A WATCHUNG COMMUNICATIONS, INC. PUBLICATION The Westfield Leader and THE TIMES of Scotch Plains – Fanwood Thursday, June 11, 1998 Page 7
Runnells Holds Celebration Of National Nurses Week
The staff and residents of Runnells Specialized Hospital of Union County recently honored their entire nursing team in recognition of National Nurses Week.
The observance began May 6 and culminated on May 12, the birthday of distinguished British nurse Florence Nightingale.
Ice cream sundaes were served as part of the celebration, according to Freeholder Deborah P. Scanlon, Liaison to the Runnells Hospital Advisory Board of Managers.
GETTING THE SCOOP… Sue Palma of Westfield, Acting Director of Nursing at Runnells Specialized Hospital of Union County, ladles out ice cream to hospital staff members during National Nurses Week. Pictured waiting for their sundaes are Garrison Hall of Cranford and Bessie Johnson of Plainfield, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Center staff members.
"It is celebrated as nurse recognition and appreciation week," said Freeholder Scanlon. "At Runnells, we have registered nurses (RNs) on duty 24- hours- a- day, seven days a week, which is unique for a longterm care facility."
"The RNs, as well as the other members of our nursing team, which includes Licensed Practical Nurses and Certified Nurses Aides, are an essential part of making health care at Runnells work — and work well," she added.
Franklin Team Scores High At 'Odyssey' World Finals
The six members of the "Marvelous Mentor" team from Franklin Elementary School in Westfield were among students from around the United States and the world who took part in the Odyssey of the Mind World Finals from May 27 to 30.
Walt Disney World hosted the event, which featured 753 teams representing all 50 states and 30 countries. More than 10,000 students from the elementary school level through college presented their solutions to problems for a place in the competition.
The "Marvelous Mentor" team, which included Martin Paul, Barrett Newell, Elissa Niemiera, Amanda
SUCCESSFUL ODYSSEY… Members of the "Marvelous Mentor" team from Franklin Elementary School in Westfield, flanked by their coaches, recently placed sixth out of 57 teams in their division during the Odyssey of the Mind World Finals at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. Pictured, left to right, are: Coach Joanie Niemiera, Barrett Newell, Elissa Niemiera, Amanda Gross, Matt Delaney, Adam Subhas, Martin Paul and Coach Matt Niemiera.
Gross, Matt Delaney and Adam Subhas, placed sixth out of 57 teams in their division.
Following two first- place wins at the Northern New Jersey Regionals in March and again at the State Finals in April, the team members earned their spot in representing New Jersey at the four- day world competition in their division. They were coached by Matt and Joanie Niemiera.
"The coaches, team members and their families would like to thank Westfield residents, friends and supporters for their encouragement and financial support," said a spokeswoman for the group.
DISTINGUISHED STUDENT… Nicholas Kasten of Fanwood, a fourthgrade student at the Pingry School in Martinsville, was recently awarded a place of distinction in the National Social Studies Olympiad. Fourthgrade students at Pingry competed in the Olympiad with fourth and fifth graders from 163 international independent schools. Pingry finished seventh among the top 20 schools overall, and first among New Jersey schools, with the top 10 scorers in the grade awarded a place of distinction. YOUNG VOICES… Two Honor Choirs, jointly sponsored by the New Jersey
Music Educators Association and the New Jersey chapter of the American Choral Directors Association, performed at Westfield High School on May 2. The Elementary Choir, made up of 120 fourth through sixth graders from all over the state, included 14 Westfield students. The Junior High Choir included Chris Freisen and Nikhil Koparkar from Roosevelt Intermediate School in Westfield. Pictured, left to right, are: Elizabeth Morasso, Danielle Palentchar, Rachel Lazar, Dorothy Chou, Barrett Newell, Christina Cordeiro, Celine Mogielnicki, Giovanna Palatucci, Hannah Burke, Chelsea Carlson, Lizzie Trimble, Emily Greenberg, Ryan Reber and Emily MacNeil.
Community Band Season To Mark Gershwin's Birth
The Westfield Community Band, under the direction of Elias J. Zareva, begins their 86th season of Summer Concert performances in Mindowaskin Park, on Thursday, June 18, at 8 p. m.
The band will be celebrating the 100th anniversary of the birth and legacy of composer, George Gershwin. The first piece the band will perform in tribute to his birth will be a Porgy and Bess Medley.
