Nutley woman’s story wins Essex County writing contest

NUTLEY, NJ — A Nutley woman’s story about the early days of the AIDS epidemic was one of the winners of the 2023 Essex County Senior Citizen Legacies Writing Contest.
Linda Ann Buset of Nutley was among eight people celebrated during an awards luncheon at the Robert O’Toole Community Center in Cedar Grove Park on May 22.

The Legacies Writing Contest encourages senior citizens to write essays about the people and events that have influenced their lives.
“Our Senior Citizen Legacies Writing Contest is a unique way for our older population to share their life’s stories and describe the people and events that helped to shape their lives,” said Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo Jr. “Our seniors’ stories make you laugh and they touch your heart. They provide us with a different perspective on historical events and what our society was like.”

“I was an English teacher for 30 years before I retired, and I am thrilled so many people wrote essays and are participating in this year’s contest,” Commissioner Patricia Sebold said.

Selected as winners of the 2023 Senior Citizen Legacies Writing Contest were:
• Buset who wrote “Dying from AIDS in the 1980s: A Family Perspective” about a family member contracting the disease when little was known about it and how people reacted to him.
• Newark resident Edna Lewis wrote “Enjoy Your Lunch” about working on the 34th floor of the World Trade Center when a bomb was detonated in the basement of the North Tower.
• Caldwell resident Eva M. Ogens wrote “Paying It Forward” about three of her teachers who influenced her the most.
• West Orange resident Mary Lauri Bartola wrote “How Life Threw Me a Curve, And I Fought Back” about how she was diagnosed with scoliosis at the age of 13 and has lived with pain throughout her life.
• Receiving honorable mentions were Verona resident Coni Evans who wrote “Getting Old Ain’t for Sissies” about the difficulties she had dealing with aches and pains as she got older.
• Maplewood resident Pamela L. Gaston wrote “The Meanest Mother in the World” about her mother, who was a strict disciplinarian but she and her sisters all graduated from college, had good jobs and were recognized for giving back to the community.
• Bloomfield resident Paula Zaccone wrote “Four Family Stars” about her four uncles who all served in the military during World War II.
• Montclair resident John Falzer wrote “Morphine & The Fireman’s Wife” about being treated for cancer and spending four days in the hospital with a man named Frank and his family.

During the ceremony, the winning stories were read by Essex County West Caldwell School of Technology Junior Sydney Barnes, Sophomores Jally Romero and Johnathan Martinez, and Freshman Heisha Francisco. Lunch for attending seniors was provided by the culinary arts program from Essex County West Caldwell School of Technology.

Sponsored by the Essex County Division of Senior Services, the Legacies Writing Contest was started in 1996 and was part of a national contest which encouraged senior citizens to discover the joys of writing while sharing their stories with others. Although the national contest was discontinued in 1998, the Essex County Division of Senior Services continued to sponsor the Legacies Writing Contest on a local level.

Entries are judged on the writer’s ability to engage the reader with humor, emotional impact or rich descriptions. Winning stories were selected by a committee of volunteer judges and staff from the Essex County Division of Senior Services.