Acupuncture in Harding, NJ

KENILWORTH, NJ – Get to know Ronald Bubnowski! Kenilworth's Harding Elementary School Principal.

Originally from Union, Ron graduated from Union High School in 1994 and says “it was a great town to grow up in.” After his senior year he furthered his studies and moved to Pennsylvania to major in environmental science at Edinboro University. While home on college breaks Ron worked as a substitute teacher. After receiving his Bachelor of Arts, Ron continued to substitute while earning his master's degree in teaching and learning.

With a strong passion for education and inspiring youth, Ron taught at Burnet Middle School in Union for 11 years while taking classes after school hours to receive another master’s degree in administrative and supervision at Saint Peter's College. "Teaching is an honorable profession. It takes a certain and special type of person to be a teacher."

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After receiving this particular degree Ron wanted to get a job close to home and was familiar with Kenilworth. He started as the Brearley Middle High School Assistant principal in July 2009 and stayed at this position until 2012. He then moved on to Harding’s Assistant Principal in 2012 and continued until 2021. In May 2021 Ron was unanimously appointed as the Harding Elementary School Principal.

Ron loves his job and says "It's amazing to see the students start in their first year and when they graduate. I enjoy the days of seeing the kids skip through the halls and then watching them grow up.” In regards to being the principal of Harding, Ron emphatically says “I'm a forever Kenilworth person as long as you will have me. The part of being a principal is that you are a jack of all trades. You have to be able to communicate effectively. To the staff, kids, and parents. The town is very supportive and that is another reason why I love my job."

A family man, Ron met his wife Trisha at college and the love has not stopped since. This summer they will be married for 22 years. Trisha teaches early education and kindergarten but has taught third and first grade. They have two wonderful sons. Luke, an eighth-grader, and RJ a junior. Both boys are heavily active in sports and the scouts. Ron is also a Scout Leader and is "very impressed with the Kenilworth Scout Troop."

When speaking about the town Ron says "I love that Kenilworth is a tight-knit community and that I get to see every kid come through my doors.” When it comes to Ron’s local hot spots he says he cannot choose one or even a couple because there are so many great places to go. However, he did mention in 2021 that the Harding kids voted the best pizza in town went to Big Apple.

Some fun facts about Ron include:

He has been involved with the scouts since he was a kid and even made it to the rank of Eagle Scout.

Ron once took a trip to Philmont New Mexico to stay at the largest Scout ranch in the world with his children.

Gardening is a hobby of his because not only is it soothing and relaxing, but he enjoys being outside. Ron prefers to grow vegetables.

Cooking is another pastime and Ron likes to try new recipes then tweak them to his liking.

Ron has quite a packed schedule, so he does not get as much time to read long books but instead reads a vast amount of school-related articles.

His families happy place is Hilton Head, South Carolina.

On his bucket list, Ron would like to explore Europe one day with his family.

Is there someone you would like to know more about or think should be featured? Every week TAPinto Kenilworth will highlight a new person who lives or works in Kenilworth. Send your submissions to [email protected] and each individual's story will be published in the order of emails received.

Photo Credit: Alyse Petracca

Photo Credit: Telina Cuppari

Photo Credit: Telina Cuppari

Photo Credit: Alyse Petracca

Photo Credit: Telina Cuppari

Photo Credit: Alyse Petracca

Photo Credit: Alyse Petracca

Photo Credit: Telina Cuppari

Photo Credit: Alyse Petracca

Photo Credit: Telina Cuppari

The performance of The Wizard of Oz will take place on Friday, April 28.Photo Credit: Telina Cuppari

By Telina Cuppari

PublishedApril 25, 2023 at 10:21 AM

KENILWORTH, NJ - Harding Elementary School is proud to perform The Wizard of Oz on Friday, April 28, 2023, at 7 p.m. in the Harding School Auditorium.

The show is directed by third grade teacher Mr. Joseph Mills who spearheaded the yearly elementary school production 20 years ago. Mr. Mills brought the idea to the district and since then he has directed a show every year. “I wanted to create an opportunity for the students of Kenilworth to express themselves theatrically, while building, self-esteem and confidence on stage in front of a live audience. This opportunity creates lifelong skills and memories for these students. Very few elementary schools put on a performance of this magnitude. It is what I am passionate about, and I am so happy to have had the opportunity to work with our talented students for the last 20 years.”

