Pequannock November 2023 by Wainscot Media

Pequannock November 2023

& Pompton Plains

THE MAGIC OF

MARCO’S EMPORIUM

VETERANS: BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY A FAMILY’S

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NOVEMBER 2023

Contents

16 8

20 IN EVE RY ISSU E

Publisher’s Note A TIME TO GIVE THANKS

Around Town BITE-SIZED UPDATES

10 Q&A CHEERLEADING COACH TERRI HORGAN 26 Life Outdoors BASEBALL BROTHERHOOD 28 Local Tastes CONVENIENCE AT BRUNO’S F E AT U RES

12 16

32 Photo Op PAGE TURNER

The Magic of Marco’s Emporium

A newly renovated classic toy store offers a wide selection of gifts for the young and young at heart.

Scoring Life Goals

Pequannock Soccer Club has helped develop children and nurtured their love of soccer for 45 years.

20 Beyond the Call of Duty

Veterans at local American Legion posts continue to serve by supporting the community—and each other.

O N T HE COVER

Pequannock Soccer Club players include (from left) Aubrey Clark and Kacy Cook. PHOTOGRAPH BY ED LEONARD

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PUBLISHER’S NOTE

A Time to Give Thanks

PHOTOGRAPH BY DAN PICCOLI

Horgan as she finishes her last year coaching the Pequannock Township High School cheerleaders. We celebrate, thank and honor our veterans and local American Legion and VFW organizations in our community. Learn more about traveling soccer—such a wonderful game of skill and teamwork that is so very loved in our community. I know how much we enjoyed watching my son develop and grow as we traveled as a family to see him play. He still plays in an adult league and gained lifelong friendships from the game. ’Tis the season of gifting! It’s the perfect time to revisit Marco’s Emporium with your shopping list. Refreshed and newly stocked, it’s a must-see, magical experience for anyone young or old and a gift for all, conveniently located in the center of town. Lastly, we give thanks for our modern convenience store, Bruno’s. Who doesn’t love driving through for that last-minute ingredient or warm beverage as the weather gets cooler? Wishing you a blessed Thanksgiving. I’m looking forward to all that’s to come as we celebrate the holidays right into the New Year together. Be sure to like and follow us on social media and share your stories, ideas and photos via hello@pequannockmagazine .com. This publication is for and about you!

It’s November, a time for thanksgiving and gratitude. I’m especially excited and grateful to celebrate our sixth month of publication. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to and participated in making Pequannock & Pompton Plains Magazine a success. We could not do it without our local writers, photographers and, of course, our publisher, Wainscot Media, and its behind-the-scenes team of editors, designers and more. A special thanks to our fabulous advertisers, who offer their services and bring so much value to our community—we appreciate you! So many beautiful stories to share. This month we cheer on and celebrate Terri

Donna Fillweber

Pequannock & Pompton Plains MAGAZINE

Editor & Publisher Donna Fillweber Art Director Sue Park Copy Editor Nancy Fass Writers Danielle Clements Greg Dabice George King Angela Teta Kohle Dana Regan Debbie Walsh Photographers Antonietta Henry Ed Leonard Dan Piccoli WAINSCOT MEDIA Chairman Carroll V. Dowden President and CEO Mark Dowden VP, Group Publisher, Regional Thomas Flannery VP, Content Strategy Maria Regan Creative Director Kijoo Kim Advertising Services Director Jacquelynn Fischer Operations Director Catherine Rosario Production Designer Chris Ferrante Print Production Manager Fern Meshulam Advertising Production Associate Griff Dowden Pequannock & Pompton Plains Magazine is published by Wainscot Media. Serving residents of Pequannock Township, the magazine is distributed monthly via U.S. mail. Articles and advertisements contained herein do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher. Copyright 2023 by Wainscot Media LLC. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without written consent.

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WHAT’S NEW

Around Town SUPPORTING THE LOCAL COMMUNITY Shop and Drop is an event sponsored by the Pequannock High School Home and School Association to support the school’s scholarship fund. Saturday, December 2 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. PHOTOGRAPHS BY SANDY HOFF

LIGHTS OF

Hope Community Partners for Hope and the township ecumenical community present the annual community tree lighting at a Celebration of Hope and Light event!

