Mother’s Day is almost here—celebrate the ones who do it all. Make it delicious with Mindy’s Munchies— featuring beautifully crafted, hand-dipped chocolate treats, gift baskets, and platters for every occasion. The sweetest gifts for every mom. Order early to make her day extra special!
This spring is a great time to take another look at Macculloch Hall Historical Museum.
The Garden Club of Morristown enriches our town with beautiful flower beds while advocating for earth-friendly practices.
Ethan & the Bean offers job training and meaningful work for individuals with autism and intellectual disabilities.
in Bloom
May Matcha Cake
Miroslava Ferrer of Bloomingtails
Reads for Spring
Ryan Hyman and Executive Director Kathleen Bartlett of Macculloch Hall Historical Museum
tA COMMUNITY IN BLOOM
TAKE A LOOK AROUND
Morristown this month, and you’ll see flowers almost everywhere you look. As you appreciate their beauty, take a minute to consider the strong root systems supporting those blooms. It struck me that this is a fitting metaphor for Morristown, a place with deep roots in history, natural beauty, and a committed community of people. Through the strength of its roots, this town has blossomed. This month, our stories lean
CORRECTION: In our April 2026 issue, the church pictured on our Last Look page is St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, not The Presbyterian Church of Morristown’s historic The Church on the Green. We regret the error.
into the idea of roots and growth. We talk to Pam Donovan, who owns Ethan & the Bean. The coffee shop, named in honor of her son, Ethan, offers support and career possibilities for people with autism and intellectual disabilities. At Maccullough Hall, a gilded age mansion and museum, we learn how the past can inform modern viewpoints. And we sit down with one of the oldest organizations in town, the Garden Club of Morristown, to learn about its rich history planting stunning floral displays and its deep commitment to protecting our environment.
I want to express how truly grateful I am to all our amazing partners and advertisers. Without their support, we couldn’t bring you this publication—filled with must-read stories about friends, neighbors, community leaders, and business leaders—each month.
We hope you enjoy all the flowers, sunshine, and community connections that May brings, including celebrations of Memorial Day, when we gratefully remember our local veterans, and Mother’s Day, when we celebrate all that moms do not only for their children, but for our community. Warm regards,
Maryam Taghipour
Publisher, My Mo-Town
Maryam.Taghipour@wainscotmedia.com @mymotownmag
MyMo-Town
MAGAZINE
Publisher Maryam Taghipour
Maryam.Taghipour@wainscotmedia.com
Editor and Lead Writer
Christine Bockelman
Writers
Mary Lynn Becza
Scott Eddy Alix Newton
Photographer Steve Hockstein
WAINSCOT MEDIA
Chairman Carroll V. Dowden
President and CEO
Mark Dowden
SVP, Group Publisher, Regional Thomas Flannery
VP, Content Strategy
Maria Regan
Creative Director
Kijoo Kim
Executive Editor Elaine Quilici
Art Director
Rosemary O’Connell
Advertising Services Director Jacquelynn Fischer
Operations Director
Catherine Rosario
Production Designer Chris Ferrante
Print Production Manager Fern Meshulam
Advertising Production Associate Griff Dowden
Have a story idea?
Email the editor: Christine.Bockelman@wainscotmedia.com.
My Mo-Town magazine is published by Wainscot Media. Serving residents of Morristown and Morris Township, the magazine is distributed monthly via U.S. mail. Articles and advertisements contained herein do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher. Copyright 2026 by Wainscot Media LLC. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without written consent.
THE COOLEST SHOW IN TOWN Frozen:
The MPAC annual spring musical offers young performers the chance to showcase their talents working alongside a professional crew and guest equity actors. This year’s performance, “Frozen,” is based on the Academy Award-winning Disney movie, and includes a mix of favorite and new songs. “I couldn’t be more excited to bring this story to life with such an incredibly talented cast,” says director Cathy Roy. “Their passion and dedication make every moment in the rehearsal room inspiring. Of course, this show is filled with amazing magical moments, iconic characters, and a beautiful and unforgettable score, but to me what makes it so special is its powerful message about love, courage, and self-discovery.” Five performances from May 29 to 31. Find tickets at mayoarts.org.
Mother’s Day (May 10) is the traditional date it’s deemed okay to plant vegetables, summer flowers, and tender annuals outdoors in New Jersey. Here’s the dirt on some local sales that will help you get started and support local organizations:
Grow It Green Morristown will be selling starter vegetables and flowers—all sustainably grown using organic seeds, soil, and compost— that are ready to be put right into the ground for your home garden. Expect a variety of vegetables and herbs (including tomatoes, peppers, mint, and scallions) and flowers (zinnias, marigolds, calendula, and more) for companion planting and pollinators. Grow It Green accepts SNAP/EBT for all plants. May 2 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., Grow it Green’s Urban Farm, 31 Hazel St., Morristown; growitgreenmorristown.org.
The annual Friends of The Frelinghuysen Arboretum holds its annual sale of houseplants, annuals, shrubs, and trees on May 2 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and May 3 from noon to 4 p.m. The Tent at The Frelinghuysen Arboretum, 353 East Hanover Ave., Morristown; arboretumfriends.org.
The Garden Club of Morristown offers a beautiful array of plants, including perennials, native and nativars, vegetables, and even member-grown offerings at its annual plant sale. Don’t skip the curated options, which make great Mother’s Day gifts. Each comes in a lovely wooden box with black-thumb-proof planting schematics. May 9 from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., New Vernon Fire House, 22 Village Rd., New Vernon; gardenclubofmorristown.org.
