Correction
In the Aug. 12 edition of the Midweek Reporter, a news item in the briefs section, “JC resident, head of union fund pleads guilty to kickbacks” incorrectly listed the name of the union leader who pleaded guilty. The correct name is Dennis J. Giblin, not Thomas Giblin.
City unveils emergency alerts for residents
Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy and other city officials unveiled on Wednesday a mass alert system to reach residents and businesses with important messages regarding emergencies and public safety.
The new advanced, rapid mass notification and communication technology system, which will become operational on Sept. 2, was supplied by C3 Holdings LLC for $350,000, and was paid for with grant funding from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
“Whether you have a smart phone, email, or home phone, we now have a way to reach you in case of an emergency,” said Healy.
The system, the first of its kind for Jersey City, has already been implemented in the Office of Emergency Management with C3’s patented voice, text and web notification platform in conjunction with every phone number for the city through a contract with Verizon Business.
The new mass notification system will be driven in part by the Citizen Interactive Registration, and business owners and residents can register how they would like to be contacted in an emergency, either by email, voice contact, or text messaging at their homes, places of work, or private cell phones.
To register for free to receive the emergency notifications, either log on to the City of Jersey City’s website at www.jerseycitynj.gov, where you will be directed to the registration page or go directly to https://my.c3alert.us/jerseycitynj/home/welcome.
Feds allot monies for NJ Transit rail project in JC
US. Senators Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) announced last week that the U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded the NJ Transit Corporation $771,875 in funding to support rail projects in Monmouth, Ocean, Middlesex, and Hudson counties.
$237,500 will help finance research to expand the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail (HBLR) to Route 440 in Jersey City, and support plans for new residential, educational, commercial, and retail development in this area approximately one-half mile west of the existing West Side Avenue HBLR station. Projected changes in population density levels require the study of improved public transportation to support this development. This research is also expected to help in the planning of existing residential, commercial, and retail developments.
Both senators lauded the funding with Menendez saying, “This investment will help NJ Transit lay the groundwork for expanded, more efficient and safer rail service in these counties.”
HC arts organizations awarded over $200K in grants
At its annual meeting on Aug. 17, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts announced the award of $249,973 in grants to Hudson County arts organizations, programs, and projects for Fiscal Year 2011. The recipients included Park Theatre Performing Arts, Inc. in Union City ($17, 283), Jersey City Museum ($77,211), The Kennedy Dancers ($15,000), the Actors Shakespeare Company at New Jersey City University ($13,642), Thomas A. Edison Media Arts Consortium ($15,928), Schola Cantorum on Hudson ($9,630), and a matching grant to the Hudson County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs ($101,279).
In total, the council awarded $15,560,823 in grants throughout the state to support nearly 800 arts organizations, programs, projects, and artists in every county across the state. The council receives funding in direct appropriations from the state of New Jersey through a dedicated Hotel/Motel Occupancy fee as well as grants from the National Endowment for the Arts.
For more information about the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, please visit www.njartscouncil.org. Further information regarding the arts is found on an interactive web site (http://www.jerseyarts.com) and available on a toll-free hotline (1-800-THE ARTS).
Habitat for Humanity of Hudson County plans annual golf outing
The Fifth Annual Golf Outing and Tournament benefiting Habitat for Humanity of Hudson County will be held on Thursday, Sept. 23, at 1 p.m. at the Bamm Hollow Country Club in Lincroft.
Lunch sponsored by The Provident Bank will be served prior to the 1 p.m. shotgun start and an award dinner will follow the golf event. Sponsorship opportunities are still available.
To register or to inquire about sponsorship information, call Golf Co-Chairman Paul Swibinski at (201) 864-0600 or Habitat for Humanity Executive Director Santos Murillo at (201)209-9002.
More information is available at www.habitathudsoncounty.org.