Whether a father, coach, uncle, brother, stepdad, faith leader or boss, being a male role model and leading by example can make a lasting impact on those watching. We can all probably think of a man in our life that has had a big influence on us at one time or another. Whether it was someone pushing us to be a better version of ourselves, someone who sees the best in us, someone we look up to for guidance, or even someone we don’t personally know but that inspires us, we can recognize the impact these role models can make on our lives.
This month we're honoring men and their contribution to the betterment of our community and to their families. To all the men out there who are making a difference in someone’s life, big or small, we applaud you.
One specific, nonprofit group lifting up our community is Men of Harmony (spotlighted on page 26 in this edition), who love to perform at community events. During the winter they're predominantly a Dickens Holiday Choir, and they hold a Folly every spring. Many members of the group have served their country in the military and they embody a strong patriotic repertoire. The lasting impacts that they and other men are making, along with the positive ripple effect that often ensue, is so worthwhile.
I'd also like to dedicate this letter to my dad, a person who I admired greatly. A man who gave so much to so many. A good laugh, moral support, kindness and sometimes advice. I recall a few father-daughter conversations where I would share something I was going through with work, a relationship, or whatever, and he always knew what to say. Oftentimes, he would share this quote "We can't direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails." I think about that quote often and how with age comes wisdom. It's a tall order, but I'll do my best to perpetuate his legacy of character, compassion and kindness.
Wishing all the dads out there a very Happy Father's Day!
DANA WEISSENBERG, PUBLISHER
PUBLISHER
Dana Weissenberg
Dana.Weissenberg@citylifestyle.com
EDITOR
Julie Brown Patton | julie.patton@citylifestyle.com
ACCOUNT MANAGER
Catrina Tier | catrina.tier@citylifestyle.com
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Brian Wagner
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
John Fiduccia, Julie Brown Patton, Daniel Schowengerdt
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
Bonnie Porter
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Steven Schowengerdt
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Matthew Perry
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF HR Janeane Thompson
AD DESIGNER Laura Paige
LAYOUT DESIGNER Kelsi Southard
1: Newtown's new career firefighters (from left): Lucas Rosenthal, Tyler Starkey, Meg Cox, Ethan Tecker, Dan Burk. 2: BCCCF's 17th annual “Salute to Mothers Scholarship Tea Event” was held at Newtown campus. 3: Bucks County Community College’s Teas have provided more than 200 scholarships, representing $315,000-plus in support. 4: Angelo Pizza Chef Matthew Levin is partnering with Andrew Abruzzese, Pineville Tavern proprietor in Wrightstown. 5: Yardley Eye Care opened second office in Washington Crossing through acquiring Zikoski Vision Associates. 6: Tried Newtown’s first 100% vegan cafe? Greenstraw Cafe 'reopened' at 243 N. Sycamore St. 7: BCCCF Student Government Association President Lateefat Adewale and guest Jayden Thomas.
The new 2,000-square-foot Dunkin' drive-through eatery with inside seating is located across the street from the Anchor Shopping Center and next to ACI Adjustment Group on Durham Road. In addition to a variety of freshly-baked donuts, the new Dunkin' offers pop-in-your-mouth “munchkins” donut holes, bagels with butter or avocado spreads, freshly crafted coffee and espresso, along with specialty breakfast sandwiches. Dunkin' as a company now has more than 13,200 restaurants in nearly 40 global markets.
Rotary Club of Newtown members are scheduled to host a golf fundraiser on June 10 at Trenton Country Club. Proceeds benefit Pickering Manor, a 5-star nonprofit, continuing care/life plan community nestled in a residential area of historic Newtown. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m.; shotgun start at 10 a.m. Breakfast, golf, cocktails, lunch, silent auction at 2 p.m. and prizes will be available within registration fees. Awards will occur at 3 p.m. Call 215.968.3878, extension 1112.
