Canal Walk Newsletter
November 2016
From the Board of Directors Ladies and Gentlemen, the following paper was presented at our Candidates Night on October 6 th , and since I do not know if this will be the last time that I write an article for this paper, and since it will be published after our Election, I wanted to tell you what I see as the future of Canal Walk.
Candidates Night – October 6, 2016 I have lived in Canal Walk for 8 ½ years and have served on many Committees and Clubs, as well as on the Board for the last 5 years. My Bio is in this month’s Newsletter for you to read if you wish, or I have extra copies with me as well. But I would rather tell you what I see as the future of Canal Walk, in particular what we are doing as a Board. What are our Goals & Objectives? A goal is an overreaching principle that guides decision making (or where are we going as a Community). An objective is specific, measurable steps that can be taken to meet our goal (or how do we achieve our goals?)
1) By creating a community with a great “quality of life” is one objective.
2) By continuing to have a great Management Team we can rely on to get the job done, regardless of what it is. Cathy Vaccaro is the only member of our team who has been here from the start. We hired Tom, Jodie, and Sondra, and I believe what they do for us collectively, is a second objective.
3) By enforcing our Rules & Regulations, by authorizing new clubs, new committees, by assisting and encouraging new activities; by assisting our Cultural Arts and Activities Committees is another objective.
4) By repairing and replacing obsolete structures to “State of the Art” (as allowed by our P.O.S.) is another objective.
5) By keeping our maintenance fees as low as possible, and we will have 6 years of no fee increase. So if inflation is 1.5% per year, that means we have reduced your cost of maintenance by 9% over 6 years. Another objective.
GOAL: So what is our goal? Our goal is to “create value” for all of us. How?
SUPPLY & DEMAND: We know that as a large supply of homes becomes available, (as the 63 new CW and 61 Enclave homes being built) the Builder sets the selling price. So if there are no more homes built, the demand continues to be strong, and we maintain the above quality of life, then the market price of our home increases. (Our goal – to create value.) So what does this all mean to you? We will have reached our goal by seeing an increase in the value of our homes. I would bet that over the next 3 or 4 years, as the supply of new homes dries up, the market price will increase by 20% or more.
FINANCIAL STABILITY: We cannot say at this time that we will not have an increase in our maintenance fees, but we can say with a large degree of certainty that over the next five years, any increase in our maintenance fees will be extremely small. If I am re-elected, I will continue to do everything possible to achieve our Objectives and our Goals. If I am not re-elected, then I congratulate the two elected Board Members, and I know that they, along with the rest of the Board, will continue our good work.
Sincerely, Bob Rossomando
The Board of Canal Walk Homeowners Association is proud to announce that Canal Walk has been selected by the readers of the Courier News as the Best Adult Community of the ten in Somerset County. We believe this award is mainly attributable to the reputation established by our exceptional Management Team with our residents. Thank you Tom, Cathy, Jodie and Sandra. And in addition, the work of the over 200 volunteers which makes us a friendly, fun loving and highly active community. Our job is to support all the volunteer groups. Thanks for making our job easy. Jim Lyttle, Bob Rossomando, Nick Iorio, Bernie Worst
Canal Walk residents can check on what activities are planned and sign up for activities right from their home computer. Just type this address and you will get to our Canal Walk Website: http://www.canalwalkhoa.com. Our Website was developed by Skip Krals, who still helps us from Arizona. The website is managed by Howard Kliger, Elaine Whelan, Mo Kim, Fred Ford and Susan Kobren.
TO SEE CLUBHOUSE ACTIVITIES ON YOUR TV: NOW ON CHANNEL 8 IF YOU DO NOT HAVE AN HD CABLE BOX OR USE CHANNEL 281 IF YOU DO HAVE AN HD CABLE BOX
Canal Walk Reservation Policy • Sign-ups are required for most events at Canal Walk (unless otherwise stated). • Each community sponsored event requires sign-ups and prepayment with check payable to C.W.H.O.A.A.F. • Residents at Canal Walk will have first opportunity to reserve a space for an event. • Events will be open to guests providing that the event has not been sold out. Notice will be given when the event is open to guests. • As always, each event is first come, first served.
Canal Walk Refund Policy • Effective July 1, 2016, the following revision to the Refund Policy is for any and all tickets, trips or reservations made for events arranged by the Clubhouse Activities, Cultural Arts and Trips Committees and the Activity Director. • Once you register and pay for any event, you have the absolute right to admission for that event. There will be no refunds for any reason. The only exception is if there is a wait list and the Office is able to book a person to take your place. This policy is to properly manage our finances and is consistent with almost all performance venues. • If you cannot use the reservation, you may sell your ticket or right to admission, or give it to someone else.
From the Enclave Board ENCLAVE TRANSITION AND OTHER BOARD MATTERS We were pleased to see a number of our neighbors at our Open Meeting held in the Ballroom on September 7 th . Those of you in attendance heard the announcement of the Board’s election of the officers: John P. LoPresti, Jr. – President 646-338-1243 Sebastian (Ben) Caudo – Vice President 908-451-2688 Jane Meyer – Secretary 732-887-9316 Bruce Schulman – Treasurer 201-317-9506 Our Board has been actively involved in various critical matters concerning our community. One matter is transition, which will be an ongoing process. We have finalized our contract with O&S Engineering Company. O&S will become involved with careful structural inspection of all The Enclave properties and will report deficiencies which will become a major part of the transition process and negotiation with the builder. Another matter involves the mid-rise garages and storage spaces and how to legally and fairly control the use of those spaces. The Board is currently discussing this issue with the builder, with the advice and intercession of our attorney, Hubert Cutolo, Esq. Additionally, the Board has just completed the Rules and Regulations which will be recorded by Mr. Cutolo in the Somerset County Clerk’s office as an addendum to the Master Deed. All future purchasers at the Enclave property will be, by law, put on notice of said Rules and Regulations. Once recorded, all owners will receive a copy. Current owners, residents, and guests are required to adhere to the Rules and Regulations given in preparation by the Covenants Committee and adoption by the Board at our September 7 th meeting. Should a violation of any of the Rules be noticed and/or reported, the Rule Violation Procedure will be implemented that may then give rise to the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) offered to any aggrieved party.
FALL REMINDERS FOR TOWNHOMES IN THE ENCLAVE We would like to remind you that the exterior of your house, as well as the grounds around it, are owned by the Enclave Condominium Association. Therefore, no modification to this property in any manner is authorized without submitting a Property Modification Request Form (PMR) to the Enclave Covenants Committee. The Committee and Enclave Board must approve the modification request prior to the commencement of any work. We are reminding you below of some of the regulations. The Master Deed and Enclave Rules and Regulations contain a more complete listing and explanations. In general, before making any exterior modifications, ASK. Submit a PMR to the Covenants Committee; their mailbox is located in the Clubhouse. When your request is approved, we will inform you of any restrictions and/or specifications that are applicable to your modification. Regulations include, but are not limited to: 1. No resident landscaping or plantings are permitted on common property. Potted plants may be kept on the patio and front door stoop. 2. No landscape lighting is permitted. 3. No awning may be added or attached to the building. 4. No clothes poles or lines shall be installed or maintained. 5. No bird feeders are permitted. 6. Fences and enclosures of any type are not permitted except for Builder installed privacy fences or when installed by the Association. Nothing may be attached or hung over privacy fencing. 7. If a homeowner needs to install a hand railing or ramp for handicapped purposes or assistance, a PMR must be filed with the Covenants Committee. 8. Exterior doors may only be painted the existing color and finish. 9. A PMR must be submitted and approved prior to the installation of storm doors. A further reminder : Clothes dryer ducts and vent cleaning must be performed by a licensed, adequately insured duct and vent cleaning company. Proof of completed service must be forwarded by each owner to Association Advisors, 100 Market Yard, Freehold, NJ, 07728. Failure to do so may result in the issuance of a violation notice to the owner. We are all required and urged to adhere to these Rules. The purpose, as we all know, is to maintain uniformity of design so as to enhance property values and to preserve the beauty of the community.
Management update : We are pleased to report that our onsite community manager continues to do an excellent job in anticipating and avoiding problems, and when avoidance is not possible, confronting them head on and solving them. David has become a most familiar and welcome sight on Enclave property. We hope to have David on a full-time basis in the foreseeable future.
