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A Mother’s Greatest Gift: Donating a Kidney to Save Her Son

BY CHERYL CONWAY STAFF WRITER AREA - Two years ago, Daisy Vasquez, 61, of Elizabeth, did one of the noblest things a mother can do and that was to donate an organ to save her child.

In March 2023, the mother of three, donated one of her kidneys to her 40-year-old son Carlos Vasquez. The surgery was conducted at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston.

Without her generous donation, her son would have been put on a list with thousands of other New Jersey residents waiting about five years for a lifesaving organ transplant.

With mother and son both doing well after their success-

ful transplant, Mother’s Day is truly a huge celebration in the Vasquez family.

Mother’s Day is that time of year “to reflect on the love and care mothers provide and to express gratitude for their unwavering support; to acknowledge the incredible sacrifices and efforts mothers make in raising children. It’s a day to express love, gratitude and appreciation for all mothers.”

Daisey Vasquez surely deserves a huge bouquet this Mother’s Day for the unconditional gift she gave to her son so he could thrive and live a healthy life.

“It is the greatest gift you can give anyone,” says Vasquez. “I

Taste of Florham Park Mark Your Calendars for May 19

was able to give birth to my son twice. I kept my son from the five to seven years wait. I’d encourage anyone to get on the donor list.”

Vasquez shares her story.

“In 2017, Carlos began experiencing persistent headaches, allergy-like symptoms, leg swelling, and a spike in blood pressure,” explains Vasquez who works as an insurance broker. “This led to him being diagnosed with vasculitis, which attacked his kidneys, leading to kidney failure.”

Rather than putting him at risk by having him wait years for a transplant, Vasquez jumped to the front of the line.

“He never went on the list,” she says. “I decided to get tested and once we found out we were a match, Carlos did not list.”

Surgery can be scary, but Vasquez set any fears aside as she knew it could save her son’s life.

“I felt very safe,” she says.

“They do a tremendous amount of testing, and I felt very safe every step of the process. Especially since I was doing it for

my son, I was more encouraged to do it.”

Maintaining her own health played a vital role.

“The fact that I am in excellent health,” made her an excellent match as a donor,” she says. “I had all my annual checkups up to date and everything was able to move quickly.

I started the process in August and in November we found out we matched. I was eager to donate for my son. I never had any fear and felt very secure and safe with the hospital.”

Dr. Stuart Geffner, chairman and surgeon-in-chief of the Department of Surgery and the director of Renal and Pancreas Transplant Surgery at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center, performed the transplant.

An expert in the procedure, Geffner has worked with the Division of Renal and Pancreas Transplant since 1995.

The Renal and Pancreas Division at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center is the sixth-largest kidney transplant program in the United States and the largest in the tri-state area, he says.

“CBMC is one of the

country’s top centers for living donations,” says Geffner.

“Family members can become living donors by undergoing compatibility testing and evaluations through programs like The Living Donor Institute at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center.”

In 2024, the center performed 391 transplants, he adds.

But with the number of individuals needing transplants, the waitlist for donors continues.

According to the NJ Sharing Network, nearly 4,000 N.J. residents are waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant, says Geffner. Nationally, approximately

87% of people awaiting transplant are waiting for a kidney transplant, he adds.

“There are far more people in need than available donor organs,” says Geffner. “The average wait time in N.J. is about five years.”

Many people do not have that many years to wait before their lives are cut short.

“According to the United Network for Organ Sharing, an average of 17 people die each day in the U.S. waiting for an organ transplant,” says Geffner.

More donors are always needed to help save a life.

PLEASE SEE MOTHER’S GREATEST GIFT, PAGE 2

Hanover Park High School Senior Garners Success in the Arts

BY STEVE SEARS STAFF WRITER Photo by Dave L. Kramer

FLORHAM PARK - The sixth Taste of Florham Park and fourth consecutive held at the Vanderbilt-Twombly Mansion on the Florham Campus of Fairleigh Dickinson is coming Monday, May 19! This is the annual festive food extravaganza that benefits the Florham Park Rotary Scholarship Fund and thus Florham Park resident students who have demonstrated community volunteerism and who are Seniors in any local high school.

The event is a fun town-wide fundraiser that rewards scholarships to community-minded students growing up in Florham Park, a town that prides itself as “A Community of Volunteers”.

“Indeed the annual success of the Taste of Florham Park event has contributed to the increase in the number of Florham Park Rotary scholarships for many deserving students who live in Florham Park and commit to being part of a “community of volunteers”. - Damion Bernard, Rotary club president.

Event Date and Time: Monday, May 19, 2024, 6-8 PM (Tours of the Mansion begin at 5:30pm for early arrivals and continue during the event.)

Event Location The Vanderbilt-Twombly Mansion is on the Florham campus of Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU). Just a short drive from the center of Florham Park, enter either via Park Avenue or Madison Avenue. The Mansion was completed in 1897 and was one of the 10 largest homes in the United States. It was the Spring and Autumn home of two of the founders of Florham Park – Florence Vanderbilt-Twombly and Hamilton Twombly!

The Taste is a must attend party for food lovers. It is also a celebration and an opportunity to enjoy the evening with family and friends – and neighbors – at a historic mansion.

Florham Park’s eating establishments graciously provide samples of some of their popular dishes. Florham Park Liquors greets guests with wine, beer and spirits. These merchants show their commitment to our local community via their support of the students in this fundraiser.

Tours of the Vanderbilt-Twombly Mansion will be offered throughout the event. Adding to the ambiance of food and history, music by Florham Park resident violinist Marilyn Tepper will waft through the Great Hall of the Mansion.

Ticket Locations Tickets may be purchased at the Florham Park Diner (182 Ridgedale Avenue), at the Event, by check mailed to Florham Park Rotary, PO Box 40, Florham Park, NJ 07932 or via the QR Code found on posters at local businesses.

Tickets via Venmo - @RotaryClubOfFlorhamPark Ticket Prices General Admission $50pp (that includes a mini tour of the Mansion).

More Fun The Taste of Florham Park includes a “Tricky Tray” with merchandise from many local vendors and other contributors and Event Sponsors. Tricky Tray tickets may be purchased separately upon entry. $20 for a book of 20 tickets!

For further information, please contact Florham Park Rotarians George Gregor (917 848 0982) or Peter Nicolas (973 520 8654). Also check https://www.facebook.com/ groups/428768947164657 for the pre and post event updates.

HANOVER PARK - Hanover Park High School junior, Kelly Lu, recently scored quite an aggressive feat with her art endeavors.

Lu submitted the maximum three works of art, and all were selected for the Blackwell Street Center for the Arts Student Art Show at the Atrium Gallery in Morristown. “Nostalgia,” “Light at the End of the Tunnel,” and “Elusivity of Time” are on display from March 25 - April 29.

Lu said of her work, “Light at the End of the Tunnel’ is a self-portrait. No matter what your current situation is, there is always, as the title says, a ‘Light at the End of the Tunnel,’ and there is hope for the future.

The second piece, ‘Nostalgia,’ represents my childhood self, when I was young and carefree and I would just make art on the floor. I wanted to recreate those warm and fuzzy feelings that I had when I was making art at that age. My final piece I called ‘The Elusivity of Time.’

It is sort of a representation of a clock; there are 12 pieces of paper, and at the top of the clock is the hare, which is slowly transitioning into a tortoise.

Through it, I wanted to show how the passage of time is kind of irregular. In a way, I feel sometimes time seems to be speeding by, and other times it is just crawling by really slowly. I represented that through the transitioning between the tortoise and the hare as you pass through the clock.”

In addition to her art endeavors, Lu also takes part in the Girls Who Code club and Art club, which connect her interests in technology and website design, and she is also a member of the Hanover Park Academic Decathlon Team, with whom she placed in quite a few categories at the New Jersey state finals. She was awarded a gold medal in the Art, Economics, and Math categories, silver in Literature and Essays, and bronze in Social Science, attaining a highest overall rating

Winner from April’s “Find Hank the Hornet Mascot” Contest

AREA - The winners from April’s “Find Hank the Hornet Mascot” are Nancy Bush; East Hanover, Cindy Vrablik; Florham Park, Michele Kiska; East Hanover and Lisa Monticello; East Hanover.

