The Smoke Rise and Kinnelon Blog

Kinnelon's Untermeyer Estate Before 287

noreply@blogger.com (C. B. Whittemore) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 20:55:00 +0000

Photo taken 2007. For additional perspective, read the
comments on Stairwell 2 on Flickr

In October 2011, I received an email from Tom Cerullo who, after reading Kinnelon Castle aka the Untermeyer Estate shared with me his memories of that property based on hiking in the days before 287 existed.

Tom writes,

Hi Christine,

In your article you said that the estate was torn down and carted off. I'm not sure it was 1968 that the home burned because I was in the tower that year and it was still up until, I want to say, 1978-ish. The home had charred boards, but the glass hot houses still had flowers in them and the field in front of it still had ornamental bushes and flowers growing there. The driveway was pitted badly in 3 to 5 foot sections. The boat house was occupied by the caretakers.

I hiked from Lincoln Park up to the Untermeyer Estate 3 or four times. I used to park my car at the end of Mountain Ave. in Pompton Plains and hike up about once a year until 287 was completed and it cut my hiking paths out. It wasn't the same. I hiked those mountains with my buddy and my two dogs for 25 years. 3 times a week for the first 10. Then once a week after that and we occasionally would walk to the estate. After 287 we hiked in Jefferson and Silas Condit.

Thanks for the article. I wanted to show my friends up here in CNY the places I used to hike.

In a followup message, Tom added:

The rumors at that time, in the early 70s, were that someone was murdered there, it had been a speakeasy and the ghost of a little girl was haunting the home. Glad you set it straight as to who owned it.

There were two hot houses perpendicular to the home off to the left of the west side driveway. Beautiful flowers outside in the field in front of them, and some inside. It looked like it was not used in a long time. The field of flowers was about 1/2 acre. The stone walled path led up to the home past the drive. It must have been beautiful.

There was a root cellar carved into the mountain next to the house with a thick wooden door with a circular top. (There were mason jars inside. Also mason jars in the basement.) There was a cistern well NE of the house. And of course the tower.

-------

Thanks, Tom! I can just imagine hot house flowers growing and love that you found a root cellar carved into the mountain... Kinnelon must have been quite different before 287 was built.

What do you remember about the days before 287? What was Kinnelon like?

Taking Care of Your Computer for Free -- Talk at the Kinnelon Library this Thur., Jan. 19 7:00 PM

noreply@blogger.com (Ted Whittemore) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 19:34:00 +0000

It needs a little love!

I will be giving my 2nd talk at the Kinnelon Library this Thursday, Jan. 19 at 7 PM, which is the first of 3 such talks a month apart, on the subject of taking care of your Windows PC, new or old, with special attention in Part 1 to:

Free Software to Disinfect Your Computer including :

1) What to do when you first notice that you have an infected machine.

2) What are Restore and Recover and why you should care

The free software includes Malwarebytes' and Spybot's free programs which you can download and install from these links.

I cannot over-stress the importance of acting quickly if you think you have such a problem, so whatever you decide to do, pursue disinfection yourself, or have someone do it for you, do it right away.

How to Surf Safely -- Howto explore the internet without getting infected, or having your identity stolen:

1) How to know if a website or download is safe

2) When to say Yes and when to say No

Ask Your Questions and Solve Your Problems --"Open Mike" -- Questions such as

1) Is my machine too old? When do I need a new machine?

2) What is the best Free On-Line Backup?

3) Why does my computer ... ?

4) If you have a laptop with a problem, bring it along and we'll take a quick look.

5) Questions and on-the-spot diagnosis will be limited by the time available!!!

All of you Kinnelon and North Jersey people, and everybody else, are welcome to come.

Call the Kinnelon Library at 973 838 1231 and reserve a spot.

I am looking forward to seeing all of you previous attendees (from last summer), and all of you new people

See you there!

~Ted

PS: This talk pertains to PCs running Windows 7, Vista and XP

Photo Credit: www.cosmosmagazine.com

Hamilton College's Duelly Noted at OLM in Kinnelon

noreply@blogger.com (C. B. Whittemore) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 04:40:00 +0000

Emma and I were in for a real treat last weekend when we experienced an a Cappella Concert at Kinnelon's Our Lady of the Magnificat [OLM] performed by Hamilton College's newest and finest, Duelly Noted, in the final performance of their winter tour on January 7, 2012 at 7:30pm.

Thanks to Kinnelon's Mackenzie Leavenworth '15 - now a member of Duelly Noted, we are on the map for this co-ed a cappella group. [Michael Pierce informed me that they would be back in 2013. Mark your calendars!]

During this performance, we heard everything from the Little Mermaid to Thriller to Zombie Jamboree and Can You Feel the Love Tonight. [We did not hear Bohemian Rhapsody, but you can imagine...]

You can find more Duelly Noted performances on YouTube, including Down to the River to Pray.

You can also follow Duelly Noted on Twitter, like them on Facebook and even buy their music!

In the meantime, I hope you'll listen in and save the date for next year when Duelly Noted and Mackenzie Leavenworth return to OLM for another performance.

Pilates at the Kinnelon Library

noreply@blogger.com (Ted Whittemore) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 13:50:00 +0000

Pilates at Kinnelon Library

Introductory Pilates with Dee Schneider

6 sessions

January 10 – February 14 @9.30am

Please call Kinnelon Library to sign up: 973 838 1321

~Ted

What Was Your Kinnelon Treehouse Like?

noreply@blogger.com (C. B. Whittemore) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 23:56:00 +0000

HOF in his tree house

My earlier article titled Treehouse Thoughts - Inspired by OLM's 50th Anniversary Picnic has generated great emails about favorite trees, climbing adventures and tree houses. Thank you!

Special kudos go to Herb Fisher for finding this photo of his treehouse from when he was a kid and for sharing the following:

Hey CB,

This is the only picture I have and it was taken by Emily (Mom). Did we climb trees?.......silly question! Most the time it was.... who dared to climb the highest, or the tallest tree we could find.

Not sure how old I am in this picture....maybe 10. No custom/factory made STUFF for us back then.... We gathered scrap wood from all the houses being built, also cut down small trees (with hand saws, I have a scar on my right thumb when I sawed off the thumbnail), using trunks for floor bracing and railings.

In this picture, the Tower would be about 250 yards up the Mountain from my left shoulder.

All of us were "Lean and Mean" growing up in the 50s and 60s in Smoke Rise. No fatties would survive. No cable TV, no internet, no video games... just Imagination and Effort. Unlike today's society.

Heck, just walking up and down Mountain Road four or five times a week beats the heck out of all the exercise machines today.

HOF Jr.

As a kid in the mid 60s in McLean, Virginia, I remember using rocks to hammer rusty nails into what must have been the wood crate used to ship our belongings from overseas. That's what I created my fort with. Despite not being in the trees, it was impregnable! No pirate, bandit or parent could get by and surprise us.

What was your tree house like? What were your adventures?

Shannachie, David MacCaffrey, Tells Tales at Kinnelon Library

noreply@blogger.com (C. B. Whittemore) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 23:53:00 +0000

Happy New Year 2012!

