HRT - Hormone Replacement Therapy in Port Colden, NJ

Time Magazine thinks the Hudson Valley is one of the world's "100 extraordinary destinations to explore." Here's why.

Time Magazine believes the Hudson Valley is one of "The World's Greatest Places Of 2021," along with places like Athens, Belize, Beijing, Dubai, Las Vegas, Madrid, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York City, Sicily, Sydney, Tokyo and Paris, to name a few.

Time Magazine compiled the list for its third annual World's Greatest Places list by taking nominations from its "international network of correspondents and contributors, with an eye toward those offering new and exciting experiences."

For all the news that the Hudson Valley is sharing make sure to follow Hudson Valley Post on Facebook, download the Hudson Valley Post Mobile App and sign up for the Hudson Valley Post Newsletter.

The Hudson Valley was named one of Time's 100 greatest places thanks to its "country charm and succulent agriculture," which is helping the region quickly "become one of the most popular locales in New York."

Time believes the Hudson Valley is one of "The World's Greatest Places" thanks to people from the city relocating to the region during the pandemic and the opening of LEGOLAND New York in Goshen.

Time also highlights new businesses like Hutton Brickyards in Kingston, The Maker in Hudson and the revitalized Blue Hill at Stone Barns in Tarrytown.

Hudson Valley residents probably aren't surprised with Time's high praise for the region. Those who live here know the Hudson Valley is full of great places to live, great places to eat, great places to explore and more.

People from the Smithsonian believe Goshen is one of the 15 best towns to visit in all of America.

AdvisorSmith believes three cities in New York are among the safest, all three are from the Hudson Valley.

Ben's Fresh in Port Jervis made the finals in a statewide competition to name the best burger in New York State. The "Benny Burger" from Ben's Fresh in Port Jervis ended up finishing third, according to Ben's Fresh manager and chef Bobby Geraghty. The burger from Ben's Fresh was also honored with the People's Choice Award, thanks to an online vote.

In May, Safewise released a list of the 100 safest places to live in 2021 with Carmel and Hyde Park making the list.

Only In Your State believes Rhinebeck Bagels might sell "The Very Best Bagels in New York."

In 2019, Buzzfeed named Rosticceria Rossi & Sons deli the "Best Sandwich Spot" in New York.

Recently the New York Times said Warwick is "under the radar."

Across the Hudson Valley, four towns were recently highlighted for being "charming."

Buzzfeed placed the Scatzi's Burger 13th on its list of "21 Juicy Burgers That Will Ruin You For All Other Burgers."

Ship to Shore in Kingston was honored by Only In Your State as being one of the "15 Best Restaurants For Foodies In New York State."

Keep Scrolling:

Fast Food Change

Near the top of a rounded mountain in a remote part of western Warren County is the one of the most tranquil spots in New Jersey.

The place is called Montana, a part of Harmony Township, but the name of the mountain is Scott's. On a typical fall day, the only sound you can hear is the wind whispering a quiet prayer over the dead, brittle leaves on the acres of dried cornstalks lining the rarely-trafficked Montana Road.

It is fall in New Jersey -- our reliably best season -- and a time when many of us explore our rural backroads and marvel at God's palette on our foliage.

The long view south from Montana is of Pohatcong Mountain, and on the expansive vista, the hardwood forests blaze with maple reds and browns, and the oranges and yellows of the great oaks.

The view north is of Donald and Elsie Duckworth's farm. The double silos store the feed corn they sell, and there is a barn for the small dairy herd they keep. From the top of Scott's Mountain (elevation 1,180), one of the highest hills on the Jersey side of the Delaware Valley, the only buildings you can see are the Duckworths' farm and home, the nearby Millbrook farm, and the Montana Methodist Church and old school. The corn of the Duckworth farm abuts the church and old school, and its stalks tower over the tilted gravestones that mark the final resting places of generations of Beers and Burds and Fangboners, Montana's oldest families.

