10th Annual Valley Arts Music and Poetry (VAMP) Festival this weekend!

The Valley Arts District lives up to its name with the 10th Annual VAMP Festival this weekend.  With all kinds of vendors, local artists, musical acts, spoken word, and some good food, its sure to be a great time.
Two specific activities you should make sure to stop by are:
A "yarn bomb" installation by Jody Leight for International Yarn Bomb Day and frisbee decorating at the
U of O table for our Ultimate Frisbee Tournament on Sunday. 
Event Details:
This Saturday, June 11th, from 11am-5pm at the Valley Triangle Park (intersection of Valley St and Forest Ave in front of Hat City Kitchen).
 See you there!

Join Us and Compete To Be Hat City's Ultimate Frisbee Champion!

    Tired of looking for a place to play your favorite sport? Tired of having to wait for available courts and fields? Tired of carrying so much equipment that you're tired before even playing?
    All these issues are resolved as long as you have a tiny flying disc.
    Every major sport can be a hassle to play; basketball and tennis need courts, football and soccer need fields, hockey and skating need rinks. The simplistic joy of playing sports is missing, EXCEPT when it comes to the game of Ultimate, originally known as Ultimate Frisbee.
    Not many sports can call themselves "ultimate" but with a small flying disc and a group of friends, you can play a fun sport unlike all others.

    Ultimate is for the spontaneous athlete who disregards the playing field. In regions where courts are destroyed, fields are torn apart, and rinks are ... nonexistent, the sport of Ultimate remains a permanent go-to option. All that's required is a disc and competition.
There is no prototype Ultimate player. The wide array of players allows for unpredictable competition and never-ending excitement.
    To prove how exhilarating Ultimate can be, we will be hosting a Ultimate Frisbee Hat Tournament between 6 teams ready to duke it out at Central Playground for the title of Hat City's Ultimate Frisbee Champions!

    Join us on Sunday, June 12th to witness the ultimate in competition on 400 Central Avenue from 12:00pm to 3:00pm.
    All players are welcome! There will be a FREE beginner's clinic from 12:00pm to 1:00pm with experts Emilio Panasci and Paul Lacy.
    All participants will be leaving with a keepsake frisbee to continue their Ultimate experience wherever they go.
    Register Here! individually or with a team!

Join us for Placemaking 3: the River, the Bench, and the Tree this Friday & Saturday!

We would like to invite you to join us for Placemaking 3: The River, The Bench, and The Tree.  Placemaking is an annual event held by the University of Orange to bring people together to envision the future of our city.  This year’s theme is how to improve public spaces in the city.  Placemaking will take place over three days, all of which you are welcome to attend:

·         Friday, April 8^th from 4:30-5:30 we will be planting a tree in Monte Irvin Orange Park.  Trees contribute to beautification of the landscape, increased property values, and health of people and the environment. This tree will be dedicated to Kelli Copeland, a dear friend of ours who worked at HANDS, Inc., and who passed away suddenly earlier this year.  Our long term goal is to plant many more trees throughout the city.  A reception will follow at the Harmony Bar.

·         Saturday, April 9^th is the main Placemaking event.  It will be 10am-4pm at the Family Success Center, 170 Scotland Rd.  Participants can attend morning workshops including: Great Plaza-Vibrant City, Youth Urbanism, Rent Control, and Green Homeownership 101.  In the afternoon will be Battle of the Benches.  Benches made by local citizens will be displayed and winners will be chosen by both a panel of judges and the votes of Placemaking participants.  We hope this temporary installation will show the potential the plaza has to be a vibrant public space and start a conversation about what the residents of Orange would like to see in the plaza. Free lunch and childcare will be provided for this event.

·         Saturday, April 23^rd will be a cleanup the Rahway River in honor of Earth Day.  We will also create art with found objects and clear out the lot behind the Harvard Printing Site.  Since many people don’t even realize there is a river here, the main goal of this event is to raise awareness and get people involved.  The cleanup will be from 10am-12 noon.  Meet in the Krauszer’s parking lot at the corner of Central Ave and Scotland Rd. 

