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Plainfield, NJ¾The Plainfield's oldest service club held their most important annual community service project on June 2 at the Hub Stine Athletic Field in Plainfield under beautiful, sunny skies and near-perfect weather conditions.

Long a mainstay in supporting the Plainfield and North Plainfield communities, the Rotary Club of Plainfield-North Plainfield again offered an afternoon of friendly but determined competition to almost 250 young 12, 13 and 14 year-old athletes from six area schools. There is no fee to register or participate in the events, and all expenses are borne by the Rotary Club.

"This invitational meet is the longest-running meet of its kind in the entire state," said Michael Townley, director of the meet. "We have offered this meet as a service to area youth every year since 1923, except during World War II and twice when heavy rains forced cancellation."

Eighty-three years of track and field meets has drawn many thousands of participants, including Olympic decathlon champion and former Plainfield resident Milt Campbell. “We recognize that participating in our Track and Field Meet was but one step in Milt’s long and successful drive to achieve his decathlon championship,” said Townley. “In fact, our Club was proud to be one of the many community groups that financially supported his Olympic trip.”

According to Townley, each year the Club members learn something new about the athletes that participated in the Meet. “One of our long-time volunteers was a member of a record-setting relay team in the 1980’s,” said Mr. Townley.

Schools sending athletes to this year’s Meet included longtime participants North Plainfield Middle School (55) and the Valley View School in Watchung (66), along with South Plainfield Middle School (23), Queen City Academy Charter School in Plainfield (52), Union County TEAMS Charter School in Plainfield (44), and Sacred Heart Grammar School in South Plainfield (9).

There are a total of thirty-six events in the Meet, divided among three age groupings – twelve, thirteen and fourteen year old boys and girls. Events include the high jump, long jump, shot put, 55 and 100 meter dashes, the 4 by 100 meter relay, and the 800 meter run.

A list of record-holders is kept by the Club and updated each year as records are broken. “A new record was set in the 12 year old girls’ 800 meter run by Aniyah Tyler of Qeen City Academy,” said Mr. Townley. “Aniyah’s time of 2:40.48 bested a fifteen year record of 2:43.94 held by Jennifer Northridge from Valley View School.”

“Our Club looks forward each year to this special service project,” said Townley. “Rotary International’s motto is “Service Above Self”. We truly enjoy sharing our time with these fine young athletes and presenting them an opportunity to win medals or ribbons for their athleticism.”

The Rotary Club presents a custom-designed medal to finishers in all events except relays, where second and third place finishers receive ribbons. Medals were taken home by athletes from each of the schools, with Valley View leading the count of first place finishers with 28 gold medals, followed by Queen City Academy with 8 and North Plainfield Middle School with seven. A total of 148 medals and ribbons were presented to finishers in the thirty-six final events.

All officiating at the Meet is conducted by members and friends of the Rotary Club, using standardized interscholastic rules. Regular supporters include the Interact Club from North Plainfield High School. “Interact is a youth service club that is sponsored by our club through Rotary International,” said Mr. Townley. “Members of the Interact Club help us throughout the year with our service projects.”

“We give a special thanks to our Interact Club and to all of the non-members who helped officiate” said Mr. Townley. “Without their assistance, our Meet would not have been possible.”

The Rotary Club of Plainfield-North Plainfield, founded in 1921, has served the community for over 86 years. Members are community and business leaders in the area who meet weekly on Wednesdays at 12:15 pm at Giovanna’s Restaurant in Plainfield. Contact Michael Townley, club secretary, at rotarypnp@verizon.net for additional information about the Rotary Club, and its activities or to inquire about membership, or visit the Club’s website at www.rotarypnp.org.

Rotary Club Names Students of the Month February 27,2010

The Rotary Club of Plainfield-North Plainfield’s Students of the Month from Plainfield High School received their award certificates at a February 24 luncheon in their honor. Pictured (left to right) are Nwakaego Amaechi (February), Jessica Leaty (December), and Sha’Quasha Crawley (January), with Dr. Brian Bilal (left), principal of Plainfield High School.