I bring you news about one of the first Kinnelon Library events of the year: Traditional Irish Storytelling on Sunday, January 15th, 2012 at 3pm.

The event title itself - "David MacCaffrey, The Shannachie of Glendunbunn Ballybegg" - is enough to give you a taste of what's ahead... especially when you realize that Shannachie is the Gaelic word for storyteller.

David Emerson, from History on the Hoof, brings to life the character of David MacCaffrey, the storyteller of Glendunbunn Ballybegg.

More specifically,

"The wit and wisdom, humor and horror, hubris and humanity of a people are found in their traditional stories. Compelling storyteller David Emerson retells (and embroiders) the colorful and ancient tales of Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and Cornwall in a presentation that will "warm, tickle, or chill the heart."

From the History of the Hoof website, I learned that David Emerson played George Washington in New Jersey Network's "Ten Crucial Days" and appeared as Sergeant Matthew Smith in Light A Candle Films' "Battle of Bunker Hill" (2009) [note chap in the green coat and the striped waistcoat with the New England dialect].

Don't wait to sign up for this entertaining storytelling event. Please call the Kinnelon Library at 973 838 1321.

Note: The program is funded by the Horizons Speakers Bureau of the NJ Council for the Humanities, a state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities

Ramstein Beer Video

noreply@blogger.com (C. B. Whittemore) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 22:30:00 +0000

In case you did not see this fantastic 6:19 minute video about our very own Ramstein Beer in Butler, NJ, here it is.

You can also view the video directly on Vimeo by clicking on Ramstein from Jason Koontz.

Here is the brief description of the video with credits:

Ramstein is a German-style Wheat Beer and Lager Brewery in Bulter, NJ. They make an array of all natural beers. This video explores what it means to be a micro-brewery and what it can offer to its local population.

Directed & Cinematography - TIGHE KELLNER & JASON KOONTZ
Sound - ADAM KOONTZ
Edit - JASON KOONTZ
Music - QUENTIN FIELDING, 1,2,3
Produced - ANDREW GOULIAN

In case the video makes you want to pay Ramstein a visit, here is the latest news re: What's On Tap!

Golden Lager, Winter Wheat Doppelbock, and Classic Dunkelweiss

Enjoy!

Didja Know? Smoke Rise Christmas Celebrations

noreply@blogger.com (C. B. Whittemore) — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 22:43:00 +0000

Here is Cornie Hubner's "Christmas Celebrations" from his Smoke Rise Didja Know? series.

Christmas Celebrations

The 1947 Christmas Season Celebration for the two resident Club families was magnanimously provided by bountiful Mother Nature with a three-foot mantle of unblemished crystals that covered the land and turned every tree into an original decorated masterpiece glistening in the sunshine. Relatives, friends and soon to be residents traveled poorly plowed State Highways and untouched Country Roads to reach an unexpected five miles of perfectly cleared roads that led oto the occupied homes and the several buildings under construction.

It was truly a winter wonderland, a dazzling Christmas Card vista that had delighted the Kinneys and their friends almost exclusively (except for the few brave poachers) for many years. The view from the Cottage on the Lake brought a miniature Switzerland to their doorsteps. Indoors a huge, beautiful Christmas Tree, surrounded by stacks of colorful packages provided the Lord of the Manor with a regal setting for the distribution of gifts for the family, friends and members of the staff.

The Franciscan Monastery in Butler provided the Celebrant for the Mass offered in St. Hubert's Chapel on the island when the ice was thick enough to offer safe passage for the worshipers. It was heated by a huge wood burning stove and a fireplace in whose flickering light the gem-like interior presented a picture of medieval splendor matched only by the private chapels of European Nobility.

(At this point you should be reminded that concentrated effort by dedicated members, implementing the restoration plans long dormant, is needed to restore this one of a kind jewel or at least save it from its continuing deterioration. Tom Kline, a former Smoke Rise resident, has devoted time and money for many years in a losing battle to "hold the line." He, now living at No. 3 Sabeys Beach Road, Kinnelon, 492-2620, would be very happy to explain his plans and welcome your assistance. See "Didja Know" December 15, 1985.)

By Christmas 1949, some 35 hardy pioneer families were located in comfortable homes on over ten miles of gravel roads. One of the early members recalled his first, never to be forgotten, leadership of a group of carolers whose limited talents were offset by its enthusiasm. His gradually freezing fingers produced the music that covered the off key voices and achieved a genuine welcome in home after home. The exhausted well wassailed songsters made a last scheduled visit, to enjoy a reviving repast, little realizing they had established a prototype for the Christmases to follow.

No, not from Smoke Rise. Rather, the
Rockefeller Center Tree in NYC

The Inn provided the limited area in what is now the Meeting Room for the first formal New Year's Eve Ball with dinner in the area now occupied by the Reception and Cloakroom at the all inclusive cost of fifteeen dollars per couple. By the end of 1950 it was realized that the facilities were inadequate and a roof was built over the patio to join the Inn to the Cow Barn. This previous home of the prize brown Swiss herd, with a low ceiling and many iron pipe supports for the haymow above, after almost fifty years of disuse, became the White Room, in time for the 1951 formal New Year's Party.

Used for Club Meetings it transformed into a place of Worship for the growing Community Church every Sunday, when the organ, vestments and hymnals miraculously made their appearance. It sometimes required the frenzied efforts of the parish to remove evidence of the previous night's party and ride the air of the aroma of the liquid refreshments served. This continued until 1956, when the Church built on three acres donated by the Company was consecrated.

From the beginning, J. Alden Talbot, then also president of the American Ballet Theatre, encouraged the formation of the Clubs now functioning. He sponsored the formal Christmas Tea, at which his invited hostesses "poured" using their own silver services that they were proud to display. Interest was created by his guests that at one time included the entire Sadler Wells Ballet, Russian Nobility, and opera stars. The many teas that followed culminated each year at the Women's Club, Garden Club Tea where the Greeting Fund distribution started in 1966. That year the Fire Department and Tri-boro first divided the approximately $1,800 raised. Twenty years later, $30,000 was shared by thirteen charities with about $7,000 each to the original recipients.

Cocktail dances and the New Year's Eve Formal, with well known orchestras (a Lester Lanin Society Unit at one time) were being oversubscribed. By 1960, the full course dinner was priced at $4.50 (including a shrimp cocktail) and the full treatment $10.00 included breakfast. By 1973, the White Room and the two rooms in the Inn were needed for over 200 at the cost that had risen to $20.00.

The Season was always inaugurated by Mr. Talbot with the lighting of the Christmas Tree at the Inn. Events for the children that featured Santa Claus, Cotillions for High School students and formal dances for College kids began in '57. The following year an Outdoor Decoration Contest added a new activity to the growing schedule. All Club functions transferred to the Community Church in '77 and formal dances were held at the Rockaway River Golf Club until '81 with gala opening of our present facilities.

