Page 14 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • October 24, 2012 who have had a previous allergic reaction. Anyone who has an acute respiratory infection, other infectious condition, or who is currently receiving Coumadin or Theophylline/ Slor-bid/Theodur should consult his or her personal physician or a local hospital clinic before requesting the flu vaccine. Signed consent forms are required from all recipients. For more information, call (201) 818-4400, extension 211. AFEE seeks grant proposals The Allendale Foundation for Educational Excellence, Inc. is accepting grant proposals for programs that will enhance the educational experience for students in Allendale’s Hillside and Brookside schools. Proposals will be accepted through Oct. 25. Parents, teachers, local business people, students, staff, and all other members of the community are encouraged to participate by making proposals for projects or programs that are in keeping with the foundation’s mission to enhance and broaden the educational experience for public school students. To obtain an application, or for more information about making a proposal, e-mail Catherinehernon@gmail.com. Rotary Club welcomes new members The Allendale/Saddle River Rotary Club welcomes new members to its weekly meetings. Sessions are held at 8 a.m. on Wednesdays at Savini’s Restaurant, 168 West Crescent Avenue, Allendale. For details on the club contact Joseph Chinnici at joseph.chinnici@td.com or (856) 266-7647. Allendale Notebook Club welcomes prospective members The Allendale Woman’s Club will host a social for prospective members on Thursday, Oct. 25 from 7 to 9 p.m. Those who attend will have the opportunity to meet members of the club and hear about the organization’s programs and events. For more information, contact Seda at (201) 995-9546. Halloween Poster Contest & Parade set This month, the Allendale Holiday Observers will again sponsor the Annual Halloween Parade on Wednesday, Oct. 31. The event will be held in the Brookside School auditorium. Children in preschool through the eighth grade are invited to parade their Halloween costumes at this 7 p.m. event. Prizes will be awarded. A light dinner, candy, snacks, and beverages will be served. Allendale trick-or-treats for UNICEF The Allendale PTO is sponsoring an educational fundraising program designed to teach children about their peers in developing countries and encourage them to help others in need. Residents are asked to drop their loose change into the UNICEF boxes that trick-or-treaters will bring to their doors on Halloween. Founded in 1946, UNICEF helps save, protect, and improve the lives of children in over 150 countries through immunization, health care, therapeutic foods, clean water, sanitation, emergency relief, education, and more. Board of education to meet The Allendale Board of Education will meet on Monday, Oct. 29. The 8 p.m. session will beheld in the library at Brookside School, located at 100 Brookside Avenue. Flu vaccines available Allendale offers influenza vaccines to borough residents. This service is provided free of charge to residents who are age 65 years and older. A $15 is charged to those under age 65. Vaccines will be given on Friday, Oct. 26 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. at borough hall, located at 500 West Crescent Avenue in Allendale. Participants are required present their Medicare Card and any other applicable insurance cards. Those covered by a managed care plan (HMO) are requested to see their managed care provider for the immunization. The vaccines will be given first to those who are age 65 and over and those who are under 65 and have a chronic illness. The vaccine will not be given to anyone who is allergic to eggs or any component of the influenza vaccine, or those Board of education candidates (continued from page 6) of the Saddle River Valley Junior Woman’s Club. This leads me to my current endeavor: an elected position on the board of education. “If elected, I will rely on my past and present community and career experience in striving to continue the high standards for which our school system is known. I plan to help achieve those goals in the most economical way possible while working to develop a strong partnership with the district and garnering increased parental involvement.” Prisco has been a resident of Upper Saddle River for 15 years. He has four children in the district, including two at Cavallini School, one at Bogert, and one at Reynolds. He received a BA in biochemistry from NYU and now manages a development team for a large financial services firm in New York City. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst® charterholder. Prisco was appointed to the board earlier this year, filling the seat vacated by Peter Koski. He serves on both the Finance and Technology committees. Having moved to Upper Saddle River in large part due to the school system, he believes that the quality of the schools is a matter of paramount concern for all residents of the town. Aware of the current economic conditions, he aims to find ways to efficiently use the resources provided by taxpayers to provide a diverse and challenging education for our children. This would include ensuring that the schools keep up with the growing roles science and technology play in the world. Overseeing this effort, during a time of rapidly changing demographics for the schools, would be a focus of his term should he be elected. Smiechowski has been a trustee for three-and-a-half years. Prior to serving on the board, she served on the notfor-profit board of Archer Cooperative Nursery School in Allendale for approximately five years. She has been an active member of the PTO, serving as a class parent and volunteering in various ways throughout the school community. She has also coached recreational softball in town. She candidate has lived in USR for 30 years, the first 20 as a child growing up in town, and a product of the pubic school system. She moved back to town to raise her children specifically because of the schools. She has resided in town for the past 10 years with her husband, Greg, and four children. During the years she did not live in USR, she was a teacher in the district. She holds a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from Teacher’s College, Columbia University. She taught kindergarten, third, and fourth grades between 1994 and 2001, teaching in both Reynolds and Bogert schools. “I know the schools as a product of the system, as a teacher in the district, and most recently, as a parent and taxpayer,” she said. “My husband and I both grew up in town, and met in our third grade classroom in Reynolds School. Three generations of my family still live in town, including my parents, my grandmother, and my father-inlaw, and I believe I can represent the needs of not just those of us with children in the school, but those who enjoyed the benefits of the schools in years past, or do not have children in school, and want the reputations of the schools to continue to support their property values in a fiscally responsible manner. I have been working for my family’s local real estate company, Terrie O’Connor Realtors, for over 20 years, and am the director of professional development for the company and organize curriculum for our Real Estate Licensing School. I understand the importance of our schools’ reputation as it relates to the value of our homes and the desirability of our town. I know the importance of protecting our property values while also keeping our taxes attractive to buyers and manageable for long time residents.” She is currently the board’s vice president and chairperson of the Curriculum Committee. She is a member of the Policy and PR Committee and the Technology Committee. She previously served on the Building & Grounds Committee. “I am proud to have been a part of the process to bring the one-to-one Anytime/Anywhere initiative, putting iPads in the hands of our fifth, and now sixth, graders as they progress through middle school, and want to see through the integration of such versatile technology in order to enhance curriculum,” she said. She said she is pleased with the district’s rebuilding of the world language program after previous budget cuts, the upgrades to the Everyday Math program to include a new technology component. The candidate said she wants to continue to investigate ways to share services and save money for the district while also looking for ways to bring in revenues and maintaining the high quality of education the community expects. Dr. Verducci, a nine-year borough resident, has 38 years as a professional educator. “I am seeking the voters’ support to help me further enhance the quality of our district,” Dr. Verducci said. “We already have high achieving schools but, together, we can make them even better!” The candidate said his experience in education has given him the knowledge, insight, and understanding to deal with current educational issues. “Having recently retired, I am fortunate enough now to have the time to be able to share my knowledge and extensive experience on behalf of my fellow community members,” he said. “Throughout my career, I made meeting the needs of all students within the school community my highest priority. Every student, whether academically gifted, learning disabled, or simply the ‘average student’, has the right to an education that meets individual needs, enhances strengths, improves weaknesses, and bolsters confidence and self-esteem. In simplest terms, my whole philosophy comes down to this: Every child. Every chance. Every day.” Some of Dr. Verducci’s professional accomplishments include: Leading Glen Rock to #4 ranking in N.J. Monthly’s “2012 Top 100 Public High Schools” Teaching and administrative experience in grades K-12 2011 Northern Region School Superintendent of the Year High-level corporate business experience and knowledge base Four earned university degrees including a Ph.D. from New York University Anyone interested in learning more is invited to visit Facebook.com/VoteVerducci or www.VoteVerducci.com. Residents may also e-mail DrVerducci@gmail.com with any questions or suggestions. “Again, I am asking members of my community to vote to give me the opportunity to share my expertise and experience as a board trustee on behalf of the children, teachers, and families who, together, are Upper Saddle River,” Dr. Verducci added.