Mayor Jimmy Davis announced that the City of Bayonne’s Independence Day Celebration will be held on Tuesday, July 2, at the lower level of DiDomenico-16th Street Park, beginning at 6:30 pm, weather permitting.
There will be a rain date of Monday, July 8, if needed.
On July 2, there will be plenty of attractions for both children and adults.
Free children’s inflatable rides will be available from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The rides will be stationed in the old amphitheater, which is located at the southeastern corner of the park’s lower level.
The fireworks are scheduled to go off at approximately 9:15 p.m. The fireworks show will run for about 30 minutes.
Bayonne is getting ready for the summer. The DiDomenico Municipal Pool at West 16th Street will open next month on June 21. From Friday, June 21, to Sunday, June 30, the pool will open from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Beginning Monday, July 1, and ending August 9, the pool will open at 1:00. p.m. and close at 5:30 p.m. From Saturday, August 10, to Monday, September 2, the pool will open from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The pool will be closed in the event of inclement weather.
You must have a City of Bayonne ID card for admission to the pool. City of Bayonne IDs are available at City Hall, Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., in City Hall Room #13 until Tuesday, June 18. City IDs will be issued at the 16th Street Pool only beginning June 21, (10:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.). Beginning Friday, June 21, you will be able to get a City ID Card at the pool, Sunday through Saturday, from 10:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ID card services will resume at City Hall on Thursday, September 4. The cost for a resident ID is $5.00.
The Recreation Division offering nineteen summer camps and activities for children this year. They include Washington School Camp; Mary J. Donohoe School Camp; Robinson School Camp; 16th Street Camp; Culinary Camp; Grassroots Basketball Camp; Skateboard Camp; Parent and Me Swimming Lessons (already full); Intermediate Chess; Carpentry; Graphic Design; Baseball Summer Clinic; Automotive and Mechanical; Ultimate Sports Camp; Ultimate Sports Camp (Kindergarten); Arts and Crafts Camp; Arts and Crafts Camp (Kindergarten); Fashion Design Camp; and Theater For Everyone (Special Needs).
The summer camps and related activities shown above are for Bayonne residents only. Fees and other Information for all of the programs listed above and other activities are available from the Recreation Division at 201-858-6127 or from its website, www.bayonnerec.com. You must register online. Please go to https://register.capturepoint.com/CityofBayonne
We are very proud of the broad range of camps and activities that we offer Bayonne’s children each summer. For a variety of practical reasons, each program has a maximum number of registrations. As soon as the maximum is reached for a camp or activity, unfortunately, we have to close registration for that option. Registration began on May 1. The Recreation Division has already received more than 700 registrations for summer camps and programs, so I would urge parents to register their children for summer 2024 as soon as possible. I would like to thank Recreation Superintendent Pete Amadeo and his staff for putting together a great list of summer activities for Bayonne’s kids in 2024.
In the current housing market, many people are looking for financial assistance with purchasing their first home and making a down payment. Fortunately, New Jersey’s Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (NJHMFA) has a First-Time Homebuyer Mortgage Program with Down Payment Assistance.
Hudson County Executive Craig Guy is bringing several county services to Bayonne for a resource fair on Saturday, March 16, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The event will take place at Nicholas Oresko School (School #14), which is located at 33 East 24th Street, by Avenue E.
Representatives of county departments and agencies will be on hand to help you obtain services and information that deal with economic relief, childcare, small business, transportation, rental and housing assistance, mental health, senior care, employment, veterans’ services, the Hudson County Schools of Technology, the Hudson Regional Health Commission, the Hudson County Improvement Authority, Hudson County Cultural and Heritage Affairs, the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office, Hudson County Corrections, and the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, among others.
At the resource fair, flu shots will be available. If you have not received your flu shot yet, please take advantage of this inoculation.
The fair will provide a great opportunity for Bayonne residents to learn about services that could help them and members of their families. I urge our residents to stop by the resource fair to learn about county services. You might discover something new and could meet people who would help you in a time of need.
During 2024, there will be resource fairs in all twelve municipalities in Hudson County. County Executive Guy is holding these fairs so that more people can learn about the services that the county has to offer them. Last year, the State of New Jersey concluded that 30% of the state’s residents are not aware of the benefits that they are entitled to receive. As a result, county governments and other agencies are improving their efforts to reach out to the public. The City of Bayonne appreciates the efforts that Hudson County is making to assist and inform our residents.
Other Hudson County resource fairs will be held or have taken place in Kearny – March 2; Union City-March 30; Jersey City-April 13; Hoboken-April 27; North Bergen-May 11; West New York-May 25; Secaucus- June 8; Harrison-June 22; Weehawken-July 6; Guttenberg-July 30; and East Newark-August 3. Times and locations will be announced by our county government.
