State of the City to be held on Feb. 24
Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop will present his annual State of the City address on Feb. 24 at 6 p.m., in the City Hall Council Chambers, 280 Grove St., Jersey City. All residents are invited.
Two public hearings scheduled for Newark Avenue pedestrian mall
City officials have announced two opportunities for the public to review plans regarding the pedestrian plaza proposed for Newark Avenue.
On Tuesday, March 3, 6 p.m., at the City Hall Caucus meeting, discussion will focus on the Downtown Business District/owners and issues particular to them. The public is welcome to attend. The proposed plaza will not necessarily completely close down Newark Avenue, city officials said.
A more general interest meeting is slated for Monday, March 9, at 7:30 p.m. at Grace Church Van Vorst, 39 Erie St., during the Harsimus Cove Neighborhood Meeting normally scheduled for this time.
The public is encouraged to attend this meeting.
Jersey City called the most diverse in the nation
Of 350 cities studied nationwide, Jersey City has been rated the most diverse, according to a report issued by Wallethub, a financial website.
Tracking census data that shows that since 2011 more than half the babies born in the U.S. belong to an ethnic or racial minority, the website said Jersey City rates among the top cities in most categories studied, with 39 percent of Jersey City’s population foreign-born, and more than 52 percent speaking languages other than English at home.
Looking at data to see if PATH closing would result in people moving
Open JC will hold a PATH Data Jam, a CodeAcross National Hackathon event on Saturday, Feb, 21 from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the McIntyre Conference Center, St. Peter’s University, 2641 JFK Boulevard, Jersey City.
“The reason for this event is to contemplate questions revolving around the previously proposed closing of night time PATH service to Jersey City, Hoboken and Newark,” according to the organizers. “One question being explored is whether residents would still live in New York City, Newark, and Hoboken if the service was suspected.
“The PATH Data Jam is the first opportunity for residents of these areas to use the power of data analysis to uncover possible answers to this question. We are bringing together different segments of the community (students, residents, professionals) to investigate trends, create visualizations, and make accessible the insights locked up in select data on the PATH, and other regional transportation systems.”
The PATH Data Jam is designed to offer an immersive way to look into open data in a way that invites collaboration between developers, artists, students, community activists, kids, and many more.
Menendez speaks out on immigration ruling
U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) has sharply criticized a Texas federal court ruling that put on hold President Barack Obama’s executive order on immigration.
“There is no question that the president has ample legal precedent and constitutional authority to forbear the deportations of individuals who qualify for executive action, and I believe this truth will come out as this case moves up through the courts,” Sen. Menendez said.
“The bottom line is, this ruling is only a temporary setback that will only delay the inevitable: a fairer immigration policy reflective of our history as a nation of immigrants and family values,” Menendez said. “Yesterday’s ruling also serves as a solemn reminder that until Republicans decide to join us in passing a clean DHS funding bill and permanently fix our nation’s immigration system through comprehensive reform legislation, our economy, our communities, and our national security will continue to pay the compounding price of their intransigence. The president’s executive actions on immigration are good public policy supported by legal experts, law enforcement, and religious leaders across our nation.”
Jersey City pediatrician pleads guilty to Medicaid fraud
Badawy M. Badawy, 52, of Bayonne, who practices in Jersey City, pleaded to guilty health care fraud before U.S. District Judge Anne E. Thompson in Trenton federal court on Feb. 11, according to a release issued by U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman.
Badawy admitted fraudulently billing Medicaid for more than 1,000 wound repair procedures that were never performed, Fishman said.
Badawy owned and operated Sinai Medical Center of Jersey City LLC, a medical practice focusing on pediatric and family medicine. From January 2004 through December 2008, Badawy allegedly submitted thousands of claims to Medicaid for wound repair procedures related to the repair of superficial wounds over 30 centimeters in length on a patient’s face, ears, eyelids, nose or lips as well as the repair of previously closed wounds. Badawy claimed to have performed these treatments on his patients, most of whom were children, the release said.
