Fish skin is making a splash in the battle against wounds.

By Jim Sawyer

Wound healing specialists are learning to appreciate fish skin as a useful tool in their medical practices as opposed to just a delicacy served in sushi restaurants. Two years ago dried fish skin was approved by the FDA for the first time as a wound care treatment, which isn’t so strange, considering pig-intestine and fetal cow skin compounds have also been approved for medical use.

Fish skin, however, is special because it’s high in Omega3 fatty acids, which offer natural anti-inflammatory properties. Since millions of years of evolution have made fish skin resistant to bacterial colonization, it functions as a natural matrix for human skin that requires little processing. Some fish species are better suited to this technology than others. Kerecis Ltd., an Icelandic supplier that has been producing fish skin for wound treatment since the early 2010s, uses Atlantic cod exclusively. Cod has also been the fish skin of choice at the Wound Center at Trinitas Regional Medical Center in Elizabeth for patients with venous and arterial wounds.

“It’s perfect for a deep wound that’s not level with the rest of the skin, for instance, a dog bite,” says Dr. Georgios Kotzias, DPM, AACFAS, who specializes in, among other things, foot/ankle surgery, minimally invasive surgery, sports medicine, diabetic wound care, and diabetic limb salvage at the Trinitas Wound Center. “The fish skin covers the wound and fills in any missing tissue to reduce soft tissue deficit, which allows your body to heal more naturally, and evens out the scar. The graft enables drainage, allowing for faster healing. Cod skin happens to be thicker and more resilient. It holds better and for a longer period of time.”

The need for skin substitutes may arise depending on the location and depth of a wound, the likelihood of infection, and the availability of a human donor (i.e. cadaver skin). Before it can be used, says Dr. Kotzias, “the cod skin is processed and dried, then sterilized and processed without damaging the growth factors. They soak it in saline and then secure it to the wound with a special dressing and adhesive tape that is perforated to allow the wound to properly drain.”

Not surprisingly, one of the first groups to field-test fish skin was the U.S. military. Medics used fish skin for initial treatment of battlefield injuries and burns before transferring soldiers to full-service hospitals.

In the United States, more than six million people are being treated for chronic wounds at any given time. Most are diabetics or suffer from vascular disease, but the number also includes a wide range of traumatic injuries and burns, as well as unexpected complications from routine procedures. The number of chronic wound patients is likely to grow as the population ages. Individuals who fall into this category face profound uncertainty: the five-year survival rate is a tick above 50 percent, as compared with breast cancer, which has seen its survival rate climb to more than 85 percent.

The more complicated the wound, the more effective the “fish solution” maybe, as it permits the ingrowth of fibroblasts (the most common cells of human tissue) and keratinocytes (the skin cells that produce keratin), which help to bind a patient’s own skin cells around persistent, chronic wounds. The hope is that the wider use of fish skin will bring the survival rates up, as the traditional graft options do not perform well in infected areas—in part because pigs and cows are biologically close to us and therefore susceptible to similar infections. We split off from fish on the evolutionary tree a half-billion years ago, which has obviously worked out well for us in innumerable ways.

For now, the wide use of fish skin in wound healing faces an upstream battle. Insurance companies are slow to embrace (and cover) costly, new procedures, while hospitals tend to be super-cautious about changes in areas where infections are being aggressively treated. That being said, the initial goal in wound treatment is to reduce inflammation; it is the first step in turning a chronic wound into a treatable injury. If fish skin continues to prove its worth in this regard, it may become a more common tool in the medical tackle box. 

 

Editor’s Note: Yolanda Navarra Fleming contributed to this article.

 

Is water insecurity a New Jersey problem?

By Mark Stewart

In Israel, water treatment facilities recycle household wastewater to meet nearly half of the country’s agricultural needs. In Australia, water is treated as a commodity, leading to a 50 percent drop in residential and business consumption. In Singapore, water flows to five million people through a combination of importation, wastewater recycling, desalinization and an ingenious system of rainwater collection. In the mid-2000s, the Bush family (more specifically the W. Bush family) purchased more than a quarter-million acres of land in Paraguay, atop one of the largest aquifers in the western hemisphere. A bungled 2014 cost-cutting decision in Flint, Michigan, exposed residents to catastrophically high levels of lead.

You’ve heard about Flint. What you may not have heard is that other cities in other states are facing issues with the quantity, quality and reliability of their water supply. The same is true in many rural areas. That’s because “water insecurity” is one of the least talked-about issues…until it impacts you.

How is water insecurity measured? It’s not, at least not officially. For now, common sense and logic must suffice; transparency and information are critical. For example, say you live in a state where one in five kitchen taps produces water that contains trace amounts of perfluorooctanoic acid (aka PFOA), a chemical linked to cancer and low birth rates—as well as accelerated or delayed puberty and a reduction in the effectiveness of vaccines. You might think, Hey, my water is only 80 percent secure. Or Wow, my water is 20 percent insecure. Either way of measuring would be perfectly valid since, again, there is no accepted yardstick at the moment.

Would it surprise you to know that the aforementioned state is New Jersey and, according to a 2017 report issued by the Environmental Working Group, we had the highest prevalence of PFOA in our tap water of any state in the nation?

So, yeah, water insecurity does impact you—because you’re not sure if you are in the 20 percent or the 80 percent, are you? Either way, it kind of makes you wonder what else is trickling through your faucets.

No Doubt About Drought

When most of us hear the words water insecurity, we think about people living under life-threatening drought conditions. They seem very far away and so do their troubles. And to some extent they are, because we are unlikely to run out of drinkable water in our lifetimes, or even our grandchildren’s lifetimes. Thus it is only natural to believe that you are insulated from the misery of drought-stricken populations.

But those other parts of the world that are facing the very real prospect of running out, well, they are already affecting you. For instance, between 2006 and 2011, a vast region of the Middle East was hit with an historic drought. It killed off livestock and destroyed crops. Families abandoned their farms, local businesses failed and people flooded into already overcrowded cities—overwhelming infrastructure and creating social, political and religious unrest. That country was Syria, which was plunged into a full-blown civil war by 2012. That war, in turn, took more than 500,000 lives and triggered a mass migration that has altered the economic and political landscape of dozens of countries, including our own. Water scarcity did not “cause” the crisis in Syria, but it unquestionably served to ignite long-existing tensions within the country and the region. That, in turn, created complex, expensive challenges for the United States that you and your grandchildren will be paying for in one way or another for the foreseeable future.

Which other parts of the world are in real danger of lacking enough water for people to drink and grow food? According to a 2016 study, four billion people live in places where they experience serious water stress a month or more every year. When you see that number you tend to picture third-world villagers huddled in remote desert enclaves. But a surprising number of people in this category live like we do. In fact, 14 of the 20 world’s largest metropolitan areas (i.e. “megacities”) have experienced drought conditions or water scarcity in the past few years. More than a third are in Asia.

However, most are not. And some familiar and even picturesque cities have encountered unprecedented water crises. In the spring of 2018, the four million residents of the drought-stricken South African city of Cape Town were asked to stop flushing their toilets and to limit showers to once or twice a week. They had already been rationed down to 13 gallons per person per day—about one-eighth of the 100 gallons a day we New Jerseyans consume. Three years earlier, the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil simply turned off its water for 12 hours a day. If it hadn’t, it faced the prospect of a “Day Zero,” which is a frightening term for the moment people turn on the taps and nothing comes out.

Not-So-Funny Farms

For the record, humans technically need about four gallons a day to survive (drink, cook and clean). That’s less than three flushes of your low-flow toilet. If that makes you feel guilty about the 100 gallons you use every day, don’t. It’s important for each of us to be prudent about our water use, but those 100 gallons are a drop in the bucket. Residential water use accounts for maybe three or four percent of total consumption. Agriculture takes upwards of 70 percent, while use by industry and energy producers makes up the rest.

If guilt is your thing, however, you could cut down on California-produced almonds and pistachio nuts, which take a trillion gallons annually to grow—about 10 percent of the state’s agricultural water supply, according to the Pacific Institute, a global water “think tank.” Or take a pass on your next cheeseburger.

Growing crops like alfalfa to feed dairy cows and cattle consumes upwards of 2.5 trillion gallons of water a year in California’s agricultural heartland. The least water-intensive crops in the U.S. include sugar beets, beans, onions and garlic.

If you really want to feel bad about your impact on a region’s water supply, then it’s time to return to South Africa. A bottle of South African wine, by the industry’s own estimate, takes almost 200 gallons of water to produce. Some quick math suggests that the country’s wineries “export” over 400 billion liters of water annually. That is about three times as much as is required to satisfy the need of every South African who currently lacks easy access to water. Part of the country’s problem is its position on the map; the irrigation water that evaporates does not return to the land in the form of rain, as in most wine-growing regions. Instead it blows out into the ocean, where it stays.

Obviously, at some point, the human race will have to start prioritizing which crops are worth the water and which aren’t. That will almost certainly happen within our lifetimes. As the planet’s population expands, the demand for food will continue to slurp up the lion’s share of the global supply of fresh water.

Today there are more than 800 million people around the globe who do not have access to a clean water supply. The potential for extreme social and political unrest exists wherever these conditions do. On the bright side, that number is actually way down from where it was a generation ago. New technology and better education have cut the percentage of people consuming unsafe water by two-thirds. That is still far too many, but at the moment the statistics are headed in the right direction.

Some of the more high-profile work in this area has been done by charities attached to worldwide celebrities. Perhaps the most notable is Water.org, which was co-founded by actor Matt Damon in the early 1990s. Water.org has focused on promoting market-driven solutions to clean water and sanitation, which is a fancy way of saying that Damon et al. believe that reliable access to safe water is key to breaking the cycle of poverty in many areas—which in turn promotes better health, education and economic opportunity. One of the organization’s most successful tools has been the creation of micro-loans to fund household water and toilets for people who could not otherwise afford them.

Closer to Home

So are we running out of water? Are we likely to face a situation here in the Garden State where access to the water we need for drinking, cooking, bathing and growing Jersey corn and tomatoes is significantly curtailed? The answer is No, but with the caveat that other parts of the country may not have it so good.

Anyone who has flown into Las Vegas over a long stretch of time can’t help but notice that its main source of drinking water (and power), Lake Mead, is slowly disappearing. The lake is not a lake at all; it is part of the Colorado River and was the country’s largest reservoir up until a few years ago. Las Vegas itself has done a decent job with water conservation. But downstream, 20 million people in Nevada, Arizona and California depend on Lake Mead, as do vast swaths of the nation’s most productive farmland. A combination of increasing drought and demand—and reduced snowmelt in the Rocky Mountains—has dramatically reduced the amount of water that flows down the Colorado River and into Lake Mead. So far, the main inconvenience has been to local boat- and marina-owners, but there are a lot more folks who stand to lose if the water level continues to fall.

Elsewhere in America, historically low levels on the Rio Grande have put cities such as El Paso on the at-risk list for clean drinking water. Somewhat closer to home, in Georgia, the city of Atlanta receives much of its water supply from West Point Lake, which was created on the Chattahoochee River on the Alabama-Georgia border. West Point Lake nearly ran dry a decade ago. Meanwhile, Georgia, Alabama and Florida are tangled up in court over water rights, which could negatively impact the Big Peach. Residents of Salt Lake City are rightfully worried about lower snowfall totals, which diminish the annual runoff that replenishes their water supply. Miami is game-planning for rising sea levels, which threatens to contaminate its aquifer.

These examples may seem distant, yet just as in the other water-stressed regions of the world, “out of sight, out of mind” doesn’t really apply. Take Nebraska, for example, which experienced an extreme drought seven years ago. The Platte River hit historically low levels, threatening its agriculture industry, which supplies the nation with wheat, corn and soybeans. Another drought of that magnitude could push things to an unpleasant tipping point—and change your grocery bill for the worse.

Here in the land of plenty, it has been two years since the DEP put any drought restrictions on New Jerseyans. And most major cities in the northeast are being smart about their water usage. The world may be getting progressively thirstier, but for now at least, here the water is fine. 

 

Editor’s Note: Mark Stewart edited the 2011 book Clear Choices: The Water You Drink.

 

Kids and Water

For babies and toddlers, the threat of contaminated water rises to the level of a national emergency. In areas where old pipes taint the supply and families do not filter their tap water, blood lead levels test consistently high. Lead exposure in early childhood has a direct impact on intelligence, which creates a huge burden for the national economy down the road, and also limits an individual’s earning power in adulthood. Many parents and caregivers in areas where the water quality is poor opt instead to feed their children juices and sugary drinks. Unfortunately, they increase the likelihood of childhood and adult obesity, and the diseases that result from it.