I would like to thank County Executive Craig Guy and all of the representatives of county departments and agencies for planning this series of resource fairs for the people of Hudson County.
MAYOR’S CORNER –Bayonne Mayor James Davis’s Column
Bayonne Mayor James Davis
In mid-February, the New Jersey Department of the Treasury began mailing applications for the 2023 Senior Freeze Property Tax Reimbursement Program. The state has announced good news for senior taxpayers. The program has increased the income limit so that more people are eligible to apply. The New Jersey Treasury Department also eased the residency requirement for first-time applicants. I would like to thank our state leadership for making these welcome changes to the tax system in New Jersey.
According to the New Jersey Treasury Department, “Senior Freeze reimburses qualifying seniors and disabled residents for increases in property taxes or mobile home park site fees on their principal residences. A new law passed by the Legislature and signed by Governor Murphy…expanded the program to increase the income limit for the program to $150,000 (previously $99,735 for the 2022 season), and to eliminate the requirements that an applicant must be a New Jersey resident for ten consecutive years.” The reimbursement takes place after the year in which the property taxes were paid. That is why the program just announced in 2024 is called the 2023 Senior Freeze Property Tax Reimbursement Program.
According to the New Jersey Treasury Department, “To qualify for the reimbursement, taxpayers must meet all the eligibility requirements for each year from the base year through the current application year. Eligibility must be continuous; otherwise, a new base year must be established.”
The state announced the following requirements for taxpayers to be eligible for the 2023 Senior Freeze:
Be age 65 or older on December 31, 2022, or receive Social Security disability payments on December 31, 2022, and also on December 31, 2023; and
Own and live in their home or lease a site in a mobile home park for a manufactured or mobile home that they owned since December 31, 2019, or earlier; and
Paid all 2022 property taxes by June 1, 2023, and all 2023 property taxes by June 1, 2024; and
Their annual income was $150,000 or less in 2022 and $163,050 or less in 2023. With some exceptions, all income must be taken into account, including Social Security, pension, etc.
Mayor Jimmy Davis announced that the City of Bayonne will hold a health fair on Wednesday, October 4, from 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m., in Fitzpatrick Park, which is located on Avenue C, between 26th and 27th Streets.
The fair will offer Bayonne residents the opportunity to receive health screenings, health information, and other services.
Participating organizations include healthcare-related organizations, public agencies, and non-profit services. Up to thirty groups are expected to participate. Participation is subject to municipal approval.
Mayor Davis said, “The 2023 health fair will provide our residents with a great opportunity to receive health services and information in one convenient location. This will be the first municipal health fair in Bayonne since 2019. The event did not take place during the Coronavirus pandemic. The City of Bayonne is very happy to bring back this important health fair for our residents.â€
In the event of rain on Wednesday, October 4, the health fair will take place on Thursday, October 5, at the same hours and location.
Mayor Davis concluded, “I would like to thank the Bayonne Health Division, our Clinic Nurses, and all of the participating organizations, agencies, and services for coming together for this event. I urge Bayonne residents to drop by the health fair and take advantage of this great opportunity to improve your health.â€
For more information, please call the Health Division Clinic Nurses at 201-858-6140 or 201-858-6139.
Last week, in our City Council Chambers, Bayonne residents had their first opportunity to view plans in person for the proposed 34th Street pedestrian bridge. Once plans are finalized, that bridge will be constructed over Route 440 between the 34th Street Light Rail Station and the Peninsula at Bayonne Harbor (the former Military Ocean Terminal).
         There is a clear need for better, safer ways for pedestrians to cross Route 440 than running across the highway. Lives and public safety are at stake. Pedestrians have died in the Route 440 corridor in recent years. The need for safe pedestrian crossings has increased as economic development has taken place in the Route 440 corridor. There are various locations where pedestrian bridges could be placed along that highway. We decided to start with the 34th Street Light Rail area because there is already a pedestrian overpass there linking the Light Rail station with the parking lot. This proposed bridge would connect directly to the existing Light Rail passenger overpass. TY Lin, the engineering firm that has the contract for the bridge concept development study, has offered various options for solving the pedestrian safety problem around 34th Street and Route 440. The engineers have presented options that include various types of bridges and upgrading the highway crossing without building a bridge. Let’s be clear. We want a bridge.
The staff of TY Lin believes the best option or preferred alternative would be a single-span, prefabricated, steel truss bridge over Route 440. This proposal would include fully enclosed stairs and an elevator building at the east landing of the bridge, across the highway from the station. That plan would offer a sidewalk at the east landing that would connect to the sidewalk on Goldsborough Drive and at Port Terminal Boulevard. They are major streets at the former Military Ocean Terminal. The engineers envision a twelve-foot-wide space inside the bridge to provide safe access for pedestrians and bicycles. At the public information session on August 2, members of the public suggested that the bridge be enclosed for safety reasons. Several residents also called for more sidewalks in the Route 440 corridor.
