Sandra Finnegan

2015 BBQ & Chili Cook-Off Breakdown

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“It takes a lot of people and a lot of cooperation to pull these events off and, to me, that is what the Commonwealth Club has always been about,” James Cousins said. [Photo: Mark Wyville]
“It takes a lot of people and a lot of cooperation to pull these events off and, to me, that is what the Commonwealth Club has always been about,” James Cousins said. [Photo: Mark Wyville]
We need to thank the many people who contributed mightily to making the club’s first BBQ & Chili Cook-Off a great success. They shopped, cooked, organized, set up and knocked down. Some of them even ate and drank a little. “It takes a lot of people and a lot of cooperation to pull these events off and, to me, that is what the Commonwealth Club has always been about,” James Cousins said so eloquently.

“I would like to point out that the BBQ was a different sort of event from all others, in that there were 15 or so people stepping up independently to cook their special BBQ or chili dishes, rather than 15 guys cramming into the club’s kitchen to make one meal,” James continued.

“Guys were up at all hours of the day and night cooking because that’s the nature of BBQ — cooking with the heat low and slow.  I got such a kick out of the emails coming in throughout the night and early morning, letting the fellow pit masters know that they were on-the-job. The quantity of the food was absolutely amazing…all of it. Fifteen guys doing their thing independently, and it came out to be one really great BBQ.” 

Here are the primary contributors, in no particular order, with apologies to any we have overlooked:

Kevin Murphy, Mark Menton, Bert Vecchiarelli, Harris Teran, Don Henry, John Wisniewski, James Wisniewski, Gimi and Marguerite Giustina, Joe Cordasco, Giancarlo Cordasco, Kevin Courtney, Trip Dixon, Bohdan Polanskyj, Jimmy Murray, Michael Cosgrove Ryan Coakley, Jerzy Sibani, Sandy Finnegan, Kevin’s Pig (honorary club member) and James Cousin.

As is often the case, we get to relive the day thanks to Mark Wyville’s exquisite photography. Here’s a link to that.

Funeral Mass Saturday for Club Member Gary Venner

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A Mass of the Resurrection for Gary Venner, Sr., 61, a longtime Commonwealth Club member and lifelong Verona resident, will be offered at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, in Our Lady of the Lake Church, Verona.

He died Oct. 10 in HackensackUMC Mountainside. There will be no visitation.

A repast will be held at the Commonwealth Club immediately after the funeral.

Gary was a member of the Commonwealth Club for more than 12 years. His Ruhks teams won club championships in the 2004-05 and 2007-08 seasons.

Gary was a sales representative for Metals USA in Newark. He was a graduate of Glassboro State College (now Rowan University), a member of the Knoll Golf Club in Boonton, and a devoted fan of the Giants and Mets. He was born in Amityville, N.Y.

Surviving are his beloved wife, Jeanne (nee Gregory) Venner; his loving children, Gary R. Venner Jr. and his wife, Jessica, and Brian G. Venner and his wife, Shannon, and grandchildren, Samantha Marie and Edward Paul Venner. Gary is also survived by his brothers, William R. Venner and Steven Venner.

Instead of flowers, the family suggests donations in Gary’s memory to the American Childhood Cancer Organization at acco.org.

Montclair High Student-Athletes Are Recipients of 2015 Commonwealth Club/Karl Gabriel Scholarships

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The Commonwealth Club’s Karl Gabriel Memorial Scholarship winners, Christina Sokolic and Owen Daly-Smith, have two things in common: Academically, both were ranked in the top five of their Montclair High School graduating Class of 2015. And both were superb athletes, rowing crew for the Mounties.

So it should come as no surprise they wound up at outstanding colleges, Christina at the College of William & Mary, and Owen at Wesleyan University. The club scholarships — $500 grants given annually to a female and male senior — pay special tribute to concerned young adults whose academic achievement, community spirit and actions inspire others. The scholarships are named for the late long-time treasurer of the club. Founded in 1904, the Commonwealth is one of the oldest social clubs in New Jersey.

“We are very happy to recognize Christina and Owen for their outstanding achievements as student-athletes,” Commonwealth Club President Kevin Murphy said. “And we hope they find continuing success pursuing their life goals.”

The 2015 recipients of the Commonwealth Club/Karl Gabriel Memorial Scholarships,
Christina Sokolic and Owen Daly-Smith, have two things in common: Both were ranked academically in the top five of their Montclair High School graduating Class of 2015. And both were superb athletes, rowing crew for the Mounties.

