Where will a 500-mile road trip land you?

By Jim Sawyer

Remember the good old days, when you could just hop behind the wheel on little more than a whim and just drive? For most of us, those carefree road trips are a vanishing speck in the rearview mirror. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that an old-fashioned road trip is totally off the plate. If that sense of adventure is still stirring inside of you, why not pick a direction and distance and see where life’s highway takes you? Okay, a little pre-planning probably makes sense, but you know what that old road warrior Ralph Waldo Emerson said: It’s not the destination…it’s the journey. 

A solid day’s drive, say eight to nine hours, puts you in 500-mile territory. Where those 500 miles take you depends on the direction you choose, but—using the EDGE parking lot as a starting point—I found quite a variety of places that fall neatly within that range.

SNAPSHOT: The population of North Carolina’s state capital has quadrupled since the early 1970s, and it has transformed every conceivable aspect of the city—particularly in the last decade or so. It used to be a place you drove through (as quickly as possible) to get from college towns to the beach. Now it is young, diverse and vibrant. Forbes rated Raleigh the #2 city in America to run a business or build a career. 

Must See: The North Carolina Museum of Art—one of several superb museums in the city—recently underwent a lovely renovation. It features dozens of galleries and a 164-acre museum park. 

 

Must Do: Lunch, dinner and after-hours Downtown. Young, upwardly mobile urbanites and foodies from the surrounding ‘burbs have kicked the restaurant and club scene up a notch. 

Must Eat: Carolina Barbecue. It’s vinegar-based in this part of the state with no tomato and uses every edible part of the pig. The Pit is one of several go-to spots in Raleigh. 

 

Hometown Hero: Dexter star Michael C. Hall 

Little Known Fact: Raleigh’s pro hockey team, the Carolina Hurricanes, was established in 1972 as the Hartford Whalers. The ’Canes won the NHL’s Stanley Cup in 2007.

 

 

SNAPSHOT: A sleepy town of 13,000 on the North Carolina border, Martinsville snaps to life twice a year when NASCAR rolls in. The town is named in honor of Joseph Martin, a Revolutionary War general, and became known for its chewing tobacco and, more recently, its furniture and textile manufacturing. For many years, it proudly called itself the “Sweatshirt Capital of the World.” 

Must See: Virginia Museum of Natural History—an affiliate of the Smithsonian in Washington—has 22 million items in its collection, including an Allosaurus skeleton that towers over visitors entering the building. 

Must Do: Race weekend at Martinsville Speedway. One of the first paved NASCAR tracks—and the only one still in existence since the organization was founded in 1948—it is also the shortest at just over a half-mile. The turns are banked only 12 degrees, testing drivers’ braking and accelerating skills and making for precious little passing room. 

Must Eat: Soul Food at Walsh’s Chicken

 

Hometown Hero: Founding Father Patrick Henry 

Little Known Fact: During the Cold War, Martinsville’s nylon factory put it high on the list of targets for a Soviet missile attack.

SNAPSHOT: Located on Lake Erie between Toledo and Cleveland, Sandusky has a permanent population of 25,000 that swells during the summer months, as tourists travel from all over the region to visit its amusement parks and off-shore islands. In 2011, Forbes ranked the city the #1 “Place to Live Cheaply” in America.

 

 

Must See: The Merry-Go-Round Museum, located in a stately old post office building, features a 1939 carousel you can ride for free with admission. 

Must Do: Ride the roller coasters at Cedar Point. At last count there were 17 of them—six taller than 200 feet—making the park the self-proclaimed roller coaster capital of the world. 

Must Eat: Toft’s Ice Cream, produced by the state’s oldest dairy. 

Hometown Hero: 1963 Miss America Jackie Mayer 

Little Known Fact: The name Sandusky is not of Eastern European origin. It is derived from a Native American word meaning “cold water.”

SNAPSHOT: Toronto is the best city you’ve never been to. Forget what you picture when you picture Canada. Half the people in Toronto proper are probably from somewhere else. It informs the food, the arts, the street life and just about everything else. The country’s most populous city is clean, safe and gorgeous—even when the February wind off Lake Ontario makes you cry for your mommy. 

Must See: A ballgame from a hotel room at the Rodgers Center, the city’s famous domed stadium. The Marriott City Centre features guest rooms with views from high up in the outfield. Just remember, those 50,000 fans have as good a view of you as you do of them, so keep the kimono closed, please. 

Must Do: Ride to the top of the CN Tower, at 1,815 feet the world’s tallest tower until 2009, when it was surpassed by the Canton Tower in China. 

Must Eat: Pemeal Bacon Sandwich. Warning: if you love bacon your head might explode. There are several places that make it in St. Lawrence Market. 

 

Hometown Hero: Drake 

Little Known Fact: The Toronto Argonauts have won more Grey Cups (the Canadian Football League version of the Super Bowl) than the 49ers, Cowboys and Patriots have won Super Bowls…combined.

SNAPSHOT: Bar Harbor is the main town on Mount Desert Island, so part of your 500-mile journey will require a car ferry. Part of Maine’s heralded Down East region, Bar Harbor has a long history as a summer and fall tourist haven, and has become a destination for lovers of the outdoors. A portion of Acadia National Park sits within the town’s borders. The harbor itself was an important stop for transatlantic schooners in the 18th and early 19th centuries. 

Must See: Stained glass at St. Saviour’s 

Must Do: Summit Mt. Cadillac in Acadia National Park 

Must Eat: Breakfast at Everyday Joe’s 

Hometown Hero: Sportswriter Shirley Povich 

Little Known Fact: Bar Harbor previously went by the name Eden, and once rivaled Newport as a playground of the rich and famous—including the Astors, Vanderbilts and Rockefellers. In the fall of 1947, following a summer of drought, a wildfire burned for nearly a month and destroyed several hotels and dozens of summer homes.

SNAPSHOT: Bar Harbor is the main town on Mount Desert Island, so part of your 500-mile journey will require a car ferry. Part of Maine’s heralded Down East region, Bar Harbor has a long history as a summer and fall tourist haven, and has become a destination for lovers of the outdoors. A portion of Acadia National Park sits within the town’s borders. The harbor itself was an important stop for transatlantic schooners in the 18th and early 19th centuries.

Must See: Stained glass at St. Saviour’s

Must Do: Summit Mt. Cadillac in Acadia National Park

Must Eat: Breakfast at Everyday Joe’s

Hometown Hero: Sportswriter Shirley Povich

Little Known Fact: Bar Harbor previously went by the name Eden, and once rivaled Newport as a playground of the rich and famous—including the Astors, Vanderbilts and Rockefellers. In the fall of 1947, following a summer of drought, a wildfire burned for nearly a month and destroyed several hotels and dozens of summer homes.

Are You Too Cool for Coolville? 

One of the more intriguing spots at the 500-mile mark is a town of 500 people, called Coolville. It’s situated on the Hocking River in Ohio. The village celebrated its 200th anniversary in 2018. Coolville was laid out by Simeon Cooley, a New Englander who opened a flour mill with his brother, Herman. If you decide to stay, land is a bargain: The taxes on a 60-acre wooded lot currently for sale run a whopping $23 a year. While you’re in the area, why not visit the nearby towns of Torch and Frost?

Confessions of a cereal consumer.

By Mark Stewart

As a boy, I found milk to be utterly disgusting. I didn’t like the color, the taste, the smell or the texture. The bottles were too heavy and, when it started coming in cardboard, the opening never separated properly. All these years later, I honestly cannot remember drinking a glass of plain milk. Not that I didn’t—I’ve just tried really hard to bury that memory. Whenever I visited a friend’s house, I’d tell his parents preemptively that I was allergic to milk. One mom said, “Too bad, I poured it…you drink it.” Hello? Child Services? 

Eventually I wore down my parents. The final peace treaty was that I didn’t have to drink milk if I consumed a bowl of cereal each morning. So of course I would pour as little milk as possible, sometimes just a drop or two. It took a couple of years, but I won and the adults stopped caring. The problem was that, by this point, I was kind of hooked on dry cereal. And here I am, a half-century later, still cleaving off from my spouse on our joint supermarket trips to explore the breakfast aisle looking for interesting boxes to stash in the pantry. 

I say this unabashed. Every so often, I need something sweet but not too sweet, with a good, eardrum-rattling crunch. 

I suppose I’ve convinced myself that a handful of Honey Nut Cheerios is healthier than a handful of potato chips. Maybe they are. I really don’t know. What I do know is that, starting in the early 1960s and running right up to college in the late 1970s, I became something of a dry cereal aficionado. Or addict, if you prefer. I was on the winning side of Quisp vs. Quake and can still rattle off the jingles of defunct cereal brands. The human brain apparently has a mind of its own; I know this because after 10 years I still can’t remember my younger daughter’s phone number. 

My babysitter was a Zenith 19-inch TV so I basically saw every cereal ad ever made, again and again and again. Cereal commercials from my youth employed myriad strategies to convince kids it was worth harassing their parents into buying this box or that. The “free toy inside” could be an effective sales tool, but the toys were always lame and if the cereal was, too, then you moved on pretty quickly. The most impactful cereal commercials were probably the ones that aired during morning cartoons, and were also cartoons themselves. A lot of these characters are still with us, as you know, but they’ve been cleaned up for 21st century sensibilities. 

The Coco Puffs bird of my childhood (his name was Sonny) was severely ADHD; now he’s been effectively medicated, although the brown sugar-balls probably aren’t doing him any good. The Lucky Charms leprechaun that the kids were always trying to catch sounded like the kind elderly first-generation Irish gentle- men who lived in my neighborhood. But “Lucky” sure didn’t look like them. As I got older, I realized he was a racist caricature that had barely been updated since the 1800s. Lucky Charms are still around, but the new guy on the box has been drawn with a bit more cultural sensitivity. 

Not for nothing, but what the devil were those marshmallow-dependent hoodlums planning to do to that poor leprechaun? I swear there was one commercial where they were trying to drown him in a well and take his cereal. Talk about crossing the line. 

Actually, the cereal commercial I can’t quite get out of my head is a particular one for Sugar Pops. It was a live-action ad that featured a cowboy in a cornfield. He tosses an ear of corn in the air and cracks it with his whip, which creates a cascade of glazed yellow mini-boulders that fall neatly into the box. Oh…so that’s how they make those things. No one I knew could actually stand the cereal, but for several weeks the boys in my grade were obsessed with whipping things. I guarantee if I look these guys up on Facebook, one or two of them will still be into whips. 

Like Coco Puffs and Lucky Charms, Sugar Pops are still around. I believe they are just called Pops these days. You see, a lot of cereals removed “sugar” from their names a few years ago. Who eats Pops now, I wonder? Arthur Fiedler fans? Because that’s kind of a limited market. 

Many of the cereals of my youth came and went after brief, unsuccessful runs. I tried them all and remember most. After Hawaii was admitted to the union, Madison Avenue leveraged the state’s newfound celebrity and rebranded a number of consumer products. The one we all know is Hawaiian Punch, which actually played off the word “punch” more than “Hawaiian.” You’ll recall that every commercial was a textbook case of felony assault. At about the same time, Kellogg’s came out with Puffa-Puffa Rice, which was basically Rice Krispies sprayed with a brown sugar and honey after-coating. In the TV commercial, Hawaiian natives dumped bushels of rice into an active volcano, then hauled their grass-skirted butts off the mountain before it blew. And when it blew, it spewed out a delicious pyroclastic flow of the aforementioned puffed rice. As a dry cereal, it was sticky on the hands, but still pretty good. Puffa-Puffa Rice disappeared sometime in my teen years. 

By then, I had been sucked in by a new genre of breakfast cereal: brand extensions of the actual cartoons we watched. Who didn’t love the Pink Panther, right? It was a fast-moving half-hour of clever, subversive unpredictable violence and fun—a perfect Saturday morning warm-up for a weekend with my family. Well then, who wouldn’t love Pink Panther Flakes? These were Frosted Flakes with an unhealthy dose of Red Dye #2 that made them glisten when the light caught them just right. The gimmick was that the cereal turned your milk pink. Well, that sounded disgusting to me and, apparently, it was, because it didn’t even outlast the cartoon. 

I mentioned the Quisp and Quake feud earlier. This was a brilliant piece of marketing. Kids didn’t have much say in anything back then. The idea that the “losing” cereal (it was Quake) would blip out of existence was incredibly empowering for a child. As the day of reckoning drew near, the tension was palpable. It was like watching returns in a razor-thin election, except it wasn’t for something stupid like governor or senator or President of the United States. This was breakfast-table life and death. Most kids who tried both realized Quisp and Quake were essentially the same cereal, just different shapes: Quisp was an alien, so his shape was a flying saucer, while Quake was some sort of jackhammer operator, so his shape looked like chunks of construction material. Prior to the contest, they changed Quake to a cowboy or a safari guide or something that didn’t make much sense. Well, duh, you don’t do that so close to a national election. When the results were announced, Quisp won in a Nixon-like landslide, while Quake probably didn’t even win his home state. 

At about the same time—and I know that no one with a real job will remember this—there was another cereal feud trying to break through the noise. Borrowing from Quisp and Quake, while also riffing off of Snoopy and the Red Baron in the Peanuts cartoon strip, were a pair of World War I fighter pilots, Baron von Redberry and Sir Grapefellow. Grapefellow was a Brit, while von Redberry broke Teutonic. With the older brothers and cousins of kids you knew coming back from Vietnam not quite whole anymore (or not at all), what better way to sell breakfast cereal than by celebrating a conflict that killed 20 million people? Not surprisingly, both pilots crashed and burned shortly after takeoff, but let me tell you…the grape flavor was a bold move and I thought it was one of the great dry cereals. 

Incidentally, as a child and, yes, as an adult, I put bananas in the same category as milk, a category I call “Nope. Nope. Nope.” My parents loved to slice bananas directly onto their cereal. It was horrifying to me on a molecular level. The only upside was that I knew for sure they were telling me the truth about my being adopted.

Cereal makers tried again and again to come up with products that approximated the taste of freshly sliced bananas—sometimes with an artificial spray or flavoring, sometimes with freeze-dried pieces that reconstituted into banana mush when bathed in milk. The summer I turned seven, I noticed Kellogg’s Corn Flakes with Instant Bananas during a supermarket visit. Naturally, the concept was disgusting to me…but at the same time oddly intriguing. Maybe, I thought, crunchy freeze-dried bananas would work for me as a milk-less cereal. I stared at the box for a long time, which is how you make buying decisions at that age. The character on the front was a banana-man with a windbreaker formed by his own banana peel. I think he also had a hat tilted at a slightly rakish angle. Well, he seemed like a decent enough guy, so I snuck it into the cart. 

