Tag Archives: Bayonne

DR. KING’S ENDURING MESSAGE

Bayonne Mayor James Davis-Mayors Column

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

          On Monday, January 15th, we observed the annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. national holiday.  This day should remind us about his life’s mission – equality for all Americans. By backing the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Dr. King fought for equal rights for all Americans, regardless of race, color, creed, sex, or national origin. 

Martin Luther King, Jr. is not simply a figure from the past. Fifty-six years after his death, Dr. King’s words and actions remain relevant to the issues that we face today.  Recent acts of violence that were rooted in religious and racial hatred reminded us all that Dr. King’s work remains to be fulfilled.  Across the country over the years, Americans have been killed, just because they were Black, White, Hispanic, Jewish, Asian, Native American, gay, or members of other groups. The hatred and the violence must stop. 

Long Live the Beatles Will Perform in Bayonne’s Summer Sounds by the Bay Concert Wednesday, July 27, 2022

Mayor Jimmy Davis announced that Long Live the Beatles will play in Bayonne’s Summer Sounds By the Bay concert series on Wednesday, July 27, at 7:00 p.m., weather permitting.  Long Live the Beatles, the longest-running Beatles show in the country, is an all-live musical event with an incredible, show-stopping impersonation of one of the greatest musical groups of all time.  The show recreates the sights and sounds of the Beatles from 1962 to 1970.

The concert will take place at the amphitheater on the lower level of DiDomenico-16th Street Park.  The concert site is located below the foot of West 16th Street, between Avenue A and Newark Bay.

On music days during the summer concert season, in the event of inclement weather, please call 201-471-7590, or visit www.leaguelineup.com/bayonnerec, or view the City of Bayonne’s Facebook page to check on the status of that night’s performance.

For more information about the concerts, please contact Pete Amadeo at 201-858-6129, or email [email protected]

BAYONNE FOOD TRUCK FESTIVAL MOVED TO SATURDAY, MAY 14 DUE TO EXPECTED RAINY WEATHER

Mayor Jimmy Davis announced that the Bayonne Food Truck Festival that was originally scheduled for Saturday, May 7, has been moved to Saturday, May 14, due to the rainy weather that has been predicted for May 7.

          The hours and location of the food truck festival will remain the same: from 12:00 noon to 7:00 p.m. on Avenue E in Bayonne, between 22nd Street and 24th Street.  Only the date has been changed to Saturday, May 14.  Please adjust your calendars.

Food Truck Festival Set for Bayonne on Saturday, May 7

Photo River View Observer 2018- taken when event first began in early afternoon, by 2pm Festival goers were over 2000 people

If you are the type of person who loves Food Truck food, you are in for a treat next month, because Mayor Jimmy Davis recently announced that Bayonne is hosting its third food truck festival on Saturday, May 7, from 12:00 noon to 7:00 p.m.  This year’s festival is the first since 2019.  The Coronavirus prevented the event from taking place in 2020 and 2021. Mayor Davis said, “We welcome the return of this popular community event. The food truck festival will offer people a day to try cuisine from the best food trucks in the region.  We look forward to seeing both Bayonne residents and out-of-town visitors as we bring the food trucks back to Avenue E.  The festival will welcome people to our community to celebrate the spring and to see how great Bayonne is.”  Mayor Davis continued, “The City of Bayonne encourages people to arrive by Light Rail at the 22nd Street Station.  It will be an easy way to come to the festival and see what Bayonne has to offer.”

Jersey City Project Eat
Photo 2018

BAYONNE TO HOLD EARTH DAY CLEAN-UP ON SATURDAY, APRIL 30; CITY SEEKS EVENT SPONSORS

          Mayor Jimmy Davis announced that he and the Bayonne City Council are inviting community members and groups to take part in a citywide Earth Day clean-up in Bayonne on Saturday, April 30.  Mayor Davis said, “Earth Day 2022 will provide residents a great opportunity to volunteer to clean up and beautify our city.  It’s a day when we can work together building community spirit and a cleaner Bayonne.” 

          Mayor Davis continued, “There was an impressive turnout of 800 volunteers throughout the community for our previous Earth Day clean-up.  I look forward to a continuation of that great effort in 2022.”

