40 minute read
poem
Idyllic Waterscapes
Fly fishing on a... Crystal clear brook, Babbling and meandering, Over pebbles and stones, Flowing to and fro, Calm clarity!
Canoeing on a... Fresh water lake, Unruffled placid surface, Abounding nature, Panoramic views, Tranquil repose!
Surfing on a... Briny coastal ocean, Breaking waves crash, Marine fauna ebb and flow, Seascapes delight, Serene oasis!
-Maureen Newman
Bill Rosado
Sparking Milford’s Historic Passion for the Arts
Milford, Pennsylvania, has long been a haven for artists. The town’s quaint cafes, antique shops, art galleries, and lush landscape have served as inspiration for playwrights, filmmakers, poets, and more since the early 1900s. Bill Rosado, owner and CEO of Milford Hospitality Group, has his eyes set on reigniting the town’s culture of art, fine dining, and recreation. With big plans for Milford’s most storied buildings, including the historic Theater, the Tom Quick Inn, and Forester’s Hall, Rosado is building on his close-knit ties to the community to attract visitors and city-dwellers to his longtime home.
He still remembers the cool breeze against his face and the smell of spring when he first arrived in Milford more than four decades ago. Bill Rosado was a teenager from Merida, Mexico, where he was born and spent his early childhood. But unlike the hot, Caribbean climate that defined that Mexican city, northeastern Pennsylvania was a 180-degree turn in every respect for the young Rosado.
“The temperature was so beautiful,” Rosado, 62, says now. He recalls with precise detail that late May afternoon in 1974, when he settled in the Pennsylvania colonial town founded in the 18th century and which borders the Delaware River. Despite being a world away from his birth city, and with little command of the English language, Rosado says he immediately felt embraced and welcomed by this small town. The outsider didn’t feel like an outsider at all.
Rosado enrolled at Delaware Valley High School where he starred for the Warriors’ soccer team. After graduation, he maintained roots in Milford as he built his business enterprise, which includes numerous auto dealerships. Now, 47 years after he first stepped foot in Milford, Rosado has launched an ambitious and unique plan to transform the picturesque town into a cultural destination, centered around the 1920s theater in the heart of the neighborhood.
Milford, like every community across the country, big or small, was affected by the coronavirus pandemic over the last year and a half. Because the economic downturn and social and political upheaval drove many people away from big, urban settings, Milford enjoyed an influx of new faces and visitors from all backgrounds. Many were eager to escape the stress of the big city and sample Milford’s pastoral charm.
Rosado wants to take that experience even further and share Milford with the rest of the country, while still protecting its historic charm and quality of life for those who call the town home. After all, he explains, “The community’s lifestyle gives Milford its authenticity.”
Through the newly-formed Milford Hospitality Group (MHG), Rosado is ushering in a restoration of landmark properties within the community—including the historic Milford Theater, Tom Quick Inn, and Forester’s Hall. His vision of the town revival is to both attract and accommodate tourists, while preserving the integrity of the community and its surroundings.
“Our goal is to provide an authentic experience to tourists with a respectful eye toward our residents,” says Rosado. In addition, Rosado wants to promote business-to-business growth within Milford, so local store owners and businesses can thrive as well.
Rosado’s passion for local artistic and cultural institutions is no surprise to those who know him. Rosado has long balanced his business interests with his love of the arts, including documentary filmmaking. He envisions the Milford Theater as a centerpiece of the community’s art scene, featuring music performances, literary panels, book and poetry readings, film series, and civic lectures that draw an audience from the New York metropolitan area and beyond. In so doing, Rosado aims to restore Milford’s status as a popular destination. draw stretches back as early as the 1800s, when visitors would bicycle from nearby Port Jervis to dine and lodge at what was then a hotel and restaurant called Terwilliger House. Today, the remnants of Terwilliger House and the once neighboring Center Square House comprise the Tom Quick—one of MHG’s flagship properties.
By the early 1900s, Milford had earned a reputation for artistic expression, and its iconic Milford Theater opened as a venue for community performances. The theater eventually became a movie house and has remained in operation for over nine decades. Under new management by Milford Hospitality Group, the renovated theater will continue its legacy of fostering and showcasing premiere acts, as well as local talent.
Rosado is confident that even a short visit to Milford is all it takes to fall in love with the town. Beyond the community is the food, entertainment attractions, and the surrounding natural beauty including the Delaware Water Gap. To support tourism, Milford Hospitality Group anticipates adding other properties under the MHG umbrella in the coming months. In this way, Rosado aims to build MHG’s brand and promote the idea that visitors to Milford can enjoy an immersive and authentic small-town experience where they can feel like neighbors, if only for a few days.