FROM THE COVENANTS COMMITTEE These are a few reminders that will keep us all safe and content. 1. The intersection of Minuteman Lane and Enclave Circle, where the garages of the Astor, Bristol, Fairfax, and Greenwich buildings are located, is very busy. Please use extreme caution at that intersection and stop at all stop signs. 2. Please be a considerate pet owner and pick up after your pet. 3. If you see or accidentally cause a spill in the garage, hallway, or elevator, please wipe it up or call Association Advisors to ask them to send someone over to wipe it up. 4. If you receive unwanted junk mail, please do not leave it in the mailroom. Take it with you and dispose of it properly. 5. When recycling food (or pet food) containers, please rinse them thoroughly to prevent odors in the trash rooms. Please take the time to read the Revised Rules and Regulations. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me at (732) 4127742 or [email protected] . Happy Thanksgiving. John LoPresti
Covenants Committee This one will be short and sweet. The Committee is responding very quickly to all PMRs and any ADRs that are brought forward. Especially for ADRs, we carefully consider the arguments from our homeowners and make recommendations to the Board. The Board has the final say, but any ADRs first come through the Covenants Committee. We want to thank everyone submitting PMRs and ADRs when requested, for their cooperation with the Committee. It makes for good working relationships and timely decision making. OKAY, just once: STOP SIGNS - they are for everyone’s safety, especially when they get used. Dave Lyttle Activities and Announcements
CLUBHOUSE ACTIVITIES COMMITTEE We take a break for the month of November and wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving. Watch for our much anticipated Holiday Brunch which we have each year. It is a time of good food and friendships shared. The date this year is Sunday, December 4, noon till 2:00 PM, so please mark your calendar now. It will be catered by Zee Bagels, and the cost will be $12 per person. Watch for flyers in the Lobby to register for this festive day, and be sure to date stamp the flyer, NOT the envelope which gets discarded! Thanks. Seena Allen
The band, Carnaby Street, brought back the British Invasion to CW
10 th ANNUAL CONSTITUTION WAY PICNIC Sept. 17 – Freedom Club House As always, we began our day with a Pledge of Allegiance. For the 10 th year in a row, our picnic was a great success. Food (every genre) and drink, but mostly comradery made the day! Most of us have been here for all of the picnics, and although we are missing a few key members, the day is a joy. Joan Springle and Stan Zaharchick (our caller) treated us to a game of Canal Walk Bingo – place holders were goldfish, but it was fun and the big winners got a handful of candy. Laughter was aplenty. Joan S., Ginny V., Gayle C. and I send our thanks to all who made our day. To the Tornquist’s: we missed you but thank you for the game. Looking forward to next year’s picnic. Submitted by Eileen Toth
GREAT DECISIONS CALENDAR : Meeting – Thursday, Nov. 17 - 7:30 PM – Club Room Reading material will be available the preceding Sunday on the Concierge Desk in the main Clubhouse. Merrill Taub
YOUNG AT HEART CALENDAR: November 3: Jitney Trip to Villagers Theatre - Titanic, The Musical November 9 - Club Meeting November 16 - Trip to Delicious Orchards December 12 - Coach Trip to Li Greci's for All Star Holiday Cheer and Sing Along December 14 - Club Meeting
2017 April 27 - Hunterdon Hills Playhouse - Born Yesterday May 18 - Trip to West Point with a 2 hour cruise on the Hudson
Our November Club meeting will be held on Wednesday, November 9th at 11 A.M. We will be discussing plans for future trips in 2017. We will give final details for our Jitney trip to Delicious Orchards. Join us for a chance to catch up with Club members and enjoy a laid back meeting before we get into the "hectic holiday" season. Joanne Polito Jule Graham
ARTS AND CRAFTS CALENDAR : • Tuesday, November 1 st : 11:00 – 2:00, Oil Painting Class, Hibiscus flower, $35 • Saturday, November 5th : 1:00 – 3:00, Glass Pendant Class, $15 • Betty Whalen will be teaching the Glass Pendant Class (the holidays are just around the corner, personally made gifts means more than those bought at the Mall!). • Sunday, November 13th : Oil Painting Class – Cactus on the hill, $66 if canvas is provided, $58 if you bring your own. • Oil Painting classes are given by the famous painter, Mark Saenger! All classes are in the Arts and Crafts Room. Look for the flyers on the carousel in the Lobby. Please contact Betty at 732-560-8387 to register for any or all classes. Come join us for some fun! Submitted by Gerry Waegelein
BOWLING Our bowling season for 2016/2017 began on September 12 and was a complete success with many of our Canal Walk Bowlers in attendance. It was nice to see everyone again after the long summer off from bowling. Congratulations are going out to all of our 200 bowlers for the month of September. They are the following: On September 12, Jeff Volker bowled a 207 and Mike Palmieri bowled a 228 and a 203. On September 19, there were no 200 games bowled, but the following week, September 26, Jeff Volker bowled a 207, and Mike Palmieri bowled a 203, 219, and a 209. I am sure as the season progresses we will be getting even more 200 games to report. Thank you all for your attendance and cooperation in making this a great bowling season. Joanne Perzi
IRISH AMERICAN CLUB CALENDAR: Upcoming event : Potluck Supper on December 8, 2016 After two successful outside events in June and September, our next two meetings will be at home. By the time you read this, we will have held a general meeting primarily to approve our Bylaws. On December 8, we will hold a potluck supper in the Clubhouse which will include entertainment – more on that later. At the October meeting we asked members to indicate what kind of dish they will be bringing to the potluck supper so that we do not have too many entries in one category. If you did not do this at the meeting, please advise either Brigid or Mary about your contribution. You can email them or leave a message for either of them in our mailbox. We are hoping this will be a great Irish night with all kinds of Irish related food being prepared. There are other Irish cultural events which take place outside Canal Walk, and we try to keep members apprised of these – an example of this is the series of talks given at Princeton University. Keep your eyes out for email information on these. (For those without email, we will get the information to you via phone.) We hope you are enjoying the wonderful fall colors which are all around us. Brigid Murphy Brown AN EMAIL GOOGLE GROUP HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED This is an email discussion group whereby we can share information, using our own group email address. Currently, more than 500 residents are participating in the group. It has proved to be an efficient method for sharing information pertinent to the community. While having a Gmail email account is suggested, but not required, it does allow group members to view and search past postings. The purpose of this group is: • To share and receive references or information about vendors, e.g., "I'm looking for someone to fix...;" "Does anyone know of a good dentist, dressmaker, plumber, etc." • To sell, purchase, or borrow items, e.g. "I have a ticket for.... and would like to sell it;" “Can anyone lend me a baby car seat for the weekend, etc.” • To discuss common issues with our personal property in order to seek other's opinions and share possible solutions. The Group is: • NOT a public group ( It is for Canal Walk residents only ) • NOT for commercial or political purposes • NOT to be used as a soap box or a vehicle to "vent" about the Board, the HOA, or the builder. If you are not yet a member and would like to join the Canal Walk Google Group, send an email requesting membership to: [email protected] For more information or questions, please call Chickie Siegel (732-271-5266 ), Elaine Whelan (732-560-0140 ), or Evelyn Silverstein (732-650-8099 ). Submitted by: Chickie Siegel, Evelyn Silverstein, Elaine Whelan
ITCH'N' TO STITCH Calendar: Every Thursday from 1 to 3 in the Arts & Crafts Room. In this month of Thanksgiving, let’s all pause and give thanks for all our blessings. I am so thankful to live in this great community with wonderful friends and neighbors. I am thankful for good health. I am thankful for my family. And, I am thankful for this little club that continues to bring joy to serious ill children in the form of our little bears. Please join us every Thursday as we knit, crochet, cross stitch or use a needle for any creative work. Call me for more information about the stitching and needlework club. Gloria Sipos 732 535 9160
SUNDAY CINEMA CALENDAR: • November 27: About Schmidt • December 18: Baghdad Café • January 22: Tea With Mussolini • February 26: Michael Clayton (Oscar Party) • March 26: Waking Ned Devine • April 30: Midnight in Paris • May 21: Day of the Jackal • June 25: Remains of the Day AN ENTHUSIATIC CROWD OF CANAL WALK MOVIE LOVERS packed the Ladies Card Room on September 25 th when Sunday Cinema returned for its fourth season. The 1998 film, Pleasantville , was a great hit and was moderated by Judy Gottlieb. Residents enjoyed a party atmosphere as they snacked on a celebration cake, tasty appetizers, gourmet sweets, and toasted Sunday Cinema’s success with bubbly beverages. The large smart television and theatre seating ensured great viewing ability and comfort as the residents gave a round of applause to the Canal Walk Board of Directors for this new enhancement. The 2002 film, About Schmidt , will screen on November 27th, with a tale about man who upon retirement, embarks on a journey to his estranged daughter's wedding only to discover more about himself and life than he ever expected. Sunday Cinema’s exciting movie lineup welcomes all Canal Walk residents to relax, view, socialize and discuss classic and independent films. Please check the calendar above, the Canal Walk TV station, Website, and Newsletters, for the entire schedule of all upcoming movies. Sunday Cinema meets each month in the fall, winter and spring, and offers as well, special showings with visiting movie producers and Rutgers film professors. Sunday Cinema meets in the Ladies Card Room at 1:30 PM for a 2 PM film start. To be part of this discussion, entertainment and social event, email Marion at [email protected] for email notification of film times or room changes, and showings. Please bring a snack to share. See you at the movies! Marion Yudow and Judy Gottlieb
TRIPS • Nov 1st, The Front Page The Musical - Broadhurst Theater (SOLD OUT) • Nov. 3 rd , Holiday Inn - NYC 40 th ST. • Nov. 15 th ,Cats & Fiddler on the Roof -Studio 54 (SOLD OUT) • Nov. 18 th , Disney On Ice , Follow Your Heart- Prudential Center • Nov. 19th, Sarah Vaughan Celebration (Christian McBride trio)- NJPAC (Prudential Hall) • Nov. 20th, Christmas Spectacular - Radio City Music Hall • Dec. 1st & 8th, The Bodyguard the Musical - Paper Mill Playhouse (SOLD OUT) • Dec. 9th , NJ Devils vs St. Louis Blues - Prudential Center • Dec. 11 th Tenors - (SHOW CANCELLED BY EVENT CENTER) 2017 • April 4th, The Great Comet with Josh Groban - Imperial Theater • May 4th , Hello Dolly -Shubert Theater (SOLD OUT)- We are currently trying to schedule another date for June • Miss Saigon ( details to follow) • Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (details to follow) Special Note: Il Divo at Radio City was a Knock Out!
