Page 8 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • November 14, 2012 Saddle River Valley Last week, Upper Saddle River’s voters elected incumbent school trustees Marc Prisco and Catherine “Katy” O’Connor Smiechowski and newcomer Karen Fusaro to the three available three-year seats on the board of education. Voters also endorsed Maria Bolton, the sole candidate for Dr. Jill Stoller’s unexpired term. Prisco received 963 ballots, Fusaro received 859, and Smiechowski received 857, edging out Dr. David C. Verducci, who received 812 ballots in his bid for one of the three-year seats. Bolton garnered 1,448 ballots in her successful bid for election. Bolton has lived in Upper Saddle River for 12 years with her husband and three children. She received a BA in communications from Marist College. Prior to staying home to raise her children, she was employed by a national office supply company. She currently works part time for a local pediatrician. Upper Saddle River voters choose school trustees She is a parishioner at Saint Gabriel the Archangel Church in Saddle River, where she has taught religious education for 12 years. Fusaro, who has lived in Upper Saddle River for seven years, is a Realtor with Terrie O’Connor Realtors. She has served on the board at Archer Nursery School in Allendale and as a PTO member, a class parent, and the parent participant for Reynolds School Harassment Intimidation and Bullying Safety Team. She is a volunteer with the Women’s Biathlon and Kids’ Triathlon, an assistant coach, and a former member of the Saddle River Valley Junior Woman’s Club. Prisco has been a resident of Upper Saddle River for 15 years. He received a BA in biochemistry from NYU and now manages a development team for a large financial services firm in New York City. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst® charterholder. Prisco was appointed to the board earlier this year, filling the seat vacated by Peter Koski. He serves on both the Finance and Technology committees. Smiechowski has been a trustee for three-and-a-half years. Prior to serving on the board, she served on the notfor-profit board of Archer Cooperative Nursery School in Allendale. She has been an active member of the PTO, serving as a class parent and volunteering in various ways Saddle River Board of Education incumbent trustee Rosemarie Arnold and newcomer Jennifer Connolly have won the two available seats on the board this year. Arnold received 351 ballots and Connolly received 328, enough to edge newcomer Elizabeth Weber, who received 293 ballots in her bid for a seat. Arnold has served on the board for the past six years. She has served as the liaison to the Home and School Association, and presently chairs the Health and Safety Committee. She is an attorney and a former elementary school teacher. Connolly holds a master’s degree in education and has 13 years of experience as an elementary school teacher. She has been an active member of the school community, serving on the Home & School Association, numerous committees, Wandell Recreation, and preparing for Book Fairs and author visits. With board assistance, she has actively pursued after-school extra help for children, which was added to the recently negotiated teacher contract. Arnold & Connolly win seats on SRBOE throughout the school community. She has also coached recreational softball. The candidate has lived in USR for 30 years, the first 20 as a child growing up in town, and a product of the pubic school system. She moved back to town to raise her children specifically because of the schools. She has resided in town for the past 10 years with her husband, Greg, and four children. During the years she did not live in USR, she was a teacher in the district. She holds a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from Teacher’s College, Columbia University. She taught kindergarten, third, and fourth grades between 1994 and 2001, teaching in both Reynolds and Bogert schools. She has been working for her family’s local real estate company, Terrie O’Connor Realtors, for over 20 years. She is also the director of professional development for the company and organizes curriculum for the Real Estate Licensing School. She is currently the school board’s vice president. Dr. Verducci, a nine-year borough resident, recently retired after 38 years as a professional educator. He has teaching and administrative experience in grades K-12, and was the 2011 Northern Region School Superintendent of the Year. He holds a Ph.D. from New York University. is currently the council’s liaison to the Upper Saddle River Library Board. She is also the mayor’s representative to the Upper Saddle River Youth Guidance Council. In addition to serving as president of the USR Republican Club, Dr. Florio is vice chairman of the Alumni Advisory Board for the School of Theoretical and Applied Sciences at Ramapo College. Dr. Florio is involved in the Newcomers’ Club and the North Jersey Depression Glass Club. She is a volunteer at the Church of the Presentation, and has been featured as a guest nutritionist on Fox News, MSNBC, and Channel 5. USR Council (continued from page 3) in biology and clinical nutrition from the University of Bridgeport and a bachelor’s degree from Ramapo College of New Jersey. She is a Diplomate of the American Clinical Board on Nutrition and of the Chiropractic Board of Clinical Nutrition. She has served on the council since January 2010, and