East hanover_January 2026

GET YOUR FREE COPY OF THE PAPER DELIVERED STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX, VISIT WWW.IWANTMYPAPER.COM

ECRWSS Local Postal Customer

My Life Publications PO Box 575 Flanders, NJ 07828

259 Easton, Md 21601

E a s t H a n o v e r / F l o r h a m Pa r k’s H o m e t o w n N e w s p a p e r

EAST HANOVER FLORHAM PARK Vo l . 2 2 • Is s u e 1 FREE - TAKE ONE

LIFE Ja n u a r y 2 0 2 6

Member of Mid-Atlantic Community Papers • Association of Community Publishers AUDITED BY CIRCULATION VERIFICATION COUNCIL (CVC), ST. LOUIS, MO.

FREE - TAKE ONE

Hanover Park High School Girls’ Soccer Collects and Donates Food to Interfaith Food Pantry

BY STEVE SEARS STAFF WRITER

HANOVER PARK - When it comes to the Hanover Park High School girls’ soccer team’s post-season service, senior co-captains Andrea DiSessa and Sydney Shepard duoed on a perfect response.

“When it comes to our team, the word ‘Teamwork’ represents everyone working together towards a common goal. On the field this was done by us putting our minds together and working as a single team, instead of just everyone for themselves.

We used teamwork for the Interfaith Pantry project by gathering as much food as possible throughout the season and then being able to donate it to those in need. We felt our team left a good impression on the community by showing our desire to help out those in need.”

The team collected and then personally delivered 150 pounds of nonperishable food items to the Morris Plains Interfaith Food Pantry in early November.

Erin Fulton has been head coach of Hanover Park High School girls’ soccer since 2012.

She said, “My booster club President, Kathy Henning, came up to me with the idea, and the captains were all for it. They were super excited, sat down with her, and planned out how they wanted to go about collecting items. They made banners and put fliers up around school, posted it on social media, and they collected items prior to our ‘Senior Night” game. They have to be credited with doing all the work.”

The team started collecting

items at the beginning of the season, and residents of East Hanover and Florham Park helped support the cause by dropping items into a donation box located in front of Hanover Park High School. Prior to the Hornets “Senior Night” game, the team advertised the event and spread the word to the community.

For DiSessa and Shepard as outgoing seniors, it is important for them to make an impact on their community.

“We wanted to be able to help those around us who are not as fortunate,” they said.

“This act opened our eyes, helping us to appreciate the life we live and pay this forward to people in our community who are in need.”

For athletes who are in their

The 2025 Hanover Park High School girls’ soccer team (credit: Gabe Rhodes)

senior year, sometimes the current ledger can be challenging on the court or playing field with wanting to make their final season the best it can possibly be.

The 2025 Hornets did just

Florham Park Rotary Club Thank You for Angel Tree Donations

BY PETER NICOLAS GUEST WRITER

FLORHAM PARK - “I am very happy to know that all of the specific ornaments for the children were taken and they will all receive gifts for Christmas.

God bless all of the very generous people of our local community” glowed Betty O’Brien, longtime Florham Park Rotary Treasurer.

More than 125 children and young adults in need received gifts from under the Angel Tree this year. Wrapped presents ranged from the bare necessities like diapers and warm pajamas and clothing, to specific requests for popular toys. Florham Park, East Hanover and area residents and businesses answered the call of the Florham Park Rotary Angel Tree in the lobby of the Florham Park Post Office.

With each ornament on the tree a tag containing a child’s wish list, the secret Santas arrived day after day for one month to choose a tag and return later with the wrapped gifts. The recipients are all children and young adults who have cases with the East Morris office of the state Division of Child Protection and Permanency (DCCP), more widely known by its former name of DYFS. “Some of these children wouldn’t have a Christmas without this,” said Kara Vincelli, a family service specialist from the DCPP office. “It means a lot.”

The Rotary club has organized the drive for over 25 years. The club installs the tree in the lobby of the Florham Park Post Office with their support and the gifts start piling up.

“This is one of the most gratifying, sustaining events that

in the Hanover Park uniforms, and then doing these awesome things off the field. It just helps them continue that tradition and the standard that the program and athletics is so much more than just getting stats.”

Second Donation Effort Underway for Hurricane Victims in Jamaica

DCPP Reps Kara Vincelli and Jaime O’Leary with Rotarians Dave Kramer and Peter Nicolas

the Florham Park Rotary engages in,” said Dave Kramer, club president. “It’s obviously a great cause and we’re very proud of the way the local community in Florham Park supports this.”

For the second year in a row, parishioners at the Amazing Grace Lutheran Church on Ridgedale Avenue in Florham Park joined together to fulfill the wish lists from a dozen ornaments. Coordinated with the Rotary by Pastor Beau Nelson and parishioner Eunice Dickenson, one member of the Church commented “It’s so wonderful that some children will really have a great Christmas!”

The DCPP representatives said the annual drive is meaningful not only to the children, but to the parents and guardians who otherwise may not be able to provide gifts for them.

Through the Angel Tree, the resource parents (formerly called foster parents) are given the presents to wrap and address to their children themselves on

Winner from Nov./Dec.’s “Find Hank the Hornet Mascot” Contest

AREA - November Winners are: Barbara Marchitto; East Hanover, Jodie Kruis; East Hanover, Johanna Jacaruso; Florham Park and CP Chin; East Hanover.

December Winners are: Cindy Vrablik; Florham Park,

that - and saved their best for the post season.

Fulton said, “They are leaders in the community as well, and people look up to them. We have younger girls that come to our games, and they see them

Glenn R Jacobs; East Hanover, Jennifer Healey; Florham Park and Regina Lazarus; East Hanover.

Thanks to everyone who enter and congratulations to our winners!

Christmas morning.

In the cases of young children, the parents are often the ones filling out the wish lists with needed items like baby wipes, clothing and supplies.

Older children, adolescents and teenagers also receive clothing through the drive, along with toys, books, crafting items, beauty supplies - whatever they want for the holidays.

“This does a lot for our families, for that family’s confidence, and for that child to know that yes, I am worthy enough to get a gift like my friends. I can go to school and tell my friends what I got,” said DCPP Family Service Specialist Jaime O’Leary. “We would really like to express our gratitude to the community for doing this for children in their own community,” she continued.

“They might not know them or see them, but they’re here in the community too.”

About Rotary The Angel Tree project wraps up another good year for the Florham Park Rotary in supporting our local community.

Shared Rotarian Peter Nicolas. “This followed three oth-

er successful 4th Quarter 2025 events, including: Distribution of 100+ dictionaries to Brooklake Elementary School 3rd Graders Donation of 1,000+ lbs of apples to the Interfaith Food Pantry and to three smaller food pantries Coordination of the fifth annual Halloween Dog Parade and Costume Contest, teamed with Bond Vet and with Pets Supplies Plus, to raise funds for the Rotary Scholarship Awards to benefit high school Seniors who are residents of Florham Park and who give back to the community.”

Rotary International is a nonpolitical and nonsectarian organization open to all people regardless of race, color, creed, religion, gender, or political preference. To learn more and perhaps consider joining the Florham Park Rotary, check www.florhamparkrotary. org. Guests are enthusiastically welcome to attend a weekly Rotary breakfast meeting at the Florham Park Diner at 182 Ridgedale Ave. Meetings are 7:47 to 8:50 a.m. every Friday.

AREA - Check out our mascot...Hank the Hornet. Look for him in the ads in this issue and enter (no purchase necessary) to win a $25.00 gift

card (4 winners). It is easy to enter. Look through the paper and read the ads and look for “Hank” in the ads. He will be located throughout the paper

Calleecia Myers joined by Rotarians Dave Kramer and Bob Feid.

BY PETER NICOLAS GUEST WRITER FLORHAM PARK - Category 5 Hurricane Melissa, struck Jamaica in late October causing catastrophic damage. Hurricanes in the Caribbean are not unusual, but this one had with winds of 185 miles per hour, and was the third-most intense Atlantic hurricane in 90 years. Dozens of people were killed in the Caribbean.

Florham Park Rotarians invited Calleecia Myers to their weekly breakfast meeting to learn more so we could consider helping with the recovery. Calleecia is a VP Senior Branch Manager of M&T Bank in Gillette and had already made several trips to Jamaica bringing supplies and encouragement. She was introduced to the Florham Park Rotary by member Damion Bernard, VP Sr. Branch Manager of M&T Bank in Florham Park. Calleecia’s next trip to Jamaica in late December will

bring a cash donation from the Florham Park Rotary. The donation will help with food and clothes, as well as building supplies.

In the meantime, Rotarian Simone Campbell is coordinating a second donation effort between the Florham Park Rotary and the Kingston Jamaica Rotary club.

The Florham Park club is known locally for donating to causes that bene�it Florham Park students in general and to larger community causes like those for the Interfaith Food Pantry. “Being a part of Rotary International with clubs in 200 countries worldwide dedicated to humanitarian services, high ethical standards, and goodwill and peace around the world, this is our most recent opportunity to help elsewhere, “ said Florham Park Rotary club president, Dave Kramer.

in 6 random ads. Then go to https://www.mypaperonline. com/find-contest.html, scroll down and fill out the form to be entered.

Winners will be notified and printed in the next issue.

Your Chance to Win a $25 Gift Card with the “Find Hank The Hornet Mascot” Contest

Page 2 • January 2026 • East Hanover/Florham Park Life • Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com

Ridgedale Middle School Boys’ and Girls’ Soccer Teams Both Capture County Titles

BY STEVE SEARS STAFF WRITER

FLORHAM PARK The Ridgedale Middle School boys’ and girls’ soccer teams recently won dual Group II Morris County titles.

The boys were crowned 2025 Bob Leary Memorial Boys Soccer Tournament co-champions with Chester, while the girls defeated East Hanover for the 2025 Bob Ciurczak Memorial Girls Soccer Tournament title.

Brian McParland, who originally coached the girls’ team, has now been coaching the boys’ team for nine seasons. A Ridgedale Middle School math teacher for 22 years, he has coached in the soccer program overall for 21 years. Meade Eggelston has been coaching the girls’ squad for two seasons and served as an assistant coach for a season prior to that.

He has been teaching Science at the school for three years.

“It is rare,” McParland said

of both teams winning county titles. “I have been here since 2003 and this is the second time it has happened, but it is rare.”

Eggelston said of the aftermath of the dual titles, “There was a lot of excitement. The teams were strong, and the kids were pumped up for the playoffs.”

Ridgedale Middle School’s soccer team has players from grades 6 through 8 participating.

Eggelston said, “They are coming as sixth graders, and they have not had too much high-level organizational sports in general, whether it be soccer or anything else. It is just getting them physically up to speed with people that are eighth graders. With such a massive difference of that age, we are just getting them mentally and physically up to the task, just creating a culture

where everyone is working together. It is not individualized, and they are just in it together.”

McParland said about both teams, “We are, in Florham Park very blessed with a very involved community in terms of soccer and getting the kids started, almost as early as kindergarten or first grade here. We have a lot of parent

involvement, a lot of training being done on the outside, and that is the talent that we get at the middle school level consistently, year in and year out.

It is pretty high quality, so we can compete with Group IV schools even though we are a Group II school. We are blessed by having a major feeder program.”

The boys’ program has developed over time, and the youngsters look forward to heading to Ridgedale Middle School and having a competitive team.

McParland said, “We won three of the last four more county titles in Group II and have had very good teams more recently. There are par-

when I lived in The Villages.

Martie loved Rocko. When the time came that Martie needed to have surgery on her knee, she asked me if I would take care of her cute little puppy. I immediately agreed. I simply loved Little Rocko.

I had often walked and cared for Little Rocko, for well over two years previously. Rocko and I were good pals. While Martie was in the hospital, every morning I would wake up at seven in the morning and walk

up to Little Rocko’s home and feed and walk Little Rocko. After walking Rocko a good mile, I would bring Rocko home and play fetch with him on his living room floor.

As destiny would have it, Martie needed to reside at a rehabilitation center to receive physical therapy from having her knee operated on. All in all, the time that I cared and walked Little Rocko every day, was well over a month’s time.

Needless to say, Little Rocko

and I became best pals.

