Now open and inviting the community to explore its thoughtfully curated selection of high-quality, affordable goods, the business owners welcome all to join the celebration of this family owned business.
Not 2 Shabby Thrift is operated by a mother and her three daughters, longtime residents of Highlands who have lived in the community since 2014. Inspired by a desire to create an accessible, inviting retail space, they envisioned a shop where customers could enjoy a boutique-like experience without boutique prices.
Inside the store, shoppers will find a wide assortment of clothing for men, women, and children, including cruise wear, evening attire, casual apparel, and one-of-a-kind pieces that rotate daily. Every item undergoes a detailed quality control process, washed, pressed, and repaired whenever possible, to ensure great value.
Beyond clothing, the shop offers toys, puzzles, small furniture, linens, household goods, décor, and a frequently refreshed selection of gift-worthy items. Inventory moves quickly, and customers often discover exactly what they have been searching for, sometimes within hours of making a request.
Supporting local creativity is also central to the shop’s mission. Through its monthly featured-artisan program, Not 2 Shabby Thrift showcases handcrafted items by local makers, offering them one month of display space with no rental fees or commissions. Recent and upcoming artisans include Wicked Good Candle and CellaBella Creations, with additional creators scheduled in the months ahead.
Giving back plays a key role in the shop’s identity as well. Each quarter, Not 2 Shabby Thrift donates 10% of its proceeds to organizations throughout the Bay Shore Corridor, from Highlands to Keyport. For the fourth quarter of 2025, the shop is supporting the VFW and the American Legion in honor of local veterans. The owners believe this model not only strengthens the community but also demonstrates how small businesses can make a meaningful impact.
Since opening, Not 2 Shabby Thrift has received an overwhelmingly positive response. Many visitors describe the store as warm, inviting, and boutique-like, distinct from a traditional thrift-shop environment.
The shop is also exploring partnerships with organizations that support high-functioning young adults seeking workplace experience. Through this initiative, participants may learn valuable retail skills including folding, sorting, organizing merchandise, and customer service in a supportive setting.
Though new to Bay Avenue, Not 2 Shabby Thrift has quickly become a collaborative family and community effort. With its welcoming atmosphere, rotating inventory, artisan partnerships, and strong commitment to giving back, the shop is already enriching the Highlands business community.
Not 2 Shabby Thrift is open Tuesday through Saturday, from 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and is closed on Sunday and Monday. Follow Not 2 Shabby Thrift on Facebook and Instagram to keep up with their latest finds, events, and community initiatives.
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“We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude”
That is a quote from award winning author Cynthia Ozick. But it is a fact that hit home with stunning and immediate realization for me personally this week.
There is no doubt I have deep gratitude for the happiness in my life, the family who every day continues to make it even happier, and the world I live in surrounded by natural beauty, great friends, a happy life and so much more. I do say thanks and am grateful for that every day.
But this week I learned that it perhaps is more that coincidence that my birthday falls so close, or actually on, Thanksgiving every year. It is because I am so grateful for so many things. Sometimes I feel the day was made simply to remind me of all I have.
But this year a couple of new things were added.
The amount of birthday greetings, happy messages, and best wishes that literally hundreds of my friends shared in e-mails, in person, by phone, on Facebook, in private texts and just about every other public media was not only stunning and a bit overwhelming … but also shocking.
So many times I get hateful, abusive messages on Facebook from those who don’t like my style of writing, my opinions, or my truths. I get hate mail from people who have plenty of negativity to spout but not enough courage to put their signatures to it. There are insults and cuss words, an occasional threat, caustic and vitriolic criticisms, all opinions from people who, as hateful as I seem to be to them, they continue to read. None of it deters me from believing everyone has the right to not only have an opinion, but to express it as well.
But on this birthday, things were different.
I received greetings from people I have not seen or talked to in years. There were many more from friends I knew as kids who still call me Mrs. Smith. There were greetings from elected officials, both from mayors and other officials no longer in office as well as county and state officials still serving … as if they have the time to send a greeting to someone who has even criticized them in print or on my blog in the past, though I always respect them.
There was the greeting from the son I barely knew, but his late mom was not only a joy to know but an inspiration with her strength, bravery and vitality. There was that wonderful remembrance from a man to whom I wrote 20 years ago when he was a prisoner….but is now an upstanding citizen, a guy who went wrong as a kid but paid his debt and had the fortitude to rise above it.
