Wayne Life November 2022

By Steve Sears

For Wayne Valley High School Indians head football coach, Roger Kotlarz, there was no Gatorade shower after his milestone 100th win as a head football coach.

He didn’t mind, however. A bucket of water sufficed. “Luckily, I got a water shower, which is much more pleasant than the Gatorade,” Kotlarz says with a chuckle. “Gatorade, it’s nice for that moment, but a few minutes after that moment, you say to yourself, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m so sticky.’ So I greatly appreciated the fact - and I don’t know if it was on purpose - that it was just water, which was better.”

As of this mid October writing, the Indians were undefeated at 8 – 0, and not only had Kotlarz secured his 100th head coaching win with a 34 – 0 triumph over West Milford on Friday, September 30, but he and his Indians visited the Nutley, New Jersey Oval two weeks later and defeated the always competitive and tough Maroon Raiders, 35 – 0, that win the 400th in the history of the

Wayne Valley football program. Also, in the process, the team won the SFC Patriot White Division title, the team’s first conference championship since 2008.

Five of the Indians wins have this year been by rout, two were a shutout, and the Indians had outscored their opponents, 32 – 9. Obvious nice things were happening in the Wayne Valley varsity football ball yard, and next up were the Mount Olive Marauders, the only obstacle to a perfect 9 - 0 regular season.

Kotlarz is no stranger to winnings seasons and success. His first head coaching stint was with Rutherford’s Henry P. Becton Regional High School, where the Wildcats were 36 – 15 during his five seasons, which included four trips to the state playoffs. He followed that with two seasons at the helm of the Dover High School Tigers, whom he led to 12 wins and a playoff berth in two seasons.

With the Indians, there have in his eight seasons been a few nine-win campaigns, and an 11 -2 record and a NJSIAA

Head Coach Roger Kotlarz celebrates career win #100 with his Wayne Valley Indians

Kotlarz Wins His 100th...

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North, Group 4 Regional championship win, 21 – 17, over Northern Highlands.

“The kids have played really well,” Kotlarz says of his 2022 team. “We kind of felt going into the season that we had a lot to prove after a tough go last year, but we had a ton of experience coming back. We felt that we could be a very strong team, that we had a good competitive team, and that we could be very successful.”

When asked if he sees a similar makeup in his 2019 team and his current one, Kotlarz says the two are related in certain aspects. “Without question. I don’t know if we necessarily are built exactly the same from a physical skill and physical traits type of way, but certainly the intangibles - I’m starting to certainly see some of those things, and have throughout the season, and then even some of the physical components. Some of the things that make us successful

are similar to the things that made us successful in 2019, so there’s definitely a decent amount of parallels. Time will still tell just how similar our road will be. It’s still a work in progress, so to speak.”

As Kotlarz and the Indians were heading into the homestretch of their season, they tried not to peek too far ahead. Yes, they eyed the standings, but it was still business as usual in terms of preparation. “We put our focus on just going 1 and 0 for the week,” Kotlarz says. “That’s been a recipe that we’ve used for a long time, and the biggest challenge is sometimes keeping the kids focused on that. It’s ‘Don’t worry about next week, let’s just worry about this week, and even more than that, just worry about today. Today is practice, and what we can do to improve and get more prepared.’ We’ve done a good job with that, our kids have bought into that, and this season, probably even more than other seasons,

What’s happening in your school or organization?

Celebrating a special birthday, anniversary, graduation?

Email us at editor@mylifepublications.com

OUR STORY.......Boston Louis was started in the mid 1980’s by Ken Boston (that’s me on the left) and Louis Mazzo, known by everyone as “Buddy”. We met when we were both kids in Boy Scouts troop 170 in Lincoln Park, NJ. The truth is we actually met inside a latrine while at a scout camp, but who needs to know that? :)

Moving forward about 10 years . . . While in college I was also working in the Diamond District in NYC. There’s a long andfunny story how I, an Irish kid in a family without any jewelry at all ended up in the jewelry biz, but you’ll have to ask me about that some other time.

One day I ran into Buddy who was studying in college as well. In a strange coincidence, Buddy mentioned he just so happened to ALSO be working with his grandfather in their family’s jewelry making factory…

Discovering that we shared a common love of jewelry making, Buddy said to me: “Hey, we should do something to gether!” I agreed, and we threw exactly $100 each into a hat (figuratively speaking). Armed with $200, we set off and acciden tally created a company that is now more than 30 years old.

We have both spent nearly a lifetime in the jewelry business, had extensive training through the Gemological Institute of America, and eventually took over Buddy’s family jewelry factory. I think at this point we can say without conceit that we

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Obituary Peter C. Realmonte

Peter C. Realmonte, 90, of Towaco, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his family on October 6, 2022.

Born in Marineo, Sicily, Peter came to the US in 1948 with his father and older siblings. His mother and younger siblings joined the family a short while later and the family settled in Garfield. He proudly served as a Corporal in the US Army during the Korean War and was honorably discharged in 1954. Peter married the love of his life, Elena (née Meliti) that same year and the couple moved to Lodi to raise their three children. In 1986, Peter and Elena moved to Towaco where they have lived happily for the last 36 years.

Peter was the owner and operator of a successful masonry contracting business until his early 80s. His passions included working in his garden and cooking homemade meals, two skills that were instilled in him as a young boy in Sicily.

Peter’s faith was very important to him. He was a previous board member at Calvary Temple in Wayne and served

as an elder at his beloved church, Living Faith Christian Assembly in Nutley. He was also a former president of the St. Ciro Society in Garfield. He taught his children and grandchildren the value of family and the importance of living a life full of hard work, laughter, and faith.

Peter is lovingly survived by his wife of 68 years, Elena; his children, Andrew and his wife Annmarie, Donna Kovach and her husband Stephen, and Peter John and his wife Jill; his grandchildren, Kristen Nieto and her husband Joseph, Ashley Beno and her husband Brad, Peter Carmen Realmonte and his fiancé Sayra Mendez, Alyssa Kovach and her fiancé Joseph DeFinis, Julien Realmonte, and Colette Realmonte; and his great grandchildren, Joseph and Demetria Nieto, Hailey and Alana Beno, and one on the way! He is also survived by his sisters, Frances DeBlasio and Sarah Roberts; and his sister in-law, Marie Realmonte. He was predeceased by his father and mother, Andrea and Maria; brother, Charles; and his sisters, Sadie

Nucifora, Mildred Adamo, and Maria Rosa Frasca.

Visitation was be held at the M. John Scanlan Funeral Home. A funeral service was held Wednesday, October 12, also at the funeral home. Burial followed at George Washington Memorial Park, Paramus.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Peter’s memory to the American Cancer Society, The Foundation for Fighting Blindness, or the Wounded

Did You Know?

Agrowing emphasis on STEM has emerged within the educational sector over the last decade or more. Schools and students have put forth extraordinary effort into fostering science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in curriculums and through personal pursuits. Although there are many proponents of STEM classes and careers, many people feel that creative endeavors, namely arts education, have been largely pushed aside in favor of STEM. But as evidence that arts-based learning has a positive effect on all aspects of education continues to mount — including improving students’ test scores on the SAT as well as in math and science — many educators are reintroducing art in schools. For example, prior to 2017, Mann Elementary School in Detroit had not offered art classes in 20 years. By 2017, some art and music classes had been restored. Students in Lebanon, Penn. also are learning the importance of the arts through the STEAM concept. First implemented by the Rhode Island School of Design, the “A” in STEAM stands for “Arts.” STEAM encourages students to think not only analytically but creatively, essentially blending the best of math and science with the arts. A recent study from PayScale. com even notes that graduates obtaining art degrees from certain schools can expect healthy returns on their educational investments. This furthers the push for a reintroduction of arts education, as it indicates that a career in the arts can be a potentially lucrative pursuit.

William Paterson University Professor and Wayne Resident Pamela Brillante Appointed to New Jersey Special Education Advisory Council

Pamela Brillante, a professor of special education and disability studies at William Paterson University in Wayne, has been appointed to the New Jersey Special Education Advisory Council.

