OOPS! Town mascot Henrietta is actually Henry
The new Secaucus town mascot, a pot-bellied pig, is actually Henry, not Henrietta, according the Secaucus Animal Hospital.
Earlier this month the town of Secaucus adopted an abandoned pot-bellied pig that had been left on the side of a house in Palisades Park. After North Bergen Animal Life Savers rescued the pig, Mayor Michael Gonnelli welcomed the animal as the official town mascot to attend parades and fairs.
While officials first believed that the pig was a she and aptly named her after the late local pig farmer and former presidential candidate Henry Krajewski, the caretakers recently discovered that the pig is in fact a male.
Th-th-th-that’s all, folks!
‘American Dream’ (formerly Xanadu) won’t fully open by 2014 Super Bowl
The American Dream recreation and entertainment project formerly known as Xanadu will not fully open in time for the 2014 Super Bowl being held next door, reported NJBiz yesterday.
Jill Renslow, spokesperson for the developer Triple Five, said that a water park and amusement park component, which is currently the subject of an environmental review, will not be open by the February 2014 championship game in the Meadowlands.
During that time Renslow expects that visitors will be able to go on tours to see what’s planned for the site.
Triple Five has yet to secure $1.8 billion in financing for the project, according to the article.
“Once the financing is in place, it really puts leasing pedal to the metal,” Renslow is quoted as saying. “We’re moving forward with that, and it’s really going to be our focus for this year, because once we can get all of our partners lined up and fill up the retail spaces, we have to do the tenant build-outs.”
Town and pharmacy want your unused/expired prescriptions
Leaving your unused prescriptions around could pose a danger to kids, and disposing of them incorrectly could affect local waterways. So the town of Secaucus and Marra Drug Store will participate in the National Drug Enforcement Administration DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on April 28 between 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
More than 375,000 pounds of unwanted or expired medications were turned in for safe and proper disposal throughout the United States on this day last year. Many people have become accustomed to disposing unwanted medications down toilets or mixed with coffee grinds, dirt or kitty litter.
“The amount of prescription drugs collected speaks volumes about the need to develop a convenient way to rid homes of unwanted or expired prescription drugs,” said DEA administrator Michele M. Leonhart.
Mayor Michael Gonnelli said residents are encouraged to drop off unwanted medication at Marra Drug Store instead of flushing it. When medications are dumped down drains or flushed into toilets, they eventually get into our waterways. He explained the drugs could filter into the local waterways and contaminate marine life. Improperly disposed prescription drugs can also make their way into ground water.
The nationwide collection program would eliminate unwanted medications to make medicine cabinets safe for young children who often mistake some prescription drugs as candy. Gonnelli added, “This initiative will also help prevent misuse of Rx drugs at the teenage level.”
For more information visit http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/
Volunteers sought by Project Linus
Project Linus is a volunteer organization that makes blankets for children who are ill or in distress. The Hudson/Bergen NJ Chapter is looking for volunteers to help at the annual Make a Blanket Day. The first general public Make a Blanket day will be held on March 24 from 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Secaucus Public Library.
The second Make a Blanket Day is March 31 from 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. This second day is specifically for Girl Scouts and other Youth Groups who are interested in helping local children.
Bring an in-progress blanket and join other blanketeers in the crocheting and knitting circle, learn how to make a no-sew, tied fleece blanket, or help tie a fabric quilt. Bring any completed blankets to donate to Project Linus. You can also help by donating a skein of yarn or a 1 1/2 yard piece of fleece or cotton fabric. For more information, contact Liz Zawacki at (201) 437-0272 or email: eliza1115@verizon.net.
Chef and TV personality Amanda Freitag to appear at the Secaucus library
Executive Chef and TV Personality Amanda Freitag will appear at the Secaucus Library at 2 p.m. on April 15. She has appeared on the food competition shows “Chopped,” “Iron Chef America” and “The Martha Stewart Show.” Space is limited. To register call: (201) 330-2083.
Caring for a person with Alzheimers seminar at the Secaucus library
Representatives of the Alzheimer’s Association will present an educational seminar on “Communication: Key to Understanding Behaviors” at the Secaucus Public Library and Business Resource Center. The event will take place on March 26, at 7 p.m. On May 21 the association will host another seminar that addresses the needs of the caregivers coping with family members that have Alzheimer’s disease.
There is no fee for attending this program, but seating is limited. For registration or more information, call the Alzheimer’s Association at (973) 586-4300. For information on Alzheimer’s disease or support to individuals, families and caregivers who are coping with the disease, you may call the association’s hotline at 1-800-272-3900 or visit www.alz.org/nj.
Meet the ‘Greatest Generation’
On April 14, the Hudson County Genealogical & Historical Society will host a celebration of the release the 1940 Census entitled “Meet the Greatest Generation” at the Secaucus Public Library at 11 a.m. The meeting will include a talk by HCG&HS Board member, Bob Murgittroyd, entitled “Counting Heads – History of the Census and How to Use It to Unlock Your Family History”; a celebratory “Census Cake” and coffee; and live 1940 music provided by Mark Wright. After the talk the group will have a Census workshop with fourteen computer workstations available for attendees to research the Census with instruction provided by the membership. For more information, contact: Bob Murgittroyd at bobmurgittroyd@verizon.net.