Submitted by Girl Scout Leader Sandy Buccine & Senior Troop 1795

“This was our 3rd year working with Jeff Weiss and the Shade Tree Committee, and we feel each year it gets Bigger and Better!

“It all started when we asked our retired GS leader Pat Ondar, part of the Shade Tree Committee, if we could sit in on a meeting to fulfill a requirement in the “Breathe Journey”. Our girls became inspired and asked if we could assist, as well as Participate in Arbor Day.”

“We make the activity booklet, posters, and assist with the set up and planting of trees. Everyone on the committee is so appreciative and kind, we feel blessed that they welcome us back year after year!”

“If you look closely, you can see that our tree was made completely out of recycled materials. The trunk is an old brown paper bag, and the leaves were cut out of colorful old magazines. The grass consists of last year’s activity booklets. Troop 1795 wanted to send the message that … Recycling is a good thing, and when we recycle, we help save trees.”

“Thank you Mr. Jeff Weiss, the entire Shade Tree Committee, and Mayor John Hornik for making this special day possible, and making Marlboro a Peaceful and Beautiful town I’m Proud to live in!”

For this central Jersey writer, novelist, reporter, the notion of sitting in for a live global broadcast with  accomplished radio disc jockey (Rock N Tommy) was particularly thrilling; this was my first time in a radio station. I brought my NJ Discover TV camera to record for posterity.

Tommy  has been doing radio since 2001, firstly on a station called Top Shelf Oldies then briefly at WRBG in Delaware. Of course he loves music and sharing that love. Funny, within the first few minutes of being there and listening to him, I closed my eyes and was transported into the movie ‘American Graffiti’ when Richard Dreyfus (Curt) meets the famed disc jockey ‘Wolfman Jack’ in that famous ‘Popsicle’ scene at the radio station. I told Tommy thinking and feeling this was the highest compliment I could give him. Then he actually offered me a ‘Popsicle.’ Talk about back to the future.

He started his own station www.njkewl98.com  four years ago which has grown dramatically. He’s interviewed many artists ranging from the ‘Dixie Cups’ to BJ Thomas. Another love for Tommy is playing local and rising talent’s original music. He devotes a lot of energy into promoting local talent and plays original  music on his stream and mentioned if any local talent is interested, they can send  a CD by contacting  Rock N Tommy at  tommy@rocknoldies98.com

The following Sunday, I sat glued listening to Tommy for three hours on his oldies show; I just love being magic carpeted back to the malt shop memory days which his impeccable music selections did to me. Also fun was the musical chat room with world -wide listeners, although being somewhat shy, I mostly lurked. Hey, I’m a Jersey guy.   Tommy on Facebook. (https://www.facebook.com/rockntommy )  www.njkewl98.com

Tommy’s  programs on the station is Rock N Tommy Live Wed nights, Rock N Oldies Spot Saturday Nights and Malt Shope Of Memories Sunday Nights.  Other programs to check out are Mike Bollea’s Jukebox Party, BJ’s Soul Shack, and Tea Time with Paul Anthony.

When I left,  I hit Tommy with one of my better Arnold Schwarznegger impersonations, “I’ll be back.” I need oldies for my vascular cerebral circulation. This was a great night.

“If you’d like to get out of a pessimistic mood yourself, I’ve got one sure remedy for you. Go help those people down in Birmingham; in Mississippi or Alabama……Maybe we’ll see this song come true….” Pete Seeger said these words a long time ago (1960’s) when he was introducing a song at a concert; ‘We Shall Overcome.’ When I heard what amazing things Rosemary Conte, noted Jazz singer from Monmouth County was doing to organize a concert to raise awareness and donations for the people who live in a tent city in Lakewood, I didn’t hesitate a moment in calling Rosemary and asking if NJ Discover TV could be there. It was Easter Sunday and hard to round up a TV crew. Then I thought about how sailors in times of Christopher Columbus were impressed into service, so I called my prodigal son and impressed him into service with a camera and smile.

It was a perfect Easter Sunday for a meaningful concert for the homeless; Blue sky. Spring warmth. Gentle breezes. 3 PM. Town Square in Lakewood. With the help of her musician sons, Steve (lead guitar with New York Dolls) and John (who has performed with Bon Jovi and Southside Johnny), Rosemary Conte put together an impressive ‘Tent City Band’ featuring Jersey artists Marc Ribler (guitar), Daniel Gonzalez(drums), Tommy Labella(sax), Danny Petroni(guitar), Brad Mandigo, Lisa Desimone(vocals), Joe Mosello(trumpet) and more.

What an amazing band. Personally, I like to drift when music moves me; their powerful sounds took me far away but never far enough away to realize that there are no homeless shelters in Ocean County; that’s why there’s a tent city in the middle of Lakewood and that’s the awareness message Rosemary’s efforts delivered. Rosemary’s jazz vocals anchored her caring and concern. What a voice. Often I wonder why more citizens don’t extricate themselves from the sedentary couch and explore the world of New Jersey, with all its talent and poignant causes.

Rev. Steve Brigham, Tent City’s founder and a tireless advocate for the homeless in Ocean County spoke to the audience. The cause is so powerful. People are homeless in our midst, right here in Central Jersey, the second richest state in America. The band sang a Dylan song. I really closed my eyes. It was 1968. Pete Seeger was singing with the ‘Tent City Band.’  Rosemary Conte and her sons were really singing. I drifted. And now I thank her for an amazing day. And like Pete Seeger said a long time ago, maybe we’ll see that song come true for our citizens in Tent City in Lakewood.

PLEASE donate to Tent City Homeless Encampment: PayPal:

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=2KHG67JR4F252

OR, Lakewood Outreach Ministry Church, PO Box 326, Lakewood, NJ 08701

50-year music career, singer-songwriter-keyboardist “Stormin’” Norman Seldin has been a frontman, a sideman, a manager, a concert promoter and a music instructor. And recently, he has received some overdue recognition.

Seldin is stepping out from the trenches with “Asbury Park: Then and Now.” The two-CD, 46-track set, released on Seldin’s own Ivory International label, includes recordings from throughout his career, and offers shore music fans a rare opportunity to hear legendary groups like The Jaywalkers, The Joyful Noyze (featuring E Street Band saxophonist Clarence Clemons) and The Motifs on CD.
Five members of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band (Clemons, Max Weinberg, Garry Tallent, Roy Bittan and the late Danny Federici) back Seldin on eight 1980 recordings. Other luminaries, such as Southside Johnny, the late Harry Ray (of Ray, Goodman and Brown fame) and drummer Bernard “Pretty” Purdie also make appearances

Reporter Teasia Ruffin goes to the Stone Pony for the Break Contest, where local bands compete for a spot in the lineup at The Bamboozle. Produced and Edited by Karen Heyson

 The culmination of four years of studio and commercial art study at Red Bank Regional’s (RBR)Academy of Visual & Performing Arts (VPA) is currently on display at the Guild of Creative Art at 620 Broad Street in Shrewbury, NJ.  

The RBR VPA Senior Art Students’ works are featured at the Guild of Creative Art in Shrewsburyfrom March 30 through April 12. Pictured at the opening reception of Art Beat are: (left to right), Emily Stafford, Little Silver, Kelly McAdam, Little Silver, Jade Saybolt, Shrewsbury, Terrill Warrenburg, Little Silver, RBR commercial art teacher Claudia O’Connor, Tatjana Farley, Neptune City and Beth Keenan, Little Silver.

The museum is open from 8 am to 4:30 pm Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday and till 7 pm on Thursday and 10 am to 4:30 pm on Saturday.

(Left) Terrill Warrenberg’s Whipped Cream connotes a tone of a bygone era in America.

Student Kelly McAdam stands in front of a variety of her works, including: oil on canvas, charcoal, acrylic, band, chalk pastel and ebony pencil.

Red Bank Regional student Beth Keenen’s mixed media, below, Behind the Door arouses curiosity.

The artwork is available for purchased at the end of the show.  http://www.guildofcreativeart.org/

The field of Cyber Security has been identified by the Pentagon and the President of the United States as a top priority for national security.

Red Bank Regional Academy of Information Technology, located at Red Bank Regional High School, in Little Silver, NJ entered their students into the Cyber Foundation Competition.  The competition featured 2,034 students from 169 schools, 32 states and three U.S. territories. The non-for-profit Center for Internet Security (CIS) which sponsored this cyber competition encourages students toward this vital and high-demand career.

RBR students scored the top three positions in the State of NJ: Ryan McVeety, Little Silver, who also finished #25 in the nation; Jared Katzman, Little Silver who finished 26th in the nation; and Michael Terpak, Union Beach, who finished #38 in the nation. A fourth student, Luke Matarazzo, Neptune City, also finished #57 in the nation. these finishes are within the top 10% scores in the competition.