Following the period from 1924 when social activities ceased, until the Smoke Rise Club started in 1957, the last forty years have been a period of phenomenal growth and increasingly rewarding activities as evidenced by the thirteen active Social, Religious, Educational and Athletic Clubs now available for the benefit of the more than 800 families of its members.

Merry Christmas & Happy, Healthy New Year 2012!

Kinnelon Christmas Concert 2011: Our Lady of the Magnificat Golden Jubilee

noreply@blogger.com (C. B. Whittemore) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 21:01:00 +0000

After hearing for several years how wonderful the Our Lady of the Magnificat Christmas Concert is, Emma and I were finally able to experience it firsthand on December 18, 2011. It was more than wonderful!

This was the 28th year of the annual Christmas Concert and the OLM 'Golden Jubilee' concert featured not only the Christmas Festival Orchestra of New Jersey conducted by Karen Pinoci, but also Our Lady of the Magnificat's Choir led my Michael Pierce, OLM Church Music Minister and Choir Director.

The evening's program consisted of:

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing - F. Mendelssohn/T. Rickets
Concerto Grosso in G Minor, Op. 6, No. 8 - A. Corelli
Advent Joy - Th Jarman/G. Weissel

From The Messiah - G.F. Handel - with Caroline Tarnowski, soprano

** And the Glory of the Lord
** Behold, A Virgin Shall Conceive
** O, Thou That Tellest Good Tidings to Zion

Silent Night, Holy Night - F. Gruber/M. Hayes
Do You Hear What I Hear? - N. Regney/G. Shayne

O Holy Night - A. Adam/C. Deny - with Kevin Yapaola, tenor

Waltz of the Flowers, from The Nutcracker - P.I. Tchaikovsky
March of the Three Kings - G. Bizet
Parade of the Wooden Soldiers - L. Jessel
"Sleigh Ride" - W. A. Mozart
Sleigh Ride - L. Anderson
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - H. Martin/R. Blane
Winter Wonderland - F. Bernard/D. Smith
White Christmas - I. Berlin/R. Bennet

The Bells of Christmas - arr. B. Krogstad

** Ding Dong! Merrily on High!
** The Bell Carol
** Silver Bells
** I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
** Jingle Bells

I captured a few of the pieces on video.

[Subscribers, click on Christmas Concert: Corelli to view the video on YouTube.]

[Subscribers, please click on Christmas Concert: Messiah to view the video on YouTube.]

This next video is the most beautiful interpretation of O Holy Night that I have ever heard. Performed by Kinnelon's own Kevin Yapaola of Triphobia fame.

[Subscribers, please click on Christmas Concert: O Holy Night to view the video on YouTube.]

These videos barely do justice to this Christmas concert. However, I hope they give you enough of a taste to consider attending next year.

If you attended, which were your favorite pieces?

I wish you and yours marvelous Holidays, a Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!

The Smoke Rise Club Car Badge

noreply@blogger.com (C. B. Whittemore) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 04:52:00 +0000

There's more! The articles about Smoke Rise Relic: Car Badge and The Smoke Rise East Gate encouraged Rob Infante to send me the Smoke Rise Club car badge picture above and the message below:

Hello. I saw your piece about the old Smoke Rise car badges and thought you might like another pic of one. My folks moved there in 1973, and somewhere along the way picked it up. It was in the car for a while, then, when it started to get tatty, was mounted.

Best Regards
Rob Infante

I followed up with Rob and asked him a few questions: whether his parents still lived in Smoke Rise and whether he grew up there, too. He responded:

I moved away after high school, so was gone by '86. My folks stayed there until about '99, at which point they bought a townhouse in Montville. We were on Sugar Hill Road, so I pretty much grew up around Splitrock Reservoir. I'm down in Mountain Lakes now, but still enjoy riding my mountain bike up through that way. Lots of memories.

Regards
Rob

Thank you, Rob! I really appreciate your sharing this photo and look forward to connecting in person. Any chance you might ride your bike in the 2012 Brake The Hunger Cycle Tour?

Star of the Week in the Papasan Chair: Emma's 3rd Grade Tradition

noreply@blogger.com (C. B. Whittemore) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 15:01:00 +0000

What classroom traditions do you remember from grade school? I remember getting to write about a Piranha fish instead of doing something else and I loved cleaning the blackboard. None of those, though, were formal traditions that the entire class participated in. Luckily, as we are learning from Emma's classroom experiences, Kinnelon School has developed plenty...

Here is a wonderful tradition that Emma experienced in third grade with her teacher, Doreen Kolster: Star of the Week.

When a student becomes Star of the Week, s/he gets to bring to class something special each day and gets 10 to 15 minutes to talk about what makes that item special and answer questions. For example, the student might invite someone to come in and read a book or talk about careers with the class, share a collection or favorite book, create a poster, or share a favorite snack with the class....

Emma was chomping at the bit for her turn to come. And it did... at the end of the school year! She brought in her State Quarter Collection, a snack that Ted made and... me to read a favorite book, I Crocodile.

The Fourth Grade Tradition is called "Spotlight On...". It lasts one day, says Emma.

In the meantime, here is Emma's [brief] account of life as Star of the Week in the Papasan Chair in Mrs. Kolster's 3rd grade class.

--------
Aaah! It is so relaxing to sit in the Papasan chair.

The Papasan chair is in my third grade teacher's classroom. It is big, yellow, comfy and fun. Whenever you are Star of the Week, you can sit in it.
When I was Star of the Week, I got to sit in it!!!

Mrs. Kolster, my third grade teacher, used to have a green one, but now it is yellow. I find yellow a very soothing color. Now, that is my opinion and you can have your own!

Just picture yourself sitting in this awesome chair, after a long hard day, coming home to sit in it!

Did you ever have a chair in your classroom like this?

Do you have a chair like this at home?

I would love to hear what it is like.

Thank you.

Emma and her 3rd grade teacher, Doreen Kolster

As sad as Emma was about 3rd grade ending, she is loving 4th grade with her teacher, Carol Moore, in the same classroom she had for third grade.

Back to my original question, what were your favorite grade school traditions and memories?

A Smoke Rise East Gate New Year

noreply@blogger.com (C. B. Whittemore) — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 19:18:00 +0000

The Smoke Rise East Gate has inspired several former Smoke Rise residents to share stories.

The latest comes from John Connelly, author of several wonderful stories to this blog. John's Smoke Rise East Gate Story takes place at New Year's a long time ago and honors his father, John Connelly Sr.

-------

For Dad

and for those who remember him

in heaven and on earth.

There are whispers around us and in us. We’d hear them but for the din of impatient trivialities.

"Ten!... nine!... eight!... seven!"

Dad and Mom joined the countdown. The Kin-wood Inn (now Piccolo’s) was overflowing with Kinnelon and Smoke Rise neighbors eager to crow goodbye to 1962 and shout-in a new and glorious year. The room was choked with party hats, short tight-bright dresses, minks, perfume and liberal eye-makeup. Dad sported a Brooks Brothers tuxedo. These were the spoils and temptations of their modern age. Scotch Whiskey and Rye made the transition smoother and more joyous.

