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Category Archives: General
Mayor Steve Fulop, Santa and the Cake Boss Buddy Valastro at Jersey City Annual Toy Drive
Jersey City Youth Foundation Joined  with Mayor Fulop for Annual Toy Drive; More than 600 Children Received Gifts, A Visit with the Cake Boss & Gelato from Tommy Two Scoops
Photos by Steve A. Mack- River View ObserverÂ
JERSEY CITY – Mayor Steven M. Fulop and the Jersey City Youth Foundation have teamed up for the Mayor’s Annual Toy Drive to deliver holiday cheer and toys to more than 600 children, with the toys being distributed from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, December 20th, 2013, at City Hall, 280 Grove Street.
And this year, Santa’s elves had some extra helpers with Cake Boss Buddy Valastro on hand to treat kids to cupcakes and cookies and local business owner Tommy Two Scoops  was  serving up gelato.
“We wanted as many people as possible to join us and get in the holiday spirit as we help bring a little cheer to those in need,†said Mayor Fulop. “The holidays are a time to give to others and what better way that joining with your community to celebrate.â€
Toys  were  distributed by Santa to pre-registered families,  and residents who would like to join in and meet the Cake Boss and celebrate the holidays  were also invited to attend
More than 200 toys were also donated by the Hudson County Building Trades and Local 696.
“The outpouring of gifts has been tremendous and we thank all of the residents and businesses who again this year participated in the toy drive,†added Mayor Fulop.
The Resident Response Center has been registering families and collecting donations since early December and a number of local businesses helped by donating gift cards to the Jersey City Youth Foundation for the purchase of toys for children newborn to twelve years old.
About the Jersey City Youth Foundation
The JCYF strives to provide, enhance, expand and participate in the high-quality educational, recreational, cultural, and community enrichment programs. In 2013, our inaugural year, JCYF was able to provide backpacks to school children, Thanksgiving turkeys to families, and holiday toys to children. 2014 will be an exciting year as we continue to grow as an organization and expand our programming and impact on youth in Jersey City.
All media inquiries should be directed to Jennifer Morrill, Press Secretary for the City of Jersey City, at 201-547-4836 or 201-376-0699.///
Schnackenberg’s Luncheonette Brings Back Old Hoboken Charm and Egg Creams
Schnackies is Back!
By Sally Deering
If you’ve been in the Hoboken area for a while, it’s likely you’ve visited Schnackenberg’s Luncheonette and may even have a “Schnackie’s†story or two from back in the day. That’s what Eugene and Joyce Flinn have been learning ever since they took over “Schnackie’s†and gave the old-fashioned ice cream parlor a facelift that’s both retro and nouveau.
The Flinns – who own Amanda’s and the Elysian Café in Hoboken – really outdid themselves with Schnackie’s restoration. In many ways it looks pretty much the way it did back when it opened in 1931; the wooden booths in the dining room are original; so is the tiled floor that has been spiffed and retiled in some places. The display cases of homemade chocolates and fresh doughnuts and pastries are there, too, and so is the counter with all new marble countertop and red and tan upholstered stools that swirl before a real soda fountain where Egg Creams are made with real pressurized seltzer. You can have Cherry Cokes, too, the kind made with real syrup, and Strawberry Malts, Chocolate Milkshakes and Root Beer Floats.
The Novak family, descendants of Henry Schnackenberg who opened the luncheonette in 1931, turned Schnackie’s over to the Finns in 2012. They, in turn, restored it and brought it up to code.
“They saw what we did with the Elysian and we knew them from town,†Joyce Flinn says. “We didn’t want to do anything untoward. It’s still their family name.â€
Restoring Schnackenberg’s has been a labor of love, especially for Eugene, who was a history major when he attended Saint Peter’s College in Jersey City. Continue reading Schnackenberg’s Luncheonette Brings Back Old Hoboken Charm and Egg Creams
Bayonne Bridge to Have “Hold and Pull†Daytime Traffic December 19-20
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 The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has advised the City of Bayonne that the Bayonne Bridge will have a “hold and pull†traffic operation on Thursday, December 19, and Friday, December 20, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on both days.  “Hold and pull†means that the Port Authority will stop traffic in each direction for fifteen minutes.  The Port Authority is using this alternating traffic pattern for those two days, in order to install delineators, which were knocked out. Delineators are rubber devices that separate traffic into lanes. Â
OUR LATEST ISSUE FOR December 10- December 24th, 2013
Jersey City Police Arrest 17 Individuals As Part of Large-Scale, Joint Law Enforcement Operation
High-Visibility Patrols Also Targeted Disorderly Groups and Holiday Shopping Areas
 
 JERSEY CITY – Mayor Steven M. Fulop announced today that the Jersey City Police Department arrested 17 individuals on a variety of charges, including various narcotics offenses, and issued nearly 150 motor vehicle summonses during a large-scale, joint law enforcement operation.
