2023 Holiday Issue

INFORMING, SERVING AND CELEBRATING THE LAKE REGION 

ake Hopatcong News 

HOLIDAY 2023 VOL. 15 NO. 7 

Tidying Up 

Coinciding with the scheduled 5-foot drawdown, hundreds of 

volunteers removed trash and debris from Lake Hopatcong 

DRAMA ON THE RADIO 

WINTER STROLL 

DOG HAS ITS DAY 

A CLUB’S IMPACT

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4 

LAKE HOPATCONG NEWS Holiday 2023 

From the Editor 

There are two components to this issue’s cover story. The first is the cleanup effort of Lake 

Hopatcong, carried out on Saturday, November 4 by an army of volunteers. The second is the 

recognition that the lake—thanks to the extraordinary efforts of the Lake Hopatcong Commission and 

the Lake Hopatcong Foundation—is cleaner and healthier today than in 2018, the last time the statemandated 

5-foot drawdown took place. (See Mike Daigle’s story on page 22.) 

Volunteer-driven lake-wide cleanups are not unusual. A quick Google search yields documentation of 

people throughout the nation banding together to remove trash from their own cherished lakes. 

For example, on a day in September and for the 29th consecutive year, volunteers descended on Lake 

Travis in Texas and removed over 7,000 pounds of trash. 

In southern Indiana, a cleanup at Patoka Lake was also held in September. The folks there have been 

cleaning the lake annually since 2008 and have reportedly removed close to 43,000 pounds of trash to 

date. 

And, for the first time, New York’s Lake George, whose association is a recognized national leader in 

freshwater management, held a volunteer-led cleanup. 

The most disturbing headline, though, came out of Lake Tahoe in California and Nevada. “One hell 

of a mess,” is how Colin West, founder of Clean Up the Lake, described the scene volunteers from his 

nonprofit encountered along one beach, where July Fourth revelers left everything behind. “It was all 

intentional,” West told The Guardian news outlet at the time. 

Collecting someone else’s trash—whether it’s accidental or intentional—is maddening, but it seems 

it’s a necessary task. (Full disclosure: I can claim two pairs of cheap sunglasses somewhere at the bottom 

of the lake.) 

The Google search also produced stories about lake cleanups of a different sort—the continued battle 

to keep freshwater, well, fresh. 

At Onondaga Lake near Syracuse, New York, a more than 20-year dredging, capping and habitat 

restoration project was just completed. Last year, after nearly 40 years of clean up and restoration, 

Muskegon Lake in Michigan got a clean bill of health. 

These projects were costly and time consuming. But the agencies and organizations connected to 

these lakes had the foresight and gumption to greenlight the projects. 

Which brings me back to our cleanup. 

Local, county and state officials joined in the November cleanup, an indication that keeping the lake 

healthy is important not only to those of us who live in this region but also for those who make policy 

and allocate our tax dollars. Their participation signals a shift from ‘you’re on your own’ to ‘we’re here 

to help.’ Hopefully, this group of elected and appointed officials will continue to act now to ensure a 

cleaner future for the lake. 

As always, there are many other great stories in this issue, the last for 2023. 

Writer Melissa Summers was busy, writing three of them, including one about Jefferson Township 

adding another component to its already great holiday celebration weekend in December. New this year 

is a winter stroll at Camp Jefferson. I’m told there will be around 100,000 lights among the many holiday 

decorations and activities available. (See story on page 12.) 

And in Hopatcong, Kiwanis Club members and first responders will be preparing free meals for 

Thanksgiving and Christmas for residents in need. (See story on page 26.) 

Then there’s the story of a recently published book, “Archer the 

Therapy Dog,” which is authored and illustrated by two locals: Katie 

Baron and Emily Beach, respectively. (See story on page 18.) 

The photo included here is of my last ride of the season on my 

wave runner. It was a Tuesday in early October, beautifully sunny and 

warm. I had the lake to myself and—as you can see by my hair (spikier 

than usual!)—I wasn’t out for a leisurely ride. 

I just love being on the lake—especially a clean one. —Karen 

ake Hopatcong News 

INFORMING, SERVING AND CELEBRATING THE LAKE REGION 

Tidying Up 

Coinciding with the scheduled 5-foot drawdown, hundreds of 

volunteers removed trash and debris from Lake Hopatcong 

DRAMA ON THE RADIO 

WINTER STROLL 

DOG HAS ITS DAY 

A CLUB’S IMPACT 

HOLIDAY 2023 VOL. 15 NO. 7 

ON THE COVER 

Jerry Scanlan trudges through the muddy 

water of Lake Hopatcong after retrieving a 

tire from the muck in Byram Cove. 

—photo by Karen Fucito 

KAREN FUCITO 

Editor 

editor@lakehopatcongnews.com 

973-663-2800 

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS 

Michael Stephen Daigle 

Bonnie-Lynn Nadzeika 

Melissa Summers 

Maria Vogel-Short 

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 

PRINTING 

Imperial Printing & Graphics, Inc. 

PUBLISHER 

Camp Six, Inc. 

10 Nolan’s Point Park Road 

Lake Hopatcong, NJ 07849 

LHN OFFICE LOCATED AT: 

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Lake Hopatcong, NJ 07849 

To sign up for 

home delivery of 

Lake Hopatcong News 

call 

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Lake Hopatcong News is published seven times a 

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a nominal fee. The contents of Lake Hopatcong 

News may not be reprinted in any form without 

prior written permission from the editor. Lake 

Hopatcong News is a registered trademark of 

Lake Hopatcong News, LLC. All rights reserved.

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lakehopatcongnews.com 5

Left to right: Michael Jarmus 

as Henry the newsboy, Carlyle 

Owens as Victor Frankenstein 

and Shawna Lagan as Beth, 

wife of Owen’s Frankenstein. 

Lagan’s Beth lets out a scream 

as Owens’ Frankenstein reacts. 

6 

Frankenstein and the Radio 

Drama Come to Life 

Story by JOE WOHLGEMUTH 

Photos by KAREN FUCITO 

If video killed the radio star, certainly it can 

be argued that television killed the radio 

drama. But if Jefferson Township residents 

listened closely on Friday the 13th in October, 

they could have heard the refrain “It lives! 

It lives!” as Raconteur Radio performed its 

radio drama “Frankenstein.” Sponsored by 

the Jefferson Arts Committee, the show was 

performed on stage at White Rock Elementary 

School in Oak Ridge. 

“It’s something different, and it’s very 

interesting,” Jefferson Arts Committee 

President Carol Punturieri said. “We thought 

‘Frankenstein’ would be great because 

Halloween is coming and it’s Friday the 13th.” 

The radio drama was a popular form of 

entertainment from the 1920s through the 

1950s and acoustic-only performances allowed 

audiences to close their eyes and use their 

imaginations as the story unfolded. Raconteur 

Radio productions visually transform this 

nostalgic art form using period costumes, 

vintage commercials, Golden Age radio 

equipment and extensive sound effects. 

Raconteur Radio, under the watchful eye of 

founder and artistic director Alex Dawson, has 

performed in an array of venues around the 

tri-state area, including libraries, restaurants, 

community centers and schools. “We did ‘Jaws’ 

at a pool party, and we did ‘Star Trek’ at a 

planetarium—we do them anywhere,” he said. 

Dawson has adapted more than 170 radio 

shows over the past 10 years and his adaptations 

do not exceed an hour. “I can fairly quickly cut 

away the fat because we don’t ever go over 

55 minutes. That’s our limit,” he explained. 

Removing extraneous content from the original 

sources allows Dawson to focus on aspects of 

the story that are acoustically robust. 


Dawson adapted “Frankenstein” from a 

variety of sources, including Mary Shelley’s 

novel and the 1931 film starring Boris Karloff. 

“I bring in a lot of Mary Shelley that is not in 

the movie,” Dawson said. “I pull a lot of literary 

stuff, but I also understand what the audience is 

more familiar with and wanting as an audience 

for ‘Frankenstein.’” 

Dawson is confident his productions are 

unique when compared to other companies 

that perform radio dramas. “I like to use one 

microphone, and some theater companies that 

occasionally do radio dramas use microphones 

for each actor and I like to create this kind 

of energy that actors and characters are 

choreographed around the microphone 

jockeying for space. 

“We use costumes, we use lighting, and we 

use a fog machine,” Dawson said. “We create 

this immersive, highly theatrical show with 

basically two boxes full of stuff and two actors.” 

This isn’t the first time Raconteur Radio 

has visited Jefferson Township. The Jefferson 

Arts Committee booked “The Hound of the 

Baskervilles” last June, and in 2019 the Knights 

of Columbus Council 5510 sponsored two 

productions: “War of the Worlds” and “A 

Left to right: Jarmus as Monster 

with Owens as Frankenstein. Alex 

Dawson uses his computer to control 

lights, trigger fog and broadcast 

sound effects. 

Christmas Carol.” 

Punturieri recalled that 

the fog machine used in 

the production of “War 

of the Worlds” triggered 

the fire alarm, so when she 

booked “The Hound of the 

Baskervilles,” she wanted to 

avoid that offstage drama. 

“We had a fire official 

involved,” Punturieri disclosed. The fire official 

recommended how to best position the fog 

machine and what doors to keep closed to 

help prevent setting off the fire alarm, she said. 

The fire official was once again consulted for 

this performance. 

Raconteur Radio is a professional company 

and charges a fee for each performance, the 

bulk of the payment covering the cost of the 

actors. “There’s not much cost to staging it; it’s 

all in the talent,” Dawson said when explaining 

the expenses involved in producing one of his 

radio dramas. 

According to Punturieri, the arts committee 

paid $700 to book “Frankenstein,” which 

included a travel fee for the Metuchen-based 

troupe. 

“We’re happy to break even,” Punturieri said. 

“We just want to cover our costs, but if we 

make some money, that’s a good thing so we 

can have something else in the future.” 

Unfortunately, presale tickets were slow, only 

a few people purchased tickets at the door and 

the arts committee was unable to recoup the 

booking fee. 

However, the approximately 30 people who 

attended were filled with excitement and 

intrigue as they filtered into the auditorium of 

White Rock School. 

Fans of Mary Shelley’s book, sisters Samantha 

and Lauren Colella of Jefferson Township 

decided to attend the performance after

seeing a flier posted in town. Samantha Colella 

is pursuing her master’s at Montclair State 

University and her sister is a student at Morris 

Catholic High School. 

“We thought it would be something fun to 

do, and we want to support local theater,” the 

elder Colella said. “And it’s Friday the 13th, too!” 

“I read ‘Frankenstein’ in high school, and I 

became obsessed with it,” Lauren Colella said. 

Tired of entertainment that contains violence 

and coarse language, husband and wife theater 

enthusiasts Greg and Sheila Brown of Milton 

purchased tickets to enjoy a more wholesome 

theatrical experience offered by the radio plays 

of yesteryear. 

“We love theater. We saw this advertised, 

and it’s close to Halloween. And it’s a radio 

play,” Sheila Brown said. “It’s old-fashioned. We 

need that now.” 