 

Good to the Last Drop

Cape Town narrowly avoided Day Zero. The spring rains returned in 2018 and got the city’s reservoirs back to 60 percent. Cape Town began construction on four desalinization

plants and a new water-recycling facility. Each is expensive to build and operate, all the more so since they were started hastily, in the midst of a crisis. The future looks brighter for Capetonians, if for no other reason than they have reprogrammed themselves to consume about 40 percent less water. Old habits die hard, of course, but the near-death of their city will likely serve as a looming reminder of the value of conserving every drop.

 

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

 

The Musings of Mike Marino… Bad Boy of New Jersey Comedy

 

After watching the debates on TV, I’m now thinking of running for President of the United States. I would campaign on the slogan Make America Italian Again. The new

Pledge of Allegiance would be “I don’t know nothing. I don’t see nothing. I don’t say nothing.” If the other candidates attacked me on policy during a debate, my response would be, “Hey, let’s go to a break.” When the commercial was over the stage would be empty. My rebuttal would be, “I don’t know what happened. They’re gone now and there’s nothing you could do about it.”

 

If I were President I would never tweet. I’m an Italian- American and I don’t want anyone to know what I’m thinking. Also, no one would “follow” me. (I follow you.) I’d have to answer  questions from the press but I’d be sketchy on the details. If they asked me What just happened in North Korea? My answer would be, “Never mind. It’s gone now. There’s nothing you could do about it.”

 

My parents were big on discipline when I was a kid. But it looked a little different back then. Timeout, when we were kids, was a lot different than timeout today. Now you send kids to their room and make them think about what they did wrong. Timeout for me was how much time I was out after my mother punched me in the head. My father mostly threatened me. He was always saying he’d knock me into next week. I would say, “Good. I’ve got a test on Wednesday. Hit me hard.”

 

Remember how badly you wanted Slip n Slide as a kid? My dad refused to buy one for me. He made it instead. Hefty bags. Duct tape. Baby oil and a garden hose. You didn’t slip or slide—you took off like a rocket. And you didn’t stop until you hit a parked car. On rainy days, we played board games in my neighborhood like most kids, but with one exception. We never played Clue. Italians don’t play games called Clue. Can you imagine? “Who’s the murderer?” I don’t know. I didn’t see nothing. Short game.

 

My favorite toy was the talking GI Joe. Only when we played with GI Joe’s they were soldiers in a different “army.” They were part of an organized crime syndicate. I called mine GI Giovanni. He was the head of the fiveHasbro families. When you pulled his string, he would say “Woah, whoa, whoa. Whaddya think you’re doing? Don’t you ever touch my string!” His brother was GI Joey. And there was GI Nicky, GI Salvie, and Downtown Ronnie from Brooklyn. GI Giovanni dated Barbie. He would take her out to a really nice restaurant called the Easy Bake. It went out of business because every time the lightbulb died, the food would get cold. We made Ken the owner of The Dreamhouse, the nightclub where Barbie worked. Every once in a while, GI Giovanni had to straighten Ken out. One day, Ken turned up missing. Barbie asked GI Giovanni if he’d seen him. GI Giovanni told Barbie, “He’s gone now…and there’s nothing you could do about it.” 

 

Editor’s Note: Mike Marino will be appearing at NJPAC on October 12. Despite his blond hair and blue eyes, he insists he is Italian…and can prove it: He is 55 and still lives with his mom. “Why move out? The food is good and the rent is reasonable.” Visit his web site at mikemarino.net.

 

Mark Stewart

 

Among the most-watched and, not coincidentally, most profitable shows on television in 2019 are reality shows all about buying,  selling, rehabbing and renting real estate. Few subjects are more personal than transforming a house into a home. Most people will only go through this process a handful of times in their lives, so it’s easy to see the appeal of sitting back and watching others knee-deep in the myriad joys and frustrations of the experience. A bit harder to understand is where reality ends and reality television begins. Why, for instance, does it take ten weeks to renovate my kitchen when sled-hammer-wielding HGTV show hosts can seemingly redo an entire house in a third of the time? Who are these buyers that adore the curb appeal of homes I find hideous? Or who trash a brand-new bathroom as “dated?” I can’t help thinking that if everyone in 2019 is obsessed with an “open floor plan,” won’t everyone in 2021 want a closed floor plan? (P.S. some industry trend-followers say this is already happening.) Now realtors are feeling the impact of reality shows. There is a whole new breed of buyer and renter out there, and the reality is that TV isn’t making things easier.

How Did We Get Here?

A little history, first. You may not be aware of this,   but home flipping and “reno” shows are entering their third decade of popularity. Initially, they found a hungry audience during the real estate boom of the late 1990s and early 2000s. This happened during an unprecedented proliferation of cable channels (and scattering of TV viewers), which in turn put a premium on inexpensive content. Consequently, series featuring “sets” that were already “built” and ready for filming— and “characters” who were unpaid or low-paid—were a good fit. These market conditions also spurred a huge uptick in reality shows and talk shows.

You may recall that the first generation of reality home programs featured people who seemed a lot like you and me. They weren’t particularly good-looking, but not bad to look at, either. They made buying, fixing and reselling homes feel like child’s play. Naturally, a lot of amateurs were tempted to jump into the market after watching these shows, driving up prices and actually pricing experienced home flippers out of the business. Those early reality series eventually disappeared, washed away by a tsunami of foreclosures when the housing bubble burst in 2008.

Yet with chaos came opportunity. A  lot of flippers who had backed out of the market in the early  2000s rushed back in to scoop up all the bargains. TV programmers were paying attention and,  this time, they focused on shows built around more compelling characters—often renovation or home- selling power couples with appealing looks, backstories, and personalities. Sometimes they worked with clients, sometimes they worked for themselves, sometimes they led “teams” of fixer-uppers. Ratings soared.

As the economy recovered, a second tier of shows emerged. They featured buyers and renters (aka house hunters) looking for homes in new cities, on bodies of water and in foreign countries. These series found an eager following, too. In most cases, the recipe for ratings success was similar: A couple tours a handful of properties before picking a favorite and either moving in as-is or undergoing a massive renovation. Viewers get to play along and guess which property will “win.”

Which is kind of where we are now.

Market Force

So how is the current crop of real estate reality shows exerting force upon the marketplace? Like it or not, people believe what they see on television. And what they often see on these series is behavior on the part of buyers, sellers, renters, and rehabbers that, while admittedly entertaining, would be considered ugly by most civilized humans out here in the real real world. The people we watch touring homes and sharing their (often insipid) opinions on a room-to-room basis are encouraging actual buyers and renters to do the same. And that has had a ripple effect throughout the industry. They are driving agents crazy.

In the real estate game, the customer is always right, right? Right. The problems begin when clients start expecting something north of perfection, even if the selling or rental price is a steal. That puts stress on the entire process, and everyone in it, which in turn increases the odds of something going wrong, a deal falling through and everyone wasting their valuable time and energy.

Today, in a home-sale situation, the agent showing a house has little choice but to nod meekly at every criticism a buyer weaponized by some reality show can conjure up. The agent representing the home shopper is put in the uncomfortable position of having to become a fierce advocate for his or her clients, even if they are being unreasonable or haven’t a clue what they’re talking about. To either agent, the prospect of losing a commission is far worse than contradicting the folks writing the big check. The end result is often a torturous closing where buyers nit-pick every detail, sellers nervously hand-wring and lawyers rack up hefty fees.

No one’s shedding a tear for real estate agents. The good ones make a very good living, so what’s a little extra angst on their part?

Ironically, the losers may be the home buyers or renters, who assume all their demands—reasonable and otherwise—have been met and everything is perfect when they finally sign on the dotted line. Landlords and home sellers are now well aware of the bad habits viewers have picked up from the reality TV couples on the real estate shows. Consequently, they are more likely than ever to make cheap, cosmetic fixes to mask much bigger problems. If they are missed during an inspection, then Oh well. The calculation here is that the arbitrary pickiness of a new tenant or owner is “going to cost me something on the back end of a deal, so I’m going to save some cash on fixes before I even show the place.” In the old days, buyer and seller (or landlord and tenant) would discuss a significant issue and come to an agreement on either a remediation or a cash credit back on the selling price or the rent. That type of civility is fading away from the marketplace.

Bad Actors

Are the homebuyers and renters we see on TV really as spoiled and stupid as they sometimes seem? Ask anyone who works for a television production company and they will tell you that there is a yawning chasm between reality TV shows and actual reality. It’s called editing. And time management. And budget limitations. The whole point of making these shows is to produce an engaging outcome, to get to the end of the episode as efficiently and entertainingly as possible. That’s what makes The Amazing Race so amazing and Flea Market Flip so flipping good.

In most cases, the shortcuts TV producers take tend to be harmless. For instance, do we actually need to watch the guy in Man vs. Food chow down on a pile of heart-clogging meat and cheese for a full 30 minutes? Can we survive without watching dehydrated contestants on Naked and Afraid debate the pros and cons of drinking puddle water? Is it important to observe the Kardashians when they are sitting around talking about absolutely nothing? (Okay, bad example.) The point is, No, of course not.

What we see in the finished hour or half-hour product is a version of reality that takes us up and down, and throws in a twist or two before we get exactly what we want. It’s entertainment, not a How-To. I watch the shows where a couple is trying to find an apartment in a new city and they turn down a perfect place because it’s $100 over their “budget.” Are you kidding me? Nobody does that! Saturday Night Live did a hilarious sketch about that recently.

As mentioned earlier, most of the buying and renting shows make it seem as if people look at three properties and then decide which one is perfect for them. Any realtor will tell you that this number is comically low. Even customers who know exactly what they are looking for—and have a realistic budget— will tour a dozen or more homes or apartments before pulling the trigger. Because film crews don’t have the budget or production flexibility to tag along on weeks- or months-long shopping excursions, they cut corners. Quite often, in fact, buyers (or renters) will have already decided on a property before filming starts, which means the entire episode is staged. The two properties they “reject” might not even be on the market—more than one program has filmed in the homes of friends who had no intention of selling, just so the producer could find some properties for the buyers to turn down.

This casts an aspect of these “best of three” programs in a new light. Fans of these series love when buyers step into a room and begin trashing the paint color or light fixture or some other easily changeable feature. Well, that means they are dumping on a property they know they will never occupy because they’ve already purchased or rented what they want.

My wife is semi-addicted to these best-of-three shows. She becomes very agitated when people walk into rooms and make idiotic comments like “this vanity is dated.” Of course, after you watch enough of these shows you come to understand that these are not honest, thoughtful reactions. Think about it: These folks don’t walk into a room and magically find a film crew set up there! The way these reaction shots are engineered is that every time the crew sets up in a room to film the couple entering, the producer asks them to say the thing they like most about it and like least about it. What actually makes the cut happens in post-production. If you walked into what is essentially a featureless bedroom and were forced to spit out quick observations, you’d probably make a dumb comment, too. The baseboards are weird. This is very blue. That window is small. You would then be at the mercy of the editor.

They Call Them Flippers

Finally, let’s take a look at the stars of real estate reality shows: the people who buy, renovate and sell homes. There is now a pantheon of stars, past and present, who made their fortunes doing what they do while the cameras rolled. But I wonder: did they really?

Something that’s always bugged me is how one of these TV power-tool couples buys a $300,000 house, fixes it up for $75,000, and then flips it for $425,000— and then crow about their $50,000 “profit.” I’ve flipped a house and I know there’s a lot that eats into that profit. In New Jersey, aka the state of taxation, a three-month flip on a decent house could set you back $3,000 or more in property taxes alone. Granted, in other places the taxes are much lower, but the cost of utilities, insurance, maintenance and possible unforeseen expenses (including shoddy work, mold, termites, theft, and vandalism) can mount up quickly regardless of where a property is located. Add a realtor’s commission and closing costs, and that $50,000 starts looking more like $15,000 or $20,000—and that’s assuming you sell it in a relatively short amount of time. You can still make a living on those margins, but you’d have to keep finding well-priced properties, have a small army of trustworthy and efficient suppliers, and run multiple projects simultaneously. (Or have a nice smile and your own HGTV series.)

Tarek and Christina El Moussa (left) of ratings juggernaut Flip or Flop (married when their series began, now divorced) apparently have been successful doing both— and their smiles are to die for. They reportedly have dozens of projects going during the course of the year, which enables them to get renovations done quickly and inexpensively by a more or less dedicated team of workers. They began fixing and flipping foreclosed homes in Orange County, CA after the real estate bubble burst and they got their own show in 2013. At the end of each episode, after a bumpy renovation project, they hold an open house and almost always get a huge offer for their flip. I can’t recall them ever having “flopped” on camera, but there no doubt have been some money pits along the way.  No one could be that good.