The council, established by the New Jersey Department of Education and required under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004, provides policy guidance on special education and

related services for children with disabilities in New Jersey. Members are appointed for a minimum two-year term with can be renewed for a maximum of three terms.

The panel is comprised of individuals involved in, or concerned with, the education of children with disabilities, including parents, individuals with disabilities, state and local education officials, and representatives of state

agencies. Brillante will be the only member of the advisory panel representing New Jersey institutions of higher education that prepare special education and related services personnel.

“It is important for faculty from higher education institutions like William Paterson University to be active members of an important group like this in order to advise the New Jersey Department of Education about unmet needs in the education of children with disabilities within the state, as well as effectively prepare teachers and leaders to meet these needs,” says Brillante.

Brillante, who is a specialist in disability studies and early childhood special education, developed William Paterson’s bachelor’s degree in disability studies. The first in New Jersey and one of the first few in the country, the program is designed to meet the growing demand across all industries for professionals who understand the needs of those with disabilities. The program proactively explores the nature and meaning of disability as a social construct instead

of a medical deficit, and examines laws, policies, culture and history as a way to destigmatize disease, illness, and impairment across all areas of society.

A former public school early childhood special education teacher and administrator, Brillante has served as a county supervisor of child study teams and an education program development specialist for the New Jersey Department of Education. She continues to work with public schools across New Jersey to develop high-quality, inclusive early childhood programs. She is the author of The Essentials of Supporting Young Children with Disabilities in the Classroom, and Universal Design for Learning for Early Childhood Education, as well as numerous other book chapters, journal articles and presentations.

Brillante is a member of the National Association for the Education of Young Children and the Council for Exceptional Children. A graduate of William Paterson University with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in special education, Brillante holds a doctorate in educational leadership

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Now is a good time to assess your current situation and address those lingering tax moves that may improve your tax picture for 2022. Here are five things to consider:

1. Check on your withholdings. Review your taxable income and the amount of tax you’ve paid to Uncle Sam so far this year. How do the numbers compare to last year? Based on your analysis, you may have to adjust your paycheck withholdings or make estimated tax payments during the balance of the year to avoid underpayment penalties or a surprising tax bill.

2. Build up your retirement accounts. Don’t neglect your retirement savings during the remainder of the year. In fact, setting aside more money for retirement can lower this year’s tax bill. For instance, if you have a 401(k) plan at work, you can defer up to $20,500 of salary in 2022, plus an extra $6,500 if you’re age 50 or older.

3. Identify potential taxable events. It’s easy to overlook one-time events

that will have an impact on your 2022 tax liability. For instance, if you win a prize at a church raffle, the prize is generally taxable to you. Perhaps you changed jobs, lost a child as a dependent, or got married. Each of these events can create a change in your tax obligation. Review your records now to avoid any unpleasant tax surprises later.

4. Consider business property needs.

If you acquire business property, you can often choose to write off the cost in the first year the property is placed in service under the latest tax laws. If it makes sense, consider combining the benefits of the Section 179 expensing deduction, up to a maximum of $1 million (indexed for inflation), with 100% bonus depreciation for both new and used property.

5. Account for gig taxes.

Finally, workers in the gig economy (like Uber and Lyft drivers) should understand the basic tax rules. Generally, income from such jobs is fully taxable, but you may be entitled to offsetting deductions. Essentially, you’re treated like a self-employed individual. Estimated quarterly tax payments are often required for these workers.

Should you wish a review of your situation, call now. It’s better to be prepared than surprised when it comes to your tax obligation.

Shah & Sokoloff , CPA’s, is a year round full service CPA firm providing a wide range of Accounting and Tax services to both Small Business and Individual Clients. We are QuickBooks Certified Pro Advisors and provide new business set up, training and support. Our office is located at 166 Main St. Lincoln Park, NJ 07035. Our website is www. cpanewjersey.com and email is rps@ cpanewjersey.com. To contact us by phone please call 973-633-1001.

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“I believe to increase our healthy self-esteem and increase our self-worth, we must recognize the negative effects on ourselves and others when we get into other peoples’ business and create negative judgements seen through the lens of envy, jealousy, resentment, and begrudging. It was Socrates who said, ‘Strong minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, weak minds discuss people’.”

5 Steps to Properly Manage Blood Pressure

hbpcontrol to find local blood pressure resources, step-bystep self-monitoring videos and more.

Monitoring Your Blood Pressure at Home

Knowing how to correctly check your blood pressure is important, especially if your doctor recommends regular self-monitoring at home.

In fact, high blood pressure

leading cause and controllable risk factor for heart disease

stroke as well as other issues such as kidney failure, vision loss and sexual problems. However, the American Heart Association recommends taking these simple steps to help control your levels and manage risks.

Know Your Numbers

In most cases, normal blood pressure is 120/80 mm HG or less. Readings consistently higher than 130/80 are considered high blood pressure. Have your blood pressure measured at least once a year by a health care professional and regularly monitor it at home with a validated monitor then discuss the readings with your doctor. Getting accurate readings can help ensure the most appropriate treatment should any problems arise.

Maintain a Healthy Weight

If you’re overweight or obese, you’re at increased risk of high blood pressure. Losing just 3-5% of your body weight can help improve your numbers. There are an abundance of plans and programs available that can assist with weight loss, and taking positive steps with a friend or family member may help with motivation.

Get Active

To maximize health benefits and help keep blood

pressure in the normal range, the American Heart Association recommends adults get at least 150 minutes per week of moderate activity, 75 minutes of vigorous activity or a combination of the two. Try activities like brisk walking, swimming, bicycling or dancing. For example, the Get Down with Your Blood Pressure campaign uses music and dance to help remember the four easy steps to selfmonitor blood pressure:

Get It – grab your self-monitoring blood pressure (SMBP) device

Slip It – slide the SMBP cuff up your arm

Cuff It – wrap the cuff snugly, but not too tight

Check It – check your blood pressure on the device

Eat Well

Making small, simple changes to your eating habits can go a long way toward keeping you and your family healthy. Eating fruits and vegetables, such as mangos, avocados and blueberries, can lower blood pressure over time. Other smart choices include nuts and seeds, whole grains, lean proteins and fish.

Reduce Alcohol and Tobacco Usage

Smoking compounds risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, and the chemicals in tobacco smoke can harm your heart and blood vessels. Similarly, consuming alcohol excessively (more than two drinks per day) is associated with high blood pressure. Limiting alcohol consumption and stopping smoking – or avoiding secondhand smoke – can help reduce your risk.

If you develop high blood pressure, work with a health care professional to manage it, and visit heart.org/

Be still. Don’t smoke, drink caffeine or exercise during the 30 minutes before measuring your blood pressure. Empty your bladder and take at least 5 minutes of quiet rest time before measuring.

Sit correctly. Sit with your back straight and supported. Keep your feet flat on the floor and your legs uncrossed. Support your arm on a flat surface, such as a table, with your bicep at heart level. Place the bottom of the cuff directly above the bend of your elbow. Never take measurements over sleeves or other clothing.

Measure at the same time every day. For greatest consistency, take readings at the same time daily, such as a set time in the morning and evening.

Take multiple readings and record the results. Each time you measure, take 2-3 readings approximately 1 minute apart and record the results to share with your doctor.

This project is supported by cooperative agreements (CPIMP201227 and CPIMP201228) with the Office of Minority Health (OMH) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), as part of a financial assistance award totaling $14.6 million in partnership with the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). The contents do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by OMH/OASH/HHS or the U.S.

OUR STORY

Paragon Jewelers, your trusted family jeweler, has been selling quality jewelry since 1987. Our prices are always discounted from the manufacturers list prices. We offer a large selection of engagement rings, fine jewelry and watches. You will find us to be friendly and knowledge able as we pride ourselves on excellent customer service.

Holidays Potentially Hazardous to Pets

The holiday season is full of joy. But in the midst of decorating and so cializing, pet owners may overlook the needs of their pets. Hectic sched ules and homes full of unusual décor can throw pets off-kilter.

No pet owner wants their pet to feel uncomfortable or suffer any injuries, so it’s important that owners exercise caution with the following items come the holiday season:

Bones: Is turkey on the menu for the family feast? If so, resist the urge to toss some bones and scraps to dogs or cats. Small bones or bone chips can become lodged in the digestive tracts of pets and cause serious injury. If you want to provide your pet with a holiday treat, choose a safer, store-bought bone.

