2024 Fourth of July Issue

INFORMING, SERVING AND CELEBRATING THE LAKE REGION 

ake Hopatcong News 

FOURTH OF JULY 2024 VOL. 16 NO. 3 

AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE 

To thrive, Jefferson Township and neighboring West Milford, are seeking a better 

balance between growth and preservation post-Highlands Act. 

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4 

LAKE HOPATCONG NEWS Fourth of July 2024 

From the Editor 

Pack your patience. 

It’s something I recently read on Facebook that was directly related to the June 4 closure of 

part of Route 15 South in Jefferson. The closure caused (and might still be, depending on when you 

read this) a traffic nightmare on local roads. It also severely hindered businesses located in or near the 

shutdown zone, which is the heart of Jefferson’s lakeside business district. 

I live in the Nolan’s Point section of Lake Hopatcong. When I left my house that morning to go to 

Landing, I encountered an increase in traffic heading south (or is it west?) as I tried to turn right onto 

Espanong Road. 

After 23 years here, I knew the steady line of cars meant one thing — there was a problem on 

Route 15. By 2 p.m., the highway was closed, leaving the local roads virtually impossible to navigate, 

and drivers were agitated. 

Predictably, social media was flooded with all sorts of misinformation and many, many angry rants, 

which only seemed to fuel the fire on the roads. 

And then, some nice lady posted those three words. I felt comforted. 

Jefferson sure has seen its share of challenges in recent years. 

There was the harmful algal bloom of 2019, which affected businesses in all the towns around the 

lake, including Jefferson. 

There was the Weldon Road bridge closure in December of 2020, which forced residents to travel 

to Sparta to get from one side of town to the other. That lasted until May of 2021. 

(For those of you unfamiliar with Jefferson, Route 15 cuts the township in half. There are only 

two routes available across the highway: the Weldon Road bridge and the Berkshire Valley Road 

intersection. Both roads lead to the Milton section of town, each cutting through miles of 

undeveloped protected forests.) 

While construction was ongoing at the Weldon Road bridge, the intersection at the other 

connecting artery, Berkshire Valley Road, underwent a massive redesign. Closures, detours and traffic 

jams happened often. 

Thankfully, both projects have recently concluded. 

While these challenges certainly caused residents stress and agitation, it’s important to remember 

we got through it in the end. A sense of community certainly helps. 

So does accurate and clear communication. 

Through all these events, the township administration, led by Mayor Eric Wilsusen, has maintained 

a sense of calm and transparency in the wake of chaos and misinformation. Using social media posts, 

the township newsletter and open meetings, residents and business owners have been kept updated 

with honest and straightforward reports. 

I’ve known Eric since my earliest days at the Daily Record when he was the press liaison officer for 

the Jefferson Township Police Department. He was then as he is now: honest, respectful and realistic. 

If it’s good news, he’ll tell you. If it’s bad news, he’ll tell you. 

That’s someone who deserves my respect. 

While we don’t have a story in this issue about the Route 15 bridge problem, (let’s face it, it’s difficult 

for a non-daily print magazine to cover a news story that is constantly 

changing), we do have a story about another emerging topic in Jefferson. 

This issue’s cover story is about the foreseeable end to commercial and 

residential development in the township. The result will severely hamper 

new tax ratables for the township. (See Mike Daigle’s story on page 22.) 

In this story, you’ll again hear from Eric, telling it like it is — no 

sugarcoating, just facts — with no easy answer at the ready but the 

determination and dedication of him and his team to help find a solution. 

It’s yet another challenge we are facing, but one I’m hopeful we will get 

through. Just remember to pack your patience. 

—Karen 

ake Hopatcong News 

HOPATCONG’S FLAG 

WORDSMITHS 

INFORMING, SERVING AND CELEBRATING THE LAKE REGION 

AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE 

To thrive, Jefferson Township and neighboring West Milford, are seeking a better 

balance between growth and preservation post-Highlands Act. 

PASSING THE TORCH 

BOOK REVIEWS 

FOURTH OF JULY 2024 VOL. 16 NO. 3 

ON THE COVER 

Left photo: A construction crew secures 

trusses on the roof at Jefferson Place, a new 

apartment complex on Route 15. 

Right photo: Hikers walk through rugged 

Mahlon Dickerson Reservation in Jefferson. 

—photos by Karen Fucito 

KAREN FUCITO 

Editor 

editor@lakehopatcongnews.com 

973-663-2800 

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS 

Kathleen Brunet 

Michael Stephen Daigle 

Melissa Summers 

Joe Wohlgemuth 

COLUMNISTS 

Marty Kane 

Heather Shirley 

Barbara Simmons 

EDITING AND LAYOUT 

Maria DaSilva-Gordon 

Randi Cirelli 

ADVERTISING SALES 

Lynn Keenan 

advertising@lakehopatcongnews.com 

973-222-0382 

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Lake Hopatcong, NJ 07849 

LHN OFFICE LOCATED AT: 

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Hopatcong Turns Out for First Flag Day Parade 

Story by JOE WOHLGEMUTH 

Photos by KAREN FUCITO 

“ Mighty oaks from little acorns grow” is a 

proverb Hopatcong Mayor Marie Galate 

has come to understand very well. 

When Galate was sworn in as mayor of 

Hopatcong in January, she had hoped to be 

photographed in front of the town flag. No 

flag could be found on display in the municipal 

building because, much to Galate’s surprise, the 

borough did not have one. 

The revelation that Hopatcong was a flagless 

municipality planted the seed of an idea in the 

new mayor’s mind: a flag designing contest. Galate 

created the contest so that residents, regardless 

of age, could participate in the conception of a 

Hopatcong flag. She was resolute that a resident 

should design the flag. 

“It should have the embodiment of someone 

who loves Hopatcong as much as I do,” she said. 

“I really want the flag to just grab everybody.” 

Twenty-one residents submitted designs 

that adhered to the guidelines set forth by the 

North American Vexillological Association: keep 

it simple, use meaningful symbolism, use two or 

three basic colors, no lettering or seals and be 

distinctive. 

Most importantly, according to the NAVA 

website: “Design a flag that looks attractive 

and balanced to the viewer and to the place, 

organization, or person it represents!” 

To ensure impartiality, an independent 

company with no affiliation to Hopatcong 

selected the winning design. The company 

received a brief synopsis of the history of 

Hopatcong and then chose a design based on 

that information. 

Galate initially envisioned a small town parade 

to announce and celebrate the winning design 

and commemorate Flag Day at the same time. 

However, a conversation with Rick Gathen, a 

trustee from the Lake Hopatcong Elks, led to a 

partnership that transformed the size and scope 

of the event. 

Gathen informed Galate that Flag Day was 

particularly important to the Elks and that he’d 

relish the opportunity to work on the parade 

with her. 

According to Gathen, the Elks organization is 

the founder of Flag Day. Recognizing Flag Day is 

mandatory service for Elks members, he said. 

A parade in Hopatcong would be “a great 

opportunity to enhance the community 

experience” and to satisfy the service 

requirements for members, Gathen said. 

Planning for the parade took months, with the 

Elks and the Hopatcong leaders combining their 

local contact lists to send out formal invitations 

to potential parade participants. After countless 

meetings, the parade procession began to grow 

exponentially. 

“It evolved into this humongous thing that 

was just an absolutely wonderful event that 

Left to right: Volunteers from the Hopatcong fire 

departments carry a large American flag down 

the parade route. A golf cart decked out in red, 

white and blue. A young spectator hangs out 

along the parade route. 

Hopatcong has never seen,” Galate said. 

Gathen had nothing but praise for Galate and 

her team. “What an enthusiastic leadership group 

with an unparalleled work ethic,” he praised. 

With big events come big costs, and Galate 

was grateful that Dover Dodge signed on to be 

the platinum sponsor of the celebration. 

“With that sponsorship, this really is a miniscule 

cost to the borough,” she said. Additionally, she 

said, local businesses donated money and items 

to support the success of the parade. 

Galate’s ultimate goal for the event was to 

unite the residents of Hopatcong. 

“Parades bring people out. Parades bring your 

community together, and I feel that’s been 

missing from our community for the last six years 

or so,” she said. “I want to bring people together.” 

That she did. 

On the morning of June 15, the buzz of 

excitement and anticipation was in the air 

as musicians warmed up, marchers lined up 

and chatty neighbors caught up. Junior Miss 

Hopatcong, Angeline Carty, posed for pictures 

and adjusted her tiara as she waited for the 

kickoff of the parade, which began at Defiance 

Engine Co. #3 on Hopatchung Road and ended 

just over one mile away at Veterans Field 

Memorial Park. 

Hundreds of residents lined the route, waving 

flags, cheering and greeting marchers. 

There may not have been 76 trombones leading 

the parade, but there were four Lake Hopatcong 

Elks color guard members carrying flags, 15 Blue 

Knights astride their motorcycles and two grand 

Left to right: The Lake Hopatcong Elks color guard leads the parade on Durban Avenue. Anthony Riccio holds a copy of his design, which was chosen 

to be Hopatcong’s official borough flag. Members of Hopatcong Seniors ride the parade route in their own float. 

6 


marshals: Galate and Richard Hoer, Hopatcong 

resident and owner of Lakeside Construction. 

Behind them, approximately 500 participants 

marched or drove the parade route, including 

Sussex County dignitaries, members of the 

New Jersey State Police bagpipers, mayors from 

neighboring towns, out-of-town drum corps 

bands, members of the Hopatcong Seniors 

club, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and Hopatcong fire 

and rescue departments and neighboring fire 

companies. 

Also joining the procession were patriotic 

service award recipients and brothers Bob and 

Scott Weber of SunnySide Landscaping in 

Stanhope and Hopatcong resident and veteran 

Tim Carey, who organized the Memorial Day 

parade and served as its master of ceremonies. 

Following the parade, resident Anthony Riccio 

was introduced on the grandstand as the winner 

of the flag contest. Riccio, 44, an engineer and 

designer, moved with his wife and twin girls to 

Hopatcong five years ago. 

He said his flag design was inspired by the 

colors of the lake and the surrounding landscape 

and the bald eagle. Riccio said he chose to 

feature a bald eagle in the design because of 

their presence on the lake and as a nod to the 

Native American roots of Hopatcong’s name. 

“This is something the town can be proud of 

and bring everyone together,” he said. 

Only a printed copy of the winning design 

was unveiled at the announcement. Galate said 

the winner was chosen just days before the Flag 

Day event, leaving no time to get a flag made. 

When that happens, a flag will be hung in council 

chambers and residents will be able to purchase 

their own, she said. 

Billed as “A Day of Pride and Patriotism,” the 

festivities also included a home decorating 

contest with a prize given to the house that was 

decorated the most patriotically. 

After the parade, Veterans Field became the 

center of attention, with over 60 vendors, a 

DJ, a band, a beer garden sponsored by the fire 

department and a 50/50 raffle sponsored by St. 

Jude Roman Catholic Church in Hopatcong. 

Melissa Ricca attended the parade to watch 

her son, Rocco LePore, march as a member of 

the Just Driven AAU Basketball Team. She was 

surprised to hear Hopatcong didn’t have its own 

flag and was appreciative of the contest. 

“As a lifelong resident, I was unaware that 

there was no town flag,” Ricca said. “I do feel 

that this flag initiative is bringing the community 

together.” 

