New state grants will improve roads in Hoboken, Union City
Hoboken and Union City will see additional road improvements under a new round of Local Aid Infrastructure Fund (LAIF) grants from the administration of Gov. Chris Christie to improve pedestrian safety, NJ.com reported.
$350,000 will be spent resurfacing sidewalks on Summit Avenue in Union City, while $750,000 will go toward structural repairs for Frank Sinatra Drive in Hoboken.
Juan Melli, the spokesman for Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer, said parts of the northern end of Frank Sinatra Drive will be reconstructed.
The money will be disbursed to Hudson County. Melli says the north end of Frank Sinatra Drive is a county road.
According to NJ.com, municipalities apply for LAIF grants from the Department of Transportation as demand arises throughout the year. The grants are meant to help maintain important infrastructure without the pain of a bond or local tax increase.
The city of Hoboken has its own plans to pave 50 blocks of roadway, improve 11 intersections, and upgrade more than 350 handicap-accessible curb ramps this year. In addition, several city streets will be repaved curb to curb in conjunction will gas main upgrades by local utility PSE&G.
Office comedy has one more week at Mile Square Theatre
When confronted with the soul-crushing sterility of the modern office, one has no choice but to laugh. That’s the thought behind “Core Values,” a new Mile Square Theatre play that has five more performances.
The play follows Richard, the manager of a corporate travel agency, as he tries to improve morale with a weekend team-building exercise. Unfortunately, travel agencies are a dying breed and he can only afford to hold the retreat at the office.
Mile Square Theatre Artistic Director Chris O’Connor described the show as a cross between TV comedy “The Office” and “Death of a Salesman.”
O’Connor says the “intimate setting” of the Edge Lofts, a storefront space that Mile Square is using while its new home is being constructed at The Artisan, provides a perfect setting for the claustrophobic workplace comedy. The makeshift theater has 70 seats.
“Core Values” was written by Steven Levenson and premiered off Broadway in 2013, receiving a Drama Desk nomination for Outstanding Play. Mile Square is the first theater to produce it across the Hudson in New Jersey.
Mile Square is working out of Edge Lofts while a brand new stage is being built for it at The Artisan across the street. The temporary space was provided by developer Larry Bijou, a supporter of the theater company.
“Open Values” will be performed today and this coming Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 8 p.m. at the Edge Lofts at 14th and Clinton Streets in Hoboken. Tickets are $30 and can be purchased at www.milesquaretheate.org or at the door. Reservations are strongly recommended.
Mayor Zimmer cuts ribbon on new urgent care center in Hoboken
Hobokenites looking for medical care without the hassle of appointments or the stress of emergency rooms have a new choice in town. Four months after opening for business, AstraHealth Urgent Care Center celebrated its grand opening Tuesday with a visit and tour by Mayor Dawn Zimmer.
The center is designed to treat non-threatening illnesses for those who don’t have a primary care provider or the time to meet with one. It is open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturdays and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sundays.
At least one physician is always on site at the clinic. The facility can perform sutures, splints, X-Rays, lab tests for streptococcus, mononucleosis, and drug screens, among other procedures.
AstraHealth Urgent Care Center is located at 95 Hudson Street, just blocks from Hoboken’s bus and train terminal.
Zimmer said the center would be a terrific resource for the city of Hoboken. She said she was especially excited that the Astra facility would accept all major insurance providers, including Medicare and Medicaid.
Practice Supervisor Anthony Russo said most traditional insurance plans have coverage for urgent care. For those without insurance, AstraHealth offers cash pay rates.
According to Russo, the Hoboken clinic is a brand new, state-of-the-art facility, “built up from the studs” on the former site of a dentist’s office. It shares a waiting room with Hoboken Medical Aesthetics and Wellness.
Astra also has locations in Basking Ridge, Jersey City, Belleville, and Warren. It plans to open a new urgent care center in Bayonne later this year.