Morris/Essex Buzz

{ BUZZ } OUR GUIDE TO NEW IDEAS, TIPS, TRENDS AND THINGS WE LOVE IN OUR COUNTIES.

You’re not alone if you’ve been storing cleaners and other chemicals under the sink or in the garage that you no longer need but can’t put out with the regular garbage pickups. But there’s something you can do about it. Both of our counties have municipal hazardous waste collection programs. The Morris County Municipal Utilities Authority asks residents (no businesses, please!) to bring their hazardous waste materials to drop-off events at Morris County Public Safety Training Academy in Parsippany June 11 or Sept. 24 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Residents must show proof of address. The Essex County Household Hazardous Waste Collection was just held in May, but stay tuned for another one likely in October.

The lists below reveal things you may—and may not—bring: Acceptable: Aerosol cans, antifreeze, blacktop sealant, bug spray, disinfectants, drain cleaners, fertilizer, fire extinguishers, fluorescent light bulbs, gasoline, insecticides, kerosene, paints and varnishes, pesticides, propane gas cylinders (1- and 20-lb. only), thermostats, thermometers, used motor oil and filters. Unacceptable: Empty or hardened paint cans, alkaline batteries, unlabeled waste or containers with unknown contents, medical waste and sharps, radioactive materials, explosives, compressed cylinders (oxygen or acetylene), computers, electronics, smoke detectors, construction debris, tires.

For a complete list and more details, visit mcmua.com (Morris) and ecuanj.com (Essex).

WATCH THEM LIGHT UP THE SKY

What’s on the agenda for July 4th weekend? Towns in Morris and Essex counties are planning fireworks, parades and concerts to celebrate Independence Day. A sampling: • Cedar Grove fireworks display June 30, 7 p.m. at Panther Park • East Hanover “4th of July” fireworks July 2, with food vendors, music and fireworks starting at 8 p.m. at Lurker Park • Lake Hopatcong fireworks July 1 at 9:30 p.m. at Lake Hopatcong Yacht Club • Livingston Independence Day celebration July 4, which includes AutoFest, an opening ceremony, the Mountain Jam Band performance at 7:45 p.m., followed by the fireworks spectacular at 9:15 p.m., all at Memorial Oval on Robert Harp Drive. • Mendham celebration July 1, featuring live music, giveaways, food trucks, arts and crafts and a fireworks show starting at 6:30 p.m. at Mosle Field • Parsippany concert and fireworks display July 4, beginning at 6 p.m. at Parsippany Hills High School • Randolph Township Freedom Festival from June 30 to July 2, featuring a parade and fireworks July 2 starting at 6 p.m. at County College of Morris

WHERE THERE’S A GRILL, THERE’S A WAY

For Father’s Day on June 19 or simply the first summerlike days, this month gives outdoor cooks their cue to ’cue. But are your backyard barbecue and its accoutrements in tiptop shape? If not, these businesses can help: If you need repair or maintenance…try Gilenson, the Gas Grill Experts. These pros will make your grill look and cook like new. And if it needs a part, they can help you find it.

• 591 S. Livingston Ave., Livingston, 973.994.4004; gasgrillexpertsnj.com If you need accessories…try Harquail Brothers. This store specializes in grills and outdoor kitchens and sells accessories (and does in-house repairs) for both. These guys even sell flavor chips for your smoker to give your meat a richer taste.

• 324 Springfield Ave., Summit, 908.273.2858; harquailbrothers.com If you need propane…try Modern Propane. If you don’t mind making the trek up to Bergen County, the folks here can help you find the perfect grill for your needs and budget. Otherwise, they’ll deliver propane tanks to your door so you won’t run out of gas right before that July 4 cookout.

