Remembering Dr. King, Dine Out for Bergen Habitat This Week

Here's what you need to know for the week ahead.

• It's Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day in these United States. River Edge and Oradell public schools are closed in honor of the federal commemoration of the birth of the slain civil rights leader, as is the Oradell Free Public Library. (Yes, The River Edge Library, according to its online calendar, will be open Monday.) Whether you are working or off on this MLK Day, please take a moment to ponder freedom, equality and the dignity of each and every human being we encounter. 
• Monday presents an opportunity for area seniors to pamper their feet. New Jersey Foot & Ankle Center in Oradell offers free foot screenings for seniors from 9-11 a.m. The event takes place at Senior Source located at The Shops at Riverside in Hackensack, on the second level next to Bloomingdale’s furniture and across from ARHAUS. If you have questions, call New Jersey Foot and Ankle Center at 201-261-9445 or visit www.heelpain911.com.
  
• The polar vortex is set to return Tuesday? Think about all those people who can't afford a home of their own? How will they keep warm? You can offer tangible help while having a nice, warm meal for yourself. Dine at Blue Moon Mexican Cafe on Tuesday, present the flyer you can download via this link and 20 percent of your dinner check will be donated to Habitat Bergen, which is committed to helping provide affordable housing.  This deal is valid from 11 a.m. through 9 p.m. on lunch, dinner, take-out, delivery and gift cards. A meal never tastes so good as when you know eating it will help someone else have a new, warm home. Check out either the Blue Moon in Englewood at 23 E. Palisade Ave., or the Wyckoff location, 327 Franklin Ave.
• River Edge's municipal building will be quite busy after the holiday: On Tuesday, Municipal Night Court is in session. The gavel falls to open court at 6 p.m. in the Public Safety Basement. Mayor Sandy Moscaritolo and the Borough Council gather for a work session at 7 p.m. and a regular meeting at 8 p.m. On the agenda are items including a presentation from Gabel Associates on a proposed community energy aggregation program, the animal control service contract and a bid for joint garbage collections. The River Edge Special Events Committee meets in the second floor PSB Meeting Room at 7:30 p.m., with the Green Team following at 8 p.m. The municipal building is at 705 Kinderkamack Road.
• The Oradell Parent Teacher Association holds its January meeting Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. The gathering takes place at the Oradell Public Schools auditorium,  350 Prospect Ave. 
• Moms, dads and guardians of juniors at River Dell Regional High School are the focus of three meetings being held this week. Junior Parent Meetings are scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday 7-8:30 p.m. and Wednesday from 8:15-9:45 a.m. Get in the know, folks, and learn what's coming up for your almost-seniors. The high school is at 55 Pyle St. in Oradell.
• The River Dell School District Board of Education holds its monthly meeting Tuesday at River Dell High's Media Center. The agenda contains routine items, including prospective coaching appointments for the upcoming spring sports season. The community is invited to attend. The meeting starts at 8 p.m.
• Is your family prepared and protected in case something catastrophic happens to you? That's a difficult and unpleasant question to consider, but it is an important one, and it's the focus of a special program coming to the Oradell Free Public Library. The lecture Advance Directive (Health Care Legal Documents: What You Need to Know) features Naomi McDermott of Oradell Health Care, who has vital information on wills, estates, advance directives and more for seniors and health care providers. This free program will be held at 1 p.m. Friday in the South Reading Room of the library, 375 Kinderkamack Ave.