Pequannock Township High School 85 Sunset Road, Pompton Plains Shop: from over 75 vendors. Drop: a variety of donated items such as: • Gently used coats for NJ Cares • Food for the Pequannock Food Pantry • Items for the Pequannock Animal Shelter • New toys and clothing that nurses from all five schools will distribute to approximately 88 local families in need for holiday gift giving. Enjoy the Holly Jolly Trolley Trot: Bring your friends, ride the trolley, and stop and shop local. Taste local flavors and receive free gifts and discounts at each stop. Register at www.thescribblegarden.com

The day will start with a parade of decorated vehicles at 4 p.m. Activities include a gingerbread cookie-decorating station, trackless train, a reading of the Christmas story, performances by singers and musicians from the high school, a Christmas ornament-decorating station, photo opportunities with Santa’s helpers, hot chocolate and lighted vehicles. The tree lighting ceremony will begin at approximately 5:30 p.m. In addition, donations of socks, gloves and hats for homeless people throughout Morris County will be collected. A quilt made by Quilting for a Cause will be raffled off for those who donate the above items. The event will be livestreamed. Check the Our Pequannock and Community Partners for Hope Facebook pages for more details. Date: Sunday, December 3 Location: Township Municipal Building parking lot

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Got a great image for Photo-Op?

Email your photo and a short description to Donna.Fillweber@pequannockmagazine.com

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Q &a

Cheers for Coach Horgan The leader of PTHS’s cheerleaders reflects on the squad’s athleticism and dedication. BY ANGELA TETA KOHLE

You’re a 1985 PTHS graduate—what’s it like to be a cheer coach in your hometown?

INTERVIEW WITH

TERRI HORGAN

It is Terri Horgan’s last year as the Pequannock

Township High School cheer coach, and her girls and all of PTHS will miss her. She reflects on what she calls “a great five years.”

Being cheer coach gives me a great sense of pride. These girls work hard, they’re committed and they’re great kids. If someone asks, I’m very happy to say, “Yeah, I’m their coach.”

How has cheer changed since you were in high school?

Do your cheerleaders take part in competitions?

What aspect has been the most rewarding?

I was a gymnast in high school, but my older sister and some of my friends were cheerleaders. Cheer today is very different than it was back then. The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association does not recognize cheer as a sport, but these girls are athletes.

Yes, we participate in five winter cheer competitions. The girls create a shorter routine for this, with the same components but much faster. They cheer for basketball and wrestling in the winter as well.

When did you start coaching cheer?

For me it has been the relationships I’ve built with the girls. I have really enjoyed watching them mature from goofy freshmen to confident seniors. Girls come back to visit and tell me they miss me, they miss cheer—and that it was the best part of high school for them.

Five years ago, right after my daughter Sarah graduated high school. She was a cheerleader at Pequannock Valley Middle School and PTHS, and was cheer captain her senior year. The previous cheer coach left the district, and girls told Sarah they were distraught because they were afraid they wouldn’t have a season. I stepped in, did some research, watched YouTube videos, listened to podcasts and learned a lot. The senior girls helped me a great deal.

Angela Teta Kohle, retired after 35 years of teaching, lives in Pequannock. She enjoys volunteering at her church, traveling, reading, baking, walking and working for the family business.

Cheerleading is so much more than standing on the sidelines rooting for players. They prepare a routine that requires tumbling, jumping, dancing and running, with components of difficult stunting such as building pyramids, throwing girls high in the air and catching them in a basket formation. Safely achieving desired results takes hours of conditioning and practice. We start practices in July, and the girls are very committed. They also attend cheer camp to receive intense training as a team and learn new skills to improve their routines. We put a lot of time into it.

