First public golf course in Hudson now open
The Skyway Golf Course at Lincoln Park, 515 Duncan Ave. in Jersey City, begins accepting applications for membership starting Monday, June 15. Proof of residency is required. The facility, located on the west side of Lincoln Park, is the first public golf course in Hudson Copunty. The 3, 257 yard nine-hole course consists of three par 3’s, three par 4’s, and three par 5’s and offers views of the Pulaski Skyway and the Freedom Tower in lower Manhattan. For more information call (201) 763-7520.
$40M state grant moves high-rise project forward
Mayor Steven M. Fulop has announced that the first waterfront development in nearly three decades that provides 80 percent market rate and 20 percent affordable units will move forward with help from the New Jersey Economic Development Agency (NJ EDA). The NJ EDA granted $40 million in Economic Redevelopment Grant tax credits to make the project viable.
The approved project, developed by Forrest City Residential Group, will be a 35-story residential tower located in downtown Jersey City. This project is consistent with the administration’s commitment to bring affordable housing all areas of the city including downtown while encouraging market rate development away from the waterfront.
“We couldn’t be more excited about this project moving forward as this will be the first significant onsite affordable housing development in downtown in decades,” said Mayor Fulop.
The first of a multi-phase project known as Hudson Exchange West, the 35-story tower will be 336 market-rate units, 85 affordable units, 10,000 square feet of retail space, an accessory parking garage, new street improvements surrounding the block, as well as a public plaza that includes more than 10,000 square feet of new open space.
“Forest City Residential Group is committed to creating a dynamic new neighborhood that is fully integrated into the fabric of the existing Jersey City community,” said Abe Naparstek, senior vice president, Residential Group, Forest City Enterprises.
Shortly after taking office, Mayor Fulop announced the city’s first-ever Affordable Housing Trust Fund policy that establishes criteria for and incentivizes the development of affordable housing throughout Jersey City, particularly in areas where affordable housing has been under developed.
Construction on the project is slated to begin in late summer, with the first phase creating 350 full-time construction jobs and more than 15 full-time direct jobs.
Honeywell chromium settlement ruling scheduled for September
JERSEY CITY – A federal court judge will decide on Sept. 24 whether to approve a settlement in which $10 million from the Honeywell corporation would be divided amongst Jersey City homeowners who filed a class action lawsuit over chromium contamination, according to nj.com.
Homeowners eligible to participate on the settlement live in Society Hill and neighboring communities running from Claremont Avenue in the north to Newark Bay in the west, Danforth Avenue to the south and Kennedy Boulevard in the east.
They must opt-in to the settlement to receive money, estimated at about $2,000 per homeowner, or opt-out but retain their right to file an individual claim, Honeywell officials said. Residents who do nothing will not receive funds from the settlement, and won’t have the right to make a claim later, officials said.
Honeywell will put $10 million into a pool for homeowners who participate in the settlement of the lawsuit, which was filed in May 2010.
The chromium sites are properties along Route 440 where chromium chemical products were made and chromium ore processing residue was disposed between about 1895 and 1954.
Sierra Club of New Jersey Director Jeff Tittel, who called the settlement “as dirty as the soil in most of Jersey City,” noted that hexavalent chromium is extremely toxic and can cause lung cancer, other forms of cancer and other health issues such as birth defects.
Steve German, an attorney representing the residents, pointed out that the settlement does not impair anyone’s right to bring an individual lawsuit for personal injury or any other claim as a result of any bodily exposure to chromium.
The court will hold a hearing on Sept. 24, 2015 at 11 a.m. on final approval to the settlement. If the court approves the settlement, and the claims administrator has determined a claimant is valid, participants should be paid within 15 days after the settlement is final.
To “opt out,” send a letter to the Claims Administrator with your name and address, names and current addresses of any co-owners of land you own or owned identified as being in the settlement class, and a statement saying that you want to be excluded from the class action settlement, and the document must include your signature. Mail your exclusion request, postmarked no later than July 31, 2015, to: Honeywell Jersey City Claims Administration, c/o GCG, PO Box 10122, Dublin, OH 43017-3122.
