Painted on the back wall of Allendale's Complete Game training facility are the words "I will." With a period at the end.The period was very important to Patrick Stanley of Ramsey, a former professional baseball player, who opened his West Crescent Avenue training facility for all things baseball and softball in 2012. The company that did the lettering charged him per character -- and he had to pay extra for that period. "It's important because people will add 'but' or 'if' or 'and,'" he said. "No. If you want something, you have to go take it." Stanley knows that firsthand. Born in Ramsey, Stanley played for Pace University before a 7-year professional career. He was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in 2004, and made it as far as AAA with the Detroit Tigers in 2009. There were times he wanted to break down. There were times he wanted to quit. There were times he said "but" or "if" or "and" after "I will." "You can’t let a coach know your’e struggling mentally," said the former professional ball player. "If you do, you’re like damaged goods — and it’s hard. "You learn how to close yourself off and mask it but inside you’re getting eaten alive." But now, Stanley is determined to change that. In 2012, he opened his W. Crescent Avenue training facility with a simple mission: investing in the lives of his athletes. Started with those two simple words: "I will." "Those words are a complete attitude change," said the father of two, who has also lived in Hasbrouck Heights, Mahwah and Hawthorne. For the entire 45-minute lesson, all of Stanley's focus -- and the trainers that work at his facility -- are on the athlete. "They struggle with how to analyze how they did, and that’s a problem because they walk around thinking they failed." Individualizing practice helps his clients with character development as both athletes and people, Stanley explained. COMPLETE GAME IS LOCATED AT 260 WEST CRESCENT AVE., ALLENDALE. "A kid comes in and says 'I didn't pitch well because I let up five runs,'" Stanley said. "I'd tell them that they didn't. Five people scored, but there are a lot of factors that went into that. "They struggle with how to analyze how they did, and that’s a problem because they walk around thinking they failed." That starts at the lowest playing level, and it sucks the life out of the game, he said. That's the most dangerous part about it. "I don't know how many kids are going to make baseball part of their lives, but I want my instruction to have a deeper impact.""I care about these kids," Stanley said. "I don’t like to see people struggle mentally or emotionally. Nowadays it’s tough. "Do these people have an outlet where they can deal with the things they're going through? "I don't know how many kids are going to make baseball part of their lives, but I want my instruction to have a deeper impact." The Other F-Word," a comedy series streaming on Amazon had its Season Two premiere in Ridgewood where much of its cast is from. The show, created and produced by Caytha Jentis of Ridgewood and Waldwick, revolves around four 40-plus women dealing with the trials and tribulations of life with and without kids and all the bizarre and real things that happen as relationships ebb and flow.Many scenes are shot in the area and feature actors from both Ridgewood and Wyckoff (i.e. Rosie McCooe, Matt Surmac, and Seamus McCooe).Also starring in the series: Steve Guttenberg, Gilbert Gottfried, Nancy Giles, Judy Gold, and Alysia Reiner.Marci Hopkins of Wyckoff is an associate producer.
BERGEN COUNTY, N.J.-- Sangria may look easy -- a little wine, a little fruit, a filled-to-the-rim pitcher, but in reality, it's all about balance. Come summer, it's also all about what's refreshing, without too much sweetness. We've rounded up some of the best sangrias in the county; feel free to add your own on our Facebook page or in our comments.
. A new Korean restaurant has opened its doors at Hudson Lights in Fort Lee. Gayeon is serving up fried kabucha and eggplant, bibimbap or naengmyum (warm white rice topped with sauteed veggies and thick noodles), marinated short ribs and more. To Visit Restaurant's Website Click Here This story was originally reported by Boozy Burbs. The living room of a W Hotel condominium in Hoboken is frequently updated by interior designer Cindy Dzurita of CD Interiors. The coffee table was made by of reclaimed wood by the Hoboken company FlowerBox. One brick wall is painted with white graphics inspired by vintage Coca-Cola ads.
