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PUBLISHED BY TEANECK VOICES
Managing Editor, Bernard Rous
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
February 7, 2022 Issue
Contents
From Uncovering to Covering Up - 1926-2022
Register to Vote
What Candidates for Local Office Should Know: Part I
Letter to the Editor
Unanswered Questions
COVID Updates
  • Rapid Home COVID tests from the Post Office
  • Community Baptist Church in Englewood Testing Site
  • Rodda Center
  • Library Services Curtailed
Upcoming Town Meetings
Events at the Library
Announcements
  • Know Your Home Value Webinar
  • MLK Black History Month Virtual Series
  • Library eCitizen Program
  • Bergen County LGBTQ+ Alliance
FROM UNCOVERING TO COVERING UP 1926 – 2022
An Introduction to The Black History Month Lecture Series
at the Teaneck Library
by
Theodora Smiley Lacey, Notable Woman of Teaneck

Theodora Smiley Lacey, mother of four, is a retired Teaneck science teacher, and civil rights activist who has devoted decades of her life to fighting racial and social injustice. The Theodora Smiley Lacey School in Teaneck bears her name in recognition of the indelible mark she has made on New Jersey.

Mrs. Lacey’s contributions changed the lives of many Black and White children in Teaneck. She is Teaneck’s Treasure who shares her wisdom with all who will heed her.
Ninety-six years ago, an American historian, scholar, and journalist, Carter G. Woodson, established Negro History Week, the precursor to the month-long celebration we now observe each February.

Woodson was born in 1875 to formerly enslaved parents. Although he had to delay his education and didn’t enter high school until he was 20 years old, he ultimately graduated from Berea College, earned a Master of Arts degree from the University of Chicago, and was the second African American to receive a PhD from Harvard. He would become known as the “father of Black History” and was the founder of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. It was through this organization that he founded “Negro History Week” to uncover and preserve the history of African Americans.

Woodson chose the second week in February to honor the birthdays of two great Americans, Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. In acknowledging both Lincoln, a former President, and Douglass, who was born into slavery, he recognized that the American story is incomplete without the inclusion of the stories African Americans.

He said:

"It is not so much a Negro History Week as it is a History Week. We should emphasize not Negro History, but the Negro in History. What we need is not a history of selected races or nations, but the history of the world void of national bias, race hatred and religious prejudice"

We have come a long way. Appreciation and recognition of the significant contributions made by African Americans has grown tremendously. Uncovering the African American story, which completes the American Story, has been a long and painful, but also an enlightening process.

Here we are in 2022. The question is often asked, why do we still need to celebrate Black History Month since African Americans are now represented in so much of the fabric of American life. It is true that much progress has been made. While it is no longer necessary to justify the position of African Americans in society, the need to tell and preserve our history could not be more urgent.

The concerted attempts to cover up, discredit, disown and to destroy the African American story are mounting. The banning of books in classrooms and libraries, the exclusion of the enslavement of African Americans from history books, the impugning of the thesis of Critical Race Theory, general distortions and omission of historical events, the misinterpretation of Black Lives Matter, are some of the efforts being made to thwart the true American story. Racial discrimination in housing, schools and the workplace continue, and result in inequitable life chances for Black Americans.

Most recently, the overt actions taking place to suppress the vote, which disproportionately impacts African Americans, are persistent and spreading at an alarming rate. For all these reasons Black History month, a month in which the value and worth of Black people is celebrated and embraced, is needed now more than ever.

Much of the racially inspired push-back comes from those who feel they are being held responsible for past injustices, and that the teaching of this history makes White students feel guilty or uncomfortable. But we know that truth-telling is essential, and knowledge of the past serves to prevent the worst of history from being repeated.

Teaneck, a community that prides itself as a diverse community, integrated its schools in 1965 without court mandate or violence, the first in the nation to do so. There are those who question whether Teaneck’s desegregation of its schools was truly successful. Let’s examine that and you determine for yourself.

  1. Are the Teaneck schools open and welcoming to all students?
  2. Does the Teaneck Board of Education/Superintendent, formulate, promote and mandate policies that ensure equality of learning for all students and is there a clear understanding of no tolerance for discrimination at any level?
  3. Is the administration, professional and supporting staff reflective of the diversity that mirrors possibilities for all students?
  4. Does the curriculum provide global cultural content that helps students identify themselves?

These and so many more questions define what a positive integrated environment means for all students. While the physical enrollment of students may not reflect the same picture seen in 1965, and white flight from public school and school choice have created less diversity, our school’s policies, goals, and aspirations for an inclusive education must remain the same. Maintaining excellence is not based solely on numbers, but quality and implementation.

