Jersey City remembers 9/11
A ceremony remembering the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attack will be held at the Empty Sky Memorial in Liberty State Park on Sunday, Sept. 7 from 1 to 8 p.m. The memorial is located at Audrey Zapp Drive and is being organized by the New Jersey 9/11 Memorial Foundation. For more information, call (732) 859-3700, email info@nj911memorial.org or visit www.nj911memorial.org.
New Jewish Center in Hudson County opens Sept. 14
History will be made in Hoboken next Sunday as for the first time in over 50 years, a new Jewish Center opens in Hudson County.
The Chabad Jewish Center, one of over 4,000 such centers around the world, established itself in Hoboken 13 years ago under the auspices of Rabbi Moshe and Shaindel Schapiro, but now for the first time they will be dedicating a center to continue their important work.
Join the community, elected officials, and other guests for a grand opening ceremony in conjunction with the dedication of a brand new Torah scroll, written for the occasion in Israel.
Sunday, Sept. 14, 11 a.m. will be the conclusion of the writing. 12 p.m. is the grand procession of the Torah through streets of Hoboken with live music and a float, followed by the ribbon cutting and affixing of the Mezuzah. There will be a 1 p.m luncheon at 80 Park Ave. (entrance Newark Street), Hoboken.
For more information, visit www.JewishHoboken.com or call (201) 386-5222.
Grand opening for new playground Sept. 13 at Leonard Gordon Park
The Friends of Leonard Gordon Park (FoLGP) and public officials will be on hand to officially open and celebrate the improved and re-located playground, a new dog run, and refurbished swing area on Saturday, Sept. 13 at noon. (Rain date is the following Saturday at noon.)
As a result of a partnership between Jersey City and the Jersey City Parks Coalition (JCPC), FoLGP was able to move the playground site much closer to Kennedy Blvd. where the public, who live, walk or drive by the park, can easily view the children in and around the playground, thus discouraging future vandalism. The original playground was set on fire more than two years ago.
The ribbon cutting is at 12:15 p.m. Performers include The Kennedy Dancers, performances provided by County Prep, face painting, magic tricks, and DJ’d music by DJ Wyse. Free popcorn and water has been donated by Stop&Shop, and Los Tres Chilitos and Taste of India will provide their delicious food. They will also serve shaved ice, an icy cart and hot dogs.
Volunteers needed for HRHC medical reserve corps
The Hudson Regional Health Commission (HRHC) is seeking new volunteers for its Medical Reserve Corps (MRC). The unit is made of locally based volunteers (with and without a medical background) who assist their communities during emergencies, such as staffing shelters, setting up Points of Dispensing Sites (PODS) during a pandemic or terrorist attack and community outreach when called upon.
You don’t have to have a special skill to volunteer – many roles are needed during an event response or after during recovery. HRHC MRC volunteers only need to share a minimal amount of time prior to a disaster; attending meetings and free trainings that are offered throughout the year.
The volunteers participate in various trainings and drills throughout the year, enhancing their preparedness skills and heightening their ability to respond to many different types of events.
For more information on the Hudson Regional Health Commission, please visit the Hudson Regional Health Commission website at www.hudsonregional.org and then click on “Medical Reserve Corps”. Interested individuals can also contact Christina Butieb-Bianco, MRC Coordinator at (201) 223-1133 or email mrc@hudsonregionalhealth.org.
McNair student finalist in 2014 Google Science Fair
Eswar Anandapadmanaban, a 17-year-old student at McNair Academic High School, has been selected from thousands of students from more than 90 countries as one of 18 teenagers selected as a global finalist in the 2014 Google Science Fair.
Residents can help Eswar win the contest by voting in the “Voter’s Choice Award” now through Sept. 14 at www.googlesciencefair.com. The winner will receive a $10,000 grant from Google to help fund the winner’s project.
Eswar’s invention is what he calls the “ThereNIM,” a touchless respiratory monitoring device that can be used in sleep studies for those with sleep apnea. The ThereNIM (There-Non Invasive Monitor) device uses electric fields to detect respiratory movements at a much more efficient and accurate level than current methods of using electrodes. Compared to current electrode technology, the ThereNIM would be less expensive, with a price of around $50; more comfortable since there is no contact with the patient; and less prone to mistakes, through use of interferences of electric fields produced by the lungs. The ThereNIM picks up changes in the frequency produced by the lungs breathing during sleep. The device obtains information through two antennas that would hang from the ceiling on both sides of the patient’s bed, so that the patient would be in between them.
“We are proud of Eswar’s work and that his project has received global recognition from Google,” said Mayor Steven Fulop. “We encourage all Jersey City residents to support Eswar in the contest as this is truly an honor for both Eswar and Jersey City. We know Eswar has a bright future and we expect even more great innovations to come.”
The Voter’s Choice Award will be announced on Sept. 22.
St. Joseph’s celebrates its 158th anniversary
St. Joseph’s R.C. Church will celebrate its 158th anniversary beginning with its annual festival starting on Wednesday, Sept. 10 from 6 to 11 p.m. through Sunday, Sept. 14 from 4 to 9 p.m. The five day event is being hosted by the combined parish societies to celebrate the oldest Catholic parish in Jersey City. The event, held at Baldwin and Magnolia avenues, will feature rides for kids, and nightly entertainment that includes music by Shooting Star on Sept. 10, The Boyz R Back on Sept. 11, Sequoia on Sept. 13, Shore Soundz on Sept. 14, and The Dudes on Sept. 15. Alumni Night will be held on Sept. 12, a Spanish Celebration on Sept. 13, and a Filipino Celebration on Sept. 14. For more information call (201) 653-0392, email: stjosephjc@yahoo.com, or visit the church website at www.stjosephjc.com.
