Page 2 THE VILLADOM TIMES I, II, III & IV • November 19, 2014 Villadom Happenings Retired DEA official to speak Retired Drug Enforcement Administration official Douglas Collier will address Ridgewood School District parents and guardians this month on the growing problem of prescription drug abuse and heroin addiction among school-age children. Practical prevention strategies and resources will also be shared. Collier’s program, “The Perfect Storm: Battling the Pre- scription Drug and Heroin Epidemic,” will be presented Tuesday, Nov. 18 at Benjamin Franklin Middle School audi- torium, 335 North Van Dien Avenue, Ridgewood, from 7 to 9 p.m. The program is free and open to the adult public. The presentation is part of the 2014-15 Curriculum Out- reach Program for parents and guardians, developed by the Department of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment. The series consists of individual evening presentations throughout the school year, focusing on current topics in education. For more information, contact the office of Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction, and Assess- ment Cheryl Best at (201) 670-2700, extension 10532 or cbest@ridgewood.k12.nj.us. Fell House hosts Holiday Teas The John Fell House will host its annual Holiday After- noon Teas on Wednesday, Dec. 3 and Thursday, Dec. 11 from noon to 2:30 p.m. at the historic home at 475 Franklin Turnpike in Allendale. The house will be decorated for the holidays to enhance the experience. The John Fell House is a state and national historic landmark and was the home of Continental Congressman John Fell. Tickets for the three-course luncheon are $50. To purchase tickets, e-mail Linda A. Schropp at lschropp@optonline. net or call Theresa Salameno on (201) 825-2840 to confirm availability. Proceeds will benefit the restoration of the house. Con- cerned Citizens of Allendale is a 501c3 non-profit dedi- cated to maintaining and restoring the home and grounds of American patriot, John Fell. For more information, visit www.johnfellhouse.org. Prostate cancer support group to meet LifeLines, a supportive and informative resource for prostate cancer patients and their partners in northern Bergen County will meet Tuesday, Nov. 25 from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at the Church of the Presentation, 271 West Saddle River Road in Upper Saddle River. The group was formed by prostate cancer patients to share information and experience about available treat- ment and service resources. Meetings are held the fourth Tuesday of each month. For additional information, e-mail lifelines@optonline.net or visit www.lifelinespcsupport. com. RBARI hosts Holiday Boutique The Ramapo-Bergen Animal Refuge, Inc. will host its Holiday Boutique at the First Reformed Church of Haw- thorne on Friday, Nov. 21 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Satur- day, Nov. 22 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Shoppers will find a unique assortment of festive holi- day gifts, seasonal decorations, jewelry, candles, crafts, and more. The boutique will also feature homemade baked goods. Admission is free. Proceeds will benefit the ani- mals of RBARI, the no-kill shelter based in Oakland. Visit www.rbari.org for more information. The church is located at 259 Lafayette Avenue in Haw- thorne. Parents Nights Out set PRO Martial Arts at 140 Franklin Turnpike in Waldwick is hosting two events to give parents opportunities to shop and prepare for the holidays. Early drop-off and late pick- ups may be arranged for both programs. To register, call (201) 857-5111. On Black Friday, Nov. 28, parents are invited to bring their children to the studio for a day of karate, trivia, games, movie clips, face painting, snacks, and lunch. The program will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Children who are registered by Nov. 18 will receive a 20 percent early bird discount. A Parents Night Out is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 19 Trio recognized at BVMI Gala More than 330 people gathered to cel- ebrated three outstanding BVMI support- ers -- Michael Azzara, Charles Matar, and Dr. Charlotte Sokol -- while raising more than $293,000, the highest amount in the gala’s five year history. “It was a combination of impressive honorees, generous guests, and a lot of preparation that made the gala the bench- mark against which we will measure future ones,” said BVMI Executive Direc- tor Amanda Missey. Highlights of the evening were the reception attended by numerous elite members of North Jersey’s health care community, tribute videos of the honor- ees, Tiffany crystal commemorative plat- ters for the honorees, dancing to Hank Lane Music, a lively online auction, and the Greatest Need Appeal directed by emcee Karl Nelson of the Giants XXI Super Bowl Team. The appeal raised $63,000. Event co-chairs were Cynthia Goldman and Marilyn Schotz. Platinum sponsors were BD, Holy Name Medical Michael Azzara, Dr. Charlotte Sokol, and Charles Matar. (Photo courtesy Center, The Valley Hospital, and a gener- of Sal Benedetto.) ous donor. Azzara, BVMI board chairman emeritus and former working in the export and consulting industries, he president and CEO of The Valley Hospital, received the founded Agility Gas Technologies, where he is CEO. He Special Tribute for his exceptional leadership of BVMI, attributes his success to his faith and belief in family which resulted in marked growth of patient services and values. Passionate about charitable work, he and his a firm financial footing for the organization. Due to his wife Jennifer established The Matthew 18:5 Foundation philanthropic and administrative leadership, the first and are steadfast in their humanitarian activities. three-year strategic plan was created, many major gifts Dr. Sokol, former Chief of the Diabetes Section at were received, BVMI’s visibility in Bergen County was Hackensack University Medical Center, BVMI vol- enhanced, and a balanced budget was achieved. His gen- unteer, and a founder of the Diabetes Foundation, also received the Community Leadership Award for her early, erous annual gifts also supported BVMI. Matar, an entrepreneur and philanthropist, was pre- continuous, and outstanding service to the community. sented with the Community Leadership Award. After Dr. Sokol is renowned in the field of diabetes care. from 5 to 9 p.m. While parents are busy with last minute holiday preparations, children will be entertained with face painting, karate, board breaking, trivia, movie clips, music, food, and beverages. There will be a special appearance by Rocky the Rhino. School presents murder mystery Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey will present “The Murder Mystery at the Murder Mystery” Nov. 21 and 22 at 8 p.m. and Nov. 23 at 2 p.m. This play-within-a-play was written by Brian D. Taylor and is being produced by special arrange- ment with Pioneer Drama Service, Inc. in Colorado. The production will be held in the De Sales Hall Auditorium at 492 North Franklin Turnpike in Ramsey. Tickets for all shows are $10 for adults and $8 for stu- dents or $5 with the donation of non-perishable food items. For additional information, contact Justine Seward jseward@donboscoprep.org or call (201) 327-8003. ECLC hosts events To help parents and guardians of children with special needs, the ECLC of New Jersey School in Ho-Ho-Kus hosts free workshops that touch on topics that are particularly important to this community. Lori Wolf, Esq. and Adam Dratch, Esq. will present an interactive workshop, “Planning Today for Your Child’s Tomorrow,” on Thursday, Dec. 4 at 6:30 p.m. The experts will cover estate planning, wills, special-needs trusts, and more. All parents and any interested members of the com- munity are invited. The program will take place at the ECLC School at 302 North Franklin Turnpike in Ho-Ho-Kus. RSVP to Principal Vicki Lindorff at vlindorff@eclcofnj. org or (201) 670-7880. Child care cannot be provided during this session. A Parent Support Group will meet at the school at 10:30 a.m. on Dec. 10. This group holds monthly meetings, where members have an opportunity to make new friends and meet other parents of children with special needs. This group is open to all parents, whether their child is enrolled at ECLC, in another private school, or is in a public school (continued on page 22)