An intense fire ripped through the White Rose Linen Supply Co. at 419 Third Street early on Saturday morning. They’re still investigating the cause of the fire, but definitely check out Mike McNamara’s incredible photos on his site here.

Three-alarm fire in Downtown Jersey City sends 1 firefighter to hospital

The article below is from the Jersey Journal.

One firefighter suffered minor injuries while fighting a three-alarm fire that broke on 3rd street around 2 a.m. this morning, said Jersey City Fire Director Armando Roman.

Firefighters were at the scene at 417 3rd St by Merseles Street when one-third of the roof collapsed.

Firefighters were removed from part of the building and continued to fight the blaze until it was contained an hour later.

The injured firefighter was taken from the scene and brought to Jersey City Medical Center for treatment.

It is still unclear at this time what started the fire.

No other injuries were reported.

This is easily the most critical quality of life issue to ever face The Village! Spread the word!

On September 16, 2011, the Federal Energy Regulation Commission (FERC) issued a Draft Environment Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Spectra Energy NJ/NY Expansion Project (Docket No. CP11-56). The public comment deadline is October 31, 2011. FERC will be holding four Public Scoping Meetings during the third week of October 2011.

They will be in Jersey City on:

Wednesday, October 19, 2011
7:00 PM
Ferris High School Auditorium
35 Colgate Street
Jersey City, NJ 07302

Attached is a meeting announcement for the Public Scoping Meeting. Last summer on a hot night in August, hundreds of Jersey City residents came together to voice their opinions to FERC. The City of Jersey City would once again like to remind FERC of the strong community Jersey City is and we will have our voices heard.

Please do not hesitate to share this flyer with anyone who is interested in attending the public meeting.

Additional information can be found at the following links:

www.jerseycitynj.gov

www.nogaspipeline.org

www.ferc.gov

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2011

THE EIGHTH ANNUAL

4TH STREET ART & MUSIC FESTIVAL

Part of the Jersey City Artists Studio Tour

For more information please see
www.4thStreetArts.org or call (224) 444–9615

Come out for a day of Community, Art & Music. The 4th Street Art & Music Festival will take place for the eighth time on Saturday October 1st.  4th Street Arts – Founded in 2004 continues to grow as an organization as does the festival that started it all.

For this years main event the table is full of tantalizing art projects, sizzling musical performances and awe inspiring artists and their work.  Some of the confirmed projects are ….

SCHOLARSHIP SHOW / PERFORMANCE

The recipients of the 4th Street Arts 2010 Scholarship will share their talents with the festival. Visual Art recipient Wenye Fang, a recent graduate of St Peters Prep, will have his first solo show during the Festival.  Wenyes’ scholarship brought him to Jersey City Art School from March 2011 thru August 2011. Under the guidance of Thomas John Carlson, he explored many fundamental exercises in understanding light and form, in both drawing and painting.  The two courses that Wenye attended brought him from a very basic line drawing all the way to making full color oil paintings of the figure.  This program was designed to give him the foundation to create a full body of work.  Wenyes’ show will be in the 4th Street Studio located at 371 4th Street.

4th Street Arts 2010 Scholarship winner in performance arts, 15 year old Tanisha Boon, will perform her poetry and spoken word on the Village stage at 12:45PM.   Tanishas’ scholarship sent her to Art House for a 6-week intensive workshop,  “Say What”,  where she studied different styles from slam to short form to cutting-edge multimedia. Tanashia is in her junior year in County Prep High School and has been writing for about 3 years. Writing has been an outlet for her to express her emotions and views on social, political and cultural issues. She writes to make a difference in the world and would like to use her gift to change the world and to improve society.

JOE CHURCHIRILLO

For the 2011 studio tour Joe Chirchirillo will be showing a variety of interactive kinetic sculpture which he has created over the past few years. In addition to this he plans to have many new drawings on display. The drawings are about the sculpture, says the artist, they give the viewer some insight into what he was thinking when creating them. There will also be some new cast concrete water pieces in the studio.

FRANC PALAIA

Franc will exhibit a selection of hand colored SX–70 Polaroid photographs that will include images from all parts of Europe and the US focusing on classical architecture, urban scenes as well as contemporary structures.  Palaia approaches photography as a painter, so the viewer will see 3”x3” Polaroids that seem like intimate oil paintings sometimes completely covered with creamy oil crayon. Some of the Polaroids are deconstructed by cutting, tearing and peeling at the surface, the mat, and the developing chemicals. These distressed prints are even more textured and transformed than the hand colored prints.  Palaia received a Polaroid Sponsorship from 1985–87 for his original technique of hand coloring and has several prints in Polaroid’s permanent collection.

NOT YO MAMA’S CRAFT FAIR

Not Yo Mama’s organizes twenty five super-talented, very unique, local artisans. From re-purposed doll parts to eco-friendly & elegant accessories……Come on out to see what this year’s vendors have to offer (and get your Christmas shopping done on time, for once!)