Lauren Scott of Vernon attended the 

performance with her husband, Patrick. She is a 

member of the Jefferson Township Community 

Band, playing the flute and trumpet. 

“I like to find different things to do in the 

community. It’s really cool to see these types 

of unique events,” said Scott. 

all the technical aspects of the show, led 

a question-and-answer session after the 

performance. 

“This was an excellent show. Do you record 

these? Can we listen to them on your website?” 

Sheila Brown asked. 

“No, we don’t, but that’s a good idea,” 

Dawson responded. 

The evening ended with a special surprise 

for the audience as Jarmus performed his 

rendition of “Monster Mash,” proving he was 

an accomplished singer as well. He received 

an enthusiastic round of applause from the 

audience. 

“Thank you for the hand, but I already have 

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“This was a good experience. I definitely 

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The Jefferson Arts Committee will take a 

chance on offering another Raconteur Radio 

drama despite disappointing ticket sales, said 

Punturieri, adding she is considering offering 

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the radio drama can endure, much like Shelley’s 

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10 

Local Businessman Bets 

Big and Wins 

Story by MICHAEL DAIGLE 


In 1969, Keith Pokorny bet five bucks on Joe 

Namath. 

He won. 

He had a feeling the brash New York 

Jets quarterback would follow through on 

his guarantee that the Jets would beat the 

Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III. 

The game was the first Super Bowl he 

attended, Pokorny said. It wasn’t his last. 

That kind of instinct, a kind of “know when 

to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em” sense, was 

also in play, his son Brian Pokorny said, when 

20 years ago, his father opened U-Stor-It selfstorage 

in Jefferson. The family now owns four 

such facilities. In addition to U-Stor-It, there is 

Woodport Self Storage (also in Jefferson), AA-1 

Self Storage in Ogdensburg and U-Lock-It of 

Pocono in Bartonsville, Pennsylvania. 

“Dad saw the chance to add to the business,” 

said the younger Pokorny, who manages his 

father’s businesses. 

The move into the storage industry came 

at a time when the Pokornys’ manufacturing 

business—they had been making wiring relays 

for cars and trucks since 1971—was being 

pressed by cheaper Chinese products. That 

company would eventually close in 2019. 

“I can say that vision was appreciated,” Brian 

Pokorny said. “The storage facilities are thriving 

and growing.” 

That sense of when to change also was in 

play when the family opened the facility in the 

Woodport section of Jefferson. The newest 

business includes climate-controlled units, 

tapping a new market. 

“There was a need,” the elder Pokorny said. 

Clients needed to store items such as furs, 

which require colder storage temperatures, 

or HO-scale model trains, which require dry 

storage to inhibit rust, he said. 

When he is not innovating his way through 


the Jersey business landscape, Keith Pokorny 

is attending National Football League Super 

Bowls—39 of them so far. 

He’s planning on making it 40 on February 

11, 2024, when Super Bowl LVIII is played at 

Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. 

“It’s the best stadium,” he said. “Not a bad 

seat in the house.” 

The $2 billion stadium seats 65,000 and 

opened in 2020. Pokorny saw it for the first 

time when his daughter snagged tickets to the 

Rolling Stones concert on November 6, 2021. 

At first, he said, their seats were blocked by 

the large panels that are used on game days as 

the setting for the television post-game shows. 

But they disappeared, slipping below the 

playing field, leaving a clear view of the stadium 

and the stage, he said with a hint of awe. 

But if Pokorny can say a $2 billion stadium can 

have no bad seats, it is a reflection of the Super 

Bowl games he has attended and the times in 

which we live. 

After attending a Super Bowl in Detroit 

when it was 20 below zero, a little comfort is 

well appreciated. Or in New Orleans, paying a 

disc jockey $100 to have the guy’s wife drive 

Pokorny and his party to a restaurant. (They 

had been dropped off by a limo driver one mile 

from the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and one 

mile from downtown, Pokorny said.) 

In 39 games, he said, he has seen the Super 

Bowl shift from college stadiums or older 

municipal stadiums like the Los Angeles 

Memorial Coliseum, where the first Super 

Bowl was held, or the Orange Bowl in Miami, 

where the Jets beat the Colts, to the modern 

showplace stadiums. 

Today the stadiums themselves and the 

events spawned for each Super Bowl are part 

of the show. 

It is estimated that Super Bowl LVIII will 

generate between $500 to $700 million in 

external revenue for the Las Vegas business 

community. 

Left to right: Keith Pokorny 

and son Brian Pokorny at 

their self-storage unit in 

Jefferson. Pokorny at home 

with some of his Super Bowl 

memorabilia. A collection of 

give-aways from past games. 

Pokorny said he has attended many of 

the Super Bowls as part of excursion tours 

sponsored by Atlantic City casinos. That 

connection allowed him an intro to the celebrity 

world that surrounds modern sporting events. 

He tells his Super Bowl stories with humility, 

wonder and humor. 

“I’ve played golf with Willie Mays, Ron 

Jaworski, Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus,” he 

said. 

One of the most famous major league 

baseball Hall of Famers, a Super Bowl-playing 

quarterback and two of the most famous and 

most important professional golfers in the 

game. 

“Imagine that, for a little guy from Lake 

Hopatcong,” he said. 

In Indianapolis for Super Bowl XLVI, 

Pokorny said he gained an appreciation for 

the generosity of the Manning family, whose 

ties to the city relate to Peyton Manning, the 

star quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts 

for 14 years. A foundation started by Peyton 

Manning has contributed more than $50 

million to fund programs for disadvantaged 

families and children. In 2007, a local pediatric 

hospital was renamed the Peyton Manning 

Children’s Hospital at Ascension St. Vincent 

in Indianapolis after a multi-million dollar 

donation by Manning’s foundation. 

So, back to Joe Namath. 

In 1969 the NFL and the American Football 

League, in which the Jets played, were separate 

leagues. 

In 1967 the league bosses set up a “league 

championship game”—not even named a Super 

Bowl. The Green Bay Packers, as established a 

team as there was at the time, won the first two 

championship games. 

The Namath game, finally renamed Super 

Bowl III, changed a lot. The Jets win cemented 

moves that in three years led to the merger 

of the two leagues into the NFL as we know 

it today. 

Pokorny liked the brashness of Namath, the 

anti-establishment sense of the player and the 

game. Besides, it was just five bucks, he said. 

Also, while the Jets were then a New Yorkbased 

team, playing at Shea Stadium—they

moved to New Jersey in 1984—New York 

teams for North Jersey fans were home teams. 

And you always bet on home teams. 

Which is why in 2012, Pokorny found himself 

in Indianapolis rooting for another home team, 

the New York Giants, as they took on the New 

England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI, one of the 

best known championship games. 

“That was the best game,” Pokorny said, “the 

helmet catch game.” 

The catch by Giants wide receiver David Tyree 

has been in internet rotation ever since and is 

featured as one of the best plays in Super Bowl 

history each time a new game is upcoming. 

Tyree was wedged between two Patriot 

defenders and—with one hand—pinned the 

ball, thrown by Eli Manning, to his helmet as he 

fell to the turf. 

The Giants scored the winning touchdown 

plays later. 

“Amazing,” Pokorny said. 

What tops all that for Pokorny—the travel, 

the schmoozing, the games, the excitement— 

is his family: wife Dorothy (Dot) and their three 

children of whom he said he is deeply proud. 

Their son, Brian “does a wonderful job 

running the day-to-day operations of the 

storage business,” he said. Daughter Michelle 

Matarese, is a physician assistant and daughter 

Colleen Montano, is a senior vice president for 

Bank of America. 

“I am blessed,” Pokorny said. “Life is good.” 

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Debut of Jefferson Winter Stroll Promises Holiday Magic 

Story by MELISSA SUMMERS 


Stepping onto a shuttle bus in Jefferson 

Township this December will feel a bit 

like boarding the Polar Express as riders are 

transported to a winter wonderland at a familiar 

venue they probably won’t recognize. 

Organizers of the inaugural Jefferson Winter 

Stroll are hoping to enhance the holiday season 

with a combination indoor/outdoor walkthrough 

event planned for Saturday, December 

2 and Sunday, December 3 at Camp Jefferson. 

The winter stroll’s debut will take place in 

conjunction with the traditional tree lighting 

and Christmas in The Village festivities held in 

the Milton section of the township. 

The free holiday celebrations will kick off 

on Friday, December 1, with the tree lighting 

ceremony and the arrival of Santa Claus at the 

township municipal complex. 

On Saturday, December 2, Christmas in 

The Village will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

The event, which features vendors, choirs, a 

gingerbread house contest and more, takes 

place at various locations, including the Jefferson 

Township Museum, St. Gabriel’s Episcopal 

Church, Jefferson Township Fire Department 

No. 1 and Milton United Methodist Church. 

Starting at 4 p.m. on Saturday, the Jefferson 

Winter Stroll will see Camp Jefferson—known 

for its historic main lodge, rustic cabins and 

quaint walking paths—transformed into a series 

of experiences meant to be explored by families 

and friends. 

The stroll marks the first time the entirety 

of Camp Jefferson is being used during the 

holidays. 

(Prior to this, only a portion of Camp Jefferson 

was used, primarily for visitors to have their 

photos taken with Santa Claus. The township 

will still light the Christmas tree, read “‘Twas the 

Night before Christmas” and welcome Santa to 

town at the municipal complex on Friday night.) 

The Jefferson Winter Stroll is the brainchild of 

Kim Madden-Finnegan and Earl Heller. 

As the township economic development 

committee chairperson and a previous town 

councilwoman, Madden-Finnegan has been 

involved in the planning of the holiday weekend 

events for years. 

Heller, of Pompton Lakes, is a former Jefferson 

Township resident who often DJs at community 

gatherings. 

“The camp is so beautiful at that time of 

year—the beginning of December,” said 

Madden-Finnegan. “We thought we should 

have it at night. We could light the place up. I’m 

thinking it would be a little thing, but this little 

thing has grown and grown.” 

“People wanted to see more things at Camp 

Jefferson,” Heller said. “It’s a beautiful facility 

and there’s so much that could be done with 

it. Everyone loved the visit with Santa and the 

other things that were happening there, but 

they were using only a part of it.” 

Madden-Finnegan and Heller, along with Grace 

Rhinesmith, the Jefferson Township director of 

recreation, began meeting in April to brainstorm 

ideas for expanding the Santa experience to the 

rest of Camp Jefferson, sharing input they had 

gathered from other residents. 

“I have been wanting to light up Camp 

Jefferson for the holidays since I started working 

here in Jefferson 22 years ago,” said Rhinesmith. 

“I can’t believe it is actually going to happen.” 

The event is being funded in part by the 

recreation department, the Jefferson Township 

Chamber of Commerce and through donations 

and contributions. 

The camp dates to the 1930s, when it was 

known as Camp Ranger, according to Rhinesmith. 

Young boys spent the night in tents while they 

learned about wildlife and nature. In 1963, the 

Clifton Boys and Girls Club bused campers there 

to enjoy the fresh air. 

