Photo Courtesy of Doug Zacker
Attendees to last year’s Seton Village holiday celebration hang out with Santa Claus.

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — The Seton Village Committee is bringing “Light Up the Holidays in Seton Village” to the local community on Friday, Dec. 4, from 5:30 to 7 p.m.

“As we mark the second year of focused work toward our mission in Seton Village, it is wonderful to celebrate with this event, which truly has something for everyone,” Doug Zacker, chairman of the Seton Village Committee, said in a recent press release.

The celebration, which is free and open to the public, will be held in and around the pocket park at Irvington and West Fairview avenues, and feature children’s arts and crafts, refreshments and music, including a performance from Seton Hall University’s a cappella group, The Gentlemen of the Hall. Seton Village T-shirts will also be available for purchase at the event.

Seton Village restaurants are going all out to serve special meals based on the holiday foods from their home countries, and are offering 15 percent off customers’ checks for Dec. 4.

“The holiday season is always filled with tradition. (My wife), Munchie, and I are delighted to participate as the Seton Village community creates our own family traditions,” Seton Village Committee member owner Reid Taylor said in a release. Taylor and his wife own Munchie’s in Seton Village.

At approximately 5:30 p.m, children from the First Presbyterian Church Weekday Cooperative Preschool will warm up the crowd for the lighting of the 20-foot tree that borders the park, as well as for the evening’s special guest: Santa Claus, who will also be available for photos. The tree-lighting celebration is sponsored by South Orange Village and the Seton Village Committee.

File Photo
Village Hall, above, the icon of South Orange, will be redeveloped into a restaurant by a subsidiary of Landmark Hospitality.

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — The Village Hall renovation and repurposing took a giant step forward at the South Orange Board of Trustees meeting on Nov. 23, when the board voted unanimously to designate 101 South Orange Avenue Urban Renewal LLC, a subsidiary of Landmark Hospitalities, as the redeveloper of Village Hall and to grant the redeveloper a 20-year tax abatement.

The board voted 6-0 to pass Resolution No. 2015-259 to designate Urban Renewal, or URE, as the redeveloper of the former seat of the village’s government; prior to passing that resolution, the board unanimously passed Ordinance No. 2015-20 on second reading to grant a PILOT, or payment in lieu of taxes, tax exemption to URE.

URE currently has plans to turn the iconic Village Hall into a restaurant while preserving the building’s exterior and respecting its history. According to current plans, which are not yet final and are subject to Planning Board approval, the first floor will hold the restaurant, a bar, a beer garden and an outdoor dining area; the second floor will hold a banquet hall — where the Board of Trustees previously met — and three meeting rooms. Village President Sheena Collum said research showed there were a number of corporations in the area that would be interested in renting out those meeting rooms.

As for parking, there will be two lots, each with 37 spaces. The first lot will be restricted to Village Hall restaurant parking, while the second lot will be both restaurant and public parking.

Prior to passing either the resolution or the ordinance, village officials delivered a comprehensive presentation on the redevelopment project.

“The Board of Trustees has been working very closely with our redevelopment counsel to finalize both the financial agreement, which we introduced on first reading (previously) — tonight is going to be the second reading of the financial agreement — and under our resolutions is our redevelopment agreement,” Collum said, opening the Nov. 23 meeting. “The purpose of tonight was to inform the public and take everyone through a holistic look at how we got to the point that we did in late July, what the considerations were.”

Collum said the presentation, which included the hard numbers many residents had asked for, was to relieve frustrations felt by the community about being kept in the dark regarding certain facets of the project; these details, mostly financial, had been kept quiet, as they are exempt from the Open Public Meetings Act.

“I think a lot of the frustrations at the time were that the public didn’t have the actual numbers, the purchase price, what would the annual service charge look like …” Collum continued. “So there was a lot of frustration on our part not being able to share the economic analysis that the board was going through as part of our comprehensive review, and we are going to do that tonight.”

In the presentation, Collum went through the steps taken since 2008, to bring the board to approving the redevelopment agreement Nov. 23. She explained how, when the board first issued a Request for Expressions of Interest regarding the purchase and conversion of Village Hall in July 2011, only one submission was received, which the board deemed inadequate.

In June 2014, however, the board decided to issue a Request for Proposals for Village Hall, mainly to see what the options were; at the same time, the village was receiving renovation bids as well, so it could compare the two and choose the best option, Collum said. In 2014, the board received much more favorable bids for adaptive reuse; Collum cited a few possible reasons for this. First, the village had already abated the asbestos in the building, which likely made the structure more appealing to prospective buyers; second, the RFEI had been issued during a downturn in the economy, whereas in 2014 things were finally beginning to spring back.

The board received two viable proposals for adaptive reuse to compare to municipal renovation: the first from Landmark, which was eventually selected, was to create a restaurant, catering facility and event space inside the building; the second from the South Orange Hotel Group was to create a boutique hotel. The hotel group offered a purchase price of $1.1 million; while Landmark originally offered $700,000, the village was able to negotiate that up to $1.2 million.

Alternatively, the renovation bids the village received — a cost the village would have to shoulder — ranged from $5.6 million to $7.7 million. According to the presentation, however, Landmark’s URE will be able to complete the renovation for less money as it is not subject to the same bidding requirements as the village.
Though tax abatement PILOTs can last up to 30 years, the PILOT for Village Hall will last 20 years. This PILOT only covers real estate taxes on the site’s planned improvements; it does not affect real estate taxes on the land, which will still be paid and split among South Orange, Essex County and the South Orange-Maplewood School District.

“This project, this couldn’t happen unless the village was willing to do a PILOT for some length of time,” South Orange’s redevelopment counsel, Joseph Baumann Jr. of McManimon, Scotland & Baumann LLC, said. “The finances and numbers just don’t add up.”

Baumann said the board felt the financial agreement was required because URE will be spending approximately $6,456,000 in order to purchase the property, for construction costs, site work, landscaping, soft costs and a liquor license.

Under the PILOT agreement, URE will pay $38,000 in the first four years, $45,600 in the next four, $54,720 in the next four, $65,664 in the following four, $78,797 in the next two years and $94,556 in the final two years. After the 20 years, URE will begin paying regular taxes on both the land and the improvements.

According to Collum, many factors went into the village’s decision to go with Landmark’s URE — a decision the president said was reached following public meetings; a community forum; receiving advisory opinions from the South Orange Historic Preservation Commission, South Orange Village Center Alliance and South Orange Development Committee; and various announcements through local media, social media and more.

The board also looked at cost scenarios, especially considering significant funds will likely go toward renovating the South Orange Public Library and Police Headquarters in the coming years, according to Collum.

As for the village offices, village Administrator Barry Lewis Jr. explained that the village, which has been looking at reducing its municipal footprint, had three options: leasing, renovating and building.

“We had relocated, what we thought was temporarily, but when we got there, we realized it really does work, it flowed,” Lewis said of the village moving its offices out of Village Hall and across the street. “Business went on without skipping a beat.”

By taking a detailed look at the finances, the village believes that continuing to lease space for its offices makes the most financial sense. The numbers show, according to Lewis, that in the first five years of leasing, the village will actually earn $93,514 thanks to the sale of Village Hall, whereas renovation would cost more than $3 million and constructing a new building would cost more than $1 million. While the numbers show that, 30 years down the line, the cost of leasing will also be in the millions, it is still be the better financial option.

“The leasing cost is the most evenly distributed, though it does get up there 30 years out,” Lewis said. “We can always look into more shared services with leasing to reduce the municipal footprint.”

At the meeting, resident Alyssa Aronson asked the board members whether they intend for the village offices to remain grouped together in the future, and what will happen if the South Orange Performing Arts Center decides to end its agreement with the village that allows the board to meet on SOPAC’s main stage.

“We’re looking into municipal consolidations into other village-owned buildings, but I don’t know if it will all be in the same building in the future,” Collum said. As for the SOPAC question, Collum stated that the village works closely with SOPAC and does not anticipate a problem, but, just in case, is in discussions with the South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education to use school district meeting space if necessary.

Trustee Mark Rosner added that, when SOPAC needs the main stage for a performance, the board meets in SOPAC’s Loft.

With the numbers supporting selling Village Hall and leasing office space, the village then had to choose a redeveloper. When deciding between Landmark and the Hotel Group, Collum said the board considered the historic preservation of the building, saying they want it “preserved as is, but are flexible about use”; the redeveloper’s track record of historic renovations; the likelihood of success; and land-use considerations — the corner of South Orange Avenue and Scotland Road being a challenging corner. “We felt the Village Hall offices were a less intense use of that corner that made that corner quiet at night,” Collum said.

Looking at everything, the Board of Trustees felt Landmark was best for the job.

“We didn’t want to chop up the meeting room for hotel rooms,” Collum said. “Also, if the restaurant leaves, it is easier to get another restaurant than another boutique hotel.”

Additionally, Landmark has a history of renovating and reusing historic buildings, such as 1721’s Logan Inn, 1770’s Ryland Inn, 1921’s Hotel DuVillage, 1902’s Courier News Building and 1905’s Plainfield Trust Company.

“We picked Landmark for a reason,” Baumann said at the meeting. “They have a great track record; they’ve done this before, they have a significant balance sheet, have a history, are family-owned. They’re a redeveloper we feel comfortable turning this icon over to (in order) to make this happen.”

Baumann took over the presentation to explain the redevelopment agreement, and began his portion of the presentation by praising village officials, telling residents that Collum and the board had displayed extreme diligence.

“You should be really pleased with your village president, your trustees and your professionals. In 25 years of doing this, I’ve never seen a more diligent, careful, well thought out and, to the extent possible, transparent process including all the stakeholders involved,” Baumann said, calling South Orange’s approach “a model process.”

Prior to closing the agreement and land sale, Baumann explained that URE had to meet several criteria and conditions.