At the checkout register, my mother did a double-take when I placed the box on the conveyer belt. She squinted at me, looked back at the banana-man, squinted at me again hard, and then sighed and said, “Okay.” I knew what that meant: She thought I’d consume one dry handful, make a fake gagging sound and then throw it away (and within an hour she would be proved correct). Mom could have started a public confrontation, and it wouldn’t have been her first, but apparently that was not the hill she planned to die on that day. 

So recently I encountered a box of Kellogg’s Corn Flakes with Instant Bananas for sale on eBay. In retrospect, I see that the banana-man definitely had a registered sex offender vibe. I wonder if that’s why my mother was squinting at me. Anyway, I still buy the occasional box of “healthy” cereal now with banana bits, which are still a thing, ever hopeful that my taste buds have matured. Sadly, they have not. Dried bananas still make me fake-gag. 

Meanwhile, my quest for another grape-flavored cereal continues. (Shame on you, Grape Nuts, by the way, for teasing me my whole adult life). Blueberry Cheerios, which I picked up on sale at a CVS recently, came pretty close flavor- and crunch-wise to what I was looking for, but they fell short. I suspect that they will be on sale forever, because they don’t taste much like anything found in nature and have the additional disadvantage of approximating the color of death. 

Another cereal I encountered recently while shopping for something else was an old favorite, Alpha-Bits. I flashed back to what I believe to have been the first time that I made someone laugh with words I wrote. I was six years old and, okay, it was one word. And it’s a word we can’t print in this magazine. And it was a word I assembled on a spoon, not one I wrote on paper. 

So let’s finish up with Cap’n Crunch. In terms of mouth feel, the folks who made this cereal really got me. Even as a pre-schooler, I understood that “staying crunchy even in milk” meant they would be super-crunchy right out of the box. (Only later did I begin to wonder why the word “even” was part of the sell copy; was someone pouring something else on their cereal?) Well anyway, they were sensational. Even now, I have to talk myself out of a date with the Cap’n every time I go to the store. For the record, I preferred the original, unadulterated version, without the Crunchberries and all the stuff they’ve added since. I’ll bet there are a dozen different Cap’n Crunch flavors right now. I should state here that I don’t eat Cap’n Crunch anymore and haven’t had a handful probably since the 1980s. It’s not because they are too sweet (which they are) or too crunchy (which they aren’t) or that the insane sugar rush one experiences while consuming them would have enabled Jean LaFoot’s fellow Frenchmen to hold the Maginot Line. I think it’s about how Cap’n Crunch affected the way I viewed my father. 

My dad piloted bombers during World War II and attained the rank of captain. That’s pretty much all I knew about his military service as a a little boy. He didn’t talk about the war much, or what it was like to fly or even be a leader of men. The only story he liked to tell was about how he and a buddy were ordered to “police-up” a stretch of beach in Savannah as punishment for some minor transgression committed during flight training. They raked the debris into a large pile before realizing that they had no way of transporting it to the dump. Their ingenious solution was to soak the trash with aviation fuel, toss a match on the whole mess and get back to more pressing matters. The resulting explosion propelled them through the air, singed off their eyebrows and convinced everyone within a couple of miles that either a plane had crashed or some saboteurs were up to no good on the beach. My father would tell me this story whenever he was igniting charcoal for a summer barbecue—usually after

downing a couple of beers, with an open can of lighter fluid in his hand and a lit cigarette dangling from his lips. 

At some point I made the connection between my father the Captain and Cap’n Crunch. I was five or six but I wasn’t an idiot. I recognized that Dad had been in the Army and, clearly, the Cap’n was a Navy man. But with their rank being identical, I began to question how and where my father’s military career had gone off the rails. He was by this time a newspaper editor, a job that was difficult for me to comprehend since I had only recently begun to read. (If he had edited Good Night, Moon obviously that would have been different). All I knew was that he didn’t have a big blue hat. He wasn’t on TV. He didn’t have his own ship. And he didn’t have his own cereal. What exactly had happened? Was it the garbage explosion in Savannah? Oh, my God. Was that what the barbecue story was really all about? 

One morning I summoned the courage to confront my father at the breakfast table. He was consuming something unspeakable like liver and onions while I was fussing nervously with my bowl of Cap’n Crunch, moistened as usual with a half-ounce of milk. Without saying a word, I slid the box slowly to his side of the table. He looked at it for a long time, long enough so I knew I could open my line of questioning: “How come you were a captain and he’s a captain—” 

My father tipped the box over so we could both see the front, pointed to the apostrophe in the top word and like an ex-officer and good editor, showed me something I had missed. 

“He’s not a captain,” he pointed out in mid-chew. “He’s a Cap’n.” 

His look said everything: Let us never speak of this again. 

And sure enough, we never did.

Honesty, strength, generosity, and humor are qualities we look for in the people we admire and trust. They also happen to be the attributes that define Loretta Swit. After honing her craft on the stage for more than a decade, she was discovered by West Coast television producers and landed the role of Major Margaret Houlihan on the hit series M*A*S*H*—for which she would win a pair of Emmys—and then fought to give her character purpose and depth far beyond anything the show’s creators had imagined. A gifted child performer, Swit followed her dream across the river to New York and then across the country to Hollywood. As Gerry Strauss discovered, Loretta’s success was no accident, and her vision extends far beyond her role as an entertainer.

EDGE: What do you view as the qualities that took you to Hollywood?

LS: I would put courage number one. And confidence in my ability—my lust, if you will—to perform. Also, I was surrounded by some really lovely, talented teachers, and people who guided me and gave me support that fueled that confidence. Nobody in my environment made it to Hollywood, period. To announce you’re going to go into the theater was, like, no way. I’ve said in other interviews that I had no choice, that it came from the heart. But I’ve also come around to accept what other people [have called courage]. I think that it’s okay to know how brave you are, or how strong you can be. I think that’s a positive thing to know about yourself.

EDGE: Would you follow the same path from New Jersey to New York to L.A. if you were starting today?

LS: No. I don’t think I would have gone to California. Susan Taylor, my adorable and fun friend once said. “Don’t ever go to Hollywood without a contract in your hand. It’s a tough town.” I think that’s good advice.

EDGE: But you did, didn’t you?

LS: I always thought my career was on the stage. I never thought of myself as a film actress. But yes, a friend of mine, with whom I had done a play and who lived in California said, “Why don’t you come here for a week or two…and just, you know, spent a few weeks here? You never know. You might meet somebody who’d see you and says, Hey. you’d be right for this part.“ So I wound up at the office of the casting director for all of CBS—a very important lady, Pam Polifroni—and she was looking through my book and she said, “I know you. I know your name.” I insisted that she didn’t know me—I was a nobody! “Wait a minute,” she said, “there was an agent in here raving about your work. He went on and on about how good you were, and it impressed me.” She said his name was Fred Amsel and he was very laid-back and not at all pushy, even for his clients—and that he was so excited about me, even though I wasn’t a client. She promised to keep me in mind if something came up. I said, “I don’t live here.” She said, “Well, you never know.”

EDGE: Did you call the agent?

LS: I did. I called him and he was a real Damon Runyon character. I don’t think he ever called me anything but “Kid.” We had lunch, he told me that in his agency he covered CBS and Paramount and that he would be happy to represent me. “If you’re willing to take a chance, I will get out there and talk about you in the district that I represent.” And it so happened that a part came up on Gunsmoke (left), which was CBS, which of course Pam cast. And so Fred called her and he said, “How about if I put Loretta for this part?” She said, “I think she’ll be very good in it.” I had to [audition] with some other people but I got the role. Fred called and said, “We got lucky!” I said, “I know. It’s great. It’s wonderful.” And it was a wonderful role and just a fabulous time. And a great beginning, because in those days, you really needed to have film on yourself to show people.

EDGE: What did the road from Gunsmoke to M*A*S*H* look like?

LS: I was still filming Gunsmoke when they sent me over to Paramount to read for Mannix, which turned into my second job on television. Fred said, “We got lucky, again!” At that point, the three other agents in his office said, “This is looking very good. Let’s sign her.” And so I went with that office. Anyway, I was in Hawaii doing Hawaii Five-0—it was a gorgeous job—and Fred called and asked if I had seen the movie M*A*S*H* and I hadn’t. “Oh,” he said, “well, okay, terrific, it doesn’t matter, nevermind. You have a meeting with Gene [Reynolds] and Larry [Gelbart]. It’s just on you. There’s no script to read. So just go in, they’re gonna look you over, see if you’re what they have in mind for the part.” So, needless to say, I had no nerves. I was going to meet these lovely people. I didn’t know what I was about to lose or gain. I met my girlfriend before I went to the meeting and we went shopping and had a lot of laughs. In the meantime, Fred had an offer for me for a movie with Olivia de Havilland, and I was in disbelief. “The only thing is the dates of the filming conflict with the pilot for M*A*S*H*,” he said. “You can’t do both. However, this is an offer.” He said he would call [Gene and Larry] and tell them politely that, if they had decided on me, they have to move now. Gene Reynolds took the call, and said, “Nope, don’t give her away. She’s ours. We’ve just decided to go with Loretta.”

EDGE: Margaret Houlihan was a very complex character for a comedy series. Did you have any idea of where you wanted her to go in those early episodes?

LS: I was not the happiest of campers the first two or three seasons. I felt they were writing Margaret right but at the same time, she was entangled in a relationship with Frank Burns that was just beneath her. My character worshiped doctors and they were writing Larry [Linville] like a joke. Of course, he was so brilliant and funny and wonderful in that role, they weren’t going to change that. It was a given to keep Larry on that train. Alan [Alda] said it best: “As a writer, when you get a wonderful gimmick that’s working, that’s giving you all you want, like Frank Burns and Houlihan—who were funny and ridiculous and marvelous—it’s difficult for the writer to let go.” We’ve got a winner here. Don’t tamper with it. If it’s not broken, don’t try to fix it. In the meantime, my character was being assassinated.

EDGE: How did you advocate for Margaret?

LS: In the beginning years, when I didn’t know we would go for 11 seasons, I would talk to Gene Reynolds and he would say, “It’s episodic, sweetheart.” I’d say, “Yeah, but I feel like I’m going back and forth. In one episode, I see what an idiot Frank is, and you helped me with a line. But in the next episode, it’s like nothing ever happened. I haven’t learned anything…my character is not allowed to continue to grow and it’s making me crazy.” Little by little, Gene and the writers tried to talk to me. The guys were writing for the guys at that point and the guys were writing for Margaret, too. Gelbart was very, very aware of what was lacking in the first season. He said, “Hang in with us, we’re working on where she’s going.” In year two, I think, they had the wonderful idea to hire two women to write a revealing episode for Margaret. But again, in the following episode—no, no, no!—it’s like it didn’t happen. I kept plaguing them for help. Finally, I was in New York doing a play on a hiatus and the boys got together and we had a conference call, during which we ripped everything apart. They asked, “What do you see? Where is she going? What do you see for the next season coming up?”

EDGE: What was your answer?

LS: She’s got to break up with Frank.

EDGE: Wow.

LS: “She’s got to leave him,” I said. “She’s got to go to Tokyo and meet somebody dashing and wonderful. I don’t care if he’s goofy and funny— because they have to be—but he doesn’t have to be a doctor. And he can outrank Frank, because that’s very important to Margaret.” They asked, then what? And Gene said, “Let’s get her engaged.” So we had this incredibly creative, wonderful, funny conversation where Margaret gets married and then finds he’s been disloyal and then gets divorced. There were a lot of good tracks to cover in those ideas, which we did. We really worked together like a well-oiled machine—everybody on this show worked together with the writers. Those Mondays were like fireworks. You had these creative people, throwing ideas back and forth in positive, wonderful, rich ways. It was a very exciting time to be around, to be an actor in that situation. You could not help but get better and grow and learn. It was just tremendous.

EDGE: Major Houlihan changed the way a lot of people looked at nursing during that era. Was that something you were aware of during the series?

LS: I don’t think so. It was only in retrospect that I see how strong the effect was. So many people have told me they became nurses because of me, because of Margaret. Television is so powerful. It can do so much good. It’s amazing. When we began, I said to Gene, “I want to play her like the best damn nurse in Korea. That’s what she wants to be and that’s what she is.” Again, you see how that played into my fight to get away from Frank Burns and the relationship, which in a way degraded her. He was an incompetent doctor, and so what was she doing there, when staying in that relationship any longer made it impossible for me to be the best damn nurse in Korea? I feel from that moment on, Margaret started to blossom and grow. She was flawed, like we are all flawed, but she’s a great example for nurses, for a head nurse and for the military.

EDGE: Obviously, M*A*S*H* also changed how doctors were portrayed.

LS: It did. You know, up until M*A*S*H* the doctors on television didn’t lose patients. They always pulled them through. That’s nice, but it’s not honest. We used to say that M*A*S*H* is not a John Wayne movie about war. In our series, people died, patients died, people got wounded and hurt. And we never stop talking about the ugliness of it. The humor came out of our own madness and craziness to have to be there to do that. The only way to survive was by being crazy and funny and drunk. I think M*A*S*H* took on cult status because we told everybody the truth.

 

Animal Alliance

Loretta Swit has leveraged her success and fame to the great benefit of myriad causes, from battling homelessness to advocating for emergency medicine to animal rights. She also devoted two months of her life to the recovery efforts after 9/11. Her charity, the SwitHeart Animal Alliance (switheart.org), promotes and cooperates with nonprofits dedicated to protecting, rescuing, training and caring for animals and preserving their habitats.

“The operative word is alliance,” she says. “There are a lot of wonderful people out there who are on the same page doing good. We’ve been very successful working together. For example, Mission Canine just brought back nine dogs from Kuwait with PTSD and we’ll be taking care of them at our camp in Houston. We’re also working with shelters to train service dogs, and search and rescue dogs, which can be deployed to disaster areas all over the world. We kind of cover every sphere—the aim is to get all of these people working together toward the same purpose and goals, to make some changes and to make a difference in a very positive way. They’re all incredible people.”

 

EDGE takes you inside the area’s most creative kitchens.

Grain & Cane Bar and Table • Grilled Salmon Tikka with Herb Salad

250 Connell Drive • BERKELEY HEIGHTS (908) 897-1920 • grainandcane.com

Scottish salmon marinated in yogurt, spices and flash grilled. Served with a tossed salad of tender herbs, pickled onion and a light citrus vinaigrette. A beautiful early winter dish that has a warm spice finish and pairs beautifully with a light red wine.

