| 05/30/2008 - Senior Citizen Legacies Writing Contest |
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Anthony Puglisi Lauren Shears ESSEX COUNTY EXECUTIVE DIVINCENZO AND DIVISION OF SENIOR SERVICES PRESENT AWARDS TO WINNERS OF ANNUAL SENIOR CITIZEN LEGACIES WRITING CONTEST Essex County Senior Citizens Experience the Joys of Writing by Sharing Anecdotes and Life Stories Newark, NJ – Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. recognized the writing talents of seven Essex County residents during the Essex County Division of Senior Service’s Annual Legacies Writing Contest Celebration Luncheon on Friday, May 30th. The Legacies Writing Contest encourages Essex “Our Senior Citizen Legacies Writing Contest is a unique way for our older population to share their life’s stories and describe the people and events that helped to shape their lives,” DiVincenzo said. “Our seniors’ stories make you laugh and they touch your heart. They provide us with a different perspective on historical events and what our society was like,” he added. Three seniors with winning essays were Harriet Halpern of Montclair, Charlie Hubbard of Newark and Vincent Strangio of West Orange. Honorable mentions were awarded to Esther Bearg of Livingston, Phyllis Glouberman of South Orange, Sylvia Rutkoff of Maplewood and Walt Wanner of West Orange. This year, a record 100 entries were received. More than 300 seniors attended the annual awards luncheon, which was held in the Paul Robeson Campus Center on the Newark Campus of Rutgers University. “This contest enables us to look into your eyes and soul and see what Essex County was like back then and inspires us to bring things back to the way they were,” Senator Teresa Ruiz said. “Thank you for sharing your thoughts and emotions, and helping us understand the people and events who shaped your lives,” she added. “All our seniors have stories to tell, and our Legacies Writing Contest provides our older adults with an incentive to preserve their memories, and create a living history,” Essex County Division of Senior Services Director Jaklyn DeVore said. “Writing enables our seniors to share their memories with friends and families, allows them to reminisce about old times, and keeps their minds active. This is one of our most popular events because of the emotions and memories that are evoked,” she added. Harriet Halpern of Montclair wrote an essay titled “Junk Revisted,” which was chosen as one of the winning entries. She shares the story of her father’s role as an Air Raid Warden during World War II. When the sirens rang out, all lights were turned off and her father would jump to action to patrol the neighborhood streets. After her father passed away, Ms. Halpern discarded his gear, feeling that it was not needed and not having the space to store it. She regrets throwing away the World War II gear not because of its value as collectors’ items, but for sentimental reasons. Ms. Halpern writes that the most valuable thing she saved is the memory of her father. Charlie Hubbard of Newark wrote “Singing Trees” which was one of the winning essays. Near Mr. Hubbard’s boyhood home was a grove of trees that people believed were haunted. Although his mother warned him not to enter the grove, the curious young boy entered the area. The trees seemed to be alive – the different species grew close to one another and they spoke to one another as the breeze passed through their leaves and branches. In the middle of oak, ash and elm trees was a patch of sassafras trees. Mr. Hubbard pulled out a small broken tree and his mother made a delicious tea from its roots. His father thought Mr. Hubbard was crazy when he heard the story of the “singing trees” and cut all of them down except for the sassafras. Vincent Strangio of West Orange wrote “The Day I Met Skipper,” which was recognized as one of the winning essays. Mr. Strangio tells the story of a visit to his uncle’s house in the country when he was 7 years old. His uncle’s dog, named Skipper, was fierce and strong, and was always chained. Everyone was warned to stay away from the dog, and they did. During the visit, however, Skipper broke its chain and ran toward Mr. Strangio and his younger brother, who were playing in the yard. His brother ran into the house, but Mr. Strangio froze. Skipper appeared ready to attack, but stopped in front of Mr. Strangio and sniffed at his motionless body. His uncle and parents saw what was happening and quickly removed the dog. The episode left Mr. Strangio with a healthy respect for dogs. “My family enjoys hearing my stories, so it was a fun experience writing the story,” said Strangio, who admitted this was the first essay he had written since high school. “Writing brought back a lot of good memories. I encourage everyone to write for their children and grandchildren,” he said. Esther Bearg of Livingston wrote “Landlady 101,” which was recognized with an Honorable Mention award. After her husband died, Ms. Bearg rented rooms in her home to medical students studying at St. Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston. She learned her role as landlord on the job, developing an expansive list of rules for her renters after each new experience. Along the way, Ms. Bearg realized renting the rooms influenced her life as much as her students. “I realize that I was able to provide housing, some TLC and a good listening ear to strangers who found my home a haven from the intensity of their daily course work. In turn, my understanding of other world cultures was enhanced by their willingness to share their concerns with me,” she writes. Bearg said she was motivated to write by her mother, who wrote her memoires to share with the family. “It’s important for everyone to write. My mother’s memoires became such a treasure,” she said. “It’s quite an honor to be recognized like this. All the stories are so beautiful,” Bearg added. Phyllis Glouberman of South Orange received an Honorable Mention for her story “Vote.” Ms. Glouberman writes about the importance of voting in a democratic society – how different countries, including the United States, survived violence and strife to achieve freedom and the right to vote. The first time Ms. Glouberman voted was in 1928 and she still feels the same way: “I walk into the voting booth with a feeling of awe, as if performing a solemn rite, yet with overwhelming power, as if my single vote can affect the elections.” Sometimes those elected do their jobs and other times our country falls into hard times. “If the wrong President and the wrong Congress are elected – vote the rascals out!” she concludes. Sylvia Rutkoff of Maplewood submitted “Sam and Sarah Meet Again,” which was one of the stories that received an Honorable Mention. Ms. Rutkoff writes about how lonely her father Sam became after her mother died. As a gift to her father, Ms. Rutkoff arranged an unlikely meeting between her father and Sarah, a woman with whom he had an affair 15 years earlier. They plan a “date” at a luncheon counter, but they both have physically changed so much that they do not recognize each other. A dinner is arranged and the two rekindle the love they once had for one another, and they eventually are married. “I’ve always shared funny stories about my life and people encouraged me to write them down,” Rutkoff said. “Writing this story was a fun experience, and receiving an honorable mention was the shock of my life,” she added. Walt Wanner of West Orange received an Honorable Mention for his story titled “After Forty Years.” Mr. Wanner shares the story of how he became fast friends with Herbie after his family moved in next door. As young boys, they would get involved in mischief and build things. As they got older, Herbie regularly stayed with Mr. Wanner’s family when he was between jobs or traveling through New Jersey. The two lost track of each other after they were drafted into the military. Forty years later, Herbie made a surprise visit to Wanner’s house and the two picked up their friendship without losing a beat. Sadly, Herbie was diagnosed with cancer and passed away. Mr. Wanner recalls the bravery exhibited by his friend, who never complained and remained upbeat. “I have a lot of fond memories of growing up in the Pleasantdale section of West Orange and can remember vivid details,” Wanner said. “I enjoy writing and find it rewarding when people are reading my stories and can’t wait to see what happens next,” he added. “You don’t have to be a professional writer to participate in our Senior Legacies Writing Contest. Our seniors are very talented and they write from the heart,” Essex County Director of Citizen Services Anibal Ramos, Jr. said. “Every year, I am impressed with the emotion and quality of stories. I congratulate every one for participating,” he added. Sponsored by the Essex County Division of Senior Services, the Legacies Writing Contest was started in 1996 and was part of a national contest which encouraged senior citizens to discover the joys of writing while sharing their stories with others. Although the national contest was discontinued in 1998, the Essex County Division of Senior Services continued to sponsor the Legacies Writing Contest on a local level. Entries are judged on the writer’s ability to engage the reader with humor, emotional impact or rich descriptions. Winning essays were selected by a committee of volunteer judges and staff from the Essex County Division of Senior Services. As part of the annual Legacies Writing Contest, each of the winners’ stories will be published in the Division of Senior Services’ newspaper, The Essex Advisor. The Essex County Division of Senior Services offers a wide range of services to eligible Essex County senior citizens. The Division offers adult protective services, provides basic transportation services, administers adult day care centers, offers counseling services, provides home delivered meals and offers visiting nurse services. For more information, please call 973-395-8375. # # # |