MCREA News

Morris County Retirees Education Association, Inc. September 2013

President's Corner
Calendar of Events
Save these Dates Luncheon/ Meetings 2013 September 11 October 9 December 11 2014 March 12 May - To Be Announced June 11 September 10
MCREA NEWS 2013 Mailing Meetings [at the Mt. Fern Church, Randolph, beginning at 1:00 PM] August 19 November 18 February 18 April 21 May 19 August 18

Tina Antalek

Greetings to all - especially those of you who just retired. Congratulations and welcome to a life of not returning to school. Time to do what you want when you want to. ENJOY! I hope that you managed to stay cool during this hot, hot summer. As I begin my second term of office as your president, there are many things going on with our government that make it necessary for us to be diligent in order to protect our hard earned benefits. The race for Governor is already starting to heat up. I am not pleased that we lost our COLAs and had our pensions frozen until 2040. Remember Christies pre-election promise not to touch our pensions! He cut $1.3 billion from our schools and increased our health benefit costs. And he supports private school vouchers! Our High Hopes are centered on Senator Barbara Buono as future Governor Barbara Buono. She stands up for the middle class and supports collective bargaining. She fought cuts to school funding. When it really mattered, she was there for us. NOW its time for us to be there for her. I look forward to seeing you again at our next luncheon/ meeting, September 11 at the Meadow Wood Manor at 10:30 A.M. Our luncheons are not only important informational meetings but also great opportunities to connect with your colleagues. Enjoy the rest of your summer.

MCREA 2013 Executive Board Meetings Thursdays (except 9/4) Wednesday, September 4 October 3 December 5 March 6 April 3 May 1 June 5 September 4

Sincerely, Tina Antalek , MCREA President

MCREA News The Morris County Retirees Education Association, Inc., publishes the MCREA News five times each year. Material is submitted by chairpersons, officers, and other interested individuals. Newsletter Editor Valerie Miller can be reached by phone at 973-366-5421 or by email at ValMiller42@yahoo.com MCREA Executive Board President: Tina Antalek Treasurer: Joseph Steigauf 1st Vice President: Linda Urwin Secretary: Lynn Seymour 2nd Vice President: Connie Strucko Past President: Mary Jane Park

Join Us on September 11, 2013 Meeting at 10:30 and Luncheon at 12:00 Noon
When: Where: Program: September 11, 2013 Meadow Wood Manor, Route 10 East, Randolph, NJ Walter Choroszewski, photographer and author, will present a history program titled "Timeline New Jersey". Phone: Please call 973-537-5454 if you need directions.

September Luncheon Reservation Form

Complete this luncheon reservation form and mail it with your check made out to MCREA for $27 to Nancy Condit (973-335-0990) at 322 Rockaway St., Boonton, NJ 07005. Circle your meal choice. REMINDER: The absolute deadline for reservations is September 3, 2013. Name: ___________________________________________ Chateau Steak with Portobello demi glace Name: ___________________________________________ Chateau Steak with Portobello demi glace Phone number: ___________________________ or Herb Crusted Salmon Beurre Blanc

Phone number: ___________________________ or Herb Crusted Salmon Beurre Blanc

If you have special dietary needs, please include a note with this reservation.

MCREA ON THE MOVE

Washington, DC Saturday through Monday September 28 - 30, $449: Participants will receive a letter shortly regarding the time of departure for our trip. Culinary Institute - November 14. There are a few seats available for this trip. Christmas in Newport - December 8-9, $259. There is limited availability for this trip. The cost includes a double room, transportation, visits to two mansions, dinner, and breakfast. For more information, call Kay Laskoski at 973-234-5954 or e-mail Kay at klaskoski@excite.com.

Membership Report
Betty McConnell, Chairperson 973-895-2630

bmcconnell8@optimum.net

Our total MCREA membership count is close to 1875. This includes MCREA life, annual renewal, and NJREA unified members. Plus, we have welcomed 40 brand new members. A huge thank you to the 600 members who receive their MCREA communications via email. VERY IMPORTANT: If you are an MCREA member who has had a change in contact information, please contact Betty even if you have already provided NJREA with that updated information. NJREA does not send that new information to county membership chairs. If you do send your changed information to Betty first, she will update both the NJREA and MCREA records for you. Quite a few members did just that over the summer --- thanks so much! For those who have decided not to renew their MCREA membership -- whether directly or via NJREA, this issue of the MCREA News is the last one. Our membership year extends from Sept. 1 through August 31 of the following year. In mid-May, NJREA mailed unified membership renewal notifications to everyone who is currently both an annual renewal member of NJREA and also an annual renewal member of MCREA. The majority of our MCREA members are in this category. Betty is notified of those renewals approximately 2 - 3 weeks after NJREA processes those renewals. - Life members of both MCREA and NJREA did NOT receive any notice from NJREA. - If you are presently an annual renewal member of MCREA but wish to convert to MCREA life membership ($250), this years NJREA-generated forms provided that option. - If you are interested in converting to MCREA life membership at this time, contact Betty McConnell. - MCREA does NOT issue annual renewal membership cards. We do issue Life Membership cards. Please let Betty know if you have not received your MCREA Life Membership card. The 2013 edition of the MCREA Member Directory was distributed in late May. The first addendum/revision of the Directory will be sent to email recipients soon. A paper-copy of the addendum (revisions-only) is included with this Sept/Oct issue of the MCREA News. New members are receiving the full booklet plus the addendum along with their first newsletter, the Sept/Oct News. SPECIAL REQUESTS Please sign up for email delivery of the MCREA News. Since the forms generated by NJREA do NOT give you the option of letting us know that you are willing to receive the News via email, kindly get in touch directly by email with Betty and/or News editor Valerie Miller (valmiller42@yahoo.com). Have you or do you know of any MCREA member who has celebrated that 90th birthday? Please let Betty know so the information can be entered into our membership records. There is a special surprise in store for those amazing individuals! We currently have 18 members on our Over 90 list. If you have contact information for MCREA members Fola Goodman or Gard OHarra, kindly send it to Betty. [Thank you in advance!]