Moreover, the question must be asked, Is our town living up to its image of being a USA model town, as once identified in 1949? Is diversity embraced? Are we promoting open housing, business opportunities for all, encouraging participation in shaping and maintaining good government? Is there concern for all citizens regardless of what quadrant one lives in? Is excellence in our schools, care of our young, old, and disabled evident in our town?

The Martin Luther King Birthday Committee encourages Teaneck to always
work toward these ideals. This month the MLK Committee invites you to join in the celebration of Black History Month. Join in watching the lecture series each Thursday during the month of February, sponsored by the Committee and the Teaneck Library. Learn more about your African American neighbors. Help us to continue to uncover history and make a commitment not to cover-up the true American story. Teaneck can once again stand out as a model town that continuously works on fulfilling the dream of liberty and justice for all.

Celebrating Black History Month gives us an opportunity to:

Seek the truth
Acknowledge the past
Document and celebrate our progress
Highlight the people whose stories are unknown and untold
Recognize the challenges of the present
Work together for a more just America
REGISTER TO VOTE NOW
If you are not registered to vote, please make it a priority to do so. To complete a registration form or for more information regarding voting in Bergen County, please click onto the this link.

If you are not sure if you are registered to vote in Teaneck, you may search here.

To check the details of your voter record, you may sign up here.
WHAT CANDIDATES FOR LOCAL OFFICE SHOULD KNOW BEFORE THEY THROW THEIR HAT INTO THE RING
PART I
Ask yourself:

  • Does your spouse support your candidacy 100%?
  • Do you have any skeletons in the closet that might be discovered during the campaign?
  • Do you have the strength to be the only one to vote for or against any issue and handle the fallout created by that decision?
  • Are you willing to put out some of your own money in advance of receiving donations to get your campaign started at an optimal time? 
  • Do you know enough about the office that you are seeking to take a position on an issue from a knowledgeable position to avoid being made a fool of during the campaign with inaccurate information?
  • Do you have the support of your own ethnic community? 
  • Can you assemble a group of people who will meet with you very frequently who are committed to your personal win?
  • Do you have the personality required to be able to successfully negotiate with people that you may not like, in order to fight for the best interests of the community?
  • Are you qualified for the position? Have you served on at least one Advisory or Statutory Board?
  • Candidates for Council and Board of Ed should attend those meetings and be very familiar with the business of those bodies.
  • Once candidates are elected, Rutgers runs a training program in Bergen County for newly elected municipal officials.
  • Those who aspire to leadership positions should be knowledgeable about Teaneck’s history, form of government and Teaneck’s place in the county and state.
  • Are you willing to run with others on a slate?
  • Can you find like-minded people to run with you as a slate? It isn’t a guarantee, but sometimes it will help you accomplish your goals.
  • Pooling resources can be highly effective.
  • Are you able to negotiate to achieve consensus? Can you give and take a little to achieve what is best for the community?
As One Board of Education Trustee Sees It
THE CENTER HOLDS
By
Dr. Dennis Klein
One of the key concerns I have about our community (Teaneck is hardly alone) is the breakdown in communication. How remarkable are our public schools and how little we know about them, or worse from ignorance. Of course, there is much work we need to do for the benefit of our students and our community as a whole, and that is the main reason why I decided last summer to run for a seat on the Board of Education.

Notably, my emphasis during the campaign on communication may well be one important reason I won. A recent study has shown that social media, which observers agree fuel polarization, do so only among a fraction of followers. Most of us on social media are, in fact, centrists who vacate extremist posts. That is why I believe the center still holds, and that is why I am organizing informal and confidential conversations.

Those of us at the center require intel, mutual recognition, and a voice. Like mine, your values are civic and your belief in public schools is considerable. Let me know here that you are interested in joining a conversation. For a brief video recap of the conversations I’ve had to date, click here.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this and other Teaneck Voices articles about the Teaneck public schools are strictly my own and do not necessarily express the opinions of other Teaneck Board of Education trustees. 
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Dear Mr. Rous,

I want to thank you and your Editorial Board for uncovering the underhanded actions of our Township Council. I have been a resident of Teaneck since 1971 and I am stunned at how the character of our town is changing.

For quite some time I have relied on Elie Katz’s Teaneck Tid Bits to keep aware of what was happening in out township. I was stunned when I first read an issue of Teaneck Voices to realize what was actually happening right under our noses. All of a sudden we have a Cannabis factory approved, several multi-story buildings, a threatened closing of Stop & Shop that no one knows how the issue began because the citizens of Teaneck were never consulted.

The Teaneck Council is operating behind closed doors and is failing to keep the public informed of its’ actions. I absolutely agree with many of your statements and would like to know how we can let the rest of Teaneck know what is going on and more importantly what can be done to stop this.
Thanks,
Jim Reilly
STILL UNANSWERED QUESTIONS
  • Almost one year ago, last March 10th, Teaneck Council, the Teaneck Library and Fairleigh Dickinson organized a community lecture and lab series called Walk the Talk. What is the follow-up to this effort to put "equity into action"?

