March 21, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • Page 21 Mahwah Minutes Lenten Evening of Reflection set Father Steve Pugliese, SJ will offer a Lenten Evening of Reflection: Praying the Examen Prayer on March 22 at 7:30 p.m. The program will be held at the Church of the Immaculate Conception, 900 Darlington Avenue in Mahwah. The Examen is an ancient technique of prayerful reflection on the events of the day in order to detect God’s presence and discern his direction for us. This method is described by Saint Ignatius Loyola in his “Spiritual Exercises.” The Examen is prayed by clergy, religious, and lay people around the world. Father Pugliese was ordained in 1993, has been involved in parish work in Brooklyn and Manhattan, and has served as house director in the provincial infirmary on the Fordham University Campus. He currently presents retreats about Ignatian spirituality at the Loyola House of Retreats in Morristown. This program is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Jennifer Edwards at (201) 327-1276 or Jennifer.EdwardsICC@gmail.com. Local students honored The following students have been named to the Dean’s List for the fall 2011 semester: Berkeley College -- Rita Hansalia (President’s List), Melissa LaTorre, and Karen Miller (President’s List); Lehigh University – Jacquelin M. Scully; Rider University --Samantha Ehlermann; Rowan College -- Brednen D. Daehnke, Gabriele L. Ward, Brian R. Sietsma and Patricia A. Harrington; University of Connecticut --Carolyn Anne Rokoszak; William Paterson University --Kevi Doherty, Arthur Krzyszton, Andrew Palladino, Cecilia Potenza, Graig Scherer, Christine Sochulak, and Krystine Verkaik. Meet the Bunny festival set Hop on over to Continental Soldiers Park on Saturday, March 31 at 1 p.m. for Mahwah’s annual “Meet the Bunny” festival. Bring the whole family for an afternoon of face painting, balloon art, egg dying, prizes, and the opportunity to meet Mahwah’s Happy Hare! All Mahwah residents are welcome. The event will take place rain or shine. Continental Soldiers Park is located at 550 Ramapo Valley Road. Temple forms SAHARA Outreach Committee The Hindu Samaj Temple and Community Center has formed a new, ecumenical SAHARA Outreach Committee for the sole purpose of serving the broader community by lending a helping hand. The committee will be staffed by members of the Hindu Samaj and other residents of Bergen County. Volunteers are welcome. SAHARA’s first support project is dedicated to the Mahwah Marine Moms and North Jersey Military Moms. The Spring Dance Spectacular, a benefit performance by local dance troupes, celebrating the area’s cultural diversity, will be held Sunday, April 1, at 3 p.m. at the community hall of the Hindu Samaj, 247 West Ramapo Avenue in Mahwah. For information about the SAHARA Outreach Committee or to volunteer, call (201) 674-6665 or visit www. hindusamajmandir.org. The Hindu Samaj Temple and Community Center opened in November 2008. Today, it has a membership of approximately 2,000 families and provides religious, cultural, and social services to the Hindu community in New Jersey and the surrounding area.. Genealogical Society hosts events The Genealogical Society of Bergen County will host a one-day seminar on Irish and Scots-Irish research on Saturday, March 24 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Trustees Pavilion of Ramapo College in Mahwah. The featured speakers will be Fintan Mullan and Dr. Brian Trainor of the Ulster Historical Foundation of Belfast, Northern Ireland. The topics to be discussed include: Introduction to Irish and Scots-Irish Family History Research, using land valuation records and census records, records relating to the different churches in Ireland, and surmounting “Brick Walls.” On March 26, the society will hold a seminar on “Blogging Your Family History” at 7 p.m. at Ridgewood Public Library, 125 North Maple Avenue in Ridgewood. Philip Hayes will offer tips on how to get started, getting the family involved, and more. Heyes is the CEO of Sirus Innovations and genealogist, and an expert in using technology and the Internet in pursuit of family history. For details and to register for the programs, visit www. njgsbc.org. Scouts hold Food Drive Mahwah Scouts will support the national Scouting for Food program this month. Boys will distribute yellow bags to homes in Mahwah the weekend of March 24. Residents are asked to fill the bags with nonperishable food items and leave them on their front porch by 9 a.m. on Saturday, March 31. The donated food will be brought to the Center for Food Action in Mahwah. ‘Music Man Jr’ coming to town Mahwah’s Ramapo Ridge Middle School will present “The Music Man Jr” at 7 p.m. on March 23 and 24. A free performance for seniors will be held at 4 p.m. on March 22. Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for students. The middle school is located at 150 Ridge Road. Tickets will be available at the door. Sisterhood hosts fundraiser Temple Beth Haverim Shir Shalom Sisterhood based at 280 Ramapo Valley Road in Mahwah will host a special auction on Sunday, March 25, from 1 to 5 p.m. There is no entrance fee. The event will display beautifully gift-wrapped baskets of donated merchandise and gift certificates. Some baskets have themes, such as jewelry, electronics, food, toys, or baby items. Prizes will include gift certificates to some of the finest area gourmet restaurants and businesses. Proceeds from this fundraiser will support education, social action, scholarship programs, and other programs. For more information, call Elizabeth at (201) 529-2399. ‘Friends of the Y’ event (continued from page 4) Brunswick. He is chair and founder of “Casa de Esperanza,” an immigrant support ministry, and was executive director and chairman of the board of We Will Rebuild, a community recovery organization that raised over $9 million for the victims of Tropical Storm Floyd. He has earned the prestigious Equal Justice Medal from the New Jersey Bar Association, the Outstanding Citizen Award from the Central Jersey Chamber of Commerce, the Preaching Prize from Palmer Theological Seminary, and the Philip Harris Award for Leadership from Rotary International. His fiancée, Laura Peterson, is a literary agent at Curtis Browne, Ltd. in New York City. Torack was born and raised in Clifton. She graduated from Ladycliff College in Highland Falls, New York, where she earned a BA degree. After graduating, she attended William Paterson University and Rutgers for graduate studies. She taught second grade in the Clifton Public Schools for two years, then married Edward Torack and had three daughters. While her children were young, she volunteered at Saint Elizabeth’s Church in Wyckoff, where she taught CCD for 10 years. She has been a county committee member for over 30 years and chaired Senator Henry McNamara’s annual breakfast for over 20 years. She taught kindergarten and first grade in Franklin Lakes for 23 years, and was named Teacher of the Year twice. She is actively involved at the Wyckoff Family YMCA as a member, volunteer, and supporter. Van Der Horn was born and raised in Wyckoff and is a graduate of Ramapo High School. From 1980 to 1995, she lived in New York’s Hudson Valley and was responsible for the visual merchandising for the East Coast region of a large retail chain. She returned to floral design after her daughter was born. In 1995, she moved back to Wyckoff, and managed Wyckoff Florist from 1995 to 2004. She has owned the business since 2004. She is a board member of the Wyckoff Chamber of Commerce and serves on the Wyckoff Day Committee. She is a member of Saint Elizabeth’s Church, where she has taught CCD, and is a member of Cornerstone team and Liturgy Committee. She has hosted four exchange students (from France, Spain, Denmark, and Thailand) through Ramapo High School and Rotary Club programs and is a member of the Joseph Lapinski Foundation. She provides floral demonstrations for local Scout troops, pre-school programs, women’s clubs, and senior groups. She is a consistent supporter of local schools and educational programs. Wild attended Cornell University and Columbia Law School. He is currently a litigator with Lowenstein Sandler PC and is co-chair of the firm’s capital markets litigation group and fiduciary counseling and litigation group. He has more than 25 years of experience in complex financial litigation and arbitration and is the “go to” litigator for numerous major companies and other clients. He has litigated extensively for various causes, including the rights of the homeless, anti-discrimination cases, death penalty appeals, and child advocacy. He has worked with 40 homeless residents of Lakewood, many of whom have lost jobs and homes during the recession and now survive in a tent city in Ocean County. He is working in close coordination with local non-profits and religious organizations to provide assistance to the needy. They were also successful in encouraging the township to cease eviction proceedings and address the problem of homelessness by cooperating in a three-step plan. He and his wife, Susan, reside in Wyckoff. He is vice president of Barnert Temple in Franklin Lakes. Tickets for the dinner are $70 per person. Call (201) 891-2081.