Stevens ranked 48th best American college by Money Magazine
The Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken has been ranked the 48th best university in America in a new college ranking by Money Magazine that tries to gauge the best bang for one’s college buck.
Though it was no match for Princeton University, which came in third on the list, Stevens was the second highest ranked New Jersey school on the list and improved its position by 10 places compared to last year’s inaugural Money list.
Earlier this year, Stevens was ranked third out of 1,223 colleges nationwide for its 20-year return on investment by PayScale, an online salary database.
Unsurprisingly, Money based its rankings in part on the PayScale numbers, along with the net price of a degree, and six-year graduation rates.
Stevens performed better in the Money ranking and others that emphasize cost-effectiveness than it did in the classic U.S. News and World Report rankings, which are more correlated with prestige. Last year, Stevens was in a 9-way tie for 76th best national university in the U.S. News list.
Stevens isn’t the only Hudson County university getting extra credit for the economic benefits its carries for its students and graduates. Though ranked 134th in the overall list, Saint Peter’s University in Jersey City was selected as one of fifty schools that add the most value to students.
CarePoint names a new chief of systems operations
CarePoint Healthcare announced the appointment of W. Peter Daniels as executive vice president and system chief operating officer. In this senior leadership role, Daniels will supervise the overall system operations at CarePoint Health including all three hospitals (in Hoboken, Bayonne, and Jersey City), out-patient facilities and physician offices. He brings over 30 years of experience in hospital administration and management to the system.
“We could not be more excited for Peter to join us,” said CarePoint Health Chief Executive Officer Dennis Kelly. “His wide range of experience and depth of knowledge will allow him to hit the ground running as we continue to invest in our people and infrastructure to better serve our communities for decades to come.”
Daniels joins the leadership team along with Kirat Kharode, Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer, who joined CarePoint Health from Jersey City Medical Center this spring. In this role, Kharode has been charged with developing a direction for organizational growth and ensuring that CarePoint Health continues to meet the needs of the community.
“Kirat is one of the rising stars in healthcare in our region and we are excited to have him as part of our leadership team,” said Kelly. “He will allow us to focus on providing the right care at the right time in the right setting for the patients we serve.”
Prior to joining CarePoint Health, W. Peter Daniels was Chief Operating Officer of Hospital Services at Cook County Health and Hospital System, a large and complex health care system in Illinois. Throughout his career, Daniels has not only led several high profile projects, he’s held numerous senior leadership positions at major New York/Metropolitan area health care systems including as president of Ocean Medical Center, a member of the Meridian Health System in New Jersey.
Daniels received a bachelor’s of science degree from the University of Notre Dame, a master’s degree in Business Administration with a specialty in finance and quantitative analysis from Long Island University and is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives. He was a co-founder of a telecommunications company, has co-authored several professional publications, and has taught graduate students in business administration at Mercy College in New York, and a course in public health at Elmhurst College in Illinois. He has lectured extensively, has served on numerous boards and has been an active participant in many community activities, including as a volunteer for the American Heart Association, American Cancer Society and Boy Scouts of America.
Local officials oppose NJ Transit fare hike
Mayor Steven M. Fulop along with the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) and a group called New Jersey for Transit issued a statement on July 15 condemning New Jersey Transit’s decision to raise fares by nine percent and eliminate six bus lines and two train lines, which was approved despite viable immediate and long-term solutions presented by the “Fight the Hike Campaign.”
“While I am disappointed in today’s decision by the NJ Transit Board members, I am not surprised as this has been the pattern of leadership at the agency,” said Mayor Fulop. “NJ Transit should be exploring the expansion of transit and building the strong transit system commuters deserve to create long-term sustainability as we outlined. Working families in Jersey City don’t need an added tax and there are alternative measures to fixing NJ Transit’s budget issues.”
In Hoboken, a one-way bus ticket to Port Authority Bus Terminal will cost 30 cents extra starting in October. A one-way train ticket from Clifton to Hoboken will cost 25 cents extra. The 12:15 a.m. train departing Hoboken on the Pascack Valley Line will be eliminated.
The latest fare hike by New Jersey Transit’s is the fifth since 2002 and will affect the 47.3 percent of Jersey City residents who rely on mass transit to get to and from work, Fulop said.
Mayor Fulop in partnership with ATU launched in May an aggressive campaign called “Fight the Hike,” a non-profit entity, to raise awareness around NJ Transit’s fare hike and service cut proposal.
The Fight the Hike Campaign presented a three-pronged approach to eliminate the $60 million NJ Transit budget shortfall. The measures outlined included requiring NJ Transit to sell all vacant parcels of land owned by the agency statewide, establishing Transit Oriented Development (TOD) in urban areas as well as suburbs, and expanding bus and train capacity as ridership increases.
“I am deeply disappointed with the fare hikes and service cuts that NJ Transit approved,” said Assemblyman Carmelo Garcia (D-33) in a statement. “Raising fares while cutting service has a double negative impact on those residents. This is a time when public transportation should be encouraged and promoted, not cut and made more expensive.”