GROW FOR IT MAY PLANT SALES
Foolproof container gardens are available May 9 at the Garden Club of Morristown’s annual plant sale.
Talk Dirt to Me
Dig a little deeper into gardening dilemmas with the Rutgers Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners. Stop by the circulation lobby of the Morristown & Morris Township Library between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on the third Saturday of each month (through October) to ask these experts all your gardening questions.
Schedule of topics: Small Space Gardening (May 16), Heirlooms & Herbs (June 13), Managing Pests & Diseases (July 25), Plan a Fall Crop & Preserving the Harvest (August 22), Extending the Gardening Season (September 26), Bulbs & Bedtime (October 24). For more information, visit MMTLibrary.org.
The Morris Museum’s latest exhibition, “Henri Matisse: Beyond Color,” features a cache of drawings made by the French artist. The 71 works on display, several of which have never been seen before, consider how literary themes like love, beauty, mortality, and sensuality resonate across time. They were created during the 1930s up to Matisse’s death in 1954, a difficult time in the artist’s life that included the outbreak of World War II, his separation from his wife, and a decline in his health, but a time when he managed to continue to create beauty. On view through August 9. (6 Normandy Heights Rd., Morristown; morrismuseum.org)
Cinco de Mayo
Mo-Town Style
You shouldn’t need a reason to explore some of Morristown’s Mexican restaurants, but if you do, Cinco de Mayo (May 5) is a great one. A few of our favorites:
• Central Taqueria (61 South St., centraltaqueria. com) offers tortillas that are handmade daily, an al pastor recipe that took two years to perfect, and pork that’s marinated for at least 24 hours before it’s slow cooked for 15 more. Don’t leave without trying the much-loved cochinita pibil and birria tacos.
• NOM Mexican Table + Tequila Bar (67 Morris St,, nommexicantable.com) boasts more than 200 Mexican tequilas and mezcals, a menu full of sharable apps, and guacamole that’s prepared tableside.
• Orale Mexican Kitchen (56 South St., oralemk.com) takes a playful approach to Mexican cuisine, offering a blend of traditional menu items, including mole sauce made from scratch, and nontraditional ones, like Bao Buns. On Cinco de Mayo, head here for live music and margaritas.
• Macho Nacho (164 Speedwell Ave., machonacho.co) has a variety of tacos and burritos, a solid kids’ menu, and even serves breakfast. Known for its generous portions and weekly specials (like 25% off nachos on Mondays).
• Tacoria (52 South St., tacoria.com) is a New Jerseybased chain known for its vegetarian (try the brussel sprout tacos!) and build-your-own options.
Above: Enchilada Suiza at Orale Mexican Kitchen Below: The birria tacos at Central Taqueria are served with melted cheese and consommé for dipping.
A May Matcha Cake
Celebrate spring with the perfect sweet treat.
BY ALIX NEWTON
IF MAY HAD a flavor, it would be Strawberry Matcha. Balancing earthy notes of matcha and sweet bright strawberries, this 4-inch mini centerpiece is the perfect way to celebrate spring.
SWEET, LIKE MOM
If you’d like to give your mom a sweet treat for Mother’s Day but baking isn’t your strong suit, treat her (and yourself) to something from one of these local spots. Just be sure to order ahead.
At Dän Bakery & Café (64 South St., danbakery. us) try the nut-free honey cake, which boasts honey graham layers and velvety cream filling. Head to Kirshenbaum Baking Co. (22 Schuyler Pl., kbcbakery.com) for the gluten-free red velvet Oreo cake. Swiss Chalet (159 South St., swisschaletbakery.com) offers custom cakes with more than 30 kinds of filling topped with everything from flowers to fruit. If mom likes chocolate, stop by The Artist Baker (14-16 Cattano Ave., theartistbaker.com) for their S’mores Cake. Or, as an extra-special treat, make a reservation (at least two days in advance) to enjoy their tea service—think scones with cream, dainty sandwiches, and more on a tiered tray.
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 4-inch cake tins and line them with baking paper.
2. In a medium bowl, add the softened butter, granulated sugar, and cream together until fluffy and pale.
3. Add the eggs and vanilla and combine well, then fold in the flour, matcha powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. Before all the flour is combined, pour in the buttermilk and mix that through until everything is evenly mixed.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake the cake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center
6. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes, then pull up on the parchment paper to release it from the pan. Let the cake continue cooling on the cooling rack until completely cooled.
To make the buttercream
1. Add the softened butter to a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on high speed until fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes.
2. Add the freeze-dried strawberries to a food processor. Pulse until finely ground, then pass the ground freeze-dried strawberries through a sieve to remove the seeds.
3. Add in the powdered sugar and finely ground freeze-dried strawberries to the butter and mix until fluffy. Add milk to loosen if required. Move the mixture to a piping bag and snip a small hole from the end.
4. To decorate, place one of the cooled cake layers onto a serving board and pipe around the edge to create a border. Fill the center with strawberry jam, then top with the second cake layer.
5. Coat the cake with the remaining buttercream using an offset spatula, then finish with a few sliced strawberries.
6. Serve and enjoy. This cake will keep for 4 to 5 days if kept somewhere cool and dry, but it’s best eaten within 24 hours.
