Enjoy Greek food, fun, and music on Sept. 6-7
Greek hospitality will be in full effect to celebrate the annual Jersey City Greek Festival at the Evangelismos Tis Theotokou Greek Orthodox Church of Hudson County, 661 Montgomery St., Jersey City. The festival will take place from noon to midnight on Saturday, Sept. 6 and from noon to 8 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 7.
Entertainment will be provided by “Pete the Greek” Chatzopoulos, co-owner of Teddy’s Place in Bayonne, who will act as the event’s DJ, spinning a mix of Greek and American music. Festivities on Saturday night, referred to as Taverna Night, will include an indoor bar and food stands, as well as The Saint Demetrious Greek Orthodox Youth Dancers from Perth Amboy, who will treat attendees to a display of authentic Greek dancing in native costumes between 8:30 and 10 p.m.
A variety of homemade Greek cuisine will be offered for a “taste of Greece,” including pastries, loukoumades, souvlaki sandwiches, and many Greek platters, in addition to ouzo and an assortment of Greek beers and wines. Sweets can also be purchased at the bakery and a gift shop in Elenion Community Center at the church. Food costs between $3 and $11. The church will offer a tent for outside dining.
Admission is free. Free parking is available behind the church, with overflow parking at a Saint Peter’s University parking lot at the corner of Montgomery Street and Jordan Avenue. Proceeds will benefit the cultural and community programs of the church. For additional information contact (201) 436-3726 or evangelismostistheotokou@verizon.net
Jersey City public schools open on Sept. 4.
Full day classes for all public elementary, middle and high schools start on Sept. 4, school officials said. High School registration at Dickenson and Ferris high schools will be held on the same day from 3 to 7 p.m. The “I love Jersey City Schools Back to School Festival” will be held at Liberty State Park on Sept. 6 from 1 to 4 p.m.
Art House on the move
Art House Productions will move from Hamilton Park to Journal Square, and is planning a parade on Saturday, Sept. 6. All are invited to wear costumes and make the march from the old place to the new theater. The event will even include a live brass band music. People should gather at the southeast corner of Hamilton Park at 2 p.m. The parade will end at 136 Magnolia St. near Journal Square.
An official ribbon cutting and grand re-opening will take place on Sept. 8 from 3 to 5 p.m.
County Clerk’s Passport Office to stay open late every Wednesday in September
In celebration of Passport Awareness Month, the County Clerk’s Division of Passports will stay open until 7 p.m. on Wednesdays during the month of September. (Applicants must be present in the passport office no later than 6:45 p.m.to allow for processing time.)
This year’s Passport Awareness Month theme is “Customer Convenience.”
“September is back to school time, which can be an especially busy time for parents and students as summer vacation comes to an end,” said Hudson County Clerk Barbara A. Netchert. “We hope that by temporarily extending our passport hours on Wednesdays in September, the clerk’s office will be able to accommodate customers who are unable to apply for a passport during our routine operating hours due to their work, school, or fall activity schedule.”
The County Clerk’s Office is located at Hudson Plaza, 257 Cornelison Ave., 4th floor, in Jersey City. For more information about this event, passport applications, and fees, call (201) 369-3470 (option 4) or visit the County Clerk’s website at www.hudsoncountyclerk.org.
Veteran’s job fair coming to Hackensack
There will be a Veteran’s Job Fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 3, at Eastwick College Hackensack, 250 Moore St., Hackensack. The event is sponsored by The North Hudson Community Action Corporation, which provides support services for veterans and their families.
For additional information call Olga Velez at (201) 758-5511 or email ovelez@nhcac.org.
County applies for state grant for Lincoln Park West development
At its Aug. 21 meeting, the Hudson County Board of Freeholders approved the County of Hudson to apply for $1,818,626 from the New Jersey 2014 Green Acres Development Grant for the Lincoln Park West Redevelopment Project.
The project will extend the Hackensack River Walkway from the edge of the wetlands to Duncan Avenue. It will connect and create a promenade to the riverfront. The bulkhead will be refurbished, safety railings will be installed, and an observation tower will be added to the southern walkway of the wetlands. Also, transitional and upland native landscaping and habitat will be added. Storm water detention ponds will be created for irrigation purposes for the public golf course.
The anticipated start for this project is Sept. 1 with a completion date of Dec. 31, 2015.
The freeholders also approved the County of Hudson to apply for $820,000 from the NJ Department of Transportation for the installation of bicycle lanes in Lincoln Park.
These will be made available through the New Jersey Transportation “Transportation Alternatives Program.”
City partners with library for ESL programs
Mayor Steven M. Fulop and the Jersey City Office of Diversity and Inclusion have announced a partnership with the Jersey City Free Public Library/Literacy Program to offer ESL and citizenship classes at City Hall, as well as pre-GED courses at a variety of library locations throughout the city.
Classes that will be offered at City Hall through the expansion of the Literacy Program include three levels of English as a Second Language (ESL), one citizenship course, and one English Conversational course.
The Literacy Program, through the Jersey City Free Public Library, will now also start offering pre-GED courses for students to help them prepare and succeed in GED classes and provide strategies for the GED Exam. Both the pre-GED courses and the new courses offered at City Hall are an expansion of the Literacy Program’s offerings, which previously provided a variety of courses in the Jersey City Free Public Library.
Courses available at the library include: basic reading instruction, citizenship courses, math, writing, and public speaking skills. Volunteer tutors are available through the program for students of all literacy levels ranging from non-readers to the eighth grade reading level.
To be eligible for the program – at either the City Hall or the Library – adult students must be residents of Hudson County 18 years or older. Participants must pay a one-time $20 application fee and a $30 tuition fee each semester, which is used to cover all material costs. The first semester begins Sept. 15, 2014 and ends on Jan. 24, 2015.
HCCC offers loan officer training
The Hudson County Community College Center for Business & Industry (CBI) is offering a Mortgage Loan Officer Training program for individuals interested in pursuing a career in the mortgage banking industry. The comprehensive 120-hour program is designed to provide the skills and licenses necessary to getting started in a rewarding industry with high-earning potential. There is no cost to participate in the program.
Classes for the program will begin on Monday, Sept. 8, 2014, and will cover a range of topics including: “Mortgage Basics & Terminology”; “Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System (NMLS) Required Federal & State Training” (for NJ and PA); “Customer Qualifications & Credit Analysis”; “Lending Guidelines and Procedures”; and “The Mortgage Process: Prequalification to Post-Closing.”
Those who complete the program and attain satisfactory test results will be eligible to receive their New Jersey and Pennsylvania Mortgage Loan Originators License, and will be assisted with job placement.