Race for freeholder in Ward A
Voters in a portion of southern Jersey City (and all of Bayonne) will choose between Kenneth Kopacz and Michael Alonso for the county Board of Freeholders on Nov. 2. Kopacz is an educator, family man, and is running on the Hudson County Democratic Organization line. Alonso is a real estate agent, single, and is running as an independent. The two are vying for the District 1 freeholder seat which will be vacated by Freeholder Doreen DiDomenico after her term ends Dec. 31. DiDomenico decided not to seek reelection for personal reasons and increased work responsibilities.
District 1 includes all of Bayonne and Ward A, Districts 3 to 7, in Jersey City. Kopacz is the principal of Washington School, and comes from a family of educators, including his father (40 years in Newark) and wife, Kimberly (Jersey City school system). He has also been a coach for several sports. Kopacz has held leadership posts in a number of city charitable organizations, including the Simpson-Baber Foundation for the Autistic, and Bayonne Economic Opportunity Foundation.
Alonso points to his background in real estate, which he thinks would serve him well in county government, as well as his crusade for an elected school board in the city, as major points to consider in his candidacy. Alonso also gets name-recognition from his late grandfather, a longtime and respected Bayonne physician known by generations of city residents.
If Kopacz gets elected, he says his priorities would include expanding the county’s open space, continued support of the Hudson County Schools of Technology, and safeguarding the environment. Housing would be another priority for Kopacz.
If Alonso wins, he would seek to revamp the county welfare system, fight a realty transfer fee, and ensure that Kennedy Boulevard and Route 440, two main arteries through Bayonne, be maintained up to a high standard. Both candidates say they would fight to bring more county dollars to their district, composed mainly of Bayonne, as well as push economic development. Alonso said austerity would be “job one” at any cost.
Three firefighters injured
Three firefighters were injured in an early morning blaze near Lincoln Park on Oct. 28.
The call came in at about 2 a.m., said Carly Baldwin, spokesperson for the Jersey City Department of Public Safety.
The two-story wooden frame house at 188 Pennington Ave. near Lincoln Park was apparently vacant, although fire fighters said there were squatters inside who fled when the fire broke out.
A fire fighter who entered the front door fell into a hole in the floor – a problem that plagues a number of abandoned buildings, Baldwin said.
“He suffered injuries to his shoulder and back,” she said. “He was treated at Jersey City Medical Center and released.”
Two other fire fighters suffered burns, were brought to JCMC, then transferred for treatment at the St. Barnabas Burn Unit in Livingston and later released.
The three alarm fire caused the roof of the building to partially collapse. The fire also spread to a neighboring house and displaced one resident who lived there.
Two men charged in Clifton Place stabbing
Rahsaan Jackson, 23, and Anthony Roman, 22, both of Jersey City, were charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, criminal attempted murder, and other weapons offenses, as the result of an alleged attack on another Jersey City man near Clifton Place on Oct. 28
Roman was additionally charged with unlawful possession of mace.
The victim was originally reportedly in stable condition, but listed as critical after being stabbed several times. By press time, the victim’s condition was reported as improving.
Jersey City police officers responded to the McGinley Square area at about 10:51 p.m. on the report of a man being stabbed,. They found the victim bleeding from the abdominal area. The officers also recovered a large kitchen knife covered with blood nearby.
Two witnesses said they saw two men allegedly attacking the victim before fleeing the area. Police broadcast a description of the alleged assailants which officers in another patrol car spotted a few blocks away on Florence Street. One of the men apparently tried to discard a blood-soaked shirt, which the police also recovered.
Immigrant empowerment center opens
The New Jersey State AFL-CIO Community Services Inc., a nonprofit agency of the state federation, has partnered with Hudson County to create the state’s first labor-led immigrant advocacy center, which will help thousands of legal immigrants achieve their American Dream of full citizenship and the right to vote.
The We Are One New Jersey Hudson County Center officially opened on Tuesday, Oct. 28 with a kickoff ceremony attended by dozens of labor, political, civic and community leaders. Specifically, the center provides U.S. citizenship application assistance, including preparatory classes for the citizenship test, voter registration and education on workplace rights to residents of Hudson County at low- or no-cost.
Nearly 400,000 Legal Permanent Residents (LPRs) living in New Jersey are eligible to become citizens, but may lack the finances, English-language skills or the time to become naturalized.
Hudson County is home to 653,000 residents, including a diverse and vibrant population of Latinos, Filipinos, Egyptians, Haitians, South Asians, Portuguese and more. The county is also home to 93,000 LPRs who are eligible to begin the naturalization process.
Also joining the grand opening were U.S. Senators Robert Menendez and Cory Booker, U.S. Representatives Albio Sires and Donald Payne Jr., state Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto, Sister Roseann Mazzeo of Women Rising Inc., and many others, including members of the New Jersey Legislature and Hudson County Board of Freeholders, other distinguished officeholders, and members of the community.
DCA reminds residents to change batteries along with clocks
Daylight Savings Time starts on Sunday, Nov. 2 and the state Department of Community Affairs’ (DCA) Division of Fire Safety and local fire departments are asking residents to change smoke and carbon monoxide alarm batteries when time “falls back.” Clocks should be turned back one hour on Sunday.
