Fire on Hops Commons Court

A fast-acting resident is being credited for saving several townhouses on Hops Commons Court on July 7.

That afternoon, the resident heard an alarm go off inside a Hops Commons home and she noticed what appeared to be smoke inside. She immediately called 911.

Members of the Secaucus Volunteer Fire Department responded and were able to extinguish the fire within five minutes, according to Secaucus Fire Chief Michael Gonnelli, who was also at the scene Wednesday.

“It turned out to be a lot smaller than it could have been,” Gonnelli said. “If it hadn’t been for this resident, who took action right away, we could have lost that townhouse, plus two other ones next to it.”

No one was home when the fire broke out.

Gonnelli said the town put the residents up in the Crown Plaza Hotel Wednesday and Thursday nights to give them an opportunity to make other arrangements with their insurance companies.

Two firefighters suffered minor injuries. One firefighter was treated for smoke inhalation. The other injured his ribs when he attempted to gain access to the home.

Benefit for Segarra family, who lost teenage son



K&S Social and Athletic Club will hold its annual Friend in Need picnic on Saturday, July 17 from noon until 6 p.m. in Schmidt’s Woods Park. This year the picnic will benefit the family of the late Christopher Segarra, a former Secaucus High School student. Segarra was being treated for cancer when, according to benefit organizers, he died in December from pneumonia. He was 15. After his death, the family was left with many medical bills that were not covered by health insurance. The K&S picnic will raise money to help pay off these medical bills.

There will be plenty of great food, and several local bands will perform. There is no admission fee, but other donations will be collected.

Schmidt’s Woods Park is located on Millridge Road, near Secaucus High School.

For more information, call John at (201) 867-7670.

First 100 low-income seniors can get Farmer’s Market vouchers

The town announced last week announced that vouchers worth $20 will be made available to low-income Secaucus seniors this summer (see story inside). The vouchers can be used at the town’s new Framer’s Market, now held each Friday from 1 to 7 p.m. at the Secaucus Public Library and Business Resource Center parking lot. The Farmer’s Market will continue through the end of October.

According to Lisa Snedeker, director of social services, “The New Jersey Women, Infants, and Children program, in collaboration with the New Jersey Division of Senior Affairs and the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, has implemented a statewide Senior Farmer’s Market Nutrition Program, targeting seniors whose income level is below 185 percent of the poverty level.”

In a statement, Snedeker added, “Qualified seniors, 62 and over, whose income for a family of one is less than $20,036, or less than $26,955 for a family of two, may apply for these vouchers…Since the Hudson County Office on Aging has allotted vouchers for only 100 seniors in our town, they will be distributed on a first come, first served basis..Please call the Senior Center at (201) 330-2034 to register for the program.”

Blood drives in Secaucus, elsewhere

July will be a big month for blood donations in Hudson County. New Jersey Blood Services, a division of the New York Blood Center, will co-host four blood drives throughout Hudson County.

On Thursday, July 22 at 3 p.m., New Jersey Blood Services will co-host a drive at 111 River St. in Hoboken along with John Wiley & Sons.

Eight days later on Friday, July 30 there will a blood drive at 9 a.m. at Jersey City’s Newport Tower, 525 Washington Blvd. That same day there will be another drive at 3 p.m. at Schuetzen Park, 3167 Kennedy Blvd., in North Bergen. Finally, on Saturday, July 31, New Jersey Blood Services will co-host a drive at the Shree Swaminarayan Temple at 200 Penhorn Ave. in Secaucus at 9 a.m.

Every two seconds someone needs blood in America and one out of every three people will need a lifesaving blood transfusion at some time in their lives. One single blood donation can help save the lives of three people.

To schedule an appointment to give blood at any one of the drives, call (800) 933-2566 or visit www.nybloodcenter.org. There is a particular need for donors with O-negative blood.

Driver safety class offered to seniors

The AARP, Liberty Health, and Meadowlands Hospital Medical Center will again offer New Jersey residents a Driver Safety Program.

The course, which will include classroom instruction on defensive driving and other techniques, has the potential to reduce points on a driver’s license, with the approval of the NJ Division of Motor Vehicles, and could also earn participants a rebate from their auto insurance companies.

The next course will take place on Wednesday, July 21 and Thursday, July 22 from 10 to 3 p.m. at Meadowlands Hospital Medical Center, 55 Meadowlands Parkway, Secaucus. There is a $12 fee per person for AARP members. The fee is $14 for nonmembers. Attendance is required both days. For more information, call (201) 392-3266.