Acupuncture in Chester Borough, NJ

RESIDENTS FROM CHESTER BOROUGH AND ACROSS THE COUNTY INVITED TO ATTEND

The Morris County Board of Freeholders will hold the third of eight 2017 county government road meetings''on Wednesday night, June 28, at the Chester Borough municipal building as part of a continuing effort to bring county government closer to their constituents.

Residents from Chester Borough and Township, and all towns in Morris County are invited to the Wednesday night freeholder meeting and to raise issues and ask questions about county and regional issues.

The agenda for the Freeholder meeting will be posted online at https://morriscountynj.gov/freeholders/publicmeetings-about/

The Chester Borough municipal building is located at 50 North Road, Chester, N.J. 07930.

The Freeholders voted earlier this year to continue their tradition of holding some of their county government meetings at towns halls away from the county government headquarters in Morristown. Subsequent summer road meetings are scheduled on July 26 in Kinnelon, and Aug. 23 in Victory Gardens.

Several more road meetings have been tentatively scheduled for autumn and will be announced in the near future.

It is important to meet county residents where they live and work, and to make it more convenient for residents and elected officials to have access to county government without having to come to Morristown,'' said Freeholder Director Doug Cabana.

The road meetings give local residents and officials an opportunity to raise regional issues of concern to the freeholders, so we can better understand and focus on these issues,'' said Deputy Freeholder Director John Cesaro.

The state Legislature established Chester Township in 1799, carving it out from portions of Roxbury and Washington townships. Chester Borough was incorporated in 1930, splitting from the township based on the results of a referendum.

Chester Borough, a town of about 1,700 residents, is 40 miles west of New York City. It is completely surrounded by larger Chester Township.

Chester Borough is home to numerous arts, crafts, antiques and specialty shops, and holds a variety of major events annually, attracting people from through the region to its popular downtown for shopping and events. It also is located a short distance from many natural areas and county and state parks.

The freeholders in 2016 held road meetings in Boonton and Pequannock. They also met at county Park Commission venues across the county, including Silas Condict County Park in Kinnelon, the Mennen Sports Arena in Morris Township, and the Great Swamp Outdoor Education Center in Chatham Township.

The board of freeholders meet twice monthly, usually on the evening of the second and fourth Wednesday of each month, at the County Administration and Records Building in Morristown. The public can comment at those meetings. The board also holds public work sessions on the mornings of the second and fourth Wednesdays in Morristown.

For more information on county government, visit: www.morriscountynj.gov

For more information on Chester Borough, visit: http://chesterborough.org/

Morris County Small Business Grant Delivered to Lebensfreude

It’s harvest season, perfect timing for Lebensfreude LLC, the farmland firm on which Chester Township’s famous Alstede Farms operates, to reap a $15,000 Morris County Small Business Grant.

Morris County Commissioner Deputy Director John Krickus delivered the check to Kurt and Mary Alstede on Wednesday after touring the Alstede Market in Chester Township and visiting the neighboring property housing Lebensfreude LLC, which translates into: “joy of living.” The program, launched with $10 million on Valentines Day, is designed to help small local businesses still being impacted by the pandemic.

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Program Closes Friday, Sept. 30, 2022

“This grant is very helpful. It’s been over two years since (the pandemic start) and people forget, we were sweating bullets trying to figure out every week what we would do,” said Kurt Alstede, noting farming operations throughout New Jersey were hit with strict operating guidelines by the Department of Agriculture and Department of Environmental Protection.

Farmers had to cooperate for months under restrictions that ranged from requiring farm workers to wear protective masks even while working in the fields, to distancing guidelines that required farmers to find alternative housing arrangements for employees who live on site.

“It certainly must be noted that the Alstede family did everything to keep their people working and retained their staff throughout the height of the pandemic and afterwards,” said Commissioner Krickus as he visited the property.

To date, the Commissioners have approved 677 applications filed by small businesses and nonprofit organizations to receive grants of up to $15,000. The Commissioners dedicated $10 million and designed the grants to assist small businesses and nonprofits with pandemic related expenses incurred after March 3,

2021, including rent and mortgages payments.

The Morris County Small Business Grant Program has been a unique use of federal funds issued to the county through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which was designed to offer pandemic-related aid.

Federal guidelines covering the grant program will determine exactly which expenses qualify for coverage and which applications may be approved. The grants are capped at $15,000 per applicant. However, business owners and nonprofits are encouraged to submit applications that include all costs they believe may qualify for the grant, even if the total amount of a single claim exceeds $15,000.

A final review may determine that some costs submitted for consideration are not covered under the program guidelines. However, by submitting all expenses that may qualify, applicants increase the possibility of getting the maximum amount of grant dollars possible.

Photos

Top Right: Commissioner Krickus chats with Kurt and Mary Alstede at the driveway to Lebensfreude's property.

Center Left: Commissioner Krickus visited the Alstede Farms market a short distance away, presenting Mary Alstede with a letter and grant check next to an antique tractor.

Bottom Right: Commissioner Krickus looks over some of the produce grown on the lands of Lebensfreude LLC.

