Smoke Rise Postcards: Wishing You Were Here

Were you aware that postcards were once available featuring noteworthy Smoke Rise sites? Herb Fisher recently came across a few and sent me scans of them.  I think you'll enjoy them. I'm assuming these date back to the late 1940s.

Smoke Rise East Gate, Kinnelon, N.J.

The best place to start is at the Smoke Rise East Gate and this image is fabulous. As you can see from the photo, access is via one lane. Note, too, the wall along the right hand side of the access road.

The original road into Smoke Rise was what is currently the meandering exit route.

Here is the caption from the back of the postcard:

Gate - All visitors must be announced at this "Gate" leading into Smoke Rise, New Jersey's unique 5000 acre mountain-lake woodland Club Plan community of small estates. For other cards in this series in Lake Kinnelon, homes, the Inn, etc., address Smoke Rise, P.O. Box 818, Butler, N.J.

Smoke Rise's St. Hubert Chapel

This postcard of St. Hubert's Chapel gives you a sense for the view that Francis Kinney might have had of the chapel from his home with the Tiffany stained glass cross and relief of St. Hubert prominent.

Smoke Rise Beach

Yes, this is New Jersey!  Granted, not in December, and quite tropical looking. It makes me wish I were there.

Here is the caption from the postcard:

View of Smoke Rise beach and Lake Kinnelon in Kinnelon, N.J., looking toward the north with Kitty Ann Mountain, 1,156 feet elevation, and the 80ft tall stone Lookout Tower, in the background. Smoke Rise is the unique Club Residential Community on Route 23 in northern New Jersey, 30 miles from New York City.

Thanks, Herb, for sharing these.

Other postcards of Smoke Rise exist, of the Inn - for example. They exist of other noteworthy locations, establishments and points of interest not just in Kinnelon, but also around Northern New Jersey and beyond.  After all what better way to promote specific places and to memorialize your presence there.

Slightly different than how we do so today via smartphone cameras and other digital devices.

If you were creating a postcard collection today, what would you capture in photos not just in Smoke Rise, but elsewhere in and around Kinnelon?

Merry Kinnelon Christmas! Happy Holidays!

It's the final countdown before Christmas here in Kinnelon and elsewhere, too.

On Tuesday, Emma's third grade class at Kinnelon's Stonybrook School put on a fantastic presentation of Holidays around the World. We learned about Irish, Italian, German, Polish, Chinese, Muslim and American Holiday traditions.

Today, Emma had her final rehearsal with Our Lady of the Magnificat's Cherub Choir which is made up of children in kindergarten through 3rd grade. They sing for the 4pm Christmas Eve Mass which is more of a Christmas musical than a traditional mass. It's an exuberant celebration.

Next year, we'll experience the 6pm Christmas Eve Mass for the first time since Emma will have graduated from the Cherub Choir. I expect that will be equally amazing.

Emma with Santa, 2009

For now, I'm looking forward to tomorrow's event.

Over the past two weekends, two other magnificent musical events have taken place in Kinnelon:

• The yearly Christmas Concert at the Smoke Rise Community Church on Saturday, December 11, 2010

• The 27th Annual Christmas Concert at our Lady of the Magnificat featuring the New Philharmonic of New Jersey with special guest performance by Kinnelon resident Stearns Matthews on December 19th, 2010.

Emma can't wait for the unfolding of the rest of the Christmas festivities... We finished watching The Santa Clause and really enjoyed this digital version of the Nativity story. Final countdown time...

Then, depending on the weather, maybe we'll take a hike through the Hemlock Trail on Christmas Day...

What do you have planned for these Kinnelon Holidays?

We wish you health, happiness and marvelous times during these Holidays and for all of 2011!

Ted, Emma &

Smoke Rise Village Inn History: Appealing to Businessmen

Via Tom Kline's Smoke Rise Village Inn History series - see Part I and Part I - and the Smoke Rise Village Inn in Pictures - see The Smoke Rise Inn: Outdoors in Pictures and Indoors - you're getting a feel for the different roles the Inn has played over time.

Here is a brochure from the early 1970s from the Smoke Rise Inn appealing specifically to businessmen [yes, sorry businesswomen :( ] and encouraging them to consider the Inn for business meetings.

From the Smoke Rise Village Inn

For sometime, we have been involved in such improvements as new carpeting, new chairs and tables, redecorating, etc. However, improvements must be accomplished on a basis which is economically feasible.  The Inn must operate on a sound fiscal basis, if its activities and facilities are to be expanded.