First, the village had to be sure there were no financial issues in URE’s or Landmark’s past and present that could affect the project; that URE and Landmark will comply with all stipulations of the agreement; that URE is not purchasing Village Hall for speculation in land holding; and more.

Additionally, URE had to accept the deed and property restrictions.

Under the deed, should URE look to re-sell the building, the village will have the opportunity to buy back Village Hall; the owner must maintain the property and establish a maintenance fund that cannot dip below $10,000; no mortgage or lien may be for more than 80 percent of market value to prevent over-leveraging; and the village has the right to acquire the property and liquor license for 80 percent of the property’s fair market value should the deed restrictions be violated.

Baumann said it was important to put certain restrictions to preserve Village Hall’s historic authenticity in the deed, because the redevelopment agreement is no longer a binding document once the redevelopment is completed. According to Baumann, this will ensure these restrictions “in perpetuity.” The building has a perpetual historic easement.

Historic Preservation Commission member Amy Dahn asked the board several questions with regard to preserving the building’s historicity and that of the items within it. Dahn questioned what would happen to the oak horseshoe table, formerly used by the Board of Trustees during meetings.

Lewis said he believes Landmark plans to maintain the horseshoe table and to keep it in its current spot; the board meeting room is expected to become a banquet hall and the horseshoe table would be used for events.

Dahn also asked what would happen to the walk-in safe inside Village Hall. Though village officials did not have an answer for Dahn at the time, they promised to look into it. Collum told the News-Record on Nov. 30 that the village was still looking into answering Dahn’s questions and would have answers prior to the closing.

Dahn also questioned the village as to what it plans to do with the possible time capsule that may be behind a plaque in the building. She questioned whether, when the village sells the building, if the time capsule will then belong to URE. Village officials also promised to look into this, though Lewis did say that the time capsule is not in any imminent danger as the building is not being demolished.

URE must also maintain an escrow for ongoing third-party costs to the village related to the redevelopment, which Baumann assured the URE has been doing thus far; maintain the property’s appearance; work to minimize the impact of the redevelopment work on the site’s neighbors, partially by creating a traffic study, a traffic plan and off-site parking arrangements for construction workers; controlling pests; minimizing noise and light pollution; indemnifying the village and village officials in case of lawsuit; complying with all environmental laws; and maintaining proper insurances.

Rosner seconded the importance of ensuring that patrons of the downtown will not be inconvenienced during the construction period and will have places to park.

Baumann also assured residents that, although URE will own the building, the village will still be involved in the process. Not only must URE share all surveys, reports and studies with the village prior to closing, but URE officials must periodically attend board meetings to update the village on the site’s progress and provide progress reports.

“We’re not going to hand over the keys and say ‘Tell us when you’re done,’” Baumann said of the village’s future relationship with URE.

In response to a concern brought up during the public forum, the village assured that it will retain the right to use the image of Village Hall as its icon; URE will also have the same right to use the Village Hall image.

Under the redevelopment agreement, the project is expected to be completed in June 2017, though Baumann explained that it is always possible for holdups to occur — as Maplewood knows with the Daibes site and West Orange knows with the Edison Battery site.

“The project schedule can slip,” Baumann said, attributing the possibility to either force majeure events, which are beyond the redeveloper’s control, or a failure on the redeveloper’s part. Should the schedule slip, Baumann said, the redeveloper will be expected to give a solution; village officials and the redeveloper will then discuss and decide the proper path forward.

Baumann said that if URE is found to be in default before the project’s completion, the village can terminate the agreement. The village has set up certain agreements with URE and parent company Landmark to ensure that, should the contract be terminated, the village will not see an immense financial loss.

“You think of worst-case scenarios and set up remedies,” Baumann said, adding that this planning in no way implies a lack of trust between the village and URE.

To view the board’s presentation, click here.

Joanna Lee Williams

MAPLEWOOD/SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — Columbia High School graduate Joanna Lee Williams, a developmental psychologist and associate professor at the University of Virginia, returned to her alma mater Nov. 20 to discuss how ethnicity influences teenagers in forming friendships; Williams was the latest guest of the Hamingson Literary Showcase speaker series.

In her speech “Finding a Place in the School Cafeteria: Race and Identity in Adolescence,” Williams disputed the notion that “race doesn’t matter” in diverse school districts such as South Orange-Maplewood’s, explaining that her research shows middle and high school students will often self-segregate into social groups based on their skin colors. While many may view this as detrimental to race relations within a district, Williams told the News-Record that the practice has both benefits and drawbacks.

“My own research and the research of my colleagues has shown that having a strong sense of racial or ethnic pride is positively related to psychological well-being, it’s related to academic success and it’s related to pro-social behavior,” Williams, who specializes in the implications of race and ethnicity on youth development, said in a Nov. 23 phone interview. “It’s a double-edged sword, though, because if race is a central part of your identity in adolescence when you’re understanding messages that the world might be sending to you, you are likely also very aware of racial discrimination.”

And being very aware of racial discrimination might lead young people to interpret subtle social cues as racist when other youths less focused on their racial identity would have viewed them otherwise, Williams said.

But forming relationships with people of one’s own race should not be discouraged, according to Williams.

On the contrary, she said such a practice is quite normal among adolescents. That is because teens want to be around people who they think understand them, she explained, and sharing the same skin color is a major way to relate to each other. Plus, she said the empowerment gained from bonding with people of one’s own ethnicity can act as an important means of support for students when they face definite instances of discrimination in the future.

At the same time, Williams said she would encourage youths to befriend people of racial backgrounds outside of their own as a way of learning that one should not fear those who are different from them. She said schools can help facilitate this by sponsoring race-based discussions and programming, like the district has done in the past, as well as highlighting values shared by students. What she said should not be done, however, is force such bonding to happen.

“You can’t just place kids physically within the same space and expect that all of a sudden they are going to naturally interact with one another,” Williams said. “There needs to be scaffolding, some sort of support, so the kids feel they are able to do that and it lessens some of the anxiety of getting to know someone who is different from you.”

Williams recalled that her own circle of friends while attending CHS, where she was a member of the Class of 1993, actually consisted of a diverse mix of ethnicities. But she said she would often see people self-segregating, just as she has observed students doing today, and that she herself felt uncomfortable as one of the few black students in Advanced Placement classes.

The latter experience mirrors many of today’s students’ experiences. In fact, the relatively small number of minority students taking upper level courses has been a hot button issue ever since a 2013 federal investigation revealed that just 19 percent of the district’s AP students were black. To remedy the situation, the district enlisted an educational consultant to study its schools’ diversity. The Board of Education also recently passed a policy allowing students to choose to enter upper level classes rather than having to take a test for admittance, which Williams said she believes is a good idea in theory.

In practice, though, Williams said the measure will be meaningless without a corresponding change in the district’s climate — after all, there is no guarantee black students will decide to enroll in higher level courses just because they have the opportunity.

“It’s important to definitely say ‘All kids have the ability to work at a really high level, and all kids should have access to education that’s really high quality,’” Williams said. “But it goes hand-in-hand with saying ‘We’ve created a climate in which kids actually feel that that is true for them, and that they have the sense that this is what they want for themselves as well, and that they are not going to continue to feel isolated or that they have to make some sort of false choice between social relationships with friends and academic quality.’”

To bring about such a change, Williams said teachers should place high expectations on students of all races from kindergarten onward so they will develop the self-confidence to take on challenges. They should also do a self-reflection to make sure that they are not exhibiting any unconscious biases against students of a particular ethnicity, such as punishing black students for doing something white students do without consequence. Additionally, she said teachers should make sure individuality is emphasized for everyone while also celebrating each student’s racial identity.

Williams also said it is vital that district officials not believe themselves to be colorblind, saying that this is inherently untrue, and ignores a key component of a student’s identity. Instead, she said it should eliminate taboos and encourage open and meaningful conversations about race, something she believes CHS students are eager to have.

While giving her speech, Williams said she noticed that the students in attendance appeared engaged despite the fact that it was a Friday afternoon. Afterward, she said several students told her that they have seen the issues she addressed in their own school. Many also asked how they can learn more about ethnicity and identity and how to start racial dialogs of their own.

This enthusiastic response meant a lot to Williams, especially coming from the community she said inspired her to study the racial implications of identity in the first place. Moving forward, she said she hopes her speech leads to more discussions about race at CHS.

“I encourage the students to become comfortable talking about race, and the only way to do that is to talk about it,” Williams said. “We have a tendency starting at early childhood to kind of silence kids when they ask questions or point things out that are related to race, and so from early on kids get the sense that only certain people can talk about it and there are only certain places to talk about it. And kids get afraid of saying the wrong thing.

“But I do think we need to change that and create spaces, especially for teenagers, to ask questions and get to know another person’s perspective,” she said.

Photo Courtesy of Girl Scout Troop 20245
Assembling toiletry kits are, back row, from left, Dan RosenHanst of Bridges; Kate Holtzman; Kristina Pavlovic and Cindy Hsu of WCBS-TV; and Diane Esty of Girl Scouts Heart of NJ. Middle row, from left, are Adjuni Vadlamani, Claire Ragone, Catherine Holt, Ruby Luhrman, Skylar Smith, Sierra Mannion and Ellie LoPiccolo. Front row, from left, are Molly Bigelow, Sabrina Mannion, Emma Greenberg and Berit Spiesel.

MAPLEWOOD/SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — Girl Scout Troop 20245 completed a monthlong service project, collecting more than 4,000 travel-size toiletries and assembling more than 230 kits for Bridges Outreach, a Summit-based nonprofit organization that provides food, clothing and basic necessities to thousands of homeless people in New York City, Newark and Irvington. The kits included items such as shampoo and conditioner, toothbrushes and toothpaste, soap, lotion and deodorant.

The troop is composed of 12 fourth-grade girls from South Orange and Maplewood, who all attend Jefferson Elementary School. The girls reached out to scores of local residents and friends for donations, and organized a collection day at Rite Aid in South Orange. With the help of a troop mom, they also posted their toiletry drive on local community discussion boards. On Friday, Nov. 20, the girls assembled the kits, and personalized them with stickers and notes.

