Bayonne Memorial Home:
Caiola Stellato and Koch Funeral Home:
Dworzanski and Son Funeral Home:
Migliaccio Funeral Home & Cremation Services:
G. Keenen O’Brien Funeral Home
West Funeral & Cremation Services LLC
Donation to special needs sports: The Winning Events Group, which creates local health and wellness events, has donated $1,000 to the special needs sports programs sponsored by the Bayonne Recreation Division. The donation will go towards the purchase of special needs sports equipment. Pictured left to right: Bayonne Recreation Superintendent Pete Amadeo, Winning Events Group CEO Elvi Guzman, and Bayonne Mayor Jimmy Davis.
Mayor Jimmy Davis announced that the Winning Events Group has donated $1,000 to the special needs sports program of the Bayonne Recreation Division. The Winning Events Group, which is based in Hudson County, creates local events to support health and fitness programs in communities in Hudson County and New York City.
Elvi Guzman, the CEO of the Winning Events Group, said that the funds for the donation came from the Turkey Trot, a run in Gregg-Bayonne County Park on November 27, 2024. He said that 378 runners took part in that event.
Mayor Davis and Pete Amadeo, Superintendent of the Bayonne Recreation Division, thanked the Winning Events Group for its contribution to the special needs program. Superintendent Amadeo said that the donation would be used for special needs sports equipment.
Founded in 2013, the Winning Events Group states on its website that it has donated over $800,000 to charity since it started.
Mayor Jimmy Davis announced that the City of Bayonne website has added a link to obituaries provided by five local funeral homes. Mayor Davis said, “Later this week, the Jersey Journal will go out of business. As a result, there will be no English-language daily newspaper based in Hudson County. Obituaries have been an important feature of the Jersey Journal and other newspapers for generations.”
Mayor Davis continued, “To make up for the coming absence of local newspaper obituaries, the City of Bayonne has contacted local funeral homes, offering to provide links to their obituaries on our municipal website, www.bayonnenj.org.” The obituary link feature will be available through a grey-and-white heading on the right-hand side of the City of Bayonne website homepage.
As of Monday, January 27, five local funeral homes have provided the City of Bayonne with links to their obituaries. Those funeral homes are Bayonne Memorial Home, Caiola Stellato and Koch Funeral Home, Dworzanski and Son Funeral Home, Migliaccio Funeral Home and Cremation Services, and West Funeral Home and Cremation Services LLC. Mayor Davis said, “We would like to thank these five funeral homes for participating in this new obituary program. We would welcome the participation of other local funeral homes in this obituary link service.” He invited other local funeral homes to email the appropriate link to their obituaries to mayors.office@bayonnenj.org or jryan@baynj.org.
Mayor Davis signs purchase and sale agreement: Bayonne Mayor Jimmy Davis signs purchase and sale agreement for buying back a parcel of land from the Port Authority for a ferry terminal. Pictured left to right: Joseph Skillender, Jr., Bayonne Director of Planning, Zoning and Development, and Mayor Jimmy Davis.
Bayonne Mayor Jimmy Davis has signed the purchase and sale agreement to repurchase a parcel of land from the Port Authority for a ferry terminal. Mayor Davis said, “I am very happy that we are one step closer to completing this real estate transaction, which will help us achieve our goal of ferry service for the people of Bayonne.”
For a purchase price of $4.4 million, the City of Bayonne has obtained 2.3 acres at the former Military Ocean Terminal Bayonne (MOTBY), which juts out two miles into Upper New York Bay from Bayonne’s eastern waterfront. Of that parcel, 1.6 acres will provide space for the ferry terminal and parking. The remaining 0.7 acre will continue the Hudson Riverfront Walkway along the southern shore of the former MOTBY. An adjoining private property owner, Lincoln Equities, is contributing an acre of additional land for the ferry project in return for building the UPS Facility. The terminal will be located about halfway out the former MOTBY, approximately one mile east of the Bayonne mainland.
Plans for the ferry terminal are in the final design phase. The parking lot for the ferry passengers is expected to be 1.4 acres in size, with approximately 130 parking spaces. The number of parking spaces will depend on design, layout, drainage requirements, and other factors. The City of Bayonne has issued a request for proposals/request for qualifications (RFP/RFQ) for constructing the ferry building and operating the terminal.
In a previous attempt at establishing a ferry service, the City of Bayonne selected Seastreak as the operator. However, the time for that selection expired, so the City of Bayonne has gone out to bid again for a ferry operator. The municipality’s goal is to select a ferry company by March or April 2025.
