Sign up online to receive alerts of town events or emergencies
It’s crucial to receive information quickly in the event of disasters and other emergencies. Secaucus residents can get alerted about emergencies and other important community news by signing up for Swift Reach 911. The notification system enables the township to provide critical information quickly in a variety of situations, such as severe weather, unexpected road closures, missing persons, and evacuation of buildings or neighborhoods.
Visit the town website at secaucusnj.gov and click on the “Swift Reach 911” link in the left column to be notified in the event of critical community alerts or emergency situations. You can receive time-sensitive messages wherever you specify.
Traffic alert: delays on Paterson Plank Road for three weeks
Milling and paving on Paterson Plank Road between County Avenue in Secaucus and West Side Avenue in North Bergen will cause traffic delays. This will occur for the next three weeks (weather permitting) between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Residents should plan alternate routes and expect delays and lane closures.
Attend a show at the Paper Mill Playhouse
The Town of Secaucus is sponsoring bus trips to the Paper Mill Playhouse for shows in 2016. Upcoming are “A Bronx Tale” on Wednesday, Feb. 10; “Pump Boys and Dinettes” on Wednesday, April 13; and “West Side Story” on Thursday, June 9.
All buses will leave the Recreation Center at 5:30 p.m. The price is $35 each. You must sign up and pay by Jan. 7, 2016. Call (201) 330-2034. Limited seating.
Curiosity Lab, Inc. wins $25K prize in small business contest
The winner of Wells Fargo Works Project contest, Curiosity Lab Inc., hosted a Science Workshop & Celebration at the Secaucus Public Library on Thursday, Nov. 5. The event kicked off with a science workshop for 7- to 11-year-olds entitled “Spectacular Spider Webs.” The workshop was sponsored by Wells Fargo Bank.
“Wells Fargo would like to congratulate Curiosity Lab Inc. on being named a grand prize winner in the Wells Fargo Works Project contest,” said Lisa Stevens, Wells Fargo’s head of Small Business. This year’s contest attracted more than 4,200 entries from small businesses across the country. The five winning businesses will each receive $25,000, a six-month mentorship from a small business professional, and tailored solutions for their business, such as checking, savings or credit products.
Curiosity Lab’s mission is to ignite in every child the curiosity to explore the world and help them find their passion. “We are extremely excited and grateful to Wells Fargo for this Award,” Curiosity Labs founder Anubha Bhatla responded. “We want to extend our outreach and work with more children, parents and even schools to create a culture of curiosity and innovative scientific thinking.”
Resident art show happening now at the library
The Secaucus Public Library and Business Resource Center is hosting its annual Resident Art Show from Nov. 1 to 30, and is still looking for local artists to contribute works to the show. Participants must be over the age of 18 and can submit up to four works of art, which will be on display in the Panasonic Meeting Room on the library’s second floor. All art forms are welcome: painting, drawing, photography, sculpting, crafting, needlework, and mixed media.
“Sometimes people think of art as only paintings, but art is expressed in many forms,” said library director Jenifer May. “I ask people to take a fresh look at their skills, which they might take for granted. This is a venue both for established artists and for those who have never displayed their work before.”
Works will be displayed on a first-come, first-served basis and until space on wall and table is full. “We welcome most forms of artistic expressions but might have to limit the number of very large works based on wall space,” explained May. Residents should call ahead for works larger than 20 by 24 inches or with specific display needs.
To add your work to the Resident Art Show, bring the work to the second floor of the library during library operating hours. Works will be hung by library staff when the meeting room is not in use. If you would prefer to hang or arrange your own works, contact the library director to set up a time at (201) 330-2083 x4011 or email may@secaucus.bccls.org.
A public reception will be held for artists, family, friends, and the entire community on Friday, Nov. 20 from 7 to 8.30 p.m.
Don’t just throw away your pumpkins
Recycle your compostable Halloween decorations and pumpkins every Wednesday in November. This includes Halloween pumpkins, cornstalks, and hay bales. Just place them with your leaves for pickup in front of your house. Stop by the Secaucus DPW garage at 370 Secaucus Rd. to pick up free compostable leaf bags. Or drop your pumpkins off at either the Secaucus Animal Shelter or across from Recreation Center.
Pallets will be set up for the month of November only to collect all compostable Halloween decorations.
Library and Barnes & Noble sponsor Bookfair at Clifton Commons on Dec. 4
In an effort to raise funds for their ongoing technology and multicultural programming initiatives as well as to purchase more books for the children’s and adult’s collections in the library, the Friends of the Secaucus Public Library and Business Resource Center is working with Barnes & Noble Booksellers to host a Bookfair on Friday, Dec. 4 from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. at the B&N store in Clifton Commons, 395 Route 3 East.
