Acupuncture in Netcong, NJ

By DIANA GOOVAERTS

[email protected]

NETCONG — As the academic year comes to a close on June 11, Netcong School will bid farewell to four long-time staff members who have more than 100 years of experience among them.

According to Netcong principal Gina Cinotti, the decades of service put in by the retirees — first-grade teacher Valerie Becker, kindergarten teacher Diane Flaherty, music teacher Sandra Jensen and 25-year school secretary Diane Hajtovik — are proof positive of the school's community focus.

“Years ago when people got jobs at Netcong, they stayed,” Cinotti said. “Our staff really was the constant when all the administration was changing. It really is incredible, and it is a testament to the kind of atmosphere that Netcong school is famous for.”

“When you're here it means more than just a job,” she continued. “ It's your heart and soul, it's your

family.”

Looking back

Becker, Flaherty and Jensen said they chose to stay at Netcong for as long as they did precisely because of the tight-knit, community feel Cinotti spoke of.

“I decided to stay in Netcong because of the small-school feel and how you actually get involved with the community,” said Becker, a 25-year teacher at the school. “It's just been the perfect place to be.”

“I've stayed mostly for the people,” said Flaherty, a 21-year Netcong faculty member and 31-year teaching veteran. “I love the town and I just fell in love with the kids. And I loved teaching kindergarten. There wasn't a day that someone would ask me, ‘How's your job?' that I would have something negative to say about it.”

The women said their experiences teaching at the school have left them with priceless memories.

“The best experience, and it's an all-around experience teaching kindergarten, is their honesty and their genuineness,” Flaherty said. “The things they come out with I could write a book about and become a millionaire because they're so funny. (The kids have) no boundaries at all. I could go on and on and tell you funny stories. I always have fun teaching. There's always laughter in my classroom.”

Through the course of her career, Becker said she's always enjoyed getting her students physically involved in her lessons.

“I always enjoyed teaching from themes, because as we read a story, if it's about butterflies we actually grow the butterflies, or if we're reading about bats then we actually do things with the bats,” she said. “I like and I enjoy having the hands-on element that the kids can have fun and enjoy.”

Jensen, a 35-year Netcong teaching veteran, said her favorite moments have been those when the lessons finally click with students.

“My favorite thing (about teaching) are those ‘Ah-ha!' moments when they say, ‘Oh my gosh, I can really do this,'” she said. “That kind of moment is really wonderful. You see them beaming with pride, and that's a great feeling.”

However, Jensen said her all-time favorite moment was a surprise student send-off at the school's spring concert.

“When they sang the song to me, ‘Ms. Jensen's Dynamite,' at this past concert, that just blew my mind,” Jensen said. “It was a surprise. They practiced it, unbeknownst to me, with Mrs. Barbara Dzurny. It was absolutely wonderful. I'll never forget that.”

Time to go

Perhaps partly because of precious moments like these, all three teachers said the decision to retire has been a difficult one.

“Happily, I can tell you I decided on my own,” Flaherty said. “Someone once told me you'll know when you know. If you had asked me a year ago, I would have said I have no idea when I'm going to retire. The teachers are great, everybody is great, but the atmosphere has just changed.”

“Education has taken a big hit and teachers have taken a bigger hit,” she continued. “With all of the testing and all of the requirements that teachers need to fill, they're not giving the time to the kids anymore. It's paperwork. The standards aren't a bad thing, they're a good thing, but it takes away from what I was used to.”

Jensen said she was thankful for her time at Netcong but expressed regret at having to leave before she really felt ready. Her hand, she said, was forced by a provision in the recently approved 2015-1016 budget that will reduce the music teacher position to part-time. As a result, Jensen said she would have lost her medical benefits had she not chosen to retire at the end of this year.

“It's been a wonderful job for these 35 years,” Jensen said. “I'm very lucky because I have the years in. I'm 56, and the magic number in teaching is you have to be 55 or more (to retire). I've got enough years in, but I feel I'm just too young to stop. I would have liked to have continued. But I have been very lucky.”

Though Jensen said she is sorry to leave, she said will carry fond memories of the school in her heart.

“I've had a wonderful experience teaching here at Netcong. There were a lot of rewarding moments,” she said. “I want to thank everyone for the wonderful send off they gave me at the concert and for all the gifts they've given me and love they've shown.”

“I'll always remember Netcong as a great place,” she said.

In retirement, Flaherty said she would like to work with animals or join a child assault prevention team in addition to spending time with her sons.

Jensen said she still enjoys the classroom and would be interested in looking for teaching position in a private school after an upcoming trip to France she has planned.

Becker said she would like travel around the country and see the national parks, but said she is also hoping to sail on a few riverboat cruises and take a voyage to Alaska.

“As you get older you'll find out that life is short, so I want to be able to enjoy my family and travel,” Becker said. “But it was a very difficult decision because I've loved this job. It's just been the best.”

