Idylease Blog – Page 13 – IDYLEASE: A HISTORIC LANDMARK

Dr Arthur Zampella: Owner & Operator of Idylease 1954-1992

October 9, 2016 1 Comment

Arthur Dante Louis Zampella (May 15, 1917 – January 9, 1992) was a prominent physician, public servant and medical educator. He maintained a private medical practice with a concentration in geriatric care in the State of New Jersey from 1947 to 1992. In 1992, West Milford, New Jersey Mayor Tomas Parisi called Zampella “a township father who helped to shape the township of West Milford, New Jersey. Zampella was the Executive Medical Director of Idylease Nursing & Convalescent Home and Director of Idylease Clinical Laboratory from 1954-1972; both located in Newfoundland, New Jersey. He also served as Medical Director for the National Institute for Rehabilitation Engineering (NIRE) from 1970-1992 and Executive Director of The West Milford Day Center and Medical Director of the Idylease Guidance Center from 1975-1992. Arthur Dante Louis Zampella was a general practitioner who owned and operated Idylease Nursing Home in the Newfoundland section of West Milford Township, New Jersey from 1954-1992. He was born in Jersey City, New Jersey, to Italian American immigrants Erminio and Filomena Zampella who were from Santomenna in the province of Salerno in the Campania region of south-western Italy. He was one of Five brother that included: Peter Zampella, Nunzi Zampella, Municipal Judge Edward F. Zampella and Alfred E. Zampella. The youngest son Alfred had Public School No. 27 re-named in his honor by the Jersey City Public Schools in 1996.

Medical Career

Dr Arthur Zampella was the Youngest Editor of The Columbia Review in the History of the University

Zampella received his BA degree from Columbia University in New York City in 1938 where he served as Managing Editor of the Columbia Review from 1937-1938.[2] In 1943, he received his M.D. degree from Boston University School of Medicine. He completed post graduate training at Graduate Medical School of New York University with a course study in bacteriology and biochemistry. Zampella served as the Senior Ship surgeon for American President Lines and Port Surgeon for Grace Lines in 1947.

In 1949, he attended the former United States Naval Medical School in Bethesda, Maryland, now know as the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center with a course of study in medical radioactive isotopes. Further studies in medicine were completed at the Naval Research Center in Washington, D.C. with a study in nuclear physics completed at the Brookhaven National Laboratory.

Zampella served as a Research Analyst with Armstrong Engineering fro 1961-1970 where he studied the factors involved with reducing the vulnerability of humans to radiation in order to maintain aviation preparedness and ancillary studies related to the suppression and reversal of the ageing process. Zampella served as a Project Officer authoring; Naval Implications of Nuclear Warfare and the Biological Effects of Radiation.

Zampella maintained hospital affiliations with the Jersey City Medical Center and Christ Hospital (Jersey City, New Jersey); St Clares/Riverside Hospital in Denville, New Jersey; The US Naval Hospital , St Albans in Long Island, NY and Chilton Memorial Hospital in Pompton Plains, New Jersey. He also maintained his private practice at Idylease until his death on January 9, 1992.

Military Service
Arthur Zampella enlisted in the United States Navy during World War Two and began his military service as a Naval Interne completing his medical studies at St. Albans Naval Hospital. He was briefly assigned to the Office of Naval Research in Washington, D.C. before being deployed as Medical Officer onboard the USS Samuel Chase which arrived at the 111th, United States Naval Construction Battalion at Calicoan Island, Philippines in 1945. He later traveled on as Medical Officer to U.S. Naval Base Hollandia in Netherlands New Guinea. After the war, Zampella returned to Weill Cornell Medical College from 1949 until 1954 to serve as Project Officer for a study on the biological effects of radiation entitled: Naval Implications of Nuclear Warfare. Zampella was honorably discharged with the rank of Lieutenant Commander.

He was Awarded the American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with (2) two stars, The Philippine Liberation Medal with (1) one star and the World War II Victory Medal.

Public Service

Arthur Zampella MD — Dr Arthur Zampella: State of New Jersey Resolution

Zampella settled in Newfoundland, New Jersey in 1954 and purchased the former Idylease Inn in which he owned and served as Executive Medical Director of Idylease Nursing and Convalescent Home. Zampella served as physician for West Milford Township Public Schools and was police and fire surgeon. He was Board of Health president, director of the West Milford Day Care Center for Senior Citizens, served on the township’s youth and advisory board, was on the Boy Scouts executive board, and was on the West Milford Youth and Family Counseling Board.

Zampella belonged to the West Milford Rotary International and served as Crop Walk chair for West Milford and Jefferson Townships. He was named Citizen of the Year in 1990 and also received the West Milford Police Benevolent Association Community Service Award.

