Thanksgiving Pancreatitis
The days following Thanksgiving can be some
...READ MOREThoughts From The Editor by Debbie Meehan
November 2019
A community is a group of people who share something in common. You can define a community by the shared attributes of the people in it and/or by the strength of the connections among them. You need a group of people who are alike in some way, who feel some sense of belonging or interpersonal connection. Communities are people. They are not abstractions. They are not rhetoric. They are human beings.
On October 29th, the community of Colonia was shaken to its core when a plane crashed into three homes. Unfortunately the pilot of the small plane was killed, but somehow by the grace of God no one on the ground was injured in the crash. The aftermath of that crash could have been catastrophic had anyone been home in the house, had it hit another house with families inside or had it hit one of the nearby schools. Immediately, the Colonia Fire Department was on the scene, along with every fire department from Woodbridge Township and other neighboring towns. I was there at the scene right after it happened as neighbors gathered to see if they could help anyone or do anything. All their words were the same, “Are the families ok, was anyone hurt?” All along thinking of the realization that the plane could have hit any of their homes while they were inside. I don’t think there was a person in the crowd that had gathered who wasn’t thankful to be alive at that moment and who realized that this terrible tragedy could have been so much worse.
In the days to follow once again the residents of this community stepped up to help the families that were affected. Immediately before the flames were even out the Mayor set up a Charity fund to help the families. On the Saturday after the fire we spent the day outside the Evergreen Center collecting donations and gift cards. So many people in this great community stopped by to support these families they didn’t even know. “They are our neighbors, we just want to help,” one woman said. Another handed me a soft teddy bear for the little girl that lived in the house that was totally destroyed and said, “I wanted the little girl to have something to hug,” tears rolling down her face and ours as she spoke.
But, out of all the beautiful words that were spoken that day and the kindness that was shown, the one that moved me the most was that of two young boys, Aiden Pydeski, 10 and Declan O’Rourke, 12, of Colonia, that came to make a donation.
Like most young children the boys love Halloween and the sweet treats they receive but this year what they wanted to receive was much sweeter: As they went door to door they handed their neighbors this letter…
“Happy Help-O-Ween”
“Hi, we are the “Jofrendy Kids” (we live in the area of Joanna, Frederick and Wendy). As you know, on Tuesday, October 29th, not far from here, a plane crashed and destroyed 3 homes in Colonia. After seeing this devastation in our community, we knew we had to do something to help! So this year instead of treats, we are asking our neighbors to consider giving us your spare change as a donation for these families that lost so much. We will still be Trick or Treating door to door but for donations instead of candy. All money collected by the Jofrendy Kids will be donated to the Woodbridge Community Charity Fund which has been designated by the
township to collect donations to help these families.”
Aiden and Declan raised $ 592.15 and I think their letter says it all…
Community is a group of people who share something in common and this community what they share in common is kindness and human compassion for each other, and there is nothing better than that!
So remember, this holiday season promise yourself that you will slow down and enjoy it. Give food to someone that is hungry, give a toy to a needy child, bake cookies for an elderly neighbor and then stay with them awhile, or attend one of the several fund raisers or events we have listed in this issue, give the gift of yourself this holiday season, for there is truly no better gift to give.
From our families to your families, Happy Thanksgiving!
Holiday Cooking Safety
By Asst. Chief / Firefighter Michael Hapstak, Woodbridge Fire Department
The holiday season is fast approaching, and with it comes an increased risk of home cooking fires.
US fire departments responded to an average of 172,100 home structure fires started by cooking from 2012-2016, about 471 per day. These fires caused an average of 530 deaths, 5,270 injuries and $1.1 billion in property damage each year. Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires, followed by Christmas Day, Christmas Eve, and the day before Thanksgiving.
Unattended cooking on ranges or cooktops was the cause of the majority of home cooking fires and over 80% of cooking fire deaths and injuries. Over one-third of those killed were sleeping at the time and more than one-third of non-fatal injuries occurred when people tried to control the fire themselves.
