WNY school board election slated for Nov. 8
Eight candidates are running for three spots in West New York’s Nov. 8 Board of Education race. They include two slates – the Children First slate, backed by Mayor Felix Roque, and Save Our Schools. Children First includes incumbent board trustee David Morel, Board President Adam Parkinson, and Planning Board member Jose Alcantara. Save Our Schools features Alex Navas, a Town Hall employee, Melinda Saunders, a supply chain manager, and Ron Scheurle, a local funeral home director. There are also two independents running: John Smith, and Juan Carlos Alvarado, who previously ran for a two-year term on the board in 2014.
Recently, news sources reported that a longstanding teacher contract dispute is being resolved.
The polls are open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Contact your city clerk’s office for more specific voting information.
Author holds local reading and Q&A
The public is invited to meet and greet author and Weehawken resident Theresa “Terrie” Borrelli as reads from her book “A Mountain Always Climbed,” which she describes as “a flow of charismatic poetry ranging from nature, friendship, love, philosophy and much more.” The reading will be Sunday, Nov. 6 at 2 p.m., at the Weehawken Public Library, 9 Hauxhurst Ave. Weehawken.
Borrelli, a poet, writer, and former DJ and college professor, has lived in West New York and North Bergen, and has written about bullying and other issues.
Help foster children find permanent homes Nov. 1
Learn how to become a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) volunteer and help foster children find safe and permanent homes. You may attend an information session at the Hudson County Courthouse, 595 Newark Ave. Rm. 901 on Tuesday, Nov. 1 at 6:30 p.m. For further information, visit www.hudsoncountycasa.org
Hudson participates in prescription drug take-back day
The National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day that took place recently, sponsored by the Drug Enforcement Administration, provided citizens with a safe, convenient, and responsible means for disposing prescription drugs, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse.
The Hudson County Coalition for a Drug-Free Community (HCCDFC) focuses on reducing youth substance use in Hudson County. Yaisa Coronado, program director for the Coalition said, “Prescription drug take back days are an easy, yet important way to improve the quality of life in our communities. By safely disposing of unused and expired prescription medications, there is less availability and access for potential misuse and abuse.”
Collection sites were set up in Secaucus, West New York, the Hudson County Sheriff’s Department offices, North Bergen, and Union City.
Additional temporary collection sites were set up across Hudson County, in many police stations, neighborhood pharmacies, schools and senior citizen centers.
Erin Delaney, coordinator for the coalition commented, “Take Back Days are significant not only because they bring awareness to the emerging health concern of prescription drug abuse, but they lessen the possibility of youth experimenting with forgotten prescriptions left in homes.”
In 2014 the Hudson County Coalition conducted a school survey and middle and high school students self-reported that 15.5 percent of Rx users got their drugs from “my home without permission.” 61 percent of the students surveyed thought it was “not likely at all” or “somewhat not likely” to be caught by police if they took some prescription drugs not prescribed to them.
The Hudson County Coalition encourages residents to take inventory of their prescription and over-the-counter medicines. Some helpful tips include:
• Take your medicine(s) exactly as prescribed, do not share prescriptions.
• Secure medicines in a locked chest, this will help curtail theft from those who might abuse or sell the medicine.
• Talk to your children about the dangers of prescription drug abuse.
The Coalition appreciates and wants to thank all of the Hudson County municipalities that participated in the Take-Back Day. For additional information on the Hudson County Coalition visit HudsonCountyCoalition.org or contact Erin Delaney, Coalition Coordinator, at Partners in Prevention at (201) 552-2264.