An NFL linebacker comes home.

On a sunny Saturday in Elizabeth, wide-eyed young football players fill Waterfront Field in the never-ending quest to burnish their skills. It might sound like a typical late-spring weekend morning here, but there is one big difference. On this day, the kids are being coached by a professional: hometown hero Khaseem Greene, twice Big East Defensive Player of the Year at Rutgers and now a linebacker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the NFL.

For most of these kids, it is their first experience interacting with a player of Greene’s caliber. Towering over his charges, he is someone they can look up to, literally and figuratively. No matter where his football travels have taken him, Greene has always come back home. This is the second year he has hosted his football camp. It’s not a money-maker (many NFL player camps are), nor is it just about teaching on-field techniques to the city’s kids. Greene sees his camps as an important way of making a meaningful difference in the town where he first caught the eye of college recruiters as a defensive back of the state-champion Elizabeth High School varsity.

Topps, Inc.

“Kids might read about me and know a little bit about me,” Greene says, “but my coming back and having free camps—getting the kids involved with football and teaching them the basics—is for me a joy, because they get to know me as a person. We get to meet and interact.”

Greene understands what the kids of the city are going through today. He lets them know that they should not hesitate to “dream big,” because you never know the opportunities that are out in front of you. In Greene’s case, his quickness and ferocious tackling prompted a move to linebacker his junior year at Rutgers. That decision changed his life. He instantly became one of the best at the position in the country and earned Big East Defensive Player of the Year Awards in 2011 and 2012. He was selected in the fourth round of the 2013 NFL draft by the Chicago Bears and has been working hard to establish himself in the pros the last couple of seasons.

The kids at Waterfront Park don’t hear a lot of local success stories like Greene’s. Which is why he feels compelled to tell it. He hopes others from Elizabeth who find success follow his lead and come back to share their stories. “It’s a way to motivate a kid to want to do better, to make it somewhere in life for themselves,” he says. “It’s special that I get to be the guy that comes back and actually does camps and gets involved in the community the way I do. It’s definitely a big deal for me. I can’t even put it into words how excited I would’ve been to have been able to attend a camp like this when I was a kid.”

Greene found football as most young players in Elizabeth do, through his family. Several of his siblings, cousins, uncles—and especially his father—were first-rate athletes. His dad played college football at Purdue. But it was Greene’s mother who kept him laser-focused on sports. “I credit my mom for keeping me involved in and making me love the game the way I do.”

Not surprisingly, it’s all hands on deck for the Greene family when it comes to making the camp happen—from tutoring the players to serving food to passing out camp t-shirts. “Family is the reason why I grind, the reason I do what I do,” he smiles. “It means everything to me for them to be there.”

Editor’s Note: Andrew Feldman first crossed paths with Khaseem Greene on the Rutgers campus, where Andrew earned a degree in Sports Management. He has profiled other pro athletes from the Garden State for njsportsheroes.com, including Muhammad Wilkerson and Elaine Zayak, and authored histories of Rutgers basketball and Seton Hall baseball for the web site.

Has the Gaming Revolution created a generation of e-casualties?

I’ve been in the city for the day and return to discover my son still home. “Did the SPCA end early?” I ask. He gives me a dazed look. “I’m leaving now.” It’s 4:30 in the afternoon and he’s been so absorbed in his video game that he lost track of time and reality. His volunteer job is nearly over for the day.

I am the mother of an electronic addict. By electronic, I don’t just mean compulsive video gaming, which is much like gambling addiction. I mean our son is addicted to the whole electronic shebang: TV, his computer, iTouch, iPhone, anyone else’s Xbox or Wii. He can play video games, Skype with fellow gamers, watch YouTube, Dr. Who and NCIS, simultaneously and ad infinitum. Electronics—like the Zombie movies he’s captivated by—suck in his brain, consuming his concentration at the expense of schoolwork and relationships. Neuroscientists have noticed the changes in electronic-obsessed brains that mimic those of an addict. And electronics for my son are like the junk food of his life.

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If he could regulate his appetite and intake of electronics and limit his usage, I’d have no problem. But once he sinks into the family room sofa, he becomes an electronic couch potato. I know these are strong words from a parent, and maybe it seems that I’m throwing our son under the bus.

However, he is cognizant of the issue and actually helped me research this story. We’ve been talking about his electronic addiction for several years and at college he has a “coach” with whom he can discuss his obsession with gaming.

“Vidiot” perhaps is too harsh a moniker for my son, as he eloquently discusses the finer points of a particular game’s digital animation and interaction. Gamers see video games as a cross between a science and an art. This is nothing new. We can trace these gamers back historically to arcade game aficionados of 30 and 40 years ago. It’s become so imbedded in our culture that various science museums have mounted interactive gaming retrospectives, beginning with Pong and Space Invaders. There is, in fact, an appreciation among video gamers that borders on connoisseurship (in the way a wine expert might also be a drunkard). Our son’s good friend, who plays in video game tournaments for minor profit, suggested I try a certain game and see how fast I got hooked. Interesting idea, but it holds no appeal to me.

To be sure, electronics has influenced our culture in positive ways. Both the art of Japanese anime and video graphics has fostered and influenced a whole new dimension and medium of art. Over 30 years ago, Nam June Paik fused video with music and performance art at his 1982 Whitney Museum retrospective. Digital art has flourished ever since. The audience created by global web use also has inspired some artists to create installations reflecting our obsessive usage. Artist Rachel Lee Hovnanian uses iPads as substitutes for husband and wife at the dinner table, bride and groom at their wedding feast and even her depiction of multi-generations of a Chinese family—all of whom are engrossed with their iPhones and ignoring each other—at a lunar New Year’s feast. Each installation depicts the haunting message of our daily struggle and infatuation with the cold allure of electronics and our subsequent loss of human interaction and warmth. And electronic addiction has become a hot topic in the press, with Jane Brody writing a two-part piece in the Science section of the New York Times and PBS recently airing a program devoted to Web Junkies.

Some colleges are viewing high-achieving gamers with good GPAs as possible recruits for campus e-sports. At Robert Morris University in Chicago, being a web jockey can translate into a full-ride scholarship. This fall, the University of Pikeville, a liberal arts college in Kentucky, has devoted 20 scholarships to League of Legends video gamers. League of Legends is a multiplayer battle game played online. Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida, has offered BAs and MAs in game design and development for years. In addition, opportunities for gamers who can program abound in tech and entertainment companies. But that requires being entrepreneurial, ready to tackle Java and C++—and a willing ability to apply for a job.

E-Tox Detox

So electronics can be the user’s best friend or worst enemy. How did our son get hooked? We made every effort to discourage him. During the week, we’d snap the breaker that powered the TV to the Off position. We never owned an Xbox or PlayStation. Yet our son would ferret out video games online—passwords were minor hurdles—or play at friends’ houses. I can’t say it started with the Game Boy Color his grandmother gave him for Christmas, or the robotics team he joined in middle school. Probably part of the appeal of electronics is that it’s the playmate that’s always ready to play. Also, kids who have trouble focusing in school hyper-focus on gaming, and any anxiety in school will fuel the need to take solace in the alternate reality of video games. As our son matures, he is slowly grasping the benefits of focusing on his college courses and the rewards of working hard at his summer job.

Electronic addiction, it turns out, is not uniquely American. It is a global problem. India and Singapore actually have the highest incidence of Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD).

SETTING LIMITS

According to Dr. Rodger Goddard, Chief Psychologist at Trinitas, Internet use, social media, video gaming and being hooked on technology is a very intense problem for our children (and many adults) today.

Rodger Goddard, PhD Chief Psychologist,
Trinitas Regional Medical Center 908.994.7334

“I believe that we are undergoing an experiment in child-rearing. Never before in history have children been brought up with such intense exposure to technology. We do not yet know the results of this experiment. Research is showing that it may be having a very negative impact on our children’s learning skills and potential for success. The best advice for parents is to limit the time their child spends online and screening. Taking away electronics as a punishment can sometimes make using it even more attractive and exciting. Limiting its use gets a child more accustomed to being without continual technological exposure. Some parents have found that no screening outside of school work during the week and just a few hours on the weekend is just the right amount.”

According to a story in The Telegraph, a British newspaper, it’s epidemic in China, too: over 24 million suffer from some form of internet addiction. As a result, internet “boot camps” have been set up across China to take addicted kids—estimated at 14% of all youth—off the grid. In Japan, “internet fasting” has been set up to help create electronic “detox.”

Our own “detox” program has been to send our son on programs in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, where he is completely off-the-grid for weeks and able to experience nature’s beauty while ice-climbing, sea kayaking and scaling a rugged mountain at midnight to watch a meteor shower. As a college student, he has also trekked in faraway lands in the Himalayan foothills and in rural Central America. His most recent trip lasted a semester. While he has risen to the occasion, learned about Tibetan refugees and Buddhist monks and considered social justice issues of Guatemala, Nicaragua and El Salvador, the challenge is still there. He returns to electronics the moment he gets home. And, needless to say, our version of detox has come with a hefty price tag.

Which is not to say that breaking video game addiction is ever cheap. Or easy. Although it is strikingly similar to more familiar addictions, such as alcohol, food and drugs, it is unlike them in that gaming can occupy every waking hour and involve everyone in an addict’s social network. Another problematic aspect of video game addiction is that gamers are separated from others by thousands of miles, and also by the ability to edit their words before hitting the return button. As a result, they can be uncomfortable dealing with others face-to-face and unedited, which makes traditional therapy a particular challenge.

The consensus among therapists is that families need to unplug their addicted gamers and, ideally, put them in situations where they are stimulated by non-electronic activities and develop off-line social skills. Options range from the aforementioned boot camps and fasting programs to wilderness camps and boarding schools, all of which are geared toward breaking the addiction. The challenge for parents is to pick an option that suits their child’s personality and demeanor.

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Perhaps the most striking development in this area is that health insurance companies are starting to address video game addiction, if not specifically then under “compulsive disorders” or “depression.” Which means we may soon see an entire industry created around breaking this addiction.

MIT engineers recently developed a keyboard that delivers an electric jolt to over-users. I’m not sure our family will be an early adopter of this device, but I have to admit that it did cross my mind. EDGE

Editor’s Note: Is your child hooked on electronics? The web site netaddiction.com offers an internet addiction test that may be an eye-opener. Special thanks to Ben Fleming for his work on this story.

Lessons in the journey to educate our gifted and learning disabled son.

I never heard a three-year old talk like that. He sounds like a little professor. My husband and I would look at each other and smile proudly when our friends and family made remarks like these, as if we should be credited for our son’s charm and unusual precociousness. His grown-up conversational skills earned him the name “Little Man” long before he was out of diapers.

Despite Little Man’s advanced verbal skills as a toddler, he struggled in school from the start. He absolutely hated going. He refused to read and had extreme difficulty writing. We hired tutors and arranged for him to receive “extra help” at the parochial school he attended. He still continued to struggle. One day after school, Little Man ran off the bus with tear-stained cheeks and terror in his eyes. He shrieked, “He said he was going to kill me!”

We quickly learned that Tim, a student with whom Little Man was friendly, had joked with him, “Aw, man. I am going to kill you for taking the window seat.”

It was undoubtedly odd. We initially chalked it up to Little Man overreacting. After that day though, there were similar incidents at home, at school and around the neighborhood. It became obvious there was more going on with Little Man than we realized. Several months, many doctor visits and thousands of dollars later, we sat in the office of Dr. Beth Potashkin, a counselor in Scotch Plains. “Dr. Beth” was reviewing the report Johns Hopkins University’s doctors had prepared after evaluating Little Man for a full two days.

“Your son has extreme difficulty understanding nonverbal communication,” she said. “He also has other learning disabilities that severely affect his visual perception, his ability to read and write, and how quickly he can process certain kinds of information.”

Panic set in and I stopped breathing. The sound of Dr. Beth’s words dragged out in slow motion as she explained the impact these disabilities would have on Little Man’s education and the rest of his life. When I recovered enough to tune back in and decipher Dr. Beth’s words, I heard, “All that aside, they found your son is smarter than 99.9 percent of people in the area of verbal intelligence.”

Dr. Beth appropriately paused, expecting some kind of reaction. There was none. We sat stunned in silence. It was one of the rare moments in my life when I was rendered speechless. While the words wouldn’t came out, my mind was screaming What does this mean? As if she could hear my mind-scream, Dr. Beth continued, “You’re son is a ‘2E’kid…he is ‘twice exceptional.’ He is profoundly gifted and he is learning disabled. The school is going to have to accommodate his disabilities and gifts, especially in how they communicate with him, and pace teaching. Sometimes teachers will need to slow down…sometimes they will need to speed up and skip him forward a few grades in the subjects of his giftedness. It’s pretty complicated to teach 2Es. Little Man definitely is going to need an IEP.”

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Seeing our confused faces, Dr. Beth explained, “An Individual Educational Plan.”

And that’s how the journey for Little Man’s special education began. Many, many mistakes were made along the way.

Knowing what I know now, and if finances permit, I strongly recommend you retain a special education lawyer, or consult with one before you start the process. Since I am a lawyer, I represented our family through the classification and IEP process. I know, I know. I was a fool to disregard the wise adage, “A lawyer who represents himself has a fool for a client.”

If you research special education rights on the web, you will likely come up with some variation of this paragraph:

Public schools are required to provide a “free and appropriate public education” (FAPE) in the least restrictive environment (LRE) to children who are eligible for special education…To be eligible for special education, a student must: (1) have 1 or more disabilities in specific disability eligibility categories; (2) Which adversely affect(s) educational performance; and (3) For which the student needs special education and related services.

Now, practically speaking, what does that mean for our child in the classroom? I have absolutely no idea. Much of the law I read did zero to prepare me for navigating the process. Those head-spinning special-education acronyms and jargon did not teach me how I could best advocate for Little Man. What did help was understanding what the school must do; what it could do; and what it could not do.

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Lessons Learned

Lesson #1: Do not expect the school to tell you what the musts, coulds and could nots are. It will not happen. Of course, it is in your child’s interest to have a good relationship with the school and work together collaboratively. Just realize that, although a school must give parents a parental rights information booklet, it is not required to educate you on every step of the process. Consequently, when I finally recognized our school was not going to hold my hand through the process, I became much more effective in advocating for Little Man.

