2023 Fall Issue

INFORMING, SERVING AND CELEBRATING THE LAKE REGION
ake Hopatcong News
FALL 2023 VOL. 15 NO. 6
Defined By Talent
Amanda Anastasia and her brother, Daniel Anastasia, are making
their mark on the world one painting and comic book at a time.
FRIENDS GROUP
A MUSICAL HAYRIDE
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KEEPER OF THE LAKE

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4
LAKE HOPATCONG NEWS Fall 2023
From the Editor
This issue’s cover story is about Amanda and Daniel Anastasia, siblings who live with their mom,
Samantha, and her significant other, Dan, in Hopatcong.
I first heard about Amanda early last year, when writer Ellen Wilkowe and I were working on the story
about Rebecca’s Homestead, a self-sustaining residential home and farm for adults with developmental
disabilities. That story was published in the 2022 Memorial Day issue.
I was told Amanda was this incredibly talented young woman who, despite her physical limitations,
was making a name for herself as an artist. Amanda, who is nonverbal and can only move her head,
paints using a specially fitted paintbrush attached to a headband.
It was information I squirreled away, knowing at some point in the future I would revisit it for a story,
which I did earlier this year.
It was during my initial phone conversation with Samantha back in the spring that I found out about
Amanda’s brother, Daniel. He, too, I was told, had the same physical challenges as his sister. He is also
nonverbal and can only move his head.
And, like his sister, Daniel is also expressing himself creatively. Instead of painting, however, Daniel
flexes his creative muscles as a writer. He just published his first comic book.
Technology, it seems, has allowed Amanda and Daniel to learn and grow and communicate and
thrive.
Immediately, for my own curiosity, I wanted to know more, and the journalist in me wanted to get
their stories—Amanda’s, Daniel’s and Samantha’s—out there.
But during that first phone call, Samantha hesitated to approve moving forward with the story.
Protective? Yes. More importantly, she told me, she didn’t want the story to dwell on the challenges
but rather, she wanted the story to celebrate the achievements.
She certainly did not want people to feel sorry for her children—or for her—which has happened in
the past, she said. She wants people to know her children are very happy, never bored and living their
best lives, with friends, activities and a purpose.
“Life is good for them,” she said. “I am very blessed.”
With Amanda’s and Daniel’s approval, we moved forward with a story. (See page 22.)
In the time since writer Melissa Summers turned in her story, I’ve found out that Amanda, who
her mother said is always challenging herself, is, for the first time, learning to write words. She is
accomplishing this by using the headband and a new art medium known as water pencils. With the
promise of getting it tattooed on her body, Samantha challenged Amanda to write the word Mom.
She did—but it has yet to be tattooed. More recently, Amanda wrote the word believe, said Samantha.
Melissa and I met the family for the first time when were invited to their house in Hopatcong for
interviews and photos. There was conversation and laughter and a bit of sibling rivalry—not unusual in
any household, just delivered differently in this one.
As you can imagine, throughout my career as a photojournalist and now as editor of this publication,
I’ve met a lot of people. I’ve photographed sports legends, celebrities and presidents. But those aren’t
the stories that left an impact.
What stands out in my almost 40-year journalism career are everyday
people who have left me feeling inspired, moved and, sometimes,
emotional.
The Anastasia family falls into the category of people I’ve met on the job
who I won’t soon forget.
Not only was I blown away by the talents of Amanda and Daniel and how
they express themselves, but I was also impressed with how Samantha and
the village of people who surround this family cheer them on.
I hope you find something in this story that inspires, uplifts and stays with
you as it did with me.
—Karen
ake Hopatcong News
FRIENDS GROUP
A MUSICAL HAYRIDE
INFORMING, SERVING AND CELEBRATING THE LAKE REGION
Defined By Talent
Depsite their physical limits, Amanda Anastasia and her brother,
Daniel Anastasia, are making their mark on the world.
LOVE OF VINTAGE
KEEPER OF THE LAKE
FALL 2023 VOL. 15 NO. 6
ON THE COVER
Artist Amanda Anastasia and her
brother, comic book author Daniel
Anastasia, on an outing at Hopatcong
State Park.
—photo by Karen Fucito
KAREN FUCITO
Editor
editor@lakehopatcongnews.com
973-663-2800
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Michael Stephen Daigle
Bonnie-Lynn Nadzeika
Melissa Summers
Ellen Wilkowe
COLUMNISTS
Marty Kane
Heather Shirley
Barbara Simmons
EDITING AND LAYOUT
Maria DaSilva-Gordon
Randi Cirelli
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Lynn Keenan
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Keeper of the Lake
6
Story by MICHAEL DAIGLE
Photos by KAREN FUCITO
The rush of wind promised rain.
Sitting on the shore of Lake Shawnee,
Jeff Keith did a rapid calculation.
“Rain can be our friend,” he said. “But it can
also cause problems.”
Rainwater is acidic and does not add oxygen
to the lake, he said. The amount of dissolved
oxygen, or DO, in the water can affect the lake’s
fish life, he said. Rain also washes in nutrients
that feed the lake’s invasive weeds, promoting
growth. Keith equates it to “adding fertilizer to
your lawn.”
But the heavy rain the area experienced this
spring also washed certain invasive weeds over
the spillway and out of Lake Shawnee, he said.
That’s his experience talking: Forty-four years
of living in the community and 38 years of being
in charge of the lake’s ecology put Keith in a
position to know when things are good on the
89-acre body of water and when it needs help.
He rattled off the numbers: “The DO is 8
(milligrams per liter), the p/h (acidity) is 7 mg/l,
and the clarity is 3 to 4 feet, and the temperature
is 82 degrees.”
By the numbers, Lake Shawnee is healthy.
Years ago, the lake was in some trouble with
“more weeds, less treatment,” said the now
retired 76-year-old. But a long-term program of
vigilance, educating homeowners and proper
treatment has produced a lake that is one of the
cleanest in New Jersey.
In a recent “Ask Jeff” column, which appears
in the lake club’s newsletter, he informed
lake residents of the environmental wins and
losses around the lake, noting the sightings of
freshwater jellyfish and so-called brain algae that
are indicators of clean, fresh water.
His column informs residents about catch
basins and septic systems and lawn maintenance
and the wells that supply water to the community
and the microorganisms that are the basis of the
food chain and beavers and Canada geese…the
run of endless topics related to the health of
their home lake.
LAKE HOPATCONG NEWS Fall 2023
As he speaks, his eyes dart from behind his
tanned, bearded face to focus on the landscape
and calm water.
A home and dock, a cove or a rocky outcropping
reignites the tale-telling that punctuates the
air with an auctioneer’s pace, jumping from
dead beavers, to a drowned snapping turtle—
“got turned upside down in a tire and couldn’t
breathe”—then to a verbal frown about how the
tire got into the lake, followed by an inventory of
the weeds that require treatment.
But it’s not just knowing the facts.
It’s knowing the trouble spots, the coves that
are weed breeders, alerting residents about
practices that could harm the lake, getting after
invasive plants and the bothersome, aggressive
Canada geese whose waste is a potent polluter.
It’s watching and acting.
Caring.
“The lake needs the personal touch,” Keith
said. “If the lake goes bad, the community will
suffer.”
Which is why Keith surveys the lake daily—
most often from his standup paddle board—
noting the areas that might be trouble and calling
for treatment if necessary.
It’s an endless, unpaid job that he is happy to
do. During the summer, he said he puts in 10 to
15 hours a week, and in the winter, when the
primary duty is writing the column, it’s 15 to 20
hours a month.
Just days before, he said he had called for
a $2,500 herbicide treatment from SOLitude
Lake Management, the national environmental
firm that is hired by the club to help maintain
water quality in Lake Shawnee. He estimated the
lake club could spend $19,000 this year for such
treatments.
The concern is this: A four-acre spot of weeds
in a cove is a worry. Left untreated the patch
could go shore to shore, he said. Then it’s a real
problem.
Lake Shawnee was formed in 1946 when
Sparta developer Arthur D. Crane dammed
Beaver Brook. Crane’s company created the Lake
Shawnee Reservation and later the Lake Shawnee
Club. The first summer homes were built in 1948,
Left to right: Jeff Keith patrols the lake looking
for weed problems. Keith at home writing a
column for the Lake Shawnee newsletter.
Keith rides an airboat with Jeremy Parkhurst
from SOLitude Lake Management.
and within 15 years the club had 562 members.
Today, there are 80 lakefront homes and a total
of 540 homes in the reservation, Keith said. He
has lived in the lake community for 44 years with
his wife, Adrienne. It is where they raised their
three now adult children.
The Lake Shawnee Club’s newsletters show a
community focused on engaging all the families
to enjoy the lake and care for their neighbors.
The club sponsors toddler days, senior days and
celebrates every major holiday and the end of
summer. There’s a swim team and a scholarship
for lake kids heading off to higher education.
It even sponsors a costumed dog walk.
Jefferson mayor Eric Wilsusen is a lifelong
resident of Lake Shawnee. He is also president of
the Lake Shawnee Club.
“It was a wonderful place to grow up,” Wilsusen
said. “As a police officer I got to know all the
communities in Jefferson, and they are all special.
But for me this lake is home.”
Keith credited Wilsusen with bringing dynamic
leadership to the lake club board. “He gets things
done,” Keith said.
That attitude is crucial to keeping the lake
clean, Keith said. Wilsusen placed lake ecology
at the top of the important board topics and
supports all efforts to address key needs.
Wilsusen, in turn, said the lake would not be in
as good shape without Keith’s efforts, experience
and knowledge.
“He been doing this for 40 or 50 years. That’s
unheard of,” Wilsusen said.
Keith said he is seeing children who grew up on
the lake returning to buy homes.
“It says a lot about how they grew up here. I
have three on my street. They are coming home,”
he said.
The lake has seen more rapid home turnover
with rising real estate prices, Keith said.
Up until the last couple years, there was an
average of 12 to 14 homes for sale on the lake.
Lately it averaged two, he said, reflecting quick
sales.
That rapid turnover means Keith must increase
his vigilance, he said.
Some of the new residents came from the