Alix Newton is a baking blogger and photographer. Follow Alix on social media @mykitchendrawer, and visit her online at mykitchensdrawer.com.
Pawsitively Polished
Bloomingtails owner and pet groomer Miroslava Ferrer prides herself on building trust, not just trimming fur.
BY SCOTT EDDY
INTERVIEW
WITH MIROSLAVA FERRER
MIROSLAVA “MIROS” FERRER first realized the importance of good pet grooming when her English Bulldog came back filthy from a walk in a New York City park. She enrolled in the American Academy of Pet Grooming and has since spent more than 10 years grooming your furry best friends. We spoke with Ferrer, who has owned Bloomingtails since 2022, and discussed some of the dos and don’ts of keeping your pet looking his or her best.
Cats can benefit from grooming, too, says Miros Ferrer, owner of Bloomingtails.
How does the grooming process work at Bloomingtails?
It depends if your pet is new to Bloomingtails or has been here before. If new, when you arrive at the salon with your pet, the groomer will meet you to discuss desired hairstyle, any issues the pet might have, what kind of shampoo to use, and more. If you’re an existing client, we’ll refer to the detailed notes we keep about each pet. Upon arrival, staff will ask if you need to speak to the groomer and if you would like the same service as last time. What happens next depends on those answers, but, typically, we’ll give your pet a bath, blow dry, and haircut. After the groomer is done, we send a text indicating that your pet is ready for pick up.
Where to pets wait for their owners to pick them up after grooming?
We usually ask for a window of two to three hours for each appointment. The pet does wait in a crate for pick up, but if the pet parent does not want this, we do accommodate. However, if you don’t want your pet crated, we
ask that you please pick up your pet no more than 30 minutes after you receive a text that he or she is ready.
How do you create a calm, positive environment for grooming?
Pets’ personalities and needs are unique, and we treat them accordingly. We usually ask pet parents to bring them in to meet and get comfortable with us, so they don’t associate us only with grooming. I have found this to be a very successful method.
Any tips for making the grooming process easier for your pet?
We suggest owners start introducing the grooming process when their pet is as young as possible. We deal with a lot of recue pets that need that extra attention and love, though. We work hard to get pets to trust us, so they feel confident and comfortable.
Any tips for pet owners dealing with pets that don’t like to be groomed? Things “to do” or not “to do”?
When a pet does not like to get groomed, I always suggest bringing them in more often and trying not to do any haircuts at home. Many times, pet parents think that holding a pair of scissors is easy. But then they try to cut matted fur and end up cutting their pet’s skin. Now the pet has to go to the veterinarian and that’s a whole other issue. My professional groomers and I take our careers very seriously and are constantly educating ourselves, so we know how to best handle difficult situations. My best advice is to tell us the truth about your pet’s issue so we will be able to properly assess the situation.
Left: Three clients sit in front of Bloomingtails’ Prima System, which groomers use to shampoo dogs. From left: Madden, an Australian Shepard; Ferrer’s dog Buzz Alejandro, a Shih TzuPomeranian; and Koda, a Welsh Terrier.
Do you have any favorite stories from your years grooming pets?
About three years ago, a new client came to me after visiting three different groomers in the area. She rescued her pet from Puerto Rico, and previous groomers had told her that the pet was just too difficult. After speaking to her for 20 minutes, a light bulb went off for me when she told me her pet was still not comfortable at home. I started to speak Spanish to the pet, and he
came to me with no issues! There was a language barrier. All we need it was a “Hola mi amor lindo!” Needless to say, the family had to learn a bit of Spanish.
Let’s say your dog rolls around outside, is muddy and has something in its fur. How should a pet owner handle this?
If your pet gets dirty or muddy, a nice shower will definitely do the trick. Just make sure to dry your pet
well, otherwise a wet animal smell will linger in your house for a few days.
What are common grooming mistakes that you see from pet owners?
Nail trimming at home can be a challenge. If you cut the nail the wrong way, it can cause your pet pain, creating a negative association and fear that make nail trimming progressively more difficult over time. With our professional equipment and experience, we can set your pet up for success.
As it gets warmer, should you shave your dog’s fur to keep them cool? Particularly if they have a thick or double coat?
Never shave a dog with a double coat! Double-coated dogs need their undercoat in all seasons. I have lost customers who have asked me to shave their Husky because it sheds a lot and their house is full of hair. I won’t do it, though. Shaving can damage these dog’s natural insulation. You just need to brush more—brush, brush, brush, and brush. Nothing else.
Bloomingtails is located at 985 Mount Kemble Ave., Morristown. For more information or to schedule an appointment, visit bloomingtails.us.
Top: Berlin, an American Pitbull Terrier, in Bloomingtails Bottom: The playground at Bloomingtails
History in BLOOM
Between flower-filled gardens and two new exhibits, this spring is a great time to take another look at Macculloch Hall Historical Museum.
BY CHRISTINE BOCKELMAN
Above: Executive Director Kathleen Bartlett and Curator Ryan Hyman in the mansion’s dining room. A 1795 portrait of George Washington by Charles Wilson Peale hangs over the fireplace, while Hyman holds the 3D, touchable version that’s included in the museum’s “Touch Tour.” Below: Part of the new Thomas Nast exhibit.
eESPECIALLY IF YOU’VE lived in Morristown awhile, you might think you know all there is to know about Macculloch Hall, the gilded age mansion turned historical museum.
