We must admit here at Newarknow that our next interview was a great pleasure and certainly had our hearts and minds affixed on our passion, Newark. Rahim Stennet and Franny Aizier both graduates of New Jersey Institute of Technology turned a lack of postcards of Newark into their own business giving Newark high marks and loving their adopted city even more. From Newark with love is their story take a read in their own words.
You and your partner Fanny Aizier started a postcard company entitled, "From Newark with love" how did you get the idea to start this company?
A: Well it all started when Fanny wanted to send a Newark Postcard to Her grandma in France, our
search proved futile. We found it strange that all the postcard stands in Newark only bore NYC postcards. We took the responsibility, not only to fill the void in the market, but to put on display the positive side of Newark.
From Newarkhttp://www.fromnewarkwithlove.com/shop/ with Love website
You may also order your postcards from the website above.
2. Now you see how much Newarkers cherish their city- were you both not in complete amazement that there were very little to none when it came to postcards?
A:Newark postcards does not reflect on how much Newarkers cherish their city, because we have met many proud Newarkers, who are excited to share and teach about Newark and from our records the majority of our postcard orders are mailed to local addresses.
3. When you and Fanny saw the need for postcards pertaining to Newark, what were the first things you did?
A:The first thing we did was do a little research to make sure there really weren't any Newark
postcards. We discovered that there is a small collection for sale at the
Newark airport, but other than that only vintage ones are in the library archives.
We then began taking pictures, we thought were postcard worthy.
4. What are both of your favorite postcards and why?
A:My Favorited postcard is the Newark Skyline at sunset, the one with the Blue border, I think it has a nice effect where the bright orange from the sunset reflects of the building windows, we did not alter that shot in any way, because I thought it was great as is.
Fannys favorite is the postcard we dubbed "Newark's Motto" it features a shot of the front window of the S.Klein building on Broad St. When we speak to the Newark old timers, apparently this was the place to be back in the day. The building is now undergoing demolition to make way for new infrastructure, and we are happy we got the chance to
preserve its image on a postcard.
5. What interesting new facts have you learned while producing these postcards about Newark?
A:We have learned that Newark has a rich history, one that Newarkers should be
Knowledgeable and proud of, for starters, Newark is the birthplace of Cellulose film, invented by Hannibal Williston Goodwin (April 21, 1822 - December 31, 1900), was an Episcopal priest at the House of Prayer Episcopal Church and Rectory in Newark, New Jersey, which still stands today adn will be featured on our new line of cards.
We have also learned that Newark produced some of the best athletes and entertainers including: baseball players Everett Marcelle and Jimmie Hill, popular jazz musician Sarah Vaughan and of course Whitney Houston.
6. How many places through-out the city are you postcards now sold at?
A:Our postcards now retail in over 20 location in and around Newark, including various local stores,cafes and newsstands and the Hilton Hotel. We are currently working to get our cards in the Newark Airport and the Newark Penn station.
7.If you could also name three places in Newark you both admire most ?
Our absolute favorite places in Newark are the Branch Brook Park, especially during cherry blossom season, the Ironbound section, with an infinite number of cafes and places to eat and its booming nightlife. On our favorite list are also the NJPAC for various
performances and shows and the Prudential center which is the popular venue for hockey games, circuses and the various show and performances hosted in Newark.