Two of the more popular shows where the stars renovate homes for clients are Property Brothers (starring Drew and Jonathan Scott, above) and Fixer Upper (starring Chip and Joanna Gaines). They do nice work and both shows seem pretty honest about the surprises home buyers encounter in big gut jobs. The unrealistic aspect is how quickly and how well those renovations get done. I love it when Jonathan Scott (he’s the contractor twin) delivers the horrifying news about some undiagnosed problem within a wall or floor or ceiling: It’s going to cost you an extra $6,000 and add three more days to the job. That’s it? If my contractor told me that kind of “bad news” I’d give him a long, wet kiss!—assuming he didn’t disappear for six weeks (see my 2017 EDGE story, “Hell’s Kitchen”).

Chip and Joanna (page 26) have a cool warehouse where they can build and design stuff for their clients. My contractor probably worked out of a 10 x 20 storage space on Route 9. The clients on Fixer Upper do seem delighted with their outcomes, but (not to sound snobbish) when everything is said and done, they are still living in Waco, TX.

I know, I know. Understanding what’s real and what’s not when you watch a reality television series kind of takes the fun out of it. But honestly, that could be said about every TV show ever made. Did anyone really believe The Professor on Gilligan’s Island could make a transistor radio out of coconuts but not figure out a way to patch the hole in the cabin cruiser that stranded them there? Did you buy Howie Mandel as a doctor on St. Elsewhere? Do you turn off the Wizard of Oz before they pull back the curtain on the guy working the levers?

The lesson here is to completely enjoy—but don’t entirely trust—whatever you choose to consume for entertainment purposes. And never ever believe that the real estate business is as easy as it looks on reality TV.

Back to School

 

Can you match these classic songs with their “go-to” lyrics?

 

1. My Old School

Steely Dan • 1973

1. Be True to Your School

The Beach Boys • 1963

1. We Rule the School

Belle & Sebastian • 1996

1. School Days

Chuck Berry • 1957

1. Wonderful World

Sam Cooke • 1960

1. High School Never Ends

Bowling for Soup • 2006

1. Hot for Teacher

Van Halen • 1984

1. Another Brick In the Wall

Pink Floyd • 1979

1. School’s Out

Alice Cooper • 1972

1. Don’t Stand So Close to Me

The Police • 1980

1. Rock n Roll High School

The Ramones • 1979

1. Teacher, I Need You

Elton John • 1973

 

 

 

A.We don’t need no education. We don’t need no thought control.

 

1. I think of all the education that I missed.

But then my homework was never quite like this.

 

1. Sometimes it’s not so easy to be the teacher’s pet.

 

1. Ain’t you heard of my school? It’s number one in the state.

 

1. School’s been blown to pieces.

 

1. Hail, hail, rock n roll.

 

1. You got something in you to drive a schoolboy wild.

 

1. Four years, you’d think for sure, that’s all you’ve got to endure.

 

1. Do something pretty while you can.

 

1. I was smoking with the boys upstairs when I heard about the whole affair.

 

1. Don’t know much about history. Don’t know much biology.

 

1. I just want to have some kicks. I just want to get some chicks.

 

Andy Clurfeld

 

Back when we were brainstorming stories for this issue, the original idea seemed simple enough: Ask chefs, the editor said, how they deal with feeding their kids. You know—chefs

must have secrets, know how to make magic meals children won’t scorn or shuffle off to the dogs, be able to inspire their offspring to become even better professional chefs than their parents. Well. Hmm. “No,” a chef said to me.  “You’re not going to print this!” It would, he said, be a huge embarrassment as his kids were the worst of the pickiest eaters and there was nothing he could do, he believed, other than wait them out till they had kids of their own and finally could come together over the table.

Other chefs offered similar responses.  “My kids eat nuggets. Pizza—bad strip-mall pizza,” an industry veteran said. “One likes strawberries. Or liked strawberries. This season, she wouldn’t touch them. Pasta, sometimes. But they hate my food” (which otherwise is celebrated by the food cognoscente). There was a top-tier chef who confided that he basically cooks one food his children will eat: fried chicken. “That’s it,” he added. “You going to tell people this and put me out of business? My own kids won’t eat my food?” And there was a chef who said, “People beg me to cook for their weddings or birthdays. My own kid wants me to take him to Chuck E. Cheese on his birthday.”

Plan B. Which started out fabulously. I explained this issue’s Teachable Moment theme and asked a few culinary pros to tell me who taught, inspired and otherwise helped them chart their courses to a food career. After a few replies on the order of “Wow…great idea! I had great teachers at culinary school/a deity of a chef at my first stage/read a cookbook I loved,” enthusiasm waned, especially after I said I was going to reach out to the mentor-teachers to let them know how they inspired a career and ask for their comments.

OK. Got it.

 

The word for car shoppers this fall is TECHNOLOGY. But it may not mean what you think.

 

By Sarah Lee Marks

 

In the brave new world of Internet shopping and home delivery, it has never been easier to purchase a car. Or trickier. Whether you are in the market for a new or pre-owned vehicle, doing your homework before hitting submit is critical—from finding the best deal to getting what you paid for, with no surprises in between. Here are some tips you’re unlikely to find elsewhere, in plain English, arranged to form a word with which we’re all familiar: TECHNOLOGY.

 

T is for Terminology • When choosing features, words matter. Understand the difference between an ALERT or WARNING feature—which indicates pending disaster—and the active KEEPING or ASSIST, which actually performs an action to avoid the wreck. For example, a LANE DEPARTURE alert warns you that your car’s tires are creeping over to the next lane. LANE KEEPING corrects this with a subtle nudge back into the lane. Keep your hands firmly on the wheel when testing this feature as drivers have complained the sensitivity in the steering wheel can “rip it out of your hands” if you aren’t paying attention.

 

E is for Emergency Braking • I think this is the best new feature available and here’s why: Sensors in the front grill monitor the traffic ahead to maintain a set distance between your car and the one in front of you. As traffic slows, if you don’t have your foot on the brake in two seconds or less, the vehicle will apply the brakes to slow or stop the car to avoid a front crash. The key to this feature is knowing which models have a feature that slows down the car and which one actually stops it. Neither feature works 100% on wet, leaf-covered or slushy roads, where skidding is only avoidable with defensive wheel maneuvering.

 

C is for Cash • Should you finance, lease or pay all cash for your next car? Cash is king everywhere but in a new car dealership. Did you know that dealers make a few extra bucks when you lease or finance a car? So if you’re buying new and expect a “cash discount,” fuhgeddaboudit.

 

H is for Help • Just because you are shopping online, it doesn’t mean you are alone. Honest, informative help is out there if you know where to look. Research web sites like IIHS.org and SAFERCAR.gov provide recall, star rankings and “crash avoidance comparison” tables by brand and model. Look for “make and model” forums online to learn what owners are saying about their car experience. Edmunds.com, KBB.com, CarandDriver.com and USNewsandWorldReport.com all offer car reviews with varying perspectives on the drive and functionality of new makes and models. This is a great place to find out if the model for 2020 is a complete redesign—and, if so, whether those amazing new features are adding a hefty price increase. Also, be aware that the pre-owned version of your dream car that is magically available with a killer discount could be a known lemon…or, on the other hand, a 2019 closeout with great rebates that may suit your needs perfectly. Speaking of rebates, watch out for “rebate stacking” on dealer websites. This tactic shows an artificially lower price by counting up rebates that you might not qualify to receive when you show up at the dealership. It’s a nasty trick to get you to the lot. Get a detailed price breakdown to be sure the incentives offered apply to you.

 

N–O means NO • The idea of buying a car completely online, in the middle of the night while dressed in your pajamas, may look fun and easy on TV, but be prepared to say No if something seems amiss. Check the dealership or sellers’ reviews on Google, Yelp and DealerRater.com. Reviews by previous customers can reveal chilling stories of dirty cars, missing maintenance or accessories upon arrival. A seven-day return policy is usually a return and replace option, not a 100% money-back guarantee. The online companies may offer little assistance or telephone support, and little to no instruction on how to use any of the features. Local dealers aren’t keen on offering free advice for a car you purchased online. So NO also means know who you are the six-year auto loan when searching for a lower payment. Leasing makes sense for those buyers with lease with a score in the 600s but the payment is unlikely to be as attractive as the one advertised on TV.

 

Inexpensive leases require a huge down payment, have very low mileage limitations and run longer than the typical 36-month term. Among the many advantages of a lease is the option to purchase your vehicle at the end of the contract; with a loan, the car is yours even if your transportation needs change. Also, car-leasing banks have figured out the sweet spot to make it easy for you to move from an old lease to a new one before the term is up. However, be alert for dealers who claim they can: 1)   “pull you out” of your lease with more than four months remaining, 2) lower your payment, and/or get you a newer, fancier ride. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

 

O is for OnStar • Concierge or SOS services are part of the Bluetooth integration between your cell phone and your new car. If your car has an emergency response system, sensors in the car will connect a satellite transmitter in your vehicle to an emergency operator. The operator will speak to you through the radio speakers to determine the seriousness of the situation. If you can’t speak, the operator will send Emergency responders to the coordinate location of your vehicle. You may also manually activate this process if you are in danger, lost or otherwise need assistance. These services are free during the warranty period of the car when purchased new. If you buy a used car, contact the brand to determine their SOS policy. Additional services you might want to explore include 1) a mobile hotspot, which enables you to utilize your computer while traveling, 2) concierge services, which make reservations at your favorite restaurant and

3) turn-by-turn navigation from a live person—all at a price, of course. Apple Car Play and Android Auto also offer integration for navigation and “SIRI/Hey Google” voice commands through the speaker system assuming you own a compatible phone. Test your phone sync before you buy.

 

G is for Gas • Don’t be timid about asking whether a car takes regular or premium gasoline. Over its life the difference in cost can add up. However, if you lean toward alternative fuels, be clear about what it is you are shopping for. A hybrid vehicle is gas-powered but uses an electric motor and lithium-ion battery to increase miles per gallon. In some cars, this process is assisted with regenerative braking. When you brake, the energy of the vehicle stopping sends additional energy back to the battery for use on demand. The Toyota Prius is the most well-known model on the road today using this type of hybrid system. The Chevrolet Volt, Audi eTron, Porsche Cayenne and Panamera are parallel hybrids. Parallel hybrids use electric power of various range before switching over to fuel. The combination system reduces “range anxiety”—the concern of running out of power far from a charging station.  The cost to your home electric bill is negligible. The Volt was discontinued in 2019, but if you find a deal on a new (or almost-new) one, don’t be afraid to buy it. Electric or EV models on the market include Tesla, Chevy Bolt and Nissan Leaf. They are 100% electric and differ in price largely based on range, which varies from 180 to 300-plus miles per charge. However, if the power goes out in your home, you are stalled until recharged. Tesla uses a unique charging coupler that requires an adapter when charging on non-Tesla charging stations. If you are in the market for an all-electric automobile, look into federal and state legislation involving tax credits and charges applied to EV owners. Not long ago EV purchasers enjoyed a huge tax credit—up to $7,500—but that has disappeared on most models. Many states are grappling with how to tax EV owners who enjoy the roads but pay no fuel tax to maintain them. Ask your accountant if there are any tax credits on the car you like, and monitor your legislature for activities which could cost you in the future.

 

Y means Why? • When you are test-driving, discussing prices or debating extended service contracts, the most important word you should use is Why? “Why do I need it? Will it keep me safer on the road? Will it save me on insurance costs?” If the answer makes sense to you, then act. If you don’t get a reasonable explanation, hit the brakes and do more research. 

 

Editor’s Note: Sarah Lee Marks is a car concierge and automotive consumer advocate for all things car-related. Sarah lives in Henderson, Nevada with her husband, Norman. You can ask her car questions at her website: www.mycarlady.com.

 

A dozen years in the making, Trinitas unveils the Institute for DBT and Allied Treatments.

 

Caleb MacLean

 

For some people, change is difficult. For others, self-acceptance is the long hill to climb. For individuals undergoing Dialectical Behavior Therapy  (DBT), positive outcomes are the

result of finding a comfortable middle ground between these seemingly contradictory and often uncomfortable life challenges. At the Trinitas Institute for DBT and Allied Treatments, outpatient clients—including those diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder and substance, eating, and mood disorders—learn behavioral skills that get them back, and keep them on track.

The Institute is new, but the work being done in this area has been going on at Trinitas for 12 years. “We’ve offered high-quality DBT treatment to adolescents and adults for years,” says Dr. James McCreath, the hospital’s VP of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health. “The DBT team has reached a level of  skill, experience, and competencies that we feel we are ready to train other clinicians who seek to provide high-fidelity DBT services.”

Truth be told, Trinitas has been working toward “institute status” for more than a decade.

“We already give presentations around the state and offer in-depth training as opposed to just outpatient therapy services,” explains Dr. Essie Larson, who has been with the program since its start and is co-director of the Institute along with Dr. Atara Hiller. “We train psychology and social work interns, psychology externs, as well as psychiatry residents. Our goal is to have trainees who come through really learn what the empirically-based DBT model looks like in practice.”