The ads that “Hank the

Hornet” were in: Magaletta Design, Spicy Chef Chinese Restaurant, Hancliff Home for Funerals, 200 Club, Zoom Drain and V&V Construction.

Thanks to everyone who enter and congratulations to our winners!

Kelly Lu with “Light at the End of the Tunnel,” her first-place entry in the Blackwell Street Center for the Arts Student Art Show (credit: The Lu family)

of silver among attendees.

Lu said, “Academic Decathlon has really helped me go outside my comfort zone and shown me that I am capable of a lot more than I think. It has really been pretty pivotal in my personal growth.”

Lu also is a member of the FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America), and during December 2024’s State Leadership Conference at Harrah’s Resort in Atlantic City, she came in second in Website Design, but also won first place in the Pin Design category with her entry “Unlock Your Potential.” She will be attending the National Competition in Anaheim, California in June.

Lu said, “Every state runs a

Pin Design competition. They will pick one winner, and they will take that design and actually manufacture it into a real pin. Then at the national level conference, people from each state will have their state pins that they can trade with other conference attendees.”

Suzanne Apicella, Hanover Park High School Art Department Coordinator, said of Lu, “I am very proud of Kelly. She is incredibly talented, and it has been such a pleasure to witness the evolution of her art since her freshman year. She manages to balance a rigorous schedule, both inside and outside of school, while creating artwork that is both thought-provoking and powerful.”

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

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.

Page 2 • May 2025 • East Hanover-Florham Park Life • Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com

Hanover Park Girls’ Basketball Head Coach Doug Wear Wins Game #400

BY STEVE SEARS STAFF WRITER

HANOVER PARK - In March, Hanover Park High School girls’ head basketball coach, Doug Wear, notched his 400th career win.

The win came in Kinnelon against the Kinnelon High School Colts, 48 – 22.

Wear recently concluded his 20th season at the helm, but he has been with the program for 30 years. Wear also is head skipper of the Hornets varsity baseball program, and he is a 1990 Hanover Park High School graduate.

Wear said, “I have been very fortunate to have great kids over the years that come in and work hard all the time.

And my reward is when they leave the high school, and they go out and do great things in the world. They realize that,

the installation of beacon lights from Boston to Washington.

In an interview later that year Brooks said, “As far as flying, It’s normal and natural for me to fly. It is as natural as breathing air.”

In December 1929, Brooks piloted the first plane to make radio contact with a ship at sea. SS Leviathan was two hundred miles off the coast when contact was made. On the flight, newsmen spoke to their counterparts on the ground and then were transferred to correspondents in London, England.

On another occasion, Brooks was invited to a MIT reunion but his work schedule did not allow it. So, he made arrangements with the manager at the Massachusetts restaurant where dinner was to be held He broadcast greetings from his airplane over New Jersey to guests below, a miraculous achievement at the time.

The majority of Americans were against the United States entering the war, but the realists knew war was inevitable.

“I was an eager beaver to die for this country. Don’t ask me why, that is just the way I felt. I prayed often, daily in fact. I had a spiritual angel and a physical angel named Sister Mary Magdalene. She promised to pray for

me while I was overseas. I credit my life to those two angels.”

The day he remembered most vividly was September 14, 1918, when he came under attack by eight Fokker D-7 aircraft, showing the markings of von Richthofen and the German Flying Circus Fighter Squadron.

“It was a hell of a scramble,” he remembered. “We were about 3 miles deep in German territory. We had the sun behind us and a cloud beneath us. Suddenly I detected a formation of German Fokker airplanes above us and saw that we were going to be jumped. I figured I was a dead bunny. I was plenty scared and yelling for no purpose at the top of my lungs. I figured I’d do as much damage as possible before the inevitable.”

Twice Brooks tried to ram him. “One red nose nightmare came in from my right and I had just time enough to see his features before I sent a few incendiaries his way. I turned to the other and after a short burst, I was satisfied the second one had quit’.

At this point Brooks decided he had pushed his luck “There’s a limit on ammunition so, we turned back toward the friendly skies. There was no tension for 10 miles.” But one of the red

Arthur Raymond Brooks – A Forgotten War Ace

BY HENRY M. HOLDEN STAFF WRITER

AREA - Arthur Raymond Brooks was born in Framingham, Massachusetts, in 1895 and passed away in 1991 at the age of 95.

In December 1916, he graduated Valedictorian from the Framingham Academy and High School and went on to study at the Massachusetts Institution of Technology (MIT).

Brooks was hired by Bell Labs, then part of Western Electric engineering in New York City.

The following June Uncle Sam called, and he soon found himself flying combat missions over France.

Brooks joined the Air Service from December 1916 through 1922. He trained with the Royal Flying Corp. in Canada. When the United States went to war, Brooks was commissioned a Second Lieutenant, with the American Expeditionary Force.

Brooks, a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of technology, did his initial combat training with the 139 Aero Squadron and shot down his first German Fokker in July 1918.

Brooks barnstormed for a few years after the war and in 1923, Brooks and his wife moved to Washington where he was hired by the Bureau of Aeronautics as an airway extension engineer, responsible for

with you donating to me,’” she shares. “We felt so comfortable with all the testing. We felt very secure that we would be in a good place. I did not hesitate, and he is so grateful that I did it. He thanks me all the time.”

She offers her advice to others who are considering being an organ donor?

“My advice would be to trust the process, trust the physicians,” she says. “I don’t think they would put you in a compromising position. Every team member is looking out for the best interest of the pair. I always felt I was going to be fine.

“Maybe that is your purpose in life,” she continues.

“I would encourage others to become living donors. It is an experience that can transform your life. This has made me love myself more. I tell them Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center is the place to go.

for four years, they thought they were learning the game of basketball, but really, they were learning the game of life with the adversity and all the ups and downs and in-betweens.

You just hope and pray that you may have had a little impact on their lives in a positive way.”

Meghan Macaluso, a 2019 Hanover Park graduate and former Hornets player who now serves as an assistant coach, confirmed that impact. She said about Ware, “The best! He was always the first one to give life advice.” She gave an example. “‘Adversity. There are two things you can do with adversity: you can face it head on or run from it.’ And that was way beyond the basketball court. It is life advice that I carry with

me till this day.”

In addition to Macaluso, Wear credits the excellent assistant coaches by his side during his successful tenure. Kyle Murphy, a 2005 Hanover Park graduate who played baseball at the school, also serves as a current assistant, and his previous assistants were Heather Sobieski, Tara Kelly, current Kinnelon High School Principal Gary Suda, and the late Kyle Kirst, who coached with Wear for 15 years prior to his sudden passing of a heart attack in 2015 at age 47.

In honor of Wear’s milestone, Macaluso surprised her former coach with a scrapbook put together of photos and notes from his former players.

Wear said, “It (the scrap-

book) was really something really special; something that just really made me sit down and look it over several times.

She (Macaluso) reached out to all the decades and got them to write messages in a Shutterfly book and had pictures from the start of my career up until the present. It was probably the most rewarding thing I have ever received from the girls that I have coached. Just writing me letters about their experience, understanding why I pushed them, and the things that I have done that they did not understand as high school kids, but now later in life they have learned why. They were very thankful for that. It just really put an explanation point on why I do what I do.”

NOW OPEN

PLEASE SEE ARTHUR RAYMOND BROOKS, PAGE 4

Mother’s Greatest Gift...

FROM FRONT PAGE “It is very safe to be a Living Kidney Donor,” says Geffner. “It is a sacred surgery.

It is the only surgery where a person volunteers for a surgery that provides them no benefit.

Because of that, donor surgery has to be as close to 100 percent safe for donor and 100 percent effective for the recipient.”

In the case of Vasquez and her son, the procedure was a success.

“I just went for two-year checkup and my numbers are excellent,” says Vasquez. “I feel great. I don’t even feel like I have one kidney. I don’t feel any different.”