"Six!... five!... four!... three!..."

Couples stood each with the other in arm, free hand holding glasses high.

"Two!... one!... Happy New Year!"

With that Mr. and Mrs. Wohltmann cried out a toast in an uncharacteristically bombastic hoot, champagne corks popped and the air filled with little multi-colored streamers from a hundred party poppers. A reflexive singing of “Auld Lang Syne” followed like the expected response at church: May the Lord be with you….”and with your spirit.” Mom, being from Scotland, delighted the crowd by singing in the tongue of her homeland:

“We twa hay rin aboot the braes,

an pood the gowans fyn;

Bit weev wandert monae a weery fet,

sin ald lang syn!”

The old gave way to the new with the oldest of traditions. Mom whispered “I love you” to Dad and the crowd celebrated together the passage to a new age.

The party would go past 2 am. Dad, being Irish, felt compelled to be among the last to leave.

Stepping into the cool evening air he realized, for the first time, just how drunk he was. Struggling to focus, he fumbled with the keys, opened the door for Mom and then slumped into the driver’s seat. Back then, drunk or not, a man drove home. Besides, it wasn’t far. We lived on Orchard Road, just up the road, through the East Gate. It was just a few miles away. Head on the steering wheel he could see his shoes. They were covered in cold mud. He’d stepped in a puddle on the way to the car. “Jasus, Mary and Joseph” he mumbled to himself. Fortunately his tuxedo was unsullied.

It was a warmer New Years than normal. Still cold, mind you, but just above freezing. Mounds of blackened snow lined the streets and walkways, and mud was in abundance. The stars twinkled above as only they do in winter.

Mom asked if Dad could drive and he slurred, “Sure enough, my dear, sound as a pound…..I’ll be just followin’ the lines….,” and starting up, he inched out onto Stone House Road, made a right, and crept along, door slightly open, looking down at the lines. He could hear the crackle of the tires against the wet pavement beneath. The cool blast of air kept him awake.

“Just gotta’ keep followin’ the lines my dear…”

Dad had learned early on to follow the lines.

As a young Irish boy he’d sit at his kitchen table in the ironbound section of Newark. His house so small its address was 33 1/3rd Johnson St. They’d squeezed three homes onto one lot. From that table he’d watch the lines around his mother’s crystal-blue eyes as she examined his tea leaves and smiled.

“Ye have no worries, Johnnie. Just be rememberin’ Jasus and the Holy Saints in all ye do.”

She’d add with wink and a whisper, “and dun be thinkin’ too much of yeself.”

At St. Columba Catholic school he learned to stay in line from the boxing Joey Nuncio got in the ear from Sister Ida. He’d stepped a bit too far to one side waiting in line for the water fountain. His ear bright red and so hot to the touch that the kids had to take turns feeling it. He’d learned, too, from Father Duffy who had reminded him to live a life of quiet piety. An altar boy, he’d rung the bell at the wrong time during Mass and was ordered to report to the rectory. The lines of the priest’s eyes were deep as he smiled and pointed to his long white “alb”, or outer priestly garment, and whispered to Dad , “A spot on the alb is seen afar, Johnnie. So dun be shamin’ the good Lord.” These the whispers of a generation.

And so in line Dad took the Holy Body of Christ Communion, and in line he signed up to fight the Germans. He’d waited his turn in line to bail out of a burning plane over Germany and fell to the earth in one heavenly line of white parachutes, only to end up lined against a wall with his crewmates and shipped to a concentration camp. In line they’d entered the boxcar, in line they’d been run up a muddy hill to the camp, crazed dogs lunging at their legs.

There would be lines for eating, and lines for washing and lines that if you crossed you’d get a bullet in the ear. Lines to march in for months around Germany then lines to board ships for home and lines to welcome him back in the States. He’d learned to trust the lines and that night he’d do the same; just a lot slower.

Ten miles an hour, I think. Maybe less.

He’d been the son; the Christian; the soldier. His mother would be proud, he thought. He’d remembered Jesus and the Holy Saints and had never spotted his alb. The lines went by, one by one….slowly. He stayed in line.

But, he was now 38 years old. A successful developer, he’d moved his wife and five children to Smoke Rise. Neighborhoods now existed thanks to him. A hundred families slept this night warm in the homes he’d imagined and created with his Italian partners. It felt good, this moment….line…….line……….line………to be him.

Approaching the gate, he pulled over and stumbled out. Back then the East Gate was closed and locked at midnight. After that hour everyone had to enter Smoke Rise through the North Gate. A thick metal chain was thrown through the East Gate bars and clasped shut with a large lock. The gatekeeper would go to bed. But Dad had charmed a spare key out of one of the gatekeepers and routinely would let himself in at all hours.

He struggled with the freezing lock, harrumphing in the cold night air. Mom was asleep.

“Come on!” he grumbled. The key wasn’t working. Perhaps it was his cold hands, perhaps the alcohol or something else, but the lock did not cooperate. He stood still grasping the metal gate and tried to steady himself. Something about the cold, seeing his breath perhaps, took him back to Stalag Luft IV and he remembered “Big Stoop.”

It had been a crisp winter night like this when Big Stoop, a German prison guard, made Dad and his comrades line up and strip naked under the glare of prison lights. While the prisoners quivered unprotected from the night air, Big Stoop rummaged through the pockets of their discarded clothing and collected the photos of the mothers, wives and girlfriends back home; then rubbed them to his genitals and howled.

When Big Stoop noticed one prisoner had forgotten to remove his hat, he struck him violently to the ground and crushing the man’s throat under his boot screamed out “Respect! Respect!” until the breath of the GI was no longer visible in the cold night air. If you got out of line, Big Stoop would box you in the ear with such force that he punctured many an eardrum. Dad avoided Big Stoop.

When the camp was liberated, Big Stoop’s body was found in a field, his head on a stake. Big Stoop thought too much of himself, Dad thought. He’d forgotten the Holy Saints.

Just then a light went on in the gatehouse.

“Who’s out there?”

“Never mind, I have a key. I won’t be more than a minute.”

“Who is that? What are you doing there?”

“Blah, blah, blah” Dad mumbled, his mind dulled with drink.

After a minute or so, the gatekeeper stood on the stone porch bathed in yellow light and called out, “You have to come up here immediately. There’s someone who wants to talk to you!”

“Jasus”, Dad thought. He straightened up, suddenly sobered by the gatekeeper’s command. He stepped up the old stone steps and made the little right turn into the gatehouse. The gatekeeper stood indignant and condescending.

“There!” the keeper said, pointing to a phone off the hook and sitting on a nightstand, “HE wants to talk to you.”

The gatekeeper was dressed in a tattered robe like some common shepherd Dad had seen in one of his childhood catechism books. Dad stood in tuxedo and topcoat. For just that instant Dad stared disdainfully at him. The Keep glared back indignantly. After all, Dad had interrupted his slumber.

“Hello?” Dad said.

“Who is this?” a voice demanded.

Dad, usually the jolly fellow was now irritated.

