SHOUT OUT: For the 18th year, hundreds of riders and volunteers will gather to raise money for the Volunteer Center of Bergen County and Tomorrows Children’s Fund, during the Bergen Bike Tour on Sunday, Sept. 29, at Darlington Park in Mahwah.

Funds specifically will go to Volunteer Center’s mentoring programs and children who are being treated for cancer or serious blood disorders at Tomorrows Children’s Fund.

Routes are 10, 25 and 50 miles, plus a special kids’ ride for the little ones.

Registration is $35 for adults, $15 for those 10-16 years old and $10 for kids 9 and under.

It includes breakfast, lunch, a t-shirt, goody bag, activities for the kids — and, of course, the ride.

INFO: www.bergenbiketour.org

OR: 1-877-BER-BIKE

SHOUT OUT: Cresskill police and recreation officials are planning a jam-packed Public Safety Night extravaganza on Saturday, with everything from a K9 unit, bomb squad and two emergency helicopters to Otto the Auto, Sparky the Fire Dog and a valuable free program that can aid in the identification and recovery of missing children.

Even with Oradell’s Dive Team, the Bergen County Sheriff’s Bureau of Criminal Identification unit and the county Prosecutor’s Computer Crimes Unit, there will still be plenty more attractions at the second annual event.

WHAT: Cresskill Public Safety Night

WHEN: 5-9 p.m. Saturday

AirMed One HUMC (CLIFFVIEW PILOT photo)

WHERE: Swim Club parking lot, 100 3rd Street

(RAIN DATE: Sept. 28)

The Masonic Child Identification Programs (CHIP) is provided by the Fulton-Friendship Masonic Lodge of Park Ridge and Tenafly, producing kits for parents that include a photograph, video tape interview, fingerprints and a dental imprint that captures the child’s DNA and scent.

No information is retained by the Masons.

There will also be a DJ, face painter, rides, free food and drinks donated by local businesses and the Sheriff’s Office.

Public Safety Night was organized to help teach residents, particularly children, on how to respond to emergencies.

“It’s a great way to educate and teach kids about safety and equip them with prevention tips,” Officer Charles Franke told CLIFFVIEW PILOT. “It’s also a night for the community to come out and learn more about what we do every day and what assets we have available to us.”

A TRIBUTE: Three veterans, one of whom is deceased and another who was too ill to attend, were honored today during POW-MIA Recognition ceremonies outside the Bergen County courthouse.

Ceremonies included a wreath laying and salutes from various veterans. Flown along with the colors was the familiar black-and-white POW-MIA flag.

Robert Levine (top photos below, middle) smiled at those honoring him.

Last year’s honorees — and lifelong friends — Alphonse “Funzi” Iannuzzi of Carlstadt and Vito Trause of Washington Township

Levine was 18 when he drafted in 1943, then served in the Army’s 90th Infantry Division. He was wounded and captured by the Germans on July 10, 1944 in the Battle of Normandy.

Unable to attend was Norman Fellman, who was 19 when he drafted in the same year as Levine. He served with “B” Company, 275th Infantry Regiment of the Army’s 70th Division — known as the “Trailblazers” — and was captured by the Germans on January 4, 1945 during the Battle of the Bulge.

Representing the late John Fusaro was his son, John (below, in the red, white and blue cap and tie).

Chapter 800 Color Guard of the Vietnam Veterans of America and the Patriot Guard Riders, Mid-Atlantic Region

His father was only 17 when he enlisted in the Army in 1942. Wounded in action in France, he was sent to England for treatment. He returned to the battlefield after recovering and, like Fellman, was captured in the Battle of the Bulge.

Fusaro was held in a POW Camp in Nassau, Prussia until he was liberated by Allied Forces in the spring of 1945.

Today’s commemoration included presentations of the colors by Chapter 800 Color Guard of the Vietnam Veterans of America and the Patriot Guard Riders, Mid-Atlantic Region, headed by Jack “Pappy” Shinn.

“Here to support the veterans,” Shinn said.

And they did — even escorting Levine to Hackensack for the event.

Highlights also included the appearances of last year’s honorees — and lifelong friends — Alphonse “Funzi” Iannuzzi of Carlstadt and Vito Trause of Washington Township.

Others who attended and/or spoke included Bergen County Executive Kathleen Donovan (fifth photo below), who presented the service medals while noting that more than 90,000 Americans are listed as still missing in action.

