DOT grants $650K to repair Meadowlands Parkway Bridge
Secaucus will receive $650,000 in discretionary aid from the New Jersey Department of Transportation (DOT) for repairs to the Meadowlands Parkway Bridge. Mayor Michael Gonnelli announced at the Town Council meeting last month that the most recent state inspection resulted in the bridge receiving a priority one and two status, meaning it required extensive repairs. At the meeting the council approved submission of a grant application and execution of a grant contract with the DOT for emergency repairs.
“Our goal is to get this initial money, get the bridge fixed,” said Gonnelli at the time. “Once the bridge is fixed, the county executive has offered to take that bridge away from us because the county is able to get the funding to replace the bridge whereas the municipality can’t.”
Now that the money has been allocated, bids were received from two different bridge companies and work should begin shortly on the initial repairs. Built in 1975, the four-lane bridge sees traffic of 15,000 vehicles per day. It received emergency work in 2005, at which time support columns were installed at select locations. It is now in need of a complete overhaul.
Enjoy ‘A Night of Music’ featuring Dara & Frank on Aug. 22
The Secaucus Swim Club presents “A Night of Music” featuring Dara & Frank playing the best music of the ’60s, ’70s, ’80s, ’90s, and today. The event takes place on Saturday, Aug. 22 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Secaucus Swim Club.
The Swim Club is open to Secaucus residents and their guests. Admission still applies.
Magazine selects top 100 towns in NJ; only one in Hudson County is Secaucus
New Jersey Monthly magazine has printed the results of its 2015 Top Towns survey for the state, and Hudson County fared particularly poorly. In fact, only one town in the county made the list. Secaucus comes in at number 19, behind eight towns in Morris County and five in Bergen County, among others.
Rankings were cobbled together based on home prices and real estate taxes, as well as crime rates and student test results. Also factored in were lifestyle factors including commute time, the presence of dining and cultural options, and the number of acute-care hospitals and live performing-arts theaters within 10 miles of the main zip code.
Ranking first on the list was Florham Park in Morris County. Although the rankings were based on 13 indicators across five categories according to the magazine, home prices seemed to weigh heavily, with two of the top ten towns reflecting median prices of about $1 million dollars, while another was more than $1.6 million. Only one of the top ten towns, Pequannock, had a median home price of less than $500,000.
The median home price in Secaucus, according to the survey, was $340,000, with an average property tax change since 2012 of -0.5 percent.
Towns with populations under 1,500 were not included in the survey.
Book a librarian at the Secaucus Public Library
Need one-on-one reference instruction? The “book a librarian” service allows you to reserve a free session with a professional librarian for training in various library and computer topics. Each appointment will last approximately 30 minutes. Additional appointments can be requested with a maximum of two appointments per month.
Use the library’s computers or bring your own laptop or tablet to get help with computer basics, email, Microsoft Office programs, library resources, downloading e-books, learning about social media, and more. This service is limited to Secaucus residents only and is available all year round. To schedule an appointment contact Technology Librarian Lisa Ferzola at (201) 330-2083 ext. 4005.
Back to School backpacks and supplies
The mayor and Town Council along with the Secaucus Emergency Fund and Secaucus Municipal Youth Alliance are pleased to give out school accessories and backpacks to low income Secaucus residents. Call (201) 330-2014 for more information.
2015 Tour de Force’s 9/11 Memorial Ride to include local police officers
Seven Secaucus police officers will take part in the 2015 Tour de Force’s 9/11 Memorial Ride that will depart Sept. 10 from New York City. The riders will bicycle through the lower Hudson Valley and through Connecticut into Massachusetts where they will join 150 cyclists from the Boston area as the tour rolls into Boston’s Harbor for a modern day tea party. The four-day, 270-mile bicycle ride is a dual purpose event. The ride honors those killed during the 9/11 attacks, and raises funds for the families of police officers across the country killed in the line of duty.
