Wayne, Caldwell , Hometown Life April 13, 2020

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or 15 years DC Landscape Design has been offering “One Of a Kind, Professional Landscape Services”. DC Landscape has installed thousands of landscape designs and complete property lawn maintenance throughout various towns in Morris and Passaic County.

Dennis Coyle, Owner of DC Landscape, would like to give back during this pandemic. “We are all going through a terrible crisis and it would be nice to see businesses helping out essential workers. I want to try to give back too. Our business, just like many others, have been affected, but that doesn’t mean we cannot give back. I would like to offer essential workers discounts as a thank you for all they do.” Said Dennis Coyle, owner of DC Landscape.

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Working together while staying apart:

W

Wayne Resident Joins Grassroots Effort Underway to Make Face Shields for Healthcare Workers

ayne resident and Morris Catholic High School Visual and Graphic Arts teacher, Arlene Sullivan has joined the grassroots team effort to use her 3D printer technology, to work with NJ high school robotics teams and collaborate with private and public sectors to use 3D printing technology to help ease face shield shortage due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

New Jersey currently has the second largest number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the United States.

“Fate has brought us all together,” says Sullivan, a 15 year veteran at MC. “I was fortunate enough to be invited to attend a 3D printing workshop sponsored by MakerBot and hosted by Picatinny a few years ago, where I met Shahram Dabri and received a 3D printer. We have been in contact ever since for ongoing

workshops.”

Shahram Dabri, STEM Manager of the Education Office at the U.S. Army Picatinny Arsenal in Dover, NJ, is reaching out to his contacts at over 400 New Jersey schools to enlist their support. Last month Picatinny Arsenal sponsored a two-day workshop for more than a dozen NJ teachers with advanced training on 3D printing and CAD, or computer-aided-design. The workshop and a MakerBot 3D printer for their students to use in school were gratis to the teachers.

Upon receiving a request for help from Shah this past Thursday, Sullivan immediately sought help to upgrade her home computer for the 3D printing task looking for help through former MC tech person, Richard Heywood, Technology Services Manager for the Somerset County Educational Services

1

Page 2 • April 14, 2020

Working together...

Commission and, Senior Consultant for PeggNet Computers, and her son, Jonathan Sullivan, a graduate of NJIT, EIT. Both jumped through hoops to help Sullivan make this happen, with Rich lending one of his updated laptops and Jonathan manning the installation. Each print takes a minimum of 2hrs and 30 min.

The 3D programs for the medical mask pieces came from Jim Hoffman, STEM teacher at Newton, NJ High School, and the coach of the Varsity Robotics Team for the past eleven years.

Jim received a request from Rutgers New Jersey Medical School student Rohan Sawhney to help make Personal Protective Equipment – specifically face shields for healthcare.

All understand the urgent need. Sullivan’s younger brother, a doctor in Sparta and his wife both tested positive for the virus and were hospitalized. It was pretty dicey for awhile. Hofmann’s son Justin, a graduate of Newton High School and 2017 graduate of Rutgers NJMS, is currently a third year resident working on the front lines at University Hospital in Newark, NJ. The effort, named “PPE Made in America,” has a goal of making 1,000 face shields locally using 3D printers to make the headband portion.

Hofmann leveraged his network of STEM partners and sent an email describing the project with what materials were needed and the associated costs.

The first to respond was Alex Cable, CEO of Thorlabs, Inc., a Newton-based optical equipment company. Cable said currently their priority project is UV Sterilization Chambers for possible N95 mask reuse. Cable committed his engineering staff to prototype headband samples, and then output on his company’s 3D printers, as well as assist in sourcing PETG .02 (polyethylene terephthalate glycol), a sheet of tough plastic material that completes the face shields. Thomas Sinner’s engineering team at Thorlabs will cut the large PETG sheets into smaller, more manageable sizes.

Mark Maruska and Adam Zuedima of Gravity DesignWorks in Newton volunteered to cut the smaller PETG sheets into finished face shields.

New Jersey Manufacturing Extension Program CEO John Kennedy, Ph.D., also answered the call. NJMEP, a not-for-profit that works with New Jersey’s small to midsized manufacturers, is helping with supply chain and sourcing PETG. David Romano of RoNetco Supermarkets, Inc., owner of eight local ShopRite grocery stores, has pledged finan-

cial support, as has Kristin Prigmore of the Prigmore Science Foundation.

Shahram Dabri, STEM Manager of the Education Office at the U.S. Army Picatinny Arsenal in Dover, NJ, is reaching out to his contacts at over 400 New Jersey schools to enlist their support. Last month Picatinny Arsenal sponsored a two-day workshop for more than a dozen NJ teachers with advanced training on 3D printing and CAD, or computer-aided-design. The workshop and a MakerBot 3D printer for their students to use in school were gratis to the teachers.

Several neighboring high schools with robotics teams and 3D printers who are normally competitors are also pitching in to help, including those from Lenape Valley, Mount Olive, Vernon and now Morris Catholic.

“I am honored to be a part of this, to be able to make a positive difference during this uncertain time,” says Sullivan “In this crisis, it’s all hands on deck, and great to see everyone come together in the effort” Hofmann said. He added “If any business or school has spare 3D printing capacity, we could sure use your help.”

What’s happening in your school or organization? Celebrating a special birthday, anniversary, graduation?

Have a human interest story or something you would like to share?

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Opinions

A VIEW FROM THE LEFT

EDITORIAL &

S

This President Knows Television!

omebody close to President Donald Trump could, in a burst of candor, tell him that he does not know everything to be known about the history of the filibuster in the United States Senate -- or even the origin of the infield fly rule in Major League Baseball.

