Parents Who Rock - Press

Riffing and Rocking to Enrich Public Schools

2009-01-27T20:11:00.001-08:00

Parents Who Rock showcase new CD, fundraising gigs

by Mark S. Porter
of the Montclair Times
Thursday, January 22, 2009

Local musicians by the dozens fill the 23 tracks of "Let ’em play," a second CD released by the Montclair organization Parents Who Rock.

PWR is not only an organization. PWR is a guitarization, bassization and percussionization. There’s also plenty of vocalization.

"There are 60 musicians from Montclair and the Montclair area" performing on the new album, which features performances from the past year, said Alma Schneider, founder of Parents Who Rock.

PWR’s key membership requisite is that performers must be parents, many of whom long ago placed their musical instruments in closets to make space for playpens and kids’ toys. The association’s popularity has attracted enough older musicians that a sub-group has been established: Grandparents Who Rock.

"We have this amazing ‘Grandparents Who Rock’ thing happening," Schneider told The Times. "This is like a rebirth for some of them. It’s becoming this community event where they’re meeting new friends and collaborating on music."

And there’s an ancillary array of players who are young people. "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star," one of the new CD’s tunes, features "the children of Parents Who Rock."

Produced and engineered by Dave Cushing at Snowdome Studios in Montclair, and mastered by the acclaimed recording-studio maven Greg Calbi, the CD is available in numerous shops around town.

Proceeds from sales of the $10 album will fund the purchase of rock instruments and musical teaching in Montclair’s public schools.

"We’re hoping everyone in town will buy a CD to support this great program," said Schneider, who noted that PWR’s fundraising efforts are tied in with the Montclair Fund for Educational Excellence.

The music education program is initiated by the national organization Little Kids Rock, whose founder, David Wish, resides in Montclair.

Proceeds from PWR’s debut CD, "Go Play Outside," along with numerous live performances and fundraisers, helped raise about $150,000 toward the construction of the All-Children’s Playground in Edgemont Memorial Park.

Since she founded PWR four years ago, Schneider and her colleagues have raised donations for local or regional nonprofits. They initially were motivated to share their success with nonprofit groups that needed financial assistance. Now, with the U.S. economy reeling, PWR members recognize their assistance is needed to assist human services agencies.

"Times are so tough, and soup kitchens and other nonprofits are suffering," Schneider explained.
Parents Who Rock have numerous fundraisers scheduled, with most focused on the Little Kids Rock endeavor.

"There are all these opportunities for people to participate in these fundraising events," Schneider said. "It’s so important that we have music in our lives."

Contact Mark S. Porter at porterm@montclairtimes.com.

Upcoming PWR Events
Parents Who Rock has scheduled a series of performances and fundraisers.

Wednesday. Jan. 28: Uptown, at restaurant at 595 Valley Road, will feature PWR members Ellen Paretti and Alisa Harmon in shows on Wednesday evenings, with half-priced meals for children and 5 percentof proceeds donated to Little Kids Rock.

Saturday, Jan. 31: Zara Phillips, Meryl McCusker, Barbara McCathry, Ron Holtz, Jessica Owen, Scott Moore, Cindy McCord, Hamstrung and Los Primos perform at Diva Lounge, 369 Bloomfield Ave., to benefit the Christ Church Soup Kitchen in East Orange. The show runs from 7to 10 p.m. Tickets: $10. Reservations: 973-509-3000.

Sunday, Feb. 22: PWR presents Rockin' for Kids, a family friendly concert at 3 p.m. at the Montclair High School Auditorium (entrance on Park Street). Performers include the Mama Doni Band, Mr. Ray, the Momclair Singfunny Orchestra, and the Roo-Mates from the soon-to-open Club Kid'doo. Tickets are $12 at the door or $10 in advance, and are available at the Montclair Community Pre-K, Grove Pharmacy and Keil's Pharmacy. Or order at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/ or call 800-838-3006. Proceeds will fund the work of Little Kids Rock in Montclair.

Saturday, Feb. 28: Grandparents Who Rock debutsat Diva Lounge, 369 Bloomfield Ave., Montclair, to benefit Little Kids Rock in Montclair. Performers include Jane Susswein, the Schuchinskis, Barbara Hassenfeld, Jim Steiner, Meg Beatie-Patrick and Barbara McCarthy. The show runs from 7 to 10 pm. Tickets are $10. Call 973-509-3000 for reservations. http://www.divalounge.com/.

Willing Hands

2008-11-21T19:15:00.000-08:00

In a town full of community-minded spirits, these individuals distinguish themselves. For them, the season of giving is 12 months long.

By Cindy Schweich Handler
Montclair Magazine, Holiday 2008

Striking a Chord

A clinical social worked trained to "help people reach their potential," Alma Schneider realized that she needed an outlet for doing just that after the birth of her third of four children. The former New Yorker had studied singing at the High School of Music and Art, and her quest for open mikes led to the former Coffee Club Cafe on Valley Road.

"I put together a night of parents like me, musicians who'd performed when they were younger and gotten away from it because of careers and responsibilities at home," Schneider recalls. The cover charge was five dollars for Tsunami relief, corporate matching donations raised the night's take to $900. Ands Parents Who Rock (http://www.parentswhorock.com), a fundraising powerhouse, was born.

Four years later, recipients of their largesse include Montclair's Developmental Learning Center, for whom they raised $30,000; the children of murdered resident Monica Paul; and an All Children's Playground in Edgemont Park, built with $150,000 that PWR raised in conjunction with the Montclair Fund for Educational Excellence. A Parents Who Rock CD recorded for the latter effort brought in $12,000 alone. A concert for Little Kids Rock, a nonprofit music program, will provide 500 new instruments and teacher-training to the public schools. "The only criteria for playing at our shows it that you be a parent, though most people who perform are pretty good," says Schneider. And be patient: There's a waiting list, and you might not play the same year you get on it.

Almost time to ‘Let ’em Play’

2008-10-30T07:28:00.000-07:00

Thursday, October 30, 2008
By Mark S. Porter
Of the Montclair Times

Their membership is made of moms and dads who, years ago, put aside guitar amplifiers and microphones to raise children in Montclair.

Thanks to organizing dynamo Alma Schneider, many former performers have signed onto Schneider’s social and musical cyclone, Parents Who Rock.

Along with motivating responsible adults to rival their children in performing rock music, PWR has become a local vehicle to raise funds for local nonprofits.

PWR’s focus this year is to raise $50,000 for the Little Kids Rock organization, a nationwide group that provides guitars, basses and drums, along with trained instructors, to schools. Little Kids Rock’s founder and executive director, David Wish, is a Montclair resident who intends to bring his organization’s prowess to the Montclair School District.

"You need to be a board-certified teacher to volunteer to teach music in the Little Kids Rock program. We have two of them in Parents Who Rock who are going to be volunteers for this," said Schneider. She cited Avril Fagan, who teaches at Edgemont Montessori School, and Alisa Harmon, who teaches students enrolled in the Developmental Learning Center."

"Parents Who Rock and Little Kids Rock are terrific groups, and Alma Schneider has done a terrific job garnering support in the public schools," said Mayor Jerry Fried. "The program is great. It’s a step in the right direction.

"Having the Little Kids Rock program in the schools is a top-notch way to provide music education, but it’s really just a step. We have to find a way to find more funding for music education."

