Senior In Nutley Writes Award-Winning Essay About AIDS, Family Bonds

NUTLEY, NJ — Every year, Essex County puts out a call to its local seniors, asking them to write essays about the people and events that have shaped their lives. And every year, people like Nutley resident Linda Ann Buset step up to the challenge.

Buset was among the four winners of the 2023 Essex County Senior Citizen Legacies Writing Contest. The authors earned a big congratulations for their essays during an awards luncheon on Monday at the Robert O’Toole Community Center in Cedar Grove Park.

Buset wrote “Dying from AIDS in the 1980s: A Family Perspective,” which was selected as one of the winning stories. County officials shared the following statement about the essay:

"Not much was known about HIV and AIDS during the 1980s, and those who contracted the disease were not treated well. This included Ms. Buset’s brother-in-law Joseph. While others stayed away in fear, Ms. Buset’s family stayed with Joseph. Her two children played in his room and, when she gave birth to another son, she brought the newborn to Joseph so he could hold him. 'In a world where no one wanted to be in the same room, breathe the same air, or touch his hand, he held that new little life in his arms,' she wrote. 'When I picture that day in my mind, I do not feel fear, but gratitude for allowing me to give Joseph that gift.'"

Other winners included Newark resident Edna Lewis, who wrote “Enjoy Your Lunch,” Caldwell resident Eva M. Ogens, who wrote “Paying It Forward,” and West Orange resident Mary Lauri Bartola, who wrote “How Life Threw Me a Curve, And I Fought Back.”

Honorable mentions went to Verona resident Coni Evans, who wrote “Getting Old Ain’t for Sissies,” Maplewood resident Pamela L. Gaston, who wrote “The Meanest Mother in the World,” Bloomfield resident Paula Zaccone, who wrote “Four Family Stars,” and Montclair resident John Falzer, who wrote “Morphine & The Fireman’s Wife.”

Essex County Commissioner Patricia Sebold – who was an English teacher for three decades before she retired – said she was “thrilled” to see so many people participate in this year’s contest. It was a sentiment also shared by Essex County Commissioner Joseph DiVincenzo Jr.

“Our Senior Citizen Legacies Writing Contest is a unique way for our older population to share their life’s stories and describe the people and events that helped to shape their lives,” DiVincenzo said.

“Our seniors’ stories make you laugh and they touch your heart,” he continued. “They provide us with a different perspective on historical events and what our society was like.”

Sponsored by the Essex County Division of Senior Services, the Legacies Writing Contest was started in 1996 and was part of a national contest which encouraged senior citizens to discover the joys of writing while sharing their stories with others. Although the national contest was discontinued in 1998, the Essex County Division of Senior Services continued to sponsor the Legacies Writing Contest on a local level. Entries are judged on the writer’s ability to engage the reader with humor, emotional impact or rich descriptions. Winning stories were selected by a committee of volunteer judges and staff from the Essex County Division of Senior Services.

For more information about the annual contest or other services offered by the Essex County Division of Senior Services, call 973-395-8375.

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