The Institute team has undergone intensive formal training with Behavioral Tech, an organization created by Dr. Marsha Linehan, the developer of Dialectical Behavior Therapy in the 1980s. The treatment provided is completely in line with Linehan’s original model and is considered the gold standard for treating emotional regulation issues. “We do it by the book,” Dr. Larson stresses. “Lots of consultation and training—even for those of us who have been doing it for a long time.”

DBT treatment has gained a reputation in some circles as a “treatment for the wealthy.” At Trinitas, however, the adult DBT outpatient program is one of only a handful in New Jersey that take clients who want to go through their insurance providers, while the adolescent DBT program is the only outpatient program of its kind that regularly takes insurance. “We are dedicated to providing this treatment for clients who would not be able to afford it otherwise,” Dr. Larson says. Moreover, the adolescent DBT program also offers Spanish multi-family skills groups.

“We also value helping families who cannot access evidence-based treatments because of language barriers. The Spanish Adolescent DBT program has been an incredible resource for teens and their Spanish- speaking family members, enabling them to get the clinical results they desperately needed but could not access,” Dr. Hiller says.

The Institute is focused on recovery-based outpatient treatment, so success is dependent on a high level of motivation. A doctor or insurer can suggest to a client or family that it is a good idea, but clients (or the family for an adolescent client) must make first contact themselves and put themselves on the waitlist. For adult DBT, the staff will do an initial phone contact to answer any questions and then send out a packet that explains in full detail what is involved in the program. The prospective client answers some questions about

themselves and returns the packet as an initial screening to determine fit within DBT. For the adolescent DBT program, the family must call directly. A phone screening is conducted to ensure that they meet the treatment criteria before being placed on the waitlist.

“Following that, when a spot in the program opens up, an in-person intake is completed to further assess the ‘fit’ with our DBT program. Then there are three pre-treatment sessions (four for the adolescent program) before fully joining the program,” says Dr. Hiller. “That’s when we discuss goals, obstacles, and start working to increase the client’s commitment. After the final pre-treatment session, clients and therapists sign a contract together, agreeing to work together for a specified amount of time.”

For adults, that amount of time is a minimum of one year, and with contract renewals, can run as long as 30 months. For adolescents, the program runs a minimum of 24 weeks for English-speaking families (4 pretreatment sessions and 20 treatment weeks) and

28 for Spanish-speaking families (4 pretreatment sessions and 24 treatment weeks).

For both the adult and adolescent DBT programs, treatment consists of a once-a-week individual session and a once-a-week two-hour skills group. In addition, clients (and their caretakers in adolescent DBT) have access to between-session phone coaching to help use the skills they learn in sessions out in the real world.

“While this may sound like very little therapy for individuals who are struggling so much in life, this is exactly what the empirically-based DBT model is based on. It is the quality and the specificity of the treatment, as well as the intense training and supervision of the clinicians, that makes it effective for these clients. Not the quantity of weekly sessions,” says Dr. Larson. Both programs also have Consultation Team meetings each week to ensure that clinicians are getting support themselves and are adhering to the DBT model.

The overarching goal of the Trinitas Institute for DBT and Allied Treatments is creating a strong foundation of skills to deal with daily life—building a “Life Worth Living”, DBT’s primary goal. That may sound simple, but it’s not. DBT clients tend to have an “exquisitely sensitive” emotional regulation system (they become upset more quickly, more intensely and take longer to cool down) and more than 90 percent come to the program with a significant history of trauma.

According to Dr. Larson, while DBT itself is not a trauma treatment, the staff at the Institute is also trained in empirically-based treatments like Prolonged Exposure (PE) to help clients overcome the often paralyzing symptoms of their traumas once they have learned skills to manage their suicidal, self-harming and other high-risk behaviors. “We recognize that building a Life Worth Living does not just mean stopping behaviors,” she says. “It also means treating the suffering that often drives the behaviors.”

“No one has taught them what to do with all these intense emotions,” laments Dr. Hiller. “So we see the clients trying to tolerate the emotions and problem- solve using behaviors that include self-harm, drugs, and eating disorders. They have often been unsuccessful in other types of treatment.”

Indeed, most individuals entering the DBT program see and respond to things in their world as black-and-white, which leads to less effective coping decisions. At the Trinitas Institute for DBT and Allied Treatments, therapists help clients see reality as a whole, not a collection of extremes.

“We spend a lot of time teaching that there is no absolute truth, that everything is a mixed bag,” says  Dr. Larson. “This is where the ‘dialectical’ part of DBT comes in. Simply put, it means that everything is composed of opposites. But that middle ground can be so uncomfortable for the people we treat. They do tend to gravitate towards the black or the white, the right or the wrong—just to have a clear answer. The statement ‘it depends‘ is very accurate when making decisions and it is also hard to tolerate for our clients.” 

 

Editor’s Note: The Trinitas Institute for DBT and Allied Treatments is located at 655 East Jersey Ave. in Elizabeth. For more information on its programs, visit www.dbtnj.org or call (908) 994-7378 for more information on the adolescent DBT program and  (908) 994-7087 for more information on the adult DBT program.

 

In the hands of an accomplished artist, the manipulation of light can communicate a feeling, underscore emotion and elevate the means by which a canvas tells a story. The work of New Jersey painter Gabriela Gonzalez Dellosso conveys an intimate relationship with light, which illuminates—both literally and figuratively—everything she does.

Gabriela Gonzalez Dellosso can be called an alchemist. Her figurative art blends both classic and modern elements with mystery and spirituality. It conjures up paintings by Caravaggio,

Jan van Eyck, and others, whose treasures on canvas stop you in your tracks as though you were suddenly face to face with a panther.

The 51-year-old beauty from West New York, NJ, has taught at the National Academy of Fine Arts and elsewhere, and in the past decade has won more than 25 awards and accolades, including an artistic residency in Bulgaria. Of Ecuadoran and Cuban descent, Dellosso accelerates her stunning works with the latest exhibition “A Brush with HerStory,” which will run from August 31 through November 10, 2020, starting at the Heckscher Museum in Huntington, NY, and then moving to other museums and galleries. Her subjects lean toward the provocative and include many of history’s most intriguing women. Dellosso’s art brings fantastic images to the New Jersey Register of masters, and no doubt to the world in perpetuity.

—Tova Navarra

 

R. Brandon Horner

It is almost 9:00 at night when my wife sits down at our dining room table to begin the homework I assigned that morning. Just to be clear, she’s not a member of my seventh-grade Literature class— she’s a teacher at the same school, and she’s taken it upon herself to complete a project I’ve given my students as we read The Tempest.

I’ve taught the play for over a decade, and each year I try to keep it fresh by working in or swapping out an assignment or two. This year, I ordered a few hundred tiny wooden figures from Amazon and planned to have each student assemble her or his own cast of characters by painting and dressing each one as they are introduced in the play. In my mind, it would be a fun, creative thing for them to do, a lower-stakes assignment that might allow for some of them to earn a high grade during a difficult unit of study. And as we block out scenes, they can have them out on their desks and arrange them as necessary. Something that will distract them when necessary and turn a daunting text into an opportunity for creativity. I don’t want to stifle them.

Fun, right? Just order the figures, give them the general idea, let them run with it.

My wife disagreed. They needed a model, she told me, an exemplar. So, during a free period, I took one of the figures down to the art room and created my own little wooden Prospero. When I showed it to her, she took a moment before she responded.

“That’s nice,” she said. “But maybe I should make the rest.”

She spent hours crafting a set of ten characters that I’d keep on my desk, all for an assignment on a play she’s never taught. The difference between my work and hers was laughable. I had drawn what was supposed to be a cape on my Prospero, coloring it in with a fading purple marker, the colors bleeding sloppily; her Miranda wore a gown with a sheer overlay, her hair in a French braid made from gift wrapping twine.

It did not take long for my students to tell which Horner had made which.

“That’s terrible,” they said, pointing to my Prospero. “Those are Mrs. Horner’s,” pointing to the rest. These are the things that good teachers do, this is the behind-the-scenes work that they often speak of with pride and determination, the long weekend hours spent grading papers, the early mornings they meet with students to offer extra help. The job, when done by the best of us, can only be entirely consuming. My wife takes it to the level where she’s working on assignments for other teacher’s students.

As a middle school teacher married to another middle school teacher (who teaches in the same department, often with the same students), it’s difficult to find a time when we’re not talking or thinking about school. It’s been the setting for our entire lives together; we first met when she interviewed at our school almost ten years ago. Our oldest child just finished his first year in the school’s nursery program. Our classrooms are separated by a short hallway. We’re as entrenched as you can be.

Given how close we work with one another and how similar our jobs can be, we’re remarkably different teachers. Usually, students have me first, in seventh grade, before my wife teaches them in eighth grade. I do my best to get them ready for her, but one of the things I’ve learned over the years is how we each have different learning priorities when it comes to our students, and that’s okay.

The students ask if we talk about them at home.  Of course we do! The most rewarding of these conversations are when we get excited about passing students to each other. “You’re going to love her,” I say. And often, she does. But our differences as teachers and advisors go far beyond our approach to the arts and crafts of the Tempest figures. There are other times when students who click with me don’t gel with my wife, or when a student will take to the structure of   my wife’s classes more than the loose, conversational tone of mine. I get a kick out of students who throw their weight around a bit—the ones who push back and challenge, who have a bit of an attitude. (I could never imagine being that way in middle school, and so I find it fascinating.) She admires curiosity and earnestness, the ones who embrace the challenge of every assignment, who get excited.

At a teacher’s conference, I once heard an alarming anecdote: that a recent study found that, of all jobs, teaching requires more “critical decisions” than any other profession save one, air traffic controller. And there are times when I’m in the classroom and I feel as if I’m a conductor, leading a  kind of orchestra but without any musical arrangements in front of me, directing and nudging and steering a literature conversation in a way that makes my students want to listen and be heard at the same time. When this goes well, it’s exhilarating and the 50-minute period passes in a moment. But there are days when it doesn’t go well, because of things I can control or things I cannot, and it takes all my energy to keep an honest face because no one spots a fake better than a 13-year- old. On these occasions, I power through, and as soon as the period is over, I walk down the hall to my wife’s room, and she’s nice enough to let me vent for a few minutes.

Being married to another teacher gives our lives an odd quality; it can be isolating. Neither of us knows what it’s like to work 12 months of the year. Last week, we had dinner with friends and I asked the husband what he had done that day. “I went to work,” he said, a little confused by my question. It was a Friday in July. It never would have occurred to me.

Certainly, there are times when we have to put down a dinner table decree and agree to set aside any talk of school. But it never lasts long. We love school! We love the rhythms of the calendar. We love the children. We still believe we are remarkably lucky that money appears in our bank account because we get to talk to them about stories. That we get to do that around each other, to collaborate and bounce ideas off each other, and that we also get to see plainly the differences in our approach to the job—these are perks on top of it all.

Yes,  there are nights when we’re up late preparing for our classes, or for each other’s. But it’s  well worth it. 

 

Editor’s Note: Brandon Horner teaches middle school English at The Rumson Country Day School along with his wife, Cara. He also serves as Head of Secondary School Placement for RCDS.

 

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

Grain & Cane Bar and Table • Tuscan Pork Roast

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

Slow-roasted pork roast studded with garlic and savory herbs, finished with pan au jus and served with locally harvested caramelized winter squash and braised greens.

 

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 • 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

 

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 • 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

 

How powerful can a book be?

A book can be the most powerful tool in the cosmos. A book can change lives. A book can be deadly. A book can lead others to make the world a better place. A book can start wars. Don’t take books lightly; weigh them with criticism and experience. Read the good ones. Use the lousy ones to level the bedposts.

Has your Hollywood life helped you to become a better student of the world?

Absolutely. I have always said that I might not have had the most formal education, but movies have helped me to study and to learn about history, politics and the arts. I will be forever grateful for that…I feel very fortunate because I get to study history while I am working. It’s almost better than just sitting in front of a book and having to study it. I do like to do that as well, but when you are learning it the way we do by visiting a lot of historical places, it’s even more fun.

Do your movies make people smarter?

I like the fact that [historical] movies make people smarter…we don’t see that too much in Hollywood these days.

Which role do you identify with the most?

That’s a tough question. It’s almost as if you are asking me which kid is my favorite. I remember Turner & Hooch the most because one thing after another went wrong. Try to make an emotional connection with a dog!

Forrest Gump is my favorite. I find him very inspirational. Why do you think it’s had such an impact on people? He lived at the speed of common sense. I think we’d all love to do that, but Forrest did it every day of his life.

What was it like to know that Toy Story 4 was the last Toy Story, the last time Sheriff Woody would be voiced by you?

It was a lot more emotional than I really thought. You know, when we recorded the last session, the whole creative team was there. It was a historic moment for all of us, and it was a very emotional one, as well.

Do you enjoy doing voiceovers?

