Aging is inevitable, and for many, it signals the beginning of a new chapter - one where you cross off bucket list items and live life to the fullest, on your own terms. However, for some women, aging is a horrible prospect, filled with chronic fatigue, irritability, and inability to perform in the bedroom. If you're concerned about life in middle age and beyond, we've got great news: there are easy, proven steps that you can take to help stop the negative effect of aging.
Global Life Rejuvenation was founded to give women a new lease on life - one that includes less body fat, fewer mood swings, and more energy as you age. If you're ready to look and feel younger, it's time to consider HRT (hormone replacement therapy), and growth hormone peptides. These therapies for men and women are effective, safe, and customized to fit your goals, so you can keep loving life as you get older.
HRT, and growth hormone peptide therapies bridge the gap between your old life and the more vibrant, happier version of you. With a simple click or call, you can be well on your way to a brighter future. After all, you deserve to be the one in charge of your wellness and health. Now, you have the tools to do so - backed by science and applied by our team of HRT experts with more than 13 years of experience.
As women age, their hormones begin to go through changes that affect their day-to-day lives. For women, hormone deficiency and imbalance usually occur during menopause and can cause chronic fatigue, hot flashes, and mood swings, among other issues. Hormone replacement therapy helps correct hormone imbalances in women, helping them feel more vibrant and virile as they age.
Often, HRT treatments give patients enhanced quality of life that they didn't think was possible - even in their 60's and beyond.
The benefits for women are numerous and are available today through Global Life Rejuvenation.
As women age, their bodies begin to go through significant changes that affect their quality of life. This change is called menopause and marks the end of a woman's menstrual cycle and reproduction ability. Though there is no specific age when this change occurs, the average age of menopause onset is 51 years old. However, according to doctors, menopause officially starts 12 months after a woman's final period. During the transition to menopause, women's estrogen and other hormones begin to deplete.
As that happens, many women experience severe symptoms. These symptoms include:
The symptoms of hormone deficiency can be concerning and scary for both women and their spouses. However, if you're getting older and notice some of these symptoms, there is reason to be hopeful. Hormone replacement therapy and anti-aging medicine for women can correct imbalances that happen during menopause. These safe, effective treatments leave you feeling younger, healthier, and more vibrant.
The most common reason for menopause is the natural decline in a female's reproductive hormones. However, menopause can also result from the following situations:
Oophorectomy: This surgery, which removes a woman's ovaries, causes immediate menopause. Symptoms and signs of menopause in this situation can be severe, as the hormonal changes happen abruptly.
Chemotherapy: Cancer treatments like chemotherapy can induce menopause quickly, causing symptoms to appear shortly after or even during treatment.
Ovarian Insufficiency: Also called premature ovarian failure, this condition is essentially premature menopause. It happens when a woman's ovaries quit functioning before the age of 40 and can stem from genetic factors and disease. Only 1% of women suffer from premature menopause, but HRT can help protect the heart, brain, and bones.
For many women, menopause is a trying time that can be filled with many hormonal hurdles to jump through. A little knowledge can go a long way, whether you're going through menopause now or are approaching "that" age.
Here are some of the most common issues that women experience during menopause:
If you're a woman going through menopause and find that you have become increasingly depressed, you're not alone. It's estimated that 15% of women experience depression to some degree while going through menopause. What many women don't know is that depression can start during perimenopause, or the years leading up to menopause.
Depression can be hard to diagnose, especially during perimenopause and menopause. However, if you notice the following signs, it might be time to speak with a physician:
Remember, if you're experiencing depression, you're not weak or broken - you're going through a very regular emotional experience. The good news is that with proper treatment from your doctor, depression isn't a death sentence. And with HRT and anti-aging treatment for women, depression could be the catalyst you need to enjoy a new lease on life.
Hot flashes - they're one of the most well-known symptoms of menopause. Hot flashes are intense, sudden feelings of heat across a woman's upper body. Some last second, while others last minutes, making them incredibly inconvenient and uncomfortable for most women.
