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Parents Who Rock roll in support for playground
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!
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
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
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
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
The Montclair TimesWednesday, 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
The Monthclair TimesWorthy 052407Thursday, 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
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
The Montclair TimesWednesday, 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
The Montclair TimesWednesday, 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
The Montclair TimesThursday, 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.
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