The Lake Hopatcong property was purchased 

by Jefferson Township in 1998 and now consists 

of a series of cabins and other buildings, along 

with a lake area and amphitheater. 

During the Jefferson Winter Stroll, 

the camp will be divided into themed 

areas. Visitors will be given a “passport” 

they can get stamped at various 

locations along the stroll. 

Frosty Fields, a walkway that will feature 

almost 100 different inflatable decorations 

celebrating Christmas and Hanukkah, is Heller’s 

favorite. Among the blow-up elves and Santas 

will be a section with USA-themed inflatables 

called Patriots Path. 

“There will be a place where people can 

donate money to help our local American 

Legion that burned down last year,” Heller said, 

referring to the August 2022 fire that left Post 

245 a total loss. “We want to help our vets. 

Those men and women don’t have a place to go 

to right now, so we’re trying to help them raise 

funds to help rebuild their safe place.” 

Magical Meadows will showcase first 

responder vehicles decked out for the holidays, 

according to Heller. “Our township does a 

phenomenal job lighting up their vehicles. The 

men and women of Jefferson Township do such 

a great job of keeping us safe, so they’re magical.” 

Visitors will be encouraged to check out 

the Reindeer Games area for some friendly 

competition playing “Coal Hole,” a holiday twist 

on traditional corn hole. 

Children can check out Tinseltown Tattoos for 

some temporary designs sponsored by Etched 

in Ink Tattoos. 

Carolers from the Jefferson Township 

Historical Society will get attendees in the 

mood for the holiday season, according to 

Madden-Finnegan. “They’ll be in their big fancy 

dresses walking around.” 

Classic holiday movies will be shown at the 

indoor theater at Camp Jefferson, sponsored by 

the Jefferson Township Public Library. 

Merry Meows and Santa Paws will offer dog 

and cat adoptions, and kids (and kids at heart) 

can visit Rudolph at a special stable. 

According to Rhinesmith, the model train 

14 


Left to right: Earl Heller paints one of the skill games built 

by volunteers. Beth Blanchard and Martha Rothstein 

help paint newly-constructed game booths. Kim Madden- 

Finnegan presents an event map to the organizing 

committee at a meeting in October.

display housed at the camp year-round will be 

lit up and decorated with a holiday theme by 

the Berkshire, Dover and West Milford Train 

Club. 

Other parts of the winter stroll, sponsored by 

area organizations and businesses, will feature 

handmade items from local vendors. 

Edible offerings include ice cream from AJ’s 

Country Cone and additional frozen confections 

from Jefferson Dairy. Hot chocolate will be 

served at the Gingerbread Canteen courtesy of 

Dunkin’ and local Girl Scouts. And food from 

various food trucks will also be available, said 

Madden-Finnegan. 

And, of course, Santa and Mrs. Claus will 

welcome fans of all ages with some magic of 

their own. 

According Heller, there will be over 100,000 

lights that will add sparkle to the grounds. 

Wooden displays and cutouts featuring toy 

soldiers, gingerbread men, penguins, gumdrops, 

Christmas trees, snowflakes and more will be 

scattered throughout the camp. Heller has been 

crafting these for months and inviting inspired 

locals to paint them. 

“They feel like they are doing something they 

love,” he said. “We try to find people that are 

suited for those things, who are wanting to add 

their own personal touch, to make it great.” 

A little glitter never hurts either. 

Heller called Camp Jefferson a “hidden gem.” 

Sometimes it takes a team to bring out the best 

in a space that otherwise would go unused until 

the summer, he said. 

“We’re trying to show Jefferson what the 

camp is all about,” Heller added. “Having extra 

hands, volunteers, the community help with the 

event, just adds a little more to what that facility 

is all about.” 

Rhinesmith is extremely proud of the event 

and what it means to the community. 

“To see so many residents, nonprofit 

organizations and local businesses come 

together to pull off this event has been 

absolutely amazing,” she said. “Something I 

could only dream of until now. I look forward 

to seeing the product of their efforts culminate 

into the biggest event this town has seen in 

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“My goal is to see the happy faces, the kids, 

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the behind-the-scenes aspect of it, setting up 

the lights and showcasing all the things that we 

can do.” 

The Jefferson Winter Stroll will be open from 

4-9 p.m. on December 2 and 3. Visitors are 

encouraged to utilize the free event shuttle, 

dubbed the Jefferson Polar Express, by parking 

at Arthur Stanlick Elementary School, Ellen T. 

Briggs Elementary School or Jefferson Township 

Middle School beginning at 3:45 p.m. each day. 

For more information or to volunteer, follow 

Jefferson Winter Stroll on Facebook or email 

jeffersonwinterstroll@gmail.com. 

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16 


BRETT WISS DOUGLAS 

LOCAL 

VOICES 

In October, Brett Wiss Douglas, 45, became commodore of the historic Lake Hopatcong Yacht Club, making club history on two fronts: 

She is the first third-generation commodore and the first woman to hold the position at the 118-year-old establishment. 

“I think there have been many women before me that could have held this honorable position, but the timing may not have been right,” 

she said of the two-year position. Her family legacy at the club dates back to the beginning. Her great-great-grandfather, Pierre Brett, 

was one of the founding members, helping merge the Hopatcong Lake and Field Club and the Hopatcong Junior Club in 1904, which 

would become the Lake Hopatcong Yacht Club. Her grandfather and father were both commodores and her grandmother and mother 

were both Women’s Auxiliary presidents. “We are very lucky to have many strong, capable women at the club,” she said. 

WHERE DO YOU LIVE? WHERE DID YOU GROW UP? 

I live in Hopatcong. I grew up in Dingmans Ferry, Pennsylvania, but would come to the lake every summer as a child for sailing and 

swimming lessons at the club. When I was a teenager, my parents started renting houses on the lake. When I was in college, 

they bought a property and moved out of Dingmans to be on the lake year round. Dingmans 

Ferry was beautiful, a great place to grow up, but the lake has always had my heart. I was 

very lucky to be driving a boat at age 13, with independence on the lake. 

WHO MAKES UP YOUR FAMILY? 

I am married 17 years to Michael Douglas. We have two kids, Connor, 15, and Annabel, 11. 

We have a dog named Lulu and a cat named Rocket. 

HOW DO YOU EARN A LIVING? 

I am currently working part time at Andover Mohawk Physical Therapy as a receptionist. 

Out of college, I went to New York City and worked in advertising as a media buyer. 

WHAT’S THE PROCESS OF BECOMING A COMMODORE? 

First, you have to be nominated. Once approved, you serve two years as 

rear commodore (in charge of member entertainment). Then you move 

up to vice commodore (in charge of “house and grounds,” which includes 

all improvements or repairs, staffing and overall condition of the club). 

Then you move up to commodore, where you are in charge of the whole 

shebang! 

HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE THE FIRST WOMAN COMMODORE? 

It is an incredible honor. I don’t think it was ever a slight to women to 

have not had a female in this position. I think it was just the right time 

and the right circumstances for me to get the job. And I am truly, truly 

honored and completely devoted to the role. 

DESCRIBE THE TYPE OF PERSON YOU ARE. 

I’m a hard worker. When there’s something I want to do or achieve I 

go all in. I love to laugh, and I try to surround myself with fun, happy 

people. I’m very athletic (although sidelined by an Achilles injury). 

I’m loyal and caring, and I love fiercely! If you’re in my heart, I’ll do 

whatever I can to take care of you. I’m a strong woman who fights 

and works hard for what she believes in. I’m considerate, courteous, 

kind and I love dad jokes. 

WHO HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST INFLUENCE IN LIFE AND WHY? 

My grandfather, Thomas Henry Wiss III, has been my hero since I 

was a young child. He was so funny, loving, kind and made me feel 

so loved. He was a hard worker, admired by all and always made 

me feel strong and supported. My parents, Thomas H. Wiss IV and 

Eugenia Wiss, were also huge influences in my life. And my husband 

and children. 

IS THERE ANYTHING MOST PEOPLE WOULD BE SURPRISED 

TO LEARN ABOUT YOU? 

When I was about 17 or 18, I lived in a shack in the parking lot at 

the yacht club for two summers while teaching sailing! 

involved invested strong 

I AM I AM I AM 


Love of Therapy Dogs Inspires First-Time 

Author, 11-Year-Old Illustrator 

18 



There is something about a pleasant smile, 

loving eyes, soft fur and a gentle paw that 

makes everything better. 

The unconditional love and understanding of 

a therapy dog is the focus of a book published 

in September. It was written by first-time author 

Katie Baron and illustrated by Emily Beach, an 

11-year-old destined to immortalize Archer— 

her favorite therapy dog. 

Baron, 59, of Byram, has had dogs for decades 

and always wanted to train and certify one as a 

therapy dog. But not every dog was cut out for 

the task. 

She adopted her last dog after he failed to 

complete the training necessary to become 

a companion for the blind. “I thought he was 

going to be perfect, but he was rejected from 

The Seeing Eye because he was too scared,” she 

said. “He was a great, wonderful dog, but he 

could not be a therapy dog.” 

In 2018, Baron began looking for a better 

match. “He needs to be [even-tempered], 

he needs to like people, he needs to be nonaggressive 

and he needs to be friendly,” she told 

the breeder. 

Archer was born in June of that year, came 

home with Baron seven weeks later and 

immediately started working on those special 

skills. “To become a therapy dog, they need to 

pass a therapy dog test,” explained Baron. Dogs 

can be trained individually but Baron preferred 

the structure of the classroom. 

Baron enrolled Archer in formal training 

at around 13 weeks, beginning with puppy 

kindergarten at Top Dog Obedience School in 

Flanders. 

The trainer at Top Dog connected Baron with 

The Bright & Beautiful Therapy Dogs to learn 

about the certifications Archer would need. 

The Morris Plains-based business is one of only 


a handful of national therapy dog organizations. 

Archer moved on from puppy kindergarten 

to beginners and advanced beginners through 

2019 but was forced to take time off in 2020 

due to the pandemic. During that time, Baron 

continued working with him. 

“In those four months, he grew up,” she 

recalled. “Something flipped in his little brain, 

and when we went back to training, I felt like 

this could really happen.” 

During his last round of advanced obedience 

training at Top Dog, Archer happened to be 

in a class with other dogs whose owners were 

also hoping to become therapy teams. So, the 

instructor geared the class toward what was 

needed to pass the Canine Good Citizenship 

Test or CGC, in addition to some extra skills. 

“We practiced with wheelchairs. We practiced 

with canes and walkers, sudden noises, and 

loud noises and crowds, things that they don’t 

normally cover in the basic CGC,” recalled 

Baron. 

In October 2020, Archer and Baron passed 

the CGC and the American Kennel Club therapy 

dog test administered by The Bright & Beautiful 

Therapy Dogs on the same day. 

“They don’t just test the dog, they test me 

too to make sure I can control him in a positive, 

compassionate, gentle way,” said Baron. “And 

that we have good communication.” 

All dressed up in his new red vest and 

nowhere to go because of lingering COVID-19 

shutdowns, Archer and Baron found themselves 

in a holding pattern until June of 2021. 