CHILDRENS AREA

As always 4th Street encourages family participation at the festival.  Our childrens area will include festival related art projects as well as face painting by professional makeup artist Heidi Crow for Studio 365.

COMMUNITY COLLAGE with Hudson County Art Supply

All ages, no experience needed – just add fun Hudson County Art Supply will be joining the fun at the Fourth Street Art & Music Festival by creating 4 ft x 8 ft collage boards.  The community is invited to join in and add to the boards ( all ages, no experience needed – just add fun).  A new board will be introduced every hour so there will be room for your art whenever you arrive.  Feel free to bring collage materials if you have something to add, or grab from the pile of artwork available and PASTE!  Glue, paper, markers, paint and SURPRISES will be available.

GUERILLA HAIKU MOVEMENT

A large assortment of folks assemble at a public space (in this case the 4th Street Festival Grounds)  The mass is divided into groups of 5–10 and given a neighborhood map, a scavenger hunt, a bucket of sidewalk chalk and the following three-fold mission:

1. to cover their assigned neighborhood with as many haiku inspired by that neighborhood as possible 2) to engage as many different people as possible in their endeavor
2. to document their adventures with digital images that are then uploaded  to the Guerilla Haiku Movement website.  The whole crew convenes after their adventures to share photos, stories and general good cheer.   These events take place on the East and West Coast , including Philly, Chicago, Milwaukee, Madison and Minneapolis.

BANANA BIRD COMEDY CLUB

Two dozen comics will descend on The Fourth Street Art & Music Festival.  They will perform each hour on the hour from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. at a dedicated stage created just for the festival. No two shows will be identical, so come for as many as you want.   Joe D’Allegro, the producer of the Shut Up & Laugh comedy show, is putting the event together. He has been running Shut Up & Laugh on the second Tuesday of the month at Lamp Post Bar & Grille in downtown JC since 2010, and recently expanded to include shows at Hell’s Kitchen Lounge in Newark on the third Sunday of the month.

METAL MERMAID PRINTING

Metal Mermaid Press will be showcasing the printing prowess of their 1913 Golding Official Map Press. Stop by to see their artwork, attend a monoprint workshop, get a limited edition 4th Street Festival card printed on site, and make your own print.  Metal Mermaid Press makes you want to touch a piece of paper and not put it down. They carry your message, leaving your fingers tracing letters on cards that serve to bring art into everyday moments of life. They are letterpress printers revitalizing the historic craft of print.  Headquartered in Jersey City in the shadow of the American Type Foundry building, which was at one time the largest producer of metal type in America’s history, Metal Mermaid is keeping traditional printing alive.

JOHN RUDDYS’ JANGANDA SCULPTURE

“JANGADA- An outdoor sculpture installation by John Ruddy. The term ‘Jangada’ refers to the traditional fishing boats of Northeastern Brazil. Simple and effective, these vessels trace their design and name back to Ancient India, through the Swahili Coast and ultimately across to the Americas. ‘Jangada’ is a colorful and playful interpretation of this venerable symbol of nomadic discovery, celebrating our primeval voyager instinct.”

LIVE MURAL “ THE GREAT TURNTABLE ”

Jersey City artist Norman Kirby will be painting 4th Streets newest mural.  It will be just around the bend from his mandala style mural painted a few years back. He is excited to hopefully inject some color into this turntable. Most of his turntables have been just one color in the past.  Norm will create the mural throughout the course of the day, directly behind the “Garden Stage”

CAPUTO SCREEN PRINTING

Live silk screening by Matt Caputo.   For the second year Matt will be doing screens throughout the day.  He will have festival related images as well as original artwork.  Bring your own shirt, hat, scarf, tote-bag, etc …. Matt will print the image of your choice onto it.

THE DRONE DOME

Repeating Patterns Listening Space (Drone Dome) is a interactive sound and light space  within an architectural sculpture constructed on sight at the 4th Street Art & Music Festival. This work was conceived by Gocha Tsinadze and will be realized in collaboration with Zachary Green, Mark Megaro.The Dome is an interactive space which utilizes new technologies to capture  the viewer’s motion and in real time transforms it into light and sound. The  participants movements create an ephemeral audio/visual space. The audio and video are installed in surround to create an immersive environment

MUSIC

Music Lineup

This year’s musical lineup includes the largest number of performers we’ve ever hosted. The organizers have put an emphasis on varying the genres of the involved musicians, the idea being to grow beyond the “Rock and Roll”  roots that it started with.   From Cuban Afrobeat, to hip-hop, to fusion jazz, to folk, to metal, as well as good old rock and roll… this year’s lineup promises to have something for everyone. After last years success, the festival will be once again be featuring two stages, ‘the Garden’ and ‘the Village’ stage. This setup allows for a non-stop stream of music from 12:30pm until closing. Prepare your ears for something new, fresh, and original. This year’s lineup will be mind-expanding.