Lesson #2: You will never know everything there is to know about special education. You will be the most knowledgeable expert at the table on the most important subject: Your Child. No teacher, educational consultant or school psychologist will know more about your child than you.  Don’t shy away from making requests, asking for information or voicing disagreement.

Lesson #3: A doctor’s note—or private educational evaluation stating that special education services are necessary—does not guarantee that your child becomes eligible for special education. Nor will it enable you to skip the evaluation process. These recommendations, however, often provide satisfactory documentation to the school that an evaluation to determine eligibility for special education is warranted. And, since the school can decline to evaluate your child, those recommendations may prove invaluable.

Lesson #4: An Individual Evaluation Plan (IEP) should specify the testing, evaluations and data collected to properly evaluate your child. At a minimum, the school’s evaluation will include parent and teacher interviews, a summary of your child’s educational and health history, classroom observations and other assessments, depending on the suspected learning disability. If it’s feasible, invest in a private evaluation; it is money well spent. Private evaluations usually are more thorough and targeted. Optimally, the final evaluation should identify your child’s intellectual ability in all areas; strengths and weaknesses; learning style and preferences; academic knowledge; and potential environmental barriers to learning. The evaluation should include recommendations for the IEP and give parents the knowledge needed to make specific requests of the school, which, without the private evaluation, might not otherwise be proposed.

Lesson #5: Closely monitor the IEP. It is a legally binding contract between the school and parents, acting on behalf of their child. It sets forth what the school specifically is required to do to appropriately meet your child’s unique educational needs. Even though the school is required to follow the IEP, there could be times the school won’t do so. Sometimes it’s because staff are unaware of the IEP’s requirements, or there is a shortage of staff or resources to implement the IEP. Stay vigilant and monitor if the IEP is being followed. Check with your child and his or her teachers to confirm that the IEP’s accommodations, modifications and/or therapies are being implemented. Make sure appropriately qualified staff are providing services with the frequency stated in the IEP.

Lesson #6: Do not settle for an inappropriate education. There are occasions when a school district is unable to provide an appropriate education to a student who requires special education. In these cases, parents or the school may request to “place” the student in another public school outside of the district—or send the student to a private school. In either case, the school will pay the tuition and transportation costs. Before the IEP is developed, find out what the educational capabilities are of your local school district and of other public and private schools in the area.

A Custom Fit

There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all approach to teaching kids with learning differences. How our brains take in, process and retrieve information affects how we learn. At a recent meeting of parents of children with learning disabilities, Kathy Russo, a Westfield based educational consultant and former director of a special education school in New Jersey, asked, “Do we learn best by hearing, seeing, touching or through experiencing?”

“Differentiated instruction is a highly individualized teaching approach that meets students where they are,” Russo explains. “Teaching is tailored to the individual student’s current knowledge, strengths, weaknesses and learning preferences. Differentiated instruction has proven remarkably effective at preventing students from disappearing into the cracks at school.”

Public schools are required to provide differentiated instruction to disabled students based on FAPE requirements that are individualized to a specific child and designed to meet the child’s unique educational needs. The requirement is to provide a “free and appropriate education” (FAPE) that is individualized to a specific child and designed to meet the child’s unique educational needs.

However, as noted earlier, the possibility of public schools to provide differentiated instruction is easier said than done. That’s because public schools have to balance providing an appropriate, individualized education that is designed to meet a student’s unique educational needs with the requirement to educate disabled students in the “least restrictive environment” (i.e., a regular classroom with nondisabled peers) “to the maximum extent appropriate.” So in school districts that have small class sizes, providing differentiated instruction to disabled students while in general education classes is manageable. Faculty members are able to provide individualized attention while also educating nondisabled students.

Unfortunately, most school districts have class sizes ranging from 20 to 30 or more students. Providing true differentiated instruction in the face of these numbers can be problematic. As a result, there is increasing pressure on public schools to place students in private special education schools, at no cost to the parents. Before parents can expect a private school placement, they must demonstrate that they have given their local school district a chance to provide the appropriate support. If the core team group of the general education teacher, special education teacher and child study team members (e.g. school psychologist, learning disabilities teaching consultant, school social worker) agree with the parents, and a private school placement is warranted, parents then have to figure out which schools are appropriate for their child.  And, with more than 150 special education schools in the state, finding the right school can be a rather daunting task.

Among the New Jersey schools that offer innovative programs for kids with learning differences are The Calais School, Winston Preparatory School and The Jayne S. Carmody School. Each takes a unique approach to differential education.

Founded nearly a half-century ago, The Calais School, in Whippany, serves students in grades Pre-K through 12 who have language and nonlanguage-based learning disabilities. Approved as a special education school by the New Jersey Department of Education, Calais actually works with public school districts throughout the state. It is one of the few places in the country that offers a gifted and talented program to learning disabled students. The school’s Twice Exceptional program uses differentiated instruction to build on students’ gifts, while supporting their learning differences. The New Jersey School Boards Association recently awarded Calais an Innovation in Education Award for the Twice Exceptional program.

Winston Prep was the first high school in New York City specifically devoted to students with learning disabilities. A year ago, it opened a New Jersey campus, also in Whippany. It serves students in grades 6 through 12 who have dyslexia, executive functioning and nonverbal learning disabilities. Students are grouped according to their learning needs, not by grade level. Winston Prep’s differential education approach is rooted in its “continuous feedback system” and Focus Program. Students meet every day with their counselors to discuss their academic progress. The school’s faculty convenes weekly. Based on the continuous feedback provided, IEPs are adjusted as needed.

The Jayne S. Carmody School, which opened this September, was originally conceived in 2007 as a “school within a school” by The Rumson Country Day School. The goal was to keep families together when one sibling had a language-based learning difference. A small number of academically talented students received the school’s exemplary education while benefitting from equally exceptional specialized instruction for their learning disabilities. This inclusive approach, unique among the state’s independent schools, convinced RCDS to expand the physical space and specialized faculty devoted to these students in 2015. This has enabled the Carmody School to accept more mission-fit students, who attend classes with their grade-level peers for all nonlanguage-based subjects, and follow educational plans based upon each child’s unique abilities and strengths. “We are ‘threading the needle’ in terms of the students we’re accepting for the expanded program,” says RCDS Admissions Director Kevin Nicholas. “Students must be an appropriate fit from an academic and behavioral standpoint, because we know those are the children who will thrive at the Carmody School. Unfortunately, that means we’ve had to turn some prospective families away.”

In terms of the bigger picture, parochial (or other faith-affiliated) schools in New Jersey also are an important part of the differential learning landscape. However, because they do not receive state funds and resources, they tend to have a more narrow focus—typically on students who are likely to succeed within the parameters of the programs they have created. Roselle Catholic High Catholic High School has one teacher and one aide who are devoted to students with learning differences. They are provided by the Union County Educational Services Commission. “At the beginning of the year we make sure that teachers read the confidential file on a child’s learning style and work with the guidance department and special education people to accommodate them,” says Martha Konczal, Assistant Principal of Academics. “We try to teach kids what it means to live with a mind that works differently in certain situations, and help them find different ways to make learning work for them.”

Depending on the student and his or her particular needs, many of the state’s top private schools may also offer a good fit. For example, the 133-year-old Wardlaw-Hartridge School in Edison has been supporting differential learning as part of its teaching culture longer than there has been a vocabulary to describe it. “This is a small school where you get to know your students very well, very quickly,” says Maggie Granados, the head of the middle and lower schools, and also Dean of Studies for Pre-K through 12. “So we’ve always been able, within a selective admissions environment, to accommodate different learning styles. That comes from encouraging teachers to ‘recalibrate’ for each student, to alter the format so that a student has a greater sense of engagement in the classroom—whether it’s a high-achieving learner or a struggling one.”

It’s Been Hard

Many lessons learned, and three years later, we continue to march on advocating for Little Man. Many tears have been shed along the journey. It’s been particularly life-changing for our family. We moved an hour away from friends and family to be in a town that was among the highest-rated suburban school districts in the state. The move added 90 minutes to my husband’s commute. I declined career opportunities I had long pursued during the 18-plus years I actively practiced law. Almost every day, I would think or say aloud, “I can’t wait until Little Man is classified so it can be over.” That soon became, “I’ll be so relieved when he has his IEP so it can finally end.” That later evolved into, “As soon as Little Man has the right teachers or the right doctors, it will be okay.”

I kept waiting for it to be over.

One day, it dawned on me how selfish this thinking was. It’s never going to be “over” for Little Man. He’ll be balancing his challenges and gifts for the rest of life. And no matter how many hurdles we clear for Little Man, our family is not going to cross over some imaginary finish line to the life without worry that I invented in my mind. Once I let go of this idea, I think it was the first time I started breathing since that day in Dr. Beth’s office. And while I continue to advocate for Little Man every bit as hard as I always have, I stopped putting life on hold.

Lesson #7 turned out to be by far the most profound one I learned on this journey: I had to stop surrounding Little Man in bubble-wrap. My maternal shield was not protecting Little Man from the world. It only hid him from it. My well-intended protective instinct ended up interfering with Little Man learning how to get through the rainy days. It kept him from enjoying the sunny ones, too. Ever since, I have made a conscious effort to resist the temptation to search out and diffuse potential landmines in Little Man’s world. I have moved the hyper-vigilant Momster that lurks within me to on-call status.

And now, in a peace that has emerged from acceptance, I marvel at the beautiful wonders of our intriguingly complex, brilliant and kind little boy, knowing that one day—much sooner than we will be ready for it—he will no longer be our Little Man. He will be a man. An extraordinary man. Of that, I have no doubt.

Editor’s Note: Trinitas Children’s Therapy Services provides related services supporting students in 10 counties and more than 40 school districts and private special education schools with occupational, physical and speech language therapy services. TCTS is also a resource for independent evaluations (mentioned earlier in this story). For information on evaluations, call (973) 218–6394 or email info@childtherapynj.com.

Kids…They Swallow the Darndest Things

Few moments are more frightening to a parent than the realization that their child may be choking on, or have swallowed, a foreign object. Sadly, every five days a child in the U.S. dies in a choking incident, almost always involving food, toys or coins. Choking is especially common in children 4 years old and younger. Thankfully, the vast majority of incidents are resolved by vigilant parents and quick-thinking doctors and nurses. As an ER physician, you never know what you’ll find when you ask a young patient to “open wide.”

Sir Isaac Newton is famous for saying, “What goes up, must come down.” Is the opposite true? 

Although I make no claim to being a world-famous physicist, I can tell you with some authority that, no, the opposite is rarely true. Once something goes down a kid’s throat, it may require a visit to your local ER.

Is coughing and wheezing in a baby or toddler usually an upper respiratory issue—such as a cold or asthma—or should parents pay closer attention?

You should pay closer attention, because the problem could be the result of an ingested foreign body. Just because a child isn’t choking per se, it doesn’t mean something’s not stuck down there. For example, one morning, a father rushed his 18-month-old son into our ER coughing and wheezing. I took the child from the dad’s arms and attempted to lay him flat on a stretcher. The child refused to lay flat. He would only sit upright. I tried again.

The child began to choke and cough. The dad said, “See that? He is coughing and wheezing again.” A quick examination of the child’s eyes, ears and nose was normal.

So what was the issue?

While a nurse held the child’s head steady, I depressed his tongue and there it was: a tiny gold-colored, rectangular object lodged in his airway. We sat the child upright and I used alligator-forceps to extract the item. It was a SIM card from his father’s cell phone. Only then did the father put it all together—he realized that his son had been teething and sucking on his cell phone and had accidentally ingested the SIM card. What the father had heard was actually not wheezing. It was stridor, which is an upper-airway obstruction at or above the level of the vocal cords.

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What other objects do you see fairly regularly in the ER?

Ingested foreign bodies come in many different shapes and sizes. Some of the most common include coins, button batteries, regular batteries, small toys that contain magnets, plastic hair beads, crayons, safety pins, paper clips and hairpins. The ingestion of button batteries, which are often lithium batteries, is a true emergency and could be fatal. Button batteries can be found in common items such as watches, small toys, cameras and children’s sound storybooks, among other things.

What’s the procedure involved in dislodging a button battery?

Once a patient has presented to the ER with this type of ingestion, the ER doctor must take an x-ray to make certain that it is not in the esophagus. The caustic within the button battery can erode the esophageal wall and cause a severe, life-threatening infection within the thoracic (chest) cavity. The treatment is emergent retrieval of the button battery via an endoscopy, performed by a Gastroenterologist. The main point here is if you think your child has ingested a button battery, do not wait. Bring your child to the ER immediately for evaluation.

What happens when a child actually swallows a small object and it passes through the esophagus and into the stomach?

The response depends on the object. An 8-year-old girl presented to the ER one evening on the night of her First Holy Communion. She had gone to bed and then, a half-hour later, ran to her mother in fear stating, “I don’t want you to yell at me, but I think I lost my St. Elizabeth metal that Uncle Joe gave me today for my Communion! I have the chain, but I can’t find the medal.” After a thorough search of the bed and room, her parents grew suspicious and feared that she had in fact swallowed the medal by accident, but she was afraid to admit the truth.

Was that the case?

It was. After an x-ray of the child’s chest and abdomen, I discovered that the medal had already passed through the esophagus and into the stomach.

Did she confess—no pun intended?

Yes, in private, I again asked the child what had happened. She spilled the beans: “I was hanging upside down off the side of my bed, flipping the medal in and out of my mouth with my tongue…and then it came off of the chain! I got scared and accidentally swallowed it when I tried to get back up onto my bed. Please don’t tell Mama!”

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Did it pass through her system?

Yes. In general, once coins, medallions, etc., have moved beyond the esophagus, they will pass freely through the bowels. If a child has no symptoms after such an incident, a follow-up x-ray 2-3 days later can show us whether or not the coin has passed through the bowels. If a child experiences vomiting or abdominal pain, however, a repeat examination is needed, complete with x-ray. If the object is stuck, then it may have to be removed.

ALSO…

People with specific medical needs should have a wristband that would alert doctors and nurses of that special need. It might even save a life.

—Rita B.