Rob Auer, a member of the borough’s 

ambulance squad, agreed. “It’s one of those 

things that brings people together. It gives 

people the chance to say, ‘That’s ours. We’re part 

of a group,’” he said. 

Galate’s hope for the new town flag was simple. 

“I just wanted something that represented 

Hopatcong,” she said. What a great photo op 

that will make for future town leaders. 


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Hopatcong High School Literary Magazine 

an Outlet for Students’ Creative Arts 

Students in an after-school club at 

Hopatcong High School are steering 

away from modern versions of artistic 

expression typically found on screens toward 

something a little more traditional: the written 

word. 

Published for over 20 years in various formats 

at Hopatcong High School, Reflections is the 

school’s annual literary magazine, a collection 

of textual and visual art curated by students 

and staff. 

Advisor and English teacher Christine 

Kalemba takes what she describes as her 

“small but mighty” nine-member group of 

students through the process of soliciting and 

gathering material, whittling down selections, 

creating the layout and enjoying the finished 

product. 

“This is only my second year,” she said. “I’ve 

had a great experience with the kids.” 

The literary magazine serves a unique 

purpose in education where forms of 

expression such as printed poems or 

photographs are utilized less frequently. 

“I’m still old-school enough that I still use 

traditional means in a lot of what I do, but 

I sort of morph with more contemporary 

stylings in my classroom,” said Kalemba. “I’ll 

do hard copy work with the kids, reading and 

writing, and then I’ll do a lot of things online 

as well.” 

Kalemba’s in-class creative writing activities 

have even generated some potential 

submissions for the school magazine. “I think 

it’s interesting how a lot of the kids wouldn’t 

even consider that they could be printed in a 

magazine,” she said, “And I say, ‘Well, sure you 

can. Why not?’” 

Once a student is published in the magazine, 

they’ll bring it home and show it off to family, 

Kalemba said. “That makes them feel good, 

and it makes me feel good.” 

Reflections Co-Editor-in-Chief Caroline 

Eckardt has worked on the magazine for three 

years and shares an appreciation for that 

which can be held in the hand. 

“Virtual copies of magazines and artworks 

are a dime a dozen,” said Eckardt, a senior. “A 

printed version of our efforts not only affirms 

our hard work visibly but offers a tangible 

experience unattainable with computers. To 

see my poems in print on the paper whose 

color we chose feels complete.” 

Senior Ben Branca does the layout work 

for the magazine and believes that publishing 

10 

Story by MELISSA SUMMERS 



students’ creative efforts is important. 

“There’s something special about a tangible 

work that you can physically hold and say, ‘We 

made this.’” 

Jasper Simpson, a senior and the magazine’s 

creative director, echoes that joy in seeing the 

project through from the submission process 

to the final product, “so that everyone who 

submitted could be proud of what they did 

and see something that would make them 

happy. And when you’re done, you can display 

it somewhere nice,” he said. 

Students who join the Reflections club do 

so for many reasons. 

Ninth-grader Louise Andriano said she 

couldn’t stop smiling with excitement at the 

first meeting she attended. “I wanted to get 

more involved in school because I don’t have 

many friends, so I wanted to be known for 

something,” she said. 

Club members said they provide an outlet 

of expression for fellow students, who may 

not feel comfortable doing so elsewhere. 

“Especially in high school, students are 

terrified of opinions and backlash from peers,” 

said Eckardt of the typically public nature of 

putting their work into print. 

“It’s a safe space for teens to contribute 

the written word and their artwork and 

photography and they’re not going to be 

judged,” said Kalemba. “If they want to put 

their name on it, they can. If they don’t, I’ve 

allowed them to submit anonymously.” 

Simpson said he would encourage fellow 

students to submit their work even if they 

were unsure. “No matter what it is, it deserves 

a chance in the spotlight, and if they wanted 

to, they could make it anonymous so that 

only they would know,” he added. 

Eckardt believes students who are 

enthusiastic about the arts will benefit from 

reading and participating in publications like 

theirs because, even though the club is small 

in numbers, its members are passionate about 

what they do. 

“Reflections is 

made by and for 

people who love 

literature,” she 

said. 

Kalemba said the 

club takes pride 

in the inclusion 

of various styles 

of writing, paired 

with artwork and 

photography 

and being openminded 

enough 

to allow for freedom 

of expression. “That 

compilation of various 

types of pieces makes 

it so creative and so 

inviting. It engages 

and it offers the 

school community a 

voice,” she said. 

Her involvement 

with the magazine 

is very much in 

line with being an 

English teacher but 

also a chance to show off her own 

creative side, Kalemba said of the experience. 

“There is a product at the end of it that is 

student-created, student-driven that I am 

facilitating. I’m guiding them, but ultimately 

the decisions are theirs,” she said. 

Last year when Kalemba took over as advisor, 

the long-standing 8.5x11-inch softcover format 

was changed to an 8.5-inch square version. 

This year, the magazine measures 5x7 inches, 

said Kalemba, with more color pages and a 

new look to the cover. 

“Our cover [is] the one large picture that 

was submitted that won our cover contest,” 

she said. 

Left to right: Christine Kalemba addresses the literary magazine club. 

Caroline Eckardt gets her portrait taken by Ben Branca. Jasper Simpson 

sees the magazine in print for the first time.

It was senior Red Mower’s nighttime photo 

of Myrtle Beach that won the cover contest. 

The image, which is the first wrap cover for 

the publication, resonated with club members 

when seen in print for the first time. 

“Aesthetically pleasing — especially the 

cover,” said Eckardt as she examined the 

magazine fresh from the print shop. Fellow 

members agreed, adding the photo fit well 

with the literary magazine’s name. 

Additionally, members collectively praised 

Branca’s design and layout. 

“I love what Ben did with the design behind 

my poem ‘Caught In Your Web.’ It pulls the 

reader into the page,” said Simpson of the 

white spider web against a black background. 

For Amanda Gonzalez, who submitted 

photos this year, the literary magazine club 

has helped her “come out of my shell and 

showed me many ways to express myself,” 

said the rising junior. 

“I like how there are no rules to be creative,” 

she added. 

This year’s magazine is 42 pages and 

features 26 contributors, including three 

teachers, according to Kalemba. It’s 

primarily disseminated to everyone who has 

contributed to the magazine, the English 

department, district administration and the 

board of education. It’s also available in the 

front office at Hopatcong High School for 

anyone who’s interested. 

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Left to right: Milan Khodja explains why he 

chose a small wooden elephant as a prompt 

during a recent writing session. Kelly Burke 

writes a story using a Disney-like castle as her 

prompt. 

Wordsmiths United: Sharing a Passion for Writing 


It’s a quiet time, a space outside the day-today 

where those with a passion for writing 

can unleash their creativity, be inspired and gain 

encouragement. 

Once a month, those who want to become 

better writers can gather for free at the Jefferson 

Township Public Library to participate in the 

Wordsmiths Writing Group. 

Founded in 2009 by then-librarian Diane Hess 

of the Oak Ridge section of Jefferson, the group 

follows the Amherst Writers & Artists method 

where participants are provided with prompts 

to guide their writing. 

Generally, each two-hour session consists of 

three prompts. Participants write about each 

prompt for about 20 minutes, expressing what 

they wish, be it fiction, nonfiction, poetry or 

some combination. They are then encouraged 

to share their work if so moved. 

The only rule is that all feedback must be 

positive and encouraging. 

“This gives me the opportunity to actually do 

it (write),” said Sharon Fugel, of Oak Ridge, who 

joined the group in 2017 and now serves as its 

leader. Fugel decided to lead the group when 

12 

Story by KATHLEEN BRUNET 

Emma Manning, Claire Benfante and Alaina 

Radjewski look for inspirational prompts during 

a May writing session. 


Hess retired last year. “When Diane said she was 

retiring, I said, ‘Oh, no.’ I was not able to let go of 

this,” recalled Fugel. 

Quite powerful considering when she first 

came to join the group, Fugel departed without 

setting foot inside. “The first time I went, I sat 

in the parking lot and did not go in,” she shared. 

Once she joined, she was captivated. What 

she found in Wordsmiths is a focused time to 

write, a supportive group and a cathartic and 

relaxing environment. 

“Whether you are a writer or not, it’s important 

that you find something you love that you can 

do just for you,” said Fugel. “I do this for me. I 

find it very satisfying and relaxing. I feel I have 

two hours a month where I can just let go.” 

Wordsmiths meets at the Jefferson library, 

1031 Weldon Road, Oak Ridge, once a month, 

alternating between Friday evenings and 

Saturday mornings. The July meeting takes place 

on Saturday, July 13, from 10 a.m. to noon. 

Many participants have had their writing 

published in online journals and won 

competitions run by Writer’s Digest, a major 

resource for aspiring and established writers. 

Hess had a couple of stories published in the 

Potato Soup Journal, an online literary magazine 

(no longer in publication). She also came in 

second in a Writer’s Digest contest. 

William O’Brien, formerly of Oak Ridge and 

now a Point Pleasant resident, had one of his 

Potato Soup Journal submissions published 

in its “Best of 2020” book. Another member, 

Katherine Benfante of Lake Forest, had her 

science fiction book, “Scattered,” published last 

August by Silversmith Press. 

Thirty-year-old Kelly Burke from Oak Ridge 

just finished her first manuscript and is currently 

seeking a literary agent in the hopes of getting 

her novel published professionally. Burke did 

not mince words when asked about her future. 

“I want to be a writer,” she said. 

Prior to joining Wordsmiths a decade ago, 

Benfante had drifted away from writing, despite 

it having been a childhood passion she had 

continued into adulthood. At the time, she was 

occupied with her position as an engineer at 

Picatinny Arsenal, raising her two daughters and 

managing household responsibilities. Making 

time for personal pursuits was not a priority. 

Yet, she found a longing to get back to writing 

stirring deep within her. 

“I knew I needed a support group of people to 

push me,” she said. 

She joined Wordsmiths and got back to work 

on “Scattered,” which she had drafted some 

years before. She also wrote some flash fiction 

stories — short pieces typically consisting 

of only a few hundred words — that were 

published in online journals, including Blue Lake 

Review, The Pinecone Review and Ariel Chart 

International Literary Journal. 

Her book, “Scattered,” tells the story of a 

female physicist who accidentally transports 

herself from the 20th to the 21st century and 

must make a heart-wrenching choice between 

returning back in time or embracing another era. 

“I think if I had not joined (Wordsmiths), I 

would have given up on writing,” said Benfante, 

who is now working on a second book. “It helps 

to keep the dream of being a published author 

alive if that’s what you want. It’s also good if you 

just like writing for the catharsis of writing.” 

“I was always amazed by the diversity of 

individual backgrounds that made up our group,” 

said O’Brien about his time with Wordsmiths. 

“The fact that such a diverse group often steps 

out of their individual comfort zones to write 

about some unfamiliar subject matter speaks 

highly of the group’s dedication to effectively 

improve their writing.” 

On a recent Saturday morning, Fugel and 

Hess, who still attends sessions, were joined by 

five other people, including two newcomers to 

Wordsmiths. 

The month’s prompts were located on tables 

throughout the library’s meeting room. The first 

was sports-related, consisting of a baseball, 

frisbee, a photo of someone skydiving and 

similar items. The second was small piles of cards 

each with three words — with definitions on 

the back — one pile being kibitz, disingenuous, 

lackadaisical, and another chagrin, ineffable, 

plethora. 

