Advanced Knee Pain Treatment in South Plainfield, NJ

Raquel Serrano recently took over the position of tax assessor for the Borough of South Plainfield. Photo Credit: Victoria Caruso

By Victoria Caruso

SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NJ – The Borough of South Plainfield recently welcomed a new face to its tax office.

Raquel Serrano began her tenure as the municipality’s new tax assessor on Aug. 1 and, over the weeks that followed, worked closely with her predecessor, Mary Frances Hildebrandt, who recently retired. She is currently serving in an interim role and will officially take over the position effective Nov. 1.

Born in Mexico, Serrano relocated to the United States at the age of three and resided most of her life in Perth Amboy. She began her career in the legal field and worked as a paralegal before taking on a position with the City of Perth Amboy where she worked in the tax office for close to 18 years, most recently as deputy tax assessor.

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“I was second in command there and looking to move up,” said Serrano of her decision to come to South Plainfield. “This was the perfect opportunity.”

Although a borough employee, Serrano technically reports to the Middlesex County Tax Board and the New Jersey State Division of Taxation. As tax assessor, she is responsible for maintaining property values and records, including deeds, permits, etc., for all residential and commercial properties within the borough.

“The tax office is in charge of ensuring that everything is up-to-date so that property values are up-to-date,” Serrano said, adding that, as the new assessor, she is currently preparing for the borough’s first property re-evaluation in approximately 40 years.

Set to begin sometime in 2024, the process will be conducted by an independent company and include interior and exterior inspections of all residential and commercial properties within the municipality’s 8.4 square miles. Once complete, borough tax maps will be updated and digitalized.

“This is a just process that will bring property values up-to-date but should not affect tax dollars; if the assessments go up, the tax rate is going to go down because you need to collect the same amount of money,” Serrano said, adding, “It should benefit a lot of people because now there is more commercial [property] and that will take the burden.”

Serrano and her husband, Melvin, reside in Parlin. Her blended family includes her daughter and son, two stepsons, and four granddaughters. She enjoys walking around Spring Lake Park during her lunch break and, although she is still learning about the community, Serrano said she feels at home in South Plainfield.

“Everyone has been very helpful, and I am really enjoying it,” Serrano said.

MIDDLESEX COUNTY, NJ – The four-person winning team of Kyrollos Girgis, Christopher Hausheer, and Dhruv Sethi, all from Middlesex College, and Shahnawaz Haque from the New Jersey Institute for Technology, created an inflatable cylindrical-shaped robot, the “Expand-a-Conda,” in 24 hours to win first prize for “Best Overall Hack” and “Best AI Application Built with Cloudflare” at a 24-hour hackathon hosted at The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) in February.

For their victory, Girgis, Hausheer, Sethi, and Haque, won a state-of-the-art gaming monitor and a gold-plated winner badge. More than 50 members of Middlesex College's Computer Science Club participated in the hackathon.

“The collaborative energy was electric and the late nights blurring into early mornings were fueled by the thrill of innovation, pushing our skills in artificial intelligence, robotics and 3D printing to the limit,” said Sethi. “The hackathon wasn’t just about code, it was about pushing boundaries, learning from each other and making a significant societal impact.”

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The winning project was inspired by the tragic earthquakes in Turkey last year.

Watching search efforts for people trapped in rubble after earthquakes, the team came up with the concept for an airbag that could squeeze in and around surfaces of destroyed buildings and use heat sensing technology to find trapped survivors. The bag was puncture-resistant and nimble.

“I have never created anything similar to this idea before, so I had to rely on my background as an engineering science major in problem solving and prototyping,” said Hausheer. “I made iterative goals for myself and tested many prototypes learning useful information each time to improve the final design.”

Hackathons are competitions where teams have typically 24 hours to build a product that is useful to modern life from scratch. Sleep is rare and breakthroughs are common.

“I cannot be any prouder than this,” said Middlesex College Business and Computer Science Professor Dhruv Chunawala, who is also the faculty advisor to the Computer Science Club. “My number one goal is to make students ready for the real world. With the club, we always try to touch on the latest and greatest technology and how we can implement it to make the world a better place.”

