Autism event is this week in North Bergen
North Bergen preschool students will be walking around ab outdoor track for Autism Speaks on April 15 in order to raise more awareness and funding for more autism activities in North Bergen. The fundraising walk will kick off at 9:30 a.m. and is open to the public and parents of the students. The mayor is expected to come as well.
A bake sale and book sale will be available to contribute additional funding towards Autism Speaks.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2012 New Jersey ranked the highest out of the nation for prevalence of autism, with 1 in 41 children diagnosed.
Is Guttenberg among most stressed out towns?
Guttenberg is a tiny and densely populated town on the waterfront, but is it also stressed out?
Area Vibes, a website dedicated to finding the best places to live, used the American Community Survey from 2010-2014, a government demographic survey, to determine the most smallest stressed-out towns in the nation.
Guttenberg made number five on the list out of 10 towns with a population of fewer than 25,000.
The stress was calculated from a set of six criteria: more than an hour-long commute, unemployment rate, hours worked, population density, percentage of income spent on rent, and population without health insurance.
Other towns in the top 10 included Mendota, Calif.; Belle Glade, Fla.; Posen, Ill.; Hapeville, Ga.; Asbury Park; Jacinto City, Texas; Manorhaven, N.Y.; Hallandale Beach, Fla.; and Marion, S.C.
The town suffers from over-crowding, an hour-long commute, and more than 40 percent of citizens spend more than half their income on rent, AreaVibes said in a press release.
With a population of 11,166, 6.8 percent of the working-age population is unemployed, and the cost of living is 49 percent higher than the national average. To make matters more stressed, 32 percent of the 11,166 residents don’t have health insurance.
According to grading reviews from AreaVibes, Guttenberg got an ‘F’for the cost of living.
It’s not all bad, though, because according to the reviews, Guttenberg has a low crime rate and a good graduation rate.
Freeholders approve funding for arts festival
The Hudson County Board of Chosen Freeholders have approved $53,000 for the Guttenberg Arts for the Second Annual James J Braddock Arts Festival 2016 in North Bergen.
The festival will be held in North Bergen on Sunday, June 12, with a rain date of Saturday, June 18, between the hours of 11 a.m. and 7 p.m.
The festival will have vendors, local artists, galleries, food trucks, artist demos, community projects and artist installations created on location by selected artists.
St. Peter’s screens free documentary on economic inequality on April 10
St. Peter’s University Social Justice Program is sponsoring a free showing of the film “Inequality for All.” Robert Reich’s award-winning documentary is a passionate argument on behalf of the middle class, and explains the current state of growing income inequality in our nation in a very entertaining and human way.
Professor Reich, who is currently the Chancellor’s Professor of Public Policy at UC Berkeley, is a Rhodes Scholar who has served in three presidential administrations. He’s written a dozen books about America’s economy, among them the bestsellers “Aftershock,” “Supercapitalism,” and “Beyond Outrage.”
“Inequality for All” will be shown Sunday, April 10, at 2 p.m. at St. Peter’s Pope Lecture Hall at 115 Glenwood Ave. in Jersey City. Free parking is available at 900 Montgomery Ave. or 830 West Side Ave. St. Peter’s is a ten-minute walk from the Journal Square PATH Station.
For more information, go to www.inequalityforall.com or contact dstump@saintpeters.edu or ddouthat@optonline.net .
WNY Cuban Lions Club Health Fair Set for April 10
The West New York Cuban Lions Club has teamed with HackensackUMC Palisades (formerly Palisades Medical Center) to present its annual Community Health Fair. The event, which is free and open to the general public, will be held on Sunday, April 10, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Community Hall, 514 52nd St. (between Bergenline Ave. and Kennedy Blvd.) in West New York.
Free health tests, screenings and information will include: blood pressure, blood test for diabetes – HgbA1c, eye/vision information, glaucoma screening, heart rate, chiropractor, dental, medication consultation, mental health information, percentage of oxygen in the blood, physical therapy, and sleep disorder information.
Several physicians will also be in attendance to answer questions. Attendees will also receive free samples and giveaways. For more information, please call Manny Reyes (201) 424-1201 or Nikki Mederos at (201) 854-5702.
Town hall meeting on underage drinking is April 26
The Hudson County Coalition for a Drug-Free Community along with New Jersey City University (NJCU) Alcohol and Substance Abuse Program & Partners In Prevention will sponsor a “town hall” meeting on April 26 to discuss underage drinking from 6:30 to 8 p.m. with registration beginning at 6 p.m. During this meeting you will hear knowledgeable panelists discuss their experiences within the field of prevention and have questions answered. Attendees will also have the opportunity to partake of interactive activities, vote for the winner of their public service announcement contest, and enjoy many other surprises.
The meeting will take place in New Jersey City University’s Gothic Lounge in Hepburn Hall, Room 202, at 2039 Kennedy Boulevard, Jersey City. At the completion, 1.5 hours of community service will be awarded to those who attend. Light refreshments will be served at the event.
To register for this event or for more information about the Hudson County Coalition, call Ernie Adames at (201) 552- 2264 or visit the website at Hudsoncountycoalition.org.