Can a franchised lemon ice be any good?

The reason this is a tough question is there's been so many unsuccessful attempts at expanding this market that genuine lemon ice lovers have given up hope. They either travel to old haunts (Belleville, Newark, Elizabeth) where the 'real' stuff is still made, or they just do without.

This is not a commercial for Rita's lemon ice. Although their product is really good, almost 90 percent the real thing and honestly about as close as a mass-produced lemon ice could hope to get, the old-fashioned, made-that-day, sprinkled with slivers of lemon pits lemon ice still rules.

Rita's, however, is much more than lemon ice, and you owe it to yourself to shrug off any old and well-founded prejudices and give them a try. They are very creative, stock some pretty amazing other cool stuff like gelati and custard, and they're a spiffily run franchise. I've been to about four of them, and they all have been neat, clean, and staffed with friendly, enthusiastic local kids.
And give their ice a try. Ninety percent of the real thing ain't that bad!

John Hart -- One of New Jersey's five signers of the Declaration of Independence

Born: 1713

Birthplace: Hopewell, New Jersey

Work: Farmer, Member of the New Jersey Assembly, 1761-1771; the Committee of Safety, Committee of Correspondence, 1775; Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, Member of Provincial Assembly 1775; Elected to the Continental Congress, 1776.
Died: May 11, 1779



John Hart was a New Jersey farmer. His exact date of birth is not known. His father had moved from Connecticut to a farm near Hopewell New Jersey. He helped to build, and later inherited, that very successful farm and was a leading member of his community. His first public service was a justice of the peace.
In 1761 he was elected the New Jersey Assembly, there annually reelected until the assembly was dissolved in 1771.
In 1775 he was appointed to the local Committee of Safety, the Committee of Correspondence, and a judge to the Court of Common Pleas. He was elected to the newly formed Provincial Congress of New Jersey in 1776, and sent as a delegate for New Jersey to the Continental Congress that year.
Hart's property was looted in the course of the war. His Wife died on October 8, 1776. When the area was overrun by the British in November of that year, he was forced to hide for a time.
He was engaged in public service throughout the war, twice reelected to the Congress and also serving the Committee of Safety and as Speaker of the New Jersey Assembly.
On June 22nd 1778 he invited the American army to encamp on his farm. Washington had lunch with him, then had his famous Council of War at the nearby Hunt House.
Twelve thousand men camped on his fields during the growing season. After resting and preparing for battle the troops left on the 24th.
On Tuesday, May 11th 1779, he died at the age of 66.

Cut and pasted from www.ushistory.org; click on title to go there

Is there a miracle around the corner?

Behold the Honda Clarity, a ZERO emissions vehicle available right now in southern California, and one that could be in your driveway before the Yankees make it to their next World Series.
The Clarity runs on hydrogen fuel cells, and while the country is pretty much barren of hydrogen fill-up stations, and Exxon has no immediate plans to rectify that situation, don't despair; Honda may have solved this problem already with the creation of the home power station.

This little beauty -- no bigger than most furnace/central air units -- not only will top off your Clarity, but will also heat and light the house -- and more efficiently than your present system.

The Clarity performs like a zippy sedan, has a 270-mile + range, and will cost about what a medium-range luxo-box goes for today. There are 1500 of them running in California right now, on 3-year, all-free maintenance, $600 a month leases.



Learn more -- click on the title of this article.

If you like hamburgers...

From Louis' Lunch in Connecticut



...you gotta click on the above title; lotsa Jersey spots, but a little scrolling gets you across the country (We need the gas prices to come down first!)

I was pleased to see the White Castle double cheeseburger mentioned, along with a Johnny Rockets number -- just 'cause it's a chain doesn't mean it's in the Burger King league.
Over the years I've eaten at a surprising number of these joints, so I must be at least a minor-league expert. Tell ya what, though; I'm definitely hitting that Newark Brazilian joint over the weekend. That's a YOWZA burger (and here it is, on this page).