She can also breathe now that her son has got a new kidney so he can live.

“Carlos is living his life to the fullest,” she says. “He is doing amazing.

“He always said ‘Mom you are going to be fine; I am ok

Hanover Park Hornets head coach Doug Wear celebrates win #400 (courtesy of Hanover Park High School)

“I just want to say thank you to all the great doctors and the staff,” she concludes. “I can never thank them enough! I will never forget the sparkle in my son’s eyes after he received his kidney. That alone was worth everything. They did a great job. They were fantastic!

Individuals interested in becoming donors can contact The Living Donor Institute at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center for more information.

Its donor evaluation process includes conducting medical history reviews, tissue and blood compatibility testing between donor and recipient, and various health assessments. The donor will undergo tests to ensure they can live a healthy life with the remaining functioning kidney. Rwjbh.org/cbmckidneytransplant

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Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com • East Hanover-Florham Park Life • May 2025 • Page 3

Page 4 • May 2025 • East Hanover-Florham Park Life • Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com

Arthur Raymond Brooks...

FROM PAGE 4 Barron’s pilots was persistent and hung onto the American’s tail.

“He began tracking me, and I figured he had me cold. I continued even though my plane had just taken more than one hundred bullets.” A wing spar had been blown away and one of his rudder pedals was shot up. “He was firing bursts at me, and I was side slipping by using the toe of my boot on a severed wire. I was able to dodge his gun bursts this way.

“Eventually he broke off contact and I was able to land on a grass strip within Allied lines.

I had escaped death again.”

During the 1990 interview, Brooks recalled being able to see the facial hair of a German pilot with whom he was locked in a dogfight.

“I was trying to ram him,” Brooks said. “He was a splendid young man and he dodged me.”

For his bravery in combat, Brooks earned the Distinguished Service Cross. The citation reads: Authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, the President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Second Lieutenant (Air Service) Arthur Raymond Brooks, United States Army Air Service, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with 22d Aero Squadron, 2d Pursuit Group, U.S. Army Air Service., over Mars-la-Tour, France, 14 September 1918. When his patrol was attacked by 12 enemy Fokkers over Mars-la-Tour, 8 miles within the enemy lines, Second Lieutenant Brooks alone fought bravely and relentlessly with eight of them, pursuing the fight from 5, 000 meters to within a few meters of the ground, and though his right rudder control was out and his plane riddled with bullets, he destroyed two Fokkers, one falling out of control and the other bursting into flames.

When asked what the name of his plane stood for he replied,

“Well you see I had this girl, Ruth Connery, that I had met while attending MIT, before I joined the Army and started flying in France. I thought because someday I may have to say Ruth got shot in the tail and that wouldn’t be nice. So, I called my planes Smith after the college she attended.

Brooks SPAD XIII biplane Smith IV now resides in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D. C. Smith one, two and three had been so severely damaged in dogfights that they were scrapped.

In 1928 Bell Telephone Laboratories Brooks moved into Hadley Field with World War I Ace Brooks. At first he and Phil Lucas had two Fairchild monoplanes to fly and later a 14 passenger Ford Trimotor dubbed the Flying Laboratory was added to the fleet. He was the founder of the company’s aviation department and worked with a team of engineers who tested airborne radio equipment and instruments. Brooks flew the test flights and traveled with the Lab’s marketing staff exhibiting products across the country.

“We set up displays, and spoke of insurance on the equipment,” Brooks explained.

“I knew the crowd, there was no way I could not have known them. And they were the people who needed to buy what we had to offer.

Lockheed, Boeing and Douglas installed Bell equipment in their new planes. United, American, and TWA airlines purchased altimeters, radios and directional finding equipment and other electronics..

Brooks’ most memorable adventure that he wrote about was establishing a communication system for the Graf Zeppelin prior to its round-the-world flight in 1929.

The coverage of the historic event was described in the Bell Labs publication: The radio transmitting and receiving ap-

paratus on the airplane was one terminal of a network which extended to press association offices and to broadcasting stations of the Columbia chain. In the plane was A.R. Brooks, pilot and F,S. Berngard, in charge of the radio apparatus and a representative of Associated Press.

When the word came, that the Graf Zepplin was on the coast, Brooks took off from Hadley Field and flew for some time between Barnegat and Lakehurst and Hadley hoping to find the Zepplin. It finally landed at Barnegat and was escorted to Lakehurst Naval Air Station.

By the late 1930s Bell was phasing out aircraft and Brooks, seeing war clouds on the horizon decided to join the military again. But it wasn’t to be.

Brooks had three spinal surgeries that prevented him from serving but not from participating. Brooks, the engineer-pilot had written 18 secret technical manuals, one more than a hundred pages thick and he worked with it.

In his later years Brooks became a national treasure. Sever arthritis limited his mobility and he was technically blind, but he remained alert and active in his 95th year. Regularly attending functions around the nation with his close friend, Ed Lawyer who was a businessman and former B-17 bomber pilot.

Brooks was the last surviving American ace from the war, said retired Army Col. J. Duncan Campbell of Harrisburg, Pa., a World War I aviation expert. “Fine old gentleman,” said Campbell, author of the book “Aviation Badges of the United States Army,” which covered the period from 1913 through 1946. “He was very alert, even in his 90s.”

When Brooks died in July 1991, he was the World War I last survivor of the World War I Flying Aces.

Brooks was inducted into the New Jesey Aviation Hall of Fame in 1980.

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Spring Cleanup in Hanover Township

Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com • East Hanover-Florham Park Life • May 2025 • Page 5

BY HENRY M. HOLDEN STAFF WRITER HANOVER - A significant volunteer-driven cleanup effort is set to take place this spring as local leaders in Hanover Township join forces to address the ongoing flooding concerns along the Passaic and Whippany Rivers. The Whippany and Passaic Rivers Spring CleanUp 2025 is scheduled for Saturday, Aprily 26, 8:30 pm. to 4:30 pm The mission aims to enhance the ongoing efforts of the Passaic and Whippany River Flood Task Coalition, which has been diligently working to reduce flooding in the area. This cleanup initiative is a collaborative endeavor, uniting contractors, non-profit organizations, civic groups, and local volunteers to assist with tree removal, river de-snagging, and debris clearing along the riverbanks.

Mayors from surround-

ing towns—including Morris Township’s Donna Guariglia, Morristown’s Tim Dougherty, Morris Plains’ Jason Karr, and Parsippany’s James Barberio— have also pledged their support, recognizing the impact this effort will have on protecting homes, businesses, and infrastructure from water damage.

Each participating town has identified several sites in need of attention, which will be officially posted on municipal websites as the date approaches.

Hanover Township Mayor Thomas “Ace “Gallagher, East Hanover Township Mayor Joseph Pannullo, and Florham Park Mayor Mark Taylor have announced an exciting new initiative to compliment the Passaic and Whippany River Flood Task coalition and conduct an all-volunteer “clean-up day.”

Mayor Gallagher said, “This

exciting announcement continues the work already started on trying to alleviate flooding in the area by allowing a volunteer network of contractors, non-profit and civic organizations, and volunteers to help with clean up along the banks of the Passaic and Whippany Rivers. We continue to work together to help our citizens and businesses along these water tributaries to make the water flow again and avoid property loss due to flooding.”

Each town has identified several potential sites to “clean up” for the day. Mayor Gallagher stated, “A few tree removal contractors, volunteer groups and volunteer citizens have already expressed interest in joining us on April 26th and we ask anyone interested in signing up from any of our communities’ kindly call Mayor Gallagh-

er at 973-441-0114 or e-mail Mayor Gallagher at TGallagher@hanovertownship.com.

The cleanup, now in its 14th year, was organized by the nonprofit Whippany River Watershed Action Committee.

“The Patriot’s Path was created to protect the Whippany River, as well as to provide recreation, snakes through the woods and across highways and streams all over Morris County.

It is maintained by the Morris County Parks Commission,” said Ella Fillipone, former executive administrator of the Passaic River Coalition. “It has a very fast flow. It’s not a mountain stream, but it’s close.”

