Actor, director Zach Braff inducted into CHS Hall of Fame

MAPLEWOOD/SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — After being inducted into the Columbia High School Hall of Fame on May 29, Zach Braff told the CHS students, “You can’t fail if you don’t give up.”

Braff, the Emmy- and Golden Globe-nominated actor who graduated from CHS in 1993, urged the students of his alma mater that they should always persevere in following their dreams. No matter how much rejection they may face, he said, they will eventually succeed if they refuse to quit.

“No is just a comma on the way to yes,” Braff said. “The only person who can stop you is yourself.”

That is a lesson he has learned from experience. Braff, who starred in the television hit “Scrubs” and wrote, directed and starred in the film “Garden State,” explained that it took him a long time to find success within the entertainment industry, pointing out that he started auditioning at 13 but did not get his big break until he was 25.

In that time, Braff said he faced years of traveling into Manhattan in all kinds of weather to stand in line waiting to try out for a part he ultimately would not get. There was also plenty of hard work, including one production assistant job he had carrying equipment all the way to the roof of a Brooklyn building for Mariah Carey’s “The Roof” music video — “I remember turning to my fellow PA and saying ‘I hope her next song is “In the Lobby”’” — and the time he waited tables at a restaurant near the theater playing a film he appeared in — “Only in Hollywood can you go see a movie and then have one of the stars of the movie wait on you for dessert.”

Even his path to “Scrubs” did not run smoothly. Braff said his first audition went horribly, which he said might have been due to the fact that he partied in New York the night before “extensively.” Still, he said he read for the pilot again and eventually got his signature role of JD, just as he directed and starred in the hit “Garden State” after he initially could not find anyone willing to finance it. He even won a Grammy Award for putting together that movie’s soundtrack, though he said everyone told him he would never get the musicians he wanted to include.

His persistence brought him success, but Braff said what also helped was his willingness to take responsibility for his actions. The star told the student audience that their choices determine their achievements in life, so it is vital that they make the right decisions for themselves without blaming anyone else.

“Only you can control you,” Braff said. “We all have our obstacles that we want to overcome. But your success out there in the real world is all about the choices you made.

“Throughout your life you will make good and bad choices — that is part of being human,” he continued. “Every choice that you make is your choice. Take responsibility for the good ones and the bad ones, and you’ll be in complete control of your life.”

That advice has taken Braff a long way from South Orange, where he grew up. But even as a famous actor and director, he still has never lost touch with his home. “Garden State” was filmed largely in South Orange and Maplewood, including one scene featuring CHS. And it was his former health teacher, Johanna Wright, who pushed him to return again for the Hall of Fame.

Being inducted was a unique experience for Braff, who told the News-Record prior to the ceremony that he actually served on the Hall of Fame Committee as a student. In fact, though he said CHS feels smaller to him since he went there, Braff still has fond memories of working with teacher Frank Mullin in the television production department, which he called his favorite part of school.

The chance to return to CHS was an opportunity Braff appreciated.

“I remember how exciting it was to be a student and thinking about all the successful alums and trying to get them back,” Braff told the News-Record. “Now, being on the other side of it, it is a great honor.”

And Braff is in good company. Since launching in 1985, the CHS Hall of Fame has inducted a wide range of talented graduates including legendary actor Roy Scheider, E Street Band drummer Max Weinberg and Fugees singer Lauryn Hill, who Braff said would often audition with him in New York. “Melrose Place” star Andrew Shue, who was inducted along with his actress sister Elisabeth in 1994, actually initiated the institution when he served as Student Council president.

Since then, the Hall of Fame tradition has been proudly carried on by the Student Council, whose bylaws state that inductees must have been role models as students, distinguished leaders in their current professions and people dedicated to the betterment of society. Executive President Caroline Van Zeijts and Executive Vice President Claire Connolly, seniors at CHS, agreed that Braff not only met that criteria, but his popularity made him a tremendous “get” for the Hall of Fame. In fact, they said it was the goal of their class to have the famous alum inducted by senior year.

Now that it has happened, Van Zeijts said she felt Braff sent an amazing message of perseverance to the students. And since he is such a well-known star, she said his positive attitude will likely resonate with them.

“Students are going to listen to him,” Van Zeijts told the News-Record after the ceremony. “Coming from someone like him, I think it’s really important that the students hear it.”

Knowing that CHS has such a famous graduate among its ranks also instills pride among the student community, Connolly pointed out. She told the News-Record she herself feels happy to be part of a school that has spawned so many success stories.

Therein lies a key reason for holding the Hall of Fame ceremony every year, according to Beth Dalzell, an advisor to the Student Council. In a May 28 email, Dalzell told the News-Record that the institution continually produces students of which one can be proud. But honoring alumni of note provides role models for current students.

“The Hall of Fame demonstrates to the current students all the possibilities there are in life,” Dalzell said. “Everyone has a chance to succeed, and many opportunities are available to you when you are in high school. You never know how one opportunity might lead to another and make a difference years ahead.”

Principal Elizabeth Aaron also feels the actions one takes in high school can go a long way in preparing students for their futures, pointing out that CHS offers an eclectic mix of courses to help teens find their way. Because, just as Braff became a successful actor and director after participating in the school’s television production program, Aaron said today’s students can build toward their own achievements based on the decisions they make now.

“Any inductee in the Hall of Fame can be any one of us here at Columbia High School,” Aaron told the News-Record after the ceremony. “Those are real people who accomplished real things, and they started here at Columbia.”

File Photo
Police beefed up security outside Columbia High School on June 5, following a ‘Code Yellow’ incident the day before, when a student was arrested for bringing a knife, as well as an Airsoft gun, to the school. On June 3, a Maplewood Middle School student was arrested for bringing a loaded gun to his school.

MAPLEWOOD/SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — The Maplewood Police Department and the South Orange-Maplewood School District were quite busy last week, as Maplewood Middle School was placed under a “Code Red” on June 3 and Columbia High School was placed under a “Code Yellow” on June 4. The result: A seventh-grader and a ninth-grader have been arrested by police and expelled from school for bringing weapons into their school buildings.

According to Maplewood Police, officers responded to Maplewood Middle School at approximately 12:03 p.m. on Wednesday, June 3, on report of a student armed with a weapon.

The school was placed under “Code Red” status, meaning a lockdown and full cessation of classes. With assistance from South Orange police and Essex County Sheriff’s officers, the Maplewood police searched the school and took a 13-year-old seventh-grade boy into custody. The boy was allegedly in possession of a 9mm Glock handgun loaded with hollow-point bullets.

Hollow-point bullets are designed to expand when they hit their target, making them more lethal; also sometimes called “cop-killer bullets,” these are illegal in New Jersey, except under certain circumstances — this case does not fit those circumstances.

The middle school student has been charged with possession of a weapon on school property, possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose and possession of penetrating bullets. Police turned him over to the Essex County Juvenile Detention Center. Acting Superintendent James Memoli confirmed at a June 8 meeting that the student has been permanently expelled from the school district. Maplewood Police Chief Robert Cimino told the community June 8 that the gun was legally owned by the student’s parent. Cimino said the gun was now in police custody and that the parent had been charged with failing to properly secure a weapon.

Cimino also indicated that the middle school student’s family was not cooperating with the police investigation.

“Due to the legal requirements, we cannot compel a child to speak with us,” Cimino said. “If parents are not going to cooperate with us, we cannot speak to that child and do an interview or an interrogation. So, without getting into much detail, we don’t have a very clear picture of what things preceded the incident at Maplewood Middle School.”

“Today was a difficult day for the entire MMS school community,” Memoli wrote in a June 3 letter to MMS staff. “I thank each and every one of you for the outstanding job you did in protecting the students and making sure that we dealt with a very difficult situation in a way that students felt supported and safe.”

The following day, on Thursday, June 4, Maplewood officers responded to Columbia High School at approximately 2:48 p.m. on report of a student armed with a handgun. The school was placed under “Code Yellow” status, meaning “shelter in place.” According to the school district, a “Code Yellow” lets teachers and students remain in instruction while the incident is investigated. The shelter-in-place order was lifted by Maplewood police at approximately 3:15 p.m. and after-school activities continued as scheduled.

At the time police were contacted, the student in question was already with school administrators, according to a letter sent the evening of June 4 by Memoli and CHS Principal Elizabeth Aaron to the community.

Following an investigation, police arrested a ninth-grade boy, age 15, who was allegedly in possession of an Airsoft gun and a kitchen-style knife. An Airsoft gun is a realistic replica firearm that, while not intended to be lethal, can shoot plastic or aluminum pellets.
Though he stressed that Airsoft guns are inappropriate to bring to school, Cimino said June 8 that legally an Airsoft gun is not considered a firearm, which is why the student was charged for possession of the knife, rather than the replica gun. Memoli said June 8 that, although the student has been expelled from CHS, he could potentially be reinstated to the school after a one-year period.

In response to a parent questioning how much a teenager can change in just one year, Aaron told parents June 8 that the decision to readmit the CHS student would ultimately be her own.

“I certainly would make the entrance of any student contingent on if they can be safe in our building and on their impact on the safety and wellness of others,” Aaron said.

“The CHS administrative team is grateful for the swift and competent work of the Maplewood Police Department and for the Columbia students and staff, who handled the ‘Code Yellow’ as has been practiced in school safety drills,” Memoli and Aaron wrote to the community on June 4.

Due to the events at the high school, Maplewood police posted additional patrols in the area of the school the following day. Also, parking was banned on the south side of Parker Avenue near the school.

According to Maplewood police, the incidents — though occurring shockingly close together — are unrelated. In both incidents, students had informed school staff that they believed a fellow student to be in possession of a weapon. Staff members is both schools immediately contacted police.

Regarding the CHS incident, Suzanne Turner, director of strategic communications for the district, told the News-Record in a June 5 email: “Several students made adults aware that there was a potentially dangerous situation. Their courageous action and model citizenship enabled the adults to take the steps necessary to ensure that the school was safe.”

In a June 4 address to his students, MMS Principal Jerrill Adams said: “Some great things happened yesterday. Several students understood that it was important to let their teachers and the principal know that there was an unsafe situation. They did the right thing. Because of their smart actions, the adults were able to do what we needed to do to make the school safe.”

Although there were rumors of a “hit list” following the incident at the middle school, Maplewood police assured community members in a June 4 release that “the investigation has not revealed any indication that there was a specific threat against any persons or person.”

A June 5 press release from Maplewood police stated: “Contrary to rumor, there was no ‘hit list’ recovered during the investigation for the incident at the Maplewood Middle School and there has been no information that there will be future fights involving weapons at Columbia High School.”

“There were a whole variety of rumors circulating on social media,” Turner told the News-Record. “None were true.”

In a June 5 message to the CHS community, Memoli and Aaron also stressed that the rumors swirling around the CHS incident are untrue and should not be given credence.

“We are aware that various rumors have been circulating about safety at CHS,” Memoli and Aaron wrote. “CHS administration regrets the large amount of negative social media related to CHS and safety. Thank you to the students and parents who have shared rumors and concerns with us. CHS administration is working closely with law enforcement to investigate rumors and make decisions based on facts.

“We encourage parents to engage in thoughtful conversations about social media with their children and we will continue to make every effort to lead strong schools and support parents and children in making healthy and safe decisions about conflict resolution,” they continued.

As a follow-up, Aaron sent a message to the CHS community the morning of June 8 to dispel some of the rumors, such as the incorrect rumor that CHS had been placed under “lockdown.”

“Contrary to the rumors, there have not been ‘three weeks of fights’ or ‘fights every day’ or ‘nine fights in one week’ at CHS,” Aaron wrote. “Over the past week, a very small number of students chose to start and/or resolve conflict with violence. Two of the altercations happened off school grounds. One happened outside during lunch, and one happened when two students chose to disregard school rules about where they were supposed to be during class time.

“This past Friday was a smooth and regular school day at CHS,” Aaron continued. “While our average daily absentee rate was a bit higher than usual, nowhere near ‘half of Columbia’ stayed home. In fact, it seemed to us that students were being particularly aware of the need to be thoughtful and considerate to our staff and each other throughout the day. We are proud of them.”

