ShopRite Employee Makes the Cheerios Box
Jersey City ShopRite Associate Barbara Avilez represented the store on this year’s Cheerio Box after the store raised $13,500 for local food pantries and fighting hunger. As a winner of this annual contest, the store awarded a $2,500 check to local food pantry the Sharing Place. The celebration was attended by the Inserra Family, Councilman James Solomon, Darlene Wyzga of the Sharing Place, ShopRite of Jersey City store manager Peter Cavo and his store team. This year, ten Inserra Supermarkets ShopRite stores were among the 52 top fundraising locations, raising a combined total of over $212,902.
Liberty State Park Design Meeting
This Tuesday, April 9th, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the Liberty State Park Revitalization Program‘s Design Task Force will be hosting a meeting to continue discussing the future of the park. The meeting begins at 6 p.m. at the CRRNJ Terminal at 1 Audrey Zapp Dr., and it will also be livestreamed. The public comment period will begin at 7:30 p.m. Visit this link to register for the livestream: https://bit.ly/lsp-taskforce-april
Politics
Jersey City Council President Joyce Watterman has announced her endorsement of Ravi Bhalla, who will be challenging Representative Rob Menendez Jr. in the Democratic Primary on June 4th. President Watterman says, “Today, I endorse Ravi Bhalla for Congress because I believe in him. As mayor of Hoboken, Ravi has delivered for his community. From taking on the crisis of affordability to ensuring that our most vulnerable residents are taken care of, Congress would benefit a great deal from Ravi’s leadership. And throughout his time as a public servant – first as a city council member and then as mayor – Ravi has provided a strong and consistent voice against hatred, racism and discrimination in all its forms. He is the kind of representative we need in our corner, which is why he has my full and enthusiastic support.”
The Ravi Bhalla for Congress campaign has called out Representative Rob Menendez Jr. for accepting $250,000 for his 2022 primary campaign from Sam Bankman-Fried, who was recently given a 25-year prison sentence after being convicted of fraud. “It is time for Rob Menendez Jr. to declare his independence from the special interests that have fueled his political career.” says Bhalla. “I call on him today to join me in taking no corporate PAC contributions.”
Education
NJ Education Report has listed Jersey City as being the school district with the third highest median teacher salary in the state, coming in at $104,130. Northern Valley Regional in Bergen had the highest in the state, at $117,410.
McNair Students Head to California
Three McNair Academic High School students are heading to the national Regeneron ISEF (International Science and Engineering Fair) competition from May 11-17, 2024, at the Los Angeles Convention Center after emerging as three of four Platinum Awardees at the Hudson County 66th annual STEM Showcase in March sponsored by Liberty Science Center and Jersey City Medical Center. The students are Meghana Addanki, Prisha Malhotra, and Sanjana Nanduru.
Taxes
A report from WalletHub ranks New Jersey as having the ninth highest tax burden in the nation in 2024. New Jersey also ranked third for highest property tax burden, 30th for individual income tax burden, and 44th for total sales and excise tax burden.
College Kudos
Matthew LaBrake, the Executive Director of Hudson County Community College’s Center for Online Learning, has been selected as a finalist for the American Association of Community Colleges 2024 Award of Excellence in the category of Rising Star-Manager. HCCC President Dr. Chris Reber says, “We are immensely proud of Matthew LaBrake’s nomination for an AACC 2024 Award of Excellence. His nomination for this prestigious national award recognizes his outstanding and visionary leadership in advancing our online learning programs. His persistent dedication to expanding access to high-quality education aligns perfectly with our College’s mission of meeting students where they are and promoting their success and the accomplishment of their goals.”
New Sheriff’s Officers in Town
Seven new officers were sworn in by the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office during a March 14th ceremony at the Hudson County Superior Court. “I am confident that these dedicated individuals will uphold the values of integrity, professionalism, and service as they undertake their duties to protect and serve the residents of Hudson County,” said Sheriff Frank Schillari, who presided over the event with Judge Mitzy R. Galis-Menedez. The new officers are: Investigator John Longo, Investigator Jorge Velez, Officer Michael Arteta, Officer Ryan McNulty, Officer Joanthony Santiago, Officer Kevin Vargas, and Officer Christian Contreras.