Space shuttle Enterprise passes over Hudson County waterfront
After rainy weather delayed the flight of the Space Shuttle Enterprise to the New York area for the past two days, the spacecraft, piggy-backed on a specially-outfitted Boeing 747, made two flights up the Hudson River and back on Friday morning between 10:30 and 11 a.m.
Crowds of spectators lined the west bank of the Hudson from Bayonne to Weehawken holding cameras and cell phones aloft into the bright sunny sky to capture the historic moment.
The shuttle was supposed to arrive Monday, then Wednesday, but was held up due to bad weather.
But Friday morning the spacecraft atop the 747 took off from Dulles International Airport near Washington, headed for John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City.
The aircraft flew near a variety of landmarks, including the State of Liberty.
Actually, this Enterprise, named after the spacecraft in the ‘Star Trek’ films, never flew in outer space. It is a test orbiter, used to verify orbiter aerodynamics and handling characteristics in preparation for the flights that began with the space shuttle Columbia.
In June the shuttle heads to its new home at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum, by a less dramatic conveyance, on a barge upriver.
The Enterprise will be hoisted to the deck of the Intrepid, where it will become part of the museum’s permanent exhibit.
Hoboken Parking Utility drops wait list at municipal garages
The Hoboken Parking Utility announced Thursday that the waiting lists for parking in municipal garages will be eliminated, a city spokesperson said. The wait list, which typically forced residents to wait for years at a time, was eliminated due to the sale of the Hoboken University Medical Center.
“When I took this job, I was handed a wait list for garages that in some cases was over 200
people and nearly three years long,” said Transportation and Parking Director Ian Sacs. “After two years of careful management, organizational changes, and creative thinking from my staff, we can proudly say there is no longer a wait for anyone who wants to park in a municipal garage!”
The HPU manages five municipal parking structures. In 2009, four of five parking facilities had extremely long waiting lists while one was “underparked.” While some garages have availability limited to certain options, everyone who wishes to park in a municipal garage may now do so.
A city spokesperson said that actions to eliminate the waist list included eliminating unauthorized/undocumented parking accounts in an early audit of all facilities, standardizing application and wait list procedures, the tracking of occupancy statistics, the creation of new options that better meet the needs of customers, clearer documentation about availability, and the re-balancing of parking to better match supply and demand throughout all facilities.
According to a release from a city spokesperson, the city introduced the “Monthly Limited” parking option for residents in order to address the mismatch between supply and demand at municipal garages. Residents who commute with their cars to work each day can enjoy a 30 percent discount on the standard rate in return for committing to be out of the garage between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on weekdays. As of March 2012, about 140 residents are signed up for that option.
This year, HPU plans to upgrade the elevators and stairwells in all garages and address needed structural improvements, pending City Council approval of a bond ordinance, according to the release
Art instructor and author to hold free art seminar in Hoboken
Art instructor and author Gene Wisniewski will give a free lecture at Symposia Books in Hoboken entitled “What to Look for When You Look at Art” on Sunday, May 20 at 5 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, although reservations are recommended. Symposia is located at 510 Washington Street.
For more information, call Carmen Rusu at (201) 963-0909, or email books@symposia.us or gene@genewisniewski.com.
Tim Tebow moves into uptown Hoboken
After a week of breathless speculation in the Mile Square City, the rumors are apparently true: according to the NY Post, Tim Tebow has rented an apartment in Hoboken, where he can theoretically live comfortably out of the spotlight’s glare.
Tebow has moved into uptown Hoboken, according to the Post, which maintains that the newest quarterback for the Jets has rented a two-bedroom apartment at 2 Constitution Court.
The waterfront apartment is just two blocks from the luxury Tea Building, where Giants quarterback Eli Manning resides.
The units typically rent at $10,000 a month, according to the Post. The building is less than a block from the river front and faces a small park embraced on three sides by the Shipyard complex.
In recent news, Mayor Dawn Zimmer recently engaged in a tweet-for-tweet exchange with a “parody” Tim Tebow account, “@HobokenTimTebow,” who first tweeted on Friday that “he could not find a parking spot” in the city, and asked whether he should blame Zimmer. She responded to the account via twitter.
“I am referring this to the authorities,” tweeted Zimmer on Saturday. “Our newest resident to Hoboken is entitled to his privacy and respect.”
Zimmer clarified later that day via Twitter that she did not know if Tebow was moving to Hoboken, adding, “we would be thrilled to have him as a member of our community.”
AOL’s real estate blog speculated that Tebow might have preferred Hoboken because he’d be out of the publicity frenzy that would have ensued if he’d moved to Manhattan.
Fight hunger with ‘Empty Bowls’ events on April 28
Students from All Saints Episcopal Day School and Hoboken Charter School are learning about and striving to address hunger and homelessness, and on Saturday, April 28 they will ask the community to join their crusade. As part of the international Empty Bowls project, the schools will each host simple meals, with the events intended to raise awareness and collect funds, food, toiletries and other necessities for a range of local charities that help those in need.
Students from All Saints are also crafting bowls, which will be given to those joining their breakfast as a reminder that “someone’s bowl is always empty.” Breakfast, scheduled for 8:30-11:30 a.m. will take place at All Saints Episcopal Church, 701 Washington St., Hoboken. Tickets are $8 per person or $25 for a family of four or more and are available in advance at the school (707 Washington St. or 527 Clinton St.) or can be purchased at the event.
The Hoboken Charter School lunch will take place at noon at the Hoboken Shelter at 300 Bloomfield St.. Tickets – $10 for individuals or $25 per family of three or more – can be purchased in advance at the school (713 Washington St, Hoboken,) or at the event itself. In addition to a simple lunch, attendees will also receive a bowl handmade by a Hoboken Charter School student.
Students from both schools will also be around town at supermarkets and other locations on April 28, with the Hoboken Charter School children collecting canned food and dry goods while the All Saints students solicit needed toiletries. All proceeds from both schools’ activities will be pooled and donated to the Hoboken Shelter, St. Matthew’s Lunchtime Ministry Program and the “In Jesus’ Name” Emergency Food Pantry in Hoboken.