“Who is this?” Dad demanded in return. The gatekeeper began to soften. His face smiling slightly as shock came over him.

“This is Gene Tuite!! Gene Tuite!! I ask again, who is this?”

Gene Tuite was about 20 years older than Dad. He’d been one of the first members of Smoke Rise and was now the leader of a “new” old guard, having had it accrue to him and them with the death of the Kinneys; he was now a self appointed ruler of the world behind the gates. But it was the start of a new year and the stars twinkled.

Dad hesitated, and then spoke up.

“This is John Connelly. What’s it to ya?”

The gatekeeper was now alive with delight. He was grinning broadly and wildly shaking his fists as if to say “Atta boy Johnnie, give it right back to him!!” Emboldened by the support Dad laid it on thicker. The gatekeeper’s mouth hung agape. He was watching the very power of the heavens being shaken; the ruler of the world being cast out.

Tuite demanded “Where did you get that key?”

“None of your business!” Dad barked. The gateman was beside himself.

“You give that key to the Keeper at once!”

“I will NOT! Goodnight to you sir!”

With that, Dad hung up forcefully, now surprisingly clear-headed. The room was still but Dad knew in that instant that everything had changed. He had arrived. He’d stood up to the baddest, most powerful man in Smoke Rise. He was his equal. Maybe, like a favored son he was his better. He’d been the poorest kid in school, unable to muster the dime required for school books. He’d lost his dad while in eighth grade, was boxed about by every nun from 1st to 12th grade, was the youngest of 8 surviving children, lost two brothers and a sister to childhood diseases, collected scrap metal and cardboard, giving the proceeds to his mother. He’d survived anti-aircraft flak and Big Stoop, married a Scottish beauty, started a business and moved his family to Smoke Rise. He stood straight. The gatekeeper stepped aside to let him pass.

“Goodnight to you sir” the keeper said with a slight bow.

“And goodnight to you” Dad countered like some imagined Lord from the Old Country.

Dad stepped onto the porch. It was his moment. He’d followed the lines and had arrived. He could be forgiven, he thought, for thinking just a bit of himself in that instant. Surely mother would approve. This new world, America, had been kind to the Irish. He, like fellow Irish immigrant Francis Kinney, had risen in the less than two decades since the war above his peers his ancestors and his circumstances. He stood for a second, elevated there, bathed in soft yellow light. He smiled the wry smile of a monarch.

The cool air embraced him. His soft blue eyes looked out at his new Ford LTD. He saw his lovely wife, her tan cheek against the window. He thought of his 5 children asleep at home in their beds. He thought of his business partners; his bank account. Proudly he stepped straight forward into the night …..

…..and, “wwwhhhhhhhhh!” a whoosh of cool air passed over his ears like a long cold whisper.

He’d forgotten that Kinney had not built that blasted stoop in a straight line, but rather, curved it around to the left. He fell forward slowly in the dark, then downward. Past howling Joey Nuncio and whispering Father Duffy, smiling in his white alb. Past red-faced, fist-clenched Sister Ida and Big Stoop, lunging dogs and soup lines, scrap yards and tea leaves. Through streaming lines of multi-colored paper and tight-bright dresses, past lines of Scottish verse and lined crystal-blue eyes, Jesus, the Holy Saints and little ringing bells until he landed, face flat, in a small lake of mud and snow and ice.

Rising slowly, he surveyed the cold thick mud from nose to toes.

“Jasus, Mary and Joseph!” he whimpered. Then, after a moment of frustration, he suddenly laughed to himself as he pictured his mother’s wink and listened afresh to the wisdom in her whisper.

Unlocking the gate, driving past and relocking it, cold and looking as any penniless old-world beggar, he once more slowly followed the lines.

Once more they got him home.

--------------

Note: John Connelly Sr. lived with his family in Smoke Rise from 1962 to 1980. He is 86 years old now and lives in Jacksonville, Florida with his second wife Winona, having lost Jeanne in 1988. His war experiences were recently written about on a front page story in the Jacksonville Florida Times Union in Jacksonville veteran's story is different from all the others and also Jacksonville man integral part in establishing museum in town where he was a POW.

Photo from John Connelly: Dad is front row, second from the left.

Thank you, John, for this amazing story.

Image credit: photo taken of amazing watercolor of East Gate from Kinnelon Library's 2011 CLL Art Exhibit.

Lobster Cream Puffs Recipe - Smoke Rise Inn

noreply@blogger.com (C. B. Whittemore) — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 01:07:00 +0000

The Holidays bring to mind getting together with friends and family, not just over elaborate formal meals, but also over festive exchanges of delicious bite-sized delights that the French refer to as "amuse-bouche" or "amuse gueule". The following Smoke Rise Inn recipe from Chef George Tavolara for Lobster Cream Puffs - in my estimation - falls into that category.

Try them out and let me know if you agree...

Smoke Rise Inn Lobster Cream Puffs

For the Pastry

2 Cups Water
Pinch of Salt
½ Pound Butter
2 Cups Flour
8 Eggs

Melt butter in a medium pot with water, bring to a boil, add salt then flour and work the dough over a high flame for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and beat dough adding eggs one at a time.

Pipe dough out on to a sheet with a pastry bag about the size of a golf ball. Bake 300 degrees for 40 minutes.

Lobster Filling

1 lb of freshly cooked lobster meat. (4 1¼ pound lobsters will yield 1 lb of meat)
¼ Cup Diced Celery
1/8 Cup Minced Red Onion
¼ Cup Mayonnaise

Thank you, Chef George!

Image courtesy of Tea Time with Lobster Bites from Salvo-Lutions

Save Tomorrow,12/10/11 Saturday for The Ramstein Open House, & SR Fresh Hot Sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Ted Whittemore) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 20:32:00 +0000

Here is a reminder for this weekend’s Ramstein Beer Open House and Tour, this Saturday, Dec. 10. Directions are at the website link above.

There will be 2 tour and tasting sessions -- 2 PM and 3:45 PM. (Correction!)

Sadly, this will be the last Tour and Tasting of 2011, and there will be no more until March of 2012 with the introduction of the Maibach.

Ramstein'sWinter Wheat :

Beers on tap - Unfiltered Amber Lager, Double Platinum Blonde, Classic Dunkelweiss, and Winter Wheat Doppelbock. Happily, we are going out with a bang, so to speak.

1 and 2 liter growlers will be in stock

And SR Fresh Hot Sauce will be there with the Fresh Cayenne-Cherry Pepper, Habanero Gold, and XXXXTra Hot Habanero Hot Sauce. We will also have our new Caribbean Hot Sauce, and brand new Thai Style Habanero Sriracha, Cayenne Sriracha, and Jalapeno Poblano (our first green pepper sauce) along with our Spicy Aioli in 16 oz jars -- that's Hot and Spicy Mayo for those of you scratching your heads. Come try them! And buy them!

You Hot Sauce people can check out the SR Fresh Hot Sauce Website, where the sauces are explained and sold. Check out the Fresh Hot Sauce Blog as well.

As usual, there will be a tour and explanation of the brewing process by Greg Zaccardi, the owner. [See previous post about Ramstein Beer with videos for a primer.]