During his plea hearing Badawy admitted that he regularly submitted claims for procedures that were never performed. As a result of his false claims, Badawy received $196,911 in Medicaid payments.
Jersey City leads state in Obamacare enrollment
With more than 22,000 Jersey City residents signed up for healthcare coverage, Jersey City leads the state for enrollees in the federal Affordable Care Act.
Jersey City had 10 percent of the state’s total, according to Mayor Steven Fulop, who credited his administration’s aggressive outreach for the success.
“Our outreach has been aggressive and we’ve worked to reach every community in the city, in the places they work, live and recreate,” said Mayor Fulop. “We’ve partnered with community leaders and local non-profits, hired bilingual staff, and really made a strong push to enroll as many residents as possible with healthcare coverage, as this benefits not only the individual but the entire community.
“At the kickoff of the Affordable Care Act in October of 2013, approximately 55,000 Jersey City residents, nearly 20 percent, were without healthcare coverage. Through the city’s aggressive outreach with our network of certified application counselors, Jersey City has assisted 22,000 residents in receiving healthcare coverage, which is more than any other city in New Jersey,” Fulop said.
HCCC introduces new infant/toddler education degree
Hudson County Community College (HCCC) has developed a new degree option in response to national and statewide focus on advanced training for infant and toddler education professionals. Studies towards the Infant/Toddler degree option, an addition to the existing A.A. Liberal Arts program, will be available in the upcoming spring semester.
The new Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts – Infant/Toddler (Birth to 3 years) Education option supports the professional development of Infant/Toddler caregivers in licensed childcare centers. It was created in response to the 2007 Head Start Act, which states that Early Head Start staff must have an Infant/Toddler Child Development Associate degree or have coursework in infant/toddler care and development that accrues toward a two-year degree.
Those who complete the HCCC program will be able to seek their CDA and Infant/Toddler Credentialing – which is essential to employment in an Infant/Toddler care setting – and they may also continue their studies and pursue earning a bachelor’s degree at a four-year institution.
Classes which will be taught at the college’s Journal Square campus and North Hudson Higher Education Center Union City sites include Introduction to Early Childhood, an Infant/Toddler Curriculum, Infant/Toddler Externship, Social/Emotional Development of Infants and Toddlers, and Infant/Toddler Health, Safety, Nutrition and Special Needs.
Additional information on the new Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts – Infant/Toddler Education option may be obtained by contacting Alison Friars, HCCC Education Programs Coordinator, at (201) 360-5364 or afriars@hccc.edu.
Grant will pay for new scoreboard at Berry Lane Park
Nearly 900 more Jersey City children and teenagers will now be able to play baseball when Berry Lane Park opens thanks to a $173,500 grant from the Baseball Tomorrow Fund to install Musco Lighting equipment and a scoreboard at the facility, as Mayor Steven M. Fulop continues to expand recreational programming throughout Jersey City.
The grant, which was awarded through the Baseball Tomorrow Fund (BTF), follows the announcement last month that the administration has fast-tracked completion of Berry Lane Park with construction to be finished by the end of this year. The Baseball Tomorrow Fund is a joint initiative between Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association. The field lighting equipment will be provided at a significant discount through a partnership between BTF and Musco Lighting, Inc., a leader in the sports lighting industry.
“Our vision for Berry Lane Park is that it will not only be the largest municipal park in Jersey City, but that it will be a place where our children can become active members of sports teams, learning valuable life lessons to use on and off the field,” said Mayor Fulop. “This grant will help us extend the hours of use, providing nearly 900 more Jersey City children positive recreational opportunities right in their own neighborhood.”
“The Baseball Tomorrow Fund is proud to support the development of Berry Lane Park,” said Cathy Bradley, executive director of the Baseball Tomorrow Fund. “On behalf of Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association, we thank the city for its inclusion of a quality and safe youth baseball and softball field in the park to provide more opportunities for kids to learn and enjoy the game. A special thanks our partner, Musco Lighting, for its continued support of much-needed projects like this one across the country.”