All Around Matawan - Aberdeen, January 2023

MATAWAN-ABERDEEN

HAPPY NEW YEAR, MATAWAN ABERDEEN!

On behalf of the Matawan Aberdeen Chamber of Commerce, welcome to the New Year, 2023! As we continue to grow and support the members of our Chamber and the Matawan-Aberdeen community, we look forward to the great things this year will bring.

Many thanks to KP Edgestone Realty, RE/MAX Champions, the Matawan Public Library, and Matawan Food Pantry for their outstanding effort in providing food to those in need during this holiday season!

A warm welcome to our newest members, Community Care Partners Mariya Rudinskaya and Lauren Wagenhoffer, as well as the Non-profit organization Jar of Hope’s, James Raffone.

We welcomed our new members to the chamber at our Annual New Member Breakfast held at the newly opened Just Love Coffee Cafe on Broad Street in Matawan. It was great to have everyone connect with each other and the board members while they were treated to a delicious unique-style breakfast.

We wound up the year with a Happy Hour Gathering at Ginkaku Japanese Bistro on Route 34 in Matawan, where Continue on page 16

A SPIRIT OF COMMUNITY AND GIVING PREVAILS IN 2022

By Cathy Zavorskas

The year 2022 certainly had its ups and downs with economic uncertainty and political discord. But in Matawan, 2022 was a year where many focused their energy towards strengthening their commitment to community collaboration and on the depth of their generous spirit as they lent a helping hand to many in our area.

While new businesses saw the value of opening in Matawan,

and new families moved in, a host of projects were organized and run by Borough commissions, council members, resident volunteers, and business owners. Contests, park renovation programs, a new car show, concerts, movies, lakeside dining, races, kids summer programs, senior classes, and the town street festival exemplified this commitment to community. Several of these programs and

activities received welcome assistance from organizations like the Matawan Aberdeen Chamber of Commerce, Matawan Aberdeen Public Library, and the Matawan Historical Society, and additional funding and products from several local businesses.

The year ended on a grand high note with the Recreation Department’s beautifully orchestrated holiday tree lighting.

Continue on page 4

NEIGHBORS HELPING NEIGHBORS AT THE HEART OF SENDING SENIORS SMILES

written and distributed to the residents at Matawan assisted living and retirement communities in time for the holidays.

Mayor Altomonte, Borough Council members Deana Gunn, Brian Livesey, and Councilman-elect Steven Russell were on hand to assist Lazar and Matawan Handy Helper volunteers Kurtis, Soren and Logan Roinestad in distributing the cards and letters.

In 2019, John Lazar, Borough Councilman at the time, co-founded the group, Matawan Handy Helpers – neighbors helping seniors in need of assistance with home repairs. When the COVID-19 pandemic forced assisted living and senior retirement communities to prohibit visitors including family members during the 2020 holiday season, Lazar

thought of a way to help so they wouldn’t feel forgotten – a letter and card campaign.

The Matawan Handy Helpers philosophy of neighbor helping neighbor had now expanded into a new program, Sending Seniors Smiles. The letters and cards produced smiles of gratitude from residents who were pleasantly surprised at the attention. Since then, 100s of letters have been

The staff and management of both Spring Hills and Minisink Village extend their gratitude to each letter or card writer.

Please know your simple act of writing a letter or drawing a card brought laughter, tears, and smiles of appreciation for your kindness. Special thanks to Eddie Holland, Matawan Police, Economic Development Commission, and The Geekery for their assistance in making Sending Seniors Smiles a success.

MAYOR ALTOMONTE MESSAGE

his first term. I look forward to working with them and the rest of the Council, administration, our professionals, and the Borough employees to keep the progress moving in Matawan.

Matawan Mayor Joseph Altomonte

I’d like to wish everyone a very Happy New Year, and I hope you had a joyful holiday season!