Martie had told me, before she went in for her surgery that Little Rocko had a serious heart problem, so she gave me Little Rocko’s Veterinarian’s name and phone number. Martie told me that she had her credit card number on file with Little Rocko’s doctor. She told me if needed, to let Rocko have the best medical care. Fortunately I did not need to call on Little Rocko’s doctor, the whole time I took care of Rocko.

Sadly, about a year ago, Little Rocko went to Rainbow Bridge. It was a sad day, to say the least. I cried my eyes out, when I was told of Little Rocko’s passing. I loved him very much.

Yesterday, I was putting up outdoor Christmas lights on my house. I was feeling a bit down, remembering the times that my father and I used to put lights up atop the long front porch of the old Mabey Homestead. I felt a heavy, sadness. I was all so dearly missing my beloved father.

I was only three steps on my ladder, when I inwardly heard a distinct, high-pitched barking of a dog. It was the unmistakable, unique, trademark bark of my dear puppy friend, Little Rocko. When I turned around, from facing the front porch windows of my home in Flotida, to looking at my front

A moment from a happy time, yours truly and Little Rocko.

Can Love Be Limited?

BY RICHARD MABEY JR. STAFF WRITER AREA - It was two and half years ago that I was diagnosed with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. At first, I was devastated. But within a few months, I began to accept my fate, my destiny. Strange as it may seem, it was a little dog named Rocko, who helped me through those early weeks of reaching acceptance of having this horrible heart disease.

Rocko’s mommy was a kind lady, who was in her early eighties, who lived on my block

Livingston Teen Publishes Book on Artificial Intelligence

AREA - Seventeen-year-old Sophia Guild, a senior at The Pingry School, has published her first book, The AI Equation: Balancing Innovation, Ethics, and Humanity.

Sophia, who grew up in Livingston, wanted to share her passion for Artificial Intelligence in a way that would resonate with people outside the tech world. “With Artificial Intelligence being of such high interest at the moment, I wanted to demystify AI for the general audience, and highlight its life-changing potential, while addressing the ethical concerns around its rapid development,” she said.

The book introduces readers to the basics of AI, breaking down complex ideas into approachable language. It also explores how AI is already shaping everyday life, and what responsibilities come with such powerful technology.

For Guild, writing the book was more than just an academic project. It was about giving

ents who put together the town teams and bring them up on the boys’ side; we definitely have the support there. That is really what makes these teams good or great, the community or parent involvement to get the kids where they need to be and get them the training they need.”

back to the community where she grew up. She hopes her work will spark curiosity and conversation among readers of all ages in New Jersey and beyond.

EXPERIENCE

The AI Equation: Balancing Innovation, Ethics, and Humanity is now available on Amazon. More information can be found at www.theaiequation.com

Szechuan & Hunan Cuisine

yard, my heatt leaped with joy.

There, on my front lawn, I saw the ghost of Little Rocko.

As I climbed down the ladder, the specter of Little Rocko began jumping around in circles, as I remember all so well, how he would often do that when he would first see me.

There was no mistake about it, a ghost-like Little Rocko was hopping and jumping around, just a few feet from me. As I walked closer to Rocko, he simply vaporized and disappeared. At the same time, joy and sadness filled my heart.

Can love be limited? Can God be limited? Is there a connection, that we as human

beings, hold with the precious animals in our lives? Is the death of a beloved pet, really and truly the end of a spiritual connection with that dear and special one? Each and every one of us, holds the answers to these questions, hidden deeply in the chambers of our hearts.

Truly, love is the most positive powerful force in the universe.

Richard Mabey Jr. is a freelance writer. He has recently had two books published.

He currently hosts a YouTube Channel entitled, “Richard Mabey Presents.” Richard may be contacted at richardmabeyjr@gmail.com.

Religious School Style (Jewish Learning, Fun, Interactive, Mostly Outdoors, Flexible, Affordable)

REGISTRATION IS STILL OPEN

Large Variety of Dim Sum

SPICY CHEF

10% OFF

Any Order of $30 or more

Spicy Chef Chinese Restaurant

Must bring coupon. dine in or take out. Not valid on lunch special. Not to be combined. Not valid on holidays. Expires 2/28/26

Entrance in Rear • Next to QuickChek

SPICY CHEF

249 Route 10 East • East Hanover

OPEN 7 DAYS

973-240-7763 • spicychefnj.com

FREE Soup Dumplings Any Order of $70 or more

Scan For Full Menu & To Order Online

NOT VALID FOR LUNCH SPECIALS. DINE IN ONLY. Must bring coupon. Not to be combined.

Not valid on holidays. Expires 2/28/26

SUNDAY MORNING IN PERSON OPTION

1:1 HEBREW ZOOM TUTORING

100% VIRTUAL OPTION

visit us at www.MAKOMnj.org or contact us at 973-922-3457

Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com • East Hanover/Florham Park Life •January 2026 • Page 3

The Life and Legacy of Elizabeth Cady Stanton

Page 4 • January 2026 • East Hanover/Florham Park Life • Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com

BY HENRY M. HOLDEN STAFF WRITER

AREA - In November 1880, Elizabeth Cady Stanton (18151902) resided in Tenafly, New Jersey. Stanton was renowned as one of the leading figures of the early women’s rights, or Suffrage movement, in the United States. She is best known for penning the Declaration of Sentiments for the Seneca Falls Convention and for her pivotal role in organizing the women’s suffrage movement across the nation.

On Election Day in November 1880, Stanton decided to cast a ballot, powerfully demonstrating her sincere belief in the right of all women to vote. Throughout her life, Stanton passionately sought to elevate the status of women by demanding equal rights and rallying the somewhat disorganized Suffrage movement.

While other women attempted to advance the cause, few were as strong-willed as Stanton.

The challenge remained how to spark nationwide change and draw attention to the cause.

Women’s suffrage refers to the right of women to vote in national or local elections, a right denied to women in societies as far back as ancient Greece and republican Rome, as well as in the early democracies that emerged in Europe during the 18th century. Even when the voting franchise was expanded in the United Kingdom in 1832, women continued to be excluded from all voting rights.

Stanton’s commitment to women’s rights began in her childhood, influenced by evenings spent with her father, who would often read to her. In addition to this informal education, Stanton attended the co-educational Johnstown Academy in her hometown of Johnstown, New York, until age 16. She then continued her studies at the Troy Female Seminary, later known as the Emma Willard School after its founder.

Although Stanton aspired to attend Union College, following in the footsteps of her male

classmates from Johnstown Academy, she was barred from entry solely because of her sex.

Reflecting on these formative experiences with discrimination, Stanton wrote with deep regret about her inability to compete academically on equal footing: “When those with whom I had studied and contended for prizes for five years came to bid me good-by, and I learned of the barrier that prevented me from following in their footsteps–‘no girls admitted here’–my displeasure and indignity knew no bounds. …

Again I felt more keenly than ever the humiliation of the distinctions made on the grounds of sex.”

Before focusing entirely on women’s rights, Stanton was active in the temperance and abolition movements. Through these causes, she met her future husband, Henry Brewster Stanton. When they married in 1840, she insisted that the word “obey” be omitted from their marriage ceremony, as she “ob-

stinately refused to obey one with whom I supposed I was entering into an equal relation.”

During their honeymoon in London, Stanton and her husband attended the World’s Antislavery Convention. There, she met Lucretia Mott, another prominent women’s rights advocate. After male delegates at the convention voted to exclude women from participation and relegated them to a section hidden from view, Stanton became resolutely committed to the cause of women’s rights and resolved to organize a women’s rights convention.

Stanton went on to organize the landmark Women’s Rights Convention at Seneca Falls, New York, in 1848. At this historic gathering, she presented her Declaration of Sentiments—.”When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one portion of the family of man to assume among the people of the earth a position different from that which they have hitherto occu-

Thank You Sergeant Robert Vitale, For Saving My Life

BY RICHARD MABEY JR. STAFF WRITER

AREA - It was in the middle of July of 1965 that Boy Scout Troop 170 had begun an ambitious hike to take a week-long walk on the Appalachian Trail.

We began the long hike in Upstate New York. The goal was to make it to Virginia.

I was 11 years old at the time and had just finished the sixth grade. My dad had just become the Scoutmaster of Troop 170.

It was a magical time. It was a wonderful time.

Robert Vitale was our scout troop’s Senior Patrol Leader. Bob was a very dedicated scout. He had a very good insight into nature. He was well adept at scouting skills.

It was shortly after we crossed the Delaware River and began hiking in Pennsylvania that a most incredible moment in time occurred. It was a moment, a matter of a few seconds that would change my life, in all so many ways.

Bob and I were bringing up the rear of the long line of scouts of Troop 170, carrying backpacks and canteens, along the mystical Appalachian Trail.

In one split second, I heard the rattle. It was the unmistakable rattle of a rattle snake.

“Richie, don’t move!” Senior Patrol Leader Vitale shouted at me. I froze.

Then Bob drew a long knife from his sheath and in one quick, powerful swoop, cut the head off of the rattle snake. I was mesmerized. Senior Patrol

From 1972, a photo of Boy Scout Troop 170 taking a break from a hike. My dad is on the far left. Assistant Scoutmaster Robert Vitale is center stage. And, Assistant Scoutmaster Charles Behnke is standing, far right. All three scout leaders are wearing Smokey Bear hats.

Leader Vitale had saved my life. In what was all of about five seconds, Bob had saved me life!

When Robert Vitale turned 18, he joined the United States Army. He was advanced to the rank of Sergeant. During his service, in his time in Vietnam, Robert was awarded many prestigious awards of heroism.

You see, Sergeant Vitale had selflessly saved an entire patrol of his fellow soldiers. Sergeant Vitale had chosen to step forward, putting himself in grave danger of being in harm’s way, to save the lives of his fellow soldiers.

When Sergeant Vitale came back home to Lincoln Park, after serving in the U. S. Army, he rejoined Boy Scout Troop 170, as an Assistant Scoutmaster. A role that he served in for well over a decade.

Sergeant Robert Vitale is

one of the bravest individuals whom I have ever known.

Now, at 72 and fighting Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, I have become acutely aware of the people who have helped me along life’s way. Lately, I have been thinking a lot about that moment in time, back in July of 1965, when Robert Vitale pulled his long knife from its sheath and cut off the head of the rattle snake. The very snake that was coiled up, only about two feet from where I stood.

So, with all the gratitude that I can muster in my heart, thank you Sergeant Robert Vitale for your service to our country.

Thank you, Bob, for saving my life, all those years ago.

Richard Mabey Jr. is a freelance writer. He has recently had two books published.

He currently hosts a YouTube Channel entitled, “Richard Mabey Presents.” Richard may

Consult • Design • Fabricate • Install

WINDOWS THAT FIT YOUR UNIQUE STYLE Discover Elegant Custom Window Treatments:

3 In-Home Consultations 3 Custom Designs 3 Professional Installation No Job Is Too Small!

SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT

973.627.3021 melaniescustomcoverings.com

be contacted at richardmabeyjr@gmail.com.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton

pied, but one to which the laws of nature and of nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes that impel them to such a course..”

She wrote this document, modeled after the Declaration of Independence, to detail women’s inferior status and demand sweeping reforms, including the right to vote. a rewriting of the Declaration of Independence that demanded voting rights for women and proclaimed that all men and women are created equal.

Following the Seneca Falls Convention, Stanton met Susan B. Anthony. The two formed a lifelong friendship grounded in their shared dedication to women’s rights. As a mother of seven children, Stanton’s domestic responsibilities often prevented her from traveling to participate in the movement alongside Anthony. Nevertheless, for decades she partnered with Anthony. She was a prolific writer and composed many of Anthony’s speeches.

Stanton’s advocacy for women’s rights extended well beyond the right to vote. She campaigned for liberalized divorce laws, reproductive self-determination, and expanded legal rights for women.

Although these positions sometimes alienated her from other activists and met with only limited success during her lifetime, her efforts left a lasting impact. Stanton’s 1854 Address

to the Legislature of New York helped influence the passage of the Married Women’s Property Law of 1860, which granted married women the right to own property, conduct business, and serve as joint guardians of their children.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s main point in The Woman’s Bible was to challenge the patriarchal interpretations of scripture that subjugated women, arguing that the Bible, when read critically, revealed a divine message of equality, not inferiority, and that religious tradition had distorted God’s true, liberating spirit for women. She sought to reinterpret sexist passages, highlighting positive female figures and advocating for women’s autonomy, self-development, and spiritual liberation from oppressive religious orthodoxy.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton is among the honored figures in the Women’s movement. A quote from Stanton that resonates deeply with this work is: “To make laws that man cannot and will not obey, serves to bring all law into contempt.”