We use different color-coded wristbands for certain (but not all) patients, Rita. It’s actually part of the Critical Care Committee’s playbook at Trinitas. Expanding this to include a wider range of conditions is something we are always looking at.

—John D’Angelo, DO

Editor’s Note: John D’Angelo, DO, is the Chairman of Emergency Medicine at Trinitas Regional Medical Center. He has been instrumental in introducing key emergency medical protocols at Trinitas, including the life-saving Code STemi, which significantly reduces the amount of time it takes for cardiac patients to move from the emergency setting to the cardiac catheterization lab for treatment.

Do you have a hot topic for Dr. D’Angelo and his Trinitas ER team? Submit your questions to AskDrD@edgemagonline.com

The stigma attached to Alzheimer’s—and a dearth of clinical trial volunteers—may be slowing the development of a breakthrough drug.

When I was doing my post-doctoral fellowship, I was in the room with a neurologist who gave a patient an Alzheimer’s diagnosis and then left. I think the family forgot I was still in the room. The man turned to his wife and said, “We really need smarter people working on this problem.”

Well, in the two-plus decades since, there have been a lot of smart people working on it, and progress has been made. New drugs have come on the market: Cognex in 1993, Aricept in 1996, Exelon in 2000, Razadyne in 2001, and Namenda in 2003. In 2011, for the first time in 27 years, a revision of the initially proposed 1986 consensus criteria for Alzheimer’s Disease were established, which incorporate all of the data and technological and clinical advances that have been amassed over the past several decades of research. Since we now know that people suffering from Alzheimer’s have probably had plaques and tangles developing in their brains for decades, the emphasis on early intervention is greater than ever.

We are currently in a better position to identify pre-symptomatic patients so that, if we had a disease-modifying medication, we could catch people early and possibly prevent the disease from progressing. There are a lot of companies looking for that breakthrough Alzheimer’s drug, which is why clinical trials are so important.

Ironically, the biggest obstacle right now in finding a cure for Alzheimer’s Disease may be the lack of participants in the studies being run on these new drugs and therapies.

Pharmaceutical companies are way behind in recruiting volunteers. Timelines for enrolling subjects are usually not met. This means critical data is coming out too slowly. We have not had an investigational Alzheimer’s drug get past Phase III in years.

WHO CAN PARTICIPATE?

The profile of a trial participant ranges from someone with cognitive impairment or concern to individuals who have received an Alzheimer’s diagnosis but are otherwise healthy. About half of the participants in the trials we run come through our clinic, the Cognitive and Research Center of New Jersey; these are people with whom we have already established trust and rapport. Others are referred by groups of neurologists, internists and gerontologists. We also get participants as a result of the public outreach I do personally. I am a big advocate of Alzheimer’s education and do a lot of speaking at churches, synagogues, senior centers, and other venues.

So why the lack of participants? Some are afraid that they’re agreeing to be “guinea pigs” for drug companies. That’s a valid objection, but people with this objection may not appreciate that these trials are very highly regulated by the government. It is very hard for a drug company to start a clinical trial. The FDA and other regulatory agencies have to be convinced that the potential benefits outweigh any risk; patient safety is concern number-one. Each trial has a set of strict criteria, and always errs on the side of safety.

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There are other factors that make it difficult for clinics to find an adequate number of volunteers. Alzheimer’s trials have a high rate of screening failure. Even here—where we are highly specialized—the screening failure rate can range up to 50% after we’ve done urine, blood and EKG testing. Sometimes, people don’t meet criteria for a study because of preexisting medical conditions or medication regimens. There are always lists of medications that can’t be taken with the drug that’s being tested, and the patient can’t stop taking a particular medication.

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Something else that impacts Alzheimer’s trials is that there will be a “study partner” involved. This is someone who knows the patient well and is in close enough proximity to acknowledge that the medication is being taken, and who can generate qualitative information, such as new symptoms, the level of caretaker burden, the patient’s mood and daily living skills—and just answering the question How are they doing? This is usually an immediate family member, but can also be a close friend. Without a committed study partner, it is unlikely an individual would be able to participate in an Alzheimer’s (or even a cognitive impairment) trial.

Finally, there is the stigma associated with Alzheimer’s, which I hope is changing. People think it’s a mental illness instead of a progressive medical disease. That could well be at the root of the recruiting problem pharmaceutical companies are experiencing in their trials. My perception is that a lot of people delay getting a diagnosis, mostly out of fear or perhaps denial. Incredibly, in fact, more than half the people who have Alzheimer’s never actually receive a diagnosis—even as they are being prescribed medications such as Aricept.

TRIAL BENEFITS

Among the major benefits of participating in a clinical trial is access to some of the better technology that is being developed. There are a number of procedures a patient’s insurance might not cover, including amyloid PET scans, which are very expensive. Thanks to this technology, we can actually detect microscopic changes in the brain that can give us a more concrete diagnosis.

All of the assessments a patient receives during a study are free. And sometimes there is a stipend for patients and their study partners.

Perhaps the most compelling reason to get involved in an Alzheimer’s study is the fact that people who are in clinical trials do better than people who are not—even those who are in the placebo group. Receiving attention from four or five specialists, talking about your condition, and receiving constant feedback is very therapeutic for the patient and for the study partner. In fact, most people who have completed one trial here want to get right into another.

The length of a clinical trial can vary from months to years. The length of each visit could take 45 minutes or four to five hours depending on what kind of evaluations are being done. Typically the clinic visits are more frequent at the beginning of a trial so that we can establish eligibility and collect baseline measures.

Whether volunteering for a clinical trial is appealing or not, families facing the prospect of a loved one with Alzheimer’s Disease need to take action. This disease is hard to deal with on your own, without support. The longer a family waits for a diagnosis, the sooner they’ll find themselves dealing with things in disaster mode.

The Alzheimer’s Disease Association estimates that 5.3 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer’s, and that number will continue to rise as the Baby Boomers age.

Unfortunately, right now less than half of these individuals are actually being told they have it. They don’t want to hear the diagnosis. So large numbers of patients and their families are suffering through the disease with no help.

They need to be educated to plan for the future and understand changes in behavior, and to prepare for the practical and emotional issues of care they will face. When we conduct our initial neuropsychological evaluations, everyone leaves with a folder containing information about relevant resources. People may be hesitant to use those resources initially, but they are good to have on file. Also, individuals who get linked with resources fare much better than people who put off being evaluated.

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The first step for many patients and their families is to deal with the overwhelming idea that once you have Alzheimer’s, there’s nothing anyone can do. The fact is there are things we can do. And the trials that clinics like ours are conducting hold great promise that soon we’ll be able to do much, much more.

Editor’s Note: Michelle Papka is a neuropsychologist specializing in Alzheimer’s Disease and mild cognitive impairment. For more information log onto thecrcnj.com or email info@thecrcnj.com.

Renal Patients Learning to THRIVE Through Education & Intervention

The best-kept secret in Linden isn’t a chic boutique. It’s not a trendy eatery, nor is it a new after-hours hot spot. According to Joseph McTernan, it’s the Trinitas Renal Services Unit, which has made the difference in countless thousands of lives since opening in 1993.

“Right here in Linden, we offer world-class expertise in both the diagnosis and treatment of renal disease,” says McTernan, Senior Director of Community and Clinical Services for Trinitas Regional Medical Center. “Our renal program has won a national award for excellence in patient care, and our highly qualified physicians and staff boast years of experience. We have won a five-star rating from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which puts us in the top 10 percent of dialysis centers around the country. It’s a designation that affirms the strength of our renal care outcomes.”

Ruby Codjoe, Nurse Manager of the Linden Dialysis Center, Peggy Custode, Renal Clinician at the Dialysis Center at the Williamson Street Campus, and Dr. James Mc Anally, Chair of the Nephrology Division at Trinitas, regularly review patient cases. On a weekly basis, the Linden Center treats up to 90 Chronic Kidney Disease patients while the Williamson Street Renal Dialysis Unit treats up to 75 patients.

How does one measure such a thing? It’s a numbers game, says Dr. James McAnally, Chair of the Division of Nephrology: ER visits, hospital admissions, and infection rates. And the Trinitas numbers are indeed outstanding.

“Our patients require 40 percent fewer emergency department visits than the national average, and 43 percent fewer hospital admissions,” says Dr. McAnally.  “Our rate of infection is less than half of the national average.”

Besides its Linden location, which treats chronic patients, the Renal Services Unit also has a location at the main campus on Williamson Street and another at the New Point campus, both in Elizabeth.

10 STEPS TO RENAL HEALTH

• Exercise regularly
• Don’t overuse over-the-counter painkillers or NSAIDs
• Control your weight
• Get an annual physical
• Follow a healthy diet
• Know your family’s medical history
• Monitor blood pressure & cholesterol
• Don’t smoke or abuse alcohol
• Talk to your doctor about getting tested if you’re at risk for chronic kidney disease
• Learn about kidney disease

“If you have high blood pressure, diabetes, a family history of kidney failure, or are over age 60, the best thing you can do is to get tested for kidney disease annually by a doctor,” Sean Roach, Public Relations Manager for the National Kidney Foundation tells EDGE. “Usually, a urine test is all you need.”

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is found in 26 million adults in the United States. The most common causes of CKD are diabetes and hypertension. Data shows that African Americans and Hispanics are disproportionately effected.

So, what’s the plan of attack to diagnose and treat all those who have chronic kidney disease?

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INTERVENTION & EDUCATION

“Education is a big part of what we do,” Dr. McAnally points out. “We teach patients how to take the best care of themselves. We have them meet with nutritionists and other professionals to make every day the best day possible.”

The first step on this journey toward living the best days possible is The High Risk-Intervention Via Education (THRIVE) Program at Trinitas, which Dr. Mc Anally founded more than 20 years ago. It addresses CKD in its early stages.  Dr. Mc Anally explains: “The goal of the THRIVE program is not only to educate and to empower patients regarding CKD and its various treatment options, but more importantly to develop strategies to slow the progression of CKD.

With the support of the National Kidney Foundation, Trinitas has conducted annual screenings to help community members become aware of the likelihood that they may develop CKD based on hereditary or lifestyle factors. “Through our efforts, we have reached more than 500 people who have participated in our Kidney Early Evaluation Program (KEEP),” explains Peggy Custode, Renal Clinician.

The THRIVE program is based on the five “E’s” of rehabilitation:

1. Encouragement. The THRIVE team gives patients with impending kidney failure the encouragement they need to adopt a positive attitude toward rehabilitation.
2. Education. The THRIVE team gives patients and their families the education they need to handle the sometimes profound life changes associated with chronic illness, including coping strategies for successful adaptation.
3. Exercise. Gradual decline in muscle strength and endurance is a result of inactivity. THRIVE patients are encouraged and counseled about exercise. There are many levels of activity to fit varying degrees of functional ability, from vigorous workouts for the otherwise healthy patient to stretching exercises for the chairbound.
4. Employment Referrals. Occasionally there is a need to alter the work environment to address healthcare needs. The THRIVE staff assists patients in meeting these needs.
5. Evaluation. Identifying patients early and educating them about kidney disease—and how to comply with a treatment plan—enables them to manage their own health, which will improve outcomes.

These 5 E’s of rehabilitation work.  As a result of the THRIVE program, most patients begin renal therapy electively in an outpatient setting.  “Such therapy has been associated with decreased morbidity, decreased mortality and lower costs overall,” reveals Dr. Mc Anally.

“Our mission isn’t simply helping patients survive,” McTernan adds. “It’s about showing them how to thrive.”

DIABETES & KIDNEY DISEASE

How prevalent is kidney disease? Sean Roach of the National Kidney Foundation says that 26 million American adults—nearly one in 10—have kidney disease. “And, most don’t know it,” he says. “That figure is projected to climb to 14.4% in 2020, and 16.7% in 2030.”

Dr. McAnally says the current diabetes epidemic is largely to blame for the increasing number of kidney disease cases. Diabetes is one of America’s leading killers, as well as the number-one cause of kidney failure. Also, signs and symptoms of kidney disease are often nonspecific. That means they can be caused by other illnesses. And because kidneys are highly adaptable and able to compensate for lost function, signs and symptoms may not appear until irreversible damage has occurred.

“Dr. Mc Anally’s professional career has been devoted to nephrology and to teaching patients how to manage their kidney disease,” says Joe Mc Ternan. “He has encouraged people who have hypertension or diabetes to take responsibility for their renal care before they experience significant kidney failure.”

Toy Story 0.5 (aka Surviving the 1960s)

Once upon a time, in a foreign country called the 1960s, there were no au pairs, soccer moms or helicopter parents. City kids rode public buses to school and back. In the suburbs, children roamed neighborhoods like packs of feral animals. Uncle Frank might slip 12-year-old nieces and nephews fireworks and cigarettes and a gulp of his beer every now and then—and make them promise not to tell mom and dad (or Aunt Shirley). Granddad would take you out in his Pontiac Bonneville at dawn on Sunday morning and teach you to drive on the Pulaski Skyway and the New Jersey Turnpike. Believe it or not.

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If, like me, you were born in the United States between 1954 and 1964, you belong to an exclusive demographic: The Late Baby Boomers. We were born smack-dab in the middle of what economists have dubbed The Thirty Glorious Years, an epoch of prosperity and abundance unparalleled in human history. We were the progeny of the can-do New Frontier. We were expected to grow up fast and, in large part, do it on our own. More and more of us were children of divorce, with two or more working parents. The term invented for us was latchkey kids. A close friend who’s a bit older and wiser observed that a lot of us suffered from benign neglect. He maintains that we didn’t get enough time with our folks, who were always working. And that they couldn’t wait until we were old enough to start working, too.

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So many of the toys produced and marketed to us in the 1960s, and that our parents bought for us, are looked upon a half-century later with horror and disbelief. If you’re a Late Baby Boomer, however, you also harbor a certain nostalgia for all those hot, sharp and toxic playthings. I think this is because they reflected the cultural philosophy of our parents. Life is full of risks, kid—here’s some dangerous stuff to get you used to taking them. And don’t come crying to us unless you need stitches.

Mattel, Inc.

CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’

I was born in San Francisco in 1960 and was a toddler in Santa Monica. My parents relocated back to Manhattan before I turned three. On weekends, I’d kick around my grandfather’s car dealership in Jersey City. In March of 1968, my mom put me on an American Airlines flight from JFK to LAX, alone, to meet up with my copywriter dad, who was shooting a series of KOOL cigarette ads in Southern California. The stewardesses pampered me like a lost puppy.

For an eight-year-old kid who only knew the gray, gritty streets and harsh winters of New York, Los Angeles in 1968 was like paradise. Perfect concrete streets, fantastic googie architecture, Hollywood studio backlots, dayglo and hippies and surf music and Kustom Kars. And the Valhalla of all 1960s kids: the Magic Kingdom of Disneyland in Anaheim. On the way to D-Land, on the I-5 Golden State Freeway, we passed through Hawthorne. Right there along the side of the freeway was Disneyland’s not-so-distant cousin, the Magic Factory of Mattel Toys, where just about everything cool—from Hot Wheels to Creepy Crawlers—were actually made.

In San Gabriel, five minutes off the I-10 Santa Monica Freeway, just about everything else that was cool was made at the Wham-O factory: Hula Hoops, Frisbees, Super Balls, Slip and Slides, Instant Elastic Bubble Plastic, Silly String and Silly Slime. If it could be made from some potentially toxic new plastic polymer, you could be sure that Wham-O would serve it up.

Think about it. Pretty much all of today’s extreme sports were birthed by us Late Baby Boomers. We built jumps for our Sting-Rays and Tarzan swings at lake shores. We snuck into neighbors’ backyards to skateboard in their empty swimming pools. Cowboys & Indians seemed quaint and outdated to us. We played war…how much more “extreme” can you get?

Not that we had many options. Growing up in the 1960s, there were no video games, just a black & white screen (only the seriously affluent had color TVs) with a handful of channels that actually ran children’s programming. Most of the shows I watched had product tie-ins with toy companies like Marx, Transogram, Mattel, Ideal and Topper. Most of the action toys—particularly for boys—launched projectiles like rockets or grenades, using springs or water/air pressure. A few in particular that stick in my head are the Fireball XL5 Space City Playset, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Napoleon Solo gun, and the James Bond 007 Attaché Case, which shot a hard plastic bullet with the press of a hidden button in the handle.

I grew up a Junior Mad Man. My dad was an advertising copywriter, my mom an account executive and stepdad an art director. Basically, I was hardwired to consume from the cradle. Television was the gift that never stopped giving. It brought the money into the house, and then showed what you could exchange for it. For me, it was invariably the latest dangerous, worthless plastic piece of junk as seen on TV. Surviving examples are still dangerous and toxic, but the ones in mint-condition are far from worthless. Spend five minutes on eBay and you’ll see.

It occurs to me that the much-maligned Helicopter Parent might be the indirect product of these toys. Maybe these are the boys who were bludgeoned or terrorized or used as guinea pigs by their older siblings. Or the girls who scorched themselves cooking cupcakes with 200-watt lightbulbs. In one generation, the protection pendulum swung from one extreme to the other.

I look back at the halcyon days of irresponsible parenting and no longer ask What were they thinking? I’m halfway through my 50s now and I get it. All is forgiven. The folks who designed and marketed the toys we played with, however, are another matter entirely. I don’t think I’ll ever understand how some of these products found their way on to store shelves. Here then are my Unlucky 13:

I NEVER INHALED

Which is a good thing, because the Gilbert Glass Blowing Kit—manufactured until the early 1960s and available at garage sales for another decade—was permanent lung damage waiting to happen. Lest you forget, molten glass has a temperature of 1000º F. A sure litmus test to see if your parents were cheapskates (or simply out to maim you) was whether or not they’d cough up the additional coin for goggles, a pair of welder’s gloves, and an asbestos table board. Because, you guessed it, safety equipment was “sold separately.”

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BIG BANG

Introduced in the 1940s and manufactured until the early 1970s, Chemistry Sets put the boom in the Baby Boom. Blowing yourself up or poisoning yourself was no problem thanks to entry-level basics Potassium Permanganate and Ammonium Nitrate, Tannic Acid and Sodium Ferrocyanide. Bomb- and poison-making made simple and fun! Refills available. Some of the most popular and dramatic things a kid could do with a deluxe set was to perform magic tricks, like turning water (aqueous solution of sodium carbonate and bicarbonate) into wine (adding phenolphthalein), then into milk (adding barium chloride), and then into beer (adding potassium dichromate and hydrochloric acid). The grand finale? Persuading your “assistant” (younger sibling, idiot neighbor) to drink it.

BURN NOTICE

Why squander precious nickels and dimes buying rubber bugs out of gumball machines when you could make your own? The economics of Mattel’s

Mattel, Inc.

Creepy Crawlers seemed obvious to anyone with a first-grade education. And that’s about how old kids were when their parents handed them a box containing a 300ºF hot plate, cast metal molds and a semi-liquid “non-toxic” substance in plastic squeeze bottles that everyone called “goop.” Creepy Crawlers hit the market in 1965 and were incredibly popular. Unfortunately, they weren’t edible. So in 1968, Mattel unveiled Incredible Edibles—featuring the same equipment along with semi-liquid candy called Gobble-Degoop in six colors and flavors: root beer, cherry, licorice, butterscotch, cinnamon, and mint. My friends and I got some very nasty burns and blisters from these child scar-makers. We’d become impatient for the bugs to finish cooking solid, and get splattered with super-hot molten plastic and gummy sauce trying to pry them out of the burning-hot molds with tweezers and sewing needles. On the plus side, visiting the emergency room was very educational.

SHOP TIL YOU DROP

Sand off your fingerprints! Lose a pinky! Drill-press the cat! The Mattel

Mattel, Inc.

Power Shop, introduced in 1964, offered dozens of possible projects and hours of fun. All of the big, noisy machines those lucky big kids were allowed to use in junior high were now within your seven-year-old grasp (at least until you started severing tendons).

HONORABLE MENTION

For two years in the early 1950s, parents could purchase at the then-astronomical cost of $50 the

A.C. Gilbert Company

Gilbert Model #U-238 Atomic Energy Lab. The sell copy says it all:

• Most modern scientific set ever created!
• See paths of alpha particles speeding at 12,000 miles per second!
• Watch actual atomic disintegration—right before your eyes!
• Prospect for Uranium with Geiger-Mueller Counter!
• 10,000 Dollar Reward: That’s what the United States Government will pay to anyone who discovers deposits of Uranium ore!
• Full details in the book Prospecting for Uranium, packed with this Atomic Energy Lab.
• Includes: Geiger-Muller Counter, Wilson Cloud Chamber, Spinthariscope, Electroscope, Nuclear Spheres, Alpha Beta and Gamma radiation sources, radioactive ores.
• Three illustrated books: Prospecting for Uranium, How Dagwood Splits the Atom, Gilbert Atomic Energy Instruction Book
• All Samples of Radioactive Materials are Completely Harmless!

I can’t imagine why this was pulled off the market. By the way, if you want a mint-condition original today, get out your gold coin. They can sell for thousands at auction.

DIGITAL DIVIDE

Say what you will about Mattel’s electric-powered toys. At least they were certified by Underwriters’ Laboratories. No such luck with Jig Saw Junior, which hit the market in 1958 courtesy of Burgess Industries, with this bit of marketing gold: “It will vibrate well enough to cut balsa or other thin soft woods without taking off your child’s finger.” You can practically hear Dan Aykroyd’s sleazy Irwin Mainway character pitching this product on SNL between Bag o’ Glass and Johnny Human Torch.

BLAST FROM THE PAST

Water Rockets were our gateway drug to the Space Race. For a couple of bucks, every child could do his or her part to beat the Russkies to the moon—and get a refreshing, explosive splash of water on a hot summer day. So let’s do the Newtonian calculus: Two pounds of air-pressure water sealed in hard plastic, accelerating to a velocity of 40 miles per hour within a few yards. Just what a kid needs to crack the windshield of the family car. Or dent the skull of his nerd cousin Elaine.

Transogram Company, Inc.

WEARABLE WHIPLASH

The

Swing Wing, introduced in 1965, was one of those toys that made absolutely no sense, but how could you not beg your parents for it after seeing those head-twirling kids on the commercial? It was a plastic chin-strapped beanie, with a long weighted cord attached to a pivot on top. It was meant to be a cranium-mounted spin-off of the Hula Hoop. Which translated to permanent neck vertebrae damage and—for the accomplished Swing-Winger—potential paralysis. From Transogram…Where the FUN comes from!

Photo by Santishek

STRING THEORY

The idea was elegant in its stupidity. Klik-Klaks were two hard-plastic spheres attached by thin cords to a central ring, which slipped over your finger. Move your hand up and down at just the right speed, and they crashed together at 12 o’clock and 6 o’clock again and again and again. They were outlawed in schools for noise and safety reasons, but that just made them more alluring, and in the late-60s companies rushed cheaply made competing versions to market with no regard for quality. This led to two basic outcomes: String failure, leading to property damage, or a shattered ball, leading to eye damage.

SLIPPERY SLOPE

Wham-O introduced the Slip and Slide in 1961as the backyard progenitor to the waterslide theme park. It was nothing more than a garden hose attached to a long strip of slick vinyl. Millions were sold before anyone gave a second thought to safety. If you broke a toe on one of the stakes that secured it to the lawn or caught a major raspberry on the driveway because you slid off the end, well…that was your problem. Kids who limped away from these injuries were the lucky ones. Adults who found this toy irresistible relearned much of what they had forgotten from physics class, like “a body in motion tends to stay in motion” (Newton again) even when you run out of Slip and Slide. Eventually, words like “spinal cord injury” and “death” were included in the instruction manual’s safety warnings. A handicapped access icon should have been added, too.

Louis Marx & Co.

NO BRAKES NO STEERING NO PROBLEM

Introduced in 1968, the Krazy Kar from Marx was an ill-conceived kiddy car compounded by a near-total absence of control. Kids sat in a circular plastic frame and propelled themselves using two oversized wheels with handles. Two pivoting shopping-cart wheels at the front and rear ensured kraziness. The children pictured on the packaging seemed blissfully unaware of their fate. Perhaps they lived in a hilltop subdivision or at the end of a steep driveway. Its more-than-passing resemblance to a “krazy” wheelchair should have been a tip-off to parents. And yet, the Krazy Kar has endured, careening back into stores during the 1990s to inure a whole new generation of kids.

TRIGGER HAPPY

The category of Projectile-Firing Toy Guns could fill an entire issue of this magazine. Their heyday was roughly 1955 to 1970, and they ranged from easily concealed pistols to hefty weapons of mass destruction. As a boy, I owned the Zebra Pistol, which fired small rubber pellets, and the Star Trek Disc Pistol, which zipped out nickel-sized, multicolored hard-plastic disks. (An admission here and long-overdue apology: In the hands of an expert, these pellets and discs could be ricocheted off plate glass with an astonishing degree of accuracy, tailor-made for terrorizing the East Side society matrons and their tiny dogs out window shopping on Madison Avenue.) Meanwhile, it was the big guns—like

Photo by Mike Evangelist

Johnny Seven OMA and Johnny Eagle Magumba big- game rifle—that transformed innocent child’s play into a Photo by Mike Evangelist  magnificently destructive experience. Hummel and Staffordshire figurines, proudly displayed Royal Doulton china, or really anything perched on a mantle or étagère, made for an irresistible target—at, I might add, an impressively long range. Finally, for those of us who couldn’t wait to get to Vietnam but were a dozen years too young, there was the ultimate in heavy artillery: the REMCO Marine Raider Bazooka. It fired a hollow blue hard-plastic two-inch “USMC” bazooka round with a muzzle velocity of at least 60 miles per hour. At point-blank range, well, Farewell, My Lovely—eyesight or baby teeth, that is.

A MIGHTY WIND

For parents who had absolutely no common sense, the go-to toy had to be the Air Cannon. As their names imply, the Agent Zero-M Sonic Blaster and Wham-O Air Blaster, both introduced in the mid-60s, were a blast. Kurt Russell proved it to us in an early commercial, which you can easily find on YouTube. The wisdom of handing a small child one of these products is best illustrated in a black & white snapshot of my oldest friend, who was photographed shouldering an Agent Zero-M. He was probably blowing a squirrel out of a tree. The photo made him something of an internet sensation. If you wanted to give your enemy a sporting chance, you could opt for the handheld Wham-O blaster. Both toys were meant to blow down cardboard targets with a massive puff of air, but clever kids soon figured out that just about anything—from ping-pong balls to prune juice—could be loaded into either one and fired “to great effect” during a grownup dinner party.

INCOMING!

No story on dangerous toys would be complete without a few words about Lawn Darts. The name itself tells any sane person all they need to know. Seriously, is there any lawn in the world that is improved Irwin Sports by the introduction of

darts? Essentially, these were hard-to-see mini-javelins made for people with dubious athletic skill and depth perception—never a good combination. There’s an old saying that “close” only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. In lawn darts, getting close to your target often precipitated a trip to the hospital.

Editor’s Note: Luke Sacher is a documentary filmmaker and an avid collector of antique and classic toys—an expensive habit he picked up from his mom, who amassed a spectacular collection. Luke authored Apocalypse Wow for our Good Earth Issue, a compendium of noteworthy end-of-the-world movies. Check it out at edgemagonline.com.

For that Special Day

HEAVEN SCENT

If you’re stuck for Something Blue, well, Oscar de la Renta’s got you covered. Available at nordstrom.com.

SPEECH! SPEECH!

Raindrop Toasting Flutes may only be used once, but the memory of that moment will last forever. Available at weddingfavorsunlimited.com.

BOWL GAME

Ceramic artist Heather Shadron personalizes Nesting Bowls for the happy couple. Available at uncommongoods.com.

SHORE THING

Nothing softens the mood at summer weddings like beach-themed Personalized Pillows. Available at zazzle.com.

MOM’S IN THE HOOD

Nothing says “I paid for this shindig” like a Mother of the Bride Hoodie. Available at exclusivelyweddings.com.

Unique & Totally Unexpected Wedding Presents

SOFT PEDAL

The fully optimized Paketa Custom Tandem Bike offers state-of-the-art transportation to the newlywed steering committee. Available at paketabike.com.