Today we have an interview with Personal Trainer, Motivational Trainer, Nutritional Consultant and all around Positive Person, Odalis Urena. Urena is well grounded and puts his faith in The Lord. You will see his journey some of which was showcased on The Maury Povich Show and in this interview you will walk away with a new, positive outlook not only on your physical well-being to a brand new you, but a positive enlightenment that will bring you to your next level. Please watch Urena's video wich he has been working hard to make which will help to get us all in shape. Watch at the end of this interview, his personal training tips to get you in shape for Spring and Summer. Also check back later as we will have a surprise for Urena! Don't miss! Update we have a surprise for Odalis as you seen below on "The Maury Povich Show", he had a high school crush, but the young lady Sophia Berberena-Corona truly was amazed by Odalis's look from geek to muscle chic and realized that she wanted to get in even better shape so Odalis helped her with some intesive training and months later here is her amazing progress in her own words and pictures:
"As a mother of two, working full time and going to school, I thought I would never get my once flat abdominals back. It had been eight years since ive shown my stomach in public and I was ready for change. After discussing my goals with Odalis, he explained the importance of maintaining a clean and healthy diet. I struggled to find time to make it to the gym, so Odalis brought the gym to me. He came to my home along with his TRX strength training system, dumbbells, and mat to name a few. One week he was teaching me how to do a proper squat and the next he was challenging me with one legged squats. He drills me with circuits of cardio, weight lifting and floor exercises. At times I'm tired and feel weak but he's always right there to encourage me. Just when I think I can't he's saying "I know you can, just three more!" I've regained my health and strength I never imagined I had. He is now training me for my first 8 mile obstacle race. It is all possible because of Odalis and his genuine desire to help people become the greatest version of them self."
Congratulations Sophia!!! Amazing!
You have been a trainer and nutritional consultant for some time now, but your journey wasn't easy at times, getting your six pack stomach took much work and determination. Tell us a little bit about that journey and what was the turning point?
1)Honestly it was very difficult for me to change my eating habits. I wanted to get muscular and I was under the impression that in order to get “big” I had to eat big. I struggled with the mindset that only with steroids and superior genetics would I be able to obtain a great physique. I figured “hey I cant get ripped and muscular without steroids but if I lift heavy and eat a lot I can look big with shirt on and look big and intimidating, so I will do that”. I wanted to look like a bodybuilder and ended up looking more like a water buffalo..lol.. The turning point for me was when I starting doing research and I came across individuals who had excelled in bodybuilding without the use of performance enhancement drugs. My research enabled me to reconstruct my limiting beliefs and It also put me in a path of setting goals and seeing for myself if getting in shape without “assistance” is possible.
2. When did you know that part of your life's goal was to help people get into shape and give nutritional counseling?
Dave Palumbo one of Odalis's Mentors
A: When I started my freshman year in college I took a nutrition class and loved it because at that time I was working out, but was eating all the wrong foods. Once I took that class it really enlightened me and showed me that fitness, which I loved, and nutrition go hand in hand, so I made it my major. I was working towards my bachelors for dietetics but unfortunately due to economic issues I had to drop out. It was a really rough time for me not being able to get closer to my goal in helping people live a healthy lifestyle and I didn’t like the way I looked. I was growing tired of looking “ big” with my shirt on not being able to take off my shirt at the beach, so I decided to look for help. I started working with my mentors professional bodybuilders Colette Nelson and Dave Palumbo, and they gave me the confidence to challenge myself and take my body to the next level. I set a goal to take shirtless pictures and post them on facebook. Now remember I was training hard at the gym for about 6 years and I was never able to take my shirt off in public. The feed backs on the pics to my surprise were very positive including that I should do personal training. This quickly gave me an epiphany that I should really put my passion in to work, and personal training sounded great. So I did research and got my certifications in Sport nutrition , personal training, and group training. I’ve been training ever since, did some fitness modeling and also am a columnist in a local newspaper and have my own health segment on a FM radio station.
3. You have also dabbled in acting a bit, is that also a passion of yours? Where do you want to go with that?
A: A lot of people say I am a chameleon cause I can do and be a little bit of everything and everyone.
I love music, movies, entertainment, fitness, and writing so I try to make myself part of all of them
because they are the things I’ve mostly been surrounded by all my life. And for a person that has been very shy and introverted around people since very young, I feel like acting is my form of
communicating with others and “being me without having to be me”. Acting just like other types of
entertainment is also rewarding to me because I enjoy seeing others laugh and take some time off
from the hardships of reality. It helped me out a lot through many rough patches in my life so I know
it can also be a great source of therapy for others. That’s really how my passion for it grew. It was almost like a survival mechanism. Where do I want to go with the acting? Where ever God wants me to go… at the end of the day it’s all up to him.
4. Name 3 people you admire and why ?
A: Jesus Christ because the way that he lived and the examples that he left to follow, his closeness to perfection was astonishing. He is a true inspiration because there hasn’t been another human that has stepped in this earth that has been as faithful to anything in this world as He was to His Father. He is also the reason why I can do everything I do and have done. Tony Robbins because he is a very powerful speaker. I learned a lot through his speeches and incredible motivational skills. A lot of the things that got me through this new lifestyle was through his books. Chris Jericho because I can relate to him. He does a lot of things the things that I like: Acting, music, wrestling, and at the same time he is a man of faith.
5. In elementary and high school you were not as fit and in shape and as it was put on The Maury Povich , a bit of a nerd, when you train people who maybe severely overweight or just not physically fit do come in with a different perspective or compassion for that person you are training?
A: When I work with people that are overweight they tend to connect with me better because we can relate to the emotions and issues that come along with being that way, but I don’t feel any certain compassion or sympathy towards any of my clients because just like I had that problem and was able to change it by altering my thoughts and behavior patterns so can any other human. We were all blessed with a brain that is so powerful it literally can make you or break you.
6. Growing up in a Latin family and eating all great foods like Arroz Con Pollo, San Cocho de Gallina and desserts like tres leche cake can be well " A Problem",how can we still have some of our favorite foods and lose the weight?
This one I know being Italian , our foods can really set us back.
A: Eating in moderation. I also believe in cheat meals, they are great ways to treat yourself after long weeks of hard training and eating clean. It is also another way to motivate yourself to eat well when your suppose to because you will always have in mind that in a couple of days your going to be able to feast on that pasta you’ve been craving for for so long.
7. Spring is here and summer is coming up, what are the top three exercises to get us into shape and trim the fat so you can look great on the beach?
A: I really don’t believe in 3 specific exercises to getting the perfect beach bod because I think working out is more of a lifestyle than a goal. So the first thing I would recommend is to workout and shape your mind first. Like I said earlier your mind works magic. Our body parts are mere slaves of our brain. Without the minds permission, nothing can get done, so we have to ready ourselves mentally in order for the new lifestyle process to start. By doing this we’re changing our old habits, thoughts, and beliefs which is the hardest things for humans to do. It can be a struggle because these are the things that make us and for many it is a scary step to change who you think you are. Change overall is hard to endure but it can be very good for many of us. After we can accept all that everything else is pretty much cake. Once your mind is ready to hit the road your body will follow concordant and you will start following a new routine you can be comfortable in again.
8. Nutritional supplements in recent years have really become part of the course or go hand in hand with many people's exercise regiment, what supplements would you recommend and why?
A: When it comes to supplement management I highly recommend multi vitamins because even though I would prefer to get my vitamins through whole foods; it is never a bad Idea to take a multi vitamin to avoid deficiencies. Whey protein is great because it’s a convenient source of getting your protein, and fish oil because it’s essential in our daily diet and a lot of us don’t consume enough of it on a daily basis.
9. Raspberry ketone, green coffee bean extract and brown seaweed extract have been very popular for weight loss many prominent experts tout their benefits. What are your thoughts?
A:I personally haven’t used them so I wouldn’t know if they work, but what I normally do is just educate my clients that there is not a magic pill out there for being fit, for rapid weight loss maybe, but if what you’re looking for is just a quick fix to then be back to square one a month later then by all means buy the pills or make the crash diet recipes, but if you want to be fit and look in good physical shape from here on out till your already getting old like Sylvester Stallone with tighter muscles than a 30yr old then I advise them it’s all about discipline and consistency. Carrying out on a mental plan of eating healthy and training right is the key to staying fit.
10. Finally what is the most important piece of advice you can give to someone who is finding it hard to reach their goal?