The third prompt included the start of short 

stories such as: “She believed in me in a way 

no one else ever had … and I betrayed her. The 

worst part is she doesn’t know. She still thinks …” 

The stories the writers shared were fascinating 

and moving: playing in the ocean as a child with 

mom looking on. A first and only downhill skiing 

adventure where the one thing the “lesson did 

not include was how to stand up again when you 

fell down.” 

A child stuck behind a toilet, an “exacerbating” 

situation. Falling and bruising one’s face during a

tennis game days before a daughter’s wedding, 

but, yes, a point was scored. 

Slipping through a portal to another time 

to face “a creature beyond comprehension.” 

Entering a dream world, a place of magic where 

wounds are knitted and infections healed. 

Joe Iannacone, of Oak Ridge, who works in the 

financial industry, explained that he takes part in 

the sessions because there is “nothing creative 

about my work” and Wordsmiths “forces me to 

try and sit down and write.” 

Karen Carney, of Lake Shawnee, one of the 

newcomers, said, “I’m loving this. It pulls me into 

more creative areas of writing.” 

A former speech therapist in the Hopatcong 

school system, Carney explained that she finds 

writing to be “a pleasant pastime, as well as 

therapeutic.” One of the pieces she shared with 

the group conveyed how much she misses her 

sister, who recently passed away, with a series of 

“I cry when …” reflections. 

The comments from the group were admiring 

of Carney’s ability to convey deep emotion. 

“When group members read their work, you 

get to hear the diversity of writing styles and 

points of view,” said Fugel. “Everyone brings their 

own unique perspectives.” 

Wordsmiths, which has drawn more than 

50 participants since its founding, has been so 

successful that Fugel and Benfante have formed 

a children’s group. For ages 8 to 14, the group 

typically meets the fourth Friday of the month 

from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. 

Fugel and Benfante explained that since most 

writers started writing as children, they felt it 

was important to provide young people with 

a creative outlet where they can interact with 

others with a similar passion. 

“Rather than sitting in a room alone writing as 

a child, it would have been nice to know others 

were doing the same,” said Fugel. 

Benfante’s two daughters, Anna, 10, and Claire, 

8, are meeting regulars. For Anna, writing is one 

of her favorite subjects. 

“I like writing because it feels like I’m drawing 

with my mind and hand,” said the soon-to-be 

sixth-grader. She said her first one-off selfpublished 

book, “Barbie Girls,” is about four 

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Barbies and one lost dress, adding “and it’s not 

a happy ending.” 

The adult and children’s programs are open 

to area residents outside of Jefferson. There 

is a limit on the size of each group, however, 

to ensure everyone who wants to share their 

work has that opportunity. Registration is firstcome, 

first-served. Information can be found at 

jeffersonlibrary.net/Events. 

“I do consider Wordsmiths one of my major 

accomplishments,” said Hess. “The library gave 

me the chance to do this, and I so appreciate 

that the director, Seth Stephens, provided 

me with that opportunity. It has allowed so 

many people to benefit from taking time for 

themselves to be creative.” 

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Rebecca Twaits, along with about a dozen local 

police officers, carries the torch to ShopRite in 

the Roxbury Mall. 

Annual Special Olympics Torch Run Inspires Hope, 

Signals Start of New Jersey Games 


Thousands of police officers and first 

responders throughout the state were 

heroes of a different kind on June 7 as they 

carried the “Flame of Hope,” symbolizing 

Special Olympics New Jersey for hundreds of 

miles. 

Some 3,000 runners took to the streets of 

their local communities to help raise money 

and awareness for Special Olympics in the 41st 

annual Law Enforcement Torch Run. 

The event was split into 26 legs throughout 

the state, with start times beginning as early 

as 5 a.m. in some locations. Each leg was 

issued a torch, which got passed from one 

group of runners to the next. The torch run 

traveled through more than 300 towns and 

spanned more than 750 miles, from High 

Point to Trenton. Approximately 400 police 

departments were represented, according to a 

recent press release. 

The running relay 

culminated at The 

College of New 

Jersey where the 

games were held 

from June 9-11. 

One local leg, 

known as 1a, began 

at the Wantage 

Municipal Building 

at 6 a.m. Patrol Sgt. 

Raymond Gizienski 

of the Bernards 

14 

Story by MELISSA SUMMERS 

Township Police 

Department, who 

has been heading 

up this leg for the 

past 10 years, was 

Left to right: Led by Joe Matits of the Netcong Borough Police Department, center, law enforcement representatives from Byram, 

Hopatcong and Netcong, along with family and friends, begin running a 9-mile leg of the annual Law Enforcement Torch Run. Andrew 

Taveras, a patrol officer from Netcong, hands the torch to Roxbury police Cpl. John Fitzgerald at the ShopRite in Netcong. 


ready to go, eager to get runners out on the 

roads. 

As coordinator, Gizienski spent the day 

driving back and forth between the runners 

and their next stop, making sure the torch 

exchange was flawless. 

Inspired by the daughter of a fellow Bernards 

Township officer who was a Special Olympics 

athlete, Gizienski said becoming involved was 

a “no-brainer.” 

“Throughout the state, we know that there 

are athletes whose moms and dads are police 

officers, and we are one huge family that takes 

care of each other, especially our Special 

Olympics athletes,” he said. 

The first year Gizienski served as coordinator, 

he recalled a moment when a group of New 

Jersey State Troopers passed by an athlete and 

her father at an intersection in Hamburg. 

“The look of joy and happiness on both 

of their faces,” he said, “it solidified why I’ll 

probably be involved in the Special Olympics 

of New Jersey for the rest of my life, even after 

I retire.” 

That first group of runners to leave Wantage 

took the torch through Hamburg and Franklin 

before handing it off to a second group in 

Odgensburg, who ran it to Saint Kateri Catholic 

Church in Sparta. There, Patrol Sgt. Joe Matits, 

of the Netcong Borough Police Department, 

took hold of the torch and led about 20 civilian 

and law enforcement runners from Byram, 

Hopatcong and Netcong on a 9-mile section of 

leg 1a ending at the Netcong ShopRite. 

Before 2003, Netcong had been bypassed 

by the run, Matits said. “We coordinate with 

Byram, Hopatcong, Stanhope [which did not 

have any representatives this year] and us and 

we run the leg together. This was my 21st year 

running. I’m enjoying doing it obviously and the 

reason behind it.” 

This year’s group of local runners raised 

about $2,000 for Special Olympics New Jersey, 

according to Matits. 

For the second consecutive time, Matits was 

honored with a special part in the opening 

ceremonies. Representing leg 1a, he carried a 

torch down the steps at Lions Stadium at The 

College of New Jersey to kick off the games. 

“It’s definitely something I would tell 

everybody to experience at least once,” he 

said of the moving ceremony and smiling 

athletes. “To see them and their joy makes it 

all worthwhile.” 

For the second year, some residents from 

SMILE of Hopatcong participated in the games 

or ran or walked at different times in the leg 

from Sparta to Netcong. Support vehicles 

followed along to let athletes take a rest 

when needed. (SMILE is a nonprofit that offers 

independent living opportunities to those with 

intellectual and developmental disabilities.) 

Alex Thebold, 26, an athlete in the 100-meter

dash and the 4x100 relay, was excited to be in 

the games for the first time. 

“They said it was going to be a fun 

weekend, so I thought I’d join,” he said. A 

full-time resident at one of the new SMILE 

homes, Thebold works in maintenance at a 

local supermarket. 

Susan Weiland, director of SMILE of 

Hopatcong, also runs a Special Olympics 

league with her residents. 

Weiland said she’s often brought to tears 

by the emotion of the games. “To see all the 

athletes, they don’t give up and they’re just 

so positive. It’s just a beautiful weekend,” she 

said. 

A total of nine residents participated in 

the route from Sparta to Netcong, running, 

walking or riding in a support vehicle, 

according to Weiland. Eight competed in the 

games, and two more residents went along to 

Trenton to cheer them on, she said. 

Two patrol officers from the Hopatcong 

Borough Police Department — Erik Macarico 

and Dominic Solimando — were part of that 

same group. 

Macarico ran about 6 miles of the leg, he said. 

His motivation comes from his fiancée family 

who started a local nonprofit called Say Hi. 

The organization was founded in 2019 in 

memory of Joseph Anthony Cinotti, 15, from 

Byram. The foundation serves to enrich the 

lives of children and young adults with special 

Residents from SMILE of Hopatcong join the police on 

Main Street in Netcong for the last few hundred yards of 

their leg of the run. 

needs. 

This was Macarico’s second year running. 

Solimando, on the job only since September, 

also has a family connection to the community. 

He said he was inspired to run partly because 

his fiancée mother works at a local group home 

for adults with special needs. 

In Netcong, the “Flame of Hope” was 

handed off to members of the Roxbury Police 

Department, with a mission of carrying it 

through their township to a checkpoint in 

Randolph, according to Roxbury police Cpl. 

John Fitzgerald. 

“Our leg through town is about 6 miles,” 

...because as soon as you look away, I’ll be making my daring escape. 

Fitzgerald said, “We bring it all the way to the 

Randolph border. Mount Olive and Mount 

Arlington join up with us to participate in 

the run.” 

Funds are raised by soliciting money 

through local businesses. The Roxbury Police 

Benevolent Association also donates about 

$1,500, according to Fitzgerald. 

At a brief stop at the Roxbury Mall, 

the officers met up with another local 

Special Olympian. Rebecca Twaits, 27, from 

Hopatcong, has been running a quarter mile 

from Luigi’s Pizza to Succasunna ShopRite 

for 10 years. She said she looks forward to it 

every year. 

“It’s a challenge,” she said, “but I like it. 

It’s fun.” This year, the barely 5-foot Twaits 

carried the torch, leading eleven police 

officers who cheered her on as they all ran to 

ShopRite. 

“Law enforcement officers have been serving 

Special Olympics New Jersey athletes for over 

40 years,” said Kevin Burke, retired major of the 

New Jersey State Police and director of Law 

Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics 

New Jersey. 

“I am privileged to work with such a resilient 

group of individuals for so long,” Burke added. 

“The annual Torch Run is stronger than ever 

thanks to these dedicated men and women 

of law enforcement, and we will continue to 

come together as a community in support of 

the Special Olympics New Jersey mission.” 

Leg 1a continued through Morris and 

Somerset counties and ended at the 

Bridgewater Police Department, for a total of 

approximately 68 miles. But Gizienski said it 

isn’t about the calories burned or the worn-out 

sneakers — it’s about awareness of another 

kind of challenge. 

“One Friday in June every year, a lot of people 

will have to sit in a little bit of traffic behind our 

runners,” he said of the simultaneous runs. “But 

we hope, while sitting in that traffic you take a 

moment to think about the athletes and their 

parents and their family and friends as they 

compete through the summer games and more 

importantly their journey through life.” 

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DEBORAH BAADSHAUG 

Regional supervisor 

1 973 600-9264

JAY DUNHAM 

WHERE ARE YOU ORIGINALLY FROM? 

I was born in Newark and lived there until I left for the Vietnam War. 

WHERE DO YOU LIVE, HOW LONG AND WHAT MAKES IT SPECIAL? 