Aromatic oils: The holidays are not the same without the familiar scent of mint, cinnamon or pine. Some people resort to scented candles or aromatherapy oils to create the perfect holiday ambiance. But some synthetic aromas or even natural extracts can

be toxic to cats and dogs. Stick to nontoxic items and keep them well out of the pet’s reach.

Chocolate and other sweets: An abundance of treats seems to be par for the course during the holiday season. Dogs should avoid all chocolate, but dark chocolate poses a particularly serious threat. Chocolate can cause agitation, elevated heart rate, diarrhea, vomiting, seizures, and even death. In addition, candy or cookies sweetened with the artificial sweetener xylitol can cause a dangerous drop in blood pressure for dogs.

Pine needles and trees: When ingested, pine needles can puncture the intestines of pets. In search of an easy drink, dogs and cats may be drawn to the fresh water reservoir of live trees, increasing the likelihood that they knock over a Christmas tree, injuring them and causing damage around the house. Trees should be properly secured and fallen needles should be

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Our team is committed to educating our clients in how to keep your pets healthy year round, with good nutrition and exercise. Pequannock Animal Hospital stays on top of the latest advances in veterinarian technology and above all, remembers that all animals and pets need to be treated with loving care in every check-up, pro cedure, or surgery.

Pequannock Animal Hospital is proud to serve the Pompton Plains NJ area for ev erything pet related. Our veterinary clinic and animal hospital is run by Dr. Mat thew Krupnick, who is a licensed, experienced Pompton Plains veterinarian.

Holidays..

promptly discarded.

Tinsel and decorations: Skip the tinsel if you have a cat. Felines are likely to mistake tinsel for a toy. Eating tinsel can cause severe damage to a cat’s intestinal tract, as it may get caught in the stomach while the rest of it continues to pass through the intestines. Tinsel also may wrap around the tongue, increasing the cat’s risk of choking. Ornaments also are tempting playthings. Cats may pounce on glass ornaments, breaking them and suffering injury. Keep pets in mind when selecting tree ornaments, and opt for unbreakable ornaments when possible.

Electrical cords: The American Animal Hospital Association says holiday lights mean more electrical cords for kittens and puppies to chew. Secure all cords and keep them out of reach of pets.

Candles: The subtle flicker of a lit candle can add ambiance to any space. But all it takes is the swish of a tail or the tap of a paw to knock over a candle and spark a fire. Never leave lit candles unattended. If you have boisterous pets, opt for LED simulated candles instead.

Alcohol: Spirits are sometimes a part of celebrations, but alcoholic beverages should be kept out of reach of pets. Alcohol suppresses the immune system and it can result in significant health issues for pets who consume it.

The holiday season is a time for celebration. Ensure that these festivities are as safe for pets as they are enjoyable.

Dr. Matthew Krupnick is the owner of the Pequannock Animal Hospital. He grew up in Kinnelon and is happy to be home – with his wife, three cats, and two dogs – to provide quality and compassionate

Jazz Trio Coming to Wayne Library

n Sunday, December 4, 2022 the Wayne Public Library proudly hosts

the Mike Luipersbeck Trio in concert at the library 461 Valley Road, Wayne, NJ starting at 2:00 pm. The group will perform jazz standards and the best of the music from “The Great American Songbook”. This concert is suitable for adults and young adults.

The Mike Luipersbeck All-Star Trio consists of Bob McHugh, piano; Alex Gressel, bass and Mike Luipersbeck, drums and band leader. Bob McHugh has been playing jazz clubs, festivals, halls, private parties, and restaurants in the New York metro area for over fifty years. Be it solo, duo, trio or big band Bob has done it. His styles include, but are not limited to jazz, blues, pop, and fusion. Bob has recorded three albums for Outstanding Records, and has also recorded on Alliance, Perception and Lunge Music. He has been voted favorite artist on SkyJazz.com, Anima Jazz in Italy and has been a guest on Around New York on WNYC, Mozart to Motorhead, Anything Goes with Lise Avery on WFDU, Afternoon Jazz with Dr. Ken Rabac on WUCF, The Modern Jazz Lounge with Warren Knight in England and a showcase artist on allaboutjazz.com and can be

heard on internet and PBS stations such as jazz excursion.com, jazz radio.com, Sky FM and Music Choice. His bio is published in Marquis Who’s Who in America, and he has received an ASCAP award every year since 1989. Alex Gressel has had the great fortune to play with world-class, but somewhat obscure musicians including Edison Machado who is the creator of Bossa Nova and Samba Jazz drumming mentor Marilyn Mazur, the Danish multi-talented percussionist, alto sax giant Clarence “C” Sharpe, the genius piano player Mark Thompson, Cecil Coggins, Sadik Hakim, Dennis Charles, Tommy Turrentine, Mozar Terra, Johnny O’Neal, Roni Ben-Hur and many others. Mike Luipersbeck is an accomplished jazz drummer. He studied under drummer jazz greats Richard Friend, Roy Burns and Joe Morello. The Mike Luipersbeck All-Star Trio has performed at numerous venues throughout northern New Jersey for more than 30 years.

This concert is free and open to the public. The Wayne Public Library is a barrier free building. You must come in person to enjoy this concert, it will not on Zoom and it will not be recorded. To come in person, please register on the Wayne Public Library calendar at www.waynepubliclibrary.org by

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By Steve Sears S

omeone, somewhere, has that yellow jacket.

Give it up, whoever you are. The Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio wants it.

“The security jacket, it was in Pasadena at the Rose Bowl,” says New York Giants former middle linebacker, Harry Carson. As the Giants were wrapping up their Super Bowl XXI victory over the Denver Broncos in 1987, Carson removed his uniform and shoulder pads and donned a security guard jacket as a disguise, grabbed the Gatorade container, and sneaked up on head coach Bill Parcells, all set to give him an orange bath. Bullseye! “And actually, the Hall of Fame has been trying to locate that jacket to put it in the Hall of Fame along with my bust.”

The jacket has never been found, but Carson’s bust has been in the Hall of Fame since he was enshrined in 2006. He has also been a member of the College Football Hall of Fame since 2002, and the Black College Football Hall of Fame since 2012.

Through it all, Carson, 68, says, “I’ve been very lucky. I’ve been very blessed to have been able to do some of the stuff that I’ve been able to do.”

Carson was born and raised in South Carolina, and as he grew up, others played a huge part in his life. “When I look at my life,” he says, “I think that I am very, very blessed to have been surrounded by the people who encouraged me to be the best that I could be, and to get

an education. There were many people who helped to form who I became.”

Carson played high school football at both Wilson High School (9th and 10th grade and predominantly a black school) and later at McClenaghan High School (an interracial school in 11th and 12th grade). In the ninth grade, he joined the Air Force Junior ROTC. “I went from being an airman in ROTC in ninth grade to my senior year, when I was Lieutenant Colonel,” Carson states. “The reality is, I got most of my leadership skills from ROTC, and I sort of transferred those skills from ROTC to football.”

Carson quit his football team at McClenaghan High School during his senior year and never returned. He explains. “The reason why I quit was we had a game and I sprained an ankle. I came off the field, I got taped up and went back in.” He then sprained his other ankle as well. During a follow up practice, when he and his teammates were running sprints, the coach yelled out to Carson, who was still feeling the effects of the sprains, “Hey, Carson, if you can’t run any faster, get off the field.” “It wasn’t so much what he said, it was how he said it,” Carson recalls. “I walked off the field and I changed clothes and that was the end of my high school career.”

After he quit, letters from colleges that wanted to recruit him stopped arriving. One of the teachers at McClenaghan High School, Dorothy Jo McDuffie, said to

continued on next page

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Harry Carson’s Blessed Life...

Carson, “You need to be playing football somewhere.” She took him to South Carolina State where he met the coaching staff, who saw some game film of Carson and on the spot gave him a full scholarship. Carson played every game for four years at the school, was team captain as a junior and senior, and won consecutive Defensive Player of the Year awards. “Those four years at South Carolina State were the best four years of my life,” Carson says. “My head coach was Willie Jeffries. Coach Jeffries is the person who broke the news to me that my father passed away, and so Coach Jeffries has been like a surrogate father, too. All the other players who have played for him have been like his family. And he has built men. At South Carolina State, I went in as a boy, but I came out as a man.”

