Library to hold discussion on arthritis treatment
An arthritis informational event will be held on Wednesday, April 23 at 7 p.m. at the North Bergen Free Public Library. Rheumatologist Alexandru Kimel, MD, HNMC will be discussing the treatment options and simple exercises to keep you mobile. This event is made possible by the Hispanic Outreach Program and Holy Name Medical Center for Wellness Wednesdays.
The North Bergen Free Public Library is located at 8411 Bergenline Ave. For more information call (201) 869-4715 or visit www.nbpl.org.
North Bergen reaches settlement with Waterside Restaurant
The North Bergen Alcoholic Beverage Control Board has reached a settlement agreement with the Waterside Restaurant and Banquet Hall that will allow the business to continue operating while also protecting the quality of life of residents in its vicinity.
The restaurant, on River Road, features picturesque waterfront and Manhattan skyline views.
In order to have its liquor license renewed, Waterside agreed to a settlement agreement that lays out 27 specific conditions dealing with a range of issues including hours of operation, presence of DJs, outdoor activities, and more.
“I am very glad to see this settlement agreement reached and think it strikes a balance between protecting the residents in that area and allowing Waterside to operate in a responsible manner,” said Mayor Nicholas Sacco.
The provisions of the agreement mandate that Waterside operates primarily as a restaurant, bar, and catering hall and not as a dance club. The venue is still available for weddings and other major events.
North Bergen’s ABC Board and its attorneys have been negotiating with Waterside ever since the business was hit with several violations last year dealing with noise levels and other incidents. The restaurant will also be responsible for erecting a barrier between its outdoor patio space and the public walkway that is adjacent to it
Palisades Medical Center announces schedule of free health screenings
Throughout the year, Palisades Medical Center’s staff partners with North Hudson Community Action Corporation, Christ Hospital School of Nursing, and Partnership for Maternal and Child Health of Northern N.J. to provide free health screenings and education programs. Screenings and information include blood pressure, heart rate, percentage of oxygen in the blood, peak flow/respiratory, and Body Mass Index (BMI). Free health screenings will be held in the following communities in the coming months.
April 27 from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
First United Methodist Church, 407-23rd St., Union City
May 3 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Our Lady of Sorrows, 654 Ocean Ave., Jersey City
For more information, contact Joanne Riggs at (201) 854-5793.
Park 12 Theatre undergoing renovations; public chooses new seats
Empire Cineplex’s Columbia Park 12 in North Bergen is under new management and undergoing renovation. Modernization will include digital projection and expanded gourmet concession menus with beer and wine service.
Theater patrons have been given the opportunity to select the new VIP seats. Various luxury VIP seating choices gathered from vendors across the globe have been set up in the theater’s lobby. The choices range from fully electric recliners to high back rockers with side tables. Patrons are asked to stop in from now until May 1 and give each seat a try. Ballots for the “Pick Your Seat” promotion will be supplied to each “voter” and the seats that achieve the highest number of votes will be purchased and installed as part of the renovation.
Broadway star headlines HRPAC benefit concert
The Hudson Riverfront Performing Arts Center, Inc. (HRPAC) will host its annual benefit gala at the Chart House Restaurant on Saturday, April 26 at 6 p.m. The evening will start off with a cocktail hour and silent auction to be followed by dinner and a concert featuring Broadway singer and actress Mandy Gonzalez.
Gonzalez is a winner of Drama Desk and Obie Awards and has starred in the hit Broadway musicals, “Wicked” and “In the Heights.” She is known for her exceptional vocal skills giving her one of the biggest and best voices on Broadway.
Mandy’s special guest will be leading man Jeremiah James, who is currently starring as El Gallo in “The Fantasticks” on Broadway. Aside from his work here in the states, Jeremiah has an international reputation from his work on the London Stage and also as a member of the singing group Teatro.
Through its two concert series, “Summer Concerts on the Hudson” and the UBS Atrium Series, HRPAC has developed a track record for bringing diverse programming to the North Hudson region. HRPAC has additionally presented educational programs to thousands of students in eight of Hudson County’s school districts. Over its ten year history, HRPAC has presented scores of concerts and shows of the highest caliber, featuring hundreds of musicians, dancers, and actors, including Grammy and Tony winners.