“When girls give back to their communities, they learn things like compassion, community service and the impact they have on other people,” Diane Esty, community engagement specialist for Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey, said in a release. “We love to see our girls prioritizing the needs of others, and this troop has demonstrated the spirit of what it means to be a Girl Scout.”

Photo Courtesy of Girl Scout Troop 20245
At the toiletry collection drive at Rite Aid in South Orange are, from left, Berit, Sabrina, Claire, Ellie and Sierra.

“This project will help us continue our commitment to those on the streets by providing them with access to toiletry items they wouldn’t normally be able to afford,” Dan RosenHanst, director of operations for Bridges, said.

“All of the girls were incredibly engaged and earnest in their efforts,” troop mom Tara Ragone, who organized the service project, said. “They were very proactive, canvassing neighborhoods for donations and putting personal touches on notes to include in the kits.”

Dar Williams

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — Writing is often thought of as a solitary occupation, but that has not been Dar Williams’ experience. Through the years the critically acclaimed singer-songwriter has collaborated with some of the music industry’s most respected names in writing and performing her work, from Joan Baez to Suzzy Roche to The Hooters.

And while she has certainly found success through the more intimate process of writing on her own, Williams said working with others provides numerous advantages in crafting music.

“I think working with friends keeps your nose to the grindstone, and that’s good because it keeps you in the room with an idea and usually brings out your best work,” Williams told the News-Record in a Dec. 4 phone interview. “I’ve got to become better friends with (the people I’ve worked with) because writing is personal. And when you’re 20 years into your career, all of these friendships create this beautiful network. It’s like living in a creative rainforest, and I really love that.”

Residents will be able to see the product of that collaborative creativity when Williams appears at the South Orange Performing Arts Center on Thursday, Dec. 17, where she will play selections from her latest album “Emerald.” As with much of her records, the new release features songs written and performed with fellow musician friends including Lucy Wainwright Roche and Bryn Roberts, who will both be joining Williams on stage at SOPAC.

Like most of her previous albums, the songs on “Emerald” run the gamut of topics because, as Williams put it, “You never know when the muse will come.”

One song already gaining traction has been “FM Radio,” an upbeat examination of the way music impacted the 1970s. Williams said that track was particularly fun for her and co-writer Jill Sobule to craft, with the two spending hours reminiscing on how the music of the era intersected their own lives.

Though she pointed out that the industry at the time was far from perfect, with record labels holding all the power, Williams said the music itself had a unique ability of bringing together people of all generations. Plus, she said the artists of the day really spoke about the issues affecting society, whether it was racism or politics, through their music.

“These people became these touchstones of civilization in the United States,” Williams said. “Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye and all these people not only recognized the culture of what’s going on, but also created an archive so we can know that in the ’70s people were asking these big questions.

“In the ’70s, I think there was a more permeated social consciousness that came with that music,” she continued. “Even disco was getting people out of their houses and interacting with each other, dancing with each other — black, white and brown. And I
think that’s happening now a little bit more. It would be nice to see more disco in the world.”

Williams also has a particular interest in “New York is a Harbor,” another song from the album. She said she has been happy to see in the past 20 years of touring that more and more small towns are prospering as a result of developing their own community identities and rejecting the intrusion of major commercial operations. She is even writing a book about the phenomenon.

New York City, as Williams details in her song, seems to be moving in reverse. What started out as a haven for dreamers has now become a hotbed for the ultra-wealthy, she said, with places like Grand Central Station and the New York Public Library serving as the only monuments to the fact that the city was founded on hard work and the desire to share beautiful things with everyone. She only hopes now that more New Yorkers will realize their city’s strength was always its inclusiveness.

“I think that New York benefits from remembering that that’s its greatest legacy,” Williams said. “The more we find our way to each other and the more networks we build together, the more we are ‘We the people.’”

Two communities that Williams has no complaints about are South Orange and Maplewood. In fact, she said she never turns down an opportunity to perform in Northern New Jersey, where she sees a real sense of community. But she said SOMA is particularly impressive to her for its diversity and appreciation of the arts. And she is especially excited to return to SOPAC, having had such an excellent experience the first time she performed there.

“You walk into a place and you nod your head and you say ‘Oh, they know how to do this,’” Williams said, recalling her first impressions of the venue. “They knew where to put the money. They knew they needed a good sound system. They knew they needed comfortable seats. And you nod your head and say ‘This is how things should be run.’”

To purchase tickets, call 973-313-2787 or visit http://www.sopacnow.org/dar-williams/ .

Photos by Sean Quinn
Students and parents watch the ribbon cutting.

MAPLEWOOD/SOUTH ORANGE — The Montrose Early Childhood Center officially opened its doors with a ribbon cutting Dec. 4, roughly two years after the building was approved as a joint general-education and special-education school for the South Orange-Maplewood School District’s preschoolers.

District officials joined school staff, parents and students to commemorate the school’s ceremonial launch, though classes had actually began in the building Nov. 9. Prior to that, classes were held in various district locations as a result of delays in the renovations to the old building that at different times in its long history has housed an elementary school, a YMCA day care and an alternative high school.

But even though it has taken a while, school director Renee Joyce said Montrose has been well worth the wait. Despite its initial hurdles, Joyce said everything is going smoothly at the school. It is exciting to finally be open for business, she said.

“It is just a fantastic feeling of relief and joy to be able to come into this beautiful building every single day with this phenomenal staff and absolutely adorable children,” Joyce told the News-Record in a Dec. 3 phone interview. “It is a fulfillment of a dream for me, just to see it from paper and pencil to full fruition of this extraordinary building. It’s fabulous.”

According to Joyce, Montrose currently has 62 students enrolled and a 115-student capacity. Of the students enrolled, she said there is an approximately 50-50 split between general-education and special-education students.

In the future, she said the school hopes to have a 60-40 split, with the general-education students coming from in-district and the special-education students coming from both in and outside of South Orange-Maplewood. Right now all students are from the district, but she said Montrose can start marketing itself to special-education students from outside towns now.

Bringing in out-of-district students will lead to increased revenue for the South Orange-Maplewood school system, but that does not mean Montrose does not have cost benefits now.

District spokeswoman Suzanne Turner told the News-Record the school is saving the district approximately $1,125,000 this year because its special-education program has taken in 15 students who would have otherwise gone to outside schools to meet their needs. Additionally, Turner said the district is anticipating roughly $116,000 in revenue from tuition-paying students this year.

The average tuition cost for a general education student is $800 a month, but Joyce pointed out that Montrose offers a sliding payment scale to accommodate all parents. Parents of special education students do not pay tuition.

As for expenses, Turner said the district currently does not have an exact breakdown of how much it will cost the school to operate Montrose in its first year. But she said the total costs for construction — which included a new roof, parking lot, and electrical and plumbing projects — will amount to roughly $3.2 million.

Financials aside though, Joyce said she is really excited about implementing a full-inclusion program, in which general- and special-education students are mixed. The school director explained that she believes Montrose will stand out for offering such a program when most other schools in the area do not, which could drive more special-education students to enroll. But above all, she said integrating the classes will have a significant positive impact on both the general- and special-education populations in addition to hopefully narrowing the achievement gap.

“It is enriching for the special-education students to be with their general education peers so that they have wonderful role models for the issues that they may be dealing with,” Joyce said, adding that even the students in Montrose’s one self-contained special-education class have opportunities to play with general-education students when they would not normally at other schools. “But it also is wonderful for the general-ed. population because the general-ed. population will develop a sense of compassion for the differences in learning as they move forward.

“The achievement gap I think will be closed because of the fact that it is a high-quality program with certificated staff with a state-approved curriculum,” she continued. “Those children who are attending here are really attending a program that is infused with a lot of richness and exposure to things that all children really need to be competitive at the kindergarten level and then certainly going on in school.”

Joyce was not the only one at the ribbon cutting happy to see the full-inclusion program. Board of Education First Vice President Madhu Pai told the News-Record she wishes more programs would be as inclusive as Montrose’s, explaining that the preschoolers who go there can learn a lot just from being around different types of children.

Superintendent of Schools John Ramos Sr. agreed that integrating the students is best for everyone, pointing out that young children do not see differences like older students do, so reinforcing that notion of equality is a good way of building self-confidence and preventing an achievement gap from forming down the road. Plus, Ramos said it is simply the right thing to do.

“This school is really a statement about what our community is all about,” Ramos told the News-Record following the ribbon cutting. “Our community is about diversity, it’s about plurality and it’s about having students learn to work with one another. And after all, isn’t that what society is about? So to have our children begin to learn that at the youngest age just makes good sense.”

Ramos also lauded Joyce and the other educators who spearheaded the push to turn the formerly empty Montrose building into what it has become, saying that they demonstrated just how passionate they truly are about helping preschool students.

Patricia Barker, former director of special services for the district, was one such educator who proved integral in bringing about the Montrose preschool. Barker recalled that she and her child study team wanted to create a place for the all of the district’s preschool classes — they had previously been spread out among the elementary schools — that at the same time would offer unprecedented inclusiveness. So they studied other programs and used what they learned to put together a proposal, which was approved by the Board of Education in December 2013.

Seeing the fruits of her labor feels “wonderful,” according to Barker, who said she also feels the inclusion aspect will lead to good things for all students. On top of that, she said the school has teachers who are both general- and special-education certified in addition to an occupational therapist, a physical therapist and a speech therapist who work with all the children — which could help in the long run.

“We’re able to identify students who may have struggles earlier,” Barker told the News-Record before the ribbon cutting. “They may have come in here as a general-ed. student, but we may spot some things and be able to provide some help early on.”

