Denville Feb 2022

No. 18 Vol. 2

www.mypaperonline.com

February 2022

Denville Vocalist Living Her Rock ’n’ Roll Dream

M

By JillianRisberg usically she was a late bloomer. But when Christy Nilsen decided to pursue her rock star dreams she went all in, crediting a chance New York City vocal coach for giving her the training and confidence she needed to cultivate her singing voice.

“I didn’t start singing in bands until I was 41,” says Nilsen, adding that as a child she sang in grade school and church. “But singing solos in public made me very nervous back then so I focused on dancing as my creative outlet.”

According to the artist, there is nothing more powerful and cathartic than belting out a little Drowning Pool to get out stuff we may otherwise hold in.

She considers herself a cover band rock vocalist and has no real interest in writing original music, instead savoring singing songs that people already know and enjoy.

“I feel I’m versatile in that my voice allows me to cover male and female lead songs that span multiple genres,” Nilsen says her band Rock Head plays tried and true favorites, as well as songs to surprise the crowd, while working in interesting arrangements and mashups.

“My bandmates are super talented musicians and great people; I feel lucky to be their singer.”

And she enjoys making everyone’s day a little better.

“If someone comes up to the band and thanks us for a performance it is incredibly rewarding for me,” the vocalist says.

Nilsen says her fans have much in common, in that they are cool, fun people who want to enjoy life and have a good time.

“So to anyone who has seen me and my bands perform, I say a big THANK YOU,” says the artist, who is a premier sought after New Jersey talent frequently rocking the stage at Rockaway River Barn, and Randolph’s Black River Barn and Mr. Crabby’s.

Any song in Nilsen’s vocal range that allows her to belt out is a song she loves to sing.

“Bobby McGee used to be my favorite when I started 10 years ago,” the vocalist says. “Now I am psyched to sing Maneskin’s cover of The Four Seasons’ hit, Beggin.”

When it comes to her creative process, Nielsen says the band often throws out a song during practice to see how it feels.

And she listens to the songs she needs to prepare for her next rehearsal, playing them on a continuous loop until the words permeate her brain.

The Internet has been helpful in terms of promoting the band’s shows, communicating with the audience/venues,

Margaret A.“Peggy” Lefsky Broker/Sales Associate

Christy Nilsen - “Silent Night” at the Darress Theater, 2015.

and connecting musical people with one another.

The pandemic, however, has been a kick in the teeth for the cover band scene, according to Nilsen.

“I’m an optimist and confident all will be well eventually and we can get back to doing what we love, at the frequency we did before,” says the artist.

Following this path made perfect sense, as it is in Nilsen’s blood.

Her father and grandfather were accomplished accordion players and her brothers sang and/or played instruments. She never thought much of her singing at home as a young child.

But if she hadn’t pursued music, the vocalist says she would probably be crying a lot.

“My life would have a gaping hole,” Nilsen says. “I’m a Market Research Consultant by vocation, so being able to have a creative outlet like singing helps keep my life in balance.”

She started her journey in 2011 with classic rock cover band, Rock-it Science; followed by co-founding acoustic duo Lyric Rising. For the past five years (and counting) she has been in four-piece rock cover band Rock Head and recently started singing with Mid Life Crisis as one of their female vocalists.

“I also have had the opportunity to do side projects along the way, such as Silent Night, a Trans Siberian Orchestra continued on page 4

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Denville Vocalist...

“Rock Head” performing at Rockaway River Barn, 2021

continued from front page tribute band, as well as a few shows later this year with a Cher tribute band as a backup vocalist,” says the artist.

Her musical influences run the gamut: Nilsen is a huge fan of 70s disco and R&B, 80’s rock, and has a guilty pleasure for soft rock. She would also love to get into a yacht rock band, calling that era full of untapped potential in the cover band scene.

For this Denville-based rocker, it’s never

too late.

The vocalist encourages anyone with a passion for something to keep that mindset. When she was younger, she never could have imagined the trajectory she would take.

“It has been such a joy in my life,” Nilsen says of her rock fantasy. “Get out of your own way, have faith in yourself, put together a plan and you may be surprised what may happen.”

SINCE 1971

3/31/22

3/31/22

3/31/22

3/31/22

Mon - Fri 7-5 Sat 8-4 Sunday Closed

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Happy Valentine’s Day!

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With a Nod to the Past, Denville’s Marco Cutrone Paints Neoclassically

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By Steve Sears enville artist, Marco Cutrone, is being complimented about his oil on canvas “Beach Series” of paintings.

“We all have to work,” Cutrone says. “But in our time off, most people I know like to go to the beach. When we can’t get to the beach, especially in the wintertime, I like to paint those paintings. It brings me to the beach.”

Then there’s his “Angel Series.” “The angel paintings happened because of my father’s passing. Where do you go now for that advice that you would speak to your father about? You have to look into or within yourself, or around you in your close circle of people.”

Cutrone, who in addition to his art work has also taught at both Dover’s The Kubert School and County College of Morris in Randolph, loves teaching about the past, but also has eyes toward the future. “When I went to grad school, that was the big thing. When we started, the teacher took me aside and said, ‘Look, what you’re going to learn about grad school is that, at least in the arts, is that you always want to keep one foot in the past, but you have to keep one foot in the future as well.’”

Still, Cutrone, 55, who also does drawings in graphite pencil, calls himself a Neoclassical painter. He describes the reflected era. “It’s really something that happened, the whole Greco Roman period, where they painted and sculpted as true to life as they possibly could. I still think that some of the works that were created from way back then, 800 years before the Renaissance even happened, are some of the greatest pieces of art that were ever created.

I am of an ilk that I like to see a refined skill. I like to try to

come up with conceptual pieces, and I like to try to come up with the neoclassical style.” It all started close to home.

“I’d like to give my cousin, Federico Castelluccio, credit for teaching me, first of all, how to paint. And really, it’s because of the family that I grew up in that I’ve given respect to the old masters. Technology is always going to exist and advance exponentially in years to come and years after that, but I like to look into our past. Because we have learned from people who have done this before, I’d like to give them respect by sort of doing what they did.”

