East Coast prepares for possible visit by Hurricane Joaquin
As late as Thursday, weather forecasters were predicting Hurricane Joaquin had the potential to reach the eastern United States coast this weekend, but were still holding out hope the storm might track east out into the Atlantic. The forecasts were alternately saying the storm would slam into Virginia, then into New Jersey in the wee hours of either Monday or Tuesday.
Even if the storm remains offshore, be prepared for heavy rain and flooding this weekend and Monday. Moisture from the storm will still get pulled into the mid-Atlantic and Carolinas, which will likely lead to heavy rainfall and flooding. The storm was expected to strengthen into a Category 4 storm on Thursday night, when Joaquin will begin to turn north.
Check www.hudsonreporter.com next week for any local updates.
15 summonses issued for violations of Angelie’s Law in NB
Mayor Nicholas Sacco and the Board of Commissioners praised the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs for working cooperatively with the North Bergen Police Department to conduct surprise inspections of random commuter vans in the township last month, resulting in 15 summonses for violations of Angelie’s Law.
Among other things, the law requires buses to post notices notifying passengers of how to report complaints to the state Division of Consumer Affairs. The companies in violation of the law were reportedly each ordered to pay a $1,000 civil penalty and $176.87 as reimbursement for the investigation.
“It is absolutely unacceptable for commuter van operators to fail to comply with Angelie’s Law, which was designed to ensure the safety of riders, pedestrians and all residents of Hudson County and beyond,” said Sacco. “I thank the Division of Consumer Affairs for working with our North Bergen Police Department in enforcing this vital law that protects our residents and I expect to see continued enforcement operations like this to make it very clear to van operators that if they do not abide by the law they will be caught and penalized.”
As a state senator, Sacco was the prime sponsor of Angelie’s Law, named for North Bergen toddler Angelie Paredes, who was tragically killed when a van crashed and knocked a lamp post onto her stroller in West New York. The driver had allegedly been using his cell phone before it happened.
“Sadly nothing will ever bring Angelie back to the parents and family who loved her so much,” said Commissioner Julio Marenco, a close friend of the Paredes family who acted as their spokesman in the wake of the tragedy. “But I know that Maylin and Jairo Paredes are happy to see the law that was passed in their daughter’s name be enforced and that the authorities are taking action to prevent another tragedy like what happened two years ago from ever happening again.”
Ecumenical Thanksgiving service will be Nov. 23
On Monday, Nov. 23, an ecumenical Thanksgiving service will take place at Grace Episcopal Church, Park Avenue at 40th Street (across from Pathmark), Union City, sponsored by the Hispanic Ministers Association. The congregations of Grace Episcopal Church and St. John Lutheran Church, Union City, will be uplifted for their years of ministry to the community.
The bilingual English/Spanish service will be followed by a potluck dinner in the Fellowship Hall.
To RSVP, call (201) 863-6334 or email to gracechurch@outlook.es
Working on a novel, screenplay, essay, thinkpiece, or satire?
Are you a writer in the area? Toiling alone in the coffee shops on your novel, screenplay, article, or poem? Get camaraderie, critiques, ideas for submitting, or just meet other writers in the area. A casual writers’ network is forming locally. Email Ro at penink39@Gmail.com. Just say hello!
‘Jackson is Gone’ premieres in November from Hudson Theater Works
Hudson Theatre Works has announced casting for the principal roles their November production of “Jackson is Gone,” a serio-comic play by Joanne Hoersch and directed by Frank Licato.
In “Jackson is Gone,” Natalie and Sam Grayson are out for a quiet Sunday morning walk when they find themselves embroiled in an argument with a stranger who kidnaps their dog, Jackson. They report the incident to the police, and their case is assigned to a friendly but vaguely threatening sergeant who insinuates himself into the most hidden parts of their lives. The play examines the nature of irreparable loss, the consequences for our lives, and the slow disappearance from the world of the ancient touchstones we have always relied on for comfort and sustenance.
The married couple Hollis McCarthy and Mark McCarthy will play Natalie and Sam. Additional roles will be performed by Ryan Scott, Michael Lasry, and Hudson Rhotenebrry.
Playwright Joanne Hoersch is a recipient of a 2012 grant from the NJ State Council on the Arts for “Jackson is Gone,” which was also selected for a roundtable reading at the Lark Theatre. Her play “Starring Elizabeth” was part of Hudson Theater Works 2013 PlayWorks series and was also part of New Jersey Playwrights Theater 2014 reading series.