COVER STORY

The Perfectiona Canopy Outdoor Daybed is a cozy way to keep the honeymoon going all summer long. Available at lexmod.com.

HAMMER TIME

The hand-crafted mixed-metals Arts & Crafts Tray is the ultimate home entertaining conversation piece.
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THE VIEW

What greater gift could there be than picking up the tab for a two-night honeymoon stay in the Hong Kong Intercontinental’s 4,500 sq. ft. Terrace Suite overlooking Victoria Harbor?
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LIP SERVICE

The Marilyn Sofa, designed by Studio 65 for Gufram in the 1980s, is the ultimate impact wedding gift. Available at 1stdibs.com.

For the Heels

TOWER OF POWER

Sophia Webster’s Brazilian-engineered Fabric Sandal takes summer footwear to new heights. Available at neimanmarcus.com.

IN THE PINK

The appeal of Chiara Ferragni whimsical Italian footwear goes way beyond cosmetic. Available at luisaviaroma.com.

BLACK & WHITE

Olsen Haus’s “pure vegan” Ballet Flats give a hip 80’s feel to skinny jeans, leggings and capris. Available at vickerey.com.

EVENING SHADE

Badgley Mischka’s blue Bridal Pumps are among the designer’s most popular wedding picks. Available at nordstrom.com.

KEEPIN’ IT WHEEL

Kobi’s clever Bicycle Sandal was inspired by the UK’s first women’s professional cycling event. Available at kobilevidesign.com.

Everything you wanted to know about New Jersey couples…and a few things you didn’t.

In 2005, single mom Shirley Stewart and her teenage daughter, Jashirele, were shopping at the IKEA in Elizabeth. Jashirele pointed out Rashid Smith, who was shopping alone nearby. The two ladies followed good-looking Rashid for nearly an hour, trying to figure out from his cart contents whether or not he was married. Finally, in the frame department, Jashirele just went up and asked him. No, said Rashid. He was not.

Fast-forward eight years. Stewart and Smith tied the knot—in that very same frame department.

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Their story is not unusual. New Jersey is an endless source of great meet-cute yarns, off-the-charts weddings and tales of quirky couples. In these pages we present a sampling of fun facts…along with the good, the bad and the ugly.

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A Bargain at Twice the Price

Earlier this spring, Vineland couple Clara and Julio Sbrana celebrated their 76th wedding anniversary. Both turned 100 recently. Last year, they renewed their wedding vows on their 75th anniversary. Julio had his first dance with Clara Vai at a bar on Dante Avenue the year after Prohibition was repealed. She charged him a nickel.

Something Less Than a Bargain

At roughly $54,000, our area—specifically, Central and Northern New Jersey—is the third-most expensive place to get married in the United States. Manhattan ranks #1 with an average cost of $76,000 and Long Island is second at$55,000. Westchester and the Outer Boroughs came in fourth and sixth, respectively, with Chicago coming in fifth at $51,000. Rounding out the Top 10 are Philadelphia, Rhode Island, the San Francisco Bay Area and South Jersey ($39,000).

Photo by Pete Souza

Cry Baby

Can you have a wedding reception without at least one Stevie Wonder song? For her 2011 wedding at the Rockleigh Country Club in Bergen County, Aisha Morris asked the Charles St. Paul Band to play Isn’t She Lovely. The song had a particular special meaning to Aisha, whose father, Steveland Morris (aka Stevie Wonder) was in attendance. What’s more, when he recorded Isn’t She Lovely in 1976, he needed the sound of an infant crying at the beginning of the song. The baby he recorded was Aisha.

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Put a Ring On It

Liberty Hall, on the campus of current-day Kean University, hosted one of the state’s first A-List weddings in the spring of 1774. John Jay, the future Governor of New York and Supreme Court Chief Justice, married Sarah Livingston, daughter of New Jersey Governor William Livingston. Legend has it that the same home was the site, some two decades later, of an A-List elopement. William Henry Harrison, a young Army officer, spirited Anna Symmes out of a parlor window very much against the wishes of his future father-in-law, the honorable John Symmes. Judge Symmes changed his tune after Harrison—a protégé of Mad Anthony Wayne—achieved some notoriety on the battlefield. Harrison eventually was elected 9th President of the United States.

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Feed Me, Grover

The modest clapboard house where President Grover Cleveland was born in 1837 still stands on Bloomfield Ave. in Caldwell. Two marriage-related artifacts are on display there: The 1886 certificate commemorating the union of Cleveland and Frances Folsom and a slice of their wedding cake. It is housed in a Tiffany & Co. presentation box and food historians believed it to be the oldest piece of cake in America.

The Clevelands were married while Grover was serving his first term in the White House. Frances was the daughter of his late law partner; he had become her legal guardian in 1876, when Frances’s father died and she was only 11. Many assumed that Cleveland would marry Frances’s mother, but instead he wed Frances as soon as she turned 21.

Visitors can’t help but notice that a piece of the Cleveland wedding cake appears to be missing. Legend has it that a Cub Scout nibbled it off on a dare sometime in the 1950s.

Up in Smoke

Husband-and-wife teams own and operate nearly 4 million businesses in America. The ones that succeed bring the same commitment and unified vision to their business as they do to their marriage. That was the plan for Angie’s Bridgeton Grill, one of a handful of landmark diners manufactured by the Paterson Vehicle Company. Andy and Brenda Webster, a Cedarville couple, bought the popular 44-seat eatery and went to work serving up homemade fare to the breakfast and lunch crowd.

In the fall of 2012, a fire ripped through the kitchen, destroying Angie’s, which was a Bridgeton landmark. “I don’t know what to say,” a distraught Andy told reporters the next morning. “The police came to my house last night and woke me up.”

A couple of years later Andy and his wife had plenty to say. They admitted in court to having started the fire. Their business had hit a rough patch and the insurance money was just too tempting. Late one night they doused a pile of newspapers and menus with a can of gasoline and lit it.

The gas fumes ignited and burned Angie, so it didn’t take a genius to figure out who had set the blaze. They were scheduled to be sentenced in May 2015.

Harvey Comics

The Casper Syndrome

In 2012, Josue Chinchilla and his fiancée, Michele Callan, sued their Toms River landlord for $2,250 after fleeing from their rental home a week after moving in. During that time, they claimed, doors creaked and slammed, clothing flew out of closets and strange noises came out of the floor vents.

The ranch house, located on the corner of Terrace and Lowell Avenues, was apparently haunted. The couple even went so far as to hire a paranormal investigative company, which found evidence of “an active or intelligent haunting.”

The landlord, Dr. Richard Lopez, countersued Michele and Josue for breaking their lease. According to Lopez, the only thing that spooked the couple was paying the rent.

Fore Score

Brick Township has produced some pretty impressive young people over the years, including hockey star Jim Dowd, baseball legend Hank Borowy and actress Kirsten Dunst. Among the most memorable is Ed Mallue, a two-time Ocean County Soccer Player of the Year who earned All-America honors at the U.S. Military Academy, served in Afghanistan and rose to the rank of captain.

The love of Ed Mallue’s life, Natalie Heimel, is also an Army captain. Both are stationed in Hawaii and, last December, they scheduled their wedding on the 16th hole of the Kaneohe Klipper Golf Course. At least, that was the plan.

A certain Commander-in-Chief was also in Hawaii, with plans to play a round on the same golf course at the same time. Ed and Natalie were forced by Secret Service agents to move their wedding at the last minute so President Obama could play through.

He called them later to apologize. “I feel terrible, nobody told us,” he said. “We would have skipped the 16th hole.”

The news wasn’t all bad. The ceremony and reception were moved to the lawn of their commanding officer—which was actually a nicer location.

Merritt Miller Duffy, President of B.B. Miller & Company, keeps alive a 70 year-old family tradition of supporting healthcare in Elizabeth.

EDGE: Judging by the article in the 1944 Rotary International magazine, your family has a long history of giving back to the community, and especially in assisting Elizabeth’s hospitals. Growing up as a member of the Miller Family, was it just assumed that you would someday find a significant way to help the community?

MD: In my family, helping the community is always something you are expected to do. It’s how we grew up. If you’re going to benefit, then you also must give back. This business has been successful in Elizabeth, and we all want to share that success. Being in the insurance business, we survive by being out with people, limiting the time we spend behind the desk. Helping the community is an outgrowth of that as well.

We have a long history in Elizabeth. My great grandfather was only 19 years old when he acquired the former RW Walsh Agency, moved it from First Street in Elizbeth to its current location on North Broad Street, and renamed it B.B. Miller. That was in 1901.

So I would say yes, there’s an expectation that you will give back to the community, but it’s something I would do anyway.

EDGE: What are the organizations that you choose to assist?

MD: I’m just finishing a third and final year as Chairperson of the Greater Elizabeth Chamber of Commerce, which I found very satisfying. Also, each Summer I volunteer for 10 weeks as Assistant Director of the Adirondak Camp near Lake George. I fell in love with the place when I went there as a 12 year-old. Later, around 1994, I attended a reunion and learned that the camp was in dire financial straits and about to close. I got together with 5 other former campers, and we volunteered behind the scenes and were able to save the camp. For the last 16 years I work there as Assistant Director during the 10-week camping season. Every Summer I live at the camp, but I take a day and a half each week to make the drive to Elizabeth, see my family, spend time at work, then make the drive back to the Adirondaks.

Merritt Duffy, flanked by husband Jim, daughter Heather, and company mascot Casey.

More recently, I got to know the Trinitas Health Foundation by helping out on their Gala Committee. I liked everyone I came in contact with, and told Nadine Brechner to let me know if she’d like me to do anything else. Well, that’s the wrong thing to tell Nadine! I’ve been a member of the Foundation Board now for 3 years. Actually, I could still do more for Trinitas. I like the satisfaction that comes with helping the hospital, and knowing that it makes an impact.

Our family’s and our firm’s involvement with the Rotary Club of Elizabeth goes back generations starting with my grandfather. He and my father, and my husband have all served as President, as has Bill Mealia, our company’s Chairman. Rotary was men-only for many years, so as a woman I forged a different path. This led me to the 200 Club of Union County, Junior Achievement, and the CMI Community Center which became Jefferson Park Ministries.

Above: Merritt Duffy, President and 4th generation owner of insurer B.B. Miller & Company, Elizabeth, looks over a World War II – era copy of Rotary International’s Rotarian magazine. The magazine features her grandfather, Bertram N. Miller’s, efforts to organize Elizabeth Rotary members and other volunteers to assist Elizabeth General Hospital during the war-time manpower shortage. Today Bertram’s descendent, Merritt, keeps the tradition of voluntarism alive, serving a number of organizations including Elizabeth General’s descendant, Trinitas Regional Medical Center.

EDGE: Volunteering must take a huge amount of time out of your schedule. What would you say is your motivation?

MD: I really believe in the City of Elizabeth. I see so much success – so many people are investing in the City—I see it every day. I’ve got great pride in the City and my family’s long history here. I hope our daughter, Heather, will carry on as the 5th generation to run BB Miller. As for me, I’ll never leave!

Sometimes it can be a challenge to convince certain insurance carriers that Elizabeth is a great place to do business. They sit in the suburbs and look down at us. That only fires me up more to be a champion for this City and for its multi-ethnic population. I’m committed to non-profits, women-owned businesses, minority-owned businesses—those that don’t have it so easy. Those are the entrepreneurs that I want to help.

You are correct about the time that volunteering takes from work. It’s difficult to do, because with insurance, you always have to go after new business. It would be a lot easier to not do any community work, but it would not be nearly as satisfying. It’s definitely a choice.

IT’S LUCKY NUMBER 7 FOR SPORTING CLAYS TOURNAMENT

The Annual Andrew H. Campbell Memorial Sporting Clays Tournament, the Trinitas Health Foundation’s June 18th fundraiser, gets better and better every year! You can be part of the seventh year of this multifaceted event at Hudson Farm Club in Andover, a woodland gem set in the rolling hills of Sussex County in beautiful northwest New Jersey. For the outdoorsy type, clay shooting and nature photography have natural appeal. If being inside makes your day, you can be pampered and rejuvenated in a relaxing spa experience at Salon International in Sparta. The day includes a delicious Pig Roast Luncheon. Whatever your interest, this event fits the bill while raising money for Trinitas Comprehensive Cancer Center. If any of these activities sound like your kind of day, contact the Trinitas Health Foundation at (908) 994-8249 or Laura Ciraco at lciraco@trinitas.org or register online at https://events.hudson-farmnj.com/trinitas/. The gift of tickets purchased for this event might earn you high points with your Dad or Grad!

TRIBUTE GIFT PROGRAM

The Trinitas Tribute Gift Program allows you to recognize someone special:

Thank a Trinitas staff member who has gone above and beyond in caring for you or another family member.

OR

Remember someone who was important in your life.

OR

Honor a loved one by marking a special milestone such as a birthday, anniversary, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Christmas or Chanukah.

The Foundation will send a beautiful tribute card to the person bein g honored or the family of the loved one being remembered.

Tribute gifts can be made in a variety of ways:

• Use your credit card to make an instant donation!(Visit TrinitasRMC.org and click on the Trinitas Health Foundation link)
• Mail your check or money order addressed to the Trinitas Health Foundation to our offices at P.O. Box 259, Elizabeth, NJ 07207-0259. Please indicate the name and address of the person you are recognizing.
• Donate your stock or securities. Visit the Trinitas
website to learn more.

Questions? Contact our offices at (908) 994-8249.

DO YOU KNOW ABOUT CHARITABLE GIFT ANNUITIES?

Charitable Gift Annuities are planned gifts that allow a donor to support a charitable organization, receive a current tax deduction and other tax savings, and realize a guaranteed income for life.
Establishing a Charitable Gift Annuity with the Trinitas Health Foundation today will allow you to financially support the vital work of Trinitas Regional Medical Center and in turn receive a tax benefit and lifetime income. The process is simple and quick. For more information on Charitable Gift Annuities and other planned giving options, please contact Rob Eccles, Trinitas Health Foundation’s Director of Major Gifts at (908) 994-8249 or via email at reccles@trinitas.org.

New Jersey’s ‘Kitchen Cousins’ have a lot on their plate in 2015.