The Giants drafted Carson in the fourth round of the 1976 NFL draft, and after being a down lineman in high school and college, he would become the Giants middle linebacker for 13 seasons, the highlight being the team’s 39 – 20 victory in Super Bowl XXI. “When we lost to Chicago in 1985 at Soldier Field,” Carson says of the 21 -0 playoff defeat, “I remember what it felt like being in that locker room after that loss. All I knew at that point was that we were going to be in the Super Bowl the next year, because what I was feeling at that time, everybody was feeling the same thing, and that was the pain of losing and being so close.”

The next season, the New York Giants beat the Washington Redskins and San Francisco 49ers in the playoffs to get the opportunity to head to Super Bowl XXI. When it came time for the coin toss, Carson went to midfield alone. It was just he in blue and nine Denver Broncos in white. “I’m standing on the sideline, and I’m waiting on Phil Simms and George Martin – the other captains - to join me because this is the Super Bowl. The official is standing there with me, and they made a motion for the captains to head out to the center of the field. So, I said to Bill Parcells, ‘Where are George and Phil?’ He just said, ‘Go!’ I couldn’t believe it. I started walking toward the center of the field with the official, and there were all of these white jerseys headed my way, and I’m thinking to myself, ‘Why am I going out here all by myself?’ Then I kind of realized that he (Parcells) wanted me to go and represent not just the Giants football team, but the Giants organization and all the Giants fans.”

Carson retired after the 1988 season. He was named to the All-Rookie Team after his first season, and during his NFL career, he was named seven times to the All-NFL Team, eight times to the All-NFC Team, once was selected as NFC Linebacker of the Year, and was also a nine-time Pro Bowler. He also served as Giants team captain for 10 seasons.

Carson in 1990 was diagnosed with post concussion syndrome, and is an advocate for concussion and brain

injury prevention. “It’s important for me because I was just a normal or average player who played the game,” Carson says. “I knew that there was a danger in playing sports; if you’re looking at any football game, you see somebody get hurt. But nobody ever told me about damage to the brain, or how you injured your brain. People downplayed it for the longest time back in the old days. Nobody tells you about the lingering after effects of concussions, and so I have been speaking on this issue for more than 30 years now. Me having been diagnosed with post concussion syndrome, I’ve learned how to live a very normal life, and I’ve used my college degree, because I’ve got a degree in education, to talk to people about this issue and to sort of put a warning out there for people who may be non-believers that it can happen to anyone if you play the game. I’ve been an advocate in regards to this issue to sort of alert people that there’s a neurological risk that you assume when you take your kids to football practice. They look good in uniform and everything, but you don’t know what might happen down the road as a result of even practicing or playing the game.”

Carson and his wife, Maribel, have three children; a daughter Aja, and two sons, Donald and Lucky. The couple has also been blessed with four grandchildren, Jamison, Kellen, Carsen, and Lenny. Charlie, a Scottish Terrier Westie, is the Carson family’s loveable pooch.

For more information about Harry Carson and Harry

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ASP has done extensive work for me over the course of 3 consecutive summers. They have done excellent work on multiple repair/installation projects. Skilled professionals who are thoroughly reliable and responsive; and easy to work with. Brief summary of work performed includes: 1) remove existing, leaking roof (pressboard sub-surface) and replace with plywood, new Tyvek and new shingles; 2) remove leaking stucco surface on 2 chimneys and rot ted pressboard beneath, re-surface with new stucco (perfect texturized match with rest of stucco) and paint and install new chase covers; 3) remove entire stamped concrete driveway, front steps, and front/rear walkways ... then put down new driveway and pathways with paving blocks and rebuild front and rear steps. Very professional work with conscientious follow-up. Great job all around. I highly recommend ASP! Stephen Reynolds, Flanders, NJ

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Wyckoff Dad and Son Write Trilogy of Books

By Steve Sears R

ob Skead says it was hot that July 14 day when he and his family visited Oakland, New Jersey’s historic Van Allen Home.

When he exited the home in the afternoon and looked at the marker in front of it, he learned that General George Washington himself had visited the Van Allen home on the same date in 1777.

Perhaps the date thing was a coincidence, but even so Skead, a Wyckoff resident, started imagining a young boy accompanying the General during his Revolutionary War sojourns, and a story idea percolated. “It was pretty remarkable how I got an idea, and later my dad and I put it all together,” he says. “My imagination kind of went off. I was walking through the door jamb that George Washington had walked through; there I was in front of the fireplace were George Washington probably warmed himself in front of the fire. Even though it was a July day, it was apparently really raining for those two days, which is why they stopped there. They probably had the fireplace going to keep everybody warm. Again, my imagination went off, and I got an idea for a story.”

The idea may have been his son’s, who sort of had a synopsis, but his dad, also named Robert Skead (who was then 89 and is now 96-years-old) created a full treatment for the story after his son let the idea lay dormant for a long period. The elder Skead also learned that a distant relative, Lamberton Clark, had served in the Continental Army as part of the Connecticut Militia. Both Skeads joined the Sons of the American Revolution, received a certificate, and communicated back and forth via email regarding the story

idea, and then wrote their first of three books together. “He (his dad) would do a lot of research, because he was retired, on weekends and at night,” Skead says. “So, it was back and forth, it was a collaborative process. I remember wanting to go in certain directions and he didn’t like certain ideas. Being a submissive son, I would just submit to his ideas, and his gut instinct was always right.”

That book, part of the duo’s American Revolutionary War Adventures series, is titled Patriots, Redcoats & Spies, and its companion book is Submarines, Secrets & A Daring Rescue. Both were published in 2015. A third book in the series, Links to Liberty: Defending the Great Chain at West Point, was published in 2021.

Courtesy of Skead’s website, the synopsis to Patriots, Redcoats & Spies:

When Revolutionary War Patriot Lamberton Clark is shot by British soldiers while on a mission for the Continental Army, he has only two hopes of getting the secret message he’s carrying to General George Washington: his 14-year-old twin boys John and Ambrose.

Upon discovering that their father is a spy in the Culper Spy Ring, the boys accept their mission without a clue about what they may be up against. They set off from Connecticut to New Jersey to find General Washington, but the road to the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army is full of obstacles; including the man who shot their father who is hot on their trail.

When the box containing their first book (the initial two were published a few months apart) arrived at the Skead home, the elder Skead was extremely proud. “After that,” his son says, “I remember going back and looking at some

family pictures, and looking at pictures of me and him together. One was when I was a little kid, and there was a picture of me resting my head on his chest on the couch with him, and another picture of me and him fishing. Never, never did either of us ever imagine that one day there would be a couple of books with our names on it by a real publisher.”

Rob Skead’s first book was baseball related. Safe at Home is the story of 11-year-old Trevor Mitchell being gifted with a 1915 Babe Ruth rookie card. He also authored Hitting Glory, which finds another 11-year-old, Lou Gibson, trying to prove a baseball bat he found in the basement of his school belongs to “The Iron Horse”, Lou Gehrig. Skead’s books are aimed at the age groups of 7 to 13 (but are really an enjoyable read for all ages), and his latest completed work takes place during World War II.

Rob Skead, left, and his dad, Robert Skead, proudly hold their first two published books

A Chilly Day Dish with a Kick

for about 25 minutes while you unwind from a long day.

a chilly afternoon. The bowl is heavy, full of hearty vegetables and spicy peppers that in just a few short moments will overwhelm your palate.

You dive in with a spoon, savoring every flavorful bite as you dip down to the bottom of the bowl searching for more to slurp up with every spoonful. Onion, red bell pepper and even corn all blended into not only a vegetarian meal but a chili-lover’s paradise. It’s got the spices to make you say, “wow” but the smoothness that reminds you of something your mom once made when you were young.

You throw your sweater to the side of the couch as your body temperature begins to rise. You start to feel your energy return as you spoon a second helping into your bowl for round two.

