February 27, 2013 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • Page 21 5K Run/Walk (continued from page 4) host a school dance fundraiser. Last year, over 50 percent of the student body participated. Last year, families and friends joined together to run in teams. Those teams included ETD, IHEARTYOU, and THE GYM of Montvale. This year, more teams are expected to join in this run for fun, fitness, and a great cause. Sponsorship opportunities are available with varying levels of recognition and benefits. In addition, individuals can make a donation of $100 to honor or remember someone special on a laminated placard along a Remembrance Path on the grounds of the Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church on the day of the run. Visit www.HackensackUMCFoundation.org for all information, including sponsorship opportunities, registration, and donations, or contact CMartins@HackensackUMC.org. At right: Runners and walkers of all ages at the start of the 2012 Run/Walk. Saddle River Valley Notes ‘Meet Your Spirit’ at BHUMC Beginning March 6, Bergen Highlands United Methodist Church will present a five-week series on spirituality. The program is open to all, including those who may have departed from formal religious organizations, but remain spiritual. There are no prerequisites and no obligation whatsoever. Refreshments will be served. Upcoming discussions will include “Nurture Your Spirit, Nurture Your Life,” “Religion? Try the Store Brand,” “Faith, Reason, Morality,” “Church Walls: The Honest Truth,” and “The Spirit Behind Every Face.” For details, visit www.gbgm-umc.org/bergenhighlands, call (201) 3273960, or e-mail bergenhighlands@optonline.net. The church is located at 318 West Saddle River Road in Upper Saddle River. Library offers programs for adults On March 10, the Upper Saddle River Library will host a screening of “Not a Feather, but a Dot” at 2 p.m. This 60minute documentary examines the history, perceptions, and evolution of the Asian Indian-American community. The film begins by identifying and deconstructing the existing stereotypes surrounding the South Asian community. A watercolor painting class for beginners will be presented at the library on Mondays, March 11 and 18, and April 1 and 8 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Students will learn creative watercolor techniques, and color mixing, brush selection, and paper selection. No prior art experience is necessary. Two paintings will be completed during the course. The fee is $50 per person and students will be responsible for supplies. To register, call (201) 327-2583. On March 6, the Novels at Night book group will discuss Evelyn Waugh’s “The Loved One” at the Upper Saddle River Library. The group meets at 7:30 p.m. Coffee Talk book discussion group will discuss Tina Fey’s “Bossypants” on March 14. The group meets the second Thursday of the month at 10 a.m. Copies of the books may be picked up at the library’s circulation desk. The library is located at 245 Lake Street in Upper Saddle River. Local students honored The following students from Saddle River and Upper Saddle River have been named to the Dean’s List for the fall 2012 semester: Maria Zhurkina, Saddle River, Berkeley College; Bradford Paul Meisel, Saddle River, Dickinson College; Kassandra Topp, Saddle River, Felician College; Kristen Marinaccio, Upper Saddle River, Franklin and Marshall College; Connor B. Funsch and Andra B. Portnoy, both of Upper Saddle River, Lehigh University; Nicole Virzi, Upper Saddle River, Pepperdine University; Samantha Rose Callahan, Jaclyn Nicole Chakonis, Carrie A. Kerbeykian, Dana Loretto Molinari, Vache V. Naljian, Jessica Sarah Parker, and Erik A. Topp, Ramapo College; and Kristen Strauss, Upper Saddle River, Susquehanna University. We welcome press releases from our readers. Items may be sent to editorial@villadom.com. Deadline is Wednesday at noon the week prior to publication. VIP benefits requested for CERT (continued from page 3) Kober responded that the group is a 501c3 organization and cannot accept fundraising donations. Kober explained that any funding goes to the borough. Shea also asked Kober to “run some numbers” in terms of the CERT members who would be eligible for VIP benefits. The councilman then asked if a referendum would be necessary. “I think so,” Ho-Ho-Kus Borough Attorney David Bole said, pointing out that the request is to add another group to the program. Kober said he would discuss the issue with the CERT members and then asked about any relevant deadlines. Bole said the deadline would be sometime in August in order to get the question on the November ballot. He added that a related ordinance would also need to be adopted. Kober asked the governing body to contact him via email with any further ideas. Bole recommended that Borough Clerk Laura Borchers add the item to next month’s council agenda. After the meeting, Kober noted that everyone has different degrees of altruistic behavior. “Maslow had created a chart about the various levels of motivational behavior that need to be satisfied before moving to the higher, more altruistic levels,” Kober said. “Programs such as what CERT is seeking to get approved helps move team members and provides incentive for prospective members to join our unit toward accomplishing one’s personal goals.” Since Ho-Ho-Kus CERT was established, Kober told the council the borough’s unit is believed to have been the first to: • Conduct multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional, multisite, day/night exercises in Bergen County, which the New Jersey State Police allowed credit for Ho-Ho-Kus’ annually required exercise. • Receive eight President’s Volunteer Service Awards for 2005 through 2012. • Receive the Bergen County Volunteer Service Patch from Bergen County Executive Kathleen Donovan for Super-Storm Sandy. • Perform resident home basement pumping services in flooding emergencies to relieve local firefighters of that task, which takes them away from firefighting emergencies and saves their expensive pump equipment from potential damage. • Receive Command & Communications trailer and a $9,000 C&C tent among other items from the NJ State Police. • Establish a CERT/RACES radio club and call-sign in Bergen County. • Conduct the first joint CERT/RACES drill in Bergen County in 2011. In addition, Kober reported that the Ho-Ho-Kus CERT unit: • Assisted at Northern Valley Regional High School in Demarest in a 10-day lockdown at which Kober was CERT incident commander. • Assisted the North Arlington Police Department and CERT in a military soldier’s funeral and wake, at which Kober also acted as CERT incident commander. • Operated the Hurricane Sandy school shelter at which CERT served 725 people and fed 700 through the food provided by the Ho-Ho-Kus Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary. CERT volunteers spent at least 725 hours overall. The amount of FEMA dollars for the team’s volunteer time is $15,000 to $18,000 based on the FEMA’s volunteer hourly rate. • Assists in numerous local, county, state exercises/drills for anti-terrorism, RACES, school evacuation, decontamination, baby car seat checks, and county health services. • Performs traffic and pedestrian control at events. • Relieves firefighters at downed wire situations. Ho-Ho-Kus Cert was recently recognized by Bergen County in a presentation by County Executive Donovan with certificates and a volunteer service patch for the unit’s efforts in Hurricane Sandy.