Annual WinterFest celebration to be held on Dec. 2
On Dec. 2 beginning at 6 p.m. North Bergen is scheduled to hold its annual WinterFest celebration.
The township will provide residents with free entertainment, rides, games, food, and a parade on Bergenline Avenue from 76th to 85th Streets. Choirs from the school district’s high school and grammar schools will also perform.
NB employees and local church hosting toy drive
North Bergen Township employees and the Woodcliff Community Church will be collecting new toys for children from the ages of newborn to 12 this holiday season.
Those who would like to donate can bring their toys to North Bergen Town Hall Community Services, located at 4233 Kennedy Blvd., Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., as well as Woodcliff Community Church, located at 7605 Palisade Ave., Monday through Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Donations will be accepted until Dec. 15.
Amateur mixed martial arts cage fight on Dec. 4
Three Hudson County residents will face opponents at a mixed martial arts cage fight “Homecoming Splash” scheduled at Schuetzen Park, located at 3167 Kennedy Blvd in North Bergen, on Dec. 4.
North Bergen residents Michael Rodriguez, 24, Ronnie Agosto, 25, Brian Rendon Moncado, 25, along with Jersey City resident Pablo Zambrano, 27, all train at Global Boxing Gym in North Bergen.
The show is being presented by Evolution Amateur MMA in association with CMA fighting.
Tickets are $65 ringside, $55 premium, $45 general admission and can be purchased by calling Julio Rodriguez at (201) 682-9925.
‘If you see something, say something’
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) were joined by the New Jersey State Police Deputy Superintendent of Homeland Security Lt. Col. Gerome Hatfield on Nov. 22 to announce the statewide expansion of DHS’ national “If you see something, say something” campaign.
“Terrorists are looking for any way possible to harm Americans, cause destruction and wreak havoc,” said Lautenberg, the chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee. “During this busy travel season, it is especially critical that New Jerseyans be vigilant and mindful that the fight against terrorism begins with each of us. Everyone must step up and speak up.”
For more information, visit www.dhs.gov.
State lawmakers approve anti-bullying legislation
By an overwhelming majority, New Jersey lawmakers in the General Assembly and Senate on Monday approved beefed up anti-bullying legislation that advocates call the toughest of its kind in the nation.
The legislation will give schools and alleged victims of bullying new legal tools to report harassment and new steps to prosecute those allegedly responsible.
Among some of the key components included in the proposed law: teachers, administrators, and school board members would be required to complete anti-bullying training; harassment, intimidation, and bullying could be considered “good cause” for suspension or expulsion, even if it’s a first offense; colleges and universities would be required to adopt an anti-bullying policy that would include harassment and intimidation in the code of conduct given to all students, and schools superintendents would be required to appoint an anti-bullying coordinator.
It would require school districts to form school safety teams to review complaints of alleged harassment. In addition, districts would be graded on their efforts to address bullying.
The bills now await the signature of Gov. Christopher Christie.
The Gov. has not stated whether he will sign the bills into law and has said he has concerns over their constitutionality.
$10M grant to ease traffic congestion in Secaucus, North Bergen, JC
The New Jersey Meadowlands Commission (NJMC) Board of commissioners has approved a plan to use a $10 million federal grant from the U.S. Dept. of Transportation to modernize 128 intersections with traffic lights throughout the Meadowlands District, including 32 intersections in Secaucus.
The grant will enable New Jersey to implement the Meadowlands Adaptive Signal System for Traffic Reduction, which the NJMC promises will help boost the local economy by improving traffic flow through the region.
Specifically, the Adaptive Signal System uses traffic signal software, real-time vehicle image detection tools, and wireless communication to modernize and improve upon traffic lights. The timing of traffic signals will be adjusted based upon changing traffic flow.
At present most traffic signals in the region are controlled by outdated, 20-to40-year-old hardware and pre-timed signal patterns that are out of sync with other nearby traffic lights, according to the NJMC. The state agency estimates the Adaptive Signal System will cut travel delays by 1.2 million hours per year, reduce gas consumption by more than 1.2 million gallons annually, and slash greenhouse gas emissions by more than 11,000 tons each year.
In addition to the 32 intersections in Secaucus, the grant will also be used to improve 23 intersections in North Bergen and 11 intersections in Jersey City.