Kathleen Bartlett, a Morristown resident who was recently appointed Executive Director, thinks the museum is one of the best-kept secrets in Morristown. “I’d like it to be one of the worst-kept secrets, though,” she says. “I want everyone to come and see all we have to offer.”
Built in 1810 by George and Louisa Macculloch, both European-born Morristown transplants, Macculloch Hall was initially a summer house for the family. Over time and five generations, it was expanded to become a full-time residence.
George Macculloch is best known for having the idea for the Morris Canal, a manmade waterway that ran from the Delaware River to the Hudson River and was used to transport raw materials, like coal. “Boats were put on carriages and pulled along on rails, like railroad track, by cables,” says Ryan Hyman, the museum’s longtime F.M. Kirby Curator of Collections.
The museum’s exhibit on the canal serves as a good example of how it is working hard to make its collections more accessible and inclusive. Sections of the canal’s rail and thick cable are part of its “Please Touch Tour.” Also included is a three-dimensional copy of the museum’s prized 1795 portrait of George Washington by Charles Willson Peale. The original hangs over the fireplace, but the oversized copy features the raised angles and lines of Washington’s face. It allows visitors,
especially the visually impaired, to literally get a feel for the former President’s profile. The museum also offers sensory-friendly tours, which encourage lots of touching and a slower pace.
“The Touch Tour provides a multisensory, dynamic way to experience history and art,” says Bartlett. “While it was created for those with vision impairment and those who thrive in a sensory-friendly environment
in mind, we’ve found that it has become an important touch point for everyone. Having the opportunity to interact with the objects brings the stories we share to life, and the Touch Tour stations have quickly become a highlight of the museum experience.”
OLD IMAGES, NEW VIEWPOINTS
The museum is best known for having a massive collection, numbering
Top: In early May, the gardens at Macculloch Hall begin blooming.
Bottom: Staff of the Macculloch Hall Historical Museum (from left) Karina Filipowski, Ryan Hyman, Kathleen Bartlett, Cynthia Winslow PHOTOGRAPH BY STEVE HOCKSTEIN/HARVARDSTUDIO.COM
Rooted In History
Visit the gardens at Macculloch Hall in May to enjoy blooming wisteria, peonies, magnolias and, toward the end of the month, roses.
When George and Louisa Macculloch purchased their grand, brick mansion, it came with 26 acres of property. Over the years, the family sold off parcels, and today just about two acres remain. Lucky for us, George kept meticulous records of the fruit trees, kitchen garden, and flowers that existed on the property back then. We know that the wisteria that winds its way along the back porch trellis was given to the family in 1857 by Commodore Matthew Perry, that the sundial on the upper lawn was installed in 1876, and the sassafras tree on the edge of the lawn is among the largest and oldest in New Jersey. We also know that Louisa paid just one dollar to have the first roses planted on the property in 1810.
In the 1950s, the Garden Club of Morristown was asked to replant the Macculloch gardens. They designed a seasonal bloom. In early May, expect historic wisteria, peonies, and magnolias to be in bloom. By the end of the month, the rosebushes should start flowering.
“The garden is a lesser-known hidden oasis in the heart of Morristown that comes alive in spring and continues to bloom throughout the season,” says Kathleen Bartlett, executive director of Macculloch Hall Historical Museum.
“We invite everyone to visit us and to take a minute out of the day to rest and recharge.”
While the gardens are free and open daily from 8 a.m. to dusk, the museum’s National Public Gardens Day celebration (May 9 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.) is a particularly great time to drop in. The event will include a visit from some puppies from The Seeing Eye, gardening demonstrations by an expert with the Rutgers Master Gardner Program, a watercolor activity inspired by the wisteria, hands-on vegetable bed planting, and more.
5,000 images and artifacts, from American political cartoonist and Morristown resident Thomas Nast. For most of his career—from about 1862 to 1877, and again briefly in the late 1890s—Nast worked for “Harper’s Weekly,” during which time he popularized iconic political images like the Democratic party Donkey, Republican party Elephant, and Uncle Sam.
“Back then, there was no television, no radio, no other source of information,” Hyman says. “There was also a low literacy rate, so people were using Nast’s drawings to understand what was happening in the world. They were getting their information from seeing his pictures. It’s not that different than how some people today get their information from social media or YouTube videos.”
Nast’s drawings have a timeless quality, Hyman says. “I’ve had people look at them and say that you could just change out the faces for modern politicians and the messages remain the same,” he says.
CELEBRATING 250 YEARS OF AMERICA
In honor of America’s 250th anniversary this July, Hyman has curated historic artifacts collected
by W. Parsons Todd, founder of the Macculloch Hall Historical Museum, who was the great grandnephew of Dolley Madison. Some of her letters are exhibited, along with a letter appointing James Monore ambassador to Great Britain that’s signed by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, her husband. Letters written by George Washington, including some penned while he was living in Morristown and his handwritten 1789 Thanksgiving Proclamation (one of only five copies known to still exist), are also on display. And, in the center of one of the display cases, there’s a pair of tiny portraits of George and Martha Washington, painted on silver dollar coins, by Revolutionary-era artist John Trumbull.
