Pequannock September 2023

Pequannock

QUILTING FOR A CAUSE

JOHN CROWN MAKES A DIFFERENCE

PTHS FOOTBALL PLAYOFF BOUND?

& Pompton Plains Jump Start Your Day With Karen Carson

THINKING OF SELLING YOUR HOME?

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Zillow Review

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Hello September!

It’s that time of year again. Back to school and back to basics for all of us as summer comes to an end. The weather’s crisp and change is in the air. It’s my favorite season, as we witness the beauty all around us welcoming autumn.

This month marks our fourth issue of the magazine and I couldn’t be prouder of the content that follows. We are blessed to have an amazing team of writers who love learning about and sharing our community stories with you.

BY DAN PICCOLI

Our cover story features Karen Carson, our very own radio celebrity who has built herself a dream job around her precious family. What a beautiful story and proof that you really can have it all.

It’s the perfect time to share all about the Pequannock Township High School football team. Get ready for football season and let’s cheer them on at the next home game!

Lastly, we learn more about the wonderful ladies who have stitched their lives together with Quilting for a Cause. Each one is a special part of the love that goes into each and every quilt they give away… and gives back to them tenfold.

I hope you are enjoying these heartfelt stories and getting to know those in our community as much as I am. Have a picture, idea, story or business you’d like to share? Be sure to reach out @pequannockmagazine.com. This magazine is for and about YOU, the very heart of our community.

Donna Fillweber Publisher

Pequannock & Pompton Plains MAGAZINE

Editor & Publisher

Donna Fillweber

Art Director

Sue Park

Copy Editor

Nancy Fass

Writers

Danielle Clements

Angela Kohl

Rich Luttenberger

Dana Regan

Photographers

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

PHOTOGRAPH

Around Town

ENJOY A FALL FULL OF FESTIVALS

What’s October without weekends filled with seasonal fun? Pick your parties from this roster of events.

Octoberfest

Presented by Pequannock Township

First Aid Squad

Come for food trucks, beer, live music, kids’ rides, mechanical bull, vendors and more.

Saturday, October 7

2 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Town Hall Field

Adults: $20; children: $5

Unlimited beer and hard cider: $20

For tickets, visit www.pequannockems.org.

PEQUANNOCK TOWNSHIP HOEDOWN

Presented by Parks and Recreation, Township of Pequannock

Saturday, October 14 | 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Rain date: October 15

Greenview Park, Pequannock

Enjoy food trucks, music, vendors, beer garden, hayrides and more.

Note that dogs and pets are not permitted.

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Around Town

MAKE HALLOWEEN COMPLETE WITH TRUNK OR TREAT

Pequannock Parks and Recreation Halloween Party and Trunk or Treating will be held Thursday, October 26, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Greenview Park Lot C. Cost is $5 per child. Register online using Community Pass. Music by DJ Neil Horgan.

Trunk volunteers are needed.

To sign up, call Parks and Recreation at 973-835-5700, ext. 158.

SUNSET PUB FALL FESTIVAL

Saturday, October 14

Doors open at noon

Rain date: October 15

Featuring live music, car show, beer truck and more. For more information, visit @sunsetpubandgrill.com.

DAVID’S FLOWERS: A BOUNTY OF BEAUTY

There’s always something beautiful on hand at David’s Flowers, open at 52 West Franklin Ave., Pequannock. Be sure to stop by for your fall flowers, pumpkins and mums, along with newly added organic produce and fresh-cut flowers. All purchases are on the honor system. Continued well wishes and prayers for Ruth Densel.

Cultivating Minds One Heart at a Time

A longtime Pequannock teacher reflects on the joys and challenges of being a local educator.

BY DANA REGAN

Who

or what inspired you to become a teacher?

For a while, I went to Catholic school, where I felt the academic focus was not on math. Once I began public school, I felt weak in math and had no confidence. But I had one math teacher who never made me feel like I wasn’t good at math. He encouraged me and told me that I would get it. This math teacher made me feel like I could teach and be with people in this environment in a positive way. He made me think that I could make a difference.