state’s urban areas, he said. They had public water
and sewer systems and are often unfamiliar with
septic systems and the rules in place to keep the
lake clean.
“It’s about education,” Keith said.
But he is persistent because, he said, it takes
the entire lake community to preserve the
quality of Lake Shawnee.
Originally, homeowner dues to support the
lake were mandatory, but following a potential
lawsuit in the 1960s, dues became voluntary.
The number of residents actually supporting
the club and the lake dropped to about 65
percent, he said.
Following legal action about a dozen years
ago, mandatory dues were reinstated, except
for three homes that were grandfathered, until
those homes are sold.
“We’re all stewards of the lake,” he said. “We’re
all responsible for helping to keep it clean.”
Lake Shawnee environmental stewardship and
Keith’s education background and experience are
a perfect match.
He grew up in Montville and graduated from
Boonton High School—at the time Montville
had no high school.
After a two-year stint in the military, he earned
a business degree and then a master’s degree in
special education from then William Paterson
College, later adding an environmental degree
from then Montclair State College.
He taught special education at Mountain Lakes
Public Schools for 30 years, adding lessons in
environmental science.
Upon retirement, and with the encouragement
of his former Mountain Lakes principal, he began
offering environmental science workshops for
special needs students in Newark, a program that
expanded to other Jersey schools. Recently, he
taught yet another workshop at Sandy Hook
Gateway National Recreation Area.
The teaching—and learning—never end.
Since 1991, Keith has visited a half dozen
rainforests around the world with different
environmental groups—he has a 6-foot blowgun
he brought back from the Amazon. He also has
a website where he answers questions from
students and others about the need to preserve
the rainforests.
Each June, he gathers as many kids as possible
from the lake community and teaches them
about plankton and Secchi disks and aquatic
vegetation and the importance of beavers on
Lake Shawnee and the battle to addle Canada
goose eggs to reduce the population.
Because there is no end.
Weeds still grow, rain falls and changes the
lake chemistry, new goose families move in and
someone has to be there to raise the alarm.
As he sat at the lake clubhouse that September
day, a few geese swam by, the squeals and
laughter of kids filled the air and Keith told the
truth about why it’s all so important: “If the lake
goes south, we could lose it all.”
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LAKE HOPATCONG NEWS Fall 2023

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lakehopatcongnews.com 9

It’s All About the Music for Al Kessel
10
Story by MICHAEL DAIGLE
Photos by KAREN FUCITO
The voice carries the stories.
Stories from Newark, Kearny
(his hometown), Jersey City, Asbury Park,
Sergeantsville and now Hopewell, from doo-wop
on street corners, days on the radio.
Stories of hearing Chuck Berry for the first
time, of Les Paul, of absorbing the chunk, chuck-a,
chunk of Johnny Cash’s guitar style. Stories of the
jam sessions at the Upstage Club (home of the
Asbury Park sound) and stories sometimes told
with appreciation from the edge of someone
else’s fame.
The voice of the soldier, the history teacher
and reader of histories that add just a touch
of erudition, the session musician, the country
music player and preservationist, the band leader,
the businessman. Performer. Promoter.
Sometimes the stories arrive in bits, choppy
sentences, the pith of the tale delivered in sound
bites as the key parts are recalled from the well
of nearly 90 years of life; sometimes the stories
ramble, wander through years, a name slipped in
leading to another name, then another; the voice
with the Jersey edge, softened now, the Jersey
thing, the long story never off track because it
all matters.
The stories that pull the listener along, wanting
to hear the untold parts.
Top to bottom: Kessel practicing in his home
studio. Kessel with members of his band at
Hopewell United Methodist Church in 2019.
(Photo courtesy of Robert Yellen.)
LAKE HOPATCONG NEWS Fall 2023
That is Al Kessel’s life.
A rambling trip through American music as
a performer, then promoter and now in a dual
role, that today finds him playing traditional
country music, keeping alive a genre that had its
beginning on front porches, in small town halls,
church halls and tiny local radio stations.
He came to the guitar by way of a piano in his
uncle’s basement, Kessel said, who lives in Kenvil
with his wife of 35 years, Marylou.
“He’d play that old song…” He sings: “‘Grab
your coat, grab your hat, leave your worries on
the doorstep…on the sunny side of the street.’
The sound got to me.”
The familiar Louis Armstrong song, “On the
Sunny Side of the Street.”
“That inspired me. I surprised my uncle when I
learned to play the song.”
It was post-war America of the 1950s and
1960s. By 1953, Kessel, then 20, was out of the
Army after World War II.
For Kessel, it was a time to learn how to play
his first-ever Gibson guitar by listening to guitar
stylist and pioneer Les Paul and diving deep into
the traditional country music of Hank Williams
and Johnny Cash.
“I was self-taught,” he said.
“Johnny Cash and the song, ‘I Walk the Line.’
Bum-bumpa-bum, bum-bumpa-bum. The sound
kind of knocked me for a loop.”
At the same time, Elvis Presley was emerging
as a rock star, changing the business. But, Kessel
said, Presley had begun as a country singer with a
version of “Blue Moon of Kentucky.”
When he heard Chuck Berry, Kessel said, it was
hello to rock ‘n’ roll.
“I was in my car. He was on the radio. Oh, that
guitar. Oh, my goodness. It was guitar for me
ever since.”
It was a time, he said.
He chose the word “fomentation” to describe
what it was like. An active music and bar scene,
new styles, new players, the explosion of AM
radio as a music outlet —Kessel and a group
of players recorded a demo—the bus tours
that brought performers to happy audiences,
playing with some other players in bars in Union
and Jersey City and Newark and other cities,
grabbing gigs wherever they could. Crossing
paths with players on their way to greater fame,
like Tom DeVito and Bob Gaudio, later of the
Four Seasons, or Eddie Rabbitt, a Jersey kid who
made it good as a Nashville country songwriter,
and still others working through the grind of bar
scenes.
“We got a show at one bar that paid us $5 a
night. Then some other bar owner offered us $15
a night, and we took it,” Kessel said, laughing. “We
were thrilled to death to get $15. A big pay jump.”
He said he gravitated toward musicians who
appreciated country music, but in their shows,
Al Kessel at home with his favorite guitar.
they played the popular styles of the time,
mixing in doo-wop with the popular rock songs.
“I played rhythm guitar,” he said, “because I was
also singing.”
Then to Belmar and the Jersey Shore and
eventually to Asbury Park.
That’s where he met Tom and Margaret Potter,
owners of the legendary Asbury Park after-hours
club, the Upstage. The club operated from 1968
to 1973.
It was where the musicians would come after
the other bars had closed, Kessel said.
“They’d pay their three bucks to sit in. The rule
was they could not play with their own band, but
had to play with the other bands,” he said.
There were Bruce Springsteen and Steve Van
Zandt and the musicians who became the E
Street Band. There was John Lyon, better known
as Southside Johnny, playing with the Asbury
Jukes, all the creators of the Asbury Park sound
that captured the hullabaloo of Jersey Shore life.
“I played in a little band with Margaret,” Kessel
said. “I taught her to play ‘Johnny B. Good.’”
By 1966, he had graduated from then Montclair
State College and began teaching history in high
schools, the last one at Hopatcong until 1973.
In 1973, he jumped back into the music scene
in a big way, as the owner of Hopatcong’s
Governor’s Inn on Lakeside Boulevard.
He ran the venue until 1986, three years after
New Jersey changed the drinking age to 21.
“We did well because the drinking age was
18 and rock ‘n’ roll was hot,” he said. Chubby
Checker was one of the popular acts, he said.
For a while, he offered comedy nights and
showcased such acts as a then-unknown Jerry
Seinfeld.
“It was the year before he appeared on the

‘Tonight Show,’” Kessel said. “After that…” he
smiled.
After the Governor’s Inn, Kessel said he went to
New Mexico in the early 1990s and brought back
home goods. He operated a store in Morristown
for six years called Sante Fe Today.
He said New Mexico was a needed break from
the intensity of running a rock ‘n’ roll club.
But that state was not the answer. New Jersey
was, and, more importantly, he said, so was his
wife Marylou.
“It was either New Mexico or Marylou,” he
said. “I chose Marylou.”
He also chose country music.
His friend and fellow guitarist Bill Brandon was
a member of a band that regularly appeared on a
radio show called “Heartland Hayride.”
Kessel said the local show was modeled
on Nashville’s “Grand Old Opry,” one of the
pioneering country music radio shows, which he
had listened to as a child.
His band would play before a live audience
of about 100 in a studio run by WDVR-FM in
Sergeantsville, New Jersey. The show lasted for
20 years.
It was the only regularly scheduled country
music radio show broadcast in the Northeast, he
said.
“I didn’t want to play in bars anymore,” Kessel
said. “Too much noise, people talking or watching
television. It was good to get back to playing
for an audience who was paying attention and
appreciated what we were playing.”
In 2019, the radio station cancelled the
“Heartland Hayride” and sold the building, he
said.
Undeterred, Kessel found a new venue at the
Hopewell United Methodist Church, where the
almost monthly show continues under a new
name, “The Hopewell Hayride Show.”
He said the format has changed a little, with
the band, now called the Never Too Late Band,
mixing in contemporary bluegrass, light and pop
rock styles, what he called “Americana” style
music. His band is one of numerous performers
on the show.
Two years of the COVID pandemic reduced
attendance he said, but he persevered.
As a promoter he makes no money. The show,
he said, is a labor of love.
“I want to help preserve this music and give
musicians a chance to get paid to play,” Kessel
said.
Musicians will play for free, if you let them, he
said.
In the end, he said, it’s about the effort and
the music.
“I’ve chosen my way. Sometimes I say being
a musician is a curse, but I don’t want to do
anything else. It’s hard to make a living, but I
didn’t want to quit. To this day I just want to play
guitar.”
For information and to see a schedule of
shows, visit hopewellhayride.com.
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lakehopatcongnews.com 11