Not only does this recipe for Chipotle Veggie Chili hit you with a wide array of balanced flavors, but there is a surprise hint of citrus added toward the end – lime juice.

Just to add a little more texture and vibrance to this dish, it can be topped with your favorite garnishes like guacamole, sour cream, jalapeno slices and cilantro.

This Chipotle Veggie Chili is simple to make, needing just one pot throughout the entire cooking process. It simmers

So next time you need a pick-me-up after a chilly day outside, give this one a try. The savory aromas and wholesome consistency make this chili a 10-out-of-10 and a crowd favorite.

Find more recipes perfect for cooler weather at Culinary. net

Chipotle Veggie Chili

Servings: 6-8

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, chopped 5/8 teaspoon sea salt, divided

1/4 teaspoon pepper, divided

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 can (14 ounces) diced fire-roasted tomatoes

1 can (14 ounces) red beans, drained and rinsed

1 can (14 ounces) pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup vegetable broth

1 can (7 ounces) chipotles in adobo sauce

2 cans (15 ounces each) sweet corn with liquid

2 limes, juiced guacamole (optional) sour cream (optional)

jalapeno slices (optional) cilantro (optional)

In large dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Stir and cook 5 minutes until onion is translucent. Add garlic and red pepper. Stir and cook 8 minutes until soft.

Add tomatoes, red beans, pinto beans, broth, chipotles in adobo sauce, corn, remaining salt and remaining pepper. Simmer 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chili has thickened.

Squeeze lime juice into pot; stir. Serve with guacamole,

How to Avoid Dry Turkey This Thanksgiving

Turkey is the centerpiece of Thanksgiving dinners. The National Turkey Federation estimates approximately 46 million turkeys are consumed on Thanksgiving each year, followed by 22 million turkeys at Christmastime.

Turkey makes a pleasing picture on the dinner table. However, some people insist that turkey is their least favorite component of the Thanksgiving meal. One of the biggest complaints is turkey tends to be dry.

There are many reasons why turkey can come out dry. Turkey is a lean meat, and Healthline reports that turkey has slightly less fat in its dark meat than chicken. Another reason why turkey may be dry is due to its poor breast-to-leg ratio. By the time one gets the leg meat to cook to temperature so it’s safe for consumption, the breast meat often has dried out. Seeing how many people dive for the breast meat initially, they could dish up some dry bird.

There are many ways home cooks can prevent dry turkey this Thanksgiving. Consider these turkey-tending tips.

• Brine your bird. According to

ScienceBlogs, what causes a human to perceive a food as juicy may actually be his or her own saliva at work. Salty foods may stimulate the production of saliva in the mouth, helping the food to feel much more moist while on the palate. To adequately inject enough salt into the turkey meat, submerge it in a salt brine for a few days before cooking.

• Watch your cook time. It’s important to avoid overcooking the turkey, which will turn it as dry as the Sahara. Some turkeys come equipped with pop-up timers to help cooks gauge when to take them out of the oven. However, a more accurate tool is a digital food thermometer that can be set to go off when the turkey reaches the correct internal temperature.

• Cook the turkey parts separately. As previously noted, the breast meat will likely reach the desired temperature before the leg meat. To fix this, take the turkey out of the oven when it reaches five to 10 degrees before safe temperature for the breast meat, around 165 F. (Remember, the meat will continue to cook while “resting.”) Let guests

“ooh and aah” over the picture-perfect turkey. Then cut off the legs and return them to the oven until they are done. Arrange the properly cooked breast and leg meat together on a serving platter.

• Offer condiments. A moist dollop of stuffing, a drizzle of gravy or a scoop of

cranberry sauce can add moisture to turkey. This approach does not prevent drying out, but it can make a turkey that has dried out a bit more satisfying.

Dry turkey can put off diners. However, some strategies can harness as much moisture as possible to enhance Thanksgiving

Make Dinner Memorable with Manicotti

Few cuisine styles are as diverse and beloved as those that have been exported from the Mediterranean nation of Italy. From pasta to pizza and everything in between, the rich and savory flavors of Italian cuisine are enjoyed across the globe.

Italian restaurants can be found in many cities and towns throughout the world. However, it’s just as easy to create traditional, mouthwatering dishes at home with simple ingredients. Manicotti is a popular pasta dish that can be filled with cheese or other ingredients, and topped with a traditional tomato sauce or other saucy creations. The word “manicotti” is the plural form of “manicotto,” which translates to “little sleeves” in Italian. They’re meant to be stuffed and baked.

While manicotti may seem complex, they’re rather easy to prepare. Enjoy this recipe for “Mom’s Homemade Manicotti with Crepes (Crespelle)” courtesy of the blog 3 Italian Sisters (www.3italiansisters.com). They present well for the holidays or any special occasion.

Mom’s Homemade Manicotti with Crepes (Crespelle)

Yields approximately 20 crepes

Serving size: 2 to 3 crepes per person

Crepes

4 extra large eggs

1 cup flour

11⁄4 cup whole milk

2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

Butter for pan Ricotta filling

3 pounds part skim or whole milk ricotta cheese

1⁄2 cup fresh parsley, minced

1⁄2 cup grated pecorino romano cheese

2 extra large eggs, scrambled

1 pound mozzarella cheese cubed Salt and pepper to taste

Premade tomato or meat sauce

Put all the crepe ingredients into a blender. Blend till smooth; scrape sides if necessary and blend again till all ingredients are blended well.

Melt a little butter in a 9” nonstick frying pan over medium heat.

Pour in small amount of batter and swirl to cover bottom of it with a thin film. Cook for approximately 20 seconds and turn to the other side and cook for another 20 seconds. Transfer crepe to plate. Continue until all batter is finished. Crepes can be stacked on top of each other.

If you aren’t using them right away, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate them for 3 days or freeze for up to one month.

Ricotta filling: Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl and set aside to fill crepes.

Take 1 tablespoon of ricotta filling onto each crepe and roll gently and place on a cookie sheet, seam side down.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Layer large casserole pan with your favorite tomato or meat sauce. Place single layer of rolled manicotti in the casserole pan on top of sauce. Ladle thin layer of sauce on top of manicotti and sprinkle with additional mozzarella cheese.

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Turn to Tradition for Tex-Mex Taste

The next time your loved ones crave a comforting dish that’s warming from the inside-out, turn to an all-time classic with a touch of southern flair.

Take inspiration for this Tex-Mex Beef Lasagna from season 3 of “BBQuest: Beyond the Pit,” a video series that dives into the long-held traditions, new flavors and everyday inspiration that make Texas barbecue legendary. Developed from the show by BBQuest co-host and “Hardcore Carnivore” cookbook author Jess Pryles, this tasty take on comfort food can be the perfect solution for a family meal with plenty of leftovers.

After dinner, settle in together and learn pitmaster techniques from the experts as the series follows four themes that capture the essence of Texas barbecue: legacy and tradition; creativity and innovation; Texas trailblazers; and family and community.

“Since launching BBQuest four years ago, it’s truly remarkable to see how much has changed and yet stayed the same when

it comes to Texas barbecue, and that’s exactly what you see in season 3,” said Rachel Chou, Texas Beef Council’s director of consumer marketing. “There has been so much exciting innovation around cooking methods and international flavors while there’s still a huge dedication to long-held recipes and smoking techniques.”

To find more pitmaster-worthy recipes, visit BeefLovingTexans.com

Tex-Mex Beef Lasagna Recipe courtesy of Jess Pryles on behalf of Beef Loving Texans

Total time: 60 minutes

Servings: 10

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, diced

2 pounds ground beef

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon cumin

2 teaspoons chipotle powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

15 ounces canned corn, drained

15 ounces canned seasoned black beans, drained

10 ounces canned diced tomatoes with green chiles, drained

15 ounces canned red enchilada sauce

1 cup Mexican crema or sour cream nonstick cooking spray

12 corn tortillas

8 ounces shredded Mexican blend cheese cilantro (optional) green onions, thinly sliced (optional) Preheat oven to 375 F.

In large pan or skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat then add onion. Cook until softened, 4-5 minutes, stirring regularly.

Add ground beef and cook, stirring regularly, until beef has browned.

