The post Bayonne Chapter of Unico first appeared on River View Observer.

Now as Summer approaches and we do our spring cleaning, get the pool ready, tend to our gardens, go to the gym,  we shouldn’t forget about proper care of our valuable furs.

Famous Furs located in Bayonne, and known  as “New Jersey’s  most dependable furrier since 1915,”  specializes in sales, services, repair and remodeling of your fur.

Famous Furs  is a family owned and operated business which provides the best personal service, with a complete line of ladies’ and men’s furs, leathers, shearlings, and luxury fabrics to clients not only in New Jersey but also around the world.

Famous Furs can help you maintain the life of your fur with their $49.95 Refrigerated  Fur Storage package which includes: refrigerated storage, complete  inspection, repair minor rips and tears, pressure air blown, minimum insurance and ring and eye closings. 

As Summer approaches and you own a valuable fur trust it to  only the best in the business…Famous Furs 

To visit Famous Furs website  go to www.famousfurs.com

Located at 610 Broadway, Bayonne 

201-858-4440 or 201-432-5200

The post Famous Furs Summer Refrigerated Fur Storage first appeared on River View Observer.

Mayor Dawn Zimmer recognized the following businesses at the 6th Annual Green Fair as 2017 Hoboken Green Businesses:

• Aether Game Cafe
• Bareburger
• Basic Foods Organic Grocery
• Bwe Kafe
• Carpathian Industries LLC
• Chartier Group
• Christina Andersen Floral Design
• Devotion Yoga
• Hoby Dogy Pet Care
• Little City Books
• Local Barre
• Mint Market
• Monroe Street Movement Space
• My Conscience, My Choice LLC
• Pilsener Haus & Biergarten 
• Shipco Transport Inc.
• Simply Juiced
• Smushed Organics
• Sports Acupuncture & Family Wellness
• Sobsey’s Produce
• Stevens Institute of Technology
• The Little Grocery
• Urban Consign & Design

The Hoboken Green Team launched the Green Business Recognition Program in January 2017 to distinguish local businesses that are advancing sustainability and environmental responsibility.

“Now more than ever, it is important to recognize that we can all play a role in protecting our environment,” said Mayor Dawn Zimmer. “I congratulate all of our Green Businesses and thank them for being champions for sustainability. These successful local businesses demonstrate that whatâ€s good for the environment is also good business.”

In order to qualify for the Green Business Recognition Program, businesses completed the Green Business Pledge on the Hoboken Green Team website. The Hoboken Green Team reviewed each pledge submission and determined that 23 businesses qualify for recognition as 2017 Hoboken Green Businesses.

Simply Juiced was recognized as Hobokenâ€s most sustainable business of 2017 because of the organic restaurantâ€s outstanding achievement in sustainability. Simply Juiced has composted over 57,000 pounds (and counting!) of “food waste,” diverting waste from landfills and enriching organic farms.

For more information about the Hoboken Green Business Recognition Program, please visit www.hobokennj.gov/greenteam.

For full details, view this message on the web.

The post Mayor Zimmer Recognizes 2017 Hoboken Green Businesses first appeared on River View Observer.

JERSEY CITY, N.J. – Liberty Savings FCU has announced the appointment of Maria Solorzano as their new President/CEO. She assumed responsibilities as of January 1, 2017, succeeding James J. Miller, Sr., who has resigned as President/CEO after many years of dedicated service as he embarks onward towards a well-deserved retirement.

Maria Solorzano

“Iâ€ve been a part of the Liberty Savings team for what feels like a lifetime”, says Solorzano, “beginning as a filing clerk, right out of the Cooperative Education Program at Dickinson High School in Jersey City before being promoted to various roles over the years.” During her years at Liberty Savings FCU, Solorzano excelled in and lent her expertise to multiple departments including the teller platform, back office functions, and accounting. Upon graduation from Saint Peterâ€s College in Jersey City, she was appointed as Chief Financial Officer/Vice President. During these years Maria was a vital part of the LSFCU Administrative team as well as, an active member and leader in the Hudson County Community and part of the support team to the Liberty Savings FCU Board of Directors. Without a doubt, she has contributed considerably to the growth of the credit union.

“It is with mixed emotion that Iâ€ve decided to move forward with my retirement,” comments James J. Miller, Sr., “Iâ€ve grown up in the credit union community and will greatly miss my colleagues, staff and the members but, I am quite confident that Maria [Solorzano] is going to lead with the strength and integrity that would have made our founders, my parents, William and Catherine Miller, extremely proud.”

