Newport community to get park
On Tuesday, the Jersey City Planning Board approved plans for the Newport open space park, according to Sonia Maldonado, president, Newport Waterfront Association.
NWA urged the board to approve the plans that were presented by a developer.
“The park was long overdue,” Maldonado said. “Not everyone got what they wanted, but most Newport residents are thrilled. It’s important now to finish construction as soon as possible.”
Jersey City woman brutally assaulted
A 34-year-old Jersey City woman was sexually and physically attacked on March 24, NJ.com reported. According to authorities, a man put her into a chokehold, dragged her into an alley, and savagely attacked her. The attack took place near Harrison and Bergen Avenues shortly after midnight. After threatening to kill her, the man robbed her and fled on a silver BMX-style bicycle.
The woman was taken to the hospital where she was treated and released. The woman described her attacker as black, about 30 years old, 5-foot-7, wearing black jeans, forest green hooded jacket, orange sweatshirt, and white black and gray sneakers. Anyone with information is asked to call the Special Victims Unit at (201) 915-1234 or the police tip line at (201) 547-5245.
Event with Board of Ed candidates Wednesday
A group called Parents and Communities United for Education will hold a community meeting with Jersey City Board of Education candidates this Wednesday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Mary Bethune Center, 140 Martin Luther King Drive, corner of Fulton Avenue, Jersey City. Spanish translation will be provided.
The election for three of the nine seats on the board will be held Wednesday, April 27.
For more information on the meeting, call (201) 316-2309 or (201) 742-1196 or e-mail pcue.info@seocnj.org.
Possible link between Jersey City shootings
Newark resident Khalif Sawyer, 19, died Saturday, March 19, after being shot in the head. Authorities are now investigating whether a double shooting that occurred earlier is related, according to NJ.com. At 10 p.m., about two hours before Sawyer was shot by two men who fired at least 20 bullets into a crowd socializing on Oak Street near Ocean Avenue, two New Jersey men were shot at Rutgers and Chapel avenues.
Hudson County Prosecutor Edward DeFazio said a motive had not been determined and described the shooters as “extremely dangerous.” He urged anyone with information on the shooting to call the Hudson County Homicide Unit hot line at (201) 915-1345.
History event highlights Margaret Hague Maternity Hospital
On Thursday, March 31, The Hudson County Chamber of Commerce will offer another installment of its Hudson County History Series. The event, “The History of the Margaret Hague Maternity Hospital transformed into the Beacon,” will take place at the Beacon in downtown Jersey City from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. The series focuses on the historic significance of various Hudson County towns.
The evening of networking will feature a tour of the Beacon, a collection of art deco buildings built in the 1930s to serve as the Jersey City Medical Center, including the Margaret Hague Maternity Hospital. The Beacon is now a luxury, mixed use development. Before the tour John Gomez, preservation expert and founder of the Jersey City Landmarks conservancy, will give a brief presentation. Call (201) 386-0699, e-mail info@hudsonchamber.org, or visit www.hudsonchamber.org.
Photo contest winners will get Greenville show
The winners of a photo contest will be part of a group show in the Greenville section of Jersey City. “Greenville is one of the farthest neighborhoods in Jersey City from the PATH stations and is also a neighborhood that gets a lot of bad press about its crime and poverty,” said contest organizer Elizabeth Deegan. “There are hardly any public events in the area to bring the community together.”
Photos should focus on Jersey City. To enter, check out www.projectgreenville.webs.com or e-mail projectgreenville@gmail.com. Prints can be mailed to the UPS store, 342 Broadway, #527, New York, NY 10013. Deadline, April 9.
Foster parents for kittens needed
Spring is kitten season, when Jersey City’s Liberty Humane Society shelter will be inundated with vulnerable kittens that often need specialized care. They range in age from a few days to a few weeks. Some need round-the-clock care and bottle feeding, while others just need a safe haven. Potential foster parents may attend a seminar to teach them how to care for these kittens. Thursday, April 14, 6:30 p.m., Hoboken Public Library, 500 Park Avenue. www.libertyhumane.org.
Jersey City gets neighborhood grant
The Jersey City Housing Authority has been selected to receive the first planning grants through the New Choice Neighborhood initiative of the federal department of Housing and Urban Development. Housing Finance News reports that Jersey City is among 17 communities that will share a total of $4 million to promote a comprehensive approach to transforming areas of concentrated poverty into viable and sustainable mixed-income neighborhoods.
Liberty Science Center president and CEO resigns
Emlyn H. Koster, president and CEO of the Liberty Science Center, stepped down last week, according to a release from the board of trustees. No reason was given for the resignation, but he will continue to serve as president emeritus, an external ambassador for the museum.
Until a successor is found, a transition team will take over. Koster, who was on board for 15 years, oversaw the center’s expansion and repurposing.
Contract for Port Jersey dredging awarded
The Port Jersey Navigation Channel over the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commissioners’ outfall tunnel in Jersey City and Bayonne needs to be deepened, according to the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers New York District.
Dredging News Online reports that the contract to do the dredging was awarded to Weeks Marine Inc. of Cranford. The contract is to deepen the areas of the channel needed for 50-foot navigational use.
Jersey City Medical Center to hold blood drive
Jersey City Medical Center will hold its spring blood drive Wednesday, March 30 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the hospital’s conference rooms 5 and 6 at 355 Grand Street, Jersey City. Members of the public are sought to donate blood.
Donors should bring identification with a signature, weigh over 110 pounds, and be in good health. Donations include free cholesterol and glucose screenings. Call (201) 915-2180.