Also there: Bergen County Sheriff Michael Saudino (top photos below, middle), Undersheriff Harry Shortway (talking with the Guard Riders, below), county Clerk John Hogan and Freeholders John Felice and Maura DeNicola, who was particularly touched by the respectful ceremony (third photo below).

National POW-MIA Recognition Day is observed each year on the third Friday of September.

STORY / PHOTOS: Mary K. Miraglia, CLIFFVIEW PILOT

Representatives From various state and federal agencies will be on hand tomorrow in Lyndhurst to help residents and business owners continue to recovery and rebuild from Hurricane Sandy.

The Sandy Recovery Mobile Cabinet will set up shop at the Lyndhurst Senior Center.

They’ll look to answer a variety of questions on homeowner and rental programs, business grants and loans and other concerns.

IF YOU GO: Bring all documents related to the issue you’re facing.

WHAT: Mobile Recovery Cabinet to assist homeowner, businesses affected by Hurricane Sandy
WHEN: Tues., Sept. 24, 3 – 7 p.m.
WHERE: Lyndhurst Senior Center, 250 Cleveland Ave.

PARTICIPANTS: Governor’s Office of Constituent Relations
NJ Department of Community Affairs
NJ Economic Development Authority
NJ Department of Environmental Protection
NJ Department of Banking and Insurance
NJ Department of Treasury
NJ Department of State – Business Action Center
NJ Department of Human Services
NJ Department of Children and Families
Federal Emergency Management Agency
National Flood Insurance Program

PHOTO: Governor’s Office/Tim Larsen

HOW YOU CAN HELP: An extended community has bound tightly around a Little Ferry widower whose 21-year-old daughter was killed in a car crash coming off Route 80 east onto Route 17 in Hackensack on Tuesday.

Robyn Ann Paranto was graduated from Ridgefield Park High School and was a volunteer for the recreation department cheer-leading squad.

Her father, Bob Paranto, lost his wife from an aneurysm when Robyn and her sister, Taryn, were very young.

He himself was in a wreck involving an 18-wheeler, leaving him disabled, five years ago.

“Through all this, Bob struggled with little income to raise his daughter, Robyn, and his mentally disabled daughter, Taryn,” said Peggy Steinhilber, who established a GoFundMe.com page that, as of the first posting of this story (just before 5 p.m.), raised more than $24,000 for the family.

*     *     *     *     *     *

*UPDATE: The amount passed $45,000 Friday night (Nov. 8). “The Paranto Family is overwhelmed by your generosity. All immediate funeral expenses have been met,” Steinhilber said earlier in the day. “Although we met our original goal, the fight is not over. As Robyn was one of Taryn’s primary caregivers, we now have the opportunity to ensure that her needs are taken care of for the near future. Please keep sharing this cause and donating to this family in need. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of our hearts!!!”

*     *     *     *     *     *

CLICK HERE TO DONATE: GoFundMe.com/RobynAnnParanto

“Robyn was Taryn’s whole world. Her hero,” Steinhilber said. “And now, without Robyn, Bob is going to need daily help taking care of Taryn.

“During hurricanes Irene and Sandy his house was completely flooded. The family lost everything that they owned,” she noted.

“No family should ever have to face all of this in a life time,” Steinhilber wrote.

“Your financial contribution for Robyn’s funeral and Taryn’s ongoing care is greatly needed and would be so appreciated. God bless,” she added.

Visiting hours are scheduled from 5-9 p.m. Friday at the Vorhees-Ingwersen Funeral Home, 59 Main Street, Ridgefield Park.

The funeral is at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Margaret’s Church in Little Ferry, followed by burial in Burial in Maple Grove Cemetery in Hackensack.

The family requests that all friends and family go directly to St. Margaret’s on Saturday.

ALSO: On Friday, from 5:45 – 7 p.m., Melisa Murray Cavins will teach a Candlelight Yoga Donation Class in memory of Robyn, a former student of hers, at Forever Fit in Ridgefield. Members and non-members welcome. All donations go directly to the Paranto Family. CONTACT: yogaMMC@yahoo.com

Candlelight Yoga Donation Class

SHOUT OUT: One of the largest toy drives in the Northeast is under way again, and more than 30 Bergen County police agencies hope their enormous “Santa Response Team” will build the biggest mountain of presents ever.

