Tower Times February 2021

Volume 26, Issue 2

Serving the residents of North Shore Towers since 1995

February 2021

2 • TOWER TIMES • February 2021

Caring Means Sharing

Towers Residents Donate Knitting to Thank COVID Caregivers

By Vicki Mazel

C

aring means sharing, and no one practices that more diligently than Women’s Club member Carol Klinger. Initiating a special program several months ago to provide blankets to hospitals health care personnel and others related to the pandemic crises, Klinger embarked on a knitting project involving dozens of volunteers knitting along with the cooperation of the North Shore Towers Knitting Club.

“I’ve been knitting and crocheting most of my life, and because of COVID there was a need for things from the hospital,” Klinger said. “Because of COVID many women at the Towers were home and looking for something to do, so this served two purposes–it gave the women here a great hobby and it was also good for the hospital.

They loved what we’ve done.”

Klinger said her group contributed close to 100 blankets, scarves and hats to The Caregiver Center of North Shore University Hospital. “It made me very proud that so many women were contributing to it and that I was doing something that was good for somebody else,” she said.

If more women continue to contribute blankets they will be distributed again to

the hospital. She explained that the group has had a lot of cooperation with the knitting club, including donations of yarn and money. “We’ve been very fortunate that we’ve gotten the people to do it,” she said.

The Caregiver Center, under the leadership of Alyssa McCready, has been established to provide many special services to people suffering from issues related to the pandemic. Providing moral support and even the luxury of blankets while taking well-needed breaks in the Lavender Room of the hospital, these volunteers and workers are being given a clear and positive message of gratitude and support.

The Lavender Room is a place to take a break from their arduous task during the day, and have now been provided with lavender blankets under the auspices of Klinger and her team. The Caregiver Center is also in full swing and is open Monday to Friday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Areas of support include caregiver resources, emotional help, special support groups, outreach care, and peer-to-peer support from caregiver coaches amongst many other services. Anyone in need is asked to call the Caregiver Center at (526) 562-4750. Located in the Monti Lobby of North Shore University Hospital, their motto is: “Our Caregiver Center is here for you.”

The Women’s Club is proud to be asso-

Cindy Cassiere and Dr. Hugh Cassiere.

Women’s Club member Carol Klinger at home knitting. ciated with this vital program and applauds Klinger for giving us the opportunity. She continues to be involved and is working with Cindy Cassiere, volunteer and wife of Dr. Hugh Cassiere, Chief of Division, Critical Care Department of Medicine at North Shore University Hospital.

In recognizing Klinger’s efforts, Cassiere said, “Blankets from Carol Klinger and the fabulous ladies at North Shore Towers, and the outpouring of love from the community is tremendous. Let’s keep taking care of them as they are our loved ones. Community is everything.”

The Caregiver Center has been created

in a time of crisis, however, the volunteer commitment and the surrounding community involvement with people like Cassiere and Klinger at the helm make caring and sharing the watchwords for healing in body and soul.

If any North Shore Towers residents are interested in donating anything that the hospital staff can use, such as hats and scarves, they can contact Klinger by email at cdkcpa@aol.com.

“The hospital workers are working very hard and they appreciate being acknowledged by these gifts,” she concluded.

TOWER TIMES • February 2021 • 3

“Because of COVID many women at the Towers were home and looking for something to do, so this served two purposes–it gave the women here a great hobby and it was also good for the hospital. They loved what we’ve done.”

Men’s Club Open Mic Pickleball in the Cold

By Howard Arkin

E

4 • TOWER TIMES • February 2021

very Thursday morning one of the first thing that I do is go to my laptop to see if my Men’s Club invitation has arrived. The invitation of course being my invitation to partake in the North Shore Towers Men’s Club Open Mic program done on Zoom.

On Wednesdays Toby Horowitz sends out an agenda that Gary Darche comes up with about topics of the week that will be discussed on the Open Mic program. The topics vary from political to local and national issues.

I study the topics closely hoping to find one that I might be able to show that I have some knowledge on the subject. The members who participate, typically 20 to 30, have different opinions and its always interesting to hear the different perspectives.

Sports is a subject that is usually discussed and that is where I like to chime in.

How can you not look like a sports fanatic when you are critical of the Jets or Giants?

You can’t help but be impressed by

the knowledge that many of them have on the topics discussed. The programs have drawn members who are in Florida, consisting of Lee Hiller, Ron Gold, Arnie Rabinowitz and Steve Weiland. Weiland showed up bare chested at the last program. Do you think that he was trying to tell us something?

An ancillary feature of the Zoom program has enabled us to see some nicely furnished apartments. I have spoken to my wife, Janette, about this. Oh yes, there is a minor complaint that I must register. A few times during the program you can hear prolonged voices of telephone conversations in the background. Darche has a mute button, and in the future has threatened to silence the culprits.

