By JESSICA MASULLI
July 14, 2011

ANDOVER TWP. — Everyone knows a food pusher, according to chef Rick Melfi. It is the person who insists on asking the rhetorical question “Would you like something to eat?” the second you walk through their door.

“In my family, if you came to visit, you had to sit and have something to eat,” Melfi said. “I’m a professional chef, so in one way or another I’m a food pusher too.”

Melfi has embraced this moniker and written his first cookbook, “The Food Pusher’s Cookbook: Recollections & Recipes of an Italian American Tradition.”

Melfi, chef of “Coaches Club” at the New Meadowlands Stadium and an Andover Township resident and firefighter, has spent the last 21⁠2 years collecting all of his and his mother’s 175 favorite Italian recipes and compiling them into a cookbook with black and white family photos and his own color food photographs.

“Most of the recipes were handwritten, so we had to get them on a computer file first,” Melfi said. “In â The Food Pusher’s Cookbook,’ I open the Melfi family recipe vault.”

Melfi said the cookbook includes many of his favorites, like a simple version of potato soup, and his mother’s favorites, like eggplant parmigiana and cheesecake.

“Most are my mother’s and grandmother’s original recipes — no doubt going back countless generations further — but I also include creations of my own that extend the finest Italian tradition,” Melfi said.

The cookbook not only showcases the recipes, but also includes tips for serving, pictures of his own food creations and family reflections.

For Melfi, the cookbook was a logical step after 30 years as a professional chef. He is constantly sharing his food passion with those around him, especially at the Andover Township Volunteer Fire Department, where he has served as chief and is the current president and self-described “head cook and bottle washer.”

He owes this passion for food to his 81-year-old mother, Maria Melfi.

“I was the little punk kid always by my mother’s side as she was cooking or baking,” Rick Melfi said in his book description. “I would jockey for position wherever my mother moved, stand on kitchen chair up against the stove, and otherwise constantly be in her way as I tried to get a better look at whatever was being done.”

For Melfi’s mother, the experience of sharing her recipes has become a huge comfort.

“She started to forget some of these recipes, so (the cookbook) reminds her,” Melfi said. “It has become an aid and legacy for her.”

Melfi hopes the cookbook will continue to bring positive feedback from others, and he plans to continue writing in the cooking genre.

“I kind of like this whole food pusher’s catch,” he said about his next book ventures.

Melfi will have a book signing July 31 at Perona Farms’ Sunday brunch and will have a market ingredients cooking demo July 23 at the Sparta Farmers Market. His new cookbook is available for sale on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Author House Publishing.

Note: View the article here.

By JESSICA MASULLI
July 13, 2011

ANDOVER TWP. — The two-story red barn that sits as a landmark from 1910 on the corner of Limecrest and Newton-Sparta roads will become home to the Andover Animal Hospital.

“This charming barn will allow us to serve our clients in a more comfortable and spacious environment,” said Jill Hummel, practice administrator for the animal hospital.

The Andover Animal Hospital, which currently exists on Route 517 in Sparta, will make its move sometime in December upon the completion of the renovation project, which began in June.

Photo by Tracy Klimek/New Jersey Herald. Andover Animal Hospital is renovating this red barn, a landmark since 1910, located at the intersection of Limecrest and Newton-Sparta roads in Andover. Currently located on Route 517 in Sparta, the animal hospital plans to make its move sometime in December.

Hummel said the new facility will offer 8,043 square feet of space and will double the number of exam rooms to four. The silo will be renovated into a “comfort room” where people can comfortably have consultations and make pet euthanasia decisions.

“The area is medically outfitted, but decorated like a room in your home,” Hummel said. “It is more relaxing for a family going through difficult times.”

The new facility also will have digital radiography, a newer form of x-ray imaging, and a children’s play nook in the waiting area. Andover Animal Hospital will have 1,000 square feet that will be later used for future expansion of the facility, according to Hummel.

TWC Architecture & Construction of Minnesota was picked by Andover Animal Hospital to do the construction because of its experience and speciality in building animal hospitals.

“Veterinary hospitals are like human hospitals, but on a smaller scale,” Hummel said about the need for specialized constructions.

The red barn will remain mostly the same in design and structure, but the inside will be upgraded to specialized technology and equipment. Hummel said the barn suffered a fire in 1930, but has remained as a landmark in the community, especially because of its visibility to the main road. The barn once housed All American Crafts Publishing and I Love Furniture, but was bought by the animal hospital in November 2010.

