On Wednesday, October 26, the Roselle Board of Education voted 9-0 to approve the appointment of Dr. Kevin West as the new Superintendent of Schools.

He replaces outgoing interim Superintendent Joe Martino, who is retiring after decades of school administrative service. Dr. West had served as the district’s Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Development and Instruction for over a year prior to his new appointment.

“I’m looking forward to providing strong, bold leadership that will help transform the Roselle Borough Public Schools into a high performing school district,” said Dr. West. “Our schools have the capability to go from good to great and from ordinary to extraordinary.”

Dr. West is a product of the Newark Public Schools, graduating from Barringer High School in 1978. He then attended Seton Hall University, earning both his undergraduate and graduate degrees before completing his doctorate degree in Educational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University in Florida. Dr. West has also completed Princeton University’s Principal Center program, The Harvard University Leadership Institute, and the Yale University Child Study Center. 

The T-Mobile store here at 992 Springfield Ave. - whose employees and customers were evacuated from a partial building collapse Sept. 30 - may be reopened for business by the time you read this.

New or regular cell phone customers cannot miss the building at the northwest corner of Springfield and Myrtle avenues even though the T-Mobile lettering has been removed from its facade.

A&S General Contractors, of North Plainfield, has erected scaffolding around the two-and-a-half story building's yellow brick face. What rubble that fell onto the Five Points street corner at about noon Sept. 30 was carted away later that Friday afternoon.

IRVINGTON, N.J. – September 9, 2011 – Employees of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey volunteered at a Habitat for Humanity Newark construction site in Irvington on Thursday to honor those lost on 9/11. 

The volunteer day is part of the Port Authority’s ‘Remembrance Through Renewal’ program, which encourages employees to participate in agency-sponsored volunteer service projects throughout the region. Fifteen Port Authority employees worked on a house in Irvington being built by Habitat Newark in partnership with a hard-working, low-income family that will put in 400 hours of ‘sweat equity’ to qualify for the affordable home. 

“This is an opportunity for employees to come together as an agency to honor the victims and survivors of September 11 by giving back to the region,” said Jessica W. Schellack, MCRP, who represents the Office of the Chief Operating Officer, Asset Management of The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. “Participation in this program has grown each year.  This year, we are excited to show our continued commitment to the region by expanding the program and partnering with more volunteer organizations in different communities.”  

Schellack commented that the Habitat Newark build day was a popular choice for the Port Authority volunteers and that more employees would have participated if there had been more spaces. As it was, the house was full of activity as the volunteers worked on installing windows and performing work on the interior of the home. 

On Saturday, August 13th, around 50 family, friends and supporters were waiting to greet some cyclists who rode cross-country in a fund-raising effort. As predicted, the cyclists were seen on Court Street turning onto Broad Street in Newark around midday. Everyone started cheering and congratulated Irvington Council President John Sowell and his partner Joe.., Local Talk congratulated the two great bike riders, who achieved the goal in precise timing as predicted.

The Final Numbers for the entire coast-to coast trip are:

-          3,053: Total Miles from Oceanside, California to Irvington, New Jersey

-          212: Total hours in the saddle (on the bike seat)

-          186,829: Total calories burned or 53.25 lbs. of body weight, 3,500 calories equals 1 lb.

-          28: Total number of consecutive cycling days to complete trip from Jul. 17 to Aug. 14

Here it the final report:

Day No. 25: We are both feeling jittery knowing that we are so close to home. We started rolling at 6:30 AM from Frostburg, Maryland en route to Chambersburg, Pennsylvania 100 miles away.  The day was off to a terrific start, left the parking lot turn right and we had a 10 mile downhill, and we hardly pedaled for the first half an hour. It was a cool morning maybe 65 degrees, going downhill right from the start made it feel even colder.