Turnpike Construction Update
Mayor Jimmy Davis announced that the New Jersey Turnpike Authority and its contractors have provided updated information to the City of Bayonne reg
arding the reconstruction of the 14A toll plaza and related work.
Construction continues on a new building and lanes in the 14A toll plaza area. Â Work goes forward on widening the ramps to and from the Turnpike Extension Bridge.
Singer’s Debut EP Due Out Soon
 By Sally Deering Â
She got the call, and an hour later opera singer Giselle Bellas of Jersey City was in Avatar Studios in Manhattan working out a song with Louis C.K. for the 5th episode of his Peabody and Emmy Award winning TV Show LOUIE (Thursdays, 10:30 pm, FX). Louis C.K. sang the lyrics he wrote into an iPhone and left Giselle to collaborate with his band SweetPro, which does all the original music for the series. The result: Giselle sang a haunting tune called “Diarrhea†that plays over the episode’s losing credits.
Since that fateful call made by Giselle’s producer Adam Tilzer, who is also the sound engineer on LOUIE, Giselle has turned in performances on six LOUIE episodes collaborating with Louis C.K. and SweetPro and singing tunes that show off her vocal versatility, 4-octave range and sense of humor. Continue reading OPERA SINGER GOES POP Giselle Bellas Breaks Out on 5th Season of LOUIE
The Hudson Shakespeare Company of Jersey City kicks off its
24th Shakespeare in the Park series with a new twist on old favorite presenting a cross gendered “Love’s Labours Lost” where the men play the women and the women play the men. The show is running coming to:  Saturday, June 20 at The Historic Jersey City and Harismus Cemetery at 435 Newark Avenue, Jersey City, NJ. A
suggested $10 donation will be charged at the door and
concessions are available.
Continue reading Hudson Shakespeare Company at Historic Jersey City and Harismus Cemetery
 Liberty Humane Society will host the second annual Hamilton BARK Festival, at Hamilton Park, Jersey City, NJ on Saturday June 20th from 12-7pm. At its core, Hamilton BARK is a one-day community festival and fundraiser for LHS, including live entertainment and activities for children, adults, and four-legged family members.
Bayonne Bridge Update
Mayor Jimmy Davis announced that the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has provided new information to the City of Bayonne about the Bayonne Bridge construction project.
 JERSEY CITY – Mayor Steven M. Fulop announced today that the City of Jersey City will partner with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra to host a series of free community concerts through a partnership with the PSEG Foundation, as the Fulop administration continues to introduce new cultural events to the City, increase events for families and residents, and grow Jersey City as a destination.
The first New Jersey Symphony Orchestra performance will take place at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 11th, as Mayor Fulop narrates a woodwind quintet in a special arrangement of Sergei Prokofiev’s “Peter and the Wolf†in City Hall Council Chambers. Continue reading City of Jersey City Announces Partnership with New Jersey Symphony Orchestra
Adding Flair to Tradition, Richman’s Dancers Promenade to Madonna
 By Sally Deering
 Slip the Clutch, Shoot the Star and Roll Away with a Half Sashay; these may be non-sequiturs to most of us but to square-dance fans these terms get them twirling on the dance floor and if Howard Richman’s calling the dance, there might be some Madonna in the mix.
Square Dance calling may not be a typical job found on a resume, but Richman does it to add to his income as a theater artist and he travels throughout the Tri-State area to gyms, schools and church halls to put people through their paces on the dance floor.
Continue reading LORD OF THE SQUARE DANCE Howard Richman gets Dancers Swinging
By Sally Deering
“A cursed bloodline. A family on the edge. If this house could speak, what stories it would tell.â€
 That’s the tagline for the new play THE HOUSE OF ATREUS which premieres Thursday, June 4, at Art House Productions in Jersey City. It’s a collaborative work between Christine Goodman (Executive Director of Art House Productions) who wrote the piece, Mason Beggs, who directed, and choreographer Meagan Woods.
THE HOUSE OF ATREUS is an immersive and unconventional theater piece. Instead of putting the actors on stage and the audience in rows of seats to observe, the set takes up the entire theater with a chair and TV in one area, a broken down porch in another, and a dining room table at center. The audience enters through a haze of smoky fog and is encouraged to find a spot of their choosing to watch the play as it unfolds around them. This immerses the audience into the play’s action, which becomes part of the overall theater experience.
“The audience will be active observers,†Goodman says, sitting on set with Beggs and Woods during a break in tech rehearsal. “We’re changing the audience’s perspective.â€
The play’s plot focuses on the main character Alan who returns home after serving in Iraq. He comes back only to find his house in ruins and his family broken and as war torn as the place he left behind. Continue reading HOUSE OF SHARDS-Art House Productions “The House of Atreus†an American Vet Returns Home to More Casualties
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 By Sally Deering  Â
Jersey City’s “Restaurant Row†starts at Grove Street and moves west along Newark Avenue where bistros offer foods of many cultures. Now, there’s a new kid on the block – Raval Tapas Bar & Cocktail Lounge – where guests are invited to enjoy flavors of Spain.
Raval Tapas Bar & Cocktail Lounge recently opened on Newark Avenue with Jersey City Mayor Steven M. Fulop cutting the ribbon at a Grand Opening ceremony and friends gathering for champagne and finger foods to welcome Raval to the neighborhood. Cuisine from Spain is the latest concept from the owners, the Restaurant Development Group (RDG), which also owns the Lucky 7 Tavern, and Satis Bistro in Jersey City.
Continue reading A TASTE OF SPAIN IN JERSEY CITY- Raval Tapas Bar & Cocktail Lounge
  The City of Bayonne and Bayonne Department of Recreation will 
hold its 1st Annual “Bayonne 5K†and “Mayors Mile†on Saturday May 6, 2015 starting at 8:00 AM at the 16th Street Park in Bayonne, NJ. There will also be a 1 mile “Fun Run†that participants are encouraged to participate in as well. Participants of all ages and running levels are encouraged to come out and run (or walk!) Over 200 participants are expected.
Continue reading Bayonne 5K and Mayors Mile Saturday, June 6th