As we begin 2023, I’m excited for Matawan and all there is to come this year. On January 3rd, we held our reorganization meeting where we swore in Councilman Brian Livesey for another three-year term and Councilman Steven Russell for

Plans for the year have begun; I’ll be sharing more details with you shortly. We will continue to work on encouraging new businesses to choose Matawan. I thank you for your continued support of them, especially the ones that joined in the last year or two, and encourage you to shop and dine locally whenever possible. Of course, we will continue with our many town-wide events and offerings which will start up again in the Spring. Our redevelopment efforts continue along with park improvement and continuing to make Matawan the best place to live for our residents.

If we can ever do anything to assist you, please do not hesitate to reach out to ask. I can be reached at joseph.altomonte@matawanborough.com

A SPIRIT OF COMMUNITY AND GIVING PREVAILS

IN 2022

Continued from page 1

The celebration couldn’t have exemplified more the success of community engagement and collaboration as businesses and residents alike came together and shared in the anticipation and excitement of Santa’s arrival and the lighting of the tree. The community spirit was almost palpable. Matawan’s generous response to local food, toy, letter, and coat drives organized and collected by many different businesses and groups in town proved the strength of its giving spirt across all parts of the community. The Sending Seniors Smiles letter and card campaign alone brought in hundreds of letters and cards to senior residents living in assisted living and senior living locations in Matawan for the holidays. If we can learn anything from 2022, it is that despite world events that may make us angry or down, there is so much more that can lift us up when we choose instead to offer a friendly hand and caring heart. May that prevail in 2023. Happy New Year!

JUST LOVE COFFEE CAFÉ HOSTS AN

Just Love Coffee Café in Matawan was abuzz with holiday cheer Saturday, December 17th when Jeff Pantelas and his Santa’s Helpers treated everyone to a festive Holiday Show Chorus! Made up of local students from Music & Art Academy, there was a beautiful solo performance by alumna and former teacher, soprano vocalist Zoe Pantelas. The Lentini family; Scott, Judy, and their son Tory,

cluded Matawan Mayor Joseph Altomonte and Deana Gunn of the Town Council.

Amid the aroma of delicious food and coffee, the chorus gave a lively and harmonic two-hour performance that had everyone in the spirit of the season!

The highlight came at the end of the show when the children ran excitedly up to thank The Mayor with small gifts and big smiles.

MAYOR TAGLIARINI MESSAGE

our website with you:

Town Manager

732.583.4200 ext. 118 Town Clerk 732.583.4200 ext 119

Building Dept. 732.583.4200 ext 120 Police Dept. 732.566.2054

Recreation Programs 732.583.4200 ext 134

I would like to officially welcome this publication to your mailboxes. I am so pleased that in addition to the “Aberdeen News” that Aberdeen residents receive directly from Aberdeen Town Hall, you will now be receiving monthly Aberdeen news articles from “All Around Matawan Aberdeen”. The Town Council thanks this publication for helping us get town news to our residents. Let me share important phone numbers and

Our website is www.Aberdeennj.org. Here you will have a complete list of phone numbers and links to every department. We are proud of our Police Dept, two Fire Companies, CERT, and First Aid. All available to your safety 24/7, 365 days a year.

Let me take this opportunity to say that we hope all of you enjoyed the Holiday Season. May the new year bring Peace, Joy and Happiness to all. The Council is honored to serve you.

My best regards, Fred Tagliarini Mayor, Aberdeen Township

ALL AROUND Matawan & Aberdeen

A BRIEF(ISH) TIMELINE OF THE SAT AND ACT:

1900—twelve university presidents formed the College Entrance Examination Board in order to create a uniform college admission test in essay format. This allowed students to take one test for several universities instead of a test for each university. During World War I. the first IQ test was given to a large group of Americans—the Army Alpha—administered to identify soldiers qualified to fight.

By 1926—Carl Brigham, a Princeton psychology professor and eugenics advocate, adapted the Army Alpha into the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT).