But nobody, absolutely nobody, should ever dare to suggest that this president has not completely mastered everything there is to know about American popular television. Lest we forget, only one American president, before he came to office, was the host/star/ dominant personality for 14 years of a network prime-time TV show, which, in its debut season, actually averaged 20 million viewers a show. That was Donald Trump’s “The Apprentice.”

So, how to explain, in the midst of this once-in-a-century pandemic that has paralyzed the world, why Trump, who leads two-hour televised briefings on what our -- make that (SET ITAL)his(END ITAL), when there’s good news to deliver -- federal government is doing to save lives and find a cure, has watched his own poll ratings drop.

Trump is the lone elected executive who’s using daily television briefings to inform her or his constituents whose job-rating numbers are dropping. When asked how “your state’s governor” was leading in the midst of the coronavirus terror, 74% of Americans -- both Republicans and Democrats -- gave their state’s leader a positive rating, while Trump’s numbers, after an initial blip up, have fallen to 46% favorable and 51% unfavorable.

This is not a partisan matter. In the swing state of New Hampshire, where just 41% of voters approve of the president’s leadership on the virus, Republican Gov. Chris Sununu wins high marks from 73% of his constituents (including 61% of Democrats), and in Ohio, Republican Gov. Mike Dewine, who does a daily TV briefing in his signature lowkey manner, has won 80% approval for his leadership in the most recent state

Mark Shields poll. New York’s Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, does a daily televised briefing -- brimming with facts, encouragement, empathy and good grammar -- and, in one recent poll, won the approval of 81% of New Yorkers.

What these governors do not include in their reports to the citizens are attacks on political opponents, large dollops of self-pity about how they are not appreciated, personal smears of reporters who dare to ask an unflattering question or deliberately inaccurate misinformation.

These governors are more concerned about how the families and communities in their states are coping, and how the public sector can be more helpful, than they are about censuring anyone who failed to appreciate their flawless leadership.

Sorry, Mr. President, I know it’s painful to confront, but you are not “good” on television in the spring of 2020. Your daily exposure on the tube is not helping the situation. Politically, you’re hurting yourself and only helping Joe Biden and the Democrats.

To find out more about Mark Shields and read his past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.

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A VIEW FROM THE RIGHT

The Grand Farce of American Social Distancing

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his week in Colorado, our statewide stay-at-home order was extended until April 26. Gov. Jared Polis urged everyone to wear a mask of any kind while outdoors. Local groceries are limiting customers to one every 120 square feet of the store. For the first time, my neighborhood playground on Tuesday was wrapped in bright yellow “CAUTION” tape. And in Brighton, Colorado, a father was handcuffed in an empty park by three police officers for playing T-ball with his 6-year-old daughter and wife.

We are not a serious country. America’s “social distancing” campaign has gone both too far and not far enough.

The restrictions and guidelines are arbitrary, irrational and unevenly applied.

While children’s swings and slides are now crime scenes, golf courses and pickleball courts in my city are wide open.

Weed and booze stores are considered “essential.” Ice cream, dessert joints and fast-food outlets with takeout and delivery services are still operating.

But family-owned, sit-down restaurants that have been staples in our community have been forced to shut their doors after decades in business.

Barbershops and hair salons here were ordered to close three weeks ago, but government employees on landscaping crews who cut grass -- like the ones I’ve seen all crammed together in a city truck -- are still earning paychecks subsidized by the taxpayers sidelined from their jobs in the name of safety and public health.

In my state, and across the country, private gyms have been forbidden spaces for the masses for weeks. But if you’re a celebrity or Beltway elitist, you can still stay in shape while sanctimoniously taping public service announcements telling everyone else to stay at home.

Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez have been racking up social media clicks by sharing cozy family quarantine videos and coping tips from their multi-million-dollar Florida mansion.

“We all need to take care of ourselves,

Michelle Malkin mentally and physically, and also be respectful of the health and well-being of others. At a time when people need to stay apart, we can still find other ways to feel togetherness. Stay connected, and most importantly, stay safe,” Rodriguez tweeted to his 1.2 million fans. Yet, last week, the power couple was caught by paparazzi exiting a Miami gym whose front-door sign read: “This gym is not open. Stay home stay safe.”

Actors Mario Lopez and Mark Wahlberg have also become quarantine time favorites, sharing dance routines, home workouts and homeschool scenes to show their commitment to self-isolation. But last week, the buff Hollywood bros ventured out to a posh Los Angeles F45 Training facility to tape a partner workout together (with a two-person film crew) that they told their viewers to replicate in their apartments or backyards.

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s personal trainer bragged that until last week, she was working out at the private Supreme Court gym.

“Everybody’s been shut down,” trainer Bryant Johnson told Law360, a legal news and analysis website. “The only reason why I didn’t shut the justice down is because, hey, she ain’t having it,” Johnson said.

Translation: We are not “all in this continued on page 6

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April 14, 2020 • Page 5

Page 6 • April 14, 2020

Covid-19: Freeholders Provide Emergency Funds To Food Pantries

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he Morris County Board of Freeholders has approved a $28,000 COVID-19 emergency allocation to assist four major food pantries that provide nourishment on a daily basis to many hundreds of in-need residents and families across Morris County.

These food providers are dealing with increased requests for assistance during this current crisis and are hard pressed to meet the demands, especially as churches and social and civic groups that are important providers of donations are closed during this crisis.

County allocations of $7,000 apiece have been approved unanimously by the Freeholder Board for the Interfaith Food Pantry, Nourish NJ, Table of Hope, and Trinity Lutheran Food Pantry in Dover. The money is to be used by each organization to help meet its most pressing needs.

The four major food pantries that are getting county funding also help provide supplies to smaller soup kitchens that operate in towns across the county.