Through Photos and Words
Documenting a Crisis
Orange County Historian Johanna Yaun’s long career in historical research has led her through museum studies in three American universities, training in Switzerland, field study in the Mediterranean, an internship in Williamsburg, an appointment as a director of the Newburgh Historical Society, and now county historian. But nothing fully prepared her for the coronavirus pandemic.
Over the past months, she learned what it’s like to witness history as events unfold. No one knew what was coming next. Yaun noted, “We want to believe that, in a historic moment, people must have just been totally in the moment. But when it is actually happening, it’s very different because it’s so unexpected and so incremental.”
The pace picked up on Monday morning, March 16th, 2020, when county government department heads spotted an unexpected message in their emails. Yaun said, “Normally, we have a department-head meeting every Tuesday. But that Monday morning, we got an email that said to report immediately for an emergency meeting. That was the first time in my experience (who knows maybe it happened on D-Day or something) that the county changed the day and made it urgent, first thing in the morning.
“Every department had to react right away and say how we were going to go forward. I said, ‘We have the team of historians and this is history. We are going to start collecting stories and any information about the local response to this happening.’ So that was my initial reaction that we needed to suspend talking about ancient history and spend this time on something current.”
Following the meeting, the staff tried at first to keep the office open. “Our office is just me, the administrator Nicole Nazzaro, a part-timer Joe Geidel in collections care, and Linda Burns who coordinates the genealogical volunteers. We said, all right, this is getting serious. We need to have a team A and a team B to run the office. I told everyone that I was going to work from home, but Nicole didn’t want to. So Nicole said, ‘I’ll run the office team and you run the work-from-home team.’ That lasted exactly one day. The very next day, the county said to send everyone home. It was developing that rapidly.”
In the days that followed, Yaun and her staff called on both their own creativity and New York State mandates to bring order and stability into their work. “I received an email,” she continued, “from the Public Historians of New York State [APHNYS], a nonprofit organization that oversees us government historians. They wrote, ‘We are unquestionably in a historic moment that will be of interest to future generations. Government historians have a duty under New York State law to document, preserve, and collect as much data and information on the local reaction to COVID-19 as you can.’”
APHNYS helped historians get their mental wheels rolling with some excellent ideas and resources. For example, local historians should make like 21st-century Ben Johnsons by creating handwritten, audio, or video diaries and by writing blogs. They should connect with all sorts of government officials, business people, first responders, medical workers, and endless others to find out what they are doing and how they are feeling. Historians could insert the events in their own locales into a timeline template, designed by Madison County Historian Matthew Urtz, that traces the deadly path of the virus around the globe. A Google form is provided that could be used after the crisis subsides to gather more information from those who are just too busy right now, and oral histories are encouraged.
As of the writing of this article, Yaun and her staff had made a good start on the huge task at hand. Holding up a stack of notes, she said that she spends most days on conference calls and department-head calls. “The governor’s office has a call every day at 3:00 that municipal leaders can call into. I’m not a mayor or anything else, but the county gave me the number to call in and listen to what the concerns are.” Future generations, who may someday face another crisis, will be able to seek guidance from her records.
Joe Geidel is building a digital COVID-19 archive. “People were posting their personal experiences on social media all day long. Nurses made pleas for help. The elderly needed food. People were saying, what can I do to help?” In the future, researchers will be able, for instance, to track how public opinion changed in Orange County during the pandemic shutdown using the digital archive.
The public was invited—urged really—to participate by keeping diaries, creating scrapbooks, collecting newspaper stories or emails, or just tapping into their own imaginations to find other creative ways to document history.
Those who wish to donate to the effort should email the County Historian at jyaun@orangecountygov.com describing the intended donation. A Collections Committee, made up of Yaun, county legislators, government staff, and historians, gathers four times each year to make sure donations end up in the right hands. Materials of county-wide interest are given to her office to archive while, for instance, a collection of photographs related to one specific town would be sent to that town’s historical collection.
Rather miraculously, Yuan has planned for her routine work to continue. “We are still trying to answer everybody’s inquiries, although we sometimes will have to apologize if there’s a delay, say if I can’t get into the archive. We’ll do our best to do research when people call and, for example, have a question about their house or their family history.” Long-term projects will proceed, including a popular speaker series that she hopes to continue as a series of online videos.
“Throughout the summer of 2020,” Yaun said, “we continued to hold our outdoor gravestone cleaning workshops, which were very popular because everyone was looking for something to do outside in a group, but naturally separated. By the fall, 2020, we settled into a split A/B team schedule and resumed all of our previous work but held meetings via Zoom, even if we were in different rooms of the same building.
