Hudson County chapter of Jaycees forms
Orange Mayor Eldridge Hawkins Jr., State President of the New Jersey Jaycees, also known as the Junior Chamber of Commerce, announced last week the launching of a new local chapter, the Hudson County Jaycees.
The new chapter was incorporated on Friday, Dec. 4, and its first meeting was held on Monday, Dec. 7 at 7 p.m. at 84 Washington St., Room 84 in Hoboken. Forty people attended.
The President of the new organization is Zach Edelman, 34, a Hoboken resident and Director of Business Development for Fairview Insurance Agency Associates.
Hudson County Jaycees are committed to giving back to the community. In their first charity event, the chapter is sponsoring a Toys for Tots Program to provide holiday gifts for disadvantaged children. They will be collecting unwrapped toys, gift cards and donations throughout December and will be giving them to children chosen by the Hoboken Housing Authority.
“The new generation of Hudson County was in need of a vehicle to unite and bring like minded individuals together,” Edelman said. “That vehicle is the Hudson County Jaycees. There are endless opportunities for involvement in the areas of philanthropy, business and social networking and personal development countywide. Our mission is to offer value to the communities of Hudson County and its members.”
Historically the JAYCEES, composed of people between the ages of 18 and 41, has been very influential. Jaycees helped establish Airmail services in America with Jaycee Charles Lindbergh and have raised millions of dollars for organizations such as the American Cancer Society and the March of Dimes to name just a few. The purpose is to give young adults the tools they need to build success in business development, management skills, individual training, community service, and networking. The Jaycees teach leadership skills through service to others.
At the event were Hudson County Freeholder Anthony Romano, Hoboken Councilman Ravi Bhalla, Borough of Roselle Council President Jamel Holley, and Jersey City Councilman Steve Fulop.
To join the Hudson County Jaycees or for more information about the chapter, contact Zach Edelman, (973) 857-0870, zedelman@fairviewinsurance.com.
For more information about the New Jersey Jaycees, visit www.njjaycees.com
Parents believe medication led to suicide
According to a story posted a week ago on the Record of Hackensack’s website, the parents of Derek Lagos, 13, a Secaucus Middle School student who committed suicide two months ago, are questioning whether his acne medicine led to his death.
The story says, “Derek Lagos was a soccer star who dreamed of going pro, a good student on his way to a prestigious prep school and a popular kid who made friends even with rivals on the playing field. The 13-year-old Secaucus Middle School student had no history of depression, according to his parents, who said he was by all accounts a happy, focused kid. However on Oct. 12, after a normal day of school — capped off by light-hearted joking with friends on the bus — Derek killed himself moments after arriving home.
“That evening, police asked his mom if he was on any medication. Immediately, her thoughts went to Derek’s acne medication Sotret and the dermatologist’s mention that the son of a politician had committed suicide while taking the name brand Accutane.”
The story notes that Lagos left no note and that “Secaucus police recently said they found nothing on Derek’s iPod, cell phone and computer to explain the suicide, reinforcing Schultze-Lagos’ belief that the drug is to blame.”
More than a thousand people have joined a Facebook group to remember Lagos.
Memorial for the homeless
On Monday, Dec. 21 – the first day of winter and the longest night of the year – a coalition led by Jersey City Episcopal Community Development Corporation and the Church of the Incarnation will host Hudson County’s first interfaith Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day. The service will be held at the Church of the Incarnation at 68 Storms Ave. in Jersey City at 1 p.m.
This memorial service will remember friends and loved ones who have passed away from causes related to homelessness and will raise awareness that people are still living and dying on the streets.
There are many ways to participate in the service. People are invited to submit the names of deceased homeless persons, invite homeless clients to attend, and contribute or solicit contributions of socks, hats, gloves, and scarves. The items will be distributed to homeless guests at the service.
The ceremony will also include a tribute to the late Deacon Joe Del Monte, who fed countless homeless people on the streets of Jersey City every week. Del Monte was the founder of St. Francis Workshop, a program that provides food and clothing to the less fortunate out of a storefront in the Lafayette section of the city.
To drop off donations or for further information, please visit hudson.homeless.memorial@ gmail.com or call (201) 604-2600, ext. 209.
NJ Transit awards first ARC tunneling contract
The NJ Transit Board last week awarded a $583 million contract to two companies to construct a one-mile portion of the ARC project. The ARC – which stands for Access to the Region’s Core – is the new mass transit tunnel that is expected to increase rail capacity from New Jersey to New York from 46,000 rush hour riders each day to 90,000.
The multi-million dollar contract was awarded to a joint venture between Judlau Contracting Inc. and Barnard of New Jersey, the lowest of three bids received.
The project is being built by NJ Transit and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
The Port Authority will contribute $3 billion toward the project cost. The federal government has also pledged $3 billion. Another $2.7 billion is expected to come from a combination of other federal funds.
NJ Transit is still accepting bids for the Hudson River and Palisades segments of the portions of the tunnel. Commuters should be able to ride the ARC in late 2013 or early 2014.