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July 2012
Serving Bucks and Hunterdon Counties
Babies Delivered with Tender Loving CareGift Wrapping Optional
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is proud to publish...
LATITUDE is a bi-annual publication designed to promote your business to visitors and residents of Bucks, Hunterdon and Mercer Counties. Utilizing QR codes, smart-phone users can directly access your web site for promotions and specials, strengthening your web equity. Increased web traffic is vital to ranking higher in search engine results.
Christopher Kennedy… p. 24
Publisher: Pearson Publishing
Editor-in-Chief: Justin Elson
Managing Editor: Jack Firneno
Art Director: Paul Rowlands
Photography: Wendy McCardleNicole Leigh
Contributing Writers: Jack FirnenoCarla Merolla OdellLauren GreavesLaura LaPradCorinne PulsinelleIngrid WeidmanScott Holloway
Distribution Manager: Tom Cormican
Graphic Designer: Lyndsay Jurema
To advertise, contact us at 215.896.2767 or via email at [email protected].
For all editorial content, contact us at [email protected].
MUSICGhosts in the Valley ............................................. 14
BUSINESS The Doylestown Brewing Company .................... 20
ARTISTChristopher Kennedy ........................................... 24
TECHCan Google Find You? .......................................... 30
HEALTH & BEAUTYIn a Time of Need ................................................ 36
THE SHORT LISTMusic: Bamboo ................................................... 40 Visual Arts: Nathan DiStefano ............................. 41 Commerce: Cash Mobs ...................................... 42 Body: Setting the Bar .......................................... 42
FOOD & DININGThe Logan Inn and Nikolás ................................... 50
BACKPAGEThat’s How the Story Goes .................................. 62
CONTENTS
dtownmag.com / 7
AROUND TOWN
BUCKS AND HUNTERDON COUNTIES ARE IN BLOOM.Take a moment, and enjoy the splendor of the season.
8 / AROUND TOWN / JULY 2012
dtownmag.com / 9
PHOTOS BY NICOLE LEIGH
Dogs Welcome!
“Good Things for Good Dogs.”
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267-247-5567www.lifeontheleash.com
Harry PotterAge: 10 months old Breed: Schnauzer-Border Collie mixOwner: Caroline Broullon
T here must be some magic in that tale. Or should I say tail. Like his
namesake, Harry Potter – HP or Potter for short –has his own wild story to tell complete with danger, adventure and a requisite happy ending. Found as a stray in the South, Potter found his way through five foster homes before making his way north as part of a local rescue effort, his fate undecided. But someone forget to tell kismet. And when the Broullon family, who had lost their family dog a few months prior, were told of HP through a friend, they questioned whether they were ready for a new pet. However, they agreed to
Holiday House Pet Resort is proud to offer every dtown Dog of the Month 2 nights of free lodging and a premium bath.
meet him and within minutes, a new family was forged, Potter included. These days, HP spends his lazy afternoons with his newest companions: the Broullon’s two youngest children. Kindred spirits, they share a sense of playfulness and wonder only found through the most innocent and empathetic of eyes.
DOG OF THE MONTH
10 / DOG OF THE MONTH / JULY 2012
OFFERINGOF THEANGELS
April 21- August 10
the exhibition that left millions breathless
has come to bucks county
Organized by Contemporanea Progetti, Florence, Italy
Call 1-800-595-4849 for tickets, or visit our website. Members do not need tickets and enjoy priority entry into the museum.
SponsorsMaureen & Gregory ChurchCarol & Louis Della PennaPaula & Kevin Putman
Media Partner
LC ConstructionLee Cox1953 Turk Rd 1953Doylestown, PA 18901
Phone: [email protected]
License number: PA091119
At LC Construction, you will find only the highest quality products. When it comes to choosing materials or hand-crafting cabinets and furniture, our professional work is backed by many years of experience. We readily incorporate your ideas and needs into each project, provide you with samples and guide you through the decision-making process.
E X P E R I E N C EMakes the Difference
Bathrooms
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Painting
MUSIC
TIMELESS PUNK PUNCHES NO CLOCK
R ecently, Ghosts in the Valley were slated to play an all-ages punk show. It’s the kind of gig
where most of the bands – and much of the audience – are usually right at or below the legal drinking age. While setting up their gear, the band was approached with a question by someone who looked closer to their age. “He asked us which band our kids were in,” laughs bassist Sam Pinola. Along with guitarist Scotty Why and drummer Alex Millard, Pinola and company certainly look the part even if their years don’t always jive with some of the venues they play. Their music, quick, angular and abrasive
songs featuring galloping drums, thundering basslines and guitars, absent of any effects save for some distortion, chugging, riffing and spitting out quick leads defines their sound. Instead of vocals, they credit themselves with “shouting, lots of shouting.” Like their ages, the influences that brought them together were records on the Dischord, SSD and Touch and Go labels: obscure punk bands from the late 1980s and early 1990s, the music of their youth. Their latest offering, Clockpunchers, was recorded by the renowned and prolific Steve Albini, whose most notable “mainstream” work was with a little band named Nirvana. Yet Clockpunchers doesn’t sound like it’s 20 years old or made by guys emulating 20-year-old music.
Ghosts in the Valley
14 / MUSIC / JULY 2012
dtownmag.com / 15
BY JACK FIRNENO / PHOTOS COURTESY OF JOHN BRAYSHAW AND JOE PROCOPIO
“ We make this racket, because it’s the racket we want to make.”