Following the lockdown at the middle school, the following day on June 4 — as CHS dealt with its own safety issues — MMS dealt with the aftermath, which involved some scared and confused children. To help children cope with the prior day’s events, the district had additional staff members on-site from the beginning of the day, including all building social workers from across the district, according to a letter sent to the district community on June 4 from Memoli and Adams. Counselors were on-hand for students throughout the day, and will continue to be available as needed.

To assist teachers, the day began with a staff meeting, explaining the supports in place for both teachers and students. Then, after students had arrived, Adams addressed the entire school in a live news broadcast shown in every classroom; Adams later repeated his words to any students who had missed the initial broadcast.

“I want to start today off by letting each and every member of our school community know how proud I am of the way you all responded to the unexpected lockdown yesterday,” Adams told the school community June 4 during the news broadcast. “The police have also praised how well our community responded, and wanted me to share their thanks for everyone’s assistance.”

Immediately following the address, teachers led a guided discussion among the students regarding their feelings surrounding the incident and possible strategies for managing difficult situations in the future.

Teachers were given talking points and sample questions. They were: “Many kids struggle with knowing the difference between snitching and reporting. How do you understand the difference?” “If you’re anxious or worried about something, what do you do? Who do you talk to?” And “what is one thing that we can do to make sure that MMS is a great place for us to come to learn each day?”

Even with the supports in place, parents remained understandably concerned. Maplewood father Christopher Healy started a petition on Change.org on June 3 — before the June 4 address to students from Adams — asking the district to hold a community forum to discuss gun violence and to have an assembly for students. In just a short time, the petition had exceeded its goal of 500 resident signatures.

In response, the school district held a town hall-style meeting on community safety on Monday, June 8, at Maplewood Middle School. The event, attended by parents, guardians, concerned residents, school administrators, Board of Education members and municipal officials, addressed methods for keeping children safe, both physically and mentally. Main topics for discussion were ensuring a safe and positive climate in the schools; ways to protect children from guns and other threats of violence; and how to support students in times of crisis.

At the meeting, Memoli urged parents to work with the schools in educating children about gun safety, telling the community, “We cannot do this alone.”

Memoli also explained that, while he felt the schools were on the right path to becoming safer and more secure — with locked doors, security cameras, crisis management teams, counselors and more — he knows there is more work to be done.

One parent’s suggestion that metal detectors be put into place at the school was met with a vocal negative reaction from the crowd. South Orange Police Chief James Chelel warned that schools should remain “educational facilities” rather than “correctional facilities.”

Both incidents are still under investigation, with additional charges possibly pending. All persons charged are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Joshua Braff

MAPLEWOOD/SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — When Joshua Braff and wife Jill decided to have their first child 15 years ago, they agreed that he would be the one to stay home with the baby. This decision sparked teasing from his friends, who predicted that Braff would soon be spending his days lazily lounging around the house in his bathrobe, doing whatever he wanted with all his newfound free time. The reality of his situation proved to be quite different, however.

Novelist Braff, older brother to “Scrubs” star Zach Braff, recalled that acting as stay-at-home dad to his young son and daughter was actually one of the most exhausting times of his life. In fact, after completing such tasks as tending to crying babies, picking out the right foods and finding ways to entertain his children when they got older, he said he would sleep as deeply as if he had spent the whole day doing manual labor.

But as tiring as the job was, Braff said it was all well worth it.

“I love, in hindsight, that I went through this experience,” Braff told the News-Record in a June 5 phone interview. “I guarantee that I’m a better person for it and I think a better artist for it.”

The experience certainly helped Braff in writing his third novel, “The Daddy Diaries,” and he will be signing copies of the book at Words Bookstore in Maplewood on Friday, June 12, at 7:30 p.m. The author explained that he took inspiration from his own life to tell the story of Jay, who must adjust to being a househusband with two preteen children after moving to Florida from California for his wife’s work. While not exactly autobiographical — the son in the book is more of an amalgamation of friends’ children than his own boy, for instance — Braff said the real-life emotions behind moving to a place very different than he was used to, and watching over his children by himself were definitely influential.

“You can’t fake this,” Braff told the News-Record. “You can’t fake what it means to the father and to the children, what you’re going through. The phases of childhood are changing so quickly. It really is fleeting, so there’s so much fodder for a writer.

They would have these growth surges in the summer, and in the fall I was witnessing someone else. So that’s how I feel like I was nurtured as an artist because I am an artist that focuses on the human condition.

“My books are novels, but there’s truth and then there’s fiction for whenever I need to turn right or left,” he continued. “There is a lot of me in this and a lot of us, but at the same time there are things in it that did not happen to me.”

Another major inspiration for the book was the recent rise of the stay-at-home dad. Braff remembered that when he first started caring for his children, he often felt like the only father on the playground. As the years went by though, he noticed more and more dads becoming a visible presence in their children’s lives.

Soon Super Bowl commercials were depicting fathers handling BabyBjorns and picking up sons and daughters from school, and Braff said he realized this change in societal norms would make for a timely book examining the effects a switch in traditional gender roles can have on future generations. The resulting “Daddy Diaries” is his most relatable book yet, he said, garnering a strong response from men and women alike.

And that is a good thing for Braff’s publisher, Prince Street Press, which is in turn good for Braff himself. Prince Street was founded by Braff and wife Jill, a 20-year veteran of the digital publishing world, in an effort to recoup more than the 10 percent of sale profits Braff was getting with a mainstream publisher. Using the advance from his second novel “Peep Show,” Braff and his wife hired a team of printers, designers, publicists and the like to create their own publishing house that could better connect with readers through digital marketing, he said.

So far, everything has been going as well as they hoped.

“It’s much, much better reaching people this way,” Braff said. “Everything is working right now. A wave is building, and I feel it each day. A great deal of social media is always bubbling. My Twitter accounts are going up, my Facebook reach is going very high. And I’m booked for readings, I’m doing interviews and I’m aiming for TV.”

Right now, however, Braff said he is looking forward to returning home to the South Orange and Maplewood area. Braff, who grew up in South Orange and graduated from Columbia High School, credited the towns’ economic and cultural diversity for providing a wealth of influences for him to draw on for his writing. He fondly remembered crossing the creek behind the police station to get to South Orange Middle School, an experience about which he has written.

In the future, Braff said he hopes to add more writers to Prince Street’s stable. As for his own career, he said a collection of his short stories will be published soon. After that, he promised another novel will be on its way, possibly including a character with whom fans will surely be familiar.

“I may or may not continue with the protagonist from ‘The Daddy Diaries,’” Braff said. “The response has been very good.”

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — With the excitement of last month’s election has come some uncertainty regarding the laws for filling vacant seats on the South Orange Board of Trustees.

On May 12, Sheena Collum was elected the village’s first female president. As a result, her seat on the Board of Trustees is now vacant.

During the board’s executive session on June 8, members discussed what the next step should be, coming to the conclusion that it is not altogether clear.

First and foremost, according to Collum in a June 9 email to the News-Record, the board plans to appoint a replacement trustee at its June 22 meeting.

Under Article 2.4 of the South Orange Village Charter, the Board of Trustees has the power to appoint someone to serve the remainder of a vacated, unexpired term. Since Collum’s term as a trustee began in May 2013, the seat would then be held by an appointee until May 2017.

“If the trustees fail to appoint someone by affirmative vote of at least four trustees by the second regular meeting following the vacancy, which would be June 22, the vacancy would be filled by a special election,” Collum explained. “Holding a special election would cost the village significant money — roughly $25,000 to do so.”

To avoid this expense, Collum told the News-Record that the Board of Trustees intends to appoint someone to fill her former seat June 22.

While this may seem clear, it becomes more complicated when the charter-review process is taken into account. Every 12 years, the village government, with the help of a Charter Review Committee, conducts a charter review to address any errors in the village’s charter and to update it.

According to Collum, during the most recent charter-review process, the Board of Trustees and the Charter Review Committee has unanimously recommended that Article 2.4 be changed, bringing the village in line with the majority of the state, which follows New Jersey law.

“State law provides that the governing body can appoint someone until the next municipal or general election, whichever comes first,” Collum explained. “In this instance, that would mean the Board of Trustees can appoint someone until November 2015, at which point an election would be held to fill the unexpired term.

“This recommendation was accepted by the Board of Trustees and the amended charter was submitted to the Office of Legislative Services for review and introduction through the New Jersey State Legislature,” Collum continued. “To date, the Legislature has not introduced or voted on the passage of a bill putting our new charter into effect, and thus, we’re seeking legal opinions on what our options are.”

Village Administrator Barry Lewis Jr. was quick to remind the News-Record that the November election would be a general election, one incurring no additional costs for South Orange.

According to Collum, the village government will likely know by June 22 whether the appointed trustee will serve through November 2015 or May 2017.

But if residents were at all anxious about what electing a current trustee as president would mean for their government, it certainly did not show in the election numbers.

According to the official election results, recently authorized and released by Essex County Clerk Christopher Durkin, Collum won big May 12.

Collum garnered 1,434 votes, or 70.3 percent, while her opponent, Emily Hynes, only earned 604 votes, or 29.6 percent. Of the 13 voting districts, Collum won the majority of votes in each.

Re-elected trustees Deborah Davis Ford, Howard Levison and Mark Rosner, who were all running unopposed, each garnered approximately 30.2 percent of the vote, keeping them fairly tied. Levison earned the most votes, followed by Rosner, then Davis Ford — but Levison only had 38 votes more than Davis Ford. There were 142 write-in votes, a rather large number.

Of course, these numbers do not necessarily reflect the entirety of the village, as voter turnout still remained fairly low. Only 16.56 percent of registered South Orange voters cast ballots in this election. This was a bump from the 2011 municipal election, when Alex Torpey beat former Trustee Janine Bauer by 14 votes, with a voter turnout of only 11 percent.

Photo Courtesy of Annemarie Conte
Annemarie Conte of the SOMA Mothers & More brings diaper donations to the Sierra House in East Orange.

MAPLEWOOD/SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — Making the choice between food or a clean diaper for a child is never easy, and the local chapter of Mothers & More recently held a diaper drive to alleviate the need to choose for one local women’s home.

The South Orange/Maplewood Mothers & More held the drive during April and May, placing collection boxes at public locations throughout the two towns, as well as at two private locations. Once the drive had ended, the diapers were donated to East Orange’s Sierra House, a transitional living home for young women.

This year’s collection efforts resulted in more than 7,700 diapers, more than double the 3,500 diapers collected during last year’s drive.

In an interview with the News-Record, Annemarie Conte, the SOMA M&M community outreach chairperson, said a few factors had contributed to the success of this year’s drive.

“In addition to local businesses in the community, we were also able to place boxes at two day care facilities,” Conte said. “Many times, when parents would come to pick up their children they would place their extra diapers in there.”

The two day care facilities were Village Babies Development Center in South Orange and the South Mountain YMCA Childcare in Maplewood. The other drop-off locations in the community included The Rack and Village Coffee, both in Maplewood, and the UPS Store and Munchie’s Take a Lickle Taste, both in South Orange.

Mothers & More is a national organization, and this local chapter boasts approximately 500 members, who hail from the two towns and the surrounding areas. Conte said there are many subgroups within the organization, including stroller rollers, book clubs, moms of twins and collection drives.

“The national organization does a diaper drive every year, but it’s up to each chapter to decide what that means to them, and who they want to select as a recipient,” Conte said.

For families struggling to make ends meet, the choice between putting food on the table or having the appropriate amount of diapers for a child is a nearly impossible one.

“Mothers & More members find great value in advocating to improve mothers’ lives, so this diaper drive allows us to do just that, to work together as a community to help better the lives of low-income moms, as well as call attention to a real problem affecting too many mothers,” Conte said.

“I think people are inherently good and want to help, and it is directly tangible,” Conte continued. “You can understand the stress of not having clean diapers for your baby. With money you don’t exactly know where it’s going.”