Symptoms of hot flashes include:
Typically, hot flashes are caused by a lack of estrogen. Low estrogen levels negatively affect a woman's hypothalamus, the part of the brain that controls body temperature and appetite. Low estrogen levels cause the hypothalamus to incorrectly assume the body is too hot, dilating blood vessels to increase blood flow. Luckily, most women don't have to settle for the uncomfortable feelings that hot flashes cause. HRT treatments for women often stabilize hormones, lessening the effects of hot flashes and menopause in general.
Mood swings are common occurrences for most people - quick shifts from happy to angry and back again, triggered by a specific event. And while many people experience mood swings, they are particularly common for women going through menopause. That's because, during menopause, the female's hormones are often imbalanced. Hormone imbalances and mood swings go hand-in-hand, resulting in frequent mood changes and even symptoms like insomnia.
The rate of production of estrogen, a hormone that fluctuates during menopause, largely determines the rate of production the hormone serotonin, which regulates mood, causing mood swings.
Luckily, HRT and anti-aging treatments in River Edge, NJ for women work wonders for mood swings by regulating hormone levels like estrogen. With normal hormone levels, women around the world are now learning that they don't have to settle for mood swings during menopause.
Staying fit and healthy is hard for anyone living in modern America. However, for women with hormone imbalances during perimenopause or menopause, weight gain is even more serious. Luckily, HRT treatments for women coupled with a physician-led diet can help keep weight in check. But which hormones need to be regulated?
Lowered sexual desire - three words most men and women hate to hear. Unfortunately, for many women in perimenopausal and menopausal states, it's just a reality of life. Thankfully, today, HRT and anti-aging treatments River Edge, NJ can help women maintain a normal, healthy sex drive. But what causes low libido in women, especially as they get older?
The hormones responsible for low libido in women are progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone.
Progesterone production decreases during perimenopause, causing low sex drive in women. Lower progesterone production can also cause chronic fatigue, weight gain, and other symptoms. On the other hand, lower estrogen levels during menopause lead to vaginal dryness and even vaginal atrophy or loss of muscle tension.
Lastly, testosterone plays a role in lowered libido. And while testosterone is often grouped as a male hormone, it contributes to important health and regulatory functionality in women. A woman's testosterone serves to heighten sexual responses and enhances orgasms. When the ovaries are unable to produce sufficient levels of testosterone, it often results in a lowered sex drive.
Often uncomfortable and even painful, vaginal dryness is a serious problem for sexually active women. However, like hair loss in males, vaginal dryness is very common - almost 50% of women suffer from it during menopause.
Getting older is just a part of life, but that doesn't mean you have to settle for the side effects. HRT and anti-aging treatments for women correct vaginal dryness by re-balancing estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. When supplemented with diet and healthy living, your vagina's secretions are normalized, causing discomfort to recede.
Uterine fibroids - they're perhaps the least-known symptom of menopause and hormone imbalances in women. That's because these growths on the uterus are often symptom-free. Unfortunately, these growths can be cancerous, presenting a danger for women as they age.
Many women will have fibroids at some point. Because they're symptomless, they're usually found during routine doctor exams. Some women only get one or two, while others may have large clusters of fibroids. Because fibroids are usually caused by hormone imbalances, hysterectomies have been used as a solution, forcing women into early menopause.
Advances in HRT and anti-aging medicine for women give females a safer, non-surgical option without having to experience menopause early. At Global Life Rejuvenation, our expert physicians will implement a customized HRT program to stabilize your hormones and reduce the risk of cancerous fibroid growth.
Endometriosis symptoms are much like the effects of PMS, and include pelvic pain, fatigue, cramping, and bloating. While doctors aren't entirely sure what causes this painful, uncomfortable condition, most agree that hormones - particularly xenoestrogens - play a factor.
Endometriosis symptoms are much like the effects of PMS and include pelvic pain, fatigue, cramping, and bloating. While doctors aren't entirely sure what causes this painful, uncomfortable condition, most agree that hormones - particularly xenoestrogens - play a factor.
Xenoestrogen is a hormone that is very similar to estrogen. Too much xenoestrogen is thought to stimulate endometrial tissue growth. HRT for women helps balance these hormones and, when used with a custom nutrition program, can provide relief for women across the U.S.