There is a unique relationship between kids and their coaches, especially when they know we love them and are always there to support them. I hope my girls know that.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY ANGELA TETA KOHLE

Left: Coach Terri Horgan. Top: From left, front: Aliana Espinal, Emily Shearer, Arlenys Luciano and Sofia Emma; back: Valerie Cabrera, Julia Bonelli, Coleen Fahey, Coach Horgan, Madelyn Petruska, Avery Calhoun and Ava Zodda

It feels comfortable. When I walk into the gym, it still smells like it did in 1985, and that brings me comfort. Having had four children go through Pequannock schools, with my youngest son now a senior, I feel like I’m home.

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The Magic of Marco’s Emporium A newly renovated classic toy store offers a wide selection of gifts for the young and young at heart. BY DANIELLE CLEMENTS

There’s a scene in the classic movie “A Christmas Story,” set in 1940, in which children have their noses pressed up against the toy shop window, each vying for a chance to spot the latest and greatest toys and games. That same wistful tug on your heartstrings— born of nostalgia, innocence and joy—can be found when you cross the doorway into Marco’s Emporium, the beloved toy and gift shop in Pompton Plains. With their thoughtful mix of toys and fine gifts, the longtime proprietors clearly have a strong

sense of who they are, what feelings they want to evoke and, of course, what inventory patrons will value most. We had the opportunity to speak with John Piwowarski, manager and buyer, whose genuine love and fondness for the store is evident as he describes its recent renovation and the juxtaposition of classic sentiment with retro and modern offerings. “It’s an incredible shopping experience because there are not too many large, independent stores left in the state,” he says—”especially toy stores.”

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PHOTOGRAPHS BY ANTONIETTA HENRY

“I hear kids coming into the store for the first time and they’re so totally overwhelmed. You can hear it and see it. Their jaws drop.” - John Piwowarski

NOVEMBER 2023

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Marvels and Memories Piwowarski provided a historical snapshot of Marco’s rich legacy in town. The store was purchased by his in-laws, David and Marie Smith, in 1987. But the store has a long history preceding that purchase, including the consolidation of several stores: Marco’s Market; The Lantern Shop, which specialized in wedding favors; and Marco’s Playmart, a smaller toy store. Eventually the stores moved into one space and—because of the wide variety of offerings—was fittingly renamed Marco’s Emporium. Its unique intergenerational shopping makes Marco’s exceptional. Pequannock residents jest that people don’t feel the need to move away due to their community’s small-town appeal and beauty. In many families, several generations still enjoy living—and shopping—within town. Piwowarski fondly describes overhearing families visiting the store. “It feels like home, it’s warm, it’s welcoming. I hear kids talking while looking at the window displays: ‘Look at that! Look how cool!’” He muses that in this day and age of online shopping and superstores, most young kids have never been to a live, classic toy store. “I hear kids coming into the store for the first time and they’re so totally overwhelmed,” Piwowarski says. “You can hear it and see it. Their jaws drop.” For parents, the experience is a trip back to a seemingly more golden yesteryear that now can be shared, Piwowarski says. “They’re bringing either their young children or their grandkids in for the first time and telling them, ‘This is where I shopped when I was little.’”

Previous page: Toni Rago shops Marco’s to find a special little something for her granddaughter, Makayla. This page, top: John Piwowarski manages Marco’s ample inventory. Middle: Salesperson Jamie Whytock stocks festive shelves with holiday items. Bottom: Piwowarski with the store’s owners, Marie and David Smith.

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Shop Marco’s Emporium on the web at www.marcosemporium.com

marcosemporium 574 Newark Pompton Turnpike Pompton Plains, New Jersey 07440 973-835-3443

Something For Everyone Featured toy lines at Marco’s include current trends alongside long-loved classic brands such as Barbie, Hot Wheels, Matchbox, Lego, Melissa & Doug, FisherPrice and Breyer Horses. Notably, Marco’s holds the prestigious status of being a Gold Standard Lego toy store, carrying the newest and most exclusive sets and even offering on-site Lego building events. While toys are the store’s main focus, Marco’s also carries a wide variety of fine gift lines such as Stonewall Kitchen, Jim Shore’s Heartwood Creek, Willow Tree, Yankee Candle, Lenox and Waterford crystal. Marco’s even carries homemade Bromilow Chocolates for all your holiday