New CD

Parents Who Rock will release its second compilation of music performed by members. The CD, "Let ’em Play," will be released in mid-November, she said.

"Greg Calbi is mastering our CD, and Dave Cushing is once again producing our CD. We have over 20 songs on it," said Schneider, who noted that Cushing produced PWR’s debut release, "Go Play Outside."

"We’ll be selling it in more than 20 stores," Schneider told The Times.

Holiday fundraisers

PWR will perform a concert and a "Holiday Sample Sale" on Saturday, Dec. 6, at the Andrew Tedesco Gallery on North Willow Street. Twenty percent of the profits of the sale will go to Little Kids Rock’s local goal.

Performers are embarking on Parents Who Rock House Gigs, in which volunteers will host PWR performances in their homes. "You can throw a party or, if you’re already planning a party, you can turn it into a fundraising effort," Schneider said. "We now have 15 people. We’d love 100 people hosting these parties with a token Parents Who Rock concert in their home. You can charge $10 or $20, whatever you’re comfortable charging."

Rock of ages

Parents Who Rock has evolved into new elements. For the first time in the organization’s history, there will be a concert performed by kids. This show will be held in Diva Lounge on Bloomfield Avenue, with the date to be announced.

And there’s a new offshoot: Grandparents Who Rock.

"This is for more ‘seasoned’ parents," Schneider said of the members.

Jill Berke, who suggested creating the offshoot, described its membership as "grandparentally aged."

Berke said she was inspired by her boyfriend, Jim Steiner, who won a first-place award in the Adult Division of the New Jersey Sings competition. "He won at age 69 against people less than half his age," Berke said. "This is about spirit, and people who would like to share the spirit."

"We are looking for grandparents and grandparent wannabees to be involved in the Grandparents Who Rock show," stated Schneider of a concert Berke said would likely occur in February 2009 in the Diva Lounge.

People can contact Schneider at alma@parentswhorock.com.

School (district) of rock

2008-10-20T20:30:00.000-07:00

Thursday, September 18, 2008
By Mark S. Porter
of the Montclair Times

David Wish, left, founder of Little Kids Rock, is joined by Bonnie Raitt and a roster of other musical luminaries who are honorary board members of the organization dedicated to enriching children in learning to perform music. Photo courtesy of David Wish.

In the movies, the hills are alive with the sound of music.

In Montclair, Hillside School might soon be a-tune with the sound of rock music.

Hillside and Montclair's other public schools will be the beneficiaries of free musical instruments and volunteer tutors in a plan now underway in a collaboration involving the locally based Parents Who Rock organization and the national Little Kids Rock non-profit group, whose director and founder, David Wish, resides in Montclair.

Alma Schneider, founder of Parents Who Rock (PWR) said the goal is to generate $50,000 to purchase 500 guitars for the town's 11 public schools.

"For every $100 we make, there will be an instrument brought into school. The total we're hoping to raise is $50,000," Schneider said. "That includes up to 500 instruments, curriculum and Little Kids Rock staff who will train volunteers to teach the programs.

Schneider said she knows of PWR members who are "ready and waiting to teach the kids during and after school hours."

Expressing concern regarding the level of musical education in the public schools, Schneider said, "A small group of high school parents approached me, talking about the need for more music in the schools."

She acknowledged that the members of PWR -- who are all former performers in rock bands who have coalesced, as parents residing in Montclair, to again plug in the guitars and microphones -- are more focused on contemporary music than on Baroque or classical.

"It's rock-based, but the kids will be learning to compose music," Schneider said. "Kids relate to rock music and contemporary music. Once a child gets more involved in music, then the community expands. Being a part of a community gives a student a leg up."

About two months after David Wish founded Little Kids Rock in August 2001, he and his family moved from California to Montclair. During the past decade, Wish has set up local chapters of Little Kids Rock in 18 cities, "reaching over 25,000 kids.

"All instrument donations we make are really part of a program," Wish said. "We really believe children should be taught the music they listen to... We teach our kids to create their own original music."

About 30 teachers will be tutored in Little Kids Rock methodology, he said.

Wish started the organization in East Palo Alto, in the San Francisco Bay area, where he had worked as a first-grade teacher. Little Kids Rock has now rolled into cities such as Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Chicago, Atlanta and Dallas.

Referring to Alma Schneider as "a force of nature," Wish said that he enthusiastically agreed to partner with PWR. "Does it sound like a match made in heaven?" Wish asked, adding that the partnership could also be akin to a show on the Comedy Channel.

PWR and Little Kids Rock are working with the Montclair Fund for Educational Excellence, a non-profit organization that supports the Montclair School District.

Describing the collaboration as "a wonderful effort," Montclair Schools Superintendent Frank Alvarez said, "This will allow us to put an instrument in the hands of every fourth- and fifth-grader who wants to learn how to play.

"We would not have been able to do this on our own."

Alvarez said the promised volunteer instruction will be vital. He said the budget cuts that the district was forceed to make severely limited what music instruction it could provide this school year.

Schneider is already turning up the volume control on her self-amplifier to "11" to combine PWR with Little Kids Rock in a goal to enrich the students attending Montclair's public schools.

"We're going to be doing bake sales, concerts, and many other grassroots activities," Schneider said. "Parents Who Rock musicians can host a dinner. Parents Who Rock musicians will perform at other people's homes.

"We want to keep Montclair the coolest suburb in New Jersey."

Playgrounds that Welcome Wheelchairs

2008-07-17T14:41:00.000-07:00

By JENNIFER V. HUGHES
Published: July 6, 2008
The New York Times

THE first time Lisa Vaccino took her children to Hannah’s Dream, a playground in New Haven designed for disabled children, she immediately noticed a difference in her son, Johnny, 5, who has cerebral palsy.

“When we got back into the car that day I didn’t even have to ask him. He said, ‘That was fun!’ ” said Mrs. Vaccino, who also has a daughter, Emma, 2, who is not disabled. “That was a lot coming from him. That was huge.”

CHILD’S PLAY Lisa Vaccino with her 5-year-old son, Johnny, who is using a special shovel to dig in a sandbox at Hannah’s Dream, a playground in New Haven. Photo: Thomas McDonald for The New York Times

But it takes them a half-hour to drive to the park from Milford, Conn., their hometown. After that visit, in October, Mrs. Vaccino formed a nonprofit group and started a fund-raising drive for an accessible playground in Milford.

With the summer in full swing, playgrounds are a daily part of life for most families with small children. But for many disabled children, they remain tantalizingly out of reach. That is starting to change in many towns around the region, where handicapped accessible playgrounds and ball fields are being built or planned.

At Miracle Field in Hartsdale, N.Y., Tanis Annicchiarico, far right, gives Joey Lombardi a hand running to first base. Photo: Alan Zale for The New York Times

Mrs. Vaccino said that a location for the park in Milford has not been chosen, but that it will be named Bodie’s Place, for her son’s nickname. It even has a mascot, a spunky-looking firefly flitting out of a jar, and a motto: “Get Out and Play!”