The Andover Township Land Use Board gave the site a preliminary approval on March 15. Then, following a public hearing, the project was officially granted approval on April 5.

Andover Animal Hospital has been located in Sparta since 1958.

Note: View the article here.

May 26, 2011

Andover — According to owner Salvator Bruzze, only the freshest, highest quality ingredients are used at Andover’s newest business, Pezzo Pizza, at 227 Newton Sparta Road. The new pizza parlor shares the same shopping plaza as Bagel Bistro, Cartridge World, Liquor Factory, Dollar Smart and H&R Block.

“It’s another exciting opening for Andover,” said Mayor Phil Boyce, who clipped the store’s ceremonial ribbon at their grand opening celebration on Thursday, May 19.

Boyce described the stretch along Newton Sparta Road as the township’s Main Street, and said the township is glad to be filling its storefronts. “One store opens, then another, and it’s gradually filling up,” said Boyce. “It’s a great sign.”

Rick Melfi, Chairman of Andover’s Economic Development Advisory Committee and Mayor Phil Boyce present Pezzo Pizza’s owner Salvator Bruzze with a certificate from the committee.

Bruzze chose the location when passing through Andover while traveling between Blairstown and Sparta for his food distribution business.

Bruzze hails from the Calabria area of southern Italy where he learned to cook during his youth. He has worked in the restaurant industry for more than 30 years, and in that time, has opened nearly a dozen pizzerias.

He literally builds the businesses he opens from the ground up, including Pezzo Pizza, where he laid the ceramic tiles down himself. Bruzze said he likes the feeling of accomplishment he experiences from physically constructing his restaurants.

As for building dishes, Bruzze is described by resident and owner of the Andover Plaza, John Carafello, as a “master at knowing the precise oven temperature and air flow for that perfect pie.”

Pezzo Pizza offers dine-in and take-out orders of traditional and Sicilian pizzas, as well as specialty pizza varieties. Bruzze said he heard Andover residents had a craving for more gourmet pizza choices in the area. His specialty pizzas include penne vodka, chicken marsala, bacon and ranch, chicken parmigiana, tortellini, buffalo chicken and blue cheese, Hawaiian (ham and pineapple), white, four cheese, broccoli and spinach, margherita, and everything.

The menu is rounded off with a generous selection of appetizers, side dishes, hot and cold subs, wraps, salads, soups, and desserts. The main Italian entrees include veal, chicken, seafood, pasta, baked pastas, and specialty pasta dishes, served with a choice of soup or salad.

The restaurant also has a children’s menu where all items are $3.75 each.

“He’s going to be one of the most successful pizza parlors in town,” Carafello said. “Salvatore and his family invite you to stop in and experience his love and pride of preparing great food.”

Pezzo Pizza is open for business Mondays through Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Sundays noon to 9 p.m. They can be reached at 973-300-0197 or 973-300-0198.

Note: View the article here.

By HERALD STAFF
February 19, 2011

FRANKFORD — Sussex Skylands is a four-season destination and the county Chamber of Commerce is doing whatever it can to get out that message.

“We’re trying to get the dollars here in our economy,” chamber President Tammie Horsfield said to a group of local tourism partners Thursday morning at the Sussex County Fairgrounds.

Throughout the presentation defining the chamber’s tourism visioning, Horsfield underscored the importance of joining together to get the most out of marketing exposure and expenditures and capitalize on the Sussex Skylands brand.

“The time is now to position Sussex County,” touted the promotional materials.

Photo by Amy Paterson/New Jersey Herald

“We’ve got the product,” Horsfield said, “Let’s just sell it.”

Attendees were given packets of information including a new foldout map of the county with attractions and destinations featured on the reverse side, a mailout-ready brochure, a listing of upcoming events, and even a flying disc promotional toy used at various conventions and expos.

Tourist touchpoints included in her talk ranged from state parks and an extensive rails and trails system for outdoor enthusiasts, to annual events and festivals, eco- and agri-tourism, to more tranquil opportunities.

A goal of the chamber, Horsfield said, is to create a complete guide of the trails, including what uses are allowed on each with GPS coordinates.

“We want to connect as many (of the trails) as we can,” she said.

Other visitors could be attracted to the resorts, spas and bed-and-breakfasts. “We reap the dollars when they stay overnight.”