and sweet-tooth cravings. You can shop and find a perfect gift for every member of the family. Ongoing renovations are creating more space for beautifully lit showcases to feature merchandise and gift collectibles. The toy selection has been expanded, and an entire new aisle has been devoted to Lego given the new Gold Standard status. Piwowarski says the public’s reaction to the renovation has been overwhelmingly positive, with guests commenting on merchandise they didn’t realize the store carried or on the aesthetic enhancement of the already charming space. Marco’s has almost 100 Google reviews by shoppers smitten with the unique store and its old-fashioned charm. One Google

reviewer described it as “a snapshot in time of a true toy store.” Compliments flow to the staff, as does appreciation for the enormous selection of toys and gifts. Piwowarski recently commissioned a mural for the store—a piece of art that truly sums up all that Marco’s represents. It’s a scene from the timeless 1964 “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” TV special featuring the phrase, “A toy is never truly happy until it is loved by a child.” “Things go in and out of style, but there’s nothing like a classic toy store,” Piwowarski says. Take a stroll through the store; you’ll feel like a kid again. Pequannock resident Danielle Clements is a lucky wife, mom to two awesome boys, lover of dogs (especially her beloved Bowie) and a communications professional.

NOVEMBER 2023

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Pequannock’s Michael Anello aims a kick.

Scoring Life Goals Pequannock Soccer Club has helped develop children and nurtured their love of soccer for 45 years.

Established in 1978, Pequannock Soccer Club (PSC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering a professional, competitive, safe and positive soccer environment for youth players ages 5 to 16. The club focuses on player development while maintaining competitiveness. But the ultimate success of the program is judged not by the number of wins or losses but by the enthusiasm of the children to return for another year.

This enthusiasm stems from having fun, improving skills and maturing through teamwork, sportsmanship, commitment and self-confidence. The club strives to enable children to have fun playing soccer at the highest competitive level possible. Recognizing individual capabilities, the club provides training and competition for all skill levels. For players to reach their highest potential, the club emphasizes—in addition to

qualities such as sportsmanship and self-confidence—social development and leadership abilities. The club also supports life skills such as responsibility, teamwork, discipline, commitment and fair play. PSC’s commitment to developing skills and personal growth not only strengthens families and the community but also creates unforgettable life experiences centered around a passion for soccer.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY ED LEONARD

BY GREG DABICE

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Showcasing team spirit for the girls’ team are (from left) Alessandra Alazio, Kacy Cook, Aubrey Clark and Julia Anello.

NOVEMBER 2023

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Well-Rounded Experiences PSC offers two programs: mini soccer for ages 5 to 7 and travel soccer for ages 8 to 16. Mini soccer serves as an introduction to the travel program, with weekly training sessions and seasonal festivals. The travel program is a more intensive experience. Teams are formed by birth year and separated into girls’ and boys’ teams. Eight games are played each season, with practices during the week run by a professional trainer.

PSC puts kids first, so every child participates in every game regardless of a coach’s preference. Coaches are encouraged to develop all players, not just the better-skilled ones. While each team strives to be competitive, the focus is on player development. The program emphasizes players’ growth not only as athletes but also as teammates and friends. By absorbing PSC priorities like sportsmanship, teamwork, commitment and selfconfidence, players also learn how to

handle winning and losing with grace. Coaches play a crucial role in the kids-first philosophy and are great role models for children. Consistent with the club’s approach, priority is put on developing players’ skills, not just winning games. Coaches receive extensive training and support from professional trainers. With coach support, kids continue with the program—that ultimate measure of success—when they have fun, improve their skills and grow as individuals.

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Left: Pequannock players (in blue) Alessandra Alazio (left) and Julia Anello compete near the goal. Above: Working as a team to move the ball downfield are (in blue, from left) Nicholas Barahona, Michael Fusco and Anthony Zacek.

