Denville Life - August 2020

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August 2020

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Denville Business Administrator Travels the World, Makes Lasting Friendships

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By Steve Sears teve Ward, Township of Denville Business Administrator, gets choked up. A frequent world traveler, Ward was during his last trip pre-COVID19 biking for a week with what he terms a “beat up old town bike” from Ghana to Tobo Benin, finishing up in Lagos, Nigeria. His intent was to donate the bike to someone at journey’s end. He met Augustus Olugbenga, who was preparing to start a family, and the two hit it off, but Ward’s attempt to give the bike to the man was met with confusion and suspicion. Eventually the exchange was made, and afterwards Ward and he remained in email communication, continuing their friendship. In late June, in what Ward calls “an absolutely huge honor,’ Augustus and his wife, Angela, agreed to ask Ward to be the godfa-ther of their child to be born in late August. “I spoke it over with my wife and I accepted,” Ward says happily, his eyes watery. When traveling, he focuses on culture, history, geography – and the people he has met. “I have maintained contact with probably a dozen close friendships I’ve made,” he says. “It’s the people that I’ve met that are sometimes more memorable then the actual places.” Ward grew up in the Detroit metro area of Michigan. Following college at Northern Michigan Uni-versity and taking part in the United States Olympic trials as a cyclist, he got his masters at Arkansas State University and started his career in city government in that state for two years, and then landed in Bloomingdale as a Business Administrator, then moved on to Hopatcong. It was then the travel bug made its visit. “I had gone on a vacation to Peru back in 2003 by myself,” he recalls. He found it beautiful: the Pacific coastline, Andes mountains and ancient Inca history, Amazon jungles – all of it. He had one problem, though: the Spanish language he had learned in high school hadn’t perfected his usage of it, so he returned home and aggressively studied it. After that, subsequent vacations back near the same area enabled him to now use what he was learning. Still not real fluent, he decided to take a leave of absence from work, travel the area again, and use the language even more. In January of 2008 he was in South America, and around this time in Bo-livia he met a Japanese gentleman, Satoshi Ikinoya, who had been traveling for two years and visit-ed 110 countries. Ward had savings available and time, so the light bulb

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was lit. He traveled with Ikinoya (with whom he still remains in contact) for a few days to learn more, and from that time in 2008 to Christmas Eve 2009, he had touched down in 80 individual countries and 7 continents, including Antarctica. “To date,” Ward says, “I have visited 137 of the 194 countries in the world, and obviously the goal is to eventually visit all 194.” For Ward, 42, who has been married to Judy Aron, a Rockaway schoolteacher, since 2014, one unique thing he does per trip is send himself a postcard from each country he visits. Antarctica may have been the most fascinating. “It was during their summer that we were there; temperatures were in the 40s or 50s. The natural beauty is second to none around the world.” For Ward, he loves the temple and monuments of India and Thailand (Laos), and he loved spending Christmas and New Years in Bangladesh, whose people he says were most friendly and welcoming. They don’t get many tourists, and they were interested in learning about American culture, and Ward theirs. continued on page 9

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Opinions

A VIEW FROM THE LEFT

When Mob Mentality and Moral Suasion Meet the Markets

EDITORIAL &

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ttention readers: Mark Shields is off this week. Please enjoy this column by Veronique de Rugy. A wave of hasty firings is sweeping across the country, driven by demands from what some call the “cancel culture.” The New York Times editorial page editor James Bennett ran an op-ed from Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., that displeased the paper’s readers and some colleagues, so he lost his job. The chief curator at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Gary Garrels, lost his job, too, after he was accused of being a racist for saying he would still collect art from white men. But the list of those who lost their jobs is much longer, and the rationale is sometimes as stunningly weak as someone liking the wrong tweet. As a result, fear has gripped many workers: Any day, any worker can be fired for simply angering a Twitter mob. Meanwhile, employers are left wondering how they should react when one of their employees becomes a target. Every case is different, and employers should be able to dismiss workers. “Employment at will” remains the best labor policy. However, one piece of wisdom is worth following: During scary, emotional or angry times, don’t act hastily. Slow down. There is value in not making rash decisions during stressful times. Mental health professionals often advise grieving families to not make any life-altering decisions for a solid year after the death of a loved one. In daily life, some common advice for those about to send a nasty email or text is, “Sleep on it.” Acting out of anger is not uncommon. Mark Twain, for instance, noted, “Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.” Aristotle observed, “Anybody can become angry -- that is easy -- but to be angry with the right person and to the right degree and at the right time and for the right purpose and in the right way -- that is not within everybody’s power and is not easy.” This rule of not acting out of passion is central to our political system. James

Mark Shields Madison, in “Federalist No. 10,” warns of impetuous mobs or factions “united and actuated by some common impulse of passion, or of interest, adverse to the rights of other citizens, or to the permanent and aggregate interests of the community.” As such, Madison and the Constitution’s other architects created a system of governance that discourages fast, immediate action and gratification. The built-in slowdown requirement enshrined in the Constitution is also present in our legal system. Due process means that no stage of legal proceedings can be dispensed with, preventing government from acting too hastily. Today, the wisdom that inspires our constitutional system and many other fields could help private firms when responding to the demands of an impetuous mob. Imagine if employers adopted the public position to wait, let’s say two weeks or so, when faced with demands that a worker be fired for some alleged claim. Such a policy would have a few advantages. First, it would give the company time to determine if the accusations are well founded. It would also allow the company to assess the bigger impact of such a decision on other employees without excessive retaliation costs for not acting quickly enough. Second, a waiting period would allow continued on page 6 100% MailedNewspaper Flanders, NJ 07836

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A VIEW FROM THE RIGHT

Big-City Rioting is No Tea Party Protest

ew subjects more easily betray aggressive media bias than protests. If you’re a conservative protester, you’re most likely to be ignored. The networks mostly ignored this year’s prayerful March for Life in January, even though President Donald Trump came in person, a historic first. ABC anchor David Muir offered 15 seconds, saying: “The president taking the stage at the anti-abortion rights rally. His administration today threatening to withhold federal funds from California for requiring private insurers to cover abortions. California’s governor dismissing the threat.” If conservative protesters are not ignored, they’re most likely to be portrayed as a menace to polite society ... even when the protests are nonviolent. Ten years ago, when the tea party assembled on Capitol Hill to oppose the passage of Obamacare as unconstitutional, “ugly” was the network term for the tone of the protests. “Late word from Washington tonight about just how ugly the crowds gathered outside the Longworth Office Building have become,” warned David Muir on March 20, 2010. “We learned that as Congressman Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri was leaving his office, someone in the crowd spit on him. There are also reports of racial and homophobic slurs, one targeting Congressman John Lewis, the famous civil rights champion, and the other involving Congressman Barney Frank. You can listen in for yourself.” But Cleaver’s claim and the N-word being yelled at Lewis were never proven. Andrew Breitbart pledged to give $100,000 to the United Negro College Fund if anyone could prove the slurs, and no one had the goods. Over at CBS, anchor Bob Schieffer doubled down saying that “a yearlong debate that’s been rancorous and mean from the start turned even nastier yesterday.” Let’s repeat: These “nasty” right-wingers were accused of saying mean words. There was no looting, rioting, burning, vandalism or violence. No one’s life or

Tim Graham limbs were in danger. Fast-forward 10 years to 2020. Left-wingers in Portland and other cities are tearing things down, burning things up and throwing projectiles at police. Hundreds of officers are being injured. Several have potentially suffered permanent eye damage from high-powered lasers. But the protesters and rioters are now on the left, so the weasel words and the euphemisms flow. Reporters mumble about “mostly peaceful” protests. None of these “objective” referees measure the tone of the left as possibly “rancorous” and “mean” and “nasty.” When you’re protesting police officers and federal security guards, there’s no need to offer dignified discourse. Compare David Muir in 2010 to David Muir on July 27. He said: “Now to those protests turning violent. Demonstrators squaring off with federal officers in Portland, Oregon. Protests over racial injustice intensifying. Local leaders say the federal presence is only fueling this.” Muir and his colleagues have a real chicken-or-the-egg problem here. Federal security officers arrived to defend federal property under attack from violent leftists. How is it that ABC is suddenly trying to sound “fair and balanced” when it comes to “local leaders” attempting to continued on page 6