“Residents in Morris County, like elsewhere in the nation, are struggling due to this crisis; many are unemployed and trying care for their families,’’ said Freeholder Director Deborah Smith. “Many are turning to food pantries for help, so we wanted to assist them to help our residents.’’

“Our food pantries and soup kitchens provide such an important service to our county community, no more so than now when so many families are worried about when they will get their next paycheck and how to provide for their loved ones,’’ said Freeholder Kathy DeFillippo.

Many working families are down to one or no paychecks, and no income, but have to pay rents and mortgages and utility bills.

They also may be having food insecurity, something food pantries and soup kitchens can help remedy during this period, Freeholder DeFillippo said.

She also suggested that county residents consider reaching out to older or disabled residents or others in need during this crisis and consider shopping for them when they go to supermarkets, so they can stay safely away from potential contamination.

Food pantries and soup kitchens across the county are asking for food and volunteer and monetary donations. The following is a list, with contact information: Boonton: Boonton Food Pantry 973-402-9419 ext.634 Evengel Church of God 973-263-1787 Women’s Infants and Children’s Clinic (WIC) 800-427-3244 Butler:

United Methodist Church 973-838-2026 St. Anthony’s Church 973-838-0031 Chester: Chester Food Pantry 973-879-2548 Denville: Denville Food Pantry 973-625-8300 ext.269 St. Clare’s Meals on Wheels 973-625-6010 Dover: First Memorial Presbyterian Church 973366-0216 Women’s Infants and Children’s Clinic (WIC) 800-427-3244 First United Methodist Church 973-3661804 Grace United Methodist Church 973-3663681 Salvation Army 973-366-0764 or 973-3660875 St. Mary’s Parish 973-366-0184 Faith Kitchen and Food Pantry at Trinity Lutheran Church 973-366-2821 Florham Park: Holy Family Church 973-377-7190 Hanover Twp.: First Presbyterian Church of Whippany 973887-2197 Jefferson: Milton United Methodist Church 973-6973194 Star of the Sea R.C. Church 973-663-0211 Hurdtown United Methodist Church 973663-1216 Lincoln Park: Lincoln Park Municipal Building 973-6946100 Madison: Meals on Wheels 973-593-3095 Mine Hill: Township Municipal Building 973-366-9031 ext. 62 Montville: Kiwanis Food Pantry 973-216-7649 Morris County (and regional): Table of Hope 973-267-8912 Interfaith Food Pantry 973-538-8049 ext. 12 Nourish NJ 973-267-0709 Trinity Lutheran Church 973-366-2821 Morris Plains: Interfaith Food Pantry 973-538-8049 ext. 12 Morristown: Hendrickson Smith Food Pantry 973-4559802 Meals on Wheels 973-538-2160 ext.211 Table of Hope 973-267-8912 Nourish NJ 973-267-0709 Interfaith Food Pantry 973-538-8049 ext. 12 Women’s Infants and Children’s Clinic (WIC) 800-427-3244 Market Street Mission 973-538-0431 7th Day Adventist Church 973-984-2970 Salvation Army 973-539-2700 continued on page 8

American Social Distancing... continued from page 4 together,” like the cliched hashtag saying goes. The privileged among us get VIP gym access during lockdown, while ordinary Americans are cooped up inside doing pushups in the living room, lunges through the bedroom, makeshift treadmill runs in slippery socks across the kitchen floor, and bicep curls with their jugs of laundry detergent.

Wealthy LA denizens were still flocking to trendy farmers markets last week -- until they were shamed on Nextdoor and other social media outlets. Throngs descended on the D.C. Maine Avenue Fish Market last weekend in defiance of stay-at-home orders. Mardi Gras partiers and spring break students formed contagion-friendly mobs while authorities sat on their hands. Philadelphia hoodlums are still holding tailgate parties with carloads of boozers. New York subways remain stuffed to the gills with commuters on trains and platforms. But cops in Florida did crack down on a pastor in Tampa for holding services at his megachurch, and police in New Jersey arrested 15 attendees at an Orthodox Jewish rabbi’s funeral.

Mandatory mass isolation (or at least

the illusion of it) is an efficient way to instill hysteria and disrupt lives but a poor means of actually protecting the most vulnerable.

Selective social distancing is a futile exercise in virus virtue signaling. Either we’re all in or we’re all out. You can’t attribute curve-flattening to “social distancing” if huge swaths of people never practiced it or opted out when convenient.

How long must we carry on the charade?

Public health autocrat Anthony Fauci insists we must continue living like this until there are “no new cases” and “no new deaths” -and until a vaccine (which his control-freak pal Bill Gates is working overtime to foist on the world) is in place. This is nuts. The zero-cases/zero-deaths standard doesn’t exist for any other pandemic. We’re strangling ourselves in CAUTION tape, riddled with holes, for show. Pretense is a pointless cure worse than any infectious disease.

Michelle Malkin’s email address is MichelleMalkinInvestigates@protonmail. com. To find out more about Michelle Malkin and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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Teens Lead Social Distancing and New Way to Worship God

o practice social distancing due to COVID-19, the Christian Drama School of New Jersey changed the way Good Friday worship has been done for the past 20 years. The popular Cross Carry and Good Friday Youth Worship Service was changed so that a great crowd would NOT follow the traditional 4 mile Cross Carry walk.

Instead of 35 teens taking turns helping one person who plays the role of Jesus carry the cross, the teen playing the role of Jesus, his sister, and the pastor carried the cross only 1 mile. Instead of the typical worship, teens practiced social distancing by rehearsing and performing through Zoom conferencing. They retold the story of the arrest, trial, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus by dancing and acting out the scriptures. The voice and movement of each teenager was recorded and edited together to create a totally new way to worship God this Good Friday.