Alternatives to Violence training available in Jersey City
The Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP) is a multicultural organization of volunteers dedicated to reducing violence in homes, schools, prisons, streets and society.
The AVP program conducts experiential workshops that seek to provide individuals with affirmation, strengthen communication skills, build cooperative relationships, to establish community and trust within the group, and practice conflict resolution and problem solving.
Based on past workshops, WomenRising staff members and clients are holding an AVP training at 270 Fairmount Ave., Jersey City, on the evening of Friday, Sept. 12, and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday Sept. 13 and Sunday, Sept. 14.
For further information, visit their website at http:www.avpusa.org. The workshop is seeking 30 participants who will each represent a constituency of Jersey City. These constituencies can include: community groups, schools, congregations, non-profits, businesses and government agencies. A participant needs to commit to the full weekend and bring the information back to his/her constituency. This hopefully will form a steering committee to develop our Jersey City core of trainers and begin increasing the number of potential leaders with non-violent skills.
To attend contact Anne Miller Christensen at WomenRising, ( 201) 309-4663 Ext. 13 or AnneatPH@msn.com , or Joyce Davison, of Grace Senior Center, (201) 659-2211 or Davisonjg@gmail.com
Free legal clinic for Hudson County victims of Superstorm Sandy
Residents of Hudson County who believe they have legal issues arising out of Superstorm Sandy may be eligible for free legal counsel, advice or brief services from Northeast New Jersey Legal Services. A legal clinic will be held on Thursday, Sept. 18, from 6 to 8 p.m. at 574 Summit Ave., on the second floor. For more information or to schedule an appointment call Meredith Gemeiner at (201) 792-6363 ext 3248. Appointments are not necessary but highly encouraged.
N.J. Builders trade group sues Jersey City
The Associated Builders and Contractors, New Jersey Chapter (ABC-NJ), a trade group representing construction contractors throughout the state, has filed suit against Jersey City over the city’s insistence on requiring Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) on private construction projects that receive favorable tax treatment. The city ordinance at issue, the lawsuit contends, runs afoul of both federal and state law, and effectively prevents non-union “merit shop” contractors from participating in large construction projects underway or planned within city limits.
Unique to the construction industry, a PLA is a collective bargaining agreement with one or more labor unions entered into before work on a construction project begins. The National Labor Relations Act permits construction employers to execute a PLA voluntarily, but when a PLA is mandated by a government agency, contracts can be awarded only to contractors and subcontractors that agree to the terms and conditions of the PLA. The suit claims this is misuse of the PLA.
The lawsuit, filed Aug. 29, in United States District Court for The District of New Jersey, seeks to prevent future application of the union-only PLA requirement on private construction projects.
Stevens Institute of Technology welcomes 799 new freshmen; largest class ever
Some 799 freshmen were welcomed to the Stevens Institute of Technology at a convocation ceremony this past Wednesday, the largest entering class the university has ever had. Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop and Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer were on hand to congratulate the new students.
Stevens President Nariman Farvardin said the Class of 2018 was also the most academically distinguished class Stevens has ever admitted. The median SATs of students entering Stevens has increased 50 points in the past three years.
Farvardin made clear what he believes his institution offers these young people – a ticket to a better life. “College graduates volunteer at higher levels, vote at higher levels, lead healthier lifestyles, and prepare their schooling better than the rest of the population. In the case of Stevens, they also make more money, with an average starting salary for $66,000 for the Class of 2013 graduates.
The gospel of disruption is alive and well at Stevens. Starting this year, all Stevens freshmen will take a required course on entrepreneurship and have the option to join the new Society of Innovators and Entrepreneurs. Stevens has also launched an innovation and entrepreneurship pre-college program for high school students.
Stevens also runs the Scivantage FinTech Incubator, a 12-week program that, in the words of Farvardin, “empowers entrepreneurs and early-stage startups to develop dynamic and disruptive technologies that will transform the financial services industry.”
In his speech to the entering freshmen, Mayor Fulop warned, “The greatest stumbling block to enjoying and appreciating these few years is really the temptation to define yourself dishonestly.”
Fulop, who is Jewish and the grandson of Holocaust survivors, recalled meeting with a Pakistani Muslim imam during his first campaign for City Council in Jersey City. When the imam asked him what kind of last name Fulop was, he said it was Eastern-European. “I never felt worse about myself that I did that day,” said Fulop.
Fulop realized just how foolish he had been when the imam called him on a Jewish holiday two weeks later to wish him a happy day.
“It turned out that all the judgment I was afraid of was going on in my own head,” said Fulop.
Boys & Girls Club cuts ribbon on new clubhouse
On Sept. 3, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Hudson County cut the ribbon on their facility at 225 Morris Blvd. in Jersey City. Located next to the Marin Boulevard Hudson-Bergen Light Rail stop, the facility features approximately 34,000 square feet of classroom and recreational space. It is attached to 18 Park, a luxury apartment rental building. The clubhouse is also home to Great Futures Charter High School for the Health Sciences, a collaboration between the Boys and Girls Club and the Jersey City Medical Center. Opening on Sept. 3 with a freshmen class of 125, the school will adhere to the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards and prepare students for post-secondary education and careers in the growing health sciences industry. For more information about the Boys & Girls Clubs of Hudson County, please visit www.bgchc.org or their Facebook page or contact the club at (201) 333-4100.