Run to cure cystic fibrosis is Sept. 20
The 5th Annual O’Connell’s Run to cure cystic fibrosis takes place this Saturday, Sept. 20, rain or shine, starting and finishing at Washington Park, 2nd Street in Union City, between Palisade Avenue and Paterson Plank Road. A 5K race for adults kicks off at 10 a.m., followed by a half-mile race for kids at 11 a.m. All preregistered 5K participants will receive a tech T-shirt, and kids participating will receive a T-shirt and goodie bag. Post-race food and water will be provided by ShopRite of Hoboken, with free beer available to all 5K runners (with bib and I.D.) at the Washington Park LIVE! festivities nearby. Cash prizes and medals will be awarded to the 1st place finishers in each age group.
To pre-register, go to http://oconnellsrun.com. Fees are $25 online until race day and $30 on Sept. 20. Registration for kids race is $10, 0r $13 on race day. Registration begins at 8 a.m. on race day near the starting line.
The event was started in honor of Emmett O’Connell, a cystic fibrosis patient treated at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital in Paterson.
What happened to the Grand Prix of America?
When the international racing circuit released its draft 2015 calendar this week, the Formula One race planned for northern Hudson County was nowhere to be found, according to a story in njbiz.com. The unveiling of the schedule heightens speculation that the race is headed for its third postponement since being announced in fall 2011. Over the summer, word spread that the event won’t come to Weehawken and West New York until 2016 at the earliest.
The race, originally scheduled for June 2013, has been plagued by funding shortfalls and other delays, frustrating business leaders and state officials who envisioned the 3.2-mile, high-speed course winding through the streets of Hudson County, with the Manhattan skyline in the backdrop as the world watched.
The so-called Grand Prix of America at Port Imperial has also come with the hope of drawing more than 100,000 fans to North Jersey over three days. It is supposed to also kick off a multiyear string of consecutive races on the Hudson waterfront that would serve as a recurring economic windfall for the state.
But recent reports indicate that organizers still face an uphill battle. Last month, Formula One chief executive Bernie Ecclestone told Forbes that several investors at one point pulled out of the $100 million project.
Palisades Medical Center becomes member of Hackensack health network
Hackensack University Health Network welcomed the Palisades Medical Center in North Bergen as a full member of their hospital network on Wednesday, Sept. 10.
The hospital, which has been affiliated with Hackensack UHN since 2012, signed a formal Letter of Intent in the morning, confirming the partnership. The New Jersey Department of Health and other authorities are expected to approve the partnership later this year.
Palisades Medical Center serves a population of 400,000 in Hudson and southern Bergen Counties. It features a 202-bed hospital and The Harborage, a 247-bed nursing home and rehabilitation center.
Palisades Medical Center is the largest employer in its service area with more than 1,300 employees, and it has an annual operating budget of approximately $150 million. It has been recognized as one of Modern Healthcare’s Best Places to Work in Healthcare and was recently ranked as New Jersey’s Number 4 hospital of its size by Inside Business magazine and Castle Connolly Medical Ltd. The New Jersey Hospital Association (NJHA) has honored Palisades Medical Center with its prestigious Community Outreach Award for its year-round commitment to educate residents, improve access to care, and reduce health disparities.
The hospital will remain an acute care facility and will be known at Hackensack UMC Palisades.
High Tech and County Prep ranked in top 20 NJ vocational high schools
New Jersey Monthly ranked High Tech High School in North Bergen and County Prep High School in Jersey City among the top 20 on its recent list of the best vocational high schools in the Garden State, announced Frank Gargiulo, superintendent of Hudson County Schools of Technology.
High Tech and County Prep ranked 13 and 14 respectively on the list. A total of 65 percent of the students enrolled at High Tech and 30 percent of the students enrolled at County Prep scored 1550 or better on their SATs, with 35 percent of High Tech students and 21 percent of County Prep students proving advanced proficient on the HSPA language section, and 39 percent and 29 percent advanced proficient on the HSPA math section. The graduation rate at both schools was 100 percent.
“Technology has changed everything,” says Mr. Gargiulo in this month’s New Jersey Monthly. “Vocations have become more technical and high-end and require a whole different set of thinking skills.”
‘Blue Mass’ honors police, firefighters, EMS on Sept. 20
On Saturday, Sept. 20 Our Lady of Fatima Church in North Bergen will be hosting their third annual Blue Mass at 11 a.m. This Mass is to offer thanks to local police, firefighters, and EMS workers.
Our Lady of Fatima is at 8016 Kennedy Blvd, phone number (201) 869-7244.