Bridge to be closed this weekend as project work continues
The Bayonne Bridge will be closed beginning at 9 p.m. Friday, May 16, and continuing through 5 a.m. Monday, May 19, to allow work to proceed on the “Raise the Roadway” project, which will allow larger, more efficient ships to access the region’s port terminals.
The scheduled weekend work will allow for the safe removal of portions of the structure of the bridge and for the lifting of large steel and concrete sections onto the bridge.
The Port Authority’s free weekend shuttle service will run on Friday, May 16 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The shuttle service will be suspended on Saturday, May 17 and Sunday, May 18 due to the weekend’s full closure. It will return the weekend of May 23.
To receive the latest updates, travelers should register for bridge and tunnel alerts at http://paalerts.com/, call 511, or visit www.511NY.org or www.511NJ.org for the latest regional traffic conditions.
Teachers union, school board still far apart on contract
Representatives from both sides of the Bayonne teachers’ contract negotiations said that the Friday, May 9, meeting ended in an impasse, and that another “super conciliation” session between the two sides has been scheduled for Tuesday, June 3.
“They made a counter proposal which is still far from the settlement recommended by the (state) fact finder,” said Robert Clarke of Appruzzese, McDermott, Mastro & Murphy, P.C., representing the board. “We said ‘no.’ We told them we want a settlement, but not at almost $2 million more than the fact finder recommended.”
“We thought we put something on the table that they wanted,” said Alan D’Angelo of the Bayonne Teachers Association. “Then they threw a bomb into the room.”
The “bomb” was the factoring in of longevity, or the amount of increased payment to teachers following year one of the proposed contract.
But Clarke said longevity has been discussed for the past few years as contract proposals have been made.
“It’s clearly the money,” Clarke said. “The union said we shouldn’t be including longevity in the contract. But that’s a salary increase.”
D’Angelo said that not only has the issue not been discussed in four years but that it goes back much farther than that.
“We have not costed out longevity for the last 25 years in any settlement,” he said.
The Bayonne teachers have been working without a contract for four years.
Clarke said that the board proposal stems from the fact finder’s recommendation. While it does not allow for an increase in year one of the contract, it does include average annual increases of 2.7 percent in the remaining three years, for a total of 8.3 percent over the life of the contract. He said that was in line with other districts in Hudson County.
D’Angelo said he doesn’t believe the board is serious about settling the contract, putting in zero amounts for increases for two of the last four years.
“It’s kind of hard to settle that way,” he said.
BHS jazz ensemble to perform May 30
The Bayonne High School Jazz Ensemble will host its concert at the school on Friday, May 30 at 7 p.m.
Several senior musicians who will study music in college will be featured.
Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for students and children.
For more information on the concert, visit bayonnehsmusic.com, email bayonnehsmusic@gmail.com or call (201) 858-7886.
Relay for Life scheduled for May 30 to May 31
The Relay for Life to Benefit the American Cancer Society will be held from Friday, May 30 at 6 p.m. through Saturday, May 31 at 6 a.m. at Don Ahern Memorial Veterans Stadium.
Relay for Life will honor cancer survivors and caregivers, and raise money and awareness for cancer prevention.
Events are scheduled to include karaoke, face painting, a scavenger hunt, sports tournaments, and other games. There will also be a DJ and food.
Money raised will fund cancer research and provide information to cancer patients.
Relay for Life takes place in 20 countries and more than 5,000 communities across the world.
Bayonne’s event raised more than $70,000 last year.
For more information, contact Lisa Renwick at the American Cancer Society at lisa.renwick@cancer.org or Adam Semanchick at Adam1313132000@yahoo.com.
Elks Club busy with youth activities
May 4through 10 was designated as Elks Youth Week by Gov. Chris Christie, and the Bayonne
chapter is continuing to honor the city’s junior citizens for their accomplishments and recognize their service to their community.
Bayonne Elks Lodge 434, in connection with the Bayonne Board of Education and their Peer Leadership program, praised Henry Harris School 8th grade students for their efforts in raising more than $2,000 for the lymphoma and leukemia cancer foundations.
In addition, to 13 certificates presented to students on May 9, the Elks donated recreational items to the school.
On May 16 at 2 p.m., the lodge will present 17 certificates to students at Woodrow Wilson School for their outstanding efforts regarding anti-bullying awareness. The Elks have donated painting supplies for the 8th grade mural they are working on for their school.
‘Nature of the Meadowlands’ exhibition During May and June at NJMC
Recent photography and archival images from the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission (NJMC) coffee-table book, “The Nature of the Meadowlands,” will be on display in the Meadowlands Environment Center’s Flyway Gallery from Friday, May 16, through Friday, June 27.
The show will feature images by the three principal photographers for the book.
A June 1 reception from noon to 2 p.m. will be preceded by a two-hour nature walk beginning at 10 a.m. in DeKorte Park in Lyndhurst, home of the NJMC and the Flyway Gallery.
The gallery exhibit will include photos of bald eagles and northern harriers, aerial shots and marshscapes.
The Flyway Gallery, in the Meadowlands Environment Center in DeKorte Park, is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday excluding holidays.
Directions to the park can be found in the “About Us” section of the NJMC’s website, at njmeadowlands.gov, or by calling (201) 777-2431.