“I called Morris View Healthcare [Center] in 

Morristown and asked if they were open to 

therapy dogs and they said yes,” said Baron, 

adding she also let the nursing home know 

this marked her and Archer’s first time doing a 

therapy dog visit. 

The Bright & Beautiful Therapy Dogs has 

rules that therapy dogs, their handlers and the 

facilities have to follow. “I made sure that Morris 

Clockwise from top left: The cover of “Archer the 

Therapy Dog.” Archer with author (and human) 

Katie Baron and illustrator Emily Beach. Emily’s 

original drawing (on right) and as it appeared 

in book (on left). Emily autographs a book as 

Archer looks on. 

View understood them because it had been 

almost two years since they had any visitors,” 

said Baron. 

Archer and Baron started visiting Morris View 

regularly in August 2021. “He was amazing. He 

was born for this, literally,” said Baron. “He had 

so much fun.” 

Toward the end of September that year, 

Archer found a new way to share the love. He 

began attending the Read to a Dog program 

at E. Louise Childs Library in Stanhope. That’s 

where he met his biggest fan. 

A regular at Read to a Dog, not just because 

she loves dogs but because her mom works 

there, Emily Beach, 11, was one of the first to 

read to Archer. “I thought he was amazing and 

just really sweet,” she said. 

“It’s a great way to encourage kids to read if 

they’re not comfortable reading because there’s 

a furry nonjudgmental dog here to listen to

them,” said Baron. 

She had become more involved with 

educating dog owners and anyone who would 

listen about therapy dogs with Archer’s own 

Instagram account. Along with the occasional 

cute dog video, Baron would encourage and 

offer tips on training. 

“I was like, ‘I bet I could make a book out of 

this,’” recalled Baron. “It was a dream I didn’t 

know I had.” 

She casually mentioned the idea to Emily in 

October. In November, Emily showed Baron 

a picture she had drawn of a potential book 

cover. “She named it ‘The Archer Book.’” 

That’s where the wheels really started turning. 

As Baron put a story together, she would send 

ideas to Emily, who would then come up with 

conceptual art for each page. 

Each depiction of Archer was submitted as 

a line drawing with the basic idea for what the 

page should look like, and the publisher’s artist 

brought their vision to life. 

“I just drew the Archer dogs, and then they 

did the background,” said Emily, a sixth-grader 

at Hopatcong Middle School. 

“The dogs are exactly copied because I 

wanted Emily’s Archers,” Baron said of the 

finished product. 

That’s because Baron loves how Emily draws 

Archer. “He doesn’t have perfect triangle ears. 

He’s got weird, funky ears, and she draws it that 

way. She draws him the way he is, and it looks 

like Archer. It doesn’t look like every other 

golden retriever.” 

Each page also has a tiny hidden Archer— 

just his face and a red bandana—as an extra 

incentive for young readers to flip through. 

The experience of illustrating the book was 

both thrilling and therapeutic for Emily. 

“In February 2023 a pit bull attacked me in 

my face,” she said. “Two days after, Archer 

surprised me at my house. It made me a little 

nervous because he was the first dog I saw 

after it happened, but then he made me more 

comfortable with other dogs and he was just 

really helpful to me in that moment.” 

Emily’s mom, Kelly Beach, said her daughter 

has become more confident. “After the dog 

bite I thought we would always struggle with 

seeing dogs, especially big dogs,” she said. “I 

was wrong. Working so closely with Katie and 

Archer—it has made Emily stronger.” 

Emily wants the world to know that therapy 

dogs aren’t like any other dog. “They help you 

not be nervous and to be brave and to feel safe.” 

Proud of her accomplishment, Emily loves 

showing off her work to other students. In 

October, she read to second-graders at Tulsa 

Trail Elementary School in Hopatcong. In 

November, Baron and Emily will visit Byram 

Lakes Elementary School, and in January they 

will be reading to students at Hopatcong 

Middle School. 

“I tell them I did the book because Archer is 

just amazing and it’s really fun to draw pictures, 

especially dogs,” Emily said. “Drawing is calming 

and relaxing to me.” 

The right side of each page of the book 

displays information intended for adults based 

on research Baron did for Archer’s Instagram 

page. She’s a firm believer in the benefit of 

therapy dog visits to schools, hospitals and 

senior residential facilities. 

“There was a clinical study done at an 

emergency room, and they determined that 10 

minutes with a therapy dog can reduce anxiety, 

depression, increase well-being and the most 

amazing thing—reduce pain,” said Baron. 

“I would love it if every school in the country 

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Community Turns Out for Lake Cleanup 

22 

Story by MICHAEL DAIGLE 


This is a story about stuff. 

Comedian George Carlin famously 

did an entire routine about stuff and how 

emotionally attached to it we are. 

But we’re not talking that stuff. 

This is about the stuff that floats on the 

surface of Lake Hopatcong and rivers and 

streams, gets lost or tossed from a passing boat, 

or falls from a dock or slips through fingers and 

gets carried in a current. 

Stuff that gets buried in the shoreline weeds 

and mud. Stuff that doesn’t decompose. 

Stuff like hundreds of tires, deflated balloons, 

bottles made of glass, metal or plastic, plastic 

bags, toys, shoes and cigarettes. 

Stuff like the single pink Croc left on the sand 

at the Mount Arlington Public Beach. 

This is also a story about the hundreds of 

volunteers who clean up that stuff. 

On Saturday, November 4, they were at it 

again, at 50 spots around Lake Hopatcong armed 

with gloves and bags and boots and good spirits 

hauling out of the lake all the stuff left behind. 

Since 2013, the Lake Hopatcong Commission 

and the Lake Hopatcong Foundation have 

organized with myriad partners a lake-wide 

cleanup timed to the 60-inch drawdown of the 

lake that occurs every five years. 

This year the commission and foundation 

were joined by the Morris and Sussex Counties’ 

Clean Communities; the four towns around the 

lake (Hopatcong, Jefferson, Mount Arlington 

and Roxbury); New Jersey State Police; Morris 

County Sheriff’s Office; Morris County Division 

of Mosquito Control; Hopatcong State Park and 

the Morris County Park Commission. 

Also on hand was Kati Angarone, the assistant 

New Jersey Department of Environmental 

Protection commissioner for watershed and 

land use management, who joined the hearty 

bunch of cleaners at Mount Arlington Beach. 

“This is a good measure of the community’s 


involvement,” she said, “and provides the 

department with important information about 

the health of the lake.” 

Management of Lake Hopatcong’s depth 

began in 1932 with a 30-inch annual drop, 

including a water level drop to a depth of 60 

inches every five years, according to the 2011 

Lake Hopatcong Water Level Management Plan. 

The lake is considered full at 9 feet, measured 

at the dam in Landing. The drawdown is designed 

to allow repairs to waterside structures and to 

help flush from the lake the nutrients that feed 

weed growth. 

In 2016, the water level management plan was 

changed to allow a 22-inch annual drawdown, 

from 26 inches. 

The lake reached a water level of 5 feet at 

the dam on November 1, according to the 

foundation. The lake will remain at this level 

until December 15, when refill will begin and 

continue until the annual 22-inch drawdown 

level is reached or until ice forms. 

Without water, the lake offers a view of 

skeletal wooden docks; hundreds of feet of 

exposed, muddy shoreline; rivulets of streams 

carving the muck; and overgrown estuaries 

sometimes home to trapped debris. 

It was in one of the hidden estuaries at 

Hopatcong’s Roland-May Eves Mountain Inlet 

Sanctuary, where Hopatcong resident and 

entrepreneur Olivier Hoyer was presented with 

one of his Billie Cove T-shirts still wrapped in a 

biodegradable plastic bag. 

The shirt had been pulled from the water’s 

edge by a volunteer. 

“That’s my clothing brand,” Hoyer exclaimed. 

“It’s crazy.” 

The shirt was no worse for wear, just soaking 

wet. 

The irony did not escape him: He had 

donated shirts for a cleanup day raffle held later 

that day at the Lake Hopatcong Foundation’s 

headquarters in Landing. 

Hoyer and his friend, Stephanie Kealy of 

Morristown, joined about a dozen volunteers 

cleaning the water and roadside at Roland-May Eves. 

Hoyer said it was a chance to clean up his own 

piece of the lake. Kealy, a teacher with a degree in 

environmental science, said she had participated in 

many Jersey Shore beach cleanups. 

For Ted Pallis of Chester, at Roland-Eves with his 

daughter, Alexandra Pallis, 18, it was chance to return 

to the Lake Hopatcong region where he had grown 

up. 

“It’s an opportunity to help,” he said. 

The opportunity to help had Jerry Scanlan in 

hiking boots and shorts struggling through narrow 

water channels and layers of mud to retrieve a 

tire from the middle of the piece of Byram Cove 

shoreline near his home. 

(Why so many tires in a lake? For decades, tires 

have been used as buffers between docks and 

boats. When the nails or screws that fasten tires to 

docks fail over time, the tires sink to the bottom of 

the lake.) 

Cheering on Scanlan’s tire retrieval was Jule Girman, 

the chairwoman of Hopatcong’s environmental 

commission and Pat Hoferkamp, the commission’s 

deputy-chair. 

“In 2018, we pulled out a hot water heater,” 

Hoferkamp recalled. 

This year, she said, the group had only found the 

usual trash—tires, cans, bottles and the like—and a 

lot less of it. 

“Maybe we’re being better stewards of the lake,” 

she added. 

As Hoferkamp offered that assessment, Girman, 

completing a call with other event organizers, said 

reports from around the lake indicated that far less 

trash had been pulled from the lake than in the past. 

A report on the 2018 cleanup showed 7,700 items 

had been collected that year. A tally for this year’s 

event will be issued later by the foundation. 

“It’s an honor being a steward of the lake,” Girman 

said. “Maybe more people are paying attention.” 

One encouraging note offered by several 

volunteers at the end of the cleanup was that fewer 

single-use plastic bags were found among the trash 

collected. 

In 2022, New Jersey banned stores from using

plastic bags, requiring customers to use reusable 

bags for shopping. 

The 2018 report said 500 plastic bags had 

been pulled from the lake. 

Craig Bitten, a resident of Kingsland (a private 

development along the western shore of Landing 

Channel in Roxbury), said about one-third of the 

49 homeowners in the development participated in 

the cleanup. 

Most of the residents also actively clean their 

shorelines during the year, he added. 

“It’s pride of ownership and taking care of the 

lake,” he said. 

Bitten noted there seems to be less to clean up 

this year, especially larger items. 

“We may be getting ahead of it,” he said. 

Bitten said residents are interested in the plans to 

dredge Landing Channel. 

The dredging—and the potential that an 

oxygenation system could be installed in the center 

of the lake—reflect an effort to address known lake 

pollution causes with larger projects. This effort is 

fueled by an urgency that arose after 2019 when the 

lake was essentially closed by an extensive and longlasting 

harmful algal bloom (HAB). Businesses in 2019 

suffered significant losses as traditional lake activity 

diminished while the HAB persisted. 