Hormone stability is imperative for a healthy sex drive and for a normal, stress-free life during menopause. HRT and anti-aging treatments for women balance the hormones that your body has altered due to perimenopause or menopause.
HRT for women is a revolutionary step in helping women live their best lives, even as they grow older. However, at Global Life Rejuvenation, we know that no two patients are the same. That's why we specialize in holistic treatments that utilize HRT, combined with healthy nutrition, supplements, and fitness plans that maximize hormone replacement treatments.
If you've been suffering through menopause, is HRT the answer? That's hard to say without an examination by a trusted physician, but one thing's for sure. When a woman balances her hormone levels, she has a much better shot at living a regular life with limited depression, weight gain, mood swings, and hot flashes.
Here are just a few additional benefits of HRT and anti-aging treatments for females:
Hormone imbalance causes a litany of issues. But with anti-aging treatments for women, females can better process calcium, keep their cholesterol levels safe, and maintain a healthy vagina. By replenishing the body's estrogen supply, HRT can relieve symptoms from menopause and protect against osteoporosis. But that's just the start.
Global Life Rejuvenation's patients report many more benefits of HRT and anti-aging medicine for women:
If you're ready to feel better, look better, and recapture the vitality of your youth, it's time to contact Global Life Rejuvenation. It all starts with an in-depth consultation, where we will determine if HRT and anti-aging treatments for women are right for you. After all, every patient's body and hormone levels are different. Since all our treatment options are personalized, we do not have a single threshold for treatment. Instead, we look at our patient's hormone levels and analyze them on a case-by-case basis.
At Global Life Rejuvenation, we help women rediscover their youth with HRT treatment for women. We like to think of ourselves as an anti-aging concierge service, guiding and connecting our patients to the most qualified HRT physicians available. With customized HRT treatment plan for women, our patients experience fewer menopausal symptoms, less perimenopause & menopause depression, and often enjoy a more youth-like appearance.
Growth hormone peptides are an innovative therapy that boosts the natural human growth hormone production in a person's body. These exciting treatment options help slow down the aging process and give you a chance at restoring your youth.
Sermorelin is a synthetic hormone peptide, like GHRH, which triggers the release of growth hormones. When used under the care of a qualified physician, Sermorelin can help you lose weight, increase your energy levels, and help you feel much younger.
Human growth hormone (HGH) therapy has been used for years to treat hormone deficiencies. Unlike HGH, which directly replaces declining human growth hormone levels, Sermorelin addresses the underlying cause of decreased HGH, stimulating the pituitary gland naturally. This approach keeps the mechanisms of growth hormone production active.
Ipamorelin helps to release growth hormones in a person's body by mimicking a peptide called ghrelin. Ghrelin is one of three hormones which work together to regulate the growth hormone levels released by the pituitary gland. Because Ipamorelin stimulates the body to produce growth hormone, your body won't stop its natural growth hormone production, which occurs with synthetic HGH.
Ipamorelin causes growth hormone secretion that resembles natural release patterns rather than being constantly elevated from HGH. Because ipamorelin stimulates the natural production of growth hormone, our patients can use this treatment long-term with fewer health risks.
One of the biggest benefits of Ipamorelin is that it provides significant short and long-term benefits in age management therapies. Ipamorelin can boost a patient's overall health, wellbeing, and outlook on life.
When there is an increased concentration of growth hormone by the pituitary gland, there are positive benefits to the body. Some benefits include:
Whether you are considering our HRT and anti-aging treatments for women in River Edge, NJ, we are here to help. The first step to reclaiming your life begins by contacting Global Life Rejuvenation. Our friendly, knowledgeable HRT experts can help answer your questions and walk you through our procedures. From there, we'll figure out which treatments are right for you. Before you know it, you'll be well on your way to looking and feeling better than you have in years!