There are a few other great additions that have helped lessen the apathy during the COVID-19 apathy. Toby Horowitz, President of the Men’s Club, has started a Men’s Club Newsletter to keep our members informed of what is going on around the men’s club during the COVID crisis, and having members to contribute articles for the newsletter. Horowitz has done a great job on newsletter and we love the Continued on Page 13

STEVE AUERBACH PHOTO

On a date when the wind chill temperature was 29° at the very end of 2020, you couldn’t stop this group of dedicated North Shore Towers Pickleball players from getting their daily dose of exercise

Marilyn Goldberg: Teacher, Traveler

By Fred Chernow

S

o many residents at NST who came from Baldwin remember quite fondly their child’s second-grade teacher, Marilyn Goldberg, who taught there for 25 years. One of her students is scheduled to go to the moon in 2023 as a NASA astronaut. When not in the classroom she indulged her passion for travel and visited six continents. Her retirement years at NST are filled with service on the Women’s Club and the Cultural Events Committee.

Where did you grow up?

I have had an interesting and varied life. I grew up on the Lower East Side. My father had a shoe store on Orchard Street and we lived around the corner on Allen in a renovated apartment. That meant we had hot water, heat, and a bathroom. We had an icebox, and no telephone because there was one in the store and we were there often.

We enjoyed great camaraderie among the storekeepers.

When I was little and tended to wander away to neighboring stores they always brought me back.

My older sister and I went to PS 91. When she graduated as valedictorian, she gave a speech. My parents asked my teacher for permission for me to attend. When I went downstairs to the auditorium a mean teacher would not let me enter. I was heartbroken and never forgot that. I do believe it affected the way I approached children when I became a teacher myself many years later.

Did you have a career?

In 1941 we moved to a light, airy, new apartment in Rego Park, Queens. It was so different there from the Lower East Side. Here everyone spoke English. It was a wonderful move for me. I met my lifelong girlfriend. The

city was so accessible and we took advantage of many attractions. I went to Forest Hills High School and Queens College, where I majored in Education. When I graduated, I got a job at the Village School in Roslyn where I had student taught. I had pupils from the lavish estates as well as from apartments over the stores in the village. It was a terrific experience for me. I bought a car and was the first one in my family to learn to drive and own a car.

I began dating Lee (Irwin), Goldberg. My sister introduced us. It was a successful introduction because we were married within the year. Our first apartment was in Astoria where Lee had grown up. He was very creative and artistic and had a clever sense of humor. It was a good marriage, always.

When I became pregnant, we bought a house in Baldwin. That was a good move. I began substitute teaching that led to a permanent second-grade position at the Lenox School. The school was like a family. There was a close relationship between the faculty and families. I stayed in touch with many of the parents as the children grew. One of them, Jasmin Moghbeli, is now a NASA astronaut training to fly to the moon in 2023. Amazing! We are still in touch by email.

In 1983, Lee died suddenly. That was a horror. Both children were home having graduated from college and were working. Teaching was a lifesaver for me because your attention has to be totally involved when you are working with little ones. Ellen was engaged and was married six months later. She and Len now live in Livingston, NJ, and have two children. My son, Steven, bought a house in Freeport and later married Patricia. They have a son.

I was fortunate to have good, supportive married friends, and a group of single friends who were goers and doers.

What was retirement like?

When I decided to retire nine years later people asked me what my plans were. “I’ll flow with it,” I said. I knew I wanted to take an exotic trip and planned one with a friend. My close childhood friend went to the theater just then and unexpectedly met a friend of hers from Brooklyn, Irving Shapiro, who I did not know. He was retired and had been widowed for two years. He said he was ready to date and wanted to go to the Galapagos. My friend smiled and wrote my name and phone number on a scrap of paper including, “Marilyn just booked an Elderhostel trip there.” Irving called me, and that was the beginning of a wonderful new life.

We traveled the world together and blended our two families. I now have eight grandchildren instead of three and we were both at the birth of five of them. We hosted big family gatherings for the holidays, out-of-towners would sleepover, and in the morning we would take the children to Coney Island to feed the pigeons. Somehow, Irv always had a gigantic bag of popcorn in the trunk of his car. To this day the grandchildren remember those gatherings fondly.

We drove all over the United States and Canada. We

Teacher and world traveller Marilyn Goldberg. visited China, Turkey, went through the Panama Canal, and to a dozen European countries. We rafted down the Grand Canyon. In China, early in the morning, we were invited into a school where three little girls sang, “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” to us in English. Adorable! In Konya, Turkey, a young girl stopped us in the street to practice her English and then invited us to her home for tea. There we met her very gracious and hospitable family. We visited Israel twice and also Petra, Jordan.

