Union City passes ‘pay to play’ ordinance; can now receive held-up state aid
At Tuesday’s Board of Commissioners meeting, Union City unanimously voted a “pay to play” ordinance into effect, which will ensure that the city will receive transitional state aid to the tune of $12 million, according to NJ.com. Transitional aid is meant for cities in fiscal distress.
The N.J. Department of Community Affairs notified the city in January that it would not receive the $12 million until it adopted a pay to play ordinance. Such ordinances limit the ability of campaign donors to get contracts or jobs with the politicians whom they help elect.
It had recently been reported that Mayor Brian Stack incorrectly said on the city’s application for the aid that the city had passed such a law, when it had not. Now, the problem is cleared up.
On Tuesday, the city adopted two amendments to their proposed ordinance: one that lifted limitations on Hudson County political committee contributions, and one which changed the date the measure would go into effect from July 1 to April 1.
Rotary Club/Palisades Health Fair to provide free health screenings
The Union City-West New York Rotary Club has teamed up with Palisades Medical Center to hold a Community Health Fair on Saturday, March 10, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the José Martí Freshman Academy located at 1800 Summit Ave. in Union City.
Bi-lingual (English and Spanish) health care professionals will be present to answer questions, and attendees will receive free samples and giveaways. Professionals will offer free screenings for blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, and sleep disorders. For more information, please call Nikki Mederos at (201) 854-5702.
UC Mayor Stack to hold Saturday office hours
Union City Mayor Brian Stack will hold Saturday office hours on Feb. 25 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the third floor of City Hall located at 3715 Palisade Ave. Residents may address any issues they may have.
Residents may call (201) 376-1942 and schedule an appointment if they cannot make the public sessions.
PERC to hold Welcome to Summer Gala
Palisades Emergency Residence Corporation, which runs a homeless shelter in Union City and offers various services for the needy in Hudson County, will hold its Welcome to Summer Gala fundraiser on May 22 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. atThe Graycliff, located at 122 Moonachie Rd. in Moonachie, N.J.
PERC will celebrate 31 years of providing shelter, food, services, and those in need in Hudson County with a cocktail hour, dinner, auction, and raffle.
For more information, contact PERC at (201) 348-8150 or e-mail events@percshelter.org.
Hispanic Business Council Scholarship Foundation deadline approaches
The Hispanic Business Council Scholarship Foundation of NJ, Inc. is accepting applications for the annual scholarship and stipend awards for current college and college-bound Hispanic students for the 2012-2013 school term.
The HBCSF, a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization, has a mission to advance the educational aspirations of Hispanic students to become professionals, leaders, and valued citizens of the community.
The current application can be accessed through www.hbcsf.org and is open to all New Jersey residents of Hispanic heritage. Applications and all required information must be postmarked by Wednesday, Feb. 29, 2012.
N.Y. Giants Snow Bowl to benefit Special Olympics
The N.Y. Giants will team up with Special Olympics New Jersey to sponsor the sixth annual Snow Bowl Flag Football Tournament presented by Wyndham Worldwide on March 2 through 4 at MetLife Stadium.
The Snow Bowl, a six-on-six flag football tournament with light blocking, is played over three days and features recreational, competitive and co-ed divisions. Several of the registered teams will represent local police and fire departments. Each team was responsible for raising a minimum of $1,600 to play in the tournament, and many have gone above and beyond that.
Proceeds from Snow Bowl benefit Special Olympics New Jersey and help to support more than 22,000 children and adults with intellectual disabilities who train and compete, free-of-charge, year-round in 24 sports.
For more information on Snow Bowl or Special Olympics New Jersey, visit www.sonj.org.