Mayor Fulop announces partnership with New Jersey Symphony Orchestra to host free Concerts
Mayor Steven M. Fulop has announced that Jersey City will partner with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra to host a series of free community concerts through a partnership with the PSEG Foundation.
The first performance was scheduled for Thursday, June 11, in City Hall Council Chambers, featuring the mayor narrating to a woodwind quintet arrangement of Sergei Prokofiev’s “Peter and the Wolf.”
“I am honored to perform with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra,” said Mayor Fulop, “and look forward to creating even more opportunities for Jersey City residents to enjoy this incredible composition right here in our community.”
The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra will also present a Brass Quintet Performance at Hamilton Park on Sunday, July 19, at 3 p.m.
Following the implementation of the $1.2 million branding campaign, “Jersey City: Make it Yours,” the NJSO concerts continue the administration’s efforts to increase public interest, celebrate diversity, and the development of Jersey City as a world class destination.
“The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra and PSEG Foundation share a strong commitment to providing unique and meaningful cultural experiences for our diverse communities, and we are excited to work with Jersey City to bring its residents high-quality musical programs right at home,” said James Roe-President & CEO, the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra.
The PSEG Foundation (501c3) is the philanthropic arm of Public Service Enterprise Group.
The Foundation generally supports and invests in programs in community and the environment, education and safety.
Free screening of ‘Psycho’ is June 15 at Five Corners Library
The classic psychological thriller by Alfred Hitchcock, “Psycho,” will be shown open to the public and admission free on Monday, June 15, 5 p.m. sharp, in the Mildred Hunke Auditorium of the Five Corners Library, 678 Newark Ave., (corner of Newark and Summit Avenues), Jersey City. The screening will be preceded by the short film “The Third Month Termination” (2014, 19 mins. Color), shot on location in Jersey City. The screenings continue the Excellence in Global Cinema Film Festival offered by Jersey City Libraries, Jersey City Acting Collective, Film Crafting Collaborative, Subcontinent Peace Foundation, Go Pro Radio, and the Jersey City Arts and Culture Council. Discussion and Q&A will follow screenings, and complimentary refreshments will be available. For more information visit https://www.facebook.com/events/1616024538666923/ or call the library at (201) 547-4543.
LCCS eighth graders excel in for National History Day state finals
Two eighth grade students from the Learning Community Charter School will go to the National competition for National History Day June 14-18 in Washington D.C.
Hannah Dunton will compete with her individual performance portraying Gloria Steinem, and Katja Larssen will present her documentary film about Max Manus, the Norwegian Resistance Fighter. Cameron Lewis was also honored at the state competition by North Jersey Media Group for his use of newspapers in his project on Woodward and Bernstein.
A total of 11 students from the Learning Community Charter School qualified for the state finals for National History Day.
The students created their projects to celebrate this year’s theme, “Leadership and Legacy in History,” along with hundreds of others statewide. After the regional competition, 149 students went to the state finals. Dunton and Larssen are two of just 18 from New Jersey who will go on to the finals in the junior division, and the only ones from Hudson County. Attached is the full list of everyone going – the rest are mostly from Monmouth, Hunterdon, Mercer, and Warren.
You’re invited to participate in JCMC’s discussion on managing diabetes
Jersey City Medical Center, a Barnabas Health facility, invites residents to participate in a “Conversation about Managing Your Diabetes” on Sunday, June 14 from 2 – 3:30 p.m. on its campus, 355 Grand St., Jersey City.
Nearly one million people in New Jersey suffer from diabetes, an insidious disease that can result in heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, blindness and amputation. “Sharing experiences within a group and learning how others cope with the disease provides a great opportunity for those who have diabetes and their families,” said Nancy Rodrigues, a certified diabetes educator at Jersey City Medical Center. “They learn that they are not alone.”
To RSVP for the event, call Wealth from Health at (201) 984-1297 or the Continuum of Care Center at (201) 324-3541.