– Scotty Why
MUSIC
Ultimately, at that show where they were mistaken for “band dads,” Ghosts in the Valley was a hit with the around-20 demographic. “The kids didn’t leave when we started playing, but they were just standing there,” Pinola recalls. “We were the weird old guys. They were inquisitive, but you could see it on their faces. They were convinced we wouldn’t be any good. By the third song, they were jumping up and down and hanging off the edge of stage.” At shows from Philadelphia to the Lehigh Valley and as far as Atlantic City and Baltimore, in small dive bars and crowded all-ages affairs, Ghosts in the Valley manage to capture the interest of both the “kids” and their contemporaries. This, despite their age and, perhaps, some other limitations. “Our music is not the most commercially viable or radio friendly, so our avenues are kind of limited,” Pinola says. “We’re a loud, noisy three-piece band, and we don’t apologize for that.” But it’s not what they play as much as how they play it and why. “For us, success is playing to a room full of people we don’t know and them yelling for more,” Why offers. “We make this racket, because it’s the racket we want to make. When people relate to it and like it, it’s way more interesting.” Their enthusiasm shines through the blazing power chords and rumbling low end, the spirit of the music attracting kindred souls. The number of people who relate to bands like Ghosts in the Valley isn’t that large, but it doesn’t have to be. “We were playing in Baltimore, and these kids said they didn’t know who we sounded like. We told them who we listened to, and they’d never heard of them,” Why says. Their influences, bands like Fugazi and Husker Du, existed in the “indie rock bubble,”
explains Pinola. “They were maybe playing to 500 people in a club, tops. But to those 500 people, they’re the biggest band in the world.” And bubbles like that, Why and Pinola agree, are beginning to form again today. “There’s a lot out there, and it’s hard to filter out the junk,” Pinola notes. “But right now, a lot of the music I find truly exciting is made by people I know. I can’t remember another time when I had so many people give me CD-R’s of their band that I liked.” Why adds, “It’s starting to remind of the 1990s, when the bands on one bill were all pretty diverse. There isn’t a huge audience out there, but the audience that shows up is really there to listen.” And Ghosts in the Valley is finding those audiences in places like Landsdale, where they shared a bill with the Breaks. “They look like they’re too young to be in a bar, but they play like a punk- rock Creedence Clearwater Revival,” Pinola laughs. Or up in Easton, where the band will be playing a festival this summer. Those bubbles are even in unexpected places. “Lately we’ve been playing a lot down in Atlantic City, which is surprising to us,” Why says. “Despite being a city better known for casinos and cover bands, “there’s a really varied and tight-knit original scene going on there. It was rough at first because we were playing to strangers, but now we can set up and play a weekend’s worth of shows with the people we’ve met.” Ultimately, Pinola explains, those bubbles, audiences, and punk-rock spirit is everywhere: “If people got out of their houses a little more. I think they’d be surprised at what’s going on.”
Go online at ghostsinthevalley.net
16 / MUSIC / JULY 2012
LOCAL FOODCRAFT BEER LIVE MUSIC
TRIUMPH BREWING COMPANY400 UNION SQUARENEW HOPE(215) 862-8300TRIUMPHBREWING.COM
FRIDAY, JULY 13th 10PM
Only Living Boy
SATURDAY, JULY 28th 2PM
John Danaher & The Quietman
ft. Cate Mahone
SATURDAY, JULY 28th 10PM
The Grand Nationals
THURSDAY, JULY 12th 10PMGet Tix @ TriumphBrewingNewHope.Ticketleap.com
Billy Martin & Wil Blades Duo
th
e Fa
rm House ta
ver
n
“Still th
e one”
380 North Mainat Veterans Lane, Doylestown Borough
215.345.9373www.farmhousetavern.com
CHRISTMAS IN JULY PARTY
July 28 - All Day
SUNDAY NIGHTS HAPPY HOUR
9 pm to 11 pm$2 Domestic Drafts
$3 Import Drafts$3 Well Drinks
$4 Appet izer Menu
LIVE MUSIC FRIDAY &
SATURDAY NIGHTS
OPEN EVERY DAY 11 AM TO 2 AM
KITCHEN OPEN EVERY DAY UNTIL 11 PM
WE NEVER CLOSE EARLY
TinicumArts Festival
TinicumArts FestivalA Great Bucks County Tradition
July 14, Sat. 10-6 July15, Sun. 11-5300+ Artists and Artisans in BeautifulTinicum Park, River Rd, Erwinna, PALive Entertainment, Kids Activities
Summer Fun for EveryoneTinicumArtsFestival.org
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Buyer of Gold, Silver, Platinum and Diamonds. Committed to giving our customers the highest price around for their unwanted jewelry and scrap gold.Cash on the spot.
25 North Main StreetDoylestown, PA 18901(215) [email protected]
This year, we salute 100 years of Chevrolet.
August 11 & 12 | New Hope-Solebury High School | New Hope, PA
The 2012 New Hope Automobile Show
[215] 862 5665 | www.newhopeautoshow.comProviding scholarships for deserving students since 1957.
P R E S E N T E D B Y
TinicumArts Festival
TinicumArts FestivalA Great Bucks County Tradition
July 14, Sat. 10-6 July15, Sun. 11-5300+ Artists and Artisans in BeautifulTinicum Park, River Rd, Erwinna, PALive Entertainment, Kids Activities
Summer Fun for EveryoneTinicumArtsFestival.org
MAKE Your HOLIDAY Their HOLIDAY, TOO!
