September 28, 2011 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • Page 21 Ridgewood Notes (continued from page 15) Ridgewood residents who are at least 55 years of age are invited to join Highlights in Leisure Time, a senior organization under the auspices of the Ridgewood Department of Parks and Recreation. Monthly meetings include entertainment and/or informational presentations followed by refreshments. Annual membership dues are $15. For more information, contact the Ridgewood Parks and Recreation Department at (201) 670-5560. Middle school mixers planned Ridgewood Parks and Recreation, with sponsorship from the Bergen County Municipal Alliance Grant and the New Jersey Governor’s Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, will offer social mixers that include students from both middle schools. Each evening offers music and dancing with the DJ Sound Illusion, refreshments, and games. The program is open to village teens only, and a donation of $6, payable at the door, is requested. A mixer for students in sixth grade will be held on Friday, Sept. 30 from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the Ridgewood High School Campus Center at 627 East Ridgewood Avenue. An Oct. 21 mixer is planned for seventh grade students, and an eighth grade evening will be held on Nov. 4. The location for these events has yet to be determined. For details, contact the Recreation Office at (201) 670-5560. YWCA hosts 5K Run/Walk fundraiser The YWCA Bergen County will host the Swim Skills - Skills for Life 5K Run/Walk on Oct. 9, at 9 a.m. at the Ridgewood Duck Pond on East Ridgewood Avenue. Proceeds from this fundraiser will benefit the YWCA’s “Make a Splash” program to provide free swim lessons for underserved children. Check-in will start at 8 a.m. The race is open to anyone age 16 and up. Registration may be completed online; race fees are $20 per adult and $30 per family. To register, visit www.ywcabergencounty.org or call the YWCA Aquatics Department at (201) 444-5600, extension 327. YWCA Bergen County is a local partner of “Make a Splash,” the USA Swimming Foundation’s water safety initiative with the goal that all children learn to swim. Since 2007, “Make a Splash” has partnered with 293 local providers in 43 states to sponsor lessons for more than 22,000 children who would otherwise not have the opportunity to learn to swim. West Side offers new worship services West Side Presbyterian Church is offering new worship services to meet the needs of the community. Starting this fall is “The Saturday 5:55 p.m.” This 45-minute service is informal, participatory, and familyfriendly. Designed to engage mind, heart, and body, the service will initially be offered on a monthly basis. The new service will be held on the following Saturdays: Oct. 22, Nov. 26, and Dec.17. A 45-minute service starting at 8:45 a.m. in the chapel is now available. The traditional Sunday service will continue to be offered at 10 a.m. At both the 9 and 10 a.m. services, children can begin worship with their families and then leave after the children’s message to engage in a Sunday school focusing on Bible stories and the history of the Christian faith. Children may stay and worship with their parents. On Wednesdays, Associate Pastor Rev. Marc Oehler and the congregation welcome everyone to a service in the tradition of Taize. This contemplative service is a form of mediation in worship and takes place in the chapel from 7:30 to 8 p.m. Founded in 1912, West Side Presbyterian Church is a community dedicated to connecting with individuals, groups, and families through innovative ministry that supports healthy emotional and spiritual growth. All are welcome to West Side, which is located at Varian Fry Way, 6 South Monroe Street, in Ridgewood. For more information, call (201) 652-1966 or visit www.westside.org. Visit with Benjamin Franklin The Women’s Guild of Ridgewood’s Old Paramus Reformed Church invites the public to a visit with Founding Father Benjamin Franklin on Wednesday, Oct. 5 at 1:15 p.m. Educator and historical impersonator Jack Sherry will introduce the 305-year-old figure who was Colonial America’s “Renaissance Man,” a prominent author, printer, scientist, politician, diplomat and more. The program will be held in the church’s barrier-free education building at 660 East Glen Avenue at Route 17 South. For more information, call the church office at (201) 444-5933. Church offers vaccination and wellness programs The Health Ministry of Ridgewood’s Old Paramus Reformed Church announces two programs, both of which are open to members and the community. Events take place in the barrier-free Fellowship Hall at 660 East Glen Avenue at Route 17. A Flu Clinic is planned for Thursday, Oct. 6 from 4 to 7 p.m. Rite Aid Pharmacy will provide a trained pharmacist to administer the vaccine. In addition, shingles vaccines, pneumonia vaccines, and TDap vaccines (for those who spend time with small children and infants) will be available. Rite Aid will also process insurance filings. To sign up, call (201) 444-5933 Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Beginning Oct. 12, the New Jersey Foundation for the Blind will use the OPRC Fellowship Hall one day a week for 10 weeks for its Wellness Program for Individuals with Vision Impairment. NJFFB has served the community in various ways for many years, and is introducing this new course to connect participants with others living with vision loss and to learn of resources and adaptive solutions to the challenges they face. To register, call New Jersey Foundation for the Blind at (973) 627-0055. Books sought for ‘Teach for India’ The Ridgewood Public Library’s Children’s Department is collecting books for the children of Dharavi, Mumbai. The books will be used in the Teach for India Program for children who are preschoolers through age 13. Donations may be brought to the children’s center through Oct. 4. The library is located at 125 North Maple Avenue. For more information, call (201) 670-5600.