We hope that you can join us for some or all of these events to help envision the future of Orange!  We want it to belong to everyone, and everyone should have a part in shaping it.  

Please REGISTER here: http://www.universityoforange.org/placemakingreg.html

If you have any questions please email universityoforange@gmail.com or call (973)678-3110 ext.35

Meet UofO's 2011 Urbanists-in-Residence: Tim Delorm and Lourdes Hernandez-Cordero

The University of Orange is please to announce our 2011 Urbanists-in-Residence Tim Delorm and Lourdes Hernandez-Cordero.

Join us in welcoming them and learning from them at Placemaking 3: The River, The Bench and The Tree. Saturday April 9 at the Family Success Center, 170 Scotland Road, Orange, NJ.

Timothy N. Delorm, L.L.A., P.P.
President, TerraNoble Design

Tim Delorm founded TerraNoble Design with the aspiration of creating symbiotic relationships between people, place, and nature, thereby achieving truly sustainable solutions to the world’s pressing problems. He believes it is not sufficient to make things less unsustainable, rather we must strive to create regenerative projects that establish an intricate web of interrelationships between natural, socio-economic and man-made systems. Tim has practiced for three decades as an urban designer and landscape architect with two of the globe's most prominent design offices, Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum, PC and EDAW, Inc.

He has a broad range of project experience ranging from regenerating urban neighborhoods to the creation of new conservation community master plans to public parks and gardens. In each of these areas of practice Tim is known as an active listener, committed collaborator, accomplished facilitator and presenter, principled creative designer and technically accomplished professional.

He appears regularly before state and municipal agencies and boards to provide expert testimony in the securing of entitlements. His attention to detail in understanding and addressing regulatory requirements and potential community impacts within the context of local policy enable him to address key concerns early in project development.

Lourdes J. Hernández-Cordero, DrPH

Assistant Professor of Clinical Sociomedical Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University

Dr. Hernández-Cordero came to the U.S. in 1996 after completing her undergraduate work in Industrial Biotechnology - a degree combining Chemical Engineering and Microbiology. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, she moved to the United States to attend graduate school. She joined the faculty at SMS upon completing her doctorate in 2004. Her dissertation focused on the role of organizations in community mobilization for trauma recovery post the 9/11 disaster. She conducted her postdoctoral studies at the Conservatoire Nationale des Arts et Metiers in Paris, under the guidance of Michel Cantal Dupart. As part of the Community Research Group at Columbia, she has been able to combine her interest in community mobilization and the application of research. The relationships built with local organizations as a Program Coordinator for the Northern Manhattan Community Voices Collaborative has served as the foundation for her work and are the topic of the book she coedited with Dr. Allan Formicola - Mobilizing the Community for Better Health. She is currently leading the community mobilization efforts of the Columbia Center for Youth Violence Prevention. In addition, she is spearheading the CLIMB (City Life is Moving Bodies) project, a concerted effort in collaboration with northern Manhattan based organizations to promote physical activity. Lourdes lives in northern Manhattan with her husband Rojelio Rodriguez and their three little birds Diego, Alma and Elisa.

Welcome Lourdes and Tim and thank you for being with us this year!

New for 2011: University of Orange launches January Term Certificate Program

University of Orange is pleased to announce its first program of 2011 and its first certificate program: Jan Term. 

UofO Jan Term is a two-week moderately intensive UofO urbanism immersion experience.  This program is ideal for students on winter break or those with a flexible schedule that enables them to take courses during the day. Students will deepen their understanding of urbanism and gain hands-on experience.

Requirements:

Urbanism Seminar: Youth Urbanism

Professor: Mindy Fullilove, MD

This course will review the theory and practices of youth urbanism through film, guest lectures, and short readings.  The three-part series will culminate in the completion of a poster for presentation at a scientific meeting.  All students will be co-authors of the posters.

i8inorange

Students are required to familiarize themselves with the content on i8inorange.blogspot.com and in Two Tons of Yum and to complete at least one piece of culinary writing to be published.

