PASSAIC DEPUTY MAYOR OF VETERANS' AFFAIRS NAMED

PASSAIC - Minnie Hiller-Cousins was sworn in as Passaic's first deputy mayor of veterans' affairs on Tuesday, and will be responsible for coordinating services with Passaic County offices, as well as improving municipal outreach to local veterans.

Hiller-Cousins, who served with the army in the Iraq War as a sergeant, was appointed to the new position by acting Mayor Hector Lora.

"She's a champion for what I want my administration to stand for, which is being responsive to the needs of our community," Lora said in an interview.

After accepting her appointment, Hiller-Cousins addressed attendees: "We come back broken," she said of veterans who return from foreign conflicts, "and we hide the brokenness so that no one will know. That's the frightening part." She vowed that her first action will be to "get veterans together" by asking the many she knows to network with others.

"My job is easy," she said. "I just have to talk to the people." Last week, Lora named Cesar Aguirre deputy mayor of community services. Aguirre will be the first Mexican immigrant appointed to that position.