Timmy Johnson, age 18, played the role of Jesus. His sister, Mary Johnson, and Rev. Kim Padfield Urbanik, helped

Timmy carry the 12 foot long cross for 1 mile while maintaining social distancing. Rev. Urbanik is the founder and

director of the Christian Drama School of New Jersey.

Emergency Funds To Food Pantries... continued from page 6 Mount Olive: St. Elizabeth Ann Seaton Parish 973-9271629 Abiding Peace Lutheran Church 973-6919393 Netcong: United Methodist Church of Stanhope 973-

347-0247 Parsippany: Parsippany Christian Church 973-335-6387 St. Peter’s Food Pantry 973-334-2090 Parsippany Food Pantry 973-263-7163 Pequannock: First Reformed Church of Pompton Plains 973-835-1144 Randolph:

Bethlehem Church 973-366-3434 Rockaway: Rockaway Food Closet 973-627-1059 Roxbury Twp.: Municipal Building 973-448-2026 Washington Twp,: Drakestown United Methodist Church 908852-4460 or 908-319-4734

Long Valley Presbyterian Church 908-8763471 If there are other food pantries or soup kitchens in Morris County, please email lragonese@co.morrisnj.us so we can add them to this list or make any corrections to the list above.

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Page 10 • April 14, 2020

I Remember Dad: The Tenderfoot Scout Presentation

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By Richard Mabey Jr. ne of my dearest memories of my dad’s role as a Scoutmaster, was when he presented a scout with the Tenderfoot Scout Badge. Dad only presented scouts with two awards, Tenderfoot Scout and Eagle Scout. One particular Court of Honor, when scouts were presented their new ranks, merit badges and special awards, was in October of 1971. I remember this Court of Honor, so very well.

I had just turned 18, in September of 1971. I had just begun my freshman year of college. At the time, there were not a lot of scout leaders in Boy Scout Troop 170 and my dad asked me if I would help him run the troop. So, in September of 1971, I became an Assistant Scoutmaster.

This was a very special Court of Honor, I was scheduled to present a scout with the Second Class Scout Badge. I was to follow my dad, who presented the Tenderfoot Scout Badge to two scouts. It really was quite a moment in time. The parents of the scout would come forward with their son, to the front of Thorpe Hall, when their son received his new rank. There was something very solemn about it all.

Dad was a very handsome, charismatic man. He had a certain charm about him, weaved with a texture of true humility. He saw his role of Scoutmaster as his humble service to God. He truly did. He deeply believed that, with great conviction, that he was fulfilling his destiny on this earth in his selfless service as Scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop 170.

Whenever Dad would present a scout with his Tenderfoot Scout Badge, he did not joke around, he didn’t kid with the scout, he was very solemn. There was almost an air of reverence in his presentation style.

There was no doubt that Dad made the new

A

Tenderfoot Scout feel like he was about to become a Five Star General. He would tell the new Tenderfoot that he was receiving an important award, that the scout was about to embark on the scouting trail to Eagle Scout.

I remember this like it was yesterday. As Dad would hand a boy his new Tenderfoot Badge, Dad would say, “I hope to be pinning the Eagle Scout Medal on your uniform, some day.” And, Dad really and truly meant every word of that statement.

Dad was a tough act to follow. Most of the time, I presented scouts with the Second Class Award, which is the next rank up from Tenderfoot. Dad had incredible timing in his speech pattern. He knew the power of the one second dramatic pause. Dad spoke in a certain calm, serene, soothing voice tone. There was such a ring of sincerity in his voice, when he spoke before an audience. He maintained a spirit of dignity, while presenting a scout with the Tenderfoot Badge.

In 1971, most people did not have video cameras. Eight-millimeter movie cameras were still the trend back then. The movie film was costly and so was the developing.

There was no way to record the sound to go with the film. And, a roll of eight-millimeter film only lasted about five minutes or so. So, there are no video films of the Troop 170 Court of Honors of the early 1970’s.

Something that sadden me.

In memory, I can still hear my beloved father say these words to the new Tenderfoot Scout of Troop 170, “I hope to some day, pin the Eagle Scout Medal on your scout uniform.” I took it all for granted, all those years ago. Now at 66, I’d give an eyetooth to hear my Dad say those words, just one more time. Just one more time.

If your dad is still on this side of Heaven’s

Did You Know?

dolescence can be a trying time for teenagers and their parents. According to the American Psychological Association, parents and caregivers face an entirely new set of tasks to deal with the changing needs of children as they reach adolescence. The changes that accompany adolescence include physical, cognitive and social changes, and parents may need to adopt an entirely new approach to parenting as they deal with the changing needs of their children during their period in their lives. The APA notes that adolescents often crave greater independence and autonomy, and this desire is a natural part of their development process. It’s important that parents of adolescents find a way to main-

tain the familial bonds they and their children have developed up to this point, while also allowing increasingly mature teens a level of autonomy that can benefit them throughout their lives. According to clinical psychologist William Stixrud, Ph.D., decades of psychological research has shown that a lack of perceived control leads people to feel overwhelmed, helpless, hopeless, passive, and resigned. So adolescents who feel that they have control over the direction of their lives, feelings which can be strengthened when they are given some level of autonomy as teenagers, are less likely to feel overwhelmed, helpless, hopeless, passive, or resigned as adults.

A rare photograph of my dad, Richard Mabey Sr., presenting two scouts with the Tenderfoot Scout Badge, back in October of 1971.

Gate, please do seriously consider giving him a call tonight. Not tomorrow, not next week, not when you get around to it. But tonight. Because none of us, have a guarantee that we’ll be up and about, tomorrow

morning. Please do call your dad, I wish I could mine.

Richard Mabey Jr. is a freelance writer.

He can be reached at richardmabeyjr@hotmail.com.