Though the three teaching positions account for nearly a tenth of the school's 32 current faculty positions, Cinotti said the school is not planning to hire replacements in the immediate future. Next year, Cinotti said the school will transition from two classes each for second and third grade to one class each, and will also reduce music, Spanish and art classes to 75 percent time.

The option to bring art, music and Spanish back to full-time and restore two instructional staff positions will be up for the public to decide with a question on the November ballot, Cinotti said.

Diana Goovaerts also can be contacted on Twitter: @DiaGoovaertsNJH or by phone: 973-383-1194.

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By LORI PRICE

For The Herald

NETCONG — Jerry's Seafood is still reeling them in.

The move from Sparta to Netcong has proved to be a positive one for Jerry's Seafood Mart. Formerly located in the theater center on Woodport Road, the fishmonger has found a new home in Netcong at 81 Main St., next to the train station.

For 50 years Jerry's Seafood Mart has served the communities of northwestern New Jersey. The relocation took place in October after Jerry's Seafood — a decades-old anchor store in the Sparta shopping area — learned their lease would not be renewed. Jerry's may have lost their lease but they did not lose their loyal customers. Orders for Christmas eve may have left the fish markets barren as customer lines were expected to extend down Main Street as shoppers wait to pick up orders and purchase last-minute items.

"We have been very, very busy. Our customers followed us here to Netcong and the Netcong-Stanhope area residents have provided us with additional new customers," said Anthony Masone, manager. "Our fish is the freshest and our prepared foods have always been popular."

Masone invites the public to come by for free samples and to see Jerry's new home. Seeing is believing but tasting will leave your taste buds wanting more. Chef Joseph Del Guidice went to the New York School of Culinary Art and has been a chef since 1969. Del Guidice is responsible for making some of Jerry's most popular dishes.

"I used to work at the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco where the menu consisted of many fish dishes. One of those was salmon burgers which is now one of the specialties here at Jerry's," said Del Guidice. "The clam chowders, crab cakes, quiches, tilapia sticks, sauces and soups are also big sellers."

Scott Bowers, second owner of the store since Jerry Ambracino retired 15 years ago, has kept up with the tradition of fresh fish and customer service. Bowers shops daily at Fulton Fish Market to bring his customers safe, fresh fish every day. Jerry's staff prides themselves in their customer relations. They offer platters for any occasion and take the time to talk to customers about their purchases. Although their space for displays is limited, their selections are huge. Personalized service and quality product is what sets Jerry's Seafood aside from chain grocery and warehouse club stores.

"Customers can request just about anything. We cater to the customer's needs and go out of our way to get them what they want. Some people know exactly what they want and others need some help choosing a platter or fish," said Mastone.

Jerry's Seafood is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. To place an order in advance call 862-258-3553 or come by in person to meet the staff. Orders for New Year's Eve or New Year's day should be placed by Thursday, Dec. 29.

Gov. Phil Murphy has announced the awarding of preschool grants to three local school districts — Montague, Stillwater, and Netcong — that will enable them to begin offering 3- and 4-year-old children in their communities expanded access to free pre-kindergarten programs.

Of the three local districts, Montague will receive the largest amount at $730,296, followed by Stillwater ($286,902) and Netcong ($188,230).

The three districts were among 28 throughout the state that were awarded $20 million between them Tuesday as part of Murphy’s announced commitment to provide every 3- and 4-year-old child in New Jersey with access to a high-quality preschool program.

The aid awards follow two previous rounds of preschool funding, totaling $50 million, that were awarded to 33 districts in January including Newton ($867,954), Franklin ($349,492) and Ogdensburg ($281,952) and, before, that, to 31 districts in September 2018.

Currently, school districts in New Jersey are required to offer free pre-K to disabled and special-needs students, with many or most of them also offering a limited number of pre-K seats on a tuition basis to general education students as part of an integrated program.

An integrated preschool program is one in which children with disabilities or special needs are integrated in a classroom with typically developing children, thus providing the disabled children with models of age-appropriate behavior.

In Montague, Superintendent Timothy Capone announced at a school board meeting Tuesday that the preschool aid would enable the district to immediately begin opening up free pre-K registration to the entire community.

“It’s a benefit to the community as a whole, and is also something that is very attractive to young families who will want to take advantage of this opportunity,” he said.

Stillwater Superintendent William Kochis, in an email Wednesday, said his district last year had a half-day integrated pre-K program that included 12 tuition students out of a total of 31. He said the district recently switched to a full-day integrated program, which currently has 12 tuition students out of a total of 17.

The preschool aid announced Tuesday, said Kochis, will enable the expansion of the existing pre-K program from one class of 17 students to two classes of 30 students with no tuition cost to residents.

