This Bloomfield Senior, Dentist Is A ‘Legend’ In His Community

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — A senior from Bloomfield recently earned an award as part of Essex County’s annual Older Americans Heritage Month Celebration.

Held last month, the 2023 tribute included a “Legend Award” for Bloomfield resident Martin Siegel, as well as Ihsan Ali, Lucila Bermudez and James Young Jr., each Newark residents, and Livingston resident Steven Delman.

According to county officials, the award winners were nominated by social service agencies and community organizations that work closely with the Essex Division of Senior Services. They were chosen because they are “positive role models for the younger generation, have worked tirelessly to assist fellow seniors and made tremendous contributions to improve the quality of life.”

Here’s why Siegel earned an award this year, officials said:

“Bloomfield resident Dr. Martin Siegel is a dentist who enjoyed visiting children in school to promote the importance of brushing your teeth. He also earned statewide recognition for his efforts to educate the public about local government and civics. The plaque presented to him states: “Dr. Martin Siegel always looked forward to ‘Dental Week,’ which was when the Bloomfield dentist would visit with elementary school children and talk about the importance of brushing your teeth. He also had a passion for civics and local government and took it upon himself to educate others about our system of government, candidates for office and responsibilities of public servants. To spread this knowledge, Dr. Siegel created The Bloomfield Town Meeting and a talk show titled ‘Bloomfield’s Government Representatives: Who are They and Their Responsibilities?’ His efforts were recognized in 1979 when the NJ General Assembly presented him with a resolution commending Dr. Siegel and The Bloomfield Town Meeting for perpetuating our country’s democratic traditions.”

“Active in all aspects of life, our senior population is proving that you don’t slow down after you reach a certain age,” Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. said.

“Our honorees have exhibited a tremendous amount of responsibility by advocating for and providing assistance that is helping their fellow seniors to remain active and continue living in our community,” he added.

The Essex County Division of Senior Services offers a range of services to eligible Essex County senior citizens. The division offers adult protective services, provides basic transportation services, administers adult day care centers, offers counseling services, provides home-delivered meals and offers visiting nurse services. For more information, call the Division of Senior Services at 973-395-8375.

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