So you thought your kitchen was a train wreck? Anthony Carrino and John Colaneri, HGTV’s ubiquitous Kitchen Cousins, pride themselves in transforming hopeless residential and commercial cooking spaces into spectacular, high-functioning showplaces. This summer, the cousins embark on their newest reality venture, America’s Most Desperate Kitchens.

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Back in late-2014, HGTV asked viewers to send in 90-second videos that proved their kitchens were totally hopeless. The network received a flood of submissions that ranged from shameful to catastrophic, picked the most challenging (and funniest) and then dispatched Carrino and Colaneri to make a little magic. America’s Most Desperate Kitchens marks the fourth series for the talented and likeable duo, who run Brunelleschi Construction in Jersey City. They have gained a legion of fans with Kitchen Cousins, Cousins On Call and Cousins Undercover.

Fans of the cousins are already setting their DVR’s for the opening episode, which airs on July 1. In the meantime, one can enjoy their latest renovation creation on Erie Street in Jersey City, where Carrino and Colaneri recently opened Carrino Provisions, a gourmet market with a family-style Italian restaurant housed in a reclaimed 19th century factory building.

Authenticity is everything in the Reality TV game, and the cousins have taken their lumps on more renovations than they care to remember. Prior to their new show (which has them traveling all over the country), they had worked almost exclusively in New Jersey. What better proving ground for construction and design skills than the old (and not-so-old) homes of the Garden State? As much as they love the challenge of updating antique houses, both agree that falling in love with an old home can be a slippery slope.

“I love a good old home or structure, but they can very quickly become money pits,” Carrino cautions. “The important thing for buyers is to get a really good home inspection prior to purchase, so you understand what you’re getting into.”

Courtesy of HGTV

A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS

What are the Kitchen Cousins’ favorite materials to work with?

John Colaneri: Wood, metal and stone. All three of these materials give any space a warm and unique feeling. I love using natural materials when designing and building homes. I always try to incorporate these three elements into my designs.

Anthony Carrino: I use myriad materials depending on the project. It’s my job to know what’s out there, so I have a good stockpile of materials I love to work with. If I had to pick three I would say live edge wood slabs, raw steel and concrete. Raw materials just speak to me.

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“I love old homes and the history they have,” adds Colaneri. “You find architectural features that are so hard to come by these days. The only downside of an old home is that nothing is up to code, and it’s going to cost a lot of money to renovate.”

Brunelleschi Construction only does restoration work. According to Colaneri, the blending of old and new is what fuels the cousins’ passion. They find New Jersey to be an ideal place for their specialty because of the large number of older and historic homes. They also find it amazing how little most owners know about their dwellings. Nine out of 10, says Colaneri, have no clue as to the condition of the mechanical systems.

“These are the things that are not in front of your face or too glamorous, but they will cost you the most in the end,” he warns. “If you are buying an old home, make sure the air conditioning and heating systems and the electrical have been maintained and updated over the years. It’s just like a car—what’s under the hood makes a big difference.”

Courtesy of HGTV

AN APPETITE FOR HISTORY

Prior to launching their new show, Carrino and Colaneri completed a major project in Jersey City in partnership with Chef Dale Talde: Carrino Provisions, a food destination that features a market, coffee bar and Osteria. The market space, which was designed by the cousins, has an old-country feel with white brick walls, hand-painted signs, fresh-baked breads and pastries, artisanal meats and cheeses, and local produce. The Osteria offers Chef Talde’s take on Italian cuisine, with large shareable portions of handmade pasta.

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Dale Talde made a name for himself across the harbor in Brooklyn, where he and partners John Bush and David Massoni operate TALDE and the Thistle Hill Tavern, both in Park Slope. His take on Asian-American cuisine earned rave reviews and a loyal following. The trio opened TALDE Jersey City a stone’s throw from Carrino Provisions, with a major renovation assist from Carrino and Colaneri, who incorporated the circa 1880 building’s elevator wheels into the restaurant’s industrial chic design. Meanwhile, the lighting has a distinctly Asian influence, with silk-and-wire lanterns illuminating the main dining space. Both TALDE Jersey City and Carrino Provisions are located on Erie Street, between Bay and 1st Street.

Anything having to do with the foundation or structural integrity of an old home is a potential deal-breaker, adds Carrino. “Along with a roof that’s in poor condition, those are things that can suck your budget dry before you even begin your renovation.”

When is a house a tear-down? Everything is fixable, the cousins claim. It’s just a matter of time and money. However, if the structural integrity of a home is profoundly compromised, it may not be worth saving. On the subject of newer homes, Carrino and Colaneri tend to be tepid. They are not fans of the boxy “McMansions” popping up where farms and forests used to be. Will they one day qualify as older homes? Better yet, will they even outlast their 30-year mortgages?

“That’s a hysterical question!” Carrino laughs. “Not that I want to avoid it, but without knowing the builders or walking the homes, I wouldn’t be able to comment as to the build quality.”

“Hey, if the local municipality approves the plans, then they have to deal with them down the road,” smiles Colaneri.

Courtesy of HGTV

“I hope towns realize that they do not look good and put a stop to it.”

Obviously, neither cousin would think of purchasing a brand-new house. After all, one has to keep up appearances. But would they consider buying an older one that needed absolutely nothing done to it?

“Never,” insists Colaneri.

“I don’t think so,” Carrino agrees. “I couldn’t buy something I couldn’t gut…or rebuild from the ground up.”  EDGE

Editor’s Note: John and Anthony were discovered by an HGTV producer who lived in Hoboken. Their all-time favorite New Jersey build was a firefighter’s home flooded during Sandy, done in conjunction with Ellen DeGeneres. The cousins can also be seen in the online series Chill & Grill (Ulive.com) and MANuSCRIPT (AOL).

News, views and insights on maintaining a healthy edge.

Where There’s Vapor…

The science on e-cigarettes is sketchy at best, and because they currently do not fall under the FDA’s purview, manufacturers are not compelled to list product ingredients. “When e-cigarettes started to become available, I thought it could be a good thing as it could satisfy both chemical craving associated with cigarette smoking by administering nicotine and psychological craving associated with the act of smoking,” recalls

Vipin Garg, MD
Director, Trinitas Comprehensive Sleep Disorders Center 908.994.8880

Vipin Garg, MD, of Trinitas who is board certified in pulmonology, critical care medicine, internal medicine, and sleep medicine. “I had patients who reported early success.

However, as the market for e-cigarettes exploded, I soon realized that e-cigarettes are essentially vaporizing systems and any known chemical could be administered—and it often varies manufacturer to manufacturer. They open the door for more dangerous and potent chemicals/drugs being inhaled.”

There has been a proliferation in California of shops selling e-cigarettes and, according to the journal Pediatrics, e-cigarette marketing to minors has tripled in recent years. More than 5,000 Californians signed a petition this year urging the Food and Drug Administration to regulate e-cigarettes. Senator Barbara Boxer delivered to the petition FDA commissioner Margaret Hamburg. Not surprisingly, e-cigarette use by children under 18 has risen dramatically, not just in the Golden State, but across America.  A 2014 national study showed that more teens are using e-cigarettes than regular cigarettes, which on the surface may not be a bad thing. The fear, of course, is that e-cigarettes—which most teens consider to be “safe”—will lead young people into cigarettes and other tobacco products.

“As a pulmonologist,” says Dr. Garg, “I know anything other than air at ambient temperature administered to lungs can cause damage to pneumocytes, which are the breathing units of the lungs.  Noxious particles, heated vapors, varying degrees of humidity associated with these products have the potential of causing Reactive Airway Disease. Glorifying e-cigarettes—especially to minors—will be a big mistake. I support a complete ban of e-cigarettes.”

In Sickness and In Health

Americans may want to rethink their marriage vows. Iowa State University released a study in March tracking 2,700 couples in the U.S. from 1992 to 2010. It found that divorce rates increase when the wife becomes seriously ill. This was not true when husbands had long-term illnesses. The results suggest that American men are ill-equipped to function as caregivers to a seriously ill spouse. Overall, 32 percent of the couples divorced during the 18 years they were tracked; that figure rose to 38 percent when a wife fell ill.  During his years as an oncologist,

Barry Levison, MD
Medical Director, Trinitas Comprehensive Cancer Center 908.994.8772

Barry Levinson, MD, Medical Director of the Trinitas Comprehensive Cancer Center, has observed spousal caregiving first hand. “When taken on a case-by-case basis, there are many men who are superb caregivers. On the whole, however, I think in our society, the traditional role of women as caregivers still predominates. As these societal roles change, and men become more involved in caring for family, I think the data will change, as well.”

The Skinny On Oxytocin

Is it your imagination, or do people in love seem skinnier? It’s not your imagination. According to new research out of Massachusetts General Hospital, the hormone oxytocin—aka The Love Hormone, which surges when couples hug or kiss—also appears to be an appetite suppressant. A group of men (half of whom were overweight) inhaled oxytocin spray an hour prior to breakfast and consumed 122 fewer calories and 9 fewer grams of fat than men given a placebo spray. The men who inhaled the oxytocin also burned fat slightly faster and handled insulin better. The study results were presented at the 2015 meeting of the Endocrine Society in San Diego.

Kids and Air Pollution

A study of schoolchildren in Barcelona, Spain suggests that air pollution impacts brain development. Students ages 7 to 10 in schools located in neighborhoods with heavy vehicle traffic showed reduced cognitive development compared to kids in less-congested areas.

Kevin Lukenda, DO
Chairman, Family Medicine Department
908.925.9309

Dr. Kevin Lukenda, DO, Chair of the Family Medicine Department at Trinitas, says that it is a well-known fact that “fuel exhaust competes with oxygen in our body. By breathing in excessive fuel exhaust, we compromise the amount of oxygen that is much needed by our brains. With lower levels of oxygen in our brain, our cognition is then compromised.” Among the conclusions drawn from the Barcelona data were that school buses in Spain (which run on unleaded fuel) should be fitted with particle filters, and classrooms facing busy streets should always keep their windows closed.  Dr. Lukenda sums up: “In this era of technology, we must do whatever it takes to prevent noxious chemicals from entering our bodies. Whether it be through a filtering process or other mechanical barriers, the less fuel exhaust and more oxygen we breathe the greater the ability we have to process cognitive information.”

No Ordinary Joe

The latest research on coffee swings the pendulum back toward America’s favorite hot beverage. Scientists in South Korea exploring the link between coffee consumption and the level of calcium in arteries determined that drinking up to five cups a day may reduce the risk of heart attacks. Their study of 25,000 men and women found the lowest levels of calcium among those who drank 3 to 5 cups of coffee a day. Calcium in the arteries is an early indicator of cardiovascular disease. So should we drink even more? Not so fast. The same study found the highest levels of calcium in subjects who drank over 5 cups a day.

Playing with Matches

Does love at first sight translate into successful long-term relationships? Study after study says No. Couples that marry due primarily to physical attraction have a higher rate of divorce than other couples. Rutgers University anthropologist Helen Fisher points out that our bodies actually develop a tolerance to the chemicals that trigger initial feelings of love—just as they build up tolerances to other chemicals. Add to this the fact that “looks fade,” and eventually all you’re left with is conversation and common interests. Physical attraction is important, of course, but in the balance it is not a good predictor of long-term compatibility. Full disclosure: Dr. Fisher is also the chief scientific advisor for the dating web site Match.com.

Skin In the Game

Mexican scientists believe they have found a skin test that may predict Alzheimer’s and other degenerative brain diseases. Minimally invasive skin biopsies on Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s patients turned up significantly elevated levels of Alpha-Synuclein and Tau, proteins linked to decline in brain function. Brain and skin tissue share the same embryonic origin, which suggests that definitive tests for Alzheimer’s and related problems could be performed long before obvious symptoms arise. Early detection, in turn, could be the key to managing or even curing brain disease.

A long-honored tradition has become a high-profile mainstream sport.

Our image of cheerleaders hasn’t changed much over the years. Perky and pretty, with pleated skirts, ponytails and pom-poms, they are throwbacks to a bygone era which, truthfully, probably never existed. The reality of cheerleading, however, has changed dramatically within the course of one or two generations. Nowadays, cheerleaders are performing and competing on a scale once reserved for elite athletes. Skilled in jumps, stunts, spins, tumbling and formation, they must possess the grace of a dancer, the strength of a football player and the body control of a gymnast, while performing short, supercharged choreographed routines to all genres of music.

Something else is different now: For the best of the best, career opportunities abound.

Some 3.7 million people participate in cheer nationwide, either through community and school squads or private cheer gyms, according to estimates from Varsity, the biggest and best-known industry provider of cheerleading products and services. And despite debates of their merits, or lack thereof, cheerleaders do indeed serve an important purpose.

“Cheerleaders are extremely effective at uniting a crowd, getting them excited and yelling,” says Mike Stickle, coach of the Rutgers Coed Cheer Team and an Emmy-winning writer and producer of live events, television, and video. “That’s not an easy task when competing with a 300-piece marching band, piped in music and 100,000 rowdy people. Without question, cheerleaders are an instrumental part of any game. They bring atmosphere. They also play a major role in alumni functions as important representatives of their university. It’s by no means a stretch to call cheerleaders performers.”

At the college level, Stickle adds, cheerleading is not only all business, it’s coed business.

“It takes a certain kind of guy to join a cheer squad,” he says. “A lot were high school athletes who find it empowering to throw and catch their cheermates with crowds gaping in awe. But honestly, they’re just equipment. No one is watching the guy doing the tossing. They’re watching the girl sailing through the air. Nonetheless, as cheer has morphed into more of a sport than an activity, we’re seeing more interest from the guys. Plus, there are incentives.”

Indeed, scores of major universities offer full cheerleading scholarships. Dozens of smaller colleges offer stipends or partial scholarships. While cheer falls within the purview of the athletic department at many schools—thus providing scholarships and travel money—at many other schools it falls under the student activities umbrella. There they fundraise to meet expenses. The disparity exists because the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the non-profit association regulating athletes of 1,281 institutions, conferences and organizations, doesn’t deem cheer a sport.  Given the ever-ascending profile of cheer, this has become a bone of significant contention. The NCAA committee voted not to classify cheer as a sport in 2014.

