July 2011 Archives

The name "Costa" may conjure up images of delicious ice cream in many long-time Metuchen and Edison residents; from 1898 until 1977, the Costa family made and sold ice cream in Metuchen.  In an oral history conducted in 2006, Mr. Gregory Costa recounts how at first his his maternal Uncle and Aunt operated a small ice cream shop at the corner of Hillside Avenue and Main Street.  In 1905, Gregory's parents, Matilda and Gregory Costa, Sr., purchased the business from his Aunt and Uncle, and in 1914 constructed the building at 416 Main Street and then, in 1923, built an ice cream plant on Pearl Street (near the Boyt's Drug rear parking lot).

Due to an injury Gregory suffered while playing football at the New York Military Academy, he was unable to serve in the military during World War II, but was eventually admitted to the Reserves where he served as a Second Lieutenant. 

But Gregory's younger brother, Joseph was able to serve overseas.  He was born in 1913, just fourteen months after Gregory and grew up with his brother and sister, Maria, in Metuchen.  Some may remember him as Mayor of Metuchen during the 1950s.  What people may not know about him is that he was apparently also quite a baseball player.

A researcher in McLean, Virginia recently contacted the Metuchen-Edison Historical Society to find out if we knew anything more about Joseph Costa and his career in baseball.  

The Metuchen School District has begun the search for a new superintendent, posting the job description at the district's Website (www.metuchenschools.org).  The document is dated May 16, 2006, and it has two problems that show it is obsolete. 

Under qualifications, "a demonstrated record of academic achievement" is missing, at a time when academics is an area in which the district must improve.  Metuchen's four-year college attendance rate is the lowest in the state among similar socio-economic districts.  Metuchen is 48th of 48 I-districts in New Jersey and even falls in the bottom half among GH-districts. A good candidate will have proven strategies to improve performance at every level, Kindergarten through 12th grade.

The other problem with the job qualifications is that they require "central office experience." Central office experience is far less important than the experience of running a school.  It's much better to find someone with hands-on know-how than with a bureaucratic background. There is value to having worked in a school bureaucracy and learned about process management, but it is a "nice to have," not a "must have."  And to exclude successful assistant principals and principals who have led their schools with quantifiable academic success would be foolish, simply because they did not work in the back office.

Presumably the job description from 2006 will be updated and re-posted.  In the rewrite, the members of the Board of Education with their search consultant, the NJ School Boards Association, should include " a demonstrated record of academic achievement" and should drop "central office experience" as a necessary qualification.  The next Board meeting is August 16 at 8 PM at Borough Hall.  That's a great venue to express your interest in an open and thorough search, but you can also send an email to all members of the Board.  Their e mail addresses can be found at the above Website by clicking on "Board of Education" and then "Contact Information."

Sincerely,

David Liss

Metuchen Superintendent of Schools Terri Sinatra will soon announce her plans to retire at year's end.

"The rumors are correct," she told the Sentinel on Friday. She said she has not officially informed the Board of Education of her retirement, but that the item would be on the agenda for the board's July 19 meeting.

Sinatra has worked for the borough's school district for 21 years, the last 11 as superintendent.

Board of Education President Eileen Frowenfeld said that since there has been no official action on Sinatra's retirement, she was not at liberty to address the issue.

However, with word spreading through the school community recently that Sinatra would be retiring in January, the Metuchen Citizens for Quality Education group has been advocating for public presence at the July 19 board meeting.

"CQE is hopeful that the great environment of our district -- good students, great teachers and staff and supportive community -- will attract many accomplished principals and supervisors looking to advance in what we anticipate will be a wide and thorough search," said CQE President JoAnn Sabatino- Falkenstein. "CQE hopes Metuchen will find a leader with a proven record of academic achievement and with the vision to help move Metuchen higher among its peers."

Metuchen beats Hazlet, a virtual travel team that's known for steamrolling the competition. Adam hurls nearly five innings and gives up three runs, making clutch pitches at the right moments. Big clutch hits from Tommy Faggioni, Michael Fucille, Jared Manley, Liam Walker and Adam. These resilient kids played two innings under teaming rain. My son (sorry to brag), Jonathan, went 2-3, drove in about four runs (including the go-ahead, I believe), snagged three balls at second base that were a little out of reach and then got the save in a dramatic sixth inning (some kid hit an out-of-the-park home run against him). Jon pitched in three games in two days: one win, two saves. 

