Lesniak supporting Prieto minimum wage bill
State Sen. Raymond Lesniak (D-20) on Feb. 3 announced that he will sponsor the Senate companion bill to Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto’s legislation to increase New Jersey’s minimum wage to $15 per hour.
“Countless New Jerseyans are struggling financially, and falling short on making ends meet,” Lesniak said. “It’s time that New Jersey steps up and provides our working families with a real living wage.”
New Jersey voters approved a constitutional amendment that increased the minimum wage to $8.25 an hour, with increases based upon the Consumer Price Index.
“No one can afford to live in our state on $8.25 per hour,” Lesniak said. “We need to join the dozen other states that increased the minimum wage to $15 an hour – and we need to do it now. I look forward to working with Assembly Speaker Prieto and the many constituency groups on this initiative during this legislative session.”
Payment assistance for heating bills offered
With cold weather here, Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G) announced that the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is accepting applications for the current heating season.
LIHEAP, run by the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, helps low-income residents with their heating and medically necessary cooling bills.
“Even with the lower cost of natural gas and bill credits this winter, many customers still struggle to pay their heating bills,” said Greg Dunlap, vice president of customer operations for PSE&G. “Under LIHEAP, those who are income eligible may receive an average of $300 toward their heating bills.”
Homeowners and renters are both eligible and should apply.
For more information, visit pseg.com/help or call the New Jersey Home Energy Assistance hotline at (800) 510-3102. Applications are also available at PSE&G’s walk-in customer service centers listed on bills. Applications and copies of all requested documents must be submitted to the designated agency in the county by April 30, 2016.
Riverkeeper accepting scholarship applications
The Hackensack Riverkeeper is accepting applications for the 2016 Ron Vellekamp Environmental Scholarship. Named in honor of the late Riverkeeper trustee, the fund helps college-bound high school seniors who excel academically and maintain a strong commitment to environmental protection.
Seniors at high schools in Hudson County can be nominated by a teacher or guidance counselor. Applications must be postmarked no later than Earth Day; April 22, 2016.
A panel of Hackensack Riverkeeper trustees and staffers will review applications and consider students’ academic achievements, environmental extracurricular activities, and future plans. The winner of the $1,000 award will be announced June 1. Full application criteria are available online at hackensackriverkeeper.org or by calling (201) 968-0808.
A student must live within the 210-square mile Hackensack River Watershed and/or attend a school within that region to apply.
A list of watershed municipalities is available on the Hackensack Riverkeeper website.
For more information, call Program Director/Scholarship Administrator Hugh Carola at (201) 968-0808, ext. 102 or email hugh@hackensackriverkeeper.org.
BergenPAC sponsors Arts Access Initiative
BergenPAC, the performing arts center that serves Hudson, Bergen, and Passaic counties and beyond, has created an Arts Access Initiative, which offers up to 200 free tickets for every show on the bergenPAC main stage to qualified nonprofit charitable organizations.
Over the last 10 years, bergenPAC has committed to providing access to the arts to underprivileged people and organizations by offering free tickets to performances, scholarships to its performing arts school programs, and arts education in schools where budget cuts have eliminated those programs from the curriculum.
“Part of our mission is to make the arts accessible to everyone in our community,” said Edmondo Schwartz, bergenPAC Board of Trustees chairman and program creator. “I believe we are the first organization to implement this kind of program on such a large scale.”
The program has no end date. To apply for the program, email chood@bergenpac.org for an application or call (201) 816-8160, ext. 15.
BergenPAC is at 30 North Van Brunt St. in Englewood.
Meadowlands history talk offered on Feb. 11
A free talk, “A Natural History of the Meadowlands,” will be presented on Thursday, Feb. 11 from 2 to 3 p.m. at the Meadowlands Environmental Center, 2 DeKorte Park Plaza in Lyndhurst.
“Meadowlands native and naturalist, hunter, trapper, and storyteller Don Smith will share a lifetime of experiences of the natural history of the Meadowlands,” said spokesman Brian Aberback.
To register, go to njsea.eventbrite.com. For more information, call (201) 777-2431.