Now into its 24th year, the PBA Toy Drive is an act of charity that many look forward to each year.

After weeks of collecting presents large and small, officers from all of the participating departments will truck them to the Closter firehouse.

Military members also come up from the Teaneck Armory to collect presents for families of soldiers overseas.

“Santa Response Team” at the Sanzari Center (CLIFFVIEW PILOT photos)

Officers and others at the firehouse then sort the massive piles according to age and sex.

Many of the presents are then packed into a bus and a UHaul and taken to the Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital at Hackensack University Medical Center and Englewood Medical Center, where they’ll be delivered by – who else? – Santa Claus.

Organizers are hoping other celebrities and popular athletes will show up, as in the past, to surprise the youngsters.

Toys also will be delivered to various other locations in the area.

Some families sponsor others — for instance, when a family is displaced by a fire or flood or someone gets sick or loses a job. Police produce a list, and a generous family buys all the presents for their neighbors in need.

The story of a man who sold everything because his baby girl had brain cancer touched now-retired Closter Sgt. Don Nicoletti, one of the driving forces behind the program sinces its inception. Police have been helping the family, including the girl’s older sister, for several years.

Another family had two children with a rare immune disorder. The officers give to the family every year.

The program originally targeted impoverished areas when Nicoletti and his department’s PBA launched the program nearly 25 years ago, but the poor economy has created a greater need in the valleys, as well.

PBA Toy Drive (CLIFFVIEW PILOT photos)

Last year, it expanded further, to include children in Newtown, Ct., following a mass shooting, and at the Shore and various other points in New Jersey struck by Hurricane Sandy.

This year it will also include Englewood Medical Center.

There new police departments participating, as well, including Lodi’s, as well as the office of Bergen County Sheriff Michael Saudino, who helped sort toys at the firehouse last year.

“What makes it so successful is that it never comes back to one town,” Nicoletti said. “It has grown because of the help of so many men and women who contribute to it.”

The drive attracted officers of all ranks and their families: Last  year, Bergen County Sheriff Michael Saudino helped sort toys, as did several police chiefs, including Dennis Kaine of Closter, Jeffrey Krapels of neighboring Norwood and Michael Cioffi of Englewood Cliffs.

Toys quickly mounted last year at the Closter firehouse (CLIFFVIEW PILOT photos)

Dozens and dozens of police officers, firefighters and loved ones also pitched in.

“It really makes the holidays feel right,” said one of them, Westwood Police Officer Jim Quaglino.

The organizers are asking everyone who can to drop off an unwrapped present or more at any of the police departments listed below or to participating local stores and high schools. Boxes with flyers have been placed in dozens of locations.

It’s not just about Christmas, either. What most people don’t know: Other toys go into reserve to be distributed to Tomorrow’s Children kids who come into the hospital throughout the year.

• A FATHER WRITES: “Tomorrow’s Children” held a different meaning for the grieving father who sobbed this afternoon as he told the veteran police officer at the Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital that his young son will die five days short of Christmas. READ MORE….

  PBA PHOTO

Participating PBAs:

    Alpine
    Bergen County Sheriff
    Bergenfield
    Closter
    Cresskill
    Demarest
    Dumont
    Emerson
    Englewood
    Englewood Cliffs
    Fair Lawn
    Franklin Lakes

“Santa” distributing presents at the Sanzari Children’s Hospital last year (CLIFFVIEW PILOT photo)

    Garfield
    Glen Rock
    Harrington Park
    Hasbrouck Heights
    Haworth
    Lodi
    Mahwah
    Maywood

    Northvale
    Norwood
    Old Tappan
    Oradell
    Paramus
    Park Ridge
    Ramsey
    River Vale
    Rochelle Park
    Tenafly
    Washington Township
    Westwood
    Woodcliff Lake

(CLIFFVIEW PILOT photos)

SHOUT OUTS: Veterans from the Korean War were among those emphasized during today’s Veterans Day services in Ridgewood.

The ceremony at Veterans Field was coordinated by members of American Legion Post 53, based in Ridgewood.

BOYD A. LOVING contributed these photos and the one above:

PHOTOS: Boyd A. Loving

SHOUT OUTS: Social media helped save the life of an 18-year-old Paterson man who was apparently planning suicide by jumping from the George Washington Bridge, Port Authority police said this afternoon.

