ON OCTOBER 24, 2014, BergenCounty Executive Kathleen Donovanand Bergen Community CollegePresident Dr. B. Kaye Walter will beco-hosting a fall Job Fair. The semi-annual event, will take place at BergenCommunity College from 9 A.M. to2 P.M., in the college’s gymnasium.

The fall fair is the fifth overall dur-ing the Donovan administration and it has growninto one of the largest Job Fairs in the NY/NJ metro-politan area. As a result, more than 700 BergenCounty residents have received full-time, part-time orseasonal positions. On average, the County hasattracted 100 employers to each of the previousevents. Past participants have included: LG, UnitedWater, HUMC, Verizon, Mercedes Benz USA, thePennsylvania State Police, the FBI and Lowes.

County residents seeking employ-ment opportunities are encouraged todress for success, bring plenty ofupdated resumes and put your bestfoot forward.

Several informative and engagingworkshops will be available as well,however please register in a timelyfashion as they fill up quickly. The

Record’s Career Coach, EliAmdur will be hosting a ses-sion that shouldn’t bemissed.

To register for the fairand for the free work-shops please go to:https://tinyurl.com/job-seeker102414.

for the expanded version please visit: www.co.bergen.nj.us

Bergen County Seniors Get Connected

Inside This Issue:

Bergen County SeniorsGet Connected 1

Bergen County Job Fair 1Calendar Highlights 2Shared Services . . .

Cooperative EnergyProgram Saving TaxDollars 2

Constituent Corner . . .Marlene Ceragno 2

Mental Health First AidTraining Offered 2

Summertime MeansSummer CampershipFun 3

Donovan DeliversHealthy Alternatives 3

County ExecutiveExtremely Proud ofIntern Program 3

Around our county . . . 4

Ber gen BlastEditor:

Joe AppioCopy Editor:

Lauren St. HelaireArt Director:

John GilGraphic Artist:

Deborah WeightmanPhoto Editor:

Evan Torrens

COUNTY OF BERGEN

One Bergen County PlazaRoom 580Hackensack, NJ 07601

Kathleen A. DonovanCounty Executive

Volume 3 Issue 2Fall 2014

Bergen BlastFor the county’s 192,000 olderadults over the age of 60 and the100,000 caregivers tending to theelderly and disabled, BergenCounty’s Division of SeniorServices is the place to get con-nected to everything you need forbetter health, wellness and myriadservices for those in their goldenage who seek access to long-termcommunity-based care. TheBergen County Aging and Disa-bility Resource Connection (ADRC) is your one-stopsource for information to get you the care you need tolive a fulfilling and meaningful life in your senior years.

With more categories of service than a Jeopardyboard, the Bergen ADRC has connected thousands ofseniors with services ranging from Meals on Wheels forhomebound adults to well-balanced, midday meals at27 senior centers located in a municipality near you.That includes the ten county operated senior activitycenters that offer exciting opportunities to zumba,practice Tai Chi and reap the benefits of yoga. All sen-iors are welcome, regardless of income level.

“Caring for a loved one who iselderly or disabled can be a daunt-ing task. We are here to help,”County Executive Kathleen A.Donovan said noting her experi-ence as a caregiver to her own par-ents. “It’s important that we offeras much information as possible to help guide our seniors and care-givers out there who find thenavigation of the system all toooverwhelming.”

The Division of Senior Services’ ADRC includesthe State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) unitwhich offers state certified counselors who helpMedicare enrollees understand what benefits they areentitled to such as Medicare A, B and D coverage.Details on Medigap, HMO, PPO and Long-Term Carepolicies are also provided.

There is information available on every aspect ofsenior living in Bergen County. The one-stop hotlinefor the Bergen County Division of Senior Services’Aging and Disability Resource Connection is:

201-336-7400.

Taking a spin on the dance floor at a priorSenior Picnic.

County Executive Donovan AnnouncesDate for Bergen County Job Fair

See BackCover forCoupon forFall HarvestFestival!

