Jersey City to commemorate 9/11 tragedy
Jersey City will mark the 14th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attack with a ceremony starting at 8:20 a.m. near its Exchange Place Memorial on Friday, Sept. 11.
The ceremony will last about an hour and a half, and will honor the victims of the attack on Sept. 11, 2001.
Jersey City lost 37 residents as a result of the attack, but thousands more were witnesses or were caught in the dust when the two towers fell.
In conjunction with this, the American Red Cross, partnering with 9/11 Day, will host a Jersey City police and fire 9/11 memorial blood drive for those who lost their lives in the 2001 attacks. This will take place from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. the Hyatt Regency Hotel, 2 Exchange Place.
A ceremony will be held at Journal Square at 5 p.m. near the 9/11 Memorial Fountain near the Historic Landmark Loews Theater.
On Sept. 12, a ceremony in tribute to the 749 New Jersey residents who lost their lives during the attack will be held at The Empty Sky Memorial in Liberty State Park at 1 p.m.
Celebrating Greek culture
The annual Jersey City Greek Festival will be will be held on Saturday, Sept. 12 from noon to midnight and Sunday, Sept. 13 from noon to 8 p.m. at the Evangelismos Tis Theotokou Greek Orthodox Church at 661 Montgomery Street in Jersey City.
“Pete the Greek” Chatzopoulos, owner of Teddy’s Place in Bayonne will be acting as the event’s DJ. Chatzopoulos will be spinning a mix of Greek and American music.
“Dancing in the aisles is definitely permitted,” said festival spokesperson Christos M. Genes. “This year marks our 80th anniversary as a parish serving the Greek Orthodox community of Hudson County continuously since 1935.”
The proceeds of the festival will go to the building fund for restoration projects scheduled for the church. Saturday night’s festivities, referred to as Tavern Night, will provide an indoor bar, DJ, and several food stands. The Saint Demetrios Greek Orthodox Youth Dancers from Perth Amboy will treat attendees to a display of authentic Greek dancing in native costumes.
The dancers are scheduled to perform beginning at 8 p.m. on Saturday. A variety of homemade Greek cuisine will be offered for a “Taste of Greece,” including pastries, loukoumades, souvlaki sandwiches and many Greek platters, as well as ouzo and an assortment of Greek beers and wines. Sweets can also be purchased at the bakery and a gift shop in Elenion Community Center at the church. Food costs between $3 and $11. Various other foods will also be available for takeout. The church will offer a tent for outside dining. Admission to the festival is free. Free parking for attendees will be available behind the church, as well as overflow parking at a Saint Peter’s University parking lot at the corner of Montgomery Street and Jordan Avenue, across from Jersey City Armory one block away from the festival. For additional information please contact Christos M. Genes @ 201-436-3726 or by e-mail at: evangelismostistheotokou@verizon.ne
Fulop launches citywide housing plan
Mayor Steven M. Fulop released a new citywide housing assessment and plan this week.
The series of policy documents being rolled out include a new tax policy that’s specifically tailored to drive development and affordable housing into areas where it’s needed most.
“There’s a common narrative written about cities these days – and it always comes down to picking winners and losers,” said Fulop. “For cities that want to grow, it seems there’s always a choice between one neighborhood and another; gentrification versus the lifelong resident; progress against tradition. In Jersey City, we’re proving that choice is a false choice. With this housing plan and new policy, we’re going to drive development and affordable housing into neighborhoods where it’s needed most. We had a saying in the Marines – ‘No one is left behind’ – and we’re going to live up that saying here in Jersey City.”
The administration is releasing two policy documents: A new housing plan, which includes a comprehensive assessment of the state of Jersey City’s housing market and outlines how the city will influence long-term development moving forward; and a revamped tax abatement policy, which updates the city’s highly successful policy to include updated and more relevant data as well as expanded development priorities.
Both documents can be found online at www.jerseycitygrows.org.
Fifth suspect arrested in July 22 murder
Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez announced on Aug. 30 that a fifth person has been arrested in connection with last month’s murder of Ronald Witherspoon Jr.
On July 22 at approximately 12:30 a.m., Jersey City police officers responded to the area of Monticello and Belmont Avenues on a report of shots fired. Upon arrival, officers found the 16 year old victim, Witherspoon, with an apparent gunshot wound to his head. Witherspoon was transported to the Jersey City Medical Center, where he remained in critical condition until he died from his injuries on July 23.
An arrest warrant was issued for Marquis Nicken, 21, on Aug. 1. He was apprehended by Jersey City Police on Saturday, Aug. 29 after the Prosecutor’s Homicide Unit received an anonymous tip and immediately shared it with Jersey City police. Nicken was arrested without incident at a residence on Ocean Avenue. Nicken was charged with Murder, Conspiracy to Commit Murder, Possession of a Firearm for an Unlawful Purpose and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm. Nicken’s bail has been set at $750,000.00 cash or bond.
