North Bergen DPW fills over 700 potholes since Pothole Repair Hotline launch
Thanks to the hard work of the North Bergen Department of Public Works’ (DPW) pothole repair crew and hundreds of tips from residents, the township has filled over 700 potholes in the last month. Mayor Nick Sacco and Public Works Commissioner Frank Gargiulo launched the pothole repair hotline in late February and since that time 225 residents have called in to report potholes. Those combined with hundreds more identified by the DPW totaled over 700 and the department expects to fill close to 1,000 potholes before June.
“The brutal weather conditions this winter led to an unusually high number of potholes, which is why it really took a team effort by both the DPW and the residents to find them and get them filled,” said Mayor Sacco. “Not only are we filling in potholes at an average of 25 per day, we are also saving significant taxpayer money by doing the work in-house and utilizing innovative new equipment.”
While many other municipalities are outsourcing pothole repair due to the large numbers, North Bergen has saved approximately $50,000 by doing the work entirely in-house with DPW employees. Hiring a private contractor to fill potholes would cost about $3,000 per working day. Under the supervision of DPW Superintendent John Shaw, the department’s six-man crew costs about $1,000 per day, adding up to substantial savings for taxpayers. Additionally, the township is using a new piece of equipment called an “asphalt cooker” that allows workers to conserve hot asphalt throughout the day and drastically reduce waste. The township has only had to purchase about $4,000 worth of asphalt during the entire process.
The pothole repair hotline number is (201) 330-7263.
Acoustic concert at library
The North Bergen Public Library is hosting a live acoustic concert performed by Marie Miller. She will perform her hit songs “You’re Not Alone” and “6’2” on Wednesday, April 9 at 7 p.m. The concert will take place at the main library at 8411 Bergenline Ave. and admission is free. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and refreshments will be provided. Seating is based on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information visit www.nbpl.org.
WNY Cuban Lions Club Health Fair on April 13
The West New York Cuban Lions Club has teamed with Palisades Medical Center to present its annual Community Health Fair. The event, which is free and open to the general public, will be held on Sunday, April 13 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the New Community Room, 514 52nd Street (Between Bergenline Ave. & Kennedy Blvd.) in West New York.
Free health tests and screenings will include blood pressure, heart rate, cholesterol, dental, eye/vision information, physical therapy, percentage of oxygen in the blood, diabetes, sleep disorder information, glaucoma screening, and more. Several physicians will be in attendance to answer questions. Attendees will receive free samples and giveaways.
For more information, contact Manny Reyes (201) 424-1201 or Nikki Mederos at (201) 854-5702.
NY Waterway offering morning and evening events at Port Imperial
Thousands of NY Waterway passengers will celebrate the long-awaited arrival of spring, after one of the toughest winters in memory, on Tuesday, April 8, from 7 to 9 a.m. as they pass through the Port Imperial Ferry Terminal in Weehawken, and again on Thursday, April 10, from 5 to 8 p.m. as they come home.
The morning celebration includes complimentary Greek breakfast pastries from Molos Restaurant at Port Imperial, coffee courtesy of Hudson Treats, dinner coupons from Robertos 2 in Edgewater, coupons for spa treatments at Massage Renu/Beach Bum Tanning of Edgewater, cookies and brownies from DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel & Suites Jersey City, and more.
The evening festivities include more Greek goodies from Molos, passes from Can Do Fitness of Edgewater, sliders from Pier 115 of Edgewater, chips, salsa and other treats from Moe’s Southwest Grill of Edgewater, assorted appetizers from the Assembly Steak House in Englewood Cliffs, samples of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream, cookies and brownies from DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel & Suites Jersey City and more.
Commuters also can enter a drawing for ferry tickets, monthly passes and other gifts.
Call 1-800-53-FERRY or visit www.nywaterway.com for more information.
Hudson County Bar Foundation awarding scholarships to law students
The Hudson County Bar Foundation will award scholarships to students who are attending law school or who have been accepted to law school for the September 2014 to May 2015 term.