Duffy Announces Bid for Chester Township Mayor

Vows to Put Community First

Chester Township, N.J., May 8, 2019—Jim Duffy proudly announced his plans to run for mayor of Chester Township in Morris County, New Jersey.

Duffy is a decade-long resident of Chester Township, along with his wife and three children. He currently serves on the Chester Township Environmental Commission, where he is focused on renewing the township’s sustainability certification.

Duffy’s campaign theme is based on Putting Community First. As Mayor, he will focus on three key areas:

· Transparent Leadership: Chester township residents deserve to be more involved in local decision making through collaboration and community engagement.

· Efficient Spending, Lower Costs: Chester Township can work more creatively with neighboring municipalities. We need to spend tax dollars more efficiently, which can help lower costs.

· Environmental Stewardship: Our greatest assets are the farms, agriculture, green space and recreational resources that surround us. We need to be more diligent in how they are improved, managed and protected.

A former U.S. Peace Corps volunteer and teacher, Duffy has extensive experience consulting public- and private-sector clients on various marketing and public relations programs. Today, Jim is vice president of marketing for a leading global provider of business outsourcing solutions. He is also chair of the Dean’s Advisory Board to the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at William Paterson University.

“Jim Duffy has a proven record of leadership and service both within and outside of his community. He would make an excellent Mayor of Chester Township,” said Chip Robinson, Chair of the Morris County Democratic Committee.

Duffy earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in English from William Paterson University in Wayne, New Jersey. He also has a Master’s degree in marketing from Emerson College in Boston.

To learn more about Jim and his campaign, visit:

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/jimduffy4mayor/

Web site: https://www.chesterdems.com/jimduffyformayor

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CHESTER — Two historic buildings on the Larison's Turkey Farm property face demolition to make way for a mixed-use development that includes housing, low income housing, a new restaurant, pharmacy and office space.

The project, discussed at Tuesday night's council meeting, will help the borough meet its state requirements for low-income housing, Mayor Janet Hoven said.

"The most current list of what each municipality has, as far as affordable housing, shows we need 111 units of affordable housing," Hoven said. "This is not just about Chester borough. Every municipality has to do this."

Story continues below the gallery.

During the public portion of the meeting, concerns voiced by residents included environmental-impact issues and increased traffic along the West Main Street portion of Route 202. A new traffic light would be placed at the main entrance to the new development across the road from the ShopRite-anchored Chester Shopping Mall.

West Main Street resident Stacy Rogers told the council traffic is already a problem in the area.

"In the fall, you can't exit or enter," she said, referring to seasonal weekend traffic down the road at Alstede Farms, a popular ecotourism farm. "The traffic doesn't want to budge."

The development, a product of lengthy discussions between borough officials and the developers, would include a new 6,500-square-foot restaurant on the corner of routes 206 and 202, which would replace the iconic Larison's Turkey Farm Inn restaurant.

The restaurant closed in 2000, and has been unsuccessfully revived three times since, the last one closing in 2009.

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Turkey Farm Acquisitions LLC is teaming with the owners of an adjoining Route 24 property known as the Mill Ridge tract, where 20 market-rate town homes would be built as part of the project.

The proposal includes a 14,498-square-foot CVS pharmacy, a 20,000-square-foot medical office building, a 5,000-square-foot office building and 36 affordable housing units that would be built and paid for by the developers.

"The CVS is on the smaller side of what they like to build," said Henry Kent-Smith, attorney for the developers.

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Historic importance

Critics of the proposal included officers of the Chester Historical Society, who urged developers and the council to consider adaptive reuse of two buildings on the 25-acre tract: a circa 1873 residence known as Sunnyside and the circa 1800 Isaac Corwin House, which became part of the Larison's Turkey Farm restaurant that opened in 1945.

Chester Historical Society Vice President John Pfaff challenged Kent-Smith's assertion that the society had been told it could take possession of Sunnyside if it could pay for the expenses involved.

"At the mayor's suggestion, the society reached out to the owners of the property and asked to look at what we could do to save Sunnyside," Pfaff said. "I never dreamed we'd have to look at what we can do to save the Irwin Corwin House. The fact is, nobody ever got back to us and they totally ignored our input."

"Mr. Kent-Smith, stated that the developers had offered to give Sunnyside to the Chester Historical Society and that we did not answer," said Chester Historical Society President Edward Ng. "That is the opposite of what happened. I sent their lawyer at the time, the owners, and members of Chester's Land Use Board, a letter offering to work with the owners to apply for a historic preservation grant, but we needed their active cooperation. I got no response from them and the deadline for the grant expired."

Kent-Smith also said Sunnyside had deteriorated to the point where it was not salvageable. Ng said Sunnyside would be "much harder" to save, but continued to urge preservation and adaptive reuse of the Corwin House.

Demolishing the Corwin House, Ng said, would be akin to demolishing the Publick House, another 19th century building repurposed into a restaurant, a drawing of which dominates the borough seal.

"It's one of the iconic buildings in Chester's historic district, a state-recognized historic district," he said.

"In the discussions, the majority of the council said they were fine if the Larison-Corwin House was demolished in order to build a new restaurant," Hoven said. "In talking with the developers and owners, they were very sensitive to that building and the meaning it has to the community."

