Photos by Stephen Mack

By Joe Calamito

Back in September of 2026 I met two women on a mission, two dynamic and interesting ladies, Sharon Romano and Marie Costantino placing gold bows on the poles in Bayonne, I asked the ladies what they were doing, and what was the significance of the Gold bows?

Here is what they told me…

September is Childhood cancer Awareness Month and we advocate for the many children who are battling this disease, the ones who are survivors and life with side effects and those angels who sadly were taken from us way too soon.

We both lost our sons to cancer .

Sharon continued, her son is Anthony Costantino and mine is Michael Romano . Both boys went through the Bayonne Public Schools and played Cal Ripken Baseball despite their illness.

They had mentioned on October 9th, 2026 there would be a charity softball game which will support the above named hospitals to assist patients and their families financially . Bayonne’s town heroes Police and Fire Departments and members of the Bayonne Board of Education will play each other .  Our Buddy Baseball team will also support and play a few innings to show their support.  Their will be some raffles and donations will be accepted at the game.

Here are some photos from the game:

Sharon Romano, Mayor Sharon Ashe Nadrowski and Marie Costantino 

Let the game begin, Bayonne Police and Fire Departments doing their part

Bayonne’s Recreation Director Pete Amadeo ( Center left) with participants of Charity Baseball game

These children made a hit to help their fellow children

Bayonne residents doing what they do best, helping others by signing up for the raffle

There are about 15,000 children diagnosed with cancer each year in the US alone.

These two wonderful ladies hang gold bows throughout the town and have gained the support of the Bayonne Board of Education and this year, as in past years, the last Friday of September, the District allowed staff and students to wear Gold to support two wonderful Pediatric Cancer Foundations, also on September 25th, Bayonne City Hall with Bayonne Mayor Nadrwoski, City Hall gave their support with a flag raising.

The town of Bayonne truly comes together to support this important cause .

Two Moms on a Mission, who won’t stop until a cure is found.

No child fights alone. ? 

The post October 9th, 2026 Charity Baseball Game in Support of Two Pediatric Cancer Foundations; Tomorrows Children Fund at Hackensack Meridian and The Valerie Fund of New Jersey first appeared on River View Observer.

After more than 100 years of serving the Bayonne community, Barney Stock Hosiery Shops at 499 Broadway will close its doors permanently early this fall, as owner Mel Stock retires following almost 50 years at the helm of his family’s beloved store

Founded in 1922 by Barney Stock, Barney Stock Hosiery Shops became one of Bayonne’s most enduring small businesses — a fixture on Broadway that outlasted decades of change, chain retail, and economic upheaval.

Mel Stock and Larry Stock, sons of the founder, both went to work in the business following their graduations from NYU. While Larry had to leave the store after a short period due to poor health, Mel has spent his life at Barney Stock Shops. He took over the business, spending almost seven decades behind the counter serving generations of Bayonne families with the kind of personal service that has become a rarity in modern retail.

Known for its wide selection of hosiery, bras, Spanx, sportswear, girdles, and mastectomy apparel, Barney Stock Shops was as much a community institution as it was a store. Customers recall mothers and grandmothers shopping there for decades, with longtime reviews speaking to Mel’s personal attention — expert fittings, affordable prices, and a warmth that made every visit feel like family.

“It has been such a pleasure to serve the Bayonne community for all of these years. The relationships we have had with our staff and generations of our customers are what I am most proud of and will treasure for a long time.“ – Mel Stock The closing of Barney Stock Shops marks the end of an era for Broadway, Bayonne’s historic main street and the commercial heart of a city that Barney Stock himself helped define when he opened his doors nearby more than a century ago.

Barney came over from Poland and took night classes to learn English while also working at his uncle’s ladies store in Bayonne before opening his own shop on Avenue C. Later, in a partnership forged with a handshake, Barney and Phil Glass together moved to the store to 499 Broadway and expanded the business to a total of 6 stores across Bayonne, Jersey City, and Union City before Phil retired in the 1980s and Barney followed suit in 1987.

