All posts by admin

Cover Story, feasts and festivals, Sally Deering

EAT, PRAY, LOVE…  La Festa Italiana 2016 promises Fun, Dancing and Great Food

Leave a comment

 

Holy Rosary Church celebrates 113th Italian Festival in Downtown JC

A day at La Festa

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Sally Deering

August nights are a time to celebrate when La Festa Italiana, the Old World Italian Street Festival hosted by Holy Rosary Church turns Historic Downtown Jersey City into five summer nights of music, dancing, food and fun!

La Festa Italiana 2016 begins Wed, Aug. 10, and continues through Sun, Aug. 14, on Sixth & Brunswick Streets. On these five summer nights, the neighborhood surrounding Holy Rosary Church will come alive with rocking dance music, games of chance, kids’ activities, and a wide-array of delicious foods and libations. La Festa Italiana runs from 5 pm-11 pm Wednesday-to-Friday, and 3 pm-11 pm Saturday & Sunday. The last night (Sunday) at 11 pm, the “Super 50/50” Raffle winner will be chosen. Last year’s ticket-holder won over $10,200.

Zeppoles La Festa Italiana honors the veneration of Maria SS. Dell’Assunta & San Rocco, and offers the Downtown community the opportunity to party with its neighbors. This year’s La Festa Italiana features live bands, fun for the kids, food and souvenir vendors and Italian delicacies made by Holy Rosary Church parishioners like Fresh Hot Zeppoles, lemony Limoncello and “Our Famous Rice Balls”. Continue reading EAT, PRAY, LOVE…  La Festa Italiana 2016 promises Fun, Dancing and Great Food →

Local Live Theater, Sally Deering

URBAN SHAKESPEARE  Hudson Shakespeare Company plays The Bard in Hamilton Park, Jersey City

Leave a comment

 

   Next Up:  Henry IV, Parts 1 & 2

Shakespeare in Hamilton Park Jersey City
Swordplay abounds in EDWARD III put on by Hudson Shakespeare Co.at Hamilton Park in Jersey City. Rachel Matusewicz as Countess of Salisbury clashes swords with Isaac Andrew as King David of Scotland; while Lord Audley (l.), played by Conrad Aurelius battles with Douglas, a Scottish Nobleman played by Keith Hale. 

By Sally Deering

 Never mind getting upstaged by fancy swordplay or an actor taking too long for his death scene. Hudson Shakespeare Company’s adaptable actors must endure teens on skateboards, barking dogs, ambulance sirens, even low-flying helicopters while they project the dense and rhyming lines of The Bard.

Such is the actor’s life when performing with the Hudson Shakespeare Company, now in its 25th year. This summer, the ensemble puts on three Shakespeare plays and will bring Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2 to Hamilton Park on Thurs, Aug. 18 at 7 pm.  Admission is free thanks to support from the Hudson County Office of Cultural Affairs and other supporters of the arts.

On a recent Thursday evening, local park-goers gathered in Hamilton Park for Edward III.

In a quasi-amphitheater setting that turned the steps leading down from the gazebo into audience seating and the circular walkway surrounding the gazebo into the stage for the play, the actors adorned in capes, boots, breastplates and leather accoutrements acted Edward III against a moving backdrop of kids playing ball, people walking their dogs, and commuters heading home from a long day at the office. Continue reading URBAN SHAKESPEARE  Hudson Shakespeare Company plays The Bard in Hamilton Park, Jersey City →

Dining, Sally Deering

KEEP ON TRUCKIN’Food Trucks on Parade in Jersey City

Leave a comment

 Rotary Club of Jersey City to fundraise with Foodies

 Food truck Foodies, get out your napkins! A motorcade of Food Trucks are heading to Exchange Place in Downtown Jersey City  and they’re hauling meatballs, crab cakes, lobster rolls, deep-fried hot dogs, cheesecake, cupcakes and so much more. It’s a foodie feast on wheels

Circling the area known as Owen J. Grundy Pier, the food trucks will line up on Sat, Aug 6 from 12 noon to 7 pm for the Rotary Club of Jersey City’s first Food Truck and Music Festival.

Flyer Food trucks and live bands are just part of the extravaganza. There will be crafts, refreshments, activities for the kids and community partners sharing what they do for the local community.

