VOL. 17, NO. 7, JULY 2020 - PUBLISHED MONTHLY FOR THE RESIDENTS OF REGENCY Anil Shah with his 1988 Mercedes Benz 560SL Convertible. Photo submitted by Anil Shah Leading the Regency Car Club’s Memorial Day Car Pa- rade is Dennis Cataldo in his 1948 Studebaker pick-up.” Photo by Steve Wandy Renee Zukerberg in the Regency Actors and Players show Sentimental Journey. Photo by Sandi Shumsky Herb Zukerberg, with his wife Renea, was the founder of what was originally called The Yiddish Club. Photo by Sandi Shumsky Bob Pincu shot a hole in one May 31 on Hole #7. Photo by Nat Willner, submitted by Jason Pulsinelli A photo of the neighborhood taken by Steve Schwartz with his drone in June 2018. Photo submitted by Esther Schwartz In 2015, Esther Schwartz (center) with, from left: Leslie Schoen, Susan Olan, Hollis Borak, and Judy Feingold in the eighth and final Regency Actors and Players Show, “We’re in the Money?!” Photo submitted by Esther Schwartz Meet the new kid on the block, 15- year-old Tibetan Terrier, Reggie Finkelstein. He’s a tough little guy who likes being king of the road. He knew something was up when he saw his human companions Barry and Karen packing stuff in cartons; so being Reggie, he packed up his treats and toys he used to play with to keep as his memories. Reggie loves lying on the grass watching people walk by. Photo by Bea Siegel
Transcript
VOL. 17, NO. 7, JULY 2020 - PUBLISHED MONTHLY FOR THE RESIDENTS OF REGENCY
Anil Shah with his 1988 Mercedes Benz 560SL Convertible. Photo submitted by Anil Shah
Leading the Regency Car
Club’s Memorial Day Car Pa-
rade is Dennis Cataldo in his
1948 Studebaker pick-up.” Photo by Steve Wandy
Renee Zukerberg in the Regency Actors and
Players show Sentimental Journey. Photo by Sandi Shumsky
Herb Zukerberg, with his wife Renea, was the founder
of what was originally called The Yiddish Club. Photo by Sandi Shumsky
Bob Pincu shot a hole in one May 31 on Hole #7. Photo by Nat Willner, submitted by Jason Pulsinelli
A photo of the neighborhood taken by Steve Schwartz with his drone in June 2018. Photo submitted by Esther Schwartz
In 2015, Esther Schwartz (center) with, from left: Leslie Schoen, Susan Olan, Hollis Borak, and Judy
Feingold in the eighth and final Regency Actors and Players Show, “We’re in the Money?!” Photo submitted by Esther Schwartz
Meet the new kid on the block, 15-
year-old Tibetan Terrier, Reggie
Finkelstein. He’s a tough little guy
who likes being king of the road. He
knew something was up when he
saw his human companions Barry
and Karen packing stuff in cartons;
so being Reggie, he packed up his
treats and toys he used to play with
to keep as his memories. Reggie
loves lying on the grass watching
people walk by. Photo by Bea Siegel
JULY 2020 – PAGE 2 REGENCY REPORTER
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Nina Wolff
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DELIVERY COORDINATORS
ELAINE SANDLER 732 605-9373 · LOU FLUMEN 732-641-2495
By Alton Kinsey
During this quarantine, it is
very easy to see the glass as half
empty. But, if we look at the
glass as half full, we can see
hidden positives. Many of us
embraced a technology, which
we did not know how to use or
even existed. We had to adjust
in order to stay connected with
family, friends, and the grocery
store. Many of you are walking,
riding bikes and finally getting
to spend quality time on your
patio. Neighbors are talking
with neighbors. Hopefully this
activity and comradery will
continue once the quarantine is
over.
Many of you were happy to
see the golf course, tennis and
pickleball courts open in May.
These amenities were opened
following the Governor’s direc-
tive and CDC guidelines. But in
order to keep these amenities
open and to open others, we
must follow the guidelines pre-
scribed by the Governor and the
CDC. We must still socially
distance and wear a mask as
indicated by the amenity. These
guidelines are for the safety of
everyone. If these guidelines are
not followed the HOA Board
will be forced to reinstitute the
closure of that amenity. The
HOA Board meets virtually
every week. In addition to the
normal Board agenda, we are
discussing the impact of the
Covid-19 virus on our commu-
nity. When the Clubhouse and
other amenities are opened, the
Board plans to institute updated
CDC and health department
cleaning protocols.
