As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to devastate New Jersey, Gov. Phil Murphy has extended the State of Emergency and stay-at-home order. Residents have been left to their own devices to stay sane and entertained.

In North Hudson, municipalities have gotten creative in coping with life during social-distancing measures.

North Bergen has started the Bruin Bear Hunt to show township pride and to provide children with an activity. Residents are encouraged by Mayor Nicholas Sacco to place a teddy bear in their windows for others to find, like a live-action version of the game “I Spy.”

In Secaucus, the local fire department drove around town with the Easter Bunny, providing a parade for kids to watch from inside.

Now, neighboring Guttenberg is taking a similar approach.

Step up and ‘clap-out’

Mayor Wayne Zitt and the town council encourage Guttenberg residents to participate in a town wide “clap-out” in support of essential workers on the front lines.

It aims to build a sense of community and togetherness. The round of applause will honor the EMTs, nurses, doctors, firefighters, law enforcement officers, and others fighting on the front lines.

The clap-out can be part of a daily routine. Each evening at 7 p.m. residents are asked to open their windows or front doors and clap to show their support and thank all essential workers and their families.

Residents must remain indoors.

Zitt advised residents to continue to practice social distancing. No one should gather on the street, individuals should remain a minimum six feet apart, and masks and gloves should be worn at all times.

“Guttenberg is a strong and enduring community,” Zitt said. “We can, and will, get through this together.”

As of April 11, there were 120 residents who tested positive for COVID-19. Ten have died as a result of complications from the virus.

For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at disrael@hudsonreporter.com.

New Jersey residents have been ordered to stay at home by Gov. Phil Murphy to help curtail the spread of the COVID-19 virus, and many people have been left to their own devices to pass the time during this period of self-isolation.

While some ponder the best way to spend their free time between working from home or remote instruction for school, others struggle with never-ending boredom or cabin fever as a result of being laid off or unable to work.

A number of creative activities are keeping residents, especially children, busy during these trying times.

In North Bergen, the township is trying to entertain residents and show pride in the community. Mayor Nicholas Sacco is encouraging all residents to show their Bruin Bear Pride with a town-wide Bruin Bear Hunt.

Bear hugs

“During these trying times we need to be creative on how we share our North Bergen pride and put a smile on the faces of people all throughout our community,” Sacco said. “Please place a Teddy Bear in your window to allow kids and adults to go on a #bruinbearhunt while out for a much-needed walk or drive.”

To participate, residents have been asked to put a teddy bear in their window that is visible from the street. No interaction with others is needed, and the event abides by all social-distancing recommendations.

Residents can participate in the Bruin Bear Hunt and search for teddy bears while walking their dogs, and or going for a drive or a walk to spend time outside during the stay-at-home order.

Sacco reminded residents it’s vitally important to continue practicing social distancing, good hygiene, and hand washing at all times.

Participants are asked to share pictures of the teddy bears in their windows on social media to spread township pride. The event aims to create a sense of community despite the forced isolation and self-quarantine.

“Let’s all have some fun and share some positivity,” Sacco said. “Use these hashtags if you would like to share your pics #bruinbearhunt in #bearcountry.”

For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at disrael@hudsonreporter.com.

As part of Hispanic Heritage Month 2019, the Township of North Bergen has expanded its community outreach by launching ¡Hola North Bergen!, the first official Spanish-language Facebook page produced by a municipality in New Jersey.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the webpage has taken on a more serious role.

¡Hola North Bergen! has become a critical portal for distributing information in Spanish about the efforts the township is making to address the ongoing crisis. Important information is posted daily about school and municipal closures, parking regulations, Health Department updates, business and tenant resources, among other important updates.

North Bergen is home to a large Hispanic population. According to 2019 population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, 70.9 percent of township residents were estimated to be Hispanic or Latino. Providing information to residents in a language that they are more likely to speak or understand is key during a crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Strong communication with our residents has always been a key objective of my administration, and ¡Hola North Bergen! is designed to strengthen the ties and transparency with our Hispanic community,” said Mayor Nicholas Sacco.

“I’m pleased to have launched this initiative to provide timely news, resources, and information in a format that is easily accessible to our Spanish-speaking residents, providing for greater safety and well-being within our community.”

Minute-by-minute COVID-19 updates

Commissioner Julio Marenco echoed Mayor Sacco, noting how the webpage is vital during the current crisis in keeping all residents in the township informed.

“Everyone knows how social media is a vital way to keep connected to what is going on around us,” said Commissioner Marenco. “With this Spanish-language page, the lines of communication are greatly expanded and available 24/7 to keep everyone up to date on upcoming activities, policy issues, police and safety concerns, and much more.”

In this critical situation it’s vital for residents to be able to receive information quickly that they can also understand thoroughly. Through ¡Hola North Bergen!, the township is able to keep residents updated on a minute-by-minute basis.

On the webpage, residents can normally find photos and news on events in town, from job postings and road closures to social events like Winterfest or National Night Out. However, now the page is filled with lists of closures, a daily tally of infected residents and other measures the township is taking to curtail the further spread of the virus.

¡Hola North Bergen! joins the township’s existing social media pages on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, as well as the website, Help Desk, and NB Connect, in ensuring that North Bergen residents are safe, well-informed, and have round-the-clock access to timely resources, news, and information regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.

The webpage is updated frequently with detailed information about the township and its departments response to the virus, including Police, Health, Parking, Public Works, and Recreation among others.

For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at disrael@hudsonreporter.com.

North Bergen is removing one worry from residents’ shoulders amid the COVID-19 pandemic: the need to find parking.

In a March 25 COVID-19 update, all parking ticketing remains suspended throughout the township. No parking tickets will be issued until further notice.

While the township is not ticketing for the street sweeper, if residents are able to move their vehicles they are asked to do so to allow for the streets to remain clean.

To help encourage residents to stay home, Mayor Nicholas Sacco, the Board of Commissioners, the North Bergen School District and the Parking Authority have made hundreds of additional parking spaces available free to the public.

These expanding parking options are for North Bergen resident parking only and resident parking permits are required. No commercial vehicles are allowed.

Parking is permitted only in designated areas, and residents are asked to adhere to the posted signs.

The measures are designed to prevent residents from needing to leave their homes to move their cars for fear of getting tickets or to pay the meter, among other parking related reasons.

Parking locations

These locations are available for resident parking across the township: the Recreation Center parking lot at 6300 Meadowview Avenue, the Senior Center parking lot at 1441 45th Street, the 46th Street Field Recreation parking lot, the 74th Street and Broadway parking lot, 38th Street and Liberty Avenue parking lot, and the 39th Street and Liberty Avenue parking lot.

Schools are opening their parking lots to residents. The North Bergen High School parking lot at 7417 Kennedy Blvd. and the Robert Fulton Annex School parking lot at 7111 Polk St. will be free for residents only.

Spaces will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Residents are advised to be considerate of neighbors during this difficult time and do not take up spaces if there is space available elsewhere.

For more information, visit the Parking Authority website at http://www.northbergenparkingauthority.com. All email inquiries should be sent to helpdesk@nbpaonline.org.

For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at disrael@hudsonreporter.com.