Bloomfield ‘celebrity’ readers entertain Newark school kids

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — A group of Bloomfield residents participated in a “celebrity read” sponsored by the United Way on Tuesday, Feb 6. The venue was First Avenue School, in Newark, and the person who brought everyone together was former Bloomfield councilwoman Janice Litterio-Frazzano who as 1st Ward councilwoman, was known as Janice Maly.

In a recent telephone interview, Litterio-Frazzano said it was the second consecutive celebrity read sponsored by the United Way at the school. The theme this year was “Great Minds Blossom Through Reading.” The school, she said, occupies an entire city block where a Coca-Cola factory once stood.

“I reached out to many people who are retired, independent business owners, or are in community service,” Litterio-Frazzano said.
Another source of celebrity readers, she said, are large companies that could spare an employee for a charitable event.
Litterio-Frazzano, who has been a teacher for 31 years and at 1st Avenue School for 12 years, is a humanities and literacy coach and a member of its leadership team.

She was responsible for putting together the event.
“I remembered that Mayor McCarthy and his wife did celebrity reads,” she said. “I try to reach out to people who had the time.”
The school instructs pre-kindergarten to eighth-grade although Litterio-Frazzano said the United Way recommended reading to the children up to the fourth-grade. For that, about 32 readers were needed. Bloomfield provided a dozen. They were:

• Michael Frazzano, retired Bloomfield Police Department sergeant;
• Sean Maly, financial analyst;
• Gary Iacobacci, president, Friends of Bloomfield Public Library;
• former Bloomfield Mayor Raymond McCarthy, president of McCarthy Appraisals;
• Janet McCarthy, vice-president, McCarthy Appraisals;
• David Tucker, former Bloomfield councilman;
• Chinwe Mebnwalu Osondu, NJ Department of Special Education;
• BPD Sgt. Anthony Litterio;
• Leslie Moreno;
• Bonita Triola, retired township employee;
• Michelle Davidson, retired admission coordinator, William Patterson University; and
• Darryl Love, NBC-TV sports producer.

“The readers were comprised of a diverse group of community members who clearly have a common connection — to educate our children,” Litterio-Frazzano said. “It was delightful that when I requested their assistance in reading to our classes, it’s automatic that each responded yes. In my book they are all celebrities because they volunteered their personal time to make a difference in the lives of our students.”

Litterio-Frazzano was a Bloomfield councilwoman from 2003-2011. She was also the council liaisons to the Municipal Youth Guidance Council and Channel 35 WBMA and later served as the chairwoman of the Bloomfield Bicentennial Committee.

Speaking about her decision not to seek a fourth term on the council, she said, “I set it all aside to concentrate on my parents, my sons and my responsibilities at First Avenue School.”