The Small Business Grant Program is currently open and accepting applications. The deadline to apply is Friday, August 14, at midnight. All businesses in Bayonne should apply for this grant. Applications can be done online at https://hudsoncounty.smapply.io/prog/hudson_county_small_business_grant_program/ or paper applications can be picked up at and returned to City Hall. For questions call the office of Business Administration at 201-858-6109.
See story here Bayonne Small Business Grants
Community-Driven Park to replace Troubled Park Space with Upgraded Amenities and Features to Attract Community Engagement
JERSEY CITY – Mayor Steven M. Fulop announced today the $2.5 million investment to build the new Bethune Park to enhance accessibility for local residents and increase community engagement with special design features including a stage for live performances and community events, amphitheater seating, a retail area for Farmers’ Markets and food trucks, passive seating areas, and a large playground for kids of all ages to enjoy.
“We’ve been working with community members to come up with a plan that is most beneficial for the surrounding Jackson Hill/Greenville neighborhood,†said Mayor Fulop. “This new park is directly in line with our efforts to revitalize the city’s south west side as parks play a key role in sustainable community development, especially in urban neighborhoods.”
After various ideas and drafts over a nearly 10 year period , the Fulop Administration suggested moving the existing Fulton Park – a mostly concrete pocket park in disrepair and tucked behind a large building – to a more suitable and accessible location one block north. The new park will be 20% larger and a significant upgrade with state-of-the-art amenities, located along a main roadway and with greater public safety.
The new park will be located on Martin Luther King Drive directly across from the Mary McLeod Bethune Center, an integral hub for city services and community activities, which can now be extended outdoors to the new park space. The existing Fulton Park site will become a public parking lot dedicated for park-goers and the Bethune Center only.
“This has been 10 years in the making, so I’m really encouraged that this park will move forward to become a gem for the Jackson Hill/Greenville area and serve as a safe space for community engagement,†said Council President Joyce Watterman. “With so many families in the surrounding area, and the Bethune Center across the street, I know the new location along MLK will be much better utilized.â€
“Jackson Hill is excited to see more outdoor space for residents to enjoy, for family-friendly outdoor entertainment and gatherings,†said Michele Massey, Executive Director of the Jackson Hill Special Improvement District (SID). “Our goal is to see a farmers’ market, to have more families utilizing the playground equipment, and to offer much more in partnership with the Bethune Center.â€
The resolution for the new Bethune Park passed the City Council on August 12, 2020, and construction is expected to start within the next two months.
The Bayonne Summer Sounds musical event featuring the Large Flowerheads that was scheduled for Wednesday, August 12, at 7:00 p.m., has been postponed, due to expected stormy weather. The event has been rescheduled for Wednesday, September 2, at 7:00 p.m. on the lower level of DiDomenico-16th Street Park.
Mayor Jimmy Davis and the Division of Recreation have announced the three remaining evenings scheduled for the 2020 Summer Sounds by the Bay music series at DiDomenico-16th Street Park.
AUGUST 12 SUMMER SOUNDS BY THE BAY HAS BEEN CANCELLED
On Wednesday, August 12, at 7:00 p.m., weather permitting, the Large Flowerheads will bring to life the musical sights and sounds of the groovy ’60s. The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Sonny & Cher, The Mamas & The Papas, Tom Jones, The Monkees, Jefferson Airplane, and so many more!
Central Avenue Redesign to Boost Heights Business District
 Mayor Steven M. Fulop announced today the Central Avenue Streetscape Redesign and Roadway Improvements project to transform The Heights’ main commercial thoroughfare into a premier shopping district with enhanced safety and beautification. The redesign project will stimulate the nearly mile-long shopping district along Central Avenue which is home to 240 storefronts, 1,400 employees, and thousands of visitors per day.  With improvements to pedestrian and vehicular safety, traffic flow, and overall aesthetics, the redesign will encourage shopping, dining, nightlife, culture for the community, and future redevelopment.Â
Source: Nixle
Small business grants available Monday, 9:00 am
We encourage all small business owners to apply for new small business grants of up to $10,000 for rental payments provided through the State of New Jersey and made available by Governor Phil Murphy. Thankfully, Hoboken is one of 64 cities selected in New Jersey where businesses can apply. The grants are available as of this Monday, August 10 at 9:00 am on a first-come, first-serve basis and will be provided as long as funds remain. If you are a small business and want to apply, please be sure to do so without delay on Monday morning.
Learn more with some helpful FAQs (also attached), and apply for the funding at www.njra.us.
Additionally, the deadline for small businesses for applying for Hoboken’s CARES Act funding we established with Hudson County is this upcoming Friday, August 14. Hoboken small businesses are eligible for up to $20,000 in a one-time payment to assist in retaining and paying employees. For more information on this grant and to apply (application period currently open), please visit www.hobokennj.gov/smallbusinessgrants.