Montana Methodist dates back to 1891. The land was donated out of the farm that now belongs to the Duckworths. The first wedding there was of a Duckworth girl.

The small congregation these days includes Gabriel Kober Sr., 91, who went to the old school, which closed in 1930. "Till eighth grade, then I went to work on our farm," he said.

His son, William, married his wife Barbara in the church 45 years ago, and they remain congregants, as do Elsie and Donald Duckworth. Elsie's family, the Suttons, farmed the same piece of property in Tewksbury from 1791 until a few years ago when her father sold to developers. Donald's family were Warren County farmers nearly as long. The couple met at a 4H dance in Broadway.

The only regular church attendee who does not have generations-deep roots in a New Jersey farming community is the woman who cares for Elsie Duckworth's mother.

She has that in common with the lay preacher, who has been at the church just about a year. The preacher, whose name is Dura Fornah, also has rural roots. His father was a farmer on the outskirts of Freetown, the biggest city in the troubled African nation of Sierra Leone. It's a long way from Montana, in some ways, but in others it's not.

"In Sierra Leone, I too preached in 'the middle of nowhere,'" said Fornah, an ordained minister of the African Methodist Episcopal church, but not the United Methodist. "The people were very much the same. Very open and welcoming. With open arms and opens hearts. Very, very good people."

Fornah has been in America since 1992, when he enrolled in the Howard University School of Divinity, then became involved in the United Methodist Church. Since most small parishes can't support a full-time preacher, Fornah works as a computer room operator in Leonia. His church duties bring him 60 miles west every Sunday for services, and other odd days for Bible studies and prayer breakfasts in places like Montana and Broadway and Port Colden and Washington (Warren County).

How the Irvington resident got to rural western Jersey is no mystery: He was assigned. After he completed his course work to become certified as a lay preacher, the United Methodist hierarchy sent him to the consortium of small parishes that make up the Francis Asbury Cooperative Parish.

None is as small and remote as Montana, which draws about seven worshippers a week. The church itself is plain as can be, no bigger than the three-car garages you see in new housing developments in many parts of formerly rural New Jersey. Two rows of handmade pews, thick with semi-gloss white paint. Plain windows, and a plain cross above a wooden table that serves as an altar. The pulpit is a lectern, unadorned and simple.

In this setting, Fornah leads song, reads the Old Testament and Gospel, talks of God's love and embraces his small community, as they embrace him.

"He's pretty good," said Gabriel Kober, who uses a cane but whose handshake is still strong from years of hard work. "We like him up here a lot."

And from the top of a mountain in rural West Jersey, you can see the possibility of a wide world made more tranquil, of a big world made small.

Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission.

Roger Jinks

Roger Jinks, seen here in 2006, says he hopes his a 43-year career in education doesn't exactly end -- he says he wants to become a volunteer music teacher.

(Express-Times File Photo)

Washington Township, New Jersey, schools Superintendent Roger Jinks is retiring Aug. 31 after 43 in education, but it doesn't appear he's slowing down.

Jinks, 62, a Phillipsburg resident who began teaching in 1971 at St. Philip and St. James in town, was a music educator for many years in Warren and Hunterdon counties until he transitioned into administration, he said this morning.

He directed the instrumental and band programs at St. Philip and St. James and was band director at Philipsburg Catholic High School until 1980, when he left for Clinton Public School, he said. He taught fourth grade there, then special education, then he started the computer program before becoming director of special projects, he said.

His next stop in 1999 was as superintendent at Franklin Township School in Warren County, and he became superintendent in 2007 in Washington Township, he said.

His career as an administrator meant he had to give up teaching music, but now he's back performing -- three shows this past weekend, including a stop at Valenca on Easton's Centre Square. He'll perform at a block party Saturday on Easton's College Hill, he said.

"I had to focus on my career in education," he said about pushing music aside for a time.

