Home Care In Atlantic Highlands, NJ

Molasses cookies topped with crystallized sugar and decadent fruit tarts dripping with amaretto pastry cream are just a couple of the confections to discover at Wild in the Treats bakery in Atlantic Highlands. And they're all vegan.

If you're not, don't let that scare you away because if no one told this nonvegan reporter, I wouldn't have known the difference.

Tony Panzica has been a vegan for more than three decades and has worked in the food service industry for two, perfecting his craft, and mastering both vegan and non-vegan recipes. This is the first business he's owned.

"I finally had the opportunity to do something for myself," said Panzica, who has worked for more than 20 years as a baker, chef and manager at health food stores, such as Healthfair Natural Food Market in Little Silver, Dean's Market (now operating as Green's Natural Foods) in Ocean Township and Shrewsbury, and Nature's Corner Natural Market in West Long Branch and Spring Lake (now closed).

While he was grateful for the experience, from manning juice bars to supervising, and cooking non-vegan meals to pushing out 80 pies a night during the holidays, he wanted more creative freedom.

"Very little of the things I made were from my own recipes, I was just provided with them," he said, including meals that weren't vegan. But after leaving Nature's Corner last year, he realized he missed baking and wanted to experiment in it again.

"It was time to start my own place," he said. "I wanted to do something I really believe in, something I care about, somewhere I call the shots."

Concocting things like warm and sticky cinnamon rolls, chocolate stout bundt cake with Irish whisky ganache and Jasmine green tea whoopie pies, Panzica's bakery has become a sanctum of flavors.

"The word 'wild,' in the name, it's not just a word," he said. "A lot of the things I'm going to make will have creative flavors, like vegan cheesecake with pineapple habanero topping."

"I'll always have things like chocolate chip cookies and brownies, but I'm going to have some flavor variations you've never seen too ... [from] Christmas brownies with crushed candy canes, to raspberry peppercorn scones," he said.

Panzica was born in Brooklyn and moved to Belford at 5. He's now lived in Atlantic Highlands for 22 years and is eager to become part of the business community, and maybe see some familiar faces.

While he will be accepting catering orders soon, he plans on spending these opening weeks getting familiar with customers and settling into a routine.

He's hoping to be ready for larger orders by the holidays, when he can make bulk amounts of Christmas cookies.

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"I love baking cookies, I feel like I have more creativity," he said. "You can change the flavors, the mix-ins, do cut-outs and get creative with different shapes and decorations, different icings."

After all those years working in health food stores, it's no surprise Panzica values wholesome ingredients.

"Everything is vegan and all-natural; I'm never going to use artificial colors, flavors or preservatives," he said. "I'm trying to avoid genetically modified ingredients as much as possible, and a lot of ingredients I use are organic."

He also values environmentally sound ingredients.

"There are a lot of environmental issues that guided me towards veganism too, [just] as much as animal welfare issues," he said. "I really do care about the impact the foods we eat and grow have on the planet."

Panzica's veganism journey started during his college years, but his childhood shaped his mindset.

"I've always loved animals, but I never really understood what was going on, what we were doing to them," he said. "When I grew up, I learned about how we experiment on them, about the fur industry.

"And the more I learned about factory farming, the more guilty I felt eating meat."

This lifestyle change was also inspired by friends in an animal rights group he joined in college, when he wasn't a vegetarian yet. Despite this, they welcomed him with open arms, and he plans to do the same at the bakery.

"There are still a lot of people who don't understand veganism, and as I test out my recipes, I try to get it to people who have no real experience with vegan food," he said. "If they like it, then I know I'm doing it right."

With egg and dairy substitutes like JUST Egg, oat milk, flax seed, coconut milk and more, Panzica can create treats "just as tasty, moist and delicious" as traditional baked goods.

"I'm not the kind of person who lectures or tells you, 'You shouldn't be eating that,' I just want to let my food speak for itself," he said. "It could be just as good if not better than what you're used to."

Undercooked meat and less-than-appetizing meal options at his college's dining hall also played a role in this transition, relying mostly on pizza for his basic food groups. Eventually, he began cooking for himself and realizing the true potential of vegetarian and vegan food.

"I learned more about the environmental impact, how much water was going into raising livestock, the land being used and trees cut down for pastures," he said. "I realized I had to do more, so over the next few years, I stopped cooking with dairy and eggs."