The parents of the Montrose preschool are certainly appreciative of Barker’s efforts. Mike Paquett said the school has been great for his special-education son, Camden, providing a nice transition from Essex County’s early intervention program. Paquett said Camden seems to be really learning from the general-education students in his class, and Camden’s teacher does an excellent job of updating Paquett on what is going on with emails every day.

“Our teacher is really great,” Paquett told the News-Record. “If you email her she gets back to you. She helps you out if you’re having a hard time at home with your child. We just had conferences, and I got so much more information about my child than I thought I would ever get. And I saw so much growth and knew where they were going throughout the year.”

Stacy Goldstein said she also appreciated the constant communication with her daughter’s teacher. In fact, her teacher will sometimes email her stories about funny things her daughter said or did, which Goldstein said really makes her day.

Dania Murphy is also impressed by the Montrose teachers, especially the way they handle the integrated classes. Murphy explained that one would not be able to tell which students were part of the general- or special-education populations upon looking into a classroom. At the same time though, she said each child’s individual needs are met.

“The teachers know how to take the same activity and then create it so that at different levels all the kids are getting something out of the activity,” Murphy told the News-Record. “I think it’s working.”

Looking ahead, Joyce said she hopes Montrose will continue to be successful. In fact, she said she has a vision of the school doing a lot of good for years to come.

“I would like to see the school become a wonderful community place where families can experience the public school with their children at a very, very young age,” Joyce said. “I think it will offer to children the opportunity for some specialized enrichment and have an impact on them in a long-term way. And I think it will be a wonderful opportunity to shape our citizenry to really understand the needs of special-needs children and how all children with special needs can be integrated successfully and have a positive impact on their peers.”

Photo Courtesy of Kristy Ranieri
Donna Drewes of Sustainable Jersey, left, and NJEA Secretary-Treasurer Sean Spiller, right, hand over a $10,000 check to Tia Swanson of the Seth Boyden Elementary School PTA.

MAPLEWOOD/SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — Creating a positive and long-lasting impact in both their schools and their community is the goal of three schools in the South Orange-Maplewood School District that will receive funding from Sustainable Jersey for Schools to host sustainability projects.

Eleven $10,000 grants and 35 $2,000 grants funded by the New Jersey Education Association were distributed to fund a variety of projects, including rain gardens, outdoor learning classrooms, a winter greenhouse, an aquaponics system, native habitat gardens, sustainability curricula and more.

Seth Boyden Elementary School will receive $10,000 for its Nature Story Trails and Habitat Garden, a project with the goal of developing a habitat where students come face to face with the native plants and animals of New Jersey.

The students will create nature story trails where specific plants will be installed with corresponding signage along mulched pathways to connect wildlife and vegetation into a tangible and fun learning experience. Trails will introduce students to the plants and animals that share the neighborhood with them, and teach them what they need to do to preserve the ecosystem around them.

Maplewood Middle School and Tuscan Elementary School were each recipients of $2,000 grants and will be using their funding for Building Relationships Through Mentoring and an Eco Lawn Rehab Demonstration Project and Garden, respectively.

“NJEA is proud to work with Sustainable Jersey on this important program that directs resources into our schools,” New Jersey Education Association Secretary-Treasurer Sean Spillerin said in a recent press release. “It is our job to help create a new generation of engaged citizens and leaders. By emphasizing the value of sustainability, we also help ensure that we leave a better world for our students.”

Earlier this year, Sustainable Jersey formed an underwriting partnership with NJEA. In addition to funding this cycle of the grant program, NJEA provides in-kind support through research and technical expertise. NJEA’s leadership and members serve on Sustainable Jersey task forces and more than 137 districts and 328 schools are currently participating in the Sustainable Jersey for Schools program.

Reviewers found Seth Boyden’s submission proposing to create the trails and gardens in order to familiarize students with the plants and animals in the local community to be a standout among the other submissions.

“The Seth Boyden proposal stood out because one of the criteria is organizing leadership within school community, and they definitely demonstrated that there is dedication among both students and teachers/administration to seeing the project through,” Sustainable Jersey Co-director Donna Drewes said in a recent interview with the News-Record. “Seth Boyden has been working on this for years and building on it and this is an ambitious project. It’s really pretty amazing and it was also successful because they gave us graphics and layouts. They also demonstrated how it will integrate with their learning and those organizations like the Rotary Club and local businesses that are supporting them.

“Some of the criteria we look for is if the application can demonstrate or talk about a long-standing commitment and does it make sense for the community,” Drewes continued. “We also look to see if they have identified resources and reached out to the right organizations, experts and partners in the community to help them meet their goals.”

Sustainable Jersey utilizes a Blue Ribbon external reviewer committee that looks at the applications and ranks them, something that Drewes says is in place because the organization really values being able to assist applicants with building strong proposals.
“A lot of funders won’t talk to you about the project; you just submit your application and wait. Our whole grants program is tailored to helping schools put good proposals together,” she said. We do webinars, we want them to do really well and we want them to know what resources are out there.”

By using the external review committee, Sustainable Jersey is able to work with those who don’t receive grants and troubleshoot different ways to put together a stronger proposal for future submission periods.

“If your proposal isn’t funded, we will go over it and help you understand how to make it stronger and what you can do differently next time,” Drewes said. “Our whole program is about helping schools put together successful proposals.”

Drewes said the organization reaches out to a host of strategic partners every year to request funding, and this year NJEA provided a generous donation of $180,000 to fund the small grants initiative.

“When you have principals and teachers standing up and telling how much the grant means to their schools, it’s really powerful,” she said. “Having the ability to have the support of NJEA and other funders is the spark that allows for bigger and better things to happen in the schools.”

The proposal from Maplewood Middle School is focused on building a mentoring program that emphasizes building relationships, and the proposal from Tuscan Elementary focuses on finding more environmentally friendly ways to take care of lawns and gardens.

School district personnel did not respond to requests for comment.

“Mentoring can really change lives. Middle school is such a turbulent time and the number of kids that will be touched is going to be amazing,” Drewes said. “New Jersey already has laws about pesticides on lawns and in schools yards. For their project Tuscan Elementary parents and the green teams are working together to figure out how to renovate the areas without using harmful substances, and they will talk to some environmental specialists and expand their school garden.”

Photos Courtesy of First Baptist Church of South Orange
Front row, from left, are the Rev. Terry Richardson, NaDeen Richardson, CeCe Winans, Mamie Bridgeforth, Lawren Monroe, Pastor Darrin Monroe and Liz Black; back row, from left, are Kayla, Jeremiah and Deven Richardson.

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — First Baptist Church of South Orange celebrated its 120th anniversary at the Renaissance Newark Airport Hotel on Nov. 28 with special guest CeCe Winans, the 10-time Grammy Award winner of Gospel and R&B fame. The event emcee was Liz Black, the host of radio station WBLS Sunday morning Gospel hour show and the voice of Gospel 360.

The First Baptist Church of South Orange, built in 1895 on the cornerstone of serving the needs of the community is rooted in a lineage of progressive activism and is the first church to open its doors to the black community.

The 120th anniversary celebration was created as a part of a capital campaign to raise funds for a much-needed expansion of the church building. Delighted to have Winans at the black-tie affair, Senior Pastor Terry Richardson said, “We were all very excited to have CeCe as our featured psalmist as we celebrate such a significant turning point in our church history. The crowd was moved by her songs of praise and love plus it was a lot of fun!”

Indeed, it was a fun time and there was a joyful noise of song and praise that infiltrated the room. On the heels of Thanksgiving, with Winans singing “Alabaster Box” and “Waging War” and inspirational words spoken by the guest speakers and the evening’s emcee, Liz Black, the occasion was made even more festive with selected performances by the choirs of the church.

Honoring the church’s legacy, Richardson, who is a disciple of the Rev. Leon Sullivan, the dynamic Civil Rights activist and former pastor of First Baptist, has increased and mobilized a spirited congregation, according to a release. Richardson was able to envision how the church needed to be invested in the community after he returned from a pilgrimage to South Africa with Sullivan.

Photos Courtesy of First Baptist Church of South Orange
CeCe Winans graces the crowd with a powerful voice and inspirational songs ‘Alabaster Box’ and ‘Waging War.’

“Sullivan invited me to visit Ghana, to his fourth African summit to learn how nations, organizations, communities and the church work together to improve lives,” Richardson said in the press release. “That was a pivotal point for me as a pastor here in South Orange.”

With an increasing congregation, outreach at the First Baptist Church of South Orange means involving people in their own destinies, solving problems together and collectively creating solutions to meet the community’s needs. The church has responded to the needs of its members by organizing a growing number of ministries that focus on providing specific services to various groups, such as the Women’s, Men’s and Youth ministries, and the Circle of Faith Ministry, which includes Seton Hall students.

“Our goal is not to maintain. On the contrary, our goal is to build upon the accomplishments of the shoulders we stand on,” Richardson, who has been pastor at the church for 18 years, said. “Our biggest accomplishment will be the number of lives saved, touched, empowered and transformed by our obedience in sharing and demonstrating the saving grace of God in Christ. We look forward remaining spiritually and socially relevant in our impact for Christ.”

Photo Courtesy of First Night MWSO
Above, a performer from last year’s First Night event juggles; below, a young resident gets to meet Anna and Elsa from ‘Frozen.’

MAPLEWOOD/SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — South Orange and Maplewood residents looking for a good time on New Year’s Eve need go no further than the local high school, as First Night Maplewood South Orange hosts its annual New Year’s Eve celebration at Columbia High School on Parker Avenue in Maplewood on Thursday, Dec. 31, from 4 to 10 p.m.

The popular family event, originally formed by First Night South Orange in 1993, was created to offer locals a culturally diverse program and safe environment to enjoy New Year’s Eve festivities right where they live.

This year’s celebration begins with an earlier start time and, in addition to the crowd favorites of Lisa Lou Circus Acts, Illestyle Hip-Hop Dance Troupe and Doc Swan’s magical comedy, there are some new additions to the entertainment lineup.

