Sources: Pulaski Skyway to close for two years in 2014
The Pulaski Skyway in Jersey City will be closed to New-York bound motorists for two years beginning in 2014 after Super Bowl XLVIII, according to a report by NBC 4 New York. The bridge serves as a major thoroughfare for drivers heading to Manhattan via the Holland Tunnel.
Unnamed sources were attributed as saying that the 80-year-old structure is, “massively used, massively worn out.” NBC 4 New York declined to name the sources.
A $1 billion restoration project, which could take several years overall, was to be announced Thursday in Newark. The project that affects New York-bound commuters will last about two years. According to the news report, two of the bridge’s four lanes will be “redecked” at a time, but only outbound traffic will be allowed, no matter which lanes are under construction.
Hudson County executive Tom DeGise was quoted as saying the closure would present a “horrible, horrible predicament,” and that there are no good alternatives for work on a bridge that was built with the same truss construction as an interstate highway span that collapsed in Minnesota several years ago, killing several motorists.
Commuters will likely face challenges finding alternate routes.
The work will not begin until after the Super Bowl hubbub is over, since the game will be held nearby in the Meadowlands.
County court hosts free legal workshops for those affected by Sandy
This Superior Court of New Jersey’s Hudson County Vicinage on Jan. 15 at 5:30 p.m. is sponsoring a Court Night to offer free legal workshops on disaster relief for Hudson County residents affected by Hurricane Sandy. The event will be held in the rotunda of the Justice William J. Brennan Jr. Courthouse located at 583 Newark Avenue in Jersey City. The first session, “Navigating the System in the Midst of a Crisis,” will include sessions on FEMA and Insurance appeals, unemployment, domestic violence, workers compensation, landlord and tenant issues, and bankruptcy and foreclosure.
Individual sessions will be conducted by attorneys and court representatives who will be available to answer general questions that residents may have concerning each specific subject matter. Space is limited and a reservation is required. For more information or to reserve a space, contact: CariAnn Gingerelli at (201) 217-5109 or email hudson.reservation@judiciary.state.nj.us;
A second Court Night focused on Hurricane Sandy is scheduled for May 9.
New traffic pattern starts in North Bergen
According to the New Jersey Department of Transportation, the state has instituted the following traffic pattern changes as of this past Wednesday:
1) Liberty Avenue between 69th Street and Granton Avenue will now be One Way Southbound Only.
2) A new ramp off Tonnelle Avenue just south of 69th Street has been installed leading to Granton Avenue.
3) Drivers can no longer make a left turn onto 69th Street from Tonnelle Avenue when traveling north. Instead, they will use the new ramp just south of 69th Street to Granton Avenue to cross over Tonnelle and travel west.
4) Drivers traveling south on Tonnelle Avenue who want to access 69th Street eastbound should make a right onto 70th Street and then a left onto Nolan Avenue. From there, a left onto 69th Street to cross Tonnelle.
Park Players present musical
The Park Players will present “Oliver!” on Jan. 11, 12, 18, 19 at 8 p.m., and Jan. 13 and 20 at 5 p.m. at The Church of the Good Shepherd, 1576 Palisade Ave., Fort Lee. “Oliver!” is based on the Charles Dickens novel “Oliver Twist” with book, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart. Admission is $16, $14 for students/seniors and $12 for groups of 10.
For reservations call (201) 941-6030. Tickets can also be purchased by visiting www.brownpapertickets.com or www.parkplayers.com.
Upcoming Care-A-Van Screening event
North Bergen Pharmacy, 7126 Bergenline Ave., will sponsor a Care-A-Van screening on Wednesday, Jan. 16 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
NJMC schedules events
Join Dr. John Sloan, director of the NJMC William D. McDowell Observatory, for an introduction to the life cycles of stars, and learn why these celestial wonders shine so brightly for so long before leaving us in a blaze of glory. The event, “Star Light, Star Bright, Why Do Stars Shine at Night?” will take place on Sunday, Jan. 13 from 1 to 2 p.m. and is open to all ages. It will be held at Meadowlands Environment Center at 2 DeKorte Park Plaza in Lyndhurst with $5 admission and $4 MEC members.
For further information call (201) 460-8300 or visit www.njmeadowlands.gov/ec.
The Third-Tuesday-of-the-Month Bird Walk will be a free two-hour guided nature walk which will take place at Laurel Hill County Park in Secaucus on Jan. 15 at 10 a.m. Guests will look for ravens, raptors, waterfowl on the Hackensack River, and any other birds. The meeting point is at the big parking lot by the Laurel Hill ball fields at 10 a.m. The walk is conducted by the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission and the Bergen County Audubon Society.
For last minute weather updates visit meadowblog.net. Guests will have to sign a standard liability release that is good for NJMC/BCAS events throughout the year.
To RSVP, contact Don Torino of the BCAS at greatauk@aol.com or call (201) 230-4983.
PF&G lawyers offer free seminar
The lawyers of Plata Ferrer & Gutierrez LLC are offering a free seminar series on estate planning beginning Thursday, Jan. 17, at Palisades Medical Center at 6:30 p.m. Seminars will focus on estate planning and asset protection planning. The series is structured to educate and bring awareness to the importance of having a proper estate plan in place. Estate plans allow people to name beneficiaries, appoint guardians for minors, plan for those with special needs and much more. The lawyers of PF&G will provide an overview of the federal and state tax systems as well as address planning for incapacity.
To RSVP, email mferrer@plataferrer.com or call (201) 875-1001 by Jan. 10.
High Tech National Honor Society donates books to Covenant House
High Tech High School’s National Honor Society sponsored a book drive recently to benefit the nonprofit youth outreach center Covenant House’s Crisis Care in formerly flood-stricken Atlantic City, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, director of High Tech.
“Hurricane Sandy left a great path of destruction in its wake,” said Joan Marie Bellotti, department liaison for High Tech’s Language Arts Department and co-facilitator of the NHS. “Covenant House lost vital educational materials as a result of Sandy.”
The NHS solicited donations of various standardized test review books, biology textbooks, lab manuals, writing aids, and novels from staff and students to replenish the bookshelves at Covenant House in Atlantic City. In all, those donations filled 12 cartons.
David Polito, veteran social studies instructor and co-facilitator of the NHS, kindly took the time to drive down to Atlantic City. He personally handed over the cartons of donated books to the Crisis Care division of Covenant House.
In 1989, the nonprofit Covenant House began its outreach programs in the Garden State, providing basic necessities to homeless youth on the streets of Newark and Atlantic City. Since then, Covenant House has added more services and improved upon the quality of those services with expanded outreach programs in Paterson and Cumberland County. Covenant House has also formed partnerships with schools, organizations, and other agencies to serve all youth in need in New Jersey.
High Tech is a countywide high school based in North Bergen.
Shire 2013 ADHD Scholarship
The Shire ADHD Scholarship includes a $2,000 monetary award and offers a prepaid year of ADHD coaching services. The ADHD coaching services are provided by the Edge Foundation and are intended to assist the scholarship recipient with the transition to higher education. Fifty one-time scholarships will awarded in June 2013. The deadline to apply is March 27.
For information on eligibility requirements, the scholarship application process, and more, visit www.shireadhdscholarship.com.