Salon 212

Grand Opening

&

Ribbon Cutting 

DATE: July 21, 2011

TIME: 5:00 -- 6:00 pm 

LOCATION: Salon 212

212 Main Street, Metuchen

732-321-1899

From the Arts Council/Recreation Commission:

It's summer time and the time is right, once again, for dancing in the streets in Metuchen. The Metuchen Arts Council in association with the Metuchen Recreation Commission, will present its annual outdoor summer concert series, "Metuchen Rocks!" every Thursday night in August at 7:30 p.m.

The concerts are free and take place in the heart of downtown Metuchen on the corner of Center and New Streets.   

This year's concert series includes four New Jersey bands with diverse styles starting with a dance party on August 4^th featuring the Latin rhythms of David Cedeno and His Latin Orchestra.  The music continues with Metuchen's own hometown rockers The Spidermonkeys on August 11th, the perennial blues favorite Night Train on August 18^th, and the contemporary jazz/rock/roots jamming of The Atmosperics on August 25^th.  

Terri Sinatra's announced retirement gives us a once-in-a-blue-moon opportunity to shape our schools by selecting a great new superintendent from anywhere in New Jersey  or the USA.

We need a broad search, with public input.  Soon the Board of Education may give us indications of its intentions in this regard.  Let's insist on an open, wide-ranging search for candidates, particularly among the pool of New Jersey administrators such as principals and superintendents in other towns who would love to come to our beautiful borough and help nudge it toward greatness.  We can find an extremely capable administrator with a proven track record, e.g., of taking an average or above-average school or school district and making it better. 

Metuchen Matters just received this important message from The Metuchen Travel Soccer Team--in a town that seems to be filled to the brim with young athletes, who would have thought they would need to put out an APB on all U8 Mia Hamms? But, if your daughter loves soccer, this is her big chance. Check this out!

The Metuchen Travel Soccer Club is in need of girls for its U8 team.  The girls must be either born between August 1, 2003-July 31, 2004 OR entering the second grade.  If your daughter is interested please visit metuchentravelsoccer.com  for more information, or register your daughter on the website and a member of the club or the coach will be in touch.Registration for Metuchen Travel Soccer is on August 11, 2011, so act now if interested. 

Article Written By TOM DAVIS

Last year, it was pitching and defense that put them over the top. This year, Metuchen's 9-year-old Little Leaguers won the Milltown Tournament with style. (Check out his pictures at this link!)

Donning sleek new batting helmets, the 9-year-old tournament pitched and slugged its way Saturday to a 7-2 victory over host Milltown to win the championship.

For the second consecutive year, Metuchen's arms led the way. Adam Boucher, who pitched a no-hitter to lead the team to last year's championship, shut Milltown down by giving up only one run over the last four innings.

Jonathan Davis pitched the first two innings, giving up one run on only one hit. Davis pitched in three of the tournament's four games.

But it was the helmets that were "hit," perhaps, as the inspired Metuchen 9ers banged in nearly 70 runs over 4 games to go 3-1 in the tournament. In the championship, Thomas Faggioni led the way by leading off with an inside-the-park home run. Milltown never recovered. The fleet catcher-third-baseman-pitcher got a hit nearly every time he took to the plate in the tournament.

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150366738464517.428994.561549516In the tournament, clutch hits came from J.J. Flynn, Liam Walker, Nick Phillips, Michael Fuccile, Alex Yakowenko and Chuck Bradley to help put Metuchen over the top. Stellar fielding was key, too, led by Boucher, Davis, Fuccile, Bradley, Alex Holloway, Connor O"Leary and Jared Manley.

On Saturday August 27th, from noon - 6:00 p.m. at Roosevelt Park

, the American Legion S.A. L. will be holding their annual picnic. Advance tickets are available at the hall for $25.00 (please see the bartender) or at the venue for $30.00.

There will be lots of food, including BBQ Pork, clams. lots of soda and beer and other goodies. 
Games and Contests including Horse Shoes and a Pudding Eating Contest will be held. A children's table with crafts and games will be set up for younger guests and there will be swimming as well. A 50 -50 Raffle is also planned. Please come and support your legion. The event will take place at the Kiddie Keep Well Camp
at 35 Roosevelt Dr.
 in Edison

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Directions

From the CQE:

Superintendent Theresa Sinatra has announced to her staff that she will retire in January 2012.
Please plan to attend the July 19 Board of Education meeting at 8 PM in the courtroom of Borough Hall, where summer meetings are held.
A strong show from the public at that meeting will demonstrate the community's interest in the extremely important search for our school district's next superintendent.  
Thank you.