Paterson police called their Port Authority colleagues after getting a call from a friend who saw “alarming” Facebook posts from the distraught man, including a photo of the bridge and several suggestions of suicide, the authority’s Joseph Pentangelo told CLIFFVIEW PILOT.

Lt. Thomas Michaels and Sgt. Nadine Rhem (both in photo) immediately verified the Facebook posts, uploaded a photo of him from the page and distributed it among officers who then searched the bridge, he said.

They also in-boxed the man, urging him “to call police for help and other positive suggestions,” Pentangelo said.

Two hours later, he telephoned them.

“He said he was on a bus in the Paterson area,” Pentangelo said. “He then accepted their offier of medical assistance.”

After meeting them at an arranged destination, he voluntarily was taken to a local hospital, Pentangelo said.

PHOTO: Courtesy PORT AUTHORITY PD

SHOUT OUT: Since his first day on the job, Bergen County Sheriff Michael Saudino has continually praised the members of his agency for their professionalism and dedication. But don’t take his word for it, he says: The New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police (NJSACOP) today unanimously granted Saudino’s office re-accreditation.

The sheriff’s immediate reaction was to congratulate “all of the men and women” of his office. He also thanked the NJSACOP’s Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission.

BCSO

“Accreditation ensures that we, as an organization, are adhering to the highest standards of professionalism and public service,” Saudino told CLIFFVIEW PILOT.

That organization includes command staff, patrol officers, corrections officers, civilian staff and others.

Accreditation isn’t window dressing. It helps identify a facility’s strengths and weaknesses, provides a better system of documentation and daily operations, and, in the process, helps keep morale up.

It also helps keep liability down, which, as Saudino notes, is a boon for taxpayers.

(It’s been years since an escape — the result of a clever ID-switch con that put another woman behind bars — or a lawsuit against any officers at the River Street agency.)

An assessment team spent two days in late October at the sheriff’s office and Bergen County Jail that Saudino’s agency operates. The members reviewed every aspect of the sheriff’s organization, management, operations and administration in depth.

In its report, the NJSACOP cited the office’s “well organized” internal affairs function, as well as the “robust field training officer program” run by the Training Unit.

“It goes to show that the policies and procedures we have implemented here have followed the core functions of the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office,” Saudino said.

The office was accredited in 2010. Accreditation is awarded for three years. An agency must go through the entire process each time and maintain the required standards throughout.

The Bergen County Sheriff’s Office is the largest law enforcement agency in the county, providing a variety of public safety functions — with specialized units that support municipal police, officers who safeguard the courts and corrections officers and command staff who operate the jail, among other responsibilities.

Its Bureau of Criminal Identification collects and analyzes evidence from all types of crime scenes.

The 1,250-bed jail not only secures defendants awaiting trial. It also holds short-timers — those sentenced to 364 days or fewer — in either a minimum, medium or maximum security environment, as well as federal immigration detainees.

ABOVE PHOTOS (all three): Mary K. Miraglia, CLIFFVIEW PILOT Courthouse Reporter

SHOUT OUT: The Bergen County Police Chiefs Foundation yesterday made its annual donation to veterans, sending clothing, blankets, towels, jackets, toiletries, local gift cards and a $500 check to the Alfred J. Thomas Veterans Home and Bergen County Tracers program, which supports homeless veterans.

The Bergen County Police Chiefs Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) corporation, with a board made up of active and retired police chiefs, as well as associate, affiliate and honorary life members.

BCPCF

The foundation’s primary purpose is to identify and support the needs of active and retired US military personnel in Bergen County and their families, while providing financial support where needed.

The Bergen County Police Chiefs Foundation also funds charitable, educational and financial initiatives for those needing assistance.

PHOTO, ABOVE (l. to r.): Bogota Police Chief John Burke; Garfield Police Chief Kevin Amos, Retired Dumont Police Chief Michael Affrunti, two of the veterans, BCPCA Foundation Executive Director Trudi Dial, and Retired Palisades Interstate Parkway Police Chief Robert DeWald.

SHOUT OUTS: Bergen County paid tribute to military veterans living and dead today with a medal ceremony that was at once solemn, joyous and emotional.

Four medals were issued posthumously to family members of veterans. They included Pamela Schwarz, mother of Lance Cpl. Michael A. Schwarz of Carlstadt.

Michael Schwarz was graduated from Becton Regional High School in 2004. He served on the Wallington Emergency Squad, as well as with Carlstadt’s volunteer fire department along with his brother, Frank, and their father, Kenneth.

