Thoughts From The Editor – March 2020
By Debbie Meehan
After having a lovely lunch the other day with two of my favorite Veterans, WWII Veteran Jack McGreevey and John Eberhardt, I ran into a woman I hadn’t seen in quite some time while walking out of the diner. As we began to talk she mentioned to me it was her birthday. When I smiled and wished her a happy birthday she went on and on about how she hated birthdays and growing old was horrible. How her weight was creeping up on her, how her face was full of wrinkles, her body ached and she felt like her mind wasn’t as sharp anymore, she was forgetting everything and so on and so on … I think she was in her late forties. As I got into my car I said out loud what I wanted to say to her, “Thank God you’re growing old.”
It makes me crazy when people say growing old is horrible (family paper so won’t use their exact phrases) because what is the alternative? Life must go on and if you want to continue to live, basically you have to grow old.
I wish I could have taken that woman and placed her in my car and journeyed her back through the past couple of weeks and show her some of the people I saw that would love to have just one more birthday to celebrate, fighting with all the strength inside of them to live so they can grow old and those who love their golden years.
First together we would walk past a grieving mother who lost her daughter from an overdose of drugs and I would have had her compare her wrinkles to that of this young girl’s, it would be hard for her to find them though, because when you die at 22, you don’t have wrinkles yet.
Then we would visit a young mom in the hospital who is fighting with every breath she has for just one more day to be with her family, there she can compare her aches and pains with that of a woman whose aches and pains never subside. She could also reconsider that thought about the couple of extra pounds she put on when she sees her frail body that has now wasted away to skin and bones, her cancer, making it impossible to “put on an extra couple of pounds.”
After that we would stop in at the Evergreen Senior Center. The room is filled with life and everyone’s dressed in red for their Valentine’s Day party. There is singing and laughter, dancing and friendship and for some reason I don’t think today any of my senior friends are worried about a wrinkle. For today they have too much to do, too much life in them yet, and if they are worried about anything it’s about too many tables stretching onto the dance floor and they won’t have enough room to dance. Getting old is horrible…don’t tell them that because these seniors don’t know what age is and another birthday…bring it on, it will be just another reason for them to have a party.
Lastly, I would bring her back to the diner we left. I would let her join me and my two Veteran friends for lunch. Sad to think this forty something year old woman thinks her mind isn’t sharp and can’t remember things any more, (maybe to enhance ones mind you must rid it of the negativity that fills it and then you can think clearer). My friend Jack is 91 and his mind is still sharp with memories from the past. When I join these gentlemen for lunch every couple of months our conversation is that of days gone by, of people that they have met, places they have seen and things they still need to do. The stories they tell are filled with such detail it’s as if they lived them yesterday. Jack still puts on his suit every day and goes to work because there is no stopping him, there are older veterans that need help and new ones coming back from overseas that need direction, there is still so much work and living he feels he needs to do. Do not tell him he is old, for his face, lined with beautiful wrinkles that reflect the wisdom and grace he has gained through life, will certainly laugh right at you.
My point is age is a matter of mind. You can be old at forty or you can be young at ninety, the choice is yours. But keep in mind some people don’t have that choice and they would take every one of your wrinkles to grow another year older. Beauty grows from inside you and age can never reverse the beauty of ones soul with a wrinkle.
So this year when it’s time to celebrate your birthday, have a party, thank God for another year of life with your friends and family and if you need help blowing out the candles…just take your cake over to the Evergreen Senior Center for the breath of life in that group will have no trouble helping you blow those candles out. As they say life is about the breaths we take so keep breathing and keep living because life is so precious, enjoy every moment of it!
School District Calls for Referendum Special Election ~ March 10, 2020
By: Mayor John E. McCormac
New Avenel Street School #4/5
Plan calls to Strengthen School Security, Upgrade Network Technology
Every School in the District Benefits
The municipal administration takes very seriously our commitment to cooperating with the Woodbridge Township Board of Education and School District Administration to help provide the best facilities possible for our students – both in terms of our school buildings themselves as well as the outside athletic fields that are used by the students and also by the entire Woodbridge community.
We supported a $57 million referendum in 2017 that passed overwhelmingly and which provided funding for a brand new Ross Street School and complete overhauls of Woodbridge Middle School and St. Cecelia’s School, which became the home of Kennedy Park School 24 which then became the home for full day kindergarten for students whose home schools did not have enough classroom space. The 2017 Referendum will be paid for by downtown developments that will occur over the next several years and not by our taxpayers. Additionally, we passed $40 million in ordinances from 2013-2015 for turf fields (baseball, soccer and softball) in addition to tracks, tennis courts, gymnasium floors, playgrounds and much more – all of the community improvements will be paid by several warehouse projects in town and not by our general taxpayers.
Now, we are supporting a referendum for March of 2020 that will provide for a new Avenel St. School 4/5 and major additions to Schools 25 and 28. This will be paid for by a large warehouse development at the site of the former Woodbridge Developmental Center. The Township realized a profit on selling two parcels of land (one from the State of New Jersey and another from Conrail) and we will realize nearly $100 million in property tax revenue from the site and our taxpayers will likewise not have to pay for this tremendous investment.
Facts and figures get tossed around carelessly regarding the enrollment numbers for our school district and for the impact of residential development on those numbers. The capacity of our school district to accept additional children is misrepresented with frequent statements like “our schools are overcrowded” and “we cannot handle any more students.” Both of these statements (and many others) are simply not factual. On a historic basis, many years ago there were thousands more students in our schools with much less capacity than there is now. A referendum in 2003 provided significant additional classroom space and the 2017 referendum added capacity for another 222 students. It is important to note that additional space should not always mean additional students as class sizes have been admirably reduced over the years to improve the quality of education in Woodbridge. However, anyone who says that Woodbridge does not have the capacity in our schools for additional students is simply wrong.
The below chart reports that (excluding kindergarten) there are actually 88 less students in the current school year than in 2007-2006. Eliminating kindergarten from the analysis is fair because the addition of full-day kindergarten in 2019-2018 naturally increased the number of students to 278 five and six year olds. The overall enrollment increase of 248 students over 13 years was entirely due to the kindergarten increase of 278. Adding new residential development to the analysis shows that even with 58 new students from over 500 luxury apartment units there are still 30 less students (other than kindergarten) in our district than in 2007-2006. It is important to note that the capacity of our school system increased by 222 students with the 2017 referendum and it will increase by another 278 students with a successful 2020 referendum. That is over 500 additional students that can be absorbed in Woodbridge schools and it is completely impossible that the Woodbridge enrollment will increase by anywhere near that amount from the combination of all downtown developments. Simply put, the Board of Education has properly planned for growth in enrollment with investments in new schools and large additions to current schools.
COMPARISON OF ENROLLMENT NUMBERS FOR THE LAST 13 YEARS
2006-07 2019-20 Increase/Decrease
Kindergarten 766 1,044 278
All other grades 12,678 12,590 (88) (1)
Students from new projects 58
Total enrollment 13,444 13,692 248 (2)
(1) Total enrollment in all grades other than kindergarten is down 88 students from 13 years ago.
(2) An increase of 278 kindergarten students did not increase the total overall student count because of decreases in all other grade level enrollment.
No matter the issue or event, the Township Administration, the Woodbridge Township School Board and District Administration, educators, teachers, professional staff, parents, students and residents have a long tradition of standing together to promote the well-being of our students. Woodbridge Township students – at all grades and level of learning – stand tall when comparing their achievements to students throughout the state.
No district in the state can boast the number of advanced placement courses that Woodbridge offers. And, it’s a fact that many of our students are accepted to the most prestigious colleges and universities throughout the nation because of the quality of their education. In short, Woodbridge students, teachers, professional staff, and parents can be proud of their work and of their schools because the Township Administration and the School District have worked together to provide a robust education. Education is everyone’s business. We are proud to be able to work together to make our schools “the best they can be” – not only in appearance, but in the quality of education received by each and every student.
Woodbridge St. Patrick’s Day Parade Steps-Off on Sunday
Mayor John E. McCormac and the American
...READ MOREWHS PRESENTS THE DROWSY CHAPERONE
It’s a comedy! It’s a musical! It’s a comedy about a musical! It’s The Drowsy Chaperone and Woodbridge High School is presenting this joyful entertainment on Thursday March 19th, Friday March 20th, Saturday March 21st (all at 7:00 pm), and Sunday, March 22nd (at 2 pm). The Drowsy Chaperone gives you two shows in one: a silly, happy, old-fashioned musical comedy set in the 1920s (like Anything Goes or The Boy Friend), and at the same time a modern day, meta-satirical look at show business and the crazy people who make it. The original Broadway production, starring Sutton Foster, Danny Burstein, and Beth Leavel, won five Tony Awards (including Best Score and Best Book) in 2006.
Woodbridge’s production of Drowsy Chaperone features 36 cast members and more than a dozen crew members and backstage support volunteers, along with student musicians in the pit. Another dozen art students are painting sets/props to create the style of the roaring twenties. These are dedicated WHS students giving their time, talent and energy to make a heart-warming story which Woodbridge audiences will adore.
This is a show-within-a-show. We first meet the Man-in-chair (Lenny Sharpe), an everyman living in a basic NYC apartment. He breaks the “fourth wall” as he chats with the audience about life. As he plays his favorite old record, the show magically comes to life in front of our eyes. And what a show! We meet a gorgeous and talented star (Alyssa Molnar) who’s considering giving up show business to marry a dashing Gatsby-type millionaire (Dan Nebus), a pair of gangsters (Chris Torres & Gabriella Gangemi) posing as pastry chefs to invade a Long Island mansion overseen by the rich, ditsy host (Julia Bialy) and her trusted butler (Kevin Catalon), a Latin lothario (Daniel Tajes), a gold-digging chorine (Rosie Pilla) and her frustrated producer (Michael Trujillo), a frenzied best man trying to make the wedding run smoothly (Joe Golden), an Amelia Earhardt-style female aviator (Haley Resta), and, of course, the title character, a “drowsy” confidante and chaperone (Lauren Padden). What more could you want for an evening’s entertainment?
The Drowsy Chaperone has a tuneful score by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison, and a smart book by Bob Martin and Don McKellar (Slings and Arrows on TV).
The directors are Kelly Terrell and Tom Lynch, the musical directors are Jason Kohn and Lisa Romero. Choreography is by Mr. Quienzell Bunch, and Tom O’Shaughnessy.
Tickets can be obtained at the door ($13) or in advance from any cast member, or the main office at the high school ($10 in advance). For more information, call 732-602-8600.
For more info: Kelly Terrell 646-279-7137 or Tom Lynch 732-910-2155
Burn Awareness Week – How You Can Help After A Snowstorm – Fire Hits Home
By Chief Michael Hapstak, Woodbridge Fire Co. #1 – Woodbridge Fire Department
Burn Awareness Week
The week of February 3rd is Burn Awareness week and this year’s theme is Contact Burns – Hot Surfaces Damage Skin. Contact burns occur when hot objects are touched – known as thermal burns, but burns can also occur or from exposure to very cold temperatures or contact with something cold for a prolonged period of time (frostbite). Other types of burns are caused by friction (carpet burn), chemical (from acids or solvents) and electrical burns (contact with electrical current). Over 70,000 people went to hospital emergency rooms in 2018 for contact burns, with 1/3 of those under the age of 5.
Burn Safety at Home – Many ordinary things in a home — from bath water to hot food to electrical outlets — can cause burns. To prevent burns, follow these burn safety tips:
- Reduce water temperature. Set the thermostat on your water heater to below 120 °F. Always test the water temperature before your child gets in the tub. Aim for bath water around 100 °F.
- Avoid hot spills. Keep hot foods and liquids away from table and counter edges. Don’t use tablecloths or placemats, which young children can pull down. When using the stove, use back burners and turn the handles of your pots and pans toward the rear of the stove.
- Use dry oven mitts or potholders. Hot cookware can heat moisture in a potholder or oven mitt, resulting in a scald burn.
- Establish “no” zones. Block access to the stove and fireplace, and make space heaters and water heaters inaccessible. Have a “kid free zone” of at least 3 ft around the stove.
- Unplug irons. Store items designed to get hot, such as clothes irons, unplugged and out of reach.
- Test food temperature. Food or liquids warmed in a microwave might heat unevenly.
- Choose a cool-water humidifier or vaporizer. If you use a hot-steam vaporizer, keep it out of reach.
- Address outlets and electrical cords. Cover unused electrical outlets with safety caps. Inserting a fork, key, or other metal object into an outlet could result in an electrical burn. Replace damaged, brittle, or frayed electrical cords.
General first aid for burns and scalds: Treat a burn right away by putting it in cool water. Cool the burn for three to five minutes. Cover burn with a clean, dry cloth. Do not apply creams, ointments, sprays or other home remedies. Remove all clothing, diapers, jewelry and metal from the burned area. These can hide underlying burns and retain heat, which can increase skin damage. Get medical help if needed.
How you can help after a snowstorm
Your local Fire Department depends on hydrants as source of water if there is a fire. When there is a large amount of snow, hydrants can become blocked, or the amount of snow can make it difficult to access. In the event of a fire, critical life and property saving time will be spent digging out the hydrant. If you have a hydrant near your home, please ensure the hydrant and a 3 foot area around it is clear down to the sidewalk or grass, there is a path to the hydrant and that it is free of any ice. You’ll be helping yourself, your neighbors and us in the event of an emergency.
Fire Hits Home
A fire can strike at any time and happen to anyone, and it hits home when it happens to one of our own. A fire broke out in the home of former Avenel Fire Chief Jimmy Karlbon in the early morning hours of January 19. Jimmy and his family were asleep when a fire started in the kitchen. His 6-year-old daughter Madalyn was awakened by the smoke alarms just after 2 am and ran to her Dad when she saw smoke. Jimmy got his family out safely and the family cat escaped on its own and was reunited with them later. No one was injured. Madalyn saved the lives of her family by remembering what she had been taught during Fire Prevention Week and the knowledge that her Dad and her extended firefighting family instilled in her, according to the Avenel Fire Department.
Woodbridge Police Officer Jim Ganci, a former volunteer firefighter with the Woodbridge Fire Department, was one of the first responders on scene. Using his firefighting experience, Officer Ganci took action to knock the fire down with an extinguisher. The efforts of the Avenel Fire Department contained the fire to the kitchen/dining room area but smoke damaged the entire home leaving it uninhabitable, and the family has lost most of their belongings.
If you would like to make a monetary donation to help the family with purchasing groceries, clothes and essential everyday items, checks can be made payable to The Avenel Fire Company Community Fund, 346 Avenel St., Avenel, NJ 07001 Checks and donations can be dropped off at the firehouse Monday-Friday between the hours of 8-4 or mailed in.
For additional information on fire prevention and fire safety check out www.woodbridgefireprevention.org and www.nfpa.org/Public-Education
Mayor John E. McCormac & Woodbridge Police Department Announce Appointment of Eight New Police Officers
.Mayor John E. McCormac today announced the
...READ MORE
Mayor John E. McCormac, Woodbridge Business Community & Township Food Pantries Kick-Off 2020 “Have-A-Heart” Food Drive
Food Drive Challenges Township Corporate Offices, Businesses,
...READ MOREThoughts From The Editor – January 2020
By Debbie Meehan
As I sit here this month finishing up the paper while watching the snow fall, I do so with a peace around me from reflecting back on the goodness I’ve watched unfold from the holiday season gone by. It never ceases to amaze me how kind the human soul can truly be when we stop focusing on the negativity in the world and rather fill our hearts with compassion and kindness.