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lakehopatcongnews.com 13

Dressing for History
Story by
BONNIE-LYNN NADZEIKA
Photos by KAREN FUCITO
Editor’s Note: While Bonnie-
Lynn typically reports for
Lake Hopatcong News, she
appears in this piece as a guest
columnist.
Everyone remembers a first—first date,
first car, first job.
The first that most impacted me? It was my
first history book in Mrs. Gardner’s secondgrade
class at Edith M. Decker School in Mount
Arlington.
The book had a mottled red and blue cover.
At the beginning of each chapter was an
illustration of a stream in the forest. First came
the animals. Then the Native Americans. The
first Europeans and so on.
I was mesmerized by this march of “progress”
in the book. I loved the passage of time, the
changes to the landscape, the thought of
generations of people living in the same place
and how they changed that landscape. I loved
feeling as though I was a part of something that
was before me and would be after me.
What happens to the 8-year-old who loves
history? Well, she becomes known as “the girl
who read ‘Gone With the Wind’ in fifth grade.”
In high school, she is teased that her history
teacher doesn’t read her papers or exams, just
gives out an A.
In my first semester in college I got precisely
one A and by now you have figured out
the subject. My parents took a look at
that grade report, and we all agreed
that history was going to be my field of
study.
A degree in history was followed by a
Master of Arts in museum professions.
Internships at museums large and
small—the American Museum of
Natural History in Manhattan, Mystic
Seaport in Connecticut and Macculloch
Hall Museum in Morristown, to
name a few—followed. I became
director of the Morris County
Historical Society, a job I relished
for 12 years.
During my time there, a volunteer with the
historical society showed me pictures she took
during a trip to Cape May with a group of her
friends for Victorian Week. I was enchanted by
the beautiful costumes they were wearing and
the Victorian setting.
My first foray into dressing was a trip with
friends to New York City in 2003, to have
afternoon tea at the St. Regis hotel. New
Yorkers are known for their sangfroid, but we
turned heads. Although, I am still puzzled by
the guys outside of Madison Square Garden
who asked if we had Knicks tickets to sell.
Slowly, this group of history-minded friends
coalesced into a more formal club: The
Metropolitan Vintage Dance and Social Club
(fondly known as the Met Club).
We have no charter, no elected officers
and no membership dues. It is simply a group
of friends with a passion for history, whether
they are admirers of the majestic dances of
19th century America, enthusiasts of ragtime
music or those who enjoy dressing up in bustle
gowns.
The club format simply serves as a way for the
group to make decisions. Members are mostly
from New Jersey and Pennsylvania, but we also
have members from Maryland and Virginia.
Teas in New York were followed by my first
Victorian Week in Cape May. (I attended three
over the years.) I wore a teal blue, silk 1890s
gown with puffed sleeves and antique lace.
There have been Civil War-era balls at West
Point and Gettysburg. Our gatherings—from
birthday parties to baby showers—are dressup
events. Our group has been a fixture at
Victorian Days (now Heritage Day) in Belvidere
for 20 years. I tend to participate mostly in
local events, but group members travel to
happenings up and down the East Coast.
We are also happy to loan ourselves out
for a good cause. Members have dressed up
and participated in fundraising events for
the Thomas Edison National Historic Park,
the Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms and
Macculloch Hall.
Want to join the group? Well, you will simply
have to start showing up at vintage events that
the group attends, whether it’s Heritage Day in
Belvidere or the annual Met Club-sponsored
Armistice Ball.
Events farther afield include Remembrance
Weekend in Gettysburg. Every November, this
event, which includes fancy balls and a fantastic
parade of soldiers, is held in commemoration
of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.
Membership in the Met Club is extended
to those who have demonstrated a consistent
interest in history and their willingness to wear
funny clothes in public.
In late May, 16 of us boarded the Queen
Mary 2 in Brooklyn, New York, for a seven-day
Atlantic crossing to England. Dressed in our
finery, we attracted a lot of attention boarding
Left to right, top to bottom: The
group gathers for a photo after a trip
on Miss Lotta. Helen Macdonald,
Bridget Conlogue and Larry Blasco
playing mini golf. Patricia Bases,
the author, Jim Geyer and Jennifer
Ochmann on the mini golf course.
Gregg Kurlander and Eleanor Bilz
wait their turn to putt.
14
LAKE HOPATCONG NEWS Fall 2023

the ship and for the entire voyage. The ladies’
long hat pins attracted security. (Seriously.
Want to board with a hat pin? You need to fill
out paperwork.)
On board the ship, we were joined by about
100 other vintage dance and history enthusiasts.
They came from as far as California. The vintage
community is not a large one, so most everyone
knew each other, making it a floating reunion.
As a friend said to the many passengers who
asked questions about our unusual style of
dress: “We brought our own band.” We did.
Matt Tolentino, a musician who specializes
in playing vintage music from ragtime to polka,
put together an orchestra. We danced every
night in the Queens Room, as larger and larger
groups of passengers came to watch. There was
also a vintage bathing beauties contest and
silent films, accompanied by our band’s pianist.
Paris is on the horizon for 2025.
After our successful voyage, I decided it was
time for the Metropolitan Vintage Dance and
Social Club to visit Lake Hopatcong. The group
was ready for another chance to don their
costumes and board a boat.
On a Saturday in August, we took a Miss Lotta
luncheon cruise dressed in the same type of
ragtime clothing we wore on the Queen Mary
2. We followed the cruise by playing mini golf
among the historic structures representing lake
history that are part of the Lake Hopatcong
Golf Club.
Some refreshing beverages at the Windlass
were followed by a visit to the Lake Hopatcong
Historical Museum. Marty and Laurie Kane
(president and treasurer of the museum,
respectively) opened up just for us. I’m not
sure who was more delighted, my friends at the
museum’s many treasures or the Kanes, who
had a passionately interested audience.
I think the biggest reason our group stands
out is our costumes. We are not and do not try
to be reenactors. Some of us really enjoy finding
period-appropriate fabrics and patterns. Other
members try and go with the spirit of an era.
Some make their own costumes while others
purchase them (which can be expensive for a
custom piece).
And then there are some of us who take a
modern piece and make it look vintage. My
outfit for the Miss Lotta cruise was a dress
from Marshalls with a period-appropriate
cummerbund added and a period hat I had
bought from a vintage dealer.
Curious? You can have a taste of the vintage
life this November when the club hosts its
annual Armistice Ball. Armistice was the
celebration that happened at the end of World
War I, which has morphed into Veteran’s Day.
The event will be held at St. Peter’s Church
Hall in Morristown on Saturday, November 11.
Tickets are $40 and available at armisticeball.
wixsite.com/armisticeball. We have dance
lessons in the afternoon so that everyone can
learn a two-step or a foxtrot (vintage style).
We ask that ladies wear dresses and gentlemen
wear jackets.
The band will include some of the best jazz
musicians around who love the opportunity
to play these great old tunes. Feeling shy
about your waltz skills? Come and listen to
the fabulous band and enjoy the homemade
refreshments.
A tea at Willow Hall in Morristown is typically
held the next day. Details will be on the website
soon.
Maybe you didn’t fall in love with your first
history book, but it’s not too late to fall in love
with history.
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lakehopatcongnews.com 17

Actively Seeking Friends
18
Story by ELLEN WILKOWE
Photos by KAREN FUCITO
They walked a good walk—a lap or two or
three around Park Lake in Rockaway—
and talked a good talk—lots of chatter about
a recent Mega Millions jackpot.
This was just a typical Sunday meetup
for Outdoor Single Friends (OSF, for short).
Founded and certified in October 1991, the
group caters to single, divorced and widowed
individuals who value friendship and fitness,
order irrelevant. To date, the meetup group
boasts 66 members ranging in age from 60
and up and is always open to welcoming new
faces.
“This is not a dating club or counseling
group,” said OSF President Pat Bilancia, though
there have been a handful of marriages, as a
result. “We’re just single people who want to
do outdoor things.”
Pat Leili of Hopatcong, 84, has been with
the group almost since its beginning. “I
joined six months after it started in 1991,”
she said. “I made absolutely great friends and
experienced a new way of life.”
The club meets six to seven months out of
the year, holding meetings at Camp Jefferson
where members can present ideas. There is a
fully operational board, on which Leili serves
as an advisor.
A retired nurse and grandmother of six, she
jokes that her grandchildren have to make an
appointment to see her.
“There’s always somebody to do something
with,” she said.
Longtime member Emily Mee, 86, of
Morris Plains, joined in 1998 after she became
widowed and learned about the club through
another member.
“I’ve made a lot of friends and there were
people there in the same boat as I was, being
a widow.”
Throughout her nearly three decades with
LAKE HOPATCONG NEWS Fall 2023
the group, she has witnessed and experienced
a communal aging process, as members have
entered different phases of life. “We used to
hike a lot when we were younger but now,
we walk,” she said. “But it’s been a really great
club. It’s a way of life.”
A retired accountant, Mee, of Morris Plains,
uses her skills by serving on the club’s board
as treasurer.
Bilancia, the president, attributes the
club’s longevity to having a dedicated board
and organizational structure. There’s even a
printed monthly newsletter with a calendar
of events.
Twenty-five dollars in annual dues affords
club members a consistent, active schedule,
including a walk/hike on the first Sunday of
each month—such as the recent one at Park
Lake—four summer picnics, planned outings
such as apple picking in September and an
upcoming lunch in November at Sally Lunn’s
Tea House in Chester.
After the walk at Park Lake, the group went
to refuel at Hibernia Diner, then headed
back to the Park Lake gazebo to tune into an
outdoor concert performed by Jersey Girls. A
full day for anyone of any age.
Throughout the year, the club also offers
themed get-togethers, particularly around
the seasonal
holidays. These
include dressing up
for Halloween, a
Thanksgiving feast,
a holiday party and
more. Over the
years, the club has
also traveled longdistance
both in and
out of the country.
“Last summer we
spent five days at a
dude ranch,” Mee
added.
Left to right: Judy Carbone plays Jenga with club members
at a 2022 event at Montville Township Community Park.
Mia Breazna, Brace Huron and Emily Mee pose for a
photo while attending Christmas in the Village in 2022.
(Photos courtesy of Judy Walsh.) Members of the group during
a Sunday morning walk at Park Lake in Rockaway.
It’s all about coming together and organizing
to make things happen.
“You can bring up any idea to the board,”
said Bilancia.
Just ask Brace Huron of Quarryville, the
club’s hike coordinator, who was responsible
for the Sunday walk at Park Lake.
Huron came aboard in 2006 after reading
about the meetup in a newspaper. A former
resident of Oak Ridge, he was previously
involved in a club at Bowling Green Golf Club
geared toward business professionals over 40.
When that club disbanded and he saw the
listing for Outdoor Single Friends, he noticed
the phone number was the same. The club
had rebranded itself.
Having recently ended a relationship that
would have become long-distance, Huron
made the transition with ease.
“I’ve enjoyed the friendships, the hikes and
the meals,” he said.
Despite the single in Outdoor Single Friends,
the club isn’t just for those flying solo.
Joyce Spinelli and Walter Zarzycki paired
up before joining the group and are active
members to date.
A widow, Spinelli found out about the club
through a friend in another singles group that
they were both involved in. In a six degrees of
separation situation, Spinelli was introduced
to Zarzycki through another friend who urged
her to tell him about her outdoor single’s club.
Some members of the club pose for a photo at Park Lake.

