Inauguration ceremony for Zimmer

The city will host a public inauguration ceremony for Mayor Dawn Zimmer on Saturday, Nov. 21 at 2 p.m. at the Hoboken High School Auditorium, 800 Clinton St.

Zimmer will be publicly sworn in as the 38th mayor of Hoboken and community members and distinguished speakers will address the crowd. A reception will follow in Columbus Park, next door.

Seating is limited and on a first-come-first-serve basis. Please reserve seats by phone at (201) 357-0038 or via e-mail at rsvp@zimmerinauguration.com.

A fine distinction

Readers noted this week that although Dawn Zimmer is the first female actually elected as mayor in Hudson County, at least two other females did lead their cities without being elected. Both stepped in after their cities’ mayors were convicted on federal charges.

Marilyn Roman was the first female mayor in Jersey City, although she was not elected. A City Council president in 1992, Roman became interim mayor when Mayor Gerald McCann stepped down from his post because of his conviction on federal fraud charges. She served for four months until a new council president was chosen.

In 1982, Rhyta Musto became mayor in Union City when she stepped in as commissioner for husband, Mayor William Musto, and was elected mayor by her commissioner colleagues. William Musto gave up his seat after his conviction on federal racketeering charges.

Community leadership forum

The Citizens’ Campaign is hosting a free “Call to Service” forum on Tuesday, Nov. 17 at Our Lady of Grace School Hall, Fifth Street and Willow Avenue, at 7 p.m. to increase awareness of leadership and service opportunities in the city of Hoboken.

This effort is part of a statewide “Jersey Call to Service,” a public service initiative of the Citizens’ Campaign to inspire citizens to participate in the leadership of their communities and reverse the tide of government waste and corruption.

The forum will primarily focus on the Hoboken appointments process, including inside tips for seeking and gaining appointment and information about the current service opportunities available.

Next week, residents will be releasing the findings of a “Citizens’ Rights & Responsibilities” survey conducted by Citizens’ Campaign members and Hoboken residents. The survey is designed to provide an overall sense of the city’s civic strengths and weaknesses. Its main purpose is to give the community a road map for how to increase citizen participation and empowerment by discovering what laws and policies of a healthy civic community are currently absent or need to be improved.

The forum is free and open to the public. If you are interested in attending, please respond to John Branciforte at johnbranciforte@aol.com, or Lauren at (732) 548-9798 x2.

For more information on the Jersey Call to Service, visit www.JoinTheCampaign.com.

Boathouse fundraiser

The Hoboken Cove Community Boathouse is sponsoring their first annual boathouse fundraiser on Sunday, Nov. 22 from 4 to 7 p.m. at Lua. The all-volunteer organization depends on community support for the free programs they offer.

For more information, contact Sandy Sobanski by phone at (201) 388-7668 or e-mail at info@hobokencoveboathouse.org.

School inclusive symposium

The New Jersey Coalition for Inclusive Education will present a symposium titled “Why Inclusion” for information on how inclusionary education can improve the school district and community.

The symposium will be held at the Hoboken Historical Museum, 1301 Hudson St., on Thursday, Dec. 3 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. followed by question and answer session and wine reception.

Inclusion education refers to equal educational opportunity for special needs or disabled students.

Parents, community leaders, school board members, administrators, and teachers are invited. Education professionals will receive professional development certificates for attendance.

Please reserve a seat via e-mail at thoward315@gmail.com by Nov. 25, or call (201) 795-5404 for more information.

Police launch identity theft program


Police Chief Anthony Falco Sr. announced a new program aimed at educating the public on how to deter, detect, and defend against identity theft, which affects nearly 10 million consumers annually and imposes $50 billion in unnecessary costs on the nation’s businesses every year, according to police.

In Hoboken, an estimated eight to ten identity theft-related incidents are reported to the police per month, on average.

The program consists of an informational e-mail sent to victims who report an instance of an identity theft, which outlines tips on prevention, how to deal with an actual occurrence, links to informative websites, and guidelines for filing a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.

The HPD has also enrolled in the National ID Theft Clearinghouse Database, a national database of millions of consumer complaints about identity theft and an “invaluable tool” for investigating identity theft, according to police.

Further information can be obtained by contacting Det. Lt. Mark Competello at competellom@hpd.org or by visiting the HPD website at www.hobokenpd.org.

Thanksgiving drive at Hoboken Terminal

N J Transit and the Community Food Bank of New Jersey are collecting food donations this Thanksgiving for those in need. Customers can donate non-perishable food items at several train stations from Nov. 17 to Nov. 19.

Collection bins will be available at the following locations: Atlantic City Rail Terminal, Cranford Station, Denville Station, Egg Harbor City Station, Hoboken Terminal, Millburn Station, Morristown Station, Mountain Lakes Station, Summit Station, Wayne/Route 23 Transit Center, and Westfield Station.

They are most in need of canned fish/meat, powdered milk and infant formulas, boxed meals, canned packaged meals, peanut butter (in plastic jars only), and canned vegetables/fruits.

For more information on how to donate, visit www.njfoodbank.org.

‘FUNdraiser’ from Hoboken Charter

The Hoboken Charter School is sponsoring Water Wings, a “FUNdraiser” benefiting H20 for Life on Saturday, Nov. 21 from noon to 2 p.m. at St. Matt’s Parish Hall, Eighth and Washington streets.

All are invited to join in for an afternoon of fun, games, art exhibits, and live music, including ducks, darts, and dashikis in a carnival atmosphere.

Home baked goods by HCS families will be available along with raffles for artworks by established New Jersey artists Deb Mell, Chuck Miley, and SK Duff among others.

Admission is free, but the “FUNdraiser” will provide a basic plumbing system for Butanda School, Uganda, bringing clean, safe water to the kids of Africa.

Theatre mixer

The Hudson County Theatre Alliance is hosting the “Fall into the Arts” reception at 7 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 16, at the Stevens Institute of Technology. The event is at the Wesley J. Howe Center in the Bissinger Room, fourth floor.

“Fall into the Arts” is designed as a mixer and business card exchange for members of the arts and theater communities to come together, encouraging collaborations and development of performing arts programs in Hudson County. The 10 member theaters of the HCTA will be represented, along with various other arts and support organizations in Hudson County. Participants are encouraged to bring business cards to exchange along with materials to share about organizations and programs.

For more information, please contact president@hudsonall.org or call (201) 216-5111.