The county’s more than 20 private and public golf courses were referred to as a mini golf mecca.

Horsfield said the chamber had placed advertisements in various publications throughout the state and area, and last year distributed 100,000 coffee cups and sleeves with promotional graphics and information outside the immediate area to attract visitors.

In addition to redefining its website, the chamber is expanding its use of social media and the latest technology to market the county as well, including Facebook, mobile and e-mail marketing.

“We’re putting our money where our mouth is,” she said.

New Jersey Travel and Tourism grants of $126,000 for 2009-2010 and again for 2010-2011 are used for these outreach marketing efforts.

Significantly increasing the number of day and overnight trips to Sussex County will have a positive impact on economic development and job creation, Horfield said, and tourism-related businesses working together can increase that effect to the benefit of all.

Lori Space Day of Space Farms echoed that sentiment. “Once we get them in the county we want to spread them around a bit,” Day said.

Paul Meacham, artistic director of Tri-State Actors Theater, directing his comments to the attendees, said the theater is moving its performances around the county and encouraged others to partner with it.

“We’re bigger than ourselves,” Horsfield agreed.

Note: View the article here.

By LYNDSAY CAYETANA BOUCHAL
February 16, 2011

ANDOVER TWP. — With 8,000 designer bathing suits, nearly 100 unused golf clubs, hundreds of men’s dress shirts, women’s apparel, and dozens of brand new board games, throw blankets, espresso makers and waffle irons, Pass It Along’s very first high-end retail discount store is still in need of more donated merchandise before its grand opening tentatively scheduled for April.

The new shop, cleverly named What’s in Store, was described by 18-year-old project coordinator Leslie Sullivan as similar to TJ Maxx or Marshalls.

“You walk in and you never know what you’re going to get,” said Sullivan, a senior at Sparta High School and Pass It Along volunteer.

Photo by Daniel Freel/New Jersey Herald

The store will be filled with aggressively discounted merchandise that is either out-of-season, slightly irregular or was overstocked at its original site.

The discount store will be run completely by student and adult volunteers through Pass It Along, a youth-based nonprofit agency based in Sparta that nurtures children’s growth through educational leadership activities and volunteer service. All store proceeds will go to Pass It Along and be filtered back into the community through the nonprofit’s programs.

With the hope of gaining a sharper perspective on running the new business, Pass It Along approached an advanced marketing class at Sparta High to hear the students’ and teacher’s ideas on setting up the store, a necessary step in running the shop successfully, Sullivan said.

With the help of the class, Pass It Along walked away with the discount shop’s working name, What’s in Store, a catchy business slogan and an idea of how the store should be laid out for visual appeal.

“This helps the community. Students can put it on their resume, and they are doing what they love, giving back and helping others while doing things such as marketing, and getting hands-on experience (in a career) they might want to pursue in life,” Sullivan said.

“It’s out-of-the-classroom experience,” she said. “Although marketing classes help, here you are working in the field.”

The idea of a high-end retail discount store blossomed from brainstorm sessions between Pass It Along’s four-member youth board, which Sullivan is a part of, and community leaders.

“We wanted something out-of-the-box,” said Pass It Along President Diane Taylor. “And this is closely aligned with what we are.”

Pass It Along soon approached Andover Plaza complex owner John Carafello with the prospectus. Carafello donated the shop space where Action Outfitters was once located, in the same mall as The Liquor Factory and Bagel Bistro on Newton-Sparta Road in Andover Township.

An anonymous third-party donor that represents 45 manufacturers then gave the store its first bulk of items and apparel; however, the donor advised that more than one donation provider would be needed to keep the store alive. Pass It Along is now actively searching for high-end retail or manufacturers to donate overstocked items, irregular goods or out-of-season clothing.

Taylor said most of these bulk items just sit on shelves, unsold, or are thrown out. Here they will be given new life and help the organization lift up the community.

Sullivan is now recruiting volunteers to create a cleaning committee that will spruce up the store space over the next two weekends. The time will also be spent taking an inventory of the items that are continuing to trickle in.

The youth board and community leaders will meet later this week to discuss the store’s hours of operation, which Sullivan said will be largely based on the amount of merchandise donated and the steady flow of goods brought in. A constant replenishment of stock means the store will ideally be open six days a week; however, if not enough donors can be identified or merchandise is inconsistent, the store hours will be reduced.