Member Benefits
Did you know that NJREA unified members have lots of member benefits for goods and services? 1 - Visit www.NJEA.org. 2 - Log in with your six digit pin (on the front of your membership card) or use your email address, then create a password. 3 - Click Member Discounts. 4 - Everything that Member Benefits offers is listed and linked to this page. For savings on appliances, cars, etc., log on to www.buyersedgeinc.com with username 3386 and password NJEA. Visit www.NEAMB.com. Create username (email address if you want) and a password. Site lists offers in finance, insurance, shopping, and discounts, travel, and professional resources. For personal assistance, call NEA Member Service Center at 1 800 637 4636. Barbara Satz MCREA Member Benefits

$22,000 in Scholarships Were Awarded

The Morris County Retirees Education Association (MCREA) proudly awarded eleven $2,000 scholarships to Morris County students at its annual luncheon which was held at the Meadow Wood Manor in Randolph. The awards were presented to students who are pursuing a career in education. First year recipients of this award include: Jenna Finnis, Randolph High School; James Hatem, CCM (Morris Knolls High School); Megan Ryan, Mountain Lakes High School; Alyssa Mol, Boonton High School; Katherine Davin, Kinnelon High School; Jenna Schreck, Morris Hills High School and Marissa Ilnitzki of West Morris Mendham High School. Second year recipients include undergraduate Courtney Breslauer of Rowan University (Parsippany Hills HS); Matthew Milner of Rowan University (West Morris Central HS); Amy Pillsbury of The College of New Jersey (Dover HS); and Carlyn Vautin of the University of North Carolina (Watchung Hills HS). We wish these deserving young people well as they prepare to enter the most rewarding and challenging profession. It was a treat for all in attendance to listen to their enthusiasm and personal experiences. Picture - left to right Jenna Schreck Matthew Milner Courtney Breslauer Megan Ryan Jenna Finnis Amy Pillsbury Katherine Davin ot Pictured: James Hatem Alyssa Mol Marissa Ilnitzki Carlyn Vautin Photo by Robert Carr Elizabeth Deus, publicity for MCREA 973-627-6348

Scholarship Committee
The committee members have spent long hours meticulously reading 34 applications from Morris County students who will pursue a major in education. Reading and discriminating are not easy processes because the members know they must evaluate all areas, not only their own fields of expertise. I wish to introduce an exceptional group of retired teachers who have been selecting well for several years so well that none of the recipients has reported a GPA less than 3.3 through his/her 2nd year. We actually have two recipients with a GPA's of 4.0. Jerry Russo, Guidance Harold Warne, Guidance Vicky Willson, English Patricia Palumbo,French Angela Calabria, Mathematics Constance Strucko, English

I commend them for their long hours of dedication to the Scholarship Committee. The purpose of MCREA is to award scholarships to SCHOLARS who will continue our work in advancing the teaching profession. For the past several years, this committee has achieved this purpose. Constance Strucko, Chairperson

Food Pantry
We donated $983 and 145 pounds of food last spring. They are always welcoming to new volunteers. There are many ways you can help. Any donations are always appreciated. You may check this website for current needs: http://www.mcifp.org/currentneeds.htm