Thus, we are writing to each Smoke Rise businessman in the hope of encouraging additional participation in The Inn and its facilities.  The Inn is -- and always should be -- a private club for use of Smoke Rise residents. However, we feel that its scope might be broadened to include sales meetings, seminars, board meetings and other functions run by companies whose owners or management executives live here.

We are willing to install the club equipment essential to the conduct of business meetings.  Our management and the management of The Inn will go out of their way to make special arrangements, as necessary.

May we ask that you try to help us expand The Inn activities by using the facilities for your next business meeting, business party or sales meeting?

Ken Davidson will be happy to sit down with you and help formulate plans, menus, table arrangements, etc.

With your cooperation, we anticipate being able to improve the role which the Village Inn plays at Smoke Rise.

With the Yuletide season approaching, we would also like to remind you that the Smoke Rise Village Inn private label spirits and all standard brands are available for gift-giving as well as personal use.  Your support will aid us in maintaining and enhancing The Inn.

Happy history-filled Yuletide season!

Kinnelon Community Gardens Update, Events, Website

Have you been keeping up with the Kinnelon Community Gardens (KCG)? Let me update you...

Kinnelon Community Gardens Website

Kinnelon Community Gardens has a website: www.kinneloncommunitygardens.org which includes photos and writeups of recent KCG events.  Definitely check out the photos from the Two Pond Farm visit in West Milford!

Kinnelon Community Gardens Update

This from Galina Adair:

"Hello everyone – I wanted to give you an updated account of what is happening at the Kinnelon Community Gardens. We have started to meet with the Open Space Committee. The Open Space Committee extended an invitation to the Kinnelon Community Gardens and we accepted.

The Kinnelon Open Space Public Advisory Committee and the KCG’s meetings have been going extremely well. With the help of the Open Space Committee, we realized that in order to obtain a parcel of property, there are steps necessary to follow and a clear course of action was determined. A list of potential sites was discussed, and the OSPAC is investigating these possibilities. It was agreed that the KCG would attend any future OSPAC meetings in order to keep up to date on what was being accomplished. So, KCG is very optimistic of our forthcoming plot of land!"

Kinnelon Community Gardens Events

Did you know that Kinnelon Community Gardens organizes monthly seminars that take place at L'Ecole Museum (25 Kiel Avenue) in Kinnelon? These sessions are great fun, informative and seem to consistently involve tastings of food created by local Kinnelon garden enthusiasts.

The first we attended took place on October 6 with local beekeeper Don Lynch.  We'll share more notes in a separate post.

Ted discussed the history and making of hot sauces with tastings of his SR Fresh Hot Sauces on December 8th.

Upcoming Kinnelon Community Gardens seminars include:

Jan. 5, 2011:  Bill of ‘Bill’s Figs’
Bill Muzychko of Bill’s Figs from Flemington, NJ has been growing figs for ~ 7 years. He has over 100 fig trees and his mature trees (i.e,. 4 years old or older) produce between 200 and 300 figs during a growing season. This is a major accomplishment since fig trees are semi-Tropical and not used to cold winters. Bill has developed a system that not only extends the growing season, but encourages rapid growth. Here is a link to a presentation he shared in 2008 on the caring and growing of fig trees.  Bill will also have some of his fig trees available for sale.

Feb. 2, 2011  Diane Nelson – wild flowers of the Highlands

March 2, 2011 Movie 'Power of the Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil'  with wine/cheese.
This documentary, a People's Choice Award winner for best international film at the Aotearoa Environmental Film Festival, explores how rapidly an economy can become self sufficient as oil supplies dwindle? Cubans didn't have a choice in the matter and figured out how to grow their own food and use alternative forms of energy to power refrigeration, light, transport etc.

April 6, 2011 Allyson Hosford from Two Pond Farm in West Milford on onions and garlic....saving seeds....small farm farming and farmers

May 4, 2011 Beer (?) Field Trip

June 8, 2011 Indian Herbs & Indian Cooking

As you can see, lots to look forward to about our Kinnelon community, and what's possible with gardens.

If you have any questions, please contact KinneconCommunityGardens@gmail.com.  See you at an upcoming seminar!

Kinnelon's Trash 2 Treasure Contest 2010

The second annual Kinnelon Trash 2 Treasure Contest ended on December 7th, 2010, with winners announced and prizes awarded. Luckily, all of the children's creations will be on display in the Kinnelon's Children's Library through the end of December 2010. Go visit them. Be amazed at our children's ingenuity and imagination. It's a treat!