The Village Stage

• 11:45 am – Sophia Sager
• 12:00 pm  - Katja Larssen
• 12:20 pm – Silver Plane Crucifix
• 12:45 pm – Tanashia Boon Spoken Word
• 1pm –  Kiwi
• 2pm –  No Pasaran
• 3pm –  The Better Letters
• 4pm  - Plastiq Passion
• 5pm –  Edward Gorch
• 6pm –  Thomas Francis Takes His Chances
• 7pm –  Jody Porter
• 8pm –  Beninghove’s Hangmen
• 9pm – Chico Mann

The Garden Stage

• 12:30pm – Cicada Radio
• 1:30pm – Those Mockinbirds
• 2:30pm – Jigglers
• 3:30pm – Animal Crackas
• 4:30pm – Tempest Jam All-Stars
• 5:30pm – Olde Ghost
• 6:30pm – Wyldlife
• 7:30pm – In Musth

BAND BIOS

ANIMAL CRACKAS

The Animal Crackas are a hip hop band from Jersey City NJ who consist of two brothers Robin Hood Robbin Rich and Sour Dzo on the vocals, and then Spider on the drums.

BENINGHOVE’S HANGMEN

The brainchild of saxophonist Bryan Beninghove, the Hangmen assembles some of NYCʼs most unique dynamic talents. The band features Rick Parker on trombone (Ambient Assault), Eyal Maoz (Edom – Tzadik Records) and Dane Johnson (Prelapse) on guitars, Kellen Harrison on bass, and Shawn Baltazor (Supernatural Percussion) on drums.

the BETTER LETTERS

The Better Letters are a five-piece underground pop band from Brooklyn, NY. The band references funk, soul, garage, punk, disco, rockabilly, and R&B influences in songs are about doing things and getting places. The Better Letters released an LP entitled Mixed Feelings (2011) after first releaseing a 7″ (2010) through 4:3 records, both of which are available at www.thebetterletters.com and www.4–3records.com.

CHICO MANN

Chico Mann has created a musical time machine that simultaneously fuses the sounds of 1970s Afrobeat, 1980s Freestyle and Afro Cuban in a hybrid beast of culture and tone. Its the big ‘what if’ Freestyle, Afrobeat & Afro Cuban converged and hit the mainstream for an army of Chicos to pick up where Stevie B, TKA, George Lamond, Sa-Fire, Information Society, Noel, and Cult Jam, and Exposé left off. Chico’s choruses of multi-layered vocals with funky guitar lines helps to cool off the heat created between the bass and rhythm… creating a unique conversation of color and value that pays homage to the past but raises the bar for the future.

CICADA RADIO

They hail from Jersey City and our home-base of Kearny, NJ, bringing a taste of late ’90s/early ‘aughts’ indie to the mix. Citing influences such as At The Drive-In, Desaparecidos, and The Police, Cicada Radio seem to pick up right where these groups left off – perfectly evident on their debut EP, “Imposter”.

EDWARD GORCH

Edward Gorch is a Brooklyn born and Catskill Mountain raised writer and vocalist who offers literate songs that move along like a perfectly slow Sunday morning. Gorch is a former member of the Hudson Valley stoner rock band Reservoir Square and the regressive country acts,  Knotworking and Born at Sea. Gorch’s ability to deliver songs with thoughtful lyrics and pleasing melodies has earned him comparisons to artists such as Nick Drake, Will Oldham and Jay Farrar.

IN MUSTH

In Musth are three NJ natives playing the most creative and challenging music they can think of, tastefully honoring a love of classic metal, prog and grunge. Deep grooves join complex, aggressive riffing with seamless psychedelic sweeps. The songs are deep, the sound is big.

JIGGLERS

NYC/BK based The Jigglers members include Pierce – Guitar/Vocals, Stan – Saxophone/Vocals, Lee Lee – Drums, and Sunset – Bass/Conversation

JODY PORTER

Jody Porter, known for his impressive guitar work with grammy nominated Fountains of Wayne, has been playing shows around the North East for the last year in support of his first solo release, Close to the Sun. He and his band, The Black Swans, will be performing songs from this record as well as a handful of new songs that are in the process of being recorded in and around Jersey City.

KATJA LARSSEN

Katja Larssen has been singing at local Jersey City events for the past year. She studies voice and guitar at Metropolis Music on Newark Avenue with Alex Brumel (of Alex & Janel). She recently sang at the summer series ‘Groove on Grove’ and ‘Ladies That Rock.’ Katja also just finished recording back up vocals for a Children’s Christmas album due out this holiday season. She turned 10 on June 7th and attends 5th grade at LCCS.