Bergen County Sheriff Michael Saudino was among the officials attending

Schwarz, who was assigned to 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment at Camp Lejeune, N.C., was 20 years old when he was killed by sniper fire in Nov. 2006 while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar Province, Iraq.

Among those attending vets who received awards were “Nam Knights” father and son Jack and Kevin Quigley, who were presented medals for their service to the Marine Corps.

In addition to Bergen County Executive Kathleen Donovan (TOP and BELOW), members of the county Board of Chosen Freeholders and county Sheriff Michael Saudino attended.

POSTHUMOUS:

Dimitrios Lolis (United States Army)
Frank Anton Ranuska (United States Navy)
Frantisek “Frank” Ranuska (United States Navy – Seabees)
Michael A. Schwarz (United States Marine Corps)

Pamela Schwarz receives the Bergen County Military Service Medal from Bergen County Executive Kathleen A. Donovan on behalf of her son, Michael.

ALL PHOTOS: Joseph Appio, Office of the BERGEN COUNTY EXECUTIVE

LIVING:

Lucia M. Brown (United States Army)
Anthony David Caracozza (United States Army)
Diana Scherrer Caracozza (United States Navy)
Louis J. Castellucci (United States Army)
Dennis H. Collins (United States Army)
James J. Conklin (United States Air Force)
Thomas V. Curtin (United States Army)
Robert S. Dennison (United States Navy)
Andres Enriquez (United States Army)
Thomas Carl Fahy (United States Marine Corps)
Ryan W. Freemyer (United States Marine Corps)
Donald R. Genschow (United States Air Force)
Christopher Jungul Jang (United States Army)
Adam Andrew Kerr (United States Army)
Arthur Robert Kirschner Jr. (United States Army)
Michael Lewitt (United States Navy)
George Lolis (United States Army)
Byron F. Marzan (United States Air Force)
Phillip Ace McCoppin (United States Air Force)
Fred C. Meier (United States Army)
David Michael Messner (United States Marine Corps)
Alan Musicant (United States Marine Corps)
Thomas J. Nieradka (United States Air Force)
John W. Quigley (United States Marine Corps)
Kevin P. Quigley (United States Marine Corps)
Daniel P. Quinn (United States Army)
Robert I. Rubin (United States Navy)
Sydney Salt (United States Coast Guard)
Joseph Scalora (United States Air Force)
Herbert F. Scheidewig Jr. (United States Army)
Louis Amato Spagnuolo (United States Army)
Raymond Stitz (United States Army & Army Reserves)
Frank Wagner (United States Army)
Albert G. Williams (United States Army)
William P. Wozniak (United States Naval Reserves)
Bruce R. Young (United States Army)

SHOUT OUTS: A group of first responders and a pair of good Samaritans who brought a man who collapsed in Overpeck Park in Leonia back to life were honored this week for their heroism by borough officials – and the victim himself.

Bergen County Executive Kathleen Donovan and state Sen. Loretta Weinberg were among those on hand for Wednesday night’s ceremony at borough hall honoring all of those involved.  So was the man who was saved, Jose “Numa” Andrade.

The incident occurred just before 10:30 the morning of Aug. 27, when Andrade began having severe chest pains while walking with his wife on a jogging path in the park’s north end.

After sitting down on a bench, he collapsed.

Police responding to a call of a man in cardiac arrest found Maria Soler and Brent Burns doing CPR on Andrade, whom they’d stretched out.

They not only used their own knowledge: They also had Bergen County Public Safety Telecommunicators Britta Beacham, Kelly Conway and Michael Palmer giving them cellphone instructions.

Officers Ray Forsdahl, Michael Jennings, Sihoon Chung, Steve Oxnard and Special Officer Michael Clark (who also works as a full-time EMT for Englewood Hospital) took over, hooking the victim to a portable defibrillator, Police Chief Thomas Rowe said.

Chung administered the first shock while his colleagues continued CPR. It got Andrade’s heart pumping again, the chief said.

The officers “continued to provide oxygen to him until paramedics arrived,” Rowe said.

Paramedics Sean Conboy and Sean Reilly from Holy Name Medical Center and EMTs Kyle Conboy and Alexandra Lipari from Englewood Hospital and Medical Center took it from there.

Andrade eventually recovered fully at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center.