Everyone was encouraged to post online or email the funniest caption they could dream up for the photograph spotlighted here. Organizers stated there was an overwhelming number of responses. Winners received free 2024 Brewfest tickets and special merch. Winning captions were:
1st Place: Here’s to “Rum-ing” out the Redcoats !!!!
2nd Place: In Hops We Trust, Indulge We Must
3rd Place: The Original Rebels: Taking a Break from Tyranny, One Sip at a Time
To raise awareness about Lyme disease, 30 local youth artists completed one collaborative painting, to sell to the highest bidder as a fundraiser for PA Lyme Resource Network (PALyme. org). Their 14-by-18-inch acrylic on canvas painting titled "Sunset Over Schofield Ford Covered Bridge" is on display in Newtown at Countryside Gallery, 2 South State St. Bidding entry forms are available in-person at the gallery, or bids can be placed via email: youthartsilentauctionbids@aol.com. Bidding ends June 2.
Photography by Bonnie Porter
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PICCOLO TRATTORIA: AUTHENTIC ITALIAN FLAIR IN NEWTOWN AND BEYOND
ARTICLE BY JOHN FIDUCCIA | PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRIAN WAGNER“Family" best describes the restaurant empire started in Newtown by Fami and Amali Elabed during 2001. With handmade recipes, dining at any of the now three Piccolo Trattoria outlets looks, feels and tastes like Sunday dinner at home.
“Fami is a pioneer, taking a chance opening one of the first Italian eateries in the area,” says Amali.
Anchoring from Newtown Shopping Center, 32 West Road, the duo combined a successful fusion of delicious food, customer care and wonderful atmosphere for guests. “We’ve become a staple in the community, serving generations of families and building lasting relationships,” proudly shares Fami.
The Elabeds had so much early success that after only four years during 2005, they opened their second post in Pennington, New Jersey. Fast-forward to 2016 where Piccolo Trattoria grew again, this time in Doylestown, a location picked by customer demand, as many patrons were commuting the distance just to dine there.
Fami started the journey to multi-restaurant ownership at age 11, while working in a pizzeria. It was from that point he says he knew he was destined to become a restaurateur. The word “passion” is sprinkled throughout the company's website, and is a great way to characterize Fami, who has a glow about him when operating in the kitchen, greeting customers or directing staff.
“Restaurants grow or die," says Fami who’s been keeping the expansion in motion by moving into catering. In addition to being the exclusive caterer at various upscale event spaces, Piccolo Trattoria also delivers to homes or backyards. He says they're capable of handling more than 1,400 guests. All this is done from their industrial-strength, state-of-theart kitchen, created with expansion in mind.
Piccolo Trattoria restaurants are authentic at every turn and offer up the warm vibes of visiting family. “We want to give the community a great dining experience,” says Fami. Amali adds: “Our culinary team takes pride in preparing an array of dishes to satisfy a diverse range of palates and preferences."
The Elabeds also keep pace on the philanthropic part of their business, giving back to the communities in which their restaurants exist and customers reside. They support local causes by hosting fundraisers and being involved in charitable events. They’ve also added a binary part of their giveback ethos by donating food to homeless shelters, and have many staff volunteer at the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen, where Fami and Amali have a direct relationship.
At press time, the couple's Newtown location is in the midst of building out a beautiful patio, which will provide a covered outdoor area with 100-plus seats. This is the third expansion to the flagship location, and something Fami says he's been formulating since opening.
“Customers visit the restaurant from over two hours, and states away, and this gives them another dining option,” says Amali. It’s also notable all three locations offer quick-serve “pizzeria” style to-go options in addition to the dining rooms.
Piccolo Trattoria maintains a steady and loyal customer base, which Fami refers to as “raving fans," simply by doing what they do best, which is treating all with honesty and respect while giving them a well-rounded dining experience. This principle is executed via the owners' way of doing business, which clearly spreads to their staff, who Fami refers to as "extended family."