Hand-hewn beams and other elements of the Corwin House would be preserved to incorporate into the new restaurant building.

Existing stone walls would be incorporated into the design, Hoven said. Developers, the mayor said, have already received interest in the leasing of the new restaurant. One of the interested parties, Hoven said, has offered to have Adirondack chairs outside, just as Larison's had.

"They are paying homage to Larison's by maintaining some of that old-time Larison's feel, but in a new restaurant," Hoven said.

Affordable housing

Emboldened in 2015 by the New Jersey Supreme Court's decision to move oversight of Mt. Laurel housing obligations from the Council on Affordable Housing to municipal courts, the owners in 2016 originally submitted a new development plan that included a 144-unit apartment complex, 28 units of which would have been designated as affordable housing under Mt. Laurel.

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Previous:Chester's historic Larison's Turkey Farm eyed by developer; historical group opposes plan

The negotiated proposal, Hoven said, also relieves the borough of a legal obligation to bond for the building of low-income housing to meet its obligation to build affordable housing. Those bonds would have been paid for by taxpayers.

Instead, the cost will be covered by the developers, Hoven said.

The council also will appoint a committee to assist the developer in designing building and other elements that would complement the existing streetscape and character of the borough.

No action on the matter was taken at the meeting. Hoven said the next step would be for the council to participate in a settlement discussion at its Oct. 2 meeting.

Any approved plan would then have to clear several hurdles before approval, including submitting plans for review by the land use council and complying with regulations set by the New Jersey Highlands Council.

Staff Writer William Westhoven: 973-917-9242; [email protected].

Courtesy of Bob Daniels

— Piece o' cupcake.

Cheryl Burger, the owner of Sweet Spot Bake Shoppe in Chester Township, finally can bask the most delicious accomplishment of her career.

Burger won "Cupcake Wars" on The Food Network in March. On Sunday night, she celebrated with more than 100 family members and close friends at a private viewing at Fresco de Noche in Flanders.

With the victory came a $10,000 prize and the chance to cater reality TV star Kristin Cavallari's baby shower.

And some sweet bragging rights.

"It was amazing," Burger said. "I honestly have no words."

Burger flew to Los Angeles to tape the show with best friend and store manager Stacey Filipow after applying at the urging of friends.

Food Network executives demanded the pair hide that they even competed until a week ago. And then they were contractually forbidden to tell the results until after the show aired.

So when they were announced the winners, Burger and Filipow embraced as the room erupted in cheers and applause.

Courtesy of Bob Daniels

"The outpouring of love and support from our family and our friends, from our customers and people that don't even know us, that don't even come into the shop — it's been incredible," Burger said.

So what's next for Sweet Spot Bake Shoppe? Burger isn't sure. She knows the store will open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday — when it's usually closed — to celebrate with customers and to hang an official banner given to "Cupcake Wars" winners.

But Burger also knows the win won't be anything less than icing on the cake after a successful two years with the store, which she opened with her sister, Carolyn.

"I don't know how this will affect the store," she said. "I fell in love with that storefront the first time I saw it. If we did a second store, I wouldn't leave Chester."

That's undoubtedly good news for Merrielle Lupfer. Lupfer watched the flat-screen TV suspended above the room with everybody else, anxious to find out if her cousin would win.

"She makes the best food I've ever tasted," Lupfer said. "If she lost, I would have been astounded."

So would have Filipow's aunt, Sue Daniels. "They're awesome," Daniels said after eating a few of the cupcakes on display.

"Cupcake Wars" judges Candace Nelson and Florian Bellanger seemed to agree. Nelson and Bellanger — a widely respected, but notoriously tough, cupcake critic — repeatedly praised Burger's no-frills approach to the treat. In fact, even if she didn't win, Burger said she would have taken solace in that she impressed Bellanger in the first round.

"Now that is a cupcake," he said after tasting a banana-flavored cupcake.

Courtesy of Bob Daniels

Burger said standing out to Cavallari might have been more important, however.

"This was her show," she said. "I don't' know how much influence she had. But since it's her party, I'm sure she called the shots."

Burger and Filipow seemed to ace the first round, but ran into a bit of trouble with one of the cupcake recipes in Round 2. But an on-the-fly adjustment in Round 3 allowed the pair to pull off the best baby shower-themed spread.

Burger said she believed at least a couple factors contributed to the win. First, her kitchen-not-college background — Burger's prior career was in insurance — taught her to stick to the basics. Second, the baby shower theme was right in her wheelhouse. "I just knew what would work best when I saw what we had to work with," she said.

The win didn't surprise Burger's longtime friend Bridget Keller, of Morristown. "She deserves it," Keller said. "She has worked so hard since the shop opened. To see her have this much success is incredible."

Working Cavallari's baby shower was memorable, too, Filipow and Burger each said. Burger said Cavallari was "a sweetheart, the nicest girl you'll meet" and that the shower took place at a Hollywood home. "It was gorgeous," Burger said.

But it couldn't beat being named a "Cupcake Wars" winner, Burger said.

"This has been the most overwhelming experience," she said.

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