A proposal for a new telecon-
ferencing system was intro-
duced at the virtual May Open
Board Meeting. The need for
this new system began about a
year ago when our current con-
ference call technology was
consistently inadequate. When
the Board looked into replacing
or updating our conference call
ability, we discovered that our
phone system was not compati-
ble with the technology of to-
day. With the quarantine, this
prompted the Board to look at
our current and future commu-
nication needs. The Board needs
the ability to remotely commu-
nicate with Board members, the
community, and vendors. This
is especially important during
this quarantine and will proba-
bly be the blueprint for the fu-
ture. The Board is assessing the
best fit for current and the fu-
A Note from the Board of Trustees
ture needs based on current
available platforms.
At the June Open Board
Meeting, the conclusions from
the Transition 2 negotiations
were shared. As with most ne-
gotiations there was a certain
amount of give and take. The
Board feels that the results from
the negotiations were fair to all.
The majority of items on the
municipal and our (O&S engi-
neering) punch list were ad-
dressed. Items such as our engi-
neering firm overseeing future
repairs and construction in
Phases 7 and 8 were included.
The Board would like to thank
everyone who was involved.
Transition 3 (Phases 9 and 10)
is now in progress. Using what
we learned from Transition 1
and 2, the Board is determining
what is necessary to complete
final delivery of the community
to our homeowners. Issues such
as driveway aprons, sidewalks,
the storm drains/piping system,
as well as roadways are some of
the items to be included in the
Transition 3 negotiations. Also,
to be included is the pond/
irrigation in Phase 10. The
Board contracted with the engi-
neering company of Matrix
New World to create a plan to
correct the turbidity issue on the
North Masters Pond. The cor-
rection will start once the final
construction of homes in Phase
9 is completed. This includes
sodding of the land to prevent
the runoff of sediment into the
pond.
Life as we knew it is differ-
ent. But we are strong and resil-
ient and we will get through this
together. Stay safe and healthy.
Calendar of
Coffee Houses
for 2020 Sunday, November 15 -
Drachman/wan-Chi Sunday, December 6 - TBA
By Ron Post
You might ask, “What is a
REGENCY EMAILER?” Well,
it has been 19 years of sending
residents emails concerning
what is happening at Regency
and elsewhere. At the mini-
mum, one email goes out every
Saturday to 1700 email ad-
dresses, mostly here at Re-
gency. I will send out additional
emails if an issue arises that
residents need to know about.
With COVID-19 many things
have changed. Yet, my emails
continue to be sent out. As diffi-
cult as it is there are messages
dealing with residents who may
have passed away that the fami-
lies ask me to send out. This is
one of the more difficult things
for me to deal with. Due to the
current situation, the Regency
Reporter is not being printed
and delivered to residents’ mail-
boxes. The paper is now in-
cluded in my emails as a PDF,
which anyone can open. The
entire paper is there, with all
pictures in living color. It has
been decided that even when the
Reporter can go back to being
printed, it will still be on the
emails as a PDF. Past papers
will be archived so residents can
have a look back if they so de-
sire.
The reason I am writing this
is because I realize that
NEWER residents might not
have been given THE RE-
GENCY EMAIL AUTHORI-
2020 HOA Public Board
Meeting Schedule
Currently, all public meetings are held Virtually
Wednesday, July 15, 2020
6:30 p.m. – Public Board Meeting in Ballroom
Wednesday, August 19, 2020
6:30 p.m. – Public Board Meeting in Ballroom
Wednesday, September 16, 2020
6:30 p.m. – Public Board Meeting in Ballroom
Wednesday, October 21, 2020
6:30 p.m. – Public Board Meeting in Ballroom – Budget
Presentation
Wednesday, November 18, 2020
6:30 p.m. – Budget Presentation if not previously approved in
We would also like to remind our friends in the Regency commu-
nity that Hadassah sells Shoprite gift cards in the denomination of
$100 per card. Hadassah receives a percentage back from each card
sale. To purchase a card or for more information, please contact
Jane Sussman. Condolence and Greeting Cards can be purchased
from Shelly Schwartz, Sandy Mailman, or Marilyn Krawet. If you
cannot contact one of our card chairpersons, please contact Karen
Ross. For JNF Trees ($18 delivered in Regency, $19 mailed out of
Regency) and Certificates ($10 if delivered in Regency, $11 if
mailed out of Regency) contact Karen Ross or Linda Strauss. Con-
tact Helen Spector if you wish to place a leaf on our Tree of Life.
Phyllis S. Greenberg is our Simcha Chairperson. She will be at our
meetings and events with our Simcha Basket and for a small dona-
tion you will be able to share your Simchas and good wishes.
We are helping heal the world together. Stay strong, stay con-
nected, stay safe!