A:The first thing they need to find out is what their goal is and why they really want it. If they don’t know exactly what their goal is and how strongly they want it they will probably fail to attain it. When you don’t want something too bad you won’t work for it as hard. And that’s why people give up a lot of times because we confuse what we want with what we are afraid of really wanting or because we want to do it for the gratification of others. But you have to set the goal. Take control of your thoughts and desires by clawing and biting through all obstacles to get what you want, because the only thing that can stop you from getting to them is yourself.
In May 2009, demolition began on the Newark Schools Stadium. Today, construction continues and the completion of the stadium is set for spring of 2011 if all goes right.
The stadium is steeped in history and many believe it will spur a rebirth in the North Ward. It was the home Barringer High School Football and many other city sports.Track and Field Olympians Jesse Owens and Milt Campbell both ran track there and the National Women’s Olympic Trials took place at the Stadium in 1928.
So, I recently interviewed Linda Blyth of the Dept. of Communications Newark Public Schools.
When do expect the completion of this great stadium?
SPRING 2011 (THE INSTALLATION OF THE SYNTHETIC RUNNING TRACK REQUIRES 50 F AND ABOVE TEMPS.SO THAT DEPENDS ON THE WEATHER BUT ALL ELSE IS ON SCHEDULE.)
What were some of the most memorable or important games played there?
IN THE DISTANT PAST, RUTGERS FOOTBALL TEAMS PLAYED TO SELL-OUT CROWDS, NFL FRANCHISE THE TORNADOES PLAYED VS NY GIANTS, ARMY VS NAVY, AND OLD RIVALS BARRINGER VS EAST ORANGE. JESSE OWENS, AND MILT CAMPBELL, COMPETED THERE.
Future seating is visible from this angle.
Will there be any official opening ceremony?
PROBABLY
Why is Newark School Stadium so important to the city?
THE NEW STADIUM WILL REVITALIZE THE WHOLE COMMUNITY AND GREATER NEWARK AREA – NOT ONLY THE NORTH WARD. (COUNTY, STATE AND DISTRICT GAMES COULD BE HELD THERE.)
THE NEW STADIUM WILL CATER TO SEVERAL SPORTS: FOOTBALL, BASEBALL (INCLUDING LITTLE LEAGUE), SOFTBALL, SOCCER, TRACK AND FIELD, LACROSSE.
One Response to “Newark Schools Stadium almost Ready for Debut”
William Pell on July 13th, 2011 10:17 pm
I want to thank and congratulate the Mayor and council persons who made the renovations possible along with Newark tax payers. I wait in anticipation (like many other Newark residents) to the Stadiums re-opening. I would like a confirmed opening date as well as to the schedule of the teams that will participate using the fields. I wish the stadium and the home teams all the best of luck and hope to be a spectator very soon.
Signed,
BillinNewark
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Stay tuned we will have more!
The First person to guess correctly will receive a book. So post in the comments section .
We Are proud to announce that Miss Mabel indeed has guessed the correct answer! Congratulations Miss Mabel yes, we were at America's Got Talent in NYC! We will be updating you and telling you what Amazing book Miss Mabel has won! Miss Mabel you are a Star! Shine Bright!!! Stay Tuned!
http://newarknj.patch.com/d/blog_posts/exclusive-interview-with-alicia-vitarelli-a-passion-for-news
Today we have an interview with one of the nations top tv anchor's of ABC 6 WPVI news at 4pm, Alicia Vitarelli. She is a well known personality that news directors and top producers from all over would be proud to have on their team. Vitarelli has carved out her craft on tv and has also become the queen of Social Media working her facebook page like a media master. Her credits include her own franchise she started on News 12 New Jersey, Buck Wild and Best Kept Secrets that became part of the station best known segments. Take a look at our interview and keep in mind Alicia Vitarelli is really " On Fire" and we believe the ABC network might ask her to become part of "The View". Vitarelli is just that good and would make a welcome edition to any network show. We also have a special feature with students from First Avenue School posing questions to Ms. Vitarelli.
1. Q:When did you know or realize you wanted to have a career in the media and why?
I was always a storyteller, even in childhood. I spent my younger years writing journals and short stories and performing in musicals.
