Slightly more than a dozen people, including some members of the Borough Council and Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich, turned up Monday at the Jack Alter Fort Lee Community Center for the first of three public forums on the Fort Lee Board of Education’s upcoming $30.2 million school bond referendum. (Full Story)

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The capital repairs and upgrades portion of the Fort Lee Board of Education’s school bond referendum, comprising about two-thirds of the overall million proposed project, includes boiler replacement at three of Fort Lee’s six public schools as a major component.

Superintendent of Buildings and Grounds Jack Denichilo detailed Monday the age and efficiency of boilers at Schools No. 1 and No. 4, and at Lewis F. Cole Middle School, explaining why school officials see replacement of the boilers as an urgent need and how replacing them would also reduce operating costs and increase safety. (Full Story)

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Fort Lee borough officials joined representatives from developer BNE Real Estate Group Wednesday at a groundbreaking ceremony on a new $70 million luxury residential building near the George Washington Bridge.

The 12-story building—located at 2050 Central Rd.—is called “Twenty50” and will include 194 one- and two-bedroom rental units. The building, which is slated for completion by September 2013, is the first new high-rise project in Fort Lee in 22 years, according to officials. (Full Story)

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The Fort Lee Mayor and Council issued a proclamation to Taekwondo standout, Olympic hopeful and Fort Lee resident Merissa Beth Pico at the governing body’s regular meeting Thursday.

The proclamation was in recognition of Pico’s impressive litany of achievements in the sport she’s been competing in since before the age of three.

Currently a senior at Dwight Englewood High School, Pico is just two steps away from making the U.S.A. Olympic team for Taekwondo. (Full Story)

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Taking time out from packing up her Fort Lee legislative office for the move to her new headquarters in Hackensack, Assemblywoman and Freeholder-elect Joan Voss laughed as she recounted her “high-heeled” boots-on-the ground campaign for Bergen County Freeholder. (Full Story)

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Three classes of students at Fort Lee School No. 4 earned the right to have their lunch at the school’s “etiquette table” Thursday, a special table decorated for the holidays and set up on the stage in the lunchroom by PTA volunteers, who also serve the students their lunch.

Part of the school’s manners and etiquette program, students in Mrs. Schwartz’s first grade class, Mrs. Simchick’s third grade class and Ms. Pena’s fifth grade class earned the right for the month of December by demonstrating outstanding manners and respect. (Full Story)

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Lewis F. Cole Middle School’s Bias Busters, a select group of students “dedicated to preventing disharmony and bias behavior, while helping maintain cooperation and unity within the middle school student body,” according to their faculty advisors, volunteered at the New Jersey Apartment Association’s Holiday Party for underprivileged children at the Meadowlands Expo Center Monday.

The middle school’s Bias Busters welcomed kids from four to 10 years old “with holiday songs and cheers when they arrived,” said Nina Anderson, faculty advisor to the group, along with Kathy Larson. (Full Story)

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Legislation that would require wheelchairs to be “properly secured” in vehicles “by a four-point restraint system” unanimously passed the New Jersey State Senate Thursday, according to a statement released by NJ Senate Republicans.

The bill (S-2876), which was sponsored by State Sen. Kevin O’Toole (R-40), was prompted by the case of a former Fort Lee man, Hanson Kim Tun Chan, 86, who suffered a broken neck while riding in an ambulance that was taking him to a physical therapy appointment, according to the statement, which also pointed out that current state law doesn’t require securing patients traveling in ambulances. (Full Story)

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And for anyone not aware of Cafasso's Fairway Market, located at 1214 Anderson Ave., what you are missing out on is quality, freshness, service, loyalty and value. After 80 years, their commitment is to provide the finest meats, seafood, fruits, vegetables, cheeses and chef-inspired and prepared dishes. And there's so much more. (Full Story)

The Week in Review appears every Sunday on Fort Lee Patch.