This physical reminder connects today’s advocates to Stanton’s legacy of striving for societal improvement.

Stanton passed away 18 years before women in the United States were granted the right to vote. Nevertheless, her revolutionary ideas and unwavering commitment continue to inspire those who work toward equality and justice.

A Witch Trial at Mount Holly

Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com • East Hanover/Florham Park Life •January 2026 • Page 5

BY HENRY M. HOLDEN STAFF WRITER AREA - The Salem Witch Trials of 1692, include a famous and bloody chapter in American history. A good deal more obscure and a good deal less harmful was a witch trial that took place in Mount Holly, then a Burlington County village in 1730.

An account of this witch trial first appeared in the Pennsylvania Gazzett on October 22, 1730.The villagers that day found the news of ship arrivals, merchandise for sale and an article entitled; “A Witch Trial in Mount Holly.”

It was assumed that the young Benjamin Franklin wrote it. He said that all has been found; so.

Smyth (the editor of the Gazette ) printed it without questioning as did later editors and biographers. Records of the Court of Quarter Sessions of Burlington County, N.J., for 1730, which might write down how much fact there was in the Gazette account, no longer exist.

So, as the story goes that on Oct. 12, at Mount-Holly, over 300 very nervous and anxious people were gathered to see an experiment or two, tried on some people accused of Witchcraft.

According to the article, it seems that a man and woman in the village had had been suspected of practicing witchcraft and had been charged with making their neighbor’s sheep dance in an uncommon manner, causing hogs to speak, and sing psalms, and to the great terror and amazement of the King’s good and peaceable subjects in this province; and the accusers being very positive that if they (the) accused were weighed on scales against a Bible. (The assumption being that someone in a league with Satan would not weigh, as much as the word of God since Baptism is the foundation of their beliefs .) The Bible would prove too heavy for them; or that, if they were bound and put into the river, they would swim.

The male suspect was the first to be placed on the scale. A Hugh great Bible was placed on the other side. To the dismay of the villagers, he ought to weigh the Scriptures and so did the other three.

The Accusers being very positive that if the accused were weighed in Scales against a Bible, the Bible would prove too

heavy for them; or that, if they were bound and put into the river, they would swim; the said Accused desirous to make their innocence appear, voluntarily offered to undergo the trials, if two of the most violent of their accusers would be tried with them.

So, the time and place were agreed on and advertised about the Country; The accusers were one Man and one Woman; and the accused the same. The parties being met, and the people got together, a grand consultation was held, before they went ahead to trial; in which it was agreed to use the scales first. and a committee of men were appointed to search the men, and a committee of women to search the women, to see if they had anything of weight about them, particularly pins. After the scrutiny was over, a huge great Bible belonging to the Justice of the Place was provided, and a lane through the villagers was made from the Justices house to the scales, which were fixed on a gallows erected for that purpose opposite to the house, that the justice’s wife and the rest of the ladies might

see the trial, without coming amongst the mob; then came out of the house a grave tall Man carrying the Holy Writ before the supposed wizard, (as solemnly as the Sword-bearer of London before the Lord Mayor) the wizard was first put in the scale, and over him was read a chapter out of the Books of Moses, and then the Bible was put in the other scale, (which being kept down before) was immediately let go; but to the great surprise of the spectators, flesh and bones came down plump, and outweighed that great good Book by abundance. After the same manner, the others were served, and their lumps of mortality severally were too heavy for Moses and all the Prophets and Apostles.

This being over, then accusers and the rest of the mob, not satisfied with this experiment, would have the trial by water; accordingly a most solemn procession was made to the millpond; where both accused and accusers being stripped (saving only to the women their shifts) were bound hand and foot, and severally placed in the water, lengthways, from the side of a

WPHS Interact Club Gets Active Again This Past Fall

Students volunteered at area organizations, helping others

BY JEFF GARRETT STAFF WRITER

WHIPPANY PARK - The teenage years are a great time to cultivate the power of community service.

Usually a self-centered time for students navigating the challenges high school brings, many learn it’s not how you look but how you act, and in this case, what you give, which helps define you.

The Interact Club at Whippany Park High School centers its activity to help those in need as a service club of students sponsored by Rotary with a fo-

cus on volunteering.

This past Fall, students from the Interact Club reached out with trips to Allegro School, a non-profit 501(C) (3) corporation providing services to help students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) while they stay with their families to prepare for community living. At Community Food Bank, students from Whippany Club helped sort and pack food for those in need. Other trips included visits to volunteer at Howard’s

Mission, another non-profit in Hanover which aims to provide clothing and essential living items to non-profits across New York and New Jersey.

Interact students played a vital role in the helping the Mission participate in 100 annual distributions over 15 communities.

While providing goods helps those in need, spending time with folks in assisted living facilities helps make seemingly lonely, isolated times livelier. Here the Interact Club

visited CareOne Nursing Home and spent time doing activities with residents.

Finally, the club’s student membership gathered together to pack 412 candy bags for donation to a local holiday store to make a valuable impact.

With a busy Autumn and early Winter behind them, it will be interesting to see where, and who, the interactive Club helps next this late Winter and Spring.

barge or flat, having for security only a rope about the middle of each, which was held by some in the flat.

A Sailor in the flat jumped out upon the back of the man accused, thinking to drive him down to the bottom, but the person bound, without any help, came up some time before the other. The woman accuser, being told that she did not sink, would be dunked a second time, when she swam again as light as before. Upon which she declared that she believed the accused had bewitched her to make her so light, and that she would be dunked again a hundred times, but she would dunk the Devil out of her.

The accused Man, being surprised at his own swimming, was not so confident of his innocence as before, but said, If I am a Witch, it is more than I know. (unless they were mere Skin and Bones) would swim till their breath was gone, and their lungs filled with water. But it being the general belief of the villagers that the woman’s shifts, and the garters with which they were bound helped to support them; it is said they are to be tried again the next warm weather, naked.

There is no further mention of the story in the Gazette fueling doubt about its verisimilitude.

However, this story, if true, is a historical sign of folk beliefs in eighteenth-century New Jersey.

Legends of witches and their persecution may still persist in Mount Holly and other areas to this day. Are these modern folklore of witch trials merely a lingering vestige of a fraud enacted

by Ben Franklin in 1730? Or do we believe too much when we suggest these stories to a presumably bogus article? Perhaps it was an honest to God account of events and actions which occurred that are still inspiring stories and rumors this day.

This story may stem from an article appeared on October 22, 1730, in the Pennsylvania Ga-

zette, which allegedly chronicled a witch trial that took place in Mount Holly.

The story ends open-endedly, without suggesting of any final decisions made or actions taken about the guilt or innocence of those accused.

Since the publication of the story, some have guessed that it was merely a joke. This seems to be based simply on the fact that a young, well-known prankster named 24-year 0ld Benjamin Franklin wrote the piece. It should be noted that Franklin wrote most of the copy for the Gazette.

According to those who doubt the validity of the story, it was a way for Franklin, an enlightened thinker of his day, to poke fun at folk beliefs which persisted, as well as to have a joke at the expense of Burlington County villagers, whom Philadelphians saw as rustic, rural jokes.

One reason the account accepted was a contemporary publication the Gentleman’s Gazettet reported the story to its readers as fact. In the nineteen and early 20th century people were Though the Mount Holly was probably fraud it is not without importance. It shows that by the 1730s, an educated man like Franklin could attack the belief in witches as seemingly old fashion and not get hung for his posture on the whole subject. We have come a long way since the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, where twenty-two people were executed.

This story has a bit of humor and pours scorn on for those who can’t take a joke.

Atlantic City Boardwalk

Page 6 • January 2026 • East Hanover/Florham Park Life • Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com

BY HENRY M. HOLDEN STAFF WRITER AREA - If you are reading this you have probably been to Atlantic City, New Jersey and strolled at least part of the 120 mile – boardwalk.

The Atlantic City Boardwalk, opened in 1870, is the first boardwalk in the United States and has evolved into a major tourist attraction with a rich history spanning over 150 years.

A wooded 5.75 -mile strip has been the temporary home for hundreds of conventions, .engineers, teachers, historians, families’ plumbers ,carpenters, beauty pageants, shops, restaurants and more. All flock to “AC” for the warming sun in the summer months, its renowned “saltwater “ toffee and legal gambling casinos in which most hope to strike it rich.

But did you know that back in the 1930s , the boardwalk served some of the most reviled gangsters of the day including Frank Nitti, Dutch Schults, Al Capone, Henryk Wojciechowski (Hymie Weiss,) hit men, bootleggers, racketeers etc. So where are they now, and what did they leave behind ?

Atlantic City’s story as a gambling stop in began in the mid-19th century when developers recognized the potential of the island’s beaches. The city was incorporated in 1854, and by the 1870s, it had begun to establish itself as a health

resort. Physicians of the era prescribed seaside visits for patients, believing the salt air offered therapeutic benefits.

However, early visitors encountered a significant inconvenience: sand. Guests would track beach sand into hotel lobbies and train cars, creating a persistent nuisance. This problem led to a revolutionary solution that would change Atlantic City’s destiny.

In 1870, Alexander Boardman, a railroad conductor, and Jacob Keim, a hotel owner, proposed the creation of a wooden walkway that would allow beachgoers to enjoy the shore without getting sand in their shoes. On June 16, 1870, Atlantic City’s first Boardwalk was opened to the public.

The history of Atlantic City’s Boardwalk has been marked by cycles of destruction and renewal. The original structure, designed to be temporary, was replaced in 1880 with a larger, improved version. This second iteration was wider, longer, and built higher above the beach.

Over the decades, the Boardwalk faced numerous challenges from Mother Nature, including: 1. The Great Atlantic Hurricane of 1944, which destroyed large sections of the Boardwalk.

2. The Ash Wednesday Storm of 1962 again caused

BY STEVE SEARS STAFF WRITER AREA - Saylor Whiteman, Seasonal Naturalist at the Leonardo State Marina Nature Center (Office of Nature and Interpretive Programming) in Leonardo, has a perfect view.

A peek out the window of his Middlesex County workplace provides a view of the beautiful Sandy Hook Bay. Whiteman, a student at Brookdale Community College in Lincroft, holds programs for both youngsters and adults at the Nature Center, but also occasionally does the same at the Twin Lights National Historic Site in Highlands or on the tiny beach in Leonardo.

Indeed, much of what he does connects with the sea and the species that live there.

Inside the facility, Whiteman cares for two female, Red-eared slider turtles named Bobo and Rocky.

“They are an invasive species,” Whiteman said. “They are not native to New Jersey.

They were donated to us by someone who couldn’t take care of them anymore, so now we have them here for education. They have a lot in common with our native species, like our painted turtle in particular, but they are not New Jersey natives. But they can live very well in New Jersey.”

Bobo and Rocky are roughly 13 years old, and actively swim in their own 75-gallon tanks, both enjoying a permanent home on the Jersey shore.

Whiteman knows both very

well. “Rocky is sassy, and Bobo is a little more passive, and kids love looking at turtles.

I’ll feed the turtles in front of kids, and they’ll ask me questions.”

A Common Pleco catfish, soon perhaps to be named Chocolate, first shared a tank with Bobo, but due to his aggressiveness he bought himself his own tank. On this day he hides beneath a rock formation, but according to Whiteman, he’ll surface when the lights go out later in the day.

A tiny shelf to the left holds artifacts like skate and whelk egg cases, horseshoe crab and turtle shells, and driftwood, and in a second room of the Nature Center, many craft-based programs are held, such as making paper flowers, or sea glass art or jewelry.

On prominent display following a recent winter beach clean-up are objects taped to a poster board like popsicle sticks and plastic straws, items that get into the waters and poison the environment and pose danger for aquatic wildlife.

“The community is such a huge part of this,” Whiteman said. “I love it. Most of the people who come here live in Leonardo, and most of the people that come here will see kids from their classes, and the moms and parents will know each other, and they will recognize me, and it is really just a lovely thing to have everybody coming together, especially

extensive damage.