Affectionately known as “Jim, Sr.” to friends and colleagues, James J. Miller, Sr. has served the communities of Hudson County, NJ for over 37 years during his term at Liberty Savings FCU. His tireless dedication expands beyond the world of finance to include the Jersey City Rotary Club, the Boy Scouts of America and the Hudson County Chamber of Commerce. Jim, Sr. is a proud graduate of both Saint Peterâ€s College in Jersey City, NJ and Seton Hall University where he completed his undergraduate and Masterâ€s degrees, respectively. The list of his accolades and achievements is extensive. 

The post MARIA SOLORZANO APPOINTED NEW PRESIDENT/CEO LIBERTY SAVINGS FCU first appeared on River View Observer.

The Symposium is one of New Jerseyâ€s longest-running forums designed to inspire and educate an audience of all ages, professions and industries regarding business trends, challenges and best practices. This year an esteemed group of industry leaders will examine how the days of receiving a gold watch from an employer after 25 or more years of service are over and how it is becoming increasingly challenging for employers to engage and motivate employees in todayâ€s business world. Attendees of the event will learn how the corporate landscape has changed and what the future holds; ways to achieve long-term career satisfaction; how managers and business owners can drive high performance through engaged talent; successful retention and engagement strategies; and how young workers can grow, lead and seek new opportunities within their respective organizations.

In addition to a keynote presentation, the event will feature a panel of experts including Elizabeth Walker, vice president, global talent management for Campbell Soup Company; Dan Schawbel, managing partner of Millennial Branding; and Jennifer Schramm, manager of workplace trends and forecasting at the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).

Harris has been with ABC for 14 years, receiving Murrow and Emmy
awards for his reporting. He regularly contributes stories for shows such as 20/20, World News Tonight with David Muir and the weekday edition of Good Morning America. Previously, Harris was the anchor of the Sunday edition of World News. He has reported from all over the world, covering wars in Afghanistan,  srael/Palestine and Iraq and producing investigative reports in
Haiti, Cambodia and the Congo. Harris is also the author of the No. 1 New York Times bestseller “10% Happier.”

Called the “Apostle of appreciation” by the Globe and Mail and “creative and refreshing” by The New York Times, Elton is an employee engagement and retention expert and co-author of several successful leadership books. All In, The Carrot Principle and What Motivates Me are all No. 1 bestsellers for The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. His work has been called a “must read for modern managers” by Larry King of CNN.

Walker has more than 20 years of experience in the consumer product goods, financial services and consulting industries, working in the areas of talent and performance management, executive assessment, leadership development and succession. As head of global talent management for Campbell Soup Company, she leads executive selection, talent acquisition, leadership development, learning, succession management and performance management. She oversees the strategy for building and measuring high performance and engagement for more than 13,000 employees globally.

As the worldâ€s foremost expert on millennials, Schawbel helps corporations not only to adapt to todayâ€s changing workforce, but to prosper in this evolving landscape —from recruiting the top young workers of today to providing the personal brand experiences that this market requires.
Currently the managing partner of Millenial Branding, a Gen-Y research and consulting firm, Schawbel and his team help some of the worldâ€s largest organizations become more attractive to their millennial employees and customers.

Schramm is the manager of the Workplace Trends and Forecasting program at SHRM, where she writes the Workplace Visions series as well as the Future Focus monthly column appearing in HR magazine. She is also responsible for SHRMâ€s biennial Workplace Forecast.

For more information or to register, please visit  www.saintpeters.edu/rbs or contact Karen Hackett at (201) 761-6113 or khackett@saintpeters.edu.

Saint Peterâ€s University, inspired by its Jesuit, Catholic identity, commitment to individual attention and grounding in the liberal arts, educates a diverse community of learners in undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and professional programs to excel intellectually, lead ethically, serve compassionately and promote justice in our
ever-changing urban and global environment. To learn more, please visit www.saintpeters.edu.

The post Motivating the Modern Workforce to be Explored at Saint Peter’s 44th Annual Regents Business Symposium first appeared on River View Observer.

By Sally Deering

Those who drip, press or perk coffee they purchase in a plastic container or who grab a cup from the corner take-out may want to wake up and smell the java at 9 Bar Café on Erie Street in Jersey City. Thatâ€s where owner Stefania Cocozza brews coffee like a scientist and the results are one fine cup of elixir from the Gods.

Too much?

Then youâ€re obviously not a coffee connoisseur. But if you canâ€t live without your daily dose of freshly roasted coffee then 9 Bar Café may be worth the trip. Located a block off Newark Ave in Jersey Cityâ€s downtown district, 9 Bar Café, which opened in January, offers an oasis for coffee-lovers: big storefront windows for daydreaming and people-watching, large wooden tables for communal sipping, and two-tops where one or more java-lovers can sit with a laptop to write the  Great American Novel.

