PSE&G underground electric construction on Newark Avenue
Public Service Electric and Gas Co. (PSE&G) has begun construction on Newark Avenue between Senate Place and James Street as part of the utility’s Northeast Grid Project. As part of the project, the utility will be installing a 230,000 volt (230kV) underground electric transmission circuit in Jersey City from the Hudson Switching Station to the South Waterfront Switching Station. The circuit will span 3.5 miles.
PSE&G’s Northeast Grid Reliability Project will upgrade overhead and add underground transmission circuits in northeastern New Jersey. It will deliver the increased electric capacity required by New Jersey businesses and residents, increase transfer capability, provide better power quality and reduce transmission system congestion. In addition to installing the new 230kV circuit, the project also will upgrade overhead transmission lines from the Hudson Switching Station in Jersey City to the Roseland Switching Station, as well as upgrade several of the utility’s substations.
This work, which is expected to conclude on approximately Friday, Nov. 8, will impact traffic in the coming weeks. Until the work is completed, only one lane of traffic will be available on Newark Avenue between Tonnelle Avenue and James Street from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. If possible, motorists are encouraged to find alternate routes and avoid this area, especially during morning and evening rush hours.
For everyone’s safety, PSE&G crews use work area protection including local Jersey City extra traffic control police officers, traffic cones, barriers, etc., providing measures for a safe project completion.
PSE&G reminds motorists to slow down and be alert when driving near the construction zone.
Jersey City looking for volunteers to help with Nov. Safe Surrender Program
Volunteers are needed for the city’s “Safe Surrender” program, a state-sponsored initiative that offers thousands of individuals the opportunity to clear non-violent indictable or municipal warrants from their records. In most cases, people will receive reduced penalties in exchange for turning themselves in. The program will run from Wednesday, Nov. 6 through Saturday, Nov. 9.. During this period individuals can turn themselves in at St. Evangelimos Greek Orthodox Church, 661 Montgomery St. (across from the Jersey City Armory).
“We are pleased to partner with the state on this program that provides any individual with a warrant for a non-violent offense the opportunity to clear their record,” Mayor Steven Fulop said in a release issued last week. “Many people just need a second chance to get back on a productive path and this program has been successful at doing that.”
Successful Safe Surrender programs have been held in Atlantic City, Camden, New Brunswick, and Newark, where a total of more than 13,000 non-violent offenders have been processed. On average, more than 99 percent of those who turn themselves in during the program are able to return home the same day.
Examples of warrants that will be processed include traffic violations, family matters, and child support warrants. As many as 500 professional and lay volunteers are needed for a wide range of duties, including handling parking and food services, as well as serving as greeters and escorts, among other roles. Seventeen temporary courtrooms will be staged in the Armory and the N.J. Attorney General’s Office, which coordinates the program, will need assistance processing individuals. All volunteers will be asked to commit to one or more four-hour shifts each day: from 7 a.m. to noon; noon to 5 p.m.; or 5 to 9 p.m.
“We hope our residents will volunteer to help make this program a success here,” Fulop said.
In addition, the Office of the State Attorney General, in partnership with Jersey City, is soliciting service providers to assist with such needs as health screenings and employment services, and to interact with individuals while they wait to appear before a judge.
Potential volunteers should visit www.FSSNJ.com and click on “Volunteer to Help” tab near the upper left corner. Those who volunteer will be required to attend a training session. Times, dates, and locations of upcoming training sessions can also be found at www.FFSNJ.com.
“This is a unique chance for Jersey City residents and others to participate directly in making Jersey City a safer place,” said Public Safety Director James Shea. “In order to improve public safety throughout the city, we need strong partnerships between the public and our law enforcement community and this is the perfect opportunity to develop those relationships.”
Great Futures Charter School to hold open house
Jersey City residents with a child who is currently in the eighth grade are invited to an open house/information session for the Great Futures High School for the Health Sciences on Monday, Oct. 28 at Jersey City Medical Center, 355 Grand St. in the cafeteria. The open house will take place from 3 to 7 p.m.
Great Futures High School, which is set to open in September 2014, will be a collaborative effort between the Boys and Girls Club of Hudson County and Jersey City Medical Center. The school will offer students in the ninth through 12th grades the opportunity for a hands-on experience in healthcare.
Specifically, the school, which was recently featured in the Reporter, will allow students to earn a high school diploma, complete college entrance requirements and have the opportunity to earn community college credits or vocational certificates as Certified Medical Assistants and Emergency Medical Technicians. It will include honors and advanced courses for those students looking to become healthcare professionals. Graduates will receive a high school degree with a focus on science and medical technology.
The school will debut with a ninth grade class next fall and will increase a grade each year until the school has four classes. At present, Great Futures will only accept students who live in Jersey City. Applications for the Greater Futures High School of the Health Sciences are available onsite and online. For more information, visit www.greatfuturescharterhs.org.
Name your price for your pet
Liberty Humane Society, located at 235 Jersey City Boulevard in Jersey City, will be hosting the shelter’s second annual Name Your Price Adoption Promotion through Tuesday, October 29. The program allows adoptive families to pay any amount they choose for their new pet. During the promotion, the shelter will feature the special hours of operation of 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26 and Sunday, Oct. 27, and 2 to 7 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 28 and Tuesday, Oct. 29.
Each and every Liberty Humane Society animal will be a part of the Name Your Price Adoption Promotion and they will all come spayed/neutered, vaccinated, and microchipped. Plus, adopters will leave with a special goodie bag for their new pet!
The shelter houses hundreds of cats and dogs.
High schools hold district-wide PSAT/SAT day
This year, Jersey City became the first school district in New Jersey to offer a district-wide PSAT/SAT day for all high school students. The district also covered the $50 fee charged to take the test.
On Wednesday, Oct. 16, ninth, 10th, and 11th graders took the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT) while the seniors took the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), the most common test used by colleges and universities to determine the college-readiness of applicants. According to the school district, Jersey City sophomores and juniors have in the past taken the PSAT at rates higher than the state average, but senior participation in the SAT has lagged behind state averages.
This year, in an effort to increase post-secondary opportunities and preparedness for all students, the district organized the district-wide PSAT/SAT day that allowed students to take these exams for free.
According to a release issued by the school district, high school principals reported very high rates of attendance on Oct. 16 and a great sense of focus and purpose amongst students. They also observed that students took the exams more seriously this year.
In addition to covering the cost of the exams, the district also provided free test preparation to all students and professional development for teachers. Some teachers incorporated strategies to help students prepare for the exam into their regular classes and students could be seen studying flash cards in the halls and cafeterias. To further help students prepare for the exams, schools contacted all families.
Jersey City Medical Center EMS to offer CPR classes
Jersey City Medical Center’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) will offer members of the community a chance to learn basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) at the low cost of $5.
CPR is an emergency procedure performed to manually preserve intact brain function until further measures are taken to restore spontaneous blood circulation and breathing in a person in cardiac arrest.
The two-hour class will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 30 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the hospital’s EMS Headquarters, 415 Montgomery St. in Jersey City. Students must be at least 10 years of age to participate. There are no residency requirements.
Students will learn CPR through the practice-while-watching method, which provides students with hands-on instruction and immediate instructor feedback. Students will also receive an instructional booklet on CPR.
Registration is available for a maximum of 24 people. To register, call (201) 547-6126 or e-mail at training@jcmcems.org.