Seeing an increase in vegan eateries has impressed Panzica but left him remembering a time when no ingredients were vegan, and even lard-free cookies were hard to come by.

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"People have become more open to veganism. In the past, some people would hear the word vegan and kind of recoil," he said. "Now people are more accepting of it, and they're willing to give it a try."

He knew he needed to get in on the rising local scene.

"I've been a vegan for 31 years and a vegetarian for four years [longer than] that," Panzica said. "I've been vegan longer than some of the people who own these new places have been alive... I [knew] I really should be doing this."

His only hurdle is finding staff. He is still interviewing and looking for applicants to contact him via Instagram direct message at @wildinthetreats, or email at [email protected].

He plans to open in the coming weeks.

Go: 183 First Ave., Atlantic Highlands; Follow @wildinthetreats on Instagram.

Gabriela L. Laracca joined the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey in 2021 and eagerly brings her passion for cuisine and culture to our readers. Send restaurant tips to [email protected].

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• EASTERN MONMOUTH COUNTY EDITION •

By Muriel J. Smith

ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS — Continuing to reiterate that this is only the first step, and that they ultimately want to see Sea Bright as part of a new school district, five of the sitting members of the Atlantic Highlands Mayor and Council said they are voting yes on the Sept. 26 special election ballot question to regionalize the preK-12 schools in this town and Highlands, without the addition of Sea Bright. The three school boards that would merge into one — if the voters give their approval — are Atlantic Highlands Elementary, Highlands Elementary and Henry Hudson Regional. Proponents of the plan also want Sea Bright, which sends its students to Oceanport for elementary school and Shore Regional for high school, to join the new district.

The opinions in Atlantic Highlands are in sharp contrast to the Highlands Mayor and Council, who made it public at their meeting last week that each is voting against the Sept. 26 ballot since it does not include Sea Bright and would be a costly measure for both Highlands and Atlantic Highlands. At Thursday’s meeting of the Atlantic Highlands governing body, Mayor Loretta Gluckstein and council members Vito Colasurdo, Eileen Cusack, Brian Dougherty and Lori Hohenleitner all said they plan on voting yes on the question. Councilman Jon Crowley was absent from the meeting and Councilman James Murphy pointed out he has recused himself from any action or meetings on the question. As such, he said, he did not feel it appropriate he announce at a council meeting how or if he is voting.

Murphy's wife, Molly, is the president of the Atlantic Highlands Board of Education.

The agenda for the council meeting was changed to enable the borough’s special attorney on the matter, Matthew Giacobbe, to appear via ZOOM to give the governing body an update on the regionalization issue, as well as to respond to questions from council and the public.

The attorney, whose contract sets his fee at $165 an hour, gave a brief history of the borough’s input with regionalization, explaining the state Commissioner of Education has not yet responded to the request made by the two boroughs, as well as Sea Bright, and the three boards of education involved, to OK a question calling for all four entities to merge. He noted the commissioner had dismissed a complaint filed against Sea Bright by the Oceanport and Shore Regional schools, the two districts where Sea Bright students now attend school, calling for Sea Bright to remain where they are.

However, Oceanport and Shore Regional appealed that decision, he said, resulting in the commissioner taking no further action until that issue is resolved. When the three local boards of education then filed their own request to regionalize PreK-12 without Sea Bright, the commissioner granted that request and the special election, without Sea Bright involved, was set for Sept. 26.

(This story is continued under the ad) The special election gives the power to voters, Giacobbe said, and termed it the first step in forming a regional district that Sea Bright will be able to join, if the commissioner ultimately approves the move. That would require another election, he said, and it was unclear whether it would also require yet another feasibility study similar to what has already been completed by two separate experts, or whether the current studies could simply be updated.

Former councilman Michael Harmon, who also served as a former mayor in Atlantic Highlands, praised the current plan and thanked the governing body for presenting it, saying he too planned on voting for it as a first step. He noted Sea Bright is “in a relationship” and has to be dissolved from that before it can be included in another district.

The polls are open Sept. 26 in all regular voting locations in both Highlands and Atlantic Highlands from noon to 8 p.m. It requires a majority vote from the voters in both towns in order for the question to be approved and a preK-12 regional district formed.

