The Lake Hopatcong Block Party Gave Intro to Unique Businesses

The May 11th Lake Hopatcong Block Party appealed to many different tastes and interests. Here are a few local businesses that were different from the regular fare which are opened all year interviewed by this Patch Mayor.

Cindy Zimmer is a blown glass artist of Rest in Paws. She provides handcrafted memorial globes that are infused with your pet’s ashes. The cost is $85 dollars per memorial globe more details on ordering are provided on their Rest in Paws Facebook page. Cindy displayed the glass blown molten globes she has done herself that takes a temperature of 2000 degrees Fahrenheit to create. I asked her how one learns to be a glass blower if they wanted to take up the craft. The place is The Morris County School of Glass located at 89 Whippany Rd., Morristown, NJ, 07960. The School offers glassblowing classes, workshops, private lessons, group sessions, artist demonstrations, seasonal activities, studio rentals and other glass experiences. Lake Hopatcong folks do not have to travel far to learn the art of glassblowing.

I had a chance to interview the Skylands Urgent Care tent. Their building is on 174 Edison Road, Lake Hopatcong. It provides urgent care 7 days a week. This is an important resource because, it provides for walk-in patients whom may not have a medical insurance card or don’t have a family physician . Suddenly, people in this category who need treatment for a poison ivy rash, or an injury can get prompt care. Their rep at the block party had glowing words for the founders of the center. She told me the doctor’s visit charges were kept to a reasonable fee for those without insurance. The head physician is Andre Bonnet, DO who runs the Skylands Urgent Care. His father Jean Paul Bonnet, DO heads the Skylands Medical Group. This medical group founder spent his early professional years in Haiti joining an international group of doctors that were there to heal and with a mission to develop an operational health care system in developing communities in Haiti . One of Jean Paul Bonnet’s accomplishments was SantéBus, (French for healing bus) a mobile treatment unit that was there when the major earthquake struck Haiti.

Most of the businesses at the block party were from the east Morris County side of Lake Hopatcong. I was happy to see a new business opening soon to Hopatcong on the west shores of the lake. The popular Sabretti’s Hot Dogs moved to Ledgewood next to Cliffs Ice Cream, so many of us wondered what would fill this former landmark business space. I was delighted to find the info table for Lakeside BBQ Charcoal Grill. The proprietors are a husband and wife team of Yelima Zapata and Kenneth John. This 22 Lakeside Blvd. location will be opening in June. They will have Portuguese style fresh cooked to order rotisserie, chicken, ribs, steak and red snapper. The red snapper top’s my list on the must try. Their hours will be Monday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 pm and Sunday hours from 12 pm to 8 pm. They even offer catering packages and party trays that are perfect for those summertime lake parties.