Nancy McMurrer, Kinnelon Librarian and champion for the Trash 2 Treasure program, detailed highlights:

+ 100 entries in 2010 vs. 60 entries in 2009.

+ Since last year, a Terracycle drink pouch brigade has formed thanks to Karen Baker who got the program running at Kiel School.  Kiel School is now a collection point for drink pouches which yield a $.02 return to the school and are then upcycled into school products.

+ The Trash 2 Treasure Contest has evolved since last year's event. Not only have the Kinnelon school art teachers - Scully and Santagato - been asking about the event, but so have the students.

+ The seven 2010 Trash 2 Treasure judges either live, work or volunteer in Kinnelon and include 3 men, 4 women; 2 Kinnelon High School seniors; a Suburban Trends editor and several prominent and active members of the Kinnelon community.

More specifically:

Bob Collins - Mayor Elect
Linda Farmer - Kinnelon Library Board Member/ Artist
Diana Friedman - KHS Senior
Sid Johnston - Editorial Assistant Trends
Gene Myers - Features Editor Trends
Fiona Reidy - KHS Senior
Carol Sventy - CLL, Open Space, Kinnelon After School Enrichment

Hurray for Emma!

And, now, the 2010 Trash 2 Treasure Winners:

K and 1st Grade Trash 2 Treasure Winners

1st Place: Christian Sokol – Luigi’s Haunted Castle #21
2nd Place: Kevin Baker – Giraffe in the Jungle #34
3rd Place: Allison Donohue – Monster Garden #17

2nd and 3rd Grade Trash 2 Treasure Winners

1st Place: Emma Whittemore – Books Galore #22
2nd Place: Jenna Stickley – Don’t Pollute our Oceans # 18
3rd Place: Erin Pelliconi/Olivia Bosefski – Boats on the Bay # 8

4th and 5th Grade Trash 2 Treasure Winners

1st Place: Sara Schotanus – “Ante” Eater - #11
2nd Place: Lauren Abderhalden – Old Fashion Typewriter #10
3rd Place: Michael Halasnik – Abraham Lincoln #3

Many thanks to Tiffany Seymour and PNC Bank for generously supporting the contest. Each first place winner received a $100 savings bond! All winners received highly coveted TerraCycle school products.
 

All three 1st Place Trash 2 Treasure winners

Interestingly, after corresponding with Nancy about the Trash 2 Treasure Contest details, I came across this fascinating Fast Company article titled The Four Secrets of Playtime that Foster Creative Kids, written by Frog Design.

I found this paragraph particularly thought-provoking... and supportive of Trash 2 Treasure:

"In 2007, Howard Chudacoff, a professor of History at Brown University, wrote a book called Children at Play: An American History, in which he identified a disturbing trend suggesting that play is changing dramatically from a world invented by children to a world prescribed by parents and other adults. He discovered that “the resourcefulness of children’s culture has eroded, as children have become less skilled at transforming everyday objects into playthings.” Plato once said, “Necessity is the mother of invention.” What do our children really need to invent for themselves in such a manufactured, overly structured world? While an African child might be monetarily poor compared with his European counterpart, I would argue that he is richer in play because he must invent the very ball he tosses or kicks around. Children in the US simply go to Walmart. From education to play consumption, we have unknowingly created a society of more game players rather than game designers —and that’s an important distinction."

Congratulations, Trash 2 Treasure 2010 winners! Congratulations to all of the kids who participated in the contest and Thank you, Nancy, for championing such a marvelous program! I hope you'll go visit the Kinnelon Children's Library and check out the 2010 Trash 2 Treasure Contest entries.

And for some additional perspective on the Trash 2 Treasure Contest, read Kinnelon Children's Library: One Kid's Trash... Although from 2009, it's a fun read.

Added 12/24/10: Nancy McMurrer sent me a link to Princeton Alumni Weekly's Slide Show: Trash Made Beautiful.

10 Holiday Gift Ideas With a Kinnelon Twist

'Tis the season to be thinking of gifts. Lucky for you, I've been thinking of the very subject for a while and jotting down unique gift ideas with a Kinnelon twist. Here's my list of 10 Kinnelon Holiday gift ideas.... whether you've been naughty or nice!

1. Get your special someone a Growler from the High Point Brewery and fill it with Ramstein Beer. In so doing, you not only share the best German style wheat beers in the state, but you also guarantee conversation -- about the growler, the beer, the water in our area and other fun topics.

