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Monmouth Teen Arts Festival 2015: Art of the Street

The annual Monmouth Teen Arts Festival, produced by Monmouth Arts in Red Bank, brings teen visual and performing arts students together in celebration of the arts, to receive critical feedback on student work over two days of scheduled workshops, evaluations, exhibitions and performances. Exhibitions and performances will showcase the creative talent and ambition of the teens. Disciplines include:Visual Art, Video, Creative Writing, Vocal, Instrumental, Jazz, Dance and Theater.

Nearly 1800 students from 30 schools will attend the 2015 Monmouth Teen Arts Festival: Art of the Street, presented in partnership with Brookdale Community College, Lincroft. The festival will be held in the arts facilities on campus: the Center for Visual Arts, the Performing Arts Center and Collins Arena. Monmouth Museum, adjacent to the Center for Visual Arts, participates in the fun by hosting a Scavenger Hunt each day in Nilson Gallery. The two-day festival, with an opening reception kicking off events the night before, has become an integrated part of county wide arts education in Monmouth County annually.

Workshops and master classes offer students from different schools an opportunity to interact while individuals and school groups receive evaluations in their selected disciplines. The theme, Art of the Street, will be showcased in many workshops. The Liquitex sponsored workshop will provide spray paint, acrylics and paint markers to tag sections of canvas that will form a large collaborative mural sculpture. Post-it responses to artist quotes will line the corridor to the CVA Gallery. Students will create vinyl decals with graphic design software. Afro-Brazilian dance and drumming takes performance out of classrooms and onto the grass and patios on campus. Kids will learn dance from a Broadway Choreographer while others are exposed to the backstage magic of stage production and theater make-up. Ending the day, and always a crowd-pleaser, will be an open-mic session. The Brookdale campus buzzes!

Teens proudly display their hard work through exhibitions and performances and are eager to hear feedback from evaluators who are professional artists in the field. Though the festival is not a competition, outstanding performances and products are selected as Top of the Top.

Aireon Vreeland, Art Teacher at Coastal Learning Center in Howell, highlighted one of her award-winning students, who is living with physical disabilities in a difficult home environment. She shared:

“When he learned his piece was chosen [to be recognized during the post-event Arts Education Award Ceremony], he took it home like a grand prize for his grandma. He lives with many other siblings in a poor environment and this recognition made his whole world. He now feels important, and realizes even more than before, yes, he has art talent.”

Exceptional student work is chosen by the evaluators and will be highlighted as Top of the Top at the annual Arts Education Awards & Showcase in May. Arts Education Advocates, Arts Educators Leaders & Community Arts Champions will be recognized for their outstanding commitment to the arts and to arts education.

Monmouth Arts supports arts education for our talented youth and is the only organization with the capacity to offer an event of this size through its network of schools, teachers and community leaders.
About Monmouth Arts

Monmouth Arts is the official county arts agency, with a mission to “enrich the community by inspiring and fostering the arts.” The programs of Monmouth Arts, such as the Monmouth Teen Arts Festival, are made possible in part through funding from the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders, and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts; additional support comes from the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, New Jersey Natural Gas and the Horizon Foundation of New Jersey.

School building sold for $2.25M; Theater coming to West End

By Neil Schulman

Long Branch — The West End School building has been sold to the New Jersey Repertory Company, which plans to build a 225-250 seat theater, hold acting and playwright workshops, exhibit photos and paintings, and do many other things to expand the arts in Long Branch.

On Feb. 18. the Long Branch Board of Education voted to accept an offer from New Jersey Repertory Company to purchase the closed school building for $2.25 million.

Dr. Gabor and SuzAnne Barabas, owners of NJ Repertory Company, were ecstatic last Thursday when they learned their bid had been accepted.

“I think this is a rare opportunity, and I think this is a transformative moment,” Gabor said.

NJ Rep intends to keep operating its current theater at 179 Broadway. But after 18 years, the popular 68-seat theater has been running into space limits.

“With the last couple of shows, we had to turn away hundreds of people,” Gabor said.

Part of the reason has been the caliber of shows it’s attracted. With its dedication to focusing on new productions, NJ Rep has attracted big names and high profile scripts.