“I was on the scene during the entire duration of the call,” the chief said. “I cannot begin to tell you how proud I am of the two civilians that initiated the CPR and the actions taken by Officers Forsdahl, Jennings, Oxnard, Chung and Clark.

“Collectively, their dedication and hard work saved a life.”

1: Good Samaritans Maria Soler and Brent Burns flank Numa “Jose” Andrade and Leonia Mayor John DeSimone
2: Dispatchers, good Samaritans, DeSimone, Andrade, police, EMTs, paramedics
3: State Sen. Loretta Weinberg, Bergen County Executive Kathleen Donovan
(PHOTO ABOVE: Officer Michael Clark, Detective Michael Jennings, Officer Sihoon Chung, Andrade, Officers Steven Oxnard and Raymond Forsdahl)

SHOUT OUTS: Nearly 100 Bergen County residents whose homes were severely damaged by Hurricane Sandy have had repairs completed, and another 80 are being done, but there are countless others who haven’t applied for assistance — and that the Volunteer Center of Bergen County, Inc. is hoping to find them.

A committee coordinated by the Volunteer Center was awarded $600,000 in grants this week to continue the recovery effort.

The Robin Hood Foundation is providing a new grant of $250,000 to assist low-income and working-class residents. Grants can range to up to $10,000 per family, and can be used to pay bills or purchase gift cards, appliances, supplies, materials or services.

Meanwhile, the Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund is providing $350,000.

PHOTOS: Courtesy Volunteer Center of Bergen County, Inc.

The money goes to the Bergen County Hurricane Sandy Long Term Recovery Committee, which brings together more than four dozen organizations to help with the effort. Case managers at the Recovery Information Center assess needs of storm survivors and presents requests for funding to the LTC.

So far, the needs of more than 700 residents have been assessed, and more than 400 families are actively being helped, said Janet Sharma, the volunteer center’s executive director.

“The homes that were damaged here are located primarily in Moonachie and Little Ferry and suffered up to nine feet of flooding,” Sharma told CLIFFVIEW PILOT.

“We have tried to reach out to everyone who has filed with FEMA either through email or snail mail,” she said. “There are also numerous undocumented residents, as well as those who for some reason or another did not apply for FEMA assistance.

“We’re hoping to reach them so they can come in for an assessment.”

Of the 715 clients who have stepped forward, 432 have been assigned to one of nearly a dozen case managers. Of that group, 92 have had home repairs completed and 80 homes are in progress.

Other benefits have included:

• rent or mortgage payments;

• replacement of computers needed to produce income;

• help in buying a used car;

• payment of one quarter of real estate taxes;

• replacement of clothing lost in the storm;

• replacement of furnaces and other equipment/appliances;

• replacement of lost tools

By the end of October, the volunteer center had received $1,36 million in funding.

It paid out $632,341 in direct services to residents and put another $403,438 toward removing or remediating mold from homes.

Bergen County residents who still need assistance with recovery from Hurricane Sandy are urged to call the LTRC’s Recovery Information Center to make an assessment appointment: (201) 470-3143

HOW YOU CAN HELP: More than 3,500 needy children, troubled youth, lonely seniors and disabled adults could receive a measure of joy this holiday season through The Volunteer Center of Bergen County, which is looking for companies, religious and civic groups, chambers of commerce and other community organizations — as well as individuals and families — to participate in its annual “All Wrapped Up Holiday Giving Program.”

The center has yet to match 1,600 of those with donors willing to make their holiday wish come true.

“We are asking groups of all kinds to step up and help those in need,” said Janet Sharma, the center’s executive director. “They can collect gifts or raise funds to help others find some joy in the holiday season.”

Click here: All Wrapped Up

“All Wrapped Up” has two components:

Adopt-a-Family: The Volunteer Center has already received gift requests for more than 750 families, ranging in size from two to seven people, and that number is expected to grow. Donors will be given a family profile, with specific gift requests that could include clothes, toys or household items. Donors should consider spending about $50 per family member. Donors may also provide gift certificates to stores or supermarkets.

Heart-to-Heart: Donors with limited budgets or those who would like to focus on one needy person may help through this part of the program. The Volunteer Center has already received nearly 1,000 requests for assistance. Donors are asked to provide supermarket gift certificates, clothing and gifts for the individual they select. Suggested amount: $50.

Donors will have no direct contact with individuals or families; all gifts will be delivered to and distributed by non-profit organizations.

