We’re back again with a roundup of Hudson County news, here’s what you missed in Hoboken + Jersey City. Among the local headlines: The Hoboken Food Pantry has rebranded with a new name + logo, local pizza shop Tony Boloney’s debuted a new pizza to support Ukraine, Jersey City’s Smorgasburg has announced dates for the 2022 season, and so much more. Keep reading for all the news you missed this week in Hoboken, Jersey City + beyond.
Hoboken’s ‘Boat Graveyard’ is Closing Up Shop
On March 24th, Mayor Bhalla met with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Administrator Dr. Richard Spinrad to plan the Weehawken Cove restoration and boat removal project that has been a hot topic of discussion amongst resident and local government leaders alike in recent years. Click here to read the latest information about the sunken boats in Hoboken.
Lifelong Hoboken Resident Passes Away
Photo credit: Sarah Castillo
Lifelong Hoboken resident, Thomas Sweeney passed away on Monday, March 21st following a fight with pulmonary fibrosis and lung cancer. He worked in the City of Hoboken Recreation Department for 20 years. His last job for the city included calling bingo for the senior residents and bringing them to doctors appointments. His niece Sarah Castillo shared with us a few other ways he was involved in the community.
“He was the DJ at Good & Plenty on Washington street for years. He coached the pee wee little league teams and was the announcer at summer games,” Sarah shared. “He played music at Sinatra park in the summers and set up for Movies in the Park. He would DJ at the Elks Club for parties and charities. The city of Hoboken was his life and he will truly be missed by all friends and family.”
Dunkin’ Donuts in Uptown Hoboken Closes for Renovations
‘The Pizza Shop’ Opens for Takeout
‘The Pizza Shop’ and ‘Flour’ have taken over the former Delfino’s space. While the shop is currently undergoing renovations, the pizzeria portion of the new business is open for takeout and delivery. Click here to read about what to expect at The Pizza Shop and Flour in Hoboken.
Jersey City’s Newest Restaurant + Wedding Venue: Meet Terra E Mare
Terra E Mare, which translates to “Land and Sea,” is Jersey City’s newest upscale restaurant. This highly anticipated spot is located on the ground level of Hudson House by Landmark in Port Liberte at 2 Chapel Avenue, which serves as an event space catering to weddings. The entire building, which sits just at the Hudson River’s edge, is one out of a movie. Think – luxe, modern meets rustic vibes on the outside, and sleek, high-end vibes on the inside. Click here for what we know about Jersey City’s Terra E Mare and Hudson House overall.
Local Artist to Commemorate Napoli’s Owner in Memorial Mural
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Local artist, Ricardo Roig is adding to a mural he did several years ago for Napoli’s owner Frank Volpe, who recently passed away. The Instagram post says, “Frank opened the door & gave me a chance & for that I’m forever grateful. It’s very inspiring to work with his loving wife Jocelyn & his nephew Jaden to make this memorial mural with Frank as the last piece to this mural from 4 years ago. The love and passion that we have for our family & spouses transcends time & I’m honored to be called to paint to capture Frank’s real energy.”
Hoboken Food Pantry Rebrands with New Name + Logo
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The Hoboken Food Pantry started at the end of 2019 to address food insecurity among the residents of the Hoboken Community Center’s Affordable Housing program. Since then, it has grown to feed and provide essential supplies to more than 1,700 households per month. In order to align better with the community center, the organization has rebranded as The Hoboken Community Center Pantry, complete with a new logo and new social media handles. The Hoboken Community Center is located at 1301 Washington Street in Hoboken, at the former site of the North Hudson-Hoboken YMCA.
St. Mary Advocates in Hoboken Donates Proceeds to UNICEF
St. Mary Advocates Inc., located at 536 Garden Street in Hoboken, donated all sales proceeds from Saturday, March 26th to UNICEF. The money made from 10AM to 6PM was donated to support those in need in Ukraine.
NY/NJ Baykeeper Calling for Used Hockey Sticks to Create Oyster Reef
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Several Hudson County organizations, including NY/NJ Baykeeper are collecting old, broken, or otherwise unwanted ice hockey sticks to create oyster habitats for the Hudson Raritan Estuary. The wooden habitats allow for the oyster population to grow and improve water quality. Anyone who would like to make a donation or volunteer to host a collection site can contact amanda@nynjbaykeeper.org.