The importance of clean diapers for a child is a sentiment also echoed by Keely Freeman, the executive director of Sierra House. Sierra House is a transitional home for women between the ages of 18 and 25, serving single women, mothers and expectant mothers.

In an interview with the News-Record, Freeman expressed her sincere gratitude for the diaper donation to her organization.
“At any given time there are up to 20 women and children living here,” Freeman said. “We’re really fortunate that they chose to donate to us because there are many shelters in the area that could have been picked.”

Freeman said the collection drives done by groups like Mothers & More are what help to fill the gap of need for the residents of Sierra House.

“The average person stays at Sierra House for six to 12 months, depending on their situation when they enter the program,” Freeman said. “When you’re a homeless mother, something like Pampers makes a big difference. Then you don’t have to spend all day worrying about where you’re going to get some.”

Photo by Sean Quinn
Above, scholarship recipients and Columbia High School Scholarship Fund trustees gather June 11 at the high school. The fund gave $165,000 to 107 CHS seniors and alumni to help them pursue higher education.

MAPLEWOOD/SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — The Columbia High School Scholarship Fund granted $165,000 worth of scholarships to 107 graduating seniors and alumni at its award ceremony in the CHS Library on June 11.

This is the largest sum the fund has been able to give away in its 92-year history, according to CHSSF President Joan Lee, significantly adding to the fund’s legacy; more than $1 million in scholarship dollars have been awarded since it was founded in 1923. The CHSSF’s goal of raising more than the $140,000 it granted last year was reached this year, and Lee pointed out that the fund will strive to give even more next year.

Monetary goals aside, Lee said what matters most to the fund is that, through its work, Columbia High School students are given the chance to pursue their dreams of higher education.

“School is so prohibitively expensive for many of our students,” Lee told the News-Record prior to the ceremony. “Anything that we can do to help them — even if it’s just buying books — and to show them that someone believes in them, is really important.”

Any past or present CHS student intending to pursue some form of higher education — whether a four-year university, a technical program or a medical school — can apply for one of the CHSSF need-based scholarships with a transcript and a tax return. The fund’s selection committee then picks as many applicants as financially feasible, choosing those who have demonstrated they are both academically serious and fiscally worthy. This year 119 applications were submitted, Lee said.

But the scholarship recipients are not just names on an application to the fund trustees, according to CHSSF Vice President Brigid Casey. Casey said that the trustees, all of whom are volunteers and CHSSF parents themselves, are actually emotionally invested in the students as they reapply each year and report on their educational progress. In effect, she said talking about the applicants becomes like discussing family.

“You do develop a really personal, warm feeling about them because you know these kids and you know how hard they work,” Casey told the News-Record while setting up for the event. “We feel real pride in what they do.”

And judging from the scholarship recipients who attended the ceremony, the fund’s generosity is certainly appreciated.

Graduating senior Brandon Jones said his $1,500 scholarship will be a “big help” to him and his parents, who he said are working overtime to help him pay for college. Jones, who plans to attend a county college for two years before moving on to Kean University to study game design and development, added that the money is an incentive to work diligently as he pursues his degree.

“It just gives me a lot more motivation in school,” Jones told the News-Record. “Now that I’ve got this, it takes a lot of stress off me.”

Samantha Fagundez, who recently received her second $1,500 scholarship from the fund, knows well the benefits of the fund’s money. Having just finished her first year at Rutgers University, where she is majoring in ecology with a specialization in wetland ecology, Fagundez said the money is essential in helping her pay for classes.

Fagundez expressed gratitude to CHS for offering a fund for its students, pointing out that it should not be taken for granted.
“Here you always hear about the CHS Scholarship Fund, and it’s a big thing in our community,” Fagundez told the News-Record. “But when I tell people at school that I got a scholarship through my high school, they’re so impressed with that because it’s not a common thing for high schools to have that. And the fact that we do shows just how much Columbia is trying to put forward its students.”

Fagundez is not the only one in her family to benefit from the CHSSF. Her mother, Corey Ayala-Fagundez, told the News-Record that her older daughter was able to graduate from college thanks in large part to the fund’s scholarships, and now works as a schoolteacher in Newark.

Seeing the impact the CHSSF has had on her children, Ayala-Fagundez said she is beyond thankful. “Words cannot explain it,” Ayala-Fagundez said. “It’s made the difference. It made it a possibility for them to go.”

Yet none of that benefit would be possible without the generosity of the South Orange-Maplewood community, Trustee Madeline Tugentman told the News-Record. Tugentman, who serves as co-chairwoman of the development committee, said the fund is proud to receive the support of numerous residents and local organizations impassioned to help CHS students, many of whom do not even have children at the school. The fact that the CHSSF has been so successful through the years demonstrates the giving nature of the community, she said.

“Maplewood and South Orange come together for the children’s sake,” Tugentman told the News-Record prior to the ceremony. “Everybody is helping put the graduates through school. It’s wonderful.

“The community gives so selflessly and generously,” she continued. “And that is just awe-inspiring.”

One of the fund’s most loyal donors is the Bass Foundation, a Maplewood-based nonprofit dedicated to meeting the needs of underserved communities. Executive Director Peggy Barnett told the News-Record that the foundation donated $15,000 and three laptop computers to the fund this year. As the mother of two CHS graduates, Barnett said she knows firsthand how well the school prepares its students for higher education, so helping graduates follow through and attend college means a lot to her organization.

“We want to give these kids a chance to do their best, to succeed, to know that they are supported and that they can reach for the stars just as well as someone who has more money,” Barnett said before the event started. “Every year we meet the students here that are the recipients of the scholarship and we feel that it is money very, very well-spent.”

Donor Jacqueline L. Cusack not only wanted to help the students of CHS — she felt obliged to give back. Cusack, who served as the event’s guest speaker as well as being a fund trustee and former assistant superintendent of the South Orange-Maplewood School District, said everyone with the financial means capable should help young people get their start in life because they are the ones who will further society in the future. And in turn, she said those students benefited today should support the next generation.

Right now, though, Cusack urged the students to be trailblazers as they embark on the next phase of their lives. Instead of following the crowd and making decisions to please others, she encouraged them to use their scholarships to follow their own dreams.

Because it is only by creating a new path that you can truly help those who follow, Cusack said.

“Our young people have so many gifts to give,” Cusack told the News-Record after the ceremony. “It is important that they feel valued as contributors to society and not just takers. We want them of course to accept these scholarships to help them get on their feet. But we want them to turn this into a step that allows them to be on the giving end, the problem-solving end, the end of creating new opportunities for others that follow.

“This is about improving our world,” she continued. “It’s about making it better not only for those of us who will be alive to appreciate it when these young people gear up to be trailblazers, but to make it better for those who follow.”

To contribute to the CHSSF, visit http://www.chssf.org/.

Photo Courtesy of Kevin McLaughlin, who directed, edited and produced a documentary about the 1967 riots in Newark.

Photo Courtesy of Kevin McLaughlin
McLaughlin, left, is interviewed by Seton Hall University professor Thomas Rondinella at a June 13 event on the campus.

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — Seton Hall University served as the gateway into a painful time in recent history as university alumnus Kevin McLaughlin presented a private screening of his documentary about the 1967 Newark Riots, “The Week that Changed the World,” on campus June 13.

McLaughlin is the film’s director, editor and producer. He spent five years working on the documentary, which chronicles the city of Newark and the ways in which it was affected by the rioting that took place there from July 12 to 17, 1967. “The Week that Changed the World” features interviews with numerous people who were present during the conflict, including first-responders, politicians and ordinary residents. Every mayor elected in Newark since the riots contributes commentary as well. Emmy-winning actor Andre Braugher, a South Orange resident, narrates the film.

The event was held in the Jubilee Auditorium, and many attendees, who brought their families along, had actually been interviewed for the documentary.

The screening commenced with an introduction from Seton Hall professor Peter Savastano, who was also featured in the documentary. Savastano spoke about being born and raised in Newark, and attending the now defunct Essex Catholic High School.

“The events in the summer of 1967 had a profound effect on me as someone who was very involved in the civil rights movement,” Savastano said. “I was young and didn’t understand at the time what was going on. I just knew something very troubling and very sad was happening.

“It wasn’t until graduate school that I really began to understand,” Savastano continued. “From 1995 through 2002 I did field work on the riots, talking to residents and getting their oral histories.”

In the wake of recent demonstrations of civil unrest in Ferguson, Mo., and Baltimore, Md., Savastano advocated the documentary as a timely reminder that all lives matter, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity or sexual orientation.

The documentary itself details the history of Newark prior to 1967, highlighting the economic hardships, lack of decent housing and consistent political disenfranchisement of the city’s black residents. The film addresses the fact that Newark was mainly divided by race, and further separated along ethnic lines, with Italian, Irish and black residents making up the largest segments of the population.

In addition to interviewing current residents, the documentary includes many historical clips of political figures from Newark’s complex political past, including former Mayor Hugh Joseph Addonizio and police Director Dominick Spina.

The documentary is in fact dedicated to McLaughlin’s father, Jim McLaughlin, a retired Newark Fire Department captain featured in the film, which includes interviews with several first responders present during those troubling five days in 1967.

A recurring theme throughout the documentary is that there were no deaths among the civilians or police until Gov. Richard Hughes called in reinforcements from the National Guard and the New Jersey State Troopers.

The film balances the differing opinions of those interviewed; some residents felt law enforcement was heavy-handed, while the police and firefighters who stood firm in their belief that they had done their job to the best of their ability.

The documentary also looks at the aftermath of the riots, which included a significant decrease in Newark’s population and a change in the racial makeup of the city. According to the film, between 1950 and 2000, Newark’s population decreased by 40 percent.

Perhaps no neighborhood in the city has reflected this more than Vailsburg, where filmmaker Kevin McLaughlin and Rahjta Ren, the film’s score composer and McLaughlin’s oldest friend, were raised.

The documentary also briefly highlights the tides of political change that took place in Newark with Kenneth Gibson being elected mayor in 1970 and becoming the first African-American mayor in any major Northeastern city.

Interviews with Newark mayors Gibson, Sharpe James, Cory Booker and Ras Baraka are all included in the film. Also featured are prominent figures from Newark’s movement for education and awareness in the aftermath of the riots, including Rutgers professor Clement Price and former Poet Laureate of New Jersey Amiri Baraka, the current mayor’s father.

A question-and-answer session followed the screening of the film, with Seton Hall professor Thomas Rondinella facilitating questions for McLaughlin.

“My inspiration was growing up in the shadows of the riots as a Newark resident,” McLaughlin told Rondinella. “This project took five years to complete and I discovered that nothing happens with just one phone call.”

The film’s crew also included a number of other SHU grads, including Dave Emmerling, Walter Shoenknecht and Bill McEvoy, who are all part of Midnight Media Group, a Millburn production company and one of the film’s benefactors.

McLaughlin has submitted the documentary to film festivals with the hope of having it shown to a wider audience. Visit www.weekthatchangedtheworld.com.

Photo Courtesy of Kristy Ranieri / At the grant-awarding event are, front row, from left, Kristy Ranieri of the Seth Boyden Green Team; Maplewood Deputy Mayor Kathleen Leventhal; South Orange-Maplewood School District business administrator Cheryl Schneider; Salimah Latham, co-president of the Marshall School PTA and Green Team; and Russell J. Furnari, manager of Environmental Policy Enterprise at PSEG. And, back row, from left, are Clare Payton of the Clinton Green Team; Heather McCall, director of Sustainable Jersey for Schools; Lisa Gleason, a stakeholder engagement specialist at PSEG; and Sustainable Jersey Co-Director Randall Solomon.

MAPLEWOOD/SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — Sustainable Jersey for Schools announced the 31 New Jersey schools and four school districts selected to receive a Sustainable Jersey for Schools Small Grant funded by the PSEG Foundation on June 19. This first cycle of grants will support initiatives, including the planning of a green school building, achieving a no-foam cafeteria zone, implementing a districtwide green cleaning program, promotion of water-hydration stations, development of school teaching gardens, sustainability-education initiatives and more.