Placemaking Volunteering

Help UofO prepare for our annual Placemaking event.  Our theme is Placemaking 3: the River the Bench and the Tree.

Where and When

Urbanism Seminar: Wednesday Jan. 5^th, 11am-1pm; Friday Jan. 7^th, 11am-1pm; Wednesday Jan.12^th, 10am-12 noon at Dr. Fullilove’s studio, The Bakery, 501 Central Ave Orange, NJ

I8inOrange and Placemaking Volunteering: scheduled according to individual student, at HANDS  Inc, 15 S. Essex Ave, Orange NJ.

To Register:

Contact universityoforange@gmail.com or 973 678-3110 ext: 24

ANNOUNCING: For the 2011 Placemaking Conference, the 1st ever, BATTLE OF THE BENCHES!

Right now, Tony Galento Plaza is a boring, underutilized public space in the heart of Orange.  But it could be so much more! Situated between bustling Main St and the Orange train station, this plaza could be much more engaging for the many people who pass through it on a daily basis.  To give people just a glimpse of the different possibilities, HANDS Inc and University of Orange are holding a "Battle of the Benches" contest for the 2011 Placemaking Conference.  All benches will be temporarily placed in Tony Galento Plaza.  The Placemaking Conference will be Saturday, April 9th, 2011, so all benches must be ready by that date.  There are 7 categories benches can be entered in: Urban Re-usal, Orange Metal, Biobenches, Orange Pride, School Days, People's Choice, and Benchmark.  There will be cash prizes for winning entries! See below for rules and category details.  Enter your bench here!

Official Rules:

Battle of the Benches

Contestants, Winners, and Prizes

1.      The winning benches of each category will be publicly recognized as examples of outstanding public design.

2.      Winning entrant will automatically qualify as a judge for subsequent Orange Bench Competitions.

3.      The winning entrant of each category shall receive a cash reward of $500. For Benchmark, the second place entrant will receive $250 and $100 for third place. All official entrants will receive a certificate of participation.

4.      Upon agreement with entrant, the bench will be installed for public use at one of HANDS Inc. urban development sites in Orange, New Jersey.

            Overall Judging Criteria and Rules:

1.      A judging panel will consist of 7 community stakeholders.

2.      All jurors will assign one winner in each category.   Benchmark will be awarded 1^st, 2^nd, and 3rd.

3.      All attendees will place be able to place a vote in the People’s Choice category.

4.      Each Bench should be considered for the following attributes:

                                                              i.      Comfort

                                                            ii.      Design

                                                          iii.      Appearance

                                                           iv.      Workmanship, craftsmanship

                                                             v.      Durability

                                                           vi.      Creativity

                                                         vii.      Spirit of the category

• All entries automatically qualify for People’s Choice and Benchmark Awards
• Any participant may enter more than one bench.
• If entry doesn’t match prescribed categories, it is entered into People’s Choice and Benchmark.

Rules: 

1.      The bench length must be no greater than 6 ft.

2.      The bench must be able to sit at least three adults and support the weight of three average adult males.

3.      The bench must be safe for public use.

                                                              i.      The bench must properly support as to eliminate any reasonable amount of tipping and or collapsing during occupation.

                                                            ii.      The bench may not be designed in any matter that creates a condition that is harmful to its user including:

1.      Cuts, sharp edges

2.      Chemical reactions

3.      Splinters

4.      Abrasions

5.      Pinching

6.      Transfers of pigments or finishes to person or clothing.

4.      Any bench found hazardous will be excluded.

5.      Each entrant will be assigned a site for the temporary installation of their bench in the green space adjacent to the Orange train station. Sites will be randomly assigned prior to installation. To ensure bench stability on site, entrants are allowed to install either a temporary platform no greater than 1ft in either dimension of the bench. The platform will not be considered in judging.

6.      Please consider how you will transport your bench to the site.  We encourage cooperation between participants in this respect.  If you are having trouble finding transportation, please contact us at handsvistas@gmail.com.