Add kosher salt, garlic powder, cumin, chipotle powder and onion powder; stir well. Add corn, black beans and diced tomatoes. Turn heat to medium and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

In bowl, combine enchilada sauce and

crema; mix well.

Spray casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. Pour about 1/4 cup enchilada sauce mixture on bottom to prevent tortillas from sticking.

Layer 2-4 tortillas across bottom then top with layer of ground beef mixture. Use ladle to spoon some enchilada sauce mixture on top, distributing evenly. Top with another layer of tortillas then repeat layers until casserole is full, 3-4 layers. Top with shredded cheese.

Loosely cover dish with foil in tent shape to help prevent cheese from sticking then bake 30 minutes.

Remove foil and bake 10-15 minutes until cheese is bubbly and golden brown.

serving.

What is Movember?

If you think you’re seeing more moustaches lingering over mens’ upper lips as November unfolds, chances are your eyes are not deceiving you. November has long been synonymous with Thanksgiving and the start of the holiday season, but it’s also taken on a whole new persona in recent years, and moustaches are a significant part of that new identity.

Arguably as popular as ever, Movember® is a public health-focused effort designed to raise awareness of and support research into men’s health issues such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer and suicide. Men who participate in Movember typically begin growing moustaches on November 1 and keep them throughout the month.

The origins of Movember can be traced to 2003, when two men in Australia, Travis Garone and Luke Slattery, met for a beer in Melbourne. At that point in time, the popularity of moustaches had waned, but Garone and Slattery joked about restoring the stache to its once-lofty status. At the time, a friend’s mother was fundraising for breast cancer, and Garone and Slattery were inspired to combine their efforts to

bring back the moustache with efforts to raise awareness about men’s health and prostate cancer. In a testament to the two friends’ skills in the art of persuasion, they were able to find 30 men willing to take up the challenge to grow a moustache. Those who accepted the challenge agreed to follow the rules of Movember, which included paying $10 to grow a moustache.

That initial campaign generated significant enthusiasm among the initial participants, so the following year a decision was made to formalize their efforts and officially support a worthy cause related to men’s health. After some research, prostate cancer was chosen as the issue to formally support. The Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, though not an official men’s health partner of Movember, agreed to accept any funds generated by the 2004 campaign. By that time, 450 men, including some in Spain and the United Kingdom, had agreed to take part, ultimately raising more than AUD $50,000.

Nearly 20 years later, the moustachioed movement to raise awareness about various men’s health issues is still going strong, having funded more than 1,250

Wyckoff Chef Cooks Her Way to Food Network Show Win

By Jillian Risberg

Supermarket Stakeout was the first time Angie Shaghaghi competed on national television and won, and it felt so good. The Wyckoff chef saw the great power of her perseverance pay off.

I believe everything happens for a reason and in your season,” Shaghaghi says. “We can’t force the ‘seasons’ to change, only stay positive and prepared. My faith and attitude keep me going.”

It was also the first time the chef competed since 2011, so she felt a little ‘out of sorts.’ Iron chef Alex Guarnaschelli helped calm her nerves. Her advice was to “just cook.”

“In that moment I realized it’s what I love to do, so just do it,” Shaghaghi says it was challenging to go off and compete when her three kids were young. “Now that they are older and on their own it is much easier to focus on the competition. And that’s what I did.”

Her children are her biggest fans. The chef says she started her cooking business because of them and continues on because of them.

Arianna, Shauna and Amir were excited when Shaghaghi shared her winning news (they knew to keep it a secret). And she is blessed with a huge family and friends who are like family.

“I work pretty long days between cooking classes, private chef gigs and catering parties but my love for people and food always keeps me going,” she says.

Back in 2007 the chef had her first taste of being on TV and competing. The Rachael Ray Show had a nationwide casting call for amateur cooks, so Shaghaghi sent her audition tape in.

She had just started cooking with kids and had a 13-yearold student tape her during class at her kid’s elementary school.

“The tape is still online I believe,” says the chef. “It was nuts; 20 screaming kids cooking (my citrus fish) with me in a teachers lounge. But Rachael said she loved it.”

According to Shaghaghi, that made her crave more regardless of the outcome. She took runner-up after chef Gordon Ramsey liked her flavors but not her plating.

After that, casting agents started reaching out about shows; Chopped, Cutthroat Kitchen, Kitchen Crash… and Supermarket Stakeout.

“I still get such a high from cooking on TV,” Shaghaghi says. “It’s like a rush I can’t explain. I pray I get to do it again soon.”

The rest of the time the chef has a mobile Wyckoff cooking school (Creative Cooking) that she conceived as a newly divorced and single mama to three kids under seven.

She had to think of a way to make extra income and not leave them all day/night. Her heart hurt for their new reality.

“I’ve always loved to cook/entertain and if I did it with kids — then my own three kids could come to ‘work’ with me,”

Angie Shaghaghi with Rachael Ray continued on next page

Wyckoff Chef Cooks...

says Shaghaghi. “I took a leap of faith and asked their principal at the time if I could conduct cooking classes after school. She said, ‘get your insurance and paperwork in order and get back to me.’”

The chef did and it was the first public class, but she had a few little test classes out of her own home. The kids (now in their twenties) made a huge mess and loved every moment.

“Nothing like cooking and baking together,” Shaghaghi says the connections made are priceless. “Some of my best childhood memories happened around the kitchen table (or next to the stove).”

At five or six-years-old she first connected to cooking.

She wrote and self published (with the help of Kickstarter) her first cookbook, Join My Table. A lot of her recipes and memories can be found there. (Creative-cooks.com to order online)

When it comes to personal cooking the chef loves to make Italian food (pastas and sauces).

“But I’m also a southern girl, so braised

collard greens and ribs —yes, please,” says Shaghaghi.

There are many memorable people she has had the pleasure of cooking for, including some big name artists and tv stars.

“But I remember the ones who are kind, genuine and treat others, regardless of their status, the same,” the chef says.

“I love cooking with people more than for, though.”

Shaghaghi doesn’t eat out often but the times she does, Zobra is her Wayne go-to when she misses home (Tarpon Springs, Florida; huge Greek community).

On the agenda for the chef is finding a PR manager to help her navigate next steps. In the meantime, you can find her busy in the kitchen cooking with kids and adults. That’s where her heart is.

If she had a magic wand, Shaghaghi would love to save the world… and feed the world.

“One plate at a time,” the chef says. “On a smaller scale, I would create a cooking show with kids where I visit homes across

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For Love of Country and Game: US Naval Academy’s Colin Ramos Talks Sports and Service

US Naval Academy

Midshipman and Wayne resident Colin Ramos knows the gridiron well. After all, it’s been in his life since the first grade. Ramos played rec football for the Wayne Boys and Girls Club throughout his youth. He purely played out of joy and love of the game. However, when seventh grade came around, he began to see the opportunity of playing the game in high school and potentially college.

“My parents put me into football and the Boys and Girls Club was a great place to start my football career. I didn’t take it too seriously during my elementary school days but around seventh grade, I started to really love football and

explore the opportunities of where I could play in high school,” Ramos recalls.

A standout at Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey, Ramos won the 2019 North Jersey

Defensive Player of the Year. While he won the title, he knows that it took many other people to get him to that point.

“It was a very high honor

for me, it made me realize all of the hard work that I put in and all the sacrifices I made were worth it. It was great to win such a special award. But, I always give

credit to all my teammates, coaches, and parents because without them, I wouldn’t be the football player I am today. It was great for me to win the

award but it goes deeper than just me. It’s really a testament to my parents, coaches, and teammates,” Ramos says.

Colin Ramos

Colin Ramos (number 44) prepares to hit the field during a US Naval Academy home football game continued on next page

For Love of Country and Game...

However, Don Bosco Prep almost never had him. Due to a poor academic performance in middle school, Ramos had to agree that he’d turn things around in the classroom once he entered the halls of Don Bosco Prep. Turn things around he did. After graduating in 2020, Ramos spent a year at the Naval Academy Prep School in Newport, RI.

“At first, I never really thought about the military. I always just wanted to get a great education and play college football. When Navy started recruiting me, I really got to see firsthand what the school was like, the opportunities it provided, so when I came here and visited, I thought it was the all around package, from a great football school and the great academics and an honor to serve my country,” Ramos shared.

