Highlights from July 11 Board of Commissioners meeting
28th Street Park, behind the Sonic, will undergo renovations now that a contract has been awarded to 4-Clean-Up, Inc. for the amount of $231,430. The company will grade, build a new walkway, install new lighting, and bring children’s equipment towards the front of the park for safety purposes. This will be a two to three month project, according to Chris Pianese, township administrator.
“We’ve been looking to do a full renovation, make it safer,” said Pianese. “It’s a great project, it’s something we’ve wanted to do for two or three years. It’s funded through community development block grants funds. We’re hoping to put a shovel in the ground sometime in August. ”
A resolution was passed for an extension to the Tax Bill due date from Aug. 10 to Aug. 17.
The commissioners created 12 Class Two Special Law Enforcement Officer positions. This will give jobs to police officers in training and retired police officers. The hourly pay will be $12 to $20 an hour, and these officers will not carry guns.
An ordinance has been passed banning trucks over five tons of gross weight that access Dell Avenue from 41-48th street, excluding 43rd Street, except for pick-up or delivery of materials to residents on the streets prohibited. The penalty will be fines from $100-$500 which is at the discretion of the Municipal Court Judge. Once enforced, Pianese said that police will be monitoring the area to make sure trucks are adhering to this ordinance.
Free help available at Dvine Konektion’s community fair
The Dvine Konektion Community Development Corporation will hold a free community fair on the third Saturday of each month from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at 5516 Jefferson St. in West New York. Residents of West New York, North Bergen, Union City, Weehawken and Guttenberg are welcome to attend the next event on July 21. Groceries and baby supplies will be distributed, and various medical screenings and other services will be offered.
Multicultural event is July 22
North Bergen’s Grove Church will have a national heritage celebration on Sunday, July 22 at 10:45 a.m. People from the Caribbean Islands, Central and South America, Europe, Asian and African backgrounds will all join in singing Christian heritage songs from various cultures. Children’s enrichment class and activities will follow at noon with refreshments. Parents will also receive a home summer activity packet.
The church is located on 46th Street and Kennedy Boulevard with air conditioning and on-site parking.
For more information go to www.grovereformedchurch.org.
New Jersey Meadowlands Commission Events
The third annual butterfly day is Sunday, July 22 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m at DeKorte Park in Lyndhurst, NJ. In the likely chance that it rains the date will be moved to Sunday, July 29. This will be a free, family-friendly day filled with activities celebrating the winged marvels. In addition to butterfly walks for the whole family, there will be brief introductory slide shows on the Butterflies of DeKorte Park, tables that will have butterfly identification information, binoculars and gardening to attract butterflies – plus contests and great door prizes. Butterfly Day is run by the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission and the Bergen County Audubon Society, with a huge assist from the Northern New Jersey Chapter of the North American Butterfly Association. To RSVP, contact Don Torino of the BCAS at greatauk4@aol.com or call (201) 230-4983.
Note: Due to railroad repairs, visitors may not be able to access DeKorte Park via Brook Avenue. Please visit www.njmeadowlands.gov or call (201) 460-1700 for an alternate route.
New Jersey’s Agricultural Inventions, Innovations and Discoveries for seniors will take place on Tuesday, July 24 at 2 p.m. New Jersey is known for developing the cultivated blueberry from the wild swamp huckleberry, perfecting wet harvesting for cranberries and patenting the famous Deats plow. The Meadowlands region was famous for musk melons and its truck farms. Learn about agricultural inventions, history, innovations and discoveries made in the Garden State.
Yet another program is on Thursday, July 26 at 7 p.m. This event is Pirates of New Jersey! which will be held at the Meadowlands Environment Center, 2 DeKorte Park, Lynhurst. This is an inter-generational program for seniors and children. Bring a child to the MEC for a pirate adventure! The Valhalla Pirates are a Walking/Talking History Lesson! Learn about the Golden Age of Piracy through this interactive evening that teaches about like on the high seas, manner of dress, speech, weapons, tools and ships’ crew organization during the years 1670-1730. Limit of one child per adult.
Pre-registration is required, for that call (201) 777-2431.
Free health seminar explores weight loss options
Palisades Medical Center is offering a free health seminar for those seeking weight loss surgical options. The seminar will take place on July 26 at Palisades Medical Center at 7600 River Road, North Bergen. It will be presented in both English and Spanish.