Mayor Davis concluded, “I am very happy that we have the contract with Port Authority to buy this land so that Bayonne will have our own terminal and control our own destiny. This purchase will make it easier for us to achieve our goal of ferry service for our great community.”
Recently, in the Bayonne City Council Chambers, the Bayonne Fire Department held a ceremony for six new battalion chiefs and eleven new captains. The promotions took place to refill the ranks following recent retirements in the department.
New Bayonne Fire Department Battalion Chiefs: Mayor Jimmy Davis and the Fire Department leadership posed with the department’s newly promoted battalion chiefs (BC’s). Pictured left to right: Mayor Jimmy Davis, Fire Chief Keith Weaver, BC Christopher Czuba, BC Theodore Wolf, BC Michael Smith, BC Edward Ratyniak, BC Roger Nunez, BC Marcial Pivano, Deputy Fire Chief William Bartos, and Public Safety Director Robert Kubert.
New Bayonne Fire Department Captains: Mayor Jimmy Davis and the Fire Department leadership posed with the department’s new captains: Mayor Davis, Fire Chief Keith Weaver, Captain Steven Pilanski, Captain Timothy Lynch, Captain James Pilger, Captain David Sisk, Captain Brian Petty, Captain Jeffrey Spengler, Captain Thomas Weber, Captain Richard Baccarella, Captain Michael Visone, Captain Brian Cotter, Captain Kevin Pietranico, Deputy Chief William Bartos, and Public Safety Director Robert Kubert.
The new battalion chiefs are Christopher Czuba, Theodore Wolf, Michael Smith, Edward Ratyniak, Roger Nunez, and Marcial Pivano.
Battalion Chief Christopher Czuba is a graduate of Bayonne High School. He earned a degree in HVAC Technology at Lincoln Technical Institute. He was appointed to the Bayonne Fire Department in 1999. His extensive training and certifications include: Hazardous Material Tech, Confined Space, Fire Officer 2, Fire Official, and Fire Investigator. He has earned several awards including Unit Citations for rescue on June 6, 2004 on 30th St. and Kennedy Blvd., and a Team Effort Award from the Cooperman Barnabas Burn Center for the rescue of a person who was trapped in rising floodwaters of Hurricane Ida in September 2021.
On Monday, January 20, we will observe the annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. national holiday. This day should remind us about his life’s mission – equality for all Americans. By backing the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Dr. King fought for equal rights for all Americans, regardless of race, color, creed, sex, or national origin.
Martin Luther King, Jr. is not simply a figure from the past. Fifty-seven years after his death, Dr. King’s words and actions remain relevant to today’s issues. Recent acts of violence that were rooted in religious and racial hatred reminded us all that Dr. King’s work remains to be fulfilled. Across the country over the years, Americans have been killed, just because they were Black, White, Hispanic, Jewish, Asian, Native American, gay, or members of other groups. The hatred and the violence must stop.
Now, more than ever, we need to respect each other. Now, more than ever, we must become neighbors. Now, more than ever, we must work together to become one nation. As Americans, we have roots in many countries around the world. As Dr. King said, “We may have all come on different ships, but we’re all in the same boat now.” We must not remain in our silos, caring only about ourselves. Dr. King pointed out that “life’s most persistent and most urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’”
During Dr. King’s lifetime, Americans tended to think about better community relations as having mostly to do with Blacks and Whites, Catholics, Protestants, and Jews. Since his passing, our country has become much more diverse. We have more people here now from many other ethnic, racial, and religious groups. The same principles I discussed above still apply to how we should behave towards each other, now with more groups than we had in the 1960’s. Accepting each other, regardless of our ethnic, racial, and religious backgrounds, and gender or orientation, remains the great challenge of American life.
John Hume, a Catholic civil rights and political leader from Northern Ireland, was inspired by Dr. King. Mr. Hume said, “Difference is the essence of humanity. Difference is an accident of birth, and it should therefore never be the source of hatred or conflict. Therein lies a most fundamental principle of peace: respect for diversity.”
The first step towards a better nation is to recognize everyone who lives here as our fellow Americans.
This week, our friends and neighbors in the Jewish community will be celebrating Hanukkah, which is known as the Festival of Lights. The festival recalls the events in the years 167-165 B.C. when the Seleucid Empire outlawed the Jewish religion in Israel. The Seleucid king ordered the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem to be turned into a place of worship for the pagan god, Zeus. That king also ordered that pigs be sacrificed there. Pigs are considered unclean by Jews and many others, and their meat is not kosher under traditional Jewish dietary laws. The Jews rebelled successfully against the Seleucids and rededicated the Temple to the Jewish faith. Although there was only enough oil to light the Temple for one day, the oil provided light for eight days. This miracle was the origin of Hanukkah as the Festival of Lights. A special lamp called a menorah contains spaces for candles or lights that can be illuminated for each of the eight days of Hanukkah, plus an extra one in the middle. The menorah is one of the national symbols of the Jewish people.