“On May 1, 2021, we returned to in-person meetings in our office. I am still collecting stories, documents, and objects from the pandemic.”
Yaun speculates that “someday down the road, Joe in the collections department will have the job of organizing all this material.” For now, she only knows to expect the unexpected, which she will shelter away in her office file cabinet newly labelled COVID-19.
Cappy Hotchkiss
Giving Voice
Cappy Hotchkiss is a NY-based photographer who offered us insight into why she decided to document people’s lives during the pandemic quarantine. Cappy has shared her photos with The Journal and also with the Orange County Historian’s Office.
What was the incentive for you to take these photos? Like most photographers, I have always been a bit of a voyeur, and I was fascinated by what was going on inside those walls. What was everyone doing? How were their lives going? Do you look at your work as a historical project? They will absolutely one day be a part of history. This is a time that we hopefully won’t see again in our lifetime. Why did you decide on this style of photography? I wanted to do something a little more surreal to reflect the time that we were living through. Was there a theme to your photos? There seemed to be an overwhelming theme of emotionally supportive pandemic pets. The little girl with the rabbit—when her mom had Covid, a small bunny showed up behind their sofa. Very sweet.
Joining Kitchens Around the World
The thought of sharing food recipes and cooking classes by uniting global communities and cultures with Pike County, PA, residents began as an off-the-wall idea, part of a brainstorming session about how the organization Delaware Valley Action! (DVA!) could support local non-profit organizations working to enhance the quality of life in Pike County.
As we discussed the different organizations to support, someone noted that the Pike County Public Library has been closed, opened partially, then closed again, repeatedly during the last fifteen months of the Covid-19 pandemic. We explored how we could use technology to add to the community programming of the library, and an International Cooking Program was suggested. We would use Zoom to enable educators around the world to share their cuisines with local residents.
Pike County Public Library Director Rose Chiocchi and Program Coordinator Kristina Dorrough loved the idea. Based on a network of educators that we had developed through working with the online educational network iEARN (International Education and Resource Network, us.iearn.org), we began to seek out international volunteer cooks to participate in our program.
The fruits of our labor became six cooking sessions scheduled every two weeks that were available for free to the library’s community. We planned to present the onehour Zoom classes on Monday evenings at 7 p.m. This time, however, made it extremely difficult for countries in Europe, Africa, and Mediterranean areas to be involved since it equated to 12 midnight to 4 a.m. across those regions. We enlisted cooks from Pakistan, Taiwan, Argentina, China, Columbia, and Jamaica and linked kitchens globally with those in Pike County. Lists of ingredients and recipes were shared in advance of each session to enable participants to obtain the ingredients, which were mostly available in local grocery stores. In the case of the Pakistan session, we drove to a South Asian grocery store in Middletown, NY, for nigella seeds to distribute among our registered Zoom participants.
The first class, slated for January 11th with Pakistan, started with a nationwide power outage there, preventing our Pakistani cook from participating! In addition to providing a reality check on the technology issues faced by countries around the world, in true dramatic tradition, the show went on as Pike County residents worked together on the recipe, sharing video images of the completed dishes.
One interesting highlight of the virtual interaction was that we noticed that many of the families’ children were engaged in the kitchens—and in the case of Taiwan, they did much of the cooking and explained the dishes and procedures.
The six sessions were well-attended and very interactive with questions and comments made during the cooking. We all considered them to be highly successful. In the end, we cooked together, laughed, learned, and brought global interaction to Pike County.
The project was a true intergenerational, international, and intercultural experience. Our thanks to the international cooks and other participants. And thanks also to the sponsors of the project; Pike County Public Library (pcpl.org), Delaware Valley Action! (delawarevalleyaction.org), and Global Woods Consulting (globalwoods.org).
Chipa Guazú
Prepared by Catherine Ramoa, Argentina (4 servings)
Ingredients
• 3 cans whole kernel corn (15 oz. each) • 3 eggs • ½ lb sharp or mild coarsely shredded cheddar cheese • 1 lb sweet onions • 3 tbsp cooking oil • 3 tbsp milk
Instructions
• Open the cans of corn, rinse, drain and put in a bowl. • Chop onions and fry gently in oil until they are transparent (5 minutes more or less). • While the onions are cooking, blend or food process the corn until you have a coarse mixture. Add one whole egg to the mixture and blend a little bit more. • When the onions are ready, add to the mixture and blend a little. Add a second whole egg and blend in just a little. • Pour the mixture in a bowl. • At this point, pre-heat oven to 400 F. • Add the grated cheese, the third egg and fold in. • Add 3 tablespoons of cooking oil to the mixture and stir. • Spread or spray oil in a baking dish. • Pour the mix into the baking dish. • Add the 3 tablespoons of milk to coat the surface. • Bake for 40 minutes at 400 F. You will know that the Chipa Guazú is ready when it looks firm and golden.
