The Everything Jersey City Festival will Celebrate Community Pride and UEZ Support at a Time when Budget Cuts Loom

By Sally Deering

 If you don’t know by now, one-third of Jersey City is a designated Urban Enterprise Zone (UEZ\) a designation that offers local businesses tax and other financial incentives to help grow their businesses and stimulate local economy.  Sale tax revenues generated by UEZ businesses go for economic development and neighborhood improvements like street lights, paving, flowerboxes — and other programs that give constituents a feeling of pride in their community.

To celebrate the UEZ’s success revitalizing the Heights section of Jersey City – the neighborhood nestled on the cliff above Hoboken – the Central Avenue Special Improvement District (CASID) Management Corporation presents the Everything Jersey City Festival which takes place Sat., May 21st from 11 am-to-6 pm along Central Avenue from Congress to Hutton Streets.

The Festival will feature four stages with live entertainment including Queen of Freestyle Judy Torres who has made Jersey City her home for the past 16 years, has recorded numerous CDs and is an on-air personality on WKTU radio. Torres sings Freestyle, a form of dance music with a Latin influence that became popular in the late 1980s and early 90s and her hits include “No Reason to Cry,” and “Come into my Arms.” Torres performs nation-wide and just returned from a show at the Continental Airlines Arena in Miami. She has a huge local fan base and she’s excited to be bringing her show live to her Jersey City fans for a second year.

 “This is home,” Torres says. “Two weeks ago I performed at Michael Anthony’s on the waterfront; I performed at Pershing Field. There aren’t too many places in Jersey City to perform. When I did the Everything Jersey City Festival two years ago, we had a great crowd. It was a lot of fun It’s very nice to see people in the area coming out to have a good time. It’s a wonderful community celebration.”

Central Avenue will be lined with tables and tents featuring local artists showing (and selling) their work, vendors selling foods and crafts and of course, goodies from the eateries and stores that line Central Avenue. Arts groups like Pro Arts Jersey City, a non-profit community arts group that sponsors the annual Jersey City Studio Tour and Art House Productions, a 2,000-member multi-arts non-profit group are participating and several community organizations will present interactive demonstrations. Activities for kids will include a rock climbing wall, petting zoo, obstacle course, moonwalk and super slide. And for bargain-hunters, CASID has something very special planned: a huge one day sale among Central Avenue businesses (jewelry, clothing, shoes, furniture,) on the day of the Everything Jersey City Festival. Sales will offer 10% to 50% off select merchandise and festival-goers will find great bargains when business owners sell their wares at the Sidewalk Sales.

 “One of the reasons for the Everything Jersey City Festival is to show how great Central Avenue is,” William Clarke, Director of CASID says. “We try to involve our business owners as much as possible. It becomes a true community event. We focus on Jersey City-Hudson County based artists and we try to focus on the creative aspects of Jersey City. You’ll see things here you won’t see anywhere else. We try to make it as unique event as possible.”

The Festival’s mission is to prove the UEZ Program builds and sustains communities, but on July 1^st when the New Jersey State Budget is finalized and approved, community activities like the Everything Street Festival and many local non-profits may no longer receive UEZ funding.

“The status of the UEZ remains iffy,” Clarke says. “We won’t know for sure until the New Jersey State budget is finalized. But even if it ends in July, our organization will continue to exist. Sure it will change things, but it’s not the sole source of our organization. We’re an autonomous agency. We’ll exist no matter what.”

 When Governor Chris Christie released his budget, it called for no administrative or project funding for the cities, Steve Lipski, CEO of the Jersey City Economic Development Corporation says. That means there will still be a UEZ program, but no monies will be turned over to municipalities or the zones to administer programs. Businesses will still realize tax benefits but they won’t receive assistance from the zone leaders and municipalities through the monies that were collected from the UEZ and returned to the cities.

 But the fight to restore funding isn’t over, Lipski says.

 “We stand squarely with Mayor Healy in the fight to restore UEZ funds which are absolutely essential to help small businesses and fund essential projects critical to the city,” Lipski says. “Governor Christie sent in his version of the budget and the State Legislators are reviewing it to make their necessary input. There are budget hearings going on as we speak.”