3. Hurricane Belle in 1976, required significant repairs.

4. Hurricane Gloria in 1985, washed away portions of the Boardwalk.

5. The infamous Hurricane Sandy in 2012, destroying the northern section.

After each disaster, Atlantic City rebuilt its beloved Boardwalk, often expanding and improving it. By the early 20th century, the structure had grown to approximately 60 feet wide and extended for miles along the oceanfront. These rebuilding efforts demonstrated the city’s resilience and commitment to maintaining its most famous landmark.

While the Boardwalk began as a practical solution to a sandy problem, it quickly evolved into the centerpiece of Atlantic City’s tourism industry. The 1920s and early 1930s—during the Prohibition era—marked the Boardwalk’s golden age.

Despite nationwide alcohol restraints, Atlantic City became known as “The World’s Playground,” where Prohibition laws were loosely enforced, if at all. (In fact, there was no legal gambling in Atlantic City until 1976.)

The Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre, (Feb. 14, 1929) in which seven men from rival gangs were murdered in broad daylight, damaged the public image of Chicago and Capone,

Museum Spotlight: Leonardo State Marina Nature Center

Whelk egg cases (credit: Steve Sears)

when we do things like these beach clean ups.”

Another poster explains why you don’t ever walk on dunes (“It is a big problem,” Whiteman said), and a neighboring miniature sandbox, which the kids love, is equipped with a tiny shovel for unearthing tiny shells therein, which they can match with a like-image displayed shell on a nearby poster, learning more about the species.

In the summer, there is also a lovely pollinator garden that flourishes outside the Nature Center’s entrance.

Open year round, the Leonardo State Marina Nature Center is located at 102 Concord Avenue in Leonardo, and is open to the public from 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. Visit the facility’s Facebook page for winter hours and special events throughout the year.

• VINYL NORMAN HARDWOOD LAMINATE THE SALES & INSTALLATION FLOORMAN FOR OVER 68 YEARS Norman the Floorman’s founder, Norman Zeitlin, has been in the flooring business for 68 years! Norman offers a full range of quality wood, vinyl and laminate flooring, at extrememly competitive prices. Better still, Norman not only sells flooring, he installs, refinishes and repairs it too!

New Jersey’s Flooring Expert

Owner, Norman Zeitlin

Norman the Floorman offers a Unique Shopping Experience Visit our showroom Mon.-Sat. 10-5 (evenings by appt.)

Fully Insured

45C E. Northfield Road (next to Livingston Bagels) Livingston • 973-515-5211 Norman the Floorman.com

WHITE OAK ENG. 5”X9 1/6 X 3MM THICK

From

5

$ 99

SQ. ft.

WHITE OAK

3/4”X2 1/4” SOLID From

3

$ 99

SQ. ft.

WATERPROOF LUXURY VINYL

2

$ 99

ON SALE

SQ. ft.

leading influential citizens to demand government action and newspapers to dub Capone “Public Enemy No. 1”.

One of more than 12-15 high level gangsters who made money on the illegal aspects of gambling was Al Capone.

Unlike some of the gangsters Capone apparently reveled in attention, such as the cheers from spectators when he appeared at baseball games. He made donations to various charities and was viewed by many as a “modern-day “Robin Hood”.

During this period, the Boardwalk flourished with entertainment options. Elaborate hotels, theaters, and amusement piers extended from the Boardwalk out over the ocean.

The Steel Pier, opened in 1898 but reaching its heyday in the 1920s, became one of the most famous attractions, offering everything from big bands to diving horses.

Alphonse Capone sometimes known as “Scarface”, attained notoriety during the Prohibition era as the co-founder and boss of a Speakeasy and gambling outlet to relieve the Chicago Outfit from 1925 to 1931. His seven-year reign as a crime boss ended when he was imprisoned at the age of 33 for the federal crime related to tax evasion for undeclared income.

Capone showed signs of neuroyphilis early in his sentence and became increasingly debilitated before being re-

leased after almost eight years of incarceration. Neurosyphilis is a complication of syphilis. It can cause serious neurological issues, such as stroke and paralysis. In 1947, Capone died of cardiac arrest after a stroke.

The Miss America Pageant, which began in 1921 to extend the summer tourist season past Labor Day, featured contestants parading down the Boardwalk in what became an iconic American tradition.

This era also saw the rise of the rolling chair—a wicker chair on wheels pushed by an attendant—as the preferred method of Boardwalk transportation for those who could afford it. Originally introduced as a service for invalids and elderly visitors, rolling chairs quickly became a status symbol among some gangsters on the boardwalk and remains an iconic part of the Boardwalk experience today (minus the cold-blooded killers.)

The Boardwalk’s cultural significance received a permanent boost in 1935 when Parker Brothers released the board game Monopoly. The game’s creator, Charles Darrow, was inspired by Atlantic City’s streets and landmarks, with the Boardwalk securing the most expensive property on the board. This placement forever cemented the Boardwalk’s reputation as a symbol of luxury and aspiration in American popular culture.

Beyond board games, the

Boardwalk has featured prominently in literature, film, and television. From the 1980 film “Atlantic City” starring Burt Lancaster and Susan Sarandon to HBO’s critically acclaimed series “Boardwalk Empire” (2010-2014), which chronicled the Prohibition era through the fictional character of Enoch “Nucky” Thompson, the Boardwalk has maintained its place in the American imagination.

By the mid-20th century, Atlantic City was facing significant challenges. The rise of affordable air travel meant that wealthy East Coast tourists could easily vacation in Florida or the Caribbean rather than the Jersey Shore. The city’s once-grand hotels had become outdated, and the Boardwalk’s amusements lost their luster as newer entertainment options emerged elsewhere.

In a bid to revitalize the struggling economy, New Jersey voters approved casino gambling for Atlantic City in 1976. On May 26, 1978, Resorts International opened as the first legal casino on the East Coast outside of Nevada. This watershed moment launched a new era for the Boardwalk. When the casino doors opened at 10 AM, a queue of well-dressed people waited on the AC Boardwalk.

Resorts’ acceptance of that first wager changed everything in AC forever.

Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com • East Hanover/Florham Park Life •January 2026 • Page 7

What Really Happened Aboard the USS Princeton?

BY HENRY M. HOLDEN STAFF WRITER

AREA - On February 28, 1844, a long line of carriages drew up to the wharf at the Washington Navy Yard. It dropped off the city’s social elite, nearly 400 ladies and gentlemen in sophisticated attire ready to celebrate. Captain Robert F. Stockton of Princeton, New Jersey, had assembled the movers and shakers, the very cream of the capital, including President John Tyler, for a demonstration cruise on board the pride of the United States Navy, the steam frigate USS Princeton. USS Princeton was to be inaugurated with an excursion from Alexandria, Virginia to Mount Vernon.

In attendance was former first lady Dolley Madison, then 76, topped the guest list. Several members of Tyler’s cabinet and several congressional leaders were on hand as well.

Launches ferried the guests out to the 164-foot Princeton, at anchor off Alexandria.

While visiting England in 1937, Stockton met a steam pioneer, Swedish-born engineer John Ericsson, who had built a steam tugboat driven by a screw propeller. Stockton had a stroke of luck. The British navy had rejected the boat and the concept. Stockton was fascinated by Ericsson’s work.

His next step was to get Ericsson’s buy-in to his idea. The two men had found common ground. Their next step was to build a screw propelled war ship.

Once back in the United States, Stockton successfully lobbied the government to produce such a vessel. Stockton was awarded the contract to build a protype with Ericksson as the designer.

To no one’s surprise, Stockton was awarded the rank of captain. Stockton had friends in high places including the president famous for “Tippecanoe and Tyler too.”

Princeton was a marvel of modern engineering. Stockton, whose grandfather was a signer of the Declaration of

Independence, had enticed Swedish-born John Ericsson, later famous for the Civil Warera Monitor, to come to the United States to design the first steam-powered warship driven by a screw propeller instead of a paddlewheel. She carried the largest gun in the U.S. Navy: the “Oregon” fired 12-inch cannonballs and had been built in England to Ericsson’s design; an even larger 12-inch cannon called the “Peacemaker” weighed more than 27,000 pounds and had been cast in the United States under Stockton’s supervision.

Stockton guided construction of the Princeton, using some of his family’s wealth to help finance the project when it cost more than the Navy was willing to spend.

Stockton had already taken several senators, members of the House of Representatives, and newspaper reporters out to show off his new warship. But the cruise down the Potomac was to be one of the crowning days in the Navy’s history.

George Sykes, a congressman from Pennsylvania, described the festive mood on the day of this excursion down the Potomac.a The festive voyage, however, did not go as planned. In a flash the cruise became the setting for one of the Navy’s worst peacetime disasters. It was a calamity that claimed the lives of six of the passengers—including two members of President Tyler’s cabinet.

As the members of the Cabinet passed over the side of the ship on a plank from the hurricane deck of the steamboat the sailors and Marines in on board removed their hats and gave three cheers.

According to Virginia Congressman W.C. Rives “Never in the mysterious ordinance of God has a day on earth been marked in its progress by such startling and astounding contrasts — opening and advancing with hilarity and joy, mutual congratulation and

patriotic pride, and closing in scenes of death, and disaster, of lamentation and unutterable woe.”’

The explosion on board the Princeton killed more top US government officials in one day than any other tragedy in American history to that date.

President John Tyler, who was aboard but below decks, was not injured.

Rather than ascribe responsibility for the explosion to individuals, Tyler wrote to Congress the next day that the disaster “must be set down as one of the casualties which, to a greater or lesser degree, attend upon every service, and which are invariably incident to the temporal affairs of mankind”. He said it should not affect lawmakers’ positive assessment of Stockton and his improvements in ship construction.

One of the flaws in the government was President John Tyler had become president after the death of William Henry Harrison, and there would be no Constitutional relief to fill an intra-term vacancy in the position of vice-president until the Twenty-Fifth Amendment was ratified in 1967; therefore, he had no vice-president. If Tyler had been killed in the incident, under the terms of the Presidential line of succession the current President pro tempore of the Senate Willie P. Mangum would have become Acting President.

At the time, President John Tyler’s heart was heavy, with grief and he had a lot on his mind, both political and romantic. Tyler became President in 1841, following the death of President Harrison after 31 days in office. His chief political goal was the annexation of Texas: a firm believer in Manifest Destiny, and Tyler sought to facilitate American expansion from sea to sea. His Secretary of State, Abel Upshur, hoped that the annexation of Texas would perpetuate American slavery

TUESDAY PIZZA SPECIAL 1 Large Plain Pizza $15 2 Large Plain Pizza $28 (Pickup or delivery)

ORDER ONLINE angelinasfpnj.com

10% OFF

All Catering Orders With this coupon.

Expires 2/28/26

184 Columbia Tpk • Florham Park • (973) 520-8824

WINTER/SPRING REGISTRATION NOW OPEN

by offering more land for the cultivation of crops. In the winter of 1844, Upshur and Tyler were preparing a treaty that would join the Republic of Texas with the United States.

Princeton was a wellbuilt ship but Stockon wanted something more impressive. The new ship would have powerful high-pressure engines that could move the ship at twelve knots per hour.

Unlike other ships of that era, with their churning paddle wheels and belching smokestacks with Princeton’s screw propellers and steam mechanism the ship could out-cruise any ship afloat with its engines below the water line and not be dependent the fickle winds.

The gun, a smooth bore muzzleloader made of wrought iron, It could fire a 225-pound 12-inch shot 5 miles using a 50-pound charge. Its revolutionary design used “built-up construction”, placing red-hot iron hops around the backside of the weapon, which pre-tensioned the gun and greatly increased the charge the breech could withstand. Originally named “The Orator” by Ericsson, Stockton renamed it the “Oregon gun.”

It was shipped to the United States in 1841, where it was tested, and reinforced to prevent cracks, and proof-fired more than 150 times.

Captain Stockton wanted his ship to carry two long guns, so he designed and directed the construction of “Peacemaker”, another 12-in muzzleloader. “Peacemaker” was built with older forging technology, creating a larger gun and more impressive appearance, but less strength. Many have said that Stockton rushed construction of “Peacemaker” and mounted it without much testing. According to one lawmaker, “Peacemaker” was “fired only five times before certifying it as accurate and fully proofed.