Jerked Chicken with Wine Sauce
Prepared by Makeisha M. Robinson, Jamaica (Serves 2)
Jerk Marinade Ingredients
• 1 tbsp all-purpose seasoning • 1 tsp black pepper • 1 tsp cinnamon powder • 1 tsp nutmeg grated/powder • 4 cloves garlic • 4 stalks scallion • 1 small onion • 1 ounce fresh ginger • 1 sprig fresh thyme • 10 pimento seeds (or 2 tsp Allspice) • 1 scotch bonnet pepper, or jalapeño or habanero • 3 tbsp fresh lime juice • 1 tbsp soy sauce • ¼ cup vegetable oil
Instructions
• Make the jerk marinade using a food processor or blender to combine all ingredients above 3–24 hours in advance. • To marinade the chicken, place the pieces of uncooked boneless chicken breast or boneless thigh pieces (with skin or skinless) in a mixing bowl. (Use about 2-3 pieces per serving) • Pour jerk marinade mixture over the chicken in the bowl, cover and let rest in the refrigerator for 3–24 hours • Preheat a cast-iron or other skillet to medium-high heat. • Baste grill lightly with oil using pastry brush or basting spoon. Grill chicken until it is cooked through, turning occasionally (and reducing the temperature slightly if it’s turning brown too quickly) about 20 minutes
Wine Sauce Ingredients
• ½ cup tomato ketchup • 1 cup water • 3 tbsp red wine • 1 tbsp honey • 2 tbsp jerk seasoning (available at many grocery stores)
Instructions
• Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan and heat for 10 minutes. Pour over grilled chicken. Arepas Rellenas
Prepared by Jorge Baxter & Adriana Cepeda, Colombia (Serves 4)
Carne Desmechada (Shredded beef or barbacoa) Ingredients
• 2 lbs of beef chuck or other cut of beef that is good for stews. Chicken, pork, or lamb can also be used. • 6 cups of beef stock (You can use cubes or liquid cartons of stock, but I highly suggest you make your own beef stock which is pretty easy and even better. To make beef stock, see J. Kenji Lopez’s recipe. foragerchef.com/crock pot-stock-and-bone-broth.) • 1 bay leaf • 1/2 tbsp dry or fresh oregano • 1/2 tbsp cumin • 3 tsp smoked paprika or 2 tbsp chipotle adobo (optional) • 1 onion chopped in slices or quarters • fresh ground pepper • 1 tbsp Kosher salt
Instructions
• Sear beef in frying pan or the crock pot. This gives the beef more flavor. • Sear onion with cumin and paprika in frying pan or crock pot for about 3 minutes or until onion is soft and fragrant. • Place the seared beef in crockpot with 8 cups of beef broth, the onion, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. If you have chipotle adobe add 2 tablespoons. If you are in a rush you can put into pressure cooker on high for 45 minutes, but I suggest a slow cooker or other pot on low heat for 7-8 hours. • Measure 3 cups of the liquid used to cook the meat. Set aside. • Remove the beef from the pot, let it cool and shred with a fork or your hands.
Pickled Onions Ingredients
• 1/2 cup apple cider or white vinegar • 1 tablespoon sugar • 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt • 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced • 1 cup of water
Instructions
• Whisk first 3 ingredients and 1 cup water in a small bowl until sugar and salt dissolve. Place onion in a jar; pour vinegar mixture over. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour. • DO AHEAD of time, if possible: Can be made even 2 weeks ahead. Cover and chill. Drain onions before using.
Hogao (Colombian Tomato Sauce)
Ingredients
• 3 tbsp olive oil • 1 cup chopped green onions (scallions) • 2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes • 1 or 2 cloves garlic, minced • 1 tsp ground cumin • 1 tsp salt • 1 tsp ground pepper • 1 15 oz can crushed tomatoes • ½-1 cup of broth from slow-cooked beef
Instructions
• Heat the oil in a skillet, add the tomatoes, (fresh and canned), green onion, garlic, cumin and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring until just soft. • Reduce heat to low, add salt and 1/2 cup of beef broth and cook for 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally until sauce has thickened. Adjust seasoning. • Add the shredded beef, and 1 cup of beef liquid. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add additional broth if needed to keep the mix very moist but not too soupy. While the hogao and beef are cooking, prepare the arepas.