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Mob Mentality and Moral Suasion... continued from page 4 heads to level and passions to cool. In the age of instantaneous news, the mob might become distracted by other events, allowing a company to assess the situation without the constant pressure. At the end of the waiting period, if the employer decides it still needs to let the employee go, it will have had time to develop an argument for why it’s making that decision as opposed to the contradicting messaging that has surrounded many of the recent firings. There’s a larger issue here, one that we libertarians pay too little attention to: What is the proper role of moral suasion on commerce? If there is no role, then the state,

Big-City Rioting...

continued from page 4 destroy a federal building, something we all fund with our taxes? ABC’s Twitter account sounded even worse when leftists erupted in Oakland: “Protesters in California set fire to a courthouse, damaged a police station and assaulted officers after a peaceful demonstration intensified.” If someone were to punch David Muir in the face, would it be considered a “peaceful demonstration intensified”? This double standard underscores what we have long known. The media offer no reward for conservatives and Republicans

with its formal law, becomes the only constraint other than market competition. If there is a role, as Aristotle hinted, then let’s be sure to do it right. For now, however, it’s easy to see the benefits for all involved if firms start waiting a little before dismissing employees under public pressure. Veronique de Rugy is a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. To find out more about Veronique de Rugy and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2020 CREATORS.COM being nice and polite. These manufacturers of “news” have the audacity to present themselves daily as the trustworthy referees of our democracy. But they seek to prevent any damage as the left unleashes vicious invective and violence. Tim Graham is director of media analysis at the Media Research Center and executive editor of the blog NewsBusters.org. To find out more about Tim Graham, and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2020 CREATORS.COM

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Cardiac Arrest Survivor to Sign Books in Denville

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By Steve Sears ohn Stibravy remembers the night. Sort of. “When you come back from something like this,” he says, “you feel like not all of you came back. Like pieces of your mind and personality didn’t return. I lost 5 months or memories and other chunks randomly.” On December 27, 2017, while he and his wife, Laura Miceli, were celebrating their 20th wedding anniversary dining out in Atlantic City, Stibravy collapsed dead in a restaurant. “A firefighter - whom I never found - started CPR, and the medics put me on LUCAS (a new automated device that does CPR automatically).” Per Stibravy, the survival rate for an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest victim is 10%. “I probably survived because that firefighter started CPR within 3 minutes. People said I turned gray from the hairline down as the blood drained downward, then dropped onto a dining table dead. No warning. Just dead.” Stibravy was dead for 40 minutes and died three more times in the Atlantic City emergency room. When finally waking, he even saw crocodiles on the ceiling, and asked for a gun to shoot them. “It took two years to get my mind back, and I was in a coma 10 days (he says all the nightmares he had while in his coma are still in his head), and I woke up insane for weeks.” Stibravy has authored a 2-book set, Aortic Valve Replacement: Through the Dark Curtain, and the latest offering, Sudden Cardiac Arrest: Back from the Dead. He will be signing both at the Book Barn in Denville on September 12. He is also part of a team that is at work on a counseling

book that will be available some time in 2021, and he himself is writing a book about the Cedar Lake area in Denville. Stibravy, 71, remembers nothing of his dinner that evening, nor does he remember going there or to the hospital, or his first rehab. He also had to relearn to walk while in re-

covery and can barely write with his right arm. “What saved me is that firefighter in the restaurant,” he says. “I never found him, don’t even know what town he’s from, nobody wrote down anything, and the other thing that saved me is not only his CPR, but the ambulance was there in 3 minutes, the ER was a block away, and they put me on LUCAS.” His reason for writing his books is straightforward. “To get the average person to take a CPR course, and just learn basic CPR,” he says. “Because with cardiac arrest, every minute that passes without somebody trying CPR, your chances of survival go down 10%. Another thing I really hope to do is promote the purchase of these LUCAS devices by small towns. It’s a real lifesaver.” Stibravy, who has a PhD in Higher Education Administration/English, has taught at United States Air Force (USAF) Academy, West Point Prep, Edison Community College (Ohio), and the Air Force Institute of Technology. He served in the USAF 1972-1992, and has lived in Denville since 1954. Ironically enough, Stibravy’s wife is also a cardiac arrest survivor. She suffered hers while at St. Clare’s Hospital in Denville during a routine heart catheterization. She was dead 10 minutes and remembers floating around watching the code team work on her. “She woke up in ICU the next day on a ventilator,” Stibravy recalls. Stibravy says, after an event like the one he and his wife had, you come back different. “You’re very aware life is each heartbeat, very aware that life is very brief. Enjoy life to the fullest. Don’t say, ‘I’ll do it tomorrow,’ because you might not get tomorrow.”

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Admin. Travels the World... continued from front page

“In the end,” Ward says, “it’s really the human connections.” And while all are unique in their own way, one “connection” he made that he enjoys discussing is President Barack Obama’s grandmother in Kenya. “My motorcycle taxi asked me, ‘Would you like to meet Mama Sarah?’ I asked, ‘Who’s Mama Sarah?’ And he said, ‘Well, that’s your President’s Grandmother.’ She spoke only the native tribal dialect, so through her granddaughter translating, we had a lovely conversation.” In his office, Ward has a scratch off map

where he eliminates the lands he has set foot in. “I have one country left in South America, two countries left in North America, two countries left in Eu-rope,” he says, “and as you can see a lot of the shaded area that still needs to be scratched off is in Africa – it’s difficult traveling there – and some of the southeast Pacific islands as well become sometimes challenging.” The above being said, as he points to his map, there’s a strong feeling that the remaining 57 coun-tries will be visited by Steve Ward in the future.

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IT HAPPENED IN OUR TOWN: Denville’s Hardy Boys

Picture taken in Denville’s Cedar Lake, 1930s.

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pril 9th, 1931 a telegram came through to the Denville newspaper office – collect. The news once again made the front page. “LEWISTOWN PA, Apr. 9 – Boys return today. Two-thousand-mile round trip. Land slide rock smashes fender, none injured. Trip very adventurous. Little engine trouble. Money low. Boys in good health.” In 1931, the United States was in the midst of the Great Depression. Two years had passed since the stock market crash, and Denville, like many other towns across the nation, was feeling the pinch. The effects of the national malaise affected the people not only fiscally, but also socially. Marriage rates fell by 3.7 percent in Morris County since the crash, as prices of new homes in Denville dropped from an average of $5,100 to $4,200 in just one year. There were two suicides reported in town in 1930 alone, with one person leaving a note on how the world had “failed him.” The room over the post office on Broadway was turned over to the Township Committee on Un-employment, with specified registration days for all unemployed and needy people of Denville seeking work or help. Herbert Hoover was President and FDR’s New Deal was still a distant idea rather than reality. To add insult to injury, the newspaper printed the names of all people on unem-ployment relief in town; 100 one month, another 80 another, and so on. By 1932, a family with young children was found in town by Police Chief Kinsey and sent to Dover Hospital, as it was reported they were all “near starvation.” That same year, a full-page notice appeared in the paper outlining the specific plots of land for sale in Denville, from various local citizens who lost them through

failure to pay taxes. Things looked bleak indeed, when three teenage friends from Denville, Harold Ford, Jim Miller, and Spence Roberts, not seeing any prospects for work, decided to pack a Ford, and hit the road. The story was so out of the ordinary, even for its time, that their exploits became the talk of the town. In fact, their journey was reported on the front page of the local paper throughout the dura-tion of the trip. The 2,000-mile journey saw them visit Tennessee, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, both Virginias, and Ohio. The stories that made their way back via the telegram sure did entertain the locals that Spring – after all, they did read like a Hardy Boys novel. Harold slept through the flat tire and was quite surprised when Jim and Spence woke him up to walk to the nearest town. They were in Kentucky, and if it wasn’t for the lack of a spare from the still unfixed flat they got a day prior, they would not have found themselves entering a one-room local courthouse while looking for a living soul that could help them. They stumbled on a trial of a medicine faker and the whole countryside, who had been “jipped,” was out to see him “done jus-tice.” The boys reported that from the entire town, there were only six cars with the greater part of the population traveling either on donkey back or with horses and wagons – many were barefoot. When the medicine man entered the courtroom, everybody began shouting “lynch him!” When the man near them looked at them questionably and asked who they were, Jim swallowed hard and explained their predicament. The man broke out in a big smile showing a big gap in his yellow continued on page 11

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Breem Family Leads Cedar Gate Farm into the Future

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By Steve Sears rederick and Larysa Breem in 2016 saw something in the aged 104 Parks Road in Denville farmland and structures that they lived near. “We wanted the

land,” Larysa Breem says, “to use, to house animals. That’s how it all started.” As Cedar Gate Farm approaches its 120th anniversary, that “hobby” is educating others and keeping memories alive.