 

The Thirsty Turtle • Pork Tenderloin Special

1-7 South Avenue W. • CRANFORD (908) 324-4140 • thirstyturtle.com

Our food specials amaze! I work tirelessly to bring you the best weekly meat, fish and pasta specials. Follow us on social media to get all of the most current updates!

— Chef Rich Crisonio

 

The Thirsty Turtle • Brownie Sundae

186 Columbia Turnpike • FLORHAM PARK (973) 845-6300 • thirstyturtle.com

Check out our awesome desserts brought to you by our committed staff. The variety amazes as does the taste!

— Chef Dennis Peralta

 

 

The Famished Frog • Mango Guac

18 Washington Street • MORRISTOWN (973) 540-9601 • famishedfrog.com

Our refreshing Mango Guac is sure to bring the taste of the Southwest to Morristown.

— Chef Ken Raymond

 

 

 

Arirang Hibachi Steakhouse • Pork Belly Bao Buns

1230 Route 22 West • MOUNTAINSIDE (908) 518-9733 • partyonthegrill.com

Tender pork belly, hoison sauce and pickled cucumber served on a Chinese bun.

 

 

 

Daimatsu • Sushi Pizza

860 Mountain Avenue • MOUNTAINSIDE (908) 233-7888 • daimatsusushibar.com

This original dish has been our signature appetizer for over 20 years. Crispy seasoned sushi rice topped with homemade spicy mayo, marinated tuna, finely chopped onion, scallion, masago caviar, and ginger. Our customers always come back wanting more.

— Chef Momo

 

 

Garden Grille • Beet & Goat Cheese Salad

304 Route 22 West • SPRINGFIELD (973) 232-5300 • hgispringfield.hgi.com

 Beet and goat cheese salad with mandarin oranges, golden beets, spiced walnuts, arugula, with a red wine vinaigrette.

— Chef Sean Cznadel

 

 

LongHorn Steakhouse • Outlaw Ribeye

LongHorn Steakhouse • Outlaw Ribeye

272 Route 22 West • SPRINGFIELD (973) 315-2049 • longhornsteakhouse.com

Join us for our “speedy affordable lunches” or dinner. We suggest you try our fresh, never frozen, 18 oz. bone-in Outlaw Ribeye—featuring juicy marbling that is perfectly seasoned and fire-grilled by our expert Grill Masters. Make sure to also try our amazing chicken and seafood dishes, as well.

— Anthony Levy, Managing Partner

 

 

Outback Steakhouse • Bone-In Natural Cut Ribeye

Outback Steakhouse • Bone-In Natural Cut Ribeye

901 Mountain Avenue • SPRINGFIELD (973) 467-9095 • outback.com

This is the entire staff’s favorite, guests rave about. Bone-in and extra marbled for maximum tenderness, juicy and savory. Seasoned and wood-fired grilled over oak.

— Duff Regan, Managing Partner

 

 

 

Arirang Hibachi Steakhouse • Japanese Taco

Arirang Hibachi Steakhouse • Japanese Taco

23A Nelson Avenue • STATEN ISLAND, NY (718) 966-9600 • partyonthegrill.com

Choice of Tuna with wakeme, Kobe beef with sushi rice or Rock Shrimp with pineapple. Served in a crispy wonton shell, Asian slaw, topped with spicy mayo and teriyaki sauce

 

 

Ursino Steakhouse & Tavern • House Carved 16oz New York Strip Steak

Ursino Steakhouse & Tavern • House Carved 16oz New York Strip Steak

1075 Morris Avenue • UNION (908) 977-9699 • ursinosteakhouse.com

Be it a sizzling filet in the steakhouse or our signature burger in the tavern upstairs, Ursino is sure to please the most selective palates. Our carefully composed menus feature fresh, seasonal ingredients and reflect the passion we put into each and every meal we serve.

Do you own a local restaurant and want to know how your BEST DISH could be featured in our Chef Recommends restaurant guide?

Call us at 908.994.5138

 

These Are the 10 Greatest Pitchmen (and Women) of All-Time…

Jack Benny

Benny’s shameless incorporation of his sponsors’ products and jingles into his highly rated programs became a brilliant and highly profitable running joke. 

Stephanie Courtney 

Courtney, who came to the ad world from improv comedy, has played Flo the Progressive Lady for more than a decade. 

George Foreman 

A boxing villain during his prime, Foreman “unretired” in the 1980s, somehow regained the world heavyweight title at age 45, and reinvented himself as a friendly teddy bear who sold countertop grills, mufflers, invention services—you name it. 

Arthur Godfrey 

In the 1940s and ’50s, Godfrey ranked as the most-trusted pitchman in radio and television, hawking everything from Lipton Tea to Chesterfields. After being diagnosed with lung cancer, he became a prominent anti-smoking advocate. 

Lori Greiner 

When Greiner isn’t sparring with her Shark Tank peers, the Queen of QVC develops and promotes the products and companies populating her consumer-shopping empire. 

Joy Mangano 

Mangano changed the home-shopping game when she muscled her way onto the air to promote her Miracle Mop and sold 18,000 in a half-hour spot. 

Peyton Manning 

The self-effacing NFL legend has become so skilled as a pitchman that viewers actually turn up the volume when his laugh-out-loud commercials air. 

Billy Mays 

Mays took high-volume, high-octane pitches to a new level—particularly in the cleaning category—before a heart attack ended his life at 50. 

Shaquille O’Neal 

Shaq, who spent his boyhood in Newark, has found the sweet spot between silliness and seriousness to become a high-value spokesman for everything from Gold Bond to Papa John’s to Carnival Cruise Lines. 

Ron Popeil 

Popeil is remembered for inventing and selling a relentless stream of products you didn’t need or really even want, yet couldn’t resist buying—from the Pocket Fisherman to the Showtime Rotisserie to Mr. Microphone to GLH-9 (aka hair in a can).

Credits: Jack Benny/American Tobacco • Stephanie Courtney/Progressive • George Foreman – Michael Shick – El Grito • Arthur Godfrey • National Archives, Lori Greiner • Lori Greiner, Joy Mangano • dot com, Peyton Manning • Upper Case Editorial, Billy Mays • Sharese Ann Frederick, Shaquille O’Neal • Zack Burgess, Ron Popeil • Ronco

EDGE takes you inside the area’s most creative kitchens.

The Thirsty Turtle • Tacos

1-7 South Avenue W. • CRANFORD (908) 324-4140 • thirstyturtle.com

Look out for our tacos as they bring the flavors of the South West to the North East.

— Chef Rich Crisonio

 

The Thirsty Turtle • Wings

186 Columbia Turnpike • FLORHAM PARK (973) 845-6300 • thirstyturtle.com

Our wings make the mouth water and always wanting more!

— Chef Dennis Peralta

 

The Famished Frog • Assorted Desserts

18 Washington Street • MORRISTOWN (973) 540-9601 • famishedfrog.com

Our unique desserts will satisfy any sweet tooth.

— Chef Ken Raymond

 

Arirang Hibachi Steakhouse • Sushi Tacos

1230 Route 22 West • MOUNTAINSIDE (908) 518-9733 • partyonthegrill.com

Crispy wonton taco shells—featuring your choice of tuna, salmon, shrimp or crab—with rice, cucumber, red onions, avocado, cilantro and lime juice, topped with spicy mayo.

 

Daimatsu • Sushi Pizza

860 Mountain Avenue • MOUNTAINSIDE (908) 233-7888 • daimatsusushibar.com

This original dish has been our signature appetizer for over 20 years. Crispy seasoned sushi rice topped with homemade spicy mayo, marinated tuna, finely chopped onion, scallion, masago caviar, and ginger. Our customers always come back wanting more.

— Chef Momo

 

Luciano’s Ristorante & Lounge • Pan Seared Scallops

1579 Main Street • RAHWAY (732) 815-1200 • lucianosristorante.com

Pan-seared scallops over butternut squash risotto and wilted spinach, finished with a brown butter emulsion. This is one of the signature dishes featured on our menu since we opened 10 years ago.

— Joseph Mastrella, Executive Chef/Partner

 

Garden Grille • Cauliflower Steak

304 Route 22 West • SPRINGFIELD (973) 232-5300 • hgispringfield.hgi.com

Sautéed cauliflower steak, blistered grape tomatoes, roquette and lemon supreme sautéed in extra virgin olive oil.

— Chef Sean Cznadel

 

LongHorn Steakhouse • Outlaw Ribeye

272 Route 22 West • SPRINGFIELD (973) 315-2049 • longhornsteakhouse.com

LongHorn Steakhouse of Springfield is celebrating its One Year Anniversary. Come celebrate with us! Join us for Lunch or Dinner. We suggest you try our fresh, never frozen, 18 oz. bone-in Outlaw Ribeye – featuring juicy marbling that is perfectly seasoned and fire-grilled by our expert Grill Masters.

— Anthony Levy, Managing Partner

 

Outback Steakhouse • Bone-In Natural Cut Ribeye

901 Mountain Avenue • SPRINGFIELD (973) 467-9095 • outback.com

This is the entire staff’s favorite, guests rave about. Bone-in and extra marbled for maximum tenderness, juicy and savory. Seasoned and wood-fired grilled over oak.

— Duff Regan, Managing Partner

 

Arirang Hibachi Steakhouse • Volcano Roll

23A Nelson Avenue • STATEN ISLAND, NY (718) 966-9600 • partyonthegrill.com

Hot-out-of-the-oven, crab, avocado and cream cheese rolled up and topped with a mild spicy scallop salad.

 

Ursino Steakhouse & Tavern • House Carved 16oz New York Strip Steak

1075 Morris Avenue • UNION (908) 977-9699 • ursinosteakhouse.com

Be it a sizzling filet in the steakhouse or our signature burger in the tavern upstairs, Ursino is sure to please the most selective palates. Our carefully composed menus feature fresh, seasonal ingredients and reflect the passion we put into each and every meal we serve.

 

Do you own a local restaurant and want to know how your BEST DISH could be featured in our Chef Recommends restaurant guide?

Call us at 908.994.5138

EDGE takes you inside the area’s most creative kitchens.

The Thirsty Turtle • Pretzel Burger

1-7 South Ave E. • CRANFORD (908) 324-4140 • thirstyturtle.com

Our mouthwatering burger is topped with American cheese, bacon, shredded lettuce, and Russian dressing on a soft pretzel bun…this classic evokes nostalgia.

— Chef Rich Crisonio

 

The Thirsty Turtle • Irish Nachos

186 Columbia Turnpike • FLORHAM PARK (973) 845-6300 • thirstyturtle.com

These special nachos are made with potato crisps, bacon, cheddar and Monterey Jack, scallions and Guinness sour cream…truly a house favorite!

— Chef Dennis Peralta

 

The Famished Frog • Assorted Flatbreads

18 Washington St. • MORRISTOWN (973) 540-9601 • famishedfrog.com

My unique spin on the California flatbread was inspired by my work with world-famous chef, Wolfgang Puck.

— Chef Ken Raymond

 

Arirang Hibachi Steakhouse • Wasabi Crusted Filet Mignon

1230 Route 22 West • MOUNTAINSIDE (908) 518-9733 • partyonthegrill.com

We prepare a crusted 8-ounce filet mignon served with gingered spinach, shitake mushrooms, and a tempura onion ring.

 

Daimatsu • Sushi Pizza

860 Mountain Ave. • MOUNTAINSIDE (908) 233-7888 • daimatsusushibar.com

This original dish has been our signature appetizer for over 20 years. Crispy seasoned sushi rice topped with homemade spicy mayo, marinated tuna, finely chopped onion, scallion, masago caviar, and ginger. Our customers always come back wanting more.

— Chef Momo

 

Luciano’s Ristorante & Lounge • Warm Goat Cheese Salad

1579 Main Street • RAHWAY (732) 815-1200 • lucianosristorante.com

The warm goat cheese salad with tender greens and a mulled cabernet dressing and toasted pine nuts is a signature appetizer at Luciano’s, where fresh ingredients and personable service in a beautiful Tuscan décor create a fine dining experience. Our menus are seasonally influenced to feature the best of what’s available in the market.

— Joseph Mastrella, Executive Chef/Partner

 

Garden Grille • Grilled Chicken Paillard

304 Route 22 West • SPRINGFIELD (973) 232-5300 • hgispringfield.hgi.com

Grilled chicken paillard with roasted corn, asparagus, cauliflower, baby arugula and grape tomato, extra virgin olive oil & aged balsamic.

— Chef Sean Cznadel

 

LongHorn Steakhouse • Outlaw Ribeye

272 Route 22 West • SPRINGFIELD (973) 315-2049 • longhornsteakhouse.com

LongHorn Steakhouse of Springfield is celebrating its One Year Anniversary. Come celebrate with us! Join us for Lunch or Dinner. We suggest you try our fresh, never frozen, 18 oz. bone-in Outlaw Ribeye – featuring juicy marbling that is perfectly seasoned and fire-grilled by our expert Grill Masters.

— Anthony Levy, Managing Partner

 

Outback Steakhouse • Bone-In Natural Cut Ribeye

901 Mountain Avenue • SPRINGFIELD (973) 467-9095 • outback.com

This is the entire staff’s favorite, guests rave about. Bone-in and extra marbled for maximum tenderness, juicy and savory. Seasoned and wood-fired grilled over oak.

— Duff Regan, Managing Partner

 

Arirang Hibachi Steakhouse • Volcano Roll

23A Nelson Avenue • STATEN ISLAND, NY (718) 966-9600 • partyonthegrill.com

Hot-out-of-the-oven, crab, avocado and cream cheese rolled up and topped with a mild spicy scallop salad.

 

Ursino Steakhouse & Tavern • House Carved 16oz New York Strip Steak

1075 Morris Avenue • UNION (908) 977-9699 • ursinosteakhouse.com

Be it a sizzling filet in the steakhouse or our signature burger in the tavern upstairs, Ursino is sure to please the most selective palates. Our carefully composed menus feature fresh, seasonal ingredients and reflect the passion we put into each and every meal we serve.

 

Do you own a local restaurant and want to know how your BEST DISH could be featured in our Chef Recommends restaurant guide?

Call us at 908.994.5138

 

The word “million” has to be one of the handiest in the English language. It conveys with elegant simplicity a number that is, at once, tangible and inconceivably large. Which means that anyone can use it to convey a wide range of thoughts, in any number of ways—including some of history’s most quotable people…

Let your soul stand cool and composed before a million universes.

—Walt Whitman

 

If the boy and girl walk off into the sunset hand-in-hand in the last scene, it adds ten million to the box office.

—George Lucas

 

The company accountant is shy and retiring. He’s shy a quarter of a million dollars…that’s why he’s retiring.

—Milton Berle

 

You can get a million comments about how beautiful you look and how awesome you are, but the one comment that says they hate you and you’re ugly is the one that sticks.