Thereâ€s even a counter near the brewing station for those who prefer drinking their espressos standing up, which according to Cocozza is how Italians like it in Italy.

“Iâ€ve been in the coffee business over 20 years,” Cocozza says, taking a quick break between customers. “Iâ€m originally from Rome, and I moved to Seattle and went to Torrefazione Italia owned by Umberto Bizzari which served his brand of fresh roasted coffee. I used to go there for my espresso, everyone was Italian, and I felt at home there. After a few months, they offered me a job.”

She moved on to Southern California where she opened a branch of the business and then opened her own place with a partner. After three years Cocozza sold her share, moved east and after working at Illy Café in Manhattan, decided to be her own boss.

“I like owning my own place,” Cocozza says. “I can make my own decisions.”

Cocozza named her bistro 9 Bar Café in reference to the science of making an espresso, she says. To properly extract a perfect 25-second shot of espresso, a 9-bar of pressure is the right level of pressure for the water to extract the ‘gold†part of the coffee.

“It should be a burst of flavor, a little bomb in your mouth – in a good way,” Cocozza says.

Cocozza serves her customers a special 9 Bar Café blend she uses for coffees and espressos; and the “bubble method” for steaming milk, which creates a thick, creamy foam.  The 9 Bar Café menu is simple and all about the coffee. Thereâ€s Macchiato and Cortado (Italian & Spanish versions of espresso with varied amounts of foamed milk); and Cold Brew (coffee brewed in cold water for 18 hours). You can get Americano, Cappuccino and Café Latte; Hot Chocolate and Hot Tea. (Prices include $2 for hot tea; $2.45/$3 for coffee; and $2.55 for an espresso – extra shot for $.75. Macchiato $2.75; Cortado $3; and Café Latte $3.45/$4 & $4.75, depending on size.

Along with coffees and espressos, the menu features sandwiches and pastries made on site and by local artisans. 9 Bar Café serves sandwiches like the Caprese with fresh mozzarella, tuna and basil, Ham & Provolone, Salami & Provolone, and Tuna Salad. (Sandwiches $7-$7.50.)

Pastries include Cannoli imported from Italy, Tiramisu, Sfogliatelle and Biscotti. Sweet and savory scones, the Italian pastry Occhio bue, and Orange Pound Cake are also on the menu.

About every three months, Cocozza teaches coffee classes at her shop and she has very strong opinions about what makes a great cup of coffee. First of all, smell the coffee you purchase. If itâ€s stale, it will have a rancid smell. Therefore, she says itâ€s better to purchase coffee from a smaller roasting company because the coffee will be fresher than big brand names, and of a better quality, too. Expect to pay $12-$15 for a pound of good coffee, and grind your own beans for freshness.

“Grind as you go,” Cocozza says. “The oils in the coffee start to dry out quickly.”

You can purchase really good coffee, but you also have to know how to brew it.

“Get the person who is selling you the coffee to educate you,” Cocozza says. “Iâ€m trying to educate the consumer on how to get a good cup of coffee at home. Like water, for instance. It has to be 197 degrees to brew espresso; 200 degrees to brew coffee, or you wonâ€t get the right extraction.”

A destination for people to connect, thatâ€s how Cocozza sees 9 Bar Cafe. She puts in a lot of time at her bistro – more than 80 hours a week – and itâ€s a labor of love for Cocozza and husband Giancarlo Mongera who supports her efforts 100 percent, she says.

Cocozzaâ€s also a huge fan of the products she serves her customers.

“I love coffee,” Cocozza says. “I could drink it all day.”

If you go

 9 BAR CAFÉ

18 Erie Street, JC

(201) 432-2000

www.cafeninebar.com

Mon-Fri, 7 am–7 pm; Sat, Sun: 8 am-7 pm

The post 9 Bar Café in Jersey City, Where Great Coffee is Science first appeared on River View Observer.

The blender whirls full blast as Sheldon Hall, owner of Fruteria Juice Bar pops mango, pineapple and papaya chunks into a plastic pitcher for one of his signature smoothies, the Caribbean Queen. Throughout the day, customers stop by the tiny juice bar on Park Avenue in Union City with its green and yellow walls adorned with mermaids juggling fruit, and other eclectic artworks, for one of Hallâ€s delicious – and healthy – smoothies, veggie and specialty drinks.

Hall, 38, opened Fruteria Juice Bar last December and since then, the entrepreneur has been building a close relationship with the local community and a growing fan base, one smoothie at a time.

” Providing people an alterna”tive to whatâ€s out there is rewarding,” Hall says while on a short break from an endless stream of customers. “A lot of people have curiosities about juicing.           I make it accessible.”