“Twelve years later, here we are,” she said.
Then there are siblings Chrissy Ippolito,
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second-best senior citizen state,” he said.
Trezza appreciates the built-in physical
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going to make it,” he said. “So, I do everything UPHOLSTERY
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Members are quick to identify Trezza as the
club’s unofficial chief cook and bottle washer.
He honed his culinary chops in corporate
catering but is quick to downplay his talents.
“I’m just enjoying the simple things in life
and enjoying retired life,” he said.
For Bilancia, 71, of Roxbury, the club has
been a lifeline of support and camaraderie.
A member since 1995, she sings accolades
about the women of the group who provided
her with transportation during a health crisis
in 2019 that required daily infusions and left
her without vision.
“One of the girls in the club figured out a
schedule, and I had a driver every day,” she
said, praising the friendliness and helpfulness
of the members.
Bilancia’s hope for the future is to keep the
club going and for that to happen, she said, it
requires newer and younger members to join.
“Almost all of us have served on the board
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Siblings’ Creativity Shines Through
22
Story by MELISSA SUMMERS
Photos by KAREN FUCITO
Often, it’s not about what you can’t do,
but what you can do that gets noticed.
It couldn’t be truer for two of Hopatcong’s
brightest talents in the worlds of comic book
writing and fine art.
This brother and sister duo have not let their
physical challenges prevent them from bringing
their creativity to the world. Daniel Anastasia,
a published comic book writer, and Amanda
Anastasia, an accomplished artist, refuse to let
their disabilities define them as they wow their
fans.
Amanda, 30, and Daniel, 25, were born with
a condition called Aicardi-Goutieres syndrome,
which affects all of their motor function,
according to their mother, Samantha Anastasia.
Both are non-verbal but have lots to say.
Their most controlled movement is with
their heads. “So, that’s how Amanda paints.
That’s how Daniel controls the computer. It’s
how they drive their wheelchairs,” Samantha
said.
The siblings had Aicardi-Goutieres syndrome
from birth, although they were not correctly
diagnosed until they were older.
People with AGS progress normally until
they go through a motor skills regression
within the first two years of life. The body’s
immune system turns on itself, causing damage
to the brain and nervous system, according
to Samantha. For the Anastasia siblings, this
happened around their first birthdays.
“Amanda was 19 years old and Daniel was 13
when we finally got a diagnosis because it was
a very rare condition,” their mother explained.
“They are doing a lot more research, so now it’s
just considered ‘rare.’”
Amanda and Daniel are two of the oldest
people with AGS Type 2 of 7 different types
of AGS, and as such, are natural role models to
children within the AGS community.
The Anastasias see Dr. Adeline Vanderver,
LAKE HOPATCONG NEWS Fall 2023
considered an expert in AGS, at Children’s
Hospital of Philadelphia once or twice a year.
By the time Amanda and Daniel were
diagnosed, there was no medication available
that would improve their condition, but
Vanderver is now treating children in an
attempt to stop the regression.
“For those individuals who have already
regressed, that treatment’s not going to do
anything,” Samantha said. “But it’s good for
Amanda and Daniel to stay on her radar as she
treats the younger kids.”
The siblings use a laser pointer attached to
the side of their glasses and a posterboard
with letters, numbers and other phrases
to communicate. Computer keyboards are
used similarly, with a device that tracks their
movements.
Amanda started in a special needs school
and entered the Hopatcong school district
when she was 8 years old, according to her
mother. She was given a personal teacher and
aide; however, learning to spell and read was
very challenging, Samantha recalled.
Amanda used a camera mouse system
developed at Boston College that tracked
her head movement to move the mouse.
“Then when she dwelled on a selection for a
set amount of time it clicked like a mouse,”
Samantha explained. The system included
multiple monitors, towers and wires and was
set up on a six-foot table. “It was wonderful at
the time because it was brand new technology,
but it took up a lot of space.”
Six years later, teachers welcomed Daniel
with a streamlined version of the same
technology built into a laptop.
Daniel started imagining characters while
playing with action figures, and it became
obvious he had stories in his head, his mother
recalled. Daniel said he was inspired by DC
Comics, specifically his love of Batman and
monster hunters.
“When I write it’s like a release of emotions.
I always listen to music. Music inspires my
writing, and it needs to be loud. I choose the music
based on what I am writing,” said Daniel. A fight
scene might require music by Sick Puppies. For the
development of a female character, Hailstorm or
Taylor Swift would be more appropriate.
Initially, the narratives were rough and only made
sense to the budding author. He focused on action/
adventure themes and anime-type characters. Two
years ago, he began working with an illustrator to
put faces to his creations.
Paul Walcott, a freelance illustrator originally
from West Orange who is now based in New Castle,
Delaware, first heard about Daniel from a mutual
friend who told him about an inspiring comic book
writer who needed an artist.
“After reading his stories, I saw he was passionate
about his craft,” Walcott said. “With the characters
and the world-building, I was very excited to help
him bring his story to life.”
Walcott said the writing process was tricky at
first, but a shared love of anime and manga made
everything click.
“He knows what he wants and has his story
fully fleshed out, which makes my job easy,” said
Walcott.
Samantha said Daniel’s characters are from
other realms. “They talk about what he feels the
characters look like,” she said. “He’ll send Paul a
description—the shape of their eyes, the color of
their hair.”
Book one of their first collaboration, “Henry
Hunter,” was self-published in July. The title
character came through a portal from the demon
realm, and the story revolves around supernatural
threats and romance, Daniel said. The second book
should be finished in early 2024.
Daniel also works with a writing coach who
goes over whatever concepts he’s working on and
helps him put them into words. Together, they are
working on another comic called “Trax,” a series
about a hero who battles corruption and injustices,
Daniel said. “I always had Trax in my head since I
was 11.”
In a completely different series, tentatively titled
“Anastasia,” Daniel explores what would happen if

his characters jumped off the pages and into their
creator’s world. “Anastasia, the author, interacts
with his characters,” said Samantha. “They come
into his office and they complain about something
he wrote about them. It’s funny, I just love it.”
Notably, all the females in Daniel’s comics have
one body part uncovered—their feet—a feature
Daniel is quite fond of. “Women are barefoot in my
stories because I think women’s feet are beautiful,”
he said.
Samantha described one interaction where the
heroine stepped out of a poignant scene and
asked the author Anastasia if he could draw her
differently. “She said, ‘Can’t you give me shoes? I’m
fighting!’”
Walcott and Daniel have much more in the works,
but their relationship isn’t only about bringing
Henry Hunter to the masses. “Working with Dan
has been a fantastic experience,” said Walcott.
“Getting to know him, we have grown a stronger
bond. It is more than comics. I consider him a great
friend.”
Amanda Anastasia first tried painting in middle
school, when her art teacher decided to glue a long
paintbrush to a visor since Amanda did everything
else with her head. She wasn’t a fan then but
decided she wanted to give it another try when her
grandmother passed away in 2015.
“She started painting flower pots for Christmas
gifts,” Samantha recalled. “Then she said she
wanted canvasses for herself for Christmas.”
With new acrylic paints, she started by looking
up pictures online and
painting her versions.
Two years later,
Amanda began taking
one-on-one classes at
Arts Unbound. “Her
instructor tapped into
Left to right: Dan
Anastasia looks at
one of his daughter’s
paintings. Allison Rohlff
shares a laugh with
Amanda Anastasia
while on an outing at
Hopatcong State Park.
Daniel Anastasia writing
at his computer.
a whole different side of her painting,”
Samantha said.
When Arts Unbound closed in 2019, the
instructor started her own company called
The Pickled Artist, where Amanda painted
until November 2022. Most recently, she has
been working with Nanci Iovino at Art for All
in Montclair. She continues to mix colors and
paint entirely with her head, creating detailed
and unique pieces.
Iovino has taught her to paint on a larger
scale, on a bigger canvas. “Nanci is teaching me
to not be afraid to put more of myself into my
paintings,” Amanda said.
Amanda posts her work online and has sold
or commissioned 30 to 40 paintings. For the
past six years, she has produced a calendar,
selling about 150 to 200 each year. She’s already
chosen several pieces for the 2024 edition.
Her favorite subject matter are animals of
any kind. She’s even had some of her own work
tattooed on her body so she can show off her
art. They include her signature “Pink Zebra,”
“Moon River” and, in honor of her grandmother,
a breast cancer ribbon with butterfly wings.
Amanda said she loves anything pink, and
she’s obsessed with bling, shopping and
going out to eat. She’s also a diehard “Grey’s
Anatomy” fan.
Allison Rohlff, one of Amanda’s long-time
Direct Support Professionals, has known her
for more than 15 years. “It feels like hanging out
with a friend and not like work,” Rohlff said.
More than anything, Amanda wants to be
treated like a normal 30-year-old. “So many
people talk to her like she’s a child, or
they act like she can’t understand or hear
them,” added Rohlff. “I know people don’t
understand it, but it really hurts her feelings.”
Left to right: A sample of Amanda Anastasia’s
paintings. Amanda using a brush attached
to a headband to paint. The cover of Daniel
Anastasia’s first published comic, Henry Hunter.
Amanda and Daniel with their mom, Samantha
Anastasia, center. Amanda with Direct Support
Professional Cara Peslak. Daniel at his
computer communicating with comic book artist
Paul Walcott (on screen) with the help of Direct
Support Professional Gregory Hall.
During the week Amanda attends events
at Piece by Piece, a social and support group
in Sparta, which aims to enrich the lives of
those with intellectual and developmental
disabilities.
Once a week, Amanda joins a friend in
various activities in the area for what they call
“accessible Fridays.”
“They both have chairs, and they do things
together,” Samantha explained. “Organizations
do things and wheelchairs don’t always fit in.
It’s okay because you can’t make everything
accessible.”
Amanda will be moving into her own
apartment at Rebecca’s Homestead by
November. The Wantage property is an
inclusive community for adults with disabilities.
The residence opened in 2017 and is home to
five residents.
The apartment will be completely accessible
and Amanda will have a separate entrance.
She’ll live alone but will have 24/7 care,
including her full-time aides, Cara Peslak and
Rohlff, who will continue to work with her, and
two overnight aides.
Amanda is excited to move into her own
home, but Daniel is a little worried for his big
...continued on page 24
lakehopatcongnews.com 23

