Hit or Miss
Phillies’ shortstop Jimmy Rollins and wife Johari are in the final stages of opening the Johari & Jimmy Rollins Center for Animal Rehabilitation at Saint Francis Veterinary Center in Woolwich Township. The rehab center will open its doors on April 20.
A federal court ruling upheld Mount Laurel Township’s ban on billboards throughout its limits—including on Interstate 295. This wasn’t the first time the ban had been challenged.
Daycare center Haddonfield Child Care faced a backlash in the national news circuit and on social media after canceling a scheduled event featuring drag queen Martha Graham Cracker, who was originally invited to read Dr. Seuss stories to the children but uninvited after being deemed “inappropriate.”
One Southampton man is suing television personality Dr. Mehmet Oz after following his televised advice and microwaving socks with uncooked rice in them to help aid sleep. The man claims the overheated rice left him with third-degree burns on his feet.
Atlantic City’s 40/40 Club, owned by music mogul Jay-Z, closed its doors following financial struggles and poor attendance.
The Tri-State Transportation Campaign named Route 130 and Route 38 as the most dangerous roads for pedestrians in Burlington County as well as some of the most dangerous in the state.
Did You Hear?
“Everybody that has ever played a professional sport would like to go out on their terms and very few get to. ... As we all know, that rarely happens. I don’t know if this is the end or not. I guess time will tell and we’ll see how that goes.”
Former Flyers’ Captain and Haddonfield resident Chris Pronger at a press conference on March 7 to discuss the Oct. 24, 2011, hit that left him with a serious concussion and eye injury.
Street Level
Mount Laurel
Police arrested a North Carolina man driving on I-295 who was in possession of a handgun, hollow point bullets and other weapons after other drivers called 911 to report that he was flashing the gun while driving.
Collingswood
One local mom took action after catching her son stealing from the cars of the Heights of Collingswood apartment complex, calling the police and aiding in her son’s arrest. This is the second time the mother has reported her child’s bad habits to authorities.
Westville
Someone hot-wired a front-end loader and took the machinery on what is being called a suspected drunken-joyride, ending the trip by crashing into the front of the local Piston Diner, which is now closed for repairs.
Health: All is Well
With new and constantly changing health care innovations available to the public, Americans are taking a good, hard look at their own personal options. And Dr. Allan Magaziner, founder and medical director of the Magaziner Center for Wellness in Cherry Hill, is here to help with his Wellness 2013 event this April, a conference for public and health care professionals focused on maintaining the health of area residents.
Magaziner—along with associates Dr. Scott Greenberg and Dr. Robert Steinberg—are nationally recognized experts in the fields of treating chronic diseases and immune disorders. The Magaziner Center for Wellness focuses on treating patients with natural, alternative methods, and the man behind it all is never afraid to share his wealth of knowledge. You can find Magaziner on Fox 29’s News at 5 program every Thursday during his “HealthTalk” appearance, or check out any of his four published works.
For his Wellness 2013 event, Magaziner will call on three other experts to speak. The first speaker is Caldwell Esselstyn, MD, the highly acclaimed physician for former president Bill Clinton, whom he helped recover from quadruple bypass surgery. Bestselling New York Times author and fitness expert J.J. Virgin will also be present, along with the world’s foremost authority on genetically modified organisms (GMOs), Jeffrey Smith.
A selection of exhibitors will also feature methods of maintaining and improving health. Wellness 2013 will be held April 21 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Fox EDU Center, 7 Carnegie Plaza, Cherry Hill. For more information, visit the event’s website at Wellness2013.com.
15 Minutes: Highway to Hell’s Kitchen
Meet Cyndi Stanimirov (pictured), of Café Madison in Riverside, who is currently facing off in celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay’s cut-throat culinary competition, Hell’s Kitchen, on Fox. Ramsay, who is known for his outbursts and intensity, recruits chefs from across the country to earn a spot in his restaurants, and Willingboro’s Stanimirov is one of the lucky few still in the running for the coveted title.
We talked with the local chef about the heat of Hell’s Kitchen, life in front of a reality television camera, and coming face to face with TV’s most terrifying judge.
How does a chef end up on a cooking competition in the first place?
My family has always supported me through my career and wanted me to compete in one of these competitions and Hell’s Kitchen was my favorite. I coincidentally saw it on a Craigslist ad, and they were going to be in Philadelphia so I couldn’t pass it up. My grandmother—who was my biggest supporter—passed away in January of 2012 so I made a promise to myself that I would do one of these for her. It was a blessing in disguise.
How is cooking on reality TV different than in your professional kitchen?
Working in a brand new kitchen is the biggest challenge. You don’t know where things are and how things work, and of course Gordon is a stickler to doing things the way he wants. It’s about doing things right while knowing that Gordon Ramsay is ready to chew your head off at any minute.
So is Ramsay as tough as he seems?
Chef Ramsay is as critical as he seems on camera. There is a definite difference from watching him on camera to being face to face and having him screaming right at you. But it’s different because you get the sense that he really cares; he sees what you have to offer. He may be screaming in your face, but there is a mentor aspect, and he brings the best out of you.
Have you taken any of the experiences from the show back to work with you?
I definitely came back to work with a higher standard, not wanting to compromise any quality whatsoever. I brought Chef Ramsay’s high standards back with me.
Is there anything you’re nervous to see on camera?