Mr. Crown, Thank you for teaching us so well in a way I’ve never been taught before. It doesn’t even feel like I’m learning but I have so much. You are so reassuring and kind and you try your best to understand us students. You really are so smart in everything you do, even though you are crazy and weird most of the time. I’ve never met anyone like you but I’m beyond happy I have!! Have a merry Christmas, Mr. Crown, and a happy New Year!

The practice of teaching is calculated, yet at the same time full of zeal, affection and, occasionally, concern. Few know this as well as John Crown, a teacher and coach who gave his all to the community of Pequannock for 17 years.

Retiring in 2017 was not the end of Crown’s career because he continues to enlighten and inform students of Pequannock Township as a substitute teacher, answering the call of duty when needed.

Recruited from Belleville High School in 2000, Crown embarked on a small-town adventure that would satisfy his soul and make a permanent mark on the hearts and minds of countless teens he taught every day in the classroom, in the halls, on the court and on the field.

Can you describe your teaching career in three words?

Trust, discipline and compassion.

What were you known for as a teacher, and how do you want students to remember you?

I want everyone to remember how much I love these kids! I see something in each and every student. I seek to understand what they are good at. I look at all of them as individuals and connect with them, understanding what they are doing right now.

What are some town traditions you value as a Pequannock teacher?

I love traditions behind athletics in this town. I enjoy going to games to support the students and their parents. I also absolutely love it when the high school choir comes down to the middle school at Christmastime and sings carols. I love seeing my former students—it is a very special time for me. This community has given me so much; I feel indebted.

What are some challenges present in classrooms today?

Cell phones! Our students’ ability to resist distracting themselves. I know students come to school with baggage. I would always tell them, “Whatever you’re coming in with, leave it at the door or give it to me; I have big shoulders.” If we can get students willing to learn, we can move mountains.

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

A Pequannock teacher and coach for 17 years, John Crown says teaching boils down to “trust, discipline and compassion.”

INTERVIEW WITH JOHN CROWN

PTHS Football: Playoff Bound?

A new head coach and rising seniors lead the way

BY RICH LUTTENBERGER

BY ED LEONARD

When looking forward to the Pequannock High School football team’s 2023 season, one word stands out: “new.” The Panthers have a new head coach, three new assistant coaches, a new offensive scheme, and several new starters in the skill positions.

In those differences lies opportunity.

That is what first-year head coach Mike Moschella hopes for as his Panthers squad prepares for the season. Moschella has already begun the transition to a Wing-T offense, and he likes the potential of the new scheme.

“It’s really a sophisticated, four-headed rushing attack that also gives us three vertical passing threats out of all of our base formations,” says Moschella. He believes that implementation has gone well. “So far, the players have embraced the new look.”

Embracing Change

Senior Mikey Horgan agrees. “A lot of people are willing to move positions, people want to try new

things,” he says. Horgan, a versatile player the past few years, looks to secure one of the three running back positions.

Moschella, who is also a teacher at Pequannock, enters his sixth year as a coach at the school. He succeeds Joel Troast, who had been a football coach at PTHS since 2007, the last five as head whistle.

Moschella has much experience in football. He played the sport from fourth grade through high school. After college, he coached youth football in his hometown for six years. He then moved to Hopatcong High School as an assistant coach for four seasons prior to coming to Pequannock. He worked closely with the Wing-T offense throughout those years.

In that time, he learned to be detail-oriented and saw the importance of personal accountability. He experienced the value of a team-first approach, and these are all points of emphasis for his coaches and players this year.

Opposite: First year head coach Mike Moschella gives instruction to his team as senior Andrew Rivera looks on. Rivera is anticipated to start as a key running back this season. Above: Coach Moschella talks to the 2022 football team during a game last season. After five years as an assistant, Moschella takes over as head coach this year.

Key Losses From Last Year’s Team

In 2022, the Panthers made it to the final of the Regional Invitational Tournament, falling to, ironically, Coach Moschella’s alma mater, Lenape Valley. Pequannock graduated 11 starters from that 5–6 team.