1934—Harvard president James Bryant Conant first used the SAT to identify gifted Midwestern scholarship students who did not attend Eastern boarding schools.

1939—after grading tests by hand, the SAT introduced

machine scoring to accommodate the 10,000 test takers. At this point, only 1% of high school graduates took the SAT.

1946—Stanley Kaplan began SAT prep in his parents’ Brooklyn home. Background: Kaplan was an aspiring doctor, but explained that he was rejected from every medical school program because each school had already filled its quota for Jewish students. He strongly believed that each student should be taken on his or her own merit despite any difference of race (and despite the needs of any particular school). He also strongly believed that the SAT could be a vehicle for that meritocracy. The idea of an even playing field is central to what many who believe in the test believe. The SAT was first dubbed an “aptitude” test and touted as a test students could not prepare for. (Wikipedia) Kaplan saw patterns in the test and began to teach strategy.

1957—more than 500,000 students took the test. 1958—High schools began

sharing results with students. 1959— University of Iowa education professor E.F. Lindquist launched the American College Testing Program (ACT). 1960—The University of California began requiring the SAT for admissions. 1969—The College Board began to offer fee waivers to low-income students. Bowdoin stopped requiring the SAT, becoming a pioneer in the test-optional movement. (93% required scores pre-covid) 1979—the FTC determined that Kaplan’s test prep could raise student’s scores, following an investigation into his marketing. At 1st the College Board denied that preparation was possible, now they make the best-selling test prep books. 1994—the College Board dropped “aptitude” from the SAT’s name. 2005—the SAT added writing…and made other changes. 2012—For the first time in history, there were more

ACT testers than SAT testers.

2016—the SAT became more like the ACT and announced it will have a summer test to replace the January test.

2017—The ACT announced it will have a summer test.

2019—The Rick Springer college admissions scandal.

2020—The ACT announced single-section retakes. This still has not happened and will likely never happen. The pandemic hit. The SAT and ACT were cancelled nationwide in April, May, and June. Many universities adopted test-optional policies.

2021—The SAT essay and SAT subject tests were discontinued.

THE KINDEST CUT – NEUTER FERAL CATS

By Anita Greenberg, DVM

Dr. Anita Greenberg and her husband, Dr. Daniel Belli, are the owners and operators of the East Brunswick Animal Hospital for more than 30 years. Dr. Greenberg has been a member of the Old Bridge Township Council since 2016

It is the time of year to get serious about the feral cat population.

There is a window now when the cats are not reproducing. It is wise to confront the problem before the start of spring when breeding resumes.

If you are feeding stray cats, it is imperative to be responsible and trap, neuter, vaccinate and release [TNVR] these poor felines. I cannot emphasize this enough!

TNVR is the most humane way to stabilize feral cat populations. Consider the cost factor

of feeding a large, continuing growing colony. In the long run, it would be wiser and less expensive to alter them.

Cats multiply quickly and can reach sexual maturity as young as four months of age. Kittens can have kittens. The gestation period for cats is between 63 and 65 days. It is obvious to see how quickly the population multiplies.

It is rough and stressful for a cat to live its life out in the elements, facing not only adverse weather conditions but also disease, fighting with other cats, parasites, falling prey to predators, and the risk of getting hit by vehicles.

The only way to reduce the amount of feral cats is through a well-managed TNVR program. The population will diminish naturally through attrition.

Feral cats do not belong in animal shelters. They are not adoptable. If you get the kittens young enough, or the rare friendly cat, sometimes they can be fostered and adopted. Feral cats are not socialized and usually

have a sad ending if they find themselves in shelters. Therefore, feral cats need to be TNVR’d and fed by a colony caretaker.

Post-Covid, the shelters were inundated with feral cats and kittens. The cats that are unadoptable are sadly euthanized after a holding period to make way for cats more likely to get a home.

There are low cost spay and neuter facilities. One such location is People for Animals, which has several facilities in New Jersey. The phone number is 973-282-0890.