Now playing linebacker for the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, Ramos is shining bright under the direction of head coach Ken Niumatololo. The midshipman is a quantitative economics major, and at the academy, he’s also balancing a tough football schedule with both games and practices. It goes without saying that life at the US Naval Academy is not your typical college experience. Thankfully, midshipmen are taught very early on that the people standing next to them are their brothers and sisters.

“The Naval Academy is different than any other normal school. The things that we go through together as teammates, the military conduct requirements, the

strictness. We all deal with those things together. When we get on the field together, we all know that we’re going to put in the work, and this school, it’s an extremely hard place to stay at. We know that we’re all going to sacrifice for each other. I can trust my football brothers to have my back at any time,” Ramos said.

According to Ramos, Coach Niuamtololo and linebacker coach P.J. Volker inspire him every day that he steps on the field or into the classroom.

In 2021, Ramos competed in one of the biggest and best sports rivalry games. As the Naval Academy football team headed toward East Rutherford, NJ, all eyes were on beating Army. The annual Army/Navy Game is one of the most watched sporting events, in 2021, 7.57 million people tuned in to the annual televised contest. In front of Ramos’ home crowd of 82,000 fans, Navy sealed their 2021 campaign with a victory over Army, 17-13. It was a moment he will never forget.

“The atmosphere, from the game itself to the fans to the flyovers before the game, it was just a crazy experience. A bunch of my family made it out to the game and it was an absolute unreal environment. To beat Army on top of that, in my home state, there is nothing better than that,” Ramos says.

During the grueling days of academics and football practices, Ramos keeps up with the daily grind of military academy life with pride. He has high hopes to continue to add to the Naval Academy legacy.

“There are a lot of things that make me proud about being a midshipman. The most important is remembering the sacrifices that my teammates and I have to go through, it’s a different lifestyle than any normal college. We have to deal with so many different things, the academics are so hard, the military, the conduct, the rules. At the end of the day, it’s just such an honor to serve those who have come before you and remember that they have gone on to do such great things in the military and life. I want to continue the legacy of the Navy name and it makes me proud to do my best to do that,” Ramos says.

Every time Ramos puts on the blue and gold uniform, it’s always a special moment. For number 44, playing football at the Naval Academy will never get old.

“I sit back and I think ‘what an honor to be able to do what I do’. I have a ton of pride in it, I’m so thankful for it, and it really is a huge honor to be able to play for Navy,” Ramos shared.

And to those young football players at the Wayne Boys and Girls Club who may read this? Ramos says that school always comes first.

“Keep your head straight on school and get good grades. Being a good student can open the door to all schools so you can have the opportunity to play football anywhere. If you are talented enough on the field, be talented enough in the classroom and the opportunities will come,” Ramos said.

Ramos has hopes to play in the 2022 Army/Navy Football

A Thanksgiving Story: The Precious Remembrances of My Beloved Grandfather

By Richard Mabey Jr.

ne of the most endearing and cherished memories of the Thanksgivings of my childhood and youth is that of my beloved grandfather, heartily and enthusiastically celebrating this wonderful holiday. I remember, all so dearly, how Grandpa loved to carve the turkey after he took it out of the oven of the old Mabey Homestead in Lincoln Park. It was a task upon which Grandpa held as a most high honor.

Grandpa was a man who was governed by detail and precision. As a young man, Grandpa held the honor of serving as the Chief Engineer of Incline Plane Ten East of the infamous Morris Canal. The need to be detailed oriented, plus having raised his family in the heart of the Great Depression, gave Grandpa the wisdom to carve each slice of turkey with great care.

“You never want to cut the slices too thick, Dicky Jim. But on the other hand, you don’t want the family to leave the table hungry,” Grandpa would tell me with a bit of a song in his voice. My grandfather was the man who bestowed me with the nickname of Dicky Jim. He was the last person to ever call me by that name. I would greatly protest when I got to be about 11 years old and my aunts and uncles would call me by that nickname. But, Grandpa was a different story.

It is all so hard to put into words what Thanksgiving Day was like at the old Mabey Homestead. When I was a young boy and my great grandmother, Dora Mabey, was still alive, there had to be at least 50 people congregated within the warmth and love of the dear old farmhouse that my great grandfather had built when he was just a young man.

Great Grandma Mabey worked hard to keep Thanksgiving Day all so organized. There was the old, stately dining room table, which could only seat six people. So, on Thanksgiving Day, my dad and my uncles would set up four or five additional tables. These extra tables were made up of old pieces of plywood resting upon carpenter’s wooden horses. It was as down home as you could ever imagine. I remember the touch of class that Great Grandma would add to the long procession of plates, glasses and silverware. Great Grandma would have these folded oak

tag nameplates, for every single member of the Mabey clan. Great Grandma would decide where you would sit at that table and nobody dared to argue with the proud matriarch.

After the Thanksgiving feast, the women would clean up and wash all the dishes. Most of the men would congregate onto the enclosed front porch and tell remembrances of growing up in Lincoln Park. And Grandpa would sit in the big, easy chair in the southwest corner of the big living room. My cousins and my sister Patti and I would all sit upon the floor at Grandpa’s feet. Then, dear old Grandpa would tell these wonderful and colorful stories of his remembrances of life along the old Morris Canal.

There were no video cameras back then, in the 1950’s and 1960’s. Oh, how I regret that none of Grandpa’s enchanting tales were not videotaped.

My grandfather was an incredibly talented story teller. He would hold us all spellbound with his voice flexion, dramatic timing, facial expressions, and lively hand movements. I would do my absolute best to engrave Grandpa’s stories within the fibers of my mind and the deepest chambers of my heart.

Grandpa’s stories did not just center upon his work on Incline Plane Ten East. For when Grandpa was a boy and then through his teenage years, he worked with his father, William Mabey, at the old Mabey Ice House that stood along the banks of the Morris Canal, just a few yards to the east of Incline Plane Ten East.

Great Grandpa Mabey had an agreement with Mr. Franciso, who owned the sawmill that was located just to the northwest of the end of Mabey Lane. Great Grandpa and his sons, Watson and Earl, would fill wheelbarrows with the sawdust from the mill and walk them over to the Mabey Ice House. In exchange, Great Grandpa would provide free ice for Mr. Francisco.

As a boy, and then later as a teenager, during the winter months Grandpa and his brother would cut ice blocks from the frozen water of the canal. They would tie a rope around the big block of ice, drag it to their father’s ice house and then thickly pack it with sawdust in the icehouse. It was far from being the easy life.

In memory, I return to those wonderful

and loving Thanksgiving Days. During my childhood and youth, I never really realized just how precious they were. An era has now long past. Like grains of sand slipping through the crevices of my fingers, time has passed all too quickly. Now, at 69 years old, I long to relive just one more Thanksgiving Day of that magical era.

To see Grandpa proudly carve the turkey. To see Grandma stirring gravy at the old stove. To see my father, young and proud. To see my mother, carefully placing the top crust onto an apple pie.

To see my cousins all running around the old Mabey Homestead. To see my Great Grandma firmly, but lovingly, commanding everyone to different tasks. To see my aunts cutting up green beans and carrots. And to see my uncles, all gathered upon the enclosed front porch telling tall tales of their youth. And, for one more time, to be able to see and hear Grandpa tell just one of his colorful

A cherished, old photograph of my grandfather, Watson Mabey, carving the Thanksgiving turkey at the old Mabey Homestead.

2 Steps to Save a Life The Importance of Hands-Only CPR

More than 350,000 sudden cardiac arrests occur annually outside hospital settings. However, a hands-on emergency intervention like cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), especially if performed immediately, can double or triple a cardiac arrest victim’s chance of survival.

According to the American Heart Association, 70% of cardiac arrests –electrical malfunctions in the heart that cause an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia) and disrupt the flow of blood to the brain, lungs and other organs – occur at home, but often family and friends who witness a child, spouse, parent or friend going into cardiac arrest hesitate to perform potentially lifesaving CPR for fear of making the situation worse.

