Arts and Music Festival is today
Hoboken’s premier cultural event, the Arts and Music Festival, happens twice per year. Last September’s event, which drew thousands, was one of the most successful and widely-attended in the event’s history.
Today, Sunday, May 4, the city will try to capitalize on that success with the spring version of the festival.
“One festival celebrates the beginning of warmer weather and relaxing summer days, while the other, celebrates the beginning of the fall season, shorter days, and cooler nights,” said Geri Fallo, the city’s cultural affairs coordinator.
The festival, as usual, will take place from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Washington Street between Observer Highway and Seventh Street.
In addition to three stages of live music, the festival boasts the participation of over 300 artists, sculptors, photographers and local crafters. There will also be numerous attractions for children.
For more information and a full schedule of performances, see inside the newspaper.
City announces new garbage and recycling schedule
Starting on Sunday, May 11, the City of Hoboken will have a new garbage and recycling collection schedule. Garbage will be picked up on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays, while recycling collection will take place on Mondays and Thursdays.
The new schedule shifts a recycling day from Tuesday to Monday, more evenly spreading out recycling collection. The schedule eliminates the Monday garbage pickup, which was previously the lowest volume day since it immediately followed garbage pickup on Sunday. Collection of electronic waste such as computers and televisions has been expanded to Mondays and Thursdays. The schedule change will also result in $100,000 in yearly savings, according to a press release from the city.
A flyer with the updated schedule is available for downloading and printing from the City website: www.hobokennj.org/docs/env/GarbageRecyclingSchedule.pdf.
Residents are reminded that garbage and recyclables are to be placed curbside in a covered container after 7:30 p.m. (9 p.m. along Washington Street) on the corresponding day. Recyclables are not to be put in plastic bags, and no waste should be placed curbside on Tuesdays or Saturdays.
Likewise, for businesses and residents in the limited business area, garbage collection is being eliminated on Tuesdays and single stream recycling is being moved from Tuesdays to Mondays. In 2011, the City of Hoboken switched to single stream recycling which allows for all recyclables – paper, plastic, aluminum, glass, etc. – to be mixed together within the same container. There is no need to sort materials. Because plastic bags cause problems with the automated facility that sorts the various materials, recyclables should be placed directly in a container and not inside plastic bags.
Non-metal household furniture and mattresses can be placed on the curb for pickup on Sundays, Wednesdays and Friday evenings. Garden and yard waste as well as metal furniture (file cabinets, desks, bed frames, etc) and appliances can be placed curbside on Thursday evenings. Remove doors from refrigerators, washers, dryers and stoves. Hot water heaters, air conditioners and small metal appliances are also accepted.
No hazardous waste (paint, varnish, turpentine, pesticide, etc) should be disposed at the curb. For hazardous waste disposal information, call 1-800-540-0987.
16th Annual HOHA Classic announced for May 11
Runners who want to start Mother’s Day the active way can get in on the family fun of the 16th Annual HOHA Classic. The day includes the Classic 5-Mile race, 1.5-Mile Baby Stroller race and 1-Mile Fun Run for kids.
The race, on Sunday, May 11, benefits the Jubilee Center, a non-denominational community center located at Sixth and Jackson streets in Hoboken, that provides after-school youth programs for the Hoboken community, especially those in need.
The event is organized by the Hoboken Harriers Running Club and All Saints Community Development Corporation and is sponsored by Carepoint Health, Cindy Cray, Haven Savings Bank, Fleet Feet Sports, URSA Development Group, LLC, BCB Community Bank, and WeeBabe.
This year’s five mile run honors Dustin J. Friedland, a Hobokenite and HOHA club member who was killed last December at the Short Hills Mall. Donations in honor of Dustin can be made at the HOHA website (www.hoha.net).
The day begins at 9 a.m. with the stroller race, followed by the Fun Run at 9:30 AM. The five mile run begins at 10 a.m. All races begin at Pier A, one block north of the PATH station, and wind along the Hoboken waterfront. Advance registration for the five-mile race is $25, and race day registration is $30; the fun run is $5, and the baby-stroller event is $15. Advance registration is available at www.hoha.net until May 9, or through the mail if postmarked by May 5.
Applications are available at Fleet Feet running store, located at 604 Washington St. in Hoboken, or by printing it from the HOHA site, www.hoha.net. Race-day registration is also available and closes 15 minutes before each event.
T-shirts for all pre-registered runners are provided, and shirts will be given out while supplies last to race-day registrants. Awards will be given to the top three male and female finishers in 10-year age groups in the five mile race.
72-hour street closure near Grand and 14th starting Monday
Grand Street in Hoboken will be closed at the intersection of 14th Street for approximately 72 hours starting on Monday, May 5 beginning at 7 a.m. to allow for placement and curing of concrete beneath the viaduct. Pedestrian traffic will be permitted.
A Hudson County Sheriff’s officer will be present at the cross street.
Similar closures are anticipated for Adams, Jefferson and Madison over the next few weeks. For more information, call (201) 369-4386.
Hudson Catholic production of ‘Annie’ premiers May 8
The Hudson Catholic Drama Society production of “Annie” is set to debut on May 8, the school announced this week. The show will be performed at the school, 790 Bergen Ave. in Jersey City on May 8 at 7 p.m., and May 10 at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Tickets cost $5 for students, children, and senior citizens, and $10 for adults.
Tickets are available at the door.
Garcia to introduce financial literacy legislation in Trenton
Assemblyman Carmelo Garcia recently announced that he plans to introduce legislation expanding the scope of financial literacy curriculum in schools and broaden the grade requirement to include sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders, according to a press release issued by the assemblyman’s office.
“Many of our children are entering the real world without real life skills,” said Garcia (D- Hudson). “In this day and age, our students must learn more about personal finance. We can take this step further to better equip our children with the practical knowledge of living beyond high school and college.”
Currently, financial literacy education is a part of the state’s high school curriculum, but Garcia said the requirements must be updated to teach practical topics of money management, credit and debt management, planning, saving and investing, becoming a critical consumer, civic financial responsibility and risk management and insurance. Under his proposed legislation, education on these topics will begin in sixth-grade.
“Students should begin by learning the basics of investing, mortgages and home ownership,” Garcia said. “Teaching our children early the keys to getting what they want in life will help our children set responsible goals and achieve their dreams.”
The proposed legislation would require the Department of Education to develop and implement programs on personal finance literacy for grades sixth through eighth. The components of personal financial literacy covered in the program would include understanding loans, borrowing money, interest, credit card debt and online commerce. Garcia’s proposed legislation would also require teaching the rights and responsibilities of home ownership and renting, saving, investing and planning for retirement and banking and financial services.