Photo Courtesy of Sheena Collum
File of Life packets were handed out at the South Orange Senior Citizens Advisory Committee meeting. From left are committee members Sandy Lublin, Natalie Hamilton and Trustee Sheena Collum.

By Shanee Frazier, Staff Writer
SOUTH ORANGE, NJ  — A longstanding emergency assistance program in South Orange will now go further to provide safety to village residents. The File of Life program, which has been sponsored by the South Orange Department of Health for many years, has some new additions to make the program even more beneficial.

The File of Life packet contains a sticker, to be placed on the front door, and a medical and personal information card that provides critical information to first responders in an emergency situation. The card contains such information as medical history, medications, physicians and emergency contact numbers.

Though the program is geared toward senior citizens, the village will also offer the File of Life to all residents who would benefit from first responders having immediate access to medical needs.

The card is stored in a clearly marked magnetized red vinyl case, which is then placed on the refrigerator door. There is also a red vinyl case to keep inside a vehicle.

Sheena Collum, chairwoman of the village’s Public Safety Committee, encourages everyone to take advantage of this program.

“In an emergency situation, there’s no time to waste and by making personal information readily available to first responders, it can mean the difference between life or death,” Collum told the News-Record.

In an interview with the News-Record, South Orange Health Officer John Festa said that the vendors of the program materials recently updated the forms and also provided magnetic strips and stickers.

“This program has been in South Orange for about 20 years,” Festa said. “But the form has been updated to include things that weren’t thought of when it first came out, such as a section that lets an emergency responder know if it is OK to resuscitate a person.”

Festa added that a new aspect of this emergency assistance initiative is the component that allows residents to have a sticker not only in their home, but also in their vehicle as part of another national program.

“Board of Trustee Howard Levison brought attention to the fact that there is a national Yellow Dot Program that puts in the car the same information found in the File of Life Program for the home,” Festa said.

The program is useful for anyone who has a medical condition where obtaining specific information quickly is critical to providing emergency care.

“A person might be diabetic or allergic to penicillin and not wearing an identifying bracelet to let a responder know that,” Festa said. “If filled out correctly, the packet is worth its weight in gold.”

Festa said that all of the emergency responders in South Orange have been trained to recognize and use the File of Life program information when it is available.

“The police department, the fire departments, the rescue squad, they all use this on a daily basis,” Festa said. “They just run to the fridge and if everything is filled out, the guesswork is over.”

There is no fee for the File of Life packet. To obtain a packet, call the South Orange Department of Health at 973-378-7715, ext. 7710, or come to the office at 76 South Orange Ave., Suite 302.

Kaylin Williams

NEWARK, NJ — Kaylin Williams, 12, a dance student at the Maria Priadka School of Dance, recently received an acceptance into the Summer Intensive Program at the prestigious Debbie Allen Dance Academy in Los Angeles.

Williams, a resident of Newark and seventh-grade student at North Star Academy Charter School of Newark, has been with the Maria Priadka School of Dance since she was 4 years old.

She currently trains in a variety of styles and is part of both the competition team and the Maria Priadka School of Dance Genies Performance Company.

Along with several other students from the South Orange dance school, she attended the open call audition in New York City as part of the pre-professional training program, with the direction of Deborah Rembert.

Rigorous classes run six days a week during the four-week intensive, with training in a variety of dance genres, including ballet, modern, tap, jazz, hip-hop, musical theater, pointe and pas de deux.

Only 20 of more than 200 dancers attending the open audition were awarded placement in the demanding program. Four other students at the Maria Priadka School of Dance were also accepted and Williams was awarded a partial scholarship.
The Maria Priadka School of Dance is located at 50 South Orange Avenue, second floor, South Orange.

The Maria Priadka School of Dance offers dance instruction for ages 2 through adult in classes ranging from beginner to pre-professional levels.

For additional information, visit www.mariapriadkaschoolofdance.com or call 973-762-7709.

Photo by Sean Quinn
Seton Hall University students join hands April 22 at the start of ECO-Fest, a celebration of the planet and an encouragement to conserve nature’s resources.

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — Seton Hall University’s Ecology Club and Student Government Association celebrated Earth Day on Wednesday, April 22, by hosting ECO-Fest on the Campus Green to raise awareness about environmental issues in an entertaining way.

Throughout the day, ECO-Fest gave students the chance to participate in fun activities, such as environmental trivia contests with merchandise donated by Coca-Cola for prizes, and lessons on how to make body scrubs from natural ingredients or make pine cone bird feeders. Additionally, green-minded passersby could add a plastic water bottle to the SHUcycle tree to illustrate the prevalence of disposable bottles and the necessity of recycling. And, food trucks were present on campus to get students to the Green and make them aware of the Earth Day festivities.

Though this was actually the second ECO-Fest, Carolina Gomez-Bello, the Ecology Club co-president, said this year’s event was much grander in scale than the first to better show people the importance of protecting the environment. After all, Gomez-Bello pointed out, those who do not care for the Earth are only hurting themselves.

“It is a cause that affects everyone,” Gomez-Bello told the News-Record during the event. “It is really important to take care of the Earth because there is only one planet. And there is just so much evidence that things are not going well, that if we do not act now we are going to have to face dire consequences.”

For that reason, Gomez-Bello said that she and her co-president, Andriana Fragola, have made a concerted effort since taking over the Ecology Club to expand its programming and make it more visible on campus. In addition to screening several environmental documentaries and holding fundraisers for endangered species, she said the organization started the SHUcycle campaign in which students were encouraged to post photos of themselves recycling on Instagram and Twitter to receive a free reusable water bottle at ECO-Fest. Plus, the group took part in the People’s Climate March in New York City this past September just before President Barack Obama addressed climate change to the United Nations.

And their efforts are making a difference, especially when it comes to recycling, according to Fragola. Before starting the SHUcycle initiative, she said that a longstanding myth existed on campus that Seton Hall actually did not recycle, leading most students to throw everything into the garbage. But after starting the campaign, which included posting facts about recycling around the university, she said more people are taking an interest. Though the club does not yet know the tonnage recycled since SHUcycle began, Fragola said she sees more students recycling now than ever before.

That is good news for environmentalists, who advocate that recycling is a simple, albeit underutilized, way to save the planet’s resources. According to Environmental Protection Agency statistics, the average person generates more than 4 pounds of trash daily, and Americans make more than 200 million tons yearly. GreenWaste statistics say more than 75 percent of waste is recyclable, yet only 30 percent is actually reused.

More people recycling means more of the Earth’s resources are restored. According to SustainAbility, if Americans recycled one-tenth of their newspapers, 25 million trees could be saved annually; and recycling 100 cans could also light a room for two weeks.
But recycling is not the only way to help the environment, which is a message the Ecology Club is now stressing to students.
“Even if (students) are not in the club, they can understand that there are opportunities to be green on campus that are easy for them to do, and they are cheap, too,” Fragola told the News-Record at the event. “They are something that you can really incorporate into your lifestyle. And building that lifestyle now is really important for students as they continue getting older and become adults.”

Some simple measures to preserve natural resources that Fragola listed include: turning off the faucet when shaving or brushing teeth, reading e-books instead of hard copies and avoiding plastic products whenever possible.

It is not only the Ecology Club that has spurred on the recent green movement around campus, however. The Student Government Association’s recycling committee — which includes SGA senators, Ecology Club members and SHU staff — has been integral in raising environmental awareness on campus, sponsoring ECO-Fest and SHUcycle with the club. SGA Senator Alex Krause, who is an Ecology Club member, made greening the university his platform during his election and said the ultimate goal is to see the entire student body take a leadership role in protecting the Earth.

“There is nothing without the Earth,” Krause told the News-Record while setting up for ECO-Fest. “Let’s all work together in coalition to preserve something that every person in this world needs and every person in this world is affected by. And young people especially — you see young people in social movements more often than you see older people with families. So young people are really going to have to spearhead this movement like they have spearheaded most movements in the past.”

Elisa Kupelian exemplifies the effect the Ecology Club and SGA’s push toward environmentalism has had around campus. Kupelian, a public relations student who was assigned to work with the club as an independent study, told the News-Record that she has appreciated working with the organization because it has taught her so much about protecting the world around her. She said she now has a deeper respect for conservation that she might not have had otherwise.

“I cared about the Earth and I recycled, but I never really thought about it,” Kupelian said in an April 21 phone interview. “I never really thought about how we can benefit from the Earth and it can benefit from us if we treat it right. So I think it has been an eye-opening semester.”

Kupelian is not the only student whose eyes have been opened. Wanda Knapik, an environmental studies professor, said she has seen a recent increased interest in the environmental studies program and the resources that the university offers as part of it. For instance, Knapik said many students are just realizing now that Seton Hall has a greenhouse and campus garden. While the greenhouse is designated for students enrolled in certain environmental studies classes — which teach them how to plant and cultivate things including tomatoes, basil, flowers, cucumbers, herbs and lettuce — the garden is open to anyone to plant and eat from. It even offers a sitting area so students can study or congregate in a peaceful environment.

Seeing a groundswell of support for the green movement on campus means a lot to Knapik. The professor, who is also an adviser to the Ecology Club, said the planet needs people’s help now more than ever before. And as an educator, she said she is especially proud to see her students are the ones leading the charge for a more environmentally healthy future.

“It is so rewarding because you feel like they are making a difference,” Knapik told the News-Record en route to the campus garden. “That is what you want to do — you want to inspire them to make a difference. You want to inspire them to take small steps that make big changes.”

SHU students have demonstrated themselves capable of doing so through ECO-Fest, but Gomez-Bello pointed out that making the world greener is not just a campus issue. She urged South Orange and Maplewood residents to think about preserving the environment in their own lives; otherwise, the planet and everyone in it will suffer as a result.

“People should do everything they can at home and in their own community to help the environment,” Gomez-Bello said. “Earth Day is not just one day of the year.

It is something that you have to live every single day.”

SOUTH ORANGE / MAPLEWOOD, NJ — Earlier this month, the New Jersey State Police released the official 2013 Uniform Crime Report for the State of New Jersey. This annual report is based on crime statistics submitted to the state Uniform Crime Reporting System by every New Jersey law enforcement agency. The report, which is released later and later each year, is compiled and then approved by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

As of 2013, Essex County is leading the state in murders and in overall crime, although these numbers are not reflected in the Maplewood and South Orange numbers, which have seen decreases in overall crime from 2012 to 2013. Most of the number-inflating crimes in Essex County are occurring in Irvington and Newark, with many crimes also occurring in Bloomfield, East Orange and Orange.