The South Orange-Maplewood School District and the Seth Boyden School were both awarded grants. The district will receive $10,000 and the school, $2,000.

The SOMSD will use its grant to purchase high-efficiency particulate-arrestance vacuums for district use and fund appropriate training for proper use of the vacuums as well as professional development in green cleaning in general. Funds will be used for the purchase of additional recycling containers for schools to support districtwide green team initiatives.

Seth Boyden will use its grant to support a teaching garden and the launch of a green team.

“We are very proud to have been awarded Sustainable Jersey for Schools grants both as a district, and for one of our elementary schools,” acting Superintendent James Memoli said in a release. “These awards will be invaluable as we continue our commitment to teaching students about sustainability, and modeling green practices ourselves.”

Currently, 81 districts and 220 schools have registered to work toward Sustainable Jersey for Schools certification.

“This is a win for schools across New Jersey. These grants, funded by the PSEG Foundation, will help support districts and schools as they participate in the first year of the Sustainable Jersey for Schools program,” Donna Drewes, who co-directs Sustainable Jersey with Randall Solomon, said in the release. “Grant funding will build capacity and support schools as they embark on sustainability projects.”

This is the inaugural funding cycle for the Sustainable Jersey for Schools program with $100,000 in funding from the PSEG Foundation for school districts and schools to use for sustainability projects.

“A core element of the PSEG Foundation is directing funding and resources to schools to aid them in building stronger, more resilient communities,” PSEG Foundation President Ellen Lambert said in the release. “Through our foundation giving, we support and partner with those organizations that set the pace and empower a brighter future.”

Along with the SOMSD, Egg Harbor Township School District, Middle Township Public School District and Barack Obama Green Charter High School will each receive $10,000.

Along with Seth Boyden, the following schools will each receive $2,000: Alder Avenue Middle School, Ann Blanche Smith Elementary School, Ashbrook Elementary School, Barclay School, Bartle Elementary School, Blairstown Elementary School, Bret Harte Elementary School, Cape May City Elementary School, Cherry Hill High-East High School, Clara Barton Elementary School, E.H. Slaybaugh Elementary School, Egg Harbor Township High School, Eugene A. Tighe Middle School, Fairfield Township School, Galloway Township Middle School, Green Hills Elementary School, Grover Cleveland Middle School, H. Russell Swift Elementary School, Hawes Elementary School, Henry C. Beck Middle School, Highland Park High School, Highland Park Middle School, Irving Primary, James Caldwell High School, Middle Township #4 Middle School, Millbridge Elementary School, Ocean City Intermediate School, Rutherford High School, Von E. Mauger Middle School and Watchung Elementary School.

Proposals were judged by an independent Blue Ribbon Selection Committee. The Sustainable Jersey for Schools grants are intended to help school districts and schools make progress toward a sustainable future in general, and specifically toward Sustainable Jersey for Schools certification.

MAPLEWOOD/SOUTH ORANGE, NJ —Residents of both South Orange and Maplewood packed the Baird Center at the South Orange Board of Trustees’ public forum June 17 to voice their opinions on what should be done with the former Jersey Animal Coalition building on Walton Avenue, but their ideas proved to be decidedly split between two concepts.

Numerous community members spoke passionately in favor of keeping the building, which is located at 298 Walton Ave., as an animal shelter — one that would be better managed than the JAC — that would prevent local animals from being taken to kill shelters, as they are currently. But just as many argued that the village-owned property should be used in a way that benefits all of South Orange.

The latter opinion, advocated largely by people who live in the immediate area of the building, was backed up by residents who said that the number of animals handled by village animal control officer Melanie Troncone did not warrant the use of the building to house them. According to deputy village administrator Adam Loehner, Troncone picks up one dog per month and five to seven cats per month that need sheltering.

Allison McInerney Bell said those numbers were far too low to consider using the building as a shelter, especially when it could be used more “creatively.” Bell said now is a perfect chance to turn the property into a space that could complement the village’s growth, such as a childcare facility, a senior citizen center or a new home for Village Hall.

“The size and the sheer space of this location suggest that we have other exciting opportunities for the community,” Bell said. “South Orange is growing and improving in many exciting ways, and I think an opportunity to represent that in this real estate opportunity is before us. I’d hate to lose that opportunity.”

Farrell Field Park Conservancy member Dan Hubscher agreed that 298 Walton Ave. would be a prime location for Village Hall, or at least some of its offices. Hubscher explained that the nearby River Greenway project makes the area feel like the center of town, and having the hall there would only enhance that centrality. Though he raised a few other community-focused ideas for the property, he urged the board to consider Village Hall as an anchor for the location and a possibly good tenant for its neighbors.

And Bell and Hubscher were not the only ones who felt that way. In fact, Ron Charles, an engineer, said it was his professional opinion that Village Hall would be a beneficial replacement at the JAC building for a number of reasons, starting with the fact it would be fiscally responsible of the village to save rent money by moving its hall to a property that it already owns. The building layout itself also is ideal for housing offices with all the utilities of a modern structure, Charles said, and its zoning allows for a second floor to be added for more room. Additionally, he pointed out that the government’s presence would remain downtown while also overlooking the Rahway River.

But even if Village Hall is not relocated to the property, many residents stressed that another shelter is not right for the neighborhood. Marisa Tamayo said the JAC was a “horrible” place to live near, pointing out that it took in more animals than it was allowed but turned away her own dog when it was hit by a car. It also let dogs bark outside late at night and left food outside for its cats, which she said attracted rats to the area. The JAC was subsequently shut down by the local and state health departments.

Citing her bad experiences and state statistics that most private shelters fail within 10 years, Tamayo said 298 Walton Ave. should not return to its original purpose.

“We have to think very strongly and clearly about where this is located,” Tamayo said. “Do we need a shelter? Sure. But not in that location.”

Barbara Canace, another Conservancy member, also brought up her concerns about putting in another shelter in case it turned out to be another like the JAC, which she believes was responsible for the stray cat problem and also brought in dogs from South Carolina. Canace said residents can work together to return lost dogs to their homes, while the property can be used in a way that incorporates the River Greenway project and benefits South Orange.

“We have so much potential,” Canace said. “I think that we have to look in a much broader way to see how to serve the community, not just a limited amount of the community.”

Yet many of the community members in attendance at the forum were adamant that another shelter is exactly what the village needs, and they spoke at length as to why.

Laura Himmelein, a board member of Furry Hearts Rescue, said Loehner’s figures regarding the number of animals Troncone picks up for sheltering are misleading because residents know if they call the animal control office, the animals will be taken to a kill shelter. As a result, Himmelein said Furry Hearts, a Maplewood nonprofit that performs trap-neuter-vaccinate-return with feral cats, is being inundated by calls, which is causing it to take in more animals than it can handle and is seriously depleting its resources.

Clearly, Himmelein said, another shelter is warranted in the JAC’s place.

“People in this community desperately want a no-kill shelter,” Himmelein said.

Throughout the evening, many residents did indeed criticize the kill shelters that South Orange has been using since the JAC’s closure, with Claire Roberts highlighting the 40-percent 2013 kill rate of Associated Humane Societies of Newark. Citing a state health department report, Virginia Canino also said the East Orange Animal Shelter euthanized animals without scanning for chips and did not have the proper dosing scales for euthanasia drugs, among other allegations she has heard.

Canino also pointed out that Kimani Griffith, a veterinarian who has been previously sued for negligence, is involved with both the East Orange shelter and Country Lakes Animal Clinic, both of which are being used by the village.

Elizabeth Demkin additionally brought up a case with which most local animal lovers are probably familiar — the cats rescued from a hoarder’s home in South Orange that were later euthanized after Troncone brought them to Country Lakes. Demkin viewed this as unacceptable, and she said residents should also refuse to accept the fact that South Orange and Maplewood are relying on Furry Hearts — which has helped 104 cats in Maplewood alone this year, according to the nonprofit — to do what a shelter could accomplish in the JAC building.

“Do you think we should be proud to be people who leave it to a small, private rescue to use their meager resources for shelter, vetting and basic care of our animals?” Demkin asked.

Evidently, many people did not think so, and they put forth several reasons why the building would work best as a shelter run by a private organization. Carole Leonard said she would never visit the building if it was repurposed as a senior center because it has few windows and parking spaces, with Donna Roth later pointing out that any expansions to the building or parking lot will likely hurt the nearby park.

Grace Kurak, a former JAC board member, reminded the board that it was the residents themselves who donated much of the money to fund the building’s construction to become an animal shelter. Kurak also suggested that a new animal shelter could work with South Orange and Maplewood to generate revenue by charging for grooming, spaying, neutering and licensing, among other services.

Speaking of licensing, Bob Chandross said he was outraged that Loehner said only 420 dogs and 84 cats are licensed in South Orange, when he believes those numbers should be much higher. He also expressed concern that the JAC building might be used for something other than an animal shelter when the village should have been inspecting the JAC to prevent it from getting so bad in the first place.

In short, Chandross said he was proud to live in a community that had an animal shelter, and he said South Orange would only hurt itself if it were to go on without one.

“I think it would be a horrible black mark on this community for us to give up a shelter building that people donated their money to and just go on sending our animals to some mill where they’re going to get murdered,” Chandross said. “I’ll be darned if I’m going to stay in a community where there’s such a miserable, cavalier attitude that you’d just throw the animals into a ditch.

“I think it’s about time you face reality, put that building back into order as an animal shelter and get some contracts with other communities that need a place to send their animals and hopefully will pay us some revenue,” he concluded to loud applause.

Before ending the meeting, Loehner informed the audience that two animal shelters did tour the building, but both later told the village they were not interested in taking it over. Trustee Mark Rosner also raised the idea of working with Essex County to provide animal services as well as looking at alternate shelter locations in Maplewood.

Overall, village President Sheena Collum said she was pleased to receive so much input from the community. While no recommendation will be made to the board yet, Collum promised that the trustees will consider all that was said during the forum, especially the need to provide low-kill animal services, either through starting a new shelter somewhere in town or contracting with a reputable outside group.

No matter what, Collum said residents will be kept informed of all developments moving forward.

“What I can commit to you is transparency,” Collum said. “If we have to do this again, we will do it again. We’ll keep doing it again until we’re in a good place and we can make sure everyone knows what we’re doing and specifically why we’re doing it.”

Correction: This article was updated to reflect Ron Charles’ position correctly. He is an engineer who lives in South Orange.

Photo by Shanee Frazier
The Aspiring Kindness Foundation presents the South Orange Police Department with a check for $3,000 that will be used to fund the Junior Police Academy.

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — The Aspiring Kindness Foundation was granted perfect weather as the group held its third annual charity golf outing on June 22 at the Rock Spring Club in West Orange to raise money for fire-prevention programs at Seton Hall University in South Orange.

The AK Foundation has raised more than $85,000 in the five years since it began and has made donations to Saint Barnabas Burn Center, the South Orange Fire Department, the Blood Center of New Jersey, the South Orange Rescue Squad and other similar organizations.

This year marks the 15th anniversary of the devastating Boland Hall fire on the SHU campus that claimed the lives of three students, including Aaron Karol, for whom the AK Foundation is named. In the early morning hours of Jan. 19, 2000, two students, who had allegedly been drinking, started a fire in the dormitory that quickly spread, taking three lives and injuring 58 others. The arsonists were each sentenced to five years in prison, though neither served more than three.

The Aspiring Kindness Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit public corporation, was created by childhood friends of Aaron Karol, of Dunellen. Borrowing his initials to name the philanthropic effort, the AK Foundation raises money as a tribute to Karol and the other young men who died in the fire: Frank Caltabilota Jr. of West Long Branch and John Giunta of Vineland.

The AK Foundation raises money for first responders, emergency service providers and fire safety programs. The charity golf outing is the foundation’s biggest annual fundraiser. Last year the AK Foundation exceeded its $10,000 goal, and this year has raised even more.

“It’s incredible that every year the support grows for our foundation and the golf outing. That speaks volumes to Aaron Karol’s legacy, Seton Hall University and the community, as well as the importance of our cause,” AK Foundation Executive Director Jason Tarantino said in a release. “We are proud to name Seton Hall as the benefactor for a second year in a row. This grant will be used to support a robust fire-prevention campus program.”

