The North Bergen community is shocked and saddened by the unexpected death of one its own, Luis Malave, 28. Malave passed away yesterday after allegedly suffering from cardiac arrest while in the company of his long term girlfriend.

Luis was born in the Bronx before moving to New Jersey where he graduated from North Bergen High School in 2006. “He was always friendly and welcoming,” says former classmate Jocelyn Palma.

Luis Malave worked at Grainger, a distributor of products used to maintain, repair and operate facilities.

Luis will be remembered as a loving son, brother, boyfriend, and dear friend.

Many who knew Malave have turned to social media to express their grief.

“He was such a kind hearted person. Way too young pass,” says Larell Millan.

The funeral and wake arrangements have yet to be announced. HudPost will update the article when more information is released.

Update August 9th, 2016:

Wake:

Thursday, August 11th 5pm-9pm

AK Macagna Funeral Home

495 Anderson Ave.

Cliffside Park, NJ 07010

Mass:

Friday, August 12th 10am

Our Lady of Fatima Church

8011 JFK Blvd.

North Bergen, NJ 07047

North Bergen residents are encouraged to visit Wednesday, Aug. 10 from 9 a.m. to noon at 1116 43rd St., North Bergen or 1 to 4 p.m. 535 Midland Ave, Garfield for this weeks health fair.

Visitors can receive health screenings and learn about general wellness, nutrition and other health-related subjects. Meanwhile, children will have the chance to get their faces painted and play with balloons

Vendors at each site will include state agencies, hospitals, insurance providers, and volunteers to entertain and educate children and adults.

Read more at NJ.com

Limited space available. Purchase your ticket at HudPost.com/Tix

NJ Spotlight has highlighted North Bergen’s public library as among the busiest of the nearly 300 libraries in the state with 177,117 books in circulation and 627,000 visitors, North Bergen has the second busiest municipal library in New Jersey, according to the list compiled by the American Library Association.

The North Bergen Free Public Library was officially opened in 1936 with 2,630 volumes, to serve a population of 40,000 people. The library’s main branch is located at 8411 Bergenline Ave. A second location was opened downtown at 2123 Kennedy Blvd. to make library services more convenient to all residents. The two locations jointly serve 32,359 registered borrowers (29,879 resident and 2,480 nonresident).

The article cites a shift in the role of libraries, with more investment in ebooks, increased Internet usage, and faster connections. County libraries with as many as 21 branches make up the top slots on the list. The article is posted at njspotlight.com.

In 1953 a preliminary meeting of the North Bergen Library Association was held at Robert Fulton School for the purpose of discussing the establishment of a public library. On June 10th, officers were elected for a two-year term of office and a constitution adopted. P.T.A. groups held meetings and fundraising events, and had conferences with State Library officials. Finally a Board of Trustees was elected and a store rented at 432 – 33rd Street (now 77th Street) for the sum of $300 a year.

The Library officially opened on February 25, 1936 with 2,630 volumes to serve a population of 40,000 persons. In 1985 the main library was relocated it’s current location, 8411 Bergenline Avenue.

The farmers market is coming back to James J. Braddock North Hudson Park for 10 weeks.

“This is a great opportunity to not only buy the most fresh, healthy produce and other foods anywhere, but also to enjoy our beautiful park together as a community,” says North Bergen Mayor Nicholas Sacco.

The market will take place every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. through Sept. 25. It will be located at the north entrance of Braddock Park along Bergenline Avenue in North Bergen.

“Like” the J.J. Braddock Park Farmers Market Facebook page.

Last month, the state released the average SAT scores for each high school in the state for the 2014-2015 school year, allowing residents to compare how their district did on the standardized test, which many colleges use in evaluating applicants.

The New Jersey Department of Education’s annual school performance reports for 2014-15 revealed that the statewide average for SAT scores fell by six points in the 2014-15 academic year, dropping from 1514 to 1508. Some attribute this to rising participation rates, which means more students are encouraged to take the test, even if some may not be prepared. College Board’s annual exam results in 2015 revealed a larger and more diverse pool of high school students taking the SAT, PSAT and AP exams than ever before.

In most area schools, participation was high, but some schools such as North Bergen, did not reach the 80 percent goal set by the Department of Education.

The district’s average score dropped by 44 points from the previous year’s 1355, but North Bergen’s SAT averages have consistently stayed above 1300 for the past five years.

Pascual said that about seven years ago, North Bergen High School was pushed by the Board of Education to improve SAT scores and began to search for an SAT Prep program to partner with. Eventually, the high school partnered with Revolution Prep, a private tutoring service. Funded by the Board of Education, SAT prep classes are free for students and offered during after-school hours. In addition to lessons, the program also offers practice exams.

“Before we started this SAT prep, our scores just weren’t there,” Pascual said. Referring to the practice exams, he said student averages on the exam have increased by 200 to 400 points between the first and last sitting.

Emphasizing the importance of participating in practice SAT exams, Pascual said, “These exams help students figure out their strengths and weaknesses before the actual test.”

“We’re not at a disadvantage, Pascual said. “Our students have a lot of opportunities.”

Read more at HudsonReporter.com