As required by law, all law enforcement agencies in New Jersey submit monthly and annual summary crime reports to the state. The 2013 report compiles data from 542 agencies, including municipal and county police; university and college campus police; prosecutor’s offices; sheriff’s departments; and county park police. Agencies report the number of known offenses of murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny and theft, and motor vehicle theft — which are known as the “index offenses.” Other crimes, such as manslaughter, arson, fraud, simple assault and others, are also reported, though considered “non-index offenses.” Complaints determined to be unfounded are eliminated from the report’s numbers.

The results of the crime report index, an audit of crime throughout the state, are used in administrative, planning and operational decisions in each jurisdiction. Additionally, the State Police Uniform Crime Reporting Unit provides advice to jurisdictions, based on the data.

According to the 2013 Uniform Crime Report, Maplewood Township saw a reduction in the overall crime index total, with 567 crimes in 2012 and only 529 crimes in 2013 — a reduction of 38 crimes. Maplewood experienced three fewer violent crimes, with 42 in 2013, and 35 fewer nonviolent crimes, with 487 in 2013.

In 2013, Maplewood saw zero murders or rapes, 38 robberies, four aggravated assaults, 91 burglaries, 340 larcenies and thefts, 56 motor vehicle thefts, and two cases of arson.

Compared with the county’s numbers, Maplewood experienced 0.9 percent of the county’s overall robberies, 0.2 percent of the aggravated assaults, 2.1 percent of burglaries, 3.1 percent of larcenies and thefts, and 1.2 percent of motor vehicle thefts.

South Orange Village also saw a reduction in the overall crime index total, with 405 crimes in 2012 and only 364 crimes in 2013 — a reduction of 41 crimes. South Orange also experienced three fewer violent crimes, with 37 in 2013, and 38 fewer nonviolent crimes, with 327 in 2013.

In 2013, South Orange saw zero murders, one rape, 31 robberies, five aggravated assaults, 56 burglaries, 234 larcenies and thefts, 37 motor vehicle thefts, and zero cases of arson.

Compared with the county numbers, South Orange experienced 0.9 percent of the county’s overall rapes, 0.8 percent of robberies, 0.3 percent of aggravated assaults, 1.3 percent of burglaries, 2.2 percent of larcenies and thefts, and 0.8 percent of motor vehicle thefts.

Between 2012 and 2013, Maplewood maintained its number of total police employees with 71, and South Orange decreased its number of total police employees by three with 55 in 2012 and 52 in 2013.

Following Maplewood and South Orange’s trend, in 2013, Essex County saw a 5-percent reduction in overall crime from 2012; however, murder increased by 21 percent and robbery increased by 30 percent. Nevertheless, rape decreased by 22 percent, aggravated assault decreased by 12 percent, burglary by 11 percent, larceny and theft by 2 percent, and motor vehicle theft by 22 percent.

According to the report, in 2013 Essex County led the state in murders, with a high of 147. Essex County was the only county to break 100 murders. The second highest murder rate was in Camden County, with 69 murders — 78 fewer murders. Cape May County had the lowest murder rate, with no murders in 2013.

Compared to statewide crime, Essex County experienced 31.9 percent of all the state’s robberies, 12.1 percent of all the state’s burglaries, and 9.2 percent of all the state’s larcenies. There are 21 counties in the state.

The county saw a 13-percent increase in violent crime from 2012 to 2013, but a 9-percent decrease in non-violent crime.

When comparing 2012 and 2013 data, Essex County saw an overall 3-percent reduction in drug arrests, with an 18-percent reduction in drug-sale and drug-manufacturing arrests, but a 3-percent increase in drug-possession and drug-use arrests.

Essex County police agencies made 4,000 arrests for index offenses, arresting 52 suspects for murder; 23 for rape; 860 for robbery; 964 for aggravated assault; 597 for burglary; 1,440 for larceny and theft; and 64 for motor vehicle thefts.

On top of that, Essex County police agencies arrested 31,878 suspects for non-index offenses, making a grand total of 35,878 arrests. Essex County police agencies arrested more suspects than police agencies in any other county in 2013, with the second highest number of arrests in Camden County, with 26,587 arrests — 9,291 fewer arrests.

Essex County’s municipalities employ more municipal police officers than any other county in New Jersey. With 2,427 police officers in 2013, Essex County’s officers account for 12.5 percent of the state’s municipal police officers. For every 1,000 Essex County inhabitants, there are 3.1 police officers; this rate, the same in both Essex and Cape May counties, is the highest in the state, however Cape May has only 302 officers.

Similarly, Essex County’s municipalities employ more municipal police employees — civilians who are not officers — than any other county in New Jersey. With 3,036 police employees in 2013, Essex County’s police employees account for 13 percent of the state’s municipal police employees. For every 1,000 Essex County inhabitants, there are 3.9 police employees; again, this rate, the same in both Essex and Cape May counties, is the highest in the state. Still, Cape May only has 380 police employees
Also, approximately 7.9 percent of Essex County police officers were assaulted in 2013, with 2,427 officers assaulted. Although Essex County is leading the state in number of officers assaulted, it is not leading the state in assaults on police: Hudson County leads with 304 assaults. Statewide, approximately 9.5 percent of police officers were assaulted in 2013.

As counties like Essex see decreases in overall crime, so does the state. Overall, New Jersey saw a 4-percent increase in murders when comparing data from 2012 to data from 2013; a 16-percent decrease in rape; a 6-percent increase in robbery; a 7-percent decrease in aggravated assault; a 16-percent decrease in burglary; a 4-percent decrease in larceny and theft; and a 17-percent decrease of motor vehicle theft. With all crime reduced by 7 percent, the state saw a 1-percent reduction in violent crime and an 8-percent reduction in nonviolent crime.

One section of the report provides an analysis of the 24-hour crime cycle in New Jersey and holds that in every 24-hour period, there is one murder, two rapes, two arsons, 33 robberies, 33 aggravated assaults, 38 vehicle thefts, 98 burglaries and 323 larcenies. Similarly, a violent crime is committed approximately every 21 minutes and 30 seconds, and a nonviolent crime is committed approximately every three minutes and eight seconds.

According to the report, there were 25,452 violent crimes reported in 2013, with the highest number of offenses being reported in June and the lowest number being reported in February. There were 167,462 nonviolent crimes reported in 2013, with the highest number of offenses being reported in August and the lowest number being reported again in February. Police often see crime spikes during the warmer months, when more people — both perpetrators and victims — are out on the streets.

Only 21.1 percent of crimes in New Jersey in 2013 were cleared by police — 48.9 percent of murders, 35.2 percent of rapes, 22.9 percent of robberies, 52.4 percent of aggravated assaults, 13.8 percent of burglaries, 21.5 percent of larcenies and thefts, and 5.7 percent of motor vehicle thefts.

Photos Courtesy of Olivia Lewis Chang
Above left, Seton Hall University students volunteer at ‘Clean Up Green Up’ on April 26.

By Shanee Frazier, Staff Writer
SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — Spring cleaning and community building were both on the agenda as the Seton Village Committee hosted its second Clean Up Green Up on Sunday, April 26. The event is an initiative in which volunteers clean up the Seton Village neighborhood, which includes significant portions of Irvington Avenue, as well as adjacent side streets.

Nearly 70 volunteers took part in the event this year, an increase from last year’s number, and the event’s organizers were excited to note this difference.

Clean Up Green Up is one of the many initiatives put forth by the Seton Village Advisory Committee, which was formed by the South Orange Village Board of Trustees to advise on the issues in the area as well as improvements recommended by residents.

Tracey Randinelli and Olivia Lewis Chang, who co-chair the Neighborhood Engagement Committee for the Seton Village Committee, both expressed the sentiment that this latest project is a direct result of what their neighbors have been saying they would like to see.

In an interview with the News-Record, Randinelli spoke about the impressive turnout for this year’s event, and what that means for their committee’s vision.

“We all have a common cause of wanting to make our common space a little more vibrant and trash-free,” Randinelli said. “It’s a great way to get Seton Hall and more local residents involved.”

Randinelli also said there was definitely more of a Seton Hall University presence at the event this year due to their collaboration with the university’s Division of Volunteer Efforts, and they were very happy with the student presence.
In an interview with the News-Record, Lewis Chang also agreed that the turnout for this year’s event encouraging.

“There was much more participation from the neighborhood this year,” Lewis Chang said. “We noticed we have more young families this year, and a lot of kids helping out.”

Lewis Chang also noted that this year’s Clean Up Green Up had a renewed sense of community, as many residents participated as a way to become more involved in their neighborhoods.

“Last year we had a lot of gardeners; this year a lot of people are interested in getting to know their neighbors, regardless of the task,” she said.

Both women also attribute this year’s increase in volunteers to the fact that they pushed the event on social media and did a lot of neighborhood canvassing.

The first part of the effort involved cleaning the streets branching off Irvington Avenue, and the second part was planting flowers. “We want to let people know we are serious about revitalizing this part of town and passionate about making it better,” Lewis Chang said.

In an interview with the News-Record, Seton Village Advisory Committee Chairman Doug Zacker agreed that the overarching goal is to bring renewed interest to this diverse and exciting part of South Orange.

“Our mission is to create a thriving Irvington Avenue that attracts residents, students and businesses,” Zacker said. “We just want to get the people there, and let them discover for themselves the great things that we have to offer.”

Zacker said that there are three main items that his committee will focus on moving forward: lighting the corridor of Irvington Avenue and Ward Place so that students and residents alike will feel safer when walking, hosting more neighborhood events, and bringing more exposure to the Seton Village neighborhood. Other events the committee plans to host are a food-truck festival and a Christmas tree-lighting ceremony.

Seton Village Committee meets the fourth Wednesday of every month at Village Hall, 76 South Orange Ave., third floor, and can also be found on Facebook at “Seton Village South Orange.”