As of now, the project is primarily being run by the four youth group members and community volunteers, but Sullivan hopes the number of student volunteers will be boosted to 25 within the next week.

Then, she said, the store will be finally set up for the opening.

Sullivan believes the store will thrive, not because it carries designer names for less, but from “the sheer fact that the money is going back to the community.”

The store motto, coined by Sparta High senior marketing student Larson La Beau, is: “Buy the little things you need for the big things we do.”

To help out …

To volunteer for Pass It Along’s high-end retail discount store pre- or post-opening, or to donate merchandise, e-mail store@passitalong.org.

The store is in need of apparel, small appliances, jewelry, toys, accessories and home decor.

Note: View the article here.

By Tom Howell Jr.
February 16, 2011

STANHOPE — Preliminary work on a $551 million project to restore commuter rail service from Scranton, Pa., to Hoboken, including a major branch through Sussex County, has begun along Brooklyn Road, officials said.

The borough’s Department of Public Works received notification from NJTransit last week that it would be setting a new guardrail to open up the track area that crosses the road near Canfield Street, according to Borough Clerk Ellen Horak.

Horak said NJTransit also is doing some grading work along the track area and plans to clear trees at some point before April.

Orange construction signs and contractor’s vehicles could be seen by motorists passing the work site this week.

Photo by Tom Howell Jr./New Jersey Herald

A spokeswoman for NJTransit referred to current activity as “pre-construction,” such as the clearing of vegetation and debris.

The project will re-establish passenger rail service on the Lackawanna Cutoff right of way abandoned by Conrail in the 1970s and an existing freight right of way in Pennsylvania, according to NJTransit.

Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, R-11th Dist., has been a major proponent of the project, arguing the rail option would alleviate congestion on Interstate 80.

His spokesman, Steve Wilson, said NJTransit issued a “Notice to Proceed” last week to begin clearing the track from Port Morris to Andover. Design work also will be completed, prepping the way to advertise a construction contract in June and begin actual construction by the end of the summer.

The new line would hook up to the Montclair-Boonton and Morris & Essex lines at a junction in Port Morris.

The first segment of the project will be the 7.3-mile stretch from Port Morris to Andover Township, which would bring the first commuter rail to Sussex County since the 1960s.

In New Jersey, the plan calls for new stations in Andover and Blairstown.

Note: View the article here.

Sussex County Farm & Horse Show | August 6 -August 15, 2010

The Sussex County Chamber of Commerce will once again exhibit at the NJ State Fair/SC Farm & Horse Show.

Read on for a special Members-Only Opportunity!

Each evening and weekend, we will offer a business spotlight at the Chamber booth. A promo table will be available for those members who volunteer to help man the booth. All you need to do while promoting your business is to promote the Chamber too! This is an outstanding opportunity for members who would otherwise find the time and cost of exhibiting their product or service to be prohibitive. Complete the sign up sheet below and fax directly to the Chamber office ASAP. Shifts are assigned on a first-come, first served basis, so we encourage you to respond quickly. Once your spotlight time is assigned, we will send you a confirmation letter with further instructions.

PLEASE REVIEW THE AVAILABLE TIMES BELOW AND MAKE A 1ST, 2ND AND 3RD CHOICE OF PREFERRED TIME.

Download the sign up form to fax back here.

Download the sign up form to fax back here.

Thanks go out to all of the sponsors that helped make Andover Township Day a success.

By Seth Augenstein
March 27, 2010

ANDOVER TOWNSHIP — A township-wide change to industrial zones is likely to be introduced by ordinance Monday night.

But there is some opposition to the change, which has been called “illegal spot zoning” by a planner hired by a local objector.

The ordinance would redefine up to 1,100 acres, or 9 percent, of township land currently zoned as industrial. The new designations would split up that land to reflect its current uses, including public land, mixed-use, two separate industrial zones, and low-density residential.

The wholesale master plan amendment was proposed (and funded through an escrow account) by Cambridge Pavers Inc. and Limecrest Quarry Developers, who have proposed a $30-million, 24-hour, 160,000-square-foot, self-contained concrete paving stone plant for one of the industrial zones in the northeast section of the township. The facility would be supplied by rock from the nearby Limecrest Quarry, a site originally founded by Thomas Edison more than a century ago.

The zoning change, recommended by a 6-2 vote of the township Land Use Board last week, would make the application consistent with its new zoning — and would remove the series of variances Cambridge and Limecrest sought from the board late last year, before pulling the plans.