Cats are seasonal breeders and enter their reproductive cycle in late winter/early spring

as daylight starts to lengthen. That is why during this idle time of the reproductive cycle it is wise to trap the feral cats and have them sterilized.

Female cats -- the queens -- will signal when they are in heat by being more active and noisy. They will rub and roll, seeking attention. They arch their back downward with their hind quarters raised. Females can mate with more than one male. Cats are prolific breeders, with their eggs released from the ovaries in response to mating.

Remember, being kind-hearted is nice, but when you feed cats it adds to the problem if

you are not going to be responsible and follow through by having them altered! If you are sincere about helping cats, have them spayed and neutered.

You cannot save all the cats in the world, but for the cat you do save, you saved his whole world.

Please consider donating to organizations that take care of feral cats. One of the best local groups is Save All Stray Cats. P.O. Box 5303, Old Bridge, NJ 08857. saveallstraycats@yahoo. com www.saveallstraycatsinc.org

Have a Healthy and Happy New Year!

THE MATAWAN PIANO

Imagine the days before modern technology, where Christmas carols were felt through instrument and song. Imagine lavish Christmas parties, where folks gathered around the home piano and everyone joined in to partake and enjoy. The home upright pianos became one of those mainstays of such parties and one such manufac turer existed here in Matawan.

The Wason Piano Company began in 1913 by New York investors and was attracted to Matawan due to the Matawan Steel and Iron Company- which produced piano plates for the Antisell Piano Corporation.

The factory would be housed in the former American Rice Food Factory across from the Matawan train station and approximately 40 skilled workers turned out 30 pianos per week. Charles Wason, handled the corporate administration, while Henry Sommer of New York was a principal and oversaw the manufacturing process. The company President was a prominent Matawan resident: Henry H. Longstreet (1857-1938), who lived on Main Street.

In 1915, the company held a writing contest, where another prominent Matawan

resident- J. Mabel Brown took first place Unfortunately the viability of a piano factory dwindled and by 1916, the company was forced to file for bankruptcy. In the same year there was a fire at the factory. The fire affected several buildings near the Matawan Train Station where the factory existed but most the effort by the local fire houses focused on saving the Station and the Kennedy Hotel- across the road. The building was subse quently demolished and the company was lost. One artifact attesting to the legacy of the Wason Company is proudly exhib ited by the Matawan His torical Society to this day. In January of 1918, the Midway Fire Department purchased a Wasonpiano from Matawan Borough. The piano had purportedly been surrendered to the borough to settle an outstanding water bill. In 1979, that piano was graciously donated to the Matawan Historical Society, and now sits in the Tea Room of the Burrowes Mansion.

Kurtis Roinestad Matawan Town Historia

OB CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & OB BUSINESS ALLIANCE

weeks leading up to the holidays. This season AAOB had over 25 drop off sites throughout Olde Bridge and collected over 2,400 toys to continue to help bring a little extra joy for the 2022 holiday season. David

the continuous support given that helps bring smiles to the children and their families each Christmas season. We are looking forward to the 2023 Toys for Tots Giving Event.

HAPPY NEW YEAR, MATAWAN ABERDEEN!

Continued from page 1

members socialized with each other and enjoyed a little cheer and sushi. Our first event of the New Year is Tuesday evening, January 17th. We would like to invite our community business members and colleagues to our Bowling Meet and Greet at Strathmore Lanes! We will have a meet and greet session followed by some fun bowling (option-

al) networking. Feel free to bring work colleagues as well for a fun night. Make your reservations at MACOCNJ.com. A portion of all proceeds will go to the Chamber High School Scholarship award. We are looking forward to a great New Year filled with many networking luncheons and after-hour events!

Jeff Pantelas, President Matawan

Aberdeen

Chamber of Commerce

DON’T DO IT ALONE!