For many people, the views, services and amenities that come with a stay at a glamorous waterfront hotel are part of the spare-no-expense splurge known as a vacation. But for those who live in the nearly 40 privately owned condominiums at the top of the W Hotel in Hoboken, the brand's "whatever, whenever" promise summarizes a lifestyle of everyday luxury. An area entrepreneur was among the first buyers of these residences that sold out before the hotel opened in April 2009. Five years ago, he moved from his two-bedroom unit to a more spacious three-bedroom. Like his first, the larger apartment is among those on the hotel's top floors, 18 through 25, and boasting spectacular views. The entrepreneur now shares this hotel home with his wife and young daughter. In addition to the floor-to-ceiling windows with vistas across the Hudson River to the Manhattan skyline, the family enjoys valet parking, 24-hour room service, housekeeping, and a dedicated concierge. The 2,700-squre-foot apartment was gut-renovated before move-in, and the updates are ongoing, says Cindy Dzurita, whose Manalapan Township company CD Interiors has worked with the owner to furnish and decorate his W Hotel residences since he moved there in 2009. The condo has what the owner describes as an industrial chic vibe. In a recent update, a wall garden by the Hoboken company FlowerBox was installed in the open-plan dining area. It replaced a crackle-finished white wall to serve as a backdrop for the owner's artwork, which includes lithographs by artists Andy Warhol and Keith Haring. The green wall measures 10 feet high by 19 feet wide within a framework of reclaimed wood. It is made of bun moss, one of about 40 plants the company uses in its preserved indoor gardens. "All the individual moss pieces, which are approximately 2 to 6 inches, are arranged by hand to include maybe thousands of little pieces in this amazing garden," says Karem Ozseker, FlowerBox artistic director. Plants plucked at their peak are preserved with a glycerin solution that they take up through their roots. The plants are then heated gently to evaporate any moisture before they are used in a garden. "In this preservation system, our plants keep their freshness and softness for a minimum of five years," Ozseker said. "They require no watering, lighting or soil." The preserved gardens are fully biodegradable. Dzurita says her Hoboken clients enjoy the green space the preserved garden has added to their dining room. "It really has enhanced and changed the whole feel of the space," she said. "It's a very large wall, so it is dramatic." FlowerBox also created a reclaimed wood coffee table that adds warmth to a living room with black leather seating and a brick wall painted with white script inspired by vintage Coca-Cola ads. The living room also features a Teckell foosball table that doubles as sculpture. Its transparent crystal top is accented by chrome player bars and a base of chrome-trimmed white lacquer legs. "Everything is custom, high-end design," Dzurita said of the furnishings, fixtures and accessories her clients selected. Like the preserved garden, Dzurita found the Italian game table years ago at an Architectural Digest Design Show. The Manhattan show, which runs March 16 through 19 this year, is one of the few design industry events offering public access to furniture and other household goods typically available to the design trade. There is contrast throughout the Hoboken condo. Hard concrete flooring and walls, shiny lacquer cabinetry and durable stainless steel elements are juxtaposed with cushioned upholstery. In the master bedroom, a black leather headboard with quilt-like diamonds climbs almost to the ceiling. There's a plush fur throw on the new wooden coffee table. For the nursery, Dzurita selected the soft touch of velvet upholstery and cushioned closet doors in sweetheart colors of pink, red and white. This baby girl has her own bathroom, where Dzurita surrounded the tub with low shelves that make room for plush towels and rubber duckies. A stunning powder room features a stainless steel toilet with complementary walls of poured concrete tile. A large print showing construction workers perched on a steel beam high above 1930's Manhattan is encased within glass panes. There's an abundance of crystal - Baccarat and Swarovski - to carry light and sparkle through the space. It dangles from chandeliers and embellishes upholstered surfaces. Marble is the preferred material for kitchen counters and bathroom walls. Dzurita says her clients choices enhance their enjoyment and ease in hotel living. They update their home frequently. "A lot of my clients do this," the designer said. "Things get old looking and you get tired of them." What they renovatedThe dining area and living room of a three-bedroom, three-and-a-half-bathroom condominium apartment at the W Hotel in Hoboken. Who did the work: Cindy Dzurita of CD Interiors, Manalapan, and FlowerBox Wall Gardens, Hoboken How long it took:The project is ongoing What they spent: An estimated $500,000, including the gut renovation five years ago and more recent updates such as the wall garden. Where they splurged?" There's really no expense spared on anything we do there," said Dzurita. What they'd have done differently: Nothing. The Hand on Hand Project was launched by Cecoltan to help underprivileged children in Moldova. Olivia Cecoltan of Glen Rock believes that the little things make a big difference. Bath towels, for example, greatly enhanced the lives of the dozens of European orphans that Cecoltan. Those bath towels were among the many "little things" donated through, the Hand in Hand Project (HIHP) , which the 18-year-old launched to help improved the lives of underprivileged children in Moldova. This summer, the rising senior at Bergen County Academies launched a summer camp at a safe haven for mothers and children in her native land this year to aid youth impacted by domestic abuse. "The terrible situations they were in left them very weak and fragile," said Cecoltan, a TEDx speaker. "The summer camp allowed them to heal as I created a space in which they could forget about the terrible parts of their past and actually have fun." She's been visiting the country ever since she moved to the U.S. as a child, and each time she returned noticed the stark difference between the poverty-stricken lives of youth in Moldova and comparatively lavish ones of other kids her age in the U.S. "The Hand in Hand Project is not inspired by just one story of one child, but the stories of many Moldovan children living in uninhabitable conditions without basic necessities, suffering from a lack of opportunity, and living without confidence in their own future," Cecoltan said on her website. "We constantly push ourselves to work harder to relieve the plight of children in Moldova and to help them change their lives for the better. "We are inspired by the tearjerking thank-yous and the glowing smiles we see on their faces of those we reach a helping hand to." |
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