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BASEBALL2016

The ShopRite LPGA Classic

George Anastasia’s

MOB SCENE

Volume 6 • Number 2

$3.95

PHILLIES PREVIEW WITH MATT STAIRS

THE NUMBERS GAME ANALYTICS COME TO PHILLY

MIKE TROUT

FROM MILLVILLE TO MVP

THROWIN’ BP www.jerseymanmagazine com

PUBLISHER

FROM JerseyMan Magazine THE VOLUME 6 • NUMBER 2 ____________________________________________________________________________________ BY KEN DUNEK

Ken Dunek Publisher CONTRIBUTING EDITOR George Brinkerhoff

I woke up from a sound nap. My iPhone said the date was April 2016. My Twitter feed told me: The Chicago Cubs are predicted to win the World Series. Donald Trump was the odds on favorite to get the Republican nomination. Socialist Bernie Sanders was giving Hillary Clinton a run for her money. American Pharaoh was defeated. A robot delivered my groceries. Howie Roseman is back in control of the Eagles. Chip Kelly is in San Francisco. Rhonda Rousey got beat by Holly Holm, who promptly lost to Rousey’s punching bag Miesha Tate. An American President held a press conference in Cuba. Michigan State lost to Middle Tennessee in the first round of the NCAA tournament. It was 80 degrees in March in New Jersey and Philadelphia. The University of Louisville basketball team was reportedly running a brothel to help recruit players. Bill O’Reilly of Fox News called Pulitzer Prize winning journalist George Will a hack. The Phillies are projected to be the worst team in baseball. Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush spent $100 million on his campaign and barely moved the needle. The Villanova Wildcats were in the Final Four. Nah…. I must be still sleeping. But it is one helluva crazy dream.

ART DIRECTOR Steve Iannarelli CONTRIBUTING WRITERS George Anastasia, Jan L. Apple, Michael Bradley, George Brinkerhoff, Kerry Brown, Sam Carchidi, Alexandra Dunek, John Hopkins, Don Hurley, Robert Kennedy, Mike Kern, Sam Kraft, Bill Lyon, Anthony Mongeluzo, Daniel R. Morroni, Nicole Pensiero, Gervase Peterson, Don Russell, Andrew Ryan, Nick Santangelo, Kurt Smith, Dr. Rubina Tahir DC, T. Jordan Wompierski ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANTS Liz Boccolini Alexandra Dunek EVENTS COORDINATOR Ashley Dunek SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR Jamie Dunek Editorial 856-813-1153 Advertising 856-912-4007 Printing 856-813-1153 Controller Rose M. Balcavage Sales Associates Ashley Dunek, Jamie Dunek, Terri Dunek, Chris Kazmarck, JP Lutz, Tinavalen Nguyen, Debbie Sarcone JerseyMan Advisory Board Peter Cordua. . . . . . Cordua, Pastore & Associates Nick DeRose. . . . . . . . . Legacy Treatment Services Joseph Devine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kennedy Health Ted Flocco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ernst & Young Bob Hoey. . . . . . . . . . . Janney Montgomery Scott Jeffrey Jaskol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Jaskol Group Steven Kantor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . KEH Insurance Robert Kennedy. . . . . . . . The Kennedy Companies Julie LaVan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LaVan Law Anthony Mongeluzo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PCS Toni Pergolin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bancroft Mike Regina. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Big Sky Enterprises Paul Tully . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eagle Wealth Strategies JerseyMan Magazine/PhillyMan Magazine, products of the partnership of Joe LaGrossa, Ken Dunek, and Alex Kazmarck, are published by New Opportunity Publishing, LLC, with offices at 7025 Central Highway, Pennsauken, NJ, 08109. Copyright 2016.

At left: Many baseball experts are picking the Chicago Cubs to win their first World Series since 1908. The 1908 Chicago Cubs team included future Hall of Famers, shortstop Joe Tinker, second baseman Johnny Evers and manager/first baseman Frank Chance.

JerseyMan Magazine VOLUME 6 • NUMBER 2

FEATURES

SPECIAL SECTION

24 A BIG HIT

PLAYBALL2016

30 THE LEADING LADY

42 2016 PHILLIES PREVIEW

36 OPEN MIC TAKES OFF 64 A LIFE WELL-LIVED

48 THE NUMBERS GAME

BY BILL LYON

THE SHOPRITE LPGA CLASSIC

SHARON PINKENSON OF THE GPFO

FORMER MISS NJ CARA McCOLLUM

68 THE BIG BOX STORE

JIM BRENNAN OF SEA BOX

72 JOHNNY HOCKEY

Photo Arturo Pardavila III

20 JORDAN SPIETH

INSIDE WITH BROADCASTER MATT STAIRS

ANALYTICS COME TO PHILLY

52 JERSEYBALL

MIKE TROUT & MILLVILLE, NJ

56 PITCH PERFECT

PHILLIES BATTING PRACTICE PITCHER ROB POTTS

SOUTH JERSEY’S SHOOTING STAR

There is a legitimate air of optimism at Citizens Bank Park this season.

COLUMNS 12 JOTTINGS • 18 GEORGE ANASTASIA’S MOB SCENE 22 THE ENTHUSIAST • 34 GET FIT • 78 THE ENTREPRENEUR COACH 82 JOE SIXPACK • 85 THE HEALTH REFEREE • 86 THE CIGAR GUY 89 TECH TIME • 90 WHAT WE WEAR • 93 THE WINE MAN 94 SAY GERV? BY GERVASE PETERSON

Cover photography by Josh Chiu • www.joshchiu.com Art direction: Steve Iannarelli

Phillies apparel provided by Rally House - Moorestown, NJ www.rallyhouse.com

Photo Josh Chiu

jerseymanmagazine.com

JOTTINGS

“A person always doing

his or her best becomes _____________________________________________________________________________

BY GEORGE BRINKERHOFF

Octavius Catto & the Philadelphia Pythians

HE PYTHIANS were one of the first black baseball clubs in Philadelphia. Formed just after the end of the Civil War, in 1866, by local civil rights leader Octavius V. Catto (who also was their shortstop), they played their first game in Camden, NJ at Diamond Grove Park because they couldn’t get access to the Parade Grounds at 11th & Wharton in Philadelphia. By the end of their first full season, in 1867, they played ten games and won nine of them. After this success the Pythians attempted to gain footing on par with the white clubs of the day by applying for admission to both the Pennsylvania State Chapter of the National Amateur Association of Base Ball Players and the National Convention of Base Ball Clubs. Because of racial animus existing at the time they were forced to withdraw their application from the first and rejected from the second. The club’s applications were the first attempt to integrate into the otherwise segregated baseCatto ball societies. Despite this, the Pythians soldiered on and were so good that in 1869 they issued a challenge to all the white teams in the city to play them. The Olympics, a white ball club that had been in existence since the 1830’s, accepted the challenge, and despite the climate of racial intolerance during the Reconstruction era, the two teams met for what is generally considered the first interracial baseball game. It was covered widely in the newspapers of the time and though the Pythians lost 44-23, it was the first of many such contests during this period and clearly a step in the right direction. Sadly, in 1872, their founder, captain and shortstop, Octavius Catto was murdered in broad daylight by a white man, the result of election day racial tensions. Though the suspect was caught and tried, he was acquitted due to questionable witness testimony. (Catto was by all accounts an accomplished educator and civil rights pioneer, a supporter of the abolition movement, Abraham Lincoln and the Republican Party. His incredible life story has been well told in the 2010 book, Tasting Freedom, by two Philadelphia Inquirer alumni, Daniel R. Biddle and Murray Dubin). In the spring of 1887, the Pythians were instrumental in the formation and participated in the short-lived but significant National Colored Base Ball League, the first attempt by a black team to establish a formal league. The Pythians’ importance as a successful and competitive team and early trailblazer for equal rights in the era of racial segregation in baseball, through the inspiring leadership of their founder, Octavius Catto, cannot be overemphasized. An effort to create a monument in his honor on Dilworth Plaza in Center City Philadelphia has been ongoing. Mayor Jim Kenney recently announced that groundbreaking will occur this summer and the project will be completed by 2017. 12

a natural leader, just by example.” – Joe DiMaggio

Hey buddy, wanna buy an island? Psst. This is it. The one you’ve been waiting for, holding out for, saving for all your life. Your little slice of heaven. It’s such a perfectly named place that it rivals Avalon itself. No, not Avalon, NJ, though that’s a really great place. We mean Avalon, the island of Arthurian legend. (You know, where Excalibur was forged and where King Arthur went to heal from his wounds?) We feel we’d be remiss if we didn’t let our readers know about this other legendary place. It certainly is the perfect place to do some serious reading of this magazine, and even catch up on those back issues

Jerseyman Island

you missed. And it definitely should be on the short list of every reader of this magazine when considering their next island purchase. That’s right, the island with the coolest name in the world is for sale: How about adding Jerseyman Jerseyman Island Island to your real estate holdings? This 129 acre gem is situated just a little ways off the mainland of beautiful Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, Canada. Though it’d be a steal at any price, it’s probably still a steal at a mere $420,000 Canadian! (The exchange rate is pretty favorable right now, so that’s what, like no more than just a couple of bucks, US, probably?) Yes, I know, it sounds idyllic but it can be all yours. Check out the photos and you’ll quickly be convinced, envisioning yourself spread out on a beach chair as the next proud owner of your very own piece of Jerseyman, with our latest issue clutched in your hands. (And we’ll keep you posted if PhillyMan island comes up for sale!) Check it out at: http://search.capebretonrealty.com/ listing/island--arichat-201505763.

The End of Love Photo Andrew I.

A Last Hurrah for Skateboarders

ebruary 15th was just another day for most people, but for skateboarders, it was probably the last chance to ever skate at LOVE Park in Philadelphia. Legally, at least. LOVE Park is scheduled for a major renovation, so as a tip o’ the hat to the folks who put it on the map in the first place, for five days in February the City of Philadelphia opened up this legendary, world-renowned and illicit skateboard mecca again. For one final time, skateboarders were allowed to come grind, ollie and boardslide to their hearts content without fear of being run off by the cops (though seemingly that was part of the allure.) Very cool, Philly!

Local Up and Comer Luke Gutos, a sophomore high school baseball prospect who attends Moorestown (NJ) High School, is someone to keep an eye on. He was the game winning pitcher and was named MVP in the AABC World Series in Puerto Rico. Named a top northeast prospect at the USSSA All American Games, he made the All-Tournament Team for his strong play in the Perfect Game National Championships. He impressed at the 2016 Northeast Indoor Showcase-NJ, showing his skills at both shortstop (“soft hands, short arm action”) and pitching (“comes out clean and gets on top with running life to fastball, topped out at 86”). He has “two-way potential at the next level” and “clean swing plane with ability to create loft with quick hands.” Named a 2018 top prospect, he is listed as the #1 Shortstop in South Jersey and has been selected to play in the Perfect Game 2016 Jr. National Showcase. In addition to all this, his scouting report indicates he’s a “very good student.” Good luck, Luke, and keep up the good work, we’ll be watching! 13

THE FIRST DEUCE

FTER WATCHING the arcing movement seashells made when thrown, William Arthur “Candy” Cummings, pitcher for the Brooklyn Excelsiors and Brooklyn Stars, set out to recreate what he saw, using a baseball. After much trial and error, he finally, and profoundly, realized he could control the pitch. Cummings is credited as the first person ever to throw a duece, the number two, the yakker, Uncle Charlie…the curveball, while playing against a team from Harvard on October 7, 1867. We’d like to recognize this monumental advancement in the game of baseball and salute Candy’s menacing addition to the weaponry of the game. Cummings was posthumously inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939.

GROOMING ON THE GO

re you looking for a way to take your grooming to the next level? With the Gregory Beauty Travel Kit, flaws become a breeze to conceal, giving you the confidence you’ve always wanted. But ladies, this isn’t a product for you. MENAJI is a company designed for…you guessed it, men. In the kit are three products, HOPV Sunless Tan with a Kabuki brush to apply and the popular undetectable Urban Hit concealer that provides great coverage for those pesky dark circles and blemishes making you look and feel your very best. With sleek black packaging, the travel kit is designed small and subtle so you can throw it in your gym bag, briefcase or even in your pocket for a polished look on the go. Get started on a healthier complexion and give these products a try! If you are interested in purchasing, kits are $64 and are available at MENAJI.com. – Alexandra Dunek

March of Dimes PSEG March for Babies kickoff Event

Announcement of the new PJ Clarke’s restaurant opening at the Curtis Center – Philadelphia

(L to R): Bill Glazer, Gov. Ed Rendell, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney, Philip Scotti

Burlington County Chamber of Commerce Ribbon Cutting at their new headquarters in Mount Laurel, NJ

The March of Dimes is proud to announce that Ismael Torres-Castrodad of San Juan, Puerto Rico, born five weeks prematurely, has been named the March of Dimes 2016 National Ambassador. He’s the first child from Puerto Rico to be named to this position in the history of the March of Dimes. Pictured with Ismael are his mother Isamari Castrodad and Jorge L. Cardenas, PSE&G Vice President – Asset Management & Centralized Services and Chair of the Hudson County March for Babies walk.

Grand Opening at Project Walk-Mt. Laurel

Pictured: (L to R) Brett Michener, CEO, M & M Physical Therapy; Joseph Tredinnick, Regional Vice President, TD Bank; Anne Caruso, President, Networks Plus; Lynda Hinkle, Lead Attorney, The Law Offices of Lynda L. Hinkle; Dennis Devery, Vice President for Planning & Research, Thomas Edison State University; Linda Bobo, Mayor, Mount Laurel Township; Kristi Howell, President/CEO, Burlington County Regional Chamber of Commerce; Assemblyman Troy Singleton, New Jersey State Legislature - 7th District; Mike Pucciarelli, Principal, HBK CPAs & Consultants; Tom Bracken, President / CEO, NJ State Chamber Of Commerce; Pamela Collins, Chief Development Officer, Oaks Integrated Care; Amy Webb, President, Saratoga Benefit Services, LLC; Steven Prokop, Senior Vice President/Senior Commercial Relationship Manager, Sun National Bank; Joseph J. Skwara, Certified Financial Planner Practitioner, Ameriprise Financial Services

Cooper Levenson Donates $5,000 to Boys & Girls Club of Atlantic City Pictured: (L to R) Mark Schwartz, Esq., Steve Clark, Phil Elmore, Dee Campbell, Joe Corbo, Emily DeSmedt, Michelle Carrera, CEO, Tracey Triniwell, Russell Lichtenstein, Esq., Sam Young, President of the Board, Rona Kaplan, Esq., Dan Goldberg, Louis Barberio, Fran Coppola, Charles Garrett, Lynne Levin-Kaufman, Esq., Kevin Thornton, Esq., Mark Soifer, Esq., Kelli Prinz, Esq. 16

Facility Manager, Leslie Clark, cuts the Grand Opening ribbon

The Pascale Sykes Foundation Event to Promote Main Street Marketing and Financing in NJ’s Heartland – Tomasello Winery, Hammonton, NJ

L to R: Frances P. Sykes, President of The Pascale Sykes Foundation, former U.S. Congressman and pro football great Jon Runyan and Masterpiece Advertising President Phyllis Lacca.

L to R: Bridgeton startup restaurant owner Elio Cardozo, Bridgeton Main Street Executive Director Steven Paul and Assistant Marie Perez.

L to R: Entrepreneurs Benjamin Ott, a Financial Planner with Edward Jones, (left) and April Schenk (owner) and Tonilyn Peditto (Assistant) of April Schenk, LLC.

Auletto Caterers Ribbon-Cutting – Almonesson, NJ

Jim Auletto and Jaime Auletto (center) cutting the ribbon 17

MOB SCENE

_______________________________________________________________________________ BY GEORGE ANASTASIA

Bogus Claim: The Trump/Mob Connection

hey were two young wiseguys looking to make a score in Atlantic City. And they hit it big. That old real estate axiom—location, location, location—brought a substantial payoff. Now, thirty-one years after the fact, the deal has become part of the presidential election campaign. In 1985, Donald Trump bought a piece of property from Salvatore Testa and Frank Narducci Jr. for $1.1 million. This was a little more than four times the $250,000 the two mobsters had plunked down when they bought the property, a small nightclub called Le Bistro located on the corner of Missouri and Pacific Avenues, in 1978. This year, several national media organizations have posted stories alluding to Trump’s “mob connections” and citing the Le Bistro deal as one example. Having spent years reporting on the early days of casinos in Atlantic City, I’m here to tell you that’s a bogus assertion. But then, given the nature of the political campaigning going on in this country, it shouldn’t come as a surprise. Almost every candidate has gone into spin mode and the blend of fact and fiction doesn’t seem to be having any impact on the electorate. Trump has been one of the biggest offenders, so it is somewhat ironic to see the media doing exactly what he has been doing, taking two plus two and telling everyone it equals eight. Trump bought the Le Bistro property because he needed it. It was part of a block that would become a parking garage for his Boardwalk casino-hotel. It was not, as some stories have asserted, part of the actual casino site. And the fact that he paid four times what the sellers had paid seven years earlier was not unusual. Monopoly was being played on the streets of Atlantic City back in those days. And land 18

speculators were cashing in big time. Testa and Narducci were just two of the many. Their foray into the real estate market had attracted quite a bit of law enforcement attention. Testa, just 22 at the time, was the son of then mob underboss Philip “Chicken Man” Testa. Narducci was the 25-year-old son and namesake of mob capo Frank “Chickie” Narducci. The conventional wisdom was the sons were straw buyers for their fathers. Neither had demonstrated legitimate sources of income and one question asked repeatedly was where did they get the cash to buy the small nightclub? That question and others were raised by the New Jersey Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control which eventually blocked the attempt by young Testa and Narducci to obtain a

tion boom that was taking place to justify the purchase price.

rump’s dealings with the mob have been written about before. He was a New York City developer when the mob had its hooks into construction and labor unions. There was a time, for example, when anyone doing business at the Javits Convention Center, the Fulton Fish Market or the San Gennaro Festival on Mulberry Street would have come in contact, directly or indirectly, with organized crime figures. Did that mean they were mobbed up? This is not an apologia for Trump. There are plenty of reasons not to vote for him. But playing the organized crime card is painting with a very broad brush. It would be

Several national media organizations have posted stories alluding to Trump’s “mob connections.”

I’m here to tell you that’s a bogus assertion. liquor license. They were stuck with a bar from which they could not sell booze. Enter Trump. The New York real estate tycoon was on his way to splashing his name all over the city. He needed the property and Testa and Narducci were ready to sell. Did he overpay because they were gangsters or did he overpay because they owned a key corner site on the block that he needed? Did he overpay at all? No one can answer except Trump, and all he has to do is point to the real estate specula-

like claiming all illegal Mexican immigrants are rapists and drug traffickers or that all the refugees from Syria are terrorists. No one would take those assertions seriously, would they? Another media outlet, after detailing the Le Bistro deal and citing Trump’s alleged New York links to the mob, has breathlessly reported that mob firms were involved in the cement work at the casino that he built and that when the casino-hotel opened it was staffed by members of Local 54 of the Hotel and Restaurant Workers Union, a union controlled by mob boss Nicodemo “Little Nicky” Scarfo.