866-793-9933
RIVER EDGE/ORADELL, NJ —Most Americans don’t think twice about drinking a glass of water. A report released Wednesday, though, found more than 270 harmful contaminants in local drinking water across the nation, including in River Edge and Oradell. The substances are linked to cancer, damage to the brain and nervous system, hormonal disruption, problems in pregnancy and other serious health conditions.The nonprofit Environmental Working Group, collaborating with outside scientists, aggregated and analyzed data from almost 5...
RIVER EDGE/ORADELL, NJ —Most Americans don’t think twice about drinking a glass of water. A report released Wednesday, though, found more than 270 harmful contaminants in local drinking water across the nation, including in River Edge and Oradell. The substances are linked to cancer, damage to the brain and nervous system, hormonal disruption, problems in pregnancy and other serious health conditions.
The nonprofit Environmental Working Group, collaborating with outside scientists, aggregated and analyzed data from almost 50,000 local water utilities in all 50 states.
Read more on the Environmental Working Group’s data sources and methodology.
The organization found a troubling discrepancy between the current legal limits for contaminants and the most recent authoritative studies of what is safe to consume.
"Legal does not necessarily equal safe," Sydney Evans, a science analyst at the environmental group, told Patch.
"A lot of these legal limits are outdated and not necessarily the safe level, and the EWG really wants to fill that gap," Evans said. "The federal government has not been able to, or is not willing to, set those new regulations to protect public health. We’re trying to fill the gap to let people know, based on the latest science, what the safe levels of contaminants in water are."
In River Edge and Oradell, the group found seven contaminants across our water supply between 2012 and 2017.
United Water New Jersey serves 792,713 people, according to the environmental group.
The following contaminants were detected above the environmental group’s own recommended health guidelines in River Edge and Oradell:
1. Arsenic
2. Bromate
3. Chloroform
4. Chromium (hexavalent)
5. Dichloroacetic acid
6. Nitrate and nitrite
7. Trichloroacetic acid
In the case of polyfluorinated substances, or PFAs, the environmental group estimated up to 110 million Americans could have the potentially cancer-causing, immune-system damaging contaminant in their drinking water. Yet the EPA requires drinking water utilities across the country to test for only six of 14 known substances in the category.
A variety of other contaminants often found in the water of millions of Americans can profoundly impact health. They include lead, which has been linked to brain damage in small children; arsenic, which can cause cancer; and copper, which can be harmful to infants.
The EPA did not respond to numerous requests by Patch seeking comment on the findings of the study.
According to the environmental group, many of the 270-plus contaminants detected through water sampling are at levels deemed legal under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act, yet are above levels that recent studies have found to pose possible health risks.
Visit the environmental group’s web page for River Edge and Oradell to see the recommended ways to combat the specific substances in your drinking water and the risks that they pose.
The environmental group has a clear opinion on the federal government’s handling of water safety.
"The regulatory system meant to ensure the safety of America’s drinking water is broken. The inexcusable failure of the federal government’s responsibility to protect public health means there are no legal limits for more than 160 unregulated contaminants in U.S. tap water," Environmental Working Group researchers stated in its "State of American Drinking Water."
A focal point of the organization’s concern is the Environmental Protection Agency’s refusal to add a single new contaminant to the toxic chemicals list covered by the Safe Drinking Water Act in almost 20 years.
Independent experts agree.
"With the science on what we call 'emerging contaminants' continuing to grow, it is clear that there are components of our tap water that can be improved," Kristin Strock, professor of Environmental Science at Dickinson College, told Patch.
Strock, who is not affiliated with the environmental group, also emphasized the challenges in the process of federally regulating harmful contaminants, suggesting the current system is somewhat backward.
"The road to regulating harmful contaminants is difficult, as our current construct for ensuring clean water is based on 'proving' that something is harmful before it is regulated as opposed to assuming contaminants could be harmful and ‘proving’ them safe before allowing them to go into industrial production and, as a result, our environment," she said. "The EPA has been working on identifying safe limits for a number of these emerging contaminants and continues to work on the problem."
The Environmental Working Group also noted that the every-day person is frustratingly helpless to the chemicals going into their water supply, and the subsequent costs associated with different water filtering techniques.