All are photos of original art by Sandi Shumsky, all photos sent by Sandi Shumsky
First Women’s Seder Honoring Jewish Women of Influence Second Women’s Seder Honoring Righteous Gentiles
Third Women’s Seder Honoring Memories of
Passovers Past
Fourth Women’s Seder Honoring Young Jewish
Women Repairing the World
Fifth Women’s Seder Honoring The Most Important Jewish Woman
REGENCY REPORTER JULY 2020 – PAGE 13
By Marty Feldman
Editor’s Note: This column
was originally supposed to ap-
pear in the June Regency Respec-
tive issue of the Reporter. Due to
an overwhelming response, it was
held over to July and shares
memories from the Regency Din-
ing Club.
A year after Flora and I moved
into Regency (circa 2003), we
thought how nice it would be for
me, the meal preparer for our
household, to teach my male
counterparts the basics of prepar-
ing a meal and at the same time
have neighbors meet each other
while sharing a meal, a glass of
wine and visiting each others’
homes. The premise was that I
would provide menus and recipes
and the husband would do the
cooking. I started the Regency
Dining Club with these goals in
mind (sounded good to me) how-
ever, what happened was that
even when a couple wished to
participate, most husbands re-
fused to cook. Their wives called
and asked whether they could do
the cooking and still participate?
My standard answer, “Of course,
no questions asked.” Each dinner
had a theme - a country, a US
region, city, a holiday…; for our
Shabu Shabu dinner we bought
each host home an electric fondue
type pot to cook in (which they
got to keep) and for our Ethiopian
dinner we went into New Bruns-
wick and delivered to each host
home, before the dinner, orders of
Injera (the Ethiopian bread used
for dipping instead of utensils).
This Regency Dining Club con-
tinued for about nine years with
three hosted dinners per year and
a fourth as a progressive dinner
with couples scurrying from
home to home for various
courses, ending the evening back
at the Clubhouse for dessert and
entertainment. We had everything
from a magician to a well known
comedian over the years with the
one common thread, good food,
good drink, and good friendly fun
for all.
As with any organized activity,
we quickly realized that as we got
older, less willing to cook, and as
the size of the membership in-
creased, some things had to
change. So when we had the ap-
proach of the Lunar New Year
in 2014, an executive decision
was made: the Regency Dining
Club would morph into the Re-
gency Ethnic Restaurant Eat
Around, EREA. Having trav-
eled all over the world for busi-
ness, I felt I would make the
club one that allowed people to
try out dishes they would not
ordinarily order on their own
when going to a new restaurant.
I would choose the menu, they
just had to show up and enjoy.
Our initial dinner for this itera-
tion of the club was a Chinese
banquet at a local restaurant on
Route 9. We had 15 couples
participate for this preset Lunar
New Year menu, and with a
great variety of dishes, for all
types of palates, a wonderful
time was had by all.
Since that initial EREA Dinner
we have had dinners at the fol-
lowing Ethnic restaurants: Portu-
guese (degustation), Spanish
(tapas), Cuban, Thai, Polish, Ko-
rean, Turkish, French, Russian
(Georgian), Brazilian (Rodizio),
Mediterranean (cooking class),
Mongolian (hot pot), Italian
(cooking class), Moroccan (with
belly dancer), and Indian. We
have had participation as high as
100 people, requiring us to have
two separate dates to accommo-
date all interested. Had it not been
for the current situation, we had
scheduled another Russian ban-
quet (in the French style) with
close to 100 participants. When,
not if, the social distancing cli-
mate is behind us, we will re-
sume our EREA events and
look forward to welcoming you
all to join or rejoin us. No mem-
bership fee, no commitment
other than for those dinners who
wish to attend. Keep reading the
Regency Reporter and Ron
Post’s updates for the latest
EREA news. Bon Appetit!
The Regency Dining Club, a Retrospective
Photos submitted by Marty Feldman
JULY 2020 – PAGE 14 REGENCY REPORTER
bandhan gave a presentation on
Health Issues for Seniors with a
focus on Diabetes and Blood
Pressure. IAG members at-
tended this very informative and
helpful program by Zoom. He
has been practicing medicine
for over 20 years and IAG is
fortunate to have him in our
community. His presentation
was followed by Q&A period.
As promised in my article dur-
ing March/April, I am providing
a brief introduction to major
festivals that are celebrated in
India during April, May, and
June:
VAISAKHI (April 13):
Vaisakhi is also known as
Baisakhi. It is an historical and
religious festival that is cele-
brated with prayers, sharing
food and performing spiritual/
religious rituals by Sikhs and
Hindus at the beginning of the
month of Vaisakha. Guru Go-
bind Singh had formed Khalsa
panth of warriors on this day in
1699. It is also a spring harvest
festival for Sikhs and for Hin-
dus it marks the Solar New
Year.
BUDDHA JAYANTI (May
7): Gautam Buddha’s birth an-
niversary is celebrated with
great fervor in India and many
other South East Asian coun-
tries. He was the founder of
Buddhism. Many Buddhists go
to the pagodas to pour water at
the foot of the sacred tree
named “Mahabodhi” under
which he had attained Nirvana
(salvation). Worldwide, devo-
tees of Buddha visit temples,
light candles and incense sticks,
pray and offer fruits with
sweets. Over 600 million people
around the world follow Bud-
dha’s teachings.