Denville’s Hardy Boys... continued from page 10 teeth. It just so happened that he owned a local shoppe and agreed to help them. The boys did not stay to see the end of the trial, but their telegram stated, “we don’t think his chances are any too good.” On their way back, the young men stopped in Luray, Virginia for a bathroom break. It just so hap-pened that the dirt side road they chose was directly in a path of a local gang’s hideout. One that had been committing armed robberies in the area. When Harold went to find a good bathroom spot, he returned to the car just in time to see his friends “held up by a gunman and just about to part with their money.” The young man crept up behind the robber and “wolloped him over the head with a wrench.” As one of them took the car to seek a nearby place with a telephone to call the police, the two remaining boys stayed with the criminal until help arrived. The po-

lice searched the area and found the gunman’s accomplices laying low in a nearby shack. With the local gang in jail, the boys had plenty to talk about as they proceeded on their journey. True to their word, Harold, Jim, and Spence blew into Denville about three o’clock in the afternoon, on April 9, 1931, just as the speedometer showed 2,001 miles. “The boys are plenty tired, and inform us that Denville looks darn good, and that they hadn’t seen anything to beat it on the whole trip,” reported the paper. And so, for a few brief minutes each week, the adventures of three young men, provided an escape for local folks, albeit a small one, from the desolate reality of the Great Depression. Sometimes, we could all use a little distraction. Peter Zablocki is a local historian and the vice-president of the Denville Historical Society in Den-ville, New Jersey.

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The Breems started out with 8 chickens and 2 goats, and that number grew to 100 chickens and 7 goats, 6 sheep (Melvin is the official farm mascot), two miniature donkeys and two mini ponies. Toss in a newly constructed home that almost replicates the former, a nice renovation job on the main barn, and the addition of a farm store which is open once a week, this is a great destination. And as you walk the property, you can

also hear voices of ages past echoing, “Thank you for this re-birth.” “I adore having this hobby,” says Breem, but then adds, “but I probably adore more sharing my hobby.” “Sharing” is an apropos word, for she does exactly that with her “Barnyard Kids,” local children who sign up for 4- or 8-week programs and learn how to take care of farm animals. “I want them to grow up continued on page 12

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Breem Family... continued from page 11 someday and have them say, ‘I remember working there…I remember helping out there,’” Breem states. ”Barnyard Kids” Gloria and Dean Marder are siblings. “We are super happy it was kept on as a farm and kept more beautiful,” says Valerie Marder, their mom. “Gloria did a lot of time here working with Larysa and the animals.” “What I enjoy most about going to the farm are the bottle baby sheep!” Gloria exclaims. “I’ve bonded with them a bunch because my mom bottle fed them when they first arrived at the farm.” Frederick Eugene Parks, Denville’s first Mayor, actually built Parks Road so he could transport pro-duce he grew on his farm. He purchased the farmland back in 1903 for $90.00 and had his farm up and running by 1904. Originally a dairy farm, it was passed down through generations until Dr. Wil-liam Rodda sold it to the Breems. “Probably Bert or Ernie,” says Travis Lazzari, another “Barnyard Kid” along with his brother Wyatt, when asked which animals are his favorite. Bert and Ernie are the resident, charming mini donkeys who are often found alongside mini ponies Piper and Bootz. “They always come up next to you and they always try to nip at your boots,”

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he says. The chickens? “I love to share my eggs with people. Some of them older, some of them younger,” says Breem. They are free range chickens - most of the time. Hawks and foxes loom in the area, so the main egg producers are kept inside an outdoor pen with indoor enclosure. “I could lose 12 in a day,” says Breem, cautiously eyeing an overhead raptor Cedar Gate Farm offers a mentorship program with the Morris County Vocational School District Academy of Animal Science students. Molly Newton will soon be a freshman at the school and is at Cedar Gate often. “She’s a good kid with a great head on her shoulders,” says Breem. “She loves animals and understands the responsibilities having them as well. She’s a great attribute here as well as an eager learner.” For Newton, love of Cedar Gate goes beyond the learning. “Just being with the animals, getting to do something and have a purpose, being able to bring my family here because they love it, too. It’s the only farm that’s really close and it’s really nice.” While the Breems are indeed keeping 116 years of history intact, their eyes and minds are also on the near and distant future. An educational video for teachers to use in classrooms as a remote field trip for

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October’s National farm to School Month is being prepared, three beehives are now onsite for honey production (“Each hive will roughly produce 60 lbs. each for our first season, ” Breem says), and a clearedout area in back of the property is the hoped for future location for U-Pick blueberries. “That would be exciting,” she says. She also envisions, maybe, hopefully, making hand size and standard pies and soups

in some of the barn space. Breem says she has learned life is short, and every day should be appreciated. “This is payback. This is my ‘job’ now.” She also feels the animals’ job is to touch people’s lives. “All animals want a job,” she says. “Their job here is to be here for the children as well.” Visit www.cedargatefarmdenville.com for more information.

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Joey Bella Memorial Fund Hosting On-Line Auction

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he Joey Bella Memorial Fund will be holding an on-line auction in August. This event will help us to continue our efforts of providing assistance to our families as well as supporting local businesses that have been there for us throughout the years. You can participate in this event anywhere in the world, on any device. Help us by registering at http://joeybella.home. qtego.net/ and sharing this event with your family and friends. Registration opens on Monday, August

10. Bidding runs Friday, August14 through Friday, August 21. You can view the gifts at your leisure, place your bids, and check back and bid often throughout the week. Proceeds from this event will be used to provide financial assistance for medical care and related expenses of families with children in Denville and contiguous communities affected by life-threatening catastrophic illness. We are a 501c3 organization. Follow us on Facebook or at www. joeybella.org

What’s happening in your school or organization? Celebrating a special birthday, anniversary, graduation? Have a human interest story or something you would like to share? Email us at editor@mylifepublications.com

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Morris County’s Own Kevin Saum Gives Back Via Heads ‘N Tales Podcast

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By Steve Sears 0-year-old Kevin Saum could’ve let the depression, the sadness, keep him down, but he didn’t. Instead, he found a way to give back, therefore enabling his life and the lives of others to move forward in inspiration. “I like that you said TRANSITION, because unfortunately that is how most athletes view the end of their careers,” says Saum with emphasis. “I am a firm believer that they only way to get beyond the identity loss and depression is through action. Athletes need to stop looking at retirement as a transition and need to start looking at it as a transformation.” Saum credits the above mindset to Vince Ruiz, who was a guest on Saum’s Hands ‘N Tales podcast (WHY IT'S A TRANSFORMATION, NOT A TRANSITION TO LIFE AFTER SPORTS, headsntales. org/blog/153). Saum started Heads ‘N Tales, a companion blog and podcast (but in truth so much more) after graduating from Georgetown with a master’s degree in sports industry management with hopes of raising concussion awareness and improving sports safety. “I personally got beyond it by starting the podcast and seeking answers and advice from people who have found success after retirement or are experts on the subject (taking action).” The ”it” is the significant backstory to this, and therein lies a lesson as well. On October 5, 2007, Saum suffered a traumatic brain injury called Second Impact Syndrome (SIS) during a West Morris Central High School football game. After experiencing severe headaches and not fully recovering from an initial concussion, Saum hid his symptoms from his coaches and the school's athletic trainer and again ventured out onto the playing field to engage the game he loved. After a second impact and collapsing into a grand mal seizure on the field in full view of the frightened spectators, Saum was air lifted to the hospital. While there, he received an emergency craniotomy to relieve the pressure on his brain, which was due to swelling from the SIS and a subdural hematoma, when blood collects between the tissue layers surrounding the brain. In addition, he also suffered an infection and an allergic reaction post-hospitalization.