2. What about Dinner at the Smoke Rise Village Inn? Great food, the most child-friendly environment you could ask for in a building filled with more history than most other buildings in Kinnelon.  It's open to everyone.

3. Jen Singer has a new book available titled Stop Second-Guessing Yourself--Baby's First Year: A Field-Tested Guide to Confident Parenting (Momma Said).

4. Speaking of books, don't forget Lynmarie McCullough's Grand Hall Character Ball...

5. and The Age of Conversation 3, a collaborative book about social media marketing best practices - to which I contributed a chapter. Proceeds from sales of the book benefit Charity: Water.

6. or Liz Holste's Skiing in New Jersey!

7. Have you checked out the wonderful note cards with scenes of Kinnelon available at L'Ecole Museum?

8. If you need to get all dolled up for the Holiday celebrations, consider visiting our friend Anne Walsh at Anne's Hair Spa in Butler.

These next two are very close to home...

9. Ted's SR Fresh Hot Sauces make marvelous stocking stuffers plus they are sure to enhance your Holiday meals.

10. Treating yourself to a new computer this year? Ted can make recommendations and help you convert your existing data onto your new computer. If you haven't yet, check out Ted's Working Computers blog for lots of valuable advice for keeping your computer [and you] happy.

Bonus! Although not a Kinnelon resource, my friend Devon Valenti is based in New Jersey [Princeton to be specific] and her company's product is terrific.  Offer your special someone with a smartphone the gift of CoPilot Live, an app based GPS navigation device!

What would you add to this list of Holiday gift ideas with a Kinnelon twist?

Kinnelon's Mead Barn, Meadtown 1972

Kinnelon's Mead Farm, Main Barn, Meadtown 1972

I want you to close your eyes and imagine how today's Meadtown area and Kinnelon Mall looked before they became Pathmark. Think fields, farm buildings, a magnificent house integrated with the Butternut Tree, gentle slopes, picket fence...

You can get a better picture by visiting l'Ecole Museum in Kinnelon.

Or, enjoy this lovely sketch that Damon Carmona - who shared with us his tale of the Kinnelon Castle aka the Untermeyer Estate - sent me over Thanksgiving.

Damon writes,

"What better e-card could I send you than this....the sketch I did of the Main Barn at the old Mead Farm. I just found it this afternoon. It was in rough shape and had a crease down the center but I was able to "doctor" it a bit after scanning it into my Photobucket account. This dates from 1972 when I was eleven. Later that year these barns burned to the ground. Within two years the whole farm complex was bulldozed for the Kinnelon Mall. The big barn faced the back of the house with the house facing Rt. 23."

Damon also drew the Mead house, creating a color rendition of the house itself. He explains, "The original was framed and presented to the late Grace Mead in the basement Fellowship Room of the Kinnelon Reformed Church. She had grown up on the farm and it was suggested that I give her the picture... probably to redeem the fact that I'd once been taken to the Police Station for trespassing on the abandoned farm. (A teacher from Pearl Miller School was actually arrested that day...he was removing a shelf unit...I, of course, was merely sketching.) So here's a souvenir from my brief career as a juvenile delinquent. Please feel free to share this on the blog...and if you ever come across photographs of the Mead Farm I'd LOVE to see them."

In a previous message, Damon shared memories of the Mead farm.

"I remember the Mead farm in its last days. I think I must have explored every room of the house and barn complex. I remember when the main barn burned down. That farm was an historic site and should never have been destroyed for a mall.

It's funny, but I can still remember the odd oval doorknobs, the "bullseye" window frames and the door which opened to a secret stairway leading to what I now suppose was a servant's room. The house had many rambling additions. It once had yellow siding, white trim and dark green shutters. That is how I drew it, as if restored."

Thank you, Damon, for these memories and your sketch. I'll be on the lookout for photos of the Mead Farm.

Do you remember the Mead Farm? What details stand out?

Ramstein Open House and SR Fresh Hot Sauce this Saturday @ 2 PM -- Last Call for 2010

Here is reminder for this weekend’s Ramstein Beer Open House and Tour, this Saturday, Dec.13. Directions are at the website.

This will be the last Tour for this year and the Tour and Open House schedule will resume in March with the introduction of the 2011 Maibock. Hooray for 2011!