—Kendall Jenner

 

When I take action, I’m not going to fire a $2 million missile at a $10 empty tent and hit a camel in the butt. It’s going to be decisive.

—George W. Bush

 

The President has only 190 million bosses. The Vice President has 190 million and one.

—Hubert H. Humphrey

 

Money doesn’t make you happy. I now have $50 million but I was just as happy when I had $48 million.

—Arnold Schwarzenegger

 

I’ve kind of fashioned my life after a Slinky. Bend me in a million shapes, and eventually I’ll spring back to what I originally was.

—Sylvester Stallone

 

One death is a tragedy; one million is a statistic.

—Josef Stalin

 

Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.

—Robert F. Kennedy

David Levy adores the purity of geometric forms. He is drawn to bridges, automobiles and musical instruments. Levy’s crisp, elegant lines, bold colors and the visual record of his brushstrokes move the eye and the intellect.

Born in Manhattan and raised on Long Island, David Levy has been a New Jersey resident for more than 30 years. Levy was an Optical (Op) artist at age 15—well before he established his hard-edge style of painting he dubbed Engineered Abstraction as a Fine Arts major at Lehigh University, where he also earned a master’s degree in Art History. For more on David Levy’s story, visit edgemagonline.com.

New Jersey’s auto racing history is full of surprising twists and turns. Here are a dozen fun facts you need to know…

Martin Truex Jr. (left), the 2017 NASCAR champion, grew up in South Jersey, where his father owned Sea Watch International, one of the country’s major seafood purveyors. Martin Sr. was called the “Clam King.”

Mark Donohue, winner of the 1972 Indianapolis 500, grew up in Summit and attended the Pingry School. He graduated from Brown University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.

During the Great Depression, auto racing’s top builders, mechanics and drivers called “Gasoline Alley” in Paterson’s Fifth Ward home.

During the 1980s, the Meadowlands Sports Complex was home to the Meadowlands Grand Prix. It was held on a course laid out in the stadium parking lot and offered the second-highest purse in the sport, behind the Indy 500.

During the 1920s, New Jersey’s most famous racer was Orie Steele (left), who was nearly unbeatable in motorcycle Hillclimb events—a hugely popular spectator sport in the years between the two World Wars.

One of the country’s first auto racing tracks was a half-mile dirt oval at the Trenton Fairgrounds. It was enlarged, paved and renamed the Trenton Speedway in 1957, and was home to NASCAR’s Northern 300. Today it is the location of the Grounds for Sculpture.

In 1909, 22-year-old Alice Huyler Ramsey of Bergen County—accompanied by a 16-year-old friend and two older sisters-in-law—became the first woman to drive across the country. It took her 59 days.

The Ho-Ho-Kus Speedway (right) in Bergen County regularly drew crowds of 5,000 or more to its Saturday races in the 1920s and 30s. Director Howard Hawks filmed heart-pounding racing scenes there for the 1932 Jimmy Cagney film The Crowd Roars.

2012 NHRA Top Fuel champion Antron Brown was born in Trenton and grew up in Chesterfield. He began racing dirt bikes on the family’s property at the age of 4.

Ray Evernham, the crew chief behind Jeff Gordon’s greatest successes, was born and raised in Monmouth County, where his father owned a service station. He began building and racing cars at the age of 14.

Tri-City Stadium, a midget car and motorcycle track, covered a mere fifth of a mile. Each time a rider completed a lap, he passed through slivers of Newark, Irvington and Union.

Raceway Park in Old Bridge, opened in 1965, became one of the nation’s top drag racing venues. In 2018, it ended its association with drag racing after more than a half-century, citing insurance and other costs.

Home improvement begins with the wisdom of the crowd.

By Sarah Rossbach

I’m standing precariously on a small, beautifully landscaped but overgrown traffic island, allergies raging, clippers in hand, debating whether to deadhead a browned Montauk daisy or leave it to feed the birds in winter. Cars are whizzing by, sometimes inches from my fellow gardeners, who are raking dried leaves. You have every right to wonder: Why do we— accomplished women of a certain age—risk our health and lives, and subject ourselves to the stiff backs and unpaid toils of weeding and pruning local mini-parks? 

A dirty pick-up truck slows down and a man with a beard leans out the window and shouts. Is it something vulgar? No. He merely yells above the traffic din, “You make our town more beautiful!” He adds with a smile, “When you’re done, my place could use your help!” 

That’s all we, members of our local garden club, need… knowing that we’re appreciated and making a difference in our community. 

I wasn’t always this civic-minded. My friend Andrea reminds me that 15 years ago she asked me if I wanted to join and my answer was an adamant No! Yet here I am, a member in good standing, watering and weeding public gardens, propagating plants from cuttings and seeds, entering flower shows, butchering a blooming peony “tree” (it’s really a shrub) to create a dazzling floral design. What happened? How did I go from blissfully forgetting to attend meetings—and receiving stern warnings—to planting and nurturing flowers months (and sometimes years) ahead to enter a statewide flower show?

Pick your answer: Garden club (a) saved my life; (b) ate

my life; (c) enriched my life; (d) all of the above.

Bingo. Yes, (d) is correct.

As a writer and consultant with limited free time, I scrupulously avoid committing to book clubs, tennis teams, bridge games and girls’ nights out. Yet, step-by-step, I became captivated by nearly all disciplines of my garden club as well as the camaraderie of working and lunching with members of all ages. Some members joke that their enjoyment and enthusiasm of their garden clubs is “drinking the Kool-Aid,” but that metaphor implies that they are unwitting victims. I’m no victim; I’m more of an addict, a horti-holic seeking the next horticultural high. There. I said it. Don’t even try to cure me. 

The addiction starts slowly. Funny things happen when you join a garden club. First it’s the mild stuff. You get a craving for the informative, often amusing, lectures on beneficial bugs, composting, historic gardens, holiday floral arrangements. Then a planting workshop might start you hankering for propagating herbs, lettuces and annual flowers. And before you know it, you have an overwhelming desire to get into more hardcore pursuits, the headier cultivation arts, such as starting a new plant or two from cuttings. I knew I was hooked when I requested a grow light for Christmas to propagate plants during winter’s dark months. And then, in spring, there’s no resisting the sensual pleasures of viewing your garden’s kaleidoscopic colors and experiencing the scents of the aromatic herbs, flowers and fruits of your labors. Others are lured in by a floral design workshop and demonstration and, voila, creativity blossoms: Discovering you can create masterpiece after masterpiece with plant material that you’ve grown in your garden is pretty heady stuff. Or you might catch the conservation bug as one friend—a former climate-change denier—did. Now she is an ardent environmental activist. Score one for saving our planet! 

Garden club membership can be dizzying. You find you’re accomplishing feats way out of your wheelhouse. I got elbowed into applying for a grant to partner with a local national park to remove invasive species and replace them with native plants and shrubs. Score another for horticulture, civics and conservation all rolled into one! Actually it’s been an enjoyable and rewarding project for all involved, including our garden club, the park seasonal workers, the local high school and, we hope, the Boy and Girl Scouts in the future. 

Home Games

As I age, inanimate physical objects mean less to me. On my birthday, don’t send a dozen cut roses. Drop off, instead, transplanted peonies or a pond lotus. Nothing symbolizes enduring friendship and love like a beautiful perennial that I can plant and enjoy year after year. Even when the garden is dormant, I still have bulbs and the joy and sense of satisfaction I get from the moment a fragrant blossom opens on a paperwhite, or a stunning exotic flower appears on an amaryllis stalk.

 Which is why, in the dozen-plus years I have been a garden club member, I have come to regard this association as a very special kind of “home improvement.” Between horticulture lectures and helpful advice from my fellow members, my garden is more varied and natural appearing. And now I pay attention to whether a plant will attract or feed a bee or butterfly, important crop pollinators. So now milkweed, salvia and beebalm are ensconced among my flowerbeds. I love to bring in greens in winter and flowers the rest of the year to arrange in my own unique way for dinner parties for all to enjoy. There is one complaint from my husband: it’s the pots, trowels, bags of soil that fill my office/potting shed with the promise of warmer, greener days to come.

I admit I am an enabler, luring my friends to join my garden club with genuine enthusiasm. Garden clubs are down-to-earth. One novice noted that few garden club members sport fingernail polish What’s the point? It will only chip with repotting. And a garden club can be life-changing in unexpected ways. I’ve known a few shrinking violets and wallflowers who have personally blossomed from the exposure to all that garden clubs have to offer.

As winter grinds on, it’s actually a good time to survey the garden club scene in your area. If you are interested in joining a garden club, there are a few different gardening organizations—all wonderful. It’s worth shopping around to see where you would best fit and enjoy the programs and club members. Choosing any club is a win-win and attending an open-to-the-public meeting is an excellent way to start. Whatever club you join, you will come to appreciate the art and science of nurturing a garden…and cultivate a whole new world of knowledge, skills and friends. 

EDITOR’S NOTE: Sarah Rossbach has written for EDGE on a wide range of topics. She is a member of the Rumson Garden Club.

We welcome the community to our programs that are designed to educate and inform. Programs are subject to change.

SEMINARS

Visit www.TrinitasRMC.org for seminar listings or check for updates on our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/TrinitasRMC.

 

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12

5:30 PM

Going Red for Women

Trinitas Regional Medical Center will host this annual event. Come learn about “Women and Heart Disease.” The public is welcome to this free event, but registration is limited. Call 908.994.5139 to register.

Presenter: Dr. Mirette Habib Interventional Cardiologist, Trinitas RMC

Garden Restaurant, 943 Magie Avenue, Union

 

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20

1:00 PM

Be the Match Bone Marrow Registry Drive

Did you know that a spinal tap is not required to donate your bone marrow? All Trinitas community members are urged to come learn how to help save a life by supporting Brandon Dillagard, an 8-year-old New Jersey resident, and many other local patients searching for a match. As a parent you’re only ever a 50 percent match for your own child. Seventy percent of the time, a complete stranger can save your loved one’s life.

Stem cell is a cure for blood cancer patients. Learn how YOU can help save a life. You could be the lifeline for a patient searching for a match. For more information, call 895-494-6882. If you can’t make it, text 61474 to join. Hit enter “cure65,” and help save a life.

Trinitas Café in the main hospital, 225 Williamson St.

 

TCCC SUPPORT GROUPS

 

Conference Room A or Conference Room B Trinitas Comprehensive Cancer Center 225 Williamson Street, Elizabeth New Jersey 07207

All events take place from 1:00 – 3:00 PM. Call (908) 994-8535 for 2018 schedule.

Living with Cancer

Viviendo con Cáncer, Grupo De Apoyo

Living with Breast Cancer

Viviendo con Cáncer de Mama

Caregiving Support Group

Viviendo con Cáncer, Grupo De Apoyo

Viviendo con Cáncer, Apoyo Familiar

For more information on any TCCC support programs and to RSVP, please contact Roxanne Ruiz-Adams, LSW, (908) 994-8535. Por favor llame al (908) 994-8535 para confirmar su asistencia.

 

SPECIAL PROGRAMS

 

Health Services with Women In Mind

Trinitas helps provide women access to vital health services with a focus on preventive measures. These include educational programs and cancer screenings. Programs offered in English and Spanish.

To learn more about these services, contact Amparo Aguirre, (908) 994-8244 or at amaguirre@trinitas.org

Ask the Pharmacist: Medication Management

Free of charge, by appointment only. Monthly on the 4th Tuesday, 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM

Call (908) 994-5237

 

TRINITAS HEALTH FOUNDATION EVENTS

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23

15th Annual Evening at the Races

Meadowlands, Rutherford, NJ

VIP Reception 5:30 PM Gourmet Dinner 6:30 PM First Race 7:15 PM

 

THURSDAY, MAY 9 6:00 PM

Annual Gala Dinner Dance

The Venetian, Garfield, NJ

Join the foundation at this beautiful black tie event complete with fantastic live music, dancing, an incredible auction and amazing food and drink.

For more information about the Foundation or to learn more about its fundraising events, (908) 994-8249 or kboyer@trinitas.org.

Proceeds from these and other events benefit the patients of Trinitas Regional Medical Center. Making reservations for Foundation events is fast and easy on your American Express, MasterCard, Visa or Discover card!

 

MEDICAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SUPPORT GROUPS

 

Diabetes Management Support Group

Monthly, First Monday, 2:00 – 3:00 PM

Kathleen McCarthy, RN, CDE (Certified Diabetes Educator)

Open to both diabetics and non-diabetics who want to learn more about diabetes prevention.

65 Jefferson Street, 2nd Floor, Elizabeth, New Jersey Call (908) 994-5502 for further information or registration

 

Sleep Disorders

If you or someone you know experiences problems sleeping, consider contacting the Trinitas Comprehensive Sleep Disorders Center in Elizabeth. Another location can be found in Cranford at Homewood Suites by Hilton with easy access on and off the Garden State Parkway. Both centers are headed by a medical director who is board certified in sleep medicine, internal medicine, pulmonary medicine, and intensive care medicine, and is staffed by seven certified sleep technologists.

For further information, call (908) 994-8694 to learn more about the Trinitas Comprehensive Sleep Disorders Center or visit www.njsleepdisorderscenter.org

 

Narcotics Anonymous

Monday 7:00 – 8:30 PM Sunday 12:00 noon – 2:00 PM; Sunday 5:00 – 6:30 PM

Jean Grady, Community Liaison, (908) 994-7438

Grassmann Hall, 655 East Jersey St., Elizabeth

 

Alcoholics Anonymous

Friday 7:30 – 8:45 PM

Jean Grady, Community Liaison, (908) 994-7438

Grassmann Hall, 655 East Jersey St., Elizabeth

 

HIV Education and Support Program for HIV Positive Patients

Monthly. Call for scheduled dates/times.

Judy Lacinak, (908) 994-7605

Early Intervention Program Clinic, 655 Livingston St. Monastery Building, 2nd Floor, Elizabeth

 

Mental Illness Support Group (NAMI) for Spanish Speaking Participants

4th Friday of each month except August, 6:30 – 8:30 PM

Mike Guglielmino, (908) 994-7275 Martha Silva, NAMI 1-888-803-3413

6 South Conference Room, Williamson Street Campus 225 Williamson Street, Elizabeth

 

TRINITAS CHILDREN’S THERAPY SERVICES

899 Mountain Avenue, Suite 1A, Springfield, NJ • (973) 218-6394

 

“10 Tips…” Workshops The Ten Tips Workshop Series is back and as informative as ever! The series consists of 10 workshops appropriate for parents, teachers, or individuals who work with young children and focus on practical strategies that can be easily implemented into daily classroom and/or home routines. All workshops offer suggestions that are appropriate for all children. A special emphasis is placed on children with special needs and those with an Autism diagnosis.