• 199 Rte. 46, Lodi, 973.778.0812; modernpropane.com

Few things are as much fun as heading to a live show in summertime, and our local theaters and arts centers are back in full swing after two summers of uncertainty. These independent venues have full slates of programming in June and July, just as you’ll need an air-conditioning respite from that dreaded humidity. Here are a few live shows worth checking out. (Be sure to check with the venues as showtimes approach, because details are subject to change, as always.) • June 1–June 26, Sister Act. There’s no Whoopi Goldberg in this theater version of Sister Act, based on the 1992 film. But audiences at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn will enjoy the Tony-winning musical written by Broadway great Alan Menken, along with the heartwarming plot. Ticketing and more info: papermill.org • June 17–June 18, Fiddler on the Roof. “Sunrise, sunset, swiftly fly the years.” Don’t miss a chance to make new family memories when this classic makes a twonight stop on the Mainstage at the Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown, bringing the heartwarming tale of fathers, daughters and family dynamics to life. Ticketing and more info: mayoarts.org/shows/ fiddler-on-the-roof • June 29–July 31, Much Ado About Nothing. Shakespeare’s five-act comedy will take the Outdoor Stage at The Shakespeare Theater of New Jersey in Madison for a month-long run (sure, this one isn’t air-conditioned, but worth it for the ambience alone). All shows take place at Saint Elizabeth University in Florham Park. Ticketing and more info: shakespearenj.org • July 9, Patton Oswalt Live. Prefer comedy to musicals? King of Queens actor and stand-up star Patton Oswalt brings his Who’s Ready to Laugh? tour to the Wellmont Theater in Montclair. Watch his 2020 lauded Netflix stand-up special, “I Love Everything,” to pregame for the evening, and bring tissues, as you may laugh so hard you’ll cry. Ticketing and more infor: 973.783.9500 or wellmonttheater.com • July 15–July 24, In the Heights. Did you enjoy this show’s original run on Broadway, or last summer’s feature film? Now see In The Heights during its twoweek run at South Orange Performing Arts Center. The musical features salsa, rap and soul music written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, and it’s set across the river in the Washington Heights neighborhood during a humid summer. Timely, huh? Ticketing and more info: sopacnow. org/events/in-the-heights/ The trouble with National Eat Your Vegetables Day on June 17, of course, is that we have an equal need for nutritious veggies on the other 364 days—but never mind. Farmers’ market season is here, and our counties abound in places to pick up fresh veggies along with freshly baked bread, eggs, cheese, honey, nuts and more. (Look for your town in the market rundown below. Dates and times are subject to change; inquire with the town to confirm before you show up with your reusable bags eager to shop—and eat): • Boonton, Saturdays, 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Plane Street Lot • Chatham, Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Railroad Plaza South • Denville, Sundays, 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Bloomfield Avenue Lot • East Hanover, Mondays, 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Lurker Park • Madison, Thursdays, 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Dodge Field • Maplewood, Mondays, 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. at 1866 Springfield Ave. • Millburn, Tuesdays, 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Main and Essex streets • Montclair, Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Walnut Street Train Station • Morris Plains, Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 771 Speedwell Ave. • Morristown, Sundays, 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Spring and Morris streets, Lot 10 • Newark, Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 80 Park Pl. • Nutley, Sundays, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 537 Franklin Ave. • Riverdale, Tuesdays, 2:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Glenburn Estate

PUPPY LOVE

Dog: Ginger, 4-year-old shih tzu Owner: Sherrylynn Trotta and Lou Mattaliano of Chatham

This dog was “rescued,” not from a local shelter or puppy mill, but from Sherrylynn’s 89-year-old mother, who’d quickly learned that a 6-month-old puppy was a bit much to handle on her own.

Ginger and Sherrylynn have become the best of friends since she was officially “adopted” one Christmas Eve, and they go almost everywhere together. “When we’re out, everyone says, ‘Oh, she’s so cute,’” her owner says. “I respond, ‘What about me?’”

Ginger loves gnawing on soup bones and is convinced she’s a human, which could explain why she loves bath time and treks upstairs as soon as she hears the water running. “I tell everyone that Ginger is the best thing to happen to me at my age,” her owner says, “except for my two children and four grandchildren.”

Want to see your pet featured in the pages of Morris/Essex Health & Life? Send his or her pic and a few details to editor Rita Guarna at rita.guarna@wainscotmedia.com.

DID YOU KNOW? More than 141 million cards are sent for Mother’s Day in the U.S., according to the folks at Hallmark. But the holiday only ranks third on the list of top greeting card holidays. Christmas tops the list with 1.6 billion cards, followed by Valentine’s Day (151 million). DID YOU KNOW? Residents can learn about Morristown history using the “Morristown Walking Tour and Beyond” app. The free app includes a selfguided walking trail with audio and photos of 27 historic sites in Morristown, including Historic Speedwell, a National Historic Landmark.