There were wonderful messages from folks I worked with and also from more some pretty terrific sailors who were stationed at NWS Earle when I volunteered and worked there two decades ago; there was the loving note from a high school friend who I knew and loved before I even knew about Atlantic Highlands where she was from. There were so many greetings from people I met and loved while living in Freehold, not only those at the Hall of Records or city hall, but also in the library, as neighbors, folks I met in church or at the American Hotel.
There were many messages from people I know at church and from other churches, heartwarming wishes for a holy celebration, and prayers for a continued good, happy and health life.
There were the wonderful notes from the couple who made such a difference when they lived in the Bayshore, he as the superintendent at Gateway at Sandy Hook, she as a teacher in one of the Bayshore’s friendliest and most innovative schools. Hers were those awesome words, so unmerited, that described me as “a seeker, a learner, a wanderer — a beautiful Sagittarius soul.”
There were the reporters, the writers, the friends I made through years of being at The Courier or writing for the Record, the Register, the Press.
Of course there were also the heartfelt messages from relatives that distance prevents me from seeing often, but who do keep in touch through my blog or Facebook…one of its few attributes. There were messages from folks I know pretty much through New Jersey, as well as Wisconsin, North Carolina, Arkansas, Pennsylvania, New York, Florida, California, Utah and Montana; there were relatives of my children who also thought enough to send me happy birthday greetings.
I took advantage of a few days celebrating on my own in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania an Amtrak trip away to several more stories. But even there, I was once again surprised with a very special greeting.
Walking near the hotel in the center of town, I met an elderly couple walking in the opposite direction; she stopped to say hello and tell me how she enjoyed walking. We got to spend a bit of time chatting about the weather, health, and age, and I mentioned that that day was my birthday.
Right smack in the middle of Market Street in the heart of the state’s Capital, this lady began singing “Happy Birthday to You.” And, noticing she was winging it alone, she nudged her husband’s arm and said, “sing with me.”
And for two glorious moments, I was serenaded by a thoughtful and very happy couple in the middle of the main street in the city, a couple who just wanted to make someone else feel as happy as they were. It worked!
The greetings, the song, the memories, the friendships, the family, the thoughtfulness of so many, gave me one more gift. I am more aware now, and with the help of God, I will never “ take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude”
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“In my opinion, elections and government are conversations. Those conversations do not end on election night.” Winner
Highlands Mayor Carolyn Broullon
These were the words of highlands Mayor Carolyn Broullon after the election of three weeks ago was finally declared official and she earned another full term as the Highlands Mayor.
“ The elected and the People need to have constant dialogue about all matters that impact us. Meaningful interactions spur the best outcomes because we are all in this together.” Broullon continued.
The incumbent mayor beat long time Highlands resident, active volunteer, board of education member and former councilwoman Rebecca Kane Wells in an election that brought 2150 votes to the polls and give Broullon 66 more votes than her opponent. Broullon tallied 1104 votes to Wells 1,038 .
The mayor won in three of the four districts that comprise the voting areas of Highlands, with Wells scoring higher in the second district, the downtown area. Oddly, only 51.3 percent of the voters in district 2 went to the polls, while more than 60 percent voted in each of the three other districts.
The turnout, though large, was nowhere near as large as the 2024 presidential election which brought 3,173 out to vote.
Broullon, who had declined to make any comments on the outcome while the count was still unofficial and provisional ballots still had to be counted, said she was not surprised by the outcome. Declining any specific comments, she said simply, “ I feel I’ve done a good job for Highlands.”
While both candidates campaigned actively, Well was far more prominent on Facebook and other media. Both made appearances at private gatherings and both campaigned in person throughout town., Brou9llon aid, however, she did not campaign as completely as she had planned, saying she wanted to get all her walking and meeting resident in during the summer, however, her spouse Danica’s leg injury sidelined those plans as she had to devote more time and energy to the pet shop the couple own on Bay ave. Undeterred, the mayor said, “now she’s healthy, so that’s all that matters.”
As to her opinion on what she feels are the primary reasons why voters chose to keep her in office and continue to serve, Broullon said, “What many told me over the course of the campaign was, “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it.”