Objection surfaced at those Land Use Board meetings last year from residents who said the frequent truck traffic would be a disruption to nearby homes.

But the zoning change has also unearthed some official legal opposition. Resident Ronald Krueger, who lives near the site but just over the border in Sparta, has hired both an attorney and a planner to oppose the application. The planner’s report strenuously objects to the application, citing the township’s existing regulations on concrete paver plants and some sensitive environmental factors in the area.

“Without doubt, this draft document and the two recommendations for amendments to the zoning ordinance contained within it are designed to benefit solely the private interests of Andrew Mulvihill, an owner of Limecrest Quarry Developers LLC, and Charles Gamarekian, owner of Cambridge, without regard not only to the historic impacts such a use has had on the surrounding community, but without regard to the foreseeable impacts,” said the report, prepared by Burgis Associates, Inc.

Mayor Tom Walsh disagrees. He said Friday that the usage of the property — described regularly as a “moonscape” in hearings so far — would be ideally suited to the Cambridge Pavers proposal. He said Krueger’s objection stems from Krueger’s ownership of a competitor in the local paving stone business.

“We pay a planner to do what’s best for the township, they pay a planner to do what’s best for one entrepreneur,” Walsh said Friday. “You’ve got enough money, you can pay somebody to say what you want them to say.”

More than 400 of the 1,100 industrial acres are owned by the state’s Department of Environmental Protection, as well as the Nature Conservancy. However, among seven areas identified are about 244 acres that could be rezoned as one of two new industrial designations allowing further development. The remaining industrial land would be split up into new zones reflecting what the current status: the open space would become “public use,” and other areas would become either mixed-use, or low-density residential.

Officials said the township planner was working on drafting the ordinance Friday afternoon, but it would likely be ready for Monday night’s Township Committee meeting.

Note: View the article here.

By Seth Augenstein
March 28, 2010

ANDOVER TWP. — If in wine comes truth, so do the business opportunities.

Vintner’s Circle, a winemaking franchise, opened a spacious store in the heart of the township in early February, and immediately welcomed a Valentine’s Day run of people who wanted to make their own personalized bottles of vino for loved ones.

Owner Todd Billingsley said the store represents an atavistic get-together for families, the curious and connoisseurs alike.

“We tell them to bring as many people as (they) want,” he said.

“They can bring cheese and food,” his wife, Janine, added.

“Make it a celebration,” Todd said.

Photo by Amy Paterson/New Jersey Herald

Vintner’s Circle is a business customized for each budding vintner who walks under the trellis at the front of the store. The four-step process allows customers to make their own wine on the premises, but the customers can also purchase kits and try their fermenting hand at home, learning how to make the blends themselves. Classes are also offered.

“There’s something for everyone,” Todd Billingsley said.

For those who choose to create one of the 80 varieties at the store, the process involves four, 30-minute guided sessions going through the gradual steps of fermentation, clearing and bottling. Roughly seven weeks of waiting and know-how results in 28 bottles, complete with personalized labels. The price starts at $279, with rarer and choicer grapes and blends costing more.

“When you walk out, you have an excellent quality of wines,” Billingsley said.

When the batches of Malbec, Merlot, Chardonnay or Cabernet Sauvignon are finished, the vintners can exchange some of theirs for samples of what other customers have created.

The Andover location is the sixth in the franchise, which has stores in Hackettstown, Middletown and Whippany, as well as Dickson City and Easton in Pennsylvania. The Hacketts-town store opened in 2006, and four of the locations sprung up in the last year.

For the owners, the vintages have replaced the voltages. Todd Billingsley was a lineman for Jersey Central Power and Light for years, before being seriously injured in an accident several years ago. Eventually, he walked into the Vintner’s Circle in Hackettstown, and made a batch of his own wine at home. His next career choice had been decided.

The Billingsleys are also hoping to be part of a new Andover “hub” envisioned by local officials for the Newton-Sparta Road corridor. A new business opening at the former D’Angelos property across Newton-Sparta Road has been the buzz around town, and reportedly could open soon. The Billingsleys hope it could complement their cultural,
and delicious, addition to Andover’s biggest accumulation of businesses.

Todd Billingsley feels the comfort of the store and the winemaking process itself will soon draw in the aspiring vintners of the area.

“You want to see the person behind the business,” he said. “Small business is the way to go.”

Note: View the article here.