          City officials are inviting individuals, community organizations, and other groups of volunteers to sign up to clean a specific area of the community on Saturday, April 30, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon.  Interested organizations and individuals are invited to register as a team.  People can either form a team to participate, or the organizers can place individuals on a team near where they live.  In recent years, various teams, local businesses, and community groups have taken part.  Mayor Davis said, “We would like to encourage all of them to sign up again for the 2022 clean-up.  We would also welcome new groups and individuals to join in the Earth Day clean-up activities.”  Interested groups and individuals are encouraged to register as soon as possible, in order to get a designated clean-up area.  The Department of Public Works is coordinating the clean-up with the Bayonne Urban Enterprise Zone (UEZ).  To register, please contact Dee Dee Bottino in the UEZ Office at 201-858-6357 or by e-mail at [email protected]

Any businesses or organizations that would like to co-sponsor the clean-up should contact Dee Dee. 

Teams will be asked to take photos of the garbage bags collected, so that they can be displayed on Facebook. The group with the most garbage bags will win a pizza party with Mayor Davis.  

          After taking part in the citywide clean-up, all participating teams and individuals are invited to an Earth Day celebration at the lower level of DiDomenico 16th Street Park, below the foot of West 16th Street, from 12:00 noon to 2:00 p.m.  The park is located between Avenue A and Newark Bay.  The celebration will include a bounce house ride, food, and entertainment, along with advocates promoting environmental education.

Mayor Davis concluded, “We should all help our community and our planet on Earth Day and throughout the year.  Let’s have a successful, citywide clean-up on Saturday, April 30.”

Resilient Northeastern New Jersey will host community meeting to gather feedback on flood-risk reduction actions in Bayonne

BAYONNE, N.J., Mar. 25, 2022– Many residents in Bayonne reported experiencing flooding several times last year due to heavy rainstorms that inundated homes, streets, and businesses. As last year exhibited, the problem will only be compounded as climate change leads to more intense rainfall and rising sea levels. The City of Bayonne is beginning to address flooding with projects like the Fitzpatrick Park renovations to include stormwater management, and it has joined the Resilient Northeastern NJ partnership to promote collaboration on resilience at the regional level. A strategic, coordinated approach that includes capital projects, policy changes, and new services and programs at local, regional, and state scales will be needed to address current issues and prepare for these changing conditions. 

As part of its development of a regional resilience action plan, Resilient Northeastern NJ is hosting a community meeting on April 5th to work with Bayonne community members on specific possible solutions for reducing flood risk. The project team will share key considerations for a range of options developed so far and show how they could shape neighborhoods while addressing flooding and other climate hazards. Feedback will be integrated into the draft action plan that will be released in the Spring.

When: Tuesday, April 5th, 4 – 5:30 PM or 6:30 – 8 PM

Where: RSVP and access the virtual Zoom meeting at https://tinyurl.com/nenj-bay-mtg.Community members can also watch on Facebook live:https://www.facebook.com/ResilientNENJ.

Who: Those who live, work, or play in Bayonne are encouraged to attend and provide input on the resilience action plan. The meeting will be available in English and Spanish, with American Sign Language interpretation. Please email [email protected] or call 201-398-4333 with additional language, accessibility, or support needs.

Contact: Share questions or comments by email to [email protected] or by phone to 201-398-4333.

Major Bayonne Paving Program to Begin on Avenue A and Several Side Streets

Mayor Jimmy Davis announced that a major street-paving program is starting in Bayonne on or about Monday, March 28.

Preliminary work on handicap ramps and concrete will take place on several streets in the coming days. Milling and paving will come next in late April or early May, weather permitting.

Milling involves grinding up and removing the old street surface, so that new paving can begin. Signs will be posted on the appropriate streets to advise residents of the construction activity.

The $1,854,136.25 paving contract was awarded to the 4 Clean-Up contracting firm. The work is funded in part by a grant of $802,443 from the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT). The rest of the funding comes from the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank (I-Bank).

Mayor Davis said, “The City of Bayonne appreciates the state funding that will help us resurface streets throughout the community.” Mayor Davis continued, “Each year, the Department of Public Works prepares a list of streets that need to be resurfaced and then seeks to match those streets with available state or federal funds. We ask for the public’s patience with the paving process and look forward to its successful completion.”

