Mayor Steven M. Fulop joined Commissioner William Oâ€Dea, who is also the Elizabeth Development Company (EDC) Executive Director, to announce the launch of “Helmets to Hardhats”, a program designed to help National Guard Reserve, retired, and transitioning active-duty military members connect with career and training opportunities in the construction industry, and assist with job placement.

The post new jersey city program Helmets to Hardhats to Provide Career Training and Job Placement Opportunities for Women and Minority Veterans first appeared on River View Observer.

Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop (June 18th) signed an executive order for Juneteenth (June 19th) to be added as a formal holiday for Jersey City municipal employees and to be added to the list of holidays where government will be closed. This will be in perpetuity.

Juneteenth is named for the date, June 19, 1865, that news of their Emancipation reached slaves in Texas.

Fulop said in an email “we as a city are embarking on a long term conversation about actionable reform with regards to how we define ourselves as a city. Recognizing Juneteenth as a holiday is a small step in acknowledging the fact that we have had a less than adequate conversation around our countryâ€s history with slavery and the impact it still has on our communities.”

“While the conversation around the country has been largely focused on broad changes to police policy, I know that here in Jersey City we‘ve made progress on police and more, but Iâ€ll also be the first to say that as a city we still have much more work to do. “

Just in the last two weeks with regards to public safety Mayot Fulop’s administration started to take actionable steps. Changing the use of force policies for the JCPD and last week the City Council announced that they are working on broader policy changes. This week, they also took steps to bring in a third party vendor to conduct a large scale de-escalation training for the ENTIRE police department. Beyond Public Safety Fulop’s administration view this as a way that the city can highlight the significance of the day in American History, where we can provoke conversation, and where we can draw awareness around our countryâ€s history on slavery. 

The post Jersey City Mayor Fulop signs executive order marking juneteenth to be added as a formal holiday for Jersey City municipal employees first appeared on River View Observer.

JERSEY CITY – Mayor Steven M. Fulop announces five “parklets” being installed around the City in an effort to create more public space and enhance the pedestrian experience. The five parklets are mini-parks which will temporarily turn a standard parking space into a place for the public to enjoy with seating, landscaping, lighting, art and more. 

“This initiative aims to create an efficient use of space for our community, allowing our pedestrians to take advantage of the green space by relaxing and socializing near businesses, restaurants, and transportation hubs,” said Mayor Fulop. “Through Vision Zero, we are one step closer to reimagining our streets for all of its users, reducing traffic fatalities on our streets, and will use the feedback from this pilot program to determine if the program will be expanded.”

The five new parklets are open to the public with locations at: 280 Grove Street, 271 Ocean Avenue, 360 Communipaw Avenue, 38 Congress Street and 193 Mallory Avenue. Following national safety guidelines and best practices, the parklets include the proper barriers and protection from parked cars and adjacent travel lanes.

The parklets advance Jersey Cityâ€s Vision Zero goals by prioritizing pedestrians through a coordinated effort between the Department of Public Works, Division of Planning and Division of Engineering, Traffic and Transportation.

About Vision Zero:

Vision Zero was implemented by the Fulop Administration with a commitment to reduce the number of traffic deaths and injuries on city streets to zero.  Vision Zero focuses on community outreach, and works to seek out residents and community groups for their input. Many other safety initiatives are already underway including speed humps, traffic signal improvements, road diets, safety audits, and curb extensions.

A

The post Jersey City Transforms Parking Spots into Parklets in Citywide Pilot Program to Enhance the Pedestrian Experience first appeared on River View Observer.

Mayor Fulop Announces Cooling Centers and Water Facilities OPEN For Residents to Cool Off During Excessive Heat & Humidity Today and Tomorrow

Three Cooling Sites to Open; All Park Sprinklers and Pools Are Also Available for Residents

JERSEY CITY – Mayor Steven M. Fulop and the Jersey City Office of Emergency Management (OEM) announce that the City is opening three cooling sites as temperatures are expected to remain in the mid- to high 90â€s today with the heat index making temperatures feel closer to 100 degrees. The weather forecast indicates that in addition to the high temperatures, people must be aware of increased humidity levels and poor air quality.

The Mary McLeod Bethune Community Center, 140 Martin Luther King Drive, will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Cityâ€s two senior centers – the Joseph Connors Senior Center, at 28 Paterson Street and the Maureen Collier Senior Center, at 335 Bergen Avenue, will be open as well from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. today and the Connors center also tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

All residents, especially the elderly, disabled people, pregnant women and children under the age of two are encouraged to stay indoors or take advantage of the cooling facilities if necessary.