Our last trips were closer to home, enjoying boat and river cruises. On our very last trip, Irv developed a leg infection and had to be hospitalized in Maine. He seemed to recover but did not feel well after we got home. He died in NYU Hospital days later.

He was Mr. Brooklyn. He knew every nook and cranny and was a true historian of the borough. I learned to love it as much as he did. He told everyone that he came from the 51st state. That always caused great confusion.

In 2014, I moved to North Shore Towers. The friends I made here seemed as if I had known them all my life. I am so thankful. Much time is spent in the Women’s Club and on the Cultural Events Committee. Before the pandemic, I enjoyed taking part in the many programs and amenities NST offered.

‘Who could have imagined that a little girl from the Lower Eastside could have had such an interesting, loving, rich life traveling the world and now is living in a luxury complex in her senior years?’

TOWER TIMES • February 2021 • 5

Marilyn Goldberg’s 8th grade graduation photo.

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6 • TOWER TIMES • February 2021

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TOWER TIMES • February 2021 • 7

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NST 2020: In Review Part II: Bd. Election, NST’s 45th Anniversary

10 • TOWER TIMES • February 2021

SEPTEMBER Ned Mattlage, Golfer of the Year 2005 Ned and Marion Mattlage are two of the most respected residents at NST. Everyone seems to know them, and everyone has something nice to say. They’ve been here since 1992, and he has been an active and contributing member of our complex, involved in board and sports activities. For 15 years, he served on the NST Golf Board.

Procuring Produce for 32 Years Gwang Oh has been the owner and manager of the Arcade’s popular fruit and vegetable market at North Shore towers for 32 years. He works seven days a week, and his wife, Myung, works six, but the Coronavirus has dramatically affected his business and suppliers.

“I always closed at 7:30 pm, but now I close at 5:30 pm,” he said. “I have very few orders for platters that were very popular, but because of limits on the numbers of people that can gather at the same time there are very few parties, funerals, and weddings, and the size of these parties is reduced to less than 10 people now.”

Why All the Fuss? Happy Birthday to Us Vicki Mazel wrote: In July 2015, the North Shore Towers Women’s Club was formed. As the brainchild of Bobbie Gould and Claire Levitan, 17 women attended the first meeting held in the Coleridge Lounge. There was a lengthy discussion on what the goals of the new organization would be. A mission statement was developed which read: “The purpose of the Women’s Club is to promote friendship and to learn through common women’s interest and sponsoring social, educational and volunteer activities for the North Shore Towers membership.

Beaumont Lounge Transformation Debra Markell Kleinert wrote: As the Marketing and

Media Director, we had a vision. The vision was to transform the Beaumont lounge into a multipurpose room that can be used as a media room, gathering space, training space, or just a beautiful space in the 21st-century. This room has been transformed into a beautiful modern space for everyone here at North Shore Towers to enjoy. As part of this vision, our committee is planning on programming the room for multi function purposes. We still have a few kinks to work out in terms of how the programming will work. I look to you for more formal ideas.

OCTOBER Board Election 2020 Three incumbents and one newcomer were the winners in the annual North Shore Towers Bd. of Directors election, according to uncertified results released on Tuesday, September 15th. Winner Ed Phelan was elected Bd. President by his fellow directors the following day in a special meeting.

Incumbent Bd. President Fred Chernow came in first place with 14.07 percent of the vote (1,943,364 shares).

He attributed his victory to residents being aware of the modifications he made in the screening process that has made the procedure more user friendly and more welcoming to additional active applicants. Also when the very popular 92Y programs were canceled, Chernow immediately started putting together a video memoir on popular entertainers, assisted by John Virga. They created two monthly programs, and recent videos featured Barbara Streisand, Dean Martin, and Judy Garland. Also, the Salute to Veterans each year is very popular and always attracts a huge audience.

Director Ed Phelan was re-elected to the board with 13.21 percent of the vote (1,824,828 shares). In an organizational meeting held on Wednesday, September 16th, Phelan was elected the new board president and Marty Schwartzman was named the 1st Vice President and Treasurer.

Men’s Club In Touch With Zoom Since the inception of the COVID-19 earlier this year the activities of the North Shore Towers Men’s Club were affected. The clubs governing board of the club put into place some programs that have helped keep members active. In May Steve Auerbach introduced members to Zoom, a form of communication in which people can see and talk to one another via their iPads, iPhones, or laptops.

Carol Meyerson: The Bystander Club The Bystander Club is in its infancy and was the idea of Priscilla Smith, Merle Levy, and Carol Meyerson. Meyerson is a Bystander in every way these days.