  • Why has Planning Board Good & Welfare been moved to the end of the meeting – late at night and after all votes have been taken? 

  • Why does the Council use secret subcommittees (there are 16) to make decisions instead of holding Workshop sessions where the public can listen to discussion and decision-making? 

  • When will the Planning Board enact an OSRP so Teaneck can receive Green Acres funding support? 

  • What is happening with the proposed Alfred Avenue development?

  • The 225-unit building for which the developer will pay no taxes?
  • The cannabis development to grow, process, distribute and sell marijuana?
  • Has our council spoken to Englewood Council about our draining into their drainage system and selling cannabis adjacent to their park? 

  • What is happening with the Holy Name Medical Center and Good Neighbors agreement? 

  • What is happening with Stop & Shop and the American Legion Drive Redevelopment (Blighted) area?
COVID UPDATES
PARAMUS COVID-19 VACCINE MEGA-SITE
A new COVID-19 vaccine mega-site opened on Wednesday, January 19th at the former Lord & Taylor store, 34 E. Ridgewood Avenue, off Route 17 in the Fashion Center in Paramus.

Operated by Hackensack Meridian Health, the mega-site will provide children ages 5 and older as well as adults initial vaccine doses and boosters.

Hours of operation are as follows: Tuesdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Wednesdays, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

and walk-ins are also welcome.
Rapid COVID-19 Test Kits Available for Free from USPS
Free at-home COVID-19 tests ordered on www.covidtests.gov and delivered by USPS. Limit of 1 order per household. Each order contains 4 individual tests.
Community Baptist Church Covid Testing Site
 Every Wednesday 9:00 AM-7:00 PM 
224 First Street
  Englewood, NJ 07631
RODDA CENTER
Conflicting Information. Town Manager's website says:
  • “the Municipal Building and Richard Rodda Center will open to the public without restrictions beginning Monday, January 31, 2022”
But Assistant Superintendent of Recreation confirms that:
  • no senior will be allowed in the Rodda Center’s senior programs without a mask and
  • the youth programs are all to follow state and CDC requirements 
UPCOMING MUNICIPAL MEETINGS
Teaneck Council Regular meeting
Tuesday February 8th at 8:00pm
Zoom Link and passcode 761138
The agenda as of 2/6 on the website is Click Here 

Notes: The public will have two opportunities to provide input at this meeting.
The first will be the separate public hearing before which Council will vote on whether to adopt 4 new ordinances. Two of the ordinances address parking issues on Jefferson Street; one will set specific employee salary ranges; but the 4th (Ordinance 4-2022) will likely get most attention. It sets fees and rules for residents keeping chickens. Two of the 6 Council members present when this ordinance was introduced on 1/18 voted against its introduction.
Issues which may draw resident attention/input during Good and Welfare are:
  1. discussion about the Teaneck Historical Preservation Commission’s proposed Black Lives Matter historical marker finally being carried by the Commission’s liaison (Councilman Kaplan) to a Council agenda. 
  2. A resolution (44-2022 found on page 104 of the agenda packet) to declare Council in support of the suitability of a specific multi-function cannabis facility in the Alfred Avenue area.
  3. An ordinance (Ordinance 7-2022 found on page 154 of the agenda packet) proposed for introduction governing how advertisements will be regulated in the recently discussed new Council newsletter, described by the Mayor as the way to counteract municipal misinformation in social media. 
  4. Residents may want to listen carefully to two Council listed items to be discussed by Councilman Kaplan, one having to do with official newspapers and a second announcing a code review of what appears to be the code governing the organization of the police department.
  5. Residents may be interested to hear Resolution 46-2022, "AUTHORIZING THE SETTLEMENT OF A LAWSUIT CAPTIONED FOOD & WATER WATCH, ET ALS V DOUG RUCCIONE, ET ALS" in the sum of $10,050. (It was added to the agenda late on Monday, just prior to publication of this issue.)

Cedar Lane Management Group
Wednesday, February 9, 2022 at 6:30pm
Public access & opportunity for input limited by Advisory Board ordinance. *See below.
Teaneck Board of Education Workshop Meeting
Wednesday, February 9, 2022 at 8:00pm at Teaneck High School.

Note: BoE Workshop Information available as of 2/6/2022:

“All meetings are scheduled to begin at 8:00 pm and will be held in-person. With proper notice under the Open Public Meetings Acts (OPMA) any meeting listed herein may be held virtually given the circumstances at the time and upon the discretion of the Board. If you have any questions in regards to this notice, please contact the Board office at 201-833- 5527 during regular business hours from 8:30am–4:30pm."  