Cooking safety tips
- If you are simmering, baking, or roasting food, check it regularly, remain in the kitchen while food is cooking and use a timer to remind you that you are cooking.
- Keep anything that can catch fire — oven mitts, utensils, food packaging, towels or curtains — away from your stovetop.
- Keep matches and utility lighters out of the reach of children
- Be alert! If you are sleepy or have consumed alcohol, don’t use the stove or stovetop
- Never use extension cords for cooking appliances, circuits can overload and cause a fire.
- Deep fat turkey fryers are very dangerous. If you use one, keep it at least 15 feet from buildings and anything that can catch fire. Don’t use in a garage or on a deck. Watch the fryer carefully, the oil will continue to heat until it catches fire. To avoid spillover, don’t overfill the fryer.
- Make sure your smoke alarms are working. Test them by pushing the test button.
If you have a cooking fire
- Just get out! When you leave, close the door behind you to help contain the fire.
- Call 9-1-1 AFTER you leave.
- Keep a lid nearby when you’re cooking to smother small grease fires. Smother the fire by sliding the lid over the pan and turn off the stovetop. Leave the pan covered until it is completely cooled.
- Don’t use water or flour on a grease fire, it will cause the fire to spread. Baking soda or a Class B extinguisher may be used for small fires.
- Your instinct may be to move a pot on fire to a different part of your kitchen or outside. This could splash the oil on yourself or throughout your kitchen spreading the fire. It’s best to keep the pot where it is.
- For an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed.
- If you try to fight the fire, be sure others are getting out and you have a clear way out.
It’s that time of year again — Change your clocks change your batteries!
You should test your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms at least once a month. If your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are powered by batteries, they should be replaced at least once annually while the alarm itself should be replaced once every 10 years. For 10-year lithium-powered alarms, you won’t need to replace the battery. Instead, replace the entire alarm after 10 years have passed. If your alarm is hardwired into your home’s electrical system, replace the backup battery at least once per year and replace the alarm itself once every 10 years. A good rule of thumb is to change your batteries when you change your clocks! Daylight saving time ends on November 3rd. Replace old batteries with fresh, high quality batteries to keep your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms ready to protect you all year-long.
For additional information on fire prevention and fire safety check out www.woodbridgefireprevention.org and www.nfpa.org/Public-Education
Thoughts From The Editor By Debbie Meehan
October 2019
(Editors note: I wrote this column a few years ago but I think the message is important during the month of October when we bring awareness to this horrible disease and honor all the brave heroes that are afflicted with breast cancer and all cancers).
Hero (male) and heroine (female) in the dictionary is described as someone who, in the face of danger and adversity or from a position of weakness, displays courage and the will for self sacrifice—that is, heroism—for some greater good of all humanity.
Heroes come in all kinds of people. They come in our police officers, fire fighters, first responders, armed services men and women and anyone who takes an oath in their jobs to “honor and protect” the community it serves. Those kinds of heroes have the risk of walking into harms way every day they go to work or volunteer their time. But these men and women who put their lives at risk for you and I, do it because that is the honorable path they have chosen to make a difference in the world.
But some heroes don’t choose to be heroes, they become that way because of the road that fate has placed them on and courage and strength are skills that they have acquired while walking along it.
Along with the autumn breeze comes the colors of fall. The warm colors of browns, oranges and yellows, that give a welcome sign that fall is upon us. But this year as we step into the month of October there is another color that surrounds us, one for some reason I hadn’t noticed as much up until three years ago. The color of pink.
The color first caught my eye as I was watching the Giants game that year. Every player, every referee, every coach, was wearing something pink. Whether it was their shoes or helmets or whistles, every one of them had pink somewhere on them to remind the world that it was Breast Cancer Awareness month. Local stores, businesses and schools also strived to use the color pink to bring awareness to consumers and young students.
Maybe I notice it more now in the month of October because it makes me think of the friends I know who are or were battling this all too wide spread disease. I, along with most of you, have had friends who have battled this disease, who have lost to this disease and who are fighting this disease with all their strength today. I admire these women for their courage and strength and I know their battle has made them stronger and more grateful of every breath they take.