I loved to be the voice of Sheriff Woody. He grew so much, and has become a lot deeper and profound than I thought he would ever be. He will always be a part of me now.

What advice do you give young actors?

Act at every opportunity. Be the person in the duck costume if that’s the only role open. 

 

Editor’s Note: This Q&A was conducted by Suzy Maloy of The Interview People. Suzy writes for several magazines and web sites. Recent interview subjects include Chris Hemsworth, George Clooney, Robert Redford, Don Henley and Goldie Hawn.

 

Sowing the seeds of outdoor play.

 

By Sarah Rossbach

 

Imagine yourself as a grandparent. Perhaps you already are one. It was only natural that the kids grew up, flew away and feathered their own nests. And you settled in nicely to your empty nest. Yet, not entirely empty…every so often, a disruptive, “invasive species” overruns your island of orderly calm: the grandchildren come to visit. While you welcome them,  they do present a challenge…what to do?

Instead of planting them in front of a screen, this is your opportunity to introduce them to the wonders of nature, wonders that will educate, engage, enrich and, ideally, exhaust. You don’t have to be a grandparent, of course. The idea is to exercise a young mind and body. It’s as simple as a walk in the park and —who can tell?—your efforts may start a beautiful relationship with the outdoors, as well as a deep grasp of the nature’s cycles.

If this sounds like a job for Sisyphus, you’re not alone. Educators and researchers have been struggling to strike a balance between indoor technology and outdoor play going on two generations now.  More on that in a moment.

To me, it feels odd and obvious to be writing about the advantages of playing outdoors. My own memories of my grandfather are of walking with him in a dense pine forest, smelling the deep scents, and running at his request to pick up twigs that had fallen to give to him for kindling. Alas, the over-programmed, lesson-filled and electronically addicted lives of today’s children has practically precluded free play and spontaneous outside activities. Indeed, now the concept of playing outdoors has been codified: Nature Play is a formal term used to describe the benefits of unstructured outside activity. Its proponents say that Nature Play enhances the “cognitive, creative, physical, social and emotional development of children.”

Cultivating an interest in (and identification with) nature and its forces may help your young ones discover a new fascination with the birds and bees, bugs and butterflies and their nurturing pollinators. We baby boomers grew up with unchaperoned and impromptu adventures in neighborhood open spaces, catching minnows or tadpoles, and dirt under our nails. Today’s children— granted this is a generalization—are strangers to their natural environment. In fact, they suffer from what child specialists and botanists diagnose as “Plant Blindness”.

Plant Blindness is a real concern. If you introduce a child early-on to how plants and flowers are necessary to our food chain, the well-being of humans, and the health of the planet, over the long run, he or she may discover a passion to work with nature. And there are lots of plant-related jobs waiting to be filled. Professional fields in what are called the growing arts—botany, ecology, horticulture, garden and nursery work—more and more go begging for suitable employees. Last year, 40,000 jobs in the growing arts went unfilled. Many organizations—such as botanical gardens, university agricultural departments, Garden Club of America— have sounded the alarm regarding this fall-off of interest on the part of school-age kids in the growing arts. The ripple effect of this trend is unknown. But it is also unpromising. Environmental stewardship, regardless of your politics, is not something that happens all by itself.

Educators in New Jersey (reminder: we are the Garden State) have prioritized outdoor play for wider-ranging reasons, including socialization, development of motor skills and overall emotional health. Getting students moving out in the air is part of the daily schedule and, in many cases, a component of the curriculum—from grades K through 12.

“Play is really the basis for all learning in early childhood,” says Kellen Kent, Early Childhood & Lower School Division Head at Chatham Day School. “And what better place to play than outside? Whether digging in the Learning Garden and sandbox, climbing and sliding on the playground, or running on a playing field or nature path—exploring the outdoors is how young children strengthen their connection with nature, build gross motor skills, and enhance brain development.”

Getting young teens and ’tweens to put their phones or game controllers down—and venture out into the world for a few minutes every day—is a more complex challenge. Woe is the parent or grandparent who makes the heretical suggestion that a child this age actually venture outside. That is where schools can make a big impact. Preparing students for college and beyond involves more than foundational pieces (reading, writing, math, etc.). The social/emotional component is critical to adolescent development. “For middle-schoolers, outdoor time is really a social activity,” points out Boni Luna, Head of Middle School at Morristown-Beard School. “This is where they develop relationships outside their families and navigate the murky waters of friendships and social exchanges. We have recess a half-hour a day and it’s mandatory to be outside, weather permitting. They play ball, walk around, just clear their heads and gain some internal time so they can reset.” In 6th grade, Luna adds, the students tend to segregate themselves by gender. By 8th grade they are more blended. The school psychologist is often outside at these times to observe the social dynamics.

Gill St. Bernard’s School in Gladstone uses the outdoors as a learning environment to ingrain sustainability and promote collaborative inquiry. The campus encompasses 128-acre Home Winds Farm, which includes a two-acre garden, tree nursery, stream and pond. “The natural features of our campus invite students in all three divisions—lower,  middle and upper—to probe the world around them,” says Noreen Syed, who teaches Science to middle-schoolers and heads up GSB’s STREAMS (sustainability, technology, research, engineering, agriculture, mathematics and service) program. “This space is a gift and a hallmark of our school. That is why we make active efforts to utilize the campus in a variety of ways.”

At the Academy of Our Lady of Peace in New Providence, outdoor time is folded into the formal curriculum as the students get older. “Academically, it’s great for them to explore the world around them,” says Jaclyn Church, who teaches middle school science and also serves as OLP’s Science Coordinator. “They are able to take the information we learn inside outside and make those connections. It’s great for application of the knowledge learned, even on a smaller scale. They can then think abstractly about the info on the larger scale.”

The school is building a greenhouse that will enable students to learn a variety of different concepts and see their work in hydroponics from inside continue. Church is also planning more activities that allow for outdoor play and real-world connections with the science curriculum, such as collecting water from outside and looking at it under a microscope.

“Getting the students outdoors is important for them in so many ways.”

Back to those visiting grandkids (aka invasive species). An adventure in the outdoors will build a life-long connection with nature, as well as deepen the connection between you and your young family members. Regardless of whether the “nurture with nature” approach takes root in your backyard or in a school setting, the goal is for children to gain knowledge, have fun and exercise. And, as a bonus, study after study has shown there’s a benefit to you, too: Gardening appears to be a key to longevity and good health.

Backyard BBQ a la mud

Back in the 1960s, a neighbor wrote a doll cookbook, Mudpies and Other Recipes, a compendium of plant, sand, water and dirt-based concoctions. It was all about entertaining a la mud. From literal SANDwiches to MUDloafs, I, aided by a taciturn, unresponsive sous-chef doll, would create sun-baked foraged feasts.  And I washed my hands after I cooked and ate, instead of before. The book still is available online, but you and your offspring could play Chopped kitchen with a variety of foraged natural materials and see what you come up with on your own. Bon Appetit!

Creating a Foodscape

If you have a backyard garden, a wonderful way to strengthen the connection with nature is to plant edibles with your young guests. Nothing is tastier or healthier than fresh-from-the-garden produce. Create a vegetable patch or plant herbs and vegetables among your flowers. Brie Arthur, author, and horticulturalists, jokingly swears by child labor. She welcomes students and young neighbors to help her plant. She has worked with learning-disabled children and says being engaged in planting and part of a workgroup fosters learning about the growth cycles of plants and a sense of belonging to a group and the world at large. She recommends pairing—or, as she calls it, “foodscaping”—vegetables and herbs with your ornamental plants. An added bonus is that your helpers will want to make a return visit to consume the fruits (and vegetables) of their labor. A caveat is that you need to be organic and avoid chemical pesticides and fertilizers. To learn more, check out Brie’s website: BrieGrows.com.

 

Welcome Mat

A grown-up project that resonates with all ages is the Butterfly Waystation Project, which is designed to create and protect Monarch habitats and can be incorporated into an existing garden. These beautiful butterflies, which help to pollinate our vegetables, are at risk. (Their population has been dwindling thanks to pesticides and human development.)

Native pollinators, such as milkweed, coneflower and Joe Pye weed, create habitats for larvae and energy sources for butterflies. Once you create a butterfly welcome mat, watch in the summer as the large striped caterpillars feast on the plants and morph into Monarchs. You can go a step further and contact the University of Kansas, which has a worldwide registry and can certify your Monarch-friendly garden. Nothing like helping to save a beautiful species and getting the acknowledgment. too!

 

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.

 

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.

 

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

 

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 23 • 8:00 AM

Annual Golf Classic & Spa Day

Fiddler’s Elbow Country Club, Bedminster, NJ Oasis Day Spa, Bedminster, NJ

 

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11 • 5:00 PM

Art Show featuring the works of Thomas Wacaster

Designers Gallery, 1049A Raritan Road (Clarkton Center), Clark, NJ

Benefit for Trinitas Health Foundation

 

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29 • 6:30 PM

Peace Of Mind Event

An Informative Evening with Mariel Hemingway and Journalist Jack Ford

The Park Savoy Estate, Florham Park, NJ

The event will include cocktails and a light supper. Funds raised from this event will benefit the Peace of Mind Campaign, a $4 million campaign to renovate Trinitas’ Department of Behavioral Health and Psychiatry.

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

Proceeds from these 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.

 

TCCC SUPPORT GROUPS

Conference Room A or Conference Room B Trinitas Comprehensive Cancer Center

225 Williamson Street, Elizabeth NJ 07207

Living with Cancer Support Groups

All events take place from 1:00 – 3:00 pm. Call (908) 994-8535 for 2019 schedule

 

MEDICAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SUPPORT GROUPS

 

Sleep Disorders

If you are experiencing problems sleeping, contact the Trinitas Comprehensive Sleep Disorders Center in Elizabeth or Cranford at Homewood Suites by Hilton (easy access to the GSP). Both centers are headed by a medical director who is board certified in sleep, internal, pulmonary, and intensive care medicines and is staffed by seven certified sleep technologists.

For further information, call (908) 994-8694 or visit www.njsleepdisorderscenter.org

 

Narcotics Anonymous

Monday 7:00 – 8:30 pm; Sunday Noon – 2:00 pm; and 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

Monthly, Fourth Friday except for August, 6:30 – 8:30 pm

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

6 So. Conference Rm., Williamson St. Campus 225 Williamson Street, Elizabeth

 

TRINITAS CHILDREN’S THERAPY SERVICES

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

“10 Tips…” Workshops

These workshops are appropriate for parents, teachers, or individuals who work with young children. They focus on practical strategies that can be implemented into daily classroom and 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. Workshops are $15 per class.

September 17, 2019 6:00 – 7:30 pm

10 Tips for Building Attention Skills

October 15, 2019 6:00 – 7:30 pm

10 Tips for Self Help & Adaptive Skills

November 19, 2019  6:00 – 7:30 pm 10 Tips for Looking at Behavior Through a Mental Health Lens

December 10, 2019 6:00 – 7:30 pm

10 Tips – Make & Take Evening (make activities to take back & use in your classroom)

Limited number of registrants.

To register, e-mail your name and courses you would like to attend (include dates) to Kellianne Martin at Kmartin@trinitas.org or by phone at (973) 218-6394 x1000.

 

Winter Programs: Oct. 7 – Jan. 20

All programs are offered one time per week, for

45 minutes. These programs are a great alternative to individual therapy. They give children the opportunity to address key developmental areas in structured environments that are more reflective of typical real-life home and school situations.

Call for times and pricing.

SCRIBBLES TO SCRIPT HANDWRITING PROGRAM

An opportunity for children from preschool (prewriting) through elementary (cursive) school to work with an occupational therapist and participate in multi-sensory fine motor, visual-motor, and visual-perceptual activities to learn pre-writing skills, proper letter formation, and

writing within the given lines using the Handwriting Without Tears® program.

SPORTS READINESS

An opportunity for children to work with a physical therapist and have an intro into several fall/winter sports in a non-competitive small group setting.

SOCIAL BUTTERFLIES

An opportunity for children to work with a speech & language therapist and engage in activities to address turn-taking, topic maintenance, appropriate question asking, following non-verbal cues, and using manners.

TYPING WHIZKIDS

An opportunity for children to work with an occupational therapist to learn efficient keyboarding skills, including key location and finger placement, and speed and accuracy.

 

“The world has changed over the last 10 years. Automotive technology has changed along with it.”

Jim Sawyer

How cool would it be to walk into a car dealership and see something truly revolutionary—an out-of-this-world technology so new that no one had even thought of it a year ago? Well, revolutions don’t happen overnight, at least not in the automotive industry. Improvements in in-car technology tend to be incremental. And thank goodness for that. We are consumers,  not crash-test dummies—we want all the kinks worked out of the new cars we buy before we drive them off the lot, and are willing to wait until they are more or less perfected.