“We definitely listen to people’s feedback to make the event better and bring back the things that were successful,” First Night MWSO President Michael Goldberg said in a recent interview with the News-Record. “This event is all about the community, so we want it to reflect the things that our neighbors and friends would like to see.”

Goldberg, a former South Orange trustee, said feedback the organization received from previous years inspired change in start time from 5 p.m. to 4 p.m., so as to accommodate younger attendees.

“Last year we had a single headliner; this year we have a number of smaller acts. Across the board, feedback was that everyone was great so we tried to bring back the most popular performers,” Goldberg said.

“We also have new this year Miss Nina, a local performer who has a high-energy show that is targeted for small children to enjoy,” he said.

Also new this year is Circtaquelar, an act that features circus-type acrobatics, a laser light show, a strolling magician and Sky Squad, an aerial artistry team with moves reminiscent of the Harlem Globetrotters.

“We’re also doing karaoke for the first time this year for people to have some fun with themselves,” Goldberg said.

Feedback from previous years also led to the introduction of a coat rack operation this year to be run by a local Boy Scout troop, due to previous complaints that the venue is always warm yet there is no place for attendees to leave coats.

“People were concerned about cost last year,” he continued. “Now we have an early bird special that will hopefully make it less expensive for larger families to attend.”

Through Dec. 24, tickets can be purchased in person at Kings Food Market in Maplewood, Maplewood Memorial Library, South Orange Public Library and Sparkhouse in South Orange; during that time, tickets will also be available online. After Dec. 24, ticket prices will increase. For all ticket purchases, children 3 and younger are admitted for free.

For more information, visit www.firstnightmwso.org.

MAPLEWOOD – The St. Joseph basketball teams finished strong in Week Three of the season.

Third-Grade Boys

The Third-Grade boys added two victories last weekend to improve their record to 5-0 and take sole possession of first place in their division. On Saturday night, the Celtics prevailed in a thrilling road game against previously unbeaten St. Helen’s by a score of 25-17.  

In the boys’ strongest outing of the season to date, the Celtics used excellent ball movement, player movement and passing to generate eight assists to counter the aggressive defense of their opponent. Thomas Campbell’s three assists paced the Celtics’ passing attack.  

Timothy Van de North helped the Celtics get started by finding Steven Copeland for a baseline jumper in the first quarter and Campbell found Will Walsh in the lane for another early bucket.

Flynn Larson stymied the St. Helen’s defenders all night, sinking a dizzying array of driving layups and running jumpers for a total of 10 points.  Thomas Campbell added three points to his trio of assists and Kieran Dawkins chipped in with a pretty pull-up jumper and two assists. Steven Copeland controlled the paint and contributed six points and six rebounds.

In the fourth quarter, a basket from Harrison Zabik helped the Celtics maintain a comfortable margin despite a furious comeback attempt from St. Helen’s.  

On Sunday, the Celtics gained their fifth victory of the young season, defeating St. Agnes by a score of 21-9 in a home game in Maplewood. The Celtics used aggressive defense to generate steals and scoring opportunities in transition. Flynn Larson tallied 11 points and four steals and Kieran Dawkins added five points and three steals.

Luke Davenport sunk a key jumper at the buzzer of the second quarter to extend the Celtics’ halftime lead to five points. Alex Szczepanski sunk a free throw and Steven Copeland had an offensive putback to help the Celtics extend their lead in the second half.  Jerry Browne displayed his versatility, playing guard, forward and center for the first-place Celtics.

Justin Connell chipped in three rebounds and a steal.

Fourth-Grade boys

The St. Joe’s Fourth-Grade boys’ team lost a tough one to All Saints Academy in Bayonne on Sunday afternoon. St. Joe’s scored a season-high 24 points, but was outplayed by a strong undefeated All Saints squad with a final score of 40-24. John Pirone and Henry Aaron were the high scorers with 10 and eight points, respectively.

Will Spreeman contributed four points to the effort with 13 rebounds. Liam Haley had two points and four rebounds.  

Aaron Budd and Ian Webber continue to show strong efforts with their ball-handling skills and relentless defense which caused multiple turnovers. Declan Cavanaugh and Justin DeVomecourt battled all game against a tough All Saints defense as they scrambled on offense to find open shots.  

JV Fifth-Grade boys

The JV Fifth-Grade boys’ green team picked up its fourth victory of the season on Saturday against Our Lady of Peace by a score of 33-17.  Brendan Dawkins scored five of his eight points in the first quarter to stake the Celtics to an early lead they never lost.

In the second quarter, good ball movement enabled the Celtics to find Liam Laskowski on the wing for an open three-pointer that touched nothing but net, and Max Larson added a basket following an offensive rebound.  

While the Celtics took a nine-point lead into the locker room at halftime, the story of the game was the Celtics’ second-half defense, led by Mike Pirone, who picked up four steals and blocked five shots, also scoring nine points to help the Celtics extend their lead to double-digits.

Max Larson found Danny Guarnieri under the basket for a key bucket, and Miles Drayton and Nicholas Alexander contributed two and four points, respectively, as the Celtics converted steals and offensive rebounds into baskets.

Nicholas Franklin’s tenacious defense and Owen Holt’s rebounding were keys to the Celtics’ well-rounded effort.

The Celtics find themselves alone in first place at 4-0 heading into the break.

JV Sixth-Grade boys

St. Joseph’s JV Sixth-Grade boys evened their record to 2-2 Sunday afternoon in Edison where they defeated St. Helen’s, 26-13, on the strength of a strong defense by Ryan Barrett, Jeremiah Cook and Ryan Nnoli.

Nico Reyes, Callen Bauer and William Walsman’s combined speed, expert ball-handling and passing plays led to multiple scoring opportunities for St. Joe’s.

Alex Werbaneth took full advantage of these opportunities by scoring nine points, followed by six each for Michael Pirone and Damian Cataneo, two for Nico and Jeremiah, and a free throw by Callen.

The team dedicated the win to their biggest fan, Paul Power, grandfather of Alex Iozzio.

Seventh-Grade boys

The Saint Joseph Varsity Seventh-Grade boys improved their record to 4-0 on Sunday by beating St. Theresa Kenilworth 35-18. Nine different players contributed points for the Celtics.  

Nicholas Aaron led all scorers with 10 points, while Ben Sczepanski contributed nine and Aiden Wolff added another seven. Ty Budd, Matt Morales and James Griffis each scored two, while Perry Reyes, Cole Latimer and Derrick Baptiste each dropped in a free throw. Devin Brown and Anthony Fuschetto played solid defense and rebounded on both ends of the floor.

JV Girls

The St. Joseph JV Girls came up on the short end of a 19-5 loss to Our Lady of Peace of New Providence.  Our Lady of Peace raced out to an 11-1 halftime lead and never looked back, controlling the game from start to finish by using crisp passing to knock down open shots and an effective transition game to get easy baskets off turnovers.

St. Joseph made things interesting in the fourth quarter when Katie Wilkes knocked down consecutive jump shots from the left wing to cut the lead to 10 at 15-5.

But OLP ratcheted up the defensive intensity and proceeded to prevent St. Joseph from scoring the last four minutes of the game.  

With the loss, St. Joseph drops to 3-2 entering the holiday break. St. Joseph received valuable contributions from a number of players, including Neve McGowan and Kathleen Wack, who grabbed several rebounds and altered several shots on defense.

St. Joseph’s CYO is a shared parish ministry for the Catholic parishioners of Our Lady of Sorrows in South Orange and South Joseph’s in Maplewood.  St. Joseph’s has 17 teams for girls and boys in grades 2-12.

MAPLEWOOD/SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — It is never too early for budget discussions. At its Nov. 16 meeting, the Board of Education heard from business Administrator Cheryl Schneider, who delivered her annual baseline data budget report.

Several variables — such as enrollment, caring for facilities, transportation, socioeconomic makeup, and salaries and benefits — factor into deciding a school district budget, as they also affect state aid. Schneider reported that in the coming years, the district may need to redistrict some schools to address enrollment changes and also take a closer look at how it uses fund balance and debt service.

According to Schneider, although the overall enrollment numbers stayed flat during the past school year, there were some significant increases at the elementary school level.

“Enrollment is an important element of budget development,” Schneider wrote in her report. “It is used to determine appropriate amounts to budget in several areas including staffing, levels, facility needs, equipment, textbooks, supplies and materials.” The New Jersey Department of Education also uses enrollment figures in the state aid formula.

Schneider informed the board that, since 2007, overall enrollment has increased by 13 percent, approximately 780 students. While a large jump in overall numbers was not seen this school year, kindergarten enrollment has substantially exceeded the district’s projections for the past three years, which has resulted in a high enrollment at the elementary school level. On the other hand, the district has seen enrollment decreases at the middle and high schools, especially in the seventh and ninth grades.

“The continued growth at the elementary levels, with significantly larger than anticipated numbers at the kindergarten level now three years in a row, continue to raise questions about elementary facility needs and questions regarding the need for redistricting, both at the elementary and middle school levels,” Schneider said.

According to the business administrator, the increased elementary school enrollment means the middle schools will be seeing more students in a few years. Similarly, although the current 11th and 12th grade classes are the smallest grades in the district right now, those numbers will burgeon in coming years, too.

Board member Elizabeth Baker questioned whether families opting to go out-of-district to private schools are given an “exit interview” to learn the reason. Schneider said that the district does not do this, but does keep track of where the students are going.

“I hear about a lot of students whose parents don’t feel their (students’) educational needs are being met,” Baker said at the meeting. “I’d like to look to see what drives out-of-district placement, to see why they’re leaving and what we can do to retain them.”

Schneider also said the district has seen a small decrease in out-of-district placements for special-needs students, dropping from 2.5 percent in the last school year to 2.3 percent this school year; Schneider attributes this drop partially to better intervention in the grammar schools and the programming at Montrose.

