New firehouse clears BLRA
A review of plans for the new firehouse in the Harbor Station section of the former Military Ocean Terminal (MOTBY) is expected to get the blessing of the Bayonne Local Redevelopment Authority at its March 17 meeting. The BLRA reviewed the project to make certain that it complied with the redevelopment plan for the MOTBY. Currently, fire engines use a temporary tent structure at that site.
Deal in works for Bergen Bus Co.
With buses halted temporarily, the Bergen Bus Co. could be back in operation under new ownership, according to published reports. The bus company operates a route that goes from the north end of Bayonne to Journal Square in Jersey City.
Have a heart…test
The Assembly and Senate Health Committee approved legislation sponsored by Assembly members Jason O’Donnell and Ruben Ramos Jr. to protect the hearts of newborn babies.
The bill (A-3744), approved unanimously in the Assembly by a vote of 78 – 0, would require a simple, non-invasive and painless test at least 24 hours post-birth to identify Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) in newborns. With only several other states – Tennessee, Indiana, and Maryland – having similar measures pending, New Jersey could soon be the first state to pass such a measure.
“As this legislation has made its way through our house, we have heard many inspiring stories about how this procedure has saved lives, and also some heartbreaking tales of how it could have saved the life of a child,” said O’Donnell, whose third child was born with CHD. “We have a mandatory check for hearing on newborns, yet we don’t have a mandatory check for life-threatening heart defects. This is just common sense. A simple test can save the lives of many infants, and save their families from unimaginable heartache.”
CHD is the most common birth defect in infants, with approximately one in 100 children born with some type of structural problem in the heart, most of which are not diagnosed prior to birth. Such structural problems impact the flow of blood through the heart, lungs, and brain.
Sires pushes for high speed rail funding
Rep. Albio Sires was among 39 members of the House of Representatives in sending a bi-partisan letter to U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, requesting that the $2.4 billion in high speed rail funding that was rejected by the State of Florida be reprogrammed to the Northeast Corridor.
“I have been a long-time supporter of the high speed rail and believe that the Northeast Corridor, which runs from Washington, D.C., to Boston, Mass., is the most viable candidate for a true high speed rail,” said Sires. “I know that New Jersey and the other states that span the Northeast Corridor stand ready to improve passenger rail service in the nation’s most densely populated region.”
The Northeast Corridor is the most developed intercity rail service in the nation and Amtrak’s Acela Express currently holds 69 percent of the air/rail market share between Washington, D.C. and New York, N.Y. Amtrak’s Acela Express has grown its ridership by 600 percent during its nine-year history. Updates to rail infrastructure and greater funding are necessary to meet high speed rail needs.
New CD release by Bayonne’s own musicians
Barbara Beeman, Bill Bannon, and John Parrott are releasing their new CD, called “Plenty of Time,” at The Networking Cafe on March 26 from 7:30 to 10 p.m.