Lakecrest Hospital

One of the guiding lights to the founding of the hospital in 1963 was Dr. Arthur Zampella who saw the need to construct a local hospital in the West Milford Township, New Jersey. Zampella offered to donate property for a facility next to the former Idylease Inn located on Union Valley Road in Newfoundland, New Jersey. Dedication ceremonies were held on Saturday, May 11, 1963 at the 12-acre site of the proposed hospital. The event was the first public step in the construction of the proposed 100-bed, $2 million hospital. Zampella had earmarked governmental funds that were being applied for to cover one-third of the $2 million cost. The rest of the money was to be raised through private contributors and the towns that were to be serviced by the proposed hospital. Fundraising efforts were also planned in Rockaway Township, New Jersey, Jefferson Township, New Jersey, Butler, New Jersey, Bloomingdale, New Jersey, Ringwood, New Jersey, and Franklin, New Jersey. The hospital was to serve the 60,000 people who lived in the area. The West Milford site was chosen, according to Zampella, because of its centralized location. Some of the other determining factors, he said, were the transportation facilities, terrain and especially weather.

Lakecrest Hospital fate was sealed when Federal Government Funding was cut which ended the possibility of realization of the hospital. Lakecrest board chairman Peter Thornton called the federal fund termination “somewhat catastrophic.” Leonard Dileo, the state head of the federal hospital funding program, said that even with a documented need in the upper Passaic County area for a medical facility, approval by his agency, and incorporation into the state master plan as a priority need, the chances were slim that Lakecrest would get any federal funds.

Many dedicated people worked on that project with Dr Arthur Zampella but obstacles kept it from happening. The township today remains without Lakecrest Hospital ever having been built.

Health Issues
Zampella suffered from coronary heart disease in mid life and had his first myocardial infarction in 1972. In 1978, Zampella suffered a second myocardial infarction and underwent coronary artery bypass surgery at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in Newark, New Jersey. He intermittently suffered from varying degrees of angina up until his fatal cardiac arrest in 1992.

Death
On Jan 9, 1992, Arthur Dante Louis Zampella, M.D. was stricken with a heart attack while caring for the patients in his medical office in the Newfoundland section of the Township of West Milford. Zampella was transported to and died at Mountainside Hospital in Montclair, New Jersey at age 74; the cause of death Cardiac arrest. Zampella was survived by his wife, Alice Christine Seely who died of natural causes in 2013 and by his five children. A service in celebration of Zampella’s life was held at the United Methodist Church of Newfoundland. Burial was at the Newfoundland Cemetery on Route 23. The Rev. Frank Fowler officiated at the service including the Father Mychal Judge who was subsequently killed in the September 11 attacks in New York City. All speakers stressed Zampella’s dedication to help others. Fowler recalled that, “People who were ill and could not afford to pay a doctor were treated by the physician anyway”.

Honors
Diplomate: National Board of Medical Examiners
Licentiate: New Jersey and New York State Medical Boards
Member: AMA, NJMS, AMS, AAAS, HCMS, MCMS
Federal Aviation Administration: Aviation Medical Examiner
American Association of Medical Administrators
Knights of Malta
Allied Heath Steering Committee, Passaic County Community College
New Jersey Public Health Association
State of New Jersey Public Health Association
State of New Jersey Licensed Clinical Laboratory Director
American Academy of Family Physicians
Fellow: American Academy of Family Medicine
Fellow: American College of Sports Medicine
President: West Milford Board of Health
Chairman: Boy Scouts of American, Three Rivers District
President: Shoestring Productions
Member: New Jersey Heritage and Cultural Council
Sports Physician: West Milford Public Schools
Police and Fire Surgeon: West Milford Township, New Jersey
Vice President: West Milford Youth & Family Counseling Board
Trustee: The Newfoundland School
Member: New Jersey Academy of Sciece, Aerospace Medical Society, Congress of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Lecturer: St Peter’s College, Jersey City, New Jersey
Consultant: New Jersey Civil Defense Council
Executive Board: YMCA, Boy Scouts of America, American Red Cross
Chairman: Crop Walk for Hunger, West Milford and Jefferson Township, New Jersey
Member: The West Milford Rotary Club
Awards
Citizen of the Year for 1990: West Milford Republican Club
WM. L. Dickinson High School Hall of Fame
Silver Beaver Award, Award of Good Merit, Good Scout Award: Boy Scouts of America
West Milford Police Athletic League Honors
Kings Crown Award: Columbia University
AMA Physicians Recognition Award
West Milford Police Benevolent Association Community Service Award
Publications Edit
As a lifelong scholar, Zampella’s writings are reflected in his authorship of many published medical articles, chapters and books on various aspects of aging, geriatric care and care of the elderly, as well as ethical, socio-economic and philosophic discussion in these fields. Many of these are now considered classics. In addition to his scholarly writings, Arthur Zampella wrote the preface and made medical revisions for the best selling book: The Stork Didn’t Bring you in 1964 for author Lois Pemberton[5] . Some of the references:

A.D. Zampella, M.D., “General Principles of Administration”. Nursing Homes, 1968

A.D. Zampella, M.D., “We Can Defend Ourselves”. New Jersey Civil Defense Department, 1954

A.D. Zampella, M.D., “Sampling of the Attitudes of the Aged”. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 1969

A.D. Zampella, M.D., “Accreditation and it’s Adjuvant Effects on Day to Day Convalescent Home Operation”. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 1964

A.D. Zampella, M.D., “General principals of Team Approach to the Care of the Elderly”. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 1964

A.D. Zampella, M.D., “General Preparedness Plan”. A Manual for Hospitals in the Event of an Emergency, 1964

A.D. Zampella, M.D., “Organization of a Friendly Visitors Program”. Nursing Homes, 1972
Idylease Inn
References
↑ Genader, Ann (2014-01-09). “West Milford Had a Great Loss on This Date in 1992”. North Jersey News. http://www.northjersey.com/community/239374851_West_Milford_had_a_great_loss_on_this_date_in_1992.html.
↑ Staff Writer. “Zampella Named to Columbia Review”. Columbia University Spectator. http://spectatorarchive.library.columbia.edu/cgi-bin/columbia?a=d&d=cs19360512-01.2.4. Retrieved May 12, 1937.
↑ Bryan LaPlaca. “West Milford’s Hospital That Never Was”. NorthJersey.com. http://www.northjersey.com/community/history/back_in_the_day/207150351_Back_in_the_Day__May_12__1963__St__Nowhere__West_Milford_s_hospital_that_never_was_St__Nowhere__West_Milford_s_hospital_that_never_was.html. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
↑ Ann Genader. “West Milford had a great loss on this date in 1992”. Aim Action. http://www.northjersey.com/community/239374851_West_Milford_had_a_great_loss_on_this_date_in_1992.html. Retrieved Jan 9, 2014.
↑ Lois Pemberton. “The Stork Didn’t Bring You”. The Internet Archives. http://archive.org/stream/storkdidntbringy00pembrich/storkdidntbringy00pembrich_djvu.txt. Retrieved ©May 15, 1948 Hermitage Press.
External links Edit
West Milford had a Great Loss on this Date in 1992 North Jersey News | Jan 9, 2014
St. Nowhere: West Milford’s Hospital that Never Was North Jersey News | May 13, 2013
Images of America: Idylease by Samantha Vaughn | 2001
Dr Arthur Zampella at Find a Grave

Idylease Blog, NJ History, West Milford

Jasper Cropsey Painted Extensively in West Milford, NJ

September 12, 2016 1 Comment

Boat Caulking on Greenwood Lake 1852. Jasper Francis Cropsey Oil Painting

Cropsey met Maria Cooley at her home in West Milford, NJ, located on Greenwood Lake, an area that he would paint views of many times in his career.

Jasper Cropsey was a prominent American landscape artist of the Hudson River School of painting. Known as “Frank” to those most close to him, he was born in 1823 on a farm in Rossville, Staten Island. Cropsey was a young prodigy in visual arts. Drawing pictures and building models from handmade tools, Frank became a local celebrity at the age of 13 when the model house he built won first prize at the Mechanic’s Institute Fair of 1837. He was then known locally as the “boy that built the house.”

By 14 years of age, Frank was an apprentice architect for Joseph Trench’s firm in Manhattan. While working there, he discovered oil painting and as a teen would go to the National Academy of Design to view the paintings of his idol, Thomas Cole. At 19, he began to experiment in oil painting, teaching himself after hours in Mr. Trench’s office. Soon he had developed to the point that he was exhibited at the National Academy, where his early paintings hung along side those of Cole, Asher B. Durand, and other early Hudson River School artists. At 21 he was the youngest Associate Member ever elected to the National Academy, and soon left architecture behind (for a while) to concentrate on becoming a full-time landscape painter.

Cropsey met Maria Cooley at her home in West Milford, NJ, located on Greenwood Lake, an area that he would paint views of many times in his career. They married in 1846 and in 1847 sailed for Europe, traveling in England, Scotland, Switzerland, and France, but spending the bulk of their time abroad in Italy, where the Cropseys rented an apartment and studio in Rome. For the rest of his career, Cropsey would create oil paintings of Italian scenes based on the many sketches and studies he did in the two year period spent in Rome.