Mayoral Candidate Rebecca Wells
As of this writing, Ms Wells has not responded to an invitation to make any statement. She will continue as a member of the Henry Hudson Regional Board of Education.
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Sometimes you wonder if only smart, brave women get breast cancer, or whether having and beating breast cancer creates brave, smart women.
Milena Alfaro is one more example of a woman who has gone through pain, grief, acceptance, and victory. Similar to Rhianna Smith–Trujillo, whose story also appeared in VeniVidiScripto, Milena chose to write about her experience not only for her own satisfaction but more importantly to give other women the faith and confidence they need to overcome .
Milena is assistant Director of Nursing at Arnold Walter Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Hazlet and said that while writing her story was not easy “but hearing that it touched someone makes every single word worth it. I wanted people to see that even through pain, there can be purpose, strength, and joy again.”
In addition to facing breast cancer, Milena faced and overcame other issues at the same time. She admits that “at one point I thought everything was falling apart.”
She went through a divorce, weathered other problems and now says that “ life has a beautiful way of rebuilding itself. I learned that healing doesn’t always mean going back to how things were; sometimes it means growing into someone even stronger, surrounded by love that fits the new version of you.”
Here’s the story by Milena Alfaro, RN,FE
In 2020, at just 32 years old, I faced the battle of my life for the very first time.
It was the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. I was healthy, active, and thriving, a nurse, a mother of two little girls, and someone who prided herself on taking care of her body. One evening, while kickboxing, I suddenly stopped mid-class and asked my close friend Sarah, “Have you ever felt a lump in your breast that comes and goes?”
Sarah and I met ten years earlier as brand-new nurses. We both knew what that question could mean. She looked at me, serious, and said, “We’re going to my mom’s. She’ll know what to do.”
Her mother, Donna, was a respected RN, the kind of nurse everyone trusted. It was nearly 11 p.m. when we showed up at her house, still sweaty from class, waking her from bed. Without hesitation, she examined me. Within seconds, her face changed.
“I don’t like this,” she said softly. “You need to get this checked right away.”
That night, I barely slept. My mind was racing with what-ifs. At 6 a.m., my phone rang. It was Donna again.
“Get up. Go to the ER. Don’t wait.”
I went. A CT scan showed a small mass. The doctor reassured me it could be nothing serious. “Better safe than sorry,” he said. But I had two little girls who needed me. “Better safe” was not enough.
Diagnosis
The next day, I begged the women’s center to see me for a mammogram. They squeezed me in for the following morning. Sitting there in a thin gown, I told myself over and over, This can’t be happening. I’m too young. Too healthy. It doesn’t even run in my family.
But when the radiologist walked in with a nurse, I saw it in their eyes before they spoke.
“You have a confirmed mass,” they said gently. “It’s a BI-RADS 5, meaning there’s a 95% chance it’s malignant.”
Everything after that went silent. My body was there, but my mind drifted into a fog. I walked to my car, tears blurring my vision, and somehow ended up back inside the office, crying in the same chair. That’s when a kind nurse who ran a breast cancer support group came to comfort me. Her words stayed with me:
“This is not a death sentence. You will fight, and you will live.”
A few days later, my biopsy confirmed Stage 2 invasive ductal carcinoma. I was alone in my car when I got the call. The nurse asked me to pull over. The moment I heard the words, I screamed. I begged God to tell me why. Why me? Why now? My girls need me.
I called my brother, who immediately got in his car to meet me at home. Together, we told my mother. And from that moment, our family’s mission became clear. We would beat this.
The First Battle
Further testing confirmed my cancer was triple positive. My oncologist told me it was treatable, even curable, if I acted fast. I started chemotherapy, followed by a double mastectomy, and underwent fertility preservation to save my eggs.
The surgeries were brutal. The drains, the pain, the exhaustion, both physical and emotional, were more than I ever imagined. There were nights when I could not lift my own arms, when even the smallest movement sent waves of pain through my chest. My spouse was by my side for every surgery, every treatment, every moment of fear. But there were days he had to work to keep our family afloat.
That summer, two young heroes stepped in.
My 12-year-old son and 10-year-old daughter became my caregivers in ways no child should ever have to. They learned how to empty my surgical drains, gently holding each bulb as if it were made of glass. They helped me in and out of bed, their little hands guiding mine with patience and care. They walked me to the bathroom when my body trembled from weakness, whispering words of encouragement every step of the way.