MAPLEWOOD/SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — The April 27 South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education meeting was eventful, to say the least. During the more than five-hour meeting, the board and administration discussed increasing the school day at South Orange and Maplewood middle schools by 20 minutes; having fewer Spanish lessons in the seventh grade; having more intervention and enrichment in the middle schools; discontinuing the International Baccalaureate program implemented three years ago in the middle schools; allowing home-schooled children to participate in Columbia High School sports; and hiring new Superintendent John Ramos with an annual salary of $177,500, with the opportunity to earn merit pay.

And last but not least, the board passed a $123 million budget for the 2015-2016 school year.

Of the $123,594,780 budget for the 2015-2016 school year, $109,134,877 will come from the local tax levy, with the rest coming from state and federal funding, capital reserve, fund balance, tuition at Montrose, debt service and some miscellaneous avenues.

South Orange and Maplewood taxpayers will be shouldering 88.3 percent of the costs, and seeing a tax increase of 2.1 percent from last year. The average South Orange household will pay $204 and the average Maplewood household will pay $177.

The board passed the budget 7-2, with second Vice President Johanna Wright and Donna Smith voting against it. At the March 16 budget meeting, however, the vote was 5-4, with Wright, Smith, first Vice President Madhu Pai and President Wayne Eastman voting against it.

Smith said she was still against the higher tax increase — plain and simple.

During the past few months, there has been much disagreement as to whether the world languages program for elementary school students should be on the chopping block, and there was no exception April 27.

While earlier versions of the budget had eliminated the elementary school world language program, which only teaches Spanish, the budget adopted April 27 maintains world language for fourth- and fifth-grade students, eliminating it for third-graders.

At its March 16 meeting, the board added an additional $110,500 to the budget, bringing the number to $123,594,780, and keeping world language in the elementary schools.

“These funds were used to help support elementary education with directed attention toward Seth Boyden Elementary School,” business Administrator Cheryl Schneider told the News-Record last week via email. “The funds allowed for the restoration of an elementary classroom teacher, returning the elementary classroom teacher count to the budgeted number of teachers for the 2014-2015 school year. Adjustments at the high school and middle school levels allowed for the restoration of two out of three elementary world language teachers, maintaining the world language program in fourth and fifth grade.”

The budget increase addresses requests for additional resources for Seth Boyden, such as increased funding for field trips and cultural arts; the maintenance of elementary staffing levels, which allows for more flexibility in keeping small class sizes; and scheduling considerations for academic intervention and social worker support.

Board member Elizabeth Baker lauded the administration for saving world languages, but encouraged supervisors to reach out for more parent involvement to make the program “more robust and more alive within the lives of our children.”

Pai was against keeping the world languages program, which she said is ineffective. “Why are we maintaining a substandard program?” Pai asked, stating that once-per-week Spanish lessons were not beneficial. “I just do not think it is a good use of our time.”

The district has been forced to look for even more efficiencies and cuts this year as there will be a decrease in debt-service funds; according to Schneider at the March 16 meeting, the district has no wiggle room when it comes to this number due to refunded bonds, the timing of the debt service and debt service aid as it relates to Montrose. The district expects state aid neither to increase nor to decrease for the next school year.

As usual, the majority of the budget’s expenses will go toward employee salaries and health benefits, which comprise approximately 63 percent of expenses. Additionally, approximately 10 percent of the district’s budget will go toward tuition to send children to out-of-district schools when their needs cannot be met within the district. The rest of the expenses in the budget — boiled down to basics — are filled out by energy costs, transportation, textbooks and supplies, maintenance and security.

Wright took her fellow board members to task for what she saw as a failure to actively pursue alternative health care programs. “Our taxes are imploding while we’re making bad decisions,” Wright said, explaining that they had found a possible health care alternative — self-insurance — but seemed to be stagnating now, instead of seizing the savings currently being experienced by Toms River and Long Branch, two school districts that have implemented the alternative health care program.

“We can do a lot better than what we’re doing,” Wright said. “We need to follow through with things we do.”

Stephanie Lawson-Muhammad, who heads the health care task force, shot back that switching health care programs is not a short-term change and, as such, the district should not rush into anything. Schneider added that the district is currently waiting for updated claims numbers from the state, and cannot move ahead without those.

“There is a strategy that the administration is looking at to get more data,” Lawson-Muhammad said, reminding everyone that the SOMSD has a history of having great ideas and lousy implementation. Lawson-Muhammad wants to get this right. “I want to note that it is a big investment, a big shift, and it takes more time.”

Board member Beth Daugherty agreed with Lawson-Muhammad, stating that the switch to a self-insurance program would require $2.5 million upfront, which would necessitate an increase in taxes; a minimum three-year lock-in; and possibly a wellness center with a network of doctors. Daugherty argued that the district must compile demographic data about its employees to see where they live and whether a wellness center would even be beneficial for them.

Baker, an attorney who deals with health care at her day job, said the task force — on which she does not have a seat, as she is a new board member — has behaved “wisely” and that the process needs to be taken slowly, step by step. “I’ve seen them done well and I’ve seen them done poorly,” Baker said, referring to self-insurance programs. “We don’t have the money or plans in place to go with self-insurance for next year.”

Board member Jeffrey Bennett, who has in the past decried the lack of state support for the school district, suggested that the school district encourage the two towns to invest in redevelopment. He argued that apartment buildings and townhouses add few students, but widen the tax base. He cautioned, however, that tax abatements and pilot programs do not help the district; redevelopment projects paying full property taxes are needed. “Not allowing townhouses at Marylawn was a huge financial mistake,” Bennett said.

Despite the various disagreements at the board meeting, each board member seemed to agree on one thing: The budget process is incredibly complex and often disappointing.

“It is one of the most frustrating processes we have to go through, because, in my opinion, we just do not have the money to be the district we want to be,” Lawson-Muhammad said at the April 27 meeting, saying that the board members are continually “disappointed” when they cannot allot more funds than they have.

Lawson-Muhammad stressed that Columbia High School class sizes are incredibly important, somewhat echoing Beth Daugherty’s statements from the March 16 meeting that, while elementary education is important, the board needs to remember that CHS is the district’s “flagship” and should be treated as such.

“We can’t support the elementary schools at the expense of the middle schools or high school,” Baker cautioned, saying she supports the current budget number, but definitely wants to keep looking for efficiencies.

“No matter what, there are going to be doubts, there are going to be disappointments,” board member Maureen Jones said. “We need to make sure the budget is adequately serving all students.”

Pai, who reticently voted to approve the budget, urged the administration and the board to keep looking at ways to save money, reminding everyone that approval on April 27 does not mean the board stops working.

“We keep putting a Band-Aid over a gaping wound,” Pai said, adding that everything saved during this year’s budget talks is something will be paid for in the coming years. Pai said she felt she had to vote for the budget, however, because “the time has come to pass a number.”

Eastman, who had also previously voted against the budget March 16, but in favor April 27, said the board members did what they could to save money. “We kicked a lot of tires,” he said.

Each year, the budget talks become more heated and more disappointing, as costs increase and funding stays relatively level, forcing the school board to raise taxes.

“Enrollment has been steadily increasing over the past seven years, while we have been maintaining a relatively flat level of staffing,” Schneider told the News-Record. “The board’s decision to allow us to use part of the tax levy adjustment available to use this year will help us address some of the staffing needs for the 2015-2016 school year. However, as long as our expenditures continue to increase at a faster rate than our revenues, balancing the budget year after year will become progressively more difficult.”

Emily Hynes

Sheena Collum

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — There is no question that South Orange will soon have its first female village president following the May 12 election, though which one of the two women running will earn the village’s highest governmental position remains to be seen.

The candidates, Trustee Sheena Collum and first-time candidate Emily Hynes, both spoke to the News-Record in sit-down interviews about their love for South Orange and their desire to make it an even better place to live. But their ideas for doing so are quite different.

Perhaps the biggest difference in their views concerns one of the most controversial issues affecting the village of late — the Board of Trustees’ unanimous decision to designate all of South Orange as an area in need of rehabilitation.

Collum, who, outside of her duties as a village trustee serves as executive director of the American Planning Association’s New Jersey Chapter, stressed that becoming a rehabilitation area is actually a “great tool” to incentivize building improvements, contrary to some “misinformation” circulated in an email earlier this year. Specifically, she explained that the designation makes property owners eligible for short-term tax abatements on the value of new repairs, which could compel improve the look of their buildings, improving the village’s appearance as a whole. The abatements would be limited to a maximum of five years, with owners paying on a fixed schedule with pay increments increasing by 20 percent every year, until the entire tax amount is paid.

Additionally, Collum pointed out that the village has greater control through the rehabilitation designation than it had through zoning laws regarding layout, design, architectural style and aesthetics for any potential projects. At the same time, she said any proposed building improvements would still have to go through the same approval process — involving the Planning Board and Board of Trustees — that any construction must face.

And, according to Collum, it is simply not true that rehabilitation will affect residential areas. In fact, the trustee said the village wants to protect its residential zones, focusing solely on helping its business districts.

“There was all upside and really no downside,” Collum said in an April 23 interview, explaining why the board decided to vote in favor of the rehabilitation designation. “I think the community can agree that a program for rehabilitation for older buildings would not only be good for the aesthetic, but it would also be good for attracting retail or commercial tenants who would want to open up a shop in South Orange.”

But Hynes rejects the notion that making all of South Orange a rehabilitation area is a beneficial move, instead saying that it actually will hurt perceptions of the village in the long run. She acknowledged that some parts of town could use help, but said most of South Orange is fine. Designating the entire village as a rehabilitation area will only bring down property values, she argued.

“A rehabilitation district puts a stigma on the whole village,” Hynes said in an April 24 interview. “It is wrong for our village. It is too much. We have the tools already available to grant a variance. Why do we need this too?”

Hynes, who worked as an attorney for AIG before leaving in October to spend more time with her family, said the issue at the heart of the matter is really government overreaching. She said that she believes the board passed the resolution to establish a rehabilitation area just so it could have more power over major development projects such as Third and Valley. And she said she is against that, stating multiple times that government should not be in the business of redevelopment.

If elected, Hynes vowed to withdraw the resolution.

Collum and Hynes also had a lot to say regarding local business development. Both candidates expressed a desire to improve the commercial district, but again had differing views on how to achieve that goal.

