held a one hundredth birthday cele- bration for one of our first residents, Rose Madsen. A great party, with live entertain- ment, was enjoyed by Rose's Family, fellow Paragon Village residents and visiting dig- nitaries.

Rose was recognized with resolutions from: The Morris County Freeholders: pre- sented by Freeholder Margaret Nordstrom,

The Township of Mount Olive declaring Friday, Jan. 23, 2009 as Rose Madsen Day: presented by Mayor David Scapicchio

Rose Madsen was born January 23, 1909 in Grantwood, NJ to Joseph Safino and Grace Caccola .

We hope you
will enjoy this
issue and all our
issues for many
years to come.
If you would like
to submit articles,
press releases
or story ideas,
please email us at
mjmediaeditor
@gmail. com

Mary Lalama has decided to publish a community month- ly newspaper in Mt Olive and Hackettstown after seeing a void to be filled. Mary and her husband Joe Nicastro who live in Flanders were the founders of the Mt Olive Weekly News and Hackettstown Weekly.

Since selling those papers Mary has started a publication in Long Valley and Chester titled The Black River News and Joe is a General Manager at North Jersey Media Group. Living locally they wanted to publish good news, something both Mary and Joe have done with every paper they have owned.

"I have always found that giving people good local sto- ries with no negatives has been a good formula," Mary says. "Especially during tough times and being bombard- ed with bad news people like to come home and see some good things that are happening in the communities where they live."

Mt Olive This Month , Hackettstown This Month and The Black River News will be joining with our sister papers The Morris Canal News and The Muscanetcong News in your mailboxes each month. We will provide advertisers a way to reach thousands of potential customers and give

We hope you will enjoy this issue and all our issues for many years to come. If you would like to submit articles, press releases or story ideas, please email us at mjmedi- aeditor@gmail.com

For advertising call 973- 252-9889 or email mjmedi- aads@gmail.com

ABR, CRS, SRES,
Sales Associate
Office: 908-879-4900
ext. 109
Direct: 908-879-3373
Toll Free: 800-215-2789

If you are unsure about
your choices in retirement
communities, please call me
for \u201cMature Living Choices,\u201d
listing Adult Communities in
Pennsylvania, New Jersey &
Delaware. I will also include
\u201cA Senior\u2019s Resource Guide\u201d
for Morris & Somerset
Counties. My toll free number
is 800-215-2789
or direct at 908-879-3373.

I have the \u201cSRES\u201d Designation
in Real Estate (Senior Real Estate
Specialists). This designation is
given to realtors who have takn
additional training to handle
real estate transactions
for senior citizens.

delight as \u201cPetite Rouge - A Cajun Red Riding Hood\u201d unfolds on stage at The Growing Stage, The Children's Theatre of New Jersey.

foot-stomping, family-friendly musical was originally commissioned and produced by Imagination Station, Inc., Bethesda, MD.

Directed by founder and Executive Director Stephen L. Fredericks, The Growing Stage production is saucy and col- orful and great fun for the entire family.

You'll delight in laughter when Claude, the alligator, (played by James Scoville) pulls out his \u201cBetty Crocodile Cookbook\u201d in search of a recipe for duck. And you'll find yourself perched on the edge of your seat as Petite Rouge, the curious duck played by Hillary Hawkins, and her side- kick TeJean, a harmonica-playing cat por- trayed by Scott Zenreich, scamper through the Mardi Gras to escape Claude's clutches. It's Little Red Riding Hood as you've never seen it portrayed!

The show runs through March 8 and is a delightful theatre experience for the entire family. Performances are at 7:30 pm on Friday evenings and 4 pm on Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets are $12 for children and

seniors and $16 for adults and may be pur- chased by calling the Box Office at 973- 347-4946 or on-line at www.grow- ingstage.com.

School matinee performances for \u201cPetite Rouge\u201d are available through March 5. For reservations and information, contact Education Director Lori B. Lawrence at 973-347-4946 or e-mail her at eddir@grow- ingstage.com.

Founded in 1981, The Growing Stage was the 2008 recipient of the prestigious Sara Spencer Artistic Achievement Award presented by the American Alliance for Theatre & Education (AATE). The award, named in honor of Sara Spencer, founder of Anchorage Press, and one of the founders of the Children's Theatre Foundation, was presented to The Growing Stage for sus- tained and exceptional achievement in the field of theatre for young audiences.

The Growing Stage, the Children's Theatre of New Jersey, is located in the Historic Palace Theatre, 7 Ledgewood Ave., Netcong, NJ. As the only professional the- atre solely dedicated to young audiences in New Jersey that owns its own facility The Growing Stage offers children throughout the state performances on their Main Stage, an extensive educational program, and in- school performances of select productions. For more information, visit www.grow- ingstage.com.

heat things up. The good news is there\u2019s no need to look too far. New York City is coming to Mt. Olive. Comedian Charles Wilkins will be headlining and emceeing shows featuring some of today\u2019s funniest comics at the Mt. Olive Bar & Grill on Route 206 in Flanders.

During a comedy show in November at the Grill, Wilkins said people were quite sur- prised. \u201cThey thought they were at a major comedy club in New York like Caroline\u2019s or Stand Up New York. They said it was like going to New York without going to New York. It was right in their backyard.\u201d