WEST NEW YORK AND BEYOND – Former President Bill Clinton dropped in unexpectedly at West New York’s P.S. 2 Tuesday to speak about the importance of nutrition and health, and to praise the town for its recent efforts in transforming the school system’s nutritional program.
P.S. 1 received a silver medal last year from the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, a program founded by the American Heart Association and the William J. Clinton Foundation to reduce childhood obesity. They received the award in honor of their efforts to provide students with a fresher, more nutritional meal plan.
In October, the alliance awarded Sal Valenzia, food service director of the West New York School District, with the distinction of Healthy Schools Program Champion. “He’s got a little bit of a fondness for our food service director,” Superintendent of Schools John Fauta said after the Tuesday visit.
Fauta received a call only hours before announcing Clinton’s arrival at around 12:30 p.m. Clinton spent an hour touring the school and speaking with children and staff; after which he held a half-hour news conference in the library which will be aired, along with the visit, on NBC’s NIghtly News on Jan. 17 at 6:30 p.m. — Gennarose Pope