What is special about this upcoming production is that Harding School performed The Wizard of Oz 20 years ago. "I felt it would be fitting to celebrate our 20th anniversary with this performance again” Mr. Mills said. Mr. Mills is joined by Ms. Janet Spony, Harding School‘s art teacher, and Miss Gabrianna Boomer, Harding School‘s music teacher. "We are fortunate to have many volunteers including Mrs. Alyse Petracca, who is also is a substitute teacher at Harding elementary. We hope everyone comes out to support the students of Harding Elementary school. Our fifth and six grade students have worked very hard to create this performance, and we are all very proud of what they have accomplished."

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The iconic musical includes 19 cast members who are in the fifth and sixth grade. The young actors and actresses are very excited to perform this Friday. Here is what some castmates had to say about why they decided to audition for the show and anything else we should know.

Siena Massa, Dorothy - "I like participating in things at school. Everyone is really nice."

Ramiro Rodriguez, Tin Man - "I am new at Harding. I wanted to do something to get me to socialize here and make new friends. The show is hard. It takes a lot of work. People should know we all put a lot of time and effort in at rehearsals."

Carmine Orlando, Scarecrow - "I like after school programs. I like to sing, and it's really fun for me. I think it is going to be a really good show. We skipped most of our lunches to practice."

Rebecca Harms, Cowardly Lion - "I'm really happy to be in this show. I saw David Brearley plays, so I always wanted to join the theater."

The four principal characters are all sixth-graders and will be attending Brearley next year. The last thing they all wanted to say was "Come Early. It's a free show."

Good luck to the entire cast and congratulations Mr. Mills on your 20th anniversary production!

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Kenilworth Elementary School Teacher Celebrates 20 Years at Harding & Directing Plays

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Next year, Harding Elementary School, pictured, is celebrating 100 years since it began construction. The ‘Harding 100 and Up Celebration’ will be on Wednesday, Aug. 31, from 6 to 8 p.m.

KENILWORTH, NJ — Harding Elementary School is going old school to mark its 100th year.

Community members are invited to pack a picnic and play low-tech games when they come out to the “Harding 100 and Up Celebration” on Wednesday, Aug. 31, from 6 to 8 p.m. The rain date is Thursday, Sept. 1.

All residents are welcome to join in the fun and learn about Harding’s past.

Kenilworth historian Walter Boright will speak about the history of Harding Elementary School, which began construction in 1923 and was dedicated the following year.

Harding opened as a nine-room, K-8 school to relieve crowding at the former McKinley School. The auditorium stage doubled as the gym and had lockers and showers. Harding recently installed a new stage with funds from the operating budget, but the auditorium has never had a complete renovation.

The district is asking the community to consider a bond referendum on Thursday, Oct. 6, that would fund auditorium upgrades, among other projects. With voter approval, the district could receive state aid toward the costs of improvements, such as replacing the original chairs in the 100-year-old auditorium, as well as the floor and ceiling.

Concept photos of a new auditorium and other district improvements will be displayed alongside historical Harding photos outside the school building.

The “Harding 100 and Up Celebration” also will include:

• The district’s longtime school business administrator, Vincent Gonnella, leading building tours that include the original areas of the auditorium. He also will display artifacts from the school’s civil defense room — where students were to take shelter in the event of an atomic attack during the Cold War.

• Board games that visitors can play. Visitors are also encouraged to bring their own games in addition to a picnic dinner.

• An ice cream truck with treats available for purchase. Harding will have other events throughout its centennial year.

Residents also will have more opportunities to learn about the bond referendum, including at a meet-and-greet event at Bella Palermo pastry shop, 541 Boulevard in Kenilworth, on Sunday, Aug. 28, from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. See kenilworthschools.com for more referendum details and updates on events.

Photos Courtesy of Candy Szymczak

Harding will kick off centennial celebration with community event added by editor on August 28, 2022View all posts by editor →

HARDING — Dickson's Mill Road gently winds a narrow, mile-long path through green fields and historic estate properties that comes to an end near the spill over the Silver Lake dam.

Along the way, the historic two-lane road, which carried travelers before the American Revolution, crosses over the scenic Silver Brook and passes by a 40-acre preserve purchased with state Green Acres funds.

While most in the wealthy southern Morris County township agree the tiny bridge over Silver Brook should be replaced, they don't support the federal, state and county guidelines that have led to a design proposal to widen the roadway by almost half.

The proposed 26-foot-wide bridge would compromise the historic and idyllic character of the setting and encourage speeding on a bridge where "there is no record of any traffic accidents ever taking place," said Councilman and former Mayor Nicolas Platt.

"How do you take a road with a safety record like that and want to change it?" Platt asked. "It doesn't make sense."

The current bridge widens the 18-foot-wide road to 20 feet. Signs warn approaching drivers of a narrow bridge with a 4-ton limit, barely wide enough to accommodate two passing cars.