But today as I write this column on the first day of October the color pink is reminding me of a very special woman I met many years ago when our daughters were in kindergarten together. I wrote about her in this column last year but I feel it’s only fitting to tell you her story again because I think of her strength and courage often and she is always a gentle reminder to me why life is so precious and every breath we take is a true gift. Though we had never been the closest of friends ours had been a friendship that had grown through the years as together we had walked beside our children through the same school days in the same town in the same places.
This amazing woman had been fighting breast cancer for as long as I’ve known her. At first I was shocked to learn that she was sick. She was beautiful, upbeat and always had a smile on her face, not someone I pictured who had cancer. But I soon got to learn more about her when she contacted me to put a fundraiser in the paper about a walk her and her sisters were doing to raise money and awareness of breast cancer. I got to know her more through her efforts and was amazed at her strength, passion and determination to make a difference in the fight against breast cancer. I saw her at her highs and I saw her at some of her lows but I always saw her with her beautiful smile, fighting harder than anyone I ever met to beat a diagnosis that she didn’t have a choice to receive. Every time I ran into her, I was always humbled by her grace and courage, most of us don’t know that kind of courage nor do we ever hope to have to, but she had it and I admired her and looked up to the person she was. She wasn’t just fighting breast cancer for herself, she was fighting it for her daughter, for her sisters, for her friends and for all of us to make a difference in the world because she knew she had to.
My friend Bette Ann Pinkham lost her courageous battle to breast cancer on March 19, 2012 at the young age of 48 surrounded by her loving family. Today, her beautiful daughter Samantha continues her mom’s fight to bring awareness and raise money to find a cure in the memory of her mom and her aunts through her family’s foundation called Pink SOC’s.
Yes, she was the true definition of a hero, as are all the other warriors who are fighting this disease, and my column this month is dedicated to them.
A famous athlete who was diagnosed with cancer a few years back once said;
“If children have the ability to ignore all odds and percentages, then maybe we can all learn from them. When you think about it, what other choice is there but to hope? We have two options, medically and emotionally: give up, or fight like hell.”
“Fight like hell!”
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...READ MORESTAY ALERT By: Robert Hubner, Director, Woodbridge Police Department
Now that summer vacation is over and our students have returned to school, I thought it would be a good opportunity to ask both our motoring public and pedestrians alike to stay alert. Both drivers and pedestrians have an obligation by law to obey some simple rules that will help avoid accidents and injuries.
Motorist must stay alert at all times, but especially within school zones and near school bus stops. School zones are clearly marked, as are almost all crosswalks in and around schools. Most intersections that are heavily used by students have crossing guards present who have the responsibility of making sure our children stay safe while crossing streets. The students also have a responsibility of crossing at the crosswalks manned by the crossing guards and obeying their instructions. Students should never walk out into the street from between vehicles or attempt to cross at mid-block.
Motorists must also exercise caution at school bus stops and remember to never pass a school bus that has its red lights flashing and crossing arm down. Motorists must be mindful that pedestrians have the right of way once they have entered a crosswalk and must remain stopped till the pedestrian has crossed the road. Pedestrians who are entering a crosswalk should never assume that a vehicle has seen them and should always give a vehicle the opportunity to stop before crossing.
At a traffic light controlled intersection, pedestrians must cross with the green light and motorists should always remember that an amber signal does not mean speed-up to make the light before it turns red, but to slow down and prepare to stop.
The WPD has been addressing another traffic safety concern that affects both pedestrian and drivers. The “Distracted Driver” – those individuals that operate a motor vehicle while either talking on a cell phone or are texting while driving. The WPD has conducted a number of Distracted Driver enforcement initiatives and it never fails to surprise the officers working the detail just how many people are using their cell phones while operating a vehicle. A phone call or text message can wait! If the call or text is that important, pull off to the side of the road in a safe area and then use the phone.
The Woodbridge Police Department will continue to conduct traffic safety enforcement efforts to better protect pedestrians and motorists – we all have a responsibility to obey traffic laws and stay alert.
