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Bayonne to Hold Opening Ceremony for Phase II of Dennis P. Coins Park Renovations

Bayonne Mayor Dennis P. Collins

Mayor Jimmy Davis announced that the City of Bayonne will hold an opening ceremony for Phase II of Dennis P. Collins Park renovations on Tuesday, November 1, at 4:00 p.m.  The ceremony will take place at 1st Street and Avenue C.

          Phase II of the park renovations has included the construction of several new facilities.  They include a hockey rink, a multi-purpose, elevated seating area, a playground for ages 2-5, a playground for ages 5-12, basketball courts, an exercise and training area, and a large gazebo.

The play area for the younger children has an amusement park theme. It includes a “Miltyville” ticket booth that is a tribute to Uncle Milty’s, the amusement park that stood on a portion of today’s park property in the 20th century.  The kiddie play area has a roller coaster theme. 

The multi-purpose, elevated seating area can be used an outdoor classroom or as an audience area for games or performances.

The gazebo measures fifty feet across.  It will include tables for sitting.  The gazebo is located between the hockey rink and the playground area.

The Gorman Field parking lot will be repaved.  Another parking lot has been expanded.  Gorman Field has received new sod, along with new fencing and a sprinkler system.   The field is not yet ready for use, but will be opened in the spring.  The new sod requires time to develop roots.

The park is named after Dennis P. Collins, who served four terms as Mayor of Bayonne from 1974 to 1990.  Mr. Collins was a City Council Member before that from 1962 to 1974.  Following his twenty-eight years in elected office, Mr. Collins worked as an Aide to Congressman (now Senator) Robert Menendez, Sr. and to former Mayor Joseph V. Doria, Jr. 

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Hudson County Community College’s  Academic and Workforce Pathway Program  Offers New Hope and Fresh Starts for Incarcerated Students 



– In the film, Dead Poets Society, Robin Williams’ character, teacher John Keating, tells his students, “No matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas can change the world.”
 
Never were those words truer than in the case of Joseph Wise, and Hudson County Community College’s (HCCC) Academic and Workforce Pathway Program (AWPP). 
 
Joseph Wise is a 48-year-old, lifelong Jersey City resident who is now in his third semester of studies at HCCC. He began his higher education journey in AWPP in September 2021 while incarcerated at Hudson County Correctional Center. 
 
Mr. Wise stated that he has spent his whole life in and out of institutions and battling substance abuse. He said that shortly after starting AWPP, HCCC’s Associate Vice President for Continuing Education and Workforce Development, Lori Margolin, called him “a scholar.”
 
“No one ever called me a scholar before,” Mr. Wise said. “It made me think. It made me realize that my mind was more locked up than my body.” It also made Wise come to the realization that classes got his mind off jail, and that education was the only way to stay out of institutions.  “I decided: I did jail, now do education,” he said.
 
AWPP is the result of a partnership between Hudson County Community College, the Hudson County Correctional Center, and the Hudson County Department of Housing and Community Reintegration. The program is made possible by a $450,000 grant to HCCC from Hudson County. It is one of just a handful of such programs in the United States that offer virtual degree and workforce training in a county correctional facility.
 
All too often, incarcerated men and women are not given the tools to return to society without encountering poverty, violence, unemployment, and dependency – the same conditions that led to their incarceration. Data indicate that the unemployment rate of previously incarcerated men and women is five times higher than that of the general population, and 70% of children with incarcerated parents develop criminal records as well. 
 
“The most effective programs to combat recidivism are those that begin prior to release, include education and/or job training programs, and provide ongoing support – elements that are incorporated into AWPP, said HCCC President Dr. Christopher Reber. “Programs like this are essential and transformational, and the men and women who participate are extraordinarily inspirational.” 
 
Ms. Margolin, and HCCC Dean of Academic Affairs and Assessment Dr. Heather DeVries, worked with Hudson County Department of Housing and Community Reintegration Director Frank Mazza and the Hudson County Correctional Center to institute the program, which offers participants a choice of a degree or workforce path. When it began last fall, the program was offered only to men, and this summer women were included. Today, there are 44 scholars in the AWPP, for a total of 122 students enrolled since the program began.
 
Program participants must meet all HCCC academic requirements. Classes are held in the jail’s Law Library. In addition to providing classes, HCCC partner Women Rising, Inc. conducts financial literacy and life skills sessions, and to promote equity, the College ensures that incarcerated students receive the same academic coaching and assistance as other HCCC students.
 
Mr. Wise said that he was also battling substance abuse, and one of his professors gave him a list of meetings to attend. Now on probation with Recovery Court, he is taking classes on campus at HCCC as an EOF (Educational Opportunity Fund) student, receiving counseling, tutoring, financial assistance, and the support of faculty and academic counselors, especially HCCC EOF Director Jose Lowe and his staff. 
 