Netcong Superintendent Kate Walsh said in an email Wednesday that for the past several years, her district has operated both a disabled preschool program and an integrated program, which was offered on a tuition basis to general education students. Both were half-day programs.

“The preschool expansion aid will now allow the integrated program to become full-time integrated preschool for 15 students,” Walsh said. “The students are already enrolled and the program will go into effect on October 1 ... (and) will be free for the students participating.”

Murphy, in a press conference Tuesday in Union City, said the preschool aid will enable an additional 1,400 students throughout New Jersey to benefit from high-quality preschool programs each year on top of the 2,320 who have already benefited from the previously announced funding.

“New Jersey has long been considered a leader in early childhood education, and I am proud that we are now bringing about the greatest growth in preschool that this state has seen so far this century,” Murphy said. “Educating our children at this critical age will give them a strong start in academics and a desire to learn.”

Mike Yaple, a spokesperson for the state Department of Education, said funding for pre-K in the school districts previously awarded aid is continuing and, in some cases, is helping to fund even more expansions.

The specific funding amounts, according to Yaple, were determined by the number of full-day preschool seats available in the various communities and the total of preschool-aged children in each community who were eligible to participate.

He said 158 school districts were eligible to receive funding, with 43 of them ultimately submitting applications. Funding went to the 28 districts that scored the highest according to the state’s criteria.

Eric Obernauer can also be reached on Twitter: @EricObernNJH or by phone at 973-383-1213.

There are very few mornings and afternoons that aren't busy at Rose's Place in Netcong. Packed booths around the large windows, filled seats at the counter and crowded tables in the upper dining area are always filled with families and regular customers.

Pellegrino Polo and the Polo family have been operating Rose's Place since 1990, named after Polo's mother, sister and daughter.

Open seven days a week for breakfast, brunch and lunch, Rose's Place has become a staple in the Netcong area.

"Rose's Place is awesome. I try to go there as much as I can. My favorite is the grilled reuben," said Jason Conklin, a regular customer.

Although Polo is no stranger to operating restaurants now, he didn't start out in the food industry. Originally, he was an art teacher.

"I was 19 years old when I came over from Italy. I studied to be an art teacher, but there was no work," he said.

Polo moved to Netcong, where some of his family was already living, and took the first job he could find —sweeping floors in a restaurant in Stanhope — and worked at a second job in a pizzeria. Working two jobs was always a must for Polo, who believes that hard work will get you where you want to be.

The first restaurant he bought is located in Kenvil and is named Rose's Luncheonette. He didn't know how to run a restaurant, but learned quickly after only two weeks of training.

"When you come from another country, you come to work and make the most of it," said Polo. "I stayed in Netcong because when you stay in the same place, you hang in there and you make it work. That's what I did here."

His perseverance has certainly paid off. Every day, Polo arrives at Rose's Place at 5 a.m. and, along with his family, begins making the food fresh for the orders ahead.

One of the specialties of Rose's Place is Italian dishes. The escarole and beans, served as a daily or weekly special, are made with fresh escarole greens, navy beans, garlic and spices. Polo also makes pasties, a calzone-like pocket filled with chopped meat, onions and seasonings.

The local favorites are the Taylor ham and egg sandwich, also known as the Egg McRose ($3.50), the California omelette ($6.25), made with fresh turkey, tomatoes, avocado, bacon and cheddar, and wraps ($6.00 - $7.25), made with a choice of plain, garlic herb, honey wheat, sun-dried tomato or spinach wraps. Polo's European wrap is made with roasted eggplant, fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and balsamic vinaigrette ($7.25). Rose's Place also offers a variety of beer and wine and has a full catering menu.

For first-time visitors, Rose's Place has a certain charm and sense of familiarity, even if you haven't been there before. Maybe it's because the waitresses know many of the customers by name, or because it's located in a nook between two roads in the heart of a smaller town in Morris County or maybe it's because you can tell this family works together to create great food.

As Polo retires from another weekend of busy cooking and serving, he reveals his favorite part of owning Rose's. He enjoys working with his family, having a place so close to his own home in Netcong and being his own boss.

"I love working for myself even though it's a lot of hours, and it's not easy but I don't have to take orders from anyone."

Got a favorite eatery to recommend? Email [email protected]

ROSE'S PLACE

Address: 4 Allen St., Netcong

Phone: 973-347-5355

Website: No

Hours: 5 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday

Owner: Pellegrino Polo

Cuisine: American breakfast, brunch and lunch with Italian specialties

Prices: Cash only. Bagels/breakfast sandwiches/baked goods/omelettes $1.00 to $6.25; deli sandwiches/club sandwiches/salad platters/wraps $6.00 to $8.25; hamburgers/hot sandwiches $3.75 to $7.25; sides & desserts $1.00 to $6.95

Delivery: No

Reservations: No

Order online: No

Catering: Yes

Occupancy: Seating for 85 to 90 patrons

Vibe: Relaxed family dining with well-rounded menu and affordable prices

NETCONG — The first call went to the home of the wrong John Giannantonio.

