Port Authority announces Bridge closures
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has announced closures of the Bayonne Bridge as part of the “Raise the Roadway” Navigational Clearance Project.
The remaining multi-hour closures for this week are: Thursday, May 14 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 8:30 pm. to 5 a.m. Friday morning; and Friday, May 15 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 10 p.m. through 8 a.m. Saturday, May 16.
The bridge will be open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday, May 16. It will be closed Saturday from 10 p.m. until 8 a.m. on Sunday, May 17, and then will open after that.
Closures are weather dependent.
For email alerts on project closures and other information, subscribe to eAlerts at PA.alerts.com.
Bayonne Chamber holding 2nd wine tasting event
The public is invited to the Bayonne Chamber of Commerce’s 2nd Wine Pairing Event on Thursday, May 28 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. at the Bayonne Community Museum, 229 Broadway.
“We invite our Bayonne Chamber members, friends, and associates to join us for a night of socializing while enjoying a selection of fine wines paired with chef selections to complement the wines,” said a chamber spokesperson.
Tickets are $75 and are limited.
To RSVP, call (201) 436-4333 or email info@bayonnechamber.org.
Multi-artist show to be held at Bee’s Art Gallery Friday
The opening night of the Decastyle Art Show, featuring the work of 10 artists, will be held at Bee’s Art Gallery, 914 Broadway, between 43rd and 44th streets, from 7 to 11 p.m. on Friday, May 15.
The evening will include fine art, yoga performances by Lou Segura of All Fit Studios, live music, and hors d’oeuvres.
Artists exhibiting are: Bryan Cicalese, Cicpatli Cruz, Kevin Delaney, Fernando Fernandez, Erin Kachmar, Nicholas Maccia, Patty Mulligan, Marina Rodriguez, Tuan Tran, and Bill Zbylut.
The event is sponsored by Beautify Bayonne, All Fit, and Bee’s.
The exhibition will continue through Thursday, May 28. Visiting hours are Monday through Friday from noon to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 10 to 2 p.m.
Nicholas Oresko students winners of statewide fire info contest
New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) Acting Commissioner Charles Richman has announced that middle school students from Nicholas Oresko School are the winners of the 10th Annual Fire Information and Rescue Education Bowl that took place on Friday, May 8, at Kean University in Union.
Team Oresko members Afran Ali, Micco Iwase, Sean Manuel, and Giancarlo Megale were the champions in the contest where the state’s middle school students compete against each other in a competition designed to measure knowledge of various aspects of firefighting, prevention, and emergency medical assistance.
First place individual awards went to Iwase and Citlali Uraga of Washington Community School. A second place individual award went to Joshua Oconer of Dr. Walter F. Robinson School.
“We continue to be impressed by the level of commitment from our student teams, their faculty advisers, and the administrators of the local district that allows the F.I.R.E. Bowl to culminate each year,” said William Kramer Jr., acting director and state fire marshal.
The New Jersey State Firemen’s Mutual Benevolent Association, the Joshua Marcus Group, IMTT-Bayonne, and Hartz Mountain Corporation of Secaucus were the sponsors of this year’s event.
Each winning team member receives a Kindle Fire HDX tablet courtesy of a fire prevention education grant from FM Global of Rhode Island, a major insurance underwriter worldwide.
Bayonne churches among those offering art for special needs children
In a combined effort, two Bayonne churches have launched afterschool art classes for children facing physical and developmental challenges in conjunction with Victory Hall Inc.
“While often underrated, art plays an important role in healthy development,” said a church spokeswoman. “Involvement in the arts is associated with gains in critical thinking, math, and even confidence and teamwork.”
Recognizing the benefits of art education, Hand in Hand Ministries Art School, supported by Grace Lutheran Church and Trinity Episcopal Church, hosts professional exhibiting artists from the greater New Jersey/New York area who lead group 90-minute art classes held in six-week sessions.
Made possible through a Joshua Grant from Wheat Ridge Ministries, a nonprofit that supports health and human care initiatives, the art school offers classes in drawing and painting as a way for children to develop motor skills, process complex emotions, and present themselves through their art to friends and family.
For more information, contact Grace Lutheran Church at (201) 339-3685.
City to hold Memorial Day Parade
The city of Bayonne’s 2015 Memorial Day Parade will take place on Monday, May 25 at 10:30 a.m., city officials said.
The parade will kick off from the intersection of 5th Street and Dodge Street and proceed uptown on Broadway to 32nd Street.
Sires joins in cosponsoring legislation to help bring convicted criminals living abroad to justice
U.S. Congressman Albio Sires, NJ-8, joined U.S. Congressman Chris Smith, NJ-4, in an
effort to mark the 42nd anniversary of the murder of New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster by Joanne Chesimard by co-sponsoring the Walter Patterson and Werner Foerster Justice and Extradition Act, H.R. 2189.
The introduction of this bill would strengthen the ability of the United States to extradite convicted murderers like Chesimard from countries where they have taken refuge, and bring them home to face justice.
The bill is named after Walter Patterson, a World War II veteran, as well as Foerster, who both were brutally murdered by criminals who were convicted, escaped prison, and moved abroad where they live freely today.
Chesimard murdered Foerster and escaped in 1979, making her way to Cuba. The United States currently has bilateral extradition treaties with more than 100 nations, including Cuba—
however, it refuses to repatriate the convicted criminal living there.
“While U.S. policy has shifted to increased engagement with the Castro regime, Joanne Chesimard continues to roam freely in Cuba despite being convicted for the brutal murder of New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster,” said Sires, ranking member of the House Western Hemisphere Subcommittee. “As I have said many times before, the administration should be pushing for the extradition of Joanne Chesimard and all fugitives that Cuba continues to harbor.”