After graduating from HCCC with his Associate of Science degree in Human Services/Pre-Social Work, Mr. Wise plans on transferring to Rutgers University School of Social Work. Eventually he wants to work with adolescents in a treatment facility so he can help prevent young people from going through some of the challenges he has experienced.
 
“This is a really good program with people who are great inspirations to me,” Mr. Wise stated. “Everyone in the program is pushing to help me do what I need to do to succeed, and I am going to do that.”#  #  # 
Caption: Pictured here, Joseph Wise, a participant in the Hudson County Community College Academic and Workforce Pathway Program.
 
 
About Hudson County Community College
Hudson County Community College serves more than 18,000 credit and non-credit students annually. The College offers nearly 90 degree and certificate programs, including award-winning English as a Second Language, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), Culinary Arts/Hospitality Management, Nursing and Health Sciences, and Humanities and Social Sciences. The HCCC Culinary/Hospitality Management program was ranked number six in the U.S. by Best Choice Schools. 
 
HCCC has partnerships with major four-year colleges and universities in the greater New Jersey-New York area and beyond, accommodating seamless transfer of credits for further undergraduate and graduate education.
 
The College’s commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion has been recognized with the 2021 Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) Northeast Region Equity Award; the “INSIGHT Into Diversity” 2021 and 2022 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award, this year honoring HCCC as one of seven community colleges nationally to be named “Top Colleges for Diversity;” and the “INSIGHT Into Diversity” 2022 “Inspiring Programs in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics)” Award. HCCC was a finalist this year for the American Association of Community Colleges’ (AACC) “Advancing Diversity Award of Excellence.” HCCC was selected as one of 24 community colleges in the United States – and the only community college in New Jersey – to be named among the “2022 Most Promising Places to Work in Community Colleges” by the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) in collaboration with “Diverse: Issues in Higher Education.” The College was also one of just 22 community colleges in the nation, and the only college in New Jersey, to be recognized by ModernThink LLC as a 2022 “Great College to Work For®.”

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Hudson County Community College Named ‘2022 Great College to Work For’


HCCC is one of only 22 two-year colleges in the United States,
and the only college in New Jersey to receive the honor.

September 19, 2022, Jersey City, NJ – Hudson County Community College (HCCC) has been selected as one of the best colleges in the nation to work for, according to the Great Colleges to Work For® program. The College was recognized for excellence in professional development; shared governance; faculty experience; diversity, inclusion, and belonging; and confidence in senior leadership.

“This honor is especially meaningful because it was awarded based on the results of a questionnaire that captured employment data and workplace policies, and more importantly a survey administered to faculty, administrators and professional staff,” said HCCC President
Dr. Christopher Reber. “Confidential employee feedback was the primary factor in HCCC’s earning this recognition.”

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Jersey City Mayor Fulop Hosts Annual September 11th Remembrance Ceremony in Memory of Loved Ones Lost  

 Jersey City’s Memorial Event Emphasized with Backdrop of the World Trade Center  

JERSEY CITY – Mayor Steven M. Fulop joined local dignitaries, family members, and community members today to commemorate the 21st anniversary of the September 11th terror attacks with Jersey City’s annual “Reflections” Ceremony, located across from where the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center once stood.

“Jersey City had one of the larger amounts of fatalities outside of New York, so it’s always a day of significance here,” said Mayor Fulop, who decided to enlist in the Marine Corps because of the terror attacks.  â€œThere are many reasons why this event is so important – to memorialize the many lives lost 21 years ago and to educate the broader public, especially our younger generation who may not have been born yet.” 

“Last year was a milestone year, but every year it is just as important that we come together to commemorate the lives lost on that horrific day where Jersey City became a respite for many.  Attending this event allows me to give my support to those who lost loved ones and to keep their memories alive no matter how much time has passed,” said NJ Assemblywoman Angela McKnight. 

The annual remembrance ceremony in Jersey City took place with a backdrop of the Manhattan skyline.  All 39 names of the Jersey City residents who were killed on September 11th were read by Assemblywoman McKnight and the Jersey City Municipal Council members.  The entire event was live-streamed for those who couldn’t attend in person. 

The annual waterfront ceremony where Jersey City’s 9-11 memorial is located was used as the area’s largest triage center on the day of the attacks in 2001. At the site, Jersey City emergency responders did not hesitate to provide assistance and medical treatment to the countless people who flocked to Jersey City by boat to seek refuge. 

The Jersey City 9-11 memorial is comprised of twisted steel beams from Ground Zero. The beams are sculpted to form the letter “A” when viewed from above. The ‘A’ for America serves as a backdrop to the black granite memorial stone that names the 38 fallen residents from Jersey City. 