The streets that will be resurfaced include Avenue A from North Street to 20th Street and from 26th Street to the avenue’s terminus at 36th Street; Prospect Avenue from 21st Street to 25th Street; 4th Street from Avenue C to Kennedy Boulevard; 9th Street from Broadway to Avenue C and from Kennedy Boulevard to Avenue A; 11th Street from Kennedy Boulevard to Avenue A; 18th Street from Avenue E to Broadway; 25th Street from Kennedy Boulevard to Avenue C; 38th Street from Broadway to Avenue C; and 39th Street from Broadway to Avenue C.

Additional street-paving work is being planned and will be announced in the near future for additional streets in 2022 and 2023.

City of Bayonne Holds Candlelight Vigil for Ukraine

The City of Bayonne held a Candlelight Vigil for the people of Ukraine on Thursday evening, March 3rd, 2022.

The Vigil was held in front of Bayonne City Hall and attented by Bayonne Mayor James Davis, Bayonne Coucil members; various members of the clergy, local home town hero; Chuck Wepner and wife Linda and Bayonne residents.

Mayor Davis recently announced that the City of Bayonne will begin collecting goods to help the people of Ukraine.

If you would like to help the people of Ukraine donations are being accepted such as clothing, baby clothes, Pampers and other diaper products, sleeping bags, pillows, food, water, toothpaste, soap, and other hygiene products, and first aid materials.

Beginning Friday, March 4, the City of Bayonne will park a trailer in front of City Hall.  The trailer will accept donations of the listed items Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., until further notice.

City Hall is located on Avenue C between 27th & 28th Street

BAYONNE REVISED MASK RULE AT BAYONNE CITY HALL

          In a memo to City of Bayonne department directors that was issued on February 14, Mayor Jimmy Davis announced that “City employees are no longer required to wear protective masks within municipal buildings or within City vehicles,” subject to various conditions and certain exceptions.

          The new City policy states “it is highly recommended that our employees wear masks when interacting with members of the general public and it is also highly recommended that social distancing practices continue to be observed.”  The policy also says, “Employees who have tested positive, have been directly exposed and/or who have traveled outside the state are subject to mask and other requirements” established in the new advisory.

          Some mask requirements are still in effect at certain municipal offices. The new policy states, “All visitors to the City Hall Health Clinic and the Office On Aging are still required to wear a protective mask when entering those offices.”      City employees are no longer required to do daily temperature checks or to sign certifications about their health at the beginning of each work shift. 

          Visitors entering City Hall are no longer required to wear masks to enter the building.  

          Isolation periods are still required for City employees who test positive for the Coronavirus.  City employees who travel domestically or internationally must advise the City Nurse of their status prior to their return to work, so that any required quarantine, isolation, or testing protocols can be confirmed or ruled out.  

State Awards Bayonne $100,000 for City Pool Improvements

          Mayor Jimmy Davis announced that the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) has awarded the City of Bayonne a recreation improvement grant of $100,000.  Mayor Davis said, “The City of Bayonne would like to thank Governor Murphy, Lt. Governor Oliver, and the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs for this generous grant.  The funding will be used to upgrade the DiDomenico Municipal Pool facility.”

The pool is located on West 16th Street between Avenue A and Newark Bay in DiDomenico-16th Street Park.  The original version of the facility was constructed in 1956 under the leadership of former Mayor G. Thomas DiDomenico, after whom the pool and the surrounding park are named.

          The grant to Bayonne, one of 162 announced by the Department of Community Affairs, is a Local Recreation Improvement Grant.  Counties, municipalities, and school districts were all eligible to apply for these grants, which are competitive.  DCA awarded a total of $10 million of funding in this round of grants.  Parks, recreation centers, and stadiums are among the facilities that will benefit across New Jersey. 

Lt. Governor Sheila Oliver, who serves as DCA Commissioner, said, “DCA is proud to assist local governments in repairing and upgrading their parks, playgrounds, and recreational facilities into spaces that promote people’s physical and mental well-being.”  Lt. Oliver continued, “A big part of what makes a community healthy and vibrant is giving residents the opportunity to take a walk, play a game, and participate in sports and other activities with friends and neighbors in a safe and accessible place.”

Jacquelyn Suarez, the Director of the New Jersey Division of Local Services, said, “The Division of local Government Services developed this program, in part, to provide quality outdoor recreational space for the residents of underserved communities.”  She continued, “This need has been especially heightened over the last couple of years as people searched for outdoor spaces to help alleviate the significant stress and anxiety brought on by the pandemic.”