The Rotary Club of Plainfield-North Plainfield presented Student of the Month Awards for three months to students from Plainfield and from North Plainfield high schools at luncheons in their honor at Giovanna’s Restaurant in Plainfield. Students are recognized for the scholastic achievement and service activity, both in school and in the community.

“This is a great occasion for us here at Rotary,” said Marilyn Birnbaum, vice president of the Rotary Club. “It is our opportunity to show our appreciation to and our support for the achieving students who exemplify hard work and service. We enjoy meeting the students and hearing about their activities and accomplishments, as well as how they are doing in their studies.”

North Plainfield recipients Theresa Huynh (December), Dorien Quiles (January), and Jasmine Dimayuga (February), were recognized at the February 24 luncheon. All three recipients are members of the NPHS Interact Club, Rotary’s service club for high school age youth.

Interact Club adviser Alexandra Pereira introduced the students to the Club members and summarized the students’ achievements and activities. “These three students are among the leaders of our Interact Club,” said Ms. Pereira.

“Theresa Huynh is currently a senior at North Plainfield High School. She has been an active and dedicated member of the Interact Club for four years, and has volunteered much of her time in various Interact projects. Theresa has participated in the annual Beach Sweep, as well as volunteered at Rutgers basketball games, lacrosse games, track meets, and the local Food Bank. Besides being a senior leader of Interact Club, Theresa is also the president of the National Honor Society and layout editor of the school newspaper. In addition, she is also a member of the French Honor Society, Science League, Math League, NPHS Mentoring Program, Jazz Band, and Orchestra. Theresa volunteers outside of school as a teacher’s aide for CCD classes at her parish as well. Theresa has recently been accepted to Seton Hall University, Temple University, Rutgers University, Drexel University, and is planning on pursuing a nursing career.

“Dorien Quiles is a junior active member of the Interact Club and varsity cheerleader. Dorien has been very active with Interact she has attended all Rutgers Games and has helped in other Interact Club functions. She’s also a member of the Debate Club and ROTC Program. She is a bright and outgoing.

“Vincess Jasmine Dimayuga she is a junior at North Plainfield High School. She is active with Interact and is engage in other school activities such as the HOPE Club, Winter Guard, and Concert Choir. In addition, she is a varsity Field Hockey player. Her goals are to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology with the course of Architecture. During her college years, she hopes to volunteer in her community.”

The Rotary Club also presented awards to students from Plainfield High School. Dr. Brian Bilal, principal at Plainfield High School, introduced Jessica Leaty (December), Sha’Quasha Crawley (January), and Nwakaego Amaechi (February) and spoke of their accomplishments.

“Jessica Leaty works hard to achieve the goals set in the classroom. She is extremely determined to succeed academically. She is a respectful and helpful student that gets along well her peers and staff. Her uplifting spirits and drive to be the best she can be encourages others to become more passionate about their dreams, to go after those dreams, and to accomplish those dreams. Jessica Leaty certainly has the characteristics that warrant the recognition of “Student of the Month.

“Sha'Quaza has made a remarkable 180 degree change in every way over the past year. Last year, Sha'Quaza was not up to date in class or with her work and her attitude was not a positive one. This year is a new year for Sha'Quaza! She is in class every day, with her work completed, on point and ready to learn. In her English class she received one of the highest grades for the first marking period and is on her way to an "A" for the second. We are very proud of Sha'Quaza and her determination!

“Nwakaego Amaechi is a wonderful student from Africa, who is studious and conscientious, and always participates in class, offering thought-provoking contributions to our discussions. Her grades are consistently excellent, and she is conscientious, gentle, and respectful to both her peers and teacher.. Nwakaego is all the things that make teaching a joy--a high achiever who is creative, cooperative, and gracious. Anyone would be happy to have a student like Nwakaego in his/her class.”

Each student received a framed, custom certificate that acknowledged their scholastic achievement and participation in “activities that develop good citizenship” at their respective high schools.

