WEST NEW YORK/UNION CITY BRIEFS

Late night voter registration open for municipal election

West New York will host late night registration for the municipal election on May 14. On April 22 and 23, the Town Clerk’s office at 428 60th St. will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. The deadline to register for the election is April 23.

Recreation Division stocks up for baseball season

The West New York Division of Recreation has purchased nearly $25,000 worth of new equipment to be used by the Babe Ruth and Little League baseball teams for the upcoming season. The new equipment includes baseballs, bats, safety gear, uniforms, and score cards.

“The children of West New York deserve access to quality equipment when they participate in our sports programs,” Recreation Commissioner Cosmo Cirillo said. “The programs we offer allow these young and aspiring athletes to develop their skills, learn the value of teamwork, and create lifelong friendships and memories in a safe and controlled environment. I am proud to have worked with Public Safety Commissioner Gabriel Rodriguez and Revenue and Finance Commissioner Margarita Guzman to make this critical investment into activities for our youth.”

West New York’s Babe Ruth Season, overseen by Recreation Director Jorge Gomez, begins in early April at Miller Stadium. The Little League is an independent organization, overseen by a group of volunteer coaches. This year alone, over 100 teenagers are registered to participate in the Babe Ruth League while over 200 children will play Little League.

Cuban Lions club health fair set for April 28

The West New York Cuban Lions Club is working with Palisades Medical Center to present its annual community health fair. The event, which is free and open to the public, will be held on April 28 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Community Hall, 514 52nd St, West New York.

Free health tests and screenings include blood pressure and pulse, blood test for diabetes, cholesterol screening, blood oxygen content, pulmonary function test, vision screenings, glaucoma screenings, and dental screenings.

Information on Alzheimer’s, dementia, mental health, and sleep disturbance will also be provided. Some physicians will be present to answer questions, and giveaways will be conducted.

For more information, call Manny Reyes at 201-424-1201 or Nikki Mederos at 201-854-5702.

Recreation Division announces free summer camp registration

Registration for West New York’s 2019 summer day camp is now open. This program is available to all city boys and girls, ages 5-14. The deadline to register is June 28.

The free, seven-week summer camp will start on July 1 and end on Aug. 17. Breakfast and lunch will be provided, and there will be multiple indoor and outdoor activities, including weekly pool trips with parental permission. Camp will take place at the West New York Middle School.

A valid birth certificate or US passport, recently mailed proof of address and school district verification letter or report card are all required to register. Applications are being accepted at the town hall recreation office, at 428 60th St, Suite 7, on Monday-Friday from 12-7 p.m.

Hudson County Sheriff’s Office to crack down on distracted driving

The Hudson County Sheriff’s Office has received a $40,000 grant to crack down on distracted drivers, and the program is already underway.

“This is the third year we have received this $40,000 grant and my office will continue to crack down on distracted drivers throughout Hudson County,” Sheriff Frank X Schillari said. “The grant the Sheriff’s Office received differs from that of most departments in the state: the Udrive, Utext, Upay grant money most departments receive runs from April 1 to April 21. The Sheriff’s Office grant runs from April 1 to Sept. 30.”

The grant will fund additional officers patrolling with a focus on all forms of distracted driving, from any activity that could divert a person’s attention away from the primary task of driving. All distractions endanger the safety of drivers, passengers, and bystanders alike. Texting is the most common distraction among drivers, and is the most dangerous, according to Sheriff Schillari.

Other distractions associated with dangerous driving include eating and drinking, talking to passengers, grooming, reading, using a navigation system, watching a video, or adjusting audio devices.

DEP to provide 60,000 free tree seedlings to communities

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection is providing 60,000 free tree seedlings to residents through the New Jersey Tree Recovery Campaign, an ongoing effort by the NJ Forest Service, the Arbor Day Foundation, and other partners.

Residents are eligible to receive bundles of five free seedlings at any of the 118 distribution sites across 19 counties from now until May 5.

“Trees provide many benefits beyond beautifying our communities,” DEP Commissioner Catherine R. McCabe said. “Trees clean our air, fight climate change, provide habitat for wildlife, offer shade, and improve the health of our environment.”

The program began in 2012 when Hurricane Sandy destroyed and damaged trees across the state. Since then, the program has made more than 500,000 trees available to residents. The seedlings distributed are roughly one to two feet tall, and are species that grow well within the regions they’re distributed in.

Persimmon and black oak trees will be distributed to municipalities in the northern part of the state.

For more information on this program, call 732-928-0029, or visit forestnursery.nj.gov.

To find seedling distribution locations and dates, visit the State Forest Service Facebook page at facebook.com/newjerseyforests, or go to forestry.nj.gov.

Menendez, Booker reintroduce bill to hold WWOR-TV accountable

U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker have reintroduced an expanded version of a bill that would make it easier for the public to participate in the renewal process for broadcasters in the state.

This would apply to Secaucus-based WWOR-TV, which had its license renewed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) last year, despite the station shutting down its entire New Jersey news operation in 2013, and failing to provide meaningful local news coverage ever since.

“As long as WWOR continues to fail to live up to its obligations we will continue to hold them accountable to New Jerseyans,” said Sen. Menendez. “This legislation will prevent local TV stations, like WWOR, from ignoring their obligations and will strengthen the role of the communities they serve by giving local leaders and the public an active role in their programming and license renewal process.”

In accordance with a 1982 federal law, the FCC stipulated that any license holder for WWOR-TV “devote itself to meeting the special needs of its new community (and the needs of the Northern New Jersey area in general).” The FOX-owned television station shut down its entire New Jersey-based news operation in 2013, forcing layoffs while absorbing some staff at the company’s FOX 5 affiliate, WNYW-TV, in New York City.

WWOR-TV subsequently replaced its local newscast with “Chasing New Jersey”— now called “Chasing News”— a half-hour, TMZ-style program produced by an outside company. WWOR-TV now provides just three hours of weekly news programming compared to an average of 56 hours by comparable broadcast stations in the overlapping New York City and Philadelphia media markets.

The legislation would also require the FCC to issue rules to make it easier for the public to participate in the license renewal process.

NY Waterway offers April 10 customer appreciation day

NY Waterway ferry customers can celebrate the arrival of spring with refreshments, food and giveaways from local vendors during Customer Appreciation Days at the Port Imperial Ferry Terminal in Weehawken, Wednesday April 10, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Homebound commuters Wednesday evening can enjoy samples from area restaurants such as Molos, Ben & Jerry’s, Moe’s and House of Que and see displays by Imperial Riverside Events, Susan G. Komen North Jersey and more.

Visit nywaterway.com/customerappreciation for more information.