Councilwoman Pirro honored by Hudson County for Women’s History Month
Secaucus Councilwoman Susan Pirro was honored on Wednesday, March 23 by Hudson County as one of several women in public service and government. Pirro was recognized for serving the Town of Secaucus as councilwoman and as council liaison to the Secaucus Animal Shelter, Board of Health, and Office of Emergency Management.
Pirro also volunteers for the Secaucus Youth Alliance and advocates for the care and protection of animals as a member of the Friends of Secaucus Animal Shelter. She has served as president of the PTA at both the middle school and high school and was an elected member of the Board of Education for six years. Pirro has received numerous awards for her public service, including the NJ State Legislature Outstanding Community Service Award, Secaucus High School Community Honor Roll Award, and American Cancer Society Bronze Star Award.
The Hudson County Women’s History Month committee solicits nominations from community leaders and public officials. The annual program was established as part of Women’s History Month 10 years ago by County Executive Tom DeGise and the Board of Chosen Freeholders to recognize and acknowledge women of achievement from numerous generations in Hudson County.
“When the county asked me to nominate a deserving woman for this honor, I immediately thought of Sue Pirro,” said Mayor Michael Gonnelli. “She is a committed and determined public servant who always does what’s best for Secaucus. I speak not only for myself but for the entire council when I say that Sue is a valued member of our administration. We are very proud and congratulate Sue and her family on this prestigious award.”
Wear purple in support of epilepsy awareness on Saturday, March 26
People from around the globe will be joining together to wear purple to raise awareness about epilepsy on March 26.
In 2008, a fourth grade student named Cassidy Megan extended a challenge to people of the world to stand up and show their support for those living with this life-altering neurological disorder. The day took on a more personal note when Secaucus Mayor Michael Gonnelli and the Town Council officially proclaimed the day in 2012 in support of then nine-year-old Donald Cieciuch, who had been diagnosed with epilepsy when he was five. Now an eighth grade honor student at Secaucus Middle School, Donald has become a spokesperson to not only bring awareness to the disease, but to ensure that people know what to do if they encounter someone having a seizure.
Epilepsy affects over three million people in the United States and 50 million people worldwide. In addition, one in 10 people will have a seizure during his or her lifetime.
Despite epilepsy being a major national health concern, the public is often unable to recognize common seizure types or how to respond with appropriate first aid. Consequently, persons with epilepsy often face social stigmas and discrimination.
Donations can be made directly to The Anita Kaufmann Foundation, PO Box 11, New Milford, NJ 07646 or by visiting akfus.org or purpleday.org.
Responses requested to FEMA flood mitigation grant questionnaire
Certain residents in flood prone areas have received a letter requesting information regarding past flood incidents. The questionnaire may be submitted online by using a form on the town website at secaucusnj.gov. Note: if you did not receive a letter requesting information, disregard this notice.
FEMA has allocated $25 million as part of a new grant cycle for flood protection projects and is inviting towns to submit projects for consideration. The current Secaucus administration has been working on plans to develop a flood wall to provide a level of protection to local homes during storms and tidal surges. One of the most important requirements of the grant is to show how much damage this flood wall would prevent. In order to ascertain this figure and to give the grant application the greatest chance for approval, the township is requesting the assistance of residents, who can fill out the online questionnaire regarding the extent of flooding and damage in local neighborhoods. This information is vital to explain the flooding issues and will serve as supporting documentation for the Department of Environmental Protection. Please fill out the questionnaire as soon as possible.
For questions contact Scott Goodman at the Office of the Town Engineer at (201) 624-2137 or at scott.goodman@rve.com.
Community Ball tickets available now
The annual Community Ball will take place beginning at 7 p.m. on April 23 at LaReggia Restaurant, 40 Wood Ave. Proceeds will benefit the volunteer fire department.
Seating is limited and the event is expected to sell out quickly. For tickets call Susan Flanagan at (201) 330-2059.
HS students participate in ‘2016 Girls in Technology Symposium’
Four Secaucus High School students attended the “2016 Girls in Technology Symposium” on Wednesday, March 16, along with nearly 200 female students from 14 high schools around the county. The third annual event was held at the Hudson County Community College (HCCC) Culinary Arts Conference Center in Jersey City. The day-long event showcased opportunities for women in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields and the innovative contributions women are making. The students also competed in a project display contest themed “Technology: The Past, Present and Future.”
Secaucus High School juniors Rebecca Higgins and Kayla Nicolich presented their project “Biotechnology in Agriculture” at the symposium. The project focused on the beneficial effects of biotechnology. They highlighted the debate on GMOs vs. non-GMO products, in addition to discussing other technological advancements in the field. Seniors Hannah Faye Canonigo and Juliet Nowak presented their robotics project and discussed the multitude of benefits robots provide to our society. They created various simple robots that allowed individuals to interact with them, and also taught others how they can make their own.