CANAL WALK QUILTERS CALENDAR: Monday, November 28 – 1 pm Freedom Clubhouse September was an exciting month for the Canal Walk Quilters. It started with a trip to Ewing to hear Kaffe Fassett speak about his quilts, fabric, yarns and needlepoint designs. Kaffe is known for his bright colors and vibrant patterns. The first meeting was a time to catch up and share projects we have been working on all summer. We also had a visitor, Kathy Ford, who shared her hand sewn quilts which she made when her children were young. Her artistic talents were obvious in the impressive quilts she made, learning as she went. The CWQ’s had their Community Quilt to share. Every member worked on the churn dash blocks. The quilt will be donated to CURE SMA (spinal muscular atrophy) to be used as a fund raiser. After sharing quilts and stories, the quilters started on their next community quilt which is a red and white schoolhouse pattern. In October, they shared holiday projects and patterns, and started compiling a web site list of vendors and sites which members found particularly good as resources. The November meeting of CWQs is on Monday the 28th at 1:00 in the Freedom Clubhouse. We will continue working on paper piecing and holiday projects. New members and new quilters are always welcome. Happy Stitching – Sue Watt
Quilt made to benefit the Spinal Muscular Atrophy Lecturer, Kaffe Fassett, and Lisa Prior
CANAL WALK WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY CALENDAR: Tuesdays, 4 – 5 pm We continue to read and learn about women of the Bible whose lives inspire us even today. If you ever wonder how God could possibly use you to change lives, just look at the stories of these women. We are beginning by studying the life of Sarah, and then we continue on by learning from Rahab, Abigail, Esther and more throughout these next several weeks. For the month of December we will take a break from this study to focus on the remarkable Christmas story. More details to follow in the next Newsletter! Remember, you are all welcome to join us in the Club Room on Tuesdays from 4:00 to 5:00 pm, and you can contact Mimi Eachus at [email protected], 732-356-8212 or Gail Tornquist at [email protected] or 908-625-0526, or anyone in the group if you would like more information. Wishing you a happy and blessed Thanksgiving!! Gail Tornquist
ACTING UP Acting UP Hits the Stage on Friday December 2 Acting UP returns to the Canal Walk stage on Friday December 2, 8:00 PM. The team has a great show planned. Hot off their 2015 performance of “Café Murderrrrr,” this year’s show will also include a Melodrama, audience participation required. Old time radio show “Jack Armstrong- All American Boy” will be recreated along with a walk down “Allan’s Alley.” Rounding out the show will be some short subjects with punny or poignant messages. Look for flyers in the Lobby as registration is required and this show will sell out fast. ______
Acting UP-- where characters are welcome. Canal Walk residents gather the first Tuesday of each month to read short scripts from plays, radio/TV shows and melodramas. We have a few laughs and contemplate the wonders of the amateur acting world. No previous stage experience is needed to join, just an open mind and a wish to have fun. In fact, most of us have never been on a formal performance stage before joining Acting UP but have overcome great fears to entertain our Canal Walk neighbors. Join us in Freedom Club House the first Tuesday of each month at 7:30 PM For information, contact: Bruce Davidson or Marion Yudow. Submitted by Bruce Davidson
9TH ANNUAL VARIETY SHOW ROCKED THE BALLROOM Over 250 Canal Walk enthusiastic residents and guests packed the Ballroom on Saturday, October 1, for the Annual Canal Walk Variety Show – Academy Award Winning Songs . Under the leadership of Sandy Goodman Siegel, musical direction of Fred Ford and Master of Ceremonies, Bruce Davidson, the show had something for everyone. [see cast photos]. The show opened with the entire cast singing “Wilkommen” from Cabaret . New singing performers this year included Anne Cohen (“Evergreen” & “Arthur’s Theme” and Bev Robinovitz (“The Way You Look Tonight” & “Lullaby of Broadway”) along with Dusik Shin on classical guitar (“Feste Lariane” & “Romanza de Amor”). Also making their debut were the Canal Walk Tappers under the leadership of Angela Horan. The performance included Kathy Ford, Jane Gennaro, Barbara Shubiak, Joy Pelligrino and Anne Weeks. The team tapped to 2 songs (“Anything Goes” and “All that Jazz”), and Angela closed the show tapping to “Yankee Doodle Boy.” Many Variety Show regulars returned including: Bill Stember and Alex Flores recreating their Saratoga lounge act with piano and song (“Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head” & “For All We Know”). Leon and Olga Epstein entertained with Piano and Saxophone (“The Shadow of Your Smile” & “Moon River.”) Fred and Kathy Ford performed a duet “Swinging on A Star” and later Kathy returned with a parody of “My Favorite Things”, voted Canal Walk’s theme song. Solo singing performances included Sandy Goodman Siegel (“Over the Rainbow” & “You Light Up My Life”), Fred Ford (“All the Way”) and Sandy Epstein (“It Might as Well Be Spring” & “Thanks for the Memory.”) Piano solos were played by Fred Ford (“Nola”), Bill Stember (“Jazz in C”), Olga Epstein (“Sophisticated Lady.”) Comedy skits included: the Variety Show veterans Jim Heffernan and Ju Perry negotiating their “Groupon relationship”; Sandy Siegel selling a ticket to Sandy Epstein on “No Frill’s Airlines”; the stand-up comedy of Ju Perry, and Jim Heffernan and Bruce Davidson as Abbott & Costello (“Gold Ore.”) The show closed to a standing ovation with the cast singing “The Best of Times.” Cake and coffee following the show was served by Karen Anderson and her volunteer crew supported by the Canal Walk Homeowner’s Association.( Thanks) Late Spring 2017 Sandy will once again reach out to the community looking for local talent for the Fall 2017 10 th Annual Variety Show. (So start practicing now!!!) Did you know that all the Canal Walk Variety Shows can be seen on YouTube ? Log onto the Canal Walk Homeowners Association Website ( http://www.canalwalkhoa.com ) and look for the Variety Show under “Activities” for a link to the shows. Submitted by Bruce Davidson
TRAVEL CLUB One person’s version of our trip to West Virginia: In September, The Canal Walk Travel Club journeyed to “Almost Heaven West Virginia,” or as some would dub it, the trip from hell. But, hold on. Let me explain and you decide. We started out at 6:30 am (an ungodly hour to go anywhere) in a slight drizzle. The trip was uneventful until about 1 pm when we started to get hungry and the driver could not find a place to eat - mainly a Cracker Barrel. For those of us use to eating at noon, this was serious. One hour later, we did find that Cracker Barrel and enjoyed a leisurely lunch and returned to the bus in bright sunshine. Not too bad so far. However, after ten minutes on the road, our bus started belching black smoke. Of course, our driver pulled over and stopped the bus. Our options were to stay on the hot bus with no air conditioning or get off and brave the highway traffic and/or possibly snakes on the side of the road. We were told a tow truck would be there soon. Soon was two hours later, (well, they move slowly in the South) a tow truck got us to a garage where we had to wait another hour for another bus to continue our trip. After transferring the luggage, with a new driver and a new bus, we were able to go on, but by now we had missed our whole day’s activities - a stop at Blackwater Falls State Park which features a 63-foot waterfall and a beautiful lodge. Instead, we made our way to our destination, arriving at 7:50 (more than 13 hours since starting out) - ten minutes before the dining room closed. Tuesday dawned with beautiful sunshine and we were able to take in the view of our majestic surroundings. We were told our original driver was back with our repaired bus but our departure was late since the driver had to catch up. Today’s excursions included two train rides. By the way, we were late arriving at the depot but, can you imagine, the train called us and said they would wait for us. Our first excursion was a 35 mile, 2.5 hour trip on the Cheat Mountain Salamander II, a newly refurbished touring train carrying us through the vast wildness of the West Virginia Mountains. We were given a “Hobo” sack lunch and departed by bus to our second train ride. Since we had a 2.5 hour delay till our new departure, we had time to explore the town of Durbin which consisted of a grocery store, a gift shop, two ice cream stores and a night club. Needless to say, most of us had an ice cream. We were not too impressed by the second train which was called the Durbin Rocket. Hardly a “rocket,” it took 2 hours to travel the 5 mile round trip along the remote Greenbrier River. Nor were we impressed by the buffet dinner back at the Elkins Depot. However, all was not lost for the day, as we enjoyed a Branson-style show at a nearby theatre. Great entertainment of gospel, country and pop music in a family owned venue where the stars also serviced the snack bar and gift shop and cleaned up afterwards. Day three we set out for Seneca Caverns. When we arrived, we were told that it was 290 steps down (and of course back up) to explore the entire cave. Only the very young and very hardy ventured down. The rest of us saw only one area and that was down about 80 steps. By now it is time for lunch and we found a very nice restaurant on the property. The only problem was they were not prepared for 40 people. With only two waitresses and one person in the kitchen, it took us over two hours to be served. Finally, destination home. We were on the road about 10 minutes when the driver pulled off the road again. OH NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!! THIS COULD NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. But it did. This time we even had a State Trooper come on board the bus. Nevertheless, it was three hours before another bus came, transferred the luggage and we headed North. We finally arrived at Canal Walk at 1:20 a.m. - a 17 hour trip. So I ask you. Was this the trip from hell? NOT AT ALL. In our spare time (and we certainly had a lot of that), we caught up with old friends and made some new ones telling life stories and sharing family pictures. We enjoyed the beauty of another state, learned their life style and their history. We appreciated the wonders of nature. We learned to be patient, kept a sense of humor (well most of us), and enjoy new experiences (when else will you get to ride on a 100 year old train?). So, my friends, this person’s version of the trip has been a positive, not a negative experience, where I embraced the unexpected. PS: A shout out to Roz and her crew who work diligently before, during and after each trip. They supplied us with bagels for the trip and made sure there was always cold water on the bus. They entertained us with movies and games on the bus. They were in touch with the hotel when we were running late to hold dinner, with the bus company and tour company keeping us updated. Also, thanks to James, our driver who was a great captain of our “ship” and saw that we were all safe and Michael, our second driver who got us home safely. Submitted by Gloria Sipos The Travel Club meets the third Tuesday of each month. Dues are $5 for the year and are due in January. A trip to Woodloch Pines is scheduled for October. Our December meeting is a Pot Luck Dinner and open to members only.
A West Virginia Adventure! (Sung to the tune of the theme song from Gilligan’s Isle)
Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale, a tale of a fateful ride, That started aboard a passenger bus with 47 people inside. The Travel Club was all on board and the driver closed the door, 47 people set out that day, for a three day tour, a three day tour. Off to West Virginia to Ride the Rails and take in the sites, Some waterfalls and a cavern, were some of the trip’s highlights.
The weather was quite fine that day when the bus pulled off the road, Smoke bellowed from the back of it, perhaps we would be towed, perhaps we would be towed.
Another bus came and rescued us in about two hours or so, Our luggage was transferred and so were we, then we were free to go.
We arrived at Canaan Valley Resort for a late dinner buffet, We were hungry and exhausted, it was an interesting first day, an interesting first day!
On day two our bus awaited us, repaired and ready to go, We were off to Ride the Rails and learn things we did not know.
We ate at the Railyard Restaurant at the Elkins Depot, Followed by some entertainment, we all enjoyed the show.
The next morning bright and early we continued on our way, Toured Seneca Caverns and ate some lunch, then we drove away, then we drove away!
Now we headed home and settled in for a long and restful ride, We had done our share of exploring and were all quite satisfied.
Not again we thought as the bus slowed down and pulled off to the side, Our trusty bus broke down again, so much for our restful ride!
