Page 10 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • December 21, 2011 Saddle River Valley Notes Church welcomes Catholics who have been away Catholics who have been away from the church are invited to a Jan. 10 information session at the Church of the Presentation, 271 West Saddle River Road in Upper Saddle River. The group will meet at 7:30 p.m. in the Gathering Room. This informal meeting will allow participants to become updated with the church and to discuss any questions or issues they may have. All are welcome. For further information, contact Michele Baron at (201) 327-1313, extension 847. College funding seminars offered The Upper Saddle River Library will offer two seminars on financing college in January. How to Qualify for Financial Aid and Scholarships will be offered on Jan. 12 at 7:30 p.m. Robert Traitz, CFP, CCPS, will provide tips and strategies to help fund higher education. The workshop will focus on little-known ways of qualifying for money through scholarships and grants to help pay for college and increase eligibility for grant money. Learn the secrets to sending a student to a private college for less than the cost of state schools. On Jan. 17, learn how to fill out the FAFSA form with Todd Werling. High school students heading off to college will need to have filed the FAFSA, a federal application necessary for all financial aid and student loans. Werling will walk attendees through the process and provide important filing tips. The program will begin at 7:30 p.m. The library is located at 245 Lake Street in Upper Saddle River. For more information, call (201) 327-2583. Special needs basketball offered The Upper Saddle River Basketball Association and USR Recreation Commission are sponsoring a structured, small group basketball clinic for children in grades two through six with special needs. One hour clinics will be held on Sundays at noon in Reynolds School gym, located at 391 West Saddle River Road. The players will warm up, run drills, and scrimmage. Built-in breaks and accommodations will be made. Each participant will require a parent shadow for all clinics. All players will receive a T-shirt. Contact Joe Abbatiello at jabbatiello@verizon.net or call (917) 744-4415. Book groups announce meetings Molly Birnbaum, author of “Season to Taste,” will join the Novels at Night book group via Skype on Jan. 4 at 7:30 p.m. to discuss her book. The group will meet at the Upper Saddle River Library. Novels at Night meets on Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. The title for February will be “By Nightfall” by Michael Cunningham. Coffee Talk will discuss David Sedris’ “Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk” on Jan. 12 at 10:30 a.m. The Coffee Talk selection for February will be “Still Alice” by Lisa Genova. This group meets the second Thursday of the month. Copies of the books may be picked up at the circulation desk. The library is located at 245 Lake Street in Upper Saddle River. Club seeks donors, sponsors The Saddle River Valley Junior Woman’s Club is seeking donations and sponsors for its Wine Pairing Dinner and special auction fundraiser, which is set for Feb. 16 at 7 p.m. at Seasons in Washington Township. Proceeds will benefit The Center for Food Action. The high-profile event will feature Dan Amatuzzi, wine director of Eataly in New York City and private wine consultant, who will offer tips on unique wine and food pairings. The evening will include a cocktail hour, premium open bar, a four-course dinner with paired wines, and a special auction. In addition to sponsorships, advertising opportunities are available. For more information, contact Julie at (201) 962-7138. Tickets are $125. Visit www.srvjwc.org or mail a check payable to SRVJWC to: P.O. Box 101, Saddle River, NJ 07458. The first deadline of the New Year will be Wednesday, Jan. 4 at noon. Mongelli (continued from page 3) Mongelli’s career has included serving as president of John R. Mongelli & Associates, Inc., a marketing, communications, and graphic design firm in New York City, and heading The Crystal Vineyard, an Internet-based concern. “He has been invaluable,” Ho-Ho-Kus Mayor Thomas Randall said of Mongelli. “He has served in just about every capacity, including police, fire, and recreation commissioner. He has been helpful with the newsletter and the calendar with his creative abilities and thinking. He is certainly the kind of person who can’t be replaced with just one person. He made our town better.” Mongelli reported his plans to sell his home in Ho-HoKus this spring, when he did not file for reelection. At that time, Republican newcomer Steve Shell announced his candidacy for Mongelli’s seat. Shell ran unopposed in the primary and general elections. He will be sworn in at the January reorganization meeting. The councilman-elect and his wife Elizabeth have been borough residents since 1995. They have three daughters who are enrolled in the local schools. The candidate is a graduate of the University of Florida, where he double-majored in forest resources and conservation and in food and resource economics. After receiving his bachelor’s degree, he began a 28-year career in sales, marketing, and management with Stauffer Chemicals, Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising, American Cyanamid, and Pfizer. He is currently vice president and general manager in the U.S. Animal Health Division of Merck & Co., where he is responsible for the management of three business units and a staff of more than 250 colleagues. Shell is a member and deacon of the Community Church of Ho-Ho-Kus, and has been active in Ho-Ho-Kus recreational sports where he has coached for his daughters’ baseball, soccer, basketball, and lacrosse teams. He has been a Ho-Ho-Kus Zoning Board member since 2008. J. CRUSCO