KIWI

Kiwi is the ongoing musical endeavor of Vera Sousa and Alex Tea, conceived in 1998 when Vera and Alex met in high school. Grounded in roots rhythm, Kiwi invokes a variety of influences including the classics of Jamaican reggae, American folk, soul and R&B, Brazilian traditional music, jazz, and classical music. These inspirations are reflected in the rhythms, melodies, and instrumentation’s used in Kiwi’s recordings and performances.

! NO PASARAN !

Known for their intensely bombastic live shows abiding by a stringent policy of “less tawk, more rawk,” !NO PASARAN! have been busy perfecting their own brand of politically-charged, angular noise-punk since late 2004. This year’s release of the “Porter In the Making” EP on the Killing Horse Records imprint is face-melting proof that they have no plans of going away anytime soon.

OLDE GHOST

This NY/NJ-based powerhouse’s sound lies somewhere between Black Flag and Hot Snakes, with a touch of DC influence. A heavy riff-storm of guitars mixed with pulsating bass lines, thunderous drumming, and burly vocals. Members have done time in a slew of bands, including Books Lie, Off Minor, Saetia, Yum Yum Tree, Guilt Trip, and Excitebike.

PLASTIQ PASSION

Take everything you think you know about girl bands and throw it out the window because Plastiq Passion rocks out like no other. Their energetic and passionate live show continues to create quite a buzz amongst concert goers in New York City as well as nation-wide, ever since their 2008 cross-country tour.

SILVER PLANE CRUCIFIX

Silver Plane Crucifix was born of long, hot neighborhood summers and a passion for music fostered by the diverse sounds of the New York City metro area. The Indie Rock trio has soaked up music spanning decades and genres, from classics such as Bob Dylan, Howlin’ Wolf and The Clash, to contemporary artists like Neutral Milk Hotel and Animal Collective. Tim Erbach plays shimmering reverb-laden guitar and Johnny Bauers, who lives two doors down, plays a deep, booming bass while brother Rory Bauers drums everything from tradition grooves to tribal tom beat.The Bauers brothers are students at McNair academy and will be performing shortly after they both take their SATs!

SOPHIA SAGER

Ten year old Sophia Sager has studied classical music and violin since the age of four. Jersey City’s dynamic music culture has allowed Sophia unlimited opportunity to explore her musical interests. She is excited to share her latest violin piece, Martini Gavotte at the 4th Street Art and Music Festival.

TANASHIA BOON
(See scholarship show above)

TEMPEST JAM ALL-STARS
The Tempest All-Stars grew as a musical byproduct of The Tempest Open Mic; a musical staple for musicians in the Jersey City area. Tempest has become a fixture in the local musical community resulting in a host of new musical projects and endeavors. It is free and takes place at the Lamp Post Bar & Grille every Wednesday night.

THOMAS FRANCIS TAKES HIS CHANCES

Famous for crushing the corner and pretty darn good at making glorious infinite sound.  Ride their cloud for the hour and go home vibrating.  bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz pop !  THTHC takes the stage for the third consecutive year at the festival.

THOSE MOCKINGBIRDS

A New Jersey  rock band consisting of all kinds of sounds like drums, guitars, more guitars, keyboards and violin. At times dirty and heavy, or ambient and unresolved, it’s music that is appropriate to work up a sweat to in a dirty basement. It strives to portray raw emotion, both musically and lyrically, relying only on their musical instincts. Some may even say that these four guys and one girl are quite hedonistic, because they are all about doing what feels good. It feels good to be bad, but, you know, the good version of bad.

WYLDLIFE

Wyldlife are a 70s styled punk rock band forming out of Jersey City and Purchase College. Hot off the heels of their brand new debut album, they aim to take over the J.C. rock and roll scene, one stomping leather boot at a time

MURALS

BRUNSWICK STREET

Artist Keith VanPelt has been working on his “Village” mural located at 122 Brunswick Street btwn 2nd & 3rd.  This mural is the result of 4th Street Arts winning the Pro Arts – Art Eat Up.  The images that the mural is based on came from old photos of Brunswick Street store fronts circa 1950.  The idea being to show some of the majesty that once graced this part of Jersey City and to participate in the resurgence of the area.

JERSEY CITY ART SCHOOL

The backdrop for the stage at the festival this year was designed and executed by Thomas John Carlson in 2009.  ” I wanted to stick to a very basic concept, so I decided to go with a sun and landscape.  The lines bouncing off the clouds are meant to depict a characteristic of light.  It becomes an abstracted understanding of how light functions. “  At the 2010 Festival, The Jersey City Art School initiated a project where the school opened its doors, for people from the community to come by and work on a collaborative mural.  The project ended up involving over 50 artists, lasted 8 weeks and produced two murals, one that was 4ft by 48ft and another that was 4ft by 60ft.  The smaller of the two was a collaboration between 4 artists, Thomas John Carlson, Michael Meadors, Gail-Marie Boykewich and Josh Bryant.

WHO WILL SAVE BEAUTY ?

The first of “the Agitators Collective” murals on 4th Street – the red & white Unicorn has been looking down fourth street since 2006.