And that is our travel tale my friends, glad to be home, hooray, An adventure we’d remember forever and a day, forever and a day! Written by Marlene R. Glickman
BOCCE The Bocce Group held their season end Bocce Tournament on Saturday, September 24. Forty-five people attended - thirty two players and thirteen non-players. The winning team was: Richard Jaekel, Sidney Brown, Lou Vernaci, and Jeff Volker. They were presented with trophies and dining certificates. Afterward, pizza, salad and desserts were enjoyed by all. Everyone had a good time despite the threatening weather. Angelo LoCicero
L to R: Angelo LoCicero, Richard Jaekel, Sidney Brown, Lou Vernaci, Jeff Volker
Talk of the Walk We accept short entries regarding significant/unusual accomplishments, milestone anniversaries and birthdays, births, deaths and acknowledgements. • The Star Ledger recently published an article about Memorial Day and covered the Annual Parade in Raritan, NJ, honoring John Basilone, a former resident of Raritan and a Medal of Honor recipient. Canal Walk's own JOHN STURGES of Tallman Lane was the Grand Marshall in that parade. JOHN is 98 years old; he was a gunner and a bombardier in the Second World War. We are honored to hav e JOHN living here at Canal Walk. • LEONOR CONZEVOY of Witherspoon Way and her family would like to express our appreciation for all the expressions of condolences and cards received from neighbors and friends of Canal Walk when her beloved husband HAROLD ZAPOLSKY passed away on September 13th . • RANDEE ZAMBRI of Jays Corner would like to extend her heartfelt thanks to FRAN RUGGIERO and MARY JO GAUGHAN for asking her to be their honored guest at the Women's Club Charity Luncheon on Saturday, October 8th. RANDEE was grateful to be able to share her story and help promote awareness of heart disease in women. "I really enjoyed being part of the day," RANDEE said, and she feels that so many women worked their HEARTS out to make this an amazing afternoon for all. To quote RANDEE again, "I will cherish this memory for a long time to come.”
Randee with Dr. Kulkarni
• The many Canal Walk friends and neighbors of JOHN MARCHISOTTO of Jays Corner mourn his passing and extend their condolences to his fiancé, ROSE COFONE of Enclave Circle. JOHN was an active supporter of many Canal Walk clubs and a trusted friend to all who knew him. His playful humor endeared him to the Canal Walk community.
Cultural Arts Some of our faithful attendees at our concerts have asked us to put all of our dates for next year on the CW Website so they can mark their calendars. Evelyn has prepared a lovely calendar with our motto, Let Us Entertain You, for the site. • November 5- VINCE GIORDANO AND THE NIGHTHAWKS Known as a musician's musician, this amazing composer/entertainer is always embarking on a new project. Never resting on his past laurels, like the Grammy last year, Vince and Michael Feinstein are planning several TV shows for PBS. His latest film score is for the newest Woody Allen movie. Coming here with his 10 regular musicians, Vince promises another upbeat and exciting evening of 20's-30's tunes. Vocals by him and some of the band members keep your feet anxious to move in time. The tickets are going fast, so get yours now. • January 21- FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE The night is cold, the snow perhaps on the ground. Sounds of the Russian composers whose music will fill the Ballroom are heard. THE HARMONIA STRINGS perform quartets and solos by these world famous composers. They are joined, in addition, for a quintet featuring Philip Petrov on the grand piano. Come and be surrounded by the gorgeous melodies executed by extraordinary instrumentalists. What an enjoyable way to face the blasts of winter air and the dark nights of January. Hot coffee and beautiful pastries are waiting to cheer you up after the performance. • March 4- JOHN CAPES AND HIS TRIO Who doesn't love the musicals of Broadway? Star of several shows here in the USA, John Capes took one to the West End of London. For two years he was the PHANTOM OF THE OPERA . John's program here will cover the most celebrated shows of the New York scene. His dramatic and stirring voice make this a concert you cannot miss! • April 22- THE NEW JERSEY FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA This all professional ensemble with its fantastic conductor, David Wroe, turns the night into the Big Band Era of the 1930's-1950's with the sensational music of the Great American Song Book. Familiar tunes of the famous bands who produced the hits, which still are played and sung around the world, liven the Ballroom. Three vocalists enrich the program with melodies whose words we still remember. This evening comes as a special event our Committee has been pursuing for several years. We plan to open up more seats than we usually can have. • June 3- THE BROTHERS FOUR They met in college and their close harmonies have kept them performing all over the globe. They have recorded more albums than most entertainers ever produce. Every one of the lyrics they sing will keep you crooning along. Recently the audience at a PBS special was seen mouthing the words along with the group. We have wanted to put on a special folk singing evening and have done that by bringing these 4 all the way from the state of Washington to our Ballroom. Join us in reminiscing the glorious songs we sang over the years. For those who are new to our community, it will be an eye-opening experience to stay after the concerts for a beautiful dessert reception prepared by our own reception committee. Creative and always different centerpieces adorn our buffet tables which are laden with beautiful platters of pastries, cookies, cakes, and cheese and fruit. Seating is provided in several areas so you can visit with friends or make new ones. Come to our own "concert venue" only a short trip from home, where parking is free, and tickets are modest in price. How can you resist? Lucille Taub
“Me and Ella” star, Andrea Frierson An outstanding band
Outstanding centerpiece on the elegant dessert table
HADASSAH CALENDAR: • Sunday, November 6, 2:00 PM: Titanic at the Villagers Theatre. The musical Titanic examines the causes, the conditions and the characters involved in this ever-fascinating drama. This is the factual story of that ship – of her officers, crew and passengers. • Sunday, November 20, 10:30 AM: “Bringing Art to Life, Breakfast with Georgia O’Keeffe” in the Canal Walk Ballroom. This famous American artist comes alive through a performance by Colleen Webster. Join us before for a breakfast of bagels and spreads, quiches, coffee, tea and dessert. Couvert $18 to benefit Hadassah’s “Research in Service to Humanity” Medical Initiative. Make check payable to Hadassah and drop off at the Hadassah mailbox in the Office. Registration is open until November 14 or capacity. Flyers available or call Rita Levy at 732-563-0081. • Wednesday, November 30, at 8:00 PM: Daddy Long Legs at the George Street Playhouse. This heartwarming musical is a feel-good story of a witty and winsome young woman whose wishes are answered when an anonymous gentleman she nicknames Daddy Long Legs gives her the opportunity to leave her orphanage and attend university. In return, she shares her life with her unknown benefactor through treasured letters as she grows into an intelligent and independent woman. It isn’t too soon to think about the 2017 Mah Jongg card. The card costs $9 for a large print card and $8 for the regular size card. Order forms will be available in the Clubhouse Lobby. Anybody can purchase a Mah Jongg card from us, so share this with your friends and relatives. Make checks payable to “Hadassah” and put in the Hadassah mailbox with the form. For more information, contact Lynn Cohen at 732-356-8787. Don’t forget to purchase your ShopRite Gift Certificates this fall for your Holiday food shopping. They are available in $25, $50, and $100 denominations and good at any ShopRite. No expiration date; you can contact Evelyn Lasky at 732-356-3593 or Janet Kliger at 732-469-6330. Hadassah researchers are trying to stop the lethal recurrence of melanoma; prevent a fatal heart-valve disorder from occurring; and prompt pancreatic cells to produce more insulin. 200 sponsored clinical studies and 300 investigator-initiated studies are conducted each year. Your participation is vital to this work. We generally meet on the second Tuesday of each month. Join us, or call Fran Musler or Marlene Glickman for membership information. Edna Stone, Communication Committee
Women's Club CALENDAR November 12: Annual Vendors Fair We have many responses from our previous vendors and new vendors. There are still a few tables available. If you would like to join us as a vendor or know someone who would be interested in being a vendor, please contact Ronnie Bayer at (732-302-9389) or Mary Lou Hatzantonis at (732-356-1148). All proceeds from this event will be donated to the Cardiology Care Unit at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset. November l6: Pizza Party Join us for a delicious pizza party. A dessert recipe exchange will be featured at this party. If you wish to share a recipe, please make 10 copies to distribute at the party. The new recipes will be a delight during the holiday season. December 3: Christmas and Hanukkah Celebration A wonderful get together is being planned for the holidays. Join us for merriment and joy. January 18: Essential Oils Join us and learn more about Essential Oils. This class will be presented by Jennifer Poulson; she will share how to use Essential Oils in your everyday life. Bunko Night was a huge success! The Ice Cream Social was enjoyed by all and many thanks to all who worked on these events. Another Murder Mystery special is being planned for a future meeting. If members have ideas for any interesting presentations at future meetings, kindly contact Ronnie Bayer with your suggestion. Marie R. Simone Grandparents’ Group Halloween was such fun for the grandchildren of Canal Walk. First we gathered in the Ballroom for our famous costume parade before everyone was sent out to raid the neighbors for some tricks or treats. This is always a favorite of the grandkids, and we think they enjoyed the day as much as we did seeing the little ones in their silliest best. December is our next event. We are calling it Winter Wonderland. It will be a brunch on Sunday, December 18 at 11:00 am, so please mark your calendars now. Of course, our special guest will be Mr. Claus, himself. Grandparents will be asked to bring a gift for $15 or less for their grandchild on the day before (Saturday, Dec. 17) to the Clubhouse where we will store them in a locked closet to be presented to the grandchild the next day by Santa. There will be music, games and photos with Santa, so bring your camera or IPhone. See flyers in the Lobby to register. Don’t miss the fun of this wonderful season of joy. More details in our December Newsletter. Nina Pesce
Veterans’ Club CALENDAR: Our next scheduled meeting will be Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2:00 in the Arts and Crafts Room Our Sept. meeting was very well attended, and I am quite certain that was due to our summer hiatus and missing the camaraderie of our happy band (nothing at all to do with Joe's marvelous pizza or Tony's liquid refreshments!) Anyway, we were about 40 in attendance, and all appeared to have a good time. Reports were made and membership now stands at 74 strong with 3 new members. Our Treasurer informed us that, as of now, we are solvent, so we tried to figure out some ways to spend our funds. Plans for the upcoming Veterans Day dinner are moving right along. Chet Trechock reported he has a speaker for our evening, a young Captain who has served in both Iran and Afghanistan. The Captain states he knows the three rules for public speakers prior to a dinner (be brief, be concise, be GONE!). Happily, the Captain and his wife will be joining us for dinner. Also on the agenda for Veterans Day is the ceremony at our Municipal Bldg. at the Memorial Plaza. I am hoping we can have our Color Guard present and a good representation of our membership. We always get good feedback for our participation in the community. Finally, we were given a report of the nominating committee and the final report will be forthcoming. After the start of pizza feasting, we were given an update on the community status by board members Jim Lyttle and Bob Rossomondo. Nice to know that the community is in as good shape as the Veterans Club. Linn H. Smith Command er