Why care about our water resources? Water resources support every part of our society and economy. Every household, business, community, house of worship, and government uses water and creates wastewater that must be treated and uses land in a way that creates stormwater that must be managed.

Past land uses flood-prone areas, poor water management and failing water infrastructure put the health and safety of everyone and the quality of life at risk, and damage aquatic life.

Flood damage to human development has occurred in the Passaic River Basin for as long as there has been human development. The Passaic River Co-

alition (PRC) has been working on this issue since 1969, when the organization was formed.

The Federal, State and local governments have been working on this issue for even longer. The result? Flood damage still occurs every time a major rain event occurs. Why? Because this issue is complex, expensive and requires actions that many people are unwilling to take.

Participants include local officials from Morristown and Morris Township, members of Boy Scout Troop 155 from Hanover, Unity Charter School students, volunteers from the Morristown United Methodist Church, and members of Bethel A.M.E. Church, among others.

Water resources are integral to every aspect of society and the economy. Every household, business, community, house of worship, and every governmental entity uses water, generates wastewater that must be treated, and manages stormwater created by land use.

Historic land uses in floodprone areas, inadequate water management, and failing water infrastructure pose risks to health, safety, quality of life, and aquatic ecosystems.

The Passaic River Coalition (PRC) has addressed this issue since its formation in 1969, alongside efforts from the Federal, State, and local

governments. Despite these efforts, flood damages continue with major rain events due to the complexity, costliness, and resistance to necessary actions.

Contaminants in the Whippany River rapidly flush out into Troy Meadows and ultimately the Passaic River. These contaminants include nutrients from human activities and animals, processed by sewage treatment plants along the river.

Phosphorus, among these nutrients, poses challenges.

Aquatic life necessitates nutrients, but excessive amounts lead to algae growth, which can disrupt ecosystems. The green scum observed on ponds during summer indicates nutrient overload, involving phosphorus, light, and warmth.

The Troy Meadows were formed by a glacier that left a large basin, creating a lake covering Morris, Essex, and Passaic counties. As the water level dropped, it became today’s swamp area for driving and where the Whippany River deposits its load. Large-scale flood protection projects haven’t worked due to high costs relative to benefits, mainly protecting modest suburban housing. Effective flood warning and preparedness systems used elsewhere could enhance safety, emergency response, and recovery efforts in the Passaic River Basin.

Page 6 • May 2025 • East Hanover-Florham Park Life • Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com

Interns Explore Science and Life Challenges Through Hands-On Lab Research

BY CHERYL CONWAY STAFF WRITER

AREA - Student interns are learning lab skills and are conducting research on various projects including how to use sea water to make concrete and more effective nail polish remover.

For the past eight years, R&D Lab in East Hanover has been welcoming three to four local high school students to work as interns to prepare them as future scientists.

“Our focus is to teach them lab skills and mainly generate interest in research,” explains Hemant Joshi, founder and CEO of Tara Innovations, LLC, a pharmaceutical research and development lab in East Hanover. “We do this to give back to society.

“This year, we had two pairs,” he explains. “One pair worked on cement and how we can use sea water to make concrete out of cement. This will help our environment.

“The other pair worked on a nail polish remover and have developed a formula which is more effective than the currently marketed products,” he adds.

Joshi started the company in 2008, has been operating out of his lab space since January 2013 and launched the high school internship program in 2016.

He got the idea to start the internship from his son and neighbor’s experience.

When his son attended The Academy for Math, Science, and Engineering in Rockaway from 2009 to 2013, each student was required to complete a senior-year internship.

“He gained a great deal from his internship experiences at BASF and Novartis,” says Joshi.

“Around the same time, my neighbor Paul Winslow started an innovative organization— Students 2 Science—which brings students from various schools into real lab environments, allowing them to conduct hands-on scientific experiments,” he adds.

“My son’s positive experience and Paul’s impactful work inspired me to start an internship program at my company, Tara Innovations,” he explains.

“I believe in giving back to society—especially to the next generation—and this program is one way I can do that.”

Joshi works with the interns to decide on the projects that work best for them.

“The goal of the internships at Tara is to teach students how products are developed, so we typically select the projects for them,” says Joshi. “However, we do try to tailor projects to students’ interests when possible. For example, last year one student was passionate about environmental science, which led us to develop a project focused on cement. A student interning next year has expressed interest in food science, so I’m planning to design a project in that area for him.”

Besides the projects, interns are learning basic lab skills.

“Most students are learning

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lab skills for the first time when they join Tara,” explains Joshi.

“Their initial projects focus on basic experiments such as weighing substances from milligrams to grams, measuring solvent density, understanding processes like mixing, and— most importantly—learning how to work safely in a lab environment.

“Once they’ve developed foundational skills, we guide them through creating formulations like soaps, solutions, suspensions, creams, ointments, pastes and more,” he adds. “Some interns have made gummies and gels; others have worked on charcoal toothpaste, or explored how different oils affect chocolate. We also introduce them to complex processes like perfume-making to show the nuances of formulation science.

“One interesting project involved determining the water content in leaves and fruits,” he adds. “Most of these have over 85 to 90% water content.”

Meet the 2025 Interns Vrishank Malik, 17, of Mt. Olive, is a senior at The Academy for Mathematics, Science & Engineering program at Morris Hills High School in Rockaway.

While calculus is his favorite subject, science is moving up on his list especially after his internship at Tara Innovations.

“I originally got involved in this internship due to the 100hour internship requirement that my school mandates,” explains Malik. “I had heard about Tara Innovations from a senior last year who had interned there last year and had a great experience.

Dr. Joshi has a close connection with the internship program at my school and has taken countless interns in the past years from my school.”

He and his lab partner, Raj Shah, have been working on two projects since the summer of 2024. The first one involves developing a novel solution for colonoscopy preparation and athlete electrolyte supplementation.

“During a colonoscopy, patients must drink four liters of liquid to prepare the patient for colonoscopy,” explains Malik.

“Similarly, after games, athletes can lose up to 1,500-2,000 mg of sodium through sweat and must drink sugar-filled electrolyte drinks to regain it back.

“To address this issue, we conducted 40 experiments to develop flavorless and tasteless gummies that effectively deliver the necessary sodium and potassium contents in both scenarios,” he says.

Their other project revolved around designing a more environmentally sustainable process for cement.

Current cement production requires 500-800 gallons of water per ton of cement produced, explains Malik. Additional water is also needed during the curing process, which typically lasts seven to 14 days.

“To address this issue, we developed a new process of

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Raj Shah, 18, of Parsippany, adds “I’ve most enjoyed the hands-on experience and lab skills I’ve developed through this internship. From learning how to use new lab devices to helping solve real-world problems (sustainable cement production and colonoscopy preparation), I’ve learned a great deal about the research process and its impact on millions of people.

“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working with Vrishank, Dr. Joshi, Mrs. Kundurthy, and Mrs. Sharma, and will undoubtedly continue working on new research projects in college,” continues Shah, a senior in the Magnet program for Math and Science at Morris Hills High School.

Shah got involved in the internship through Joshi, who lives in his community.

“I was interested in working in a chemical laboratory for the first time and had many friends who were previous interns under Dr. Joshi,” adds Joshi. “I knew I wanted hands-on research experience, so this internship was the perfect opportunity for me.”

Shah explains his role a bit deeper.

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making concrete from cement,” explains Malik. “We also modified the cement formulation by adding various surfactants and salts. We tried different mixtures of sea water and distilled water and checked the hardness of concrete formed. This not only decreases the curing time of cement by several days, but also decreases the overall water usage. Addition of magnesium chloride seemed to have helped too. To present our findings to the research community, we have documented their results in a comprehensive research paper.”

Malik and Shah worked under the guidance of Joshi and his employees Lavanya Kundurthy and Neelam Sharma on these projects.

“The cement project continues to this day as we are working on getting our research published,” adds Malik.

They met at the lab twice weekly but “Most of the work is now being conducted at home as we have already completed our experiments and are now working on presenting our findings in the paper,” he adds.