I have lived in the Milton section of Jefferson Township since 1979. It is a great place to live because we 

have trees, wildlife and a low crime rate. 

WHO MAKES UP YOUR FAMILY? 

My wife of 47 years, Bonnie-Jo. 

HOW DO YOU EARN A LIVING? HAVE YOU HAD ANY UNUSUAL JOBS? 

I worked for Verizon for 33 years. From 2012 to 2020, I managed the Mount Paul Retreat 

Center in Jefferson, taking care of a 68-room building, a cottage, a Class 1 dam, a 47-acre lake 

and a cemetery. When the property sold, I managed the moving of 60-plus Paulist priests’ 

bodies from the cemetery to a special section of the cemetery at St. Thomas the Apostle 

Church here in Milton. 

DESCRIBE THE TYPE OF PERSON YOU ARE. 

Easygoing and friendly. 

DESCRIBE A PERSON WHO HAS HAD THE MOST INFLUENCE ON YOU. 

My wife. With her encouragement, her reminders to eat, to keep seeking 

healthcare and to see my friends, I have been able to be a cancer survivor 

since 2019. 

WHAT’S THE CRAZIEST/MOST EXCITING THING YOU’VE DONE? 

Went to Vietnam. Very exciting and definitely a crazy experience. 

Would not recommend it to others. 

DO YOU VOLUNTEER? 

I am the past commander and current quartermaster of 

VFW Post 564. I have been past commander and am now 

chaplain of American Legion Post 423. I am a member 

of the Milton First Aid Squad and a member of the 

Jefferson Township Historical Society. I am a past 

member of Jefferson Highlights and the Jefferson Arts 

Committee and a founding member of the Jefferson 

Township Veterans’ Memorial Committee. I am 

also a member of the St. Thomas Church finance 

committee. 

ANY HOBBIES? 

Coin collecting, reading and gardening. 

IS THERE ANYTHING MOST PEOPLE WOULD 

BE SURPRISED TO LEARN ABOUT YOU? 

I can wiggle my ears! Also, I spent some time 

at the Graymoor Franciscan Friars Seminary 

between 1965 and 1966. I thought I might want 

to be a Franciscan Brother. Instead, I went to 

Vietnam. 

I AM local I AM unique I AM strong 

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Jay Dunham’s 14-year run as a Jefferson Township councilman will come to an end on December 31. His motivation for 

seeking office was to “figure out how to keep tax increases as low as possible. Anyone who says they can cut taxes is 

out of their mind,” said the 77-year-old. “It’s impossible. It can’t be done in New Jersey.” He believes his prudent use of 

taxpayers’ money in each year’s budget kept township taxes from going even higher. 


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20 Years Later, Towns Say Highlands Act Needs Revisiting 

Story by MICHAEL DAIGLE 


From the peak of Headley Overlook, 

Jefferson’s highest point, the summer sky 

runs west, across a shimmering slice of Lake 

Hopatcong and over the green hills of the New 

Jersey Highlands. 

The overview is a symbol of the effort to 

introduce more hikers to the rugged and historic 

Jefferson hills through the revitalization of the 

township’s trail system. 

A few miles closer, on a highway-bound 10- 

acre strip of land between the northbound 

and southbound lanes of Route 15, the skeletal 

wooden frame of a housing development rises, a 

symbol of the township’s other goal: to increase 

the amount of rental housing. 

Each piece of land represents the choice 

Jefferson officials have been making for 20 years 

since the passage of the 2004 Highlands Water 

Protection and Planning Act: protect or develop. 

While every New Jersey municipality faces 

that choice, the Highlands Act raised the stakes 

when the law placed 88 percent of Jefferson’s 

land — and 100 percent of neighboring West 

Milford’s land — in a preservation area, guarded 

by regulation. 

While the law presumed to balance land 

preservation and development based on a long 

list of conditions, in Jefferson and West Milford 

it could be said that preservation won. The 

Route 15 parcel, aptly named Jefferson Place, 

is the last large commercial space eligible for 

development in the township. 

“This project will help Jefferson fill a need for 

rental housing,” said Mayor Eric Wilsusen. 

But, he said, it could be the last one. 

The challenge, he said, is dealing with a 

slowing population growth, reduced 

state aid for schools, reduced 

state funding and an increase 

in government costs — 

including the cost of 

environmental 

protection. Faced with the risk of taxing the 

same group of property owners year after year 

to maintain expected services, the mayors of 

Jefferson and West Milford are asking for relief 

from the Highlands Act to allow some limited 

development. 

Wilsusen and West Milford Mayor Michele 

Dale are asking to be able to apply some “smart 

growth” principles to the portions of their 

townships in the preservation area. In other 

words, find a balance between new commercial 

growth and environmental protection, which 

both mayors said supports each local economy 

in townships with lakes, trails and campgrounds. 

In a January letter to the township Wilsusen 

said, “I am not in favor of paving over the entire 

community, (but) smart growth, especially 

commercial growth, is essential for any town to 

survive financially.” 

Still, he said, “Jefferson Township did not need 

this legislation.” 

Dale, in a June interview said, “We don’t want 

to end the Highlands Act, but fix the issues” 

that, for example, prevent the township from 

redeveloping a shuttered school into a needed 

community center. 

In a recent report on the impact of the 

Highlands Act, the West Milford Township 

Council said, “The (Highlands Act) is increasingly 

less effective in serving its purpose as it 

disincentivizes real estate investment and 

prevents the efficient administration of 

government services.” 

Towns wholly inside the preservation area 

(West Milford), and towns substantially inside 

that area (Jefferson), “should be provided some 

relief,” the governing body wrote. 

The Highlands Act declared nearly 800,000 

acres covering portions of 88 municipalities in 

seven counties in generally northwest 

New Jersey as a Special 

Resource Area in the State Development and 

Redevelopment Plan. The overall intent was to 

protect a vast watershed that provides drinking 

water to millions of Jersey residents. 

Simply, the Highlands Act created two large areas: 

a planning area designed to accept development 

and a preservation area where development would 

be severely limited. 

The bill was passed in 2004 in response to 

“sprawl” development. Back then, the law said 

sprawl had resulted in the loss of 65,000 acres of 

New Jersey Highlands — over 100 square miles — 

to development since 1984. According to the law, 

“that sprawl and the pace of development in the 

region has dramatically increased, with the rate 

of loss of forested lands and wetlands more than 

doubling since 1995.” 

Fair enough. 

Here are some numbers: U.S. Census data 

shows how the population of the four-town Lake 

Hopatcong region accelerated beginning in the 

1960s. 

In the 30 years between 1960 and 1990, 32,671 

new residents arrived, including 10,951 residents 

in Jefferson. During that same time, Jefferson’s 

neighbor to the north, West Milford, grew up by 

17,257 residents. 

Since 1990 (33 years), a time that includes postimplementation 

of the Highlands Act, total 

lake region population grew by 6,569 residents, 

including 2,711 in Jefferson. 

West Milford, at the same time, showed a 

population decrease of 1,070 residents. 

The mayors have found a sympathetic ear in 

Sen. Anthony M. Bucco of the 25th District, which 

includes Jefferson and West Milford. Bucco is the 

Senate Minority Leader. 

Bucco has been meeting with the mayors and is 

planning a session that would include Benjamin 

Spinelli, executive director of the New 

Jersey Highlands Council, the planning 

22 


organization that implements Highlands Act 

regulations. 

Spinelli said he would present his organization’s 

methods and goals of working with towns and 

counties to develop and fund plans that balance 

preservation and growth. 

In a December report, for example, the 

Highlands Council stated that it was working with 

18 municipalities and counties to develop and fund 

master plans for watershed management, drainage 

studies and proposed warehouse development. 

Included in that report was a plan to restore 

Mount Arlington’s public beach and the initial 

steps in Jefferson to create a sustainable economic 

development plan. 

Bucco said that after 20 years, it is time to 

examine how the Highlands Act is working. 

It is a delicate balance to allow a trickle of new 

development to help municipalities maintain 

their tax base and to sustain the protection of 

the environment and the watershed, Bucco said, 

especially in the wake of the 2019 statewide 

outbreak of harmful algal blooms that struck 

more than 70 state lakes, including Lake 

Hopatcong. 

“There is a possibility that development could 

be allowed on Route 15 and Route 23,” he said. “It 

might be time to amend the regulations, but we 

have to do it right.” 

One of Wilsusen’s frustrations is that the 

Highlands preservation area begins at the 

northbound lane of Route 15, leaving only one side 

of the busy state highway open for commercial 

development. 

Dale is equally frustrated, saying the impact of 

the act is clear for anyone driving north on Route 

23 from Butler into West Milford. 

“There are businesses along the highway in Butler 

and then nothing for the next three or so miles,” 

she said. 

A Google satellite photo reinforces that notion. 

An area photo showed a large patch of light at the 

eastern West Milford border with Kinnelon 

and Butler, then a long dark 

line until the road reaches Oak Ridge, where 

there is another splash of lights. 

So, land. 

Jefferson is 27,000 acres or 42 square miles. 

Within that acreage the City of Newark owns 

4,400 of taxable watershed, Morris County 

owns 3,500 acres, the state holds 4,700 acres of 

open space and wildlife preservation areas and 

Jefferson itself has preserved hundreds of acres, 

all of which is untaxed. 

According to the 2023 Morris County 

Abstract of Ratables, all of Jefferson’s land was 

worth $1.2 billion. The total assessed value of 

Jefferson property in 2023, including land and 

improvements, was $2.8 billion. 

“This act crushed our ability as 

a municipality to generate new 

ratables, especially commercial 

buildings, which are the best form 

of new revenue or ratables.” 

— Jefferson Township Mayor Eric Wilsusen 

That latter figure is used to determine the 

annual tax rate. The township’s total assessed 

value rose $23 million from 2022, the abstract 

said. 

West Milford, with 80 square miles, includes 

16,355 acres of Newark taxable watershed 

land, 14,310 of land owned by the state, 1,562 

acres owned by Passaic County, 732 acres of 

recreation land and open space owned by the 

township and assorted other lands owned by 

conservation groups, none of which is taxed. 

Both Wilsusen and Dale said the Newark 

watershed property files annual tax appeals, 

winning each appeal year after year. Jefferson 

has budgeted about $1.2 million in recent years 

to pay the tax appeal losses, Wilsusen said. 

Before 2004, Wilsusen said, 

the preserved land 

equaled about half the township. The passage 

of the Highlands Act increased that amount 

to 88 percent with the implementation of the 

preservation area. 

Much of that preserved land is unbuildable 

by modern standards, which disallows 

development on steep slopes and wetlands. The 

same land was once an important iron mining 

region that stretched from the eastern shore of 

Lake Hopatcong to the ridge formed by Bowling 

Green and Green Pond mountains. 

In an effort to encourage eco-tourism, in 2022 

the township declared these preserved lands as 

“green assets,” promoting them to hikers and 

other visitors. 

Jefferson’s development zone is along 

the shores of Lake Hopatcong and in small 

centers like Milton. 

Highlands Council’s Spinelli said Jefferson 

has several “community development zones,” 

like Milton and Berkshire Valley Road, inside 

the preservation area. 

In a 2014 Master Plan Element developed by 

Jefferson as part of the conformance policy of 

the Highlands Act, the township identified five 

potential areas for redevelopment, including 

sites on Berkshire Valley Road, Chamberlain 

Road, Stonehenge Road and several along the 

southbound side of Route 15. 