Ms. Vaccino and other Milford parents are working with Boundless Playgrounds, a nonprofit group that has helped create 129 accessible playgrounds in 24 states since 1997. It was founded by Peter and Amy Jaffe Barzach of West Hartford, Conn., whose son Jonathan had spinal muscular atrophy, a degenerative neuromuscular disease, and died at the age of 9 months. There are 11 accessible playgrounds in the metropolitan region, and three more in the works, said Glandina Morris, a spokeswoman for Boundless Playgrounds.

Accessible playgrounds have rubberized surfaces that accommodate wheelchairs and walkers, and a child in a wheelchair can use wide ramps to get to the top of all climbing structures, Ms. Morris said. Many of the playgrounds include “cozy spots,” where children with Down syndrome or autism can go if they are overstimulated.

The playgrounds cost more than traditional ones, Ms. Morris said, because wheelchair-friendly surfacing can cost four times more than that of typical playgrounds. She said most groups and communities pay for them with donations and public funds.

Some accommodations are obvious, like high-back swings and bouncers; others are more subtle, like a sandbox placed at wheelchair height, or picnic tables with cutouts so a child in a wheelchair can sit with his or her family, not off to the side, Ms. Morris said. Many playgrounds include Braille panels on the equipment and gardens with fragrant flowers for blind children.

An accessible playground under construction in Teaneck, N.J., will eventually have many of those features and more, said Cindy Balsam-Martz, who led the effort to build it. Mrs. Balsam-Martz was inspired by her struggle to find a place to play with all of her children, the twins Eric and Noah, 10; Elaine, 7; and Nettie Faith, 6, who is partially blind and deaf and uses a wheelchair.

When they visit most parks, Mrs. Balsam-Martz said, her older children play while she practices walking with Nettie Faith.

“It feels like punishment,” she said. “All it does is further isolate her and outline her disability, which is not who Nettie is.”

Construction on the playground in the township’s Votee Park is expected to be completed by early fall.

Nationally, the drive for accessible playgrounds began in response to the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990, said Antonio Malkusak, who has designed spaces for Boundless Playgrounds for a decade. Although the act did not cover playgrounds, “it got people thinking,” Mr. Malkusak said. More playgrounds were also built after companies started offering more adaptive equipment, prompted by the act, he added.

When Boundless Playgrounds began, Mr. Malkusak said, he would often hear, “ ‘We don’t see those kids coming out, so we don’t need to consider them.’ ”

“What was really happening was the reason why those kids didn’t come out was because there was nothing for them to do,” he said.

Since 2004, the Bush administration has been considering whether to require specific guidelines for handicapped access at new and existing playgrounds. A public hearing on the issue was set for July 15 in Washington.

The Town of Huntington, on Long Island, will include a Boundless Playground as part of a renovation and expansion of Veterans Park. Officials hope to open the playground, which is being named for a teacher with Lou Gehrig’s disease, by 2010.

In Montclair, N.J., work was to begin in a few weeks on the Edgemont Park All Children’s Playground. The project will cost about $200,000, about $40,000 of which was raised in bake sales and coin drives, as well as by a group of local musicians, Parents Who Rock. They held fund-raising concerts and released a CD that was sold in local shops.

Alma Schneider, Parents Who Rock’s founder, said accessible playgrounds are fun for all children. “This playground is for everyone,” she said. “There is no playground where typical kids and special-needs kids can play together.”

At a groundbreaking ceremony last week, Dave Fucio, a member of Montclair’s People With Disabilities committee, said accessible playgrounds were also important for parents and grandparents who use wheelchairs.

As part of the renovation of the Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital, Morris County, N.J., is building Miracle Field, a baseball field for disabled players and spectators. It is being paved with a rubberized surface to accommodate wheelchairs and walkers. Officials hoped to hold the first ballgame this month.

The field was built with the help of an organization called the Miracle League, which provides communities with architectural designs and consulting support for the fields. The first Miracle Field was built in Georgia in 2000; now, there are 130 of them nationwide and another 100 under construction, said Diane Alford, founder of the league.

There are four Miracle Fields in the New York region and another 10 are planned, Ms. Alford said. The Westchester County Miracle Field, at Ridge Road Park in Hartsdale, has been hosting games since 2006.

At Miracle Field games, able-bodied siblings often act as buddies, pushing a player in a wheelchair to first base or helping one with a walker hit the ball, Phyllis Lombardi of Dobbs Ferry said. Her 10-year-old son, Joey, who is autistic, is a player and her 13-year-old son, Nicholas, is a buddy.

“What has happened is the most extraordinary thing, because he’s started to be so engaged in it,” Ms. Lombardi said of Joey. “We couldn’t get him to run to first base in the beginning, but now he does it. Now he says the word ‘ball.’ When you only have 11 words, it’s a big deal in a mother’s heart.”

All-Children’s Playground nearing reality

2008-07-17T14:23:00.000-07:00

Thursday, June 26, 2008
By Erica Zarra
of the Montclair Times

After eight years in the making, a universal playground in Montclair is close to fruition.

On June 20, under a bright blue sky, municipal officials, residents, children, and financial donors convened in Edgemont Memorial Park for the kickoff ceremony of an "All-Children’s Playground," which will feature play stations, a playground surface and entrances designed to accommodate people with disabilities and special needs.

Susan Irby, a representative of Montclair’s People With Disabilities Advisory Committee, whose members started the idea of a universal playground nearly a decade ago, called the event "a great day for Montclair."

"It punctuates a major step forward for our community’s commitment to bring full participation in public life for everyone, and it brings it closer to reality," Irby said. "If we think outside the box about access, then we find expanded use and purpose."

Irby noted the universal playground would accommodate not only children with disabilities, but also parents with special needs.

"So much time and effort has been put in by everyone to make this happen," Irby told dozens of supporters in attendance. "And everyone, I can’t thank you enough."

Township Manager Joseph Hartnett noted, "The sense of satisfaction and reward and warm heart from this [project] far exceeds anything else that I have had the privilege of being involved in."

Hartnett praised supporters of the project, including the People With Disabilities Advisory Committee for their longterm commitment to the project.

"As we all know and believe, families that play together stay together," he said.

The Township Council has purchased $140,656 worth of playground equipment from Marturano Recreation Co.

The municipal government also awarded a $282,000 contract to JC Landscape Construction & Management Co. for the playground’s design and construction.

A portion of the funds for such improvements has been appropriated through bond ordinances and additional finances, some of which are from private donors.

The council had committed $200,000 to the project, and the municipality obtained a $50,000 state grant toward it.

The remainder of money was secured through private donations and fundraising initiatives, including those by Parents Who Rock, a locally based organization of mothers and fathers who had performed rock music professionally or as amateurs.

Second Ward Councilwoman Robin Schlager, who served as chairperson of the project’s general fundraising campaign, said she saw a universal playground a perfect fit for Edgemont Memorial Park, which she called, "the jewel of our town."

"I can’t think of a better way to end the four years with such a monumental day as we have here," said Schlager, who will be departing from the council, along with her six colleagues, this coming Tuesday, July 1. "It was a collaborative effort, a very unique effort between the town fundraising and the grassroots fundraising."

Schlager noted that coin drives, bake sales, T-shirt sales and CD sales were integral in raising money. She said such initiatives could not have carried out without the efforts of Parents Who Rock. The councilwoman also noted the work of Hartnett and Sara Gilbertson, an employee in his office, and the Montclair Fund for Educational Excellence, of which she is the associate director.