St. Joseph Church Celebrates 150 Years of Serving Hoboken + Jersey City
On Sunday, March 19th St. Joseph Church in Hoboken held a special mass to celebrate 150 years of serving the community, according to a press release. The 150th anniversary was actually in March 2021, but the COVID-19 pandemic prevented any large-scale celebrations so instead, the building underwent a major renovation over the past year. This restoration involved repointing the exterior, plastering and painting the interior, restaining + cleaning various surfaces, and laying down new carpet in the sanctuary.
Hoboken Housing Authority Held Virtual Meeting to Hear Community Suggestions
The Hoboken Housing Authority hosted a virtual meeting on Thursday, March 24th at 7PM regarding redevelopment plans for aging units in Hoboken. According to Tap Into, the plan calls for a six-phase process to replace or rehabilitate all 1,154 units in Christopher Columbus Gardens, Andrew Jackson Gardens, Harrison Gardens, Monroe Gardens, and Adams Gardens without displacing any residents from HHA properties. The drafted plan aims to improve residents’ quality of life and increase the availability of low and moderate-income housing units.
Hoboken University Medical Center Doctor + Man Charged in Drug Dealing Case
A doctor at the Hoboken University Medical Center has been charged with multiple drug offenses in a joint law enforcement undercover operation, according to NJ.com. Dr. Elizabeth Johnson and the man she lives with Serge Corporan were arrested on Friday, March 18th. Corporan sold more than 150 grams of cocaine to an undercover officer, each time at the Shop Rite on Madison Avenue, in February and March.
Tony Boloney’s Debuts Ukrainian Flag Pizza in Hoboken
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Local pizza shop Tony Boloney’s, known for out-of-the-box pizza recipes, debuted a new pizza to support Ukraine. According to Instagram, 100% of proceeds from the new blue and yellow heart-shaped pizza purchased from March 18th through March 20th went to relief efforts in Ukraine via World Central Kitchen. The pizza has been so popular it will stay on the menu for as long as customers are interested.
Bluemercury to Host Grand Opening in Hoboken to April
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Since 2017, the beauty and cosmetics retailer Bluemercury has been trying to get into the Hoboken retail scene. Plans were finally announced months ago for the shop’s arrival at 230 Washington Street, in the old Hoboken Bar & Grill space.
The Hoboken Girl reported on this news back in 2019, but there were no updates till August 2021 — when Jersey Digs reported that the beauty emporium was making its way to the Mile Square. Now, we know when the beauty emporium will open on Friday, April 25th but the grand opening event will be held on April 8th. Click here for what we know.
Smorgasburg Announces Opening Weekend
After a crazy successful debut season in 2021, the outdoor food bazaar known as Smorgasburg has announced dates for the 2022 season. Located in the parking lot in Harborside Financial Center of downtown Jersey City, just steps away from the PATH train, Smorgasburg will be back this April. Click here for the details of the al fresco food event in Jersey City.
Harrison Firefighter Passes Away Following Training Exercise
The City of Harrison is mourning the loss of a firefighter who died suddenly on Saturday, March 19th, per NJ.com. Vincent Doffont passed away after suffering an apparent medical episode following a training exercise. He has served with the Harrison Fire Department since 2017. The Harrison Fire Department announced his death on Sunday, March 20th.
PATH’s $1B Improvement Plan Set to Start This Year
The $1 billion improvement program started in June 2019 by PATH will soon be showing the riders the results, per NJ.com. The end of 2022 will have the arrival of the first of 72 brand new rail cars and the rest of the cars will be seen in 2023. The main goal of these improvements is to ease the overcrowding seen on PATH platforms. Many more items are also set to be delivered to help PATH.
Hudson Prosecutor’s Office Investigating Crash
A 19-year-old Union City man and a 15-year-old girl have suffered severe injuries due to their car crashing into a telephone pole near Union City High School, per NJ.com. The two occupants of the car were taken to the Jersey City Medical Center and it has not yet been determined which of the two was driving the vehicle. The Hudson County Regional Collision Investigation Unit and the North Bergen Police Department are actively investigating the incident.
Hudson County Officials Signal They Stand With Ukraine
The Ukrainian flag was raised outside the Brennan Court House last week, per Tap Into. This comes after the Hudson County Board of Commissioners passed a resolution that they showed solidarity with Ukraine. This is just one of many ways those in New Jersey have shown support to those in Ukraine defending themselves and their nation from the attacks from Russia.