TO PARTICIPATE: Bergen Volunteers

Donors will receive profiles with specific gift requests.

MORE INFO: Debbie Emery, (201) 489-9454 ext. 118

HOW YOU CAN HELP: When Hackensack Fire Chief Tom Freeman discovered the plight of 2-year-old Owen Hogan, a New York City firefighter’s son who desperately needs a bone marrow match to survive aplastic anemia, he made it his mission to help. Now you can make it yours.

The Hackensack Fire Department continues its four-day bone marrow registration drive for Owen today and tomorrow from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m.

“This is when you know you have to step up,” Freeman said. “When a young life is at stake, we all have to do our part.”

It’s quick, simple, easy.

Owen’s disease prevents his blood from producing red or white blood cells or platelets, making it impossible for him to fight infection. The youngster has had several blood and platelet transfusions, along with immunosuppressive therapy but is no longer responding to those therapies.

SEE: A Hero For Owen

His best chance now is a bone marrow transplant: A perfectly matched donor gives him a 90% of surviving.

The HLA Registry at Community Blood Services is holding the drives at the Hackensack Fire Department, 205 State Street, continuing today and tomorrow.

It’s free, painless and easy: A simple swab is taken of the inner cheek.

They’re seeking people 18-44.

“We’re counting on our firefighters to spread the word among their colleagues, families and friends to stop by and register at one of the drives,” Freeman said.

MORE INFO: Patrice Foresman (HLA Registry): 201-705-1615

If you cannot make it, click here to register: bethematch.org (Use promo code: OWEN2013).

If you can’t register but want to  help, you can defer the cost of adding new members to the registry by sending a check (every $100 adds a new member) to:

SEE: A Hero For Owen

The HLA Registry
102 Chestnut Ridge Road
Montvale, NJ  07645.

The HLA Registry at Community Blood Services is a member of the National Marrow Donor Program’s (NMDP).

It is the largest non-governmental donor center in the U.S. and has registered more than 230,000 potential donors in the NMDP’s data base.

HLA stands for human leukocyte antigens, the genetic information encoded on white blood cells.

Fair Lawn Rescue is holding a Thanksgiving fundraising event this Sunday at its headquarters — 16-01 Romaine Street — that will include a sports memorabilia raffle and food drive.

MORE INFO: www.fairlawnrescue.com

SALUTE: Twenty years ago today, Paramus Police Officer Vincent M. Brock was killed in a car crash responding to a bogus 911 call of a shooting at the Garden State Plaza.

Today, flags at Paramus Police headquarters are at half-mast in honor of Brock, who wore badge number #326.

“His dedication to the Department, compassion for people, his bravery and his sense of humor, will not be forgotten,” the department said in a statement. “We will never forget the ultimate sacrifices made in the line of duty by all police officer’s across this nation — in particular Vinny’s sacrifice on November 22, 1993.”

“Vinny was a good man, [a] good cop and a good friend,” said retired Paramus Officer John Campione.

“I remember when I met him back in the mid 70′s he played bass guitar, good musician,” Campione wrote. “He along with other local talent inspired me to play drums.”

He added:

“We continued our friendship right through that time and through the time I began working along side him in the late 80′s in law enforcement. Several weeks before his passing he asked me if I wanted to start up a band and do some gigs in our off-duty time.

“It was [a] pleasure jamming with him as much as it was working along side him out on the road. He was gentleman and a kind hearted person.”

Brock, a 12-year department veteran, was killed when his patrol car struck a utility pole on Route 4 while responding to a call placed with a stolen cellphone.

“Glad I was part of the team at AT&T who worked with Paramus & NYPD to nail the phony caller,” an AT&T employee wrote. “We did a lot of creative tracking, and in turn we were all glad to help bring justice to this matter.”

The man who placed the call was sentenced to five years in state prison and an accomplice 18 months in connection with Brock’s death.

A subsequent investigation found that the Crown Victoria police cruiser had a defect in the power-steering.

The 1973 Paramus High School graduate left behind his wife, Diane, and three children: Timothy, Gregory and Lindsay.

The Vincent M. Brock Communications Center — responsible for answering all calls for Paramus, as well as 911 calls for East Rutherford, Hillsdale, Midland Park, Old Tappan, Palisades Park, River Vale, Rochelle Park, Tenafly, and Wyckoff — is named for him.

