September was a hard month in Verona. Two deaths, one young and one old, plunged the town into sadness. There was uncharacteristic crime and a major car accident. But there was also a story about inspiration: The Verona High School graduate who played himself in a movie about one of the most difficult airplane crash rescues ever.
Every month, MyVeronaNJ.com looks at what our readers have been reading, and we let you know if you have to catch up on them. Here’s what you might have missed in September 2016:
- Vanya Citrano, 15: A rising national fencer and mountain biking enthusiast commits suicide and the community mourns.
- Superintendent Statement On The Passing Of Vanya Citrano: The schools set up grief counseling to help students grieving one of their own.
- Why Vincent Lombardi Plays Himself In ‘Sully’: When he was a student at VHS, Vincent Lombardi daydreamed about being on a boat. That turned out to be a good thing for the 155 people on a USAirways flight seven years ago.
- Pompton Ave. Crash Sends Driver To Hospital: A female driver was airlifted to St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center after a difficult rescue.
- George W. Stiefbold, ‘Steppy’: The former VHS teacher and coach had put Verona soccer on the map.
- Verona Mother, Daughter Arrested In Drug Bust: The arrests of Kathy Y. Hilton-Traettino and Lauren D. Traettino followed a two-month investigation.
- It’s Never Too Late To Be Kind: Beth Shorten reflects on important human qualities.
- Driving With Coach Stiefbold: His driver’s ed class was a right of passage for a generation of VHS students.
- New Challenge For Verona’s Water Supply: A federal report on water supplies contaminated by chromium-6 finds us below the acceptable standard for California but better than other towns in Essex County.