Operation Shoebox Once again, we are gearing up for the holiday cheer for our troops throughout the world. Just ask a vet what mail call at this time of year means - the thought of no contact from home still makes my throat swell. THEREFORE Join us on November 12, 2016 (a Saturday) from 11:00 - 2:00 for the X11 Annual Christmas and Holiday packing. This event will be held again at the Kavanaugh VFW Post #2290, 600 Washington Ave., Manville. Participants are asked to donate supplies, if possible, that will be included in the packing. Also, supplies will be there for grandchildren to decorate cards and letters to our troops. Come one, come all; this is a very large and friendly event that always gets us in the mood for the coming holidays. PACKING # 2 This one is sponsored by the Hillsborough Rotary Club (their V11 Annual packing). I love to go to this one just to watch the Rotarians hustle. The date is December 3, 2016 (also a Saturday) and will also be held from 11:00--2:00. The event will be held at the Hillsborough YMCA (and yes, you can sing the song if you wish). The address is 19 East Mountain Road, Hillsborough. I hope to see many of our Canal Walk friends at either one or both of these events, and thanks very much for all your support in this important endeavor. Linn H. Smith for Operation Shoebox
Men’s Club CALENDAR: November 14: Regular monthly meeting is at 7:00 PM followed by a performance by a world famous hypnotist, John Cerbone. Mr. Cerbone has appeared on the Las Vegas strip and throughout the United States. This is open to all Canal Walk residents. See flyer and poster in the Clubhouse Lobby to sign up. Seats are limited. November 14 & 15: AARP Driver Safety Class. Flyers and sign-up sheets are available in the Lobby. This will be the last one until 2017. December 3: Holiday Food Bank Drive collection day. Bags will be distributed during the November Men’s Club meeting for dissemination to the community. On collection day, the filled bags should be placed by your mailbox before the 9:00 AM pickup time. Pasta, cereals, canned goods of any kind, vegetables and meats are needed. Baby food and formula are also in demand. No expired items or anything in glass containers please. If anyone would like to donate a turkey or ham to the Food Bank for Thanksgiving, please call John Tighe, (732)560-0391) and he will be happy to pick it up at your home and deliver it to the Food Bank. Together, let’s help make this season a little easier for families and individuals who depend on the Food Bank for support. December 12: Holiday Party! Our 5:45 PM meeting and dinner party will feature a presentation by Walter Choroszewski, more popularly known as Walter C. for obvious reasons. It is entitled “Classic Comedy of Radio & Television.” Walter is also a well- known photographer whose images launched the iconic first state tourism campaign: NEW JERSEY & YOU: Perfect Together! Walter has published 18 photographic books and numerous wall calendars about the state and region and has promoted NJ pride for 35 years. Furthermore, Walter is a popular lecturer with an active schedule of approximately 250 annual presentations to libraries, schools, organizations and senior communities. He recently presented this program to the personnel of the Somerset Library System to hilarious laughter and rave reviews. TEE TIMES The last scheduled event for 2016 was our fall outing at Royce Brook Country Club on September 28 th . Though cloudy, 64 golfers participated. Prizes for closest to the pin on two holes were won by Ken Morrison and Tom Ierubino (a guest). Jim Shrager won for straightest drive. The competition in the three flights was very close; in fact, the “A” and “B” flights ended in ties. A scorecard tie-breaker comparison was used to determine the winning team. Prizes (our now famous CW logo golf shirts) for winners in the three flights are as follows: In the “A” flight, the tie at 5 under par was between Al Bennett/Fred Driver/Tom Ierubino and Harry Varsalone/Ed Johns/Frank Aiello - tie breaker to Al Bennett’s team. In the “B” flight, the tie at 1 under par was between Tom Brucker/Bill Krihak/Eddy Fischgrund/Ira Cohen and Paul Moskowitz/Jay Del Prado/Werner Kruck/Keith Riles - tie breaker to Tom Brucker’s team. In the “C” flight, at 2 over par was the team of Jim Lyttle/Bob Rossomando/Michael Rossomando. One of the highlights of the event was the awarding the 2016 Big Balls Trophy to a CW golfer for outstanding achievement. This year’s recipient was Harry Varsalone, who, at the tender age of 76, scored his age or better six times in 2016. As the saying goes, “Can you top this?” Congrats to Harry . Planning for 2017, we expect to schedule the same events as in the past, with dates to be determined. These include Atlantic City, Beaver Brook, Royce Brook, CW Ryder Cup and Somerset Walker’s Cup See you all in the spring. Ron Lerner
Harry Varsalone with the Big Balls Award Ken Morrison and Tome Ierubino with Closest to Pin
Jim Shrager with Straightest Drive Fred Driver, Tome Ierubino, Tom Brucker, Ira Cohen, Al Bennett - “A” Flight Winners Bill Krihak, Eddy Fischgrund - “B” Flight Winners
Jim Lyttle, Bob Rossomando, Michael Rossomando (not in picture) - “C” Flight Winners
MEMBERSHIP & DUES We are collecting your annual dues for 2017 during all monthly meetings. Make your $25 check payable to CWHOAAF. You can also drop your check at the Men’s Club mailbox in the clubhouse. If you’re not yet a member, join the club. Enrollment is open all year round for new members. Call John Tarantino at 732-584-6104 for more information. Come join us at our next meeting and see what we’re all about. You can also find out more about us by going to our website at http://canalwalkhoa.com/ . ONGOING COMMUNITY PROJECTS The Good and Welfare Committee sends get well cards to members. Please let Gil Selvin (732-356-3269) or Sal Saladini (732-271-5110) know about members who are ill, hospitalized or recuperating. GO GREEN Hazardous waste days and Operation Secure Shred are done for the year. The next dates will be announced in the spring of 2017. Electronics recycling will now be: A. 1st Saturdays of the month at the South County Public Works (8:00 AM to 2:00 PM), 410 Roycefield Road, Hillsborough, NJ 08844. B. weekdays at the South County Public Works (7:30 AM to 3:00 PM), 410 Roycefield Road, Hillsborough, NJ 08844 and North County Public Works, 411 Chimney Rock Road, Bldg. B, Bridgewater, NJ 08807. Proper Disposal of Medicine: Expired and unused medicines can be dropped off at the Franklin Township Police Department, 495 DeMott Lane, Somerset, NJ 08873 (Franklin Township Municipal Complex) or at five other locations in Somerset. Please visit www.co.somerset.nj.us/recycle/medicalwaste.html for more details. CFL Recycling: Year-round, the Men’s Club collects used compact fluorescent light bulbs and brings them to Home Depot for recycling. Please place them in the box in the Clubhouse Arts & Crafts Room and help preserve the environment. Jay del Prado
Italian American Club CALENDAR November 7 Business Meeting November 17 BINGO December 5 Business Meeting December 10 CHRISTMAS DINNER DANCE I would like to thank all our members who contributed to the fund for relief to the towns in Italy that were devastated by the earthquake. As usual “You Guys are the GREATEST.” Our Club and your donations totaled $1500. Thanks to Sal Saladini for finding a method for getting the money to Italy where it is needed. Your generosity is beyond compare. THANK YOU. The meeting of the Italian Speaking Group was held on September 13 after taking a summer hiatus. It has proven to be both educational and enjoyable voyage so far. Comparing dialects, learning new words and meanings has proven to be quite humorous. We do have some members who are fluent in Italian, and they have broken off into an advanced group. The rest of us are slowly learning and having fun at the same time. Membership is open to anyone who wants to join the group. We meet every other Tuesday. Janice is collecting dues for 2017, and please be sure to include the increase, your phone number and email address on any payments. Many times we have events coming up and email is the only method of reaching our members. NOTICE: Dues have increased to $15 per person if paid before March 31. After March 31 the dues will be increased by a $5 late fee to $20. We WILL be checking if membership is current for all MEMBERS ONLY EVENTS. The Jersey Sound was great. Their singing and music had many members dancing most of the evening. We had a capacity crowd, and by the super response, I expect we will see them here again. We also had 50 members attend a “Rock and Roll” show at the Hunterdon Playhouse. The show was terrific; we had good food and excellent service. We are planning to return in the spring to see another show. This month we have Thanksgiving Day. Let’s take a moment to be thankful for all the blessings we have received from our children, grandchildren, neighbors and friends. Christmas is fast approaching, and during the month of November up to our Christmas Dinner Dance, we will be collecting monetary donations for a needy family in our area. Please make checks payable to CWHOAAF and in the memo line put Italian American Christmas Fund. Have a WONDERFUL THANKSGIVING. Ciao, Mike Palmieri
Singles Club CALENDAR: • November 9 (Wednesday) – Game Night – 7:00 PM (Ballroom) (Save the Date) Come and join us for an exciting Singles Club game night. It’s guaranteed to be a lot of fun. • December 4, 2016 (Sunday) – Holiday Brunch (Save the Date) The Singles Club Holiday Brunch will be a lavish “Best of the Best Award Winning Brunch” at the Stoney Brook Grille in Branchburg. The brunch will include both breakfast and lunch items as well as house made desserts and beverages. The cost of the brunch is $30. Check for flyers at the Clubhouse for details and reservation information. For information concerning this event, please contact Phyllis Chiavetta at 732-412-7679 or Susan Kropiewnicki at 732-560-1596. During World War II more than one thousand women volunteers completed the WASP (Women Air Force Service Pilots) pilot training program. They endured terrible Texas weather, snakes, spiders and scorpions, as well as hostility from some male instructors. Graduating WASPs piloted every kind of military aircraft, tested new and overhauled planes, delivered over 12,000 planes and flew over 60,000,000 miles. 38 of them died serving their country. Then they were told that men needed their jobs, and they were dismissed and forgotten. Told through the eyes of Ann Baumgartner Carl, the Jersey girl who trained as a WASP, she became the only woman to test fly experimental planes during the war, and the first American woman to fly a jet airplane. Re-enactor Carol Simon Levin brought those heroic women back to life at the September Singles Club meeting. The program was informative and highly entertaining. It was a fun night.
Be sure to check future Newsletters and flyers in the Clubhouse for additional trips and events. For information about the Singles Club, please contact Susan Kropiewnicki at 732-560-1596. Phyllis Chiavetta
NEWSLETTER COMMITTEE The Canal Walk Newsletter is published monthly to keep the residents informed about events at Canal Walk. We accept articles submitted by Canal Walk Residents subject to the following guidelines: We do not accept any articles expressing political or religious opinions. We do not accept any articles that resemble an editorial. We do not accept any articles that advertise for profit. Paid advertising is available through our Publisher, About Our Town. The deadline for all material is the 8 th of the previous month. Please submit your articles on time. All submissions must be emailed with the author clearly stated. The deadline for the June Newsletter will be May 8th. LATE ARTICLES WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. Please send us articles about past events as well as future plans for your group or club. In addition, send photos to go with your articles.
Items for Talk of the Walk, theatrical reviews, restaurant reviews should be sent to Ellen Catalina at [email protected] .
