Mid -Day Host WQXR

by Tom Dwyer

When Annie Begrowicz’s career as a radio host and announcer took off more than 20 years ago, she decided to change her hard to pronounce last name to something more radio-friendly. After a few failed combinations, she found a name with a nice ring to it: Annie Bergen, after Bergen Avenue, the street where she lived as a child in Jersey City.  Today, Annie Bergen still lives in Jersey City and she’s now the mid-day host on the most listened to classical radio station in New York City, WQXR, owned by the New York Times.  Every weekday from 10 am to 3 pm, Bergen is the host of “The Mid-Day Show” where she treats her listeners to a cornucopia of classical music. She also hosts the Saturday morning show, “People in the Arts”, where she interviews artists from every corner of the art world.

Before joining WQXR in 2004, Ms. Bergen was the Chief Arts and Entertainment Reporter for Bloomberg Radio, WBBR.   She has also worked at Bloomberg Television, as well as a number of other radio stations including WBGO–the great jazz station located in Newark — where she hosted her own show called “Annie in the Afternoon.”    Bergen has won many prestigious awards for her reporting, including a “Gracie” from American Women in Radio and Television and two awards from the New York State Broadcasters Association.

Continue reading June- Jersey City’s Anne Bergen →

 

…coming to a town near you

                                                            Tom Dwyer

 What do Frank Sinatra, Meryl Streep, Yogi Berra, Bill Bradley, Thomas Edison, Toni Morrison and Bruce Springsteen all have in common? They are part of the first group of New Jerseyans inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame.  On May 4^th, fifteen men and women became the inaugural class of inductees at a ceremony at NJ Pac.  In order to be considered as an inductee for the New Jersey Hall of Fame, one needs to have lived in New Jersey for at least five years.

 There are five categories—Historical, Enterprise, Arts & Entertainment, Sports
and the General category.  The Historical category is open for deceased New Jerseyans whose contributions transcend any one particular category.  Clara Barton, Thomas Edison and Albert Einstein were picked in this category.   The Enterprise Category is open to scientists, business leaders, inventors, leaders in medicine, entrepreneurs and philanthropists.  Buzz Aldrin, Malcolm Forbes and Robert Wood Johnson were picked in this category.   The Arts & Entertainment Category includes musicians, singers, songwriters, actors & actresses, artists, dancers and those who work in the related fields. Frank Sinatra, Bruce Springsteen and Meryl Streep were inducted in this category.  
Continue reading MAY-New Jersey’s Hall of Fame →

                                                By Tom Dwyer

In a recent article in USA TODAY, Jersey City was picked as a model of smart growth for the rest of  America to follow.    Bob Leach, who is the director of the Jersey City Historical Project, a program of the Jersey City Public Library and the Jersey City Division of Cultural Affairs, remembers when Jersey City was written off as a wasteland back in the 60’s and 70’s.  He believes that the revitalization of the city is a great thing, but he also wants the people of Jersey City, old and new, to remember the very important and sometimes colorful past of Jersey City.

Continue reading Bob Leach-Director Jersey City Historical Project…the story teller →

 

By Tom Dwyer

These days, running a business is not easy.  The volatile stock market is creating heartburn for many and shoppers are holding on to their money. One thing that business people in Hudson County are doing to get a leg up, is networking with other business people at events promoted by the Hudson County Chamber of Commerce. It’s a smart way to find out what’s working and not working for other businesses and a great way to pitch one’s own company.  The Hudson County Chamber of Commerce, located at 660 Newark Avenue in Jersey City, has been a center of networking for businesses since 1888 when it started as the Jersey City Chamber of Commerce.  With close to four hundred members, the organization provides support for Hudson County businesses.
Joanne Vandorn, the president of HCCC has been with the organization since 1992 and the president of the organization for the past five years.  Before joining the chamber, she was the assistant executive director for the Jersey City Economic Development Association.  “We’re here to help companies in Hudson County who are interested in growing. We are an advocacy group that helps with certain legislative concerns that companies might have, and, are a countywide resource when it comes to running a business,” Vandorn said. Continue reading HUDSON COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE →