Villadom Times Weekly Newpaper Online-January 14, 2009 Issue

Glen Rock January 14, 2009 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • Page 5 Library hosts series of ﬁnancial workshops “Families Responding to Financial Change,” a series of six free, public workshops will begin Jan. 20 from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the Glen Rock Public Library. The remaining workshops will take place each Tuesday night thereafter at that same time and place, continuing through Feb. 24. “Now that the holidays are over and it is clear that people are hurting financially, it’s time to pull ourselves together and learn about resources and coping mechanisms for dealing creatively and compassionately with our new realities,” commented Series Coordinator Barrie Peterson. “This is not a time to shrink into denial or isolation, but to openly discuss our lives and share inspirations on how to progress.” Peterson is a pastoral and career counselor. During a period of corporate downsizing in the ‘90s, he helped hundreds of people to find employment and to form job search support groups. He also aided in the formation of the Workforce Investment Board and wrote a weekly column on financial change matters. The topic for Jan. 20 is entitled “Minimizing the Impact of Financial Crises on Our Emotional and Physical Health.” It will begin with an overview by Peterson, followed by an initial survey of areas of need and presentations by knowledgeable professionals from a major hospital and a local mental health center. All sessions will provide literature, lists of pertinent area resources, coffee and pastries. Workshops will include “Moving from a Consumerist Lifestyle to One More Sustainable and Meaningful,” Jan. 27; a panel discussion on “Trustworthy Resources for Credit Repair, Bankruptcy and Foreclosure Prevention,” Feb. 3; and “How-Tos: Trimming Household Budgets and Using Time, Teamwork, and Space for Needed Transitions,” Feb. 10. The Feb. 10 program will cover methods of bartering, building interdependence, and considering self-employment. A speaker from the Bergen County Board of Social Services will describe eligibility for food stamps, family care and cash assistance. A panel format will again be used for the Feb. 17 session: “Making New Career/Retirement Decisions Based on Values, Spirituality and Market Realities.” Barry Lowe and Walter Hecht will outline available services for building or changing careers. The series will conclude on Feb. 24 with a consideration of unmet needs and an identification of opportunities for ongoing mutual aid and self help. “The workshops in this series offer area residents local expertise and resources for responding positively to serious financial changes. We should not be waiting for Trenton or Washington to wave a wand. Working together locally, we can effectively prevent financial crises and aid people in discovering and building new vocations. Our local non- profit, religious, private and public sectors can work collaboratively for the common good,” Peterson summarized. The “Families Responding to Financial Change” series of workshops is sponsored by The SOURCE - Family Support Group, in cooperation with the Glen Rock Public Library, the Interfaith Religious Leaders of Ridgewood, the Community Resource Council, Bergen County’s United Way, Bergen Community College Continuing Education -- Corporate and Public Sector Training, the Bergen One-Stop Career Center, the Bergen Workforce Investment Board, and by Valley Hospital. For more information, call Jean Baker Wunder at The SOURCE, (201) 670-4673. Reservations are suggested. Knapp and Thielke (continued from page 4) Thielke, long active in the beautification of Glen Rock, received a signal honor at the January 2009 meeting: The Glen Rock Arboretum was officially named the Thielke Arboretum to commemorate the 20-plus years Thielke put into preserving, maintaining, and improving the living tree museum off Doremus Avenue. Thielke, also active in the Glen Rock Garden Club, has involved groups ranging from students to the Bergen County Master Gardeners in the maintenance and improvement of the arboretum. She has also done a considerable amount of the work herself in terms of gardening, fundraising, and publicizing events. The arboretum, established more than 50 years ago, includes trees and shrubs from North America, Europe, and Asia, a pond, benches, and walks both paved and natural. “For the past 20 years, the arboretum has flourished under the guidance and oversight of one very knowledgeable individual and has become the location for a collection of unusual native trees and shrubs tended with educated care, and that individual deserves honor and appreciative recognition by a grateful community,” the council resolution said. No need to leave town for CONVENIENT, expert service - our ASE Certiﬁed Technicians know your vehicle! 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