“Visitors are often surprised to learn that we hold such rare revolutionary artifacts in our collection,” says Bartlett. “These items are on par with objects found in much larger, well-known institutions. The fact that they are located here, in Morristown’s community museum, means that our residents and those in surrounding towns have easier access to important pieces of history—ones they might not have otherwise been able to experience.”
on May 31 at 2 p.m. for a concert celebrating music that shaped American life from the 18th though 20th centuries, including European classical, Irish, and American music. Tickets can be purchased by contacting the museum. ($20 for adults, $15 for seniors, $10 for members)
Hyman also curated a never-beforeseen selection of Nast images related to American’s founding, digging through the museum’s collection looking for images of George Washington, Uncle Sam, and others. “Looking at these, you can see how much Nast valued Washington as a symbol of what the country should be,” he says.
The exhibit, called “Thomas Nast Celebrates Independence in the United States,” starts with a pencil sketch of Washington that Nast did when he was only about 15 years old. “I wanted to start there, with his beginnings as an artist, and then progress through his political cartoons over the years,” Hyman says. Noteworthy drawings include “Uncle Sam’s Thanksgiving Dinner,” which shows three of Nast’s favorite presidents—Lincoln, Washington, and Grant—along with a melting pot of people from all different countries sitting at the same table.”
The Macculloch Hall Historical Museum is open Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday from 12 to 4 p.m., and on other weekdays by appointment. Call 973-538-2404 or email info@maccullochhall.org to schedule a visit. Learn more at maccullochhall.org.
The Dolce Trio comes to Macculloch Hall
PHOTOGRAPH BY KEVIN COUGHLIN
Part of the exhibit “Thomas Nast Celebrates Independence in the United States”
Gardening State
The Garden Club of Morristown helps keep our town beautiful, but it’s about much more than pretty plants and flowers.
BY CHRISTINE BOCKELMAN
s
SINCE IT WAS FOUNDED in 1913, the Garden Club of Morristown (GCM) has touched countless corners of town. It has planted bulbs on the Green and outside the library. Each holiday season, it makes floral arrangements and more than 40 wreaths to decorate town nonprofits. A few times each year, its members gather to make dozens of arrangements to help brighten the day for cancer patients at Morristown
Medical Center. GCM helped local nonprofit Grow It Green put in a pollinator garden at its urban farm.
For about 70 years, club members have headed to Macculloch Hall to help the museum prune its rosebushes and maintain its historic gardens. For many years, members also decorated the museum for the holidays.
“Our members have a breadth of knowledge about the best way to care for gardens like those that we GCM members
work at Footes Pond Wood.
From left, Adrienne Kirby, Alice Cutler, Katherine Fritts, Sally Muscarella
love to share,” says club President Michelle King.
The group also helped to restore Footes Pond Wood, the 24-acre park next to Thomas Jefferson Elementary School that was overrun with invasive plants. “We helped Friends of Footes Pond Wood secure nonprofit status, which helped us get them quite a few grants.” The once hard-touse space now boasts a fishing dock, a trail that loops around the pond, and lots of herons, turtles, and other wildlife. In honor of a past garden club president, GCM underwrote and maintains Darby’s Garden, which, like the rest of Foote’s Pond Wood, only contains native plants.
JERSEY ROOTS
Along with its parent organization, the Garden Club of America, the GCM worked to make April Native Plant month in New Jersey.
The Garden Club of America defines native plants as having “evolved over thousands of years in a specific geographic region, alongside local floral and fauna, without direct or indirect human intervention.” In New Jersey, examples include blackeyed Susans, cone flowers, swamp milkweed, and oak trees.
For a slew of reasons, native plants are the backbone of healthy ecosystems. They are well adapted to the local environment and generally have deep root systems that help prevent soil erosion and enable plants to thrive with less water. In addition, native plants typically require fewer chemicals, like fertilizers and pesticides, than
From left: Kathy Seabrook, Sally Muscarella, and Bobbi Bailey at the GCA convention in Washington, D.C.
Decorating Macculloch Hall
SHOP LOCAL
Native plants are a cornerstone of the Garden Club of Morristown’s annual plant sale, where expert gardeners wearing “Go Native” badges will be on hand to answer all your questions. As an added bonus, all plants will be arranged in user-friendly categories, such as prefers shade, likes partial sun, and deer resistant. “All the money raised goes right back into community programs,” says club President Michelle King. Find native New Jersey plants like these—and more—on May 9 from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. (New Vernon Fire House, 22 Village Rd., New Vernon; gardenclubofmorristown.org)
• Tall Anemone (Anemone virginiana) has white flowers on tall stalks, prefers partial shade, and is great for planting in large groups in a native perennial garden.
• Eastern Columbine (Aquiligea canadensis) features drooping redand-yellow flowers that bloom April through May.
• Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) has bright orange flowers that grow from June to August in flat-topped clusters. Caterpillars love this plant, named for the fact that it contains substances toxic to butterfly predators, like birds.
• Blue Wild Indigo (Baptisia australis) is a tall, bushy perennial with purple flowers. Traditionally used to make natural dye, it prefers full sun and looks great planted at the back of borders.
• Dense Blazing Star (Liatris spicata) grows from two- to four-feet tall, has fluffy purple flowers, loves full sun, and provides great food for bees.
Top: Members making holiday flower arrangements for local nonprofits
Bottom: Michelle King, president of the Garden Club of Morristown (in white), along with Leslie Pye and Jocelyn Dannenbaum, pick up plants at a local nursery for the annual plant sale.
This is crucial because, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 35% of the world’s food crops—including apples, coffee, and strawberries—need animal pollinators to reproduce.
