Union deal triggers changes to public school calendar; half-day scheduled for Wed.
A move by the Hoboken Board of Education to create a half day of classes with only eight days notice at last Tuesday’s monthly meeting was roundly criticized by some parents, including candidates for the upcoming school board election. The district announced on Tuesday that it would dismiss students at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 22 to allow for parent teacher conferences in the afternoon.
The half day and other calendar changes slated for later in the school year are designed to accommodate extra parent teacher conferences and professional development days negotiated in the school board’s agreement with the local teachers’ union, the Hoboken Education Association, which was approved at the previous meeting on Sept. 9.
According to Assistant Superintendent Miguel Hernandez, the revised calendar was completed two weeks ago and presented to the Governance and Personnel subcommittee on Oct. 8. According to Hernandez, it was publicized on the Hoboken Board of Education website the same day, but robo-calls and emails to parents did not begin until last week.
Brian Murray, a candidate on the Parents for Change slate, noted that aftercare would be cancelled on the 22nd due to the half day, and questioned how babysitters and parents would be able to put up the slack on short notice. “Thousands of parents are going to have to rejigger their schedules in seven days,” said Murray. “I don’t think it’s fair…”
Murray also criticized the decision to advertise the calendar changes before they had been officially approved by the school board.
Former board president Leon Gold noted that Hoboken’s union settlement had been approved unanimously with one abstention. “I would think that the board would approve something based on union negotiations they already approved,” he said.
“We figured the best thing we could do was get notice out to parents as quickly as possible,” said Superintendent Dr. Richard Brockel.
The revised calendar was ultimately approved 7-2 with Peter Biancamano and Frances Rhodes-Kearns, the two candidates running on the Education or all Children slate, in opposition.
HUD grant notice makes $230 million for Hoboken flood-proofing official; ball in state’s court
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) published a notice in the U.S. Federal Register last Thursday officially allocating $230 million to the state of New Jersey for the Resist, Delay, Store, Discharge project for Hoboken, Weehawken, and Jersey City. The flood prevention proposal, produced by a team for firms led by the Office for Metropolitan Architecture, was one of seven to win funding through the Rebuild by Design competition.
The award for Hoboken was first announced by HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan in June. A grant notice is the first key step in the multi-governmental bureaucratic process through which the $230 million will make its way to Hudson County. The next step is for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to produce an action plan detailing how it will use the funds.
Once the state’s action plan has gone through a mandatory public comment period and been approved by HUD, the money will be disbursed to the state in a smaller phase for planning, with shovel ready projects only receiving money once the design is complete. Grantees have only two years to spend HUD funds once they have been allocated, though they can request a waiver to extend the deadline.
Also this past week, the Rebuild by Design competition won the 2014 Community Development Award from the New York chapter of the American Institute of Architects, according to an ArchDaily report. “The unprecedented scale of the devastation caused by Superstorm Sandy was a wakeup call for Hoboken,” wrote Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer in a letter nominating Rebuild by Design for the award. “It became increasingly clear that the city’s future depended on urgently addressing our risk to flooding. For a relatively small city like Hoboken, the Rebuild by Design competition presented a unique opportunity to undertake a challenge of this magnitude.”
Award-winning guitarist opens Atrium Series Oct. 22
The UBS Atrium Series starts its 12th season of free midday music with a concert by Grammy winning guitarist, Odair Assad, on Wednesday, Oct. 22nd at 12:30 p.m. The concert will take place in the Atrium at 1000 Harbor Boulevard in the Lincoln Harbor section of Weehawken.
For decades, renowned Brazilian guitarist Odair Assad has played concerts worldwide with his brother Sergio, as part of one of the world’s greatest guitar duos, The Assad Brothers.
His work as a soloist, both in concerts and as a recording artist, is a relatively recent occurrence in a long and fruitful career. Assad’s first North American concert tour was in February 2011 and was received ecstatically by the public and guitar aficionados. A recent review by Classical Guitar Magazine spoke of his “outstanding musicianship, pushing the realms of the guitar up and beyond mere mortal expectations.”