“It’s our way to connect with as many community members as possible, and to get more people involved to do community service in Jersey City,” says Jersey City Rotary Club President-Elect Jennifer Aitken,, who works at New Jersey City University as Director of Specialized Services. “We want to raise awareness about Rotary and what Rotary does. As Jersey City continues to grow. We want to help those who need help.” Continue reading KEEP ON TRUCKIN’Food Trucks on Parade in Jersey City →

Dining, Sally Deering

BOUTIQUE ESPRESSO BISTRO Ground Connection opens at Harborside Financial in Jersey City

Leave a comment

   Takes Java to New Heights

   Hint:  Check Out the High Tech Espresso Machine

 By Sally Deering

 

Ground Connection
Scott Gillman, owner of Ground Connection

Barely open a few weeks and already Ground Connection at Harborside Plaza 10 in Jersey City has people streaming through the doors for espressos, coffees, Danish, muffins, sandwiches and salads. Owner Scott Gillman, who has been in the restaurant business for several decades and owns Markers restaurant also located at Harborside Financial, sees his new coffee bistro as a place where people can get a freshly brewed cup of expresso made-to-order and friendly service from the minute they walk in to the moment they leave.

“Our espresso is Toby’s Estate coffee in Brooklyn, one of the greatest coffee roasters in the country,’ Gillman says, amidst a flurry of customers lining up at the counter to get their daily javas. “Every cup gets hand-steamed milk and each espresso gets made with a different temperature according to its size.”

Inside Ground Connection Ground Connection is considered a modern day coffee shop offering small batch specialty coffee, full leaf and herbal teas, cold-brewed coffees and teas on tap. Sandwiches, sides, soups, pizzas and baked goods are prepared daily.

“Part of the reason we call it Ground Connection is the connection we want to make between our employees and our guests,” Gillman says.

Continue reading BOUTIQUE ESPRESSO BISTRO Ground Connection opens at Harborside Financial in Jersey City →

Dining, Restaurant Views, Sally Deering

JUST Beclaws Vietnamese Cajun Seafood in Downtown JC

Leave a comment

Three Sibling Restaurateurs Focus on Quality & Freshness

By Sally Deering

Just BeClaws The best place in the northeast for seafood is New England, right? They even named a chowder in honor of its seafood niche.

But who needs New England when Hudson has its own bustling seafood restaurant on First Street in downtown Jersey City: JUST Beclaws, a 60-seat Vietnamese Cajun seafood eatery has been open a little more than a year and already it’s the go-to destination for foodies who like their shellfish fresh and cooked to perfection.

Family that owns Just Beclaws restaurant
Aivy, Francis and Nambinh Tran,
three siblings and owners of JUST Beclaws.

What also makes the restaurant special are its three owners, siblings, Francis Tran, 32, Nambinh Tran, 27, and Aivy Tran, 34. The three grew up in Jersey City learning the restaurant business from their parents who owned Miss Saigon, a Vietnamese restaurant right up the street on Newark Ave.

“We like seafood,” Francis says. “We like to catch it –although we don’t serve what we catch.”

Continue reading JUST Beclaws Vietnamese Cajun Seafood in Downtown JC →

General

CAREPOINT HEALTH CONTINUES ASSISTING RESIDENTS DISPLACED BY BAYONNE AVENUE C FIRE

Leave a comment

 

 

CARE POINT HEALTH AVE C FIRE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jonathan Vargas (left) and family pose with Robert Wondolowski of CarePoint Health (center, rear) and Michael McCabe of McCabe’s Ambulance (right) after receiving their three gift cards. 

Hudson County, New Jersey (July 2016) – A Bayonne Medical Center-CarePoint Health official recently met with some of those displaced by a five-alarm apartment house fire in June to provide additional assistance to them from the healthcare system.
Forty-seven residents of 455-461 Ave. C were left without a permanent place to live after the blaze totaled their building on June 18.
Fourteen of the former residents were gathered together on July 6 by Robert Wondolowski, CarePoint Health’s Bayonne community liaison, so he could present them with a $120 Walmart gift card per person to help them replace some of the items lost in the fire. Continue reading CAREPOINT HEALTH CONTINUES ASSISTING RESIDENTS DISPLACED BY BAYONNE AVENUE C FIRE →

Cover Story, COVER STORY, Sally Deering

BOHO ARTSCENE 13 Artists to exhibit at Hendrickson’s Corner in Bayonne

Leave a comment

July 16 & 17th -2-Day Show brings Boho Artscene Uptown

Ken Delaney art work

“Cheesesteak Stand” by 
Ken Delaney

 By Sally Deering

 On the weekend of July 16 & 17, Hendrickson’s Corner on 31st & Broadway will be serving its usual menu on its main floor while upstairs it will host a feast for the eyes when the “We the People” Art Show gets underway.

