Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44mattersmagazine.com 23 Since then, Thomas has worked hard to balance his many responsibilities overseeing a crew of workers, personally designing and building cabinetry and built-ins, and trying to expand his capacity to do larger construction and renovation projects. He’s done full kitchens and bathrooms, architectural woodworking projects, decks, and full basement renovations including waterproofing. “I did one recent basement project in Maplewood where we transformed raw space into an oasis with a home theater, gym, bar, kitchenette, the works,” he says. He also had the opportunity to work again on the house of the neighbor whose basement windows launched his business. A catastrophic fire in 2015 virtually gutted the structure. Thomas was hired to oversee a full reconstruction and restoration, including the creation of an additional bathroom. Today, the house is a showplace. Unfortunately, Thomas’s father did not live to see his son’s successful return to the family trade. He died in 1999 following a fall from scaffolding while doing concrete work on a Brooklyn brownstone. “I live by his values every day,” says Thomas. “He taught me to always do your best, to pay close attention to the fine details of a project, to always finish what you start, and to make sure your customers are pleased with the end result.” History does tend to repeat itself; despite having attempted to teach carpentry to his three children, they seem to want to follow their own paths. Eldest son Lamarr, 36, is a musician and graphic artist. Daughter Arielle, 20, is studying liberal arts at Rutgers. And youngest son Darius, 16, aspires to follow in his lawyer mom’s footsteps. But time will tell, and sometimes it takes many years before children discover that their parents really did know best…. Edie Sachs is a writer and editor in South Orange. Full disclosure: She got to know Josso Thomas and his engaging personal story after hiring him to build a fireplace mantel and bookshelves in her living room. Named Top Orthodontist by NJ Monthly 2009-2016 New Jersey Family’s Favorite Kids Doc 2009-2016 17 years of private practice experience Smile Solutions offers accelerative devices that can reduce treatment time significantly. We offer esthetic devices, including translucent brackets, Invisalign, and hidden braces. Our new, state of the art facility includes digital I-CAT FLEX cone beam with reduced radiation, intra-oral scanning 3-D print- ing technology, 3-D facial scanning and simulation to visualize the final result. SMILE SOLUTIONS ORTHODONTICS Are you tired of having to wear braces too long? Are you afraid of braces hurting? Are you simply not interested in wearing visible braces? We have a solution for you. WWW.WOWBRACES.COM Dr. Christopher Chung 973-376-0496 231 Millburn Avenue | Millburn, NJ 07041 Our hours are flexible and include evening and Saturday appointments. For further Information, or to sign up contact Paula at farbrookminicamp@gmail.com This Summer I will be a clown in the circus, dance in the sprinkler, ride a pony in a rodeo, sing songs around the campfire, jump through hoops, view wildlife in my binoculars, play the saxophone, learn to “downward dog”, make ice cream, and send a rocket to the moon. You can too ... The ultimate camping experience for 3-7 year olds. Directors: Paula Levin, Bill Deltz and Donna Deltz