January 18, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • Page 23 Mahwah Minutes Civil War artifacts sought The Mahwah Museum Society, based at 201 Franklin Turnpike, will mount a special exhibit from March through June to commemorate the 150th Anniversary of the American Civil War. The museum is seeking artifacts for this special exhibit. Area residents with items such as uniforms, weapons, documents, photographs, and information about relatives who fought in the war, contact Tom O’Brien at (201) 406-9752, tobcons@aol.com, or director@mahwahmuseum.org. Society members indicate that all items will be cared for in a secure, insured, and environmentally-friendly manner. Free tax assistance offered to seniors AARP’s Tax-Aid program will be available to seniors and residents with low or moderate income. Tax preparation will be available Monday through Friday, Feb. 10 through April 13, at the Mahwah Senior Center at 475 Corporate Drive. This community service offers free tax preparation, including federal and State of New Jersey returns. This is an all-volunteer program; volunteers have been trained and certified to prepare tax returns. To make an appointment, call the center at (201) 529-5757, extension 277 or 213. Library offers programs for adults The Mahwah Public Library, located at 100 Ridge Road, has scheduled several programs for adults. The programs, which begin at 7 p.m., are free. Seating is provided on a “first come” basis. Michael Aaron Rockland will present “What’s American about American Things?” on Jan. 18. Rockland, a professor of American Studies at Rutgers University, will offer a look at American artifacts and cultural productions of all kinds, including American landscape painting, modern dance, the U.S. Constitution, soap operas, comic strips, jeans, fast food, Walt Whitman’s “Leaves of Grass,” and Mark Twain’s “Huckleberry Finn.” This program is offered through the Horizons Speakers Bureau of the New Jersey Council for the Humanities, a state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. On Jan. 23, Carol Lotito will present “Internet, Facebook, Blogging, and More (No Dumb Questions).” Lotito has 20 years of systems and marketing experience and has taught scores of users at all levels how to make the best use of office and social technology. Hackensack University Medical Center Registered Dietician Susan Kraus will present a program on healthy eating on Tuesday, Jan. 31. Learn the facts on reading food labels and navigating the grocery aisles. Find the trans fats, sodium, and cholesterol hidden in food, and review the new “my plate” guidelines from the USDA. Attendees interested in having a body fat analysis and BMI calculated should arrive at 6:30 p.m. Basketball and networking event set The Mahwah Regional, Hackensack Regional, Paramus Regional, and Fair Lawn chambers of commerce, along with Fairleigh Dickinson athletics, will sponsor an evening of networking and basketball on Thursday, Jan. 19. The event will be held at 5:30 p.m. at the Stratis Lounge of the Rothman Center at Fairleigh Dickinson University, 100 University Plaza Drive in Hackensack. Participants will enjoy collegiate basketball action as the FDU Knights take on the Robert Morris University Colo- nials. Those who attend will also meet potential customers from many different business sectors, exchange business cards, and enjoy food and beverages provided by FDU athletics. The cost is $20 for Chamber members and $30 for nonmembers. Reservations are limited to the first 100 attendees. Prepaid registration is required. For reservations and other information, visit mahwah.com or call (201) 5295566. Sunday Music Series to continue The Mahwah Public Library’s Sunday Music Series will include a variety of performances in January. All programs are free and seating is provided on a “first come” basis. Concerts begin at 2 p.m. Celebrate Chinese New Year “Year of the Dragon” with Chinese Theatre Works “Dance and Magic from China” on Jan. 22. In addition to Chinese Folk Dancing, the program will include a demonstration of Chinese Opera Face Painting, and Bian Lian (Magical Face Changing). Chinese Theatre Works is a non-profit theatre company whose mission is to preserve and promote the traditional Chinese performing arts, create new works that bridge Eastern and Western aesthetics and forms, and foster understanding and appreciation of Chinese culture around the globe. The Adelphi Chamber Ensemble, the oldest chamber orchestra in Bergen County and Northern New Jersey, will offer a concert on Jan. 29. The ensemble will perform works by Bach, Britten, and Brahms. The library is located at 100 Ridge Road. Call (201) 529READ for additional information. Strategic plan (continued from page 7) Winter was a long and avid supporter and, when her husband died in 1944, he bequeathed $40,000 for a new library to which Mrs. Winter added $25,000. That library building at Franklin Turnpike and Miller Road was completed in 1949 and it held 15,000 books in less than 3,000 square feet. An additional room in the basement area was added in 1978, but that was the maximum extent to which the building could be expanded without major reconstruction. It was originally designed to serve a population of 4,800, but by the end of 1993, the active cardholders numbered more than 11,000 and the library holdings numbered over 80,000 items and the Franklin Turnpike facility was unable to adequately serve the needs of the community for a very long time. As a result of the efforts of the Mahwah Board of Education, the township council, the library board of trustees, and many patrons who donated funds, the new library on Ridge Road became a reality on Jan. 13, 1998. Have you filled out a “requester” form yet? If you have, we thank you. If you have not yet done so, please take a moment now. It’s only necessary to respond to this request one time, but more responses are still needed. These “requester” forms help us save on postage and assure a higher level of service for our readers as the U.S. Post Office reduces its services. Please remind your friends, co-workers, and fellow organization members to respond, too. We need thousands more to achieve our goal. The form may be completed online (www.freevilladom.com), mailed in, or dropped off at our office at 333 Godwin Avenue in Midland Park. Your information Take a moment to help us save on postage will only be used for this purpose. Each addressee needs to fill out the form only one time, even though the form will appear in several places over the coming weeks. Weekly mail delivery to all homes and businesses will continue uninterrupted and free of charge regardless of whether readers return the completed form, but a prompt return is greatly appreciated. Organizations that are willing to help us in our campaign to get back completed forms are asked to call Ester at (201) 652-0744 or e-mail ester@villadom.com. Please respond today, and please patronize our advertisers, who have made it possible for you to enjoy our publication since 1987. WinterFest (continued from page 7) of costumes and dance styles will be featured. “It’s an honor for us to co-sponsor this event,” said Dinesh Khosla, member of the Hindu Samaj community and WinterFest Committee. “Co-sponsoring this fundraising event for the Mahwah Marine Moms-North Jersey Military Moms is a small token of our appreciation for those who stand for and protect our liberty. We hope this will become an annual event as part of our mission for community outreach.” WinterFest is proudly sponsored by the Mahwah Regional Chamber of Commerce, Hindu Samaj Community Center, TD Bank, Freund Associates Technical Communication, TwoByTwo Design, Boiling Springs Savings Bank, Orange and Rockland Utilities, DJ Gera LLC, Sheraton Mahwah Hotel, the Township of Mahwah, and many other supporters, families, and friends. For information call the Mahwah Regional Chamber of Commerce at (201)529-5566 or visit www.mahwah.com.