It’s that time again when we start looking at the new year and setting up goals that 95% of us will break. We end up starting the year with these big goals that are unattainable and an allor-nothing mentality. Losing weight is a physical, mental, and emotional challenge. Set yourself up for success. Set up realistic goals. Make a long-term goal, work your way backward, and make small targets you can hit easily and celebrate small wins. When you focus on small changes at a time you begin to engrain healthy habits that last. Some exercise is better than zero. Once you gain some momentum you can start adding in more. Get your mind right. Listen to a podcast to motivate you or read a book that lifts you up. With all the negativity around us and endless noise begging for our attention, it takes work to

keep your mind focused on the good and your goals. Try to limit processed foods. The more you add in whole foods with nutrients the less appealing those packaged foods will appear. Set up some accountability. The people you surround yourself with greatly affect your behavior. Get with people with the same goals as you, get a workout partner, hire a trainer or a health coach, and make a friendly bet with a friend. Community will lift you up when you are down and celebrate your victories with you. Most importantly, love yourself enough to not give up on your goals this time! My 8 Week Fit In Your Jeans January Group Coaching Program is starting up shortly. Scan the QR code to learn more and book a free consultation. Whether we work together or not, you’ll leave the consult with a clear plan on what to do next!

Heather Wyatt Health & Wellness Coach WyattCoaching 973-337-7265

WyattCoaching.com

Instagram: @_heatherwyatt

THANK YOU TO MATAWAN’S VOLUNTEERS

By Councilman Brian Livesey

As we end 2022 and start the New Year, I had some time to look back and think about the things that made 2022 a rewarding year. When I first started as a Councilman in Matawan in 2019, I discovered quickly the enthusiasm our volunteers have in making Matawan a better place to live. They spend countless hours

away from their families working hard to help the environment, plant trees, helping our businesses succeed, interpreting and improving our building codes, helping with animal issues, maintain our historic sites, running recreation events, and answering that call at 2:00 am to assist with a medical emergency or a house fire. Your dedication to our community is greatly appreciated. I would like to publicly thank all the members of the Shade Tree Commission, Environmental Commission, Economic Business Commission, Zoning and Planning Board of adjustments, Recreation Committee, Animal Advisory Board, and the Historic Sites Commission. I also cannot thank enough the members of the Matawan Fire Department, CERT and Bayshore Search and Rescue for answering that call in the middle of the night to assist our residents in their time of need. Your service to our town is unmeasurable. Lastly I would like to thank our dedicated Borough employees who make the Borough run seamlessly day after day. They say it takes a village and it really does! Thank you to everyone and Happy New Year!

IN MEMORIAM

ANGELA MAZZEO

JULY 9, 1934 - DECEMBER 21, 2022

88 OF MORGANVILLE,VISITATION WAS HELD AT WAITT FUNERAL HOME

WALTER HOWARD JONES, JR.

NOVEMBER 5, 1937 - DECEMBER 17, 2022

85 OF MATAWAN, VISITATION WAS HELD AT WAITT FUNERAL HOME

FEBRUARY 11, 1944 - DECEMBER 12, 2022

78 OF MARLBORO, VISITATION WAS HELD AT WAITT FUNERAL HOME

ABERDEEN’S

FEBRUARY 17, 1953 - DECEMBER 6, 2022

69 OF MORGANVILLE, A PRIVATE GATHERING AND BURIAL SERVICE FOR FAMILY AND FRIENDS WILL BE HELD AT A LATER DATE.

CATHERINE MARTINO

OCTOBER 8, 1927 - DECEMBER 15, 2022

95 OF LINCROFT, VISITATION WAS HELD AT WAITT FUNERAL HOME

THERESA MCCAULEY

JUNE 7, 1935 - DECEMBER 14, 2022

97 OF OLD BRIDGE, A VISITATION WAS HELD AT OLD BRIDGE FUNERAL HOME

REBECCA HOWELL

SEPTEMBER 4, 1941 - DECEMBER 4, 2022

81 OF MATAWAN, VISITATION WAS HELD AT WAITT FUNERAL HOME

OCTOBER 14, 1941 - DECEMBER 4, 2022

81,

VISITATION WAS HELD AT WAITT FUNERAL HOME

To send condolences to families

visit www.waittfh.com

ANNUAL

Gelt Drop, and a basket of Dreidels. The celebration began with Rabbi Aaron Ross telling the story of Hanukkah. Afterward, the temples gathered to pray and sing as the Menorah was lit.

