Police department unveils new electronic messaging system
The Jersey City Police Department and Mayor Jerramiah Healy unveiled on Thursday a new high tech program that will soon enable the Police Department to send out public safety alerts via e-mail to the community.
In order to get the breaking news alerts, the public can go to the Jersey City Police Department’s website, www.njjcpd.org, and click on the tab that says “Neighborhood level information, Register Now.” The message will be delivered free of charge by e-mail or text message.
Police Chief Thomas Comey said the system was implemented after rumors spread around Halloween of last year that several people were shot as part of a gang initiation.
“We learned a valuable lesson from past experience, that we need even more of a venue to get the information out to the community quickly and accurately,” Comey said.
Homeowners and seniors have until Nov. 2 to file for state rebate
The deadline is Monday, Nov. 2 for N.J. homeowners and tenants to file their 2008 Homestead Rebate application and Property Tax Reimbursement, also known as “Senior Freeze.”
State Assemblyman Anthony Chiappone announced recently that his office at 663 Broadway (between 30th and 31st Streets) in Bayonne is open to anyone needing assistance with their rebate application. People can also contact Marcia Chomicz at his office at (201) 436-0473.
Hate group coming to Hudson County
An anti-Semitic, anti-homosexual, anti-Catholic, and apparently anti-New Jersey group from Kansas called the Westboro Baptist Church is planning protests throughout New Jersey on Oct. 27 and 28, including in Secaucus, Hoboken, and Jersey City.
They say they are going to stop at Hoboken’s City Hall on Oct. 27 at 4:45 p.m. to raise awareness about the arrests of 44 political and religious leaders in July. They then plan to protest outside the United Synagogue of Hoboken at 7 p.m., calling it a “Synagogue of Satan.”
On Oct. 28, they’ll protest outside the Meadowlands Expo Center in Secaucus at 10:15 a.m. because Secaucus mayor Dennis Elwell was among those arrested. Then at 2:55 p.m., they stop at Dickinson High School in Jersey City (several arrested officials came from Jersey City).
Various news organizations have said that this “church,” which is not affiliated with regular Baptist churches, contains only 70-150 members, many of whom are related to its founder, Fred Phelps.
A Hudson County tolerance organization, the Diversity Council, originally planned to protest against the group in front of Dickinson High School, then decided against it, as many have said it is better to ignore them than to give them attention.
Local non-profit awarded funding from feds
Jersey City non-profit Rising Tide Capital was recently awarded $100,000 from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Program for Investing in Microentrepreneurs Act (PRIME).
Rising Tide Capital is a non-profit organization that assists struggling entrepreneurs in distressed communities to start and grow strong businesses. Rising Tide Capital competed with more than 400 applicants across all 50 states and U.S. territories for a share of $5 million in PRIME funding, and not only was the sole PRIME grant recipient from New Jersey, but was also awarded one of the ten largest PRIME grants in 2009.
Rising Tide Capital’s CEO Alfa Demmellash lauded the federal award.
“We are honored and grateful for this funding from the Small Business Administration,” said Demmellash. “These funds will allow us to expand our training programs so that we can provide more local entrepreneurs with the training, support and resources they need to start and grow strong businesses.”
Also hailing this financial award was Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy.
“I commend the initiatives of the U.S. Small Business Administration and am grateful that Jersey City had been fortunate to receive funding from them.”
Liberty Humane Society launches 2010 calendar
The Liberty Humane Society animal shelter in Jersey City recently launched its 2010 Liberty Tails Calendar to raise funds to operate the shelter, open since 1998. Approximately 2,700 animals are cared for at the shelter annually.
This is the third year the shelter has published a calendar. The 2009 calendar brought in $20,000.
Liberty Tails Calendars can be purchased through the Liberty Humane Society’s website (www.libertyhumane.org) for $19.98, with discounts for each additional calendar ordered.
For more information about the calendar, contact Janet Russell at (201) 547-4147 or at janet@libertyhumane.com.