Cedar Grove Library Brings Books to Homebound

By Christopher Lotito

Cedar Grove, NJ - Cedar Grove librarians are on a mission of mercy, helping homebound residents in the community. New Jersey has over 11,000 homebound seniors registered for services and this is just a drop in a much larger bucket of New Jersey residents who due to age or health concerns spend the vast majority of their time in their homes. Homebound individuals face challenges beyond physical health as isolation and boredom can take a mental toll and receiving basic services such as food delivery and medications can be challenging. 

Advances like online ordering and telehealth have been helpful for some, but for others, technology adds an additional wrinkle as they struggle to use a smartphone or computer to access essential services. The Cedar Grove Public Library hopes to ease some of these concerns for homebound residents by bringing them library resources, such as books, magazines, DVDs, hotspots, and more, all for free and delivered by volunteers.

We interviewed Carolyn Marrin, Head of Circulation, to find out more about this promising program:

“It’s carried out by a staff member riding the senior bus who has a large plastic bin of the outgoing materials. The bus will drop off the staff member with the appropriate materials, and then pick the staff member up with whatever the patron may be returning. As of right now all our materials are available to the homebound: CDs, DVDs, Audio Books (on CD), Magazines, Books (Large Print, Regular Print, Paperback), Video Games, Hot Spots, etc. 

If a patron has a question about a specific item, they can phone the Circulation Desk at 973-239-1447 ext. 212. 

Anyone with internet access can check our online catalog at 
https://palsplus.ent.sirsi.net/
(anyone interested in a magazine should give us a call) 

Residents can click here to make a request online.

We’d be thrilled if more people knew about the program! We’re looking into expanding the kinds of items available from the library, and I’d like to offer homebound folks as much of our resources as I can.”

Readers can help by spreading the word so that all of Cedar Grove’s residents have access to the extensive resources at the Cedar Grove Public Library.

Local Students Added to Dean's List at Berkeley College

 Essex County, New Jersey - This Summer several local students were added to the Dean's List at Berkeley College. From Cedar Grove, Irene Sarran, Sabrina Sarran Cabezas, and Amber Thompson were all named to the Dean's List. In Caldwell, Evelyn Carmichael was also named to the Dean's List.

Cedar Grove Waves Seeks Funding for 9/11 Monument Lighting

By Christopher Lotito

Cedar Grove, NJ - Twenty years ago, 2,977 of our friends and neighbors lost their lives in a series of craven attacks against civilians on American soil. We met up with David Schoner, founder of Cedar Grove Waves, now in its 7th year, to learn more about how the organization is keeping their memory alive. Cedar Grove Waves recently raised over $1,300 towards much needed lighting around the 9/11 memorial at Cedar Grove High School, but still needs about $3,000 to complete the project.

David is Associate Director of the New Jersey Motion Picture and TV Commission and Vice-President of the Cedar Grove Board of Education. He is a long time volunteer with the Cedar Grove school system having produced 5 videos for the district and contributed to 3 successful bond referendums.

What is Cedar Grove Waves and how did it start?

David: Cedar Grove Waves started 7 years ago. The idea of having the flag installation came from a business trip I was on in California around 2010.  I was driving up the Pacific Coast Highway with coworkers and when we went past Pepperdine University, there was a sea of flags on their massive lawn.  I made sure that we stopped at the University on the way back and I found out that they put the flags to represent each life  lost on September 11.

Later, at my dinner table with my sons, I was discussing September 11th and they had no clue, no idea about the impact of it.  The toll of the devastation. I thought about Pepperdine University; their installation was massive – with full size flags.  I knew that would not be possible at Cedar Grove High School – because of cost and the small land size, but nevertheless, I knew a smaller version – that would be as impactful – could happen.

Have you connected personally with the stories of people impacted directly by 9/11 through your work?

David: I totally have connected with the stories of people that have been impacted by 9/11 through my work.  Everyone has a story of that day and they want to tell that story.  They want people to listen, they want to share it and I listen.

What can we do to help educate future generations about the 9/11 attacks of which they have no memory?

David: Today’s young people are visual learners and that is the goal of having the flags on the front lawn.  2,977 flags and name markers in front of each flag attach a person’s name to it.  It’s a personal connection.  When you see the flags, you can see the magnitude of the lives lost.

What are your hopes for Cedar Grove Waves for the future?

David: That the flags, 9/11 monument and seminars will continue to cause a conversation with our young people that were too young to remember, so they can never forget. We made a promise to the people that died that day that we would never forget.

If you had the money and volunteers, is there a larger project that Cedar Grove Waves would like to achieve?

David: The ultimate goal would be to install regular size flags (we currently install knee high) on the lawn and have them spread out all over it. 

Arranging for our students to visit the 9/11 National Museum would be amazing.  The museum takes your breath away and it truly does what the goals of Cedar Grove Waves:  Educate, Remember and Honor.

How can people help Cedar Grove Waves to continue its mission?

Anyone interested in helping to remember those lost on 9/11 to future generations who did not witness events firsthand can donate towards much needed lighting and improvements to the 9/11 memorial located at Cedar Grove High School through the link below:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/2021-Cedar-Grove-Waves

New Jersey to Hold Floodplain Management Webinar for Local Leaders

On September 2nd, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection will update community leaders on changes to the National Flood Insurance Program via a webinar.