Arepas (for 8 arepas)
Ingredients
• 2 cups warm water • 2 cups pre-cooked white corn flour (such as P.A.N.® or other brands. You will find it in the Hispanic, Latin or international section of many supermarkets.) • 1 tbsp olive oil • 1 tsp salt, or to taste • 2 tbsp olive oil for cooking
Instructions
• Place the two cups corn flour in a bowl and add the warm water, salt, and olive oil. • Stir until water is incorporated. Let stand until enough water is absorbed for a soft dough to form, 1 to 2 minutes (dough will continue to stiffen). The dough is ready when it pulls away from the sides of the bowl and doesn’t stick to your fingers. • Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces and form 8 balls. • Flatten each ball into a patty approximately half inch thick and 3 or 4 inches round. Pay attention to the edges so as to not leave cracks. Smooth them with your fingers if necessary. • Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. When it is sizzling, place a batch of patties in and cook the arepas, flipping once, until golden brown in color, 5-7 minutes on each side. • While the arepas are cooking, prepare the Colombian Creole Chili Sauce called Ají.
Aji (Colombian Creole Chili Sauce)
Ingredients
• 1 bunch (4-5) spring onion (scallions) • 1/4 cup chopped coriander (cilantro) • 1 tbsp chili small, dry ground chili pepper • ½ cup water • 2 tsp vinegar • Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
• Finely chop onion, cilantro, and chili peppers. • In a bowl, mix all ingredients and add salt and pepper to taste.
Assembling Arepas Rellenas
• Put arepa on plate, add shredded beef mixed with hogao, then add aji (chile sauce), and pickled onions. Add additional garnishes if you desire such as bacon bits, salty cheese, chopped cucumber, cilantro, or a twist of lime juice. If using guacamole, add first before adding other ingredients. • Enjoy!
Dahi Bhindi Prepared by Farah Kamal, Pakistan
Ingredients
• 1 lb okra • 200 grams yogurt • 1 tsp curry powder • ginger and garlic paste • 1/2 tsp turmeric paste or powder, whichever is available • 1/4 tsp nigella seeds • ½ tsp smokey paprika • salt to taste • cooking oil
Instructions
• Wash the okra, cut off the top and then slit it lengthwise, leaving it attached from top. • In a shallow pan, heat the oil. • On medium flame, add the nigella seeds. It will splutter; immediately add the curry powder, ginger, garlic, turmeric, salt. Stir fry for 2–3 minutes • Beat the yogurt, and add it and the okra to the saucepan. • Cover the saucepan and cook for 8–10 minutes. • Finish off by sprinkling it with the smokey paprika. • Dish out and serve as a side with meat or as a main course with any staple such as garlic bread, pita, or rice.
Two Traditional Taiwanese Dishes
Braised Pork Ribs (Serves 4 as a side dish)
Ingredients
• ribs (or pork belly) 600 grams (about 1.5 pounds) • rice wine 50 cc (about ¼ cup) • rice vinegar 100 cc (about 4/10 of a cup) • white sugar 3 tbsp • soy sauce 200 cc (about 8/10 of a cup) • water 250 cc (about 1 cup)
Instructions
• Cut the ribs between the bones to have individual ribs. • Mix ingredients to make the sauce. • Blanch the ribs for 3 minutes. Then wash the blanched ribs. • Put the ribs in a pan oiled with sesame oil and mix the sauce with the ribs. • Bring the ribs to a boil the ribs with high heat. Then turn the heat down. • Cook the ribs on low heat for 40 minutes. Stirring occasionally so the ribs and sauce mix well. Fried Eggs with Spring Onions (2–4 Servings)
Ingredients
• 4 eggs • 2 spring onions (scallions), chopped • salt or soy sauce (to taste)
Instructions
• Mix the chopped spring onions with beaten eggs. Add salt or soy sauce. • Add cooking oil and heat the pan. • Shallow-fry the eggs until they are half done. Flip the eggs over until they are well done
Pigasso Shiloh & Alina
Norman
It’s About Our Future
Tamerlaine Sanctuary & Preserve
S
eeing Bubblegum, a healthy goat happily feeding at Tamerlaine’s hay trough, one could only guess about the redemptive story behind his journey to the sanctuary.
Along with twenty other goats, Bubblegum was rescued by the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) from a farm in Massachusetts. It was one of the worst abuse cases that the ASPCA had ever seen in the Northeast.
A baby when he arrived, Bubblegum was emaciated and had anemia among other health challenges. He was so sick that the veterinarian didn’t think he would survive. But through the attentive vigilance of Tamerlaine’s caregivers, Bubblegum was brought back to health, and he flourishes along with the other animals at the sanctuary.
