Ho-Ho-Kus March 24, 2010 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • Page 11 Mother and son team address local students by Jennifer Crusco Mother and son team Lynda Grace Monahan and Christopher C. Gagliardi recently addressed students and staff members at the E.C.L.C. School in Ho-Ho-Kus. The program was presented to E.C.L.C.’s older students under the auspices of the Ho-Ho-Kus Municipal Alliance, which has been bringing motivational speakers to this school for special needs students. “Many of our students were inspired by this man’s story,” E.C.L.C. physical education/health teacher Zara Dovlatyan said of Gagliardi’s presentation. The educator explained that she works in tandem with the Ho-Ho-Kus Police Department to locate appropriate speakers to bring to the school, and found the mother and son’s story compelling. Monahan was a married woman with her own business when her son Christopher arrived. Although the experts effectively told her to give up on her autistic son, Monahan refused to do so. She has been learning about autism for the last 23 years, and shares her personal experiences with teachers, students, families, and politicians throughout the United States. She presents workshops for single parents, staff development programs, and student assemblies. She believes that every child has a unique quality, and that relationships based on love can change predicted outcomes. Her son is living proof: When he was 15, Gagliardi spoke for the first time. Since then, he has addressed Congress and many other groups as an advocate for individuals with disabilities. Gagliardi later became a major source of support for his mother when she battled cancer. Gagliardi’s programs include living with autism, disability awareness, overcoming adversity, character education, self-esteem enhancement, and political grass roots advocacy. He became the first person with a physical or mental challenge to be elected to the Student Council vice presi- While on patrol on March 4, Patrolman Bodart observed a driver trying to light a pipe. The driver had no hands on the steering wheel. Bodart pulled behind the vehicle and noticed the driver was not wearing a seatbelt. He also observed the driver moving around in the vehicle, as if hiding something. After making the motor vehicle stop, Bodart detected the smell of burnt marijuana. The driver admitted to smoking a pipe with marijuana in it. He was given several summonses and a mandatory court date. Also on March 4, Patrolman P. Leonard investigated a two-vehicle accident on North Franklin Turnpike and Hol- Borough Police Department Report dency and presidency at Ridgefield Memorial High School. He was named to the Bergen County Chorus nine times and to the New Jersey Region Chorus twice. He has been involved with Summertime Players Guild of Bergen County’s productions of “Aladdin” and “Carousel.” Gagliardi was involved in the first Summit for The Physically and Mentally Challenged, where he had the honor of introducing Education Secretary Richard W. Riley. His heroes include his mother, Ronald Reagan, Daisaku Ikeda, Peter Noonan, Michael DeOrio, his friends from RMHS, and music teachers Thomas C. Voorhis and Belinda Aguia Campos. When he is not speaking, Gagliardi sometimes works as a barista at a local coffee shop. He enjoys using his computer, writing, and cooking. His motto is: “A great human revolution in just a single individual will achieve the change of the entire nation and further will help achieve the change of destiny for the entire human race.” -- from “The Human Revolution” by Daisaku Ikeda. lywood Avenue. No injuries were reported. Officer Mosca investigated a two-vehicle accident in a parking lot on Barnett Place on March 8. No injuries were reported. 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