Students watched several demonstrations including a 3-D mechanical hand, energy turbines, robotics, and other fabrications. The girls also attended workshops on coding and 3-D printing.
Student celebrate ‘Pi Day’ on 3/14
Students from Secaucus Middle School and High School celebrated Pi Day on March 14 (3.14). Pi Day, celebrated around the world, is extra special this year because the date 3.14.16 matches the first four rounded digits after the decimal point, making it “Rounded Pi Day.” Pi represents the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. This ratio is the same for all circles of any size and is approximately 3.14.
Pi is also unique because it is an irrational number, which means it will continue infinitely without repetition or pattern. It has been calculated to over one trillion digits beyond its decimal point. Only a few digits are useful when solving problems, but it is definitely a fun challenge to memorize and calculate more digits.
The number pi is extremely useful when solving geometry problems involving circles. Secaucus High School students taking Geometry recently finished up a unit on circles. On Pi Day the high school geometry students continued to add on to their never ending pi border that they started last year.
Secaucus Middle School students worked on creative projects and presented their work to their classmates on Pi Day. Students in the eighth grade presented pieces of artwork, songs, poems, and videos that demonstrated their understanding of pi. Some students even recited as many digits of pi as they could. Seventh grade students worked on a creative circle project. They used the radius and diameter of their circles along with pi to calculate the area and circumference of their artwork.
‘Light It Up Blue’ for World Autism Awareness Day on April 2
New Jersey leads the nation with 1 in 42 children diagnosed with autism. Show your support for the autism community by lighting your business blue on April 2 – World Autism Awareness Day.
Each April 2, the international autism community celebrates the United Nations-sanctioned World Autism Awareness Day and kicks off Autism Awareness Month. In honor of this historic day, iconic landmarks like the Eiffel Tower “Light It Up Blue.”
Your participation in this campaign will help shine a bright light on the growing health crisis of autism, which affects 1 in 68 American children and approximately 70 million people across the globe.
The goal is to show support from all corners of the state for families – your customers, your employees – whose daily lives are affected by autism.
Celebrate Holi on April 3
The Town of Secaucus and the Indian Caucus of Secaucus invite all to attend Holi – The Festival of Colors on April 3 from 12 to 3 p.m. at Mill Creek Point on Mill Creek Road. The event is co-sponsored by the Sindhi Association of New Jersey. “Like” the Indian Caucus of Secaucus Facebook page for updates.
Register now for town-wide garage sale on April 30
The town wide garage sale is scheduled for April 30 (rain date May 1). Call Judy at (201) 330-2034 before April 15 to put your address on the list that will be posted online and in the newspaper.
East Coast Comicon returns to Secaucus
After rocking the Jersey Shore with the Asbury Park Comicon, comics artist and promoter Cliff Galbraith created the first East Coast Comicon at the Meadowlands Exposition Center last year. This year the event is even bigger and better, with a host of comic creators and media personalities from the mainstream to the deep underground.
While many conventions have drifted away from comics and focused on other media, East Coast Comicon keeps the emphasis on the original medium and the artists who create it. The event runs Saturday and Sunday, April 16 and 17 at the Meadowlands Expo Center, with panels each day on topics like “Art and Comic Book Art,” “Making Comics,” and a discussion on Harvey Kurtzman, the legendary creator of Mad Magazine. Over 60 comics creators are scheduled to attend, including some of the best-known and most-revered personalities from the 1960s to today. Come get your items signed or find a treasure from any of the hundreds of exhibitors.
Tickets and information are available online at eastcoastcomicon.com.
Peace walk and international festival is April 17
People to People International’s GIFT chapter, in collaboration with the Town of Secaucus, cordially invite residents to celebrate diversity on Global Youth Service Day, Sunday, April 17.
The theme for this free, all-ages program is “Peace through Understanding.” The day begins with a two-mile peace walk beginning at the Recreation Center, 1200 Koelle Blvd. at noon, progressing through Mill Creek Point Park and back to the Rec Center. This will be followed by an International Festival from 1 to 4 p.m., with food tastings of over 30 different types of dishes, including vegetarian dishes. Live music and performance will be provided every hour and beverages will be available for purchase. For more information call (201) 456-4669 or (201) 320-8491
Library offers free course in preparing for citizenship test
The deadline to register for the seven-week free citizenship preparation course offered at the Secaucus Public Library is fast approaching. Classes will be held from 9 to 10:30 a.m. on Saturdays from April 2 through May 14.
If interested, call (201) 330-2083 ext. 4014 or email Gladys.tous@secaucus.bccls.org.
Anti-mosquito pesticides may be applied throughout Hudson County
Information regarding the Hudson Regional Health Commission’s Mosquito Control Program is available online. Pesticides for the control of adult mosquitoes may be applied on an area-wide basis throughout Hudson County, as needed, during the period of April 1 to Nov. 30.