“Early on, we had (Academy Award Winner) Kim Hunter here, in ‘On Golden Pond,’” Gabor recalled. The play set to open Feb. 26, The M Spot, stars Michael Tucker and Jill Eikenberry, both known for L.A. Law.

Several plays they have put on have been licensed to theaters around the country, and last year’s mob-themed “Dinner With The Boys,” is opening up on off-Broadway.

In addition to a larger theater, the new building in West End will allow NJ Rep to offer more acting classes, playwright workshops, and other programs.

Some Long Branch students might find themselves revisiting the building, since NJ Rep has worked well with the schools before. Gabor said that they had worked with Superintendent Michael Salvatore on getting students to participate in a young playwright workshop. That class won an award from the Monmouth Arts Council. He’s also worked with the school on poetry events.

A bigger space will allow them to expand all these programs.

“We want to make something really special for that area,” SuzAnne said.

When NJ Rep opened 18 years ago, it had two goals in mind. One was to expand the arts locally. The other was to serve as a way to revitalize the community. It was one of the first projects in Long Branch with that goal.

“This was before Pier Village,” said SuzAnne. One of the aims of the theater had been to attract people back to the city, and it’s worked.

Gabor and SuzAnne believe that there is a great opportunity to work with West End businesses, helping out that community as well. The number of bars and restaurants there make it attractive for theatergoers, looking for a bit to eat before or after a show (and several of the places are favorites spots for actors). There are opportunities for dinner packages.

Gabor said that Long Branch has a rich history of theater. And West End has been a big part of it. It’s already a significant part of the city’s entertainment scene.

While they’re still working out the details, they say one of their goals in the coming months will be to get the funds for the renovations.

“We want to make sure this is the jewel in the crown of Long Branch,” said SuzAnne Barabas. “And we need the community support in so many ways.”

School officials also reported they were happy with the sale.

“The Long Branch Board of Education voted in favor of accepting a bid for the purchase of West End School. The amount, $2,250,000 … will be designated for tax relief and the reconstruction of the ‘old’ Long Branch High School,” said Dr. Michael Salvatore, Superintendent of Schools.

He said that he was looking forward to the results.

“We feel the intentions of the buyer are extremely beneficial to the West End community and we hope to encourage partnerships with the group for our Visual and Performing Arts students,”

“Several contingencies exist with the proposal, which include zoning authorization and site examination,” Salvatore said. “We are confident this plan will satisfy the various authorities and become a reality within the near future. If all contingencies are met, we could be looking to exchange keys before the summer season.”

According to the resolution approved by the Board of Education, the new building will be used not only as a 255-250 seat theater, but a sky-lit atrium for the lobby.

The building can only be used for certain purposes: as a theater, and to provide education and support for the arts (not just acting, but music, photography and other forms).

This is the second attempt to sell the building. The Menachim Learning Institute, affiliated with Chabad of the Shore in West End, had intended to open a learning center there, making an offer in 2014. However, that deal fell through when Chabad said it was unable to obtain the mortgage for the property.

Originally published in the Feb. 26, 2015 Link News

Four LBPD officers to be promoted

Congratulations to four Long Branch Police officers who will be promoted on April 2, 2015 at 3:00 p.m.

Libutti awards to Tony Perry, Michael Bienz, Sam Nativo

Long Branch — The Greater Long Branch Chamber of Commerce has announced the recipients of the 2015 Louis G. Libutti Community Service Award.

Tony Perri

This year the 81st Annual Business Awards Dinner will be held on Friday, March 20 at the Ocean Place Resort & Spa, 1 Ocean Blvd., Long Branch.

Receiving the prestigious Libutti Award this year is Anthony “Tony” Perri of Fine Fare Supermarket and Michael Bienz and Sam Nativo of MIX Lounge and 2nd Floor Restaurant

The award was established in 1970 in honor of Louis G. Libutti, a former president of the Long Branch Chamber. Exemplary leadership, outstanding professional achievement and community service are the criteria for this award.

Recent recipients of the award include Mary George, the Sirianni Family, The Damiano Family, Ed Johnson, Director of the Higher Learning Center at Brookdale Community College, Nancy Mazza, recent chair and lifelong Board member of Ronald McDonald house and Dr. Margaret “Meg” Fisher of the Children’s Hospital at Monmouth Medical Center.