Library Board of Trustees Meeting
Thursday, February 10, 2022 at 6:30pm

Note: According to the current Library Board website the following statement is still in effect:
Due to the current State of Emergency issued by the Governor of the State of New Jersey as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Teaneck Public Library will be holding its regularly scheduled meetings virtually via Zoom. The link to participate in the Zoom meeting via computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone, meeting ID number, password, one-tap mobile numbers and dial-in telephone numbers are posted on the on the library’s website at www.teanecklibrary.org at least 48 hours in advance of all regularly scheduled meetings.

Planning Board
Thursday, February 10, 2022 at 8:00pm
This is a regularly scheduled meeting date of the Board. No information whatsoever about how to access the meeting or what will be its agenda is available as of 2/6/2022.

Looking Forward for agenda information for Teaneck’s land use boards.
As usual, there is no information available whatsoever about what will be on the next agendas of the Planning Board or when the Board will next be meeting. The previous scheduled meeting (1/27) was not cancelled until the day before the meeting.

By contrast, the Board of Adjustment had, on the Town website, usefully made the dates for hearings on several major applications currently scheduled to be heard by the Board available in its 2/3/2022 agenda.

However, the hearing to be heard and likely concluded at the 2/3 meeting for a proposed 20-unit multi-family rental facility at 54 West Englewood Avenue in a R/S (residential single) zone was suddenly cancelled at the developer’s attorney’s office request, and rescheduled – with no further notice to the public - by the developer for April 7. No reason for the delay was provided. See Video below
The next hearing on the application for a 30-unit multi-family rental in the B2 zone at 205 Cedar Lane currently remains scheduled for a special meeting on Thursday 2/17. Watch this space

*Quote from Ordinance 15-2020 on Advisory Boards adopted by Council on August 11, 2020: 
“Council’s advisory Board meetings are closed to the public. The public can submit items for discussion to the Council’s advisory board chair and council liaison for review and potential for inclusion on their meeting agenda. If the item is placed on the agenda, the chair, with approval of their Council’s advisory board, may invite the member of the public to come and speak to them about the specific issue they want to have discussed”.

Action: Are you interested in serving and having your only opportunity to participate at advisory board meetings? Do you want to be one of the small handful of people who shape development in Teaneck? Complete an Advisory Board and Statutory Board Application
Events at the Library: Click here
ANNOUNCEMENTS
KNOW YOUR HOME VALUE
NETBPA Event
Virtual Meeting Feb 28th 7:30pm
Click onto the link below to attend on February 28 at 7:30 p.m.
Passcode: 634229
Or One tap mobile :
  US: +13017158592,,81751843563#,,,,*634229# or +13126266799,,81751843563#,,,,*634229#
Or Telephone:
  Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
    US: +1 301 715 8592 or +1 312 626 6799 or +1 646 558 8656 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 669 900 9128
Webinar ID: 817 5184 3563
MLK BLACK HISTORY MONTH VIRTUAL SERIES

Thursday, February 10, 2022 at 7:00pm Introduction By Libby Klein “Knowing Your Rights: Understanding the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination.” 
Presented by Patricia D. Williamson, Community Relations Specialist New Jersey Division on Civil Rights
Link for this Thursday: https://vimeo.com/674150993
NEW e-CITIZEN PROGRAM AT LIBRARY
We're pleased to announce our first ever Teaneck eCitizen Program for adults! This program aims to teach participants how to:

  • Evaluate information & identify misinformation
  • Communicate effectively online using tools like Google Workspace
  • Understand basic cybersecurity practices
  • Create informative graphics and posts online
  • Navigate intellectual property and copyright issues

These critical skills are valuable tools in our increasingly digital world and can enhance any job seeker’s resume in a work environment that uses computers and/or the internet or add to your own personal skill-set.

All participants will receive a certificate of completion at the end of the 6-week cohort that can be used to demonstrate their understanding of these key skills to current or potential employers.

Our first cohort will be held virtually and run from January 19 to February 23. Participants will be able to attend weekly classes on Wednesdays from 6:00 – 9:00 PM via Zoom.
~~~~~~~~~
January 19 to February 23 is now FULL. This Program will be offered again in March and April. Click here for more detailed information about this Program.
BERGEN COUNTY LGBTQ+ ALLIANCE
MASTHEAD
Editorial Board
Natalee Addison
Laraine Chaberski
Toniette H. Duncan
LaVerne Lightburn
Charles W. Powers
Bernard Rous
Micki Shilan
Barbara Ley Toffler

Supporters
Denise Belcher
Juanita Brown
Margot Embree Fisher
Gail Gordon
Guy Thomas Lauture
Gloria Wilson
Contributors
Bettina Hempel
Dennis Klein
Henry Pruitt
Howard Rose

Advisors
Theodora Smiley Lacey
Loretta Weinberg