Rotary Club Names Students of the Month

The Rotary Club of Plainfield-North Plainfield’s Students of the Month from Plainfield High School received their award certificates at a December 2 luncheon in their honor. Pictured (left to right) are Jefry Zavala (September), Jadeanny Harris (October), and Vanessa Rugeles (November), with Vicky Griswold (left), president of the Rotary Club, and Dr. Brian Bilal, principal of Plainfield High School.

“We are extremely proud and honored to present these awards throughout the school year,” said Vicky Griswold, vice president of the Rotary Club. “We enjoy meeting the students and hearing about their activities and accomplishments, as well as how they are doing in their studies.”

North Plainfield recipients Sara Merendino (September), Max Torres (October), and Katherine Fellin (November), were recognized at a November 18 luncheon. All three recipients are members of the NPHS Interact Club, Rotary’s service club for high school age youth.

Interact Club adviser Alexandra Pereira introduced the students to the Club members and summarized the students’ achievements and activities. “These three students are leaders in our Interact Club,” said Ms. Pereira. “As the new adviser to Interact, I rely on them to help me guide the club toward meaningful service projects. Through their assistance, we have just completed a food drive for the Food Bank in North Plainfield, and will undertake a coat drive in December. Sara, Katie and Max are the types of members who are the first to volunteer for every project, encouraging newer members to join in. Much of our success is due to these three hardworking leaders.”

Due to a schedule conflict making them unavailable on November 18, the Plainfield students were presented their awards at a December 2 luncheon. Dr. Brian Bilal, principal at Plainfield High School, introduced Jefry Zavala (September), Jadeanny Harris (October), and Vanessa Rugeles (November).

“Jefry displays a great wealth of investigative ability. He takes nothing at face value and truly seeks to get to the bottom of the issue. He is outspoken, but well-mannered, mature, but personable. He has taken a serious step into making his education count and exemplifies this month’s character education attribute: responsibility.

“Jadeanny has excellent scores on his tests, has excellent attendance, is always on time, participates constantly, and is "right on" with his answers. He is an attentive listener, and therefore is able to retain the information taught and answer promptly. He is constantly prepared with homework, and is a courteous, delightful student, in every way.

“Our November recipient, Vanessa, has played two sports over her four years at Plainfield High, while also serving as president of several organizations, both inside and outside of school. She is a leader to her peers and underclassmen, and is ranked second in her class.”

Each student received a framed, custom certificate that acknowledged their scholastic achievement and participation in “activities that develop good citizenship” at their respective high schools.

Rotary Awards $25,200 in Scholarships

The Rotary Club of Plainfield-North Plainfield recently awarded $25,200 in scholarships to graduating seniors from Plainfield High School and North Plainfield High School.

The local Rotary Club sponsors its own F.S. Mathewson Scholarship, awarding a total of $7,200 to students in the two high schools in its service area. “Seven scholarships were awarded in memory of Matty Mathewson, the first member of our club to serve as District Governor,” said club president Linda Persichino. “Matty was an active member of our club from 1928 until his death in 1993 at the age of ninety-eight. We honor Matty’s memory through our community service activities, including these scholarship awards to assist students as they continue their education. Candidates for this award must demonstrate a mix of academic achievement; financial need; community service; school service.”

Recipients of the F.S. Mathewson Scholarship Awards from North Plainfield High School were Branny Orak, Yulesy Almonte, Julia Lake and Jonathan Montoya. Plainfield High School recipients were Erick Barahona, Sharina Anderson, and Alisa France.

“We also awarded an Interact Club Scholarship for the first time this year,” said Ms. Persichino. “The Interact Club at North Plainfield High School is a youth program of Rotary. The Interact Club members work hard to help us raise money during the year for our scholarship program, and we wanted to recognize that hard work with a special scholarship.” The Interact Club Scholarship was presented to Branny Orak, an Interact member who was instrumental in a number of fundraising events for the Rotary Club.

The Club also awards scholarships on behalf of the Plainfield Foundation, a community-based non-profit that awards funding to benefit local community groups. This year, the Rotarians awarded $1,500 from the Leo Albert Friese Scholarship Fund to North Plainfield High students Daniela Velastequi and Soniya Khan. The Friese Scholarships are awarded to graduating seniors who will pursue a major course of study in science.