The charity golf outing is a daylong event that includes a round of golf with cart, use of the practice facilities, breakfast, lunch and dinner including an open bar, beer and nonalcoholic drinks in coolers throughout the course and on a beverage cart, an AK Foundation memorabilia gift, and contests and prizes.

Entry fees were $200 for an individual golfer, $750 for foursomes, and $50 for those attending only the clubhouse dinner, which included an open bar. There were also sponsorship opportunities ranging from sponsoring a hole for $200 to sponsoring the dinner for $1,000.

Gifts raffled off included tickets to New York Yankees, New York Giants and Seton Hall men’s basketball games; autographed footballs from the New York Giants and New York Jets; trips to New York City and Atlantic City; and items from South Orange boutique Kitchen a la Mode.

This year’s golf outing boasted the most impressive numbers since the organization began holding the golf outing three years ago — a record 142 golfers registered to hit the course for the day.

In addition to the annual golf outing, the foundation also holds a “Cocktail for a Cause” event every year. The proceeds from this year’s fifth annual cocktail party, which was held in March, were presented to the South Orange Police Department in a grant for $3,000 that will be used to fund the department’s Junior Police Academy.

When accepting the check for the grant, South Orange Police Chief James Chelel expressed his gratitude to both the organization and the Karol family.

“I commend the Karol family for turning a tragedy into something positive,” he said.

In an interview, Tarantino spoke about continuing the AK Foundation’s commitment to the students of Seton Hall.

“One of our upcoming projects is a fire safety and awareness campaign on campus,” Tarantino said. “It will be led by the university, and we will be funding a grant that goes toward making it happen.”

Tarantino also said that the foundation hopes to partner with the school for a fire safety week, with programming open to all students but geared toward freshman.

“Our goal is to provide grants and help impact organization,” he said.
The proceeds from last year’s Charity Golf Outing were donated to Seton Hall’s Counseling and Psychological Services, which played a critical role in helping students deal with their grief and shock after the fire 15 years ago. CAPS used the donation, in part, to host the suicide prevention exhibit Send Silence Packing in April 2015.

“Being a part of the Aspiring Kindness Foundation has been a great way for all of us to always remember our friend AK while having the opportunity to make a positive impact on the community,” AK Foundation Vice President Mike Merizio said in a release. “Knowing that our hard work can make the lives of others better is a truly rewarding feeling.”

For more information about the AK Foundation, visit www.aspiringkindness.org.

MAPLEWOOD/SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — Most members of Columbia High School’s 475-member graduating Class of 2015 wore smiles as they walked across the stage at the Essex County College Gym on June 24 to pick up their diplomas during the school’s 128th commencement ceremony, many eager to leave behind the hours of homework and late-night study sessions of high school for the freedom of college life.

But for many CHS students graduation is bittersweet, as it means leaving behind the friends with whom they have grown close during the past four years, the towns they grew up in and the families whose love and support have brought them to the next stage of their lives. As a result, a sense of nostalgia pervaded the graduation ceremony, enhanced by the video retrospective screened halfway through the event and the CHS Senior Choir’s final performance together.

Above all, this nostalgia was felt as each speaker addressed the class, providing them with a few words of wisdom as they move on from Columbia forever.

Principal Elizabeth Aaron, after telling her students that they will always hold a special place in her heart for being her first graduating class at the school, reminded them that CHS is not at all like real life in many ways. After all, Aaron pointed out, life does not come with bells or schedules or a phone call to one’s parents in the case of a missed class, which elicited cheers from the students.

But in a lot of other ways Columbia does reflect the real world, Aaron said, by containing a wide variety of both people and opportunities. CHS and the real world are also places where the right thing to do is not always the easiest, though Aaron said that does not make it less worth doing. And just as students spoke out for what they believed in at CHS, she said there will be numerous chances to do so again in society.

Overall, the principal said attending the high school has done much to prepare the students for life, something she urged them to take advantage of as they move forward.

“My advice to you is to take the lessons you have learned at Columbia and use them to shape the rest of your life,” Aaron said. “Take responsibility for your actions. Be aware of and ready to own the consequences of your decisions. Pay attention to the people around you, and be kind to them. Ask for help when you need it, and give help when you aren’t asked. Think before you speak, and always speak thoughtfully. Don’t settle for average. Aim for excellence always and when you achieve it, share it with others.

“Excellence doesn’t always come easily,” she concluded. “In fact, it often happens after much trial and error and hard work. It is worth the effort. Don’t give life half of your effort — give it all, and then some more.”

Class President Nathalie Spidle also acknowledged that Columbia shaped every student that walked its halls over the past four years. After taking a selfie from the stage with her classmates, Spidle reminded them that they are all not children anymore, but young adults on the verge of going their separate ways. As they move on, she stressed that they should be grateful for their time at CHS and for the future it has provided them.

“In a few days, months or years when you look back on high school, I hope you can all be happy for your experience because it’s what shaped the kind of person you are today,” Spidle said. “And if for whatever reason you aren’t happy with something in your life today, you have the ability to change it. Make yourself a better person. Push yourself to be the best.”

Spidle also told the class that they can do anything they put their mind to, so they can be whoever they want to be.

But who they want to be might not be the person they ever expected. Acting Superintendent James Memoli revealed that when he was a senior at Columbia in 1964 he never thought he would one day be an educator congratulating a graduating class. After thanking the parents and teachers in attendance for taking the students this far, Memoli encouraged every graduate to follow their own life’s path wherever it takes them.

“Life will take you to places you may not expect,” Memoli said. “Whatever you do next, each of you leaves here today with dreams of what you would like to accomplish and the skills, talents and passions that can help you achieve those dreams. Make the most of every opportunity that comes your way.”

Class of 2015 graduates are planning to go on to college, the military, employment and other opportunities.

The ceremony was especially bittersweet for Board of Education member Beth Daugherty, whose daughter, Lucy, is the last of her four children to graduate from CHS. Having seen many of the students grow up before her eyes, Daugherty told them how proud she was to see them accomplish so much in the years before going to college. As they leave South Orange and Maplewood, she reminded them that they will always have a community that supports them.

Daugherty also said the graduates should appreciate the fact they attended such a diverse school and put to good use the lessons they learned from experiencing issues of race, religion and sexual orientation firsthand. She urged them to continue taking the lead in discussing and acting on matters of social justice because Columbia has empowered them to be “independent-thinking and action-oriented young adults.” In doing so they will truly make a difference, she said.

“You are the leaders at Columbia now, but in a little while when you walk through those doors, you’ll enter a much bigger environment,” Daugherty said. “Believe in your power to have an impact. Bring people together and use your voice to make a difference. Continue to be confident in yourself, compassionate towards others and never underestimate what you can accomplish.”

MAPLEWOOD/SOUTH ORANGE/WEST ORANGE, NJ — Brown v. Board of Education. Loving v. Virginia. Roe v. Wade. And now Obergefell v. Hodges.

Joining those other landmark Supreme Court decisions, which drastically changed how the laws of this country were administered, is Obergefell v. Hodges, which made same-sex marriage legal nationwide. The Supreme Court ruled Friday, June 26, that it is unconstitutional to deny marriage rights to any people in this country who are two consenting adults. Additionally, all U.S. states must recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states.

The decision came in 5-4, with justices Anthony Kennedy, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan voting in favor of marriage equality, and justices Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and John Roberts, who serves as chief justice, dissenting.

The majority ruled that the right to marry is secured for all citizens, regardless of sexual orientation, under the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which assures due process and equal protection to all citizens.

In the case, 16 couples, as well as two men whose partners had died, who lived in four different states — Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee — argued that the states had no right to impinge on their freedom to enjoy the cultural, legal and financial benefits of marriage and that their rights should be recognized nationally, as they are for heterosexual couples.

The plaintiffs’ lawyers argued that, by not having their marriages recognized, gay and lesbian couples lost their rights every time they crossed a state border, causing harm; for example, in the event of a sudden hospitalization in a state that does not recognize a marriage performed elsewhere, spouses lose certain rights. They argued that this causes harm to the couples and their children.

Lawyers for the four states argued that the decision should not be decided by the Supreme Court at all, but should remain with the states to be resolved democratically through public referenda and in state legislatures.

Prior to this decision, 37 states and the District of Columbia recognized same-sex marriage. The states that did not allow or recognize same-sex marriage, but now must, are: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Tennessee and Texas.

Same-sex marriage became legal in New Jersey in 2013 after Gov. Chris Christie dropped an appeal of a court ruling allowing gay marriage. Nevertheless, this ruling impacts New Jersey residents because same-sex marriage marriages performed within the state will now be recognized as legal in all other U.S. states.

To celebrate the Supreme Court’s decision, Garden State Equality, a nonprofit organization that supports the LGBT community in New Jersey, held a celebratory rally, with citizens from throughout Essex County and beyond arriving in Maplewood on the evening of June 26 to express their pleasure at the court’s ruling on the steps of Maplewood Town Hall.

“There are hardly words to describe how excited we are,” Garden State Equality Executive Director Andrea Bowen said in a statement. “Marriage equality is a Constitutional right. We’re honored that New Jersey was a leader in the marriage-equality movement, and we’re simply elated to see the rest of the country join us in celebrating love and justice.”

North Jersey Pride, a Maplewood-based nonprofit group that promotes human rights for the LGBT community and works closely with Garden State Equality, was also pleased with the court’s decision.

“Friday’s Supreme Court ruling was a huge win for LGBT families and an extremely gratifying affirmation of all the work we and other organizations have done to advocate for full marriage equality for all loving couples,” North Jersey Pride Executive Director C.J. Prince told the News-Record in an email earlier this week. “It was a day many of us, who came out decades ago, frankly never expected to see in our lifetimes, so we are thrilled. Those of us who married in New Jersey no longer need to fear our marriages will not be recognized when we cross state lines.

“Today, there is no ‘gay marriage,’ there is no ‘straight marriage.’ There is only ‘marriage’ and its definition is the same in all 50 states,” Prince continued.

Maplewood Mayor Vic DeLuca, who spoke at the rally in Maplewood, told the News-Record that he sees this as a “great ruling for civil and human rights.”

“Now same-sex couples will be treated equally across America and their right to legally marry will not matter based on the zip code in which they live,” DeLuca said in an email earlier this week. “What does matter is who you love and who you want to spend the rest of your life with. We now can truly say we live in the land of the free, the land of the freedom to marry from coast to coast.”

South Orange Village President Sheena Collum felt the same way.
“The fight for marriage equality was a long one and Friday’s Supreme Court ruling was a big step in the right direction,” Collum said in an email interview earlier this week. “Both South Orange and Maplewood have a long history of fighting for equal rights for all our residents and it was nothing short of amazing to stand together at a rally and be a part of history together.”

West Orange officials also saw the court’s ruling as a positive step in the right direction.

“I have always been a supporter of same-sex marriage; though I am a big believer in states’ rights, I am glad the Court finally addressed this once and for all,” West Orange Mayor Robert Parisi told the News-Record last week via email. “Though there will always be debate, this ruling allows many people to formalize their lives’ personal relationships. We only get one go-around in life, and people should have the right to spend that time with whomever it is they want in the pursuit of their happiness.”

West Orange Township Council President Jerry Guarino sees the decision as a way of bringing the community closer, in mutual love and respect.

“It’s about time, because everyone is entitled to equal justice under the law. It’s a long time coming,” Guarino told the News-Record in a phone interview earlier this week, adding that this will help the community grow. “We are all one community, all one family.”

“I am thrilled that the Supreme Court made the correct decision in affirming the right of same-sex couples to marry,” U.S. Rep. Donald Payne Jr., who represents the New Jersey’s 10th Legislative District, said in a statement. “Every person should receive equal treatment and protection no matter whom they love, and the Court’s decision is a critical step toward fulfilling our promise of fairness and equality.”

While many people are celebrating the Supreme Court’s decision, not everyone in New Jersey is happy. The New Jersey Family Policy Council has lamented the decision, arguing that it strips U.S. citizens of their right to choose.

