Hoboken Housing Authority board awards contract to lock doors
In a major step towards fixing some of the worst and most persistent damage wrought on Hoboken’s public housing projects by Superstorm Sandy, the Hoboken Housing Authority Board of Commissioners awarded a $264,000 contract to an unnamed contractor to repair the electronic door locking system in several of the Authority’s buildings at its May 14 meeting.
The HHA received 10 bids for the contract. According to HHA Interim Executive Director Robert DiVincent, the locks should be fully functional again by midsummer.
Sandy knocked out the electronic swipe card door locking system in many of the same low-lying HHA buildings that also lost their backup generators. The system has remained inoperable since, leading to safety concerns among residents.
DiVincent said he had applied for a grant that would cover the cost of the door locking contract, but did not want to hold up the work while he waited to see if the grant would be awarded.
At its March 12 meeting, the HHA Board approved a $13,125 contract with United Technology Partners to serve as the project manager for the door lock upgrades. Awarding a full contract was the next step.
Parking info for Memorial Day Weekend
All parking regulations will be in effect on Saturday, May 23, 2015. There will be no enforcement of permit parking rules, parking meters, or street cleaning on Sunday, May 24, 2015 and Monday, May 25, 2015. All other parking regulations including those that impact public safety and pedestrian safety such as blocking fire hydrants, parking in or near crosswalks and handicapped parking spaces, and double parking, will continue to be enforced by the Police Department.
The Hoboken Parking Utility customer service windows will be closed on Saturday, May 23, 2015. Those requiring parking products should visit the Parking Utility in advance.
Stevens, Hoboken Family Alliance and 11 Hoboken Schools to launch STEM-a-thon on June 2
More than 300 Grade 6 students from all 11 of Hoboken’s public, private, and charter schools will participate in a day of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) learning, teamwork, and innovation at STEM-a-thon: A Day of Innovation for Hoboken’s sixth grade students, to be held on June 2 at Stevens Institute of Technology. This inaugural event is being sponsored by Stevens in partnership with the Hoboken Family Alliance.
Activities will inspire students to collaborate, create, and innovate to complete a variety of challenges successfully.
“One of the key goals of this event is to engage and inspire Hoboken’s budding scientists and engineers in the fun and excitement of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics,” said Dr. Nariman Farvardin, president of Stevens Institute of Technology. “STEM is everywhere, in iPhones and video games, in medical advances and in innovations that make our City more secure and resilient in future storms like Hurricane Sandy. We hope that many of the students who attend the STEM-a-thon will consider pursuing STEM degrees and careers.”
Hoboken Family Alliance is a co-sponsor of this event.
The event will begin at 9 a.m. in the Canavan Arena on the campus of Stevens Institute of Technology. Stevens student and faculty volunteers will guide sixth graders through several activities, culminating with a closing ceremony at approximately 1:30 p.m. where each school will receive a STEM experience and a sixth grade class party donated by Hoboken Family Alliance and many area businesses.
Mayor Dawn Zimmer, Hoboken City Council President Ravinder Bhalla, and Sixth Ward Councilwoman Jen Giattino are expected to attend.
Hoboken Uptown Farmers’ Market to bring Garden State goodies starting June 4
Sometimes New Jersey’s moniker, ‘The Garden State,’ can be a tough sell when you’re wandering through the concrete jungle of Hudson County. But Hoboken has several farmers’ markets that will be open soon to sell fresh produce on city streets.
The Hoboken Uptown Farmers’ Market, in conjunction with The Quality of Life Coalition, will be arriving June 4 with strawberries, sweet corn, those famous Jersey tomatoes, and more.
Running through October, the market will be open Thursdays from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Thirteenth and Hudson Streets.
Organic produce will return. At the end of each day, vendors are encouraged to donate leftover produce to the Hoboken Shelter. Additionally, eligible customers are welcome to use WIC (Women, Infants & Children Program) coupons with participating merchants. Look for the Hoboken Uptown Farmers’ Market on Facebook.
Kick off summer at Hoboken’s historic Our Lady of Grace Church
Celebrating its 10th year, the OLG Funfest runs Saturday, June 6, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday, June 7, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Our Lady of Grace Church and in Church Square Park in Hoboken. Attractions include kid’s rides, face-painting, games, festival foods, a biergarten with live entertainment, vendors selling arts and crafts, plus more!
Our Lady of Grace Church is located on 400 Willow Street, between Fourth and Fifth streets, in Hoboken. Additional information can be found at http://www.olgfunfest.com or at our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ourladyofgracefunfest. Information for the Sam Haiman Band can be found at their website: http://samhaimanband.com.