Five Secaucus firefighters sent to hospital, condo residents displaced
A three-alarm fire at Harmon Cove’s Teal Plaza at 5:45 p.m. on Aug. 23, took one and half hours to control, injured six firefighters, and forced the evacuation of residents from several units at the Harmon Cove condominiums, town officials said.
Firefighters from 10 departments in Hudson and Bergen counties joined in the effort, as per the Mutual Aid agreement, according to Deputy Fire Chief Bryan Schoch.
Six firefighters were injured, and five were sent to the hospital, officials said. Two of the five were kept overnight. No residents were injured. Many of the occupants were not in the buildings when the fire broke out, not having arrived home from work yet.
The fire is believed to have started at 495 Teal Plaza, officials said. Unit numbers 496, 497 and 498 were also heavily impacted by the fire and the efforts to put it out, Councilwoman Susan Pirro said. Altogether, 12 units were affected.
Pirro said some of the displaced families were receiving new clothes from the town through its partner organization, Fashion Delivers. Mayor Michael Gonnelli asked that anyone that can help the families call his office at (201) 330-2005. A fundraiser for the fire victims is being planned.
Annual carnival at Harmon Meadow for Labor Day fun
Hartz Mountain Industries invites the community to celebrate the Labor Day weekend at its annual carnival, 400 Park Plaza Dr. in Secaucus (Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club parking lot) in its Harmon Meadow development.
The fun includes rides, carnival treats, and games of chance on Saturday, Aug. 31, and Sunday, Sept. 1, from 2 to 11 p.m. and Labor Day from 2 to 8 p.m.
Harmon Meadow is easily accessible from Route 3 and the New Jersey Turnpike. For directions and transportation options, visit www.harmonmeadow.com or www.njtransit.com. Or call NJ Transit at (973) 275-5555.
For more information and rain updates, call (201) 348-1200.
Do-it-yourself comics contest at the library for Diary of a Wimpy Kid autographed book
Children aged 6 to 16 have an opportunity to win a signed copy of The Third Wheel by Jeff Kinney, the seventh book in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, at the Secaucus Public Library and Business Resource Center. Interested youths may enter the contest from now until Sept. 8.
“I felt this was a great way to encourage children to create stories using art,” said Lanora Melillo, youth services librarian.
To enter the contest, children must create an original comic on one side of an 8.5-inch by 11-inch piece of white paper. The comic must include the name, phone number and/or e-mail address, and birthday on the back side and must be delivered in person to the Children’s Department.
Melillo said that judges “will be looking for creativity, originality, humor, and the message conveyed through the comic.” The winner will be announced during the library’s annual mini-fair on Sept. 21.
For more information about the contest, visit the library website at secaucus.bccls.org or contact Melillo at splyouths@gmail.com.
Country music concert at Harmon Meadow Plaza
On Thursday, Sept. 12, at 7 p.m., the sounds of “Radio Nashville” will be heard at the Harmon Meadow Plaza as part of the 2013 Secaucus Music & Movie Summer Series.
“They’ll play modern country hits from Keith Urban to Carrie Underwood,” said Deputy Mayor John Bueckner about Radio Nashville.
In the event of rain, the concert will be held at the Arthur F. Couch Performing Arts Center, 11 Mill Ridge Rd.
The series is sponsored in part by The Hudson Reporter.
Library tech club for grade schoolers resuming in two weeks
The Tween Tech Club – one of the most popular at the Secaucus Public Library and Business Resource Center – will resume on Tuesday, Sept. 17, a library spokesperson announced. The Club is open to Secaucus residents between the ages of 8 and 12, and meets twice a month from 4 to 5 p.m.
Created in 2011, the club teaches youth basic animations, website design, and photo manipulation techniques. Starting this fall, instructors will be showing participants how to create web comics and online book trailers, according to Youth Services Librarian Lanora Melillo.
“Each month we try to focus on a new program or skill that the kids can take home with them,” she said. “We feel that the Tech Club offers an outlet for youths who want to be creative and learn new and popular web-based programs.”
Previous attendees have created stories using PowerPoint, a game in Scratch, and a website with Weebly.
Due to limited space, interested youths are encouraged to register online through the library’s Calendar of Events page located on the main website at http://secaucus.bccls.org, or by e-mailing Melillo at SPLYouths@gmail.com. Registrants must return a signed permission wavier to use certain Internet applications. The form is available on the Tech Club website at http://spltechclub.weebly.com/ or can be picked up at the library.
MHMC Education Center offering free, monthly CPR Classes for Secaucus residents
The Education Center at Meadowlands Hospital Medical Center (MHMC) is offering free hands-on cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) classes for Secaucus residents on the second Sunday of each month.
Attendees can choose from three time options for the two-hour class – 10 a.m., or 1 or 3 p.m. The Education Center is located at the MHMC campus in Secaucus.
“Having a strong knowledge of CPR can mean the difference between life and death for a member of your family, a neighbor, or someone you pass in the course of daily life,” said Lynn McVey, MHMC’s chief executive officer.
CPR can be useful in many emergencies, including heart attack or near drowning, in which someone’s breathing or heartbeat has stopped. When the heart stops, the lack of oxygenated blood can cause brain damage in only a few minutes.
Seating is limited for each class, so registration is required. Interested residents can register by calling the Education Center at (201) 250-4626, via mail, or online at www.meadowlandshospital.org/our-community/education-center.
NJMC offering ‘Back-to-Football’ bird walk
The New Jersey Meadowlands Commission is offering a free ‘Back-to-Football’ bird walk on Sunday, Sept. 1, at 10 a.m. to get gridiron fans ready for the new season.
This guided, two-hour walk in DeKorte Park in Lyndhurst has a special National Football League theme – and seven prizes.
To celebrate the opening week of the 2013 season, the commission is offering prizes to the first person on the walk who sees any bird species with the same name as a professional football team: Cardinal, Raven, Falcon, Eagle, Seahawk (osprey), Giant (great) egret and Giant (great) blue heron.
The 2013 season culminates with Super Bowl XLVIII at MetLife Stadium in nearby East Rutherford in February.
The walk, sponsored by the NJMC and the Bergen County Audubon Society, meets outside the Meadowlands Environment Center.
To rsvp, contact Don Torino of the BCAS at greatauk4@aol.com or (201) 230-4983. Participants have to sign a standard liability release that is good for NJMC/BCAS events throughout the year.
The Meadowlands Environment Center’s phone number is (201) 777-2431.
Check meadowblog.net for last-minute weather updates.
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.