401-Unit Port Liberté Project Heads to Planning Board
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Several parcels around 1 Constellation Place in Jersey City are being slated to be the next portion of Port Liberté, per Jersey Digs. Port Liberté is a 40-acre neighborhood that currently consists of around 800 townhomes. The application is being slated to be heard by the planning board.
$5M in Federal Funds to Renovate Bayonne Park
Photo credit: Google Maps
Hudson County will be getting millions in federal funding to help with many projects that would benefit the community, per NJ.com. The biggest item in Hudson County will be a $5M renovation to Russell Golding Park in Bayonne. The plan is to modernize the park and make it more ADA-accessible.
Hoboken BOE Submits Tentative Budget
The Hoboken Board of Education has approved the tentative budget for the 2022-23 school year, per Tap Into. The district is awaiting the review of its budget proposal from the New Jersey Department of Education’s Hudson County Office. The tentative budget is $88.5 million in spending for the next school year.
Hoboken Teens Win Slew of Awards in Model UN Competition
The Hoboken High School Model United Nations Team won a slew of awards this last week, per Patch. They won the awards at the 2022 St. Peter’s University Model United Nations Debate Competition. Hoboken High School earned Best Overall Delegations for their performance at this year’s conference.
Jersey City School Board Approves Nearly $1B Budget
The Jersey City school board narrowly approved a nearly $1B budget for the upcoming school year, per NJ.com. They also approved trimming the school tax increase from $2,400 to $1,600. The Board of Education voted 5-4 for the $973.8 million spending plan and it has been sent to the interim Hudson County Executive of Schools to be approved. Once the budget has returned to the board it will be adopted.
Hoboken Connect Development Plans Underway
LCOR has joined with NJ Transit and the City of Hoboken to announce Hoboken Connect reported Patch. Hoboken Connect is a project that would include a 20-story office tower and residential units located near the Hoboken terminal. The first virtual meeting for this project was held last week and another meeting will be held by the first week in April.
Union City + Jersey City Men Indicted for Trafficking Stolen Vehicles
Five people, including a man from Union City and one from Jersey City, have been indicted on charges of conspiracy to steal, per The Hudson Reporter. These people had reportedly planned to steal at least a dozen vehicles worth approximately $600,000. They were charged in a multi-county investigation.
Lawsuit Filed Over Jersey City’s New Ward Map
A coalition of neighborhood and civic associations have filed a suit against the commission that redrew the ward map for Jersey City earlier this year, per NJ.com. The suit charges that the panel arbitrarily split up the city in order to reduce the influence of some communities and certain political leaders. The suit would invalidate the current map and it would have the commission draw a new one.
St. Lucy’s Homeless Shelter Nearly Completion in Jersey City
Work on the foundations of the housing element for the reconstruction of St. Lucy’s Shelter for the Homeless has already been completed, per Tap Into. The main structure above has also already started taking shape. This $15M project will help create a new St. Lucy’s Homeless Center that will have increased housing for families and those in need.
Poetry Festival Kicks Off This Weekend at Hoboken Historical Museum
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The first of three Poetry Festivals will be at the Hoboken Museum this weekend on Sunday, March 27th, per NJ.com. This will also be where filmmaker Nora Jacobson will present her documentary on poet Ruth Stone, which has been a film 12 years in the making. Admission is $15 per person.
Second Man Arrested for Jersey City Fatal Shooting
The second man wanted in a Jersey City shooting has been charged after he was arrested in North Carolina on Tuesday, March 22nd, per NJ.com. Damean Bates has been charged with attempted murder, unlawful possession of a weapon, and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. Bates will remain in custody in North Carolina while awaiting extradition to New Jersey.
The Spot JC Foundation to Debut Play by Greenville Youth
“Spotlight High” is a play written and directed by students in The Spot JC Foundation’s SPOTLIGHT Program for Greenville Youth will be put on this Sunday, March 27th, per NJ.com. The performance will be at White Eagle Hall. The show will be at 4PM and the tickets are $15 with student tickets being $10.
Jersey City Approves Restoration + Expansion Project
The Jersey City planning board unanimously approved development at 824-826 Pavonia Avenue to upwardly expand, per Jersey Digs. The project will restore the exterior of the building to a single color. It will also become a five-story development which will include 20 residential units. A date has not yet been announced for this project.