Secaucus Police cyclists are Lieutenant Carlos Goyenechea, Sergeant Francis Cotter, and Police Officers Marc Schoch, Chris Rinaldi, Kiril Petrov, Christina Prospero, and William Smith.
According to retired Police Captain Joseph Kickey, chairman of the Secaucus PBA Local 84 Civic Association, the riders have the full support of the organization.
“Each rider must raise a minimum of $1,250 in order to even participate in this event. The funds raised are donated to families throughout the country in honor of their fallen loved ones. We invite residents to join us in helping to raise the funds required to give these officers the opportunity to participate in this 9/11 Memorial Ride. We want to show support for these cyclists who participate in this event, regardless of the weather,” Kickey said.
Both the Tour de Force Bike Ride, Inc. and the Secaucus PBA Local 84 are registered 501(c)3 charity organizations recognized by the IRS and donations are tax deductible. “I urge residents to support these seven officers that will leave their families for four days so other families of fallen officers may benefit,” said Kickey.
Donations can be designated for either an individual Secaucus officer or a group of officers by including the officer’s name, along with the PBA or Tour name, in the “pay to” line on checks. Checks written to either the Secaucus PBA Local 84 or the Tour de Force Bike Ride, Inc. should be mailed to Secaucus PBA, PO Box 1038, Secaucus, NJ 07096-1038.
Ten-dollar raffle tickets in support of this event can be purchased from any police officer and are sold at the Summer Concerts held Thursday evenings in Buchmuller Park in August. The raffle offers three prizes, equalling 50 percent, 30 percent, and 20 percent of one-half of the raffle’s proceeds. The drawing will take place Aug. 27 at 9 p.m. in Buchmuller Park.
For more information about the 2015 Tour de Force 9/11 Memorial Ride and how it got its start, or to make an on-line donation in the name of a particular officer, visit www.tourdeforceny.com.
‘Trash & Treasure’ returns to library’s mini-fair; limited vendor space still available
The popular “Trash & Treasure” table returns to the 18th Annual Friends of the Library Mini-Fair set for Saturday, Sept. 19 in front of the Secaucus Public Library at 1379 Paterson Plank Road. The Mini-Fair runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Rain date is Sunday, Sept. 20 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Library director Jenifer May noted that vendor space is limited this year due to the installation of an emergency generator at the library to designate the building as a cooling center in the event of a power outage. “We will be collecting items, but there is limited storage space,” she said. “We will not be able to do pick-ups, but if people want to bring items, we ask they call first so we have staff available to help them unload their vehicles. We cannot accept clothing, plush toys, bedding or upholstered furniture.” Call May at (201) 330-2083 x4011 or Lee Penna at x4009 for more information.
The popular “$5 Bag of Books” will be front and center at the Mini-Fair. The $5 cost includes a free reusable Friends of the Library bag, while supplies last.
Vendors who want to participate in the Mini-Fair need to reserve their space as soon as possible. The cost is $25 for table space up to eight feet long and $45 for space over eight feet. Vendors must supply their own tables and chairs. There are a limited number of tables and tents available at a rental fee of $10 each on a first-come, first-served basis. Paid reservations must be received no later than Friday, Sept. 11. Applications are available at the library and checks must be assigned to Friends of the Secaucus Public Library.
There will not be a baking contest this year but the popular “cake and coffee” sale in the second floor Panasonic Room will be open. The pie-eating contest continues for the youngsters, as well as games, face painting, and free crafts for the kids. Fair share raffle tickets are already on sale in the library lobby, at the weekly farmers market, and Buchmuller Park concerts on Thursday evenings at $1 each and will be sold at the Mini-Fair. The drawing will be held at 3 pm. “Performances by the Secaucus Martial Arts, Dance Power, and CAST will also take place during the afternoon,” said May. “The tricky tray table raffle will again be a big draw with super prizes. A few of the prizes include a gas grill donated by Home Depot and two children’s bikes with helmets – one with a Spiderman theme and the other pink. The Filipino Association of Secaucus will be back with its BBQ and the Freezer Pleaser Ice Cream Truck will be on hand. These are just a few highlights of what will be an event-packed day where old and new residents will enjoy meeting.”
