UCHS students bid farewell to beloved teacher
Union City High School students and other community members said their final goodbyes this week to Jack O’Connor, a longtime Union City English and drama teacher who passed away recently.
According to friends, after O’Connor didn’t meet family for dinner as scheduled last Friday night, they called police. The following morning, O’Connor was found by his cousin (along with the police and fire department) on the bedroom floor of his condo.
Although the official cause of death had not been released as of press time, a friend said that it is believed O’Connor had a heart attack.
O’Connor, who taught for over 31 years and was considering retirement, told The Reporter during an interview for the school’s production of The Wiz in April that he was proud to have the opportunity to produce the first musical in a “real” theater at the new high school.
Students held a candlelight vigil for O’Connor on Tuesday and also relayed their feelings about the shocking death on Facebook pages.
One, created by Union Hill alum Fernando Contreras, detailed the type of close relationships that O’Connor had with his students.
“He had such a full life and he was such a positive influence on me and so many others,” wrote Contreras. “He was much more than a teacher – some would say father figure, others would say mentor, and while he was these things to me as well, he was just a little more than that: An inspiration.”
Peruvian Independence Day observed in Union City
Union City will hold a ceremony commemorating the anniversary of Peru’s Independence on July 28 at 4:30 p.m. at International Park, located on the corner of Palisade Avenue and 38th Street.
The ceremony will include several invited guest speakers and the raising of the Peruvian flag. Members of several local Peruvian organizations are expected to be at the ceremony and everyone in the community is invited to attend.
Hudson County residents invited to get fit for free
Pilates4Fitness, a new, private fitness center opening in The Galaxy Mall in Guttenberg, is providing a free fitness event for Hudson and Bergen County residents on July 31 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Braddock Park (from the Flagpole Circle to the lake of North Hudson Park) in recognition of First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” initiative to fight the threat of childhood obesity.
Pilates Mat with TRX Suspension and Barre Fusion will be demonstrated as well as dance moves such as Zumba, Bhangra, Belly Dance, and African workout. Tae Kwon Do and Yoga instructors will also conduct demonstrations.
For more information, contact Gina Jackson at (201) 305-0270 or gina@pilates4fitness.com.
NAMI changes meeting site for monthly support group
NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Hudson County, an affiliate of NAMI NJ, holds a monthly support group for families and clients on the second Tuesday of every month at 7 p.m. The group will change their meeting place starting Sept. 14, to Hoboken Community Mental Health Center, 506 Third St. in Hoboken (four blocks from the Second Street Light Rail station). There will be no meetings for July and August.
For more information, contact Martha Silva at (201) 861-0614 or email namihudson@msn.com.
Project Linus meeting dates
The members of Project Linus want to remind the community that the organization meets the first and third Wednesday of each month at the Church of Our Savior, located at 191 Flanagan Way in Secaucus, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. The second Thursday of the month, the group meets at the Secaucus Public Library and Business Resource Center, located at 1379 Paterson Plank Road, in Secaucus from 7 to 9 p.m. For those who can’t make Wednesdays, the group also meets the second, third, and fourth Thursdays of each month at the Secaucus Senior Center, located at 101 Centre Street, from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m.
The all-volunteer group knits and crochets blankets for children who are seriously ill or living in distress. Blankets can be knitted, crocheted, sewn, or no-sew fleece and the group welcomes crafters of all levels.
For more information, call (201) 437-0272 or email elizabeth.zawacki@verizon.net.