They both have been enjoying their experience.

“Personally, the most rewarding part of this internship was the invaluable experience I gained,” says Malik, who plans to major in environmental engineering at Cornell University.

“Before last summer, I had never worked in a real laboratory or conducted hands-on research,” he adds. “This internship not only provided me with that opportunity, but also transformed my curiosity of research into a passion—one that has the potential to impact millions of lives. That, to me, is the most rewarding part.”

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formulations of gummies to improve colonoscopy preparation,” describes Shah.

“For the cement project, Vrishank and I studied the process of converting cement to concrete, using water as the solvent,” he continues.

Shah, who plans to major in neuroscience or biomedical engineering on the pre-medical track, explains why this experiment is important.

“If we can replace even some portions of fresh water with sea water, we can help conserve fresh water on our planet,” says Shah. “We found that replacing 40% fresh water with sea water and adding magnesium chloride in the formulation retained concrete quality. This finding will help in sustainable cement production.”

Two other interns, Sucheta Pansare and Sanjana Medapati, both 17 of Parsippany, worked on electrolyte gummies for athletes and nail polish remover.

Pansare, a senior at the Morris County School of Technology in Denville, enjoys chemistry the most so the internship was perfect match.

“I like to explore and experiment with different chemical reactions,” she shares. “I have always found chemistry highly interesting and love the spontaneity of it as well as the “surprises” that come with it.”

During her junior year, while looking for a chemistry/healthcare related internship, she heard about Tara Innovations from her school, family friends and previous biotechnology senior interns.

The first project she and her partner, Medapati, worked on was centered around formulating electrolyte gummies.

“We experimented with various formulations of gelatin, water, salt (electrolytes), sweeteners, and flavors to create a gummy with the perfect con-

Pictured, from left, are Hemant Joshi, Lavanya Kundurthy (research scientist), Raj Shah, Sucheta Pansare, Vrishank Malik and Neelam Sharma (research scientist)

sistency that also provided the necessary electrolyte amounts needed for athletes who tend to lose a lot of electrolytes through vigorous exercise,” explains Pansare. “After many trials, we were finally able to determine the formula that provided a good amount of electrolytes without a compromise on taste and texture.”

The other project the worked on was formulating a new and more effective type of nail polish remover that is not currently in the market or patented.

“Though there are many nail polish removers currently, we noticed that many of them have negative aspects to them, whether it be them taking too long to remove the polish, subtly harming the nails, or not being able to remove all aspects of nail polish (such as gel polishes, glitters, many layers),” she explains.

“We were trying to find a new nail polish remover that could tackle all of the previously mentioned issues, while still keeping it inexpensive, easy to ship, and unique,” continues Pansare. “We experimented with different formulations of ethyl acetate, isopropyl alcohol, acetone, surfactants, and water. Our final nail polish re-

mover was able to remove multiple layers of nail polish with ease (within one to two quick swipes), and proved to be more efficient and less harsh on the nails that other removers on the market.”

They started their projects at the end of June 2024 and continue to work on these projects.

They visited the lab one to three times a week, and since February continue to work from home to complete their research paper and any additional post-experimentation work.

“These projects will be used to hopefully help create more efficient experiences for the populations pinpointed with these experiments: Athletes and nail polish wearers,” says Pansare.

“These two experiments have allowed for us to experiment with finding solutions to real life problems; in the case of the electrolyte gummies, our research could help to find a suitable method that allows for runners and other athletes to get the electrolytes needed in a simple and easy to use manner,” realizes Pansare. “For our nail polish removers, we were able to try to experiment with different comPLEASE SEE INTERNS EXPLORE, PAGE 7

Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com • East Hanover-Florham Park Life • May 2025 • Page 7

BY STEVE SEARS STAFF WRITER HANOVER PARK - Hanover Park High School juniors, Michael Capozzi and Chase Olszewski, this season both scored their 100th points as members of the Park Regional hockey team.

Olszewski’s milestone came against Madison on January 16, and Capozzi’s on February 12 against Montclair.

Coach Tom Levis, who this season completed his 30th season as Park Regional (also called Park Hockey) head coach, said his two soon-tobe-seniors are not only offensive forces, but also focus on aiding the goalie.

Levis said, “They’ve been big parts of our team since their freshman year. Michael scored in the first period of his first game as a freshman, and Chase is a dynamic player who has a heck of a shot. Maybe he tends to get more goals, but Michael is also a tremendous skater who can score. Both also play the defensive side of the game, too, which is so key.

They are full, 200 feet players, so we can put them out there in any situation and trust them.”

Olszewski notched his tally in a tight contest. He said, “We were tied 2 - 2 with Madison, and it was a tough game the whole time. We were on a 5 on 3 power play, and I was set up at the point on the power play, and I ripped a shot, and it went past the goalie.”

Park Regional Hockey Teammates Hit 100 Career Point Milestone Olszewski, who afterwards took pictures with his team, coaches, and his family, also this season accomplished something unique on the ice, scoring two goals in four seconds in a 6 – 4 win against the West Morris Centra. After putting his first second period goal past the goalie, he then scored again four seconds later after a subsequent faceoff.

For the season, he finished with 25 goals and 20 assists for 45 total points.

Olszewski, reviewing his team’s 13-win season and eyeing next season, said, “I thought this year was definitely our most developed year.

We brought in a lot of skillful freshmen, and we do lose our goaltenders and our captain, but I think we still have great depth in our juniors, freshmen, and our sophomores. I think we will be able to build off of that.”

Capozzi’s 100th point came in a familiar spot, Clary Anderson Arena in Montclair, during a 5 – 1 victory.

Capozzi, who first started skating and playing hockey at the facility named after the famed Montclair High School coach, finished his junior year with 16 goals and 18 assists for 34 points.

“It was pretty special for me,” Capozzi said of the evening in Montclair and his milestone. “The puck was dumped

Chase Olszewski (credit: Michael Capozzi)

in deep, I shifted from the defender, and then I tried a power move to the net, and then I got around the goalie and I did like a tap in.”

Levis lauded the ice IQ of both. He said, “We try to encourage leadership from a young age, and you do not have to be a senior. You are a leader by your work ethic and how you approach the game. I think both Michael and Chase have those qualities for sure.”

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Interns Explore...

FROM FROM PAGE 6

pounds to create an efficient, yet safe and non-harmful end product that could assist nail polish wearers with having a much better experience removing their nail polish.”

They, too, are enjoying their time as interns.

“I really enjoyed the experience that I gained from this internship,” says Pansare, who plans to study biochemistry at NJIT as well as statistics and business. “I was able to gain so many hard and soft-skills that will prove invaluable to me in the future, whether it be in the medical/pharmaceutical/research field, or even in my daily life. I also came out of this internship with a better understanding of problem-solving, critical thinking skills, and teamwork skills.

“Being able to perform the experiments that we were allowed to is something that I have never experienced before, and allowed for me to be even more inspired to pursue other opportunities like this in the future; before coming into this internship I had never thought that I would enjoy working in a lab, but I now know that this is an experience I definitely want to continue,” she adds.

Medapati, a senior at The Academy for Mathematics, Science & Engineering, has enjoyed her time working in the lab and writing research papers on her work.

“I learned to keep repeating until I get results, and I enjoyed actually learning about what I do,” says Medapati. “I really enjoyed working on the nail polish remover formulation. I tried it out to remove nail polish from my own nails.”

The other project she is working on involves the ear: Drug Delivery Systems Through the

Ear: Exploring Novel Routes of Administration for Upper Respiratory Infections, she shares.

“My main responsibilities included reviewing scientific literature, taking detailed notes on current methods of ear drug delivery, analyzing novel patents, and contributing to writing the research paper that summarized our findings,” explains Medapati.

Her project began in January and finished towards the end of March 7. She visited the lab about two times a week, two hours each day.

“This research provides a comprehensive overview of ear drug delivery systems that can inform pharmaceutical development,” she shares. “It highlights the potential of the otic route of administration, particularly the recent patent showing how oilbased formulations containing eucalyptus oil can permeate the tympanic membrane to reach the throat via the eustachian tube. This approach could be used to treat upper respiratory infections such as SARS-COV2 and may generate further interest in the otic route of administration for various conditions.

