To qualify for Phi Omega Epsilon, a student must have completed 90 credits toward an undergraduate degree, and of these credits, 58 must have been earned at FDU and a cumulative grade point ratio of 3.20 must have been maintained for all of them.

FDU’s College at Florham is located on the former Vanderbilt-Twombly estate in suburban Morris County. Its focus is on providing outstanding on-campus and residential living
opportunities, hands-on-learning experiences, strong graduate and professional school preparation, and customized educational options, all framed by a global perspective.

Students named to the Dean’s List at the University of New Hamsphire have earned recognition through their superior scholastic performance. Highest Honors are awarded to students who earn a semester grade point average of 3.7 or better out of a possible 4.0. Students with a 3.5 to 3.69 average are awarded high honors and students whose grade point average is 3.2 through 3.49 are awarded honors.

Caldwell College is a Catholic, coed, four year liberal arts institution with a core curriculum that enhances critical thinking and analytical reasoning. Offering 29 undergraduate and 24 graduate programs including distance learning, Caldwell prepares students for today’s global marketplace. The college was founded by the Sisters of Saint Dominic of Caldwell. Core values of respect, integrity, community and excellence influence academic and campus life.

Douglas Rouse, executive director of the Northern New Jersey/Rockland County Chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation recently presented HBW Principal Yvette McNeal and HBW teachers Debbie Marsano and Meredith Bielen with a banner for the work and accomplishments. Christina Costanza was there with the JDRF to thank her school community as well.  Mrs. Marsano and Mrs. Bielen are the advisors to the HBW “Dream Team” program, which has organized a School Walk to Cure Diabetes every fall, with the proceeds going to the JDRF.  The HBW community has raised over $1,000 to go toward research for finding treatments and a cure for Type 1 Diabetes.

“There is no way for me to express my gratitude to the teachers, administrators, and the students of HBW as well as Verona as a whole for supporting this cause,” said Christina’s mother, Cindy Costanza.  “The community spirit makes this town so very special.”

What is a great event without a patriotic opening? The first “cover” of the night would come from Montclair Police Department’s Stephanie Egnazzo who delivered a mostly A capella take on the most famous from one-hit-wonder Francis Scott Key; a song that we know as “The Star Spangled Banner.” Note that it was mostly A capella, because towards the last two lines, a band in uniform were revealed behind a curtain and awoke the gods of rock in a Jimi Hendrix style salute to our great country. It was nice to see a duet between different police departments, proving that the VPD doesn’t have the only cops who rock. From there, an emcee took over and welcomed one and all to the second annual Cops And Rockers.

Now it was time for the music. At the start of the event, it wasn’t all about the big prize, a day in the recording studios of Verona’s Cat Eyez Studios. (Rocktec Music donated two Dean guitars for the audience raffles and instruments, fog machines and PA equipment for the stage. Amedia, another Verona-based business, donated some of its handmade cymbals and Chris Segarra of Legendery Entertainment was the emcee.) In fact, there were some bands that weren’t competing, and just wanted to share the stage with some local musicians and play in front of the crowd. Two acts; one trio and one solo act, provided the competition-free entertainment to Verona, and certainly did not disappoint.

The first non-competing group was The Incredible Folk featuring VHS sophomore Lucas Freschi on acoustic guitar alongside two older friends on banjo and fiddle. The bluegrass three-piece brought the theater back to Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry for some rather impressive picking. The first song was a cover of Arthur “Guitar Boogie” Smith and Don Reno’s “Feudin’ Banjos” (more commonly known as “Dueling Banjos”) made famous by the 1972 movie Deliverance. The next was one of the most famous country rock songs, “The Devil Went Down To Georgia” by The Charlie Daniels Band. Aside from a clutter of technically faulted sound problems, it was pleasant to have some American Roots music to start off the night.

Next was the second non-competing act, VHS senior Wes Ostrander. Wes’ drum cover of Dream Theater’s “Panic Attack” spoke true to the progressive-metal drumming of Mike Portnoy (ex-drummer of Dream Theater), and darkened the mood left by The Incredible Folk. Following a welcoming applause of appreciation for Wes’ way around the drum kit, was one of few constants of the night: polls. Yes, MyVeronaNJ.com provided the surveys that appeared on the rounded wall stage-left. If you were in attendance and were in possession of a cell phone that has text-messaging capabilities (and if not, get with the times), you were able to participate in the polling. Some questions were more important than others, like “what kind of music do you like,” would be deemed unimportant in comparison to voting for the band of your choice.