See you there!

Ted and Christine and Emma

Happy IdeaPaint News! Kiel School Has Won Makeover

noreply@blogger.com (C. B. Whittemore) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 03:17:00 +0000

Congratulations, Annika Levitt's first grade class at Kiel School, on winning the IdeaPaint makeover! In case you are not subscribed to Textcaster, here is the news sent out at 9:24pm tonight:

Dear Friends of Kiel School,

You may have heard the news, but just in case you did not hear us “shouting from the rooftops,” Mrs. Levitt’s First Grade class at Kiel School WON the IdeaPaint Makeover Contest!

The IdeaPaint Makeover Contest includes a consultation with the IdeaPaint “Ambassador of Innovation” Keith Whittier, followed by a 500 sq. ft. IdeaPaint installation. Thanks to the AWESOME video submission and your votes, our students will have endless opportunities for learning through the creativity and versatility of IdeaPaint!

Mrs. Levitt shared the following: “In my eyes, the kids were already winners, but now it will be written on the walls!” “I am so lucky to be the teacher of these amazing kids!”

I would like to extend my gratitude to Mrs. Levitt, the wonderful students and staff at Kiel School in addition to the entire Kinnelon School district, and our extended school community. THANK YOU for forwarding the contest link to your family and friends! Our school is about to become an even more exciting, fun-filled learning community!

Sincerely,
One Very Proud Principal, Jodi Mulholland

Check out the IdeaPaint Makeover Contest Winner Announcement on the IdeaPaint Blog.

[Also, see the interview with Annika Levitt about the IdeaPaint Submission.]

Thank you for voting and helping make this contest submission a success!

Kinnelon's Trash-2-Treasure Contest 2011

noreply@blogger.com (C. B. Whittemore) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 21:52:00 +0000

Kinnelon Library's Galina Adair

What a week! The 2011 Trash-2-Treasure Contest took place with entries due by 5pm on Monday, November 28 and award ceremony on Thursday, December 1st.

And what a Trash 2 Treasure contest! Galina Adair from the Kinnelon Children's Library reports that this year's contest had 69 entries.

I asked her about the outreach that had taken place to get the word out in the Kinnelon Schools. Galina writes:

"Ms. Mulholland, the principal at Kiel School, and Mr. Mongon, the principal at Stonybrook School, were very receptive to having the Kinnelon Library Children’s Dept. come to their schools and promote the Trash2Treasure Program.

Outreach for Trash2Treasure was done in the Kiel School with the help of Ms. Santagato, the art teacher. I visited the students at Kiel School with the intent to motivate local students to creatively “upcycle” their garbage. I was putting forth a challenge to the kids to create a piece of art or functional item using garbage that would normally be recycled.

The early winter storm this year not only challenged the road and utility crews, it also challenged library and school schedules. Unfortunately we were not able to actually visit Stonybrook School and present our Outreach program to the students. However, Ms. Scully, the art teacher at Stonybrook, was our advocate Outreach person. In her art classes she promoted our Trash2Treasure contest.

The Trash2Treasure Program was meant to teach budding eco-artists and future inventors and creators to think twice about what they threw out. “Upcycling” is the way to go! And it’s COOL!"

Here are photos from the awards ceremony. I encourage you to go visit the Kinnelon Library and check out the entries. At the same time, you can admire the Kiel and Stonybrook student art show.

Kinnelon Library's Nancy McMurrer

Kinnelon Mayor Bob Collins announced the winners

2011 Trash 2 Treasure Winners

Kindergarten through 1st Grade Trash 2 Treasure Winners

1st Place: God’s Creation – Julia Coyne
2ndPlace: Globe – Sara Barrow
3rd Place: Alligator Bride – Alanna Gallagher
Honorable Mention: Dairy Queen - Kaitlyn McLuaghlin

2nd and 3rd Grade Trash 2 Treasure Winners

1st Place: Christmas Tree – Chloe Fernstrom
2ndPlace: Go Green Garden – Emma Schmidt
3rd Place: Robot Toka – Hilal Bas
Honorable Mention: Hunter the Sports Boy – Andrew Weiss

4th and 5th Grade Trash 2 Treasure Winners

1st Place: Voyage from Trash to Treasure – Emma Whittemore
2ndPlace: Snip to Save – Ben Waalberg
3rd Place: Christmas Poinsettia – Daniel Cauz
Honorable Mention: Science Lab Project - Katarina Coyne

Emma receives her award!

Thank you, Galina, Nancy and all of the staff at the Kinnelon Library who made the 2011 Trash-2-Treasure contest such a success! Thanks, too, for inspiring our kids!

Below are photos that Ted took today of the 2011 Trash2Treasure Contest entries.

The Go Green Garden

Chloe's Christmas Tree

Emma's Ship! Behind it, notice Ben's "Snip To Save" Penguin

Daniel's Christmas Poinsettia

Kiel School's IdeaPaint Contest Submission: Interview with Annika Levitt

noreply@blogger.com (C. B. Whittemore) — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 12:30:00 +0000

Annika Levitt's 1st Grade Class, Kiel School, Kinnelon

Have you checked out Kiel School's IdeaPaint Contest Submission? Pretty cool, don't you think? Here's an interview with Annika Levitt, Kiel School First Grade Teacher who, with her students, put together a contest entry.

First, some background information. Annika Levitt began her teaching career in 2005 in Westfield, NJ where she taught 2nd and 3rd Grade at Woodrow Wilson Elementary School. She graduated from The College of New Jersey with a B.S. in both Elementary Education and Psychology. She joined the Kinnelon District in 2009 and has taught at both Stonybrook and Kiel Schools in a range of classrooms.

Her favorite quote : "The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires." ~William Arthur Ward

C.B.: Annika, could you give me more background about the contest?

I came across the contest searching through the web on a Saturday afternoon the third week of school. Since I had just set up the classroom, I was in the process of searching for ways to maximize our space. We have the smallest classroom, but I wanted to be creative. Originally, I thought about painting on that chalkboard paint, but was not sure how that would work. Then I saw the video for IdeaPaint, asking for a school or small business in need of more space and… voila, I was sold.

C.B.: What caught your attention about the contest?

Two words: “maximize space!” I was always taught, as a teacher, that the classroom environment and set-up is crucial for learning. Over the summer I must have changed the room 10 times until it felt “just right.” I played the goldilocks game (too big, too small, etc.), except there was never a “too big!” The contest seemed doable and right up our alley.

C.B.: How did you get the students involved?

I decided to bring it up during a morning meeting with the students, the Monday after discovering IdeaPaint. I showed the kids the contest video on our Smart Board.

Every Monday we explore a new poem. Sky-Lynn, one of my students, raised her hand and said, “Why don’t we just write a poem about IdeaPaint?” As I often try to do, I listened to the voices of my students.

C.B.: How many students participated?

The contest required a “handful” of students to participate in showing off the classroom. To make it fair, I picked names through a computer generated random selector we use in class. 5 students were featured in the video, but we ALL had a speaking part.

