Stevens president to resign
Last year, New Jersey Attorney General Anne Milgram filed a lawsuit against the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, alleging mismanagement and overcompensation. Stevens fired back with a lawsuit of their own, but the two sides reached a settlement last week.
According to Stevens officials, Stevens President Harold Raveche has agreed to resign his position June 30, 2010. However, Raveche will become a consultant during the leadership transition.
Stevens agreed to: Governance improvements, including bylaw amendments; a requirement that the entire board approve large financial investments; a rotation of appointments for committee members and chairs; and appointment of a non-trustee financial expert to the Audit Committee.
All elements of the agreement are to be implemented by June 30, 2011, according to Stevens. Some have already been implemented.
“We will also seek increased faculty representations on board committees,” Board Chairman Lawrence Babbio said via press release. Babbio was also named in Milgram’s lawsuit, but will remain in his position.
According to Stevens, the board has also asked retired New Jersey Chief Justice James R. Zazzali to continue making recommendations on governance improvements.
High school principal resigns
Hoboken High School Principle Dr. Lorraine Cella will be resigning no later than March 15, according to a letter she sent to parents in the district.
Interim Superintendent Peter Carter and Cella were not immediately available for comment Friday.
Reports claim Cella will take an assistant principal position in South Plainfield. She was only at the school for a few years, but the high school was noted in a state publication for its turnaround.
Cella’s letter invited parents and students to schedule time to sit and speak about the transition period.
Special budget workshop planned
The City Council finalized the details of a special budget workshop meeting on Saturday, Jan. 30 from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in City Council Chambers, 94 Washington St.
Finance Committee Chairperson Michael Lenz said the council will try to have city directors at the meeting to answer council questions.
Lenz said the meeting will be public, but residents will not be able to address the directors directly. Rather, he said, taxpayers can forward their questions to a councilperson beforehand to be asked.
The public will also be able to speak out at a public budget hearing at a future meeting before the council makes a final vote.
Playgrounds fundraiser
The Hoboken Family Alliance and Ariele’s Apothecary, 80 Park Ave., are hosting a fundraising event for Project Play, a local group interested in maintaining Hoboken’s playgrounds, on Thursday, Jan. 21 from 7 to 9 p.m.
The Wellness and Spa Night will feature mini-services by the Apothecary’s skilled therapists, such as massage, reiki, and reflexology, as well as raffles for free treatments and gift bags. Baked goods will be provided by Dawn Pascale of Simply Home Goods.
Admission is $25 per person and all proceeds will go towards the potential renovation of Hoboken’s Church Square Park.
For more information, call (201) 526-4684 or e-mail info@arielesapothecary.com.
Ex-freeholder appointed to arts council
Maurice Fitzgibbons, former county freeholder from Hoboken, was appointed to the NJ State Council on the Arts by Gov. Jon Corzine last week. Fitzgibbons begins a three-year term as a member of the statewide service agency that ensures that New Jersey’s artists and cultural organizations are strong financially, operationally, and artistically
A former state director of ethnic affairs, Fitzgibbons also served as the administrator of the Hudson County Office of Cultural & Heritage Affairs.
Free classes offered for family members of those with mental illness
NAMI Hudson County, an affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is a countywide support group that holds meetings for families whose members suffer from mental illness. NAMI is conducting free classes to train family members on how to help each other and their mentally ill relatives.
The classes will focus on schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, clinical depression, panic disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Course topics include clinical treatment of these illnesses and coping mechanisms for families.
The course is offered to parents/caregivers of children and adolescents with mental health issues. NAMI NJ-trained family members will teach the six-week course. All classes and course materials are free.
Pre-registration is required and the class size is limited. Please call Martha Silva at (201) 861-0614 or email namihudson@msn.com.
NAMI also conducts monthly meetings in Hudson County in Spanish and English. They are open to all area residents. To find out more, contact Martha at namihudson@msn.com.