I remember one night when I could barely stand. My daughter wrapped her tiny arm around my waist and said softly, “It’s okay, Mommy. I got you.” My son stood behind me, ready to catch me if I lost my balance. They looked so small beside me, yet so strong. Their eyes were full of love and fear all at once, but they never once complained.
Those moments broke me and healed me all at the same time. To see such innocence meet such responsibility was heartbreaking, yet it showed me what real love looks like. My children saw me at my weakest, yet somehow, they made me feel stronger. Their love became my medicine. Their strength became my reason to keep fighting.
When my oncologist finally said, “You’re in remission,” I felt a wave of gratitude wash over me. I made it.
Two years later, in 2022, I was blessed with a miracle baby girl, proof that God still had plans for me. She was my sunshine after the storm. Our family felt whole again, and for a moment, life felt peaceful.
The Second Battle
Then came March 2024.
I was feeding my baby when my hand brushed against my collarbone, and I froze. There it was, a small, firm lump near my clavicle. Not my breast. My neck. My heart sank. I knew that feeling too well.
I woke my partner in a panic, tears streaming down my face. “It’s back,” I whispered. He held me all night, both of us praying it was something else. But deep down, I knew.
The next morning, I was at my oncologist’s office, begging to be seen immediately. After scans and a biopsy, the phone rang again. This time, the words came slower and heavier.
“It’s the same cancer, Milena. A recurrence, now in your lymph nodes.”
Stage 3.
This time, I broke in a way I never had before. The first time, I had fear but also hope. This time, I felt defeated. Angry. Betrayed by my own body. I had trusted that after my double mastectomy and lymph node dissection, I was safe. But microscopic cells, the ones no test could detect, had found their way back.
Then came the words that shattered me.
“Surgery isn’t an option this time. The tumor is too vascular. It’s too dangerous to remove.”
That moment changed everything. My only weapons would be chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and radiation. No knife. No quick removal. Just the long, grueling road ahead.
I had three daughters now, and one was just a year old. I couldn’t let them see me fall apart, but I couldn’t hide the pain either. My two older girls were old enough to research what “stage 3 recurrence” meant, and I could see the fear in their eyes.
I reached out to their school counselors and therapists for help. I wanted them to have support, to understand that even when Mommy looked weak, she was still fighting.
Chemotherapy hit harder this time, four chemo drugs and two immunotherapy infusions that stripped me of my hair, nails, and strength. I lost over 30 pounds. My skin burned from 45 rounds of radiation. The pain in my throat made swallowing unbearable. Food tasted like metal, and I could barely recognize the woman in the mirror.
Still, I went to work. I refused to surrender my purpose. I was a nurse, an Assistant Director of Nursing, and I wanted my patients, my staff, and especially my daughters to see that strength doesn’t mean the absence of pain. It means showing up through the pain.
I lost friends during that time, people who had once filled my weekends and my home. But I also learned that silence reveals truth. Those who stayed, my mother, my partner, my children, my coworkers, were my angels on earth.
Victory and Faith
And here I am, standing tall once again, one year cancer-free.
This journey has taught me more than any textbook or lecture ever could. It taught me that life is fragile, faith is powerful, and love is medicine. Cancer took my hair, my comfort, my certainty, but it could never take my purpose, my motherhood, or my will to fight.
I fought twice and won twice, not because I was unafraid, but because I refused to give up.
And after all of this, Milena’s final words to every woman reading this:
“Listen to your body. Trust your intuition. Advocate for yourself.
Because early detection saves lives, and miracles still happen.”
And about herself she says, “I am living proof that even when life tries to break you twice, you can rise twice as strong.”
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Breast Cancer Breast Cancer Breast Cancer Breast Cancer Breast Cancer Breast Cancer Breast Cancer
Christmas gift sitting on a table with a tree in the background
Gifts Residents of the Bayshore will have several unique opportunities to do holiday shopping and purchase everything from handmade pottery and jewelry to books and pets for animals at both the Atlantic Highlands Arts Makers Marketthis month and the OLPH-St Agnes Christmas Market set for December 14 at St. Agnes Church Hall.