While the mayors of Jefferson and West 

Milford are reaching out to Bucco for help with 

a potential long-range Highlands plan, each 

township has been working with the Highlands 

Council on specific planning issues. 

Jefferson has begun seeking opinions for its 

sustainable economic development plan. 

A survey on the township website asks 

residents, visitors and business owners for 

information that planners will use to set a path 

for the township’s economy. 

Further, in 2023 the township amended its 

regional master plan to include development 

regulations for stormwater management, the 

township’s trails system and redevelopment 

of the Route 15 corridor. 

Other plans include a water use and 

conservation plan; amending zoning 

...continued on page 24 


Highlands Act (cont’d) 

in two commercial districts to allow apartments 

above non-residential uses; a review of the Lake 

Hopatcong commercial zones; possibly adding a 

section along Route 181 to the C-1 commercial 

zone and creating an accessory apartment 

ordinance. 

West Milford received a Highlands planning 

grant to determine if a donated parcel along 

Marshall Hill Road would be eligible for 

redevelopment. 

Jefferson lost 778 residents in the past decade, 

according to the U.S. Census Bureau. 

That’s why Jefferson Place, a two-phase 

housing complex of 114 units under construction 

on Route 15, is so important. 

The other reason is this: From 2019 to 2023, 

Jefferson saw no construction of any commercial 

building over 50,000 square feet, according to 

the 2023 Annual Report of the Morris County 

Planning Board. 

That’s the effect of the Highlands Act, 

Wilsusen said. 

“This act crushed our ability as a municipality 

to generate new ratables, especially commercial 

buildings, which are the best form of new 

revenue or ratables,” he said. 

That’s what Jefferson Place represents. 

According to the ordinance that approved the 

development, the new housing will add $202,835 

in new taxes per year once completed, more 

than the current $30,000 a year. The project is 

expected to be completed by the end of 2025. 

Over the life of the tax abatement plan, the 

development would provide approximately 

$11,056,659 in new taxes. 

In the near term, said Nick Minoia, managing 

partner of Diversified Properties, the site 

developer, Jefferson Place will bring new luxury 

housing units to a township lacking rental units 

and, more importantly, lacking new rental units. 

Minoia said Jefferson Place will offer oneand 

two-bedroom homes ranging from 855 to 

1,216 square feet, each with private garages and 

built-in den space. Amenities include an indoor 

fitness center, individual storage units, electric 

vehicle charging stations and an outdoor lounge 

and grilling area. 

“The market is the empty nesters and families 

starting out,” Minoia said, whose company is a 

leading apartment builder, with a new complex 

in Wharton, among many. 

Also, he said, during the pandemic the job 

market changed with people working from 

home, and in some cases relocating. Further, 

he said, towns are seeking rental complexes to 

meet their affordable housing requirements. 

“The Morris County Planning Board expects to 

continue to see high unit counts in this market as 

municipalities try to fill their affordable housing 

obligations and the market remains strong,” the 

county planning board concluded in its annual 

24 


report. 

If only, said Wilsusen and Dale. 

Administration of such an impactful law as the 

Highlands Act cannot be static, they said. 

Economic conditions have changed, 

environmental technologies have changed. 

Wilsusen, bolstered by a $750,000 federal 

study grant for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 

hopes to one day announce a new sewer system 

for Jefferson. It is an endeavor that has been 

called the most important environmental 

project in the lake region and could act as an 

economic catalyst. 

He wants to announce the arrival of a new 

grocery store or that the township’s school 

population is no longer shrinking. 

Dale in West Milford wants to be able to 

replace aging septic systems with sewers and 

take that step to improve the water quality in 

the township’s vast watersheds. 

Development along Route 23 would boost 

the region’s economy and provide better water 

protection by the careful redevelopment of 

dilapidated properties. 

Changes in the law would allow the township 

to redevelop municipal property using modern 

best practices to provide needed services, she 

said. 

The intent of the Highlands Act was not to 

empty out towns in the preservation zone — 

language in the act makes that clear — but to 

protect a priceless water supply through careful 

Become a part of 

the lake’s history! 

Join our membership today at 

www.LakeHopatcongHistory.com 

John Picinic, left, project manager for 

Diversified Properties, talks with Eric Wilsusen, 

Jefferson Township mayor, at the Jefferson 

Place construction site. 

management of development. 

Dale said the answer is not technical, but 

actual. Towns unable to provide modern 

facilities or top public services may soon lose 

out to towns that can. 

For towns like Jefferson and West Milford 

in lake-filled, recreation-oriented areas of 

overburdened New Jersey, the leaders don’t 

want a young family to make their living choice 

on the idea that the distance to a grocery 

store is more important than the distance 

to a boat marina. Or because local schools, 

through disinvestment resulting from dropping 

populations, didn’t meet their standards. 

By asking to consider changes to the Highlands 

Act that would allow some careful smart growth, 

Wilsusen and Dale are saying they don’t want to 

be the canary in that mine. 

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Website Preserves History 

of Two Neighborhoods 

Photo by KAREN FUCITO 

As buildings are being demolished in 

preparation for the new Landing Road 

Bridge, one local resident is committed to 

the preservation of Landing history — and 

neighboring Port Morris — one webpage at a 

time. 

Mottel Baleston launched LandingNewJersey. 

com as a hobby in 2002 after he was inspired 

by a visit to the Lake Hopatcong Museum. 

The website’s timing also coincided with the 

technological advancements of the internet. 

The year 2002 “is when a lot of the internet 

started to really explode, in that it was no 

longer the province of professional designers. 

Software was available that allowed anyone to 

put up a website,” he said. 

A self-taught web designer with a deep 

interest in local history, Baleston admitted the 

website’s format started out relatively primitive 

due to the available technology at the time and 

hasn’t changed that drastically over the years. 

“Because I had dabbled in doing small 

nonprofit websites for friends of mine who 

had small nonprofits, I learned how to do basic 

websites. They ain’t pretty, they ain’t modern 

looking — it looks like it was done by a middleaged 

guy using 15-year-old software because it 

was,” Baleston quipped. “And I still do that to this 

day. I don’t use a lot of the modern software.” 

Baleston started gathering content for the 

website through Google searches until he saw 

someone on eBay was selling Lake Hopatcong 

Breeze publications from the 1970s that 

included information that serialized the lake’s 

history. eBay was also a handy resource for 

finding vintage postcards of visitors having fun 

in the sun in various locations around the lake. 

With the blueprint for the website 

materializing, Baleston walked around the local 

neighborhood interviewing longtime residents. 

26 

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Understanding that people 

would not want to part with 

their prized photographs, 

he came up with a creative 

solution. 

“I literally went to people’s 

homes with a laptop and 

a small, portable scanner,” 

Baleston said. He reassured 

residents that they did not 

need to give him the photos. 

“I will scan them in front of 

you, and they will never leave your sight,” he 

told them. 

Baleston also frequented local mom-andpop 

shops to conduct his research. “I sat in the 

barber chair and talked to old-timers there in the 

barbershop and gathered all of the information 

and put up a preliminary website,” he said. 

Within weeks of publishing the website, 

Baleston started receiving emails from Landing 

and Port Morris residents saying how excited 

they were that their story was being told and 

awareness of LandingNewJersey.com grew 

by word-of-mouth. Visitors to the website 

began to share their personal histories, which 

facilitated Baleston’s research. 

“After a year, I didn’t have to seek out the 

stories, the stories were coming to me, and they 

are amazing stories,” Baleston said. 

Visitors to the website are just a few clicks 

away from being whisked back in time to when 

steamships cruised the lake, trolleys crossed the 

Landing Bridge and the Westmoreland Hotel 

stood proudly, welcoming guests from all walks 

of life. The Westmoreland was located about 50 

yards behind where the Station Hardware store 

now stands and overlooked the “new” Landing 

Bridge, which was completed in 1908. 

“It was a spectacular place — it was a 

playground where the wealthy met the middle 

class,” he said. 

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Mottel Baleston stands on Center Street in Landing. 

of Landing Bridge in 1908, looking to the south 

and seeing the gigantic Westmoreland Hotel 

rising before him. “I have some new scans I just 

obtained that show this beautiful old hotel,” he 

said. 

The website also includes information about 

Bertrand Island and maps and aerial photos of 

the entire lake, but the content is focused on 

Landing. 

The “History of Landing” webpage includes 

a detailed timeline from the colonial period to 

the modern era, ending with the state-approved 

plan to tear down the existing Landing Bridge 

once the new, four-lane Landing Road Bridge is 

completed. 

“There is a renaissance in Landing,” Baleston 

said, but admitted he is sad to see the 

demolition of some of the buildings and the old 

Landing Bridge. 

“We’re losing so many historic buildings,” he 

said, specifically referencing the building that 

was the home of Rumors, an adult entertainment 

venue, before it shuttered during the pandemic 

lockdown and never reopened. 

“That used to be a restaurant for the 

Westmoreland Hotel,” Baleston said, adding 

that famous entertainers performed there. 

He said it was only through the efforts of 

a handful of people that certain buildings 

received guarantees they would not be 

demolished, including Station Hardware. 

Although the Station Hardware building has no 

historical significance, “it is one of a lost breed 

of mom-and-pop, locally owned hardware 

stores,” Baleston said. “I value these stores that 

are local and independent, that contribute to 

the character of the neighborhood.” 

Baleston is, however, encouraged by the 

design that was approved for the new Landing 

Road Bridge. “The appearance, cosmetically, of 

the side of the bridge is going to have a 1920s 

appearance in keeping with that whole concrete 

and stone theme of the railroad station,” he said. 

A future page Baleston is working on will pay 

homage to the old Landing Bridge. 

“I have a lot more material and have at least 

three or four new pages in the planning stage,”

he said. “One would be on the bridge — 

specifically the history of the bridge. That bridge 

was critical in making the area a transportation 

hub.” 

As was the Port Morris Roundhouse, which 

can be seen in a photo from the late 1930s that 

is prominently displayed at the top of the Port 

Morris section of the website. Built in 1869 by 

the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad 

Company, the roundhouse was the heart of a 

bustling rail system. According to Baleston’s site, 

the roundhouse “would firm up the position of 

Port Morris as a major railway hub in these early 

years.” 

The page devoted to Port Morris, aptly named 

for its location along the Morris Canal, provides 

a brief history of the area from 1740 through to 

the 1970s. Photos, dating back to the early 1900s 

and including a collection of vintage family 

photos, visually tells the Port Morris story. 

The page also includes personal accounts by 

longtime residents Barbara Carmean Dickisson 

and Sal Valentino. 

Baleston has remained the editor and sole 

producer of content for the website and 

consistently cites his sources at the end of his 

articles. He encourages people to use material 

from the website, as long as they ask for 

permission. 

The changing landscape of Landing and the 

loss of historic buildings has heightened the 

need for Baleston to collect more vintage 

photographs to post to his website. He is 

hopeful that more people will come forward 

and share their stories and old photos. 

“We need to preserve some of those things 

that are buried in family albums and show them 

to the world,” he said. 

He is particularly interested in photographs 

taken outside and is imploring residents to 

share their personal stories. 

“People need to search through their 

shoeboxes and old photo albums for any 

outdoor photos of Landing as it was,” Baleston 

said. 