Mel Stock’s retirement brings down the curtain on a remarkable story of family, community, and commitment — a business built by one generation and carried faithfully into the next, for over 100 years serving the Bayonne community. About Barney Stock Shops: Barney Stock Hosiery Shops was founded in 1922 by Barney Stock in Bayonne, NJ. For over a century the store served the women of Bayonne and the surrounding Hudson County community with hosiery, bras, sportswear, mastectomy apparel, and expert personal fittings. Melvin Stock, son of the founder, operated the store for almost 50 years before his planned retirement in October 2026.

The post After More than a Century, a Bayonne Institution Closes its Doors first appeared on River View Observer.

The all-stars of Bayonne Little League who have captured the hearts of Bayonne, all of New Jersey and the Nation, will help the Division of Recreation distribute special gloves to all Buddy Baseball Players at a special ceremony on Saturday, September 26, at the Field of Dreams.  The ceremony is scheduled for 10am.  

The Division of Recreation has received 176 Wilson Love the Moment Autism Cares Gloves, a glove for every player who participated this past season in Buddy Baseball.

“We are thrilled to have the Bayonne Little League All-Stars with us at this very special ceremony.  We have built true friendships over the seasons, especially with Bayonne Little League.  To have them with us, representing who they are and what they have accomplished, to share with our athletes, is special.  Along with the Kaneshige Family, September 26 will be a day we will always remember.” stated Pete Amadeo, Superintendent of Recreation.

The Wilson A2000 Love the Moment Baseball & Softball Gloves are more than just elite gear—they’re part of a movement. In collaboration with Autism Speaks, Wilson has created a special edition of its legendary A2000 gloves to promote inclusion, understanding, and love for the game and beyond.

The Division of Recreation would like to thank a very special donor, Kevco Builders, who helped with the project and ensuring the gloves for every player.

Kevco Builders, located in Central Florida, a homebuilding industry, earning a reputation as one of the region’s most respected and award-winning custom homebuilders.

Under the ownership and leadership of President Ian Kaneshige and the Kaneshige family, beyond building homes, Kevco has made giving back an important part of its legacy, supporting charitable organizations, local nonprofits, youth programs, and community initiatives throughout Central Florida, and now, Bayonne.

The Kaneshige family has great ties to Bayonne. Heidi Kaneshige, wife to Ian, grew up in Bayonne and graduated from Bayonne High School. Heidi’s family, the Farleys, played an integral part of youth programs in Bayonne. Her father, Jeffrey, was a great advocate for the Bayonne PAL and every child who participated. Her grandfather, Walter, also made such a positive impact to the youth of Bayonne. Her mother, AJ, taught at Bayonne High School, and her sister, Kristen Blair, is a current teacher at Horace Mann School.

The post Bayonne Little League All-Stars to Assist the Division of Recreation Buddy Baseball League in Distributing Wilson Love the Moment Autism Cares Gloves  first appeared on River View Observer.

Recently on my daily walk through my neighborhood, I met two dynamic and interesting ladies, Sharon Romano and Marie Costantino placing gold bows on the poles in Bayonne, I am always looking to help promote someone or an organization in our River View Observer digital issue, so I asked the ladies what they were doing, and what was the significance of the Gold bows?

Here is what they told me…

September is Childhood cancer Awareness Month and we advocate for the many children who are battling this disease, the ones who are survivors and life with side effects and those angels who sadly were taken from us way too soon.

We both lost our sons to cancer .

Sharon continued, her son is Anthony Costantino and mine is Michael Romano . Both boys went through the Bayonne Public Schools and played Cal Ripken Baseball despite their illness.

There are about 15,000 children diagnosed with cancer each year in the US alone.

We set out on a Mission a few years ago to support this cause in Memory of our sons.

We hang gold boys throughout the town and we have gained the support of the Bayonne Board of Education and each year on the last Friday of the month the District will allow staff and students to wear Gold to support two wonderful Pediatric Cancer 

Foundations; Tomorrows Children’s Fund at Hackensack Meridian and The Valerie Fund of New Jersey.  City Hall gives their support and  will do a flag raising on September 25, 2026 at 4:15pm .

The town of Bayonne truly comes together to support this important cause .