On that moderate winter day, Tyler was also occupied by thoughts more personal than political. Tyler’s wife of 29 years, Letitia Christian Tyler, died in 1842 at the White House, leaving him a widower deep in mourning. Five

months after his wife’s death, Tyler met Julia Gardiner, a beautiful young woman from a wealthy Long Island family whom Tyler’s son had invited to visit the White House.

During all this, the affluent and well-connected Stockton had convinced President Tyler into letting him construct a new model vessel for the U.S. Navy. USS Princeton was a marvel of modern engineering and had been produced by means of a partnership between Stockton and John Ericsson. This innovation was crucial for nineteenth-century naval warfare, as a screw propeller located beneath the surface meant that the ship’s machinery would be out of reach of enemy cannon fire. Ericsson would later design the U.S. Navy›s first ironclad vessel, the USS Monitor.

The festive voyage, however, did not go as planned. In a demonstration of the USS Princeston, on the Potomac River, there was an explosion.

It killed six high-profile government officials, including the Secretary of State, Secretary of the Navy, and injuring many others. The cast-iron gun, designed by Captain Robert F. Stockton, failed under repeated test firing s and exploded sending deadly iron fragments into guests, highlighting naval innovation dangers and impacting American politics and history.

A navel Court of Inquire absolved Stockon of any blame.

He had built the Peacemaker according to the latest scientific standards. The Court found that the gun in question had been fired with normal procedures. The Court even commended Stockon for his quick response after the explosion.

Stockon went on to earn a distinguished record in the Mexican War when he captured Los Angeles and became the military governor of the territory of California; Stockton, California, was named in his honor.

Stockon returned to New Jersey where he became a state senator and president of his family’s Delaware and Raritan Canal Company. Because of the accident was so devastat-

Corporate Events Birthday Parties

ing the ship, Princeton earned a bad reputation and was decommissioned in 1849 and broken up for scrap.

But the USS Princeton’s bad name did not follow it.

The second USS Princeton, an armed transport and training ship, was commissioned in 1852 and remained in service until 1866.

The third USS Princeton, a composite gunboat (made of both wood and steel), was commissioned in 1898, served in the Far East and Nicaragua and in the aftermath of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, and was decommissioned in 1919.

The fourth USS Princeton was an Independence-class light aircraft carrier active in the Pacific Ocean during World War II. It was launched in 1942, sponsored by Margaret Dodds (the wife of Princeton University President Harold Dodds), and commissioned in 1943. In October 1944 it sank in a fierce battle off the Surigao Strait; it was awarded the Asiatic-Pacific Area Campaign Ribbon with nine battle stars and the Republic of the Philippines Presidential Unit Citation.

The fifth USS Princeton, an Essex-class carrier, was commissioned in 1945 and decommissioned in 1970. It was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation, eight battle stars during the Korean War, and a Meritorious Unit Commendation for support of the Marines during the Vietnam War. It later served as the primary recovery ship for the Apollo 10 lunar mission.

The sixth and current USS Princeton, a Ticonderoga-class missile cruiser, was commissioned in 1989 and damaged in a mine attack in 1991. It won two consecutive Battle Efficiency Awards in 1992–93 and was deployed to the Arabian Gulf for Operation Enduring Freedom.

Star Trek devotees will note a seventh, future USS Princeton — a Federation starship launched in the year 2366 (Episode 1, Season 4 of “Star The New Generation,” September 1990).

Weddings DELIVERY Catering AVAILABLE!

3.00 OFF Buy 1 Donut, Get 1 FREE! One Dozen Donuts $

With this coupon. Not to be combined with any other offer.

Only available at the Whippany location. Expires 2/28/2026. EH1

With this coupon. Not to be combined with any other offer.

Only available at the Whippany location. Expires 2/28/2026. EH1

Online ordering available: https://www.duckdonuts.com/whippany/ 458 Route 10 • Whippany • 973-887-0900

Page 8 • January 2026 • East Hanover/Florham Park Life • Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com

The Battle of the Century

BY HENRY M. HOLDEN STAFF WRITER AREA - Jersey City has a long history of professional boxing and has been host to several high-profile boxing matches over the years. The city’s first recorded a professional boxing match took place on July 25, 1885., But what is the greatest day in the history of Jersey City?

Without a doubt, July 2, 1921.

On that day, fight fans came from all parts of the country to see the American Jack Dempsy fight Frenchman Georges Carpentier for the heavyweight title of the world.

Americans are used to celebrity events like Elvis Presley, Madonna, , Cher , Mike Tyson, and Rocky Marciano to name a few. We have seen them up close and personal on trashy TV shows, supermarket celebrity tabloids, court fights and present in a live boxing ring.

But back in 1921 these methods of collecting money and power were virtuality unheard of in Jack Dempsy’s day.

In the words of boxing historian Randy Roberts: “The publicity ground out in advance of the fight depicted Carpentier as a rosy-cheeked clear complexioned Lancelot to cheer, and Dempsy as “a thick-bearded, scouring Simon Legree to boo and jeer.”

The Dempsey vs. Carpentier fight was a landmark event in sports history, dubbed the “Battle of the Century.” Dempsey outweighed Carpentier by 20 pounds, weighing in at 188 to the French challenger’s 168 Held at Boyle’s Thirty Acres in Jersey City, it was the first boxing match to attract a record crowd of thousands of spectators. The event was also the first world title fight to be broadcast nationwide via radio, marking a major step in sports broadcasting the largest U.S. sports crowd at the time. Promoted by Tex Rickard, it was the first boxing match to earn over $1 million. Dempsey’s fourth-round knockout left a lasting cultural and economic impact on sports.

The heavyweight clash between Jack Dempsey and Georges Carpentier wasn’t just another prizefight, it helped shape modern sports entertainment. Known as “The Fight of the Century,” the bout took place at Boyle’s Thirty Acres in Jersey City, a wooden arena built specifically to host the event. The promoter, Tex Rickard, recognized the growing power of sports as mass entertainment and pushed the

fight as a clash of cultures: Dempsey, the rugged American brawler, versus Carpentier, the French war hero and gentleman boxer.

The hype worked. Over 91,000 spectators filled the stands, making it the largest sporting audience in U.S. history at that point. Radio broadcasts carried the fight to thousands more, ushering in a new era where sports and mass media converged.

In the ring, Carpentier put up a valiant fight, but Dempsey’s power and weight proved overwhelming, ending the contest with a knockout in the fourth round. Beyond the punches thrown, the fight marked the moment boxing became mainstream, laying the foundation for the million-dollar gates, and pay-perview Carpentier was the world Light-Heavyweight champion, having beaten Battling Levinsky by a fourth-round knockout in his previous bout to win the title at Westside Ballpark in Jersey City.

Despite the fact the bout was held in the United States, Dempsey, the American defending champion, was cast as an anti-hero to Carpentier, the French challenger, who was seen as a hero by fans. During World War I Carpentier was decorated for bravery in battle with the Croix de Guerre and the Médaille Militaire, while in the United States Dempsey went on trial accused of draft evasion. At the same time Dempsey also went through a divorce from his first wife, Maxine.

As for the draft evasion charge, the public perception that he was a “slacker” stemmed from a publicity photo of him wearing shipyard worker attire but with dress shoes, which led to a public trial, even though evidence showed he had tried to enlist and supported war relief efforts. Despite being found not guilty in court, the negative label stuck with him throughout his career. Tex Rickard, Dempsey’s promoter, built up the fight, using the public’s view of both fighters to promote the bout. Rickard operated out of the Madison Square Garden in New York, but at the time he was having trouble with authorities at the New York State Boxing Commission and Tammany Hall.

In addition, New York governor Nathan L. Miller opposed having the fight take place in

his state.[11] Also, Rickard envisioned a larger crowd than Madison Square Garden could fit coming to this fight, and he preferred boxing fights to be held at outside arenas so he built Boyle›s Thirty Acres in Jersey City, with a capacity for 80,000 paying customers. Rickard borrowed $250,000 (in 1921 money) to make the arena. Boyle›s Thirty Acres was a large wooden bowl-shaped arena in Jersey City. It was built specifically for the world heavyweight championship bout between Jack Dempsey of the United States and Georges Carpentier of France. It held approximately 80,000 fans and was built at a cost of $250,000. It was situated around Montgomery Street and Cornelison Avenue, on a plot of marshland owned

by John F. Boyle.

After a number of offers from other promoters, Rickard settled on a proposal from Frank Hague, the mayor of Jersey City. Hague obtained a parcel of land owned

by John P. Boyle, a paper box manufacturer. The site was once the home of the Jersey City baseball team. The actual size of Boyle’s land was 34 acres. The octagonal structure was built using 2,250,000 feet of lumber. The arena covered 300,000 square feet and during construction had the services of 5oo carpenters and 400 laborers. Construction started on April 28, 1921, and was completed just before the fight. The arena was initially due to hold 50,000 fans. However, the demand for the international extravaganza was so enormous that Rickard had to expand the arena to hold a capacity of around 80,000 to 90,000 fans. It had the greatest seating capacity of any amphitheater ever built.

In the contest between Dempsey and Carpentier, the strength and power of Dempsey was too much for the Frenchman, who was knocked out in the fourth round.

The Wireless Age, a technology magazine of the era, had held a convention in New York City from March 16 to the 19th. Julius Hopp was a concert organizer at the Madison Square Garden, and he asked Rickard for permission to broadcast the fight live on radio. Hopp then attended the convention and met local radio enthusiasts. In addition, several radio stations had begun broadcasting in New York Cit-

ty, including Westinghouse’s KDKA. John Ringling, Rickard’s Madison Square Garden partner, opposed live transmission of the bout, but he relented once a compromise was reached to have radio equipment located outside instead of inside the arena. AT&T also protested, refusing to connect a ringside telephone line to a transmitter.]

The transmitter used was said to be the largest ever built up to that time. It was built by General Electric and set up at the Lackawanna train terminal in Hoboken, from where the bout was transmitted by a temporary station, WJY, operated by the Radio Corporation of America, to theaters, halls and auditoriums in 61 other cities across the United States.

The fight became the first world title fight to be carried over radio, ushering in an era of boxing radiocasts that lasted until the accessibility and popularity of televised boxing.

On the afternoon of July 2, 1921, the first fight to take place before the main event was between boxers Frankie Burns and Packey O’Gatty.

Burns won that fight on points in eight rounds. The last preliminary bout before the main event featured Gene Tunney defeating Soldier Jones in seven rounds. Tunney would eventually beat both Dempsey and Carpentier in later years.

Predictably, Dempsey was clearly a heavier puncher throughout the fight, though Carpentier landed his share of punches in the early rounds, before eventually succumbing to the powerful right hand of Dempsey .

In round two, a solid right to the jaw had Dempsey groggy. But Dempsey recovered and controlled the bout in round three.

Less than a minute into the fourth round, Dempsey’s relentless pressure resulted in Carpentier being decked with a solid left-right combination from the champion. It looked like Carpentier could not beat the count, but he rose to his feet suddenly at referee’s count of nine. However, the fight ended shortly afterward, at one minute and 16 seconds of round four, when Dempsey knocked out Carpentier with another combination that included a hard right hook to the body.

The Jack Dempsey versus Georges Carpentier bout was the first boxing fight to produce a “million dollar gate” at a then record of $1,789,238.

It was also the first heavyweight championship fight where women attended in substantial numbers. This was the favorable pre-fight press Carpentier had received in many

New York City newspapers that portrayed him as a dashing, handsome musketeer, and modern French war hero.

Dempsey kept the heavyweight title until 1926 but lost it to Gene Tunney on points after ten rounds. In 1927, Dempsey attempted to regain the title from Tunney in what became as The Long Count Fight but again lost by ten rounds decision. He retired after that fight and operated a successful restaurant in the heart of New York City, dying in 1983 at age 87.

Carpentier fought twelve more times. One of those bouts was a fifteenth-round knockout defeat at the hands of Tunney. Carpentier retired from boxing and became an actor in France, participating in eight feature films. Carpentier died in 1975. Both men are in the Boxing Hall of Fame Boyle’s Thirty Acres was demolished in 1927, and is now the site of the Mill Creek Gardens Public Housing development.