In addition to the inspiration from his cousin, Cutrone, who attended the School of Visual Arts in his hometown of New York City, also credits his classmates when he and they were younger. “You’d see them doodling,” he recalls, “and you wanted to parallel or compete with their ability and try to better yourself.”

It’s oil paintings that Cutrone loves to do. “That medium of oil, if you ask me, has stood the test of time, and will continue to stand the test of time,” he says. “I like to do paintings that you can hang on your wall or hang on the wall of a gallery or museum or wherever they end up going. What are we if we don’t stand on the shoulders of our forefathers, right?”

As for graphite, Cutrone says. “It couldn’t be more different (than oil painting). You have a dry medium, and it’s got a very definite, very rigid sort of point. You’re dealing with black and white, and then on the other hand, you’re dealing with color and flimsy tips on brushes, and it’s a very wet medium. I love the contrast of the two.”

Cutrone does have a studio in his Denville home, but

sometimes the size of a work necessitates he seek larger crafting spaces. “I have a 14-foot-wide painting that can’t be done here,” he says, “so I have to rely on friends.” continued on page 7

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Cutrone Paints Neoclassically... continued from page 6 One of those friends is Tommy Dean of Norman Dean Home for Services, Inc. “Very philanthropic, one of my favorite people, always extends a hand when somebody needs a helping hand,” he says of Dean.

“Right now, I’m currently working in one of his spaces, because he was generous enough to lend me some space to do that 14-foot painting-that’s going to Santa Fe in a private collection. Before that, I did a big nine-foot painting for the Knights of Columbus. I did as much as I could in a friend’s garage, and then they moved and sold the house, and I had to take that nine-foot painting to the Knights of Columbus where it ended up. Now it’s in

their Morristown location.”

When asked which is his favorite of all his creations, Cutrone says, “My favorite painting is the next one. When you love what you do, you look forward to doing the next painting. But then I have to give Pablo Picasso credit for saying that, the brilliant marketer that he was.” And how about the painting or drawing just finished? “It becomes one of your children, and they have to go out in the world and represent you well.”

Cutrone’s last exhibition was held on Dec. 29 at Trautmann & Associates, LLC in Denville.

To learn more about Cutrone and his work, visit his website at www.marcocutrone.com.

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Saint Clare’s Health Awarded the New Jersey Governor’s Jefferson Award

S

aint Clare’s Health was awarded the New Jersey Governor’s Jefferson Certificate in recognition to the significant contributions of Saint Clare’s Health Prenatal Clinic, as well as the Volunteer Program.

Saint Clare’s Health Prenatal Clinic was awarded in the Maternal Health category for demonstrating extraordinary efforts and making significant contributions to improve maternal health and help chart a course to end preventable maternal mortality and/or optimize maternal health.

Saint Clare’s Health Healthstart Prenatal Clinic is offered to local communities with the goal of providing support and medical care to pregnant patients, new mothers and babies. They provide 24/7 OB services with 3,500 visits and deliver about 270 babies per year, including high-risk OB clinics, social service and nutritional services. They also donate free diapers and formula to families in distress and arrange for donations of baby furniture and clothes.

Brian Finestein, CEO of Saint Clare’s Health stated, “We

are proud of the prenatal clinic and the important services they provide to our neighboring communities. It is the very definition of Saint Clare’s, and that is to take care of all members of our community and to be an integral part of their healthcare.”

This Clinic is dedicated to collaborating with Saint Clare’s Health physicians and clinical staff to work with local community leaders and organizations to provide medical care, as well educational and community resources.

Saint Clare’s Health Volunteer Program was awarded the New Jersey Governor’s Jefferson Award as an outstanding volunteer group.

The Volunteer Program supports a multitude of important patient care services throughout three hospitals, Saint Clare’s Denville, Dover, and Boonton.

With over 132 active volunteers with an average length of volunteering of 15 years, and giving 100 hours of service time in a week, these volunteers provide exceptional array of services.

“Our volunteers chose Saint Clare’s Health as they themselves experienced the compassionate high-quality care that our community has come to know and trust.

Their children were born here, or a family member was treated here. Their spirit of dedication to others is aligned with Saint Clare’s core values of treating every patient as a member of our family, and the volunteers are an integral part of Saint Clare’s family and staff. We are grateful to the New Jersey Governor’s Office of Volunteerism for this honor and recognition,” stated Finestein.

Saint Clare’s Health is a CMS 5 Star Rated and an awardwinning provider of compassionate care delivered with the latest technology, serving the communities of Morris, Sussex, and Warren counties. Its network of hospitals and healthcare facilities, include Denville Hospital, Dover Hospital, Behavioral Health Centers in Boonton, Denville, and Parsippany, and an Imaging Center in Parsippany, among other satellite locations.

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United States Power Squadron Offers State Boating Safety Course

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orthern New Jersey Sail & Power Squadron, a unit of the United States Power Squadrons (USPS) and now America’s Boating Club, will offer the New Jersey State Police, Marine Services Bureau approved Boating Safety Course at James Caldwell High School from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. beginning Wednesday, March 23, 2022.

The course taught by certified instructors licensed by the State of NJ, and which meets all the mandatory requirements necessary for obtaining your New Jersey Boat Safety Certificate, will run every Wednesday evening for six weeks which includes a night for review, and a night for the required state examination. The cost of the course is $90.00.

Legislation in the state of New Jersey was passed a number of years ago requiring all boaters, 16 years of age or older, operating a power driven vessel including a personal watercraft (PWC), to complete a boating safety course. The legislation requires a minimum of eight hours of instruc-

tion with at least six hours of in-classroom study, homework, and a proctored examination. Those successfully completing the course will receive a New Jersey Marine State Police certificate that must be in the operator’s possession when on the waters of the state. Failure to exhibit the certificate is presumptive evidence that the person has not completed an approved boating safety course and is subject to a fine. One must be at least 12 years of age to attend the course.

