County still waiting to hear from city on reval
The Hudson County Board of Taxation has sent a letter to Jersey City inquiring what the status is of the city’s property revaluation, according to county spokesman Jim Kennelly. He said the county hopes to have a response by the next freeholders’ meeting, scheduled for Oct. 3.
“If there is no response from the city by then,” Kennelly said, “the Board of Taxation will consult with the assistant attorney general assigned to the state Division of Taxation about what steps to take next”
Mayor Steven Fulop directed the city to suspend the city’s reval – which was started in 2011 under his predecessor, Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy – shortly after he was elected to office. The reval was the first the city had done since 1988.
But the county is eager for Jersey City to see the process through. According to the city, real estate attorneys, and county officials, the average property owner in Jersey City is paying a tax rate that is less than 32 percent of the value of the property. Kennelly said the county typically likes to see a reval done whenever that number falls below 70 percent.
“That’s the standard,” Kennelly said.
Last month Fulop told the Reporter that his administration planned to file a petition with the Hudson County Board of Taxation asking that the reval be suspended. As of last week Kennelly said that petition had not been filed.
Historic Paulus Hook Association to hold second meeting on park redesign
The Historic Paulus Hook Association (HPHA) will this week hold another public meeting on a proposed redesign of the public park that sits at the four corners of Grand and Washington streets.
The meeting will be held on Thursday, Sept. 19 following the monthly HPHA membership meeting. HPHA business will take place from 6 to 7 p.m., with discussion of the park redesign starting at 7 p.m. The meeting will be held at Saints Peter and Paul Orthodox Church, 109 Grand St., in the community room.
The design team, Clarke Caton Hinz and Thomas Balsley Associates, will present the design concept that was derived from the first public meeting held in June. The public is invited and encouraged to attend.
Citizenship classes at Main Branch Library
A series of citizenship classes will be offered beginning this month at the Main Branch of the Jersey City Free Public Library, 472 Jersey Ave.
The five-week class will begin on Saturday, Sept. 21 and continue each Saturday through Oct. 26. The two-hour classes will begin each week at 10:30 a.m. The class is most suitable for people with intermediate-to-advanced English skills.
The class is free, but anyone who is interested in participating must pay a fee for course materials. To register, or for more information, call the Literacy Department at (201) 547-4518.
For those who miss this five-0week course, it will be offered several more times before the end of August 2014.
Save the date for Bark in the Park
Tales are wagging at Liberty Humane Society in anticipation of the upcoming Bark in the Park benefit, to be held on Saturday Oct. 5 from noon to 5 p.m. in Church Square Park in Hoboken. The annual fundraiser will this year be hosted by Justin Silver, star of the CBS series “Dogs in the City.”
The donations raised at this event go towards Liberty Humane’s work to find permanent homes for animals without families, in addition to vaccination services and spay/neuter surgery.
Liberty Humane Society encourages all animal lovers to visit the shelter’s website to sign up for the Bark in the Park walk where they can even create a personalized fundraising page to share with friends.
Jersey City Medical Center to host program on COPD
Jersey City Medical Center will host a free program to educate the public about Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) on Tuesday, Sept. 24 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the hospital’s conference room at 355 Grand St. Presenting will be Dr. David Flores, who is board certified in pulmonary, geriatrics, and internal medicine.
COPD is a progressive disease which often leads to significant breathing problems and can severely affect an individual’s quality of life. The fourth leading cause of death in the U.S., it kills more than 250,000 Americans annually and causes long-term, serious disability to many more. More than 12 million have been diagnosed with the disease and it is estimated that another 12 million don’t even know they have it.
Emphysema and chronic bronchitis are the two most common conditions that comprise COPD. Chronic bronchitis is an inflammation of the lining of the bronchial tubes, which carry air to and from the lungs. Emphysema occurs when the air sacs (alveoli) at the end of the smallest air passages (bronchioles) in the lungs are gradually destroyed. Damage to the lungs from COPD can’t be reversed, but treatment can help control symptoms and minimize further damage.
“Our intent is to provide patients and their families with the tools to help them have a better understanding of COPD, while reducing overwhelming visits to the hospital and enhancing their quality of life,” Flores said in a release. “We strongly encourage them to educate themselves about this insidious disease.”
To register, contact patient advocate Raul Pamplona at (201) 915-2041 or via e-mail at rpamplona@libertyhcs.org. Registration is required by Friday, Sept. 20 and space is limited.
NAMI Hudson County holding presentation
NAMI Hudson will hold a presentation, “Plan NJ” on Oct. 8 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Hoboken Community Mental Health Center, 506 3rd St. Parking is available behind the center.
Plan NJ (Planned Lifetime Network of NJ) is a non-profit organization that helps consumers and their families answer the question, “Who will care for my loved one when I am gone?” Plan NJ can help families with, monitoring, advocacy, guardianship, coaching, guidance, permanent repository, community and private trust administration, and benefits administration.
“Plan NJ can help with a one-time effort that will assist in helping with the financial, legal, and social resources needed for the consumer’s future,” said Agnes Byrne of NAMI, which stands for National Alliance on Mental Illness. “After the plan is created, there is an opportunity to update as needed.”
There is a cost involved, but it is within the reach of most families, according to Byrne. Financial assistance and scholarship may be available.
For more information, call Kristiana Kalab at (862) 754-6654 or NamiHudson@msn.com for more information.