwater view of them.

We have two green sea turtles and a logger head sea turtle, and then our penguins are our next most popular exhibit. We have two different species of warm weather penguins; you can see our African penguins, and then we have our Australian little blue penguins which are the smallest species of penguins in the world.”

Adventure Aquarium is always looking to

present different things, including live mer maids that have made appearances the past few years. They will return again by popu lar demand in 2023, and a special, still-be ing-discussed pumpkin themed series is planned for next autumn.

Adventure Aquarium is located at 1 Riv erside Drive in Camden. Visit www.adven tureaquarium.com for more information.

Adventure Aquarium (credit: Adventure Aquarium Marketing Department)

Adventure Aquarium’s very popular underwater hippos (credit: Adventure Aquarium Marketing Department)

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