Swim and Spin with a live DJ on Aug. 24
Enjoy Swim and Spin with a live DJ on Monday, Aug. 24 at 5 p.m. at the North Bergen Municipal Pool Complex, 2111 – 91st St. Transportation will be provided at both library locations and the Recreation Center. The cost is $5 for non-members and free admission for pool members and individuals with a North Bergen library card. Sign up for membership at the door.
Incensed resident shouts at commissioners about jitneys
After sitting impatiently (but not quietly) through the commissioners’ meeting on Aug. 19, a North Bergen resident jumped to his feet during the open public portion of the meeting to shout at the mayor and council about the jitneys operating on Bergenline Avenue, demanding “a grant for special traffic to get 40 officers here” to slow down the vehicles.
Claiming he was nearly “crushed to death” two years ago on the avenue, the resident spoke on the same topic at last month’s meeting. This time he brought along handwritten posters and charts reflecting his demand for Mayor Nicholas Sacco, also a state senator, and other officials to push for a grant to regulate traffic and create “a special force” to slow down the jitneys.
Insisting that the town has done nothing to regulate the vehicles, he ignored the response of Police Chief Robert Dowd, who offered a summary of recent traffic initiatives implemented by the municipality.
About a month ago, 17 owners of commercial transportation companies were cited by the Attorney General’s office for violations of Angelie’s Law. The law is named for a North Bergen infant who was killed in West New York an accident involving a jitney driver who was allegedly using his cell phone at the time. He drove into a pole that fell on the 8-month-old girl’s stroller.
Four of the 17 companies cited for violations were in North Bergen.
The resident repeatedly referenced his service in World War II, wore a Veterans of Foreign Wars hat, and waved an American flag while shouting angrily at the town officials and at one point stepping up onto the dais before it was cordoned off by security officers.
‘Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over’ campaign comes to North Bergen
With Labor Day quickly approaching, North Bergen’s law enforcement officers are implementing sobriety checkpoints and roving patrols to watch out for drivers who seem to be intoxicated while driving. Beginning Aug. 21 and running through Sept. 7, law enforcement officers will take part of the 2015 Labor Day statewide “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign.
“We are eager to participate in the national campaign in order to make our roads safer and eliminate the casualties resulting from drunk driving,” said North Bergen Police Chief Robert Dowd. “By offering these public educational tools and implementing sobriety checkpoints, we believe they will reduce the number of intoxicated drivers and help keep our residents safe.”
The national campaign was designed to shed light on the dangers of driving while under the influence. “More than 10,000 people are killed in the United States each year in alcohol-impaired driving crashes, and these crashes cost our society nearly $50 billion annually,” said Acting Director of the Division of Highway Traffic Safety Gary Poedubicky. The Division of Highway Traffic Safety will provide grants to law enforcement agencies around the state, including North Bergen, in order to run the two-week campaign. There is a zero tolerance message for this campaign. If drivers are caught operating their vehicle while impaired, they will be arrested.
The “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign was created in 1999 and aimed to eliminate drunk driving during the summer season, particularly around busy holidays such as the Labor Day weekend. Law enforcement agencies taking part in the 2015 campaign advise those who will be out celebrating their Labor Day weekend to follow these following rules and plan ahead before heading out: designate a driver who will not drink alcohol; take public transportation or ask a sober friend to drive you home; if traveling on foot ask a sober friend to drive you to your doorstep; if possible spend the night where the activity is held; help report impaired or aggressive drivers to local law enforcement officers by dialing #77; and remember to always buckle up regardless of where seated in a car.
Enjoy a ‘Havana Night’ on Sept. 18 and help raise money for United Way
Join a night of fun and help raise money to support the programs of United Way of Hudson County and their partner Round2Resources. Think back to those spicy Cuban evenings and enjoy a live band and DJ, a Latin dance performance, a cigar roller, y mucho más at the second annual Havana Nights Fundraiser and Latin Dance Party. Beer, wine, sangria, soft drinks, and a dinner buffet are included. Dress to please; festive Latin attire is encouraged.
The event takes place from 7 to 11 p.m. on Sept 18 at Lido Restaurant and Catering Hall, 2600 Tonnelle Ave., North Bergen. Tickets are $75 in advance; $85 at the door. Buy your tickets now at unitedwayhudson.org. Call (201) 526-9705 for more information.
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.
Attend the Summer Theater Workshop Showcase on Aug. 21-23
Mayor Nicholas Sacco and the North Bergen Players will present a free Summer Theater Workshop Showcase at the North Bergen Theater, 8411 Bergenline Ave. Performances take place at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 21 and 22, and at 5 p.m. on Aug. 23.
The show is produced and directed by Maurena Luzzi, with guest accompanist Fred Fochesato.
8th NoHu International Short Film Festival seeks entries
The Eighth Annual NoHu International Short Film Festival, to be held Oct. 19 to 24, is seeking entries. This year’s six-day festival will include two evenings of feature films, three evenings of screening for the finalists of the short film competing category, and a red carpet awards ceremony on the sixth day.
Submissions are being accepted in all categories. (No pornography.) Films should be no longer than fifteen minutes in length. Those interested may submit their film in DVD format, along with a cover letter, synopsis, film credits, awards if any, and contact information, to Commissioner Lucio P. Fernandez, Department of Public Affairs, 3715 Palisade Ave., Union City, NJ 07087, Attn: Film Entry.
Include in the cover letter that the entry is being submitted by the property owner or licensee, and giving the City of Union City the right to publicly screen the film as part of the NoHu International Film Festival. Include if this is a world premiere, USA premiere, New Jersey premiere, or Union City premiere. DVDs will not be returned.
Please write on the DVD cover the contact name, email, and genre. All entries will be considered. Finalists will be notified via e-mail. Entry deadline is Monday, Oct. 5. No exceptions. No fee. No application form required. Foreign language films accepted. This is a juried festival.
The red carpet awards presentation for the festival will be held on Saturday, Oct. 24 at 7 p.m. in the William Musto Cultural Center, 420 – 15th St. Admission is free.
Magazine selects top 100 towns in NJ; just one is in Hudson County
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.
How did North Bergen do? You’ll have to wait until Sept. 1 to find out, when rankings of all 510 towns in New Jersey will be available at njmonthly.com.