The fact is that the six casino-hotels that opened after Resorts International launched the casino era on the Boardwalk in May 1978 had those same kinds of “mob ties.” Scarfo and his nephew, Philip Leonetti, had a cement company called Scarf Inc. (nothing subtle about these guys) and the Merlino brothers, mobsters Lawrence and Salvatore, had a rebar company. When Resorts opened and the money came rolling in at a rate that shocked even the most optimistic casino advocates, there was a rush to get the other casino-hotels built. The word on the street was that if you did not want labor problems during the construction process, your general contractor would be wise to subcontract the cement and rebar work to Scarf Inc. and the Merlino brothers. And so it was. What’s more, every casino-hotel in Atlantic City employed members of Local 54. There was no option. So to point to that fact as another indicator of Trump’s mob connections is ludicrous. Local 54 was eventually taken over by a federal monitor after the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Jersey brought action to rid the union of its mob control. None of the casino-hotel operators had the ability to do that. he debate now over Trump and the mob is a lot like the pontificating that went on when casino gambling was first proposed in 1976. During that referendum opponents raised the specter of organized crime, warning that legalized gambling would bring the mob to Atlantic City. In fact, the mob already was in Atlantic City. It always had been. What people sometimes forget is that the first three casinos to open, Resorts, Bally’s and Caesars World, had to answer questions about mob connections. The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement had recommended that Resorts be denied a license because of mob ties at its Bahamian casino, ties that went all the way back to Meyer Lansky. This was at a time when the DGE had some muscle. It has since been emasculated in the name of streamlining the oversight process. Resorts had to jump through all kinds of hoops during a licensing hearing that went on for weeks. But in a decision that would signal a trend, the Casino Control Commission approved the company over the objections of the DGE. No one expected otherwise. Money and power trump (no pun intended) ethics every time. Both Caesars, with ties Gerry Catena and the Genovese crime family, and Bally’s, because a Pocono resort it owned that had links

to a Lansky associate, had to force out top level executives in order to get licensed. That was the time and the tenor of Atlantic City. Trump was a player but so were dozens of other high profile venture capitalists. Did they come in contact with the mob or mob associates while doing business on the Boardwalk? Sure. It was almost impossible not to. And what of the mobsters whose names have been tied to the Atlantic City venture? Scarfo was convicted of murder and racketeering and will probably die in jail. Salvatore Merlino did die jail. His brother Lawrence became a cooperating witness and died a short time after his release from prison. Leonetti also became a cooperator and is now living with a new name and a new occupation in another part of the country. His book, Mafia Prince, paints his uncle as a brutal autocrat whose penchant for violence destroyed the organization. But you could argue the seeds of destruction were sewn long before Scarfo took control. Just look to the players in the Le Bistro deal. Phil Testa became mob boss after Angelo Bruno was assassinated in March 1980. A year later, Testa was killed when on March

15 (the Ides of March) a nail bomb planted under the porch of his South Philadelphia home was detonated, literally blowing him through the front door. Chickie Narducci, like Testa a behindthe-scenes partner in the Le Bistro deal, was suspected of plotting that murder and within a year Salvie Testa, with Scarfo’s blessing, gunned him down on a South Philadelphia sidewalk. The younger Testa was in turn killed by members of the Scarfo organization when Scarfo, gripped with paranoia, saw Testa as a rival. Nearly two dozen mobsters were killed during Scarfo’s bloody reign which stretched from 1981 to 1989. Two of his hitmen were Frank Jr. and Philip Narducci, the sons of the man Scarfo had ordered killed. That’s the mob legacy in Atlantic City. Donald Trump is not a part of that story. And to imply that even tangentially he had some connections to those who were is a cheap shot. But then there’s a lot of that going on in this political season. Depending on your political persuasion, there are many reasons not to cast a vote for The Donald. His “mob connections” shouldn’t be one of them. n

BILL LYON ___________________________

The Young Master E STALKS THE GREEN with a predator’s coldeyed calculations, sizing up distance and gauging speed and factoring in break, a true craftsman at work, a wolf, you think to yourself, who has just heard the dinner bell. And now he squats and envelopes himself in a cocoon of concentration, hat pulled down low and shielded on the sides like blinkers on a thoroughbred, until all you can see is a pair of eyes glowing like molten lava. And now he is on his feet, moving briskly in for the kill, eyes fixed in a death stare on the hole, willing the ball to drop and daring it not to, and… One stroke and it is done. Birdie. You walk a round with Jordan Spieth and it has the feel of a big game safari. The walls are lined with trophies. – Five tournaments won in his first full year. – Two majors. – A Masters. – A United States Open. – Fevered talk about the possibility of a Grand Slam. – A course record here, a course record there. – Twenty two million dollars in winnings and the IRS swooning in anticipation of its cut. Jordan Spieth, the next big thing, to over-use the phrase currently in vogue, had himself a year that by any standard would be a career. Now, of course, come the questions that are always asked—and bluntly—when we are confronted by sudden genius: So, Jordan, which is it with you, fluke or real deal? He is 22. So then, plenty of time, no need to hurry, but then that’s the thing about him—he is forever in a hurry; he wants to get to the mountain top and he wants to get there yesterday. If he comes even remotely close to duplicating the past year then his history will be wicked scary. Twenty two years down the

road like this and we’re looking at the best golfer of all in the sport that is the most confounding of them all. Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus, hard to believe, would be faded memories. But hey, other than that, Kid, no pressure… no pressure at all….

his is his secret, as revealed by Michael Greller, his caddie: “Jordan hates to lose more than he loves to win.” That’s what accounts for those steel-melting laser stares when he is walking and stalking a putt. The world, and time, stand still. I remember when they talked about Nicklaus standing over a nasty putt, on the last day, on the last hole, when a sudden gust of wind blew his cap off his head. He made the putt and won the tournament and afterwards was asked about it: “We thought for sure that hat would spook you.” And Jack, genuinely perplexed, asked, “Hat? What hat?” (Editor’s note: If this isn’t true, it should be.) Those players who have been paired with Jordan Spieth have christened him Wyatt Earp, an admiring homage to those eye slits, and it’s not much of a stretch to imagine him striding down the streets of Tombstone, out to bring law and order to the Tour. The trick is avoiding the inevitable flame-out that comes with grinding it out without let-up. You’re not going to shoot 62 every time out. You’re not going to flush every one of those clutch 15-footers. And one caveat holds true in every sport: It’s harder to stay on top than it is to get there. The transfer of power is on-going. The Epoch of Tiger is complete: Woods has been taken over by age (40) and betrayed by a body that crumples. But lawdy, lawdy, it was one hellacious run while it lasted, wasn’t it? So Jordan Spieth has been anointed the heir apparent, and what lies Spieth ahead will always be

marked by the standard set by Tiger. When the immortal Bobby Jones first saw Jack Nicklaus play, he remarked with a line for the ages: “He plays a game with which I am not familiar.” Well, Jordan Spieth’s game continues to evolve, and that’s the intriguing part, because he’s not yet caught up to his potential. And he knows it. “The thing I have to guard against is, don’t settle. Come back and outwork the other guys,” he said. He is already ungodly long, but so are those (other guys) who chase him. So one of the first items on his to-do list this off season was lengthening his driver carry, from 280 yards to 295. That would take some doglegs and fairway bunkers out of play, leaving him with inviting short irons and wagon loads of putting for eagle possibilities. Getting the driver properly cranked and into lift off requires long hours not on the range, but in the gym. And Jordan is already, at 6-1 and 191, strong safety size. (For the record, Tiger said he didn’t reach physical maturity until he was 25.) He has a swing coach. And a personal trainer. And Greller, the full-time, go-everywhere and step-off-the-yardage caddie. And the same girlfriend he had in high school. And the same parents (Chris and Shawn, natives of Pennsylvania) who embraced their son and, arms entwined, all danced off the 18th green after he won the Masters, and what an advertisement for a Norman Rockwell painting. He is, as if that is a small thing, incredibly mature, a gracious loser and an even more gracious winner, properly respectful of the opponents and of the game. He has set up a foundation for charitable causes, and guess who is always quick to write a check? Nor has there been any of the usual police blotter entries connected with his name: no DUIs, no domestic violence complaints. No drug bust. None of what has become routine among the chosen. Jordan Spieth—whisper this—sounds almost too good to be true. He needs golf. And vice-versa. n

THE ENTHUSIAST ______________________________________________________________________________________________ BY ANDREW RYAN

S 22

well, that’s actually about it. I promise there will be something about him on whatever your homepage is. As for the rest of you who just don’t care, let’s quickly review. t was only six years ago that we were collectively enduring Bieber’s first hit track, the diabetes-inducing tween anthem known as “Baby.” The then-16-year-old Bieber was an out-of-nowhere overnight sensation found by Usher on YouTube—the perfect American dream (if Bieber weren’t Canadian). Bieber was living everyone’s fantasy in the age of social media: to be discovered from the comfort of one’s own living room. His overtly boyish looks and sugary-sweet hits, which won adoration from little girls and most of our girlfriends at the time, cemented his dominance over the pop landscape. Lines were drawn on January

18th, 2010. Either you were with the new boy prince of pop or you were against him. There was no middle in this fight. And then things got kind of interesting. 2011: A fan accuses Bieber of being the father of her then three-month-old baby. 2012: Bieber gets pulled over for going over 80 mph while attempting to evade the paparazzi. 2013: Bieber officially announces his retirement on Twitter only to quickly change his mind, takes his pet capuchin monkey, OG Mally (pronounced Mally like Ollie) to Germany on vacation where it was seized by customs officials and ultimately left behind, and declares his feeling that Anne Frank would have been a “Belieber,” while standing in Anne Frank’s living room! 2014: Too much to mention here… drag racing, egg throwing, DUI, angry neighbors, resisting arrest, assault charges…. 2015: Bieber throws Illustration by Dan Dinsmore

ORRY, READERS. I didn’t want to write this article. More specifically I didn’t want to have to write this article. But I do, and now you need to sit there and read it. So now that our cards are on the table, let’s power through this. There’s a disturbance in the force being felt by millions of musicians around the world. Something has happened that has upset the very balance of 2016 pop culture, the entertainment industry and two thirds of Aristotle’s three laws of logic: Justin Bieber is kind of cool. Now before you all stage a coup and egg me outside of Graceland to make some kind of point, let me first just say that I’m not the only person who’s noticed this. Bieber is everywhere now, and perhaps even more prevalent than after rising to superstardom only six short years ago. His latest hit “Sorry” spent three weeks atop the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 list. Not only that, but his third single “Love Yourself” stole that very same number one spot after only three weeks, consecutively, making Bieber one of only a dozen musicians who have effectively knocked themselves off the top of the chart. He’s on your Uber driver’s radio, your girlfriend’s Facebook page, your wife’s iPod. He’s on the front cover of this month’s issue of GQ, he’s the new face of Calvin Klein and “What Do You Mean” was Kanye West’s favorite track of 2015. Say what you will about the Biebs, that’s not too bad for a twenty-two-yearold who’s already wrecked his career once. At this point I would like to urge all readers to remain calm and not to panic; we’re going to get through this, I promise. I know, we all thought we were finally rid of the pre-pubescent whining and the stupid floppy hair and the jeans you wouldn’t let your daughter leave the house in, but there’s the hard truth, printed right there in black and white. No, really, Justin Bieber is kind of cool. Now in case you’ve never heard of Justin Bieber, just open your web browser and,

Sorry.

Maybe this time around, it’s our turn to say, “Sorry.” Aren’t we really the ones who created the monster to begin with? himself upon the mercy of a Comedy Central roast and (almost) says the word everyone’s been waiting to hear: sorry. Bieber has managed to do the impossible at an incredibly early age (and maybe those two things are related). He has managed to make America accept his apology. We don’t normally do that (sorry, Michael Richards, we’re still not ready yet). But Bieber came bearing gifts: new music. Good new music. Better than good, in fact. Bieber may have finally hit a comfortable stride with his new blend of low-fi beachy electronica, pairing impeccably smooth, bouncy rhythms under solid hooks and memorable one-liners. Put it this way, anyone who hates Bieber’s new stuff either hates Bieber on principle or is completely uninformed. But here’s the bottom line: Justin Bieber went from being the most hated person in America to the one we love to hate. Why? Maybe because this time around, it’s our turn to say, “Sorry.” Let’s face it, aren’t we really the ones who created the monster to begin with? If you put Bieber’s whole life on paper everything seems pretty logical: give some Canadian pre-teen punk a quarter of a freakin’ billion dollars in the age of social media and see how he behaves. You don’t need a sociologist to take a pretty good guess at what that would do to a 16-year-old over a few years. It happened with Elvis, it happened with Michael Jackson, it happened with Britney and it happened to Bieber: superstardom is just bound to be a mindf---. After all, you know what they say about absolute power. It’s our turn to say sorry to Bieber, because it was us that created him all along. We gave him the world and everything in it and demanded innocence and naivety. If Bieber’s a monster, then we’re Dr. Frankenstein. And if Bieber is Elvis, then 2016 is his “‘68 Comeback Special.” n 23

A Big Hit BY MIKE KERN

The ShopRite LPGA Classic, which is entering its third decade of existence, has always been a survivor. 24

Photo Ben Solomon/ShopRite Classic

The LPGA has undergone a transformation. What was a predominantly United States-based circuit is truly a worldwide entity.

Anna Nordqvist, defending champion of the ShopRite LPGA Classic presented by Acer

Photo Ben Solomon/ShopRite Classic

HERE WERE TIMES, back in the day, when people wondered about the future of the tournament. But the powers behind it, Ruth and Larry Harrison, did everything to keep it going and eventually turn it into perhaps the best non-major on the women’s tour. In fact, at one point there was talk of actually making it the fifth major. Then, the event was abruptly taken away, when then-commissioner Carolyn Bivens wanted to change the dates and no viable solution was reached. But now it’s back and thriving once again as perhaps the biggest thing to come to the South Jersey shore every year. First, some history. And it’s a rich one. The tourney began in 1986 as the Atlantic City LPGA Classic, and it was played at the Marriott Seaview Country Club & Resort on Route 9 in Galloway, just across the bay from the boardwalk, sand and casinos. Juli Inkster won the inaugural title, which was played as it is today, on the Bay Course. The shot maker’s layout, which is defined by small greens and playing through and around the prevailing wind, was designed in 1914 by Donald Ross. It was also the place where Sam Snead won his first major at the 1942 PGA Championship, which then was still a match-play format. Betsy King, another Hall of Famer in the making, would lift the trophy the next year. Then the tourney moved down the road to the Sands Country Club in Somers Point, just across the bridge from downtown Ocean City. It would remain there for the next 10 years, although the name was changed to its present one in 1992 when the Wakefern Food Corporation took over as the main sponsor. Inkster won again in 1988, followed by Nancy Lopez. Having names like that on your wish list never hurts. In 1990 it became a 72-hole event for one year only. The next year the facility changed its name to Greate Bay Resort & Country Club. And every year, the 18th—a par-4 with out-of-bounds on the left and trees guarding the right with a slight dogleg—was computed to be the toughest finishing hole on the LPGA Tour. 26

In 1995 King won for the second time, a victory that automatically put her into the Hall. She would win it once more, in 2001. By that juncture the tourney was in its fourth year back at what was now called Marriott Seaview Resort. The great Annika Sorenstam won there in 1998, 2002 and 2005, which makes her the only three-time champ. Rookie Se Ri Pak of South Korea won in 1998, just after she’d won her first major, the McDonald’s LPGA Championship, and just before she took her second at the U.S. Women’s Open. There was no event for three years starting in 2007. But it returned in 2010, which was especially good news for local golf fans since the McDonald’s event was no longer being played in our area after finishing a five-year stay at Bulle Rock Golf Course in Havre de Grace, MD. For years, having the two being played back-to-back was great for the players and the folks who came out to watch them. Now Atlantic City had become the only one in left in the Greater Philly region to carry the banner, and it’s continued to hold up its place on the schedule as one of the premier non-major stops. The venue became Dolce Seaview Resort in 2010 and a year later Stockton Seaview Hotel and Golf Club when the local university took over. Stacy Lewis, who got to No. 1 in the world as the top young American, won in 2012 and 2014. In between another big-timer, Australian Karrie Webb, finished first. So there’s been no shortage of worthy champions over the years. he LPGA has obviously undergone a transformation since the Classic’s inception. What was a predominantly United Statesbased circuit is truly a worldwide entity. First there was the infusion of the Europeans, which brought the charismatic and talented Laura Davies to these shores. Not to mention the Swedes, led by of course Sorenstam. Then Mexico’s Lorena Ochoa took over as the women’s best as Annika eased into retirement, marriage and motherhood and her new role as ambassador and TV personality. But Ochoa soon followed her lead and opted to leave the stage way too soon, also on her own terms. In recent years the tour has taken on a distinct Asian flavor, with the likes of Yani Tseng and Inbee Park, who’s already won seven majors. And now we have the arrival of Lydia Ko, a Korean New Zealander who’s only 18. But she’s won 10 times, including a major, and made it to the top of the rankings. In time she might make a run at all the records, although we’ve said that before about others. It’s early, but the possibilities are seemingly limitless. As for the Americans, 21-year-old Lexi Thompson has shown she has everything it takes to make a lasting name for herself. She has seven wins, one of which is a major. And most of all, she possesses star power. Remember her on the cover of the fitness issue of Golf Digest? She made quite an impression, pro and con. And she could be exactly what the LPGA has been searching for. Then again, so could Ko. Or even Lewis, who has a great back story to go along with her ability to swing a club. At 31, she has two majors among her 11 titles. And she apparently likes playing in AC. She’s far from the only one. It’s amazing to hear how

Photo Ben Solomon/ShopRite Classic

21-year-old American Lexi Thompson is currently ranked #3 in the Rolex World Rankings.

many of the players stay at the same houses with the same families year after year, and just how much they look forward to coming back. There’s a lot to be said for those kinds of bonds and loyalty. It says so much about the community.

peaking of which, there was an obvious void when the tourney was forced into that brief hiatus. The money generated for various charities was greatly missed, which meant that many in need were forced to go without. Fortunately, that’s no longer the case: the Classic has nearly 30 charitable partners. Last year it raised $1.3 million for the cause, which brought the total contributions since 1992 to more than $30 million. That’s an awful lot of goodwill. And it’s something that’s really hard to put a value on, because it touches so many. But isn’t that what this is supposed to be all about? This year’s tournament will be held June 3rd through the 5th. The defending champ is Anna Nordqvist, who beat Christel Boeljon by a stroke by shooting 67-69-69. Webb and Park tied for fifth, four back. Just about anyone worth coming to see showed up, as they almost always do, which is part of what makes the tournament so attractive. There’s also a twoday program, another chance to see the best female golfers on the planet up close. And if nothing else, the LPGA has made it a point to be userfriendly. It’s in the DNA. And it shows. In mid-March, the top four on the Rolex world list were Ko, Park, Thompson and Lewis. That’s a pretty solid Mount Rushmore. And don’t forget Canada’s Brooke Henderson, who’s 10th and could soon turn that into a viable five some. She’s also 18. But she has six professional wins, after being the top-rated amateur in the galaxy. And there’s probably another next-best thing on the horizon, because that’s the way this stuff works. 28

Lexi Thompson has shown she has everything it takes to make a lasting name for herself. She could be exactly what the LPGA has been searching for. The women’s game will always be better when there’s a leading face, like it had with Sorenstam and Ochoa. Maybe it’ll be Ko, or Thompson, or Henderson. Park certainly has done a good job maintaining her presence at or near the top. So too has Lewis. So we’ll see how it all shakes out over the upcoming years. It tends to be a fluid target. And if AC gets lucky, maybe a few of these will come down to shootouts between two or three of those usual suspects. If you’re interested in attending the ShopRite LPGA Classic presented by Acer, tickets are $15 for a one-day grounds pass or $30 for the weekly pass. For $60 you also get access to the resort. Admission is free Monday through Thursday. All service personnel (military, fire and police) get in free with a proper ID. So do children under 17. And ShopRite Plus card members get two one-day passes by showing a valid membership card at the Admissions Gate. There are many special promotions going on throughout the week. And they’re always looking for volunteers, if you’re willing to serve that way. You’ll see some terrific golf. And you’ll be part of a gift that keeps on giving. Sounds like one of those win-wins. n