Two hundred rescued farm animals, including chickens, goats, geese, pigs, ducks, horses, cows, and peacocks, all recovering from abusive situations, are being fed and cared for at this sanctuary located on Clove Road in Montague Township, NJ. Co-founded by Gabrielle “Gabby” Stubbert and her husband Peter Nussbaum in 2013, Tamerlaine started when they adopted two roosters, Yuri and Jupiter, who soon became part of the family. “I’m all about the animals,” Peter said. “Helping and rescuing abused and neglected farm animals. The ethics of animal agriculture got me into it.”
Initially, Peter and Gabby operated the sanctuary on a fortyacre parcel of land they had acquired in the early 2000s as a weekend retreat from their busy lives in New York City and as a way to be close to relatives in NJ.
Gabby grew a large garden and began producing batches of hot sauce from the abundant tomatoes and peppers, selling it to raise funds for their rescue efforts. Having previously become vegans, their connection to the land grew, and they developed relationships with the animals. This reinforced their commitment to leading cruelty-free lives, dedicated to showing and sharing the overwhelming need for compassion toward the billions of animals decimated by factory farming.
When Peter and Gabby adopted Jupiter and Yuri, they learned that roosters are the most disposable animals on farms. But as the birds became acclimated to their family, they saw that chickens had social needs.
some of them don’t want anything but to be with you,” Gabby said.
In 2016, Westfall Farm, a neighboring property of three hundred and thirty-six acres, became available. Established in 1774, the site has historic significance and was held by the same family until the 1940s when it was purchased by Charles G. Mortimer, the CEO of General Foods Corporation. Barns and farm buildings surround a colonial-era home in fine condition. Breathtaking views of the fields and meadows, wetlands and woods reveal the stunning beauty of this location and make it the perfect place for a sanctuary and preserve.
After six months of writing grant proposals to a foundation that supports animal sanctuaries, Tamerlaine was able to purchase the land. Having established non-profit status and a board of directors, the sanctuary maintains a staff of twelve employees to care for the animals. Veterinarians specializing in the health of farm animals make regular visits.
Along with their passion for animal activism, Gabby and Peter are expanding their mission to include preserving the environment for the animals. They are offering their vision to the surrounding community and for future generations through humane education programs for families, children, students, and other visitors.
From saving animals to conserving the land, projects are underway for the public to come and experience a connection with nature. In support of habitat restoration, a monarch butterfly pavilion is being constructed; native plant species including milkweed are being reintroduced to support insect pollinators. Hiking trails through the varied landscape, as well as camp and picnic sites, are planned.
One of the barns is being converted into offices and a hospital care unit for the animals. A gift shop that sells Gabby’s hot sauces and a visitors’ center are underway. Tamerlaine plans to host events, conferences, and retreats, including eco weddings where guests will have the opportunity to partake in the fine delicacies of vegan cuisine.
Tamerlaine is usually open on the weekends. But during the coronavirus pandemic, physical tours of the site have been suspended. So Tamerlaine is holding live virtual tours on their Facebook page at 1 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Online visitors including children can meet the animals and learn their names and stories. Other tours will highlight the work on the care facilities and expansion efforts.
In efforts to engage with the local community and beyond, the sanctuary plans to host music concerts, art shows, photo shoots, and cultural activities once the pandemic is over.
To this end, Tamerlaine hired Eliza Hubbell as education coordinator to develop outreach and foster awareness of the sanctuary and preserve. “There is no such thing as conservation and preservation without education,” she said. Guided by science and the best practices it provides, Eliza sees Tamerlaine as the perfect place to educate people about the circle of life. Along these lines, Gabby pointed out, “All of the ducks that are here currently came from school hatching projects that were dumped in local ponds.”
Cashew
Mr. Marni & Dottie
Fred
Giving Voice
The Journal: Could you share more about the animals? Gabby: We want a healthy animal population that gets lots of attention. Our animals are much socialized. People remark that our animals are so friendly. We hang out with them every day, so even the timid ones eventually come around.
The Journal: Do you network with other sanctuaries and organizations? Gabby: Yes. We would do rescues that place animals in other sanctuaries. We took four roosters that St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center rescued from a cockfighting ring. Last summer, we worked with the Sussex County, NJ, Prosecutor’s Office and the Department of Agriculture to rescue eleven baby pigs from the most deplorable situation. We were able to home nine of them at wonderful sanctuaries across the north and southeast.
The Journal: How did you choose Tamerlaine as the name of the sanctuary? Gabby: I had a beloved cat named Oscar Tamerlaine, the Magnificent, and his name became the inspiration. The Journal: Could you speak about the tours?