“The majority opinion of five justices is a blow to federalism and a usurpation of power not afforded to them in the U.S. Constitution,” NJFPC President Len Deo said in a statement. “The Court has added to its past bad decisions, such as Dred Scott, which deemed slaves as 3/5 human, which denied those human beings who were made in God’s image the same rights as other citizens. This is the Roe v. Wade of marriage, which will have consequences beyond this decision today.

“No one can argue about the natural complementarity of male and female in what has been known for millennia as marriage. It won’t be long before polygamists and polyamorists demand their day in court and to further distort the definition of marriage to have full recognition afforded to them as well,” Deo continued. “Throughout human history, it has always been understood that children are created by, and do best when raised by, a mother and a father. No Supreme Court ruling can alter this truth.”

The majority voters on the Supreme Court disagree.

In the majority opinion, written by Justice Kennedy, the Supreme Court holds that just because marriage has historically been between a man and a woman does not mean it must always remain so.

“That history is the beginning of these cases. The respondents say it should be the end as well. To them, it would demean a timeless institution if the concept and lawful status of marriage were extended to two persons of the same sex. Marriage, in their view, is by its nature a gender-differentiated union of man and woman. This view long has been held — and continues to be held — in good faith by reasonable and sincere people here and throughout the world,” Kennedy wrote, arguing that it is the “tradition” of marriage in which all citizens wish to be able to partake.

“Far from seeking to devalue marriage, the petitioners seek it for themselves because of their respect — and need — for its privileges and responsibilities. And their immutable nature dictates that same-sex marriage is their only real path to this profound commitment.”

Kennedy argues that, as with many other laws, this must be reinterpreted as time passes and as society changes.

“The nature of injustice is that we may not always see it in our own times,” Kennedy wrote. “The generations that wrote and ratified the Bill of Rights and the Fourteenth Amendment did not presume to know the extent of freedom in all of its dimensions, and so they entrusted to future generations a charter protecting the right of all persons to enjoy liberty as we learn its meaning. When new insight reveals discord between the Constitution’s central protections and a received legal stricture, a claim to liberty must be addressed.”

Kennedy called on the Supreme Court case of Loving v. Virginia as a prime example of the court ruling to allow citizens their right to marry. The 1967 case struck down a Virginia ban on interracial marriage and made it illegal in the United States to deny marriage licenses to couples due to a difference in race.

“The nature of marriage is that, through its enduring bond, two persons together can find other freedoms, such as expression, intimacy, and spirituality,” Kennedy wrote. “This is true for all persons, whatever their sexual orientation.”

Kennedy also attacked the notion that gay and lesbian couples make sub-par parents. He argued that there is no proof to support the claim that being raised by gay or lesbian parents damages children — quite the contrary.

“Without the recognition, stability, and predictability marriage offers, their children suffer the stigma of knowing their families are somehow lesser,” Kennedy argues.

While Kennedy supports debate and urges opponents of same-sex marriage to continue the debate, he attempted to strike down some of their top arguments, such as the claim that allowing same-sex marriage will damage marriage between heterosexual couples.

“The respondents also argue allowing same-sex couples to wed will harm marriage as an institution by leading to fewer opposite-sex marriages,” Kennedy wrote. “This may occur, the respondents contend, because licensing same-sex marriage severs the connection between natural procreation and marriage. That argument, however, rests on a counterintuitive view of opposite-sex couples’ decision making processes regarding marriage and parenthood. Decisions about whether to marry and raise children are based on many personal, romantic, and practical considerations;  and it is unrealistic to conclude that an opposite-sex couple would choose not to marry simply because same-sex couples may do so.”

Kennedy ends his dissertation by emphasizing the high regard in which same-sex couples hold marriage.

“Their hope is not to be condemned to live in loneliness, excluded from one of civilization’s oldest institutions,” Kennedy wrote. “They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right.”

In a dissent penned by Chief Justice Roberts, it is argued that it is not the Supreme Court’s place to make this decision and that the definition of marriage should be left to the states and their residents. Roberts lambastes the majority for acting as legislators rather than judges.

“But this court is not a legislature. Whether same-sex marriage is a good idea should be of no concern to us,” Roberts wrote. “Under the Constitution, judges have power to say what the law is, not what it should be.”

Roberts argued that marriage belongs between a man and a woman as the main purpose of marriage is to produce children.

“This universal definition of marriage as the union of a man and a woman is no historical coincidence,” he wrote. “Marriage did not come about as a result of a political movement, discovery, disease, war, religious doctrine, or any other moving force of world history — and certainly not as a result of a prehistoric decision to exclude gays and lesbians. It arose in the nature of things to meet a vital need: ensuring that children are conceived by a mother and father committed to raising them in the stable conditions of a lifelong relationship.”

According to Roberts, Loving v. Virginia has no bearing on Obergefell v. Hodges, as the former dictated who could enter a marriage while the latter dictates what marriage is. He questions whether this decision will pave the way for plural marriage in the future.

Roberts states that the majority’s ruling is based on their own whims and moral opinions rather than the law, and impinges on people’s right to practice their religion.

Despite Roberts’ opinion, he is in the minority and the Supreme Court’s 5-4 decision has granted marriage equality to same-sex couples.

Even with this recent and monumental step, community members still caution that there is more work to do, as some members of the LGBT community still do not have equal rights in all matters.

“As a member of Mayors for the Freedom to Marry, who signed on to a supportive legal brief in this case, I am very pleased about the Supreme Court’s ruling,” DeLuca said. “I also know the struggle for full equality is not yet over. There are already more than 100 proposed laws in statehouses across America that will erode the rights of same-sex couples. It is time to celebrate and recommit ourselves to continue the fight for full LGBT rights.”

Prince of North Jersey Pride agreed that, while proponents should certainly celebrate now, the work is far from over.

“The work is not done,” Prince said. “Most states also lack critical protections for transgender people. Most states do not prohibit workplace and housing discrimination against LGBT people, which means you can get married, but still be fired from your job or denied housing on the basis of your sexual orientation or gender identity. Gay and transgender youth are still bullied at exponentially higher numbers than their straight peers. So while, of course, we celebrate the Supreme Court’s decision, there is much work left to do and we plan to keep at it until we truly have full equality for all.”

Photo by Shanee Frazier
Columbia High School teacher Abiodun Banner, far left, stands with the young women of Ladies of Leadership at their first awards ceremony on June 25.

MAPLEWOOD\SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — Self-confidence and sisterhood took center stage as the students of the Columbia High School organization Ladies of Leadership held their first awards ceremony and banquet Thursday, June 25, at the Heart Ballroom in Montclair.

The Ladies of Leadership is the brainchild of CHS math teacher Abiodun Banner, who also participated in some of the program’s performances. With the assistance of fellow CHS math teacher Joyce Leslie, Banner also presented each student with a certificate of participation and completion for their time and dedication during the program.

Opening with CHS junior Christine King’s pensive recitation of Marianne Williamson’s poem “Our Deepest Fear,” the evening featured performances ranging from energetic dance routines to musical duets. Friends, family and CHS teachers cheered and joined in the festivities as the young women showcased their talents throughout the evening.

The Ladies of Leadership program focuses on the personal and academic growth of young women in Columbia High School; the group meets twice each week during the regular school year. For an hour after school on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, Banner and the students discussed various topics including college preparation, high school academic success, self-confidence and community service.

In a recent interview with the News-Record, Banner spoke about conceiving the idea for the club when she started her teaching career seven years ago in another school.

“I started teaching at a school that had no dress code and I noticed that the young women had no self-respect, they cursed often and dressed inappropriately,” she said. “I felt like they needed someone in the school to show them how to walk with respect and heads held high.”

Banner never forgot that dream of holding a school-based program geared toward teaching young women self-respect and academic achievement. She started Ladies of Leadership last fall, in the beginning of her second year at CHS.

Many of the students in the club were young women whom she had never taught but who heard of the organization through word of mouth and were eager to join.

“My main focus was on academics, academics, academics,” Banner said. “I wanted the students to not only succeed, but also learn how to figure out for themselves how to improve in the classroom.”

Each week the students in the club were given different tasks, sometimes academic and sometimes focused on personal growth.

“One week their task was to go speak with every teacher, regardless of if they were passing or failing the class,” Banner said. “I wanted them to begin learning how to self-advocate and start asking questions and look for help and resources without someone telling them.”

Because the majority of the organization’s members are juniors, Banner also felt it important to introduce the students to the realities of college readiness. Each student was asked what she intended to major in at college, and then the group spent time researching not only which school offered the desired programs, but also the cost of room and board at the school of choice. Banner then signed all the students up for a financial aid website and stressed the importance of finding scholarships and other forms of financial aid to defray the costs of attending college.

Although the main component of the organization was to improve academics and introduce new ways for classroom success, Banner realized that the club was also a perfect setting in which to encourage personal growth in her students.

“Some of the weekly tasks included the girls writing what they love about themselves and what they want to change. They had to do a month of self-reflection and see if they had made any changes,” Banner said. “Everything from being so flustered that a young woman says ‘IDK’ all the time to wanting to be more organized with the homework.”

Many of the students were enthusiastic about the obstacles the club helped them overcome personally and academically.

In an interview with the News-Record, junior Tiffany Motachwa said she joined Ladies of Leadership hoping to build self-confidence and join a true sisterhood.

“I’m now able to speak up more in classes and I don’t get nervous after presentations in front of people anymore,” she said. In fact, Motachwa began the evening’s program with an introduction.

Fellow junior Katrina Henrilus expressed similar sentiments in an interview with the News-Record, citing the group as a major source of encouragement for her. “When I joined the club, I hoped to get advice on how to be prepared for college and how to handle situations high school students often deal with, like bullying and how to get through classes successfully,” Henrilus said. “Now I have someone to talk to and give me advice because a lot of the time you feel like you are at your breaking point and now you have a sisterhood. I feel more prepared to handle those things.”

In addition to improving themselves, Banner also stressed the importance of engaging in activities to improve their school and local community.

During the school year, the club volunteered at the Community FoodBank of New Jersey in Hillside, held women’s toiletry and clothing drives, and teamed up with a Jersey City coalition to help the homeless by passing out clothing to the needy in Journal Square.

Now that her dream has come to fruition, Banner says that she is both proud of her students and amazed by all that she learned during the school year.

“I learned to be a lot more patient, dealing with more than 20 girls with so many different personalities, and I feel like a counselor and a relationship expert, and I was very strict,” Banner said. “At Columbia, I am known as being a really no-nonsense teacher, but they see my playful side. I learn how to be a role model while still having fun with them.”

Banner’s dedication to her students is evident; the club receives no funding from Columbia High School, so all costs are paid out-of-pocket by Banner and loyal friend Rehema Moke, who provided financial support for the banquet and also helped with food serving and set-up.

And just because the school year has ended does not mean Banner’s work has too. Although she will be teaching summer school courses, Banner will also be starting a summer SAT prep course, and holding group study sessions for the club members, many of whom will be entering their senior year in the fall.

“I truly want them to succeed; I love them like they are my own. I see that they have the potential, and I want to push it,” Banner said. “They can become ready by pushing together and working together. The more and more success you have, the more confidence you get.”

File Photo
The South Orange Board of Trustees decided June 30 to designate Landmark Hospitality as the conditional redeveloper of Village Hall, above to the left. The trustees hope the addition of a restaurant in the historic building will make that corner more vibrant and active.

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — Village Hall will remain standing, but soon it will become a restaurant. At its meeting June 30, the South Orange Board of Trustees voted unanimously to designate restaurateur Landmark Hospitality as the conditional redeveloper for Village Hall. While some residents supported the decision, it left a bad taste in the mouths of others, who made their opinions known the previous night, June 29, at the first part of the two-night BOT meeting.

Before June 30, the fate of Village Hall could have gone in either of two ways. The historic building, formerly the seat of the village’s government, could have been sold to a redeveloper for commercial use or the village could have retained ownership and renovated the decaying building.

