Community – All Hands on Deck

By Councilman Mike Medea

When presented with the question “Why do you live in Califon?” the resounding answer is often, “……..because of the strong sense of community”. To be fully vested in our community is to make yourself available and to lend a helping hand.

The direct result of this can be a heightened sense of pride and respect for our small town. We are surrounded by opportunities to volunteer both big and small. Many of us already devote countless hours to the fire company, township committees, the school, town events, local fundraisers, local charities, and so on. Volunteerism can be invaluable to a small town such as Califon. Furthermore, it is imperative that we all chip in however possible and that we teach our town’s younger generation the importance of volunteerism and how it strengthens our bond as a community.

Two groups of young students at Califon School are indeed taking the idea of community service to heart and are spearheading noteworthy programs and endeavors. Both groups are participating in Destination Imagination, a worldwide group activity where students learn new skills and how to solve challenges. Each group has chosen to do the community service challenge called Brand Aid and they can use our help. Please read their messages below.

Message from the Califon Elementary School DI Team

We are a group of Califon School students in grades 3 through 5 and we have decided to make a reading area for the students at Califon School who would like to read during indoor recess.

The reading area is going to be called The Cougar Cave. In The Cougar Cave, we imagine that there will be cozy chairs and beanbags to sit on while students read. This is where you can help! Since The Cougar Cave is on the stage we thought there should be a soft rug. There will be a teacher lunch table in the corner for the teacher that will be watching the children. For people who like to draw or want to do something besides reading, there will be simple art supplies. The curtains of the stage will be closed and hopefully that will block out the recess noise, but if it doesn’t we will put a white noise machine in The Cougar Cave.

We are going to use crates, baskets and bins that we can carry off stage for plays and other stage activities. That is what we imagine The Cougar Cave will look like. We will also be holding a book drive to collect books.

We are in need of the following items:

• Beanbag chairs (no couches or big items please)
• Small rugs
• Comfy chairs (no couches or big items please)
• Books
• Baskets and/or bins
• Pillows and/or blankets

Please deliver all furniture to the white barn behind Rambo’s house. PLEASE DO NOT drop off at Rambo’s Country Store in Califon.

We would prefer foldable items that are new or gently used. We will happily accept all donations by the end of February. We will also gladly accept Walmart and Target gift cards.

Please drop off or mail any donations or gift cards to
Califon School
6 School Street
Califon New Jersey 07830.

If you need any additional information, please contact Maryjane Medea, team co-manager, at mmedea@califonschool.org . Thank you very much.

Message from the Califon Middle School DI Team

Greetings from the Califon Middle School Destination Imagination team, consisting of 6th graders Sylvia Papathomas and Grace Medea, and 7th graders Grace Andersen, Alexis Judd, Emma Zande, and Benji Beard!

Destination Imagination is a program where students use the creative thought process to complete a series of challenges. Our challenge this year is to identify a community need and give back to our community by helping to resolve it. Our team is focusing on vandalism in our town, and part of our goal is to educate the younger generation to help them understand that vandalism is a crime and negatively impacts our community.

In addition, we want to encourage all citizens to “see something and say something” to help keep our community free of vandalism. The team will be conducting educational programs in the school and will also be holding a graffiti cleanup in Califon Island Park on Saturday March 7th at 1:00pm. All are invited to join us and participate.

Our team is striving to clean up the graffiti in our park, educate citizens on the problem of vandalism, and give back to our community. Thank you for your support and if you have any questions, please call Benji Beard at 1+ (908)-399-1960.

Last modified: March 4, 2015