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Following a power outage, last year’s first place band took the stage in hopes to bring home the title once more. Fusion is made up of Austin Williams, Steve Wynen, Andrew Capuano, Nick Celfo and Ryan Yeates, who all attend VHSl. It was clear that Fusion had matured since winning last year’s contest. Vocalist Austin Williams seemed much more comfortable onstage and managed to translate his naturally theatrical voice into a post-punk/pop-rock style. The stringed aspect of the band all seemed to carry themselves at an appropriate pace, while drummer Ryan Yeates interpreted the drum parts very well, which contributed to a positive performance overall. They  performed their original with lyrics written by Ryan Yeates, “I Want To Be” and covers of Good Charlotte’s “The Anthem”, “Dying in your Arms” by Trivium, and “Monkey Wrench” from the Foo Fighters.

The next band was the first and only competing band without any VHS students in the group. Nonetheless, NaH shook the stage with a jagged grunge sound and held their own in the midst of bands that also played similar styles of music. Consisting of Ben Shooter, RJ Challice, and Zach Thomas, the Little Falls natives performed an original inspired by Guns n’ Roses entitled “The Best of You,” proving to be one of the stronger originals of the night. Their covers were Monster Magnet’s “Monolithic” and “The Time Warp”, from the Rocky Horror Picture Show, the latter of which got many singing and grooving along.

Up next was The Loop, displaying VHS alumni, current students, and future students. This group, like Fusion, is a staple of the current Verona youth music scene. They’ve performed a few times in the past year and have built a little bit of a fan base that made their presence known during their Cops & Rockers performance. The set began with a cover of Joan Jett’s “I Love Rock And Roll”. Band members Theresa Courter, Joey and Nick Fierro, Chris Ehrich and Chris Buneo packed a punch with their ability to cover a song and lay it down with tight execution. “Drowning in Reality”, written by vocalist Theresa Courter, was an impressive original, with lyrics dealing discussing her first semester in college. The remaining songs were “The Ocean” (Led Zeppelin) and a pop-goes-punk approach at Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance.”

Totally unexpected was an appearance by Patti Labelle’s drummer Segdrick Marsh. Though the sound system largely failed him, Segdrick managed to display his talents with a song, followed by an explanation and apology as to why he couldn’t carry on. His offer to return in the future should be embraced by those in charge, as it was great to a professional take the reins and show his skills.

Maybe the most talented and the darkest act of the night, was black-metal band Angmar. Yes, they’re referencing the home of the witch king in the Lord Of The Rings. The long-hair rockers made their way back after last year’s equally stellar Cops & Rockers performance, and once again they managed to leave the crowds’ jaws wide open after they performed all three originals “Fallen, Forgotten,” “As Shadows Rise,” and “Tiamat.” Band members Conor Lawless, Brian Fong, Tyler Butkovsky and Ryan Cardoza play music that requires so much precision, and they carry it out with ease. They will bring out the heavy metal in us all and have you swinging your hair along to the music.

Moving forward was something also completely different. Feux Johnny is made up of Giancarlo Cordasco, Alex Campbell and Patrick Cichetti. This group, like Angmar had such a different sound that it really got the audience’s attention. Playing in the style of California Funk a la The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Feux Johnny covered “Can’t Stop” and “Hump De Bump” from the legendary Chili Peppers, sandwiched in between “Mrs. Cooper” (an original) and ending with Depeche Mode’s “Personal Jesus”. The comfortable and energetic stage presence and musicianship held true to the eventual crowd reaction. It was looking good for this out-of-nowhere ban when it came to results.