Since 2019, using a combination of state funds and 

grants, pilot projects have spread around the lake, 

Left to right, top to bottom: At Mount Arlington Public Beach, volunteers, elected officials and members 

of the Lake Hopatcong Foundation stand with Kati Angarone, assistant New Jersey Department of 

Environmental Protection commissioner for watershed and land use management, third from left. Mount 

Arlington fourth-grade students and their parents roll tires that had once been attached to the docks at 

Lee’s County Park Marina but fell into the lake. (Photo courtesy of Donna Macalle-Holly.) A full toolbox pulled 

from the muck in King’s Cove. (Photo courtesy of Linda Karpiak.) Al Grabinski opens a trash bag for wife Claire 

Grabinski along the shoreline at Roland-May Eves Mountain Inlet Sanctuary in Hopatcong. Lee Moreau 

carries a bag of trash and a tire retrieved from the lake. Carolyn Rinaldi watches as Madelyn Adams pulls 

a piece of garbage from the lake. Roxana Scanlon reaches to grab a glass bottle while holding onto a dock 

finger near Brady Bridge. Donna Macalle-Holly, cleanup coordinator, with husband Bruce Holly, Anthony 

Fiumara and son, Anthony Fiumara, in Ashley Cove in Jefferson. 

Colleen Lyons, the administrator of the Lake 

Hopatcong Commission, previously reported. 

The projects included: the installation of 

floating wetland islands in Landing Channel 

in Roxbury; shoreline stabilization through 

plantings at Memorial Pond in Mount Arlington; 

replacement of filtration material in stormwater 

drains in Jefferson; and replanting of a wetland 

stormwater basin in Hopatcong. 

Another state grant funded projects in all 

four lake towns to install and maintain biochar 

(carbon) sleeves in two stormwater ponds 

and in a series of stormwater structures, 

manufactured treatment devices and inlets into 

Lake Hopatcong. 

The project also included the removal of 

sediment that has accumulated immediately 

in front of or adjacent to stormwater pipes or 

outfalls that discharge directly into the lake, 

Lyons said. 

A federal grant funded the restoration 

of Witten Park in Hopatcong where Sperry 

Spring will be rehabilitated with new plantings 

to stabilize its banks to better filter runoff. In 

addition, a new stormwater system will be 

installed to direct runoff to a naturally occurring 

slope before it enters the lake. 

Also, on Glen Brook in Mount Arlington’s 

Memorial Park, about 75 linear feet of the brook 

will be regraded and new plantings added to 

increase the filtration of runoff. 

In addition, Hopatcong installed sewers for 

40 lakeside homes and Lake Hopatcong State 

Park was hooked into the local sewer system, 

eliminating an old septic system. 

Awaiting possible federal funding is a sewer 

system for lakeside Jefferson. 

A study of the Landing Channel project, 

funded by a $113,650 grant from the New Jersey 

Highlands Council, focused on the dredging 

process and “beneficial reuse” of the dredged 

materials, including the restoration of Floating 

Island. 

The oxygenation system would consist of 

oxygen generators placed on the shore of the 

lake and a system of pipes to carry the oxygen 

to the lake bottom. An exchanger device would 

mix the oxygen with the anoxic water, creating 

a higher level of dissolved oxygen in the turbid 

water, thus helping reduce the amount of 

phosphorus, the lake’s chief pollutant, said 

...continued on page 24 


Lake Cleanup (cont’d.) 

Fred Lubnow of Princeton Hydro LLC, the lake’s 

environmental consultant. 

This system is similar in theory to the aeration 

system installed in 2020 in Hopatcong’s Crescent 

Cove, Lubnow said. The difference is the 

aeration system in Crescent Cove adds oxygen 

to the water as it stirs the entire water column, 

and the oxygenation system injects oxygen into 

the bottom layer of the water. 

Hopatcong Mayor Michael Francis said the 

Crescent Cove aeration project has shown clear 

results. 

“There were ice fishermen in the cove and 

herring have been jumping, something that had 

not happened for many years,” Francis said. 

The future of the lake was a concern for 

Catalini Forero of Mount Arlington, who, with 

her son Matiis, 9, joined the cleanup crew at the 

borough’s beach. 

“He’s part of the next generation who will be 

using and taking care of the lake,” she said. 

Additional members of that next generation 

are sisters Katheryn Hand, 15, and Allison Hand, 

17, of Mount Arlington. 

While Katheryn struggled to keep her 

sneakers on as she trudged through the thick 

muck, Allison said they use the local beach 

often, and she will walk out onto the lake when 

the ice is solid. 

“This is our beach,” she said. 

The highlight for the Hand 

sisters: They collected the pink 

Croc. 

Mount Arlington Mayor 

Michael Stanzilis said someone 

should present them with the 

“Pink Croc Award.” 

Top to bottom, clockwise: The skeleton of a 

wooden boat was discovered by volunteers in 

Kingsland and can be seen in the muck just 

offshore in Landing Channel. Volunteers pose 

with the debris they collected around Bertrand 

Island. (Photo courtesy of Linda Karpiak.) Kathy 

Appleby shows a hammer she pulled from the 

muck near the public beach in Mount Arlington. 

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Woman’s Club Helps Those in Hopatcong and Beyond 

26 

Story by BONNIE-LYNN NADZEIKA 


On a sunny weekday morning in October, 

the Elba Point Beach Club was buzzing 

with voices as members of the Hopatcong 

Woman’s Club gathered for its monthly 

meeting. Coffee and water in hand, 17 of the 

group’s 38 members settled down on seats 

around U-shaped tables as the meeting began. 

A reading from the Collect for Clubwomen— 

the group’s pledge—kicked things off and saw 

members recite the following: “Grant that 

we may realize that it is the little things that 

create differences, that in the big things in life 

we are one.” Members then said the Pledge of 

Allegiance. 

Whatever your image of a women’s club 

meeting that follows might be, it is unlikely 

to encompass all of the activities of this 

industrious group. This is not just a group 

of women meeting for lunch and coffee— 

although that is the congenial part of the 

meeting. 

This is a group that supports a wide variety 

of causes in the immediate Hopatcong area 

and beyond. 

First up for discussion was the club’s ongoing 

collection for veterans at the Lyons VA 

Medical Center. Everything from toiletries to 

shoes to art supplies was on the list handed 

to each member who would then shop for the 

needed items. 

Co-President Pat Beach went on to report 

that 25 holiday stockings were already on 

their way to active servicemen and women 

around the world ensuring they would arrive 

in time for the holidays. Filled with small 

gifts collected by members, the stockings 

are the first of several outreach projects the 

Hopatcong Woman’s Club is a part of for the 

holiday season. 

The club members also discussed the 

ongoing help to area Head Start preschoolers 

from low-income families by providing toys 

and much-needed clothing as holiday gifts. 

Siblings who are not in the Head Start program 

also receive a toy or gift card, depending on 

their age. 

During the meeting, members also voted 

to purchase two wreaths for 

the Wreaths Across America 

program, which takes place 

in December and sees fresh 

wreaths placed on the graves 

of veterans. 

Members also discussed 

making ornaments to 

decorate an artificial tree 

that would be available for 


auction—along with other decorated trees 

and wreaths—during a New Jersey State 

Federation of Women’s Clubs event. The 

NJSFWC’s open house in November would 

serve as a fundraiser for the state umbrella 

organization. 

Member Diane Ottman and Co-President 

Ellen Buongiorno shared prototypes of 

ornaments. Using a combination of yarn, toilet 

paper rolls and ping pong balls, they each 

created different gnome ornaments. 

Currently, there are 164 clubs in New 

Jersey, which are divided into 15 districts. 

The Hopatcong club is part of the Highlands 

District. 

According to club historian and member 

Marcy Thompson, the Lakeland Woman’s 

Club and the Lake Hopatcong Women’s Club 

consolidated to form the Hopatcong Woman’s 

Club in 1957. A year later, the group joined the 

New Jersey State Federation of Woman’s Clubs. 

“It is the largest volunteer women’s service 

organization in the state,” said Thompson. 

But it’s not all work for the local club. 

In September, the Hopatcong Woman’s Club 

held a celebratory luncheon in honor of their 

65th anniversary and one of their own—Pat 

Hofmann, who has been a member for 60 

years. 

“I remember when we went to state 

conventions, and the women wore long 

dresses and gloves,” said Hofmann, who was 

also honored by the Borough of Hopatcong 

with a proclamation making September 22, 

2023, Pat Hofmann Day. 

Hofmann worked for many years at 

Hopatcong High School. She was so active in 

so many community efforts, one not-to-benamed 

principal said to her: “Will you please 

get out of my life?” 

One of her proudest accomplishments, she 

said, was serving as club chairperson for the 

NJSFWC’s autism 

project for two 

years. In that role, 

she organized a 

volleyball marathon 

with proceeds going 

to autism research. 

“I didn’t know then 

that I would have a 

grandson with autism,” she said, “but I guess I 

was being prepared. He’s doing very well.” 

At the September event, Thompson 

summarized some of the donations the club 

has made over the years in support of the 

Hopatcong community and beyond. 

In the early 2000s, funds were donated to 

help purchase a “jaws of life” device for the 

borough’s first responders. 

In 1986, the club donated to the restoration 

of the Statue of Liberty. In 1998, a clock was 

gifted to Hopatcong Borough to commemorate 

the borough’s 100th anniversary. The club also 

helped purchase a fire truck for the New York 

City Fire Department to replace one lost 

on September 11; donated to the Kentucky 

Federation of Women’s Clubs to help with 

flood recovery and donated to the Mississippi 

Federation of Women’s Clubs for tornado 

relief. 

Recently, the club has helped Ukraine by 

supporting UNICEF. 

The group also does its part to help students. 

During the October meeting, member Linda 

Kalata discussed the Hopatcong High School 

student whom the club will sponsor for the 

Girls’ Career Institute. This three-day college 

preparatory program for young women takes 

Top to bottom, clockwise: Pat Beach reads a thank you note at the October 

meeting. Members of the Hopatcong Woman’s Club each hold an item to be 

donated to Domestic Abuse & Sexual Assault Intervention Services. Sheryl 

Hoer looks at a gnome ornament made from yarn.

place every June at Rutgers University. 

Sponsored by groups across the state, 

participants tour the campus and listen to 

professionals ranging from chefs to doctors 

discuss their career paths. 

“Some clubs sponsor multiple girls, but our 

group is small, so we sponsor one each year,” 

explained Kalata. 

The club also has a scholarship program for 

high school seniors who are college-bound. 

Students from Hopatcong High School, Sussex 

County Technical School, Lenape Valley High 

School and Pope John High School are eligible. 

Along with assisting students, the club 

also helps women and children impacted 

by domestic and sexual assault. For 25 years, 

the Hopatcong Woman’s Club has rallied its 

support behind Domestic Abuse & Sexual 

Assault Intervention Services (DASI), a Newtonbased 

group that helps those in Sussex County. 

Every October, in recognition of Domestic 

Violence Awareness Month, the club holds 

a linen party meeting. Members bring new 

sheets, towels and blankets, which are then 

distributed by DASI to families entering its safe 

house. Most families entering the safe house 

arrive without such basic belongings. 