In addition, the Club also awards PHS Alumni Association Scholarships and J. Wilbur Tovell Scholarships to Plainfield High School seniors on behalf of the Plainfield Foundation. The PHS Alumni Scholarship Fund was established in 1986 when the PHS Alumni Association, prior to disbanding, asked the Plainfield Foundation to award their scholarships. The Foundation established the PHS Alumni Scholarship Fund. Candidates demonstrate academic achievement, participation in school activities.

Recipients of the $4,500 in PHS Alumni Scholarship awards were Tenneisha Brown, Jennifer Maldonado, Zulefika Mofokeng, Ayanna Navarro-Thomas, Erin Walker, and Darius Watson.

The J. Wilbur Tovell Scholarship Fund was established as a bequest from a Plainfield native and alumnus of Plainfield High School. Candidates must be male students only, with academic achievement and participation in school activities.

Recipients of the $3,500 in J. Wilbur Tovell Scholarships this year were Chris Aggrey-Marfo, William Patterson and Tyray Forte.

Finally, the Rotary Club also administers the Adele DeLeeuw Scholarship Fund. This fund was established in 1988 by a $1 million bequest in the will of the late Plainfield author Adele DeLeeuw. The Club has worked with other Rotary clubs in the area to see that the annual income from the bequest is awarded to students who pursue a course of study in poetry, art, journalism, writing, or engineering. A total of $884,000 has been awarded over the fourteen years that the Rotary Club has administered the program.

This year, the Club awarded Adele DeLeeuw Scholarships to Plainfield High School senior Briana Taylor and to North Plainfield High School senior Jonathan Valencia. The Club also awarded repeat scholarships to Arkor Kalubah and Elissa Salvemini, both graduates of North Plainfield High School who are now in college, and also to four graduates of Plainfield High School, Caleb Williams, Chanice Sears, Edwin Teran and Joseph Tiller, also currently in college.

The Rotary Club’s Plainfield Scholarship Committee was chaired by Annie McWilliams, assisted by Beverly Howard, Sandra Carolan-Brozy, Victoria Griswold, and Michael Townley. The North Plainfield Scholarship Committee was chaired by Janice Allen, former mayor, assisted by Linda Persichino and Dave Hollod.

The Rotary Club of Plainfield-North Plainfield, founded in 1921, has served the community for over 88 years. Members are community and business leaders in the area who meet weekly on Wednesdays at 12:15 pm at Giovanna’s Restaurant in Plainfield. Rotarians work on community service, vocational service, and international service projects throughout the year, with their main focus on community service in Plainfield and in North Plainfield. Contact Michael Townley, club secretary, at rotarypnp@verizon.net for additional information about the Rotary Club and its activities or to inquire about membership, or visit the Club’s website at www.rotarypnp.org.

Rotary Club Feeds Guests at YMCA Shelter

December 3, 2008

Guests at the Plainfield Area YMCA’s Emergency Shelter received a double dose of hospitality on Monday, December 1.

Members of the Rotary Club of Plainfield-North Plainfield supplied the guests with fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy and cole slaw, while the United Methodist Church in Plainfield brought in baked ziti, macaroni and cheese, rolls and bread. The Rotary Club also provided bottles of soda and brownies and ice cream for dessert.

Club members Marilyn Birnbaum, North Plainfield superintendent of schools and David Hollod, North Plainfield’s business administrator, and Darlene McWilliams, a Plainfield resident and a realtor in Warren were joined by Darlene’s daughter Avery and son Adam who helped out as part of their service to the community. Former Rotarian Bill Parenti also helped serve dinner to the guests.

The Rotary Club is one of many organizations that support the YMCA’s Emergency Shelter by bringing meals for the residents. “We appreciate the meals that our community supporters bring in for the Shelter guests.” said Addy Bonet, president and CEO at the YMCA. “Rotary helps us out every quarter with delicious meals that our guests truly enjoy.”