For two days,  13 artists will exhibit paintings, photography, jewelry and other crafts in the collaborative art show curated by artist and Bayonne resident Kevin Delaney whose Bar Napkin Art was recently trademarked by the U.S. Patent Office..   Continue reading BOHO ARTSCENE 13 Artists to exhibit at Hendrickson’s Corner in Bayonne →

Cover Story, Sally Deering

LONG GONE DADDY -Actor, Playwright Joe Gallo of Hoboken debuts New Play on Fatherhood

Leave a comment

Mile Square Theatre’s Playwright-in-Residence Debuts new Solo Show

 By Sally Deering

Joe Gallo Playwright
(Pictured: Joseph Gallo in his one-man play LONG GONE DADDY
opens July 20 at Mile Square Theatre in Hoboken)

 A life in the theater can be a wonderful journey if he or she sticks it out long enough and for actor and playwright Joseph Gallo, his long day’s journey in the theater continues to be mined with opportunities.  He just had two of his plays published by River City Books; and as playwright-in-residence at Mile Square Theatre (MST) in Hoboken, Gallo is about to debut his newest one-man show, LONG GONE DADDY directed by MST artistic director Chris O’Connor. Performances begin July 20 and run through August 7 in the company’s new theater on the corner of 14th & Clinton.

 

 

Playwright Joe Gallo Prior to this, Gallo workshopped his play Two-Man Kidnapping Rule at MST. It was later produced by the New Ohio Theatre in New York, and published in Smith & Kraus’s anthology 2012 Best Men’s Stage Monologues and Scenes. As a solo writer/performer Gallo appeared in the original production of his one-man show My Italy Story at Penguin Rep in Stony Point, NY, which later had its debut Off-Broadway at the 47th Street Theatre in New York, starring Danny Mastrogiorgio (“…a compelling page turner.”—The New York Times). An avid storyteller, Gallo won a StorySLAM championship at The Moth in NYC. Continue reading LONG GONE DADDY -Actor, Playwright Joe Gallo of Hoboken debuts New Play on Fatherhood →

General

3rd Annual  Jersey City’s Fourth of July “Freedom & Fireworks Festival” Village People to Headline Massive Celebration in Liberty State Park  

Leave a comment

 

FireworksFree Event to Feature Two Stages of Live Music, Amusement Rides, Kids Activities, Food Trucks and Fireworks by Nationally-Renowned Grucci

JERSEY CITY – Mayor Steven M. Fulop announced today the return of New Jersey’s premier Fourth of July concert and fireworks celebration, the Jersey City “Freedom & Fireworks Festival,” at Liberty State Park, with fireworks by nationally-acclaimed Grucci, live musical performances including headliner “Village People,” amusement rides, food and refreshment vendors, and entertainment for all ages.

The event, which is free and open to the public will take place from 1:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Monday, July 4, 2016 at Liberty State Park.  The day-long outdoor celebration is expected to draw over 125,000 people to Liberty State Park, largely considered the most patriotic destination in the country to celebrate America’s independence with views of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, One World Trade Center, and the Jersey City and New York City skylines.

“Liberty State Park in Jersey City offers unrivaled views and a place for neighbors to join their community in celebration. There is no greater place to gather for our nation’s independence,” said Mayor Fulop.  “We are continuing our tradition of providing residents and visitors a dynamic family celebration with a breathtaking finale of fireworks.” Continue reading 3rd Annual  Jersey City’s Fourth of July “Freedom & Fireworks Festival” Village People to Headline Massive Celebration in Liberty State Park   →

General

LORD OF THE RING-Bayonne native Bobby Rooney reflects on 30+Years in Boxing  

Leave a comment

by Darren Paltrowitz

Bobby Rooney Boxer
Bobby Rooney boxes Toris “The Bull” Brewer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bobby Rooney past away this week and in his honor we would like to rerun an article about him .

Bobby Rooney has been in charge of the Bayonne Police Athletic League’s Boxing Club for almost a decade. Prior to taking over the Bayonne PAL program from his father, professional boxer Bob Rooney, Sr., who ran it for more than 30 years, Bobby Rooney was a professional fighter. He went pro in 2003, winning the WBF Continental Light Heavyweight Title in 2009, and finishing with a win-loss record of 12-3; 7 of his 12 victories were knock-outs, 4 of the victories against previously-undefeated boxers.

Terry Young and Coach Bobby Rooney
Coach Bobby Rooney with Robert Terry

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rooney’s work with the Bayonne PAL often has him rubbing elbows with top talent, and not been by coincidence. His father was a sparring partner with Chuck Wepner – the inspiration for Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky – who often offers assistance to the Bayonne PAL. Robert Terry is a recent success story of the program, competing at the National Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions in Salt Lake City last  month. Continue reading LORD OF THE RING-Bayonne native Bobby Rooney reflects on 30+Years in Boxing   →