PROFILE

____________________________________ STARRING ____________________________________ SHARON

PINKENSON

THE CITY OF

PHILADELPHIA

THE LEADING LADY

SHE’S AS DYNAMIC AS SHE IS DOWN-TO-EARTH, A PERFECT BLEND OF ENERGY AND ORGANIZATION. AND FOR MORE THAN 23 YEARS, SHARON PINKENSON’S NOSE-TO-THE-GRINDSTONE WORK ETHIC HAS WORKED IN PERFECT HARMONY WITH HER EYES-ON-THE-PRIZE VISION FOR PHILADELPHIA TO BECOME A MOVIE METROPOLIS. BY NICOLE PENSIERO

AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR of the Greater Philadelphia Film Office (GPFO), Sharon Pinkenson has become the face, and the name, behind Philadelphia’s now-sturdy reputation as a “movie city.” From 1993’s groundbreaking AIDS drama, Philadelphia, to M. Night Shyamalan’s blockbuster, The Sixth Sense to Silver Linings Playbook (based on the novel by former South Jersey high school teacher Matthew Quick), Pinkenson’s played the leading role as Philadelphia’s film industry power-player. And while many will rightly credit Pinkenson for driving the more than $4 billion impact the GPFO has had on the region since she took over the film commissioner’s job in 1992, she shares the credit with the city itself, and its many undeniable (and sellable) charms. “It’s a great city with this incredible architecture,” the 60-somethingyear-old Pinkenson says. “You drive 20 minutes and you’re surrounded by rolling countryside. We’ve got tremendous resources and tremendous versatility—and that’s attractive to potential filmmakers.” Pinkenson has become synonymous with her role as head of the GFPO, and is known as one of the region’s most ardent cheerleaders. “I’ve lived here all my life and I love Philadelphia,” said she recently. “I think that comes through.” Indeed. Her passion—as much as her innate business talent—is what enabled Pinkenson to successfully elevate the GPFO from a little-known permit department to one of the most respected film commissions in the industry. She’s also cemented Philadelphia’s reputation as one of the best media production centers in the U.S.—for everything from movies to TV shows to video production—while helping boost the city’s morale in the process. “It’s been a wonderful journey,” Pinkenson says. “Every day is different.” inkenson’s decades-long career has been as diverse as it’s been successful. Ultimately, she says, her role at the GPFO can be traced back to her childhood, where she grew up in the clothing business, the granddaughter of a men’s neckwear manufacturer. “I was selling Girl Scout cookies at my grandfather’s business,” Pinkenson recalled, adding that she also learned how to sew and make patterns as a youngster. A graduate of the Philadelphia High School for Girls and Temple University, she began her career as a dental hygienist

BY NICOLE PENSIERO Pinkenson with Ryan Coogler, director of Creed

before opening a successful Center City clothing boutique, Plage Tahiti, in the late 1970s, and also designing the clothing line. Then the AIDS crisis hit in the mid-1980s, decimating the fashion industry. “It was the most depressing thing you can imagine; so many friends started getting sick,” Pinkenson recalled. “I thought, ‘I gotta get out; this is too much to bear.’” A fashion photographer friend recruited her as a stylist for a retail photo shoot. Describing the role as “window dressing humans,” Pinkenson said she knew she could “do that with my eyes closed.” Before long, the then-single mom had segued into an eight-year career as a wardrobe stylist in the advertising and movie industry, working on an array of small-budget films that included Mannequin II and Renegade. 31

‘‘

There’s so much for this city to be proud of. All these films have brought so much civic pride, and that’s something that money can’t buy.”

Pinkenson with former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter and Mark Wahlberg

lways enthralled with movies and filmmaking, Pinkenson was well-aware that the GPFO—initially established in 1985 as part of the Philadelphia City Government—was virtually stagnant at the start of then-Mayor Ed Rendell’s first term in 1992. Several Rendell supporters, Pinkenson among them, urged Rendell to focus on reviving it to drive revenue into the city. Rendell, in turn, told Pinkenson she could fill the vacant film commissioner role for a salary of one dollar a year, plus health insurance. Pinkenson said she’d commit to 60 days to raise money to get the office going; if it didn’t happen, she’d leave for a paying job.

On the 64th day, Pinkenson found funders to keep the office open for half a year, as well as pay her retro-actively. She immediately got to work retooling its operations. Film production in Philadelphia had generated about $2.1 million for the local economy in 1991; a year later, under Pinkenson’s leadership, it jumped to $22 million. (Her first year in leading the GPFO brought both Philadelphia and Martin Scorsese’s The Age of Innocence to the city, the latter of which used the Academy of Music for an opera scene.) Since then, an array of high-profile movies have been filmed—in part or in their entirety—in the City of Brotherly Love or in its surrounding communities. Some of the bigger hits include: the Brad Pitt-Bruce Willis futuristic thriller 12 Monkeys; the feel-good/true-life story of short-term Eagle Vince Papale Invincible; In Her Shoes; National Treasure and last year’s Creed, which earned Sylvester Stallone his first Academy Award acting nomination since the original Rocky. “There’s so much for this city to be proud of,” Pinkenson said. “All these films have brought so much civic pride, and that’s something that money can’t buy.” Philadelphia, she says, has a lot of pluses when it comes to attracting film-makers, including the fact it can double for Washington, DC and New York City. “We’re very versatile in that way,” she says, adding that the Film

Office’s ultimate role is “all about economic development.” “I don’t care how they show Philadelphia, but we want them here,” she said. “We’re all about jobs and building the economy. Sometimes we get lucky and we make art, too.” Having Philadelphia (or its surrounding counties, four of which are also served by the GPFO) showcased in a film not only attracts new businesses, but also impacts tourism, Pinkenson says, noting “they call the Art Museum stairs the ‘Rocky steps’ wherever you go in in the world.” Her personal favorite? Philadelphia—and not just because of its title: “We changed the world with that one,” she says. The GPFO is a busy place with clear (and ambitious) goals: to grow the local film and video industry in every way possible; to attract everything from feature films to TV commercials, music videos and industrial films to the region; and to provide producers with free assistance with everything from permits to labor and locations. “We act as the liaison between the production and the local community and government, cutting through red tape as we go,” Pinkenson said. The GPFO’s biggest challenge as of late, she says, has to do with budget constraints. Last year’s state budget staredown resulted in a nail-biter in both Philadelphia and in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania’s two filmmaking hubs. Philly apparently lost a planned ABC drama series and a film set to star Josh Brolin, while $60 million in annual state film tax-credit money was held hostage on the political front. About 40 states in the U.S. offer tax credits as incentives for film projects; Pennsylvania’s has been capped at $60 million for years. In comparison, New York’s is $420 million and Georgia has uncapped tax credits. As a result, Philly has only a few smaller film projects in the works presently, but Pinkenson says that will change: “We’re turning business away, and that’s unfortunate, but I’m a ‘glass-half-full’ person. There’s nothing to complain about. We’re on the map and we’re staying there.” n

GET FIT

For more guidance follow Alexandra _____________________________________________________________________________________________ @TipsFromAFitChick on Instagram!

BY ALEXANDRA DUNEK

Beyond the bikini

HIS WAS IT… weeks of sacrifice, struggle and commitment have led me to this final moment, standing alongside some of South Jersey’s top athletes. As I inched my way closer to the stage, the lights became brighter and my stomach dropped. “Number 157,” the announcer shouted. My stage expeditor motioned for me to go. I was about to make my debut… as a female bodybuilder. Starting out as a rookie lifter in 2012, I had no idea my newfound love for fitness would launch me into the world of bodybuilding. A year after I graduated from Rochester Institute of Technology, I competed in my very first NPC Alexandra Dunek

(National Physique Committee) show where I ended up qualifying for Nationals. For those whose aren’t familiar, if your goal is to earn your Pro Card, the NPC is one of the few amateur leagues that will grant you access to a National Championship show. If you earn a win there, you will receive your IFBB (International Federation of Bodybuilding) Pro Card, which allows you to compete at a professional level for prize money and possibly an invitation to Olympia, the most prestigious bodybuilding show of all. A woman competitor can compete in one of five categories: bikini, fitness, figure, physique or bodybuilding. Each category requires a different look in terms of appearance, attire and posing routine. This experience has taught me a few lessons I felt the need to share: SELF-ACCEPTANCE It’s important to love yourself and the body you have in the moment while working for the body you want. Many people believe that their dream physique will somehow make them happier, but that’s far from the truth. It’s okay to have a few flaws you want to improve on, but overall you should learn to love yourself, your body and the journey to the end result. WILLPOWER Growing up, I was severely underweight due to chemotherapy treatments as an infant. I was told to pack on pounds any way possible.

This taught me unhealthy eating habits. As I got into fitness my nutrition became extremely important, and through this process I mastered willpower. I began to understand that I had to control my wants of the moment in order to obtain my goals of the future. It’s not easy turning down birthday cake or Mom’s freshly baked cookies, but it’s important for me to eat in line with my goals, and that requires willpower. TIME MANAGEMENT Maintaining a schedule is key to being successful. While prepping for my first show, I learned a lot about how to make things work with limited time. I split up my training to accommodate my two jobs, prepped my food three times a week to make sure I was fueling my body correctly and taught myself how to pose in my basement when I had spare time. If you truly want something, excuses won’t be there and you’ll find a way to make it work. COOKING / MEAL PREP Nutrition is key. In my opinion, meal prepping is ideal in helping a person stay on track to ensure they are hitting their intake for the day. Preparing my meals or food ahead of time allows me to stick to my diet, saves money and helps me avoid temptation. There are many different approaches, but I think it’s a great habit to have if you are trying to engage in better eating habits. n

FITFEATURE WITH

Q&A

IFBB Pro Gloria Faulls

Gloria Faulls is a professional bodybuilder with 19 competitions, including a #7 Olympia placing under her belt. Her accomplishments are admirable for anyone involved in the fitness industry. Faulls, born and raised in South Philadelphia, started competing at age 33 and earned her professional status at 37, proving it’s never too late to chase your dreams. Who is your role model and why? My biggest fitness role model is Adela Garcia….She is the most winning Fitness Pro in IFBB history and she was the first athlete I saw in the magazine Muscle & Fitness whom I could identify with as far as what I wanted to look like. I also look up to Yaxeni Oriquen, who is a Pro Bodybuilder. These three athletes are my ideal still today. 34

What is the hardest part of competition prep and how do you handle it?

with fluidity and demonstrates the person’s strengths.

The hardest part of prep is definitely diet. I have struggled with weight gain my entire life so this transfers into my prep, as it is the biggest part of one’s success in my opinion.

My favorite cheat meal is definitely sushi and frozen yogurt...200 grams of carbs in one meal and you get the best of salt and sweet!

I handle it by continually thinking of the alternative, which would be to step on stage unprepared. I don’t want to be left to criticism that includes “not dieted properly” because it is something you can control, unlike being too tall or too short, etc.

What is the biggest myth in fitness?

What is your favorite cheat meal?

I think the biggest myth in fitness is that you can get to the level of conditioning you see at a contest without some sort of deprivation....There may be exceptions, but for most people it’s restriction of calories or an increase in energy South Philly Favorite supplements? expenditure to somewhat of an extreme in order to achieve native Gloria Faulls contest shape. So many athletes proclaim that they don’t My favorite supplements are fiber and super greens. Being that a large part of my protein intake is animal protein, the fiber is neces- do cardio or they eat higher carbs throughout prep and for most it’s simply sary to function properly and the greens give me energy. Prior to bodybuild- not true. ing, I was close to being a total vegan...so I do miss the vegetarian lifestyle This leads into the message I want to get across to all new competitors: go sometimes and get my green foods in through supplementation in part. into this sport with no preconceived ideas of what it will take to achieve your What was your most successful moment in bodybuilding? My most successful moment in bodybuilding was actually my first loss. I went up against the Heavyweight and she won, but I could hear my number being called by the crowd with cheers and clapping and I knew I held my own against her. Twelve days later, I went on to get my Pro Card in Ohio at Nationals and found my home in Women’s Physique. What is the Physique category based on? In Women’s Physique as well as Men’s they look for overall balance in regard to muscle size and definition, as well as symmetry and fluidity. They are looking for a very well-conditioned, balanced physique that is presented

goals. Just do what you are supposed to each and every day to the absolute best of your ability. Educate yourself but also trust your Coach. If you’re doing it on your own, become a serious student of the sport. Be meticulous in your approach and learn to lose. It’s much better to experience a learning curve on the amateur circuit then on the Pro stage, as I did. But most importantly...give back! I work with a promoter in the NPC who has six shows in New Jersey, three of which are in South Jersey, and it’s because the competitor community has come together and helped make this happen. We all have our “tricks of the trade,” etc., but nothing comes back to you more than the help you give others. You can’t learn anything new unless you share what you already know...I really believe that.

W Flying W Airport’s Open Mic Takes Off

BY KERRY BROWN

REG KILLIAN IS A TALENTED and driven business analyst for a regional healthcare system. In the course of his workday, he may oversee projects, procure the tools or information needed for those projects, schedule, prioritize or troubleshoot when necessary to resolve conflicts. The guy’s got mad management skills and he knows how to use them—not only in the office, but away from it, too. There’s another facet to Killian’s life in which these skills come in handy. For several hours every Wednesday night, he takes a well-deserved break from the analytical life 36

and makes his way to a rustic wood-paneled bar and restaurant tucked into a corner of Flying W Airport, which is, in turn, tucked into a corner of Medford, NJ, where Killian lives. Don’t get the wrong impression; he’s not there to escape reality or decompress with a pint or two of liquid therapy. He spends his hump-day nights entertaining patrons of this local watering hole by playing guitar, singing and running one of South Jersey’s liveliest open mic nights. Open mic nights (short for open microphone) are often hosted in bars, coffeehouses or other venues on nights when business tends to be slow. Musicians, poets, comedians and other artists from the community just show up and sign in to have a chance to perform. Flying W’s open mic attracts mainly

musicians. Killian’s managerial duty is to oversee the program, provide needed equipment, schedule performances and troubleshoot if necessary to resolve conflicts. Sounds like the kind of job description that’s right in Killian’s wheelhouse.

Why This One Clicks

Killian and his band, Rough Cut, had played a few gigs at Flying W when the venue’s event manager, Mindy Redner, approached him with the idea of hosting an open mic. Although he had never managed an open mic before, he says his background performing in clubs in South Jersey and Philadelphia over the years made him familiar with the format. “Open mic nights are usually run pretty much the same way,” he said. “Each performer is allowed a certain num-

Carter McWilliams shows up at Flying W nearly every Wednesday night. He plays guitar and sings solo, or is accompanied by friends. “I have played guitar since I was 19,” he said. “I was injured playing football, and wasn’t able to work one summer. If not for that, I wouldn’t have had the patience to learn.” For 15 years, before he discovered open mic sessions, he played guitar only at home, usually alone. At an open mic, with encouragement from other musicians he worked up the nerve to perform. “It was scary as hell, but what a great experience. There was no judgment as to my skill level or performance. After that, I attended every week for three years.” ber of songs and a sign-up sheet is used to keep order. I agreed to give it a try for the spring season, just to see if it worked.” A year later it’s still going strong, attracting both a loyal following of regulars and newcomers. At Flying W, performances are an eclectic mix of genres including classic rock, Americana, blues, pop and country covers and original songs. From the musicians’ standpoint, Killian’s generosity, reliability and knack for directing the flow of performances are main reasons Fly-

where he also met other musicians who would eventually become his band members. He is quick to point out factors that, along with his management, contribute to the success of Flying W’s open mic, including allowing enough time for it to “gel.” He explains that musicians need to reach a certain level of comfort with each other and with the space, which doesn’t happen immediately. McWilliams agrees. “The best thing about an open mic is the people you meet and see per-

form,” he says. “There is never any judgment regarding your level of skill. The other players recognize what it takes to get up in front of people. They appreciate the amount of practice and effort it takes to make a song sound good.” The vibe of the surroundings can also make or break an open mic. “The venue at Flying W couldn’t be better,” McWilliams adds. “There is a lot of room, the sound is pretty good; it has great atmosphere and service.” Having managed open mics before, McWilliams

Musicians need to reach a certain level of comfort with each other and with the space, which doesn’t happen immediately. ing W’s open mic has found success when attempts by many other venues fail to catch on. “It’s Greg who makes the whole thing work so well,” said Carter McWilliams, a Wednesday night regular performer. “He’s here every week, set up, ready to go and very encouraging. He’s also a terrific musician, and one of the best singers around.” Killian claims to be a late bloomer musicwise, not picking up a guitar until age 25. “I always sang, but mostly to myself in the car,” he said. Like many other musicians, he got his first taste of performing live at an open mic, 37

understands the dedication involved. “Setting everything up, helping performers with their equipment, making sure everyone gets time, backing people up, then just sitting on the sideline most of the time to let others play,” he says. “It’s a lot of work. Greg does a terrific job, and it shows in how many people come out and then keep coming back.”

Between Sets Music has been described as a social act of communication and a strong gesture of friendship. Arguably, open mic nights are a vital part of any creative community as a place for artists to connect, share ideas and receive feedback on performances. A novice performer is often reluctant to take to the stage for the first time. The casual and welcoming atmosphere of an open mic setting, where fellow artists offer support and encouragement, is just the ticket to calm the qualms of a beginner. The atmosphere at an open mic, even in this far-from-urban setting, calls to mind scenes of artists through the ages gathering in cultural capitals to tip a glass, soak in inspiration and share knowledge. At Flying W, there is a palpable feeling of camaraderie among the musicians, men and women ranging in age from 20-something to 60-something. Snippets of overheard conversations around the bar between sets include tales

of legendary concerts attended, discovery of mutual acquaintances, opinions on current and older music and instrument and equipment recommendations. While newbie performers benefit from the open mic format, so do musicians with years of experience performing in front of an audience. They appreciate the freedom open mics afford them to try out new songs or play original music. “Open mics provide one of the only opportunities for musicians to play originals,” McWilliams says. “There are a lot of talented locals out there with great original songs.”

Playing Poolside In the spring and summer, when days are longer and nights are warmer, open mic sessions take advantage of Flying W’s resort-like amenities and move outside to a pavilion located next to the unique airplane-shaped swimming pool. Killian and Rough Cut band members are often on hand to play back up. “For a lot of the musicians, this is a great experience, and their first opportunity to play outside with the backing of a full band,” Killian said. He says playing outside during nice weather is a huge plus. It offers a fun laid-back vibe that people enjoy. Musicians have been known to drive from Delaware and Pennsylvania to participate. In addition to helping a musician adhere to the time-tested “practice makes perfect” phi-

Greg Killian encourages interested musicians to come out to Flying W and participate. “We provide the PA and microphones,” he said. “We start at 7 p.m. every Wednesday.”