For Collum, the key to a better business area is understanding the local market. She referred to a study, conducted last year and authorized by the South Orange Village Center Alliance, which found a $180 million retail gap; in other words, based on the village population’s spending capacity, there is a $180 million difference between what residents want to shop for and what is available. If elected village president, she said she would recruit businesses that offer the goods residents want — such as specialty food restaurants, clothing stores and boutiques — but currently cannot find downtown.

Collum, a self-described “small business junkie,” added that she has already made benefiting the commercial district a priority in her time as a trustee. She explained that she helped bring about a business code review that saw local business leaders work with village officials to adopt a series of ordinances that made running a store in South Orange less burdensome. In doing so, she said business owners and village officials were brought together, which will help both sides moving forward.

“When businesses succeed, we as a community succeed,” Collum said. “So we need to get rid of the adversarial relationship and realize that we are in this together.”

Plus, Collum said she championed a Great Streets Matching Grant Program, which will allow business owners to receive money from the village for making facade and exterior improvements.

Parking availability also plays a role in the success of downtown businesses, and Collum also has a plan to improve this. The trustee said she is interested in pursuing a partnership with NJ Transit that would allow commuters to park in structured parking, leaving the rest of the spaces in the area free for shoppers. She mentioned creating a parking trust fund to which the village and NJ Transit would contribute, allowing the village to then reinvest in municipal, shared and structured parking. Also, Collum said she wants to expand the jitney service and add better signage to direct drivers to lesser used lots.

For Hynes, the most important way to help businesses is to make the process of opening a store easier. She suggested creating a volunteer business-advocate position within the government to guide small business owners throughout the process of setting up shop in South Orange, enticing businesses to come to the village, and bringing jobs and customers with them. She stressed that prospective business owners need to be provided by the village with a clear “map” to creating a successful business in South Orange.

As for new development, Hynes said the village should stop giving tax abatements and Payments in Lieu of Taxes to developers, because it only increases the tax burden on residents. In recent years South Orange has become a thriving community and a transit hub, she said, which should be incentive enough for developers to build. Therefore, she said she intends to put together a plan for the sale of village properties that would ensure they are sold at market rate with the smallest possible tax abatement or PILOT only when absolutely necessary. And as a former attorney with years of experience negotiating with multinational corporations and CEOs, she said that she has the expertise to work out the best deal for the village without selling itself short.

“We cannot be giving away our vibrant downtown area,” Hynes said, pointing out that she and many other residents are angry over the 30-year tax abatement J.P. Morgan received for the Third and Valley project. “Not all of the property in the village is being treated the same. Instead, you are getting special interests that are being treated with special favors. And that does not work for me.”

To deal with South Orange’s parking situation, Hynes recommended conducting a traffic study to learn how best to improve vehicle flow. She also maintained that the village should not be giving out parking variances so readily, saying that when the village does hand out parking variances, the receiver should be required to create a new parking space somewhere in town. Additionally, she said the parking meter rates should be consistent for every South Orange lot to avoid confusion and encourage more people shop locally.

Lastly, public safety is an issue important to both candidates — and to residents.

That is certainly true for Collum, who is currently the chairwoman of the board’s Public Safety Committee. And the trustee said she is proud of what has transpired under her watch — namely, a 40-percent reduction in Part I, or serious, crimes during the past four years with one of the quickest response times in the state, all without having to lay off anyone. A major reason for this is the board’s investment in technology, she said, including a new dispatch and records-management system that helps increase efficiency. A new communications room is also currently being constructed, she said.

Moving forward, Collum said she plans on following through with the village’s plan to replace all public-safety radios and move to a statewide network that will improve interoperability between South Orange and outside agencies on mutual aid calls, while saving the village money on infrastructure.

She added that she also intends to continue her initiative of bettering community relations by holding neighborhood meetings and supporting the neighborhood watch program. The new Special Operations Division, which combines the Traffic Bureau and the Community Relations Bureau — will also allow her to focus on public safety more effectively, she said.

Hynes said her strategy for improving public safety is to let South Orange Police Chief James Chelel do his job because he knows best what to do. At the same time, she said that she would reach out to social services and other organizations to find places for homeless people to live so that they do not panhandle at the train station. And, speaking of the train station, Hynes said she intends to meet with NJ Transit to discuss what it can do to take better care of the station.

Other measures Hynes said she would take to promote public safety is to add better lighting so people feel secure walking around the village at night, and installing additional cameras as a deterrent to crime. Regarding the latter, she said officers would not even necessarily have to monitor the surveillance footage — just the presence of cameras will serve as a preventative measure.

To hear more from Collum and Hynes about what they intend to do for South Orange, attend tonight’s debate at Baird Center, 5 Mead St. in South Orange. The candidates will participate in a debate, sponsored by the League of Women Voters of South Orange and Maplewood, from 7:30 to 8:45 p.m. The forum will also be broadcast on SOMA-tv.

Sheena Collum

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — The votes are in and Trustee Sheena Collum will be South Orange Village’s next president — and its first female president.

On Tuesday, May 12, with 100 percent of the votes tallied in the unofficial results, Collum received 1,427 votes — or 70.23 percent — while her opponent, Emily Hynes, received 603 votes — or 29.68 percent. There were two write-in votes.
All results remain unofficial until verified by Essex County Clerk Christopher Durkin.

“I am overwhelmed and excited and a little bit nervous,” Collum told the News-Record in a phone interview Tuesday night. “I hope to deliver everything the residents want and what they want the town to be.”

Collum said the first thing she wants to tackle when she takes office is better cooperation between the village government and South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education. Along that line, she would like to also work more closely with Maplewood and Essex County to ensure that residents are getting the best of everything at the lowest possible cost.

And Collum is thrilled to be the first female village president. She said that it had never truly resonated for her the significance of being a female in a high political position until she recently led a Girl Scout troop on a tour of the South Orange Police Station. The girls wanted to know how many female police officers there were and what else women did in the village.

“It is important to see women in such positions,” Collum said. “There is significance and importance, not just for me, but for all women and young girls.

Collum also thanked Hynes for taking the time to run and bringing important issues to the fore. Collum said she recognized that a segment of South Orange believes in Hynes’ message and she will do everything she can to merge the best of each of their messages and looks forward to working with Hynes in the future.

Trustees Deborah Davis Ford, Howard Levison and Mark Rosner were re-elected. The candidates ran unopposed for the three open seats on the Board of Trustees.

They each acquired approximately 32 percent of the votes cast; Davis Ford received 1,427 votes, Levison received 1,464 and Rosner received 1,428. There were 142 write-in votes.

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — The South Orange Rescue Squad is fighting for the chance to win a $25,000 grant to complete its new headquarters and it is asking the community for help in spreading the word and voting to push it over the top, according to a May 14 press release from the squad.

South Orange’s all-volunteer rescue squad is among the 200 organizations — chosen out of more than 4,000 applicants — eligible to win a $25,000 grant as part of the State Farm Neighborhood Assist program.

The top 40 vote-receiving causes each will receive a $25,000 grant. The choice will be determined by who gets the most votes on Facebook between May 14 and June 3.

Each Facebook user will be able to vote up to 10 times per day for any of the causes that they want to support.

Voting will take place on the State Farm Facebook page at https://www.state-assist.com/cause/1500225/south-orange-rescue-squad.

at the SOxSO press conference on May 6 are Brian Gottesman, Michael Zavada, Trustee Stephen Schnall, Dean Shot, Mike Griot, Tomas Doncker, Janine Buckner and Will Calhoun.

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — South Orange Village and Seton Hall University announced at a May 6 university press conference that the first South by South Orange Festival will run from June 26 to June 28, blending art, music and technology in a three-day affair reminiscent of the famous annual South by Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas.

SOxSO, organized around the theme “Creative Collisions,” will feature 12 creative and interactive sessions, 15 musical performances, and lectures given by Seton Hall professors, community authors and nationally-recognized celebrities illustrating the concept of seemingly disparate events coming together to form something great. The festival will take place at four different village venues — the South Orange Performing Arts Center, Above Restaurant, the Gaslight Brewery and Ricalton’s Village Tavern — while a Creative Midway of participatory projects will be located in Spiotta Park.

The event was the brainchild of village Trustee Stephen Schnall, who said he was first inspired to create it after hearing Seton Hall College of Arts and Sciences Dean Michael Zavada speak about the STEAM educational concept combining science, technology, engineering, arts and math. During the press conference, Schnall explained that he wanted to hold an event that would incorporate those subject areas while embracing the village’s rapidly growing population of young people.

Putting on this festival achieves that goal, the trustee said, while also promoting all that South Orange has to offer.

“It really excites me to have come up with an over-arcing theme and event that will improve also the positioning of South Orange as a village that has this type of event and participation,” Schnall told the News-Record in an interview after the conference. “Not only for current residents but for future residents who would consider this town as a possible place to live, this will help them to feel like it has the energy that they are looking for.

“That coupled with our downtown businesses, restaurants and bars — it is just good for the village,” he continued. “It is for our growth, the satisfaction of living here and to encourage new people to come.”

South Orange businesses certainly stand to benefit from SOxSO. Schnall said during the press conference that exposing local shops and restaurants to people who have never experienced them before is a main goal of the festival. In fact, he said the South Orange Village Center Alliance is currently looking into offering discounts to anyone with a SOxSO admission wristband.

Another goal of the event is to further the village’s relationship with Seton Hall, establishing a “communiversity,” as Schnall put it. The trustee said the university has been an invaluable partner in creating this endeavor. Moving forward, he added that the village hopes to continue holding events with the university while expanding SOxSO for years to come.

And Seton Hall is just as eager to work with South Orange. Speaking with the News-Record, Zavada said the village can itself be used by the university as a rich educational resource. By engaging South Orange — Seton Hall’s “home,” as he called it during his speech — the university is opening itself up to a host of opportunities for its students, as well as a way to benefit the world at large.

“When you get involved in a community like South Orange-Maplewood, the expertise that lives within that community becomes part of that educational community,” Zavada told the News-Record. “We have now tripled and quadrupled, if not more, what impact you can have on students, and what can be an influence on students that is a positive in their lives, the connections and the jobs — all the things that go on like that.

“Universities are discovering that you do not have to go around the world to do this,” he continued. “You do it in your community, you do it well, you do it with a good partnership and then it can be exported as an example of how these things can occur and the synergies can occur to improve communities all over the world.”

