4 minute read
Inside Essex
Tap Dancing Around the World
Hillary-Marie, co-owner of Grooves Unlimited Dance Studio in Livingston, which focuses on Tap and Hip hop only, is a touring Tap Dancer who has been dancing since the age of 5. She gets invited to tap dance all over the world and has danced in places like Guatemala, Columbia, Honduras, Paris, Sweden, Germany, Madrid and Taiwan, to name a few. Next, she will be dancing in Boston, where she will be teaching a few classes, and then in the UK, where she will be performing in a few concerts. She says Tap is a percussive dance form that is musical and physical. She also says that tap is an oral tradition that is passed down and that she learned it from her mentor, is teaching it to her students, and hopes that one day they pass it down to someone else.
North Caldwell Resident Bikes for Stroke and Aphasia Awareness
Emily Talkow of North Caldwell had an unusual summer. She biked from Oregon to Massachusetts, sometimes riding for 50 to 100 miles in a day. She did this to raise awareness for Strokes and Aphasia. She was originally going to ride with her grandfather, a stroke survivor, who has done rides like this three times, but unfortunately, he could not make the trip. Instead, she rode with an “inspirational group” of two stroke survivors, one person with a traumatic brain injury, a care partner for one of the riders, and another intern like herself. They held over 15 awareness raising events and camped at night. She says the trip had a profound effect on her and that she hopes to continue to bring awareness to Strokes and Aphasia.
Former Deli Owners Share ‘Stories and Recipes’
Jeanne and Robert Johannsen, of North Caldwell, who owned the Watchung Deli in Montclair for 36 years, which opened in 1927, have written a book called Watchung Delicatessen – Stories and Recipes, which is sold exclusively at the Watchung Bookstore in Montclair. Aside from sharing some of their popular recipes, the book also offers a glimpse into their lives and their parents’ lives as deli owners. After selling the deli a few years ago, it closed soon afterward. The pair say they felt sad that their recipes were no longer being enjoyed by the public. This gave them the idea to write the book as a labor of love to their former customers. Robert says that people were always asking for recipes when the deli was open, but that he couldn’t share them. He says now is the perfect time to pass them on to fans of the deli.
A Love of Trains
John Levai of Montclair has a love of riding and photographing trains. He writes about them as well. One particular article about oldfashioned NJT electric railcars will be appearing in the magazine, Passenger Train Journal. He says he loves the colors, sounds, speed, and rhythm of trains. He also says, “Riding a train is like getting some personal freedom. I don’t have to drive. I can look at the beautiful and wonderful scenery.” His favorite train is the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner, which runs from San Luis Obispo to San Diego, two cities in California on the majestic Pacific Ocean.
Lisa Taitt Stevenson of West Orange hosts a podcast called, #ichooseme,” which is about “choosing yourself.” She explains that women are always busy doing things for other people and don’t often take the time to do things for themselves. She adds that when her daughters were younger and “choosing their boyfriends first” she would say, “while you are choosing your boyfriend and he’s choosing himself, who is choosing you?” She has guests on to discuss what choosing themselves looks like, and how to say you “won’t do something, instead of saying you can’t do something, so as to put up boundaries and set limits.” She says habits are hard to break and the podcast helps her to remember she has permission to choose herself. Aside from this podcast, she also hosts one called, Let’s Talk Relationship Not Religion, and has written nine books.
Job Haines Home Celebrates 125 Years
The staff, board of trustees, residents’ family members, medical professionals, local businesspeople and community dignitaries, and other guests came together recently to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the Job Haines Home at Nanina’s in the Park in Belleville. The gala included a retrospective of the organization’s history of providing superior assisted living, long-term nursing care, respite care and subacute rehabilitation services. The celebration also included dinner and an evening of live music. Several honorees received awards in recognition of their years of service to Job Haines Home and its residents, and the organization received a resolution from the New Jersey General Assembly. President/ Executive Director Noreen E. Haveron (far left in photo), Marketing Director Reineen Dohman (2nd from left), Administrator David Repoli (far right), and board Chair John Redmond (not shown) spoke. Also pictured (left-right): Arthur Onofre, Jean Dacres, Michelle Capistrano, Suthipan Haustein, Matilda Larios, Evelyne Lemy, Donna McAllister, and Jisah Romero.
Job Haines Home
250 Bloomfield Avenue, Bloomfield | 973-743-0792 | www.job-haines.org