Watching Hall create his smoothies is like watching a master mixologist. Fresh fruits and vegetables are tossed into juicers and blenders with options like almond juice, apple juice, passion fruit, pineapple juice and yogurt. Then Hall adds ingredients like fresh veggies, fruits and nuts, and proteins like Irish moss. He pours the concoctions right up to the brim of the 16-ounce cups he serves them in without spilling a drop.

“He knows what heâ€s doing,” Juan Pablo Aguirre, a first-time customer says, after a sip of Hallâ€s Caribbean Queen smoothie with a dash of spinach. “Iâ€ll be back for sure.”

No drink is too complicated for Hall who cultivated a taste for smoothies growing up in The Bronx and drinking them with his dad at the Green Garden health food store. His family is originally from Trinidad and settled in The Bronx before Hall was born.

“I would always go back to the Green Garden,” Hall says. “I would bring high school friends, college friends. If I saw a juice bar, no matter where I was, Iâ€d check it out.”

Hall holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from Norfolk State University in Virginia; and a Masterâ€s degree in Graphic Communication Management and Technology from NYU, where he also taught communications. He taught business at Duchess Community College in Poughkeepsie.

Hall worked several years in advertising, including a stint at Time, Inc., but felt a strong desire to open his own business. Changing from a lifestyle of fast-food to healthy eating, Hall thought about having his own juice bar. When he moved to Weehawken a few years ago, Hall reached out to his friend Dawitt from Jahlookova juice bar in New York who taught Hall smoothie mixology and helped him design his menu.  When the storefront was available on Park and 42^nd St, Hall made the entrepreneurial leap from juice bar consumer to owner.

Fruteria Juice Bar offers Smoothies ($4.50), Veggie Juices ($5.50) and Specialty Drinks ($7). Smoothies feature the B Berry with strawberries and bananas; Caribbean Queen with mango, pineapple and papaya; Berry Blast with blueberries, raspberries and strawberries, Mango Tango with strawberries, bananas and mango; and Mellow Yellow, bananas, pineapples and mango.

Veggie drinks are the Hulk Smash with kale or spinach, cucumber, parsley, celery, pineapple and spearmint; the Energizer Bunny with carrots, apples, beets and ginger; the Park Avenue with apples, lemon, parsley and cucumber; and Beet Street, with beets, pineapple, celery and apple.

Specialty drinks feature the Weehawken Warrior: cashews, almonds, pumpkin seeds, ginseng, protein, maca, Irish moss and carrot juice; Mr. Planters: peanut butter, peanuts, banana, vanilla extract and almond milk; Union City Eagle: pumpkin seeds, granola, ginseng, spirulina, maca, Irish moss and carrot juice: the Veggie Berry Blast with spinach or kale, strawberries, banana, blueberries, almonds and chia seeds; and, the Fountain of Youth: spinach or kale, red grapes, banana, strawberries, almonds and maca. You can also purchase plain juice – carrot, apple, beet and orange – for $4.50, or create your own drink from a choice of ingredients on the menu.

Rebecca Toledo, a local resident, stopped in for an “Energizer Bunny” veggie drink and a shot of Wheatgrass. She called ahead and Hall had the drink and shot waiting for her. Toledo describes herself as a juice fan.

“I like the taste and Iâ€m into health,” Toledo says.

After a sip of Energizer Bunny, a blend of carrots, apples, beets and ginger, Toledo says:  “I get one of these in the City, but yours is better.”

To go with the smoothies and health drinks, Hall offers sweets like chocolate chip cookies and cakes created by Weehawken resident Carrie Spindler, owner of the Goodie Box Bake Shop in Cliffside Park.

Right now Hall works seven days a week to make his business a success and heâ€ll be adding more staff for the busy summer months ahead. Fruteria has Wi-Fi and several stools for those who wish to sit, sip and surf the Internet.

A welcome addition to the neighborhood, Fruteria Juice Bar seems to be part of a growing trend of boutique businesses sprouting up on Park Avenue that offer local residents boutique services and products. Ispresso coffee shop a few blocks north on Park Ave serves artisanal coffees in a cool space; and Clarity Fitness a few blocks south offers Pilates, yoga and other fitness classes. These small businesses are specifically designed to give consumers a hip, pleasing and healthy-lifestyle experience that you would find in Manhattan, only right here in Hudson.

“I want people to come in, sit down, have conversations and share thought- provoking ideas about art, design, culture, politics, and music,” Hall says. “Itâ€s not just about the juices; itâ€s about the lifestyle.”

IF YOU GO

Fruteria Juice Bar

4115 Park Ave

Union City

(201) 866-2200

www.fruiteriajuicebar.com

Hours:  Mon-Sat, 10-8

Sun, 11-6

The post Fruteria Juice Bar blends Healthy Drinks with Good Vibes first appeared on River View Observer.