N E W JERSE Y

SEPTEMBER:13–16 Annual Senior Picnic,Van Saun Park19–21 Korean Thanksgiving, Overpeck Park, Ridgefield Park27–28 County Fair, Overpeck Park, Ridgefield ParkOCTOBER:23–13 Italian Flag Raising, County Administration Building,

Hackensack

23–11 Auto Expo, Overpeck Park, Ridgefield Park 13–11 40th Annual Bergen County “Art in the Park”

Van Saun Park, Rain Date, October 1213–24 Bergen County Job Fair at Bergen Community College

25 Latino Cultural Event, Overpeck Park, Ridgefield Park13–26 4th Annual “Bluegrass & Cider” Concert at the

Wortendyke Barn, Park Ridge. FREE!

CLIP & SAVE

County Calendar Highlights FOR ADDITIONAL CALENDAR INFORMATION AND UPDATES GO TO:www.co.bergen.nj.us

BERGEN COUNTY EXECUTIVE KATHLEEN DONOVANrecently announced the 2014 tax savings attained by the Countyforming the Energy Procurement Cooperative Pricing System forpurchasing electric and gas.

This energy program is part of the County Executive’s overalleffort to evaluate the County’s operating expenses, improve effi-ciency, and cut costs. “Our energy co-op bid has clearly been pro-ducing meaningful reductions in costs and significant tax savingsto the people of Bergen County,” stated County ExecutiveDonovan. “That’s nearly $3,000,000 in lower taxes for energycosts over the last year and a half alone.”

The municipalities that are participating in the CountyCooperative are: Bergenfield, Bogota, Closter, Emerson,Hackensack, Hillsdale, Paramus, North Arlington, Old Tappan,River Vale, Rochelle Park, Teterboro, Waldwick, Westwood, andWoodcliff Lake.

If your municipality is interested in learning more about this orother shared services, please contact Bergen County’s SharedServices Administrator, Joe Scarpa at Jscarpa@co.bergen.nj.us or(201) 336-6820.

County Executive DonovanTouts Tremendous

Energy Savings

CONSTITUENT CORNER

SHARED SERVICES

✁

Bergen County Cares . . . About Seniors

MARLENE CERAGNO learnedfirst-hand about the strugglesthat seniors on a tight budgetgo through. Inspired by heraunt’s plight, she established theAdult Brief Bank as a result ofher college thesis project. Lessthan two years later, she hasdistributed over 30,000 briefsthrough the program sheadministers.

Ceragno contacted Bergen County for assistance to meet thehigh demand. The County reached out to the company thatmakes the top-selling Depend brand, Kimberly-Clark, for assis-tance and the company responded with quite a sizeable productdonation to the low-income seniors of Bergen County.

Left to right: Marlene Ceragno,County Executive Kathleen A.Donovan, and EnglewoodCouncilwoman Lynne Algrant

THE SUDDEN LOSS OF ROBIN WILLIAMS is tragic. The AmericanFoundation for Suicide Prevention reports that someone diesfrom suicide every 13 minutes and it is among the top ten causesof death in the US. We must do more to prevent such tragicdeaths through greater awareness of mental health issues, warningsigns, effective interventions and treatment. “Above all else, wemust eliminate the stigma associated with the disease so peoplearen’t afraid to talk about it, seek help and start healing,” stressedBergen County Executive Kathleen Donovan.

Ms. Donovan is taking action to eliminate stigma and raiseawareness of the vital role emotional wellness plays in an individ-ual’s total health. Donovan noted that “When someone falls illwith cancer or is the victim of a horrible accident, the communityrallies to send cards, deliver meals and offer support to the family.Sadly, the same can’t be said when someone is confined at homeor hospitalized for a substance use disorder or psychiatric illness.”

The County Executive explained that her Bergen County Caresinitiative will provide Stigma Free Tool Kits to every BergenCounty Mayor to help guide them in eliminating stigma. Integralto the Stigma Free Tool Kit is Mental Health First Aid Training.The training will be offered to community groups and residentsfree of charge, as it is an excellent approach towards raising aware-ness of the disease “I want to strongly encourage our residents toseek help so recovery can begin, hope is inspired, and tragedies,like Robin William’s death, are prevented.” Donovan said.” TheCounty of Bergen can help residents connect with comprehensivemental health and alcohol and drug treatment resources, regard-less of ability to pay.