There will be 2 tour and tasting sessions, one at 2 PM, and another at 3:45 PM

The Ramstein Golden Lager, Ramstein Winter Wheat, and Ramstein Dunkelweiss will be available.

2 Liter Growlers and pint glasses will be in stock.

And SR Fresh Hot Sauce will be there with the Fresh Cayenne-Cherry, Habanero Gold, and XXXXTra Hot Habanero Hot Sauce. Come try them!

Also, we will have some Cayenne Blast and a small amount of Ripe Red Fresno-Jalapeno Hot Sauce. Sweet and Hot.

This will be the last SR Fresh Hot Sauce Tasting of 2010 as well, and we will resume with Ramstein's Open House in March of 2011. 

You Hot Sauce people can check out the new SR Fresh Hot Sauce Website, where the sauces are explained and sold. Check out the Fresh Hot Sauce Blog as well.

As usual, there will be a tour and explanation of the brewing process by Greg Zaccardi, the owner. [See previous post about Ramstein Beer with videos for a primer.]

See you there!

Ted and Christine and Emma

The Grand Hall Character Ball - Book Now Available

Do you remember The Grand Hall Character Ball theatrical presentation at the Kinnelon Library?  It took place at the Kinnelon Library Winter Festival on January 2nd, 2009 [see Kinnelon's Winter Festival for full description].

Great news! The author, Lynmarie McCullough - who performed the role of the rabbit - has just informed us that The Grand Hall Character Ball is now available as a printed hardback book filled with engaging illustrations.

You can purchase the book - available for $14.99 + tax/shipping/handling - by visiting www.mcculloughbooks.com where you can also watch several videos of Lynmarie's budding-author-son Marshall who has several books in the works.

Congratulations, Lynmarie, on the publication of The Grand Hall Character Ball!

12/11/10 Silas Condict Park Hike in Kinnelon. Party, Too. Yippee!

Please save Saturday, December 11, 2010 at 9am for another Morris County Park Commission Hike through Silas Condict Park in Kinnelon.

Last year's hike - described in Silas Condict Hike Encounters Smoke Rise Hospitality -was unforgettable. I believe this will one will be even better as it includes a party, too!

Here are the details.

When: Saturday, December 11, 2010 at 9AM

Where: Meet at the Silas Condict Casino (i.e., the main stone building by the lake).

The Route: On a proposed trail through the recently acquired area south of the lake and adjacent to Borough owned properties along Kinnelon Rd and the Smoke Rise area. This area is about 250 acres.

Description: Parts of this proposed trail are “difficult” in that they are along a narrow ridge. We will determine by hike time just how to safely navigate the area and still afford everyone the really wonderful views in most all directions.

In other words, the trail may take us through parts of Bear Mountain in Kinnelon [see Kinnelon's Bear Mountain Trail - Part I]. Pretty exciting if you ask me!

Here's the added fun: a party after the hike!

Says Tom Edmunds: "Party Time!!:  We invite everyone to stay after the hike for an informal Holiday party at the Casino.  Light snacks and refreshments.  We're pretty well set on the basics, but if you'd like to bring some of your special Holiday goodies, send an email to Janet McMillan at jmcmillan@morrisparks.net."

If you do plan on joining us for this Holiday Hike through Silas Condict Park in Kinnelon, please contact Tom Edmunds, MCPC Trails Mapping/GPS at tedmunds@morrisparks.net.

Ted, Emma and I look forward to seeing you on Saturday, December 11th.

PS: If you'd like to make a whole day of the event, plan on attending Ramstein Beer's December Open House at 2pm the same day.  Details will be published separately.

Smoke Rise Hemlock Trail: Re-Opened!

Consider a hike along the newly re-opened Smoke Rise Hemlock Trail.

Hurray! Ken Bitz, from the Smoke Rise Lake and Environment Committee, shares the following news.

The Hemlock Trail is open for fall hiking!

The project to clear and re-blaze this 0.5 mile trail that was undertaken by Boy Scout Ben Wasserman and his troop has been completed. The Hemlock trail that is accessed at the corner of Brush Hill Road and Summit Terrace South is open and very inviting for a nice hike in the weather that the crisp fall brings.

The committee is working on a new updated map of hiking trails in our community, which will be available when ready.

Emma, Ted and I haven't yet had a chance to experience the newly re-opened Hemlock Trail. However, we enjoyed it very much in its previous state and look forward to an even better hike soon!

You can also find a detailed listing of Smoke Rise hikes in Smoke Rise Hiking Trails: The List.