 The end of UEZ funding would have a negative impact on community organizations like Washington Park Association (WPA), says President Mory Thomas.

 “The UEZ funding allows for festivals like these which brings thousands of people to the Heights and unites the community in a way that hasn’t happened for years,” Thomas says. “At the first Everything Festival, it was the first time I’d seen the community come out and be engaged in an event. For people to come out and enjoy being on the street, talking to each other and hanging out as a community, that’s something you can’t put a dollar amount to. What I would like to see from the UEZ money is more community-engagement activities.”

 The Washington Park Association along with the Riverview Neighborhood Association, the Jersey City Parks Coalition and St. Anne’s School will host a special “green” event in the heart of the Everything Jersey City Festival. Amid the urban landscape of storefronts, in the middle of Central Avenue, they will create a green “Open Space” – a little park with trees and plants and benches. And there’ll be a “greening” workshop for festival-goers, too.

 “During last year’s Everything Jersey City Festival, we decided that this year we would create an open space on the streets where the festival is,” Thomas says. “It will be a nice little breather in this concrete jungle we live in and bring people awareness to the issue of open space especially in Hudson County which is one of the most densely populated in the country.”

Along with headliners Judy Torres and The Black Hollies, CASID has lined up more great entertainment:  Celtic Cross, Celtic folk-rockers performing classic Irish music; Rumba Con Son, Central New Jersey’s hottest salsa band; Woodfish, a funk-rock band from the Jersey Shore; Ray Rodriguez y Swing Sabroso, a salsa swing band; Ed Solomon & Go Falcon!, poppy punk rockers; Lea Le Grace, pop-rocker; Stephie Coplan & the Pedestrians, a piano-driven pop-rock trio; and Catch Wild, alternative rockers from Jersey City.

 The Actor’s Shakespeare Company at NJCU and the Hope Center Dancers will perform and Family Fitness Martial Arts and Jang Star Tae Kwon Do will present demonstrations.

 The Black Hollies, a Jersey City-based rock band with psychedelic influences has several hit songs out in the mainstream. “Can’t Stop These Tears (From Falling)” was featured on an episode of “The Vampire Diaries,” and “Tell Me What You Want” was picked up by the NFL which used it for an ad campaign. The band features Jon Gonnelli, guitar and organ; Herbert Wiley, lead guitar; Nick Serrante, drummer and Justin Angelo Morey, lead singer and bass guitar. Several members reside in Jersey City, including Morey, who says the band has lots of fans, but may be more well known in other big cities like Austin, Texas, thanks to iTunes and YouTube.  “The song we did for ‘Vampire Diaries’ became one of the most downloaded songs on iTunes and YouTube,” Morey says.

 Art House Productions will be at the Festival to talk about their programs and Pro Arts Jersey City will be featuring several artist-members who will be on hand to discuss their work – always a fun thing to do at a festival. Who doesn’t enjoy talking to artists about their inspirations? Artists exhibiting for Pro Arts Jersey City will be Ibou Ndoye, Deirdre Kennedy, Christina Soto, Sharon Harvey and Holly Williams.

 Art House Productions, a 2,000-member multi-arts organization that produces visual arts programs for more than a decade in Jersey City produces on average one community-art event a week including JC Fridays – a city-wide happening held four times a year that presents art programming at approximately 40 venues. It’s a way to introduce people to the arts in Jersey City, Christine Goodman, Founder and Executive Director says, and each event attracts 3-5,000 people. But if the UEZ funding is cut in July, JC Fridays may not go on.

 “If UEZ funding is cut, it will have a huge impact on our decision to continue JC Fridays,” Goodman says. “We’d like to keep it going. We’ve faced this problem in the past, but it’s going to be a challenge. The future of JC Fridays is a little uncertain at this point.”