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Nutritious Eating at Home Better-for-you Family Foods with Satisfying Flavor

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f spending additional time in the comfort of your home has you rethinking the family menu and looking for new ways to enjoy nutritional meals, rest assured you can make better-for-you food choices without losing mouthwatering taste.

Easy, efficient at-home recipes like Thai Coconut Lime Freezer Chicken, Burrito Beef and Cauli Mac and Cheese can all be made in less than an hour while reducing the intake of carbs and unnecessary sugars. All are part of a balanced Atkins lowcarb lifestyle, a long-term, healthy eating approach focused on high-fiber carbohydrates, optimal protein and healthy fats.

The eating approach, which is a more flexible version of the popular ketogenic diet, offers a balanced mix of foods containing fiber-rich and nutrient-dense carbohydrates while focusing on reduced levels of refined carbohydrates, added sugars

and the “hidden sugar effect” – when carbohydrates convert to sugar when digested. You don’t see the sugar, but your body does.

Introducing your family to smarter food choices can also support your immunity.

According to research published in “The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,” simply substituting whole grains for refined grains has a modest effect on gut microbiota and immunity. Refined grains have had most of the fiber milled out of them, leaving a refined carbohydrate that impacts your body the way sugar would.

Opt for whole grains to get the fiber you need, along with protein and healthy fats.

To learn more and find additional ways to focus family meals on nutritious recipes, visit Atkins.com.

Thai Coconut Lime Freezer Chicken Prep time: 8 minutes

Est. 1977

Cook time: 22 minutes Servings: 4 1 3/4 cups coconut milk 2 tablespoons basil 1 tablespoon xylitol (sugar substitute) 1 ounce cilantro 1 ounce fresh lime juice

1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon garlic 1teaspoon lime zest (optional) 20 ounces boneless, cooked chicken breast 20 ounces broccoli flower clusters In bowl, mix coconut milk, basil, xylitol, cilantro, lime juice, salt and garlic. For more citrus flavor, add lime zest, if desired.

Add chicken, broccoli and sauce to 1-gallon zip-top freezer bag. Squeeze out any air and seal bag. Freeze bag flat up to 1 month.

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4 tablespoons green taco sauce 1 teaspoon minced garlic 2 large scallions or spring onions, chopped 1 jalapeno pepper, diced 2 teaspoons chili powder 1/2 teaspoon cumin 1/2 teaspoon salt Trim fat from beef. In slow cooker on low heat, cook beef, taco sauce, garlic, onions, jalapeno, chili powder, cumin and salt 8 hours, or until beef is tender.

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Bite-Sized Breakfast

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ppetizer-sized portions and small bites of all sorts are ideal for breakfast spreads, and these Pastry Brunch Cups are perfect for a quick morning snack. Try baking a batch and separating into appropriate serving sizes for a simple way to meal prep heading into a new week.

Find more breakfast recipes at Culinary. net.

Pastry Brunch Cups Serves: 18 2 tablespoons butter 2tablespoons flour 1 1/2cups milk

1 cup shredded Swiss cheese 2 sheets puff pastry 18 eggs 2 cups diced ham chopped fresh green onions Heat oven 375 F. In small saucepan, melt butter. Whisk flour with butter. Gradually pour in milk, whisking each time. Bring to simmer, whisking until mixture starts to thicken. Remove from heat; stir in Swiss cheese. Set aside.

Use rolling pin to thin out puff pastries.

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Serve a Sweet Treat for edges to come up just over muffin tins.

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each with diced ham.

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Find more dessert inspiration at Culinary.net.

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A Community Partner During a Time of Crisis

ince their formation, community colleges have seen their communities through many challenging times, including the training of veterans from World War II and the unemployed during the Great Recession of 2007-09. During this current time of crisis, community colleges, their faculty, students, graduates, staff and administration once again are making significant impacts in their communities.

Along with helping students to move forward with their education in an online format, County College of Morris (CCM) is offering assistance to the community to support residents during these challenging times. Since March 30, the campus has been serving as a COVID-19 Testing Center for Morris County in coordination with the Morris County Office of Emergency Management, the Morris County Sheriff’s Department, Morris County Park Police, Randolph Township Police Department and Atlantic Health System. Helping with that effort are staff from CCM’s Departments of Public Safety and Plant and Maintenance, who are serving as traffic directors, site monitors and in other roles as needed.

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gloves. In addition, at the request of Atlantic Health Systems, the college’s engineering lab coordinator is creating face shields on the college’s 3-D printers for healthcare workers. The shields are being created based on specifications provided by Atlantic Health. The college is able to create about 15 a day.

Meanwhile, CCM graduates are working in healthcare facilities throughout the county and region as nurses, respiratory therapists and radiographers.

Included among them are two recent graduates, Jeremy Friedland ’19, of Parsippany, a graduate of the Nursing Program; and Melanie New ’19, of Vernon, a graduate of the Respiratory Therapy Program, both of whom are on the front line of helping COVID-19 patients at Morristown Medical Center. Another is Cassidy Grady ’19, of Lake Hopatcong, a graduate of the Respiratory Therapy Program, a full-time night respiratory therapist at Saint Barnabas Medical Center. CCM has trained approximately half of the nurses and roughly 90 percent of the respiratory therapists who work in Morris County.

“County College of Morris is proud to support our healthcare providers. Many of these individuals are CCM alumni. For this

Sheriff James M. Gannon (center) a CCM graduate, and his team monitoring the Morris County COVID-19 testing site at CCM. On the right is CCM President Anthony J. Iacono.

reason, we often say that today’s graduates are tomorrow’s heroes. The men and women who work in health care are literally putting their lives at risk to help others. We are extremely grateful to all of them and appreciate their service and devotion to helping those in need,” said Dr. Anthony J. Iacono, CCM president.

