Are you ready for the long weekend? I know I am! So as we prepare for three free but ultimately hectic days, we at About Town wish you a fun time, wherever you go and whatever you do. But before you get away,  check out a great story about how the Westfield High School Student Council wants to "Spread the Magic"; also today, see how one WHS student was "driven" to succeed on his snow day, give some props to an unbeaten basketball team and wish good luck to Edison arts students today.

Here is what is going on About Town.

HUBER LOOKS TO SPREAD THE MAGIC

Krysta Huber is a junior at Westfield High who's doing a lot to make this world a better place. She's on the WHS Swim Team, the Westfield Y Swim Team and is corresponding secretary for the Student Council. And in her spare time — no really, she does find time for things beside catching up on sleep — she also is actively involved in leadership training.

Each summer Krysta serves as a junior counselor for the New Jersey Association of Students Councils’ Leadership Training Conference. At the four-day conference, Krysta joins with other student leaders from schools in New Jersey across the state of New Jersey, where they work on everything from team-building exercises to public-speaking classes.

Besides a busy week in they summer, the NJASC selects a state charity that all member schools will raise money for. Each year, the NJASC raises more than $100,000 dollars for the charity. This year, the group's fund-raising efforts are focused on helping the Spread the Magic Foundation, which raises awareness for pediatric-cancer units.

During the 2010 LTC, Krysta watched a presentation on the charity and had a chance to meet the founder, Chad Juros. Chad is a two-time pediatric cancer survivor who battled leukemia for years. He was frequently in and out of the hospital, being treated with chemotherapy and radiation. His father thought that it would be a good idea for Chad to spend time learning magic tricks as a distraction from his disease. Magic became a huge part of Chad's life; he was always determined to learn that next trick. It essentially gave him a purpose to live.

Unfortunately, in the midst of Chad's struggle, his father, Don Juros, developed a malignant tumor in his brain, and passed away soon after. Doctors believed that Don reacted to Chad's own radiation and chemo treatments. Before he passed, Chad's father made a dying wish for him: for Chad to be considered cured, and for him to spread his magic to children across the globe fighting cancer. Chad fulfilled his father's request by starting the Spread the Magic Foundation.

Today, Chad, a 21-year college student, spends his free time traveling to different hospitals where he puts on magic shows for pediatric cancer patients. After being inspired by Chad's story, Krysta decided that it would be great to bring Chad to WHS. When she returned home from LTC in July, she immediately got to work — contacting the student council advisors and WHS administration with her plan.

“My goal was to schedule an assembly where Chad would spread his magical message, and host a magic show for WHS students,” Krysta said. “In having Chad perform at WHS, my hope was that students would realize that student council extends far beyond our school community; there's much more to it than promoting school spirit. It's about giving back to those in need.”

Krysta was successful, coordinating an assembly in December that proved to be hit with WHS students. But she’s not stopping there. She wants to keep spreading the magic all year. Krysta and her Student Council colleagues are hard at work on the high school’s second annual Dance-a-Thon, a six-hour event scheduled for  Feb. 11 at the high school. Students creating teams and raising at least $50 per team will be allowed to participate in the event. The team raising the most money will win a prize.

Last year, the 2010 Dance-a-Thon, started by students Kate Brennan and Chris Salemme to benefit charity and fill a school spirit need at WHS, was a huge hit. While students were jamming on the the dance floor, they found themselves competing for floor space with teachers who wanted to dance the night away. Krysta said the goal is to make the event even bigger than last year's.

“The next time a student hears an advertisement for an upcoming student council event such as the Sports Tournament, or Dance-A-Thon, I want them to be eager to participate in the event because their involvement will help the Spread the Magic Foundation,” Krysta said. “The few hours they spend dancing in the high school cafeteria will allow a handful of children to watch a magic show hosted by Chad, and to forget their illnesses, even if that's only for an hour."

Good luck to Krysta and the entire WHS Student Council!

SNOWSTORM CAN'T STOP NEW DRIVER

Every high school student waits for one day, a day so precious, so glorious — so utterly terrifying for parents.... It's the day they get their driver's permit. Then they take driving lessons. The day they take the driving test looms like the holy grail of teenager freedom. They study harder for this than a calculus final exam.

When Brian Doles, a WHS junior got his learner’s permit on July 12, 2010, he scheduled his road test for Jan. 12, 2011. Making an 8 a.m. appointment, so he wouldn’t be too late for school, Doles kept busy parallel parking and making k-turns as he waited for the day.

On Monday when they started forecasting the snowstorm, Brian's mom, Elizabeth, started getting nervous, so she called the N.J. Motor Vehicles Commission. When she called the MVC for advice, Elizabeth says, "the person on the other end of the line said,  "Well you won't really know.  You should just come anyway.  Otherwise you lose your place and have to reschedule." I'll try to avoid too many MVC jokes, but didn't former Gov. James E. McGreevey claim that he was rebuilding a kinder, gentler, more efficient state agency?

“I have heard there is a two-month wait to get yourself back on the schedule from parents whose kids did not pass the test the first time,” Elizabeth said.

Elizabeth called the folks at Five Star Driving School in Westfield, where Brian did his driver’s training. 

"They were scheduled to take him to Rahway for the test, and I give them credit for being so patient with me and answering all of my questions,” Elizabeth said. “Megan Lodge, in the office was particularly helpful. I must have called there five times!"

Anyway, Five Star called them at 6:30 a.m. to tell Elizabeth that Brian's instructor, Andrew Roman, would be there at 10 a.m. to pick up Brian. They arrived on time. Brian was so worried about whether he was going to get to take the test that he didn't have time to be concerned about the slick roads.Brian made it to Rahway and he passed the test! 

What a great way to spend a snow day. Congratulations!

FRESHMAN GIRLS UNBEATEN ON THE HARDWOOD

Coach Tricia Iannuzzi of the WHS 9th-grade girls basketball team proudly reports that her squad is off to a 7-0 start.   In their  last game against Millburn, point guard Chrissy Ferraro led the team with 25 points; last week, they eked out a close win over St. John Vianney, when Carly Friedman led the team with 16 points and 13 rebounds.  The team plays today at Bridgewater.

Good luck, ladies!

FIELD TRIP TIME

Generally, kids are thrilled to get off school grounds for a field trip. Eighth-grade arts students at Edison Intermediate School are excite about today's trip, even though they won't be leaving their desks.The school district is saving money by bringing in a group of visiting artists who will work with the Edison students.

Linda King, the district’s fine-arts supervisor, teamed up with the Westfield Arts Association to create the program.The artists — Kennis Fairfax, an illustrator; Sandra Wygledowski who works in oil paints; Brooke Gardner,  a sculptor who works in  glass and stone; Francesca Azzara, who works with encaustic paints, and Roy Chambers, a sculptor and WHS art teacher — will work with the enthusiastic students in their specialties.

Sounds like a fun day!