So it should come as no surprise the two wound up at outstanding colleges, Christina at the College of William & Mary, and Owen at Wesleyan University. The club scholarships — $500 grants given annually to a female and male senior — are awarded to concerned young adults whose academic achievement, community spirit and actions inspire others. The scholarships, presented at the high school during ceremonies at the conclusion of the 2014-15 academic year, are named for the late long-time treasurer of the club. Founded in 1904, the Commonwealth is one of the oldest social clubs in New Jersey.

“We are very happy to recognize Christina and Owen for their outstanding achievements as student-athletes,” Commonwealth Club President Kevin Murphy said. “And we hope they find continuing success as they pursue their life goals.”

We asked Christina and Owen a few questions, and here are their responses.

Commonwealth Club: What do you consider your major accomplishments at the high school?

Christina Sokolic, a 2015 Commonwealth Club/Karl Gabriel Scholarship recipient, is a first-year student at the College of William & Mary.
Christina Sokolic, a 2015 Commonwealth Club/Karl Gabriel Scholarship recipient, is a first-year student at the College of William & Mary.

Christina: My major accomplishment at MHS was rowing for the crew team. I was a rower all four years and did the sport year-round. I am also proud to say that I am the shortest rower to have ever joined the team and to make the team every year! I was also the treasurer for Montclair High School’s Mandarin Honor Society. My AP Mandarin class was the first AP Mandarin class at MHS, so we founded Montclair’s Mandarin Honor Society Chapter.

Owen: Most of my major non-academic accomplishments at MHS involve rowing, which I did for all four years in high school.  Along with other rowers on the team,
I won Garden State Championships four years in a row, once in freshman quads, twice in JV quads, and this past year in the varsity double with James Pew. In addition, I won four medals at the Philadelphia City Championships, including a gold this last year in the varsity double.  At the Stotesbury Cup Regatta, the largest inter-scholastic regatta in the world, I won a bronze in freshman quads, a silver in JV quads, and a silver this year in the varsity double. Finally, I won two silver medals at Scholastic Nationals Regatta., one in the JV quad and one in the varsity double. As far as academic accomplishments, what I’m most proud of is scoring a 5 on the AP chemistry exam, as well as just finishing the class. The teacher, Mrs. Panchekha is without a doubt the most demanding teacher I have had thus far. I also scored a 5 on the AP Spanish exam, as well as 4s on the AP Computer Science and AP U.S. History exams.

Commonwealth Club: What are you most proud of about your high school career?

Christina: That would have to be my time on the crew team. The sport has definitely given me a lot of mental strength and fortitude. It was also a very big time commitment and was the only year-round sport at the high school. 

Owen Daly-Smith, a 2015 Commonwealth Club/Karl Gabriel Scholarship recipient, is a first-year student at Wesleyan University.
Owen Daly-Smith, a 2015 Commonwealth Club/Karl Gabriel Scholarship recipient, is a first-year student at Wesleyan University.
Owen: I’m most proud of how I was able to develop as an athlete, a student and a person while at MHS. Participation in the crew team and a rigorous academic schedule challenged me greatly and forced me to step up physically, mentally, and emotionally. I’m very proud of how I managed to cope with a lot of pressure, and I feel that this development will help me to succeed in college and in life. 

Commonwealth Club: Can you tell us at this point what path you would like to pursue in college?

Christina: My plan at William & Mary is to major in biology and to go pre-vet. Of course, that plan can change at any time, and if there is one thing that I have learned during my early weeks at the college it is that majors change very often. For now, I am enjoying my time as a Pre-Professional Veterinary Club member and am fulfilling my basic biology major requirements.  

Owen: I’m still unsure exactly what I will study at Wesleyan, but I am leaning towards something in the cognitive science field. If I were forced to pick a major on the spot, I would say behavioral economics, as it combines cognitive disciplines with economics, and I believe it will be a very exciting field to emerge in the coming years.

Club Supports Lamp for Haiti Fund-Raiser

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On Nov. 7, the club was honored to host the Second Annual Lamp for Haiti Reception. Under the direction of Lamp for Haiti founder Dr. James Morgan of Montclair, the Lamp for Haiti Health Center has provided health care, education and nutrition assistance in Cite Soleil, a congested urban area with more than 200,000 residents that’s among the most impoverished communities in the Western Hemisphere. “We were delighted by the turnout, and just as important, the chance to deliver the message of the Lamp’s mission to many friends, new and old alike,” Dr. Morgan said. “And we thank the Commonwealth Club for their generous hospitality.”

The Commonwealth Club’s support of the Lamp began after a devastating earthquake rocked the island in January 2010. Members and their families gathered first aid supplies and contributed financially to relief efforts. Luckily, Dr. Morgan had seen the need for a community clinic in Haiti and established one there several years before the earthquake struck.