The Club’s food for the dinner was provided by KFC on Somerset Street in North Plainfield. This is the second dinner that the local KFC’s owner, Percy Fennell, has provided for the club to serve at the YMCA.

The Rotary Club of Plainfield-North Plainfield, founded in 1921, has served the community for over 86 years. Members are community and business leaders in the area who meet weekly on Wednesdays at 12:15 pm at Giovanna’s Restaurant in Plainfield. Contact Michael Townley, club secretary, at rotarypnp@verizon.net for additional information about the Rotary Club and its activities or to inquire about membership. More information is also available at the Club’s website at www.rotarypnp.org.

Rotary Names Students of the Month at North Plainfield High School

December 3, 2008

The Rotary Club of Plainfield-North Plainfield’s Students of the Month from North Plainfield High School received their award certificates at a December 3 luncheon in their honor. Pictured (left to right) are Miles Garcia (November), Rosanna Bertini (September), and Max Torres (October), with Dr. Marilyn Birnbaum, superintendent of schools; Jerard Stephenson, NPHS principal; and Vicky Griswold, vice president of the Rotary Club.

The Rotary Club of Plainfield-North Plainfield presented Student of the Month Awards for three months to students from North Plainfield High School at a luncheon in their honor on December 3 at Giovanna’s Restaurant in Plainfield. Students are recognized for the scholastic achievement and service activity, both in school and in the community. All three recipients are members of the NPHS Interact Club, Rotary’s service club for high school age youth.

NHPS principal Jerard Stephenson introduced the students to the Club members and summarized the students’ achievements and activities.

“Rosanna Bertini, the September Student of the Month, is a senior and member of the Interact Club at NPHS. She is always involved in school service activities, maintaining high academics at the same time. One of her goals is to be named valedictorian of her class. This is a remarkable achievement in itself, since she came to America from Columbia at age nine without speaking English. Rosanna is now fluent in English, Spanish and Italian. With her high academic standing, she is applying to Rutgers, Pace, Princeton, New York University, Lehigh, and the University of Pennsylvania. She plans to major in business administration.

“October’s Student of the Month is Maximiliano Torres, though most of the time he’s just called “Max.” He is currently a freshman at North Plainfield High School who works hard every day. Max believes strongly in the principle that it is better to give than to receive. He is a first-year member of the Interact Club, but anticipates continuing with the service club for his four years of high school. Max enjoys giving back to the community with food drives, fund raisers, clothing drives, and much more. He has participated in other services aside from Interact such as school fairs, auctions, and a fund raiser named ‘Santa’s Little Helper.’ Max is an asset to the school and to the community.

“Miles Garcia is the recipient of the Student of the Month Award for December. He is a shared-time student at Somerset County Vocational-Technical High School in their acting program. Miles has an engaging personality and an infectious smile, and is always willing to help others. As a second year member of the Interact Club, Miles has been very involved with the Club’s activities and expects to work into leadership positions as he continues his education at the high school.”

The Rotary Club of Plainfield-North Plainfield, founded in 1921, has served the community for over 86 years. Members are community and business leaders in the area who meet weekly on Wednesdays at 12:15 pm at Giovanna’s Restaurant in Plainfield. Contact Michael Townley, club secretary, at rotarypnp@verizon.net for additional information about the Rotary Club and its activities or to inquire about membership. More information is also available at the Club’s website at www.rotarypnp.org.

Annie McWilliams Inducted into Rotary Club

November 26, 2008

The Rotary Club of Plainfield-North Plainfield’s newest member, Annie McWilliams (right) is joined by her mother and fellow Rotarian Darlene McWilliams and by District Governor Joe Scandariato, who inducted Annie into the Rotary Club.

History was made on November 26 when District Governor Joe Scandariato inducted Annie McWilliams into membership in the Rotary Club of Plainfield-North Plainfield.

Annie was proposed for membership by her mother, Darlene McWilliams, herself a newer member to the Club. This is the first mother-daughter combination in the Club’s 87-year history.