For more information, the Mini-Fair webpage is up and running and there is a link on the library homepage at secaucuslibrary.org. Downloadable forms for both vendors and donors are available on the site.
Impaired driving enforcement crackdown to be conducted locally
Hudson County sheriff’s officers will be cracking down on drunk drivers as part of the 2015 Labor Day “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign. Beginning Aug. 21 and running through Sept. 7 the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office will be adding additional patrols to the streets to combat drunk driving. This comes as part of a $5,000 education and enforcement grant received from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety.
“More than 10,000 people are killed in the United States each year in alcohol-impaired driving crashes. Drunk driving is reckless and preventable,” said Hudson County Sheriff Frank Schillari. “My officers will be out day and night to send a clear message – If you are caught driving impaired, you will be arrested.”
Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over is a national campaign designed to raise awareness about the dangers of drinking and driving through high-visibility enforcement and public education tools, including posters, banners, and mobile video display signs. The campaign was founded in 1999 and is held on Labor Day Weekend because of the high number of DWI arrests and DWI-related motor vehicle crashes traditionally seen during that time period.
The Hudson County Sheriff’s Office has offered the following tips to those who will be out traveling and celebrating over Labor Day:
– 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.
– Report impaired drivers to law enforcement. In New Jersey, drivers may dial #77 to report a drunk or aggressive driver.
– 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.
Free course on coping with family mental illness begins in September
The National Alliance on Mental Illness of Hudson County (NAMI Hudson) will offer the acclaimed NAMI Family-to-Family education program consisting of twelve 2-½ hour classes for families and close friends of adults living with a mental illness, beginning in mid-September. The classes will focus on schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, clinical depression, panic disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
The course will be given by family members of individuals with a mental illness, who have been trained by NAMI as educators of the Family-to-Family Program. The leaders truly understand what family and friends are going through and know how to help learn about and cope with mental illness.
Many family members describe this experience as life changing. Participants will learn about family responses to the trauma of mental illness, symptoms, medications and side effects; practice problem solving skills and communication techniques; develop strategies for handling crisis and relapse; and focus on self-care and coping with stress.
The course schedule is Thursday evenings, Sept. 16 through Dec. 2, from 7 to 9:30 p.m., at Jose Marti Freshman Academy, 1800 Summit Ave., Union City. The course is free but registration is required. For more information call or email Carmen at (201) 310-5828 or garciacarmen524@gmail.com.
Hudson Hospice Volunteers offer training course
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 the patients, emotional support for patient and family, errands, and telephone reassurance.
The Volunteer Training Program begins Tuesday, Sept. 15 and consists of seven classes on consecutive Tuesdays until Oct. 24. Participants must attend all seven classes. The class schedule is mornings from 10 a.m. to noon or evenings from 7 to 9 p.m.
For further information call Sister Carol Van Billiard, O.P., at (201) 433-6225.
See ‘Bandstand’ at The Paper Mill Playhouse
Reserve your spot now for “Bandstand” at the Paper Mill Playhouse on Wednesday, Oct. 10. The bus will leave the Recreation Center at 5:30 p.m. The price is $35. Must sign up and pay by Sept. 18. Seating is limited. Call Lisa Snedeker at (201) 617-5917 for more information.
Braddock Park Arts Festival comes to the library
Did you miss the Braddock Park Arts Festival 2015? Stop by the Secaucus Public Library during the months of August and September to view a selection of woodcuts, monoprints and ceramic tiles created by artists and the community during the festival. The exhibition runs through Sept. 30 at the Secaucus Public Library, 1379 Paterson Plank Road.
Town wide garage sale is Aug. 29
The mayor and Town Council invite all residents to participate in the town wide garage sale on Saturday, Aug. 9, beginning at 8 a.m. A listing of addresses and more information will be posted on the town website at secaucusnj.gov. The rain date is Sunday, Aug. 30.