The operation, which was led by the JCPD, began at 2 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 6th and went through the early morning hours on Saturday, Dec. 7th. A total of 50 undercover officers from the JCPD, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office, and the federal Drug Enforcement Agency participated in the operation.
A key success of the operation was the execution of a search warrant at a home on Orient, which has been a source of community complaints as a known drug distribution site. The home was heavily fortified, however, the JCPD Emergency Services Unit breached the front door. As suspects with known prior weapons offenses were believed to be inside, a flash bang was deployed upon entry. Three individuals were arrested at this location. Earlier in the day, police recovered two bricks of heroin which had been sold from the house. Continue reading Jersey City Police Arrest 17 Individuals As Part of Large-Scale, Joint Law Enforcement Operation
Tree Lighting Ceremony City of Jersey City
ME Casa (Su Casa) Shining a Spotlight on Fine Puerto Rican Cuisine in Jersey City
 By Sally Deering
 Eighteen months ago Chef Ed Cotto, Jr., and his wife Maria discovered a little nook on Varick Street in Jersey City and turned it into ME Casa, a divine little restaurant where the star is traditional Puerto Rican cuisine served in grand style. Cotto, who was born and raised in Brooklyn and spent much of his childhood in his family’s native Puerto Rico, has a special ingredient he adds to all his dishes: he calls it heart and soul.
“I’m a little disturbed Latin cuisine hasn’t elevated,†Cotto says on a recent afternoon as he prepares for the evening dinner crowd. “I went to Puerto Rico a couple years ago and not only didn’t they change their physical décor, it was the same dishes I had 20 years ago. Puerto Ricans have been content selling Puerto Rican food to Puerto Ricans. My challenge is to sell it to people of other cultures. Roast pork is roast pork, how do you make it differently? â€
The dining room, red-bricked lined with tables covered in white linens, is intimate and warm with Latin music
playing softly in the background. It’s a BYOB restaurant and Cotto encourages his guests to bring their own wine or beer to complement his menu, which offers select traditional Puerto Rican dishes by Cotto.
“My boss is the people who sit here in these chairs,†Cotto says. “Good food and hospitality, it has to go hand in hand. I want my customers to connect.â€
Cotto offered a visitor a few ME Casa signature dishes to taste like the Mofongo Al Pilon, mashed green plantains and garlic topped with beef (shrimp or chicken) stew which was very tasty. The beef in the stew was tender and the gravy had some really nice flavors. Another delicious house specialty is the Pernil Asado, traditional marinated pulled pork. A real standout is the Alcapurias, fried mashed green banana and plantain Continue reading ME Casa (Su Casa) Shining a Spotlight on Fine Puerto Rican Cuisine in Jersey City
Did You Know? Nine of New Jersey’s 20 Largest Office Buildings Are Located in Jersey City
Listed by  NJ BIZ Rankings Based on Square Footage of Office BuildingsJersey City residents have something else to be proud of according to a NJ BIZ ranking announced today by  Mayor Steven M. Fulop- that  nine of the twenty largest office buildings in New Jersey – based on square footage – are located in Jersey City.
“Jersey City has the largest down town skyline in New Jersey and this list proves the point,†said Mayor Fulop. “Some of our larger new commercial tenants include the Depository, Trust and Clearing Corporation (DTCC) and Fidelity Investments. Our proximity to New York, our lower operating costs, the relative newness of our office buildings, and our diverse and highly-skilled workforce are all factors in why more and more businesses are choosing Jersey City.â€
From NJ BIZ:
#2 – Goldman Sachs – 30 Hudson Street
#4 – 101 Hudson Street – 101 Hudson Street
#5 – Newport Office Center 7 – 480 Washington Boulevard
#9 – Newport Tower – 525 Washington Boulevard
#11 – Harborside Plaza 5 – Harborside Plaza 5
#12 – Harborsize Plaza 2 – Harborside Plaza 2
#14 – Harborside Plaza 3 – Harborside Plaza 3
#17 – Newport Office Center 4 – 545 Washington Boulevard
#20 – Newport Office Center 5 – 575 Washington Boulevard
Photo source: City Data
Turkey Ring Toss Competition in Bayonne to be moved indoors on 11/27/13
Due to the forecast for heavy rain on Wednesday, November 27th, the City of Bayonne Division of Recreation will hold the Turkey Ring Toss Competition indoors at the Recreation Senior Center, located at 597 Broadway (between 27th & 28th Street).
The Toss will start at 3:15pm.
Boys and girls will toss rings onto a turkey cut-out wooden board.
There will be 4 age groups: 4 and under; 5 to 6 years of age; 7 to 9 years of age; and 10 to 12 years of age.  Prizes will be awarded for 1st place, 2nd place, and 3rd place in each division.&# 160;
For more information, call the Division of Recreation at 201-858-6127.