Recipes and What's Happening sent to Ronnie Bayer at [email protected] .
Home Hints sent to Jeff Shpiner at [email protected]
Club Activities and Announcements and Poetry sent to Susan Smith at [email protected] .
Articles about pets and questions for Design Solution to Judy Gottlieb at [email protected] .
Staying Healthy sent to Nina Pesce at [email protected].
Meet Your Resident Artist sent to Frank Catalina at [email protected]
Photos sent to Jay del Prado at [email protected]
All articles received by any member of the committee are acknowledged either by email or phone. Please note: If you didn't get a confirmation, it means that we didn't get it. Carry- overs may not be included. You should submit a new article each month. We reserve the right to edit, condense, or reject submitted material. Do NOT submit serious looking material from the Internet unless it has first been checked as authentic with Snopes.com or a similar web-checking site. Ronnie, Susan, Ellen, Judy, Nina, Frank, Jay, Jeff
Computer Corner I received this email the other day from “vanguardinvestments.com.” It looks pretty official and it’s kind of harmless. After all, an email address change is no big deal. Except I never changed my email address. So I called Vanguard, not the number on the email, but another number that I got off a paper statement from Vanguard. Guess what? Vanguard didn’t send it, and the phone number was not a Vanguard number. Had I called the number, I’m sure they would have answered “Vanguard” and then asked for some identification, including a social security number. Then they would have apologized for having sent the email by mistake, and hung up. Harmless? They now have my name and social security number. Game over. Don’t respond to any of these emails, and don’t give out ID numbers unless you initiate the call to a verified phone number.
Another warning about Windows 10. Microsoft is now in the process of updating all old Windows 10 installations with a new Windows 10 Anniversary edition. This process takes about 4 – 5 hours and is best accomplished late at night when your computer goes into an automatic update mode. It seems to pick its own time to do it, so if you are working on your computer and it goes into a reboot/upgrade mode, find something else to do. Howard Kliger
Staying Healthy An Attitude of Gratitude My mother, Lena, was the most optimistic person anyone will ever know. She never saw the glass half empty or half full. She saw it brimming over the top with goodness. She lived to the ripe old age of 96, but always said, “If I make it to 100, we’re going to have a big party!” She didn’t, unfortunately, but that didn’t stop us from throwing a great party on October 30 to honor her life. She would have been so pleased to see her whole family together on that day. We remembered her in so many special ways…each granddaughter baked one of her signature cookies to share with the family and we watched a video we made years ago entitled, The Living Cookbook, in which we see her preparing her traditional fig cookies for Christmas. We displayed photos of Mom and Dad through the years and had all of her most remembered meals on our dinner table that night. Why am I writing all about this in my Staying Healthy article you might ask? Well, it’s November, and aside from being my birth month, it is the month of Thanksgiving. A month to recognize the many blessings that we all share. A month to take on an attitude of gratitude, just like my Mom always did. In every article I read about stress and its negative causes on our bodies, there is always that one tip that is added to each of them. WebMD.com states “Think happy thoughts! Embrace positivity for better health and enhanced quality of life.” The Costco Connection explains how to practice gratitude. “Count the things that you feel grateful for, write them down in a journal or on your calendar or visit happier.com and download the app.” While going through the bin of her belongings that I brought with me to New Jersey, I came upon the many poems and sayings that she loved and wrote down in her own hand writing. One such quote is, “Contentment comes not from getting what you want, but from enjoying what you have.” I was blessed to have this wonderful woman as my mother, and I leave you with a poem by an unknown author that she loved. It is called, REMEMBER
Always remember to forget, The things that made you sad. But never forget to remember, The things that made you glad.
Always remember to forget, The friends that proved untrue. But don’t forget to remember Those who have stuck by you.
Always forget to remember, The troubles that passed away. But never forget to remember, The blessings that come each day.
Happy Thanksgiving to all! Nina Pesce
The Animal Corner IT’S ALMOST WINTER! With snow and ice likely in the months ahead, be prepared to remove it from Fido’s paws and coat at once to prevent frostbite. Frostbitten skin may turn reddish, white or gray, and it may be scaly or sloughing. Get Fido to a warm place immediately and thaw areas slowly by applying warm, moist towels that are changed frequently. Contact your vet immediately as he may want to evaluate the seriousness of the condition. Check with the Management Office for information labels and necessary precautions regarding snow removal salt/products being used in the development. And, of course, gently wipe Fido’s paws each time you enter the house to remove any of these products. Fluffy needs special attention during the winter months as she requires extra calories to stay warm – so feed her according to your vet’s recommendations. The coming holidays pose special dangers to Fido and Fluffy. Keep them away from visitors and from tempting beverages, holiday treats, and caution visitors about feeding Fido and Fluffy. Never leave ribbons, yarn, plastic or foil wrappings around pets. Check out more dangers for pets at www.purina.com . WHAT’S THAT SMELL? Is the litter box the culprit that turns your guests into ‘stank face?’ There’s a cure for that! Plugging in an air fresheners/purifier near the litter box just covers the odor. But the best solution to cut down on litter box odor is simple maintenance. Scoop the litter daily - or more often - and wash the box weekly using mild, unscented dish soap. Rinse thoroughly. Look for litter products on the market that advertise odor control. Check out non-clumping cat litter that may have baking soda or charcoal added which are designed to help control unpleasant odors. Non-clumping cat litter is good at removing odors associated with cat urine because it has the ability to absorb relatively large volumes of urine. As the litter becomes saturated, however, urine may begin to pool in the bottom of the litter box. Therefore, removing soiled, non- clumping litter is often difficult without changing the entire box. Non-clumping litter is typically made of clay, though there are other types available, such as plant-based alternatives, e.g., pine, corn, wheat, beet pulp, and wood. Clumping cat litters are those that are designed so that urine and feces can be removed easily from the box without having to empty the entire box. Most contain a material known as bentonite that allows the litter to form a nice solid clump as the litter absorbs liquid. However, that does not mean that cat litter boxes filled with clumping cat litter never need to be emptied and cleaned. It only means that the cleaning task can be performed less frequently than with the non-clumping litters. Boxes containing clumping litter still need to be emptied, cleaned, and refilled with fresh litter at least once a month. Check out www.petmd.com for more info. Cats aren’t the only pet that can cause ‘stank face’ and before it’s ‘Bye Bye Birdie,’ make it a habit to change the lining every day in bird habitats. Set aside time once a month to clean the entire cage with a disinfectant solution, then rinse thoroughly with water. This will fight germs and smells. Use a bird-safe product, like Better Life What-Ever Cleaner ($7 – www.cleanhappens.com ) or Healthy Habitat Natural Enzyme Bird Cage Cleaner ($6 – www.amazon.com ), as some chemical based cleaners can make your feathered friend ill. Compiled from www.aspca.org . NOTE THE DATES AT THE FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP ANIMAL SHELTER : • November 26 – Thanksgiving weekend - OPEN HOUSE for adoptions and pet information • December 10 – FREE DOG RABIES CLINIC – 8 AM to 10 AM (dogs should be on a leash) • December 10 (check with Shelter as date may change) - SANTA PAWS • January – Stock up on pet food sales at ShopRite’s Can-Can, Stop & Shop, Weis, and Wegman’s • January & February – Licensing of dogs due January/cats due February. See Dog and Cat Licensing Information (Municipal Code Chapter 115, Article Ii) for exemptions/fee waiver at www.franklintwpnj.org . THE FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP ANIMAL SHELTER , located at the Municipal Complex on DeMott Lane, (732-873-2500, ext. 6255) is a perfect place for opened hearted giving during this Thanksgiving and holiday season for Canal Walk residents who care about the homeless animals at the Shelter. Please donate dry dog/puppy/cat/kitten food and toys, clean/worn towels/blankets/sheets, paper towels/sponges, flea medications, Q-Tips, catnip and bleach (monetary contributions are most welcome). You can visit the Shelter: Tuesday – Friday, noon to 3 PM and Saturday noon - 6 PM or drop off contributions in the outdoors container anytime . If you cannot get to the shelter, please contact me for help in getting your donated items to the Shelter at (732) 356-0023, or at [email protected] or drop off at my home at 110 Canal Walk Blvd. Please add your name and address to the package for a tax contribution response letter. Thank you for caring and sharing. Judy Gottlieb
Design Solution This month, as the weather turns cold, the home of sisters Joanne and Nina Perzi, will warm you up with their welcoming and expertly designed esthetic. I visited Joanne and Nina in the summer and had to delay my ringing the doorbell on the Concord model house because the landscaping outside made me linger and marvel at the unusual specimen plants. Nina, who loves gardening, acted as the landscape designer, chose all the plants and their placement, which includes a flowering crepe myrtle, unusual Hanoki cypress, miniature Japanese thread leaf maple, sculptural pompom blue spruce, and a blue globe dwarf spruce - with river rock at its base balancing the top heaviness of the plant. Smart design is not only in a home’s interior but welcomes you before you even enter the front door. Greeting you in the foyer is a large mahogany hall tree trimmed in brass fittings with a brass mail slot, and outfitted with ceramic houses Joanne sculptured, with many more examples of her handcrafted art throughout the house - bringing warmth to each room. A distressed and painted chest provides storage while the oval mirror above it expands the space. A Queen Ann five-drawer hall table sits across from a Bombay Company round wood table with inlaid floral decoration and oiled bronze triple leg base – all furniture in appropriate size and dimension for the compact tiled floor foyer. Delicate miniature porcelain angel figurines – a gift from a treasured aunt – and Peggy Karr glass pieces, add additional interest. The dining room is straight ahead and what an ingenious design the Perzi’s created here. Wood flooring edged in low relief molding follows the semi- octagon angles of the room. Smart design to embrace a potential flaw and celebrate it so creatively. A curved, rectangular, double pedestal table with complementary hutch by Hibriten takes center stage below the oiled bronze chandelier above it – again, smart design by repeating a decorative element within sightline of the foyer’s round table. Three original nail head sculptures on wood bases that Nina and Joanne acquired while vacationing in Stone Harbor add unusual wall interest and conversation – including a one-of-a-kind wall clock accented with the porcelain nail heads in the hallway. The walls, divided by crisp white chair railing, are painted in Tate Olive green on the bottom and complementary softer Georgian green on the top. The front sunny room – traditionally used in the Concord model as the living room – has been transformed into a master bedroom for Joanne. So smart to use valuable ‘real estate’ in the most useful way in a home. Double French doors provide privacy to the room that holds a spectacular curved mahogany headboard inlaid with an oiled brass design and a substantial footboard that also has marble sections to draw interest – absolutely breathtaking. A triple dresser and nightstands add needed storage while a wall-mounted television provides entertainment while Joanne sits in the comfy recliner. Even for handsome, sweet and friendly Riley’s comfort, the Perzi’s rescued four-footed family member, is attended to with his own padded storage bench in front of the windows – he does have the life of Riley! The hall bathroom has been transformed with custom 6x13 travertine floor tile that coordinates with the shower curtain, guest towels and fabric covered bench. The kitchen with its high-end stainless steel appliances, sculptural granite countertops, mocha glazed fruitwood cabinets with matching stainless steel hardware, and illuminated