Per the Heads ‘N Tales website, “SIS has a 50% mortality rate and nearly 100% morbidity rate,” but Saum is fortunate to have survived with full cognitive and physical abilities and be in good health. “I have interviewed a couple of other athletes who suffered the same injury and are also doing well. We are the minority in that regard.” Although it rendered him unable any longer to play football, Saum flipped the coin from loss and melancholy to positivity. He explains. “My intro to each podcast states, ‘You can’t always control what happens to you in sports or in life, but you can always control your response, this is my response after suffering a traumatic brain injury in a high school football game and I hope it leaves you feeling both inspired and informed.’” It has. There are 156 episodes still (and will always be) available on Saum’s website and iTunes. Some of the interviewee player names may sound familiar: Shawn Springs, Kevin Turley, Eric LeGrand, just to name a few. And the platform is not limited to just athletes. Saum and his team have it all covered. “All of these episodes,” he says, “are athletes or sports health experts sharing their stories of perseverance or knowledge that I believe are timeless. With many athletes being forced to retire due to COVID-19, their experience is very similar to those who experience career ending injuries like mine. There are 156 examples on my website of how to persevere when life throws you a curve ball.” Saum says the making of the podcasts was challenging, especially early on. “There was a huge learning curve to developing the podcast, but learning a new skill is the best medicine/catalyst for transformation! I cringe listening to my first 20-30 interviews, but it is awesome to hear the transformation in my production, questions and listening skills from episode 1 to episode 156.” Saum fully realizes his good fortune. “Amazingly I have no noticeable residual side effects from my injury today and I am extremely grateful for that, as most kids who suffer my injury are not as lucky.” Visit www.headsntales.org.

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Page 16 • August 2020 • Denville Life • Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com

Long Valley Author Pens Fangirl Memoir

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By Steve Sears or the soon-to-be 29-year-old Megan Roche, writing her own book and seeing it published wasn’t a specific goal she wanted to attain by age 30. But then, COVID-19 and being quarantined happened. “Being at home, I really didn’t want to sit around and do nothing; I wanted to channel my energy into something that was different,” says the 28 year old. What she now finds “crazy” is, looking back at the original outline, it was at the most 9 chapters. However, once she took off on the project, putting fingertips to computer keyboard, the number of chapters ballooned to 19. “That was pretty cool.” What started out as a suggested, fun project by a friend became the 122-page Forever Her Girl: The Stories & Experiences of a Major Fangirl. Roche’s first full book details her discovery of, first meeting with, and subsequent close friendship with pop star singer and dancer, Paula Abdul. Roche, in her 13 years of being an Abdul fangirl, has attended 30 of the performer’s concerts, has taken part in podcasts with Abdul, written articles about her – an iPain Magazine cover feature garnered Roche a 2019 an International Pain Foundation Hero of Hope Award - and much more. The before mentioned speaks to the author’s eager, persevering persona, the aggressive project itself grasped by a writer who enjoys creativity and being in that mindset – in addition to avoiding the recent negativity. Roche says, “This book project was a way to escape all the negativity that was going on, all the craziness, all the news ‘of this’ and ‘of that.’” It was a way to shut everything off and focus on and write about a topic she loves and is passionate about. “I needed that escape, and I think a lot of people need that creative escape right now.” It also enabled her to keep her writing skills sharp in what for others was down time. “For me, especially during the quarantine, I didn’t want to get lazy and out of the groove of writing. I find that when I do something for a certain amount of time, and then (after a long break) I have to go back into it, it’s very, very hard.” The familiar topic, as well, was a strong seed to sow. “I was excited I got to write about a subject that is so important to me, and honestly, the feedback that I’ve gotten from people who have gotten copies of the book has been overwhelmingly positive. I’ve actually gotten messages from people I went to high school who are apologizing to me. I’m like, ‘Why are you apologizing?’ And they were apologizing for poking fun, never understanding it, and for passing judgement. I think a lot of good came out of it. People can kind of take a step back and understand me as a person. And I’m sure,” she adds with a laugh, “that the fact we’re all 10 years older now is important.” 15-year-old Megan Roche met Abdul for the first time on Monday, March 19, 2007. She and her dad endured a cold, snowy day, driving to New York City hoping to glimpse the star. Begging her dad by saying, “Dad please, I’ll do anything to go. Anything,” the words elbowed the elder Roche to take the day off, but he made no promises that the meeting would actually take place. Roche eventually received a hug from her hero, cried when Abdul penned an autograph on her Cardio Dance DVD, and digital photos were taken. “I knew after about two years of following her career that I wanted to get the opportunity to meet her, and I look back now, and I honestly thought that that one day in March was probably going to be the only time I had a shot, and the only time anybody was willing to take me – I mean, I was 15, I couldn’t drive, and my parents were like, ‘Well, you’re not going into Manhattan by yourself. You’re crazy, you’re 15-years-old’ – so it was special.” Beyond her singing career, Abdul means more to Roche, much more. “One thing for me especially, which I touch on in the book, is for boys and girls, as a young teen, you’re very impressionable,” she says. “The only thing that matters at that age is fitting in and being accepted. One thing I’ve always respected about her and our relationship and the friendship that we have is that she’s never once made me feel like an outsider, she’s always embraced me and my antics, she’s never turned her back on me at any point. You know, you hear a lot of horror stories about when people meet their childhood idol. ‘Oh my God, they were so not what I wanted.’ I’ve always felt like Paula’s cared about me, and she has proven it through the years, time and time again.” Roche also points

out that Abdul has proven that you can keep coming back from adversity. Just one or any number of failures doesn’t signal career’s end. “I think that’s so important, especially at the age that I found her, to understand that it’s okay to make mistakes, it’s okay to reinvent yourself, and you don’t have to conform to societal norms, you don’t have to do what everyone else is doing. You can be different, and I’ve always appreciated the fact that she was open and honest about that.” For Roche, who previously contributed to Denville’s Heroes, an offering of reflections from the area’s veterans of war, working on a book project was not unchartered territory. However, compared to that initial effort, this was growth by “leaps and bounds.” “I do feel that way,” agrees Roche. “The veterans’ book was a great experience, because I got to hone my interview skills and my interpersonal skills with that. This book was more so talking about myself, and it was easy to write from the perspective that it’s a subject that I’m very passionate about, but I also had to be very choosey, because if I did put every encounter that Paula and I had ever had in that book, it would probably be about the size of a bible.” She chuckles, then continues. “It would’ve been a coffee table book, for sure.” Roche had fun with Forever Her Girl: The Stories & Experiences of a Major Fangirl, and although she was undecided throughout whether or not to publish it, she did so, and for an important reason. “I want other fangirls who pick it up in 10 years, I want them to know they are normal and their feelings are valid. I’m very lucky that my family always understood it. They let me do my thing. There’s a lot of people who are not as fortunate, and whose parents are like, ‘Oh my God, what is mentally wrong with you? You’re crazy!’ I want them to see it’s really not like that. I’ve learned so much through the past 15 years that other people’s opinions of you don’t matter, and you should never let people tell you how to live your life.” Roche is sure there will be another book in her future, and she hints at some details. “I’ve been contemplating writing a book for kids who are going into the world of journalism,” she explains. “I know for me, I would’ve loved to have had a kind of a handbook per se for the first two years out of college, for what to look for and what to do, and how to get started. If I can help someone else, then that would be cool, too.” As sure as Roche is that many who read the book will learn more about her, she also states that she learned more about herself through the process. “I think one thing that I’ve learned from the feedback that I’ve gotten from other people who have read it is that I have a very loyal friend group. I have a lot of people who are in my corner, and I don’t necessarily see that sometimes. That’s one thing, and I think for me, too, I learned that I could take on something of this magnitude and put it together and put it out there. I mean, I was just impressed that I wrote 30,000 words, and I do feel like at times I rambled on a bit, but just to be able to see it and hold it was nothing short of incredible. I remember when the FedEx box came in the mail with all of them (books), and I remember bringing it up to my room and sliced it open, and I opened the box and I saw them with the shiny cover and all the pictures – it was like an overwhelming feeling of, ‘Wow! I actually accomplished this!’” Every time she’s in New York City, Roche reflects about the first meeting with Abdul. “I walk up there, I walk past that little side door where that moment happened, and I kind of take a minute to just be grateful, because I know I have a lot of friends – a lot of international friends – who I know will probably never get a chance to do what I have done,” she says. “That date, (March 19) every year, I post about that day at the exact time I got to meet her. All of my friends poke fun at it still, but only a handful of them actually know what that feeling is like: to stand in front of a person you admire, and actually have them want to carry on a conversation with you.” Will Paula Abdul get a copy of Forever Her Girl: The Stories & Experiences of a Major Fangirl? Absolutely, but in a special way. “I’m saving that for the next time that I see her,” says Roche. “I want to give her a copy personally, I want to be the one to actually hand it to her and explain to her what it is. This book is my gift of gratitude to her and I feel like for me that’s something very personal that I want to share with her.” If interested in receiving a copy of Forever Her Girl: The Stories & Experiences of a Major Fangirl, Roche can be contacted at Megan.Roche13@gmail.com.

Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com • Denville Life • August 2020 • Page 17

Meet Maggie: The Puppy with Nine Lives at Eleventh Hour Rescue

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By Dawn M Chiossi hile it has been said that cats have nine lives, dogs are much more like humans having only one. Yet those that say it have never met Maggie-- the latest miracle from Morris County’s Eleventh Hour Rescue. Pure instinct led this three-month-old puppy on a journey that ultimately led her to Eleventh Hour Rescue Shelter. She didn’t know it yet, but it was the best journey of her life. Founded in 2004 as a non-profit haven for animals, Eleventh Hour Rescue is made up solely of caring, empathetic, and fiercely dedicated volunteers focused on saving death row dogs and cats from kill shelters. Treating their animals like family, these volunteers provide all the love, care, and medical attention they require until they can find their forever homes and the humans that will love them. To date, Eleventh Hour Rescue has saved 30 to 40 thousand dogs and cats from being euthanized. “Our mission is to be an animal’s voice, to never put a dog or cat down, to always try to save their lives, and to treat them all like they were our own; even in the cases of illness, sometimes even dangerous illnesses,” enthuses Eleventh Hour Rescue’s

Linda Barish. “Maggie’s a three-month-old mixed-breed Shepard/Retriever mix that came to us from Georgia,” she explains. “Someone dumped Maggie’s Mom, Whimsy, and her four puppies at the side of the road in a rural area. Miraculously, they had made their way to a house that had dogs--perhaps they were searching for shelter or food---and the owners called one of our rescue partners to help them. They were filthy and riddled with ticks and fleas. Shortly after they arrived from Georgia on June 28th, we tested Whimsy’s pups and found that several of them were suffering from Parvovirus. Any puppy can get Parvo,” Barish relates. “It is highly contagious (spread through fecal matter), which can become an even deadly infection of the stomach and small intestine if not vaccinated for early.” In Maggie’s case, warning bells clamored for everyone when they noticed that the mixed breed was not acting very puppy-like. Where puppies are generally constant balls of unstoppable energy, Maggie was lethargic and not eating. She also had other concerning symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea. When the tests proved she tested positive for Parvo, Eleventh

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Hour Rescue volunteers immediately whisked her to Emergency Animal Hospital for life-saving treatment. “We were shocked when her temperature went to 107 degrees and she was almost unresponsive. It was not good. We strongly suspected she needed a blood transfusion,” Barish says sadly. That sadness quickly turned to surprise when this plucky fighter made it through the night and pulled through. Maggie’s still in the hospital with her diagnosis now labeled “closely guarded.” Although Eleventh Hour is thrilled that she is progressing slowly and doing well, they are ever cautious about her condition; she’s not out of the woods yet, and there is another problem that everyone can relate to-money. Knowing that vet bills can be extremely expensive, as much as humans’ medical care, and determined to treat Maggie as best as possible, this nonprofit quickly set up a fundraiser to help cover her vet bills. “We are a non-profit all-volunteer organization. Unfortunately, we do not receive any monies for it,” Barish relates. “Every dollar we receive for our animals care has to come from donations.” Rallying around her, animal lovers everywhere have responded heartwarmingly. Already they have raised an impressive $7,290 of the $8,000 goal. In a couple of weeks, Maggie is slated to have another surgery, this time to fix wounds on her skin she sustained from her spay in Georgia. Barish and the rest of Eleventh Hour Rescue are looking forward to bringing this little girl home to receive round the clock care so that she can recover and lead a perfectly normal life as any dog should. “We’ve received wonderful feedback on Maggie,” Barish prides. “There’s a ton of people who have offered to adopt her. We have many applicants.” Like anyone who loves their job, Barish realizes that rewards often come back one-hundred fold. Every animal that comes through their doors has a place in their hearts, and will always have a home

with Eleventh Hour Rescue, even after adoption. “We have a saying here, ‘once an Eleventh-Hour animal always an Eleventh-Hour animal,’” Barish tells. She states that their organization is unique: Every adoption contract expressly states that a dog or cat must be returned to the rescue if the adopter can no longer take care of them. “This way, coming back to us, the dog or cat will always receive the love and care they need and deserve.” With hundreds of volunteers doing all they can to help their four-legged friends, Eleventh Hour Rescue has proved itself to be a great network, and so much goes into their resources. “It’s the best thing I’ve ever done,” Barish asserts. “The commitment and compassion everyone has for our animals is just amazing. We (at Eleventh Hour Rescue) do it for the happy ending. Loving these animals for their whole life long, it is so worth it.” As such, these animals are given a second (or third, or fourth) chance at life, just like Maggie. Barish shares that now this delightful mixed breed is enjoying sleeping with her stuffed animals and loving all of the attention she is receiving. “She’s such a sweet, special girl,” Barish prides. “Maggie knows she’s still around for her life and she’s definitely getting ready to be spoiled.” To learn more about Eleventh Hour Rescue, Maggie, or any of the animals who reside there, or to donate, please visit www.ehrdogs.org/.

Page 18 • August 2020 • Denville Life • Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com

St. Mary’s Prep Location Leased by Denville School District

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By Steve Sears ever was the real estate term, “Location! Location! Location!”, more apropos than at 100 Route 46 West in Denville. Riverview Elementary School will soon be sending grades 4 through 5 over to their new leased location, the former St. Mary’s Prep, which was closed by the Archdiocese of Paterson in June 2019 and has been sitting vacant directly across the street. Riverview gains extra parking space, an additional gymnasium, a playground for children, and most importantly, classroom space. Grades Kindergarten through 3 will remain in the original Riverview school building. Renovations in the former prep building, which began May 1, are being done by Murray Paving and Construction. Painting has been done, some carpeting laid down, floor tiling rebuffed, classrooms that had traditional blackboards now have white boards, all brand-new technology is being installed, and all new, top of the line security will be in place. There will be new crosswalks (a good distance

from busy Route 46) with a police officer crossing the kids, and a police officer in each building. Superintendent of Schools, Steve Forte, is pleased with the progress. “I’m super happy with it. It was on our radar,” he says when asked if discussion had ensued prior to St.

Mary’s Prep closing. “They weren’t sure they were closing until the last minute. Once they were sure and it was announced that they were closing, that’s when we started working on it. We started negotiating with them in June, and we took possession December 1st.” The negotiated lease with

the Archdiocese is $150,000 for year one, with a $50,000 credit for renovations being done on the leased property. “We are getting a $50,000 credit for 3 years, so a $150,000 credit for some of the renovations we did. Our renovations cost us $400,000, so at least we’re getting some of it back.” Per Forte, the Archdiocese was great to work with, and it works out for taxpayers, because no referendum was needed for the expansion. Forte, who is in his 7th year as Superintendent, and also served the same role for 3 years in Verona prior to Denville, realizes that with

COVID19, there’s a possibility that all the additional space won’t be used in the beginning. “But we can grow. It gives us space,” he adds. Enrollment has already increased since 2013, and 183 town houses are going to be built in Denville, so it is envisioned that enrollment will be increasing still. An estimated 400 kids will be in Riverview for the 2020-21 school year. “We definitely needed more space. We couldn’t expand our footprint (at Riverview) any longer,” says Forte. “We maximized all the space we possibly could use

in the buildings by reclaiming some of the space in the libraries for classrooms, and by making some renovations by taking a large classroom and making it into two smaller classrooms with a dividing wall. We’ve done all that, and this is something we’ve done over the last 5 - 6 years. One of the things I was very clear about was, ‘This is it. Our footprint is to the max. Any other expansion, our footprint needs to grow.’’’ “That’s basically what we have here,” he says happily. “When this came up, we jumped on it.”