Scanned photos, stories and inquiries can be 

emailed to editor@LandingNewJersey.com. 

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Story and photos by KAREN FUCITO 

Under sunny skies and cooled by a breeze 

coming off Lake Hopatcong at Mount 

Arlington’s Memorial Beach, visitors enjoyed two 

hours of music courtesy of Sluggo, a four-piece 

band playing an eclectic mix of rock music from 

the 1960s to today. 

The Thursday, June 13 concert drew a crowd of 

just under 200 for the borough’s inaugural beach 

concert of the season. 

While the band performed atop a portable 

stage, concertgoers had the option of enjoying 

ice cream from a Dolly Jingles ice cream truck or 

a slice of pizza and a cold beverage from Pat’s Bar 

& Grill beer tent, a new feature at the concert 

series. Both are local businesses. 

“I think people will be pleased to hear there’s 

beer for sale at the beach concerts,” said Charlie 

Rinaldi, a Pat’s employee working at the beer 

tent. 

Organized and hosted by the borough’s 

recreation commission, the Thursday night music 

gigs will highlight local bands, like Sluggo, whose 

members, Fatboy, Tuna, Bruno and Destiny have 

been playing in the Mount Arlington area since 

1996. 

Additional Thursday night concerts at Memorial 

Beach will be held on July 18 and August 15. 

Left to right, top to bottom: Gunnar Batty, Hannah Safreed, Harry Safreed and Jennifer Safreed. Bob Nock and Barbara Clark. Sol Mars and Andy 

Mars. Christine Bruno, Sully Carrire, Adriana Valencia, Sassy Fox, Sluggo and Alice Rossback. Michelle Cassidy and Armond Cassidy. Diana Zoschak, 

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and John Adams. The band Sluggo: Bruno on drums, Tuna on bass guitar, lead singer Destiny and Fatboy on guitar. 


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REVIEW 

“Starter Villain” by John Scalzi • Reviewed by Seth Stephens, Jefferson Township Public Library 

Charlie Fitzer’s life is in the dumpster. He’s lost his job as a journalist. His father died. His wife left him. And now, his Uncle 

Jake, whom he hasn’t seen or spoken to in over 30 years, has died with instructions that Charlie oversee his funeral and 

parking lot business empire. The only companion who has not abandoned Charlie is his adopted cat, Hera. 

After hosting a calamitous funeral that sees strangers stabbing his uncle’s embalmed corpse to make sure he is really 

dead and having his house blown up, Charlie learns his Uncle Jake could have been the prototype for a James Bond style 

supervillain. His uncle had also made him heir to his secret business empire, complete with a volcanic island hideout, lasers, 

satellites and henchmen. 

Also included in Charlie’s inheritance are talking cats who mentor him, dolphins threatening a labor strike, a group of 

competing supervillains conspiring to take over his uncle’s empire, cash liquidity issues and stolen Nazi artifacts. 

Much to his own surprise, Charlie discovers he has what it takes to succeed as a master villain, but is this really what he 

wants? Will he give it all up to buy the neighborhood pub, which holds memories of his best times with his late father? 

Using comic allusions to James Bond movies and the quest for material wealth, John Scalzi writes a multi-layered comedic novel, questioning what 

is most important in life: people or possessions. 

“Hester” by Laura Lico Albanese • Reviewed by Tina Mayer, Mount Arlington Public Library 

Laurie Lico Albanese’s novel, “Hester,” takes place in the 19th century and features the life of Isobel Gamble, a young 

immigrant seamstress who becomes disillusioned with her expectations of life in America. She travels to the New World 

with her husband, Edward, a druggist who has an opium addiction. His debts force them to leave Glasgow for a fresh start in 

America. Days after they arrive in Salem, he abandons her and leaves her broke and alone in a strange country. 

Isobel meets up with a young Nathaniel Hawthorne and their encounters develop into a relationship, which parallels the 

life of Hester Prynne, the subject of Hawthorne’s “The Scarlet Letter.” He is haunted by the actions of his ancestors, and she 

is troubled by her mysterious talents. 

Their story is entwined with the concepts of witchcraft, dark arts and scrutiny. A work of historical fiction, “Hester” is an 

excellent choice for readers who like intrigue, history and a bit of romantic drama. 

“The Future” by Naomi Alderman • Reviewed by Radwa Ali, Roxbury Public Library 

“The Future” by Naomi Alderman is a critique of where we are and where we’re going as a society. While the setting is 

technically speculative, one can’t help but draw comparisons to the here and now: technology, climate change, tech moguls, 

the power and influence of today’s billionaires and the impact of AI, algorithms and pandemics on society. These elements 

and more are woven into a story that keeps you turning page after page. 

Unlike in her previous novel, “The Power,” the revolution of “The Future” comes from the privileged insiders already 

working within and by all rights, benefiting from the system. This is not a story about the everyman dismantling injustices. 

Instead, this is a story that must convince the reader that former CEOs, executive assistants and family members of the most 

powerful billionaires in society would go to great lengths to consciously change our world for the better. A world that by its 

design benefits the protagonists. 

Whether or not you believe the ending is realistic — well, that will depend on your own feelings about the complexities 

of our modern age. 

“Love Lettering” by Kate Clayborn • Reviewed by Susan Waltner, E. Louise Childs Branch Library 

Meg Mackworth’s hand-lettering skills has made her famous. Known as the Planner of Park Slope, she designs custom 

journals for her New York City clientele. She has another skill too: reading signs. When she senses the upcoming nuptials of 

Reid Sutherland and his polished fiancee are doomed to fail, she weaves a secret code into the wedding program they have 

hired her to create. Jump to a year later when Reid tracks down Meg to find out how she knew his meticulously planned 

future would implode. But with a looming deadline and a bad case of creative block, Meg doesn’t have time for Reid’s 

questions. Unless, he can help her find some inspiration. 

As they gradually open up to each other, can they resist the signs of a deeper connection between them, or will they 

ignore them until it’s too late? You’ll just have to read it to find out. 

“Love Lettering” is a story full of the promise of love where we least expect to find it. 

32 


Cheers to you, Red, White & Blue 

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HISTORY 

by MARTY KANE 

Photos courtesy 

of the 

LAKE HOPATCONG 

HISTORICAL 

MUSEUM 

On July 16, 1925, Henry B. Kummel, director 

of the New Jersey Department of 

Conservation and Development, traveled to 

Lake Hopatcong to oversee the opening of the 

Lake Hopatcong Dam. 

The switching on of a fountain in the new 

Hopatcong State Park was a highlight of 

the ceremony. For decades, visitors to Lake 

Hopatcong enjoyed the welcoming sight of the 

fountain flowing alongside Lakeside Boulevard, 

until its closure in the 1990s. 

On July 16, 2024 — exactly 99 years after the 

original ceremony — Commissioner Shawn 

M. LaTourette of the New Jersey Department 

of Environmental Protection (successor 

to the Department of Conservation and 

Development) will preside over the start-up of 

the newly restored fountain. The rededication 

ceremony marks the culmination of a successful 

collaboration between the Lake Hopatcong 

community and the state of New Jersey in a 

project that began over 10 years ago. 

The fountain’s story begins with the Morris 

Canal. 

When the New Jersey State Legislature took 

control of the canal in 1922, it determined 

the land around the outlet and lock at Lake 

Hopatcong, formerly owned by the Morris 

Canal and Banking Company, should become a 

state park. In 1924, plans for the construction of 

a new dam on the site were announced. 

In addition to maintaining the level of the 

lake reached during operation of the canal, the 

dam would feed water to the Musconetcong 

Lake Hopatcong’s Fountain 

River, for which Lake Hopatcong serves as the 

origin or headwaters. 

However, much like today, the subject of how 

much water should be allowed to flow from 

Lake Hopatcong down to the Musconetcong 

River was a controversial topic. 

Lake residents and business owners wanted 

to ensure the lake maintained sufficient water 

each year. Led by well-known inventor and 

industrialist Hudson Maxim, this group recalled 

the low water levels of the Morris Canal era. 

While the canal was operating, the lake 

averaged more than 20 inches below highwater 

mark by August and was down almost 4 

feet on several occasions. 

On the other side of the argument were the 

mill owners and others along the Musconetcong 

River who claimed the right to water flowing 

from Lake Hopatcong. 

The construction of a fountain at Hopatcong 

State Park was the result of a compromise 

between the two groups. 

Utilizing the dam and a fountain, Cornelius C. 

Vermeule, the engineer in charge of dismantling 

the Morris Canal, calculated a system in which 

the flow of water into the Musconetcong River 

would be equivalent to the amount supplied by 

the lake before the original dam was built. And 

the system, he calculated, “would lower the 

lake probably not more than 6 inches or a foot 

during the season.” 

Vermeule designed the fountain so that 

water would spout to a height of about 12 feet 

and placed it in a prominent position visible 

from the nearby road. 

The contract to construct the fountain 

and dam and straighten and improve 

Lakeside Boulevard was awarded to Gotham 

Construction Company of New York City, at a 

cost of $97,560. 

Work began in the fall of 1924 and the 

concrete fountain was poured in April of 1925. 

The fountain was completed and tested that 

June, and the new Hopatcong State Park with 

its dam and fountain were 

officially dedicated in July. 

The July 18, 1925 Lake 

Hopatcong Breeze reported 

that, “the abandonment of the old Morris 

Canal, the removal of the leaky old locks and 

the completion of a substantial concrete dam 

which will hereafter guard the waters of Lake 

Hopatcong and maintain them at high water 

mark, were celebrated.” 

According to the Breeze, state officials 

reportedly inspected and dedicated the dam 

and surrounding lands as a state park and 

turned on the fountain, “which will restore the 

entire outflow of the Lake to its old channel, 

the Musconetcong River.” 

Hopatcong State Park’s fountain operated 

year-round for the next 70 years. 

Its flow rate of 12 cubic feet per second 

(CFS) was the established minimum rate from 

Lake Hopatcong into the Musconetcong River. 

Maintenance became an issue over time as lake 

debris interfered with the flow, requiring park 

personnel to perform significant manual labor 

to keep the fountain flowing. 

In addition, liability became a concern as 

individuals waded in the fountain basin. In 

the 1990s the decision was made to turn the 

fountain off and use the dam’s sluice gates to 

provide water for the Musconetcong River. 

In 2013, the newly established Lake Hopatcong 

Foundation began to consider ideas that 

would improve the quality of life at the lake. 

Restarting the Hopatcong State Park fountain 

was suggested. 

After meetings with the park superintendent 

and maintenance staff to understand why the 

fountain had been closed, it was agreed experts 

would be brought in to review the situation. 

While the Morris County Historic Preservation 

Trust Fund awarded a grant for this purpose 

in 2014, proposals produced under this effort 

were deemed unaffordable. 

It was at this point that local engineer Bob 

Rung of Hopatcong stepped in to keep the 

project alive as he looked for more costeffective 

ways to restore the fountain. 

Significant volunteer engineering analysis as 

well as testing of pipes and other parts of the 

structure were donated by Rung and associates. 

Joining the volunteer team was Justin McCarthy, 

also of Hopatcong, then an engineering student 

at Stevens Institute of Technology. Dialogue 

continued with the NJDEP and the Division of 

Parks and Forestry to develop a coordinated 

approach for the restoration. 