Impact of COVID-19 in Hoboken
The Hoboken Health Department reported the following, new COVID-19 cases:
August 7: 5
August 8: 5
August 9: 3
Hoboken now has a known, confirmed total of 680 confirmed cases since the beginning of the pandemic. Fatalities remain unchanged at 29.
Two of the weekend’s cases were from those who got tested weeks ago but only recently learned of the results due to a delay in laboratory testing results. None of the residents testing positive are hospitalized, and none were from any known clusters or patterns within Hoboken. We have, however seen trends throughout the past several weeks of those testing positive after attending social gatherings. We continue to encourage residents to avoid any large gatherings especially indoors, social distance at all possible times, and wear a face mask (including children 2 years of age and up) – especially where social distancing can be difficult.
Testing with Prompt MD this Monday and Tuesday still available
As shared on Friday, we are opening up a pop-up COVID-19 testing site at the 7th and Jackson gymnasium (605 Jackson Street) this Monday and Tuesday between 9 and 4 pm, thanks to our partnership with Prompt MD. Testing times are still available – you can sign up for a required appointment at www.hobokennj.gov/promptmd. Prompt MD has indicated they will be able to provide test results within 2-3 days after the completed test. We will be providing more information this week on signing up for a test for the following Monday and Tuesday at this site as well, which will help us alleviate the high demand at the Riverside site under the Viaduct.
For more information, please visit:Â https://www.hobokennj.gov/news/mayor-bhalla-prompt-md-announce-additional-covid-19-testing-options
Grant program for small landlords and tenants.
On Friday, Governor Murphy announced a grant program for small property owners who have had decreases in revenue due to COVID-19. Property owners who receive this grant funding must provide it back to tenants by forgiving back rent and late fees due to COVID-19.
According to the Governor, qualified applicants must meet the following:
The NJ Young Filmmakers’ Festival in partnership with the Bridge Arts Festival in Bayonne, NJ will be screening award-winning works from the 2020 NJYFF winners as part of the Family Drive-In Movie Experience hosted by Bridge Arts in Bayonne, NJ. Log into www.driveinbayonne.com for the movie schedule.
For consecutive Saturday’s in August, there will be a screening of the top award winning NJYFF shorts preceding the featured drive-in movie offerings.
Program 1 – Saturday August 15th, 2020:
Two Schools in Union City will Consolidate to St. Joseph of the Palisades in West New York
Offers Transition Support for Students, Families, Faculty and Staff
Newark, NJ – In response to the urgent need to address enrollment loss and growing financial challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Office of Schools of the Archdiocese of Newark has announced that five elementary schools will not reopen this fall and three elementary schools will consolidate with nearby school communities.
The Office of Schools and the Finance Office of the Archdiocese have been monitoring and evaluating projected enrollment, increasing financial fragility, and the level of support these schools would require since they were already experiencing formidable challenges prior to the pandemic.
Noting that funding resources for Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese were critically reduced since the outbreak of COVID-19 and that paid registrations for the 2020-2021 school year are dramatically reduced, the Office of Schools and Finance Office agreed that the current status of some schools is unsustainable. Consequently, they presented recommendations to Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R., Archbishop of Newark, who approved the following:
The following schools will not reopen:
Maroon and Silver lefty Matt Moreira was a solid hurler in the Last Dance World Series, a tournament where the local team won four games. Photo by Jim Hague
By Jim Hague
It was an emotionally trying season for the St. Peter’s Prep baseball team, long before a pitch was even thrown.
Back in March, when there was still a slight hope that there would be some semblance of a season to take place amid the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, the Marauders’ coaching staff was leveled, after three members of the staff tested positive for the coronavirus.
Then, the season was totally wiped clean, when the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) canceled the entire spring sports season. The Marauders’ hopes of a spectacular 2020 were squashed by the pandemic.
But in early June, plans for a summer tournament called The Last Dance World Series were introduced, a tourney that would begin after the NJSIAA’s exclusive rights were no longer in play.
Of course, the Marauders wanted to be a part of the tourney in whatever fashion it would be. It would be a chance for the team’s eight seniors to bid farewell to their high school careers as well giving the program’s younger players the opportunity to get a jump start on a possible 2021 season.
The team, called Maroon and Silver, was coached by Joe Doren, who has been in charge of the Marauders’ fall ball squad for the last five years.
Core Multifamily Asset Features 58 Apartment Homes & 3,200 SF Commercial Space
In one of Jersey City’s most popular budding multifamily investment submarkets, Gebroe-Hammer Associates has arranged the $23.75M sale of The Fairmount at McGinley Square, featuring 58 newly constructed Class A apartment homes atop 3,200 SF of prime commercial space. Executive Vice President Niko Nicolaou exclusively represented the seller, KABR Group, and procured the buyer, Tenth Avenue Holdings (TAH) Properties.