"Besides taking on the appearance of a non-historic crossway, a wider bridge would straighten out a curve that would lead to higher speeds that have never been an issue," said Platt, who also currently serves as one of two New Jersey "shared services czars" appointed by Gov. Phil Murphy.

Morris County engineer Christopher Vitz is aware of the issue and said that due to the traffic volume on the roadway, and the current state and federal regulations, it requires a minimum-width bridge of 26 feet.

"It's just a safety issue," he said. "At 20 feet, it's a 10-foot-wide lane in each direction. That's quite narrow for vehicles to pass. Typically, you'd want a 12- or 13-foot-wide lane. With 26 feet, that allows two vehicles to pass while there is a pedestrian on the bridge."

Platt said he sees the larger bridge as a costly government "boondoggle," at an estimated price of $1.5 million, that is neither needed, nor desired, by residents.

"It's not just a bridge," Platt said. "This is about every rural road in New Jersey that has been protecting itself for 200 years, and suddenly the state takes a one-size-fits-all approach. That makes no sense. I think there's only 12 people who live on this road."

Platt was the lone council member to vote against a July 15 resolution that "supports the replacement or repair" of the bridge, and said he "desires the current width of the bridge to be maintained."

He objected to the resolution because it does not declare formal opposition to the width of the proposed bridge, and also requests the county, which is responsible for bridge replacement, to include the project in its 2020 budget cycle.

"The resolution to me reads as though they want to see if they can get a reprieve, but otherwise, let's move forward," Platt said. "It gives the county and the state less urgency to resolve this. I want to stonewall until we get the width we want."

Platt is calling for state officials to grant an exception to rebuild to the current width and still use about $1 million in state funds even though the plan would not meet American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials standards.

He cited previous exceptions to bridge projects "that did not meet NJDOT guidance values for width" in a letter to Transportation Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scacetti.

"I cannot fathom why a new bridge would need to be 45 percent wider than the roadway leading to it," Platt wrote. "The width between the trees on either side of the roadway is not even 26 feet."

Department of Transportation spokesman Steve Schapiro said the department "is aware of the concerns raised by elected officials, the town and county, and is working to set up a meeting to discuss them."

Assemblyman John McKeon, who represents Harding and New Jersey's 27th District, supports the push to narrow the replacement bridge.

"It's something overwhelmingly that folks in Harding care about, so I'm going to bat with them in every manner I can with the Department of Transportation, and the governor, if need be," McKeon said.

"I am committed this bridge will never be 26 feet," Platt vowed. "I will hold a sit-in if need be."

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Only one diver in New Jersey history has ever won a state title all four years.

Until Wednesday.

Notre Dame’s Seamus Harding won his fourth diving state title at Montgomery High School on Wednesday night. The senior joins Ross Edfort, who dove at Franklin from 2008-11, as the only other diver to win four titles.

“This is bittersweet,” said Harding, who led the entire night. “It’s the end of an era, but it’s been quite a journey. I’m happy and sad at the same time because I know I’m moving on to bigger things, but I’m going to miss this."

Harding finished with a score of 598.85, topping second-place finisher, Caleb Amadaro of Clearview, by 180.40 points.

He set a state record last year with a score of 635.90.

“I just wanted to get every dive on my head,” Harding said. “I knew I would be happy with whatever I did and I just wanted to do the best that I could. My last dive was a little iffy, but I wanted to go out with a bang, and I did.”

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Harding has been diving since he was seven, and he was able to tell quickly it was what he wanted to do in the future. He has been diving, both in school and for a club team, ever since. His next task will be diving for Duke University.

For all that Harding has done in the pool, he deflects the credit to his mentors.

“I just want to thank my coaches Eric Blevins and Elisa Sautter for getting me through this and helping me do the best I can do,” Harding said. “I really give all the credit to them.”

Harding will go down as arguably the best diver to ever come out of New Jersey. What does he think when he looks back on everything he has already accomplished?

“I’m at a loss for words,” Harding said.

2020 NJSIAA Boys Diving Championship

1-Seamus Harding, Notre Dame, 598.85. 2-Caleb Amadaro, Clearview, 418.45. 3-Colin Hickey, Kingsway, 405.00. 4-John Furner, Haddonfield, 400.30. 5-Thomas Carpinelli, Lawrence, 389.50. 6-Aiden Ban, Ridgewood, 373.05. 7-Alex Menendez, Bridgewater-Raritan, 347.90. 8-Charlie Web, Haddonfield, 311.50. 9-Zack Meyers, Pitman, 281.55. 10-Luke Gallagher, Ocean City, 221.75.