Which is why great leaps forward are few and far between. However…if you take what I like to call the “Rip van Winkle” approach and assess improvements in performance, safety, and design in decade-long chunks, the last 10 years (2009 to 2019) have offered plenty to get excited about. Of course, being human, we now take most of them for granted, but they are well worth appreciating.

Just Around the Corner

Vehicle-to-vehicle networking.  Right now, if the car ahead of you senses an obstacle or impending accident, its sensors can give the driver an extra split-second to react. You, on the other hand—in the “third car”—are out of luck. The future of connectivity will give your car (and others in close proximity) the same warning at the same time.

“This is going to be a big deal,” predicts DCH Audi General Manager Al Kouri, adding that networking technology will also be a game-changer in the development of fully autonomous vehicles.

The fact is that 2009 was a big year for auto tech. Many of the now ”standard” features on 2019 vehicles were just finding their way into showrooms back then. Among the groundbreaking bells and whistles were rear-mounted radar that could detect oncoming traffic when a car shifted into reverse, as well as portable routers that turned vehicles into Wi-Fi hotspots. Live GPS vehicle tracking (for paranoid parents or vigilant business owners) also became widely available. And smaller, lighter turbocharged engines could be found in cars across the MSRP spectrum, boosting power and efficiency—a huge game-changer.

The 2010’s saw a number of other noteworthy changes and improvements, some of which are everywhere now, some which are not and, a few (like sophisticated back-up cameras) that became mandatory in all new cars. In 2010, for instance, Volvo introduced a crash- avoidance system that sensed pedestrians, cyclists and other urban hazards, which it dubbed City Safety. This technology, which has become more important in new cars as more and more people step off curbs while glued to their smartphones, will be a key part of making driverless cars a reality. An autonomous vehicle can do a lot of things, but can it ever replace a human driver who can read and react to what a cyclist or pedestrian or loose pet might do? We shall see.

“Pre-sensing technology has been the most significant improvement,” confirms Al Khouri, General Manager of DCH Millburn Audi in Maplewood. “Safety features used to be about protecting passengers in an accident. Vehicles now assist the driver in avoiding that accident. This has changed the conversations we have in the showroom. It used to be that people wanted to feel how a car drove and handled. Now they want to know all about safety technology. These questions were rarely asked a decade ago. Consumers have done their research and are well-informed.”

Given that car design and technology usually reflect trends in the wider world, it should come as no surprise that many of the game-changing technologies we’ve seen over the last decade are related to our love of electronics. Indeed, the headline news in the auto industry seemed to come from the Consumer Electronics Show every winter. Lasers, sensors, satellite receivers, display screens, sophisticated driver-assist functions, connectivity and more apps than can fit on a smartphone combined to enhance the in-car experience for drivers and passengers.

At the beginning of the decade, the automotive green revolution got important boosts from a couple of noteworthy cars: the Tesla Roadster and Ford Fusion Hybrid (pictured on the previous page). The Tesla was the first truly heart-pounding electric super-vehicle (in that it looked more like a sexy sports car than an appliance on wheels). The Fusion, which hit the road at about the same time, targeted a different segment of the market with the look of an everyday sedan but with the efficiency of a hybrid. Together, these two cars pushed other companies to up their games and convinced a lot of reluctant consumers to consider an environmentally friendlier option when it was time for their next new car.

Do they qualify as great leaps forward? That depends on your definition of great or, perhaps, your definition of leap. The term “Great Leap Forward” was famously adopted by the People’s  Republic of China in the late-1950s to describe an ambitious plan to move from an agrarian to an industrialized society. It turned out to be an economic demolition derby—it was an utter catastrophe. So how ironic that, when car industry experts look back at 2019 years from now, a legitimate great leap forward may have come from China’s neighbor, Taiwan. Last spring, engineering researchers at National Qinghua University announced that they had found a way to potentially double the efficiency of the alkaline fuel cells used to power electric vehicles while reducing manufacturing costs by as much as 90%.

That, my friends, would be a great leap forward!

Near Future

3-D Printed Cars. Not the whole car, of course,  just the parts that make people ooh and aah. Pick your engine and your options, and then go crazy designing the car of your dreams. The functional technology exists already, however, the cost is still prohibitive. But man, just think of the wild stuff we’ll be seeing on the road. The fringe benefit of this technology is that the same 3-D printers will also be able to create parts on demand, drastically reducing repair costs and doing the environment a solid.

Not So Distant Future

Fully autonomous driving should be a reality. Not only will all the kinks be worked out of the technology, but so will various legal issues and (hopefully) any unintended social or cultural consequences. What unintended consequences? Well, in a city like New York, where traffic is bad and parking hideously expensive, self-driving cars might potentially worsen congestion. Why park for $50 during a one-hour meeting or meal when you could “tell” your car to just circle the block? And if the city outlaws this practice, how do cops stop and ticket a driverless car? Interesting, right? Undoubtedly, technology will address this problem, but it won’t happen overnight, as we’ve been led to believe.

Not In Your Lifetime

Flying cars. Well, 1973 came and went, didn’t it? So here’s the deal: You might finally get that long-awaited personal jetpack, but automobiles will remain earthbound. Yes, it’s fun to imagine hovering over the potholes on Rte. 22 on your way to and from work, but no one wants to be in a Rte. 22 fender- bender “at altitude”—or, especially, be driving underneath one!

Trinitas OB/GYN Chair making Elizabeth campus his base of operations.

Erica Otersen

Dr. Abu S. Alam has delivered thousands of babies and provided quality care to countless families, both here and abroad, during a medical career that has stretched across more than four decades. After two-plus years commuting between Elizabeth and his practice in Summit, the Chairman of Obstetrics/Gynecology has decided to close the doors of his longtime office overlooking Springfield Avenue and devote himself entirely to Trinitas.

Born and raised in Bangladesh, Dr. Alam cites his father’s death as his inspiration for a career in healthcare: “Before my father passed, he asked that one of us become a doctor. At sixteen, I was the youngest of seven children and none of my siblings had pursued medicine. It was left to me to fulfill his wishes.”

He embarked on his medical education as a teenager and, in 1972, graduated from Dhaka Medical School. He interned at Louisiana State University, completed his residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at St. Vincent’s Hospital and Medical Center in New York City, and moved to the New Jersey suburbs to build his practice.

Dr. Alam has trekked to Haiti more than 20 times over the years, performing charitable work in the impoverished island nation—often finding himself in clinics with no electricity. His arrival at Trinitas in 2017 gave him an opportunity to connect with the area’s Haitian population. He has also worked tirelessly to secure funds and equipment donations in order to open Nandina General Hospital, a non-profit medical facility in Bangladesh.

It is this dedication to caring that initially led Dr. Alam to Trinitas, which serves a diverse patient population. And, he says, it makes the difficult decision to leave Summit a little easier.

“It will also decrease my commute time and increase time for my patients,” he points out, adding that his first priority—whether in New Jersey or Haiti or Bangladesh—has always been to his patients.

“When I go to bed at night, I know that I’ve given my patients the best care I can.” 

Editor’s Note: Dr. Alam’s efforts have not gone unrecognized. In 2006, he was awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, which is presented to immigrants who have made significant contributions to America’s heritage.

 

Moving Trintas forward is a 24/7 job. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Gary S. Horan

Quite a bit has changed regarding the healthcare landscape in the decade since EDGE magazine began publication, but to me those  10 years only represent the “second half” of the Trinitas story. It was actually 20 years ago that the final touches were being put on the merger between Elizabeth General Medical Center and St. Elizabeth Hospital to create Trinitas Regional Medical Center, in January of 2000. I came aboard as CEO in the summer of 2001 and, thinking back, I am struck by how my duties and focus, and the hospital itself, have evolved over that time.

The merger was still fresh when I arrived. By that I mean we were still operating with two separate buildings and two separate organizations, and there was anxiety in Elizabeth—the state’s fourth-largest city— about the prospect of closing one institution down and assimilating it with the other. Would Trinitas have the capacity to serve the community?

That turned out to be a non-issue. The decision to merge proved to be a very appropriate and prescient one. The individuals involved had the insight and vision to see that the healthcare environment was changing. They understood that merging was the way to achieve economies of scale and avoid duplication of equipment and technology. And because of that, Trinitas was able to invest in renovations and expansions that have maximized the impact of the new technologies and protocols that have come along in the years since. The capacity was there because of new treatments and medications, which shorten patient stays or prevent them from having to be admitted at all— advances in healthcare that were developed specifically to reduce hospitalization. The 2000s have been a very dynamic, innovative time in healthcare and the merger enabled us to leverage all of these benefits. It also enabled Trinitas to be more nimble and responsive as times changed.

Now, mergers are fairly commonplace among hospitals. But the idea was new in 2000. And it was accomplished during an era of considerable uncertainty. We had all just “survived” Y2K, which sounds like a small deal, but it was a big one at the time. People were afraid that bank accounts would be erased, traffic lights would stop functioning and planes would fall out of the sky. Even though nothing happened, hospitals had to take these threats seriously. A lot of the time and energy and preparation went into “what-if” scenarios. Then, just a couple of months after I came to Trinitas, the terror attacks of 9/11 occurred. Details of that day are still very fresh in mind. From the top floor and rooftop of the medical center we had a clear view of the World Trade Center. To see it burn and see it fall was incredibly sobering to witness. But I also remember how quickly we were able to react: Our emergency services team assembled quickly and, in coordination with the county and the state, dispatched ambulances to Port Liberte in Jersey City to accept the patients who everyone anticipated coming by ferry from downtown. And there were no patients.  It was a sad thing. All of the professionals were there waiting and nobody came,

If there was any kind of silver lining to that terrible day, it was that we had done a great job fine-tuning our emergency preparedness—and that people took notice. Right after that, I believe we were one of the first hospitals in the state to participate in the biological warfare training exercise by the Department of Defense. That was quite an experience. We had decontamination tents and everybody had to gown up. It was reassuring to know that we would be prepared if that type of attack occurred.  Everybody rose to the occasion—Trinitas staff, the city, the state. The coordination was fantastic. It showed me that people really rise to the occasion in a crisis. And improving our preparedness is something we have continued to do ever since. It’s part of our team-building culture.

Of course, some things I knew would not change. Today, as in 2001, financial viability remains one of my top concerns and challenges. We are still serving a significant charity-care population, a large population of undocumented residents, and a large Medicaid population. And dealing with insurance companies hasn’t gotten easier or less complicated.

Insurance companies—and this goes beyond 20 years—have systematically ratcheted down reimbursement, not just for hospitals but also for doctors. Different plans have come into effect for the consumer during the Obamacare/Affordable Care Act era that were supposed to cover everybody. But as it’s played out, deductibles are very high and the quality of the insurance product is not as robust. People may have seen a reduction in premiums, yet with those savings came a very significant increase in deductibles—which means when they get ill, they can expect to receive big bills at the end of the day.

That forced a lot of doctors to go out of network, which is a very big problem. Two decades ago that was not the case. But in the last four or five years, I feel like I hear more frequently doctors say, “I’m not going to accept any insurance”—in some cases, including Medicare, because the reimbursements are so low. When they see patients out of network, they send them very large bills, and then the patients have to battle that out with their insurance carrier to see how much gets paid. More times than not, only a fraction gets paid and the consumer is left holding the bag for the rest. And then the hospital and the doctor have to deal with them when they struggle to pay.

As a hospital CEO and president, I feel the same anxiety and frustration about our relationship with insurance companies. It’s a difficult one. For instance, it’s increasingly prevalent for insurance companies to deny days to the hospital and deny payments—and the hospital has to go through the hammers of hell to appeal these cases. The thing about it is that, in our appeals, we have an approximately 65% or 70% success rate. That might lead one to believe that the denials are not really looked at from the standpoint of justifiable denials, but a strategy of denying something just to see what happens. It’s an accounting strategy, essentially.

For our part, it’s  wonderful to win a high percentage  of appeals. When we challenge a denial or expedite an approval, we are advocating for our patients and the best outcomes. However, what people don’t realize is that to appeal is very costly to Trinitas. The amount of money we have to set aside to counter and challenge insurance company denials is staggering. This also includes the work we have to do to get certifications and pre-certifications for certain tests and procedures. This delays treatment in many cases, which is very stressful for the patient…who in many cases blames us!

Returning to happier thoughts, I would say that I have seen remarkable strides in quality control over the past two decades. Patient safety has always been at the forefront for Trinitas and all healthcare institutions— making sure your policies, procedures and products are of the highest quality—and that is top-of-mind here every day. In the old days, hospitals tended to operate on a volume-based system. Now it’s a value-based system. The results and outcomes for patients is far more important in the running of a  hospital than it was 20 years ago. You see this reflected in the mergers and acquisitions in healthcare, which have increased dramatically since we did it. Trinitas was one of the first truly successful mergers in the state. And it has certainly stood the test of time from the standpoint of success.