Four-year contributor Dennis Jarensky leaves a void at both running back and defensive back. Running back and linebacker Jimmy Dolan, who played every down for two years, and defensive lineman John Vanaria, will also be especially missed.

Opportunity for New Seniors

With all this turnover, questions abound. However, the Panthers return

all five starting offensive linemen. They also have seniors who are expected to fill the holes left by the graduates.

Quarterback Tyler DeNaples started every game last year and is poised to repeat that feat this year. His favorite target, tight end and twin brother Dylan, is also back. Dylan will be a key two-way player—he started every game at outside linebacker last year.

Also returning is Andrew Rivera, a dynamic skill player who will be a threeyear starter and a leader in the defensive secondary.

Other seniors expected to step up are Horgan and Billy Donnelly, who will compete for positions in both the offensive and defensive backfields.

Left: Senior Mikey Horgan (#10) has been a jackof-all-trades these past few seasons, but this year he looks to lock down a spot as a running back in the new offense. Above: Mikey Horgan catches a pitch during a practice this summer. The senior hopes to earn starting positions at both running back and linebacker.

Tough Schedule to Start

For a new head coach, the first game is significant, and the Panthers travel to Boonton to begin the season. Boonton’s disciplined triple-option attack will be a tough test for Pequannock. Moschella wants to win, of course, but there are secondary goals for the opener.

“Can we execute, can we be disciplined on defense, and can we start the season with a win,” he ponders. “It’s a great benchmark that will really set the tone for the season.”

Their second game—the home opener against Caldwell—is also intriguing. Pequannock has revenge on its mind, as the Chiefs put up 48 points in the first half of their meeting last year. A victory here would be twice as sweet.

New Faces; Old Friendships

There may be new faces in the starting lineup, but these boys are hardly unknown to each other. As Horgan points out, many have been playing sports together since early grade school, and they know this is their last year together. Rivera also notes how this group has a lot of camaraderie and one shared goal. “We have a good chance of coming together and working really hard as a family,” Rivera says. “I just can’t wait to see how we come together as a team.”

For the 2023 Pequannock football team, the new season brings new opportunities, and their bonds may be just enough for them to make the playoffs this year.

Rich Luttenberger is a 17-year Pequannock resident. He is a long-time teacher at Morris Knolls High School and a writer for Gridiron Heroics, a national football blog.

Above: Senior Dylan DeNaples (#6) will be a significant contributor on offense as a tight end and on defense as an outside linebacker. Below: Quarterback Tyler DeNaples (#11) started every game last season. There will be a new offensive scheme this year, but the senior will likely start again and he will look to be a leader of the 2023 team.

A DJ in the New York radio market and nationally on Sirius XM, Karen Carson hasn’t left behind her New Jersey roots. In fact, her small-town perspective helps her stay real in ways that keep listeners tuning in.

From Small Town to Big Apple

New York City radio personality Karen Carson stays grounded in ‘the best-kept secret in Northern New Jersey.’

BY DANIELLE CLEMENTS

When the alarm goes off at 3:45 a.m., Pompton Plains’ Karen Carson is up and at ‘em—preparing for the day by scrolling through news and social media, making sure she’s on top of current events by the time her radio show starts at 6 a.m. She’s host of the popular “Karen Carson in the Morning” on the NEW 102.7 FM, where her pleasant voice, personality and on-air antics with co-hosts Johnny Mingione and intern Anthony Malerba help listeners start the day with music and laughter.

Carson never intended to be a radio personality. She majored in speech, theater and communication at Monmouth College (now Monmouth University), hoping to one day work in public relations. Following a weeklong stint as a DJ for the college radio station over winter break, a commercial station out of Long Branch came calling. It was Carson’s first official job in radio, and it became a launching pad for her nowstoried career.

“I took the job, but called in sick a lot so I could go to parties,” Carson says with a laugh. “I was a college student!” This authenticity from Carson is part of what makes her relatable to her listeners.

Life on the Air

“I credit my kids for my success because motherhood also makes me relatable to listeners,” she says. “The audience gets my life. I’m just a mom who’s on the radio.”