Kidz World Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics At Kidz World Pediatrics Dentistry & Orthodontics, we are dedicated to providing comfortable care for your child’s teeth!

Beautiful Transformation in 100 Days!

The dental group kids LOVE and their parents trust!

Before

• New Homes • Additions • All Phases of Remodeling

NAME: ____ Mi ke ein ____Lat er, ____ ____ DM____ ____ D, MS _ NAME: ____ Ami____ Dha____ duk____ , DM____ D

_____

NAME: ____ Denise Kita ____ DD____ ____y,____ S, MM ____Sc _

After

V&V Construction Co. Vojo Cogura

973-687-6255 • VojoCogura1@gmail.com NJ Lic.# 13VH00589600/Insured

218 Ridgedale Ave. Suite 203 • Cedar Knolls 973-585-6756 kidzworlddental.com

ENTERTAINMENT

BY DANA JACKSON Q:Is it true that Apple TV+ has canceled “The Last Frontier?” I thought it was a really underrated show. Will another network pick it up maybe? -- T.I. A:Yes, unfortunately, Apple TV+ has canceled “The Last Frontier” after just one season. It starred Jason Clarke as the sole United States marshal in a remote area of Alaska, who finds himself in a major pickle when a prison inmate transport plane crashes in his jurisdiction. The odds were stacked against him when dozens of prisoners are on the loose, and he comes to the horrifying realization that it might have been no accident but instead planned.

No other streamers or networks have picked up the show.

There was just simply too much competition for this 10-episode series to generate enough viewers to warrant a second season, despite a talented cast that also

Celebrity Extra included Dominic Cooper (“Preacher”) and Alfre Woodard (“Desperate Housewives”).

I wouldn’t feel too badly for Jason Clarke, however. He’s very likely to earn an Emmy nomination next summer for his starring role as the murdering patriarch in the Hulu miniseries “Murdaugh: Death in the Family.” Next up for him are two films called “Wind River: Rising” and “F.A.S.T.” -- the latter of which was written by “Yellowstone” mogul Taylor Sheridan. *** Q:I really enjoyed the latest batch of “Emily in Paris” episodes. Will it be back for another season? It was nice to see Minnie Driver in something again. I hope she sticks around.

-- W.W. A: While there hasn’t been any official renewal announcement from Netflix yet, I would be willing to bet that “Emily in

Paris” will return for a sixth season late in 2026. In fact, according to Entertainment Weekly, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos listed the show as “one of several shows returning for new seasons in 2026.” He further added that his wife, Nicole, is “one of Emily’s biggest fans.”

Not to spoil anything, but it’s hinted in the season finale that Emily could find herself in another coastal country with stunning scenery and great food. As for the one-time Oscar nominee Minnie Driver (“Good Will Hunting”), the story also leaves an opening for her return. Perhaps once contracts are worked out, we’ll hear an official renewal announcement from Netflix. *** Q:I just realized that Jonathan Bailey from “Wicked” was also in “Bridgerton,” but is he in every season? I’d like to start watching it since I’m a huge fan

of his. -- P.S. A:While most people know Jonathan Bailey from the blockbuster movies “Wicked” and its sequel, he’s been making viewers swoon ever since he appeared in the Netflix period drama “Bridgerton.” While his character, Lord Anthony Bridgerton, has been present in all four seasons, he’s featured much more prominently in the second one.

Despite his recent success in movies and being People magazine’s newest recipient of their “Sexiest Man Alive” honor, he says he will always make time for “Bridgerton.” Season four of the series will premiere on Netflix on Jan. 29, 2026.

Send me your questions at NewCelebrityExtra@gmail. com. (c) 2025 King Features Synd., Inc.

while her husband is away for weeks at a time for work. Add to this a tumultuous relationship with her own therapist and one of her clients disappearing, and it’d be enough to drive anyone insane! (Apple TV+) “The Copenhagen Test” (TVMA) -- This sci-fi spy thriller series premiered its first season recently, and it consists of eight episodes that are all available to stream now. Led by Simu Liu (“Last Breath”), the series takes place in the “near future” and follows Alexander Hale (Liu), an intelligence agent for the United States government whose brain gets hacked for the purpose of committing treason against the U.S. He’s faced with the choice of taking the hacking signal out of

his brain or using it to trace the hackers and end them, and with his agency breathing down his neck, Alexander’s only option is to choose the latter. As he lets the agency infiltrate his entire life, he must toe a careful line between being the key to finding the hackers and being used as collateral. Melissa Barrera (“Abigail”) co-stars. (Peacock) “A GRAMMY Celebration of Latin Music” (TV-PG) -- Out now to stream, this musical event presented by the GRAMMY Awards showcases the legacy of Latin music and features performances and tributes from Latin celebrities. Hosted

by Wilmer Valderrama (“Encanto”) and Roselyn Sanchez (“Wallbanger”), the event in-

cludes special appearances from Daddy Yankee, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Rita Moreno and Carlos Santana. Performers include musicians such as Luis Fonsi, Prince Royce, Gloria Estefan and Andrea Bocelli. Whether you’re a fan of Latin music or not, this special is a great opportunity to learn about the impact Latin music has made in America. (Paramount+) “Ash” (R) -- Directed by Flying Lotus, this sci-fi horror film stars Eiza Gonzalez (“Fountain of Youth”) and Aaron Paul (“Invincible”). Gonzalez plays astronaut Riya, who wakes up with amnesia on an unknown planet and is completely unaware of her purpose of being there. She discovers the bodies

Jason Clarke (“The Last Frontier”). Photo Credit: Depositphotos

Couch Theater

BY DEMI TAVERAS

“If I Had Legs, I’d Kick You” (R) -- Rose Byrne leads this psychological drama that is out now to rent. Her performance has already earned her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy). With an unexpected supporting cast consisting of Conan O’Brien, A$AP Rocky and Christian Slater, it’s a twisty case study of a woman at her wits’ end with comedic elements that keep viewers wanting more. Byrne plays a psychotherapist named Linda, whose life is collapsing around her. (Literally, as the ceiling of her apartment collapses and floods her entire home.)

She cares for her daughter, who suffers from a feeding disorder,

Aaron Paul, left, and Eiza Gonzalez star in “Ash.” Photo Credit: Courtesy of MovieStillsDB

of several crew members and subsequently encounters Brion (Paul), another astronaut who received a distress call from her before she lost consciousness.

As Riya and Brion put the pieces together of her mission gone awry, Riya experiences traumatic flashbacks of the mission, and the pair figure out that there’s still one crew member missing.

They’re left with no choice but to leave the planet and go back to their headquarters, but even this won’t be an easy feat. Nothing is as it seems in this movie, which is also Flying Lotus’ first feature-length film. Premieres Jan. 2. (Hulu) (c) 2025 King Features Synd., Inc.

Weichert/ The Bright Choice!!

Gloria LaForgia

cell: 973-477-4632 glf1989@aol.com glorialaforgia.com

• #1 in East Hanover 232 + transactions in East Hanover • 489 + transactions in NJ overall Trust the Local Expert!!!

NEW YEAR, NEW BEGINNINGS! You owe it to yourself to improve your lifestyle.

Call Gloria for a highly valued complimentary home analysisan effortless way to begin a considered, personalized journey.

1625 Route 10E • Morris Plains, NJ 973-984-1400 Office

© 2025 Weichert, Realtors. REALTORS® is a federally registered collective membership mark which identifies a real estate professional who is a Member of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® and subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics. Weichert® is a federally registered trademark owned by Weichert Co. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Each Weichert® franchised office is independently owned and operated. If your home is currently listed with a real estate broker, this is not intended to be a solicitation of the listing. Equal Housing Oportunity..

GAME TIME

Page 2 • January 2026 • East Hanover/Florham Park Life • Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com

“The Perfect Game” - Remembered

Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com • East Hanover/Florham Park Life •January 2026 • Page 3

BY GENE STRACCO GUEST WRITER AREA - Picture yourself at a family gathering -perhaps at a cozy Christmas family dinner or at a lively Fourth of July barbeque when the conversation drifts to a childhood experience and then, you begin to reminisce every detail that produces an incredibly pleasant memory as if it occurred just yesterday.

Years later, and improbable as it may sound, that moment in time occurred again. The following is a true story and one that I profoundly remember.

Growing up in Netcong, New Jersey, a small community predominately of Italian heritage, you quickly come to appreciate the kindness, compassion, and unity of its residents, especially, when it came to issues that impacted their lives. A unifying force that galvanized this community was their love for baseball. Back in the fifties either you were a New York Yankee, a Brooklyn Dodger, or a New York Giant fan. No other teams mattered!!!! The great debate among the adults and children, revolved around one question: Who was the better ballplayer, Mickey Mantle, Duke Snider, or Willie Mays?

It was October 8, 1956, about ten minutes before dismissal, Mrs. Kyle, our eighthgrade teacher, escorted our class to the basement of the Netcong Elementary School to watch a few innings of Game 5 of the World Series between the New York Yankees and the Brooklyn Dodgers. As I sat there, suddenly I felt an unusual sense of urgency, as if I needed to be exactly where I was at that moment. The dismissal bell rang, and I raced outside to wait for my younger brother Joey.

“HEY JOEY, OVER

HERE”, I shouted “What’s going on,” he retorted.

“We’ve got to get home, the World Series game is on T.V. and it looks like a good one,” I explained As we entered the house, my mother was occupying our two-year-old brother, Anthony, “Is Dad home”? I inquired.

“He is in the living room watching the game”.

She said, while little Anthony was bouncing on her lap.

We dropped our books on the floor and sat against the lower part of the sofa. There’s Dad perched in his favorite chair watching the game, his eyes intently locked on the screen.

Moments later, Mom peeked in from the kitchen, baby Anthony on her hip, we three –me, Joey, and Dad were beyond reach, beyond time. Dad’s love for the game ran deep---so deep that baseball wasn’t just a sport in our home: it was a way of life. He could recite stats from memory, re-enact legendary plays, and analyze games like a seasoned broadcaster. Talk about an avid Yankee fan! He grew up in Netcong during the era of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio among others.

He turned out to be quite a baseball player himself when playing for Netcong High School. He played shortstop but possessed a unique skill, he was ambidextrous. He used his left arm as efficiently as his right arm. In fact, when they needed a left-handed pitcher in relief, they brought him from shortstop!!! After dinner, when Joey, Dad, and I played catch in the front of our home, Dad would throw curveballs and forkballs using both hands which totally “blew our minds”.

As we were engrossed in the game, every pitch, every ground ball, every fly ball to the outfield became an electrifying tension filled event.

Then came the fourth inning, Mickey Mantle hit an explosive home run for the first run of the game. Score, Yankees 1, Dodgers 0. However, in the top of the fifth inning Mickey Mantle made a spectacular catch of a hard-hit ball off the bat of Gil Hodges. He swerved to his right and with speed of a track and field sprinter made a back-handed catch for an out, a catch that ultimately saved the possible inevitable result of the game. Outcome, a scoreless fifth. Then, Hank Bauer got an RBI single in the sixth. Score Yankees 2, Dodgers 0. Scoreless seventh. By the eighth inning, the tension was palpable.

Suddenly, my dad exclaimed, “Guys, this game may turn out to be something special”. The same thought I had when I was watching the game in school! A scoreless eighth had built the tension. Then, came the top of the ninth. The first two Dodger batters made outs. Then Dale Mitchell confidently stepped up to the plate.

Strike one! -- Dad flinched.

Strike two! –Joey grabbed my arm and then Strike three! It happened; Don Larsen had just pitched the only perfect game in World Series history. Twenty-seven batters up, twenty-seven batters out!!!!

Our living room erupted with cheers as we watched Yogi Berra jump into Larsen’s arms and Yankee Stadium exploding in celebration. The energy was electric, even though it was a television screen. As you can imagine, the topic of discussion at the dinner table that evening was the PERFECT GAME.

HANCLIFFE HOME FOR FUNERALS Your Hometown Funeral Home Michael E. Porter, Manager N.J. LIC. NO. 3011 Scott D. Porter, and Andrew J. Messineo

Fast forward the calendar to 2002, I had the fortunate opportunity to participate in the Yankee Fantasy Camp “Heroes in Pinstripes” alongside my very close friend and fellow diehard Yankee fan, Bob Forte.