ADVOCACY AND SUSTAINABILITY
In March, the club sent three delegates to the GCA National Affairs & Legislation conference
in Washington D.C., where club members met with a mix of senators and representatives, from both sides of the aisle, to advocate for sustainability and environmental issues.
More locally, the club is fighting to bring food composting programs to Morris County. King points to the “very successful” food composting program in Princeton as an example.
“Ideally, we’d like to see collection at the curb to make it easy for people, but right now we’re talking about drop off locations,” she says. Benefits of
food composting, according to the garden club, include reducing the waste sent to landfills, which reduces menthane and other greenhouse gas emissions. “It helps so much if the town knows this is something people want,” King says, urging residents to contact local officials to indicate their interest in the program.
“We have long-reaching arms in the Morristown area,” King says. “We offer education, advocate for the environment, and support community projects. We are a garden club that’s about more than gardening.”
Members, including King (far right) make wreaths for local nonprofits.
LA Latte Love
Ethan & the Bean offers job training and meaningful work for individuals with autism and intellectual disabilities.
BY CHRISTINE BOCKELMAN
LIKE MANY PARENTS, Pamela
Donovan was worried when her then 21-year-old son, Ethan, was about to graduate. But her concerns for Ethan were different from those of many of other parents.
“My son is very severely on the spectrum, and along with that has a rare genetic disorder,” Donovan says. “When he was finishing school, we got to this juncture where I was questioning: What is my child going to do now? What is his life going to look like?”
She’d been told that Ethan, who is nonverbal, couldn’t be in the workforce.
“I didn’t think I wanted him in a day program, though,” she says. “He’s a very calm, very chill, person and I worried he wouldn’t engage enough.”
She wanted her son to have an involved, meaningful life. She wanted him to spend his days somewhere he felt safe, and to fill his time with purpose. But she couldn’t find a place that met those needs. “Work is where most people spend most of their day,” she says. “When I asked myself, ‘Who is going to give my child an opportunity to work?’ the answer was no one.”
OPPORTUNITY AWAITS
In 2019, Donovan founded Ethan & the Bean, a coffee shop and café, to create meaningful employment opportunities
Ethan Donovan with a work partner
Ethan & the Bean works with Java Love Coffee Roasting Co. to create all its brews, which are delivered fresh each week.
for people with autism and intellectual disabilities.
It started small, with an eight-week pilot program in the basement of a church turned therapy center. “They had a big multipurpose room and a big kitchen we could use,” Donovan says. “We even had built-in customers. There was a summer camp being held upstairs, and after drop-off, the parents would come down and sit and have a cup of coffee with us.” The success of the pilot program quickly led to a brick-and-mortar location in Little Falls. A Morristown location opened in November 2023.
The first 12 students, including Ethan, were taught job readiness and pre-vocational skills in this mock-up coffee shop environment. “There are multiple tasks that need to be done in a coffee shop. You have to make the coffee, serve the customer,
package online orders,” she says. Both Ethan & the Bean’s Corner Coffee University, a pre-vocational program, and its work-based learning program collaborate closely with experts and local private schools that focus on educating neurodiverse students. Both locations also have on-staff special needs educators who oversee training and the general needs of the neurodivergent staff members and their neurotypical work partners.
“We want this to be an incredibly supportive and productive work environment,” Donovan says. “Each day when you come in, you are assigned a neurotypical buddy who is there to help you achieve your goals. You might be learning to be a barista or spending the afternoon taking inventory. We want you to learn and be successful at all these skills because they are
Above: Pamela Donovan, founder of Ethan & the Bean
Below: Donovan and her son, Ethan PHOTOGRAPHS BY JOSH SONG/SNS MEDIA
transferable to other businesses. It’s work-based learning and job readiness because you could also do these things in a pizzeria, for instance.”
EXPANDING SOCIAL ENTERPRISE
Soon after the Little Falls location opened, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. “We had to shut down for a few months, but we still had all these individuals who needed to be kept busy,” Donovan says. The solution? Teach them to bake. “We now make about 50 percent of our baked goods in house,” she says. These include lemon blueberry bread—one of Donovan’s favorites—and chocolate chip and matcha cookies.
In 2023, the Morristown location opened, thanks to a “very amazing opportunity” from Valley National Bank, which was moving its headquarters to town. “They called out of the blue to say they wanted Ethan & the Bean to be their community café,” she says. “They built out the entire space for us to create a café with teaching and training opportunities.”
Today, Ethan & the Bean employs more than 25 autistic and intellectually disabled individuals across its two locations, and there’s an extensive waiting list. “It’s hard to tell
people we can’t help them right now,” Donovan says.
To that end, the Little Falls café is moving to a larger location. The new, larger space will allow Corner Coffee University, which is still operating out of its original basement location, to move under the same roof as the café.
In Morristown, where Ethan & the Bean already has a large space, “we’d like to have likeminded businesses come under our umbrella. We’d love to pilot our training programs and processes with other cafés or small eateries to expand what we can offer our community,” she says.
As for Ethan, who works two days each week at the Little Falls location of his namesake café, he “loves being in the coffee shop,” his mom says. “It keeps him quite busy. He works at our sugar bar stations. He stamps our bakery bags. He packages online orders. He’s doing real, meaningful work.”
Visit ethanandthebean.com for more information about the Morristown location (70 Speedwell Ave.) and ways to support the café’s mission, or to register for Ethan & the Bean’s 7th annual fundraising golf outing on October 1 at Galloping Hill Park and Golf Course.