Peter: People meet the animals and hear their rescue stories. I explain the plight of factory-farmed animals in relation to the animals that have been lucky enough to find their way here. The fact that people have schlepped up to Sussex County tells me that the visitors are every bit as passionate about animals as I am. We’re not judging people; the sanctuary is not just for vegans to come and pet animals. Everyone is welcome here. Nothing is more rewarding to me than to watch people make the connection and interact with the animals. Every animal has a story.
The Journal: What value and opportunities are you bringing to the community? Gabby: The property itself is beautiful. So, coming to visit is a value in itself. Second, people experience the restorative qualities of spending time with these rescued animals that have come from horrible situations. The animals have learned to forgive and forget and are still trusting of humans, coming up to us and giving us attention. It’s really touching, and people are moved by that. It’s very therapeutic.
Tamerlaine’s mission for the animals has expanded to include the whole site, the meadows and plants, and even to the visitors and beyond. It’s about our future on this planet, and what we can do individually. Our motto is to tread lightly on the earth and to never give up. .............................................................................................. To learn more, visit www.tamerlainefarm.org
Michael Hartnett is an artist and writer living in Dingmans Ferry, PA. He is the author of the nature fantasy novel Tales of Allamucha.
Oats & Cash
Updates from the Sanctuary
The Life Article on pages 24 to 28 was originally featured in our April 2020 online issue.The following is a post-pandemic update from Gabby and Peter.
This year has already been a huge year for Tamerlaine Sanctuary & Preserve. From January to March, we rescued so many mothers and babies. It is our joy to know these precious little ones will be able to stay with their families and know love and care for the rest of their lives.
In February of 2021, we became the only animal sanctuary and rescue in New Jersey accredited by the GFAS (Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries). Accreditation signifies that Tamerlaine Animal Sanctuary & Preserve meets GFAS’s rigorous and peer-reviewed animal care standards, which are confirmed by a comprehensive site visit. Accreditation also signifies adherence to standards addressing the sustainability of the organization, ethical principles, finances, staffing, education outreach, security and safety, and other operational aspects. The accreditation status provides a clear and trusted means for the public, donors, and grantors to recognize Tamerlaine Sanctuary as an exceptional organization.
This year, we will break ground on our 21-acre Monarch Butterfly & Native Pollinator Conservancy. A one-acre landscaped garden will be the hub of our education center, where we will teach people about the importance of growing native plants in our gardens to support the pollinators that we depend on for our food systems. The garden will be open to the public in the fall of 2022.
We are so excited to announce that we are finally re-opening for public tours on June 5th, Saturdays and Sundays at 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. You can register for tours at tamerlaine.org/tours. We are also bringing back two of our largest events. It brings us so much joy to be able to see all of our friends and supporters back at the sanctuary.
The first returning event is our annual gala, “A Midsummer Night’s Gala,” on Saturday, July 24th, from 6 to 10 p.m. The gala this year will be unique as it will take place throughout the central area of the sanctuary. Not only will you be able to wander the grounds, spending time with the animals, but you will also be able to immerse yourself in the breathtaking scenery.
We will have lavish buffets and curated cocktails located in the most enchanted areas of the property. Live music and performances will take place throughout the evening, which will culminate with our awards ceremony and auction. Dancing and bonfires will follow in our event barn as well as under the stars. Extravagant dress is encouraged; however, shoes should be a wedge or a flat as we will be on grass! For information and tickets for the gala, visit our website.
In the fall, our largest annual celebration, “Flocktoberfest,” will take place on Saturday, September 25th, from 1 to 5 pm. This is a family friendly event, and there will be special discount tickets for local residents.
..................................................................................... Check out all of our events at tamerlaine.org/events.
-Dr. David Leach, Rhododendrons of the World
In Praise of the Rhododendron
The Secret Garden of Richard Ziadie
“The Rhodora, on being asked, whence is the flower.”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1834
In late March of 2006, I had the exhilarating experience of flying to Kathmandu, Nepal, to begin a tenday trek into the Himalayas. As my history teacher colleagues from Blair Academy and I were making our ascent, I was dazzled by forests of native rhododendrons that covered the mountain sides all the way to 13,000 feet, before stopping at the krummholtz, an alpine transition zone too cold for trees and plants.
This was a natural phenomenon that I never imagined existed—some of the highest mountains in the world covered with literally forests of rhododendrons, many as tall as fifty feet. I was used to our mountains in the U.S. and to those in Europe that are covered with forests of spruce, fir, hemlocks, and pines. I certainly understood why the national flower of Nepal is the rhododendron (or “rhody” for short). It’s even on the national flag.