• EASTERN MONMOUTH COUNTY EDITION •

By Muriel J. Smith

ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS — The borough of Atlantic Highlands, once again, attained certification and this year received the Small Town Champion Award from Sustainable Jersey, a major accomplishment for the town.

Sustainable Jersey is a statewide organization that certifies municipalities who are the nation’s leaders in implementing solutions for challenges to reduce waste, and cut greenhouse gas emissions. Municipalities also have to certify they have taken measures to improve public health, among other things, which also stimulates the local economy and offers grants to accomplish even more for a town. Just about every municipality in New Jersey is registered with Sustainable New Jersey, but not many have achieved the successes that Atlantic Highlands has.

Enter Ellen O’Dwyer, the captain of the Green Team, who also chairs the borough’s Environmental Commission, a quiet but hardworking group of dedicated residents following O'Dwyer's penchant for getting things done. O'Dwyer is also one of the council candidates waiting to see what the final count will be for the close Nov. 7 vote, which is currently being reviewed.

The borough had first registered with Sustainable Jersey in 2009, earning several bronze certifications every three years, including the last recertification of Bronze in 2022. The certification expires after three years, so while the town did not have to go for silver, O'Dwyer said, “ I just knew we could achieve silver, and do it in about a year. So we forged ahead and did it in record time." This year, in addition to achieving the Silver Award, this ambitious group were awarded the Champion Award for being the very best Small town (under 5,000 residents) for sustainability.

Sustainabile New Jersey, under the Sustainability Institute at The College of New Jersey, doesn’t make it easy to achieve their awards. They set a high bar and have an entire team of professionals who verify what each town says it has done.

The Awards were presented by Christine Guhl-Sadovy, President, New Jersey Board of Public Utilities. Champions for each of the three groups, Atlantic Highlands for communities with populations under 5,000; Madison for population higher than 5,000 to 40,000 and Woodbridge, with populations more than 40,000.

O'Dwyer is passionate about the environment and served for one year on the Beautification Committee and Environmental commission before Mayor Loretta Gluckstein named her to the Shade Tree as well as the Green Team Committee, an advisory group to the governing body.

O'Dwyer said as an environmental commissioner and former Shade Tree Commissioner, it was important experience for her to have in order to achieve what she did with the Green Team.

In the past, the borough was interested in maintaining its certification as a member of Sustainable New Jersey, but O'Dwyer strove to go higher. She did a lot of research, and found that as far as recycling and reusing goes, the borough has done an awful lot over the years, thanks to a great Public Works Department and residents who take pride in their neighborhood. But moving even higher seemed like a better idea, so O'Dwyer did more research and documented all the accomplishments of the town, and memorialized them.

That earned the Bronze medal last year.

(This story is continued under the ad) This year, rather than simply being recognized for maintaining the bronze status, taking the silver award also enabled the borough to receive the Best award for small municipalities.

“We could have rested on our laurels for three years, but we didn’t,” she said. “Atlantic Highlands deserves the credit for all the work that it is already doing, and with a community whose heart is in it. We went for Silver, and achieved it in one year by completing some innovative projects, like being the first community to adopt a ban on plastic straws and bags, and partnering with a local company on biodegradable packaging solutions." O'Dwyer continued, "We applied for and received two grants, educated on native species, shared wildflowers and milkweed, and encouraged green solutions to anything and everything.”

At the League of Municipalities annual conventionin Atlantic City, Sustainable New Jersey had a luncheon to honor all the municipalities who received honors. In her acceptance talk, in which she praised both Sustainable New Jersey’s efforts and her own team and borough residents, O'Dwyer said, “We’ve got a real “walking” town where the sidewalk outside your door can lead you to anywhere you would want to go in the borough, and our tree-lined streets are the result of our Tree City USA commitment of 42 years. We also established new and innovative ways to reach and educate the public, having a column in the local Atlantic Highlands Living magazine, hosting our first “Envirossance Faire” and an “Earth Day Walkabout” where visitors walked to various "Green Stops" throughout town. She explained that with limited resources, "we networked beyond the borough teams and commissions to collaborate with the local arts council, the library, the schools, Scouts, Chamber of Commerce, Garden Club and even the Historical Society. With a new organization called “Wild About Atlantic Highlands,” the entire town is a Certified Wildlife Habitat with the National Wildlife Federation. This involved 100 residential and business gardens."

