Marist junior receives firsthand look into the world of medicine
For 16-year-old Nicole Caceres of Marist, a nine-day conference on medicine in New York was a life-changing experience.
After being awarded a grant, the junior attended the National Youth Leadership Forum in Medicine in November.
The forum allows high school students to explore medical careers, hear from faculty and students about the medical school experience, practice medical skills in a lab, and gain firsthand insight through clinical sessions.
Caceres networked with professionals and students her age from all over the United States. She was able to role play a day in a hospital’s triage unit, both as a patient and as a part of the medical team. She also learned about the importance of organ donors from a recipient speaker.
Caceres said the training changed her life.
“The experience was amazing, and really encouraged me to go into the medical field,” Caceres said.
She is studying to be a radiologist.
Bill renewing municipalities’ share of UEZ funds advances
A bill that would restore a portion of Urban Enterprise Zone funds collected to cities was approved on Sept. 18 by the full New Jersey Senate and Assembly. The measure was then sent to Gov. Chris Christie’s desk.
The bill, co-sponsored by Sen. Nicholas Sacco, D-Hudson and Bergen, would end what Sacco and his co-sponsors said was the raiding of UEZ dollars.
“The urban enterprise program is about providing investments into our state’s economically depressed areas, improving opportunities for businesses to grow and thrive and to put members of the local community to work,” Sacco said.
A portion of the tax revenue generated within UEZs should be used to allow municipalities to continue to invest in economic development programs within their communities, according to Sacco. As an example, he said that in the past funds were used for policing the UEZs.
The bill, S-2642, would reform the program by requiring that 30 percent of all reduced-rate sales tax revenues collected by businesses within UEZs be deposited into accounts earmarked for each respective municipality for economic development projects. The remaining 70 percent of the funds would be deposited into the state’s general and property tax relief funds.
For the past four years, the statutes governing UEZs have been suspended and the state has diverted that tax revenue for state budget purposes.
BergenPAC arts access initiative under way
BergenPAC, at 30 North Van Brunt Street in Englewood, has announced its Arts Access Initiative, which offers up to 200 free tickets for every show on the bergenPAC main stage to qualified nonprofit charitable organizations.
The program is ongoing and has no end date.
Over the last 10 years, BergenPAC has provided access to the arts for those in need by offering free tickets to performances, scholarships to its performing arts school programs, and arts education in schools where budget cuts have eliminated arts from the curriculum.
To apply for the program, email chood@bergenpac.org or call (201) 816-8160, ext. 15.