Born and raised in Bloomfield to her wonderful parents Benjamin and Claire Kolstein (now deceased), Janet Kolstein also lived in Montclair and Manhattan before settling in Guttenberg. A friend told her of the Hudson River views at the Galaxy, and she chose Guttenberg as her new residence. Ms. Kolstein has a brother Allan, and three sisters, Barbara, Elaine, and Roberta, all living outside of Hudson County.
Ms. Kolstein, who achieved a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Montclair State University and also studied “studio art” under the guidance of Carmen Cicero, has visited such countries as England, France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, Belgium, and the Netherlands. However, from 1980 to 1987, Ms. Kolstein worked in the garment center in Manhattan as a textile designer and in a studio in the 14th Street area shared by numerous other artists, Ms. Kolstein painted in acrylic on canvas and created mixed media works that were exhibited in the East Village of Manhattan.
Ms. Kolstein then experienced a “bump” in the road when she visited Ireland, got involved in a car accident there, and had to regroup. Mixed media/collage became her method of working artistically, and now she now also uses the computer in her current body of work. She is also inspired by the Victorian photos of Julia Margaret Cameron.
She is also a published poet. Her art and poetry can be seen on the websites of HOB’ARTS in Hoboken, and Pro Arts in Jersey City, and she is a member of both organizations. She is also a friend of poet Laura Boss of Guttenberg, and her works have appeared in her LIPS Magazine.
Ms. Kolstein is a neighbor of Guttenberg Mayor Gerald Drasheff, and considers him a very fine man. In her spare time she likes to swim, shop, and read. She loves the ballet at Lincoln Center in Manhattan, as ballet and dancing were a passion to her in her early days before her mishap in Ireland. She also likes to go to art galleries in the metropolitan area. She likes New Age Music, classical, opera, and rock n’ roll. Some of her favorite singers are Leonard Cohen, Rufus Wainwright, and the New Age music of Kitaro.
As a poet, Ms. Kolstein tells us that she is member of The Lord Byron Society of America, and as an artist, her favorite painting is “The River of Light,” by Federic Church, circa 1826-1900, of The Hudson River School. From there she jumps to our nation’s first recognized author, none other than Washington Irving, who is also this columnist’s favorite author from Westchester County, New York. Irving wrote “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and “Rip Van Winkle,” well known throughout the Historic Hudson River Valley area since the mid to late1800s.
To Janet Kolstein: keep going strong, and All The Best!
West New Yorkers Johulin Zuluaga, Michael S. Urcuyo and Keane Diaz, and Viany Reyes of North Bergen, were all named to the Dean’s List at Drew University in Madison, New Jersey.
Chris Jandreau of Secaucus has been named to the Dean’s List at Seton Hall University in Essex County. Onward and forward, leaders of tomorrow!
Aymen Y. Zaben of North Bergen and Jesus Garcia of Union City have achieved Associate in Science and Associate in Applied Science degrees, respectively. Curtis J. Yarborough has achieved a Bachelor of Science Degree, and all three graduated from Excelsior College in Albany, New York. Congradulations!
We hear that Chef Peter Ingrasselino of Masina Trattoria Italiana restaurant at the Sheraton Hotel in Weehawken is truly one of the best chefs around when it comes to Italian seafood dishes! North Hudson County has the gems, you just have to search them out. Buon’ Appetito!
COMMENTARY: Just a rumor, but we hear that former West New York Mayor Silverio “Sal” Vega has put in his retirement papers with the town’s Board of Education. It is amusing that some people say “yes,” “no,” and “I don’t know” to that question, but there were more “yes” answers than the other two distinctions. So let’s call it just a rumor for now!
Could this mean the new mayor, Dr. Felix Roque, can hang out with his own people locally now, instead of hanging out with Union City and North Bergen pols? Remember that legendary former Mayor Anthony M. DeFino did not become self-made until he ended the chaos with local self-rule. In other words, whom did you win with? At half-time, Mayor Roque, if you still can’t figure out who’s who, then they win – and you are on your way to the loser’s corner, wondering where you got a political bloody nose and black eye that your father Dr. Jose Roque and your sister Dr. Hilda Roque may have to attend to (if the United States Army can’t find a doctor for Colonel Roque, a.k.a. the mayor!)
The future is approaching!
And so it goes … until next time …see you around town …MATT.
Readers who would like to contribute to this column can do so by mailing your news items along with your photographs toMatthew Amato, columnist, c/o The Hudson Reporter, 1400 Washington St., Hoboken, NJ 07030.