Piccolo Trattoria is known for offering authentic, elegant Italian cuisine, which this family does well by using fresh ingredients, making each entrée from scratch, including their famous homemade marinara sauce, and by delivering all aspects of the dining experience on point. Their restaurants also are widely known as a destination for intimate gatherings within an atmosphere of Old World ambiance with real Italian flair, creativity and quality. And, now they offer the same great food on-the-go through catering.
215.860.4247
PiccoloTrattoria.com
Local Stock Broker And Artist Enjoys Applying Both Left Mind And Right Mind To Max
ARTICLE BY JULIE BROWN PATTON PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRIAN WAGNERBy day, 83-year-old Washington Crossing resident Peter Engelbach advises clients regarding their finances at J. Alden Associates Inc., the wealth investment firm he founded in 1994. During weekends, this stockbroker creates impressionistic sculptures of bronze, steel, copper or aluminum. Given that the left side of human brains is generally responsible for logic and language, while the right side is responsible for creativity and intuition, Peter appears to be the perfect example of living life as successfully brain-ambidextrous.
"I always considered myself an entrepreneurial salesman," quips Peter Engelbach, a Washington Crossing resident who's both stockbroker and sculpture artist.
While his firm is located in Doylestown, he resides in Traditions at Washington Crossing, a naturally beautiful community for active, older citizens in Upper Makefield Township near the Delaware River.
"I always liked research, and originally thought I wanted to work in psychology or employee relations," he says.
While Peter's been in the stock brokerage business since 1965, he says he currently considers himself semi-retired. In his nearly 60 years of financial management, he states the industry moved from more simple stocks and bonds options to "sprouting into a multiheaded, complex financial services industry" with a myriad of investments, options and products. He adds that compliance aspects of the industry became "gargantuous" over the decades.
After completing a master's of business administration degree at Columbia University and an advanced degree at the London School of Economics, this Philly-born professional's first job was in New York City at international powerhouse Kuhn, Loeb & Co. He now has two partners and has grown from 20 to 120 brokers.
However, even his office at his firm emotes an artistic archeological vibe due to the unique pieces of hand-carved masks, art, paintings and pottery with which he surrounds himself.
Sometimes calling his artwork "figurative humanoids or representational pieces," Peter started taking sculpting classes at Bucks County Community College in Newtown about 12 years ago. "I can't draw a straight line but I'm good at conceptualizing," he states.
Now obtaining inspiration from pictures, art books, shapes and antique auctions, Peter recalls his interest in metal sculpting starting in 1970 when a friend was conducting direct metal welding. "It was really creative, and I assembled some pieces with found metal at Cheltenham Arts Center. From there, I got into casting, using the lost-wax method," he says.
Sometimes, he notes that he sees intriguing wooden items and thinks he could do them in metal.
The process he follows takes molding, layers of waxing, eight to 10 dippings/coatings, time and patience. He says he's learned various technical skills, foundry methods and new casting techniques at Bucks College, for which he proclaims has a beautiful setup and great instructors. "They're the only community college whose art department has a national ranking, which for the 80 percent of us who are repeat sculpting students, it serves as our working studio," he says.
Sculpting classes are offered at the college during spring and fall semesters. Peter says he typically produces one or two sculptures per session. Some of his pieces are indoor artworks composed of bronze, steel or foam coated with paint.
In addition to giving away his sculptures and often being encouraged by others to offer them for sale, Peter says he sold one "once by accident."
"I was heading an art committee at a country club, and we hosted an art show before Mother's Day for members to contribute something to sell. I added one of my sculptures, and someone insisted on buying it," Peter fondly recalls.
Local Historian Jeff Marshall Finds Hidden Magic In Landmark Structures
Newtown community historian and resident Jeff Marshall is busy continuing his quest to preserve, document and bring national notoriety to places surrounding him. With a focus on historic buildings and barns, Jeff extracted great information about the origin and usage of many Bucks County properties.
A former staffer for 40 years, president for a decade and now adviser for the Heritage Conservancy, where he still volunteers, Jeff has nominated 40 properties to be added to the National Register of Historic Places, with three more in the works.