At the District Governor’s official visit to the Club in October, he sat with recently-inducted Darlene and her guest, Annie. When he asked Annie when she planned to join, Annie told him that she already had indicated her interest. He then asked to be included in the induction as the presiding officer.

Annie’s induction coincided with the Rotary Club’s pre-Thanksgiving Day joint meeting with the Rotary Club of Fanwood-Scotch Plains. Members from both Clubs used this special occasion to contribute to StarFish of Plainfield, donating all proceeds from the meeting to Star Fish’s December holiday meal program.

Annie is a newly-elected member of the Plainfield City Council. She is a real estate associate with Weichert Realtors in Warren, and lives in Plainfield.

The Rotary Club of Plainfield-North Plainfield, founded in 1921, has served the community for over 86 years. Members are community and business leaders in the area who meet weekly on Wednesdays at 12:15 pm at Giovanna’s Restaurant in Plainfield. Contact Michael Townley, club secretary, at rotarypnp@verizon.net for additional information about the Rotary Club and its activities or to inquire about membership. More information is also available at the Club’s website at www.rotarypnp.org.

Rotary Club Distributes Free Dictionaries

October 28, 2008

Rotarian Paul Henry hands out one of the free dictionaries to a third grade student at Plainfield’s Stillman School.

The Rotary Club of Plainfield-North Plainfield recently concluded its annual Dictionary Project at the Plainfield elementary schools.

Three teams of Rotarians went to the ten elementary schools in Plainfield on October 24 to give a dictionary to every third grade student. Nearly 500 English and almost 100 Spanish-English dictionaries were presented to the students.

“We decided several years ago to adopt the Dictionary Project for Plainfield and North Plainfield school children,” said Linda Persichino, president of the club. “This project is so important to the education of our children, and is one of our primary community service activities of the year.”

The Rotary Club works with the schools and teachers to help make their students active readers, good writers, and creative thinkers. “These dictionaries are a gift from the Club to the students, and are theirs to keep,” said Ms. Persichino. “We stress that this book is an important tool that will serve them well throughout their education, and should be treasured.”

The dictionaries are purchased through The Dictionary Project, Inc., a non-profit created in 1995 in South Carolina. The Dictionary Project’s mission is to put a dictionary in the hands of every third grade student in the United States. Since its founding, over 9.3 million dictionaries have been presented to children across the U.S., with 2.3 million distributed in 2007 alone. More information is available at the Dictionary Project’s website at www.dictionaryproject.org.

The Rotary Club of Plainfield-North Plainfield, founded in 1921, has served the community for over 86 years. Members are community and business leaders in the area who meet weekly on Wednesdays at 12:15 pm at Giovanna’s Restaurant in Plainfield. Contact Michael Townley, club secretary, at rotarypnp@comcast.net for additional information about the Rotary Club, and its activities or to inquire about membership, or visit the Club’s website at www.rotarypnp.org.

Rotary Club Inducts New Member

September 20, 2008

Pictured left to right: Vicky Griswold, owner of the Plainfield Music Store, presided over the induction of Darlene McWilliams, the newest member of the Rotary Club of Plainfield-North Plainfield.

The Rotary Club of Plainfield-North Plainfield recently inducted Darlene McWilliams as its newest member. Darlene is a resident of Plainfield and the mother of four children. She is a realtor with the ReMax Competitive Edge agency in Warren. Darlene is the widow of the late Albert T. McWilliams, who served two terms as Plainfield’s mayor.

"We are always looking for people who are willing to work on our various service projects to help the community," said club president Linda Persichino. "Darlene brings her enthusiasm and her knowledge of and contacts in Plainfield to the club. These are positive attributes that will help us help others."

The Rotary Club of Plainfield-North Plainfield, founded in 1921, has served the community for over 86 years. Members are community and business leaders in the area who meet weekly on Wednesdays at 12:15 pm at Giovanna’s Restaurant in Plainfield. Contact Michael Townley, club secretary, at rotarypnp@comcast.net for additional information about the Rotary Club, and its activities or to inquire about membership, or visit the Club’s website at www.rotarypnp.org.