Valentine’s Day breakfast fundraiser scheduled
The Ladies Auxiliary of the Secaucus Exempt Firemen’s Association is hosting a Valentine’s Day Breakfast Fundraiser at Washington Hook and Ladder Firehouse on County Avenue from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 12. The funds raised will support retired firemen in the Boonton Home and the organization’s social endeavors. Donations will be accepted such as eggs, pancake mix, Taylor Ham, breakfast sausage, bacon, home fries, bread, butter, milk, cake, cookies, milk, tea, juice, paper goods, etc. To donate items to offset the cost of the breakfast, contact Ex-Chief Raymond Cieciuch at (201) 376-6819. To purchase tickets, contact President Jane Olsen at (201) 330-9147.
Children’s Place national HQ in Secaucus to expand
Despite the recent announcements of closures of several big companies with local headquarters, the Children’s Place seems to be doing well.
Hartz Mountain Industries recently leased an additional 28,000 square feet to Children’s Place Retail Stores Inc. to expand its national headquarters to 169,000 sq. feet at 500 Plaza Drive in Secaucus, even after new reports indicated low fourth quarter earnings.
Chief Executive Jane Elfers was quoted as saying unseasonably warm weather forced the company to mark down its winter clothing lines to clear out the inventory and that higher apparel costs weakened earnings. Elfers also said the company in 2012 will focus on e-commerce growth, better fashion, improved merchandise assortment in Canada and inventory management to drive sales and margin growth.
The children’s clothing and accessories company has been leasing space from Hartz Mountain Industries since 1999. Hartz Mountain sees the expansion as a positive indication for the area.
“It is a testament [to the] Meadowlands region that The Children’s Place has not only been a tenant for 12 years, but that they are expanding their space,” said Hartz Mountain president and COO Emanuel Stern.
Meadowlands Hospital apparently fires neuroscientist
Meadowlands Hospital in December fired neuroscientist Philip DeFina, who was vice president for rehabilitation at Meadowlands and the scientific adviser for its Rehabilitation Institute and Neuroscience Center, according to the Star Ledger. According to the article, DeFina would have overseen a controversial therapy for children with autism that includes the use of hyperbaric oxygen chambers.
The hospital reportedly withdrew its application to the state Department of Health and Senior Services to treat autism using hyperbarics on Nov. 30 after strong opposition.
DeFina’s nomination to the New Jersey Commission for Brain Injury Research was delayed last week by a state Senate panel poised to vote on his nomination to the New Jersey Commission for Brain Injury Research by its chairman and by Gov. Christopher Christie’s administration.
Classes in Gujarati offered at the library
The Secaucus Public Library and Business Resource Center is offering residents the opportunity to learn Gujarati, an Indian dialect. This program is in addition to the popular Spanish storytelling program that has been offered to youngsters in the past year. Bhikhubai Patel, a longtime resident and experienced teacher, will teach Gujarati to residents from the age of five and up on Mondays, from 4 to 5 p.m., beginning Jan. 23. Patel, who worked in the children’s department at the library for 10 years before retiring in January 2011, said he will start his teaching of the language by beginning with the alphabet. To register, call (201) 330-2083.