BROTHER FROM ANOTHER PLANET

Paint on roll down security gate, 8 x 15 ft, 2007. 4th Street Arts invited Agitators Collective to design a mural. We painted an astronaut. Location: 383 4th Street, Jersey City, NJ.

THE LUCK WILL RUN OUT

Paint on roll down security gate, 8 x 12 ft, 2009. 4th Street Arts invited Agitators Collective to paint two murals on the riot gates of a gas station. The gas station is located in a neighborhood in Jersey City affectionately known by the locals as The Horseshoe. Location: 383 4th Street, Jersey City, NJ.

MANDALA IN COLOR / 4TH STREET GARDEN

This mandala style mural was created by artist Norm Kirby.  It was completed with the help of Art Students from the #5 school across the street.  Part of the 4th Street Garden project.  An area plagued by illegal dumping of garbage,  4th street crew cleaned it out and made it beautiful.  Two trees planted in 2010 survived the brutal winter and are flourishing today.

DELICIOUS EATS

As always local culinary treats and delicious brews will be available.  Lucindas Crepes, The Krave Truck, Home on the Range, and we’re pleased to welcome our friends from Lucky Sevens serving up their new Bar-B-Q Menu.  We will also have some delicious sweet snacks from  Made With Love,   and With Love from the Cupboard who will be doing a series of mini demonstrations to teach simple, edible decorating techniques with rolled fondant, gum paste, marzipan, buttercream and royal icing.    Featured demonstrations include – How to make, sculpt and color basic sugar flowers using gum paste, rolled fondant and marzipa and How to cover and decorate a fondant cake with stencils, sponge colors and basketweave.  Instructional handouts and recipes will be distributed during the sessions,  followed by general baking Q&A and giveaways

SUPPORTED CHARITIES

HISTORIC JERSEY CITY & HARIMUS CEMETERY

Learn about their volunteer initiative in saving and preserving 350 years of Jersey City history & nature!
The historic cemetery, located in historic downtown Jersey City, is operated entirely by volunteers who are transforming the site into a memorial park, a 6 acre green open space that hosts historic walking tours, educational programs, military tributes for the veterans, & cultural art & music events for the community.  With no current funding by the city or state, the volunteers have managed to keep the memorial park open 7 days a week, and maintain the grounds & graves of Jersey City’s founders, leaders, & earliest residents, plus the resting place for thousands of soldiers dating back to Revolutionary era & Civil Wars onward.

COMPANION ANIMAL TRUST

Companion Animal Trust is a local non profit animal rescue group that fosters and finds homes for homeless cats.  It also runs the Neighborhood Feral Cat Initiative program that provides feral cat Trap Neuter Return training and low cost feral cat spay neuter.

AVON WALK FOR BREAST CANCER

“Help us in ‘Saving Second Base’ by visiting the Pop-a-Balloon fundraising table! Test your skills, Win some prizes, and Save Some Boobs! All proceeds benefit the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer foundation.”

SPONSORSHIPS

4th Street Arts and the festival could not exist without the generosity of our sponsors. These include:

Lucky 7’s, the Saffron Condominiums, Another Mans Treasure, Metropolis Music, Fields Development, Observer Property Management, Capital One, Jersey City Tattoo Company, Madame Claude Wine, Madame Claude Cafe, Alan Cancro, Brightside Tavern, Porto Lounge, Grove Street Bikes, Z Zounds, Brennans Florist, the Jersey City Independent, New Magazine, Rock-It Docket, Jersey City Art School, Art House Productions, Parlay Studios, Falesto, Wrench Brothers, Delta Gas, Cement & Demolition Local 325, Brinley Gold Rum, & Magic Cleaning Service

VNA 2011-2012 “Season” Starts Monday!

Monday, September 26, 2011
7:30 PM
Madame Claude Cafe
364 1/2 Fourth Street
Jersey City, NJ 07302

On behalf of the The Village Neighborhood Association Board of Directors, I’d like to invite everyone to our first 2011-2012 meeting on Monday, September 26, 2011 at Madame Claude Cafe.

We were thrilled when Alice Troletto and her husband Mattias Gustafsson invited us to have our meeting in their restaurant. The restaurant will be closed to the public, so the VNA will be providing refreshments for our meeting.

To say the summer was quiet is truly an understatement. Hurricane Irene left many Village residents under water, while exposing city-wide problems with our infrastructure. Newark Avenue construction was often difficult to negotiate, and quality of life issues around student lunch hour unexpectedly resurfaced.

So what’s on our agenda for Monday?