In addition, all city parks and pools are open for residents to enjoy. For a full schedule of pool and sprinkler locations, please visit: http://jerseycitynj.gov/swimming/sprinklers/

The Jersey City Free Public Library system is also open for residents looking for a cool place on weekdays and Saturdays. For a full listing of library hours, please visit: http://www.jclibrary.org/hours.

The post Cooling Centers and Water Facilities OPEN For Residents in Jersey City first appeared on River View Observer.

Goal of the Program is to Reduce Juvenile Delinquency through Peer Involvement

   Mayor Steven M. Fulop, members of the City Council, and members of the Jersey City justice community will join together with 31 high school students who are the first class of Jersey City Youth Counsel participants at their induction ceremony at City Hall. 

The Jersey City Youth Counsel (JCYC) program, is an innovative peer-based model that will train youth to hear low-level, real-life cases involving their peers to prevent future involvement in the criminal justice system.  Jersey City is the second city in the state to launch a youth court program and joins more than 1,150 youth courts operating in 49 states and the District of Columbia. 

The students, who come from 12 different high schools, have completed 45 hours of classroom training and 15 hours of mock court training, preparing them to serve as judge, jury and advocate for their peers.  Training sessions covered topics such as criminal justice, critical thinking, public speaking, consensus building and decision-making.  Guest speakers included judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, police officers, and social workers.

Like other youth courts nationally, the goal of Jersey Cityâ€s Youth Counsel program is to use positive peer mentoring to ensure that young people who have committed minor offenses learn accountability and repair the harm caused by their actions. The program will provide after-school employment opportunities and training for youth to serve as jurors, judges and advocates.

When:     Wednesday, Feb. 15th, 2017 at 5:00 p.m.

Where:   City Hall Council Chambers, 280 Grove Street

Who:      Jersey City Mayor Steven M. Fulop

              Jersey City Municipal Council

              Deputy Mayor Vivian Brady-Phillips

              31 High School Students from 12 different high schools

The post Jersey City to Hold Induction Ceremony for 31 High School Students Participating in Jersey City Youth Counsel Justice Program  first appeared on River View Observer.

Forecast for Jersey City Overnight into Tomorrow; New Date to be Announced

 JERSEY CITY – The Ward A State of the City Address scheduled for 6:30 p.m. tomorrow, Thursday, February, 9, 2017 at CityLine Church, 1510 John F. Kennedy Boulevard, has been postponed due to the winter storm forecast for our area. A new date will be announced in a few days.

The other four State of the City Addresses will take place at 6:30 p.m. on each of the following dates:

• Ward C, Monday, February 27th, Franklin L. Williams M.S. 7, 222 Laidlaw Avenue
• Ward D, Thursday, March 2, Christa McAuliffe School P.S. 28, 167 Hancock Avenue
• Ward E, Tuesday, March 7th, Grace Church Van Vorst, 39 Erie Street
• Ward B, Tuesday, March 14th, Hank Gallo Community Center, Lincoln Park

The post Ward A State of the City Address Postponed Due to Winter Storm first appeared on River View Observer.

The Jersey City Police Department was the lead agency, with cooperation from the Hudson County Sheriffâ€s Office, the Hudson County Prosecutorâ€s Office, and the federal Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).

More than two dozen municipal ordinance and motor vehicle summonses were also issued as part of the operation. In total, 82 individuals have been arrested during the recent Jersey City Police Department sweeps.

“For the second week in a row, the Jersey City Police Department has targeted the areas that historically have been the source of ongoing crime problems and used the intelligence gathered to arrest those offenders involved in the drug activity which leads to violence on our streets,” said Mayor Fulop. “By working with other law enforcement agencies, we have been able to combine our resources to send a strong message that we will not tolerate drugs and violence in our neighborhoods.”

Beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 2nd, 2013, upwards of 40 plainclothes officers and supervisors fanned out across the South and West Districts, conducted surveillance of hot spot locations, gathered important criminal intelligence, and made multiple arrests.

A second part of the operation involved another 40 JCPD uniformed officers, including Emergency Squad officers, Motorcycle Squad officers and officers from the Hudson County Sheriffâ€s Office, targeting the hot spot locations that had been monitored by the earlier teams of officers.

This phase resulted in additional arrests and the issuance of 20 municipal ordinance summons and three motor vehicle summonses.

“We are taking a new approach to how the JCPD is working to solve public safety issues and these arrests are a step in the right direction,” said Mayor Fulop. “We will continue to allocate police resources to those locations experiencing the highest levels of crime, so that all of our residents can feel safe.”

The post JCPD Leads Second Multi-Agency Operation in Two Weeks; Nearly 50 Arrested on Numerous Charges first appeared on River View Observer.

The post Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop’s Inaugural photos by Steve Mack first appeared on River View Observer.