North Bergen Mayor Sacco’s mother passes away
On Wednesday morning, Aug. 31, Mayor Nicholas Sacco’s mother Angelina passed away. Her viewing was scheduled for Friday, Sept. 2 from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Vainieri Funeral Home on 5923 Kennedy Blvd. Mass is scheduled for Saturday Sept. 3 at 11 a.m. at St. Mary’s Church in West New York on 569 65th St. in the Fairview Mausoleum.
Police Chief Robert Dowd announced the passing with a moment of silence at Wednesday’s police swearing-in ceremony.
Honorees for 9/11 ceremony at Braddock Park
The town decided to change the location of the 9/11 ceremony from the usual spot at the high school because it falls on a weekend. The 9/11 ceremony will take place at the new veteran’s memorial at James Braddock Park on 88th Street and Bergenline Avenue. Students and residents are invited to the 15th anniversary on Sunday, Sept. 11 at 11 a.m.
The service will honor the memory of North Bergen residents and North Bergen High School graduates who lost their lives on Sept. 11. The honorees include Christopher Amoroso, Robert Cirri, David LeMagne, and Sal Edward Tieri. High school graduate Marcos Gorra, who lost his life in Afghanistan, will also be honored.
Guttenberg resident in critical condition after being hit by pickup truck in Guttenberg
Hudson County Sheriff Frank Schillari released a statement about a critical accident on 68th Street and Broadway Avenue in Guttenberg Tuesday, Aug. 30. In the press release Schillari said the accident happened around 5:30 p.m., and the Guttenberg Police Department and the Hudson County Sheriff Crash Investigation Unit responded.
A female resident of Guttenberg was found pinned under a Toyota pickup truck with severe head injuries, according to the report. North Hudson Regional Fire Rescue responded to the scene and used airbags to lift the pickup and rescue the woman. The victim was transported to the Jersey City Medical Center in critical condition, Schillari said.
The driver of the Toyota Pickup, a resident of Guttenberg, was transported to Palisades Medical Center for observation, according to the report.
The report states that the driver of the pickup allegedly has no driver’s license and has been charged for causing an injury while driving without a license and received a motor vehicle summons for being an unlicensed driver.
Sheriff’s Crash Investigators are trying to determine if the woman was in the crosswalk when she was struck, are reviewing video, and are speaking to witnesses, Schillari said.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation by the Sheriff’s Office in conjunction and the Guttenberg Police Department.
Sen. Sacco to introduce legislation extending unemployment benefits to workers affected by TTF Shutdown
State Sen. and North Bergen Mayor Nicholas Sacco said he will be introducing legislation to extend unemployment benefits to construction workers impacted by the state’s transportation funding holdup. Hundreds of transportation projects have been halted by Gov. Chris Christie, removing jobs for thousands of workers, and making it impossible for them to support their families. Senator Sacco plans to introduce the legislation when the Senate meets again in September and will push for consideration as soon as possible.
“Every reasonable person in Trenton recognizes the urgent need to fund these transportation projects, yet these men and women are still in limbo while little to no progress occurs,” Sacco said in a press release.
Sacco’s bill will be modeled after similar legislation that was passed by the State Senate earlier this month that granted extended unemployment benefits to striking Verizon workers.
North Bergen PD hires six new members Aug. 31
On Wednesday, Aug. 31 six new members joined the North Bergen Police Department. Police Chief Robert Dowd and Mayor Nicholas Sacco swore-in Emily Ramirez, Vanessa Espinoza, Biron Mendoza, George Somarriba, Salvatore Giuca, and Bryan Suarez. Watch for a full story in a future edition.
Drop off clothes, toys, books, and more at Walmart
Operation Christmas Child will be holding a collection drive at the North Bergen Walmart – 2100 88th St., North Bergen, NJ on Saturday, Sept. 10 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. They will collecting small toys, clothing, hygiene items, books, school supplies and other items that will be packed in shoeboxes and sent overseas to needy children in impoverished areas. Monetary donations will also be accepted to offset the cost of transporting the boxes overseas.