“While delivering medicines to the throat through the ears is not standard practice due to the tympanic membrane’s low permeability, our research shows it’s possible under certain conditions,” she explains. “The novel patent we studied demonstrates that formulations with eucalyptus oil in jojoba oil can effectively reach the throat area through the ear.”

Her skills and advanced knowledge will only help her as she plans to major in biology on a Pre-med track at Nova Southeastern University.

“I want to become a doctor and such knowledge of drug de-

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livery system will be helpful,” says Medapati.

More on Tara and Internships Tara Innovations, LLC is primarily a contract research organization (CRO) that specializes in developing pharmaceutical formulations for clients, with a focus on liquid products—such as water-based and oil-based solutions, as well as suspensions.

Interns are from all over Morris County and in the past have been from Parsippany High School, Parsippany Hills High School, the Academy for Health Care Sciences and The Academy for Math, Science, and Engineering.

To be an intern at Tara Innovations, students must have a genuine interest in chemistry and a sincere willingness to learn.

“We’re committed to ensuring that every intern gains valuable knowledge and experience during their time with us,” says Joshi.

Interns are unpaid but their lessons learned are priceless.

“The program with The Academy is very structured— high school career counselors regularly visit our lab to ensure that students are safe and actively learning,” he says.

“One intern recently told me that he could get research assistantship in the college because of working experience at Tara and mainly, he published an article,” he adds. “For all these students, this is the first article they write, and they get to know the procedure of publishing their work. Since 2021, we encourage students to write papers on a topic and we publish them in the “American Pharmaceutical Review” magazine.”

ENTERTAINMENT

BY DANA JACKSON Q: Is it true that Billy Ray Cyrus is dating Elizabeth Hurley? I thought he was married.

-- K.S. A:The “Achy Breaky Heart” singer and father of Miley Cyrus recently went public with his new romance with actress Elizabeth Hurley (“Runaways”). Billy Ray Cyrus was married to Tish Cyrus for 29 years before they split. He then wed a singer named Firerose who was 29 years his junior, but they divorced less than a year later.

His relationship with Firerose seemed to cause a rift between him and his children.

Perhaps Hurley can be the bridge that brings them back together. Her 23-year-old son, Damian, publicly gave his approval of their relationship with a heart emoji after the couple went Instagram official. ***

BY DEMI TAVERAS “The Narrow Road to the Deep North” (TV-MA) -Based on the novel of the same name by Richard Flanagan, this Australian war-drama miniseries is led by the talented Jacob Elordi (“Saltburn”). Starring as the young version of Dorrigo Evans, an Australian doctor and prisoner of war, Elordi lost all the weight that made him into a convincing high school football player in “Euphoria” to become a bone-thin soldier who gets captured in the Pacific during World War II. Ciaran Hinds (“Game of Thrones”) plays the older version of Dorrigo, and Hinds’ scenes recount his war experiences while Elordi acts them out for us. All five episodes are out now! (Amazon Prime Video)

Celebrity Extra Q:Whatever happened to Marvel’s “Blade” series? Did it just get delayed, or has it been scrapped altogether? -- D.D. A:The 1998 film “Blade,” which was originally a Marvel comic, starred Wesley Snipes as a half-vampire/half-mortal.

It inspired two more sequels, and Snipes also made a cameo as Blade in “Deadpool & Wolverine” last year. Since 2019, there’s been plans for a “Blade” reboot film (not a series, at least not yet) starring Oscar-winning actor Mahershala Ali. Actor Delroy Lindo, who currently appears in another vampire flick “Sinners,” was among the cast for the new “Blade” and spoke to Entertainment Weekly about the delayed project. He eventually left the film during its development process after it “went off the rails.”

He stated that Marvel

“seemed to be really interested in my input” and that conversations with the producers, writer and director at the time was “all leading into it being very inclusive.” But creative differences prevailed, and Lindo moved on to other projects like “Sinners.”

Marvel pulled “Blade” from its 2025 release calendar after production got pushed back by the pandemic and the Hollywood industry strikes. Meanwhile, Kevin Feige, president of Marvel Studios, says that he remains committed to Ali’s take on the character and that the character “will be coming to the MCU.” Ali, who won respective Oscars in 2017 and 2019 for “Moonlight” and “Green Book,” can be seen in the upcoming “Jurassic World: Rebirth” and has several other projects lined up. ***

Q: Did the actor who played the judge on “Elsbeth” once appear on “Lost?” I had never seen him before this show, but it’s got to be him. -- S.E. A:Yes, Michael Emerson joined the hit mystery-drama series “Lost” in 2006, in what was initially a short-term role.

However, he became a fulltime cast member beginning in season three. He then starred in another hit series “Person of Interest” on CBS with Jim Caviezel, which lasted five seasons.

Then he landed another hit -“Evil” on Paramount+.

I’m willing to bet that his favorite acting gig so far has been playing a villain opposite his real-life wife of 26 years, Carrie Preston, on “Elsbeth.”

About filming their final scene together, he told TV Insider, “We were ready for writing this strong, and when we got it, we could play it.”

In Case You Missed It “Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy” (TV-PG) -- Italian-American actor Stanley Tucci (“Conclave,” “The Devil Wears Prada,” “Spotlight”) wanted to go back to his roots for his travel and food show, and this included heading overseas to Italy to explore each region that the beautiful country has to offer. Beginning in Naples and the Amalfi Coast, the first season highlighted some of the food and culture we’ve come to love from popular cities like Rome, Milan and Tuscany. But as the second season takes off, less-popular regions like Puglia, Liguria and Umbria take the stage, and the culture that gets discovered there might delightfully surprise you. While

this lifestyle show only lasted for two seasons, both of which are available to watch now, Tucci filmed more episodes of a similar show that will eventually come out, called “Tucci: The Heart of Italy.” (Netflix) “The Florida Project” (R) -Before Sean Baker scored big at this year’s Academy Awards with “Anora,” he wrote and directed this tragic comingof-age drama taking place in a budget motel in Kissimmee, Florida, near Disney World.

The film logs the treks of a 6-year-old girl named Moonee, who spends most of her days getting into shenanigans with her fellow kids who live in the motel. While her young and lost mother, Halley (Bria Vinaite), grasps at straws to find

any way of income after losing her job as a stripper, Moonee is left unsupervised around the motel, causing its manager Bobby (Willem Dafoe) to step in and save them from disaster.

This one’s not an easy watch but has an exhilarating ending that will stay with you well after the credits roll. Out now. (Max) “The Worst Person in the World” (R) -- This Norwegian romantic-drama film led by Renate Reinsve (“A Different Man”) landed her an award for Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival in 2021 -- an amazing feat for what would be considered her breakout role. The film follows Julie (Reinsve), a young woman in her late 20s as she tries to find her footing in the world. At a loss for what

Couch Theater

Elizabeth Hurley (“Runaways”). Photo Credit: Depositphotos

Send me your questions at NewCelebrityExtra@gmail. com, or write me at KFWS, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando,

FL 32803. (c) 2025 King Features Synd., Inc.

Jacob Elordi stars in “The Narrow Road to the Deep North.”

Photo Credit: Courtesy of MovieStillsDB

to do in her professional life, Julie bounces from medicine to psychology to photography, never landing on one for good.

This is a theme that is mirrored in her romantic life as well; Julie jumps from relationship to relationship, hoping to find

the one man who doesn’t make her feel uncertain. But only through more experience and more time in life will Julie truly find the answers that she’s looking for. Out now. (Hulu) (c) 2025 King Features Synd., Inc.

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New Branding Could Bring Tourists to this Gem of an Area

BY JAIME JULIA WINTERS STAFF WRITER AREA - Results of a survey conducted by North Star Place Branding and Marketing concluded that the Highlands region of New Jersey is often overlooked as a tourism destination but offers a “delightful surprise” for the nature and history lover away from the crowds, contrasting with New Jersey’s typical reputation.