But it can be difficult for a university and its surrounding community to figure out how to work together, College of Arts and Sciences Assistant Dean Janine Buckner pointed out. Holding an event such as SOxSO is advantageous, she said, because it opens up a dialog between the two that can lead to much more.

“This provides them with a defined first step,” Buckner told the News-Record. “I think that is very important.”

Seton Hall community members, village residents and visitors to South Orange alike will have plenty of opportunities to bond while also learning something new. The festival features a wide range of informative sessions including “Dumb Money Mistakes” with David Brancaccio, South Orange resident and host of the popular public radio show “Marketplace Morning Report”; and “The Art of Story in the New Digital Universe” with Richard Stephen Bell, an actor and screenwriter who also resides in the village.

One of the most anticipated programs is the Tech(ing) Ball, an unusual concept in which computer programmers design an app for the village while a band plays live music. Brian Gottesman, who came up with the idea, explained that the session will give audience members a glimpse of the art behind designing technology as well as how improvisation and interaction between the programmers and musicians affect their work.

Gottesman said he is looking forward to people experiencing the Tech(ing) Ball but, as a village resident himself, he is also excited about SOxSO in general. He said he is especially impressed by how the Creative Collisions theme really reflects South Orange.

“I think it will highlight what the community is composed of,” Gottesman told the News-Record following the press conference. “The community is comprised of lots of different types of people. South Orange, in and of itself, is a collision of people of different walks of life and different fields. The diversity of the community is a key part of the beauty of the town.”

In addition to the lectures, the music will be out in full force for SOxSO. Mike Griot, known locally for organizing the annual South Mountain International Blues Festival, has put together a lineup of accomplished local and national artists for the event, including Living Colour drummer Will Calhoun. The Causing Collisions headline concert, which will take place at SOPAC on June 27, will consist of performances from multiple different genres.

For Griot, the Creative Collisions theme afforded a unique opportunity to combine artists of different musical tastes, which is something that most festivals avoid. But doing so is really a good thing, he explained during the conference, because it will let audience members discover a range of styles such as reggae and jazz that they might enjoy but otherwise would never have heard.

Griot, who will play in Causing Collisions and even performed at the press conference with fellow SOxSO musician Tomas Doncker, told the News-Record afterward that doing something unusual, such as mixing genres, will only help the festival in the long run.

“At the end of the day, an audience wants to be entertained,” Griot said. “For a first-year event, with these ambitious goals we have, it is absolutely imperative that we use whatever tools we have in our toolbox to make sure that the audience is stimulated, engaged and entertained in a unique way.”

West Orange-based musician Dean Shot, who will be bringing his blend of ’50s-style rock and blues to Above on June 26, said he is grateful to be part of the first SOxSO and urged others to experience it and support the village along with him.

“This event can bring so much culture and revenue to the area,” Shot told the News-Record after the press conference. “The people that come out to support it will see wonderful artists, and I think they are going to help grow the village. It is a great thing.”

To purchase SOxSO admission wristbands and to see the full festival schedule, visit the festival’s website at http://www.southbysouthorange.org/.

Photo Courtesy of Gary Stein
Gary Stein, left, interviews Ringo Starr in Los Angeles.

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — South Orange resident Gary Stein may be best known around South Orange and Maplewood as a Realtor, but upon meeting him it is easy to understand how he has spent nearly his whole life as an entertainer.

Within minutes of sitting down at Maplewood’s Village Coffee, the loquacious former actor, comedian, writer and television producer had proudly demonstrated that he could write forward and backward with both hands at the same time; told a story from his past involving Sylvester Stallone and child-shoving bodyguards; and recalled his recent interview with good friend Ringo Starr for his podcast, which he hosts alongside former “Good Morning America” weatherman Tony Perkins.

Then there is his sense of humor. Throughout the conversation, Stein, with an ever-present twinkle in his eye, effortlessly quipped about everyone and everything — especially himself.

“I was on every episodic in the ’80s that no one remembers, without ever making a living,” Stein told the News-Record, reflecting on his time as a journeyman film and TV actor.

“I am the only Jew in America who couldn’t rub two nickels together and make a dime,” Stein said. “There is a picture of me in the Jewish Guinness Book of World Records going ‘I don’t know. I tried. I couldn’t do it.’”

Stein might not have made a fortune in the industry, but he certainly prospered in other ways. During his prolific career, experiencing nearly every facet of show business, Stein has amassed a barrelful of memories and a Rolodex of celebrity pals ranging from “Dancing with the Stars” emcee Tom Bergeron to legendary boxer Micky Ward to his “godfather” Danny Aiello, all of whom have appeared on his and Perkins’ podcast.

And now it is all culminating in yet another chapter in Stein’s career as an entertainer. Based on the success of “The Tony Perkins Show featuring Gary Stein,” the duo will soon be getting their own weekly television talk show on FOX’s Washington D.C. affiliate, with the potential of being nationally syndicated. Fittingly titled “Off the Cuff,” the series will use the same format that has made their podcast so popular — totally improvised conversation, jokes and interviews with an eclectic mix of stars whom Stein has gotten to know through the years.

“Off the Cuff” is a dream come true for Stein, who retired from television production disgusted with the industry after having a “diabolical” experience working on “The Dr. Oz Show.” Though he is proud of his accomplishments as a Realtor and even plans to continue in real estate while doing the talk show and podcast, he said entertainment has always been his true passion, which is why he has had fun during the past several months working on both projects.

“I am having the greatest time that I ever had in my life,” Stein said before pulling out his SAG-AFTRA card, which marks him as a member of the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. “For the first time in something like 30 years, I renewed my SAG-AFTRA card. I blew the dust off of it, and I cannot believe that I have one again and that I am actually a paid-up SAG-AFTRA member getting ready to do my talk show on FOX 5 in Washington.”

But Stein readily acknowledges that his return to show business would not have been possible without Perkins, whom he described as one his best friends. It was Perkins who, upon being approached to do a podcast, insisted that Stein be his co-host; the two had grown close when they worked together on “GMA.” In fact, the two even hosted a talk show years ago for the fledgling ABC News Now channel, though Stein admitted it did not really take off due to the limited availability of the network.

“People loved our show, though there were three people who got it,” Stein said. “ABC News Now was like two Dixie cups and a string, so no one really got it. But we were famous in the building.”

Most importantly Stein and Perkins found that they loved working together, which Stein said remains the case today. He explained that they have established a camaraderie that shines through whenever they do a podcast. Their friendship was honed through years of busting each other’s chops while braving the worst of Mother Nature to provide weather coverage for “GMA,” they even suffered detached corneas together in the midst of hurricane-force winds; this bond is exactly why their show has proved a success, Stein said.

“You have to have a relationship to be as relentless as we are with each other, saying the most inappropriate things you could possibly say, that breaks through all barriers,” Stein said. “It is only based on friendship and history.”

Of course, none of Stein’s show business achievements could have happened without his willingness to try anything. He said that throughout his career he has never turned down an opportunity that appealed to him, even if he had no idea what he was doing. Actually, he said everything he ever tried, from his first job as a Broadway stage manager through his current position as a podcast host, involved learning through experience. But with determination and a lot of luck, he said he has always been able to follow through, and was even told that he sounded like he’d been doing radio his whole life just after his very first podcast.

Yet Stein’s road to success has not always been easy. As a boy he struggled with ADD before anyone knew what that was, which he said caused others to view him as stupid and lazy. He experienced self-doubt, saying he often felt like an alien from another planet who did not fit in.

His solution: turning a negative into a positive. Stein explained that his difficulty concentrating actually forces him to hyper-focus, which earned him the reputation as being a stickler for details when he was producing television. And his sense of humor, which he said he has had from a young age, always defied those who thought of him as dumb.

“If anybody wanted to engage in any kind of a verbal shooting match, it was very confusing for them because they would wind up crying,” Stein said. “I had the ability to vivisect them verbally, but they thought they could get the best of me. I don’t think anybody ever got the best of me. I don’t allow it. And it is one of the things that proved to me you can’t be stupid and have a sharp sense of humor.”

Being funny has also guided Stein through his entire career. After all, it was his humor that led him to transition from an actor-comedian to a writer when he and his comedy partner were asked to rewrite a pilot they were starring in with Joe Piscopo.

And it was his humor that drove Stein to become a full-time writer, and later a producer after that pilot became his umpteenth show not to get picked up. His ability to make people laugh has even helped him as a Realtor, he said, because it helps get homebuyers to trust him as they make one of the most important decisions of their lives.

Today, it is Stein’s sense of humor that helped his podcast take off, and he now hopes it will do the same for his talk show. Though it has not yet aired in D.C., he said the San Francisco FOX station has already ordered “Off the Cuff,” and FOX recently registered the title.

How far the show goes is anyone’s guess, but there is one thing Stein knows for sure. He is signing up for an adventure and hoping for the best, just as he has done during his entire career as an entertainer.

“I am the most optimistic person I know who also has a lot of anxiety,” Stein said.

To listen to Stein’s podcast, “The Tony Perkins Show Featuring Gary Stein,” visit http://mikeomearashow.com/category/tonyperkinsshow/.

Rabbi Allie Klein

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel in South Orange welcomes Rabbi Alexandra “Allie” Klein, who will join the synagogue’s clergy, effective July 1. Klein earned a master’s degree in Hebrew literature from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, the Reform movement’s seminary, and received her rabbinic ordination May 3. Klein will be active in all aspects of the temple’s life, including teaching all ages, working with b’nai mitzvah and officiating at services, and pastoral care.

“Throughout the search process we were consistently impressed by the caliber of the students approaching rabbinic ordination,” TSTI senior Rabbi Daniel Cohen said in a release. “Rabbi Klein was, however, far and away the individual we hoped to engage and we are gratified that she will be joining us. Although just ordained, Rabbi Klein brings a wealth of experience of work within the Jewish community. We look forward to the richness and enthusiasm she will bring to the TSTI community.”

A native of Montclair, Klein has extensive experience in Jewish education, programming, Jewish summer camps and pulpit work. She was most recently a student rabbi in Fredericksburg, Va., where she served a broad array of communal needs. Other professional experiences as a rabbinic student include serving as the co-coordinator of Synagogue 3000’s pilot initiative with Jewish young adults called “Next Dor NYC,” the pastoral counseling intern at Central Synagogue in Manhattan, and the rabbinic intern at DOROT in Manhattan, a leading social service organization. She has also worked in a variety of roles in summer camps, from programming to serving as a liaison with families of special-needs children.