Management of the 

project shifted from 

the Lake Hopatcong 

Foundation to the Lake 

Left to right: Hopatcong 

State Park fountain, 

circa 1960. 

Hudson Maxim at 

Hopatcong State 

Park fountain with two 

unnamed “flappers,” 

September 7, 1925. 

34 


Hopatcong Historical Museum, 

which brought in Connolly & Hickey 

Historical Architects to assist. After 

consultation with the state, the 

museum applied for and received a 

Morris County Historic Preservation 

Trust Fund grant in 2021 to develop 

a formal construction plan based upon the 

volunteer work that had occurred. 

Joining the Connolly & Hickey team during this 

stage was a group of four Stevens engineering 

students, mentored by faculty member Leslie 

Brunell, who made the restoration project the 

students’ senior project. Led by McCarthy, the 

students contributed creativity and enthusiasm 

to the project. 

During 2021, the combined professional and 

student team, with the support of state park 

personnel, succeeded in getting the fountain 

operating several times, including a trial that 

came very close to the original operating height 

and specifications. 

In addition, the team succeeded in sending a 

robotic camera through the entire 400 feet of 

pipes, which located the source of a leak and 

demonstrated that relining the pipe would be 

unnecessary while documenting a solution for 

clogging and nozzle issues. 

Based upon these efforts and with the 

approval of the Division of Parks and Forestry, 

a grant application was submitted and 

subsequently awarded for restoration of the 

fountain in 2022. With the help of residents, as 

well as generous donations 

from the Verhalen and 

Cleveland Foundations, 

the museum raised 20 

percent of the restoration 

costs, as required under 

the grant. 

A contract to restore 

the fountain and complete the work necessary 

at the dam to screen debris was awarded to 

O’Donnell Construction of Mount Arlington, 

which has done an amazing job. A specialty 

vendor cleaned the pipe last fall and Trylon 

Metal Works of Lyndhurst is currently 

completing the ornamental fence and metal 

work. 

The successful restoration of the Hopatcong 

State Park fountain is the result of the 

combined effort of many parties at both the 

state and local level over the past 10 years. It is 

a shining example of what can be accomplished 

through collaboration. 

We invite you to join us at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, 

July 16, at Hopatcong State Park to celebrate 

this achievement and welcome a familiar sight 

back to Lake Hopatcong. 

Top to bottom, left to right: Original invitation 

to the opening of the fountain and dam on July 

16, 1925. A group of unidentified individuals 

stand in front of the fountain, circa 1925. Bob 

O’Donnell, center, and Sal Cucinella (left) repair 

masonry at the fountain in November of 2023. 

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COOKING 

WITH SCRATCH © 

Summer Is For Cocktails 

by 

BARBARA SIMMONS 

Photo by 

KAREN FUCITO 

This is a first. I’ve 

never written a 

column about cocktails before, and I’ve really 

enjoyed reliving my childhood experiences and 

my fond memories about cocktail hour with 

my great aunt and great uncle. 

I often wonder if folks of “my vintage” (yes, 

baby boomers) have the same issues when it 

comes to remembering their childhoods. 

Which are the real memories — your very 

own memories — and which are recollections 

of home movies and photo albums you’ve 

looked at a million times or stories your 

parents told you? 

I’ve recently been thinking about the few 

close relatives we had when I was growing up. 

Not many from either my mother’s side or my 

father’s side lived in America. 

My parents immigrated here in 1952 after 

meeting and getting married just after the 

war in my mother’s hometown of Wiesbaden, 

Germany. My mother had a maternal aunt and 

a paternal uncle who immigrated before the 

war to New Jersey. 

Tante Lina Heberling lived in Verona and 

Onkel Mack (Julius Makowski) lived in Essex 

Fells. We were not far away, in Montclair. 

Surrounded as I am by boxes of vintage 

photos and albums from my parents’ families 

that I’ve been working on organizing for the 

last few years, I have been thinking about 

which are my real memories and which are 

the ones that were passed down to me. A few 

sensory memories: smells and sounds come up 

for me when I think about my great-uncle and 

great-aunt whom we visited often. 

Tante Lina in Verona was a caretaker for 

an elderly woman of German descent, Mrs. 

Silkworth. Mrs. Silkworth would often burst 

into song — the German Christmas carol “O du 

seelige” (Oh thou holy one) — at any time of 

the year (not just Christmas!). I also remember 

dreading having to give her a hug and a kiss 

hello or goodbye because of her stubbly chin 

hairs! 

The memories of Onkel Mack’s house were 

more pleasant, and my most vivid memory was 

the smell of his pipe. It was so pleasant and 

distinctive that if I get a whiff of pipe smoke 

(rare these days), I’m instantly transported back 

to Onkel Mack and Tante Dorothy’s house in 

Essex Fells. 

Things were fancy at their house. We were 

invited for the holidays in the winter and patio 

parties in the summer. That pipe’s fragrance 

and spying the frosty pitcher of martinis Tante 

Dorothy had ready for the grown-ups are the 

two things I remember best about our visits. 

My mother, Gertrude, often said I developed 

a taste for gin because when I was a baby, if I 

was being fussy, Tante Dorothy would jiggle me 

in her arms, dip her pinky into her martini and 

give me a taste. 

Onkel Mack and Tante Dorothy were world 

travelers and made several trips to the Pacific. 

Their home was decorated with all kinds of 

interesting objects they brought back from 

their travels. My brother, Frank, and I loved to 

sit on the wooden tortoise stools in front of 

their fireplace that came from Hawaii. 

In the summer, we’d all gather on their 

patio and the adults would sip their martinis 

and nibble on Tante Dorothy’s fancy horsd’oeuvres, 

something we didn’t do at home. 

Some of my favorite photos from our albums 

were snapped on their patio: Tante Dorothy 

dressed in a chic silk Chinese “cheongsam” 

dress. My father, Horst and my brother, Harry, 

sitting on the red and yellow butterfly chairs 

enjoying a smoke. My brother, Frank, at age 14 

or 15 months, sitting in their birdbath, naked. 

Tante Dorothy and Onkel Mack’s cocktail 

traditions never really carried over to our 

home, not in Montclair or up at the lake when 

we bought the house in 1963. 

Horst was a beer guy. Beer, a German food 

group, was always in the house. My father and 

older brother would enjoy it pretty much on a 

daily basis. 

The sight of a brown glass vintage “fat boy” 

Pabst Blue Ribbon bottle really takes me back 

to memories of my father fishing down at the 

lake, sitting on our dock, enjoying his Pabst 

and smoking a Camel. Once in a blue moon, 

Gertrude, my mother, enjoyed a gin and tonic, 

but only one in the evening on the weekends. 

After the cocktail hour, Tante Dorothy 

always warmed the dinner plates in the oven 

as my mother helped set the table with the 

freshly polished silverware. The crown roast of 

pork had paper frills at the tips of the bones 

and the baked potatoes, wrapped in foil, were 

served with butter and sour cream. 

Boy oh boy, Tante Dorothy sure set the bar 

high. 

I’ve certainly enjoyed my share of cocktails 

over the years. Classic gin martinis (with 

vermouth!) like Onkel Mack used to make 

are still my favorite. Not everybody likes gin, 

though, and this recipe is sure to please. 

PROUDLY SUPPORTING LAKE HOPATCONG 

AND THE BOATING COMMUNITY SINCE 1987 

MORRIS COUNTY 

MARINE INC. 

Sales • Service • Storage 

Harry and Horst Kertscher on Julius Makowski‘s 

patio, circa 1959. (Photo courtesy of the author.) 

36 


Text: 201-400-6031 

God Bless America 

745 US 46 W • Kenvil, NJ

Lemon Basil Martini Serves: 2 

I was inspired to write about lemon basil martinis when I was at my local garden center last week. I was excited to find globe basil, which makes 

the loveliest garnish for this drink. 

If you’re not familiar with it, globe basil has the same flavor profile as sweet basil (large leaf Italian basil) but in an adorable miniature format. It’s a 

lovely little compact plant that grows 6-10” tall and is covered with tiny ¼” leaves. 

It’s not a basil I’d use for making pesto, but it makes a delicate garnish for tomato-based pasta dishes or bruschetta. And, in this case, it makes a 

pretty little flourish for one of my favorite cocktails. 

Tip: It’s convenient to have a quantity of lemon juice squeezed and prepared syrup on hand because most people will want more than one. Also, 

be sure to chill your martini glasses in the freezer up to two hours before serving. I gently place them horizontally in the ice basket in the freezer, 

alternating “head to toe” to maximize the space. 

MAKE AHEAD: 

Lemon Juice 

Ingredients: 

About 5 large lemons 

Grated rind of 1 lemon 

Procedure: 

1. Roll the lemons on the counter or microwave them for about a 

minute to yield the most juice. 

2. Grate the rind of one lemon into a 2-cup measuring cup. Halve 

and squeeze it and the rest of the lemons into the measuring cup, 

being sure to remove any stray pits. I like to use a hinged lemon 

squeezer to extract the most possible juice. 

WHEN READY TO SERVE: 

In a cocktail shaker add: 

1 cup ice cubes 

1 ounce (1 shot) basil syrup 

2 ounces lemon juice 

3 ounces vodka 

Basil Syrup 

Ingredients: 

1 cup water 

1 cup sugar 

1 cup (about 20 grams) fresh basil leaves and stems 

Procedure: 

1. Bring the water, sugar and basil leaves to a boil. Simmer 

1 minute. Let steep at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours. 

Strain and refrigerate before using. 

For Garnish: 

2 sprigs of globe basil 

2 large basil leaves 

1 lemon slice 

Procedure: 

1. Shake and strain into a chilled martini glass. 

2. Garnish with a lemon slice and a sprig of globe basil. For an additional jolt of basil flavor, “spank” a large basil leaf between your hands and 

float it on top of each cocktail. 

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WORDS OF 

A FEATHER 

38 

A Tragic Tale 

Story and photo by HEATHER SHIRLEY 

Last month, on a beach just 7 miles from 

my home in southwest Florida, a tragedy 

occurred. Less than 24 hours after being 

spotted near the shore, a young male sperm 

whale died. 

He was 44 feet long, with an estimated 

weight of 70,000 pounds. I went to see him 

and, despite being unwell, he was magnificent. 

When the whale was first seen, observers 

called in local authorities and waves of partner 

organizations quickly mobilized. Florida Wildlife 

Commission, University of Florida, Mote 

Marine, Clearwater Aquarium, U.S. National 

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 

and local police were on the scene almost 

immediately. Of course, the teams all wanted 

to save the whale. 

Alas, sea conditions were not right to get the 

whale back out to sea. And the representatives 

I spoke with said he would not have lived even 

if they had been able to. The whale was in clear 

distress, thin and struggling to breathe. 

Whales can suffer vessel strikes, oil spills, 

entanglement in fishing nets or lines, starvation 

due to consumption of debris and even viruses, 

including the ones humans suffer. (Another 

reason to get vaccinated, one NOAA official 

reminded me.) 

We don’t at present know why this whale 

died, but hopefully someday we will. 

Following his death, the whale was towed to 

shore and a necropsy — the animal version of an 

autopsy — was performed. Vets and scientists 

conducted this incredibly well-structured and 

respectful operation over a 14-hour period. 

