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Ridgewood letter writer reveals his alter ego

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Ridgewood letter writer reveals his alter ego

DECEMBER 2, 2014    LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2014, 9:19 AM
BY JODI WEINBERGER
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

On Thursday nights at The Office, 80-year-old George Shabet stands out among the amateur karaoke singers.

Fully transformed into his entertainer persona – Johnny Horizon – he belts out tunes like “Ring of Fire” and “Folsom Prison Blues,” conjuring the “Man in Black” himself, Johnny Cash, as he puts on a show in an all-black getup with a cowboy hat, wide belt buckle and bolo tie.

While readers of The Ridgewood News might know the longtime resident for his years of writing letters to the editor, for The Office’s Karaoke emcee Gerry Porto, on Thursday nights known as DJ Geryoke, this is the only version he knows of Shabet.

They first met more than a decade ago at a Hawthorne karaoke bar where the announcer/entertainer relationship blossomed; Porto channels his best Ed McMahon to introduce Johnny Horizon and Shabet ensures that all eyes are on Porto’s business.

“I would say it’s the best I’ve heard in karaoke,” Porto said. “Johnny kind of brings a flavor that makes it more genuine. You really get the feeling that he’s passionate about the song. It’s a Johnny Horizon tribute to Johnny Cash.”

https://www.northjersey.com/community-news/letter-writer-reveals-alter-ego-1.1144688

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Ridgewood residents seek support for restorations at Kings Pond

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Ridgewood residents seek support for restorations at Kings Pond

OCTOBER 24, 2014    LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2014, 12:31 AM
BY JODI WEINBERGER
STAFF WRITER | 
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

George Shabet brought a dead 3-foot carp to a council meeting in 1976 to prove a point: Kings Pond needed to be cleaned up.

Thirty-eight years later, he’s again trying to hook the council to take action on the pond, though this time with a more chummy approach.

He went before the governing body on Oct. 8 with only a sheet of paper containing his talking points, asking the council to consider appropriating money in the 2015 budget for dredging and dam repair.

At 334 Lakeview Drive, Kings Pond is virtually an extension of the Shabet’s front yard. They raised six children and now entertain 16 grandchildren and one great-grandchild by the water’s edge, canoeing and fishing in the summer and ice skating in the winter.

The pond, located between Lakeview Drive and Mountain Avenue, is home to more than 40 species of birds and other wildlife. Although at one point the depth was about 3 feet, Shabet said the legs of the herons that come to feed stick up out of the water, meaning in some spots the pond is only a few inches deep.

The pond is also adjacent to the village’s leaf composting facility, where trucks drive in and out consistently throughout the day.

On Tuesday, Councilman Michael Sedon and Councilwoman Gwenn Hauck visited the Shabets with optimism that the pond’s shoreline could be cleaned up. Upon seeing it, they realized the job would require more effort and more funds.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/community-news/residents-seeking-support-for-restorations-at-kings-pond-1.1116983#sthash.KmJw3Uge.dpuf