“I’m delighted to be joining TSTI and working with Rabbi Cohen and cantors Rebecca Moses and Joan Finn,” Klein said in the release. “I feel my experience working with a broad range of people, from the very young to the very old, those with special needs and those seeking ways to connect with Judaism, will serve TSTI’s diverse community well.”

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — The South Orange Board of Trustees unanimously passed a resolution at its May 11 meeting to replace the curbs on certain streets in the north Newstead area.

Resolution No. 2015-93 authorizes the township to enter into a contract agreement with D & L Paving Contractors Inc. of Nutley to remove, replace and restore the granite block curbing on Mountain, Crestwood, Great Hills and North Woods drives.

“This is an area, particularly up in the north Newstead area, where the roads were bad enough and they were already way up on the priority list,” village Administrator Barry Lewis Jr. said at the meeting. He explained that, the roads would have been renovated either this year or next year, but the harsh winter sped up the process. “The winter really took a toll on them; they’re in really horrible condition.”

D & L is an authorized vendor under the Morris County Cooperative Council. Lewis explained that, by moving under the county co-op, the village is able to move a bit more quickly in this matter than it usually would be able to. Under the council’s Contract No. 6 for road resurfacing, the amount to be paid for the work is not to exceed $400,000.

Lewis explained that the money being used for the project is from a surplus due to “conservative spending” last year. Lewis also assured that the curb replacement is only the first step in a project to redo these streets. After the curbs are removed, the roadway will be repaved.

“We are moving forward as soon as possible,” Lewis said.

Photo Courtesy of Sheena Collum
Former Village President Alex Torpey, right, administers the oath of office to new Village President Sheena Collum on May 18.

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — Village President Alex Torpey passed the gavel to President-elect Sheena Collum on May 18. It was a momentous evening, as the first female village president was sworn in by the youngest village president.

Torpey was elected to lead the village at age 23 and, now at age 27, his final act as village president was to swear in his friend and colleague as the next village president. Collum, who, at age 31, is not much older than Torpey, was elected village president May 12, with more than 70 percent of the vote.

In addition to being remembered for being the youngest village president, Torpey’s legacy includes increasing access to municipal documents via the village website, helping to push ahead the Gateway project at the long-abandoned Beifus site, and performing one of the first gay marriages in New Jersey.

When asked what he considers to be his greatest achievement as village president, Torpey pointed to community involvement.

“I think beyond any one particular initiative or accomplishment — such as the four years in a row of low tax increases, major crime reduction, increase in economic investment — one of the things that I’m most proud of is the culture around getting involved that’s changed so, so much in the past four years,” Torpey told the News-Record earlier this week via email.

“The negativity that used to be in and around our governing body is almost completely gone,” Torpey continued. “And with all of the residents, business owners and students who are involved, we’re really able to make progress in all of those other areas.”

At Torpey’s final Board of Trustees meeting May 11, colleagues and residents praised him for his four years of service to the village.

Village Administrator Barry Lewis Jr. told those gathered that he came into his position approximately seven months after Torpey assumed office, and he was impressed by what he saw. Even more so, he said he is continuously impressed by Torpey’s ongoing achievements.

“It has been a pleasure for me to work with him in the office, to watch him grow, to watch him grow as a man and grow as a person, to mature,” Lewis said at the meeting. “I think he’s shown a steady hand,” he continued, naming increased transparency, technology and employee morale as some of Torpey’s greatest achievements while in office.

of South Orange, presented Torpey with a joint legislative resolution, on behalf of the N.J. Assembly and Senate, lauding Torpey for his work.

“I think you’ve done very well and I’m very curious to see what comes next,” Jasey said. “It is difficult to sit on this board and do this job.”

Each of the six board members also spoke highly of Torpey at the May 11 meeting.

Stephen Schnall thanked Torpey for starting conversations. “You get people to react — not always positively,” Schnall joked.

Trustee Mark Rosner, who was re-elected to the board along with Howard Levison and Deborah Davis Ford on May 12, told Torpey that he had grown into his position very well. “Morale is very different from when you came in,” Rosner said. “I do hope you stay involved when you can in the village.”

Walter Clarke called Torpey a “cheerleader in charge for South Orange,” praising Torpey for increasing the village’s presence on social media.

Levison also praised Torpey for his work on social media.

Davis Ford told Torpey that, while they disagreed on only about 0.9 percent of the issues, they always “disagreed respectfully.” “You lobby for what you believe is right,” she told him. She also praised to the entire board for what she sees as a cohesive and productive unit.

Collum recalled being the chairwoman of the Citizens’ Public Safety Committee, before she was a trustee, and driving around with Torpey in the wake of Superstorm Sandy to ensure residents were getting what they needed. She says that is when she truly got to know Torpey on a person-to-person basis and saw how deeply he cared for the village.”

Although no naysayers came to the May 11 meeting, Torpey had detractors and at times incurred the wrath of those posting anonymously on Maplewood Online, an online forum set up for resdeints of South Orange Village and Maplewood Township.

Torpey was criticized in the forum for promoting himself over promoting the village, and repeatedly drew ire for referring to himself as the “mayor” of South Orange. Posters pointed out that South Orange does not have a mayor; Torpey’s customary response was that, outside of South Orange, when you tell someone you are the president, they do not immediately think “municipal government.”

There was also a hubbub in May 2014 after emails leaked that showed Torpey and Levison in a heated argument concerning the process for presenting proclamations. Though both Torpey and Levison told the News-Record shortly after the incident that there was no ill will, some residents remained upset by the profanity-laced emails Torpey sent to Levison, reprimanding him. In the email, Torpey also criticized those who post on Maplewood Online and former Trustee Michael Goldberg, who frequently disagreed with Torpey during BOT meetings. Torpey and Goldberg often snapped at each other during meetings.

One of the most contentious topics of Torpey’s village presidency has been his promised website. As a campaign platform four years ago, Torpey promised a new village website; this website has not yet been launched.

When asked about the website earlier this week, Torpey told the News-Record, “It’s coming along.

“The options that we really have basically come down to a larger conversation about the direction of our IT/communications capacity at this point,” Torpey continued, “and so the website uncovered this larger issue/decision point, and so the decision about how to proceed with that, I think, will come when those larger issues are addressed.”

But overall, many residents recall the past four years fondly. At the May 11 BOT meeting, resident Joanne Douds praised Torpey, proclaiming: “Leadership has no age.” She added that Torpey has “transformed this village” and was “born to lead.”

“Thanks to you, we can be in our homes at night, and know we are safe, know we are progressing and know we are united,” Douds said. “You led us there.”

While Torpey is proud of his past four years, he is looking to the future. After a bit of rest and relaxation, Torpey plans to spend “several months working on and studying leadership/community development programs in East Africa and opening up a NYC/NJ-based office for my growing consulting company, which is based out of (Washington) D.C. currently.”

Torpey added that he plans to continue teaching at Seton Hall University and is looking to expand the open government course to a larger audience.

In August 2014, Seton Hall announced that Torpey would be co-teaching a course on collaborative governance with professor Matt Hale. This stirred up some concerns from residents, as issues relating to Seton Hall often come up in board meetings.

Nevertheless, Torpey promised to recuse himself from discussions relating to SHU, as he would be drawing a paycheck.

Torpey’s main reason for taking on the professorial role, according to him, was to encourage more young people to be involved in local government.

When asked what advice he has for young professionals looking to become involved in politics, Torpey told News-Record this week, very simply: “Do it!”

“There’s so much opportunity to learn and make a real difference,” Torpey said. “This has been an incredibly unparalleled experience for me personally, and I’ve gotten to give so much back to the community which has given so much to me over the years. ‘Politics’ is only ‘politics’ if you let it be that way; otherwise, it’s just an amazing opportunity to be able to make the lives of many people better and inspire the next generation of people who will hopefully do your job even better than you.”

Torpey hopes to see Collum build on his achievements and take the village further than he did.

“Sheena and I have spoken a lot about continuing on this path that we’ve been on: the crime reduction, the economic investment, the financial stability, the transparency and so much more,” Torpey said. “I think she’s got some challenges ahead, but also some really great opportunities, especially from a financial standpoint with so many development projects coming online. She does an unbelievably good job of involving and galvanizing community feedback and support, and I’m excited to see how that continues to grow.”

Torpey expressed his gratitude to his colleagues and the residents for their support these past four years.

“I want to give a thanks to all the supporters from four-plus years ago, and through the last four years, and all my colleagues on the board and our staff and volunteers,” Torpey said. “It’s amazing how much we’ve done — everything we can think of that you can measure a local government on has improved in four years — and there are so many people who have put so much time into that.

“It’s been a gift and a learning experience,” he continued, “and I hope to see more and more young people especially getting involved like this in their towns.”

Photo Courtesy of Ellen Hark
South Orange Middle School teacher Ellen Hark instructs her students on how to recycle to make art.

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — South Orange Middle School art teacher Ellen Hark will retire this year after 30 years in the SOMA school district of showing students how to find inspiration in the most surprising places.

Hark, a third-generation teacher, always knew that she was meant to enter the field of education like her mother and grandmother before her. She also knew that she would have to forge her own path as an art teacher, because art classes were a rarity to which she was not often exposed while growing up in the Philadelphia School District.

“Being a teacher was the thing to do in my family,” Hark said in an interview with the News-Record. “I couldn’t imagine doing or being anything else.”

Hark and her husband moved to Maplewood after he took a job in New York City and they needed to find a home that provided both a reasonable commute for him and a suitable environment to raise their growing family. The Harks found Maplewood to fit the bill in many ways, and were impressed by how welcoming and friendly their neighbors were, and how much pride the residents took in their community.

Hark began teaching art in the school district, and quickly realized that she would have to be resourceful after being given a $200 budget for 1,000 students.

Thus began her lifelong love affair with finding new purpose for things that others have tossed aside, a trait in her students’ art projects that is well-known and much admired. Hark uses everything from discarded pizza boxes to old pairs of jeans to cardboard boxes and popsicle sticks to inspire her students’ creativity and thought process, always with stunning results.