“Especially at the younger ages where we have multiple teams, it’s a great opportunity to find the right spot for a player on the right team.” - Pat Gilligan, Pequannock Soccer Club president

Community Impact Parents see firsthand the improvement in a child’s skills. But the program is not just about kids; parents become a part of the soccer community, too. The club depends on dedicated volunteers, and parent involvement has a great impact on children’s enjoyment of the game. The club encourages parents to emphasize players’ best performance and commitment to attending practices. The registration fee for the fall 2023/spring 2024 season of travel soccer is $500 per player. The cost covers professional training, registration, referee fees, equipment and administrative supplies. The uniform kit costs around $110. The club also offers additional training camps and participates in community events. “Especially at the younger ages where we have multiple teams, it’s a great opportunity to find the right spot for a player on the right team,” says club president Pat Gilligan of

what makes the program special. “The kids in our town get to play travel soccer at the right level for them, at a very reasonable price point.” The U12 boys’ team, coached by Mark Groninger, started four years ago playing seven vs. seven. Now in its second year of nine vs. nine, the team’s chemistry is extraordinary. The new girls’ team, coached by Ryan Clark, has performed exceptionally well in its first year. PSC recently hosted its 25th annual Fall Classic Tournament, featuring 110 games over two full days. Pequannock teams performed remarkably well, winning several age brackets. This tournament not only promotes Pequannock soccer but also showcases the entire township. More than just a soccer club, PSC is a family that nurtures love for soccer while focusing on developing the overall personality of each child. It’s a place where children learn, grow, have fun and, most importantly, foster a lifelong passion for a beautiful game.

Greg Dabice is a longtime active member of the Pequannock community. He is currently president of the Chamber of Commerce, vice chair of the Economic Development Committee and a member of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee.

NOVEMBER 2023

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PHOTOGRAPHS BY DAN PICCOLI

Top: Veterans who participate in local American Legion activities include (from left) Jerry DeBonte, Brian Farley, Chris Homberg, Jim Van Dyke and Robert McGreevy. Bottom: Van Dyke reminds citizens to dispose of old flags in the depository at the Legion post so they can be properly retired.

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Beyond the

CALL of DUTY Veterans at local American Legion posts continue to serve by supporting the community—and each other. BY GEORGE KING

On the first Tuesday of October,

Robert McGreevy sat at a table with his wife, Caryl, sounding like somebody who built the walls of American Legion Post 242 in Pompton Plains. Six days earlier and 1.8 miles to the south, Jim Bolte was finishing lunch in the late September sun at an outdoor table near the entrance of Post 450 in Pequannock, where he was joined by the post’s commander, Christina Emmetts, and Vietnam veteran Scooter Fairbanks, who runs the beverage side of things. Between McGreevy, 82 (Air Force), and Bolte, 74 (Navy), there are oceans of stories about where they served in the military and the pride they feel at being part of the American Legion community. “During the Vietnam era, this was the

place to come,” McGreevy says of Post 242’s building at 700 Newark-Pompton Turnpike. According to McGreevy, who is a former commander and the post’s adjutant, the building was built in 1897 and has housed Pequannock’s town hall, police department and jail. “We had corned beef dinners that fed 200 people,” he says. “It was a great time.’’ Bolte moved to Pequannock in 1973 and was Post 450’s commander for nine years. Since moving to Vernon in 2016, he doesn’t get to the post as often as before but has stayed wired to the place. “What it means to me is being part of an organization that does a lot for the town,” says Bolte, citing examples such as the post funding a scholarship, aiding families in need and providing holiday meals.

Each post also engages with the community through programs such as Boys State; Backpacks For Life, which serves homeless veterans; the Tunnel to Towers race; the local food pantry; Pequannock’s Memorial Day parade; and Memorial Day flag placements at veterans’ graves in the First Reformed Church’s cemetery. “I am passionate about helping veterans,” says Post 242 commander Jim Van Dyke, who was in the Air Force from 1981 to 1985 and was part of the Strategic Air Command based in South Dakota. He is in his first year as commander after replacing the late Lou Hebert and is assisted by building officer Chris Homberg, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