Alma Schneider, the founder of Parents Who Rock, emphasized how pleased she is to be a Montclair resident: "I am very proud to live in a town that not only considers everyone’s needs but have also had the courage and the perseverance to act on that and have the desire to make a change.

"So a big thank you to Township Council and to all the donors, musicians, and everyone else who assisted in making this unique and amazing playground a reality in our great town of Montclair."

The hour-long program featured a choral presentation in American Sign Language performed by Edgemont Montessori School’s 4th grade students, led by their teacher Regina Waller.

The event also featured two music performances by Parents Who Rock members.
Deputy Mayor Joyce Michaelson said she looks forward to visiting the All-Children’s Playground with her grandchildren.

"This has been an outstanding exercise in how a community can work together and partner together to do what we all want," Michaelson said.

All children's playground on it's way

2008-06-19T19:28:00.000-07:00

Thursday, June 19, 2008
By Mark S. Porter
of the Montclair Times

With a radiant smile sweeping across her face, Lily Vakili rejoiced: "It’s just blossomed."

Vakili’s joyous demeanor was shared by three women who joined her in Edgemont Memorial Park, aglow at the promise of the "All-Children’s Playground" being constructed.

Eight years ago, Montclair residents Dorothy Schattner, her daughter Helaine Schattner and Susan Irby proposed the construction of a recreational area in town in which children and adults with disabilities could enjoy playing on rides with "able" kids and grownups.

There have been eight years of discussions, analyses and, eventually, approval of the All-Children’s Playground.

During the past year, there have been penny drives, musical performances, a walkathon, bake sales and a CD offered for sale to raise funds to construct the specialized playing area in the Edgemont Park location of an existing playground.

Tomorrow morning, Friday, all of the advocacy and fundraising activities will prove their worth.

The All-Children’s Playground Kickoff Ceremony, featuring key activists, supporters and municipal officials, will occur at 11 a.m. in Edgemont’s playground area.

Funding for the All-Children’s Playground has suddenly reached the construction-cost requisite, pushed over the top through substantive contributions by two anonymous donors. "There were some amazingly generous donors," Vakili said.

The playground is estimated to cost about $400,000. The Township Council appropriated $200,000, and the state provided a $50,000 grant. Donors and fundraising activities have provided the remaining $150,000, along with some funds necessary for maintenance and upgrades of the specialized playground equipment.

Susan Irby said every resident should rejoice when the playground opens.

"We focus on the ways we can enrich one another’s lives," Irby said.

Along with their smiles, the four women gathered in Edgemont Park sported black "Parents Who Rock" T-shirts. Joining Irby, Vakili and Leslie Kunkin was Alma Schnieder, founder of Parents Who Rock, and a hyper-committed advocate for the All-Children’s Playground.

Performing members of the Montclair-based Parents Who Rock contributed nearly two dozen songs for a CD, "Go Play Outside," with revenues from the $10 discs donated to fund construction of the All-Children’s Playground. Parents Who Rock initiated or collaborated in several fundraisers throughout Montclair to generate funds. The CD is available for purchase in numerous local businesses.

"Between donors who donated services and volunteers at all the fundraisers, we had well over 100 volunteers," Schneider said.

This past Saturday, during Mayor Ed Remsen’s speech dedicating a memorial in Anderson Park to famed Montclair High School lacrosse coaches and physical education teachers Gil Gibbs and Homer Robinson, the mayor cited tomorrow’s ceremony: "We’ve worked very hard and we’re really excited" about the onset of the playground.

"The contract is signed. The design is approved," Vakili said. "It should be built this year."

All-access playground close to construction

2008-06-18T20:25:00.001-07:00

Thursday, June 12, 2008
BY ERICA ZARRA
of the Montclair Times

A universal playground in Montclair will soon be built.

During the meeting on Tuesday, the Township Council approved two resolutions concerning an "All-Children's Playground" to be erected in Edgemont Memorial Park.

The full-access outside facility will feature play stations, a playground surface and entrances that are designed to accommodate children with disabilities and special needs.

The council members purchased $140,656 worth of playground equipment from Marturano Recreation Co.

They also awarded a $282,000 contract to JC Landscape Construction & Management Co. for the playground's design and construction.

A portion of the funds for such improvements has been appropriated through bond ordinances and additional finances, some of which were from private donors.

"The support in this community warmed my heart and was a wonderful tribute to Montclair," Township Manager Joseph Hartnett said.

The Township Council committed $200,000 to the project and the municipality obtained a $50,000 state grant toward it.

The remainder of money was secured through private donations and fundraising efforts, including those by Parents Who Rock, a locally based organization of mothers and fathers who had performed rock music professionally or as amateurs.

Second Ward Councilwoman Robin Schlager, who chaired a subcommittee of the project, called the playground "a great example of what this town can do working with a lot of people."

"No matter what the price tag was, many people in town embraced an all-access playground," Schlager said.

Hartnett concurred, saying, "This has been the most rewarding experience since being township manager in Montclair. Over 200 Montclair families sent in their checks ... from every single neighborhood. The support for the playground covered every area, every nook and cranny of Montclair."

The Council Chamber was packed with supporters of the project, many of whom cheered when the resolutions were approved.

"The support has been overwhelming," said Susan Irby of Montclair's People with Disabilities Advisory Committee, who is also a member of the fundraising committee.

Irby, who helped lead the idea of an all-access playground years ago, said the project represents "education and awareness about community inclusion."

Irby's daughter, Rebecca, added that the playground reflects the "equality and promotion of diversity" integral in Montclair.

Alma Schneider, the founder of Parents Who Rock, thanked the council members and the "people in Montclair who stepped up." Schneider told The Times that an official groundbreaking ceremony likely will occur soon.

Members of the Friends of Edgemont Park Committee said they were in favor of the playground, but noted concerns such as parking and landscaping in the vicinity.

They also articulated a feeling of not being fully informed of the effort.

Parents Who Rock roll in support for playground

2008-01-29T22:43:00.001-08:00

Friday, January 18, 2008
By MARK S. PORTER
of The Montclair Times

On the Spinal Tap scale of 1 to 10, Alma Schneider’s commitment to get a special playground built is “11.”

Schneider is the founder of Parents Who Rock, a wide-ranging organization inspiring Montclair dads and moms to excavate their closeted electric guitars and shoebox-entombed microphones and again take the stage.

She’s leading many PWR members to participate in fundraising efforts to construct a universal playground in Edgemont Memorial Park that will enable children and adults who have physical limitations to have fun alongside non-disabled kids and grownups.

As envisioned, the playground will cost approximately $350,000, of which $200,000 in public funding is available. Parents Who Rock is in the forefront of a Montclair-and-beyond effort to raise $150,000 in donations to get the outdoor facility built.

“There’s a reason for building a universal-access playground,” Schneider said. “These parks are few and far between. People or their kids who have disabilities really need the opportunity to play together.

“This is a veterans’ cause as well, for returning vets. We’re trying to get veterans’ groups involved. There are a lot of adults in wheelchairs who can use this playground and play with their children.”

Schneider has assembled her own playground of aspirations to raise the money. She organized the recording of a CD, “Go Play Outside,” by an assemblage of PWR players. The CD is being sold for $10 in numerous Montclair businesses, with all profits slated for creating the all-children’s playground.