Assad continues to play with his brother and they enjoy collaborations with diverse musical superstars such as Yo-Yo Ma and Paquito D’Rivera. They will again perform with Ma and pianist Kathryn Stott in 2016. The brothers’ album “Dances from the New World” recorded with D’Rivera, was released late 2013 on the GHA label. In winter 2015 The Assads will embark on a North American tour with their dear friend and collaborator, guitarist Romero Lubambo in a program called Samba Exótico.
Odair’s next European tour will start later this month at the legendary concert hall, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. His next solo album will also feature works composed specifically for him and will celebrate friendship, warmth and hope.
All performances for the UBS Atrium Series begin at 12:30 p.m. The series is sponsored in part by the Hudson Reporter. The concert is free and open to the general public. For directions and more information, please check the HRPAC website – www.hrpac.org – or call the concert hotline at (201) 716-4540.
Revamped Crumbs Bake Shop to open soon on Washington Street
Three months after throwing in the pastry bag and closing all of its stores nationwide, Crumbs Bake Shop has announced plans to reopen 26 locations, including its outpost on Washington Street in Hoboken, according to a Business Insider report.
Hoboken is one of 20 stores Crumbs will be reopening in the New York metropolitan area after a takeover by Marcus Lemonis and Fischer Enterprises, which also owns Dippin’ Dots.
In hopes of capitalizing on the popularity of the cronut, the new Crumbs will offer baissants, which cross a bagel with a croissant, and crozells, a croissant-pretzel hybrid. Crumbs released its own take on the cronut, the Crumbnut, prior to declaring bankruptcy.
In a press release, Lemonis expressed hopes that diversifying Crumbs’ offerings would save it from the financial problems that plagued its first iteration. The stores will also offer Dippin’ Dots and challah bread.
Crumbs will return to its old storefront at 409 Washington St., where last Wednesday morning the lights were on and an individual employee was inside. Lemonis said he expect all of the revamped stores would open within a month.
Crumbs first came to Hoboken in May 2009 with a grand opening featuring 1,000 free cupcakes. There was no indication that the same largesse will be replicated the when the store reopens.
In other Hoboken-related pastry news, “Cake Boss” Buddy Valastro announced plans to open an eighth outlet of Carlo’s Bakery in Marlton, New Jersey on Monday, according to a Courier-Post report. The new store will join a growing chain that already currently includes stores in Times Square and Las Vegas. Valastro’s flagship Washington Street location is a popular tourist attraction in Hoboken.
Hoboken and Hudson County Chambers of Commerce unite
The Hudson County Chamber of Commerce and the Hoboken Chamber of Commerce are merging to form a larger, integrated organization, according to a press release disseminated on Oct. 14. As part of a three-year agreement, Hoboken Chamber members will be able to enjoy all the benefits of a Hudson County membership.
“We’re thrilled to welcome the Hoboken Chamber of Commerce,” said Maria Nieves, president and CEO of the Hudson County Chamber of Commerce. “As a result of this partnership, our combined organizations will represent nearly 500 members from across the county. We expect this partnership to usher in greater diversity of programming and services for our members.”
“We’re joining to better serve both memberships.” said Greg Dell’Aquila, president of the Hoboken Chamber, who also serves as a member of the board of directors for the Hudson County Chamber. “Over the past several months, the Hoboken Chamber of Commerce has been examining ways to improve upon what we offer to our community and how to ensure long-term sustainability while the Hudson County Chamber has been looking at ways to grow into a truly regional chamber.”
The boards of both organizations recently approved the new partnership. The full-time staff of the Hudson County Chamber will manage the back-office operations of the Hoboken Chamber, which was largely run by volunteers before the merger. Hudson County members will also be able to attend Hoboken Chamber events at discounted member rates.
Chambers of Commerce nationwide are under increasing pressure to demonstrate value as online communication and networking groups increasingly offer the access to politicians and sense of community they were historically known for.
Both Nieves and Dell’Aquila see merging as a way to increase the reach and services of their Chambers while maintaining the unique identity and needs of each community.