In its state aid formula, the NJDOE also factors how many students in a district are eligible for free or reduced lunches. According to Schneider’s report, the overall district number has fallen, with 20 percent now being eligible, but that number has also spiked at Seth Boyden, with 46 percent of the school’s students being eligible.

Each year the townships must face the fact that the necessary expenditure on salaries and benefits continue to rise as the cost of living rises.

As for benefits, the district recently switched to Horizon Blue Cross/Blue Shield from the State Health Benefits Plan, but the numbers are still quite high.

With regard to salaries, earlier this month the BOE and the South Orange Maplewood Education Association, the teachers’ union, ratified an agreement covering the current and the next school years, expiring June 30, 2017.

“The salary increase for the current school year, unknown during the last budget development, was 2.5 percent for certificated staff and 1.8 percent for non-certificated staff,” Schneider wrote. “The increases for 2016-2017 are an additional 2.5 percent for certificated staff and 1.8 percent for non-certificated staff. In addition, increases were made to stipend amounts and to support staff classifications that will further increase the overall salaries in the budget.”

Lastly, Schneider said that the district’s facilities are quite old and that it takes money to maintain them.

“The aging school facilities require major investments of resources,” Schneider wrote.

Schneider also cautioned that using general fund free balance monies and issuing bonds for debt service, while helpful in a given school year, must be maintained, as it is essentially revenue.

“Once you have fund balance going in, it’s very hard for it to just go away; it’s revenue,” Schneider said. She explained that it is important to keep these used surpluses flat from year to year so that the board does not have to raise taxes to cover a hole in revenue in coming years. “We’re expecting $200,000 less this year already,” Schneider said.

Photo Courtesy of McKenna Ronquillo
Congratulated by their peers are, from left, Mary Ann Scharf, Afua Ampiaw, Luz-Patricia Torres, Pamela Galehouse, Munira Wells, Josephine DeVito, Marcia Gardner, Linda Ulak, Maryanne Barra-Schneider, Mary Ellen Roberts and Marie Foley.

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — A Seton Hall University College of Nursing faculty member recently won a prestigious award from the local March of Dimes chapter.

College of Nursing Associate Dean Marcia Gardner of South Orange won the Academic Educator Nurse of the Year Award from the New Jersey Chapter of the March of Dimes, a national organization dedicated to promoting healthy pregnancies, preventing birth defects and helping families. Undergraduate Chairwoman Josephine DeVito of Middletown was also a finalist in the Health Educator category.

The annual awards honor outstanding nurses in the region who work on the frontlines of family and newborn health, both in clinical settings and in research. Nurses are nominated by colleagues or patients, and recipients are selected by a panel of health care professionals. The winners received the awards at a ceremony on Nov. 18.

Gardner, who was nominated by former colleague Patricia D. Suplee, is a certified pediatric nurse practitioner and early childhood researcher with interests in special health care needs, developmental disabilities, autism and other early parenting issues.

Suplee called Gardner’s contributions to nursing education “outstanding,” in a release, saying, “She has a vast knowledge base of pediatrics, nursing leadership and conceptual foundations of nursing practice that she continuously shares with her students so they can then be proficient at the bedside when caring for our most vulnerable patients.”

Gardner said, “It is truly an honor to be a teacher and to share my enthusiasm with students and have the opportunity to see them find their own interests and succeed.”

“It is significant that two of our outstanding faculty were recognized by the March of Dimes,” College of Nursing Dean Marie Foley said in the release. “Dr. Gardner and Dr. DeVito are both exceptional educators and we are very lucky to have them here in the College of Nursing.”

“We could not do the work of the March of Dimes without the passion and commitment of our nurses. This is our opportunity to show them how special they truly are,” Allie Hall, central division executive director for the New Jersey Chapter of the March of Dimes, said in a separate release.

More than 196 nurses were nominated in 19 different award categories; there were 115 finalists representing 48 hospitals and health care facilities.

The Nov. 18 event raised more than $90,000 to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality.

Above, Maplewood Mayor Vic Deluca and South Orange Village President Sheena Collum, surrounded by various community partners, sign the Milken Institute’s ‘Best Cities for Successful Aging Mayor’s Pledge.’ The two towns recently received a $35,000 joint grant to explore ways to improve the quality of life for senior residents. After six months, the two towns will apply for a second larger grant to implement their plans.

MAPLEWOOD/SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — A commitment to meeting the unique needs of their older residents resulted in South Orange and Maplewood being jointly awarded a $35,000 grant from the Grotta Fund for Senior Care to develop successfully aging communities.

South Orange and Maplewood leaders Sheena Collum and Vic Deluca will be working together to create a thoughtful and comprehensive action plan that will address various needs to improve the services available and create new opportunities for the seniors in their respective towns.

Some of the areas to be evaluated are health care options, workforce development and job opportunities, living options for older residents, mobility and access to transportation systems, and opportunities for community engagement.

The Grotta Fund is an advisory fund of the Jewish Community Foundation of the Greater MetroWest NJ, with a focus on improving the quality of life of older adults and their families living in Essex, Union and Morris counties in New Jersey.

The grant that was received by Maplewood and South Orange is a phase-one planning-stage grant that will run from the period of January through June 2016, with a final report of the recipients’ proposed action plan due by mid-July 2016.
During this time, South Orange President Collum and Maplewood Mayor DeLuca will meet with various stakeholders, consultants, civic organizations and other individuals to expand upon some of the ideas presented in their grant proposal and
create a relevant plan to improve the senior offerings in the communities they serve.

“The first stage is a needs-assessment survey where we sit down and discuss the strengths and weaknesses and ways we can improve that we offer in our towns,” DeLuca said in a recent interview with the News-Record. “I think that’s very important for us because I don’t think that we have maximized the service opportunities for our seniors, and we need to reach out to the seniors that we haven’t really reached out to yet and get them involved.”

DeLuca says that the grant money will allow the two towns to bring in a fresh pair of eyes to take a look at what is already available and give them a new perspective as to how to improve existing services.

“The Grotta Fund will supply us with a list of consultants that they have previously worked with, so we’ll be taking a look at that list and hiring someone to come in to work with us,” he said. “We will also be setting up groups with our seniors and stakeholders to take a look at what we already have and what opportunities are available to us.”

Local organizations that will serve as partners in this effort include South Orange Seniors, Jewish Community Housing Corporation of New Jersey, JCC MetroWest, Jewish Family Service, Jewish Vocational Service and the Jewish Federation.
Both Maplewood and South Orange will also be supporting this project financially and with in-kind services from municipal staff that will support a selected project director.

Maplewood will provide additional project leadership through township Administrator Joseph Manning, a certified municipal finance officer with many years of experience in municipal and grant administration, as well as through Director of Community Services Annette DePalma, an attorney with years of experience in senior-related services.

Working alongside Maplewood, Collum will have an active role in this project and brings considerable planning experience from her position as executive director of the New Jersey Chapter of the American Planning Association.
Additional leadership will be provided by South Orange Village Administrator Barry Lewis Jr., an attorney and also a certified municipal finance officer with nearly 20 years’ experience in municipal administration, including the oversight of planning projects and grant administration.

The process will begin with the creation of a local steering committee that will include municipal representatives, partner representatives and citizen members, as well as a professional planning consultant who will be selected to serve as the project director.

From there, an evaluation of the services already in place will be conducted, and then community conversations will take place to assess areas for further improvement. Based on these results, the project director and all other relevant parties will develop an action plan that will then be submitted to the Grotta Fund for review.

If selected the next phase, Maplewood and South Orange will then be awarded a phase-two grant in the maximum amount of $75,000 per year over a three-year period to implement the goals outlined in their phase-one action plan.

According to 2013 U.S. Census estimates of Maplewood and South Orange’s communities, more than 15 percent of the towns’ total population is comprised of adults aged 55 and older, a clear indicator that both communities could benefit from improving the offerings to this particular demographic.

“What is critical, and what I believe impressed the Grotta Fund in evaluating our application, is the firm commitment made by South Orange and Maplewood to not only implement but also sustain the Age Friendly Action Plan to ensure that we permanently improve and enhance the quality of life for our seniors,” Collum said in a recent email to the News-Record.

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — The South Orange Board of Health made recommendations to the village Board of Trustees for implementing a pilot Trap-Neuter-Release program at the Dec. 14 trustees meeting, less than a year after the board advised trustees that TNR would not be in the best interests of the village.

Board Chairman Dr. David Pitman told the News-Record that the board agreed to reconsider TNR at the urging of the trustees and numerous residents who spoke out in favor of the program, which advocates claim is the most effective and humane way to control feral cat populations. As a result, the Board of Health announced at its Sept. 17 meeting that it would be forming an ad hoc committee — consisting of Animal Control Officer Melanie Troncone, Health Officer John Festa, board member Dean Kameros, People for Animals Executive Director Jane Guillaume and a resident in favor of TNR — to discuss how a TNR program could work in South Orange. The Board of Health devised its own suggestions after hearing the committee’s ideas.

And though he still has some reservations about TNR — namely the risk that people could contract rabies or toxoplasmosis from the cats, in addition to the ferals becoming a nuisance for neighbors — Pitman said he believes his board has come up with a pilot program that allows for TNR while also satisfying the BOH’s concerns.

“We felt there should be a TNR within limits,” Pitman said in a Dec. 17 phone interview.
First, the BOH’s proposed TNR program actually consists of TNVR — Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Release, plus micro-chipping — which Pitman told the trustees will go a long way toward alleviating his group’s health concerns while still allowing TNR to take place. The chairman suggested that the designated cat-colony caretakers should pay for the costs of those measures, since the board does not feel that using cat licensing fees and private fundraising will be enough to cover those expenses.

Pitman also advised that residents should be notified as to whether a cat colony is situated near their homes so that anyone particularly vulnerable to feral cats, such as pregnant women, can make sure to avoid them. This measure was vehemently opposed by some members of the committee, who were concerned that caretakers would be targeted by TNR opponents or overwhelmed by people dumping cats on their properties, but he said it was important to the BOH to see it implemented to protect the well-being of neighbors. Also, Pitman pointed out that TNR advocates have previously stated that most neighbors react favorably to the program once informed of its benefits, so alerting people to a colony’s location should not be an issue.