NST’s Marathon Men NST Golf Pro Bob Guido and John Morrison managed to complete 85 holes playing Glo-Ball golf on Friday, Sept 4th. They raised over $4,000 pledged amounts for Babes Against Cancer American Cancer Society. Community members pledged from 25 cents to several dollars for each hole they played.

NOVEMBER NST’s 45th Anniversary North Shore Towers celebrated its 45th anniversary this year, marking the dawn of when residents first began moving into brand new Building One rental apartments.

“The complex was the most unique thing there was,” recalled Phyllis Goldstein, one of the community’s earliest residents. “It was unheard of to have a place like this in the North, and the people that lived here in those days were From NST to US Open Champ Three-time Grand Slam singles winner and reigning US Open champion Naomi Osaka won her first tennis tournament at North Shore Towers at age 9. Earlier this month she posted a childhood photo of herself on Instagram wearing an NST tournament T-shirt while holding her first trophy. Captioned, “How it started,” the post quickly received 385,000 likes.

DECEMBER Virtual Veterans Salute The North Shore Towers annual Veterans Day tribute program has gone virtual this year. In the past, we had capacity audiences in the Towers on the Green. In addition to spirited speeches, the assembled residents participated in singing patriotic and other stirring songs.

Because of the restrictions on large gatherings we produced a virtual salute this year on our in-house channel 995. It started at 9:00 am on Veterans Day, Wednesday, November 11th. The program was repeated later that day and the next few days.

NST PPE Distribution Event State Senator John Liu and Assemblyman Ed Braunstein distributed masks and hand sanitizer to the residents Continued on Page 15

Pages From Our Past FEBRUARY 2012 The Year Ahead The co-op’s management, security and restaurant contract renewals, mortgage refinancing, and the VIP Room food service upgrade were just some of the major issues facing North Shore Towers in 2012, according to Board President Robert Ricken. “Those are five major issues, all of them very expensive, and all of which will determine our cash flow in the next few years,” he said.

Looking back on the Board’s goals for 2011, Ricken said that he was very pleased that about 95 percent of them were accomplished. These included parking garage ramp repairs, lobby door replacement, chimney work, and VIP room refurbishment.

One of the unaccomplished goals was to resolve the issue of the Sponsor returning parking spaces to the coop, which he said would cost the community $150,000 to $200,000 a year. Also ongoing was the arbitration over the VIP Room food service, after a new vendor was brought in to replace the Towers Restaurant.

Tower Tales: Ruth Fox, 100 Years Young Ruth Steinberg celebrated her centennial at North Shore Towers this January. Her father was a successful builder in Brooklyn until Black Friday of 1929 wiped him out. She had just graduated from James Madison High School and was preparing to attend Cornell University, but it was not to be. “I went to Hunter instead,” she said.

“We were a family of six children and no one was work-

ing. I got a job at Macy’s selling blouses when the buyer asked me to model them. A friend suggested I become a professional model. Wonderful advice. Soon I was earning an unheard of $45 a week and going to college at night, but years later, my two children went to Cornell.”

FEBRUARY 2016 2016 The Year Ahead Bd. President Mort Gitter said, “Our goal is not just to maintain our reputation as a preeminent complex, but to add to its growth. Most issues before the Board are fully discussed and decisions are cooperatively made. It’s not just committee by committee. Until a broad consensus is reached, there is no action on that particular issue.”

Gitter said that the indoor and outdoor swimming pool areas will be updated and that the indoor pool plans have been formulated and the work should commence when the outdoor pool is open in early summer. In addition, the indoor garage construction work was also scheduled to begin.

Current Events Guru Rhoda Plotkin From her early years in Far Rockaway, Rhoda Plotkin’s household echoed with spirited family discussions about world events, current affairs, and the political climate. Plotkin’s father made his children constantly aware of the activities of our government, the viewpoints of important political figures, and the need to pay attention to what was reported in newspapers and on the radio. She attended Hunter College, received a Master’s Degree

from CUNY, taught political science at Queens College for nine years, and served as an executive with a national committee on American Foreign Policy for three years.

Mens Club Murns Al Fuchs The Men’s Club meeting on Thursday, January 14th, started on a somber note, as their President, Toby Horowitz, eulogized Founding President, Al Fuchs, who died on December 15th.

TOWER TIMES • February 2021 • 11

12 • TOWER TIMES • February 2021

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Energizer Bunnies: We Keep Going

By Vicki Mazel

T

he North Shore Towers Women’s Club’s Events Committee, under the leadership of Co-President Gloria Beck, has an array of speakers and programs planned for the next few months. All Zoom meetings are limited to the first 50 callers.

Beck and her committee are doing a fabulous job of keeping us engaged in meaningful and interesting programs listed in the calendar below.