Founded in 1888, the Hudson County Chamber is one of New Jersey’s oldest regional chambers of commerce. It currently represents 450 members, facilitates forums with local, state and federal officials, and provides a platform for business networking and partnerships.
Tango with musicians Pamela Ross and Grace Ho on Sunday
Classically-trained musicians Pamela Ross and Grace Ho present Two To Tango, an afternoon of beautiful music for the whole family to enjoy. Bring your imaginations, paper and crayons, friends, neighbors, and families, and join us for an hour or two. The event will take place this Sunday Oct. 19 at 3:00 p.m. at The Hudson School Theatre Space at 601 Park Ave. Admission is free. For information and reservations contact Danoly Guzman at (201) 424-6213 or Danoly@primereg.com
Welcome Jack’s Cabin restaurant to 4th Ward with Councilman Occhipinti
This coming Tuesday, Oct. 21, Councilman Tim Occhipinti and Britney Montgomery are hosting an event welcoming Jack’s Cabin, a new restaurant and bar at the corner of Jackson Street and Observer Highway, to the Fourth Ward.
The evening will take place at Jack’s Cabin and feature half price appetizers and drink specials, including Kale Caesar Salad, Blistered Shishito Peppers, Baked Meatballs, Jack’s Classic Wings, and the restaurant’s signature drink, Bite the Bulleit, which has been recognized by the New York Times and Daily News readership. Interested parties can RSVP by joining the Facebook event at
https://www.facebook.com/events/1519092445004603/.
The 4th Ward Welcomes Jack’s Cabin Event will run from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Oct. 21 at Jack’s Cabin at 61 Jackson Street.
Hudson School parents share stories from life in “Lawrence of Arabia Land”
On Oct. 23 from 7 p.m. to 8.30 p.m., Hudson School parents Mark Miltner and Frauke Riller will present their experience of “Stepping out – a Kaleidoscope of Living in Jordan,” their tales from ‘Lawrence of Arabia Land’ and the impact of the Syria crisis on this refugee-hosting country. The event will take place at the Hudson School at 601 Park Ave.
Raised in Germany, Riller attended the Munich School of Journalism after travelling extensively in Southeast Asia, which led to working for the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR). Most recently, Riller spent 11 months as external relations officer in Amman for UNHCR’s response to the Syria crisis.
In December 2013, her husband Mark, son Sean, a tenth grader at The Hudson School, and 10-year-old daughter Skye packed three suitcases, including the small cage for their pet rabbit ‘Nutmeg,’ and took off for the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, experiencing modern-day bustling Amman, magnificent haunting desert landscapes, incredible Jordanian hospitality and what it means for a country to be hosting over 600,000 registered refugees.
The Hudson School’s Think Thursdays series was founded in 2010 to educate and inform the over-18 crowd with a lecture and film series aimed at adults. The series, Think Thursdays, features guest speakers, local authors, and films covering a broad range of topics. Suggested donation is $7 for Hudson School family members and $10 for the general public. Students may attend for free. All are welcome to attend.
See New York City through the eyes of Pedro Pietri at the Hoboken Historical Museum
On Sunday, Nov. 2 at 3 p.m., the Hoboken Historical Museum will host a free event to celebrate one of America’s most important contemporary Puerto Rican poets, Pedro Pietri (1944-2004), entitled “Broken English Lessons: Through the Eyes of Pedro Pietri.” Through the lens of Pietri’s poetry, “The Great Migration” of Puerto Ricans to the tri-state area in the 1940s, 50s, and 60s will be explored and honored.
Pietri lived most of his adult life in New York City, and was a cofounder and leader of the Nuyorican Poets movement. Participating in the Hoboken event will be some of the major Nuyorican poets currently living and writing in the New York metropolitan area: Urayoán Noel, Sandra María Esteves, Jesús Papoleto Melendez, Nancy Mercado, Mariposa, Bonafide Rojas, Sam Diaz, and Juan Valenzuela.
The event is free and open to the public. More extensive bios of the participants can be found at the Hoboken Historical Museum’s website, www.hobokenmuseum.org. The museum is located at 1301 Hudson St.