While that sentiment rings true, Carson’s workingmom hustle looks a lot different than that of someone

in a 9-to-5 role. In addition to the morning show, Carson hosts a podcast called “A Secret Show: Karen Carson in the Morning,” an unfiltered supplement to the morning production. Beyond that, she hosts segments on Sirius XM’s PopRocks seven days a week.

A mother of three, Carson recalls the challenges of managing her unusual work hours and schedule while parenting young children: returning from Manhattan in time for homework, activities and dinner—and trying to get to bed at a reasonable hour. It can be pressure-filled, but Carson is grateful for the opportunities to be engaged both at home and in her career.

Having recently lost her mother, Carson now has her 81-year-old father living with her—yet another relatable situation that she describes to listeners. Carson’s love for her family is palpable—her funny stories about Dad, how proud she is of her kids—but it’s not always easy.

“Some days I wake up and just miss my mother and I don’t want to get on the air and be light and funny,” she says. “But the second I get onto Route 3 and see that New York City skyline, I think I am the luckiest girl in the world, and I just go in and do the best I can.”

While the show is entertainment for audiences, it is Carson’s reality. For the first time in her career, she was able to hand-select her co-hosts. “I get to create for the first four hours of the day, and we genuinely laugh our butts off,” Carson says of her chemistry and friendships with Mingione and Malerba. Not only do they laugh, but they also lift each other up.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY DAN PICCOLI AND KAREN CARSON

Despite often rubbing shoulders with music megastars, Karen Carson’s domestic life, friends and humor are big parts of why she appeals to audiences in the New York City region and beyond. Top: Carson with her children, Jay, Riley and Madison. Clockwise from above left, with: Selena Gomez, Sheryl Crow, Shaggy and Sting, Ed Sheeran.

The Real Deal

Although she has interviewed hundreds of musician celebrities, it is Carson’s easygoing realness that makes her unique. She grew up in a big family with four siblings, so she knows how to grab someone’s attention. There are no pretenses about her, and she works hard to find the human in each star, putting them at ease and making them laugh.

Cases in point: She has asked Gaga if she ever just sits around in sweatpants; poked fun at U2 front man Bono for crashing a bicycle in New York City; and jokingly gifted Ed Sheeran with “one of the worst beers in America.” It’s these types of interactions that people love about Carson.

Listening to Carson is like having a comfortable conversation with an old friend—and she might agree. “My girlfriends are my best material,” Carson comments. “The show is just like talking to my friends; the moms get it, they’re real.”

Having spent much of her life in Pequannock, Carson praises the small town. “You really become close with the people you raise your kids with,” she says.

In fact, for all the time she spends in Manhattan, Carson wouldn’t trade suburbia for the city life. “Pequannock is the best-kept secret in Northern New Jersey,” she says. “You can live at the feet of mountains that surround us, yet it’s flat, and people watch out for each other. You don’t realize how the concrete affects you. I want to come home to blue skies and mountains—it’s the best of both worlds.”

Pequannock resident Danielle Clements is a wife and mom with two awesome boys and a full-time career in communications. She loves family, friends, dogs (especially her beloved Bowie), concerts and writing.

“I credit my kids for my success because motherhood makes me relatable to listeners. The audience gets my life. I’m a mom who’s on the radio.”

– Karen Carson

Threads of Love and Service

Volunteers at Quilting for a Cause

BY DANIELLE CLEMENTS

“I’m on my way to Rivervale to pick up a sewing machine that is being donated to us,” Rose Phalon, founder of Quilting for a Cause, remarks during a recent phone conversation. The fact that Phalon made time to chat at the same time she was working speaks volumes about who she is—and the kind of people who make up this volunteer organization.

Quilting for a Cause is a group of dedicated volunteers who lend their time, energy and skills to handmake and donate beautiful quilts to those in need, be it to homeless shelters, disaster relief efforts, veteran’s organizations or even animal shelters. Amazingly, the group started with one woman’s idea and has grown into a community phenomenon that celebrates service, friendship and, above all, love.