Porgy and Bess spotlights several of Gershwin's most recognized pieces including, "Summertime, I Got Plenty O' Nuttin," and "It Ain't Necessarily So." Porgy and Bess first opened to poor reviews at the Alvin Theater in New York in 1935 and closed after 124 performances, noted band spokeswoman Eileen O'Donnell.
In 1937, the musical opened on the western coast of the United States; but unfortunately, Gershwin did not live to see its success.
The June 18 concert will also feature part one of fathers performing with their children. This summer, the band will perform Antonio Vivaldi's, "Concerto for Two Trumpets" twice. The concert will feature the father and daughter team of Robert and Carolyn Solgan. The band will repeat this feature later in the summer with the father and son pairing of Joseph and James Cotignola.
Ms. Solgan, a Greenbrook resident, has taught instrumental music in the Hanover Township School in Whippany for the past four years.
Ms. Solgan, also a member of the Hanover Wind Symphony and the Metropolitan Brass, received an undergraduate degree from Westchester University in Pennsylvania, and a masters degree in conducting from Trenton State College, now the College of New Jersey.
She has performed with the Community Band for the past 13 years. Mr. Solgan has performed with the Westfield Community Band for the past 16 years.
The band's concert series will continue on Thursday, June 25; Thursdays, July 2, 9, and 16 in Mindowaskin Park, Westfield.
In the event of inclement weather, the concert will be held in the Community Room at the Westfield Municipal Building. All events are free and it is suggested that the audience bring lawn chairs or blankets.
Fifth- Grade Students Excel In Quiz Bowl Competition
Fifty- two fifth- grade students in the "Thinking Is Basic" (T. I. B.) program of the Scotch Plains- Fanwood public schools have finished tops in New Jersey, and 44th in the nation in the recently- completed Knowledge Master Open Computerized Quiz Bowl Competition.
Students are tested in all areas of the fifth grade curriculum and complete their responses via computer. Both speed and accuracy count, and the efforts of everyone in the group influence the results.
Members of this year's team included Jonathan Altman, Jesse Bruch, Matthew Capodicasa, Stephen Carroll, Yogan Cheng, Taylor Cianciotta, Abbegail Cohen, Christopher D'Annunzio, David DeMair, Thomas Ferro, Alexandra Fredas, Alexander Gerveshi, Marco Giasullo, Christopher Gigiel and Rachel Goor.
Other members of the team were Sam Gordon, Shannon Hassett, David Hauptman, Abraham Hiatt, Casey Hoynes- O'Connor, Stephanie King, Aaron Klemow, Rebecca Koransky, Fred Kovalyov, Robert Lasher, Michael Leighton, Jessica Lieberman, Sean Mahoney, Nicole Malchow, Sara McArdle and James McKenna.
Laura Mortkowitz, Alan Neuhauser, Lauren Perrotta, Michelle Regg, Sophia Riordon, Sean Robinson, Joanna Rosenberg, Michael Ross, Jeremy Sanders, William Schoenbach, Morgan Scully, Shrenik Shah, Samuel Slaugh, Sean
Smith, Bradley Stanek, Kelly Syring, Ryan Thompson, Craig Torpey, Sean Varsolona, Faye Xu and Katie Zaleski were also on the team.
The students were coached in their quiz master participation by T. I. B. teachers Patricia Noerr and Carol Smith.
Rescue Squad to Host Blood Drive
The Westfield Volunteer Rescue Squad will host a blood drive for the Blood Center of New Jersey on Sunday, June 14, from 10 a. m. to 2 p. m. at squad headquarters, located at 335 Watterson Street, next to the traffic circle on South Avenue.
Grace Kowalski, Vice President of the squad and coordinator for the blood drive, stated that there is always a great need for donated blood throughout the state.
The squad is an all- volunteer organization serving the community of Westfield. Anyone interested in volunteering may call (908) 233- 2501, or stop by the organization's headquarters.
In the event of a medical emergency, please call 911.
Two Town Residents Graduate From Brown
Two Westfield students were conferred degrees from Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, during the school's 230th commencement on May 25. Alison Elizabeth Konet, the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Richard Konet of Westfield, received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology.
Amanda Lin Kong, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ah Swee Kong of Westfield, received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Biology.
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