EID UL-FITR (May 22): Eid
-ul-Fitr is one of the most im-
portant festivals for Muslims all
over the globe. The day marks
the end of the holy month of
Ramadan, in which Muslims
observe fast from dusk to dawn.
The month-long fasting, which
The Regency Book Club
By Joyce Cohen and Nina
Wolff
A Feel Good Book
The Regency Book Club
decided to switch around its
reading list in the midst of the
Coronavirus; we needed a pick
-me-up! Joyce penned this
article before our Zoom meet-
ing on Tuesday, June 9, so not
everyone may agree with
Joyce’s assessments. Does
Have You Seen Luis Velez by
Catherine Ryan Hyde qualify
as a “feel good” book? Defi-
nitely, yes. However, what
else does it offer? Hyde begins
with a clever premise. She
presents Raymond, an overly
sensitive caring seventeen year
old, as her primary protago-
nist. He wants to help a blind
ninety-two year old neighbor
find her “lost” caretaker, Luis
Velez. Millie (Mrs. G) is smart
and independent, but we are
asked to believe that she has
no phone number to reach
Luis, nor the contact number
for the agency that originally
matched them up. This is the
justification for the search,
and Raymond decides to track
down as many men with the
name “Luis Velez” as he can
from a directory … going “door
to door” to ask if they know
Millie. The literary language is
more suited to a YA audience.
As Raymond follows his search,
he brings out the best in almost
everyone he meets. He is pre-
sented as a friendless boy who
can befriend people in all walks
of life.
Nina reports that when the
group met, they discussed the
merits of reading this book at this
time. The book was suggested to
help relieve what might be a
sense of despair brought on by the
constant numbers of deaths being
reported and the fear of the un-
known. Especially for people in
our age range who find ourselves
isolating and unable to hug our
children and grandchildren.
Mostly everyone enjoyed the
book and agreed that while it was
not literature on a grand scale, it
left us feeling good. Raymond is
a kind soul. We see that right
from the beginning as he is caring
for a feral cat, who he ultimately
brings to Millie so she won’t be
so alone. Raymond, who is bi-
racial, is also very much alone as
his best (and only) friend is mov-
ing to California and he is split-
ting his time living with his di-
vorced parents and their respec-
tive “new” families. Neither his
step-father nor step-mother care
for him and his own mother is
busy raising his three half-sisters,
thereby having very little time for
him.
As Joyce says, ultimately, this
is an adventure story that can be
very appealing. I won’t spoil the
book for those who will still
read it by giving too detailed a
summary. In spite of her writing
style, I will say that the themes
Hyde explores are very much
adult ones. Questions about
both murder and justice are
raised and even more important
are the psychological issues that
are woven throughout. Adoles-
cents have evolving self images,
and Raymond is the embodi-
ment of someone who sees him-
self as a misfit. Millie has
gained her wisdom through the
years. Nina adds that due to the
fact that her father had money,
her family was able to escape
from Hitler’s Germany in 1938.
While she provides the balance
for Raymond’s insecurities, she,
herself, has lived her life with
“survivors guilt.”
Unfortunately, Joyce was
unable to attend the Book Club
Zoom. In the next few months
we look forward to discussing
The Giver of Stars by Jojo Mo-
yes, and Olive, Again by Eliza-
beth Strout. Our next Book
Club Zoom Meeting will be on
Tuesday, July 14 at 4 p.m.
Marcia Midler will send out the
link. Perhaps we can have a face
to face out on the deck of the
Clubhouse in the near future.
Keep in touch.
Memories from Past
Culture Club Events
Photos submitted by Milton Paris
By Anil Shah
During the past few months
our daily lifestyles had to be
adjusted to suit conditions cre-
ated by COVID - 19. Each of us
have been adapting to the
change with increased participa-
tion by using Face Time, Face-
book, Zoom, Team, WhatsApp,
etc. YouTube, Netflix, Amazon
and many other services have
also been very helpful to keep
us entertained. The weather has
improved, and it has allowed us
to enjoy outdoor activities while
taking precautions for every-
one’s safety. The Regency Car
Club had organized a Car Pa-
rade in honor of Memorial Day.
IAG was represented by Anil
Shah and his wife Chandni.
They participated in the car pa-
rade with their Classic Con-
vertible 1988 Mercedes Benz
560SL. All cars were very im-
pressive and looked beautiful.
The car parade was well organ-
ized, and each car drove by
houses on all streets of Re-
gency. Residents came out of
their houses in large numbers
and turned it into a very festive
and patriotic two-hours long
celebration with their enthusias-
tic cheering, clapping, dancing,
playing bells, blowing whistles
and waving American flags
with thank you signs. The writer
also attended a Cars and Coffee
event that was casually organ-
ized by the Regency Car Club.