Showing the love of music and how close some of the bands are, bassist Nick Celfo made his second appearance of the night, this time with Where Eagles Dare, alongside Isaac Rubins, Dom Gagliano and Mike Basil. This band’s second Cops And Rockers featured two originals, “Lunch Break”, written by Isaac Rubins and a follow-up to a song from last year’s Cops & Rockers, “Bathroom Break”. They did sweet renditions of Metallica’s “Am I Evil”, and “No Remorse”. Probably the most impressive though, was a great approach at “A Passage to Bangkok” from Rush, which was the most musically demanding song all night.

To close out the contest part of the night, came Leo’s Arrow. Evan Yee, Mike Bartell, Matt Bartell, Patrick Sullivan and Torsten Kolind bring a twisted indie-rock sound to the table, and put on an energetic performance even with Evan Yee suffering from a lost voice due to previous illness in the week. Their original was “Home”, built around a guitar lick from Mike Bartell, giving a little insight into the songwriting process for this particular band. They covered Lit’s “My Own Worst Enemy”, The Flo Bots’ “Handlebars”, and “Dammit” from Blink 182.

As the night was coming near the end, it was time for the results. It was clear that every band gave it their own, and some had it together more than others did. However, it was all about the love of music and how it can provide a safe lifestyle and occupation of time for the youth, which face more and more pressure to get involved in the world of drugs and mischief. As it was announced, the crowd cheered for Feux Johnny, who came in first overall.

But wait that wasn’t all. Like last year, the final band put the “cops” in Cops and Rockers. A musical squad of Det/Sgt. (VPD) Dan Greco on guitar, Sgt. (Montclair PD) Stephanie Egnezzo and Special Deputy (VPD) Gerard DiNola on vocals, retired Sgt. (VPD) Marty Santuoso on drums, and Special Deputy (VPD) Pat Filoso on bass delivered a set that laid the law on the final moments of the show. They performed songs like The Kinks’ “You Really Got Me” and Kiss’ “Rock And Roll All Night, all in good fun.

Aside from the technical difficulties, the night was rather successful as far as turnout, performances, and behavior was concerned. In the words of the Grateful Dead, “One good ride from start to end, I’d like to take that ride again.”

Tyler Curtis attends VHS and is the author of The Shakedown Blog.

Photos © Fred Goode Productions. All rights reserved.

Students are eligible for the list if they earn at least a 3.2 grade-point-average on a 4.0 scale while taking 15 or more letter-grade credit hours. They are also eligible if they earn a 3.5 grade-point-average while taking at least 12 letter-grade credit hours. Students must have no grades lower than a “C.” On a 4.0 scale, “A” equals 4, “B” equals 3 and “C” equals 2.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill appears on more than 20 national lists of schools, programs and specialty areas newly ranked for 2011 by U.S. News and World Report for the 2012 edition of “America’s Best Graduate Schools.” It is ranked first among the 100 U.S. public colleges and universities that offer students high-quality academics at an affordable price as ranked by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine. In the fall of 2011, UNC enrolled 4,026 first-year students from a record 23,753 applications. Eighty percent graduated in the top 10% of their high school class, and they posted an average 1300 on the SAT.

Tufts University, located on three Massachusetts campuses in Boston, Medford/Somerville, and Grafton, and in Talloires, France, is recognized among the premier research universities in the United States. Tufts enjoys a global reputation for academic excellence and for the preparation of students as leaders in a wide range of professions.
A growing number of innovative teaching and research initiatives span all Tufts campuses, and collaboration among the faculty and students in the undergraduate, graduate and professional programs across the university’s schools is widely encouraged.

The ambitious group was gradually reduced to just three participants in Round 10: Maxine Haralambiev, Charles Torikian, and Chloe Mathewson–all current or former Laning Avenue school students. The three continued on until Round 15 when Haralambiev misspelled her word. Torikian and Mathewson went on to battle it out for 10 more rounds, the crowd growing increasingly louder with each round. Then, in round 25, Torikian misspelled “eyewitness” and left Mathewson a chance for the win. She correctly spelled “eyewitness” and the next word, “petite”, sealing first place. Mathewson is a 4th-grade student at Laning and enjoys reading and playing piano and soccer.

Charles Torikian, Chloe Mathewson and Maxine Haralambiev

Joanna Beitenbach, co-president of the Verona Juniors, announced and moderated the event. The judges included Deputy Mayor Bob Manley, Forest Avenue School Principal Jeffrey Monacelli and Adele Spong, also a co-president of the Juniors.