Designed to stimulate the local economy, the Everything Jersey City Festival is sponsored by corporations, local businesses, government officials, city agencies and non-profit community groups serving the Jersey City area including Capital One Bank, Christ Hospital, LibertyHealth/Jersey City Medical Center, Metro Honda, City of Jersey City, City of Jersey City Division of Cultural Affairs, County of Hudson, County of Hudson Cultural Affairs and Tourism, C-Town Supermarkt, El Sabroso Restaurant, Footprints Realty, Goehrig’s Bakery, Hauptman Carpets, Hudson County Community College, Infinite Print, Jersey City Incinerator Authority, Jersey City Independent, Jersey City Parking Authority, Milrose Consultants Inc, Panepinto Properties, PSE&G, Spectra Energy, State Farm Insurance, Stop & Shop Supermarkets, Susan Newman Design, Inc., The American Flag Company, the Hudson Reporter, Jersey Journal, Jersey City UEZ Program/EDC, U.S. Representative Steve Rothman, United Water and Wells Fargo Bank.

Things may change after July, but for now, the Everything Jersey City Festival, paid for in part by the Jersey City UEZ Program promises to be a great event that celebrates community spirit and pride.

 And with a little luck come July, let’s hope it won’t be the last.

  Everything Jersey City Festival

Sat, May 21,

Central Avenue between Congress and Hutton Streets

Jersey City

For more information, call CASID at 201-656-1366,or visit its website, www.centralavesid.org

 

For more information on the sources included in this story visit:

www.judytorres.com

www.theblackhollies.com

www.arthouseproductions.org

www.proartsjerseycity.org

www.wpanj.org

www.jcedc.org

The post Jersey City’s Got Everything -For Now first appeared on River View Observer.

 

About Christ Hospital

Serving Jersey City and the surrounding communities for nearly 140 years, Christ Hospital is committed to being Hudson County’s premier community hospital by continually adding state-of-the-art equipment and new programs to provide its patients with the highest level of quality and compassionate care. Christ Hospital is the only facility in Hudson County to offer IMRT therapy for the treatment of cancer and has recently opened a new maternity unit incorporating five-star care and amenities with state-of-the-art technology. In addition to medical/surgical care, specialty areas include: neurological and spinal surgery; critical care; pediatrics; oncology; obstetrics; psychiatry; cardiology; physical, occupational and speech therapy; counseling and resource center; radiation oncology; emergency medicine; same-day-surgery; nutrition counseling; and a sleep center. For more information, please call (201) 795-8000 or visit www.christhospital.org.

The post Christ Hospital School of Nursing Prepares for Fall Semester first appeared on River View Observer.

Jersey City, NJ – The lingering effects of the economic downturn continue to affect children and adults by leading to the development of mental illnesses or addictions – and, in many cases, co-occurring disorders – or exacerbating existing conditions. As a result, community providers have been facing a greatly increased demand for the treatment and support services they provide. These services enable individuals to not only manage their illnesses, but also thrive in education, employment and other important areas of their lives. All of these benefits contribute greatly not only to the individuals’ well being, but also to the economy and society overall. As budget cuts are being made, the value of mental healthcare and addiction treatment services must be considered.

 According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 4.6 million adults nationwide have co-occurring disorders. However, only 6 percent receive treatment for both illnesses. Nearly half, 47.5 percent do not receive any treatment, while 41.4 percent are treated only for the mental illnesses and 5 percent receive treatment only for substance use disorders.

Without access to mental healthcare, addictions treatment and support services (e.g., supportive housing, supported employment), individuals are less likely to secure and retain jobs and more likely to visit emergency rooms, require hospitalization, or become homeless or incarcerated. The state pays significantly more for these avoidable consequences, compared to community-based services. For example, the state spends an average of only $600 in contract dollars for one year of community outpatient services for an adult. By contrast, one year of treatment in a state psychiatric hospital can cost $178,000.

 Another striking example is the cost of incarceration compared to community based addiction treatment. Incarceration costs $49,000 per year, whereas an investment of less than $25,000 would provide effective treatment and avoid incarceration. Furthermore, treatment is much more effective than incarceration. According to National Drug Court data, 70 percent of addicted offenders who receive treatment remain clean and sober for years, while 70 percent of those who are not treated are likely to return to jail or prison.

