Chef Alana Puentes Debuts new Catering Company Soon in JC: Most Wanted Food Truck
By Sally Deering
Alana Puentes
Chef Alana Puentes takes pride in her Cuban-American heritage, but when she gets behind the stove and turns on the heat, Puentes transforms her saucepan into a “melting pot†of international flavors.
After spending several years raising her son Vincent as a single mom, and working long hours cooking for large conglomerates, Puentes traded her corporate chef’s coat, recently, for her own label, Most Wanted Chef LLC. Puentes ventured out on her own to cook her cuisine, her way, and it seems to be working to her advantage. These days, her phone rings a lot more frequently; incoming calls from potential patrons craving Puentes’ unique cuisine for their special events. Continue reading MOST WANTED CHEF ALANA PUENTES RAISES STAKES IN JC→
Weehawken Resident talks about his Career and First Big Break on Broadway
 By Sally Deering
A-List Hair & Make-Up Designer David Santana
A member of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, David Santana of Weehawken can make anyone camera-ready no matter how difficult the challenge. That’s his profession: Hair & Make-up Designer for Broadway, film and TV.
Santana currently does hair & make-up for the hit TV shows, GOTHAM and BLACKLIST. His work is featured in the films RUN ALL NIGHT, A VERY MURRAY CHRISTMAS, TIME OUT OF MIND., and URGE, and TVs A GIFTED MAN starring Patrick Wilson. He also appears in the documentary RENT: THE FINAL DAYS ON BROADWAY. It was his work designing hair and make-up for RENT that took Santana from non-union gigs like music videos and indie films to A-List projects with stars like Leonardo DiCaprio, Susan Sarandon, and Patrick Wilson.
The dramatic play centers around a fictional 1965 meeting and debate
between Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X;
the performance is open to the public and there is no charge for admission.Â
Hudson County Community College (HCCC) invites everyone in the community to attend a professional production of the play, The Meeting by Jeff Stetson. The performance is scheduled for Thursday, March 31 at 6:00 p.m. in the College’s Culinary Conference Center, 161 Newkirk Street in Jersey City – two blocks from the Journal Square PATH Transportation Center. There is no charge for admission.
The Meeting centers around a fictional 1965 meeting between Martin Luther King, Jr., and Malcolm X in a hotel room located in Harlem. The play was initially televised in 1989 on the PBS Series, American Playhouse.The Meeting presents a spirited debate between Dr. King and Malcolm X – both iconic leaders and legendary figures committed to civil rights and the empowerment of African-Americans – and highlights their differing perspectives on how to effectively advance and improve the lives of African-Americans. Continue reading Hudson County Community College to Host a Live Performance of The Meeting on March 31→
When a family suffers the loss of a loved one, about 50 difficult decisions must be made within hours, but cemetery pre-planning sets most details ahead of time and can ease much of a grieving family’s anxiety and burden associated with the difficult planning process.
“The worries of last-minute burial planning should not become part of a family’s grieving process, especially when experiencing a great deal of emotional pain and suffering from loss,†says Andrew P. Schafer, executive director of the Catholic Cemeteries of the Archdiocese of Newark. That is why Catholic Cemeteries, a ministry of the Archdiocese of Newark, regularly reaches out to families to inform them about the benefits of pre-planning, he explains. “Time and again, grieving families attest to the appreciable difference of pre-set arrangements in easing their time of loss.â€
To assist families in learning more about cemetery pre-planning and memorialization, Catholic Cemeteries is hosting open house events at cemeteries throughout New Jersey. Memorial Planning Advisors will be available to answer questions and share information about services, the many burial options, and financial planning. No appointment is necessary and no obligation is expected. The events are open to the Catholic community. Locations and dates include:
Dr. Peter Fuentes examines a young students teeth at Bayonne’s Horace Mann School
Most children fear the dentist. Whether it’s the sound of the drill or the feel of the pic when the hygienist cleans their teeth, the experience of seeing a dentist can cause great anxiety and frighten children to tears. Three dentists from Bayonne Family Dental address this issue by bringing the dentist office to the classroom.