"A hidden gem is Tyler Hall, part of Bucks County Community College in Newtown," says Jeff. "Originally a mansion built by the Tyler family, this spectacular property with beautiful gardens and views holds plenty of historical mystique and was considered one of the most stunning homes in the county."
Jeff has received several awards for his work and efforts, including the inaugural Bucks County Preservation Legacy Award, Lifetime Achievement Award and the 2015 Ambassador of Bucks County.
London Purchase Farm, an Upper Makefield property, features more than 40 acres of Revolutionary War significance, including the Chapman house, where George Washington, Alexander Hamilton and Gen. George Knox worked on best-laid plans that led to the famous crossing of the Delaware. Jeff says he assisted the current owners with the acquisition of some of the surrounding lands.
Jeff also penned six books on land protection and historic preservation, including two on historic barns in Bucks.
He notes another Newtown spot of interest in the Court Inn, also known as the Half Moon Inn located at Court Street and Centre Avenue. Built in 1733, it stands as one of the oldest structures in Newtown and sits on a 5-acre parcel originally earmarked to become a courthouse and prison back in the day.
Jeff currently operates “Open Spaces & Historic Places LLC,” a company focused on assisting property owners in obtaining the historical relevance of their properties.
ARTICLE BY JOHN FIDUCCIA | BY BRIAN WAGNER
Classic farmhouses to mid-century modern homes are what make up the character of Bucks County." “
Bernie Pastorella, assistant business manager of Men of Harmony, Inc., states the 30 members of the all-male choral group span Yardley, Bensalem, Bristol, Croydon, Fairless Hills, H olland, Langhorne, Levittown, Morrisville, Penndel and Upper Holland. Launched in 1951, they perform across Bucks County and beyond. To catch their show schedule, head to TheMenOfHarmony.com . On June 14, they're slated to perform at 7 p.m. at St. Frances Cabrini Church in Fairless Hills.
NEWTOWN CITY LIFESTYLE CHECKED IN WITH TWO LOCAL RESIDENTS OF THIS 73-YEAR-OLD CHORAL GROUP
ARTICLE BY JULIE BROWN PATTON PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESYMEN OF HARMONY, INC.
Yardley resident Brendan Krick says he heard about the group from a fellow member he knows, so he attended a performance at Bristol Day. "I enjoyed how the group sounded, and was looking for a fun, social hobby that would get me out of the house," he recalls.
Brendan states that he sang in high school choir and did musical theater. "But I hadn’t sang since then, until joining the group. I didn’t realize how much I missed it!" he exclaims.
What he believes that audiences enjoy most about the group's performances has to do with the authentic and instant bond prompted by melodious voices. "We live in a time where most music we hear is recorded. There is something magical about live music, a feeling that unites us. This is especially true of vocal harmony," he adds.
"People enjoy feeling connected to something human."
Lee Neamand, director of this choral group for more than 12 years, also resides in Yardley. Her father, Keith Summerville, of Fairless Hills, is a member of the ensemble, which formerly was called the United States Steel Chorus.
"As a child, I remember Men of Harmony visiting my school during the holiday season," Lee recalls. Lee's been involved in music since fourth grade. She played flute and sang in choirs, and eventually became drum major of the Pennsbury High School Marching Band for the 1991-1992 season. She then became drum major of West Chester University from 1994-1996, graduating with a bachelor's degree in music education. She now serves as a music teacher and supervisor of Fine, Visual, Performing Arts in New Brunswick Public Schools, NJ. She also performs vocally and instrumentally with regional orchestras and Off-Broadway productions.
Regarding recruitment, Lee says requirements for this choral membership include "a willingness to work hard and try new things, have a love for music, a wish to share your talents with others, and you need to like to have fun; oh, and be male."
"Audiences enjoy the blend of tradition and contemporary. The copyright on some of the music goes back as far as 1920," Lee says.
Whether you are a new golfer or have been playing for decades, we all want the same thing—to be a single-digit handicap (or better). In some professions, golfing with clients is a must, and slicing off the tee box can kill the deal.
