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BUTLER, NJ - Butler’s Lyn Lowndes, will be marching in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Lyn Lowndes holds a variety of positions in our Butler community. She is not only the current President of The Butler Education Association, but also Band Director at Richard Butler School, Marching Band Director at Butler High School, and Pit Orchestra Conductor for Butler High School musicals.

Lowndes earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education at William Paterson University and attended Ramapo College to complete a Masters of Science Degree in Educational Technology.

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Outside of our Butler community, Lowndes is President of The North Jersey Area Band Junior High Division and President-Elect for The North Jersey School Music Association.

She has been the manager of both Area and Junior Region Bands, Band Division Co-Chair for the NJSMA Band Division, an Adjunct Professor of Music at William Paterson University, Saluting Americas Band Directors, and has performed with the New Jersey Wind Symphony since 2007.

Lowndes has earned several awards including “Making a Difference Award” in 2003, and “Teacher of the Year” in 2011.

The Organization, Saluting America's Band Directors, which she will be marching with, released a statement:

"Following its amazing inaugural appearance in the 2022 Rose Parade,® the Saluting America’s Band Directors project is again bringing together band directors from across the country to New York City on November 23, 2023, under the theme, 'America’s band directors: We teach music. We teach life.'

Lyn M. Lowndes, the Band Director at the Richard Butler Middle School and the Marching Band Director for Butler High School in Butler, NJ has been selected to join a marching band of 400 band directors from across the country in the historic Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade® on November 23, 2023.

The Saluting America’s Band Directors parade entry will again convey its theme, “America’s band directors: We teach music. We teach life.” to recognize the extraordinary dedication and accomplishments of band directors and music educators everywhere. Throughout their careers, the music educators in this band have collectively mentored and taught hundreds of thousands of students. These professionals not only teach and direct music, they teach about life itself.

According to Lowndes, “she is excited to have been selected for the group, and that it is exciting to be leading by example – showing her students that she just doesn’t teach them how to march and perform, but that she can do the work herself as well. In addition, she is thankful for the support of the Butler School District.”

The band will be directed by nationally known music educator and innovative band director Jon Waters.

The sponsoring organization behind the Saluting America’s Band Directors project is the Michael D. Sewell

Memorial Foundation, based in Pickerington, Ohio. The foundation was created to recognize and carry on the work of the late Mike Sewell, who dedicated his life to the school and community music programs in Pickerington and the Central Ohio area for almost 40 years."

Laura Matos and Modia Butler Appointed to Democratic National Committee Representing New Jersey

Chairman Jones Congratulates Longtime Party Stalwarts on Historic Positions

TRENTON, NJ – Chairman LeRoy J. Jones, Jr., is announcing the appointment of longtime Democratic Party stalwarts Laura Matos and Modia “Mo” Butler as the newest members of the Democratic National Committee representing New Jersey. Matos and Butler were unanimously appointed to the key positions in February and will serve as automatic delegates at the upcoming Democratic National Convention this Summer in Chicago.

“Laura Matos and Mo Butler are two of the most dedicated, accomplished Democratic leaders in our state and I’m thrilled to see them appointed to represent New Jersey on the Democratic National Committee,” said Chairman Jones. “With these appointments we are also living up to our party’s values by selecting a diverse slate of representatives who reflect the best of New Jersey. I look forward to working closely with Laura, Mo and our entire team in this critical year as we work to re-elect President Biden and Vice President Harris.”

Laura Matos is a partner at MAD Global Strategy Group, a public affairs and communications form. She is a seasoned professional with an extensive career in politics, government, public affairs, and strategic communications. Ms. Matos worked in the New Jersey Governor’s Office for eight years for Governors McGreevey, Codey, and Corzine, working in various roles with

oversight of a vast array of public policy issues across the Executive Branch. She is the chair of the New Jersey Pinelands Commission and served on the 2017 Transportation and Infrastructure Transition Advisory Committee, Governor Phil Murphy’s Restart and Recovery Advisory Council, the New Jersey Complete Count Commission and most recently as a Democratic Member of the New Jersey Legislative Apportionment Commission. Laura serves on the Board of Latina Civic Action and as President of the Board of Latina Civic PAC, as well as on the Advisory Board of the Ritesh Shah Charitable Pharmacy. She previously served as President of LUPEPAC and on the board of PlanSmartNJ.

Modia “Mo” Butler is a partner at Mercury Public Affairs and a highly respected public affairs expert with extensive experience in government relations, political campaigns, and strategic communications in New Jersey and Washington, D.C. Prior to joining Mercury Public Affairs, Butler served as the Chief of Staff to United States Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ). Butler also served as a Senior Advisor to Senator Cory Booker during his previous and current three campaigns for United States Senate and his presidential bid, and as Chief of Staff at the City of Newark during Booker’s tenure as Mayor. Butler received his BA from Franklin and Marshall College and Master’s Degree from the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University, where he is currently a Visiting Associate. In 2021, Butler was appointed Chairman of the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA) by Governor Murphy. Butler also serves as a Trustee of his Alma Mater Franklin & Marshall College and sits on the board of New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC).

Seton Hall has taken another step toward the NCAA Tournament, and may have knocked another Big East team out of the running in the process.

The Pirates defeated Butler, 76-64, at the Prudential Center on Saturday, marking their third consecutive victory and fifth win in their last six games. The victory bumps Seton Hall (18-9, 11-5) to 8-7 in Quadrant 1/2 games, moves it into a tie for third place in the Big East standings with No. 15 Creighton, guarantees it will finish with a winning record in league play and puts it within striking distance of locking up a March Madness bid.