Olga Naidenko, vice president of science investigation at the group, further explained, "Industries and companies that released PFAS into the environment and drinking water sources — should be responsible to covering such costs, as it is unfair for homeowners to be saddled with costs for pollution they did not create."
The water group does offer information, though, on filtering technologies that you can use to dramatically reduce water contamination. Filtering technology will help. Carbon filters, for example, will reduce many, but not all, contaminants.
How to Check Contaminants In Your Water:
The environmental group’s public database catalogues contaminants in every water system in the country — the first such database of its kind. First, select the state where you live, and you’ll see state-level data. For more local information, enter your ZIP code.
After you enter your ZIP code, you’ll be directed to a page showing the name of your water utility system. Select "View Utility" to see which contaminants were identified in your area.
What You Can Do
For those with concerns, the environmental group provides a guide to buying water filters. If you find your local water supply has a particularly high level of a dangerous chemical, you can search for a filter that best blocks the specific substance.
While water filters are important, the group also acknowledges they are more of a Band-Aid solution than an actual fix.
"We really want to iterate that’s a first-line, temporary measure," Evans told Patch. "It's what you can do today to protect yourself, but really we want long-term permanent change, and that's going to happen at the community level."
Subsequently, the environmental group has created a set of seven questions to ask your elected officials about tap water.
The organization strongly believes that everyone can help in the battle to improve tap water safety.
"We absolutely believe in the power of personal advocacy — for individuals to reach out to their local elected officials of all levels. The power of people can come into play," Naidenko said.
Where The Environmental Working Group Gets Its Funding:
The majority of the group’s funding comes from private charitable foundations, here’s a partial list of the organization’s largest backers.
More detailed information on the organization’s funding and annual reports are available on its website.
Email: [email protected]
Affinity Federal Credit Union is celebrating the grand opening of its new branch in River Edge, with a community celebration and ribbon-cutting ceremony Sept. 27.Located at 913 Kinderkamack Road, this is the credit union’s 13th branch in the Garden State and reinforces Affinity’s longstanding commitment to supporting the financial well-being of its members and deepening its roots in Bergen County.“We believe that a strong community is b...
Affinity Federal Credit Union is celebrating the grand opening of its new branch in River Edge, with a community celebration and ribbon-cutting ceremony Sept. 27.
Located at 913 Kinderkamack Road, this is the credit union’s 13th branch in the Garden State and reinforces Affinity’s longstanding commitment to supporting the financial well-being of its members and deepening its roots in Bergen County.
“We believe that a strong community is built upon the foundation of people helping people,” Kevin Brauer, CEO and president of Affinity, said. “Whether it’s opening a high-yield savings account, seeking an auto loan or needing assistance with a resume, we are excited about supporting the well-being of those in River Edge and its surrounding communities.”
“I am thrilled to witness our vision for this new branch become a reality,” Shawn Lubitz, vice president, retail and digital branches at Affinity, said. “Our commitment to empowering individuals, families and local businesses with tools and expertise to better their financial lives are at the heart of this endeavor. We look forward to servicing new and existing members at our River Edge branch.”
Summit-based Simplicity Group Holdings has acquired the Dempsey Cos., a a nationally recognized insurance brokerage that operates under the Dempsey brand, according to a Monday announcement.
With this transaction, Kay Dempsey becomes a Simplicity partner.
“We are thrilled to welcome Kay Dempsey and her team, who are nationally recognized for their years of service, successfully navigating effective solutions for advisers to high net worth families and businesses,” Bruce Donaldson, CEO and president of Simplicity, said. “Kay’s stature and accomplishments in our industry has earned a reputation of being a fierce advocate for financial advisers and the complex risks of their clients. We look forward to her leadership in our goal of building the leading financial services distribution organization in the U.S.”
“The opportunity to join Simplicity and access diversified resources and expertise will allow us to bring greater value to financial advisers in the differentiation and growth of their practices. I am very excited for my colleagues, Michael Gayman and John Peterson, who will become equity partners in Simplicity, as a part of the transaction,” Kay Dempsey said.