NOVEMBER 2023

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Supportive Sons In a particularly meaningful recent project, the generosity of an anonymous benefactor allowed graveside medallions and flags to be supported by larger stakes, replacing smaller ones that were not clearly visible to cemetery landscapers when cutting grass. “We repositioned all 780 flags,” says Post 242’s Andy Salzano, who served in Vietnam from 1970 to 1973. “The Morris County Legion gives us the flags.’’ Each post’s membership includes not only veterans who served in the military but also SAL members— Sons of American Legion. If your father or grandfather served in the U.S. military and was eligible for American Legion membership, you also are eligible to join. With Legion membership down, SAL provides a lifeline. “Eighteen years ago, when I took over as the commander, we had approximately 300 members,” Bolte says. “Right now, we have approximately 100. If it were not for SAL, almost all Legions would close.’’ Ron Denequalo, Post 242’s SAL commander, says SAL members have kept the post alive. “In this town, younger veterans are not as involved,” says Denequalo, who has 20-plus SAL members. Post 450 SAL commander Sean Callaghan says his post has around 45 members. “It’s a fun place to be involved,” he says. “It is an homage to both my grandfathers.”

American Legion Post 242 (top), where (center) Chris Homberg holds a plaque honoring the post’s commanders. Bottom: Local American Legion leaders include (from left) Chris Homberg, Ron Denequolo, Bill Braga, Jim Van Dyke and Robert McGreevy.

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LEGION AND VFW:

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE? Connecting Vets For some, the Legion provides a place to converse with fellow veterans. “It gives me a place to go and deal with military guys,” says Ed Snook of Post 242, who served in the military from 1975 to 1995. Emmetts, who became Post 450’s commander this year, replacing Dennis Porpora, spent 21 years in the Marine Corps and is the former Butler American Legion commander and Morris County vice chairman. Like Snook, Emmetts enjoys the military banter. “I like being around everybody, socializing with veterans as well as helping the

community,” says Emmetts, who collaborates with adjutant Russel Weisse. Stories abound. For example, when McGreevy boarded a plane with Air Force papers for Vietnam in 1965, the plane landed in Alaska. His assignment changed while he was in the air. “I was told I was out of uniform,” says McGreevy, who spent almost four years in Anchorage. Now sitting at a Post 242 table, McGreevy, a former Pequannock police officer, is no longer in any uniform. But he—along with fellow Legion members like Bolte—is in his element.

The American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) organizations have similar but not identical eligibility criteria.

VFW • Current service in the U.S. armed forces or an honorable or general (under honorable conditions) discharge • Service in a war, campaign or expedition on foreign soil or in hostile waters. The VFW also has an auxiliary open to family members of service personnel, including spouses, children and grandchildren.

AMERICAN LEGION • Current active duty in the U.S. armed forces or service at some point after December 7, 1941, with honorable discharge • Sons of American Legion eligibility by virtue of having a parent or grandparent who served in the military

George King has lived in Pequannock for 62 years. He covered Major League Baseball for 34 years, including the Phillies for the Trenton Times and the Yankees for the New York Post.

NOVEMBER 2023

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LIFE OUTDOORS

Baseball Brotherhood The Mills family marks a 20-year odyssey through North America’s major league stadiums. BY DEBBIE WALSH

Left: Continuing a family tradition during a June 2023 game at the Tampa Bay Rays’ Tropicana Field are (from left) Richard Mills and his sons Joe and Charlie. Right: The family has tracked over two decades of stadium tours across the United States and Canada on a T-shirt design.

In 2003, the Mills brothers, Jim and Richard, with kids in tow, boarded a Chicago-bound train to catch a couple of baseball games in the Windy City. Little did the Pequannock-raised brothers know that this trip would be the start of a 20-year baseball odyssey that would take them to every Major League Baseball (MLB) park in North America. Jim, Pequannock Township High School (PTHS) Class of ’72, credits younger brother Richard, Class of ’77, with hatching the idea of the Chicago trip. But why take a train instead of a plane or car? “This all started because our grandfather worked for the Pennsylvania Railroad for 50-plus years,” Jim says. “He took the three oldest boys, which included me, on a train trip from New York to Chicago and took Richard individually later. So this all started as a bit of a homage to our grandfather.” The 2003 stadium-bound trip included Richard and his two sons, 7-year-old Charlie and 4-year-old Joe, together with Jim and his daughter, Julia, along with older brother Tom, Class of ’67. After that, family members continued to visit stadiums across the United States and in Toronto, Canada.