One free night stay for new customers!
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380 North Shady Retreat RoadDoylestown, PA 18901
(215) 345-6960holidayhousepetresort.com
The
Doylestown Brewing Co.
20 / BUSINESS / JULY 2012
dtownmag.com / 21
BY LAUREN GREAVES / PHOTOS BY WENDY McCARDLE
CRAFTING AND CAPTURING LOCAL FLAVOR
F orget the calendar. All it takes is a look at the thermometer to know that summer is in full
gear. And whether it’s relaxing down the shore, spending a lazy day beside the pool or making a pilgrimage to the ballpark to see the Phillies play their way through the dog days that follow the All-Star Break, nothing goes better with the longest and sunniest days of the year than a tall cold one in hand. But before you race to your neighborhood distributor to pick up a case of Yuengling, Corona or whatever your beer of choice, take a look closer to home, where Joe Modestine and the Doylestown Brewing Co. are looking to make craft-beer believers out of everyone.
While the Doylestown Brewing Co. only debuted in February 2011, Modestine’s roots run far deeper. After all, his family has been in the beer business for over half a century. “My grandfather opened Modestine Beverage in the 1940s, and it quickly grew to become a staple in Montgomery County, creating tap-lines and walk-in coolers for bars and restaurants,” Modestine explains. “It also helped established a draught-beer presence in the area that was previously nonexistent.” Continuing familial traditions, Modestine worked in his father’s restaurant, the Saloon in Jeffersonville, Pa., for three decades, as well as owning his own establishment. You might also know the family from his brother’s eatery, the Village Tavern in Montgomeryville, Pa. And while Modestine contemplated his next foray into the business, life, as it often does, presented a divergent path.
The
Doylestown Brewing Co.
After looking into buying a restaurant in Doylestown, he soon realized, in concert with his home-brewing hobby, there was at least one thing missing from his adopted hometown: a micro-brewery to call their own. Enter the Doylestown Brewing Co. “My approach was to create a line that puts tradition back into brewing,” Modestine says, reflecting on his inspiration. “Our grandparents and great-grandparents grew up with nothing but local breweries. Then the big breweries came along and eroded the American beer style. I’d like to change that.” And first on Modestine’s agenda was to create a collection of craft brews that reflected his tastes: simple, high-quality and time-honored beers. The Doylestown Brewing Co.’s Session Line, consisting of the award-winning R5 Lager – the brew took home first place for Best Lager in PBS 39’s Beer Fest last month – the Union St. IPA and the Fountain House Light, is an homage to Modestine’s take on American-style beer, striking the perfect balance between craft technique and classic flavor. “I want to pull more people into craft beer who otherwise would not be drinking it,” he says. And so far, they are. The Session Line can already be found on tap in bars and restaurants in eight Pennsylvania counties and will be available in South
BUSINESS
22 / BUSINESS / JULY 2012
Jersey next summer. For those that enjoy a cold one at home, Modestine’s beers will be available by the bottle this month and in cans come August. But despite his initial success, Modestine is hardly one to rest on his proverbial laurels. Already involved in every step of the process from branding to marketing to flavor selection, he and brewmaster Bob Klinetop, who brings his 20 years of experience to the Doylestown Brewing Co., are hard at work on their newest offerings. This autumn, their Artisan Line makes its debut. Featuring the Fonthill Orange Ale and a yet-to-be-named double-hop IPA, each beer has been carefully crafted to their exacting standards. And while beer will always remain Modestine’s primary focus, he’s careful not to lose sight of the community that make his success possible. “This is the town’s beer,” Modestine says. “In the bars in Philly, it’s Doylestown that’s being represented. That’s the pride I have behind it.”
For more information, go online at doylestownbrewingcompany.com
“ I want to pull more people into craft beer who otherwise would not be drinking it.”
– Joe Modestine
In bars and restaurants across the region, the Doylestown Brewing Co.’s beers are proving to be a hit.