Seton Hall enters a brutal week that features road trips to Omaha on Thursday and Storrs on Sunday afternoon with a chance to essentially clinch a postseason spot: Upset the Bluejays or No. 1 UConn and the Pirates will almost certainly be dancing. Even if they go 0-2, victories in its final two home games against Villanova (which lost by 24 points to the Huskies on Saturday) and DePaul (which is ranked 306th on KenPom) will put them comfortably in the field.

Seton Hall was led by senior guard Al-Amir Dawes (19 points on 7-of-16 shooting), junior forward Dre Davis (20 points on 9-of-13 shooting) and junior guard Kadary Richmond (20 points on 8-of-16), who contributed 59 of its 74 points (79.7%). It overcame a flurry of threes from Butler (16-12, 7-10), which knocked down 12 of its 33 attempts (36.4%) but it was not enough to win a crucial contest for its NCAA Tournament hopes.

Seton Hall led for the final 39 minutes, taking an early 16-3 lead and nursing it through the end. As the Pirates knocked down seven of their first 13 attempts, Butler missed 10 of its first 11 shots and committed five turnovers in its first 13 possessions. The Bulldogs spent the rest of the half chipping at the deficit, cutting it to 37-32 at the break thanks to hot three-point shooting (40%, 8-of-20), especially from former St. John’s guard Posh Alexander (3-of-5) and center Jalen Thomas (2-of-2).

Seton Hall’s remained in the single digits for the first 10 minutes of the second half, the visitors keeping themselves in the game with timely shots and the Pirates allowing them to stick around with costly mistakes (seven turnovers in their first 20 second-half possessions). But the hosts took control thanks to an elite defensive stretch in which it held Butler without a field goal for seven minutes and 55 seconds, building its lead to double-digits with four minutes to play and hanging on from there.

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BUTLER, NJ - Butler's own, Richard Butler Middle School, has been awarded "NJ School To Watch."

This recognition indicates that RBS's program is considered to be "best" in its practices.

"Schools to Watch are Middle-Grade programs recognized for their best practices and continued journey towards excellence," states NJ Schools to Watch on their website (http://njschoolstowatch.org).

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Superintendent, Daniel Johnson, expresses his pride and acknowledges the excellence within the RBS staff and leadership that led them to this recognition.

"I am incredibly proud of this accomplishment. The leadership from Mrs. Papa and Mrs. Molina, coupled with the excellence on the part of our staff, have afforded us the opportunity to attain this recognition. Over the years, Richard Butler Middle School has worked to integrate programs, schedules, and structures that have equated to an overall culture of success. We say that "It Takes More to be a Bulldog", and this shows that we take that to heart in our approach to academic and social/emotional development," said Superintendent Daniel Johnson.

Principal of Richard Butler Middle School, Michelle Papa, weighs in on her pride in RBS receiving this accomplishment.

"The Schools to Watch designation is an accomplishment of which we are extremely proud. When we researched the requirements over a year ago, we realized we had already been working over the years to exemplify the standards of excellence in academics, student needs and interests, equal access to education, and support for school improvement that are celebrated by The National Forum. It is only with the unwavering support of Dr. Johnson, the BOE, the BBEA, and the Butler community that we have been able to earn this prestigious designation. Being recognized as a School to Watch affirms our ongoing efforts to inspire excellence and promote success for ALL students. I am truly grateful and proud to serve as the principal of such a special place, and it is an honor to receive this designation on behalf of all of the members of our school community," said Michelle Papa.

JERSEY CITY, N.J. -- The generations-old tradition of quilting in African American heritage is celebrated as a one-of-a-kind form of expression, which stemmed from necessity.

CBS New York's Kristie Keleshian spoke with textile artist Bisa Butler and a local quilting guild aimed at keeping the tradition of quilting alive for generations to come.

Within the walls of Butler's Jersey City art studio, there are huge historic portraits, their quilt equivalents and, of course, the echoes of her long-arm sewing machine.

"My message with my artwork is to give the true story of what it means to be a Black American," Butler said.

If you take a closer look at her work, you can see each and every detail tailored, literally, to fit several foot-long and wide quilts. Her vibrant portraits depicting African American life have been featured on magazine covers and in museums nationwide, including her 2021 piece "Don't Tread on Me, God Damn, Let's Go!" at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. depicting the Harlem Hellfighters.

"They have been, in essence, forgotten. They're from the area that I've lived in my whole life," Butler said.

Born in Orange, New Jersey, she grew up in South Orange, where she lives now. In school, she was never taught about the all-Black infantry regiment in World War I -- the Harlem Hellfighters. She's using her art to make up for lost, less-talked-about parts of Black history. Each piece of fabric she uses is a symbol.

"That swirl fabric is a Nigerian tie-dye. If you drop a bead of water and it makes those rings, it's talking about how one person could make a big difference," Butler said.

Also in her native Essex County, quilts are displayed at the West Orange Public Library, made by the Newark-based Nubian Heritage Quilters Guild.

"African Americans have always quilted in this country. They had textile skills before they even came here or were brought to this country," guild co-founder Glendora Simonson said.

"It's part of a legacy, you know?" guild co-founder and president Carolyn Davis said.

The almost 30-year-old guild was founded by Davis and Simonson. Both have generations of quilters in their families.

"It's a frugality out of necessity. It celebrates what a lot of women have done throughout their life," Simonson said.

The guild is always welcoming newcomers. It uses the Sankofa symbol originating in Ghana meaning to go back and get, represented by a bird looking back to pass a seed, or tradition, onto the next generation.

"That's our mission statement, is to learn from the past to teach the future," Davis said.

A vital patch forever woven into the fabric of Black history.