That success has enabled Trinitas to impact the lives of patients far beyond our immediate area. For instance, we are in 80 different locations throughout the state and in every county when it comes to behavioral health. Our presence is well known and our reputation has grown dramatically—people don’t look at us as a single hospital, they look at us as a system. And we are our own system, in that regard. Our Centers of Excellenceextend our reach to a wide audience. We have the professional talent, we have the technology available, and we focus on these areas to ensure that they continue to be Centers of Excellence. Many draw patients from Union County and beyond because we provide services others don’t. And even where others do, we are known for our high-quality patient care and good outcomes.

Take our Wound Care Center, which has three hyperbaric chambers. We get patients from all over the state and the region with complex wounds—often as referrals from other wound centers, because they are having difficulty curing a wound. A few years ago, there was a story in this magazine about a patient who traveled here from Delaware every day for at least 10 weeks. He was originally told that he’d probably lose his leg, and we cured him.

These stories make the dull-but-necessary duties of a hospital CEO bearable. Peter Drucker, the legendary management guru, identified managing a medical center as the most difficult job in the world. You won’t get an argument from me. Trinitas is an incredibly complex organization. Healthcare is very complex. I can probably speak for my peers at other institutions when I say that I would like to spend fewer hours working on issues of regulation and bureaucracy and more time developing new ideas. There are so many new regulations, and often regulations change without much notice. So I often have to shuffle things in order to change quickly to meet those requirements. Obviously, I rely greatly on our compliance people. Compliance is one of the other things, by the way, that has changed over the last 20 years in our industry. It is increasingly a part of everything we do. Not that we have a diminished focus on items such as strategic planning, but with less regulation and bureaucracy, we would have more time to concentrate on more productive things.

If you’ve made it this far, you’re probably wondering what I enjoy most about my job.

I enjoy the planning process—coming up with new ideas, new concepts, new ways to make sure we are providing the community with what it needs (as opposed to what we need). When we develop initiatives, I try to be “risk-assertive,” which means I like to try new things—more so, perhaps, than many of my colleagues. I believe it is important to take a good risk when it is based on good information and, to certain risks like that to deliver good healthcare and have the community on your side.

I also enjoy seeing where new ideas come from. At Trinitas, they come from every corner of the hospital— doctors, nurses and employees in every department. Management and staff meet on a regular basis and a lot of ideas are generated by those interactions, especially where the work environment is concerned. The people who work here have so many ideas of how to be more productive. Our physicians bring us ideas about new technologies we should consider using. An example of that is electroconvulsive therapy. It’s been around a while but it was something we hadn’t done. Our physician staff has been talking a lot about ECT and I think it’s a program we’ll be going into in 2020. Many ideas come from the management team, of course, and also from the outside community.

My job is to keep things running smoothly at Trinitas because, when everything runs smoothly in a hospital, you can put new ideas into action. Some lead to small improvements, while others turn out to be game- changers. You never know when the next big thing will come across your desk. That’s why I listen to all ideas. No one is shut down.

The dynamic healthcare environment was certainly reflected in the announcement we made just as EDGE was going to press: that Trinitas took the first step toward becoming a part of the Robert Wood Johnson Barnabas Health network. Our respective Boards signed a Letter of Intent that provides a basic understanding of future governance and details will be determined over the next few months. Should this transaction go through, Trinitas will remain a full-service, Catholic medical center. I see our eventual move into the RWJBarnabas Health system as an extremely positive and exciting development for our institution— one that will give us the resources and opportunities to greatly enhance the already high level of care we provide to our community.

These products should last you 10 years… and then some.

By Mark Stewart

I recently came across something online called the 10-Year Hoodie, which, as the name suggests, is guaranteed to last 10 years. It launched with a Kickstarter campaign that raised over $1 million dollars in, like, a day or something. My first thought was Wow, I’m definitely in the wrong business. My second thought was Wow, does anyone who wears a hoodie now still want to be wearing one a decade from now? That’s not the point, of course, or the calculation. It’s all about that magic number. There is something irresistible about the number 10—and it makes for a handy benchmark when you are considering investing in a product you’ll be using regularly in the foreseeable future.

In the mid-1970s, I specifically recall deciding that 8- track tapes were the right 10-year music format for me. My logic was flawless: Vinyl scratched too easily and cassettes were always having to be rewound or flipped over. Of course, the CD made all three obsolete within a decade. But for the record, digitized music also crashed the entire music industry within another decade, so ha-ha-ha. You know, in my teens and twenties, 10 years seemed like an eternity. It was half a lifetime or thereabouts. Now pushing 60, I realize that 10 years is more like a pebble glancing off the windshield of a full, rich life. Which reminds me, I think that chip in the windshield of my 19-year-old sedan is about 10 years old now. Probably time to call Safe-Lite. Nah. Let’s see if it gets worse.

I don’t want to make it sound as if I expect to live forever. The next 10 years are probably going to feel like dog years, and who knows what pet I’ll feel like during the 10 years after that. Consequently, my approach to purchasing household items has become a little different than it used to be: In this age of disposable everything, I have started to care about how long the new things I buy are likely to last. If I invest in a major appliance or an up-to-date automobile, I want to make sure that I won’t outlive it and then have to buy it all over again. That goes for a lot of other random stuff—belts, sunglasses, frying pans, pens and most of all hammers, because (don’t ask me how) I actually broke a hammer last year.

It’s an interesting question: How long should something, anything, last? What is a reasonable expectation for, say, a cordless weed-whacker or a panini-press or a desk lamp? And why did I bundle those things into one purchase on Amazon? How long will it be before the new trashcan I’ll be buying for the end of my driveway is itself going to have to be thrown away? (Also, how do you do that? Someone please email me—seriously, I’ve tried to do that five weeks in a row and I think the garbage men are just messing with me at this point.)

I was discussing this whole 10-year thing with a friend and she told me to look up a study done by something called Europa, which lists the household items that you can reasonably expect to last beyond 10 years. The first eight Google pages are about Europa the moon of Jupiter, with many suggesting “we should go there.” Once I found the correct search result, the Europa list was pretty clear: Household items that will absolutely last for 10 years or more include toilets, furnaces, and “appliances attached to the house,” which I took to mean refrigerators, dishwashers and dryers (ahem, Europa obviously didn’t check with me on dryers). This was informative, but not really what I was looking for.

After a little more digging, a bunch of texts and emails, plus a couple of real-live phone calls with people whose opinions I respect, I began to build the core of my list.

Here then is my shopping list of 10 gifts (for yourself or your loved ones) that should last a good 10 years…

A number of respondents pointed out that this would be a good “holiday” story—because there’s nothing more gratifying than spotting a gift you bestowed on a friend or family member that is still in use 10 years later. That’s not a hoodie.

Swiss Army Knife • You know why the Swiss haven’t lost a war in over 600 years? Neither do I. But the next time around you can be sure that they will be bringing this iconic cutlery into battle. Switzerland began ordering them in the 1890s and since then Swiss Army Knife has become the second answer behind first-place “cheese” and ahead of third-place “the Alps” when Americans are asked, “What is the most famous thing about Switzerland?” I totally just made that up but I’ll bet it’s true. How handy and cool are the multiple gadgets that fold out of the knife? NASA astronauts have made critical repairs with them. Design-wise, the knife is part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. And, most importantly, MacGyver (but not MacGruber) used Swiss Army Knives all the time to wriggle out of life-and-death situations.

The 10 Year Plan: Victorinox, maker of the Swiss Army Knife, guarantees its product for life from material defects and issues of workmanship. The company will repair or replace it without charge. Oh, and they’re not just bright red anymore. The knives come in multiple configurations and in different colors and case materials—with almost every version priced under $100.

Cast Iron Skillet • As heavy as it is, the classic cast iron skillet is currently defying the law of gravity. Once a staple in every kitchen, it went into decline during the 1970s as flashier cookware came into vogue. But guess what? Cast iron is cool again and young people are buying it. And even if they end up using it sparingly, as every Three Stooges fan knows it does double-duty as a (bonk!) handy home-defense weapon. You can buy them old or new, pre-seasoned or unseasoned, and they can handle as much heat as you throw at them.

10 Year Plan: Are you kidding? If you take care of cast iron it can last for a century or more. Families have gone to war over who will inherit grandma’s skillet. Cast iron has been in use for direct-flame and oven cooking for 1,500 years. If you buy American, then Lodge is the company you’re looking for. The big ones sell new for under $50, but there’s nothing wrong with an heirloom pan if you find one at the right price. One final note: should you or your intended gift recipient already have a skillet, there are a number of other cast-iron food preparation options, including Le Creuset Dutch ovens, which run around $200 new.

French Press • Drip coffeemakers are strictly for drips. At least, that’s the general opinion of java aficionados who use a French press. Much of a quality coffee’s flavor is contained in its oils, which are mostly absorbed by paper filters. Coffee grounds in a French press are allowed to steep for several minutes after the boiling water is poured over them, releasing those oils, as well as a little extra flavor contained in the tiny, tiny grounds that squeeze up through the strainer when it’s plunged down. Occasionally, you’ll see bad press for a French press, and it’s likely to be related to the fact that it won’t filter out a molecule in coffee beans called Cafestol, which has been shown in some studies to affect the body’s ability to metabolize cholesterol. So do your homework to make sure this won’t be an issue for you or the recipient of your extremely thoughtful gift.

10 Year Plan: A high-quality glass French Press will last until you drop it. A high-quality steel one—though not as attractive—will easily last 10 years. The part that may need attention from time to time is the screen at the end of the plunger. Buy a good one, keep it clean and dry, and don’t plunge down with all your might. The double-walled polished-steel Frieling is considered by experts to be the Rolls Royce in the category, but at a little over $100 thankfully it’s priced more like a high-end BMW.

Infinium Space Pen • My wife has been hoarding Amazon rewards points and I think I know why. She plans to cash them in for a seat on Jeff Bezos’s rocket ship as soon as it’s ready for passengers. When that day comes, I am going to buy her an Infinium Space pen. Why someone needs to write while the earth whizzes past at 18,000 miles per hour I don’t know; perhaps she’ll just write me off at that point.

10 Year Plan: Fisher says its Infinium pen is unlikely to run out of ink in the average user’s lifetime. As someone who invariably picks up the only pen in the cup that has run out of ink, I believe $150 is a bargain. Also, the pen is guaranteed to write “anywhere, anytime, always.” (The editor in me thinks they could get rid of “anytime.”)

Tupperware • This is not your mother’s food storage system…okay, yeah, it is. But why mess with a good thing? The aisles of supermarkets,    home goods stores and price clubs are jammed with collections of brand-name plastic food containers—often at temptingly low prices. But none of them come with a lifetime warranty or quality guarantee. It all began with a chemist named Earl Tupper back in the 1940s. He invented flexible, durable, unbreakable containers that wowed department store buyers. Unfortunately, the idea was so new (people mostly used glass containers with loose-fitting lids) that his product bombed at retail. Someone needed to explain and demonstrate what a game-changing product Tupperware was. Enter Brownie Wise, who invented the Tupperware Party— and pioneered a business model that created an income stream for stay-at-home spouses. Today that sales force numbers in the millions.

10 Year Plan: Everything Tupperware makes is built to last a lifetime, or the company will replace it. A couple of best-sellers are the one-touch canister set ($40), which has little windows that let you know when you’re running low on whatever’s inside, and the hamburger-press and keeper set ($34), which is self- explanatory. Everything is more expensive than the flimsy throwaway containers you see in the store, but it’s way, way better and, I’ll say it…weirdly retro.

L.L. Bean Duck Boots • Speaking of weirdly retro, L.L. Bean has been making the same boot for 100–and-something years now and I would be surprised if they aren’t sold out for 2019 by the time you read this article. I’ve never heard of anyone throwing a pair away. The treated full-grain leather uppers repel rain and snow, while the rubber-treated bottoms make the boots puddle-proof. Each pair is hand-sewn and triple-stitched by folks up in Maine who must undergo six months of training before they let ‘em near a Duck Boot.

The 10 Year Plan: No one wears these every day, but even if you did and the boots failed years from now because of poor material or workmanship, the company would send you a new pair. There are multiple styles for men and women, many with extra performance features, starting around $100.

DeWit Garden Tools • These show up on a lot of “Best Of” lists for a reason: They probably are the best. Certainly, DeWit tools will easily make it to 2029 if they are not lost or stolen. That cannot be said of the less- expensive, mostly Made in China gardening tools at your local hardware store. Like the Lodge skillets, DeWit tools are made of indestructible cast iron. However, they are not manufactured in the USA. The company dates back to 1898 when a Dutch blacksmith named Willem de Wit opened a forge in the village of Kornhorn. Five generations later, Willem’s family is still running the business.