Renovation began a couple of years ago, with an asbestos abatement completed, among other upgrades and restorations. Approximately one year ago, however, the BOT decided to pursue the alternative of selling the building, as the renovation was projected to be quite costly. The topic had been broached already approximately five years earlier, but the trustees at that time were not convinced the proposals they had received would be in the village’s best interest.

That is clearly no longer the case.

The village received two bids for the property that it found highly feasible for South Orange. The first bid, which was rejected June 30, came from Rosen Group Architecture/Design in Madison to transform the building into a boutique hotel. The second bid, which has been accepted, came from Landmark Hospitality in Jersey City to turn the first floor into a restaurant and bar, and the second floor into event space for meetings and parties.

Landmark has a history of converting historic buildings into restaurants and inns and some of its past work can be viewed by visiting www.landmarkhospitality.com or checking out its YouTube channel, “Landmark Hospitality.”

At a June 15 community forum to present the two bids and receive community feedback regarding plans for Village Hall, Frank Cretella, Landmark’s founder and principal, said the first floor of the restaurant would contain dining, a bar and lounge area, a lobby and an open kitchen. Cretella wants the restaurant to have a sophisticated tavern feel and to provide some entertainment by opening the kitchen open for diners to view.

Outdoors, Cretella plans to restore the facade — a condition of South Orange awarding the bid — and to add outdoor dining and benches to make that corner of the village more vibrant.

According to plans shown by Cretella at the June 15 meeting, the second floor would have four rooms: one larger event space that could seat approximately 125 people, according to Cretella, and three smaller meeting rooms that could also serve as cocktail-hour rooms.

Cretella said June 15 that he is excited to work on Village Hall as he loves helping buildings survive long past their expected lifespan, and sees Village Hall as a beautiful, unique building. He cited his company’s experience working with the New Jersey State Historic Preservation Office and going through the necessary steps to protect landmark locations.

“Village Hall is a spectacular building, it just needs some love,” Cretella said. “We have experience of not only going through the process with SHPO, which we do in-house, because I have a real-estate company and a construction company. So we’re familiar with that process. We’ve done it numerous times and it’s a process that we enjoy. There’s a collaboration. We work with many historic boards throughout the state, Pennsylvania and New York, and it’s something that is a process, but it’s a process that we like and I think we’re good at it.

“So I think people that are concerned with how that renovation will go should stay concerned, but rest assured that the end result will be something that everybody will be proud of,” Cretella continued.

Cretella emphasized that his company works to become part of the community and likes to give back, although he cautioned that things will likely begin slowly as the restaurant works to build its customer base. Landmark operates the Help Us Give Program, which donates 10 percent of the profit made from the three most profitable tables to community nonprofits.

Cretella said the nonprofits are chosen to receive funding from H.U.G. with input from Landmark wait staff, who are usually local.

Cretella also cautioned that the current plans, which can be seen at www.southorange.org, as well as at the Landmark website, are placeholders and are not the definitive plans.

The trustees unanimously passed Resolution No. 2015-157 on June 30, designating Landmark Hospitality as the conditional redeveloper for the property. This designation allows the village to enter negotiations with Landmark and for Landmark to finalize its blueprints.

According to Joseph Baumann of the law firm McManimon, Scotland & Baumann at the June 30 meeting, the village and Landmark will have 60 days to iron out an agreement. Baumann serves as the village’s redevelopment counsel.

As the negotiations are not yet complete, Village President Sheena Collum has said at several meetings that the village cannot yet release specific financial data regarding the sale of Village Hall. So, while the residents may not have all the information at this time, the trustees do and they decided to go with Landmark in a 6-0 vote.

Trustee Walter Clarke said June 30 that, while not all residents will agree with the board’s decision, he wants them to know that it was a difficult decision and the BOT spent a lot of time sifting through information.

“We’re going to do the right thing for the future of South Orange,” Clarke promised.

Trustee Mark Rosner said June 30 he was “pleasantly surprised” by Landmark’s and Rosen Group’s proposals, considering the lackluster proposals received five years ago. He added that using Village Hall as the seat of South Orange’s government just does not make sense. He believes the government is running more effectively out of the smaller office space it is currently renting.

“We have to do everything we can to make sure we fiscally manage everything,” Rosner said, pointing to the recent tough financial times and the fact that it makes more sense financially to move government functions elsewhere. “It will remain a historic building, will be gorgeous to look at and it will still be an icon in the center of town.”

Trustee Howard Levison said June 30 that he understands that Village Hall is the focal point of the village and he does not believe Landmark will detract from that. Levison, who chairs the Finance Committee, added that, after a detailed look at the finances regarding each possible decision, “adaptive re-use is favorable financially.”

Trustee Deborah Davis Ford also pointed out that the village only has so much money and the Village Hall renovation would be costly. She reminded residents that the village only receives approximately 28 cents of every tax dollar and, of that 28 cents, 70 percent goes to employees and public safety.

She hopes that going with Landmark will allow the village to spend the money it has earmarked for renovation on other needy buildings, such as the police station, the library, the Baird Center and the Connett building.

According to Trustee Stephen Schnall, while the financial aspect is important, one must also look at other dimensions — “quantitative and qualitative.”

“It’s more than just dollars and cents,” Schnall said June 30. “In order to protect the building and its history going forward, I think the restaurant, with its background and experience, will be able to do things we would not have been able to do.”

Trustee Jeffrey DuBowy, who filled Collum’s empty seat after she won the election for village president, reminded the audience that just because a building has been used for a certain purpose, that does not mean it cannot be used for another. He also said the June 30 vote does not set anything in stone and, moving forward, the village will continue to look for the best options when necessary.

Collum, who as village president does not have a vote, also expressed her faith in Landmark’s ability to make that corner more vibrant. She explained that, although back in 2011 she had been opposed to adaptive re-use, the options brought to the table in 2015 are much better. Also, she now knows more about the village’s finances and knows its government does not need an entire building, as personnel numbers have been reduced and more services are being digitalized.

While South Orange’s elected officials were united in the belief that Landmark’s purchase of Village Hall will be beneficial in the long run, residents were not all convinced. The audience seemed to be split, with half supporting adaptive re-use and half urging for renovation and restoration.

The initial public comment on the Village Hall issue occurred June 29; as there was a lot to discuss, the BOT decided to hold the meeting during two nights. Although there was some confusion June 30 as to the proper format of the meeting, the meeting June 30 was merely a continuation of the official meeting begun the previous night.

While some residents felt that they were not given adequate time and opportunity to voice their opinions on Village Hall’s future, Baumann pointed out that the decision process has been ongoing for several months and has included analysis from experts and public meetings. Collum the BOT has received advisory opinions from the South Orange Historic Preservation Commission, the South Orange Village Center Alliance and the Development Committee.

Some of the most vocal opponents were members of the HPC. HPC member Amy Dahn presented a short video — which can
be viewed on YouTube here — explaining some of the commission’s reasons for opposing adaptive re-use.

In the video, Dahn said: “Selling Village Hall is like selling your parents, grandparents and great-great-grandparents. Would you do that? If we sell Village Hall, we will forever lose the ability to care for the building. An historic preservation easement will not fully protect the building. A developer who purchases Village Hall can do the same thing the village has done.

Deferred maintenance of this venerable building and a full year left open to the elements has only furthered its decay.”

HPC member Elyse Carter was quoted in the video as saying that, while a boutique hotel and tavern-like restaurant would be welcome in South Orange, it is a bad idea to consider putting either in Village Hall.

“The restaurant and hotel proposals are very impressive, but to displace our government offices is shortsighted,” Carter said. “I would like to remind each member of the Board of Trustees that the decision will be your biggest legacy.”

HPC member Karen Marlowe said in the video that it is impossible to support the project when the finances have not been disclosed. Additionally, she believes it sets a bad precedent for selling off beloved landmarks.

“Don’t get me wrong, the proposals are very sexy, but merely eye candy to anyone viewing them at this point,” Marlowe said in the video. “All window dressing and no substance.”

Several other HPC members spoke at the June 29 meeting session to read aloud the two letters sent from the HPC to the BOT opposing the adaptive re-use, listing some reasons as lost finances considering the renovation tasks already completed, gambling with the village’s history and the government’s image, and potentially harming future generations.

Resident Thomas Hut also worries about the future. He expressed concern that a restaurant may not be a permanent solution.
“I have seen firsthand how development can flicker and flame out,” Hut said June 29. “We need a use for this building that is permanent and fixed. Government is permanent.”

Resident Susan Falk’s main concern was that she felt the village was being disrespectful to the building and its older residents.

“We need to teach our kids, our town, our citizens the respect for something that is old. It needs care. So what? Will it last forever? It may not last forever,” Falk, a resident since 1968, said June 29. “Treat it with respect. Treat it with love. Treat it the way you would a senior member of your family.”

Falk also borrowed the slogan of the Village Keepers in Maplewood: “Keep the village a village.” Ironically, that slogan was coined in opposition to Maplewood’s proposed post office redevelopment plans in the hope that the township will take a closer look at adaptive re-use; here, South Orange is pursuing adaptive re-use and meeting with pushback from residents.

Many residents have expressed concern that if a private owner, such as Landmark, should fail in its business venture, the owner may simply decide to demolish the building. A private owner is not constrained under the same restrictions as a municipality.

Baumann explained, however, that a historic easement is being placed on the property, which will protect the building, so that private owners cannot demolish it. He explained that the easement will “preserve Village Hall in perpetuity.”

While many residents spoke out against adaptive re-use, many residents supported it.

South Orange Village Center Alliance Executive Director Bob Zuckerman read a letter from SOVCA Board of Trustees Chairman Matt Glass saying how excited the association is for a restaurant or hotel to come into the village center.

Zuckerman and Glass expressed that Village Hall, as a government building, does not bring people into the village on weekends or weeknights. They have faith in Landmark, saying its past projects show that it has succeeded on similar projects. They did caution, however, that a plan for parking should be considered.

Village Hall is already an example of adaptive re-use, pointed out resident Brian Nesin, who serves on the Development Committee. Nesin reminded the audience that Village Hall served as a fire station before becoming the seat of village government in the 1970s.

“It has never been a great village hall,” Nesin said June 29, pointing out that it has bad circulation and “awkward spaces.” He argued that renovation will not change that, without costing an exorbitant amount. “I don’t understand why we should have our village government take from street life.”

Resident Steve Kitzinger echoed Nesin’s sentiments, saying that Village Hall has only held the government for approximately 40 years, and did not house the government for more than 75 percent of South Orange’s history. He said a private entity will better be able to restore the building. With the offers on the table and the known costs of renovation, he told the trustees that renovation by the village “would be the height of insanity.”

Resident Rich Janow encouraged pursuing adaptive re-use, especially if it is cheaper. He criticized the oft-spoken prediction that a restaurant inside the building would fail, and asked, why should it? He said that if the contract is worded well, there is no reason to worry that Village Hall will be destroyed. He argued that, whether the interior is used as a restaurant or village offices, that will not affect the exterior view. “Using it for government offices is a low-value application,” he said.

Resident Jon Vogel said that an alternative use will be better for the building and reminded the audience that South Orange does not have the best track record when it comes to renovation, saying an outside contractor with a stake in preserving the building will save Village Hall.

Vogel also questioned the wisdom of wanting to send potential investors away. “We should be embracing people who come to town with new investment ideas,” he said June 29.

Landing somewhere in the middle of the debate, Bob Barnett, a former HPC member, suggested the village retain ownership and rent the first floor to Landmark, keeping the second floor for village offices. He argued that the building qualifies for various grants as a village-owned property. More than anything, Barnett said he wants the construction sign in front of Village Hall to be removed as no work has been done there recently, and he finds it disingenuous.

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — In celebration of Independence Day, Seton Hall University President A. Gabriel Esteban has been recognized as a “Great Immigrant” by the Carnegie Corporation of New York. Esteban, the first Filipino president of a major American university, will be among the 38 “Great Immigrants” nationally honored this year.

The 2015 “Great Immigrants: The Pride of America” initiative includes individuals who have helped advance and enlighten our society, culture and economy, according to a press release from the university.