Barnes & Noble will contribute a percentage of every sale made with a special Bookfair voucher to the Friends of the Secaucus Public Library. “Purchases can include books, Nooks, CDs, DVDs, stationary, chocolates and specialty gift items, toys, games, puzzles, even food and beverages from the Starbucks cafe located inside the Barnes & Noble store,” said Friends of the Library President Karyn Lusskin. “The only exclusions are gift cards and e-books. We are hoping that members of our community use this one-day Bookfair as an opportunity to shop not only for themselves but also for family and friends of all ages. It is a great way to do a wide variety of holiday shopping while also supporting our library.”
Added Library Director Jenifer May, “A percentage of Bookfair sales will underwrite the purchase of new equipment and materials for ongoing Friends initiatives like our Mobile Makerspace and our multicultural programming for the new year. In addition, our library will be creating a wish list for titles to enhance its own library collection. Bookfair supporters may choose books from an in-store wish list display to purchase for the library.”
Vouchers will be available online at secaucuslibrary.org, and in hard copy at the library. Shopping can also be done online in support of the Friends of the Library at bn.com/bookfairs from Dec. 4 to 9. Include the Bookfair voucher ID on the payment page during checkout. For more information, call (201) 330-2083 x4011 or email may@secaucus.bccls.org.
Free event ‘Birds and Beans: Simple Ways to Save Migratory Birds’ is on Nov. 13
Join Scott Weidensaul, one of the nation’s leading naturalists and birding authors, as he discusses ways to help the plight of migratory birds on Friday, Nov. 13 at 7:30 p.m. at the Meadowlands Environment Center, Two DeKorte Park Plaza, Lyndhurst.
Weidensaul is the author of more than two dozen books, including Pulitzer Prize finalist “Living on the Wind.” Weidensaul’s latest book: “The Peterson Reference Guide to Owls of North America and the Caribbean,” will be available for purchase and signing. For more information, email greatauk4@gmail.com or call (201) 230-4983.
Nonfiction book group to start at library Jan. 7
The Secaucus Public Library will offer a nonfiction book discussion at 7 p.m. the first Thursday of every month beginning Jan. 7, 2016. The group will meet in the NBA conference room on the library’s second floor. Discussions are expected to last between 60 to 90 minutes and are geared towards adults over the age of 18. The January meeting will focus on the recent bestseller, “Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania” by Erik Larson.
“Larson’s book details one of the great disasters of maritime history,” said Dale Evanson, the coordinator of the book club. “It was written to commemorate the sinking of the luxury passenger liner by a German U-boat during World War I. Nearly 1,200 people, including 128 Americans, lost their lives and the event played a key role in changing America’s view against Germany, helping influence America’s eventual declaration of war.”
The group will follow up with an even more popular bestseller. On Feb. 4, they will meet to discuss “The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.” by Daniel James Brown. This book celebrates the American Olympic triumph of nine working-class boys detailing their challenges and victories during the Depression through pre-war Germany.
Evanson noted, “These great books offer the opportunity for lively discussion. While many book clubs focus on fiction, a well-written work of nonfiction can also present readers with a lot of thought-provoking material. I am hoping that readers come to this discussion group with strong feeling about these books, either positive or negative, and a readiness to delve deeper into the themes and issues they raise.”
Copies of both books are available at the Secaucus Public Library, as well as a limited number of e-book copies. Registration for the discussion group is strongly encouraged and can be done through the library’s website or by calling Library Director Jenifer May at (201) 330-2083 x4011.
Secaucus Police Dept. seeks qualified candidates
Police Department applications are available at the Town Administrator’s office, 1203 Paterson Plank Road, 2nd floor, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. The deadline to apply is Dec. 4 at 4 p.m. The examination date is Saturday, Dec. 12. The test fee is $125.
Applicants must possess a high school diploma or equivalent and have earned not less than 60 credits from an accredited college or university when appointed or two years of full time active service in the U.S. Military; service in the Reserve Component or National Guard equates to 2.5 college credits for each month of full time service or .25 college credits for each full day of “drill or annual training” status.
Must be 21 years old on the date of written examination and must not reach 35th birthday prior to the date of appointment. Must be a U.S. Citizen and New Jersey resident (Secaucus residents receive preference). Must have a valid driver’s license. Must pass written, physical fitness, and oral examinations.