ARTIST
LIGHTS, CAMERA, MAGIC
C hristopher Kennedy’s photo-graphs transcend our usual perception of light, the way
we see it and how we respond to that experience. He uses a camera as a vehicle into a world that belies our human eye. The resulting images glow on gallery walls as giant abstractions in a medium most viewers have yet to discover. It’s probably because Kennedy discovered his singular method only eight months ago. “If I were a painter, my camera would be both the brush and the canvas, and I would be blind while I painted,“ the visionary photographer explains. “In my opinion, my process yields viable and interesting pieces of artwork.” In Kennedy’s attempts to break new ground, the shutter of his camera opens for a second or two to take in the light emanating from a string of
Christmas lights. The screen on the camera goes black, drawing a curtain between Kennedy and his reticent, glowing subjects. In that moment, his movements manipulate how the camera records the image, a painstaking yet rewarding process that leads Kennedy to his desired result. Presenting his prints on brushed aluminum, the effect is an optical blast, bridging the gap between light and illusion “Sometimes I take well over 300 images to get three that I like,” he says. “I have a general idea of what I want to achieve, but I know when a photograph feels right. The image has to be intentional.” Prior to composing his photo-luminescent abstractions, it’s hard to imagine Kennedy with a strikingly different agenda. Originally hailing from England, he once worked alongside composers in the film industry, a lifestyle he finds a complete departure from his current work and study. Heeding an
Christopher Kennedy
24 / ARTIST / JULY 2012
dtownmag.com / 25
BY CORINNE PULSINELLE / PHOTOS COURTESY OF CHRISTOPHER KENNEDY
ARTIST
instinctual call but lacking any formal fine-art photography training, Kennedy’s personal narrative pivoted on the point at which he decided to follow his creative instinct. “Working in the film industry, I was completely disconnected from what I do now,” Kennedy says. “I knew this work was always there, brewing inside me, just waiting to come out. But it was also something I had to find in myself.” In many ways, Kennedy’s artistic investigation brings life to childhood curiosities. “I have always enjoyed playing with lights and toys that incorporated them,” he says, reflecting on perhaps a deep-rooted inspiration evident many years later. “My current projects fuse two personal passions.” Today, Kennedy’s camera is a tool that
serves to navigate and manipulate and, as he describes, “to capture things that other people don’t.” And so far, he’s right. Kennedy’s images quickly caught the eye of Tamara Cannon, owner of the Gallery Piquel in New Hope. He describes Cannon’s decision to exhibit his work as a tremendous leap of faith. “I was offered window space in the gallery, which had specifically avoided displaying photography until then,” Kennedy explains. “From there, I was able to get two other shows.” Last month, the Photography Place Gallery in Doylestown, a space that offers artists an ongoing and ever-growing community to work, exhibit and push the boundaries of contemporary photography, featured Kennedy’s work in a group show entitled Continuum. Across the river, the Bank of Princeton Community Gallery in Lambertville is currently
26 / ARTIST / JULY 2012
“ I knew this work was always there, brewing inside me, just waiting to come out. But it was also something I had to find in myself.”
– Christopher Kennedy
dtownmag.com / 27
BY CORINNE PULSINELLE / PHOTOS COURTESY OF CHRISTOPHER KENNEDY
hosting Kennedy’s solo show: Photo Luminism, a shared moniker serving both the exhibit and his own brand of stylized photography. “When I initially walked in, Mariane Rosatto [the owner] explained that the gallery was booked until January. I was very disappointed,” he recalls. “But after I showed Marianne [Rosatto] my images both online and in person, she was so enthusiastic that she immediately decided to substitute a previously scheduled seasonal celebration with my work.” But it’s hardly just local galleries that are excited over Kennedy’s radical photos. If you happen to be in Manhattan soon, you can look for his images adorning perhaps the most iconic intersection in the Big Apple. After entering a submission contest called Artists Wanted: Art Takes Time’s Square, Kennedy’s work was chosen to be projected on billboards at the epicenter of Midtown. “I entered the
competition with the hopes of gaining the judges’ attention, all of who have a strong influence on the art world,” he says. “I didn’t expect to win, but, this time, I was given a moment of fame.” So what is it exactly that Kennedy hopes his audience will garner from his experimentations with light and perception? On a platform he hopes to continually expand, his images continue to engulf viewers almost physically, rhythmic patterns and sudden swoops of color pulling away into deep space. Occasionally, the eye might rest on something recognizable, perhaps after seeing the title of a piece or conjuring our own associations. “Even though they are wild abstractions, there is always something you can project in them, Kennedy explains. “There is a way we can all identify with the work.”
To see more of Christopher Kennedy’s work, go online at photoluminism.net.
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TECH
MARKETING YOUR BUSINESS IN THE 21st
CENTURY
I n today’s economy, a business’ Web-site ranking on Google is increasingly more important than
its presence in other advertising venues. “It’s important to be the number-one position in an organic search or at least in the top five,” John Stover explains. “The first organic ranking generally receives around 40 percent of clicks. After that, the click-through rate drops significantly. The second result only gets only around 15 percent. And after number five, you get into single-digit percentage. Of course each niche is different, but those are the average numbers.” In order to provide the best search results, Google uses a series of algorithms and indexing processes that measure a site’s relevancy and authenticity. As a search-engine-optimization, or SEO, specialist, it’s
Stover’s job – along with his 30-person team at his Best SEO Firm in New Hope – to ensure his clients get best rankings possible. From nationwide companies to local businesses, Stover pushes each one as close to if not attaining the first result anytime someone searches Google for a term that relates to a client’s business. But Stover also recalls a different era. “SEO is still very much in its infancy,” he says. “Marketing a business through search engines is less than two decades old. In the pre-Google days, no matter what you searched for, you’d get ads for adult web sites and Viagra. It was too easy to game the system back then.” But that rapidly changed in 2004, when Google’s advanced techniques for combing the entire internet blew the competition out of the water. “Basically we’re living in Google’s world now,” Stover adds. And in Google’s world, business is done much differently. And it’s not just the search engine. Everything
30 / TECH / JULY 2012
Can Google Find You?
“Basically, we’re living in Google’s world now.”
– John Stover
dtownmag.com / 31
BY JACK FIRNENO / PHOTO BY WENDY McCARDLE
from social media to video games has impacted not only commerce, but also the culture of our economic development. When Blaine Graboyes co-founded Zuma Digital in the late 1990s, it was the first DVD-production company in New York. Later, he designed video games for DreamWorks Animation, working on all of the first Shrek release, as well as games based on Madagascar and Over the Hedge. Today, he often serves as an executive producer for gaming and social-media projects, and is a partner at the Sano Agency, a digital-media agency based in Doylestown. He’s also currently working with a Philadelphia-based fashion company to create a loyalty program and game for their Web site and app. Graboyes can describe all his work in one word: disruption. “It means changing the way old business is done,” he explains. “Look at how social media has disrupted the newspaper business. When we started Zuma, movie studios were unsure of DVDs. A few years later, they were making millions from them. If you’re not doing something disruptive, you’re not doing anything.” Graboyes partially credits his non-traditional education for his perspective: “Each art movement is a disruption of the previous movement,” Earning his degree at Bennington College in Vermont, Graboyes dovetailed his passion for the creative and the technical into the career he has today. “I made my first website around that time, and I learned to program,” he says. “All these things that turned out to be really important, I learned on my own, without any formal education. There were no courses for this stuff. I basically treated them as art projects.”
