Autism-friendly Christmas event on Dec. 13
Kerry Magro, a national speaker on autism, will host a Dec. 13 event for the autism community as part of Jersey City’s Four Day JC Fun Raiser. Santa’s Elf Factory is an event where kids who suffer from autism get to meet and take pictures with Santa, and become one of Santa’s elves.
The event costs $20 per child and attendees must RSVP at http://bit.ly/SantaAutism. The event will be held at Tommy Two Scoops, 177 York St., from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Celebrate Chanukah at Temple Beth Am
Temple Beth Am invites the public to celebrate the fourth night of Chanukah at its annual Chanukah supper on Friday, Dec. 19.
Dinner will begin at 6 p.m., followed by Shabbat services to commence at 7:30 p.m. Special Chanukah treats will be served following services.
The fees for dinner are $18 for adults; for children aged 4-13, $8; children three and under are free. Reservations are a must for dinner. Call the Temple office at (201) 858-2020 by Dec. 16 to reserve your spot. Temple Beth Am is barrier free and located at 111 Avenue B, Bayonne. There is plenty of free parking in the area.
Tree lighting at Harsimus Cemetery
The Historic Jersey City & Harsimus Memorial Park kicks off the holiday spirit with their fifth annual Christmas Tree Lighting and Caroling on Saturday, Dec. 6 starting at 5 p.m. at 435 Newark Ave., Jersey City
This is a free public event. Please call (201) 707-0738 or 973-204-9888 for more information, or visit our website at www.jerseycitycemetery.org. Donations welcomed.
Coat drive hosted by Global Charter School
Jersey City Global Charter School will hold a coat drive until Dec. 22. The school asks for coats, hats, scarves, gloves and fleece garments. Drop off is at the school at 255 Congress St.
Clothing company to bring 500 jobs to Jersey City
After being offered a $37.2 million incentive by the state of New Jersey, Charles Komar & Sons, a major clothing retailer, has signed a 17-year lease in Jersey City, allowing the company to move from its current location in Manhattan. The company says this will also bring about 500 jobs across the river.
A release issued by Chambers Street Properties says the apparel company will move into a 159,000 square foot office building located at 90 Hudson St.
“This speaks to the attractiveness of Jersey City and that for the first time multiple industries not just financial services are recognizing the benefits of locating in Jersey City,” said Mayor Steven Fulop. “We couldn’t be more excited about this addition of jobs, people and great financial impact for our entire city.”
The move will bring the offices of the company to Jersey City and its show rooms.
Dickinson High School brawl raises concerns
City Councilman Richard Boggiano says the city needs to address violence in the schools, citing the arrest of a number of students after a fight at Dickinson High School this week.
According to Carly Baldwin, spokesperson for the Jersey City Police, one student was found carrying brass knuckles. A published report on the incident said that another student was found with a knife, and that at least one student suffered a gash on the head that required stitches.
This is the second incident in the school in less than a month, Boggiano said, raising concerns.
One local business owner near Route 139 about a block from the school says that unruly packs of students are common in the area, and show little or no respect for people living or doing business in the area.
“We have two major issues going on there,” Boggiano said, “Dickinson and Route 139.”
Route 139 which serves as route from JFK Boulevard to the approach to the Holland Tunnel is being reconstructed.
“The noise is horrible there at night,” Boggiano said.
Hello, Mr. President
Former President George W. Bush paid a visit to Jersey City last week. Bush joined hockey great Wayne Gretzky to take part in the 22nd Annual Global Charity Day at the Harborside Financial Center. More than a dozen celebrities were on hand as part of the charity event.
Free breast cancer support group for Latina women
To support Latina patients and survivors with breast cancer, Jersey City Medical Center – Barnabas Health and Curémonos, a community-based organization, will hold its first “Let’s Talk/Let’s Learn” support group in Spanish on Thursday, Dec. 11 at the Cristie Kerr Women’s Health Center, 377 Jersey Ave. on the Jersey City Medical Center campus from 4 to 5 p.m.