Siblings (cont’d.)
sister. “They’re going to provide the same care
there that they would here,” Samantha said.
“I’m sure there’s going to be hiccups.”
Samantha said even though Amanda often
trailblazes ahead of her brother, Daniel has no
desire to move out of the family home. He
wants to share his art with the world but tends
to stay out of the spotlight.
Even though he has some anxiety about
being in front of people, there is one event
where he’d make an exception. “I want to do
Comic Con with Paul,” he said.
“Daniel wants people to buy his comic
because they love it,” Samantha said of her
son’s ambitions. “People can pick up a book,
and they don’t know what the writer looks like,
how he wrote it or how he uses the computer.”
He clearly isn’t slowing down. “My goals
are to reach fame and fortune because of my
hard work and make an anime series out of my
stories,” Daniel said.
The Anastasia home is filled with canvasses
of all shapes and sizes, symbols of Amanda’s
inspiration. When asked what she’d like people
to know about her, Amanda said, “I am amazing.
I am a queen. I love my life.”
Daniel and Amanda share their busy lives
with their father Dan Anastasia and Samantha’s
longtime boyfriend Dan Grodsky, whom they
consider their step-dad. Another brother, Nick,
27, who served five years in the Navy, lives
nearby.
Another one of Amanda’s tattoos reads:
“She believed and so she did,” a sentiment that
pretty much sums up her advice to anyone
with challenges to overcome. “Just do it.”
Amanda is hosting a “paint and sip” event at
Art for All in Montclair on Saturday, October
14, featuring her painting, “Moon River.” Follow
her on Facebook or Instagram at @Believe Art
by Amanda.
“Henry Hunter” is currently being sold at
Pandora’s Box in Lafayette, New Jersey, or visit
the Henry Hunter Comic Series on Facebook
to message Daniel directly.
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lakehopatcongnews.com 25

Temple Has Long History of Serving Jewish Community
Story by BONNIE-LYNN NADZEIKA
Photos by KAREN FUCITO
On a warm summer Saturday morning in
July, a few boats bobbed in the water at
two docks on 15 Durban Ave. in Hopatcong.
The property is not a residence. It is not a small
marina. It is the home of the Lake Hopatcong
Jewish Community Center. Its members, whether
they came by boat, car or on foot, were gathering
for Saturday morning services.
Mark Levy, president of the synagogue, noted
that services start at “10ish.”
“People start coming in around 10, and
everyone greets each other and chats before
service, so we don’t really start exactly at 10,” said
Levy.
Levy has been a member since the 1950s. His
family came from Brooklyn and spent summers
at a bungalow in the Hopatcong Hills. They were
one of many Jewish families that came to the
lake to escape the city heat.
Currently, there are 35 families registered as
members, said Levy, adding that none have small
children. Despite that, Levy said the congregation
is thriving.
Services throughout the year are led by Rabbi
Richard Kirsch, a graduate of Yeshiva University
who also works as a guidance counselor at Rae
Kushner Yeshiva High School in Livingston. Kirsch
has led the Lake Hopatcong Jewish Community
Center for nearly 20 years.
Typically, the congregation meets every
Saturday from the beginning of July through
the High Holidays in the fall. For the remainder
of the year, services are held monthly and some
members who are not primary residents of the
Lake Hopatcong area return in order to attend
services.
Since the service is traditional, there can be no
photography, recording or note-taking, said Levy.
“We have a three-part service,” Kirsch explained
during a phone interview. “The first portion is a
guided prayer, followed by a reading from the
Torah and the third part is a conversation.” The
service concludes with prayer.
After a service, members often gather to
break bread. Alma Staloff, a member of the
congregation since 1977, described the kiddush,
or meal, that follows.
“Gathering together we say a blessing, drink
wine and share the traditional challah bread.
Kiddush allows us to be together and discuss the
service of that day,” Staloff said.
Food is brought by members who have
purchased supplies from kosher markets. There
may be egg salad, tuna fish, bagels or gefilte fish.
“We also drink coffee, but not right now. Since
COVID we’ve been having kiddush outside, and
it’s too hot for coffee,” she said with a laugh.
Ross and Lisa Breen have been members for
six years. The couple began attending when their
youngest son, Dylan, was in high school. They live
in Teaneck, but also have a home in Hopatcong.
“Everyone is very welcoming,” said Ross Breen.
“Everyone knows each other, everyone enjoys
each other’s company. You don’t get that at a
larger temple.”
Dylan Breen would often bring a group of his
friends to the lake. Kirsch would bring students
from Rae Kushner Yeshiva High School and
together, the boys would have fun on the water
but also participate in the service.
“Dylan didn’t like to do Torah readings because
he didn’t like public speaking,” recalled Lisa Breen.
But the closeness of the small congregation
and the support from his friends helped him to
become more self-assured. “He went on to lead
the service with confidence,” she said.
The congregation dates back to the 1940s.
Like so many other groups, Jews who were
able to, wanted to get out of the cities during
the hottest summer months. While Morris
and Sussex counties never rivaled the famous
“Borscht Belt” of Jewish resorts and communities
in the Catskills, there was still a significant
presence in Northern New Jersey.
According to the book, “The Jews of Morris &
Sussex: A Brief History and Source Guide,” Jews—
mostly immigrants from Eastern Europe—started
settling in the area after the Civil War.
By the 1920s, several Jewish resort hotels had
popped up in nearby Mount Freedom, part of
Randolph. Between the 1930s and the 1940s,
there were nine Jewish hotels and 30 bungalow
colonies there.
In 2015, the Jewish Historical Society of New
Jersey presented the exhibit “My Summer
Vacation,” which looked at Jewish summer
communities in the state. The exhibition
highlighted the prevalence of many Jews who
came to the area each summer. Largely forgotten
today, Jewish resorts in Morris and Sussex
counties attracted the same population of city
Jews seeking respite during the hottest months
of the year.
At Lake Hopatcong, Jewish hotels began
popping up the 1920s and the lake became
a gathering place for more and more Jews.
According to a bulletin from the Jewish
Telegraphic Agency, The National Federation
of Jewish Men’s Clubs of the United Synagogue
held their annual spring conference at the Hotel
Alamac from June 8 through June 10 in 1938.
“Men’s clubs from Greater New York, New Jersey
and Philadelphia will be part of the conference,”
it read.
By the 1940s, there was enough of a population
to merit building a synagogue. Land was
purchased for a synagogue in Hopatcong with
the intent of creating a community center. A
sign was placed on the property announcing the
future location of the Lake Hopatcong Jewish
Community Center. But as a result of anti-
Semitism, the sign was burned down the same
night and warnings were posted for Jews to “get
out.”
Undeterred, the
group sold the land
and purchased the
Durban Avenue
property, which was
the site of the Grand
View Hotel. The
hotel was converted
into the first Lake
26
LAKE HOPATCONG NEWS Fall 2023
Left to right: One of two large stained-glass
windows at the front of the synagogue. Mark Levy
at a reading table. The original building, the old
Grand View Hotel, circa 1950. Lake Hopatcong
Jewish Community Center as seen from the
lakeside.
(Historic photo courtesy of Lake Hopatcong Jewish
Community Center.)