According to Kim Prentiss, DASI’s coordinator 

of office and volunteer services who spoke to 

club members during the meeting, the families 

keep these linens when they are able to leave 

the shelter. 

With so many initiatives, one might think 

the club spends most of its time fundraising. 

But members are as efficient as they are 

altruistic. An annual fashion show is the club’s 

sole fundraising event. Proceeds are used 

to fund the Girls’ Career Institute candidate, 

the scholarship program, the Wreaths Across 

America program and some state and national 

initiatives. 

All local charity donations—items for 

military and veterans’ groups, gifts for Head 

Start children, DASI contributions and craft 

materials—are funded by club members, said 

Beach. 

“I’ve always been someone who wants to 

help other people. It’s such a reward,” said 

Beach. 

For more information or to join Hopatcong 

Woman’s Club, contact Pat Beach at 

pebeach@gmail.com. 

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Hopatcong to Offer Traditional 

Holiday Meals to Those in Need 


Families and individuals struggling to make 

ends meet in Hopatcong and several 

surrounding towns will have a free warm 

meal to look forward to this Thanksgiving 

and Christmas, thanks to the generosity and 

dedication of the borough’s police department 

with help from fire and EMS members. 

For the third consecutive year, the 

Hopatcong Police Department, in partnership 

with the Kiwanis Club of Greater Roxbury, will 

offer free holiday meals, according to borough 

police officer Taylor Gentner. 

Last year, the Kiwanis Club bought and 

donated all the food—about 300 pounds— 

including eight turkeys for Thanksgiving and 

eight hams for Christmas, said Cain Pope, club 

president. 

“We also provided desserts,” he added. 

The club will supply about the same amount 

of food for this year’s meals, he said. 

The meals for Thanksgiving and Christmas 

will be served in person or offered for takeout 

at Defiance Company No. 3 Firehouse on 

Hopatchung Road. 

“We have a tray line, so if people want to 

come, they can,” said Gentner, “or they can 

contact us, and we’ll put them on a list, and 

we’ll deliver to their house.” 

Genter said most residents opt for 

delivery. Last year, more than 100 households 

throughout the borough had meals delivered, 

she said. 

Residents of Hopatcong, Netcong, Stanhope 

and Byram are invited to stop by if they find 

themselves in need of a meal, for some holiday 

cheer or simply some great company. 

Residents can register for the Thanksgiving 

and December meals through the police 

department but doing so is not required. 

“Anyone who shows up is always welcome,” 

said Gentner. “We wouldn’t turn them away.” 

Past recipients are invited to 

email or call the police department, 

but Gentner doesn’t want anyone 

to be left out. “We keep a running 

list of people who have contacted 

us in the past. Usually, we’ll contact 

them and ask if they would like to 

participate again.” 

Officers in Netcong, Stanhope 

and Byram have offered to fulfill 

the needs and requests of anyone 

who reaches out from those 

areas for meal deliveries. While the free meal 

offering is currently open to these residents as 

well as those from Hopatcong, Gentner said 

they will coordinate with other jurisdictions if 

the need arises. 

Hopatcong officers and members of the 

fire department work together, cooking, 

assembling and packaging each component 

of the meal. Kiwanis volunteers help man the 

kitchen when the first responders are out 

making deliveries, said Pope. 

A lot of people who participate in the 

Thanksgiving meal also participate at Christmas, 

according to Gentner. 

The weather can be a factor. “Last [Christmas] 

Volunteer Lisa Konefal and Kiwanis Club of Greater 

Roxbury Secretary Allyson Adams box salads at last year’s 

Thanksgiving Day meal. 

(Photo courtesy of Cain Pope, Kiwanis club president.) 

B"H 

there were even more deliveries because it was 

during that super cold windstorm.” 

In Hopatcong, it’s all about serving the 

community and making sure everyone feels 

included. “I’m glad that people who need it 

get a nice hot dinner around the holidays,” 

Gentner added. 

This year, the Thanksgiving meal will be 

held on Thanksgiving Day from 10 a.m. until 1 

p.m. The holiday meal will be held Saturday, 

December 23 from 5-8 p.m. 

For more information, to donate or to 

sign up for delivery, contact Taylor Gentner 

at 973-398-5000 or email tgentner@ 

hopatcongpolice.org. 

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Nolan’s Point Park Rd., Lake Hopatcong • 

30 


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Goodbye to My Lake Hopatcong Flower House 

Story by MARIA VOGEL-SHORT 

As I move from my treasured Lake 

Hopatcong home, I look fondly back 

at my 28 years spent among the tempestuous 

beauty and numerous adventures of the lake. 

I bid goodbye to the sunny and wet summer 

days on the beach, the myriad hiking trails where 

our dog got lost sniffing at the scents of birds 

and other critters and the endless panoramic 

views of every season we enjoyed as a family. 

In the summer, there was boating and 

swimming. In the fall, great hiking and foliage. In 

the winter, the lake glistened with insecure ice 

and the snow covered everything like a frozen 

blanket. In spring, new flowers and trees would 

bud with the beginnings of new life and new 

wonder. 

If you liked being active, you loved Lake 

Hopatcong because you had so many options: 

boating sports, fishing, sledding, sailing, 

snowmobiling, jet skiing, water skiing, biking, 

hiking and running. Or you could simply go for 

walks, enjoying the view and a rush of fresh air 

and gravel or sand under your feet. 

My husband, Francis, and I took his parent’s 

summer home—it’s been in his family for 67 

years—and lovingly renovated it to raise our 

blended family, which included four boys. We 

went up and out, adding bedrooms and an 

upstairs aerie where we could look out of the 

window and see such leafy trees that we felt we 

were living in a treehouse. We were. 

The trees released such delicious oxygen 

that when our son would leave and come back 

home, he’d comment that nothing smelled as 

good as home. 

There were endless places to enjoy. Across the 

back of the house ran a little brook where our 

sons played, and my husband and his brothers 

had played before them. 

We put a little bridge in the back so 

the children could run across and play in a 

playground meant for children under 5—but 

that never stopped a curious teenager from 

contemplating life on the sturdy chain-length 

swings. 

The beach and the boats provided an escape 

for us. My husband would take our youngest 

son in a stroller to the beach and take a swim 

while the baby napped under a canopy of trees. 

During the summer, the lake was full of boats 

jostling the waters: pontoons, small cabin 

cruisers and deck and wake boats. We had a 

sturdy canoe that could take us anywhere we 

wanted on the lake. 

In the early spring and late fall, we’d watch 

sailboats cross the waters as calmly as the wind 

would allow. At night, you could always see the 

stars in the cobalt sky and feel the crisp night air 

waft across you like nature’s kiss. 

32 


I nicknamed our house 

the Flower House, but it 

didn’t start that way. 

As a former summer 

home, gardens were not 

essential to beach days 

and my mother-in-law 

got to the beach every 

day. She had no time for 

gardening. 

But once we purchased 

the house, I was stubborn. 

I was endlessly toiling 

in the clay and rock to 

create rich dark soil full of 

worms. 

By the time I was done, I would watch 

hummingbirds hover and zoom over my 

hydrangeas and gladioli. Every plant had a 

particular season. 

The growing season was a concert of various 

flowering movements. The bees and butterflies 

were always busy pollinating my flowers, from 

the first whiff of spring with crocus, forsythia 

and hyacinths to the Easter lilies and tulips. 

Right on cue, the daffodils would appear, then 

the phlox, azalea, rhododendrons, mountain 

laurel and sea pinks. The hosta would slowly 

become little giants even when the shade was 

minimal and the deer were plentiful. 

It took a while to figure out where each plant 

belonged, so there was a great deal of moving 

and taking up residence in another area of the 

yard. Each plant was not always destined to 

survive either, because squirrels, moles, rabbits 

and other animals were hell-bent on eating 

them. 

Along our picket fence facing the road, day 

lilies fought with boxwood for territory, and 

each season they looked different, sometimes 

not surviving the winter. 

I will remember how wonderful my neighbors 

were during the 100-year flood of 2000, when 

rushing lake waters scraped out the bottom of 

our house, causing us to later put a concrete 

The Short family at the lake in 1986. Standing: Kevin, Francis III, 

Francis II, Mae and Thomas. Sitting: Brain and Cecilia Loftus Salmon. 

(Photo courtesy of the author.) 

floor in our first-floor bathroom as a precaution. 

Flooding hurt our neighbors and many 

others in the area. But the neighborhood came 

together, and we all grew stronger. 

I’ll also remember the time our inflated 

Christmas Snoopy left our backyard and sailed 

down the rushing waters of the brook to the 

lake after a heavy rain in a salute to the holiday 

spirit. Our neighbor called to tell us Snoopy 

was on his way to the lake! Yet our beloved lake 

house survived through heavy rains and strong 

winds—and it will for many more years. 

With our children grown, it is time for a young 

family to come and make their own magical 

memories along the lake. 

It is on this lake that we put my husband’s 

brother and sister to rest, and also scattered 

the ashes of my husband’s mother and his 

grandmother. 

There will be flashbacks of days lying on the 

beach and watching the clouds. Or the time we 

took friends on a pontoon and nearly capsized. 

And the many times we had to run home from 

the beach in the pouring rain. 

It is with a bittersweet fondness I say 

goodbye, but I will treasure the memories and 

delight in the stories we can tell of our time at 

Lake Hopatcong. 

WORKING TOGETHER FOR A CLEANER LAKE! 

You can be part of a 

community-wide effort 

to keep Lake Hopatcong 

vibrant and healthy, now 

and for future generations! 

Give a gift and join us today at 

lakehopatcongfoundation.org.

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HISTORY 

George Washington Did Not Sleep Here 

by MARTY KANE 

Photos courtesy of 

the 

LAKE HOPATCONG 

HISTORICAL 

MUSEUM 

One of the frequent questions we hear at 

the Lake Hopatcong Historical Museum 

during programs and on historical cruises of the 

lake is if certain famous individuals ever lived 

at Lake Hopatcong. The names most often 

referenced include Alan Alda, Bud Abbott and 

Lou Costello, Farrah Fawcett, Al Capone and 

Babe Ruth. 

As a leading resort from the 1880s to the 

1940s, it is not surprising some celebrities chose 

to spend time at Lake Hopatcong. Just as Aspen 

and Vail attract the rich and famous today, the 

lake was alluring to a prior generation. It was 

particularly popular with entertainers. 

In the years before air conditioning, most 

theaters closed for the summer. With its 

convenient location just 90 minutes by train 

from New York City, Lake Hopatcong attracted 

everyone from vaudeville headliners (who might 

stay several weeks at a lake hotel) to struggling 

performers (who could share a bungalow). 

Entertainers tended to congregate at two 

main sections of the lake. The Espanong Hotel 

in Jefferson hosted a who’s who of vaudeville 

and burlesque performers. A second actors’ 

colony developed around the Northwood 

section of Hopatcong where many entertainers 

rented bungalows, and Glasser’s Pavilion (later 

the Northwood Inn and now Lola’s) was the 

center of social life. 

