BRIEFS

Free community fair

The Dvine Konektion Community Development Corporation is offering a free Community Fair on Saturday, Aug. 17 from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at 5516 Jefferson St. in West New York. Residents of West New York, North Bergen, Union City, Weehawken and Guttenberg are welcome to attend. During the fair free bags of groceries and baby supplies such as diapers and wipes will be distributed. There will also be free blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol screenings, information about health insurance and more! A limited amount of school supplies will also be distributed. For additional information, please call 201-617-4484 or visit www.dvinek.org.

Union City United Soccer Club schedules tryouts on Aug. 18

The oldest soccer club in Union City, formed in 2007, has invited boys and girls to attend a tryout on Sunday, Aug. 18, to select team players. The Union City United Soccer Club has teams for age groups from 7 to 13 for both boys and girls which will compete in the Metro Youth Soccer League in the coming season from fall 2013 to spring 2014.
Tryouts are scheduled for 1 p.m. Aug. 18 at the Union City High School, 24th Street and Summit Avenue. For more information, call Victor (201) 921-1110 or Willy (201)780-9408.

Artists, crafters and vendors wanted for Union City Art & Crafts and Music Festival

The city of Union City is seeking artists, crafters and vendors to participate in the Annual Union City Arts & Crafts and Music Festival to be held at Ellsworth Park, New York Avenue and 23rd Street, on Saturday, Sept. 14, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The day long festival will include various performances and activities for children. Artists and crafters interested in participating may reserve a space or obtain information from the Union City Department of Public Affairs, 3715 Palisade Ave., 3rd floor, Union City, NJ 07087 or by calling (201) 348-5746. The spaces are 10 x10 feet and participation is free.

DUI crackdown in WNY

Law enforcement officers from the Town of West New York will be cracking down on drunk drivers as part of the 2013 Labor Day “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign. From Aug. 16 through Sept. 2, local and state law enforcement officers will conduct sobriety checkpoints and roving patrols in search of motorists who may be driving while intoxicated.
Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” is a national campaign designed to raise awareness about the dangers of drinking and driving through high-visibility enforcement and public education tools, including posters, banners and mobile video display signs. Launched across the U.S. in 1999, the program works to combat drunk driving during some of the busiest travel times of the year, including the Labor Day holiday period.
In 2012 alcohol-impaired fatalities accounted for 19 percent of New Jersey’s motor vehicle fatalities. As part of the initiative, the Division of Highway Traffic Safety provides grants to local law enforcement agencies throughout the state to run the two-week campaign.

Hospital holding stroke education seminar

Meadowlands Hospital Medical Center will be conducting a complimentary stroke education seminar on Wednesday, Aug. 14, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., 55 Meadowlands Pkwy., Secaucus.
All community members are welcomed to attend.
The event will be conducted by Joseph Crouchman, and will take place in the second-floor cafeteria. Light refreshments will be served
To RSVP for the seminar, call (201) 392-3397.

Senator announces Community Development Block Grants

U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, D-NJ, recently announced that counties and municipalities across New Jersey are receiving more than $37.7 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for various housing and economic development programs.
These grants include funding through HUD’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, which provides resources for community improvements to help foster economic development.
Union City was among the awardees, with a CDBG of $976,360.
“It’s hard to move forward without a roof over your head, and these HUD dollars help provide New Jersey’s individuals and families – including the most vulnerable – access to housing so they can move forward,” said Menendez, chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation, and Community Development. “Vital federal investments like these help New Jersey’s families, and help revitalize communities, and I will continue fighting to secure these resources for the benefit of everyone in New Jersey.”

Creative arts explored next weekend at Dinosaur park

Children can get instructions on how to draw dinosaurs – and help create a colossal mural – during Paleo-Art Weekend, Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 17 and 18, at Field Station: Dinosaurs in Secaucus.
In addition, young explorers can get their hands dirty while learning what it means to be a dig site sketcher.
Field Station is located at One Dinosaur Way. (Exit 15X off the New Jersey Turnpike, then left onto New County Road).
For more information, call (855) 999-9010.

NJMC still offering pontoon boat cruises in August

If you have an interest in riding leisurely on a pontoon boat cruise in August, you’re still in luck. The New Jersey Meadowlands Commission (NJMC) is offering five more of the two-hour tours this month, on Aug. 14, 16, 20, and 22 at 5:30 p.m., and Aug. 21 at 10 a.m.
NJMC pontoon ride attendees receive an up-close view of the Meadowlands District’s beauty and wildlife during the guided cruise of the Hackensack River and its surrounding marshes. NJMC staff will discuss the region’s human and environmental history, and point out birds and other wildlife along the way.
The pontoon boat cruises are $15 per person, and for ages 10 and up. Pre-registration is required. The tours depart from River Barge Park, 260 Outwater Lane, Carlstadt.
For the schedule, directions, and to register, visit www.njmeadowlands.gov/environment/tours.html, or call (201) 460-4640.

Flyway Gallery hosts multi-media exhibit

The New Jersey Meadowlands Commission’s (NJMC) Flyway Gallery will host an exhibit featuring photography and 3D art decoupage focusing on natural landscapes by artists Paula Vilela and Ilda Pinto Almeida during August and September.
The show, “Perspectives,” runs from Friday, Aug. 16, to Sept. 27. An artists’ reception is scheduled on Saturday, Sept. 7, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Flyway Gallery is located in the Meadowlands Environment Center in DeKorte Park, the home of the NJMC.
“The NJMC is pleased to showcase the unique work of these talented artists,” said Marcia Karrow, NJMC executive director. “We invite everyone to explore their perspectives on elements of the natural world.”
The Flyway Gallery is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, excluding holidays.
Directions to DeKorte Park are available in the “About Us” section of the NJMC website, at www.njmeadowlands.gov, or by calling (201) 460-8300.

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