Brrrrr! We hope everyone has made it through the recent record-setting Blizzard without too much trouble, and is geared up to battle the last half of this winter season!
As usual, our monthly newsletter is packed with information about neighborhood activities as well as useful information on what’s happening in and around Jersey City. The VVPA’s monthly meeting schedule is the 3rd Tuesday of the month, so we look forward to seeing you at the next VVPA monthly meeting, which will be held on Tuesday, February 16th, 2016 at 7:00 PM in The Barrow Mansion, located at 83 Wayne St.
Monthly Meeting Details & Agenda
Whether you are new to the neighborhood or a long-time resident, this is YOUR COMMUNITY. Stop by and have a glass a wine on us, while you meet neighbors and learn about what’s going on here in your historic neighborhood!
This month’s meeting features a recap of the immensely popular DCNA Town Hall Meeting held on 1/26/15, discussion about the current and future status of the Pedestrian Mall, as well as two developer presentations.
Agenda:
7:00pm – Welcome and Call to Order – President Oona Moore
7:05pm – 7:30pm – Officer & Committee Reports
- Treasurer Report – Tom Ogorzalek
- Construction Committee Report – Tom Ogorzalek
- Bright & Varick Committee Report– Ceci de Leon
- Events Committee Report – Eric Carter/Marlene Sandkamp
7:30pm – 8:00pm – New Business
- DCNA Town Hall Meeting (1/26/15) Recap [Click here to access the video of this meeting — thanks, Yvonne]
- Community Action Items / Follow Ups
- Community input is welcomed for any new issues/concerns affecting our community. In particular, we’d like to hear from you about the future agenda items / guest speakers you’d like to see at our monthly VVPA meetings.
8:00pm – 8:45pm – Guest Speakers
- Pedestrian Mall – Brian Platt, Office of Innovation, JC Mayor’s Office
- 87 Bright Street
- Proposed Development Project at the foot of Jersey Avenue near the Morris Canal Basin – Architect Jay Valgora
8:45pm – 9:00pm – Announcements & Community networking
News You Can Use
As always, we try to bring you as many items of interest that affect our community. If you have any items that are important to share, please email us at vvpanews@gmail.com.
- East District Captain’s Meetings, which are regularly scheduled for the 4th Tuesday of every month at 7pm (typically in MS4 Library on Bright St., but location subject to change), are a great opportunity for community members to discuss crime/crime trends, quality of life issues, and other safety/security concerns with the JCPD. For more information on upcoming meetings, reach out to the JCDP East District Community Relations Officer, Dina Lionakis, at 201.547.4370 / dlionakis@njjcps.org.
- VVPA Sponsors – In order to bring you free and low-cost events throughout the year, the VVPA depends on fundraising and sponsorship from local businesses and community members. As we enter a new calendar year, it’s time to think about becoming a VVPA sponsor. For more information on the benefits of becoming a sponsor, as well as the various sponsorship levels that are available, please reach out to us at vvpanews@gmail.com. Or, you can go directly to the VVPA website and click on the Donate button!
- In addition to receiving news you can use from VVPA, we encourage all residents to sign up to receive Community News/Updates from your elected officials. Sign up for updates from Candice Osborne and Steven Fulop by clicking on the links provided.
- Jersey City Resident Response Center is a resource available to all to find answers to commonly asked questions or to report non-emergency concerns/problems to the City of Jersey City (potholes, failure to pick up trash, fallen tree branch removal, etc.). In addition to utilizing the JCRRC website, residents may also download the app on their phone (Jersey City RRC Fix-It) and can attach photos to any request to help clarify the concern. We encourage all to utilize these resources to help resolve issues in their community.
- Stay Informed and Active in your Community by signing up for the NextDoor and Swift911 applications and monitoring local news through NJ.Com/hudson. Nextdoor is a private social network that connects neighbors to talk online and makes communities stronger, better and safer. The City uses the Swift911 platform to send citywide emergency and non-emergency alerts through a variety of channels including voice, text message, email, fax, pager, and social media such as facebook and Twitter. Registration is free, so join today!
- Look for the cover story in the Sunday, 2/14 Real Estate section of the New York Times discussing development in Jersey City.
- The Jersey City Recreation Department is offering a variety of fun classes, including Spin classes, Free Swimming Lessons, and Ice Skating Classes. Click on the links for additional information, or contact the Jersey City Recreation Department. Additionally, the Jersey City Recreation Department wants to hear from you! Please download their form and share your ideas on how to improve their services.
Community Events
Below is just a partial list of the many, many wonderful events happening in the Van Vorst neighborhood and throughout our city. If you have a community event that you’d like featured in our newsletter, please reach out to us at vvpanews@gmail.com.
VVPA Events
The RED Party – Saturday, February 13th, 7:30pm – 11pm
The VVVPA invites you to join us at the HOT, HOT, HOT RED Party! Chase away those winter blues and party at the Barrow Mansion (shout out to our donor, Barrow Mansion Development Corporation!) on Saturday, February 13th with DJ Marvilous. Tickets are $20 in advance (through Eventbrite) or $25 at the door. Enjoy $5 drinks and food from our fabulous donors, Orale, Cocoa Bakery, Park n Sixth, and Shadman.
And, as always, the VVPA Events Committee is always looking for volunteers to help plan, decorate and work at these VVPA sponsored events. For those who are interested in volunteering, email vvpanews@gmail.com.
Other Community Events
Liberty Humane Society (LHS) Adoption Event – February 1st – 14th
Looking for a pet for that special someone? Look no further! The Liberty Humane Society is having an adoption event – FREE adoptions for cats and dogs 4 months and older! For more information, click here.
Important City Public Meetings
For the full schedule and location details of Important City Public Meetings, please refer to the Public Meetings Calendar found on the City of Jersey City website. Remember, it’s YOUR COMMUNITY, so stay informed and stay involved!
Thanks to our Generous Sponsors!
We’d like to thank our sponsor Dixon Leasing: a subsidiary of Dixon Advisory for their generous donation. And, we always love working with Friends of Van Vorst Park! Without our sponsors and friends, we would not be able to bring you so many FREE or low-cost events throughout the year. We encourage all of you to support these businesses and let them know that you appreciate their donations! If you are a local business that would like to become a VVPA sponsor, please reach out to the VVPA sponsorship committee at vvpanews@gmail.com.