The celebration continued when the Cliffwood Volunteer Fire Company raised its ladder truck high above the Menorah and dropped hundreds of

pieces of Chocolate Gelt Coins that were collected by the families below. After, everyone enjoyed doughnuts from Gelbstein’s Bakery in Lakewood.

Aberdeen Councilman Arthur Hirsch was truly delighted by the turnout. “This is always one of my favorite nights of the year here at Town Hall. It was really nice to see all of the members of our Aberdeen Community come together to celebrate the festival of lights.”

A short recap of Aberdeen’s Annual Menorah Lighting is available on the front page of www.aberdeennj.org

ROBERT CASABURI

ERIC R. BAER

BRENDA CHRISTINE LUPI

OLD BRIDGE SCHOOL OF DANCE CELEBRATES 25 YEARS!

Old Bridge School of Dance has been serving the community for 25 years! We are so excited to celebrate this milestone with our dancers, their families, and our community. For the past 25 years, OBD has been committed to providing quality dance education taught by highly qualified staff. Not only is our staff trained to teach dance, but to instill the life lessons of knowledge, discipline, grace, and dedication in every dancer. These traits not only produce great dancers but incredible people.

At OBD our dancers and their parents become family! We truly care about every dancer that walks through our doors. Our goal is to provide and foster inclusive, encouraging environments for all who dance with us. If you are looking for a place where your dancer can thrive, explore, learn, grow, and be encouraged, Old Bridge School

of Dance is the place for you!

In addition to offering quality services, we believe in upfront and open communication with our families. This ensures a wonderful relationship with all our clients. That provides you with peace of mind that your dancer is in great hands. We are also extremely upfront about what your costs will look like for the entire season. We make sure to fully explain our policies, the commitment, and what the cost will be for the entire season. This means that at no point will you be hit with any surprise fees or bills. Your costs for the season are given to you when you meet with us to register.

If you are looking for a dance family where your child will thrive, look no further!

OBD is here, excited to meet you and looking forward to a lifelong partnership.

MESSAGE FROM DEANA GUNN. HAPPY NEW YEAR, MATAWAN!

First, I want to thank the PBA Local 179 and the fire department for organizing and continuing the tradition of Santa making the rounds around Matawan in December. We know many look forward to the visit every year and appreciate everyone who makes it happen! 2022 wrapped up the end of another year with several changes for the Police and Public Works Departments. For the police, we recently welcomed resident and newcomer Joseph Piscopo to the department and wish him a safe and successful tenure. Likewise, we said goodbye to Patrolman Eric Budelmann and Sergeant Brian Murphy, who retired after a combined 45 years of service to the Borough. We thank them for their dedication

and for keeping us safe for many years, and we wish them well in their well-deserved retirements!

We recently promoted Chad Peterson to Deputy Superintendent for the Department of Public Works. He will work closely with our superintendent Eric Frye to ensure the department is running smoothly and efficiently, and I wish him the best in his new role. In other DPW news, Kenny Henderson, a department staple and resident, has retired after 42

years of incredible service to the Borough! We thank him for his dedication to Matawan and for helping the community for so long. We wish you the very best in your new chapter!

I want to thank all the members of the Police Department and Public Works for their ongoing commitment and dedication to the Borough, and I look forward to a prosperous 2023! If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out at deana. gunn@matawanborough.com

ABERDEEN CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING BIGGER THAN EVER MATAWAN FOOTBALL ALUMNI FOUNDATION

Snow Globe, which was a great photo opportunity for families.