At this time, attendees will have the opportunity to share with each other information on coping with such issues as treatment side effects, improving communication with doctors and family, and regaining self-esteem, and to meet the hospital’s new bilingual oncology nurse navigator Michelle Ashley.
The program, which will be held every month, is free and refreshments will be served. To register, call Vivian Rohrsetzer at (201) 915-2000 x 4855.
Streamlined permit process for film industry
Mayor Steven M. Fulop said that the City of Jersey City has launched FilmJC.org, a website that streamlines the film permitting process and allows filmmakers to apply online for film permits as the administration continues to encourage the expansion of art and the film industry in Jersey City.
The filmJC website, one of a handful of municipal film permit websites, streamlines the film permitting process by allowing filmmakers to submit their request and information, upload necessary forms, and pay for the permit online. Other cities with an online film permitting process include New York City, Los Angeles and Miami.
Last year, the administration introduced an updated film permitting process to encourage filmmaking in Jersey City and to make the process less cumbersome. The FilmJC.org website is a product of the updated permitting ordinance.
The website, which can also be accessed from the city website homepage, is user-friendly, provides a comprehensive FAQ page for filmmakers, explains the fee structure and accepts credit card payments, and includes a location library of city-owned spaces available for filming. The website will also feature a Filmmaker Resource Page with film-friendly businesses who will offer discounts on food, hotels, hardware, etc. to FilmJC productions, as well as a resource list of professional production personnel and vendors who register on the site, as well as private locations that will be offered for shoots.
Post office to be named for first black judge
U.S. Rep. Donald Payne Jr. will join Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop next week to dedicate the post office on Martin Luther King Drive for the late Shirley A. Tolentino, Jersey City’s first black woman municipal judge.
Tolentino, who died in November 2010 at the age of 67, was a state deputy attorney, and later received her master of laws degree in criminal justice from New York University while serving as a city judge. She was first appointed to the bench in 1967.
Payne introduced a bill in Congress last year seeking to name the MLK Drive post office after Tolentino. President Obama signed the bill into law in July.
Upon her death, then-Hudson County prosecutor Edward DeFazio called Tolentino a “true pioneer.” A portion of Newark Avenue was named after her in 2012.
The official dedication of the post office is scheduled for Monday, Dec. 8 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 369 Martin Luther King Dr.
Applications open for summer internship program
Mayor Steven Fulop said the city has opened of the online application process for the second annual Jersey City Summer Internship Program (JCSI), a youth employment initiative that connects talented Jersey City public high school students to work-based internships at the city’s leading firms and institutions.
The Jersey City Summer Internship Program is part of Jersey City Summer Works, Mayor Fulop’s youth summer employment program that last year placed nearly 1,000 youth, ages 15 to 21, in summer jobs and internships.
JCSI is a public-private collaboration between the Office of the Mayor, the Jersey City Economic Development Corporation (JCEDC), the Jersey City Public Schools, the nonprofit America Needs You, and the city’s leading firms and institutions.
Through a competitive admissions process, JCSI selects rising high school juniors and matches them with work-based educational experiences with the industry leaders who drive Jersey City’s economy.
Admission to JCSI begins with the online application, which requires students to submit, among other information, a transcript, report card, letter of recommendation, résumé, and three essays. Applications will be due on March 2. Students will be notified of their acceptance in April. As part of the application process, students will be interviewed and evaluated by volunteers from participating institutions.
Accepted students will be placed in six-week internships during which they will work four days a week, and on the fifth day will participate in career training seminars that will allow them to successfully navigate the work environment. The program offers both a financial stipend and academic credit.
All Jersey City public high school students in their junior year, as well as junior year students who reside in Jersey City and attend county vocational-technical schools High Tech High School and County Prep, are encouraged to apply at
https://jcsiprogram.wufoo.com/forms/jersey-city-summer-internship-program-application/
If you would like to suggest a company to host interns, please contact the JCSI team at jcsiprogram@jcnj.org.