Standing Witness

I don’t think I’ve ever cried at a burial. Funeral masses, not so much, either — my mom being the notable exception. I do cry at viewings occasionally — mom, my paternal grandparents (I was a mess at Mohawk’s, especially when I saw my nephews cry), and my second mother-in-law — but even then, by……

Mohawk Farms, 1922-2019: A Retrospective

The farm has sold. I’ve been staring at the screen, trying to come up with some flowery, grandiose introduction, some better way of saying it, but there it is. The farm has sold. After 97 years in the family, and five generations of Berenato men and women working there, the farm has sold. We knew……

My Date With (the) Davy Jones (Memorial Celebration)!

Originally posted on Atomic Wanderers:
Davy Jones passed away on February 29, 2012. On March 10th of that year, a memorial celebration was held in his adopted hometown. The following is an account of my visit. I have written before of my life-long affinity for The Monkees.  I’ve made no secret of it.  They were…

Remembering Leonard Nimoy

Leonard Nimoy died today. I see the words on my screen, but I can’t comprehend them. They seem like a fiction, and a terrible one at that. I feel like a two-bit hack for writing such unbelievable dreck. But it’s not fiction. It’s fact. Leonard Nimoy died today. When he was rushed to the hospital last…

Hammonton’s First Joe Berenato Turns 150!

For as long as I can remember, the question most asked of me, upon furnishing my name, is, “Which Berenato are you?” My family, you see, has been in Hammonton for more than 125 years, and my name — Joe Berenato — is the most common name in town. And, with few exceptions, we’re all……

For Pete’s Sake: Peter Tork, 1942-2019

Peter Tork, bassist, banjoist, and keyboardist extraordinaire for The Monkees, died today. He was 77. On the TV show, Peter was often portrayed as something as a simpleton — certainly silly, at any rate. In real life, though whimsical, Peter was a serious musician, whose chops earned him respect not only in folk, prog rock,……

The Man Who Made True Believers of Us All

Stan Lee died on November 12. He was 95, and had been active in comic books for more than 75 years. During his unmatched tenure in the industry, Lee helped turn Timely Comics, a small family-run business, into massively mighty Marvel Comics, arguably the biggest and most powerful publisher of comics and associated tie-in media……