A large crowd of residents turned out to celebrate the 4th annual Palestinian flag-raising in North Bergen, on Friday, April 12, 2019.

Mayor Nicholas Sacco greeted the celebrants inside the Municipal Chambers, where Certificates of Recognition for their dedication and support to the community were given to long-time resident and member of the NHEIC Mosques women’s committee, Muna Razeq, and posthumously to Mohammed Ali Al-Hanooti, a respected Sheikh (religious leader) in the community who achieved the prestigious rank of Mufti in Washington.

Also receiving a certificate was Amel H. Fael, who sang the National Anthem at the event.

North Bergen, with its robust Arab Muslim community, was the second municipality in New Jersey to host a Palestinian flag-raising. Guest speaker, dancers and singers performed inside the chambers before everyone retired outside to raise the flag over town hall. Commissioners Hugo Cabrera and Julio Marenco were present to show their support, along with Freeholder Anthony Vainieri.

The North Bergen Free Public Library is the 2019 winner of the prestigious H.W. Wilson Library Staff Development Grant. The award is presented annually to a library organization whose application demonstrates greatest merit for a program of staff development designed to further the goals and objectives of the library organization.

The H.W. Wilson Library Staff Development Grant is an annual award consisting of $3,500 and a 24k gold-framed citation given to a library organization whose application demonstrates greatest merit for a program of staff development designed to further the goals and objectives of the library organization.

An announcement from the American Library Association reads as follows: “The North Bergen Free Public Library is committed to promoting lifelong learning and providing ease of access to resources for their community. They serve a densely populated urban area which is culturally and economically diverse, leading to a proven need for social services along with ESL and ELL services.

“The award jury was impressed by the library’s multi-pronged approach to addressing the needs of their community through the training of their staff. With the award, the library plans on addressing multiple areas of service to meet the needs of the many immigrants who call North Bergen home, along with addressing the needs of the community’s underserved population.”

The H.W. Wilson Library Staff Development Grant will be presented at the ALA Award Ceremony and Reception on Sunday, June 23, 2019 at the ALA Annual Conference in Washington, D.C.

Aimee Focaraccio, the coordinator of NB C.A.R.E.S., was the recipient of a highly prestigious honor when she received the North Bergen Woman Breaking Barriers Award on Tuesday, Mar. 19 at the historic Brennan Courthouse in Jersey City. Focaraccio was one of 13 “Visionary Women” honored at the county’s annual Women’s History Month celebration and award ceremony.

Amy DeGise, chair of the Hudson County Democratic Organization, presented the award to Focaraccio for her tremendous service to the local community, and read an impressive list of her accomplishments, including running NB C.A.R.E.S. for the past six years, coordinating North Bergen’s giveaways, drives, and events, and running the township’s relief center to assist fire victims and others.

Among the other recipients of the award was Guttenberg’s Rose Gunther, who just celebrated her 100th birthday and is still managing various real estate properties. She was presented with the Guttenberg Trailblazer of the Year Award by Guttenberg Mayor Wayne Zitt.

A large crowd of local officials, friends, family, and supporters attended the ceremony on Tuesday, Mar. 19 and gave standing ovations to the recipients. Some of the presenters included Hudson County Executive Thomas DeGise, Freeholders Caridad Rodriguez and Anthony Romano, and Weehawken Mayor Richard Turner. Undersheriff Francine Shelton served as emcee.

Mayor Nicholas Sacco presented a plaque to local chiropractor Dr. Gerard Busacco on Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2019 for helping to save the life of a North Bergen Housing Authority (NBHA) resident who had collapsed in her apartment.

Dr. Busacco has been visiting weekly with NBHA seniors since 2000 in a program initiated by Mayor Sacco and NBHA Executive Director Gerald Sanzari. When one of his regular attendees, 72-year-old Patrica Witzki, did not show up for a late January session at the Terrace Apartments, Dr. Busacco took notice and decided to look into it.

“We called her apartment several times but received no answer, so Leroy, the supervisor of maintenance, and I went up to her room and went in,” said Dr. Busacco. “She was lying face-down and unresponsive.”

Dr. Busacco quickly put a pillow under her head and had Leroy call 911. Holding her hand until EMTs arrived, Dr. Busacco spoke to Witzki the whole time, then explained her medical history to the paramedics, who transported her to Palisades Medical Center.

“When I spoke with the doctors there, they told me she would not have survived if I hadn’t had made it to her when I did,” Dr. Busacco said. “I have to thank the mayor and the North Bergen Housing Authority for making this program possible.”

“When you manage senior buildings, and we have four of them, there’s sometimes a very different ending than the one we had here, and we’re so glad this was able to have a happy ending,” said Sanzari. “For Gerry Busacco to make that stop to check on her, it’s not something everyone would think of.”

“We’re happy you showed the initiative that you did when you noticed a missing person from the group,” said Mayor Sacco. “All of North Bergen thanks you for what you did.”

Witzki was released from the hospital on Feb. 20. Her daughter is due to give birth to Witzki’s first grandchild in March.