Above: Corner Coffee University students and staff. Below: Ethan hard at work stamping bakery bags. PHOTOGRAPHS BY SOCIAL JACK MEDIA
Jim Van Arsdale,
Township,
Jersey, is back to the fast-paced life he loves after successful brain tumor surgery.
A LIFE IN MOTION, INTERRUPTED
A New Jersey mayor’s unexpected brain tumor and his return to full speed
Mayor. Mentor. Actor. Father. Husband. For Jim Van Arsdale, staying active and involved has always been a way of life.
A modern-day Renaissance man, the Green Brook Township, New Jersey, mayor volunteers in his community, mentors graduate students at the University of South Carolina’s Darla Moore School of Business, and even appears as a background actor in television and film productions around the New York region.
Over the years, Jim has volunteered with organizations including United Way and Big Brothers Big Sisters, helped lead his son’s Boy Scouts of America troop, and served on the township’s Land Use Board before deciding to run for
mayor of Green Brook
New
elected office.
“If something’s interesting and I have the time,” Jim says, “I’m all in.”
Then came an unexpected development that temporarily slowed his fast-moving routine.
AN UNEXPECTED DIAGNOSIS
A few years ago, Jim’s shoulder began bothering him, and his doctor ordered an MRI to rule out a tear. The scan showed his shoulder was fine. But it revealed something unexpected: a brain tumor.
Doctors identified the tumor as a benign frontal parasagittal meningioma. Because Jim had no symptoms, his neurologist recommended monitoring the tumor with periodic scans. During that time, Jim continued living normally—working, mentoring students, acting, and serving as mayor.
Eventually, the tumor began to grow. Jim was referred to Atlantic Brain and Spine (ABS), where he met neurosurgeon Dr. Yaron A. Moshel.
“Dr. Moshel was very calm, which was good because I had a ton of questions,” Jim recalls. “He took his time and walked me through everything.”
Dr. Moshel explained the tumor had grown to a size where it needed to be removed before symptoms like seizures or paralysis began, but he told Jim he had some time to plan the surgery. “You don’t need to manage your life around this,” said Dr. Moshel. “Ideally, we do the procedure within the next six months.”
“I never felt pressured,” Jim says. “But I understood why it needed to be done.”
In January of 2025, Dr. Moshel performed a craniotomy and microsurgical resection at Overlook Medical Center in Summit to remove the tumor. Pathology confirmed a World Health Organization Grade I benign meningioma.
Shortly after surgery, Jim experienced paralysis in his right leg caused by postoperative swelling and pressure. Dr. Moshel adjusted his medication, and the paralysis resolved within a day.
Jim returned home and focused on recovery. Physical therapy helped him steadily regain strength and mobility.
“The team was phenomenal,” Jim says. Within two weeks, he was cleared to drive. He had missed only one mayoral meeting.
A SETBACK AT SEA: CARE FROM AFAR
The following month, Jim and his wife, Connie, were preparing for a long-planned cruise. The night before boarding the ship, he suddenly experienced paralysis on his right side.
Because of the upcoming trip, Dr. Moshel had already given Jim his personal cell phone number. Jim reached out immediately. Confident this was a minor setback, Dr. Moshel prescribed the same medication Jim had taken following surgery.
Connie rented a wheelchair, and Jim boarded the cruise as planned.
Dr. Moshel remained in close contact with Jim throughout the trip to make sure he was responding to the treatment. Within two days, the medication began working. Jim moved from a wheelchair to a cane. By the midpoint of the cruise, he was walking independently again.
BACK TO THE LIFE HE LOVES
By March, Jim was off all medications and feeling fully recovered. Followup imaging showed no evidence of residual tumor, so radiation treatment was not recommended. His care team
advised routine annual imaging.
Today, Jim has returned to his usual routine. He serves as mayor of Green Brook Township, mentors students, spends time with his family, and occasionally appears in television productions. “I feel like myself again,” he says.
“It’s great to see Jim back to the life he enjoys,” Dr. Moshel says. “That’s always the goal.”
Looking back, Jim describes the experience as an unexpected journey, one that ultimately brought him back to the life he loves. For someone who has always believed in staying active, it’s a return to exactly where he wants to be.
Dr. Moshel says cases like Jim’s reflect the approach taken at Atlantic Brain and Spine.
“This surgery exemplifies how innovation and experience converge to transform outcomes,” he says. “Our goal at ABS is not just to remove the tumor, but to protect the brain’s intricate networks so patients can return to their lives with minimal disruption.”
Atlantic Brain and Spine is a New Jersey neurosurgical practice specializing in complex brain, spine and neurovascular conditions, with offices across northern and central New Jersey. Learn more at AtlanticBrainAndSpine.org or call 973-993-7100.
Dr. Yaron A. Moshel, a neurosurgeon at Atlantic Brain and Spine, specializes in complex brain tumor surgery focused on preserving patients’ quality of life.
BOOK NOOK
Fresh Reads for Spring
To help you get out and enjoy nature, the library offers everything from book recommendations to binoculars.
SPRING IS A TIME for renewal— and we’re not talking just about your overdue library books! After a long, cold winter, it’s time to get out and enjoy the fresh air and flowers again. You might not realize it, but the library offers a variety of materials to help you enjoy the great outdoors.