IN SYMPATHY
Nancy Lynch Castellano, 89 - 7/21/13. In her senior year of College, Nancy enlisted in the United States Navy, WAVES. She was assigned to train 6,000 women recruits from all over the country. She served her country with honor and fidelity and received an honorable discharge after the war. Following her military service, she became a language arts teacher of junior high school/middle school students for 43 years, in the Morris Township/Morris School District, Morris County, New Jersey. Upon retirement in 1989, Nancy became a member of the Morris County Retirees' Education Association ("MCREA"), where she remained a life-long member. http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/dailyrecord/obituary.aspx?n=nancy-lcastellano&pid=165988025&fhid=17061 Rhoda Gavornik, 87 - 11/5/13. In addition to her first passion and commitment as mother and wife, Rhoda worked as an elementary teacher in the Warren School District for over 42 years, concluding with substitute teaching service well into her 80s. http://obits.nj.com/obituaries/starledger/obituary.aspx?pid=160958912 Donald Haar, 89 - 4/1/13. Attaining his Bachelors and Masters degrees, he was a teacher for many years and retired in 1984 from Madison Junior High. http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/dailyrecord/obituary.aspx?pid=164033603 Euthalia M. (Thalia) Karlos, 77 - 7/13/13. "Thalia" to friends served for 3-1/2 decades as a teacher at Randolph High School, first teaching world history (in which she would later earn a master's degree), then adding AP economics to her resume. Thalia also served as an informal adviser, giving her time to explain rights, rules and benefits to fellow teachers and retired teachers who were referred to her. Thalia garnered honors from NJEA-NJREA, the Randolph Board of Education, the Randolph Education Association, the N.J. Department of Education Governor's Teacher Recognition Program, the Morris County Council of Education Associations, the Academic Decathlon of N.J., and others, all humbly tucked away in drawers, out of sight. She retired from teaching in 1997. http://obits.nj.com/obituaries/starledger/obituary.aspx?n=euthalia-m-karlosthalia&pid=165890818&fhid=17151 Frances Smith, 92, - 2/20/13. Frances taught English, Humanities and Latin classes at Mountain Lakes High School, retiring in 1984, and relocating to Atlanta. http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/atlanta/obituary.aspx?page=lifestory&pid=163253784 Doris J. Welle, 93 - 5/17/13. Doris was a Music Teacher for the East Hanover School System for over 15 years until she retired. http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/dailyrecord/obituary.aspx?n=doris-jwelle&pid=164833967&fhid=14801

Please note: If you are aware that an MCREA member has passed away, kindly inform Membership Chair Betty McConnell or MCREA News Editor Valerie Miller.

JEA endorses Buono for governor

In March, the 125-member NJEA PAC Operating Committee voted unanimously to endorse Sen. Barbara Buono for governor. The PAC Operating Committee is composed of members from every county as well as representatives from retired members and higher education constituencies. The day after receiving the formal endorsement, Buono attended the NJEA Delegate Assembly meeting to personally thank NJEA and its members for the early endorsement of her candidacy for governor. Buono said the endorsement was important to her on a very personal level. She said that it represented a validation of the role education has played in her life. She shared her own story explaining her modest background and how she eventually put herself through Montclair State College and Rutgers Law School, despite her low income. The point of my story is that I had I had opportunities back then, Buono explained. Those opportunities simply arent there now, and that is why Im running for governor of the state of New Jersey. Both candidates screened Both Gov. Chris Christie and Sen. Buono participated in the screening process in a bid to earn NJEAs endorsement. The candidates each had a one hour interview with a screening committee, giving the NJEA PAC Operating Committee an unfiltered view of both Christies and Buonos priorities. We genuinely appreciate Gov. Christies willingness to participate in a candid and thoughtful conversation with our screening committee, said NJEA President Barbara Keshishian. Issues that matter to New Jersey NJEA/NJREA members, like all New Jersey residents, have a lot at stake in this election. The next governor will make critical decisions about education policy and school funding that will determine the future of our public schools. The next governor will also have to contend with the important issues facing New Jerseys middle and working class residents. Here are ten reasons why Sen. Barbara Buono is the right candidate for the job: 1. Fought in the Senate against Gov. Christies cuts to school funding. 2. Committed to lowering the cost of health insurance and expanding coverage to more New Jersey families. 3. Fought to lower property taxes by asking the wealthy to pay their fair share. 4. Supports making higher education funding a priority. 5. Supports increasing the minimum wage and making sure it keeps up with inflation. 6. Strong defender of collective bargaining rights for school employees, police officers and firefighters. 7. Believes school employeespast and presentshould be supported, not attacked. 8. Committed to making New Jersey a leader in green energy production and use. 9. Determined to restore funding for womens health and family planning. 10. Supports tough, smart gun-safety laws to reduce gun violence and protect our children. Join Garden State Forward On issue after issue, Sen. Buono is right in line with the values and priorities of NJEA/NJREA members, and, with our support, she will win in November. NJREA urges its members to join the campaign to get New Jersey moving forward again. For more information, visit Garden State Forward at www.gardenstateforward.com. By visiting this website, you can pledge to vote for Barbara Buono and make a difference for yourself, your family, and New Jerseys future. You're cordially invited to a reception on Tuesday, August 20, 2013 Senator Buono will attend a reception at The Unitarian Fellowship, 21 Normandy Heights Rd., Morristown, NJ 07960 from 6-8 PM on Tuesday, August 20, 2013. Ticket prices are $30 Individual and $50 Couple. Hosted by Susan Davis and Susan Vigilante, RSVP: SDavis@optonline.net or Svigilant@aol.com Please make checks payable to Buono for Governor. Donations are appreciated, even if you cannot attend. Please send checks to S. Vigilante, 9 Forest Court, Morris Plains, NJ 07950