Sen. Menendez calls for investigation of bus company
In the wake of the tragic death of infant Angela Paredes in a bus accident on Boulevard East on Tuesday, U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) called upon federal transportation authorities to investigate Sphinx Transportation as to whether drivers are being properly trained to safely transport passengers commuting to New York City through New Jersey communities.
“As a father, I can’t help but feel the tragedy of Angela Paredes’ death very personally – and my deepest sympathies and prayers are with her family, who can only be heartbroken at this painful time,” said Menendez.
“While the driver is facing criminal charges, I have my own questions about the company that employed him. My staff has been in touch with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to make sure they are assisting the state and local investigations.
“We have been assured that FMCSA will be making a visit to the company soon and review all of their operations including their procedures to screen and train drivers. The people who walk along Boulevard East, and all people in New Jersey, deserve answers, and I am confident that local, state, and federal authorities working together will find those answers and hold those responsible accountable for their actions.”
Coupon book fundraiser
United Cerebral Palsy of Hudson County, Inc. in North Bergen is raising funds to support programs for the developmentally disabled by selling Entertainment Books.
The price is $25 for the Monmouth, Bergen, Essex, Morris and Middlesex counties books. Each edition includes hundreds of discount coupons.
For more information, or to order a book, call Peter LaBarbiera at (201) 662-8120.
Help children by attending CASA information session Aug. 6
Are you interested in helping children in the foster care system? If so, Hudson County CASA (court appointed special advocate) is recruiting volunteers to advocate for the best interests of abused and neglected children.
An information session to learn more about the program and the role of its volunteers will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 6 from 6 to 7 p.m. in Room 400 of the Hudson County Administration Building, 595 Newark Ave., Jersey City.
CASA works through trained community volunteers to ensure that needed services and assistance are made available to children while helping to move them toward safe and permanent homes.
CASA and its volunteers speak for children in court, serve as fact finders for judges, and safeguard the interests of the children while they are in the foster care system.
Hudson County has nearly 700 children in foster care; most have been removed from their homes for abuse or neglect.
For more information, call (201) 795-9855, e-mail mgarcia@hudsoncountycasa.org, or visit www.hudsoncountycasa.org.
Meadowlands Commission offering canoe trip
The New Jersey Meadowlands Commission is sponsoring a three-hour guided canoe tour exploring the Hackensack River and its marshes on Saturday, Aug. 10 at 8:30 a.m.
Paddlers will learn the basics of salt marsh ecology and enjoy the natural and man-made scenery while rowing past wetlands and down creeks. The tour departs from Mill Creek Point Park in Secaucus.
The trip is $15 per person, and is for ages 10 and up. Pre-registration is required.
For more information, or to register, go to www.njmeadowlands.gov/environment/tours.html or call (201) 460-4640.
Butterfly Day a hit at NJMC
Nearly 600 people, from kids to amateur photographers to seasoned enthusiasts, attended the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission’s Fourth Annual Butterfly Day on Sunday, July 28, in DeKorte Park in Lyndhurst.
The day’s activities included butterfly walks, talks, and crafts, scavenger hunts, and a butterfly costume contest.
A pipevine swallowtail and a spicebush swallowtail were among the most uncommon of the 17 species spotted.