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Bayonne News

Bayonne PAL Basketball Announces First Annual Citywide Three-Point Shootout for Both Youth and Adults

Open to Youth and Adults

          Bayonne PAL Basketball is proud to host the first annual Citywide Three-Point Shootout.  Registration is available in various age divisions.  Players can compete only in their own age group.  The contest will take place on May 11, 12, 18, and 19, with different age groups playing each day. 

          The Intermediate Division admits boys and girls ages 10, 11, and 12.

          The Senior Division admits boys and girls ages 13, 14, and 15.

          The High School Division admits boys and girls who are in the 9th through the 12th grade.  (All entrants in this division must NOT have been active roster players on a Bayonne High School basketball team.)

          The Bee High School Players Division admits boys and girls from the 9th grade through the 12th grade.  (All entrants in this division were members of the Frosh, Junior Varsity, or Varsity roster.

          The Adult Division admits men and women.

          All entrants must be Bayonne residents.  Youth may be asked for their Bayonne Board of Education ID.  Adults must show proof of residency. 

          Registration to this program is free for all active PAL members.  The cost for non-active PAL members is $5.00.  The charge for all high school entrants is $5.00. The cost for adults is $15.00. 

          Register early to secure a spot.  Enrollment is limited.  The PAL will accept entrants on the day in each age group if openings are available.

          The first-round competition includes nine shots (including five bonus shots) in under a minute.  The top five in each division move to the championship round.  Awards are given to first and second-place finishers in the final round.

          For more information, follow the PAL on Facebook:  Bayonne PAL Alumni.

          Registration and payment can be made at the PAL Monday through Thursday from 6:30-8:00 p.m.  The PAL is located at William Shemin Midtown Community School, which is located on West 23rd Street, between Avenue A and Kennedy Boulevard, at Door #7.  To register or ask questions, please call 201-417-7507. 

          The starting time for each division is 6:30 p.m.  All divisions are co-ed.

          The Intermediate Division’s event for ages 10, 11, and 12 is scheduled for Thursday, May 11.

          The Senior Division’s event for ages 13, 15, and 15 is scheduled for Friday, May 12.

          The High School students, both divisions (High School and Bee High School Players), 9th to 12th grade, is set for Thursday, May 18.

          The Adult Division is set for Friday, May 19. 

          The Citywide Three-Point Shootout is sponsored by BCB Community Bank and Hudson County Commissioner Kenny Kopacz.  The PAL would like to thank them both for their generous support.

Education

Hudson County Community College Receives  ‘2023 Most Promising Places to Work in  Community Colleges’ National Award   

Pictured from left, Dr. Christopher Conzen, Executive Director, Secaucus Center and Early College Programs; Elana Winslow, Associate Professor, Business; Raffi Manjikian, Instructor, Chemistry; and Anna Krupitskiy, Vice President for Human Resources.  

The College is one of only 20 U.S. community colleges to earn this recognition.    

For the second year in a row, Hudson County Community College  (HCCC) has received the national “2023 Most Promising Places to Work in Community Colleges”  

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Bayonne News

State to Launch Arrive Together Program for Sherif’s Officers and Mental Health Professionals in Bayonne

          Speaking at a press conference at the Bayonne Community Museum on April 20, state, county, and municipal officials discussed the start of Arrive Together in Bayonne, a joint program for law enforcement officers and mental health professionals.  Started as a program in Cumberland County, New Jersey in 2021, Arrive Together is expanding gradually to other parts of New Jersey.  The program pairs mental health professionals with law enforcement officers to respond to emergency calls for service involving persons with mental health issues. 

          Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez said that she was “very excited” about this pilot program, which will operate initially two days a week in Bayonne with Hudson County Sheriff’s Officers and mental health professionals. 

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General

Hudson County’s Roger Muller -Taking The Bite Out Of Lionfish

Roger Muller Lionfish Hunter
Roger Muller

By Scott Murphy

How a group of passionate divers are trying to create essential awareness about a growing ocean threat…

By day, Roger J. Muller Jr. can usually be found overseeing Muller Insurance – his longstanding insurance agency in Hoboken, New Jersey. At night, friends often seek him out on the ice, where he can be spotted either captaining the Hoboken Rockets hockey team, or watching the New Jersey Devils pursue a hopeful Stanley Cup.

But every few months, as he stares at the exotic fish in his massive office tank, Muller gets the itch to go deep sea diving. “It’s like a mission,” he says. For the past 25 years, he has dived in places as varied as Cuba, Italy, Panama, Bonaire, Curacao, Jamaica, St. Croix, Grand Cayman Islands, Aruba, the Florida Panhandle, Rangiria, Mo’oria, Bora Bora, the South Pacific  and Hawaii. He’s accumulated some noteworthy stats and achievements during that time: over 2,500 dives and 132 major diving certificates. “I love it,” he says with a clear passion in his voice. “I started in 1998 in Aruba, and just kept going. I’ve gotten every certification from Open Water Diver to instructor.”

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General

Jersey City Awarded $8.1 Million for Traffic Safety Improvements at 33 Intersections along Summit Avenue  

Over $8.1 million in federal funds has been approved for safety improvements in Jersey City, specifically involving 33 intersections along Summit Avenue from Route 139 to Secaucus Road. 

The project, funded by the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA), will include upgraded traffic signals at 19 intersections, pedestrian signal upgrades, high-visibility crosswalks, curb extensions, and other improvements along the 1.5-mile corridor.  