It was a lot of fun joking around
with member friends in the
parking lot of a nearby Dunkin
Donuts. I will tell you a secret
but please do not tell my wife…
I did not measure my sugar
level throughout the entire day
and felt very energetic!
IAG member Dr. Rama Sam-
is considered to be the sternest
one, ends on the eve of Eid after
sighting the first crescent of the
new moon. Ramadan is the holi-
est month for the followers of
Islam. It is believed that Allah
(God) on this day delivered the
first verses of the Quran. As per
tales, the month of Ramadan
was started when Prophet
Mohammad migrated from
Mecca to Medina. This festival
is celebrated with a lot of fervor
and joy. People worldwide greet
each other, exchange gifts and
feast on special delicacies. On a
personal note, ever since I was a
child, I have loved this day con-
suming delicious food with Khir
and fancy sweets!
In India, there are more festi-
vals than there are total number
of days in a year! I have only
covered major festivals. Like all
of you, I too am waiting for
things to get better and be able
to start meeting friends and
family. Until then…STAY
SAFE AND STAY WELL!
IAG Members Continue
To Stay Active!
REGENCY REPORTER JULY 2020 – PAGE 15
Single Stream
Recycling
Mixed recycling is now collected each Wednesday. All recyclables (paper, bot-tles, cans, plastic, etc.) can be placed in the same container and put out each week.
While many residents are mentioned in articles as people to
“get in touch with,” their phone numbers are not. The policy of
the Regency Reporter is not to print phone numbers in articles.
The phone numbers of residents mentioned in articles can be
found in the Regency Directory.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
The Editorial Board
The Senior Sensations
Wants You!!
Our Troupe - dancers from G/W, Regency, Stonebridge, and
the surrounding Monroe area, is always growing and
looking for talent.
Our last performance, “Dancin’ through the USA” received a
standing ovation and rave reviews.
We’ve had jugglers and twirlers added to our singers and
dancers to enhance our performance throughout the years.
If you have special talent and have the desire to perform with a
great group of women…
Contact Bunny Feigenbaum (609) 395-8174
Harmony in
Motion 2020
Calendar
We are hoping to be able to
hold these events
· Saturday, August 22,
2020 - Summer White
Party
· Saturday, October 31,
2020 - A Halloween
Party
· Saturday, December 5,
2020 - Membership
Party free event
The weather is still unpredict-
able with wild windy days, lots
of rain, and all of a sudden a
blast of sunshine the next day,
which is what I call “dog
weather,” that makes them feel
feisty and happier than when
the temperature rises and be-
comes more uncomfortable for
your canine companion. Dogs
perspire by panting and through
the pads of their feet. A note of
caution – your dog is having a
great time running after that
ball, but heat exhaustion sets in
(Continued from page 17) quickly, so don’t wait for their
tongue to hang out. Giving your
canine companion time to rest
between fun-time will prevent
your having to rush them to the
emergency animal hospital.
When out-and-about, always
have water available for them.
Now is a good time to go over
your pet’s list of vaccinations to
be sure they’re up-to-date, and
very important is the Bordatella
vaccination to prevent Kennel
Cough, which is very contagious
to other dogs. In the meantime,
stay safe, stay healthy.
The Pet Corner
By Doug Poye
The pandemic continues to
affect the future operation of
our schools through a reduction
of state aid and a delay of any
referendum to provide badly
needed classrooms come Sep-
tember. My May article re-
ported that the Board budget for
the next school year would re-
ceive $7,039,000 in aid from the
state; however, the state, faced
with reduced revenues as a re-
sult of the pandemic, notified
Monroe that it was reducing the
aid to $6,239,000. Counter to
what some residents projected,
this reduction in aid will not
result in a larger tax increase
than originally established when
the budget was adopted back in
April . The approximate
$800,000 reduction will be han-
dled by several actions. The
four classroom trailers, which
were to be installed at the high
school over the summer, will be
deferred. The savings is
$630,000, which was the initial
cost of leasing the trailers as
well as the cost of their installa-
tion. The administration, in con-
sultation with the high school
principal, decided on this action
even though it meant that the
over-crowded building would
have to go another year with
even more students. The alter-
native would have been to cut
programs and/or instructional
staff. Another $100,000 will be
eliminated by deferring any
referendum to build additional
classroom spaces until the sum-
mer of 2021.
At its May meeting the Board
listened to a presentation by
Superintendent Alvich in which
she outlined three plans de-
signed to alleviate the over-
crowding in at least three of the
schools in the district: the high
school, the middle school, and
one elementary school. A meet-
ing of the Building, Grounds
and Transportation Committee
on June 1 made it apparent that
the Board would need more
time to look at various options
on how, when, and where to
construct additional classrooms.