“We have sold between 950 and 1,000 CDs,” Schneider said. “And we’ve already received over $3,100 in extra donations in addition to the CD sales.”

She’s connecting with local public and private schools. Schneider foresees the Montclair School District this spring sponsoring a workshop “where every single class in Montclair will be discussing differences and disabilities.

“We want to do this to raise awareness about people who are different, and how kids can make a difference with people who are struggling due to their differences.”

Schneider’s reached out to the Junior League of Montclair-Newark. In March, Montclair Kids in Action intends to conduct a walkathon/bike-a-thon/skate-a-thon in Edgemont Memorial Park “to raise awareness” about the physical limitations affecting many people and the need to be understanding, Schneider said.

As a member of the Montclair-based culinary/social organization Cooking With Friends, created by Alison J. Bermack, Schneider intends to gently entwine Bermack’s wide-ranging community of members into generating funds for the playground.

In March, PWR and several local businesses will sponsor “bake sales all over town.” Three local bakeries — Gimmee Jimmy’s Cookie Bar on Church Street, Flour Patch Bakery on Greenwood Avenue, and Baking Fiend, bakingfiend@fmail.com — will donate delicious delights.

She has reached out to professional musicians to gain their backing for upcoming endeavors or simple plugs of support. Radio stations such as WFMU have broadcast cuts from “Go Play Outside” with the requisite mention of its fundraising focus.

“Parents Who Rock is starting a Parents Who Rock Fan Club, hopefully run by kids,” Schneider said. “To be in the fan club, it will have a community-service component.”

Schneider has even ordered PWR “Rock Montclair” T-shirts, with the profits going to the playground fund.

She promises that other fundraising efforts are in the works.

“Our empire of good will is expanding,” Schneider said. “It’s going to be fun.”

Go Play Outside - radio debut!

2008-01-29T22:40:00.001-08:00

Our Go Play Outside album had its radio debut Sunday afternoon when Bill Kelly played three PWR tracks early in his time-tested Teenage Wasteland show. Of course, WFMU broadcasts at 91.1 on the FM dial, and the weekend’s radio waves are already in deep space. Fortunately, the station archives all of its shows for on-demand listening. Sunday’s program is available to stream into your computer if you click here: http://www.wfmu.org/playlists/shows/25924.

This link takes you to show’s playlist; to listen, click on the “Pop-up player!” link on the upper right. After a few moments you’ll be able to drag the slider to whatever part of the show you want to hear. (Hint: PWR tracks begin at approx. 17:10, 22:15 and 56:39.)

Kelly is completing his 30th year of the show he calls “the black hole of rock and roll.” It’s filled with garage rock and music history from the 1950s until now. Besides this program, Kelly hosts a Saturday night shift on Sirius Satellite Radio’s Underground Garage channel.

Rocking out with Parents Who Rock 'Go Play Outside' CD to help fund new playground

2008-01-29T22:38:00.002-08:00

Thursday, December 06, 2007

By MARK S. PORTER
The Montclair Times

They care about their music.

And now, their recorded music is about caring.

The Parents Who Rock assemblage of Montclair-area moms and dads have released a CD of tunes recorded by lineups of members. The $10 CD is available in 19 locations throughout Montclair, with proceeds being donated to help construct a "universal" playground in Edgemont Memorial Park.

"It's more and more community involvement," said Parents Who Rock founder Alma Schneider of her colleagues and the businesses that have joined in the effort to distribute the CDs.

"We are going to be having a competition among the 19 (businesses), and the winner gets a private Parents Who Rock performance," Schneider said.

Right now, Schneider told The Times, the shops in the lead are Whole Foods, Toast, Watchung Booksellers and Learning Express.

The owners of Toast are having their wait staff compete for who sells the most CDs each day, she said.

"ToryJanes will be donating $10 for a CD to every person spending $100 or more this weekend," noted Schneider.

And, this weekend, there will be a live Parents Who Rock show on Saturday, Dec. 8, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Walnut Street near ToryJanes, at 94 Walnut St.

Inspired by a design offered by C.V. Harquail, a resident near Edgemont Memorial Park, Parents Who Rock will be selling a limited edition"Play Montclair" T-shirt at its show on Saturday. As with its CD, the ensemble will be donating proceeds from sales of the $15 T-shirt, in kids' and adult sizes, to the playground fund.

Sales of the"Go Play Outside" recording are good, Schneider said."We have sold more than 400 CDs and have ordered more that will be in by Dec. 14, she stated.

According to Schneider,"A Huge PWR fundraiser is planned for April as well as town-wide bake sales in February, with help from 'Cooking with Friends.'"

A fellow Montclairite, Alison Bermack, created the Cooking with Friends Club,"an interactive, online cooking community" located at cookingwithfriends.com. The Web site describes the founding of the club, which has many Montclair members:"Alison believes women need a practical, at-home solution to the age-old dilemma of what to feed their families. Cooking with a friend (or two) provides the solution. Within this community, Alison urges women to use their friendships as an ingredient with which to cook."

Schneider, the founder of Parents Who Rock, is a member of Cooking with Friends who said she loves to cook.

She described the groups' possible collaboration in February 2008 as "joining the super-powers to form an empire of good will."

Good will is motivating many people to establish a full-access playground in Edgemont Memorial Park.

The Township Council has allocated $200,000 for the project, and Montclair has received a $50,000 state grant. However, the estimated cost of a universal, or full-access, playground is $400,000.

Last month, the municipal government created a For All Children Committee to raise $150,000 in private donations. Co-chairs of the committee are Mayor Ed Remsen and Township Manager Joseph Hartnett, with 2nd Ward Councilwoman Robin Schlager chairing a subcommittee, and municipal Community Services Director Steve Wood also involved in the effort.

Susan Irby, a committee member and chairperson of the municipal People With Disabilities Advisory Committee, helped spearhead this playground mission 7 years ago.

"We've been exploring this for years," Irby told The Times, citing fellow residents such as Dorothy Schattner and her daughter-in-law Helaine Schattner; John Cronogue of the Friends of Edgemont community group and the municipal Parks Advisory Committee; Steve Rooney; and the two co-chairs of the Playground Subcommittee, Liza Cohn and Lina Panza, several of whom interacted with then-Parks Superintendent Kevin Ward.

"Mayor Remsen was behind this the whole time, and Joseph Hartnett, too," Irby said.

Citing the proposed playground, Irby said,"It would definitely benefit individuals with disabilities and their families, and provide the opportunity for typical people to participate. It's very important [for all children and adults] to realize that people have different abilities and disabilities."

She said of many people with disabilities:"A lot of their life evolves around their daily needs.

"Play is important," Irby said."When you are three or five feet off the ground, you get a totally different perspective of the world, as a child. There's a whole psychology to it."

In an e-mail to The Times buttressing her observation, Irby stated:"The concept of inclusion and integration is something the Montclair Township People with Disabilities Advisory Committee has been working on for many years, for all spheres of public life à unstructured play is one way children can learn about others with all sorts of differences. Our kids are our future and if they have exposure to others with differing needs and abilities - the hope in this investment is that barriers will be broken down and finally stigma will fade and become a thing of the past.

"The design for this playground has been developed with everyone in mind. It has double wide ramps that will provide opportunities for typical children to be on that ramp and play structure side by side with a child in a wheelchair, using a walker, etc. The ramps also will provide access to a parent with a sleeping child in a stroller to get on the play structure with another child playing.

