January 20, 2010 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 17 Area Rotarians now out of harm’s way in Haiti Two area residents from the Ridgewood A.M. Rotary Club are held up in Haiti but unharmed from the earthquake that devastated the country last week, and they report that the Rotary-sponsored orphanages and other projects in that country suffered no damage. “No one was hurt, and they said they have food for a couple of weeks,” said Rotarian Doug Dittrick, the Bergen County spokesman for Pwoje Espwa (Project Hope), a multi-faceted program aiding 3,000 children in Haiti, the Western hemisphere’s poorest country. Architect Jeff Wells and Contractor Andrew Topp, who chairs the club’s Gift of Life program, had gone to Haiti to build a shelter for Consolation House, an all-girls orphanage at Vilaj Espwa (Hope Village), about 70 miles west of Port au Prince. Club members have donated clothing, food supplies and living quarters for the 15 girls of this new orphanage. Dittrick himself was planning to join them next week bringing down donated supplies but has postponed his trip due to the earthquake. “They said the roads have disintegrated, and there is no way to get to Port au Prince from Les Cayes (where the orphanage is located). The people are trying to get there to bring back their relatives, but there is no room, no medical care and no medicines in Les Cayes,” Dittrick said. He added that Father Marc Boisvert, who founded Pwoje Espwa in 1998 and runs the program, is keeping him abreast of the situation. Vilaj Espwa is an orphanage for over 650 abused, abandoned and neglected boys which includes a farm, school and vocational training facilities. A windmill donated and constructed by Ridgewood A.M. Rotarians pumps clean water to much of the village. The program runs four schools which cater to more than 2,000 students. Dittrick said that Pwoje Espwa would be doing outreach to help those affected by the devastation. Contributions may be sent to Theo’s Work, Inc. 2303 W. Market Street, Greensboro, NC 27403. For more information, visit online at theoswork.org or call Doug Dittrick at (201) 444-1700. Contributions are tax deductible. Officers named The Franklin Lakes Fire Department has announced its 2010 line officers: Chief Charles Bohny, Jr., Assistant Chief Denny Knubel, Captain Larry Kohan, Captain Ken Steenstra, Lieutenant Ryan Dodd and Lieutenant Ron Meyers Jr. Pictured are Lieutenant Ryan Dodd, Captain Ken Steenstra, Chief Charles Bohny Jr., Assistant Chief Denny Knubel, and Lieutenant Ron Meyers Jr. Not pictured: Captain Larry Kohan. CHILDREN WITH AUTISM THRIVE IN KARATE PROGRAM Special The Villadom TIMES is publishing a special gift guide section for Valentine’s Day. Reach all of your local consumers in search of the perfect gift for their loved ones. Don’t miss your chance to participate. Children with autism can learn social skills, discipline, sportsmanship, concentration and respect in a special needs class at Mayer’s Karate & Fitness. The Passaic County business provides children with autism and other disabilities an opportunity to thrive in a social setting. Nineteen children, 14 of whom have autism, enjoy classes each Saturday. In February of last year, Janine and Charles Benigno enrolled their son Nicholas, who is on the autism spectrum. “The program fosters development of camaraderie, which is evident when the children support each other,” Janine said. “We are pleased with Nicholas’ progress and look forward to many more years of physical and social development that the program provides.” Margaret Mruz’s son Owen has shown an improvement in his self-esteem, behavior and socialization. “It has proven beneficial not only to him, but to our family.” she said. The business is owned by Mark Mayer and staffed with a black belt certified special needs program because he felt that children with special needs were not getting the specific training they require in his typical classes. The kids work hard in my classes and want to succeed,” said Mayer, a 6th degree black belt. “The key is self esteem. We work on motivation, focus and getting them to believe in themselves.” The program has successfully helped students concentrate on anger management and relaxation while having fun. Private sessions are available throughout the week. Call today for Special Rates! Publication Date: February 10 Circulation: 56,300 Weekly ZONE 1: Franklin Lakes, Wyckoff, Midland Park ZONE 2: Glen Rock, Ridgewood ZONE 3: Allendale, Ho-Ho-Kus, Waldwick, Saddle River, Upper Saddle River, ZONE 4: Ramsey, Mahwah Deadline: February 3 201-652-0744 YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD NEWSPAPER ������������������������������������ ������������������������������� ������������ �������������������������������������������������� ���������������������������������