If you’ve been playing with the same clubs for 5+ years, it’s time to take advantage of the new equipment. Newer clubs have lower and deeper center of gravity (CG), creating an easier launch off the face. Even off-center strikes can produce a straight shot with the right set of clubs. Any major golf store will fit you for free—just make sure you get the correct length club and size grip. The clubs don’t swing themselves, so don’t neglect instruction and practice, but getting the right equipment is a vital piece of the puzzle.
On drivers and hybrids, some of the newest equipment have premium shaft options off the rack. Generally, a $300 driver has a low-grade $15 shaft that you should change. The shaft is the engine of the club, so getting custom shafts will add distance and forgiveness—guaranteed.
As for the putter, you use it more than any other club in your bag on every round of golf. It should be the most tailored club in your bag.
There are thousands of golf books, but don’t worry, you only need to read a handful of them to up your golf IQ. Here are some top reads:
Short game: Dave Pelz’s Short Game Bible by Dave Pelz Mental game: Golf is Not a Game of Perfect by Bob Rotella Mechanics: Practical Golf by John Jacobs Ball flight laws: The Practice Manual by Adam Young (only read the first 50 pages)
You don’t even have to spend time away from your family while practicing if you don’t have a golf simulator. You can practice putting and chipping on the carpet while watching TV with your family.
Chipping and the bump and run: The only mechanical advice I will give is the most important lesson you can learn in the short game. When you miss your approach shot you must be able to chip the ball within 8 feet of the hole for a one putt. Try this shot from Dave Peltz’s short game book. It gets me up and down from 25 yards out to just off the green.
JUNE 1ST, 7TH, 15TH, 21ST
Speakeasy Train
New Hope Railroad | 7:00 PM
Embark on a journey through Bucks County foothills to the surreptitious underbelly of 1920s nightlife. Shady figures will board riders onto early 20th-century parlor cars with parlor car attendants. Enjoy a pairing of three demi-cocktails and delicious canapes, while taking in the sights and sounds of the Prohibition Era. Bust out those newsboys and beaded headbands for a roaring-good time.
JUNE 1ST
Crossing Vineyards And Winery | 12:00 PM
Celebrate spring at the vineyard with this festive day featuring local craft food and beverage vendors, live music and, of course, wine. Admission includes food, wine and spirits sampling; additional beverages and light bites available for purchase. All ticket sales are final. Event is rain or shine. Admission: $35 in advance; $40 week of event. Phone 215.493.6500.
JUNE 7TH
The Tavern At New Hope Winery | 8:00 PM
Jenene Caramielo delivers a stunning tribute show to the legendary Celine Dion, accompanied by a live band. She commands the stage and bares her soul for all to see as she belts out new and classic hits, such as "I Drove all Night," "Power of Love" and "Courage," to name a few. Tickets available online only at NewHopeWinery.com
JUNE 27TH
Cider Night
Manoff Market Gardens Cidery | 5:30 PM
Sip and relax in a cozy space in New Hope with the wood-burning stove and favorite Manoff Cider until 8:30 p.m. They have glass and bottle offerings, along with dinner from The Speckled Egg Cafe. Music likely to be provided by Jericho Grass. Place dinner orders on website: ManoffMarketGardens.com. For questions, call 215.297.8220.
JUNE 28TH
Newtown Theatre | 6:00 PM
Mike E. Winfield wowed "America's Got Talent" judges to a standing ovation. After debuting on "The Late Show with David Letterman," he filmed two separate standup comedy specials. He also played a warehouse worker on Season 8 of NBC’s "The Office." Tickets are $31 and include one drink (beer, wine, canned cocktail or nonalcoholic options). All tickets are general admission.
JUNE 29TH
New Hope Arts Center | 10:00 AM
The New Hope Arts Public Arts Program is a free, accessible and family friendly program for public viewing. Much of the sculptures are within easy walking distance from town center, and are also great for cyclists to view. At any given time, there are between 30 and 50 sculptures on display. For a current list of sculptures, visit NewHopeArts.org