The lake’s most famous residents over the 

years are: actress Lotta Crabtree, who owned 

a house in Mount Arlington from 1885-1920 

and was a regular summer resident until 1900; 

inventor and industrialist Hudson Maxim, 

who owned a large estate on the west shore 

from 1901 until his death here in 1927; author 

Rex Beach, a summer resident from 1911-1917, 

who owned a home on Chicopee Road; and 

vaudeville and Broadway star Joe Cook, who 

hosted legendary parties at Sleepless Hollow, 

his 21-acre estate in Davis Cove. 

Lake Hopatcong’s appeal as a celebrity 

destination diminished as its resort status 

faded. While a few noted residents retained 

houses at the lake, most moved on to trendier 

destinations. Since questions persist, I thought 

it would be fun to respond to the myths and 

truths of whether certain individuals ever lived 

at or visited the lake. 

Alan Alda – False! While we cannot rule out 

that he ever stopped by Lake Hopatcong, the 

actor never owned a house at the lake. This 

tale seems to have originated on the Jefferson 

House tour boat years ago (alcohol may have 

been involved). 

Babe Ruth – True! The baseball legend did 

not own a home at the lake, but his 1939 visit to 

Cook’s place in Davis Cove is well documented. 

Al Capone – False! Lake Hopatcong was a 

major resort during prohibition, so it is not 

surprising that numerous speakeasies operated 

around its shores and alcohol was relatively 

easy to obtain. The gangster knew Cook and 

there were many hotels, so while it is possible 

that Capone visited, he never owned a house 

here. 

This rumor may have started because the 

former Lotta Crabtree house was once owned 

by John J. Dunne, a major bootlegger from 

Hudson County in the 1920s. 

Farrah Fawcett – True! George Barrie, former 

owner and chief executive of Fabergé, once 

owned the large home on the former Maxim 

property on Lakeside Boulevard in Hopatcong. 

Under his leadership, the company launched 

many cosmetic products and deployed 

celebrities to promote them. 

Fabergé launched an entire line of Farrah 

Fawcett hair care products during the 1970s, 

and the actress indeed did visit Lake Hopatcong 

during this time. 

George Burns and Gracie Allen – True! Burns 

and later his wife, Allen, both visited friends at 

the lake and stayed at lake hotels. 

Bud Abbott and Lou Costello – Partially true! 

Just before the comedy duo hit the big time, 

Lake Hopatcong was a part of Abbott’s life. 

During the early years of their marriage, Abbott 

and his wife, Betty, worked together as a Burns 

and Allen style comedy team, with Betty as the 

comedian. 

Though it is unclear when they first 

visited Lake Hopatcong, the Abbotts were 

in Northwood each summer from 1933 to 

1936. The Lake Hopatcong Breeze referred to 

their rented cottage as “Abbott’s Castle.” In 

1940, when Abbott and Costello traveled to 

Hollywood to film their first movie, their wives 

spent the summer at Lake Hopatcong. 

Thomas Edison – True! Edison was a frequent 

visitor to the lake in the 1889-1899 timeframe as 

he traveled to his mining operation on Sparta 

Mountain. Edison was a close friend of Maxim 

and most likely visited him at the lake in later 

years. 

Milton Berle – True! The comedian was a 

regular summer visitor at the Alamac Hotel in 

Mount Arlington in the 1930s. 

Bert Lahr – True! Before he became known as 

the cowardly lion in “The Wizard of Oz,” Lahr 

spent several summers in Northwood in the 

1920s. 

Joe DiMaggio – True! DiMaggio was a 

documented visitor to the lake, as were New 

York Yankee teammates Red Rolfe, Lefty 

Gomez and Bill Dickey. 

Kelsey Grammer – True! Grammer’s 

grandparents owned a house at the lake and 

34 


Left to right: Babe Ruth visiting Joe Cook’s 

home (Cook is kneeling), in 1939. Bud Abbott 

and Lou Costello on the Kate Smith (far left) 

Radio Hour, circa l939. Hudson Maxim and Rex 

Beach in the front seat with (unknown) friends, 

circa 1915.

the future actor visited when he was very 

young. 

Mario Cuomo and the Cuomo children – 

True! In the 1960s and 1970s, the politician 

and his family visited a lake home owned 

by Charles and Mary Raffa, the parents of 

Cuomo’s wife, Matilda. 

The Lake Hopatcong Breeze documents 

visits over the years by other well-known 

individuals, including L’Oréal founder Helena 

Rubenstein, singer and radio personality Kate 

Smith and footballer Woody Hayes. 

As many visitors to the Lake Hopatcong 

Historical Museum have noticed, Joe Cook also 

contributed to this historical record. Cook had 

his guests engrave their names on a piano in 

his home, providing further documentation of 

some of the lake’s famous visitors. 

The signatures of comedians and siblings 

Left to right: At the Alamac Hotel with owner Walter 

Jacobs, center, are Milton Berle and his mother, 

Sandra Berle, in 1931. (Berle signed and sent this 

photo to the museum.) Bert Lahr (standing, third 

from left, ready to rumble) at the Northwood Inn in 

the summer of 1922. 

Groucho and Chico Marx; actress and dancer 

Ginger Rogers; writer and engineer Rube 

Goldberg; boxer Jack Dempsey; film director 

Frank Capra; and actor Dave Chasen are among 

the hundreds that can be seen on the piano, 

which now resides at the museum. 

Apologies if we have burst your bubble about 

Alan Alda but rest assured the lake’s shores 

have truly welcomed many other celebrities 

throughout the years. 

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COOKING 

WITH SCRATCH © 

Cookies Are My 

Love Language! 

36 

Story and photos by 

BARBARA SIMMONS 

If you’re a fan of Instagram psychotherapy, 

I’m sure you’ve run across the term “peoplepleaser.” 

According to the most recent definition from 

Merriam Webster’s online dictionary, a peoplepleaser 

is a “person who has an emotional need 

to please others at the expense of his or her 

own needs or desires. But people-pleasing isn’t 

necessarily a bad thing, as it shows you are a 

caring person who values social connections and 

enjoys making others happy.” 

I think all of us can relate to this definition. 

Granted, some people-pleasing behaviors are 

detrimental, such as overexplaining, not being 

able to say no and feeling responsible for other 

people’s feelings. An overabundance of these 

behaviors can lead to resentment, said author 

Amy Morin in a 2017 Psychology Today article. 

As a mother and grandmother, I have lots of 

behaviors that could be considered peoplepleasing, 

but I feel that my motivation, especially 

when baking for others is concerned, comes 

from a good place. 

Gifting a beautiful plate of certifiably delicious 

homemade cookies is a wonderful way to 

share your love and show your appreciation to 

family, friends, co-workers, your car mechanic, 

hairdresser and anybody else you’d like to 

include. 

The act of baking and giving to others, I 

believe, exemplifies caring behavior. 

My motivation is love and gratitude. Baking 

Christmas cookies (with scratch!) has been fun 

for me since I was a little girl. I’ve collected a 

ton of excellent recipes over the years and still 

love the whole process of baking, decorating and 

giving away gifts of homemade cookies. 

Over the years, I’d get together with my 

cookie baking crew early in December to bake 

lots and lots of cookies. Regulars from back in 

the day were Rita Earle and Sue Elam; both of 

whom were always so generous sharing their 

family recipes and cookie baking tips and tricks. 

Back in the day we all had our “cookie 

obligations” and spent two to three days mixing, 

baking, assembling and decorating 13 or 14 


different kinds of cookies to give to friends and 

relatives far and wide. 

After the final cleanup, Sue, using large number 

estimation, would divvy up all of the cookies. 

We’d transport them home where we were then 

faced with the task of packing them all up. 

I started by making a list of the usual suspects 

of cookie recipients and preparing tins for 

shipping and trays for in-person giving. 

I carefully layered the cookies between doilies 

in the tins, sealed them up with a note inside, 

made the address labels and packed them in 

priority mail cardboard boxes jammed with 

newspaper so the cookies would arrive fairly 

intact. 

I sent cookies to friends in California, New 

Hampshire, Texas, Ohio, Connecticut, Virginia, 

Maryland and Germany. 

For the trays, I lined pretty Christmas paper 

plates with a doily and arranged an assortment 

of cookies on top. With crinkly cellophane, I 

wrapped them, gathering the cellophane up on 

top and tying them with a pretty wire-edged 

bow. I must say, they were quite attractive. 

The cookie trays went to post office 

employees, neighbors, the workers at the 

auto repair shop, my hairdresser, a few of my 

husband’s subcontractors and mostly to school, 

where I taught. 

The janitors, IT employees and front office 

secretaries were priorities—you can’t do your job 

without their support—and Christmas cookies 

were a great way to thank them. Of course, the 

administrators each received their own tray, and 

the biggest one was for my colleagues in the 

world languages office. 

I remember how joyful I felt, like I was the OG 

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 

Left to right: Gingersnaps fresh from the oven. 

The author’s niece and daughter, Kelly Stewart 

and Erika Simmons, making gingersnaps in 2021. 

Christmas elf as I flitted from office to office 

delivering these gifts. 

I still bake a ton of Christmas cookies to send 

off every year. I could complain about the price 

of postage and the cost of gas, but these are 

presents for people I don’t see very often. 

It really makes me happy to share Christmas 

this way, and it’s a great way to spread my love! 

A personal preference when baking and 

sharing your results: I think it is important to have 

a nice variety of cookies—some nutty, some 

fruity, some citrusy, some chocolatey and a few 

spicy—represented in your tray or tin. 

This issue’s recipe is for my wicked spicy 

gingersnaps. They can cause a bit of afterburn, so 

when I say wicked, I mean it. Not only do they fill 

the bill in the spicy category, they are pretty, too. 

About the gingerroot: I use quite a bit of fresh 

ginger for teas, cooking and baking, so I buy a 

large “hand” (about a pound or more) of ginger 

then peel and slice it before putting it into the 

blender to mince it. Then I freeze whatever is 

left over from the 5 tablespoons called for in the 

recipe. 

I put the remaining minced ginger in cupcake 

tins and then later bag these ginger “pucks” for 

teas or other recipes. 

James J. Leffler 

Realtor

Wicked Spicy Gingersnaps 

Yield: 144 when made with a 2-teaspoon-size cookie scoop 

Ingredients 

Wet: 

Dry: 

5 tablespoons fresh, finely minced gingerroot 

4 cups flour 

(from a piece weighing about 1 ½ ounces) 

¼ teaspoon salt 

½ pound unsalted butter 

1 tablespoon white pepper 

2 cups sugar 

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 

2 beaten eggs 

1½ teaspoons baking soda 

½ cup molasses (spray your measuring cup with ½ teaspoon cinnamon 

nonstick cooking spray so that all of the molasses ½ teaspoon cloves 

releases into the batter) 

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper 

2 teaspoons white vinegar 

Procedure 

Notes: 

Decorate with an assortment of colored 

sugars, Christmas nonpareils, sugar pearls or 

sprinkles for decoration. Traditionally I use 

red, green and white sugar for decorating 

the gingersnaps. We’ve also used sprinkles, 

dots or pearls for variety. Coarse demerara 

sugar can be used for non-holiday cookies. 