“My claim to fame is to make something out of nothing,” she said. “Now students are excited making amazing cityscapes out of cardboard and popsicle sticks.”

Hark said that she finds inspiration in the most ordinary items, like the time she saw a pile of pizza boxes about to be thrown away and scooped them up for her class to make “personal pizzas” where students decorated both the inside and outside of the box with whatever appealed to them.

This same logic applied when the show “Project Runway” inspired Hark and her classes to try their hand at clothing design, painting scenes on family members’ old jeans.

“One of the things I encourage my students to do is express themselves personally,” Hark said. “I never have two students make the same project in the same way.”

Although Hark, who is a breast cancer survivor, mainly worked in ceramic and paint outside of school, she also found that, after she finished her last cancer treatment, she wanted to try something new.

After taking a class at the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey in Summit, as well as a weekend class with award-winning mosaic mural artist Isaiah Zagar in Philadelphia, Hark discovered a new artistic passion: mosaic.

As always, she brought this new knowledge back and set to work finding ways to challenge herself and her students to stretch their abilities and challenge themselves.

And challenge themselves they did: Hark says that some of the proudest accomplishments in her career are the three permanent mosaic installations in the school that represent the students and their experiences. The mosaics feature everything from broken clarinets and flutes, to broken locks from when students forgot their combinations.

“I’m constantly learning from them. They are brilliant and have such a sense of humor,” she said. “When I look around my classroom and see them in the zone, they are working and thinking and sharing.”

She also took her love of repurposing old objects into the community, and shared her inspirations with an even larger audience.

Hark, a member of Congregation Beth-El in South Orange, said that another synagogue member knew that she was an artist and approached her for help in finding inexpensive art to decorate the corridors.

“I told them that I would just make it myself,” she said.

Hark set to work creating four permanent installations for the temple, each featuring keepsakes and souvenirs that congregants donated to her from personal trips to Israel.

Hark and her students have also been an integral piece of the Maplewood South Orange Interfaith Holocaust Remembrance Service; for the past five years, her students have provided the artwork that adorns the walls in the chosen venue.

“I became involved in providing artwork to the services after a parent who was the child of a survivor approached me for ideas,” Hark said. “Prior to that, the services featured student essays and never had art in them. Each year I challenged myself to think of a new and meaningful project for each grade to do for the service.”

Hark’s dedication to her students is evident in the many ways she is involved in bringing art to life for them on a daily basis.

“I’ve known Ellen for over a decade and I still see a glimmer in her eye when she talks about her students. She is committed to promoting art in the community as well as in our school,” fellow teacher Linda Abella told the News-Record. “Our halls are filled with mosaics that she made with her art club and she showcases different student artists every month in our display cases. I am always excited to tell Ellen when I notice a student with an interest in art because I know she will nurture that spark into a flame. She is the best of what a teacher is and she will be sorely missed at South Orange Middle School when she retires.”

Hark said that, although she will miss her students and teaching, she is excited about what the future holds for her, including spending more time with her growing number of grandchildren and learning new art forms.

“I’m finally going to move up past the eighth grade,” she said. “Like Peter Pan, I won’t grow up, but it’s time to fly.”

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — The priest who said he was dismissed from his position as campus ministry director at Seton Hall University in South Orange after posting a photo in support of an LGBT campaign on Facebook told the News-Record that he is not backing down from his convictions.

Father Warren Hall said in a May 21 email from his Seton Hall account that he does not wish to comment on the specific circumstances surrounding his departure from the university, about which he first tweeted on May 15, since he does not want to create more confusion in doing so. What he did make clear, however, was the fact that he still believes in the message of the NOH8 campaign, a California-based initiative that was founded in opposition to the Proposition 8 same-sex marriage ban.

“I will miss Seton Hall University,” Hall told the News-Record. “Although I’m moving on from here, I’m not moving on from nor backing down on the message of ‘No Hate.’”

The Archdiocese of Newark, which oversees Seton Hall and appoints the campus ministry director, is meanwhile denying that Hall was ever dismissed from the university. Spokesman Jim Goodness told the News-Record that Hall is still part of the archdiocese and will simply be reassigned once his posting at the university ends in June.

“Father Hall’s assertion that he was fired is incorrect,” Goodness said in a May 21 phone interview. “That is something he is going to have to explain about one day to everybody because he has been perpetuating the wrong thing.”

Goodness further explained that priests get reassigned “all the time,” with posts lasting anywhere from one year to an average of six years for pastors. He added that the decision to move a priest comes from the Archdiocese’s determination of where he will be “most effective,” stressing that a transfer is not necessarily an indication of poor performance.

“Sometimes it means a priest who is doing a good job in one place is reassigned because the qualities he brings to a particular
“Sometimes priests who are very involved and who are loved in a particular place have to go to another place because they are needed there. That is the life of a priest.”

Hall’s new position has not yet been determined, Goodness said, and declined to comment on what led the Archdiocese to reassign the priests. Hall had served at Seton Hall for approximately one year.

The whole situation began last fall, when Hall posted a photo of himself on Facebook referencing the NOH8 campaign with the caption “Why can’t we all just get along.” After meeting with the Archdiocese, however, Hall removed the photo.

The priest remained at the university without incident until Hall wrote the following on Twitter earlier this month: “I’ve been fired from SHU for posting a pic on FB supporting LGBT ‘NO H8.’ I’m sorry it was met with this response. I’ll miss my work here.”

Hall deleted the message soon afterward, later posting the following for his advocates: “Grateful for all the support. Don’t be angry!! Turn this into an opportunity for open/reasonable discussion on LGBT issues on a Cath campus.” He has also since tweeted links to articles about the first LGBTQ Youth Summit and an Irish priest’s response to Ireland’s vote allowing same-sex marriage.

Regarding Hall’s support of the NOH8 campaign, Goodness said in a later statement to the News-Record that the priest did meet with the Archdiocese about the Facebook post, during which time he said it was merely meant to “express his support for an end to hate, a thoroughly Catholic position.” The statement said that Hall went on to express surprise that people would interpret the post as going against the Catholic Church’s position on same-sex marriage.

Regarding that position, Goodness clarified that the Church does not condone intolerance of any kind against homosexuals. It does maintain, however, that marriage should be between a man and a woman.

“No one should ever be discriminated against,” Goodness said during his interview, referring to Catholic doctrine. “Everyone should be treated with respect.”

Seton Hall University declined to comment on Hall’s departure, citing its policy on not discussing personnel issues.

“Seton Hall is a welcoming and accepting academic community with a diverse array of students, faculty and administrators,” SHU spokeswoman Laruie Pine said in a release. “We pride ourselves on the close-knit fabric of our community and celebrate, accept and embrace all of our members. Countless students comment on how safe, comfortable and at home they feel here at the university and how diverse, accepting and welcoming the Seton Hall community is.”

But many students have expressed outrage on social media at Hall’s departure from the university, and disbelief that his reassignment was coincidental. Junior Ethan Kraft even created a petition on Change.org calling for the priest’s reinstatement that has garnered more than 5,000 signatures.

Kraft told the News-Record that he did not have a personal relationship with Hall, though he knew his reputation as someone who was “ever encouraging of Seton Hall students.” He started the petition to support a priest who, he felt, did nothing wrong.

“Father Hall’s support of the NOH8 campaign was simply a method of relaying the words of Christ,” Kraft said in a May 21 email. “In my opinion, he wasn’t making any sort of political statement. He was simply opposing hatred, and I don’t believe anybody should be fired for opposing hatred, especially within the Church.”

The controversial situation has reverberated beyond Seton Hall as well. Garden State Equality, New Jersey’s largest civil rights organization specializing in LGBT advocacy, is publicly supporting Kraft’s petition. Executive Director Andrea Bowen told the News-Record that GSE feels it is important to stand in solidarity with anyone supporting LGBT rights. Bowen said religious institutions, in particular, should do the same.

“We feel really strongly that social justice and the support of LGBT people are issues that are one and the same,” Bowen said in a May 21 phone interview. “It is really important, especially for religious institutions that are following examples of social justice like things that we see in the Bible, to follow through on those. That means they need to support the LGBT community.”

The lawmakers of District 27, which includes South Orange and Maplewood, are also taking a stance on the matter.

Assemblyman John McKeon told the News-Record that, as a second-generation Seton Hall alum, he hopes Hall will remain at the university.

“The world of academia is supposed to be open-minded and enlightened,” McKeon said in a May 21 phone interview. “So in my view, the lack of tolerance is troubling.”

State Sen. Richard Codey called the incident is “very unfortunate.” In a May 21 phone interview, Codey told the News-Record that he believes God loves all people regardless of their sexual orientation. That is why no one should ever be punished for supporting the LGBT community, he said.

Assemblywoman Mila Jasey of South Orange also spoke out against Hall’s removal from the university. In a statement, Jasey called the priest instrumental in facilitating the social and moral development of students. It would be disappointing if his departure from Seton Hall was truly related to his support of the NOH8 campaign, she said.

“While the information available regarding Father Hall’s dismissal is limited, it is troubling,” Jasey said. “That he reportedly was terminated for voicing a message of love and acceptance is thoroughly inconsistent with the basic tenets that form the foundation of the Catholic Church and our state’s oldest and largest Catholic university.

“On behalf of the student body at Seton Hall and a vast network of alumni calling for his reinstatement, I stand with Father Hall as an advocate for the LGBT community and hope that the university can continue to promote the respect for diversity and inclusiveness inherent in Catholic teachings,” she continued.

The current controversy comes after Seton Hall’s recent recruitment of Derrick Gordon, the first openly gay Division I men’s basketball player.

It also follows Newark Archbishop John Meyers’ public criticism of the university for offering the course “The Politics of Gay Marriage,” while Seton Hall’s gay and lesbian organization Allies remains unrecognized by the Student Government Association — it is only made official through a memorandum with the Office of the Vice President.

Ali Pease

MAPLEWOOD/SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — The Columbia High School choral program is coming to the end of an impressive school year, one which saw two of its students selected for prestigious National Honor Choruses.

Senior Alexandra Pease and junior Grace Savoia-DiGregorio were chosen to perform with the best singers from across the country at the National Association for Music Educators’ February convention in Nashville, Tenn., and the American Choral Directors Association’s National Convention in Salt Lake City during the fall, respectively. Pease performed a range of choral pieces, including one that consisted solely of vocals, while Savoia-DiGregorio sang a number of songs in Spanish as part of the Latin American National Honor Choir.