C.B.: How difficult was it to put together the IdeaPaint contest submission?

After we made it into Round 2, IdeaPaint asked for a second submission of the teacher/representative and more footage of the room. Here is the second IdeaPaint submission link. I shot that video while the kids were at recess, highlighting our classroom “nooks & crannies.”

C.B.: Thank you, Annika! What an awesome process and submission. I hope your class wins!

You might also enjoy this recent video from Kinnelon Patch's Ariana Cohn-Sheehan: Kiel Class Needs Help Winning Whiteboard Room Makeover.

Don't forget to vote a few more times for Kiel School's first grade entry for the IdeaPaint contest!

Vote for Kiel School's IdeaPaint Project! Now!!

noreply@blogger.com (C. B. Whittemore) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 14:18:00 +0000

Dear Readers,

On behalf on Kinnelon's Kiel school, and more specifically Annika Levitt, Kiel school first grade teacher, I have a special request: please vote for her class' entry into the IdeaPaint 360 Makeover Contest for 2011 which ends this Sunday, December 4th.

IdeaPaint is a white board paint that transforms spaces into creative, collaborative learning environments. I first came across it in 2009 when I virtually attended a trade show taking place in Chicago and IdeaPaint was taking drawing requests via Twitter [see I attended NeoCon virtually].

Kiel School's IdeaPaint Project has made it to the final round and is one of the top 10 finalists. Annika's first grade class needs all of us to help make the Kiel School Project be the winner. The prize: a “makeover” from IdeaPaint which will maximize space, transforming the walls and other surfaces into whiteboards! Will you help?

Here's how:

Click on IdeaPaint 360 Vote where you will notice all 10 finalist video entries.

The first entry is Kiel School's. Do watch it! It is very clever and includes the first graders who explain why the makeover is so important.

Then, vote! You can vote once per day until Sunday, Dec. 4th until 11:59 pm. If you have different e-mail addresses, use them.

Please pass this message and ask family and friends to vote.

Thank you!

Washington Apple Martini: Smoke Rise Inn Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (C. B. Whittemore) — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 15:00:00 +0000

I was reminiscing about fresh apples and apple-picking with our dentist, Paul Leary last week. In particular, I was reliving the amazing Fuji apples Ted and I had picked, at the Warwick Winery, that were so fresh they foamed when we bit into them...

We missed apple-picking season this year. However, based on this Washington Apple Martini recipe from the Smoke Rise Inn, there's possibly a way to relive those memories...

Washington Apple Martini from the Smoke Rise Inn

If you are looking to make an easy, sophisticated cocktail then this one is for you. This is certainly becoming the new favorite cocktail at all the chic Martini bars. It is so easy, and very versatile. Did I mention DELICIOUS? It tastes just like a crisp Washington apple with a kickoff course!

2 oz Crown Royal
2 oz Apple Pucker
1 oz Cranberry Juice

Rim the glass with a mixture of two part sugar, one part cinnamon. Garnished with a slice of Washington Red Apple.

Let me know what you think of this recipe and whether it brings back good apple-picking memories.

Image source: Wichita Falls Crave.com Washington Apple

Fosterfields Living Farm Hike 12/3/11: Morris County Park Commission

noreply@blogger.com (C. B. Whittemore) — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 15:00:00 +0000

Exciting Morris County Park Commission (MCPC) hiking news! On December 3rd, 2011, a 'regular' monthly hike takes place at Fosterfields Living Farm.

It will also include an End of Year Get-Together! Here are details.

1. Please contact Tom Edmunds if you intend to participate in the hike.

2. Starting time: 9am on Saturday 12/3/11

3. Hike length: 3 to 5 miles, including a portion of the Patriot's Path. [Here are details from our February 2010 hike at Fosterfields.] Tom is promising perfect conditions!

4. Meeting place: Fosterfields Visitor Center on Kahdena Road, Morris Township. Fosterfields can be reached from Morristown by taking route C 124 (Mendham Rd) West 1.5 miles and turn right on Kahdena Rd (after passing the Burnham Park swimming pool). You can Google for directions to 73 Kahdena Rd Morris Township, NJ.

5. If you'd like to be involved in the End of Year Get-Together after the hike, Janet is coordinating a “bring your favorite goodie”. Simply email her at jmcmillan@morrisparks.net. As Tom says, "This is purely voluntary so there’s no pressure to make that Fruit Cake with 18 different ingredients."

We can't wait to see Tom Edmunds, Russ Nee and Janet McMillan again and take part in another MCPC hike. It's been too long! We hope to see you there, too!

Image Credit: Morris Township NJ Real Estate

Happy Thanksgiving 2011!

noreply@blogger.com (C. B. Whittemore) — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 15:00:00 +0000

Happy Thanksgiving to you!

What do you have planned for the day?

What about your Thanksgiving feast?

Which are your favorite dishes, without which the holiday wouldn't quite be right?

What special traditions do you have for the holiday?

Ted's family liked to do family walks between the main course and desert.

My sister makes a really yummy fresh cranberry relish. It's a great addition to turkey sandwiches the next day.

For Emma, Thanksgiving sets the stage for her birthday in a few days...

What makes your Thanksgiving special?

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and thanks for being part of the Smoke Rise & Kinnelon Blog!

Best,

Ted, Emma and

Image credit: Emma

Treehouse Thoughts - Inspired by OLM's 50th Anniversary Picnic

noreply@blogger.com (C. B. Whittemore) — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 02:09:00 +0000

I took this photo of kids in trees on 9/11/11 when Our Lady of the Magnificat held its 50th Anniversary Mass and Parish Picnic. Sure enough, Emma made it up there to eat lunch and has since been fervently wishing for a treehouse or, at least, a climbable tree worthy of treehouse thoughts.

Sadly, we have none in our immediate vicinity. However, it did get us talking about tree houses - including real albeit extreme tree houses and ones from stories such as Swiss Family Robinson and Tarzan.

Did you climb trees as a kid?

Did you have a tree house? Did you build it yourself?

Which were your favorite stories with treehouses?

I'd love to hear...

Pictures are welcome, too! :-)

Getting back to OLM's 50th Anniversary Parish Picnic - given that Cornie Hubner mentioned magnificent copper beech trees in his Didja Know story about Our Lady of the Magnificat, I thought you might enjoy these photos of the grounds behind the Our Lady of the Magnificat Chapel.

Drive behind Chapel leading down toward parish buildings.

Picnic tables around the trees

Monsignor Carroll making preparations for Mass.

Warming up the choir. Emma is in the front row, in front
of Michael Pierce's keyboard

OLM Parish Picnic in Full Swing!