The Highlands Branding Committee hopes to market the New Jersey Highlands Region – consisting of seven counties and 88 municipalities – to those seeking a peaceful getaway filled with nature and history, less than 3 hours away from the Philadelphia and New York areas.

The New Jersey Highlands Council began the branding effort initiative in spring of last year by awarding a contract to North Star to develop a unique brand and marketing plan for the region.

Those who live there already appreciate the area’s assets – its watersheds supply 70% of New Jerseyans with clean drinking

water, is also a hub for agriculture and rich with historic sites and recreational opportunities.

But the region’s historical, cultural and natural resources are often overlooked by outsiders.

The Highlands offers a diverse landscape with both rural and densely developed areas, Highlands Council Planning Manager Maryjude Haddock-Weiler, who is leading the effort on staff, said.

In a press release announcing the initiative last summer, the council noted some enticing reasons to visit – the vistas from Wyanokie High Point in Norvin Green State Forest, the Columbia Trail spanning Morris and Hunterdon counties, shopping downtown Chester and Clinton and the myriad of farms offering delicious fresh local produce, and corn mazes and haunted hayrides.

Rich in assets, the Highlands is also missing a clear identity.

“A regional approach to tourism enriches rural and urban communities by pooling

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Other assets include Morristown National Park where Washington and the continental army spent the winter of 1779, Flemington Historic Walking Trail giving the history of the area spanning four centuries, Beneduce Wineries and Beer Trail Passport highlighting the wines and beers brewed in New Jersey, and Phillips Farm offering pick your own produce and famer’s market.

Branding and a designated tourism board will promote history, nature, agritourism, culinary destinations, festivals, and events of the area, North Star suggests.

Highlands Council Executive Director Ben Spinelli said the council wants people, both inside and outside of the region, to know “this vital part of New Jersey.” He points to the Highlands Act, passed 20 years

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Most of the respondents were from the Philadelphia area and Gloucester and Camden counties in New Jersey.

The others were from New York City and Hudson County in New Jersey.

In the report, North Star stated visitors to the region most often come to see friends or family. To further tourism, “local advocates [that are] good hosts and highlight the peaceful setting of the Highlands and its benefits to food production and outdoor recreation are paramount.”

North Star recommended the creation of the NJ Highlands Tourism Alliance (NJHTA) with representatives from tourism agencies across the seven Highlands counties to promote lodging, attractions, restaurants, historic sites, and

outdoor recreation. It also recommends a paid tourism coordinator funded by either the council’s general budget or from contributions by NJHTA members.

A final plan with implementation will be the next step and is due to be released this summer.

Highlands Council Chairman Carl Richko said his hope is that a wider audience will begin to discover what makes the region “so special and why it deserves thoughtful planning and enhanced protections to safeguard its future.”

The Highlands Council is a regional planning agency established in 2004 with the passage of the Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act and charged with implementation of the Act. More information is available at www. nj.gov/njhighlands.

is $5, but children under 12 are free. No alcohol or pets are allowed. Recently, Jill DeMonti, Hackettstown Rotary Secretary and co-chair of the show and volunteer coordinator, and Norman Worth, long-time Hackettstown Rotary member, talked about the upcoming event.

“Forty-four local charities benefit from Memorial Motor Madness, such as Abilities, ARC of Warren County, seven local food pantries, Centenary Stage Company and Entrepreneurship, Family Promise, Hackettstown sports teams and scholarships, Operation ChillOut, HMC Foundation, Alina Lodge, DASACC,” shared DeMonti. Worth added “Every penny raised goes back to the community. There are no administrative costs. “ Worth noted that the show appeals to a wide variety of people. “Motor heads, car enthusiasts, young people and families, and those who like to look at a flash from the past. So many young people and families come…kids love it,” said Worth. He added, “Just a great family day and affordable.”

Twenty-one classes of cars will be on display and judged.

Among them are antique cars, mustangs, corvettes, muscle cars, street rods, VW Beetles, Camaros, Firebirds and antique trucks. Trophies are given in ev-

ery class. The show’s “founding fathers’ are Ed Hagaman and Larry Middleton, who ran it for the first few years; then, about 25 years ago, the Hackettstown Rotary took on the show. The Best In Show award is named for Hagaman: the Ed Hagaman Memorial Trophy for Best in Show. Advance Vehicle Registration (ends 5/18/25) is $20 and the day of the show, it is $25. There are dash plates for the first 400 entries.

Besides the cars, there are food vendors, vendors selling such items as car care products, jewelry, crafts, etc., a 50-50, and music. Music is provided

by S.C.3. entertainment run by Chris Schmidt who will be there throughout the day. Worth also noted, “Every year there are a few surprises.”

Also, the significance of the holiday weekend is not forgotten. “It is just a really fabulous

patriotic day,” shared DeMonti. She noted that people come wearing red, white, and blue.

The star-spangled banner is played at noon and there’s a moment of silence. Then, that is followed by a “rev-up”, the cars’ loud tribute to our fallen soldiers.

Worth noted the contribution of Mars Wrigley to the event and Jennifer Bongiovanni of Mars Wrigley has been coordinating that. “Mars Wrigley provides us with tremendous support including space, maintenance, and tremendous product (candy is given out at the show). But for them, we wouldn’t be able to do this,” said Worth.

For more information about Memorial Motor Madness including car registration and being a vendor or sponsor, visit Hackettstown Rotary’s website at https://www.hackettstownrotary.org

Photo courtesy of Highlands Coalition of New Jersey

Memorial Motor Madness

AREA - With 21 classes of cars, music, food vendors, craft and other vendors, a raffle, and the smiling faces of the M&Ms gang looking down, the 29th annual Memorial Motor Madness car show offers a day of fun while benefiting 44 local charities. The show is put on by Hackettstown Rotary, and the sponsors of the show are John Johnson Auto Group, Mars Wrigley, Warren Community College, WRNJ and Edward Jones Financial Advisors. The event is being held rain or shine on Sunday, May 25th from 9am to 3pm (gates open to cars at 7:30am) on the grounds of Mars Wrigley, 800 High Street, Hackettstown. Spectator admission

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ago, as acknowledging the importance of the region. In 2021, the New Jersey Highlands Economic Sustainability Plan was created citing the need to develop a Highlands brand that could be used to support region-wide growth across a variety of industries.

Last summer, members of the North Star team held focus groups and conducted one-onone interviews gathering information and opinions from key populations including residents, farmers, business owners, local officials, and more, so that the final branding product captures the essence of what makes the Highlands so unique.

A survey conducted by North Star closed in November with 253 individuals completing it.

Key points of the survey: Residents highly value the nature and overall peaceful environment that the Highlands offers, but that the area could benefit from more tourism.

Most of the people surveyed (70%) were familiar with the region and its boundaries. Fewer people were familiar with the Highlands Act. Critics of the act primarily cited stunted economic opportunities and a perceived lack of

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New Jersey, First in Flight

Page 4 • May 2025 • East Hanover-Florham Park Life • Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com

BY HENRY M. HOLDEN STAFF WRITER AREA - Today, in the jet age, people barely give balloon flight a passing nod. But back in the eighteenth century lighter-than-air flight was a giant step for humans. Humans could leave the surface of the planet and fly over church steeples raging rivers and tall hills.

French balloonist, Monsieur Jean Pierre Blanchard arrived in Philadelphia on December 9, 1792. He was excited to bring his pioneering balloon flights to America. Blanchard made all the arrangements for the flight and staged his first one on January 9, 1793.

This attracted the attention of President George Washington.

Washington would be among the crowd to witness the first flight in America.

Aerial ballons were invented by the Montgolfier brothers 0f France in the early 1780s.

The first flights were met with excitement, and astonishment.

When one balloon came down a French villager thought the moon had fallen from the sky.

Montgolfier brothers were prosperous paper manufacturers (a high-tech industry at the time), experimenting with lighter-than-air devices after observing that heated air directed into a paper or fabric bag made the bag rise. After several successful tests, the brothers decided to publicly demonstrate their invention. It took some time before people did send a human into the air since it was doubtful that anyone could breathe at that height.

