Mayors Corner

The holidays are a wonderful time to look back with gratitude and to celebrate the coming year with optimism and enthusiasm. As we reflect upon our many blessings, I am sincerely grateful to you and all our neighbors for your continued collaboration, cooperation and support these past (almost) two years of dealing with the COVID-19 crisis.

Working together, we kept members of our community healthy and safe, and our local businesses strong. While it has not been easy, we made it happen. My warmest wishes to you and your loved ones for a joyous holiday season and healthy, successful New Year.

Mayor Nora Radest

Summit

We are all aware that 2021 has proven to be another challenging year, but our collective strength, grace and courage have helped navigate us through these difficult times.

As we round out another year, let’s celebrate the wonderful things that happened along the way!

Our children went back to school full-time and got to connect in person again with teachers and friends.

A new police chief, Jason Massimino, was appointed, expanding our community policing initiatives.

We opened the new municipal complex, providing library services, recreation programs and senior classes.

A new 23-foot Norway spruce was planted at Veteran’s Memorial Park.

FiServe, a Fortune 500 company, will relocate and expand to 3,000 jobs here in Berkeley Heights.

Our advocacy helped save the Berkeley Caterers parcel from development, and it will become a permanent part of the park system that will serve as a gateway into Berkeley Heights.

Finally, Winter Walk has returned, and I anticipate even more of our favorite events and community kinship as we head into 2022.

This holiday season, please try to savor every moment spent with family. I will certainly do the same!

Angie D. Devanney

Mayor Berkeley Heights

STAY ‘PIONEER STRONG,’

AND BE KIND TO OTHERS

This holiday season, let us be thankful, kind, safe, charitable, help those in need and do all we can to help ease suffering. A kind word and deed go a very long way. It has been a very hard year for so many. Please be generous whenever and wherever you can. Please keep our lost, afflicted, their families, all our first responders, our essential workers and everyone on the forefront and affected by the pandemic in your thoughts and prayers. Please also remember those protecting us at home and abroad. We are so thankful for their service and sacrifice. It is ever so important to shop and support our local businesses this holiday season, too. Please shop NP! I would like to thank our Borough Council, our first responders, all our generous volunteers, our local businesses, our dedicated employees and our community for a great year in New Providence. We are Pioneer Strong! Wishing you all a happy, healthy and joyous holiday season!

Mayor Al Morgan New Providence

Though some events hosted for senior citizens in New Providence are beginning to be offered in person, there are still opportunities to stay active from the comfort and safety of home. ZOOM FROM YOUR LIVING ROOM

Borough residents aged 65 and older are invited to take part in virtual exercise classes via Zoom four days each week, on their computers or phones. To register, send an email to decorsocenter@newprov.us.

The class schedule includes: Mondays, In Control at 9 a.m. and Chair Yoga at 11 a.m., Tuesdays, Balance and Conditioning at 9:45 a.m. and Tai Chi at 1 p.m.; Thursdays, Strong YOU! at 9:30 a.m.; and Fridays, Zumba at 9 a.m. CALL-IN BINGO VIA PHONE

Weekly bingo call-in games will continue on Fridays at 11 a.m.

Call 908-665-0046 or e-mail decorsocenter@newprov.us in advance to register and receive the call-in information. TAKE THE SHUTTLE TO SHOP-RITE

The New Providence Senior Shuttle is continuing Shop-Rite trips on Tuesday mornings with pick-ups at about 7 a.m. Call the center on

Monday mornings to reserve a spot.

Volume 38 - 17 - www.suburbanchambers.org

What happens when you cross Japanese rice cake (mochi) with American-style donuts?

You get Mochinuts, which are now available in downtown Summit.

After originating in Hawaii, the connected circles of eight dough balls have made their way to the mainland and come in a rainbow of colored glazes. Flavors range from Ube (purple yam) and Matcha to Black Sesame, Red Velvet, Cookies and Cream, Peanut Butter, Strawberry Funnel and Milk Pebble.

Among those who celebrated the recent Mochinut grand opening at 427B Springfield Ave. in downtown Summit were Suburban Chambers of Commerce representatives Karen Fern Hadley, Bob Davies, Marcella Gencarelli, David Dietz, and Claire Toth, Israel Jiles-partner in Ani Ramen/Mochinut, who joined staff from the Montclair Hospitality Group and Nancy Adams from Summit Downtown, Inc., at a celebratory ribbon cutting officiated by Mayor Nora Radest.

CONSUMERS WARNED: PROTECT YOURSELF AGAINST UTILITY SCAMS

PSE&G took part in November’s annual Utility Scam Awareness Week.

“The pandemic has created financial hardship and escalated stress levels for many of our customers, and that is a perfect environment for scammers,” said Deb Affonsa, PSE&G’s vice president of customer care and chief customer officer. “Bad actors create the impression of an urgent problem in the hopes that our customers will panic, preventing our customers from seeing all the clues…I want to reinforce, PSE&G is not currently shutting off residential customers for nonpayment.”

Ms. Affonsa described scams that demand immediate bill payment via prepaid credit card or digital money transfer, or offering a customer a bill discount due to good payment history.

She also warned about calls informing customers a new meter is required, with a demand that a deposit must be paid. PSE&G does not require such a deposit.

As another reminder, she said PSE&G does not accept payment via prepaid gift cards or digital money transfer apps.

If a genuine PSE&G representative calls, Ms. Affonsa said, he or she will ask to speak to the account owner, explain the reason for the call and provide the account name, address and current balance.

If a customer receives a call and doesn’t believe it to be legitimate, “it’s perfectly acceptable to hang up the phone,” according to Monica Martinez, executive director of the consortium Utilities United Against Scams. “Scammers are extremely sophisticated in their tactics, and by simply ending the call, you can end their scam. If you’re unsure, call back the utility by dialing the number found on your bill or on their website, and they will provide you with the correct information.”

CHAMBER MEMBERS AGAIN GATHERING IN PERSON FOR NETWORKING

Among the perks of membership in the Suburban

Chambers of Commerce is the opportunity to attend a number of formal and informal networking events over the course of the year.

Most recently, more than two dozen chamber members and guests gathered for the organization’s first in-person Friday breakfast in a year, at the Broadway Diner on River Road in Summit. Leaders of the local business communities chatted and got caught up over coffee and pancakes as they shared what’s new and interesting at their places of work and in the area’s downtowns and commercial districts.

For details about chamber membership or about upcoming events, visit suburbanchambers.org or call Karen Fern Hadley, the executive director, at 908-522-1700.

COFFEE AND CONVERSATION – Suburban Chambers of Commerce members and guests gathered in November for an in-person First Friday event. Welcoming them to Summit’s Broadway Diner were, at center holding the sponsors’ sign, David Dietze of Peapack Private Wealth Management, chamber chairman, and his predecessor, Marcella Gencarelli from Lakeland Bank.