Register your school-age kids for dance
Dance registration will take place on Monday, Sept. 22, at the North Bergen Recreation Center, 6300 Meadowview Ave., from 5:30 to 8 p.m.
Registration for pre-ballet is for 5-year-olds only; they must be in kindergarten. Ballet/jazz is for children up to 11 years old. Dance wear can be purchased at registration. The registration fee is $35 non-refundable; cash or money order only.
Birth certificate and proof of residency are required. No pre-school. Class sizes are extremely limited. Some classes are waiting list only.
Macy’s job fair coming to North Bergen Public Library
Macy’s logistics and operations in Secaucus is seeking talented individuals for seasonal picking and packing positions and will have a job fair at the North Bergen Public Library, 8411 Bergenline Ave., on Wednesday, Oct. 15, from 4 to 7 p.m.
Associates are responsible to receive, put away, pick, pack, and ship merchandise in a safe, productive and accurate manner. Associates will be cross-trained in multiple areas.
North Bergen Recreation Basketball Registration in October
Mayor Nicholas Sacco and Commissioner Hugo Cabrera invite boys and girls ages 5 through 16 to register for North Bergen Basketball.
Registration will be held at North Bergen Recreation, 6300 Meadowview Ave., Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. starting Tuesday, Oct. 14. There will also be registration on Thursday evenings Oct. 16 and 23 from 6 to 8 p.m. No sign-ups on Nov. 4 and 11. A $35 non-refundable registration fee is required, along with birth certificate and proof of residency. Cash or money order only.
Bill protecting NJ drivers from other states’ speed and red light cameras passes committee
The New Jersey Senate Transportation Committee passed a bill on Monday, Sept. 15 that would prohibit submission of New Jersey license plate information to national photo ticketing system or other states for the purpose of imposing or collecting fines from New Jersey drivers who receive a citation for a violation committed in another state that was captured on a speed camera or red light camera. The bill was sponsored by North Bergen Mayor and State Sen. Nicholas Sacco and Sen. Nicholas Scutari.
This bill is modeled on a newly enacted statute in South Dakota, which prohibited its Division of Motor Vehicles from submitting driver information to the national interstate motor vehicle information network, a system used by photo ticketing companies, for the purposes of processing red light or speed camera tickets. The purpose of this bill is to prevent other states from issuing citations to New Jersey residents for alleged violations recorded on a speed camera or red light camera.
The bill was approved unanimously by the Senate Transportation Committee. It now heads to the Senate Budget Committee for consideration.
DPW employee misconduct trial upcoming
A trial date of Jan. 13 has been set for Timothy Grossi, one of four North Bergen Department of Public Works (DPW) employees accused of allegedly ordering workers to perform political and household chores while on the clock. Grossi has pleaded not guilty. According to nj.com, his attorney disputes Grossi’s role in the scandal and lays the blame entirely on former DPW head James Wiley, saying “I can’t wait to get him on the stand.”
Wiley resigned and pleaded guilty in Sept. 2012 to charges that he ordered township employees to perform chores at his home and to work on political campaigns in North Bergen and neighboring municipalities, including Bayonne in 2008 and Jersey City in 2009. His sentencing has been postponed several times and is likely to be postponed again from the scheduled Sept. 26 date, since the other three cases are not yet resolved.
The other two DPW workers charged with alleged misconduct are Francis Longo and Troy Bunero, both of whom pleaded not guilty after being named in court by Wiley. Longo’s trial is reportedly scheduled for Oct. 7.
Dedication to Dr. Cortina, an art installation by Luis Romero
The city of Union City, Mayor Brian Stack, and the Board of Commissioners are hosting an art installation by Luis Romero as a dedication to Dr. Francisco Cortina, which opened Wednesday, Sept. 17 at 6 p.m. in the William V. Musto Cultural Center, 420 – 15th St. in Union City.
Last year, Union City honored Dr. Cortina before his retirement at age 90 and after more than 40 years of serving the community, by naming a street after him (“Dr. Cortina Way”).
The exhibit is an installation consisting of an oil painting, three drawings, a photograph, a low relief sculpture/medal, and an informational video about Dr. Cortina, among other things. Everything in the installation is designed and made by Romero, including the sign. The installation was on display for two weeks at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where Romero is employed. Dr. Cortina visited the Met with his family to attend the exhibit and they were all very moved and impressed by it.
Romero has been a Union City resident since his family migrated to the US from Cuba in 1974. As a person indebted to Dr. Cortina for the medical services he has provided to Romero’s family and to the community at large, Romero worked diligently for the last year on this installation to honor the doctor in his own way.
Everyone in the community is invited. Free admission. The exhibit runs Sept. 17 to Oct. 6.
Two short documentaries screened and discussion held with filmmaker in Union City
Renowned filmmaker Ricardo Bacallao, known as the “Cuban Woody Allen,” presented the world premiere screening of his two documentary short films, “Short Radiography of Hip Hop in Cuba” and “The Maji Maji Readings” on Friday, Sept. 19 at 8 p.m. in the William V. Musto Cultural Center in Union City.
Bacallao was born in Havana, Cuba. He graduated from Havana’s Superior Institute, and received his MFA in film from NYU. While living in Madrid and Berlin, he participated several times in the Berlin Film Festival, including being awarded as the first Cuban representative to the festival’s Talent Campus in 2003.
Bacallao first came to the U.S. in December 2005, when he was invited to tour universities around the United States screening his documentaries on topics such as race, immigration, Santeria, and madness in the arts. In 2010, a segment he produced for CUNY TV’s magazine show “Nueva York” won a New York Emmy Award. Since then, he has been working as a freelance director, cameraman, producer, and editor of documentary and fiction film. Bacallao is just completing his first feature film, “The Uncle’s Request,” a political thriller, and “Romañach,” a dramedy, is in pre-production.
Brazilian and Salvadoran flag-raising in Union City
The City of Union City held flag-raising ceremonies commemorating Brazil’s Independence Day on Monday, Sept. 15 and El Salvador’s Independence Day on Tuesday, Sept. 16. Both ceremonies were held in International Park, located on the corner of Palisade Avenue and 38th Street.
The ceremonies included several invited guest speakers and the raising of the Brazilian and Salvadoran flags.
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.