NUTLEYJOURNAL

UNICO hosts program

It’s a race to the finish at Pinewood Derby

By Amanda Valentovic Correspondent

Nutley’s Cub Scout Pack 141 returned to the John H. Walker Middle School gym on Friday, Jan. 27, for its annual Pinewood Derby, racing down a track to determine the fastest homemade cars. Joseph Kaplow’s car won first place with a speed of 159.25 miles per hour; Carter Teese came in second and Gabriel Tischio rounded out the top three.

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NHS rolls to county title

The Pinewood Derby cars are made from a block of wood with four wheels, and each participant can decorate it to look like anything he wants, as long as it weighs 5 ounces or less. The goal is to make it move down the track the fastest, and cars compete four at a time in 64 heats to determine the top three fastest. Awards are also given to the cars determined to be the Funniest Car, Best in Show, Most Scout Spirit and the Leader’s Choice.

“They get very psyched up,” Pack Leader Dan DiCristo said in an interview with the Nutley Journal at the event. “It’s a big deal. They get the cars around Christmas, and then they have time to decorate them.”

Scouts in first through fifth grade participate in the race; kindergarten Scouts make a car and send them careening down the track, but only for fun. It’s one of the events they look forward to the most. DiCristo’s son is in fifth grade and this is his last year of competition, but he said he wants to return next year to help log the cars and race times.

“It’s all about smoothing the axles,” DiCristo said. “They’ll sit there for hours, rubbing them down with sandpaper or steel wool. Who knows how much it really helps, but they enjoy doing it.”

Nicholas Tomaszewski won Funniest Car, Joseph Kaplow won Most Scout Spirit,

Healey

Best in Show and Jax Odi won the Leader’s Choice award.

“This is one of those things that when they get older, even if they don’t remember a lot about Cub Scouts, they remember this,” Pack Chairperson Walt Smith said in an interview with the Journal at the event.

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Nutley UNICO hosts its scholarship program and fundraising event

For more than 60 years, Nutley UNICO and its member donors have helped Nutley students and Nutley families with their educational pursuits through local scholarship awards. To date, Nutley UNICO has contributed more than $500,000 in scholarship awards. Nutley UNICO Inc. makes available annually 25 scholarships to Nutley students who will be attending an accredited college or university program. Three of these scholarship awards are distributed equally for four years.

The remaining 22 scholarships are distributed on a one-time basis. For additional information, refer to Nutley UNICO website at nutleyUNICO.org.

Every year, Nutley UNICO runs a 50/50 to raise money for the three scholarships that are awarded during a fouryear period and the remaining scholarships are family endowed. The drawing was at the February monthly meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 1, at Nanina’s in the Park, Belleville. Attending the meeting were UNICO National President Peter Pettinato and his wife, Maggie Pettinato; and Cavalieri Ralph Contini, national executive vice president, and his wife, MariaRose. One hundred and thirteen members and guests attended the dinner and drawing. The winners are, for first prize, Arthur Tuosto; for second prize, Marty DePalma; for third prize, Frank Tidona; for fourth prize, Ida Ferraro; and for fifth prize, Rosie Barbosa.

UNICO National is the largest Ital- ian American Service Organization in the USA, celebrating 100 years of Serv- ice Above Self, from 1922 to 2022. Nutley’s Chapter of UNICO has been pro- moting and preserving its Italian Heritage since 1959.

Milkshakes and Dreams

If you are looking for a familiar face in the window, you will find it at Muggsy’s Sweet Shoppe. The store, located at 250 Washington Avenue, is an homage to an era when things were a bit simpler and there wasn’t a cell phone in sight. Nick McGuiness, a life long Nutley resident wants to make sure that we keep that time alive in our minds and hearts. At Muggsy’s, you will be immersed into a world of great Oldies music and television shows such as The Honeymooners and I Love Lucy. The décor celebrates the advertising of the time and the g reat movies that kept us glued to the TV in the 50s and 60s.

Both of Nick’s grandfathers came to this town to make a better life for their families. His maternal grandfather, Nicholas Mastrosimone, came from Brooklyn at the age of 10 and his father opened an Italian Store on Franklin Avenue. His paternal grandfather, Joseph McGuiness moved his family from Newark to Nutley for a better life with a hometown feel. Both men worked close to home and made a good life in Nutley.

Nick’s dad, Joe ‘Muggsy” McGuiness, lived in Nutley until his untimely death in 2010. He worked at Hoffman LaRoche and was deeply involved in his town. With the help of a couple of friends, he launched the St. Patrick’s Day Parade and was its first Grand Marshall. He went on to start up the Nutley 5 mile race, became involved with The Nutley Irish Americans and as a member of The Chamber of Commerce ran Business After Hours for several years. His love for the town was second to none.

As for Nicky, he has always been a nostalgic man and a man totally dedicated to “The Neighborhood.” Although he appreciates progress, he longs to keep things the same and so the idea of a Sweet Shoppe came to him. Why not create a place where people can forget the troubles of today and surround themselves with th e uncomplicated splendor of the past. It was quite a journey, interrupted by Covid and reconstructing the store, but he made it happen. During that period Nicky could be seen sitting in front of the shop and inviting people in for a fre e coffee.

So, whether you enter to fill up a bag of candy, have a great float or egg cream, maybe a burger and fries or a triple-decker PBNJ you will always feel at home at Muggsy’s.

As for Nicky, he wants everyone to know that Milkshakes and Dreams really do come true.

Written by Elizabeth Mastrosimone