If you go: Open Mic Night Every Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. Flying W Airport Bar and Restaurant 60 Fostertown Road, Medford, NJ flyingwairport.com For a list of other open nights in NJ visit: openmics.org, openmicnj.com, or theopenmiclist.com losophy, performing regularly at open mics has other advantages as well. Exposure can lead to paying gigs. “Hosting open mic night here works out great for us because we get to hear bands that we might want to hire, especially for summer weekends when we move outside,” Mindy Redner said. “It’s great to be a part of all these people that have a common interest and show appreciation pretty much no matter what you may sound like,” McWilliams said. “It’s always interesting to see the different styles and skill levels, and to hear great original songs sometimes.” n

Man & Woman of the Month JerseyMan/PhillyMan Magazine wants to recognize one man and woman in our region every issue for their extraordinary achievements in community service. At the end of the year, each of the ten nominees (5 men, 5 women) will be recognized at a dinner in their honor.

CELEBRATING OUR MAN & WOMAN OF THE YEAR HONOREES

Nina Radcliff, M.D. With an outstanding reputation as a medical physician and dedicated communicator to her patients as well as audiences nationwide, Nina Radcliff, M.D., is devoted to helping people live healthier lives and gain wise understandings about health and wellness concerns facing our nation, today. She is becoming one of America’s leading medical health reporters contributing to weekly columns and broadcast segments nationwide – committed to providing clear, concise and insightful understandings on breaking medical news; developments in medicine; personal health and wellness; as well as the healthcare industry, at large. Her driving passion has always been to touch lives and make a difference through medical practice and wise communications with a balanced framework of understanding in Ethics and Morals. A Board Certified Anesthesiologist and member of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, she serves on committees for Young Physicians and Communications. Author of more than 200 textbook chapters, research articles, medical opinions and reviews; she is often called upon by national, regional and local media to provide medical expertise on breaking medical news and topics impacting lives, today. In addition, she is a regular medical contributor for newspapers and magazines with her health and wellness column: “Dr. Nina’s What You Need to Know” and a Physician Legislator Ambassador for her state. Dedicated to her profession, her patients, her family and community on a local and national scale, she is passionate about community involvement and sharing medical truths for greater understanding; healthy, balanced living; as well as wise preventive health measures.

Michael Regina Michael Regina is co-founder of Big Sky Enterprises, a leading construction management, financing, and designbuild firm founded in 2003. Their services include land acquisition, architecture and engineering management, approval process management, project financing procurement and construction to provide their clients with single professional contactpoint control. With more than 20 years of industry experience and expertise, Michael strategizes, oversees and performs multiple mission critical initiatives for Big Sky Enterprises. His areas of direct responsibility include project feasibility analysis, project management, and business development. In addition to his professional duties, Michael is committed to serving those in his community, steadfast in his belief that it is better to give than receive. He supports a variety of socially conscious organizations, currently sitting on the Development Committee and the 2016 Campaign Chair for the YMCA of Burlington and Camden Counties and Governing Affairs Committee for the Gloucester County Chamber of Commerce. Also a former Deacon and Youth Leader, Michael now serves on the Hospitality ministry and is the Coordinator for Harvest America at his church. Michael, a Medford, NJ native, currently resides in Haddonfield, NJ with his wife and three children. When not fostering personal and professional community development, he can be found at the athletic fields supporting his kids.

2nd Annual A Masquerade-Themed Celebration Event Wednesday, November 2nd, 2016 • 6-10pm Ballroom at the Ben 834 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19107

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT

jerseymanmagazine.com 41

P L A Y B A L L ! 2 016

Third baseman Maikel Franco followed up an injury-shortened rookie season with a strong training camp this spring. The Phillies are banking on him to provide significant power at the plate in 2016.

P H I L L I E S

2016 Preview

Photo Arturo Pardavila III

P H I L A D E L P H I A

‘16

BY T. JORDAN WOMPIERSKI

OR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2012, when the Philadelphia Phillies opened their season with the goal of a sixth straight National League East title (ultimately falling short), there is a legitimate air of optimism at Citizens Bank Park. Make no mistake—this Phillies squad isn’t expected to contend for a playoff position—but new management, fresh faces and a strong spring training have breathed new life into a franchise that suffered 99 losses in 2015, the team’s worst season in over 40 years.

As a member of the Phillies’ 2008 World Series championship team, Phillies broadcaster Matt Stairs knows what it takes to win, and he has seen the inklings of a strong team this spring.

“Spring training was run unbelievably well,” Stairs said. “I honestly believe that, and I’m not sugarcoating anything. It’s been exciting, and there’s a lot of opportunity for players.”

In 2015, the Phillies were the laughing stock of Major League Baseball, but wholesale changes to the management team were made in an attempt to build the organization back into a perennial playoff contender. Longtime baseball executive Andy MacPhail was lured out of retirement to serve as president of baseball operations, and after general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. was relieved of his duties in September, MacPhail hired Matt Klentak to take over as GM. Manager Ryne Sandberg was another casualty of a dreadful 2015 season, ceding his position to third-base coach Pete MacKanin. “I like the changes they’ve made,” Stairs said. “With Matt Klentak coming in and Andy MacPhail taking over, it’s been a positive and it’s been a positive move. It starts with the hiring of Pete MacKanin.” MacKanin took over as the team’s interim manager last June, a promotion many believed to be nothing more than a lame duck role while the organization searched for its next full-time manager. However, MacKanin struck

a chord with his players and turned heads in the baseball world by making the most of an aging and underperforming roster, earning the nod to serve as full-time skipper in 2016. The Phillies were so impressed with MacKanin this spring that they extended his contract in late March, tacking on an additional season. Stairs believes MacKanin is the right man for the job. “Pete is a great communicator,” he said. “He’s a great communicator with one, the fans; two, the front office; three, us broadcasters and four, most importantly, the players. He is very outspoken and he communicates with the players extremely well. It’s nice to see a ‘player’s’ manager.’”

Positive Energy Every MLB team enters spring training and opens the season with high hopes, but many of those squads are hit by the harsh reality of mediocrity shortly thereafter. However, Stairs has noticed an extraordinarily positive energy surrounding the Phillies this spring, a factor he believes might set them apart from other teams.

“It’s been a very energetic spring training,” Stairs said. “It starts with the energy from the coaching staff. Pete MacKanin, Larry Bowa, Mickey Morandini and Juan Samuel, the energy that they’re bringing to the players, they’re thriving off of it. You see the energy every day from the players. The players and the coaching staff are all on the same page.” The energy Stairs has seen extends from the surefire MLB players down to the team’s prospects who didn’t make the cut for 2016. “You see players with a lot of energy,” he said. “You see a lot of young players coming up and hungry to make a name, and knowing you have the young prospects down in AAA who can step in if someone’s not performing is huge.”

Re-Stocking the Cupboard Last season, Stairs watched as a number of his former teammates from the 2008 World Series team were jettisoned from the sinking ship the Phillies franchise had become. Veterans Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley were dealt to the Los Angeles Dodgers (Rollins in 43

Photo Phillies/CSN

Change Starts from the Top

Phillies broadcaster Matt Stairs

P L A Y B A L L ! 2 016 Photo Arturo Pardavila III

“ (MacKanin) is very outspoken and he communicates with the players extremely well. It’s nice to see a ‘player’s’ manager,’” said Stairs.

Aaron Nola is the Phillies’ top pitching prospect. After making his MLB debut and starting 13 games last year, he will open the 2016 season as the team’s number two starter.

the 2014 offseason and Utley during the 2015 season), while star pitcher Cole Hamels was sent to the Texas Rangers at the 2015 trade

deadline for an impressive package of prospects. Critics of the team thought these players should have been traded sooner, but Stairs believes the Phillies did a good job of waiting for the right trade offers. “Sometimes, you might not get what you want for players, and it might be all about timing,” he said. “Maybe the timing was perfect last year for trading Cole Hamels away and picking up prospects. They weren’t going to give players away, so I think it took a little longer to go ahead and make the strong moves of rebuilding a solid strong minor league system where you can bring players up. It’s not necessarily that they waited too long, it was just the right opportunities for the trades came through to help the organization move forward.” The Phillies also traded 25-year-old closer Ken Giles to the Houston Astros in December, a move that surprised some given Giles’ youth and jaw-dropping ability to throw a blistering fastball. While the Giles trade left the Phillies without a clear closer, it netted the organiza-

tion five pitching prospects. “I think the Ken Giles trade was tremendous for bringing in prospects and some great arms,” Stairs said. The key piece in the Giles trade, starting pitcher Vince Velasquez, won the spring training competition for the fifth and final spot in the Phillies’ starting rotation. Jerad Eickhoff, one of the players acquired in exchange for Hamels, will also start the season in the Phillies’ rotation. In addition to Eickoff and Velasquez, the Phillies will open the season with an all-right-handed starting staff of Jeremy Hellickson, top pitching prospect Aaron Nola and New Jersey native Charlie Morton. From a nostalgic point of view, some fans were sad to see players like Rollins, Utley, Hamels and Giles traded, but the moves were necessary for the future of the team. In 2015, Baseball America ranked the Phillies’ minor league system 22nd of 30 MLB organizations. After the Hamels and Giles trades, the Phillies improved their farm system to 8th overall for 2016. Some would call that a successful first step of the rebuilding process, but not Stairs. “I don’t like saying rebuilding,” Stairs said. “I like saying re-strengthening the organization and the program.”

Power Shortage Stairs believes the Phillies will have a strong pitching staff and a stingy defense in 2016, but he admits the team is lacking in power. “They went out and they strengthened their defense and they have a solid pitching staff,” Stairs said. “The question mark is, how are they going to score runs?” There is only one obvious answer. “Maikel Franco, coming in and knowing he’s going to be an everyday third baseman, had an unbelievable spring training,” Stairs said. Franco’s 2015 season was cut short by injury, but the Phillies’ former number one prospect still managed to smash 14 home runs and collect 50 RBIs in 80 games last year, so the Phillies are excited to see what he can do with a full season. If his 2016 spring training performance is any indication, Franco will pick up right where he left off and will undoubtedly lead the team in most offensive categories. Beyond Franco, though, there are more questions about the Phillies run-scoring ability than answers. 44

P L A Y B A L L ! 2 016 “Where are they going to generate runs? Are they going to have to get three singles to score a run? Who is going to be that guy in the middle of the lineup who can be the big bopper and drive guys in?” Stairs said. “It’s going to come down to the base running, the first-to-third, being aggressive on the base paths, allowing the players to go out there and create runs.” First baseman Ryan Howard has shown flashes of power this spring, but he is likely to find himself in a part-time platoon role unless he can produce consistently in what will probably be his last season in Philadelphia. On the bright side, the Phillies’ lack of clear offensive stars will open the door for players to step up and make their mark. “I think the guys that are getting an opportunity so far in spring training are taking full advantage of getting an opportunity to show what they can do,” Stairs said in March, as spring training was winding down. “Again, you’re talking about spring training, but the bottom line is you still have to put good atbats in, and I think this spring training they’ve put good at-bats in and they’ve had a lot of two-out knocks for RBIs, which is nice.” Specifically, Stairs has liked what he’s seen from returning Phillies Freddy Galvis, Cesar Hernandez and Odubel Herrera this spring, and he’s also been impressed by newcomers Cedric Hunter and Peter Bourjos.

In 2015 the Phillies’ minor league system was ranked 22nd of 30 MLB organizations. After the Hamels and Giles trades, the Phillies ranking jumped to 8th overall. “Cedric Hunter, who’s had a good spring training for a guy who maybe was overlooked in different organizations, is getting an opportunity to play and he’s taking full advantage of it,” Stairs said. “The signing of Peter Bourjos was huge, a guy that is getting an opportunity and a second life in another organization. One, he’s going to play solid defense, and two, he’s showed us that he has a little bit of power.”

On the Right Track No baseball experts expect the Phillies to make the playoffs in 2016, but Stairs knows better than to write off a team that’s been tabbed as a bottom dweller before the season even starts. “Baseball is a weird sport,” he said. “You can never predict what’s going to happen. I always refer back to when I played for the San Diego Padres in 2010. We were scheduled to be the 29th worst team in baseball, and we lost the last game of the year to get knocked out of the playoffs. We had a tremendous team, and

we didn’t have the big superstars.” The 2016 Phillies don’t have many big names on their roster, but they might possess the work ethic and intangibles that can sometimes help an underdog sneak into contention. “On paper, if you look at it, yeah, people don’t expect the Phillies to get back into the playoff race this year,” Stairs said. “But baseball is a funny sport. You might go on to have a tremendous team chemistry where they’re working on fundamentals. When you have a team that does the little things, like moving runners over, getting guys in from third base with less than two outs, sacrificing at-bats, getting bunts down, the hit and run—you have success.” Even if Philadelphia fans do have to wait another season or two for playoff-caliber baseball, Stairs thinks it’s clear the team has a bright future. “I absolutely believe that they’re moving in the right direction, and it makes for some exciting ball games and it makes it exciting to talk about,” he said. n

P L A Y B A L L ! 2 016

THE NUMBERS GAME BY MICHAEL BRADLEY

8 7

9 6 5

4 1 2

A As the Phillies trundle through what is likely to be something of a

desolate 2016 campaign, filling the field with prospects and hopefuls and populating the bullpen with an assembly line of available but hardly imposing arms, it’s going to be tough for fans to measure progress. The team will likely improve on last year’s 63-win total, but not by much.

The Phillies have finally become a statistics-driven organization by every means possible – the LAST IN ALL OF BASEBALL. Fans must adopt a long view with the franchise, hoping glimpses of star power they see from Mikael Franco, Aaron Nola and the like mean future success. That outlook isn’t exactly great for ticket sales, but when a franchise lets its infrastructure burn to the ground, it must endure some pain if wants another shot at glory. The real action this season will have little to do with what happens on the field and almost everything to do with the work being done on computers by men to whom numbers matter most. Baseball has always been a game of statistics, but in 2016, Cy Young’s 511 wins, Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak and Brooks Robinson’s 16 Gold Gloves are like elementary school math. These days, baseball calculus involves the analysis of enormous amounts of data in pursuit of information capable of determining the right players to keep and those to discard. For once, it appears the Phillies have made it into the honors class after years of stumbling about doing remedial work. Six years after deposed GM Ruben Amaro declared arrogantly that the Phillies are “not a statistics-driven organization by any means,” the Phils have become a statisticsdriven organization by every means possible—the last in all of baseball. The team has created an analytics department, headed by former Google staffer Andy Galdi (this after Amaro pledged the team would never have an “in-house stats guy”). And they’ve created PHIL, a proprietary sabermetrics system, and cut a deal with CoachMePlus, which will use advanced metrics to monitor player health.

Phillies GM Matt Klentak

It’s the baseball equivalent of a college student’s changing his major from philosophy to mechanical engineering. When part-owner John Middleton ended decades of the franchise’s ownership-by-lethargy strategy by hiring Andy MacPhail and hastening Amaro’s flight to the Red Sox firstbase coaching box, he realized the team was operating outside the MLB norm. MacPhail hired 35-year old Matt Klentak to be the team’s GM, taking a strong step to eradicate the team’s stubborn approach. Last summer, ESPN ranked the 122 teams in the four major sports according to their analytics profiles, and the Phillies finished dead last, behind even the hockey teams, which have been the slowest of the majors to embrace big data. Although MacPhail readily admits he was virtually clueless about analytics when he was with the Orioles and relied heavily on Ned Rice to explain the game’s mathematics to him, he knows enough to hire people who thrive on grinding the numbers. That includes Rice, who is now assistant GM, fulltime baseball analyst Lewis Pollis and Galdi. 49

P L A Y B A L L ! 2 016 Scott Freedman, previously the only numbers guy in the organization, is now Director of Baseball Operations and will have a large role in helping the team negotiate contracts. It’s a dramatic change, and one that finally positions the Phillies as a 21st century MLB club, even though they are well behind the rest of the league when it comes to analytics. One of the reasons the Astros went from the worst team in baseball to a 2015 playoff club was the commitment to data scrutiny by GM Jeff Luhnow and his staff of geniuses that includes Sig Mejdal, who used to employ re-

young minds in baseball right now, and other teams have devoted considerable resources to find their own Mejdals. ore than any sport, baseball lends itself to the critical analysis of statistics that go beyond homers, RBIs and strikeouts. Although many media members prefer to measure players’ performances based on traditional, triple-crown numbers, front offices are looking at more sophisticated measurements capable of separating players in more nuanced ways. Thanks to tools like PITCHf/x

As the Phillies plummeted from the top of baseball to its catacombs, fresh ideas were in extremely short supply. gression analysis (“a statistical technique that enables one to tease out factors that add predictability”) when he played baseball board games as a kid. Mejdal earned degrees in mechanical and aerospace engineering (undergrad) and human factors engineering and operations research (master’s), and it’s a safe bet he wasn’t often picked first on the sandlot. He is, however, one of the most important

and FIELDf/x, teams can break down players’ performances in extreme detail. For instance, a team can tell whether an outfielder takes the most efficient route possible while pursuing a fly ball. It can also determine small variances in speed, spin and break of pitches. The technology at teams’ disposals allows them to evaluate everything that happens on a field every time the ball is put into play. What they do with that

information is up to them, but plenty of money and manpower throughout baseball are being devoted to compiling and assessing that data, and it’s about time the Phillies joined their rivals in the analytics game. Galdi fits the profile of a metrics chief quite well. He spent three years with Google working as a quantitative analyst for YouTube. Before that, he spent some time in the NBA offices, creating a game simulator that could test the impacts of new rules on scoring, length of game and overall competitiveness. And when he was with Groupon, Galdi developed an algorithm to determine the relative quality of merchants’ products and services, while at the same time minimizing the number of companies necessary to complete an accurate analysis. If that sounds like baseball to you, then you’re watching a different game than many fans. It is indeed a different game, and it has been for more than a decade. That it has taken the Phillies this long to realize that is a testament to the organization’s myopic view of talent evaluation. It’s important to have talented scouts and “baseball people” who understand the game at the field level. No team is stupid enough to rely entirely on numbers—except the Sixers for a couple of years. It’s just that determining a player’s worth is much more complicated these days, and how teams assign values to talent is vital. It’s no longer fashionable to splurge ev-

ery off-season on free-agent talent, especially if you are using seven-year-old scouting reports, as the Phils did when they made the disastrous decision to sign outfielder Delmon Young in 2013. When Klentak announced Galdi’s hiring, he said, “I’m excited about the fresh ideas that he’s going to bring.” That was telling, because as the franchise had plummeted from the top of baseball to its catacombs, “fresh ideas” were in extremely short supply. hile Amaro yells “Back!” to runners in Fenway Park, MacPhail and Klentak have constructed a 21st century MLB front office that balances scouting and classic evaluation with a mature approach to the game’s numbers. PHIL (Phillies Holistic Information Location) is an example of that. It debuted in the beta stages last fall, when Klentak said that it would “house all of our information and synthesize it and try to manage it and pool it and bring it all together.” In other words, PHIL would provide an aggregation service the team lacked and allow it to match scouts’ eyeball assessments with statistical information. Call it a marriage of Moneyball and Trouble with the Curve. The final component of this new direction is the agreement to work with CoachMePlus, which compiles and analyzes performance data relating to player health. It can provide information regarding off-season workout results, along with how well players are faring during the 162-game campaign, during which it’s easy for output to wane. The system will allow the Phillies to monitor their talent with an eye on improvement and fewer injuries. Its goal is the same as the rest of the programs and personnel who are leading this revolution for a team that had been mired in baseball’s Old World. The Phillies want to create a better method of assessing players; the better to build an organization capable of competing again for championships. Yes, it took too long for the Phils to realize the need for such protocols, but grousing about past failures is meaningless now. As the franchise moves forward, it must employ new methods of player evaluation, just as it must be savvier in terms of negotiating contracts and developing those players in the system. Baseball has changed considerably in the last five to 10 years, and the Phillies have finally realized that. Though they are behind just about every other MLB team in terms of analytics, it won’t take that long to catch up. What will require patience is the building of an organization capable of supplying the big team with top-flight talent. The good news is that MacPhail and Klentak—and. most importantly, Middleton—understand how that must be done in 2016 and beyond. Welcome to the future, Phillies. It’s nice that you finally decided to show up. n

P L A Y B A L L ! 2 016

JERSEYBALL

BASEBALL’S BEST PLAYER IS FROM A SMALL TOWN IN SOUTH JERSEY, AND HIS HIGH SCHOOL BUDDY HAS JUST BEEN DRAFTED BY THE ANGELS.

