Wondolowski resigns; will leave at end of week
Municipal Services Director Robert Wondolowski has resigned and will be leaving his post on Dec. 31.
He joined the administration in July of last year after working on then-candidate James Davis’s mayoral campaign during that winter and spring.
Wondolowski said he is leaving the administration for health reasons and to care for his ailing father.
“My mother can’t do it alone,” he said. “This is one of those times in life that you have to step up and do the right thing for your family.”
A divorced father, he also said he wants to spend more time with his children, aged 14, 12, and 7.
“I had been thinking about it for a month,” he said on Dec. 26. “I have a lot of personal things going on.”
Wondolowski oversaw a number of city departments. He was also charged with leading Bayonne’s development efforts.
During his tenure, he worked with Mayor Davis and City Business Administrator Joseph DeMarco to bring in companies interested in developing at the Peninsula at Bayonne Harbor and other sites throughout the city.
Wondolowski said his staff, and the administration achieved a lot in the year and a half he was a city director.
“We got the deals at the base closed. We have things on Broadway, and the Baker project at the old Hi-Hat,” he said. “We have a lot of good things going on to help Bayonne’s economic future. And I think they were thoughtfully done, to make sure they made economic sense.”
Sires resolution condemning press attacks passes House
H.Res. 536, a resolution condemning attacks on press freedoms in the western hemisphere and introduced by Congressman Albio Sires, successfully passed in the House of Representatives by a vote of 399 to 2 on Dec. 16.
The resolution was introduced with bipartisan support, with Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) serving as the lead Republican cosponsor.
Sires said, “Growing up in Cuba, I saw how the Castro brothers took over the island by ruthlessly silencing anyone who dared to speak out against their undemocratic and unfair tactics. Since then, I have strongly believed that freedom of speech is a fundamental right.”
H.Res. 536 supports a free press in Latin America and the Caribbean by condemning violations of press freedom and violence against journalists, bloggers, and individuals exercising their right to freedom of speech.
“I look forward to working with my colleagues as we continue to engage with our neighbors in the hemisphere and work to raise up the voices of those who are fighting for free speech,” Sires said.
Toastmasters hosting Youth Leadership Program
Hudson Toastmasters of Bayonne will be hosting its first Youth Leadership Program on Wednesdays from 6 to 8 p.m. from Jan. 6 until Feb. 24.
The program enables participants to develop communication and leadership skills through practical experience.
It is open to those ages 12 to 17, and will be held at the Bayonne Senior Center, 16 West 4th St.
Participants will learn to evaluate their present speaking ability; organize and give speeches; give impromptu talks; control their voices, vocabulary and gestures; and give constructive feedback.
Each participant will be given a workbook which will outline skills that will be developed at the eight workshops.
After the completion of the program, participants will be given their graduation certificates at a special banquet.
For more information, contact BayonneToastmasters@gmail.com or call (551) 998-4179.
CASA announces next two public information sessions
Are you interested in making a difference in a child’s life?
Hudson County CASA is recruiting everyday people to advocate for local foster children. CASA volunteers get to know a child and ensure that assistance and services are made available while helping to secure a permanent home for him or her.
“Our volunteers improve children’s quality of life and prepare them for a more successful future,” said Development Coordinator Melissa Hull.
Attend an information session to learn more about CASA and how to become a volunteer.
The group’s next two sessions will be held Wednesday, Jan. 6 at 7:30 p.m. at Hudson Tavern in Hoboken and Tuesday, Jan. 12 at 6:30 p.m. in Room 901 of the Hudson County Administration Building, 595 Newark Ave., Jersey City.
For more information, call (201) 795-9855, e-mail fmendez@hudsoncountycasa.org, or visit hudsoncountycasa.org.
First Sunday of the Month Nature Walk scheduled
The New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority has announced that its First Sunday of the Month Nature Walk will be held on Jan. 3 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Mill Creek Marsh in Secaucus.
“Join us at Mill Creek Marsh and ring in the new year with our first nature walk of 2016, led by the Bergen County Audubon Society,” said spokesman Brian Aberback.
Walk attendees will be looking for winter waterfowl and other birds of interest.
“You’ll also see the dozens of stumps of Atlantic White Cedars in the marsh, the last vestiges of a primeval forest that once covered a third of the Meadowlands for hundreds of years,” Aberback said.
Attendees should park in Mill Creek Mall, next to Bob’s Discount Furniture, and meet at the entrance to the Mill Creek Marsh Trail.
For more information, call (201) 230-4983 or email greatauk4@gmail.com.