Turner named to state ethics panel
Last week, Gov. Jon Corzine named 11 people to a task force to recommend any necessary changes to the Local Government Ethics Law. Weehawken Mayor Richard Turner is one of the three mayors on the panel.
Because Corzine came up with the idea last September and failed to staff the board until now, he is taking heat from his gubernatorial election opponent, Republican Chris Christie.
Junior-Welterweight contender to box in NB
Junior-Welterweight contender “Mighty” Mike Arnaoutis of Atlantic City will make his second appearance in North Bergen on Aug. 27.
The 10-round main event will headline the show to be held at Schuetzen Park.
His opponent, Troy Browning, of Willingboro, N.J., made headlines when he upset prospect Julio Cesar Garcia on ESPN2 in 2007. He has lost three straight fights, but against strong competition.
Last June, Arnaoutis won against David Carrasquillo in a bout that had the crowd on its feet for the duration of the fight. He recently received an award from the International Boxing Federation for making the more defenses in his USBA title in 2008 than any previous champion.
For more information, call (561) 503-9948.
Train departure boards on your mobile device
N J Transit has announced plans to test out “Departure Vision,” a program that will display live train departure boards on mobile devices, such as iPhones, Blackberries, or web-enabled cell phones.
With DepartureVision, customers can view actual train departure screens-including arrival time, track assignment and train status-right in the palm of their hand.
The test of DepartureVision will take place over a period of six to eight weeks, using train departure boards for Frank R. Lautenberg Station at Secaucus Junction.
Customers can access the new system by visiting njtransit.com from their web-enabled mobile device.
Free health fairs for ‘Cover the Uninsured Week’ in JC, Secaucus
Don’t have health insurance? Want to learn more about your options? LibertyHealth, which runs Jersey City Medical Center in that city and Meadowlands Hospital in Secaucus, will host Information and Enrollment On-Site Fairs all of next week.
They will be held in the lobbies at Jersey City Medical Center, 355 Grand Ave. in Jersey City; Meadowlands Hospital, 55 Meadowlands Parkway in Secaucus; and the Jersey City Medical Center Financial Counseling Site, 953 Garfield Ave. in Jersey City, from Monday, Aug. 24 through Friday, Aug. 28 (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.).
“At a time like this, when people are underinsured because the cost of insurance can be prohibitive, many are looking for the most cost effective medical insurance available,” said Joseph F. Scott, FACHE, President and CEO at LibertyHealth. “Representatives from different insurance companies and information will be at the fairs to discuss their plans and answer questions.”
NJ FamilyCare, a federal and state funded health insurance program created to provide health coverage for New Jersey’s uninsured children and low-income parents and guardians, will also be onsite.
The event is part of Cover the Uninsured Week Back to School Week, which is intended to focus on the need to secure health coverage for all Americans. For more information, call (201) 915-2050 or (201) 915-2242.
Sires urges increased over oversight for air-tour industry
In response to the recent midair collision over the Hudson River that claimed nine lives, Rep. Albio Sires said there is a need for improved oversight of the air-tour industry.
“We must do more to prevent these types of terrible accidents and increase efforts to drastically improve safety,” said Sires.
According to the National Transportation Safety Board, there are over 223 flights per day in that “unregulated” Hudson River Corridor, which equals 82,000 flights per year. The National Transportation Safety Board is an “investigation agency” that has been making recommendations on air safety for the last 20 years.
“We obviously have a problem with the safety of air tours,” said Sires. “At the request of residents, I contacted FAA as far back as 2007 after constituents raised safety and noise concerns with the amount of aviation traffic over the Hudson. As recent events have shown, the response received has not adequately dealt with managing the small aircraft and helicopter activity over the Hudson. I will continue to work on this issue with my colleagues to push for improved oversight of the air-tour industry.”