Local business owner helps falcon
On Tuesday, Aug 16, Mario Albunia, owner of Mario’s Pizzeria, gave assistance to a rarely seen resident of Hoboken. He found an American Kestrel, a falcon, on the hood of a car outside of his restaurant on the corner of Eighth and Garden streets.
American kestrels are the smallest falcon species on North America, about the size of a dove. They feed on insects, mice, and small birds like sparrows. They nest in tree cavities, cliffs and buildings.
Mario transferred the stunned bird to a cardboard box and brought him to the Hoboken Animal Hospital at Seventh and Washington streets. The doctors there determined that the kestrel was in shock, but did not seem to have severe or life threatening injuries.
Hoboken Animal Hospital employee Ozzy Maldonado transferred the kestrel to the Raptor Trust in Millington. N.J.
“It is hopeful that he will make a full recovery and be returned to the wild soon,” said Diane Tamborra, the office manager of Hoboken Animal Hospital.
Wyclef Jean joins Oysterfest line up
Oysterfest, one of the largest oyster festivals on the West Coast, announced Tuesday Aug. 17 that three-time Grammy winner Wyclef Jean will perform during the festival in Hoboken on Sept. 17.
Jean joins headliners Icona Pop and Plain White T’s and other featured artists including Nico & Vinz and Alec Ounsworth’s Clap Your Hands Say Yeah.
For more information on the festival go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/oysterfest-hoboken-tickets-21023397548
Drive Sober campaign announced in Hoboken
Law enforcement officers from Hoboken will participate in the 2016 Labor Day Statewide “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign, according to an Aug 15 press release on the city website.
The campaign begins Aug 19 and runs through Sept 5. Local and state law enforcement officers will conduct sobriety checkpoints and roving patrols, looking for motorists who may be driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs.
“Many people believe that after a few drinks they’re still safe to drive,” said Gary Poedubicky, Acting Director of the NJ Division of Highway Traffic Safety. “Even one drink can impair your judgment and reaction time, putting not only yourself, but everyone on the road, in danger.”
In 2013 alcohol-impaired fatalities accounted for 27 percent of New Jersey’s motor vehicle fatalities. Law enforcement agencies participating in the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over 2016 crackdown offer the following advice:
• If you plan to drink, designate a driver, someone who will not drink alcohol, before going out.
• Take mass transit, a taxi or ask a sober friend to drive you home.
• Spend the night where the activity is held.
• Always buckle up, every ride, regardless of your seating position in the vehicle. It’s your best defense against an impaired driver.
• If you’re intoxicated and traveling on foot, the safest way to get home is to take a cab or have a sober friend or family member drive you to your doorstep.
Museum hosts World War I lecture series today
On Sunday, Aug. 21, at 4 p.m., The Museum will inaugurate its World War I Centennial lecture series, “Heaven Hell or Hoboken” with Chad Millman, author of “The Detonators.”
“The Detonators” is an in-depth look at the July 1916 sabotage plot to blow up a munitions depot off the shore of Jersey City, on a piece of land once known as Black Tom Island.
The explosion shattered glass for miles around, yet the incident was initially downplayed, to avoid stoking public support for America’s entry into World War I.
The lecture is free, and seating is limited. The series continues for nine more installments, with prominent authors and professors visiting the Museum monthly through May 2017.
For more information go to: www.hobokenmuseum.org/events/special-events/heaven-hell-or-hoboken
Hospice training course available
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 patients, emotional support for patient and family, errands and telephone reassurance.
The Hudson Hospice Office, 93 Clerk St., Jersey City, is offering six free volunteer training classes on six consecutive Tuesdays, mornings from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. or evenings from 7 to 9 p.m.
Classes begin Aug. 23 and end on Sept. 27 and you must commit to attend all six classes.
For further information, call Sister Carol at (201) 433-6225.
Can Hoboken create the World’s Largest Band?
The City of Hoboken will partner with The Guitar Bar, Hoboken’s long-standing music store, in their fourth attempt to break the world record for creating the World’s Largest Band.
The Guitar Bar invites anyone with an acoustic guitar, mandolin, ukulele, or other acoustic stringed instrument to play along with them for another performance of Bob Dylan’s two-chord song, “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door.”
Last year over 400 people joined in, playing “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” along with other favorite rock / pop classics. The record was not broken, but musicians practiced, showed up, and joined together to create a beautiful night of music.
The Guinness Book of World Records lists 953 participants in Beijing, China as the largest rock band, and 6,346 guitarists as the largest guitar ensemble in Poland.
Whether you’re an experienced musician or just starting out, tutorials will be provided on The Guitar Bar’s YouTube page for guitar, mandolin and ukulele, that will teach the basic chords needed to participate.
The event takes place at Sinatra Park, Sinatra Drive between 4th St & 5th St., Tuesday, Aug. 30 at 7 p.m. Sign in begins at 6 p.m. Come early to be counted.
For more information, call James Mastro at (201) 222-0915, email: james@guitarbar.com, or visit www.guitarbar.com/worldrecord.
Water main break resolved
The city announced Wednesday Aug 17 that there was a water main break at First and Harrison Streets and that Suez Water repaired the issue later that day.
A water main break meant less water pressure starting before 3 a.m. that morning. The break and subsequent construction caused a traffic buildup as Second Street to Paterson Avenue and First Street was closed from Paterson Avenue to Jackson Street.
The water main was repaired by that afternoon, according to city spokesman Juan Melli.
To read our articles on past water main breaks and the old water system, use the search field at hudsonreporter.com.