Millville

THE TWO FRIENDS ARE STILL JUST JERSEY KIDS. BY KURT SMITH

Photo Kurt Smith

Aaron Cox of Millville, NJ

ON A BASEBALL FIELD

Aaron Cox has shown an uncanny ability to focus on the task at hand. Even if that task is, say, pitching a no-hitter on his school’s Opening Day. How focused was the Gannon University ace in shutting down opposing bats? He didn’t even know he was firing blanks until his team swarmed him after the victory. “My teammates ran out of the dugout like we won the World Series,” Cox says. “And I was like, this is the first game of the season, what’s going on here? ‘You just threw a nohitter!’ “I don’t know if it would have jinxed me if I started thinking about it or not. But it worked out.” That story must be embellished, you think. Most of us would be aware if we were pitching a no-no in a backyard wiffle ball game. Well, the Millville High alumnus had an additional distraction: he had to help his cause on offense. Cox is one of those multi-tool players that can hit, too. “It was a tight game. I didn’t come into the dugout and think about what I had to do next on the mound. I was just as much in the game on the offensive side, so I think that was the biggest thing that kept me from realizing it.” He has that mentality that coaches long for in a player. “I just wanted to get the win,” he shrugs. Cox has a future in baseball. The young power arm has shown enough promise to be selected by the Anaheim Angels in the 19th round of this year’s draft. It’s a fairly deep pick to assume that he’ll be on the mound at Angel Stadium anytime soon, but he’s already gone to work improving his chances. He’s ditched the hitting and expanded his pitch repertoire. According to his scouting report, his fastball touches 96, his slider has a big break and he’s developing a changeup. If he can learn to throw all three for strikes at any time, he could turn out pretty nasty. The Inside The Halos blog mused that he could be a “quiet steal.” A three-time All-Conference selection in high school. Ace of his high school and college staffs. The single-season strikeout leader at his university—breaking his own record. A no-hitter to his credit. Now in the Angels farm system. Not bad for a small town South Jersey kid. In fact, Cox was the best ballplayer to graduate from Millville High in, well, about three years.

THE JERSEY 2014 AL MVP Mike Trout

College and minor league teams have been known to retire the numbers of major league greats, but Millville High decided on a better way to honor their greatest player: by using his #1 jersey as a motivator. Trout was asked what he wanted them to do with the jersey, and according to Millville coach Roy Hallenbeck, he gave his stock answer: “Coach, whatever you think is best.”

The #1 jersey is now awarded to the player best seen as the team leader…not necessarily the best player, but the player coaches want other players to look up to…someone who works hard, hustles and stays grounded. The first player to wear the jersey after Trout’s departure? Aaron Cox, by winning the championship final against Lenape High School (Medford, NJ). It was no easy ride. Cox gave up a three run shot in the first but then blanked Lenape the rest of the way. “That Lenape team that we beat was just loaded,” Hallenbeck says. “They jumped on us early, and Aaron settled in the rest of the way. One of the most exciting games I’ve ever been a part of. That could have gotten away from Aaron. And it didn’t. “We talk to our guys about leaving a legacy here, be that guy that we’re gonna refer to years after you’re gone. And we refer to that a lot. He absolutely earned the jersey that day, without a doubt.”

YOU’VE PROBABLY HEARD OF MILLVILLE.

HERE’S HOW BIG A SUPERSTAR MIKE TROUT IS.

Especially if you’re a baseball fan. The town produced a ballplayer that now plays outfield for those Angels, a player whose nickname is “The Millville Meteor.” You could say he’s pretty good. A .304 lifetime batting average. Led the league in RBIs in one season and in stolen bases in another. He’s been an All-Star in every season that he’s played. He’s also undefeated in winning Silver Slugger Awards. He was the American League MVP in 2014 and hasn’t yet finished lower than second in MVP voting…a guy named Cabrera had to win a Triple Crown to overtake him in 2012. At just 24 years old, he’s already clouted 139 home runs. He’s no slouch with a glove, either; YouTube has a few pages of videos of his negating pitcher mistakes with awe-inspiring catches. You’ve heard of that WAR statistic? “Wins Above Replacement”? That all-encompassing number that no one understands but is supposed to define a player’s ultimate worth? Without a deep explanation (we have space limitations, but you probably know the depth to which statisticians go in baseball), FanGraphs states that he was worth more in Wins Above Replacement by age 23 than any other player in the history of the game. Oh, and online voters on Topps’ website just named his baseball card to be #1 in the 2016 series. Collectors know. The stats are, after all, right there on the back of the cards. So yeah, maybe he’s better than pretty good. He’s really, really good. Ludicrous good. Schizoid good. The phrase “best baseball player on Earth” is used to describe him fairly often, and it doesn’t lend itself to much argument.

In the early weeks of spring training, there isn’t much to write about other than overly optimistic quotes from players and managers about the coming season, so blogs and websites looking for traffic need attention-grabbing headlines. Maybe something like “Should the Angels trade Mike Trout”? Yes, they said it. And believe it or not, there is a case to be made, however absurd the notion may seem. The Angels, you see, don’t have much of a farm system. ESPN writer Keith Law not only ranks it dead last among 30 teams, he says it’s the worst he’s ever seen. The team badly needs a future, so writers pub-

licly ponder the sacrifices they’ll need to make. Or at least speculate a scenario that generates a must-click headline. In response to the sudden wormhole in the baseball space-time continuum caused by the notion of a Trout deal, Grant Brisbee from SB Nation wrote a column with this headline: “The Angels Will Never, Ever, Ever, Ever, Ever Trade Mike Trout.” Yes, four “evers.” Here’s the quote from that article that best explains why: “It’s like selling a Honus Wagner card on the playground. Even if the seven-year-olds empty out their toy chests and video game collections, you’re still not going to be happy with the return.” One can imagine going back in time to 1918 and reading a newspaper story with the headline “Should the Red Sox trade Babe Ruth?” Or even going back to 1991 and reading “Should the Orioles trade Cal Ripken?” GMs who value their ability to avoid being hung in effigy know better. “We like our chances” equals zero traffic. “Trade Mike Trout” equals a web firestorm. Mission accomplished.

HOW DOES A MEGA-SUPERSTAR FROM A TOWN OF 28,000 ADJUST TO SKYROCKETING FAME AND WEALTH BEYOND RECOGNITION?

If you’re ever in Millville, be sure to stop at Jim’s Lunch. It’s still a favorite of the Trout family today, and the waitresses and customers know them well.

By all accounts of those who know him, you wouldn’t even know the difference. The word “humble” is thrown around so reflexively that it’s almost his unofficial first name. It’s remarkably difficult to find a Millville resident who doesn’t know Mike Trout personally. At the counter at Jim’s Lunch, the iconic 53

Photo Kurt Smith

P L A Y B A L L ! 2 016

Mike Trout’s jerseys and memorabilia are on display in Millville High School

93-year-old Main Street diner, waitresses and customers all still refer to him as simply Mike, or even Mikey, as if he were a regular at the diner, which he still is, rather than the greatest baseball player in the known universe. It’s the same at Millville High, where coaches and athletic directors talk about his senior year with the scouts regularly visiting town. Millville’s longtime baseball coach, Roy Hallen-

“As long as I’ve known him, since he was a freshman in high school, he’s never taken anything for granted. Whenever I have a question I go to him, and we’ll sit down and talk. Whenever I need him, he’s there. In the off season he likes to be with friends and be a kid again. If you ever hung around him, he is a kid, trust me.” Hallenbeck laughs at the humility so frequently ascribed to Trout. The coach was quot-

“ As long as I’ve known [Mike], he’s never taken anything for granted. Whenever I need him, he’s there.” - Aaron Cox beck, clearly has experience with journalists. He shows Trout’s locker, inspirational signs in the locker room, and the glass enclosure that displays his jersey and other gear. He has a picture of the scoreboard sign on the baseball field—now “Mike Trout Field” after Trout contributed to a renovation—stored on his phone ready to be texted. Like everyone else, Coach has nothing but praise for the local star. It’s almost as if the townsfolk gather together to get their story straight about Millville’s most famous son for whenever reporters visit. But you know it’s real. Best case in point: the 2014 AL MVP is worth over $100 million now, and he’s still dating his high school sweetheart…who happens to be Aaron Cox’s sister. Mike and Aaron are close, and the younger prodigy doesn’t dispute any of the hometown accolades for his mentor and friend. 54

ed in an MLB.com article referring to Trout as a “killer.” He means it as a very flattering joke. “To be clear about that, he really is a humble kid. He truly does appreciate everything he has. Just don’t compete against him, because it isn’t going to work out well for you….If you’re playing golf with him, or if you’re playing pickup basketball, or if you go bowling with him, he is going to beat you. “I still have visions of him leading off of second base, just absolutely terrorizing pitchers. Not that he was doing anything demonstrative. Just that he was so good, and so aggressive and so competitive; everyone just knew he was gonna go and that they couldn’t stop him.” Cox shares a story about the killer. “Out of the blue one day, we said, ‘Let’s go bowling.’ That was a month ago, and I think we went 25 times in the past month. I was better

than him at first, and he didn’t like me beating him. We just kept going back, and now the guy at the bowling alley doesn’t make us pay because we come there so much. He has lanes reserved for us. “It’s fun, because he’ll stick with something until he’s better than you at it. And I won’t let that happen!”

THE TRADEMARK HUMILITY MAY COME FROM BEING RAISED IN A SMALL TOWN… or in a state with no shortage of people who will gladly bring you back to earth. The killer mentality probably comes from a father who scratched for every hit as a ballplayer himself. Jeff Trout’s baseball career ended where the overwhelming majority of them do: in the minor leagues, where players are either shown to be insufficiently skilled or made so by increasing bodily wear and tear. Drafted by the Twins in 1983, Jeff played four years in the minors as a second baseman, hitting .321 in his last season in Orlando before finally growing weary of waiting for a promotion from the Twins. With a torn plantar fascia and worsening knees, Trout gave up baseball to raise a family. The elder Trout doesn’t hold a grudge. He’s admitted to his defensive inadequacies in in-

terviews, and at 5’9”, his size was probably a handicap too. He succeeded as a hitter, to a point, through guile and scrappy dedication. Cox testifies to how Jeff instilled a work ethic in young Mike. “His dad would make him hit every night, do push-ups, do everything, eat the right things. He may have gotten by on just talent, because he was blessed with a lot of talent. But he wouldn’t be where he is today, how good he is right now, if he didn’t have the work ethic that he has.” Jeff also taught Mike about dwelling on failure, as he once did. He told Ben Lindbergh at Grantland that “I really, really overthought the game at times….Some of the things I struggled with I tried to give to Mike and teach him that’s not the way it should be done. He can shake a bad game off.” No one can better teach a youngster how difficult baseball is, or how to appreciate Godgiven talent, than a player whose dream died in AA. Thanks partly to his father, Mike Trout is baseball savvy enough to stay grounded and determined. Because as even Babe Ruth learned, sooner or later the game will humble everyone.

s Dave Lagamba, the athletic director at Millville High, shows this observer around the school grounds, he briefly

chats with a groundskeeper about fixes needed to get Mike Trout Field ready for the coming season. It’s a sudden reminder of what should be obvious…that Millville isn’t Mike Trout Central, or even Mike Trout Sideshow. Not even baseball’s biggest star can fix the town’s struggling economic conditions. Like any other town, people go to work and raise their families and live their lives. As proud of the All-Star as Millville is, he and the locals still treat each other the same. Of course he’s the same humble guy. Why wouldn’t a kid from a South Jersey small town be? All the money and fame one could ask for doesn’t change who someone’s parents are, the town they grew up in, their favorite food or who their high school influences were. On a Major League Baseball field, there’s no denying that there’s something special and unique about the Millville Meteor. He plays baseball like a very small number of humans can. But back home, Mikey will likely always remain a guy who spends his spare time hunting and golfing with his buddies, challenging them to yet another round at the local lanes. It’s not hard at all to imagine Mike Trout being enshrined in Cooperstown someday. Or celebrating his induction with a burger at Jim’s. n

P L A Y B A L L ! 2 016 Photo Jan L. Apple

Pitch Perfect

Rob Potts in his Mount Laurel home, surrounded by Phillies memorabilia.

BY JAN L. APPLE

Walking on the field during batting practice at Citizens Bank Park just before a game, Rob Potts does a reality check.

ARBED HEAD TO TOE in a Philadelphia Phillies uniform, the 57-year-old Mount Laurel, NJ resident— now in his ninth season as the team’s batting practice pitcher at home games—still finds this dream gig somewhat surreal. “I get to wake up and do something I love,” said Potts, adding that two Phillies coaches also throw batting practice (he’s the only one who doesn’t travel with the team). “Every day is a gift. The Phillies have been the greatest organization.” A native of Maple Shade, NJ and lifelong baseball player, Potts—better known as “Pottsy”— has always been a diehard Phillies fan. He got the job in 2008—at age 49—the same year the Phillies won the World Series. He has the Series ring and autographed ball to prove it. Sitting in the basement of his home that he shares with wife, Deb, and son, Matt, 27 (he and Deb also have a daughter, Chelsea, 30), surrounded by Phillies memorabilia and photographs of current and former team members—Ryan Howard, Carlos Ruiz, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins—Potts shares how this unexpected dream unfolded. Potts was Mount Laurel’s acting postmaster at the time, a position he held for seven years. He retired from that job in July 2012. He’d been employed in varying capacities with the United States Postal Service since 1978 when he was hired as summer help at the Bellmawr Processing Facility. “I was a clerk in Maple Shade and then a letter carrier for 13 years,” he explained. “I was promoted to a supervisor, postmaster of Beverly and then acting postmaster of Mount Laurel.” 56

Phillies coach Milt Thompson told Potts he wanted to see him throw. “When I arrived, Jimmy Rollins and Marlon Byrd were there. Jimmy liked how I threw,” recalled Potts.

rom the time he was five, Potts had been immersed in baseball. He played Little League and Babe Ruth, was on the Maple Shade High School team (pitcher and second baseman) as well as that of Camden County College. “We played in the Junior College World Series in Colorado in 1977,” said Potts. Later, he would throw pitches to his son. He was also Matt’s Little League coach and assistant varsity coach at Camden Catholic High School. Potts stayed in the game and pitched in men’s 35 and over leagues in South Jersey. “We would often travel to Florida,” explained Potts, reliving the day in 2008 when the South Jersey Chiefs (travel league) coach, Mike Maconi, commented on his skill. “He said, ‘Hey, you’re really good at throwing batting practice.’ Maconi was and still is the official scorekeeper for the Phillies.” Jokingly, Potts replied: “Give me a name, maybe I’ll pitch for the Phillies.” But Maconi wasn’t kidding. He suggested that

Potts reach out to Phillies clubhouse manager, Frank Coppenbarger, On January 3, 2008, on a whim, Potts decided to send Coppenbarger an e-mail detailing his vast experience. Three weeks went by with no reply. Potts decided to resend the e-mail. “’What did I have to lose?” he remembered thinking. Two weeks later, while in his office at the post office, Potts’ cell phone rang. He was shocked to find Coppenbarger on the line. Although he wasn’t the proper contact, he told Potts he would share his information with then hitting coach, Milt Thompson. As luck would have it, Thompson had been giving private hitting lessons at an area baseball academy owned by Bobby Shannon, a Delran Diamonds former teammate of Potts. Thompson told Potts he wanted to see him throw and invited him to a facility in Washington Township for a trial. “When I arrived, Jimmy Rollins—MVP of 2007—and Marlon Byrd were there,” recalled a very nervous Potts. “I

threw to them. Jimmy liked how I threw; Milt liked how I threw.” Before he was hired, he traveled to Clearwater to pitch to Chase Utley, Pat Burrell and Ryan Howard. “During my first five years with the Phillies, we were in the World Series and playoffs,” said Potts, who still feels jitters when he enters the batting cage. “Throwing to my son’s friends and men’s league players is a lot different than throwing to the best players in baseball. I want to be perfect. It’s the only time you want the batter to hit a line drive.” Potts doesn’t throw curveballs or sliders; his pitches are straight, steady and controlled, which helps players get quality swings. He throws 70-75 miles per hour. “I could throw from 500 to 700 pitches in one game,” explained Potts. His arm, he says, feels better when he pitches daily. Depending on the Phillies schedule, he might be at the ballpark for 10 consecutive days. “There are 162 games in a season, so I’ll be at all 81 home games,” he said. When coming off of rest, his arm does have a tendency to feel sore. He says he couldn’t keep things going without Dr. John Sandoz, a chiropractor, who regularly adjusts the tendons in his arm. At 5’ 7” and 165 pounds, Potts is committed to staying in shape. He has a personal trainer— Christian Lauer—and works out vigorously five days a week. He also walks four miles a

Photo Jan L. Apple

P L A Y B A L L ! 2 016 Rob Potts with student, Matthew Orlando, 15, of Marlton, NJ, during a recent hitting lesson at Ambush Baseball in Cherry Hill, NJ.

day, rain or shine. It’s a habit he acquired as a letter carrier. As if being part of the Phillies wasn’t a big enough thrill, at about the same time he was hired, Matt Littman, former owner of The Aquatic and Fitness Center (AFC) of Cherry Hill, asked if he’d be willing to start a baseball business if Littman built a baseball room at the facility. Potts jumped at the challenge and grew AFC Baseball from a few students to well over 250. In January 2016, Potts purchased the business and renamed it Ambush Baseball. Ambush (a sneak attack) is a term, he says, used in professional baseball when the batter swings at the first pitch, hammering a homerun. “I only train amateurs,” said Potts, emphasizing that Ambush is solely private hitting instruction—not pitching—for kids of all levels from nine through college age. “Talk about full circle,” continued Potts. “Milt Thompson actually works for me; he gives private hitting lessons to students.”