Humble Beginnings

Following the passing of her mother-in-law, Phalon inherited a windfall of fabric. Not wanting the fabric to go to waste, she started out making just one quilt, and then another and another.

At the time, Phalon’s husband, Joe, commuted in and out of Manhattan for work and encountered many homeless people living on the streets in his travels. Each time Rose finished a quilt, Joe handdelivered it to someone in need.

During Martin Luther King Jr. weekend in 2017, Phalon invited a small group of friends and family to her home to quilt together as a way of honoring the federal holiday also known as a National Day of Service. Six years later, the group has 75 volunteers. They have handmade and distributed more than 7,000 quilts, reaching all 50 states and seven countries. This year alone, the group has already produced almost 650 quilts. “We never planned for this to happen, it just happened,” Phalon says about the extent of their efforts.

have touched thousands of lives while building a community of kind-hearted friends.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY DAN PICCOLI

Many Hands, Many Hearts

Quilting for a Cause has a strong Facebook presence, and they use the social platform to announce meeting dates, call for donations and volunteers. “There is something for everyone,” says longtime member Sharon Snook. “When I started, I didn’t know how to quilt, but everyone is happy to share and teach each other.”

Volunteers are always welcome regardless of experience. Hands are needed to sort and cut fabric, iron, pin and, of course, sew. “There is always something you can do to be useful,” says member Nadia Simone, leaning over her machine as she stitches. “I love that it is an opportunity to share warmth and care for people who need it most.”

Each time the group meets, members load up their cars with fabric, batting, sewing machines, patterns—you name it, they’re bringing it. Not all volunteers participate in the production of the quilts, but their contributions are just as important. Volunteers in states across the country send the group supplies, monetary donations and even half-finished pieces. That it’s a labor of love is apparent in every aspect. Appropriately, each finished quilt is affixed with a label that says, “Made With Love, Especially For You by Quilting for a Cause.”

At a recent gathering, one group of volunteers stood around a square table measuring, pinning, laughing and chatting like old friends do. On the other side of the room, more volunteers sat working, each with their own sewing machine.

Since the group expanded, they are now able to specify donation recipients and have begun to partner with national organizations. For instance, each year as Veteran’s Day approaches, patriotic patterned quilts are made especially for veterans. Volunteer Camille Faith, doting over a red, white and blue piece of fabric, remarked that the work, “makes you think about others around the world who need help. It’s a good feeling to help them and keep them warm.” This past summer, the group worked with Operation Kindness to deliver quilts to cancer patients in the Bahamas. Their reach is extraordinary.

Teamwork and friendship are important at Quilting for a Cause.

A Community That Cares

Friends, neighbors and even strangers have made small and sizeable donations, each one as meaningful as the next.

“Pequannock is the backbone of all of this,” Phalon says. “This town never says no. When I go on Facebook and ask for volunteers or supplies, I wind up with more than I asked for.”

At the root of it all remains a strong sisterhood devoted to service. “I’ve run out of words to describe how this group has changed me,” Phalon says. “We have made lifelong friends, and I love what we do as a group. The amount of work people put in, how much they’re willing to give—it never stops surprising me.”

Pequannock resident Danielle Clements is a lucky wife, mom to two awesome boys, lover of dogs (especially her beloved Bowie) and a communications professional.

HOW TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Quilting for a Cause is in need of quilt batting. To make a donation or get involved, visit the group on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ quiltingforacauseNJ. You can also visit Quilting for a Cause at the Pequannock Township Hoedown Event on Saturday, October 14, in Greenview Park.

Piranhas Pride

Competitive swimmers at PV Park fulfill aquatic ambitions and foster a sense of family.

BY DANA REGAN

The magnificent outdoor space known as PV Park has been home to the Pequannock Piranhas swim team for more than 65 years. Despite the resident snapping turtle, Peaches, that is gently removed from the lanes each swim season (yet stubbornly returns in the fall), this close-knit team competes every summer against local communities such as Pines Lake, Highland Lakes and Lake Mohawk.