Hopatcong Jewish Community Center. It was
a busy time for the congregation, which was
growing rapidly, reaching peak membership by
the 1960s with more than 120 families.
According to an article in the Lake Hopatcong
Breeze in 1953, the center opened the allinclusive
Lake Hopatcong Day Camp during the
summer months.
Levy attended the summer camp, first as a
camper and then as a counselor. Camp was held
on the grounds of the community center, Levy
said, but the group also used local resources.
“Bon Air Lodge had a huge baseball field, so
we would play there several times a week. There
was also a miniature golf course nearby that we
went to,” Levy recalled. Horseback riding took
place at the Triple Lake Ranch in Succasunna.
At its height, Levy estimates there were about
60 children attending camp. He said the camp
ceased to operate in the late 1960s.
At the same time, the congregation was
planning a new building, having outgrown the
old hotel. The property next door was purchased
and by 1971, the new Lake Hopatcong Jewish
Community Center opened. The new building
and the old hotel coexisted on the property for a
couple of years before the hotel was demolished,
said Levy.
With gathering spaces and a large sanctuary,
the architecture of the 15,000-square-foot
building was very contemporary for the time.
Inside, the sanctuary has a 40-foot-high ceiling
that is supported by massive wooden arches.
Floor-to-ceiling stained-glass windows adorn
the altar, which sits on the lakeside of the
sanctuary. These windows were designed and
installed by artist Sol Nadel, who worked under
the tutelage of world-famous artist Marc Chagall.
There are also smaller stained-glass windows
along each side wall of the sanctuary.
In accordance with the traditional and
Orthodox Jewish communities, the human image
is not portrayed in artwork, including stainedglass
windows. Instead, what catches the eye is
a brilliant blue bird, the head of a ram and the
distinct cluster of stone houses hidden within an
array of red, yellow and orange geometric shapes.
Along the right side of the building, the smaller
windows depict five of the 10 commandments,
giving representation to Moses. As in many
Christian churches, some of the windows are
dedicated to the memory of former members.
Levy had a window each dedicated to his
deceased parents: his mother, Anne, and his
father, Samuel.
Equally important to the imagery of the
stained-glass windows, said member Staloff,
is the view of the lake from the central hall
windows.
“I see people come out after service and just
stare out the window at the lake. I do it very
often myself. There is something very centering
about the view and no other synagogue has
that,” Staloff said.
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lakehopatcongnews.com 27

Racing Boats Take Over Lake Hopatcong
Story and photos by KAREN FUCITO
Powerboat race enthusiasts experienced
two full weekends of roaring engines,
speed, rooster tails and competition during two
events held in September.
The Lake Hopatcong Grand Prix’s threeday
event at the Lake Hopatcong Yacht Club
launched on Friday, September 8 with a parade
of boats around the lake. The parade, which
included stops at multiple lakefront restaurants,
featured several teams from Lake Hopatcong.
The following day, 21 racers from the Jersey
Shore Boat Racing organization competed in
six different classes before the larger, offshore
powerboats took to the water for warm-up
races.
During the final day of the Lake Hopatcong
Grand Prix, 30 boats competed in a variety of
classes, including Jay Muller’s Wicked, a 40-foot
Motion catamaran. A Jefferson resident and the
race organizer, Muller competed in the Super Cat
class, placing first.
“Despite the weather, the race [on Saturday]
went off great and the weather held out for all
the races on Sunday. I think we had the largest
amount of spectators of any other year,” said
Muller, who first brought the big boat race to the
lake in 2017.
The three-day event was sanctioned by the
Offshore Powerboat Association.
The following weekend saw the Lake
Hopatcong Powerboat Championship Races take
place at Hopatcong State Park in Landing. Hosted
by the Lake Hopatcong Racing Association, the
event also saw teams compete for the New
Jersey Governor’s Cup.
The competition, which was sanctioned by the
American Power Boat Association, saw 56 boats
take part in the event, with some coming from as
far away as Washington and Canada.
“Might be the most boats in any race in the
country this year,” said Bill Pierce, LHRA president
and race chairman.
The weather cooperated for the two-day
event, with spectators viewing from multiple
locations, including on top of the hill and along
the shore at the state park, from boats moored
in King Cove and from private docks around the
racecourse.
Lake Hopatcong native John Shaw, who
lives in Cambridge, Maryland, won the New
Top to bottom, left to right: In a Ski Boat class
heat, Lethal Weapon battles Plumb Crazy. Charlie
Bevilaqua with Jim Bevilaqua. Luca Milano sitting
with Claire McDonald, Bradley Gutwein with Randy
Gutwein and Savanah Milano sitting with Alicia
Milano. Generosa Villarrubia with Billy Mulhearn.
In the Stock Vee race, Typhoon and Wazzup ride
neck and neck. Chase Muller with Jay Muller.
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LAKE HOPATCONG NEWS Fall 2023

Jersey State Championship for
best performance on Saturday.
On Sunday, Shaw won the New
Jersey Governor’s Cup for best
performance of the weekend.
“We won all four heats against
the fastest field of 2.5 stocks the
past few seasons (IMO),” wrote
Shaw in a post on his Facebook
page.
After traveling across the country from
Covington, Washington, Corey Peabody placed
third in the 5 liter race and promptly donated
his winnings back to the American Power Boat
Association, said Robin Williams, association
secretary.
Muller said he hopes to bring the Lake
Hopatcong Grand Prix back again in 2024—same
September weekend and same location.
For Pierce, “the ever-growing expenses” to
host a race at Hopatcong State Park is a concern.
However, the success of this year’s event,
coupled with the hope that an increase in funds
from local and state supporters will help defer
some of the cost, keeps him optimistic.
“We had a great team of members and
volunteers this year that are excited to return
next year,” he said.
Clockwise: Mike Hyatt and Kate Niemiera. Boats vying for
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lakehopatcongnews.com 29

Hundreds Attend Commodore’s Ball
Story and photos by KAREN FUCITO
record number of guests and 13 past commodores attended the Lake Hopatcong
A Yacht Club’s Commodore’s Ball in September. The event was a tribute to Daniel
Goritski, the outgoing commodore who officially completed his two-year run on October 1.
Goritski, of Jefferson, was the 59th person to serve as commodore for the historic
118-year-old club.
The path to becoming commodore at the private club is a four-year endeavor, beginning
with a two-year stint as rear commodore, followed by two more years as vice commodore
before moving to commodore, said Goritski.
In his run-up to commodore, Goritski, who owns Jefferson-based Sebring Automotive,
oversaw the renovation and restoration of the historic lakefront building, which is located
in Mount Arlington.
The more-than-year-long project included expanding the porch to 90 feet by bringing back the original
circular gazebo-like areas on the east and west side of the porch, expanding the bar area, and fortifying the
upper deck for use again.
“I’m flying high,” said Goritski. “Except for the birth of my children, Jason and Kerri, this [being commodore]
has been one of the greatest honors in my life.”
Tom Lentine and his wife, Maureen Lentine, along with a committee of 20 volunteers, served as hosts for
this year’s event, which saw 226 people in attendance. As rear commodore, Tom Lentine is tasked with all
entertainment and events at the club.
“Tonight is magical,” said Maureen. “We wanted to do something extra special to honor Danny, and I think
we achieved that.”
Top to bottom, left to right: Maureen and Tom
Lentine. Rose Marie Winfield, Ellen Gagnon and
Barbara Edwards. Tim McMillian and Danielle
Novotny. Todd and Janine Walter. Jack Lennox
with Georgie Dickinson and Liz and Christon
Horstman. Daniel Goritski. Kathi Smith, Mark
Miller, Bernd and Kaiya Hefele, Karl Hefele and
Shannon Hefele. Joe and Jen Knizeski.
Guests arrive by boat at the Lake Hopatcong
Yacht Club. Guests begin to take their seats for
dinner in the main hall.
30
LAKE HOPATCONG NEWS Fall 2023

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34
HISTORY
LAKE HOPATCONG NEWS Fall 2023
Drawdowns Through
the Years
by MARTY KANE
Photos courtesy
of the
LAKE HOPATCONG
HISTORICAL
MUSEUM
This year heralds a quinquennial event at
Lake Hopatcong—yes, something that
occurs every five years—the 5-foot drawdown of
the lake.
For some, dropping the lake
level is a long-awaited event in
which to attack dock, seawall and
boathouse repairs. For others, it is
an occurrence looked upon with
dread that the lake will not refill
sufficiently by spring.
The drawing down of the lake
after the season has a long history
at Lake Hopatcong going back some
100 years to the abandonment of
the Morris Canal.
Lake Hopatcong is the source or
headwaters of the Musconetcong
River. As such, enough water must
come from the lake to keep
the river flowing.
The natural flow has been
altered and controlled by the
construction of dams at the
southern end of the lake (at
the site of Hopatcong State
Park) commencing in the
1750s. The dam built for the
Morris Canal during the 1820s
and enlarged in 1840 raised
Lake Hopatcong’s water level
to what we know today.
As the largest single source of water for
the canal, Lake Hopatcong had to supply
a significant amount of water to keep
the canal navigable. The water required
for the canal exceeded by several times
the amount needed today to keep the
Musconetcong River flowing.
As Lake Hopatcong began to develop
as a resort in the 1880s, the Morris
Canal became a major issue as residents
and visitors often had to avoid certain
parts of the lake by August due to low
water. Between 1892 and 1912, the lake
averaged some 20 inches below high
Top to bottom: The view from Halsey Island to Raccoon Island during the 8-foot drawdown of 1948.
King Cove during the 7-foot drawdown of 1959. The remains of the former Nolan’s Point ore dock as
seen from the Jefferson House during the 2004 drawdown. The remains of the gate for the outer lock
of the Morris Canal as seen in Hopatcong State Park during the 2013 drawdown.
water by August. The particularly dry summers
of 1905, 1912 and 1923 found the lake down some
40 inches. While it is hard to imagine the lake at
such low levels in the middle of summer, it does
explain why older docks at Lake Hopatcong were
built considerably lower than docks built today,
reflecting how the general level of the lake in
summer averaged significantly lower than today.
When the Morris Canal was abandoned in
1924, most lake residents thought the lake would
never again face the problem of low lake levels
in summer. It was reasoned that without the
tremendous demand of the canal, a high-water
level could be maintained continuously in Lake
Hopatcong.
However, while the abandonment of the Morris
Canal greatly alleviated the lake’s water problems,
it did not end them entirely. Over the years, the
lake has shown it is still susceptible to drought,
and in drier summers can be down 12 inches or
more by Labor Day. During the mid-1930s, Lake
Hopatcong failed to reach its high-water mark
for several years and in the summer of 1935 it was
down 30 inches.
When the Morris Canal operated, there were
no regularly scheduled winter drawdowns of the
lake. The canal authorities simply had the lake
dropped in the offseason when necessary for
repairs to the canal lock and dam.
The concept of winter drawdowns of the lake
started as a recommendation of the engineers
who managed the abandonment work for the
canal in 1924. They concluded that ice flow
damage to boathouses and docks would be
lessened if Lake Hopatcong was lowered each fall.
This led to lowering the lake by 30 inches annually
at the end of the season, a policy that remained
in effect until 1990 when the annual drawdown
was deemed sufficient at 26 inches. The state is
currently experimenting with a 22-inch normal
drawdown.
While an annual drawdown of the lake began
with the abandonment of the canal, these yearly
events were not sufficient enough to allow
most lake residents to perform major dock or
boathouse repairs.
The August 18, 1934 edition of the Lake
Hopatcong Breeze reported that “a determined
effort is being made by several organizations
and residents about the lake to have the lake
level lowered considerably after Labor Day to
permit property owners to repair their docks and
clean up beaches, waterfronts, shore walls...It is
the opinion of most lake residents that the lake
should significantly be drawn down in the late fall
about once in every five years. This would permit
property owners to make repairs and would give
much needed work to local labor.” [The labor
aspect was important as this was the middle of
the Great Depression.]
The state of New Jersey agreed to this request
and the lake was dropped 5 feet in 1934 and again
in 1939. No drawdowns occurred during World
War II and by 1948 many docks and structures
needed significant work.

