There’s more to look forward to as it really starts to feel like summer in Hudson County. With stay-at-home orders lifted, restaurants reopening for outdoor dining, and other top stories, you may need to catch up on everything that’s been going on this week. Keep reading for the most recent local headlines from Hoboken and Jersey City you missed this week.
PATH Service Has Increased by 96%, NJ Transit to Put COVID-19 Safeguards in Place
When New Jersey reopened for Phase Two on June 15th, the PATH service between New Jersey and New York increased to 96% of the PATH’s pre-COVID numbers for the first time since March.
In order to protect PATH riders, employees, and to limit the spread of germs, PATH has implemented new safeguards such as rigorous sanitation schedules and requiring all passengers to wear a mask or face covering.
“We believe we put a thoughtful and intentional plan together based on what we know today,” PATH general manager Clarelle DeGraffe told NJ Advance Media. “We want to provide as much service for riders to social distance.”
In addition to more safeguards, PATH service will increase the frequency of rush-hour trains to ensure people have enough space to social distance and to account for the increase in ridership again. During most of the coronavirus pandemic, PATH ridership was down to 10% of ridership reported in 2019.
Hoboken Business Alliance Launches #GoBoken Summer 2020
#GoBoken is a new summer-long campaign from the Hoboken Business Alliance {HBA}, designed to encourage Mile Square residents to shop local and support Hoboken-based businesses.
“With many businesses closed or operating at a limited capacity over the last few months, the pandemic has had a tremendous financial impact,” said Gregory Dell’Aquila, President of the Hoboken Business Alliance. “Small businesses are the heart of our economy, and they have been fighting for survival. If we want to help our small shops, restaurants, and businesses to have a fighting chance; we have to take action right now. We’re encouraging the community to rally for our Hoboken businesses, and show support in any way we can.”
Each week of the summer, the #GoBoken campaign focuses on a different theme — Summer-Spirited BBQ, Picnic in the Park, Kid-Palooza, Sinatra Celebration. The first themed-promotion is the 7th Inning Stretch, which kicked off on Friday, June 19th in conjunction with the Mile Square Theatre’s annual variety show “7th Inning Stretch: From the Dugout,” a performance that has run since 2003 to honor Hoboken as the birthplace of baseball.
This year, the performance is going virtual from June 19th to June 21st. Tickets are pay-what-you-can, starting at $20, and are available at MileSquareTheatre.org. Once tickets are purchased, the performance can be streamed.
As part of the 7th Inning Stretch week of #GoBoken, local restaurants are offering some exciting specials as well. At Carpe Diem, choose four dishes under $15, at Elysian Cafe, choose a three-course meal under $25, and at Northern Soul, find an innovative spin on the traditional hotdog.
Wine Dad’s is offering a drink duo to complement these restaurant offers: a new beer from 902 Brewing called Daddy Daycare and Galaxy Dust from Hoboken Brewery.
Local retailers are getting involved, too, by offering specialty baseball-inspired merch. At Stan’s Sport Center, you’ll find Hoboken baseball hats in youth and adult sizes for purchase and The Local Thread has designed a three-quarter-sleeve baseball ‘Hoboken’ tee.
Proceeds from the baseball shirts from The Local Thread will go toward the Hoboken Relief Fund.
If you are a business interested in participating in the upcoming #GoBoken promotions this summer, check out the application form. Find more information on the #GoBoken campaign at www.hobokenalliance.com or follow Hoboken Business Alliance on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter.
The Mile Square Theatre’s Play “7th Inning Stretch” to Go Virtual
In conjunction with the aforementioned first week of #GoBoken, Mile Square Theatre is kicking off its annual variety show “7th Inning Stretch: From the Dugout” this weekend with a new virtual format.
The performance has run in Mile Square since 2003 in honor of Hoboken as the birthplace of baseball. But this year, it’s going virtual from June 19th to June 21st.
Tickets are pay-what-you-can, starting at $20, and are available at MileSquareTheatre.org. Once tickets are purchased, the performance can be streamed online.
Owner of Light Rail Cafe Introduces Black Lives Matter Day Resolution
Jersey City’s Ward F Councilman and owner of The Light Rail Cafe, Jermaine Robinson, has introduced a new resolution to institute Black Lives Matter Day as an annual commemoration in honor of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement.
In a statement, Robinson said, “May 25th was the day the world took notice that Black lives mattered. No one really understood except us. And so May 25th became the day that everyone understood that Black lives matter and make sure that this goes down in history. Every year on May 25th, we will be celebrating in Jersey City.”
Robinson added, “It will be a day to encourage residents to work to end systemic racism and white supremacy and to remember all those who lost their lives as victims of racism throughout the country.”