• Ferris High School off-campus lunch privileges
  • Board of Education President, Sterling Waterman will be our guest to discuss recent student violence.
• Village Park Funding
  • HUGE developments regarding the grant funding for the Village Park, as well as major movement regarding the redevelopment of the adjacent building. And as an added bonus, learn the meaning and purpose of the temporary water lines recently installed all over First Street, and what it means for our park.
• Newark Avenue Redevelopment
  • Construction is in full swing. What’s Next?
• 8th Annual Fourth Street Art and Music Festival
  • 4th Street is gearing up for their October 1st festivities. See the lineup here. So please join The Village Neighborhood Association and attend yet another awesome street festival thrown by our friends from 4th Street. Lead honcho Mike McNamara will be on hand to share the details. Check out this post for some history on the VNA/4th Street connection.
• New Zoned Parking
  • Areas of the Village to be rezoned for permit parking. What streets are slated for signs?

Useful Jersey City Links

• Jersey City Independent
• JC List
• Wired JC
• Jersey City Official Website
• Twitter/jcvillage
• VNA Facebook Page
• JCPD
• Steven Fulop’s Website

Help the Embankment Preservation Coalition win up to $25,000 in the National Trust for Historic Preservation “This Place Matters” Community Challenge. The Trust selected the Coalition from 250 entrants to compete with 99 others in the challenge.

Now It’s Up to You!

As of this weekend, we rank #10 out of 100 participants. To bring a prize home, The Embankment Coalition needs your vote!

Just click on embankment.org for instructions.

Voting ends June 30, 2011
Anyone with a valid email may vote.
You do not need to be a New Jersey resident.
Please vote and forward to Facebook, Twitter – help the Embankment Coalition

GET OUT THE VOTE!

The Coalition works to preserve a massive stone structure, one of the last remnants of the Pennsylvania Railroad Harsimus Branch, for use as a habitat-oriented park and segment of the East Coast Greenway biking and walking trail from Maine to Florida. For more than one hundred years, the Embankment and a predecessor elevated structure carried the PRR’s freightway to the Hudson River, contributing to the growth of the Port of New York and New Jersey. Preservation of the transportation corridor is essential to good public access to the Hudson River from Downtown Jersey City. The Embankment has long formed the backdrop to festivals and parades, including those of Holy Rosary Church, the oldest Italian parish in the state, and St. Anthony’s, the oldest Polish parish, which is also on the National Register of Historic Places.

A Walk Through Historic “Little Italy” Section of Jersey City, NJ

Date: Sunday, May 22, 2011 (rain or shine!)

Time: 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Cost: $5 ($3 for seniors and students with school identification)

Meeting Place: Meet in front of Madame Claude Cafe, 364 1/2 4th Street, Jersey City, NJ (at the intersection of Newark Avenue and Brunswick and 4th Streets)

More Information: Contact Joshua Parkhurst at joshuaparkhurst@gmail.com

Preservationist Joshua Parkhurst will take tourists through Downtown Jersey City’s Italian Village district, a late-19th century Italian-American neighborhood that has held on to its cultural roots despite the passage of 140 years. Meet both long-time and newly established merchants who are helping to drive The Village’s resurgence. The walking tour will conclude with a visit to the Lamp Post Bar & Grill at 382 Second Street.

Sponsored by JC Landmarks, the Village Neighborhood Association, and the Lamp Post Bar & Grill.

Please see the map below for the route we’ll take through The Village.

JC Landmarks founder, John Gomez, with Village Helpers founder, Adriana Crow and her sister Elise at the clean-up held last fall at Harsimus Cemetery.

This Saturday, April 30, 2011, join the VILLAGE HELPERS as they help support a huge clean-up at the Historic Harsimus Cemetery.

The Village Helpers had a blast last fall handing out food and drinks to the students from PS #4 as they spruced up the cemetery grounds.

This year proves to be extra special as the clean-up is a prelude to very cool music concert, The 2nd Annual Celebrate MOTHER EARTH CONCERT which starts at 3 pm. Don’t miss it!

Check out all the details below provided by John Gomez, founder of JC Landmarks.[[Show as slideshow]]

HISTORIC JERSEY CITY & HARSIMUS CEMETERY CLEAN-UP

Date: Saturday, April 30, 2011

10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. – Student and Community Spring 2011 Clean-Up (light rain or shine)

3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. – Music Concert (rain date is May 7)

Cost: Clean-Up is FREE; $5 suggested donation for the Music Concert

Meeting Place: Meet at the Harsimus Cemetery Gates at 435 Newark Avenue (between Waldo Avenue and Seventh Street, across from Dickinson High School), Jersey City, NJ

Join JC Landmarks, the Jersey City & Harsimus Cemetery Board of Trustees, the Village Neighborhood Association, the Village Helpers and over 100 local middle and high school students for this kick-off event to Preservation Month 2011 in Jersey City!

Students and adult supervisors will rake, sweep, clean and spruce up the cemetery grounds; plant flowers, bulbs and shrubs; and draw, paint and photograph historic features for display in the cemetery museum. SAVE (Sustaining Architectural Vitality in the Environment) and the Animal Activist Club of Frank R. Conwell Middle School No. 4 will have an informational table set up, as will the young members of the Village Helpers with help from the Village Neighborhood Association.