10 Year Plan: Everything DeWit makes is guaranteed forever. The family considers its tools “heirlooms.” That may be an overreach—we’re talking about gardening tools, after all—but I like the sustainability component of that word. We buy so much stuff that just gets thrown away, it’s nice to know my $60 planting trowel will still be around years from now after someone has planted me. And for the record, DeWit is sustainability-conscious, too. Their ash handles come from forests certified by the government’s Stewardship Council, which regulates the use of wood and replanting of trees in the Netherlands.

High-Carbon Steel Scissors • About 25 years ago, I covered the beauty industry for a West Coast business publication. For my first gig, they flew me out to Orange County on short notice and sat me across from Paul Mitchell (yes, that Paul Mitchell) at a business dinner. He was full of information, but honestly, I had no idea who he was, because he introduced himself as John Paul DeJoria (which is his legit name). We talked a lot about the new scissors coming on the market and I was stunned at the cost of a state-of-the-art salon-quality pair. A Japanese company was hawking them for $1,000 a pop and couldn’t make them fast enough.

“Wow,” I said. “That’s a lot of money for something I lose every day.” He didn’t get the joke.

10 Year Plan: So what should you pay for a pair of household shears that will look as good 10 years from now as they do today? Assuming you go with a high- leverage high-carbon steel pair, it should run you $50 or less. There are a number of brands to peruse (Vampire, Shun, Fiskars, Tangkula, Equinox—it’s a long list) and plenty of options in this price range, as different scissors do different things. Decide whether you want them for general use, for the kitchen, for art projects or for cutting fabric. And don’t make the same mistake I did. I once invested in an expensive pair of Kevlar shears thinking they were made of Kevlar. I loved the idea of scissors that could stop a bullet. Then I showed them to a work buddy and he asked when I would ever need to cut Kevlar. Cut Kevlar? Are you kidding me! The moral of the story is read the fine print. Or don’t be an idiot.

KitchenAid Mixer • A neighbor once said that losing her KitchenAid mixer would be like losing an arm. Being a wise-ass, I asked which of the dozen-or-so attachments laid out on the counter she would screw into her shoulder if that actually happened. “That’s a stupid question,” she responded without missing a beat. “They would all work. That’s the beauty of KitchenAid.” Touché.

10 Year Plan: Did you know that 2018 marked the 100th anniversary of the first stand mixer to carry the KitchenAid name? I’ll bet that mixer is still mixing. If KitchenAid made computers they’d probably put Apple out of business. The buy-in for a basic model is $250 to $300, with professional-grade versions going for twice that price.

High-Pressure Shower Head • Is there anything more private and personal than buying a showerhead? Okay, there are a lot of things. But if you do your homework, you’ll find a handful that are true difference-makers and come with guarantees that they will still be working a decade from now. High-pressure heads do great things for the mind, body, and pocketbook. A recent survey of shower-takers (now there’s an interesting job) revealed that a powerful stream of water that covers the whole body makes for a more satisfying shower. I’m not sure a survey was required to tease out that fact, but it’s worth adding that high-pressure showerheads also reduce water usage significantly because they utilize air pressure to increase the sensation of water pressure. Most are simple to install and once you tinker a bit with settings they are easy to adjust.

10 Year Plan: Two showerheads that consistently score high in consumer ratings are the handheld model by Yoo.Mee and the standard, screw-on high-pressure head by Wassa. Both work well even when the water pressure is low, and feature silicone jets, which keep mineral deposits from accumulating and blocking the water flow. The Wassa comes with a lifetime guarantee—so technically this is your 10-year buy. Yoo.Me warranties its product for a year. Given that both sell for under $25, your investment either way is minimal. If you want to explore the higher end, there are models that creep into the hundreds, including systems that offer digital control of the length and temperature of your shower.

So there you have it. Ten great gift ideas for yourself or someone else. Gifts that will be used, appreciated and still be around a decade from now. The two takeaways are fairly obvious:

1) the classics are classics for a reason (they last and are often guaranteed to last) and

2) stick with the classics.

Mariah Morgan

A few years ago, Sheryl Sandberg of Facebook fame authored a book entitled Lean In. In her book, Sandberg made the point that women in the workplace sometimes hold themselves back by not demanding the credit and respect they deserve. Women who succeed at the highest professional level do indeed face myriad obstacles— both internal and external. By the same token, history has shown us that the individuals who find ways to push past those limits not only achieve great things but serve as inspirations for all who follow. Looking back at 2009, the year the first issue of EDGE rolled off the presses, there was much to inspire, although we still had a long way to go. These nine leaders provided some of the year’s best moments….

January 12 • Brazilian soccer star Marta becomes the first player of either sex to be named FIFA World Player of the Year four years in a row.

The heir to Mia Hamm’s unofficial title as best of the best, Marta burst onto the world soccer scene as a teenager in 2004 when she led Swedish League team Umea IK to the UEFA Women’s Cup championship. At the age of 20, she won her first Player of the Year title. Marta won for the fourth time in 2009 while splitting her time between the Brazilian national team and the Los Angeles Sol, champions of the Women’s Professional Soccer League.

10 Years Later • Marta won a fifth straight Player of the Year award in 2010 and continued her pro career in Sweden through 2016. In 2017, the cat-quick forward joined the Orlando Pride of the National Women’s Soccer League. The following season, Marta won her sixth FIFA World Player of the Year Award, at the age of 32.

January 21 • Hillary Clinton is confirmed as Secretary of State.

The Senate confirmed Clinton by a vote of 94 to 2, making her the first former First Lady to serve in a cabinet position. Yes, it was kind of a consolation prize. But “State” seemed like a great stepping stone to a renewed presidential bid in 2016. What could possibly go wrong?

10 Years Later • Clinton used her experience and connections from the Senate Armed Services Committee to coordinate the goals of Defense and State, and to give the civilian arm of government more responsibility for responding to international crises. She and President Obama rarely disagreed and formed a surprisingly effective partnership. By the time 2016 rolled around, however, the political landscape had shifted and Clinton found herself facing Donald Trump in the election. Trump’s “upset” victory meant that America would have to wait for its first female chief executive.

January 21 • Janet Napolitano becomes the first woman to be named Homeland Security Secretary. Born in New York and raised in Pittsburgh and then Albuquerque, Napolitano was voted Most Likely to Succeed at her high school graduation in 1975. Following a meteoric law career, she was elected Governor of Arizona and was on the shortlist of VP candidates for John Kerry in 2004. In her first year as Homeland Security chief, Napolitano dealt with the Swine Flu outbreak, the “Underwear Bomber” and a rise in right-wing extremism.

10 Years Later • Napolitano left her post in 2013 to become the first female president of UCal Berkeley. She has led efforts to address sexual violence and harassment, managed tuition costs and improved the food choices available on the 10 campuses, as well as starting a carbon-neutral initiative for the school. However, Napolitano has also taken heat for misleading budget practices. In 2017, she filed a lawsuit against the federal agency she once ran after the Trump administration ended DACA.

February 1 • Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir of Iceland becomes history’s first openly lesbian prime minister. Sigurðardóttir began her professional life as a flight attendant and was elected to Parliament in 1978 at the age of 36. Over the next three decades, her popularity and approval rating soared. In 2009, following the implosion of Iceland’s banking system, she was asked to lead her country out of economic free fall.

10 Years Later • Sigurðardóttir’s administration restored the economy and put safeguards in place to ensure such a financial calamity could never happen again. She also made Iceland the first Western democracy to ban strip clubs and other businesses that profited from women’s bodies. The nation is now considered the “most feminist” in the world. Sigurðardóttir retired from government life in 2013 and authored the autobiography My Life in 2017.

June 3 • Angelina Jolie, Oprah Winfrey, Madonna, and Beyoncé grab the top four spots on the Forbes 100 list of Highest-Paid Celebrities.

Big names. Big Money. A big year for female celebrities. Jennifer Aniston also made the Top 10. Jolie earned an Oscar nomination for Changeling; Winfrey was voted America’s favorite TVpersonality in a Harris poll; Madonna wrapped up a world tour and released a Greatest Hits album; Beyoncé performed “At Last” at the Inaugural Ball and was named top female artist of the decade by pretty much everyone.

10 Years Later • The top two slots are still held by women: Taylor Swift and Kylie Jenner. After that, it’s all dudes: Kanye West, soccer star Lionel Messi, musician Ed Sheeran, soccer stars Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar, The Eagles, Dr. Phil McGraw, and boxer Canelo Alvarez. For the record, in 2019 Jolie (44) starred in and co-produced Disney’s Maleficent: Mistress of Evil; Winfrey (65) produced the disturbing documentary After Neverland for HBO; Madonna (61) released her 14th studio album, Madame X, which was the nickname Martha Graham gave her as a dance student; Beyoncé (37) voiced the character Nala in The Lion King and sang “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” with Donald Glover on the soundtrack.

July 8 • Angela Merkel succeeds George Bush as the senior G8 leader.

Four years after becoming Germany’s first female Chancellor, Merkel presided over the 35th summit of world leaders in Italy. (The G stands for “Group” if you were wondering.) She was the only woman among the G8 leaders, who made progress on issues related to climate change and infrastructure needs in Africa and also endorsed the Global Summit on Nuclear Security, scheduled for the following year in Washington.

10 Years Later • In 2012, Merkel was named by Forbes the #2 Most Powerful Person In The World—the highest-ever ranking for a woman. In 2014, the G8 became the G7 after Russia was expelled for its annexation of Crimea. In 2015, Merkel was named TIME Person of the Year. Near the end of 2018, she announced plans to step down as Chancellor in 2021. In 2019, she was awarded an honorary doctorate from Harvard.

August 2 • 39-year-old Catriona Matthew wins golf’s British Open 11 weeks after giving birth to her second child. Despite golf’s long history in Scotland, Matthew was the first Scot to win this tournament. After a so-so opening round, she shot a scorching 67 for the second 18 holes and a 71 the next day to establish a three-stroke lead. On the final day, 2002 champion Karie Webb made a magnificent run at the lead with a 67, but Matthew birdied 13, 14 and 15 to lock up the championship by three strokes. Her daughter, Sophie, had been born on May 16.

10 Years Later • In July 2009, Matthew and her husband, Graeme, narrowly escaped a hotel fire during the Evian Championship in France. He suffered burns on his feet which prevented him from caddying for his wife. The Open victory turned out to be Matthew’s only victory in a “major.” She came close again only once, at the 2013 LPGA Championship, losing to Inbee Park in a three-hole playoff. Matthew’s lone victory on the LPGA Tour after 2009 came in 2011 at the Lorena Ochoa Invitational in Mexico. 

 August 8 • Sonia Sotomayor becomes the first Hispanic Supreme Court justice

Following the retirement of Justice David Souter, Sonia Sotomayor was confirmed by a Senate vote of 68–31. The daughter of Puerto Rican parents, Sotomayor grew up in the Bronx and graduated summa cum laude from Princeton in 1976. She attended Yale Law School and went to work for Robert Morganthau in the New York District Attorney’s office before becoming a federal judge in 1992. Sotomayor’s ruling in 1994 ended the Major League Baseball strike.

10 Years Later • Sotomayor’s key rulings have involved the upholding of Miranda rights, immigrant rights and rights to privacy in the digital age. She has also forged some interesting alliances, including one with Neil Gorsuch over the defense of due process and law-enforcement overreach. In 2018, Sotomayor published Turning Pages: My Life Story.

October 21 • Nicole Stott participates in the first live Tweet session from outer space.

The “NASA Tweetup” initiative officially got off the ground in the fall of 2009 when Stott—one of five flight engineers on the mission—and her crewmate Jeff Williams conducted the first live Tweet session from the International Space Station (ISS). Previously, astronaut Tweets were posted on the Internet by NASA. Stott returned to the Kennedy Space Center the following month.

10 Years Later • Stott returned to the ISS on the space shuttle Discovery in 2011. Among the goals of this mission was the delivery of a humanoid robot (aka Robonaut 2). Four years later, in 2015, she announced her retirement after 27 years working for NASA. Stott’s husband, Chris, is an aerospace entrepreneur.

December 12 • Houston becomes the largest city to elect an openly gay mayor, Annise Parker.

Parker, Houston’s City Controller, finished first in a four-way mayoral race on November 11, but fell short of a majority against Gene Locke, Peter Brown and Roy Morales. Brown threw his support behind Parker in the December runoff election, while Locke received the support of two ex-mayors. Parker prevailed by 11,000 votes.

10 Years Later • Parker served three two-year terms, from 2010 to 2016, winning more than 50% of the vote both times. In 2014, she married her long- time partner, Kathy Hubbard, in Palm Springs. In recent years she has been a vocal advocate for women in government and has spoken frankly about the particular abuse female mayors endure from their critics. In 2019, Houston was eclipsed by Chicago as the largest city with an openly gay mayor when it elected Lori Lightfoot.