Over the past 2 years, New Jersey has relaunched their NFIP outreach program by going back to NFIP
basics and utilizing key NFIP principles to address concerns identified by FEMA audits. This relaunch led to the development of a streamlined model ordinance process, a model permit, and a substantial damage template as well as an upcoming Floodplain Administrator Guidebook.

In this webinar, Rebecca Jones and Kenya Lovill of New Jersey’s Department of Environmental Protection will give an overview these work products and discuss key learnings from implementation. Key topics covered will include:

• The work that NJDEP has done to educate Floodplain Administrators on key principles such as “regulatory precedence”, the “last permit”, concurrent I-Code coordination with the Construction Official, and most importantly, why NFIP compliance is not an “unfunded mandate” for participating communities.
• Economic arguments for practicing “mitigation prevention”, implementing compliant permitting practices as a cost beneficial way to adapt to climate change and avoid future cost shares, and performing substantial damage determinations in a timely and equitable manner.
• How NJDEP aligned State regulations that require meeting higher floodplain management standards with local ordinance requirements.
• How NJDEP has welcomed partnerships to strengthen community “higher standards” adoption and permit management practices as a way of extending limited staffing resources.

Attendees will learn about applicable NFIP lessons learned that can assist local governments in meeting current and future floodplain challenges. Hopefully, this presentation will help reinvigorate an appreciation for how groundbreaking some of these rules are even though they date back 40 to 50 years.

Register here:

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/5516286354555/WN_vfP-eYgvQuKGC3tvCGZqYQ

In New Jersey, a Little Library Grows

By Christopher Lotito

Little Falls, NJ - Don't call it a library, call it a movement. Small wooden boxes on posts are popping up all over New Jersey and what's inside may surprise you. The Little Free Library movement encourages citizens to support literacy in their communities by putting a small wooden box full of books, free of charge, in their front garden or local park.

This makes a lot of sense since many of us have far more used books in our homes than we can possibly use or re-gift. Even donation centers like The Salvation Army, Goodwill, churches, and community book sales are routinely overrun by many more books (generously given) than they can sell. Intriguingly, other items often make their way into the library boxes, including CDs, DVDs, Blu-Rays, and even video and computer games. Items vary, with some material being educational while much of it is simply entertainment. One box, operated by a church in  Cedar Grove, has taken a different approach, opening a Little Free Pantry of free food in front of their sanctuary.

Some boxes have Little Free Library's motto, "Take a Book, Share a Book" written on the side, but it's not a hard and fast rule. The reality is, we live in a world of consumer excess and the boxes are an amazing social construct to help redistribute that excess to those who can use it. This is a welcome gift at a time in our national history when many of us are feeling more distanced from others than ever before. So whether you have something to share or not, consider heading to your local Little Free Library this week to pick up a good read and make a literary connection with someone in your community. Think of it as kindness, shelved and redistributed.

To find more Little Free Libraries, click here: https://littlefreelibrary.org/ourmap/

Do you know of a Little Free Library in your community? Leave the location in the comments! 

Little Free Libraries in Cedar Grove:

• 79 Brunswick Rd (North End Little Free Library)
• 42 The Glen
• 186 Cedar St
• 131 Union St

Little Falls:

• Suchorsky Park on Island Ave
• Morris Canal Park off Main Street by the gazebo
• Wilmore Park closer to the fire department end

Verona:

• 20 East Lincoln Street
• 92 Elmwood Road
• 108 Park Ave

Spotted Lanternfly, What Homeowners Need to Know

By Christopher Lotito

Cedar Grove, NJ - The invasive Spotted Lanternfly is making an appearance in Essex County, New Jersey this Summer, here's what you need to know to keep your garden safe.

Spotted Lanternflies were first found in the United States in Berks County Pennsylvania in 2014. Since then, they've spread rapidly each season and as of this writing, 8 New Jersey counties are under quarantine for the colorful bugs. Spotted Lanterflies may be pretty to some, but they're a huge pest capable to badly damaging crops and decorative plants. While these bugs can fly, they are technically planthoppers and can leap quite far, as you may have discovered when you've tried to swat one. Experts say if you see them, you should swat away before the pests can do more damage or lay eggs.

Have you seen a spotted lanternfly? After stomping it (if you can), fill out this form:

https://www.nj.gov/agriculture/divisions/pi/prog/pests-diseases/spotted-lanternfly/#reporting-tool

Where to Get Vaccinated Near Cedar Grove

 Most individuals over the age of 16* can now get vaccinated in New Jersey for free with no
appointment. That means that if you haven't gotten vaccinated yet, there's no waiting in line (most of the time), no complicated appointment to book, and no charge. You may still be asked for your insurance information, but the vaccine is free. Vaccine providers do not ask about immigration status and except a variety of IDs.

*Some vaccines also approved for 12-15 years of age.

To get your vaccine today, walk into a:

CVS:

• 387 Pompton Avenue Cedar Grove, NJ
• 1041 Pompton Ave Cedar Grove, NJ

Walgreens:

• 342 Claremont Ave, Verona, NJ 07044

Shoprite:

• 171 Browertown Rd, Little Falls, NJ 07424 (Appointment preferred)

Photo by Belinda Fewings on Unsplash