Bottled water, fruit, healthy snacks and a meat-based food truck will be provided to all student participants. Volunteers should wear long pants and shirts; sandals are discouraged. Bring gardening tools if possible. This event is worth 5 community service hours for school purposes.

In late May, the Jersey City Landmarks Conservancy proudly presented their tenth annual Preservation Awards Ceremony in honor of those who have significantly contributed to the preservation of Jersey City’s architectural and cultural heritage. Categories include the Excellence in Preservation Award, the Theodore Conrad Preservationist Award, the J. Owen Grundy History Award, the Preservation Initiative Award, and the Jersey City Legend Award. A tour of the historic Loew’s Jersey Theatre followed the ceremony presented by the JC Landmarks Conservancy.

I was thrilled when I learned that The Village Neighborhood won the prestigious Theodore Conrad Preservationist Award “For its spirited grassroots efforts to preserve the cultural and architectural heritage of the Italian Village district of Downtown Jersey City”. On behalf of the VNA Board of Directors, I would like to thank the JC Landmarks Conservancy for this wonder acknowledgement of our efforts, and we look forward to working with the Conservancy on future collaborations such as The Village Historic Walking Tours and other preservation initiatives.

Check out this nice overview of the ceremony from the JC Independent HERE.

The ceremony was excellent, and as an added bonus, the VNA was also presented with a Citation from Mayor Jerramiah Healy in honor of our work supporting The Village. Needless to say, it was a great night!

Village Residents:
The Division of Parks and Forestry is holding its annual fall tree planting. The Village Neighborhood Association fully supports this initiative, and urges you to participate. The images below demonstrate the dramatic improvement that tree planting could have on our neighborhood.

The true cost of planting each tree is approximately $500. However, the city has successfully obtained grants which will fund the majority of the project. As a result, the city is offering to plant each tree for a small fee of $100. Additionally, in order to further incentivize plantings and reduce the cost to residents, the VNA is offering a $10 rebate* for the first 50 participants who sign up by Wednesday, November 3rd. This brings the final cost to just $90.

For the price of a monthly cable bill, you can effect lasting, meaningful change in our neighborhood. In addition to the aesthetic appeal, there are many benefits to planting urban trees. For more on this topic, click HERE.

Your involvement is critical to a successful planting. To participate, simply follow the steps outlined HERE. We are confident that this effort will culminate in a tremendous improvement for our neighborhood.

THE VILLAGE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION BOUNDARIES
*Eligible blocks include those within the Village boarders:
North – Sixth Street, south side
South – Christopher Columbus Drive, north side
East – Coles Street, west side from Columbus Drive to Newark Avenue; Coles Street, up to the west side from Newark Avenue to 6th Street
West – Turnpike Extension/Merseles Street, east side

HOW TO PARTICIPATE
To participate in this year’s tree planting, and to obtain your $10 rebate, please follow the steps below.

Note that in order to be eligible for the rebate, these steps must be complete by Wednesday, November 3rd:

Complete the city’s Tree Planting Application, HERE. For plantings at properties that you do not own, complete the Consent Form, HERE.

On the Tree Planting Application, be sure to select the species of tree desired. For your reference, images of the available species are provided BELOW.

As instructed on the Tree Planting Application, make your check or money order payable to “City of Jersey City”.
Send (or drop off) the completed forms and payment to:

The Village Neighborhood Association
365 Second Street
Jersey City, NJ 07302

The VNA will submit all forms and payments to the city. Upon confirmation of a successful planting, you will receive your $10 rebate check. Enjoy your new tree!

BENEFITS OF URBAN TREE PLANTING
The following images demonstrate that The Village lags behind other neighborhoods in tree coverage. The dearth of trees in this section of Downtown detracts from the aesthetic appeal of the neighborhood and diminishes quality of life. There are many significant benefits to planting trees in our neighborhood. In addition to increasing property values^1,2, trees have many significant and enduring positive effects in urban areas.

Studies have shown that trees:

• Enhance community economic stability by attracting businesses and tourists³
• Improve neighborhood and community appeal. Apartments and offices in wooded areas rent more quickly and have higher occupancy rates.³
• Reduce utility costs. Trees lower local air temperature by transpiring water and shading surfaces. Because they lower air temperatures, shade buildings in the summer, and block winter winds, they can reduce building energy use and cooling costs.⁴
• Extend the life of paved surfaces. Without tree shade, asphalt binders heat up and volatilize. Tree-lined streets can defer resealing 10 to 25 years longer than non-tree-lined streets.⁵
• Improve traffic safety. Trees give the perception of making a street feel narrower, slowing motorists down. Additionally, trees can serve as a buffer between moving vehicles and pedestrians.⁶

1. McAliney, Mike. Arguments for Land Conservation: Documentation and Information Sources for Land Resources Protection, Trust for Public Land, Sacramento, CA, December, 1993
2. Nowak, David J., Benefits of Community Trees, (Brooklyn Trees, USDA Forest Service General Technical Report, in review)
3. Michigan State University Extension, Urban Forestry #07269501, Benefits of Urban Trees
4. Nowak, David J., Urban Trees and Air Quality, November, 1995
5. Tree Guidelines for San Joaquin Valley Communities, March 1999. Published by the USDA Forest Services Western Center for Urban Forest Research and Education.
6. National Arbor Day Foundation pamphlet #90980005

Example: The Village area north of Newark Avenue BEFORE the initiative.