New mixed-media exhibit debuts at hob’art gallery
This weekend, the hob’art gallery will debut its newest exhibit, “Passport to Understanding,” features mixed-media pieces by Liz Cohen and Ibou Ndoye. The opening reception will be held on Saturday, July 18, from 6 to 8 p.m. On Sunday, July 19 at 3:30 p.m., the artists will discuss their work.
On Thursday, Mayor Dawn Zimmer presided over a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the hob’art collective gallery, which has been open for three years. “The membership has been so very busy and involved with so many wonderful exhibitions, that having an official ribbon cutting was put on hold,” said Cohen, who also serves as hob’art’s president.
The hob’art gallery is located in Room E208 at the Monroe Center for the Arts at 720 Monroe Street.
Guitar Bar to attempt world record jam session yet again
This Thursday, July 23, local music store Guitar Bar will once again attempt to break the world record for most guitarists playing the same song simultaneously. As with last year, that song will be Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door.” Last year, the event failed to match the record of 1,802 participants set in Germany.
This year’s event will take place at 7 p.m. on the 23rd at Sinatra Park, located between 4th & 5th streets on Sinatra Drive. In case of rain, the event will take place at Pier A Park on Sunday, July 26 at 7 p.m.
Anyone with an acoustic guitar, mandolin, ukulele, or other acoustic string instrument is invited to come and play along. The chords are relatively simple and can be found online at the event page at guitarbar.com/worldrecord.
“Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” will be followed by other easy songs even beginner guitarists can follow, including tunes by Chuck Berry, Taylor Swift, and other classics.
For more information, please call James Mastro at 201-222-0915, email james@guitarbar.com, or visit guitarbar.com/worldrecord. You can also find the event on Facebook.
PSE&G to continue repairing trenches left over from gas main replacements
This week, PSE&G will continue the first phase of milling and paving work to repair trenches created during the installation of new gas mains in Hoboken as part of the Energy Strong program, according to a press release from the city. The project is replacing 31,000 linear feet of low pressure old cast iron mains with new plastic pipe, which is designed to operate at a higher pressure, increasing the reliability of gas service.
Parking will be prohibited on both sides of the street during paving. Work on additional streets will be announced in the near future.
Paving is scheduled to take place from July 20 to July 23, weather permitting, on the following streets:
Monday, July 20
Newark St (Washington St to Grand St)
Willow Ave (1st St to 3rd St)
1st St (Bloomfield St to Washington St)
Tuesday, July 21
Grand St (1st St to 2nd St)
Park Ave (Newark St to 4th St)
Adams St (1st St to 3rd St)
Thursday, July 23
Adams St (3rd St to 6th St)
Please note that the schedule is tentative and subject to change.
City of Water Day promises to be a splash July 18
City of Water Day is back this Saturday, July 18, and the celebration promises to be better than ever. Organized by the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance, the annual event highlights the many ways residents of New York and New Jersey can take advantage of their waterfront, and Maxwell Place Park in Hoboken will once again be a flagship location.
Making use of the Hoboken Cove Community Boathouse located within the park, there will free lessons in kayaking, stand up paddleboard, Hawaiian outrigger canoe, traditional canoe, and surfski. Instructors will be on hand to assist with all activities.
Food trucks and free ice cream will also be available.
A number of free boat tours of New York Harbor on schooners, yachts, sailboats and other vessels have also been, some of which depart from Pier 13 in Hoboken. More information and tickets can be found online at www.cityofwaterday.org/2015-boat-tours.
City of Water Day will take place in Maxwell Place Park from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 18.
Kids ride the ferry free all summer
Children under 12 can ride the NY Waterway ferry for free from July 5 through Labor Day, Sept. 7. Ferries travel to midtown and downtown from Port Imperial and Lincoln Harbor in Weehawken and14th Street in Hoboken, making NY Waterway the easiest, most family-friendly way to enjoy the sights and sounds of summer in the Big Apple.
“As a family-owned business, we take pride in being family-friendly. We want to make a visit to the greatest city in the world affordable and convenient,” said NY Waterway President and Founder Arthur E. Imperatore. “We are happy to offer free ferry rides for children to make it even easier for families to have a memorable experience in New York City this summer.”
It takes 8 minutes to cross the Hudson River from Port Imperial, Lincoln Harbor, or 14th Street in Hoboken to Midtown West 39th Street in Manhattan, and takes less than 25 minutes to cross from these New Jersey terminals to Lower Manhattan. Service between Port Imperial, Lincoln Harbor or 14th Street in Hoboken and 39th Street operates all day seven days a week.
At the West 39th Street Midtown Ferry Terminal in Manhattan, free connecting multi-route NY Waterway shuttles are waiting to take passengers on several routes serving midtown and downtown. Shuttles stop at key destinations such as Times Square, the Empire State Building, Macy’s, Radio City Music Hall, Madison Square Garden, Bryant Park, and St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
Families can take advantage of “Kids Ride Free” in tandem with NY Waterway’s Your Key To The City™ partner program which offers discounts of up to 56% on top NYC museums, attractions, and tours. NY Waterway’s expanded Your Key to the City program also offers special discounts on over 40 participating Broadway plays and musicals.
For more information, call 1-800-53-FERRY or click on www.nywaterway.com or www.facebook.com or @ridetheferry.