With all classes now online at CCM and the college working remotely, several students and employees found they were lacking the technology to make the transition.

To assist them, the college on Saturday, April 4, distributed nearly 40 laptops at a

special distribution event staffed by several CCM employees. Also distributed at the event was other equipment students require to continue their classwork, such as art and photography supplies and pottery wheels and clay.

Further supporting students, the CCM Foundation has increased its focus on raising funds for the Titan Emergency Fund.

That fund provides students with financial support to meet unexpected expenses, from car repairs, to food, housing, medical and other issues, so they can stay on track to graduate.

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USA Twisterz Shatters Records at State Championships

SA Twisterz competed in the USA Gymnastics XCEL State Championship the weekend of February 8th and 9th. On February 8th, the XCEL Silver team placed 1st in the state out of 29 teams with a total team score of 114.100. Emeile Greenlee of West Caldwell finished 1st All Around in the 9 year old senior age group and broke the state all around record with a total score of 38.225. She placed first on the bars, balance beam, floor, and tied the state record on vault. Giuliana D’Angelo of West Caldwell finished 1st All Around in the 8 year old junior age group and broke the state all around record with a score of 38.050. She placed first on bars and vault as well as broke the state record on vault Emma Roche of Cedar Grove placed first on vault and floor.

Team members of the XCEL Silver team include: Olivia Crossman and Emma Roche of Cedar Grove, Giuliana D’ Angelo, Emelie Greenlee, Isabella Petriw, Ella Vinitsky, Sophia Szura, Olivia Mabee of West Caldwell, Rylee Gordon of North Caldwell, and Kaitlyn Tedesco of Montville.

On February 9th, the XCEL Bronze team placed 2nd in the state out of 19 teams with a total team score of 112.850. Tessa Nappi of West Caldwell finished 1st All Around in the 7-8 year old junior category with a total

score of 37.50. Gianna Batista of Wayne finished first all around in the 10 year old age group with a total score of 37.375. Brooklyn Phillip of West Caldwell finished first on the balance beam in the 11+ age group breaking the state record scoring a 9.650.

Team members of the XCEL Bronze team include: Brooklyn Phillip, Adriana Marinello, Rachael Kaminski, Camella Condorelli, Jessica Jeanettes, Tessa Nappi of West Caldwell; Audrey Herrmann of Caldwell, Victoria Donnelly of Roseland, Jiselle Laureda of Woodland Park, Giuliana Lordi of Fairfield, McKenzie Bailey of Verona, Audrey Capadona of North Caldwell and Gianna Batista of Wayne.

Each team member contributed to the successful season they experienced. The passion for gymnastics is secondary to the love they have for their teammates and USA TWISTERZ. The teams are excited for what next year will bring and are working hard toward the next season under the coaching of Erin Gloor and Nicole Pappas.

Both coaches are the two coaches who work with the girls while they are training.

“Consistency in coaching is a top priority for me as a studio owner. Additionally, we strive to have smaller teams, and only one team practicing at one time in an effort to

be able to fully dedicate ourselves to the girls who are committed to the team. Similarly, our recreation program functions in the same manner allowing us to personally invest in every gymnast when they come

for class. In turn this private setting allows the gymnasts to maximize their time spent in the studio and the instructors to forge a strong relationship with each individual gymnast.” Gloor said.

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Diary of a Scout Leader: My Week as Mayor of Lincoln Park

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By Richard Mabey Jr. ebruary eighth of 1971 was a day that would forever change my life. From that point on, my life would never be the same. For it was on that Monday evening, that I addressed the Town Council and residents of Lincoln Park as their Mayor. This was not a joke. Back in 1971, there were four Boy Scout Troops in Lincoln Park: Troops 70, 76, 170 and 216. Every scout in all four of these Boy Scout Troops casted a vote for the scout who would serve as Scout Mayor during Boy Scout Week, which began on Sunday, February seventh and ended on Saturday, February thirteenth.

The Honorable William A. Dixon was Mayor of Lincoln Park at the time. I had the high honor to spend that Monday, February eighth, with Mayor Dixon from early morning till the close of the Town Council meeting that evening. A lot of my friends at school thought this was a big joke. A lot of my relatives thought that it was cute.

But, I assure you, this was very real. It was very, very real.

I sat behind the Mayor’s desk that day.

Mayor Dixon sat beside me at that desk and guided me through the day. I took all the Mayor’s telephone calls that day. In the course of the day, Mayor Dixon explained in detail the duties and responsibilities entailed in being the Mayor of Lincoln Park. I learned more in that one day, about smalltown government, than I did in taking two years of United States history at Boonton High School. It was truly a very high honor and a golden opportunity to learn about the governmental procedures of my dear old hometown.

I am proud to say that my fellow scouts, who were serving as Town Councilmen and myself made some recommendations, which were enacted upon, in the Borough of Lincoln Park. Some of them I still remember. They may seem like small potatoes now, but the fact that a group of Boy Scouts were actually allowed to have a very real say in local town government was quite a phenomenon.

At the baseball field at Chapel Hill School, there was no garbage can along side the bleachers behind the first base line. We put in a recommendation to have a garbage can, with a swiveling top, placed there, and it was so enacted upon.

Also, the big swing set in the old park where Chapel Hill School met Boonton Avenue needed to be anchored down. At the time, there were six swings on that large swing set apparatus and if children and young people were on all six swings at one time, the rear bars would slightly rise up, creating a bit of a safety hazard. I am proud to say that due to our recommendation, all the bars on the big swing set were anchored down with cement.

I am pretty sure that it was where Skyline Drive met Boonton Avenue, that as a motorist approached Boonton Avenue, there was a lot of high shrubbery that kind of blocked the driver’s view to his left-hand side. We recommended that the shrubbery be trimmed so that that a driver had a better view of upcoming traffic on Boonton Avenue. And, that recommendation was acted upon. There were some more recommendations that we made and the majority of them were acted upon.