Munch While You Lunch Lunch Bunch is also back! Join us for a bring your own lunch get together on Thursday, February 21st at 12:30 pm. Zoom is limited to 25 members for this program.

To get an invite link, email Judy Paris at judypais@twc.com. She will send you the link a few days ahead. Lunch Bunch is a great way for people to enjoy the camaraderie. If you need any further information call: Eva Kessner at (718) 631-7637 or Marilyn Goldberg at (347) 502-7309.

Let’s hear a shout out for our Technical Adviser, Judy Paris for all her efforts on

our behalf. Without her, we could not present the interesting and intelligent programs that are associated with the Women’s Club.

Thanks, Judy! We couldn’t do it without you.

All Zoom programs are under her auspices and her email address is judyparis@ twc.com. To sign up for any Zoom programs, she is the go-to person.

Calendar Wednesday, January 27, 3:00 pm, James Coll, “Free Speech And the Constitution” Part 1, Zoom. Email judyparis@two.com.

Monday, February 22, 11:00 am, movie review, “Hope Gap,” Annette Bening ,Channel 995. Vicki Mazel and Dr.Nurit Israeli.

Wednesday, February 17, 3:00 pm, James Col,l “Free Speech And the Constitution,” Part 2, Zoom. Email Judyparis@ twc.com.

Thursday, February 25, 12:30 pm, Lunch Bunch, Zoom. Email judyparis@ twc.com.

Are You A New Resident?

Want to join the Women’s Club? For membership information, call our membership chairman: Chickie Kaufman at (718) 819-8176.

How is Everyone Doing at NST?

By Bud Bank

I

NST Men’s Club Open Mic Continued from Page 4 content. Fred Chernow’s programs on Channel 995 and Board president Ed Phelan discussions with the other board members have been quite necessary and informative. Chernow and Phelan are both members of the Men’s Club.

I would advise all of our membership to take advantage of these programs as we count down to the days to our social events and next dinner or breakfast at Buffy’s. For information about joining the Men’s Club please contact Toby Horowitz at tmhmgt@ yahoo.com or (516) 848-5394.

er” from Fiddler On The Roof) Maskmaker, maskmaker make me a mask.

Covering noses and mouth, is it too much to ask?

Mask maker, mask maker look through your things, And get ready for the task.

Maskmaker, maskmaker help us to comply.

Some of the masks, fog up our eyes.

Mask maker, mask maker sometimes we can’t breathe, Nary a perfect mask to buy.

For Sadie–make it pretty colors, For Gertrude keep it snug round the ears.

For me well I wouldn’t holler If it kept me safe from all fears.

Maskmaker,maskmaker make me a mask.

An N95 I could sip through a flask.

Day after day it’s always a groan, With a muffled voice on the phone.

O! Covid, give us a break now, We’re Zooming our way to a ditch.

Places are closing and dozing, No one’s happy or getting rich.

So...Maskmaker, mask maker hear our strong pleas.

We need a little more glamour to see, Send us a pix of your mask on email, And we’ll gladly give prizes to thee!

That’s it for now. Join our programs, watch our Zooms, come to the movie review with us on Channel 995, join our mask contest, and stay busy with the NST Women’s Club. We’re there for you!

Michael Kohn............................................. Editor and Publisher email: TowerTimesPublisher@gmail.com The Tower Times is published monthly by Tower Times Publications, Inc., and is distributed to the residents of North Shore Towers and the surrounding area. The Tower Times is an independent publication, and is not affiliated in any way with the management of North Shore Towers.

COMPOSITION RESPONSIBILITY: The Tower Times will not be liable for errors appearing in any advertisement beyond the cost of the space occupied by the error.

Copyright © 2021 Tower Times Publications, Inc. No part of this publication including advertising may be reproduced in whole or part without written permission from the publishers.

TOWER TIMES • February 2021 • 13

find that people getting on and off the elevators are very considerate. I walk the Arcade once or twice a day. I say hello to all, most people respond with a friendly “hi” or “hello,” but some don’t say anything. I believe they don’t hear me. As you might imagine, we do have a small population of seniors that don’t hear well.

I’m happy to say that our food stores have what we are looking for, and for that, I say thank you.

My favorite security guards are in the

Arcade every night. Thank you for keeping us safe, Darlene and Paul.

Thanks also to our loyal doormen. They do a great job and never complain about the cold.

Buffy’s delivery people are running day and night; also thank you, Buffy and crew.

I love reading Nextdoor, thanks to Barbara and Dianne for this.

Many people have told me that I am very lucky because I am now wearing a mask, and I look better with the mask on.

Like most people, I appreciate the compliment?

It’s time for me to go to the Arcade and say hello.

Wishing all a happy and healthy 2021.