Our intention was simple, we wanted to register as a second base/shortstop duo and play together on the same team, just like the great Yankee infielders of the past. However, as fate would have it, things didn’t go quite as planned.

We arrived in Fort Lauderdale, Florida around eleven in the morning from a flight from Newark. By two p.m. we were required to attend an introductory greeting and practice session on the old Yankee spring training grounds in the Fort Lauderdale Sports Complex.

Hank Bauer and Bill Skowron, members of the “Perfect Game” team, delivered the greeting and welcoming remarks, setting the tone for an unforgettable experience. The practice session that followed was nothing short of exhilarating—it included batting practice, shagging fly balls in the outfield, fielding ground balls, and running the bases at full speed. When the session was over, Hank called me over and informed me that I had been traded from the Bucky Dent team to the Mickey Rivers team. Our intentions of Bob and I playing together were shattered!!!! Though initially disappointing, it turned out to be a fortuitous twist of fate--I ended up playing center field in every inning of all ten games that were scheduled that week.

What started as a setback became an incredible opportunity!

The following morning at breakfast, Bob and I were sitting facing the beautiful center lobby of the hotel where we were staying. Suddenly two gentlemen approached and asked if they could dine at our

table. Looking up in shock and almost choking on a mouth of eggs, there they were!!!! Don Larsen and Yogi Berra, in the flesh. The two heroes who had etched their names in history of the Perfect Game!!!! Immediately a thought rushed to my head,” IF ONLY MY DAD COULD BE HERE”.

Ultimately, the conversation focused on the Game, they were very contrite, patient, and delightful answering the questions we had about the game.

It appeared as if they wanted to talk about their thoughts and actions, in addition to the odd behavior of some of members of the Yankee team as the game was continuing into the late innings, which made the conversation more fascinating.

Unfortunately, time was not on our side. Our games were set to begin at 9:30 and we had to leave for the field. As we expressed our heartfelt gratitude for their time and stories, I couldn’t help but think back to that unforgettable day in 1956 when I rushed home from school, gathered with game with my family, and witnessed history unfold before my eyes.

Driving to the field, Bob and I agreed that breakfast session was worth the entire trip! The camp was a dream come, playing center field, getting hit off Goose Gossage, and being a member of the Mickey Rivers’ team that went undefeated and won the Camp Championship was truly a wonderful experience.

Sadly, Bob passed away on September 23, 2015—just one day after Yogi Berra passed. I lost a cherished friend, while the world lost a baseball legend. The timing of their passing felt almost poetic, as if the game of life had drawn another connection between my dear friend and the baseball legend.

Though time moves forward, certain memories remain vivid, etched into our hearts like the

final score of an unforgettable game. Baseball has always been more than just a sport to me. It has been a thread weaving together friendships, family, and cherished moments.

Although the loss of Bob and Yogi a day apart, their presence, their memories, their love of the game continues to unite us. Even, as time moves forward, baseball has a way of bringing the past into the present, connecting generations through shared passion and experience. It is in these moments, whether on or off the field or in conversation, that we find ourselves reliving the magic of the game and the people who made it special.

As we age, life seems to provide, again, opportunities or circumstances where one can recall some memorable moments in one’s life. Now, I am in my eighties and still involved in senior softball at all levels, local, state, national, and international.

During the fall, as a member of the Classics softball team, a team-mate of mine is Larry Berra, Yogi’s oldest son.

During games when we are on the bench waiting for our turn at bat, Larry entertains us with stories growing up in the Berra family in the 50’s and 60’s. One day, between double-header games, Larry started to describe the details and actions of his father during that unforgettable day in 1956.

The excitement of his voice described his dad’s perspective of the game as if the game was unfolding. Instantaneously, I was immediately brought back into our living room with my family sitting in front of the television totally engrossed watching the PERFECT GAME. Written by Gene Stracco, resident of Randolph Township, retired Principal Roxbury High and Senior Softball Player.

Directors

973.739.9800

222 Ridgedale Ave., East Hanover

www.hancliffehomeforfunerals.com

Residential & Commercial

LIC. #19HC00364200

AIR CONDITIONING

&

HEATING

Family Owned Business for Over 35 • Heating

• Air Conditioning

• Preventative Maintenance Agreements • Service

• New Installation

• Financing available

Let your imagination and the professionals at Christmas Decor be your guide in turning your home into a festive wonderland of holiday cheer!

The magic begins here with creativity and skill, resulting in a display that will provide joy and entertainment to family, friends, and neighbors!

Lou, Sr and Lou, Jr Owner and Operator of Ideal Air Inc

Call

973-714-2436 201-572-8517

• Dazzling Roof Lighting • Car-Stopping Trees & Shrubs • Stunning Windows

• Eye-Catching Ground Lighting • Elegant Daytime Decor • Christmas Decor Products

It’s never too early to think Christmas!

Call Today! 908-850-1506 or visit our website at www.sints.com

Page 4 • January 2026 • East Hanover/Florham Park Life • Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com

NJStarz

NJ Starz: Heidi Bohay Hometown: South Bound Brook

BY STEVE SEARS STAFF WRITER AREA - Maybe you can take the girl out of New Jersey, but you cannot take the New Jersey – those Seaside Heights summer vacations, hanging out on your hometown’s Main Street, etc. - out of the girl.

“Oh, goodness, yes!” actress Heidi Bohay responds when thanked by this writer for the opportunity to write her story and asked whether she is still a Jersey girl. “I am in touch with so many of my friends from Bound Brook and South Bound Brook. I have not let go of the majority of my friends, and whenever I get something from someone in New Jersey, I know it is real. I can tell. It is just a Jersey thing. I have Jersey still in my bones. The Jersey people, my friends - my elementary and high school friends - they are just the truest humans on the planet.”

“When I was a senior in high school,” Bohay said when reminiscing about her acting career, “I had no idea what I wanted to do. I said to myself, ‘I cannot make up my mind.

Do I want to go to college? Do I want to take a year off?”

Soon thereafter a brochure magazine for night school courses arrived at her South Bound Brook doorstep, and one of the offerings was “Respect for Acting” which was being taught by a native New Jerseyan and character actor, Remo Pisani.

“I will never forget that name - Remo Pisani,” Bohay said. “And it was a night school class, it was once a week, and I thought, ‘That sounds like fun.’

I took that class, and I was just in love. I knew what I wanted to do. I wanted to be an actress.”

For Bohay, a Bound Brook High School 1977 graduate, the impressive career list of roles includes appearances on Happy Days, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Quincy M.D., The Love Boat, and Murder She Wrote. In addition to appearing on a host of game shows and informercials, Bohay also hosted a Fox TV Q&A show with celebrities called After Hours, and she and husband Michael Spound also did a show together in the 1990s called Better Homes & Gardens.

Bohay, however, may best known as the lovely and perky St. Gregory Hotel check-in receptionist, Megan Kendall, on ABC television’s popular Ho-

tel, which aired from 1983 to 1988.

Bohay, born on December 15, 1959, from kindergarten up until the fifth grade attended Saint Mary’s Elementary School in Bound Brook, and afterwards transferred to Robert Morris Elementary School in South Bound Brook. After eighth grade, she moved on to Bound Brook High School, and while there was a cheerleader and was elected senior Homecoming Queen.

Harry, her dad, passed away in 2015, her mom Arlene in 2014, and her sister Tammy in 2023. The latter often mentioned that she was her older sister’s biggest fan, but Bohay said, “I want to switch that around. I was her biggest fan.

She had a lot of special needs, and she taught me more than any human has taught me in my entire life. I miss them all so much every day.”

And no article about Bohay would be complete minus the mention of Hi-Tams Soft Ice Cream, a popular grill and ice cream shop owned by her family.

“My dad built that ice cream store with his own hands in 1952,” Bohay said. “And before that in the 50’s and 60’s it was my mom’s beauty parlor.

It was called Arlene’s Beauty Salon, and someone rented one side and kept it a beauty shop, and my dad split it in half and created Hi-Tams in 1972.

He said, ‘I want to make ice cream. I want something for the people for this town and the surrounding towns – and everybody likes ice cream!’ It was a safe place for me and my friends, and such a feeling of comfort and love and just safety and joy. It brought so much pleasure to me, my family and friends, and the town.”

Before taking the class run

by Pisani, Bohay as a junior took part in one Bound Brook High School musical, as a dancer in a “Put On a Happy Face” scene of Bye Bye Birdie.

Her teacher was Victor Saginario, who also directed the school musicals.

“He (Saginario) cast me in the musical,” Bohay said, “and prior to that I had no interest in doing anything like that. He was my first introduction and inspiration to theatre.”

Next year there was Pisani’s night school class, and he introduced her to Brianna Ben-

jamin, a New York City talent who only represented young actors. Bohay graduated from Bound Brook High School at age 17 in 1977, and her first acting role was for a Colgate toothpaste commercial that same year. Her mom and dad wanted their eldest daughter to consider a college education, and she registered at Lawrenceville’s Rider University.

However, after Bohay added another national three commercials to her credit, college was no longer a thought.

Bohay’s first movie roll was in 1979’s Voices, and although she was cast in just one scene, it was monumental for her. She said, “I remember it so specifically because it was such a surreal moment. I will never forget just looking around at the set – the cameras, cameramen, and the lighting guys. I said to myself, ‘Oh my gosh - I am in a movie!’ This little girl from South Bound Brook was in a movie!’

She had now appeared in a feature film, and stayed in New York City until 1979, but would in two years move to California, where Hotel happened.

While working on the show, she met her co-star (and future husband in real life) Spound, who played Dave Kendall. In 1983, when learning they might be cast as husband and wife on the show, both exchanged their phone numbers through their agents so they could rehearse prior to reading their lines for the Producer, Aaron Spelling “Everything went wrong,” Bohay said of the duo’s scene time in front of Spelling. “I had a set of keys I was supposed to be handing in, and I dropped and tripped over the keys. It was a nightmare. But it worked, because we both got the part.”

And in the movie pilot for Hotel, she and Spound, celebrating anniversary #1 as Mr. and Mrs. Kendall, were spending time in a St. Gregory hotel room they assumed was vacant – but to which the King of Portugal (played by Alejandro Rey) had been transferred without them knowing it. Embarrassingly found, the couple had to face the hotel’s General Manager, Peter McDermott, and the hotel owner, Mrs. Laura Trent, played respectively by James Brolin and screen legend, Bette Davis.

“We were petrified,” Bo-

hay said of the scene, “I do not know why. Bette Davis was not a particularly scary person, but we were scared to death that we would do something wrong or give her the wrong look.

But she was lovely, absolutely lovely.”

Bohay and Spound both dated other people at that time, and even double dated together. From 1983 through 1986, they were best friends. But during season three of Hotel everything changed.

Bohay said, “Our characters had to kiss a lot because we were married on the show.

And in season three we were in the Kendall’s apartment doing a scene and we had a kiss.

I will never forget it. Normally the kisses were nothing unusual because we were actors, but this was different. It was just different - he felt it, and I felt it! It was scary because I still had a boyfriend, and he had broken up with his girlfriend, so he was not with anyone at the time, but I still was. I was freaked out, and asked myself, ‘Now what am I going to do?’

I had to listen to my heart. One thing led to another, and eventually I ended up breaking up with my boyfriend, and that December a few months later we just decided, ‘We cannot deny this. We love each other.”

The couple married in 1988 at the Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles. Her girlfriends from Bound Brook High School were in her wedding party, and her family from both Bound Brook and South Bound Brook attended, as did most of the Hotel cast. The couple are proud parents of three sons, Zachary, Jonah, and Gabriel.

The owner of a gratifying career, marriage, and family life, Bohay reached back for the one lesson each she learned from Harry, Arlene, and Tammy Bohay.

“What I learned the most from my dad was treating everyone with the exact same amount of respect,” Bohay said. “I remember he told me after Michael and I met Ronald Reagan, ‘Heidi, do not forget this: never feel like you are better than everyone else, and treat everyone with the same amount of respect. You treat Ronald Reagan the same way you treat our postman.’