While he was once a percussionist, the Milford native -- who said then-Delaware Valley Regional High School band director Pete Pettinelli was a major influence -- now plays piano and sings. He performs alternating sets with his brother Albert, a guitarist, he said.

"We have a ball," he said, adding that they also do four or five songs together, he said.

He also gives music lessons to his four grandchildren -- Dylan and Sam Carter, who are Moravian Academy students, and Aubrey and Adrian John Jinks, who study at Wantage, New Jersey, schools -- he said.

Two of Jinks' three children -- Roger Jinks Jr., an administrator in Sussex County, and Kathleen Carter, finalist of the 2013-14 New Jersey Presidential Math and Science Award -- followed the Jinkses into education. Jinks' wife, Kathleen, was a superintendent in Green Hills, Sussex County, when she retired in 2009, he said. She had been an assistant superintendent at Great Meadows before Green Hills, he said.

His older daughter, Maria, is a chiropractor who works with her husband at a medical practice, Jinks said, expressing great pride in all three of the children.

"We are quite blessed," he said.

Jinks joked it's a good day when he wakes up and finds his name not in the newspaper. The 2011-12 Warren County Superintendent of the Year said he was trying to keep his retirement on the "down-low."

"I try very much to manage things in such a way that everyone's needs are met," he said, adding that the students are always the priority.

He currently manages two schools -- Brass Castle and Port Colden -- and he hopes he is leaving them better off than when he arrived.

The district has implemented academic benchmarking for student process, the common core and has put smart boards in every classroom, he said.

In addition to performing music, Jinks hopes to teach music as a volunteer one day a week, getting back to his roots, he said.

"I would like to pay it forward," he said.

Becoming a volunteer teacher could be challenging -- because he'd have to be hired but not paid -- but he already has the certification, he said. It might be easier to do at a private school and he's already talking to a couple of them, he said.

"I have a lot of things to do and a lot of ideas in place," he said as he prepares to retire.

The school board is already seeking applications for Jinks' replacement, he said. The process will likely be completed in July and August and Jinks said he hopes to be out of a job on time at the end of August.

"It's time for someone else to steer the ship," he said.

Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission.

Chipotle Mexican Grill may be coming to Pohatcong Township, just east of Phillipsburg. The chain of more than 2,950 restaurants serving tacos, burritos and quesadillas has presented a plan for a new restaurant with a drive-through at Route 22 and New Brunswick Avenue, near the Raymour & Flanigan and Aldi stores. That proposal will be considered at a Pohatcong meeting Tuesday, though a final decision is not definite that night.

Wendy Borger is the Blue Bomber Notary of Palmerton. She is holding a grand opening Saturday with ribbon cutting and refreshments at 11 a.m. at her 210 Delaware Ave. office, site of the former Bed Rock Notary. She will take care of titles, transfers and any kind of notary work. Blue Bomber will be open 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Thursday; 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.

Wiz Kids 2 at Madison Farms in Bethlehem Township is closed temporarily because of a small fire. The steak sandwich restaurant's original location at Elizabeth Avenue in Bethlehem remains open. No reopening date at Madison Farms has been set, but a reopening at Madison Farms will happen soon.

Chicken & Bliss is just 19 days away. Sports & Social has set an April 28 date for its Seventh and Hamilton streets, Allentown, bar and restaurant. The restaurant/bar/entertainment venue is at the site of the former Hamilton Kitchen in the City Center Investment Corp.'s Two City Center Building.

Sports & Social operates in and near major entertainment venues nationwide. It will feature live music and entertainment, lots of televised sports and an outdoor seating area on Center Square.

Chicken & Bliss, one of the menu's featured items, consists of fried chicken strips, a toasted waffle, syrup, strawberries, honey lemon butter and mint.

Stewartsville, New Jersey, is now home to Propagate Studio. The business's goal is to provide an event space, community studio and generally promote a creative environment. Sam Matthews of Propagate, who has taught art, said the studio is for everybody.