My fondest memories of the holiday season go back to Thanksgiving nights growing up. After Thanksgiving dinner at my grandmother’s apartment in Jersey City, my father would drive us back to Bayonne. My sister and I would always anticipate what would happen after our car made a right onto 29th Street, and then a left onto Broadway. Suddenly, there it was – the sight of holiday lights and decorations on Broadway. We would drive down the whole shopping district seeing lights. In those days, big decorations crossed Broadway from one side of the street to the other. The anticipation of getting there was a big part of childhood.
Last week, the City of Bayonne took part in a meeting with Coast Guard and Turnpike officials about the historic impact of the proposed reconstruction of the Turnpike between Exit 14 and Jersey City.
The Turnpike Authority proposes replacing the existing Newark Bay Turnpike Extension Bridge with two new bridges with four lanes in each direction. The reconstruction will also include improved earthquake protection for the new bridges, improvements in the exit/entrance area, and the creation of new stormwater collection systems. The plan calls for starting construction on the work between Exits 14 and 14A in 2026. The goal would be to open the new Newark Bay bridges by 2031.
The existing Newark Bay Bridge is getting worn down. According to the Turnpike Authority, environmental factors and heavy truck traffic have caused serious damage to the quality of the bridge. During the meeting, the Turnpike Authority presented photos that demonstrated the effects of wear and tear on the structure. We have to recognize that the bridge is almost seventy years old. It is not in good enough shape to handle modern traffic volume for very much longer. Yet another patch job will not solve the bridge’s problems.
As is required by law, the Turnpike Authority is making serious efforts to protect historic properties and archeological sites along the route of the bridge and the roadway. While preparing for construction, the Turnpike is working to respect Native American sites, the route of the former Morris Canal, railroad properties, and other historic resources along the way.
The City of Bayonne has requested to receive some pieces of the bridge’s span that could be displayed here after it is demolished. That would be a way to preserve some artifacts from the existing bridge while supporting vitally important Turnpike improvements.
The City of Bayonne will make additional progress by continuing to work with the Turnpike Authority on this extremely important project.
Litter is a problem that all cities must address. There are several ways of dealing with this issue. In Bayonne, we have mechanical street-sweeping to remove litter on scheduled days from several major streets. Throughout the year, our Urban Enterprise Zone/Special Improvement District has a crew that removes litter from Broadway with tools and barrels on wheels. The Public Works Department uses the Glutton, a device that picks up litter. In the summer, young seasonal workers remove litter from side streets and other locations. Now that the fall has arrived, let’s make sure to remove litter before it becomes stuck under autumnal leaves or ice and snow in the coming winter.
The rest of us are responsible for doing our part to keep Bayonne clean. All responsible parties should take the time to remove trash and debris from residential, commercial, and industrial properties.
Household garbage and recycling can become major sources of litter when they are not handled correctly. In some cases, garbage and recycling come loose and blow around the street. When you set your refuse at curbside, please make sure it is secure. Residents and businesses are encouraged to put out cans and bottles in tied, plastic recycling bags, in order to prevent them from creating a mess on the street. If you are in charge of garbage and recycling for a large building, please do not allow refuse to overflow and grow around your garbage barrels or dumpsters. Business owners and building managers should check their dumpsters to make sure that the lids are closed.
Anyone who transports cargo in open vehicles should make sure that everything is secured and completely covered. Loose items that come flying off a car or a truck can pose a hazard to drivers and pedestrians. The same loose items turn into litter once they land on a street, sidewalk, or nearby property.
Please dispose properly of cigar and cigarette butts. Do not toss them onto the streets or sidewalks of our community. These butts can take years to degrade. Fish, birds, and other animals often mistake cigarette butts for food.
If you receive flyers or leaflets that do not interest you, please add them to your paper recycling. Do not let them blow around your property or settle on the pavement as rent-free tenants.
For several years, we have had successful Earth Day community clean-ups in Bayonne. There have been additional clean-up drives at other times by the Nature Club, schools, Scout troops, and other organizations. I commend everyone who has taken part in these efforts to improve the appearance of our community. I would like to encourage everyone to fight litter in our neighborhoods throughout the year, too. Let’s take pride in our neighborhoods and in our entire community.