Haralambiev, Torikian and Mathewson will represent Verona at a regional spelling bee on February 25 at the Franklin School Auditorium in Kearny.

F.N. Brown students with Principal Dr. Anthony Lanzo and art teacher Joni Jasterzbski are (front, l-r) Matthew Steitz, Gael Gutierrez, Isabel Perez, and Fiona Church; (middle) Sean Maida, Harmonie Chang, Jaylyn Whelan, Tommy Sabo; (back) Troy Neumann, Leila Rose Marcillo-Gomez, Bryan McKeen and Sean Mulligan.

The students of F.N. Brown and Brookdale Avenue elementary schools annually participate in the Hearts of Hope program under the direction of their art teacher, Joni Jasterzbski, herself a Hearts of Hope recipient. Hearts of Hope is a program that distributes small, hand-painted, ceramic hearts to people struggling with illness.

Over the past five years, over 25,000 hearts have been distributed by Hearts of Hope, with almost 2,000 of those coming from Verona in the last three years alone. Each heart is designed by the children and accompanied by a personal note of encouragement from the artist.

Most of the hearts from Brookdale and F.N. Brown are delivered to patients at St. Barnabas and surrounding facilities during a special Valentine’s Day event.

Brookdale students with their art teacher are (front l-r) Danielle Thompson, Ryan Luberto, Bridget Lonsinger, Connor Robinson, Lucy Hogan, Andrew Herman; (back) Katie Romanyshyn, Emma Ramsthaler, Belinda Pecci, Jaime Hoimark, Ryan Stanisci, Patricia Dowd, Mack Gresham.

Although it was not scheduled as a specific agenda item, parent proponents made their case when the meeting was opened to public discussion. Crystal Bichalski spoke on behalf of the group, citing the benefits of a full-day program as providing more educational and developmental opportunities than other kinds of child care, easing the transition to first grade by including lunch and recess, increasing time spent on the curriculum that is currently jammed into four hours, providing teachers with more time for one-on-one instruction, scoring better on standardized tests, and fostering social skills with more interaction. Charity Dacey and Stacey Perry also shared their sentiments for making the change. This group of parents is taking full advantage of modern communications tools to win support, setting up a Facebook page called Full-Day-K-For-Verona-NJ.

While Verona public schools have never had a full-day kindergarten, the question returns to the BOE agenda regularly enough that the Board has dubbed it the “Full-Day Kindergarten Comet.” BOE President John Quattrocchi addressed the group’s concerns, noting that, to have a full-day kindergarten program, Verona would have to stretch an already tight budget. Quattrocchi said that running a full-day program would come with a six-figure price tag costing about $150,000 annually or $30 per taxpayer. With school budget increases capped at 2% under New Jersey law, the Board would likely have to cut into other programs to accommodate an extra cost even that small. And even if the money is found, there may be a problem of space: The kindergarten class that will enter Verona schools in the fall of this year is rumored to be so large in some areas of town that some children may not be able to attend the school closest to their home.

(Verona is not without options, however, for those who need full-day school. Both Our Lady of the Lake School and Community Montessori Academy have full-day kindergartens;  The Children’s House has an afternoon “enrichment” program. The Montclair YMCA operates an extended care program in the afternoons at the elementary schools.)

Despite the added cost and the space constraints, the BOE made it known that Verona’s new superintendent, Steven A. Forte, has been reviewing the issues around the current four-hour kindergarten session in Verona’s public schools and the push to extend those hours. There is even consideration for a program similar to the one now operating in Roseland district, where kindergarten students go to school from 8:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. from September to December, and then a step up to a full day–8:45 a.m. to 3:20 p.m.–for the rest of the school year. An approach like this could cost Verona less, but just how much less has not been specified.

If Verona is going to consider going over the budget cap to fun a full-day kindergarten, this could be the year to do it.  Governor Christie recently signed a law that enables the BOE to move the Board’s  annual election to November from April. If the Board seeks a referendum to exceed the cap on that ballot it would only need a simple majority rather than the 60% Yes vote needed for second questions on previous ballots.