“Having these events and acknowledgments every year keeps their memories alive.  It’s important for me to make sure I attend every year because my friend, Barbara Etzold, didn’t get an opportunity to move on with her life,” concluded Jersey City resident Barbara Smith.  â€œThe fact that it’s now 21 years and how quickly it’s gone by.  It really is the least I can do.” 

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Detective Seals Memorial Celebration Set for Saturday, September 17

Detective Joseph A. Seals

Event to Feature Music, Food Trucks, and Inflatables

          Bayonne Mayor Jimmy Davis announced that the City of Bayonne will host a memorial celebration in honor of the late Detective Joseph A. Seals at DiDomenico-16th Street Park in Bayonne on Saturday, September 17, from 2:00-8:00 p.m.  The event will feature bands, food trucks, and inflatables.  Joseph A. Seals, a Jersey City police detective and a former Bayonne resident, was killed in the line of duty in Jersey City in 2019 after encountering two subjects who were linked to a homicide.  Mayor Davis said, “I urge everyone to come out for this event to pay tribute to Detective Seals and to support Garden State Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.).  Detective Seals gave his life after eighteen years of outstanding service in law enforcement.  Let us honor him as a community on September 17.” 

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Public Meeting Discussed $900 Million Investment in Bayonne Film & TV Studio

On September 7 in the Bayonne High School Auditorium, representatives of Togus, the redeveloper of Bayonne’s former Texaco property, presented details about the site’s future as a film and television production facility.  The new production center will be named 1888 Studios after the year that Thomas Edison developed his movie camera.  It will be located in the southwest corner of Bergen Point, west of Avenue A.  The construction phase is expected to create 2,000 jobs for the unionized building trades.  Once the studios are in full operation, at least 2,100 permanent jobs will be created.  Depending on production levels, that figure could grow to 3,000 jobs.  Togus, the developer, is expected to invest about $900 million to complete the project.

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Bayonne Switching to Night Recycling Pick-Ups Effective October 4

Mayor Jimmy Davis announced that the City of Bayonne is switching to night-time pick-ups of recycling effective Tuesday, October 4.  The new schedule will cover cans & bottles and mixed paper & cardboard.  Mayor Davis said, “The major reason for the change is that night-time traffic is lighter than morning traffic.  The recycling trucks will have an easier time getting around without commuter vehicles and school buses on the city streets at the same time.”  Mayor Davis continued, “It will be easier to identify missed pick-ups, if they are still on the streets in the morning.”

            Bayonne’s existing three zones for garbage and recycling will remain the same. 

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Hudson County Community College Receives’2022 Inspiring Programs in STEM’Award from INSIGHT into Diversity Magazine

Hudson County Community College Receives ‘2022 Inspiring Programs in STEM’ Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity Magazine August 22, 2022, Jersey City, NJ – Hudson County Community College (HCCC) is the recipient of the “2022 Inspiring Programs in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Award” from Insight Into Diversity Magazine. The award is presented to colleges, universities, and organizations with established cutting-edge programs, events, and initiatives devoted to the work of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in STEM, as well as the unique efforts these institutions take to welcome individuals from marginalized populations to these disciplines.  In all, 70 baccalaureate-conferring institutions and organizations and only seven community colleges from across the United States received the honor, including California State, Clemson, Louisiana State, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio State, Purdue, and Virginia Tech Universities; the Universities of Florida, Oklahoma, Michigan, and Missouri; and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. â€œWe are very proud to stand with some of the nation’s STEM academic giants receiving this award,” said HCCC President, Dr. Christopher Reber. “HCCC students may choose from nearly 20 best-practice degree and certificate STEM programs taught by faculty who are seasoned experts in their fields, and who are supportive and available to students even after graduation. HCCC students have the advantage of learning in our state-of-the-art STEM Building labs where students gain hands-on experience with equipment, situations, and conditions they will encounter in their chosen scientific fields.” Hudson County Community College was recognized for recruiting and retaining minority students and for its participation in the Northern New Jersey Bridges to Baccalaureate (NNJ-B2B) program, part of the Garden State Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (GS-LAMP). The College’s marketing and outreach efforts, including informational sessions for prospective students interested in STEM careers, resulted in increased enrollment, particularly among minority students. The HCCC STEM student population is now 55% Hispanic, 13% African American, and 62% female. 
 The HCCC STEM Division faculty promote retention by organizing and offering study groups for students through the NNJ-B2B partnership, and assigning mentors from the College’s baccalaureate-conferring partners. HCCC STEM students have opportunities to conduct research with HCCC’s and partnering schools’ faculty, to present their findings at the GS-LAMP/NNJ-B2B annual conference, and to engage in Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) at Princeton and Columbia Universities and the City University of New York, among others. HCCC faculty provide Peer-led Supplemental Instruction, participate with students in the “Show Your STEM Innovation Challenge” promoting entrepreneurial problem-solving, and organize transfer fairs for students who wish to pursue baccalaureate and post-graduate degrees.
 The HCCC NNJ-B2B STEM program and the College’s wraparound support services have contributed to HCCC Underrepresented Minority (URM) students transferring to New Jersey four-year schools at a higher rate. The number of bachelor’s degrees awarded to NNJ-B2B students has tripled since 2008.
 â€œWe are honored to receive this award, and we are especially grateful to our STEM faculty and staff for their efforts on behalf of our students,” Dr. Reber said.#   #   # 
Photo Caption:  HCCC Associate Professor of Biology, Dr. Nadia Hedhli (in foreground), instructs students during a biology laboratory class.
 