The studen’ts IT teacher, Mandy Galante, (who was also named the New Jersey IT Teacher of the Year by the Air Force Association and this year’s RBR Teacher of the Year) created the curriculum to offer RBR students a study concentration and career path in cyber security.  This year, Mrs. Galante’s students also took First Place in the national NYU-Polytechnic High School CyberForensic Competition.  For the past three years, RBR students have taken the top three NJ winner prizes in multiple categories in the Future Business Leaders of America technology competitions.

Judy Feinstein: Always Moving Forward. Video courtesy of HooplaHa.com
Produced by NJ Discover.

Several months ago NJ Discover reporters Calvin Schwartz and Tara-Jean Vitale happened into ‘Flying Saucer’ antique store in Asbury Park on a pilot mission to discover people and places in New Jersey and Monmouth County. In actuality, we were interviewing an impresario of sorts in the local music business and asked the woman proprietor of the antiques store if we could use the far back room which had this vintage kitchen table from the early 1950’s to film. She agreed and then said, “When you’re done, why don’t you interview me?” And I said, “Why?” Judy Feinstein said, “Because I was one of New Jersey’s early female pilots back in the 1960’s, taught flying to young women, was one of the charter members of an Amelia Earhart flying group.” We interviewed Judy again and again; each time mesmerized with her energy and accomplishments. I particularly like the bit when she was flying into Washington, DC at the invitation of Vice-President Ford for an awards ceremony and the air traffic controller interrupted and told her she’s flying to close to the White House. Judy’s assessment was that he just wanted to see what I look like when I landed. Enjoy Judy’s video. And again much thanks to hooplaha.com for graciously sharing the video. Cal Schwartz, writer, NJ Discover.

Japan visits Marlboro, NJ

Malboro Mayor Jonathan Hornik and Mayor of Nanto City Japan Mikio Tanaka shared their enthusiasm and commitment to a tremendous program that has developed into a friendship and bond between 2 cities going back to the 1990′s.
The Marlboro-Nanto Youth Exchange Program gives Japanese and American students an opportunity to experience and appreciate their different cultures.

Students travel from Japan to spend time with host families living in Marlboro. For one week they enjoy typical daily activities in New Jersey and some sight-seeing in New York and Philadelphia.

 This non for profit organization is funded entirely by community donations. For more information go to www.marlboro-nanto.org.

A week ago I discovered, with the help of Virginia Amend from Amend Publishing, that a 102nd birthday party was being held for Emily Cook at Regal Pointe in Middletown. So I got myself invited and was thrilled. Notwithstanding that I frequently write about living to 150 years, but when I found out that a neighbor just down a Jersey road was celebrating such a wondrous occasion and was already 2/3 of the way to my personal goal, I couldn’t wait. As they say it was worth the wait.

Regal Pointe is a rather unique retirement concept where seniors rent apartments on a very affordable monthly basis. Services are provided with meals, housekeeping and social events. The executive director took me on a tour (as a journalist); the remodeled building was a bright, clean upbeat environment. The more I learned about their facility and residents, with many in their mid to upper nineties, and of course Emily at 102, I began to wonder if this unique way of senior living doesn’t somehow translate to longevity.

Now to Emily. She was charming, ebullient, impeccably dressed with a smile that radiated clear across the great room where many of her friends had gathered to sing happy birthday. I noticed her the minute I walked in. After introductions, I asked if we could take some still photos and when Eric, NJ Discover’s cameraman said we needed to move into favorable light, Emily jumped-up and changed seats. As we were about to pose, she asked, “Would you like me to sit on your lap?” Her comment actually sailed over my head for a few moments. When the TV camera rolled, we talked about President Herbert Hoover and the Depression and how hard it was living in those days. She had several factory jobs throughout her life and retired at 62. Shoulders shrugged and her smile lingered; I told her about my goal of living to 150. “I have a lot of fun here. Bingo. My nieces visit. I love knitting. 150? I don’t think so.” Meanwhile she looked thirty years younger. A little button said “Another year younger.” We talked on and discovered commonality; we were both born in Newark. Her nieces arrived. She couldn’t wait to tell them a TV crew was filming her party. I couldn’t wait to ask her if I could come to the 103rd party. So I will. – Calvin Schwartz