Registration is made through the Caldwell/West Caldwell Center for Continuing Education, 265 Westville Avenue, Room 105, West Caldwell, NJ 07006. Register online at www.cwcboe.org/continuinged by using debit or credit card or by mail (print & mail registration form with check made out to CWC-Continuing ED). All calls only after 6:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 973228-2092. Questions concerning the USPS course can also be addressed to the Boating Course Chairman, Bob Rosselot at 973-2285329; email: rosselot17@aol.com.

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Denville Resident’s Story is Featured in Dystopian Novel

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By Gary Simeone enville resident, Emily Pirrello, got the chance to contribute to her first book writing experience after joining a Facebook group last year. The group was called, ‘Dystopian Inkers’ and it helped lead to Pirrello’s short story called, “Wings” which was featured in the book, Once Upon A Dystopia- An Anthology Of Twisted Fairytales And Fractured Folklores.“Early last year, there were bunch of us who submitted stories through this Facebook group contest and my story ended up being chosen,” said Pirrello, a 2020 Montclair State University graduate. “My contribution, along with sixteen other authors, were published in this anthology last June, which contains twenty unique stories.”

Her story was a retelling of ‘Bluebeard’ a fairytale folklore written by the iconic French author, Charles Perrault in the late 1600’s.

“My story was a dystopian twist on the original version focused on a society in a post-apocalyptic world,” said Pirrello.

In Perrault’s original version, a wealthy man murders his former wives and his current wife finds out about the murders after entering a sealed off room In their home.

Pirrello said the story she wrote in ‘Wings’ is a paranormal retelling of the original version with religious undertones included.

“Not to give too much away, but the story revolves around a young girl with an abusive father and there is

an angel that comes into play. There’s a lot going on in my story.”

Pirrello said that ever since she was little girl she loved to read and write and compose poetry in her spare time. She said that her favorite types of books have always been fantasy, sci-fi and dystopian themed novels.

Pirrello graduated from Montclair State in May of 2020.

She obtained Bachelor’s degrees in English and Creative Writing. During the last year and a half, she has been working in the customer service field at Universal Yums, a snack subscription service located in Roseland.

“The last few months I’ve moved on from the customer service position and worked with their creative team, writing descriptions of the products and other duties. I’m making good use of my college degree now,” said Pirrello.

The precocious twenty five year old said that when she’s not working at her job, she’s spending time at the Denville Township Public Library, working on her next sci-fi dystopian story.

“I’ve been doing a lot of research on this next story I’m working on, which is still in its early stages, of a post apocalyptic planet Earth, that is uninhabitable to humans. The remaining Human population is looking to colonize Mars and of course there’s an alien

element to the story.”

She said that the final submission is due in April on the Dystopian Inkers page.

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I Remember Mom: The Blessing of the Pink Sprinkling Can

I

By Richard Mabey Jr. n early February of 2003, my mom, Janet Kemmerer Mabey, had just turned 70. It was only the month before that Mom had an eight-hour brain surgery to fill an arterial aneurysm in the Circle of Willis. So, in early February we had a big party for Mom. It served a dual purpose. First, for family and friends to unite to congratulate Mom on her successful brain surgery. And then secondly, to celebrate Mom’s 70th birthday.

It was a most wonderful time, a joyous moment, a time for friends and relatives to fellowship and break bread with one another. At Mom’s birthday, there was this little card table set up that abounded with gifts. One of the gifts that Mom received that day was a pink sprinkling can. I confess that I do not remember who gave the sprinkling can to Mom that day. Something I deeply regret now.

To say that this pink sprinkling can inspired Mom, is quite an understatement. When Spring Time came, Mom put her new sprinkling can to good work. For throughout the entire front yard, westward side yard, and backyard of the old Mabey Homestead, Mom planted a most breath-taking array of flowers. What I remember most, is the little patch of tulips that Mom planted on our westward side yard.

At the time, I was working at an ad agency in East Hanover. I had the benefit that the ad agency began shop at nine o’clock. It was the first job that I had ever had that didn’t begin work at eight o’clock. I remember so very well, just before I would leave for work, Mom would be filling her sprinkling can with water, while humming “Amazing Grace”

most of the time. It is simply a most cherished memory that I hold in my heart, of my beloved mother.

As I would drive up Mabey Lane to Route 202, each weekday morning, I would see Mom gently sprinkling water upon the cluster of tulips. We would wave to each other, as I awaited for a break in traffic to begin my journey to work each morning.

As simple as this true-life tale is, it holds a most precious and loving memory in the deepest chords of my heart.

To this day, I do not know who gave Mom the sprinkling water can for her 70th birthday. However, I do know that it provided a source of great joy to my mom. Whoever gave the sprinkling can to Mom, knew that her outdoor flower gardens were very near and dear to Mom’s heart.

I’m all for giving a person one of those gift cards for a restaurant or store. It does give the person the chance to choose what they want to buy at a store or order at a restaurant. However, there’s a lot to be said about sitting down and thinking about purchasing a special gift to give a loved one.

I know that this little story will have the chance to be read by many. Perhaps, the very person who gave Mom the sprinkling can will read this little true-life tale. And then maybe the mystery of who actually did give Mom that dear and precious gift will be solved. Stranger things have happened.

Richard Mabey Jr. is a freelance writer. He can be reached at richardmabeyjr@hotmail.com. Please put on the subject line: I Remember Mom.

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Painten’ Place of Denville Enters its 51st Year

A

By Steve Sears pril 1, 1971, was no April Fools’ Day for Richard Yobs Sr. Yobs, who had spent five years working for a known paint retailer and was a quick learner, had a plan and followed it through. He bought a local, dying paint store in the A&P Shopping Center on Denville’s Route 53.

He had his challenges, the size of the store his first: it was tiny, crowded, and packed. There was also the fact that Yobs had two young children, and no true financial backing.

Then the questions surfaced. What if customers don’t come by? Will the store be noticeable?

Undeterred, Yobs went to work, removing walls and increasing the size of his store, and in addition to selling paint, expanded his products offered to include carpeting, window treatments, ladders, and other supplies.

Painten’ Place was born.

