Tag Archives: Jersey Journal

WRITER’S ROCK Weehawken Music Writer Jim Testa on Hudson’s Music Scene

Writer/Musician Debuts New EP

By Sally Deering

Musician Jim Testa
Jim Testa at home in Weehawken
(Photo by Dan Bracaglia)

There’s an old saying, “write what you know” and for music writer Jim Testa of Weehawken, the words fit like an old pair of jeans. Testa writes the music column CONSTANT LISTENER for The Jersey Journal and has covered the rock and roll music scene since the 1980s, when Maxwell’s was the go-to club to see new bands and local indie labels produced their records. Testa wrote about bands when they were still unknowns, offering insightful commentary about their work in his weekly column. Like Chicago-based music writer Jim DeRogotis (who is from Jersey City and worked as a reporter for several local papers) Testa continues to be an important voice covering today’s music scene.

Jim Testa perfomring
Jim Testa performs at NJ Arts Benefit
(Photo: Kaos Music Promotions)

Testa’s career in music sways from writing to performing. A guitarist, Testa’s played in bands since his teen years. These days, he performs locally and recently recorded a new EP at Mama Coco’s Funky Kitchen in Bushwick, five songs he wrote – political songs like those of Phil Ochs, witty tunes evoking Tom Lehrer, and love songs, too. The EP, AMERICAN SPIRITS AND ARTISANAL CHEESE, can be purchased online at Jimtesta.bandcamp.com.

Continue reading WRITER’S ROCK Weehawken Music Writer Jim Testa on Hudson’s Music Scene

Jersey City’s Got Everything -For Now




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. Continue reading Jersey City’s Got Everything -For Now

HUDSON COUNTY CHAMBER LAUNCHES AD CAMPAIGN

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Jersey City, NJ … Today the Hudson County Chamber of Commerce launched a promotional campaign designed to spur the business community into supporting fellow Hudson County based businesses.

The campaign theme is “We Make it Happen” and features six distinguished members of the association’s Board of Directors in a series of print, online and outdoor ads during a six week period. The group includes Dr. Carlos Hernandez, President, New Jersey City University; Dr. Eugene Cornacchia, President, Saint Peter’s College; Joseph F. Scott, FACHE, President and CEO, LibertyHealth; Connie Claman, Vice President Resource Administration, Liberty Science Center; Maria Nieves, Director, Public Affairs, Fidelity Investments and Helen Brzozowski, Director, Junior Prep Pre-School Center. Continue reading HUDSON COUNTY CHAMBER LAUNCHES AD CAMPAIGN

VNA Awarded $295,000 Grant Allocation for Village Park Project

September 14, 2010 by Rob Crow 

The Village Neighborhood Association, in collaboration with The Jersey City Parks Coalition, has received the highly sought after recommendation from the Hudson County Open Space Trust Fund Board of Directors and County Executive Tom DeGise for $295,000 of matching funds for the redevelopment of The Village Park on First Street in The Village section of Downtown Jersey City. This is huge!

Throughout the Winter and early Spring of 2010, members of the VNA, The Jersey City Parks Coalition, and Future Green Studios painstakingly compiled and completed the phone-book sized grant application. On April 8, 2010, designer David Seiter (Future Green Studio), Jim Ayers (VNA Vice President), Michele La Monica-Egar (Jersey City Parks Coalition) and myself pitched our formal presentation to the the Hudson County Board of trustees. And then, we waited….

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Source: Rob Crow, Jersey Journal Continue reading VNA Awarded $295,000 Grant Allocation for Village Park Project

DO YOU REMEMBER OLD JERSEY CITY?

red-and-tan-busYou know you are from Jersey City if you remember…
I received   this in an email today. My Jersey City friends may remember many of the places and things. Have fun, I did. 

Source: Truth Speaks- Icypeals Blogspot - Thanks Mimi

*Seeing the Three Stooges Live at the Stanley Theater
*Live Acappella Shows at the State Theater
* Hudson Boulevard had islands.
*Ferris High School
*Singing Doo-Wop under the tresstle on Monmouth Street
*Hanging out at Coletta’s Bar
* You knew how O’Hara’s got it’s name.
* You knew all the troublemakers before they became cops.
– Martin Luther King Drive was Jackson Avenue
– Christopher Columbus Drive was Railroad Avenue
– Luiz Munoz Marin Boulevard was Henderson Street
-Manila Avenue was Grove Street
– Roosevelt Lanes & Putney’s Pub
– Annual Holy Name Parade
– What Harvard on the Blvd. and St. Richards on the Hill are
– The color scheme of the bus lines:Â
… Brown: Central Avenue; Red: Montgomery/West Side, Green: Bergen/Lafayette, Orange: Bergen Avenue
– Getting Sunday suits at Robert HallÂ
– Bettingers on the Square
– Uncle Milties/Bergen Point
– The Skyline Cabana Club
– You shopped in Woolworth on JournalÂ
Square and went to the Griddle or Driftwood after a movie.
– The Hudson Mall was a strip mallÂ
– Instead of the Hudson Mall there
was: Two Guys from Harrison; Great Eastern, and Valley Fair
– Instead of the dollar stores there was Johns Bargain Stores
– You could actually swim in the Reservoir (on the sneak)
– The giant roach in the exterminators window on Westside Avenue
– Floor shows at the Canton Tea Garden Chinese Restaurant
– You’ve said “Youse” about 100 times in one day

