Roque says Grand Prix is not canceled
West New York Mayor Felix Roque said on Tuesday, Aug. 27, that the proposed Formula One Grand Prix race through the streets of West New York and Weehawken in 2014 has not been canceled.
He said that construction is still ongoing to get the race area ready for next year.
Last Friday, race Chief Executive Officer Bernie Ecclestone said the event’s organizers haven’t raised enough money to run it.
According to a report on CNN, “The final 2014 calendar will be approved by motorsport’s governing body, the FIA, in December, but new races need to have financing in place by now to ensure their plans are on track. It was recently revealed that the Grand Prix of America organizers appointed investment bank UBS in June to raise $100 million, which is required for the race to go ahead. But Ecclestone told CNN that they have run out of time.”
However, Grand Prix of America spokesman Alex Howe told CNN that the race is “on track for 2014.”
The race was originally to take place this summer, but was postponed until next summer.
Free outdoor concert in Union City
The city presents a free outdoor concert with Barbara Rosene and The Robert Lawrence Quartet on Sept. 5.
The concert will be held at Washington Park, Second Street and Palisade Avenue, near the border with Jersey City Heights. Time: p.m. to 8:15 p.m.
In the event of rain, the venue will be moved to The William V. Musto Cultural Center, Fifteenth Street and Palisade Avenue, Union City.
Blood drive in Union City
Community Blood Services is hosting drives at the Jose Marti Academy, 1800 Summit Ave., Union City, on Sunday, Sept. 8, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and at the Palisades Medical Center, 7600 River Rd., North Bergen, on Friday, Sept. 20, from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. All blood types are needed.
Donors will receive a $5 Subway Gift Card for their participation. Donors will also be eligible to win two tickets to the Super Bowl at MetLife Stadium in February, as well as receive complimentary non-fasting cholesterol and glucose screenings.
The Union City drive also includes a free health fair.
Any healthy individual, ages 17 through 75 (16 with parental permission), and weighing at least 110 pounds, can donate blood. Donors should eat a moderate meal before donating and must bring identification showing signature. No Social Security number is needed.
Blood donors participating will help ensure that the transfusion needs of area patients are met.
To schedule an appointment, call Community Blood Services at (201) 251-3703.
Caretakers of relatives with mental illness offered free training
The NAMI of Hudson County Family to Family education program is offering 12-week course for family members and close friends of adults with mental illness on caring for their loved ones.
The course will be held on Mondays from 6:30 to 9 p.m., Sept. 9 through Nov. 25, at the Jersey City Medical Center, 355 Grand Ave. Training is free, but registration is required.
The program is taught by trained volunteer family members who are experienced in caring for a loved one with serious mental illness such as major depression, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia.
Family to Family participants will receive information on: family responses to the trauma of mental illness; updates on several serious mental illnesses; and symptoms, medication and side effects.
Attendees will also practice problem solving skills and communication techniques; develop strategies for handling crisis and relapses; review local community resources; and support, and focus on self-care and coping with stress.
To register, call (201) 420-9270 or email namihudson@msn.com.
Health Fair in West New York for north Hudson residents
The Dvine Konektion Community Development Corporation is offering a free Community Fair on Saturday, Sept. 21 from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at 5516 Jefferson St., West New York.
Residents of West New York, North Bergen, Union City, Weehawken, and Guttenberg are welcome to attend.
During the fair, free bags of groceries and baby supplies, such as diapers and wipes, will be distributed.
“There will also be free blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol screenings, information about health insurance, and more,” said Jenice Durham, director of Dvine Konektion.
For additional information, call (201) 617-4484 or visit www.dvinek.org.
Big Brothers Big Sisters host second Bowl for Kid’s Sake
On Friday, Sept. 7, and Sunday, Sept. 15, Eagle Rock Lanes in West Orange will be the site of Bowl for Kids’ Sake, an event to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Essex, Hudson, and Union Counties.
More than 1,000 community members will enjoy food, music, prizes, and, of course, bowling, to celebrate their achievement in raising much needed funds for this organization that matches children facing life’s challenges with caring, supportive adults for one-to-one mentoring.
