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West Milford celebrates alum Jen Powell’s MLB umpiring milestone with community watch party
Summary
The board and district staff organized a large watch-party and watch-party broadcast honoring West Milford native Jen Powell, who served as home-plate umpire in Major League Baseball; the district collaborated with booster clubs, the Education Foundation and Zoom for a simulcast and community program.
The West Milford Board of Education acknowledged a community celebration honoring West Milford alum Jen Powell after she served as a home-plate umpire in Major League Baseball. Superintendent Dr. Kitchen called Powell’s appearance a historic milestone and thanked staff and community partners who organized a watch party and livestream for the event.
Why it matters: Board members said the event drew a large local turnout and brought community groups together, providing a public role model for students and local athletes.
What happened: District staff, the athletic boosters, the West Milford Education Foundation (HEF) and other volunteers organized an auditorium watch party, a Zoom simulcast and interviews with former coaches and community members. Dr. Kitchen said the event was put together on short notice, crediting Assistant Superintendent Novak and staff for coordinating logistics and permits, and thanked the HEF for sponsorship support.
Details and format: The district combined a live in-person watch party with a Zoom-hosted broadcast that included local interviews and guest commentators; district staff said the Zoom license allowed a large virtual audience. Dr. Kitchen described the watch party as a ‘‘true community effort’’ with volunteers from many school groups.
Ending: The district said it will publish highlights from the program and a short documentary of the day; board members praised staff and community partners for creating a high-profile, community-focused event without major expense to the district.