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  Continue reading DO YOU REMEMBER OLD JERSEY CITY?

Opening Reception for “HERSTORY” at Justice William J. Brennan Court House, Theodore Conrad Rotunda, Jersey City

herstory-bill-larosaIn celebration of Women’s History Month;” Herstory,” an exhibit of black and white photographs taken by local women photographers: Danielle Fotopoulos,Virginia Kamenitzer,Beatrice M. Mady, Dot Paolo, Melida Rodas,Roberta C. Scott, Reena Rose Sibayan (Photographer for the Jersey Journal), Debbie Teicholz, Tara Thurber of women in the arts, sciences, the environment and other professions had its opening reception on Tuesday evening March 2nd, in the Justice William J. Brennan Court House, Theodore Conrad Rotunda. In attendance was  a large receptive crowd of family, friends and Hudson County residents.

 Pictured above William La Rosa, Administrator- Hudson County Cultural Affairs & Heritage Affairs/ Tourism Development; Artist Virginia Kamenitzer(who exhibited two photos),and Meredith Lippman; Program Development Specialist, and Eilleen Gaughan; Assistant Administratorboth Ms. Lippman and Ms. Gaughan are  the curators of the exhibit.

The Exhibit will be held from March 2nd- March 26th

For more photos Continue reading Opening Reception for “HERSTORY” at Justice William J. Brennan Court House, Theodore Conrad Rotunda, Jersey City

I Was Born In Hoboken- Fantastic Video with Former Mayor Steve Capiello

Here is a bit of Nostalgia for anyone who grew up in Hoboken, New Jersey or knows Hoboken as it is today.


Source You Tube- Thanks Roger Muller-Muller Insurance

Holy Rosary Church Downtown Jersey City to Celebrate the First Mass of Christmas at Midnight In Latin

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Holy Rosary  is  the Oldest Established Italian Parish in New Jersey

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Holy Rosary Church has announced plans to celebrate a Traditional Solemn High Mass on Christmas Eve at Midnight. 

The Traditional Mass or the Extraordinary Form as Pope Benedict XVI identifies it in his Apostolic Letter “Summorum Pontificum” is celebrated in Latin according to the Missal of 1962.  This missal was issued under Blessed John XXIII and remained in use until some years after the conclusion of the Second Vatican Council. 

A prelude of seasonal music by Herbeck, Praetorius and Victoria will be performed by the Holy Rosary Choir preceding the mass at 11:15 pm.  During the mass the choir under the direction of Harold Bott will sing the Mass in G by Schubert accompanied by organ and strings. The Holy Rosary Schola will sing the Propers of the Mass in Gregorian chant from the Liber Usualis. Continue reading Holy Rosary Church Downtown Jersey City to Celebrate the First Mass of Christmas at Midnight In Latin

Hudson County’s Favorite Son-Frank Sinatra

Frank Sinatra is one of the first all round superstars of the entertainment business. A singer, actor, director and producer par excellence.

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But in Hudson County-He’s it!!    

frank-oldAlthough Frank Sinatra died over 11 years ago, his legend, and music and escapades as an entertainer on and off the stage and screen live on. Especially in Hudson County where stories about the boy from Hoboken are passed down from parents to children. In Hudson County we love Frank Sinatra .Everyone has a Sinatra story – it really is -Six degrees of Frank Sinatra here. You hear things like “Frank was at my mother’s wedding,” or “they say he use to ride the streets of Hoboken late at night in his limo, remembering the good old days. And   there isn’t a restaurant in Hudson County that doesn’t have  some kind of photo of Frank. Yep, In Hudson County we love Frank- here is a bio on Hudson County’s favorite son.       

Francis Albert Sinatra was born on December 12, 1915 in Hoboken, New Jersey. Frank Sinatra’s father was a firefighter and amateur boxer named Martin Anthony Sinatra while his mother, Natalie Sinatra had political aspirations. Over the next eighty years Frank Sinatra was a singer, actor, director and producer who entertained generation after generation all over the world. Continue reading Hudson County’s Favorite Son-Frank Sinatra