Cinema Club “Hope Gap” is marriage on the rocks with stunning scenery and a fine ensemble cast. Featuring Annette Bening, Bill Nighy, and the wonderful Josh O’Connor. This is the tale of a woman whose life crumbles after her husband of almost 30 years leaves her for another woman. Taking place in a beautiful seaside town, the scenery provides a backdrop for the dramatic turn the characters take in dealing with this crisis in their lives. Central to the couple’s reaction is the effect it has on their son, Jason, and how he becomes central in their contact.

This intensely personal film shows the vulnerability of the trio, but it’s interesting to see how they eventually cope. Which family member turns out to be the strongest? Was their marriage ever real? Who can make a better life in the future? Watch this on Netflix, tune into Channel 995 on February 28th at 1L001 am, and join us for the movie review.

Show Eyes Win A Prize You could be the winner of the Mask Contest. To enter just take a photo of your favorite mask or a selfie with you wearing it, and email it to Gloria Beck at Glutsky@ aol.com or V” Vicki Mazel at maz3711@ yahoo.com for your entry to be considered.

Prizes from the vendors in the arcade will be awarded in different categories.

The Women’s Club Mask Committee is now collecting entries for consideration, Categories will be: originality, humor, safety, and overall visual effect. If you have originated a mask or improved an existing one, you qualify for this competition.

The contest is open to all residents, so send your entry ASAP. Here’s looking at you!

Pandemic Sing-a-long (To the tune of “Matchmaker, Matchmak-

Chocolate is the Gift of the Gods

By Lorraine Bertan NST Cultural Affairs Committee

C

hocolate is the most popular sweet in the world today. Chocolate is made from the beans (seeds) of the cacao plant, “Theobroma cacao,” which means “food of the gods,” and it was named and classified in 1740 by Carolus Linnaeus who commented, “God creates and Linneaus organizes.”

Cacao is the English translation of “Kakaw,” the Mayan name for the Theobroma tree, which is related to the hibiscus family of tropical plants. The flowers of the cacao plant are large and distinctive, like that of the hibiscus. The cocoa beans are enclosed in the cacao fruit (pod) and must be harvested by hand, which is extremely labor intensive. The harvested beans are covered with banana leaves for seven days to ferment and then roasted. Cacao plants are part of the understory of the forest, and need some shade to thrive. They are usually grown on small farms rather than plantations. The word “cacao” refers to the pods, and “cocoa” refers to the seeds or beans.

The cacao plant originated in the Amazon, and was transported to Central America and Mexico by early Amerindians. Trade began early in human culture, and not only provides exchange of materials, but exchange of ideas and customs.

The plants became an important part of the culture of the Olmec, Maya and Aztec. The beans were used as currency in the citystates of Mexico.

Cacao remains in ancient clay vessels, chocolate was used as a beverage during the Olmec period 4,000 years ago. Ma-

yan and Aztec records describe the use of chocolate beverages during religious rituals. The Aztec deity, Quetzalcoatl, depicted as a feathered serpent, and revered as the god of wisdom, protected the secret of chocolate cultivation. The cacao beans used in the rituals were ground and mixed with corn and spices and shaken with water to produce a froth. The mystique attached to chocolate intrigued the Conquistadores like Cortez, who sent cocoa beans back to Europe.

Columbus and his son Ferdinand noticed how carefully natives picked up cocoa beans that had fallen, and assumed there was value attached to them, although the bitter taste of chocolate was not pleasant. European cooks added sugar and vanilla to chocolate and product enhancement succeeded in a big way. The popularity of sweetened and flavored chocolate added an economic imperative to seek out sugar cultivation in the New World colonies and the slave trade provided the labor for sugar production.

There are four types of chocolate that are consumed: Milk, Dark, White and Ruby chocolate. Milk chocolate contains ground cocoa beans, milk and sugar. The percentage of cocoa varies. American milk chocolate contains 10% cocoa and EU milk chocolate contains 25% cocoa. Milk chocolate is the most popular type of chocolate.

Dark chocolate has several categories: semisweet, bittersweet and couverture.

Semisweet contains cocoa, sugar and cocoa butter which is fat derived from cocoa beans. Bittersweet contains less sugar than semisweet, along with cocoa beans and cocoa butter. Cocoa butter provides pro-

LORRAINE BERTAN PHOTO

Chocolates for sale at the North Shore Towers Supermarket. vides the pervasive aroma associated with chocolate and stimulates the taste buds. It also is used in cosmetics.The most popular form of semisweet and bittersweet chocolate is Ghirardelli baking bits, which contain 60% cocoa. Couverture dark chocolate has a higher percentage of cocoa butter and is used for dipping, molding and coating. Dark chocolate contains a minimum of 35% cocoa beans and certain specialty types may contain a higher percentage of cocoa, adding to the intensity of chocolate taste. White chocolate does not contain cocoa beans, only sugar and cocoa butter. The fourth type of chocolate is Ruby Chocolate

,which is derived from a rare type of cocoa bean, the red or ruby bean, which imparts a pink color to and a scent similar to raspberries. Ruby chocolate has only been on the market since 2017, is made by Barry Callebaut, and is quite rare.