All workshops take place at the Trinitas Children’s Therapy Services Center, 899 Mountain Ave, Suite 1A, Springfield NJ. Workshops are $15 per class. Register for all 10 classes and pay in advance for the discounted rate of $120.00 (A savings of $30.00).

 

February 19, 2019 6:00 – 7:30 PM

10 Tips for Improving Executive Functioning Skills

 

March 19, 2019 6:00 – 7:30 PM

10 Tips to Understanding How to Implement Mindfulness in Your Classroom

 

April 16, 2019 6:00 – 7:30 PM

10 Easy to Make Sensory Activities

 

May 21, 2019 6:00 – 7:30 PM

10 Tips for Improving Fine Motor Skills

 

June 11, 2019 6:00 – 7:30 PM

10 Tips for Creating Fun Summer Activities (Indoor and Outdoor)

For more information or to register, please contact Kellianne Martin at Kmartin@trinitas.org or by phone at (973) 218-6394 x1000.

 

Winter/Spring Programs: All programs are offered one time per week, for 45 minutes at Trinitas 

Children’s Therapy Services, 899 Mountain Avenue, Suite 1A, Springfield, NJ 07081

These programs and/or group therapy sessions are a great alternative to individual therapy. They give children the opportunity to address key developmental areas in structured but busier environments that are more reflective of typical real-life home and school situations. Classes are grouped by skill and age level.

 

Scribbles to Script

Children from preschool (prewriting) through elementary school (cursive) have the opportunity to use the Handwriting Without Tears program to learn pre-writing skills, proper letter formation, and writing within the given lines. Multi-sensory fine motor, visual-motor, and visual-perceptual activities help to reinforce learning and make writing fun! 45-minute classes held once weekly.

 

Sports 1 Step at a Time

Children between the ages of 4 & 12 will have the opportunity to work with a PT to refine their skill set for several sports, including soccer, basketball, and kickball, in a non-competitive group setting. 45-minute sessions held once weekly.

 

Social Butterflies

Children between the ages of 4 & 12 have the opportunity to become social butterflies by engaging in fun non-challenging therapeutic activities overseen by a speech & language pathologist. Skills taught include turn-taking, topic maintenance, appropriate question asking, following non-verbal cues, and using manners. 45-minute sessions held once weekly.

 

Typing Whizkids

Children from 1st grade through middle school will participate in functional tasks that will allow them to learn efficient keyboarding/typing skills. From key location and finger placement, to speed and accuracy children will learn this valuable skill the correct way while working with an OT. 45-minute sessions held once weekly.

To register for any programs or for more information, please contact Kevin Nelson at knelson@trinitas.org, (973) 218-6394, ext. 1300, or fax (973) 218-6351. To learn more, visit www.childtherapynj.com

This page is sponsored by

Elizabethtown Healthcare Foundation

Inspired to Care, Inspired to Give

 

Singing the praises of America’s favorite sandwich.

By Caleb MacLean

The combination of inexpensive meat and cheese, topped with greens and oil and vinegar, wrapped in a long, crusty roll dates back to the 1800s in Italy, where it was a traditional sandwich. As Italian-Americans opened grocery stores and sandwich stands in northeastern cities in the early 1900s, their signature creation grew in popularity and complexity.

Who “invented” the hero? The city of Portland, Maine claims this honor, insisting that the very first one was served up by Giovanni Amato, who ran a restaurant that’s still in business more than a century later. The more likely story is that versions of this sandwich existed throughout New England in the early part of the 20th century. During World War I, a sandwich shop in Boston was selling hero sandwiches by the hundreds to sailors at a nearby naval installation. This is where the nickname “sub” supposedly originated.

But wait. Our very own city of Paterson says that’s wrong. No evidence of the actual term found its way into print until the 1920s, when a group of enterprising boys managed to raise the hull of a sunken submarine from the Passaic River and donated it to the Paterson Museum. After visiting the museum, Dominic Conti, who sold hero sandwiches from his grocery store on Mill Street, rechristened his lunchtime offering the submarine sandwich. New Jersey has another important connection to the sub: the first Blimpie store opened in Hoboken in the 1960s.

Still another origin story for the sub involves Benedetto Capaldo, a shop-keeper in New London, who sold tasty “grinders” to his Connecticut customers. When the nearby naval base began constructing submarines in the late-1930s, daily sandwich deliveries numbered in the hundreds. Naturally, they became known as submarine sandwiches, too.

The term “grinder” has a dockyard history, as well. In New England, the Italian-American workers who sanded rusty hulls were called “grinders.” Their go-to sandwich took on the same name—although some claim that the sandwich got its nickname because of how difficult it was to chew through. Until recently, there actually was an acknowledged difference between subs and grinders: subs were always cold and grinders were usually hot. So back in the day, a meatball sub would have been a meatball grinder.

What bout the hoagie? Italian-American workers at Philadelphia’s Hog Island shipyard supposedly shortened “Hog Island” to “hoagie.” But Hog Island closed down long before the nickname came into common use, so the story everyone in Philly knows is just that: a story. A better explanation is that the name started in a sandwich joint run by Al de Palma, a former jazz musician. He opened a sub shop in the City of Brotherly Love during the Depression and called his extra-large sandwiches “hoggies” (big enough to feed a hog). He eventually opened several stores around the city and, thanks to that Philly accent, hoggie became hoagie.

As for the name “hero,” it became popular in the New York/New Jersey area in the late 1930s. The theory that it is derived from the Greek gyro sandwich doesn’t quite work—gyros didn’t become popular in New York until the 1960s. In 1936, a food columnist for the New York Herald Tribune described an Italian sandwich so huge you had to be a “hero to eat it.” The paper had a circulation of 300,000 at the time, so thousands of readers began calling the sandwich by its new name. Cops, bank guards and armored car crews popularized the term by the end of the decade.

Did You Know?

During the many decades when the hero sandwich was a staple of the working man’s lunchbox, one of its key construction details was the placement of the cheese. The first and last layer was almost always made of cheese slices. They prevented oil, vinegar and other condiments from migrating into the bread.

Did You Know?

Other names for the iconic sandwich include torpedo, wedge, Dagwood, zep and bomber. In New Orleans the “poor boy” (pronounced po’boy) resembles the traditional sub, but was originally constructed to mimic the courses of a meal.

In the trenches with New Jersey’s heroic food producers.

By Andy Clurfeld

Morning has broken, and I’m rough-chopping Terhune’s Winesaps, an apple that’s a little more tart than sweet, and tossing the cubes into a small stovetop pot moistened by melted Valley Shepherd butter. I add a couple of cups of Morganics oats, a dash of cinnamon, and stir, coating the oats and apples with the spice and butter. A minute later, I add water to cover, pump up the heat till the liquid bubbles, then turn down the flame and cook my oatmeal, stirring now and again, for a handful of minutes until the oats and apples are soft. Should I add a splash of maple syrup from Sweet Sourland Farms? Honey? Why not a tad bit of both? I lower the heat under my pot of oatmeal to the barest of simmers and grab myself a bowl and a spoon.

The skies are cloudy and the air outside damp, but my morning is about to take a turn for pure bright: Morganics Family Farm oatmeal is the ideal breakfast, the jump-starter of any day at all, be it crammed and tense or lazy with time for dreaming. Scott and Alison Morgan’s farm in Hillsborough is where the couple oversee operations that result in the freshest possible grains—grains grown in sustainable, eco-responsible fashion. When you eat fresh, sun-dried grains, “your body will reap the benefits,” the Morgans say I agree. My breakfast of oatmeal made with Morganics oats, Valley Shepherd butter from the creamery in Long Valley, apples from Terhune Farms in Mercer County, honey from Top of the Mountain in Wantage, and maple syrup from Sweet Sourland in Hopewell, revs up my mind, body and heart. I am inspired, fueled and gratified to be eating an all-star New Jersey meal.

It’s what I most love to do. Once upon a not-so-long-time-ago, it was much harder to do. But today there are myriad and many farmers and food artisans who are the Garden State’s true unsung heroes, people who are plying the various soils and waters of a peninsula packed with some 8.9 million people and offering an array of foods that have not traveled thousands of miles over the course of weeks before transfer to supermarket shelves. These heroes increasingly farm and produce fresh foods year-round, employing new techniques and technologies to serve forth a bounty with an impeccable pedigree: New Jersey, the Garden State. Jersey-born, Jersey-bred, Jersey-proud.

River Bend Farm/Gladstone Valley Pasture Poultry • Far Hills

Dakota and Duke are loving life. They’re doing their job, these 4-year-old guardians of livestock bred in the Italian Alps and best known by their breed name, Maremma. Huge, hairy and armed with a ferocious bark, the dogs seem to be everywhere they need to be in order to protect Corné Vogelaar’s chickens from harm that may come by air or land. “Right now, they’re guarding the layers,” Corné says. “They guard against the aerial predators and they guard against the fox and the coyotes. It’s all instinct. They are not vicious; their weapon is their alertness and their bark.”

They work where the girls are, the egg-layers, the turkeys, the broilers—those Cornish crosses that are the pasture-raised chickens sold under the Gladstone Valley Pasture Poultry label. A sibling enterprise to River Bend Farm, headquartered in Far Hills, Gladstone Valley chickens are the American equivalent to the Bresse chicken in France, the anointed “queen of poultry, poultry of kings.”

“They’re out on grass and rotated on fresh grass daily,” Corné says, describing the efficiency of the “chicken tractor,” which pulls the chickens’ homey coop to new servings of the good stuff. Dakota and Duke appear to smile as Corné gives them each a good rubbing behind the ears. Then it’s Corné’s turn to smile. He’s been loving life at River Bend Farm since 1996, shortly after he graduated Rutgers with a degree in animal science. Born and raised in Holland, he came with his family to the United States in 1988. Farming was his goal. He spent his first 10 years at River Bend, then all-cattle and all-Angus, improving the species.

“I really love the genetics and the breeding of better cattle,” Corné notes. Slowly, he “started harvesting beef and marketing it. The meat business is now our main business, and we also supply breeding stock to other farmers.” In more recent years, he’s added Berkshire pigs (“the Angus of pork”) and a few Mangalistas as well to his stock. There’s lamb and there are the chickens and there are eggs.

Corné sells to an A-List of restaurants, including the Ryland Inn, Pluckemin Inn and the Harvest Group eateries. “We are fortunate to work with excellent chefs who know how to work nose-to-tail and use everything,” he says. But home cooks also are in the River Bend/Gladstone mix: Along with a self-service egg cart, Corné keeps an on-farm store open for retail sales of frozen beef, chicken, pork and lamb on Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings. He sells at the in-season Bedminster Farmers’ Market.

As manager of the privately owned farm, Corné tends to the needs of a sizable span of animals. But he doesn’t do it alone. There are a couple additional full-time employees; his two oldest sons also work on day-to-day operations. Corné and his wife, Dawn, have eight children, six boys and two girls ranging in age from a baby born this past January to a 21-year-old whose welding skills are useful on the farm. Corné invites me into one of the cattle pastures. “Come meet Clover,” he says. “She’s more of a pet.” He maneuvers the sweet bovine in my direction and nods when I pet her. I’m loving life, too.

Hillcrest Orchard & Dairy/ Jersey Girl Cheese • Branchville

Sal Pisani is scooping ricotta into baskets set atop trays, allowing the fresh, warm cheese to drain, and talking in Italian to Raffaelle “Ralph” Saporito, who is both balling up and braiding batches of mozzarella. Sal and Ralph talk cheese in Italian almost every day, a language that bridges the near-35-year difference in their ages. Ralph was born in Raritan; at age 3, his family returned to Naples, Italy. A revered cheesemaker in Italy, he returned to the United States to teach Sal the art and craft of making classic Italian cheeses. “I’m an apprentice,” says Sal, 27, “and Ralph is my teacher.”

Professor in a doctoral program is more like it. Sal Pisani grew up under the tutelage of his father Rocco, who was born and reared in Calabria, Italy, but moved to the U.S. at 21, settling in Morris County. There, on threeacres, the Pisani family created their own Little Italy. “My father brought with him the traditions he picked up from his mother,” Sal says. “Dad would make cheese, cure meats. Every September, we’d make tomato sauce. It was all about food, when I was growing up, homesteading, not selling what we made.” There was a vegetable garden, animals – “chickens, goats, a horse, sheep, a peacock and an alpaca, but never more than 15 animals”—and the constant rhythm of time at the table with family and friends.

Sal graduated Monmouth University in 2014 and returned home. Cheesemaking was his passion; it drew him in as a career when he learned of a buffalo farm in need of someone to make the herd’s milk into cheese. After that ended, Sal found a new home at Hillcrest, an apple orchard and dairy in Branchville, Sussex County, owned and operated by farmer Jimmy Cuneo. His prize Jersey cows, which yield creamy, high-fat, high-protein, high-quality milk ideal for making Sal’s favorite cheeses, were waiting for the right partner. “Dairyfarms are closing every day, it seems,” Sal says. To keep going, “Jimmy had decided to outfit and expand to accommodate cheesemaking and retail. We made the jump with him. Ralph decided to come and work with us. It was the best luck to find this opportunity.”

The best luck for consumers, too. Sal’s Jersey Girl cheese line currently includes fresh mozzarella, fresh ricotta, scamorza (a dry, aged mozzarella), primo sale (a fresh basket cheese), cacciocavalo (a sharp-tasting aged cheese) and burrata, and is sold at farmers’ markets in Sparta, Morristown and Holmdel, as well as Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the farm’s own store in Branchville.

Back in the cheesemaking room, Ralph Saporito finishes braiding mozzarella and his protege scoops a spoonful of the still-warm ricotta from a basket. Clouds to heaven—that’s what pops into my mind as I taste. Sal smiles. I sample the mozzarella, the scamorza, the cacciocavalo and know I have never, ever tasted better examples of these beloved cheeses. Italy is no longer an ocean away.

Rolling Hills Farm • Delaware Township

Opening bells at New Jersey’s farmers’ markets don’t always ring in the kind of bounty stalwart shoppers crave. May and June aren’t July, August and September, after all. Not so if you come upon the stalls of Rolling Hills Farm. Fresh from the farm in Delaware Township, Hunterdon County, May and June see bushels and baskets of cucumbers, beets, new potatoes, summer squash, snap peas, salad mixes, arugula, carrots, head lettuces, scallions, Swiss chard, broccoli, cauliflower…okay, time to catch your breath. You might lose it again when you see, up close and in person, the heart-of-spring produce grown by Stephanie Spock and John Squicciarino on a scant 1½ acres.