The Arts Makers Market will be held at the Arts Center, 54 First Avenue, on November 29 and 30, from 11a.m. to 6 p.m. and will feature a number of artisans from all fields on both days.
The variety of items available for purchase include paintings, jewelry, glass ornaments, books, pet toys, pottery, and antique jewelry and wooden bowls.
Some of the featured artists at the Market include well-known local artists Michel Scherfen, Marilyn Scherfen, Denise Mumm, Carla Valentino, Kathryn Keller, Yan Cao, Morgan Spicer, Bruce Perlmutter, and Amy Frick Frank. All of whom will be present on both days of the market. In addition, Lorna Weber and Steven Solup will be at the Market on Saturday, November 29 and Rachel Cohen and Linda Velez will present their creations on Sunday, November 30.
Additional vendors can still sign up for a table at the Christmas Market on December 14, at St. Agnes Church Hall . The Market will be open from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. and will feature local artisans in a variety of fields from jewelry and crocheted and knitted items to books. Proceeds from the Christmas Market will offset cost of infrastructure repairs and Christian fellowship. Persons wanting further information on applying for a table can do so before December 5 by contacting Jeanne at 732-291-0272. Or e-mailing parishstaff@olphstagnes.org.
The Christmas Market will also feature a Gift Basket Raffle.
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He may have excelled in wrestling, cross country and educational leadership in high school and college, ,and he may have received Distinguished Award for achievements in science, innovation and higher education. And now he is principal for nearly ten years at the John Kennedy School in South Plainfield.
But make no mistake about it. Dr. Kevin Hajduk is most at home when he is surrounded by the first to fourth graders in the school who obviously love this leader who blends kind reminders of courtesy and understanding with gentle admonitions that discipline is still vitally important.
A graduate of South Plainfield High School, Dr. Hajduk earned his doctorate with distinction in Educational Leadership from Seton Hall, where he also earned his ED.S. He also holds a masters in Educational Technology from New Jersey City University and a BS in special education from East Stroudsburg University. Before coming to the Kennedy school he was also a special education teacher at Roosevelt Elementary and South Plainfield High and Assistant principal and principal at the Middle School where he was also a special education teacher. He also coached teams in wrestling, cross country and spring track.
But his love for his work, his students, and their excellence is evident at every event or every encounter a youngster in this first through fourth grade school has with their principal.
As is evidenced at the school’s recent celebration of Veterans Day, Dr. Hajduk is also a staunch patriot and a resolute and stanch reminder to his students of how important it is to respect and honor not only their nation but the veterans who have helped make it the country it is today.
Each year on Veterans Day, students are invited to bring veterans to a special assembly in which both the student and his veteran are honored. The entire school celebrates Veterans Day throughout the day with the assembly program starting it off. As veterans come into the gym, the students all stand an applaud them as they make their way to special seating in the front of the room. Dr. Hajduk welcomes them all, and the students, led by Student Council secretary Alexis Tsivikis say the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by special greetings to the veterans by student council co-presidents Radley Vega and Alexis Chin. Student Council vice president Stella Booth then explains the meaning of Veterans Day and student officers Callista Cohen, Bradley Kalthoff and George Yates place a wreath at the podium to honor each of the guests.
Violet Parada gives a student address to thee veterans before each stands and acknowledges his or her branch of military service.
Throughout the ceremony and the year, Dr. Hajduk reminds students of the importance of veterans and urges them to always approach a veteran, with the permission of their parents, to thank them for their service. He spoke to the students about the commitment of veterans, urging them to follow their example in their commitment to family, school, and friends.
“I am proud to serve as the Principal of John F. Kennedy School,?” the principal said. “With over 25 years of experience in the South Plainfield School District, I remain deeply committed to the success and well-being of every student in our school community.”
He expresses his belief in what children can achieve “when provided with the right opportunities, support, and high expectations. This year, my focus is on broadening the experience of every student and ensuring that each child is not only challenged academically, but also supported socially and emotionally to reach their fullest potential.” The principal noted he will continue to foster a school culture rooted in respect, inclusivity, and a love of learning, where every child feels seen, valued, and empowered.”
Dr. Hajduk also praised his staff and the students themselves who “work together to create a safe, nurturing environment where learning is meaningful, engaging, and prepares every student to become compassionate, confident, and capable citizens of the 21st century.”