Potts is at a unique advantage taking the knowledge he’s gleaned from working with professional players and coaches and applying it to his lessons. “I tell the parents, ‘I’m the student at the stadium; I’m the teacher here.’” He tells his students: “You can be whatever you work to be.” ne such student is Matthew Orlando, 15, of Marlton, NJ. “Colleges already have their eye on him,” said Potts, who has been instructing Matthew for five years. A freshman at Bishop Eustace Preparatory School, Matthew has aspirations of playing in the major leagues but understands there are no guarantees. “It’s a goal,” said his mom, Teresa Orlando. “We’re not banking on it.” Matthew, who plays with the tri-state Amateur Athletic Union, was at Ambush on a recent Monday for his weekly lesson. His instruction included some last minute tips before tryouts for the varsity baseball team. According to Teresa: “The lessons with Pottsy have completely changed Matthew’s hitting mechanics and improved his mental game.” Matthew had primarily been a pitcher, but has become a powerful hitter as well. “Pottsy instills confidence in the kids,” she said. “He develops a rapport with his students.” Matthew says he’s fortunate to benefit from Pottsy’s expertise. One of the lessons he’s learned is that you don’t always have to be perfect, it’s okay to sometimes strike out; this clearly happens in the major leagues. And although Matthew hasn’t met the Phillies that Pottsy pitches to, he feels a definite connection to the players. Potts is quick to credit past and present batting practice coaches Milt Thompson, Wally Joyner, Greg Gross and Steve Henderson with teaching him the intricacies of good mechanics. “I can look at a swing and have an idea what the tendencies are,” said Potts, who uses a mirror at Ambush so students can learn by seeing. “The best coach in the world is a mirror.” As kids, Potts and his older brother, Dan—also a baseball player— would often stand in front of their oversized living room mirror and swing their bats. A firm believer in strength and conditioning, Potts said: “With the addition of Alpha Athletics [personal training] in the facility, we are able to give athletes everything they need to get to the next level.” Potts is beyond grateful to live out his passion. He’s also made lifelong friendships along the way with major leaguers Jayson Werth, Jeff Francoeur and Mike Sweeney. “I want to keep doing this for as long as I can,” he said. “I’m 57 and I have a Phillies uniform on. It doesn’t get any better than this.” n

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A Short Life Well-Lived BY DON P. HURLEY

Photo Don Hurley

Cara McCollum

“We’ve prayed constantly for a miracle, and we believe God has answered our prayers. Although it’s not the miracle that we first envisioned, it’s a miracle nonetheless. “In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years. Please accept our sincerest thanks for your heartfelt prayers. Words fall short of describing the pain, but I’m eternally grateful and blessed for the time I spent with Cara. Her enormous heart enriched my life and changed me forever. “We all will miss Cara now that she’s gone.”

Cara McCollum, the former Miss New Jersey crown-holder and news media personality, was critically injured in a one-car crash in Salem County on February 15, 2016. In a sad and tragic irony, McCollum had warned viewers of her television news station just a few hours earlier of bad road conditions relating to the wintery weather conditions in effect. The former Miss New Jersey was travelling along Route 55, following what would be her unbeknownst and final taping for South Jersey News Today, when her Ford Mustang convertible vehicle went out of control upon the inclement road conditions and struck several trees off of the roadway and eventually ended up in a ditch on the side of the road. The crash left McCollum with critical injuries to her head. She was transported to Cooper Regional Hospital in Camden, NJ where doctors spent the next seven days attempting to save her life. A huge online group was quickly established on the internet entitled “Prayers for 64

Cara McCollum rides in the Boardwalk Parade in 2013

Cara” in hopes of networking the many friends and fans of Cara into a virtual chain of faith and prayer for her recovery. However, this was a recovery that was not meant to be. On February 22, 2016, Cara succumbed to her physical injuries. Cara peacefully passed away in the presence of several of her family members and friends including her boyfriend, Keith Jones, a news anchor himself, with NBC 10 television in Philadelphia. McCollum and Jones had celebrated her 24th birthday together just two weeks earlier. But now, following this terrible tragedy, Jones left this heartwarming message on his personal Facebook page: “Thank you all for this tremendous outpouring of love and support for my sweet, beautiful everything, Cara. We can’t begin to tell you how much your prayers have meant to us in this incredibly difficult time. “Sadly, Cara passed away this morning (February 22, 2016). We were with her in the operating room, and she died peacefully at 4:31 AM. Before she died, Cara made the selfless decision to donate her organs. At this very moment, she is saving lives.

ara McCollum was born in Forrest City, Arkansas, in 1992. She was crowned Miss New Jersey in her adopted home state of New Jersey in May of 2013 on the Music Pier in Ocean City during the Miss New Jersey Pageant, a regional qualifying competition for the national Miss America Pageant held in Atlantic City every September. By all accounts from family, friends and everyone associated with McCollum, she was a beloved human being with a care for others above herself, and in particular for the proper advancement of children in terms of their education and literacy skills. Frank DiMauro, the COO/CFO of South Jersey News Today, the media company located in Millville, NJ, where Cara had been employed as lead television anchor since July of 2015, told People: “She was the one that we went to when we were down to help us feel better and to lift us up. She just kind of lit the place on fire. Saying goodbye to Cara has been difficult for South Jersey News Today.” DiMauro added: “My office is situated in such a way that you look down on the door that everyone comes in the building every day. I just got so accustomed to seeing her come in each day, there’s a part of me that can’t get over it. I’m waiting for her to walk in through the door, and [I know] it’s not going to happen.” As McCollum competed in the Miss America competition during the summer of 2013, her passion for children’s literacy issues was obviously more than just a platform for a pageant. In fact, several years before she had already established the non-profit group “Birthday Book Project” while a sophomore in high school at just 16 years of age. The purpose of the group is to provide brand-new, giftwrapped books to children ranging from kindergarten through fifth grades in hopes of promoting a life-long interest in reading.

McCollum learned at an early age by growing up in an educationally impoverished area like Forest City, that she could take herself to places that she had only dreamed about before. She credited reading for where she ultimately ended up, at Princeton University. She was fond of saying that while she had been accepted to Harvard, she went to Princeton because she always knew that she was a “Jersey Girl” at heart. This was a place that she could only imagine

the importance of literacy, her platform issue at Miss America and one that she continued to promote. We remember Cara most for her sense of humor and love of Taco Bell [her favorite restaurant].” In another sad irony, the memorial service to honor Cara was held just a few blocks away from The Ocean City Music Pier, the site of her great triumph and crowning as Miss New Jersey in 2013.

potential through tissue donations [skin, bone and cornea] to enhance the lives of 50 more people.” The N.J. Sharing Network is charged with the responsibility of facilitating organ donations within the State of New Jersey. Anyone can become an organ donor each year they renew their New Jersey Driver’s License or through the auspices of The N.J. Sharing Network directly.

Cara knew that the world would be wide open for a young person who would read and understand what they’ve read. To date, she has touched the lives of more than 25,000 children. in her wildest dreams before the gift of reading and books transported her there in reality. Cara knew that the world would be wide open for a young person who would read and understand what they’ve read. To date, she has touched the lives of more than 25,000 children in Arkansas and New Jersey. In 2013, the same year she competed in the Miss America Pageant, Cara was awarded with the distinction of “Reading Champion of the Year” by the New Jersey Library Association. There are still hopes of taking Cara’s project on a nationwide basis in the future. (For more information on the “Birthday Book Project” you can go to the Facebook page of the same name.) n March 12, 2016, a memorial service was held in Ocean City, NJ, at the Tabernacle Church to celebrate the life and memory of Cara McCollum. More than 300 friends, colleagues and family crammed the church to the rafters for this adopted daughter of New Jersey. The common thread amongst many of those who eulogized McCollum centered on her desire to help others and children in particular. Sally Johnston, the legendary N.J. Pageant coordinator for the Miss America Organization, has chaperoned Miss New Jersey contestants for more than 50 years. Johnston also serves as President for the Miss New Jersey Education Foundation and travelled with McCollum all over the state during her appearances for more than a year. The foundation organized the memorial service as a fitting tribute to Cara, who, Johnston said, “loved to make life easy for other people.” Former New Jersey Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande said of McCollum, “Cara accomplished more in 24 years than most people could pack into one hundred years.” The Miss America Organization issued a statement in memory of McCollum and said, “Cara visited with children throughout the state, reading books to them and sharing about

For someone with Cara’s wonderful nature of giving, it can be said that she is still giving. According to a report by TownSquare Media’s Dan Alexander of NJ 101.5 FM, Cara may be saving eight more lives through her wellknown wishes as an organ donor as we speak. While the privacy of prospective organ donors and recipients is always protected, Elisse Glennon, Vice President of The New Jersey Sharing Network, stated, “Our staff was supporting the family throughout this tragedy.” Glennon added that “one donor has the potential to donate up to eight organs and the

For more information on organ donation or the N.J. Sharing Network, you can reach them at their web site NJSharingNetwork.org, by email at info@njsharingnetwork.org or by telephone at their office in Providence, NJ at (908) 516-5400. Cara McCollum’s life ended as she had devotedly lived it all along: by helping others. As McCollum’s boyfriend Keith Jones said at her memorial service, “At this moment…she is still saving lives.” There could be no greater or more fitting tribute to a life well-lived. n

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BY NICK SANTANGELO

JIM BRENNAN’S

B I G B O X S T O R E T

Photos Nick Santangelo

HEY WORKED in the early morning between 1:00 and 5:00 AM. And if you’ve ever driven through New York City, then you can understand the logic of not wanting to contribute 180 tractor trailers to daytime Manhattan traffic that’s a little jammed under the best of circumstances and completely gridlocked under the worst. The trucks had to get through, though. It was June of 1995, and an estimated 70,000 people would soon show up to Central Park to see a Native American girl teach an English explorer to paint with all the colors of the wind. It was to be a big show. Actually, transcendent might be more apt. After all, this was the premiere of a massively promoted Walt Disney film that would go on to gross over $346 million at the box office. A man who traveled with his family from California to New York just for the premiere 68

would afterwards describe it to the New York Times as a “fabulous movie.” Though he and his fellow moviegoers likely didn’t know or even care to know, none of it would have happened without a guy from South Jersey who stacked some boxes on top of each other. Well, containers, to be precise. Disney had asked SEA BOX, a company who specializes not in movies but in customized storage and shipping containers for military clients, to build the world’s biggest movie screen. They were up to the task. “We rented about 180 40-foot containers for the week, and we designed it to stack 10 stories high in the grass and not fall over in 88-mile winds,” Founder and President Jim Brennan Jr. recently recounted from the comforts of his brass-tacked, wingback office chair. “And they wrapped them in cloth, and they had four towers to show the movie Pocahontas. World premiere of Pocahontas, so it was 1995, and that

was like a big, big deal.” Brennan has spent more than 33 years building what’s sort of a big, big deal in its own industry. Brennan estimates Riverton, NJ-based SEA BOX has engineered something like 8,000 custom container designs, though many more of them involved bullet-resistant panels, missile launchers or laser beam housings than a place to hang a movie screen. But regardless of whether his customers, requesting designs no one else has ever built, have been the military or private companies, Brennan says his response has usually been the same: “Yeah, sure, we can do that.”

Boxed in

Brennan started his company in the early ‘80s mainly, he says, for the simple reason that he needed a job. He found himself unemployed after spending time with a trailer leasing company where he learned about equipment rentals and business. His last year there was spent working on the company’s only container account before transitioning to Jersey City’s Consolidated Container, which needed help with sales. Brennan took no salary, instead working purely off commissions. Though he started as a small, one-man operation, things grew and evolved over 15 years. “The other company had the repairs, and they were technically a separate company, and I wanted to keep it that way because they

were pretty rudimentary the way they did business,” Brennan says, laughing. “A lot of cash, and they didn’t keep very good records, and I wasn’t used to that. So I just said, ‘I’ll make my own company.’ So I incorporated by myself, and after a year I hired somebody new from the old company and just built it up.” From there, SEA BOX began selling used containers “one at a time,” but its customers kept asking for more and different modifications. Brennan’s consistent can-do responses kept things growing. The company later opened a satellite office in South Jersey before eventually flipping to a main office in South Jersey and a satellite in North Jersey in 1998. Demand for new containers had grown tremendously, thanks in no small part to military contracts, which Brennan says today make up 65 percent of his company’s work.

Military time

Brennan first broke into serving the military at the behest of one of his employees. He found jobs to bid on through the government’s Fed Biz Opps, which was a printed publication in those days. Today Brennan peruses Fed Biz Opps online, still finding one or two jobs every day. The majority are smaller gigs, but every once in a while they land something huge. Each one, unsurprisingly, comes with its own set of byzantine federal rules and regulations. SEA BOX has to be prepared to follow all of

them, while still being ready to cater to the other 35 percent of its business: private industry. “The tough part is that we do lots and lots of little jobs, and then we do big jobs as they come up, because they’re not always available,” explains Brennan. “If you call about a container, we can help you. We don’t mind if it’s one for behind your factory or 10,000 for the Air Force. We’ll do either one.” SEA BOX has taken on contracts for all four branches of the US military, the Coast Guard and even foreign militaries. Many of them require

custom designs that demonstrate the incredible versatility of something the casual observer might see as nothing more than big steel boxes. Brennan tries to set expectations at four to five months for custom work, but that often doesn’t fly when dealing with the military. The Norwegians, for instance, asked for containers specialized to interact with equipment on American Navy ships. SEA BOX got the job done in three weeks. It’s all part of Brennan’s insistence that his company be ready for anything. “I’ve got one where they want bullet-resistance here and some funny shape there and one carries missiles and another guy wants to launch missiles,” he says while using miniature container models on his desk to point out where these modifications will be made. “And then there’s one they want to put a laser beam going to NASA in the box. These are just the ones on my desk, but every day it’s something strange like that.” Even with the assertion that SEA BOX will configure seemingly any container design someone can dream up and do so in a short turnaround time and in accordance with any regulations, the company still can’t win every military bid—at least not the first time around. When the Army wanted new refrigerated containers, SEA BOX’s bid was beaten out by a competitor. “You’re supposed to be done within 90 days if you win it, so I did it a year early, had all the containers figured out,” recalls Brennan. “And somebody else won on a cheaper price. It was a big deal. Well, three years later they still haven’t done the first three! Meantime, we won a deal with the Marine Corps where we sold them 1,200 of a very similar thing.” Realizing the error in its selection, the Army turned to SEA BOX to save the project. Designing and building everything a year early was a risk, but it sounds like it’s a common one the company faces. For a job building showers and latrines for the Air Force, SEA BOX listened to their needs for two years and did much of the work ahead of time. Brennan’s gamble paid off when he eventually got the contract.

Shut down, but not out

For a long time, SEA BOX was even more focused on the military than it is today, but then came the 2013 federal budget sequester. Military contracts slowed as a result, so the company pivoted back toward more private industry work. It turned toward producing housing containers used for construction sites and temporary offices and classrooms. Brennan insists that their ability to be stacked makes these modular homes and offices a superior solution to trailers, especially in large cities where ground space is at a premium. SEA BOX also put work into smaller containers, ones you’ve doubtless seen in suburban driveways near you: PODS. Brennan’s company redesigned the moving and storage container company’s “PODZILLA” lifts to be stronger and remote controlled and converted them from gas to electric power. SEA BOX’s engineers then went to work on the PODS themselves, retrofitting older units with stronger materials while creating an even stouter design for new PODS. Brennan estimates SEA BOX sold PODS 14,000 of the units in the past year and is hoping to produce close to that number yearly “for a long time.” A stroll through the company’s 375,000-square-foot warehouse shows just how busy PODS projects has kept his employees. Mixed among the welders working on full-size containers are workers tearing down or building up the familiar white storage boxes and their accompanying lifts. Brennan says a stronger design is a common request from all his customers, not just PODS—but many want lighter and cheaper containers too. There usually has to be some sort of tradeoff, yet he tells me again he gives that same response to almost all these requests: “We can do that.” And why not? He’s heavily involved with the engineering department, and he loves what SEA BOX does. Well, most of what it does. “It’s so much fun I’d do it for free,” he says with a smile that grows to a laugh. “And I have a lot of good people here to do all the things I don’t like—like insurance.” n 70

MEET JOHNNY HOCKEY

South Jersey’s Shooting Star

BY SAM CARCHIDI

AT 157 POUNDS,

Johnny Gaudreau was selected by the Calgary Flames in the fourth round of the 2011 NHL draft.

South Jersey’s Johnny Gaudreau is the lightest player in the National Hockey League. The 5-foot-9 Calgary Flames left winger also happens to be one of the NHL’s most electric forwards. Now in his second season, Gaudreau, the pride of Carneys Point in Salem County and a former Gloucester Catholic High standout, is proving that size doesn’t matter. He has played in the All-Star Game in both of his NHL seasons, and he finished third in the rookie-of-the-year voting after collecting 24 goals and 64 points last year. This season, he has been even better. Heading into the final month of the season, Gaudreau had 26 goals and 43 assists, and was seventh in the league with 69 points in 68 games. Not bad for a player who, during his teenage years, was told he was too small to make it to the NHL. Heck, Gaudreau was still hearing those whispers even after the Flames took him in the fourth round of the 2011 draft. Five years later, he is one of the league’s marquee players. “Who would have believed someone from South Jersey would put up those kind of numbers in the NHL?” asked Guy Gaudreau, Johnny’s proud dad, before Calgary dropped a 5-3 decision to the Flyers at the Wells Fargo Center on Feb. 29. Johnny Gaudreau, a soft-spoken, humble sort who could pass for a high school student, had hundreds a relatives and friends at the game, including a suite filled with Gloucester Catholic executives such as John Colman, who serves as the head of school. Guy Gaudreau, hockey director at Hollydell in Sewell, NJ and Gloucester Catholic’s hockey coach, stopped by the suite and basked as he watched his son set up several scoring chances

some of the veterans who were selected—guys like Jaromir Jagr, Corey Perry, Evgeni Malkin, and Patrice Bergeron, among others— and he was almost amazed he was playing in the same all-star tournament with them. “I’m more comfortable this year,” he said. “Last year, and even this year (sometimes), I’m still like, ‘Wow.’ I was watching these guys like four or five years ago. Just looking back at the history of the All-Star Game and the people who have been a part of it, it’s hard not to be wowed about it because you see a lot of players you grew up watching.” Growing up in South Jersey, Gaudreau rooted for the Flyers. But he nown as “Johnny Hockey” from when he starred at Boston said he wasn’t upset that the Orange and Black didn’t draft him. College and won the Hobey Baker Award as the nation’s top “Honestly, I didn’t even think I was going to get drafted,” he said, college player as a junior, Gaudreau “finds a way to get open adding he was just happy Calgary took a chance and selected him in ice close to the net,” said Flyers captain Claude Giroux, who has also the fourth round (104th overall) in 2011. overcome the skeptics who said he was too “He’s not one of those kids that [thinks], small to make a major impact. “And he rarely ‘Shame on the Flyers,’” Guy Gaudreau said. gets hit, so it’s pretty amazing.” “He’s not like that at all. When he got drafted When Gaudreau has the puck, he’s “tough in the fourth round by Calgary, it was a surprise to defend because he’s so quick laterally,” to all of us. He was playing hockey with me; I veteran Flyers defenseman Nick Schultz said. was coaching him at the Hollydell Ice Arena, “When you go in the corner and he has possesand one of the guys who works with me, Jim sion, he’s so good at tight turning and going the McVey, came running over and said, ‘Johnny opposite direction.” just got drafted by the Flames.’ I said, ‘No way.’ Gaudreau was available late in the draft beHe said, ‘Fourth round.’ He loves the Flyers. He cause most scouts were worried that his small cheered for them all his whole life and he’d frame could never sustain the punishment of love to play for them, but they didn’t draft the NHL. him, so he went to where they wanted him and He has proven them wrong. played hockey. That’s what it’s all about.” “Obviously he is a real threat on the ice,” GROWING UP IN SOUTH As of this writing, the Flames and GaudFlyers goalie Michal Neuvirth said. “He’s a JERSEY, GAUDREAU skilled guy. Very smart and patient. Every time reau’s agent were negotiating a long-term he’s on the ice, as a goalie, I have to watch deal that would make the forward a very rich ROOTED FOR THE pretty much every step.” young man. FLYERS. BUT HE SAID Giroux kidded that Gaudreau is “too small to Guy Gaudreau said his son would like to HE WASN’T UPSET hit. You can’t even touch him.” buy his parents “all kinds of stuff. But it’s his “I don’t think size really matters if you’re money and he’s earned it. I’m sure eventually THAT THE ORANGE AND smart and quick enough,” Neuvirth said. he’ll do something for his mother.” BLACK DIDN’T DRAFT “There are a lot of good, small guys in the “I’m excited to be playing in Calgary, and HIM. “HONESTLY, I league—Patrick Kane, Martin St. Louis back in I’m sure I’ll be playing in Calgary for a lot more DIDN’T EVEN THINK I the day, and lots of others.” years to come,” said Gaudreau, who is argu Because of his small stature, Gaudreau has ably the city’s most popular person. WAS GOING TO GET become adept at avoiding hits, and isn’t relucGaudreau spends half of the off-season in DRAFTED.” Carneys Point and the other half at Boston Coltant to go into what players call the “dirty areas” around the net. lege, where he is four credits shy of a degree. “I think a lot of the smaller guys hear ‘You’re too small, you won’t He skates with some of the Flyers at their Voorhees practice facility in make it.’ But in this day and age and the way the game is now, it’s the summer. good for small players,” Gaudreau said. On June 29, the unassuming all-star will host the inaugural Stricter obstruction rules now make it easier for swift, elusive playJohnny Gaudreau Scholarship Golf Tournament at Ron Jaworski’s Blue Heron Pines Golf Club in Egg Harbor City. All proceeds will ers like Gaudreau to thrive, despite their size. Gaudreau says players benefit the Gloucester Catholic scholarship fund, and info is availof his stature can draw lots of holding and tripping penalties with their speed and shiftiness. able by calling Pat Murphy at 856-456-4400 (ext. 219) or by email “If you’re smart and skilled with the puck, I think it’s an advantage at pmurphy@gchsrams.org. to be small,” he said. “Just trying to give support to Gloucester Catholic,” Gaudreau said. That said, even Gaudreau didn’t expect to be dominating the NHL Gaudreau’s unexpected climb to stardom has gotten national atso soon. tention. In March, he was featured in a four-page Sports Illustrated “It’s crazy,” he said. “It’s hard to believe I do the things I do spread, and he has joined an iconic group of former South Jersey sometimes. I’m really fortunate to play with a lot of great players standouts who climbed the ladder and became elite athletes—a list and good coaches who really help out, and now that I’m here, it’s that includes Mike Trout, Carl Lewis, Carli Lloyd, Franco Harris, Joe really, really cool.” Flacco, Orel Hershiser and many others. At this year’s All-Star Game in Nashville, Gaudreau looked at The young man with the small stature has reached the big time. n against the Flyers. The younger Gaudreau loves Calgary and has become a folk hero of sorts in the Western Canadian city. But he felt at home when he returned to his roots and got to face the Flyers. “It’s special. I get to see family and friends,” said the baby-faced Gaudreau, who rooted for the Flyers as a youngster. “Everybody’s texting me to see me after the game. There’s only so many people I can see, but it’s exciting to hear from all these people.”