About Hudson County Community College
Hudson County Community College serves more than 18,000 credit and non-credit students annually. The College offers nearly 90 degree and certificate programs including award-winning English as a Second Language, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), Culinary Arts/Hospitality Management, Nursing and Health Sciences, Humanities and Social Sciences, and Business. The HCCC Culinary/Hospitality Management program was ranked number six in the U.S. by Best Choice Schools. 
 
HCCC has partnerships with every major four-year college and university in the greater New Jersey-New York area and beyond, accommodating seamless transfer of credits for further undergraduate and graduate education.
 
The College’s commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion has been recognized with the 2021 Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) Northeast Region Equity Award; and the “INSIGHT Into Diversity” 2021 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award honoring HCCC as one of nine community colleges nationally to be named “Top Colleges for Diversity.” HCCC was a finalist in 2022 for the American Association of Community Colleges’ (AACC) “Advancing Diversity Award of Excellence.” HCCC was selected as one of 24 community colleges in the United States – and the only community college in New Jersey – to be named among the “2022 Most Promising Places to Work in Community Colleges” by the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD), in collaboration with “Diverse: Issues in Higher Education.”
 
 
About“INSIGHT Into Diversity Magazine”
“INSIGHT Into Diversity Magazine” is the oldest and largest diversity publication in higher education today and is well-known for its annual Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award, the only award recognizing colleges and universities for outstanding diversity and inclusion efforts across their campuses. In addition to its online job board, “INSIGHT Into Diversity” presents timely, thought-provoking news and feature stories on matters of diversity and inclusion across higher education and beyond. Articles include interviews with innovators and experts, as well as profiles of best practices and exemplary programs. Readers will also discover career opportunities that connect job seekers with institutions and businesses that embrace a diverse and inclusive workforce. Current, archived, and digital issues of“INSIGHT Into DiversityMagazine” are available online at insightintodiversity.com.
 
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Important Notice for JerseyCity and Bayonne Residents-Rt.440 Closure -What You Need to Know

  • Beginning Friday 8/26/22, Jersey City Municipal Utilities Authority (JCMUA) will begin emergency work on sewer mains under Rt 440 & Danforth Ave
  • Rt 440 North and Rt 185 North will be CLOSED, therefore all traffic on Rt 440 North in Bayonne will be directed onto the New Jersey Turnpike (NJTP)
  • Rt 440 North will also be CLOSED from all other access points (Ave C at City Line, West 63rd Street, All Country Village access roads)
  • The last exit on Rt 440 North in Bayonne before NJTP will be Pulaski Street
  • Rt 440 South will be CLOSED at Communipaw Ave
  • Work is expected to take 14 days total, however, the northbound section (which affects Bayonne closures, may only take 7 days)
  • Operational issues and weather conditions may affect this schedule
  • Please enroll in the Swift911 Emergency Notification System and enable SMS text messages to receive latest updates (www.bayonnenj.org)
  • Follow Bayonne Office of Emergency Management on Facebook and Twitter
  • The potential for significant delays is high, therefore, you should allow for extra time and use alternative routes (such as Bayonne Bridge)
  • ALL motorists are strongly advised to avoid this closure area
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Fireworks for Hudson County Waterfront Rescheduled to Wednesday, August 24th,2022

Jersey CIty 4th of July Celebration

Landmark Hospitality Group, is celebrating their 20th year in business thisyear. They are owners of a number of New Jersey and Pennsylvania restaurants and boutique hotels. A private celebration will be held on Wednesday night at one of their restaurants on the Jersey City waterfront.

The event was rescheduled from Monday night due to inclement weather.

As noted in an invitation the Landmark Hospitality group will hold a “spectacular fireworks display over the Hudson River,”

The full celebration will run from 6-9:30 p.m., but there’s no word what time the fireworks will start.

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