For more ways to get involved or if you have any questions, please contact Fortune Mondaro, Northern NJ OCC Coordinator at 973-248-7825 or Sharon MacGregor, OCC Northern NJ Media Coordinator at sharonmmacgregor@gmail.com.
Carnival and movie at the library
The third annual carnival at the downtown library is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 17 at 12 p.m. There will be food, rides, face painting and more. The Kennedy Branch is located at 2123 Kennedy Blvd. For more information please contact the library at (201) 869-4715.
The free movie of the month will be The Angry Birds Movie on Saturday, Sept. 10 at 2 p.m. Free popcorn and drinks will be served. The viewing will be at the main library on 8411 Bergenline Ave.
Free Concert on the Waterfront: Classic Hits Under the Stars
Come enjoy a night of free live music in a spectacular setting when North Bergen and Guttenberg join together to bring you Classic Hits Under the Stars on Tuesday, Sept. 13 at 6 p.m. in Waterfront Park, 7200 River Road.
Live performers will entertain with a selection of greatest hits from the 1960s, ’70s, and ’80s. The concert is free, and so are snacks and refreshments. Bring a chair or a blanket or take a seat on the steps facing Manhattan on the banks of the Hudson River.
The Waterfront Park was opened last year in collaboration between North Bergen and Guttenberg as a public space for residents, complete with a spacious lawn and a large play area for kids. Classic Hits Under the Stars, the inaugural concert held in this new venue, is sponsored by Mayor Nicholas Sacco and the North Bergen Board of Commissioners, and Mayor Gerald Drasheff and the Guttenberg Town Council.
Free 12-week NAMI course for families of those with depression, bipolar
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is offering a free educational, 12-week course for families of individuals diagnosed with depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, etc. This course also covers medication and other important topics. The course starts Monday Sept. 19 in Union City.
For more Information contact Dana Johnson 551-242-3681, Danayjohnson@aol.com or Carmen Garcia 201-310-5828, garciacarmen524@gmail.com
Classes are also being offered in Spanish, for more information call 201-861-0614.
North Bergen High School rock band honors fallen member Sept. 17
The popular ’70s local rock band Peyote will reunite after 40 years to honor their fallen bandmate and recording industry veteran Bob “Shep” Sheppard. The concert is entitled Shepstock, and is a full-blown rock concert. There will be fine dining and a silent auction, all to benefit the Best Answer for Cancer Foundation www.bestanswerforcancer.org.
Shepstock will take place at the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville on Saturday, Sept. 17 at 7 p.m. Tickets are priced from $15 to $75, and are available for advance purchase at www.shepstock.com.
The event features Peyote, which is comprised of North Bergen High School graduates from the classes of ’76 through ’82. The band will be joined by legendary guitarist John “The Cat” Gatto of The Good Rats. Mystic Rhythms, a tribute to Rush, will also perform. Upscale catering will be provided by A Sterling Affair of New York City.
The Starland Ballroom is located on 570 Jernee Mill Rd. in, Sayerville. For further information, and to view music videos of past events, visit www.shepstock.com.
North Bergen P.D. approaching full accreditation
The North Bergen Police Department led by Chief Robert Dowd and Public Safety Commissioner Allen Pascual successfully completed several days of intense assessment this week, with the goal of becoming an accredited police department through the N.J. State Chiefs of Police Association.
In order to become accredited, a police department must be assessed against 105 standards for the Law Enforcement Accreditation Program, reflecting the best professional practices in each area of police management, administration, operations, and support services.
The standards address five general areas of law enforcement operations: administrative, personnel, operations, investigative, and arrestee/detainee/prisoner handling.
The North Bergen Police Department has pursued this goal over two years, led by Chief Dowd and his command staff led by Lt. Klag and Sgt. Caramucci, whom he selected as accreditation managers.
A successful accreditation achievement by North Bergen Police Department will be accomplished 100 percent by the department’s officers without the hiring of an outside agency, which has cost other departments upwards of $50,000 of taxpayer dollars.