Seventy percent of the world’s chocolate comes from the West Coast of Africa and smaller amounts are from Southeast Asia and Brazil. The Mars Wrigley Confectionary is the largest manufacturer of chocolate, and its candy bar, “Snickers” is the best selling candy bar world-wide.

“Snickers” contains milk sugar and peanuts.

A Tale of Life’s Journey

14 • TOWER TIMES • February 2021

By Marian Nemetskyn

H

ow would you describe life’s journey? How would you even begin to talk about the plans, and the plans have gone awry; the tears of sorrow, and the tears of happiness, the expectations, and the unexpected, and the tragedies and the laughter?

It could take a book. Yet, Robert Frost said it all in one sentence, “The afternoon knows what the morning never suspected.”

In the morning of my life as a young bride and a senior in college, I married my Prince Charming. The plan was that once he completed his MBA, and we were both on our professional paths, we would work for five years, buy a house, start a family, and live happily ever after. With that graduate degree, he would be going up, up, up in the business world, and maybe even earning $10,000 a year.

After about two years into The Plan, my dear friend and her husband became parents of a delightful baby girl. We spent the next several months enthralled with that baby.

Finally, we looked at each other and said, “We want our own little delightful baby—girl or boy.”

In the tiny bedroom of our apartment in Brooklyn, we could put a crib on one wall, and a bassinette on the other.

If we walked in sideways, it would work. My Prince was at a new job, approaching our salary goal. The Plan curved a little, but a house was still on the horizon.

Unbeknownst to me, the rule in New York City for teachers who became pregnant was that they had to leave immediately. Since I looked like I swallowed a large pumpkin by my fifth month, my teaching days came to an abrupt halt.

In fact, because of the size of my “baby bump,” my New York-based obstetrician said, “We could be looking

at twins.” (Sonagrams had not yet been invented.) Twins were definitely not in The Plan.

At the same time, my Prince was suddenly laid off.

Two departments merged; last hired, first fired.

So, we watched John F. Kennedy’s inspirational inaugural speech, in our tiny apartment, both jobless, with the possibility of twins on the way. When he said, “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country,” it filled us with hope, but we still had much anxiety.

By my ninth month, my Prince thankfully got a new and better job, and I looked like I swallowed a huge, ripe watermelon. At my next prenatal visit, my doctor’s associate examined me. As he prodded my burgeoning belly, he kept mumbling, “uh-huh, uh-huh.” Then he concluded, “Well, little mother, it’s definitely twins. I just felt the secContinued on Page 15

Life’s Journey Continued from Page 14 ond head.”

“OMG.” I waddled out into the waiting room to tell my Prince.

A week later, at the scheduled appointment with my regular doctor, he said, “I want you to take an x-ray. It’s perfectly safe now—the baby or babies are fully formed.”

I did, and then came the phone call. My whole body shook as I was about to find out what the x-ray revealed.

“Good news—it’s only one very big baby,” he said.

Relief flooded my body. But, I still had one more fear.

“Uh, how many heads does my baby have?” I asked, nearly in tears.

“Why are you asking that?”

“Well, your associate said that he felt two heads, and so…”

I could tell he was holding back a big laugh.

“I promise you, he has only one head,” he said. “A baby lies in the fetal position, and he must have felt the backside. Relax, I’ll be seeing you soon.”

Now, in the late afternoon of my life,

I can look back at that anxiety-filled time with some amusement. Luckily, my Prince and I have been blessed with two one-headed sons, daughters-in-law, and grandchildren. However, through the years we’ve experienced plans, and plans that have gone awry; tears of happiness and tears of sorrow, expectations, and the unexpected, tragedies and laughter.

Robert Frost’s words still ring true, “The afternoon knows what the morning never expected.”

But, what about the night?

Food and Grocery Delivery Available

2020 In Review Continued from Page 10 of North Shore Towers on Saturday, October 24th. “We are grateful to our elected officials for distributing essential PPE and hand sanitizer to the residents of North Shore Towers,” Debra Markell Kleinert said. “The health and safety of our residents is our first and utmost priority.”

Bronx USA and a Bit of Brooklyn The North Shore Towers Men’s Club sponsored its second presentation on Channel 995 on Thursday, October 15th. Events chairman Jerry Siegel hosted the 2019 HBO documentary “The Bronx, USA,” which chronicles the lives of “Bronxites” both past and present.