These presentations, which are presented free of charge to the general public, have attracted thousands of fans from Hudson County and the New York metropolitan area.
For more information on the benefit, including how to purchase tickets, visit HRPAC’s web site at www.hrpac.org or call the HRPAC office at (201) 430-6881.
Hudson Chamber of Commerce welcomes Federal Reserve Bank economist
The economic recovery continues, but where is our regional economy headed and what does it mean for your business? The Hudson County Chamber of Commerce will host an informative business networking event on Wednesday, April 30 and welcome the New York Federal Reserve Bank for a regional economic outlook. Richard Peach, a senior vice president within the Macroeconomic and Monetary Studies function at the N.Y. Fed, is the guest speaker.
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York is one of 12 regional Reserve Banks that make up the Federal Reserve System. The N.Y. Fed serves a regional territory that includes the 12 northern counties in New Jersey. Mr. Peach will provide an outlook for our regional economy. This is also an opportunity to learn about Fed monetary policy and how it impacts local economies and businesses.
The special business networking event will take place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on the campus of host sponsor the University of Phoenix at 100 Town Square Place in Jersey City. Provident Bank is also sponsoring the event. Appetizers and beverages will be served. Admission is $25 for members and $35 for nonmembers, prior to the event. For reservations call (201) 386-0699 x 27 or visit the Hudson County Chamber of Commerce website at www.hudsonchamber.org.
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.
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.
Hackensack Riverkeeper offers 2014 eco-programs
Hackensack Riverkeeper, the clean water advocacy group, is poised to provide enjoyable and educational experience of the river, its watershed and wildlife. Combining hands-on environmental education with public service and fun, the 2014 season kicks off with EarthFest Overpeck the weekend of April 26-27, and runs through the end of October.
EarthFest Overpeck is Overpeck Park’s first-ever Earth Day celebration, a festival featuring a recycled regatta, fishing derby, green vendors, live music, food, pharmaceutical take-back, open kayaking, recovery and rescue demonstrations, beer garden and more.
River cleanup conservation events give people of all ages the opportunity to give back to the environment and their communities. River cleanups are scheduled at eight different waterside locations within the Hackensack River Watershed from April through November. Hackensack Riverkeeper provides cleanup tools and supplies as well as refreshments for all volunteers. All they ask is that everyone pitch in and help rid local waterways of litter and other debris. For more information about river cleanups including group participation and the organization’s Corporate River Stewardship Program, call Events and Outreach Coordinator Sarah Menchise at (201) 968-0808 or e-mail her at Sarah@HackensackRiverkeeper.org.
Derby Day coming to Meadowlands Racing and Entertainment on May 3
On Saturday, May 3, Meadowlands Racing & Entertainment will present a full day of simulcast and live racing action, including the 140th running of the Kentucky Derby from Churchill Downs. Beginning at 9:30 a.m., bettors can make their wagers and enjoy food and bourbon specials, as well as enter to win prizes all day in honor of Derby Day.
Meadowlands Racing & Entertainment will open at 9:30 a.m. with free admission and free T-shirts distributed to the first 8,000 guests. The Victory Sports Bar & Club will serve a continental breakfast from 9:30 to 11 a.m. and a derby themed buffet beginning at 11:30 a.m. for $39.95. Bourbon specials will be available all day around the complex, including mint juleps and other libations served in a commemorative derby glass (while supplies last).
Ladies are welcome to express their inner southern belle and enter the $500 Grand Prize Hat Contest with no boundaries on how stylish and over-the-top the headwear can go. Sign up between 2 and 4:45 p.m. with the judging at 5 p.m.
The best seat in the house may be the track’s apron and grandstand where the “140th Run for the Roses” will be simulcast on the 18’x48’ infield HD video screen.
After the derby, guests are welcome to enjoy a night full of live harness racing at the Meadowlands with the first post time set for 7:15 p.m. Prizes continue into the night with scratch-off cards where customers can win up to $500 instantly, and Horseplay Horses, both beginning at 6 p.m. Buy a horse for $1 with all proceeds in the month of May donated to the American Red Cross, and take a chance to win entry into the August 1 car drawing for a 2014 Toyota Scion.