Likewise, Pitman stressed to the trustees that colony records for a potential pilot TNR program should be kept by the South Orange Department of Health and available to the public. Pitman said that People for Animals, the animal rights group that has expressed a willingness to act as South Orange’s sponsor if TNR is implemented, also disagreed with this measure, wanting to instead hold the records privately. But the BOH said residents should have the right to see this information for themselves — that way those interested in moving to the village can be sure there are no colonies near the home they want to buy if they are opposed to TNR.

The Board of Health and People for Animals opinions also diverged when discussing the size of cat colonies. Guillaume had previously advised the BOH that there should be no size limit; otherwise, she said people would not comply with the program since they would have to choose which cats are going to be saved and which cats could possibly be euthanized at a shelter. But Pitman said the board did not want to allow unlimited colony sizes for fear that the number of cats on a particular property could get out of hand.

People for Animals previously estimated that South Orange has roughly 1,000 feral cats. The village has stated that it handles three to five complaints per month, though Furry Hearts Rescue, of Maplewood has said that it has taken in more than 100 cats from South Orange in 2015.

As a result, in his recommendation to the trustees, Pitman said that those applying to become caretakers should specify a maximum number of cats they can take in, an number to which they will be held. Pitman added that if a caretaker exceeds that number, the additional cats should be relocated to another colony that is within its limit. That way, he said shelters will be largely avoided.

As for complaints, Pitman urged the trustees to give People for Animals or any other sponsor they choose a maximum of 30 days to resolve all issues. If a complaint is not handled within that time period, it should be taken on by the animal control officer, he told the News-Record.

Guillaume previously suggested a 45-day limit, though People for Animals actually recommends a 60-day window. But the chairman told the trustees that waiting that length of time could have a detrimental impact on residents’ health and quality of life.

Overall, Pitman advised that any pilot TNR program initiated should be measured by an Oregon study that found that a 50-percent sterilization rate was consistent with colony stabilization while an 80-percent rate was consistent with colony maintenance. If the program could produce similar statistics, he told the News-Record, it would be beneficial for South Orange.

“That’s the goal,” Pitman said. “That would really be an effective tool in reducing the cat population.”

Village President Sheena Collum, who had pushed the Board of Health to reconsider TNR after its initial advice not to pursue TNR, told the News-Record that she was grateful to the board for revisiting the issue. Right now, however, she said there are no definite plans to proceed with a pilot program since the BOH’s recommendations are currently being evaluated by the trustees’ professional staff, who will brief the trustees on their findings “in the near future.” After that, she said the trustees will review the recommendations and discuss the matter among themselves.

Until then, Collum said it would be premature to consider how exactly a pilot program would be implemented or when one would be put in place. She said any program would have to address residents’ safety, costs, the impact on neighborhoods and the program’s ability to reduce the cat population in the most humane way.

Although no pilot has been confirmed, Collum said that it appears TNR could help South Orange, as the program has had results in other towns.

“South Orange is one of many communities right now that are evaluating a TNVR program, and data suggests that the program can be effective in controlling and reducing the feral cat population,” Collum said in a Dec. 21 email. “We’re doing our best to take the time to understand the issues, how we can achieve our goals and how we can learn from other towns on what the best practices are and how to overcome challenges.”

Complicating matters, there is no guarantee that the Board of Health will even exist by the time a pilot TNR program were to be implemented. During his address to the trustees, Pitman mentioned that Collum had informed him the Board of Health will be disbanded effective Jan. 1. This is the reason the board presented its proposed TNR pilot as recommended measures rather than passing an ordinance.

Speaking to the News-Record, Pitman said he had not heard anything further as to whether the board will definitely be eliminated upon the new year. In fact, he said the board members even set meeting dates and elected Kameros as the new chairman for 2016 during their Dec. 17 meeting, just in case the board is actually not dissolved.

Collum said the Board of Trustees is currently considering disbanding the Board of Health in 2016 so that the trustees can assume its responsibilities. She said the reason for this is that it does not make much sense to have two separate boards and an administrative staff to oversee a health officer and an animal control officer, especially when negotiating shared services agreements with other towns. It will be more practical for the trustees to handle the board’s duties, as the Township Committee does in Maplewood, she said.

Yet for Pitman, who intends to exit the board at the start of the new year, regardless of what happens, disbanding the Board of Health is a bit disheartening. He recalled that the board has always gathered intelligent residents with all types of medical backgrounds to use their expertise to benefit the community.

Though he knows that he and some other board members would be willing to offer guidance to the trustees if needed, he feels not having a permanent board will leave a void in the village.

“I think that the South Orange Board of Health has done a great job at making sure the Department of Health has been responsive to the health needs of our town,” Pitman said. “But this is a trustee decision and it’s out of our hands.”

MAPLEWOOD/SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — First Night Maplewood South Orange received a check from sponsor BCB Bank in South Orange on Thursday, Dec. 17. From left are Sandi Goodman, Kathy Greenstone, Amy Goldberg, Henry Greenstone, South Orange Trustee Jeff Dubowy, Erminia Dejesus, Michael Goldberg, Claudine Baptiste and John Amato of BCB Bank, Zoe Greenstone and Scott Greenstone. The annual New Year’s Eve celebration at Columbia High School on Parker Avenue in Maplewood will be Thursday, Dec. 31, from 4 to 10 p.m.

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — South Orange is once again leading the charge for a healthier year ahead with sponsorship of SOFit16, the second South Orange Health and Fitness Challenge.

SOFit16 invites community residents to participate in a four-month event that promotes and supports healthy living.  There are no sporting competitions involved.  Participants will devise their own fitness and wellness program with the support of motivational classes, programs and activities to be offered throughout the duration of the event. Weigh-ins will take place on the second Thursday of the month, beginning Jan. 14. The final weigh-in will be May 12. Weigh-ins are optional but required for participation in weight-loss awards with winners determined based on the percentage of body weight loss.

Participants must be 18 years old. Registration can be done in person at the South Orange Department of Recreation & Cultural Affairs at the Baird, 5 Mead St., or online at https://apm.activecommunities.com/southorange. The registration deadline is Jan. 5. Enrollment is limited to 150 individuals and registration is charged.

If you need help with your New Year’s resolution, register today and join your friends and neighbors in a shared effort to get healthier and SO FIT in 2016!

MAPLEWOOD/SOUTH ORANGE, NJ  — South Orange and Maplewood residents celebrate the New Year with various performers and vendors on Dec. 31 at the Woodland in Maplewood. The annual First Night funfest had returned for another successful year of uniting the community as the clock reaches midnight and a new year starts.

— Photos Courtesy of Michael Goldberg

Photo Courtesy of Alana Ferrugiaro
Columbia High School alumna Alana Ferrugiaro, center, celebrates her first official game as a Scarlet Knight with sister Sarah Ferrugiaro, left, and friend Sierra Bastien.

MAPLEWOOD/SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — The combination of persistence and passion for the game of basketball has led 2012 Columbia High School graduate Alana Ferrugiaro of Maplewood to a walk-on role with the Rutgers University women’s basketball team, where she plays for Hall of Fame coach Vivian Stringer.

But Ferrugiaro’s recent success story started long before she was officially added to the roster of the Scarlet Knights for this season.

Former CHS women’s basketball coach Johanna Wright recalled the pride and joy that she felt when her former student contacted her with the good news that she had made the team, but Wright was not surprised that Ferrugiaro’s goal had finally come to fruition.

“Perseverance is encompassed by a need, not a want, but a need to achieve something despite the obstacles that get in your way,” Wright, a member of the South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education, said in a recent email to the News-Record about Ferrugiaro. “The South Orange Maplewood School District is comprised of incredibly gifted and talented student-athletes like Alana Ferrugiaro.”

Wright praised Ferrugiaro’s positive attitude and infallible team work ethic — not only on the court, but also in the classroom.

“Alana worked with the younger players on their skill development, understanding plays and academics as the lead tutor for the girls’ basketball team,” Wright said. “She also worked the summer basketball camps with our little ones while honing her skills and becoming a student of the game.

“I have coached many All-American, All-State and All-County basketball players, and I believe that all would say that Alana is the best at what she does in more ways than one,” she continued. “Everyone has a role to play on a team, and Alana knew and understood hers well. She knew exactly what was expected of her and she delivered time and time again while being patient with developing her game.”

In a recent phone interview with the News-Record, Ferrugiaro, who is in the fourth year of a five-year program, said that the fundamentals of the game and the importance of persevering under pressure are what helped her achieve a place on the women’s basketball team at Rutgers.

“When I came to Rutgers University and knew I wanted to play, I tried out for a walk-on spot, but was told that I had to be a team manager first,” she said. “But there was also a rule about team managers practicing with the team, so I started shooting and working out in my free time.”

Ferrugiaro said that the team gave her a tryout at the end of her freshman year, but was later told that the team had to see about new recruits coming in, so she continued on as a team manager.

In the beginning of November 2015 the team once again held tryouts for interested players, and Ferrugiaro once again showed the team her basketball skills.

On Dec. 5, 2015, she was officially added to the team roster and started Rutgers practices. She suited up for the first time against Iona College on Dec. 9, 2015, and first had some playing time against Savannah State University on Dec. 12, 2015.

Ferrugiaro, a shooting guard, credits the dedicated coaching staff at Columbia High School for giving her the tools she needed to succeed beyond the high school arena.

“Coach Wright and my other coaches really taught me the fundamentals of the game, like different defensive positions, and knowing what to do on offense and where to be at the right time,” she said. “A lot of the drills that I learned from CHS coaches are the ones that I kept working on to refine my skills to make it to the Rutgers team.”