"The placement of the equipment is in a circular pattern which is in keeping with how kids like to play - we know this because the playground equipment vendors do studies and calculate what works (play is a science for these guys)!," Irby stated.

Contact Mark S. Porter at porterm@montclairtimes.com.

'Go Play Outside' CD availability

The"Go Play Outside" CD is priced at $10. All proceeds will be donated to the construction of a"universal playground" in Edgemont Memorial Park.

The CD is available in these Montclair businesses:

Whole Foods

ToryJanes

Toast

Watchung Booksellers

Learning Express

Milk Money

Montclair Community Pre-K School

Aunt Jean's Toys and Treats

Chelsea Square

The Family YMCA on Glenridge Avenue

The Flour Patch Bakery

The Little Gym

Grove Pharmacy

The Children's Center at MSU

Nest and Co.

Rabbit Rabbit

2nd Floor Haircutters

The Banyon Tree

Valley Road Guitars

PWR to the parents

2008-01-29T22:38:00.001-08:00

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

By MARK S. PORTER
of The Montclair Times

“Go Play Outside” is on its way for people to play.

The debut CD by the Parents Who Rock assemblage is packed with tunes performed by local musicians. Profits from the CD’s $10 price will be donated to the construction of a playground being developed in Montclair for all children, including kids who need some extra help when playing outside.

“It’s a huge musical bang for the buck because it’s only $10,” said Alma Schneider, a Montclair resident who founded Parents Who Rock.

The nearly two dozen tracks include rock and folk tunes, love ballads and blues, Brazilian jazz and pop. “We are an open-opportunity association,” Schneider said. “Half the songs are originals, half are covers.”

Several years ago, Schneider had the vision to initiate a lineup of musicians who, as with herself, had put aside their instruments or relinquished live performances. Many of them had shelved their youthful rock-music lifestyles and, instead, became wage earners, spouses and parents.

She perceived that creating Parents Who Rock would be a catalyst for reinvigorating the Dr. Rocker sequestered within Mr. or Mrs. Homebody.

“These are all people who put their music aside to do other things in their lives,” Schneider said of the many Montclair members.

Parents Who Rock performs live several times each year, most recently in the Diva Lounge on Bloomfield Avenue and the Commonwealth Club on Northview Avenue.

After establishing the organization, Schneider realized that just as getting together made members feel good, they also possessed the power to do good.

She and her fellow rocking parents decided to donate the ticket prices for their performances to local, national and international charitable efforts, such as financial relief for tsunami victims.

“It’s all these different people doing what they love to do, all for a great cause.”

As a mom, Schneider focused on the playground in Edgemont Memorial Park, which is slated to be reconfigured, as the next beneficiary of Parents Who Rock.

“We want to raise money and raise awareness for this playground,” Schneider said. “It’s going to be an awesome playground for everybody. Not to be corny, but this is a place where everybody will be on the same playing field.”

The special, or full-access, playground, will be built in spring 2008 and will feature a play-stations, surfaces and entrances “all designed to accommodate children with disabilities and special needs,” according to Township Manager Joseph Hartnett.

“Unfortunately,” Hartnett explained in a release, “playgrounds of this nature are extremely expensive, costing as much as four times or more what a standard playground costs.”

The Township Council has committed $200,000 to this project and Montclair has obtained a $50,000 state grant towards the endeavor.

“But the playground is going to cost $400,000,” Hartnett stated, “which is why we have a fundraising goal of $150,000 to seek from private donations and foun-dation grants.”

Hartnett has formed the For All Children Committee to raise private donations to construct the full-access playground in Edgemont Memorial Park.

Herself a committee member, Schneider, through Parents Who Rock, intends to raise money for the full-access playground. Along with proceeds from “Go Play Outside,” she expects Parents Who Rock to perform a fundraiser in spring 2008, and she may even organize bake sales in town.

She’s reached out to several businesses, schools and the YMCA to purvey the CD, and Schneider intends to get local synagogues and churches to spread the musical sales.

Joining the many musicians who have donated songs and performances to the CD are Dave Cushing of Snowdome Studios in Montclair, who recorded, mixed and produced “Go Play Outside,” along with playing drums on two tracks, and graphic designer Lauren Kaiser, who created the CD cover. Stephen Chukumba of Marksmen Productions is constructing a Web site for Parents Who Rock.

“It’s a serious recording. Everybody sounds professional,” Schneider said of “Go Play Outside.” “Dave Cushing is the man behind the music. This wouldn’t be happening if it wasn’t for him. He’s definitely a parent who rocks.”

Schneider’s ambitious goals for “Go Play Outside” are limitless. She cited “the ‘no teacher left behind’ mission of Parents Who Rock: We want every single teacher, assistant, therapist, nurse and other school staff to receive a copy of the CD for the holidays. Go out and buy one for your kids’ school staff for the holiday.”

The group has created a Web site, www.myspace.com/parentswhorock, featuring samples of music on the CD.

“The more you buy, the better you will feel,” Schneider whimsically stated to The Times. “Great music, supporting your neighbor’s musical endeavors, supporting a charity and giving someone or yourself a unique gift.

“This is a perfect example of the community spirit of Montclair and the holiday spirit of ‘gift giving,’ with all the performers donating their time and talents,” Schneider observed.

“It really shows the spirit of the holidays.”

Contact Mark S. Porter at porterm@montclairtimes.com.

Fundraising committee formed for full-access playground

2008-01-29T22:37:00.001-08:00

Wednesday, November 07, 2007

By ERICA ZARRA
of The Montclair Times

The municipality is forming a “For All Children Committee” to raise private donations for a planned full-access playground in Edgemont Memorial Park.

The playground will have play stations, a playground surface and entrances that are designed to accommodate children with disabilities and special needs, according to a municipal release.

Township Manager Joseph Hartnett and Mayor Ed Remsen will co-chair the fundraising committee and 2nd Ward Township Councilwoman Robin Schlager will chair a subcommittee for the project, according to a release. Director of Community Services Steve Wood will be involved in the park.

Susan Irby, former chairperson of Montclair’s People with Disabilities Advisory Committee, will be a committee member. Hartnett also cited John Cronogue of the Friends of Edgemont Park Committee as a contributor to the project.

“Unfortunately, playgrounds of this nature are extremely expensive, costing as much as four times or more what a standard playground costs,” Hartnett stated.

The Township Council has committed $200,000 to the project and the township has obtained a $50,000 state grant toward it, according to the release.

Hartnett stated that “the playground is going to cost $400,000, which is why we have a fundraising goal of $150,000 to seek from private donations and foundation grants.”

Committee member Alma Schneider aims to contribute to the fundraising.

Schneider is the founder of Parents Who Rock, a locally based organization of people who had performed rock music professionally or as amateurs, but then put aside their instruments to become taxpaying, yard-raking, diaper-changing parents. Her club inspires the former rockers to rekindle their talents in a spirit of fun — and community assistance. Once or twice each year, Parents Who Rock rocks out in a local venue such as the Diva Lounge. Ticket prices are then donated to a nonprofit entity or to a cause, such as addressing the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.

Later this month, Parents Who Rock will release a debut CD with 21 tracks. The $10 cost will be donated to the “All Children’s Playground” in Edgemont Memorial Park.