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Those veterans and their families who were welcomed, treated and honored at Henry Hudson Regional School District’s 10th annual celebration of veterans November 14 can thank MaryAnn Fiel for caring enough a decade ago to have this happen.
The regional school program included an introduction and welcome by both school Superintendent Dr. Tara Beams and Henry Hudson principal Kevin McCarthy, along with an honor guard from MAST, the Marine Academy of Science and Technology and patriotic music by the 70-plus Henry Hudson school band. It also included a full breakfast, gifts, specially designed tee shirts for each veteran and letters of thanks from students. A host of local businesses, the Henry Hudson Education Association and Key Club all participated to make it happen with special thanks to Mrs. Fiel for her invaluable help and appreciation for all she did to make this all happen.
MAST Color Guard
For Mary Ann, the idea started when she was a 7th grade student herself at Henry Hudson, the daughter of John Coberg, a longtime employee of Highlands.
Henry Hudson Band
Mrs. Clarke was Mary Ann’s history teacher more than 30 years ago, and it was she who assembled a veterans recognition event in the gymnasium. “It wasn’t fancy it was just a certificate, no breakfast no band just a morning of honoring our local veterans,” Mary Ann recalls, adding “I remember every year how excited my dad was to attend this. For him it meant everything for his community to acknowledge his sacrifice and service.”
The senior Coberg had served in Vietnam and worked for the borough for 25 years. Mary Ann said he taught her and her sister the importance of the flag, the nation and the military. Mary Ann said after she married and had children of her own, it was important to her to be involved. So she served on the Board of Education for a few years as well as the PTO at both Highlands and Henry Hudson.
United States Military Veteran August Spangvola
It was when her daughter Chloe was in pre-K at the highlands elementary school that Mary Ann approached the principal to see if she could host a veterans breakfast.
“The first year it was simply all donated baked goods and juices that the parents graciously offered,” she said, “We didn’t have any T-shirts, and it was held at the Highlands elementary school gymnasium. We had about four veterans that first year.”
But the event grew and was moved to Henry Hudson where there was more parking and easier accessibility for senior citizens. Today, she said happily, “the event is fully sponsored by local businesses who donate all of the dishes that feed our veterans and their families.
This along with a grant that the Henry Hudson education association writes covers the entire event.”
Larry Barnikov, United States Marine Corps Veteran
Mary Ann was particularly honored by all those at the breakfast this year, not only for her decade of working on the annual event, but also because she did it this year while her own husband has been going through a series of hospital stays, emergency life saving and support issues, and is about to be evaluated for eligibility to be placed on a liver transplant list.
In typical Mary Ann fashion, she is also being tested to see if she is eligible as a living donor. Her husband is currently at Monmouth Medical Center where he has been since July and has been on a ventilator since August. He is suffering from a rare auto immune disease which has attacked his muscles and nerves and left him paralyzed from the neck down as well as deteriorating his liver to the extent he needs the transplant.
Still undeterred, Mary Ann acknowledges that with her husband’s illness and raising three Children, “my plate has been full.”
Still, the optimist continued, “every year, I’m blessed that I get to see this beautiful breakfast grow; that I get to sit with my own children, so they too grow up to appreciate all the sacrifices that these men and women make. This breakfast truly is a collaborative effort, and I hope our veterans see just how much their community appreciates them.”
She added, “ Even with all I have going on, I knew I needed to continue this tradition because it means so much to so many in our beautiful community. And it meant so much to my dad. With the help of so many people this year we pulled it off – and that made me smile…. which is no easy task these days.”
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Over With an unofficial lead of 66 votes, is appears almost certain Mayor Carolyn Broullon will be re-elected Mayor of Highlands. But the official tally does not come out until November 24.
Highlands Mayor Carolyn Broullon
Under state law, according to the Board of Elections, the Board has until November 24 to tally the absentee and provisional ballots and declare the official winner of any election.
With more than 2150 votes cast in Highlands, the largest number ever voting in a single election there, Broullon has remained constantly in the lead in the unofficial results.
The mayor said she is not celebrating or acknowledging the victory of her opponent, Rebecca Wells, until the vote is declared official.
Mayoral Candidate Rebecca Wells
Wells, a former member of council was a member of the Highlands Board of Education before the merger into the Henry Hudson Regional School district. She is currently a member of the Henry Hudson Regional Board of Education and will remain in that position should the official mayoral election results show Broullon has won.