When mid November approaches each year, so do people who want to help. I’m not sure what it is about the holidays that make us all a bit kinder, but for some reason it just does. This year during the holidays, our community donated food and turkeys for so many Woodbridge Township families in need of a warm meal for the holiday. It seemed every time I went out I came home and found another turkey or basket of food in my hallway that someone dropped off to help another in need (thank god I have great friends with big freezers). And the goodness just never stopped the whole season. I’d like to share with you just a few of the moments I saw this season to warm your heart during these cold winter days…
December 1st- Woodbridge Police Department and Santa and Mrs. Claus spent an early Sunday morning shopping in Walmart with 17 children who needed a little extra holiday love this year. After the police officers individually shopped with the children, the children were taken on a bus to Iselin Firehouse where upon arrival they were greeted by yet more WB Police Officers who were there since 5am preparing a delicious breakfast for them. These elves in blue were not working on the clock that day, in fact they were volunteering their day off away from their own families during the holidays as they continued to do what they do best as they served and protected the “little” residents of Woodbridge Township.
December 13th- Colonia Middle and High School students spent the evening at our Annual Cookies and Cans event packing up food and cookies that were dropped off that evening by residents of the community. The students first packed up the large boxes that were to be sent overseas for the holidays to local Troops so that they could have a package from home to enjoy while being so far from their families. The students overfilled the boxes with cookies and tons of candy that was also donated along with many supplies. While they were packing, I showed them a few pictures of the men and women they were sending the boxes to. Next thing I know, these students who were there for community service hours were writing personal cards to the troops, talking amongst themselves about how hard it must be and putting such gentle care into each package, for now they weren’t just any old boxes, they were being sent to young men and women who lived in their town. They continued to put that same compassion and kindness into the dinner baskets they made up next for families in need. They took great care to make sure each family got one of every item and if they couldn’t find that item at first they searched until they did. Again this wasn’t just for anyone, it was for a family in need in their own town. After the baskets were packed up the students and adult volunteers wrapped toys for 19 children to be delivered to Woodbridge Twp. families.
December 7th & 14th – On December 7th, Woodbridge Billiards Club along with WB Twp. Police, Firemen and EMT’s spent the morning playing pool against each other in an effort to collect toys for local children in need. The price of admission was one toy but most carried in an armful to secure that no child would be left without a present. Then, on December 14th, Terri Falco and Pat Trombetta spearheaded a beautiful Children’s Christmas party, along with their many volunteers. The room was filled with beautiful little voices singing carols as they waited in anticipation for Santa. As Santa came into the room and began to give out toys, little eyes sparkled with happiness, as caregivers eyes filled with tears of gratitude. Without this party, many of these children may have gone without a toy this Christmas.
December 20th – With just five days left to Christmas, Santa packed up his sled one last time to visit 4 special families. Two of the children we went to visit that evening are battling serious health problems which keeps them in their homes to prevent them from being exposed to germs. Since a visit to Santa at the mall would just not be possible this year, Santa came to them via the Colonia Fire Truck (thank you CFD). The sparkle in their eyes and excitement in their hearts when the fire truck pulled up with Santa could be the postcard for what the meaning of Christmas should stand for. Santa’s next stop was to pay a visit to a family that is new to our town and who does not yet know a lot of people. Santa stopped in to visit their three young children and to say thank you to their dad, who just returned from his deployment in Iraq. Santa giving this soldier a hug solidified our thanks to those serving our country who could not be home with their families this holiday season. The hug, a symbol of thanks and peace, was for all our troops. Santa’s last stop was to visit the little girl and her parents who lost their home when a plane crashed into it. Surrounded by a large group of cousins, aunts, uncles and friends, this family today was not mourning the loss of their home but instead celebrating all they still had and the realization that it can change in a moments time. This Christmas the greatest gift they received was the blessing of life.
Love, kindness and compassion should not end just because the holidays do. Keep it in your heart all year long and let’s keep taking care of each other so we can all be the best people we can be. May peace, love and health embrace your families in 2020!