“Then Black Friday hit. What a jolt!”

Mary Yobs says. “Downsize now and it was done.”

Several years later, property at 150 Route 53 became available, and Painten’ Place moved across the highway – and

faced new challenges. The (new) home had to be remodeled, repurposed for retail, added on for tinting and the stock area, parking lot, and a handicap entrance with outside lighting. On its 25th Anniversary, Painten’ Place unveiled its new store. “A customer whom we had never seen rushed in, all excited. ‘A Benjamin Moore store wow! I’ve been looking for one!’ We looked at one another and declared, ‘We’re going to make it!” the Yobs family says.

Richard’s daughter, Liz, became involved at the age of 10. “At that time, we got our first computer register,” she recalls. “Every item in the store had to be put into the computer, and given an IS number. There were no SKUs at that time.”

The current Painten’ Place is approximately 2200 square feet, and the local store has a loyal following and clientele, and for good reason. Painten’ Place carries Benjamin Moore Paint, Sikkens Stains, Mohawk Stains and lacquers, over 200 wallpaper sample books, Hunter Douglas Blinds, Norman Blinds and Shutters, Titan spray equipment, Saman Stains, and Old Masters gel stain.

Then there’s the folks on-site. Painten’ Place, looking to add a full-time employee, boasts of an experienced team. “At this

The original location of Painten’ Place.

point in time,” Liz says, “in the store we have Chuck, myself and Andrew (third generation). Richard, Mary and Rich Jr., are all quietly behind the scenes helping with building maintenance, banking runs, and sounding board.” She adds, “We know our colors, and are able to help them put their combination together. We custom match paint till we are happy, not when the

computer says its a match.”

Painten’ Place also calls home the excellent community of Denville, and is in a great location. Routes 46, 80, 202, and 287 are nearby, ensuring convenient access for their customers’ home needs. In addition to Denville, Painten’ Place clientele come from Mountain Lakes, Rockaway Township, continued on page 20

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A Valentine’s Day Story

L

By Richard Mabey Jr. oneliness in life is often disguised with a smile, a song in one’s voice, and a happy go lucky attitude. Yet, the truth of the matter is that often times, the people who seem so happy on the outside, are actually very lonely on the inside. One such person, who fit this scenario, comes to mind.

Sheila worked as a counter waitress at the old Woolworth’s Five and Dime, just off of The Green in Morristown. She would often hum old hymns, while cleaning off her infamous counter. It was a world of piping hot coffee, cheeseburgers, and soda. And, there really was nothing that could be compared to the counter at Woolworth’s. It wasn’t a diner, it wasn’t a full-fledged restaurant, and it was not a fast-food place. It was the one and only, Woolworth’s counter. And, Sheila was the Queen Bee of the entire operation.

Sheila was 64 years old. On the outside, she seemed tough as nails. But, as you got to know her even a little bit, it became apparent that she was a most sensitive soul. I first met Sheila in the Winter of 1988. I was 34 years old and had just began working in the Public Relations Department of AT&T on Mount Kemble Avenue.

I can’t remember why it was that I first went into the Woolworth’s that fateful day in early January of 1988. Something drew me there. Perhaps it was to walk down Memory Lane, one lunch hour. To go back to a simpler time, when I was a child and my mom and I would go to the Woolworth’s Five and Dime. Mom would always buy me a little toy there. I remember that I ate lunch at the counter, after walking about the store, that strange and bewildering day in early January of 1988.

I ordered a grilled cheese sandwich and a hot cup of tea. The grilled cheese came with a handful of potato chips and a slice of pickle. I remember all so well, that the counter wasn’t all that busy that day. So, I had a chance to talk to Sheila. Small talk.

She asked me where I worked. I told her at the AT&T office on Mount Kemble Avenue.

When I finished my grilled cheese and took my last sip of hot tea, Sheila simply said to me, “come visit us again, sometime.” I told her I would.

Well, whatever it was that first drew me to the Woolworth’s, called me back.

Sheila’s kind words of “come visit us again, sometime,” haunted me. So, I found myself returning, time and again, to the infamous Woolworth’s just off The Green in

A typical counter of a Woolworth’s Five and Dime.

Morristown.

In due time, Sheila shared her story with me. I looked to her as a kindly aunt.

Something about Sheila, touched the inner chambers of my heart center. I found it fascinating that this woman who had been

granted a bad hand of cards in life, was all so happy and cheerful as she served one person after another, coffee and sandwiches.

Sheila lived alone in an apartment. continued on page 15

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Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com • Denville Life • February 2022 • Page 15

Valentine’s Day... continued from page 14 Her husband had passed away when she was in her early forties. She had married a gentleman who was considerably older than her. Her son, her only child, was killed in a car accident when he was in his early twenties. I never asked Sheila questions, I would just simply listen to her stories.

At the time, I was blessed to have my columns and articles published in a regional weekly newspaper that was circulated in my hometown of Lincoln Park and surrounding communities. After having had lunch at the Woolworth’s a few times, I felt comfortable to show Sheila my articles. Sheila was a great source of encouragement to me. Her kind words about my writings, meant a great deal to me.

Weaving through the tapestry of Sheila’s life story, that she shared with me little by little, was the thread of her dream to retire at 65. Sheila’s birthday was in September, the same month as my birthday was.

Somewhere along the line, of our friendship that spanned across the Woolworth’s lunch counter, Sheila told me that she was 64 and would be retiring in September.

I don’t know what it was. I really have no idea what inspired me. But a few days before Valentine’s Day, I bought a box of

candy, with a card for Sheila. To this day, I don’t know what inspired me. It wasn’t that I was looking to date Sheila. But rather I just wanted to bring a bit of sunshine and kindness into Sheila’s life. For she often told me that I reminded her of her late son.

In 1988, Valentine’s Day fell on a Sunday. So, I gave Sheila her box of candy and her card on the Friday before Valentine’s Day. It worked out kind of nice, because on Fridays my boss would always let me have a little extra time on my lunch break. However, I do need to note that I earned every minute of that privilege, for I would often eat lunch at my desk, while I was working to meet a tight deadline.