With AI technology evolving each day, Chunawala admits that classroom experience can only go so far. That’s why the Computer Science Club, the biggest club on campus with almost 120 members, ventures out to get real-world experiences.

Chunawala also tries to create networking opportunities for members of the Computer Science Club and workshops that let students establish professional identities on job-searching sites like LinkedIn. He would also love to see the College host its own hackathon one day.

“After it was all said and done, I was very pleased with our finished project,” said Girgis. “I would have been satisfied without the win, but it was well deserved for my team and me.”

For information, visit middlesexcollege.edu.

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MIDDLESEX COLLEGE, NJ

Middlesex College, established in 1964, is a public, two-year institution of higher education located in the heart of New Jersey. With a main campus in Edison and centers in New Brunswick and Perth Amboy, Middlesex College offers over 85 degree and certificate programs encouraging its more than 10,000 students to explore, grow, and thrive. Middlesex College, through dedicated faculty, state-of-the-art educational facilities, and holistic student supports, is committed to providing a high-quality, affordable college education that provides every student an opportunity for growth and achievement. Middlesex College is Middlesex County’s premier destination for lifelong learning and workforce training. Learn more at middlesexcollege.edu.

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SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NJ - The South Plainfield Music Department is proud to present our 55th Annual District Music Festival which will take place on Thursday, March 7th. The District Music Festival is a long-standing tradition in the South Plainfield School District and is a great way to showcase the talent of our young musicians and performers. The District Music Festival will be taking place in the Joseph A. Mondoro High School auditorium at 6:00 pm. Tickets will not be sold at the door so please be sure to purchase your tickets online before the concert starts. There will be a limited number of tickets sold for each portion of the program. You must purchase a separate ticket for each segment of the concert that you would like to attend. The price for each ticket per segment will be $4.00. You can purchase tickets at our online portal spboe.booktix.net. All tickets purchased online must be printed at home.

The District Festival will contain three segments with the Band portion being first at 6:00 pm. The Orchestra portion will start at 7:00 pm and the Choral portion will conclude the festival starting at 8:00 pm. Doors will open at 5:15 pm and the High School Jazz Band will be performing prior to the start of the Festival as guests are arriving.

The first ensemble in the band portion will be the Grant School All- District Band followed by the Middle School Concert Band, and the High School Concert Band. In between each group will be a performance by the Middle School Gems and the High School Chamber Choir. The Band portion of the festival will feature music written by James Swearengen, Christina Huss, and Stephen Schwartz concluding with Music from “Wicked”.

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The Orchestra portion of the festival will begin with a performance by the Grant School Orchestra followed by the Middle School Jazz Band, Middle School Orchestra, High School Chamber Orchestra, and the High School Orchestra. In this portion, you will hear pieces written by Beethoven, Mozart, Karl Jenkins, and Richard Meyer. The Middle School Jazz Band will also be performing music by the legendary Rock and Roll artist Ozzy Osbourne.

Finally, the Choir portion of the festival will start off with a performance by the Grant School Chorus followed by the Middle School Concert Choir, and the High School Concert Choir. You will hear music by Bob Marley, Bobby McFerrin, Marta Keen, Jonathan Larson,and Jon Bon Jovi. We look forward to showcasing the talents of all of our young musicians and performers. Come show your support and enjoy an incredible night of music!

SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NJ - On Monday, September 4, 2023, New Jersey’s largest and most well-attended traditional Labor Day Parade and Festivities return to South Plainfield! The parade kicks off at 12 Noon from the PAL building on Maple Avenue, marching us through the decades, concluding at the South Plainfield Middle School. The South Plainfield Celebration Committee will host our Labor Day Celebration at Veterans’ Field located behind the Senior Center. Come join us at the conclusion of the parade for food and drink vendors, arts and crafts, novelties, games and so much more!

Crowd favorite DJ Troy will once again be on stage, along with some special guests at Veterans Park. Join us after the parade on Veteran’s Park for some fabulous food vendors, activities, entertainment and music. The Festivities will conclude around 6pm.