Example: The Village area north of Newark Avenue AFTER the initiative.

Hamilton Park Existing trees (Borders: east of Monmouth, west of Manila, north of 6th , south of 10th)

Harsimus Cove Existing trees (Borders: east of Coles, west of Manila, north of 2nd, south of 6th)

Van Vorst Park Existing trees (Borders: east of Monmouth, west of Grove, north of Bright, south of Columbus)

2011 PLANTING: TREE SPECIES REFERENCE

Acer Miyabei (listed as Acer Miyabri).jpg

Autumn Blaze

Prunus Columnar Sargent

Prunus Sargentii Princeton Snowcloud (listed as Prunus Snow Cloud)

Red Sunset Maple

Sienna Glen Maple (listed as Sierra Glen)

Zelkova Musashino

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….

The news came late last week via an email from Stephen Marks, Director of the Hudson County Division of Planning. The Village Park was one 17 projects to be awarded this endorsement. With the passage of this introductory resolution, the final public hearing on these awards will be scheduled for the October 28, 2010 Board of Chosen Freeholders meeting. There is more work to be done for sure, and we’ll be reaching out to residents for their support, but for right now, feel free to smile.

Check out the awesome park design HERE

For more details, check out the article below from The Jersey Journal.

Hudson County hopes to fund 17 open space and historic restoration projects totaling $6.273 million.

The Jersey Journal
September 10, 2010
Melissa Hayes

County Executive Tom DeGise has forwarded his recommendations to the Hudson County Board of Freeholders, which voted to introduce the report this week.

The board must still hold a public hearing Oct. 28 at 6 p.m. on the recommendations and adopt them.

The funds are broken into four categories: acquisition; park and recreation improvement; historic preservation; and planning, environmental, engineering, historic preservation studies.

Acquisition

North Bergen is set to get the largest allocation, $1.835 million to acquire a waterfront parcel at 7200 River Road, near the Guttenberg boarder. The site includes one acre of land and six acres of riparian rights, which North Bergen and Guttenberg hope to develop into a passive park with an extension of the waterfront walkway, according to the township’s application.

Jersey City is getting $1 million to offset the cost of acquiring the former PJP Landfill near the Pulaski Skyway, which will become Hackensack Riverfront Park.

Jersey City also sought $1 million for acquisition of the Sixth Street Embankment; $185,000 for a small parcel at the end of Waldo Avenue; and $600,000 for Berry Lane Park. All three requests were denied.

Hoboken unsuccessfully sought $1,000 to acquire land at Paterson Avenue and Harrison Street for open space.
Bayonne was denied its $2.265 million request to expand Russell Golding Park along Avenue E.

Historic

Bayonne stands to get $240,000 for heating, ventilation and air conditioning work, window renovations, lighting, stairway and marble work and completing of the main floor terrazzo at the future Bayonne Community Museum, a 1912 Beaux-Arts style building.

The board did not award funds to Save Ellis Island Inc. for interior restoration at Ellis Island Laundry/Hospital building in Jersey City or for stabilization of historic structures proposed by Jersey City at Reservoir 3.

Planning, Environmental, Engineering, Historic Preservation Studies

The board recommended $45,000 for Bayonne’s Neighborhood Parks Planning Study, which will study the possible rehabilitation of Dr. Morris Park, Francis Fitzpatrick Park, Sister Miriam Theresa Park and Edward F. Clark Park.

The board declined to fund the Jersey City Parks Coalition’s project at the Jersey City and Harsimus Cemetery Restoration Project and Liberty Science Center in Jersey City’s proposed engineering study for a pedestrian bridge across Phillip Street to Liberty State Park, despite both projects scoring higher on their applications than the Bayonne study.

Park and Recreation Improvement

Hudson County would use $133,000 to install “Memorials for Peace,” including a portion of the Berlin Wall, on the south lawn of Harborside Plaza 10 in Jersey City.
The Washington Park Association in Jersey City would get $100,000 for landscaping, recycling bins, bicycle racks and handicapped accessible improvements. The proposal also calls for a community garden, column repairs, signage, exercise stations and new picnic tables.

The Jersey City Parks Coalition and Village Neighborhood Association in Jersey City would use $295,000 to redevelop a park on 1st Street between Brunswick and Colgate streets.

Read the entire article.