He was really instrumental in making sure I never changed, and that I stayed the same per-

Heidi Bohay in 1977 is named Bound Brook High School Homecoming Queen (credit: 1977 Bound Brook High School Yearbook)

son I was when I was growing up. My mom, always a really big support for me, always told me to follow my heart and my dreams, and never pay attention to what other people say about you. She would say, ‘You know who you are in your heart and at your core. Just be confident in who you are and never let anyone’s opinion of you change who you are.’ And with my sister - having a sister with special needs, I was her mom and dad and best friend. I was

everything to my sister - confidant, caretaker - but she was the greatest teacher in life. She taught me the meaning of the word compassion, she taught me to love people for who they are, and that there is no such word as ‘can’t.’ She taught me that accomplishments mean different things to different people, she taught me strength, and not to accept anything less than kindness and understanding from human beings.”

• Corporate and Personal Transportation • Airport and Cruise Port Transfers • Wedding Limos • Prom Limos • Casinos, Theaters, Sporting Events, Birthdays, Anniversaries and MORE! The best value in transportation since 1939!

973-347-6100 mm2limo.com

We can now serve you in over 100 cities!

Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com • East Hanover/Florham Park Life •January 2026 • Page 5

The Night the Sky Learned to Count Down: The Origin of New York City’s New Year’s Eve Ball Drop AREA - On the final night of every year, when millions of eyes tilt upward and a collective voice begins to count— ten, nine, eight—time itself seems to slow. The glowing sphere descending in Times Square has become one of the most recognized rituals on Earth, a shared moment where strangers become companions and hope is given a countdown. Yet this tradition did not begin as a global spectacle or a televised extravaganza. Its origins are rooted in ambition, invention, civic pride, and a newspaper publisher’s determination to make a statement loud enough for the world to hear.

This is the story of how New York City, at the dawn of the twentieth century, created a new way to mark time—and in doing so, reinvented how the world welcomes a new year.

Before the Ball: New Year’s Eve in Old New York Long before crowds gathered shoulder to shoulder in Times Square, New Year’s Eve in New York was a quieter, more scattered affair. In the nineteenth century, celebrations were largely private: elegant dinners in drawing rooms, church services that reflected on the year past, and modest public gatherings that lacked a single focal point.

The city itself was still finding its rhythm, growing upward and outward as immigrants poured in and industry transformed streets once lit by gas lamps into corridors of electric promise.

Public celebrations did exist, but they were decentralized. Fireworks were common, though loosely regulated and sometimes dangerous. Church bells rang at midnight, a tradition carried over from Europe, and ship horns in the harbor sometimes joined the chorus.

The idea of a single, centralized, symbolic moment—a visual marker shared by the entire city—had not yet taken shape.

That would change at the turn of the century, when New York was eager to announce itself not merely as an American city, but as a global capital.

The Birth of Times Square To understand the ball drop, one must first understand the place that made it possible.

In the early 1900s, the area now known as Times Square was called Longacre Square. It was a bustling but unremarkable district, home to carriage manufacturers, stables, and small businesses. Its transformation began in 1904, when Adolph S. Ochs, the visionary publisher of The New York

Times, decided to relocate the newspaper’s headquarters to a brand-new skyscraper at the intersection of Broadway and Seventh Avenue.

The building—eventually known as One Times Square— was modern, tall, and symbolic of the paper’s growing influence. Ochs didn’t merely move his newspaper; he rebranded the neighborhood. Persuading city officials to rename Longacre Square as Times Square was a masterstroke of marketing and civic influence.

But Ochs wanted more. He wanted the world to notice.

A Party for a New Century To celebrate the opening of the new Times Tower, Ochs organized a massive New Year’s Eve celebration on December 31, 1904. It was a bold idea: close off streets, invite the public, and usher in the new year with unprecedented spectacle.

That first celebration was a roaring success. Over 200,000 people packed into the streets surrounding the tower, marveling at fireworks launched from the building itself. Newspapers the next day reported scenes of jubilation unlike anything the city had seen before. Times Square had announced itself as the place where the year would turn.

The celebration instantly became an annual tradition.

For the next two years, fireworks continued to light up the sky, and crowds grew larger with each passing December 31st. But in 1907, the city banned fireworks due to safety concerns. For Ochs, this was not a setback—it was an opportunity.

If fireworks were no longer allowed, he would invent something better.

The Idea That Changed Everything The solution came from an unexpected place: timekeeping.

For centuries, ports around the world had used a visual signal known as a “time ball” to help ships set their chronometers accurately. These balls, mounted on tall poles or buildings, would drop at a precise moment—usually noon—allowing sailors to synchronize their instruments.

The practice was practical, not celebratory, but it carried a powerful symbolic weight: the visible marking of time itself.

Ochs saw the potential immediately. What if New York could adapt this practical device into a ceremonial moment? What if, instead of a noon drop for sailors, there was a midnight drop for the city—and eventually, the world?

Thus, the New Year’s Eve ball drop was born.

Crafting the First Ball The first New Year’s Eve ball was far humbler than today’s glittering spectacle, but it was revolutionary for its time.

Constructed in 1907, the ball was made of iron and wood, measuring five feet in diameter and weighing approximately 700 pounds. It was fitted with 100 incandescent light bulbs—state-of-theart technology at the time— and mounted atop the Times Tower.

On the night of December 31, 1907, tens of thousands of people gathered once again in Times Square. As midnight approached, anticipation rippled through the crowd. There were no fireworks, no explosions—only the glowing sphere perched high above.

At precisely 11:59 p.m., the ball began its descent.

As it reached the bottom at midnight, cheers erupted.

Hats flew into the air. Strangers hugged. The year 1908 had arrived, not with a bang, but with a quiet, elegant drop that captured the imagination of a city.

A tradition had been born.

A Ritual Takes Hold What made the ball drop so powerful was its simplicity.

Unlike fireworks, which dazzled but vanished in seconds, the ball created a shared countdown. It gave people time to reflect, to anticipate, to join their voices together.

The ritual quickly embedded itself in New York’s cultural fabric. Each year, improvements were made to the ball’s design, incorporating new materials and lighting technologies. The iron-andwood structure gave way to lighter metals. The number of bulbs increased. The mechanism became smoother, more precise.

The ball drop endured through world-changing events. It continued during World War I, offering a moment of unity during uncertain times. It persisted through the Roaring Twenties, when Times Square became synonymous with glamour, excess, and modernity. Even during the Great Depression, when celebrations were subdued, the ball still dropped—an understated reminder that time, and hope, moved forward.

Radio, Television, and the Global Stage The next major transformation came not from engineering, but from media.

As radio broadcasts became widespread in the 1920s and 1930s, the New Year’s Eve

A Help Button Should Go Where You Go! To be truly independent, your personal emergency device needs to work on the go.

MobileHelp® allows you to summon emergency help 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by simply pressing your personal help button. Unlike traditional systems that only work inside your home, a MobileHelp medical alert system extends help beyond the home. Now you can participate in all your favorite activities such as gardening, taking walks, shopping and traveling all with the peace of mind of having a personal alert system with you. MobileHelp, the “on-the-go” help button, is powered by one of the nation’s largest cellular networks, so there’s virtually no limit to your help button’s range.

No landline? No problem! While traditional alert systems require a landline, with the MobileHelp system, a landline is not necessary. Whether you are home or away from home, a simple press of your help button activates your system, providing the central station with your information and location. Our trained emergency operators will know who you are and where you are located. If you’re one of the millions of people that have waited for an alert service because it didn’t fit your lifestyle, or settled for a traditional system even though it only worked in the home, then we welcome you to try MobileHelp. Experience peace of mind in the home or on the go.

GET OUR SPECIAL OFFER NOW: FREE EXPEDITED SHIPPING* FREE ONE MONTH SERVICE* 50% OFF AUTO FALL DETECT* plus FREE EQUIPMENT TO USE!*

Unlike “stay-at-home” emergency systems MobileHelp protects you: Places where your Help Button will work

Traditional Help Buttons

At Home On a Walk On Vacation At the Park

OUR BEST OFFER EVER! From

$19

.95*

/month

Shopping

MobileHelp Features: • Simple one-button operation • Affordable service

• 24/7 access to U.S. based emergency operators

• GPS location detection • Amplified 2-way voice • Available Nationwide communication

1-866-224-6778

PF-SPAD0505111658 P PAD0505111658

*For a limited time - promotions available for select systems and subscription plans, please call for specific details. Offers are valid for new customers and for the first year of service and cannot be combined with any other offers. $19.95 is the monthly subscription price for a MobileHelp Classic (at home only) system. There is a one-time $49.95 processing fee to subscribe to this plan. Equipment shown is the MobileHelp DUO (at home and on the go) system available at a higher monthly cost. Most equipment is included at no cost while actively subscribing and must be returned upon cancellation.

Free one month of service offer valid with purchase of Annual plan and includes month 13 at no additional charge. Refer to terms and conditions for specific details. Depending on the promotion chosen, you may receive an additional savings of $5.50 off the $11 retail price of Fall Detection service.

After first year, Fall Detect pricing reverts to discounted price of $8.25/month when combined with MobileHelp Connect Premium. Fall Detection does not detect 100% of falls. If able, users should push their help button when they need assistance . Fall detection is not intended to replace a caregiver.MobileHelp is a registered trademark, patented technology. Current GPS location may not always be available in every situation on the cellular network at all times. Expedited shipping offer is for Annual plans made prior to 3 PM EST Mon-Fri. Expedited shipping is standard 2-day - - no deliveries on Saturdays/Sundays or to Hawaii or Alaska. Shipping delays may occur due to situations beyond our control.

ball drop reached listeners far beyond New York City. Families gathered around radios across the country, counting down alongside the crowd in Times Square. The ritual was no longer local—it was national.

Television cemented its global status. By the mid-twentieth century, millions of viewers worldwide watched the ball descend, synchronizing their own celebrations with New York’s midnight. Times Square became the unofficial clock of the world, a place where the old year ended for everyone, regardless of time zone.

The ball itself evolved into a symbol not just of a new year, but of renewal, resilience, and continuity.

Reinvention Without Losing the Soul Over the decades, the ball has been redesigned multiple times, reflecting advances in technology and changing aesthetic tastes. From aluminum to crystal, from incandescent bulbs to LEDs, each iteration has pushed the boundaries of what the ball could represent.

Yet the core ritual remains unchanged. A ball descends.

A crowd counts down. A new year begins.

This balance—innovation without erasing tradition—is perhaps the ball drop’s greatest achievement. It evolves, but it never forgets its origins as a practical idea transformed into a civic ritual.

Why It Endures The New Year’s Eve ball drop endures because it satisfies something deeply human: the need to mark time together.

In a city defined by constant motion, the ball creates a pause. For sixty seconds, everyone looks in the same direction, shares the same anticipation, and participates in the same moment. It is democratic, inclusive, and universal. No ticket is required. No invitation is needed. All you have to do is look up—or tune in.

It is also a reminder of New York City’s unique ability to turn necessity into spectacle, and practicality into poetry.

What began as a workaround for a fireworks ban became a global ritual watched by hundreds of millions.

The Legacy of a Drop More than a century after that first iron-and-wood sphere descended from the Times Tower, the New Year’s Eve ball drop remains one of the world’s most enduring traditions. It has survived wars, economic downturns, technological revolutions, and cultural shifts, adapting without losing its essence.

At its heart, the ball drop is not about lights or crowds or television ratings. It is about a shared belief that time can be marked with meaning—that the end of one year and the beginning of another deserves ceremony, reflection, and hope.

Every December 31st, as the ball begins its descent and the countdown echoes through Times Square and beyond, we are participating in a tradition born of imagination, ingenuity, and a simple desire to make a moment unforgettable.

And when the final number is called and the new year arrives, we are reminded that sometimes, the most powerful way to move forward is simply to let the past drop away—one second at a time.

ATTENTION BUSINESS OWNERS

East Hanover/ Florham Park Life are the most reward papers with a 71% Readership according to our independent audits!

Mailing each month to over 10,300 homes in East Hanover and Florham Park Let the residents know about your business. Running ads will drive readers to your website to learn about your business as well as bring business directly to you.

Call or text Lisa 973-851-2346 or lisa@mylifepublications.com for more information.

You can even place an ad directly by going to www.mypaperonline.com/place-your-advertisement