I remember, oh so well, those 15 minutes or so before the Town Council meeting began. I was a nervous wreck. I trembled within. I made Barney Fife look cool, calm and collected. The Borough Chambers were filled to standing room only, with a lot of people standing in the back of the room. My mom and dad and my sister, Patti, were among the townspeople present. I remember that my hands actually shook, I was so nervous. But Mayor Dixon told me to relax and to just be myself and everything would be okay.

So, at the age of 17, I was running the entire Town Council Meeting. This was no joke. This was the real thing. I remember when the meeting first began, I stuttered a bit. Then, about 10 minutes into the meeting, I was in full command. This was my moment and I had worked very hard to earn this glorious moment.

In order to have the day off from school, I was required to write a report about my day as Mayor for my U. S. History II class.

I remember that I got an A on that report.

Mr. Winters, my history teacher wrote in red pen, on the last page of my report, that he actually learned some things about small town government, from reading my report. I remember how deeply honored I was that he wrote that.

It wasn’t all peaches and cream. My picture made the front page of the old Lincoln

A rare photograph of the flag salute ceremony that began the Town Council Meeting, at which I served as Scout Mayor. Yours truly is standing directly behind Mayor William A. Dixon.

Yours truly presenting the recommendations for town improvements to Mayor William A. Dixon, surrounded by Town Councilmen and the Scout Town Councilmen.

Park Herald. A lot of my fair weathered friends at school, mocked and ridiculed me. They said things like “here comes the boy sprout mayor,” and other cruel and crude remarks. It hurt me deeply. I think that when all was said and done, that they were just a little bit jealous of my accomplishment. High school kids can be very cruel.

I am immensely grateful to Mayor Dixon for all he taught me about small town gov-

ernment that day in February, nearly 50 years ago. Mayor Dixon is in Heaven now.

At 66, I now recognize a debt I can never repay. I do my best to be true to the values of selfless service to others that Mayor Dixon lived all his life. He was truly a good man.

Richard Mabey Jr. is a freelance writer.

He can be reached at richardmabeyjr@ hotmail.com.

What’s happening in your school or organization? Celebrating a special birthday, anniversary, graduation?

Email us at editor@mylifepublications.com

April 14, 2020 • Page 21

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he U.S. Small Business Administration is offering low-interest federal disaster loans for working capital to New Jersey small businesses suffering substantial economic injury as a result of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza announced today. SBA acted under its own authority, as provided by the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act that was recently signed by the President, to declare a disaster following a request received from Gov. Philip D. Murphy on March 17, 2020.

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Applicants may apply online, receive additional disaster assistance information and download applications at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. Individuals who are deaf or hardofhearing may call 800-877-8339. Completed applications should be mailed to U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155.

The deadline to apply for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan is Dec. 18, 2020.

For more information about Coronavirus, please visit: Coronavirus.gov.

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NJStarz Stephane Wrembel Hometown: Maplewood, NJ Photos Courtesy of Stephane Wrembel

S

By Mike Cobb tephane Wrembel is widely regarded as a world expert on gypsy jazz guitar and Django Reinhardt. He is perhaps best known for “Bistro Fada,” the theme song from the 2011 Woody Allen Oscar-nominated movie, Midnight In Paris.

Born in Fontainebleau, the home of Impressionism and Django Reinhardt, he began studying classical piano at the age of four, discovered Pink Floyd in his teens, and was smitten by the music of Django soon after. To gain experience with “Sinti style” guitar, he spent extensive hours playing in gypsy camps in rural France.

In 2000, he enrolled in Berklee College of Music in Boston, from which he graduated Summa Cum Laude, and moved to New York City in 2003.

Looking for gigs, he called “every single restaurant and club in New York.” His persistence paid off, and he is now recognized as the local authority on Django’s style, and one of the finest guitarists in the world. He currently lives in New Jersey and runs Django A Go Go, a music festival and camp for people passionate about gypsy jazz and Django Reinhardt’s style.

Influences Music was always an important part of Wrembel’s life. His mother insisted that he get a musical education “whether he liked it or not.” He grew up on the pop music of the 1970s & 80’s, though he is a fan in particular of Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour. About Gilmour’s style Wrembel says, “I don’t really have the words to describe it, but for me when he plays, it makes me vibrate. But I like all kinds of music. You like a band because there is something that resonates within you. For me music is an irrational experience; it’s the feeling that’s most important.”

Later, Wrembel discovered jazz, world music, and soon Django Rheinhardt. Growing up in Paris, the spirit of Django loomed large. “In Fontainebleau, there was a strong presence of him in the background. I went to the Django Festival, bought my first Django record, and just felt that I had to

do it.”

Gypsies But learning Django’s unique playing style required more than just listening. Wrembel immersed himself in the music by living amongst Sinti gypsies outside of Paris.

About that experience Wrembel says, “In the camps, you play all day long, nonstop.

You don’t learn technical things. The culture doesn’t use names for things; they just practice melody. By playing constantly you become entranced. The music just comes by itself. This is the way I learned. It was a completely oral tradition with them showing me, just playing for hours and hours. You soak it in, and the information becomes part of you.”

A much-maligned ethnic group, he found kinship as well as great learning amongst the Sinti. Wrembel states, “The Gypsies have a very different culture than western culture. There are many misconceptions about them. We don’t understand them because we’re trapped within our own worlds, which is unavoidable. But the fact that I really wanted to play it made it easy to access.”