Returning to America in 1849, Cropsey’s career blossomed and he was soon regarded as one of the leading lights of the Hudson River School in the 1850’s, along with Frederic Church, John Kensett, Asher Durand, and others. In 1856, the Cropseys returned to Europe, this time living in London and traveling throughout England. His time in England was marked by the completion of Autumn-On the Hudson River, his seminal landscape painting now in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, as well as he and Maria being presented to Queen Victoria at St. James Palace in 1861.

Back in America in 1863, Cropsey’s career continued to flourish and the 1860’s proved to be his most successful decade in terms of painting sales and income. By the end of the 1860’s, however, the Hudson River School began to lose its popularity by the early 1870’s would be completely out of favor in the art world. 1876 marked Cropsey’s last major successful painting, The Old Mill, now in the Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk, VA. In the early 1880’s the Cropseys were dangerously close to having their home, Aladdin, in Warwick, NY foreclosed upon as poor painting sales greatly impacted their finances. They managed to sell their palatial estate and auctioned off many paintings, furniture, and household possessions in preparation to move to a smaller house.

In 1885 the Cropseys moved to Hastings on Hudson, first renting a home, then later purchasing the house at 49 Washington Avenue, which Cropsey named “Ever Rest.” Jasper and Maria lived the rest of their lives at Ever Rest, living quietly and not traveling much, if at all. Cropseys paintings done in this time were either local views or views based on the hundreds of sketches he had completed through the years. Jasper died at Ever Rest in 1900 at the age of 77, and Maria, his wife of 54 years, passed away in 1906.

Bio Courtesy of the Newington Cropsey Museum
http://www.newingtoncropsey.com/JFCropsey.html

Idylease Blog, Newfoundland, NJ History, West Milford

Fairy Tale Forest

September 9, 2016 1 Comment

Of all the attractions and that have existed in West Milford, few were more beloved than Fairly Tale Forest in Oak Ridge, NJ. Whether a class trip or family outing to the park, it was a long awaited and much anticipated event for generations of children. For many years you could spot Fairy Tale Forest Bumper Stickers on Highways all around the Tri-State Area.

The story of Fairy Tale Forest began in 1955 when Paul Woehle, Sr., a German immigrant, built Fairy Tale Forest. The cottages were all designed and made by Woehle and his two sons. There were kiddie rides, magic shows, story-telling, and roaming costumed characters. In addition, there was a gift/candy shop and snack bar in the main building.

A winding path led guests through the woods, and along the way they were able to glimpse key moments from the Brothers Grimm fairy tales. More than 20 cottages sat nestled in the trees, their interiors depicting tableaus from the most famous children’s stories. Woehle completed his project in two years, and it opened to the public in 1957.

In winter, the forest was decorated to bursting with lights, transforming it into a winter wonderland the likes of which can nowadays rarely be found outside of story books. Those visiting the forest in winter could expect to be greeted by Frosty the Snowman and a cup of hot chocolate. Santa Claus awaited eager youngsters in his Christmas House, and gently interrogated each for his or her Christmas wishes

In many ways the 1950s and 1960s were golden years at the park, and it was filled with locals, summer residents and folks visiting for the day. Fairy Tale Forest was a favorite spot for school, business and church outings. The park seemed to fill a perfect niche at Oak Ridge .

But America was changing and by the 1970s, Fairy Tale Forest was feeling the competition from larger parks as well as the slowing of the baby boom. Other parks had already succumbed –Jungle Habitat closed in 1976 and Acton Park appeared with it’s Alpine Slide and Water Park. Visitors began to feel that the attraction was becoming dated and in 2003 the dwindling visitors eventually forced the park to close.

In 1993, pop star Mariah Carey utilized the park as a location for the music video, ”All I Want for Christmas Is You”. Outdoor scenes were shot at the Fairy Tale Forest, where Carey’s then-husband Tommy Mottola made a cameo appearance as Santa Claus

Today, there is talk that in a dark patch of woods scattered with bits of decomposing nostalgia. Against what seems like all odds, Fairytale Forest may be reborn in 2016, with the grounds once again helmed by a member of the founding family. Those who remember Fairytale Forest as it was may bring have the opportunity to bring their own children to experience the wonder found in that patch of woods in Oak Ridge, New Jersey.

Original Antiquities Echoes Article Appears at: https://antiquityechoes.blogspot.com/2011/07/fairytale-forest.html