If you or your group is interested in learning more aboutBergen County Cares’ Stigma Free Tool Kit and Mental HealthFirst Aid training, please contact Michele Loughlin at (201) 634-2745 or by email at: MHartLo@co.bergen.nj.us

County Executive AnnouncesMental Health First Aid

Training Offered by CountySuicide Prevention Begins with Awareness

– By Michele Hart-LoughlinDr. Nancy

Mangieri (L) andMichele Hart-

Loughlin (R) atthis year’s HealthExpo in front of

the BergenCounty Cares

logo.The programwas started by Ms.Donovan in 2014.

Summertime MeansSummer Campership Fun

County Executive Donovan’s GrantEnhances Summer for Youngsters

Since 1994, the County of Bergen’s Summer Campership Fundhas offered an alternative to eligible families who otherwise couldnot afford to send their children to day camp. The CampershipFund is a public-private collaboration that raises private money tosupplement County resources resulting in scholarships which offsetthe costs of summer camp for children from eligible low-incomeworking families throughout Bergen County.

This year, thanks to the help of a generous public grant fromBergen County Executive Kathleen A. Donovan and the supportof loyal private and non-profit donors, thirty-five eligible childrenwere treated to scholarships to the approved summer day camps ofthe parents’ choice for a season of fun, friendship, creativity andhealthy exercise.

For more information on the Bergen County SummerCampership Fund and to support the program with a tax deductiblecontribution, please call the Bergen County Office for Children at201-336-7150. Or you may send a donation directly to SummerCampership Fund-VCBC, c/o Volunteer Center, 64 Passaic Street,Hackensack, NJ 07601.

CountyExecutive

Donovan –Extremely

Proud ofIntern

Program“There is no better

educational experiencefor a college student in our

complex economic societytoday than one that

mixes classroom learningwith actual hands-on,

field experiences.”— Kathleen A. Donovan

FRIDAY, AUGUST 15, 2014, saw the end of the County of Bergen’s highly successful Summer Internshipprogram for college students, now in its second year of existence. Thirty-five college students — allresidents of the county — were placed, by the Office of the County Executive, Kathleen Donovan,throughout the eight county departments of operation for an intensive, ten week, hands-on trainingprogram, according to their major field of college study.

All interns were immersed into the daily, intricate operations of county government — finance, health,human services, technology, police and administration during their ten weeks while receiving an extensiveknowledge of both local and county government.

Donovan Delivers Healthy Alternatives to Bergen County –By Esther Lee

EVENTS ALL OVER BERGEN COUNTY are spotlighting healthy living, and people from all over thecounty are getting involved. It’s all a part of Bergen County Cares, a major campaign adopted byCounty Executive Kathleen Donovan to let the community know that the county is here andready to help improve the wellbeing of its residents. These efforts have included Bergen Countyoffering resources to attendees of the annual NBC4/NY Giants Health & Fitness Expo such ashealthy cooking demonstrations and information about mental health. Ongoing events includeGet Fit in Bergen in the Park, designed to teach residents how to add exercise to their daily regi-men and the Bergen County Famer’s Market that helps promote healthier eating while alsohelping local vendors bring in more business. Vendors accept Jersey Fresh (state) and WIC(federal) vouchers and all excess produce from the largest vendor, Matarazzo Farms, will bedonated to the Center for Food Action. Bergen County is taking steps to show support in allareas of health so that all residents have access to services they need and deserve.

Farmer Jim Matarazzo of Matarazzo Farmsserves as the anchor vendor for the weeklyCounty Market, being held every Wednesdaythrough the fall from 11:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M.

Donovan: Preparedness is the Key inSurviving Emergency Situations

THE NEW JERSEY STATE POLICEOffice of Emergency Managementand the State Division of DisabilityServices presented Bergen Countywith a special seminar on emergencypreparedness for residents with dis-abilities. County Executive KathleenDonovan kicked off the event declar-

ing “the mes-sage here isjust stay safeand do what-ever we haveto do to be ready. We never know when a disaster is going to hap-pen but the more we can prepare and the more organized we are,the better we will all survive in those situations.” Jim Thebery,Bergen County Director of Disability Services, also spoke brieflymentioning that what is most unique and important about thepresentation “is that it is specifically designed for people with dis-abilities, not only in the training but also in the advice and

resources given.” Among those resources was a “Go-Bag” for the first 70 attendees that could easily be strapped to a wheelchair or carriedaround and contains flashlights, a supply of food and water, a first aid kit, batteries, and more essentials for emergency circumstances.Aside from the “Go-Bag” those who attended gained a wealth of potentially life-saving information and Bergen County will continue tomake sure all members of the community are safe, prepared, and well-informed.

