Recycling schedule changes for neighborhood
The city of Bayonne is reminding residents that the recycling schedule for the area from 32nd Street to the city line changed earlier this month.
Until further notice, recyclables in that area should be placed curbside on Friday evening for pick up on Saturday in coordination with the regularly scheduled Saturday garbage collection. Garbage collection on Wednesdays will remain unchanged.
This change in the recycling schedule for the northern third of Bayonne does not affect any other part of the community.
Any questions about this change should be addressed to Bayonne Recycling by calling (201) 858-6099 or (201) 858-6070.
Chorus group seeking Bayonne singers
North River Sing Community Chorus will be holding auditions for its fall season on Sunday, Sept. 13 from 3 to 5 p.m. at 64 Wayne St. in downtown Jersey City.
For more information on the chorus and/or to schedule an audition, visit northriversing.com/auditions.
Man plucked from Kill Van Kull waters
The Bayonne Fire Department responded to a call of a man in the Kill Van Kull about 4 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 24, a fire official said.
The department received a report of a distressed man in the water and deployed a rescue vessel. Prior to the unit’s arrival, a nearby tugboat pulled the victim, a man in his mid-30s, to safety, according to Fire Chief Gregory Rogers.
The victim was transported by the tugboat to Brady Dock on 1st Street, and was released to firefighters on shore who made an initial medical assessment and released him to arriving emergency medical personnel.
The Bayonne Police Department assisted.
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: Wednesday, Aug. 26 from 8:30 p.m. until 5 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 27; Thursday, Aug. 27 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. until 5 a.m. Friday, Aug. 28; Friday, Aug. 28 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 11:59 p.m. until 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 30.
Closures are weather dependent.
For email alerts on project closures and other information, subscribe to eAlerts at paalerts.com.
NJT says local traffic will be affected
The New Jersey Turnpike Authority has announced that work on the 14A toll plaza will affect drivers during the next two to three weeks.
At the toll plaza, single toll lanes will be closed nightly, from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. from Monday through Friday, beginning this week. This work is expected to last for two weeks.
At the ramps between the toll plaza and the Hudson County Extension Avenue E proposed roundabout, water main work on East 52nd Street between Avenue E and Broadway will continue. Because of this work, daily closures of East 52nd Street are expected this week.
Water main work on Avenue E, between East 52nd Street and East 50th Street, will also continue. Due to this, local street closures and short duration detours or lane shifts are expected this week.
At the Route 440 and Pulaski Street intersection/jug handle, the southbound Route 440 jug handle at Pulaski Street has been reduced to a single lane.
Just one Hudson County town in state’s Top 100
New Jersey Monthly magazine has published the results of its 2015 Top Towns survey for the state, and Hudson County fared poorly, with only one town in the county making the list. Secaucus comes in at number 19, behind eight towns in Morris County and five in Bergen County, among others.
Rankings were based on home prices, real estate taxes, crime rates, and student test results. Also factoring in were commute time, the presence of dining and cultural options, and the number of acute-care hospitals and live performing-arts theaters within 10 miles of the main zip code.
Ranking first on the list was Florham Park in Morris County. Although the rankings were based on 13 indicators across five categories according to the magazine, home prices seemed to weigh heavily, with two of the top ten towns reflecting median prices of about $1 million dollars, while another was more than $1.6 million.
The median home price in Secaucus, according to the survey, was $340,000, with an average property tax change since 2012 of -0.5 percent.
Towns with populations under 1,500 were not included in the survey.
How did Bayonne do? You’ll have to wait until Sept. 1, when rankings of all 510 towns in New Jersey will be available at njmonthly.com.
County conducting impaired driving crackdown
Hudson County Sheriff’s officers will be cracking down on drunk drivers as part of the Labor Day “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign.
From now through Sept. 7, the Sheriff’s Office will be adding additional patrols to the streets to combat drunk driving. This comes as part of a $5,000 education and enforcement grant received from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety.
“More than 10,000 people are killed in the United States each year in alcohol-impaired driving crashes. Drunk driving is reckless and preventable,” said Hudson County Sheriff Frank Schillari. “My officers will be out day and night to send a clear message – if you are caught driving impaired, you will be arrested.”
Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over was founded in 1999 and is launched on Labor Day Weekend because of the high number of DWI arrests and DWI-related motor vehicle crashes traditionally seen during this period.
Child advocate group holding informational session
The Hudson County CASA (court appointed special advocate) is recruiting volunteers to advance the best interests of abused and neglected children.
An informational session, addressing the program and the role of its volunteers, will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 8, from 6 to 7 p.m. in Room 901 of the Hudson County Administration Building, 595 Newark Ave., Jersey City.
For more information, call (201) 795-9855, e-mail mgarcia@hudsoncountycasa.org or visit www.hudsoncountycasa.org.
Hudson Hospice Volunteers offer training course
Do you want to do volunteer work that really makes a difference in the lives of the terminally ill and their families? Volunteer roles include companionship for the patients, emotional support for patient and family, errands, and telephone reassurance.
The Volunteer Training Program begins Tuesday, Sept. 15 and consists of seven classes on consecutive Tuesdays until Oct. 24. Participants must attend all seven classes. The class schedule is mornings 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. or evenings from 7 to 9 p.m.
For further information call Sister Carol Van Billiard, O.P., at (201) 433-6225.
Free course on coping with family mental illness offered
The National Alliance on Mental Illness of Hudson County (NAMI Hudson) will offer the NAMI Family-to-Family education program, consisting of 12 2-½ hour classes for families and close friends of adults living with a mental illness, beginning in mid-September.
The classes will focus on schizophrenia, clinical depression, and bipolar, panic, and obsessive-compulsive disorders.
The course will be given by family members of individuals with a mental illness who have been trained by NAMI as educators of the Family-to-Family Program.
Many family members describe this experience as life changing. You will learn about family responses to the trauma of mental illness, symptoms, medications and side effects; practice problem solving skills and communication techniques; develop strategies for handling crisis and relapse; and focus on self-care and coping with stress.
The course is offered Wednesday evenings, Sept. 16 through Dec. 2, from 7 to 9:30 p.m., at Jose Marti Freshman Academy, 1800 Summit Ave., Union City. The course is free, but registration is required. For more information, call or email Carmen at (201) 310-5828 or garciacarmen524@gmail.com.
County to co-host small business course
Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise announced on Aug. 24 that the Hudson County Office of Minority and Women Business Enterprise (OMWBE), in partnership with Hudson County Community College (HCCC) Center for Business & Industry, will present a free, 39-hour course designed to assist businesses in successfully participating in procurement and contracting opportunities with local and state government and public organizations.
The course will be offered on Saturday mornings from Sept. 19 through Dec. 12 at the HCCC Culinary Conference Center, 161 Newkirk St., two blocks from the Journal Square PATH Station in Jersey City.
There is no charge for the course, which will be available to just 25 participants.
Ideally, participating businesses will have been in operation two to three years with annual revenues of $250,000 or more.
Registration and a pre-course survey must be completed one week in advance of the first class at www.hudsoncounty.org /about-omwbe.
“Many of the county’s businesses find procurement opportunities intimidating,” DeGise said. “This course will provide them with the technology, certification and financial tools and know-how they need to successfully compete in these processes.”
For more information, contact the Hudson County Office of Minority and Women Business Enterprise at (201) 369-4300 or visit hudsoncountynj.org/about-omwbe.