North Bergen police to run vehicle inspection checkpoint
The North Bergen Police Department, in conjunction with the New Jersey State Motor Vehicles Commission Mobile Inspection Unit, will be running a vehicle inspection checkpoint within the township on Wednesday, April 16. The operation is designed to remove dangerous vehicles from the road and promote safe driving practices.
“Drivers are entitled to an expectation that other vehicles they share the road with are in proper safe working order, but unfortunately some people neglect to maintain their vehicles properly,” said North Bergen Police Chief Robert Dowd. “With this operation we hope to reinforce the important vehicle safety standards that help keep all of us safe while we drive.”
Any vehicles found to be delinquent in their annual inspection will be ticketed and then inspected on the spot by the NJ MVC Mobile Inspection Unit. Vehicles that are deemed too dangerous to drive due to serious mechanical defects will be impounded and the driver will be given an additional summons.
Previously, the NBPD ran a similar operation last June that led to 42 vehicle inspections, 69 summonses issued for various violations and three unregistered dangerous vehicles being towed and taken off the streets.
Three suspicious fires take place within an hour on April 7
Police are investigating after two cars and a garbage can were set on fire within an hour. The garbage can was located next to a third car and the fire caused minor damage to that vehicle.
Nobody was injured in the incidents, which occurred between 5:25 and 6:25 a.m. on April 7. A 2005 Toyota Sienna and a Toyota Avalon were destroyed in the fires. All three incidents occurred within a short distance of one another.
As of press time, no arrests had been made and police were looking for witnesses and video surveillance that might provide information on the fires. Anyone with information should call the North Bergen Police Department at (201) 392-2093.
Hudson Chamber of Commerce welcomes Federal Reserve Bank economist
The Hudson County Chamber of Commerce will host a senior economist from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York at a special business networking event on Wednesday, April 30 at the University of Phoenix. Richard Peach, a senior vice president at the New York Federal Reserve who specializes in macroeconomic and monetary studies, is the featured speaker.
The goal of the event is to provide businesses a forecast for the regional, state, and national economy directly from an expert at the largest reserve bank in the United States.
“While the economy has certainly improved greatly since the financial crisis of 2008, there’s still a lot of uncertainty as to strength of the ongoing recovery and labor markets,” said Maria Nieves, the chamber’s president and CEO. “In presenting an economist from the New York Fed, we hope to provide our members with an idea of where the regional economy is heading through the remainder of 2014. It’s also a great opportunity to learn about what tools the Fed uses to manage U.S. economic policy, which impacts all of us.”
This special business networking event will take place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on the campus of host sponsor the University of Phoenix at 100 Town Square Place in Jersey City. Provident Bank is also sponsoring the event.
Founded in 1888, the Hudson County Chamber is one of the state’s oldest regional chambers of commerce. It currently represents more than 350 members, facilitates forums with local, state and federal officials, and provides a platform for business networking and partnerships.
For reservations to this special business networking event, call (201) 386-0699 x 27 or visit the Hudson County Chamber of Commerce website at www.hudsonchamber.org.
Third-Tuesday-of-the-Month Bird Walk with the NJMC and BCAS
Celebrate the end of income-tax-filing season with this Harrier Meadow spring bird walk in North Arlington on Tuesday, April 15. Participants will walk around the 70-acre natural area, which is normally closed to the public, and look for ospreys, early warblers and shorebirds and a snipe or two. The walk starts at 10 a.m. at Harrier Meadow on Disposal Road near Schuyler Avenue. (Note: There may be weekday construction vehicles on Valley Brook Avenue, so Harrier Meadow may be best reached by Schuyler Avenue.) The walk is sponsored by the N.J. Meadowlands Commission and the Bergen County Audubon Society. Check meadowblog.net for last-minute updates. Participants will have to sign a standard liability release that is good for NJMC/BCAS events throughout the year. To RSVP, contact Don Torino of the BCAS at greatauk4@aol.com or (201) 230-4983.
Preparations underway for renewed construction on American Dream
Three 500-foot-tall radio towers have been removed from the site of American Dream Meadowlands, the megamall previously known as Xanadu.
The removal clears the way for further construction on the site. Slated for the location is a 639,000-square-foot indoor water and amusement park, according to reports. Construction is expected to last 18 to 24 months.