For updated information on time and location of adult mosquito control application, call (201) 223-1133 or visit the Health Commission website at http://www.hudsonregional.org/mosquito/.
Prieto introduces pre-K expansion legislation
Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto introduced bipartisan legislation last month to expand New Jersey’s high-quality preschool program to more than 100 New Jersey communities. While New Jersey has one of the most successful and high-quality public preschool programs in the country, fewer than 40 communities have access to one of these programs. The legislation sponsored by Prieto calls for the implementation of a 2008 law that expanded preschool programs to more than 100 school districts and provides a specific funding source to support this expansion.
“As the leader of the Assembly, Speaker Prieto has been fighting to break the cycles of poverty throughout the state,” said Sam Crane of Pre-K Our Way, a nonprofit, statewide effort that helps New Jersey’s communities bring high-quality pre-k to their children. “A solid foundation of preschool education is a pathway to that end goal, providing kids with important developmental tools and skills that they may not have access to otherwise. What Speaker Prieto understands, as do advocates for preschool expansion throughout New Jersey, is that there are kids in communities around the state who need this early education opportunity and access to pre-k shouldn’t depend upon a child’s zip code.”
In introducing the legislation last month Prieto said, “Pre-k is an important building block in our necessary work to fight poverty in NJ. In my own district, there are five communities that have immediate need for 3- and 4- year olds pre-k and would benefit from expansion: East Newark, Fairview, Guttenberg, Kearny, and North Bergen.”
Also targeted for access to high quality preschools in Hudson County are Bayonne and Weehawken. Already funded by the existing program are Hoboken, Jersey City, Union City, and West New York.
Secaucus school district hosts local Realtors Day
The Secaucus school district hosted a Realtors Day for local real estate agents on Friday, March 11. The purpose of the day was to familiarize local realtors with the district through an orientation and a tour of all four school buildings.
Participating in the day were realtors from various local real estate agencies who sell homes in Secaucus. The realtors were greeted by school and municipal elected officials, provided handouts on district data and information, and given an overview of the elementary and secondary instructional programs.
Realtors were taken on tours of each of the school buildings in the district by the principals and PTA presidents. They were also provided with presentations on different aspects of the school system by High School Principal Dr. Robert Berckes, Clarendon School Principal Steve Viggiani, Board of Education President John Gerbasio, Interim Superintendent of Schools Ken Knops, and Mayor Michael Gonnelli. Supervisor of Security Michael Makarski provided an overview of the security measures in place in each school building and the district’s desire to provide the safest possible school environment.
Reserve your tickets now for ‘Fiddler on the Roof’
The mayor and Town Council invite Secaucus residents to see “Fiddler on the Roof” on Thursday, April 28. Tickets are $36 for mezzanine seats. The bus will leave at 5 p.m. from the Recreation Center.
Tickets must be purchased by March 29. For information call Lisa Snedeker at (201) 617-5917.
Recreation summer day camp job applications available online
The Town of Secaucus’s recreation summer day camp program is looking for camp directors and counselors for the 2016 camp season. Applications are being accepted from March 15 through May 15. The summer day camp programs start July 5 and run thru Aug. 19. Hours of operation are Monday thru Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Applications and additional information about requirements and available positions are available on the town website at secaucusnj.gov.
Friends of the Library to offer scholarship for college-bound students
The Friends of the Secaucus Public Library will offer a $1,000 scholarship this year to one qualifying Secaucus resident who is planning to start college in the fall of 2016. Library Director Jenifer May noted that the goal of the Friends’ scholarship is to encourage and aid local residents in their pursuit of a college education.
Friends of the Library President Karyn Lusskin pointed out that the organization has a long-standing tradition of awarding scholarships to graduate students pursuing masters degrees in library and information science, and that the intent of this additional scholarship is to reach out to a younger and larger community of college-bound high school students. “We hope that by offering this scholarship, we are not only helping to promote higher education within our community, but also encouraging students to think of our library as a partner in achieving their academic goals,” she said. “As part of the application process, we will be asking students to reflect on the importance of the library in their own lives, and we hope that their responses become part of a larger dialogue between local students and our organization.”
A number of criteria must be met to apply for the scholarship. Applicants must be Secaucus residents eligible to start their first year at a two or four-year college in the fall of 2016. They must have a valid Secaucus Public Library card or obtain one by showing a Secaucus High School ID or any government issued photo ID and proof of Secaucus residency at the library’s first floor circulation desk. Other criteria are listed on the application forms available from the Secaucus High School guidance office, the library itself, or online at secaucuslibrary.org.
The deadline for submitting applications is Monday, April 4. For additional information, contact (201) 330-2083 x4011 or email may@secaucus.bccls.org.