Sheila almost cried when I handed her the box of candy and the Valentine’s Day card. She apologized for not getting me anything. It was truly a heart-felt moment.

Sheila then told me that she hadn’t gotten a Valentine’s Day gift and card in ages.

Then I ate my grilled cheese sandwich, sipped me tea, and wished Sheila a happy weekend.

In September of 1988, Sheila did retire from Woolworth’s. I went into the Woolworth’s one time after she retired. It was all too sad, not to see Sheila happily bring

A rare photograph of the Woolworth’s Five and Dime, just off of The Green in Morristown.

the customers their lunches. No longer was there someone working behind the counter, singing the old hymns. A sadness echoed at that lunch counter.

I was never to see Sheila again. I didn’t even know the town that she lived in. I never even knew her last name.

Sometimes the loneliest person has a big smile on their face. They seem so happy go lucky. They create an illusionary aura that their life is one big bowl of roses. But

AL’S

the truth is that they are crying on the inside. Sometimes we need to take the time to really listen to another person’s story, to really care, to have compassion. For we may well be the only person who has shown them a bit of kindness, in a long, long time.

Richard Mabey Jr. is a freelance writer.

He can be reached at richardmabeyjr@ hotmail.com. Please put on the subject line: A Valentine’s Day Story.

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Page 16 • February 2022 • Denville Life • Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com

D

espite the continuing COVID-19 pandemic and the myriad of controversial issues facing our State and Nation, good things continue to happen in Denville. In late-August, Denville had the honor of being named the most family-friendly suburban community in the entire United States by Realtor. com. Remarkably, that was not the best news Denville received on that particular day. Coincidentally, on the very same day, Moody’s Investor Services conferred a Aaa bond rating on the Township of Denville, the best and highest rating they issue. This speaks to Denville’s exceptional financial position, and places our community among an elite group of less than 24 municipalities in the entire State of New Jersey, that have achieved a Aaa bond rating. In a long-term bond sale, conducted shortly after the Aaa rating was conferred, the Township was able to borrow money for capital improvements at the unprecedented rate of 0.8625%. Achieving an Aaa rating was no easy task as it took years of planning, self-discipline, and the implementation of a strategic plan by our Administrator, Chief Finance Officer, Auditor, Township Council, and myself. In their report, Moody’s noted that Denville’s financial position actually improved during the pandemic. As one important factor in the rating is the demographic financial stability of the community, with the assistance of our local residents and property owners in 2020, we saw our total tax collection rate exceed 99% for the first time ever.

Another milestone the Township completed in 2021 was the successful

From the Mayor’s Desk

settlement of the litigation, dating back to 2015, required to establish our Township’s affordable housing obligation for the period of 2015 – 2025, and protecting the Township from the possibility of a builder’s remedy lawsuit by having our plan accepted

by NJ Superior Court.

The litigation was long and costly but certainly worth it as our adversaries initially were attempting to have the court impose a new obligation of 1,786 affordable units, which based upon a 1 to 5 ratio of affordable to market rate units, would have resulted in a total housing obligation in excess of 8,900 units. Ultimately, the Township successfully settled with our adversaries for 196 affordable units, of which 48 were bonus credits. Therefore, in the end, our obligation of 148 new affordable units was a mere fraction of the amount initially faced. Due to the prolonged nature of the litigation, one of the development, Estling Village Apartments, has already been completed, the Toll Development on Franklin Avenue has commenced construction and we anticipate we will see construction start on one or two of the projects in 2022. Ultimately our goal was to keep our housing obligation as low as possible, which I believe we achieved. All of the approved projects were subject to many months, and in some cases, years of negotiations in order to reduce the size and scope of the developments.

My administration has continued to stay true to our cardinal objectives, which include: Economic Development, Flood Mitigation, Road and Infrastructure Repair, Fiscal Responsibility, Public Safety & Public Health

and the enhancement of Senior, and Recreational and Social programs. The following are a few of the recent highlights for those objectives: Our 2020 grant application to expand the downtown streetscape improvements onto Diamond Spring Road Streetscape Project was not approved. However, we will apply again in the next round of funding in 2022. This past fall, we were forced to replace all of the plum trees, that had been planted in our downtown area, as a result of a deadly fungus that infected that species across the region.

In 2021, we paved the upper Bloomfield Avenue Parking Lot, and I will ask the Township Council to budget funding in order to pave the lower Bloomfield Avenue lot in 2022. We are aware there are a few downtown streetlamps that are not working and have ordered replacement parts. However, the original manufacturer of the street lamps, who was selected as part of the mandatory low-bid process we are required to follow on public projects of this nature, has proven to be slow and extremely unreliable in providing us with replacement parts. Besides having the necessary repair parts on order, we also have ordered extra common parts including a complete decorative street pole replacement of each model, so we can make repairs more quickly in the future.

Since 2015, we have been working with the US Army Corps of Engineers to devise a project that fits within their costbenefit analysis threshold, and provides much needed flood mitigation assistance to the residents and business owners in our Township. The plan

currently being evaluated includes home elevations as well as other floodproofing measures for up to 117 homes and commercial buildings in the downtown area. The Army Corps has indicated they will be looking to schedule a public meeting to explain the program, which is 100% voluntary, in the coming months.

The Township has also developed a Drainage Master Plan, and has begun to work on the list of historic and chronic drainage issues we experience in our community. Furthermore, the Township has continued to resurface Township roadways at a historically unprecedented level. Each year we have been able to pay for more paving in cash, in an attempt to reduce our reliance on borrowing and move toward more of a pay-as-you-go method of capital financing. The Township also continues to aggressively seek grants, was recently awarded $255,000 from the New Jersey Department of Transportation to resurface Pocono Road in 2022.

Work has begun on the upgrade to the Gardner Field rear tennis court, which includes the tennis wall and basketball court.

While some of the work has been completed, our efforts have been victimized by the Pandemic, with some of the skilled labor and parts needed not available until Spring 2022. We anticipate this project being completed and the improved facility re-opening in early- to mid2022.