A:As a high school student I wrote for the Teenage Section of my local newspaper, The Staten Island Advance. I fell in love with newspaper reporting and decided that when I went to college I would couple that passion with my love of performance. I studied Communications, Spanish and Theatre at Villanova University and then went on to get a Master's Degree in Broadcast Journalism at Northwestern University and started my career in 2000.
2.Q: Alicia, you have become quite an institution at stations you worked at like News 12 New Jersey where your "Buck Wild"& "Roma Aroma" became popular staples at the station your branding alone makes segments go through the roof? What currently are you doing at ABC 6 that is your signature piece?
A:Thank you so much for the kind words! You have to love what you do and truly care about the material to be successful. Here at 6abc I work on a number of projects. I am one of the hosts of FYI Philly, a feature and lifestyles show that allows us to showcase all of the wonderful things around town. I have a segment on Action News at 4 called "The Buzz" where we talk about all of the stories that are making headlines in the entertainment world and beyond. I host a variety of parades, from the Mummer's Parade to the Columbus Day Parade and the Pulaski Day Parade! I have covered the Royal Wedding, the Academy Awards and other red carpet events.
I also do a series of features focusing on the wealth of amazing family businesses in our area and showcase what has made them successful for decades!
3.Q Alicia who would be the person you would most like to interview and why? Your number 1 get?
A: I would like to interview any President, current or past.
4.Q: Over the past decade, we have seen Social Media ( which you are the Queen of all Social Media) and other technologies such as Skype play a prominent role in the media.How do you see broadcast media evolving even further with all the new technologies ? Do you feel it is good or bad for broadcast media?
A:I think social media has certainly expanded our ability to have direct contact with our viewers. Through Facebook, Twitter and other sites the people who watch us every day have also played a tremendous role in helping us tell the story. They share experiences, photos, even insights that have helped us bring the story closer to home and find new ways of giving it a personal touch. I think social media is an asset but ONLY if it is treated responsibly and the content according to the basic rules of journalism.
5.Q As an Italian America you certainly identify strongly with the culture, in what ways do you try to keep the customs and traditions of the culture alive?
A:I am so proud of my culture and I think we live in a time where people can celebrate what makes them unique and where their ancestors came from.
I wear my name like a badge of honor and hope that it inspires all people to embrace their culture. We certainly keep up customs at home, we travel to various regions around Italy at least once a year and I personally participate in events honoring and celebrating Italian American culture (such as the Columbus Day Parade).
6.Q Who in the Italian community do admire most and why?
A: I admire any person who has done their part to keep traditions strong and to preserve the authenticity of the culture. From food to religion to holidays, I salute every person who is making sure future generations honor, respect and actively participate in our cultural gems. I also honor the Italian American journalists before me (and in the future) who use their names on the air!
7.Q; Who was your favorite interview and why?
A:So far? Tom Hanks! I am in awe of anyone who has pursued a dream, achieved it and has remained humble and grateful for the experience and acknowledges the journey.
Alicia Vitarelli and Tom Hanks
8.Q What story did you cover that left an indelible impression and perhaps changed you or your way of thinking?
A:My favorite stories are 100th birthdays (or beyond!) There is nothing more powerful than time on this planet and only those with that kind of wisdom can give us the insight we need. I have certainly covered my fair share of unthinkable tragedies, from 9/11 to the Sandy Hook school shooting. Those are also life altering and as a journalist those events have shaped me both professionally and personally.
Below are some of the wonderful, talented and hardworking students at First Avenue School asking ABC 6 WPVI Alicia Vitarelli some great questions.
Ms. Alicia Vitarelli's answers
We want to thank Alicia Vitarelli and wish her well on her career journey ! We are sure we will be seeing much more of this talented and accomplished journalist. Watch out for her! We also want to Thank the wondeful and scholarly students of First Avenue School and their great teacher, Ms. Salandra. Please let us know who you would like us to interview next? Also post your opinions and thoughts.
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