The featured speaker will be Dr. Stefanie Vaimakis, fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS), and fellow of the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgeons (FASMBS). Vaimakis is a board-certified general surgeon, fellowship trained in advanced laparoscopy and bariatric surgery. Dr. Vaimakis has achieved expertise in laparoscopic gastric bypass as well as the “Lap Band” with over 600 procedures performed. She is fluent in English and Spanish so she will conduct the seminar in both languages.
More than 60 percent of the U.S. population are overweight and about 30 percent classified as obese. The goal of the seminar is to draw awareness to the many Bariatric (Weight Loss) Surgical Options available for people that have been unable to achieve significant weight loss through diet and exercise.
Check-in and registration will be at 6:30 p.m. with the seminar occurring from 7-9 p.m. Free admission is not the only incentive as there will be free food and refreshments provided. Parking will also be free as well as free transportation that will be available from 60th St. and Bergenline Ave. which will begin at 5:30 p.m.
Those interested can contact Nikki Mederos at (201) 854-5702.
Child advocate volunteers wanted
Are you interested in helping children in the foster care system? If so, Hudson County Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) is currently recruiting volunteers to advocate for the best interests of abused and neglected children. CASA works through trained community volunteers to ensure that needed services and assistance are made available to children while helping to move them toward safe and permanent homes.
CASA and its volunteers speak for children in court, serve as fact finders for the judges, and safeguard the interests of the children while they are in the foster care system.
An information session will be held on Tuesday, July 17 from 6 to 7 p.m. in room 400 of the Hudson County Administration Building located at 595 Newark Ave. in Jersey City.
Hudson County has nearly 700 children in foster care; most have been removed from their homes for abuse or neglect. For further information, call (201) 795-9855, email mgarcia@hudsoncountycasa.org or visit www.hudsoncountycasa.org.
Palisades Medical Center’s Casino Night set for Aug. 23
On Aug. 23, Waterside Restaurant in North Bergen is creating an event for all municipalities in Hudson and Bergen Counties. Waterside will be transformed into a Las Vegas-style casino for Palisades Medical Center’s sixth Annual Casino Night. The event will begin with dinner from 6 to 7 p.m. Gambling will take place from 7 to 10:30 p.m. which will be followed by the drawing of a Super 50-50 and other raffle prizes.
Casino Night admission is $100 per person and includes a buffet dinner (beer, wine and soda) and $150 in casino chips for guests. The guests can try to tempt lady luck at either Blackjack, Texas Hold ‘Em, Poker, Craps, Roulette and much more. Additional chips can also be purchased throughout the evening. Guests will be able to redeem chips at the end of the event for raffle prize tickets.
Casino Night is planned and organized by the Palisades Medical Center’s Auxiliary, a team of dedicated volunteers that work throughout the year to support the Palisades Medical Center Foundation.
For ticket/tickets or more information, please call Denise Whitley at (201) 854-5011. Those interested can also visit www.palisadesmedicalfoundation.org .
Read to Achieve program coming
Knicks Read to Achieve, a summer reading program that is presented by Kia Motors will take place at North Bergen Public Library on Aug. 7 at 11 a.m. There will be book giveaways, raffles, t-shirts and autographs. Former New York Knicks star, John Starks, will attend.
For more information go to www.powertolearn.com.
Little Miss Schuetzen Park applications available
Applications are available for the 46th annual German-American “Little Miss Schuetzen Park Beauty Pageant” to be held on the occasion of the Oktoberfest-in-August celebration. The pageant will take place Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 18 and 19. It is sponsored by the Plattaduetsch Volksfest-Vereen of New York and New Jersey (PVV). Teri Nemeth is the President of the PVV.
The requirements are girls with German or part-German extraction who are between the ages of 7 to 12. For applications call (201) 553-2689 and leave your name and a call back number. There will be seven winners for this pageant and those chosen will receive a free gown and will ride on the Little Miss Schuetzen Park float in the Steuben Parade which will be held on New York’s Fifth Avenue in September. Mrs. Katherine Solorzano and Ellen Gloistein are co-chairs and John R. Lawrora, is the senior chairperson. The affair and pageant will be held at Schuetzen Park in North Bergen. Schuetzen Park is located on 3167 Kennedy Blvd.