“The promise inherent in the American Dream, which has attracted immigrants to the United States for centuries, has been fulfilled in my life many times over. For that, I will be forever grateful to my adopted homeland,” Esteban said in the release. “At Seton Hall, I work to ensure that today’s young Americans — many of whom come from immigrant families — receive an education that will allow them to realize their own hopes and aspirations.”

Esteban joins the ranks of other prominent individuals being honored this year, including Nobel laureates Arieh Warshel and Thomas C. Sudhof; Pulitzer Prize-winners Geraldine Brooks and Ann Telnaes; U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara; Army Major Gen. Antonio M. Taguba; Metropolitan Museum of Art Director Thomas Campbell; Atlanta Braves Coach Eddie Perez; Olympic gymnast Nastia Liukin; actress Sofia Vergara; and television game show host Alex Trebek.

“Our founder, Andrew Carnegie, came to this country as the son of impoverished immigrants and grew up to become one of the greatest contributors to American industry and philanthropy,” Vartan Gregorian, president of the corporation, said in the release. “His devotion to U.S. democracy stemmed from his conviction that the new infusion of talent that immigrants bring to our country keeps American society vibrant.”

“On behalf of all immigrants, it is an honor to receive this distinction, which has been bestowed on luminaries from many fields of endeavor. I thank the Carnegie Corporation for its thoughtfulness in counting me among such an esteemed group,” Esteban said.

Under Esteban’s leadership, Seton Hall announced plans earlier this year to form the only private medical school in New Jersey in partnership with Hackensack University Health Network. In addition, the university established a new College of Communication and the Arts.

Most recently, Esteban was named one of the 100 most powerful business leaders in New Jersey and one of the 50 most influential individuals in health care in New Jersey by NJBIZ. He was also knighted into the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — Each year, the fourth-grade students at the Linda and Rudy Slucker Religious School at Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel in South Orange participate in “My Family Story.” Through the program’s yearlong curriculum, students and families around the world tell their Jewish stories and create family history projects. The projects of TSTI students Jordan Fishback and Carly Platt were submitted to the program’s Manuel Hirsch Grosskopf International Competition. Jordan’s “The Five Families of Jordan Fishback” was selected as a top-40 finalist — the second time a TSTI student’s project was among the international finalists.

“This wonderful program enables students to learn about their Jewish heritage and those of their classmates in a very experiential way,” Religious School Director Mindy Schreff said in a release. “Through conducting family interviews, gathering pictures of their ancestors and family heirlooms, and sharing their personal stories with the class, the students really connect with their backgrounds and get a glimpse into the diversity that makes up modern Jewish life in America.”

My Family Story is the cornerstone project of The International School for the Studies of Jewish Peoplehood within Beit Hatfutsot, The Museum of the Jewish People, located in Tel Aviv, Israel. This year, 20,000 students worldwide participated in the program, and a total of 200 competition entries were submitted for judging. The award ceremony was live-streamed from Tel Aviv on June 14, and Jordan and his family were in attendance.

When asked how he came up with the idea for his presentation, the 10-year-old from South Orange said, “I had already been thinking about finding a way to relate my project to the Torah. I realized that, with five grandparents, I could do five stories about different sides of my family. That became ‘The Five Families of Jordan Fishback.’”

Jordan earned “honorable mention” and received a certificate noting his accomplishment. Finalists were also given a free airline ticket to attend the ceremony and the Fishback family jumped at the chance to go along.

“We never expected Jordan’s project to lead to this,” said his mother, Breena Fishback, who joined Jordan on the trip along with his father, Jed; sister, Jillian; and grandmother, Doris Spector. “It presented us with a wonderful opportunity to travel to Israel and enjoy seeing some of the country as a family.”

MAPLEWOOD/SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — In a surprising move, Principal Joseph Uglialoro resigned from his position as the chief administrator at South Orange Middle School on June 30. Uglialoro’s reasons for leaving remain unknown and the South Orange-Maplewood School District is not sharing much about the sudden change in leadership.

In a June 30 letter, Uglialoro told the community that he was downcast regarding his career change, though he did not provide a reason for the switch.

“It is with a heavy heart that I am writing to inform you of my resignation as principal of South Orange Middle School,” Uglialoro wrote in the letter. “Since joining the South Orange Middle School faculty in July of 2011, I have been incredibly privileged to work each day with such a thoughtful and caring faculty and staff. During these four years we have partnered in the important, complex and challenging work of increasing access, outcomes and opportunities for all children.

“While there is still a long way to go to ensuring equity and excellence for every middle school child at SOMS, I know that together we have made substantial strides in preparing our students for success in high school and beyond, and in providing them with increased opportunities to develop their talents in the arts, music and technology,” he continued.

While Uglialoro will be leaving the SOMSD Aug. 1, he will not be a man of leisure for long. He will begin Aug. 15 as principal of Frelinghuysen Middle School in Morristown.

“Mr. Uglialoro’s principled leadership, ascending academic achievement results for all students and strong community outreach in a prestigious school district like South Orange-Maplewood were all important factors in the hiring decision,” Mackey Pendergrast, superintendent of schools for the Morris School District, told the News-Record in a July 13 email.

Uglialoro has not responded to requests for comment as to when he decided to leave SOMS or why.

His tenure at SOMS was not without incident.

At multiple Board of Education meetings, SOMS faculty and staff came forward to complain about their treatment by Uglialoro. SOMS teachers alleged that Uglialoro demeaned them, treated them unfairly and often criticized them in an unkind manner. He also came under fire for his strict adherence to the dress code, which led him to send girls home to change clothing.

In November 2013, some parents accused Uglialoro of entering the girls’ locker room while their daughters were changing; two parents filed police reports. The school district denied the allegations and no evidence was found to support the parents’ claims. No criminal charges were ever brought against Uglialoro, but many parents remained concerned following the alleged incident’s resolution.

As for school district administrators’ response to Uglialoro’s resignation, they are keeping mum.

When asked about the change in leadership in early July, Suzanne Turner, the district’s director of strategic communications, only said the district has posted a job listing for the position and will conduct its “usual search process.”

Indeed, the district posted the job opening on its website on July 6, and plans to close the application window Friday, July 17. Among the required qualifications listed in the job posting are: a New Jersey Principal or School Administrator certificate; “successful teaching experience” with middle school administrative experience preferred; leadership skills in curriculum development and program evaluation; interpersonal and collaborative skills; up-to-date knowledge of education research; technological skills; and a commitment to diversity.

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — Playin’ Around South Orange, sponsored by PNC Bank, returns this August. The public art project, now in its third year, is accepting applications from artists to decorate one of six pianos that will be placed around the South Orange downtown area beginning Aug. 24. The installations will highlight both the visual and performing arts.

The South Orange Performing Arts Center is seeking local artists and/or artistic teams to submit proposals for painting the pianos.   Applicants will be asked to submit images of prior work, or provide a website where the images can be viewed as part of the proposal/application process.

The submissions deadline is 6 p.m. on Friday, July 24, and the winning designs will be announced by Friday, July 31.

Piano artwork must be completed and ready for installation by the week of Aug. 24.

Complete information about the application and selection process can be found at the SOPAC website: http://www.sopacnow.org/news/taking-applications-from-visual-artists/.

Playin’ Around South Orange is sponsored by PNC Bank, and presented by the South Orange Performing Arts Center, the Village of South Orange, the South Orange Village Center Alliance and Seton Hall University.

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — South Orange Avenue between Cherry Lane/Brookside Drive and Wyoming Avenue will be closed to vehicular traffic from Tuesday, July 21, to Thursday, July 23, and Tuesday, July 28, to Thursday, July 30. The closures are necessary so a new arch bridge can be installed over the roadway, according to a press release from the county. This is part of the ongoing $30 million federally funded project to flatten the curves in the road, enhance motor vehicle safety and improve storm drainage.

“Closing South Orange Avenue will be an inconvenience for motorists traveling to work or school or going about their daily business; however, it must be done to maximize safety for drivers, pedestrians and construction crews,” County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. said in the release. “We ask motorists to follow our detour, plan alternate routes and give themselves additional time to travel. We appreciate the public’s cooperation and look forward to a new and improved South Orange Avenue.”

During the road closures, motor vehicles traveling eastbound on South Orange Avenue will be detoured north on Cherry Lane to east on Northfield Avenue to south on Wyoming Avenue before returning to South Orange Avenue. Motor vehicles traveling westbound on South Orange Avenue will be detoured to Wyoming Avenue to Northfield Avenue to Cherry Lane. Only local traffic traveling westbound on South Orange Avenue will be allowed to bypass the detour.

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — Several badly deteriorated roads in the North Newstead section of South Orange are in the process of being upgraded, much to the pleasure of area residents, who worked diligently to bring the streets’ poor condition to the village’s attention.

Village Administrator Barry Lewis Jr. told the News-Record that Mountain, Crestwood, Northwoods and Great Hills drives will have their surfaces milled and paved, their storm and sanitary sewer drains replaced as needed and their deteriorated curbs removed and replaced with Belgian block curbing over the course of the summer. The project began June 22 and is expected to be completed by early September, Lewis said.

According to Lewis, the project will cost approximately $1.1 million and will be paid for by the village’s bond-funded capital improvement program. Lewis said the village is undertaking this project due to the dire condition of the streets.

“The village prioritizes road repairs based on the condition,” Lewis said in a July 10 email. “These roads were among the most deteriorated in the entire village.”

Beth Haiet Meyer knows well just how bad the roads were. As a resident of Mountain Drive, she has firsthand knowledge of what she called their “horrific” condition, pointing out the streets’ numerous potholes and severely damaged surfaces. She added that loose stones and gravel made the roads potentially dangerous for the area’s walkers and bicyclists. The situation was so bad, she even recalled watching one neighbor sweeping stones out of the intersection between Glenview and Longview roads.

That is why, upon joining the Newstead Neighborhood Association Board of Trustees five years ago, Haiet Meyer said she has made street repair her top priority. In fact, she formed the ReNewstead Committee to focus specifically on making the streets safer and more beautiful while raising awareness of residents’ issues. While the committee did accomplish much — including the removal of dangling limbs and fallen branches, and helping the village obtain a $200,000 grant to improve Glenview Road — the improvement of the North Newstead streets remained a dream unrealized for a long time. She said it means a lot to her now that the village finally took notice.

“I’m so moved,” Haiet Meyer told the News-Record in a July 9 phone interview. “I can’t believe it’s being done. It has been my baby for almost five years.”

But it took a lot of work to make it happen. Haiet Meyer explained that she spent much time communicating in-person and by email with the South Orange Board of Trustees and the Department of Public Works to make her concerns known. She said she also organized and mobilized her neighbors to do the same.

Haiet Meyer said the project really took off after she informed Village President Sheena Collum about the road problems back when Collum was running for the top village position. Collum then referred Haiet Meyer to Trustee Walter Clarke, chairman of the Public Works Committee, which judged the streets in need of repair.

In the end, Haiet Meyer said her situation serves as a fine example of what can happen when the community and local government work together for the good of all. She stressed that any resident can bring about change, as long as they have a credible cause and follow the proper procedural methods.

“It speaks to the power of citizens working with government in the way that government respects and recognizes,” Haiet Meyer said. “Through committee and association, the people really can have a voice and make a difference.”

Clarke lauded Haiet Meyer for her efforts but pointed out that he did not do anything out of the ordinary to initiate the project. He said the village does not operate on a “who you know” system — rather, the village professionals use their expertise to decide where tax dollars can be spent most effectively.

Still, Clarke said it is important that residents inform village officials of any issue they feel needs attention — just as Haiet Meyer and her neighbors did. Whether it is using the free SOConnect app to report problems or communicating directly, the trustee said residents should know that the village is always eager to hear what residents have to say.

“Public input is very helpful in a variety of village safety and maintenance situations,” Clarke told the News-Record in a July 10 email. “The more eyes and ears alert to emergent situations, the better. Everyone on the Board of Trustees and in village government wants to be as responsive as possible, but there is no substitute for an engaged population at the start.”