Drs. Peter Fuentes, Salvatore
Dr. Peter Fuents, Dr. Salvatore Pavone and Dr. Marissa Halum of Bayonne Family Dental’s On site Mobile Dental Team at a recent visit to Bayonne’s Horace Mann School
Pavone, and Marissa Halum have teamed up to form On Site Dental: a Mobile Dental Team, where they visit local schools to give school children dental exams, cleanings, fluoride treatments, and preventative sealants to ensure better dental health.
All three dentists also work at Bayonne Family Dental.
When weighing a potential job opportunity, one of the primary factors is compensation. For those who wish to maximize their income, which jobs offer the highest salaries?
The FLCDC uses four categorizations for experience level: entry level, qualified, experienced and fully competent. For this list, we focused on the fully competent-level salary of each career in order to show each job’s highest possible compensation. Experienced workers typically have multiple years of experience (three years or more) in their careers and require less on-the-job supervision than entry level or qualified workers. Fully competent workers have five or more years of experience and require little to no on-the-job supervision.
More Than 500 City Employees to See Increase; Move to Take Effect Immediately as Planned in Tax-Neutral Budget
JERSEY CITY – Mayor Steven M. Fulop announced today that Jersey City would become the first city in New Jersey to raise the minimum wage to $15 for municipal workers, with more than 500 city employees receiving an increase in their take-home pay. The move, accomplished by Executive Order and reflected in the administration’s tax-neutral budget introduced last week, will take effect immediately.
“Last November I stood with the brave organizers of the Fight for $15 right here in Jersey City and spoke about how important it was that we bring relief to New Jersey’s working families. After months of planning, I am proud to say that today we’re actually following through on that commitment,†said Mayor Fulop. “Not only is this the right thing for Jersey City, but it’s my hope that our actions today will help move Trenton towards providing all New Jerseyans a living wage.†Continue reading Jersey City Becomes First NJ City to Raise Minimum Wage to $15 for Municipal Workers  →
THE SOPRANOS star – actor, playwright, director, and singer – Vinny Pastore and His Gangster Squad perform Fri, Feb. 27 at Bayonne’s Masonic Lodge.  (Photo: Zee Zee Photography)
Soprano’s Star swaps Wiseguys for Sidemen in Upcoming Bayonne Show
By Sally Deering
 When David Chase, Executive Producer of THE SOPRANOS cast the show’s first season, he picked Vincent Pastore to play Salvatore “Big Pussy” Bonpensiero, who got bumped off in second season off after Tony Soprano discovered he snitched to the FBI.
After Soprano and his wiseguys whacked Big “P†on a boat off the coast of Asbury Park, Pastore went on to star in a series of films, formed a theater company in New York City, starred in the Broadway musical “Bullets on Broadway†and kept on plugging after fighting a bout with cancer.
Unfazed and cancer-free, on Sat, Feb. 27, at Bayonne’s Masonic Lodge, Pastore will show the musical side of his many talents in “VINNY PASTORE AND HIS GANGSTER SQUAD†a night of live Rhythm and Blues, Rock and Roll, Funk, Soul, and Reggae hits. Pastore shares the spotlight with some pretty intense musicians including Frank Pisani on keyboard and vocals, Al Orlo playing lead guitar, Eddie Denise on bass guitar and vocals, Charlie Powers on drums and vocals, Baron Raymonde playing sax, and Tommy ‘Blues Buddha’ Dudley on vocals.
Filming in Connecticut on a recent Thursday afternoon, Mr. Pastore took a mid-afternoon break to talk with River View Observer (RVO) about his career as an actor, playwright, and singer; and how he believes saying yes to new projects keeps your hand in the show biz game.
RVO: Where did you grow up? Where were you born and raised?
Located west of Liberty State Park, and similar to other changing communities in Jersey City, Lafayette is the city’s newest up-and-coming neighborhood. A new addition in the works for Lafayette is the Baker Building by Point Capital Development, a collection of luxury apartments under construction at 234 Suydam Avenue.
The Baker Building has a total of 83 units priced from $1,500-$2,450 per month for 1-2-and-3 bedroom rentals. Â Public amenities include on-site parking, a gym, and on each floor, a laundry room; a fire pit, cooking grills, dog run, and on-site management. Baker Building is located between the Liberty State Park and Garfield Avenue stops on the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail, and is less than one mile from both Liberty State Park and the Liberty Science Center. Continue reading THE BAKER BUILDING-New, Jersey City Hi-Rise helps define Lafayette Neighborhood→
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