"I believe we are all artists and creatives, no matter our age or skill, but sometimes just need the time, space and materials to grow that creativity in whatever medium feels right," she says on Propagate's Facebook page. Propagate is at 2546 Route 57 in Stewartsville, near Cycle Stuff and H&K Auto Body Repairs.

Joe's Alpha Dogs at the Port Colden Mall in Washington, New Jersey, has closed after the death of co-owner Vin Russo in February. He operated the store with his wife Frances, who said on Facebook, "I can't do this on my own. I don't want to do it without Vin." Some of the equipment from the hot-dog shop is for sale, according to her post.

Jimena's Pizza & Restaurant has opened at 3502 Greenway St. in Palmer Township. The menu includes chicken, pasta, veal, seafood, appetizers including fried pickles, bruschetta and calamari; salads, panini, wraps, burgers. Jimena's is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, noon to 8 p.m. on Sunday, and is closed on Mondays.

The Valley View Diner is back after a break for renovations. The restaurant at 570 Nazareth Pike in Lower Nazareth Township is open daily from 5:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

La Trinidad de Dios restaurant at 559 S. Main St. in Phillipsburg will hold a grand opening at noon April 13 with the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce. The Dominican restaurant serves empanadas, a fried stuffed potato, salads, mofongos, rice, plaintains and stewed or roasted chicken, stewed beef, pork shoulder, creole shrimp and more.

Paranormal Pizza is bringing its plant-based pizza to Bethlehem. The 554 N. New St. vegan restaurant has standard pies along with the likes of "Mulder" and "Scully," names that refer to the X-Files television show. The Alien Bounty Hunter, for example, has a garlic knot crust, cashew mozzarella, seitan pepperoni, Beyond sausage, green peppers, onions and mushroom. Gluten-free options are available too. The cashew "cheese" is made in-house, and Paranormal has options for diners with cash allergies.

Gov. Hochul touched on if she plans to make the COVID vaccine mandatory for eligible New York children.

For all the news that the Hudson Valley is sharing make sure to follow Hudson Valley Post on Facebook, download the Hudson Valley Post Mobile App and sign up for the Hudson Valley Post Newsletter.

On Tuesday, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced 120 new pop-up vaccination sites will take place across New York over a 12-week-period as part of the #VaxtoSchool campaign to increase vaccination rates among younger New Yorkers.

Over the next 12 weeks, the State Department of Health will be working with localities, community-based organizations and healthcare centers to establish these new sites in all regions of the state, supporting the State's goal of significantly increasing vaccination rates among this demographic.

Hochul is hoping to increase the vaccine rate among eligible New York children. Currently, 54 percent of New Yorkers ages 12 to 17 are vaccinated, which is the lowest percentage of age group in New York.

In partnership with the State, each region will be hosting two new events per week, and partners, host sites, and outreach efforts will be tailored to best meet the needs of the communities they are built to serve. Locations haven't been announced

"Since becoming Governor four weeks ago, I've made it clear that we need to bring children, teachers and staff back to school safely," Hochul stated. "With these pop-up vaccinations sites, we are ramping up our #VaxtoSchool campaign on the road and going into communities where vaccination rates are still lagging among young New Yorkers, so we can reach as many families as possible and make our schools safer for students and staff."

Children ages 12 to 17 are able to get the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, which is available under Emergency Use Authorization for children ages 12 to 15 and is fully approved for those ages 16 and older. The other COVID-19 vaccines are not yet authorized or approved for this age group.

Hochul adds as of now there's no plan to make the COVID-19 vaccine mandatory for New York students.

If you are a parent or guardian of a school-aged New Yorker, you can also visit vaccines.gov, text your ZIP code to 438829, or call 1-800-232-0233 to find a vaccine location closest to you. Make sure that the provider offers the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.

Fast Food Change

Legoland