May 25th, 2020 was the day George Floyd was murdered by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin— who knelt on Floyd’s neck for almost nine minutes while Floyd pleaded for his mom and said he couldn’t breathe. Three other officers watched and did not intervene. Chauvin was charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter; the other three officers were charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder.
Jersey City Councilman Yousef Saleh Turned Down Love Is Blind Opportunity
Jersey City Councilman Yousef Saleh may never truly find out if love is blind. After all, he recently revealed that he turned down the opportunity film for the Netflix series, instead choosing to focus on his duties as Ward D Councilman.
“I really enjoyed the first season. I was like, ‘Oh I would love to do something like this,'” Saleh said. “Fall in love with someone based off just their personality, with the ability to communicate, that seems like the best way to cut through all the distractions of modern-day life.”
Saleh actually applied to audition for Love Is Blind, which you may recall went viral in January. In the series, couples communicate only through pods where they can hear each other, not see each other. They can leave the pods and meet in person only if they get engaged. Once engaged, they see each other for the first time, spend a few weeks together, then have to make a choice at the altar: say “I do” and get married or say, “I don’t.”
But though Saleh was interested in auditioning, he ultimately turned down the opportunity when Love Is Blind came back offering him a spot.
“If I wasn’t the councilman right now, I probably would have done it,” Saleh said. “I am grateful to be councilman and to be able to help my community. While I would like to find love, I do love my community first.”
Mile Square Introduces Policing Policy Task Force
In a direct response to recent protests in honor of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and the Black Lives Matter movement, Hoboken Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla has introduced a policing policy task force in the wake of signing Obama’s “Commit to Action” pledge.
The pledge from President Barack Obama called on mayors to take a closer look at their community’s police use of force policies. Soon after signing, Mayor Bhalla signed an Executive Order to implement a task force consisting of nine civilians and community members, and two Hoboken Police Force officers.
Hoboken has already met all of the criteria of the “eight can’t wait” pledge, which include banning chokeholds, requiring de-escalation tactics, requiring warnings before shootings, exhausting all alternatives before shooting, duty to intervene, banning of shooting at moving vehicles, requiring the use of force continuum, and the requirement of comprehensive reporting.
The Hoboken Police Department also has not had a civil suit or criminal complaint against an of its officers regarding excessive force within the last six years.
The goals of the task force include reviewing the use of force policy, reviewing other “standard” police practices, engaging with feedback from the community, and reporting all findings publicly within 90 days.
Members of the task force include City Councilmembers Vanessa Falco, Emily Jabbour, and the Chair of Public Safety sub-committee, Hoboken Police Officers Lieutenants Johnathan Butler and Steven Aguiar, Hoboken residents Agan Singh, Mariah Tarawally, and Christy Hoffman, NAACP and Hoboken Housing Authority Board member Jason Smith, retired police officer Edgardo Cruz, and Hoboken schools representative Chris Munoz.
Hoboken Police Chief Ken Ferrante has announced his full support of Mayor Bhalla’s task force.
Meet the Brother Duo Taking Over Imposto’s Pizza Restaurant
{Photo courtesy of Imposto’s}
In the midst of many small businesses struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic, you’ll find new owners over at Imposto’s Pizza Restaurant at 102 Washington Street. The new owners, brothers Alban and Bler Malota of Giovanni’s in Hoboken, took over Imposto’s in April after the previous owner retired.
“My brother and I have been in the pizza business our whole lives, starting from working in our family’s pizzeria right here in Hoboken,” Alban tells Hoboken Girl. “We are keeping the Imposto’s Pizza name; however, we have updated the space and menu to bring a cool, modern vibe while serving classic Italian dishes and pizza.”
Gluten-free options at the new Imposto’s will include GF pasta and GF cauliflower crust pizza, which are also available at Giovanni’s.
“At this time, we don’t offer any vegan options, however, in the future that is something we want to branch out into,” Alban explains.
Congratulations, Imposto’s, on the new ownership!
9 Jersey City Police Car Tires Slashed Last Week
Tires on several Jersey City patrol cars in the Heights neighborhood were slashed overnight, and authorities declined to blame it on the civil unrest sweeping large cities across the country.
According to NJ.com, Jersey City’s public safety director Jim Shea said one tire on each of the cars, which were parked in the area of the North District police station on Central Avenue, were slashed overnight. Police found the vandalism Friday morning around 7:00AM.
“When it comes to one tire being slashed on nine cars, it is usually comes back to someone being disgruntled with the police,” Shea said.
When asked if he felt this had anything to do with anti-police sentiment and calls to defund police departments, he would only say that the investigation is ongoing. Both Shea and Mayor Steve Fulop pointed out that multiple demonstrations in Jersey City have been peaceful. Read more on NJ.com here.
JC Coffee Factory Announces It’s Closing Its Doors for Good
{Photo credit: @jccoffeefactory}
Sadly, Jersey City is saying goodbye to a coffee house staple in the historic McGinley Square. JC Coffee Factory, located at 743 West Side Avenue, has officially announced its decision to close its doors for good.