“The Chamber is delighted to honor Tony Perri, Mike Bienz and Sam Nativo. They are all wonderful examples of the essence of this Award,” said Chamber President, Leonard Kiczek. “We are pleased to laud their achievements, especially since all three are entrepreneurs, have established extraordinarily successful businesses and continually give back to the community in so many ways,” he said.

Sam Nativo and Michael Bienz

The 2015 President’s Award will be presented to the Dr. Barry Elbaum Dental Health Center on Broadway. The Chamber Business Improvement Award will go to 400 Broadway Business Park.

The Awards Dinner is sponsored by Monmouth Medical Center, Brookdale Community College, Ansell Grimm & Aaron, Maser Consulting and Insurance Office of America.

Tony Perri, Fine Fare

Tony Perri has a strong passion for the retail business. Fine Fare Supermarket is the epitome of a successful family business. Tony works seven days a week, along with his son, Michael, who came aboard seven years ago after graduating from the University of Delaware.

The true indicator of a great place to work is turnover in staff. Most of the employees work there from high school to retirement! Imagine, having an independent supermarket competing with all the big chains and virtually no turnover in staff.

At the age of 13, Tony had his first part-time job in an Acme Supermarket. While attending high school and Monmouth University he continued to work in various supermarkets with a desire to someday own one.

After serving his country in the U.S. Army, Tony went to work for the Carnation Company in 1973. Learning the distribution end at Carnation played a major part in his overall success.

In 1977 Tony and his father Anthony Perri Sr. founded Fine Fare Supermarket on Third Avenue. The site was a former Foodland Supermarket and the two of them remodeled and expanded it to its current size.

Tony and his family have been incredibly generous to the Long Branch community. In February 2012, West End experienced a devastating fire which destroyed nine businesses and 14 apartments. Tony made sure all the victims received substantial gifts cards to shop so they could start rebuilding their lives.

“Tony has been a real friend to the Latino Community,” said Gio Simoes, owner of Latino USA. “He has alway supported us and has been a major supporter of the Copa Latino USA Festival, the largest adult soccer tournament in New Jersey. He has been our largest supporter in the last 20 years,” Simoes said.

Long time Long Branch resident Mary George remembered how Fine Fare handled shoppers after Superstrom Sandy. Like everyone else in the area the store did not have any power. “They had workers greeting shoppers at the front door with flashlights to escort them down aisles to shop. I went through there with my 94 year old aunt,” Mary said. “I was amazed at how helpful and nice they were. Actually I was surprised and thankful they were even open!”

Tony and his family have continually supported Oceanfest at Long Branch since its inception 25 years ago.

Seashore School has a cooking elective taught by Chef Joe Tuzzio of Tuzzio’s Restaurant. Tony donated many of the ingredients for the students taking the course and participating in their “Chopped” Challenge. He also was one of the three guest judges.

“He does so much for the community in general,” said John Villapiano, owner of Seashore School. “He didn’t miss a beat when asked to help us. He has supported us from the very beginning of our Chopped Challenge program.”

Tony and his wife Karen (who also works at the store) reside in West Long Branch. They have three children, Gina, Lauren and Mike and four grandchildren, Luke, Evan, Trey and Liana. In January, Fine Fare celebrated their 38th Anniversary.

Mike Bienz and Sam Nativo

Mike Bienz and Sam Nativo arrived in Long Branch after successful careers in New York City. They were involved in an upper Broadway restaurant and in their off hours they discovered Brighton Avenue. They researched the area, found what was available and successfully opened MIX Lounge and Food Bar in July, 2001. They were an instant hit.

The success of MIX is directly related to their commitment to the area. They have been active with the The Center in Asbury Park with their annual food tastings. Sam chaired the event for ten years. They were an integral part of the Twilight Concerts which benefited St. Claire’s Children’s Home along with other deserving charities.

After September 11, 2001 they arranged for a benefit for the Red Cross. They have had numerous fund raisers for the Jacqueline Wilentz Breast Center at Monmouth Medical Center.