“At any time, and especially in this economy, the opportunity for such dramatic savings should not be disregarded. Similarly, the needs of individuals with mental illnesses and addictions should never be ignored,” said Mark Prowe, Director, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Health, Christ Hospital in Jersey City. “The earlier an individual recognizes the need for and gets treatment for a mental illness or substance the greater the likelihood of a quicker and fuller recovery:”  “With mental health awareness events coming up in May, this is an ideal time to highlight the services available in our community, the profound impact they have on the individuals we serve and the need for adequate funding to ensure we can continue with our vital mission.”  “Regardless of the economy, mental health and addiction treatment services must always be available. We urge our state leaders to do the right thing and maintain funding for these invaluable services,” said Mr. Prowe

Nonprofit mental health providers, who receive a large portion of their resources from the state, are struggling to serve everyone in need. Their waiting lists are growing, forcing many adults, as well as children, to wait long periods of time-ranging from three weeks to five months-to receive vital services, such as outpatient treatment and medication monitoring. Meanwhile, their health deteriorates, which ultimately leads to crisis and the need for more intensive and substantially more expensive care in hospitals. By making a sufficient investment now, the state can avoid these traumatic health consequences and astronomical financial costs later.

Christ Hospital provides a full continuum of Care for individuals requiring Behavioral Health Services including; Emergency Crisis, Voluntary Inpatient and Outpatient services. 

If you would like more information please go to http://www.christhospital.org or call (201) 795-8375.

About Christ Hospital

Serving Jersey City and the surrounding communities for nearly 140 years, Christ Hospital is committed to being Hudson County’s premier community hospital by continually adding state-of-the-art equipment and new programs to provide its patients with the highest level of quality and compassionate care. Christ Hospital is the only facility in Hudson County to offer IMRT therapy for the treatment of cancer and has recently opened a new maternity unit incorporating five-star care and amenities with state-of-the-art technology. In addition to medical/surgical care, specialty areas include: neurological and spinal surgery; critical care; pediatrics; oncology; obstetrics; psychiatry; cardiology; physical, occupational and speech therapy; counseling and resource center; radiation oncology; emergency medicine; same-day-surgery; nutrition counseling; and a sleep disorders lab. For more information, please call (201) 795-8000 or visit www.christhospital.org.

The post Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Services Are Vital first appeared on River View Observer.

Now 20 days old Ved Sanjiv,  is the first baby born in Hudson County County’s for the New Year 2010

Christ Hospital was the birthplace of the first baby born in Hudson County in the new year.  Neelam and Sanjiv Shah became  proud parents of a baby boy, whom they have named Ved Sanjiv, born at Christ Hospital on January 1, 2010 at 5:05 a.m.  Ved, who arrived before his due date and weighed in at 6 lbs., 10 oz., has a three-year-old brother, Nand, who was also born at Christ Hospital.  

Sanjiv Shah, the baby’s father, is employed as the Supervisor of the Vascular Lab at Christ Hospital.

The post CHRIST HOSPITAL DELIVERS FIRST BABY OF THE NEW YEAR IN HUDSON COUNTY first appeared on River View Observer.

  The holidays should be a time of joy, good cheer and high hopes for the upcoming new year. However, after the gift shopping, holiday decorating, and family get-togethers are done, many people are often left with elevated levels of stress or depression this time of the year.

The holidays are also a time when people feel the loss of a loved one more sharply. Even the memory of a traumatic event, such as a serious illness, can dampen one’s holiday spirits. Older adults, for example, may feel isolated or forgotten, as the season reminds them of happier times.

Whatever the reason, there are strategies that we can use to fight holiday depression.

 The health care professionals at Christ Hospital offer the following suggestions to help ease the stress in the midst of this holiday season:

 Make a list and prioritize the activities that are important to you.