According to Jamie Bunce, the CHS choral program director, the students’ accomplishments are significant because it is difficult to be chosen for a National Honor Chorus. Savoia-DiGregorio was picked from among numerous other singers from throughout the United States who submitted audition recordings, and Pease also had to audition in addition to qualifying as the No. 1 ranked soprano in New Jersey for the second straight year.

Grace Savoia-DiGregorio

The fact that both students defied the odds to be chosen as the “best of the best of the best” is especially satisfying for Bunce, who teaches Pease in the Excelsior Singers and Savoia-DiGregorio in the Canens Vocem treble choir. She said it is a pleasure to work with them, and their passion for singing in turn makes her job worthwhile.

“It’s great to work with people who love it,” Bunce told the News-Record in a May 22 phone interview. “I became a teacher because I wanted to fix all the bad choir music in the world. And then, when I became one, I realized the actual sustaining joy of it, the thing that keeps me doing it with the kind of love that I have for it, is because the kids bring that love to the table, too.”

Pease certainly has a passion for singing. A “musical theater maven,” as Bunce described her, the senior said she actually focused only on performing in plays until her family urged her to try choral singing. She joined the choir as a freshman and has never looked back, telling the News-Record that singing in the chorus has become “my everything.”

And even though she will not be pursuing a career in music — she plans to study architecture at the University of Florida — Pease said singing will always be a part of her life. That is why she said she will be forever grateful for the “humbling” experience that was performing in a National Honor Chorus, which she said allowed her to improve as a musician by exposing her to other students with exceptional ability.

“It certainly introduced me to how big the world is,” Pease said in a May 23 phone interview. “I spend so much time with the talented kids of Columbia High School, but then you step outside of that and it’s like ‘Whoa, there’s even more talent out there.’ So that definitely gave me more insight.”

Though it was actually her second time participating in a national chorus, Savoia-DiGregorio agreed that having the opportunity to sing in one again was incredible.

“It was an amazing experience,” Savoia-DiGregorio told the News-Record in May 25 text message. “Every time I participate it gets better.”

But the opportunity came with a lot of hard work. In addition to the days of intensive rehearsals with the rest of the choir leading up to the performance, Savoia-DiGregorio said she spent three months perfecting her audition tape. Helping her along the way was the CHS choral program, which the junior said has made her push herself to become the best singer possible.

Savoia-DiGregorio is not the only student who has benefited from the CHS choral program. According to Bunce, approximately 120 to 130 students currently participate in the program, which includes two regular choruses and three chamber choirs. The regular choruses are open to anyone, while the Excelsior Singers and Canens Vocem, the all-female chamber groups; and the “Bro Choir,” the all-male chamber group, are by audition only.

The efforts of the students involved in those choruses are clearly paying off. In addition to the success found by Pease and Savoia-DiGregorio, Bunce said the Excelsior Singers performed at last year’s state music teachers convention, and the Canens Vocem choir received praise after performing at the Hilltopper Choral Festival. The program’s a cappella group, Unaccompanied Minors, will even appear on Lifetime’s upcoming docu-series “Sing It!”

This success is certainly pleasing to Bunce, but the choral director said she is just proud to oversee such talented students.

“I really feel like our program has something special going on,” Bunce said. “Every year the choir has, in some capacity, done more, or done better, or done something different that brought us in a new direction that I didn’t know existed.

“It’s a good place to be,” she added. “I’ve seen it do so many good things for so many kids, and I’ve seen so many kids do good things for it — and for each other. People are so much more connected to it than I ever imagined would be possible for something like that.”

MAPLEWOOD/SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — Between the first round of Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers testing and the second round, the opt-out rate in the South Orange-Maplewood School District rose significantly. While the two towns’ rate is still well below that of other nearby school districts, the jump from 3 percent to 16 percent is powerful.

Back in March, only 143 students opted out but, according to the numbers sent to the News-Record by the school district last week, that number has risen to 717.

Following complaints and concerns regarding the state-mandated test, which is administered via computer, the state and each school district began offering parents and students the opportunity to opt out of the testing.

The SOMA school with the highest opt-out rate is Columbia High School, where 40 percent of students eligible to take the test chose not to do so. According to the school district, 29 percent of ninth graders; 45 percent of 10th graders; and 49 percent of 11th graders opted out.

The school with the lowest opt-out rate is Maplewood Middle School, where only 1 percent of students eligible to take the test opted out. That 1 percent rate was spread equally through the sixth, seventh and eighth grades.

South Orange Middle School and the elementary schools — Clinton, Jefferson, Seth Boyden, South Mountain and Tuscan — all saw approximately 5 to 7 percent of their eligible students opt out of testing.

The opt-out rates were much higher in some neighboring districts, with 40 percent of Montclair students opting out — within the whole district, not only the high school — and 33 percent opting out in Livingston.

The high opt-out rate in Livingston may be attributable to a resolution passed by the Livingston School Board in opposition to PARCC. The SOMA school board did not pass such a resolution.

The PARCC tests will not be used to assess student performance in 2015 and will not be counted toward graduation requirements through at least 2018. However, teachers will be affected by the PARCC assessment this year, with results counting for 10 percent of their evaluations.

Click on chart to view larger

MAPLEWOOD / SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — Head on over to the Maplewood Middle School Auditorium, 7 Burnet St. in Maplewood, on Monday, June 8, from 7 to 9 p.m. for a town hall meeting on school safety.

Recent incidents at Columbia High School and Maplewood Middle School — incidents that concluded in students being arrested for having weapons on campus — have understandably raised concerns about how to keep children in the South Orange-Maplewood School District, both in the schools and in the larger community.

Therefore, parents and other community members are invited to join administrators, Board of Education members and municipal officials to discuss: ensuring a safe and positive climate in the schools; ways to protect children from guns and other threats of violence; and supporting students in times of crisis.

WEST ORANGE / SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — A Seton Hall University anthropology professor participating in a research team near Lake Turkana in Kenya has contributed to the discovery of the world’s oldest stone tools, which were dated to 3.3 million years ago.

Rhonda Quinn, assistant professor of anthropology at SHU and a West Orange resident, used the stable carbon isotopic signatures of ancient soil to recreate the environment in which the tools were made. By doing so, Quinn determined that the “hominin,” or human ancestor, who created the tools, had lived in a wooded environment. This is significant since anthropologists had long believed the genus Homo habilis — which eventually evolved into modern humans — made the first tools 2.6 million years ago as a way of retrieving new food sources more efficiently after a climate change caused forests to become to savannas.

The revelation that tools were being made 700,000 years before those long thought to have been the oldest — and in an environment opposite that believed to have created the need for tools to begin with — is sending shockwaves through the scientific world, thrusting into doubt much that was once taken as fact. Quinn even recalled telling her Introduction to Anthropology class that all she had taught them throughout the semester could be thrown out the window with this one discovery, which she said thrills her as both an anthropologist and a professor.

“We’re actually rewriting the textbook — how fun is that?” Quinn said in a May 29 phone interview. “This field is very much discovery-driven, and we have to revisit our hypotheses and ideas all the time. And that’s what’s exciting, because I think students feel like they can contribute to that. They themselves could witness this change, and if they so choose to go into a field like this, they can make a meaningful contribution to our knowledge.

“I actually enjoy being wrong on a regular basis because that’s when we go, ‘Oh, wait. We thought we knew this. No, we don’t,’” she said. “It’s good because it means that we haven’t figured it all out. There’s so much more to do, and there are so many interesting questions to answer.”

So many questions have indeed been raised by the discovery made by Quinn and the rest of the West Turkana Archaeological Project, which made the cover of the prestigious journal “Nature.” First and foremost is the question of who made the tools, because, as Quinn explained, they were created long before Homo habilis, whose earliest fossils date back 2.8 million years. Then there are the questions of what environmental changes led the makers to construct them, as well as how they were made. After all, she said, the creatures living 3.3 million years ago were ape-like beings without the brain function long-believed necessary to craft such instruments.

But with these questions come theories scientists are already formulating. Quinn said it is possible that Australopithecus afarensis or Kenyanthropus platyops, two species believed to be alive at the time the tools were made, could have started experimenting with toolmaking as a way of more efficiently getting food, which she said is the typical reason tools were used. She said that raises the possibility that, instead of toolmaking being the product of the genus Homo, it could have instead been what initiated the rise of modern humanity. On the other hand, perhaps the genus Homo started long before anyone thought, and that anthropologists just have not been able to find the fossils old enough to prove it, she said.

As for her own area of study, Quinn said she looks forward to examining what the discovery says about the environment of that period.

“Do we need a large environmental change to make something happen? Maybe not,” Quinn said. “Maybe these little changes make big changes in terms of who’s successful or not. And having a stone tool may be a way of opening up a new niche.”

In order to answer the many questions on people’s minds, Quinn said it is necessary to hold meaningful conversations on what the tools could mean for the history of humanity. She added that it is also vital to explore and experiment to understand how and why the tools were invented, how they differ from the tools of later generations, and how the environment in which they were made compares to other parts of Africa. This type of work is already being completed by teammates in the project, she said.
Meanwhile, Quinn is training the next generation of anthropologists to one day make discoveries of their own. And she is being aided in this effort by a five-year, $454,000 National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development Program Grant that she was recently awarded to benefit her laboratory at Seton Hall. The professor said she will use the money to purchase more equipment to analyze samples, as well as fund a summer program that would allow students to start their own hands-on research projects while helping Quinn with her own work. She said that three-week session — which begins Aug. 3 — will provide invaluable experience to students, allowing them to get a head start on their final thesis projects and giving them the chance to discover whether they truly want to pursue careers in anthropology.

Quinn’s teaching career is not standing in the way of her research work, however. She said she wants to continue her work in the Turkana basin — which she called one of the best places in the world to study the evolution of humans — for many years to come. This anthropologist is particularly eager to keep contributing to the West Turkana Archaeological Project, whose members she said possess the wide range of expertise necessary to uncover the history of the region.

“It’s a nice project to be on,” Quinn said. “Everybody has their own research ideas, but we all come together to create something that is a little bigger than the sum of the parts.”