Civically they have been active with the Long Branch Chamber, and the West End Business Association. They started the Long Branch Block Party and Pooch Parade in partnership with the Chamber, now in its seventh year. For the last four years, they have chaired the Long Branch Chef Challenge which has highlighted all fabulous restaurants and food purveyors in the area.

Three years ago, February 13, 2012, the terrible fire in West End destroyed 9 businesses along with 14 apartments. With the help of many volunteers on February 29, 400 plus paying guests crowded into the Oceanplace ballroom and raised substantial funds for the victims of the fire.

“Well, Sam and Mike are the most solid citizens in Long Branch, said Chamber Officer Mary George, who couldn’t say enough. “They are selfless in the number of hours they put into the city. They are very positive people. I’ve known them since they opened the Mix. Everybody loves them,” she said.

In the fall of 2011 Sam was diagnosed with Stage IV lymphoma. While undergoing chemotherapy, he and Michael discussed Sam resuming his culinary career.

“The deal was that if I keep forging through, Michael would make this restaurant happen,” Nativo said. After twelve months, Nativo’s cancer was in remission, construction started in the summer of 2012.

The 28-seat restaurant opened in December, 2012. 2ndFlr restaurant was supposed to open the first week of November 2012 but a little interruption – called Superstorm Sandy – intervened. The opening of the restaurant was put off and with the help of generators reopened MIX as soon as the City would let them, even with an early curfew, and successfully fed so many people.
* * *

Dinner tickets for the 81st Annual Business Awards Dinner are available at $100 per person. Sponsorships and ad space are still available.

Please contact the Chamber at info@longbranchchamber.org or 732-222-0400.

Owner of Asbury Park Daycare Center indicted

Ocean Township Owner/Operator Falsified Quarterly Expense Reports

(FREEHOLD) The owner and operator of an Asbury Park daycare center and pre-school was arrested Tuesday after a Monmouth County grand jury returned a 9-count indictment charging her with crimes related to contracts to provide services for city pre-schoolers, Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni announced.

Sylvia B. Brodrick, 59, of Shadow Lawn Drive in the Oakhurst section of Ocean Township, is charged with two counts each of third degree Theft by Deception, third degree Tampering with Public Records, second degree Making False Representations in Payment Claims on a Government Contract, second degree False Material Representation in Connection with Performance of a Government Contract, and one count of third degree Identity Theft. After surrendering to authorities Tuesday morning, Broderick was released by Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Anthony J. Mellaci, Jr., J.S.C. pending a future court date.

If convicted of a second degree offense, Brodrick faces a New Jersey state prison sentence of up to 10 years in prison on each count. The third degree offenses each carry a maximum of up to 5 years in prison.

An investigation by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office determined Brodrick as the owner and operator of Little Tots II, located at 603 Mattison Ave. in the city, operated under a contract with the Asbury Park Board of Education (APBOE) to provide pre-school services for eligible 3- and 4-year-old children in the school district for the 2010-11 and 2011-12 school years. The services were provided without charge to the eligible children and the costs associated with the programs were reimbursed by the APBOE. Under the terms of the contracts, Brodrick’s Little Tots II received reimbursement payments for the services provided to the eligible children, including staffing expenses, as determined by required quarterly expense reports submitted to the APBOE by Little Tots II documenting its contractually-incurred expenses. The contracts with the APBOE were valued at over $1.2 million for the 2010-11 school year and over $800,000 for the 2011-12 school year.

This Office’s investigation revealed Brodrick submitted staffing expense reports and supporting documentation under both contracts seeking repayment for the salary of an individual listed in the Little Tots II expense reports as a janitor. The investigation revealed, however, that this individual interviewed for the post as a night janitor in 2010 but worked only one night before quitting the job, never returning to work at Little Tots II. Despite never collecting a paycheck for the one night of work, Brodrick regularly reported his continued employment status at Little Tots II and submitted expenses associated with his employment for reimbursement to the APBOE, fraudulently receiving over $40,000 in public monies over the term of the two-year contract.

The investigation also uncovered a second individual, working at Little Tots II during the two contract years, was paid “under the table” in cash. This individual, whose employment was never reported to the APBOE, was never subjected to a criminal background check or a child abuse record information check required by both the terms of the contracts with the APBOE as well as the governing State standards for child care centers such as Little Tots II. The investigation further revealed the second individual was not legally documented to work in the United States.