The Latest Trend: Urbanites Want the Suburbs

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Courtesy of Terrie O’Connor Realtors recent Harris poll conducted regarding how people are coping with the coronavirus pandemic found that nearly 40% of U.S. adults currently living in urban areas would consider moving to less populated areas. Even more relevant, the study concluded that 43% of urbanites, as opposed to 29% of suburbanites, were actively browsing real estate websites. In a recent presentation I attended with Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist for the National Association of Realtors, he said "They are cautious about living in high density areas with so many people nearby.” We have certainly been experiencing this trend in our area with many requests from those living in Manhattan and along the Gold Coast looking to rent or buy in northern NJ and southern NY states. In fact, the NY Times stated that between March 15 and April 28, moves from New York City to New Jersey saw a 38% jump. Flatrate.com quoted moves to New Jersey up 43% in early May. At Terrie O’Connor Realtors, we are talking to many urbanites anxious to leave Manhattan, many telling us their buildings are at about 20% capacity and landlords are making great concessions to try to convince tenants to stay. Clearly, rising rents for confined spaces and health con-

cerns are driving urbanites our way so they can stretch out in an entire home with its own backyard where children can play. With that, there is more attraction to specific features that allow buyers to picture themselves enjoying their new lifestyle in ways they may not have considered before. For example, as a result of more people now working from home, an office or “zoom room” garners great attention. In addition, features in the yard such as a pool, gardens, outdoor fireplaces and outdoor kitchens have quickly become major perks. Health concerns are also impacting how buyers are searching for homes. The need to have the best online visuals is extremely important. Buyers are now spending the majority of their home search time online. They want to review not only still photos of a property but floor plans, aerial views of a property and 360 visuals of a home. In essence, they want to feel they have experienced every nook and cranny of a home they are interested in before ever physically stepping inside it. At Terrie O’Connor Realtors, we have even just closed on a property that the buyers had never physically seen before. This may not be the norm, but certainly we are seeing buyers only physically look at a very few properties before making an offer.

With that, the housing inventory is still very low. Homes priced correctly are often selling within days of listing with multiple offers. It is crucial buyers work closely with an agent who will keep their interests top of mind and is a skilled negotiator. The virus has clearly left an impact most heavily on those living in tight quarters without options for social distancing. And, with social distancing and the greater ability to work from home becoming a lifestyle, densely populated areas are seeing their residents exiting. Getting pre-approved for a mortgage is a must. Lastly, buyers need to understand the changes COVID19 has made to the purchasing process. Not only will they only physically view the very few properties they are most serious about, but the contract process, inspections and closing procedures are all being handled very differently for everyone’s safety. A qualified sales professional will be able to guide that process. Founded in 1991, Terrie O’Connor Realtors has become a well known, full service real estate firm with 8 offices and approximately 400 sales associates throughout northern New Jersey and southern New York. As a member of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World and Luxury Portfolio International, the company is part of the largest global real estate network with over 4,300 offices in over 70 countries.

Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com • Denville Life • August 2020 • Page 19

NJStarz Stan Yagiello Hometown: Livingston, NJ Stan Yagiello tossing a completion – Livingston High School Class of 81 Reunion

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By Steve Sears ention something to Stan Yagiello about his days as an All-State football quarterback and baseball shortstop at Livingston High School. Toss into the conversation his historic signal calling career at The College of William & Mary in Virginia. No doubt – and with good reason; there is much to tell – a few stories will emerge. He will begin by saying, “Listen to this, you’re going to love it,” and he will speak about the competition faced and the great teams he played on. But then he will get to the friendships formed back in the mid to late 1970s – early 1980s, and you can tell those close bonds did and still matter the most. “The brotherhood and camaraderie I had with my high school friends with both classes – that’s the classes of 1980 and 1981 – my junior year, that group of guys, like Mike Braun and Greg Wickner, I’m still spot on in touch with those guys on a regular basis, all year round. We get together a lot; it’s one of the closest classes I’ve ever been associated with,” says Yagiello, 57, whose family moved to Livingston when he was 11-years-old. “I’d have to say it’s one of the blessings I’ve had in life is to have a group of guys like that that are still close knit – I mean, 1980 to 2020…40 years!” Former pro quarterback, Norm Snead, told Yagiello when he was in college, “You have to be in the right place at the right time with the right people.” It

Stan Yagiello leads the William & Mary Tribe on offense – College of William & Mary Sports Information Department

applied well to those fall and spring sports seasons in Livingston. “The highlight of our 1979 (football) season,” says Yagiello, “is we had two outstanding captains, Greg Wickner and Mike Braun. Greg just got put in the Livingston (High School) Hall of Fame, and Mike Braun is a worthy candidate to be in the Hall of Fame.” He also mentions offensive linemen Harry Neugold. “Harry Neugold was an outstanding offensive lineman. He is in the Hall of Fame. Harry is one of the great offensive linemen ever to come out of Livingston.” And, for Yagiello, to be a leader of that team? “Livingston had a great football tradition. I stepped into a program that had a great tradition. It was an honor to be a quarterback on that team because we had such great guys who were all really strong football-minded guys.” Yagiello played football, basketball, and baseball for three years as a Livingston Lancer, his sophomore and senior years sandwiching the splendid junior ledger where Al Jacobson’s gridiron club finished 10 -2 and the school baseball team defeated Hamilton East for the state title. The football Lancers fell to Belleville, 38 - 6, in week number one, but then went on a ten-game undefeated run, defeating Westfield (although underdogs against a team that had yielded minimal touchdowns during the season) in the first round of the Group 2 Section 4 state playoffs, but then losing the state title game to the powerhouse Union Farmers. “That (the Westfield game) was, for all of us, probably our highlight game,” remembers Yagiello, who was in a cast the week prior due to a dislocated knee, having it removed prior to kickoff. “We beat Westfield at Giants Stadium, and we had a shot (for the state title against Union), but it didn’t turn out our way.” That season, which saw numerous Lancers attain All-Essex County honors, Yagiello passed for 2,026 yards and 26 touchdowns, completing over 50% of his passes. Yagiello’s favorite target was best friend, George Alpert, he on the receiving end of 52 passes for 789 yards and 11 touchdowns. “We’re still great friends. George was a once-in-a-lifetime kind of receiver,” says Yagiello. “George was not just speed; he had great hands and great athletic ability. If every quarterback had a receiver like George to throw to, you can’t help but be successful.”

The football squad in both 1979 and 1980 (his senior season, the Lancers finished 6 – 3) held the number one spot in the state for a period, and the 1980 baseballers ended the season tops in the Garden State. “That team had five guys that were drafted by the major leagues,” recalls Yagiello. “You had talent abundant in baseball.” Yagiello hit .435 that spring, had 41 hits, stole 22 bases. He and four teammates were named to either the First or Second-Team All-State list. One member of that squad was the future Governor of New Jersey, Chris Christie. Yagiello lauds his coaches. Three - Jacobson, head baseball coach Bill Lampeter, and assistant football coach Anthony Hope - have passed away. “Immortal,” he says of the trio who coached in the neighborhood of 40 years. He also cites football coach Rudy Valentine, baseball coaches Fred Alworth, Rich Howell, Lee Hammer, and Dick Gennaro, and basketball coaches Gary Doyle and Mike Valentino, for having a huge influence on him in sports and life. “When you grow up, you have to be around great players, you have to be around great coaches.” With all his success in football and baseball, Yagiello claims his favorite sport was always basketball, and while growing up in Livingston, his 7th and 8th grade years, when he played junior high school and Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) basketball, were the best of his life. One winter season, he played in 79 games. He briefly reflects back. “That year, I could not wait to get to the gym. That one year was the most phenomenal year I’ve ever had in my life.” Also, as a Lancer point guard, he was a teammate of popular novelist Harlan Coben, a 1980 Livingston High School grad who also made Yagiello a part of one of his books – in a way. In the book, Coben refers to his entourage of characters heading to a local hangout to discuss their NCAA Final Four picks. The meeting spot? Yag’s Sports Bar. “Somebody sent me the page,” says Yagiello excitedly. “It is one of my biggest honors. I was elated that he even thought enough of me to put me in his book. He (Coben) is a first-class guy who never forgets who he grew up with.” Ironically enough, Yagiello’s parents, who while living in Kearny owned a restaurant for years called Home Plate, considered opening a Hoboken location called Yag’s Pub. His Dad, Raymond, was the first Kearny High School Cardinal graduate to play professional football, two seasons with the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League, and also served as Head Football Coach at then-Montclair State College for three seasons. His brother, Gary, was for two seasons a First-Team All-State catcher for Kearny baseball, and his Mom, continued on page 20

Page 20 • August 2020 • Denville Life • Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com

Bill Giuliano, Stan Yagiello, and Harry Neugold with a fellow Lancer – Michelle J. Mania-Giuliano.

continued from page 19 Freda, and sister, Karen, he says “are still my best support team.� Yagiello was heavily recruited out of high school, with Boston College, Rutgers, and William & Mary all offering scholarships that just needed (and were yearning for) his signature on the dotted line. He was also picked by Major League Baseball’s Cleveland Indians as a shortstop in the 16th

round of the 1981 Draft. Rather than head Midwest, down the east coast a-ways he went. He explains why. “I visited William & Mary on my last visit. I fell in love with the school, it was a smaller atmosphere, they were committed to the passing game, and I had to make a decision.� He got a nudge from Phil Janaro, a recruiting coach for William & Mary, in Yagiello’s words, “a true