with frosted tulip shaped pendant lights over the angled island, has under-cabinet lighting that draws your attention to the spectacular backsplash. Nina and Joanne designed granite, marble, glass, mica and mirrored tiles from Tuscany Tiles to perfectly accent the utilities and appliances in the room – it’s one-of-a-kind and fabulous! A thick chenille fabric cornice above the sink softens the hard edges of the cabinets. The adjacent breakfast room is outfitted with a custom Amish, rich wood grain rectangular table with concealed leaves to extend the table size from King Dinettes - so smart to be able to quickly transform the six-seat table to accommodate ten guests. A custom fabric in a mocha and cream design adds comfort on the seats of the wood ladder back chairs. An oiled bronze chandelier with frosted globes add a lovely element to the room with a baker’s rack in one corner and a view of the lovely garden outside the patio doors. What a nice place to have breakfast each day. A wood and glass curio cabinet holding an antique tea set with a secret surprise, Lladro figurines, Swarovski crystals, welcomes you to the great room with the marble surround fireplace, with fluted columns and dentil molding, that sits below the television to face the sofa and loveseat in a soft chenille that matches the softly swaged cornices above the windows. A treasured Queen Ann petite bench, side table and sofa console table – with double padded benches for additional seating - are placed for comfort around the room. Nina’s master suite is spacious even with the full size, tufted, rich dark taupe couch in front of the windows for relaxing, the Louis Philippe style dressers and Queen Ann night stands that proudly display the 1890 antique Capodimonte porcelain urns turned lamps with scalloped edged silk shades. The white tray ceiling is banded on the angle side in a coffee brown paint – very nice! The master bath has 20x20 travertine floor tile with custom drawer cabinets that are topped with granite. The twin Afina double mirrored door cabinets with frosted tulip shaped lights above provide additional light and storage. The shower and tub surround has rope tile trim over the white porcelain subway tile. Simple, useful, decorative and timeless. Nina and Joanne understand and ably interpret form, function and design to make a home comfortable for every inhabitant and guest and, discarding preconceived room labels/uses, adapt their home to real life enjoyment. Well done! NOVEMBER DESIGN THOUGHT: Don’t think about ‘decorating’ – just follow your need for a collection of furniture, fabrics, art, lighting and personal effects. Your natural intuition will be the right answer to making the right choices. This column is for your home decorating questions and to celebrate your own design solution. Each month, Canal Walk residents may submit a decorating question and get a Design Solution in the Canal Walk Newsletter. You can even be featured with a decorating solution that you’ve already accomplished and share with Canal Walk residents. Email me at [email protected] or call me at (732) 356-0023 for your unique Design Solution! Judy Gottlieb
Home Hints Circuit Breakers and Such First let's talk about the circuit breaker box, which in my home is in the garage. If the list inside the door of the breaker box is not filled in, it's a good idea to fill out the list before you have a problem. It's easiest to do with two people, so that as you turn off each breaker the other person can tell you what section of the house it effects. You can write down a brief description on the list. If you have a problem with something like a lamp or room light or a fan not working, go to the circuit breaker box and see if the breaker for that area of the house has tripped, meaning shut itself off. Give it one try, and see if you can reset it. If the breaker shuts itself off again, then it's time to call a licensed electrician and leave that circuit alone until he/she arrives. The kitchen, bathrooms, and some garages have a different kind of outlet called a GFI (ground fault interrupter) designed to prevent shocks or surges that may be water or appliance related: a dangerous occurrence. These outlets have a built-in circuit reset which is a button on the face of the outlet. If it continues to click off after pressing the reset button, call an electrician. Remember not to overload any circuit by plugging in too many heat producing appliances like heaters and irons. They use a lot of electricity to produce heat. If you use an extension for your computer, and all its accessories, make sure the extension has a built in surge protector or circuit breaker. DO NOT BUY EXTENSION CORDS AT THE DOLLAR STORE. If you're worried about surge protection for your computer, TV and appliances, you can have a whole house surge protector installed by an electrician. Lastly, if you plug something in, and the plug is hard to remove, do not yank on the cord to unplug it. To make sure you don't pull the outlet out of the wall, pull the plug with one hand and hold the outlet with the other. If it frightens you to touch the outlet, place a towel between you and the outlet. Jeff Shpiner
The Poetry Corner Leafin' Thru I saw it on the ground. It was near the other leaves. A small bright leaf looking up at me. "Stop", it seemed to say. "Look at my colors".
I usually don't talk back to leaves. Especially if someone is looking. But I whispered: Oh yeah, Fall leaves are wondrous." Submitted by Yetta Cowen
Potpourri, Jokes, Food for Thought Puns When chemists die, they barium. Jokes about German sausage are the wurst. I know a guy who's addicted to brake fluid. But he says he can stop any time. How does Moses make his tea? Hebrews it. I stayed up all night to see where the sun went. Then it dawned on me.
A Wolf Pack on the Move
The first 3 are the old or sick, they give the direction and pace to the entire pack. If it was the other way round, they would be left behind, losing contact with the pack. In case of an ambush they would be sacrificed; • then come 5 strong ones, the front line; • In the center are the rest of the pack members; • then the 5 strongest following. • Last is alone, the Alpha. He controls everything from the rear. In that position he can see everything, decide the direction. He sees all of the pack.
The pack moves according to the elders' pace and help each other, watch each other.
Again I am left speechless by nature ... I knew that wolves are different, but didn't realize how much we could learn from them...
I didn't know wolves put the elders of the pack FIRST… a lot of people on this planet should take note... they are to be seen up front, setting the pace and direction while enjoying the protection of the rest... and not invisible at the back of the line. " Submitted by Jay del Prado
Recipes Whiskey Cake Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
Grease an angel food cake pan.
Mix together: 1 box Duncan Hines Golden Butter Cake Mix 1 package of instant vanilla pudding 4 eggs 1/2 cup of whiskey Rye bourbon etc.) 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup Crisco oil 2 Tbsp. of sour cream
Beat at high speed for 5 minutes.
Add: 1cup of chopped walnuts 1/2 cup chocolate chips Pour into angel food cake pan and bake for 55 minutes.
Glaze for the cake: Melt together in a sauce pan: 1/4 cup of butter 1/4 cup of whiskey 1/2 cup of sugar
As soon as cake comes out of oven, pour hot glaze mix over the top of cake. Allow to stay in pan for 2 hours then invert and refrigerate.
Yummy!
Submitted by Ellen Catalina
Cranberry Jello Mold De-Lovely Serves 10 Ingredients
1 large pkg. Strawberry Jello 1 3/4 C boiling water 3/4 C cold water 1 15 oz. can whole cranberry sauce 3/4 C chopped walnuts or pecans (optional) 1 4 cup ring mold, lightly greased
Boil water, add Jello and stir well. Add cold water and stir well. Put into a bowl and place in refrigerator uncovered. Cool until Jello starts getting firm. Remove from refrigerator and spoon into the mold. Gently mix the cranberry sauce and spoon on top of the Jello (optional) Sprinkle nuts on top. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Unmold when ready to use. Slice with a serrated spatula or knife: Serve, with turkey or chicken. Submitted by Yetta Cowen
Theatrical Reviews Queen of Katwe is another sterling product from the ever inventive, often surprising, Disney organization. It’s not animated and it’s not primarily for kids. What it is, is for everybody, young and old. Based on a true story, it’s the tale of a young African girl from Katwe, a village in Uganda who, against all odds, surmounts numerous hurdles and barriers to become a chess champion. The girl, Phiona Mutesi, lives a precarious existence in a ramshackle residence in a neighborhood that can only be accurately described as a slum, although even that term doesn’t fairly describe the destitution there. She lives there with her harried widowed mother, an older sister and two younger brothers, one an infant as the film begins. Phiona and her entire family are uneducated. You see, they are so poor that they can’t even afford school, which is not free in their country. They survive mainly by obtaining vegetables and other food items and then reselling them to passersby walking the streets or driving by in their cars. It is a difficult life they live, hazardous in the sense that each day they don’t know whether their daily bread will materialize. Uncertainty about whether and when they will eat each day is constantly shown through the characters in the film. Notwithstanding the Disney reputation for sugar coating reality, there’s none of that in this film. The village is presented in all of its poverty, clutter, overcrowding and lack of development. Most of the buildings in the area where Phiona lives would be considered nothing more than shacks by us privileged 21 st century Americans. The picture of this environment presented in living color on a large theater screen is, frankly, shocking at first. The first question that invades your brain is, how can people live like this? But the answer, of course, is that they have no choice. But it soon becomes clear that material poverty is not the complete picture of Katwe. The people who live there have much joy in their lives. They sing, they dance, they tell jokes, they know each other well and befriend each other. What little food they have, they appreciate and enjoy. They have a lively and vibrant community. This is true even though most of them are shown to have little chance to advance themselves to a better life. One thing the film does very well is to transport you to another world, a fascinating one, an Africa that few of us know. It was filmed almost entirely in Uganda and South Africa and the characters, except for a few minor appearances, are all Africans. The director, Mira Nair, did an excellent job presenting truthfully the environment, both human and physical, in which Phiona was raised. Phiona becomes curious about where her brother and his friends begin to go each day, so she follows them to a building where she finds them and others playing chess. The teaching of chess is the brainchild of a young man, first in his class in the university, who can’t get a job as an engineer, for which he was trained, so he takes a part time job as a football, i.e., soccer coach for a religious ministry serving local kids. As a pastime, he decides to teach the kids chess on his own time and at his own expense. This character, Robert Katende, is marvelously played by David Oyelowo, the terrific actor who portrayed Martin Luther King, Jr. in Selma. Seeing Phiona’s curiosity as she watches from the door, he invites her in and asks one of his students, another girl, to teach her the game. There begins a fateful relationship and the opening of a new way of life for the thirteen year old girl. Need I mention that it turns out that Phiona has a remarkable facility for the game? But that is not the end of the story. It’s only the beginning. Many obstacles stand before Phiona and her dedicated coach before she can realize her potential, and better her life and that of her family. One of those obstacles is, initially, her mother, who distrusts the coach and feels that playing chess to find a way out of Phiona’s hopeless condition is a pipedream that will only end in disappointment. The mother is a strong, indomitable and marvelous character played terrifically by Lupita Nyong’o. She’s fiercely protective of her children and reluctant to allow Phiona to travel to chess tournaments in other countries. Another, surprising obstacle is the snobbery of African officials who are loath to send “slum children” to the exclusive schools where the chess tournaments are held. Robert Katende’s efforts to deal with these obstacles are indispensable and ultimately successful. The film is, quite frankly, wonderful. The story it tells is stirring, inspirational, and moving. You find yourself cheering on Katende’s team of underappreciated slum dwelling chess players, particularly Phiona. The sheer humanity of this film gets to you. Therefore, I hope many of you get to it. The film is rated PG By Frank Catalina
WANTED: Reviews of all kinds are wanted from the residents of Canal Walk! Please send your submission with your selection, your opinion of it, and any other information you feel is pertinent. Send to [email protected].
