River View East: End of an Era

Anyone from Jersey knows we all have our favorite places for hot dogs. Italian hot dog? For me it was Dickie Dee's. A hot dog truck dog? I would go to JR's on Franklin Avenue in Nutley. If you wanted something really special, it was Rutt's Hut. For my husband, however, growing up in Elmwood…

Hercules Proposal Meeting on March 1st

I regularly post about the importance of preserving our historic spaces in New Jersey. From historic Morristown to the Battle of Trenton, we understand why we need to fight for these important locations. Well, the same can be said about our open spaces. We are lovingly known as "The Garden State." During the 80s, however,…

Urgent Repairs Needed at Belleville Dutch Reformed Church

If you are a regular reader, you know how much I love my hometown of Belleville. From stopping at Rosebud's after school, to my memories from marching band in high school, to riding my bike all over town, Belleville will always hold a special place in my heart. What you may not know is Belleville…

Saying Goodbye to The Manor

This week all of North Jersey was shocked to hear The Manor in West Orange will close this summer after 66 years. That magical location has been the location where many wonderful memories were made. From New Year's Eve black-tie dinners, to weddings, to proms, almost everyone from North Jersey has a story. All those…

Hercules and the Trees

"They paved paradise, and put up a parking lot. ~Joni Mitchell It feels like an everyday fight here in Jersey. Our remaining open spaces are constantly under assault. Paving paradise to put up a parking lot. From a decades-old fishing club space, to preserving open space in Princeton, to attempting to keep a community garden…

What’s up with the Whales?

There are few places as lovely as the Jersey Shore. I have written about it extensively over the years. The history of Cape May. The wide-open beaches of Wildwood. Everyone who visits the special locations has a responsibility to protect it. That is why so many people are upset about the rash of whale deaths…

Observe the Christmas Crossing

We all learned about the incredibly harsh winter General Washington and his men endured deep into the Revolutionary War. Throughout the entire war, time and again, Morristown was a key location for the the Continental Army. Morristown National Historical Park commemorates the sites of General Washington and the Continental Army’s winter encampment of December 1779…

Giving Tuesday in New Jersey

Tomorrow is Giving Tuesday; a great reminder to give back whenever you are able. There are a number of wonderful non-profits and organizations in The Garden State that need support. Here are a few of my favorites. A Helping Wing Parrot Rescue & Sanctuary I may have never mentioned it in the past, but my…

The Need for Trees

We interrupt Italian Heritage Month for this important announcement from The Land Conservancy of New Jersey... Volunteers Needed for Tree Planting We had a great day planting trees at Nancy Conger West Brook Preserve. Twenty people came out to help create a young forest on the site where a dilapidated barn used to be. But…

A Want for Italian Immigration History Education

New Jersey is home to one of the largest collection of Americans of Italian descent in the entire country. Yet, if you ask any child if they learn about this important part of history, they would know very little. Luckily, there's a solution to the problem. A few years ago, the Italian-American Heritage Commission developed…