See 2021 Uplifting Stories That Made Mendham, Chester Special

MENDHAM, NJ — Now that 2021 is in the rearview mirror, it’s a good time to look back at what was positive about it.

While Ida, COVID and pandemic problems caused heartache for many, there were glimmering moments sprinkled throughout the year that took the spotlight from the difficulties.

Read some of them below and stay tuned to Patch in 2022 for more. Hit the “follow” button on Mendham-Chester Patch here if you haven’t already, to read Mendham and Chester's stories in the coming year and beyond and the “like” button here to stay connected on Facebook.

'Sharing Project' Teens Help Feed Mendham, Chester People In Need - A project started by West Morris Mendham High School student Emily Borinshteyn and her brother, Matthew Borishteyn, now in college, has helped to make a difference in the community. The Sharing Project has grown vegetables in local gardens, plus collected from local farms, donating over 1,200 pounds to the Chester Mendham Food Pantry and to the Interfaith Food Pantry. With friend Anushka Elavi, Emily Borinshteyn founded the Young Gardener Club, meeting each Sunday with 11 students including middle and elementary schoolers, during the summer, who helped them to garden.

Chester 9/11 Survivor, Author Tackles Trauma With Faith, Hope - One resident William "Will" Jimeno's defining moments of his life though was Sept. 11, 2001, when he faced one of the world's most unthinkable acts of terror, leaving him buried under the rubble of the World Trade Center for 13 hours. A faith-filled man, he has since found a way to help others through his book writing. "Immigrant, American Survivor - A Little Boy Who Grew Up To Be All Three," co-authored and illustrated by Charles Riccardi is a book for children, along with "Sunrise Through The Darkness - A Survivor's Account Of Learning To Live Again Beyond 9/11," co-authored with psychologist Michael Moats.

Chester Rescue Gives Injured Dog 'Langdon' A New Lease On Life - With only hours to spare on dog death row in North Carolina, his only "crime" that one of his back legs wasn't functioning right, rescuers gave a call to their partners in Chester, NJ South Hills Pet Rescue, who made the decision to pull "Langdon" off of his bleak situation at the kill shelter where he was at. NJ South Hills took a chance, their vet telling them his leg could be saved and he would be able to walk again. Today after surgery, Langdon is recuperating with a medical foster family, thanks to the Chester-based group.

Amazon Book Launch For Mendham's 'Pony,' Oct. 5 - It wasn't an ordinary day when an extraordinary pony showed up to Mendham's St. John the Baptist Convent in 1992 and ended up staying for 27 years. His intriguing story "…Not Just An Ordinary Pony," is galloped out of Amazon's starting gate for its book launch there on Tuesday, Oct. 5. The book, by Sister Margo Elizabeth Colman, which has previously premiered on other platforms, is "Pony's" biography of how he - as Colman described - a fascinating "mystical, magical being - was placed here, remaining in our lives for a time."

Mendham Group Collects 300 Pounds Of Candy For U.S. Troops - In spite of modified celebrations and ways of doing things, the pandemic didn't dim the spirits of the Mendham Borough Home and School Association, Hilltop Elementary School students and staff, as well as the Mendham Borough community, to do something "sweet" for U.S. Troops overseas. Through a somewhat "contactless" effort, all pulled together to gather up about 300 pounds of candy for Operation Shoebox, a group that sends out care packages to members of the military.

Have an upbeat and inspiring adventure of your own to tell in 2022? Reach out to me at jennifer.miller@patch.com to share your story.