The Hudson County Bar Foundation Scholarship Fund is one of the oldest providers of financial assistance to Hudson County law students. Esteemed members and families of the Hudson County legal community have funded these 45 scholarships.
Students must be bona fide residents of Hudson County, must demonstrate financial need, must provide two current letters of recommendation, and must account for appropriate academic standards.
Interested applicants can write to the Hudson County Bar Foundation Scholarship Committee, 583 Newark Avenue, Jersey City, New Jersey 07306, or call (201) 798-4708, send an e-mail to events@hcbalaw.com, or visit web site www.hcbalaw.com for an application. All applications must be received on or before April 30.
NY Waterway offers combo tickets to NY International Auto Show
NY Waterway offers combination tickets including a ferry ride to the annual New York International Auto Show and admission to the show at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City from Friday, April 18 through Sunday, April 27.
Show-goers can save time and money by purchasing a discounted combo ticket that includes round-trip ferry travel to Manhattan’s West 39th Street Ferry Terminal and Auto Show admission. The combo tickets are $31 for adults and $17 for children.
The ferry terminal at West 39th Street is conveniently located across the street from the Javits Center. NY Waterway offers ferry service to West 39th Street seven days a week from Port Imperial Weehawken and Hoboken 14th Street. Weekday rush hour service is also available from Edgewater, Paulus Hook, Lincoln Harbor, and Belford Middletown in Monmouth County.
The Auto Show is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Parking is available at the Belford Middletown and Port Imperial terminals, and NJ Transit rail and bus connections are available at Port Imperial and Paulus Hook Jersey City. Free NY Waterway shuttle bus service is available in New Jersey and Manhattan.
For complete information and to purchase NY Waterway Auto Show Combo Tickets visit www.nywaterway.com/autoshow or call (800) 53-FERRY.
Palisades Medical Center announces schedule of upcoming maternity classes
Classes include Newborn Baby Care, Keys to Successful Breastfeeding, and a two-day course in Childbirth Education, covering the process of labor including understanding the labor process, breathing and relaxation techniques to work with your body, the role of the support person, options for pain medications and medical interventions, Caesarean birth, understand your changing body after birth, newborn appearance, and procedures after birth. The Childbirth Education series also includes a tour of Palisades Medical Center’s labor and delivery unit.
Costs range from $35 per couple to $150 per couple depending on the class. Additional information is available at www.palisadesmedical.org. The Palisades Medical Center is at 7600 River Road in North Bergen. To register or for more information, call Robin Petrick at (201) 295-4823.
Hackensack Riverkeeper accepting scholarship applications for local high school seniors
Hackensack Riverkeeper is accepting applications for the 2014 Ron Vellekamp Environmental Scholarship. Now in its fourteenth year, the program was created to support college-bound high school seniors who excel academically while demonstrating a strong commitment to the natural world and environmental protection.
All applicants who apply must either live within the 210-square mile Hackensack River Watershed or attend a school located within that region. North Bergen and Secaucus are eligible municipalities, along with certain parts of Jersey City, Bayonne, and Union City.
Teachers and guidance counselors are invited to submit applications on behalf of deserving students, and each school may nominate one student. A panel of Hackensack Riverkeeper trustees and staffers led by Captain Bill Sheehan and Program Director Hugh Carola will review each application. The panel will consider the applicant’s academic achievements, environmental extra-curricular activities and future plans. The $1,000 scholarship is unrestricted and can be used for any required purchases during the student’s first year at college.
Full scholarship application criteria are available online at www.hackensackriverkeeper.org or by calling (201) 968-0808. Applications must be postmarked no later than Earth Day, April 22. The winner will be chosen no later than June 1.
The late Ronald Vellekamp was a science teacher in Ridgefield, New Jersey. During his life he also served as a Palisades Interstate Park ranger and Boy Scout leader, and was a founding trustee of Hackensack Riverkeeper. The scholarship that bears his name is fitting tribute to an educator whose life was lived in the service of others.