Not knowing what changes in
the operations of the schools
may occur in the coming year,
the economic situation within
the town, and whether the pro-
jected number of students over
the next five years will occur if
families delay moving into
Monroe, the delay in a referen-
dum may well be the best route
to take at this time. The remain-
der of cuts needed to make up
for the loss of state aid will
come from the elimination of
two new non-instructional posi-
tions, which the administration
felt could be handled with cur-
rent staffing.
The conduct of one or more
Board members came under
attack at its monthly meeting on
June 10. It was reported that the
confidentiality of the Board’s
closed sessions had been vio-
lated based on evidence avail-
able on social media. Sessions
are “closed” and occur near the
end of a regular monthly meet-
ing whenever the topics involve
students, staff, administrators,
or potential contracts. Members
are prohibited from divulging
discussions until such can be
disclosed to the public by the
Board president. Several mem-
bers expressed their dismay
over the breach of confidential-
ity and called for an investiga-
tion by an independent attorney.
The Board voted unanimously
to authorize the investigation. A
second issue concerning the
conduct of Board member Peter
Tufano was aired by at least
five members of the public who
called into the virtual meeting
during the Board’s second public
session. The callers made refer-
ence to demeaning statements
that Tufano allegedly posted on
social media. One caller men-
tioned that a petition seeking Tu-
fano’s removal from the Board
had garnered over 2500 signa-
tures within a matter of a few
days. Reports on this issue have
appeared on nj.com (June 10) as
well as in the Star Ledger (June
11). The petition drive began with
alumni of the high school.
This article is written by a
former member of the Board of
Education and has not been
written at the request of the
Board. It is provided for infor-
mational purposes to the mem-
bers of this community.
Pandemic Alters Future Planning for Our Schools;
Board Members’ Conduct Questioned
By Steven Brody
Modified Start to
2020 Tennis Season
Due to COVID-19 the Re-
gency Tennis season was put on
hold, as were all other activities.
The courts were finally opened
the week before the Memorial
holiday weekend. In order to
open, strict guidelines were im-
plemented which included open-
ing only three of the six courts. In
addition, no night time play was
allowed. The good from this was
the courts were finally opened.
Because of COVID-19 and the
stay at home guidance that we
had been living under since early
March, it was a much needed
outdoor activity. I have nothing
against walking and bike riding
(if you have a bike), but those
activities were getting old. For
those of us who enjoy tennis it
was a great new activity to add to
our daily “what to do today.” The
last two weeks of May and the
first two weeks of June saw terri-
fic weather for morning games.
Some afternoons did get too hot
to safely play, although I did per-
sonally play on a number of those
days. It’s been a lot of fun playing
and getting much needed exer-
cise. It is great seeing people
playing singles matches as well as
doubles being played. Hopefully
by mid-June night time play will
be allowed and all six courts will
be available.
For those tennis players who
are new to Regency and are
looking to get some games in
we have something called
“Drop in Tennis.” Bud Ratner
organizes these games. They
run Monday through Friday at
9:30 a.m. If you are interested
and want to join in, there is an
app ca l led TeamReach.
Download it and look for mem-
ber Drop in Tennis. Or just
come by the courts and ask one
of us about it. A number of peo-
ple have asked me about col-
lecting club dues and setting up
organized events as we had
done in previous years. As of
now I am not collecting any
dues as I do not know what to
expect in terms of gatherings of
people either outdoors or in-
doors. Many times, in the past
the Tennis Club would run an
event on a Saturday or Sunday
then have a catered meal after-
wards either in the Pavilion or
in the Clubhouse. If the social
distancing guidelines are further
relaxed as the season pro-
gresses, I’ll try to put some
events together.
For now though get out on the
courts, knock the ball around,
play the game you’re most com-
fortable with, and most impor-
tantly get exercise.
REGENCY SPORTS
On the Tennis Courts
REGENCY REPORTER JULY 2020 – PAGE 19
The Golf
World
Handicap
System
By Jason Pulsinelli,
PGA Professional
The World Handicap Sys-
tem was introduced in January
2020. There are five important
changes that you should be
aware of. The handicap index
calculation is changing. In the
past it was based off your 10
best scores of your past 20.
Now it is you best eight of
your past 20 scores. You will
have a playing handicap. The
formula of slope rating and
now course rating and par will
be used to determine your
playing handicap, allowing
players to compete from dif-
ferent tees more easily. Net
double bogey will replace eq-
uitable stroke control. Net
bogey, the maximum hole
score for handicap purposes,
will be limited to net double
bogey (par+2+any handicap
stokes you receive). You will
have more responsive handi-
cap index updates. Your
handicap index will update the
day after your score. On days
you don’t submit a score the
system will not update your
handicap. The system will
account for abnormal playing
conditions, limit extreme up-
ward movement of handicap
index, and reduce a handicap
index when an exceptional
score is posted. For more in-
formation on the World
Handicap System please visit
usga.org/whs.