1. To prep the ginger for mincing, cut off the dry ends, peel remaining ginger and slice thinly across the grain to minimize the size of the ginger 

fibers. The fibers can be a bit off-putting as they can resemble hairs. Ew. Add the ginger slices to a food processor and whiz until very finely 

chopped. Set aside. 

2. In a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar together until light in color. 

3. Add eggs, molasses and white vinegar. 

4. Add in the minced ginger and beat to blend well. 

5. Whisk the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl. 

6. Using a large spoon, gradually add the blended dry ingredients to the egg mixture, stopping every now and then to scrape down the bowl. 

7. Chill dough for two hours or freeze until ready to use. 

8. Preheat oven to 350° 

9. Using a 2-teaspoon-sized cookie scoop, portion out the dough and remove to a plate. 

10. Put the colored sugars in separate bowls. 

11. Roll the portioned-out dough into balls, then roll in sugar. 

12. Place about 1” apart on parchment-lined cookie sheets. 

13. Bake for 6 minutes, rotate the cookie sheets and bake for another 6 minutes. The cookies should be a bit brown on the bottoms. 

14. Let cool completely on racks and store in an airtight tin. These will keep for a good month. In fact, these are often the cookies that are left 

over. (As I said, they’re not for everyone—haha!) Their flavor and texture actually improve after a couple of weeks. 

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WORDS OF 

A FEATHER 

38 

Story and photos by HEATHER SHIRLEY 

Although I’m not a big fan of most social 

media, I’m addicted to TikTok. I’m 

particularly a fan of Vitus “V” Spehar, the creator 

of “Under the Desk News,” which provides nutshell 

reporting of news events. 

Every Thursday, they post “Good News Only.” 

Inspired by Spehar, I decided to devote this issue’s 

column to environmental good news. It’s my 

version of holiday cheer. 

We can all use good news, right? Especially 

during the holidays, when we want everything to 

feel happy and bright—even though sometimes it 

may not. 

Let’s celebrate some happy progress. 

The organization One Tree Planted, despite only 

being in their ninth year, achieved the incredible 

milestone of planting 100 million trees across 79 

countries. That equates to planting more than 

30,000 trees every day for the past nine years! 

As they reach maturity, these new trees will 

restore ecosystems and provide habitat for 

countless species of birds, animals, insects and 

more. The trees will stabilize key areas that have 

been negatively impacted by humans and climate 

change. They will provide drinking water for millions 

by protecting watershed areas. More carbon will be 

captured; more oxygen produced. 

I know it’s winter in New Jersey, but maybe we 

can all commit to planting a tree next spring? Or 

donate to One Tree Planted? Or do both! 

New Jersey was the nation’s ninth-largest 

producer of electricity from solar energy in 

2021, according to a report on the U.S. Energy 

Information Administration website. Most experts 


Good News For Nature 

agree that fighting climate change will not only 

require reducing dependence on fossil fuels—as 

solar panels do—but also finding ways to remove 

the carbon dioxide already released into our 

atmosphere. 

Scientists may have identified one new tool that 

would help achieve this. Divers on the Italian island 

Vulcano discovered a cyanobacterium microbe 

that lives deep underwater in volcano seeps. These 

microbes consume carbon dioxide very quickly. 

Researchers are striving to find ways to use these 

natural agents to remove carbon dioxide from the 

atmosphere. 

There is increasing evidence that shows if we 

can achieve the climate goals that global councils 

have established, the planet will recover. Penn 

State University scientists have determined that 

once the world hits net-zero carbon emissions, 

temperatures will stop going up within five years. 

Some impacts of climate change are expected 

to continue, such as glacial melting, but wouldn’t 

it be amazing to stop the depressing cycle of 

weather reports about hitting the hottest summer 

on record? 

Similarly, Duke University researchers say that 

if we can stay at true net-zero emissions, half of 

the human-made carbon dioxide would be taken 

out of the atmosphere within 30 years. Those trees 

that have been planted and the microbes in our 

oceans could be expected to absorb 50 percent 

of the carbon in our atmosphere within about 30 

years. 

Hope is not lost. 

And there is still more good news. The American 

Bird Conservancy, an organization about which 

I cannot say enough positive things, (consider 

donating to them this Giving Tuesday), has made 

incredible strides to protect and support our 

environment. 

Working with partners in federal and state 

entities as well as other nonprofits and private 

landowners, this organization has improved 

more than 250,000 acres of bird habitat in the 

United States. From North Dakota to Texas, the 

conservancy has positively impacted how lands are 

managed. Species that will benefit include Eastern 

meadowlark, Northern bobwhite, many species 

of warblers and shorebirds and even monarch 

butterflies. The organization’s 

efforts will also help protect and 

manage our water supply, an 

increasingly precious resource. 

In Maine, colonies of adorable 

and beloved Atlantic puffins are 

once again stable after suffering 

severe population declines due to 

Left to right: Atlantic puffin. A tree 

stump in the shape of a heart. 

Scan the QR code with 

your phone’s camera 

to hear the sounds of 

puffins. 

climate change. The seabirds, which live on coastal 

islands in the north Atlantic, require cliffs to breed. 

They are proving themselves resilient, reaching 

a colony size of about 3,000 after a successful 

breeding year. 

A couple of bird species that were thought to 

be extinct were recently rediscovered. In Columbia, 

the Santa Marta sabrewing, a splendid type of 

hummingbird, was rediscovered after not having 

been seen for 10 years. Even more amazing, a Papua 

New Guinea species, the black-naped pheasantpigeon, 

was sighted for the first time since 1882 by 

an expedition of scientists. 

Lastly, consider this happy message from Mother 

Nature. In August, I was hiking in the woods near 

my home in Florida. A recent hurricane felled some 

trees, and I noticed this trunk, literally in the shape 

of a heart. I can’t think of a better holiday message. 

No matter what happens, even when damaging 

hurricanes hit, nature still finds ways to show us 

love. Happy holidays, dear readers. May you find 

peace and joy with your loved ones this holiday 

season, and may you enjoy and treasure the many 

wonders of nature. 

Cheers to good news! 

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Promoting the Arts in Our 

Community for Over 25 Years! 

JAN 

13 

FEB 

18 

MAR 

9 

Big Hix 

High Energy Modern Country 

Silver Starlite Orchestra 

19 Piece Big Band 

Rave On 

Timeless Rock & Roll 

MAR Mike Marino 

23 “Welcome to the Family” Comedy Night 

APR 

13 

MAY 

10-19 

Visions of the Near East 

Travelogue of Dance 

Proof 

A Dramatic Play 

www.RoxburyArtsAlliance.org 

For details and tickets 

Citizens Bank Theater 

72 Eyland Ave, Succasunna NJ 

973-945-0284 

@RoxburyArtsAlliance 

BOOK YOUR NEXT PARTY WITH US 

RESERVE YOUR DATE TODAY CALL: 973.668.9302 

• Choice of plated, buffet, or reception style meal. 

• Ballroom set with tables, chairs, linen, holiday 

centerpieces, china, silverware & dance floor. 

• Professional, affordable & friendly bartender service. 

NEWLY RENOVATED 

(Perfect location & price for parties up to 170 people) 

Affordable catering & beverage packages available. 

We can accommodate daytime business holiday parties. 

PACKAGES CAN INCLUDE 

• Decorated ballroom for the holiday season, complete with 

holiday trees, wreaths & garland throughout the property. 

• Large parking lot with a covered foyer for dropping 

people off by the door. 

Lake Hopatcong Elks | 201 Howard Boulevard | Mount Arlington,NJ 07856 


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 Cruises 

Miss Lotta (Dinner Boat) 

37 Nolan’s Pt. Park Rd., LH 

973-663-5000 

lhcruises.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 

Happs Kitchen & Bath 

Sparta 

973-729-4787 

happskitchen.com 

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 

Sunset Decks & Outdoor Lvg 

973-846-3088 

sunsetdecksnj.com 

The Probilt Group 

973-886-3654 

probiltgroup.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 

Chabad Berkshire Valley 

973-370-5595 

chabadberkshirevalley.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 

Homework Helpers Tutoring 

18 Schooley’s Mt. Rd., LV 

908-876-1776 

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 Beacon 

453 River Styx Rd., Hopatcong 

thebeaconlh.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 

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 

J Thomas Jewelers 

243 Sparta Ave., Sparta 

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 

40 


Hearth and Home 

Fireplace And Chimney Specialists 

PELLET, WOOD & GAS STOVES 

SALES, SERVICE & INSTALLATION 

•Custom Mantels 

•Gas Logs 

•Glass Doors 

•Fireplace Refacing 

•Chimney Cleaning & 

Repair 

Accessories 

Gifts 

Charcoal Grills 

1215 Route 46 West 

Ledgewood, NJ 

HOURS 

Monday-Friday 10-6 

Saturday 9-4 

Check our Facebook 

page for seasonal or 

summer hours 

@ Hearth & Home 

of New Jersey 

973-252-0190 

www.hearthandhome.net 

LOCAL FAMILY BUSINESS WITH OVER 40 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE 

SPECIALIZING IN RETAINING WALLS & BULK HEADS 

OUTDOOR KITCHENS • PATIOS • WALKWAYS 

globalpaving.com 

800-292-3268 

globalpaving 

globalpaving 

Serving North New Jersey 


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

Are Are All Grinder All Grinder Pumps Pumps Created Created Equal? 

Equal? 

Absolutely not! 

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are designed to last longer 

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- Locally - A revolutionary stocked cutter 

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Over 90% of ZEP products 

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908-674-0122 

908-674-0122 

astein@affinity-pumps.com 

astein@affinity-pumps.com 973-471-2600 

973-330-7361 

24-7 emergency service

PLEASE JOIN LIVETHELAKENJ FOR THE 2023 ANNUAL 

and 

AT 

DEC. 2 & DEC. 3 12PM - 5PM 

THE BIG FISH LOUNGE WILL BE OPEN FOR GUESTS TO PURCHASE DRINKS WHILE SHOPPING 

NEW VENDORS FOR 2023! 

VISIT LIVETHELAKENJ.COM FOR FULL VENDOR LIST 

SPIRIT JERSEYS, SIGNS, ORNAMENTS, GAMES AND TOYS, AND MORE AVAILABLE FROM MAIN LAKE MARKET 

GIFT CARDS AVAILABLE FROM THE WINDLASS, LAKE HOPATCONG GOLF CLUB, & LAKE HOPATCONG ADVENTURE CO. 

BAKED GOODS AND GIFT CARDS FROM ALICE’S CSA GIFT CERTIFICATES AND GOODS FROM HAWK RIDGE FARM 

BUY A $100 GIFT CARD FROM LAKE HOPATCONG CRUISES & GET A $20 BONUS CARD! 

24 NOLANS POINT PARK RD, LAKE HOPATCONG, NJ

2023 Holiday Issue

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