Jersey guy, pure and pure. Still one of my favorite people to this day. He just made me feel so comfortable in my visit and the whole recruiting process.� The William & Mary Tribe, and Head Coach Jimmy Laycock, had their man. As a true freshman, he appeared in only 3 games as a backup, then was redshirted, and in his first collegiate start as a redshirt freshman, he torched the Miami of Ohio secondary by throwing for two touchdowns and 414 yards, one of two 400-yard games in his college career. Due to an injury, Yagiello platooned at quarterback until the season’s sixth contest against Dartmouth College. From there on, the starting role was his through 1984. He was the first four-year starter in Tribe history. In his junior season, he set a school record with 261 pass completions in 428 attempts (tops for the school) for 2,801 yards. As a senior, he completed 240 passes for 2,962 yards and 23 touchdowns. His final career tally was 737 completions out of 1,246 attempts for 8,249 yards, 51 touchdowns, and twenty 200-yard passing games. He holds the school record for most 400-yard games, and also played two years

of baseball. Yagiello in 1997 was inducted into the William and Mary Athletics Hall of Fame. “I couldn’t be happier,� he says of his college days. “To be quite frank, I have so many great friends from college to this day, and we’re in contact almost every day. I am thankful for that. I honestly think it was a great decision (to go to William & Mary).� Yagiello, who runs his own firm, Garden State Fastener, which sells industrial hardware to the heavy equipment industry, and also toiled in professional football for the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys (NFL), the Toronto Argonauts and Montreal Alouettes (Canadian Football League), and the Pittsburgh Gladiators and New York Knights (Arena Football League), sums it all up. “I was able to play with a bunch of guys that put the team first and put themselves second. I think that’s a big reason that separates the real good teams from the average teams.� And a big reason why the Livingston Lancers were a success during his years there. “I’ve been very lucky in life,� he says.

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Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com • Denville Life • August 2020 • Page 21

Kids Ice Cancer Charity Hockey Game Gains Special Support

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by Steve Sears ndrew Low, entering his junior year at Morristown-Beard High School, knows the pain of cancer. In 2016, he lost his paternal grandparents just 6 months apart. Then, on Christmas morning, his 6-year-old German Shepherd lay down right under his Christmas tree and died of cancer. “We had only just discovered she had been sick 5 days earlier,” Low says. “I knew from this experience how horrible cancer was, how it is so terrible for the patient and their families. I knew I wanted to do something to help but was unsure how.” Low, who plays high school hockey, started to think about ways to pair his love of the game and helping those in need. In 2018, he organized a charity hockey game through his varsity hockey team and raised $14,000 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Based on this success, Low’s wheels turned. “I knew with me being able to raise $14,000, I thought if I had a whole team of 40 players, I could make something of it.” Low, whose personal goal was to raise $100,000 for pediatric cancers during his

high school years, set the bar for his sophomore year at $35,000, to bring his total to almost the halfway point. He then created Kids Ice Cancer. He bought the name, built his own website (www.kidsicecancer. com),created a logo, social media pages, and laid out his mission. “I knew there had to be more kids like me who wanted to help, to get involved in helping others, but were unsure how to start.” With Kids Ice Cancer, he organized an annual allstar hockey game, the initial contest to be played March 27 at The American Dream. “I invited 40 great hockey players to join the team and, at the start of the year in January, Kids Ice Cancer kicked off its fundraising, started to collect donations, and sold corporate sponsorships.” “All the money we collect goes directly to The Valerie Fund,” Low says, also stating that his visit to the Valerie Fund in Goryeb Children's Hospital at Morristown Medical Center (www.thevaleriefund.org/morristown-medical-center) in August 2019 was really life changing for him. “When I was there and I saw the children doing treatments, it really touched me and it made me more motivated to make sure I did the

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best job I possibly could do to help these kids who need it the most. It touches the heart, it really does.” “Andrew had typed up a commitment letter that the players would sign and agree to come to the practice, play in the game, and raise money for the Valerie Fund,” says Wendy Low, Andrew’s Mom. “There was a kickoff meeting in January, and the fundraising was only supposed to be for three months.” “What I underestimated was just how powerful it was with 40 individual people on the team each raising money,” said Low, “and we quickly surpassed our goal.” Kids Ice Cancer upped their bar to $125,000 and were just over $120,000 when the pandemic hit. “We had to basically shut everything down,” said Low. “We halted all fundraising too; we did not feel that it was appropriate to ask for money during this difficult time.” And American Dream, where the game was to be held, was also shuttered. “The team was excited and proud of what we accomplished. We are currently at $122,167, so close! We are definitely trying to make the push to get to our goal of $125,000. That would be

amazing.” The postponed March game has been rescheduled for August 21. Kevin Fox, the Grassroots Manager for the New Jersey Devils, saw an article about Low in the June/July issue of USA Hockey Magazine and reached out, kindly suggesting and providing a new location for the game. “Since we did not have any idea when American Dream might reopen, we decided to accept their generous offer to provide us with a venue to hold our all-star game and conclude this year’s fundraiser.” The game will hopefully be held Friday August 21 from 7:00-10:00 P.M. at the Devils’ practice facility, RWJ Barnabas Health Hockey House in Newark. If postponed again, it will be held sometime in the future. “What matters most is the great work our Kids Ice Cancer team did raising money for the kids that need it the most,” says Low. For the future, Low would love to continue with the Valerie Fund, and use Kids Ice Cancer as a platform for other children’s cancer charities in the United States.

What’s happening in your school or organization? Celebrating a special birthday, anniversary, graduation? Have a human interest story or something you would like to share? Email us at editor@mylifepublications.com

Page 22 • August 2020 • Denville Life • Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com

Bet on This: Mount Airy Resort Casino is the Getaway You Need

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By Jillian Risberg hey couldn’t be happier to be back doing what they do best -- provide award-winning service to their valued guests. Mount Airy Casino Resort reopened June 22 after suspending operations for 14-weeks due to the COVID-19 pandemic and it feels good to be home. For more than 50 years, Airy has offered the quintessential Poconos experience, sitting on the site of what was once ‘beautiful Mount Airy Lodge,’ a premier destination for honeymooners that began in the 1950s. “Located in the heart of the Pocono Mountains, Mount Airy Casino Resort guests

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can enjoy more than 10 nearby hiking trails to explore the vast outdoors,” says Glenn Cademartori, vice president of marketing. “The beautiful 2,400 square miles of the Poconos landscape offers visitors scenic views of waterfalls, wetlands, forests, and even the chance to catch a glimpse of some wildlife.” According to Cademartori, over the last few months the Mount Airy team diligently cleansed and sanitized the entire property with EPA approved cleaning and sanitizing agents and followed CDC guidance for workplace cleanliness and safety. “To maintain these standards, key team members have attended cleanliness, sanitation and safety training classes concontinued on page 39

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Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com • Denville Life • August 2020 • Page 23

Mount Airy Resort Casino... continued from page 38 ducted by Ecolab, a global leader in water, food safety and public health technologies,” says the Marketing VP. “The safety and well-being of our guests remains our top priority.” Sondra Leskowyak really enjoyed her recent two-night stay. “We saw extra staff sanitizing slots,” says Leskowyak, of Mechanicsville, Virginia. “Everyone had masks on. Big shout out to the pool staff and our server Hannah who gave us amazing service.” Guests will encounter the Resort’s recent $40 million expansion, including 100 new guest rooms and nine new executive suites. “Now the resort holds nearly 300 upscale guest rooms and suites that provide a warm ambiance and naturally accentuate the serenity of the Pocono Mountain setting,” Cademartori says. “In 2019, Mount Airy Casino Resort was awarded AAA’s ‘Best of Housekeeping’ award. It’s also a premiere gaming getaway, with over 1,800 slot machines, 80 table games and recently opened sportsbook. “Casino wasn’t packed at all and it was kept super clean. Every other seat was removed and every other machine turned off,” says Lisa Zaccagnino, of Dunmore, PA. “Hand sanitizer stations were all over and wipes were available at ticket redemption machines. We ate at Guy Fieri’s and can’t say enough about the staff. They kept the place spotless!” As Pennsylvania’s first AAA Four Dia-

