State Sen. and Union City Mayor Brian Stack
UNION CITY — The mother of State Sen. and Union City Mayor Brian Stack died Wednesday afternoon. Margaret Stack, 83, was at a nursing home at Palisades Medical Center in North Bergen.
Margaret Stack was a fierce advocate for her son and had written letters to the Reporter about him. Stack, in turn, was an advocate for his mother, and introduced legislation to help citizens get answers from hospitals because of a situation he encountered with her.
Stack has said in interviews that his parents (including late father Edward Stack) got him interested in politics when they brought him to political rallies in Union City.
NJ.com reported that the Stacks were building superintendents, noting, “If you walked into the superintendent’s apartment, it seemed to be a stop for tenants and neighborhood people seeking assistance, advice, or just to gossip. The Stack hospitality was famous in the neighborhood. It was in the apartment building, with a big help from his mother, friends and neighbors, where Brian Stack first learned to provide turkeys and holiday gifts to the needy.”
It was reported that the viewing would be Friday at St. Anthony’s Church, 615 Eighth St., 2 to 9 p.m., with a funeral mass on Saturday at 10 a.m.
Driver and passenger arrested for possession after crashing into tanker truck
A resident of Union City was driving a Jeep Liberty on Secaucus Road at approximately 9:55 p.m. on Tuesday, May 12 when her car struck an 18-wheel tanker truck. The driver of the Jeep had to be extricated by rescue personnel. A passenger from Newark was not seriously injured.
Both individuals were transported to Jersey City Medical Center. The driver of the tanker truck was uninjured, although shaken up by the incident.
According to a report from Hudson County Sheriff Frank Schillari, “Sheriff’s Investigators have determined that the 2011 Jeep Liberty was traveling east on Secaucus Road and crossed over the double yellow lines into the west bound lane – putting it directly head on to the tanker truck. [The truck driver] tried to brake and swerve, but could not avoid the Jeep on the narrow roadway. The collision sent the Jeep Liberty into a parked vehicle nearby. One of the front wheels of the tanker was dislodged and traveled about 100 feet down the road, striking and damaging another parked car.”
The report continued, “While crash investigators were examining the scene, they noticed several suspected heroin bags and other drug paraphernalia on the driver’s side floor of the Jeep. Both the driver and passenger were arrested and charged with possession of CDS [controlled dangerous substance]. The driver was also issued a motor vehicle summons for possession of narcotics in a motor vehicle. They were released from the medical center and taken into Sheriff’s Office custody.”
The tanker truck was empty at the time of the crash. The Hudson County Sheriff’s Office, North Bergen Police, North Hudson Regional Fire and Rescue, the Jersey City Fire Department, North Bergen EMS, and paramedics from JCMC all responded to the scene of the accident near 812 Secaucus Road. The matter is still under investigation.
‘Click It or Ticket’ seat belt enforcement campaign runs May 18 to 31
Law enforcement officers from the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office will be cracking down on unbuckled motorists and passengers as part of the national “Click it or Ticket” campaign.
Beginning on May 18 and running through May 31, the annual initiative will include high visibility law enforcement seat belt checkpoints and additional patrols, as well as local and national publicity designed to ensure that drivers and passengers recognize the life-saving value of seat belts. Extra sheriff’s patrols, paid for with federal grant money, will be patrolling the county highways, roads, and parks, day and night.
Front seat belt usage rate in New Jersey currently stands at 87.59 percent. The goal is to increase the statewide rate to 90 percent. This year’s campaign will also focus on rear seat passengers, as well as nighttime enforcement. During evening hours seat belt usage is traditionally lower and the percentage of unbelted fatalities is higher.
During the 2014 “Click it or Ticket” campaign, 374 police agencies participated in the two-week initiative. As a result of the effort, law enforcement officers issued 26,635 seat belt citations, 4,363 speeding summons, and made 944 drunk driving arrests.
Hackensack University Health Network and Meridian Health to merge
Meridian Health and Hackensack University Health Network announced this week that they have signed the definitive agreement for the two health systems to merge and become Hackensack Meridian Health.
“Hackensack Meridian Health will truly elevate the level of healthcare provided throughout much of the region by creating the state’s most comprehensive healthcare system,” said Robert C. Garrett, FACHE, president and CEO of Hackensack University Health Network.
“From the beginning we knew that we were embarking upon a great relationship that would have tremendous benefits to residents within our service areas and I could not be more pleased with the process that got us here today, which will, in the end, create one of the most comprehensive patient-focused and quality driven healthcare systems in the state,” said Gordon Litwin, Esq., chairman of Meridian Health Board of Trustees.
The combined entity will have 11 hospitals, including Palisades Medical Center in North Bergen, along with a network of physician practices, ambulatory surgery centers, home care, long-term care and assisted living facilities, ambulance services, fitness and wellness centers, and outpatient centers. Hackensack Meridian Health will employ approximately 25,000 team members and nearly 6,000 physicians on staff.