The Path and Trails Committee received a grant, in the amount of $95,656, from the County of Morris Parks Commission for the Den Brook Trail Phase I, which was completed in 2021. The Township just received word that we will

be receiving $220,220 for the construction of Phase 2 of the Den Brook Trail that we plan on constructing this Spring, which will provide for a continuous one (1) mile trail along the Den Brook, from Openaki Road to Mount Pleasant Turnpike.

Another great success, has been how well the Township and Board of Education have worked well together. The Valleyview School Fields were unusable for years and the school teams were bused to Gardner Field to utilize those fields. In a “Shared Service” agreement, the Township and the Board of Education, split the cost of the new Valleyview School fields. With this collaboration we also share responsibility for any future maintenance of the fields. This agreement will work well, as the school needs the fields Monday through Friday until 6:00 PM, and the Town typically needs fields after 6:00 PM on weekdays and on the weekends. This is the third time the Town and the school have displayed outstanding cooperation on large scale endeavors.

The first was when the Board moved into the Town Hall, and the second being the arrangement of the Class 3 Police Officers in our schools. In this case, the town hires retired Police Officers at a lower salary rate and provides equipment and training.

The school reimburses the Township for the cost of the Class III officer’s salary.

Based upon this excellent relationship, we now have a sworn armed Police Officer in every one of our Denville Schools, who provides protection to our schoolchildren, teachers and other school staff members. We also have a similar type of arrangement with Celebrate the

Children, Morris Catholic High School, Morris Knolls High School, and the Morris County Vocational High School, with each school having a School Resource Officer (SRO), which is a regular uniformed Officer.

The Township’s five (5) labor associations collective negotiations agreements expire on December 31, 2021. After a series of very open, respectful, and spirited negotiation meetings, we came to a voluntary settlement with the Police, the Town Hall Supervisors, the Town Hall Staff and the DPW workers for a four year agreement.

Each of the settlements are fair to both the employees and taxpayers alike. These contracts are part of our financial strategy that will keep our community on a stable financial path.

I would like to congratulate Councilmen Glenn Buie, Chris Golinski, and Gary Borowiec on being re-elected to the Council, and I would like to welcome our new Council Member, Chrissy Kovacs as well as our new Council President Angie Cote.

I would also like to congratulate Councilman Doug Gabel, who has stepped down after 10 exceptional years as a member of the Council.

Doug will be remaining active on several township committees. On behalf of the Town Council and the Township Staff, I wish you good health, a happy and prosperous New Year.

Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com • Denville Life • February 2022 • Page 17

with Saint Clare’s

Let’s Talk Individualizing Cancer Treatment- Just For YOU With Saint Clare’s Health

O

By Mark J. Bonamo ne of the most difficult diagnoses, that anyone can receive is learning that they have cancer. Immediate questions come to mind, such as, will I survive, how difficult will be the treatments, and what will be the impact on the quality of my life. Dr. Fazal Bari, Medical Director of Oncology at Saint Clare’s Health, along with his medical team is committed to providing the answers in a manner that drives out the fear and delivers hope. Their core beliefs are to treat their patients with the most advanced and scientifically-based individualized approach delivered with a compassionate human touch.

Dr. Bari discussed how cancer care has made significant advances for individualizing treatment resulting from improvements in technology that provide treatment options unimaginable only a few years ago. The approach to cancer treatment was to treat the disease rather than focus on the individual patient’s driver of their cancer.

“The technological changes over the past five years has been advancing cancer care increasingly more personalized. We always knew that breast, colon, lung and prostate cancer all behaved differently and spread differently. If you take five separate patients with the same type of cancer and give them the same type of treatment, they may all respond differently. We never had a way to identify the unique things that would predict how they do with certain therapies,” Bari said. “Now, we have the technology to find the genetic code that many of these cancers carry. This allows us to target specific areas of cancer growth so we can best help our patients.”

Help for patients can come in the form of the high-quality diagnostic imaging available at Saint Clare’s Health, including CT scans, MRIs and 3D mammograms, which can detect diseases early, therefore facilitating effective treatment.

Some advancements in treatment technologies allow for more accurate and therefore less invasive and often in less treatments.

“We can now take a tissue sample and find out what is the driving mechanism behind that cancer, then treat and control it with less collateral damage and side effects,” Bari said. “Within the next decade, we may even be able to do diagnoses through the blood samples and not have to do tissue biopsies.”

Localized and general therapies both play a role in fighting cancer. An example of localized therapy offered at Saint Clare’s Health includes high-tech linear radiation treatments that are very precise.

“Stereotactic radiosurgery is an excellent localized treatment option that my patients receive at Saint Clare’s

Health,” Dr. Bari said. “It treats the area that needs to be treated with less number of doses and preserves normal tissue around the cancer.”

Generalized therapy has traditionally been isolated to chemotherapy but current advances have expanded to many options.

“Immune therapy can sometimes work better than chemotherapy by using the body’s own immune system to fight the cancer without as many side effects,” Dr. Bari said.

“Genetic sequencing tests are the next generation of care where we’ll be able to find out which medications work best against certain mutations that lead to and contribute to disease. Currently, some mutations in certain genes can be treated with a pill.”

For many patients, the consideration of their quality of life is a critical component in the battle to prolong life during the fight against cancer. Dr. Bari points out that the changes in the practice of medicine have boosted the opportunities to maintain the quality of life.

“When we talk about patients with advanced cancer, there is no use in doing what needs to be done to prolong life if we’re not doing what needs to be done to preserve the quality of life,” Dr. Bari said. “Some of the biggest strides that we’ve made in oncology over the years are the ancillary medications. For example, we have medications now that work on the nausea center of the brain that helps control it. We can give shots that prevent the immune system from tanking so that patients don’t wind up in the hospital with infections. There are ways we can cool the scalp so that chemotherapy doesn’t generate as much hair loss. We can mitigate and minimize the effects of traditional chemotherapy now in so many ways.”

According to Dr. Bari, a doctor’s compassionate approach is another critical component in treating cancer patients.