Lake Level Confusion?
If you are puzzled about how the lake’s height is measured, you are not alone. Lake
Hopatcong is considered at full height when it is measured at 9 feet against the dam at
Hopatcong State Park. This means the water is right up to the top of the dam (or spillway as it
is known). At 9.5 feet (or 5 inches over the dam) it is considered high enough to prompt a “no
wake zone” so that boats do not create waves that could damage docks and other structures.
Historically, the highest level ever measured at Lake Hopatcong was the infamous flood
of August 2000 when the lake reached an incredible 11.80 feet at the dam. Conversely,
December 1960 saw the lake barely touching the bottom of the dam at 0.65 feet.
As a result, the lake was dropped 8 feet that
off-season, which also allowed for the clearing of
stumps and boulders in many areas of the lake
with lower water depth. During this drawdown,
photographs show there was no water between
Raccoon and Halsey Islands.
The state turned down further drawdown
requests until 1955 and then instituted a five-year
schedule that continued until 1980.
In 1980, New Jersey was in a drought and the
state postponed the 5-foot reduction until 1982.
Since then, the lake has been drawn down at
five-year intervals with the exception of 2002,
when it was delayed a year because of drought
conditions.
There was one notable exception when the lake
was dropped over 7 feet both in 1959 and 1960
to undertake an experiment to control weeds by
freezing a large part of the lake bottom. While
the state claimed success with certain varieties of
weeds, this practice was not further continued.
The drawdown of the lake now operates under
the Lake Hopatcong Water Level Management
Plan of 2011. It states that “every fifth year, the
lake level will be lowered by 60 inches to allow
for major repairs to lakeshore structures and any
necessary repairs to the dam.”
While the practice of a five-year drawdown
was formerly considered fairly routine at the
lake, it became more controversial in recent years
because of two instances in which a dry spring
following a drawdown caused problems.
In June 2009, the lake was down about 18
inches, but crisis was averted when rain brought
the water level back to normal by the end of the
month. However, users of the lake were not so
fortunate in the summer of 1988. There had been
a 60-inch drawdown over the preceding winter
and the gates of the Hopatcong State Park dam
were kept open longer than planned in order to
allow for completion of dam repairs. An unusually
low spring rainfall left the lake down some 2 feet
in July. It did not fully recover until fall.
Trying to balance the wishes of homeowners,
businesses and recreational users with the
needs of the Musconetcong River will certainly
be a challenge in the years ahead. History has
demonstrated that as much as we try to plan,
only Mother Nature truly controls the level of
the water.
To try to lessen the risk of the lake not
sufficiently refilling this winter, the drawdown
began on September 22, releasing 1 ½ inches
of water per day and will be down 5 feet by
November 1. The lake will remain down 5 feet
until December 15, at which time it will be allowed
to start refilling.
Historically, this should be enough time to be
enjoying a full lake next spring.
Meanwhile, hope to see you along the shoreline
of the lake on Saturday, November 4 for the fiveyear
cleanup coordinated by the Lake Hopatcong
Foundation.
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lakehopatcongnews.com 35

COOKING
WITH SCRATCH ©
Smells like Oma’s House
36
by BARBARA SIMMONS
Photo by KAREN FUCITO
mentioned in a
previous column
that when my kids
came through the
door when I was in
the middle of cooking something, they’d say
“Smells like Oma’s house in here!” I loved
hearing that—what a compliment!
Just walking in the door and smelling the
aromas, you knew you’d be having something
delicious for dinner.
You could count on it.
When I was growing up, most moms cooked
dinner every night. Some moms did a better
job than others. Some moms enjoyed it more
than others. But it was the late ‘50s, early ‘60s,
before the advent of TV dinners, and that’s
what moms did.
Honestly, I had no idea how good I had it
until I had my own household to run. A friend
recently posted a meme on Facebook that
read: “Who knew that the hardest part of
being an adult was figuring out what to cook
for dinner every single night for the rest of
your life.”
I worry that fewer and fewer people cook at
home. My mother, Gertrude, said cooking and
baking were going to become “lost arts,” like
developing a roll of film or making black and
white prints in a darkroom.
There are many reasons that cooking has
become less of a priority. Here are a few:
Cooking takes time, effort and planning.
Grocery shopping is time-consuming.
Cooking can be hard.
Cooking can be dangerous.
Cooking makes a mess, and nobody wants
to clean up.
Cooking takes too much specialized
equipment.
But for as many reasons people don’t want
to cook, there are even more reasons to cook.
These are mine:
I cook to show love.
I cook to comfort and nourish my family and
friends.
I cook to heal.
I cook to remind me of home.
I cook to share a moment.
I cook to bring loved ones together.
I cook to celebrate seasonal fruits and
vegetables.
I cook to impress.
I cook to recreate my travels.
I
LAKE HOPATCONG NEWS Fall 2023
I cook to remember.
I cook to feed my creativity—every
ingredient is like a new toy!
I cook to preserve my heritage and culture.
I cook to use all of my cooking gadgets.
I cook to have something to show and share
for my efforts.
A study published in the Journal of Positive
Psychology found that people who frequently
take on small, creative projects like baking
or cooking report feeling more relaxed and
happier in their everyday lives.
In a 2017 interview for the Huffington Post.
Michal AviShai, a culinary arts therapist said:
“Giving to others fills us in so many ways.
And even more so when it’s cooking because
feeding fulfills a survival need, so our feeling
of fulfillment comes not only from the good
of the act of giving, but also the fact that we
have ‘helped’ in some very primal way.”
According to a Wall Street Journal story
from 2014, learning to cook, in addition to
being good for your general well-being, can
be a way to manage stress, eating disorders,
ADHD and addiction. I’ve always found that
by focusing the mind and following a recipe,
cooking for others can make you feel happy
and connected.
There are countless health benefits to
cooking at home. First of all, you can control
what ingredients go into your food. Do you
have any idea what is in a Taco Bell Nacho
Cheese Doritos Locos Tacos Supreme?
Cooking at home encourages you to eat
smaller portions. I’m sure you’ve noticed how
big portions have become in most restaurants,
and these huge portions are served up on
gigantic dishes. At home you can choose to
use smaller plates, a known trick for helping
you eat less.
Cooking at home will save you money.
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the way.
Cooking at home can be relaxing and can be
a great way to spend quality time with family.
And for me, anyway, it is fun.
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Ribs & Sauerkraut
This will stink up your house, but it’s worth it. You might want to wait for a breezy day when you can open up all of your windows and air things out.
Ingredients
1 4-pound rack of spareribs, not too lean (remember, pork fat rules)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 pounds fresh sauerkraut (Black Bear brand is my favorite)
Procedure
3 firm apples, like Gala or Granny Smith, cored and cut into thick
wedges (avoid McIntosh apples—too mushy)
2 teaspoons caraway seeds
1. Turn on the vent fan. Maybe light a few candles on the kitchen table.
2. Cut the rack of ribs down between the bones. Set aside.
3. In possibly your largest frying pan, (mine is about 2” deep by 12” across) add the oil and turn up the heat. Once the oil is sputtering, add the
meat, being careful not to crowd the pieces. Brown well on both sides.*
4. Add the sauerkraut and all of the juice, scatter the apples on top and sprinkle the caraway seeds over everything.
5. Cook for at least 3 hours at a very low simmer. If you cook it less, the meat doesn’t get tender.
6. Serve with boiled yellow potatoes—recipe follows.
7. Figure on one medium-sized potato per person. Scrub, peel, then cut the potatoes in quarters, longways. Don’t ask why. That’s just how the
Germans do it.
8. Put the cut potatoes into a medium-sized saucepan and add cold water to just cover them. Add some salt to taste. Cover and bring to a boil,
then set the lid askew—you know, one side lifted up a little so it doesn’t boil over—and lower the heat to a medium simmer.
9. Cook for 20 minutes and drain.
10. Serve this dish with mustard and some buttered rye bread.
11. If there is any left over, you can freeze the ribs and sauerkraut. I would omit the potatoes because their texture suffers when frozen. Cook
some fresh potatoes.
*If you are using a slow cooker, don’t skip this step. Brown the meat in a frying pan first to get that good savory flavor. Then, move the meat to the
slow cooker, and add the sauerkraut to the pan. Over medium heat, with tongs or a wooden spoon, mop up all of the “fond” (the delicious brown
stuff stuck to the bottom of the pan) to pick up all of that great flavor, stirring it into the sauerkraut.
Add in the apples and caraway seeds, and then pour all of the richly flavored sauerkraut mixture over the meat in the slow cooker. Cook for 5 to
6 hours on high.
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lakehopatcongnews.com 37