And while Stover didn’t treat SEO as art – it was his chance to finally merge his entrepreneurial spirit with his technical prowess – his entry into the world of new media was also a matter of being in the right place at the time. His wife was pregnant when he was laid off from his job as a contractor. Stover, who had always followed technological developments, realized that SEO was about to become a huge part of commerce. “I paid a marketing firm to teach me the basics, and then I began developing my own tactics,” he recalls. “I was always good at sales and working with computers. Ultimately, it’s satisfying to get real results for people and help their businesses grow. It was a perfect fit. And perfect timing: “I launched my company the day my first child was born.” Both Graboyes and Stover pivot from one strategy to another, envisioning unique ways to create and strengthen their clients’ online presence. But there’s also the second tier of new media workers – people like Rich Tornetta – who is tasked with finding new ways to promote a traditional business. “CollisionMax [a chain of auto-body shops around the Delaware Valley] felt they needed someone young who understood SEO and social media,” he explains. “I made my case for how I was going to advance their brand in the retail market, and they offered me the marketing manager job.” Tornetta may have accepted a position with clear-cut goals, but he can’t always use “traditional” online strategies. “We’re an emergency business, which means people do not ‘like’ us’ nor do they care to ‘like’ us’ once the job is done,” he explains. “Our approach has to be different than Coke or Pepsi, who can get you to love them.”
TECH
32 / TECH / JULY 2012
In the real world, that approach meant charitable donations and sponsoring events in the communities the shops serve. Online, Tornetta discovered, it means keeping up appearances every-where. Each of the chain’s 11 locations maintains a Facebook, Google Plus, Digg, and StumbleUpon. It’s Tornetta’s job to keep each one updated with recent photos, descriptions and address information, as well as generate content for the company’s blog and social media accounts. “Throughout the year, I ‘touch’ over 550 different pages,” he notes. As a one-man marketing team, Tornetta stays ahead of both the competition and the technology he’s using by finding the latest techniques and products to get the job done quickly and efficiently.” Reading up on the latest on all social-media platforms becomes a full-time job,” he says. “I always make it a point to try out the most trendy software and tools, so that I can begin learning immediately.” Even for all the constant change in Tornetta’s work, his current job description offers him a niche from where he can innovate. And for Stover and Graboyes, their next steps inevitably take them higher up the technological ladder. Automation is the key in Stover’s eyes. The Best SEO Firm is successful, because he has a trained team to expertly roll out the exact services that a client needs while continuing to create new tactics that will keep his company on the cutting edge of the business. But even with in the face of constant change, Stover is able to keep running at full speed while expanding his services. Currently, he also runs a series of e-commerce sites, web pages that are designed to sell one or two specific products like air conditioners
or refurbished Macbooks. “It’s a long-term business model, and when you have the right prices and good customer service, you build brand recognition,” he explains. It’s a deceptively simple formula, but it’s backed up by his web and business savvy: “The hardest part is finding the right products at good bulk prices.” And perhaps ironically, for someone who spends most of his career on the fringes of popular culture, Graboyes’ career goal is anything but. “A huge, unadulterated mainstream hit – that’s what drives me to find the next thing to do,” he says. “When I was a kid, if you were a gamer, you were a geek that would never find a girl. Now, video games are the biggest business in entertainment. It’s been four years since a movie beat a game in terms of revenue when it was released. I try to approach things from the user’s standpoint. How can we make something new that will inspire people to play and have fun?” It’s that approach that also rings true for Stover, when he reads up on new Google rollouts and participates in we-d developer forums and discussions. Or when Tornetta finds and starts tinkering with a new piece of software. It’s an entirely new model based not on what you learn in a class or from a manual, but what you learn every day as it unfolds. “Basically,” Graboyes says, “I ask my friends: what’s cool? What are you using, and how are you using it?”
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VILLAGE ARTWORKSPeddler’s Village, Lahaska, PA215-794-5744
VILLAGE ARTWORKSFR AMING
Christopher Willett, born in 1959, is a Bucks County painter with a family lineage dating back to the Plymouth settlers who arrived in this country aboard the Mayflower. Willett’s fourth-great grandfather, Augustine Willett, was a captain under General Washington. Willett is also a descendant of Edward Hicks, known for his work titled Peaceable Kindom.
In more recent history, Willett artisans were renowned for their designs and beautiful works in stained glass that adorn the Bryn Athyn Cathedral on the Pitcairn Estate.