We loan museum passes for free admission to outdoor cultural institutions that are as close as Historic Speedwell and Craftsman Farms and as far away as The Intrepid and Storm King Art Center. These passes can be borrowed for four days. Ask at the Circulation Desk for availability.
Our Library of Things includes many items to use outdoors, including bocce and badminton sets, hiking poles, binoculars, and our all-time most popular item—a metal detector to search for buried treasure at the beach! For residents age 18 and up. And, of course, our book collections offer many options for anyone whose outdoor interests lean more toward reading in a lawn chair or a hammock on the porch.
“Leonard Grows a Haunted Garden”
by Mike Ciccotello
In this new picture book by this popular New Jersey author-illustrator, Leonard the ghost will delight young
BY MARY LYNN BRECZA
readers with his humorous story of a not-so-spooky garden. The perfect accompaniment to children’s springtime planting adventures.
“A Cup of Quiet” by Nikki Grimes
In this picture book, Grimes, an award-winning author, explores the beauty and peace found in the garden by a grandmother and granddaughter. The story is a gentle exploration of nature and familial bonds, beautifully illustrated by Cathy Ann Johnson. It’s a perfect spring bedtime story.
“Green Jolene” by Wendy Mass
Second through fourth graders will enjoy the chapter book series by this popular best-selling New Jersey author. Green Jolene’s funny and relatable environmental adventures will appeal to readers who like the Ivy & Bean and Beezus & Ramona series.
“Hazelthorn” by CG Drews
Young adult (YA) readers will appreciate the botanical horror of this new creepy fantasy novel by a New York Times best-selling author. The story of a bloodthirsty garden that demands to be fed will delight teens. If eager summer readers race through
this, Drews also wrote the woodlandthemed YA horror novel “Don’t Let the Forest In.”
“Afoot in Morris: Walking the Parks and Trails of Morris County” by Daniel Chazin and Jim Simpson
This is an instant classic for local hikers of all levels. It covers more than 400 miles of trails in 50+ locations and includes detailed hiking and historical information, outstanding maps, GPS coordinates, and travel and parking directions. A must-read before exploring!
“Plant This, Not That: Over 200 Native Plant Swaps For A More Sustainable, PollinatorFriendly Garden” by Elise Howard
You might have heard that native plants can be better for both the environment and your garden. However, many people don’t know where to start. This is a simple and practical guide for anyone looking to make sustainable changes to their backyard landscapes, and contains lots of photos, maps, and tips for home gardeners.
Mary Lynn Becza is the Assistant Director of the Morristown & Morris Township Library.
The Season That Brings Us Together
Finding small ways to recharge during life’s biggest moments
MAY HAS A WAY of filling every square on the calendar. From graduations and bridal showers to weddings, with Mother’s Day in between. It’s a time focused on spending time with people we care about.
In the middle of it all, there’s a quiet shift in how people celebrate. The most appreciated gifts aren’t always things you can wrap. Often, they’re moments. Time carved out. A chance to feel like yourself again before stepping back into the hectic swirl of plans and expectations.
“Mother’s Day is one of our busiest times of year,” says Erica Kohler, coowner of FACE FOUNDRIÉ Morristown. “A lot of people come in to treat their moms, but just as many moms are coming in themselves. It’s a way to pause and reset.”
On any given day, you might find a mother and daughter spending an hour together before brunch, a soonto-be graduate stopping in ahead of photos, or friends easing into wedding
celebrations, sometimes turning appointments into shared “face parties” before the big day. The treatments are designed to fit into real schedules, but what keeps people coming back is something less tangible.
“It’s not just about one visit,” says co-
owner Katie Kohler. “When people come in regularly, they start to see real changes in their skin and how they feel. Consistency makes a difference.”
A GIFT THAT KEEPS GIVING
That thinking has made ongoing skincare part of the conversation, especially this time of year.
For some, a FACE FOUNDRIÉ membership becomes a more meaningful gift than a single appointment, offering something that extends beyond one day and becomes part of a routine.
That feels especially fitting during a month that celebrates transitions. Graduations mark new beginnings. Weddings bring people together.
Mother’s Day is a time to recognize the care that often goes unseen. Small pauses matter. Not as an indulgence, but to keep up with everything the season asks of us.
For those looking for a thoughtful way to celebrate, FACE FOUNDRIÉ Morristown offers memberships and gift cards, making it easy to give something personal and lasting.
Located at 70 South St., the salon can be reached at 973-524-4307 or online at facefoundrie.com.
LAST LOOK
BLUE SKIES AHEAD
YOU CAN ALMOST feel the warmth of the spring sunshine in this photo of the pond in Burnham Park. In 1911, Frederick and Catherine Burnham donated 30 acres to Morristown to form this park. At the time, they told the Daily Record, “Our idea has been that this ground should be used not as a playground for the benefit of noisy ball games or such other games as are attended by noise and uproar, but rather as a place where tired families can, during the spring, summer, and autumn days, obtain that refreshment which is only obtainable apart from the noise and [con]fusion of a crowd.” Recently, the Burnham Park Association worked with Morristown, Morris Township, and other local stakeholders to develop a long-term revitalization plan. The plan aims to honor the Burnham family’s intentions for the space, while bringing the park into the 21st century by adding ADA-accessible walkways and more. Find out more about the plan at burnhampark.org.
Have a fabulous Morristown photo?
Email it to the editor: Christine.Bockelman@ wainscotmedia.com. It could be featured in an upcoming issue!
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