            Categories:

1.      Urban Re-use-al (Found material): major bench pieces (seating or seating support assemblies) must originate from a location and may not be purchased. Connectors and fasteners needed for assembly may be purchased for no greater than 10 dollars. Photo documentation of found material in original location should be provided  to  give greater context to the bench user and  the judges.

2.      Orange Metal: All bench pieces except superficial seating material must be made out of metal materials [For every category]

3.      BioBenches:  Bench material must be substantially bio-degradable or sustainable for future biological growth. For those benches that are temporary, all material must degraded in a time span no greater than a month and the mechanism for deconstruction can only be natural exposure to normal outside conditions. Connectors or binding material may be biodegradable material or completely recyclable material. Points will be awarded for using material that requires the least amount of manufacturing, natural resource consumption, along with the pervious stated criteria.

4.      School Days: An entrant and or a group of entrants must represent an accredited and or certified educational facility or organization.

5.      Pride of Orange: This bench will present a theme about Orange, New Jersey. Possible thematic presentations may include the history of, a vision for, or current aspect of the city. Show your pride for your city!

6.      People’s Choice: Each Placemaking Conference attendee can place a vote, the bench with the most votes wins! Every bench is automatically entered in this category.

7.      Benchmark: This is the “Best-in-Show” category.  Every bench is automatically entered, and the judges will choose a 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd place winner.  The winners will be the benches that judges think best exemplifies the 7 bench attributes listed above.

C'mon, people, we can do so much better than this! Look at how bored these people are sitting on these everyday benches! They definitely need some exciting, eye-catching, inspired bench making!

Education and Environment Reconsidered: St. Phillips Academy, Newark

This weekend we attended an open house at St. Phillips Academy in Newark, sponsored by Green Home NYC, an organization dedicated to ‘facilitating the adoption of sustainable building methods and materials by owners of small residential and commercial buildings in New York City [and surrounding areas].’ With vibrant colors throughout the building to emulate the progression of hues from earth to sky, St. Phillips Academy is truly a beacon of light in the midst of darkness. An independent school serving students in grades K-8 throughout Newark, St. Phillips Academy not only sets a high standard for education but also boasts being a LEED Silver Certified facility.

Aeroponic growing system in Science Lab.

The program at St. Phillips manages to marry traditional elementary education with principles of sustainability into the curriculum. One of the most revered features of the St. Phillips Academy building is the PSE&G Outdoor Learning Center. The outdoor learning center is a green roof built on top of the schools’ gymnasium. It features raised beds for growing produce while the entire surface acts a catch basin for rainwater, an important part of the school’s drainage system. With lush green lettuces and hearty turnips growing in the garden, the green roof is a multifaceted learning space. Students learn about the five senses from working in the garden, tending to garden plots also serves to foster a sense of responsibility amongst St. Phillips’ students, and students expand their palates by trying new fruits and vegetables they may not try at home.

Blackboard in Cafeteria

The produce grown on the roof of St. Phillips Academy is just one component of the schools’ closed food system. Food grown on the roof of St Phillips Academy is served as a part of students’ daily lunch. Lunch at St. Phillips is not your standard mystery meat and milk as most U.S public schools serve on a day-to-day basis. Meals at St. Phillips are comprised of largely organically grown foods served family style and each student is designated a task to contribute to cleaning up everyday. Plasma screens in both the cafeteria and the lobby display information about the schools energy uses that are recorded by an internal computer system that is connected to the solar paneling located in the rear of the school, just above the PSE&G learning center.

Entry to PSE&G Outdoor Learning Center (solar panels on left)

St. Phillips' approach to education is second to none; it provides its students with a well-rounded education teaching traditional subjects and life skills using “green” elements to tie it all together. Students who would ordinarily slip through the cracks of the public school system are given a chance to thrive and often go on to some of the nation’s best preparatory schools and colleges. For more information about St. Phillips Academy visit the website: http://www.stphilipsacademy.org/