Despite these charges, every defendant is presumed innocent, unless and until found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, following a trial at which the defendant has all of the trial rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and State law.

The case is being prosecuted to Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutor David Fritch.

Brodrick is represented by Victoria Emanuele, Esq., of Lakewood.

Editorial: FMERA Failures

Last summer, Eatontown was outraged when HovWest withdrew its proposal to develop the Howard Commons section of Fort Monmouth, over disputes about issues with the groundwater, and the costs to remediate it. At the time, many assumed it was a weak excuse. But earlier this year tests of the groundwater by the U.S. Army did reveal some worrying results about the quality of the water on the base. Perhaps HovWest was justified in its concerns.

That wasn’t the only major project that fell through at Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority, the agency that oversees the redevelopment of the closed Army base. An attempt to work with Soldier On, a group which provides housing to homeless vets, fell through. Unlike many of the affordable housing plans for the base, this one had strong support from the community and wasn’t encountering resistance from local towns.

Or consider the failed attempt to sell Russel Hall. In January 2014, Kiely Realty group was very eager to take over the property and develop it into office space. After nearly 12 months of negotiations, they too walked away. The reason, according to a FMERA memo, was the use of a heliport for commercial purposes too close to residential buildings. However, the Request For Offers To Purchase clearly spelled out that the property included a heliport as part of the offer.

If FMERA merely wasn’t doing a quick job of developing the fort rapidly, that would be upsetting. But it might be forgivable. However, some of its recent actions border on cartoonish.

Take the clandestine agreement to allow the NJ Department of Human Services house people returning from Ebola stricken countries at the Fort as a quarantine zone. We’ve spoken about how ridiculous this was on so many levels – it may also have been done by the FMERA administration illegally. Under FMERA’s own by-laws, the FMERA Board must approve any lease agreements.

There’s also the way that it threatened the Oceanport Police Department with eviction. The police department had moved into the old firehouse on the Fort after their headquarters was destroyed during Sandy. Because this was, potentially, a temporary headquarters, they didn’t want to have a clause from the standard lease saying that they were responsible for environmental cleanup of the building – and for months, it appeared the state was willing to go along with this. Then FMERA insisted Oceanport sign the lease or evictions would start the next day.

Given the fact that numerous development projects at the Fort have collapsed, and that FMERA now seems to be treating host communities Oceanport, Eatontown and Tinton Falls with open contempt, it’s time for change. The agency needs to be able to get things done, to work with locals.

What we have now is unacceptable.

Originally published in the Feb. 19, 2015 edition of The Link News

Steelman School Sold

By Walter J. O’Neill, Jr

Eatontown — The former Fred G. Steelman School, unused for more than a decade, located at 215 Broad Street, has been sold for an undisclosed amount. The school had a large red bow and ribbon covering the front entrance on February 12.

The school, which was originally Eatontown Public School No. 1, opened in 1907. Fred G. Steeman started his teaching career in the borough in 1916. He took a leave of absence to fight during World War 1. He returned to Eatontown and went back to teaching and was eventually promoted to principal until 1940. In 1955 the school was named in his honor.

Fred G. Steelman School closed to students in 1976. Several years ago, Eatontown sold the school to a group that was planning on opening a Jewish High School. However, that group ran into financial issues and boarded up the school to keep vandals out.

The last owners of the property, Ilan HS Building Association sold the building on December 31, 2014 to C.E.D. Properties, L.L.C. who are planning on turning the school into a private K-12 day school, Voyagers’ Community School.

Currently Voyagers’ Community School is located in Framingdale, and according to their representatives, it will stay open until the end of this current school calendar. They are hoping that the new Eatontown location will be ready for students for the 2015-2016 calendar.

The property had a listed value of $1.5 million; however the actual sale price has not been disclosed at this time. February 13, several trucks and men were seen going into the building apparently getting ready for renovations.

According to Voyagers’ website, they offer small group classes and are structured academically for literacy, science, math, global studies, foreign language, art, music, electives, library and physical education.

A normal Voyagers’ day starts off at 9:00 a.m. when students and teachers get together and discuss current news, ideas or questions on each other’s minds and plan the day.