Doctors wanted to be sure ballooning was safe so they asked Blanchard if he would help with the experiment’s He agreed. In Europe, it was considered a bold experiment. when a balloon was launched in Paris with a duck, sheep, and a rooster on board. Speculators were delighted when they found that when the balloon came down all the animals had survived.

After 44 successful balloon flights in France, Germany, Holland, Belgium, and Switzerland, Blanchard set his sights on the American continent. He had arrived in Philadelphia in December 1792, to begin promoting his first flight in America.

Any 18th century adult, even the most worldly would have called themselves lucky to have witnessed such a sight.

On January 9, 1793, Jean Pierre Blanchard traveled from Philadelphia over the swiftly running Delaware River to New Jersey, accompanied by a small dog. What made this trip worth remembering was Blanchard flew a balloon to an altitude of 5,852 feet (more than a mile) and landed safely in Gloucester County initially scaring a farmer upon landing.

He made this flight 110 years before the Wright brothers first powered flight in 1903.

Even the majestic eagles that glided over the countryside of New Jersey were dwarfed by this apparition that skimmed the treetops and gently settled down into a pasture.

To cover the cost of his trip Blanchard began charging five dollars apiece, an astronomical sum of money in those days. However, on the day of his trip, speculators crowded into the nearby space to watch the event unfold.

As this huge round ball with a wicker basket hanging below the balloon approached the Earth the farmer below must have been shacking in his boots at the shear terror he was feeling. He dropped his tools and rushed across the field through thickets and brambles toward the landing spot.

Blanchard was no stranger to balloons. His best-known accomplishment to date was t0 be the first ever to fly across the English Channel in 1785.

The quest to conquer the channel continued through the early days of flight. When powered flight became popular several men attempted to cross the English Channel and lost their lives. French man Louis Bleriot was the first human to survive such a flight in 1909.

He was followed by Harriet Quimby, the first woman to fly the Channel, in 1912.

In the morning right after a typical American breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, corn bread and black coffee Blanchard headed for the takeoff point, he was ready to fly.

Blanchard began preparation for his hot air balloon ascension. Throughout the morning cannons were fired.

As they approach the takeoff hour a band began to play.

A large crowd had gathered in the yard of the Walnut Street prison, in Philadelphia.

Since Philadelphia was at the time the capital of the newly formed states, and President

George Washington was present.

One of the reasons to hold the ascension inside the prison walls was to give the paying customers a front row seat and keep the unpaid people away from this event. The French ambassador was also present for the historic event. Washington wrote a note and handed it to Blanchard in the prison yard. The crowd was excited to see not only Blanchard but the President as well to watch a great event. The letter the American said was a note to whom ever Blanchard first came across upon landing.

As his balloon rose, Blanchard could see the swiftly running Delaware river below him and he must have both wondered and concerned that below him was either fame or a bad outcome. He also wondered at the beauty of the countryside below him.

Washington’s letter of guarantee of safe passage seems to have vanished. Too bad. The first air mail in American history would have been worth a fortune to collectors.

As the balloon rose, he began the tasks that the scientist had requested. The scientist wanted samples of air, the use magnets for testing and capturing air in the bottle, and recording his pulse. Less than an hour later (41 minutes) the balloon, encouraged by friendly breezes landed in a pasture in Deptford County, New Jersey.

It was a moment that even this uneducated farmer could recognize as history-making.

As he watched the huge covering atop the basket began settling to the ground. While Blanchard tugged on the guy wires, his little black dog ran around barking in excitement.

The farmer was later to confirm that the event actually did happen. The daring young Blanchard the French balloonist who had just completed the first manned flight in the western hemisphere.

It was a delicate moment.

The balloonist shouted a welcome in a foreign language.

The farmer did not understand, and Blanchard showed him a letter which he might just as well not have seen in any language because the farmer could not understand.

No such event could have gone unnoticed in this tiny community of Deptford, where

money to support another flight in America and he decided to go back the France.

While on a flight over Paris, tragedy struck, in 1808.

Blanchard suffered a heart attack in flight and fell unconscious in his gondola. His balloon landed roughly on its own and amazingly, Blanchard was uninjured in the fall. But his health declined rapidly after

the attack, and he died in Paris on March 7, 1808.

The place where Jean Pierre Blanchard landed near Bib Tinder Creek in Deptford Township, is marked by a bronze plaque which proclaims that his epic aerial voyage in 1793 brought the age of flight to America and the Garden State.

he landed. Within minutes the two were joined by neighbors.

The people were curious, and more neighbors rushed to the scene. Suddenly a man showed up waving a pistol.

But there was no violence.

Fortunately. the armed man had the ability to read and write and he triumphantly announce that the letter was from none other than President George Washington.

In Blanchard’s handwriting in his journal, he wrote a description of the moment. “‘In the midst of profound silence, it was read with a loud and audible voice. How dear the name of Washington is to these people. With such eagerness they gave me all possible assistance in consequence of his recommendation”.

The welcome party learned that the balloonist had traveled from Philadelphia, more than 15 miles away, and in less than an hour. The dangerous trip would have taken three or four hours by carriage or horse back through to the rushing Delaware river.

After his record-setting flight the diminutive Frenchman was able to support himself and his family using his fleet of balloons for the next eight years. Blanchard had triumphed in America with his first ever flight to New Jersey, but frustration followed. He was never able to raise enough

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Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com • East Hanover-Florham Park Life • May 2025 • Page 5

A Warrior’s Story: The Life and Legacy of Jamie Smith

BY MEGAN ROCHE STAFF WRITER

AREA - In A Warrior’s Story, you’ll meet and learn about all the sides of Jamie Smith.

Smith was a West Morris Central (WMC) High School graduate who paid the ultimate sacrifice while serving as a US Army Ranger during the Battle of Mogadishu in 1993. You’ll hear from Jamie’s former teachers, his Army Ranger battle buddies, and how his legacy still lives on to this day in the halls of WMC. This series will be an on-going feature in the month’s ahead.

West Morris Central, 1990.

A young man is with his graduating class, walking the halls for one of the last times as a student. But before he leaves the halls of West Morris, he must pass all his classes,

including a law class taught by history teacher Dennis O’Connell.

“Jamie was a spirited fellow. He played three sports.

The thing about Jamie that was contagious was that he had this great grin and a really good sense of humor. He always had questions in my law class,” O’Connell recalls.

In that law class, Smith struggled with the required readings and was easily falling behind. O’Connell had a conversation with Smith about his struggles, highlighting other sources and easier readings.

“It became obvious that he just wasn’t getting it that way and I knew he was taking the Computer Aided Design (CAD) program. I came up

with the idea of him designing a police station for Washington Township,” O’Connell said.

Smith bought into the project and ultimately created a design for a police station.

O’Connell even took the project a step further and had Smith present the concepts to the township.

As a senior, Smith was also considering his post-high school options. College? Not for Jamie Smith. Smith, whose father served in the military and lost his leg in Vietnam, had his eyes set on becoming an Army Ranger.

“There was this expectation in the Smith family that you would serve your country. He was a very good athlete, he played football, wrestled, and

Beautiful Transformation in 100 Days!

help lead the humanitarian effort, immediately switched to a military mindset.

On October 3, 1993, one of the bloodiest battles in U.S. military history began. It was a battle that would ultimately make Jamie Smith a household name on the world stage.

A Warrior’s Story: The Life and Legacy of Jamie Smith will continue in the June 2025 issue, where you’ll meet Lt. Larry Perino who was right by Jamie’s side in Mogadishu.

Jamie Smith

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played lacrosse, but I think his mindset was always ‘I’m going into the Army,’” O’Connell says.

O’Connell, who taught history at West Morris Central until 2005, kept his eye on military conflicts throughout the years. After a visit from Smith before his deployment in 1993, O’Connell knew where Jamie was ultimately headed.

After war lords began starving the Somali people, a war incited. The Rangers, who were originally in Somalia to

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