•  Limit your alcohol consumption. Drinking too much can lead to uninhibited behavior, hangovers, and remorse, all of which can lead to depression.
•  Make an active effort not to worry too much or get bogged down with details.
•  Avoid overeating and get enough rest. Though it may be hard to do, the benefits of both are obvious.
• Play games to keep your brain sharp. There are many different kinds of games — such as trivia, memory and math — and skill levels to suit all kinds of people. Games can also be a fun way to spend time with others.
•  Increase your physical activity. Go for walks at safe and warm locations, such as the mall, which will help improve lower body strength, maintain mobility and help prevent cognitive decline. Being active increases your endorphins, which decreases stress levels.
•  Spend time with supportive and caring people. These kinds of social connections are good for your emotional well-being.
•  Laugh a lot. Laughing increases circulation, immune system defenses and mental function. As the saying goes, laughter often is the best medicine.
•  Remember to take some time for yourself. Do the things that you enjoy, such as reading a book or listening to music.

 For more information about depression, anxiety, and substance dependence, please call Christ Hospital’s Department of Behavioral Health Services at (201) 795-8375.

 

###

The post Holiday Health Stress Tips first appeared on River View Observer.

Photo Caption: Eileen Clyne, Christ Hospital’s Human Resources Director (left), and Miriam Rodriguez, Benefits Analyst, offered healthy snacks and tips to quit smoking for employees and visitors who visited the hospital’s Great American Smokeout display on November 19. The event also served as the kick-off towards the hospital becoming a totally smoke-free environment by June 2010.

Each year cigarette smoking accounts for approximately one of every five deaths, or about 438,000 people. While smoking is the number one cause of preventable death in the United States, it costs billions of health care dollars every year.

In an effort to keep its employees and patients healthy, officials at Christ Hospital announced on November 19, the 34^th anniversary of the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout, that its campus will become totally smoke free- inside and out. This new policy change means patients, visitors, and Christ Hospital employees (including volunteers, medical staff, and affiliates) will be asked to refrain from using lighted tobacco products on all Christ Hospital- owned property, including outdoor areas and parking lots.   

“While our buildings have been tobacco-free for many years, we have permitted smoking in designated areas outside of our facilities. These smoking areas will be eliminated in the near future to reduce the dangers from second-hand smoke as we continue to fulfill our mission by promoting a healthy lifestyle,” says Christ Hospital President and CEO Peter Kelly.  

Research confirms the role of second-hand smoke in asthma, emphysema and lung disease- even in non-smokers. “As the healthcare provider of choice for over 100,000 people annually, we have an obligation to provide a healthy, smoke-free environment for our patients, guests and staff. The decision to eliminate smoking on our campus comes as over 60% of all hospitals nationwide have already developed policies addressing this issue and it is anticipated that by the end of next year, over 90% of U.S. hospitals will be completely smoke-free as well.”  

 “This new policy is simply extending the reach of wellness to the entire campus,” says Kelly. “To make this transition as easy as possible, employees will be encouraged to utilize resources provided by the state’s department of health and human services as well as attend local support groups that will soon be offered by the hospital.”

 

 

###

The post Jersey City’s Christ Hospital Expands Smoke Free Policy first appeared on River View Observer.

Pertain has 31 years of experience in the banking industry. He began his career at Provident in 1978

in a management training program and created the bank’s marketing department in 1980. Before his recent promotion, Pertain was vice president and marketing director.

Pertain earned a B.S. from Ramapo College in business administration and economics and a minor in marketing. He is an honors graduate of America’s Community Bankers’ National School of Banking and also graduated from its executive development program, both held at Fairfield University (CT).

Pertain is a member of the Civil War Preservation Trust, which helps fund the preservation of Civil War battlefields.

Pertain lives with his wife of 28 years, Kathleen, and their two children, Dianna (age 21) and Christopher (age 14) in Hampton Township (NJ).

About The Provident Bank

With $4.2 billion in deposits, The Provident Bank serves its customers via a network of 82 branches throughout northern and central New Jersey. The Provident Bank is the wholly owned subsidiary of Provident Financial Services, Inc. (NYSE:PFS), which reported assets of $6.6 billion as of December 31, 2008.

The post PERTAIN PROMOTED TO PROVIDENT FIRST VICE PRESIDENT first appeared on River View Observer.