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fennel When you want to add fun to your cooking experience or simply want fresh fruits and vegetables that you’ve never tried before, it’s worth a stop to the Waterwitch Grocery on Waterwitch Avenue in Highlands across from Huddy Park.
Not only is this great little market filled with fresh fruits and vegetables, great oils, herbs, and spices, but now with the hot soups offered every day, it’s the perfect place to shop now that the weather is getting colder. What’s more, there’s a coffee counter and a juice bar simply for enjoying and relaxing, or for a real treat, try that turmeric ginger tea they offer. Nothing like it!
Owners Nancy Burton and Eileen Ricco are great shoppers themselves, and bring unique items to the store from local suppliers with excellent reputations and backgrounds. And then they even know great recipes and ideas for each of them so it’s enticing to pick up something and try something new.
Nancy Burton and Eileen Ricco
This week, it was fennel that captured my attention.
Fennel looks kind of like a bunch of celery except with lovely green fern and a very white and delicious root. It’s a member of the carrot family, but it’s not a root vegetable since that white base with the long stalks grows above the ground. Those fern leaves may look like dill, but they have a taste all their own and even sprout little yellow flowers.
Every part of the fennel can be eaten, either cooked, steamed, roasted, or raw, in a salad or simply as a snack. What’s best, it tastes like licorice! That white bulb has the texture of celery but can be caramelized when it cooks, which gives it a sweeter, more tender flavor.
It’s a vegetable, so of course it’s nutritious and has all kinds of good things for better health, like a lot of potassium, Vitamin C and fiber.
If you want to try fennel raw, it’s best to shave it thin. Try marinating it in some lemon juice and olive oil which will add to the taste but still keep it crisp. For a salad, try mixing it with some nuts, Parmesan cheese, and whatever greens you prefer. Here Again, Nancy has a great provider farm, and this local farmer offers a great blend of crunchy red and green lettuce, with some pepper arugula for a spicy mix.
For easy cooking, try putting those thin slices in saucepan with some olive oil and simply brown in the pan, picking up a caramelized flavor. And if you want to try roasting it, spread wedges of the vegetable on a baking sheet, toss with some olive oil and pepper, and roast for about 20 to 25 minutes at 400 degrees until it edges are tender around the edges. You’ll still taste that licorice flavor.
As for all those lovely greens? Mince them up and use as a garnish for soups or any vegetable or add to soups or salads. Or use as a soup base if you make your own vegetable broths or soups.
Here’s a recipe for a great Fennel and Apple Salad
1 shallot, very thinly sliced
2 Tbspapple cider or white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. fennel seeds (optional)
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 fennel bulbs, ends trimmed, halved, cored, and very thinly sliced
2 Granny Smith or other tart apples, halved, cored, and very thinly sliced
4 radishes, very thinly sliced
1/2 cupwalnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
In a small bowl, combine shallot, vinegar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Let sit, stirring occasionally, until ready to use. Gently crush fennel seeds until seeds start to break and are fragrant. In a large bowl, whisk oil, lemon zest and juice, and fennel seeds. Add apple, radishes, and pickled shallots (discard vinegar) and toss to combine, Top with walnuts.
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Anticipating a large crowd at the next meeting of the Mayor and Council the meeting of the Highlands Mayor and Council set for Wednesday, December 3 at 7 p.m. will be held at the Robert Wilson Community Center on Snug Harbor Avenue rather than at Borough Hall to accommodate a larger number of residents.
Highlands Mayor Carolyn Broullon
Mayor Carolyn Broullon and the governing body set the move to enable everyone to attend what appears to be a controversial issue based on Facebook and other public comments concerning the proposed apartment complex at the former Shadow Lawn Trailer Park on Route 36.
Here will be a public hearing at the meeting on O-25-24, an ordinance authorizing the execution and financial agreement for Shadow Lawn.
The governing body is seeking to have the redeveloper of the property, designated as an area in need of redevelopment enter into an agreement under the law to be tax exempt. Rather, the redeveloper would pay an annual service charge to the borough quarterly, based on percentages of its income, from the units, a move estimated to mean millions of dollars to the borough over ten years.
Planned construction is for 292 units of which 15 per cent would be designated for affordable housing.
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