On October 9, 2026 there will be a charity softball game which will support the above named hospitals to assist patients and their families financially . Bayonne’s town heroes Police and Fire Departments and members of the Bayonne Board of Education will play each other .  Our Buddy Baseball team will also support and play a few innings to show their support.  Their will be some raffles and donations will be accepted at the game. The game will start at 5pm .

We call ourselves Two Moms on a Mission .

We won’t stop until a cure is found.

No child fights alone. ? 

Next week we will have photos and more about the October 9th Charity softball game and we hope this post will inspire the good folks of Bayonne to come out and support these two Mom’s on a Mission.

The post September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month Read About Two Mom’s on a Mission first appeared on River View Observer.

The post 2nd Annual Pride Festival -Bayonne first appeared on River View Observer.

           Photo Courtesy NY Post

The phrase “Bayonne vs. Everyone” will ring true on September 13th when Bayonne residents come out to welcome our hometown team with a procession honoring “The Boys from Bayonne.”

Bayonne Little League and the City of Bayonne Recreation Division will hold a procession with floats to honor the hometown players and coaches who participated in the 2026 Little League World Series. The event will take place in Bayonne on Sunday, September 13, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon. Mayor Sharon Nadrowski said, “The City of Bayonne is extremely proud of our World Series heroes.  We welcome this opportunity to honor the first team in Bayonne history that competed in a Little League World Series.”

            The procession will consist of two floats for the players and the coaches.

            Starting location: The procession will gather at 30^th Street and Avenue C in Bayonne at 10:30 a.m.

            Procession route: The procession will move eastward down 30^th Street from Avenue C to Broadway.  Then the floats will turn right onto Broadway. The procession will move southward down Broadway from 30^th Street to 5^th Street. Then the floats will turn right, going west on 5^th Street until reaching Avenue C.  After that, the floats will drive south down to 1^st Street.   The procession will turn right on 1^st Street and will proceed westward to the Little League facility at 1^st Street and Kennedy Boulevard. A ceremony will take place at the Little League facility.

The post Procession With Floats to Honor Bayonne Little League World Series Stars on Sunday, September 13 first appeared on River View Observer.

Each year, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation sponsors a five-kilometer run to honor the sacrifice of Firefighter Stephen Siller on September 11, 2001. On that day, following the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, Stephen Siller strapped on sixty pounds of equipment and rushed on foot through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel to the twin towers of the World Trade Center.  It was there that he gave his life while helping others.  He was one of 343 firefighters who perished after responding to the World Trade Center alongside 72 police officers.

The post THE BAYONNE ROLE IN THE TUNNEL TO TOWERS RUN first appeared on River View Observer.

            At its meeting on August 12, the Bayonne City Council voted for a resolution to authorize Bayonne to enter into a Regional Shared Services Agreement with Kearny, Jersey City, and Hoboken.  That agreement will allow all four municipalities to work together to address the effects of commercial helicopter operations on their residents.  The specific purpose of the agreement is to coordinate and share the costs of litigation seeking to protect Bayonne residents from adverse health, safety, welfare, and quality-of-life impacts associated with commercial helicopter operations.  The resolution cited such adverse impacts of helicopter operations as excessive aircraft noise and overflights of Bayonne’s residential neighborhoods.  Over the past several months, area residents have complained about noise and other impacts reportedly caused by helicopters that fly over Hudson County municipalities. 

Third Ward Council Member Tommy Gillen said, “The residents of the Third Ward have raised their voices, and I am standing with them.”  He continued, “Our neighborhoods are not a flight path, and this litigation makes that clear.”

Mayor Sharon Nadrowski said, “My administration is focused on protecting, preserving, and improving the quality of life for Bayonne residents.“  She continued, “Entering into this Shared Services Agreement with our partners in government increases our scale, limits our financial exposure, and solidifies our commitment to the health, safety, and welfare of all residents.”

The resolution authorized Bayonne’s financial contribution to the litigation to cover the testimony of expert witnesses. Those witnesses may be needed to testify about the negative impacts of helicopter operations on the four communities participating in the legal action.  The resolution authorized Bayonne’s contribution to the case for an amount not to exceed $10,000.

The post Bayonne Joins With Other Municipalities in Litigation On Helicopter Operations first appeared on River View Observer.