Donaldson said Simplicity has built an integrated financial products distribution business by combining the best of annuity, life insurance, wealth products and support functions.
By Martha Morley PublishedApril 13, 2023 at 11:55 AMA new capital campaign to raise funds for the construction of a new history museum at Historic New Bridge Landing in River Edge, NJ has been announced by the Bergen County Historical Society. The goal is to build a world-class permanent museum that will herald and display a collective history of New Jersey. Funding is needed for the new building, groundbreaking exhibits and the new educational programming that will happen in ...
By Martha Morley
PublishedApril 13, 2023 at 11:55 AM
A new capital campaign to raise funds for the construction of a new history museum at Historic New Bridge Landing in River Edge, NJ has been announced by the Bergen County Historical Society. The goal is to build a world-class permanent museum that will herald and display a collective history of New Jersey. Funding is needed for the new building, groundbreaking exhibits and the new educational programming that will happen in the new space.
The site plans have been completed and approved by the DEP. The design plans for the new museum were unveiled in October 2023 and call for a 3,850 square -foot barn-styled building which will fit with the other historic buildings on the 13 acre site along the Hackensack River. BCHS is working with G3 Architecture and the site plan includes a solar panel roof. The future museum will provide temperature controlled exhibit and storage space, a theater and orientation gathering space. Some of the exhibit space will include hands-on, interactive exhibits and be digitalized to enhance learning. The new museum will allow for new programming and educational opportunities for schools including field trips for underserved communities. The BCHS hopes to raise 3 million through this capital campaign.
“The new museum will be a place to explore, document and showcase over 4,000 original objects that span several centuries” commented Museum Chair and Bergen County Historical Society past President and Deborah Powell. “It will serve to educate the public on the important role our area played as a Native American and Colonial Settlement and also as a fort, encampment ground and military headquarters during in the American Revolutionary War.”
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The museum will also be utilized as a meeting space for the community and can host events in its event spaces which can accommodate up to 100 people. “The new museum will also help to grow attendance to more than the current 100,000 visitors we receive each year” added Powell. In addition to corporate donors and foundations, the campaign also hopes to attract new members too.
The Bergen County Historical Society is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization. We do not receive public funding and 100% of donations are tax-deductible contributions that go to fulfilling the mission that is ten years in the making of building a new museum.
For more information or to set up a site visit please contact Martha Morley at (201) 493-7996. For information on BCHS visit www.bergencountyhistory.org. Donations can be made online at www.bergencountyhistory.org/donate.
Upcoming events at Historic New Bridge Landing:
April 16, 2023: 1:00pm t0 4:30pm: Chwame Gischuch, Under the Shad Moon.
Join the Bergen County Historical Society as we celebrate Chwame Gischuch: Under the Shad Moon. The Lenape New Year.
Event Details: Chwame Gischurch is celebrated when the Shad runs in the rivers. The event will feature 2 presenters, Primitive Technologist Steve Adams and Arthur Kirmss who will demonstrate the Native American and Colonial craft of wampum making. Imagine a distant time when highways were footpaths, the only flights in the sky were flown by animals, and rivers were crystal clear as we ponder the Prehistoric life ways of our ancestors and particularly of the place we now call New Bridge Landing. Observe the methods by which everyday tasks were anchored in Nature, when a good living came directly from animal, vegetable and mineral resources. Watch wild plants being processed into twine and hear the crack of rocks being fractured and shaped into tools with antler, wood and other stones. Join Primitive Technologist Steve Adams as he offers a discussion and demonstration on the hardware that provided food, clothing and shelter with comfort in Pre-Contact cultures and Arthur Kirmss who will demonstrate the Native American and Colonial craft of wampum making.
The Society's extensive Native American collection, including wampum will be on exhibit at the Steuben House. The Steuben House, the Campbell-Christie, the Demarest House Museum and the Westervelt-Thomas Barn will be open for tours. Refreshments will be available including donuts, cornbread and lemonade throughout the day. Broom making demonstrations will take place in the barn and our cooks in the out kitchen will feature shad and corn. Children activities include cornhusk doll making and a scavenger hunt with prizes.