Ferrugiaro also said that she was overwhelmed by the love she received from her hometown after people learned she had made the team.

“Coach Wright and a lot of teammates knew how much I loved basketball and how much I wanted to play at Rutgers, and a lot of people from back home emailed or contacted me to say how happy they were for me,” she said.

So what piece of advice would Ferrugiaro, a dual psychology and elementary education major, give to a younger player who wanted to try out for a walk-on role with a team?

“Never give up and focus on fundamentals,” she said. “You need to be mentally tough.”

Photo Courtesy of Emma Joy
Quinn Joy, front left, and Emma Joy, front right, celebrate with South Orange Village President Sheena Collum, center, a successful year for the Joy sisters’ new nonprofit, Girls Helping Girls. Period. In the back row are some of the sisters’ friends who are supporting the endeavor.

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — Two South Orange sisters are on a mission and eager to start the conversation about feminine hygiene as a public health issue through their nonprofit organization, Girls Helping Girls. Period.

Run by Emma and Quinn Joy, the organization’s mission is to educate the community about the need for feminine hygiene products and collect and distribute the products to women in need.

Emma, 15, and Quinn, 12, told the News-Record that the idea for GHGP was inspired by a conversation they had while collecting cans for a food drive event they had organized last year. Both girls were shocked to learn that the federal Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, commonly referred to as SNAP or food stamps, does not cover basic hygiene products like toilet tissue, toothpaste and feminine sanitary products.

The idea that such a critical piece of a woman’s health care is considered a luxury, especially one that many cannot afford, was unconscionable to the sisters, so they set out to change it.

The sisters, whose family has always heavily emphasized the importance of volunteerism, held a neighborhood party and invited friends to bring tampons or pads as a donation for them to distribute locally.

What was originally planned as a limited-engagement collection soon spread as word got out about what the girls were trying to do and, after a few weeks and dozens of donations, the idea for Girls Helping Girls. Period. was born.

“It took off from there with that first neighborhood party, and we never looked back,” Emma said in a recent phone interview with the News-Record. “Our goal is that each woman we serve will have enough supplies to last her for a year. If a family or a woman doesn’t have to think about this for a full year, that’s a big deal.”

Though they are still sorting through donations received through the end of 2015, so far the sisters have helped 150 women receive supplies for a full year.

“We’re not completely done distributing yet; with the money we raised we just put in an order at ShopRite for 1,200 boxes to be delivered to us next week, and that will help 80 more women,” Emma said.

The girls’ strategy is simple: They and their supporters host parties with themes that range from mother-daughter teas to red carpet events, and ask each guest to bring a feminine hygiene product donation that the sisters then distribute to one of the organizations with which they work.

“A lot of our friends help by hosting parties — lots of cute little fun parties — or a brunch,” Emma said. “They’re fun to host, they’re fun to attend and at all of them our friends collected products and gave them to us.”

The donations have been distributed to Interfaith Food Pantry of the Oranges, Interfaith Hospitality Network and South Orange Middle School, where Quinn is a seventh-grader.

“We gave the products to the school nurse for students who come every day to get them,” Quinn told the News-Record. “It should be something that is easy or free to get, but a lot of states have a high tax on it. Our main goal is to educate the public at hand.”

And educate the public is exactly what they do. On their extensive website, www.girlshelpinggirlsperiod.org, the girls provide an array of facts about how the burden of affording these products affects women not only in the United States, but around the world.

“We just finished the website and part of the website is to become an ambassador. With that comes fact sheets, party ideas and little tools to help create your own event,” Emma said. “We want to make this a national and hopefully a global thing and not just our friends in New Jersey. Our goal is to first distribute it in South Orange and Maplewood, and now we want to spread it out; we’re letting friends in California and (Washington), D.C., know about what we’re doing.”

Both girls agree that a significant component of their efforts is educating both women and men about how trying it can be for women to afford sanitary products.

“Every time we tell someone about it, it’s a shock to them,” the girls said. “Educating the public is a huge part of this.”

South Orange is taking note. Village President Sheena Collum attended the year-end party held at the girl’s home and plans to present them with a proclamation during a ceremony on Jan. 11.

School board member Johanna Wright, who has been following the girls’ community work, sings their praises and spoke about the work they are doing at a recent school board meeting.

“We have our leaders in students like Emma and Quinn who have set the tone. I am thrilled beyond belief with the task that they have taken on,” Wright said in a recent email to the News-Record. “We should all get involved with GHGP, because there is nothing more rewarding than helping someone without the resources to help themselves.”

In 2015, the sisters set a fundraising goal of $3,000 on their GoFundMe account, which they use to purchase the large orders of supplies from grocery stores. They raised $3,025 and have raised the bar even higher for the new year with a goal of $5,000 for 2016.

So far $1,295 has been raised this year, according to the sisters. The are eager to partner with friends and community members to host additional events for their cause.

Their next event will be the second Pound for a Cause pound fit class, to be held at Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel, 432 Scotland Road in South Orange, on Tuesday, Jan. 12, at 7 p.m., and hosted by Maplewood resident and avid GHGP supporter Susan Berkley.

In a recent phone interview with Berkley, she discussed her excitement about supporting the work of the two young women.

“I know their mother very well and I loved the idea of children doing something, and it’s something to be supported,” Berkley said. “Our kids should always be supported when they are doing something for someone other than themselves. And as a woman, I definitely wanted to support.”

Berkley organized the class after meeting fellow South Orange resident Dionne Smith, who was teaching a pound fit class as part of the South Orange Fit campaign. Smith agreed to teach a free class for the organization’s benefit and, due to the success last year, will return to teach again this year.

So what’s next for the Joy sisters? Reaching out to more people on their recently completed website; spreading the message on their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages; and working to include more district schools in their campaign. Oh, and a feature in Woman’s Day magazine that will run in the April 2016 issue.

Photo Courtesy of Ellen Weisbord
Columbia High School student Spencer Pearce celebrates at 1978 Maplewood Arts Center, which is showing student work from six high schools, including Pearce’s work in the background above.

MAPLEWOOD/SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — The artistic endeavors of students from Columbia High School and five additional local high schools, are currently featured in an innovative display in 1978 Maplewood Arts Center’s eighth annual Advanced Placement studio art exhibit, “Fresh 8.0,” which runs through Jan. 10.

In addition to the CHS students, the exhibit also features the work of AP art students from Newark Arts High, Montclair High School, West Essex Regional High School, Elizabeth High School Upper Academy and Governor Livingston High School.

Exhibit curator Onnie Strother, a former CHS art teacher and department chair, boasts more than two decades of service to the SOMA school district.

According to Strother, the exhibit originally began as a freshman art showcase during his time as an art department chairman at Newark Arts High, and gave his youngest students a chance to put their pieces on display. After he retired from teaching in 2008, Strother was asked to join the Education Committee for the 1978 Maplewood Arts Center, and he decided to bring the Fresh Exhibit along for the ride.

The exhibit at 1978 started out showing only the work of Columbia High School students, but has expanded over the years to feature the talents of budding artists from other area schools.

“We look for strong AP programs and we try to add a new school each year to help the show grow,” Strother said in an interview with the News-Record at the gallery on Sunday. “It gives the students a chance to see what students in other schools are doing, and it also gives the teachers a chance to connect with other educators and see what’s being done in other art programs locally.”

Strother said that this exhibit is also important because it’s a mid-year show and gives students the opportunity to see the quality of work being done by other AP students with comparable skills as they begin to put together the extensive portfolio required by the course in May.

The artwork presented at 1978 ranges from mixed media pieces of cardboard and textile materials to detailed figure drawings and carefully configured digital pieces. Though there is no theme for the Fresh exhibit, one characteristic all the pieces in the show have in common is the workmanship and care used to make them.

“The exhibit gives the students a chance to have a professional showing and parents can see what AP work entails,” Strother said. “This is an arts town with more than a few well-known artists who have either come from or settled here, so it’s a wonderful place for students to immerse themselves in the arts community.”

Ellen Weisbord, the CHS AP and Art 4 teacher, and Mara Rubin, the school district’s art education supervisor, share these sentiments, and encourage the AP and Art 4 students to show their work whenever the opportunity arises.
Weisbord makes it mandatory for her pupils to include pieces in the 1978 show. Each student must choose at least one piece and, depending on the size of the works chosen and the space allotted, each student can show up to three pieces.

“I think it’s important because they do work in the studio, and it’s very self-contained,” Weisbord said. “Exhibiting your work is important because it’s good to reflect what you want to put out there to represent yourself, and it really makes you think about what you would select to represent you and how you want that work to reflect who you are both as a person and as an artist.

“For the students who attend the opening, it really is helpful and exciting to be in a room where people they don’t know are looking at their work really carefully and seeing their work in relationship with it being thoughtfully hung, when it’s in a space other than where they created it and carefully composed, and seeing how their work relates to other students who are comparable,” Weisbord continued.

Weisbord says that the exhibit is also an opportunity for students to gain some real-world experience in the field of being a professional artist.

“They have to think of a title and a price for each piece, and sign contracts to be entered into the show,” she said. “We teach them to choose work that is well thought-out and well-crafted. There will be times when they will go through a juried process where the work is rejected, and we all have to get used to that as well as the instances where pieces are submitted and accepted for a show.”

Rubin also supports the students submitting their work to shows whenever possible.

“We are always encouraging students to exhibit their work because there is a different feeling when you create your work versus putting it out there for others to see,” Rubin said in a recent phone interview with the News-Record. “Both Ellen and I, as professional artists, understand the feeling of seeing people’s reactions and that’s an important experience for the students to have.

“Whenever there is an opportunity, show as much as possible,” she continued. “Get as comfortable as possible with presenting your work to others so it isn’t a daunting process.”

Gallery hours for the 1978 Maplewood Arts Center, located at 1978 Springfield Ave., are Saturdays and Sundays, from 2 to 5 p.m. and by appointment. For more information, visit www.1978artscenter.org.