The Summit Avenue project, which is one of 19 safety improvements totaling $188.3 million across the NJTPA region, was approved by the NJTPA Board of Trustees at its March 13, 2023, meeting.  Summit Avenue is identified on the High Injury Network in Jersey City’s Vision Zero Action Plan.   “Modernizing the intersections to be safer and operate more efficiently will build upon our broader Vision Zero efforts citywide, furthering our commitment to reach zero pedestrian and cyclist fatalities,” said Jersey City Mayor Steven M. Fulop, the City’s representative to the NJTPA Board.

 “With two nearby parks and several schools in the vicinity, these improvements are especially important to help keep residents of all ages safe.”   As has become the Fulop Administration’s standard policy, the project’s preliminary and final design phases will include multiple public engagement sessions to solicit community feedback.  The design phase is expected to begin later this year.  

The Local Safety Program funds high-impact, cost-effective solutions to reduce crashes and improve safety for all travelers. 

More information on the programs is available online at www.njtpa.org/LocalSafety.  Project factsheets are available at https://www.njtpa.org/2022LocalSafety.  

Funding approved for the programs doubled from the previous program cycle in 2020.  “The increases are the result of highly successful partnerships between the NJTPA and its member county and city governments to deliver vitally important projects on our local roads,” said Passaic County Commissioner John W. Bartlett, the current Chair of the NJTPA.  

“This federal support helps free up local dollars, state aid, and municipal aid for other priorities.”  

The NJTPA is the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for 13 northern New Jersey counties.  Under federal legislation, MPOs provide a forum where local officials, public transportation providers, and state agency representatives can come together and cooperatively plan to meet the region’s current and future transportation needs.  

It establishes the region’s eligibility to receive federal tax dollars for transportation projects.  

The NJTPA Board consists of one local elected official from each of the 13 counties in the region (Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union, and Warren) and the cities of Newark and Jersey City. The Board also includes a Governor’s Representative, the Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Transportation, the President & CEO of NJ TRANSIT, the Chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and a Citizens’ Representative appointed by the Governor.  

General

Hudson County Community College Earns Campus Prevention Network (CPN) Seal of Prevention (TM)

Caption: Pictured here, the Campus Prevention Network (CPN) Seal of PreventionTM.  

HCCC is one of 11 New Jersey colleges and universities recognized for exceptional commitment to digital student wellness, safety and inclusion endeavors.   Hudson County Community College (HCCC) has been awarded the Campus Prevention Network (CPN) Seal of PreventionTM. Vector Solutions for Higher Education presents the Seal of PreventionTM to colleges and universities with extraordinary leadership in digital prevention programming focused on student safety, well-being, and inclusion. HCCC is one of 11 New Jersey educational institutions to receive the honor.  

CPN Seal of Prevention TM  institutions like HCCC have created safer, more inclusive campuses through comprehensive, evidence-based preventive education on discrimination, mental health,  alcohol misuse, and sexual assault. Of the 850 higher education institutions in the United States evaluated, fewer than 12% earned this distinction.  

“Hudson County Community College is committed to creating a safe, nurturing environment where students feel cared for, develop confidence, cultivate friendships, flourish academically, and achieve their dreams and life goals,” said HCCC President Dr. Christopher Reber. “The CPN Seal of PreventionTM is a testament to the College’s commitment – and our success – in producing a culture of care that leads our students to say, ‘Hudson is Home.’”  

The criteria for the CPN Seal of PreventionTM are based on the American Psychologist â€œWhat Works in Prevention: Principles of Effective Prevention Programs.” Characteristics of such programs show that they were comprehensive, included varied teaching methods, were theory-driven, provided opportunities for positive relationships, were appropriately timed, had sociocultural relevance, included outcome evaluation, and involved well-trained staff.  

“The CPN Seal of Preventionâ„¢ recipients reflect the top 12% of colleges and universities nationwide, further highlighting their commitment and investment not only to academics, but also the well-being of their students and the overall college experience,” said Jonathan Cherins, CEO at Vector Solutions. “Our team at Vector Solutions is proud to recognize the great value these leading institutions and organizations are providing to students and the commitment we share to making higher education communities safer and more inclusive.”  

HCCC programs assist in ensuring academic success and helping build the competencies and capabilities essential to becoming conscientious global citizens. Among these undertakings are the HCCC President’s Advisory Council on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (PACDEI), which provides leadership and counsel in fostering a welcoming, diverse, equitable and inclusive environment; â€œHudson Scholars,” the College’s innovative, national award-winning program that utilizes proven best practices and provides proactive advisement, financial stipends, and early academic intervention to ensure that a greater number of students facing financial challenges, language barriers, employment concerns, and family responsibilities complete their college education, achieve their goals, and realize their dreams; and the “Hudson Helps” program, a compendium of wraparound services, programs, and resources that focus on basic needs beyond the classroom and result in greater student success.  

General

Former Downtown Jersey City Resident, The Late Sal Piro, The Rocky Horror Picture Show Superfan

By Tris McCall

Sal Piro Rocky Horror Superfan
Sal Piro
Brother and Sister Sal and Lillias Piro
Sal and Lillas Piro

Richard O’Brien, Tim Curry, and Susan Sarandon made the Rocky Horror Picture Show a hoot.

Sal Piro made it a phenomenon.

He did not do it from the screen, or from the director’s chair, or from behind a camera, or from the offices of a movie studio. The Jersey City native did it from the audience. Piro, who died at 71 after a highly unusual and consequential career in show business, spent decades as the president of the Rocky Horror Picture Show Fan Club. In that role, he helped transform fandom from the passive activity it had been into the creative act that it is today — something akin to artistry.

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