Jim Theberyaddressesthe crowdduring the

presentation

Photos byEvan Torrens

Thomas D. Egan GlenRock Post Supports

Veteran Causes(HACKENSACK, NJ) — County Executive KathleenDonovan accepted a check on behalf of the Thomas D.Egan Glen Rock Post #850 VFW at Hackensack, NJ. Themembers of the Glen Rock Post are engaged in a series ofactivities intended to support veteran causes. This dona-tion of $2,000 will benefit the Bergen County TRACERSoperation.

The Glen Rock post is named for past Commander, VietnamVeteran, and longtime resident of Glen Rock, Thomas D. Egan,who was active in volunteer work and efforts to better the lives ofveterans, service members, and their families. In addition to itswork to support veteran causes, the post actively hosts 2 annualyouth scholarship programs, Patriot’s Pen for Middle School stu-dents and Voice of Democracy for High School students.

Other recent local donations have included a $3,000–$4,000per year donation to the Paramus Veterans Home, as well as addi-tions to their new Activities Room, the annual “Veterans StandDown” held in Newark to aid homeless veterans, four BingoParties per year at the Paramus Veterans Home, and support fordeployed active duty service units.

Photo by John Gil

The Bergen County Fair and Fall Harvest Festivalwill take place on September 27th and 28th! Thanks to a partnership with Rutgers 4-H and theMaster Gardeners you and your family can enjoydisplays from county farms, games, rides, food, livemusic, and fireworks. Along with various musicalperformances, country singer and rising starMadeline Smith will be returning for another rous-

ing performance. Also, don’t miss the Bergen Catholic vs. St. Edward High School ofOhio football game! Last year’s game filled the stands and was an electrifying event forall who attended.The fair always draws an excited crowd and this year is sure to bethe same. Mark your calendars and have a fun-filled weekend at the county fair!

Around our county . . . For more on these stories please visit the Bergen CountyFacebook page at: www.facebook.com/BergenGovPhotos by: Joe Appio, John Gil & Evan Torrens

Annual County Fairand Fall HarvestFestival in OverpeckPark in September

It has been nearly two years since Hurricane Sandy, but the Bergen County Police Department is still prepared for theworst.At a recent event at the Law & Public Safety Institute inMahwah, the BCPD showed off the OEM’s High Water Truck(left) along with several other grant-acquired emergency vehiclesincluding the SWAT Team’s BEAR, Bomb Squad’s BEAR Cat (top

left, shown with robot), and theEmergency Services Unit (ESU) Truck.These vehicles can be used in a varietyof emergency situations from disarmingbombs to safely transporting civilians in high risk environments. For videohighlights of the event go to:www.youtube.com/BergenCountyVideos

BCPD Truck Demo

The CountyExecutive visitedthe kids ofBergen CountyZoo’s annualsummer camp.Check out thecounty websiteto see all of the events thezoo has to offerin the fall andwinter!

Bergen County celebrates the diversity . . .of all of our residents. Colombian children pose for a picture (left),Korean youth demonstrate martial arts (middle) and Indian (right)students perform at the three most recent flag raisings held at theCounty Administration Building.

Bark in The ParkThe Bergen CountyAnimal Shelter &Adoption Center wasthrilled to have anothersuccessful year at Bark inthe Park. An enthusiasticcrowd enjoyed the eventand many of the shelterdogs found new homes.

County ExecutiveDonovan on the new Van

Saun Playground & Water-Mist Section – “One of the

reasons we live in BergenCounty is that we have such

a great quality of life hereand one the things I do asCounty Executive is try toimprove our parks all the

time and make it better forour kids and our grownupsto be a part of it.The best

part is that it is free.”

Van Saun Playground

Thanks to the efforts of Bergen County Executive KathleenDonovan, the Bergen County Parks Department, andEnglewood 4-H, the historic 100 year-old Lewis BecoteCommunity Garden in Englewood is finally being restored.On Saturday August 9th the gardening began with theconstruction of raised beds that community members filledwith fresh soil.The County Executive visited the garden stat-ing; “it’s a fabulous initiative that will cost peanuts for what weare going to get out of it so it is a great day for Bergen County.”

Lewis Becote Community Garden