Another view of the trees and the Picnic

Best,

Wegmans, Wegmans, Wegmans ... Please!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Ted Whittemore) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 18:46:00 +0000

Galeries Lafayette Paris -- Not Wegmans

Would you like to have a food store nearby, that carried a fantastic array of ethnic and gourmet items, priced them as if the store were a BJ's or Costco, had a prepared food aisle out of a Paris store such as Galeries Lafayette Gourmet, a liquor store that offered excellent wines, really excellent, including Spanish Cava, NZ Sauvignon Blanc, Rioja, and more, at $6 a bottle? And much more, including all of the regular grocery store items priced at well below regular grocery store prices? Geez! I would like to have that nearby, too! And we do have such a store, just not very nearby. Wegmans in Bridgewater, about 45 minutes away, down I287, is an amazing place, that inspires, excites, and, well, makes me sad ... that it's not closer.

Voila! They Are the Same! No? Wegmans Bridgewater

Galeries Lafayette Gourmet in Paris with Tasting Bars for Sampling

Recently we made the trip, and while I am not willing to make that trip every week, I expect we (yes, I mean we) will go every couple of months or so.

Wegman's Main Prepared Food Aisle with Some Sampling Stations --
View From 2nd Story Cafe Section

We were very entertained, the whole family. There is the spectacle of unusual and unexpected food, such as Broccoli Romanesco, think fractal green cauliflower, and not only great Sushi, unlike regular stale supermarket sushi, but sushi ingredients for making your own, a fabulous pastry and bakery section, and enormous fresh fish section with more varieties than King's or even Corrado's. Plus there is the interest in watching food being freshly prepared -- veggies being freshly cut and packaged at a station above the veggie display case, cheeses being cut and packaged at the cheese counter, and so on.

Broccoli Romanesco -- Green Fractal Cauliflower

Wegmans Prepared Food Aisle -- One End -- Note Tables on 2nd Level Overlooking

Lest you think I am kidding about the prices of staples, 1 Gal. of Skimmed milk was $2.69, exactly the same price as BJ's, and a couple of dollars per gallon less than Pathmark or Stop and Shop. Colombian Coffee was about the same price as BJ's as well. And a lot below that of Pathmark or Stop and Shop.

There is an element of Trader Joe's as well, but of course on a grand scale -- packages of frozen, portion-wrapped Atlantic Salmon (and other types of fish) in 3 lb bags for $6 per lb, and portion wrapped packages of prepared veggies ready to cook, high-quality and unusual ethnic and organic foods ...

We ourselves tried the sushi, which was excellent, the lemon custard tarte, and apple galette from the bakery, which were excellent as well. We bought several cases of wine, and, though we did not recognize some of the names, all were very good, and, well, at 6 bucks a bottle, there wasn't much of a risk.

Add to all of the rest a very friendly and instantly helpful staff and cashier, and I am almost suspicious that it's too good to be true. For goodness sake, when you buy wine, it's packaged into a reusable 6 bottle carry bag, gratis!

Handled Wine Totes, Apple Galette, Lemon Tarte, et al

It's an interesting concept and business model -- more than entertaining enough to be a destination by itself, a great place to eat, with a cafe section overlooking the main food aisle for great people watching, warehouse prices, a full service grocery store, unusual and high quality foods, high-level prepared foods and bakery goods ... is there no downside?

Well, the only one I can think of is distance.

If you haven't been to Wegmans, and the description interests you, go.

You won't be disappointed.

~Ted

PS: I noticed the Spanish Cava (Sparkling Wine) we had purchased at Wegmans for $6 was available at Roserne for $13.90.

PPS: Wegmans has a blog. You can find Wegmans on Twitter as well as a Wegmans iPhone app. You might also enjoy First taste of the Wegmans experience - Boston.com.

PPPS: Misc Photos we took

Looking back toward entrance. Shortly thereafter we had to put
the camera away.

Clean Bathrooms! Notice the clever stepstool.

More Galeries Wegmans

Specials Posted As You Enter. You'll find similar
signage throughout the store and specific to the
product category.

The Smoke Rise East Gate

noreply@blogger.com (C. B. Whittemore) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 16:09:00 +0000

Kim Vawter's article about Smoke Rise Relic: Car Badge generated comments from Jim Rohrer and Herb Fisher about the Smoke Rise East Gate and the car badge.

Jim Rohrer wrote:

Ah yes, the car badge. Growing up in Smoke Rise in the 50s and 60s I remember them well. Wish I still had one.

The East Gate was the main gate for many years. There was a family who lived there and they were responsible for operating the gate 24/7.

I don't think that lasted very long before the club hired shift workers to operate the gate. Many of those workers were SR residents (college kids, etc.- myself included).

At the time, there was only one road, very narrow, entering and exiting the East Gate. Also the gate was operated by turning a large wheel almost like a sailing vessel. It took some real muscle to open and close the gate. It wasn't always electric operated.

Not sure when the North Gate was built but I do remember the Sales office was there for the SR Club.

Many men commuted to NYC by bus. They parked in the parking lot on the hill on the right as you exit the North Gate. Is the lot still there?

Herb Fisher said,

Yes, I remember the "Badge" as Kim calls it. Actually, if my memory serves me correctly, that would be a 2nd generation badge.

I remember in 1960 or so my dad traded the 57 auto for a brand new one. He was very angry with himself after several months, because he forgot to take the SR "badge" off that trade in.

The "badge(s)" were the equivalent of today's SR sticker. It was attached thru the front grill. Honored at either gate, you got one.... you live in the RISE.

Second, he was fuming because the originals were a machine stamped disk of metal, the letters, the Chapel, etc were raised then hand painted. They were actual works of art. A metal threaded rod was centered welded to the rear of the disk. Rod was then inserted thru the grill and secured with a large washer and wing nut from the inside of the engine compartment/grill. Remember EVERYTHING was metal back then, not cheapo plastic.

I know I do not have one of those. I wish I could find a picture of one of Herb's early Cadillacs with a frontal view. It would clearly be displayed.

Thank you, Jim and Herb, for sharing these great details!

Save 11/12/11 Saturday for The Ramstein Open House, SR Fresh Hot Sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Ted Whittemore) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 15:04:00 +0000

Here is a reminder for this weekend’s Ramstein Beer Open House and Tour, this Saturday, Nov 12. Directions are at the website.

There will be 2 tour and tasting sessions, at 2 PM and 3:45 PM.

Ramstein will introduce this year's Winter Wheat Doppelbock.

Beers on tap - Winter Wheat Doppelbock, Amber Lager, and Double Platinum Blonde.

1 and 2 liter growlers will be in stock

And SR Fresh Hot Sauce will be there with the Fresh Cayenne-Cherry Pepper, Habanero Gold, and XXXXTra Hot Habanero Hot Sauce. We will have Cayenne-Fresno in 2 Heat levels, Mild and Wild, and also our new Caribbean Hot Sauce, and brand new Jalapeno Poblano (our first green pepper sauce) along with our Spicy Aioli in 16 oz jars -- that's Hot and Spicy Mayo for those of you scratching your heads. Come try them! And buy them!

You Hot Sauce people can check out the SR Fresh Hot Sauce Website, where the sauces are explained and sold. Check out the Fresh Hot Sauce Blog as well.

As usual, there will be a tour and explanation of the brewing process by Greg Zaccardi, the owner. [See previous post about Ramstein Beer with videos for a primer.]

See you there!

Ted and Christine and Emma