“Having smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in your home is essential,” said Richard E. Constable III, commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs. “Now is an excellent opportunity to change the batteries, test the alarms, and ensure they are working properly.”
Constable notes that the seasonal time change is used by the fire service as a timely reminder. According to Division of Fire Safety statistics, residential fires account for more than 80 percent of all fires in the state.
Everyone should regularly test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. All households should have alarms located outside a bedroom on every floor, including the basement.
In addition to changing batteries, residents should replace the alarms often. Smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms should be replaced after ten and five years, respectively. The new fire safety advancements include home monitoring via smart phones. The Nest is a product that communicates wirelessly throughout the home; sends alerts to homeowners’ cell phones; and provides voice command alerts, as well as traditional beeps.
The DCA is asking residents to consider a few other fire prevention measures when turning the clock ahead and replacing smoke and CO alarms batteries. Families should prepare a disaster supply kit that includes water, food, flashlights, batteries and blankets. Households should also devise an emergency exit plan, and practice these routes with adults at least twice a year, including at night. This way everyone knows the proper action when the smoke or carbon monoxide alarm sounds.
For more information, visit www.nj.gov/dca/divisions/dfs/, or call (609) 633-6106.
CarePoint Health recognized for outstanding patient safety record
CarePoint Health’s hospitals – Bayonne Medical Center, Christ Hospital and Hoboken University Medical Center –have each been honored with an “A” grade in the Fall 2014 Hospital Safety Score. The rating indicates how well hospitals protect patients from errors, injuries and infections, is compiled under the guidance of the nation’s leading experts on patient safety, and is administered by The Leapfrog Group, an independent industry watchdog.
The first and only hospital safety rating to be peer-reviewed in the Journal of Patient Safety, the score is designed to give consumers information they can use to protect themselves and their families when facing a hospital stay.
“We are extremely proud that all three hospitals in our system have achieved an “A” grade,” said Dennis Kelly, CEO of CarePoint Health. “The CarePoint Health system takes great pride in providing excellence in health care and this score shows that as a system, we are committed to patient safety.”
To see how the scores of Bayonne Medical Center, Christ Hospital and Hoboken University Medical Center compare locally and nationally, and to access consumer-friendly tips for patients and their loved ones, you can visit the newly updated Hospital Safety Score website at www.hospitalsafetyscore.org. Consumers can also go towww.hospitalsafetyscore.org for a free download of the Hospital Safety Score mobile app.
Jersey City awarded for battle against childhood obesity
The National League of Cities (NLC) has recognized Jersey City for successfully completing the key health and wellness goals for Let’s Move! Cities, Towns and Counties (LMCTC).
LMCTC is a major component of First Lady Michelle Obama’s comprehensive Let’s Move! initiative, which is dedicated to solving the childhood obesity epidemic within a generation. LMCTC calls upon local elected officials to adopt sustainable and holistic policies that improve communities’ access to healthy affordable food and opportunities for physical activity through five goal areas.
“We congratulate and commend Jersey City for your efforts to improve the health of your community’s children and families,” said NLC President Chris Coleman, mayor of Saint Paul, Minn. “Through the leadership and dedication of local elected officials in cities, towns and counties across the country, we are beginning to see a measurable decrease in obesity rates and a cultural shift towards health.”
Five gold medals were awarded to Jersey City for action taken to improve access to healthy, affordable food and increase opportunities for physical activity. Over the past year, Jersey City was awarded all five gold medals for promoting participation in Let’s Move! by collaborating on early care and education programs; taking at least two actions to expand children’s access to programs that offer healthy food before, during and after the school day, and/or over the summer months; launching policies, programs or initiatives from the action plan to increase access to physical activity; plus banning smoking in the parks, increasing awareness on shopping for healthier foods on a budget, and more.
JCMC scores high
Jersey City Medical Center – Barnabas Health has for the sixth consecutive time received an “A” Hospital Safety Score from The Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit group.
Only 204 hospitals throughout the country, or eight percent, have accomplished this recognition.
The scores, ranging from “A” to “F,” were calculated under the guidance of a blue ribbon panel of experts using publicly available data on patient injuries, medical and medication errors, and infections. The scores are designed to give the public information they can use to protect themselves and their families when they need to visit a hospital.
“At no time is safety in our hospitals being given greater attention,” said Joseph Scott, president and chief executive officer of Jersey City Medical Center – Barnabas Health. “It’s becoming increasingly obvious to most patients and their families that not all hospitals are equal, which is why more and more consumers are paying close attention to these scores in making their choices. We’re extremely proud to be receiving an ‘A’ score for the sixth consecutive time, a record that very few hospitals in New Jersey or around the country can point to.”
Leapfrog has said that the goal of its hospital safety report is to promote patient safety by providing information to consumers on how well hospitals are keeping patients safe from adverse events like infections, falls, and medication and surgical errors.
Of the 2,520 general acute care hospitals in the United States issued a Hospital Safety Score, 790 hospitals – or only about 31 percent – received “A” scores. In addition, “B” scores were received by 688 hospitals, and 868 received “C” grades, 148 earned a “D” and 26 an “F.”
New Jersey now ranks fourth nationwide on the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Score with 52 percent of its acute care general hospitals (a total of 35, up from 30) receiving an “A” grade. Still, a number of hospitals did receive lower grades from the previous year.