In addition to direct radio communication with each mall, the center has live monitoring capability of several hundred security cameras positioned throughout the Westfield Garden State Plaza and the Bergen Town Center.

SHOUT OUT: When your law enforcement officer husband or boyfriend has been under fire — not just from desperate criminals but from politicians and the media — it’s comforting to bond with others in the same situation. It’s exactly what a group of wives and girlfriends of sworn officers in Bergen County are doing.

“The REAL Police Wives of Bergen County” have done more than trade war stories and enjoy a few precious moments of shared security.

CLICK HERE for REAL Police Wives of Bergen County

They’re a “thriving sisterhood, [with]sharing commonalities, experiences, and matters that affect the everyday lives of police wives,” said Denielle McNiff, the group’s founder.

“Although the life we choose is not an easy one, it is nice to know we are taking care of and are there for someone who is extremely dedicated to a cause,” she added. “Their job is not just a career but a calling and a symbol of who they are.”

Their significant others already could bond through unions, lodges and various fraternities and organizations. So the police wives launched their own.

The common denominator is a sense of “normalcy” that is anything but, as well as and a way of life that, by necessity, must include missing or canceling children’s events, trying to get blood out of a uniform and worrying what the next shift might bring.

The members of “REAL Police Wives…” have dedicated themselves to “building strong relationships through friendship, public awareness of police issues, and volunteer activities for our community,” McNiff said.

“Through compassion, integrity, and service, we will be stewards of enhancing the quality of life within our local law enforcement family,” she said.

McNiff repeated the group’s vow: “We promise to respect and learn from each other, serve as resources for support, and encourage positive communication by providing a safe forum that is confidential to group members.”

INTERESTED IN JOINING? Email: deniellemcniff@gmail.com

Check out: REAL Police Wives of Bergen County FACEBOOK page

YOU READ IT HERE FIRST: Wood Ridge Junior/Senior High School is one of 10 national semi-finalists for a $48,000 “Team Up for Technology” grant through the Jimmy Johnson Foundation, established by the successful NASCAR driver.

By making it to the semis, the school won a $250 digital camera and a $1,200 laptop, both manufactured by contest co-sponsor Samsung.

The school also is in the running for a grand prize of $13,700 worth of Samsung merchandise and a check to buy $34,300 worth of other equipment listed in its grant application.

Students will vie for the top honor by using the new equipment from the JFF to produce a video entry.

“We are beaming with pride and extremely honored to have our junior/senior high school chosen as a top 10 national semi-finalist,” said Cheri Ottevaere, president of the Wood Ridge Public Education Foundation (WRPEF). “We are hopeful that the JJF represents the first of many open doors to many more opportunities for our kids.”

Ottevaere singled out WRPEF Vice-President Richard Fallon, who applied for the grant.

Fallon “has done some amazing things in our community,” she said, “but his work with the foundation takes us to a new level.

He, in turn, thanked those who’ve made the non-profit WRPEF – made up of parents and community members — a robust fundraising organization in less than a year’s time (MORE INFO: www.wrpef.org).

“These days, with all the budget cuts and caps to limit funding for education, our kids need us more than ever,” Fallon said.
The Jimmy Johnson Foundation partnered with Lowe’s and Samsung to offer the grand-prize technology makeover and finalist prizes.

MORE INFO: Jimmy Johnson Foundation / Team Up for Technology

SHOUT OUT: Just in time for the holidays, seven new Paramus special police officers recently graduated from the Bergen County Police Academy, Chief Kenneth Ehrenberg said.

“Special Police Officers play a vital role in facilitating the heavy flow traffic caused by holiday shopping within Paramus, which in turn frees up regular officers to handle crime and other emergencies,” Ehrenberg said.

Assigned to the department’s traffic division, the part-time Class 1 Special Police officers “will assist with details such as street crossings, sporting events, concerts, fireworks and other town functions,” the chief said.

They also help the borough and county Office of Emergency Management during hurricanes and other natural disasters, he said.

The group attended the police academy for more than three months and were certified by the New Jersey State Police Training Commission in, among other services, first aid, traffic and crowd control.

The new hires bring to 17 the number of special part-time police officers in Paramus.

PHOTO (l. to r.): Carolina Felix-Rozaldy, Raymond Hortian, Michael DiPalma, Skyler Baker, Brian Eshak, Brian Doughty, Dawn Manna