“We want to raise money and raise awareness for this playground,” Schneider told The Times.

“Parents Who Rock is about getting together musicians who want to get back out there and get back into music,” Schneider said. “But we should use our power for good. We can do two things at the same time. Have fun, but be aware of our neighbors.

“I’m always trying to maximize a good thing,” said Schneider, who is a social worker.

The upcoming CD will feature many local artists who participate in Parents Who Rock.

Schneider is accepting pre-orders for the CD, and readers interested in ordering a disc or inquiring about Parents Who Rock can e-mail: alma@parentswhorock.com.

The disc includes one track of Schneider on guitar accompanying her daughter, Ilah, 7, who sings “Stepping Stone,” the tune by Neil Diamond that was a resounding hit for The Monkees.

“It’s going to be an awesome playground for everyone,” said Schneider, who expects that kids with disabilities will share the rides and equipment with kids who don’t have special needs.

“Not to be corny, but this is a place where everybody will be on the same playing field,” she said of the playground.

The municipality intends to have the special playground constructed in the spring 2008.

The manager stated “in all likelihood the fundraising effort would offer people the opportunity to contribute toward individual play stations as well as other components of the playground.”

The committee will have an organizational meeting this month and will have regular public announcements afterward.

Anyone interested in helping with this cause, or in working with the committee contact Hartnett at 973-509-4926 or emailforallchildren@montclairnjusa.org .

Staff Writer Mark S. Porter contributed to this article. Contact Erica Zarra at zarra@montclairtimes.com.

Parents Who Rock fundraiser a success

2008-01-29T22:36:00.001-08:00

The Montclair Times
Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Parents Who Rock and the Developmental Learning Center would like to thank every one of our musicians, volunteers and donors in Montclair for our hugely successful fundraiser on June 2 for the Developmental Learning Center (DLC) Special Needs Pre-K.

We raised over $25,000, more than twice what we anticipated and generous donations are still coming in!

If anyone would like more info about Parents Who Rock’s upcoming shows, would still like to donate to the DLC or would like to purchase Parents Who Rock T-shirts with all the profits going to the DLC, please e-mail Alma at alma@parentswhorock.com.

Thank you again for a wonderful night!

ALMA SCHNEIDER

Montclair

PARENTS WHO ROCK PERFORM LIVE AT KICKOFF TO SUMMER DLC FUNDRAISER

2008-01-29T22:34:00.000-08:00

The Monthclair Times
Worthy 052407
Thursday, May 24, 2007

(extract)

...Parents Who Rock, a group of Montclair parents who perform to raise money for various causes, will perform live at a Kick Off to Summer DLC Fundraiser on Saturday, June 2, 7:30 p.m., in the Commonwealth Club, 26 Northview Ave. Highlights include hors d’oeuvres, desserts, beer, wine and cocktails, dancing, and a silent auction and raffles. All proceeds go to The Developmental Learning Center, Montclair’s public preschool program for chil-dren with special needs.

For several years, the DLC’s occupational therapist has employed a program known as Vital Sounds Therapeutic Listening to assist children with sensory challenges. The specialized headphones and CDs required for this program are quite expensive, but the benefits to the children include improved attention spans and speech and language gains. Funds will go toward specialized headphones, modulated CDs, training for those administering the program and scholarships for children aging out of the DLC so that they may continue with the listening program.

Funds raised will also be used to benefit the autism program by improving parent training and professional devel-opment and to secure teacher materials for educational programs.

Opportunities are available for volunteers, and donations of alcoholic beverages, soda, bottled water, silent auction/raffle baskets and items and food are needed.

Tickets are $50; reservations can be made by e-mailing aschneider68@yahoo.com. Tickets are limited and on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information about the DLC, visit montclair.k12.nj.us/schools/dlc.

...

Parents Who Rock

2008-01-29T22:33:00.001-08:00

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

By MARK S. PORTER
of The Montclair Times

Alma Schneider was certain she was right. She knew there were plenty of local parents similar to her — adults with children and jobs and plenty of household tasks. But these middle-aged folks still retained the love of rock music, occasionally playing riffs and rollicking to rhythms in their basements, in their dens or in their memories.

Schneider grew up in a musical family whose members sang together. She attended school for voice in New York City. In 1997, she wrote and recorded “UPS Man,” a melodic paean to parcel deliverers that, similar to delivery-truck routes, made the rounds.

A Montclair resident, Schneider decided in 2005 to corral a group of parents who had once been professional or semi-pro musicians and have them perform at a now-defunct coffeehouse on Valley Road. As an incentive for attendees, she announced the proceeds would be given to a charity. “The first show we charged $5, and we donated it for tsunami relief.”

Naming her organization “Parents Who Rock,” Schneider began organizing musical shows at the Diva Lounge on Bloomfield Avenue. “We typically charge $10 and we do it at the Diva Lounge every four months,” she noted. “They’ve been very good to us. The Diva Lounge has been very accommodating.”

Schneider has been the catalyst for eight Parents Who Rock shows, with a ninth slated for Saturday, June 2.

“For better or worse, I am relentless,” Schneider gleefully acknowledged to The Times. “When I first stated, the bulk of my work was finding people. Now, I find myself in the awkward position of having a serious waiting list.”

One of the Montclair musicians who is on the “play” list is vocalist Janet Donofrio. She and her guitarist/singer husband, David Reith, front The Blooming Fields, which includes lead guitarist Andy Day and drummer John Packel, both of Montclair, and bassist Brendan Mee of South Orange. Mee has long played with the couple, going back to their East Village days when they led a band “that was so many name-changes ago.”

“When we were young, we didn’t fall into an easy niche,” said Donofrio, a Montclair resident. “Now that we’re middle-aged suburbanites, we seem to go over better. It’s nice to have a venue — and we didn’t even have to try hard to get it!”

Schneider’s requisite for all bandleaders in Parents Who Rock is to be parents. She and her husband, Brian Saltzman, have four young children. “My husband has been very supportive. He always comes to the shows. He actually has a very good voice that he didn’t know about.”

Saltzman — with a “little bitty extra part” for Schneider and one child — was slated last night to be featured in a segment of “The Colbert Report,” a satirical show on the Comedy Channel starring Montclair resident Steven Col-bert. “It’s a reenactment of a barbecue we had in our backyard,” Schneider said, in which her husband arrives late to find only veggie burgers remain for the eating. It’s a parody of survivor shows and, she proclaimed, “It’s very funny.”

Good humor pervades Parents Who Rock. As Schneider notes, the group fosters good will toward charitable endeavors. “The other service we’re providing is a night out for parents.”

“This provides a great outlet for parents to dig back into their pasts,” said Lee Haberman, who has been the performer longest associated with Schneider. Haberman is the emcee, introducing the performers and entertaining the audience between sets.

“The talent pool in town is just ridiculous,” he said. “These people are really talented. That’s what makes these shows: The Dylan covers, rock’n’roll, folk singing.”

Recipients of donations raised by Parents Who Rock include the Mountainside Hospital Foundation, Volunteer Lawyers for Justice, the Essex County Rape Crisis Center, the Montclair State University Child Center, relief for tsunami victims and a young boy in Montclair afflicted with a serious illness — “The most emotional show for me,” Schneider said. “It showed me how much people wanted to help.”