Admission is $12 adults, $7 students. BCHS members are free. Free parking is available on site. Visit www.bergencountyhistory.org for more information.
April 20, 2023: 7:00pm to 8:30pm. Lecture on the Charleville Musket Found at New Bridge Landing
Event Details: 5 Presenters discuss the conservation and history of the Charleville musket which was discovered by the banks of the Hackensack River at New Bridge Landing and professionally X-rayed and examined. This will be a Zoom lecture.
Link will be sent upon registration.
Editor's Note: This advertorial content is being published by TAPinto.net as a service for its marketing partners. For more information about how to market your business or nonprofit on TAPinto, please visit TAPintoMarketing.net or email [email protected]. The opinions expressed herein, if any, are the writer's alone, and do not reflect the opinions of TAPinto.net or anyone who works for TAPinto.net. TAPinto.net is not responsible for the accuracy of any of the information supplied by the writer.
2-min readNorthJersey.com0:001:52ADBodies in the Seats. That's rule no. 1 for any venue — whether its a theater, cinema, concert hall, or The First Congregational Church of River Edge.Like many places, they've experienced a decline in attendance, post-COVID.Unlike many paces, they're doing something about it. Something interesting.The River Crossing Concerts, a series of classical and jazz p...
NorthJersey.com
Bodies in the Seats. That's rule no. 1 for any venue — whether its a theater, cinema, concert hall, or The First Congregational Church of River Edge.
Like many places, they've experienced a decline in attendance, post-COVID.
Unlike many paces, they're doing something about it. Something interesting.
The River Crossing Concerts, a series of classical and jazz performances that have been hosted by the church for a year and a half, are many things. They are art. They are entertainment. They are a way to showcase the talents of Slavina Zhelezova, the internationally-known concert pianist who became the church's musical director in 2021. She's played some of the concerts, and curated all of them.
Not least, they are a way to reintroduce people to the church. Perhaps remind them of how much they miss it.
"Churches right now are going through a very difficult time, trying to get people back in the pews," said Bert Stratford, one of a foursome of church members who are producing the events.
As of 2023, they've ramped up to four shows a year. The next one, on June 4, will be something of a joyous potpourri: the Nicole Zuraitis Trio (jazz originals and Broadway standards), Alí Bello and the Sweet Wire Band (Latin Jazz), City Winds Trio (ragtime), the Tri-county Irish War Pipe Band (traditional Irish music from River Edge), Batalá (an all-female percussion group), and Zhelezova's own GZ Piano Duo (tango, classical, Hungarian dances).
The free 12 to 6 P.M. concert — donations accepted — will, weather permitting, be outdoors. But a congregation is a congregation. No matter whether the roof they're sitting under is man's, or God's.
"Something's going on in this country, where there's a decline in worship services," said Stratford, a River Edge resident. "I think everybody's being affected by it. It's a complex situation. We want to get people back to the church."
Zhelezova, it turns out, was just the one to help.
In addition to being a high profile concert pianist who has toured Europe, Mexico, China and Taiwan with her performing partner, pianist Citlalli Guevara, she was also the music director for a Bronxville church at the time COVID suddenly forced people into lockdown.
Her concert engagements stopped, abruptly. All that was left were the Sunday services — conducted virtually. She suddenly discovered how much music means to people. And also how much people mean to a performer.
"Literally overnight, we went to live-streaming services," she said. "I was playing in an empty church, for a camera. We pianists sometimes have our heads in the sand — practicing, practicing, practicing. We don't realize how much the connection with the audience means to us. The euphoria, the energy of the crowds, the applause. You don't realize how much it means until it's not there."
Local:River Edge school reconfiguration will not happen this fall. Here's why
Equally, she learned that people are thirsty for music. She suddenly felt needed, in a way she never had before.
"I don't think if I had cancelled a concert before, anyone would have cared," said Zhelezova, originally from Bulgaria (she now lives in New York). "But if I missed a Sunday, folks knew it. I suddenly realized how meaningful this is to people."