Photo S. Carchidi

PROMOTION

Combined Business and Vacation Travel Expenses

f you go on a business trip within the U.S. and add on some vacation days, you know you can deduct some of your expenses, right? The question is how much.

Transportation Expenses First, letâ€™s cover just the pure transportation expenses. Transportation costs to and from the scene of your business activity is 100-percent deductible, as long as the primary reason for the trip is business rather than pleasure. On the other hand, if vacation is the primary reason for your travel, then generally none of your transportation expenses are deductible. Transportation costs include travel to and from your departure airport, the airfare itself, baggage fees and tips, cabs, and so forth. Costs for rail travel or driving your personal car also fits into this category.

Number of Days The number of days spent on business vs. pleasure is the key factor in determining if the primary reason for domestic travel is business. Your travel days count as business days, as do weekends and holidays if they fall between days devoted to business, and it would be impractical to return home. Standby days (days when your physical presence is required) also count as business days, even if you are not called upon to work on those days. Any other day principally devoted to business activities during normal business hours is also counted as a business day, and so are days when you intended to work, but could not due to reasons beyond your control (local transportation difficulties, power failure, etc.).

Primary Reason for Travel You should be able to claim business was the primary reason for a domestic trip whenever the business days exceed the personal days. Be sure to accumulate proof and keep it with your tax records. For example, if your trip is made to attend client meetings, log everything on your daily planner and copy the pages for your tax file. If you attend a convention or training seminar, keep the program and take some notes to show you attended the sessions. Once at the destination, your out-of-pocket expenses for business days are fully deductible. Out-of-pocket expenses include lodging, hotel tips, meals (subject to the 50% disallowance rule), seminar and convention fees, and cab fare. Expenses for personal days are nondeductible.

Unsure what to claim? If you are unsure what you should claim, or if you feel your employees are taking advantage of the expense claim, contact us. We can help you to better understand the expense rules and how to apply them to your business.

Cordua, Pastore & Associates is an accounting firm providing services to smalland medium-sized businesses. At Cordua, Pastore & Associates, clients experience a service-minded staff whose goal is to customize their relationship with clients in order for clients to reach their goals.

www.corduapastore.com

PROMOTION

You’ll want to keep this one

ome things can be easy to say, but hard to do. For instance, talking about the future can be hard, especially when it involves the thought of leaving your family behind. What lies ahead may not be in your control, but your actions today can make a world of difference later on. In today’s digital age, there have been countless benefits from the evolution of technology. While I embrace innovation and technology in my business and my personal life, I still consider myself a “paper person.” When I read an article of great value, I like to tear it out and add it to my special file so I can reference it again in the future. This special file is full of an eclectic assortment of articles from Wall Street Journal editorials to recipes to speeches given after national tragedies. There are no limits to what I include. If it’s something that could add value or interest to my life, I add it. With that in mind, I share with you something I hope you will consider tearing out and saving in your special file. For years, I shared this information with many of my clients and have seen how it’s helped them during difficult times. I hope this article is able to help you or someone you love as well.

Creating a Financial Planning & Life Planning Book Often, I suggest to my clients that they create a personal Financial Planning & Life Planning Book to help ensure their family members are prepared should they pass away unexpectedly. While many of us have the basic documents like a valid will on hand, providing your family with details about your finances will likely make your passing less overwhelming. If you do not currently have an organized file or book with essential information for your family, I urge you to consider creating one. In the list below, I offer suggestions on how to get it done.

What to Review Annually Some conversations associated with this project may not be easy, but it’s important to set aside time annually to review and update your records and instructions with your family. For me, I use the time between Christmas and New Year’s to do this. Setting aside this specific time forces me to make this planning a priority,

instead of pushing it off to a later date. In my special book, the first thing I include is a letter with my final thoughts and financial instructions for my family. I include the following items in this letter: • A personal possessions list for my wife and children – This list includes all of my personal possessions as well as my best wishes to my family. This letter was not easy to write, and took me about a year to complete. However, it has helped so many people as I have shared it over the years. If you would like a copy of the format, please give me a call – I will gladly share it. • A suggested list of to-do’s - In this list, I include all of the contact information for my advisors, their areas of expertise and the suggested order in which to contact them. This list also references the multiple layers of decisions and timeframes for those decisions. I conclude this section with ideas on how to think about upcoming decisions for both the shortterm and long-term. As you are writing this letter, it is important to remember that your family may not know which advisors to contact first – so make sure you add details to simplify the process. • An updated balance sheet – This list should include all assets and accounts you have (i.e., IRAs, 401(k)s, college savings accounts, taxable stocks and bonds, bank accounts, etc.) It is also important to include all of your current liabilities and accompanying terms on this list. • A list of all insurance policies – Make sure your family is aware of all insurance policies you have. This may include life insurance, health insurance, disability insurance, homeowners insurance and auto insurance. • A list of all beneficiaries – For all of the accounts and policies listed above, make sure you include a list of beneficiaries so your family knows who they are. • Expenses – It is important to include a list of expenses for the past 12 months. This will give whoever is in charge of managing the expenses guidance going forward. This list should also be broken down by “mandatory” and “discretionary” items. As mentioned, the above items should be reviewed or updated annually. If you wish, you may also include your family in the process.

What to Review Every Three to Five Years For the next section of your Financial Planning & Life Planning Book, I suggest adding and reviewing the following documents every three to five years. These are some of the most important documents to keep accessible at the time of your death, so be sure your family is aware they are included in this book. • Valid will – To ensure your named executors and guardians distribute your assets properly, you must have a valid will. I recommend giving copies to your trusted advisors and keeping the original in a safety deposit box or with your lawyer. It is important to note that your trusted advisors may change over time, so make sure they are able to speak to one another on your behalf. • Living will and healthcare directives – These documents express your wishes if you become physically or terminally ill or incapacitated. Consider providing copies of these documents to your close family members, doctors, attorneys and other trusted advisors. • Powers of attorney – These documents grant your trusted person or agent the power to handle your financial matters. A durable power of attorney remains in effect if you become incapacitated and are unable to handle your own financial decisions. A healthcare power of attorney grants authority to make healthcare decisions on your behalf if you become incapacitated, and to follow your wishes as you had intended. It is important to remember that you never know what the future holds, so it is best to be prepared so your family has direction when making important decisions.

Bringing It All Together To summarize the list of suggested items in your Personal Financial Planning &Life Planning Book, you should include: • A cover letter to your family • Instructions that prioritize immediate and long-term activities to manage

by Albert Fox

sors are well aware of your intentions and goals. Remember, financial and personal situations vary by each individual, so you deserve to receive personalized guidance from every professional you decide to hire. In the event you are unhappy with one of your advisors, consider having conversations with other advisors who may be a better fit for your needs. If you are unsure as to which questions to ask, contact our team and we will be glad to provide a list of the most common questions to ask an advisor.

A Final Act of Love Recently, I attended the funeral of one of my clients. Fifteen years ago, my client and I began the process of creating his personal book. Over the years, the book sat on the shelf, only opened to make periodic adjustments. When he passed away, his wife knew exactly who to contact and where to find essential information. During this difficult time, I could see his wife was given some relief thanks to the guidance provided in the book. At the funeral, my client’s grown children referred to the book as being a helpful tool during the process. I was very proud to see the prep work included in the book made such a difference for this family. My wish for you is that you will tear this article out and refer back to it as a reference guide. Better yet, I hope you act on it and provide your family with this important information should they ever need it. Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”), its affiliates and Morgan Stanley Financial Advisors or Private Wealth Advisors do not provide tax or legal advice. Clients should consult their tax advisor for matters involving taxation and tax planning and their attorney for matters involving trust and estate planning and other legal matters. The case study presented is for illustrative purposes only. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC offers insurance products in conjunction with its licensed insurance agency affiliates.

• The actual documents your family will need. While meeting with your advisors, ask the right questions so you and your family fully understand all of the steps involved. It is also important to ensure your advi-

Albert Fox is a Financial Advisor with Morgan Stanley Global Wealth Management in Mt. Laurel. The information contained in this article is not a solicitation to purchase or sell investments. Any information presented is general in nature and not intended to provide individually tailored investment advice. The strategies and/or investments referenced may not be suitable for all investors as the appropriateness of a particular investment or strategy will depend on an investor’s individual circumstances and objectives. Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, LLC, member SIPC.

THE

Entrepreneur Coach by John Hopkins

inspireme@inspiritgrowth.com

Predict-Ability is “Hi-Po” Protection It’s the one of the best paths to high potential employee retention People are a business owner’s most valuable investment. Finding, keeping and inspiring the “best and brightest” people in your organization is one of the most important ongoing business strategies for your long-term business success, personal freedom and life balance.

FAST FACTS

for Business Owners 94% of employees are unsure of the

business owner’s vision and strategy on an ongoing basis.

67% of executives say their top issue today is their “people.” 60% of company business strategies do not execute well in large part because of people issues. 50% to 65% of jobs in the country

THINGS ARE CHANGING IN HOW TO INSPIRE RETENTION…and it isn’t about the money! In his book Good to Great, Jim Collins writes about getting the right people in the right seats of the bus. The question is what role does ownership and management play in this effort and is there a responsibility by employees? In this day and age of employee self-empowerment and desire for self-coaching, the answer is that it needs to be a joint effort and more predictable. Muddled “people management” thwarts employee satisfaction, causes delays and results in angst largely because most people are uncomfortable dealing with people issues.

are in the small- to middle-market sector.

TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN

30% of an employee’s first year salary is the average cost of a bad hire.

Ownership can do better. People are a business owner’s most valuable investment. Why is it that we keep an eye on our investment portfolio to see if it is growing in value, paying dividends and providing future financial security…and yet our people are not part of that “investment portfolio”? They, in fact, are helping to generate the annual company dividend called Net Income. The company is the highest ROI of all our investments. Can we invest in our people more prudently like we do our other investments yet with better predictability? Certainly. Employees can do better. We all need to know ourselves better. We are curious but we don’t really take the time to truly get to know ourselves. Why is that the case when today we can do it more informatively than ever before? If we knew ourselves better we would have greater awareness, confidence, success and fulfillment. We would have less self-doubt, self-

4.9% is the official unemployment rate as of February 2016, which means more competition for better people.

3 million people quit their jobs in December, the highest quit rate since 2006: “Quitting is in!”

91% of Millennials expect to stay in their jobs for less than three years, and have four different jobs in 10 years. December

job openings hit their second-highest level since 2000!

50+ job search websites are processing millions of job search requests nationwide. 78

limitation and self-criticism. Imagine a workplace that creates the opportunity for the highest level of self-awareness and where each person leaned into this deeper insight. Imagine a workplace that becomes a learning center for self-mastery in word, action and deed. This joint ownership/employee pursuit builds new levels of communication, understanding, performance, enjoyment, innovation and collaborative teamwork. Growing self-awareness motivates everyone to further develop their abilities so that everyone can make greater contributions individually and collectively. Imagine the impact on company performance, earnings and compensation, plus more focused career growth and more natural ways to sustain work/life balancing. When we move with greater awareness of what we do best (and what we should not be doing), ownership and employees alike shape the reality of an inspired company.

PREDICT-ABILITY IS THE FUEL TO SUCCESS, LIFELONG CLARITY AND HAPPINESS Driving a car requires the right type and amount of fuel. So does running a business. The right people fuel the business in every imaginable way. Everything is done by people, with people, through people and for people. This has always been and will always be the case. As a business owner, fortify your investment portfolio and success mentality by adding your people into it. Strengthen your business by engaging your teams in a self-mastery initiative such as understanding their fully predictable behavior. As employees, jump at the chance, even request it. It’s a win-win-win for everyone, including clients and customers. This simple, enlightening form of engagement is about everyone’s Predict-Ability, including you as the business owner. Understand it to know yourself better and to build a more valuable you and company culture, freedom and long-term happiness. n Learn more. Contact john@inspiritgrowth.com.

MIND YOUR BUSINESS

ADVERTISE WITH US contact: ken@jerseymanmagazine.com

JOE SIXPACK

______________________________________________________________________ BY DON RUSSELL

Defining Beer is Like Nailing Jelly to a Wall

F YOU’VE EVER ATTENDED a beer festival, you have a good idea of the huge variety of beer styles on the shelves today. Take the annual Great American Beer Festival (GABF) in Denver, for example. The event is the world’s largest judged beer competition, with gold, silver and bronze medals awarded in more than 92 different style categories, from Düsseldorf-style altbier to American-style wheat-wine ale. Please don’t ask me to name ‘em all. And forget about the nearly 100 subcategories: I’m fairly certain I couldn’t detect the difference between, say, a Kristal weizen and a Leichtes weizen, even if you held a Luger to my head. It’s enough to make you wonder: Where did all of these beer styles come from? Credit for this lovely mess o’ beer goes to Michael Jackson, the late, great British newspaperman and beer critic. He’s the one who invented the notion of definable beer styles in 1977, with the publication of his groundbreaking The World Guide to Beer. Before his book, people didn’t much reckon with the methods, ingredients, flavors and cultural traditions behind the various types of beer around the globe. Evidence of that can be found in the fading painted signs on the sides of Philadelphia’s old warehouses, advertising “Beer, Ale & Porter”—nothing else. We tended to classify it as “British beer” or “German beer” or whatever, even if the beer within each country varied greatly from one town to the next. Beer drinkers surely could taste the difference between a bitter and a mild. But outside of very technical manuals, there was no clear understanding of what made them different and why. “Michael’s book really opened a lot of people’s minds and introduced people to the concept that there were all these kinds of beers that were brewed around the world,” Charlie Papazian, founder of the Brewers Association, told me. “He was the one who showed that these beers had tradition and different qualities attributed to ingredients and aging and fermentation and other unique characteristics.” n an age when the association recognizes no fewer than five different types of Belgian-style sour ale alone, it’s almost quaint to look back at the 40-year-old book. Jackson’s guide laid out just 24 “classical beer styles,” roughly grouping them as ales, lagers and wheat beer. For those of us who suffered a generation ago with little other than boring American industrial lager, it read like an anthropology manual, with Jackson lovingly describing the history, flavor and people behind these unheard-of styles. Rauchbier from Bamberg, white beer from Leuven, pale ale from Burton—Jackson explained why each was worthy of appreciation. Beer lovers, looking for something different, drooled. Some took action.

In Seattle, Charles Finkel of the Merchant du Vin wine importing company gave up the grapes and used the book to track down exotic beers around the world. Suddenly, classic but little-seen labels like Samuel Smith’s and Lindemans were showing up on American shelves. Homebrewers began to replicate the styles—Russian stout, Berliner weisse, Scotch ales—beers that had never been tasted outside of their homelands. The style descriptions evolved. Where Jackson had simply mentioned general specifications, others established technical guidelines, including original gravity, alcohol content, bittering units, color definitions and other elements. By 1989, beer historian Fred Eckhardt’s The Essentials of Beer Style identified specific brewing details for 38 styles worldwide. The list continued to grow. Papazian, a home-brewing pioneer, personally paged through every issue of the German brewing magazine Brauindustrie, gleaning the specs originally authored by brewing professor Anton Piendl. Zymurgy, the journal of the American Homebrewers Association, published the standards for innovative do-it-yourselfers. U.S. craft brewers, eager to distance themselves from conventional, mass-produced lagers, began creating their own knockoffs, leading to distinctly American interpretations of pale ale, stout, barleywine and even wheat beer. Suddenly, a brown ale was no longer just a brown ale. It might be an English version, like mild Newcastle; or Flemish, like sweet and sour Goudenband; or American, like hoppy Pete’s Wicked.