“At the moment, cheerleading is not an NCAA-sponsored championship, and we haven’t had any new proposals submitted to the committee,” says NCAA spokesperson Megan Durham. Reasons cited were lack of participation opportunities and feedback received from NCAA schools and student athletes. “That doesn’t mean competitive cheerleading won’t one day become a sport,” Durham adds.

The American Medical Association (AMA), meanwhile, staunchly supports designating cheerleading a sport. In an email to Edge, the AMA said it recognizes the potential dangers of cheerleading, “including the potential for concussion and catastrophic injury, and supports the implementation of recommendations designed to improve its safety.” Those recommendations include proper training of coaches, avoidance of inappropriate surfaces when performing stunts and adherence to rules for the proper execution of stunts.

While cheerleading isn’t officially recognized as a sport, the AMA added it is unequivocally a business. Indeed, some competitions host over 26,000 athletes with 30,000 spectators. Event producers profit not only from participation, but also from merchandise and apparel sales. Host cities’ hospitality industries enjoy a boost. Gyms see an increase in memberships.

“All Star Cheer has even recently gone mainstream with the release of a second movie, The Champions League 2,” points out Elaine Pascale, owner and founder of Freehold’s World Cup All Stars—one of the country’s premier cheering gyms, boasting more than 35 competitive teams. “It provides insight into the exciting world of cheer. Plus, social media is full of profiles with tens of thousands of followers hoping to hear the latest news about their favorite cheer programs. It’s easy to realize the potential progress cheer can have at this pace.”

To be sure, Memphis-based Varsity raked in more than $1.2 billion in sales last year. Not surprisingly, the company attracted the eye of “smart money” investors and last November Varsity was acquired for an undisclosed amount by Charlesbank Capital Partners. Headquartered in Boston and New York City, Charlesbank is a middle-market private equity investment management firm with some $3 billion in assets under management.

The irony is that cheerleading can be a relatively inexpensive activity. More and more, however, the price of growth has translated into a higher price tag. Some now pony up big bucks for private competitions, training, equipment, and camps. Joining a competitive cheer gym costs around$2,000 to $3,000 per year. Private lessons can cost $100 an hour. Add in uniforms, practice clothes, personalized duffel bags, summer camps, tumbling classes, squad practices with professional cheerleading programs, and choreography fees, and the annual tally for cheer families soars into the many thousands. Furthermore, cheerleaders

have a big influence on their families overall spending habits, especially in terms of clothing, health and beauty products, food, and travel. For members of competitive cheer teams (there are an estimated 5,000-plus nationwide) the annual bill for a family can easily reach the five-figure level.

As the competitive aspects of cheerleading have grown, so too have the opportunities. Most professional cheerleaders aren’t in it for the money, but for the doors it may open. NBA and NFL cheerleaders make very little per game. However, full-time coaches of cheer squads earn $40,000 to more than $70,000 a year. And of course, a handful go on to bigger and better things, perhaps most famously Paula Abdul, who launched her show biz career as a member of the LA Lakers dance team. Did you know that Ike, FDR and George W. Bush were high-school cheerleaders? So were Jimmy Stewart, Steve Martin, Meryl Streep, Sandra Bullock, Christina Aguilera and Jennifer Lawrence. Katie Couric was a cheerleader at the University of Virginia and Rick Perry whipped up crowds at Texas A&M. Lindsay Lohan, Miley Cyrus, Madonna (right), Mitt Romney and Samuel L. Jackson were members of cheer squads. Let that soak in for a second.

While fame and fortune are not guaranteed, cheer-leaders at top colleges are recruited by a wide range of industries in need of dynamic sales people. Pharmaceutical companies are especially fond of that combination of enthusiasm and discipline cheerleaders bring to the table. Overall awareness of cheerleading talent has also increased with the proliferation of college sports broadcasts.

Whether done for fun, competition or as a career-builder, cheerleading has lasting influences. According to Stickle, cheer provides participants with “powerful lessons in community, character, camaraderie, skill development, and goal setting.” Pascale says it teaches young people to overcome fears and learn that there are no limitations to what they can achieve.”

Editor’s Note: Diane Alter was a Pop Warner cheerleader growing up in Rumson. She is pictured above standing on the far right.

Chef Sam Byrne is making waves at Asbury Park’s Cross & Orange.

Starting around mid-May every year, the Jersey Shore witnesses a wondrous mass migration, as hungry visitors glide in for a meal or two before picking up and heading north. Just to be clear, we’re talking about people (not birds). For generations, residents of landlocked Northern and Central New Jersey have flocked to the beach towns in search of memorable dining experiences. In the old days, that translated as lobster, fried shrimp, steamers and pitchers of beer. To be sure, fresh seafood and water views are still staples of Jersey Shore dining. However, a handful of talented chefs are breaking this mold by creating innovative, important menus for those with greater expectations.

Which explains, at least in part, what Sam Byrne is doing in Asbury Park at Cross & Orange. Byrne, a native of Ireland, began working under some of Europe’s top chefs as a teenager in a career that included two years in Spain at El Bulli (regarded by many as the finest restaurant in the world) and stints in London and Paris. He arrived on our shores in 2011 with the goal of opening a restaurant that reflected the most outstanding elements of American culture and cuisine.

“My background in Europe opened doors to wherever I wanted to go,” says Byrne. “I came to the U.S. because I wanted a change, but also to create something totally new.”

According to Byrne, the Cross & Orange menu celebrates the remarkable diversity, work ethic and ambitions of 19th century Manhattan, paying homage to the “makers and doers who built the country.” The restaurant’s name references two of the streets that made up the notorious melting pot of New York’s Five Points neighborhood. As a tribute to that era, Byrne and his kitchen staff make everything from scratch, and delight in working unexpected ingredients into every menu item.

The owners of Cross & Orange, brothers Chris and Bob Fahey, grew up in the restaurant business. They worked in a number of bars and restaurants in the City and earned their spurs on the Jersey Shore with Edgar’s Pub in Manasquan, and at trendy Asbury Lanes, a few blocks away. They opened Cross & Orange in February on Cookman Avenue, the epicenter of Asbury Park’s culinary renaissance.

Initially, the brothers’ ambition was to up their game and stake their claim in the town’s red-hot restaurant scene. The first step was to secure a prime location, which they did, in the old Park Overlook building—which, as the name implies, overlooks a park (Lincoln Park). Next it was time to secure the services of a first-rate chef.  So they ran an ad. Their goal was to be extremely selective and find someone young, creative and ahead of the trends. Someone who, as Chris puts it, “would give us an identity.”

“When we first met Sam, our expectation of a chef was here,” Bob recalls, putting his hand at eye level.

“What we got,” says Chris, raising his hand a foot above his head, “was here.”

Byrne says he was being equally selective. He had come to Monmouth County to help a friend open a restaurant and was blown away by what was happening in Asbury. Initially, he had planned to work in Manhattan. “But as soon as I saw the building, I signed,” he says. The space is arguably the best in town in terms of its layout and energy. A long bar rises a few steps above the dining area, which is open to the adjacent park, about a three-minute stroll from the boardwalk.

Assembling the Cross & Orange menu was a collaborative effort. The Faheys wanted a place people “would feel comfortable coming to twice a week” as opposed to a destination restaurant, yet one that addressed Asbury Park’s ever-ascending taste and sophistication. They made big investments in staffing; the service is friendly and professional (several waiters have managed restaurants themselves), and the kitchen is driven and motivated. As for Byrne, his marching orders were clear: “Gears-forward, no holding back.”

Not surprisingly, it is the food at Cross & Orange that sets it apart. Bring your appetite and, just as important, your reading glasses, because it’s the small print under each menu item that demonstrates Byrne’s creativity and commitment to quality. The ingredients, he says, are the best he can buy, and there are always specials on the blackboard perched above the dining area.

“The meats are always prime, the lamb is from Colorado, the octopus is fresh from Portugal,” he says. “Now we move into summer, my favorite season, so I get to play off the shore with different types of fish and light dishes.”

“Sam learned the styles of the masters and developed his own way of cooking and presentation,” says Chris Fahey. “Once he earns the trust of our customers, we see them coming back to explore more of his cuisine—sometimes returning with a bigger group, or sometimes coming alone and ordering a couple of appetizers at the bar.”

Among the more intriguing starters are charred octopus, hand-cooked with a blowtorch and set on a bed of mizuna, olives and oregano; sashimi tuna tartare with pistachio and cucumber; PEI mussels with chorizo and barlotti beans in a minestrone broth; and a smoked bacon and watermelon salad featuring daikon, radicchio, chili and pork belly.

Meat entrees range from a 60/40 burger topped with garlic spinach, red onion jam and gruyere to an herb-crusted rack of spring lamb, and include all manner and size of steaks, both on the menu and on the specials board. Roasted Chilean sea bass, Nordic cod and other seafood specials are extremely popular. If Dover sole happens to be available, dive right in.

Editor’s Note: Cross & Orange is located at 508 Cookman Avenue. Summer hours and days of operation are posted at crossandorangeap.com. The restaurant is extremely busy on Fridays and Saturdays, so call for reservations as far in advance as possible at (732) 361–5502. Street parking in the summer is nearly impossible, so ask about nearby garage options when you call, even if you’ve booked through Open Table.

Two New Jersey restaurants are elevating the American Gastropub experience.

The menus at Morris Tap & Grill and Paragon Tap & Table have something very special in common, and it’s not the word Tap. Both restaurants—in Randolph and Clark, respectively—have built their kitchens on the immense talents of chef Eric LeVine. The East Hanover resident has racked up some serious hardware, including recognition as “Outstanding Chef of the Year” by the James Beard Foundation, Restaurant Guild International’s “Chef of the Year” Award, and the International Chef’s Association’s “Creative Caterer of the Year” and “Chef of the Year” awards. The two restaurants feature extensive lists of craft brews, imaginative spirit and craft-beer cocktails, local farm foods, cutting-edge burgers and an assortment of creative menu items and desserts.

“The great thing about both is that you will always have a unique dining experience,” says LeVine. “We’re always creating something new and having fun with the menu, and we work hard to keep it interesting and whimsical. It’s casual, it’s comfort food, but there’s always a twist.”

LeVine is known for his ability to make culinary magic happen no matter what he’s preparing, whether it’s a hand-crafted burger or a six-course prix fixe menu. “We’re not pulling food out of the freezer,” he points out. “We’re making everything from scratch, from smoking our meats in-house to making our own sorbet and gelato.”

That philosophy extends to the food truck-inspired selections at Morris Tap & Grill (regulars rave about the award-winning wings) or the rotating “retro” menu at Paragon. Picture a TV dinner menu with entrees like surf & turf with garlic broccolini and apple cobbler served, of course, in a traditional TV dinner tray. “Both restaurants have an amazing team of people who are all about taking the dining experience to the next level and making our customers happy,” he says.

One of those people is general manager Mike DeSimone, whose intense interest in craft beer quickly set the restaurants apart from their competitors. “I had craft beer experience, but I’d never been able to put a program together like we did at Morris Tap & Grill,” he says. “Initially, we weren’t really thinking that we’d have such an influence on the craft beer scene in Morris County, but we quickly realized that we were pioneers. At the same time we were building the restaurant back in 2011, New Jersey was launching its brewing culture.”

The timing couldn’t have been better. Customers were amazed to find so many local beers on tap, and flocked to the craft-beer events. Those events became a tradition at Morris Tap & Grill and gained instant traction at Paragon, which opened in 2014.

“I give Eric the flavor profiles of the beers, and he builds menus around them,” DeSimone says. Along the same lines, DeSimone makes sure his servers and bartenders are attentive and proactive when it comes to pairing craft beers and food. “We don’t just hand you a menu and walk away, we guide you through the process and suggest menu items that go particularly well with the beer you’re drinking. We also ask what you find appealing about a particular beer and recommend others to try.”

While the philosophy and concepts of the two restaurants are similar, there are some differences. Paragon is about half the size of the more established Morris Tap & Grill and the bar tends to be busier. It features a wider selection of New Jersey beers. Clark being more urban than Randolph, Paragon attracts a younger demographic, which in turn makes for a more casual atmosphere. “Paragon really brands the craft experience, whereas Morris Tap & Grill has a broader reach,” DeSimone says.

The confluence of skills and experience DeSimone and LeVine brings to Morris Tap & Grill and Paragon Tap & Table certainly helps explain the unique qualities of each location. DeSimone began his career in Hoboken, with stops in New York City, Philadelphia and Charlotte before settling in New Jersey.

CRAFT BREW FAST FIVE

New Jersey’s Craft Beer scene is bursting at the seams.  More than two dozen new breweries will open this year alone. If you’re just getting into this trend, here are five Mike DeSimone recommends…

Kane Head High IPA “Brewed in Ocean, it is a world class IPA that hangs with the best of that style from around the country.  Always fresh, which is the most important factor in this style.”

Carton Milk Stout “We don’t carry Guinness on draught, but nobody misses it once they have tried this creamy, lightly sweet & bitter Milk Stout from the boys in Atlantic Highlands.”

Bolero Snort “One of my favorite breweries from North Jersey. Their beer gets better and better. Blackhorn Black Lager is a masterful blend of hops and roasted chocolate malts. Singlehandedly got me drinking lager again.”

Forgotten Boardwalk “This beer is on fire! Since they opened a few months ago they have been everywhere. What The Butler Saw Witbier is amazing and will be on tap all summer along at both MTG & Paragon.”

Ramstein Double Platinum Blonde “A Weizen Bock from the local masters of the German beers styles. 96 on Ratebeer.com. Fantastic!”

In LeVine’s case, one might say that life circumstances bred him for success. His passion for cooking was sparked at age six (thanks to a Disney cookbook, he recalls) in his Brooklyn household, where money was tight. “My mom did the best she could, but I grew up pretty poor,” he says. “When it came to food, pickings were slim. You ate what you got, and that was it.”

LeVine was working in restaurants at age 12, and went on to work alongside chefs from Italy, Japan and France. He studied at the Culinary Institute of America in New York and, after graduation, cooked for celebrity chef (and EDGE contributor) David Burke at the River Café. LeVine ended up as chef de cuisine at the Marriott Marquis in New York City and, at the age of 23, he was already launching his own catering business.