An enthusiastic and large turnout at the Lamp’s reception was treated to Haitian music and had the chance to purchase Haitian jewelry, art and gifts. 100% of all proceeds went to the Lamp clinic. To hear a thought-provoking interview Dr. Morgan did recently with WBEZ public radio in Chicago, click here.

Obituary: John Heyrich of Upper Montclair

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John was a beloved member of the Club for 56 years
John was a beloved member of the Club for 56 years.
“One of our stalwart old guard has shed his mortal coil. John Heyrich, whose friendly visage is on a plaque in the red room, passed away this morning. John was a friend to all and a gentleman through and through. We have lost a prince of a man.” – Rich McMahon

John’s obituary:
John Joseph Heyrich, 91, of Upper Montclair, passed away Thursday September 18th, 2014. Visiting will be on Friday September 19th from 2-4pm & 7-9pm at Caggiano Memorial, 62 Grove St, Montclair. A funeral service will be held on Saturday September 20th, 2014 at 9:30am at the funeral home, Interment at Mount Hebron Cemetery, Upper Montclair.

John is a lifelong resident of Montclair and the owner of the, John Heyrich Inc. plumbing company in Montclair, a member of the PHCC of NJ, the Commonwealth Club of Upper Montclair , and a past president of the Kiwanis Club of Montclair. He was a WWII veteran of the U.S. Army as a surveyor and engineer serving in the invasion of Normandy, and an active supporter of Carson Long Military Academy in Pennsylvania where he attended High School. John also recieved an Associates Degree from Clarkson University in New York.

John Heyrich (left) at the 2014 Beefsteak Dinner
John Heyrich (left) at the 2014 Beefsteak Dinner
John is predeceased by his wife, Janice Barbara (nee Galway) in 1983 and is survived by his children, John Joseph Heyrich Jr. and his wife Katherine, Robert James Heyrich and his wife Sandra, and Susan Gail Bennett and her husband Alan, eight grandchildren, John Joseph Heyrich III, Travis Martin Heyrich , Robert James Heyrich Jr., Heather Allison Heyrich, Andrew Kevin Heyrich, Brooke Meier, Ashley Bennett, Erin Bennett and two great grandchildren , Hope and Anderson.

Memorials in lieu of flowers to the American Cancer Society, cancer.org, would be appreciated.

MHS Students Receive Annual Commonwealth Club Scholarships – 2014

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During ceremonies at the end of the school year, the Commonwealth Club’s annual Karl Gabriel Memorial Scholarship grants were presented to two outstanding Montclair High School 2014 graduates, Fiona Mulroe, now a first-year student at Catholic University, and Gerard Brown, a freshman at Ursinus College.

“We are thrilled to recognize Fiona and Gerard for their accomplishments and contributions to Montclair High School and to the community at large,” said Kevin Murphy, president of the Commonwealth Club. “We wish them both all the best as they continue their education and take on leadership roles in the community.”

Scholarships named for Karl Gabriel, who served 4 years as a trustee and 17 as club’s treasurer

The Commonwealth Club Karl Gabriel Memorial Scholarships — $500 grants given annually to a female and male senior — pay special tribute to concerned young adults whose academic achievement, community spirit and actions inspire others. The scholarships are named for the late long-time treasurer of the club. Founded in 1904, the Commonwealth is one of the oldest social clubs in New Jersey.

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Fiona Mulroe combined volunteerism with athletics to fashion a stellar career at MHS.

Fiona said she plans on majoring in nursing. At the high school she was a member of the Writers’ Room Club, in which peers help edit younger students’ writing, and of the Save Darfur Club. Fiona served as a nursing unit volunteer the past two summers at a local hospital. During her four years at the high school, she was a member of the swim team. In the second term of her senior year, she opted to work as a volunteer in Toni’s Soup Kitchen.In answer to a question about her proudest high school memories, Fiona said, “I’d say how I was able to incorporate academics, sports, service and clubs in my high school experience successfully, and how I took advantage of all the great opportunities MHS offered me.”

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MHS lacrosse team Captain Gerard Brown, No. 5 at center, is flanked by youth lacrosse players.

Gerard said he’s considering a major in TV broadcasting and minors in social justice and business. He captained the MHS lacrosse team as a senior and was named 2nd team all-state and first team all-conference. He was a member of the school’s two state championship football teams. He also participated for three years in the Center for Social Justice, where, he said, fellow members tackled racism, sexism, ageism and other forms of discrimination. When asked to name his proudest achievement, Brown pointed to his academic career and being selected to the National Honor Society.