Registration opens for Take Control of Your Life series at library
Are you an adult age 18 or older with an ongoing health condition, or a caregiver for someone with a chronic disease? If so, then the free six-week Take Control of Your Health workshop series may be for you. Starting on Wednesday, April 6, the Secaucus Public Library will be partnering with the Bergen-Hudson Chronic Disease Coalition to offer a free series aimed at helping residents manage life with a chronic disease or other chronic health condition.
If you have conditions such as diabetes, arthritis, high blood pressure, heart disease, chronic pain, depression, anxiety, or addictions, this workshop can help you take charge of your life. “Participants will get the support they need, find practical ways to deal with pain and fatigue, discover better nutrition and exercise choices, understand new treatment choices, and learn better ways to talk with their doctors and family about their health,” said Albert Ferrara, who is coordinating the program on behalf of the Bergen-Hudson Chronic Disease Coalition. “The workshops are led by trained volunteers who have chronic conditions themselves and can share first-hand knowledge of the challenges of managing these conditions.”
Workshops will take place at the library from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on the following Wednesdays: April 6, 13, 20, 27 and May 4 and 11. Enrollment is mandatory and limited to the first 20 registrants. “In order to get the full benefit of the series,” explained Library Director Jenifer May, “registrants are asked to commit to attending all six classes. All participants who complete the series will receive a free book and a certificate of completion. Refreshments will be provided at each workshop as well.”
For more information or to register, contact May at (201) 330-2083 x4011 or email may@secaucus.bccls.org.
2nd Annual Lupus Walk will be May 1
The Second Annual Hudson County Lupus Walk, including a day of family-friendly activities, will take place May 1 in Lincoln Park, Jersey City, beginning at 8 a.m. Donations for individual walkers are $10 and you can sign up for the walk or simply to donate at daddysunshine.com or at hudsoncountylupusdwalk.org. For more information call (551) 689-0500.
Boy Scout Troop 22 Pasta Dinner is May 13
Come to the Secaucus Boy Scout Troop 22 Pasta Dinner on Friday, May 13 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at St. Matthew Lutheran Church, 800 Roosevelt Ave.
The donation is $10. Children 8 years old or younger are free.
Hackensack Riverkeeper launches 2016 Eco-Program season
The clean water advocacy group Hackensack Riverkeeper is poised to provide thousands of people with an enjoyable and educational experience of the river, its watershed, and wildlife. Riverkeeper’s eco-cruises, guided paddles, boat rentals, river cleanups, bird-walks, and indoor presentations combine environmental education with public service and fun. The new season begins Earth Day Weekend (April 23-24) with the re-opening of the organization’s Paddling Center at Laurel Hill Park in Secaucus and Overpeck Park Kayak Center in Teaneck. The Eco-Program season runs through the end of October.
Forty Open Eco-Cruises are scheduled from May 1 through Oct. 15 aboard the 30-foot research vessels Geraldine Theresa and Robert H. Boyle II, which joined the fleet last year. This is Hackensack Riverkeeper’s signature environmental education program. Open trips are great for individuals, couples and families and can be had for a program donation of $25-$30 per person for adults, or $10 for kids ages 4-12. Three distinct Eco-Cruise itineraries are offered, including Meadowlands Discovery, which explores the wetlands & creeks of the river’s estuary. Charter Eco-Cruises can also be arranged for groups of up to 28 adults for any available date/time from May 2 through Oct. 31. Call Capt. Hugh Carola at (201) 968-0808 x102 or e-mail hugh@hackensackriverkeeper.orgfor more info or to book a trip.
Located on the river at Laurel Hill County Park in Secaucus, the Paddling Center is open weekends from Saturday, April 23 through Sunday, Oct. 30, weather permitting. It offers the use of canoes and kayaks for a donation of $25 per paddler (two-paddler minimum) for up to four hours for independent exploration. Eleven scheduled guided paddles will be conducted by center staff including nine popular full (and near-full) moon paddles. Program donation is $30 per paddler, or $15 per paddler for those their own boat(s). Private group paddle tours can be arranged by contacting Capt. Hugh Carola at the number above.
River cleanups give people of all ages the opportunity to give back to the environment and their communities. These active conservation events are scheduled at 11 different waterside locations within the Hackensack River Watershed from April 23 through Nov. 6. Riverkeeper provides cleanup tools and supplies as well as refreshments for all volunteers. All they ask is that everyone pitch in and help rid local waterways of litter and other debris. For more information about river cleanups including group participation and the organization’s Corporate River Stewardship Program, call Outreach and Volunteer Coordinator Caitlin Doran at (201) 968-0808 x105 or e-mail Outreach@HackensackRiverkeeper.org.
Information on all Hackensack Riverkeeper Eco-Programs, including descriptions and schedules, is available at hackensackriverkeeper.org.