An actor’s life brings surprises with every part and when George Pogatsia of Jersey City found himself on a film set about to play a role, something happened that eventually led him to make his own films.
“I heard a little voice like Kazoo from ‘The Flintstones’ that said you can do this,†Pogatsia says on a break during post-production of his new movie. “I heard ‘you can do this’ then I heard ‘maybe not’. Then I heard ‘let’s try’.â€
Bergen County inventor Bonnie Glogover follows in her father’s footsteps
For many years throughout history it has been said, that the bond between “father and daughter†is one of the strongest bonds ever formed. This statement is true in many ways and for the Glogover family the strong bond and an entrepreneurial spirit, is something that is evident today. Bonnie Glogover, the daughter of the late Stanley Glogover; an inventor and entrepreneur; who designed the “first maternity nursing bra†used by thousands of new mothers today, was a pioneer in his time. Today his daughter Bonnie has invented a product that is just as inventive.
If you blink, you miss it: the black iron gate on Newark Avenue that leads to the oldest cemetery in New Jersey: the Jersey City Harsimus Cemetery and Memorial Park. Run by volunteer president Eileen Markenstein, who has several family members buried there, and her husband Aart Markenstein, the couple – along with many volunteers – have been preserving the cemetery since they found it abandoned in 2007. Since then, the volunteers have raised more than $100,000 in funds to pay for clean-up and restoration and now, they are reaching out to the community to raise money to repair damages from Hurricane Sandy. Continue reading Preserving Jersey City’s Past – Historic Harsimus Cemetery Honors Town Fathers and Fallen Heroes→
When you look across the Hudson from Jersey, there’s no other sight as riveting and urbanely beautiful than the New York Skyline, an image that is always changing according to the weather and time of day. In the morning, the skyline is in silhouette, a watercolor of blacks and grays; by night, it’s electric and cool, like a jazz riff by Miles Davis.
All photos by River View Observer Photographer Steve A. Mack
On a hot July 1st day the City of Bayonne welcomed a  new Mayor and City Council with a mass celebrated at St. Henry’s Church and then the  official swearing in ceremony of Mayor -Elect James Davis and his City Council running mates: Sharon  Nadrowski, Juan Perez  Thomas Cotter,  Salvatore Gullace, and Gary LaPelusa Councilman  at Bayonne High School Auditorium.
Yesterday’s swearing -in ceremony presented some firsts in the History of Bayonne. Sharon Nadrowski,  elected the first woman Council President and Juan Perez the first Latino to sit as a councilman in the history of Bayonne.
After receiving the oath of office from Senator Bob Menendez, Mayor Davis promised “Good, honest and open government in Bayonne.”
Menendez later said when  speaking  about the Mayor  ” Mayor Davis that has a great ring to it.”  which was met by a thunderous applause by the the family, friends of the new Mayor and his City Council.
Along with Senator Menendez, Congressman Albiro Sires was in attendance and many other current and former dignitaries and politicians from Hudson County.
On June 16, the New Jersey Council of County Colleges presented 2014 Spirit Awards to County College of Morris Vice President Student Development & Enrollment Dr. Bette Simmons, Hudson County Community College Vice President North Hudson Center & Student Affairs Dr. Paula Pando and Brookdale Community College Dean of Enrollment Development and Student Affairs Richard Pfeffer for their exemplary service to the state’s community colleges. The three were recognized for co-authoring a statewide white paper that features best practices community colleges can adopt to improve student engagement. Pictured, from left: County College of Morris President Dr. Edward Yaw, Brookdale Community College President Dr. Maureen Murphy, Pfeffer, Simmons, Pando, Hudson County Community College President Dr. Glen Gabert, and NJCCC Chairman Bakari Lee, Esq.
Photo of Mayor -Elect  Jimmy Davis by Ricardo Kaulessar Â
 Photo of Mayor Mark Smith and Team by Steve A MackÂ
James Davis walked into the Villa Maria restaurant in Bayonne on Tuesday night like the conquering hero, with hundreds of supporters cheering him on as soon as he entered the place.
There was good reason for the elation as Davis won the mayoral runoff election in his hometown over the incumbent Mark Smith by a 51% to 49% margin as of election night.
Davis greeted the numerous tired and sweaty followers like himself who were energized by seeing their leader give his victory speech.
“Tonight we enjoy but tomorrow we get to work,†said Davis to raucous applause. “It’s going to take everybody in this city to change this city, whether they voted for us or against us.†Continue reading BAYONNE ELECTS A NEW MAYOR→
JERSEY CITY – Mayor Steven M. Fulop announced today that Jersey City was ranked as one of the top ten cities for singles by Rent.com and as reported in Huffington Post. Jersey City was ranked ninth in a list of the largest and most notable American cities.
Who will be the next Bayonne Mayor will be decided by a runoff between incumbent Mark Smith and challenger James Davis on June 10.
Smith, who has been mayor since November 2008, is running for a second four-year term. Before becoming mayor, Smith served In the Bayonne Police Department for 25 years where he rose through the ranks to deputy chief. He is married and has two daughters.
Davis has been on the police force for over 25 years, currently holding the title of captain. His work has included leading a task force from 2007 to 2008 that made a number of arrests while dismantling a burglary and motor vehicle theft ring, and later helping to shut down cocaine distribution network operating partly out of Bayonne. He is married and is the father of three sons.
The River View Observer posed questions to both candidates about dealing with a prolonged campaign season in the Peninsula City, strategies the city’s highest office, and their respective plans for governing their hometown if one of them prevails.
Why do you think you ended up in a runoff with your opponent rather than had won the election outright?
 Smith: We always knew this was going to be a challenging race. While we won the popular vote, there’s still some lingering effects from the national recession. People are still struggling. The outcome may have reflected a bit of that. We heard their concerns. Some people are still restless and we need to communicate our plan with them. We’re going to show them that our team has the plan and the ability to continue revitalizing or community.
JERSEY CITY – Mayor Steven M. Fulop announced today that Jersey City has been ranked the 8th Most LGBT-Friendly City in America by the financial website Nerdwallet.
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