Adam Garcia, a Big Brother and member of the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Essex, Hudson and Union Counties Leadership Council, urged all who can to participate or donate. Event participants spend several weeks raising funds online by soliciting donations from family, friends, and co-workers. Then they choose one of the two bowling dates to join the party and celebrate their success.
Thanks to the generosity of the event’s sponsors all funds raised by the teams will go to support the group’s mentoring programs. Those sponsors are: Massey Quick, Pershing, Jersey City Medical Center, Jersey City Education Association, McRae Capital Management, Genova Burns Giantomasi & Webster, Silverman Buildings, the Big Brothers Big Sisters Leadership Council, and Route 22 Nissan.
For more information, or to register a team, visit the group’s website at http://essexhudsonunion.kintera.org/bowl, call Sandra Ehrlich, Bowl for Kids’ Sake coordinator, at (973) 273-6311, or email Sandra.Ehrlich@bigsandkids.org.
Super Bowl ‘on wheels’: Garden State’s game first to host mobile tour
The Super Bowl being held in New Jersey on Feb. 2 is leading to another premier for the famed athletic contest: the first road show associated with the big game, officials said Aug. 22.
The New York/New Jersey Super Bowl Host Committee announced the launch of its “Join the Huddle” mobile tour, which they said will travel throughout New Jersey and New York and make about 50 stops over the next five months.
“The tour design is unique to our area, with a tribute to hometown hero Vince Lombardi and both home teams: the New York football Giants and the New York Jets,” said Alfred F. Kelly Jr., president and chief executive officer of the NY/NJ Super Bowl Host Committee.
The customized vehicle is 64 feet by 8 feet and weighs 14,000 pounds, according to the committee, and will carry “a unique game-day experience for residents and fans.”
Locations are expected to include Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Middlesex, Morris, Ocean, and Sussex counties. For more information, visit www.jointhehuddletour.com.
Judge allows NFL teams’ lawsuit to proceed
On Aug. 26, a Superior Court judge decided not to quash a lawsuit by the National Football League Giants and Jets against Triple Five, developers of the American Dream entertainment and retail project on Route 3 in East Rutherford, and the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, according to a report on Northjersey.com
The teams contend that completion of the project would adversely affect their fans by bringing more traffic into the area on game days. Their opponents refute that claim, saying instead that the attractions and stores would give those fans more leisure options.
Judge Peter Doyne, however, dismissed the teams’ previous attempt for an injunction to halt continuation of construction on the former Xanadu project, which has been stalled for years but has been resurrected.
Doyne wrote in his opinion that while the legal case could go forward, he was hopeful the sides could work together to come to a compromise and settle the dispute.
Report: American Dream owners negotiating with clothing stores
The owners of the proposed American Dream entertainment/retail complex on Route 3 in East Rutherford are in talks with four clothing retailers to come to their site, according to a report by NJbiz. The stores cited are Zara, Uniqlo, Topshop, and Forever21.
“According to people with knowledge of the deals, many will be flagship locations that will outshine the chain’s outposts on the far side of the Hudson in Manhattan. Zara will occupy about 50,000 square feet in the complex for instance, one of its largest stores globally, and Forever21’s store will be as big or bigger than its Times Square flagship, which is about 100,000 square feet. Sources also said Cirque du Soleil would perform shows at the venue, which will have other attractions, including an indoor ski slope …,” the story said.
The agreements with these retailers would represent a coup for the project, as they are considered by marquee retailers that attract diverse shopping audiences.
The former Xanadu complex has been delayed for years, because of the recession, lawsuits, and other factors, but is under way again with new owners, Triple Five.
Hudson Hospice training program begins on Sept. 10
Would you like to make a difference in the lives of the terminally ill and their families? If so, you can register for the volunteer training class beginning Sept. 10 at the Hudson Hospice Office, 93 Clerk St., Jersey City.
The program consists of eight classes on eight consecutive Tuesdays. Participants must attend all eight. They can be taken mornings from 10 to noon or evenings from 7 to 9. The classes end on Oct. 29.
Volunteer roles offered include companionship for the patients, emotional support for patients and families, errands help, and telephone reassurance.
For more information, call Sister Carol Van Billiard at (201) 433-6225.