Weehawken honors high school academic excellence
Weehawken High School students were honored for excellence during the annual Academic Awards held May 4 at the Sheraton Lincoln Harbor Hotel.
The following students received individual awards: Academic Team A: Will Lenchus, Pearl Lee, Jack Skuller, Tessie Urtubia, Adam Hassouna, and Mary Callahan; Art: Carlos Valerino; Industrial Arts: Carlos Valerino; Language Arts: Kari Vetter; Journalism: Tessie Urtubia; Video Broadcasting: Stephen Rodriguez; Social Science: Kassandra Marrero; Mock Trial: Jonathan Anasa; Science: Nicole Bautista; Technology: Luis Gonzalez; Economics: Hank Finnin; Math: Tessie Urtubia; French: Crystal Abud; Spanish: Pearl Lee; Peer Leadership: Valerie Varghese; Drama: Aicha Ndiaye; Music: April Fiorese and Hank Finnin; Annette Nunziato Award: Johan Tzic; 8th Grade Citizenship and Scholarship: Bonnie Callahan and Emory Kemph; 8th Grade Citizenship and Scholarship: Katie Dewan; Academic Award: Nicole Bautista.
The following students were inducted into the National Honor Society: Daniel Cajina, Mary Callahan, Charles Eid, Mithin Nair, Julian Perez, Pedro Santiago, Elizabeth Tejada, Natalie Varghese, and Francis Velasquez.
The following students were inducted into the Junior National Honor Society: Scott Aquino, Zachary Baxmeyer, Gabriella Carrera, Grace Denfeld, Kathleen Dewan, Kenzi Fukuda, Isabel Jaffoni, Emory Kemph, Peyton Kennedy, Laura Martinez, Max McGinley, Nicole Primero, Kamil Rahhali, Alessandro Romano, Daniel Sanchez, and Sebastian Sanchez.
Matuto to play final UBS Atrium Series concert
The Brazilian Carnaval stylings of musical group Matuto will give the finale concert of this season’s UBS Atrium Series on Wednesday, May 23 at 12:30 p.m. The Hudson Riverfront Performing Arts Center, Inc. (HRPAC) presents this series of free lunchtime concerts in the Atrium at 1000 Harbor Boulevard in Weehawken, sponsored in part by The Hudson Reporter.
Matuto moves with two-stepping grace between bluegrass and forro, between swamp rock and maracatu, between surf guitar shimmies and the wah-wah of the berimbau.
Matuto features violin, guitar, accordion, bass, drums, and various Brazilian percussion instruments: the alfaia (a large, wooden, rope-tuned bass drum), the pandeiro (a Brazilian tambourine), and the berimbau (a single-string on a bow struck with a small stick), among others.
Matuto was selected as one of only twelve bands from nearly 300 nationwide to tour internationally as American Musical Ambassadors through the U.S. State Department and American Voices.
The concert is free and open to the public. For directions, late-breaking concert news, and other updates, please check the HRPAC website at www.hrpac.org or call the concert hotline at (201) 716-4540.
Military and veterans to ride ferry and bus network for free during Fleet Week
The New York Waterway ferry and bus network will provide free commuter service for all active duty military personnel in uniform from any nation and American veterans during Fleet Week, May 23 through 30.
Docking locations and tour times for the modern military vessels and historic tall ships visiting New York are available at http://www.nywaterway.com/FleetWeek2012.aspx.
Service men and women must present identification showing their active duty or veteran status to ride free on ferries departing from New Jersey terminals in Edgewater, Port Imperial and Lincoln Harbor in Weehawken, and 14th Street in Hoboken.
For schedules, prices and additional information please call (800) 533-3779, or visit http://www.nywaterway.com or www.facebook.com/nywaterway.
Weehawken Woman’s Club to hold meeting
The Weehawken Woman’s Club will be meeting on Monday evening May 21 at 7:15 p.m. at the Weehawken Senior Center located at 201 Highwood Avenue. All are welcome to stop by and learn about our organization. For information, please contact womansclubofweehawken@gmail.com.
Weehawken Weekenders to hold several summer and fall trips
The Weehawken Weekenders will take a trip to the Platzl Brauhaus in Ponoma, N.Y., on Wednesday, June 20, for a day of fun, food, and entertainment. The day includes breakfast and lunch, followed by dinner at 4 p.m.
There will be music, dancing, and bingo, and there is a pool available for anyone who wishes to use it. The bus departs from the Weehawken Pathmark at 9 a.m. Tickets cost $70.
On July 11, they will see “The Real Husbands of New Jersey” at the Royal Manor in Garfield for $45 which includes lunch.
On Aug. 12, they will visit Magnanini’s Winery in Wallkill, N.Y. for a wine tasting, dinner, and dancing for $75.
On Oct. 3, they will attend “Octoberfest” at the Royal Manor in Garfield for $45.00.
On Oct. 20, they will visit the Nordic Lodge with all you can eat Lobster and more in Charlestown, R.I. and proceed to Mohegan Sun Casino for $125.
The Weekenders are also planning an eight-night Canadian and New England cruise on the Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas, departing from Bayonne on Aug. 31, 2013 and sailing through Sept. 8, 2013.
All trips include transportation and gratuities. Call the Weekenders office at (201) 319-6059 for more information or to make a reservation.
NJ Festival of Ballooning to hold statewide contest
PNC Bank and the Quick Chek N.J. Festival of Ballooning invite students in grades two through 12 to take part in the ninth annual PNC Bank American Patriot Essay Contest by writing a short essay on the topic “What the American Flag Means to Me.”
The largest summertime hot air balloon and music festival in North America will celebrate its 30th anniversary July 27 through 29 at Solberg Airport in Readington and will feature the PNC Bank American Flag balloon: the largest free-flying flag in the world.
This year’s Grand Prize winner will receive a visit to his or her school by a 75-foot-tall hot air balloon in June and a special VIP package at this year’s festival: a hot air balloon ride for two, four Blue Sky Club VIP tickets, and the opportunity to meet one of this year’s concert headliners, which have included the Jonas Brothers and Disney stars Demi Lovato and Emily Osment in the past.
Second and third place prizes will include festival admission and merchandise.
The winning student’s immediate classmates will each receive one complimentary general admission ticket to the festival and the winning student’s teacher and school principal will each receive two Blue Sky Club VIP tickets.
Every teacher in the state who submits a group of 15 essays or more on behalf of their students will receive two free general admission tickets to the festival regardless of whether one of their students submits the winning essay.
The essays should be 100 words or less. They will be judged by a panel of representatives from PNC Bank and the balloon festival. Winning essays will be selected based on creativity, poignancy and clarity with consideration given to the grade level of the contestant. Contestants are not required to be U.S. citizens.
Entries should include the student’s name, home or school address, home or school telephone number, grade, age, school name and the name of their teacher.
Entries should be sent by May 1 to Essay Judges, Quick Chek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning, 363 Rte. 46 West, Suite 200, Fairfield, N.J., 07004. Students can also enter the contest through the festival web site at www.balloonfestival.com or by emailing their essays to information@balloonfestival.com.