At the City Council Caucus on Wednesday, August 9, at 6:00 p.m., TY Lin will offer a presentation about the proposed bridge to our City Council Members. This Caucus meeting will be televised on Optimum cable Channel 78 and on Verizon Fios Channel 42. We expect at least one more opportunity after that for the public to offer comments in person about the bridge proposal.
This bridge project began when the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority awarded Bayonne a $550,000 planning grant. Later, the City of Bayonne received more than $4 million in federal funds for bridge construction through the New Jersey Department of Transportation and the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority. The federal money came from the Liberty Corridor program, a transportation aid package that Senator Bob Menendez championed when he was still in the House of Representatives. Â
Where do things stand now? There is a concept for the bridge, along with a preferred option for building that bridge. We have more than $4 million for construction. After receiving more public input, we can move towards preliminary engineering, then to the final design of the bridge, and, ultimately, to construction.
As we continue making progress on this project, I would like to thank all of our residents who have offered ideas and expressed concerns about the safety issues on Route 440.  If you would like to offer comments or suggestions to TY Lin about the proposed pedestrian bridge, please go to https://34thstbayonnepedestrianbridge.com/contact.
We look forward to working with the New Jersey Department of Transportation to provide more safe crossings in the Route 440 corridor.
The Bayonne Memorial Day Parade will take place on Memorial Day, Monday, May 29, 2023. Last year, the City of Bayonne worked in conjunction with the veterans of the Memorial Day Parade Committee to bring the parade back after an absence of two years. Mayor Jimmy Davis said, “As the son of a proud Korean War veteran, I was very happy that we found a way to revive the parade in 2022. I am glad to say that the successful collaboration between the veterans and the City of Bayonne has continued in 2023.â€
Pete Amadeo, the Supervisor of the City of Bayonne’s Recreation Division, has worked with Barry Jones, the parade chairman, and the other veterans on the Memorial Day Parade Committee to invite various organizations to take part in the parade in both 2022 and 2023. Mr. Jones is an Army veteran from the Vietnam era.
There will be a ceremony at the traditional start of the parade on Memorial Day, Monday, May 29, at 10:00 a.m., at Fifth Street by the World War I Monument. Immediately after the ceremony, the march will begin at 5th Street and will proceed up Broadway. It will pass the reviewing stand in front of American Legion Post 19 and will end at 32nd Street and Broadway.
The grand marshal of the parade will be Carlton Rhodes. In 1990, he served as President of Chapter 151 of the Vietnam Veterans of America. He has held the position of State Secretary-Treasurer of the Vietnam Veterans of America New Jersey State Council for 28 years. Mr. Rhodes served as Commander of VFW Post 7470 from 1983 to 1984, and Quartermaster of VFW Post 7470 from 1984 to 1989. He is the current Senior Vice Commander of VFW Post 7470. His volunteer experience has included volunteering at the VA Lyons Hospital, the Chapel of Four Chaplains in Philadelphia, the Memorial Day Committee of Bayonne, and Faithful Navigator of the 4th Degree Knights of Columbus. Mr. Rhodes is a member of the Vietnam Veterans of America, the Catholic War Veterans, the VFW, and the American Legion. Mr. Rhodes trained as an aircraft mechanic and an electrician. He was employed as a Maintenance Supervisor for the U.S. Postal Service.
Mayor Davis stated, “From the American Revolution to the present, more than 42 million Americans have served in our military during war. Of them, more than one million died in the service, whether in battle or elsewhere during wartime.†Mayor Davis concluded, “Veterans often remind us that ‘freedom is not free.’ That means that America’s fighting men and women have purchased our freedom with their sacrifices since 1775. We owe our freedom and our way of life to them. Please show your gratitude for those who gave their lives for our country by coming to the memorial ceremonies and to the parade.â€
Speaking at a press conference at the Bayonne Community Museum on April 20, state, county, and municipal officials discussed the start of Arrive Together in Bayonne, a joint program for law enforcement officers and mental health professionals. Started as a program in Cumberland County, New Jersey in 2021, Arrive Together is expanding gradually to other parts of New Jersey. The program pairs mental health professionals with law enforcement officers to respond to emergency calls for service involving persons with mental health issues.
         Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez said that she was “very excited†about this pilot program, which will operate initially two days a week in Bayonne with Hudson County Sheriff’s Officers and mental health professionals.Â
On Saturday, January 28, the City of Bayonne’s Recreation Division held a ceremony to celebrate the $1 million federal grant it will receive to construct a ballfield for the Buddy Baseball program at 11th Street and Avenue E. Buddy Baseball, a popular activity for young people with special needs, was established in Bayonne seven years ago.
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