“Empathy and understanding are so important in our work. Everybody needs it. You have to give people realistic hope while they’re going through something very difficult,” Dr. Bari said. “We want to ask patients what their hobbies are and the things that bring them joy. If someone enjoys playing an instrument or knitting, we don’t want to use drugs that may cause numbness and limit their ability to do those things. Cancer treatments, including chemotherapy, are so radically different now. We make every effort to ensure that we educate our patients so they know that.”

Dr. Bari and his team also implement COVID protective measures for the safety of patients particularly during the pandemic.

“We are extremely diligent that our game is at a level even higher than normal COVID protocols,” Dr. Bari said.

Dr. Fazal Bari, Medical Director of Oncology at Saint Clare’s Health.

“We deep clean our facilities more regularly giving attention to all safety protocols than ever due to the immunocompromised patients that we treat. We had an ultraviolet sterilization system installed in our HVAC system, so the air is constantly being cleaned and not recirculated. We are truly doing everything we can.”

There are several preventative steps that people can take to detect cancer at its earliest stage. Well-known screening procedures, such as mammographies, colonoscopies, PSA tests and Pap smears are effective ways that patients can play a proactive role against cancer.

However, while cancer can obviously be frightening, Bari notes that the biggest fear people should have when dealing with cancer is fear itself.

“Clear-headed decisions don’t come from fear. They come from working with your doctor to get the best result,” Bari said. “All of the physicians that we work with here at Saint Clare’s know that there is the data of medicine, and then there is the art of medicine. That art includes working with people in your community. We work with people to make sure that our treatment approach isn’t just about length of life, but about the quality of life during the fight against disease. One of the great things about cancer treatment is that it can be done very effectively on a local level.

At Saint Clare’s Health, we work very hard to ensure that we are medically ahead of the curve, but are still around the corner from our patients.”

“We have a fine radiology department, great pathologists and excellent inpatient nursing care here at Saint Clare’s Health. That’s extremely important with a cancer diagnosis. Our nursing staff is second to none. They listen, and they care,” Dr. Bari added. “But your personal support team - your family and friends in the community - are just as important as our medical team in terms of how well our patients do.”

Saint Clare’s Health offers a wide range of oncology treatment options at the Denville and Dover locations. In addition, the unique nurse navigator program provides an extra layer of personal care for patients as they go through the treatment procedures that can help save their lives. For more information, please call 973-625-6000 or visit www.saintclares.com.

Page 18 • February 2022 • Denville Life • Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com

NJStarz NJ Starz: Robin Russo Hometown: Denville, NJ

N

By Steve Sears ickelodeon Double Dare star, Robin Russo, has a 40th anniversary Mountain Lakes High School reunion this year.

“We had a really great grade at Mountain Lakes High School,” Russo says excitedly.

We have all kept in touch. It just was some of the best memories.”

One thing you “get” while in discussion with Russo is her gratitude for her life, her family, her work…everything.

Russo, who is originally from Fairfax, Virginia, moved with her parents to Mountain Lakes in 1977 when she was in eighth grade. “My dad and mom are my mentors,” she says.

Len (short for Leonard) and Dee (short for Delores) she calls “the best parents around.”

“They are alive and thriving and couldn’t be better parents and grandparents. My father and mother from a very young age pushed us to follow our dreams. They never said, ‘You have to do this,’ or ‘You’re a woman, you can’t do this.’ My dad always said, ‘If you want to be a nurse, that’s fine, but if you want to be a doctor, that’s fine, too.’ They were instrumental in all three of us being successful.”

Her eighth-grade class was in Mountain Lakes High School, and she didn’t have her two sisters with her. “I have a sister named Tammy and a sister named Lani,” Russo explains, “and they were both in college at the time, so it was only me who moved to New Jersey.”

The Marella (her maiden name) family had moved to New Jersey because her dad was offered the athletic director’s job at West Point. He didn’t get the job, but did get stationed at Picatinny Arsenal. “I had the best childhood ever in that town (Mountain Lakes)” Russo recalls. “I loved every bit of it. Like I said, we were in the high school at the time. I never went to the middle school because I started immediately in high school in eighth grade, so I never experienced elementary and middle school in Mountain Lakes.”

Russo played soccer, basketball, and softball in high school, and continued the hardwood next at Manhattanville College in Purchase, New York. “Sports definitely made me appreciate what it is to be on a team,” she says. “I ended up playing basketball and soccer in college and the only reason I played soccer was to keep in shape for basketball.” And she had a proposed career mapped out. “I always knew I wanted to go into communications,” she says. “I majored in Communications and Political Science, wanting desperately to have a career in sports. My goal was to have a career in sports and be a sports broadcaster.”

And then came a call from her best friend to this day, Ann Sundius Rose, also from Mountain lakes. “35 years we’ve been friends,” Russo says. “She was living in Philadelphia at the time and working, and came upon the show on this Nickelodeon channel that I really had never heard of much, and that they were doing this show called Double Dare. And she said, ‘Do you want to come in and be a production assistant?’ I was right out of college. I literally had just graduated. I came in and, at that time, I always knew I wanted to go into sports, but I said to myself, ‘Let me see what’s going on here.’”

Russo loved Philadelphia, where the show was being filmed at WHYY, and visited the show and the Nickelodeon team. “At that time,” she recalls, “it was a free-for-all, people just running around. Nobody really knew what their role was. You were allowed to do everything, you were answering phones, you were doing this and that. So, I get in there knowing that I probably would only be there for a month or two because I really wanted to go into sports, but it was good for my resume to see what a television production would look like.”

The rest is history. She was initially a production assistant, but host Marc Summers handpicked Russo to join him on air, his selection of her changing her life. “He liked that I was athletic, and every time that we would talk, I would make him laugh and he would make me laugh. It’s just and unbelievable rapport that is still going on 35 years to this day.

At first, I did a little bit of nothing; just handed him stuff and you’d see my arm or my hand.

Then, he started incorporating me more into the show, and then it became the Regis and Kathie Lee of children’s television. And, we’ve been going ever since.”

