Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Retired teacher serves coffee / smile *Bingo Classified Network
Bingo Classified Network Where to play online bingo!
Retired teacher serves coffee and a smile
If commuters board NJ Transit trains at Little Silver's rail station with a bit of a smile on their faces in the morning, it could be due to the work of Mary Ann Ferrara.
Ferrara, a retired school teacher from Sea Bright who commuted by train daily to Hoboken, feels their pain. For the past three years, she's served up coffee, a friendly remark, trivia questions, seasonal decorations and sometimes a little therapy at Java Junction, the coffee stand she runs inside the station.
Her patrons aren't passing customers — she calls them her "commuter family" and "commuter friends." If riders here are a family, Ferrara might be their den mother.
Commuters said Ferrara's shop puts some levity in their day.
"She's a little more than cheerful, she's a very upbeat person," said commuter Rey Montalvo of the Oakhurst section of Ocean Township. "It makes the day nice."
After three years, Ferrara said, she knows her customers by name and, like a trusted bartender, by the kind of coffee or tea they drink.
"You need to be pleasant, have good coffee and you have to be quick," said Ferrara, who opened her shop after successfully bidding for the concession from the borough.
No one has ever missed a train on account of her, said Ferrara, who's even managed to get a cup to a conductor or two.
Among her favorite things is planning activities to break up the daily routine for riders.
"We have a lot of fun. We celebrate the holidays. On Mardi Gras, I gave out beads. For St. Patrick's Day, we had Irish soda bread," she said. "We have an egg hunt on Easter, and we play the dreidel game on Hanukkah. There isn't a holiday we're not willing to celebrate."
She even honored one rider's a request to observe St. David's Day, in honor of the patron saint of Wales on March 1. Music and movie trivia is another activity she holds and a CD is usually playing.
"The summer solstice, the winter solstice, anything to make a commuter's day easier," Ferrara said. "People at 5 a.m. need a little levity. We serve coffee and context."
Adelaide Sousa of Newark is a reverse commuter, who arrives in Little Silver for work as most residents are traveling northbound on the train. Ferrara asks her if she's doing the cooking for Thanksgiving as she serves her coffee.
Sousa said the station has improved since Ferrara opened her shop.
"The atmosphere brightens the day; it's a nice place," Sousa said.
more
Retired teacher serves coffee and a smile
If commuters board NJ Transit trains at Little Silver's rail station with a bit of a smile on their faces in the morning, it could be due to the work of Mary Ann Ferrara.
Ferrara, a retired school teacher from Sea Bright who commuted by train daily to Hoboken, feels their pain. For the past three years, she's served up coffee, a friendly remark, trivia questions, seasonal decorations and sometimes a little therapy at Java Junction, the coffee stand she runs inside the station.
Her patrons aren't passing customers — she calls them her "commuter family" and "commuter friends." If riders here are a family, Ferrara might be their den mother.
Commuters said Ferrara's shop puts some levity in their day.
"She's a little more than cheerful, she's a very upbeat person," said commuter Rey Montalvo of the Oakhurst section of Ocean Township. "It makes the day nice."
After three years, Ferrara said, she knows her customers by name and, like a trusted bartender, by the kind of coffee or tea they drink.
"You need to be pleasant, have good coffee and you have to be quick," said Ferrara, who opened her shop after successfully bidding for the concession from the borough.
No one has ever missed a train on account of her, said Ferrara, who's even managed to get a cup to a conductor or two.
Among her favorite things is planning activities to break up the daily routine for riders.
"We have a lot of fun. We celebrate the holidays. On Mardi Gras, I gave out beads. For St. Patrick's Day, we had Irish soda bread," she said. "We have an egg hunt on Easter, and we play the dreidel game on Hanukkah. There isn't a holiday we're not willing to celebrate."
She even honored one rider's a request to observe St. David's Day, in honor of the patron saint of Wales on March 1. Music and movie trivia is another activity she holds and a CD is usually playing.
"The summer solstice, the winter solstice, anything to make a commuter's day easier," Ferrara said. "People at 5 a.m. need a little levity. We serve coffee and context."
Adelaide Sousa of Newark is a reverse commuter, who arrives in Little Silver for work as most residents are traveling northbound on the train. Ferrara asks her if she's doing the cooking for Thanksgiving as she serves her coffee.
Sousa said the station has improved since Ferrara opened her shop.
"The atmosphere brightens the day; it's a nice place," Sousa said.
more
Links
- Blog Author's Home Page: Bingo Player Network
- Hyped Bingo - amazing prizes
- editorjackie's posterous
- blog.hypedbingo
- KBingo - media and bingo news
archives
- April 2005
- May 2005
- June 2005
- July 2005
- August 2005
- September 2005
- October 2005
- November 2005
- December 2005
- January 2006
- February 2006
- March 2006
- April 2006
- May 2006
- June 2006
- July 2006
- August 2006
- September 2006
- October 2006
- November 2006
- December 2006
- January 2007
- February 2007
- March 2007
- April 2007
- May 2007
- June 2007
- July 2007
- August 2007
- September 2007
- October 2007
- November 2007
- December 2007
- January 2008
- February 2008
- March 2008
- April 2008
- May 2008
- June 2008
- July 2008
- August 2008
- September 2008
- October 2008
- November 2008
- December 2008