The merger still requires state and federal regulatory clearance, which the health systems expect within the next nine to twelve months.
Network on a Spirit of New Jersey Cruise with the Hudson County Chamber of Commerce
The Hudson County Chamber of Commerce is collaborating with Entertainment Cruises and a number of regional chambers – the Newark Regional Business Partnership, the Meadowlands Chamber of Commerce, Commerce and Industry of New Jersey, and the Mahwah Regional Chamber of Commerce – on a Business Networking Cruise from 5 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 19.
The event begins with networking dockside in Weehawken, followed by a 90-minute cruise as the sun begins to set. Enjoy a buffet dinner, cash bar, DJ, and dancing. This is an opportunity to network with professionals from across the Northern New Jersey region while enjoying the breathtaking views along the Hudson.
Boarding, networking, and dinner take place at 5 p.m. at Lincoln Harbor in Weehawken. The cruise departs the dock at 6 p.m. and cruises the Hudson River until 7:30. The cost is $65 for members, $90 for non-members. Payment must be received in advance to secure your reservation. Space is limited. Hoboken members, call to register at the member price. Free parking is available. For more information contact Anthony Chinni at (201) 386-0699, ext. 270.
Run the Palisades on May 17 to support the Diabetes Foundation
The 7th annual Run the Palisades event, one of Bergen County’s premier road races, will once again support the Diabetes Foundation. Scheduled for Sunday, May 17, the event will feature 5K and 10K run/walks, a kids run, and a health fair.
“Diabetes affects nearly one million people in New Jersey. It’s the third leading cause of death, and a major cause of blindness, heart disease and amputation,” said Roberta Schmidt, executive director of the Diabetes Foundation, located in Paramus. “This is a disease that does not discriminate. Yet, getting tested and having a solid understanding of just what diabetes is can make a huge difference in both preventing it and helping individuals and their families learn to live with it more successfully.”
The Diabetes Foundation (www.diabetesfoundationinc.org) provides short-term diabetes medications and supplies to needy people with diabetes, supports services that offer information and resources for diabetes management, and sends children with diabetes to summer camp.
Run the Palisades is hosted by the towns of Fort Lee and Cliffside Park, and sponsored by Novo Nordisk. Visit http://runthepalisades.org for more information.
Seven sent to hospital following crash on Boulevard East
Seven people wound up in the hospital following a motor vehicle accident at the intersection of JFK Boulevard East and Hudson Place in Weehawken on Saturday afternoon. At approximately 12:15 p.m., Weehawken Police responded to a motor vehicle crash involving three vehicles including a parked car. The crash was turned over to the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office Crash Investigation Unit for reconstruction and investigation.
According to a press release from Hudson County Sheriff Frank X. Schillari, a 77-year-old driver from West New York was traveling north on Boulevard East in a 2010 Volkswagen Jetta when it crashed into the rear of a white 2007 Toyota Matrix. The Toyota then hit a 2010 Mustang parked nearby.
“The Volkswagen then rolled backwards over 200 feet and came to rest at the intersection of Duer Place and Boulevard East,” said Schillari. The driver of the Jetta suffered a severe head injury and was unconscious when police arrived. “There were six passengers in the Toyota, including a four year old child that was not in a child seat.”
The driver of the Jetta was transported to the Jersey City Medical Center by Weehawken EMS and was listed in stable condition as of Sunday morning. Extra ambulances had to be called to transport all six passengers of the Toyota to Jersey City Medical Center with minor injuries.
The driver of the Toyota, a 31-year-old resident of Maryland, was issued a summons for having an unrestrained child in a vehicle. “The cause of the crash is still under investigation,” said Schillari. “Preliminary findings indicate that the Volkswagen was not speeding.”
High Tech Musical Theatre readies ‘A Chorus Line’ for Edinburgh Fringe this August
High Tech Musical Theatre, the award-winning teen theatre based out of High Tech High School at Hudson County Schools of Technology, is celebrating its 15th anniversary with performances commemorating the 40th Anniversary of “A Chorus Line.” Students have been preparing for their May 14-17 performances in New Jersey, after which they will embark on another run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this August at The Space Theatre in Edinburgh, Scotland. The cast consists of junior and senior musical theatre majors in the program, which accepts students from throughout Hudson County.
Earlier this year, Broadway stars gathered for a “Broadway Love” concert to help raise money for the Scotland trip. The event raised about $6,000, but they still need more to reach their final goal of $160,000 to take 25 students to the festival. Attending “A Chorus Line” is a great way to help them out, or by donating to their Gofundme page: www.gofundme.com/elcavc.
“A Chorus Line” is a musical with music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kleban, and a book by James Kirkwood, Jr. and Nicholas Dante. The story provides a glimpse into the personalities of the performers and the choreographer as they describe the events that have shaped their lives and their decisions to become dancers.
“A Chorus Line” runs May 14 to 17. High Tech High School is at 2000 85th Street, North Bergen. Tickets are available at: www.showtix4u.com.