WORDS OF
A FEATHER
Seashells found on Venice Beach in Florida.
38
Story and photo by HEATHER SHIRLEY
On a recent morning, I took my dog to
the beach near my home in Florida. We
witnessed a scene of absolute unfettered joy
and abandon: a man and his dog, lying side
by side on their bellies on the beach, digging
a hole in the sand together. They both were
grinning from ear to ear.
How very sporting, to let your best canine
pal choose the morning activity. How very
luxurious, to spend that precious commodity
of time doing something so purely fun and silly.
Inspired, I decided to let my dog direct
the morning’s activities. Not surprisingly, she
wanted to wander and sniff, so we did. Her
nose glued to the ground, she trotted from
seashell to seashell, curiously sniffing each
before following an invisible trail to the next.
Was she smelling the shells’ former
inhabitants? Could she differentiate the
species by their smells?
With fanciful evocative names like moons,
olives, volutes, ceriths, augers and wentletraps,
shells come in a vast range of colors, sizes
and shapes. Shells found on ocean beaches
or along lake shores are the exoskeletons of
mollusks.
Mollusks comprise the second largest
phylum of animals, with more than 100,000
species. They are invertebrates and include
everything from snails and slugs to chitons,
clams, scallops, squid, octopus and more.
Although so widely varied, mollusks share a
LAKE HOPATCONG NEWS Fall 2023
Scan the QR code with
your phone’s camera
to hear the sounds of
life at the seashore.
She Sniffs
Seashells by
the Seashore
common characteristic. They all have a mantle,
which is a soft layer of tissue covering their
bodies. In many mollusk species, the cells
in this special tissue produce an outer shell
using proteins and minerals, mainly calcium
carbonate and aragonite.
The mollusk’s mantle is a miniature
construction site, with proteins establishing
a framework (like rebar) and minerals binding
to the protein rebar frame and building shape
around it (like cement).
As a mollusk grows, it keeps its shell—unlike
crabs and lobsters, which molt their shells
annually and grow entirely new ones. Mollusks
continue to build the shell they were born with,
making it bigger and bigger to accommodate
its larger soft body. The animal adds to the
shell along its outer layers.
The result is growth rings that measure the
age of a mollusk, much like the rings of a
tree trunk. Just as with tree trunks, scientists
can read these layers of shell growth to gain
clues about the ocean and environment the
shell grew in. Temperature, salinity, oxygen
levels, even events like volcanic eruptions or
hurricanes are recorded in the way the rings of
the shell grows.
Each shell has three layers that look and
feel vastly different because the proteins and
minerals are different in each layer, and they
bond in different ways. The outer shell is
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usually rough, can have spikes or ridges and can
come in a rainbow of colors. The middle layer
is crystalized minerals so it is very strong. The
innermost layer is connected to the mantle
itself. Called nacre, or mother of pearl, it is
smooth, shiny and sometimes iridescent.
Humans have long been attracted to both
the beauty of seashells as well as their strength
and versatility. Shells have been crafted into
tools for millennia, and they have inspired art
for at least as long.
People made beads from shells as far back
as 100,000 years ago. Sometimes beads were
crafted into jewelry; shell necklaces have been
found in Stone Age graves in France. Beads
crafted from quahog clam shells were also used
by northeastern Native Americans as a means
of recording events or agreements. Known as
wampum, these beads became Massachusetts’
first official currency in the 17th century.
Shells are symbolic in many religions.
I recently hiked part of the Camino de
Santiago, an ancient pilgrimage culminating
at the cathedral of Campostela de Santiago in
northern Spain. This church houses the remains
of Saint James, who is symbolized by scallop
shells, and the entire pilgrimage trail is marked
with them. As proof that they completed the
route, pilgrims would carry a scallop shell for
the rest of their lives.
Ancient Greeks and Romans, as well as
certain people of Africa, believed seashells
were symbols of fertility. Hindus revere whelk
shells that curve to the left as symbols of the
god Vishnu. Right-curving shells are sacred to
Buddhists.
Indeed, the ways we value and use shells
seems as varied and numerous as the species
that produce them, or the number of shells
washed up on beaches. When I contemplate
all that seashells have meant to people across
the ages, it inspires a sense of wonder in me.
That small souvenir you picked up on a stroll
down the shore represents a terrific amount.
What a lovely reminder it is, humbly sitting
on your desk or windowsill, of how we are all
connected—to each other and to nature. A
beautiful, simple seashell.
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Lake Hopatcong
NEW JERSEY
37 Nolan’s Point Park Road, Lake Hopatcong, NJ 07849
LHCRUISES LAKE HOPATCONG CRUISES
SCAN THE QR CODE FOR MORE INFORMATION
VIEW OUR FULL 2023 CRUISE SCHEDULE AT WWW.LHCRUISES.COM | 973-663-5000 | LHC@CAMPSIX.NET
Become a part of
the lake’s history!
NATURAL GAS
CONVERSIONS
Reliable
HVAC
Heating
and
Air-
Conditioning
973-361-2146
License#
19HC00310200
John W. FAust Jr.
Join our membership today at
www.LakeHopatcongHistory.com
Located in Hopatcong State Park ⬧ Lakeside Boulevard, Landing NJ
973.398.2616
Call Jim to buy or list today!
House Values
James J. Leffler
Realtor
RE/MAX House Values
131 Landing Road
Landing, NJ 07850
201-919-5414 Cell
973-770-7777 Office
jimleff.rmx@gmail.com
James J. Leffler
Realtor
lakehopatcongnews.com 39

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
Masters Concrete
570-396-2376
mastersconcrete.com
Northwest Explosives
PO Box 806, Hopatcong
973-398-6900
info@northwestexplosives.com
ENTERTAINMENT/
RECREATION
Lake Hopatcong Adventure
973-663-1944
lhadventureco.com
Lake Hopatcong Cruises
Miss Lotta (Dinner Boat)
37 Nolan’s Pt. Park Rd., LH
973-663-5000
lhcruises.com
Lake Hopatcong Mini Golf Club
37 Nolan's Pt. Park Rd., LH
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
Happs Kitchen & Bath
Sparta
973-729-4787
happskitchen.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
Royalty Cleaning Services
973-309-2858
royaltycleaningserv.com
Sacks Paint & Wallpaper
52 N Sussex St., Dover
973-366-0119
sackspaint.net
Sunset Decks & Outdoor Lvg
973-846-3088
sunsetdecksnj.com
TriStae Lighting
973-358-9302
LightTheTristate.com
Wilson Services
973-383-2112
WilsonServices.com
Zoeller Engineered Products
908-674-0122
973-471-2600
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
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
Heart + Paw Veterinarian
10 Tierney Rd., LH
973-601-5866
heartandpaw.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
Jim Leffler
RE/MAX
131 Landing Rd., Roxbury
201-919-5414
jimleff.rmx@gmail.com
RESTAURANTS & BARS
Alice’s Restaurant
24 Nolan’s Pt. Park Rd., LH
973-663-9600
alicesrestaurantnj.com
Big Fish Lounge At Alice’s
24 Nolan’s Pt. Park Rd., LH
973-663-9600
alicesrestaurantnj.com
The Beacon
453 River Styx Rd., Hopatcong
thebeaconlh.com
The Bagel Place
181 Howard Blvd., MA
973-810-3636
thebagelplace.net
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
At The Lake Jewelry
atthelakejewelry.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
Main Lake Market
234 S. NJ Ave., LH
973-663-0544
mainlakemarket.com
Orange Carpet & Wood Gallery
470 Rt. 10W, Ledgewood
973-584-5300
orange-carpet.com
The Fade Barber Shop
181 Howard Blvd., MA
201-874-2657
STORAGE
Woodport Self Storage
17 Rt. 181 & 20 Tierney Rd.
Lake Hopatcong
973-663-4000
FOR A COMPLETE CALENDAR OF LOCAL EVENTS VISIT WWW.LAKEHOPATCONGNEWS.COM
40
LAKE HOPATCONG NEWS Fall 2023

KatzsMarinaAtTheCove.com
22 Stonehenge Road, Lake Hopatcong, NJ 07849 ~ 973.663.0024
WORLD CLASS BOATS, WORLD CLASS
SERVICE, WORLD CLASS FUN.
From pontoon boats to rare antique and classic boats, Katz’s Marina is your home for world class service and sales. With a
selection of over 100 Chris Craft, Gar Wood, Century, and Higgins antique and classic boats, as well as the top rated 2021
model pontoon boats, Katz’s Marina is sure to help you find a boat to satisfy all your needs. We are the only antique boat
dealer with a one year warranty on boat sales and services. Katz’s Marina offers boat repairs, preventative maintenance, and
refinishing services on all boats, new and old. Do you want to spend your summer on the water? Let one of our two
convenient marinas be your home for fun!
AntiqueBoatSales.com
342 Lakeside Ave., Hopatcong NJ 07843
973-663-3214
KatzMarinaAtTheCove.com
22 Stonehendge Rd., Lake Hopatcong NJ 07849
973-663-0024
lakehopatcongnews.com 41

akeside
CoNstruCtioN
A full service site-work
contrActor speciAlizing
in the following AreAs:
excAvAting & pAving
Bridges
roAd construction
site work
utilities
crushing
www.Lakeside-NJ.com
973-398-4517
Fax 973-398-5623

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

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Good Food, Comfortable Drink
RESERVATIONS ARE RECOMMENDED
TO MAKE RESERVATIONS PLEASE USE
OCTOBER SCHEDULE
10.01
10.06
10.11
10.18
10.19
10.21
10.26
10.27
SUNDAY BRUNCH
CHARITY DINNER
DINNER
DINNER
DINNER
FARM-TO-TABLE
DINNER
DINNER
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ALICE’S HOURS AND MENU
973.663.9600 ALICESNJ
24 NOLAN'S POINT PARK RD, LAKE HOPATCONG, NJ