January 18, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • Page 19 Waldwick Job interviews are tough, but imagine having to answer questions by texting on your cell phone because you have speech challenges? That’s just what Erik Becker of Waldwick was prepared to do when he interviewed for a position at the Walgreens in Ramsey. Becker impressed the hiring manager, landed the job, and since then has taught his co-workers, managers, and even customers that you don’t have to speak clearly to help others and to be successful in the workplace. This determination and positive attitude led the New Jersey Rehabilitation Association to present Becker with the Tony Rocco Award, which is given annually to an outstanding individual with disabilities who has overcome significant barriers to become successfully employed. Becker also deals with other challenges, but his personal warmth and upbeat personality always shine through. “Erik is both an inspiration and a role model to everyone he meets,” said his job coach, Jennifer Rokosh of Community Personnel Services. Becker is a graduate of the ECLC of New Jersey school in Ho-Ho-Kus, which enrolls students with autism, Down syndrome, severe learning and/or language disabilities, or multiple disabilities. In his final year of school, Rokosh helped Becker transition to the workplace and helped him explore career options. Becker had his heart set on finding a job where he could help people and be able to commute to work on his own. “I love working at Walgreens,” Becker said. “My job gives me the opportunity to use my great social skills and Becker wins recognition for overcoming disabilities be as independent as I can.” When he learned of the award, Edward Adams, the manager at Walgreens, was not surprised. Adams said, “Erik has a warm and wonderful personality. The customers in my store love how he is always helpful in finding items they are looking for and are always coming to me and telling me what a wonderful employee I have in him. I’m very fortunate to have Erik on my staff. It is a joy to have him.” In these challenging economic times, CPS is able to place 93 percent of its clients, who are adults with special needs, in meaningful jobs. They do everything from driving a forklift to corralling shopping carts in parking lots to stocking shelves. CPS was established in 1995 by ECLC of New Jersey to help their students with special needs and other adult clients find jobs in the community. Based on their skills, abilities, and interests, ECLC students sample jobs prior to graduation with the goal of identifying the best match. For students who may not be ready for employment, the CPS staff arranges tours of programs and assistance in locating funding sources for those programs. CPS also helps clients navigate through the maze of state and federal agencies to access aid and services. Founded in 1970, ECLC has grown from a small, earlyintervention program into a comprehensive network of nonprofit agencies serving more than 600 children and adults with special needs. ECLC students and adult clients have autism, Down syndrome, severe learning and/or language disabilities or multiple disabilities. ECLC has schools in Erik Becker with his job coach, Jennifer Rokosh. Ho-Ho-Kus and Chatham and runs the P.R.I.D.E. independent living skills program for its graduates who are not ready for the workplace. IRS extends tax filing deadline, announces updates (continued from page 9) also includes free e-filing. The IRS also reminds paid tax return preparers they must have and include a preparer tax identification number on all returns they prepare. All PTINs must be renewed for 2012. Tax return preparers may obtain or renew PTINs online. The IRS continues to focus on taxpayer service. The best way for taxpayers to get answers to their questions is by visiting the IRS website at IRS.gov. The IRS has updated the front page of the IRS website to make it easier for taxpayers to get key forms and information and file tax returns. The front page also has links to taxpayer-friendly videos on the IRS YouTube channel. More improvements are planned for IRS.gov in the months ahead. Last year, the IRS unveiled IRS2Go, its first Smartphone application, which lets taxpayers check on the status of their tax refund and obtain helpful tax information. The IRS reminds Apple users that they can download the free IRS2Go application by visiting the Apple App Store. Android users can visit the Android Marketplace to download the free IRS2Go app. Individuals making $50,000 or less can use the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program for free tax preparation and, in many cases, free electronic filing. Individuals age 60 and older can take advantage of free tax counseling and basic income tax preparation through Tax Counseling for the Elderly. Information on these programs can be found at IRS.gov. For tax law questions or account inquiries, taxpayers can also call the toll-free number (7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time) or visit a taxpayer assistance center, the locations of which are listed on IRS.gov. The IRS has begun a new pilot program where taxpayers can get assistance through two-way video conferencing. The IRS is conducting a limited roll out of this new video conferencing technology at 10 IRS offices and two other sites, and may expand to further sites in the future. A list of locations is available on IRS.gov. Once taxpayers file the federal return, they can track the status of their refunds by using the “Where’s My Refund?” tool, which taxpayers can get to using the IRS2Go phone app or from the front page of www.IRS.gov. By providing their Taxpayer Identification Numbers, filing status, and the exact whole dollar amount of the anticipated refund, taxpayers can generally get information about their refund 72 hours after the IRS acknowledges receipt of their e-filed returns, or three to four weeks after mailing a paper return. Fire liaison committee (continued from page 7) to the other liaison committees (chairperson is listed first): Financial and Administrative – Councilwoman Bozzo, Councilman Don Sciolaro and Councilman Frank Palladino. Public Safety – Councilman Sciolaro, Councilman Farricker and Councilwoman Bozzo. Recreation and Health – Councilman Brennecke, Councilman Farricker and councilman to be announced. Buildings and Grounds – TBA, and Councilmen Palladino and Brennecke. Public Works – Councilmen Farricker, Palladino and Sciolaro. Environmental Services – Councilmen Palladino, Sciolaro and TBA. The council is presently short one member due to Mayor Giordano’s resignation from the council to assume the mayor’s post.