Tom passed away in February after a long battle with cancer, but the crew went to many of the parks together. Some went to most of the parks, but others can stake a claim at hearing baseball’s unofficial anthem, “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” in all 30 MLB parks.

Touching Base with America Richard said other transportation modes eventually replaced train trips for the sake of convenience and logistics. “The boys loved the train rides,” Richard recalls. “They loved getting food in the dining car. Our last train trip was to Toronto in 2007. It was 12 hours, which was six hours too long.” Richard counts Wrigley Field in Chicago, PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Angel Stadium in Anaheim and Coors Field in Denver among his favorites. Pittsburgh, he says, is a fan-friendly park with seats that don’t cost an arm and a leg—and who could forget those Primanti Bros. sandwiches? Jim considers the iconic Wrigley Field a magical place. Pittsburgh and San Diego’s Petco Park are also high on his list. He calls Anaheim fans the most distracted,

as circulating beach balls were part of the game-day experience. The Mills brothers were born into a Yankees-rooting allegiance and can personally attest to Yankees fans exploding with passion. Both brothers agree that St. Louis Cardinals fans also display extreme enthusiasm. Though ball playing is in their blood (the Mills brothers played in the Pequannock men’s softball league for 18 years and spent time coaching youth baseball and softball), their MLB trips were never just about baseball. They were about the total experience—sightseeing, dining on local cuisine, catching up with old friends, meeting new ones and, most of all, celebrating family. “It’s an unbelievable experience,” Jim says. “It draws you together. We started out going to baseball games at baseball stadiums. We ended up seeing America. Richard’s son, Joe, used that as a theme for his college essay—seeing America through baseball stadiums.” Debbie Walsh has 30 years of experience writing for various newspaper publications and, more recently, as a ghost blogger. A semiretired sports mom, she enjoys dining out with friends, reading and playing golf.

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LOCAL TASTES

Community Convenience Bruno’s Drive Thru offers necessities from coffee to cleaning products with a side order of good cheer. BY DANA REGAN

on everyone’s list. If you are wondering what they have, you can visit brunosdrivethru.com for a list.

A Dedicated Clientele Owners and staff alike are appreciative of this business since they get to spend time on a daily basis with pleasant employees and cheerful customers, many of whom they have built close relationships with. Some of Bruno’s best-selling items are fresh rolls, bagels and, of course, coffee that is way less expensive than brews at popular drive-through chains. Overall, the biggest challenge, according to Walczak, is keeping the line moving. Without a doubt, providing impeccable service while advancing the line is Bruno’s main goal. Satisfied patrons are what motivate these owners and make them proud—so proud that there may be another location on the horizon. So, don’t get out of the car! Drive through at Bruno’s in Pequannock; get some ice cream, maybe a latte, some pasta for dinner—and don’t forget the canned goods and pet food. This local spot is a hit, and Bruno’s always welcomes you to drive on through.

Dana Regan is a happy wife and proud mother of four who moved to this town in 2013. As a longtime educator and aspiring writer, Dana recently published her first children’s book, “Amarylli’s Bunny: Where is She Now?”

PHOTOGRAPHS BY DANA REGAN

You just picked up the kids from school and are on your way home after a long, stressful day of work. You are suffering from both a headache and a backache, and at the same time realize you need some important items at the store: bread, batteries for the remote, milk, paper plates, a coffee for your headache and the lottery ticket you promised your husband you would pick up. The wearisome thought of dragging the kids from the car into the store right now causes you to grieve, and then you remember…Bruno’s! Bruno’s Drive Thru is a convenience store co-owned by Goko Naumoski and Bruno Walczak, two Pequannock natives who grew up together in town and remain not only good friends but also business partners. The two purchased the convenience store in 2000 but note that it has been around town for about 70 years. The original location has changed, but the popularity of this store has remained steady. The current location was once an apartment, and the current owners renovated the building to create a time-saving grocery store within reach for local residents. Located at 46 Newark-Pompton Turnpike in Pequannock, this store is stocked with necessities

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