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HEALTH & BEAUTY
CHOOSING THE RIGHT CARE FOR A LOVED ONE WITH DEMENTIA
F or many, choosing care for a loved one suffering from dementia is hardly a decision
that involves a lot of advance planning. Oftentimes, evaluations are made with a sense of urgency that can lead to a move into a community that may not necessarily be best for the their needs. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Reputable Alzheimer’s and dementia communities offer similar levels of basic services, which may include daily living assistance, nutritious meals, planned activities and a comfortable, secure environment. But how these services are delivered and presented distinguishes one community from another. Beyond the basics, it’s up to the prospective resident’s family to find the particular locale that he or she will be happy
calling home. We sat down with Dr. Kevin O’Neil, Fellow in the American College of Physicians, geriatrician and Optimum Life® chief medical director for Brookdale Senior Living,® and Daniella Pantal, executive director at Clare Bridge Dublin, an Alzheimer’s and dementia care facility, to learn how to navigate this challenging process.
AN ACCURATE DIAGNOSISBefore you determine the appropriate level of care for a loved one with memory challenges, it’s crucial to determine whether these symptoms are part of the normal aging process or a sign of a more serious condition. Warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease may include difficulty performing familiar tasks; disorientation to time and place; problems with abstract thinking; changes in mood, behavior or personality; and a loss of initiative, among others. If you are concerned
In a Time of Need
36 / HEALTH & BEAUTY / JULY 2012
“ We understand that creative problem solving is needed when providing dignity and quality of life to individuals with memory loss.”
– Daniella Pantal
dtownmag.com / 37
about a loved one’s memory loss, there’s at least one sage piece of advice to follow. “An evaluation by a physician is an absolutely necessary first step in determining the underlying cause for memory difficulties,” O’Neil says. “Once you have a diagnosis in hand, then you can proceed with confidence.”
SPECIAL EXPERTISE FOR SPECIAL NEEDSServing as a primary caregiver for a loved one coping with Alzheimer’s can be difficult and especially painful. It’s important to take their physical and behavioral needs as well as their life history into account when evaluating options for care. At Clare Bridge® Dublin, staff members are carefully selected and trained to understand and manage the unique challenges associated with resident care. Each resident receives an individualized approach, depending on the progression of the disease. “The Clare Bridge concept has evolved over more
than 25 years by continually embracing the latest ideas in good Alzheimer’s care practice coupled with the experience of caring for thousands of individuals with dementia and their families,” Pantal says. “We understand that creative problem solving is needed when providing dignity and quality of life to individuals with memory loss. That’s why we have dedicated dementia care specialists to support our staff, residents and families.” As an example of their unique techniques, the Clare Bridge Dining Program, recognized as the “Best of the Best” by the Assisted Living Federation of America, leverages its specialized expertise to enhance residents’ quality of life. The program, designed by a team of specialists to help those with Alzheimer’s and dementia enjoy successful dining experiences, offers dementia-friendly menus, individualized dining assistance, a supportive environment and consistent seating arrangements.
BY LAURA LAPRAD / PHOTOS COURTESY OF BROOKDALE SENIOR LIVING
FAMILIARITY IN DAILY LIVINGEstablishing routines provides a reassuring sense of safety and meaning for memory-impaired individuals. Clare Bridge Dublin features peaceful surroundings in a secure, home-like setting to recreate environments people have enjoyed throughout their lives. Interior spaces are scaled and decorated like those of a private home, and enclosed walking areas give residents the opportunity to safely explore their surroundings. “One of the great challenges of Alzheimer’s and dementia care is providing a seamless blend of professional services in an environment that is secure, comfortable and stress-free,” Pantal says. “From our building design to our carefully selected staff and specialized programming and management, we focus on the individual needs of each resident and family we serve.”
Another shining example is the Clare Bridge Daily Path, which provides a gentle structure to each day that targets the specific needs of those with various types and levels of dementia. It features daily mental exercises, physical and life-skills activities and person-centered life-enrichment programming to help those with dementia maintain abilities and encourage the use of their remaining skills.
Located at 160 Elephant Road, Clare Bridge Dublin is managed by Brookdale Senior Living, the nation’s largest provider of senior living accommodations and related services, operating 645 communities in 33 states. For more information about Clare Bridge Dublin, call 215-249-1700 or go online at brookdaleliving.com/clare-bridge-of-dublin.aspx.
HEALTH & BEAUTY
38 / HEALTH & BEAUTY / JULY 2012
194 W. Ashland AvenueDoylestown, PA 18901(215) 340-1003www.thefreighthouse.net
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B ucks County and hip-hop aren’t often afforded the same space in a single sentence. But then
again, Bamboo, aka Eric Howl, has always walked – and emceed – to the beat of a funky but different drummer. On his first album, the well-received Metropolis, the local rhymesayer
eschewed the conventional tenets of contemporary rap music for deftly crafted lyrics that reflected his singular take on both the state of the world around him and the ever-evolving universe inside him. And while his pen channeled his thoughts into words, his evolution was hardly complete. On his latest effort, I’m Goin’ Down, Bamboo has traveled far and wide, incorporating new experiences and genres into his already unique sound. “Traveling through New Orleans and Memphis, I had the chance to delve into the roots of the American psyche and soul, confronting death and learning the blues, rockabilly and doowop,” he says. “The result is a rambling, swamp-steeped, manic and yearning album of sheer paranoia and joy, fusing old folk sounds and talkin’-blues rap.
For audio samples, video and upcoming live dates, go online at bamboobeat.com.
40 / SHORT LIST / JULY 2012
MUSIC:
Bamboo
It’s easy to get caught up in the minutia of life and lose touch with the latest up-and-comers. But have no fear. We’ll keep you tuned in. From our mouths, ears, eyes and spirits to you, we present…
THE SHORT LIST
S ometimes it takes the eyes of an artist to breathe life into familiar surroundings. Just ask Lambert-
ville-based painter Nathan DiStefano. Taking his energetic brush to a staid canvas, he continually renders Bucks County the way he sees it: full of environments that convey tangible feelings rather than passive observation.