CULINARY CORNER

We know our counties have diverse food options from various cuisines, but this trio of new restaurants—Italian, Japanese and American, respectively—gives the point a tasty new emphasis: Porta Pizza is a pinnacle pizza outpost in Asbury Park and Jersey City; now it’s officially opened its third Jersey location in Montclair. Porta, which means “doors” in Italian, has a casual vibe with food to match, from brick-oven pizza to craft cocktails and a great selection of wines. The rusticchic vibes are a deliberate part of its chill aesthetic. Porta just may be your new go-to post-work (or post-workout?) pizza spot.

• 499 Bloomfield Ave., Montclair, 973.358.9989; pizzaporta.com Who claims to have the “best omakase in New Jersey”? That’d be Umai Sushi and Steak House, which specializes in these “chef’s choice” sushi platters in various sizes, along with a plethora of other sashimi and special rolls. Not a sushi person? There are plenty of salads and apps (such as the edamame with white truffle salt or the deepfried soft-shell crab) to suit your tastes.

• 18 Grove Ave., Verona, 862.277.4125; Instagram: @umaisushi The name Agricola, the Latin word for farmer, hints that this restaurant is farm-totable, meaning it sources ingredients from local farms for its dishes. The Princeton location has been celebrated on the New Jersey dining scene; this new spot aims to bring that same star power to downtown Morristown. The menu changes seasonally but always features innovative dishes; for spring they included halibut with baby bok choy, duck rigatoni and prime short rib with carrot puree.

• 40 West Park Pl., Morristown; agricolaeatery.com

DON’T DRIVE DISTRACTED!

What do burgers, mascara wands and cell phones have in common? They’re three of the most frequent distractions when we’re behind the wheel, says a new study from Rowan University in Glassboro. In the research, engineering students drove some of New Jersey’s most treacherous roads—including the Garden State Parkway, I-80 and I-95—logging which distractions interfered with drivers’ attentiveness. The top culprits, in no particular order, were phones, fidgeting, personal grooming, eating or drinking, talking to a passenger, reaching for the radio or another object and driving drowsy. Researchers hope the study will help the Department of Transportation create a safer driving environment. But until that happens, keep your eyes on the road, folks!

KUDOS

We’ve heard of teachers using their own money to buy supplies for their students, but Jaleel Ritchwood goes above and beyond. He teaches special education at Marion P. Thomas Charter School, a Newark high school, and on an April episode of The Ellen Show he explained that he treats his students as if they were his own kids. That means buying them haircuts or shoes or anything else they need. Ritchwood also explained why he chose to go into special education: “I wanted to be an advocate for children with autism because they’re left out of a lot of things,” he told Ellen’s guest host, tWitch (Stephen Boss). He went home with a $10,000 check to help fund his efforts, his nonprofit and his mentorship program. • Another extraordinary Morris/Essex resident is Theresa Brown, R.N., an oncology and hospice nurse and breast-cancer survivor from Montclair who released her second book, Healing: When a Nurse Becomes a Patient. It describes the frustrations of being a cancer patient in America, the importance of advocating for oneself and the difficulty of navigating all the “red tape” in healthcare. Brown spoke about the book in April at Watchung Books in Montclair—pick up your copy there or wherever books are sold.

• Elsewhere in Montclair is Jai Agnish, a local journalistturned-musician who recently released his first of four singles this year titled “Free of This Disease.” But it’s not about COVID; instead, it chronicles his journey through addiction and recovery. This is the first new song Agnish has released since the early oughts. In between, he worked as a music journalist and reporter, created his own music label and ran an Indie fanzine. His next single, “Take Me Back There,” to be released in August, pays homage to his childhood in West Milford. You can download or stream Agnish’s music on Spotify or at jaiagnish.com.

WHAT’S BREWING?

Our counties are home to several craft breweries, but we say the more the merrier. The new kid on the block is Autodidact Beer, slated to open this fall in Morris Plains in the up-and-coming area that already boasts an Uncle Giuseppe’s, a Wegmans and Tommy’s Tavern. Audodidact Beer was founded by two friends with basically the same first name—Ron Cassel and Ronnie Scouten— who share a love of brewing, nature and community. They’ll specialize in saisons, hoppy ales and crisp lagers. Stay tuned for more details on their opening, but in the meantime, stop on by, give a “cheers” and say hi!

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