“Thanks to reading the works of Eliot Coleman,” John says, referring to the New Jersey-born revolutionary farmer whose Four Season Farm on Cape Rosier, Maine, does exactly what its name promises, “we farm year-round [using] high tunnels that let us have produce in May.”

“Our customers go insane over our carrots—they’re the sweetest carrots!” adds Stephanie. They grow in theground, in high tunnels, or hoop houses—plastic-covered structures that allow a plant’s roots to take in the nutrients of good soil, all the while being protected from storms and other excesses of the elements. Not that the couple wish to defy seasonality.

“No tomatoes in May,” both say, as John adds: “We recognize the seasons.”

On land leased from members of the Hamill family, of Cherry Grove Farm in Lawrence Township, Stephanie and John grow produce following organic practices and sell at the summertime Asbury Fresh Market as well as at farmers’ markets in Wrightstown and Yardley, PA. Their attraction to farming began while they worked on Brick Farm Tavern’s Double Brook Farm in Hopewell, which has become something of a breeding ground for young farmers as well as chefs learning the lessons of the seasons.

“We were 26 when we started here, in 2014,” John says. “It was stressful in the beginning,” Stephanie adds.

But they were determined. In the depths of winter, Oliver Gubenko’s Harvest Drop, which delivers produce and products from area farms to restaurants and small retail outlets, brings Rolling Hills’ fresh greens for salads and more to chefs. “It’s more work for us, but it’s worth it,” says John. The couple’s year-round, smart-farming practices evens out the workload. Rather than getting burned out by summertime work weeks of 80 to 90 hours, they put in 20 to 25 hours a week in the typically fallow cold-weather months by growing those greens and gearing up for the earlier start that results in bumper crops in May. Summer, as a result, makes for more manageable 50-hour work weeks.

“We do things in winter to make for a bounty in May and June,” John says. Meanwhile, Stephanie is studying nutrition with the goal of having a practice that engages the farm. “It all ties in,” Stephanie says. “What we grow, how we eat, how we feel.”

Chickadee Creek Farm • Pennington

Jess Niederer is standing in a propagation greenhouse on Chickadee Creek Farm, her 25-acre year-round farm in Pennington. Jess looks up, smiles and says, “I got married here, right here, on the Winter Solstice, Dec. 21, 2018.” At 76 feet by 30 feet and cloaked in light, it’s not only a lovely place for a wedding but, in Jess’s words, “the proper size for the planned growth on our farm.”

Jess’s new husband is Kevin Riley, a nurse who works at a federal clinic in Trenton; Kevin’s new wife is a veritable rock star farmer, New Jersey’s answer to Eliot Coleman of Four Season Farm in Maine, and a presence at farmers’ markets both seasonal and year-round in towns all over the state: Princeton, Denville, WestWindsor, Morristown, Rutgers Garden, Hoboken, Summit, Metuchen. Full disclosure: I don’t know how to have dinner at home any more, be it a party or an any-old-night meal, without Chickadee Creek produce at hand. Wherever Jess Niederer sells, I’ll travel to buy. So I’m listening to Jess talk in a near-empty propagation greenhouse and longing to see where the harvested produce that I know is going to the next day’s market is kept. I’m going to buy some to photograph, up close and personal, for this story. And then eat.

Jess grew up in a farming family (fourth-generation, she is), went to Cornell, where she studied ecology and conservation biology, spent a couple of years working at nearby Honey Brook Farm, and is as conversant in the business of farming as she is about how to grow, harvest and market the 56 different crops she grows at Chickadee Creek.

To work it all by the numbers: The Niederer family farm is about 80 acres, 40 of which are tillable and 25 of which—Chickadee Creek—Jess leases from her father. She employs nine people full-time, year-round, and is “trying to get every single one of them up to the $15-an-hour benchmark” well before state requirements kick in. Now in her 10th year running Chickadee Creek, she is 35 years old, has approximately 500 members in her CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program. When we walk into one of her high tunnels, where gorgeous arugula is grown in the ground all winter, she’s quick to note a $14,000 tractor can work the soil of this 196-foot-by-30-foot structure. The number most on Jess Niederer’s mind, however, is $1 million—that’s the amount Jess needs to buy her farmland from her father. “It would be about $4 million if it wasn’t in the state preserved farmland program,” she says. That would not come with a house—just the land that Jess works to feed the thousands of people in New Jersey who love eating Chickadee produce.

Jess’s business model is based on year-round production, which is good for customers and also good for her staff. If you stop growing, harvesting and selling in the cold months, Jess explains, you effectively lay off your staff. “You can’t keep good people that way,” Jess says. By doing regular net-profit analyses, she is able to determine what’s working (new crops, such as ginger and sweet corn), what needs to be “kicked off” (cauliflower just wasn’t selling), and what’s most profitable (salad greens, head lettuces, flowers, tomatoes, cut greens). She’s keen on farmers’ markets: “They’re time-intensive, but the dollar value is the best.” She doesn’t work with restaurants much. She’s devoted to her CSA members. She keeps the just-harvested produce in temperature-controlled containers until that produce is taken to market.

Ah-ha! On that day, I buy several head lettuces, creamy white Japanese turnips, carrots colored purple, yellow and orange. Two days later, I buy more Chickadee produce at the West Windsor Winter Market. Obsessed? Guilty as charged, and proud of it.

Mishti Chocolates

What happens when chocolate meets ginger? Or lavender? Or toffee? How about sea salt, pineapple, chile or orange? What if you learn that these chocolate partnerships, as well as the straight-up chocolates, are vegan, organic, non-GMO, soy-free and gluten-free? When the chocolates are by Mishti, it’s about “bringing a smile to every face, one chocolate at a time.” Which is the slogan chocolatier Arpita Kohli wrote when she first started making the coveted chocolates. Because what’s not in Arpita’s chocolates just might be what makes them irresistibly delicious.

The Scotch Plains resident started making chocolates professionally when she and husband Puneet Girdhar realized their then-baby daughter Mishti had a variety of allergies, including dairy. “We have a healthy household,” says Arpita, a skilled home cook who had been making chocolates since she was a child. “So I started making vegan chocolates.” And it worked. Little Mishti, now 4½, could enjoy chocolates like her mom and dad. Arpita, creative by nature with a career in textiles, kept experimenting and perfecting the chocolate line she named Mishti. She uses 100 percent chocolate; her milk chocolate is made with almond milk and her sourcing meticulous. Her elegant packaging reflects the fundamental simplicity of her recipes and products.

“I don’t want to take all the credit; both my grandmother and mother and all my aunts are excellent cooks. I grew up around great food and wonderful flavors,” Arpita says.

Life’s been busy for the chocolatier. She started the business in 2017 and, in April 2018, gave birth to a second daughter, Seher. “Puneet is my true partner,” she says, praising his support and help in marketing. Indeed, Puneet, Mishti and now Seher are popular regulars at many farmers’ markets, including those in West Windsor, Ramsey and Red Bank, and the chocolates are sold in specialty markets such as Basil Bandwagon in Flemington and Clinton and Dean’s in Basking Ridge and Chester.

 

For Your Little Black Book

Morganics Family Farm 

morganicsfamilyfarm.com

 

River Bend Farm

25 Branch Road, Far Hills • 908-234-1377 

RBFAngus.com • GladstoneValley.com

 

Hillcrest Farm/Jersey Girl Cheese

 2 Davis Road, Branchville • 973-703-5148 

HillcrestFarmNJ.com

 

Rolling Hills Farm

133 Seabrook Road, Delaware Twp. • 609-731-9175

 rollinghillsfarm.org

 

Chickadee Creek Farm

Titus Mill Road, Pennington

 chickadeecreekfarm.com

 

Mishti Chocolates 

206-569-5269 

mishti-chocolates.com

 

By Christine Gibbs

To move or not to move…that is the question. And these days, it’s an all-too-familiar one. This is particularly true at the extreme ends of the demographic spectrum in New Jersey, with downsizing Boomers and upwardly mobile Millennials looking—and, in some cases, competing—for apartments in or near their hometowns. This has led to an explosion in rental property development in walkable downtowns as well as traditional suburbs, and it is changing the landscape of how and where people live in the Garden State.

For aging Baby Boomers, apartment living has become a viable alternative to the three “traditional choices”: heading south, joining a retirement community or staying put and dealing with the consequences, whatever they may be. That’s because they are living longer and living better—however, it’s time to move on from a home with the physical and emotional burdens of high carrying costs and endless maintenance. Seniors, retirees and pre-retirees are coming to the mass realization that where they live now is not necessarily where they should live tomorrow.

Meanwhile, for young professionals in their 20s, the appeal of home ownership has lost much of its luster. Home prices and taxes in New Jersey are high and the job market—while growing—is unpredictable. For some, the mobility and convenience of renting a stylish apartment with contemporary amenities is more important than owning something that could conceivably tie them down. For others, the lack of disposable cash or minimal borrowing power makes renting the only option.

What these “bookend” groups have in common is that, when it comes to apartment living, they are more sophisticated, more determined, and more selective than ever. What do these kids want? They want out of their parents’ basements. The Failure to Launch stereotype is the exception, not the rule, in New Jersey. For most Millennials, personal finances are the driving factor regarding their next move. Modest entry-level salaries, student loan debt and a tight starter home inventory limit their choices and often that first apartment is a dog. Yet, all is not doom and gloom. The job market is strong in Central New Jersey, particularly in the tech sector, where wages can support rents of $3,000/month or more. And that can get you something very nice in a place you want to live—maybe even close to friends and family.

That being said, price and convenience are not enough to close the deal for this new generation of young apartment hunters. Millennials with healthy incomes are steeped in the belief that if they just keep looking, something perfect will come their way. They will visit dozens of apartments until they find someplace that suits the exact lifestyle they envision for themselves. They want a move-in ready unit in a hassle-free environment. In the suburbs, they typically want to be steps away from public transportation (“transit villages”) with nearby cultural and educational resources, walkable or bikeable to a dynamic town center complete with a wide variety of retail and restaurant choices. Young apartment dwellers also want to become part of a community that offers a more upbeat, healthy and relaxed atmosphere. All of this, not surprisingly, commands a higher-than-average rent…and creates an opportunity for developers who understand the vision of Millennial renters.

This is not your father’s suburban apartment

And yet, it’s your father who may soon be moving in. One of the charming ironies of the new wave of luxury apartments in the New Jersey suburbs is that they are equally appealing to Baby Boomers who are aging out of their longtime (and often nearby) homes. For builders, this is a gift. They have two completely different demographic groups vying for what are essentially the same units in the same developments. The 50-, 60- and 70-something renters have little in common with Millennials, other than a certain kind of pragmatism. As a group, they are adjusting, not always gracefully, to the idea of senior citizenship.

With that adjustment comes the realization that their personal finances and/or health and mobility no longer support traditional homeownership. Even a generous retirement income is still a fixed income, which means budget-busting maintenance and repair projects can be earthshaking. And the physical demands of living in a multi-story house or a large property can become overwhelming at a certain age. So it is that Boomers at or near the age of retirement often find downsizing an unavoidable if not irresistible next step. Actually, the politically correct expression is now “rightsizing.”

What does right sizing look like? For most people with “too much house,” the decision is whether to move to a smaller house or to venture into the relatively unfamiliar territory of the rental market. Abandoning the family home only to replace it with a lesser version might just be moving into someone else’s headaches. Renting, on the other hand, holds the promise of less hassle and more freedom: No more calling in a repairman every time there’s a problem—instead just pick up the phone or maybe text the “super.” No more aching joints, just leave the heavy yard work to the groundskeeper. No more worrying about safety, simply enjoy the peace of mind that secure communities provide.

Checking all the boxes

What do seniors want? Older renters often choose to remain close to the old neighborhood as a comfort zone to avoid disrupting established routines—a town or two away is fine. They want to keep seeing the same doctors, shopping at the same stores, and staying close to old friends. Popular senior-specific demands include ground floor/single-story units, regular trash removal and recycling, access to a pool or some other water feature, and a resident population that includes a reasonable cross-section of age groups.

Millennials have loftier goals for their dream apartment. They want to expand their personal horizons. They are not as concerned with details such as square footage and storage areas (since most of them are not dragging a lifetime of possessions with them). As a group, young renters are looking for a “live–work–play” environment so that space for an office/den and top-of-the-line technology takes precedence over more practical considerations.

Bookend renters do have much in common. Both groups are seeking an active, healthy, and stimulating community. Everyone looks forward to abandoning dependency on personal vehicles; they prefer the more green alternative of walking or biking to nearby stores and cultural and entertainment destinations. They might not be able to afford something fancy in Hoboken or Jersey City, but a well-designed apartment near a charming, revitalized town center or traditional Main Street tends to generate a lot of interest. Seniors want to enjoy the quality of life they have worked so hard to earn. Millennials want to create the living space they have always wanted. No one in either group objects to high-end amenities such as heated or lap pools, upscale bistros and specialty restaurants, comfy coffee bars, appropriately equipped gyms, movie and performance spaces, and community activities of all kinds. Something else they can agree on is 24/7 concierge-like services and high-tech security arrangements.

Wooing the bookend market 

Recognizing the differences between these growing groups of high-end renters—while also seeing where their interests dovetail—can lead to some interesting (and, more importantly) profitable solutions from on-trend developers. The goal is to find common ground, literally and figuratively, in terms of location and also amenities, lifestyle preferences, and pricing implications. Despite the rising cost of construction, taxes, and land in the Metropolitan area, developers remain bullish on the New Jersey market. High-end, multi-use complexes are springing up everywhere. And with renewed interest in “downtown” living, the profit potential in rental ventures has never been more attractive.

Examples of some high-end, multi-family, and multi-use communities are the phased Harborside developments on the Jersey City waterfront (Mack-Kali), the new and renovated projects such as Pier Village on the Gold Coast of the Jersey Shore (Kushner Companies), and the West Side Lofts at Red Bank (Woodmont Properties), an upscale and upbeat apartment complex that has helped to transform a rag-tag neighborhood into a live-shop-eat-work-commute mecca for a broad swath of the bookend demographic. The most ambitious multi-use project on the drawing board is Riverton (North American Properties), which will stretch for more than a mile along the Raritan River in Sayreville. No formal date has been set for its completion.