I’m nervous to see what pops up. I don’t really remember what happened in the beginning, so that’s going to be all new to me. It’s all in good fun but we are professionals competing in one of the hardest culinary competitions there is out there. I hope that people take that this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I did my best.
Go Figure
66,400: The number of new jobs created in New Jersey in 2012, the largest spike since 2000.
110: The age of Woodbury’s Mabel Wilson, who celebrated another birthday on March 18.
15: Atlantic City’s ranking—out of 20—in Forbes Magazine’s list of America’s Most Miserable Cities for 2013. It beat Camden by only two spots in categories like violent crimes, unemployment and foreclosures.
$5,000,000: The price of the class action lawsuit filed in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and several other states accusing Anheuser-Busch of watering down a variety of their beers, including Budweiser, Michelob and Bud Light Platinum.
$3: The new price to ride Wildwood’s Boardwalk tram car, up 50 cents since last summer.
$3: The raise in Gloucester County College’s tuition, per credit.
$45,000: Amount raised by Flying Fish Brewery in Somerdale through the sale of its Forever Unloved—or FU—Sandy beer. The entire proceeds will go toward Hurricane Sandy relief.
226: The big anniversary Haddonfield Friends School celebrates this year. The private school was established in 1786.
300: Official age of the borough of Haddonfield, which will be honored in conjunction with the school at HFS’ April 27 Annual Spring Auction.
$163,525: Amount issued to historic landmarks across Burlington County by the New Jersey Historic trust to help aid renovations and upkeep.
37: Number of historic states across New Jersey to receive part of the $1.39 million 2013 budget.
6: Number of local Panera Bread chains in Burlington and Camden counties that have teamed up with the Food Bank of South Jersey’s Community Breadbox Program. Select locations will now have donation stations available at all registers.
1,100: Total number of tickets sold to the Harrington and Hartford schools’ staff basketball game against the Harlem Wizards, a professional entertainment team, on March 16.
Arts and Culture: Taking the Stage
Lumberton native Brandon Monokian has taken his passion of performing and writing across the East Coast, acting, directing and producing in New York City, Princeton and Martha’s Vineyard. Now the playwright is returning home, showing his new play, “Grimm Women,” at Philadelphia’s Adrienne Theater.
A comedic tale of the characters from the beloved Grimm’s Fairy Tales, Monokian thrusts characters like Cinderella, Rapunzel and Hansel and Gretel into the modern world, facing current problems with classic lessons. Monokian pulled a cast of characters as unique as the show itself including lead actress Briella Calafiore, a former reality show stylist-turned-stage performer. Calafiore has appeared regularly on Jersey-centric shows like “Jerseylicious” and “Glam Fairy,” but takes the stage as Red, Monokian’s spin on Little Red Riding Hood.
You can catch “Grimm Women” at the Adrienne Theater April 22-May 5. Visit GrimmWomen.com for info.
Names to Know
Local people making a difference in South Jersey and beyond
Richard Shallcross, a 2006 graduate of Holy Cross High School, joined a small club of Hollywood elite to take home an Oscar in 2013. Shallcross, a lighting technical director currently residing in Los Angeles, took home an Academy Award for Visual Effects for his work in the film Life of Pi. He’s worked in visual effects for films like Hop, Big Miracle and Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, but this is his first Academy Award.
Burlington County College basketball player Mama Traore has been named Player of the Year by the Garden State Athletic Conference. Traore, the second-year captain and walk-on athlete originally from Mali, Africa, was also named to the First Team in the 2013 Division II All-GSAC Team. She finished the season seventh in the nation in offensive rebounds, and ninth in the nation in points scored per game.
Mount Laurel’s Barry Williams was sworn in as the Burlington County College Foundation board chair. The BCC class of 1980 alumnus, originally from Pemberton, has served on the BCC Foundation Board since 2006, and previously held a position as chair of the Trusteeship Committee.
Doane Academy junior Catherine Baldwin was selected to receive the Widener University High School Leadership Award. Baldwin, the junior class president, was chosen based on academic excellence and impressive leadership characteristics. She was one of 93 students to receive a $20,000 scholarship from Widener.
Camden Catholic coach Jim Crawford was honored at an Alumni Day ceremony for his 700th career win with the boys basketball team. As one of only three coaches in South Jersey to reach 700 wins, Crawford has coached the team for 35 years, earning 10 conference championship titles and three state titles.
Burlington County Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Kristi Howell Ikeda received the Outstanding Women of Burlington County award by the Burlington County Board of Chosen Freeholders. Ikeda was among six honored for her work with community service in the area, and for her success in managing the growth of her own chamber.
Revel Resort in Atlantic City named Jeffrey Hartmann the interim chief executive officer following the resignation of Kevin DeSanctis. Hartmann previously served as the president and chief executive officer of the Mohegan Sun Resort in Connecticut and has been consulting with Revel since the start of the year.
Woolwich interior decorator Teresa Tocco-Davenport, owner of Absolute Living Today, LLC, earned official certification as an Accredited Professional in Sustainability by the Sustainable Furnishings Council, a national organization that promotes sustainability in the home furnishings industry. Tocco-Davenport is the only interior decorator in Burlington, Camden and Gloucester counties to earn the certification, and one of only 12 in the state.
Do you know a local person who is doing great things? Let us know by e-mailing Erica@SouthJersey.com.
Published (and copyrighted) in South Jersey Magazine, Volume 10, Issue 1 (April, 2013).
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