Looking Back at 2020 Every year my daughter-in-law, Jacklyn Auerbach, writes an incredible year-end synopsis of events that the year is remembered by. This was what she wrote about 2020. Steve Auerbach

By Jacklyn Auerbach

To advertise in the Tower Times: TowerTimesPublisher@gmail.com

it’s time to put this virus to bed at last.

This year we’ve had to say farewell to icons of politics, music, TV, and sports, how sad their passing is to report.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a Supreme Court pioneer, her stance on women’s rights paved the way to her successful career.

Eddie Van Halen’s music made us all want to jump, Panama could always lift you out of a slump.

Jeopardy was a classic not to be missed, Alex Trebek made sure that you got his gist. Hosting the show for 36 years, that’s 8,200 episodes, which deserves a few cheers.

Kobe Bryant and Gianna shattered the hearts of their fans with news of their passing, no way will anyone ever come close to surpassing them.

I think I speak for everyone when I say I’m glad 2020 is over, it’s been a year that’s felt like one bad hangover.

Forget all that you thought you wanted, and just appreciate all that you have, and just know that this moment in time too shall soon pass.

May we get to hug and kiss our loved ones in the new year and may normalcy finally begin to appear. Good riddance 2020, you can’t be gone soon enough, and may 2021 not be nearly as rough.

So keep wearing your mask and have a happy and healthy New Year, wishing you and your loved ones 2021 filled with much cheer!

TOWER TIMES • February 2021 • 15

F

or the last 10 years, I started this rhyme in chronological order, that was before I realized 2020 would cause such disorder. The year started with much excitement and hope, little did we know how hard it would be at times to cope.

February caused much panic and confusion, coronavirus, whatever that was, seemed like such an illusion.

March 13th was when the world officially came to a halt, staying indoors was now our only resort.

COVID-19 sent the stock market crashing, a global recession, an economic thrashing. Heading to the grocery was a daunting task, but getting a grocery delivery was an impossible task.

Hand Sanitizer, Lysol, and Clorox disappeared over-

night, and the shortage of toilet paper created great fright.

If you weren’t feeling well, you were told to get tested, but the shortage of tests left millions of Americans restless.

The lines to the clinics went on for days and hospital stays put first responders in a daze. We were told to wear masks and keep six feet of distance, limiting time with our loved ones, causing tremendous resistance.

Amidst all the chaos, we were faced with our time’s most important election, an opportunity to move our country in a different direction.

As if COVID didn’t bring enough grief and despair, the BLM movement made us realize our country required repair. George Floyd and Breonna Taylor’s deaths ignited many violent demonstrations, the Black Lives Matter movement, was a wake-up call to start healing our nation.

Working from home, homeschooling in sweat pants and hoodies, Zooming with friends, made us all a little less moody. While the pandemic was awful, even more than I could describe, some silver linings were lurking inside. Much needed family time, learning to cook, no running, no racing, no reservations to book. Some of us drank excessively, while others got fit, 2020 was a crazy year, you’d have to admit.

Moderna and Pfizer were in a race to find the vaccine quicker, it was the only solution to keep people from getting sicker. A staggering 1.8 million people have passed,

THINK NORTH SHORE TOWERS...THINK:

ANNETTE KROLL

As the New Year begins, I would like to take this opportunity to say, “THANK YOU” to my thousands of friends and neighbors at North Shore Towers who, for 35 years, have shown me loyalty and support. I take great pride in having assisted so many of you in the Buying and Selling of your apartments.

Through my non-stop dedication, hard work and 7-day a week commitment, I MAKE SURE THAT YOUR SATISFACT!ON IS MY #1 GOAL! If you are interested in exploring the possibility of SELLING your apartment, you will benefit from my endless network of prospective buyers. If you are thinking of BUYING, I always have a large selection of inventory. Choosing a broker is a very important decision, and I encourage you to meet with me and join the thousands of satisfied residents who I have worked with. I specialize in PERSONALIZED SERVICE and most importantly, EXCEPTIONAL RESULTS! Client referrals and networking are the foundation of my business. I always put the needs of my clients and customers above all else, and have extensive experience and a thorough knowledge of the North Shore Towers market!

I look forward to hearing from you and meeting with you to realize the highest price for your apartment. personally to discuss any of your current or future real estate needs. Whether Buying or Selling, please call me for a “NO OBLIGATION” consultation!

THANK YOU! for your continued trust and confidence.

I appreciate your loyalty and support!

16 • TOWER TIMES • February 2021

PLEASE SEE MY LISTINGS AT

WWW.ANNETTEKROLL.COM HAPPY NEW YEAR! STAY WELL! STAY SAFE!

ANNETTE KROLL

(718) 631-8867 Res. on site

MAGIC OF GREAT NECK REALTY