Russo and the Double Dare Live Tour completed a two-year road show at the end of 2019. “I can’t remember many bad times,” Russo says of her time with the show. “You get

Robin and Marc Summers.

tired, of course, because you’re doing five shows a day and audiences are coming in and out. We went from Philly to New York, back to Philly, then to Florida. And when the road show was at its height, we went from playing at malls to playing at the Palace of Auburn Hills in Michigan for 25,000 people! It was highly successful, and to this day we’re still laughing. We have so much fun.”

Russo credits Summers and the fact that they were able to just be themselves for Double Dare’s longevity and popularity. “The beauty of working with Marc is it. I think that’s why it’s been such a success all of this time because what we’re doing is not fake. This is how we are. We were just living on a bus for two years. I can’t tell you how many times we would just be having laughing fits. He is one funny man. Remember, he started in comedy. We had a ball, and my role became much bigger at the end because it was just Marc and I. I am so blessed to have worked with a man who let me just be myself. And that’s where the success came in; what you saw is what you got.”

When the show’s initial run ended in 1993, Russo still was attached to her sports broadcasting dream, and did interview at ESPN and had a job offer, but turned the job down. “I thought, ‘Why am I leaving Nickelodeon?’ I knew it wasn’t the end, put it that way. I knew it was too big to end. I knew that we were either going to do the TV show again or the roadshow was going to go back out again.” The roadshow went out once again and was highly successful. “I remember going from Maryland to California, California to Maine.

It gets tiring, sure, but it’s fun. You’re not sitting behind a desk and saying, ‘Oh my God how am I going to do this? Instead, it’s ‘Oh my God, this is so much fun! A little tiring, but this is so much fun.’” And remaining with the network rewarded Russo: she got her sports.

Nickelodeon started to incorporate some sports into its broadcasting. “I remember 1993 continued on page 18

NJ Starz...

continued from page 19 being sad that the TV show was over maybe, but I knew that there was more to come.”

Russo, who also co-hosted What Would You Do? on Nickelodeon, has two children. Son Ryan is a senior at Ithaca College, and daughter Casey is studying Film and Production as a Penn State junior. “I love being a mom.

It’s my greatest accomplishment, my greatest joy.” And she’s loved living in Denville and raising her children there.

“Denville is a great town. It’s always named one of the best towns, and my kids, even in college, they still come back and they see all their friends. It’s just a great little town.”

She then adds, “I have a wonderful husband. His name is Frank, and he is very supportive of my career and anything I want to do. As a matter of fact, when Casey was a senior in high school and Ryan was a freshman in college, Frank had to hold down the fort because I was living on a bus for two years. People forget that aspect of it.”

Russo is still living the dream. “I love that Nickelodeon has provided me with memories, and still more memories to come,” Russo says. “And I love the fact that those are my lifelong friends. I still talk to almost every crew member from Nickelodeon. When Marc and I were doing the road show, these people came out on the road just to visit us.

Lasting relationships, lasting friendships, and unbelievable memories. And who gets to throw pies for a living and enjoy it?!”

Double Dare again may hit the road when the pandemic calms, and Russo will again hop aboard the bus, and smile when doing so. “Make sure you follow your dream,” she

Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com • Denville Life • February 2022 • Page 19

Russo and husband, Frank.

Russo’s two children, Casey and Ryan.

says, “I try to mentor girls all the time and say, ‘Follow your dream.’ Your dream can be anything. If you want to be a mom and housewife, that’s great. Be respectful of

everybody else’s dream. Fortunately for me, I’ve been doing this for 35 years and I have never had so much fun. I don’t think anybody’s job can compare to what I’ve done.”

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Page 20 • February 2022 • Denville Life • Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com

Painten’ Place of Denville... continued from page 12 Rockaway Borough, Dover, Randolph, Boonton, Boonton Township, Kinnelon, Parsippany, Morris Plains, Cedar Knolls, Hopatcong, and more.

Painten’ Place recognizes the need to give back to a community that has given much to them in the past 50 years. “Since the beginning, we have supported many local organizations and multiple youth sports teams,” Liz says. “The stairwell to the upstairs has become the ‘Walk of Fame,’ posting most of the pictures of the baseball, softball, soccer, hockey, basketball teams that we’ve sponsored. We’ve donated supplies, paint, and advice to many Eagle Scouts and Girl Scout Gold Awards.”

Painten’ Place continues to cement itself as the neighborhood and beyond

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Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com • Denville Life • February 2022 • Page 23

Denville SeafooD Celebrating Our 70th Year!

Fresh Seafood Market • Fresh Fish Daily From The Fulton Fish Market In NY Family Operated Since 1951

From this... to this!

While it may be true that all fish are created equal. It is how they are handled once they are caught that makes the difference. We have been doing it right for over 70 years.

We make the drive into the Bronx to go to the New Fulton Fish Market ourselves.

We purchase only the freshest fish available. We bring the fish back to Denville.

We clean, fillet, skin, and prepare it for sale. Come in and see, smell, and taste the difference.

Visit Our Dining Room

Codmother’s Cafe Daily Record

MORRIS COUNTY

Follow Us On Facebook For Specials, Recipes, Events & More!

973-627-2987

61 Broadway • Denville Store Hours: Tues.-Thurs. 9:00-7:00 • Fri. & Sat. 9:00-8:00 Dining Room Lunch 11:30-3:00 • Dinner 4:00 Until Closing Closed Sun. & Mon. • Kitchen closed daily 3:00-4:00

www.denvilleseafood.com

ECRWSS Local Postal Customer

New View Media Group, LLC 5 Dancer Drive Budd Lake, NJ 07828

344 Route 46 West Denville, NJ 07834 Cell: 201-412-9155 Bus: 973-957-0255

MARY K. SHEERAN Cell: 201-412-9155 mary@sheeranrealestate.com

GENEVIEVE SHEERAN Cell: 973-879-7531

259 Easton, Md 21601

JOHN P. SHEERAN Cell: 973-229-8670

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All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Equal Opportunity Housing Provider. Each office is independently owned and operated