Eviction threat for Oceanport Police Department

By Walter J. O’Neill Jr

Oceanport — “I need that lease signed today. Otherwise, by 10 a.m. tomorrow, I will deliver the eviction letter to the chief. Thanks to your council, we are out of time,” wrote Bruce Steadman, executive director of FMERA (Ft. Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority), to John Bennett the Oceanport Business Administrator.

This is not quite how it happened, but was the reaction of many to the news that Oceanport Police were told they faced the threat of eviction from Fort Monmouth after a seemingly amiable period where they put $100,000 to fix up the fort’s old Fire Department as their new headquarters.

“Can you believe what he wrote? It was kind of like putting a gun to your head and saying take it or leave it,” said Joe Irace, Oceanport councilman.

That email was sent on January 20, at 11:14 in the morning.

Oceanport Police are currently housed in the former Fort Monmouth Fire House on the main post. The borough spent over $100,000 last summer to get the facility ready for the police officers to move in.

Their former headquarters, in the Borough Hall building on Monmouth Blvd, was destroyed by Superstorm Sandy in 2012. Up until last summer the police officers were working out of trailers.

FMERA is the group that oversees the redevelopment of Fort Monmouth, which closed in September 2011. Last summer the borough had worked out an agreement with FMERA to acquire the fire house for $1 and they would be given an 18 month lease.

The lease also included a provision that if environmental issues were discovered, the borough would be responsible to clean it up. The borough had some issues with that clause, and thought they had negotiated a change to it. (See related article of discussions of FMERA at last Thursday’s council meeting.)

What went wrong to get Steadman fired up?

Some Oceanport officials we spoke to believed that it was a matter of retribution.

According to sources, FMERA was hoping to get a housing project by developer RPM going inside the east gate of the property, which would have the former officers’ quarters sold at 100 percent of market value. Another section of that plan had 48 units on the South Post rented, and 24 of those would be low income housing.

Though the land is in its borders, Oceanport would not receive taxes on that property. They would get a PILOT, Payment In Lieu Of Taxes, which is often much less than what would be collected in tax revenue.

The agreement for the RPM project had FMERA selling Oceanport two plots of land at below the market rate, that would be used for a new borough municipality building and a school. It also included one building that could be used for public works.

At the January 15 Borough Council Meeting, the governing body was asked to take action on the RPM housing project. The Link was told that after discussing the issue in closed session, the council decided that they would take no action on the housing project at that time.

The following day, a Friday, Bennett informed Steadman that the council had not approved or declined the project at this time.

Monday was the Dr. Martin Luther King holiday and the borough offices were closed. The next day Oceanport received the email from Steadman threatening eviction.

When you look at the details, sources in Oceanport say it appears that FMERA was retaliating for not getting the housing project going.

When officials started to discuss the lease for the police department, they were told FMERA had made adjustments. The land sale and public works building was apparently considered dependent on approving the housing development, and were no longer on the table. FMERA also insisted on enforcing the original environmental cleanup rules.

The lease is good for a one-year term, but is backdated to when police moved in, so expires in October. It could be extended for six months afterward – if both sides consent.

“There is asbestos in the basement, and our officers were told not to drink the water. What is in the water that they can drink and what other issues might be there?” said Irace. He also added that the clean-up cost could run from $5 to $5 million. “Why should we sign a lease where we are held responsible for those environmental cost when we only have the building for six (more) months?”

Oceanport residents are questioning why FMERA would threaten such action. They knew the police had moved in to the fire house and already spent $100,000 to get it usable. All that work was done before a lease was signed, as the FMERA board knew that the police needed a space and more likely would be there until they found a new building.

Questions have been raised if Steadman has the authority to start an eviction without the rest of the FMERA board’s approval. “What judge would evict a police department and jeopardize public safety?” one resident asked.

Link News Sports, read this week’s sport section

Laura Alvardo (30) is all smiles for the Spartans of Ocean after she hit a three-point basket in the 53-32 win over Barnegat.

Fighting to get off a shot between two Wall defenders is Going in for two of his game high 21 points is Shore Regional senior Kevin Bloodgood as the Blue Devils beat Manasquan 48-42.