Liat Frame, seven-year team president, describes the Piranhas as a family. Swimmers range from ages 5 to 18, they are all very close, and team attitudes are extremely positive and supportive of one another.

Frame works hard volunteering her time during what she calls an intense spring and summer full of planning alongside the town, organizing practices and running home meets. She is extremely grateful for this outdoor space in town as she recalls many swim-team members who come to practice each morning, then stay and enjoy the lake the rest of the day with family and friends. It is a great way to spend balmy summer days!

Community Connections

During a typical summer swim meet, many of the parents cheering their children from the stands on were once Piranhas themselves.

Katie Moore, mother of two sets of twin boys who now compete on the team, swam competitively from the age of five all the way through high school. Moore says the program has grown so much that the number of swimmers to manage and organize has become the biggest challenge— but a great one to have.

As motivated swimmers of all ages warm up before a meet against Packanack Lake, seven-year veteran Sloan Frame looks forward to the relays. “It’s a time all their friends get to work together as a team,” she says.

Third-grade twins Avery and Lacey Pires dipped their toes in the lanes two years ago. Both work hard toward championships, getting “A” times and improving their strokes. Another swimmer, Florence Boden, says the most difficult part of being a competitive swimmer is “having to compete against friends from different towns.” Ultimately, all are working toward a win for Pequannock.

This extraordinary team uses their indelible home park to make memories, friendships and champions. As each Piranha builds confidence and achieves personal goals, the community of Pequannock remains proud.

A Pequannock resident since 2013, Dana Regan is a longtime educator and aspiring writer who recently published “Amarylli’s Bunny: Where is She Now?”—her first children’s book.

Clockwise from top: Florence Bowden and twins Lacey and Avery Pires are ready for the meet. Sloan Frame takes a practice dive. Karlie Boardman works on her butterfly stroke.

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A Slice of Summer, Anytime

Playa Bowls serves fresh, innovative treats to support healthier lifestyles and inspire fun.

BY ANGELA TETA KOHLE

Anthony Rubino and Connor Michel are the dedicated franchise owners of Playa Bowls in Pompton Plains. After graduating college, they abandoned their original professional plans in search of a different kind of adventure. Following an impressive presentation to the Playa Bowls co-founders, these industrious young men established their Playa Bowls in Pequannock Township. That was just over five years ago, and they’ve never looked back. “I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit and wanted to be my own boss, and Playa Bowls was the perfect fit for me,” says Rubino. “I couldn’t ask for anything more.”

Fresh Ingredients Delivered Daily

Rubino and Michel believe that Playa Bowls is an extremely strong brand and feel fortunate

that their place is still very popular after five years. They use the freshest, highest quality ingredients, which are delivered daily. The Nutella Bowl, loaded with pure açai and topped with granola, fresh bananas and strawberries, coconut flakes and a nutella drizzle, is by far the most popular item on the menu. It’s a delicious, creamy treat that will make you want to come back for more! Rubino and Michel enjoy connecting with the community. They participate in fundraising activities with many local organizations, schools, sports teams and clubs. They offer baskets and gift cards for Tricky Trays and sponsor Little League and recreational soccer teams. Dine-In campaigns give 10 percent of all proceeds to charity. Playa Bowls also caters birthday parties,

family parties, corporate lunches, teacher lunches and more—including delivery and setup.

Why do people love Playa Bowls? Michel says, “Playa Bowls is a unique, fun place to eat. The employees are friendly and knowledgeable, and everything we serve is delicious, fresh, healthy and completely natural.” The duo’s goal is to foster a summer vibe and provide each customer a bowl full of deliciousness delivered with passion. It’s the Playa Bowls way.

Happy employees: (left) Myles Nova perfecting an order; (right, from left to right) Alexandra Ayres, Daniel Kiritsis, Myles Nova and Allie Taormina. Opposite page: Connor Michel and Anthony Rubino, Playa Bowls franchise owners.

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.

Fall Reflections

Seasonal change brings new vistas and fresh beauty to our landscapes. Sunrise at Woodland Lake taken by Maureen Brain.

TRANSFORMING

LIVES BY TRANSFORMING LIVING SPACES