I 82

Michael Jackson, author of the groundbreaking book, The World Guide to Beer

Other styles seemingly evolved from nowhere. In the mid-1990s, dozens of brewers started making raspberry wheat beer. It was as if there was no other fruit on the planet. So in 1998, the GABF added a raspberry beer category. It disappeared three years later. A few years ago, it added coffee-flavored beer. Then pumpkin. Other newbies include gluten-free, low-strength, American-style sour, Americanstyle imperial stout and well, you catch my drift. The GABF has ensured that the list will continue to morph with new hybrids thanks to a medal for the best experimental beer. True, these new styles can be strange or even bizarre—but no more than the beer that the world drank hundreds of years ago. In his new book, Beer Styles from Around the World (Cerevisia Communications, 2015), author Horst Dornbusch shares recipes for a host of forgotten styles, including Mumme, a best seller in Europe between the 14th and 17th centuries. The syrupy brew was made with, among other ingredients, bean flour, “the inner rind” of a fir tree and marjoram. When Brooklyn’s Sixpoint Brewing tried to re-create the style, it used prune juice and juniper. I think we can safely predict that Mumme won’t be making a huge comeback, but that’s one of the joys of America’s beer renaissance: Brewers are not beholden to beer styles. For, unlike wine varietals, beer styles are only loosely defined. There is no appellation d’origine controlee dictating that pilsener must be made in its Bohemian birthplace of Pilzen. Judging from the number of black IPAs in the beer aisle, there is no agreement that an India pale ale must even be pale. As Dornbusch writes, “Beer styles are by their very nature vague and elusive, even shifty and slippery, and defining them can be tougher than nailing jelly to a wall.” n For more on beer around Philadelphia, visit www.joesixpack.net

THE HEALTH

REFEREE

______________________________________________________________________________________________ BY DR. RUBINA TAHIR, DC

Five Reasons Why You Should Mix Business With Positivity

oes your business model include positivity? Positivity is often overlooked as a component of a successful business model. I think this is true because happiness is an emotion and not thought of as a protocol for business strategy. Stop for a minute to ponder this age old question. Do you look at the glass as half full or half empty? Do you save this question for personal goals as opposed to business goals? Kyree Terrell, AKA “The Positive Businessman,” has made the outlook of “glass is always half full” the center of his business model. It’s a wise choice, as research shows that when people work with a positive mind-set, performance with regards to productivity, creativity and engagement improves. How do you consciously choose to have a happy day every day? As the founder of My NEW Philly, Kyree has channeled his positivity practices into a place of inspiration for the Philadelphia community. I describe the video platform as a vision board. It is everything you want to focus on to get away from the stressors of life. You’ll find current event stories, what events to attend every week, fashion, sports, food, health; you will be introduced to products, services and brands you can support that you didn’t even know were right in your backyard! Thirty-two unique segments to be exact. Notice what is missing? No violence and no crime. So you are wondering how this is going to change your life. Well get excited, because by choosing what to take in, you become better at business. Here is how:

1. Stress Management Made Easy There are conventional ways of dealing with stress. Maybe you signed up for a weekend seminar. The truth is one weekend is not going to change your life. So start seeking information that is inspiring versus discouraging. “When I see negative content, especially violence, it sticks with me for a long time. Sometimes months,” says Kyree. It’s true. Think about this scenario. If a bear was chasing you, there are two possible outcomes: you run away from the bear, or it eats you. Either way the stress response that was turned on, turns off. With

negative input we keep the stress response on all of the time. Bottom line: Positive thinkers cope with stress allowing for better innovation.

2. Better Management Skills We live in a society that has programmed us to respond to terms such as work ethic and return on investment. I believe this is true because individuals take pride in their work ethic. What about happiness? A study done by The Institute of Leadership and Management Kyree Terrell

how well they were doing in school, exhibited a stronger immune response than those who had a more negative view of the situation. Kyree reminds us that healthy habits do require repetition and he works diligently on this end result. “I love to affect change and make the people around me better!” says Kyree. By regularly taking in positive content there is a shift in the way events are perceived. You have an increased awareness of details that are positive in a situation.

4. Live Longer A 30-year study of 447 people at the Mayo Clinic found that optimists had around a 50 percent lower risk of early death than pessimists. Kyree is a believer of the mind-body connection. He states, “At My NEW Philly we believe that if you continue to show people positive essential news content, things that can make their lives better and make them a better person, they will continue to tune into this brand of news so long as they can see and understand the positive effects it has on their lives.”

5. Solution Based vs. Tunnel Vision

Being happy at work can boost your performance and help to advance your career. “Negative is a choice,” says Terrell. states that being happy at work can boost your performance and help to advance your career. “Negative is a choice. We choose what to put in our body or what to stimulate the body with,” says Kyree. Choose your content wisely. Lead with optimism because teams that fully understand the purpose of what they do are more engaged than teams without this focus.

3. Immune Boost Researchers Segerstrom and Sephton found that people who were optimistic about a specific and important part of their lives, such as

Positive people are able to maintain a broader perspective and see the big picture, which helps them identify solutions, whereas negative people maintain a narrower perspective and tend to focus on problems. How can you use My NEW Philly to turn on the positivity switch? “The news had sung the same song forever. It’s time an alternative be born that helps you navigate your everyday happenings to their fullest potential and makes you want to share a positive entertaining story with the ones you love,” says Kyree. The ultimate goal with positivity is to create a routine that keeps the negative out. It’s like a personal force field for your mind-body connection. What do you do to stay positive? I want to know! Tweet me @chirorubina n References: 1. Kyree Terrell www.mynewphilly.com 2. Fredrickson’s 2009: Positivity 3. https://hbr.org Harvard Business Review 4. https://www.i-l-m.com/ The Institute of Leadership and Management

The Smoking Dog THE CIGAR GUY ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Sponsored by

BY SAM KRAFT

Viva Republica - Advanced Warfare

n this issue I’m reviewing one of my all-time favorite cigars, the Advanced Warfare by Viva Republica. This boutique brand seemed to pop out of nowhere, manufactured right out of the La Aurora factory. Advanced Warfare was just recently released this past IPCPR trade show in New Orleans. When I first tried its green counterpart, Viva Republica’s Guerrilla Warfare, it was a strong and interesting smoke for me. While Guerilla Warfare wasn’t an immediate favorite of mine, it was love at first puff for Viva Republica’s newest stick. Just on its packing alone, this cigar is a winner. It has a highly sought-after combination. It is both a tightly packed cigar, and one that has a loose, easy draw. If you’re not too macho to smoke a smaller ring gage cigar, then you can find real balance in the Advanced Warfare. This cigar has an interesting blend. It has an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper, a Connecticut Broadleaf binder and Nicaraguan and Pennsylvanian filler. That’s right, folks, Connecticut isn’t the only US state that has its hands in the tobacco industry. Pennsylvanian tobacco is growing rapidly in popularity among boutique and large brands alike. The home field advantage alone gets me

Size: Corona

revved up for this cigar every time. On the first puff, the Advanced Warfare starts off medium in flavor. Its light spice doesn’t try to overwhelm you. It also has a slight savory taste to it that is reminiscent of sweet bread. Yet on the retro hale, you can tell where this cigar is headed. Through the nose, you can really feel the hot pepper and spices. There is also a pleasant bitter taste to this stick that balances the other flavors in a fantastic way. The second third picks up a bit. The spice gets a bit stronger and earthy flavors, like dirt and soil, join on the palate. Again, the retro hale is strong, yet never becomes too overwhelming. It’s just enough spice to keep the smoker excited. The final third changed the game up quite a bit. Cocoa enters the scene in a big way, as do sour and woodsy flavors. You can also feel the oils increase on your tongue. It all mixes together so well. This is where the cigar turns into a little flavor bomb! I’m very happy to share one of my all-time favorite go-to sticks with you. Advanced Warfare is one of the most exciting blends out there, and really sends the smoker for a ride. I enjoyed mine for $7, paired with coffee. Be Safe, Have Fun and Enjoy Your Smokes! n

You’ve worked hard for a lifetime to make it to the top. And we want to recognize you for the success you have achieved for your company…and for yourself.

Welcome to the Club The Chairman’s Club from JerseyMan/PhillyMan Magazine is an elite fraternity. We are looking for a mastermind networking group of no more than 15 exceptionally gifted professionals who have made it to the head of their class and want to learn from and share with other members of this group.

Welcome to the rarified air of success…and to the Chairman’s Club! JerseyMan

chairman’s club Contact ken@jerseymanmagazine.com or call (856) 912-4007 for more information

www.jerseymanmagazine.com

TECH TIME

______________________________

BY ANTHONY MONGELUZO

Don’t Get Unlucky with the Locky Virus

VERY YEAR there’s a new brand of flu, and scientists and manufacturers adjust the vaccine accordingly. But in the virus world of computers, users should know that a new strain— with gut-wrenching implications—is hitting everywhere, and no one is safe. The new virus, Locky, is actually ransomware, and if you’re infected, you must pay the penalty or lose your data. Technically, it’s not “lost,” but it becomes encrypted so that you don’t have access to it. How does it work? This new version comes to your email as a Word document attachment, purporting to be an invoice. It might be something similar to: “ATTN: Invoice J-98223146.” The message will read: “Please see the attached invoice (Microsoft Word Document) and remit payment according to the terms listed at the bottom of the invoice.” After opening the email, you’ll see jumbled text and a message to enable macros. DON’T. It’s a trick. The minute you enable the macro, Locky will silently invade your system.

Remember: Never, repeat, NEVER enable a macro unless you are 100 percent confident of the source and that you must do it. (A macro is a single instruction that expands automatically into a set of instructions to perform a particular task.)

Why do we open the email, attachments and “stuff” that doesn’t seem to pertain to us? We’re human, and we are by nature curious. In the physical world, think of a moat surrounding a castle, and the only way to enter is if someone puts down the drawbridge. There’s no other way in. And if you want the drawbridge lowered, you have to pay a ransom for the “privilege.” Adding to your discomfort is that when Locky (or any ransomware) takes over your computer, you’re forced to pay the ransom by a specific date. Failure to pay and bye-bye access to your data. The culprits often make you pay in Bitcoins, which are virtually untraceable. And the virus is extremely well designed. It’s almost impossible to crack through and get rid of it. Your choices? Either pull the information from your backup (PLEASE tell me you’re backing up frequently) or pay the ransom. And don’t think you’re too big or small to take the hits. Some of these hackers make the ransom palatable so that you CAN pay, and there are reports that they will help you retrieve the information. Why? If the word gets out that you paid, and they delivered, it gives the bad guys good PR: They keep their word. A recent case, heavily covered in the media, reported that a hospital in California is reputed to have paid for 40 Bitcoins or about $17,000 in ransom. Their response was understandable in some circles because the simplest solution is to pay the blackmailers, a distasteful decision to those who hate surrendering their independence, yet need to save the firm’s data. Why do we open the email, attachments and “stuff” that doesn’t seem to pertain to us, even when IT people (like me) constantly warn us that we shouldn’t? One reviewer on this issue hit the mark with a general observation: We’re human, and we are by nature curious. And when you can satisfy that curiosity within a split second (or click), well, you know the rest. Locky is the beginning of a new wave of viruses, and it won’t be going away anytime soon. n Contact Anthony at Anthony@helpmepcs.com or follow him on Twitter @PCS_AnthonyM. 89

WHAT WE WEAR

_______________________________________________________________________________ BY DANIEL R. MORRONI

All About Stripes

tripes can be a great way to bring interest into an outfit-as long as the stripes are chosen with care. To create an ensemble that incorporates stripes that work for you, consider the following points:

“ The man who, as is often said, can get away with wearing a trench coat over his dinner jacket, or an old school tie for a belt, is the one who in fact understands best the rules of proper dress and can bend them to suit his own personality and requirements.” – G. Bruce Boyer

Vertical for business Rugby and polo shirts often use horizontal stripes, but in business clothing, vertical stripes are more appropriate.

Thin is in While not all stripes need be pinstripe width, choosing thin stripes over thick, blocky stripes will generally look more refined.

Variation works Your stripes need not be uniform in either color or width. A shirt or tie with a variety of multi-width and multi-colored stripes can be quite pleasing to the eye.

Combinations matter If you’re creating an attention-drawing outfit, colors that sit opposite each other on a color wheel are highly effective. If you’re crafting an elegant business ensemble, your colors should be closer to each other on the wheel.

Subtlety in a pin Your pinstriped suit is an excellent way to incorporate the visual interest of stripes without overwhelming an outfit.

The sock question Use the same guidelines-vertical, thin, multiwidth, multi-tone stripes-when choosing socks, and you’ll be able to safely go beyond the standard solid black or brown socks. When you create a customized wardrobe that showcases your unique sense of style, you’re stepping away from the crowd’s choices, and charting your own course. There’s a bit of rebellion in creating something truly unique-you’re giving the subtle but unmistakable message to the world that you know your own mind, and you refuse to bend to the whims of others. Your favorite style may be one of timeless elegance, or you may choose to set trends. Traditional or edgy, demure or bold: no matter your preferences, you’re letting your own voice be heard instead of merely being an echo of others. n 90

THE WINE

MAN

_______________________________________________________________________________

BY ROBERT KENNEDY

A Toast to the Families of Napa Valley

HE RECENT PASSING of yet another Napa Valley wine and oenophile icon, Peter Mondavi, left us with an incredible family legacy on February 16, 2016, at the young age of 101. So it’s appropriate at this time to remember his impact on the wine world, and as importantly, all Napa appellation generational families in the business which continue to carry each respective family’s wine flag. Although wine making in this special part of the world is relatively young when compared to the “Old Country” wineries of Italy, France and Spain, it’s still somewhat surprising to revisit how many generational wine families have come through the Napa Valley “chain” since its inception in the early 1900’s. Let’s look at a few, beginning with the Mondavi Family. Cesare Mondavi and wife Rosa Grassi emigrated in 1906 from Sassoferrato, Italy and settled in Hibbing, Minnesota. The family moved to Lodi, California, shortly thereafter where Cesare had a successful fruit packing business. Sons Peter and Robert joined the family business in 1943 following the purchase of the Charles Krug Winery located in St. Helena by Cesare. In 1966, Robert left the Krug Winery after a fallout with brother,

There are many examples of generations upon generations of families in the Napa Valley that must earn their wine stripes each and every day. Peter, and founded the Robert Mondavi Winery with sons Tim, who became the wine maker; and Michael, who was the winery’s sales and marketing manager. Today, Tim Mondavi, together with Robert’s grandchildren, Carissa, Dante, Carlo and Chiara Mondavi, can be found running the Continuum Estate in Napa Valley high on Prichard Hill. Since those early years of the 1900’s, four generations of Mondavis have and continue to produce some of the best wines known to mankind today. Eliza and Mads Peterson had immigrated to the U.S. from Ireland and Denmark in the late 1800’s to a small area in Napa between St. Helena and Calistoga, settling on a 100 acre farm there. During the prohibition of the 1920’s, plums became the plantings of choice in the valley. The Peterson family began with a plum orchard that would sustain their family’s life through the early to mid-1900. As time continued, first-generation Petersons passed their farmland along to daughters Vera, Carrie and Mae,

who worked the property throughout this second generation. Vera’s son, John Peterson, grew up farming more than plums, including vegetables, fruits and livestock, since expanding the farm was a necessity. John’s work ethic was passed along to his children, Trisha, Kelly and Johnny in early 1990, as the family continued to grow. It was in the 1990’s that John and the Peterson family began transitioning the farm to include grapes that turned Switchback Ridge into a premier winery today, which Kelly is credited with accomplishing. Kelly’s daughter, Ashely, who is now a fifthgeneration Peterson member, is tasked with the responsibility of sales and marketing for Switchback Ridge. The Nichelini Family Winery was founded in the 1800’s when Swiss settlers Anton and Caterina Nichelini came to Chiles Valley, a region of Napa, in 1882 at age 19. Olive groves and some Zinfandel vines were planted during those early years to support the Nichelinis’ 12 children. During the Prohibition years, the winery closed (although it was known to bootleg a few bottles or so), but quickly reopened following the end of Prohibition. These second-generation wine makers had offspring who are now fifth-generation Nichelini wine owners. The Nichelini Family Winery is considered the oldest family owned winery in Napa today, having produced wines for over 120 years now. Nichelini only produces about 2,500 cases each year, and is currently headed by the family’s fifth-generation member and seventh head wine maker, Aimee Sunseri. Aim ee holds a degree in Viticulture and Enology from U.C. Davis. The company’s motto is “Generation to Generation,” as generations have passed along their incredible wine making skills, knowledge and experiences learned from the ones that came before. The Nichelini Family continues in the true tradition of hard work, careful and precise craftsmanship, and the insatiable yearning to produce the best world-class wines available today. he passing of a wine legend has brought to the forefront how important generational talent is in the grape-growing and wine-producing business. It’s not just good enough to be another Mondavi, Peterson or Nichelini member in a long lineage of revered wine producers. Not one of these family members in the wine business is privileged, has a rite of passage or can assume the mantle without earning it, time and again. And it doesn’t stop with just these three families. There are many more examples of generations upon generations in the Napa Valley that must earn their wine stripes each and every day. From those meager beginnings that started the Napa Valley grape growing in the early 1900’s, where very few farms there competed with the infamous French wines on quality and substance, to today’s Napa wine industry blossoming at over $22 billion, most generational wine families earn our respect by producing the best grapes and wines in the world. And this is no small feat for any generation given the time and talent it takes for each family to win over the palate of so many finicky wine drinkers who exist today. n

SAY GERV?

_______________________________________________________________________________ BY GERVASE PETERSON

ay Gerv? My girlfriend and I are talking about our future together. What’s the best age to start having kids? – Richard, Collingswood, NJ

Richard, are you and your girl ready to stop partying? Are you ready to stop being selfish? Are you ready to be broke? Are you ready for a mini you? If your answer is no to any of those questions then it’s definitely not the right time. The best time to start having kids is when you’re ready to have kids. Or I should say when you’re as close to ready as you can get. Having a child is a life-changing experience, and I’m not just talking about your lives. It changes your grandparents’, parents’ and siblings’ lives too. You know, since they’ll be babysitting while you and your girl go to work or out to party. I’m glad to see you are having this conversation early. You still need to get engaged then married so there’s no rush. You plan on doing that first, right?! _________________________________________ Say Gerv? How can I eat healthy when the rest of my family is eating all the nonhealthy good stuff? – Antonio, Palymra, NJ Antonio, I’m not gonna lie. That can be tough, especially if the family isn’t going to join you, but you can still do it! Instead of going cold turkey (mmmm, turkey) or setting some big goals, how about you start small, give up soda and replace it with water for a week? Once you accomplish this, pat yourself on the back because you just completed your first goal. Instead of trying to go to the gym five days a week, set a goal for two days a week. If you can do two days a week for a month add a third day. Setting small goals and accomplishing them can be empowering and actually doable instead of setting big goals that you have to skip and cheat on. The hardest part is getting started, but once you do and you find your rhythm, you’ll be on your way to a healthier you! _________________________________________

Got a question for Gerv? Send your questions to:

saygerv@jerseymanmagazine.com and look for his answers in the next issue!

Say Gerv? The kids and I want to get a dog, but the wife says no. How can we change her mind? – Christopher, North Philly, PA Christopher, show the wife some cute puppy pictures to soften her up. Let her know how responsible the kids are to take care of a dog. List the benefits to having a dog like how they’re good for you mood, health and keep you active. Make her part of the decision making process on what type of dog to get and what to name it. Heck, promise her she’ll never have to pick up dog poop. If none of that works then you might have to bring out the big guns. Tell the kids to start crying if she says no and ask her in front of them. Yeah, I know that’s dirty, but do you want this dog or not? Then keep it quiet and get those kids to start boo-hooing. _________________________________________ Say Gerv? I found weed in my son’s room. How do I talk to him about it without killing him? – Calvin, Manayunk, PA

‘‘

The first thing to do is keep your cool, Calvin. I know that can be hard, but you don’t want

Tell the kids to start crying if she says no. Yeah, I know that’s dirty, but do you want this dog or not?

your son to shut down and shut you out. Next is to open the lines of communication. Find out if it’s his weed, why he smokes, where he gets it from. You want to get as much information as possible to make the best decision possible. Hear him out. Let him do the talking and you do the listening. We parents tend to think we know a lot and what’s best for our kids and we do our best to protect them. We also forget how fast they grow up and that they have their own opinions which may not be ours, and listening can help you understand that. And lastly, let your son know that you love him. Even though you may be upset, even mad at him, that doesn’t mean you don’t love him and both of you will get past this. I always tell my kids, I understand what your friends and their parents let them do, but in this house we act this way and that’s just the way it is. Then I’ll tell them stories of how bad I had it as a kid to let them see how good they have it now. n Gervase Peterson is a cast member from the reality series “Survivor.” Gerv is an actor and entrepreneur and keeps busy fulfilling personal appearance requests and speaking engagements all across the country.