“By equipping people with Hands-Only CPR training, we are empowering them to spring into action if a loved one needs help, as the majority of cardiac arrests occur at home,” said Dr. Anezi Uzendu, M.D., interventional cardiologist and American Heart Association volunteer.

As part of its Hands-Only CPR campaign, nationally supported by the Elevance Health Foundation, the American Heart Association aims to increase awareness

about the importance of bystander CPR and offers these two simple steps: Call 911.

Push hard and fast in the center of the chest of the individual experiencing cardiac arrest.

Using the beat of a familiar song with 100-120 beats per minute, such as “Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee Gees, can help you stay on pace with the necessary compressions.

“Being able to efficiently perform Hands-Only CPR in the moment can mean the difference between life and death, and by following these two simple steps we can increase someone’s chance of survival from cardiac arrest,” said Shantanu Agrawal, M.D., board certified emergency medicine doctor and chief health officer at Elevance Health. “As a longstanding supporter of the American Heart Association, we remain focused on working together to improve health inequities in our communities by expanding access to training and increasing the number of people who learn and feel confident performing Hands-Only CPR to save lives.”

To find more information, watch a livestream video demonstration of Hands-Only CPR or download a first aid smartphone app, visit heart.org/CPR

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

Morris County Hope One Dedicates New Van

orris County Sheriff James M. Gannon unveiled a new Hope One vehicle at a ceremony on Court Street in Morristown attended by human services and mental health professionals, law enforcement leaders, Superior Court staff and county employees.

The new vehicle, dubbed the “mini” Hope One truck, will help to expand the popular Hope One program, transporting the team to community events and client visits throughout the county.

Launched in 2017, Hope One is a highly successful and often replicated mobile outreach program by which teams travel Morris County, offering critical support for individuals and families struggling with mental health and substance use disorders, and providing Naloxone (Narcan) education, training and kits in the community.

Since the beginning, the Hope One team has stopped at over 900 locations, marking over 30,000 contacts in the community. Hope One has distributed over 5,800 Narcan kits to family members and friends of those struggling with substance

use disorders, free of charge. Narcan is used to immediately treat a known or suspected opioid overdose emergency, and 114 people have reported using the Narcan kits distributed by Hope One to save or attempt to save a life.

“Hope One works because we go out into the community, we publish where we are going and we have a plains clothes sheriff’s officer, we have a mental health clinician and we have a certified peer recovery specialist who go out into the community and talk to people where they are,” said Sheriff Gannon. “We truly deal with people where they are at, and we have been very successful.”

During the initial height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hope One Project witnessed an increase of individuals who required access to critical public services. It became clear there was an elevated need for an additional Hope One vehicle to serve the community.

However, due to production delays, the Morris County Motor Services Center could not obtain a new van.

The Morris County Board of County

Commissioners stepped in to provide the Hope One Project a 2019 Ford Transit passenger vehicle, which was converted into the “mini” Hope One vehicle dedicated this morning. All three vehicles

now used by Hope One van were on display today.

“This is an immensely important program that has had a real impact with

Hope Hub Coordinator Officer Chelsea Whiting climbs into the new van, with (right) Hope One Coordinator Corporal Erica Valvano following her. Standing to the left (left to right) are Community Connections Coordinator Officer Justin Sudol and CPRS Jon-Erik Randazzo of CARES.

Morris

partner programs in Morris County on reducing drug overdose deaths, suicides and pulling people out of a cycle of despair and poverty. It’s why the program has been replicated throughout the state,” said Morris County Commissioner Doug Cabana, the board liaison to Law and Public Safety.

The Morris County Sheriff’s Office, in partnership with the Morris County Department of Human Services, the Mental Health Association and the Center for Addiction Recovery Education and Success (CARES), staffs Hope One units with a plain clothes Sheriff’s Officer, a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist and a Mental Health Professional. In 2019, the team was awarded the International Association of Chiefs of Police, Michael Shanahan Cooperation in Public and Private Partnership Award.

The simple yet effective Hope One model has been replicated in eight (8) other counties across the State of New Jersey.

The Morris County Sheriff’s Office Hope

One Project expanded in 2021 with the launch of the Hope Hub.

The Hub is a multidisciplinary panel made up of law enforcement, social services, mental health services, healthcare providers, treatment providers and recovery specialists. Struggling individuals and families are referred to the Hope Hub and connected to life-changing services.

To date, the program has offered assistance in 295 situations, reducing what is called acutely elevated risk (AER) in 97% of those cases.

Since Hope Hub’s inception, the Interfaith Food Pantry Network has donated a total of 17,603 pounds of food and Nourish NJ has provided Hope Hub with over 300 meals! Sheriff James M. Gannon is pleased to announce that the Interfaith Food Pantry Network & Nourish NJ’s logos have been placed on the newest Hope One van.

From homeless outreach to special events, Hope One provides a stigma free environment and a safe place for

New Jersey Based Man First Bodyguard Awarded the

By Steve Sears

New Jersey-based celebrity bodyguard, Adriano “Bubba”

Almony, is the first in his profession to be awarded a Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award as a Humanitarian honoree.

“Just to be a part of history, to be recognized on such a high, prestigious honor scale, that just shows people as well in my industry that you don’t just focus on being a bodyguard,” Almony says. “Obviously when you’re working, yes, be focused, be sharp, be proactive visually; be the best man and bodyguard you can be. But even outside of that, most importantly, be a leader. Get involved in your community, get to know people. If you have an opportunity to help children, whether it’s self-defense or mentoring, or volunteering with nonprofits in your communities, whatever it is, just be of service.”

Almony will receive his award on December 4, 2022 at the Hotel ZaZa in Houston, Texas. The recognition comes from President Joseph Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. That afternoon, Almony

will also receive special congressional recognition from Texas Congresswoman, Sheila Jackson Lee.

Almony, 28, is originally from Hanover, Pennsylvania, and in fifth grade moved to Ocean City, Maryland, where he grew up for the vast majority of his life. A Stephen Decatur High School graduate in 2012, he thereafter headed for the Metropolitan area, and has resided in Fairfield, New Jersey the past four years. The owner of Bubba Almony Security Services, he recalls being bullied as a youngster, and suffering from abuse and neglect. He is only now truly opening up about both, and oftentimes he still faces these same challenges. “I’m learning to start to give my testimony,” Almony says. “Even as I was older, even with being an advocate for anti-bullying and for mental health, I experienced bullying as well, being I was on the frontlines with these things. A lot of people overlook that, but when you’re an advocate for something, sometimes you take on the problems head on, or you may experience your own trials and tribulations. I think it’s pretty impressive,

though, if you can be a child at one point, you’re going through abuse, and then go on to be somebody who has protected some of the top names. As a respected leader in the industry, I think it just shows people that no matter what you’re going through, if it’s domestic bullying, abuse, anything toxic, you can overcome that. You can be something amazing. And without the struggle, you don’t develop strength. Sometimes we have to appreciate the struggle.”

Almony’s bodyguard services protects a number of well known celebrities and their families, such as Dr. Khalilah CamachoAli, the wife of four-time heavyweight boxing champion, Muhammad Ali, and her children, real estate tycoon Grant Cardone and his wife, Elena Lyons Cardone, P. Diddy’s children, and he also serves as a bodyguard at events, like the 10X Growth Conference (“the number one business event as voted by Forbes,” Almony says), and the 9/11 Memorial Commemoration in New York City.

Almony gives his definition of humanitarian. “A true humanitarian

is somebody who understands most importantly over anything, money or monetary, giving your time, giving your words, just making people smile with a simple hug, handshake, or a fist bump,” he says. “Praying for others, using your voice and platform and influence - all of those amazing things. A lot of people think to be a humanitarian you have to have millions and millions of dollars to help others, but it’s just simply not true. You just have to have a passion to want to volunteer and coach and mentor, and all those are things that I’ve been able to do on a consistent, persistent basis of just being involved. That’s very important.”

Adriano “Bubba” Almony has realized many dreams in his own life, and he encourages others not to give up on theirs. “Pursue your dreams. and don’t limit your dreams – dream as big as you can. Whether you want to be the Governor, the next President, the next award-winning bodyguard, the next elite martial artist, whatever you want to be, put your head down every day and go to work. Pray and keep pushing, and put God first in your life,