Later in the day, starting at 7pm, DJ Troy will return and once again bring the music, energy and excitement to the gathering families in Spring Lake Park awaiting the annual Labor Day Firework display. This year’s magnificent fireworks program will be provided by “Garden State Fireworks'' and will begin at or around 8:30 pm with fabulous viewing available from Spring Lake Park.

The theme of this year’s Labor Day Parade is “Marching Through the Decades”. Our theme was chosen in a contest held earlier with the students at Grant School and South Plainfield Middle School, with the winning entry submitted by Grant School’s Juliana Altomare. Our Grand Marshall this year will be Tom Scalera. Tom has served this community for decades as our Fire Chief, the force behind Project Santa and is well-deserved to proudly lead this year’s 64th Annual Labor Day Parade.

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So grab those poodle skirts, unpack those bell-bottoms, slick back your hair or tease it high as we March Through the Decades!. The parade will consist of lots of talent including bands, stilt walkers, unicyclists, juggler, and antique vehicles, to name a few. Please join us on Labor Day as we parade through the decades.

***Be sure to follow us on Instagram and Facebook (@splaborday) for all the up-to-date announcements about the event.**

The 2023 Public Celebrations Committee members: Amy Bengivenga/Co-Chairperson, Kelly Daley/Co-Chairperson, Bill Seesselberg, Scott Miller, Kristy Lowrie, Jen Ratti, Cathy Herman, Rachel Henderson, Stephanie Wolak, and Gina D’Urso. Borough Council Liaison is Councilwoman Christine Faustini.

SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NJ – Julie Stilo takes pride in being a female at the helm of a company in a predominately male-run industry. As owner of Stilo Disposal, she has worked alongside her team of dedicated employees to grow the South Clinton Avenue business with the goal of making waste removal an effortless process.

"I am thankful to have a great team who all align with our mission to provide the highest quality disposal service possible. We’ve become known for our communication and punctuality and don’t take the trust in our service lightly.” Stilo said.

In 2017, Stilo took the reins of the company her father Bob established two years prior and, over the past decade, has grown Stilo Disposal from a small, one-man show to a female-run business serving Middlesex, Somerset, Union, Mercer, Morris, Essex, Hunterdon, and Monmouth counties.

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“We have seen a tremendous amount of growth in our business the past few years and that is a testament to our service. Our customers know they can rely on us,” said Stilo, noting that the company’s fleet has increased significantly over the years, from just 23 to nearly 200 currently. “Whether they book a week out or might have underestimated how full the dumpster would get so quickly and need service within a few hours – we will be there.”

Stilo is a member of both the Metropolitan Builders and Contractors Association of New Jersey and the Professional Women in Building (PWB). This month, Stilo Disposal will be at the 2024 Atlantic Builders Convention serving as a sponsor of the PWB event.

Set to take place March 19 through March 21 at the Hard Rock Casino, the event will feature discussions on leadership, confidence, and opportunities in building from industry leaders Cindy Cepko, MIRM, MCSP, CGP., Meryl Gonchar, Kristin Marzarella, and Debra Tantleff.

“It is important for women to consider careers in construction. Providing opportunities for women in construction and waste management contributes to their economic empowerment. By breaking down gender barriers, women can access higher-paying jobs, contribute to their families' financial stability, and play a more significant role in the economy,” Stilo, a 2010 graduate of South Plainfield High School who earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting with a concentration in supply chain management from Rutgers Business School, said. “Women working in these industries also serve as role models for future generations, inspiring girls and young women to pursue careers in fields traditionally dominated by men.”

Stilo Disposal specializes in 10-, 20-, and 30-yard roll off dumpsters for residential household projects and commercial construction sites, including being A-901 licensed to haul both solid and hazardous waste. Additionally, the company prides itself on offering same day/next day delivery.

“We do our best to never let a service call go over 24 hours. We are diligent in getting there same day, which is why our customers repeat their business with us," Stilo said, noting that the quick turnaround, along with its focus on customer service, is among the things that set her company apart from its competitors. "We've been told that they have never seen service like what we've been able to provide for them and that's a great compliment."

Stilo Disposal, located at 2907 South Clinton Avenue, is open Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 6:30 a.m. to noon. For more information, visit https://www.stilodisposal.com or call (908) 754-0776. You can also follow them on Facebook and Instagram.