Four arrests have already been made in connection with the fatal shooting. On Wednesday, Aug. 19, Dwayne Powell, 18, of Jersey City, was arrested in connection with the homicide. On Friday, July 31, Naji McDuffy, 24, of Jersey City, and Darius Evans Emanuel, 21, of Jersey City, were arrested. Justin M. Nesmith, 24, of Jersey City, was arrested on Saturday, Aug. 1. Each faces the same charges as Nicken.
JCMC hopes to use 9/11 as a teaching tool
Jersey City Medical Center, a Barnabas Health facility, will use the anniversary of 9/11 to help prepare the community for treating wounds during an emergency.
“On the 14th anniversary of this tragic event, Jersey City Medical Center will once again prepare the community for future disasters or emergency situations,” said Joseph Scott, president and CEO of Jersey City Medical Center. “Following the city’s memorial services, we will host a seminar for the people who live and work in our community to help prepare them for the possibility of any future natural or man-made disaster or a family emergency. We may not be able to predict an emergency, but proper planning and preparation can often make a difference should one occur.”
This year’s program will provide critical information on managing wounds during times of disaster or personal emergency.
The event will take place on Friday, Sept. 11 from 2 to 3 p.m. in 5 and 6 at the hospital, 355 Grand St., Jersey City. The event is sponsored by Quikclot. The free sessions will be presented by the hospital’s EMS and emergency medicine staff and the American College of Emergency Physicians.
On Sept. 11, 2001, the hospital and Jersey City fire and police departments treated some 2,000 people injured at the World Trade Center. This was more than any other hospital in the New York City region.
For more information on the event, call (201) 915-2218.
Making fresh food affordable
Jersey City has been awarded nearly $25,000 as part of a nationwide initiative from the Wholesome Wave Foundation and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to double the dollars SNAP recipients can spend on the purchase of fresh fruits and vegetables at three participating farmers’ markets in Jersey City.
The cost of fresh fruits and vegetables at various farmers’ markets is significantly higher than prices often charged in supermarkets, local officials noted.
But Jersey City has large swaths where fresh farmers’ items are not readily available except at farmers’ markets, and city officials have been trying to find a way for people on low or fixed incomes to be able to afford purchasing items there.
Changes in the city’s regulations for farmers’ markets required them to accept what used to be food stamps.
The new grant would help increase the purchasing power at these markets.
The funding, which was announced as part of a $31.5 million grant by USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack through the federal Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive (FINI), will be used to support increased access to fruits and vegetables for the food insecure of Jersey City, while also benefitting small and mid-sized farmers in the region.
“Our administration continues to think creatively about how we can expand access to healthy living for all of our residents and this grant is another great example,” said Mayor Steven Fulop. “We are doubling the funds for residents so they can make healthy food choices for their families and shop at farmers’ markets right in their own neighborhood.”
With the award from Wholesome Wave, the Jersey City Department of Health and Human Services will implement incentive programs at three of the city’s 10 farmers’ markets – the Arlington Park, Lincoln Park and Riverview Park farmers’ markets, who all volunteered to participate. JC Double Bucks, which will launch on Sept. 5, will be provided to SNAP Consumers in the form of tokens. For every $2 spent, SNAP consumers will receive a $2 match to spend, up to $10. FINI funds will also support multi-cultural promotional materials aimed at ensuring that incentive information reaches Jersey City residents citywide.
WomenRising gala set for Oct. 22
Celebrating its 110th anniversary, WomenRising will hold a gala on Oct. 22 at the Liberty House in Jersey City.
Tickets cost $150 per person, or $1,500 for a table of ten. The proceeds will benefit WomenRising, an organization that provides women with counseling, crisis intervention, job help, and shelter for domestic violence victim.
To reserve your seat for this anniversary celebration, register by emailing elassalle@womenrising.org. The deadline to reserve a space is Oct. 1.
The gala will run from 6 to 9 p.m. Liberty House is located at 76 Audrey Zapp Drive, Jersey City.
Email the director of development Meg Paradise atmparadise@womenrising.org for information on tickets, sponsorships, or ad journal information.
For more information on the gala, visit the WomenRising website at www.womenrising.org.
HackensackUMC to host Celebrating Life and Liberty 2015
The John Theurer Cancer Center at HackensackUMC will host the Seventh Annual Celebrating Life and Liberty event on Saturday, Sept. 12, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Liberty State Park. Thousands of cancer survivors and their families will gather to celebrate life and liberty at a complimentary event in view of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island where they will enjoy great food, activities and entertainment.
Hamilton Park BBQ Festival
The 6th Annual Hamilton Park BBQ Festival will be held on Sept. 26, from noon to 8 p.m. Live music will be performed all day with Dancing Tony from (The) Rock-it Docket. Bands slated to perform include New City Kids, The Jersey Rollers, Bluebirds of Paradise, The Gully Hubbards, Jeremy Wallace Trio, Michelle Innes and Keith, Dan O’Dea and Eagle Ridge, Scott Wolfson & Other Heroes &, Zydeco Revelators.
There will be bounce rides, face painting for kids and other activities for younger kids. There will also be crafts and other events. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Hamilton Park Conservancy.