“I’m interested in what I feel when I look at the piece,” DiStefano explains. “The subject matter of the painting is the setting, but the main focus is the mood or the experience of the person viewing the painting,”
And while his body of work mainly consists of abstract environments, DiStefano is hardly limited to one style. “In my recent work, I’ve been experimenting with reducing the number of brushstrokes I use. This
gives the paintings a lighter and more-fluid feeling,” he says. “Over the past several months, I’ve been working on a series of musical performances. The focus of these paintings is the mood created by the music, as well as the interaction between the audience and the performer.”
DiStefano will soon be showing his latest work at the Abstraction Gallery in New Hope. For more information or to see more of his work, go online at nathandistefano.com.
dtownmag.com / 41
BY SCOTT HOLLOWAYPHOTOS COURTESY OF BAMBOO AND NATHAN DiSTEFANO
VISUAL ARTS:
Nathan DiStefano
42 / SHORTLIST / JULY 2012
SHORT LIST
L et me be the first to admit it. The deals afforded by the new breed of social-networking Web
sites like LivingSocial and Groupon are hard to resist. But for as good as they are for your pocket, they’re equally as hard to weather for the businesses we frequent. When small businesses form the backbone of the communities we live, play and work in – and those we faithfully serve – asking them to provide services or wares at or below cost doesn’t equal weathering the long-
I f the East Coast is the land of originators, then the West Coast is the land of innovators. And
slowly working its way across the country is the latest trend in fitness, making waves in an industry full of latest trends: bar. Infusing disciplines diverse as ballet, pilates and yoga, the body-sculpting movements focus on both elongating muscle and burning fat, leading to the best body your genetics will allow.
stagnant economy. But not everyone is bending to the lure of the savings offered by the all-knowing internet. Harnessing similar technologies like Facebook and Twitter, grassroots cash mobs have decided to take the power back. The concept is simple. Friends and communities connect online, set a date and descend en masse on select local business to both buy and infuse the proprietor with a quick injection of cash. Think of it as locally devised stimulus program.
Developed by Burr Leonard and Carl Diehl, various bar programs get their name from a much-needed accessory: the ballet bar. Most sessions begin with light exercises and free-weight lifts until the bar takes its central role in the stretching and isolating movements, reflecting interval training by switching from exercise to stretching. The result – in a perfect world that is – is a slim and sculpted body similar to that of ballet dancers.
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FOOD & DINING
AN ICON CHANGES WITH THE TIMES
T hroughout the centuries, the Logan Inn, if nothing else, has stood the test of time.
First opened in 1722, the noble white building with its forest-green trim has served as an important meeting place for both locals and visitors alike. Combining a rich history, 16 refurbished colonial rooms, a popular restaurant, two bars and even a resident ghost, the famed establishment offers the same hospitality to today’s guests as those who visited nearly 300 years ago. And preserving and running the oldest continuously operated inn in Bucks County – and one of the five oldest in the country – takes a great attention to and appreciation for detail. Just ask the Gialias family. As the current proprietors, co-owners Nick and Pete Gialias, a father-and-son-
team, bring decades of experience to the latest incarnation of the Logan Inn. “I’ve been in the restaurant business my entire life,” Nick says. “And with this space and the New Hope community, we saw the opportunity to do some-thing we’ve wanted to do for quite some time.” Drawing from their Greek heritage, the Gialias family is focus-ing on what they know best: vibrant Mediterranean-style cuisine focused on quality ingredients and impeccable preparation. “My father was born in Chios, an island in Greece. My family comes from a farming village,” Nick explains. “My family raised livestock and fished from the sea. That’s what real food is, wholesome food. My father’s culinary perspective is born of fresh, whole fish – octopus, shrimp, lobster – and a little olive oil and lemon. When you prepare a quality product correctly, it takes very little to let the flavor shine.”
The Logan Inn and Nikólas
50 / FOOD & DINING / JULY 2012
dtownmag.com / 51
BY INGRID WEIDMAN / PHOTOS BY WENDY McCARDLE
And with a refreshingly simple epicu-rean view, the Gialias family is proud to announce the launch of Nikólas, the Logan Inn’s new Mediterranean-style restaurant, this month. “Nikólas was my grandfather’s name,” Nick says. “It’s an homage to the influence he had on our family. And with Pete, Nikólas’ son, serving as chef/owner, you can be sure each dish meets his exacting standards. “We are purposely focused on not over-engineering food,” Pete says. “We want the center-of-the-plate item to shine through. Our expertise and passion focuses mainly on fine dining. We taste, cook, touch and smell everything. We obsess over this stuff.” Lunch options on the Gialias’ new menu include offerings like the seared octopus accompanied by freshly sliced mango, aged Balsamic, extra-virgin olive oil and a baby-arugula-and-tomato salad or the lollipop lamb chops on a bed of spinach with olive oil, lemon,
oregano and ratatouille. Salad choices include the popular Greek salad, featuring mixed greens tossed with red-and-green bell peppers, Kalamata olives, red onions, tomatoes, feta cheese, capers and oregano splashed with a red-wine vinaigrette. The Asian steak salad features marinated and grilled steak on a bed of mixed greens with pineapples, seasonal berries, Mandarin oranges and almonds, all topped with chow-mein noodles and sesame vinaigrette. Lunch sandwiches include the hot pastrami served with melted cheese on rye bread with homemade potato salad and a pickle, as well as many other afternoon favorites. But once dinner arrives, Nikólas’ fare takes a decidedly Mediterranean turn. Usually working with a rotating selection of four or five fish daily, the diner’s choice is grilled over charcoal and served whole or de-boned with Savou, a light sauce of lemon, olive oil and spices.
