HOBOKEN BRIEFS

Search continues for missing Hoboken jogger

It’s been almost four weeks, and few new clues have been released in the case of missing Hoboken jogger Andrew Jarzyk, 27, who disappeared in the early morning hours of Sunday, March 30. Now, a Facebook page has been added to help find him, nine billboards have been posted in neighboring Jersey City, and discussion continues about the case on an internet websleuthing message board.
Like many of the young people who move to Hoboken in their twenties, Jarzyk worked for a financial institution, liked to hang out with friends at the local restaurants and bars, and tended to jog along the waterfront.
On Saturday night, March 29, he spent time with friends at the West Five Supper Club on Madison Street. The club is a few blocks from Jarzyk’s apartment on Monroe Street. Around 1 a.m. on Sunday morning, Jarzyk left the club and went to his apartment.
A neighbor said Jarzyk was seen on the fire escape trying to get in, possibly locked out. A friend said on an internet websleuthing message board that he sometimes went in and out through the fire escape.
The operating theory is that Jarzyk, who was training for a half marathon in Long Branch (to be held this weekend), changed into running clothes to go for a run on that rainy night. He headed the mile east, approximately 13 blocks, to the Hoboken waterfront.
He sent a text to his girlfriend around 1:43 a.m. Then he was never heard from again.
The “Help Find Andrew Jarzyk” Facebook page was set up last week. On the page, Jarzyk’s girlfriend said that nine billboards have been installed in Jersey City to help find him. The family would like to add more.
Hundreds of friends and relatives have said Jarzyk was a great friend and kind person. No one has said a bad word. And no one seems to have an idea of where he is.
Friends were able to get restaurants along the waterfront to look at their videos. Family identified Jarzyk running in reflective clothing around 2:09 a.m. southward along the waterfront, first jogging southbound past Pier C Park around 2:09 a.m., and then down to Pier A Park.
It is unknown whether he jogged onto the pier or past it, but there is no video of him continuing past Pier A.
The police launched a waterfront search in that area after he went missing, and looked in the water for several days but found nothing. Meanwhile, three bodies of people who have jumped into the river in various incidents in the last few weeks have surfaced within 24 hours of disappearing (see related links below this article). The question remains: Where is Andrew Jarzyk?
Jarzyk is described as a 27 year old white male, approximately 6 feet 1 inch in height and weighing 160 lbs. He has thinning, dirty blond hair, blue eyes and a tattoo of a cross on his rib area with the initials “SJLJBJ”. Other know identifiable marks include a scar on his left cheek of his face and a sizable scar on his shoulder.
Anyone with information regarding Andrew Jarzyk should contact the Hoboken Police Department immediately at 201-420-2100 (main line) or 201-420-2131 (police desk)
For more of this story, look at our past articles on hudsonreporter.com.

Hoboken accepts grant for security cameras

Two weeks after an NBC investigative report found that Hoboken’s network of security cameras around town hasn’t worked since 2010, the City Council voted on Wednesday to approve a federal Homeland Security grant to restore operations.
The vote was 6-0 Wednesday night, with three absences.
Several local towns have security cameras to aid the police in fighting crime. But Hoboken’s cameras haven’t been working. working.
The matter came to light earlier this month after Hoboken resident Andrew Jarzyk, 27, went missing after a jog along the waterfront. Friends were able to locate security tapes of Jarzyk passing Pier C Park and Pier A, but had to obtain them from local restaurants because the city had none that were in use.
City spokesman Juan Melli said that the city did not renew a contract with the provider of the cameras after a state-appointed fiscal monitor said the contract had been bid out incorrectly.
The initial NBC report said that between 2004 and 2009, the city paid the company between $30,000 and $40,000 a year to maintain them.
“They always paid for the cameras through grants but when it came time to pay their maintenance fees, they decided to stop paying,” said the head of the camera company.
Melli said two weeks ago that the city began applying for grants to replace the cameras soon after the old contract ended. “We started applying for grants in 2010. It’s not that we haven’t made it a priority,” he said.
Now, thanks to a grant, the city will have working cameras.

Hoboken Resident Stars in St. Bart’s Players’ ‘Nunsense’

Hoboken resident Melissa Broder has done many shows with the St. Bart’s Players, but in the troupe’s revival of Dan Goggin’s “Nunsense,” she is delighted to be playing Sister Robert Anne — one of the fabled Little Sisters of Hoboken. The off-Broadway musical comedy opened in 1985 and ran for 3,672 performances.
Directed by Brian Feehan with musical direction by Karen Dryer, it will be presented April 30 – May 11 in the Chapel of St. Bartholomew’s Church, 325 Park Ave. at 51st St. at various times. Tickets are $25 Regular and $22 Senior & Student (18 and under) and can be purchased from The St. Bart’s Players Box Office by phone 212-378-0248 or in person in the church lobby, as well as online at http://www.stbarts.org/st-barts-players-in-nunsense/.
After a cooking mishap leaves 52 sisters dead, five of the surviving Little Sisters of Hoboken organize a variety show to raise funds for the burial. Despite their artistic and personal differences, these five nuns deliver a comedic and heartfelt show. You won’t want to miss this crazy convent of nuns. As Sister Robert Anne in “Nunsense,” Broder is funny and “tough,” but sings one of the most beautiful and poignant songs from the show, “Growing Up Catholic,” as well as the showstopper, “I Just Want to Be a Star.”
A New Jersey native, Broder grew-up in Teaneck and studied English and Dramatic Arts at Rutgers University in New Brunswick. She moved to Hoboken right after college in the early ’80s, and currently resides there with her husband, Michael Brown, Jr.
An acoustic guitarist/songwriter, she performed her folk/rock act at the legendary Maxwell’s in Hoboken, as well as at cafes and college campuses throughout the tri-state area.

Student art to be shown at Hoboken Gallery

The Hudson School is pleased to present an exhibition of student paintings, sculpture, drawings and mixed media works, grades 5-12, at the Mason Civic League Gallery, 1200 Washington St., Hoboken, from Sunday, April 27 to Wednesday, May 14.
Highlights of the show include sculptures inspired by ancient Egypt by 5th graders; mixed media abstract paintings by 6th graders; bold and beautiful yarn paintings by the 7th grade inspired by Mexican string art; handmade books on the elements of art by selected 8th graders; a suite of drawings about the deconstruction of New Jersey architecture by 11th grader, Myles Zhang; along with selected paintings and sculptures from The Hudson High School Art Studio classes. Represented are works by students of instructors, Minna Packer, Peter Ziebel, Holli Schorno and Mey Veral.
There will be a reception for the artists with light refreshments on Sunday, April 27, from 5-7 pm.
Gallery hours are weekdays 3 to 9 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
For information about the Hudson School, contact Mrs. Newman, founder and director, at 201.659.8335, ext. 107, or visit www.thehudsonschool.org.

Mother’s Day Inspired Poetry Reading

On May 15 at 6 p.m., the Hoboken library will hold a special poetry reading inspired by Mother’s Day. Poets Aimee Harris and Ona Gritz will read from their work, especially poems about motherhood. Young Adult Librarian Ona Gritz’s poetry collection, Geode, and ebook memoir, On the Whole: A Story of Mothering and Disability, were just released. Ona is also a columnist for the online journal, Literary Mama. Aimee Harris is the head of the Reference Department at the library.
Aimee has a Masters in Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Emerson College. She and Ona run the Mom’s Writing Workshop.

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