Sires granted another term in 13th Congressional District
On Nov.2, Albio Sires, the incumbent congressman for the 13th District, won another term in office.
Within just a couple of hours of the polls closing, Sires was reported as the winner in Hudson, Essex, Middlesex, and Union counties, achieving an average of over 75 percent of the vote between the four counties.
Sires, who has been in office since 2006, faced three challengers to maintain his seat in Congress this year, including Republican challenger Henrietta Dwyer, who earned an average of 21 percent of the vote. Third party challengers Anthony Zanowic and Maximo Gomez Nacer received 2 percent or less in each county.
The 13th Congressional District covers four counties, including a majority of Hudson County municipalities like Guttenberg, Hoboken, Union City, Weehawken, and West New York, as well as parts of Bayonne, Jersey City, and North Bergen.
Blue Chapel receives municipal designation as historic site
During a public meeting of the Union City Board of Commissioners meeting on Nov. 3, the Monastery of the Perpetual Rosary (also known as the Blue Chapel) was designated as a historic site by a resolution passed by the board.
Commissioner Lucio Fernandez said that the municipal designation is just one step in the ongoing effort by the city to protect the historic building, which is still maintained as private property. The city’s Historic Preservation Advisory Committee is continuing to pursue the next steps in the preservation process.
UC to hold gang awareness seminars throughout city
Union City will hold a series of seminars to address gang activity in the city’s neighborhoods during the month of November. The seminars are meant to educate residents on ways they can participate in the prevention and reduction of gang activity along with the Union City Police Department, Union City Board of Education, and other community-based organizations.
Members of the Union City Police Department will offer information on how to recognize gang activity and how to respond to gang activity, and methods for keeping children out of gangs will be discussed. Also during the seminars, attendees will be able to participate in a question and answer forum.
The meetings will be held on the following dates at the following locations: Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. at Bruce Walters Recreation Center, 5th and West streets; Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. at Robert Waters School (schoolyard entrance) 2800 Summit Ave.; Nov. 10 at 7 p.m. at Roosevelt School, 4507 Hudson Ave. For more information, call (201) 348-5745 or (201) 348-5755.
November dates announced for NHCAC mobile health van
The North Hudson Community Action Corporation has announced their mobile health van schedule for November. Residents can come to the van for screenings for blood pressure, diabetes, and cholesterol. The screenings are free and the results are given on the spot.
Dates, locations, and times are as follows:
• Nov. 5 – Glaucoma Screenings at North Hudson Community Action Corporation, 5301 Broadway in West New York from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Nov. 10 – Renaissance Center, 2606 Central Ave. in Union City, from 9:30 a.m. to noon, and St. Michael’s Pavilion, 1901 West St. in Union City from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
• Nov. 15 – 37th Street and Palisade Avenue in Union City from 9:30 a.m. to noon and 39th Street and Palisade Avenue in Union City from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
• Nov. 17 – 1104 Palisade Ave. in Union City from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and Save Latin America, 138 39th St. in Union City from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
• Nov. 20 – Dvine Konektion, 5516 Jefferson St. in West New York from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Nov. 21 – St. Joseph of the Palisades, 64th Street and Palisade Avenue in West New York from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Nov. 22 – 5800 Jefferson St. in West New York from 9:30 a.m. to noon, and 6100 Adams St. in West New York from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
• Nov. 28 – Communitarian Media Network Augustine Church, 35th Street and New York Avenue in Union City from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Nov. 29 – 430 62nd St. in West New York from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
•
• For more information, call (201) 866-2388 or visit www.nhcac.org.
•
High Tech’s Junior States of America attends, succeeds at regional convention
Members of High Tech High School’s Junior States of America (JSA) recently had the opportunity to debate, take part in community service projects, and learn about politics at the New Jersey Region Fall Regional Convention held at Princeton University.
Hoboken residents Leora Rosenberg (co-president of High Tech’s JSA) and Ben Lenz (representative on the JSA Mid-Atlantic State Assembly); Riham Ali of Jersey City (co-president of High Tech’s JSA); Ricardo Rojas of Union City; North Bergen residents Louis Guerra, Halimah Elmariah, and Virginia Lee; Aayushi Khanchandani of Secaucus; and Kearny residents Amanda Osborn and Marielle Fajardo made up the 10 members of JSA.
Union City resident Ricardo Rojas won one debate. Ben Lenz won two Best Speaker Awards and two debates. Riham Ali won a Best Moderator Award.
UC Public Library to hold Board of Trustees meeting
The Board of Trustees of the Union City Public Library will meet on Nov. 9 at 6 p.m. at the Union City Public Library, 324 43rd St.
NAMI invites community to attend next meeting
NAMI Hudson County, the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Hudson County, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of individuals and families affected by mental illness, is extending a community-wide invitation to the next meeting, which will feature guest speaker Tyrone Hartman, a co-occurring specialist from Jersey City Medical Center. Co-occurring disorders are when a person has a mental disorder combined with substance use (abuse or dependency) disorder.
The meeting will take place on Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. at Hoboken Community Mental Health Center 506-3rd St., in Hoboken. Parking will be available on Madison St., behind the building. For more information contact Martha Silva at (201) 861-0614 or email namihudson@msn.com.
Nature lovers to head to Van Buskirk Island
On Nov. 9 at 9 a.m., the Bergen County Audubon Society invites all Hudson County residents to join the group for a free nature walk on Van Buskirk Island, a man-made island that lies at the heart of the valuable Hackensack River resource. The island did not exist until 1802, and was created by the dams for the mills. The group will meet at the Elm Street Bridge in Oradell. For more information or directions, call Gerry Byrne at (201) 262-0157.