Hollis McCarthy has worked Off-Broadway, at regional theaters and well as TV and film. She is also the narrator of many books and can be found at Audible.com. Mark McCarthy is a veteran of regional theater.
“Jackson is Gone” will be presented Nov. 4 through Nov. 21at the heater at Weehawken High School, 53 Liberty Place, Weehawken, on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25 general admission and can be purchased from Brown Paper Tickets, 1-800-838-3006, or by visiting www.brownpapertickets.org. For students with ID and seniors 65 and older tickets are $15 at all times. Weehawken residents with proof of address are $15 every Wednesday and Thursday.
For transportation information please go to http://www.weehawken-nj.us/transportation.html
Italian feast/carnival coming to Braddock Park Columbus Day weekend
The Hudson County Community Action Corporation is sponsoring a carnival and Italian feast in James J. Braddock North Hudson County Park on Columbus Day weekend. The event will take place on Friday, Oct. 9 from 5 to 10 p.m.; and on Saturday through Monday, Oct. 10 to 12, from noon until 10 p.m.
There will be rides for children and adults, as well as food vendors and play stands. The event will be held on Fields 1 and 2 next to the handball courts across from the tennis courts. Freeholder Anthony Vainieri helped organize this event.
Pancake breakfast fundraiser at Fairview VFW on Oct. 11
The auxiliary of the VFW Post 337, 560 Fairview Ave., Fairview, will hold their first pancake breakfast fundraiser on Sunday, Oct. 11 from 8:30 a.m. to noon. Pancakes, sausage, juice, coffee, and tea will be served. Donations are $7 per person, with children under 5 free.
Proceeds will go to scholarship awards to Fairview students, and various veterans programs in the State of New Jersey. For tickets or more information call Carol Cocco at (201) 314-9972. Tickets will also be available at the door.
‘This Is My Brave: The Show’ comes to NYC in collaboration with The Depressed Cake Shop
One in four people face mental health issues. Nearly every family in America has been touched by this treatable challenge. Yet, the conversation on the subject still remains muted and the sufferers closeted. “This Is My Brave – The Show” raises the volume of conversation around mental health, one powerful story at a time.
The show is being put together in part by former Jersey City resident Lorne Jaffe.
The lauded, groundbreaking concept, which has received rave reviews and has been touted as “healing for humanity,” is coming to New York for one night only, Sunday, Oct. 4, at Hunter College’s Kaye Playhouse, 695 Park Ave., just in time for Mental Health Awareness Week beginning Oct. 11. “This is My Brave” will feature 14 individuals whose first act of bravery was auditioning for a role in this very unique evening. The cast will share their true stories about living with, or loving someone with a mental illness, through comedy, poetry, personal essays and original music.
Depressed Cake Shop’s gray baked goods will be on sale with all proceeds benefitting “This Is My Brave’s” mission of ending stigma through storytelling. Jennifer Marshall and Anne Marie Ames launched the 501(c)3 non-profit in 2014 to create a safe community and a platform to speak out about stigma associated with mental illnesses. Both had been impacted by mental illness and wanted to fight the isolation and disconnection by giving people from the community a chance to share their stories onstage.
The performance is Oct. 4 at 4 p.m. Tickets are on sale now at http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/kayeplayhouse/calendar.
For info on all shows, visit www.thisismybrave.org/events/.Twitter: @ThisIsMyBrave Web: www.thisismybrave.org
Nutley Little Theatre will perform ‘Lapped’ on Oct. 4
Nutley Little Theatre will stage its first Readers’ Theater event of the 2015-2016 season on Sunday, Oct. 4 at 2 p.m. with a reading of “Lapped,” an original piece by NLT member Joe Del Priore, at the NLT Barn, 47 Erie Place, Nutley. Admission is free.
Del Priore, a North Bergen resident, has often contributed short comedy-dramas for NLT readings and workshops. On this occasion, readers will be Sharon Curran of West Orange and Vicky Chalk of Nutley. Supplementing Del Priore’s piece will be a reading of ribald limericks by Dickson Lane of West Orange. (The event will not be suitable for children.)
NLT’s Readers’ Theater series features actors reading scripts of new and established plays, supplementing NLT’s regular, fully staged performances. Readers’ Theater events are open to the public, free of charge.
Nutley Little Theatre stages its productions at the NLT Barn, 47 Erie Place, Nutley, located off Brookfield Avenue (one block east of Franklin Avenue) in the heart of the Erie Place Historic District. For directions, see nutleylittletheatre.com. For information about this or other productions, call (973) 667-0374.