Photos above by Golf Pro Jason Pulsinelli
By Ron and Susan Kane
Editor’s Note: The authors
report that at the time of this
trip and even to when the article
was written, COVID-19 had not
reached this faraway part of
Brazil; in early May, it finally
reached Manaus and is having
a terrible impact on an unpre-
pared population.
We returned from a three
week cruise aboard the Viking
Sea on March 12, just in time to
see the country shut down be-
cause of COVID-19. Our trip
featured a thousand mile cruise
up the Amazon River to Manaus
where the Amazon River meets
the Rio Negro at the “meeting
of the waters.” The meeting
point is obvious as the Rio Ne-
gro water is black and the Ama-
zon is muddy brown with float-
ing islands of green jungle de-
bris atop the water. The two
rivers take miles to mix, with
the Amazon eventually over-
coming its major tributary, not
unlike the meeting of the Mis-
souri and Mississippi near St.
Louis. But the one major differ-
ence is the amount of water and
width of the Amazon system
compared to all others in the
world - seven times greater than
the next largest river system.
There were times along the way
that it seemed we were on a lake
with the river banks so far
away.
When we reached Manaus - a
city of two million people in the
middle of the Amazon region,
we took a pre-arranged private
tour with two other couples. We
had chosen a tour with a fluent
English-speaking guide in this
Portuguese language country;
the guide we got was far better
than we could have hoped for.
The tour included a boat ride up
the Rio Negro, a visit to an in-
digenous tribe, a trek into the
Amazon jungle, and a lunch.
While our boat did have seven
passengers, we were booked for
more than a three hour tour so
there was no expectation we
would wind up as castaways on
Gilligan’s Island or similar. The
boat was not the most fashion-
able one but it stayed afloat and
moved well enough for the hour
it took to reach our stop at the
“village” to meet the indigenous
tribe. On the way there, we
passed under the only bridge in
the Amazon region (over the
Rio Negro) and chugged along
before pulling into a sandy flat
area next to the village. The
village had three thatched roof
huts - two dwellings and a tribal
meeting hall.
Cruise ship tours don’t visit
this village, but our guide knew
the members of the tribe and
had permission to show up un-
announced with guests. A senior
male of the tribe, dressed only
in shorts (no footwear) and with
facial markings of some signifi-
cance, greeted us and was to be
our jungle guide. We also met
tribal children and women, all
dressed or undressed depend-
ing on perspective as the
Maidenform idea had not yet
reached the female members
of this group. Being topless is
apparently a unisex concept
here. But we noticed a small
satellite dish on a tree near
one of the dwellings and later
the tribal members were eas-
ily able to make change in
US dollars for any of the
“showroom wares” (hand-
made musical instruments of
sorts) in the meeting hut.
Capitalism and international
commerce had reached even
this primitive outpost.
The native guide led us on
a mile-long trek via a narrow
path from the village directly
into the primary jungle, clearing
the way with a machete and
pointing out various plant spe-
cies useful in combating any
number of nasty diseases and
conditions. The six Americans
(Continued on page 20)
Indigenous tribe jungle trek guide
Indigenous tribal women with the instruments we bought for our
grandsons.
Ron Kane and guide for the day at
the floating restaurant along an
Amazon tributary. Photos by Susan Kane
An Adventure in the Amazon
Congratulations Monroe Township
High School Class of 2020
By Dr. Dori Alvich,
Superintendent of Schools
I know that this year did not
end the way the Class of 2020 or
the district thought it would. This
class of students missed out on
some milestones that others be-
fore them have enjoyed. But as a
district and a community, we
invented new ways to celebrate
our amazing class. Some of the
events planned are included here.
On June 24, we celebrated our
graduating class with a virtual
graduation. This is available for
viewing on our website - https://
w w w . m o n r o e . k 1 2 . n j . u s /
Domain/113
The virtual celebration was
followed by a wave parade and a
township-wide Graduate Sound
Off. A group of parents began a
Facebook campaign for “Adopt-a
-Senior.” Members of the com-
munity adopted a senior via the
Facebook page and communi-
cated with them to send care
packages for the end of the year.
Our senior spring athletes deco-
rated our fences in front of the
high school with their sports
memories. And we are currently
planning a Zero Year reunion for
fall 2020.
I am proud to share with you
the future plans of our graduating
seniors, which include prestigious
college acceptances, military as-
signments, and new members of
our work force. Please see the list
of colleges/universities that our
students are attending in the fall.
Please join me in celebrating our
AMAZING Class of 2020!
