Gallo quits as freeholder aide
Claiming he is pressed for time and not because a story was published about his job, Steve Gallo said he is resigning as an aide to Freeholder Doreen DiDomenico.
Gallo, who also serves as the city’s business administrator, chief of staff to Mayor Mark Smith, a legislative aide to Assemblyman Jason O’Donnell, as well as the executive director of the Bayonne Municipal Utilities Authority, served as one of DiDomenico’s paid aides. Gallo, however, disputed claims that the $99 he received every two weeks for the position contributed to his pension.
Duel job-holding is not unusual in the City of Bayonne, where, in the past, individuals were often required to cover multiple duties.
“I only get one paycheck,” he said, noting that he also recently resigned from his position on the Bayonne Planning Board, also because of time constraints.
“I used to be very involved in the Boy Scouts,” he said. “I haven’t had time to do that with all the other things.”
Curtain fire at high school
On April 1, the Bayonne Fire Department was dispatched to Bayonne High School on a report of fire alarms sounding. Upon arrival, firefighters discovered smoke in the stage area of the auditorium, and a small area of flames coming from the top of a curtain on the north side of the stage. Firefighters pulled the stage curtain down, and extinguished the fire. The fire investigator determined that the fire was accidental, with a stage light being the probable cause. The damage was minor, and there were no reported injuries. School was out at the time of the incident.
DeLeo to speak at senior center
Hudson County Surrogate Donald W. De Leo will be addressing members of the Exxon Mobile Annuitants Club on Wednesday, April 13, at 1 p.m. in the Bayonne Senior Center, 16 West Fourth Street. He will be talking about new information on wills, living wills, living trusts, and stories from the Hudson County Surrogate’s Court.
Energy assistant deadline looms
The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) Commissioner Lori Grifa reminded income-eligible residents that they have until May 2 to apply for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) benefits for this year. The federally-funded program assists low-income households with their heating and cooling bills, and provides emergency heating system services and emergency fuel assistance.
“Given the economic downturn, LIHEAP provides a lifeline to households with limited financial resources that have little ability to deal with seasonal and unexpected increases in home energy costs,” Grifa said. “Access to LIHEAP assistance allows vulnerable New Jersey families to pay for other necessities, such as food, clothing, and health care.”
Program funding is administered through the DCA’s Division of Housing and Community Resources. Residents are asked to file an application with any of the local agencies participating in the LIHEAP program.
To be eligible for LIHEAP benefits, households must be responsible for home heating or cooling costs, either directly or included in the rent; and have a gross income at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level. Persons who live in public housing and/or receive rental assistance are not eligible unless they pay for their own heating/cooling costs directly to the fuel supplier.
The LIHEAP application also serves as an application for the Universal Service Fund (USF) Program, which is run by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities. USF helps low-income households pay for their electric and natural gas costs. LIHEAP eligible households may also be eligible to receive USF assistance. USF applications are accepted throughout the year.
For more information on LIHEAP, or to find the nearest agency participating in the program, log on to www.energyassistance.nj.gov or call 1-800-510-3102 (LIHEAP).