Another successful developer on the high-end spectrum is AVE, a division of Korman Communities, a fourth-generation, family-owned company with a 100-year history in the real estate business. Korman was a pioneer of the hospitality approach to corporate housing starting back in the ’60s. AVE communities offer a flexible inventory of annual and month-to-month lease arrangements for completely customizable one- and two-bedroom units. The goal is to make residents feel at home, whether a short-term business professional or a right-sizing senior. As an owner/operator, it’s possible to customize even the smallest detail for AVE tenants. Lea Anne Welsh, President of AVE and COO of Korman Communities, attributes the company’s success to “a unique entrepreneurial spirit and an open-mindedness to be flexible and innovative.” The corporate mantra is Yes, we can!, says Welsh, “and then making it happen.”

The company is bullish on the New Jersey real estate market, with future plans that include expanding in the Route 78 corridor, the Princeton area, and the Jersey Shore Gold Coast. 

“Korman is in the business to wow people,” adds Welsh.

While no one moves into an apartment believing it will be their last, those eyeing an upscale solution or interested in engaging a multi-use community are definitely thinking long-term. Will this work for me a year from now? Five years from now? Ten years from now? A lot of research goes into this decision, whether you are an old-timer or a first-timer. What is a “bell and whistle” and what is a truly valuable amenity? Will this apartment (or this development) suit my needs as I ease into retirement? Can I raise a family here? In what ways is this neighborhood changing and growing?

The biggest question of all, of course, is Am I ready to make the move? Once you’ve cleared that hurdle, the choices are nothing short of sensational and they are only getting better. Moving in and moving up has never been easier. Or more synonymous.

Community Spirit

Earl Wilson, who bought a home in Summit in 2000, decided it was the right time to downsize last summer and determined that renting was the right choice for a single man of a certain age. “I can’t rave enough about my decision to move here,” he says of AVE Florham Park. Wilson guesses that the number of residents under 40 and over 50 are roughly the same. What he appreciates most is the warmth and sincerity of his new neighbors: “I know everybody in my building and they know me. There are plenty of group activities, but privacy is also always respected.”

One of Wilson’s neighbors is Ashli Dyas, who moved north from Atlanta, where she left a 6,000 sq. ft. home. She and her husband, David, came to New Jersey on a corporate transfer, and decided to extend the five-month lease on their 1,400 sq ft. apartment to a year. “We just knew this is where we were meant to be,” Dyas says. “Especially since renting here would mean David would not have to face shoveling any New Jersey snow.” She quickly joined a cohort of neighbors, ranging in age from 35 to 75, who have become good friends and great company. “I feel like I’m on vacation all the time. What could be better?”

Rent by Numbers

• New Jersey is the fifth most expensive rental market in the country.
• Median gross monthly rent in NJ is $1,284 vs. US $1,012.
• Rental Vacancy Rate in NJ is 4.45% vs US 6.18%.
• Two-thirds of all Americans live where it is more affordable to rent than buy.
• 40% of current renters cannot afford the down payment to buy a house.

According to a 2017 Goldman Sachs report, Millennial Renters …

• Search online for a rental (90%).
• Cannot afford to buy (78%).
• Prefer apartment living lifestyle (56%).
• Own pets (76%).
• Carry heavy student loan debt (71%).

According to a 2016 Freddie Mac report, 55+ Renters…

• Identify top attractions as…

– affordability (60%)

– amenities (40%)

– walkability (43%)

• Prefer relocating in…

– same neighborhood (23%)

– same city (31%)

– different city (18%)

– out of state (24%)

– close to family (60%)

Home healthcare is entering an intriguing new era.

By Diane Alter

Average life expectancy in the United States has risen by 5.5 years in just the last decade—the most significant increase since the 1960s. With all the distressing news about the overall health of Americans, that’s good to hear. Unfortunately, there is a dark lining to this silver cloud. Living a half-decade longer increases the likelihood that you or someone in your family, will need some kind of long-term healthcare, accompanied by all the financial, logistical and emotional stress that entails. Indeed, 2018 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services data notes that a majority of Americans turning age 65 this year will at some point require it. 

In dollars and cents, that could range from the current annual median cost of $18,720 for adult daycare to $100,375 for a private nursing home room, according to Genworth’s 15th annual Cost of Care Survey. Americans currently spend more than $300 billion a year on long-term care and services, with costs increasing across all care settings, according to David O’Leary, President of Genworth’s U.S. Life Insurance division.

“We strongly advocate people at all stages of life begin planning now for the very real possibility of needing care as they grow older,” O’Leary says. “Starting a conversation about potential long-term care needs and the issues of aging isn’t easy. But honest conversations are essential to making sure that people can live life on their own terms as they grow older.”

If you do any significant TV-watching, you’ve probably noticed a proliferation of advertisers offering to help families navigate the complex issues surrounding long-term care. That’s because there has been a proliferation of choices and options in this industry, as the number of Baby Boomers “aging out” continues to grow. Needless to say, getting on the right path can be stressful and confusing, but it’s crucial, too.

One option that has gained traction over the last decade is the in-home care option. Indeed, more and more families are looking at ways to keep their parents, grandparents and elderly loved ones at home for as long as possible. With the right type of help, the pros vastly outweigh the cons.

Start Talking Now

Conversations and plans should ideally occur before home healthcare is needed, so that when it is needed, family members and loved ones are ready to step up and step in—and those in need of care are prepared for the change. These are not easy conversations. They require a level of pragmatism and honesty that is not always part of the family culture. Also, that elderly loved one may not want to budge. On anything. The main objection tends to be a lack of privacy. Most in-home care involves a trained aide or companion, on a schedule that might also involve neighbors, friends and loved ones. That can be viewed as intrusive by someone who has lived independently for 50 years.

David Moore, Director of Sales at New LifeStyles, an online site providing information on senior care options across the U.S., confirms the fact that a high percentage of seniors will fight the in-home care idea at the beginning. That’s only natural. But families should be aware of the signs that the time for home care has come. They range from subtle changes in appearance and mood to more obvious clues—including forgetfulness, confusion, unexplained bruising, a lapse in personal hygiene, clutter, and changes in weight gain. Having seniors engaged from the start, says Moore, will make a transition easier.

“Still, it’s a sensitive subject with no easy fixes,” he admits. “Do your homework. Read the fine print on any contract. The devil is in the details. For peace of mind, I recommend installing webcams to appease everyone’s concerns.”

Linda Fodrini-Johnson, Executive Director and Founder of Eldercare Answers, suggests that, when searching for home healthcare, make sure the placement agency is licensed and has been in business for at least five years. Also, ask what kind of accreditations it has received. The company’s website offers an advanced search option that provides this information.

“But keep in mind that names appearing first are not always the best,” she says of searches. 

“Also, guidance from an objective professional is crucial. You want to make sure the person you are bringing into your home to care for a loved one is the best.”

The Pros

Assuming a senior’s current living situation is safe and secure, the advantages of an “aging in place” strategy are many. They include:

• Comfort and Familiarity
• Greater Sense of Independence
• Personalized Attention
• Faster Recovery from Injuries
• Potential Cost Savings
• Less Stressful Environment
• Tailored Plan of Care
• Greater Family Involvement
• Less Structured Family Time
• Keeping Pets
• Maintain Neighborhood/Building Friendships

These are the primary reasons why families are looking at new ways to keep their loved ones at home as long as possible. Options to consider are full-day, half-day, four-hour, overnight, and 24-hour home healthcare—usually as part of an evolving plan. Caregivers should have some kind of medical experience, a driver’s license, and come with references. Needless to say, for the companies in this business, keeping clients in their own homes is a top priority.

Take Care Companions, which places caregivers all over New Jersey, strives for just that.

“We offer companionship and assist in areas of meal planning, personal care, medication reminders and daily activities,” explains founder Theresa Kellner. “Our aim is to offer clients independence, quality of life and dignity, without overstepping.”

Kellner says her goal is to find the “perfect” person for each situation. She does that by meeting the client and the family to assess what is going on and what is needed—now and in the future, as those needs change. This intimate involvement also prevents cultural and personality clashes. “If I wouldn’t put a caregiver with my own mother, I will not put that caregiver in anyone’s home,” she says.

The future of home healthcare in some respects is difficult to predict. In most ways, however, it is not. The number of aging Americans is growing and they are living longer. That will serve as an accelerant to technical innovation driven by artificial intelligence (AI). It’s here now and it is poised to soar throughout the space in the years ahead. Voice-based virtual assistants, wearable sensors and fall-detection monitors are growing in acceptance and right around the corner are fixtures and appliances that will double as diagnostic tools.

“It’s still early days and widespread adoption is years off, but the potential exists for AI to keep elders in their homes longer and safer,” Moore notes. “Further, these devices will help researchers better understand the aging process and to assist in creating methods to delay the process.”

Fodrini-Johnson is also excited about the prospects of AI in healthcare. Still, she believes nothing will ever replace the need for constant hands-on human intervention: “To be sure, caregivers provide respect, compassion, a sense of humor, and know when a warm hug is just the right and only thing needed.”

House Calls

Although in-home caregivers are trained to spot issues of concern, they are not doctors. That is where “telemedicine” promises to play an important role. Right now, Trinitas offers its employees access to physicians and mental health practitioners for face-to-face “examinations” online—for diagnoses, prescriptions, referrals for subsequent testing, and more—under a partnership with Horizon BCBS. Trinitas is also encouraging its own medical staff to make themselves available to see patients via the same service, Horizon CareOnline, powered by American Well, the leading national telehealth provider. For more info on this service visit horizoncareonline.com.

Tova Navarra

Take a long look at the work of painter Gary T. Erbe and you’re likely to detect a sophisticated handshake between the familiar and unfamiliar. His paintings embrace the realism and perspective of traditional trompe l’oeil—with a contemporary update that has set him apart from his peers for more than  50 years. The virtual, mysterious, kaleidoscopic, collagistic world Gary T. Erbe puts on canvas can fool the eye—in French, trompe l’oeil—as well as sit you down to many huge holiday meals all at once, literally making your eyes bigger than your stomach.

Born in 1944 in Union City, Erbe is a self-taught artist who had a studio in Union City from 1972 to 2006 before moving to Nutley. Unable to attend art school while young, Erbe worked as an engraver and painter on weekends until he began trompe l’oeil painting à la 19th-century masters. He then developed modern departures from the masters. Erbe has exhibited extensively since 1970 with solo exhibitions at museums and galleries throughout America, Asia, and Europe, and is in the permanent collection of many prestigious institutions. Erbe paints flat forms enhanced by shadow, light, and color for pure three-dimensional illusion and for stimulating the mind. For more information, visit garyerbe.com or go to edgemagonline.com for an extended bio.

EDGE takes you inside the area’s most creative kitchens.

Grain & Cane Bar and Table • Grilled Salmon Tikka with Herb Salad

250 Connell Drive • BERKELEY HEIGHTS (908) 897-1920 • grainandcane.com

Scottish salmon marinated in yogurt, spices and flash grilled. Served with a tossed salad of tender herbs, pickled onion and a light citrus vinaigrette. A beautiful early winter dish that has a warm spice finish and pairs beautifully with a light red wine.

The Thirsty Turtle • Pork Tenderloin Special

1-7 South Avenue W. • CRANFORD (908) 324-4140 • thirstyturtle.com

Our food specials amaze! I work tirelessly to bring you the best weekly meat, fish and pasta specials. Follow us on social media to get all of the most current updates!

— Chef Rich Crisonio

The Thirsty Turtle • Brownie Sundae

186 Columbia Turnpike • FLORHAM PARK (973) 845-6300 • thirstyturtle.com

Check out our awesome desserts brought to you by our committed staff. The variety amazes as does the taste!

— Chef Dennis Peralta

The Famished Frog • Mango Guac

18 Washington Street • MORRISTOWN (973) 540-9601 • famishedfrog.com

Our refreshing Mango Guac is sure to bring the taste of the Southwest to Morristown.

— Chef Ken Raymond

Arirang Hibachi Steakhouse • Pork Belly Bao Buns

1230 Route 22 West • MOUNTAINSIDE (908) 518-9733 • partyonthegrill.com

Tender pork belly, hoison sauce and pickled cucumber served on a Chinese bun.

 

Daimatsu • Sushi Pizza

860 Mountain Avenue • MOUNTAINSIDE (908) 233-7888 • daimatsusushibar.com

This original dish has been our signature appetizer for over 20 years. Crispy seasoned sushi rice topped with homemade spicy mayo, marinated tuna, finely chopped onion, scallion, masago caviar, and ginger. Our customers always come back wanting more.

— Chef Momo

Garden Grille • Beet & Goat Cheese Salad

304 Route 22 West • SPRINGFIELD (973) 232-5300 • hgispringfield.hgi.com

Beet and goat cheese salad with mandarin oranges, golden beets, spiced walnuts, arugula, with a red wine vinaigrette.

— Chef Sean Cznadel

LongHorn Steakhouse • Outlaw Ribeye

272 Route 22 West • SPRINGFIELD (973) 315-2049 • longhornsteakhouse.com

Join us for our “speedy affordable lunches” or dinner. We suggest you try our fresh, never frozen, 18 oz. bone-in Outlaw Ribeye—featuring juicy marbling that is perfectly seasoned and fire-grilled by our expert Grill Masters. Make sure to also try our amazing chicken and seafood dishes, as well.

— Anthony Levy, Managing Partner

Outback Steakhouse • Bone-In Natural Cut Ribeye

901 Mountain Avenue • SPRINGFIELD (973) 467-9095 • outback.com

This is the entire staff’s favorite, guests rave about. Bone-in and extra marbled for maximum tenderness, juicy and savory. Seasoned and wood-fired grilled over oak.

— Duff Regan, Managing Partner

Arirang Hibachi Steakhouse • Japanese Taco

23A Nelson Avenue • STATEN ISLAND, NY (718) 966-9600 • partyonthegrill.com

Choice of Tuna with wakeme, Kobe beef with sushi rice or Rock Shrimp with pineapple. Served in a crispy wonton shell, Asian slaw, topped with spicy mayo and teriyaki sauce

Ursino Steakhouse & Tavern • House Carved 16oz New York Strip Steak

1075 Morris Avenue • UNION (908) 977-9699 • ursinosteakhouse.com

Be it a sizzling filet in the steakhouse or our signature burger in the tavern upstairs, Ursino is sure to please the most selective palates. Our carefully composed menus feature fresh, seasonal ingredients and reflect the passion we put into each and every meal we serve.

Do you own a local restaurant and want to know how your BEST DISH could be featured in our Chef Recommends restaurant guide?

Call us at 908.994.5138

 

Yolanda Navarra Fleming

If you ask Sharnelle Hubbard, a 50-year-old Elizabeth resident, her life could be a cautionary tale about living on the street and trying to stay high. And when she says she’s spent too many years “running,” she’s not talking about marathons.