O'Dwyer said with other programs like “No Mow May,” “Grass – Cut it and Leave It,” “Don’t Spray” and “Leave the Leaves,” the group was able to get the public to learn, engage and commit to being stewards of the town.

Lest anyone think she is content with simply garnering the Best Small Town and silver swards, O'Dwyer put the League on notice that, “We are now aiming for “Gold Star,” which will set a new precedent for small, historic communities with classic infrastructure. I will leverage this status and other tactics to elevate Atlantic Highlands as a unique entity in order to preserve this unique ecosystem of mountains to bayside beaches to forested lands in the face of potential overdevelopment.” Looking toward the future, another of Ellen’s aims, endorsed by the entire commission, is to save and protect the water utility through grants and other support. Municipalities can play a significant role in creating a holistic approach to the management of water, she said. Each municipality in New Jersey has its own water profile, shaped by its geography, infrastructure and local concerns. The Gold Star in Water identifies specific actions and level of performance for municipalities to achieve improvements in water quality, quantity and use.

“We can do this,” O'Dwyer said.

Currently there are only four municipalities in the state that have achieved a gold star: Maplewood, Princeton, Readington Township and Woodbbridge, which has earned it twice. All four townships are much larger that Atlantic Highlands.

Judging from O'Dwyer's energy level and the hard working members of the commission, together with residents proud of their community, it will not come as any surprise when Atlantic Highlands reaches the gold award next year.

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By Muriel J. Smith

HIGHLANDS — All five members of the Highlands Borough Council made it loud and clear at last night’s meeting of the governing body: A no vote in the special school election Sept. 26 is the best thing for borough residents.

Councilman Donald Melnyk also indicated the way the election was called by the school boards of education leaves a concern that “the intent is less than above-board.”

As Mayor Carolyn Broullon has said several times in the past, she would not be presumptuous enough to ever tell anyone how to vote, however, she is definite her vote on Sept. 26 will be no simply because it is not a good thing for Highlands and Atlantic Highlands to regionalize without the inclusion of Sea Bright. The New Jersey State Commissioner of Education has OK'd the regionalization question to move forward, with voters being asked if the three districts should merge. The question will not, however, include asking Sea Bright voters if they want to join the new district, as issues with Sea Bright's current agreements to send elementary school students to Oceanport and high school students to Shore Regional High School are worked out.

Each of the other four members of the governing body also put on record their concern for the current proposal to merge the Atlantic Highlands, Highlands and Henry Hudson school districts into one, saying it is unfair for Highlands voters, taxpayers and students at the schools.

Melnyk said he has given the question a lot of consideration and questioned once again why it is necessary to have a special election only six weeks before a regular election. Traditionally, fewer voters turn out for special elections, and the hours for this school election are from noon to 8 p.m., depriving early morning voters from getting to the polls. There have to be reasons for this, Melnyk said, questioning if the intent is less than above-board.

Council President Joann Olszewski, a retired teacher and school department head in Teaneck, said it would be “dangerous” to vote yes for regionalization without Sea Bright and challenged the method of financing for the new district as outlined in the question being decided Sept. 26 by the voters of Highlands and Atlantic Highlands.

(This story is continued under the ad)

Olszewski pointed out the school boards approved a resolution and the question on the ballot that splits financing of education between Highlands and Atlantic Highlands strictly by assessed valuation and does not include student enrollment.

Olszewski pointed out, “This year, Atlantic Highlands paid “more than $1 million for the Elementary School than Highlands did for our Elementary School."

Why?” she asked. “Because they have 135 more students than Highlands does," as she answered her own question.

Such a formula, at this time, considering only equalized valuation and not student enrollment, forces Highlands taxpayers to underwrite the cost of their neighboring town’s student enrollment. The council president publically thanked the school board members for serving in elected positions sometimes difficult to fill, but said they should wait until it was possible to include Sea Bright before making any changes in regionalization.

Experts retained both by the school boards and the boroughs have all said the inclusion of Sea Bright in the regionalization plan would immediately bring in millions of dollars, while at the same time splitting the cost of education among three, rather than two, towns.

Both council members Karen Chelak and Leo Cervantes agreed with the statements made by the mayor, council president and Councilman Melnick, with Cervantes adding a yes vote Sept. 26 “makes no sense."