And just in time for summer, Barbounia, a type of red mullet recently added to the Nikólas menu, has the kitchen excited. “In Greece, Barbounia is the most sought after fish. It’s hard to find,” Nick says. “If Greek people knew we had it, they would be here right now. Nobody has it; it’s a unique item. One of our goals is to serve plates that our diners will talk about or go out of their way to get.” For the slightly less adventurous eaters, other entrees include the pan-fried Maryland crab cakes served with wild rice and garden vegetables. The Kobe New York strip steak features Australian-raised Wagyu beef, all natural and certified hormone-free, accompanied by herb-roasted red potatoes, asparagus and portabella mushrooms. The extremely popular prime rib of beef au jus features an aged and slow-roasted cut served with a baked potato and garden vegetables.
But no matter where your tastes lie, Nikólas is serving up at least one summer deal that can’t be beat: a prix-fixe menu every night for $34.95 with an additional wine pairing for only $24.95. The meal include choices such as stuffed clams or mussels marinara as the first course, a fresh mixed green salad as the second, Nikólas’ whole fish or prime rib as a third course and dessert selections like the bread pudding with Baileys’ Irish Cream sauce or the poached pear stuffed with marscapone cheese and chocolate wrapped in phyllo dough. “I’ve been wanting to do this for years,” Nick says. “It’s such a clear and straightforward expectation. You know you’re going to get a full meal at a great price. The pairings are perfect, because we have such an epicurious and esoteric wine list.” For those looking to stop off at the Logan Inn’s open-air bar – voted in this magazine’s readers’ poll as one Bucks
52 / FOOD & DINING / JULY 2012
FOOD & DINING
County’s best outdoor dining options –prepare to enjoy several seating options from bar stools that face Main Street, optimized for some of the best people watching, to a back section complete with a water fall and fish pond. Patrons are invited to indulge in both the bar menu and the cold beverages that add fun to any summer night. There’s also
a bit of the Gialias’ family heritage at play to help set the mood. “We like to offer items that can be shared. If you go to Greece, this is how you hang out with your friends,” Pete says. “You eat and you drink.” The bar also features live music and their famous Thursday-night clambake throughout the summer. But no matter what brings you to the Logan, a sit-down meal at Nikólas or a drink on their renowned patio, the Gialias family has only one goal in mind: your satisfaction. “I want people leaving here feeling like they had a unique and delicious meal. We have a beautiful space with an unparalleled staff,” Nick says. “When you come here, you put your journey in our hands. We guarantee we will guide you through an excellent dining experience.”
For more information or a complete look at their menu, go online at theloganinn.com or call 215-862-2300.
dtownmag.com / 53
“ When you prepare a quality product correctly, it takes very little to let the flavor shine.”
– Nick Gialias
BY INGRID WEIDMAN / PHOTOS BY WENDY McCARDLE
That’s How the Story Goes
I n the fourth grade, we did our home-state project – New Jersey, in my case – with oak-tag charts
and diagrams. In fifth grade, we were assigned one of the other 49 states – Arkansas, in my case. I don’t remember the big projects in sixth or seventh grades, but I clearly remember dreading eighth grade’s Storytelling Contest. The challenge: to memorize a story about five minutes long and deliver it to the class. Semi-finalists would present to the whole school. I finished as one of five finalists for the evening round in front of family and friends. And when it was my turn that March night, I stepped up to the microphone and began: “Doc Marlow by James Thurber…” Sadly, that is also where the story ended. But that’s hardly the end of this story. I became a storyteller but only by tapping a keyboard. Until a few weeks ago, when a friend invited me to a local storytelling guild’s cabaret. At the end of the formal performances, guests were invited to the mic to tell a “five-minute tale.” Three words that sounded way too much like “three-hour tour.” My stomach lurched. My hair was sweating. There I was, facing my humiliated middle-school self. My husband gently elbowed me. Nope. Nah. No way. But as I watched people from the audience line up to sign up over the break, I shifted gears, printed my name in space number five, then pulled a prompt: a vivid childhood vacation.
BY CARLA MEROLLA ODELL
Fortunately, I had time to prepare in my head. Unfortunately, I followed Gui-tar Guy, who brought down the house with a ditty about a visit to heaven. But I would not be deterred! At first, a couple of stumbles, but soon I was smoothly reminiscing about the last family vacation we took to Belmar, N.J. the summer before my oldest brother left for college. How it rained every day, how my mom and I played cards on the porch while my brothers and father did something and how, on that last stormy afternoon, we all went to see The Sound of Music at the Asbury Park Convention Hall then walked with arms around one another on the slick board-walk under the beach umbrella my dad had brought to protect us. The emcee was holding up a red card. Time to bring it to a close. Whoa. Five minutes had passed. I had fun. So I’ve made this deal with myself. Before saying no to something I may end up enjoying, I vow to give it one full sentence. Like taking one first step. Except, perhaps, out of an airplane.
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