According to NOAA’s website, “Necropsies of 

marine mammals (e.g., seals, sea lions, dolphins, 

and whales) can provide significant information 

regarding the health of the individual animal, 

the species, and the ocean environment.” 

Scientists will also use the data for species 


conservation and 

management. 

At least the whale’s 

death will provide 

information to 

hopefully help save 

other denizens of the 

sea. 

It may not seem 

likely that the Gulf 

of Mexico is home 

to endangered sperm 

whales, but it indeed 

is. I spoke with Laura 

Engleby, the chief of 

NOAA’s Southeast 

Marine Mammal Branch. She showed me an app 

on her phone that depicts a live-action map of 

the Gulf, showing every tagged cetacean. 

There are 20 species of whales and dolphins 

in the Gulf. Rice’s whales, the world’s most 

endangered whale, with just 51 individuals alive 

today, are endemic to the Gulf of Mexico. As 

we looked, the app showed 1,100 sperm whales 

present in the Gulf. 

One of the toothed whale species (akin to 

orcas), sperm whales are found in every ocean 

around the world. Adults have no known 

predators. 

Sperm whales hold a few world records: they 

themselves are the world’s largest predator, 

they dive deeper than any other marine 

mammal and they have the largest brain of 

any animal on Earth to have ever lived. Pretty 

impressive! 

They prefer to live in ice-free, deep water 

because of their deep dives for food, which 

includes fish, squid and sharks. Their dives can 

last for more than an hour. 

Sperm whales got their name from 

spermaceti, a waxy, semi-liquid substance 

that fills two areas of a specialized part of the 

forehead called the melon. The whales produce 

sounds through a system of tissue and air sacs 

channeled through the melon, and whales can 

even manipulate the shape of this organ so that 

sound beams are very narrow or quite broad. 

This enables accurate echolocation as well as 

communication. A sperm whale’s head can hold 

1,900 liters of spermaceti. 

Unfortunately, this substance made them 

the most highly sought-after target by whalers, 

who harvested them to use the spermaceti 

“whale oil” to fuel lamps and make candles. 

Sperm whale hunting began in the early 18th 

century; at the time, their global population 

was estimated at 1.1 million individuals. By the 

end of that century, whalers had killed almost 

one-third of them. 

They rebounded very slightly as whaling 

activity declined, but after World War II heavy 

whaling resumed, and the population declined 

by another third. Estimates report that almost 

800,000 sperm whales were killed between 

The author snapped this photo of marine wildlife organizations gathered 

on the beach in Venice, Florida, helpless in an effort to save a dying sperm 

whale beached on a sand bar just visible in the water. 

Scan the QR code with 

your phone’s camera 

to hear the sounds of 

a sperm whale. 

1946 and 1980. During these years, whales were 

transformed into such household items as 

machine oil, cosmetics and even typewriter 

ribbons. 

Thank goodness the International Whaling 

Commission finally outlawed sperm whale 

hunting in 1985. The current estimated 

population ranges widely, but most 

organizations put the number at 300,000. 

With that kind of population pressure, it was 

especially painful to witness a sperm whale 

dying right near my home. As said, hopefully 

his death will reveal clues for how to better 

protect his species and other marine creatures. 

Once the necropsy of the whale was finished, 

a “no swimming” edict was issued for our coast. 

The whale was hauled 15 miles out to sea. Its 

body was feasted on by whole schools of 

sharks, including 20-foot tiger sharks and even 

great whites. 

At least the astounding circle of life rolls on, 

as the tragic death of one marvelous creature 

helps sustain other predators who help keep 

our fragile ecosystem healthy. 

Rest in peace, young whale. You are missed. 

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7.14 Italian Sunday Dinner 

7.18 Karaoke Cruise 

7.20 Studio 54 Cruise 

7.23 Taco & Tequila Tuesday 

7.25 Farm to Boat Cruise 

7.30 Trivia Tuesday 

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There’s a whole lotta fun waiting on 

Lake Hopatcong! 

See the lake from a different perspective with Lake 

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directory 

CONSTRUCTION/ 

EXCAVATION 

Al Hutchins Excavating 

973-663-2142 

973-713-8020 

Global Contracting 

800-292-3268 

globalpaving.com 

Lakeside Construction 

151 Sparta-Stanhope Rd., Hopatcong 

973-398-4517 

Northwest Explosives 

PO Box 806, Hopatcong 

973-398-6900 

info@northwestexplosives.com 

Robertson Excavating 

973-398-9476 

ENTERTAINMENT/ 

RECREATION 

Lake Hopatcong Adventure Company 

37 Nolan’s Pt. Park Rd., LH 

973-663-1944 

lhadventureco.com 

Lake Hopatcong Cruises 

Miss Lotta (Dinner Boat) 


973-663-5000 

lhcruises.com 

Lake Hopatcong Mini Golf Club 


973-663-0451 

lhgolfclub.com 

Roxbury Arts Alliance 

72 Eyland Ave., Succasunna 

973-945-0284 

roxburyartsalliance.org 

HOME SERVICES 

Central Comfort 

100 Nolan’s Point Rd., LH 

973-361-2146 

Evening Star 

LED Deck/Dock Lights 

eveningstarlighting.com 

Homestead Lawn Sprinkler 

5580 Berkshire Valley Rd., OR 

973-208-0967 

homesteadlawnsprinkler.com 

J-I Renovations 

862-462-0183 

jirenovation.us 

Jefferson Recycling 

710 Route 15 N Jefferson 

973-361-1589 

jefferson-recycling.com 

Metro Supply and Service 

201 Green Pond Rd., Rockaway 

973-627-7626 

metrosupplyinc.com 

The Polite Plumber 

973-398-0875 

thepoliteplumber.com 

Premier Tech EcoFlow 

973-600-9264 

premiertechaqua.com 

The Probilt Group 

973-886-3654 

probiltgroup.com 

Sacks Paint & Wallpaper 

52 N Sussex St., Dover 

973-366-0119 

sackspaint.net 

Window Genie 

973-726-6555 

windowgenie.com/northwest-nj 

LAKE SERVICES 

AAA Dock & Marine 

27 Prospect Point Rd., LH 

973-663-4998 

docksmarina@hotmail.com 

Batten The Hatches 

70 Rt. 181, LH 

973-663-1910 

facebook.com/bthboatcovers 

Lake Management Sciences 

Branchville 

973-948-0107 

lakemgtsciences.com 

MARINAS 

Katz’s Marinas 

22 Stonehenge Rd., LH 

973-663-0224 

katzmarinaatthecove.com 

342 Lakeside Ave., Hopatcong 

973-663-3214 

antiqueboatsales.com 

Lake’s End Marina 

91 Mt. Arlington Blvd., Landing 

973-398-5707 

lakesendmarina.net 

Morris County Marine 

745 US 46W, Kenvil 

201-400-6031 

South Shore Marine 

862-254-2514 

southshoremarine180@gmail.com 

NONPROFITS 

Canal Society of NJ 

973-292-2755 

canalsocietynj.org 

Lake Hopatcong Commission 

260 Lakeside Blvd.,Landing 

973-601-7801 

commissioner@lakehopatcongcommission.org 

Lake Hopatcong Elks 

201 Howard Blvd, MA 

973-668-9302 

Lake Hopatcong Foundation 

125 Landing Rd., Landing 

973-663-2500 

lakehopatcongfoundation.org 

Lake Hopatcong Historical Museum 

260 Lakeside Blvd., Landing 

973-398-2616 

lakehopatconghistory.com 

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES 

Barbara Anne Dillon,,O.D.,P.A. 

180 Howard Blvd., Ste. 18 MA 

973-770-1380 

Fox Architectural Design 

546 St. Rt. 10 W, Ledgewood 

973-970-9355 

foxarch.com 

REAL ESTATE 

Kathleen Courter 

RE/MAX 

131 Landing Rd., Roxbury 

973-420-0022 Direct 

KathySellsNJHomes.com 

Robin Dora 

Sotheby’s International 

670 Main St., Towaco 

973-570-6633 

thedoragroup.com 

Christopher J. Edwards 

RE/MAX 

211 Rt. 10E, Succasunna 

973-598-1008 

MrLakeHopatcong.com 

Karen Foley 

Sotheby’s International 

670 Main St., Towaco 

973-906-5021 

prominentproperties.com 

Jim Leffler 

RE/MAX 

131 Landing Rd., Roxbury 

201-919-5414 

jimleff.rmx@gmail.com 

RESTAURANTS & BARS 

Alice’s Restaurant 


973-663-9600 

alicesrestaurantnj.com 

Big Fish Lounge At Alice’s 


973-663-9600 

alicesrestaurantnj.com 

The Windlass Restaurant 

45 Nolan’s Point Park Rd., LH 

973-663-3190 

thewindlass.com 

SENIOR CARE 

Preferred Care at Home 

George & Jill Malanga/Owners 

973-512-5131 

PreferHome.com/nwjersey 

SPECIALTY STORES 

Alstede Fresh @ Lindeken 

54 NJ Rt 15 N, Wharton 

908-879-7189 

AlstedeFarms.com 

Hawk Ridge Farm 

283 Espanong Rd, LH 

hawkridgefarmnj.com 

Hearth & Home 

1215 Rt. 46, Ledgewood 

973-252-0190 

hearthandhome.net 

Helrick’s Custom Framing 

158 W Clinton St., Dover 

973-361-1559 

helricks.com 

Italy Tours with Maria 

ItalyTourswithMaria@yahoo.com 

JF Woodproducts 

973-590-4319 

jfwoodproducts.com 

Main Lake Market 

234 S. NJ Ave., LH 

973-663-0544 

mainlakemarket.com 

Steve Lindahl, author 

stevelindahl.com 

Orange Carpet & Wood Gallery 

470 Rt. 10W, Ledgewood 

973-584-5300 

orange-carpet.com 

STORAGE 

Woodport Self Storage 

17 Rt. 181 & 20 Tierney Rd., LH 

973-663-4000 

THE PROBILT GROUPccc 

BUILDERS, REMODELERS, MANAGERS 

WE STRIVE TO MEET ALL 

BUDGETS, ASK US ABOUT OUR 

MATERIAL DISCOUNT PROGRAM 

• NEW HOME BUILDER 

• ADDITIONS 

• ADD LEVELS & DORMERS 

• HOME RENOVATIONS 

• KITCHEN REMODELING 

• BATHROOM RENOVATIONS 

• FINISHED BASEMENTS 

-WE ACCEPT CREDIT CARDS 

-FINANCING AVAILABLE 

-FREE CONSUL TATIONS 

40 


ORTHWEST 

EXPLOSIVES 

BLASTING CONTRACTORS 

❖ Construction Drilling & Blasting 

❖ Drilling & Blasting for Utilities, Mass 

Excavations, Roadways & Bridges 

❖ Quarry Drilling & Blasting 

❖ Drilling & Blasting for Residential 

and Commercial Projects 

❖ Explosive & Non-Explosive Methods 

info@northwestexplosives.com 

P.O. Box 806 

Hopatcong, New Jersey 07843 

973-398-6900 

Fax 973-398-5623 

We Love Rock! Serving New Jersey & New York 


Nolan’s Point Park Rd., Lake Hopatcong 

42 


livethelakenj.com • 973.663.2490 • Connect with us! 

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283 ESPANONG RD,LAKE HOPATCONG, NJ | HAWKRIDGEFARMNJ

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