Around 7 p.m. sirens began in the distance; the annual tell-tale sign that the guest of honor, Santa Claus, was arriving to light the tree. After a crowd-wide countdown, Santa spread his magical dust and lit the tree to everyone’s joy. Santa stayed to take pictures with the Aberdeen families, most of which finished their night off with a ride in Santa’s Clydesdale Horse Wagons.

Aberdeen Township and Aberdeen Recreation pulled out all the stops on December 7th, for this year’s Annual Christmas Tree Lighting at Aberdeen Town Hall.

Residents began to arrive around 6 p.m. and were greeted by everyone’s favorite snowman, Olaf, from the hit Disney movie “Frozen”. After enjoying hot cocoa and candy

cane-shaped pretzels, residents participated in roasting marshmallows over multiple fire pits set up by the township.

The night was filled with some favorite Christmas hits, including songs sung by the Matawan Regional High School Choir. The biggest successes were the 27-foot blow-up Gingerbread House Slide and the Human

“This Annual Event is a reminder of why we are in public service. The smiling faces of the parents and their children are second to none for me”, Councilman Greg Cannon stated while attending. “We look forward to making this tree lighting bigger and better each year, moving forward.”

If you missed the Christmas Tree Lighting, check out the recap video on the homepage of our website at

The Matawan Football Alumni Foundation is pleased to present our annual awards to the 2022 Matawan Football Huskies. These young men worked hard all season and truly represent what it means to be a Husky. Many thanks to the parents club and coaches for hosting us last night at MJ’s for the football awards banquet. Congratulations to our 2022 MFAF award recipients: Jawann Brown Award: Ryder Silvers Lance Tumulty Award: Seif Wahby Husky Award: Cameron Cooper

Rookie of the Year: Welman Crooms -John Lazar

President,

Matawan Football Alumni Foundation

The Matawan Football Alumni Foundation is a non-profit organization that proudly supports our local Matawan-Aberdeen youth through yearly scholarships, awards and team assistance. Please like and follow our Facebook page for more information and the latest updates.

https://www.matawanfootballalumni.com

reprinted with permission from John Lazar

CHECK IT OUT: LIBRARY NEWS!

Happy New Year from the Library Board, Director, and Staff of the Matawan Aberdeen Public Library! We wish you and yours health, happiness, and seasons’ readings in 2023!

MAPL wants to provide helpful information so you can achieve your New Year’s resolutions and goals for 2023. Maybe you are interested in learning a new language this year. Your library provides several resources to assist you! You may already be familiar with Mango Languages, which features language learning basics as well as ESL. We have recently added Transparent Language Online, which expands your choices to over 100 languages AND features tutorials in American Sign Language. For children, we offer Muzzy, used and loved by young people worldwide to assist them with language learning. All

of these free resources can be found on our website and all you need is your MAPL library card! https://www.matawanaberdeenlibrary.com/pages/resources.php

Maybe you would like to learn how to cook more exotic dishes in the new year. We have a huge collection of print cookbooks featuring all kinds of cooking and baking, from health-conscious recipes to the most decadent. We also have a new online resource – A to Z World Food! This resource contains more than 7,000 traditional recipes from 174 countries, along with thousands of ingredient, food culture, and reference articles, making it the largest food database of its kind. Check it out on our website! https://www.atozworld-

food.com/?c=pJVUzRXDFc

No matter what your resolutions or goals are for 2023, the library can help you find books and magazines (in print or online), electronic resources, and more to help guide you on your journey. Give us a call at 732-5839100, stop by, visit our website at www.matawanaberdeenlibrary. com, or drop us an email at info@ matawanaberdeenlibrary.com to get started. The library is open 7 days a week and our friendly staff is happy to assist you!

Happy winter, and all the best in 2023!

Kimberly Paone, Library Director Matawan Aberdeen Public Library