mond-rate casino, the 900-acre resort is complemented by a 20,000-square-foot convention center and ballroom that serve as a state-of-the-art venue for private and corporate events, weddings and entertainment. The Four Diamond designation is a major recognition. “Mount Airy Casino Resort has cultivated an unwavering commitment to our guests by providing the highest quality hotel accommodations and resort amenities,” Cademartori says. “Being named a 10-time AAA Four Diamond award winner is a bold reflection of our commitment of raising the bar of our resort’s customer-focused luxury brand year after year.” Guests can discover a variety of signature restaurants and so much more: Guy Fieri’s Mt. Pocono Kitchen, award-winning Bistecca by Il Mulino, Lucky 8 Noodle and Sushi Bar, The Buffet, Starbucks and Pizzeria Montagna. “This all-encompassing, full service resort destination for outdoor and gaming enthusiasts alike features a Sports Illustrated-recognized lakefront 18-hole golf course; 16,000-square foot spa, salon and exercise facility; luxury indoor/outdoor pool and entertainment complex — aptly called Wet, and a covered outdoor pavilion that hosts summer concert series,” says the Marketing VP. And the 51,000 square-foot Get Wet Ultra Pool is a generously heated four-season pool featuring an underwater passageway to allow guests to swim continuously be-

tween adjoining indoor and outdoor spaces. Never been to Mount Airy? According to Cademartori, you’re in for a treat. “Guests can expect award-winning service and amenities in every corner of the property. Available to both hotel guests and outside visitors, the spa includes 10 treatment rooms, separate men’s and women’s lockers, a steam room, sauna, tranquil quiet room, and more,” says the Marketing VP. “Mount Airy’s restaurants have been awarded by OpenTable diners as some of the best in the Pocono area in several categories, including Best Ambiance, Best Service, Most Romantic and Best Special Occasion.” The origins of Airy date back to October 2007, when Louis DeNaples bought the former Mount Airy Lodge site and opened Mount Airy Casino Resort as a premier

gaming and year-round resort destination in Northeast Pennsylvania. A family owned business, DeNaples turned the resort over to his daughter, Lisa DeNaples, in 2009. Mount Airy is less than 90 minutes from Philadelphia, New York City and northern New Jersey — and within a short driving distance of many Pocono attractions, including The Crossings Outlets, hiking trails, water parks, zip lining, ATV tours and much more. “As the Poconos’ premier full-service vacation destination, Mount Airy Casino Resort is an extraordinary experience for all guests no matter the season,” Cademartori says. “With amenities ranging from gaming, pool and spa, to signature restaurants and array of outdoor recreational activities like skiing, golfing, boating and swimming, Mount Airy is the perfect getaway.”

Page 24 • August 2020 • Denville Life • Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com

Get Your Mansion in May Fix at Splendor in September Featuring: Tyvan Hill

All Photo credits: Dannette Merchant

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By Jillian Risberg yvan Hill is that jaw-dropping property you just have to immerse yourself in to grasp. The gracious country estate built by the Castles family of New York City has a long and storied history. “When I think of Tyvan Hill my mind immediately conjures up a vision of a winding drive off a stately country road, leading to a magnificent estate on a hill surrounded by over 20 tranquil acres,” says co-chair, Pat O’Connor. “A setting that cries out Mansion in May. It has everything a mansion Chair could ever ask for, including enough wonderful spaces inside and out for almost 50 designers.” The Women's Association for Morristown Medical Center (WAMMC) chose the 10,000-square-foot Tyvan Hill in New Vernon as the site of its 19th Mansion in May. After being sidelined for months due to the Coronavirus pandemic they are now presenting it as Splendor in September. Tom Salaki, principal of Square Acre Studio in Madison recreated a landscape design for Tyvan Hill based on the original plan designed in 1928. “The Courtyard will enhance but not detract from the gorgeous entrance of Tyvan Hill and the back of the mansion is a tranquil setting,” Salaki says. “Our landscape designers have created spaces to appeal to your enjoying a relaxing day in the country!" Since its inception in 1974, Mansion in May Designer Showhouse and Gardens has raised over $11.5 million for worthwhile causes at Morristown Medical Center. Proceeds from Tyvan Hill will benefit the expansion of the Gagnon Cardiovascular Institute. “It is a cause which is very personal to us, each having lost a parent to heart disease way before we should have, and I lost my husband to a very rare heart condition,” O’Connor says. “When the WAMMC Board

unanimously chose the expansion of Gagnon as our cause, I was overwhelmed with joy and, quite honestly, moved to tears.” According to O’Connor, without Gagnon’s expansion project the facility would have only been able to handle an estimated ten-percent of projected new patient volume based on our aging population. “Going forward, whenever I drive past MMC and see the newly expanded Gagnon facility, I will be filled with a sense of pride that I had a little something to do with making sure our community has access to worldclass cardiovascular care,” the co-chair says. For WAMMC President Katie Nolle, September can’t come soon enough. “The joy of opening the doors and welcoming visitors on Tuesday, September 8 to Tyvan Hill will be wonderful,” Nolle says. “I am looking forward to thanking patrons for supporting our cause and seeing the hard work that our volunteers, interior designers and landscape designers have put forth to make Tyvan Hill a beautiful country estate.” In an effort to provide guests with a pleasant and safe visit, they have established new admissions protocols and will be enforcing state and local mandates to prevent the spread of COVID-19. MIM is such a beloved event — Nolle attributes its success over the past 46 years to their commitment to the WAMMC motto of "Contributing with Passion" and apply this passion to every detail. “We open the doors to historic homes that have been neglected and embrace the aura of each mansion. This mystique appeals to the patrons who are always curious to view these grand estates,” Nolle says. “We have a loyal following of designers as well as patrons who support us as we raise funds for Morristown Medical Center.” According to co-chair Kathy Ross, people may not know that they never rent or lease

a house to transform it into a Mansion in May. “We rely on the generosity of homeowners who graciously share their homes with us to transform and present to the public,” Ross says. “Without homeowners' kindness, there would be no Mansion in May.” And there are pieces of a mansion puzzle that fill her with joy. “Witnessing the transformation of a ‘house’ to a mansion, thanks to our designers' deep skill set; their creativity and vision set the bar high amongst designer show-houses throughout the country,” Ross says. “It is an honor to work on a project that benefits Morristown Medical Center, a true pillar of healthcare in our community.”

Tyvan Hill means hundreds of talented people working tirelessly together, while being as flexible as possible to make sure this Mansion can move seamlessly from what was to be in May to their newly envisioned Splendor in September. “It’s the Mansion that just won’t quit, as it continues to press on towards its goal to benefit the much-needed expansion of Gagnon Cardiovascular Institute at a time when our hospital’s resources have been stretched by an unexpected pandemic,” O’Connor says. “It’s an opportunity for our greater community to say thank you to the hospital community that was and is always there for all of us.”

Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com • Denville Life • August 2020 • Page 25

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No. 18 Vol. 4

April 2020

Mt. Olive Student Athlete, Artist Jessica Murr Create in Herself for Better CleaningFormer Products By Jerry Del Priore he Mount Olive Lacrosse Club used to use a gray, drab concrete stone structure as its bounce back wall for No. 18 Vol. 4 throw-and-catch practice for lacrosse players. But John Helder, president of Mount Olive Junior By Jillian Risberg Lacrosse Club, said that the tudents at Passaic club C owanted something unty Technical more eye-catching Institute (PCTI)and gotena ticing of to space help inspire taste from players NASA to practice that particular astronauts themselves skill forthey longerhosted stretches of when the NASA Hunchdisplaying Critical Design time while com-

of the team while showing nah University of Art and Mt. Olive pride,” said Murr, Design in Savannah, Georan ex-two-sport high school gia, is a friend and former student athlete at Mt. Olart classmate of Lexi Helder, ive. “I actually spent a lot of John Helder’s daughter. time researching different After a few artist renderwww.mypaperonline.com ideas and styles. I actually ings, Murr came up with an came up with a few designs, awe-inspiring poster of two and people seem to like the lacrosse players busting out final one.” of side-by-side skulls in a 3D nary challenge every year. Challenge, innovative Helder said lacrosse playstyle that she noted rep“It is nice to see the stusolutions to problems ers andput people from other resents power and grace, dents their heart and encountered by astronauts townsinto have had favorable with superhero-like qualisoul this project beat the International Space reactions to the mural, givties. cause I think they all wantStation (ISS). ing to it thumbs A self-taught writ- ed be partup ofpraise. a competSince 2016 graffiti they have “The kids areteam,” up there all er/artist from Jersey itive culinary says participated in New this educaArts Instructor, tionally the time playing and comassisted enriching with spray program painting Culinary

April 2020

PCTI NASA Culinary Challenge an Otherworldly Experi

S

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Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com • Denville Life • August 2020 • Page 27

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