Restaurant Reviews The Family Bistro 340 South Branch Road, Suite 426 Hillsborough, NJ 08844 908-292-4473 www.thefamilybistro.com Hours of Operation: Sunday 4-9PM Monday-Wednesday 11AM-9PM Thursday-Friday 11AM-10PM Saturday 4-10PM
There’s a new gem of a restaurant in Hillsborough that just opened its doors on August 21, 2016. Although it’s a bit difficult to find, it is definitely worth the hunt. The Family Bistro is a family owned B.Y.O. restaurant located on South Branch Road across from the Hillsborough YMCA (in the location formerly occupied by Carrettino’s). The Family Bistro is owned and operated by Juan Carlos and Tabitha Vargas. Carlos (as his friends call him) was formerly a chef at Sarah Jane’s in Hillsborough. He and his wife, Tabitha (also formerly of Sarah Jane’s) have created this charming Italian- American casual dining restaurant which opened to only 5-star reviews on the first night. Their menu is extremely varied, and they are more than willing to custom order your food. The prices are quite reasonable with entrées priced from ~$13.00 to ~$22.00. This includes rolls and a house salad. The rolls were just delicious with a thin golden crispy outside and a soft warm inside. The salads are freshly made using local produce. My husband, known as a connoisseur of Chicken Parmigiana, felt that theirs was the best he has had in this area. The sauce is delicately seasoned and it is served with your choice of pasta prepared nicely al dente. The Chicken Parm was $15.99. As for me, I’m on a perpetual diet and I love scallops. They have Broiled Scallops on the menu usually prepared in a butter sauce. Upon my request, they prepared it in a low-fat manner using white wine. They also steamed my vegetables for me. The scallops were cooked perfectly and the green beans (one of the choices that evening) were definitely fresh grown. The Broiled Scallops were $19.99. Check out their website (listed above) for the rest of their menu. It includes a variety of appetizers, salads, soups, entrées (chicken, pasta, seafood, beef & pork) and entrée combos. They also offer burgers, sandwiches and paninis, and desserts, plus a kids’ menu. The service is excellent – fast enough without rushing you. The wait staff, led by Tabitha, are lovely and pleasant people who made sure we got what we wanted when we wanted it. Even the coffee was good! There is adequate parking there, and they offer a take-out menu too. I would suggest you call ahead for directions since the township has not allowed for a roadside sign yet. So, I guess you figured out that we were exceptionally pleased with our experience at The Family Bistro. I hope you do too. Enjoy! Submitted by Angela Horan
Rays Bistro 440 West Union Ave. Bound Brook, NJ Phone: 848-248-9900 Rays Bistro opened about a year ago. My wife and I, along with several of our Canal Walk friends, have frequented this restaurant several times within the last month. They have seating for about 50 patrons as well as another 20 on the outdoor patio. The menu is typical Italian fare but with great results. We have sampled various seafood, veal and chicken dishes ranging in price from $15 to $21. Appetizers are from $8 to $10. All our dishes were well prepared, plated and served. The portions are substantial as well. Ask your server for a sample of garlic knots-trust me. The owners, James and his wife Christine were so welcoming and friendly. Make a reservation! Submitted by Barbara and Ron Lerner
We so enjoy sharing restaurant reviews with our Canal Walk community. Most of us enjoy reading them and getting to learn about some new and interesting restaurants to explore. However, we have been getting very few reviews lately, and we are hoping to stir up some interest amongst our readers to take a little time out and send us a review of a restaurant you have recently enjoyed. Just give us the name, location and phone number of the restaurant and delight us with some of your favorite entrees along with some prices. It doesn't have to be long. So, hurry to your computers and become a restaurant reviewer. Please send them to [email protected] . Ellen Catalina
What's Happening
NEW JERSEY STATE THEATRE 15 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick – (732) 246-7469 Nov 4 – 6 Dirty Dancing (Fri & Sat 8 PM; Sun 7 PM; Matinees: Sat & Sun 2 PM) Nov 12 7 PM Golden Oldies Spectacular – The Coasters, Frankie Lymon’s Teenagers, Charlie Thomas’ Drifters and more Nov 13 3 PM Michael Cavanaugh with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra – Greatest Hits of Elton John and more Nov 14 8 PM Steve Vai – Passion and Warfare 25 th Anniversary Tour Nov 15 8 PM Chris Isaah – First Comes The Night Tour Nov 17 7:30 PM David Feherty – Live Off Tour Nov 18 & 19 Shanghai Acrobats of The People’s Republic of China (Fri & Sat 8 PM; Matinee: Sat 1 PM) Nov 25 & 26 Disney Live! Mickey and Minnie’s Doorway to Magic (Fri 1 & 4 PM; Sat 11 & 2 PM) Nov 27 3 PM Thanksgiving Feast with Mozart & Schumann – New Jersey Symphony Orchestra Nov 30 8 PM Handel’s Messiah – The Choir of Trinity Wall Street and The Trinity Baroque Orchestra
HUNTERDON HILLS PLAYHOUSE (Dinner Show) 88 Route 173 West, Hampton – (800) 447-7313 Nov 1 – Dec 21 A Playhouse Christmas 2016 – A Festival Holiday Revue for 2016 (Matinees: Mon – Sat 11:30 AM & Sun 2 PM; Evenings: Sat 6:30 PM) Nov 12 11:30 AM The Doo Wop Project (With Stars of the Broadway Hits “Jersey Boys” and “Motown: The Musical” (Luncheon Show)
VILLAGERS THEATRE 415 DeMott Lane, Somerset – (732) 873-2710 Nov 4 – 20 Titanic – The Musical (Fri & Sat 8 PM; Sun 2 PM)
GEORGE STREET PLAYHOUSE 9 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick – (732) 246-7717 Oct 18 – Nov 6 Mama’s Boy Nov 29 – Dec 24 Daddy Long Legs (Fri & Sat 8 PM; Sun 3 PM)
CIRCLE PLAYERS 416 Victoria Avenue, Piscataway – (732) 968-7555 Nov 4 – 26 Spike Heels (Fri & Sat 8 PM; Sun 3 PM)
PAPER MILL PLAYHOUSE Nov 25 – 27 & 30 The Body Guard (Fri & Sat 8 PM; Sun 7 PM; Wed 7:30 PM; Matinees: Sun 11:30 AM)
RARITAN VALLEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE State Route 28 & Lamington Road, North Branch – (908) 725-3420 Nov 20 3 PM The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe – 10 Hairy Legs
THE SUMMIT PLAYHOUSE 10 New England Avenue, Summit – (908) 273-2192 Nov 4 – 19 See How They Run Fri & Sat 8 PM; Sun 2 PM)
MASON GROSS SCHOOL OF PERFORMING ARTS 85 George Street, New Brunswick – (732) 932-7511 Nicholas Music Center Nov 12 7:30 PM Rutgers Symphony Orchestra Nov 16 7:30 PM Rutgers Sinfonia
Richard H. Shindell Choral Hall Nov 13 7:30 PM The Legacy of Robert Moevs Nov 20 2:00 PM Helix New Music Ensemble Nov 20 7:00 PM Brass Bash Nov 21 Roberto Diaz, Viola 12:30 PM Master Class 7:30 PM Kirkpatrick Chapel Nov 5 7:30 PM Rutgers Kirkpatrick Choir Rutgers University Glee Club
Christ Church Nov 12 10 AM – 1 PM Organ Master Class Nov 13 5 PM Organ Recital
Victoria J. Mastrobuono Theater Rutgers Theater Company Presents: (Nov 9- 12) (Wed, Fri, at 7:30; Sat at 2:00/7:30 "The Movement Project”
Philip J. Levin Theater Rutgers Theater Company Presents: (Nov 30 – Dec 4) "Playwrights Festival” (Wed, Fri, Sat at 7:30; Fri, Sat at 2:00)
McCARTER THEATRE CENTER 91 University Place, Princeton – (609) 258-6500 Matthew Theatre Nov 4 8 PM Fela! Nov 6 3 PM Carefree Nov 9 7:30 PM Imogene Cooper Nov 10 7 PM Josh Ritter
Nov 18 & 8 PM TRIANGLE Nov 19 7 PM TRIANGLE Nov 23, 7:30 PM Nutcracker 25 & 26
SOMERSET VALLEY PLAYHOUSE 689 Amwell Road (Route 514), Hillsborough – (908) 369-7469 Oct 21 – Nov 6 Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike (Fri & Sat 8 PM; Sun 2 PM)
BUCKS COUNTY PLAYHOUSE 70 South Main Street, New Hope, PA – (215) 862-2121 Nov 5 – 26 (Various Times)
THE OFF-BROADSTREET THEATRE 5 Greenwood Avenue, Hopewell – (609) -466-2766 Nov 4 – 20 Showboat (Fri – Sat 7:30 PM; Matinee: Sun 3 PM)
PLAINFIELD SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Crescent Avenue Presbyterian Church, Plainfield- (908) 561-5140 Nov 19 7 PM “Sondheim Tonight!” Soloists: Alexandra Silber, Ron Raines, Kerstin Anderson and Adam Levy “On The Town Rhapsody” Soloist: Evelyn Estava. violin
Compiled by Ronnie Bayer