Parents Who Rock’s upcoming show will its biggest yet. Occurring Saturday, June 2, in the Commonwealth Club on Northview Avenue, the evening event will benefit the Developmental Learning Center, a special-needs pre-school program operated by the Montclair School District in the Montclair Community Pre-K facility located be-tween Valley and Orange roads.

The donations raised will help fund a therapeutic listening program for the young students enrolled in the Developmental Learning Center.

“It’s a great place that has given our children a good running start to going through the school system,” said Debbie Santiago, president of the Developmental Learning Center Parent Organization. “There are more children with special needs than anyone really knows about. A lot of people are moving to this town because it’s a special program.”

Along with the minimum $50 donation for admission to the show, there will be a silent auction and raffles to generate revenue. The flier for the “Kick Off To Summer” DLC fundraiser promises “amazing hors d’oeuvres,” deserts and, Santiago noted, an open bar.

“Parents are cooking the food. Volunteers will be serving the food. It’s a whole grassroots effort. This is not your mother’s fundraising event,” Santiago vowed. “It should be fun!”

“I wanted this to be more about the music than the fundraising,” Schneider said. “But now we realize we can raise a lot of money for causes. People want to donate.

“It’s the catalyst for good deeds.”

Contact Mark S. Porter at porterm@montclairtimes.com.

Art in the Park

2008-01-29T22:32:00.000-08:00

The Montclair Times
Wednesday, April 18, 2007

The Montclair Cooperative School is hosting its 38th annual “Art in the Park” fair on Friday, May 4, Saturday, May 5, and Sunday, May 6, in the Clary Anderson Arena, 41 Chestnut St.

The 38th annual “Art in the Park” returns to its roots as a juried fine arts and crafts event. Newly reformatted, this now indoor event will feature the sale of contemporary artwork, by more than 100 nationally recognized artisans including glass blowers, jewelers, photographers, and fine artists. Patterson Sims, director of the Montclair Art Museum, Sanford Smith and MIT’s Media Lab Open Studio were this year’s jurors.

Profits benefit the Montclair Cooperative School, one of the nation’s few cooperative elementary programs, providing students with a progressive education since 1963.

Friday, May 4: (7 to 9 p.m.) will feature a benefit preview party with wine and hors d’oeuvres. Tickets are $60 per person, to be purchased in advance.

Saturday, May 5: (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) the exhibits open; a family barbecue gets under way at 11 a.m., and a children’s rock concert, featuring Elizabeth Mitchell, follows at 2 p.m.

Sunday, May 6: (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) the exhibits open; Montclair’s Time Out: Parents who Rock concert begins at 2 p.m. Children can take a turn at Nandi’s pottery wheel, make arts and crafts, or enjoy playground activities during the rest of the fair. Admission is free on Saturday and Sunday. For details, call 973-783-4955.

Parents Who Rock host benefit

2008-01-29T22:30:00.000-08:00

The Montclair Times
Wednesday, January 18, 2006

Montclair’s Time Out: Parents Who Rock, will provide an evening of rousing musical performances by Montclair parents performing original and cover tunes in a benefit on Saturday, Jan. 21, 8 p.m., at the Diva Lounge, 369 Bloomfield Ave. Proceeds from the quarterly event will go to the Essex County Rape Crisis Center.

This is the fourth “Parents Who Rock” Benefit. Alma Schneider, social worker and mother of three, stated “I’m especially interested in supporting programs that provide critical services to women and children, particularly those in need.”

Previous events have raised money for the Tsunami Relief Effort, breast cancer programs offered through The Mountainside Hospital Foundation, and early intervention services provided by The Children’s Center at Montclair State University.

The parents are happy to jam for a worthy cause. Plus, the performing may have a therapeutic effect. “It’s fun and exciting to see that life in music goes on after the children are born,” stated Ed Daingerfield, a guitarist and father of three. Other parent-performers include Max Polaner, pianist; Bob Carino, aka Bob Carr, singer-songwriter who recorded and toured with his band, Swales, in the 1990s; Schneider, a singer-songwriter; Michael Alltop, singer-songwriter; John Fotiadis, a multi-instrumentalist/singer-songwriter; Jessica Henry, vocalist; Ivan Max, guitarist; and Michael de Leeuw and Brian Howard performing as the B-Bed Reddy Experience.

Rounding out the program is Big Mamou, who will perform an original mix of traditional Cajun and country music, spiced with rocking Zydeco, featuring John Sherman on accordion and vocals; Julianne Ausum, vocals; Jim Fenhagen, bass and vocals; Billy Loos on drums; and Larry Buksbaum on guitar.

There is a $10 per person donation, and reservations are required. Call (973) 746-0800.

Church Street Café kicks off first anniversary celebration

2008-01-29T22:29:00.000-08:00

The Montclair Times
Thursday, August 18, 2005

Defying the wilting heat, Church Street Café owners Cheryl and Greg Spinelli have having a whirlwind summer. They’ve appointed a new executive chef, Kevin Peterson, and are about to launch a monthlong celebration of the Café’s first anniversary.

On Friday, Sept. 9, at 8 p.m., the festivities begin with Montclair Time Out — Parents Who Rock. There will be eight performers that evening (rumor has it that Church Street’s Greg Spinelli is one). All are local parents with a variety of musical talents. Montclair Time Out is a music event that takes place every three months for a different charity. This time the beneficiary will be the local Early Intervention Program. Donation is $10. Reservations are required and may be obtained by calling (973) 233-0216.

On Saturday, Sept. 10, Church Street Café’s Anniversary Gala will rock the downtown scene with live entertainment.

Chef Peterson, 28, was appointed executive chef on July 5. He is a graduate of the University of Maryland and New York City’s Institute of Culinary Education. Just before joining the culinary team at the Church Street Café in late 2004, he worked at the Union Square Café.

“I’m thrilled at the opportunity to practice my craft in such a sophisticated dining community as Montclair,” stated Peterson in an e-mail to The Times. “This town has so many terrific restaurants. It’s a lot of fun, as well as a professional challenge to work in this environment. The open kitchen at the café is an added bonus because I get to see people’s reactions to the food as they dine.”

“Kevin’s promotion was the direct result of his hard work, commitment and creativity,” stated Greg Spinelli in the press release. “Kevin, Cheryl and I spent most of the spring deconstructing the dinner menu and looked for ways to refine our offerings. The process usually started with one of us saying, ‘How can we improve this dish?’ or ‘What if we added that new item?’ or ‘Does this item deserve to stay on the menu?’ By the time the process was completed in late June, the new dinner menu featured eight new items and four reworked dishes.”

“With our backgrounds in luxury hotels and restaurants, we have always loved the idea of serving a wide variety of great fresh food,” stated Cheryl Spinelli in the press release. “But we didn’t want the fussiness and ritual that just seemed to make it extra work for the guests. Our concept is great food in a comfortable environment without the charade.”

Prior to developing and opening the Church Street Café, Greg Spinelli had a successful career as a catering director at such notable venues as the Tavern on the Green, The Russian Tea Room, Essex House/Hotel Nikko New York, and the Four Season Hotels and Resorts.

Cheryl Spinelli’s hospitality industry experience includes F&B management positions with the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Hyatt Hotels, Stouffer’s and Hotels of Distinction.