Many believe that to play gypsy music, you have to be gypsy. Wrembel says, “There is some truth that if you’re not Sinti, there’s always going to be something missing because you’re not expressing your Sinti identity. Maybe if you marry in you can assimilate somewhat, but most likely you’re going to get their style integrated into your style. For us as non Gypsies, you get to go into that world, but you can’t express what’s not your identity. It’s better to learn from them and expand. Just be what you are.”

The history of gypsy music and culture is fascinating and complex.

1

April 14, 2020 • Page 25

Legend has it that gypsies originated in India and were driven out centuries ago. Most went west, eventually splitting paths north or south of the Mediterreanean sea.

The 1994 documentary Latcho Drom by Tony Gatlif is an excellent crash course. The film has no narration, but is highly effective in telling the story via incredible cinematography and fantastic music.

Today gypsy music and culture are well known throughout the world. Spanish Flamenco is typified by percussive guitar, hand clapping called “palmas”, castanets, dance, and mournful singing, for example.

“In France the Sintis are unique because of Django. The “Roma” have Romanian style (typified by fiddle and brass). But this is a very simplified explanation,” admits Wrembel.

What Makes Django Unique As to what makes Django’s particular style unique, Wrembel expounds, “You have the French music waltzes, which was primarily accordion music, the Sinti influence, which has Roma roots, and there is of course the influence of Debussy and Ravel, who are known as the modern or romantic composers. And then you have jazz, which arrived to Paris in the 20’s, so all of that colors his music. But Django is special because he did things that no-one else in the history of music has done. You have Django festivals all over the world. Other composers will be featured in programs, but it’s strange to have so much focus on one guy. It’s irrational. There was something about him, I don’t know what it is. It can be played at Carnegie Hall, in a small club, or around a campfire. It’s danceable, listenable, there is composition, virtuosity, there is everything in it. It’s a very strange crossover of things. I like to say that Django might be the first real world musician.”

When Wrembel played India and Korea “People were crying.” As to why, he says, “This is where it becomes irrational. The more you try to put names to it, the less you can describe it. But there is something that is so human. It’s part of being joyful, it’s like being with friends. You know sometimes you’re in a moment that’s magical. You hold it for a moment because you know it’s going to disappear. If you try to analyze it, you lose the magic of it.”

In terms of what Django invented musically and stylistically in his playing, he adds, “No-one has understood it yet. No-one uses his rhythms or solos. You can reproduce it, but you cannot pretend you’re him. There is something in his playing that no-one has found yet.”

Recording Wrembel has taken his knowledge and passion for Django’s music to record four studio records and one live album in a series called The Django Experiment. About this project he states, “I don’t want to be a cover band. We do his sound but with other influences as well. The Django Experiment was born in the studio, and this is something I want to do every year.”

These excellent albums are available on Wrembel’s website through his label Water Is Life, and a portion of the profits go to water conservation projects around the world. “I gave a lot to Water For People, which is a great organization. At some of our shows we have donation boxes, and the money goes to them. There are other great causes, but I chose one. You have to pick your battles.”

Working with Woody Allen Regarding his work with Woody Allen, Wrembel remembers, “It was very quick. He

asked, and I did it. You prepare for years so that when something like this comes, you are ready. To compose and record Bistro Fada took me three hours from start to finish. He called me at nine and at noon they had it. And they kept the original version. The only guidelines they gave me was wanting a Parisian waltz. In a way it was vague and in a way precise because they knew I’d know what they were talking about.”

Performing Wrembel is also known for organizing concerts at venues like Carnegie Hall with some of the world’s greatest guitarists like Al Di Meola, who is both an inspiration and a contemporary. He has also performed with bluegrass guitarist Larry Keel and mandolin master David Grisman. As to the connection between Sinti and Americana, Wrembel says, “The arrangements and instrumentation are different, but the feeling is similar. I went to a bluegrass festival where people were jamming around a fire under the moon, and it was a similar sensation to gypsy camps.”

When asked how audiences throughout the world react differently, Wrembel says, “In France people are very polite and quiet, which can be disturbing because I don’t know if they like it or not. In America it’s the opposite. People are louder and shout things when you’re playing, a question or something. But they all love music. We’re all human beings.

We do a human being thing for other humans. It’s like eating. If you eat a good bucket of French Fries or a crepe, you’re going to like it whether you’re French, American, Indian, etc.”

Teaching Cycling back to the importance of music education, Wrembel teaches at Django A GoGo, a music camp based in Maplewood that focuses mainly on the musical style of Django Reinhardt. Students learn in intimate small group settings and workshops. The camp is limited to 30 students with three groups of 10 students and has classes on rhythm and improvisation with guest teachers and a concert in the evening.

Teaching is important to Wrembel. He says, “It’s a big part of my life, and I’ve been doing it for over 20 years. The Buddha said that ‘teaching is a miracle.’ I like that. Someone teaches you something and you change; and then you teach someone and they change. I think it’s an act of love and freedom to teach and be taught. The idea behind the camp is to bring the greatest players in the world so that students can be transformed in a miraculous way.”

Living in the USA Compared to France Wrembel says, “The US has a lot of freedom. It’s a very liberal country by French standards; it’s very open. There’s not much of a social structure, there’s a lot of space for the individual. And people are trying to figure out how to put rules to this.

In France it’s the opposite; the state comes first. In the US, you have more freedom but also more responsibility, whereas in Europe you have more protection, for example from the socialized systems, but it’s very sleepy and takes a long time to get things done. I don’t say one is better than the other; they’re two different places.”

The Final Word As to the future Wrembel says, “I believe the best thing you can do is to do what you love best. I don’t have any plans. I’ve found my group and my voice and I just plan to keep composing. You bring some light and some love into this world and that’s all you can do. I believe in bringing a positive action to this world. A free act of love.”

To find out more about Wrembel and hear his music, go to www.stephanewrembel. com.

Page 26 • April 14, 2020