At age 29, he was told he had cancer. Now in his 40’s, LeVine has been diagnosed with cancer a total of five times. While battling the negative side effects of his chemotherapy treatments in 2011, he was also battling it out on the popular Food Network cooking competition show Chopped…and won.

“You come out of the other side of all of this and start looking at things with a very different perspective,” he says. “I know now that it’s not about me, and I always try to put others first, whether it’s my family or my staff and customers. More than ever, I’ve learned to see past my own personal tastes and how I like to cook and eat, and focus on my customers and their dining experience.”

How has celebrity influenced LeVine’s work?

“Time goes by and you win awards and you’re on TV,” he says, “but at the end of the day, I’m not a ‘celebrity chef.’ I’m just a cook. And I’ve had to learn the hard way what’s really important.

“I’m always a work in progress…and, so far, it has been an amazing journey.”

Editor’s Note: Paragaon Tap & Table is located at 77 Central Avenue in Clark, just off the GSP.  Morris Tap & Grill is located at 500 NJ 10, about 10 minutes west of Rte 287 and a few miles south of Rte 46.  Eric LeVine has authored two cookbooks: Stick It, Spoon It, Put it in a Glass and Small Bites, Big Flavor: Simple, Savory, and Sophisticated Recipes For Entertaining.

PAYING IT FORWARD

Though chef Eric LeVine’s personal health struggles impacted every aspect of his life—including his approach to food and cooking—it also translated into a strong desire to help others in need. LeVine and his restaurants are closely linked with local organizations such as the Family Reach Foundation and the Community FoodBank of New Jersey; he frequently advocates for the American Cancer Society, and has been recognized with their prestigious Heart and Soul Award. He also teaches classes and seminars for organizations like the International Caterers Association to help aspiring caterers develop innovative methods of growing their business. “No matter what, it’s about people and doing for others…and hoping to help them make a difference in their own lives,” he says.

“Red snapper, flashy with a spinach pesto  and happily plated with roasted onions  and smashed potatoes pocked with olives,  took a liking to the shellfish-infused butter sauce the kitchen whipped up.”

A short stroll up Centennial Avenue in Cranford from landmark restaurant A Toute Heure sits the intriguingly named 100 Steps Supper Club and Raw Bar. Smile at this not-so-in-house joke. It’s the heel-to-toe step count from Mama Restaurant to lovingly conceived Baby Restaurant, as divined by owners Andrea and Jim Carbone.

A Toute Heure, never light on diner traffic—and diner traffic from near and far, given the restaurant’s stellar reputation as a place for exquisite plates of carefully sourced, skillfully prepared food—begged for offspring. The Carbones, and their executive chef Kara Decker, fielded pleas from their fans for more, for another place to eat and learn from the folks who understand so well how to give a restaurant a singular voice.

They didn’t want to shortchange A Toute Heure in the slightest; not their religion. They didn’t want to leave the neighborhood; it’s their home. They didn’t want to miss a beat, ever; their mission is pure, their ethic unshakeable. When a place up the street came on the market, they jumped. Rather, they took that 100-step journey and found the perfect partner for A Toute Heure.

Jennifer Lavelle/Courtesy of Andrea Carbine

Where A Toute Heure is intimate, 100 Steps is social. It’s the difference between a tete-a-tete and a party. But don’t think noisy and uncontrolled: 100 Steps is as smart food-focused as its parent restaurant. It’s the atmosphere that’s different, open and airy, casual in a bump-into-friends, strike-up-a-conversation-with-strangers way. Since it opened a year and a half ago, 100 Steps has become a spot where folks drop in for some oysters at the Raw Bar Happy Hour Thursday through Saturdays from 4 to 5:30, then return a day or three later with the family for the Sunday Supper menu. It’s neighborhood-y, even though—as with A Toute Heure—diners are traveling a distance to partake in the hospitality and soul-satisfying fare.

I came for the oysters, scarfing down in short order Wiley Points, briny, yet meaty, from Damariscotta, Maine; Island Creeks, which finished with a snappily sweet tang, from Duxbury, MA; and Fin de la Baies, subtle and coy, from New Brunswick in Canada. Maine came to our table again, in the form of a peekeytoe crab remoulade, a chop of the sweetest crab on the planet and cornichons, capers, parsley and lemon, all bound by an aioli brightened by crème fraiche. My, this was yar.

The scallop ceviche was rockin’. Given sizzle by a shot of Calabrian chili oil and calmed by a thyme-laced buttermilk aioli, this reinvention of a standard had an elusive element to it—a riff of umami powered by miso that tasted at once charred and sweet.

Jennifer Lavelle/Courtesy of Andrea Carbine

Clam chowder plumped by littlenecks and made hearty by potatoes not just boiled or baked but given the slow-cook of confit status, should be ordered not by the cup, but the gallon. If you’re an Ironbound regular and high on the classic shrimp with garlic staple found everywhere in that ‘hood, don’t pass up a chance to up your game with the local version: Here, shrimp is sautéed with pimenton, a smoked paprika, then given a bath in butter refreshed with cilantro and sideshows of tomato and arugula. Talk about eating and learning. While we’re on the subject, 100 Steps’ charred octopus is one for the textbooks, served as it is with creamy cannelini beans, slivers of red onion and a crème fraiche topper energized by more of that smoky pimenton.

Jennifer Lavelle/Courtesy of Andrea Carbine

Only the roasted cauliflower, mushy and overwrought with a bitter pesto and served with radishes whose pepperiness wasn’t the appropriate counterpoint, didn’t make the grade in our opening rounds.

But gnocchi, sitting pretty with shiitake confit in a miraculously light buttery fondue of a sauce topped with shreds of crisped sage, warmed us. I couldn’t stop myself from hoarding the entrée known as “K’s Braise,” as Provencal a rabbit stew as you can find this side of Aix, cosseted with polenta and dotted with green olives, pancetta and currants. Everything that should be there was there.

Red snapper, flashy with a spinach pesto and happily plated with roasted onions and smashed potatoes pocked with olives, took a liking to the shellfish-infused butter sauce the kitchen whipped up. If you have kids aboard, consider booking here on a Tuesday, which is Taco Night, complete with live music. Ours loved the fish tacos, stuffed with pollock, as well as the chicken tacos.

Jennifer Lavelle/Courtesy of Andrea Carbine

I only wish my own childhood included 100 Steps’ caramel banana pudding. Vanilla drop cookies! A pop of sea salt in the caramel! Modern meets Harriet Nelson. Chocolate But gnocchi, sitting pretty with shiitake confit in a miraculously light buttery fondue of a sauce topped with shreds of crisped sage, warmed us. I couldn’t stop myself from hoarding the entrée known as “K’s Braise,” as Provencal a rabbit stew as you can find this side of Aix, cosseted with polenta and dotted with green olives, pancetta and currants. Everything that should be there was there.

Red snapper, flashy with a spinach pesto and happily plated with roasted onions and smashed potatoes pocked with olives, took a liking to the shellfish-infused butter sauce the kitchen whipped up. If you have kids aboard, consider booking here on a Tuesday, which is Taco Night, complete with live music. Ours loved the fish tacos, stuffed with pollock, as well as the chicken tacos.

I only wish my own childhood included 100 Steps’ caramel banana pudding. Vanilla drop cookies! A pop of sea salt in the caramel! Modern meets Harriet Nelson. Chocolate cake with a fudge brownie base comes with sour cream ice cream and a fudge sauce and English toffee AND salted pecans. Can life get any better? Yes. Yes, if you remember to ask for peanut butter chocolate chip cookies in a to-go bag.

The name 100 Steps

Jennifer Lavelle/Courtesy of Andrea Carbine

might, for some, inspire all sorts of puns, gimmicky one-liners and general silliness. I can’t do that: It’s too hard to find a casual restaurant with this level of conscientiousness; any assessment must be serious. The folks behind the scenes here set the bar high with A Toute Heure, yet managed to hit the heights again with a restaurant completely different in attitude and atmosphere. As I left 100 Steps, I plotted: Some night, soon, I’m going to eat dinner at both 100 Steps and A Toute Heure. I can do it, I know I can.  EDGE

Editor’s Note: Andy Clurfeld has been shouldering the load on restaurant reviews since the second issue of EDGE. During that time, she was a 2010 Pulitzer Prize finalist in Public Service for her work exposing the flaws, injustices and abuses in New Jersey’s property tax system. Andy also has published in-depth reporting on a range of topics, including criminal street gangs, agriculture, politics and the environment. A longtime member of the James Beard Restaurant & Chef Awards Committee, she is a specialist in artisan wines and recently was appointed Wine Director at Buy-Rite Corporation, implementing educational programs, coordinating special events and developing artisan wine sections for select stores.

New Jersey’s ‘Kitchen Cousins’ have a lot on their plate in 2015.

So you thought your kitchen was a train wreck? Anthony Carrino and John Colaneri, HGTV’s ubiquitous Kitchen Cousins, pride themselves in transforming hopeless residential and commercial cooking spaces into spectacular, high-functioning showplaces. This summer, the cousins embark on their newest reality venture, America’s Most Desperate Kitchens.

Back in late-2014, HGTV asked viewers to send in 90-second videos that proved their kitchens were totally hopeless. The network received a flood of submissions that ranged from shameful to catastrophic, picked the most challenging (and funniest), and then dispatched Carrino and Colaneri to make a little magic. America’s Most Desperate Kitchens marks the fourth series for the talented and likable duo, who run Brunelleschi Construction in Jersey City. They have gained a legion of fans with Kitchen Cousins, Cousins On Call, and Cousins Undercover.

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Fans of the cousins are already setting their DVR’s for the opening episode, which airs on July 1. In the meantime, one can enjoy their latest renovation creation on Erie Street in Jersey City, where Carrino and Colaneri recently opened Carrino Provisions, a gourmet market with a family-style Italian restaurant housed in a reclaimed 19th century factory building.

Authenticity is everything in the Reality TV game, and the cousins have taken their lumps on more renovations than they care to remember. Prior to their new show (which has them traveling all over the country), they had worked almost exclusively in New Jersey. What better proving ground for construction and design skills than the old (and not-so-old) homes of the Garden State? As much as they love the challenge of updating antique houses, both agree that falling in love with an old home can be a slippery slope.

“I love a good old home or structure, but they can very quickly become money pits,” Carrino cautions. “The important thing for buyers is to get a really good home inspection prior to purchase, so you understand what you’re getting into.”

Courtesy of HGTV

A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS

What are the Kitchen Cousins’ favorite materials to work with?

John Colaneri: Wood, metal and stone. All three of these materials give any space a warm and unique feeling. I love using natural materials when designing and building homes. I always try to incorporate these three elements into my designs.

Anthony Carrino: I use myriad materials depending on the project. It’s my job to know what’s out there, so I have a good stockpile of materials I love to work with. If I had to pick three I would say live edge wood slabs, raw steel and concrete. Raw materials just speak to me.

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“I love old homes and the history they have,” adds Colaneri. “You find architectural features that are so hard to come by these days. The only downside of an old home is that nothing is up to code, and it’s going to cost a lot of money to renovate.”

Brunelleschi Construction only does restoration work. According to Colaneri, the blending of old and new is what fuels the cousins’ passion. They find New Jersey to be an ideal place for their specialty because of the large number of older and historic homes. They also find it amazing how little most owners know about their dwellings. Nine out of 10, says Colaneri, have no clue as to the condition of the mechanical systems.

“These are the things that are not in front of your face or too glamorous, but they will cost you the most in the end,” he warns. “If you are buying an old home, make sure the air conditioning and heating systems and the electrical have been maintained and updated over the years. It’s just like a car—what’s under the hood makes a big difference.”

AN APPETITE FOR HISTORY

Prior to launching their new show, Carrino and Colaneri completed a major project in Jersey City in partnership with Chef Dale Talde: Carrino Provisions, a food destination that features a market, coffee bar and Osteria. The market space, which was designed by the cousins, has an old-country feel with white brick walls, hand-painted signs, fresh-baked breads and pastries, artisanal meats and cheeses, and local produce. The Osteria offers Chef Talde’s take on Italian cuisine, with large shareable portions of handmade pasta.

Dale Talde made a name for himself across the harbor in Brooklyn, where he and partners John Bush and David Massoni operate TALDE and the Thistle Hill Tavern, both in Park Slope. His take on Asian-American cuisine earned rave reviews and a loyal following. The trio opened TALDE Jersey City a stone’s throw from Carrino Provisions, with a major renovation assist from Carrino and Colaneri, who incorporated the circa 1880 building’s elevator wheels into the restaurant’s industrial chic design. Meanwhile, the lighting has a distinctly Asian influence, with silk-and-wire lanterns illuminating the main dining space. Both TALDE Jersey City and Carrino Provisions are located on Erie Street, between Bay and 1st Street.

Anything having to do with the foundation or structural integrity of an old home is a potential deal-breaker, adds Carrino. “Along with a roof that’s in poor condition, those are things that can suck your budget dry before you even begin your renovation.”

When is a house a tear-down? Everything is fixable, the cousins claim. It’s just a matter of time and money. However, if the structural integrity of a home is profoundly compromised, it may not be worth saving. On the subject of newer homes, Carrino and Colaneri tend to be tepid. They are not fans of the boxy “McMansions” popping up where farms and forests used to be. Will they one day qualify as older homes? Better yet, will they even outlast their 30-year mortgages?

“That’s a hysterical question!” Carrino laughs. “Not that I want to avoid it, but without knowing the builders or walking the homes, I wouldn’t be able to comment as to the build quality.”

“Hey, if the local municipality approves the plans, then they have to deal with them down the road,” smiles Colaneri.

“I hope towns realize that they do not look good and put a stop to it.”

Obviously, neither cousin would think of purchasing a brand-new house. After all, one has to keep up appearances. But would they consider buying an older one that needed absolutely nothing done to it?

“Never,” insists Colaneri.

“I don’t think so,” Carrino agrees. “I couldn’t buy something I couldn’t gut…or rebuild from the ground up.”  EDGE

Editor’s Note: John and Anthony were discovered by an HGTV producer who lived in Hoboken. Their all-time favorite New Jersey build was a firefighter’s home flooded during Sandy, done in conjunction with Ellen DeGeneres. The cousins can also be seen in the online series Chill & Grill (Ulive.com) and MANuSCRIPT (AOL).