New Year’s baby wanted
The “Bayonne Community News” is looking for the first Bayonne baby born in 2012. Each year, the paper offers a host of prizes given by Bayonne businesses to help the first baby start out life right. To be eligible, the parents must reside in Bayonne even if the baby was born elsewhere. Those interested in submitting can call the “Bayonne Community News” at (201) 437-2460 by Friday, Jan. 6 at 3 p.m.
Two people injured in 33rd Street fire
Two people were rushed to Bayonne Medical Center on Dec. 29 after the Bayonne Fire Department responded to a two-alarm fire at a 25-unit apartment building at 92 West 33rd St., which left four apartments uninhabitable and nine people displaced.
Fire Chief Greg Rogers said firefighters arrived to find flames shooting out of the third floor window.
“Two adult males, one adult female, and a dog were assisted down the fire escape in the rear of the building by firefighters,” Rogers said. “Two additional people were also assisted by firefighters on another fire escape on the east side of the building. The male, reportedly suffering from smoke inhalation, was unable to completely descend the fire escape. Firefighters took the victim off the fire escape into a lower floor apartment below the fire, and brought him down to safety. He was then transported to Bayonne Medical Center.”
At least five police officers were treated on the scene for smoke inhalation. One police officer was also sent to the hospital for treatment.
“I would like to commend the firefighters and police officers for their efforts,” Rogers said. “This was a very large building, with multiple victims requiring help.”
The Fire Department, Police Department, EMS, and Building Department were at the scene.
The fire is currently under investigation.
Suspicious package leads to brief lock down
A package arriving at Bayonne City Hall was treated as suspicious, causing the police to isolate the area until the matter could be investigated.
“The handwriting was gibberish and we took precautions,” said Public Safety Director Jason O’Donnell. “When it arrived at City Hall, we couldn’t make out what it said.”
Since the package had no return address, the city decided to take precautions and later determined that the contents were safe.
The police department’s anti-terrorism unit was brought into the matter, as well as the Bayonne Fire Department and the Joint Terror Task Force out of Newark. A postal inspector was also brought in the matter.
“Think of it as a training exercise,” O’Donnell said. “As it turned out, it was not a threat at all.”
High Tech NHS sponsors toiletries drive for local shelter
The High Tech National Honor Society recently sponsored a toiletries drive to benefit the Hoboken Shelter Communities of Faith for Housing Inc., announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, director of High Tech High School.
Bayonne residents and High Tech High School seniors Michael Moazampour, Natalie Panariello, and Benjamin Youssef helped organize the drive, which ran from Dec. 2 to the 14. Freshmen donated toothbrushes; sophomores offered toothpaste; juniors contributed shampoos; seniors proffered bars of soap; and AACT students gave deodorant. In total, High Tech and AACT students donated eight cartons of toiletries.
The Hoboken Shelter, a community partnership that transforms lives, provides 350 meals daily; shelters 50 people nightly; and offers other support services such as case management, counseling, job and life-skills training, creative-arts workshops, and emergency homelessness prevention grants.
Officials at the Hoboken shelter said they greatly appreciate the support and donations of all. It costs only $2 to serve a nutritious meal. For more information on supporting and/or donating to the Hoboken Shelter, email Executive Director Jaclyn Cherubini at director@hobokenshelter.org.
For any additional information, email Philip Swibinski at philip.swibinski@vmmi.net or call (201) 978-8651.
Purse snatching averted
A 28-year-old Bayonne woman walking home along a dark section of West 63rd Street on Dec. 19 told police that a man tried to grab her handbag, then fled when she did not release the strap.
A police spokesperson said the woman was walking toward the County Village section of Bayonne from the bus stop when she said she sensed someone walking behind her.
Unhurt in the attack, she told the police the attacker fled east on 63rd Street.
Clarification
In a caption published in the Dec. 28 issue of the “Bayonne Community News” on page five, Joseph Aiello was cited as the father of Miss Bayonne Columbus Gabrielle Urciuoli instead of as stepfather. Father is David Urciuoli.