The removal of the towers on April 1 follows a settlement between developers Triple Five and the Giants and Jets. The sports organizations had filed a lawsuit claiming that Triple Five’s plans to add amusement and water parks would result in traffic problems at MetLife Stadium during home games.
The lawsuit was dropped when a memorandum of understanding was signed earlier this year between the relevant parties, including NJ Transit and the NJ Turnpike Authority. Triple Five dropped a countersuit against the teams seeking damages for allegedly obstructing investment in the site.
Victory Terrace and Victory Sports Bar offer new entertainment options
Meadowlands Racing & Entertainment is racing into spring with the opening of Victory Terrace, a sprawling outdoor rooftop lounge on top of the $100 million dollar race track and entertainment complex in East Rutherford. Opening on April 25, Victory Terrace will offer table service, happy hour specials, and amazing city views.
Victory Sports Bar & Club features a “Vegas-style” sports bar with access to betting on live and simulcast races, as well as an event space suitable for private parties and family affairs, and a high-end nightclub that features DJs, graphical presentations, and special events throughout the year. The bar and club brings contemporary nightlife into a gaming environment and provides 100 foot ceilings, an enormous L.E.D. wall, eleven 12×20 foot TVs, and two oversized chandeliers, each holding three 60-inch flat screen TVs.
Customers can enjoy dining with table service, an extensive sushi menu, happy hour, and late night entertainment. “Friday Nights: Under the Lights” begins at 5 p.m. on Fridays, with a Top 40 music happy hour running until 9 p.m., then the party continues with Vocal House Anthems from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Club nights every Saturday from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. feature an array of renowned DJs including PS 1 and Chris Moody. Additional weekly entertainment will include stilt walkers, dancers, violinists, percussionists, robots, body paint specialists, and much more.
To make reservations or book a private event, call (201) 843-2446 or email catering@playmeadowlands.com
WNY Cuban Lions Club Health Fair on April 13
The West New York Cuban Lions Club has teamed with Palisades Medical Center to present its annual Community Health Fair. The event, which is free and open to the general public, will be held on Sunday, April 13 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the New Community Room, 514 52nd Street (Between Bergenline Ave. & Kennedy Blvd.) in West New York.
Free health tests and screenings will include blood pressure, heart rate, cholesterol, dental, eye/vision information, physical therapy, percentage of oxygen in the blood, diabetes, sleep disorder information, glaucoma screening, and more. Several physicians will be in attendance to answer questions. Attendees will receive free samples and giveaways.
For more information, contact Manny Reyes (201) 424-1201 or Nikki Mederos at (201) 854-5702.
CarePoint funds projects to help young people and seniors
The CarePoint Health Foundation has awarded three local organizations $5,000 each to fund important projects to help young people and senior citizens in Hudson County. The three non-profit groups that received the donations were AngelaCARES, Concordia Learning Center and New City Kids. The donations represent a commitment on the part of CarePoint Health to reach out to the needs of patients and families in the communities served by Bayonne Medical Center, Christ Hospital, and Hoboken University Medical Center.
AngelaCARES serves young people and senior citizens and is headquartered in Jersey City. Their Here4Seniors program provides direct services and wellness workshops to Hudson County seniors. Their programs include Thanksgiving dinners for the homebound, a yearly “Senior Prom,” and walking groups to encourage activity and socialization. Their workshops and seminars offer topics of interest to seniors including “Addiction and the Older Adult” and “Understanding the Changes Associated with Aging.”
Concordia Learning Center, located in Jersey City at St. Joseph’s School for the Blind, provides specialized services for children with multiple disabilities and is the only school for the blind in New Jersey. The CarePoint Health Foundation funded support for an on-line, ‘cloud-based’ standards-based curriculum for students with special needs. Individualized assessment tools, goals and resulting work plans are aligned with the Common Core Standards and the materials are adapted by the teachers to meet the needs of their students and families.
The mission of New City Kids, established in 2000 in Jersey City, is “Loving Kids for Change.” Their programs, including the After School Program for Academic Excellence, Teen Life Internship Program, summer camp and City Sail, are for children aged six through eighteen. Over the past six years, 90 percent of New City Kids alumni attended college or have graduated.