“It has been such a pleasure serving this community premium coffee,” the owners wrote in an IG post. “We want to thank all of our loyal customers that have kept us moving forward since the beginning. We planted this shop with hopes of expanding, however, we are saddened to announce that we will officially close our doors Friday, June 19th. We will miss you all greatly! All our love always, Jose & Sen.”
JC Coffee Factory opened in February 2019. It was known for hosting open mic nights and serving signature vanilla caramel lattes.
New Hoboken Law Seeks to Lower Delivery Prices
A proposed city law in the Mile Square seeks to cap commission fees that food delivery apps can charge at 15%. According to the City Council docs, the law caps commission fees at 8% during a State of Emergency. Officials in favor of the law passing say they hope it encourages more people to buy locally.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, some third-party food delivery apps — such as Seamless, GrubHub, UberEats — have charged commission fees of anywhere from 15% to 30%.
“Restaurants in the City of Hoboken have suffered tremendously on account of COVID-19,” the proposed ordinance states. “All stakeholders must step up to protect the integrity of Hoboken’s hospitality industry during this and any State of Emergency.”
Night Without a Bed Event Raises Funds to Fight Family Homelessness
The First National Night Without a Bed virtual event, in partnership with KIA Motors and Avocado Green Mattress and sponsored by Family Promise, has called on participants to give up their bed for one night in order to raise awareness about family homelessness in the U.S.
According to Family Promise, 2.5 million children in the U.S. experience homelessness each year. In fact, one in 16 kids in America will be homeless before they reach first grade.
“In crises such as this one, it is important that we display compassion and caring for every member of our community. While we are not able to physically come together, now is the time to show solidarity in the protection of our most vulnerable citizens,” said Claas Ehlers, chief executive officer of Family Promise.
With coronavirus increasing economic instability, the risk of family homelessness for American families is even greater than before.
“When the pandemic hit and shelter in place orders were issued nationwide, we thought of the country’s homeless youth population as it is difficult to shelter in place, especially when you don’t have a place to call home,” said Russell Wager, director, marketing operations, Kia Motors America. “The Night Without a Bed program is a clever way to illustrate just a small part of what the homeless youth population across the U.S. experiences on a daily basis. Kia is proud to work with Family Promise because the more people that recognize and understand how uncomfortable it must be for these children, the quicker the issue of youth homelessness will be eradicated.”
The New Jersey-based Night Without a Bed challenge is a virtual social media challenge that asked participants to use #NightWithoutABed online on Saturday, June 20th. Participants were encouraged to sleep anywhere without a bed: in a car, tent, treehouse, on the couch, or living room floor, then post a photo or video to social media using the hashtag.
“Avocado is proud to support Family Promise’s mission. Not only are we able to do this through our unique in-kind donation program, which supplies many of their guests with like-new and organic bedding solutions, we also happily participate in initiatives like the Night Without a Bed Campaign,” said Bri Decker, sustainability and evolution lead at Avocado. “We believe that addressing pressing social concerns is just as important as tracking our environmental impact and that our partnership with Family Promise is improving the lives of families across the nation.”
You can also participate and support the cause by making a donation to Family Promise or ordering a Night Without a Bed tee.
Hoboken Remembers Pauline Nawrocki, “The Chocolate Lady”
Pauline Nawrocki, the owner and chocolatier behind Pauline’s Chocolates in Hoboken, has passed away.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy remembered Pauline on Twitter, writing, “We remember Pauline Nawrocki, a lifelong resident of Hoboken. She was locally famous as the owner and chocolatier behind Pauline’s Chocolates — the entire Mile Square City knew ‘the chocolate lady.’ Pauline was a Hoboken original, and she will be remembered fondly by all.”
According to HMag, Pauline had worked at many Hoboken staples throughout the years before opening her own chocolate and party planning shop. Pauline waitressed at the old Schaefer’s Diner, cooked at Diana’s on Jefferson, and became known as “the chocolate lady,” after opening Pauline’s Chocolates.
HMag reports that Pauline passed away due to COVID-19 on Friday, May 15th.
Hoboken Offering Pet Licenses and Free Rabies Shots on June 27th
All dogs must be licensed in order to use the pet runs in Hoboken, so the City is offering licensing services and free rabies shots on June 27th.
The City of Hoboken will offer its annual free rabies vaccination clinic for dogs and cats on Saturday, June 27th from 11:00AM-2:00PM at the Multi-Service Center at 124 Grand Street. Dogs must be leashed or in a carrier.
To license your dog, you must pay a fee. Dogs whose rabies vaccine has already expired will not be eligible for a license until the vaccination is renewed. If you do not need a vaccination to renew your dog’s license, fill out this form and mail it to 124 Grand Street.
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