“My drug of choice started out as alcohol, and as time progressed, I dabbled with heroin,” she says. “My mother, who suffered from an addiction, introduced me to it when I was 16 years old. Towards the end of my addiction, I was doing alcohol, heroin, crack cocaine, and Suboxone.”

Sharnelle’s birth mother was a functional drug addict until she lost her job and her children. Sharnelle was then adopted by another woman, also a substance abuser, who made sure she had absolutely no chance of any kind of normal life.

In 2017, she hit a wall. “I was in a battered women’s shelter at the time,” she says. “I knew there was help out there, but I wasn’t willing or ready to accept the help yet. Before I knew it, I had been addicted for 20 years, and I just could not live like that anymore. I was a walking time bomb, but I got through all of that.”

She made a commitment to her sobriety by checking herself into a detox center before becoming an outpatient of Trinitas Regional Medical Center’s Behavioral Health program.

Substance Abuse Services (SAS) has been helping people get clean at Trinitas since the early 1990s, and now treats about 4,500 patients annually. Trinitas offers partial-day treatment, which was the route Sharnelle took. She spent Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Trinitas, and then went home every day.

“What people don’t realize is that they need so much support, and that’s what they get here,” says Krystyna Vaccarelli, LCSW, LCADC, and Director of Substance Abuse Services at Trinitas. “During the entire course of the day, the patient is engaged in various groups that address substance use, relapse prevention, understanding triggers, what addiction is, and what addiction is in relation to mental illness. Those are just some of the topics covered when understanding substance abuse on an intensive level.”

Sharnelle had also been diagnosed with bipolar. To this day, the horror of her traumatic past poses an ongoing threat to her mental stability, though you’d never know it now from her clear speech, even temper, and thoughtfulness.

At one point, her counselor, Catherine Elias, LSW, credentialed Intern, noticed that Sharnelle was exhibiting some unusually manic behavior. “So we had an individual session and talked about it,” recalls Elias. “We discovered that there were some issues regarding her medications, and through teamwork with her APN, we got it situated and helped her feel stable.”

Sharnelle’s husband had begun his quest to get off drugs first, which in time motivated her to want to do the same. “I was willing to make a change in my life, and that’s when my process began,” she says. “I went to every session [at Trinitas], and I did everything that was offered to me and more. From 8:30 to 2:30 every day, I was there, and even when my time was up, I found excuses to stay in the program longer.”

At 50, Sharnelle is still trying to make sense of it all, especially now as a sober graduate of the Trinitas outpatient program.

“Going through this process I lost a lot of friends and my mother, worst of all,” she says. “I never thought I would reach the age of 50, not even in my wildest dreams…I am amazed that I am clean and sober.”

According to her former primary counselor at  Trinitas, Michelle Defino, LCSW, LCADC, Sharnelle has completed the program. Now, as she is studying to take the GED exam, she is determined never to go backward. She even mentors others who have also concluded that “running” is not a survival tactic, but rather a recipe for disaster. Her two most important sharing points are not to compare yourself or your recovery process to others as we’re all on our own journey, and to take it slow.

“Just don’t give up, there’s always someone there for you,” she promises. “Even when you think you’re alone, you’re not. This process does work.”

Even with her newly developed confidence, Defino confirms, “I do have the same amount of concern today as when Sharnelle first entered treatment. Addiction is a lifetime disease,  just waiting around the corner if a patient becomes complacent with her recovery process.”

Sharnelle believes it was the rapport she developed with her counselors, the director, and the entire staff as well as other patients that contributed to her successful outcome.

“When I was in my darkest days and wanted to give up, they always checked on me and called my house,” she says, “and that’s what you need when you’re first starting in recovery; you need people who care. I’ve been taking my medication as prescribed every day thanks to Andrea Krasno (APN), she’s wonderful, and she is amazing. She’s also a great part of this process, I can talk to her about anything regarding my medication; if I want it changed or lowered. I have never had anyone take the time to take care of me like that.”

Sharnelle is happy to add, “Right now I am in a beautiful place in my life. I am clean and sober for two years and I have my children back in my life, as well as my grandchildren. I own my own place, which I never thought I would accomplish. I am married and have a wonderful relationship with my husband. …I go to the meetings, which are great, and I have a sponsor, but I think Trinitas made my recovery whole.”

On Tap This Autumn

 

Saturday • September 21 • 7:30 pm Sunday • September 22 • 3:00 pm

Kean Stage Art Garfunkel In Close-Up

The Rock n Roll Hall of Famer celebrates his 10th year at Enlow Recital Hall.

 

September 26 – October 27

Paper Mill Playhouse 

Chasing Rainbows The Road to Oz

A musical telling of how Frances Gumm became Judy Garland, from her days as a vaudeville child star to her career at MGM. Check website for show schedule.

 

Friday • September 27 7:00 pm

Prudential Center

 Heart Love Alive Tour

The original chart-topping female rock duo comes to New Jersey with their first tour in three years—joined by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts.

 

Saturday • September 28 8:00 pm

Prudential Center J

uan Luis Guerra Literal Tour

Grammy winning singer-songwriter Juan Luis Guerra and his band 4.40 stop at The Rock to debut their new studio album and perform their greatest hits.

 

Sunday • September 29 3:00 pm

NJPAC/Prudential Hall 

Arlo Guthrie Alice’s Restaurant

The folk music hero returns to the Garden State for a concert celebrating the 50th anniversary of the silver-screen version of Alice’s Restaurant. The film starred Guthrie and was directed by Arthur Penn.

 

Sunday • October 6 • 7:30 pm

Prudential Center

Hugh Jackman The Man. The Music. The Show.

The multitalented Tony-winning performer has mounted his first world tour, featuring songs from The Greatest Showman and other Broadway musicals.

 

Saturday • October 12 8:00 pm

NJPAC/Prudential Hall 

Temptations & Four Tops Live On Stage

Two of history’s most iconic R&B groups join forces in Brick City. The Temptations have seven Grammys to their credit, while the Four Tops scored two dozen Top 40 hits. Both groups have been enshrined in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Friday • October 18 • 7:30 pm

Kean Stage 

Vienna Boys Choir

The VBC was founded in the 15th century, making it one of the oldest singing groups on the planet. The Kean Stage appearance features one of the choir’s four touring groups, made up of altos and sopranos ages 9 to 14.

 

Saturday • October 19 6:00 & 8:30 pm

NJPAC/Chase Room 

Will and Anthony Nunziata Disney and The Boys

The acclaimed duo take a magical ride through the music of the Sherman Brothers (aka The Boys), whose movie scores include Mary Poppins, Aladdin and The Little Mermaid.

 

Saturday • October 19 8:00 pm

NJPAC/Victoria Theater Soulshine 

The Allman Brothers Experience

Six gifted musicians recreate a classic concert along with stunning video and lighting. Soulshine covers all the favorites, as well as songs played by Duane Allman before he joined the band.

 

Saturday • October 26 • 8:00 pm

NJPAC/Victoria Theater 

Tusk Live On Stage

The ultimate Fleetwood Mac tribute band performs the group’s greatest hits.

 

Sunday • October 27 • 3:00 pm

Kean Stage 

Led Zeppelin II Classic Albums Live

Relive the band’s signature disc 50 years later with a group of talented musicians.

 

Sunday • October 27 • 7:00 pm

Prudential Center

Bad Bunny X 100Pre Tour

“King of Trap” Bad Bunny hits the stage in Newark with a high-voltage stage show, accompanied by some of the top stars of Latino rap and hip hop.

 

Sunday • October 27 • 3:00 pm

NJPAC/Prudential Hall 

Munich Philharmonic Emperor Concerto

Valery Gergiev conducts and Behzod Abduraimov performs Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5 as guest soloist. Gergiev, a champion of Russian composers, served as principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra.

 

Saturday • November 2 • 7:00 pm

State Theatre 

Chubby Checker & Friends Rock and Roll Spectacular

Chubby Checker and The Wildcats headlines a raucous revue that includes The Duprees, The Capris and The Tokens.

 

Friday • November 8 8:00 pm

NJPAC/Prudential Hall 

Mandy Patinkin Diaries

Accompanied by Adam Ben-David, Broadway legend Mandy Patinkin performs songs by Stephen Sondheim, Harry Chapin, Rufus Wainwright and others.

 

Friday • November 8 • 8:00 pm

Saturday • November 9 • 2:00 & 8:00 pm

Sunday • November 10 • 2:00 pm

State Theatre 

Beautiful The Carole King Musical

The hit Broadway show traces Carole King’s journey from struggling songwriter to Rock and Roll Hall of Famer.

 

Thursday • November 14 7:00 pm

NJPAC/Victoria Theater 

Nimbus Dance Falling Sky

The innovative Jersey City dance troupe debuts Samuel Pott’s Falling Sky, set to a score by Qasim Naqvi. The evening of music and dance represents a bold collaboration between Nimbus, NJPAC and the NJ Symphony.

 

Thursday • November 14 8:00 pm

NJPAC/Prudential Hall 

Chaka Kahn Live On Stage

The 10-time Grammy winner pioneered the fusion of funk and soul across a career that has spanned more than four decades. She is touring in support of her new album, Hello Happiness—her first in a dozen years.

 

November 15 – November 23

Kean Stage 

Sunday In the Park with George

Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s smash Broadway hit comes to Kean Stage for eight performances. Check website for dates and times.

 

FOR THE KIDS

 

Sunday • September 22 11:00 & 2:00 pm

State Theatre 

Jason Bishop Straight Up Magic

The master of double levitation performs his over-the-top illusions and close-up sleights of hand with help from lead assistant Kim Hess.

 

Friday • October 4 • 6:00 pm

Saturday • October 5 10:30 am, 2:00 & 5:30 pm

Sunday • October 6 10:30 am & 2:00 pm

NJPAC/Prudential Hall 

Sesame Street Live Make Your Magic

Join Elmo and friends as they welcome magician extraordinaire Justin.

 

Saturday • October 26 2:00 & 7:30 pm

NJPAC/Prudential Hall 

New Jersey Symphony Orchestra

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

The NJSO performs the score of sixth Harry Potter film live as it plays on the big screen.

 

Saturday • October 26 11:00 am

NJPAC/Victoria Theater Terra Theater

The Little Mermaid

Hans Christian Anderson’s beloved tale is brought to life by a team of master stage performers and puppeteers.

 

November 6 – 10

Prudential Center 

Disney On Ice Road Trip Adventures

Anna, Elsa, Olaf, Mickey, Minnie and friends take young fans on a wild ride around the world.

 

IT’S SO FUNNY

 

Friday • October 4 • 8:00 pm

NJPAC/Victoria Theater

 Nemr The Future Is Now

Lebanese-American standup Nemr Abou Nassar makes his New Jersey debut in the Victoria Theater. Nemr is coming off his sold-out Love Isn’t the Answer world tour.

 

Saturday • October 12 7:00 & 9:30 pm

NJPAC/Victoria Theater 

Mike Marino & John Bramnick Live On Stage

Marino’s take on Italian-American culture has made him the bad boy of New Jersey comedy. He is joined by lawyer/comic Jon Bramnick. Check out Kike’s musings in Stand Up Guy on page 82

 

Saturday • October 19 • 8:00 pm

Sunday • October 20 • 7:30 pm

NJPAC/Prudential Hall 

Jo Koy Live On Stage

Few comics are hotter right now than Filipino-American standup Jo Koy, whose rise from coffee houses to sold-out concerts and Netflix specials is one of the great stories in the business. His “overnight” success only took 25 years!

 

Friday • October 25 • 8:00 pm

State Theatre 

Carol Burnett An Evening of Laughter & Reflection

The beloved comic actress relives her greatest moments, shows video clips and (of course!) takes audience questions

.

Friday • November 1 • 7:30 pm

State Theatre 

Randy Rainbow Live On Stage

Satirist Randy Rainbow comes to New Brunswick for a wild evening of spoofs, parodies and scenery-chewing.

 

Saturday • November 2 • 8:00 pm

NJPAC/Prudential Hall 

Franco Escamilla Payaso

Mexican-born comic performer and YouTube star Franco Escamilla comes to Newark with his new tour, Payaso (Clowns).

 

Friday • November 8 • 8:00 pm

Saturday • November 9 2:00 & 8:00 pm

NJPAC/Victoria Theater 

Eli Castro Made in Puerto Rico

Standup Eli Castro takes a funny, loving look at “Spanglish” culture.

 

TALKING POINTS

 

Thursday • October 10 • 8:00 pm

NJPAC/Prudential Hall 

John Kerry A Conversation

Former Secretary of State John Kerry takes part in the New Jersey Speaker Series, presented by Fairleigh Dickinson University. Prior to his service in the Obama administration, Kerry spent three decades in the Senate.

 

Thursday • October 24 • 8:00 pm

NJPAC/Prudential Hall 

Zanny Minton Beddoes Conversations

The editor in chief of The Economist takes the Prudential Hall Stage as part of the New Jersey Speaker Series.

 

TOTALLY JAZZED

 

Wednesday • November 6 8:00 pm

State Theatre 

James Carter, James Francies & Kandace Springs Blue Note 80th Anniversary

Three of the top names in contemporary jazz present an intimate evening honoring Blue Note’s decades-long heritage of cool jazz.

 

Friday • November 15 • 7:00 pm

NJPAC/Chase Room NJMEA All-State Jazz with Steve Turre Live On Stage

A new generation of jazz artists share the Chase Room stage, led by innovator/educator Steve Turre.

 

Friday • November 15 • 7:30 pm

NJPAC/Victoria Theater

 After Midnight The Music of the King Cole Trio

This year marks what would have been Nat King Cole’s 100th birthday. After Midnight celebrates his legacy and focuses on his work in the 1940s as a trend-setting pianist.

 

Friday • November 15 • 8:00 pm

NJPAC/Prudential Hall 

Spyro Gyra, Steps Ahead & Michael Franks Live On Stage

Three jazz-fusion hit-makers share the big stage at NJPAC as part of the James Moody Jazz Festival.

 

Saturday • November 16 8:00 pm

NJPAC/Prudential Hall 

The Roots with A Christian McBride Situation Live On Stage

The Tonight Show house band joins forces with Christian McBride’s experimental ensemble for an evening of jazz, funk, R&B and hip hop.

 

Thursday • November 21 • 7:30 pm

NJPAC/Victoria Theater 

Lee Ritenour with Dave Grusin & Friends Live On Stage

Jazz guitarist Lee Ritenour and pianist Dave Grusin perform as part of the James Moody Jazz Festival.

 

Editor’s Note: For more info on these listings log onto the following web sites:

Kean Stage • keanstage.com

NJPAC • njpac.org

Paper Mill Playhouse • papermill.org

Prudential Center • prucenter.com

State Theatre • stnj.org