"My husband played football, too, but he’s not that John Giannantonio," said the other Mrs. Giantonio. "Of course, when he was young, he used to tell the girls he was that John Giannantonio."

That John Giannantonio is 76 now, and 60 years ago this weekend, he did something no other high school football player, in New Jersey or anywhere, has ever done.

Wearing the black-and-red of Netcong High, a leather helmet with no face mask, and a pair of thin leather cleats he still has, he ran 754 yards in a game against Mountain Lakes.

"I had no idea what I did," Giannantonio said. "I just knew I was tired. After the game, my coach put his arm around me and said, ‘How do you feel?’ I said, ‘Tired.’ He said, ‘Go take a shower, you’ll feel better.’ That was it."

Sixty years later — after millions of games played by millions of boys, from the Friday night lights of Texas, Ohio and Western Pa. to the perfect-running conditions on the warm-weather fields of Florida and Southern California — no one has even come close.

A kid named Paul McCoy of Matewan, W.Va., got 658 in 2006, in a game where his coach was accused of running up the score so McCoy could break the record. No one could say that about Giannantonio’s coach, Jim McConlogue.

"Football was different in those days. We only had 11 guys," Giannantonio said. "We played both ways, kickoffs, everything. God forbid one of us got hurt."

Against Mountain Lakes, Giannantonio scored nine touchdowns in a 61-0 win. He would score nine touchdowns in a game twice more, including the 1951 Thanksgiving game with North Hunterdon.

"That was the only game my father (Costanza) ever saw me play," he said. "He was a barber, so he was busy on Saturdays. Besides, as an Italian, football didn’t mean much to him."

Jerry McCrea/The Star Ledger

If John Giannantonio played 10 years later, at the cusp of the Space Age, he may have had a nickname like Johnny Rocket, or Johnny G-Force. But in 1950, things were simple, and he was simply Johnny G.

In Netcong, where he still lives, and is a living legend, he remains Johnny G. — at the ShopRite, at St. Michael’s Church, at the barbershop and on the hilly streets where he still walks a few miles a day. He is trim and steady, and stands with the parallel feet and slightly bowed legs of an athlete. The grip of his large hands still would not be prone to fumbles.

It was on those iron-rich hills where young Johnny G. shaped himself as an athlete. Old Netcong High, which closed in the 1970s, is at the top of steep College Road, overlooking four sides of slope.

"I walked three-quarters of mile up the hill to school, then home for lunch, then back up," he said.

In Barone Park, in Netcong’s Italian section, Johnny G. and his friends would play football, and he dreamed of one day playing for Notre Dame, the team he followed on the radio.

"We didn’t have a ball. We took a bunch of rags and bundled them with elastic bands. That was our football."

Those boys grew together into a team that put together one amazing season, in which Johnny G. followed the blocks and ran into the record books.

"Louie Esposito, Joe Verdi, Ronnie Savacool, Howard Gibson, Bobby Masters, they did all the blocking. Whatever I did, it was because of those guys. Don’t get me wrong. I was fast. If I got through the line, I was gone."

The Netcong Indians, in Johnny G.’s 1950 season, played on a field at Wills Airport.

Jerry McCrea/The Star Ledger

"It’s underneath Route 80 now. Route 80 went right through it."

And so did Johnny G.

The game against Mountain Lakes was the record-setter, but his average for the season was 595.4 yards a game, also a still-standing national record. He scored 41 touchdowns in eight games — a New Jersey record that stood 58 years, until 2008, when Chris LaPierre of Shawnee scored 44 in 12.

Kevin Askeland, a national high school sports writer for MaxPreps.com (a subsidiary of CBS Sports), compiled a Top 10 of unbreakable high school records, and has Giannantonio’s season average at No. 5.

"Giannantonio could have a top 10 list all to himself," Askeland wrote.

In that season, he also gained 4,756 rushing yards in a season — almost 2½ miles. The team went undefeated and Johnny G. drew enough attention to get a scholarship offer from his beloved Notre Dame.

"Notre Dame only offered me a two-year scholarship, and Villanova offered me four, so I went to Villanova."

He played three years varsity there, traveling all over the country.

"We played at Vanderbilt, Boston College, Mississippi, Texas A&M, where Bear Bryant was the coach then, Syracuse. I had a ball."

But 1950, that was the year that defined him, and still does.

"After my grandchildren and children, I’m most proud of those records," said Giannantonio, known as Mr. G to 38 years worth of middle school students he taught in nearby Andover.

All in all, it was a remarkable season in a great career.

Most remarkable of all?

Giannantonio did it as 16-year-old sophomore who weighed 137 pounds.