So when the world began to open up — cautiously — in 2021, Zhelezova knew just what would draw people to her new professional home, The First Congregational Church. Her first concert there, a four-hand piano recital with her partner Guevara, featured Schubert, Poulenc, some Brahms Hungarian Dances, and some Astor Piazzolla tangos. And folks beat a path to the church door.
"Maybe 100 people showed up," Stratford said. "They did a full act, two hours. They were phenomenal. And this started us all thinking: with this ability and her talent and her contacts, let's start to do more of these. That's the germ that really set this off."
Stratford knows show business. He's had a long career as a theater and TV producer, and sometime Broadway actor. His wife, Lee Meredith — also a Congregational congregant — is well known from her roles on stage, film, and TV (she was the original Ulla in Mel Brooks' 1967 "The Producers"). The two have themselves done productions at the church, from time to time. All of which is to say, it takes talent to know talent. And Zhelezova is it.
"We were really lucky," he said. "Our organist had retired, and we were looking for a new one. She showed up and blew everybody away. She was one of the best pianists I've heard."
Previous shows have been all over the musical map: from vocal programs with tenor Errin Brooks and baritone Kyle Oliver, to a Women's History Month show that featured music by Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel (the more talented Mendelssohn, if you ask some). But the common denominator in all these attractions was the live audience.
"We're just bringing all these people back to in-person performances," Zhelezova said. "During COVID, you could feel this kind of distance, with people wearing masks and sitting six feet apart, and not really connecting. I wanted to do something about that. And then there's this civil war going on in this country. There was a need for some unifying experience. Music is the best cure for all of this."
River Crossing Concerts, featuring Nicole Zuraitis Trio, Alí Bello and the Sweet Wire Band, City Winds Trio, others. 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. June 4, First Congregational Church, 109 Continental Ave, River Edge. Free admission; donations accepted. rivercrossingconcerts.org
Three Bergen County towns made the top 5 places to live in New Jersey, and the U.S. list of the top 100. Find out where your town is ranked.|Updated Mon, Jul 31, 2023 at 8:02 am ETBERGEN COUNTY, NJ — The review site Niche recently released its 100 Best Places To Live in America rankings, which includes five towns in the Garden State, three of which are in Bergen County.They also released rankings of best towns to live in within New Jersey. Bergen County has three towns in the top 5 and six in the top 10.Sc...
|Updated Mon, Jul 31, 2023 at 8:02 am ET
BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — The review site Niche recently released its 100 Best Places To Live in America rankings, which includes five towns in the Garden State, three of which are in Bergen County.
They also released rankings of best towns to live in within New Jersey. Bergen County has three towns in the top 5 and six in the top 10.
Schools, safety, housing, and nearby amenities were all important criteria.
The new Niche list included, for each town, updated grades for public schools, housing, diversity, nightlife, crime and safety, and how good the neighborhood is for families.
For the national list, Ho-Ho-Kus, Ridgewood, and River Edge were among five New Jersey communities to make the top 100 in the entire country.
They also made the top 5 towns in New Jersey.
Other Bergen County towns were in the list of the top 25 in the Garden State, including Allendale, Closter, Glen Rock, Harrington Park, Haworth, and Old Tappan.
Here are the top 25 places to live in New Jersey, all with an overall A+ rating, according to Niche:
Niche used Census Bureau and FBI data to compile the list, which is intended to help everyone from young professionals to retirees decide where they want to live.
For instance, Ridgewood received an A+ for schools and also an A+ for "good for families." See the grades here.
Places in New Jersey that cracked the top 100 in the United States are:
Princeton Junction
Overall Niche grade: A+ Rank: 14 Public schools grade: A+ Population: 2,208
Princeton
Overall Niche grade: A+ Rank: 34 Public schools grade: A+ Population: 30,717
Ho-Ho-Kus
Overall Niche grade: A+ Rank: 47 Public schools grade: A+ Population: 4,248
Ridgewood
Overall Niche grade: A+ Rank: 69 Public schools grade: A+ Population: 25,991
River Edge
Overall Niche grade: A+ Rank: 74 Public schools grade: A+ Population: 12,204
Read more about the ratings and rankings here.
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