American University, Auburn
University, Berkeley College-
Woodbridge Location, Berklee
College of Music, Binghamton
University, Bloomsburg Univer-
sity of Pennsylvania, Boston Col-
lege, Boston University, Brook-
dale Comm. College, Cabrini
University, Cal Poly, San Luis
Obispo, Carnegie Mellon Univer-
sity, Catholic University of
America, Clemson University,
Cornell University, Delaware
Valley University, DePaul Uni-
versity, Drew University, Drexel
University, East Stroudsburg
University of Pennsylvania,
Elizabethtown College, Elon Uni-
versity, Fashion Institute of Tech-
nology, Florida Atlantic Univer-
sity, Florida Institute of Technol-
ogy, Georgetown University,
Georgia Institute of Technology-
Main Campus, High Point Uni-
versity, Ithaca College, Jackson-
ville University, James Madison
U n i v e r s i t y , J e f f e r s o n
(Philadelphia U and Thomas Jef-
ferson U), Kean University, Kent
State University, Kutztown Uni-
versity, Lycoming College.
Also, Manhattan College,
Maryland Institute College of Art,
Mercer County Comm. College,
Middlesex Comm. College, Mid-
dlesex County College, Mon-
mouth University, Montclair
State University, Moravian Col-
lege, Morgan State University,
Muhlenberg College, New Jersey
Institute of Technology, New
York University, Northeastern
University, Nova Southeastern
University, Ohio University-Main
Campus, Oklahoma State Univer-
sity-Main Campus, Pace Univer-
sity-New York, Pennsylvania
State University, Pitzer College,
Princeton University, Providence
College, Purdue University-Main
Campus, Queen’s University,
Ramapo College of New Jersey,
Rider University, Rowan Univer-
sity, Russell Sage College, Rut-
gers University - Camden/ New
(Continued on page 20)
JULY 2020 – PAGE 20 REGENCY REPORTER
in the group were, of course,
wearing long sleeves, long
pants, hats and heavy footwear,
and were fortified with anti-
malarial medication to avoid
infections from mosquito bites.
The native guide, barefoot and
only in shorts, stopped at one
tree, disturbed a small ant col-
ony (getting his hands full of
ants) and then rubbed his hands
together to produce a crushed
ant salve that is used to ward off
mosquitoes. Other plants could
be used to ward off other ail-
ments. We kept thinking that
they must get sick all the time if
they needed so many native
remedies.
We then re-boarded our boat
and entered a small tributary off
the Rio Negro and saw the re-
mains of a huge hotel and vaca-
tion complex, now almost com-
pletely taken over by the jungle.
The complex was once host to
many wealthy Americans seek-
(Continued from page 19)
PLEASE PRINT YOUR AD ON 8.5 X 11” PAPER
Visit Regency on the web:
www.regencyhoa.com
Regency
Defibrillators -
Do You Know
Where They Are?
The Clubhouse is equipped
with four (4) AED’s - the lo-
cations are as follows;
· Ballroom 2 - by the second
set of doors
· Indoor Pool
· Fitness Studio
· Gym
The Tennis Pavilion and
courts each have an AED -
There is one (1) located in the
Tennis Pavilion on the wall by
the kitchen. The other is lo-
cated on the walkway between
the middle courts.
We also have one (1) at the
outdoor pool and one (1) at
the pickleball courts.
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
Home
Improvement &
Services
MIKE THE HANDYMAN – See my display ad in this edi-tion. (732) 780-0468.
Miscellaneous/
Services
FOREVER YOURS LAND-SCAPING, INC. – Landscape and maintenance. Rocks, mulch, pavers, power washing. Owner operated. Fully insured. Free estimates. License #13VH05891100. Call Frank (732) 284-1692.
Help & Health
Services
AT ANGEL TOUCH HOME CARE we provide excellent care for the elderly with li-censed, insured and bonded thoroughly screened aides. We are a company that cares for our patients and makes sure they are treated by the best. 24-hour care (living with resident). Elderly companion-ship. Call (609) 907-6059.
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Recycling
Mixed recycling is now collected
each Wednesday. All recyclables
(paper, bottles, cans, plastic, etc.)
can be placed in the same container
and put out each week.
MONROE TWP.
FIRE
DISTRICT #3 AT YOUR
SERVICE,
ANYTIME.
www.mtfd3.com
609–409–2980
I PROVIDE SENIOR CARE. Part time. Mila. Tel: (732) 841-6071.
Wanted to Buy
BUYING & SELLING GUNS – Call for pricing. (609) 558-9509. Ask for David. Licensed Firearms Dealer.
House
Cleaning
ERICA’S CLEANING SER-VICE—Free estimate. Great references. Call at (203) 207-1241.
QUALITY HOUSE CLEAN-ING—Experienced and reli-able, trustworthy and respect-ful. References. (609) 858-4296.