Back in the states, whenever I traveled through eastern Pennsylvania, especially on Route 6 on my trips to Hawley, I would always think of those sights in Nepal as I took in the wonderful spring display of Pennsylvania rhododendrons.
This past May, I found myself once again in awe of this extraordinary flowering shrub. I was invited to take a walking tour of the “secret gardens” of Richard Ziadie in the hills of rural northern New Jersey. Dazzled once again...indeed!
Richard, a former professional commercial baker and candy maker for over forty years, discovered a passion that would shape his life forever. Long ago, he came across an article in Fine Gardening magazine, which was started in 1988 out of Newtown, CT. It was an instant inspiration, and he knew he had to begin gardening with rhododendrons as showpieces.
Richard began searching for land that would be conducive to growing these plants. After some close calls and disappointments, he found his present location situated on 2.2 acres and in 1990 built his home there. The landscaping of his dreams would take twenty-one years, with the design implemented by bulldozers and hard manual labor, to generate fifteen-degree angled terraces at nine different levels, all the while fashioning meandering paths through the terraces that created a magical mystery tour.
Like true collectors, for Richard, the thrill was often in the hunt...the search for the Holy Grail—slowly but surely, finding new and rare cultivars and hybrids to add to an ever growing garden splendor.
The name rhododendron comes from an ancient Greek word meaning “rose tree.” It is a large genus of 1,024 species of woody plants in the heath family (Ericaceae). They grow in all sizes and shapes from low-growing ground covers (3–6 inches) to tree forms up to 60 feet! Rhodys are widespread around the world now, mostly in Asia, the Pacific Northwest, and the northeastern US, especially throughout the Appalachian range. In addition, Europe, Russia, even Greenland and Australia have specimens. But the greatest species diversity is in the Sino-Himalaya region, Korea, Japan, and Taiwan. Many horticultural historians feel that Nepal and parts of Tibet were “ground zero” for the first rhododendrons.
Word of this spectacular plant in Asia eventually spread, and by the early 1800s, wealthy landowners financed plant explorers to travel there to bring back collected rhody seeds. During this time, purposeful hybridizing began to create new colors and forms. A member of a famous banking family, Lionel de Rothschild (1882–1942), possibly bred and promoted more rhodys than any other person. After a while, he established the famous Exbury Gardens in England, continuing to finance plant “hunters” to go around the world in search of new and rare flowering forms.
Today, Richard has a diverse collection from all corners of the world. Many species and the ever expanding hybrids are now grown commercially in the nursery trade, and according to the Royal Horticultural Society, there are over 28,000 cultivars that have been developed over the years. Collectors are always eager to find these “rare birds.”
Richard is no exception and has delighted in acquiring hard-to-get rare cultivars and hybrids. Many have exotic titles, and as I walked with him, he pointed out some by name. I saw Haag’s Great Smoky, which came from the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, an absolute stunning flower and probably one of my favorites in his entire collection of approximately 400 rhodys. There was the Canadian variety, Vinecrest, a yellow, hardy to minus 20 degrees below zero; the Taj Mahal, a cultivar from the Drexter estate in Massachusetts; also a rare yellow rhody called Phipps Yellow, which was “hidden” for years on a Long Island estate, only discovered after the owner died. He pointed out his favorite, Calsap, which was developed in Michigan. It is a stirring variety of pure white flowers with a contrasting deep red center.
As we toured the garden, Richard offered encyclopedic information about virtually all the plants there. In addition to the rhodys, he also grows 20 Japanese maples, 20 magnolias, 20 Japanese tree peonies, and 20 Korean kousa dogwoods. Oh, and I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the 350 azaleas, which are a member of the rhododendron family.
To go along with all of this horticultural splendor, Richard spoke in detail about some of the great growers such as Hans Hachman and the late Dr. David Leach, perhaps the most famous rhododendron grower in the country (author of the seminal book, Rhododendrons of the World), who has registered more than 80 hybrids.
Now that his garden landscape is complete, Richard sets about on maintenance, occasionally fertilizing to set new buds for the next growing season, while maintaining a favored PH of 4.5–5.5. He is still an active member of the American Rhododendron Society. Our tour was coming to an end, but it was hard to want to leave. Richard’s design of the garden had a spiritual feel to it, complete with soft flute music playing in the distance. It was breathtaking to see so many rhodys in bloom, making for a visual masterpiece. On thanking him, I could feel his passion, energy, and deep spirit of nature. The philosopher Voltaire said famously, “Go...and create your own garden.” Richard Ziadie did just that... and then some. Bravo! .......................................................................................... Martin Schmalenberg is a retired Asian Studies teacher who now spends his time with his bonsai, guitars, and two cats.
